and receiueth them of none Iudgeth all and is iudged of none Moreouer God is not onely a Iudge but also a King And therefore hee iudgeth not like a Iudge appointed by a King but as the highest coÌ„manding King For which cause hee is called the King of Kinges Apoc 19 And A great King aboue all Godds â—sal 94 psal 75 And terrible to the Kinges of the earth Because hee transferreth Kingdomes and Empyres from one Nation vnto another and Taketh away the spirit of Princes when hee pleaseth Neither is God the Highest King and Iudge onely but also an Abâ—olute Lord which is the highest tytle of all For Kinges are not such absolute Lordes ouer their Subiectes as that they may when they please depriue them of their goods and liues Whereof King Achab can be a witnesse 3 Reg 21 who would haue had Naboths vineyard yet could not but by the treachery and calumnie of his wife For which cause they both miserably perished But God is an Absolute Lord whom all thinges doe serue and yet he serueth none and as can if he so please reduce all thinges to Nothing because hee made them all of Nothing Thinke therfore my soule what great feare and reuerence wee wormes of the Earth owe vnto him that sitteth vpon the Highest Throne If I be the Lord saith he by the Prophet Malachie where is my Feare Mal 1 And if the Highest Angells of Heauen serue him with feare and trembling what ought we fraile mortall men to doe who dwell on the earth with beastes But to some it may seeme strange why God who is most high loueth not creatures that therin resemble him to witt the high and loftie but the humble and poore For so speaketh God by Isay To whome shall I haue respect Isay 66 but to the peore little one and the contrite of Spirit and him that trembleth at my wordes Psal 12 And Dauidâ— Our Lord is high and beholdeth the lowe thinges Yes surely God loueth high and lofty Creatures if therein they resemble him But then they must be high in Deede and not in appearance God therfore loueth not the Proude which are elate and puffed vp not truely high But hee loueth the humble and such as tremble at his wordes and exalteth them And they are high indeed whome be exalteth Those therefore that are humble are High To witt humble in their owne eyes and high in the eyes of God If one had seene not onely with his bodily but also with his mentall eyes illumiminated by God the rich Glutton cloathed in purple sitting at his table furnished with all kindes of costly meates attended with many seruantes diligently doing their offices And at the same time had likewise beheld poore Lazarus halfe naked and full of sores sitting at the rich mans gate and begging to be filled with the crummes that fell from his table He truly should haue seene the rich man whom the world accompted most happy to be in the eyes of God and his Angells as vile and abhominable as the dung and dirt of the earth Luk. 16 For that which is high to men is abhomination before God saith our Lord in the same place where he describeth the rich GluttoÌ„ But on the other side he should haue seene the poore deiected Lazarus to be esteemed and enobled in the eyes of God and his Angells as a precious Margarite which in the end proued true For Lazarus as the beloued of God was carryed by the handes of Angells into Ahrahams bosome And the rich man as hatefull to God was dragged by the Deuills into the Hell of Fire But why speake I of Lazarus There is none higher with God then our Lord Iesus Christ euen according to his humanity And yet neither in Heauen or Earth is there any to be found more humble then hee So that he said most truely Learne of me because I am meeke and humble Math 11 For as that most holy soule doth knowe more perfectly then all other the Infinite height of the Diuinitie So it doth more perfectly know the basenesse of a Creature which is made of nothing And therefore being also it selfe a Creature it is most humbled and subiected to God and by him exalted aboue all Creatures The like we may also say of blessed Angells and soules of holy men For there are none more humble then those which possesse the highest places in Heauen Because they being more neere to God doe more clearely see how great the difference is betweene the greatnesse of the Creator and smalnesse of the Creature Therfore my soule loue humility if thou desire true glory Immitate the Lambe without spott Immitate his virgin mother immitate the Cherubins and Seraphins all which the higher they are the more humble also they are Neither hath God onely a most high Throne Cap. 7. because he iudgeth all but also because he resteth more then all and maketh them to rest vpon whom he sitteth Gods most high Throne is his most high rest For although he gouerneth the whole world in which are continuall conflicts and warrs of elements beasts and men Wisd 1â— yet he iudgeth with tranquilitie as it is said in the booke of Wsdome and alwayes enioyeth most high rest Neither can any thing trouble his quietnesse and the contemplation of himselfe wherein he taketh eternall delight Therefore he is called the king of Ierusalem which is to say the vision of peace But his peculiar Throne is vpon the blessed Angells therefore it is said He that sitteth vpon the Cherubins Psal 79 98 For God is said to sit rather vpon the Cherubins then vpon the Seraphins For the Cherubins signifie multiplicitie of knowledge and the Seraphins heate of loue And rest followeth Wisdome but care and anxietie followeth loue vnlesse it be accompanied with Wisdome Therfore the soule of a righteous man is also called The seate of Wisdome Isay 66 Moreouer when Isay saith Heauen is my seate And when Dauid saith Psal 113 The heauen of heauen is to our Lord by the heauen of heauen is vnderstood the spirituall heauens which dwell vpon the corporall beauens to wit the blessed Angells as St. Augustine saith in his exposition of the hundred and thirtieth Psalme And these heauens God maketh to rest so admirably that it is a peace which passeth all vnderstanding St. Bernard in one of his Sermons vpon the Canticles Ser. 23 setteth downe a very fit similitude to declare this rest in these wordes Tranquillus Deus tranquillat omnia c. God being quiet quieteth all thinges and to behold his quietnesse is to rest We see a king after dayly suites of causes heard before him to dismisse the company to auoyde the troubles of the Court and to goe at night into his priny Chamber with a sewe whom he familiarly loueth thinking himselfe the more sure the more secret he is and being the more pleasant the more quietly he beholdeth those fewe
glorieth let him glory in our Lord. And Psal 33 My soule shall be praised in our Lord. For I aske when a man doth some excellent worke of what matter doth he make it by what vertue and by whose direction and help doth he it surely of a matter which God not man created and by that vertue which God gaue vnto him not he to himselfe by Gods direction and help also he doth it without which he could doe no good For God doth many good things in Man without Man but Man doth no good which God doth not cause Man to doe as it is said in the second Arausican Councell c. 20. God therefore doth vouchsafe to vse the ministery of man in doing good the which he could doe without him that Man may thereby acknowledge himselfe more indebted vnto God and not be proude of himselfe but glory in our Lord. Therfore my soule if thou be wise sit downe alwaies in the lowest place steale not Gods glory neither in little nor in much descend to thy Nothing which onely is thine all the world cannot make thee proud But because this pretious vertue of humility was almost gon out of the world and not to be found either in the bookes of the Philosophers or manners of the Gentiles the master of humilitie came from heauen Phil. 2 And when he was in the forme of God equall to the Father he exinanited himselfe taking the forme of a seruaÌ„t he humbled himselfe made obedient vnto death And to Mankinde he said Learne of me Mat. 11 because I am meeke humble of hart you shall finde rest to your soules wherfore my soule if perhaps thou art ashamed to imitate the humility of men yet be not ashamed to imitate the humilitie of God who deceaueth not nor can be deceaued And Who resisteth the proud and giueth grace to the humble Iam. 4. It followeth now that we consider the forme which is the third cause Cap 4. And truly by how much the matter whereof man is made is more base by so much the forme giuen to man is more excellent I omit the outward shape of his body which surpasseth all earthly liuing creatures in feature yet that is not his substantiall but accidentall Forme For his substantiall forme which maketh him a man distinguished from other liuing creatures is his immortall soule indued with reason and free will which is Gods Image made to his owne likenes For so we reade that God said when he made man Let vs make man to our Image and likenes Gen. 1. And let him haue dominion ouer the fishes of the Sea and the Foules of the ayre and the beastes and the whole earth and all creeping creatures vpon the earth Man therefore is Gods Image not because of his body but of his soule for God is a Spirit not a body Et ibi est imago dei c. Hom. in exam 10 And there is the Image of God saith St. Basill where that is which commandeth ouer other liuing creatures But man commandeth ouer beastes not by the members of his body the which are stronger in many beastes then in Man but by his minde endued with reason and free-will For not by that which hee hath coÌ„mon with them doth he rule them but by that whereby he is distinguished from them and made like vnto God Lift vp thy minde my soule to thy example and remember that the cheife commendation of the Image is to be like thereunto For although the example be deformed as the Deuil is vsually made yet the commendation of the image is aptly to represent that deformed example Therfore deformity in the example shall still be deformity but in the image it shall be beautie And if the example also be beautifull the image shall be most pretious if it imitate as neere as may be the beautie thereof the image likewise if it had vnderstanding would desire nothing more then continually to beholde the example to fashion and frame it selfe to become most like thereunto Thy example O my soule is God an infinite beautie 1 Ioh. c. 1 A light in whome there is no darkenesse whose beautie the Sunne and Moone admire That thou mayst therefore imitate an example of such beautie and desire as much as thou canst to be like him wherein consisteth thy highest perfection profit honor ioy rest and happinesse consider that the beauty of God thy example consisteth in Wisdome and Holines For as the beauty of the body ariseth from proportion of members and an amiable colour so in the beauty of the minde an amiable colour is the Light of Wisedome and the proportion of members is Iustice but by Iustice no particular vertue is vnderstood but that vniuersall which comprehendeth all vertues That soule therefore is most beautifull whose minde doth shine with the light of Wisdome and whose will is confirmed in the fullnes of perfect Iustice But God thy example O my soule is Wisdome and Iustice and therefore Beautie it selfe And because both this goodnesse is signified by the name of Holinesse in the Scriptures Isay 6. therefore in Isay the Angels crye vnto God Holy holy holy Leuit. 11 Lord God of Sabaoth And God himselfe cryeth vnto his Images Be you holy because I your Lord God am holy And our Lord in the Gospell Math. 6. Be you perfect as your heauenly Father is perfect If therefore thou desire O my soule as the true image of God to be like thy example thou must loue Wisdome and Iustice before all things It is true Wisdome to iudge of all things according to the highest cause the highest cause is the will of God or the law which doth make knowne the will of God vnto men Therefore if thou loue Wisdome thou must not in any wise giue eare what the lawe of the flesh doth teach what the senses doe esteeme what the world doth approue what thy kinds folks perswade and much lesse what flatterers propound but be deafe vnto them all and onely attend the will of thy Lord God iudging that wholy good profitable glorious and to be desired of thee which is according therunto This is the Wisdome of Saints whereof the wiseman writeth Wisd 7 Aboue health and beauty did I loue her and purposed to haue her for light because her light cannot be extinguished And all good things came to me together with her Moreouer Iustice is an other part of spirituall beautie and comprehendeth all vertues which adorne and perfect the Will but especially Charitie the Mother Roote of vertues Whereof St. Augustine in his last booke of Nature and grace speaketh thus Inohoata charitas c. De Natura gratâ—a c. 70 vnperfect charitie is vnperfect iustice Charitie increased is iustice increased Perfect Charitie is perfect Iustice For He that loueth hath fulfilled the law because Rom. 13 Loue worketh not euil And therefore Loue is the fulnesse of the Lawe as the
and excellencie it selfe which thou art O my Lord God Thy seruant Dauid iudged right who esteemed thy commaundements To be desired aboue golde and much pretious stone Psal 18 and more sweete aboue hony and the hony Combe And he added And in keeping them is much reward What meaneth this O Lord dost thou promise reward to those that keepe thy commandements To be desired aboue golde and more sireete then the hony Combe Yes truely a most ample reward Iam. 4 for Iames thy Apostle saith Our Lord hath prepared a Crowne of life for those that loue him And what is a Crown of Life Truely a greater Happinesse then we are able to conceiue For so speaketh St. Paul out of Isay 1. Cor. 2 Isay 64 Eye hath not seene nor eare hath heard neither hath it ascended into the heart of Man what things God hath prepared for them that loue him Surely therfore there is great reward for keeping thy commandements Neither is that first greatest cōmandement profitable onely to man obeying not to God commanding but also the rest of Gods commandements do perfect beautifie instruct and illuminate the obedient and finally make them good and happy Therefore my soule if thou be wise vnderstand that thou art created to Gods glorie and thy eternall happinesse that is thy end that is thy treasure and center if thou come to that end thou shalt be happy if thou declyne from it thou art vnhappy Therefore think that assuredly good for thee which directeth thee to that end and that assuredly euill which causeth thee to decline from it Prosperitie and aduersitie wealth and pouertie health and sicknesse honour and ignominy life and death of a wise man are neither to be desired nor auoyded but if they make to Gods glorie and thy eternall welfare they are good and to be desired if they hinder it they are euill and to be auoyded THE SECOND STEPP From the Consideration of the greater world WE haue framed the first Stepp of our Ladder of Ascention vnto God Cap. 1 from the Consideration of Man who is called the Lesser World Now we also purpose to frame the Second Stepp from the Consideration of this most great corporall quantitie commonly called the Greater world St. Gregory Nazianzen writeth in his second sermon of the Pasche That God placed Man as a great world in a lesser world which is true if we seperate Angels from the world For man is greater then the whole corporall world not in quantitie but in qualitie but if that Angels are comprehended in the world as we in this place comprehend them then is man a Lesser world placed in a Greater world In this greater world therefore which conteyneth all things many things are to be wondred at but especially quantitie multitude varietie efficacie and beauty All which if by Gods assistance they be duly considered are of great force to eleuate the minde and to make it become in a manner wrapt with admiration of an infinite greatnesse multitude varietie efficacie and beautie and being returned to it selfe whatsoeuer it beholdeth without God to dispise as vaine and of no moment Truely the earth is so great that Ecclesiasticus saith Eccles c. 1 The breadth of the earth and profunditie of the depth who hath measured which may be vnderstood For that in so many thousand yeares as haue passed since the creation as yet the whole surface of the earth for that Ecclesiasticus calleth the breadth of the earth is not knowne vnto our men who daily haue sought after it And what I pray you is the greatnesse of the earth compared to the compasse of the highest heauen It is said by Astronomers to be as a Poynt and not without cause For we see the sunne beames so to illuminate the opposite starres of the Firmament although the earth be betweene as if the same were nothing at all And if euery starre in the Firmament be greater then the whole earth as the common opinion of wise men is and yet seeme to vs because of their almost infinite distance to be very small who then can conceiue the greatnesse of heauen in which so many millions of starres doe shine If therefore Ecclesiasticus said The breadth of the earth and profunditie of the depth who hath measured What would he haue said of the Compasse of the highest he euen and distance thereof vnto the lowest hell truely it is so great that it cannot be conceiued Goe too now my soule I aske thee if the world be so great how great is he that made the world Great is our Lord and there is no end of his greatnesse Heare Isay Isay 40 Who hath measured the waters with his fist and pondered the heauens with a spanne Who hath poysed with three fingers the huge greatnes of the earth Where St. Ierome saith that according to the translation of Aquila by a fist is vnderstood the little finger so that the sence is The whole element of water which is lesse then the earth is measured with one little finger of God the earth with three fingers the heauen which is greater then the earth and water together is pondered with a spanne But this is spoken metaphorically for God is a Spirit and hath no handes nor fingers properly and the scripture by these comparisons doth sufficiently shewe that God is much greater then his Creatures which Salomon signified more expressely when he said 2 Para. 6 The heauen and heauens of heauens doe not containe thee For if an other world or more worldes yea infinite worldes were made God would fill them all But thinke not my soule thy God doth so fill the world that a part of God is in a part of the world and all God in all the world for God hath no partes but is all in all the world and all in euery part of the world Therefore if thou be faithfull to him although Armies rise vp against thee thy heart shall not feare for what should he feare who hath an almightie Father and freind but if for thy sinnes thou hast God an angry judge and an almightie enemie then hast thou iust cause to dread with horrible feare and to giue thine eyes and feete no rest vntill God being pleased with thy true repentance thou take breath in the light of his mercies But now who can number the multitude of things created by one God maker of heauen and earth Cap. 2 Who saith Ecclesiasticus can number the Sandes of the sea and drops of rayne Eccles cap. 1 But how many mettalls of gold and siluer brasse lead pretious stones Iemmes margarites are there within the earth and Sea how many kindes sortes and Indiuidualls of hearebs fruites and plantes are there vpon the earth also how many kindes sortes and Indiuidualls of perfect and vnperfect liuing creatures foure footed beasts creeping Creatures foules how many kindes sortes and Indiuidualls of fishes in the Sea Who can number them
to be of their nearenesse subiection and coniunction with God the Father of Light The Moone signifieth Man the Sunne God When the Moone is opposite against the Sunne then with her light borrowed from the Sunne she onely beholdeth the Earth and turneth her backe as it were to Heauen Therfore she then appeareth very beautifull to the Inhabitants of the Earth but very deformed to those in Heauen Euen so Men when they are farr from God as that prodigall Son that departed froÌ„ his Father went into a far Countrey then doe they abuse the light of reason which they receiued froÌ„ him to behold the earth onely are altogether occupied in getting the wealth therof And then of the children of this world they are accounted wise and happy But of the heauenly Cittizens they are esteemed Poore Apoc. 3 and blinde naked deformed and miserable Againe when the Moone is vnder yâ— Sun or very near it she then shineth in the higher part and onely beholdeth Heauen turning as it were her back to the Earth vanishing from the eyes of men Euen so when a sinner beginneth to returne vnto virtue and to be truely subiected vnto God the true Sunne of Soules by Humility and ioyned vnto him by Charity then will he fulfill that which the Apostle aduiseth Col 3 Seeke the thinges that are aboue where Christ is sitting on the right hand of God and minde the thinges that are aboue not the thinges that are vpon the Eâ—rth And then shall hee be dispised by fond Worldlings and accompted a dead man For indeed he is dead to the world And his life is hid with Christ in God But when Christ shall appeare his Life Then he also shall appeare with Christ in Glory as the same Apostle saith in that place And this is the cause as St. Epist 19 c. 4 5 6 Augustine in his Epistle to Ianuarius hath noted why the Pasch of our Lord neither in the olde or new Law could be rightly Celebrated vntill the full Moone were past to wiâ—t vntill the Moone which at the full is opposite beginneth by conuersion to returne to coniunction with the Sunne For God by this coelestial Planet would shew how by the Passion and Resurrection of Christ Man that was opposite vnto God by his iniquity should begin to returne vnto God and by the merites of Iesus Christ seeke to vnite himselfe vnto his grace But thou my soule if perhapps by Gods grace thou finde thy selfe subiected in true humility vnto the Father of Light and ioyned vnto him in feruent Charity doe not imitate sooles who Are changed as the Moâ—ne Eccle 27 but emulate Wise men which remainâ— as the Sunne as Ecclesiasticus witnesseth For the Moore increafeth quickly and decreaseth But if thou be wise abandon not grace once receiued depart not from it for nothing canst thou finde better in any place Neither knowest thou hauing once lost it whether thou shalt returne to it any more for hee that promised pardon and grace vnto the penitent hath not promised the Guift of repentance or a long life vnto thee Therefore thou mayest without feare turne thy backe to the Earth and behold thy Sunne Râ—st delight and remaine in him Say with the Apostle St. Mat. 17 Peter It is good for vs to be here Epist Ad Com. And with the Martyr Ignatius It is better for me to liue with Christ then to rule the Earth Care not what they thinke of thee which loue the world for he is not approued whom the world coÌ„mendeth but whom God coÌ„mendeth The Moone hath also an other property Cap 5 which God is accustomed to vse towardes his elect For the Moone gonerneth the night as the Sunne the day saith Moses in Genesis Gen. 7 and Dauid in the Psalmes Psal 135 but the Sun shineth all day long the Moone somtime in the night casteth a great light somtimes a small and sometimes none at all So God like the Sunne alwayes shineth vpon the holy Angels and blessed Soules which inioy perpetuall day For theresh all be no night there saith St. Iohn in the Apocalips but in this night of our Pilgrimage and banishment Apoc. 21 2 Cor. 5 In which we walke by Faith and not by Sight And Attend to holy Scripture as to a candle shining in a darke place as St. Peter saith in his last Epistle 2 Pet 1 God like the Moone doth sometime visite and illuminate our hearts and sometime leaueth vs in the darknes of desolation Yet thou oughtest not my soule to be too sorrowfull albeit thou enioy not the Light of consolation nor reioyce too much if shortly after thou breathe in the Light of comfortable Deuotion For God is as the Moone and not as the Sunne in the night of this world Neither doth hee onely appeare vnto vs poore and vnperfect creatures sometimes as a Moone full of the Light of Consolation and sometimes without Light leauing vs in the darke night of Desolation For the Apostle St. Paul the vessell of election who was rapt into the Third Heauen 2 Cor. 12 and heard secret wordes which is not lawfull for a man to speake saith sometimes 2 Cor. 7 I am replenished with Consolation I dâ—e exceedingly abouâ—d in ioy in all our tribulation And sometimes he sigheth and lamenteth saying Rom 7 I see another Law in my members repugning to the Law of my minde and captiuing me in the Law of sinne that is in my members Vnhappy man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death 21 Cor. 1 And in his last vnto the Corinthians We will not haue you ignorant Brethren concerning our tribulation which hath happened in Asia that we were pressed aboue measure aboue our power so that it was teadious vnto vs euen to liue And thus as St. Iohn Chrysostome noteth God dealeth with all his Saints Hom. 8 in Math. to wit not suffering them to haue continuall tribulations nor to enioy continuall consolations but in an admirable varietie of prosperitie and aduersitie to spend as it were their liues Thus much of the moone The Starres also are numbred among the ornaments of heauen Cap. 6 of which Ecclesiasticus saith The glory of the starres is the beauâ—y of heauen but he presently addeth Eccle. 43 Our Lord illuminating the world on high For all the beauty of the Starrs Sunne and Moone proceedeth from God the Father of light neither doth the Sunne by day or Moone and starrs by night giue light but it is Our Lord that dwelleth on high who by the Sun Moone starrs giueth light to the world For it is he who as the Prophet Baruch speaketh Baruch 3 Sendeth forth light and it goeth hath called it it obeyeth him with trembling And the starrs haue giuen light in their watches and reioyced they were called and they sayd here we are they haue shined to him with checrefulnesse
without ceasing but there are innumerable Angels and holy men which heare them and are delighted therewith and they also with Hymnes and songes continually prayse their maker But to proceed The length of Gods essence is his eternitie Cap. 4 which neither hath beginning of duration nor euer shall haue end but is alwayes the same without any change Psal 101 Thou art saith Dauid the selfesame and thy yeares shall not fayle Tobyas also Tob 13 1 Tim. 6 and after him the Apostle calleth God The king of worlds because he onely was before all worlds is not subiect to worldes but ruleth and gouerneth them Other thinges haue beginning and end and neuer continue in the same state Or els they haue beginning without end or change of substance yet if their maker please they may cease to be Eternitie therfore is proper to God onely Nor was there euer any Prince so prowde that among his many other Tytles durst arrogate to himselfe the tytle of eternall except perhaps in an other seÌ„ce As Constantius who was called eternal Emperour because he was not Emperour for a certaine time but for terme of life But thou my soule mayst be numbred among both kindes of Creatures For thou hast a body which began to be when it was conceaued and borne and by degrees it grewe to that stature which God appointed then it began to decrease and shortly by death it shall cease to be Therefore it neuer wholy continueth in the same state but is euery hower subiect to change Of thy body the Prophet spake this sentence resembling it to Hay In the morning as an hearbe hee shall passe Psal 89 in the morning he shall flourish and passe in the euening he shall fall be hardened and withered For in the morning to wit in Childhood Mans body flourisheth like an bearbe and soone after followeth youth In the Noone-tyde of youth it flourisheth and soone after followeth olde age in the euening of olde age it falleth by death and in the graue it is hardened withered and turned to dust Beholde therefore O my soule how farre thy bodie is from eternitie But thou wast created in time where as before thou wast nothing and therein thou â—rt farre vnlike thy eternall Creator but being created thy duration is endlesse wherein thou dost resemble thy Creator And because whiles thou art in the body thou changest often from vice to vertue and from vertue to vice And according to the state in which thou shalt be found at thy departure from the body thou shalt be iudged either to raigne for euer with God or for euer to be tormented with the Deuill therefore thou oughtest to haue a very great care to eschew vice and to follow vertue Take heede then least thou be seduced by the allurements of thy flesh to the euerlasting perdition both of thy selfe and it Gal 5 but rather Crucifie it with the vices and concupiscences thereof that thou mayst hereafter liue eternally and thy flesh may rise in glory and in glory remaine with thee for all eternitie But although the Angells and soules of Saintes are to be partakers of eternitie in that high and happy Vnion with God by his beatifying vision and loue which vnion shall continue for euer without change yet may they alter change their thoughts affections and places after diuers manners therefore they shall alwaies reuereÌ„tly admire Gods eternitie aboue them in whom can be no change of thought affection or place for he wanteth nothing but hath all things present which in eternitie of time he might by diuers changings haue procured Therefore eternitie is a length without end no lesse proper to God then the breadth of his immensitie It followeth then Cap. 5 that we consider the Height of God of whom it is sayd Thou onely the Highest Psal 82 For God is most heigh in excellencie of Nature Other thinges are the more heigh and excellent the more pure they are and more free from matter This is euident first in corporall things For the Water is higher then the Earth because it is more pure and for the same cause the Ayer is higher then the Water and the Fire then the Ayer and the Heauen then the Fire The like also wee finde in Spirituall thinges for the vnderstanding is higher then the sence because the sence hath a Corporal organ which the vnderstanding needeth not Likewise the vnderstanding of Angels is higher then mans Because Mans vnderstanding needeth the helpe of Imagination and Phantasie which Angells need not and among Angells they are the Highest which vnderstand most by fewest Formes God therefore who is A pure Act needeth neither Organ nor Imagination nor Forme nor the presence of any Obiect without himselfe for his essence is to him all thinges Neither can he haue any thing which he hath not alwayes actually had and to haue Alwayes actually is alwayes to be a Pure and simple Act Therefore the Nature of God is most high and which cannot by any meanes haue an equall For which cause he who said I will be like to the Highest Isay 14 was suddainly cast downe from Heauen into the lowest Hell as Esay doth describe And Christ our Lord saith of him Luke 10 I saw Sathan as a lightning fall from Heauen God also is most High for that he is the first and Highest efficient exemplar and finall cause of all thinges He is the highest efficient cause for that there is no Creature which hath any working vertue but from God but God receiueth not from any other Againe no cause can worke vnlesse it be moued by God but God is mooued by no other Moreouer among Creatures such causes are said to be highest whiah are vniuersall and of whom particular causes depend As the Heauens and Angells which moue the Heauens but God made both the Heauens and Angells He therefore is the first and highest efficient cause And hee is the first exemplar cause for he made all thinges according to the Ideas or Formes which in him selfe he hath Lastly hee is also the first Finall cause For hee created all thinges for himselfe Pro. 16 to witt for manifestation of his glory as the wise man saith in the Prouerbes Moreouer God is most high because he sitteh in a most high Throne I saw our Lord saith Isay sitting vpon an high Throne and eleuated Isay 6 A seate hath two vses the one to Iudge the other to rest in let vs then consider each of them apart First God hath a most Throne because hee is the Highest Iudge For Abraham said vnto God Gen. 18 Psal 81 Thou doest iudge all the Earth And Dauid In the middes hee iudgeth goddes That is God iudgeth the Iudges themselues who in the Scripture are called Goddes And St. Iames saith plainly Iam 4 There is one Law-maker and Iudge That is to say God onely is the true Law-maker and Iudge For he onely giueth Lawes to all
disposeth a man to behaue himselfe well in all actions according to all lawes And in this all vertues as weâ—l Theologicall as Moral are comprehended There is also another vertue called Charitie which conteyneth all vertues in her bosome and commaundeth and directeth all their actes vnto their endes Which although it be a particular Theologicall vertue yet it may truely be called likewise iustice ingenerall For it disposeth a man to behaue himselfe well towards God and his neighbour and in so doing he fulfilleth all lawes So speaketh the Apostle Rom 13 Lâ—ue worketh no euill And He that loueth hath fulfilled the lawe And Loue is the fulnesse of the Lave St. Augustine also in his booke of Nature and Grace sayth Vnperfect Charitie is vaâ—erfect â—â—stice Charitie increased is iustice increased great Charitie is great Iustice perfect Charity is perfect iustice Moreouer in God are all vertues without any imperfection and in lieu of them which may praesuppose imperfection there is somthing much better more excelleÌ„t for which cause he is most truly called The onely good oneâ—y holy Faith therfore is not in God a Theologicall vertue because Faith is of those thinges which are not seene But God seeth all thinges Neither is their hope in God because hope is an expectation of thinges to come but God expecteth nothing for hee possesseth all thinges from eternitie Neither is there in God repentance for sinne because God cannot sinne Nor Humilitie for Humilitie keepeth a man that he ascend not vainely aboue himselfe but continue in his estate but God hath nothing aboue himselfe because he is most High Yet Charitie the Queene of vertues is in God most ample truely infinite For he loueth himselfe infiintely because himselfe onely perfectly knoweth the insinite goodnesse of his Essence He loueth also all thinges he hath made so speaketh the Wife man Wisd 1 Thou honest all thinges that are and hatest nothing of those which thou â—â—st made For God by his wisdome knoweth how to seperate euill from good to wit defect from nature euen in the Deuils in the most wiâ—ked And he loueth nature which he made hateth defect which he made not Furthermore there is such true Charity in God that himselfe would be called Charitie as St. Iohn speaketh when he saith God is Chrritie 1 Ioh. 4 But our loue being compared with Gods loue is exceeding small For many thinges we loue not because we knowe them not Many thinges also which we knowe we loue not because we decerne not in them good from euill many good thinges likewise we loue not well and therefore not with true charitie because we are naught and follow rather lust then loue And we loue God vnperfectly not onely because we loue him not so much as his goodnesse doth deserue which neither the Angels doe but also because we loue him lesse then we ought and lesse also then we might if we did with more attention and diligence giue our selues to prayer and Meditation This Queene of vertues in the Lord of vertues is accompanied with singular magnificence infinite liberalitie incredible benignitie and humilitie admirable patience and longanimitie most abundant mercie and pietie euerlasting truth and fidelitie perfect iustice and most vnspotted sanctitie so that The Sâ—arres are not cleane in his sight Iob 25 And the Seraphins being astonished â—ive Holy holy holy Isay 6 the Lord God of hâ—stes O my soule if thou didst consider these thinges attentiâ—ely with what feare and membling wouldest thou serue God in thy deuotions and prayers 〈◊〉 And especially at the holy Altar with what reuerence humilitie wouldest thou offer vp to the eternall Father his onely begotten Sonne in the sight of Angels for the health of the quicke and dead But let vs go on Cap. 2 The length of Gods iustice is manifested by the truth fidelitie thereof Our Lord is faithfull in all his wordes saith the Prophet Psal 144 That is The promises of God which were declared many ages since by the Prophets neuer were nor shall be frustrate but more firme and stable then heauen and earth Luke 16 For so saith our Lord It is easier for hearten and earth tâ— passe then one tittle of the lawe to fall And our Lord meaneth by the Lawe not onely the truth of his Commandements but also of his promises For whatsoeuer he hath commaunded must be obserued or punishment followeth and whatsoeuer he hath promised is by eternall truth established and performed Where vpon he also saith Math 5 Heauen and earth shall passe but my wordes shall not passe And Isay Iâ—â—y 40 The word of our Lord abideth for euer And Dauid Psal 110 All his Commaundements are faithfull Confirmed for euer and euer Rom 3 And the Apostle But God is true and euery man a Lyer And It is vnpâ—ssible for God to lye Heb. 1 The reason of which sayinges is because being Wisdome he cannot be deceaued being goodnesse he cannot deceaue and being Omnipotencie he cannot saile But men although they be wise good and mightie may be deceaued and deceaue because they neither knowe all thinges nor can performe all thinges as they will they also that are good when they promise may soone after become euill and not fulfill their promise Therefore if thou be wise my soule trust onely in God cleaue onely to him and vpon him cast all thy care Walke thou carefully with thy Lord God Mich. 6 and hee will be carefull of thee Take heed all thou canst least thou offend his Iustice and his mercy will alwayes so defend thee that thou shalt not neede to feare what man or deuill can doe to thee The Height of Gods iustice is seene in giuing the reward of Heauen Cap. 3 which God as the Highest and most iust Iudge hath prepared for them that haue liued righteously And first we shall decerne the Greatnesse of his Iustice if wee compare God as a Iudge with men that are Iudges Secondly if we compare rewards with rewardes to wit the rewards which God will giue with those which men vse to giue Men that are Princes Prelates or Iudges and haue vnder them subiectes or seruantes for the most part giue not for many causes iust Rewardes to those that deserue them For either they cannot through want of ability giue to all according to their deserts or they know not all their desertes or they knowe not their true worth which dependeth vpon the sincerity and affection of their mindes or through couetousnesse and malice or some other peruerse inclination they will not iustly reward their iust labours Or lastly they are either preuented by death before they can pay the recompence which they owe or they to whome it is due depart out of this life before they begin to tast the fruits of their trauailes But God giueth the righteous not onely iust rewards for their good workes but also aboue their deserts Math.