that the ten twentie or two yeres or perhaps two monethes which thow hast yet to lyue were now ended and that thow were euen at this present stretched out vppon a bed wearied and worne with dolour and paine thy carnall frindes aboute the weepinge and howlinge the phisitions 〈◊〉 with theire fees as hauinge geeuen the ouer thow lyinge there alone mute and dumme in most pitifull agonie expectinge from moment to moment the last stroake of death to be geeuen the. Tell me in this instant what would all the pleasures and commodities of this world doe the good what comforte would it be to the to haue bene of honour in this world to haue bene ryche and purchassed muche to haue borne office and bene in the princes fauoure 〈◊〉 haue left thy children or kynred wealthye to haue trodden downe thyne enimies to haue sturred much and borne greate swaye in this lyfe what ease I saye or comfort would it be to the to haue ben fayre to haue ben gallant in apparell goodlie in personage glytteringe in golde would not all thes thinges rather afflict than profit the at this instant for now shouldest thow see the vanitie of thes trifles now would thy hart begyn to saye within the o follye and vnfortunate blindenes of myne Loe heere is an end now of all my delytes and prosperities all my ioyes all my pleasures all my myrth all 〈◊〉 pastymes are now finished where are my frindes whiche were wont to laugh with me my seruantes wont to attende me my children wont to disporte me where are all my coches horses wherwith I was wont to make so goodlie a shew the cappes and knees of people wont to honour me the troupes of suters followinge me where are all my daliances and trickes of loue all my pleasant musicke all my gorgeous buyldinges all my costlie feastes and banquettinges and aboue all other where are my deare and sweete frindes whoe seemed they would neuer haue forsaken me but all are now gone and hath left me heere alone to aunswere the reckoninge for all none of them will doe so muche as to goe with me to iudgemēt or to speake one worde in my behalfe VVoe worthe to me that I had not foreseene this daye rather so haue made better prouisiō for the same it is now to late and I feare me I haue purchased eternall damnation for a litle pleasure and lost vnspeakable glorie for a slootinge vanitie Oh how happie twise fortunate are they whiche so lyue as they maye not be a fearde of this daye I now see the difference betwixt the endes of good and euill and maruaile not thought the scriptures saye of the one the deathe of sainctes are precious And of the other the death of sinners is miserable Oh that I had lyued so vertuouslye as some other haue donne or as I had often inspirations from God to doe or that I had done the good deedes I might haue donne how sweete and confortable woold they be to me now in this my last and extremest distresse To these cogitations and speeches deare brother shall thy harte be enforced of what estate soeuer thow be at the hower of death yf thow doe not 〈◊〉 it nowe by good lyfe and vertuous actions whiche onlye can yeeld the comfort in that sorowfull daye For of good men the iudge hym selfe sayeth His autem fieri incipientibus respicite leuate capita vestra quoniam appropinquat redemptio vestra VVhen these terrible thinges begyn to come vpon other men doe you looke aboute you and lyft vp your heades for that yourred emption cōmeth on from the laboures and toyles of this worlde And the holye prophet sayeth of the vertuous man which hath done good woorkes in this lyfe that he shal be at this tyme beatus vir a happye man he 〈◊〉 the cause quia in die mala liberabit eumdominus opē feret illi super lectum doloris eius For that God will deliuer hym in this euill daye and will assist hym vppon the bed of his sorow VVhiche is ment no doubt of the bed of his last departure especialye for that of all other beddes this is the most sorowfull as I haue shewed beinge nothinge els but a heape of all sorowes together especiallie to them whiche are drawen vnto it before they are readie for the same as commonly all they are which deferre their amēdement from daye to daie and doe not attend to lyue in such sorte now as they shall wishe they had done when they come to that last passage Of the paines appointed for sinne after this lyfe and of tvvo sortes of the same CHAP. IX AMongest all the meanes whiche God vseth to wardes the childrē of men to moue them to this resolution wherof I entreate the strongest and most forcible is the consideration of punishmentes prepared by hym for rebellious sinners and transgressours of his cōmaundemēts VVherfore he vseth this motyue often as maye appeare by all the prophetes whoe doe almost nothinge els but threaten plagues and destruction to offenders And this meane hath often tyme preuailed more than anye other that could be vsed by reason of the naturall loue which we beare towardes our selues and consequentlie the naturall feare whiche we haue of our owne dannger So we reade that nothinge could moue the Niniuites so much as the foretell nge them of theire imminent destruction And S. Iohn Baptist although he came in a simple and cōtemptible maner yet preachinge vnto the people the terrour of vengeance to come and that the axe vvas novv put to the tree to cut dovvne for the fyre all those vvhich repented not he moued the verie publicanes and souldiers to feare which otherwise are people of verie harde mettall whoe came vnto hym vppon this terrible embassage and asked what they should doe to auoyde these punishmentes After then that we haue considered of death and of godes seuere iudgmente which ensueth after death and wherin euerie man hath to receyue accordinge to his woorkes in this lyfe as the scripture sayeth it followeth that we consider also of the punishmentes which are appointed for them that shal be founde faultie in that accounte hereby at leastwise yf no other consideration will serue to induce Christians to this resolution of seruinge God For as I haue noted before if euerie mā haue naturallie a loue of him selfe and desire to conserue his owne ease then should he also haue feare of perill wherby he is to fall into the extreame calamitie This expresseth S. Bernard excellently accordinge to his wounte O man saiethe he if thow haue left all shame which appertaineth to so noble a creature as thow art if thow feele no sorow as carnall men doe not yet leese not feare also which is founde in very beastes VVe vse to loade an asse to werie him out with laboure and he careth not because he is an asse but yf thow
neuer want the temptations of the world and deuill the resisting wherof is muche more difficult in time of peace and wealthe than in time of externall affliction and persecution for that these enemies are stronger in slatterie than in force whiche a godly father expresseth by this parable The sunne wynde sayeth he agreed one day to proue their seueral strengthes in takinge a cloke from a wayesarynge mā And in the forenoone the wynd vsed all violence that he could to blowe of the saide cloke But the more he blewe the more fast held the trauailer his clocke and gathered it more closely about hym At after noone the sunne sent foorthe her pleasant beames and by litle and litle so entered into this man as he caused hym to yeeld and put of not onelye his cloke but also his cote VVhereby ys proued sayeth this father that the alluremetes of pleasure are more strong and harder to be resisted than the violence of persecutiō The lyke is shewed by the example of Dauid whoe resisted easilie manye assaults of aduersitie but yet fell daungerouslie in tyme of prosperitie VVherby appearethe that vertuous men haue no lesse warre in tyme of peace than in time of persecution Nor euer wanteth there occasion of bearing the crosse suffering affliction to hym that will accept of the same And this may suffice for this first poynt to proue that euery man must enter into heauen by tribulation as S. Paul sayeth Touching the second whye God wolde haue this matter so yt were sufficient to answere that yt pleased hym best so without seeking any further reason of his meaninge heerein euen as it pleased him without all reason in oure syght to abase his sonne so much as to send hym hyther into this world to suffer and dye for vs Or yf we will needes haue a reason hereof this one myght be sufficient for all that seynge we looke for so great a glorie as we doe we should laboure a litle first for the same and so shewe our selues woorthie of gods fauoure and exaltation But yet for that yt hath pleased his diuine maiestie not onelye to open vnto vs his will and determination for our suffering in this lyfe but also diuers reasons of his moste holy purpose pleasure therin for our further encouragement and consolation which doe suffer I will in this place repeate some of the same for declaration of his exceeding great loue and fatherlie care towardes vs. The first cause then and the most principall is to encrease therby our merite glorie in the lyfe to come For hauing appointed by his eternall wisdome and iustice that none shall be crowned there but according to the measure of his fight in this world the more and greater cōbates that he geueth together with sufficient grace to ouercome therin the greater crowne of glorie prepareth he for vs at our resurrection This cause toucheth S. Paul in the woordes before alleaged of the saintes of the olde testament to VVitt that they receaued no redemption from their miseries in this world to the end they might find a better resurrection in the world to come This also meant Christ expresselie whē he sayed Happie are they vvhich suffer persecution for theyrs is the kyngdome of heauen happie are you vvhen men speake euell and persecute you c. reioyse and be glad I saye for that your revvarde is greate in heauen Hither also doe appertaine all those promyses of gayning lyfe by leesing lyfe of receauing a hundred for one and the lyke Heere hence do proceede all those large promyses to virginitie and chastitie to such as geld them selues for the kyndome of heauen to voluntarie pouertie and to the renovvncing of our owne will by obedience All vvhich are greate conflictes agaynst the fleshe woorld and our ovvne sensualitie and can not be performed but by sufferinges and afflictiō Finally S. Paul declareth this matter fullie when he sayeth that a litle and short tribulation in this lyfe vvorketh a vveight of glorie aboue all measure in the hyght of heauen The second cause vvhy God appoynted this is to draw vs therby from the loue of the world his professed enemye as in the next chapiter shal be shevved at large This cause S. Paul vttereth in these vvordes VVe are punished of God to the end vve should not be damned vvith this vvorld Euen then as a Nurse that to vveane her child from the lykyng of her mylke dothe anoynte her teat with Alloes or some other suche bytter thing so our mercyfull father that vvolde retire vs from the loue of worldlie delytes whereby infinite men doe perish dayly vseth to send tribulation whiche of all other thinges hathe moste force to woorke that effect as we see in the example of the prodigall sonne whoe could by no meanes be stayed from his pleasures but onelyeby affliction Thirdlie God vseth tribulation as a most present and soueraigne medicine to heale vs of many diseases otherwyse almoste incurable As first of a certayne blyndenes and careles negligence in our estate contracted by wealth and prosperitie In whiche sense the scripture sayeth that affliction geueth vnderstanding And the wyse man affirmeth that the rodde bryngeth uvisdome This was shewed in figure vvhen the sight of Tobie was restored by the bytter gaule of a fishe And we haue cleare exāples in Nabuchadonasar Saul Antiochus and Manasses all which came to see their owne faultes by tribulation which they wolde neuer haue done in tyme of prosperitie The lyke we read of the brethren of Ioseph whoe falling some affliction in Egypt presentlie entered into their owne conscience and sayd VVe suffer those thinges vvoorthely for that vve synned against our brother And as tribulation bryngeth this light whereby we see our owne defectes so helpeth yt greatlie to remoue and cure the same wherin it may be well lykened vnto the rodde of Moyses For as that rodde strikinge the harde rockes hrought foorth water as the scripture saieth so this rodde of afflictiō falling vpon stonye harted synners mollyfyeth them to contrition and often times bringeth foorthe the fluddes of teares to repentance In respect wherof holy Tobye sayeth to God In tyme of tribulation thou forgeuest sinnes And for lyke effect it is compared also to a fyle of yron which taketh away the rust of the soule Also to a purgation that driueth out corrupt humours And finallie to a golde smythes fyre which cōsumeth away the refuse metalls and fineth the golde to his perfectiō I vvill trye thee by fyre to the quick sayeth God to a sinner by Esay the prophet and I vvill take avvaye all thy tynne and refuse metall And againe by Ieremie I vvill melt them and trye them by fire This he meant of the fyre of tribulation whose propertie is according as
woldest thrust him into fyre or flynge hym into a ditche he woold auoide it as muche as he coulde for that he loueth lyfe and 〈◊〉 death Feare thow then and be not more insensible than a beast Feare death feare iudgement feare hell this feare is called the begynninge of wisdome and not shame or sorow for that the spirite of feare is more potent to resist sinne than the spirite of shame or sorow wherfore it is saide remēber the ende and thovv shalt neuer sinne that is remember the finall punishmentes appointed for sinne after this lyfe Thus far S. Bernarde First therfore to speake in generall of the punishmentes reserued for the lyfe to come yf the scriptures did not declare in perticular theire greatnes vnto vs yet are there manie reasons to persuade vs that they are most feuere dolorous intollerable For first as God is a God in all his woorkes that is to saye greate wounderfull terrible so especialie he sheweth the same in his punishmentes beinge called for that cause in scripture deus iustitiae God of iustice as also deus vltionum God of reuenge VVherfore seinge all his other woorkes are maiestical exceedinge our capacities we maye lykewise gather that his hande in punishmēt must be wounderfull also God hym selfe teacheth vs to reason in this maner when he sayethe And vvill ye not then feare me and vvill ye not tremble before my face vvhiche haue putt the sande as a stopp vnto the sea and haue geeuen the vvater a commandement neuer to passe it no not vvhen it is most trovvbled the flooddes most outragious as who would saye yf I am wounderfull doe passe your imaginatiō in these woorkes of the sea and other which you see daylie you haue cause to feare me cōsideringe that my punishmentes are lyke to be correspondent to the same An other coniecture of the great and seuere iustice of God maye be the cōsideration of his infinite and vnspekeable mercie the whiche as it is the verie nature of God without ende or measure as his godhead is so is also his iustice And these two are the two 〈◊〉 as it were of God embracinge kyssnge one the other as the scripture saieth Therfore as in a man of this world yf we had the measure of one arme we might easely cōiecture of the other so seinge the wounderfull exāples dailie of godes infinite mercie towardes them that doe repent we maye imagyne by the same his seuere iustice towardes them whoe he reserueth to punishment in the next lyfe and whome for that cause he calleth in the scriptures Vasa furoris Vessels of his furye or vessels to shew his furye vppon A third reason to perswade vs of the greatnes of these punishmentes maye be the maruailous patiēce and longe sufferinge of God in this lyfe as for example in that he sufferethe diuers men from one sinne to an other from one daye to an other from one yere to an other frō one age to an other to spend all I saye in dishonoure and dispite of his maiestie addinge offence to offence and refusinge all perswasions allurementes good inspirations or other meanes of frindshipp that his mercie can deuise to offer for theire amendment And what man in the world could suffer this or what mortall hart can shew suche patience but now yf all this should not be requited with seueritie of punishmēt in the worlde to come vppon the obstinate it might seeme against the lawe of iustice and equitie and one arme in God might seeme longer than the other S. Paule toucheth this reason in his epistle to the Romans where he saithe doest thovv not knovv that the benignitie of God is used to bringe thee to repentance and thovv by thy harde and impenitent hart doest hoord vpp vengeance vnto thy selfe in the daye of vvrath and appearance of Gods iust iudgementes vvhich shall restore to euerie man accordinge to his vvorkes he vseth heere the wordes of hoordinge vpp of vengeance to signifie that euen as the couetous man doth hoorde vp monie to monie dailie to make his heape greate so the vnrepentant synner dothe hoorde vp sinne to sinne and God on the contrary side hoordeth vpp vengeance to vengeance vntill his measure be full to restore in the end measure against measure as the prophet saith and to paye vs home accordinge to the multitude of our ovvne obhominations This God meant when he sayde to Abraham that the iniquities of the Amorrheans vvere not yet full vpp Also in the reuelations vnto S. Iohn Euangelist when he vsed this cōclusion of that booke He that doth euill let hym doe yet more euill and he that lyeth in filth let hym yet become more filthie for beholde I come quicklye and my revvarde is vvith me to render to euerye man accordinge to his deedes By which wordes God signifieth that his bearinge tolleratinge with sinners in this lyfe is an argument of his greater serueritie in the lyfe to come which the prophet Dauid also declareth when talkinge of a careles sinner he saieth Dominus irridebit eum quoniam 〈◊〉 quòd veniet dies eius Our God shall scoff at hym foreseinge that his daye shall come This daye no dout is to be vnderstoode the daye of accounte and punishement after this lyfe for soo dothe God more at large declare hym selfe in an other place in these wordes And thow sonne of man this saieth thy lord God the end is come now I saye the end is come vppon the. And I will shew in the my furye and will iudge the acoordinge to thy waies I will laye against the all thy abominations and my eye shall not spare the nor will I take anye mercie vppon the but I will put thyne owne wayes vppon the and thow shalt know that I am the lord Behold affliction commeth on the end is come the end I saye is come it hath watched against the and beholde it is come crusshinge is now come vppon the the tyme is come the daye of slaughter is at hand Shortlie will I poure owt my wrathe vppon the and I will fill my furye in the and I will iudge the accordinge to thy waies and I will laye all thy vvickednes vppon the my eye shall not pitie the nor vvil I take any compassion vppon the but I will laye thy vvaies vppon the and thy abhominations in the 〈◊〉 of the and thovv shalt knovv that I am the lorde that striketh Hytherto is the speeche of God hym selfe Seinge then now we vnderstāde in generall that the punishmentes of Cod in the lyfe to come are moste certaine to be greate seuere to all suche as fall into them for whiche cause S. Paule saithe Horrendum est incidere in manus dei viuentis it is is a 〈◊〉 thinge to fall into the handes of our lyuinge God Let vs consider some what in particular
as S. Paul teacheth and hym selfe protesteth when he sayeth I vvill not the deathe of a sinner but rather that he turne from hys uvickednes and lyue And againe by the prophet Ieremie he coÌ„playneth greeuouslie that men vvill not accept of his mercie offered Turne from your uvicked vvayes saythe he vvhye uvill ye dye you hovvse of Isreal By which appeareth that he offereth his mercie most willinglie and freelie to all but vseth his iustice onelie vpon necessitie as it were constrained therunto hy our obstinate behauioure This Christ signifieth more plainlie when he sayth to Ierusalem O Ierusalem Ierusalem whiche kyllest the prophetes and stonest them to deathe that are sent vnto thee how often wolde I haue gathered thy children together as the henne clocketh her chickyns vndernethe her wynges but thou woldest not beholde thy howse for this cause shal be made desert and left withoute children Heere you see thee mercie of God ofteÌ„ offered vnto the Iewes but for that they refused it he was enforced in a certaine maner to pronounce this heauie sentence of destruction desolatioÌ„ vpon them which he fullsilled within fortie or fiftie yeeres after by the handes of Titus and Vespasian Emperours of Rome who vtterlie discomfaited the citie of IerusaleÌ„ whole nation of Iewes whome we see dispersed ouer the world at this daye in bondage bothe of bodie soule VVhiche worke of gods Iustice thoghe it be moste terrible yet was his mercie greater to them as appeareth by Christs woordes yf they had not reiected the sonne Thirdlie his mercie exceedeth his Iustice euen towardes the damned them selues in that he vsed many meanes to saue them in this lyfe by geuing them freewill and assisting the same with his grace to doe good by mouing them inwardlie with infinite good inspirations by alluringe them owtwardlie with exhortatioÌ„s promisses exaÌ„ples of other as also by sickenes aduersities other gentle corrections by geuinge them space to repent with occasions opportunities and excitations vnto the same by threatning them eternall deathe yf they repented not All whiche thinges beinge effectes of mercie and goodnes towarde them they must needes confesse amyddest theyr greatest furie and tormentes that his iudgementes are true iustified in them selues and no wayes to be compared with the greatnes of his mercies By this then we see that to be true which the prophet sayeth Misericordiam veritatem diligit dominus God loueth mercie and trueth And againe Mercie and trueth haue mett together Iustice and peace haâ—…e kyssed them selues VVe see the reason why the same prophet protesteth of hym selfe I vvill sing vnto thee mercie iudgemeÌ„t o Lord not mercie alone nor iudgement alone but mercie and iudgement together that is I will not so presume of thy mercie as I will not feare thy iudgement nor will I so feare of thy iudgement as I will euer despayre of thy mercie The feare of Gods iudgement is alwayes to be ioyned with our confidence in gods mercie yea in verye saintes them selues as Dauid sayeth But what feare that feare trulie whiche the scripture describeth when it sayeth the feare of our Lord expelleth sinne the feare of God hateth all euill he that feareth God neglecteth nothing he that feareth God will turne and looke into his owne hart he that feareth God will doe good woorkes They whiche feare God will not be incredulous to that whiche he saye 〈◊〉 but will keepe his wayes and seeke owt the things that are pleasant vnto hym They will prepare theyr 〈◊〉 and sanctifie their sowles in his sight This is the description of the true feare of God sett downe by the scripture This is the descriptioÌ„ of that feare which is so much commended and coÌ„maunded in euerye part and parcell of gods woorde Of that feare I saye which is called 〈◊〉 vitae radix prudentiae corona plenitudo sapientia gloria gloriatio beatum donum That is the fountaine of lyfe the roote of prudeÌ„ce the crowne fulnes of wisedome the glorie gloriation of a Christian man a happie gyft Of hym that hathe this feare the scripture saythe happie is the man vuhiche feareth our Lorde for he vvill place his mynde vpon his coÌ„maundementes And againe the man that feareth god shal be happie at the last ende and shal be blessed at the daye of hys deathe Finallie of suche as haue this feare the scripture saythe that God is theyr foundation God hath prepared great multitude of sweetnes for them God hathe purchased them an inheritance God is as mercyfull to them as the father is mercifull vnto his children And to conclude Voluntatem timeÌ„tium se faciet God will doe the will of those that feare him with this feare This holie feare had good Iob wheÌ„ he sayd to god I feared all my vvorkes And he yealdeth the reason therof For that I knevve that thovv sparest not hym that offendeth thee This feare backed the other of whome the prophet sayeth The sinner hathe exaspered God by sayeing that god will not take accoÌ„pte of his doeings in the multitude of wrathe Thy iudgementes o Lord are remoued from his sight And againe wherfore hathe the wicked man styrred vp god against hym selfe by sayeing god will not take account of my doeyngs yt is a great wickednes no dowt and a greate exasperation of God against vs to take the one halfe of gods nature from hym whiche is to make hym mercifull without iustice and to lyue so as though God wolde take no accouÌ„t of our lyfe wheras he hath protested most earnestlie the contrarie sayeing that he is a hard and eouetous man whiche will not be coÌ„teÌ„t to receyue his owne againe but also will haue vsurie that he will haue a reckening of all hys goodes lent vs that he will haue fruite for all his labours bestowed vppon vs finallie that he will haue account for euery woorde that we haue spoken Christ in the three score eight psalme which in sundrye places of the gospell he interpreteth to be writen of him selfe amonge other dreadfull curses whiche he setteth downe against the reprobate he hath these lett theyr eyes be daseled in suche sorte as they may not see powre owte thy wrathe my father vpon them lett the furie of thy vengeaÌ„ce take hand fast on them add inquitie vpon their iniquitie and lett hym not enter into thy iustice Lett them be blotted owt of the booke of lyfe and lett them not be inrolled together with the iust Heer loe we see that the greatest curse which God can laye vpon vs next before our blotting owt of the booke of lyfe is to suffer vs to be so blinded as to adde iniquitie vpon iniquitie and not to enter into consideration of hys iustice For whiche cause also this coÌ„fident kynde of sinning vpon hope of gods