Prophet Esay and not have compassion on the Sonne of her wombe though she should forget yet will I not forget thee And the Psalmist Like as a Father pittieth his owne children even so is the LORD mercifull to them that feare him And least any should say that there may be parents found whose love is sometime changed into hatred The mercifull goodnesse of the LORD endureth for ever and ever upon them that feare him and for the continuance of this his mercy the Apostle maketh us secure when he calls GOD The Father of mercies and GOD of all consolation and therefore hee is not onely a Father of them that feare him but a most mercifull Father and most ready to comfort his children for hee taketh away and easeth them of the miseries of their afflictions and tribulations which hee judgeth fit to deliver them from and in that respect shewes himselfe a Father of mercies and in those miseries which he thinketh not expedient for them to be taken away hee endueth them with unspeakeable comfort whereby they may beare them with ease and in that regard hee declares himselfe to bee a GOD of all consolation Now the Apostle calleth him the GOD of all consolation for two causes 1. Because GOD knoweth how to comfort his in every kind of tribulation which certainely the world cannot doe because it oftimes understands not the cause of the affliction and therefore it was that Job called his friends miserable comforters because they knew not the cause of his disease and misapplyed the cure Or else sometimes the tribulation is so great that no humane comfort can asswage it but GOD is a most wise and omnipotent Physician hee can cure any disease and therefore the Apostle saith that he comforteth us in all our tribulation 2. Secondly GOD is called GOD of all Consolation because hee knoweth how to comfort us so plentifully that it is better to suffer tribulation with such comfort then to want both as in the case of Martyrdome Therefore no mervaile if the Apostle said I am filled with comfort and am exceeding joyous in all our tribulation and againe Which comforteth us in all our tribulations that we may be able to comfort them which are in affliction And what thinkest thou of this so large deepe daily pure and immense mercy of GOD who needs none of our goods and yet out of the abundance of his love is so sollicitous of his poore servants as if all his good depended on them What thankes therefore wilt thou returne to him what canst thou ever doe to avoyd the staine of ingratitude for such mercy at the least endeavour asmuch as thou canst to please him And because it is written Bee mercifull as your heavenly Father is mercifull and Love thine owne soule begin first carefully to finde out the miseries of thine owne soule for the miseries of the body are obvious enough and there is no need to admonish a man to pittie his body for if it want meate or drinke but one day or sleepe but one night or by chance receive a wound presently we bewaile the case of it and seeke remedy for it But the soule may fast whole weeks without food or lye languishing with infirmities or peradventure lye dead and no body lookes after it no body hath compassion of it Therefore visite thy soule often examine the severall powers of it whether they be well or not whether they profit in the knowledge and love of the true good or on the other side whether it be ill affected with ignorance or languish with concupiscences of diverse kinds whether the mind be blinded with malice or the will corrupted with the disease of hate or pride and if thou findest thy soule in this evillstate call unto GOD and say Have mercy upon me ô LORD for I am weake Seeke spirituall Physicians and use remedies in time Then pitty other poore soules where of a number perish and yet CHRIST died for them O if thou didst but know and well weigh the price of soules that is the pretious blood of the Son of GOD and withall the exceeding great slaughter of them by the infernall wolves and roaring Lyons the Devils certainely thou couldst not choose but with all thy heart take compassion on them and labour aswell by prayer to GOD as by all other meanes to obtaine their deliverance Lastly have compassion also upon the corporall necessities of thy neighbour and that not in word onely but in workes and truth remembring alwaies that Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercy DEGREE XV. By the Consideration of GODS Justice compared with a Corporall magnitude THe Iustice of GOD in holy Scriptures is taken foure wayes 1. For Vniversall Iustice or Righteousnes which containes all vertues and is the same with sanctity or goodnesse The Lord iâ— righteous iâ— all his waies and holy in all his workes 2. Secondly it is taken for Truth or faithfullnes as in another Psalme That thou mayest be justified in all thy sayings 3. Thirdly for dâ—stributive Iustice Iustice in rewards according to that of St. Paul A Crowne of righteousnesse is layd up for me which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall give me at that day 4. For revenging Iustice Iustice punishing offences as it is in another Psalme Vpon the ungodly he shall raine snares fire and brimstone storme and tempest this shal be their portion to drinke The greatnesse therefore of this divine Iustice will appeare the better if we consider the latitude of universall Iustice the length of it that is his truth and faithfulnes the height of it in Gods distributing rewards in heaven the depth of it in scourging the wicked with eternaâ—l punishments in hell To begin with the latitude That is said to be universall Iustice or Righteousnesse in men which disposeth a man to carry himselfe in all his dealings according to all Lawes and by that hath in him all vertues aswell theologicall as morall But there is one vertue above the rest which containeth all other vertues and commands and rules the acts of them directing them to the last end and this is called love which vertue although in it selfe it be but particular and but one of the Theologicall vertues yet it may be truly called universall for it disposeth a man to behave himselfe well both to God and towards his neighbour and thereby fulfilleth the whole Lawe for so speaketh the Apostle Love doth not evill to his neighbour therefore is Love the fullfilling of the Lawe and he that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law And therefore St. Angustine saith Love begun is Righteousnes begun Love increased is Righteousnesse increased Great Love is great Righteousnes perfect Love is perfect Righteousnes Now in GOD are all vertues which presuppose no imperfection and instead of those which presuppose imperfection there is some what far better and more excellent where by it is
divers offices ascend descend walke runne move feet armes and hands upwards and downwards every way neither doth the ayre which is diffused in all places any thing at all hinder them insomuch as if it were not of a corporeall but of a spirituall substance and nature nay indeed as if it were nothing at all Laftly the ayre hath a propertie serving for the benefit of Man that is it changeth it selfe into every forme and suffereth it selfe to be divided and as it were broken asunder to comply to the service and use of Man so that it seemeth to be given to him as a Master and instructor to him in humility patience and charity But that which should chiefly stirre up and kindle in thee the love of thy Creator is that the ayre doth represent the great sweetnesse and gentlenesse of thy maker to men For doe but recollect thy selfe and seriously consider his goodnesse thou shalt finde that thy GOD is ever present with his creatures ever working with them and of such infinite gentlenesse that he accommodates his working to the severall condition and nature of them all as if he should say with the Apostle I am made all things to all men that I might by all meanes save some hee worketh together with necessary workes that they may worke necessarily with voluntary that they may worke voluntarily with those which are free in their working that they may worke freely The fire he moveth stirreth and helpeth so that it may ascend the earth that it may tend downeward the ayre that it may glide by declive and bending places the ayre that it may passe which way soever it be driven starres that they may keepe alwayes in a circular motion herbs furittrees and plants that they may bring forth fruit according to their natures creatures upon earth in the water and the ayre to doe those things which are agreeable to their nature And if the goodnesse of GOD be so eminent in cooperating with his creatures in the worke of nature what may we thinke it to be in the workes of grace He hath given man free power of his will but so as that he will governe him by his command terrifie him with destruction and allure him by his bounty He will have all men saved but so as that he will also have them to be willing and therefore he sweetly prevents excites leads and guides them in such manner as is most admirable These are the meanes which the wisedome of GOD hath found out for the good of Man of which the Prophet Esay speaketh in these words Praise the LORD call upon his Name declare his Workes adinventiones ejus say some among the people And certainely the wicked sometimes hee terrifies exceedingly sometimes perswades them lovingly sometime admonisheth them mildly and sometime correcteth them mercifully as he in his wisedome thinkes expedient and agreeable to their conditions and inclinations Observe how tenderly he dealt with the first transgressor Adam saith GOD where art thou his answer was I heard thy voyce in the Garden and was afraid because I was naked I hid my selfe the LORD replyed with the like meekenesse Who told thee that thou wast naked Hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eate and by this gentle correction or insinuation Adam without doubt repented as the Scripture saith Shee that is the Wisedome of GOD preserved the first Father of the World that was formed and kept him when he was created alone and brought him out of his offence Observe againe how gently and sweetly he by his Angell in the Booke of the Iudges rebuked and provoked the people of Israel to repentance What shall I say of the Prophets who in all their sermons as we may call them teach this and beate upon this that GOD desires not the death of a sinner but rather that he should returne and live They say saith GOD by Ieremie if a man put away his Wife and she goe from him and become another mans shall he returne unto her againe shall not the land be greatly polluted But thou hast played the harlot with many lovers Yet returne againe to me saith the LORD And by Ezechiel Thus ye speake and say If our transgressions and sinnes be upon us and we are consumed because of them how should we then live Say unto them as I live saith the LORD I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and live turne you turne you from your evill wayes for why will ye die ô ye house of Israel But to let passe the wicked and consider how great GODS more then Fatherly meeknesse and gentlenes is to those that feare and hope in him Holy David is desirous to expresse it Looke how high the Heaven is in comparison of the Earth so great is his mercy also toward them that feare him And Like as a Father pittyeth his owne Children so is the LORD mercifull to them that feare him And The mercifull goodnesse of the LORD endureth for ever and ever upon them that feare him And in another Psalme Taste and see how gracious the LORD is blessed is the man that trusteth in him and againe Truely GOD is loving unto Israel even to such as are of a cleane heart And againe GOD saith by Esay Can a woman forget her childe and not have compassion on the sonne of her wombe though they should forget yet will not I forget thee and Ieremy in his lamentations The LORD is good to them that trust in him and to the soule that seeketh him Now if I would adde what the Apostles testifie of his Fatherly tendernesse to the Godly I should never make an end Take one place for all the rest of St. Paul Blessed be GOD even the Father of our LORD JESUS CHRIST the Father of mercies and Gâ—D of all comfort which comforteth us in all our tribulation c. he saith not that GOD is our comfort barely but of all comfort and not that hee comforteth us in some but in all our tribulation And to end this point take the words of St. Prosper Grace saith he exceeds all justification by perswading in exhortations admonishing by examples terrifying by dangers provoking by miracles giving understanding inspiring counsaile enlightning the heart and endowing it with affections of Faith c. If then thy Creator bee so loving and kind to his servants and with such incredible patience and meeknesse beares with sinners for their conversions comforting the just that they may proceede and grow in righteousnesse and holinesse oughtest not thou to beare the infirmities of thy neighbour to gaine all men to thy GOD Consider with thy selfe to what sublimitie and excellencie the Apostle exhorts thee when he saith Be yee followers of GOD as deare Children And walke in love even as CHRIST hath loved us c. Imitate the
this point GOD is mercifull and long suffering he will not alwaies be chiding neither keepeth his anger for ever The height or altitude of Gods mercy comes next in order to be spoken of which is taken from the cause moving him to be mercifull which certainly is most high and exalted above the heavens according to that in the Psalme His mercy reacheth to the heavens and Mercy shall be set up for ever thy truth shalt thou establish in the heavens which mercy of his differs from that of men in diverse respects 1 Some men are mercifull to other because they stand in need of their helpe and this is the lowest Degree of mercy because it reflects upon their owne profit and commodity as to our Dogges Horses and other cattell 2. Others are pittifull for coâ—sanguinity or friendship because they are our children brethren friends or familiars to whom we extend our mercy and this is a Degree a little higher and begins to have some reason or resemblance of vertue 3. Lastly others are mercifull because they are their neighbours and in that respect men created by the same GOD out of the same mould and therefore they make no difference whether they be friends or enemies good or bad kindred or strangers but pitty all alike whom they know to be created after the image of GOD and this is the highest Degree that mortalls can reach unto But GOD hath pitty upon all things because they are his creatures and especially upon men because they are his images and more specially yet upon good men because they are his children heires of his Kingdome and coheires with his onely begotten Son But if thou wilt demaund why GOD created the World why he made man after his owne image why he hath justified the wicked and made them heires of his Kingdome nothing at all can be answered but because he would and if thou askest why he would nothing can be said but because he is good for goodnesse diffuseth and communicateth it selfe willingly In heaven hath hee established his mercy and from his highest habitation from the heart of the Father hath it descended and filled the earth The earth is full of the mercy of the LORD saith the Psalmist Therefore as he found matter enough in us to deserve punishment so hee found enough in himselfe to have mercy upon us Lift up thy selfe then and with the eyes of thy mind in that high fountaine of mercy behold that purity mixt with no intention of his owne profit and when thou hearest the Schoolemaster of all men perswading and saying Be mercifull as your heavenly Father is mercifull strive as much as thou canst to have not onely compassion upon thy fellowservants but be mercifull to them with that pure affection which our heavenly Father pitties us If thou remit an injury to a detractor or malicious accuser doe it heartily committing the offence to perpetuall oblivion for our Father forgets our offences saith Ezechiel and Looke how wide the East is from the West so farre hath he set our sinnes from us saith David least they should doe us harme any longer If thou givest almes to a poore man understand that thou dost rather take then give because he that giveth to the poore lendeth upon usury to the LORD as Solomon saith and therefore give it humbly and reverently not as an almes to a poore man but as a present to a Prince If thou sufferest any ill to profit thy necessitous neighbour consider how farre short thou comest of thy Lord who gave his life and blood to doe thee good So it shall come to passe that without hope of earthly reward or any itch of vaine glory and out of the pure and onely love of GOD and thy neighbour thou shalt be a good proficient in the Schoole of mercy In the last place the depth of Gods mercy comes to be considered and as the height of it shines chiefly in the cause so the depth seemes to be sought in the effects Therefore that mercy which descends onely to words hath little depth in it but may rather be called superficiall and that mercy is to bee reputed more deepe which relieveth and refresheth those which are in misery not onely with comfortable words but reall deeds and benefits and that the most deep of all other which helpeth those which are miserable not onely by speaking and giving but in suffering and co-assisting in labours and sorrowes Now our GOD of whose mercy is neither number nor end is by all these wayes mercifull to us 1. For first hee hath sent comfortable letters his holy Scriptures to us as it is said in the Booke of the Maccabees we have the holy bookes in our hands for our comfort And not onely doth GOD speake to us and promise us ayd and protection by his letters but by the sermons of preachers who are ambassadours to us for CHRIST in this pilgrimage I will hearken saith David what the LORD GOD will say concerning me for hee shall speake peace unto his people and to his Saints that they turne not againe 2. Againe the benefits wee receive by Gods mercy in cuâ—ing our manifold miseries aswell temporall as spirituall are so many as that they cannot be numbred for every where he crowneth us with mercy and loving kindnesse that is he compasseth us on every side with the benefits of his mercy 3. Thirdly his mercy descended by the mystery of the Incarnation to labours sorrow hunger thirst ignominie reprâ—â—ches stripes and wounds to the crosse and death to redeeme us from all iniquity and from everlasting death due to sinne Câ—n there be any abysse more 〈◊〉 to which the mercy of God could descend yes there is for he did not this out of due debt but of meere grace He was offered because hee would saith Esay for who compelled the Son of GOD who thought it no robbery to bee equall with GOD to take on him the forme of a servant to make himselfe poore for us that we through his poverty might be made rich and to humble himselfe to death even the death of the Crosse to quicken and exalt us certainely it was onely his love that forced him his onely mercy compelled him And yet there is another thing more deep a deeper degree for in this worke of our salvation hee would have us communicate and participate in his glory and honour The Angels song seemed to be a fit division Glory to GOD in the highest and peace in earth the honour to GOD the profit to men but the mercy of GOD would have all the profit to be ours and the honour part his part ours 4 Lastly the mercy of GOD is most profound and deepe towards men especially good men and fearing GOD in regard that this mercy exceeds the affection of Father or Mother then which upon earth wee finde none greater Can a woman forget her child saith the
to touch him by any pious affection or to cleave to him unlesse he take us up and draw us after him by his power Therefore when David had said I have set GOD alwaies before mee or in my sight he presently addes for he is on my right hand or as St. Jerâ—me me suscepit dextratua Neither are we onely in these three respects farre from GOD that we can neither see him nor easily thinke of him nor joyne to him in affection but wee easily forget him scarce sounding forth his name by praise or prayer the reason is because wee are entangled and taken up with temporall affaires which compasse us round and even overwhelme us This then is the cause why the Holy Ghost in sacred writ as wee said even now so often perswades and counsailes us to seeke GOD. As Seeke yee after GOD and your soule shall live And Seeke the LORD and his strength seeke his face evermore And The LORD is good to the soule that seeketh him And Seeke the LORD while hee may be found and Seeke the LORD in simplicity of heart And If thou shalt seeke the LORD thy GOD thou shalt finde him if thou seeke him with all thy heart and with all thy soule No man of what condition soever is tyed so to give himselfe up to the affaires of the World as not to refresh himselfe with meate drinke and sleepe And if the bodie require such refreshing and repast how much rather should the soule desire food and sleepe Prayer and contemplation one being the meate and the other the sleepe of the soule and by these two are ascents framed in the heart by which wee are to see the GOD of GODS in Sion even asmuch as hee may be seene in this vale of teares Now there can bee no plainer or more easie way for us mortalls to ascend to GOD then by the consideration of his workes For wee cannot properly say that they ascended which by the singular guift of GOD were admitted by another way into Paradise and there to heare the secrets of GOD which are not lawfull to bee spoken or uttered but onely that they were rapt as Saint Paul plainely confesseth in his owne case But that it is possible for a man to ascend to the knowledge of GOD and love of his Creator by his workes that is by his creatures the Booke of Wisedome the Apostle Saint Paul and reason it selfe sufficiently prove seeing the efficient cause may bee knowne by its effects as a Man by his picture or Image And there is no doubt but that all Created things be the workes of GOD and holy Scripâ—ure teacheth us that Man and Angels be not onely the workes but the images of GOD. Being therefore provoked and stirred up with these reasons and having a little ease and rest from other affaires I have attempted to make a LADDER out of the Consideration of the Creatures by which after a sort GOD may bee ascended unto And I have distinguished it into fifteene Staves or Steppes after the similitude of the fifteene Degrees by which men went up to SOLOMONS Temple and of the fifteene Psalmes of DAVID his Father usually called the Gradualls or Psalmes of Degrees THE FIRST DEGREE of our spirituall ascending to GOD is by the Consideration of MAN DEGREE I. WHosoever is desirous to erect his thoughts to God-ward must first begin with the consideration of himselfe For we are every one of us the creature and image of GOD and nothing is neerer to us then our selves And therfore not without cause said Moses Attende tibi Take heed to thy selfe For whosoever shall strictly and narrowly look into himselfe shall finde that he is the very compendium or abridgement of the whole World and by this view with little labour and difficulty he may ascend to the creator of all things And to this search the resolution of these foure ordinary and easie questions wil be necessarie 1 Who was Mans Creator 2 Of what matter he was created 3 What forme was given him 4 To what end he was brought into the World First if thou wilt examine diligently who it was that made thy soule when it was not thou shalt finde that it was GOD and not thy Parents For whatsoever comes of the flesh is fleshly and thy soule is a spirit Not Heaven Earth Sun or Starres for they are corporeall thy soule incorporeall Not Angels or Archangels for thou were not made of any matter but meerely of nothing and none but GOD is able to make something of nothing He therefore without helpe of any others with his owne hands which are his understanding and will created thee And though GOD used thy Parents to the begetting of thy flesh as labourers to a building yet is he the chiefe worke-man and creator both of body and soule For if thy Parents had been the chiefe authors and makers of thee they may as well be able without skill in Anatomy to know all thy bones nerves veines muskles and other things which they are ignorant of they might also be as well able when thou art sicke or lame to cure thee as to make thee like a clock-maker who can take in pieces and amend the watch or clocke formerly made by him But the joyning of soule and body in so strong a tye as that they become one substance is a worke of such transcendence that none can performe but he who is of infinite power Therefore this question is resolved and we may and must confidently affirme that GOD is Mans creator who onely doth wonderfull things And therefore Moses inspired by the spirit of GOD may seeme to confirme this point when he saith by way of question and answer Is not he thy Father he hath made thee and proportioned thee And Job likewise Thy hands have made me and fashioned me and a little after Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh and joyned me together with bones and finewes The Kingly Prophet also acknowledgeth asmuch Thy hands have made me and fashioned me and againe Thou hast fashioâ—ed me behind and before To these I may adde that excelâ—ent speech of that heroicall woman in the Booke of the Maccabees to her sounâ—s I cannot tell how ye came into my Wombe for I neither gave you breath nor life it is not I that â—et in order the members of â—our body but doubtlesse the Creator of the World which formed the birth of man and found out the beginning of all things And upon this it was that CHRIST himselfe said Call no man your Father upon the earth for there is but one your Father which is in Heaven upon which Saint Augustine speaking of his naturall Sonne Adeodatus said to GOD Thou didst make him well for I had nothing in that childe besides the fault Well then If GOD be author both of body and soule if he be thy Father and preserver if what thou
and the ordinance of love 1. The light of wisedome which makes a man truly wise and which no man can use amisse and bringeth us to the fountaine of wisedome scituate in the heavenly Countrey is that which teacheth the contempt of temporall things and to esteeme highly of spirituall it teacheth not to trust in uncertaine riches but in the living GOD. It teacheth us not to account this exile of ours as our Countrey nor to love our pilgrimage but to endure it Lastly it teacheth to live here in patience being full of perills and tentations and to dye in desire because Blessed are the dead that dye in the LORD 2. The Ordinance of true love what is it but to love GOD without end without measure he being the end of all our desires to love other things in such measure and meane as will be sufficient to bring us to our end that is beatitude Surely there is not any man that in the cure of his body inverts order so that he loves his health but with an ordinary measure and a bitter potion without all measure seeing that he knoweth that the first is the end and the latter but the meanes How then cometh it to passe that so many that would be accounted wise men confine themselves to no moderation in heaping up riches in hunting after the pleasures of the flesh and attayning to the degrees of honour as it these things were the end of mans heart and are contented to streighten themselves in loving GOD and seeking after eternall fâ—licity as if these were but the meanes to the end and not the end of all meanes without doubt this is the cause that they have the wisedome of this world and not that which is from above and cometh from the Father of lights and that they have not ordinate love nor that which is true love but are full of inordinate desires which are not of the Father but of the World Wherefore while thou travailest from thy Countrey and aâ—t among enemies which oppose true wisedome and love and suggest craft for wisedome and inordinate desires for love make thy moane and bewaile thy case to the Father of lights desiring him earnestly to give thee these good and perfect guifts of true wisedome and regulated love and to inflame thy hearâ— with them so that being fitted with them thou mayest so runne the wayes of his Commandements without stumbling that thou mayst come to that Countrey where thou mayst drinke of the pure fountaine of wisedome and live with the pure milke of love 2. I come now to the time of the night wherein the heaven doth frame and erect one step for us to ascend to GOD by the Moone and Starres for so speaketh David I will consider the heavens the worke of thy fingers the Moone and the Starres which thou hast ordayned If we could see heaven it selfe the Prophet had not said by way of explication of that which he had set down before The Moon and the Starres which thou hast ordayned and truely if our sences could pierce to heaven it selfe or that we could finde out the nature and qualities of it by any certaine reason without doubt we should have an excellent degree of ascent to GOD thereby We know that there have been some who out of the motion of the Starres have defined the nature of heaven to be a quintessence simple incorruptible and perpetually moving in its Orbe And that there are others who will have heaven to be the Element of fire that is not moved in its Orbe neither is incorruptible according to its parts but it is not our intent to looke after these opinions but to seeke out the certaine knowledge and Doctrine of Faith thereby to raise an ascent to GOD. The Moone hath two properties which may fitly serve to this purpose I The first is the neerer it approacheth to the Sun the more it shineth and is enlightned in its upper part towards heaven being darkned at the same time in the lower part of it towards the earth and when it is wholly subject to the Sun and is in full conjunction with it it is altogether light towards heaven and darke towards the earth On the other side when it is in opposition to the Sun it is seen cleare of the earths inhabitants and hath no light in the upper part towards heaven This pâ—operty of the Moone may be a good document or example to us mortalls to make us sollicitous of our neere conjunction to the true Father of lights GOD himselfe The Moone signifieth Man and the Sun GOD when the Moone is in opposition to the Sun then by the borrowâ—d light from the Sun it onely shines and lookes towards earth and after a sort turnes its back to heaven whereby it shewes beautifull to the Inhabitants of the earth and most deformed to the Citizens of heaven So every mortallâ—hat â—hat goes farre from GOD as the Prodigall which went into a farre Countrey abuseth that light of reason which he received from the Father of lights onely to respect the earth and forgetting GOD thinkes onely upon the earth onely loves it and is wholly taken up with desire of the goods thereof for which by the children of this generation they are esteemed wife and happy but by the heavenly inhabitants they are accounted poore naked blind deformed wretched and miserable On the contrary when the Moone is in conjunction with the Sun and is perfectly subject to it it shineth wholly on the upper part respecteth heaven onely turning its backe to men vanishing cleane from their sight So is it with the wicked when he begins to leave his wickednes and by his full conversion is become truly subject to GOD the true Sun of the souâ—e in humility and is joyned to him in love then he fulfills that which the Apostle warneth he seeketh those things which are above and savours of heavenly not earthly things and then is he despised by fooles and accounted by them as if he were dead but indeed he is dead to the World and his life is hidden with Christ in GOD and When Christ his life shall appeare then shall he also appeare with him in glory And this is the cause as St. Augustine observes why the Passeover aswell in the old Law as in the new could not rightly be kept but after the full Moon that is when the Moon which in the full is in opposition to the Sun begins to returne to the conjunction with it to shew that man in opposition to GOD by sinne should begin to be converted to him and to hasten to the union and grace of GOD by the merits of JESUS CHRIST Therefore if thou find thy selfe by the assistance of Gods grace to be subject to the Father of lights by true humility and to be joyned with him by ardent love doe not imitate fooles who are changed as the Moone but follow the wise who continue unchanged as the Sun for the Moone
heaven be made and it was made Let the earth be made and it was made Let the light the Sun and Starres be made Let trees creatures Men and Angels be made and all were made and adde to this which hath been said that the same GOD may if he will destroy with one beâ—ke all these things and the whole world as we said before out of the Booke of the Maccabees 4. To these wee may adde one depth more that all these things so many so great and composed of so many members and parts were made by GOD in a moment With us art and nature must have long time to bring any worke to perfection we see seeds sowen long before the herbs grow trees aske oft times many yeares to fasten the roots to sprout spread and beare fruit the fruit of the womb is long in the womb and long in the nursing before it come to any growth to speake nothing of art seeing it is so obvious to us that artificers must have much time to perfect any thing they take in hand How great then is the power of GOD who sooner then a word can be spoken can perfect so great workes It is not my purpose to dispute whether GOD in one moment absolved and finished heaven earth and all things in them or whether he spent sixe whole dayes in the first creation of things for this Treatise was intended for our ascent to GOD and not for dispute but this is it which I affirme and admire that every thing should be made perfect by the omnipotent Creator in a moment and concerning the earth the water ayre and fire no man doubts but that together with all the Angels they were created in a moment Concerning the firmament and the dividing of waters it is well known that they were all made by the onely power of the word speaking Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters and that in a moment for it followeth that it was so done upon which place St. Chrysostome thus He onely spake and the worke followed and the same Authour upon the words Let the earth bud forth c. Who saith he will not be astonisht to thinke how the Word of GOD Let the earth bud adorneth the face of the earth with an admirable embrodery of divers flowers you might suddenly have seene the earth deformed before and untilled and untrimmed to contend with heaven in comlinesse and bravery and upon the words Let there be light he saith He onely spake and this admirable element was brought forth I say the Sun and what if I added that the Moone and all the Starres were made by the same word and in the same moment by the same Creator and lastly upon these words Let the waters bring forth in abundance c. he thus speaketh What tongue can be sufficient to set out the praise and glory of the workeman For as he onely said of the earth Let the earth bud and presently a plentifull variety and multiplicity of flowers and herbs appeared so by saying here Let the waters bring forth so many creeping things and foules were created as no speech can recount Who therefore is like unto thee ô Lord among the Gods By all this thou mayst understand plainly the great power of thy Creator who by his latitude extends himselfe to all things by his longitude continues alwaies and without wearinesse supports and governes all things by his altitude attaineth to the making of those things which seeme to be and are impossible to all but himselfe and by his depth and profundity doth so make all things as that the manner and meanes of making them passeth all created understanding considering that he makes them of nothing into nothing without instruments without time onely by his word and command Hee spake the word saith the Psalmist and they were made hee commanded and they were created By this thou mayst gather if thou be wise how much it concernes thee whether it were best to have him thy angry enemy or thy well pleased friend For he can suddenly bereave thee of all good and load thee with all misery nor is there any that can deliver thee out of his hands for who dares contend with him that is omnipotent If thou shouldst being naked meet with an implacable enemy bending a sharpe weapon against thee what wouldst thou doe but in trembling and fearefull manner prostrate thy selfe at his feet and implore his mercy and yet he being a man thou mightst perhaps escape him by flight or resistance or wresting the weapon from him but what canst thou doe against an angry God from whom thou caust not flee he being every where nor resist him being omnipotent nor make delayes seeing he doth all in a moment and by his sole command and therefore not without cause did the Apostle say It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the living GOD. On the other side if thou make him thy friend who more happier then thou for he can if he will and he will if he be thy friend satisfie thee with all good things and deliver thee from all evill and it is in thy power either to make him thy friend or enemy while thou livest here GOD himselfe and he by his Prophets and againe by his Son and his Apostles in the Scriptures ever call and invite sinners to repentance and the just to keepe his Commandements that so he may have both sorts of men his friends or rather deare children and heires of eternall salvation Heare Ezechiel As I live saith the Lord God I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and live turn you turn you from your evillwaies for why will ye die ô ye houfe of Israel and as Ezechiel so Esay Ieremie and the rest of the Prophets being moved with the same spirit cry for the conversion of sinners Heare the Son of GOD when he began to preach Amend your lives for the Kingdome of God is at hand Heare the Apostle St. Paul speaking of himselfe and his fellow Apostles We are Ambassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you through us wee pray you in Christs stead that ye be reconciled to God What more cleare more comfortable The Apostle in Christs name doth beseech us to be reconciled to God to have him our friend not our enemy Who can doubt of Gods mercy if he seriously returne to him he will receive all converts as the loving Father received the prodigall Son But when we are returned and have found indulgence and favour what doth he require of us even to persevere as frends and children and to keep his Commandements If thou wilt enter into life keepe the Commandements saith our Saviour If thou wilt say without the helpe of God his Commandements cannot be kept heare what St. Augustine saith speaking of the hardest precept of all other that is