of Eternitie in the Purgatiue way and the force which it hath to reclayme vs from wickednesse A continuation of the formar discourse LXIX AS for the Illuminatiue way whose propertie it is to incite vs to goodnes and vertue what difficultie is incident to the pursute of vertue which is not surmounted by the price of so great glorie which is proposed vnto vs in Eternitie as I haue alreadie at large declared For the words of thy lipps ô Lord saith the Diuine Psalmist that is vpon the hope of thy promisses I haue kept the hard wayes IACOB hauing espyed that misterious ladder a figure of Beatitude durst close with an Angell neuer leaue wrastling with him till he had wrested a benediction from him And was not MICHOL with SAVLS crowne being proposed for his guerdon who should vanquish the Giant the motife which did so generously incite DAVID to so glorious an enterprise O Lord sings the Diuine Psalmist I ranne in the way of thy Commandements when thou didst opene and dilate my heart And yet what is able to dilate it more then the thought of Eternitie O how faire are the feete that is the affections of a foule which directes her stepps towards those eternall Hills through the pathes of pietie erecting stares in her heart to ascend vp to the heauēly Sion by the stepps of vertues This is she which doth rauish the Angells with admiratiō when they discouer her ascending out of the desart of the world as a litle rod of smoke composed of all the aromaticall spices It is written in the Apocalipse that the first fundation of the holy Citie Hierusalē is made of Iasper a stone marked with all the seuerall colours which are dispersed amongst the other stones wherby is intimated vnto vs that the eternall Sion hath its fundation vpō all the vertues and that he who pretends the attayning of it must resolue to imbrace them all otherwise he will not be permitted accesse Now what vertue is not acquired by this consideration what good habite is not contayned therin Let vs cast an ey vpon those which are the principall and as it were the roote of all the rest and we shall find Eternitie to be the Sea whither all these litle brookes runne What is FAITH but the argument of things not appeareing And are not eternall things those which doe not appeare for so the great Apostle doth teach vs. What is HOPE but an expectation of eternall blesse and the coming of the glorie of the great God In thee ô Lord haue I put my hoped saith DAVID and I shall not be confounded for euer What is CHARITIE but a Vertue which according to the Apostle remaynes for euer euen when FAITH and HOPE shall cease to be and Prophecies shall be made voyde and such as are rooted and founded in this Vertue doe in some measure comprehend the length bredth hight and depth of Eternitie What is PRVDENCE but a wise foresight of future things and principally of the next life for the life which ends in this world is called a Death by the Apostle yea yet in sharper tearmes a sensuall terreane malignant life And it was this prudent thought of Eternitie which MOYSES perceaued to be awanting in Israel while he tearmed it a Nation deuoyd of Councell and iudgement and wished from his heart that that people would become wise vnderstanding and foreseeing the tyme to come Touching FORCE and TEMPERANCE we haue shewen in the formar stroke that this thought makes one abstayne from and contemne earthly things and doth in courage the heart to all kinds of sufferances and crosses for the Conquest of Eternitie Concerning IVSTICE since eternall Glorie is tearmed the crowne of Iustice and that no iniustice can be permitted to make entrie there who can deney but the fruites of the thoughtes of Eternitie are the very same with those wherof DANIEL speakes which is to free the soule from sinne and to lodge eternall Iustice in its place And doth not the Psalmist say that the iust shall liue for euer PATIENCE also doth springe frō this thought sith the Kingdome of Heauen is promissed to such as doe practise it in persecution And who will not become HVMBLE vnder the powrefull hand of God when he shall seriously consider that the Kingdome of heauen belongs to the poore in spirit and that the humble shall be saued and aduanced and that the proude of heart are cast headlong downe with Lucifer into perpetuall flames And who will not turne MEEKE and mild when he shall reflect that the promised Land of Eternitie is their inheritance Who will not be deuoute and feruent in all the exercices of pietie whether it be prayer fasting Almes-deedes or in the practise of interiour or exteriour mortifications if he fall duely to consider that the violent doe beare away the Kingdome of Heauen Who will not imbrace or at least who will not loue and honour the Euangelicall Councells when he reades what great rewards are promised to the Continent obedient and voluntariepoore Runne in this sort ouer all the vertues whose pursuite and practise is the proper imployment of the Illuminatiue way and you shall find that whether they be Theologicall or morall infused they haue all for their Obiect a supernaturall end as faith the Angell of the schoole and consequently all of them ayme at Eternitie as all the lines of the circūference at the vnitie of the Cēter As for the vnitiue way which consistes in a certaine adhearing to the soueraigne Good which is God the verie essentiall Eternitie we will shew in the ensuing stroke that the essentiall Eternitie being no other thing properly speaking then God himselfe there is no thought at all which doth more immediately nor more generally vnite vs vnto him then that of Eternitie Whence I draw this Conclusion that the consideration of Eternitie is truely that one necessarie thing which is so highly commended in the Ghospell euen from the mouth of the sonne of God and called MARIE'S BEST PART which shall neuer be taken from her Iudge you then Athanasia of what importance it is to thinke frequently yea incessantly of Eternitie since it is as it were the pinne whervpon all spirituall life doth turne Of the essentiall Eternitie LXX HItherto Athanasia we haue not giuen thee a straight and cleare but an indirect view of Eternitie we haue shewen it thee onely sideling as BALAAM beheld the armie of Israel we haue onely pondered the two armes therof not the bodie It 's effects onely not it's cause and as one would say we haue seene the shouldiers onely not the face the accidents not the substance therof For albeit the Diuines teach vs that it is a whole and perfect possession of an endlesse life yet doth not this description quiet my vnderstāding in that it doth not represēt Eternitie as a thing created and out of God and which being applyed to creatures will indeede haue no end yet presupposeth a begining God alone being
in the same measure And he that sowes in benedictions shall reape a plentuous crope of benedictions O centuple of this life how oft shalt thou be centupled in the life to come In those Diuine and celestiall Abodes called by the Scripture MANSIONS some are placed higher then others saith S. AVGVSTINE and doe behold God more clearely And S. GREGORIE speaking of the same subiect The great and litle saith he are in Glorie but they enioy it more or lesse according to the diuersitie of their merit Nor are we vpon this word Mansions to imagine to our selues separated Celles or Quarters a part in the heauenly Hierusalem where there is a perfect societie amongst the Blessed together with a Communitie of all good things each one reioyceing no lesse in anothers felicitie then in his owne all this holy Compainie hauing but one Soule and one Heart in God the one and onely Obiect of their desires But by that word saith S. THOMAS after S. AVGVSTINE we are to conceaue diuers degrees of Charitie and rewards which are had in this plentifull Rest where the Saintes doe reside for euer as in the happie repose of the LAND OF PROMISSE In what measure the beatified vnderstanding sees God in Heauen XLIX IT is no smale question Athanasia to know how far the vnderstanding fortified with the light of Glorie doth extend it selfe in the cōtemplation of the Diuine Essence which it beholds without all helpe of species or representation But the Angell of the schoole giues a worthy satisfaction to this holy curiositie in teaching vs that God according to IEREMIE being by reason of his infinitie incomprehensible to euery created thought can neuer be comprehēded by any vnderstāding with what euer light of Glorie they be adorned and assisted Because euery creature being bounded is not capable to comprehend an infinite Obiect Hence we haue that fine and necessarie distinction that the blessed shall see God All indeed but not totally they shall see him all because being most simple he cannot be seene but he is all seene But againe wheras he is infinite there nether is nor can be any capacitie out of himselfe which can totally comprehend him nor imbrace that immense Infinitie which is onely knowen of him selfe Wee haue some semblance of this Truth which cannot be seene vnlesse it be all seene and yet is it neuer totally seene though it be euen a limited creature and hath nothing comparable to the Creatour So doe the fish and fowles inioy the vast extent of the Sea and ayre yet what fish did euer swime in all the waters and what bird did euer with flight measure the ayres extent All this notwithstanding is possible because it is finite But the Diuinitie which is boundlesse cannot be totally seene For who did euer sound the depth of such an Abisse And who hath euer knowen the sense of our Lord Herein is discouered the impertinencie of AETIVS and ENNANIVS old Heretikes who affirmed that God could be comprehended by a creature as though forsooth an illimited thing could be shut vp within limites An impertinencie pertinently refuted by those great lightes of the Church S. BASILE S. GREGORIE OF NAZIANZENE S. CHRISOSTOME S. AVGVSTINE and after them by the Angelicall Doctor Yet this doth not impeach the full and intire satisfaction of the Blessed nor doth the naturall incapacitie which they find in thēselues to behold God totally any white vexe them yea contrariwise it doth augment their ioy and contentmēt which hath no other of-spring then the loue of God a loue of friendshippe which doth rather respect the greatnesse and glorie of the obiect beloued then it s owne interest what a pleasing rauishment shall possesse them to behold the most simple onely and incomposed simplicitie of that Diuine beautie which they contemplate all though not totally by reason of its incomprehensible infinitie In beholding it their desire is filled with euery good thing And beit they see it diuersly as we haue showen yet are they throughly content according to the comon similitude of a glasse wherof the least is as well filled with a litle as the greatest with much liquor And after the desire is saciated with the fruition of this ineffable Good with what an excesse of ioy are they taken to know that this adorable Deitie hath an infinite compainie of other graces and perfections still remayning to be seene relished which are not totally comprehēded nor knowen saue onely by himselfe Man doth then rayse himselfe aboue himselfe and liftes vp his heart But God greater then all hearts doth yet rise higher nor can he be encōpased by any other then himselfe in his full extent O how rauishing and admirable is that they behold And how good cause haue they to sing with the Angells the three Sanctuses to so dreadfull a Maiestie in so high a strayne that the Gates of Heauen shall tremble at it and to pronounce Thou art great and exceeding laudable ô Lord and who can worthily enough sing thy excellēces in thy sacred Citie in thy holy mountaines Though all creatures should ouerset themselues yea melt away in ioy and admiration yet shall they neuer arriue at the least of thyne infinite excellēcies Hence it is that the HYMNE of silence is the best suiting praise that can be offered vnto thee in thy Heauenly Sion Yet ô God how much more admirable is that which those soules doe not discouer in thee since it surpasseth all created vnderstandings euen strengthened with the light of Glorie And to what a violent paine would the desire of knowing thee totally and louing thee deseruedly that is infinitly put them vnto if thy sweete and fatherly prouidēce least the puritie of their inspeakable ioyes might be stayned with the mixture of any discontent did not change the knowledge they haue that they cannot totally comprehend and imbrace thee into a soueraigne delight that the glorious Obiect of their view and loue is so immense that it cannot be perfectly and intirely knowen and beloued but by thy selfe by reason of the Diuine infinitie of thyne infinite Diuinitie Meane while they draw from this great ALL as from an vndraynable fountaine all their comon and particular delightes diuersely glorious according to the diuersitie of the light of Glorie which is distributed vnto them wherby they see him more or lesse with proportion to their Charitie and merit We haue some darke resemblance of this here below in the vse of our Senses For is it not true that the same Picture is diuersely beholden according to the varietie of their opinions and skill that doe behold it Is not a daintie musike diuersely receaued into the eare of the hearer according as their organes are disposed and they are attentiue vnto it And to conclude this discourse with an excellent similitude The miraculous MANNA which pleased euery palate was doubtlesse of a diuerse relish to the Israelite yet neuer any of them nor ioyntly all of them felt euer all the tastes
but in the onely fruition of the increated Good which is God the essentiall fountaine of all Goodnes Yet as the most ridged Philosophers haue not denyed that Glorie Reputation meanes and lawfull pleasures doe contribute to tēporall felicitie so Diuines are not so strict as to deny that those qualities doe concurre in Heauen to the accidētall Beatitude of the Elect. I dare therfore as boldly as truely affirme that besides the vertues which are the beauties of the soule and the beauties which are the vertues and graces of the bodie which vertues shall be all together and that in a high measure in all the Saintes since that this heauenly Citie is thervpon called The Citie of vertues the Citie of God the Citie of the God of Vertues DAVID saying they shall goe from Vertue to Vertue to see the God of Gods in Sion Besides the vertues I say the inhabitants of this glorious Citie shall be most holy most illustirous most noble and most eminēt in all kinds of greatnes qualities titles perfections without all mixture of basenesse abiectnesse or imperfection Alas in this poore and miserable world there are a thousand weaknesses and miseries mingled with the most prosperous honour in the earth and oftē tymes they serue onely to make the vice and weaknesse of such as are aduanced vnto them more appearant The greatnesse of their fortunes serue onely to aggrauate their fault if their qualities doe rather moue vs to pittie then enuie their blame-worthy manners doe more moue to enuie then pittie By how much the place is higher whither the Ape climes by so much he is more ridiculous and for want of his tayle discouers all his infamie wheras vpon the ground his deformitie doth lesse appeare There are certaine great-ones whose scandalous proceedings which would be couered in the throng if they were but of a comon condition seeme onely to appeare in the face of the Sunne to fasten shame vpon their foreheades to perceaue in themselues such abiect mynds in qualities so high Certes saith the great Stoicke imagine what greatnes you please in man it neuer passeth the limites of humanitie Though a man be mounted vpon a Throne his stature is no greater for all that To take the dimensions of a Statua one is neuer to measure the Base nor to take the hight of a man doe we measure him with his dignitie of which he is often vnworthy He that is seated in a high seate sitts in the same manner that he would doe being set in a lower place Stiltes and footstooles make not a man taller though he appeare higher A noble out-side doth not rayse an abiect mynd nor doth the brightest luster of nobilitie alwayes light vpon the greatest head There is nothing perfect here-below there are no roses without thornes no wheate without cokle nor corne without chaffe This world is an Arke wherin are cleane and vncleane beastes A Parke wher goates and sheepe liue together A nett wherin both good and bad fish are found The rayne and Sunne doe equally fall and shine vpon the fruitfull and fruitlesse ground But in Heauen it fares not so nothing that is ether impure or imperfect can haue entrie there In that faire place saith S. BERNARD SALOMON 's wisdome will appeare follie his knowledge ignorance ABSALON 's beautie shall be reputed there deformitie SAMSON 's force shall passe there for feablenesse The longest tearme of life in our foreelders will appeare a death and all the riches of all the Kings of the earth shall be there verie pouertie Say the like of all great place honours pleasures and contētments of the earth to which we asscribe the name of good things Verily being compared to eternall things they shall haue the true shape of true euils such as indeed they are when the lawfull vse therof is turnd to abuse And if the conuersation and compaignie of the wise great vallourous vnderstāding vertuous and of personages who are illustrious ether in regard of their qualitie or merite is so witchingly pursued in this world where ther is no gold without drosse where nothing is compleate what a blesse shall it be to a soule to perceaue her selfe associated for euer with so many Angells and Elect all filled by the King of immortall ages with all desireable and imaginable perfectiōs A flight of the mynd towards this happie compaignie LXII BVt ô my soule who will bestow vpon thee the winges of a doue to flie vp into this eternall repose Who will grant thee the wing of an Eagle to take a strōg flight and not to fall from the wing What prosperous gale saue that of grace shall fill the sayles of thy desires to make them sayle vpon the Sea of this world to that Harbour of saluation Why doe we not make haste ô my soule to enter into this happie tranquilitie amongst this holy nation this people of acquisition who is sett in an abūdant peace a rich and magnificent repose What dost thou doe in this Land of Egipt where thou drinkest nothing but troubled and durtie waters leauing the pursuite of that streame of water of life which springs towards Eternitie Alas dost thou not sigh vpon the protraction of thy mortall pilgrinage doth it not vexe thee to be so long detayned amongst the inhabitants of darknesse Canst thou be in peace amōgst such as hate Peace and take a malicious pleasure in crossing thee Goe to thē and sleepe not betweene the two pathes of the two Eternities Take the siluerd wings of the white doue which are guilt in their extremities and full of innocencie puritie of heart and Charitie qualities which make passage into the Tabernacles of the heauenly Hill flie into the porche of that celestiall douecote whether the Sacred Spouse calls thee S. GREGORIE THE GREAT whom PETER his DEACON did see so often accompained with a doue which witnesseth that the holy Ghost spoke by the mouth of that holy Pope and flowed out of his pen will lend thee the flight of a doue to beare thee vp to this Societie of Saintes by his holy words As often as we consider the great reward which is promised vs in Heauen how vile doth all earthly things appeare in our sight For what tongue is able to speake or vnderstanding to comprehend the incomparable delightes of the heauenly Hierusalem the happinesse to be rancked amongst the Quires of Angells to assiste before the Throne of Glorie of the Highest and the compaignie of those blessed spirits the felicitie which is tasted in beholding the splendour of the Diuine face the contentment of being freed from the feare of death and the pleasure to haue assurance of a perpetuall incorruption What mynd is so far benum'd and frosen as will not take heate and fealing from the desire of so great a good and wish speedily to be transported to the place where he hopes to enioy an endlesse ioy But none comes without labour to so excellent a reward whence S. PAVLE saith that none
became mortall and the Eternall for your saluation did subiect himselfe to Tyme in vniting his Diuinitie to our humanitie How good occasion doth this descent of the Sonne of God into earth administer vnto you to rayse vp your selfe to Heauen and there to seeke a permanent Citie for euer in the holy Sion Vndertake this holy exercise by taske and for the space of some dayes to th' end that custome may beget in you a habite frequently to thinke of Eternitie For the third PRACTISE oblige your selfe by a firme pourpose yet without vow to say euery day at some houre most comodious for you three PATER NOSTER's And in reciting them to thinke of the Blessed accursed and essentiall Eternitie which is God Vniting your selfe to the last by Loue by desire to the Blessed detesting the accursed rather by the correction of your manners and amendment of life then by emptie words For as we come not to the celestiall Eternitie without doing good so we auoyd not the accursed but by flying euill When you recite your beades or the Crowne of our Blessed Lady a prayer very familiar to all those who make profession of pietie Let this crowne of flowres put you in mynd of the flowres which neuer fade wherof the Garland of Eternitie is wrought Let the round forme of this Crowne make you myndfull that the Sphearicall figure which hath nether begining nor end is the Symbole of the essentiall Eternitie which neuer had begining nor shall euer haue end This you may vse as a fourth PRACTISE None can liue like a good Christian who doth not twice a day at least wind vp the Cloke of his heart and thinke of his wayes to witt in the morning and euening These are two tymes which he that desires to liue according to God and to direct his footsteps in the pathes of Peace ought neuer to omitt Take then some litle part of that tyme to cast a looke vpon Eternitie that totall coÌ„tinuance which is neuer followed with euening nor morning And beseech God Almightie that you may so passe through temporall that you may not loose eternall things This shall be a fift PRACTISE for you Le ts passe to Other indeuours LXXV THere is nothing so frequent in the mouth of Christians Athanasia as the Prayer which our Lord and Maister made to direct vs to his heauenly Father according to his words and spirit to th end that hauing his will in our mouth we might be heard for the reuerence of it If you will beleeue me as often as this holy Prayer shall passe through your lipps you shall call to mynd the Essentiall Eternitie by apprehending that you speake to the Eternall God You shall thinke of the Blessed Eternitie in making this petition Thy Kingdome come and of the accursed Eternitie in pronunceing that other Deliuer vs from euil since it is the collection and fulnesse of all euils And let this aduise passe for THE SIXT ENDEVOVR OR PRACTISE You may doe the like when pietie shall moue you to salute the Blessed virgine in the words of the Angell and the Church And when as you shall beseech her to assiste you by her intercession in the houre of your departure out of this life call to mynd that this houre shall be the tyme and instant which shall decide your Eternitie A moment in which you will stand in great need of her assistance to auoyd the perills of Hell and to acchiue the Land of the â—ueing Let this be the SEAVENTH PRACTISE I say the same of the Apostles Creed When you recite it waigh the Articles therof in the waights of the Sanctuarie The Communion of Saintes of the Triumphant Church with those of the Militant And Life euerlasting and they will serue you as MEMORIALLS to engraue in your soule the Memorie of Eternitie Behold the EIGHT PRACTISE Whether you assiste in the solemne songe of the Diuine Office or you recite your boures apart Remember that for diuers reasons the holy Church hath ordayned that these two versicles should be added to the end of euery Psalme Glorie be to the Father and to the Sonne and to the Holy Ghost Euen as it was in the begining and now and euer c. And that amongst the others this is not the least prowrefull to imprint the memorie of Eternitie in the mynds of the Faithfull Take this for a NINGHT PRACTISE The Iewes that they might continually remeÌ„ber Gods law carried it about with them yea wore it euen before their eyes written vpon Phylacteries or peeces of parchement VnderstaÌ„ding literally certaine passages of the auncient Couenaunt wherby it is commanded that one should alwayes behold them that is that one should haue them as rules of their actions I would to God that Christians were as carefull to haue still before their eyes the eternall Ghospell and to that effect they had painted Tables in their houses to renew the memorie therof I know some personages who to this pourpose caused the words of a Prophete to be written vpon the chimney of their chambers in letters of Gold WHO IS ABLE TO LIVE FOR EVER IN A CONSVMING FIRE AND AMIDST ETERNALL FLAMES This is facile and Fruitfull and shall be counted for the TENTH PRACTISE An other memoriall of Eternitie LXXVI BEsides these former PRACTISES which are very familiar I will yet bestow vpon you Athanasia a verie facile Memoriall to make you thinke of Eternitie vpon euery occasion It is the vse of Aspirations or Reflections which the Doctours of spirituall life doe so highly recommend to such as desire to liue piously and according to God If you will please to make vse of it you will shortly find by experience that all things will rayse you towards God who is the essentiall Eternitie wherin you will represent vnto your selfe the differeÌ„t Idea's of the Blessed or accursed Eternitie All the creatures being as so many Mirrours vnto you shall discouer the Image of the Eternall God And which way so euer you turne your selfe the inuisible and eternall God shall appeare in visible and temporall things All that can fall within the knowledge of your senses shall beare you aboue your selfe to him that passeth all vnderstanding Or at the least you may make reflection vpon the eternall delightes or colours which doe attend you in the blessed or accursed Eternitie according to your comportment in this life And to afford you some smale scantling of that so familiar an exercise to those that are conuersant in the knowledge of Saintes As oft as you shall behold this vniuersall obiect of heauen and earth which was S. ANTONIE's great booke wherin he read in capitall letters the Authour's greatnes whom all this admirable fabrike cost but one smale word what will hinder you to say with DAVID ô Lord how wonderfull is thy name through all the world thy magnificence is extolled beyond the Heauens Heauens which are but the workes of thy hands Heauens which shall passe while thou shalt still remaync