be then those which the other possessed Redoubled are those which thou receauest from God if thou compare them with that which Ioseph receaued from that man Tell mee I pray thee what faculties what riches hath GOD which hee hath not communicated with thee Heauen earth moone starres seas floods fowles fishes trees liuing creatures to conclude all that that is found vnder heauen is in thy hands What not only those things which are vnder heauen are in thy power but also those things that are aboue the heauens namely the glory of them and eternall goodnes All thinges are yours sayth the Apostle whether it be Paule or Apollo or Cephas or the worlde or life or death or thinges present or things to come for all thinges are yours that is ordained for your saluation But what if I say that thou hast not onely those things which are aboue the heauens but that the very Lord also of all heauens is endowed to thee after a thousand manners Hee is giuen thee as a Father as a Tutor as a Sauiour as a Maister He is thy Phisition he is the reward of thy redemption he is thy example thy helpe thy remedy and thy keeper To conclude the Father hath gâ—uen vs his Sonne the Sonne hath deserued for vs the holy ghost whom the Father the Sonne sendeth from whom all good gyfts proceede VVhen therefore it is more trueâ— then truth that God hath deliuered all that he hath into thy hands how can it bee that thou shouldst haue handes to prouoake him VVhat thinkest thou it may bee suffered that thou shouldst be ingrate to such a gracious Father and a Benefactor so liberall Truly this seemeth to be a most haynous offence but if to this ingratitude thou annex contempt of thy Benefactour and iniurie or contempt howe inexpiable a crime wil that be held If that yong man of whom I spake before thought himselfe so bound that he had no power to offende him that had committed all the substance of his house into his bands How shalt thou finde any force in thy selfe to offend him who gaue thee heauen earth and himselfe The Argument ¶ The benefit of Predestination is the first and greatest of all benefits and which is meerely giuen gratis without any precedent merrit The greatnes therefore of this benefit and all those things which pertaine therevnto greatly prouoke a man to serue God and to be dutifull vnto him CHAP. 9. AMongst the diuine benefites also Predestination or Election is to be nuÌ„bred which as it is the first so also it is the most excellentest and altogether necessary for our saluation But this benefite is onely theyrs whom God hath chosen from the beginning to take possession of the eternall beatitude and the heauenly kingdome For which benefite the Apostle as well for himselfe as for all the elect giueth him thanks in these wordes Blessed bee God and the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ c. who hath predestinated vs in the adoption of his sonnes through Iesus Christ. The kingly prophet coÌ„mendeth that benefit likewise when he saith Blessed is he whoÌ„ thou hast chosen ô lord and hast taken to inhabite in thy Courts Deseruedly therefore may this benefite be called the benefit of benefits and the grace of graces It is the grace of graces because it is giuen before all merrite of Gods onely infinite goodnes and liberalitie who setting a part iniuries nay rather giuing to euery one suâ—fâ—cient helpe to saluation imparteth more aboundantly to some the greatnes of his mercy like an absolute liberall Lorde of his riches And it is the benefit of benefits not only because it is greater then the rest but for that it is the cause and foundation of all other benefits also For when as a man is chosen to glorie by meanes of this benefite GOD presently imparteth to him other benefites also which are required towards the attaynment of this glorie euen as he testifieth by his prophet saying In perpetuall charitie haue I loued thee therefore in mercie haue I drawne thee vnto mee That is thou oughtest not to bee ignorant that I called thee to my grace that by the same thou mightest attayne my glory But the Apostle speaketh of this benefit more plainely when hee sayth Because those whom hee fore-knew those likewise hee predestinated to bee made conformable to the image of his Sonne that hee might bee the first begotten among many Bretheren Those therefore whom he hath predestinated those also hee hath called and whom hee hath called them also hath hee iustified and those whom hee hath iustified them also hath he glorified The reason thereof is that our Lord disposing all things sweetly orderly after he hath vouchsafed to choose any one to his glory for that grace he conferreth diuers others for he giueth all those things which are pertinent toward the attainment of that first grace Euen as the Father that bringeth vp his Sonne eyther to make him a Priest or a doctor causeth him from his infancie to be exercised in Ecclesiastical affaires or brought vp in diuiner studdies directeth all the course of his life to that intended and purposed end So likewise that eteâ—nall Father after hee hath chosen any man to the communion of his glory hee directeth him by his fatherly care to the way of iustice which bringeth him to that glory and in the same doth faithfully conduct his elected till he attaine the desired end For this so great and excellent benefite they ought to yeelde our Lord thankes who acknowledge any notable fruit of this benefite in themselues For let vs grant that this secrete is hidden from mortall eyes yet whereas certaine signes of iustification are known there also the signes of predestination or election may be had For as amongst the signes of iustification amendement of life is not the least so amongst the signes of election the greatest is perseuerance in good life Which beeing thus wey I pray thee with thy selfe ô man vnder howe great an assurance our Lorde holdeth thee bound vnto him for this immesurable benefite namely to bee registred in that booke of which our Redeemer sayde to his Apostles Doe not reioyce in thys that spirits are subiected vnto you but reioyce because your names are written in the booke of life Howe immesurable therefore is this benefite to be beloued and from eternitie elected from which God was God to rest in his most sweet bosome euen from the yeeres of eternitie to be accounted the adoptiue Sonne of God then whâ—n as his naturall Sonne was begotten in the brightnes of his Saints who were present in his diuine vnderstanding Attentiuely therfore consider all the circumstances of this election and thou shalt finde euery one of them to be singuler benefites yea that great ones also and such as tye thee vnder newe couenaunts Consider first of all his dignitie who choase thee who is God himselfe blessed and infinitely rich who neither needeth thine
reward one and common to all the elect For there shall be perfect charity and God shall be all in all For that cause it shall be the common exercise of all to loue and praise God without end or intermission CHAP. 4. BVT in that we haue already aboundantly discoursed of the condemnation and sentence which attendeth impious and sinfull men it consequently foloweth that we speake som-whâ—â— also of the beatitude and reward of good men Now this blessednes iâ— that desired and holy Kingdome of heauen and that happy life which God from the beginning of the created world prepared for those who loue and follow him There is no tongue eyther humaine or angelicall that can worthily expresse what that reward shall be or what that life will be But that thou mayst haue some tast and receaue some knowledge of the same I will by the way report that which Saint Augustine wrote of it in certaine of his Meditations O thou life saiâ—h â—e that God hath prepared for those â—hat loue him liuing life blessed â—ife amiable life cleane life chast â—ife holy life life ignorant of death deuoyd of sorrow life without blot without greefe without anxietie without corruption without perâ—urbation without varietie and muâ—ation lyfe full of all elegancie and dignitie where there is no aduersaâ—ie to impugne where there is no â—llurement of sinne where there is â—erfect loue and no feare where â—he day is eternall and one spirit of â—ll Where GOD is beheld face to â—ace and with this foode of life the minde is satiate and satisfied without defect It dooth mee good to intende to â—hy cleerenes thy beauties delight my greedy hart the more power I haue to consider with my selfe the more doe I languish with the loue of thee with the vehement desire of thee and I am greatly delighted with thy sweete memory O thou most happy life ô thou truly blessed kingdome wanting death void of end to which no times succeede by â—ge where as the continuall day without night cannot haue time where as the conquering Souldiour accompanying those hymne-singing quires of Angels singeth vnto God without ceasing a song of the songs of Sion hauing his noble heade inuironed with a perpetualâ— crowne Would to God the pardon of my finnes were graunted mee and that presently laying aside this burthen of my flesh I might enter into the true rest of thy ioyes and that possessing the most beautifull admirable walls of thy citty I might receiue the crowne of life from the handes of our Lorde that I might accompany these holy quires that with those blessed spirits I might asist the glory of the Creator that face to face I might behold Christ that I might alwayes looke vppon that high ineffable and vncircumscribed light Happy is that soule which deliuered froÌ„ this earthly body may freely ascend to heauen that secure and peaceable neither feareth the deuil nor death Happy eternally happie my soule if after this corporall death it may be counted worthy to behold thy glory thy maiesty thy beautie thy gates walls streetes thy many mansions thy noble cittizens and thy most mightie kingdome in thy comlines For thy vvalls are of precious stone and thy gates of the purest Margarites thy streetes are of burnisht golde wherein without intermission Alleluia is sunge thy mansions are many founded on squared stones builded with Saphires couered with golden tile into which no man entreth except he be cleane wherein no one inhabiteth that is defiled Mother Ierusalem thou art made faire and sweet in thy delights there is no such thing in thee as we suffer heere and behold in this miserable life They differ very far from those thinges which are daily present before our eyes in this life full of calamitie There is no darknes in thee neither night or any change of time The light of the candle shyneth not in thee or the bright Moone or the beamy starres but God of gods the light of lights the sunne of iustice alwaies illuminateth thee The white and immaculate Lambe is thy cleere delightfull light The King of Kings is in the midst of thee his children round about him There the quires of hymne-tuning Angels there the societie of the supernall Cittizens there the sweete solemnitie of all those that returne from this wofull pilgrimage vnto thy ioyes There the prouident company of the prophets there the twelue number of the Apostles There the victorious host of innumerable Martyrs there the sacred couent of the saints Confessors there the true and perfect Monks there the holy women that haue ouercome the pleasures of the world and the infirmities of theyr sexe There the young men maidens that flying the snares of thys world with sacred manners haue past theyr time in all vertues there are the sheepe and lambes which haue already escaped the snares and pleasures of thys life All reioyce in theyr peculier mansions The glory of euery one is different yet is the ioy of them all common Full and perfect charitie raigneth there because God is there all in all whom they beholde without ende and seeing him alwaies burne in his loue loue laude him They praise and loue All theyr labour is the prayse of God wiâ—hout end without defect without labor Happie were I and truly happy for euerlasting if after the resolution of thys body of mine I shall deserue to hear those canticles of celestiall melody which are sung in praise of the eternall King by those cittizens of the celestiall country troopes of blessed spirits Fortunate were I and incredibly blessed if I likewise might deserue to sing them and assist my King my God my guide and see him in his glory euen as hee hath dayned to promise saying Father I will that those whoÌ„ thou hast giuen me be with me that they may beholde my beauty and maiestie which I had with thee before the beginning of the world Tell me I pray thee brother what a day shal that be which shal knock at thy gate the course of this thy pilgrimage beeing ended that if thou hast liued in the feare of God may from death transferre thee to immortality wherein others were wont to feare thou shalt beginne to lyft vp thy heade because thy râ—demption is at hand Come out I pray thee a little while sayth S. Ierosme writing to Eustochia the Virgine froÌ„ the prison and depaint before thine eyes the rich reward of thy present labor which neyther eye hath seene nor eare heard neyther hath the hart of man conceiued the like VVhat day shall that be when as the Virgine Mary shall meete thee attended by all the troopes of Virgins who on the otherside of the Redde-sea the host of Pharao being drowned who bearing a tymbrel shal sing to those that aunswere Let vs sing to our Lord for he hath gloriously honored vs he hath cast down the horse and the ryder into the sea TheÌ„ shal the Spouse himselfe meete her
the naturall goods For whereas a man is a reasonable creature and sinne is a worke made against nature and it is naturall that euery contrary destroy his opposit it followeth that by how much more our sinns are multiplied by so much the powers of the soule are destroyed troubled not in themselues but in theyr toward workings After this manner doe sinnes make the soule miserable infirme slowe and instable to all goodnes but ready and prompt to all euill they make her weake to resist temptations and slowe to walke the way of the commaundements of our Lord. They also depriue her of thâ— true liberty and domâ—nion of the Spirit and make her captiue to the world the deuill the flesh and her owne appetites and after this manner shee liueth in harder captiuitie then that of Babylon or Egypt Besides all the spirituall sences of the minde are made slow so that they neither heare the voyces and diuine inspirations neither see the great euâ—ls that are prepared for them neither smell the sweet odor of vertue nor the woorthy examples of the Saints nor taste how sweet our lord is nor feele his scourges nor acknowledge his benefites by which he prouoketh theÌ„ to loue And besides all this they take away the peace ioy of conscience extinguish the feruor of the Spirit and leaue a man defiled lothsome deformed abhominable in the sight of God and all his Saints This benefite deliuereth vs from all these euils For the Abiss of diuine mercy is not content to haue pardoned our sinnes and to haue receiued man into his fauour except hee also expell all those euills which sinnes bring with them reforming renewing our inward man After thys manner he healeth our woundes hee washeth our vncleannes he breaketh the bonds of sinners destroyeth the yoake of euill desires deliuereth vs froÌ„ the seruitude of the deuil mittigateth the fury of our peruerse affections restoreth vnto vs the tru liberty pulchritude of the soule giueth vs peace ioy of good conscience quickneth our interior sences maketh them prompt to doe all goodnes slow to all wickednes He maketh them strong to resist temptations of the deuill endoweth them with good works To conclude so absolutely renueth hee and repaireth he our interiour man with all his powers as the Apostle feareth not to call such kind of men iustified renewed or rather newâ— creatures This renouation is so great that when it is giuen by Baptisme it is called regeneration and when it is restored by repentance it is called resurrection not onely because the soule is raised from the death of sinne to the life of grace but because in a certaine manner it imitateth the beauty of the future resurrection And that is so true that no tongue of man is sufficient to expresse the beauty of the iustified soule but only that spirit knoweth this that beautifieth the same and maketh it his temple lodgeth himselfe in it Wherefore if thou compare all the ritches of this world all his honours all his naturall graces and all his acquired vertues with the beautie and ritches of the soule that is iustified all of them shall seeme most obscure vild in comparison thereof For as great difference as there is betwixt heauen and earth betweene the spirit and the bodie betweene eternity and time so great also is founde betwixt the life of grace the lyfe of nature between the beauty of the soule and of the body betwixt the interior and exterior riches betweene spirituall and naturall fortitude For all these are circumscribed by certaine termes are temporall and seeme only faire to the out ward eye to which the generall concourse of God is sufficient but to those other a perticuler supernaturall concourse is required neyther can they be called temporall where as they bring to eternity neither any wayes termed finite beâ—ause they deserue God in whose eyes they are so precious and of such value that by theyr beautie they prouoke God himselfe to loue But whereas God might worke all these thinges by his onely presence he would not doe it but it pleased him to adorne the soule with infused vertues and with the 7. dowers of the holie Spirit with which not onelâ— the very essence of the soule it selfe but also all the powers thereof are inuested and adorned with these diuine habits Besides all these diuine benefites that eternall and infinite goodnesse of God annexeth an other namely the presence of the holy ghost or rather of the whole blessed Trinitie which entreth into the iustified soule and commeth to inhabite in the same that it may teach her how to vse in due sort so great riches Like to a good Father who not content to haue giuen his riches to his sonne giueth him a tutor also who knoweth howe to administer them well So that euen as in the soule of a sinner Vipers Dragons and Serpents inhabite who are the multitude of malignant spirits who haue taken vp their lodging in such a soule as our Sauiour in S. Mathew affirmeth So contrariwise into the iustified soule the holy Ghost with the whole sacred Trinitie doe enter and casting out all monsters and infernall beasts consecrateth the same for a temple for himselfe and placeth his seate there As our Lorde himselfe expresly testifieth in the gospell written by Saint Iohn saying If any man loue mee hee wil obserue my sayings and my Father shall loue him and we will com vnto him make our mansion with him By vertue of these wordes all the Doctors as well Ecclesiasticall as Scholasticall doe confesse that the holy Ghost himselfe truly and after a certaine speciall manner dooth dwell in the iustified soule distinguishing betwixt the holy ghost his gyfts saying moreouer that not onely these gifts of the holy Ghost â—re giuen but that the holy ghost also giueth himselfe who entring into this soule maketh her his temple and habitation fixing his seate in â—he same Hee therefore purgeth â—he same sanctifieth decketh her with his vertues that shee may be a sufficient mansion wherein hee may inhabite The aboue named benefites suffice not except another and that admirable be ioyned vnto theÌ„ nameâ—ie that all the iustified are made the lyuing members of our Sauiour who were first but dead members For they dyd not receaue the â—nfluences from theyr Lord head Christ. Hence doe orher and they very great prerogatiues and excellencies arise For hence commeth it that Gods onelie Sonne loueth them as his owne members and hath no lesse care of them then of himselfe hee is no lesse solicitous for them then for his owne members without intermission hee powreth into them his vertues as the heade into his members Finally the eternâ—â—l Father beholdeth them with fauoâ—rable eyes no otherwise then the liuing members of his onely begotten Sonne vnited with him concorporate by the participation of his Spirit and therefore their acâ—â—ons are gratefull and pleasing as
are such and so admirable that 〈◊〉 man do but attentiuely wey the 〈◊〉 of them and vvith an vnderâ—â—â—nding voyde of all perturbation of the minde examine the same hâ—â— shall haue sufficient cause enougâ— of amazednes and reason to induâ—â— him to the correction of his erroâ— Beeing moued therefore in espâ—â—ciall by this reason I thought 〈◊〉 should doe a worke worthy the lâ—â—bour if I proposed some fewe 〈◊〉 those thinges before their eyes thâ—â— wil either read or write accordinâ— to the imitation of Ieremy that vâ—â—derstanding not onely the 〈◊〉 which God hath prepared for 〈◊〉 loose and wicked sort but also 〈◊〉 good which he hath decreed to bâ—â—stowe on the godly and iust thâ—â— might forsake the way of iniquitâ—â— that God might receiue them gâ—â—uing them pardon of al their sinne and deliuering them from all the punishments which in the book of holy Scripture hee threatneth inflict vpon them The Argument Christian must thinke that hee is a man and a Christian and therfore subiâ—ct to death bound to yeeld a reason of his life past in another world For which cause he shall doe aduisedly if he wey without intermission the horrible and intollerable griefes which are wont to encomber the sinner at the howre of death and the feares and amazements that presently ouerwhelme him vppon the entrance of the lyfe to come At which time neyther the goods of the body nor the goods of Forâ—une nor any fauour of this world may appease the iust and incensed wrath of God against sinners CHAP. 2. THat therefore wee may begin from matters most apparant and which daily we behold with our eyes goe to my brother remember â—â—ou art a Christian and a man because thou art a Christian be asâ—â—red thou shalt yeelde account of thy lyfe when thou art dead Thâ— fayth which wee hold and profesâ—â— excludeth all doubt and that it is 〈◊〉 experience offering herselfe daiâ—â— to our eyes trulie teacheth vs. 〈◊〉 that no man is free from this Châ—â—lice but all must drinke thereoâ— whether he be Pope whether Kiâ—â— eyther any other what-soeuer The day shall once come wheâ—â— in at morning thou shalt liue 〈◊〉 night thou shalt be dead The 〈◊〉 shall one day bee but whether shall happen to day or to morroâ— it is altogether vncertaine in whiâ—â— thou thy selfe which nowe readâ— these thinges which wee reckon 〈◊〉 whole and strong measuring 〈◊〉 life by the length of thy desires anâ— the dayes by the multitude of thinâ— affaires shalt see thy selfe lying 〈◊〉 thy bedde full of greefe and sicâ—â—nesse expecting euery moment thâ— stroake and terrible sentence 〈◊〉 death pronouncâ—d against all manâ—kinde from which thou canst noâ— appeale to any other Iudge But especially it is to be consideâ—red howe vncertaine that howre iâ— for euen then it is wont to fall vpo◠〈◊〉 when it is least expected and â—â—en a man wholy secure thinkes 〈◊〉 of it but rather intending the â—â—sinesses and occupations of this 〈◊〉 complots in his hart howe to â—â—nd his longer hoped life in more â—â—â—icitie and worldlie pleasures For â—â—ich câ—use it is often sayde in the â—â—â—lie Scripture that it shall come in 〈◊〉 night like a theefe who euen 〈◊〉 is vvont to breake in vvhen 〈◊〉 slâ—epe soundest are most secuâ—â— thinke of nothing lesse then 〈◊〉 imminent theft perrill which 〈◊〉 the suddaine happeneth vnto 〈◊〉 Before death himselfe commeth a â—reeuous sicknesse dooth vsher 〈◊〉 which is to be considered of 〈◊〉 all his accidents greefes trouâ—â—â—s abhorrings angers sirrups deâ—â—ctions suffumigations pylls garâ—â—rismes and sundry other mediâ—â—â—es The long nights likewise â—â—ich at this time are most vncomâ—â—â—table wearisome and full of teâ—â—â—usnes all which dispose and preâ—â—re the way to death For euen as the Captaine that â—â—ill conquer a Fort first maketh a breach with his greater ordinanceâ— then assaileth inuadeth and poâ—â—sesseth the same So before death grieuous infirmitie beginnes thâ— charge which so weakeneth dâ—â—cayeth the naturall strength of thâ— bodie that it vouchsafeth man nâ—â—â—ther daily nor nightly rest but shâ—â—keth all the principall members 〈◊〉 his body without intermission 〈◊〉 thâ—t the soule is vnable to defenâ— her fort any longer or conserue hâ—â—â—sâ—lfe in the same for which 〈◊〉 shee leaueth her habitation in 〈◊〉 body and hauing escaped flyeâ—â— and departeth to another place But when the infirmitie hath prâ—â—uailed so much as eyther the sicâ— man himselfe or the Phisition bâ—â—ginnes to doubt despaire of lif◠ô good GOD what perplexitieâ— what anguishes what agonies 〈◊〉 at that time excruciate teare 〈◊〉 hart Foâ— then the course or raceâ— his fore-passed life is called to minâ— then all the images of leauing the representations of those thingâ— which hee heere loued his wife 〈◊〉 children his friendes his parenâ—â— his riches his honours his titles 〈◊〉 â—ffices and all other thinges which â—re wont to bee extinct together â—ith life represent themselues vnto â—im After these the last accidents â—hich are coÌ„nexed with death himâ—â—lfe doe assâ—ult which are far greaâ—â—r then the precedent The browe 〈◊〉 bent and the skin is distent wherâ—â—on a cold sweat breaketh foorth 〈◊〉 balls of the eyes waxe dimme â—â—de and through the intollerable â—â—hemencie of paine are rowled â—â—certainly the eares waxe deafe 〈◊〉 nose sharpe the nostrills are replete with excrement the face waxeth blew the mouth is contracted the tongue is doubled and can no more performe his office tast perâ—isheth the lyppes waxe pale the bâ—eath reinforcing it selfe from the â—â—nter of the breast growes difficiâ—â—â—t and short the hands wax cold 〈◊〉 nayles blacke the pulse feeble 〈◊〉 faint but of speedy motion 〈◊〉 we intermitteth now antlie creeâ—â—th the feete die and loose theyr â—â—turall heate What neede many â—ordes the whole flesh is turned 〈◊〉 corruption and all the members and sences are troubled through thâ—â— hastie separation In this manneâ— must a man departing out of thyâ— world satisfie for the labours doâ—lors of others by whom hee camâ— into this world suffering in his decease those griefes which his moâ—ther suffered when shee bare him And thus most signal is the propoâ—â—tion of mans egresse and ingreâ—â—â— into the worlde for both of theâ— are full of dolors but that his enâ—trance causeth others griefes his â—â—sue his owne Whilst a man floteth and is toâ—â—sed in these perplexities suddainlâ—â— the agony of death is at hand thâ— end of life the horror of the graue the infelicity of the body which shaâ— shortly be wormes meate are represented to the memory but especiâ—ally of the soule which as yet abiâ—deth in the body but after an hourâ— or two must be seperated from itâ— Then shalt thou thinke the iudgement of God to be present then before thee shalt thou see all thy sinns which shall accuse thee before the tribunall of diuine iustice Then 〈◊〉 the length but too late shalt thoâ— â—â—knowledge how loathsome those â—imes were which thou so easely â—ommittedst then with many due â—â—ecrations shalt thou
memory by the remembrance of pleasuâ—es past the vnderstanding by the consideration of goods lost and mischiefes by which wretched as they are they are now ceazed This multitude and diuersity of paine the holy Scripture expresseth where it is said That in hell shal be hunger thirst complaint gnashings of teeth doleful swords spyrits created to do vengance worms serpents scorpions wormwood water mixt with gall spirits of tempests such like by which is signified the multitude of the terrible horrible punishments which are ordained for the damned in this Lake Furthermore in this place there shal be darknes as well interior as exterior aswel â—n the soule as in the body vvhich shall be thicker and darker theÌ„ those of Egypt of which the Scripture â—aith that they might be felt with â—he handes There shall be fire not such as ours is which burneth but for a time after a little while wanting fuelâ— is suddainly extinguished but it shal be such a fire as is agreeable with the place which shall infinitely afflict neuer cease burning If therefore all these things be true howe can it be that all they that belieue confesse no lesse can liue in such vnspeakable carelesnesse and slothfulnes What may the trouble be what labor so infinite that a man would not willingly sustaine that he might at least-wise escape the least of these forenamed torments why therefore to auoyd this great and eternall euill doe we refuse a little that pleasant labor such as is the following of vertue Truly this one thing were sufficient to him that seriously coÌ„sidered fixed his whole mind thought hereof to driue him into a swound and drawe him into melancholie And if in so great torments there were at the least some hope of releefe or decreement the damned might haue some consolation buâ— none of these thinges are granted theÌ„ For thâ—re the gates shal be perpetuâ—lly shut by which either consolatioÌ„ or the weakest hope may happily enter In all the calamities of this world there is alwayes some refuge found out whereby those thaâ— suffer at least-wise sometimes receiue some consolation nowe reason now time now friends now others that haue suffered the like mishaps nowe at least-wiâ—e some hope of end yeeldeth the patient some abbridgment of his dolor But only in this kinde of torments the gates are wholy shut all the entrances of consolation are intercepted so that there is no meanes whereby those wretches may expect any refreshment or help neither froÌ„ heauen nor from earth nor from things present neither thinges to come neither froÌ„ any other thing But whether soeuer they turne theyr eyes they shall see the arrowes shot â—gainst them and shalâ— suppose that all creatures haue conspired against them Yea they â—hall be cruell hangmen tormenâ—ors to themselues This is the calaâ—itie this is the greefe perplexity â—hich maketh those reprobate and â—nhappy men to lament and say by â—he Prophet The paynes of death â—aue compassed mee round about â—nd the pâ—rrils of hell haue founde me out For on what side soeuer they tuâ—ne theyr eyes they shal find new causes oâ— greefe but no consoâ—ation The Euangelist Mathewe sayth that those Virgins which were in a readâ—nesâ—e entered into the Bridegroomes house and that suddainlie the doore was shut O perpetuall loâ—king vp ô sempiternall pryson ô gâ—te which shall neuer bee opened As if it were saide the gate of pardon is shutte vp the gate of indulgence the gate of mercy the gate of consolation the gate of intercession the gate of hope the gate of grace and to conclude the gate of all goodnesse is shutte Sixe dayes and no more in times past did the chyldren of Israell gather Manna but in the seuenth that is in the Saboth there was none to be found for which cause he ought to fast thâ—â— day who before had not taken caâ—â— for the prouision thereof For the cold saith the wise-man the sluggard would not plowe hee shall therefore beg in Sommer and it shall not be giuen vnto him And in another place He that gathereth in the haruest is a wise sonne but he that snorteth in the Sommer is the sonne of confusion But what more greater confusion may there bee founde then was that of the rich glutton who might haue obtained the aboundance of heauen by the crommes that fell from his table who vnwilling to giue a thing of so vile price came at last to such pouerty that in his extreame necessity he besought and shall alwaies seek and begging aske a drop of water and it shall neuer be giuen him Alwayes howling shal he cry out Father Abraham haue mercy vppon mee and send Lazarus that he may dippe the typ of his finger in water to coole my tongue because I am tormented in this flame What lesse or more abiect thing might he aske hee durst not aske a â—â—ssell or potte of water and that â—hich is more to be admired at hee â—ayed not that hee shoulde dip his â—â—ole hand in water but onely the 〈◊〉 of his finger that with it alone 〈◊〉 might touch his tongue beâ—â—we the same but hee coulde not â—â—treat euen that little thing Heere-vpon it appeareth howe â—oselie the gate of all consolation is â—â—utte and howe vniuersall this inâ—â—â—diction and excommunication is â—here so slight a petition could not 〈◊〉 admitted For that cause wheâ—â—er so euer they turne theyr eyes 〈◊〉 what part soeuer they extende â—â—eyr hands they shall find comfort 〈◊〉 no place no not a little For euen as hee that falling into 〈◊〉 sea incompassed by the waues â—â—â—ding no place where he may fixe 〈◊〉 foote doth often but in vaine â—â—etch his hands on eyther side beâ—â—use he apprehendeth nothing but 〈◊〉 licquid and floating element â—hich dâ—ceaueth deludeth him 〈◊〉 also these vnhappy wretches in â—â—at place when as they shall lye â—â—owned in these seas of infinite miâ—â—ries agonizing and fighting alwaies with death shall neither finâ—â— remedy nor refreshment whereuppon they may ground themselues This shall bee the greatest of all other paynes wherewith the damned shall be tormented in this accuâ—seâ— place For if this paine had a determinate time wherein it should take end although it were a thousand or rather a thousand thousand yeres euen by this it would breede some consolation for nothing is greâ—â— that hath an end but it shall hauâ— no end And therefore their punishment shall coequall the diuturnitâ—â— of almightie Gods eternitie and so long shall theyr miseries punishments continue as Gods glory shal last and as long as GOD liueth so long shall they die And vvheâ— as God shall cease to be that whicâ— hee is then they also shall no moâ—â— suffer that which they suffer O deadlie lyfe ô immortâ—l death I knowe not by what namâ— to call thee whether life or whetheâ— death If thou bee life why dooâ—â— thou kill If death how doost thoâ— alwayes endure I
will vouchsafâ— thee neyther of these names for 〈◊〉 â—oth of them I meane death or life â—â—ere is some good to bee founde â—or in lyfe there is rest and in death 〈◊〉 end which two bring no little â—onsolation to such as bee in trouâ—le but thou hast neyther rest noâ—â—nd VVhat therefore art thou Thou 〈◊〉 both thâ— euill of Lyfe and the â—uill of Death For of Death thou â—ast torments vvithout end And â—â—om Lyfe thou takest continuance â—ithout any rest GOD hath deâ—riued Lyfe Death of the goods â—hat were in them and what soeuer â—emaineth hee hath powred it into â—hee to the increase of paines and â—ormenâ—s wherwith the most miseâ—able damned wretches shall be torâ—ented in hell O bitter potion ô â—nuenomed dregges of the cuppe of our Lorde of which all the sinners of the earth shall drinke For this cause my brother turne â—hou thine eyes and thy minde vpâ—on thys continuance or rather Eâ—ernitie and like an vndefiled creaâ—ure ruminate thys article of Eternitie But that thou mayst the betâ—er do it with a more commodious methode consider diligently the paines and afflictions of some 〈◊〉 sicke man wher-with he is tormented for one night especiallie if 〈◊〉 greefe bee great and the infirmiâ—â—â— vehement Thou shalt see how often hee turnes and returnes himselfe in his bedde howe many anxieties hee hath what torment what agonies hee suffereth howe long the night seemeth vnto him how often hee telleth the clocke and how insupportable fitts hee suffereth euery howre But all these the desire of the morning temperates vvhich notwithstanding very little or nothing at all can mittigate the least of his dolors If those thinges wee haue spoken seeme to be and of manie are accounted so hainous what shal they be that attend on sinners in that eternall night which shall neyther haue day nor hope of succeeding morrow O profound obscuritie ô eternall night ô night cursed by the mouth of God and all Saints in which light shall be wanting without euer arising in which the light of the morning shal neuer spring Now therefore contemplate what â—â—nde of torment it shall be to liue â—â—waies in such a night not lying in 〈◊〉 â—oft bed as the sick man doth but 〈◊〉 a fornace boyling with horrible â—ames whose shoulders can suâ—â—aine this burning flame O matâ—â—r worthy to be trembled at what â—art so indurate and Adamantiue â—â—at melteth not with the thought â—f these punishments VVhich of â—ou sayth GOD by the Prophet â—ay dwell with deuouring fire or â—hich of you shall dwell with semâ—ternal scorchings If thou put but â—he typ of thy finger into the fire â—â—fferest it to be there during the reâ—etition of one Pater noster it will â—eem to be an intollerable torment â—owe great then shall the torment â—ee to bee perpetually scorched in â—â—y whole body and minde in the â—idst of that liuing fire in compaâ—â—son of which our fire is but a painâ—ed one Is there eyther Science or â—nderstanding in this world Haue â—â—en a sound iudgement Doe they â—nderstand what this speech signifiâ—th or doe they happily beleeue â—hat these are Poeticall fictions Do they thinke that these thinges doe concerne them or rather suppose they that they are spoken by others or produced to delude the time No brother no for nothing may be saide of this matter which fayth it selfe dooth not more manifestly testifie But although those things which hetherto haue beene sayde are sufficient to ingender great dread and feare in vs yet shall they bee farre more effectuall if wee well and aduisedly consider the perpetuitie of these punishments For if in them there were any terme or remâ—ssion eyther release might be had at least wise after many thousand or many hundred thousande yeeres these wretches should finde out one certaine period of theyr plagues But why talke I of eternitie which admitteth no other terme then that eternitie which GOD him-selfe hath VVhich space is of such perpetuity that as a certaine famous doctor testifieth if any one of those damned shoulde but euery yeere but shed one materiall teare there shoulde more aboundance of water 〈◊〉 from his eyes then all thys 〈◊〉 world were able to containe in 〈◊〉 concauitie What thinges may 〈◊〉 spoken or thought more terriâ—â—e And if all the torments vvhich 〈◊〉 in hell were but the prickes of â—â—all pynnes yet for their eternitie â—ight they suffice to moue a man 〈◊〉 vndertake with a ioyfull mind all â—aynes tribulations crosses and â—hatsoeuer miserie is in this world 〈◊〉 least-wise to flie these euerlasting â—â—agues O if that eternitie did alâ—ayes dwell and abide in thy mind â—ow profitable shoulde it bee vnto â—hee It is reported of a certaine man â—â—udious of worldly vanities who â—alling sometimes into the rememâ—rance of that eternitie astonished 〈◊〉 a thing â—o diuturnal that shal haue 〈◊〉 end after this manner phylosoâ—hied with himselfe There cannot 〈◊〉 man bee founde in this world of â—econciled iudgement that woulde â—ccept the Emperie of the vvhole â—orld vnder that condition that for â—hirtie or fortie yeeres space hee might lye at his pleasure in a soft bedde decked with roses and 〈◊〉 flowers which if it be so what foâ—â—lie what frenzie what madnes 〈◊〉 that of men to desire to embrâ—â—â— for a thing of small moment a bâ—â—â—ning bedde in which they shall 〈◊〉 scorched eternally This onely consideration was 〈◊〉 profitable to that man wroughâ— so great fruite in him that presentlie forsaking vice he addicted himselfe to vertues and in short time 〈◊〉 profited in them that he became 〈◊〉 holy man and a Prelate of tâ—â— Church What will these louers 〈◊〉 the worlde say that for the buzzing of one gnat passe whole nights witâ— out sleepe when they shall see theâ— selues layd along in this bed of buâ—â—ning fire and scorched on euery sidâ— with liuing flames and that not 〈◊〉 a small time as for one nighâ— month or yeeres space but for euer and euer Such sort of people the Prophâ—â— Esay speaketh to in these vvordes VVhich of you can dwell with deuouring fire which of you 〈◊〉 euerlasting scorchings VVhosâ— shoulders shall be so yron-proofe â—ho can beare so great a burthen 〈◊〉 long a time O insensate people 〈◊〉 men blinded by the auncient deâ—eauer who by his subtilties circumâ—ented the whole earth What I â—ray you is more estranged from â—eason then that men should take â—â—re for things of smal consequence â—hich pertaine to this life and in a â—â—ing of so much moment are so â—â—considerate and careleslie negliâ—ent If wee see not these thinges what â—hen shall wee see What shall wee â—eare if wee feare not these things Or what shall wee fore-see if wee â—ore-see not these thinges And if â—his be thus howe can we but emâ—race vertues with all alacritie how â—ie or difficult so euer they be that 〈◊〉 least wise wee may flie these eâ—ills When therefore the torments â—â—eefes of which wee intreat are 〈◊〉 infinite meanes much more
midst of the sea that thou mayst traffique through the whole world and that thou mightest annexe to thy riches the riches of another world or Hemisphere What thinkest thou the earth will say which is the common mother of all as it were the shop or tauerne of all things naturall She truly and that not without cause shall say I sustaine thee an vnprofitable burthen I beare thee like a mother in mine armes I prouide thee of necessaries I sustaine thee with the fruites of my wombe I haue communion or participation with all other elements with all the heauens and from euery one of the influences doe I cull out choose benefites to fructifie for thee I finally like a good mother neyther in lyfe nor in death forsake thee for in life I suffer thee to trample me wâ—th thy feete I sustaine thee I giue thee in death a place of rest hide thee in my bowels What need many wordes The whole vvorlde with a loude voyce cryeth Behold how my Lord and Creator intirelie loueth thee who hath created mee for thy loue would that I should serue thee thou likewise shouldst serue him that gaue mee to thee and created thee for himselfe These are ô man the voices of all creatures Consider now that there is none so absurd deafnes as to heaâ— these voyces and to be vngratefull for so many and great benefits If thou hast receaued a good turn pay thy due in thanksgiuing that thou haue no cause to bee plagued with the scourge of ingratitude For euery creature as a certaine Doctor hath wel noted speakes to a man in three wordes Take Restore and Beware That is Take a benefite Restore that thou owest Beware except thou restore the punishmeÌ„t Is it possible for thee christian that without intermission receiuest these benefits that sometimes thou sholdst not lift vp thine eyes to heauen that thou maist see who hee is who giueth thee so many good things Tell if thou shouldst happen being wearied in thy iourney to rest at the foote of some Tower greatly afflicted with hunger thirst that there were one in the tower should send thee meate drinke as much as thou wouldst require couldst thou containe thy selfe but that thou wouldst lift vp thine eyes somtimes that thou mightst see who hee was that had so well deserued at thy handes I thinke truly that thou couldst not What els doth god fâ—oÌ„ his highest heauen but without intermission poure down his benefits vpon thee Shew me any thing smal or great that is not giuen froÌ„ aboue by the speciall prouidence of God why therefore somtimes liftest thou not vp thy eyes to heauen that thou maist acknowledge loue so liberall a Lord continual benefactor what other thing is intended by this carelesnes but that men shewe that they haue laide aside the nature of men are degenerated into vnreasonable creatures For in this we resemble hogs feeding vnder an oake who whilst their keeper ascendeth the tree and with his whip or staffe beateth downe the acornes are so much busied in eating grunting beating one another froÌ„ the mast as that they mark not who gaue them the meat neither know they how to loop vp that they may see froÌ„ whose handes that benefite descended O vngratful sons of Adam who besides the light of reason hauing theyr shapes erect and faces formed to behold the heauens yet wil not lift vp their eyes and mindes that they may see acknowledge theyr Benefactor and giue him thankes for his goodnes The lawe of gratuitie is so generall and so well liking vnto GOD that in the very beasts themselues he would this inclination should be imprinted as we may manifestly behold in sundry examples VVhat is more fierce then the Lyon yet Appian writeth that Androdus the Dâ—ne a Senators seruaunt and a fugitiue was many yeeres nourished by a Lyon whose wounded foote hee had cured The same man beeing long after that apprehended and brought to Rome and condemned to the beastes and opposed to the sayd Lyon which by good hap was likewise taken and brought to Rome was acknowledged and saued by him both the slaue and the Lyon receaued theyr liberty and alwayes after liued together in great amitie The lyke also Plinie writeth to haue hapned to Helpus the Samian by a Lion Of the gratuity of horses the said Pliny reporteth that some there haue beene that lamented theyr maisters death and other-some that shedde teares for theyr want When King Nicomedes was slaine his horse starued himselfe to death Some reuenged the death of theyr maisters with striking and byting These thinges are of small moment if we compare them with the fidelitie friendship and gratitude of doggs of which Plinie reporteth admirable things If therefore beasts in whoÌ„ there is no reason but onely a sparckle of a certaine naturall instinct by which they acknowledge a benefite are so grateful and in all things that in theÌ„ lyeth helpe obey and serue theyr benefactors howe can it be that a man that is blessed with such a light to acknowledge receiued benefites should be so carelesse so slightly should forget him from whom so many benefits are deriued If it be such a haynous offence not to loue this Lord God what shall it bee to offend him and to violate his commaundements Can it bee possible ô man that thou shouldest haue hands to offend those handes which haue beene so liberall towards thee that euen for thy sake they haue at the last been fastned to the Crosse When that lasciuious and shamelesse woman allured the holy Prosphet Ioseph to adultery and sollicited him to bee vnfaithfull to his Lord and maister the chast young man defended him-selfe after thys manner Behold my Maister hath deliuered all things into my hands not knowing what hee hath in his house neyther is there any thing which is not at my commaund beside thy selfe who art his wife how therefore can I doe this wickednes and sinne against my Maister As if he should say If my Lord bee so good and liberall towards me if he hath committed all that is his to my trust if hee hath dignified mee with such honor how can I who am tied vnto him by so many offices of kindnes haue my hands ready to offend so good a maister In vvhich place it is to be noted that hee was not content to say It becoÌ„meth me not to offende thee or I must not doe it but he sayd How may I do this euill and so foorth signifying that the greatnes of the benefites ought not only to restraine the wil but also the power and take away the force likewise to offende our Lord God in any thing That man had credited all that he had in Iosephs hand and God hath committed that which hee hath to thee Compare nowe those thinges that GOD hath with those things which that man had and see howe farre greater more excellent they
fastedst watchedst ranst hether and thether sweatedst weptst and enduredst all miseries in thine owne experience which my sinnes had deserued when as yet thou wert without all sinne and deceite was not to be founde in thy lippes yea when thou hadst not offended but wert offended thou for my sake wert captiue and nowe presented before this nowe before that Iudges trybunall seate before them wert thou falsly accused beaten with buffetings spet vpon mocked whipt crowned with thornes prouoked with blasphemies and lastly crucified Lift vp the eyes of thy minde to the crosse of his passion and see the stroakes behold the wounds regâ—rd the dolours which the Lord of Maiestie suffered there because euery one of the wounds each stripe and agonie are seuerall benefits and they most mighty ones Behold that innocent body wholy besprinkled with blood full of wounds stripes altogether torne brused and broaken beholde the blood flowing from euery side See that most holie head through too much waight bending and reposing on his shoulders See that diuine face which the Angels desire to looke vppon how defiled it is watered with riuers of purple blood and one the one side faire gracious on the other foule and bespotted Behold the browe of that faire young man which was wont to delight the eyes of all those that beheld him howe now it hath lost the flower of all his fauour Behold the Nazarean purer then milk crimsonner then olde Iuorie fairer then the Saphire His face is more blacke then coales so that his owne friends know him not Looke vppon his pale mouth his blew lipps his tongue almost dumb how hee moueth them to obtaine remission and indulgence euen for those that â—orment him Finally fixe thine eyes vpon all parts of his body and thou shalt not see any one of them free from stripes and dolours From the sole of the foote to the verâ—e crowne of the head there is nothing whole in him euery where maysâ— thou behold wounds stroakes and blewnesse That most faire browe and eyes clearer then the sunne are now obscured blind and dead at the instant conflict of death His eares which were wont to heare the heauenly Hâ—mnes now lâ—sten the slaunders reproaches and blasphemies of sinners His well formed armes and so long as that they can encompasse the whole world are now ouâ— of ioynt distended vpoÌ„ the crossâ— Those hands which created the heauens and neuer did man iniurie are pierced with rough nailes and affixed to the crosse His feete which walked not in the wayes of â—inners are mortally wounded and transfixed And aboue all this beholde on what bed hee lyeth and where that celestiall Spouse sleepeth aâ— noone-dayes how narrow it is how hard it is not yeelding him a place to rest or recline his head vpon O golden head how doe I see thee for the loue of me so faint and wearied O most holy body conceaued by the holy Ghost how doe I see thee for my sake so cruelly wounded and so hainously handled O sweet and amiable breast what meaneth this so deepe wound why is this window opened what meaneth this aboundant issue of blood O wretch that I am how doe I beholde thee pierced for my loue with so huge a speare O rough vngentle crosse stretcht forth relax thy bowels that that rigour may relent which his natiuity gaue O hard nailes doe not crucifie those his hands and feete Come rather to mee and wound my heart for I am hee who haue sinned hee hath not offended O good Iesu what hast thou to doe with th se dolours what alliance is there twixt thee this bitter death these nâ—iles this crosse Tâ—uly sayeth the Prophet hys buâ—inesse is another mans his labour pertayneth vnto him For what thing is more â—lvenated and â—straunged from lyfe then death from glory then punishment from exceeding sanctity and innocence then the image and similitude of a sinner Truly that title of our Lord and that figure is very farre estranged from thee O very Iacob thou obtaynedst thy fathers blessing in another mans coate and a forraigne habite for assuming to thy selfe the similitude of a sinner thou hast gotten the victory ouer sinne But if ò man it shall seeme vnto thee that thou art not indebted so much to God by reason that he died not for thee onely but for all the sinnes of the worlde beware least thou be not deceaued for so dyed he for all that hee died likewise for euery one in perticuler For all those for whom he suffered are so subiect to his infinite wisedome and as if present obiect to his eyes as if all of them were comprehended in one And vvith that his immeasurable charity he embraceth all in generall and euery one in special and so hath he shedde his blood for all as if for one To conclude so great was his charity that as some Saints say if one only amongst all men had been guilty he would for him also haue â—â—ffered all that which he endured for the whole world Consider therfore and wey in thy minde howe much thou owest to this Lord who did so much for thee and had done farre more if greater necessitie had required it O haynous ingratitude o hardnes of mans hart Truly thou art most flinty if thou art not affected with so many benefits if for so many dowers thou doost not bestowe thy selfe vpon him There is not any thing found in this worlde â—o hard which is not mollified by some cunning Mettalls melt with fire and by the same iron is made maâ—leable The hardnes of the Adamant is broaken vvith Goates blood But thou ô hart of man art harder then any stone harder then iron harder then Adamant when as neither the infernal fire can break thy hardnes neither the cunning of the most mercifull Father mollifie thee neither the blood of that immaculate Lambe can make thee tractable Saint Ambrose writeth of a certaine dog that barking and howling a whole night long lamented his Maister who was slaine by one of hâ—s enemies In the morning many men assembled about the course and amongst the rest he also arriued who had slaine the man The dog beholding the murtherer asâ—aâ—â—ed him and lâ—aping vpon him began to bite him and by this meanes the offence of the maâ—queller was manifested What wilt thou therefore say ô man if a dogge be so faithfull for a bitte of bread and so intirely loue his Maister Doth ingratitude so much please thâ—e thâ—t in the lawe of gratuitie thou wilt suffer thy selfe to be conquered by a dogge And if this brute beast were incensed with so much ire against him that slâ—w his Maister why art not thou likewise incensed against those thaâ—â—lew thy Lord Sauiour Who are they Forsooth thy sinnes were the causes of the death of the Lorde These cruell executioners had nâ—uer had so much force or power against Christ except thy sinnes had armed them VVhy art thou not therefore angry
why whettest thou noâ— thy furie agaâ—nst those that slewe thâ— Lorde VVhy is not thy loue encreased towardes him when as thou seest thy Lorde slaine before thâ—ne ovvne eyes nay more for thy sake VVhy art thou not angry with thy sinnes which put him to death Especially because thou knowest that there was no other enâ—â— of all his savings deedes and â—oâ—m nts then that hee might kindle in our hearts a wrath and hatred agâ—â—nst sinne He suffâ—red because he might slay 〈◊〉 and that hee might restraine â—he power both of our handes and feete hasting after iniquities hee would that his handes should bee fastned to the Crosse. VVith what â—ace thâ—refore darest thou liue so that all Christes labours and sweats shal be spent in vaine for thee whilst thou wilt remayne in that seruitude from which he deliuered thee by the shedding of hys precious bloode It cannot bee but thou shouldst tremble at the very naming of sin when as thou seest that God suffered most terrible torments to the ende that hee might destroy and abollish the same What could hee doe more to with-drawe men headlong running after wickednes then that GOD himselfe should be sent to encounter them hanging on a Crosse who will be so rash that he dare offende God when before him hee seeth both Paradice open and hell with gaping mouth yea and which is farre greater then both to behold God hanging on a crosse Hee that is not mooued with this spectacle I know not truly by what other thing he will be moued ¶ All this Chapter is taken partly out of the first booke of the Guide of a sinner chap. 4 partly out of the first of Prayer and Meditation the 3 chap. Of the 7. tractate on which places he purposely handleth our redemption Thou shalt finde many things also touching this matter in the life of Christ and in the booke of the Catechisme The Argument Without the benefite of Iustification all other benefits had nothing at all profited vs nay rather they had done vs harme Now Iustification is the worke of the holy Ghost without which no man can be saued Iustification therefore is a great bond of our duty especially because it concludeth in it selfe so many and so great goods which are rehearsed in this Chapter Moreouer Iustification is a greater benefitte then Creation And howe a man may gather by certaine coniectures that he is iustified CHAP. 11. NOthing at all had the hetheâ—to rehearsed benefites profited vs if the blessings of vocation and iustification and sanctification had not followed For that I may ouerpasse the other with silence whiâ—h had beene in vaine and to our great mischiefe what vse had there beene of that onely and noble benefit of our redemption if iustification had not been annexed For euen as the plaister is of no vse if it be not applied to the wound or place affected â—o had there beene no profit of this celestiall medicine except by the meanes of this benefitte it had beâ—ne applied This office principally pertayneth to the holy Ghost to whom mans sanctâ—fication also â—s attributed Now a man is iustified when by the vertue of this diuine spirit the chaines and sâ—ares of sinne being broken and rent a sunder he escapeth the dominion and tiranny of the deuill he is raised againe from death to life of a sinner he is made iust and of the sonne of malediction hee is made the sonne of God which can no wayes be done without the peculier helpe and succour of God the which our Lorde testifieth in expresse wordes No man can come vnto mee except my father drawe him Signifying heereby that neither free will nor the forces of humaine nature can of themselues deliuer a man from sinne and bring him vnto grace except the aâ—me of the deuine power be assistant Euen as a stone of his ownâ— nature falleth alwayes downwardes neyther can tend vpwardes without externall ayde So also a manne through the corruption of his sinne alwayes tendeth downward that is falleth in loue and desireth earthlie things But if he be to be erected lifted vpwards that is raysed to loue and supernaturall desire hee had neede of the right hand of the omnipotent and diuine helpe Many benfites are contayned in this one VVhen as therefore the consideration of thys benefite vehemently inciteth a man to gratitude desire of vertue I will heere by the way expresse the great profites which this one onely good is wont to bring with it First by it a man is reconciled to Almightie GOD and is restored to his loue and friendship For the first and greatest of all euills which begetteth mortall sinne in the soule is thâ—t it maketh a man enemie to GOD who whereas he is infinite goodnesse aboue all things hateth and detesteth sin Therefore sayth the Prophet Dauid Thou hatest all those that work iniqâ—ity thou shalt destroy them that speake lyes This is the fountaine â—oote originall of all euills FroÌ„ this so perilous euill we are deliuered by yâ— means of Iustification by which we are reconciled to God and of his enemies made his friends and that not in the common degree of friendship but in the highest degree that may be found which is of the father towardes his sonne This friendship Saint Iohn Euangelist deseruedly coÌ„mendeth when he saith Behold what charity God hath shewed you that you are both benamed and be the sonnes of God Not content to haue said that wee are named he addeth also that wee be that the pufilanimity and little trust of men might manifestly know the beneficence liberality of God And if in this world it be esteemed a thing of great moment if any man should be honoured by his superiours as by Bishops Kings Princes or such like Potentates I pray you what shall it be to be well thought of by the highest Prince the supreame Father and the greatest Lord in comparison of whom all the principalities dignities of this world are as if they were not Another benefit fore-passing the other followeth that Iustification deliuereth a man from the condemnation of eternall punishment of which he was guilty for his sinnes Which how great a benefit it is he aftâ—r a sort knoweth that hath diligently ouer-reade the fift chapter placed before in which we haue rehearsed certayne sortes of punishments From all those punishments God hath deliuered them whom he hath iustified all which after they are reconciled and receaued into his fauour are freed froÌ„ that wrath and paine of diuine reuenge Behold another benefit more spirituall which is the reformation and innouation of the inwarde manne which by sinne was defiled and disordered For sinne doth not onely depriue the soule of God but spoileth it of all supernaturall fortitude and all the ritches and gifts of the holy Ghost by which it was adorned decked and enritched and as soone as it is depriued from the graces of these goods it is wounded maimed and spoiled also of
number of his elect bee borne amongst his chosed flocke bee nourished with the milke of the Apostles and be made drunke with Christes blood But if after the grace of this vocation thou hast lost thine innocence of Baptisme by thy recumbencie in sin behold it pleased our Lord God to cal thee again the second third or more often times What therefore shalt thou noâ— owe vnto him How many benefits doth thys one comprehend It was a benefite that he expected thee so long a tyme that â—ee gaue then so long a time of repentance that hee suffered thee lying so long sweltered in thy sinnes mercifull bountifull not cutting down the fruitlesse tree which possessed the earth and receaued the dewe of diuine influence in vaine It was another benefite that suffring thee in such erronious sinnâ—s hee cast thee not headlong into the depth of hell in which perchance diuers are tormented for lesse crimes then thou hast committed Another is that hee instilled into thee so many holy inspirations so many good purposes yea incessantly beating at the doore of thy hart euen in the midst of thy misdeeds and continually calling thee who did nought else but offende him who called thee Another is that at length intending to impose an ende to thy rebellious and stifnecked obstinacie hee called thee with so high and powerfull a clamour that he recald thee from death to lyfe And thoâ— no otherwise then a second Laâ—â—rus issuedst from the darksome sepulcher of thy innumerable sinneâ— no more bouâ—de hande and foote 〈…〉 and deliuered from the 〈…〉 of the deuill Buâ—â—boue all theâ—e heâ—herto naâ—â—d the greatest benefite is thys thâ—t hee not onâ—ly pardoned thee 〈…〉 and offences which were past but gaue thee grace helping preseruing thee least thou shoâ—ldâ—st fall into the same againe Addâ—ng moreouer the ornaments stoole shooes and ring which the Father gaue the prodigall sonne vppon his returne when he tooke him into his fauour decked with which thou walkest like the sonne of God despising all the deceits of the deuill c pomps of the world pertaking the sweetnes of diuine things which béfore times seemed vnfauorie vnto thee What what a blessing esteemest thou it that these benefits are denied to so many men and are bestowed on thee with so much fauour that God when thou wert no lesse sinful then they were nor lesse vnworâ—hy the vocation leauing thâ—Ì„ in darknes and the state of damnation Gâ—d I say tooke thee graced thee with the lot of saluation grace with what reward with whâ—â— offices with what seruices wilâ— thou recompénce him Of what minde wilt thou be then when thou shalt heereafter by the vertue of this vocation enioy perpetuall gladnes in heauen with God and see other thy companyons acquaintance thorow defect of the same vocation and the like grace cast into eternall torments and crucified in hell But of the grace of graces and of that Sacrament of al Sacraments by which God woulde dwell amongst men and giue himselfe for daily foode vnto them and remedy also I can no wayes holde my tongue Once was there offered vppon the Crosse a Sacrifice and bloody host for our saluation but in thys Sacrament hee is daily applyed vnto vs for the remission of our sinnes When soeuer you doe thys sayth hee doe it in remembrance of me O monument of saluation ô singuler Sacrament ô gratefull mysterie bread of lyfe sweet nourishment royall banquet hauing in thee Manna the sauour of all sweetnes Who may enhaunce thee with answerable tytles Who may worthily eate thee who may honor thee with due reuerence and according to thy merrits My hart faileth wheÌ„ I thinke on thee my tongue foultreth when I speak of thee neyther can I report thy myracles according as I desire If that bountifull Lorde had bestowed thys benefite on onely innocents and those that are vntouched and chast of lyfe as yet the gyft had beene inestimable but nowe what shall I say when as to the end hee might impart himselfe vnto them hee disdayneth not to passe by the handes of many most vngodly Ministers whose soules are the dwelling houses of sathan and bodies the vessels of corruption whose lyfe is consumed in vices and the sudds of sin Moreouer that he might visit his and coÌ„fort his friends hee hath not refused to be handled with their deâ—â—â—ed and impure hands to be taken with theyr sacriligious mouth and to be buried in theyr filthy bellies The â—ody of 〈◊〉 was once sold but in thys Sacramenâ— more then a thousand â—imes yea almost daily it is sold. Once onely in thys worlde it waâ— mocked and contemned but nowe incessantly by these impure men it is contemned Onely once hung it betweene two theeues vppon the Crosse but now in this Sacrament hee is daily crucified Howe might wee woorthily honour thys Lorde who by so many wayes and meanes prouided for our saluation what shal wee render vnto him for this so admirable a nourishment If Seruaunts doe theyr Maisters seruice because they are nourished by them if Souldiours presse thorowe sworde and fire that by thys meanes they may auoyde the perrill of death what ought we not to do for this Lorde that giueth vs thys celestiall food If God in the olde Lawe required so many thanksgiuings for Manna which he rayned from heauen for the Isralites and which was a corruptible meat whâ—â— will â—e require at our hands for this diuine foode which not onely is iâ—corrâ—ptible in it selfe but maketh all those incorrupâ—ible that woorthily receaue the same If the sonâ—e of God himselfe gaue thanks vnâ—o his Father for a fewe Barly loues as it appeareth in the gospell howe great thanks-giuing ought we men to yeelde him for thys supernaturall bread thys liuing breade thys diuine bread If we are bounde to giue God thanks for the nutriment whereby our bodyes are sustained howe much owe wee him for that our well-beeing is conserued For wee prayse not a horse because hee is a horse but because hee is good nor the wine because it is wine but because it is good neyther a man because he is a man but because he is a good man If thou therefore in so many sorts art bounde vnto him who created thee a man how much more neerly art thou bounde in loue dutie vnto him because hee made thee a good man If thou art tyed vnto him so much for the dowries of thy body howe much owest thou for the gyfts of thy minde if so much for the gyfts of nature howe much for the gifts of grace To coÌ„clude if so many things are due vnto him because he made thee the sonne of Adam howe much I pray thee art thou aâ—nswerable vnto him thaâ— from the sonne of vnhappy Adam hath conâ—erted thee into the soâ—â—e of GOD For better is the day in which we are borne to eternitie aâ— Eusebius Emisenâ—â— sayth then in which wee are borne to indure the perrils of thys lyfe Behold brother behold
to which the iust doe direct their course when-so-euer anie tempest of this world dooth assaile them and like a strong shield wherein all our enemies darts are receaued without any wound It is as it were a gadge or prouant hidden to â—hich in time of famine all the poore maâ— repaire and take bread It is that Tabernacle and that shaddowe which our Lord promiseth by Esay that it should be to his elect a shelter in the heate of the day and a couert from the storme and raine that is from all aduersity and prosperity of this worlde Fâ—nally it is a medicine and common remedy for all our euils For it is most certaine that what soeuer we iustly faithfully and prudently hope from God we shall receaue the same so that it be necessary for our saluation and pertaine therevnto Therefore Cyprian caleth the mercy of GOD an inexhaunst fountaine of goodnes and hope or a vessell of confidence wherein those benefites are contayned and hee sayth that according to the quantity of the vessell the proportion of the remedy shall bee likewise correspondent For in regard of the fountaine the water of mercy shall neuer faile Euery place sayth our Lorde to the chyldren of Israell which the step of your foote shall tread vpon I will giue you So all the mercy vpoÌ„ which a man shall settle his foote shall be his The wicked also haue a certaine hope yet not a liuing but a deade hope for sinne taketh away the lyfe thereof therfore their hope worketh not in them the effects which we haue aboue rehearsed Of thys hope it is written The hope of the wicked is like the downe that is tossed vp like the light foame which is scattered by the storme like the â—moake which is dispersed by the winde By which you may perceiue howe vaine the hope of the wicked is And not onely is this hope vaine but hurtfull deceitfull and dangerous also as GOD warneth by the Prophet Wo vnto you you sonnes forsakers that is you that haue forsaken your Father saith our Lord that you might doe counsaile but not of me c. hoping for helpe in the strength of Pharao and hauing trust in the shadow of Egypt And Pharaos strength shall be confusion vnto you that which followeth And in the chapter which foloweth Woe to you that descende into Egipt for help hoping in your horses c. You see heere that the hope of the wicked is flesh of the good spirit the one of them to bee nought els then man the other to be God So that what difference there is between god man the same is there founde betweene hope and hope What difference there is betweene both the hopes the Prophet Ieremie aptly describeth Chapter 17. Cursed saith hee is the man that trusteth in man c And after hee hath expounded this malediction he opposeth the blessing of the righteous Blessed saith he is the man that trusteth in our Lord c. ¶ Of these sixe fore-sayde Priuiledges and their contraries hath he entreated lib 1 part 2 of the Guide of a sinner Chapters 13 14 15 16 17 18. The Argument The riches of vertue are not circumscribed within these priuiledges only but they haue also other six annexed vnto them no lesse valuable theÌ„ the former as are That it maketh the man in whom it abideth possessor of the true liberty of thâ— Spirit and free from all perturbâ—tions That it filleth the hart with incredible peace That God heareth the prayers of good men That the diuine assistance is alwayes neere them in all their tribulations That all good things are bestowed on the godly which are any wayes necessary in this life That the death of the righteous is pleasant blessed peaceable to which goods so many euils are opposed which make the life of dissolute men miserâ—ble and vnhappy CHAP. 15. THe seauenth priuiledge of Vertue is the true liberty of the minde of which the Apostle speaketh Where the Spirit of our Lord is there is liberty Thys liberty our Lorde promised the Iewes when he sayd If you shall continue in my sayings you shall truly be my disciples and you shall knowe the truth and the truth shall deliuer you that is shall giue you true liberty They answered hâ—m We are the seed of Abraham and we haue not as yet serued any man how sayst thou then yee shall be free Iesus answered said vnto them Verily verily I say vnto you Euery one that doth sin is the slaue of sin now the seruant remaineth not in the house for euer but the sonne remaineth for euer If therfore the Son hath deliuered you you shal be truly free In which words there is a double liberty insinuated a false and a true The false is theyrs who haue theyr body free but their soule captiue subiect to the tyrannie of their own passions and sinnes such as was that of Alexander the great who beeing King of the whole worlde was a slaue to his owne appetites and vices The true is of those which haue theyr mindes voyde of all thoâ—e tyrants although they haue theyr bodie sometimes free somtimes thrale and captiue Such as was that of the Apostle Saint Paule who although he were captiue and held in bonds yet in spirit he flew thorow the heauens and by the doctrine of his Epistles seâ— at liberty the whole world This true liberty is of those that follow vertue but the false is of those that lye drowned in vice and sin ¶ Of this liberty of the good thraldome of the wicked there is a most excellent and copious treatise in the first booke of the Guide of a sinner part 2. chap. 19. to which place we refer the Reader The eyght priuiledge is the peace of the interior man which the studious in verâ—ue doe enioy Now it â—s to be noted that there arâ— three sorts of peace The one with our neighbour of which Dauid speaketh when he sayth I was peaceable with those that hated peace when I spake vnto them they imâ—ugned mee without a cause Another peace is with GOD of which the Apostle sayth Being iustified therefore by fayth let vs haue peace with GOD. The thyrd is that which a man hath with himselfe Nowe that I say thus let no man admire for it appeareth that in one and the same man there are foundeâ— two men and they contrary the one against the other as are the interior and exterior or the spirit and flesh the appetite and reason VVhich contrarietie not onely combatteth the minde with cruell assaults but troubleth the whole man also with his passions ardent desires and raging hunger The godly therefore hauing grace the gouernour of aâ—â— their sences appetites and all their wil resigned into the hands of god are not by any encounter so perturbed as that they loose theyr interior peace This peace is promised by our Lord to the louers of vertue by the kingly prophet
ruines of Kingdomes Empires inferred in times past in the Christian world by the Hunes Gothes and Vandales testifie no lesse The twelfth and last priuiledge of vertue is the pleasing and glorious death of the Saints For what is more glorious then the death of the iust Precious sayth the Psalmist is the death of the Saints in the sight of our Lord. And Ecclesiasticus In extreamity all thinges shal be well to those that feare God and in the day of his death hee shall be blessed VVhat greater hope and confidence may bee wished for then that of blessed Saint Martine Who vppon the instant of death espying the enemie of mankinde Cruell beast sayeth hee why standest thou nigh mee Cruell as thou art thou shalt finde nothing in me for the bosome of Abraham shall receaue me in peace So the iust feare not death nay rather they reioyce in theyr departure prayse God and in as much as in them lyeth giue hâ—m thanks for their end for by the benefit of death they are deliuered from all theyr labours and begin to tast the first fruites of theyr felicitie Of these sayeth Saint Augustine Hee that desireth to be dissolued and to be with Christ dyeth not patiently but lyueth patiently and dyeth delightfully The iust man therefore hath no cause to lament or feare death nay rather it is to be sayd of him that likâ— the Swanne hee dyeth singing gyuing glory to GOD that calletâ— him But the death of sinners is most wretched sayth the Prophet for it is euill in the loosing of the worlde woorse in the seperation from the flesh and woorst of all in the double contrition of the woorme and fire layeth Saint Bernard This is the last and not the least euill as vvell of the boddie as of the soule For it is harde to leaue the worlde harder to forsake the body hardest to be tormented in hell fire These and other such like infinite euills doe torment sinners in the houre of their death which make theyr end troublesome disquiet â—euere and cruell ¶ Of all these thinges the Author entreateth very largely lib. 1 Guide of a sinner chap. 19 20 21 22 23 truly most worthy the reading and obseruation ¶ The conclusion of all those thinges which hetherto haue beene spoken of the priuiledges of vertues CHAP. 16. THou hast heard therfore my brother which and of what kind those twelue priuiledges be which are graunted to vertue in this life which are as it were twelue excellent and woorthy fruites of that tree which S. Iohn saw in the Apocalips which was so planted by a flood bearing twelue fruites euery moneth yeelding his seuerall fruite For what other thing may this tree be next the sonne of God then vertue it selfe which yeeldeth the fruite of holines and life And what other fruites thereof are there then those which wee haue reckoned vp in all this part For what fruite is more pleasant to the sight then the fatherly prouidence whereby GOD preserueth his the deuine grace the light of wisedome the consolation of the holy Spirit the ioy of a good conscience a good euent of hope the true liberty of the soule the interiour peace of the hart to be heard in our prayers to be helpt in tribulations to be prouided for in our necessities Finally to be assisted and to receaue ghostly consolation in death Euery one of these priuiledges is truly so great in it selfe that if it were plainely knowne it should suffice man to loue and embrace vertue and amende his life and it should also bring to passe that a man should truly vnderstand how wel it is said by our Sauior Whosoeuer forsaketh the worlde for Gods sake shall receaue a hundreth fold in this lyfe and possesse lyfe eternall Beholde therefore my brother what a benefit it is that heeretofore I haue declared vnto thee see whervnto I inuite thee Consider if any man will say thou art deceaued if for the loue thereof thou shalt leaue the worlde and all that is therein One onely inconuenient hath this good if it may be termed an inconuenient by reason it is vnsauorie to the reprobate namely because it is vnknowne vnto him For this cause sayth our Sauiour the Kingdome of heauen is like vnto a treasure that is hidden For this good is a very treasure in deede but hidden not to those that possesse it but to others The Prophet very well acknowledged the price of this treasure who said My secret to my selfe my secret to my selfe Little cared he whether other men knew his treasure or no. For this good is not as other goods are which are not goods vnlesse they be knowne by others for which cause they are not goods of themselues but only in the opinion of the world therfore it is necessary that they be known of him that by that meanes they may be called goods But this good maketh his possessour good blessed and no lesse warmeth his hart when 〈◊〉 only knoweth it himselfe then if all the world knew it But my tong is not the key of this secret deske much lesse of all those things which hetherto haue been spoken for what so euer may be spoken by humane tongue is much lesse abiect then the truth of the thing it selfe The key is the diuine light and the experience vse of vertues This will I that thou ask at Gods hands thou shalt find this treasure yea God him selfe in whoÌ„ thou shalt find al things thou shalt see with how great reason the Prophet said Blessed is the people whose God is our Lord For what can he want that is in possession of this good It is written in the book of the kings that Helcanah the father of Samuel said vnto his wife that bewailed her selfe because shee was barren had no children Anna why weepest thou and why doost thou not eate and wherfore is thy hart troubled am not I better vnto thee then ten sonnes well then if a good husband which is to day tomorrow is not is better to his wife then ten sonnes what thinkest thou of God what shall hee be to thaâ— soule that possesseth him what doâ— you meane whether looke you whatintend you why leaue you the fountaine of Paradise and drinke you of the troubled cesternes of thiâ— worlde why followe you not the good counsaile which the Propheâ— giueth saying Tast and see howe sweet our Lord is why doe we not often passe this Ford why doe weâ— not once tast this banquet Trust the wordes of our Lord and begin and hee afterward will deliuer you out of all doubt In times past that Serpent into which Moses rod was transformed seemed a farre off terrible and fearefull but being neerâ— and handled by the hand it returned into his former state Not without reason sayth Salomon It 〈◊〉 naught it is naught saith euery buiâ—er but when he is gone he glorieth The like
impatient tiranny of euill custome Hence it is said in the book of Iob His bones shal be filâ—ed with the surfets of his youth and with him shall sleepe in the dust So that these vices haue no terme nor any ende besides that which is common to all other things namely death the last limit of euery thing Hence is that of Aristotle As in â—he stroake of an Aspis there is no â—emedy except the parts that are poysoned be cut off so certayne sinns may only be healed by death By death therefore these vices are ended although if we will confesse the tâ—uth wee cannot truly say that they are ended by death for they endure alwayes for which cause Iob also saith And with him shall they sleepe in the dust The reason heereof is because that by the continuance of the olde custome which now is conuerted into another nature â—he appetite of vices is nowe already rooted in the verie bones and marrow of the soule in no other sort then a consumption which is fixed in the bowels of a man excluding all cure and admitting no medicine The same doth our Sauiour shew in the resussitation of Lazâ—rus being foure dayes dead in which he vnto whom all thinges were easie shewed a certaine diffâ—culty for he was troubled in spirit and declared that they had neede oâ— much calling vppon who are hardned in the custome of sinning to the ende they shoulde awake Other dead men hee reuiued with lessâ—â— words and signes that our Lorde might signifie how great a miracâ—e it is for God to raise againe from death a man buried foure dayes aâ—d stinking that is to conuert a sinner buried in the custome of his sinne But the first of these foure dayes as witnesseth Saint Augustine is the delight of tickling in the hart the second consent the third the deed and he that attaineth this fourth day as Lazarus did is not raised againe but by our Sauiours loude voyce and lamentable teares All these things euidently declare the great diffâ—culty which the deferring of repentance and conuersion bringeth with it and that by how much longer the repentance is deferred by so much it is made more difficult Consequently also by these it may be gathered how apparant their errour is who say that the time will heereafter be more easie for their amendment The Argument Penitence is not to be deferred till the end of our liues for then is fauour hardly obtayned at Gods hands and death is most dangerous For he that hath liued euilly dyeth worse since according to the workes the rewards are also aâ—nswerable CHAP. 18. OThers are so blind and bewitched that they are noâ— content with the misdeeds of the time past but they perseuer in the same to the end of their lyues and reserue their repentance till the houre of theyr deathes O time to be feared o terme perrilous And doost thou persvvade thy selfe for so small a price to purchase the Kingdome of heauen and that thou canst so easily attaine the seate of the Angells Seest thou not that whatsoeuer is done in that houre is more of necessitie then of will is done rather by compulsion then liberty and proceedeth rather from feare then loue and although of loue yet not of the loue of GOD but of selfe-loue whose property is to feare detriment and to flie incommodity Seest thou not that it is contrarie to the lawe of iustice that hee that hath enthralled him selfe all the course of his life to the seruice of the deuill in the end should come vnto GOD and require rewarde at his handes Remembrest thou not those fiue foolish Virgines of whom Christ speaketh in the Gospell which then began to prepare theyr account when it was to be iustified What other euent is to be exspected by thee if after thou art admonished by this example thou perseuer in this thy negligence and carelesnes God trulie can when hee will inspire true repentance into thee but howe often dooth hee it in that houre and howe fewe are they that at that time truly repent Search Saint Augustine Saint Ambrose Saint Ierosme and all the Doctors of the Church you shall see how doubtfully and dangerously they speake of this matter Thou â—halt also vnderstande howe great thy madnes is that without care presumest to saile so perilous a Sea of which so exspert Nauigators haue spoken so doubtfully and with so much feare It is an Art to die well which ought to bee learned in the whole lyfe For in the houre of death such and so great they be that make vs die that there scarce remayneth any time to teach vs to die well It is a generall rule that such as the life of a man is such also is his death Therefore whose life is euill his death also shall be euill except God alter the same by some speciall priuiledge This is not mine but the Apostles opinion who saith that the end of the wicked shall be aunswerable to theyr actions for in common speech neither is there a good ende to be exspected of euâ—ll workes neyther an euill of good Turne ouer all the Scrâ—pture search the diuine pages and thou shalt find nothing repeated so often as that as a man hath sowed so shal he reape that the wicked in the end of their lyues shall gather their fruites that God shall giue to euery one accorâ—â—ng to his workes that the end of 〈◊〉 one shall be conformable to â—he life which hee liued and that â—he iustice of the iust shall be vppon â—â—s head and the curse vppon the â—â—ad of the reprobate and a thouâ—â—nd such like sentences are euerie where found in the Scriptures If all the whole Scripture might be pouâ—ed foorth that that which issueth there-from might be seene truly â—othing would appeare so often repeated then this sentence If all thy works are wicked what other prognostique can we giue from this Astrolobe If such be the ende whâ—t were the midst and what the life it selfe What other thing is there to bee exspected that thou shouldst gather in another lyfe but corruption that in this lyfe hast â—owed naught else but corruption For neyther sayth our Sauiour doe we gather Figgs of thornes nor Grapes from bryars And if the house of a sinner be cast downe to death and his foote-steppes to hell as sayth Salomon what can let but that the end be such that the tree or wall fall on that side towardes which iâ— bended and threatned ruine Foâ— he whose life whose workes whosâ— thoughts are wholy enclined to hell which hee deserueth whether aâ— last shal he goe where is his place where is his Mantion but in hell whether all that is his doe hasteâ— Whether at length shall hee goe to enhabite that heere walketh in interiour darknes but to the exteriour obscurity Why dost thou vainely perswade thy selfe that hee in the end of his pilgrimage shall come to heauen that readily walketh and hath alwayes vvandered tovvardes hell
excuse themselues saying that the way of our Lord is straite difficult because in the same there are diuers difficult precepts and such as are contrarie to humane affection and appetite This is one of the most principall excuses which sluggish and slothfull men infer in this affayre But they that say so although they be Christians and liue in the law of grace notwithstanding they knowe not â—his mistery neither haue they learned the first letter of this lawe O wretch that thou art thou that sayst â—hou art a Christian tell mee Why â—ame Christ into the world Why â—hed he his blood Why instituted hee his Sacraments Why sent heâ— the holy Ghost What meaneth the voyce of the Gospell What the Worde of grace What includeth that most sacred name of IESVâ— If thou knowest it not aske of the Euangelist and hee will tell thee Thou shalt call his Name IESVS for hee shall redeeme his people froÌ„ theyr sinnes What other thing is included in thys name of Sauiour and Deliuerer what other thing is it to bee saued and deliuered from sinnes then to obtayne remission of sinnes past and obtaine grace to estewe the same in time to come For vvhat other cause came our Sauiour into the world but to helpe thee and to further thy saluation Why would hee die vppon the Crosse but thâ—t hee might kill thy sinne Why riâ—â— from death except to rayse thee and make thee walke in newnes of life Why shedde he his most precious blood except to make a medicine or plaister to cure and heale thâ— wounds For what other cause instituted hee the Sacraments of the Church but for the remedy of thy sinnes What other fruit is there of his most bitter pâ—â—sion and comming into thys woâ—ld but that he might plaine and prepare the way which before was horred full of thornes straite and tedious Thys is that which the Prophet Esay fore-tolde that in the dayes of the Messias euery valley should be exalted and euery mountaine and hill humbled and all the euill indirect and tedious pathes should bee made plaine Finally why besides all these thinges sent hee the holie Ghost from heauen but that thy flesh should be conuerted into Spyâ—â—t and why sent he him in the semblance of fire but that like fire hee should enflame illuminate transforme thee into himselfe should lyft it vp from whence at first it had descended Whereto serueth grace with infused vertues which are begotten thereof but to lighten and make the yoake of our Lord tolleâ—able to make vertue easie that men might reioyce in tribulations â—hat they might hope in peâ—rils that â—hey may ouercom in temptations This is the beginning this the middle and this the end of the gospell It is needful also that we know that euen as one eâ—rthly man a sinner namely Adam made all men earthly and sinners So also that another man celestiall iust to wit Christ came to make all men that will receiue him celestiall and iust What other thing haue the Euangelâ—sts written what other are the promises deliuered vnto vs by the Prophets what other things preached the Aâ—ostles This is the summe of 〈◊〉 Christian Theoâ—ogy thys is the 〈…〉 word which our Lorde 〈◊〉 vppon the earth Thys is that conâ—ummation and abbreuiation which Esay sayde hee heard of our Lord which so many ritches of vertues and iustice did consequenthe follow Imagine thy selfe my brother that first thou commest as a young scholler to Christian religion demaundest of a certaine wise Diuine what it is that this new religion prescribeth Hee will aunswere thee that nothing else it requireth at thy handes but that thou bee a good man and that thou mayst endeuor in this study with fruit that the same religion giueth thee assistance For commaunding that a carnall man should be made a spiritual it giueth the holy Spirit and by the benefite thereof he is made spirituall Truly it is to bee lamented that so manie yeeres thou hast borne the name of Christ warfared vnder Christ yet art ignorant of the difference which is betweene a Christian and a Iewe betweene the law of the letter and the lawe of grace Thys difference heerein consisteth for since thou knowest it not I will teach it thee that the law of the letter commandeth a man to be good and yeeldeth not strength to performe that which is commaunded but the law of grace both commaundeth this and giueth grace and helpe to thee to be good and that thou mayst forsake thy sinnes That commanded thee to fight but gaue thee no wepons whereby thou shouldst ouercome it commaunded thee to â—â—cende â—nto heauen but shewed â—hee no ladder commaunded men â—o be spirituall but gaue them not the holy Ghost But now all other thinges are farre otherwise That former lawe being repealed and other succeeded farre diffâ—rent from the other and that by the merrit and bloode of the onely bâ—gotten sonne of GOD. Wherefore doost thou as if that olde lawe were not yet taken away nor Christ had come into this worlde play the Iewe as yet and trustest to thine ovvne strength supposing by thine owne fortitude that the lawe may be â—ulfilled and thou iustified in that sort Not onâ—ly grace but charity also make this law light and easie for this is one of the chiefest effects of diuine charity For which cause S. Augustine saith that the lâ—bours of louers are no wayes burthâ—nsome but delightsome vnto them as are those of Hunters Faulknâ—rs and Fishers For in that which is bâ—loued saith he eyther there is no labour or the labour is beloued For this is the cause why Saint Paule saith with so much constancie that nothing may seperate him from the loue of Christ. And if we diligently consider likewise what Christ and all the Saints haue suffered it shall not be troublesome vnto vs to suffâ—r persecution for iustice and what so euer difficulty encombereth vs in the way of our Lorde will seeme light vnto vs. By all which it may bee eaâ—ily gathered how the Scriptures are to be recoÌ„ciled the one with the other whereof some say that the way of our Lorde is difficult other say it is easie So Dauid For the wordes of thy lipps I kept hard wayes And in another place I haue delighted in the way of thy testimonies as in all ritches For this way hath two thingâ—s in it difficulty and sweetenes one by reason of nature the other by grace so that what is difficult by reason of the one in respect of the other is made delicious and sweete Both of them our Lorde spâ—â—keth of when hee saith that his yoake is sweet and his burthen light For whâ—n he saith yoke he signifieth grauâ—ty which is in the way of the Lord but when he saith sweet he insinuateth facility which is by meanes of grace which is giuen But if you shall aske mee howe it may be a yoake and sweet when as
parables after the most profound misteries he wrote in the Canticles lying prostrate before Idolls and reprooued by God Let vs behold one of those seauen Deacons of the Primatiue Church fulfilled with the light power of the holy Ghost made not only an Heretique but an arch Heretique and an Author and Father of heresies We see daily many stars of the heauen fall to the earth with a miserable ruine to wallow in the durt to eate the huskes of the Hoggs who a little before sitting at Gods table were nourished with the bread of Angells And if the iust for some hidden pride negligence ingratitude were in that man nere cast out of Gods fauour hauing many yeres faithâ—ully serued him what must thou exspect who hast done naught else in thy life but offend God instantly Let vs see therfore now thou that hast liued thus is it not â—â—quisitâ— that at length thou giue ouer to heape sin on sinne or conioine dâ—bts with debts Is it not needfull that now thou begin to â—pâ—â—ase God disburthen thy soule doth not reason require that thou hold thy selfe content that the remainder of that thou hast bestowed on the worlde the flesh and the deuill bee giuen to him that gaue thee all things Is it not rightfull that after so long a time so many iniuries done vnto GOD thou at last feare the diuine iustice which by howe much the more greater patience it tollerateth thy sinnes by so much the more greeuous torments and greater iustice dooth he chastise sinners Is it not woorthily to be feared that so long a time thou hast continued in sinne so long liued in the disfauour of God to haue so mighty an aduersary who of a gracious Father is made a iudge and an enemy Is it not to be feared least that the violence of euill custome be turned into another nature and there-from arise a necessity of sinne and somewhat more Is it not to bee suspected least thou fall by little and little into greater offences and that thou be deliuered into a reprobate sence into which when a man is falne hee hath not then any reason of any thing how great soeuer it be Iacob the Patriarch sayde to his Father in lawe Laban Fourteene yeeres haue I serued thee all thy possession was in my hands I haue hetherto administred all thy domesticall affaires it is requisite therfore that at last I prouide for mine owne house And thou if thou hast serued the worlde so many yeeres were it not conuenient that now at length thou shouldest beginne to prouide for thy soule and somewhat more circumspectly then heeretofore regard the happinesse of the life to com There is not any thing more short and fraile then mans life And if thou so carefully studiest for things necessary in this so fraile lyfe why doost thou not also imploy some labour in those things which shall perpetually endure The Argument It is necessary that a man coÌ„sider him selfe and remember that hee is a Christian and firmely assent to all thinges which our fayth setteth downe whereto eyther loue or feare ought to mooue him What thing so euer is created inuiteth vs to the loue seruice of God Let a man therefore seeke wisedome and hee shall heare all the words of Christ who was crucified for his saluation CHAP. 23. ALl these beeing thus I pray thee now my brother and intreate thee by the blood of Christ to call thy selfe to account and remember that thou art a Christian and beleeue all those things which our fayth preacheth vnto thee Thys fayth sayth that thou hast an appointed Iudge before whose eyes all thy steps and moments of thy life are present bee assured that the time will one day come wherein he will call thee to account for euery act yea to the least idle word This fayth teacheth a man that when he dieth he doth not altogether perrish but that after this temporall lyfe there remaineth an eternall that our soules die not wâ—th our bodies but that our bodies buried in the earth our soules seâ—ke out another region a newe worlde where they shall haue a lot and societie aunswerable to theyr life and manners in this world Thys fayth auoweth the reward of vertue and the punishment of sinne to bee â—o high mighty that if the world were full of bookes all creatures were writers first should the Wryters be wearied and first should all â—he bookes be replenished before eyther matter wanted to discourse of them both or sufficient might be written what they containe in them â—ccording to theyr greatnes That â—ayâ—h certifieth that so great are our debts which we owe vnto God and â—o worthâ— the benefites we receaue â—t his handes that if a man shoulde 〈◊〉 so many yeres as there are sands â—n the Ocean shoares they shoulde â—eeme of small continuance if they â—eâ—e all of them consumed in the â—nely seruice of God Finally the â—ame fayth testifieth vnto thee that vertue is a thing so precious that all the treasures of this world al that which mans hart can either desire or â—magine is not any wayes to bee compared therewith If therefore such and so manie things inuite thee to vertue howe commeth it to passe that there are found so rare and few louers followers of the same If men be moued by profit what greater profit then eternall life If by feare of punishment what torture more terrible then that of hell If by reason of the debt obligation or benefits what greater debt then that wherein wee are bound vnto God as well by reason of him that is himselfe in himselfe as for those things we haue receiued of him If feare of danger moue vs what greater perrill then death whose houre is so vncertaine and reason so strict If peace libertie tranquilitie of spirit and sweetnesse of life be desired of the whole world it is manifest that all these are more aboundantly found in the life which is led according to the prescript of vertue then that which 〈◊〉 past ouer according to a mans 〈◊〉 and humane passion for a man is created reasonable not a brute beast and without reason But if all these seeme to haue but small moment to perswade vertue shall it not suffice to see God descend from heauen vpon the earth and made man and whereas in sixe dayes hee had created the whole world he consumed thirty yeeres and lost his life in reforming and redeeming man God dieth that sinne may die and we will that that liue in our harts to depriue thee of life for which the very sonne of God suffered death and what shall I say more There are many reasons in this one for I say not that Christ is to be behelde hanging on the Crosse but whether so euer we turne our eyes wee shall finde that all thinges exclaime and call vs to this goodnes for there is not a creature in this world if it be well considered that doth
not inuite vs to the loue seruice of our Lord. So that as many creatures as there are in this world so many Preachers are they books reasons and voyces which excite and inuite vs to that office How is it therefore possible that so many voyces so many promises so many threatnings suffice not to worke the same in vs vvhat could God doe more then he did and promise more liberally then he promised and threaten moâ—e seuerely then hee threatned that hee might draw vs to him and driue vs from sinnes And is the arrogance of men as yet so great or to speake more aptly are men in such sort inchanted that hauing faith they feare not to rest all their life time in sins to goe to bed in sinne to rise and awake from sleepe in sinne I and that with such security and without any scruple as that neither for the same sleepe flieth from their eyes neyther their appetite to eate perisheth in no other sort then if all they beleeue were dreames or that the Euangelists did write were lies Tell me thou traytour tell mee thou Titius that art to burne in perpetuall flames of hell what morâ— couldst thou doe although that alâ— that thou beleeuest were lies For â— see thee for feare of temporall iustice refraine thy appetites in somâ— sort but for the feare of God I see thee not abstaine from any thing to which thy voluptuousnes draweth thee neyther estewest thou the reuenge neither doest thou that which he commaundeth neither art thou ashamed to doe all that which thou desirest if thou hast power to performe it Tell me thou blind man tell me thou foole in such security what doth the worme of thy conscience where is thy faith where is thy braine where thy iudgment where thy reason which as thou art a man is onely remaining vnto thee How canst thou but feare so great assured and true perrils And if a man should sette meate before â—hee another though a lyer shold â—ay they were infected with venom durst thou either prooue or tast theÌ„ although they were most delicate â—nd sweet and not beleeue the lyer â—hat told thee this And if the Proâ—hets Apostles Euangelists yea and God himselfe should affirme say â—nto thee Death is in that pot c. â—eath is in this meate ô wretched â—an death is in this little pleasure â—hich the deuil presenteth thee with â—ow can it be but that thou shoulâ—â—â— be afraid to take Death with thine owne hands and drink thine owne perdition what doth that faith doe â—eere in thy hart what the iudgement what the reason that thou hast where is thy light when as none of these can stay the streame of thy sinnes O wretch franticke sencelesse strooken with astonishment by the enemy condemned to perpetuall darknes interiour exteriour for from this to these is a short cut blind to see thine owne misery ignorant to vnderstand thine owne harmes and harder then adamant that feelest not the mallet of the diuine worde O a thousand times miserable worthy whom all men should bemoane not in other teares theÌ„ he shed for thy perdition who said O if thou likewise hadst known yea euen in this thy day thâ— things that belonged to thy peaceâ— what to thy tranquility what to thâ— riches which God hath prepared foâ— thee but now they are hidden froâ— thine eyes O wretched day of thâ— natiuity but more wretched the 〈◊〉 of thy death which shall be the beâ—ginning of thy perdition Alas 〈◊〉 farre more better had it beene that thou hadst neuer beene borne then perpetually to be damned Howe far better had it beene if thou hadst not beene baptized nor professour of the faith for because thou hast abused them thy damnation shall be the greater For if the light of reason suffice to make the Philosophers inexcusable because wheÌ„ they knew God they glorified him not neither thanked him as God as saith the Apostle How lesse excusable are they who hauing receaued the light of faith and the water of baptisme so often times come to his supper to receaue God himselfe and daily heare his diuine doctrine if they doe no more then those Philosophers What other thing is to be concluded of all these which are hetherto said then that there is not any either vnderstanding wisedome or counsaile in the world then that forsaking the occupations and impediments of this life we folow the only and certaine path that leadeth vs to true peace and eternall life To this reason equity and the law inuite vs to this heauen earth hell life death iustice and Gods mercy To this especially the holy ghost exhorteth vs by the mouth of Ecclesiasticus saying My sonne receaue learning froÌ„ thy youth and thou shalt find wisedom in thine olde age Euen as he that ploweth and hee that soweth come vnto her sustaine or expect the fruits therof with patience For in the work thereof thou shalt labor but a little and quickly shalt thou eate of the generations thereof Heare my sonne take the counsaile of vnderstanding despise not my precepts Thrust thy feete into her fetters and into her chaines thy neck subiect thy shoulders beare the same thou shalt not be wearie of her bonds Search her out and she wil appeare vnto thee being made continent leaue her not for in the later times shalt thou find rest in the same and it shall turne thee vnto ioy And her fetters shal be vnto thee a protection of strength and foundations of vertue and the garments thereof a stoole of glory for the ornament of life is in her and her bonds a healthfull thraldome Hetherto Ecclesiasticus By which words in some sort is vnderstoode howe great the beauty howe great the delights how much the liberty how many the ritches of true wisedom is which is vertue it selfe and the knowledge of God of which we now speake And if all these are not sufficient to conquer thy hurt lift vp thine eyes on high doe not thou regard the waters of this world which perish and vanish away But behold the Lord that hangeth on the Crosse dying and satisfying for thy sinns He hangeth there in that forme thou seest exspecting thee with his feete fastned with rough nailes his armes opened to receaue thee his head bowed that like to a prodigall sonne he may giue thee the kisse of new peace And from the Crosse hee calleth thee if perhaps thou heare him with so many voyces hee crieth vnto thee as he hath wounds in his body Imagine this most blessed Sauior speaking to thy hart saying Returne returne thou Sunamite returne returne I will receaue thee I know thou hast committed fornication with many louers yet returne to me and I will forgiue thee Returne to mee because I am thy Father thy God thy Creator thy Sauiour thy true friend thy only benefactor thy absolute felicity and thy last end In me shalt thou finde
but of eternall And if 〈◊〉 yeelding thy account thou shalt 〈◊〉 found to be much indebted alas 〈◊〉 horrible shall the anxieties and â—â—rows of thy soule be ô how conâ—â—sed shalt thou be and full of vnâ—â—iâ—full penitence how voide of all â—â—unsell and destitute of all solace Trulie the perturbation amongst the Princes of Iuda was very greaâ— wheÌ„ as the victorious sword of Caâ—â—sar King of Egypt did tyranniâ— thorow all the streetes of Ierusaleâ— when as thorowe the present payâ— and punishment they acknowleâ—â—ged theyr fore-passed crymes 〈◊〉 olde errours But there is no coâ—â—parison betwixt that confusion anâ— this whereof we now intreate 〈◊〉 in that houre what shal sinners doâ— whether shal they turne themselueâ— who shall defend them teares the are of no force there all repentanâ—â— is vnprofitable in that houre neâ—â—ther shall prayers be heard nor 〈◊〉 promises preuaile or any suretâ—â— be accepted When as the last moâ—ment of life is past there is no moâ—â— time of repent And if the forâ—â—said finde no place much lesse râ—â—ches nobility and honours of thâ— world shall helpe for the wise 〈◊〉 saith Riches shall not helpe in thâ— day of reuenge But iustice shâ—â—â— deliuer from death But when the vnhappie soule shalâ— see her selfe enuironed with so manie calamities what shall shee doe 〈◊〉 what shall shee say in what otheâ— â—â—rdes shall shee lament her lamenâ—â—â—le case then those which in times 〈◊〉 the Prophet vsed when he said 〈◊〉 paynes of death haue compasâ—â—â— mee rounde about and the â—â—ods of iniquitie haue troubled â—â—ee The dolours of hell haue enâ—â—oned me and the snares of death 〈◊〉 entrapped mee VVoe is me â—â—etch that I am what circle is this 〈◊〉 which my sinnes haue enclosed â—ee Howe suddainly and when I 〈◊〉 suspected doth this houre enâ—â—â—gle mee howe presseth it vpâ—n mee when I least thought of 〈◊〉 VVhat auayle mee myne hoâ—â—urs nowe What helpe me my â—â—gnities What all my friendes â—hat profitte will my Seruauntes â—â—vve bring mee VVhat fruite â—â—all I receaue of all those ritches 〈◊〉 goods which I was woont to â—â—ssesse For nowe a small fielde 〈◊〉 seauen foote long must suffice â—ee and I must be content with the â—arrowe roome of a Sepulcher and base winding sheete But that which is worst of all the â—ches which with so many sweats â—auailes I haue grated from others shall remaine heere behind othâ—â— men shall enioy them and consuâ—â—â— them in pleasures onely the sinâ—â— which I haue committed in gathâ—ring them shall accompany me thâ—â— I may sustaine condigne punishmeâ—â— for them What shall I doe with 〈◊〉 my pleasures and delights when they are past away and naughtâ— them remaines but the dreggs in 〈◊〉 bottome which are the scruples 〈◊〉 remorce of conscience which 〈◊〉 thornes prick and teare my miserâ—â—ble hart and shall crucifie the saâ—â— with perpetuall torments O dulâ—â— not to be indured ô my slouthâ—â—â— negligence worthy a thousand mâ—â—series how could it be that forgeâ—â—full of this time I haue not preparâ— my selfe to auoid these present calâ—mities How often was I warned 〈◊〉 this day yet haue I shutte vp miâ—â— eares to all counsailes Wretch thâ—â— I am why receaued I not discipline vvhy obayed I not my Maisters vvhy neglected I the wordes whicâ— they taught me I liued wickedly 〈◊〉 the midst of the church amongâ—â— the people of God defiled my selfe with all sorts of impiety In thes◠〈◊〉 such like lamentable expostulaâ—â—s shall sinners deplore their vnâ—â—py fortunes these shall be their â—â—ditations these their consideratiâ—â—â— these their confessions â—ut why trauaile I in vaine who 〈◊〉 wise who so eloquent that 〈◊〉 sufficiently expresse or describe 〈◊〉 sâ—uerity and rigour of that iudgâ—â—nt Wee reade of a certaine deâ—â—â—ed that after his death appeared his friend greeuouslie afflicted 〈◊〉 oppressed with great dolours 〈◊〉 a dreadfull and lamentable â—â—ce exclaiming thus No man beâ—â—â—eth no man beleeueth no man â—eeueth His friend amazed with 〈◊〉 demaunded of him what hee â—ant by that lamentation to whoÌ„â—â—re aunswered thus No man beâ—â—ueth howe strictly God iudgeth 〈◊〉 how seuerely he punisheth In â—â—â—firmation of which matter I â—â—â—ke it not vnprofitable to report â—his place an example of wonderâ—â—â— admiration which Iohn Climaâ—â—â— reporteth to haue happened in 〈◊〉 time to a certaine Monke For saith I will not omit also to relate 〈◊〉 History of a certaine solitarie votary which dwelt in Coreb. 〈◊〉 when hee had liued negligently long time without any care at all 〈◊〉 his soule at length ceazed by a siâ—â—â—nes was brought to the last gasâ— And when the soule had wholy fâ—â—â—saken the body after an houres 〈◊〉 he was restored againe to life 〈◊〉 vpon hee besought euery one 〈◊〉 that wee should from thence 〈◊〉 immediatly depart from him 〈◊〉 closing vp the dore of his cell 〈◊〉 stones he remained there encloâ—â— for twelue yeeres space speaking no man nor tasting any other 〈◊〉 but bread and water There sittâ—â—â— hee onely amazedly meditated 〈◊〉 that which he had seene during 〈◊〉 seperation from the body and 〈◊〉 fixed were his thoughts vppon 〈◊〉 same as that he neuer changed 〈◊〉 countenance but alwayes remâ—â—â—ning in that amazement he silenâ—â—â— poured foorth a streame of feruâ—â— teares And when hee grew 〈◊〉 vnto his death breaking open 〈◊〉 dore of his cell wee entred in 〈◊〉 him And when wee humbly 〈◊〉 sought him to giue vs one word 〈◊〉 ghostly instruction at last we onâ—â— â—â—â—orted this froÌ„ him Pardon mee 〈◊〉 man that hath truly the memoâ—â— of death may euer commit sin 〈◊〉 wee were strooken with wonâ—â—rfull admiration beholding him 〈◊〉 first had beene so negligent to 〈◊〉 so suddainly changed and by a â—â—st blessed transformation to be â—â—de another man Hetherto Cliâ—â—chus who was an eye-witnesse of 〈◊〉 this who testâ—fieth that which 〈◊〉 sawe in his writings So that no 〈◊〉 although it may seeme increâ—â—â—â—le to som ought to doubt hereâ—â— especially sith hee is both a true 〈◊〉 a faithfull witnes Nowe in this storie there are 〈◊〉 thinges which deseruedly vvee â—â—ght to feare considering the lyfe â—â—ich this holy man led and much 〈◊〉 the vision which hee sawe â—â—ence sprung that his manner of 〈◊〉 which euer after during his â—â—ole life he obserued These therâ—â—â—e sufficiently approoue that to be 〈◊〉 which is spoken by the Wiseâ—an Remember thy end thou 〈◊〉 not sinne for euer Least thereâ—â—re my brother thou shouldest 〈◊〉 into the like calamities I beseech thee with great attention of mindâ— to discusse examine often repâ—â—â— these things aforesaid alwaies 〈◊〉 euery where present theÌ„ to thy mâ—â—mory But amongst all the rest 〈◊〉 graue coÌ„sideration attentiue mâ—â—mory these three things in especiâ—â—â— The first whereof is that thou coâ—â—sider the greatnes of the punishâ—â—â—â— which thou shalt feele in the hoâ—â—â— of death for the multitude of 〈◊〉 sinnes wherwith thou hast offendâ—â— the Diuine bounty Secondly 〈◊〉 thou diligently wey with what â—â—â—sire thou shalt then wish that 〈◊〉
hadst so ordered thy life that in 〈◊〉 houre thou might'st haue God pâ—â—â—pitious vnto thee Thirdly that 〈◊〉 remember how great austere pâ—â—nitence thou wouldst then willing 〈◊〉 vnder-take if time might be grâ—â—â—ted thee ¶ The Authour purposely intreâ—â—teth of death in his first booke 〈◊〉 prayer meditation also in his Eâ—â—ercises in the meditation on Wâ—â—â—nesday at night likewise in the Siâ—â—ners guide lib. 1. cap. 7. in the â—â—â—cond part of this booke cap. 7. 〈◊〉 in the 3. part chap. 8. The Argument â—he day of iudgement an exact acâ—â—unt shal be required at a Christiâ—ns handes of all his thoughts and â—orkes done in this life The sinner 〈◊〉 the iust iudgement of God shall 〈◊〉 cast downe headlong into perpeâ—â—all affliction plaints darknes â—f the infernall prison There whilst 〈◊〉 is tortâ—red with most ardent torâ—â—res and punishments full of rage â—nd burning with wrath against â—od he shal curse excruiate him â—â—lfe calling to memory all those eâ—ils which he hath done and those â—ood things which he hath neglected â—o doe For which cause who soeuer â—ill not fall into these desasters let â—im repent whilst he hath time CHAP. 3. AFter death followeth euery mans perticuler iudgement after that the vniuersal of al men wheÌ„ as that which the Apostle teacheth shal be fulâ—â—d We must all of vs be manifeâ—â—â—â— before the tribunall of Christ that euery one may receiue accoâ—â—ding to that which he hath done 〈◊〉 his body either good or bad Many thinges are to be consideâ—red in this iudgement but the chieâ—fest of them is diligently to wey 〈◊〉 what things the account shal be exacted from vs. I will search saytâ— our Lord IerusaleÌ„ by candle light and I will visite vppon the men thâ—â— are intent on their dreggs The maner of speaking in holy Scripture is to signifie that the thinges of leaâ—â— consequence shal be both discust examined in that day euen as meâ— in slight things are wont to light a candle and search euery corner oâ— the house For there is not any one vaine cogitation of thine or moment of time euilly and vnfruitfully let slip by thee wherof a reason shal not be required at thy hands Who woulde not tremble and shake euery lym of him when heâ— heareth the words of our Lord Verely verely I say vnto you of euery idle worde that men haue spoken they shall giue a reason in the day of iudgement Well â—hen if an account must be made of those words â—hich offend no man what shal be â—nswered for dishonest words vnâ—hast cogitations for handes full of â—lood for adulterous euils Finalâ—â— for all the time of our life loosely â—onsumed in the works of iniquity â—f this bee true as it is most true â—hat tongue what eloquence may â—eport so much of the rigor and seâ—eritie of this iudgement which â—â—all not be lesser then the truth of â—he thing it selfe or what is it may â—ny wayes bee equalled with the â—â—me Howe shall the wretched man â—â—and heere amazed and astonished â—hen in the circle ofso many Senaâ—ors and the presence of so great a â—ounsaile the account shal be chalâ—enged at his handes of the least â—ord which such or such a day he â—â—ake fondly and without fruite Who would not be amazed at this â—uestion VVho durst say these â—â—inges except Christ himselfe had â—poken them before who affirme â—xcept he had affirmed What king â—as there euer found that expostuâ—ated with his seruants for so light a â—ault O altitude of Christian Religion how great is the puritie which thou teachest how strict is the account which thou exactest with howe seuere iudgement doost thou discusse and examine all thinges How great shal the shame be wherwith wretched sinners shall in thaâ— place be stained when as all theyr iniquities which when they lyued they hid vnder the couerts and walls of theyr houses what soeuer also dishonest what-soeuer filthy thing they haue committed froÌ„ theyr tender yeeres to the terme of their life all the angles of their harts whatâ—o euer is most secrete shall be manifested in this court before thâ— eyes of the whole world Who there shal haue a conscience so cleere who when these thinges shall beginne to be done shall not presently change his colour and tremble in all his members For if a man doe so much blush when hee reuealeth his defects in priuate to some friende of his so that some one in the very confession waxeth dumbe and concealeth his crime what shame shal that be where-with sinners shall be affected in the sight of Almighty GOD and of all ages past present and to come So great shall that shame be that the wicked as the prophet witnesseth shall cry out saying to the mountaines couer vs to hils fall vpon vs. But these thinges are tollerable but what shall become of them when as the sharpe arrowes of that finall sentence from Gods mouth shall be shotte into theyr harts Goe you cursed into euerlasting â—ire which is prepared for the deuill and his Angels Alas with what sorrowes shall sinâ—ners be discrutiate when they heare this sentence When as wee can scarcely heare a little droppe of his wordes sayth Iob who can beholde the thunder of his greatnes This voyce shal be so dreadfull and of such vertue that the earth in the twinckling of an eye shall bee opened and in a moment they shall descend to hell as the sayd Iob saith who now enioy the timbrel harp and reioyce at the sound of the organ vvho nowe leade theyr dayes in pleasure This case describeth blessed Saint Iohn in his Apocalips in these wordes After this I saw another Angel descending from heauen hauing great power the earth was lightned by his glory and he cryed out in his strength saying Great Babilon is fallen is fallen and is made the habitation of deuils and the prison of all vncleane spirits the habitation of each vncleane odible bird A little after the same Euangelist addeth saying The strong Angel tooke vp a stone as if it were a great Milstone and cast it into the sea and said with this force shal the great citty Babilon be cast down henceforward it shall no more bee found After this manner shal the wicked fall into this headlong hell and into that darksom prison ful of al confusion which is vnderstood of Babilon in this place But what tunge can expresse the multitude of punishments which they shall there suffer There shal their bodies burne in liuing vnquenchable flames there their soules without intermission shal be gnawed vpon by the worme of conscience which shal giue them no truce There shall be perpetuall weeping of eyes and gnashing of teeth that shal neuer end which the sacred Scriptures do so often threaten repeat In this place of desperation those miserable damned enraged with a certaine cruel madnes shal coÌ„uert their anger against god tyrannize