justly deserved it And if thou shouldst refuse to grant him thy protection yet has he no reason to repine at it But grant me leave O Lord to make known my grievances unto thee when I tell thee of my great difficulty to attain perfection the impossibility I ly under to depress my evilinclinations Thou dost remit me to the powerfull help of thy grace as if it were even at hand and in my power to make use of upon all occasions whereas I am always imploring it nay and often with weeping eyes do I crave thy mercy yet all my prayers are ineffectual I still being what I was an empty vessel void of all grace cold in my devotion weak frail and as prone to vice as ever I was where is now thy promise O Lord where are thy manyfold often reiterated protestations to give a favourable hearing to all poor Sinners at any time when they make their Addresses to thee Ask thou sayst and it shall be given you Mat. 7. Seek and you shall find Knock and it shall be opened unto you For every one that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened These are thy promises here are thine own invitations however in all submission I presume to say what the holy Job confess'd in the height of his afflictions and what he express'd in the bitterness of his sorrowful and troubled heart Job 30. I cry unto thee says he and thou dost not hear me I stand up and thou regardest me not Jer. Lament 3. I may lament with the Prophet Jeremy and say that thou hast builded against me and hedg'd thy self about with a thick cloud so that when I cry and shout Esai 63. thou hearest not my prayer I may likewise complain with the Prophet Isaiah that the multitude of thy mercies are restrained from me O Lord if what these great and holy men have said be true how can I poor sinfull Soul expect that my prayers will be heard or that thou wilt comply with my earnest and humble request I have more reason to apprehend the severity of thy Justice then to expect the products of thy mercy Esdr 9. for I may well say with Esdras O Lord I am confounded ashamed before thy face for my Sins are multiply'd above my head and my iniquitys have reached up to Heaven SAVIOVR I Am the searcher of all Hearts there can be nothing therein that is not visible to my eyes I have all their thoughts in my prospect and all the actions of men are register'd in my book of accounts I know that thy fears and querelous complaints do proceed from a pious and upright minde and therefore am resolved to give a favourable answer to every particular objection of thine I know thou dost not doubt of the truth of my words but thou would'st fain have the right meaning of them and conceive at full how my words and promises which seem to be contradictory may be justifyed in thee Wherefore take it for a certain truth and an infallible Rule that none who does what lies in him shall perish or ever be abandon'd by God no He is so mercifull a Creator that He will refuse no body the concurrence of his grace for he ardently desires the Salvation of all without any exception of persons as thou mayst easily conclude by that solemn invitation which he gives to all mankinde Come unto me says he all ye that are heavy and I will give you rest as also by that great care which he takes of every particular man even from his Mothers womb Mat. 11. Angelis suis mandavit de te ut custodiant te in omnibus vijs tuis Mat. 4.6 to dispatch one of his heavenly Courtiers with express orders to keep protect and defend him as well from the rage of his insulting enemies as from all other sinister accidents which poor Mortals are incident to This and many more Instances I might produce of the great tenderness that God has for man so that none who is truly a Christian has the least ground to doubt but that he and his only and dearly beloved Son also who has suffer'd so much for men and gave even his very Life to save them from Death everlasting will be ready not only to hear their prayers at all times but also most free to comply with their request But I must give thee to understand that prayer is an act of virtue and therfore it 's call'd Latria so that it is not every petition that can be rightly term'd a prayer for this is an humble demand of decent and necessary things to Salvation As thou art oblig'd to be firmly fix'd in the constant practice of other virtues thou must be the same in prayer thou must never give over but still continue upon the same subject with God And withal if thou dost expect to be heard and to obtain the effects of thy prayer from him thou must add the following councel to my former that is utterly to break off with vice and fall into a virtuous life For what a ridiculous thing it is to think that God will remit thee thy Sins whilst thou art resolv'd not to forsake them but rather to increase them dayly To hope for any mercy at his hands whom thou dost dishonour provoke and offend hourly what dost thou think of it is it not to laugh at the Almighty and to ridicule the Omnipotent If thou hadst dealt so with a terene King or with one of an inferiour degree certainly he would be highly displeas'd with thee and take it as a great affront that thou shouldst crave his pardon for the wrong thou hast done him and which thou art resolv'd not to repent how much more should the God of infinite Justice the Lord of unspeakable Majesty and the Judge of illuminate Wisdom be incens'd against a poor wretched creature that would go so bare-fac'd to affront him By what is said thou mayst understand that the duty of a well-meaning Orator is first to be inwardly griev'd to have ever offended his God secondly to make him condign satisfaction for all his past offences thirdly to purpose firmly not only to avoid Sin but also the occasion which may bring him to it After this worthy preparation he then must make a sorrowful entire and sincere confession of all his Sins to his spiritual Father fulfill exactly what satisfaction he shall enjoyn him If thou dost perform this and live ever after according to these dictates thou shalt undoubtedly obtain from God the effect of thy prayer let it be what thou wilt either the remission of thy sins or a further increase of Grace or any other rational request I must confess that he does sometimes even as a wise and provident Father delay the performance thereof but it is to try the faith and patience of his Orators and to exercise his Elect even the most holy among them that
Land of everlasting darkness and misery where there is neither rest union comfort or order but a perpetual toil hatred sorrow confusion and horrour they all will unanimously answer our procrastinate conversion our delai'd repentance and our groundless hopes to have a peccavi at will tho' Death should on a sudden surprize us with an Arrest this was the fatal overture through which we fell into this endless misery And it stands with a great deal of reason for the longer a man loiters in his vicious and wicked ways the more obdurate his heart will be and the less inclin'd to produce an act of Contrition nay should his Confessarius break his brain to bring him to it his answer will be that which David gave to Saul when he was to encounter the Philistian Giant Saul would have him to put on his own Armour and to fight with his Sword Usum non habeo 1. Reg. 17.39 but David made answer that he was never accustom'd to it and therefore would not accept of his offer it s the same with an inveterate Sinner let his Confessor cry out Sir one Act of contrition one sincere and hearty Peccavi for God is mercyful and will be the same to thee if thou wilt reclaim and beg him most heartily pardon Ah Sir he will reply I was never bred to that divine Art 't is a lesson I never learn'd 't is a strong weapon against the Devil and all his power I must confess yet I never made use of it and therefore 't is but a folly to pretend to it at present Thou seest by this example O Man that the longer a sinner perseveres in sin the farther he will be from any desire of a true Contrition his heart will grow the more obdurate his Conscience more blinde his Soul so oppress'd with evil custome even as with a huge and weighty Stone that makes her wholly insensible of what concerns her Salvation But if any of such like reprobates should seem to repent 't is to be fear'd that his chief and only motive is the fear of Hell-fire not the reall product of Justice nor any true Contrition Nolo mortem impii sed ut convertatur impius a via sua vivat Ezek. 33.11 however I would not have any inveterate Sinner despair neither would I have him be so careless of his Salvation as to neglect it whilst he has time and leisure to secure it and a saving God who is so easily mov'd to compassionate him and so ready to grant him so grateful a request as is the remission of his Sins and Life everlasting For a resolve of thy last objection that the way which leads to Heaven is both narrow difficult and craggy consequently that thy nature which is very fond of her own ease can hardly be brought to walk therein I answer that it is a million of times more tollerable to strike into that roade tho' never so irksome to thy corrupt nature then to suffer the pains of Hell for an eternity Quam areta est via angusta porta quae ducit ad vitam pauci inveniunt eam Mat. 7.14 Venite ad me omnes qui laboratis onerati estis ego reficiam vos jugum enim meum suave est onus meum leve Matt. 11.28 nay even the pains of Purgatory which are but temporal 'T is true I told thee and am still of the same opinion that Strait is the gate and Narrow is the way which leads unto life and few there be that finde it I told thee moreover that from the days of John the Baptist untill now the Kingdome of Heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force But thou didst likewise hear me say Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Take my yoak upon you and learn of me for I am meek and humble in heart and ye shall finde rest unto your Souls for my yoke is easy and my burden is light For what is of it self burdensome to nature is made easy by the assistance of my grace and is sweeten'd by custom for wherever the Love of God is lodg'd and increas'd to the height and prime of its fervour all Tribulations Persecutions Crosses Losses nay Death it self will be look'd upon as the chiefest favours and blessings of a most loving Father so that there is nothing in the world more to be hated and abhorr'd then Sin which alone can cause the displeasure of God and his fatal Seperation from man MAN O Lord my God! thou art my Life my Treasure and all my happiness but what am I that I should prefume to speak to thee what but a poor and despicable servant a most vile and abject worm far more miserable and contemptible in thy sight then I can or dare imagine Remember therefore o' Lord that I am nothing have nothing and am absolutely the most indigent and sordid of all thy Creatures Thou alone art good thou only art both just and holy Thou alone canst do all canst give all canst fill all and I poor Soul am void of all that can be call'd good for nothing but misery is to be found where Sin predominates Forget not then o' Lord thy miserations to me and vouchsafe to replenish my heart with thy grace that I may carry my Cross cheerfully and follow thy steps with all alacrity whilst I continue my Pilgrimage in this tempestuous and miserable life Thou knowest that of my self I can perform nothing that may be grateful to thee or any way meritorious Psal 142. to my own Salvation wherefore o' Lord assist me with thy grace on all occasions turn not away thy face from thy poor and wretched Creature delay not thy gracious visit withdraw not thy consolations from me lest my Soul should remain a barren and dry Tree and become fuel for that unquenchable fire of Hell O' Lord teach me how I may fulfill thy blessed will instruct me in thy ways that I may walk therein with safety and in all humility Thou hast indeed resolv'd all my objections and hast broke all the chains which might detain both me and all other Sinners in the bondage of Sin and Slavery of the Devil thou said'st as much of virtue and vice as much of Satans rage and of thine own clemency to all poor Sinners as much of the joys of Heaven and of the torments of Hell as are able to move the most obdurate hearts and hasten them out of hand to give an everlasting farewell to th' one and to make their constant and happy choice of the other But alas I know by a fatal experience how weak I am in my resolutions how far from the love of God how much a stranger to virtue and therefore have great need of comfort and strength from thee to go through with what I resolve for the future Thou art my heavenly Physitian from thee I do expect a cure for all
These are my familiars O Lord wherewith I have so often displeas'd thee rebellious ungrateful and perfidious creature as I am I have been created to thy Image and likeness but alas by my Sins I have made my Soul most like unto the Devils those monsters of ingratitude By my Sins I have often renew'd the bitter Death and Passion of Jesus thy beloved Son Quis dabit Capitimeo aquam oculis meis fontem lachrimarum plorabo die ac nocte Jer. 9.1 O how can I worthily deplore so great an evil who will give water to my head a fountain of tears to my eyes to lament both night and day my misery and malice To have contributed to thy death O Lord is of all other motives the most powerful to replenish my minde with grief and sorrow and therefore do desire to hear from thy self the particulars of it SAVIOVR KNow then that after I had taken man out of the bowells of the Earth with a Faciamnus and created him to my own Image and likeness in order to make him sole Lord and absolute Monarch of the whole Universe with full power to take and tast of all things that a most pleasant paradise could afford the fruit of Life only excepted He the ungratefull and rebellious creature considering the great advantage of his condition and the greatness of his dignity which should be to him a sufficient motive to love obey respect and praise me for ever took thence occasion to mutiny rebell and desert me and enter into a league against me with Lucifer whom I had a little before expell'd Heaven for his thoughts of Pride Ambition and who from that very moment made a vow to deface and destroy my Picture being that he could not annoy my Person This so heinous an offence deserv'd he should be immediately commanded out of that Terrestrial Paradise where he was created and liv'd like a petty Prince and where he had all other creatures even the most furious among them at his beck to do with them as he thought fit Accepisti argentum vestes a Naaman sed Lepra Naaman adhaerebit tibi semini tuo usque in sempiternum 4 Reg. 5. He was therefore turn'd off as a vagabond cast into exile and made liable to suffer the punishment even of the damn'd for as he became an associate to the Devil in Sin 't was fit he should be his companion in torment Thou hast heard of my Judgement inflicted on Gehazi my Prophets servant and how for taking Naaman's mony and cloths for the cure of his Leprosy I order'd that for his covetous transgression both he and all his generation to the worlds end should share in his Leprosy as he did in his garments Even so have I decreed against man who had so much affected Lucifers Pride and Ambition that he should be likewise infected with his Leprosy and as he was obedient to his suggestions he should partake of his punishments also Behold the fatal Metamorphosis of man and how for imitating the Devil in his rebellion he forfieted my resemblance to put on that of this most horrid and hideous Monster of Hell Man being made so abominable by sin and so great an eyesore to my divine Essence I in mercy was mov'd not to reflect so much upon the injury done to my Supream Majesty as not to condole the greatness of his deplorable misery was more inclin'd to compassionate his weakness then to be reveng'd of his crime Whereupon to repair his loss I undertook to mediate his peace with my heavenly Father and in order to so great a work I contracted with humane nature so strict an alliance that I became both God and man which was so grateful to my Father that he not only forgave man all his past transgressions but also receiv'd him into favour with all the demonstrations of joy that could be express'd Who would ever expect that so large and so dangerous a breach should ever be repair'd who would ever imagine that two things so opposit one to the other as is the divine to humane nature should come to subsist and remain together not in one house not at one table nor in one bed but in one and the self-same person This is a miracle beyond the expectation of man and indeed beyond th' expression of an Angel for there cann't be any two more contrary then is God and the Sinner yet now what two can be more firmly united or have greater influence then God and man There is nothing more sublime then God Pulvis es in pulverem reverteris Gen. 1. and nothing more vile and despicable then man Notwithstanding God with all humility descends from Heaven to man and man ascends to Heaven with God so that the action of man is the same with that of God and whatever God is said to have done may be justly imputed to man because that I am both God and man Who would ever believe that man to see him naked after his dismal fall and absconding in one corner or other in Paradise for to keep himself from Gods indignation and wrath who would believe I say that such a fordid and contemptable substance should be in time united to God in one and the same Person This was a strange union indeed and a true lovers knot for when it was upon the dissolution at the time of my Passion it did not in the least fail but was rather violently separated to shew what an amorous inclination I had to be still united to humane nature Death indeed might have taken my Soul from my body and break off that union of nature which kept them together Quod semel assumpsit nunquam dimisit Aug. but had not the power to withdraw my Godhead from either of them for that was an union of the divine person which I shall never relinquish having once fix'd upon it with all the tenderness of a most ardent love MAN O Lord I am so much oblig'd to thee for this extraordinary great favour that I am not able to return thee sufficient thanks for the way and means which thou hast taken to redeem me and my very redemption is so great a benefit that no Angelical tongue is able to express it All that I can say is that I am bound by all the ties both of nature and conscience to love thee and stand submissive to thy laws for ever Thou hast deliver'd my Soul out of the infernal Dragon's jaws and without any merit of mine but meerly through the multitude of thy mercies thou hast reconcil'd me to thy self This is eternally worthy of praise But if I consider how and after what manner thou hast done me that unspeakable favour I shall finde that it does exceed even that great work of my redemption Thy works are wonderfull in all their circumstances Mirabilis Deus in Sanctis suis and tho' man when he considers one does really believe that
be thus wounded mangled and bruised to cure them Certainly if those Sores had not been mortal and even the fatal causes of the eternal death of thy Soul I had never suffer'd so cruel a death for her recovery Can there be a more considerable or a pressing motive to lament and abhor thy Sins then to remember that they were the only cause of all my sufferances and even of my most bitter death upon the Cross The Jews went once through Jerusalem and bewail'd the destruction of that Royall City and the loss of their King how much more reason hast thou to lament thy great misfortune to have occasion'd my death who am thy King thy Redeemer and he only that can either pardon thee thy sins or condemn thee for them to an eternity of pains O man let this consideration be the constant subject of thy serious meditations it will pierce thy heart unless it be harder and more obdurate then the very Stones This very consideration made one of my faithful servants to say that it is a shameful thing for Christians not to acknowledge the evils which sin has brought upon them when they consider what so supream a Majesty as that of the Son of God has been oblig'd to suffer for them The Son of God says he takes compassion on the miseries of man and weeps for sorrow whilst insensible man who is overwhelm'd with his own sins is not concern'd at all MAN O My dear Lord and Master thou hast said enough to conquer my heart and to bring also the whole universe to admire the greatness of thy love for man For what can be more worthy of our admiration then to behold a God of so infinite a Majesty finish his life under the notion of a notorious malefactor upon a shameful Cross and betwixt two Thieves Had I seen a man tho' he were the basest and most vile amongst the People brought to that misfortune as to be condemn'd for his crime to dy so cruel a death certainly I could not choose but compassionate his condition and condole that his misdemeanours should have brought him to so great a distress If it be then a subject worthy our compassion to see a man of that inferiour rank and condition for his own crimes in so deplorable a state what will it be I pray to see not a man but the Lord of all created things for the Sins of his servants reduc'd to that extremity Can there be any thing more wonderfull then to see even God himself plung'd into so great an abyss of anguishes and pains for the sins and wickedness of wretched Men If the calamity and misfortune suffer'd must be retaliated with a trembling and astonishment proportionable to the worth and dignity of the person that suffers O ye Angels of Heaven who have a perfect knowledge of the greatness and excellency of my benign Jesus our gracious Redeemer and your Creator tell me how great was your grief how stupendious your astonishment how excessive was your lamentation and trouble when you have seen him hang on that hard and uneasy cross The Cherubins whose figures God had order'd in the old Law to be plac'd on each side of the Arck of Alliance look'd then at each other with admiration to behold this bloudy Sacrifice of that innocent and immaculate Lamb for the redemption of mankinde Nature it self stood amaz'd and all creatures were interdicted their inbred inclinations and functions The Principalities and Powers of Heaven trembl'd at the very consideration of the unspeakable goodness of God tho' so intimately acquainted therewith What then shall become of those that do not swim in the waves of so great an ocean of admiration Dominator Domine Deus misericors clemens patiens multae miserationis Exod. 34. or what of those that are not drown'd in the Seas of so great a bounty are not they depriv'd of their senses even as Moises was on Mount Sinai where the figure of this bloudy sacrifice was so lively represented to him that he cry'd out with a loud voice the Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long suffering and abundant in goodness and truth So much Surpriz'd was he at the view of thine excessive goodness O Lord that he could not forbear praising thy mercy in the hearing of all the multitude of Israel The Prophet Helias cover'd his face as God pass'd by him in the splendor of his glory much more then should all mortals cover theirs to behold Gods profound humility and annihilation Now not overthrowing mountains and spliting Rocks with his infinite power but expos'd to the view of a malignant and most wicked Nation and in so terrible and dismal a posture that even the Rocks and Temple were rent asunder with an excess of compassion What man of Steel what heart of brass will not relent and open his breast to lodge therein the love of so charming so gracious and so bountiful a God O height of charity O profoundness of humility never to be paralel'd O unspeakable mercy O Abiss of incomprehensible bounty O my most gracious Lord If I be so much oblig'd to thee for redeeming me how much more am I bound to thee for the means which thou hast taken to redeem me Thou hast redeemed me with pains with sorrow with scorns with reproaches with nails and thorns and hast been made the derision of men and even the most vile of the whole world However O Lord by thy contumelies thou hast honour'd me by thy false accusations thou hast defended me with thy bloud thou hast wash'd me by thy death thou hast reviv'd me and by thy tears thou hast deliver'd me from a perpetual weeping and gnashing of teeth O heavenly Father how tenderly thou lovest thy Children thou art indeed that good and faithful Pastor thou givest thy self as food to thy flock O faithful keeper who hast laid down even thy precious life for to protect and defend thy Sheep which thou hadst in thy keeping what thanks or what service can I return thee for so great a favour with what tears can I recompence thy weeping or what life shall I bestow upon thee for that pure and holy one which thou hast given for me Alas there is no proportion betwixt the life of man and that of God betwixt the tears of a silly creature and that of an omnipotent Creator 'T is true thou hast not suffer'd for me alone but for all the world shall I therefore think my obligation the less to thee no no for tho' thou sned'st thy most precious bloud for all mankinde yet it was after such a manner that every particular man receiv'd the benefit from thy sufferings In fine thou didst suffer thy bitter and bloudy passion as well for me in particular as thou hast for all in general O my God thy charity was so immense that if but one alone of all mankinde were criminal even for that one man thou wouldst have suffer'd what thou didst for all
what a manner of Love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be call'd the Sons of God and be so too Take notice of this O man and consider seriously how I am not content to give thee the bare denomination of my Son for a man may bely his name and act contrary to his qualification and therefore I say thou art not only my Son by name or by any other groundless title but really and in truth thou art so when justifi'd This is a prime favour indeed for if it is so great an evil to be a reprobate and consequently odious to God what an unspeakable happiness it is to be lov'd by him and confirm'd in his grace 'T is a maxime of Philosophy that the more a thing pertakes of goodness the more its contrary will have of evil the Love of God above all things is the Summum bonum of man therefore the greatest evil must be Sin which makes him odious to God and the fatal object of his just indignation and wrath It were a great happiness if thou wert a favourite to thy Superiours to thy King or to some other crown'd head thou wouldst think thy self made for ever but 't is a far greater happyness to be in my favour who am the Ruler of all earthly Potentates the best of Fathers and the chiefest of Lords for all the Powers Principalitys and Dignitys of the world in reference to me are no more then just nothing O Man Cum Inimici effemus Rom. 5.10 thou shouldst therefore value thy self upon this account and the more because thou hast receiv'd it gratis and when thou wert my mortal enemy For as it is most certain that before thy Creation thou couldst do nothing that might induce me to create thee Rudis indigesteque moles 〈◊〉 for then thou wert but a rude lump of clay without any form or fashion even so 't is most evident that after thy relapse into sin thou couldst do nothing which might move me to grant thee the benefit of thy Justification not because thou wert nothing but by reason thou wert an ill man and therefore most odious and abominable to me O Man consider seriously these evil consequences of Sin by it thou art clear out of my favour thou art villified in my sight and banish'd from my presence thou art cast from the converse and company of my Saints and Angells thou art forbidden my heavenly Pallace and because thou hast a far greater love for the Creatures then for me who am thy Creator 't is just thou shouldst be dealt with accordingly thou hast forsaken me to serve them and the Devil too who is the worst of Masters therefore he is licensed to torment thee for an Eternity and 't is but what thou hast deserv'd for offending so good and so gracious a Lord as I have been to thee To this great disaster may be added another altogether as dreadful if not more which is the immortal worm which shall perpetually gnaw the consciences of those miserable and unfortunate wretches in Hell Terra miserae tenebrarum ubi nulius ordo sed sempiternus horor in habiter Job 10.22 A place full of woe and misery the Region of everlasting darkness and confusion where there is no order no rule no union no friendship no joy no comfort no peace no rest no satisfaction no hopes but perpetual horrour lamentation gnashing of teeth rage blasphemy cursing and also all other cruelties imaginable these are the fatal products and punishments of Sin but of all these I discharge those whom I do Justify for when they are reconcil'd to me and whilst they remain in my favour they are no more the Children of wrath and perdition no more Servants and Slaves to the Devil no more inclin'd to obey the dictates of the world and the flesh In fine they are under the wings of my protection shelter'd from the rage of Satan and from the most dreadful rigour of his everlasting torments MAN O Most gracious Saviour I am throughly convinc'd of the truth of thy words I confess that Sin is the greatest of all evils and that the greatest misfortune that can befall a poor man in this world is to lie under the tyranny of so hellish a monster for it does not only deprive his Soul of thy grace but also robs her of all the supernatural treasures and gifts of the Holy Ghost which she had receiv'd in her Baptism and which brought her to that height of honour as to become thy beautiful and dearly beloved Spouse No sooner is she degraded thus and forc'd out of that super-eminent glorious Station but Sin sets on her again to finish what it had left undone he wounds her even to death and after he has taken the most precious of her goods he plunders her of the least considerable as are her natural gifts For man being a rational creature and Sin being an act contrary to reason 't is consonant to nature that one contrary should strive to destroy to ' ther consequently the oftner Sin is multiply'd the more it disturbs and destroys the powers and faculties of the Soul not in themselves but in their operations 'T is by this means that Sin gets dominion of the Soul and makes her run what course he pleases if she has any remaining inclination to virtue Alas she is become so weak so sloathful and so inconstant that she cann't attain to the practise of it Rursum crucifigentes Christum in cordibvs vestris Heb. 6.6 Faciamus hominem ad imaginem similitudinem nostram Gen. 2.6 Cecidit Babilon Civitas illa Sancta facta est habitatio Daemonum Isa 21.9 but if she be solicited to evil she flies at it with as much eagerness as we may see a Cat run at a mouse If any temptation knocks at her door for her consent to a rebellion against thee O Lord she likes of the proposal and gives her assent to the evil tho' she be convinc'd that it is the renewing of thy Passion But Sin stops not here it strips the Soul of her liberty to pay unto thee O Lord the daily tribute of her submission and holds her fast in a chain to follow the beck of her mortal enemies the world the flesh and the Devil and also to please the gust of her unruly Appetites Thus that noble Princess which has her extraction from Heaven and which was heretofore thy charming Spouse the beautiful Daughter of thy eternal Father and the faithful resemblance of the most Blessed Trinity is now by Sin brought to a Babylonish Captivity worse by a thousand degrees and more unsufferable then that of Egypt was to the Children of Israel But alas I finde her condition to be yet worse for all her spiritual senses are wholly Stupifi'd and to that degree that they cann't hear thy voice nor see the radiant light of thy divine Inspirations They cann't smell the sulpherous scent of thy dreadful thunderbolts which are
grateful and meritorious to him as being the worthy products of my lively loving and gracious Children and because that all their virtue and power of doing well proceeds from me alone This certainly is a great incouragement to all justifi'd Souls to crave what favours they stand in need of and to ask of my heavenly Father with a great deal of confidence and hopes to obtain their requests being it is not only for themselves they ask it but also for me who am highly honour'd in them with them for no man will deny but what the members do the head does the same what is confer'd upon the one is also confer'd upon the other consequently being that I am the head of the justifi'd what they ask for themselves they ask the same for me My Apostle says Quam diu fecistis uni ex his fratribus meis miaimis mihi fecisti Matth. 25.40 that whoever offends and wrongs my members wrongs me likewise whoever persecutes them persecutes me also whoever honours them or gives them any relief in their distress I own the favour as done to my Self what a main comfort this is to a Just man when he considers that what boon he begs from the Father of Heaven for himself he begs the same for me who am his dearly beloved Son sure this is a principal ground for thee to hope that thou wilt not be refus'd what favour thou dost request of him For when a kindeness is exhibited to one for the love of another the favour is chiefly done to him for whose sake it was granted and indeed thou oughtest to believe that when thou shewest mercy to the poor for Gods sake thou art not only merciful to them but even to God himself MAN BLessed be thy holy name for ever my dear Jesus Capio dissoivi esse cum Christo Philip. 1.23 for thou hast replenish'd my heart with unspeakable joy and my Soul does thirst so much after thee the Fountain of life that she often desires with St. Paul to be deliver'd from the Prison of her frail ungrateful and rebellious flesh to stand in thy glorious presence for ever This I know is the reward of all justifi'd Souls For as thou makest use of thy Justice against Sinners who depart this life without Pennance and dost cast them headlong into the extremity of Hell-fire so thy mercy receives all true penitent Souls into life everlasting And tho' thou canst forgive them their Sins Non sunt condignae passiones hujus temporis ad futuram gloriam quae revelabituâ— in nobis Rom 8.18 quod Momentaneum est in praesenti ct leve tribulationis nostrae supra modum in sublimitate aeternum gloriae pondus operat 2 Cor. 4.17 and receive them into thy favour without communicating thy Glory yet thou wouldst not deprive them of so great an advantage for those that thy mercy does absolve of their Sins thou dost Justify and those whom thou dost justify thou makest them thy Children and those whom thou dost take for thy Children thou makest them thy Heirs and joint-heirs with thy self in thy Kingdom of Glory This is the grand foundation of that lively hope which does rejoyce and comfort the just in all their tribulation for when they see themselves oppress'd with any disasters loaden with afflictions depress'd with infirmities reflected upon by their Neighbours Persecuted by their Enemies they consider seriously and believe that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compar'd with the glory which shall be reveal'd in them They firmly believe also that their light affliction which is but for a moment will work for them a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory All these favours and graces they receive from thee by the means of their Justification wherefore I must of necessity conclude with St. Augustin that benefit is of a far greater estimate then is that of our Creation the reason for it is that thou hast Created both Heaven Earth with one sole word whereas to Sanctify man thou hast suffer'd all the torments that the malice of men and the fury of Hell could invent thou hast spilt thy precious bloud gavest even thy sweet life to purchase his Salvation If we poor Mortals be so much oblig'd to thee for our Creation how much more are we thy Debtors for the benefit of our Justification for the obligation must be the greater by how much the purchase is dearer I must confess O Lord Nemo scit utrum amore an odio dignus sit Eccle 9.1 that a man does not know for certain whether he be Justifi'd or not being he cann't tell whether he be worthy of thy love or hatred however he may have very probable marks of his Justification whereof one and not the meanest is the reformation of ones life If he who was accuftom'd heretofore to commit several Sins in a day now commits none that man whoever he be is oblig'd to thee O Lord in a high measure in as much as thou hast deliver'd him from so many and such great evils and also hast gratifi'd him with all the eminent favours that We even now discours'd of But if any should be so great an enemy to his own Salvation as to continue his sinful and wicked life notwithstanding these most pressing motives which should oblige the most obedurat of men to love serve and obey thee Terribilium omnium terribilissimum mors Aristot O Lord I beg that thou wilt begin a discourse of Death which is the most terrible of all terrible motives in hopes it may retrive such poor wilful obstinate sinners and force them to comply with thy grace which is never wanting to any that purpose to amend SAVIOVR REmember O man that thou art a Christian and don 't forget that thou art a mortal man and consequently that thou must surely dy for thy fate is already decreed and the decree is unavoidable The Sons of mortall Parents must expect a mortal Posterity Death is the end of great and small Thou art born helpless and expos'd to the injuries of all Creatures and of all weathers The very necessaries of life may procure thy death for thou mayst meet with thy fate in thy dish in thy cup and in the very Ayr that refresheth thee nay thy very Birth is inauspicious for thou cam'st into the world weeping and in the middle of thy designs while thou art meditating great matters and stretching thy thoughts to after Ages Death will cut thee off and perhaps thy longest date is only the Revolution of a few days Death is common to all Men 't is a tribute Mors omnibus communis est Senec. Testamentum hujus mundi morte morietur Eccle. 14.12 that all mankinde must pay to Nature tho' not after the same manner for one may dye at his table another in his sleep a third in the heat of his unlawful pleasures a fourth with a glass
of wine in his hand and Blasphemy in his mouth another may be stab'd in a quarrel another crush'd with the fall of a horse In fine they have several ways to their end but the end it self which is Death is still the same For whether they dye by a sword by a halter by a potion or by a disease 't is all but Death which is so certain that thou can'st not doubt of it without a blemish to thy Faith none is exempted from drinking of this Chalice Regum Turres pauperumque Tabernas aeque pede pulsat Mors. Vir. Popes Kings and Princes must taste of it If there were any immunity or priviledge in the case surely I might have been exempted from Death as being the Law-maker and Promoter of that unavoidable sentence which I had pronounc'd against thy Progenitour for his transgression of my Commandment No the day shall come that thou wilt be alive in the morning and dead at night It will come sometime but when whether this day or to morrow 't is uncertain Thou art now in perfect health strong of body and found of minde thou dost measure thy life by the length of thy desires and by the multitude of thy business but the day will come that thou shalt be stretch'd on a bed candles lighted about thee thy Relations and Friends lamenting and weeping thy whole family in a great consternation expecting thee to breath out thy Soul every moment but when this day shall come 't is uncertain perhaps when thou dost least expect it perhaps when thou thinkst thy self secure from all dangers and when all thy thoughts are busi'd about building of Houses purchasing Lands matching thy Children settling their Fortunes 't is therefore said of Death Thess 5.23 that it comes like a Thief who takes that time to seize on his prey when men are in their dead sleep secure and without the least apprehension of being rob'd The day of the Lord says St. Paul shall come as a Thief in the night upon thee and when thou shalt say peace and security then sudden destruction shall come upon thee as Travail upon a Woman with Child and thou shalt not escape To consider seriously the preludes of death with their attendents which are a grievous sickness Aches and pains over all thy Limbs thy Stomach loaded with Apothecarys Stuffs so many sorts of loathsome drugs on a table before thy face which thou must of necessity swallow because thy Physician has order'd it so then art thou peevish and fretful continually tumbling and tossing from one place to another always restless this with several other emergencies weakens thy body and opens the gate for Death to come in even as when an enemy is resolv'd to Storm a City he first batters down its walls with his great Cannons and makes a breach large enough for a general assault then he commands his forces to stand to their Arms and he at the head of them marches on and makes himself Master of the place So before Death a mortal infirmity leads the van beats down thy natural Strength dismounts all thy senses gives thee no rest night or day batters down thy body with its violent fits so that the Soul is at last forc'd to withdraw from her old habitation to take up her quarters the Lord knows where But when the Infirmity is come to that height that thy Physitian and thy self too have no hopes of further life O what Anguishes what apprehensions what grief what trouble seizes thy poor heart and tares it asunder Videbunt quibus sacrificaverunt Eccl. then the whole series of thy former life comes into thy minde and thy dearest objects will then become the subjects of thy greatest sorrow thy Wife and Children thy Friends and Relations thy Riches thy Honours thy Titles thy Imployments with the rest which thou hast made thy Gods on Earth shall come in a croud to discompose thy Soul Soon after this alteration of thy minde comes another which is the forerunner of death thy forehead is harden'd and thy skin cleaves close to thy skull a cold sweat trickles down thy face thy eye-strings are already broken and thy eye-lids are fall'n down thy ears are deaf thy nose grows thin and sharp thy nostrils stuff'd up with corruption thy face turns to its original colour which is that of clay thy mouth is contracted thy tongue is stupifi'd and can no more perform its duty thy tast is gone thy lips are pale thy breath finks down to the bottom of thy breast thy hands are cold thy nails black thy pulse slow and weak sometimes at a stop and now and then revives thy feet have no more life they have lost their natural heat Infine all thy flesh is in a short space to be turn'd into corruption This is thy end O man but as thou art a Christian hear what shall enfue before the Separation of thy Soul from thy Body Then thou shalt imagine the Judgment of God to be at hand then thou shalt have a full view of all thy fins both great and small then all thy abominations and crimes shall come in a body to accuse thee before the dreadful Tribunal of my divine Justice Then thou shalt acknowledge tho' too late how sordid how heinous and how horrid were the crimes which thou hadst so easily so desperately committed against me without the least apprehension of my indignation wrath O what curses what bitter imprecations wilt thou utter at that fatal hour against the day in which thou hast offended me thou wilt curse even the place the occasion and complices of thy sins Thou wilt curse and condemn thine own folly and the wickedness of those which brought thee by their ill examples to forfiet the everlasting joys of Heaven for such trifles as are all the false and treacherous pleasures of this world pereat dies inqua natus sum c. Job 3.3 The afflictions of Job were nothing to those that shall be heap'd upon thee in that dreadful day of my visitation yet he cries out let the day perish wherein I was born and the night in which it was said there is a man-childe conceiv'd and what will thy feeling be when thou shalt see thy self depriv'd of all happiness and excluded from Heaven for an Eternity by the means of those vain sordid and transitory pleasures which thou hast taken in thy life-time when thou shalt behold thy self surrounded on all sides with tribulations and anguishes without any hopes of a longer life when there shall be no place for pennance when the days of grace are past when even those whom thou hast lov'd beyond all measure and reason cann't afford unto thee the least comfort but rather will kill thee with displeasure because they were thy beloved Idols and the only objects of thy adorations but now they shall become the subject of thy Eternall confusion Tell me O man when thou shalt see thy self brought to this deprorable state
and condition where wilt thou go what wilt thou do to whom wilt thou call for help To return to life 't is impossible and to ease thy self thou wilt not be able In illa die occidet Sol in meridie tenebrescere faciam terram in die luminis c. Amos. 8. what shall become of thee when I will cause the Sun to go down at noon and when I will darken the Earth at mid-day what wilt thou say when I shall turn thy feasts into mourning and all thy Songs into lamentation when I will bring up Sackcloth upon all mens loins and baldness upon every head and when I shall make it as the morning for an only Son and the end thereof as a bitter day hast thou not therefore a far greater subject then Job to curse the day wherein thou wert born for he was so just a man that my eternal Father glori'd in having so good so gracious and faithful a Servant nay In omnibus his non peccavit Job labiis suis c. Job 1.22 the Holy Ghost avers that he sinned not in all what he had spoken in his troubles and calamities which I had permitted to come upon him not as a punishment for his Sins but as a trial of his patience to make him a worthy president to all mortals of virtue of constancy and of perfect resignation to my holy will in all their afflictions He himself does protest that his conscience did not accuse him yet he was so apprehensive of the strict judgment which a Soul is to undergo at her departing the body that amaz'd at the severity of my Justice he crys out protect me O Lord Dionys. Rikel Art 16. de novis and hide me in hell whilst thy fury passes Whereupon one of my devout Servants affirms that the instant wherein I give judgment of a Soul is not only more terrible then Death but more terrible then to suffer even the pains of hell for a certain time not only to those who are to be damn'd but even unto my very Elect. O man reflect seriously upon this and Judge what will become of a Sinner at the hour of his Death and at the lively representation of all his offences and crimes what a consternation he will be in how he will tremble and shake every limb of him at the very sight of me his Creator and Redeemer whom he had so often offended and injur'd in the course of his sinful life that very presence will be more dreadful to him then the suffering of the pains of hell it self MAN O Most gracious Redeemer I cann't deny what thou sayst of a dying man and of the Anguishes which he shall suffer at the departing of the Soul from his body she shall enter into Judgment alone naked poor and without any to patronize her cause except her good works if she has any to shew her Conscience will be the Deponent the Triall will be either for life or death not temporal but eternal and thou an injur'd Judge shall appear to her in a dreadful Throne to give sentence for her or against her either of Salvation or of her everlasting damnation If she be grievously indebted and not able to ballance her accounts O what a horrible confusion she will be in grief and sorrow sighs and tears dreadful lamentations and crys will be her woful entertainment and the only motives she can produce to mollify thee O Lord but all will be to no purpose her repentance comes too late 't is totally fruitless at that hour all her protestations of amendment will be in vain no bills or bonds of performance will be accepted of no bail shall be taken her lease is out she must remove her nobility her riches her honours cann't obtain for her a further respite of time the sentence is pronounc'd the decree is unavoidable she must submit O the unfortunate Sinner what will he do what will he say how can he express the greatness of his misfortune otherwise then by these words of thy Prophet Psa 18.4.5 The sorrows of Death have compassed me and the flouds of iniquity have made me afraid The sorrows of hell have compassed me about and the snares of Death have prevented me O what a woful circle is that into which his Sins have brought him and unexpected too when he had not the least thought of death what will his friends avail him now his dignities his riches his lands and all that he took most delight in they will remain after him to other Masters that will soon wast and consume 'em in a worse way perhaps then ever he gather'd them tho' that perchance was bad enough The Sins which he had committed in heaping them up are the only companions he is like to have along with him to another world where he is to be tormented for them according to their enormity If I should make my addresses to worldlings in hopes to be farther instructed in this so necessary a matter to Salvation Alas they know nothing of it and which is worse they will not believe it for they live as if they had no account at all to give after death and why should I think it strange being they live in Egypt that is in a land of darkness in a willful blindness overwhelm'd with all sorts of errors where scarcely two are found of one opinion in matters of Faith and manners I am then resolv'd to go farther off and streight into the land of Geshen where the light of verity is allways in its full splendour Non intres in Judicium cum servo tuo Domine quia non justiflcabitur in conspectu tuo omnis vivens Psa 143. and to consult with the Inhabitants thereof in this case they will certainly teach me not only by their words but also by their examples how much this dreadful day of so strict an account is to be fear'd The first I meet with is the holy'st man of his age a man according to thine own heart O Lord yet he is so terrifi'd even at the very remembrance of this accompting day that he begs thee with all the tenderness of a contrite heart not to enter into Judgment with thy Servant and the reason he gives for his request is that in thy sight shall no man living be justifi'd The second that appears to me In vitis Patrum Sect. 2.153 is that most renown'd and holy Arsenius a man of wonderful austerity a man always in prayer always in contemplation yet tho' he was so virtuous and so great a Saint tears were seen to trickle down his cheeks when he was a dying and all his body to tremble in his deep consideration of this reckoning day His Disciples that stood round his poor and hard bed setting him the question why he cry'd and whether he was afraid of death he made answer yes my dearly beloved Children I fear Death and I tremble at the approach of my dreadful Judge
for tho' I cann't say that I am guilty of any Sin that might deprive me of his grace yet he will scearch so narrowly into the most hidden corners of mens hearts at that departing day that I have great reason to fear he may finde some subject of his displeasure within my breast Another no less commendable for the holyness of his life tells me of a most dreadful example which was in his days exhibited on the Person of one Stephen a Monk a great lover of a quiet and Solatary life This holy man after he had pass'd over several years in a monastical conflict and adorn'd his Soul with extraordinary graces and virtues by his continual fasting weeping and chastising his body with St. Paul lest it should bring his Soul to subjection he went into the desart and built a little cell for himself at the foot of that famous mountain where the Prophet Helias had formerly a most Sacred and heavenly vision a place remote from all worldly consolation almost inaccessible to men and very near a hundred miles distant from any human habitation After he had continued there a long tract of time in the height of all manner of mortification and Pennance and being in his declining Age he return'd to his former habitation where in a few days he fell into a fit of sickness whereof he dy'd Joan. Climachus in Schola Parad graduer but the day before his death he awaked suddenly out of his slumber and looking frightfully towards the right left side of his bed he was heard by all that were about him to say as if he were brought to an account for his past life 't is true that is so but for that Sin I have fasted so many years To another objection he answer'd that is true likewise but for that fault I often shed most bitter tears To another he would reply that 's a grand lye I am innocent of that crime Again he would answer 't is so indeed I have nothing to say against it but leave my self wholly to God's mercy Certainly this was a spectacle able to terrify the hearts of all them that were by and especially for that the poor man was accus'd of what he never committed so eager his mortal Enemies were to get possession of his Soul by endeavouring to push him into despair He was indeed a lover of retir'd and solitary places and a Monk of forty years approbation endu'd with the gift of working miracles yet he trembles at the hearing of his accompts some he denys and some he owns but he relys upon Gods great mercy for a pardon and in this conflict he dyes without leaving any certainty of what became of him or how favourable his Judge was to him at the end of his trial O Saviour of mankinde if such great Saints were so much terrifi'd at the sight of death and so apprehensive of thy dreadful Judgements what will become of Sinners at that hour and of such Sinners as do spend their whole life in the vanities and transitory pleasures of the world of Sinners that make nothing to offend thee by all manner of wickedness of Sinners that live in so great a neglect of their Salvation as if they had no Souls to be sav'd and no account to be given after death If the Just are seiz'd with so great a terrour at the hour of Death what a deplorable condition will the habitual Sinner be in what will become of the weak shrubs of the desart that have no shelter from the raging storms of Death and Judgment when the tall Cedars of Liban are laid even with the ground Si Justus vix salvabitur Impius peccator ubi apâ—râ—bâ—nt 1 Pet. 4.3 18. If the Righteous scarcely be sav'd where shall the ungoldy and the Sinner appear who walk'd all his life in Lasciviousness Lust excess of Wine Revellings Banquetings and all abominable Idolatries what can be safe in Babylon when there is so strict a search made in Jerusalem SAVIOVR THou sayst well O man what will become of a Sinner indeed at the hour of death when I who am the spotless Lamb was seiz'd with so great an apprehension of it Tristis est anima mea usque ad mortem Mar. 14.34 that my Soul was sad even to death and terrifi'd to that degree that my body was all in a bloudy sweat But what will become of a Sinner when I shall appear to him who am to be not only his Judge but also a most irrefragable witness against him St. Augustin will tell thee he had rather suffer even the unspeakable torments of Hell Chrys hom 24. in Matth. then to behold the face of his angry Judge And St. Chrysostome declares it were better for Sinners to be struck with as many thunderbolts as the magazine of Heaven can afford then to see that countenance so meek and so full of sweetness heretofore altogether estrang'd from them at that most dreadful hour And if thou wilt give credit to the deposition of a learned Authour he will tell thee that even an Image which was only my representation on the Cross appear'd with such wrathful and incens'd eyes to a congregation of People that they all fell unto the ground senseless without any motion and that they cuntinued in that amazement several hours What a consternation then will Sinners be in when they shall behold not my Image which is at best but a dead figure but my self alive not in the humility of my Cross but seated on a Throne of Justice and Majesty not in a time of mercy but in the due season of a just vengeance not with naked hands pierc'd through with nails but arm'd against them with the Sword of Justice Thus I shall come to Judge and revenge the injuries which they have done unto me I am righteous in my Justice as I am in my mercy and as I have allotted a time for mercy so I will for Justice and as in this life the rigour of my justice is as it were repress'd and suspended so in that point of Death when the Sinners are to receive their final Sentence I will suffer it to break forth like an inundation and drown them all in the deluge of my indignation and wrath Imagine with thy self a great and rapid River that has had it's current violently stop'd these forty years Dan. 7. and now it were to have free passage what a condition the Country round about would be in with what a fury would it overrun the whole land and beat down all before it Citys Towns Villages Castles Trees Walls Houses Men Cattle and all without any resistance Thou knowst that my Prophet Daniel compares my Justice not to an ordinary River but to a River of fire to express the greatness and severity of it thou knowest likewise that the current of this River is frequently repress'd thirty forty years nay sometimes during the whole life of Man O what an infinite deal of
less admiration hadst thou dealt so rigorously with Angels that are spiritual creatures and of a far more eminent perfection then men can ever attain to To be so severe with poor man who lies groaning under the weight of so many predominant passions and such a number of evil inclinations which do wholly estrange him from the desire and practise of virtue To bring him I say to so strict an account of all his actions that thou wilt not pass by even the least idle word that ever he spoke nor the least moment of time that he has mispent O most gracious Saviour give me leave to tell thee that the rigour of thy Justice herein does transcend my admiration Amen amen dico vobis de omni verbo otioso quod locuti fuerint homines reddent rationem in die Judicij Mat. 12.36 and the more abundantly because I hear thy self say every Idle word that men shall speak they shall give an account thereof in the day of Judgement If that be so as without doubt it is what a rigourous account must be taken of all dishonest impertinent and scurrulous words what of lies and perjuries what of horrid and abominable oaths what of all hellish imprecations and blasphemys what of all wanton and lacivious thoughts and looks what of Adulterers murtherers and highway robbers In fine what a rigourous account must be given of the whole time of life spent in the works of iniquity All that the best of Orators is able to say of the severity and rigour of thy Judgment will be far short of what it will really be in that dreadful day of thy wrath nay it will not be so much as an empty shaddow to the substance of the matter O what a confusion poor man will be in when he must appear before thy dreadful Throne in the presence of that great assembly of all mankinde and give an exact account of the least idle word he had spoken at this or that time who would not be astonish'd and totally stupify'd at such a reckoning who would dare speak of it but that thou sayst it thy self or who would presume to affirm it but that thou dost thy self confirm it with an Amen Amen What King was ever heard of that call'd his Servants to question for so slite an offence as is an idle word O Christian Religion how sublime is thy perfection how great is the purity of minde which thou dost require of thy Professors how strict is the reckoning which thou dost exact from them and with what severity dost thou chastise even the very least of their evil actions how great will the shame and confusion of Sinners be when all the abominations and sins which they had committed even from their Cradle to the hour of their death were they never so privately acted so carefully conceal'd or so secretly kept shall be discover'd and laid open to the eyes of the whole world If we be so much asham'd to discover our imperfections to a Ghostly Father who is oblig'd to secresy under a penalty full as bad if not worse then that of death that sometimes we have not a word to say Osee 10. how excessive great will our shame be in thy presence O Lord and in the sight of all ages past present and to come O' it will be so intollerable that the wicked shall intreat even the Mountains to cover them and the hills to fall upon them Psal 89. They shall say with thy prophet We are dismay'd O Lord with thy wrath and troubled with thy fury but for what reason because thou hast set our wickedness before thee and hast plac'd them in thy sight 'T is true that in this life Sin does not appear so pernicious to our eyes which makes us be the less concern'd for it but at the instant of death when it shall shew it self with all its deformity Pereat dies inquo natus sum Job ibid. the very sight of it will confound us to such an exremity that we shall curse the day that ever we were born They seem in this life but light and trivial and that makes us not scruple them much but in the day of thy wrath O Lord we shall finde them heavy grevious and insupportable We know by experience that a piece of Timber tho' never so great when it floats in a deep water may be mov'd and drawn from place to place even by a Child we know likewise that the most part of it lies under the water and clear out of our sight but when it is brought upon dry land no less then half a dozen horses will suffice to bring it off then we may perceive perfectly the whole bulk of it 'T is even so with our Sins in the tempestuous Seas of this unstable and transitory life they are conceal'd from our eyes but in the hour of death in the day of Judgment we shall clearly discover their bulk number and weight and shall groan under so heavy and so unsupportable a burthen Then we shall finde a number of our actions which we thought very good to be most grievous Sins 't is therefore thou sayst by thy Prophet when I shall take a proper time then I will Judge Righteousness Who would imagine that the action of Oza 2 Reg. 6.6 when he upheld the Ark in danger of falling was an offence yet O Lord thou hast chastiz'd it as a great Sin with no less a punishment then that of a most disastrous death who would ever believe that Davids numbring of his People was an offence 2 Reg. 24.13 but rather an act of discretion and Policy yet thou hast punish'd him for it with a Pestilence never to be paralel'd 1 Reg. 15.18 Saul was urg'd by his approaching Enemies and by Samuel's long delay to offer Sacrifice this was an act of Religion which is the most heroick and greatest of virtues consequently he thought it should be most acceptable to thee and of force to obtain him a victory against his Foes yet it was a most grievous Sin in thy presence since for that alone thou hast reprov'd him degraded him from his Royal Dignity and cast him off as a lost Soul for an Eternity Achabs action might be look'd upon as the worthy product of a masculine spirit for what is more generous then to pardon an enemy and what can be more divine then to spare his life the chief ground of Davids promotion to the Crown and Scepter of Israel Diligite Inimicos vestros Mat. 5.44 Pater ignosce illis Luc. 23.34 was his Clemency to Saul moreover thou dost expresly command it thy self and thou hast also earnestly pray'd thy Eternal Father to pardon thine enemies Achab having conquer'd Benhadad King of Syria pardon'd him gave him his life and took him up to sit by him in his Royal Chariot yet this action which was so much prais'd and so extoll'd by men was so hainous so displeasing to thee that thou
Psal 10. and I shall cast them into a burning fire where they shall not subfist in their miseries nay I shall pour down vengence fire and sulphur upon them fire hail snow Ice and the Spirit of tempests shall be but a small part of their chalice This great misfortune of the wicked is perfectly represented by my beloved Disciple in his Revelations where he says Revel 18.1.2.5.6.7 After these things I saw another Angel come down from Heaven having great power and the Earth was lightn'd with his glory and he cry'd mightily with a strong voice saying Babylon the great is fallen is fallen and is become the habitation of Devils and receptacle of every foul Spirit and a Cage for every unclean and hateful Bird. Her Sins have reach'd unto Heaven and God has remembred her iniquities He shall reward her even as she rewarded him and double upon double unto her according to her works the Cup which she has fill'd he shall fill to her double How much she has glorifi'd her self and liv'd deliciously so much torment and sorrow he shall give her Her Plagues shall come in one day upon her death mourning and famine and she shall be utterly burnt with fire for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her After this a mighty Angel took up a stone like a great milstone and cast it into the Sea saying thus with violence shall that great City Babylon be thrown down and shall be never found more Thus the wicked which are understood by Babylon shall be cast into the precipice of hell into that dark Dungeon overwhelm'd with horror and all manner of confusion O what tongue is able to express the multitude of torments which they shall suffer there for an Eternity their bodies shall burn with living flames never to be extinguish'd their Souls without any intermission shall be gnawed with the worm of conscience which shall never give them the least respit of ease there they shall continue perpetually weeping sighing and gnashing their teeth without any hopes of goal-delivery In this woful place of despair those miserable damn'd wretches in a cruel fury full of rage will send forth their invectives against me and turn their anger against themselves devouring their own flesh tearing their bowels incessantly blaspheming me who had condemn'd them to those unspeakable torments There every one of that damn'd crew will curse his grand misfortune and the unhappy day of his birth always repeating that mournful lamentation of Job let the day perish wherein I was born Job 3. and the night in which it was said there is a man-child conceiv'd let that day be darkness let not God regard it from above neither let the light shine upon it Let darkness and the shaddow of death stain it let a cloud dwell upon it let the blackness of the day terrify it As for that night let darkness seize upon it let it not be joyn'd unto the days of the year let it not come into the number of the months let that night be solatary let no joyful voice come therein Let them curse it that curse the day who are ready to raise up their mourning let the Stars of the twilight thereof be dark let it look for light but have none neither let it see the dawning of the day Because it shut not the door of my Mother's womb nor hid sorrow from mine eyes Why died I not from the womb Why did I not give up the Ghost when I came out of the belly why did the knees prevent me or why the breasts that I should suck For now should I have lain still and been quiet I should have slept then had I been at rest This shall be the musick these the Canticles these will be the Morning and Evening prayers of the damn'd for ever MAN If it be so bad with the damn'd as without doubt it is being thou sayst it O Lord I think they have sufficient reason to curse eternally the day that ever they were born for as thou didst say of Judas foreseeing his treachery and his Damnation which was to ensue it were better he had never come into the world I think the same of those wretched Souls it were better they had perished in their Mothers wombs then to become by their own Sins the fatal object of thy just Indignation and wrath O most unfortunate Souls if it were lawful for me or in the least available to you I would commiserate your condition but your sentence can never be recall'd there you are lodg'd among so many Legions of Devils and there you are like to continue for an eternity O unfortunate tongues that bolt out nothing but blasphemies O unhappy Eyes that see nothing but miseries calamities and new found torments at every moment O sad Ears that hear nothing but horrid crys woful screeks mournful lamentations and constant gnashing of teeth O deplorable bodys that have no other refreshment then scorching flames Whilest you were dwellers in this world you spent all your time in vanities in sinful recreations and pleasures increasing your fortunes and heaping up of earthly treasures far from the least thought of heavenly things but see now what is the end of all your actions what an infinite deal of miseries you have brought upon your selves O foolish and infatuated wretches what does all your unlawful and transitory pleasures avail you now for which you are condemned unto everlasting sorrow and woe what is become of all your wealth where are your treasures what is the end of all your joys and comforts nothing but everlasting misery woe tribulations and sorrow This is well illustrated in holy writ by the great famine which came upon the People of Egypt and which continu'd for the space of seven years O what an extream grief was it unto them that they did not in the seven former years of abundance provide for the seven following years of Dearth they were like men in despair for loosing the benefit of so favourable an opportunity and were vehemently troubl'd in minde for their misfortune and negligence herein but alas their grief is not to be compar'd to that of the damn'd 't is no more then a shaddow that is compar'd with the truth For the Famine of Egypt lasted no longer then seven years but that of hell shall never be at an end there was a remedy found for that of Egypt tho' with vast expences but for this there is no remedy at all to be expected That was soon releiv'd by selling their Cattle and lands to Joseph but this can never be abated with any manner of exchange this punishment can never be recall'd this pain will never be diminish'd The People of Egypt after the seven years of Dearth were expir'd began a little to respire to wade out of their miseries but in hell alas the wicked shall never be quit of their misfortunes they shall never come to the least rest or ease they shall be both night and day
in torments and tortures and that for an Eternity If the People of Egypt fell into despair before the expiration of the seven years Ex Inferno nulla est redemptio Facilis Descensus Averni sed revocare gradum hoc opus hic labor est Varg. being sure of a relief soon after what despair will the wicked be in having an assurance from thy mouth O Lord that their miseries shall never have an end O what miserable and unfortunate wretches are we they will cry what time what powerful means what opportunities of working our eternal Salvation have we neglected The time was that with one cup of cold water we might have purchas'd unto our selves a Crown of glory we might by relieving the poor and other such like works of mercy have merritted life everlasting how great was our blindness our madness and folly to have neglected those favourable occasions of enriching our selves for ever and to suffer those fruitfull years of such great abundance to pass away without making any provision for our Souls Had we been brought up amongst Infidels and Pagans and believ'd that our Souls were mortal as well as our bodies that we were in the same Category with all brute animals whose souls do perish at once with their bodies we might have some kinde of excuse and plead that we knew nothing of what was commanded or what was forbidden by God but being brought up Christians and holding for an Article of our belief that the hour shall come wherein we must give a strict account of all our transactions to God we have been often told by Preachers and Teachers that the kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and that we could not attain to it otherways then by the pass-port of Mortifications and Pennance that it was our incumbent duty to depress our unruly Passions and never to be drawn away by our evil inclinations yet unfortunate Souls we were fondly perswaded that Heaven was for us without any pains at all that God was so merciful that he would not condemn our Souls to everlasting torments ' tho' we were never so wicked and therefore we have justly deserv'd that he should deal with us according to the full rigour of his Justice Come then ye Infernal Furies come and rend us in pieces come and devour our unchristian bowels for we have justly deserv'd to be so cruelly dealt with we have deserv'd to be hunger-starv'd for ever being we have neglected to provide for our selves while we had both the means the time and conveniency of doing it we deserve not to reap because we have not sown We deserve to fuffer want and misery being we never laid up any thing in store we often refused the poor and needy their humble and earnest request and therefore we deserve to be deny'd ours We often have clos'd ears to the sighs and groans of the poor and distress'd and therefore we deserve to sigh and lament for an eternity in vain We deserve that the worm of our conscience should gnaw our intrails for ever by representing unto us our criminal and transitory pleasures the great happiness which we have lost by them Erravimus a via veritatis Justitiae lumen non illuxit nobis Sol intelligentiae non est ortus nobis lassati sumus in via iniquitat's perditionis ambulavimus vias difficiles viam autem Domini ignoravimus Sap. 5.6 7 8. the unspeakable torments which we are to suffer for them and their long continuance which will be for an Eternity We err'd and wander'd from the ways of truth and the light of Justice was not with us nor did the Sun of Wisdom shine upon us We weari'd our selves in the ways of wickedness and perdition and walk'd in paths of difficulty and knew not the way of the Lord. What has our Pride profited us and what has the pomp of our Riches avail'd us all those things have pass'd like a shaddow or like a messenger who passes in hast or like a Ship which cuts the instable waves leaves no mark where it went even so we are now consum'd in our wickedness The cruel and bloudy Tyrants who have afflicted put to death thy holy Martyrs O Lord shall be troubl'd with horrible fear when they shall behold them whom they had so unhumanely treated in this life to be so highly honour'd in Heaven they shall wonder at their unexpected Salvation and say amongst themselves with great regret with much grief and anguish of Spirit These are the men who sometime were unto us matter of Scorn and laughter We insipid wretches imagin'd their life to be madness and that then end will be without nonour but behold how they are counted amongst the children of God and how their lot is amongst the Saints such will be the amazement of those mercenary Judges also who have trampl'd under foot the justice and right of thy poor servants on Earth when they shall behold them Judges in Heaven and themselves condemn'd to Hell-fire for their unjust Sentences Solomon's words verifies this Eccl. c. 3. 10. where he says I saw a great evil beneath the Sun that in the Throne of Judgement was Seated impiety and wickedness in the place of Justice And I said in my heart God shall Judge the good and evil and then shall be seen who every one is Here on Earth the wicked sometimes are exalted and the Godly depress'd but thou O Lord shalt in the day of thy visitation rectify those great disorders and grievances thou shalt Separate the wheat from the tares thoushalt place the good upon thy right hand elevated in the Air that all the world may honour and reverence them as being thy favourites whereas the wicked shall stand all in a confusion far off at thy left expecting their final Sentence and the immediate execution thereof O how they shall at that dreadful hour envy the happy state of the Just seeing them so much honour'd and themselves so much despis'd O how will the Potentates and crown'd heads of the Earth be astonish'd when they shall behold their Vassals in Glory their Slaves amongst the Angels and themselves in the same rank with the Devils O my Sweet Saviour St. Chrys hom 24. in Lucam Armabit omnum creaturam ad ultronem inimicorum pugnabit proâ—eo orbis terrarum contra insensatos what shall I think of my self what shall I say what shall I do or how shall I be able to excuse my self in that day of thy wrath when Heaven Earth Sun Moon Stars Night and Day together with all that is contain'd within the precincts of the whole world shall accuse me bear witness of all my evil and cry vengeance against me before thy dreadful Throne nay were they all silent mine own conscience shall fly in my face and accuse me of all my offences even of the least idle word that ever I have spoken Woe 's me then says St. Ambrose St. Ambr. in
ubertate Domus tuae torrente voluptatis tuae porabis eos Ps 35.9 shall be replenish'd with such unspeakable sweetness and pleasure that it may be really said the whole man is made to drink of the River of thy divine delights and made drunk with the abundance of thy most glorious and plentiful house The Seventh and last prerogative of a glorifi'd body is what the Divines call Perpetuity that is security of life which agrees well with that place of Scripture where 't is said the Just will live for ever and St. Paul avers Justi autem in perpetuum vivent Sap 5.16 Mors illi ultra non dominabitur Ro. 6.9 that Death has no more dominion over him And this is one of the chiefest prerogatives most excellent Dignities of a glorifi'd body for by the great benefit of this unspeakable favour he is free'd from all care all doubt all fear all danger all hurt all annoyance and all manner of accidents that may cross him or give any disturbance to his ever lasting peace and rest O how sweet will the fruit of a virtuous life be then to his palate how pleasant will all his mortifications and pennance all his persecutions and troubles all the wrongs and injuries all the aspersions calumnies which were heap'd upon him by his apparent enemies or by his counterfeit friends and which he willingly suffer'd for thy sake how pleasant I say they will appear to him and he to them how he will imbrace them as being instrumental to his everlasting settlement in Glory for tho' they seem'd bitter to him in this life yet in Heaven they will tast most sweet to him and he will think himself highly honour'd to have been so ill treated for Justice Sweet is the cool evening after the hot summers day sweet is the fountain to the weary Traveller sweet is the rest and sleep to the tir'd Servant but much more sweet is it to the Saints in Heaven to enjoy ease after their manifold troubles tranquility after their afflictions and crosses peace after their long tedious war Security after all their dangers and rest after all their pains and travels For then all their grievances are at an end then their Skirmishes and conflicts with their Enemies are laid aside there 's no more talk of them they lay down their Arms for ever and remain in peace The Children of Israel went forth arm'd towards the Land of promise Exod. 13. but when they had conquer'd it they laid down their Arms put off their Armour 3 Reg. 4. and forgetting all fear and the fatigues of War every one of them under the shaddow of his own Pavilion enjoy'd the sweet advantage of a delightful peace Now may the bodys of thy Saints Abac. 3. O Lord which have been wearied with continual watching take their rest Now may the watchful Prophet come down from the Sentinels place and take his sweet repose for ever Now may all those brave champions that fought so couragiously against the rage the violence and the craft of the Infernal Serpent lay down their warlike weapons and take their pleasures in as ample a manner as thy glorious Palace can afford without the least apprehension of any further disturbance or fear of any invasion from either the world the Flesh or the Devil There 's no place there for the subtle crafts of the lurking vipers nor for the sight of the deadly Basilisk neither shall the hissing of the ancient Serpent be heard there but only the soft breathing air of the Holy Ghost This is the Region of peace indeed and the only place of security scituated above all the Elements whereto the nauseous clouds and stormy winds of the dark air of the world can have no access Gloriosa dicta sunt de te civitas Dei Psa 86. O City of God what glorious things have been said of thee and no wonder for besides all that is written of the Majesty of thy King of the beauty and splendour of thy Inhabitants of the peace and union of their hearts of their unspeakable joy and comfort the very description which is given of thee is able to invite any one to be of the number of thy citizens for thy gates are wrought with Saphirs and Emeralds thy walls are built with precious Stones thy Streets are pav'd with white and polish'd marble thy houses are likewise adorn'd with precious Stones all lin'd through with Saphirs and cover'd above with massy gold The light that shines in thee proceeds neither of Lamps nor of the Moon nor yet of the refulgent Stars no 't is the light which issued from Light that gives lustre to thee Psa 103. 'T is thou O Lord that fills her with light for in the midst of her thou keepest thy continual residence and all the Saints do there reign with thee Psa 20. adorn'd with light which is their sumptuous apparel and bear Crowns of transparent gems and precious stones upon their heads O blessed Kingdom says St. Austin where thou art always present O Lord who art the hope of all Saints and the Diadem of their everlasting glory replenishing them with joy on every side so that in thy Realm O Lord there is infinite joy without Sadness health without sorrow life without labour light without darkness felicity without vexation all goodness without evil There Youth flourishes and never grows old Life knows no end beauty never fades love never cools health never diminishes joy never ceases There sorrow is never felt complaint is never heard matter of grief is never seen nor ill success is never fear'd because they enjoy thee O Lord whose glorious presence confers all these and many more blessings upon them O my Soul what a main happiness will it be to see that holy Lamb thâ—â— sweet Jesus thy gracious Redeemer invested with superexcellent Majesty Seated in his Chair of State If the three Eastern Kings undertook a long journey to Bethlehem and were so much overjoy'd when they found him tho' lying in a manger how great must their joy be now to see him triumphing in his glory If St. John the Baptist did leap with joy at his approaching towards him in his Mothers womb what an ocean of joy will now or'ewhelm his heart when he sees him face to face in his royal and eternal Kingdom O says the same Saint to be admitted into thy presence O Lord and to receive the beams of glory from the splendour of thy Majesty surpasses all other joy and felicity that the Saints possess in Heaven and were I to suffer torments every day yea and the very pains of Hell for a time thereby to gain thy vision in Heaven and to be united in glory to the number of thy Saints it were nothing to the greatness and excellency of the reward but alas how far am I from the feelings of this most learn'd and holy man I am like a Child that longs and crys for an
lay their hands on their breasts and examine their own life and conversation if they finde themselves to be good Christians upright honest in all their ways it shall be well with them in the hour of their Death for they shall eat the fruit of their well-doings but if they be viciously given and found void of all good works they must expect no better wellcome from me then an order to cut them all down with the Ax of Death and to cast them headlong into hell-fire Thou shalt finde several proofs to confirm this assertion in the first Sermon I preach'd immediately after I was baptiz'd there shalt thou hear me recommend Matth. 5.4 and extoll the great advantages of a virtuous life of Poverty Meekness Justice Purity Sorrow for Sin patience in suffering contempt of Riches forgiving of injuries Fasting Prayer Pennance Entring by the straight gate and also of perfection Holyness Integrity of life and conversation and of the exact fulfilling of every particular of my Heavenly Fathers Laws and Commandments There thou shalt hear me say I came not to the World to break the Law but to fulfill the same and whosoever shall offer to break the least of them and bring others either by his ill example or by his erroneous doctrine to do the like should have no place in the Kingdom of Heaven There thou mayst hear me say to all Christians except their Justice did exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees which was altogether in words and outward appearance they could not be saved That they might not serve two Masters in this life but either must forsake God or abandon Mammon That they should decline from false Prophets that usually come in sheep's clothing but are no better then ravenous Wolves in their hearts and that all men should seek to enter by the straight gate but the conclusion of my long Sermon is that the only sign and token of a good Tree is the good fruit which it bears and without this fruit let the Tree be never so fair or pleasant to the eye yet it is to be cut down and burnt that 't is not every one that shall cry Lord Lord at the last day shall be sav'd or enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but only such as did execute really and in Deeds the Will and commandments of my Father in this life Where is there any incouragement here for the wicked to delay their conversion or to put it off till the hour of death in hopes of a good Peccavi I see none for they are all most pressing motives to force them rather out of their iniquity into a virtuous and godly life To be the better convinc'd of this undeniable truth thou must know that life is a time and season of sowing and planting the seed of virtue and the bitter roots of mortifications and pennance and that Death is Harvest time to reap the main profit of that happy Seed and the wonderful sweetness of those bitter roots It 's therefore my Prophet speaking of the manifold tribulations and anguishes of the Just Euntes Ibant flebant mittentes semina sua venientes autem venient cum exultatione portantes manipulos suos Ps 126.6 Tromsijt mesus finita est aestas nos salvati non sumus Jer. 8.20 Non potest male mori qui bene vixit vix bene moritur qui male vixit Aug. Venite bene dicti Patris mei posside te paratum vobis regnum a constitutione mundi Matth. 25.34 says they were going on weeping and sowing the precious seed of their eternal Salvation and that without any doubt they shall come again rejoycing bringing their sheaves with them and my Prophet Jeremy declares how the wicked shall say in the hour of Death and with tears in their eyes the Harvest is past the Summer is ended and we are not sav'd This was the lamentation of the Jews seeing themselves oppress'd under the slavish and heavy yoak of the Caldeans without any hopes of being reliev'd but it may be likewise taken for the sad moan which the wicked shall make in the hour of Death seeing themselves void of all good works and groaning under the heavy weight of their evil actions then indeed they may cry the Summer is ended the time of our life is now expir'd wherein we might have gather'd a plentiful stock of all virtues and good works but We unfortunate Souls We have spent that precious season in all manner of vices and now that the Harvest is past we must appear naked as we are of all good works replenish'd with evil ones before a dreadful Judge to be sentenc'd to Eternal Death which We have justly deserv'd for abusing his mercy by flattering our selves with a good Peccavi at our last farewell to the World and to all its deceitful pleasures The Harvest is past the Summer is ended and we are not sav'd What can be more terrible How should any Man dare delay his conversion hearing these words and having as many Presidents hereof as there have been Sinners surpris'd by death even in the heat of their wickedness O ye Blessed Souls says St. Augustin who have spent your days in the constant practise of virtue still submissive to the Laws of God always obedient to his commands thirsting after righteousness and justice great lovers of mortification and pennance hear what comfortable news I bring you and what is that You cannot dye an ill death no 't is impossible Orabat scelestus ad Dominum ad quo non erat misericordiam con secuturus 2 Machab. 9.13 De Centum Millibus quorum maia fuit vita vix unus salvabitur Aug. for God will assist you in that dreadful hour and will receive your Souls at their departing your bodys into the perfect enjoyment of my everlasting Glory Whereas the wicked tho' they should make as great a shew of an apparent repentance as Antiochus did yet will they hardly come to a better end for of a hundred thousand that lead a bad life continually to the hour of death scarce one shall be sav'd says the same St. Augustin and his doctrine is grounded upon my words because I have call'd and ye refus'd I have stretch'd out my hand and no man regarded and as ye have made naught of all my Counsels and been deaf to my reproof I also will laugh at your Calamity I will mock when your fear comes When it comes as desolation and when your destruction comes as a Whirlwind when distress and anguish comes upon you then shall ye call upon me but I will not answer ye shall seek me early but ye shall not finde me because ye hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord. Prov. 1.24 They would not accept of my Counsel they despis'd all my reproofs therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way and be fill'd with their own devices The devout St. Bernard confirms this truth by two
similitudes whereof the first is that as a man could not be dead in Rome who never was in Rome so no man can dy in God who never was in God More bestiali incubuit terrenis more bestiali excedet terrenis Tert. no says Tertullian Freind thou hast led a life more like unto that of a Beast then of a Christian plundg'd over head and ears like a mould in terrene and sordid concerns Thou hast been in thy family as furious as a Lyon in thy behaviour as wild as a Boar in thy imployments as Subtle and as crafty as a Fox in Taverns and in Company as greedy as a Dog in thy conversation as silly Formr vivendi est norma moriendi Idem and as light-brain'd as a Hare therefore since thou hast constantly led the life of a Beast rather then that of a good Christian thou deserv'st to dye the death of a Beast 'T is a maxim receiv'd among ye that the Coppy must be like unto the Original what is life It 's an Original and what is Death It 's a Coppy why then such must be the Coppy as was the Original if the Original was a good and virtuous life the Coppy must be a penitent and Godly Death but if the Original was totally a Scandalous vicious and debauch'd life by all means the Coppy must be the death of a Reprobate Thou mayst be convinc'd hereof even by very nature for if thou speak'st aloud near any Rock or hollow-place the Eccho will sound distinctly every word thou hast said If I set the same Tertullian the question what is life he will answer that it is a voice and that death is the Eccho thereof then whatever the life pronounces death will repeat it If virtue virtue If vice vice If the fear of God the fear of God If the neglect of Salvation and the contempt of Gods Commands certainly death will repeat the self same thing so that it is the greatest folly in nature to lead a wicked life in expectation of a good Peccavi in the hour of death which is as seldom granted to such persons as a Phaenix is seen in the World There 's another maxim in great request among your Philosophers which I do mightily approve of by reason of it's truth that a part is of the same nature with the thing whereof it is a part Pars est ejusdem naturae cum toto cujus est pars Arist If I set St. Thomas the Question What is Life his answer will be that it is a compound of young and old days and that Death is the latter part thereof then it must be according to this undoubted maxim of the same nature with the Life If this was good and virtuous that must be the same but if it was a cursed and wicked Life even unto the last point Death must certainly be no better The second Similitude upon which St. Quo vero casura sit arbor ramos ejus attende unde major est copia Ramorum ponderosior inde casuram non dubites St. Ber. Video homines tanquam arbores ambulantes Mar. 8.24 Conteret Dominus scelestos simul peccatores Esai 1.28 Bernard grounds this truth is certainly very remarkable look says he upon a Tree when it 's cut and ready to drop down if thou wouldst fain know to what side it will fall take notice of its boughs and branches where thou seest them thicker and more inclin'd by their weight thou mayst very well conclude it will fall to that side What is Man the blinde man of the Gospel whom I had cur'd by putting my hands upon him looking up said I see Men as Trees walking If thou be'st desirous to know to what side will this Tree fall look upon his boughs and branches I mean his passions and inclinations if thou seest them altogether bent to good works and inclin'd to Devotion and virtue thou mayst reasonably conclude he will fall towards Heaven but if by their weight he is carried to evil and debauchery that man so blindly led by his unruly passions will undoubtedly fall upon the Rocks of Hell Tert. l. de vera falsa paeni there to be crush'd for an Eternity Tertullian speaks of two sorts of Death ordinary and extraordinary ordinary death he calls that which is occasion'd by sickness and by extraordinary he means that which comes by some sudden mischance or accident but whatever death the wicked dys of he is in a most evident danger to miss of his long expected Peccavi If he dies of the latter the case is very clear for it is grounded upon this warantable Axim of Philosophy In repentinis agimus Secundum habitum that is in things which happen of a sudden men act always according to the custom which they have acquir'd let it be good or bad Saul was a desperate and bloudy man how often did he attempt upon Davids life he was cruel to others he must be the same to himself for after loosing the battle and being not able to get off from his pursuing Enemies Sta super me Interfice me 2 Reg. 1.9 he commanded one of his Soldiers to run him through with his Lance and to make an end of his Life Who could be more proud more sanguinary and more ambitious of honour then was Abimelech for to be King of Israel He murther'd all his Brethren which were in number threescore and ten whereat his Father Jerubbaal took so much grief that he soon after died Evagina gladium tuum percute me ne forte dicatur quâ—d a Faemina interfectus sim Jud. 9.54 what dost thou think will be the end of this so cruel a Prince will he cry Peccavi in the hour of his death believe me 't will be far from his thoughts He went to besiege the strong City of Thebes and after he had taken it he beset the Tower where most part of the Citizens were retir'd for security but he boldly went to set fire to the gate thereof a Woman taking notice of him cast a piece of milstone upon his head brake his Skull whereupon he call'd hastily unto the young Man his Armour-bearer and said unto him draw thy sword slay me that men say not of me a Woman slew him and his young Man thrust him through with his weapon and he died Julian the Apostate acted much like him for he aim'd at an Empire and to come to it he thought it the best way to feign himself a friend to the Christians so that he appear'd to them most zealous for Christianity and pretended to further the increase thereof were he in the power of doing it which made the Christians to use all means to promote him to the Empire but no sooner was he invested with that imperial dignity than he began to discover what he was to them in his heart for none was ever so great an enemy to my name or shew'd so great an abhorrence
pedibus ejus over boves universns insuper peccora Campi Volucres Coeli Pisces maris Psa 8.8 and the Stars have their being from thee O Lord upon our account it was meerly for our sake thou hast created them It was for our love thou hast brought out of nothing what wonders of nature we see dayly before our eyes that so great and so beautiful a diversity of odoriferous flowers of sweet herbs of delicate fruit of fine Trees and all other varieties which the Earth produces It was by thy orders and for our entertainment and comfort Do we not see how the Corn grows for to feed us how the wool encreases for our cloathing and all Beasts are left to our disposing thou hast also order'd the very Rocks to open their bosoms and refresh us with their Springs and not only the Earth supplys us with all it's productions but also all other Elements are so many store-houses to supply our wants the Sea the Rivers Brooks have orders from thee to supply us with fish the Air with fowl and the fire with heat Nay the very Angels have their understanding from thee with that obligation to preserve and protect us from all disasters both at home and abroad Angelis suis mandavit de te ut custodiant te in omnibus vijs tuis Psa 90.13 If patience be a trial of love where shall we finde so great an example of that heavenly virtue as thou hast shown to the World in thy most bloody passion and cruel death for us poor miserable and wretched Sinners and also in thy most gracious for bearance with us as often as we transgress thy Laws and rebell against thy self If a King after his Vassals had a thousand times attempted to murther him should not only pardon them but also continue still to heap his favours treasures upon them Rursum crucifigertes Christum in Cordibus vestris Heb. 6 6. certainly We would conclude that his love for them was excessive great what ought We then to say of thy love O Lord who sufferest us incessantly to crucify thee our Creatour our Redeemer and glorious King yet thou art still silent and the excess of thy love sets a stop to the current of thy Justice O Lord says the Prophet royal what is man that thou art mindeful of him but I may add Lord Quid est homo quod memor es ejus Ps 8.5 what is man that the Holy Trinity must have so great a love for him The Eternal Father delivers up into the hands of his mortal enemies his only and dearly beloved Son to suffer the most bitter death of the Cross for our Redemption The Son leaves unto us his Real Body and Blood under the species of Bread and Wine to comfort and strengthen our Souls against all the temptations and snares of the Devil and the Father and the Son together send us the Holy Ghost by whose grace We are made partakers of thy divine nature Divinae narurae consortes efficimur 2 Pet. 1.4 can there be imagin'd a more intense more real or more tender love then this If the right payment of love must be love and that in an equal measure too how shall we be able to requite thy love it 's altogether out of our power unless thou wilt be pleas'd to accept of our offer to have no more love but for thee no will but thine and to requite thy great love with an ardent love hereafter for all good works and a virtuous life for thou art not content we should only love thee with our tongues no thou dost reprehend those who cry unto thee Lord Lord and do not what thou commandest We must therefore love thee in all fincerity we must suffer for thee and make thee partake of all what we have that is good or may be pleasing unto thee We must love thee truly who so much loved us we must resolve to trample the world under our feet and also if occasion be to lose honour wealth and pleasures rather then decline from thy love but that we may the better perform our resolution let us know from thee O Lord what the World is and how dangerous it is to bestow our affections upon it SAVIOVR O Man thou must never repute him happy that depends upon the World for his happiness for nothing can be more preposterous then to place the good of a reasonable Creature in unreasonable things and yet as it is a common mistake to account those necessary that are superfluous so it is altogether as common with men to depend upon the World for the felicity of life which arises only from virtue There is no trusting to its smiles no more then there is to a calme at Sea which will swell and rage in a moment so that the Ships are swallow'd up at night in the very place where they sported themselves in the morning The world has the same power over Princes that it has over Empires over Nations that it has over Cities and the same power over Cities that it has over private men Where 's that Estate that may not be follow'd upon the heel with Famine and Beggery That Dignity which the next moment may not be laid in the dust that Kingdom that is secure from desolation and ruine The burning of Lyons may serve as a President to shew that nothing can be safe or stable in this World it may likewise teach men to stand upon their guard and arm themselves against all surprises The terror of it must needs be great for the calamity is almost without example If it had been fir'd by an Enemy the flame would have left some farther mischief to be done by the Soldiers but to be wholly consum'd was a prodigious accident and perhaps an Earthquake so pernicious as that was never heard of so many rarities to be destroy'd in one night and in a profound peace to suffer an outrage beyond the extremity of war who would believe it but twelve hours betwixt of fair a City and none at all It was laid in ashes in less time then it would require to tell the story That the Inhabitants should stand unshaken in such a calamity is hardly to be expected and their wonder could not but be equal to their grief This dismal accident should teach all men to provide against the possibilities that fall within the Power of so cruel an Enemy as is the World for this Tyrant having all external things under his dominion will sometimes smile at poor Silly Mortals invite them to tast of his pleasures and another while he will turn them off with a frown and destroy them with mischiefs whereof they are to seek for the Author No time place or condition is excepted from his Tyranny he makes their very pleasures painful to them and makes War upon them in the depth of Peace he turns the means of their Security into an occasion of fear he turns
he will tell us that a vain man is no better then a wind-mil for he will run on if he be prais'd but if he feels not the gale of a popular applause to blow up his Sails he is presently daunted quite out of heart no more will the windmil grinde nor make any meal but according as the blast shall hold favourable blow into its ribbs Dan. 31. so that I may very well compare him to the Babilonians who with a little sweet mufick were made to adore any thing whatsoever 'T is therefore I believe that Holy Scripture says As Silver is tried in the fire by blowing it so is a vain man tried in the mouth of him that praises and the similitude is very true for as Silver if it be good suffers no detriment thereby but if it be otherwise it goes off like a shaddow and leaves nothing behinde it but nasty dross It 's even so with a vain man he is overjoy'd when he is prais'd but if he hears nothing said to his commendation he is heart-sick How many have we seen put beside themselves with joy of their praises and afterwards brought down with a contrary winde of contempt and driven even upon the very borders of despair how many do we see dayly extoll'd in their Sins and cry'd up in their wickedness how many palpable and intollerable flatteries do we hear both us'd and accepted of dayly for I see none give it a repulse as David did Away says he with this Oil and Ointment of Sinners let it not come upon my head We are all created for Heaven and why should we not rather imitate the Citizens thereof then those of this World that are so much enamour'd with it's vanities and so far ingag'd in the follys thereof The Angels and Saints seek for no honour to themselves but leave all to God and shall We poor silly wretches desire so ardently to be glorifi'd for what Psa 9. is it for our dignities for our honours for our vast Estates These I must confess are great matters in the fight of silly Mortals they are Jewels of an extraordinary price and to purchase them they don't scruple to lay down even their Souls in exchange to the Devil for them the Christians in Jewry were so much enamour'd with them Joan. 11. Toan 19. that they would not confess thee O Lord in publick nor make open profession of thy Faith This brought an everlasting remorse upon Pilate's injustice Act. 26. for tho' he knew thou wert innocent yet to keep in favour with the Jews and to continue his place under Caesar he condemn'd thee to dy the death even of the greatest Malefactours Agrippa and Festus were convinc'd of th'integrity and truth of St. Paul's doctrine yet these Remora's diverted them from making profession thereof And does not the same consideration withhold Millions of Souls in this corrupt Age we live in from embracing the means of working their Eternall Salvation O! Nollite esse Pueri sensibus 1 Cor. 14. says St. Paul to such silly Souls be you not Children in understanding and why because it is usual with children to set a far greater value upon a painted table then upon a precious Jewel what are all the honours dignities and treasures of this world but painted stuff acquir'd with a deal of labour preserv'd with abundance of fear and care and lost with as much grief and sorrow I remember in my own days that Monsieur Fouket the greatest Favourite the King of France had was invested with the chiefest honours and dignities that a subject could pretend to and his heart was so swel'd up with Pride that he choos'd for a motte Quo non Ascendam but I remember also that all his ambition and glory vanish'd in one night for the King being inform'd of his design to make bimself absolute Master of the Isle of Rae seiz'd upon his earthly substance both at home and abroad and condemn'd his Person to a Prison during his life whereupon this Jest was made of him and writ under his Coat of Arms Quo non descendam for certainly it was a prodigious toss to be thrown down from the height of prosperity to the depth of Adversity and in one night Now let us consider any state or dignity that we most affect and reason thus many have already mounted up so high but they were forc'd to descend again by the appointment either of Death or of Fortune and which was the greater either the joy of getting or the sorrow in loosing it where are now all those Emperours Potentes potenter tormenta patientur Sap. 6.7 those Kings those Princes those Popes and Prelates who rejoyc'd so much in their days at their own advancement There 's not a word of them now they are clear out of mens memory long since rotten in their graves Now every mecanick fellow may boldly walk over their heads whose faces heretofore might not be seen without a ticket for admittance into their inner chamber of Presence and what does their dignities avail them now only that they are the more taken notice of in Hell if they be gone down so low and the far more tormented by the Devils I can't better compare the vanity of this World then to a mans own shaddow which the more he runs after Omnia arbitror ut stercora ut Christum lucrifaciam Phil. 3.8 the more it flies from him but if he flies from it it will approach him the only way to catch it is to fall down on the ground upon it So We see that those who gap'd after honour in this World are now so far from having any honour exhibited to their Persons that their very memory is clear out of date whereas those who have most fled from it and have debas'd themselves to the very lowest degree of mankinde through an excess of humility are now the most honour'd even by those that were their enemies in this life St. Paul made no more of the World and of all its honours and treasures then of common dung and who is more honour'd now then he even in this World who is more commended and remember'd in this life then he and all others that have follow'd his examples We may conclude by this what a main folly it is to have so great an estimate for worldly honours as to endanger our Souls in the vain and foolish pursuit of them There are several other vanitys in the World which do entangle the poor Children of Adam in a thousand follys which are so many baits the Devil flings among them to draw their Souls into his most dark and dreadful Dominion Some will value themselves upon the antiquity of their Familys some upon their Wisdome others upon their beauty and rich apparel c. most gracious Saviour thou hast copiously instructed me hitherto in all matters relating to my Salvation as far as I have propos'd I hope thou wilt be mercifully pleas'd to
Saints to be a perfect madness but now our eyes are open'd to see that they were the wise men indeed and We the only fools I can say no less of corporal Beauty Prov. 31. for it is vain and the grace of a fair countenance is deceivable 'T is the fatal cause of the loss and utter destruction of many Millions of Souls it was the vain complacency that Lucifer took in his fading beauty which gave him that irrecoverable overthrow from the height of Heaven to the bottomless pit of Hell hear how my Prophet speaks to him how art thou fallen from Heaven Isa 14.12 O Lucifer Sun of the morning How art thou cast down to the ground which didst weaken the Nations for thou hast said in thine heart I will ascend into Heaven I will exalt my Throne above the Stars of God I will sit also upon the Mount of the Congregation in the sides of the North. I will ascend above the height of the Clouds I will be like the most High Yet thou shalt be brought down to Hell to the sides of the Pit They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee and consider thee saying is this the Angel of light far surpassing that of the Stars whose beauty did exceed that of all other Angels but alas it is now chang'd into deformity far greater then that of all the Devils in Hell This gave occasion of David's most humble request to me turn away my eyes O Lord that they behold not vanity 'T is a singular vanity indeed which is both dangerous and deceitful O! had mortals duly consider'd what infinite ruines and destructions beauty has caus'd in the World Psa 4. Psa 118. Favus distillans labiam erecricis ne attendas fallaciae ejus longe fac a muliere viam tuam ne appropinques foribus domus ejus Noviffima autem illius amara sunt quasi absynthiam accuta quasi gladius biceps c. Pr. 5.3.4.8 they would be altogether of David's mind and fly from it as from the aspect of a most poisonous Serpent Was it not the beauty of the fair Helena that laid the famous Troy in ashes and put the pious Eneas to the strait of carrying his old Father Anchises upon his shoulders through the flames did not the most valiant Champions of their Age Hector and Achilles dy upon the same account were not all the Inhabitants of that unfortunate Citty Men Women and Children kill'd and most barbarously cut in peices by the Grecians to take a full revenge for the affront which Paris had done to their King by taking his Queen away I might have produc'd as many Presidents of this nature as would be sufficient to fill a larger volume then this but for brevities sake I will only lay down before thee this single consideration how many Souls are dayly hurri'd headlong to Hell for doting upon this fading and deceitful Beauty how many challenges and Duels how many Jealousies and private animosities how many Strifes and great uprores about this and that other beauty and all this noise is but for a painted Snake so the holy Fathers call it which is fair without and inwardly replenish'd with mortal poison add to this the remedy which a most learn'd Doctour prescribes against the temptation of a beautiful Woman consider says he what foul dross lys under that fair Skin for when the fairest face in the world is either scratch'd or scar'd it will be rather a subject of contempt then of any love An Ague of some four or five days will bring a great alteration upon the fairest beauty but half an hours absence of the Soul from the body will make the loveliest face that ever was a most hideous and frightful sight to be look'd upon Issabella Clara was the rarest beauty of her Age but when she dy'd and was in her coffin but two days one of the Grandees of Spain that esteem'd very much her beauty when living desir'd to have a prospect of her face which was then the ngliest that ever man could behold all cover'd with worms and two ill-shap'd ones starting out of her eyes this indeed made the good Nobleman with no less horrour then admiration to utter these words haec ne est illa Issabella Clara is this that fair Issabella whose resplendent beauty had ravish'd the hearts and dazi'd the eyes of all her beholders adieu then to the World and all its vanities this was a Christian Resolution and worthy to be taken notice of by all those who bestow so much labour in procuring or preserving their corporal beauty as tho' all their happiness consisted therein nay many are detain'd even by that only consideration from taking a resolution to serve me so that this precious Jewel as they call it is a great obstacle to their Salvation as it is often the fatal Subject of many a poor creatures eternal damnation But the basest of all Prostitutes are those that dedicate themselves wholly to the extravagance of Embroiderys rich Apparel Paint Gen. 3. Wash Patches perfumes Tire-women c. They have pass'd even the limits of Nature for if Adam had never fallen Men and Women should never have known what belong'd to Apparel It is only a conveniency devis'd to cover the shame of nakedness and other infirmities contracted by his dismal overthrow They are lash'd out into superfluities insomuch that it is now adays only for Beggars and Clowns to content themselves with what is sufficient Their Luxury makes them Insolent and mad They take upon themselves like Princes and Queens and will fly out for every trifle as if there were life death in the case What a madness is it for a man to lay out an Estate upon a Table or a Cabinet a hundred pound for a pair of pendants to his Lady and a far greater Sum for garments that will neither defend her body nor her modesty so thin that one would make a conscience of swearing she were not naked This is the common distemper of all mankind for they take pride and glory in apparel which is as much as if a Begger should glory and take pride in his old clouts that do cover his sores St. Paul seems to be avers'd to this Superfluity of apparel for writing to his Disciple Timothy and setting down a Rule whereby Christians should order their lives Habâ—â—tes autem alimenta quibus tegamur his contenti fimus 1 Tim. 6.8 he says if we have wherewithal to cover our selves let us be content my very dictates and the holy maxims with the rare examples which I have left unto all mortals should condemn their nicety and variety of apparel for I was pleas'd to be content with one only garment during the whole course of my mortal life without Shoes Stockins or a Hat nor even a shirt to my back not for any want for I might have had all the most precious ornaments of the World to adorn my body Qui
a horse we take off his cloths and his trappings and examin his shape and body for fear of being cozen'd And shall we put an estimate upon a man for being set off by his fortune and quality nay if we see any thing of ornament about him we are to suspect him the more for some infirmity under it He that is content in Poverty would not be so neither in Plenty for the fault is not in the thing but in the minde It 's therefore thy Apostle writing to Timothy says command the Rich of this World not to be high-minded nor place their considence in the uncertainty of their Riches Divitibus hujus mundi praecipe non sublime sapere neque sperare in incerto divitiarum 1 Tim. 17. Non proderunt divitiae indie ultionis Pro. 11.4 Divitiarumjactantia quid nobis contulit Sap. 5. Dormierunt somnum suum nihil in venerunt omnes viri divitiarum in manibus suis Psa 75.6 and the ground of his Precept is that Riches shall not profit a man in the day of revenge nor rescue him from the rigour of thy Justice in the day of his death if his sins have put him out of thy favour this the wicked Rich themselves confess tho' too late being already condemn'd to live in torments for an Eternity what has the bravery of our Riches avail'd us nothing at all but have rather increas'd our misery because we made thereof our Gods upon Earth tho' we were often told of their vanity and how they could never afford their Masters any comfort or ease when they were in most need of their help The Royal Prophet seems to commiserate their deplorable condition where he says Alas the Rich men have slept out their sleep and have found nothing in their hands People in their sleep will dream of Mountains of Gold and Silver and think themselves rich for ever but when they awake they finde they are altogether in as bare a condition as before this is the case with the rich whilst they are in this life they do imagine themselves Rich for ever and that their vast treasures will bear them up in all necessitys that shall occur but when they open their eyes in the hour of death they see then that they must depart for another World with as little provision as the poorest beggar in nature I can't but smile to hear the Prophet Baruch laugh at such People where are they now says he those great Estated men those mercenary Judges those deluding Lawyers those flie Attornys those greedy and covetous Merchants those insatiable Usurers that heap'd up such a vast deal of gold silver and that never desisted gathering together Alas they are rooted out of the World cast down into Hell-sire And therefore says St James now ye rich men weep and wail Jacob. 5.1 2 3. c. and howl for your miseries that come upon you now your riches are rotten and your gold and silver is rusty and the rust thereof shall be in testimony against you It shall feed upon your flesh as if it were fire you have hoorded up wrath to your own selves in the last day Tho' he is an Apostle that speaks yet his words are the very dictates of the holy Ghost whereby we may easily conceive the dangerous consequence of worldly wealth and the main folly of them that labour so much to procure the same by injustice and other indirect means and when they are masters of them do not imploy them to the advantage of their Souls but lay out all to support their grandeur and satisfy their Lust I am certain that if an Assembly of the most able physitians of the World had met to determine whether such or such meats were dangerous to feed upon and that they should all conclude they were absolute poyson to the body few or none at all would hazard his health to eat thereof tho' otherwise in sight smell and tast they appear'd sweet and most pleasant And shall not the unanimous votes of all the Saints in Heaven and of all the Catholike Doctors on Earth together with thy most holy and urgent admonitions O Lord be able to remove the disordinate love which mortals bear to this most dangerous Soul-killing vanity Thou sayst by thy Prophet to all mankind Divitiae si affluant nolite cor apponere Psa 61. Qui diligit aurum non justificabitur Eccl. 31. Zacha. 1. set not your hearts upon the love of Riches and why the wise make them this answer because whoever loves Gold that is beyond the precept shall never be justifi'd and thou sayst thy self that thy indignation and wrath shall fall very heavy upon rich nations There 's nothing so often repeated in Scripture as a Woe to the Rich and thou dost confirm it thy self with that usual affirmation Amen Amen I say unto you that a Rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 19. What an extream folly it is then to seek so much after so poisonous a bait as are Earthly Riches which may perhaps afford some little comfort to their owners in this World but with an absolute exclusion from the everlasting pleasures of thy kingdom Woe be to you Rich men for that you have receiv'd your consolation in this life so that in the other you are not to expect any Sad news indeed for the Rich and able to settle in their hearts a perpetual abhorrence against so fatal an enemy to the Salvation of their Souls This expression I fear will not at all rellish with many of our Worldlings who account Riches to be their dearest and only Friend nay had I said their God it would not be contrary to truth for their hearts are more enamour'd with them then they are with thee O Lord tho' thou hast deposited thy sweet life to ransom their Souls from the power of Hell Qui volunt divites fieri incident in tettuionem in laqueum Diaboli defideria malta inutilia nociva quae mergunt homines in interitum perdidonem 1 Tim. 6.9 and Death everlasting And yet if St. Paul may be credited they are grosly mistaken and wide from the mark they aim at for where they expect their consolation and pleasure they meet with their eternal destruction and sorrow for He says that they which will be rich do fall into temptations and into the Snares of Satan as also into many unprofitable hurtful desires which do drown them in the Abiss of destruction and Woe Their main objection to this doctrine is what shall become of our Wives and Children if we be not careful to provide a maintenance for them that they may live in the World with as much splendour as the dignity of their condition requires But the Wife man gives them a satisfactory answer in my minde and a notable check to boot for he calls them fools and besides he tells them in plain terms that their great care
such a thing may be expected in this World But all those calamities I now have mention'd are common as well to the good as to the bad Lassati sumus in via iniquitatis perditionis ambulavimus vias difficiles viam autem domini ignoravimus Sap. 5. because they both sail in the same Sea and are both likewise expos'd to the self-same fortune yet I can demonstrate many other miseries which are peculiar to the wicked alone and these are not improperly term'd the Daughters of iniquity whose description will be much to our present purpose because they render the life of the wicked most abominable and their body and minde both subject to a multitude of miseries Hear what they themselves do confess of them Alas say they we have wearied our selves in the way of iniquity and perdition We have walk'd in most difficult and sinister paths during our whole lives for We know nothing of the way of the Lord by this their own discourse we may very well conclude that even as the Just enjoy a kind of Paradise here upon Earth and do expect a far more happy one in the other life so the wicked have in this World their Hell to which a far more intollerable shall succeed in th' other for evil Consciences proceed from Hell without doubt and they steer their course directly to the same Haven where they shall be tormented eternally And their products have proportionable evils deriv'd from several causes some of them are the effects of thy Justice O Lord for thou art a most just Judge in all thy proceedings sometimes thou dost order the sin to be punish'd as soon as committed and tho' thou dost usually reserve the punishment thereof to the other life yet the wicked are very often afflicted even in this life for the same 'T is most certain that as thou dost govern the whole World with a general providence thou dost also moderate every particular therein with a peculiar Providence so that as the number of our Sins does increase our Punishments shall be multipli'd to the same degree This we know by our many and fatal experiences for what were all our disasters hitherto as so many Revolutions of Government such vast alterations and changes in matters of State and Religion the various fortune of so many Kings and Princes Such horrid disloialty in Subjects to their lawful Sovereigns so many stupendious and destructive Famines and Conflagrations such inhumane and bloudy Wars so many pestilential Distempers such cruel Murthers so many private and publick dissentions and jars They were certainly the just punishments of our manifold and most grevious offences to make good what I say that the punishment immediately follows the sin I produce what thou O Lord saidst to Cain for a confirmation Nonne si bene egeris recipies si autem male statim in foribus peccatum aderit Gen. 7. Deut. 7. If thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted but If thou dost ill Sin lieth at thy door that is to say the pain and punishment of the Sin is at hand and Moises in thy name says as much to the People of Israel know then that the Lord thy God he is God the faithful God which keeps Covenant and Mercy with them that love him and keep his Commandments to a thousand Generations and repays them that hate him to their face to destroy them He will not be slack to him that hates him he will repay him to his face This word Statim so often repeated in Scripture and which signifies a quick return assures me that besides the punishments thon hast reserv'd for the wicked in th' other World thou hast also some in store whereby to chastise them even in this life immediately after the transgression of thy Law So that as often as they fall into Sin so often they feel the heavy weight of thy just indignation they are tost from one misery into another from one tribulation they fall into another this day brought to the bar for their misdemeanours to morrow condemn'd to dye and the next day shamefully put to death without making any reflection upon what might be the fatal cause of their great misfortune For they do not believe the goods of nature to be thy benefits and consequently not deserving their thanksgiving for them neither do they impute their punishment to thy Wrath nor as laid upon them by thy appointment and this blindness it is which prevents the amendment of their lives If there were no other evil in the World then the afflictions and miseries which attend our bodys it were not so much to be hated neither should our fear be so great to trade and converse therein but seeing our correspondence and freedom with it is so pernicions to our Souls also which ought to be the subject of our greatest care as being the principal part of our essence Pluet super peccatores laqueos Psal 10.6 and a precious depositum whereof We must give a strict account to thee O Lord We are necessarily in all reason oblig'd to estrange our selves from it and more especially for fear to be intangl'd in its Snares which are so numerous that the Prophet says of thee upon the wicked thon shalt rain Snares O what an unspeakable number of snares must be in the world then since they are compared to the drops of Rain that fall from Heaven and they must fall upon Sinners too because they of all men have the least care of their hearts of their senses and consciences they are the least solicitons to avoid the occasions of Sin and the least concern'd for Spiritual Remedys so that being intimately acquainted with the World they can't avoid falling into these Snares which come like Rain upon Sinners O Lord thou dost pour down Snares upon Youth Snares upon old Age there are Snares in every state and condition Snares in Riches Snares in Poverty Snares in Honours Snares in opprobrys Snares in Frindship Snares in the Society of Men as well as in the company of Women Snares in the Solitary Wilderness Snares in Prosperity Snares in Adversity Snares in all our senses In fine the Prophet crys out Snares upon all the Inhabitants of the Earth O Lord hadst thou vouchsaf'd to open our eyes as thou didst those of blessed St. Anthony Athanas. in vita St. Antony We should see how the whole World is spread over with Snares and so close that they touch one another and we would also admire as he did that any one should escape what wonder is it then that so many Souls should perish dayly and that St. Bernard should fay of ten Souls that flote upon the tempestious Sea of this World scarce one shall be fav'd and who shall not hate so dangerous a World who should not fear to live in so dreadful a place who will not strive with all his might and skill to avoid those Snares who will dare go bare-foot among so many Serpents
Lord are constantly fix'd upon those that fear him there 's not a step they go nor an action they do nor a word they speak but he takes an account of He is the powerful Protector of the godly the upholder of the virtuous the Defender of the zealous a comfort to the afflicted a refuge to the Just from the Scorching heat of Lust and all other vices a Preserver from all mortal offences their main help in all their adversitys exalting their Souls illuminating their eyes giving them life health and his everlasting blessings O how many kinds of employments do I take upon me for the welfare and preservation of man Apud Dominum gressus hominis dirigentur viam ejus volet cum ceciderit non collidetur quia Dominus supponit manum suam Psal 36.23 24. The Prophet Royal gives me another office which ought mightily to encourage all Christians to put themselves intirely under my protection which likewise adds very much lustre to my divine love for my faithful and loving Servants The steps of a good man says he are order'd by the Lord and he delights in his way Tho' he should fall he shall not be utterly cast down for the Lord upholds him with his hand Consider seriously this amourous expression see what hurt can come to a man that falls upon so sweet and easy and so gracious a cushion as are my sacred hands none at all for I will preserve them so carefully that not even the least harm shall come upon 'em and if any should be so peremptory as to afflict or wrong any that is under my protection I shall take it for an injury done to my self Qui vos tangit tangit pupillam oculi mei Zacha. 2. for He that touches them touches the apple of mine eye Certainly this special care I take to protect the Righteous is a most convincing argument of my great love for them and the command I lay upon my Angels to keep and preserve them in all their ways is altogether as great a proof of my tender kindeness and especially Psal 90. the strict charge I give them to bear men up in their hands lest they should dash their feet against the Stones O Man consider how highly the Righteous are honour'd by me in that I have appointed my Angelical Spirits to bear them up in their Arms What Pope what Emperour what Monarch in the World was ever so well supported Beasts or Mens shoulders at most are enough to carry them but my Angels from Heaven are order'd to bear my Children even in their hands wherever they goe It 's usual with Elder-Brothers if they be not of a moross nature indeed to carry their younger-Brothers in their arms when they are not able to go themselves and this kindness my Angels do faithfully perform to the just as being their Elder Brothers not only in their life time but also in their death as thou mayst read in Scripture Luc. 16. Psal 33. where Lazarus after he died was carri'd by the hands of Angels into Abraham's bosom And my Prophet avers that they surround the Righteous in this life lest any hurt should befal them from any side and I keep a vigilant eye over them my self that no evil may annoy them In fine they shall tread upon the Lion Psa 91.13 14 15 16. and Adder The young Lion and the Dragon shall they trample under their feet because they have fixed their love upon me therefore will I deliver them I will set them on high because they have known my name They shall call upon me and I will answer them I will be with them in all their troubles I will also deliver them and honour them too I will bless them with a long life and shew them my Salvation at the hour of their death When the King of Syria came with a numerous Army to take my Prophet Eliseus Prisoner his Servant felt so great an Agony of trembling and was so terrify'd at the sight of so dreadful a power 4 Reg. 6.17 that my Prophet pray'd heartily I should open his eyes to let him see the far greater number of Angels which were on his side to beat down that vast multitude which came to annoy him whereupon the Servant was animated and seem'd to dare his Adversaries or at least to make slight of them had I open'd thine eyes likewise and set thee the question what dost thou see in Sunamite that is my Church or every Soul that lives in the state of Grace thou wouldst answer I see great Armies of Angels on every side of her O what a puissant Guard is this sure there 's no danger of any disaster falling upon my faithful Servants whilst they are so extraordinary well protected Quid videbis in sunamite nisi choros castrorum Cant. 7. Solomon's Couch was environed with sixty Men of the Strongest and stoutest of all Israel with their drawn Swords in their hands and were all expert in Martial discipline each one well Arm'd at all points for fear of any nocturnal incursions Cant. 3. or insurrections This is only a figure but a perfect representative of the great care which I take to preserve protect the Righteous otherwise how could they being conceiv'd in sin living in a frail corrupt flesh prone to all evil among so many snares and powerfull allurements to evil pass over as many years without the least mortal Sin this is the wonderful effect and chief benefit of my Divine Providence and Protection which is so extraordinary great that it does not only preserve them from evil but changes the very evil which they had carelesly committed into a subject of greater good Diligentibus Deum omnia cooperantur in bonum Rom. 8.28 because that by this little stumble they got they become more wary more humble and more thankful to me who have withdrawn them from so great a danger and forgiven them an offence against my infinite Majesty This was an occasion of St. Pauls saying Diligentibus deum omnia cooperantur in bonum Rom. 8.28 We know all things work together for good to them that love God If this great favour be worthy of all Mens admiration how much more astonishing will it be that I shew this great Mercy not only to my beloved Servants but also to their Children and to their Children's Children after them as I do solemnly declare in these words I the Lord thy God am a jealous God Exod. 20.5 visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the third and fourth Generation of them that hate me and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my Commandments David is a sufficient President hereof for I did not reject his Children for many Ages and tho' their sins have often deserv'd my abandoning them yet I had patience with them for the love and esteem I bare to David their worthy Father and my faithful Servant When
the only keeper of our integrity nay says St. Ambrose St. Ambr. de Virg. thou art all things unto us if we be wounded thou art a Physitian to cure us if We be in a Feverish heat thou art a fountain to quench our drought if We be laden with iniquity thou art the Lamb that came from heaven to take away the Sins of the World if We be in need of help thou art of an omnipotent power and thou hast the Will to assist us in all our necessities if We fear Death thou art life everlasting if We desire Heaven thou art the way to it if We be willing to avoid darkness thou art the Light if We want Food thou art the life-giving bread Tell me O Man can'st thou imagine any thing in this World more glorious more precious more lovely more honourable or more advantageous to thy Soul then to enjoy me who am thy Creator thy Redeemer thy preserver thy Lord thy Father thy Shepherd thy Physitian thy Master thy Keeper thy Bearer thy Strong wall thy Defender thy Castle thy Spouse and thy All in All What treasure can any man have in this World to confer upon his Frind that is to be compar'd to the least of all these benefits Laetamini in Domino exultate justi gloriamini omnes recti corde Ps 32.11 The consideration hereof makes the Prophet Royal invite all the Righteous to rejoyce and to be glad in the Lord and all those that are upright in heart to shout for joy as if He would say let others rejoyce in the Riches and Honours of the World others in the Nobility of their blood and high extraction others in the Friendship and favour of Kings and Princes others in the excellency and preheminency of their Stations and Dignitys but ye that have God for your Lord for your possession for your everlasting Inheritance rejoyce in good earnest glory in the peaceable fruition of so great a treasure for your happiness is greater then theirs by how much God is more excellent then his Creatures Psal 143.11 12 13 14 15. as my Prophet declares in these words Quit me O Lord and deliver me from the hand of strange Children whose mouth speaks vanity and their right hand is a right hand of falshood That our Sons may be as Plants grown up in their youth that our Daughters may be as corner Stones polish'd after the similitude of a Pallace that our Gardens may be full affording all manner of store that our Sheep may bring forth thousands ten-thousand in our Fields that our Oxen may be strong to labour that there be no breaking in nor going out that there be no complaining in our Streets Happy is the People that be in such a case Beatus Populus cui Dominus Deus ejus Psal 143.15 But He said from the very intrinsick part of his Soul that happy and ten thousand times happier is that People whose God is the Lord and he gives this reason for it He that enjoys him is in possession of that one good which comprehends all goodness that can be desir'd or thought of Let who will glory in those terene and transitory blessings as for my part says he I will whilst I breath glory in the Lord my God alone and so says the Prophet Habacuk too Hav 17 18 19. Tho' the fig-tree should not blossom tho' there should be no fruit in the Vines tho' the labour of the Olive should fail and the fields should yield no meat tho' the flock should be cut off from the Fold and there should be no herd in the Stalls yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my Salvation The Lord God is my strength and he will make my feet like Hinds feet and he will make me to walk upon mine high Places To the chief singer on my stringed Instruments These are the treasures this is the glory which I have prepar'd even in this life for those that serve me and I think them sufficient motives for all mortals to love adore reverence me who am so good and so gracious a Lord to them But on the other side 't is a subject of great displeasure to me to see them after all my goodness so prone to neglect my Service and run after the false and fatal pleasures of the World as tho' I were not worthy their constant affections But alas It was ever so with mortals their Ingratitude is as ancient in a manner as the very Creation of the World for the same abomination I found among the Israelites and have tax'd them with it too by my Prophet Jeremy Hear ye the word of the Lord O house of Jacob and all the families of the house of Israel Jer. 25.31 Thus says the Lord what iniquity have your Fathers found in me that they are gone far from me and have walk'd after vanity and are become vain Be astonish'd O ye Heavens at this horrid ingratitude and what is it 'T is that my People have committed two great evils they have forsaken me in the first place who am the plentiful fountain of living waters and in the next place they have hew'd out for themselves broken Cisterns that can hold no water O ungrateful Generation hear the word of the Lord Have I been a Wilderness unto Israel or a land of darkness Have they already forgotten the several victories I gave them of their enemies and the manifold blessings I have confer'd upon themselves for so many Ages Is this the return they make me of all my kindeness to tell me confidently they will come no more unto me Can a Maid forget her ornaments or a Bride her Attire yet my People have forgotten me days without number notwithstanding I am all their ornament their glory their beauty and all that can be thought of to make a People happy O man If I did so much lament and grieve to see the People of Israel prove so ungrateful to me as to disown me after all the favours I heap'd upon them which I must confess were but temporal Blessings how much more reason have I to be displeas'd with Christians who have receiv'd from me so many and such great blessings as well temporal as spiritual and for whom I have suffer'd the most cruel death that ever was heard of and after all these extraordinary great favours to be slighted by them every day more then other nay they every moment crucify me anew with their wilful wickedness Non hunc sed Barrabam Joan. 18.40 Nollumus hunc regnare super nos Luc. 18.14 Jugum enim meum suave est onus meum leve Matth. 11.30 they willingly postpone me to a Barrabas and tell me plainly they are better pleas'd to have the world for their Lord and Master tho' never so deceitful and cruel then to be rul'd by me whose yoke is sweet and whose burthen is both light and pleasant MAN O Most gracious
Saviour Thou hast reason to be displeas'd with us indeed hadst thou cast us off and absolutely given us over into a reprobate Sense Video meliora proboque deteriora sequor Ovid. our ingratitude has deserv'd it We have often experienc'd the tenderness of thy love to us and there is not a day nor an hour no nor a moment of our life but receives the bountiful influences of thy Paternal Providence We know likewise that thy yoak is sweet and that thy burthen is both light and pleasant Psa 83.11 We are also convinc'd that a day in thy Court is better then a thousand spent in the World and that it were more for our Souls advantage to be a Door-peeper in thy house then to dwell in the Tents of wickedness yet notwithstanding all our knowledge of thy goodness and of the World's falshood baseness and horrid deceits We blinde and graceless Wretches will forsake thee to serve so cruel a Master who will undoubtedly deal with us after all his ample promises of great Fortunes vast Treasures rare Pleasures just as the ungrateful Laban did with poor Jacob he made him to slave full Seven years to purchase the fair Rachel Gen. 19. and in the conclusion He gave him for all his extraordinary pains and labour but a blinde deform'd and ill shap'd Leah To this Man the World will promise long life and health and cuts him off in the flower of his Age to another He will promise Wealth and promotion and after a deal of slavery to attain it he is still in the same station no better then a beggar He inspires another with great designs he will push him on to struggle for a Crown and when he comes to it he throws him into a precipiece with more hast and worse luck and breaks his neck into the bargain To another He will promise a great fortune by Marriage but when he is possess'd of the Lady and thinks himself happy for ever he findes himself more unfortunate then before for in lieu of getting Wealth by her he loses what he had of his own and is clapt into prison to boot for her debts If I should traverse the circuit of the World behold Countrys view Provinces look into Cities enter into private Houses and to the Pallaces of Princes I shall hear nothing else but lamentable complaints of the Worlds deceits one will deplore the loss of his plentiful Estate another the sudden death of his Eldest Son contracted and ready to be marry'd to a great Fortune Another mourns for the loss of his Daughter and of her great Portion too whereof he can't avoid the payment and that adds mainly to his great sorrow Another will tell me that he spent much mony in courting a rich Widdow in hopes to purchase a good Estate with the products of her considerable Joynter and that to his utter destruction she dy'd as soon as he was marri'd to her This Lady will lament that she was depriv'd of her first love another that she has very bad success in her Lovers for they do all slight her The Merchant will complain of a great loss he had at Sea The Soldier that he is not prefer'd according to his deserts and withal that he is like to starve for want of his pay The Usurer will tune up his pipes to the loss of ten per Cent. and of his principal too which was very considerable In fine there 's no state or condition but will have something or another to say of the Worlds deceits Can there be a greater deceit then what We see dayly before our eyes The World does promise renoun and everlasting fame to all his Followers yet we see they are no sooner dead then forgotten There 's not one of a hundred thousand of those gallant sparks which have made a great figure in this World when living now remembred no nor once nam'd What is become of all those renown'd Heroes those famous Generals those superiour Officers those marshial Captains those stout and desperate Soldiers those learn'd and wise Councellours those Eminent Dukes those great Princes those powerful Kings and Emperours those excellent Queens those worthy Lords and Ladys who remembers them now or who once thinks of them not one their memory has perish'd with their life to fulfill the Prophets prediction of 'em and to accomplish the words of Job Perijt memoria corum cum sonitu Psal 9.8 Job 20.8 Psal 1.4 their remembrance shall be as Ashes trodden under foot and those of holy David they shall be as dust blown abroad with the wind Paul one of the first Hermits liv'd forescore and ten years in a Wilderness and during so long a time he never convers'd with Men nor knew any of the World's intrigues He made himself altogether an Alien to it yet the World remembers him still and honours his memory too whereas all those great Persons I but now mention'd that made it their chief business to know and to be known to the World are now clearly forgotten so that I may very well compare it to a covetous and forgetful Host who if he sees his old Acquaintance pass by his Inn in a poor condition He takes no notice of him and if the old Cavalier should repine at his strangeness to him and tell him that he was formerly a very good Customer to his house his reply will be that he believes so but so many comes that way that he does not take notice of all such an Inn-keeper must be dealt with as St. Paul and others of the same Spirit dealt with the World We must use him ill and take no notice of him but pass by him without giving him so much as a bare salute this is the only way to oblige him to remember us and make him speak of us too very often tho' We should be in another Country or perhaps rotten in our graves The World was never better set forth in it's own colours then by a certain learned Author who tells me that it seems to the eye noble goodly fair friendly free and gorgeous but when it comes to the proof We finde it's qualitys quite contrary and are experimentally convinc'd that it is a meer shaddow a perfect smoake and a fine Image of plaister-work that is full of old rags and patches within side And this makes St. Augnstin cry out Aug. 13. Medit. O most miserable and deceitful World Thy grief is true but thy delight is false thy sorrow is certain but thy pleasures are much of thy own nature fading failing vain and altogether uncertain Thy pains are permanent but thy repose false transitory Thy toils are intollerable thy rewards are most contemptable Thy promises are great and Princely but thy payments are beggarly Thy miseries are void of consolation and thy happiness is mingled with all kinde of misery A man will easily discover the manifold miseries of the World if he stands above it or far off from it
confirms it and St. Paul avers that where the love of Riches is once settl'd the peace of God is utterly excluded and this is a greater loss then our understanding can comprehend in a word that man who puts his heart in his treasure has a restless Soul and this is the greatest misfortune incident to mankinde He is like a Clock which when winded up will never leave it's motion till the weights be down 't is the same with him his mind will never be at rest whilst so many cares and anxietys possess it which are to it as weights to a clock that keep it always going so when others are in their sweet repose he is breaking his brains contriving how to manage his money to the best advantage Of all the Plagues that God was pleas'd to impose upon the Egyptians for their many and grievous sins Exod. 8. that of the flys was most intollerable because they were so cruelly tormented by the very creatures they had ador'd for Gods I may say the same of worldly men that of all the Miserys and troubles which God lays upon 'em for their offences this is one of the greatest to be tormented and grievously perplex'd with the cares even of that thing which they adore as their God and in which they place their chiefest felicity And let them use all their skill to forget these cares they can't possibly expell them and this adds much to their great disaster no they will assault them in the morning and shall bear them company all day neither shall they leave them at night no they will enter the bed with 'em and deprive them of rest they shall be the subject of their dreams Qui nocte nec die non dabunt requiem Jer. 16. Quia abstuli pacem a populo isto dicit Dominus misericordiam miserationes Jer. 16. so that I may well compare them to those unmerciful Tyrants wherewith thou O Lord dost threaten the wicked by thy prophet which shall allow them no comfort or ease either night or day This is a very great affliction I confess and the only reason hereof is that thou hast taken away thy peace from so terrene a People plung'd so extreamly in their pleasures without the least care of their Souls or thought of heaven and therefore have they merited a divorce from thy mercy and a continuance of their deplorable state even without hopes of thy commiseration And really if I give credit to what the Prophet Esay says of them their condition is so bad Esai 59. that it can't be better express'd then by his own words They put their trust in things of nothing says he and do talk of vanitys They conceive labour and bring forth iniquity They break the eggs of Serpents and weave the webs of Spiders He that shall eat of their eggs shall dy and that which is hatched thence shall be a Cockatrice Their webs shall not make cloth to cover them for that their works are unprofitable and the work of iniquity is in their hands There 's not a word in all this the Prophet's description of the Rich of this World but contains a mystery by the first that they put their trust in things of nothing we may very well conceive the vanity of Riches which if enjoy'd to day to morrow they may be snatch'd from us and perhaps our lives too for lucre of them And he who takes them from us may likewise lose them soon after with the same damage if not a greater I mean his Soul's loss for ever They conceive labour O what a deal of toil do poor worldlings take to heap up treasures how many perilous voiages to the East and West-Indies how many tedious journeys by land to this and that other Fair how many dangers of being rob'd and of losing their lives too Day and night they are afraid of Thieves nay they dare not trust their own Servants no nor their Wives with the keys of their treasures for fear they should rob them of their money and if any thereof be taken away O what an angry countenance will he put on what curses what Imprecations will he make What a consternation will the whole Family be in every one striving to clear himself will make his earnest Address to the Conjurer and as he is apt to tell lyes being so great a familiar with Lucifer he may make the innocent criminal and the criminal innocent for with him favour goes by bribing and he that gives him most shall have his best word tho' he were the greatest Knave in the whole Pack this is the labour now let us hear th'Iniquity it brings forth is there not a wo pronounc'd to them which draw iniquity with the ropes of vanity The same Prophet says that they break the Eggs of Serpents Pliny the naturalist tells us and our own experience confirms it that the bird which sits upon the eggs of a Serpent by breaking and hatching them brings forth a venemous brood that will most certainly be the utter destruction of her self 'T is even so with a man that sits as it were in brood upon his Riches and does affect them overmuch they will certainly be the death of his Soul and in the interim will make him a most miserable wretch whilst he lives in this World always in fear of losing them for they are as apt to change Masters as the Spiders web is to be broken with the least puff of Wind this wants no confirmation for the man in the Gospel ratifys it who with excessive care and labour had gather'd so vast a quantity of Riches that he was forc'd to pull down his old barns and build new to lay them in and when that was done he bids his Soul enjoy her self being really perswaded he should live splendidly and fare sumptuously upon them many years but his Soul was snatch'd that very night from him and all his great preparations were useless to him This inconstancy of Worldly wealth occasion'd the said prophet to say that the webs of those weavers shall not make cloth to cover them withal nor shall their works be profitable to them and that none but the works of Iniquity should remain in their hands whereby he lets us know that whoever loves and follows these vanitys shall certainly load his Soul with so great a burthen of iniquity that he will sink into the very lowest Hell where those who had glutted themselves with the World's pleasures delights shall be grievously tormented and then they will know that their riches were thorns indeed that not only rent their hearts in this World but will wound their Souls eternally in the other These thoughts are now far from their minds but when their glass is spent that grim Death appears unto them O how bitter will the remembrance thereof be unto those men that have plac'd all their happiness in Riches What a grief was it to Alexander the great O Mors quam
vapours of carnal affections which have in a manner lul'd her into a Lethargy And as thou wert created to enjoy the fellowship of Angels let these demonstrations of all my Favours to mankind in general and to thee in particular kindle such a fire of divine love in thy Soul as when she departs thy body she may ascend to Heaven in it's aspiring flames Nolite voeare vobis Patrem super terram unus est enim Pater vester in caelis Mat. 23. Hast thou not heard what I say in the Gospel to thee and to all men that ye should not rely upon them ye call Father on Earth for you have but one only Father who is in Heaven and is really so in a far more eminent degree then is either Carnal or Spiritual Father whatever For from him thou didst receive thy Soul by his immediate creation and whatever advantage thou hast of nature from thy Parents or from the Concurrence of any celestial and Second causes thou receivedst the same eminently from Him who is the Principal Authour of all things Sin only excepted Thy Philosophers confirm this for they tell thee that every prime and Original cause does influence the effect more then any second cause whatever Omnis causa prima plus influit quam quaecunque causa secunda Arist Ex quo omnis paternitas in Caelis in terra nominatur Ephes 3.15 If thou by all Laws Natural Divine and Positive art strictly commanded to love reverence honour and obey with all submission thy carnal Parents how much more oughtest thou to love honour adore and obey thy Heavenly Father who is the Original of all Paternitys as well in Heaven as on Earth and from whom all causes have their action their motion and their Fecundity The remisness and frequent failings of all mortals in this their incumbent duty gave me occasion to make this sorrowful complaint Malac. 1.6 the Son does hear his Father and the Servant does both fear and obey his Lord and Master If I be then the Father of mankinde where 's their love their respect and obedience to me And if I be their chief Lord and Master where 's their fear and dread of displeasing me and transgressing my commandments My Apostle seems to admire so great a neglect we have had says he Hebr. 12.9 for our Tutors Fathers of the Flesh and to those We have paid all submission and reverence and shall not We give a far greater respect to our Father in Heaven by whom and from whom We have our being and preservation If even the very Heathens accounted it a most abominable crime in Children not to obey their Parents or to despise them and not regard their commands and counsels and if in the old Law I have order'd all contumacious Levit. 20.9 rebellious and Avaritious Children to be even ston'd to death without any further Process how much more nefarious a crime it is to be refactory to the omnipotent God and Father and to be so great and so cruel a rebell to him as to crucify him every moment in his dearly beloved Son This is so hainous an offence that I can't but resent it and say by my Prophet will a man rob God of his honour and of all his Prerogatives this is the common injury which the generality of mankinde has done unto me for they have indeed rob'd me even the whole generation of them Hear O Heavens and give ear O Earth I have nourish'd brought up Children they have rebell'd against me The Ox knows his owner Esai 1 2 3 4.23 c. and the Ass his Masters crib But Israel does not know me neither does my People consider me Ah! Sinful nation that they are a people laden with iniquity a seed of evil doers Children that are corrupted themselves and greater corrupters of others they have all forsaken the Lord they have all provok'd the holy one of Israel unto Anger Their Princes are rebellious and the companions of Thieves Every one loves gifts and follows after rewards they judge not the Fatherless nor does the cause of the Widdow come unto them But I will ease me of my Adversarys and revenge me of mine Enemies then shall come the utter destruction and ruine of all Transgressors and Sinners and they that have forsaken me to follow the World and it's unlawful pleasures shall be wholly consum'd They shall be as an Oak whose leaf fades Psal 20 9. and as a garden that has no water They shall be as Tow and Fire and shall both burn together and none shall be able to quench their flames to fulfil the words of my Prophet I shall make them as a fiery oven in the time of my Anger I shall swallow them up in my wrath and the fire shall devour them A Check to MAN O Ungrateful man Gen. 2.7 hast thou not justly deserv'd these dreadful effects of my heavy indignation and Wrath for in the very exordium of the World I created thee to my own Image and likeness I have instructed thee in the Law of nature which thou wert to observe and to regulate thy actions by the dictates and Maxims thereof I have also printed the dictamen of Reason in thy Soul that thou might'st thereby discern betwixt good and evil truth and falshood the Creature and thy Creator But thou ungrateful Wretch and most unworthy of such extraordinary favours hast from the very beginning shaken off my Yoak broke my Chains and hast declar'd openly that thou wouldst no longer live submissive to my decrees no longer obey my Commands neither wouldst thou serve so good and so bountiful a Master but be a Tenant at will to embrace whatever was most pleasant to thy brutish passions and most charming to thy rebellious inclinations wherein thou hast transgress'd the agreement that had pass'd betwixt us broken the Contract violated the Law and hast cancel'd thy bonds wherewith thou hadst bound thy self and thy Descendents to the World's end to live upright faithful and obedient to my Will and to my Commands for ever And what was it that engag'd thee to incur the guilt of so horrid a crime the fear only of displeasing thy silly Wife O ingratitude never to be paralell'd What must a foolish and phantastical creature be honor'd and obey'd rather then I who am thy Omnipotent God and Creator I produc'd thee with a faciamus only out of the bowels of the Earth to make thee happy for an Eternity with the perpetual fruition and vision of my divine Essence but thou hast perferr'd before so immense and unspeakable a blessing a created Good vile in it's self tho' pleasant to the eye and sweet to the taste and what was it 'T is an eternal shame and an infinite disgrace for all mankinde to hear in mention'd 't was no less then to postpone me the Fountain of life and all my Glory for a Trifle an Apple Heavens are you not astonish'd that