Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	body_n	dust_n	soul_n	5,391	5	5.7737	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08025	Iacob's ladder consisting of fifteene degrees or ascents to the knowledge of God by the consideration of his creatures and attributes.; De ascensione mentis in Deum per scalas rerum creatorum opusculum. English	Bellarmino, Roberto Francesco Romolo, Saint, 1542-1621.; Isaacson, Henry, 1581-1654, attributed name.; H. I., fl. 1638.; Marshall, William, fl. 1617-1650, engraver.	1638 (1638)	STC 1839.5; ESTC S122555	138,468	472

valuation and lastly if this were able to fill the desire not onely of men but of Angels of what value wouldst thou thinke it to be Yet the goodnes of this one thing would come farre short of the goodnes of GOD which is so great that it is able to satisfie and satiate the infinite desire or rather the infinite capacity of GOD himselfe Oh the admirable latitude of the perfection of the essence of GOD which containes such immensity of good thing● as is sufficient for the infinite capacity which is in himselfe for GOD cannot at any time goe out of or from himselfe because he hath all good things in himselfe and was as rich and blessed before the creation and wil be after because there is nothing which GOD hath made but would not alwaies be after a more transcendent manner in himselfe Therefore consider what kind of good thou shall enjoy in thy Countrey if thou love God while thou art in the way and from what good thou shalt be excluded if thou love him not For GOD offers himselfe to those which love him and he is the onely good and will say to the good and faithfull servant Enter into the joy of thy LORD 2. Againe GOD is immense in another manner because he fills all created things altogether Doe not I fill heaven and earth saith the LORD and if there were more worlds he would fill them all If I climb up to heaven saith David thou art there if I goe downe to hell thou art there also that is if I goe above heaven or beneath it or about it I shall not be alone because thou also art there for I cannot be if thou be not in me and thou sustainest me who bearest all things by thy mighty word Neither doth God fill all bodies onely with his immensitie but spirits hearts and mindes For how could he search the hearts of men if he were not in their hearts how could he heare their prayers unlesse he had his eares to our hearts and how could the Prophet say I will hearken what the LORD GOD will say in me if he moved not his mouth to the eares of our hearts It is a happy soule which loveth GOD because he hath alwaies his beloved with him and cherisheth him in his bosome For he which dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him 3. Neither doth GOD onely fill all things with his presence but with his glory also For the Seraphims cry The earth is full of his glory and the Psalmist addeth O LORD our Governour how excellent is thy name in all the world thou hast set thy glory above the heavens As if he should say not onely thy name fame and glory hath filled the whole earth with admiration but it hath ascended to heaven and above the heavens also And the Son of Syrach of the creation of the Sun saith The worke thereof is full of the glory of the LORD for there is no creature either in heaven or earth which continually praiseth not GOD. And this is the cause why David in the Psalmes and the three children in Daniel doe exhort all creatures to blesse and celebrate the praises of the Creator not that they were ignorant that most of the creatures were of that nature that they could not heare their exhortations but because they knew that all the works of GOD were good and by their species or beauties brought prai●e unto him and therefore congratulated and perswaded them to continue in doing that which rhey did And cortainely if we had inward eyes we might see that all the works of the Lord were as so many censers sending upward the sweet savour of his glory and if we had inward eares we should heare a harmonicall concent as it were of all kind of musicall instruments sounding out his praises and saying It is he that hath made us and not we our selves And although the wicked many times speake evill of GOD and blaspheme his name yet they are compelled against their wills in that manner that the worke commends the workeman to praise him for in them also the power of GOD shineth merveilously by which he made them and his wisedome by which he governes them and his goodnesse by which he preserves them though unthankfull and evill and his mercy and justice by which he ordaines them either justly to punishment or mercifully expects them to repentance And though many are so deafe here on earth to heare the voyces of the creatures incessantly crying to GOD yet there are a multitude of Angels and holy men who hearken unto and are delighted with those praises they themselves daily chaunting out the same with hymnes and songs Now the length of Gods divine Essence is his Eternity which as it had no beginning of continuance so neither shall it have end but shall remaine the same without change or alteration Thou art the same saith David to GOD and thy yeares shall not faile and the Apostle calls him The King everlasting because he is not subject to time but is above it and governes all ages and was before all ages Other things have their beginning and end and never continue in one state nor have beginning without end without alteration but may at the will of the Creator leave to be And therefore eternity is onely proper to GOD so as it can agree with no other creature in that measure for never was Prince so arrogant to use eternity amongst his other titles unlesse perhaps in another sense as Constantius did who was stiled Imperator aeternus because he was not Emperour for a time but during life A mans soule may be reckoned among the creatures of both kinds for it hath a body which began to be when it was conceived and borne and by degrees increased to that stature which was prefixed by GOD and then againe it began to decrease and soone after leaves to be by death but it never stands in the same state and condition in all respects every houre being subject to alteration Of this body the Prophet speaks by a similitude of grasse In the morning it is greene and groweth up but in the evening it is cut downe dryed up and withered That is in its childhood it waxeth reene as grasse soone after it passeth to youth in the nooneday whereof it flourisheth and by and by passeth to old age in the evening whereof it hangs the head and is cut downe in death it continueth in the grave it dryeth up and returnes to dust By which we may perceive how farre the body differs from eternity Now the soule was created in time being nothing before and in this regard is much unlike the Creator but being created it shall have no end of continuance which is common to it with the Creator But for asmuch as it is subject to change while it lives in the body from sinne to goodnesse from vertue to vice

Father who causeth the Sunne to arise upon the good and evill and rayneth upon the just and unjust Imitate the Son who having taking our humane nature for our good upon him spared not his owne life to deliver us from the power of darkenesse and everlasting perdition Imitate the holy Ghost who plentifully powreth out and scattereth his most plenteous guifts that he may of carnall make us spirituall DEGREE VI. By the Consideration of FIRE THis Element is of so pure and noble a nature as that GOD himselfe would bee called Fire as both Moses and St. Paul testifie The LORD thy GOD is a consuming Fire And when GOD first appeared to Moses he would be seen in a bush burning but not consuming with Fire when also GOD came to give the Law to his people he appeared in the shape of fire as Moses relateth it Mount Sinai was all on smoke because the LORD came downe upon it in fire To resemble which mystery when the new law was to be published the holy Ghost appeared to the Apostles in the shape of fiery tongues Lastly they which in heaven are neerest to GOD are called Seraphim because they receive fervor and heate from that most ardent and divine fire more then the other Angels It will not therefore be hard or difficult for us out of this element and the nature and properties of it to erect one greece whereby wee may ascend to GOD by prayer and meditation and lesse difficult will it be with Elias to ascend in a fiery Charriot then to make a Ladder to rise up by out of either earth water or ayre Let us therefore examine and consider the properties and qualities of this element Fire is of that nature and quality that it worketh diversly and oft times contrarily in many things 1. It quickly burneth and consumeth Wood Straw and Stubble 2. It purifieth and maketh more beautifull gold and silver 3. It changeth Iron into contrary qualities as of blacke cold hard and heavie the naturall properties of it it maketh it cleare hote soft and light insomuch as it will shine like a starre burne like fire melt and be liquid like water and by the Artificer be moved and lifted easily All these things apparently agree and meete in GOD. And first Wood Hay and Stubble are by the Apostle compared with evill workes which cannot endure the triall of Gods fire for it is almost incredible how hatefull and displeasing all sinnes are to GOD who is a most pure fire with what zeale hee consumes and destroyes them first by repentance if the sinner be in that state that he can repent for by repentance all sinnes are purged and if the sinner be uncapable of repentance as Devils and men after this life are his wrath is kindled against them For the ungodly and his ungodlinesse are both hated alike of GOD saith the wiseman and the Kingly Prophet David confirmes this saying Thou hatest all them that worke vanity How much and great this hatred is the Devill can witnesse who sinning once and being as St. Gregory saith an Angel most noble and glorious and the Prince of the first order of Angels and the most excellent creature of GOD yet was forthwith cast out of Heaven and deprived of all honour and grace turned into a most deformed monster and bound to eternall perdition Christ himselfe is a witnesse who came from Heaven to dissolve the workes of the Devill sinne and therefore is stiled the Lamb of GOD which taketh away the sinnes of the World Yet who is able to declare nay to conceive what and how great things he suffered to destroy the workes of the Devill and fully to satisfie Gods justice Who being in the forme of GOD tooke on him the forme of a servant and being rich was made poore for our sakes not having whereon to lay his head was reviled suffered bare our sinnes in his body on a tree humbled himselfe and became obedient unto the death even the death of the Crosse was derided spit upon scourged crowned with thorns crucified with all ignominie and grievous torments shedding his life and blood and all these things to destroy the Devills worke sinne Witnesse the Law of GOD which forbids and punisheth all sinne leaving not unpunished so much as an idle word And how doe we thinke he detesteth heynous sinnes that cannot endure an idle word For the Law of the LORD is an undefiled Law without all spots and what communion hath light with darknesse or what fellowship hath righteousnesse with unrighteousnesse Lastly let Hell it selfe be witnesse which GOD hath prepared for the wicked and sinners which refused to be washed with the blood of the undefiled Lamb For it is but just that in whom sinne alwaies remaines punishment should bee perpetuall now what the punishment of hell shal be is horrible and fearefull to thinke of which we shall have occasion to speake more at large in the last Degree Therefore seeing that Gods hate to sinne is so extreme if thou love GOD above all things thou must also above all things detest sinne take heed thou be not deceived by those who either extenuate or excuse it take heed that thou deceive not thy selfe with false and ungrounded reasons for if sinne either committed by thy selfe or others displease thee not thou lovest not GOD and if thou lovest not GOD thou shalt perish everlastingly Againe if thou be not unthankfull to Christ how much dost thou conceive thou owest to his love to his labours his blood his death who washed thee from thy sinne and reconciled thee to his Father and shall it s●eme grievous to thee hereafter to suffer any thing for him either in his grace and favour and with his grace to resist sinne even to the losse of thy blood and life Lastly if thou canst not endure the fire everlasting in hell patiently neither oughtest thou patiently to endure sinne but flee from it as from a Serpent and let it be thy resolution to joyne thy greatest hate to sinne with thy greatest love to GOD. But fire destroyes not but makes Gold Silver and Iewels more perfect and shining because as S. Paul in the place before cited declares that those mettalls signifie good works and perfect which are allow'd and aprov'd by the fire of Gods judgment and shall receive their reward Those workes GOD ratifies for good because they are his guifts and St. Augustine saith he crowns his own guifts whensoever he crowns our deserts for they are perform'd by his command and by his aid he bestowing power upon us and enabling us to doe them and himselfe directing us by the Law and rules which he hath made and appointed And indeed gold denotes unto us the workes of love and charity and how is it possible but the workes of love should exceedingly please GOD who is love it selfe Silver signifies the workes of wisedome namely of those which

as speedily as she comes to the conjunction of the Sun as speedily departs from it but if thou beest wise and hast obtayned grace forsake it not depart not from it for thou shalt finde nothing better in any place neither dost thou know whether if thou voluntarily leave it thou shalt have it againe For he that hath promised pardon to the repentant and grace to converts hath not promised longer life nor the guift of repentance to thee Therefore in Gods name turne thy backe to the earth and looke upon thy Sun rest in him delight in him and continue in him say with St. Peter It is good for us to be here and with the blessed Martyr Ignatius It is better for me to live with Christ then to be a King upon earth and esteeme not nor regard what they which savour of the earth thinke of thee for it is not he which the world condementh but whom GOD commnedeth that shall be approved in the end 2. There is another custome of the Moone which GOD also observes with his elect The Moone rules the night as the Sun doth the day as Moses and David speake but the Sun enlightens the world with his splend●r all the day and the Moone shines sometime with a greater sometime with a lesser light and sometimes not at all in the night So GOD by his perpetuall brightnesse illustrates the Sun Angels and soules of the blessed to whom he is a perpetuall day for there shal be no night to them there but in this night of our pilgrimage and banishment wherein we walke by Faith and not by sight and we apply our selves onely to the Scriptures as unto a light that shineth in a darke place GOD as the Moone by courses visits us by enlightning our hearts and sometime leaves us in the darknesse of desolation Yet ought we not to be too much afflicted if at any time we enjoy not the light of comfort nor to be too much overjoyed if after a time we be refreshed with that comfortable light for GOD in this night of the world doth not carry himselfe towards us as the Sun but as the Moone for he not onely in these times appeareth as in the full Moone of comfort and sometime in the wayne of discomfort to us imperfect creatures but he hath formerly done so too St. Paul a vessell of election who was taken up into the third Heaven and heard words which cannot be spoken which are not possible for man to utter yet he could say sometime I am filled with comfort otherwhile he could complaine and lament his case I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my mind and leading me captive unto the law of sinne which is in my members O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death and againe We would not have you ignorant of our affliction how we were pressed out of measure passing strength so that we doubted even of life And this is it which S. Chrysostome notes to us that GOD usually dealeth thus with his Saints suffering them neither to be alwaies pressed with tribulation nor lifted up with pleasure but to weave into their lives sometime adversity and at other times prosperity as it were with an admirable variety And so much for the Moone Now follow the Starres as the other ornaments of heaven of which the Son of Syrach speaking saith that they are the beauty of heaven the glory of the Starres yet addes as some translate it GOD in the highest enlightning the World and at whose commandement they stand in their order for whatsoever order or comelinesse is in the Starres or in the Sun or Moone they have it wholly from the Father of lights and neither is it the Sun by day or the Moone or Starres by night which give light to the world but it is GOD who dwelling in the highest enlightens the World by the Sun Moone and Starres for it is he of whom it is said When he sendeth out light it goeth and when he calleth it againe it obeyeth him with feare And the Starres shine in their watch and rejoyce When he calleth them they say Here we be and so with cheerefulnesse they shew light unto him that made them In which words are expressed the infinite power of GOD who with such incredible dexterity and facility in a moment createth adorneth and sets to worke so vast and beautifull bodies for vocare with us is ●reare with GOD for he calls those things which are not and by his calling makes them be that they are and that the Starres should say Here we be is no more then that they are ready to be and worke at the voyce of his command But this is most to be admired in the Starres that whereas they are moved most swiftly and never give over that swift motion and that some of them runne in their Orbe more stoutly others more speedily yet still they observe their own manner and proportion in time with one another that thereby they may make a sweet harmoniacall concent And this is not a concent of voyces or sounds which may be heard by bodily eares but of proportions in the motions of the Starres which is perceived by the ear● of the heart for all the Starres of the firmament with the same swiftnesse runne about the whole compasse of heaven in 24. houres but the seaven Starres which we call planets or wandring Starres are moved some by swifter some by slow●r motions Ascend then a little higher if thou canst and from the great splender of the Sun the beauty of the Moone the multitud● and varietie of other lights from the admirable con●●●● of the heavens from the most pleasant and harmoniacall courses of the Starres gather and conceive what a delight and happinesse it wil be to see GOD above the heaven that Sun which inhabiteth inaccessible light to behold the quire and orders of many thousands of Angels who garnish the heaven of heavens in greater number and shine more bright then all the Starres to see the soules of holy men added to the Quire of Angels and mingled as planets with the Starres of the firmament and how joyfull a thing it will be to heare the songs of praises and that ex●llent Allelu●a resounded by musicall voyces in the streets of that City and by that it will come to passe that neither the beauty of heaven shall see me great to thee and the things which are under heaven thou shalt account small and almost nothing at all and therefore to be 〈◊〉 and d●spised DEGREE VIII By the Consideration of the reasonable soule of MAN HItherto we have passed through things corporall to the ascent to GOD and now we have found that the soules of men excell all corporall things in dignity betweene which and GOD we meet with no medium but the Hierarchies and orders of Angels Mans soule hath such

by his grace he lives in thee causeth thee to see what faith sheweth thee and to heare what GOD speaketh to and in thee and to walke by the way of his commandements to the heavenly Ierusalem to speak to him by prayer and in holy exhortation to thy neighbour to subsist by persevering in good workes to bee strong in battell against thy invisible enemies and to bee beautifull in the sight of God and his Angels But beware least the grace of GOD the life of thy soule depart not from thee if it doe thou wilt soone find the damage which the first death brings with it from whence thou shalt be carried to the second from which there is no resurrection If GOD would open the eyes of thy minde that thou mightst seriously consider and see the exceeding beauty and splendor of a soule acceptable to GOD and joyned to him by true love with how cheerfull and loving countenance he looketh upon it what place he prepares for it what joyes he hath promised to it and with what desire the Angels and blessed spirits wait for it thou wouldst never indure to have the beauty of it defiled with the least spot and if that should happen thou wouldst endeavour to wash it away though little with rivers of teares But if by the same grace of GOD the inward eyes might bee opened that thou mightst behold how filthy a soule is that sinneth what an unsavory stench it sends forth like a putrified body or carrion and how GOD and the holy Angels loathe to looke upon it although perhaps it inhabite a comely and beautifull body without doubt thou thy selfe wouldst also so detest and abhorre it as that thou woulst never be brought to bee such a one or remaine long in that state or condition DEGREE IX By the Consideration of Angels WE are now to come to the highest degree of ascending to GOD from those things which may be taken from substances created for there is no created substance more sublime then the Angelicall if we speake on●ly of naturall perfection and there are three things principally to be considered in them 1. First according to the excellencie of their nature 2. Secondly in respect of their sublimity of grace 3. Lastly in regard of their offices Neither is it our purpose to propound and handle the things which concerne them by way of disputation but to touch onely those matters which may helpe us to the lifting up of our minds to GOD. 1. An Angell if we compare him to a reasonable and humane soule may fitly be called a perfect soule as the soule may be termed an unperfect Angell For so the Psalmist speakes of Man in respect of his soule Thou hast made him little lower then the Angels And indeed an Angel is an entire perfect spirit●●ll substance and mans soule is but dimidiata divided as it were into halfes and unperfect because as it is the forme of the body it is part of man So that an Angell is all spirit and a man part spirit part flesh or partly an Angell partly a beast as if we should say an Angell is all gold and a man part gold and part earth or clay By which it followes that an Angell is more like to GOD then a man or his soule because GOD is a spirit not a body nor the shape of a body Yet this comparison makes not so much for the Angels but that there is an infinite distance of dignity in GOD above this sublimity of the Angels for GOD is a spirit uncreate eternall immense onely mighty onely wise onely good onely the most high Therefore if we worthily admire the Angelicall nature how much more ought we the divine which beyond all manner and measure surpasse●h the dignity of the Angels 2. And not onely in nature or substance may an Angel be called a perfect man and man an unperfect Angell but also in understanding and knowledge for a man or the soule of man takes much paines in understanding things because he must use the office of his sences and running from causes to effects and from effects to causes before he can gaine a little knowledge from whence it is that he oftentimes stickes as doubtfull oftimes he is miserably deceived and seldome attaines to a sure and certaine understanding But an Angell at the first sight beholds things and at one time perceiveth the causes and the effects and dives not onely into the accidents but the substance aswell of spirituall as corporall things Therfore Man while he is in this pilgrimage in asmuch as concernes understanding is not onely a little lesse but a great deale lesse then the Angels and though he be very wise and give himselfe to the study of wisedome yet compared to an Angell he is but a childe or an infant or suckling The Prophet therefore did us no wrong when he said Out of the mouthes of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained knowledge You may heare wise King Solomon how he conceived of our knowledge with which we are so much puffed up All things are full of labour or hard man cannot utter it and againe He meaning GOD hath set the world in their heart yet man cannot finde out the worke that GOD hath wrought from the beginning to the end If then the things of the world be hard and unutterable by man and if man understand nothing of this visible world from the beginning to the end that is he understand nothing perfectly as not being able to declare the nature properties accidents force and the like thereof into how many errors would he runne if he should goe about to search after those things which are above heaven If thou be wise therefore follow the knowledge which belongs to thy salvation and the wisedome of the Saints which consists in the feare of GOD and keeping his Commandements let prayer delight thee better then disputation and edifying charity rather then swelling knowledge for this is the way which leads to life even to the Kingdome of heaven where we little ones shall be made equall with the Angels who alwaies behold the face of their Father which is in heaven 3. There is also a third thing wherein mans soule is not onely made a little but much lesse then the Angels and that is their power and command over bodies for mans soule can onely by the command of its will stirre and move his owne body other bodies he cannot and he moves his owne too but in an ordinary progressive motion upon the ground he cannot walke upon the waters or raise it up to the ayre and carry it whither he pleaseth but the Angels by the onely force of the spirit that is by the command of their wills raise heavy bodies upward and carry them whither they will as in the case of Abacuk to Daniel Againe one man cannot fight with an host because he wants many hands and weapons but an Angell without hands and weapons can

that no goodnesse is wanting to him but rather ●o great and infinite goodnes and holines as that he may be justly stiled onely good onely holy And therefore it cannot be ●aid that there is faith in GOD a ●heologicall vertue because 〈◊〉 is the evidence of things which are not seene but GOD seeth all things neither may Hope be said to be in GOD for hope is an expectation of things to come and that which is seen is not hope but GOD expecteth nothing because he enjoyeth all things from eternity Repentance for sinne is not in God because God cannot sinne Humility is not in God because this vertue keepeth a man backe least he vainely ascend above himselfe and causeth him to keepe his own station but God hath nothing above himselfe to ascend unto being the most high But most ample love and almost infinite and immense is in God for he loveth himselfe with infinite love because hee onely perfectly knoweth infinite goodnes which is his owne essence he also loveth all his creatures Thou lovest all things which are and hatest nothing that thou hast made saith the Wiseman for God knoweth by his wisedome to sever evill from good that is defect from nature even in Devils and the worst of men and nature hee loves because he made it defect he hateth because he made it not Lastly love is so true in God as that he would be called by that name God is love saith St. Iohn But our love compared with his is most streight and little There are very many things which we love not because we know them not many of those things also which we know we love not because we easily discerne not good from evill in them and we love not many good things well and in that regard with true love because we are evil our selves and rather leane to concupiscence then to love And we love God but with an unperfect love not onely because we love him not so much as his goodnes deservs to which measure or perfection of love the Angels themselves attaine not but also because we love him lesse then we should and lesse also then we might if we would give our selves more carefully and diligently to prayer and meditation This verture of love is accompanied in GOD with many other vertues as with singular magnificence liberality overflowing goodnes humanity patience long suffering more then fatherly gentlenes truth faithfulnes never failing mercy filling heaven and earth most upright justice and impartiall lastly most pure holines and so cleare that the Starres are not cleane in his sight and the Cherubims astonished at it cry Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabaoth Oh that thou wouldst consider this seriously with what feare and trembling wouldst thou performe thy prayers and praises to him But to proceed to the rest The longitude of the divine Justice consists in truth and faithfulnes Of his faithfulnes wee read in diverse places of Scriptures Thy faithfulnes reacheth to the clouds saith the Psalmist and Faithfulnes is the girdle of his reynes saith the Prophet Esay Great is thy faithfulnes saith Jeremy God is faithfull saith the Apostle in diverse places He abide the faithfull and He is faithfull that promised He is faithfull and just saith St. Iohn and King David God is righteous or faithfull in all his waies that is the promises of God pronounced by the mouthes of his Prophets many ages since never shall never were voyd or of no effect but are more sure and stable then heaven and earth for so saith our Saviour Heaven and Earth shall passe but my words shall not passe and It is more easie that Heaven and Earth should passe away then tha● one title of the Law should fall away where our Saviour understands by the Law the truth not onely of his commandements but of his promises for whatsoever God hath commanded are either to be kept or those to be punished that breake them and what he hath promised are established with everlasting stability The word of our God shall stand for ever saith the Prophet Esay and the Apostle God is true and every man a lyar and againe It is impossible for God to lye the reason of which speech is because he can neither be deceived being wisedome nor deceive being goodnesse nor faile being omnipotence But Men although wise good and mighty may be deceived and deceive because they neither know all things nor can performe all things which they can for though they be good when they promise a while after they may become evill and not willing to performe their promises Wherefore if thou be wise put thy confidence in God alone cleave onely to him and cast all thy care on him alone Walke humbly and carefully with God and he wil be carefull of thee take heed that thou offend not his justice and his mercy will ever protect thee neither shalt thou need to feare what the Devill or man can do against thee The altitude or height of Gods Iustice is seene in the retribution of the heavenly reward which hee as supreme Iudge hath prepared for those which live well and godly and we shall soone know what the height of this Iustice is 1 If we compare the Iudge God with men Iudges 2 If we compare reward with reward that is the reward which God gives with that which men usually give 1. Men Iudges and Princes too have many lets or hinderāces from fully rewarding those which serve them For first either they cannot for want of sufficient meanes to reward every ones deserts 2. Or either they know not the merits of their followers or cannot justly value them 3. Or out of the wickednesse and covetousnesse of mind or some other perverse affection they will not duely reward them which deserve 4. or lastly either they which should give or they which should receive their rewards are prevented by death from giving or taking But God gives to all good men not onely according to their desers but above them for what more meane desert can be imagined then to give a cup of cold water to a thirsty soule yet GOD hath promised that this small worke of mercy shall not loose its reward and the largenesse of the reward S. Luke describeth Good measure pressed downe shaken together 1 Nor is there any danger that GOD will not be of ability to performe with us being Lord of all things and can by a word speaking increase and multiply all things infinitely 2 Neither is it to be feared that GOD should be deceived in the number or value of our deserts being the most wise and all things lying open to his eyes and he searching the reynes and hear●s of his well doing servants and understands with what minde intent fervor and diligence they have done any thing 3 Neither may any suspect that GOD hath any evill meaning to defraude his poore servants and children of