Vbicunque caro inuenit refectionem inuenit defectionem wheresoeuer the flesh findes a refreshing it shall also finde a want and wearing In this the godly are often poore in regard of the quantitie but in the other which are true and tried riches very abundant Are not they rich which haue the most precious graces of Gods holy spirit within them which haue Christ himselfe who as Bernard saith hath all riches in his left hand Bern. in serm and all honour in his right yea who are heires of a kingdome in qualitie rich pure shining cleare gorgeous most glorious and fuller of all ioy and happines then tongue can declare or heart conceiue In quantitie exceeding spatious in substance not subiect to alteration corruption or malice of traitors Reuel 21. To this of the riches of Gods grace and mercie they are freely chosen and of this the whole world combining themselues together can neuer depriue them These are treasures not subiect to the blasts of the aire to the malice of Tyrants to the furie of the enemie to the deceit of the flatterer or to the plots of the robber Nec fraude surripiuntur nec vi eripiuntur they are neither gotten by craft nor taken away by force and therefore permanent and enduring And thus Christ for our sakes became poore 2. Cor. 8.9 that we through his pouertie might bee made rich And thus are the godlie euer rich when in the sight of the wicked they are counted poore Lastlie 5. The godlie euer haue true honor and happinesse howsoeuer the godly are accounted wretched yet they are most blessed howsoeuer base and vile yet most excellent and honourable Prou. 22.4 The truth of this appeares in that the God of Gods and King of Kings doth both largelie reward them highly esteeme them For passing by many mightie Princes 1. Thessal 1. of the exceeding riches of his grace hee elected them being defiled with that vglie leprosie of sinne he hath clensed them with the most precious blood of his onely begotten Sonne being by nature the children of wrath as well as others he hath iustified them of his free mercie sanctified them by his Spirit and called them by his word thus though once they were dead wandred and were dispersed yet now they are reuiued called home and in the superabundance of Gods mercie gathered to Christ Iesus the Sheepheard of the flocke and Bishop of our soules In which estate they weare now no more the filthie ragges of the old man but by the hand of a liuely faith haue the glorious robe of righteousnesse that is of the new man Christ Iesus put vpon them This was our estate in regard of our selues Ephes 2.3 1. Pet. 2.9 Ioh. 1.12 Galath 3.26 Hebr. 2.11.12 So that whereas once they were enemies to God now they are made friends vnto him whereas once cursed now blessed whereas once slaues to Satan now sonnes to God whereas companions and brethren of iniquitie now brethrē to Christ wheras once wedded to our lusts now espoused to him wheras once vassals of wrath now vessels of glorie whereas once captiues to Satan now free denizens of a glorious citie whereas once led by the spirit that ruleth in the aire now guided and gouerned by the good spirit of God whereas once bondslaues to Satan now heires of the kingdome of heauen Is not this true blessednes is not this exceeding honour and dignitie A faithfull man saith Salomon abounds in blessings Prou. 28.20 Prou. 28.6 Prou. 19.1 Psalm 1.1.2.3 c. and better is the poore Christian that walketh in his vprightnesse then he that peruerteth his waies though he be worldly rich Hunc habe beatum saith Seneca non quem vulgus vocat Sencca sed cui omne bonum in animo est Account that man blessed who hath all his riches in his mind not him whom the blind worldlings esteem blessed Macrob. because solae virtutes faciunt beatum the vertues of the mind make a man happie The world hauing their iudgements corrupted and eies blindfolded are misled in censuring and deceiued in beholding the state of Christs Church and no meruaile Omne decus filiae Sion ad intus The beautie of the daughter of Sion is within her which in as much as they want the spirituall eie it is impossible by thē to be discerned They prie into the imperfections and outward blacknesse of the Church but they behold her not in Christ and so see not her perfection and glory Being for her prittie trimnenesse compared to a Roe for her louelines to a doue for her fruitfulnesse to a vine for her holinesse to a Priesthood for her royaltie to a Queene for her safetie to mount Sion for her brightnesse to the morning for her glorie to the Sunne for her beautie to the fairest of women for her glittering to an Iuorie tower for qualities called by Christ himselfe sweete comelie perfect and most blessed Now the Church of God consisting of the number of the righteous Lord what do they count blessednesse if these whom thou hast thus blessed are not truelie blessed If these whom thou thus honourest are not right honourable whose soules are inricht with thy graces whose bodies are kept by thy Prouidence and guarded by thy Angels whose death is life Hebr. 6.7.8 1. Cor. 3.22 Hebr. 1.13 whose end is glory and ioy without end whose authority is to rule all Gods creatures and this rule ended to haue a greater giuen them euen to be Iudges with Christ of the most mightie tyrants and wicked Princes vpon earth Loe this is the portion of the righteous this the inheritance of the God of Iacob and therefore they are truly blessed therefore right honorable therefore most excellent But on the contrarie the wicked want true comfort euen when prosperitie smiles The tontrarie to the fiue former observed in the wicked much more when aduersitie frownes vpon them And how can it be otherwise since they want the Spirit of God which is the sole fountaine of all comfort Secondly they are swallowed vp of the miseries that doe befall them Hence it is that Dauid saith though their seate be vpon an high hill yet it is slipperie therfore they fall in their falling come to a perpetuall destructiō As Pharaoh and his hoste were swallowed vp of the seas so they are detained of death kept vnder of the graue and hell hath dominion ouer them Thirdly they lose by all view their exchange for laughing they haue mourning Luk. 6. Prou. 14. for a little ioy endlesse sorrow for the loue of the world the hatred of God for the sauing of this life Triplex vox creaturae 1. Possideto 2. Gratias habeto 3. Rationem reddito the losing of their soules for earthly pleasures they lose heauenly ioyes to liue at ease in this life brings endlesse torments in the life to come Yea in the enioying of what they most desire they frame an
therefore may craue a larger answering First therefore it is answered that there is no confusion nor disorder in these things for the confusion is onlie in respect of man and not of God or the things gouerned by him which are euermore excellently well disposed though the vaile of ignorance being before mās eies we are not able to discerne this excellent order The fleshlie man perceiueth not those things which are to bee discerned with a spiritual eie My waies saith the Lord are not as your waies neither are my thoughts as your thoughts so that vntill these men goe with Dauid into the house of God well may these things seerne confused vnto thē but whē they are enlightned by his holy Spirit they appeare otherwise A man that that is blinde or hath sore eies thinks it is darke when the Sunne shineth or at least thinks her beclipsed with diuers coloured mists when she is in her perfect beautie Simile the cause is the imperfection in his eies and not any obscuritie or confusion in the Sunne So is it with him that shall looke with a fleshly eie into Gods works be they neuer so excellently disposed yet through his inabilities to discerne they seeme confused That which in the night or a farre off we iudge a tree proues when wee come neerer or when the day appeareth a more excellent creature So in the night time of our ignorance and when we are strangers from Gods Law we iudge preposterouslie of his works but when this mist is dispersed or that we come to looke more neerelie vpon them in the glasse of his word they seeme so excellent that we are constrained to say O Lord how wonderfull art thou in all thy waies and holy in all thy works In great wisdome hast thou made them all But let vs come vnto the instances Thou saiest JJnstance 1. in that Stan tempted Adam and made him and his posteritie subiect to sinne Ans It is answered and alreadie prooued that herein no fault can be imputed vnto God Eccle. 28. for Adam was created righteous but his own inuentions made him euill Secondlie if God willed a declaration of his iust iudgment vpon the vessels of wrath and the manifestation of the exceeding riches of his grace vpon such as are ordained vnto mercie what right hath the clay herein to reason against the Potter Thirdly Gods children haue now more cause to reioyce by an infinite deale in regard of that blesse dnesse receiued from the last Adam then to be sorrie for their dignitie lost in the first Adam To which tendeth that of Paul concerning the sinne of our first Parents which is spread ouer all and the righteousnesse of Christ which is much more aboundant to the saluation of the Elect. And therefore we may say with Gregorie O foelix culpa quae talem tantum habere meruit Redemptorem O happie diseasewhich could not be cured but by such a diuine and heauenlie Physition That the wicked line in greatest honor prosperitie and abundance Jnstant 2. but the god'y in pouertie disgrace and affliction Ans HEalth wealth and honour are the hope of the worldlings labours and being obtained are their sole darlings of delight and pleasure Jn serm But as Bernard saith of Peter Vt nouum itr sic noui modi itineris Triplex est vita naturae gratiae gloriae A new iorney must haue new waies of iourneying so wee say of the godly when they begin to enter the new life that is the life of grace then they must haue new coutses of liuing Afflictions come by Gods decree And what are these That in following Christ wee should take vp his crosse that in liuing holily wee should suffer persecution that in our iourney to heauen wee should passe thorow many tribulations Therefore saith Augustine in the person of christ August in persona Domini Venale habeo quid Domine regnum coelorum quo emitur paupertate diuitiae dolore gaudium labore requies vilitate gloria morte vita I haue a thing to sell saith Christ what is it O Lord saith Augustine The kingdome of heauen but wherewith is it bought for pouertie true riches for griefe ioy for labour rest for basenesse glorie for life death So that pouertie griefe labour basenes and losse of life are the new paths that leade to new Hietusalem and the narrow waies that tend to ample blessednesse Now this being the decree of God the Creator who is wisedome it selfe why should it seeme preposterous in the eyes of the creature who is but meere foolishnes Quid obsit vel prosit medicus nouit non agrotus Augustine Gods decree of afficting groüded vpon great reason What is profitable or hurtful to vs that are patients that wise Physition knowes not we that are grieued Secōdly this decree of God is grounded vpon great reason both in respect of him afflicting and of vs afflicted What sets foorth more the wisdome of God then his ministring seuerall potions of affliction according to the seuerall conditions of his children as well in preuenting the diseases of sin whereunto they are subiect as in curing them whē they are grieued with them What more declares his mercie then the giuing of the staffe of his Spirit with the rodde of correction then the comforting vs in our distiesse then the putting our teares in his bottle then the making our bed in our sicknesse then the pitching his Angels about s then the not suffering the flouds to ouerflow vs though they come neere vs then the causing that although heauines continue for a while yet ioy shall come in the morning Wherein is the power of God more euident then in giuing vs strength to vndergoe so many troubles then in casting vs down vnto the graue and raising vs vp againe These things haue caused admiration in the very enemies of God and that amidst their tyrannies Is there not good reason then why those things should bee effected whereby Gods wisedome mercie and power are made euident and not onely to his children but euen to his enemies whereby they are left inexcusable in the day of the Lord if there were no persecutions how should Martyrs glorifie God by their sufferings If no trials how should patience haue been left for a vertue to be imitated If Satan had not been let loose to buffet Iob where had been his words of praise The Lord hath giuen and the Lord hath taken away and blessed be the name of the Lord. Secondly the afflictions of the godly are grounded vpon good causes 2. Gods decree of afflictiong is good and iust in regard of vs as it appeares 1. By our owne reason in regard of our selues as it appeares first by our owne reason secondly by our owne practise thirdly by the profit we reape from them In reason heauen could not be our sole place of blisse if here we had no sorrow if here our happinesse that could not be a
they are Gods disposers and ordained by him to bee meanes of conueying it vnto vs. If the King send a gift we acknowledge him the bestower yet ought to bee thankfull to him that brought it Thus Dauid is thankfull to Barzillaus the Giliadite Paul to Priscilla and Aquila Rom. 16.4 yet they very well knew that God was Author of al and they but meanes ordained If God often vseth no meanes 2. From the want of means Obiection then wee are not to stand vpon the vsing them It is great impietie to reason from the Creator Solution to the creature hee is Almightie and can worke without them we are weake and cannot want them Secondly God hath ordained meanes to be helps vnto man and commanded man to vse meanes Matth. 4. therefore to reiect them is to contemne Gods ordinance grieuouslie to tempt him and wilfullie to hurt our selues Obiection If the meanes whereof we are ignorant whether they will profit vs or not are to be vsed then much more charmes and going to witches which we know will profit vs. Wee must know that the doing of that which the Lord hath forbidden Solution will neuer profit anie for though it seemes to helpe the bodie yet it doth grieuouslie hurt the soule Secondlie Leuit. 20.6 Esay 8.19.20 it was neuer knowne that euer any witch could inrich her selfe or that any one was bettered by going vnto them as in the vses it shall further appeare Obiection 2 If all things fall out necessarilie Against the immutabilitie of Gods gouernment then there is no free will in men but the Church acknowledgeth a certaine free-will And therefore this doctrine seemes contrary to the iudgement of the Church that all things should fall out immutablie Wee acknowledge as Caluin saith that men haue a certaine freedome of their willes that is Solution 1. of choosing or refusing as it seemeth good vnto them as it appeares by the choice propounded by the Prophet to Dauid 1. King 3.5 2. Sam. 24. Deut. 30.19 and by Moses to the people of Israel yet so as that God doth alwaies gouerne our willes in that which is euill decreeing a voluntarie permission for some good in that which is good both strengthning our willes Peccant per liberum arbitrium non liberatum Aug. There is a free will and a will freed to sin free to good freed by grace giuing the motion and inclining them forward Otherwise wee haue no free will at all for in our willing that which hee commands himselfe doth worke both the will and the deede and yet since it is not by a compulsion but by a gentle inclining we graunt a certaine libertie vnto them Secondly the necessitie imposed vpon al euents doth arise from the immutabilitie of Gods decree of gouerning and not from naturall causes and therefore in regard of these we may be said to will or not to will that things shall fall out or not fall out Thirdly there is a double necessitie the one of compulsion the other of immutabilitie August de Ciuit Dei Tom. 5. lib. 5. cap. 10. The first may seeme to take away our freedome because we are compeld to do that which we would not doe as to be put to death by a tyrant to be slaine by our aduersarie yet our bodies and not our willes are properly said to be vnder this necessitie because do our aduersarie what he can we may will our death No necessitie ouerrules the minds of men ibid. or not will it but this second doth not for although it comes to passe that that which is done could not but be done neither otherwise done then it is done and that our willes are vnder this necessitie yet since it is by enclining them and not by forcing them there is a certaine libertie left vnto them Otherwise how could it bee said that Christ must needs suffer Luk. 24. and yet that he suffered willinglie and by consequence freelie Esay 53. Obiect If al things fal out necessarily because Gods decree of gouerning is immutable then prayers to preuent dangers with other meanes prescribed in the word of God serue to no purpose because not wee would but as God hath decreed so it must be effected The decree of GOD doth not exclude Solution but include the meanes appointed because as hee decrees the end so the meanes whereby it is to be accomplished Ioh. 1. Gal. 5. Rom. 10. Ephes 1. Thus God in electing his children giues his Gospell to worke faith and repentance his Sacraments to confirme vs and his blessed Spirit continually to direct vs and to quicken vp his good graces within vs as feruent prayer hartie thanks giuing zeale of his glorie conscience to serue him and such like Ephes 2. These necessarie to saluation though not to iustification without which we cannot bee saued Thus God in his decree of electing decrees also the meanes of accomplishing as by Christs precepts his practise and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying to predestinate it plainely appeareth As this is true of the soule so of the preseruation of the bodie for God hath not onelie giuen it a being but a soule by whose faculties it should bee kept from dangers he hath giuen food by which it shuld be nourished clothes to keep it warme oile to make a cheerefull countenance yea and for the sauing of soules and bodies all Gods blessings are giuen and all still preserued Thus Ezechias though he knew he should liue fifteene yeeres longer yet vsed a plaister of figs. And Paul though he knew he should come safe to land yet giues aduice and excites the mariners to the meanes how it should be effected How infinite many times did Dauid flie from his enemies vse meanes of his deliuerance and praied to God for the same and yet knew very well he should come to the kingdome yea and as infinit many times confessed God to be an assured defence and deliuerer of his children Secondly the reuealed will of God commanding vs to vse the meanes appointed must be a law to gouerne vs and therefore wee must not dreame of his hidden will whereof wee are ignorant Obiections and false conclusions inferred vpon this doctrine that God is the author of the euill of the punishment with the Answeres vnto them Obiection IF God willeth the death of none then hee hath no stroke in the punishment of sinners But that he willeth no ones death it appeares Ezech. 18.33 Ose 13.9 1. Tim. 2.4 2. Pet. 3.9 Matth. 23.37 Luk. 13.34 And therefore hee punisheth not all sinners There is a difference betweene the inflicting of punishment Solution the willing that a man should not come to that punishment by these places of holy Scripture the Lord shewes his desire to haue men to eschew sin The obiection propounded whereby they come to this punishmnt and not when they haue committed the same that he will not punish them for it
Thus a good Iudge giues his charge to preuent stealing at one Sessions Simile and punisheth those which haue broke it at the next Sessions Secondly if you respect Gods reuealed will that is the meanes he vseth for our cōuersion keeping of his lawes in this sense he willeth the death of none but if you respect his secret will that is his decree of reprobation Esay 1.24 Matth. 11. Luke 10. then God may be said to will the death of infinite many and that therein he reioyceth and taketh pleasure in as much as his power and iustice is thereby exalted His iustice in that hee punisheth sinne his mercie in that of his grace through his sonne hee saueth some his power in that he can ordaine for his owne seruice both vessels of wrath and vessels of glorie Thirdlie 1. Tim. 4.2 whereas God is said to will the saluation of all we must vnderstand by All some of euerie nation and degree whatsoeuer Thus Paul noteth when he saith Pray for kings and all in Authoritie because it pleaseth God that some of euerie countrie nation and degree should be saued Thus the generall vsed by Esay 43.9 is expounded in the sixt verse to be ment of the sons and daughters of God But some replie Replie 1. Tim. 4.10 that this cannot bee thus because it is said that although God is especially a Sauiour of the faithfull yet that he is a Sauiour of all as wel as of them Ans Sauiour hath relation to this life not to the life to come so that the meaning is that although God especiallie preserueth and deliuereth the godly yet that he giueth food raiment and other things necessarie for this life euen vnto the wicked also In this sense speaketh Dauid Psalm 33.6 Thou Lord sauest both man and beast Where saue must needs be vnderstood for preserue and maintaine and so in the place before alleaged Obiection The will of man agreeing with Gods will is good But whensoeuer one man doth kill another False conclusions inserred there is mans will agreeing with Gods will because it was his pleasure that such a thing should fall out In regard of the right of punishing And therefore man for killing man is not to be punished though it lies in God to punish him for it Where mans will agreeth with Gods will in all respects Solution the argument doth hold but in this and all other there is infinit contrarietie God wils a voluntarie permission man a wilfull effecting God often willes the death of a man if hee bee holie as a blessing to giue him the life of the soule for the death of the bodie and for momentarie troubles eternall ioies if he be wicked as a punishment for his sinne and to cut him off from infecting his Church but the murtherer in killing of a man respects none of these ends but the satissying of his malitious mind the occasion being as often vniustly taken as of weaknesse giuen So that in this and al other such like God willes his owne glorie in the execution of iustice and in shewing mercie to his children Rom. 12.9 but the manslaier regards neither but whollie the satisfying of his bloudie desire whereby he multiplies his sinnes in approching to the seate of iudgement 1. Thes 4.6 for vengeance is the Lords and to him only it belongs to repay Obiection Our vnrighteousnes commends the righteousnesse of God therfore though God hath the right of punishing yet he cannot in iustice punish vs because our sinne sets forth his glorie Our vnrighteousnesse doth not commend Gods righteousnesse Solution as it is simplie sinne but by accident namely because when we doe sinne God doth punish vs for the same which punishment being the execution of iustice his righteousnesse is thereby commended therfore let vs not sinne nor sinning without repentance thinke to goe vnpunished for it is for the honor of the Iudge of the world to execute iudgement Gen. 25. Obiections alleaged to prooue God the Author of sinne with the Answers vnto them Obiect IF God created the wicked man against the euill day or day of wrath Thus taught the Seleutians Aug. de haeres Thus taught Floring and Blastus at Rome Euscb lib. 5. cap 13. 28. Solution then it seemes he is the cause of sinne But God hath done so Prou. 16. And therefore seemes to be cause of sinne God created not the euill man to sin and therefore cannot be a cause of it but sinning to punish him for the same In which case none can complaine Psalm 6. because God will giue to euery one according to his worke Obiect If there be no euill in the citie which the Lord hath not done then it seemes he is the cause of sinne But God is the cause of all euill in the citie Amos 3.6 Esay 4. and therefore of sinne There is a double cuill Solution the morall and the naturall the morall euill is the sinne the naturall euill is the punishment for the sinne God is the Author of this but not of the other And therfore the Prophet Amos theacheth in this place that afflictions come from God and not by chance and fortune as some were perswaded Obiect God commanded Abraham to kill his innocent son Shemeus to curse Dauid Gen. 32.2 Sam. 15. But these are sinnes Therefore God seemes to be a cause of sinnes God commanded not Abraham to sacrifice his sonne of superstition Solution as they that offered their sons and daughters to the idoll Moloch nor yet to satisfie any malice or wicked thought in Abraham toward his sonne for this was farre from so holie a father but onlie as it was a point of Gods deuine seruice to trie the faith of Abraham who therby was to be made a father of al beleeuers And therefore God did well in commanding and Abraham well in obeying Secondly though the commandement was giuen to trie Abraham yet the secret purpose of God was to deliuer Isaac as the sequeale did manifest But on the contrarie Shemeus his railing on Dauid was from a malitious minde and to satisfie his furie against him the which was not commanded by God but only willingly permitted and in the permission so ordered as that it turned vnto Dauid to be a correction for his sinne in which sense Dauid saith the Lord bad him doe it And therefore by neither of these can God seeme to be the author of sinne Obiection God caused the Israelites to spoyle the Aegyptians of their iewels Exod. 12.25 chap. 3.22 contrarie to his owne Law Exod. 20. and therefore seemes a cause of sinne What God commaunds to be done Solution the performance of that can be no sin because sinne is a transgression of Gods lawe Secondly the Israelites being Gods people and hauing liued in great seruitude in Egypt and by their labours encreased the treasures of Pharaoh very exceedingly there was good reason why they
this life which those that heare Gods voyce and obey his will doe abundantly enioy are infinite many view their blessednesse euen in the middest of their miseries noted alreadie in the answeres to the former obiections In the answere to the second instance in the third obiection against this doctrine God gouernes all things and if they are happiein those things which make them seeme vnhappie how blessed are they in other things wherin there is neither taste nor shew of miserie But alas how can they want store of blessings who haue Christ the fountaine of all blessings how shall God detaine that which is deare who hath giuen them his onely Son who is dearest vnto him and how shall his mercie be failing to his friends Rom. 5. when it was so abundantlie manifested when they were enemies If wee heare his voyce we are friends wee are brethren we are sisters we are sonnes vnto him If earthly parents doe loue their children and labour to profit them how should our heauenly father whose loue as farre exceedes their loue as the infinite Creator doth the silly creature faile in his loue to his children or bee wanting in his blessings toward them But I leaue the priuiledges of the godly in the blessings of this life and come to their happinesse in the life to come In the description whereof we may aime but cannot attaine He which will bee a certaine reporter must heare the matter himselfe he which will limme perfectly must view that hee would draw and he that would iudge of harmonies must heare the sounds how then should sillie man on earth whose senses were neuer partakers of this glorie be a perfect describer thereof It rests then and so in the bowels of compassion as Embassadors of Christ wee entreate you that you rather seeke to bee partakers thereof then to expect a description from another yet being the end of the hope of the faithfull it shall not be amisse to speake something thereof That there is a place of infinit ioy and blessednesse for the godlie Psalm 15. Psalm 27. Matth. 25. 1. Cor. 19. Hebr. 4.11 13. none so vilde that will call it into question for God who is truth it selfe hath alwaies both taught and promised it therefore Peter in the behalfe of himselfe and the Church the sole partakers of this blessednesse breakes forth into an hartie thanksgiuing vnto God on this manner Praised bee God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which according to his abundant mercie hath begotten vs againe vnto a liuely hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from death to an inheritance immortall and vndefiled and that perisheth not reserued in heauen for them which are kept by the power of God through faith vnto soluation Touching the word heauen it hath three significations Psalm 14.6 as Paul noteth when hee saith he was taken vp into the third heauens The error of Basilides that there are 365. heauens Euseb lib. 4. ca. 7. verie foolish first it is taken for the aire aboue vs In this sense I take it the Psalmist speaketh when he saith the Lord couereth the heauen with clouds and thus the birds of the aire are called the fowles of heauen Secondly it is taken for the firmament Psal 8.89.30 which is called the heauenly hoste or beautifull apparrell of the heauens Thirdly it is taken for the seate and habitation of God himselfe which is aboue the firmament Psal 15. Philip. 3. Psalm 103. Matth. 5. And this is the place whither Christ our forerunner is gone to prepare a place for vs that in due time he might gather vs vnto him Reuel 21. The glorie whereof being described so farre forth as we may conceiue of the same I leaue the description and come to the ioies therein contained whereof both soules and bodies shall be partakers Col. 3.10 Ephes 4.14 1. Pet. 1.4 The soule shall bee adorned with wisdome iustice and holinesse for the good graces begun in vs here shall be perfected there and that excellent estate wherein we were at first created like vnto God shall then be restored a thousand times more excellent The mind shal lose her darkenesse and bee replenished with all light it shall know the might power mercie and iustice of God without any ministerie of his word The will shal want all euill desires and in a sweete content rest and stay it selfe on God alone The bodie after the day of the Lord being ioyned to the soule Matth. 22.3 shal euer remaine glorious subiect to no changes to no infirmities not needing meate 1. Cor. 15.3 drinke apparrell or outward meanes to preserue it the agilitie thereof shall be such as that it shall mooue it selfe whither it listeth 1. Cor. 13.11.12 the proportion such as that there shall bee no defect in any member Dan. 12. Matth. 13. And thus God hauing blessed both soules bodies shall giue them a glorie which shal shine as the Sunne and Starres in the firmament and this glorie must needs be infinite for that his glorie which replenisheth all things shall cause it And whereas the pleasures of this life Iohn 2.3 either breede discontent in the possessing or griefe in the losing those blessed and perfect ioyes in heauen shall cause neither for our abundance shall not cause a loathing but we shall stil desire them nor our desiring implie a want for wee shall be filled with them and not for a time for then there was griefe in losing them but for euer and euer and therefore there is an endlesse happines in thus possessing them Oh blessed happinesse and happy blessednesse to haue health without infirmitie Rom. 8. Philip. 3. Isai 25. Deut. 8. Isai 32. 1. Cor. 13. Ioh. 18. youth without waxing old fulnesse without loathing freedom without bondage fairenesse without deformitie life without death abundance without want peace without trouble securitie without feare knowledge without ignorāce ioy without sorrow and light without darknes What is Salomons wisdome Absolons fairenesse Sampsons strength Mathusalems long life and Caesars reigne surely compared with the excellencie of these things in heauen they were but follie deformitie weaknesse a point of a moment and a seruile bondage It is excellent to know things physical but much more excellent to know metaphysicall to haue the knowledge of the blessed Trinitie the knowledge of the might of the father of the wisdome of the Son of the bountie of the Spirit Bern. in Medic. O beata visio videre Deū in seipso videre Deum in nobis nos in ipso Oh blessed sight to see God in his glorie to see God in vs and vs in him What doest thou desire O thou mortall man which may content either soule or bodie if glorious sights there you shall see the glorie of heauen of the Saints of the Angels yea of God himselfe If melodie there is the blessed consort of praising God together if to loue God
then wee shall loue him more then our selues if friendship there shal be no discord if power and might thy will shall be as it were omnipotent for as Gods will is effected by himselfe so thy will shall bee effected through him if honour thou shalt a thousand thousand degrees exceede the honour that the mightest Emperours enioy vpon earth if riches the largest Empire hath his limits the mainest Ocean his bounds Kings treasures often labour of consumptions but the riches of heauen are euery way exceeding they haue neither end nor measure This is that glorie as Augustine saith which the Angels admire which obscures the Sunne yea which could it appeare to the soules of the damned would make as the sweete tree in the bitter waters euen hell it selfe seeme a paradise of pleasures But what should I say more of this blessednesse It hath not entred into the heart of man to conceiue aright thereof needes must it then bee greater then can bee described therefore blessed and a thousand times blessed are they whom God doth especially blesse in this life and so infinitelie reward in the life to come Plures sunt qups corrigit timor meliores sunt quos dirigit amor Gregor Now as these are meanes to quicken vs vp in a Christian course of seruing God so his punishments prepared for the vnrepentant should then terrifie from sinne when his mercies will not allure to holines of life For as his rewards of holines are infinite so his plagues ordained for the disobediēt are euery way exceeding Consider the names of the place prepared the Tormenters the diuersitie of torments their cōtrarieties their generalitie and their continuance and the truth of this will appeare vnto vs. Touching the place it is hell Topheth a pit Matth. 18. a lake vtter darknesse and what not to expresse the horror thereof The tormenters are diuels in number infinite in countenance fearefull in malice exceeding in strength wonderfull in nature cruell and neuer satisfied with plaguing nor wearied with punishing If one diuell seemes fearefull to men in this life and that they shake to behold him what horror will they bring in the life to come where there are legions where they appeare in the vglinesse of their owne natures and where they tyrannize according to their own desires The sorts of punishments are very many The worme vexing the conscience Esay 66. and gnawing the strings of the heart Matth. 25. The immercilesse firie flame tormēting both soule and bodie without intermission Luke 16. nor can there be compassion where fire and brimstone do meete together nor can there be respit where the flame is neuer extinguished Apocal. 21. nor can it be extinguished since the breath of the Lord doth alwaie kindle it Isai 30. Here the wicked haue their daintie fare their pleasant sights their stately buildings their gorgeous attire their troopes of Attendants but alas there is a lamentable exchange of all things Iob 21. Isai 65. Nahum 2. Ioel 2. In stead of their seruile Attendants ouerruling diuels of gorgeous attire vgly blacknesse of stately buildings a stincking lake of pleasant sights direful shapes of sweet musicke gnashing of teeth of daintie fare and abundance of what they desired an extreme pinching want with presence of that which they most abhorred Genes 41. Thus as the seuen leane kine deuoured the fatte so shall all the fading ioynes of the wicked bee deuoured of their contraries The seuen yeares famine consumed not all blessings but this neuer ceasing famine is a deuourer of all which the wicked had lent them Diues in inferno cogēte inopia Gloss in Ioh 27. vsque ad minima petenda perductus est qui sua tenacitate vsque adminima neganda pauperibus restrictus est The rich man that through his couetous desire was so strait laced to the poore that he would not grant the least thing to relieue thē is now being in hell compelled to aske the least drop of water to ease himselfe And thus is their glorie turned into shame their abundance into an extreame want and their libertie into chaines of darknesse And as the punishments are infinite in number so are they contrarie in qualities The fire continually flaming and yet a perpetuall darknesse the heate continually boyling and yet a congealing cold Stridor dentium solet sequi frigus Atque sic in imptorum interitu ipsa à suis qualitatibus tormenta discordant quia à conditoris voluntate Ignis infernalis cōcremationem habet lumen nō habet Oregor in Moral dum viuerent discrepabant And thus saith Gregorie the torments in hell in the destruction of the wicked do disagree from their natures because whilest the wicked liued vpon earth they would disagree from the wil of their Maker Neither are they onely contrarie in their qualities but also cōtagious in their spreading and therefore they sting both soule and bodie with euery member in particular The tortures being so generall ouer all and so violent in euery part Vt mentes impiorum ad aliud dirigi non possint nisi ad id quod vis doloris impellit That as Hierome saith the minde of the vngodlie can think vpō nothing but that whereunto the very force and extremitie of paine doth compell it Gathered directly by the words of Christ when he saith There shall be nothing but weeping and gnashing of teeth Matth 13. 22. 15. If one member grieued troubles the whole bodie how shall the torturing of all be endured Neither is it onely generall but that which is most grieuous perpetuall the torments neuer ending nor the tormēted at any time dying Matth. 15. Goe ye cursed saith Christ into euerlasting fire The portion befalling the wicked is a death without death an end of ioyes without end of paines a want of all delight without want of any sorrow this death euer liues this end euer begins in this want there can be no want Aug. de Ciuit. Dei lib. 13. Nunquam erit homini peius in morte quam vbi erit mors sine morte Most lamentable is it for that man which shall haue a death without any death whose death shall euer liue in paines because his life was euer dead in sinne De Ciuit. Dei lib. 19. Ibi dolor permanet vt affligat natura perdurat vt sentiat quia vtrumque non deficit nec poena deficiet Sic ibi ignis cōsumit vt se semper reseruet sic tormenta augentur vt semper remoueantur sic morientur vt semper viuent sic viuent vt semper moriantur Bern. in Medit cap. 19. There saith Augustine doth paine remaine that it might alwaies torment and there doth nature endure that it might euer feele the paine and because neither of these can be wanting therefore the plague can neuer haue a ceasing O miserie of all miseries alwaies to bee dying and yet neuer dead
in soule and bodie and all to free vs that were guilty being guiltlesse himselfe Thus he became a louing Noah that made an Arke of his owne bodie to saue vs silly sinners from drowning in the pit of eternall perdition thus he became a louing Pellican that pearced his owne heart that with his deerest bloud we might be reuiued It is obserued that the Pellican hauing made her nest hatched vp her young departs for a little season but in meane while the serpent comes and poisons them all the Pellican perceiuing it at her returne strikes the place against her heart washeth them with the bloud that issueth and after keepes them warme three daies and so they are restored againe Christ is the Pellican we his young Paradise the nest Satan the Serpent wee are poisoned Christs hart is stricken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 redemption signifies a price giuen therefore Paul 1. Tim. 2. saith that Christ hath giuen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a price expressed by Paul Ephes 1.7 to be his blood 1. Pet. 1.19 the bloud issueth we are washed hee couers vs that were dying with the wings of his mercie and so we are restored from death to life againe This bloudshedding is that price which Christ gaue for our redemption a most precious price and of an exceeding value to which not siluer nor gold being things corruptible may once bee compared For it was pure bloud stained with no pollution of sinne and secondly the blood of him that was the sonne of the most glorious liuing God Qui multa gessit mira protulit dura nec tantum dura sed etiam indigna who as Augustine saith did not only endure tortures most wonderfull most grieuous but euen such as were most vnbeseeming and vnworthie his person for as Bernard saith Habuit in dictis contradictores in factis obseruatores in tormentis illusores in morte exprobatores He had such as did contradict him in his sayings obserue him in his deeds mocke him in his sufferings reproch him in his death Hee said hee was the Sonne of God they said he was a blasphemer By curing on the Sabbath he did that which was good but they obiected he did that which was not lawfull to do He was content as a seruant to suffer for our sinnes but they in the bitternesse of his paines derided him with haile master King of the Iewes He submitted himselfe to the death and they in this death cried Thou which destroyest the Temple and buildest it againe in three daies if thou bee the Sonne of the liuing God come downe from the crosse and saue thy selfe And thus in his sayings deeds sufferings death he had those which did cōtradict obserue deride and cast him in the teeth This being knowne do you not now know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ 2. Cor. 8. that he being rich for our sakes became poore that we through his pouertie might be made rich And doe you know this price giuen for our redemption this precious price this exceeding price in the giuing whereof he vnderwent so many miseries so many torments so many gain-sayings so many obseruations so many mockings so many scornings and shall not these not all these moue vs to loue him that bought vs Bernard and thus dearely bought vs O duri indurati obdurati filij Adami quos non emollit tanta benignitas tam ingens flamma tam feruens amator O hard and more then hard hearted sonnes of Adam whom so great loue such flaming loue so feruēt a louer wil not prouoke incense nor moue to loue him Behold him on the crosse his head bowing to kisse thee his armes to embrace thee his blood from the very heart through hands sides and feete trickling downe to cleanse thee heere 's a sweete kisse an humble kisse a blessed kisse by which a barren groūd yeelding wholly weeds and brambles is now made a garden of most sauourie spices in which heauen hath stooped to earth a King married a begger yea more then all God vnited to vs and we to him through which death and destruction is abolished and euerlasting life and happines procured And shall not all this moue vs to loue him I know all will answere they loue the Lord and fie on him that loues not God that thus deserueth to be beloued But withall Deut. 5.6 Matth. 22.37 1. Toto corde 2. Tota anima 3. Tota mente id est 1. Jutellectu sine errore 2. Voluntate sine contradictione 3. Memoria sine obliuione Augustine thou must further learne to loue him with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy mind and this is that maner of louing which God requireth And secondly examine this loue by the effects thereof and thou shalt finde few to loue him feruently many to loue him coldly infinite to loue him nothing at all Touching the manner with all the heart with all the soule with all the mind it is as Augustine saith to conceaue of him in our minds without any errour to obey him in our willes without contradiction to lay him vp in our hearts without obliuion Alias 1. Sapienter ne decepti 2. Dulciter ne illecti 3. Fortiter ne oppressi Bern. Or as Bernard saith with the heart that is wisely with the soule that is sweetly with the minde that is strongly Wisely that we be not deceiued with the policie of Satan and his craftie instrumēts Sweetly that riches pleasures honor by their sugred baites doe not allure vs. Strongly that the mockings of the scorners of Gods promises or persecutions of Tyrants doe not ouercome vs. And this is to loue God with all the heart with all the soule and with all the minde But I come to the effects of loue which are certaine and many Verus amor si sit in affectu necessariò ostenditur in effectu If true loue be in the affection it euer shewes it selfe in effecting The fire yeelds heate or smoke and if neither thou maist say there is fire long enough before men will beleeue thee This loue is a fire The fire kindled saith Dauid and at last I spake with my tongue therefore if it yeeld not his effects in stronger or weaker manner say what wee will the loue of God abideth not in vs. Certaine effects of louing God These effects are infinite but I touch the chief and leaue the rest to our due consideration The first signe of our true loue vnto God is when wee decrease in our loue to the world Yee cannot loue God and Mammon saith Christ I account aduantage Philip. 3.7 losse saith Paul and all things dung that I may winne Christ as if hee should say These must bee reiected before Christ can be loued VVhere is your loue to God you coueious Earth-wormes Simile Duplicibus desiderijs nemo incedere potest None can halt between two desires the eyes cast vpon two things at once