be I pray you continually to ly extended vpon inconceaueably hote burning coales and amongst execrable stinches and all the torments that can be imagined without repose without intermission without coÌ„fort without hope and without release for a whole Eternitie O you that are deafe saith ISAYE harke ô you blind behold But who is blind but he that is slaue to sinne who is deafe but he that is made slaue to his vices And thou who seest so many things seest thou not this And thou that hast thyne eares open hearest thou not this But alas how many are there in the world who haue eyes but not to see and eares but not to vnderstand truthes so manifest O Lord thou who dost euery thing so well who makest the blind see and the deafe heare open the eyes and eares of those whom the vanities and filth of the world doe make blind and deafe To th end that those that doe run to their ruine and doe precipitate themselues into horrible misfortunes for want of foreseeing theÌ„ may by the feare of thy iudgments reclaime their footsteps from those so slipperie wayes O God who is able to relate the powre of thy wroth and to know without amaysement the effectes of thyne indignation ô how horrible a thing it is to fall into the hands of the liuing God! hands so heauie that IOB being onely touched with the tippe of one of the fingars therof and that for a smale space too inuites all creatures to take pittie of him ô how burdensome and insuportable are they to the reprobate Whether it were better for the damned not to bee XXXV FOrme a iudgment of it out of this consideration Athanasia that without respite they search after death and it comes not they shall wish for it and it shall fly from them VpoÌ„ which the Deuines moue a fine questioÌ„ to witt whether it were not better for the damned to bee no more or neuer to haue bene at all then to subsiste without anihilation amidst so many liuing deathes To which the Angell of the schowle S. THOMAS makes answeare with no lesse subtilitie then soliditie that the non-esse being considered purely in it selfe is the euil of euils and the most miserable condition imaginable and that thus it cannot in generall be desired But being taken as deliuering vs from a beeing accompained with all sorts of miseries and as it is a priuation of so many calamities it may be wished for of those who are in so deplorable a state Whence it is said in the Ghospell of that reprobate which betrayed the sonne of man and who through despaire hanging himselfe was burst in the midst It had bene better for this man that he had neuer bene And IOB in the extreamitie of his afflictions curseing the day of his birth wished that he had neuer bone S. AVGVSTINE confirmes this opinion when he saith The wicked and impious persons that are plunged in eternall fires shall liue in despite of themselues for they would be glad if it were in their powre to end so accursed a life but none will oblige them with the benefit of such a death as would make them senselesse of their paines And againe the Scripture daignes not this continuall sufferance with the name of life for to be continually in such extreame torments seemes not so much to be a life as a perpetuall death Whervpon in Sacred writt this damnation is called a seconde death to distinguish it from the first wher vnto all that are vpon the face of the earth are lyable And albeit it be called death yet is none extinguished therby for to liue in continuall torment is not to liue but to dic The same Doctor in another passage saith to the same pourpose If the damned soules liue in those eternall paines where the vncleane spirits aâ— tormented they are rather to be said tâ—dy then liue and that eternally Foâ— there is no worse nor more dreadfâ—â— death then when death cannot dyâ— Pope INNOCENTIVS giues authoritie to that beleife in these tearmes Then speaking of the accurseâ— Eternitie death shall be immortall 〈◊〉 death how much more sweete should thou be if thou didst extinguish so dolorous a life then to constraine one tâ— liue in such hellish torments and which is yet worse torments of so long continuance I for the number of yeares in Hell is numberlesse The last yeare of those punishments shall neuer arriue After a thousand million of yeares there will remayne as many againe to be counted and those also being sommed vp we are to begin anew againe CAIN after fiue thousand yeares of a liuing death is as in the first day of his tortures and after a thousand million â—f million of yeares he shall begin â—new to suffer And though the â—icked richman hath thirsted two â—â—ousand yeares in the flames which â—oe burne but not consume him he 〈◊〉 yet to expect and shall expect for â—ternitie one droppe of refreshing â—â—ater which shall for euer be deâ—yed him When humane iustice â—oth adiudge a criminall to exquiâ—te tortures for some great and â—â—ormious crimes to dy is reputed a â—uour since by that meanes he is â—eed from the cruell tormeÌ„ts which â—reife doth imprint in his body But 〈◊〉 the Diuine iustice which is exeâ—uted in Hell there is no stroke faâ—orable where one is to languish â—or euer in a death which cannot â—ie Which is a Hell in Hell worse â—hen a thousand Hells Why there paines are eternall XXXVI BVt le ts withdraw our view Athanasia from so horrible spectacle whose topp is Eternitie And let vs put the last fingaâ— to this draught all red with flames with the reason which Deuines giue of the Eternitie of those paynes Iâ— there any thing more conformable to the Diuine Iustice say they theâ— to punish those eternally who foâ— loosse pleasures vanities and transitorie toyes haue contemned thâ— torrent of eternall delightes glorie riches since that by the rule of equitie the punishment is to haue proportion with the fault Further adâ— they he that dyes in mortall sinne renouncing grace which is as thâ— Herbingar and Porter of Glorie iâ—surprised by death in a state of sâ—peruerted a sense and in such an auersion from God that it is credible that if he had liued for euer he had still persisted in his malice and had bene buried in euil dayes in so much that by loosing his life he did not for all that loose his will to offend which makes him perish in his reprobation and makes him worthy of an Eternitie of paines Againe seemes it not reasonable that he should be punished in Gods great Eternitie who hath offend God in the litle Eternitie of his life Let vs add to this that all which is in God being God himselfe because he is all beeing all essence all substance without accidents and consequeÌ„tly his iustice being equall with his mercy if he reward a cup of cold water giuen in his grace and for his loue with an Eternitie
afflict vs therin which being well husbanded doe worke in vs a crowne of eternall glorie No No what sufferances soeuer doe vexe vs in this dying life they enter into no comparison with the glorie which shall one day be reuealed vnto vs. The force of the thought of Eternitie XIX NO neuer Athanasia though our mynd turne it selfe on euerie side make choyce of subiects most pregnant to moue it and to giue it the most forceable impressions to imbrace good or auoyd euil neuer shall it light vpon any thought so fruitfull to produce this effect as the thought of Eternitie O momēts you are but chaffe and dust before the face of this great wind This is the great vanne which can separate the corne from the chaffe and separate precious from vile things Eternitie is that Moyses his rod able to deuoure the serpents of our sinns and to draw water from rockes that is can beget compunction in the most flintie heart It is a violent blast which driues vs forwards towards the Desert of penāce which vrgeth vs to returne into the Sheepe-fold of grace if by errour we haue strayed from it or by sinne like lost sheepe It is the end of all ends the end of all consommation and the extreamitie of extreamities wither the wiseman doth send vs if we desire to abstayne from sinning euerlastingly For if death if iudgement ensuing if the terrours of Hell serue for a bitt to the strongest mouth and for a restraynte to the most desparate soule what will it be if we add thervnto the importance of an Eternitie If we consider the Blessed Eternitie it is a Ionathas his honie if the Accursed it is a Tobie's gale soueraigne to cure the thickest and deepest blindnes There is no Filme which falls not from the 〈◊〉 washed with this water No Torrent of sinne which may not both be sustayned and repelled by this stronge banke It is a Sunne which doth breake disperse the cloudes of vice which striue to hide the light of grace Le ts approch then Athanasia to this Torch and our darknes shall be blowen ouer If we desire to be borne againe to Heauen let vs imitating that onely bird consume our selues in the beames of that great starr And if the thought of the worlds last day Iudge of all the other dayes filled S. Hieromes heart with such dread that it made him loose both foode and repose his sleepe being interrupted by the terrible found of the Archangells trumpet which sounded incessantly in his imagination what waight shall that eternall doome haue in our hearts which shall crowne the iust with roses that cannot fade and shall inuolue the wicked in quenchlesse flames which being kindled with the blast of Gods wroth shall cōtinue as long as the Deitie it selfe No I doe not beleeue that all the Antidotes which Spiritualists prescribe against the poyson of sinne that all their remedies put together in one masse can haue the like effect in the purging of a soule that the importance of an Eternitie well pondered can worke therin O Lord thou hast giuē a signe to those who haue thy feare imprinted vpon their heartes that they may auoyd the arrowes which thou shuttest from the bow of thy wroth and that by flight they may free themselues from the eternall torments which doe attend them torments by which such onely are ouertaken as for want of foresight and consideration dread them not as an auncient Father doth teach vs. O how happie is the soule whose eyes God daynes to open ouer so perilous a precipice that therby she may auoyde it and please our Lord in the Land of those that liue in his grace For they that passe their dayes in this happie Abode are not subiect to this seconde death which hath no resurrection for out of Hell there is no redemption or escape Their eyes owe no tributarie teares since they are not afflicted with the torment of malice nor doth their feete stumble in the way of saluation which is that of the blessed Eternitie Thinke of the last end saith the wisest of men and thou shal◠neuer offend If then the thought o◠death and of that which followe◠death hath so much force in a soule that is occupied in it as to diuert it from all euil what will it doe I pray you in a well composed heart which can iudiciously ponder the waight of things when it shall come to thinke that temporall death is but an instant which separates the soule from the body and that the particular iudgement which doth immediately follow this separation is past in a moment marrie that the decree of this iudgement is of an eternall and vninterrupted continuance Why the threate of a temporall death and the losse of a florishing estate written vpon a wall by a celestiall hand was able to seaze the soule of Baltazar with so daunting a terrour that the scripture assures vs that all his bones were thereby disioynted so throughly did feare possesse both body and soule How forceablely then shall the feare of an eternall death worke in a solide iudgement and in a heart that thinkes seriously of its saluation Will it not in this thought pronounce with the kingly Prophete All my bones were troubled that is to say all my powres were disordered and againe All my bones shall say vnto thee ô eternall Lord who is like vnto thee That this life is onely lent vs to thinke vpon Eternitie XX. O Momentes of this mortall life how carefully ought you to be managed since by you as by so many stepps we mount to Eternitie I for God hath onely placed vs in this region of death to breath continually to that of the liueing nor are we in this Desert for any other end then to trauell to the Land of Promisse Which shall one day be distributed amongst vs according to the line of distribution The Angells at their first creation were placed in a state of grace and full freedome and had a tyme to resolue their choyce of glorie or reprobation by obedience or reuoulting and following their election that great diuision was made which doth eternally separate the Blessed who kept their principalitie from the accursed who fell from Heauen into the Abisses below Men afterwardes created of so noble substances to repaire the ruines of those that were fallen haue also the tyme of their life to resolue and determine what shall become of them for all Eternitie For which cause they were created straight and free fire and water were put before them that they might make election of which they liked And they applie according to their owne will the vse of their freedome nor are they to impute it to others then themselues if by their owne malice misfortune befall them He that shall sowe benedictions shall reape benedictions but he that shall commit wickednes shall draw a curse vpon his owne heade and that an eternall one according as it is written Goe you accursed into
the fire which proceedes from thyne irritated face Who continues the furnace where they are plunged in its wounted heate by the torrent of burning brimstone which flowes from the face of thy iust indignation O God of reuenge let this thought make so liuely an impression in our â—magination that we may be therby roused out of the lethargie of pleasures concupiscence and wordly ambition which keepe vs asleepe Let the fire which walkes before thee as executioner of thy terrible Iustice and which doth consume thyne enemyes to witt the reprobate neuer depart from our memorie may it be vnto vs a torch and pillar of light in the darknesse of the world and our errours a Lampe to our feete and a light to our wayes wherby we may discouer the gulfe which will swallow vs vp vnlesse we prohibite the feete of our affections to follow wicked wayes and command them to walke in the wayes of thy law Thou ô Lord who didst deliuer the three children out of the Babilonian furnace a figure of that wherin the reprobate burne for euer preserue vs from those abominable flames where thou art continually blasphemed and exempting vs from the sharpe and burning ones of thy wroth place vs in the light and bright ones of thy loue where like Pyralides and sacred Salemanders we shall liue happie without paine or consummation singing honour praise and benediction vnto thee for the Canticle of our deliuerance Of interiour paines XXVIII LEt vs now come Athanasia to the consideration of interiour paines And let vs iudge of the torments of the soule as well by the aduantages which it hath ouer the bodie as by the large share it hath in the malice of sinne which is consummated in the will If a Stoicall philosopher had light enough to discerne that euery disordered mynd is its owne TormeÌ„ter what a torture shall the reprobate find in their owne hearts in this accursed place of disorder which is replenished with the horrour of an eternall confusion There their vnderstanding shall be darkned with cloudes because they shall be ouertaken with a night of obscuritie and be couered with the thicke shades of death I will omitt the subtile schowle questions whether they shall be intangled in errours and ignorances wherof those accursed inhabitaÌ„ts of that black prison seeme to complaine in the booke of wisdome when they say that the Sunne of vnderstanding doth not enlighten them Vpon this subiect I will onely stike to that vndoubled truth which teacheth vs that they are fallen for euer into a reprobate sense which causeth their will still following that which the vnderstanding proposeth vnto it being bent to vice like a crooked bowe as the Psalmist tearmes it to hate God with an implacable and extreame hatred But if some subtile disputant goe about to teach vs that since the will cannot hate Good which is its proper obiect it is impossible that it should coÌ„ceaue a true hatred against God who is the soueraigne good we will answere him with the Angelicall S. THOMAS that the damned doe not hate God in himselfe because they know him not such as he is as doe the Blessed who by reason of that knowledge cannot leaue to loue him but onely in his workes for the vnderstanding of the damned conceauing God as Authour of the torments they endure causeth their will to be incensed against him with a mortall and raging hatred And wheras nor God nor the payne which they suffer can cease to bee their courrage ceaseth not and their will is continually tortured with this vnsufferable auersion Their memorie also shall haue its peculiar tormeÌ„t for if the blessed in Heauen reioyce in the labours reproaches which they endured for the loue of God and that through the fire and water of tribulations they are entred into rest the memorie of pleasures past shall be an extreame torment to the reprobate when they call to mynd that for those transitorie moments they are fallen into pinching and endlesse paines They shall roare out with ESAV to haue sold their heauenly inheritance for a mease of potage For comparing in their mynd pleasures past with those that are eternall and apprehending the approach of torments whose cruell panges they feele will not this memorie thinke you draw vpon them an insupportable affliction With what Phantomes and monsterous imaginations shall their fantisie be tortured Frame a iudgement of it by that which happens to such as in this life finding themselues guiltie of greeuious crimes feare to fall into temporall Iustice They may indeede sometymes be in a secure place but neuer in securitie They may be hid from the eyes of men and be placed out of their reach but neuer shall they be able to hide themselues from themselues or escape the assault of their owne conscience While they wake they are vexed with feares and suspicions their sleepe is interrupted with wicked dreames dreade doth still haunt them at each ones approach they quake with feare and the Furies hauing seased vpoÌ„ them grant them nether Peace nor Truce their dissipated thoughts put their hearts vpon the Racke Now if the apprehension of humane Iustice which hath power onely ouer the bodie giue so daunting Alarumes to the imagination what will the sense of the dartes of the Diuine Iustice doe which are so many vessells of death and burning arrowes shot at the damned soule But who can expresse the strange Chaos and horrible confusion which shall inhabite the inferiour appetite of the lost crue For if all the disorder of mans life spring from his passions which as blustering blastes are shut vp in the two caues Concupiscible and irascible what disorder iudge you must those wretched soules needs feele in that part what contradictions in themselues what conuulsions what rage what furie Alas that noble passion LOVE Queene of all the rest the Sunne and salt of life that passion which might haue made them happie for euer if they had turned it towards God that soueraignely amiable obiect being as it were razed out of them the perpetuall auersion they haue to loue shall afflict them as the panges of a woman in childbirth who cannot yet be deliuered S. CATHERINE OF SIENNA being vpon a day present while a possessed person was exorcised the Diuel being commanded to declare his name he answered with a hideous how leing I am the accursed DEPRIVED-OF-LOVE At which the Sainte was so moued that she thought she should haue fallen downe in a Traunce Touching the passion of hatred it shall be outragious in the daÌ„ned whence shall proceede their continuall blasphemies against God and the perpetuall maledictions and imprecations which they shall make against the creatures And if they haue any Desires they shall be execrable ones to see all the world partakers of their paynes not that they are at all solaced therby but onely to giue way to the incredible malice of which they are full Their auersion from all good shall be as much tormenting as in
is this temporall miserie if it be compared to the eternall sorrow which shall torment the reprobate aduertised by so many remonstrances as well by writing as by word of mouth which bett vpon their eyes and eares and made them inexcusable in not hauing redeemed lost tyme and in hauing by the hardnesse and inpenitence of their heart heaped vp a treasure of anger in the day of our Lords anger What a remorse shall they feele to see that their wounds waxe old in the face of their imprudence And that while they might haue purchased an eternall and priselesse felicitie for a glasse of cold water giuen in the loue and for the loue of God yea haue borne away the crowne of glorie by naturall and necessarie actions being done in grace with conformitie to Gods will at so easie a rate doth the supreame Goodnesse sell heauen and that these truthes were so frequently proposed vnto them by the Ghospell and the preachers therof who as trumpets made them resound in their eares they not being moued with all this lesse sensible then the walls of Hierico who fell at the sound of the prestly trumpett What a heart-breake it shall be vnto them to thinke how litle they inioyed and for how litle a space they possessed the same what benefits they haue lost from how faire aduātages they are fallen how litle was demanded at their hands for a priselesse glorie together with the torments passing conceit which they shall endure without all hope of end To speake the truth as there is no head so strong that turnes not nor body so stiddie that shakes not at the aspect of a deepe descent so me thinkes there is no braine that is not troubled by bending its attētion towards the eternall sorrow which shall incessantly gnaw vpon those miserable catiues The Eternitie of the torments of Hell XXXII BVt when all is done Athanasia reason must render the Ghost and humane wisdome must be drunk vp in the consideration of the Eternitie of those paines which we haue set out in weake colours For if those torments how euer great how euer long were to haue end yet hope would in habite the bottome of Pandoras bote nor should this hope be voyd of some sparke of consolation But alas in saying neuer we say a terme without terme and which for the tyme to come shall continue as long as God shall be God The Reprobate saith the sacred texte shall be forsaken of God eternally Eternally shall God be angrie with them and that without reconcilement This Abisse neuer renders any thing it once swallowes vp the soules that are once cast headlong thither neuer returne Out of that Gaole there is no redemption There no thoughts of God but such as are blasphemous no praise is rendred him in that accursed dungeon The flame of the Babilonian furnace burnt 49. handfulls high but could neuer rayse it selfe to the fiftith a number of IOVBILIE and Pardon as figure of that wherof we speake where there is no remission of sinnes There saith the Psalmist are the damned deuoured of death no otherwise then sheepe doe grase for as the grasse putts vp againe vnder the sheepes nibling tooth so shall the reprobate be continually struke with the sting of a liuing death and still as they shall be deuoured by it they shall reuiue to new punishments wherin the truth of that shall be seene which the Poetes did onely fabulously relate of the liuer still renewed as by the vultour it was deuoured The wicked saith the holy Ghospell shall be cast into the fire and they burne in steed of saying they shall burne A wonderfull speech which by a present tense in lieu of a future doth represent the Eternitie of this endlesse torment For after a thousand ages as many milliōs as cētenaries of million of millions one may still affirme of these accursed soules they burne while incessantly they pay the reuenew of a rent whose principale they shall neuer extinguish No for Eternitie being a perpetuall To-day and a continuance remayning still in the same beeing how can that run by which stands still in the same state And if there be any thing new it shall be the Canticles of ioy which shall continually be new in the blissed Eternitie In the accursed the reprobate shall suffer and dayly shall attend new sufferances and their sense still liuely shall neuer be hardened therby Their being accustomed to endure shall not make their tormēt lighter or lesse insupportable Whateuer euer calamities we suffer in this life be they neuer so great and greuious they dure onely for a tyme saith the Prophete DANIEL but to the damned tyme shall not be Le ts call to mynd saith S. PACION that in Hell there is no place left for repentance For the tyme therof is past Happie is he who by a good confession foreruns the face of the Iudge iustly irritated with our crymes who doth promptly performe all the good in this world which his hand is able to worke And who doth well in euery thing while in this life precious tyme is lent him For now it is the houre to rise from the sleepe of the death of sinne for our saluation or dānation are neerer then we beleeue But will it please you Athanasia that to giue life to this Draught we may borrow from this subiect of the Eternitie of those paynes the colours of some excellent pincell of antiquitie Heare S. AVGVSTINE then or rather see how he setts out this eternall miserie in its colours As for the accursed soules saith he their death is without death their end without end their tearme without tearme For their death shall be still liuing their end shall still be begining and their tearme shall neuer expire Death shall stifle without killing them The Torture shall bruse without distroying them The flame shall burne them without affording light at all for this fire shall be darke and horrour shall inhabit this darknesse and darknesse shall increase the torment of the flame Thus shall they be sett vpon with the sense of dolour and horrour incessantly suffering and dreading S. GREGORIE the GREAT almost in the same aire giues vs assurance of the Eternitie of paines In this torture of the reprobate saith he death is immortall and end endlesse Because death liues there continually and continually the end begins anew Where be now saith S. BERNARD the children of the flesh the louers of the world whose conuersation in earth was amongst vanities and delightes what haue we left of them but corruption and a most distastefull memorie They had a life of it in the earth they eate and drunke delicately they liued at their ease and in an instante they descended into Hell Their flesh in earth serues onely now for wormes-meate and their soule burnes in eternall flames For what did their glorie and vanitie serue them what benefit did they reape of their transitorie ioyes what aduantage did their great powre bringe them say what
and bracelets are tokens of loue whose true proofe is the worke saith S. GREGORIE and is not the worke signified by the arme and hand the principall instruments of operation Now in euery well-ordered marriage the Bride receaues some dowrie of the Bridegroome whervpon in this great Sacrament of IESVS CHRIST and his Church and the faithfull Soule which is a member of this Church the misticall body of our Sauiour the Doctors doe assigne dowries to the soule which enters into Glorie according to that doctrine of ISAIE our Lord hath clothed me with garments of saluation and hath adorned me with a chayne as his Spouse And that of S. IOHN in his Apocalipse who compares the triumphant Hierusalem to a Bride well deckt being so adorned by her spouse And touching those dowries in particular they reduce them to three heades conformably to the three powres of the Soule and to the three Diuine vertues which God infuseth herebelow into the hearts of the faithfull Faith Hope and Charitie For they say that the Memorie is endowed with the possession of God which doth referre to Hope The vnderstanding with vision or knowledge in reward of Faith and the Will with the Diuine Fruition in recompence of Charitie This is the triple band which in Heauen shall inseparably tye vs to God a heauenly band which can neuer be broken Touching the qualities of the glorified bodies LIV. LEt 's now make a passage Athanasia from the interiour to the exteriour from the felicitie of the Soule to that of the body and let vs say that to those dowries which I haue deciphered in the former stroke admirable qualities shall be adioyned which without distroying the beeing of the bodie shall worke wonderfull changes and make them far more noble then they are in this mortall life We shall all rise againe saith the Apostle that is as well the Elect as the Reprobate but all shall not experience this happie change for the bodies of the dāned shall remayne passible heauie grosse and darke but the bodies of the Blessed shall become impassible subtile light and resplendant And to these foure qualities it is that the Doctors haue reduced the dowries of the glorious bodies Impassibilitie is a qualitie which shall make the body of an incorruptible temper not obnoxious to change exempt from hungar thrist cold heate greife infirmitie and from euery thing that can subiect vs to death or paine Glorified bodies cannot burne nor suffer in the fire nor be drowned in the water In a word nor can the tooth of Tyme nor any other force distroye them They shall enioy a continuall youth like to a flowre that cannot fade a vigorous health against which sicknesse can attempt nothing a qualitie of the heauenly bodies that suffer no alteratiō Which made the Apostle say that that which was sowen in corruption he meanes the corps layed in the graue shall ryse incorruptible and that which is mortall shall put-on immortalitie And againe the dead shall rise to incorruption The second dowrie is subtiltie which shall indewe the body as it were with a spirituall qualitie I doe not say that it shall become spirit for that is the errour of some auncient Heretikes refuted by S. AVGVSTINE in his bookes of the Citie of God nor yet that the glorious body shall be made aire an Heresie which S. GREGORIE in his Morales ascribes to EVTICHIVS Bishope of Constantinople but I say its subtiliti◠shall be so great that it shall passe through another body as through Heauen and earth which the Maisters tearme Penetration of dimensions And of this dowrie is vnderstoode that of the Apostle this sensible body shall rise againe spirituall that is resembling the spirit in sundrie things yet in such a spiritualitie as shall not depriue it of its palpabilitie according to that saying of our Sauiour to his disciples after his resurrection touch and see a spirit hath nether flesh nor bones as you see me haue And the same Sauiour did shew the subtiltie of his glorious body while he issued out of his Tombe not opening it and entred into the Hall where the Apostles were the gates being shutt The third qualitie shall be an incredible Agilitie and such as S. AVGVSTINE teacheth that the body shall be where the Spirit desireth not that this motion saith S. THOMAS is performed in an instant and without a meane but that the swiftnes of the passage shall be in a sort imperceptible and like to that of fire or lightning as saith the wiseman For the rest saith ISAIE they run without labour and trauell as far as they list without being wearie at all because this body sowen in infirmitie shall rise againe saith the Apostle in such vigour a vigour which S. THOMAS takes for Agilitie or Mobilitie that it shall be indefatigable and shall performe in a smale tyme an incredible iorney The fourth and most noble dowrie shall be Brightnes of which it is said in S. MATHEW that the Iust shall shine like the Sunne in the Kingdome of their heauenly Father and againe that they should flie like sparkes as it is in the wiseman And S. PAVLE writing to the Corinthians assures them that that which is sowen in infirmitie shall rise vp in glorie that is in brightnes according to S. THOMAS his interpretation grounding vpon the same Apostle who saith presently after as one starre differs from another in brightnes so shall the glorious bodies differre after their resurrection And the same Apostle speaking to the Philippians tells thē that our Lord will reforme the body of our humilitie and will cōforme it to his brightnes a brightnes wherof he gaue a proofe in his Transfiguration vpon the Mount-Thabor of his Agilitie by walking vpon the waters of his subtiltie in his birth and of his impassibilitie escapeing often tymes without hurt out of the hands of the Iewes who one while would stone him at another tyme would throw him headlōg downe while as yet the tyme of his suffering death for our sake was not arriued The pleasure of the Senses LV. THe glorious bodie being in this sort as it were transformed by the foure qualities which I haue touched in the former stroke O Athanasia iudge you how exquisite the pleasures of the senses shall be which they shall enioy in Organes so perfectly well disposed It is a delightfull question in Diuinitie to know whether the dowrie of impassibilitie shall exclude the act of the senses which S. THOMAS deneyes by no lesse solide then subtile arguments and shewes contrariwise that the perfection of those qualities shall render the pleasures of the Senses more pure and their delightes more excellēt He seemes to make some exception of the Sēse of tasteing for that the Kingdome of Heauen being nether meate nor drinke but ioy and Peace in the Holy Ghost and the beatified body stāding in no neede of foode to sustaine it he thinkes that this Sense made to relish meates remaynes vnprofitable and he would
fire wheeles gibbets swords haire-shirts disciplines austerities and whither the King of Saints entred by sufferaâ—nces O miserable bodie too delicate a member to liue vnder a Heade crowned with thornes and wholy couered with blood Tell me accursed carcasse and victime of death what priuiledge thou pretendst that thou darst presume by a manifest iâ—iustice wallowing in soft lux and delicacies to enter into a Kingdome all whose gates are made with Crosses in a Paradice where none enters that is not pearced with the firâ—e sword of a louing mortification Heare this doome or rather this thunder clapp ô my body and thou ô my soule If thou dost not mortifie with the spirit the actions of sensualitie thou shalt die marrie if thou mortifiest them thou shalt liue And againe mortifie your meÌ„bers which are vpon earth and carrie still in your body the mortification of IESVS CHRIST so shall you be as dead but to th' end you may liue eternally Of the Aureola LVII BEsides the essentiall Glorie which the Blessed shall enioy Athanasia in the sight of the Soueraigne well-beloued in the loue of the Soueraigne well-seene the Diuines doe note certaine accidentall ones and as it were accessorie to the prime and principall which they haue named Aureolas grounding vpon a passage of Exodus where there is command giuen to make a litle crowne called Aureola ouer the Arke bisides the crowne of gold with which it was to be wholy inuironed Now this Aureola doth chiefely reside in the soule albeit by a certaine rebounding saith S. THOMAS as also DENIS THE CARTHVSIAN and ouerswelling it breakes out and spreads it selfe ouer all the bodie and doth euen outwardly appeare with a certaine peculiar grace And if Essentiall Glorie be different according to the diuers degrees of Charitie and merite this accidentall of which we speake shall be varied following the varietie of labours and victories For as there is diuision of graces so is there of rewards to Ordinarily these Aureolae are diuided into three kindes wherof one is attributed to MARTYRES who haue conquered the world the second to VIRGINES who haue surmounted sensualitie the third to DOCTORS who by their learning haue defeated the Artes and errours of the Prince of darknesse And if these Aureolae be compared together the comon consent giues the first rancke and preeminencie to Martyrdome for there is no greater charitie then to giue ones life for that which he loues Neuer durst any saith S. AVGVSTINE preferre Virginitie before Martyrdome Chastitie being but a lent martyrdome wheras to die in torments is a violent one A second is giuen to virgines who follow the Lambe where euer he goes clothed in white stoles The third to Doctors who were the salte of the earth the light of the world and the Lampes of Israel And when I say the Aureola shall be giueÌ„ vnto Doctors I nether vnderstand the learned nor those that shall onely haue taken the degree of Doctor ship in earth and buried their Talent and hid their Lampe vnder the Bushall For such Doctors shall enioy in Heauen the simple guife of Charitie onely a thing common with the rest of the Elect for as DANIEL saith they shall be bright as the Firmament But such as shall instruct others in the way of saluation and rightuousnes shall sparkle and shine as glorious strarrs in perpetuall Eternities Those then it is that haue taught and communicated to the ignorant sound and wholsome doctrine who shall carrie away the Aureola of Doctors For as he is not crowned who hath onely the abilitie and strength to fight and vanquish but he that in effect doth fight and ouercome the enemy according to that none shall be crowned but such as haue lawfully fought so those onely that had knowledge made others participant of it shall partake of the Aureola of Doctors according to that of the Ghospell he that shall teach and doe what is good shall be called great in the Kingdome of Heauen Some vnderstand those words of the Apocalipse of this Aureola I will bestow on him that shall ouercome a hidden Manna and a white stone wherin shall be grauen a new name which none shall know but he that receaues it and that of ISAIE speaking of the Continent vnder the name of Eunukes I will giue them a Mansion within the compasse of the walls of my house and an excellent name amongst the childreÌ„ of men As then here below in earth men are ordinarily distinguished by their clothes so shall those three bands haue some particular signe or marke which shall make them notable amongst the rest of the Blessed The Blessed societie of the Elect. LVIII ANd if an auncient Philosopher Athanasia following comon sense said that felicitie is not full and accomplished without societie what compainie is comparable to that which the Blessed inioy in Glorie Though God be sole and one in Essence yet hath he societie in the distinctions of persons and thence is not solitarie in his Beatitude What shall it be to behold the Societie of the three Diuine persons vnited together in the vnitie of their beeing yea euen to be vnited to this high Societie in the band of Charitie which is that of perfection what shall it be to be associated to the humanitie of IESVS CHRIST our brother according to Flesh as he was Sonne of man which for our sake he tooke vpon him whence we are made children of God and if children heires and if heires of God coheires of IESVS CHRIST in the inheritance of Glorie O how happie shall they be who are inrowled into the holy FELLOWSHIPE of IESVS CHRIST and made partaker of his heauenly and Diuine conuersation And if it be written that euen in this world he that is in Charitie remaynes in God and God in him and that he that keepes the Commandements is made the Tabernacle and lodginge of the three persons of the Sacred TRINITIE what are we to say of the state of consummated Grace which is Glorie where Charitie is compleate O Diuine Societie And if after the Diuinitie and humanitie of our Sauiour we turne the ey of our consideration vpon the admirable beautie of her who is the holy of Holyes yea the MOTHER of the holy of Holyes and who next vnto God to whom is due the worshipe of Latria we honour with Hyperdulia what could be imagined more rauishing since she is the mother of that verie Sonne who was eternally begotteÌ„ in the splendour of Saintes in the breast of the eternall Father were it not a spareing speach to attire her with the Sunne to make the Moone her footstoole and starrs her crowne yes verily since her Sonne and her God are her great crowne and incomparable ioy according to that of the wiseman a vertuous Sonne is the crowne and ioy of his Father and Mother And from this qualitie of MOTHER OF GOD which is in some sorte infinite there rebouÌ„ds in her such an abundance of grace that she is not
towards Eternitie that at euery beating of a pulse euery thought word action you would make some reflection vpō a subiect of such importance It is said that the weaknesse of Antipheron his sight making the ayre become as thicke as a mirrour vnto him made him continually see his owne shape and I wish to God that the force of your fight were so persing that in all things you might behold the picture of Eternitie according to the methode I haue proposed vnto you For when all is said if you desire indeed to know the moment whervpon the good or bad successe of your Eternitie depends I will assure you it is THE PRESENT MOMENT Enter therfore into your selfe by a wholsome inuersion returne into your owne heart make a visite in the Hierusalem of your interiour man with the lampe of a sincere examen Consider in what state you stand Whether you are not in the state of disgrace and set in the chaire of pestilence and in the region of the shadow of death and darknes of sinne Giue eare vnto the voice of grace which cryes out vnto you ryse thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and CHRIST will illuminate thee he is the true light which doth illuminate euery man that comes into this world and he that followes him walkes not in darknes This Sūne of Iustice makes his beames shine vpon the good and bad Open thyne eyes and receaue his splendour and be not rebellions against the light Why wilt thou perish ô house of Israel approach vnto him who is the light of the world and thou shalt be enlightened and thy face shall not he confounded He shines in euery tyme and place and none is able to hide himselfe from his heate or light He is a Sunne that doth continually send out his rayses we need onely to open our eyes and euery moment they shall be filled with light I stand at the gate and knoke saith he and if any one open vnto me I will come vnto him and will take my repose and repast with him for I will suppe with him a repast Athanasia to which repose doth immediately follow In euery instant of your life these words are spoken to your heart The night is past the day is come le ts vs cast of then the workes of darknes and let vs put on the armour of light that we may honestly walke in the light of Grace You know what the Poetes learned fables teach touching OCCASION and how one is to lay hould vpon her she passeth like lightning in the twinckling of an eye and being past in vaine doe you call or endeuour to stope her since she is balde and affords no hold and withall deafe and inexorable to such as recall her If you heare me saith our Lord by a Prophete you shall eate the pleasant fruites of the earth but if you heare me not I will destroy you and will laugh at your destruction for I am a strong and iealous God and make such disdaynefull as disdayne me When I come to a soule I will be receaued and when I come in qualitie of Spouse I desire to be mett and that my grace be not receaued in vaine My spirit shall flie the dissembler and such as doe not receaue him so as is beseeming that sweete guest of the soule And though I operate all the good which is in the soule yet will I that she cooperate performing a parte of the way or at least admitting my fauours into the bosome of her consent and remembrance I will giue sight to the blind but I will also haue them to demand it I will willingly cleanse the vncleane yet will I haue her endeuours in recurring to my Goodnes I will willingly giue the pappe marrie vpon condition that she shall sucke it I will freely enlighten yet will I haue her to receaue my light I hate those remisse and drowsie soules who prolong their conuersion from day to day and who of their owne part will doe nothing for though I created them without them yet without them will I not saue them I will create in them a cleane heart and renew a right spirit in their bowells I will render vnto them the ioy of my saluation and confirme them with my principall Spirit yet of their part I will haue them to put of their old ADAM with his ill customes and put on the new accompaigned with Iustice Sāctitie and Truth Thus it is Athanasia that our Sauiour speakes to the soules which seriously and duely thinke of their cōuersion and Eternitie Euery moment he vseth these kind of discourses in the botome of our heart Le ts be good husbands therof If this day his voice sound in your eares waxe not hard hearted for otherwise if you will not accnowledge his wayes he will sweare in his wroth that you shall neuer enter into his eternall Rest Sluggard how long wilt thou sleepe how long ô yee heauie hearted Will you be in loue with vanitie and seake after a Lie Are you ignorant that the Goodnes of God hath long enough expected your repentance doe you not know what an auncient Father saith that the Holy Ghost is an enemye to slothfulnesse and delayes Doe not delay your conuersion saith the wiseman nor deferre it from day to day least you be preuented by a soudaine death and wishing for tyme of repentance you find it not Who is not to day fit for his conuersion shall be lesse fit to morrow because one sinne saith S. GREGORIE by its owne waight waighes vs downe to another one Abisse inuoking another Know then Athanasia that euery moment is proper to conuert our selues vnto God And what is a true conuersion but an auersion from the Creature and a returning towards the Creatour that is a contempt of the world which passeth with its concupiscences and an application of the Spirit to eternall things So shall euery present moment serue you for a gate by which you may passe from TYMES and MOMENTS to ETERNITIE The eternall doome LXXIX ANd here it is my Athanasia where I am to imitate the torch which being vpon the pointe of dying out casts the greatest light for before I finish and put the last fingar to this Draught I must send out fire and flames which I will doe by proposing vnto you the most forcible and efficacious motiue that cā be imagined to cause you to thinke continually of Eternitie And what is this sharpe spurre Athanasia but the definitiuely eternall Sentence which the iust Iudge of the liueing and the deade shall pronounce in his generall Iudgemēt at Doomes day when he shall make an eternall seperation betwixt goates and the Lambes the choyce wheate and darnell the wicked and the iust And if S. HIEROME had so deeply engrauen in his heart the memorie of the resurrection of the deade which shall be performed vpon the sound of the last Trumpet that at euery moment whether he waked or slept he apprehended that he heard