had given over and condemned forsaking what hee longed for and againe longing for what he had forsaken thus our loue and loathing of the very same thinges play their parts by turnes and desire and remorse devide our life betweene them And herein againe we must needs acknowledge that sinne makes vs worse then beasts For saith m Hieron ep 10. ad Furiam S. Ierom the very seely beasts and wandering birds will not bee taken twice in the same traps or snares yet foolish man relapseth often into the same vices that is indeed is often taken in the very same snares of sinne and Satan This is the sinners Labyrinth or maze whereinto being once entred he of himselfe can never get out of it 10 This I say is the evil of evils makes man miserable even sin considered in it selfe without regarde of any punishment either temporal or eternall which notwithstanding inseperably accompany the same And surely the spiritual man cannot chuse but be ashamed of himselfe yea loath himselfe and conceiue indignatioÌ„ against himselfe when he seriously coÌ„sidereth his sinnes barely in theÌ„selus both for the importaÌ„t reasons before specified and also because it is an intollerable ingratitude against God that he having made all other things for man and man for himselfe those other things do still serue man yet man will not serue God O what vnkindnes is this that God should make all creatures serue vs yea and a great many of them to maintaine our life by their death and yet wee should refuse to serue him This should most pinch man doth the spiritual man And this is the proper difference betweene morall repentance Theologicall repentance that by the former men are grieved that they haue offended against honesty but by the latter that they haue offended against piety This made n Rom. 7 â— 24 the blessed Apostle to cry out against the bondage of sin in this passionate mannâ—r O wretched man that I am who shal dâ—lâ—uer me froÌ„ the body of death He o 2. Corinth 11. vers 23. else where makes mention of his imprisonments his whippings his stoning and sundry other extremities which hee had indured but none of these made him crie when he spake of them only when he comes to speake of his bondage vnder the tyranny of sinne then he cannot chuse but breake out into wofull exclamation And the same affection although not the same degree of affection is in all the godly that abhorre sinne even as hell it selfe p Aug epist 144. as S. Augustine notably saith Hee that is afraid of hell fire is not afraid to sin but to burne he is afraid to sin that hateth sin it self as he hateth hell fire And thus haue I in generall decyphred and discovered mans miserie I say only in general for to anatomize it in particular were to roaue in a sea that hath neither bottome nor shoare It remaineth that we should nowe come to the true remedies thereof but that I thinke it expedient first to speake of the cause thereof sith the knowledge of the cause of any evil brings great light to the cure and before that againe to shewe mans grosse ignoraunce of the right causes of his misery and this God willing shall be the argument of the next Chapter CHAP. 3. The gentils miserable ignoraunce of the true cause of mans miserie 1 VVe haue heard in the former chapter that mans misery is so sensible that the very heathens haue apprehended it and much complained thereof specially of the evils that man suffers in this world for as for the evils which he doth which are far the greater of greater force to make him miserable they were but coldly touched therewith But as concerning the cause either of the one or the other kinde of miserie they were altogither ignorant thereof therfore no marvel if they knewe not the true remedies either against the one or the other And surely touching the cause of mans misery their conceipts coniectures were so strange that it is doubtful whether we should more piety them or laugh at them 2 The general coÌ„ceipt of the most sufficient among them much more of the vulgar sort was that the first braÌ„ch of mans misery namely the manifold and grievous evils which he suffereth in this life grew from this that Gods providence was confined in the higher parts of the worlde and descended not nor extended to things below the moone Of this opinion were manie Philosophers Many saith a August de Genesi ad literam S. Augustine haue thought that indeede the high partes of the worlde are governed by Gods providence but that this lowe parte of the earth and the aire next aboue it vvhere windes and clowds do rise are rather tossed to fro by casuall motions In this error was Aristotle himselfe who thought that Gods care for the affaires of the world reached not below the moone as a great many of the chiefest ancient fathers report of him but aboue the rest b Ambrol de offic lib. 1. ca. 13. S. Ambrase who most excellently confures that his profane fancie at large and I cannot here omit one golden speech of his that way * Quâ—s opeâ—ator negligat operis â—ui curam Quis deserat aut destituâ— at quod iple condenduÌ„ putatits Si iniutia est regere non ne est maior iniuria fecil seâ— Cum aliquid non fecisse nulla sit iniustitia non curare antem quod feceris summa est inclementia What workeman saith he can neglect the care of his worke who can forsake and abandon that which himselfe thought meete to make if it be a wrong to God to rule was it not a greater wrong in him to make Sith not to haue made a thing at al is no iniustice but not to care for that which one hath made is greater crueltie Thus the most iudicious Philosopher dreamed that God had no care of men nor their affaires and therefore no marvaile if he in c Plaut cap. in prologo the Poet speaking popularly cry out * Enim vero Dii noâ— qua fipilas homines habent that the Gods made tennisbals of men tossing them to and fro they cared not how Hence then namely from Gods neglect and contempt of men their affaires some held that mans so miserable state in this world did proceed 3 Others thinking this too grosse that such an imputation did much derogate from the wisedome goodnes of god devised another shift and starting hoale to helpe the matter to weete that mens soules were created long before their bodies and lived in heaven but committing some great offence there were condemned to be ioined vnto bodies here on earth and so to endure those infinite miseries wherevnto mans life is subiect by way of penaÌ„ce for the faults they had done in heaven And this being first forged by heathens seemed so probable and was so plausible
to him when we imagine he is so severe and righteous that he can not or will not pardon our sinnes when we confesse them and are hartely sory for them whereas hee even delighteth to doe it and takes pleasure in it a Psal 51. v. 18. according to that in the Psalmist that a bruised spirit and a contrite heart are a sacrifice to God Thus God drawes arguments both from our imperfection and his owne perfection to perswade vs of his readinesse to pardon and to let vs see how easily it may be done 6 To conclude looking backe to the foundation of his mercy namely the incomprehensible misterie of the incarnation and passion of his sonne Iesus Christ * Chap. 8. throughout before declared wee must needes see that his loue towards mankinde is infinit and because infinite therefore greater then our greatest sinnes b Cyprian sermon de patientia Christs bloud washed even them that shed it vpon their repentance and whom then can it not wash God would haue his owne and only sonne to dy that maÌ„ might liue was content that his bloud should be our ransome Doubtlesle theÌ„ saith c Augustin Ieâ—m 10â— Augustine hee that bought vs with so great a price will not haue vs cast away Let vs then haue refuge to this infinit mercy of God and our sinnes will vanish away as a bubble Our sinnes saith d Basil in regul contract quaest â—3 Basil may both be measured numbred but it is impossible that Gods goodnes should be measured or his mercies numbred Let vs then resolue e Anselm in Meditat. that although our offenses haue deserved damnation our repentance bee not sufficient for satisfaction yet Gods mercy is greater then all transgression yea that as far as God is superiour to man so farre is our wickednesse inferiour to his goodnesse Wee may then with f Bernard feria 4. hebdom poenosae Bernard reason thus What shall misâ—rie overcome mercy shall not mercy rather conquer miserie Yes sure g Chrysost proaem in Eâ—ai our sicknesse hath measure but the medicine is without measure and shal not vnlimited goodnesse prevaile against limited wickednesse or shal not a salue of infinit vertue cure a soare of finite malignity Gods mercy is a huge yea a boundlesse and bottomlesse sea and our sinnes compared therevnto are but as a little sparkle now saith Chrysostome suppose that a little sparkle should fall into the maine sea could it abide there would it not instantly be extinguished and never appeare more Doubtlesse so great a water must needes out of hand quench so small a fire yea a sparkle onely of fire Away then with despaire and let vs assure our selues h Gregor Moral lib. 3â— cap. 11. as Gregorie well saith that despaire for sinne is worse then sinne it seâ—fe CHAP. 11. The Christians peculiar comfories against death and the terrours thereof 1 DEath beeing the greatest temporall punishment for sinne it may seeme to some that I should haue spoken thereof * Chap. 7. sect 2. seâ— before when I hanled the remedies against all temporarie evils which wee suffer in this life NotwithstaÌ„ding I haue purposely reserved the handling thereof vnto this place because it may bee obiected against our deliverance from sinne by Christ declared in the Chapter next before going that for al that the faith full die as well as other men and cannot not possibly escape death but must be and are subiect to the vniversall lawe of inevitable mortalitie Besides the chiefe and soveraigne remedy against this evill namely death is our deliverance from sin therefore I thought good to speake of that before that so I might be the briefer here referring the Reader to the former chapter for particularity and coÌ„tenting my selfe heere with a generall repetition and application thereof 2 First then as for death we are to consider that it is chiefly sinne that makes it so terrible vnto vs therefore a 1 Corinth 15. vers 56. the Apostle saith that sin is the sling of death Now as wee haue seene at large * 8.9.10 in some former chapters we are so delivered from sin in Christ that it cannot hurt vs nay is converted to our benefit and profit therefore Death having her strength from sinne is not to be feared sith sinne which is her sting is overcome What need we feare the snake that hath lost her sting Surely the snake that hath lost her sting can only hisse and keep a noise but cannot hurt therefore we see that many having takeÌ„ out the sting will carry the snake in their very bosomes without any feare Even so although we carry death in our bodies yea in our bosomes and bowels yet sinne which was her sting being pulled out she can only hisse and stirre shee may and ordinarily doeth looke black and grimme but yet cannot any way annoy vs. 3 Which will bee the more manifest if we weigh that Christ our head hath conquered and quelled this Gyant so that none that bee his neede stand in feare thereof Death b 1. Corinth 15. v. 55 saith S. Paul is swallowed vp in victorie c Revelat. 1. v. 18. Christ was dead but now he liveth and that forever and hath the keyes of hell and death as he himselfe testifieth of himselfe Now he that hath the keyes of a place hath the coÌ„mand of it it is as much then as if it had been said he had the coÌ„mand of death power to dispose of death at his pleasure And will Christ that hath such an enemie at his mercy let him annoy his deare friends nay his owne members and so in effect himselfe No no he conquered death for vs not for himselfe sith death had no quarrell to him by his vniust death then hee hath vanquished our iust death as we heard * Chap. 8. Sect. 5. before out of Augustin d Bernard ad miâ—iâ—es Templi sermon 4. The death of Christ is the death of our death sith he dyed that we might liue and how can it bee but that they should liue for whom life it selfe dyed Surely death by vsurping vpon the innocent forsâ—â—ted her right to the guilty e Hieron ad Heliodor While shee devoured wrongfully was her selfe devoured 4 Yea in that Christ hath vanquished death we also may be truely said to haue vanquished it hee beeing our head and wee his members for where the head is a conquerour the members cannot be captiues f Tertul de resurreâ—t carms â— â—1 Let vs then reioice we haue already seyzed vpoÌ„ heaven in Christ who hath carried our flesh thither in his owne person as an earnest pennie and pledge of the whole summe that in time shall be brought thither We may then boldly say g Augustin in Psal 148. there is somewhat of ours aboue already yea the best part of vs namely our head and are the members farre from
benefite to be delivered from a loathsome disease of the body by an vnlawfull and wicked death we haue reason to think it a benefite yea a singular benefite to be ridde of a loathsome and incurable disease of the soule namely sinne by a lawful death which it pleaseth God to send vnto vs. 8 But death doth more for vs than all this For it doth not only free vs from all evils and from that evil of evils sinne but puts vs into actual possession of all good things yea of such good thinges as our eies haue not seene our eares haue not heard neither are our harts able to conceiue brings vs to that place where if there were place for any passion we should be angry with death for not bringing vs thither sooner But I reserue a more particular declaration of that point vnto the thirteenth and last chapter CHAP. 12. Consolations against the terrours of the generall iudgement 1 THERE is yet an other thing which considered in it selfe is a greater branch and part of mans misery in regard of passiue evils than all the rest namely the last and generall iudgement where all flesh shal be arraigned before Gods Tribunall bar to giue an account of all they haue done to receiue their recompense accordingly The terror wherof I had rather expresse in a Anselm in libro medita tionum Anselmes wordes than in mine own O hard distresse saith he on one side wil be our sinnes accusing vs on the other side iustice terrifying vs vnder vs the gulfe of hell gaping aboue vs the iudg frowning within vs a conscience stinging without vs the world burning Which way then shall the sianer thus surprised turne himselfe To hide our selues will be impossible to appeare will be intolerable Wherewithal then shal miserable man arme himselfe against this so great terrour danger Surely our Christian profession affordeth munitioÌ„ against this assault also 2 And first that which hath beene spoken against the feare of death in the former chapter serveth also here against the feare of the last iudgmeÌ„t For that which made the first death so terrible and dangerous the same maketh the second death also so to bee namely sinne and as deliverance froÌ„ sinne doth as we there heard free vs from al annoyance by the first death so doth it also from all annoyance by the second death that is eternal condeÌ„nation at the last iudgement They that in Christ are coÌ„querers over the first death shall not nor cannot bee conquered by the second death and b Rev. 2c 6. on those that haue their part in the first resurrection the second death shall haue no power saith the spirit That is condemnation caÌ„not take hold on those whom God hath gratiously called to the knowledge and love of his saving truth reveiled by the Gospell 3 But to come to more peculiar comforts against this matter of terrour and amazement let vs farther consider that Christ had mercy on vs wheÌ„ we were meere strangers to him nay even when we were his enemies as c Rom. 5. v. 8.9.10 S. Paul well vrgeth God herein saith he commended his loue towards vs that when we were sinners Christ dyed for vs being theÌ„ now iustified by his bloud much more shall we be saved by him from that wrath Note that he saith from that wrath that is froÌ„ the wrath of the last iudgemeÌ„t For if saith he when we were enemies we were reconciled vnto God by the death of his sonne much more being reconciled wee shall be saved by his life Wee may easilie perceiue the force of the Apostles comfortable reasoning to wit that sith Christ died for vs when wee were sinners that is nothing but sin surely hee will saue vs being now righteous in him if wee were pardoned through his death when we were enimies wee shall much more bee saved by his life now that we are friendes For how incredible is it nay rather how impossible that he which pardoneth an enemy should condemne a friend He loved vs when wee bare the image of the devill and will hee not much more loue vs now since he hath in parte repaired his fathers image in vs and confirmed vs to himselfe We were deare to him when there was no iot of goodnesse in vs can hee reiect vs nowe that wee haue some good things in vs although but weake specially hee himselfe being the author and former of them by the grace of his holy spirit And so d Bernard epist 190. Bernard reasons For having spoken of our calling vnto the grace of the Gospell he inferres this beeing thus puld out of the power of darknesse I will not now feare to be reiected by the father of light being iustified freely in the bloude of his sonne Why it is he that iustifieth who is it that shall condemne Surely hee will not condemne the iust that had mercie on a sinner c. Thus wee see he reasoneth from that which GOD hath done for vs already to that which he will doe yea in a sort must doe for vs here after And we must all reason after the same manner and saie everie one to his owne soule with e Augustin in Psal 96. Saint Augustine Thou wast wicked and hee dyed for thee thou art now iustified and will hee forsake thâ—e 4 Moreover to take away the terrour of the last iudgement consider who shall be the Iudge even Christ himself that was thy redeemer And hovve canne wee feare such a iudge How happy in our case that hee must be our iudge that was himself iudged for vs He is our husband and wee his wife by whoÌ„ would the wife chuse to be iudged but by the husband specially by so kinde a husbande as wee haue * Chapt. 10. Sect. 2. marginal letter d. before heard him to be who sheweth that favour that no husband doth yea he is our head we are his meÌ„bers wil the head giue sentence of condeÌ„natioÌ„ against his own meÌ„bers This in effect were to giue senteÌ„ce against himself He is our advocat and Proctor how happy would we think our selues if in causes touching this life our own atturney might be our iudg He is now thine advocate f August in Psal 51. saith Augustine that hereafter shall be thy iudge Let vs then assure our selues he vvill not coÌ„demne vs that hath already been coÌ„demned for vs. 5 Yea so farre of is it that the last and generall iudgement shoulde be terrible vnto vs that it should rather minister matter of great ioy and comfort vnto vs. And therefore our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ having set downe the chiefe signes and tokens that should go before the day of iudgment saith to the faithful g Luc. 21.28 When yee see these things begin to come to passe looke vp and lift vp your heads for your redemption draweth neere So that by Christes owne exhortation in this place when wee thinke vpon the
that afterwards many great persons in the very Church also greatly liked it and set it abroach Touching the Gentils d Cicero in Hortensio apud Aug. contra Iuliâ— an l. 4. c. 12. 15. Tully himselfe professed his approbation of this opinion namely that we were borne into this wretched worlde for some fowle matters coÌ„mitted before in a former world to suffer punishmeÌ„t here for the same Who also compares mans case herein to that of those which fel into the hands of theeues of Tuscany meÌ„tioned by Aristotle who were dealt with after this lamentable manner The one halfe of them were left aliue the other halfe murthered then the living were bound backe to backe to the dead and so rotted with them and that even so our soules were coupled with our bodies as the living with the dead for the greater torment And as for Divines in the Church that they also applauded to this invention and vaine imagination appeareth by the testimonie of S. e Hieronim epist 8 ad Demetriad Ierem who warneth a religious woman of his time to take heed of the Origenists who vsed to buzze into the eares of the simpler that very reason coÌ„strained them to beleeue that mens soules had lived in heaven first and that for some old faults committed there they were punished here adiudged to be put into bodies as into prisons and to doe penance in this vale of teares And the reason that constrained them to bee of this minde was forsooth that yong children many times were borne deformed and monstrous were subiect to sicknesse and greevous pangs often times were punished with death it selfe before they had actually offended which could notstaÌ„d with Gods iustice vnlesse they had sinned before their comming into the world The vanitie of which imagination shall God willing appeare hereafter Thus they seeling this part of mans misery and not knowing the cause thereof runne into many sottish errors f August â—bi supta hac sâ—â—ct lit margin d. as S. Augustine saith of Tullie Hee sawe the thing but knew not the cause of it 4 And as for the cause of the other and greater evill namely sinne the generall opinion and conceit was that it proceeded only either from il education or at the least from mans bad husbanding of his owne free will which was equally inclinable to good or evill Which if they had vnderstood of the first man Adara when he fell had beene true and sound but of this they never dreamed They thought that man considered in the state of corrupt nature or as hee is now of himselfe was without sinne by birth and had equall power to do good or evill to be vertuous or vitious and as I said that it was only bad education and imitation of the bad or bad imploiment of his freewill naturall faculties of his soule that made him naught in which errour wee finde the very best and wisest to haue been g Cie Aead quae 〈◊〉 lib. â—woudâ— Tusculan lib. 4. The Stoicks the best of all Philosophers for moralitie were so blinded herein that they thought even good and lawfull affections to be meerely of ill custome not of nature much more that corrupt and evill affections were so And h Seneca epist 22. Seneca brings in nature complaining of her children as degenerate and telling them that she brought the forth with out passions and evill desires lusts without feares without superstition without trechery the like i Seneca c. pist 116. in an other place makes this the only cause that we are naught because wee vvill not vse the streÌ„gth which nature hath giveÌ„ vs to shake of our vices which is abundantly sufficient to doe it Not to bee willing saith hee is the cause hereof but not to be able is made the pretence and colour Chap 5. Sect. 8. We shal haue occasion * hereafter to speake more of this blindnes and madnesse of the Gentils touching the cause of this part of mans miserie namely sinne when wee shal come to handle the remedies which they prescribed for the same And as for the falshoode thereof it shall bee shewed * in place convenient Chap. 6. Sect 4. CHAP. 4. That as the Gentiles knewe not the true cause of maÌ„s misery so nether did they know the vtmost height of it 1 AS wee haue seene in the former Chapter that the blinde heatheÌ„s knew not the cause of mans misery so it resteth to bee here declared that they knew not the true measure and greatnes thereof nay were meerly ignorant of many principall branches of it 2 One speciall point of our miserie is that by sinne we incurre the displeasure of God and become liable to his wrath and vengeance who by nature is an adversary to all sinne and sinners Chap. 3. sect 1. as hath beene * before shewed at large But this the heathens apprehended not For not only a Ovid. Amor lib 3. eleg 3. de arte amandi lib. 1. the profane Poet imagined that God did wincke at mens sins yea allow them nay laugh at them but also the chiefe Philosophers thought taught that God was not offended with any thing that meÌ„ did much lesse would punish it b Sen. ep 31. Seneca the most morall of them and the wonder of wit tels vs that no man knowes God and that many thinke ill of him and that without any danger In c Idem de bene ficiâ—s lib. 7. c. 1. another place hee thinkes hee hath spoken wisely when he speakes most beastly saying that one principall point for the attainement of perfect happinesse is to shake of all feare of God and man and to resolue that we are not to feare much from man but froÌ„ God nothing at all d Idem de ira l. 2. c. 27. In another that there are some that haue neither will nor power to hurt as the Gods whose nature is wholy mild and gentle and who are of power only to relieue and cherish but not to annoy or affl ct And e Plutarch tractat de superstit another famous both for his learning and diligence yea for his vertue too so far as heathnish blindnes would permit makes it flat superstition to thinke that God would hurt any being superlatiuely good yea goodnes it selfe both being childishly deceived in this that they thought that for God to punish anie for their wickednes and to do harme were all one * See Tertul cent Marciâ— on lib. 2. c. 14. Lactant de ira Dei cap. 17. whereas it is a maine branch of his goodnes to hate evil take vengeance on evill doers Without the which no earthly Prince deserues the name nor can maintaine the reputation of good 3 Secondly they bewraye most grosse ignorance touching mans misery in this that they thinke it is all ended by death whereas the far greater and more grievous part thereof followeth after death as we haue
hard * Chap. 2. sect 4. before Yet herein the most renowned of them haue shamefully erred drawne others into error f Cie Tuse quaest â—ib 1. Tully in a large discourse takes it for graÌ„ted that after death men either shall be happy or else not be at all g Senec de remediis fortui orum Seneca peremptorily avoucheth that all things are ended by death yea death it selfe Which speech of his h Tertul. de resurrect carnis cap. 2. de ani ma cap. 42. Tertullian both iustly reproues and pithily confutes And in i Sen. conso sat ad Matriam c. 19 another place the same Seneca more distinctly affirmeth that those things that make bell so terrible vnto vs are but a meer fable that no darknes no prison no lake of fire are appointed for any after death that there shall be none arraigned no iudge to condemne that those that devised these things haue but frighted vs with scarre-crowes that death is the dissolution and end of all griefes beyond which our evils do not reach The same in effect is delivered by k Epict. dissertat lib. â— cap. 13. Epictetus otherwise almost more then an humane author But most blindly and profanely of all others writes l Plin. hist â—at lib 7. cap 55. Pliny hereof although in most elegant words and plausible language The summe whereof is this that all men are in the same case after their last day as they were before the first day and that there is no more feeling either in the body or soule after the day of their death than there was before the day of their birth that they may thinke otherwise are foolish and absurde as if there were any difference betweene the manner of mans breathing other creatures or as if there were not many other creatures of longer continuance than man of whose eternitie notwithstanding no man dreames that these are but childish imaginations and false conceipts of mortality that affects immortality and woulde never haue an end c. Thus were the heathens ignorant of the chiefest braunches of mans passiue misery namelie Gods vengeance on sinners and the full execution thereof after death in the world to come CHAP. 5. That the Gentils being ignorant both of the cause and the greatnesse of mans misery haue grossely erred in the true remedies against the same 1 NOw the blinde heathens being so grossely ignoraÌ„t both of the cause also of the measure greatnesse of mans misery it must needs be that they were ignorant of the true remedies for the same The things that make mans state so miserable as hath * formerly beene said are principally two the evils wee suffer Chap. 2. sect 1 and the evils which we do vvith the former whereof carnal natural meÌ„ are most moved although they shoulde be most moved with the latter Chap. 2 sect 6. * as hath bin shewed Touching the evils which we suffer as sicknesse famine pestilence war poverty banishment imprisonment torments at our enemies pleasure vnhappy matches and the like both innumerable and intolerable crosses and last of all death it selfe which although to natural men it hath seemed the end of all evils yet withal they haue takeÌ„ it for the highest evill the remedies which they by their best meditation and study could devise against theÌ„ are very poore yea miserable and therefore vnfit to relieue misery 2 For let vs heare what they can say touching these thinges that so much trouble vex vs in this world Indeed meÌ„ haue strained their spirits to the highest wonderously laboured to fortifie their mindes against all occurrents of that nature but vvith poore and pitifull successe For if we reade those which with most particularity haue handled this argument as two specially haue done a Senec. de remediis fortuit the one ancient b Petrarch de remed vtriusque fortunae the other of later times wee shall see they feed vs with words and winde and giue vs only verball comforts against reall evills I must forbeare the particulars and insist only in those generall remedies wherein all agree The first was devised by the founder of the Stoicall profession Zeno and carries a goodly shewe of securing vs that way c Cic Tuse quaest lib. 2. His best munition against this branch of humane misery was that nothing could make a man miserable but evill that onely vice is evill and therefore that onely vice could make a maÌ„ miserable that poverty sicknesse banishment imprisonment cold hunger famine whipping racking cruell kindes of death were no vices and therefore no evills no evills and therefore could not make vs miserable And d Sence de constant sapient sive de tranquil viâ—e lib. 2. Seneca straines the point yet farther telling vs that a wise and vertuous man cannot be wronged by any But alas what poore and cold comforts are these What is sicknesse imprison famine whipping racking hanging burning and other like or greater torments the lesse or easier because I am told they are no evils What fond cavillation and sophisticall delusioÌ„ is this that because these be not evils of fault therefore they be not evils of paine or no evills at all e Cicer. quâ— supra hac sect lit mar giu c. A heathen author himselfe iustly laughs at this vanitie and pithily confutes it The Stoics saith he conclude by certaine vâ—ine cavillations that painâ— or griefe is no evill as though the word evil did trouble vs not the thing Why dost thou mocke me ô Zeno for when thou deniest that which is so terrible to me to be an evill thou dost but cousen me and I would glodly know of thee why that which seemes to mee most miserable should not bee evill Thou saist that nothing is evil but that which is naught and dishonest In so saying thou dost but returne to thy olde fooleries for by all this thou dost not take away the things that torment me I knowe well enough that paine is not wickednesse Never tell me what I know well enough already proue to me that there is no oddes in the matter whether I bee in paine or not in paine And here it is worthy of observation that when these Gallants that thus in wordes braved al outward paine and griefe incident to the body came to practice action they recanted these brags which they had vttered in their idle speculations So Tullie himselfe who much inclined to this paradox of the Stoics and laboured to fortifie his spirit thereby against these evils of paine when it came to triall miserably discovered his weaknesse that in the least and lightest of these externall crosses namely banishment f Dio Cassious hist Roman lib. 38. For hee so basely behaved himselfe therein that one Philiscus of his olde acquaintance sharply reproved him for the same and specially because himselfe had spoken and written so stoutly in contempt of all such casuall grievances
of his death and passion The summe whereof c Ioh. 3.16 the Evangelist coÌ„prehends in these few but golden words So God loved the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne to the end that whosoever beleeved in him should not perish but haue life everlasting For the better vnderstanding wherof we must obserue that the humane nature in Christ is not a distinct and severall person by it selfe as Peter Iohn and such like but so vnited to the divine nature that did assume it as they both make but one person so that all that is in it is truely said to be Gods and al that was done by it to be done by God d Act. 20.28 his bloud was Gods bloud his death Gods death c which necessarily implyeth the perfection of all his actions beeing the actions of him that was God as well as man and both God and man in one person Secondly we must note that all that hee did or suffered in his humane nature thus vnited to the divine he did and suffred for vs that we might haue the benefite of it he tooke our evils vpoÌ„ him our sinnes and death due to our sins and imparted his good things to vs his innocency obedience holines and righteousnesse finally his sufferings partly in his life time but principally at his death vpoÌ„ the crosse his humiliation is our exaltation his condemnation our absolution his death our life 4 This course was most effectuall and availeable in this case yea in the apprehension of man only of force possibilitie to remedy this branch of our miserie namely our sinnes and condemnation for sinne For first e Chrysost in prior ep ad Timoth. hom 7. he that is to reconcile persons that are at variance difference one with the other must haue interest in both else is he vnfit to reconcile them and bring them friends wherefore God and man being at variance it was requisite that he which shoulde reconcile them shoulde be both God maÌ„ Againe man having sinned iustice required that man should be punished having sinned vnto death should be punished with death but now a meer maÌ„s death could not salue the matter for as formerly hath been shewed the death of one sinner cannot pay the debt and death of another every sinner owing a death for himselfe And besides he that was to deliver others from the danger of penalty and death was not only to suffer death but also to vanquish overcoÌ„e death which a meere maÌ„ could never haue don God could not dy maÌ„ could not recover himselfe when he should dy wherefore the Mediatour was to be man to suffer death and God to vanquish death Thus as f Anseâ—m tract cur Deus homo a Divine of middle times sweetly saith Sith such a satisfaction was requisite as none but God could make none but man was bound to make he that was to make it was to bee both God and man Thus our Christian religion only directs vs to the meanes wherein there is possibility of saving vs froÌ„ our sins and hence it is g Mat. 1. v. 2â— that Christ had the name of Iesus that is of a Saviour as he that only could and would do this so great a worke 5 And that he as well would do it as could do it yea therefore only was incarnated and suffered death that he might do it is most evident h Cyp. de Idolor vanitate Christ was made that which man was that man might be made that which Christ was And as i Bernard in vigilia nativit Domini Bernard saith why was the son of God made the sonne of man but that the sonnes of men might be made the sonnes of God Surely k Gregor homiâ— 34. in â—vangel this cannot but yeeld man boldnes with God that God himselfe is become man l August in Psal 148. There is no cause nowe why man should doubt of living for ever sith God hath died for him For shal not he liue for ever for whome hee died that liues for ever Verily it is nothing so strange that mortall man should liue as that â—he immortal God should die specially since this death of the son of God was vniust without cause in respect of himselfe and therefore must needs be available for some others as m August de temp serm 101. S. Augustin excelleÌ„tly saies Death could not be conquered but by death therefore Christ suffered death that an vniust death might overcome iust death and that he might deliver the guilty iustly by dying for them vniustly And thus n August de verbis Domini secund LucaÌ„ de temp serm 141. by taking vpon him our punishment without taking vpon him our fault he hath discharged vs both of the punishment and the fault And that by good right o Bernard ad milites templi c. 4. sith although because he was maÌ„ he could die yet because he was iust he ought not to haue died he that had no cause to die for himselfe in reason and equity should not die for others vnprofitably Neither surely did hee but to greatest purpose namely that the sonne of God dying for the sonnes of men the sons of men might be made the sonnes of God as we heard before out of S. Bernard yea that of bad servaÌ„ts men might be made good sonnes as p Aug. ser 28 Saint Augustine speaketh and this glorious mystery of our Saviours incarnation and passion must needes bring foorth glorious effects q Ansel in c â— ep ad Eph this strange and vnspeakeable loue of God that his only sonne should die for vs that a Lord should die for servants the creatour for the creature God for man this strange loue I say must needs be of strange operation as it is r Bern. feria 4. heb dom paenolae even to make of sinners iust men of slaues brethren of captiues fellow heires and of banisht persons kings 6 Why then shoulde our sins dismay vs if we be vnfainedly sorrie for them and by faith haue recourse vnto Christ that hath borne the punishment of them O let vs thinke vpon this comfortable chaÌ„ge Å¿ August m Psal 2â— c. narrat 2. that Christ made our faults his faults that hee might make his righteousnesse our righteousnesse t Iust Martyr ad Diagnetum O sweet exchange o vnsearchable skill that the vnrighteousnes of many should bee hidden in one that is righteous the rightteousnesse of one should cause many that are vnrighteous to be accounted righteous Although we bee not nor cannot bee without sinne yet as long as our sins are not imputed to vs they cannot hurr vs. The princely prophet David as u August in Psal 32. c naâ—rat 2. S. Augustine well obserues saies not they are happy that haue no sinne but whose sinnes are covered Surely if God haue covered our sinnes he will not see them if he will
not see them he wil not examin theÌ„ if he will not examine them he will not punish them x August in Psal 119. According to the groundes of our Christian faith they are accounted for no sinners to whome their sinnes are not imputed y Idem de nuptiis concupise cap 26 not to be held guilty of sinne is not to haue sinne or to bee without sinne Do we fail in our obedieÌ„ce to the law of God many times break his coÌ„maÌ„demeÌ„ts Why z Idem retract lib 11 cap. 19. all the commaÌ„dements are theÌ„ held to be kept wheÌ„ all is pardoned that is not kept a Bernard in Cantic serm 33 in Annunciat Mariae serm It is theÌ„ a sufficient righteousnesse to haue our vnrighteousnes forgiven and to haue him only favorable to vs whome only wee haue offended True it is that that which is done cannot but be done and yet not being imputed it is all one as if it had not beene done 7 This plea must needs confouÌ„d the Devil and put him to silence For b Bernard if Adams sinne could make vs guilty shall not Christs righteousnes much more make vs innocent Shall there be more vertue in the seed of the first Adam then in the bloud of the secoÌ„d Adam Doubtlesse the greatest force and efficacy is ever in the greater and stronger agent and therefore Christ is fat more able to saue then Adam to condemne and why should not wee haue righteousnes from another as well as wee had guiltinesse from another 1. Corinth vers 1. specially sith c p. 190. Christ was made righteousnesse vnto vs by God the father and shall not that righteousnesse be ours which was made over to vs and made over by God himselfe Carnall generation from Adam shall never be of such force to damne vs as spirituall regeneration in Christ to saue vs. And if Sathan say vnto vs that a bad father soulde vs wee may presently answere that a good brother hath ransomed vs. 8 Finally what could wee wish more d Anâ—elm cur Deus homo lib 2 Being miserable creatures and not able to free our selues from the bondage of sinne and Satan God the father saies vnto every one of vs take my sonne and giue him for thee and the sonne himselfe saith take me redeeme thy selfe with me e Idem in meditat What sweeter entreatie can there bee then to intreate the father in the sonnes name yea for his only begotten and most dearely beloued sonnes sake By this kind of mediation many captiues haue been set free many malefactors haue obtained their pardon many that every houre looked for the stroak of death haue had their liues given them O happy and thrice happy are they that are allowed this favorable and gratious accesse vnto the father in the name of his sonne caÌ„ plead thus O Lord remember what a good sonne hath suffered and forget what a bad seruant hath done 9 There remaineth yet another singular consolation against so great an evill to wit sinne and that is that God in his infinite wisdome turneth our very sinnes themselues to our benefit and advantage so farre of is it that they shall condemne vs. f Rom 8. vers 28. The Apostle saith that all things worke togither for the good of those that loue God g Bernard serm de falac praesentis vitae in Psal 15. serm 2. which is so true that eveÌ„ the things which properly are not thinges but the corruptions of thinges as griefe sicknesse death and finally sinne it selfe doe so The latter may seeme strange and yet it is true namely that even sinne worketh for the good of the faithfull yea sinne is made a medicine for sinne We know how foule a sinne pride is and how deepely it is rooted in our corrupt nature or rather incorporated into it h Hier. ep 30 wee had rather bee without golde it selfe then without pride and selfe liking i Bernard â—pist 143 To doe greate workes and haue humble thoughts is far a harder matter then much fasting long watching and other the like corporal afflictions Nay to doe any good worke be it never so meane and not to glory in it is a vertue that is found but in few and yet to be proud of well doing is little better then ill doing And k August de tempor serm 49. some haue ventured to affirme that an humble sinner is better theÌ„ one that is proud for doing good and that God is more pleased with humilitie in ill doing then with pride in wel doing At least this we may be bold to say l Gregor Moral lib. 19 c 12. 13. that pride marres the luster grace of our best actions and makes them meerely vnprofitable vnto vs and they that overcome their vices by being prowd of it are overcoÌ„e by that which they had overcome foiled by their own victorie We see then of what necessity humilitie is without which all vertues are no vertues and how abominable pride is that in a maner turneth all vertues into vices Whence m Aug. ep 52 S. Augustin professeth that if he were demanded what were the first point of Christianitie he would answer humility if what were the second he would likewise say humility if what the third his answer also should be humilitie n Cie de orat lib. 3. even as the Orator being asked what was the first second and third point of eloquence answered still vtterance Now there is nothing so effectuall to kill that monster of pride and to breed this excellent vertue of humilitie as sinne it selfe when God giues vs grace to bee humbled with the consideratioÌ„ thereof o August â—e Civ Dei lib. 11. c. 14. We may then be bold to say that it is profitable even for good men to fall into some manifest sin that they might be displeased with themselues who fell by pleasing themselues In a word the sinne of pride cannot be cured but by other sinnes which makes vs ashamed of our selues p Ezech. 6. vers 9. 20. vers 43. 36 vers 31. yea and even to loath our selues and to blush to our selues when sometimes others commend and extoll vs that are not privie to our faults So by this means we are preserved both from flattering our selues and also from applauding to others when they flatter vs yea froÌ„ taking pleasure in their iust praises q Hieron ep 32. Aug. ep 64. which is exceedingly dangerous yet almost impossible to bee avoided saving by this meanes And as our sinnes and slippes keepe vs in humilitie so doe they also teach vs feare care and circumspection that afterwards we will not so easily bee overtaken againe so that we may well coÌ„clude with r Bern. quo supra lit marg g. S. Bernard Doe not his sinnes turne to his good that riseth from his sinnes more humble more fearefull more carefull and
the head h Idem in Psaâ— 88. Yea we may assure our selues that being members of such a head yea body to it we are in â—ffâ—ct where ouâ— head is For saith Augustin this body cannot bee beheaded but if the head triumph forever the members must needes triumph for ever also And that wee haue this benefite by Christs ascension into heaven before hand for vs i Bern. serm de eo quod legitur a pud Iob. in sex tribulatio nibus c. Bernard excelleÌ„tly sheweth Bee it saith he that only Christ is entred into heaven yet I trowe whole Christ must enter and if whole Christ then the body as well as the head yea every member of the body For this head is not to bee found in the kingdome without his members Hence it is that the Scripture speakes of the faithfull as already raised from the dead placed in heaven with Christ yea as of them that shall not nor caÌ„not die as k Ioh. 11. vers 26. Hee that liveth and beleeveth in me shall never die And l Ioh 5. v. 24. againe Verily verily I say vnto you whosoever heareth my word and beleeveth in him that sent me hath eternall life and shall not come into iudgement but hath passed from death to life And Hee saith m Ephes 2. v. 6. S. Paul hath raised vs vp togither hath placed vs togither in heaven with Christ He saith not he will raise vs vp hee will place vs in heaven with Christ but he hath so raised and placed vs which is spoken both for the certaintie thereof also for the streight vnion betweene the head and the body by means whereof that which is already actually accomplished in the head is said to bee so also in the body In a word the head being aboue water the body can never bee drowned although it bee never so much beaten and tossed with waues And thus much for our first and principall defense against death the sum whereof is this that it is not onelie a weakenesse but also a shame for the members to fear an enemy which the head hath already conquered subdued 5 There are also diverse other Christian comfortes against death which I wil briefly touch And first as we heard * Chap. 7. Sect. 2. leq before that all other evils of paine are to a Christian chaunged into another nature and of punishments become favours and benefits so is it also in this of death For now it is not a tokeÌ„ of Gods anger for sin but an argument of his loue and mercy it is not properly death but a bridge by which wee passe to a better life from corruption to incorruptioÌ„ from mortality to immortality from earth to heaven that is in a word froÌ„ vanity and miserie to ioy and felicity And who would not willingly passe over this bridge whereby hee passeth from all cares and sorrowes and passeth to all delights and pleasures leaveth all miseries behinde him hath all contentation and happinesse before him 6 The Gentils taking it for grauÌ„ted that after death either wee should be happy or not be at all and so concluding that at least death would free vs from all evill and misery therevpon made litle reckoning of death nay manie times voluntarilie procured their own death and imbraced it as a rich treasure as wee haue * Chap. 4. Sect 3. Chap. 5. Sect 3. already heard But how fowly they were mistaken herein hath withall beene sufficiently declared It is the Christian only that enioyeth this benefite by death namely the exemption from all cares and troubles and an ende of all sorrowes Wherefore the death of the godly is called n Esai 57. vers 2. Dan. 12. v. 2. 1. Thes 4. vers 13.14 Revel 14. v. 13. in Scripture by the names of bedde of rest sleepe peace and such like being all names of benefite and commodity How sweet is peace to them that haue beene vexed with warres and broiles how plesant is the bedde rest sleepe to the weary and those that are overwatched The labourer is glad when his daies work is done the traveller reioiceth when he is come to his waies ende the marriner and passenger thinke themselues happy wheÌ„ they arriue in the harbour and all men shun paine and desire ease abhorre daunger and loue securitie It were madnes theÌ„ for a Christian to feare so advantageous a death and to wish for continuance of so wretched a life I conclude this pointe with that elegant laying o Tertul. de testim animae cap. 4. of Tertullian That is not to bee feared which sets vs free froÌ„ all that is to be feared And indeed what weaknesse folly is it to fear a superfedeas against all the things which heare we do feare 7 But the true Christian hath yet a farre greater benefit by death For it doth not only put an end to the evils of paine but also to the evils of fault not only to the punishments for sin but to sinne it selfe Now we haue often heard before that the evils of fault are farre worse then the evils of paine yea that the least sinne is more to be abhord and shund theÌ„ the greatest punishment for sinne Hâ—w welcome then should death bee vnto vs that endeth not only our sorrowes but also our sinnes As long as wee liue here and beare about vs these earthly tabernacles wee daily multiply our rebellings against God and sustaine a fierce conflict and continual combat in our very bosomes while p Galat. 5.17 the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and q Rom. 7 2â— the lawe in our members rebelleth against the lawe of our minde as S. Paule speaketh and leadeth vs captiues to the law of sin which is in our members O bondage of all bondages to be in bondage vnto sin r Sen ep 37. 39. The Gentill that apprehended vice only as a morall evill could say that men beeing in bondage to their lusts were more cruellie handled by them than any slaues were by the most cruell maisters Howe much more should wee that feele sin as al spiritual evill and groane vnder the burden thereof account the bondage there of intollerable and worse than subiection to the most barbarous Tyrant in the world And how welcome should he be that would set vs free from the same Now it is death and only death that can doe this for vs and indeede doth it for vs. What great cause them haue wee with all willingnesse to imbrace it Å¿ Diogenes Laertius vit Phil. lâ—â— 7. Zeno the founder of the Stoicall sect helde it lawfull for them that had loathsome diseases vvhich were incurable to kill themselues that so they might be rid of them and t Con. Nepos in vita Titi Pomp. Attici See also the like of Tullius Marcellinus in Seneca ep 78. Pomponius Atticus others put it in practise If they counted it a