Hell's Eternitie as that we doe not more thinke of his Eternitie who made them both this for the Diuells and their associates that for the Angells and the Elect. O eternall Diuinitie ô Diuine Eternitie thou art he whom I consider and whom I seake for to thee onely it is that I aspire for without thee the created Eternitie would not bee since it doth not subsiste but by the eternall essence of the essentiall Eternitie which is no other thē God himselfe And yet further to purisie myne affection and bring it to its full perfection henceforth I will not so much loue the Eternitie of God as the God of Eternitie though God be that same Eternitie and that same Eternitie be God himselfe And if by the imagination of an impossible thing one could be in Hell with his grace his accursed Eternitie would not be dreadfull nor is the Blessed Eternitie to be desired but that eternall life is to see God eternally eternally to depēd vpon him O eternall God! who is like vnto thee who is like vnto thee who is like vnto our Lord God who inhabites in the places aboue And what Eternitie can be compared vnto his from whom proceedes all Eternitie seing he hath made the ages of ages O Great God direct my wayes in thy presence and make me walke before thee in perfection that is perfect in such sort my intentions that forgetting myne owne interest and nether staying my selfe in the blessed or accursed Eternitie I may onely looke after thyne essentiall Eternitie which is thy selfe to whom be honour and glorie from generation to generation for euer and euer in the Eternitie of Eternities Amen An aspiration of Hope LXXIII BVt ô Lord will it not be too great a presumption for a worme of the earth to rayse it selfe towards thyne infinite Eternitie and promisse himselfe one day in thy glorie to be vnited thervnto Yea verily it were a manifest vanitie if a soule should persuade her selfe that of her selfe and by the strength of her owne winge she could wind her selfe thither But as of her selfe she can doe nothing so together with thee being fortified by thee what can she not performe ô great God since she holds her whole beeing of thy Grace What may she not what ought she not to expect from thy grace since it is written that thy grace is eternall life And againe with what confidence must not her heart needs be encouraged when she shall cast the eyes of her consideration vpon the great price and infinite merites of thyne eternall Sonne ô eternall Father a Sonne who hath layed her open the way to Eternitie not by the blood of gotes or calues but acquiring vnto her by his owne blood an eternall and plentuous redemption O my soule what are we not to hope from the Mercy of so good a God and who hath loued vs with an eternall and excessiue Charitie a Charitie so excessiue that he bestowed his owne Sonne to be the propitiation for our Sinnes When we were dead by our crymes his grace restored vs to life Our Sauiour dying vpō the Crosse did quicken vs by his death and the same reuiuour doth promise vs a like resurrection and ascending vnto heauen he goes to prepare vs a place before the Throne of his glorie Which made the great Apostle writing to the Ephesians say that God who is rich in mercy for his exceding Charitie wherwith he loued vs euen while we were dead by sinnes quickened vs together in CHRIST by whose grace we are salued and hath raysed vs vp with him selfe making vs sit with him in the celestials in IESVS CHRIST shewing to future ages the abundant riches of his grace through his benignitie towards vs in IESVS CHRIST And the Prince of the Apostles S. PETER Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord IESVS CHRIST who according to his great Mercy hath regenerated vs vnto a liuely hope by the resurrection of IESVS CHRIST from the deade vnto an inheritance incorruptible and incontaminate and that cannot fade conserued in the Heauens in you For what ought not those to hope for who are inrowled as members in the misticall body of the Holy Church whose heade he is being most reasonable that the Champions should follow their Commander in his triumph if they did accompanie him in his Combats vnder the Banner of the Crosse You that haue followed me said he to his Apostles you shall be set vpon seates in the Kingdome which my Father hath prepared for you in Eternitie There it is that the Elect like vnto Eagles shall flocke about the bodie of the glorious humanitie of our Redeemour and where crowned with the crowne of Iustice they shall lay them downe at the feet of this Lābe Conquerour of the earth and who vanquished the world And if the eternall Father hath giuen vs his Sonne how will not he giue vs all things with him especially since this Sonne hath the key of DAVID key Scepter of his Empire vpon his shouldiers A key with which he opens and none can shut Behold saith S. IOHN what Charitie the eternall Father hath communicated vnto vs that we should be named and be his Sonnes and if his Sonnes his Heires also Heires truely of God and Coheires of CHRIST It was this holy hope that moued the Psalmists heart so generously to lanch out as by so many flightes towards the blessed Eternitie Come let vs ascend into the Hill of our Lord and into the house of the God of IACOB Hope in him all yee congregations of the faithfull for those that hope in him vnderstād the truth of his promises those that are faithfull in his loue doe place their confidence therin Those that hope in him shall not be confounded for euer for such as put their confidence in him shall be no more shaken then the Mountaine of Sion but replenished with ioy in the expectation of the eternall felicitie they cryed out I reioyced when I was told that we were to goe into the house of our Lord. And indeed what is not a man to hope of an infinite Bountie what ought not one to expect from so solemne promises and whose truth remaynes for euer No Lord neuer neuer will I forget thy iustifications for it is by them that thou hast giuen me life I doe firmely beleeue that if my soule doe constantly adheare vnto thee thy right hand will receaue one into thy bosome O how happie are those whom thou hast chosen and taken as thyne for they shall dwell in thyne eternall Court for euer and euer Let 's make no doubt of it my soule he that by his grace moues vs to tend to this goale will not forsake vs in the midst of our course and in so faire a way but since his workes are perfect he will heape grace vpon grace and will make vs happily arriue at the Port and point of all consummation O God draw vs after thee sith it is thee alone whom we search and
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
said to be eternall and death to be defeated for euer as also the fire which shall torment the damned is named eternall it is also cleare in right reason that Beatitude which is a sufficient good or rather the collection of all good would not be compleat vnlesse it did exclude all euil and miserie especially the miserie of miseries which is death or annihilation For take away the perpetuitie of the life of the Blessed and they would be afflicted with a continuall sorrow for the losse of the beloued felicitie and a most distastefull bitternesse would disturbe the sweetnesse of the peaceable fruition Adde that Beatitude cannot be imperfect on the part of the Obiect which is God all whose workes are perfect and his guiftes without repentance which he neuer reuokes but for sinne which can neuer haue accesse to the Blessed cōfirmed in grace by Glorie And vnchangeably vnited to God whose nature is goodnesse his workes mercy And who can nether will nor can abide iniquitie Againe that word of our Sauiours to his Disciples is an Oracle of infallible truth and a promisse which shall remayne for euer Your ioy saith he shall not be taken from you God's seruants the Elect shall adore him in beholding his face and they shall raigne for euer and euer that is eternally saith S. IOHN in his Reuelations And S. BERNARD explicating that of the Psalmist I will fill my friends with the length of dayes and will shew them my SALVATION what is longer saith he then that which is eternall what continuance more longe then that which hath no end O how good an end is eternall life how good is that end which is infinite How faire is the day which hath no Sunne-setting nor is followed out by night and what is this day but the eternall VERITIE the true ETERNITIE O Societie of the Blessed eternally true and truely eternall those are they onely who may be truly said to be liuing and enioying a life truely long in heauē which knowes no end as they are truely dead and that of a long death who continually die in Hell where they continually liue without tasteing the fruite of life S. BERNARD's meditation shall make way to S. AVCVSTINE's touching the Eternitie of that blessed life O life saith he which God hath prepared for his friēds thou art a life full of happinesse crowned with assurance a quiete life and excellent life a pure life a chaste life a holy life a life that knowes no death a life without sorrow without labour without greife without vexation without corruption without varietie or chāge a life adorned with euerie beautie accomplished with honour a life that is not laboured with enuie nor subiect to anger where Loue raignes in its perfection and from whence feare is banished where the day is eternall and the hearts of all is but one where God is seene face to face and this vision is foode to those that behold him with an ardent affection O how thy shineing brightnes doth delight me and how aggreable are thy felicities to the desires of my heart The more I consider thee the more I loue thee I swoone with desire in contemplating thee yet that desire insteede of afflicting me affords me an extreame content and thy memorie is more sweete vnto mee then the honie-combe O happie life ô Empire of eternall felicitie where death hath no iurisdiction which shall neuer haue end Where the succession of tyme hath no raigne nor vicissitude where the day hath no night where change can get no footing where the victorious Champion accōpaigned with the troopes of Angells his heade being enuironed with a crowne of glorie incessantly sings to God the Song of the heauenly Sion How happie shall my soule be if after her departure out of this mortall pilgrinage she may haue the happines to see thee and to contemplate thy beautie thy walls thy gates thy Pallaces thy places thy noble citizēs and thyne omnipotent King seated in his admirable Throne of Maiestie Thy walls are built of pretious stones of an inestimable value thy Gates are inriched with peerlesse gemmes Thy streetes are paued with purest gold and in them the Diuine prayses doe continually resound Thy houses are made of fouresquare stones beautified with Saphires wrought with vinebranches and grapes of gold None enters within thy confines who are not pure for all that is defiled is repulsed The light which doth enlighten thee is nether from Lampe nor torch nor Sunne Moone nor starrs it is God alone proceeding from God that light which doth spring from light who is thyne eternall and vniuersall light The King of Kings resides continually in the midst of thee waited vpon with a numberlesse number of Courtiers and Officiers more resplendant then the lightning more bright then the flame Will you yet further giue eare to the same Sainte heare then what he saith of that liuely Eternitie that eternall life The wicked saith he shall goe into eternall fires but the iuste into eternall felicities That is the eternall life which is promised vs. And wheras men take no greater content here below then to liue behold how life is promised them and wheras they dread nothing so much as death see how an Eternitie of life is proposed vnto them What dost thou loue ô man To liue Thou shall enioy this great benefit What dost thou feare To dy Thou shalt be exempt from it Yet is it not all to liue long to liue for euer but the toppe of felicitie is to liue happie for euer What can we add to this Oracle of truth deliuered in so good tearmes by that incomparable witt but fruitlesse words in a subiect so fruitfull that the abundance therof doth oppresse him that handles it Meanes wherby to arriue at this happie Eternitie LXV BVt we are rather Athanasia to search out the meanes to attaine to this great happinesse then to enlarge our selues vpon curiosities to know it or loose our selues in the admiration therof since it is written that not all that shall say Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of Heauen but those that doe the will of our Lord that is such as shall liue according to his law and shall make force against his holy citie Dost thou desire to enter into true life said our Sauiour to the young man who asked his counsell which way he was to hold keepe the Commandements Of all the wayes which are taught vs by the holy scripture and the writings of Doctors to worke our saluation in feare and trembling I will onely touch two which next vnto God's grace without which we are able to doe nothing I find verie necessarie The Philosopher Epictetes made all his philosophicall Precepts turne vpon these two poles or pinnes SVSTAYNE and ABSTAYNE I am persuaded that all morall Christianitie may turne vpon the same pinnes The one doth teach vs to suffer difficulties labours paines the other the perfect contempt of worldly vanities pleasures and riches If we
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