a step by which through prayer and meditation wee may Ascend vnto God For surely it is more easie to Ascend with Elias in a Chariot of Fire then of Earth Water or Ayre to make a Ladder Let vs therefore consider the properties of the Fire The fire is of such a nature that in diuers thinges it worketh after a diuerse and often after a contrary manner Wood Hay and stubble it burneth presently Gold Siluer and precious stones it maketh more pure and bright Iron which of it owne nature is blacke colde hard and heauy the Fire so changeth into contrary quallities that forthwith it becommeth white hot soft and light yea to shine like a starre to burne like fire to melt like water and to bee so light that the Smith may easily mooue and remoue it as he pleaseth All these thinges doe manisestly agree vnto Almighty God For Wood Hay and stubble according to the Apostle in his first Epistle to the Corinthians signifie Euill workes which cannot indure the fire of Gods Iudgement 1 Cor 3 And truly it is vncredible how greatly all sinne displeaseth God who is a Most pure Fire and with what zeale he consumeth and destroyeth it if by repentance it may be destroyed that is If the sinner bee in state to repent But if hee be not capable of repentance as the Deuils are not nor men after this life then is Gods wrath turned vpon him For to God the impious and his impiety are odious alike saith the wise man Wis 14 And how exceeding great this hatred is the Deuill can witnes who sinned once and being a most noble Angell Greg. lib. 32 moral c 24 alias 18 and as St. Gregory saith Prince of the first Order and the most excellent of Gods Creatures was notwithstanding presently cast downe from Heauen depriued of all beauty and supernaturall grace changed into a most deformed monster and condemned vnto eternall punishment Our Sauiour Christ can witnesse who descended from Heauen to destroy the Workes of the Deuill to wit sinnes Ioh. 3 and therefore hee is called The Lambe of God that taketh away the Sinnes of the world Ioh. 1 But who is able to declare or conceiue what our Sauiour suffered to destroy the workes of the Deuill and perfectly to satisfie the iustice of God Who when hee was in the forme of God tooke the forme of a Seruant Being made poore for vs when as he was rich Hee had not where to repose his head albeit hee made Heauen and Earth He came into his owne Phil. 2 2 Cor. 8 Luk. 9 Ioh â— 1 Pet 2 and his owne receaued him not Who when hee reuiled did not reuile When hee suffered he threatned not but deliuered himselfe to him that iudged him vniustly Who himselfe bare our Sinnes in his body vpon the tree Phil 2 1 Pet 2 He humbled himselfe made obedient vnto death euen the death of the Crosse By whose stripes wee are healed Lastly hee was mocked spitten on whipped crowned with thornes and being crucified with exceeding ignominy and paine he rendred vp his life to destroy the workes of the Deuill and to wipe away our sinnes The Law of God can witnes which prohibiteth and punisheth all sin yea leaneth not one idle worde vnpunished Mat 12 How greatly then doth God abhorr enormious crymes that cannot indure one idle worde Psal 18 The Law of our Lord is imaculate the precept of our Lord lightsome detesting sinne and darkenesse for betweene light and darkenesse 2 Cor. 6 iustice and iniquitie there can be no society Hell also can witnesse which God hath prepared for sinners who when as they had time neglected or refused to be washed with the blood of the immaculate Lambe For it is iust that they who haue committed Eternall sinnes should haue eternall punishments But what and how great the paines of Hell are is horrible to thinke Whereof we wil speak more in the last step Therefore my soule since Gods hatred is so great against sin if thou louest God aboue all thinges thou oughtest also to hate sinne aboue all thinges Take heed they deceaue thee not who vse to extenuate or excuse sinne Looke also that thou deceaue not thy selfe with false reasons for if sinne displease thee not both in thy selfe and others thou louest not God and if thou louest not God thou art vndone Againe if thou bee not vngratefull vnto Christ how greatly mayst thou reckon thy selfe indebted to his loue laboures blood and death Who hath washed thee from sinne and reconciled thee to his father And shall it then be greeuous vnto thee to suffer somewhat for Christ or for his sake by his grace to resist sinne euen vnto blood Lastly if thou canst not patiently indure the Hell of eternal fire surely thou oughtest not patiently to indure sinne but As from the face of a Serpent flye from it Eccle. 21 and from euery light occasion or suspition thereof Endeauour therfore all thou mayst to hate sinne aboue all things and to loue God aboue all things The fire also destroyeth not but perfecteth and purisieth golde Cap. 2 siluer and pretious stones For as the same Apostle doth there declare those mettalls signifie good workes which are approoued by the fire of Gods iudgement 1 Cor. 3 These workes God doth approoue because they are his guiftes And when he crowneth our merits saith St Augustine Con. 2. in psal 70 he crowneth his guiftes For they are done by his commandement asistance and powre and by the lawe and precepts which he hath appointed Gold also signifieth the Werkes of Charâ—â— 1 Ioh. 4 and how can the workes of Charitie but please God since God himselfe is Charitie Siluer signifieth the workes of Wisdome Dan. 12. to wit of them that instruct mony vnto iustice And they also are very pleasing and acceptable vnto God For the Wisdome of God saith Mat. 5 He that shall doe and teach he shall be called great in the kingdome of heauen Pretious stones are the workes of a continent soule of which Ecclesiasticus speaketh Eccle. 26 All Weight is not worthy a continuent soule And that is the cause why in the office of the Church the Gospell of One pretious Pearle found is read in the praise of holy virgins Math. 13 And how greatly the puritie of virginitie is pleasing to God may be vnderstood by the Prophet Esay who by Gods appointment and in his name prophesied vnto such Eunuches as haue gelt themselues for the Kingdome of heauen Math. 19 I will giue vnto them in my house and with my walles a place Isay 56 and a name better then Sonnes and Daughters An euerlasting name will I giue them which shall not perish Which place St. De Sanct virg c. 21 24 Augustine in his booke of holy virginitie excellently declareth to be vnderstood of holy virgins of either sex And these three sortes of workes by the consent of
to be of their nearenesse subiection and coniunction with God the Father of Light The Moone signifieth Man the Sunne God When the Moone is opposite against the Sunne then with her light borrowed from the Sunne she onely beholdeth the Earth and turneth her backe as it were to Heauen Therfore she then appeareth very beautifull to the Inhabitants of the Earth but very deformed to those in Heauen Euen so Men when they are farr from God as that prodigall Son that departed froÌ„ his Father went into a far Countrey then doe they abuse the light of reason which they receiued froÌ„ him to behold the earth onely are altogether occupied in getting the wealth therof And then of the children of this world they are accounted wise and happy But of the heauenly Cittizens they are esteemed Poore Apoc. 3 and blinde naked deformed and miserable Againe when the Moone is vnder yâ— Sun or very near it she then shineth in the higher part and onely beholdeth Heauen turning as it were her back to the Earth vanishing from the eyes of men Euen so when a sinner beginneth to returne vnto virtue and to be truely subiected vnto God the true Sunne of Soules by Humility and ioyned vnto him by Charity then will he fulfill that which the Apostle aduiseth Col 3 Seeke the thinges that are aboue where Christ is sitting on the right hand of God and minde the thinges that are aboue not the thinges that are vpon the Eâ—rth And then shall hee be dispised by fond Worldlings and accompted a dead man For indeed he is dead to the world And his life is hid with Christ in God But when Christ shall appeare his Life Then he also shall appeare with Christ in Glory as the same Apostle saith in that place And this is the cause as St. Epist 19 c. 4 5 6 Augustine in his Epistle to Ianuarius hath noted why the Pasch of our Lord neither in the olde or new Law could be rightly Celebrated vntill the full Moone were past to wiâ—t vntill the Moone which at the full is opposite beginneth by conuersion to returne to coniunction with the Sunne For God by this coelestial Planet would shew how by the Passion and Resurrection of Christ Man that was opposite vnto God by his iniquity should begin to returne vnto God and by the merites of Iesus Christ seeke to vnite himselfe vnto his grace But thou my soule if perhapps by Gods grace thou finde thy selfe subiected in true humility vnto the Father of Light and ioyned vnto him in feruent Charity doe not imitate sooles who Are changed as the Moâ—ne Eccle 27 but emulate Wise men which remainâ— as the Sunne as Ecclesiasticus witnesseth For the Moore increafeth quickly and decreaseth But if thou be wise abandon not grace once receiued depart not from it for nothing canst thou finde better in any place Neither knowest thou hauing once lost it whether thou shalt returne to it any more for hee that promised pardon and grace vnto the penitent hath not promised the Guift of repentance or a long life vnto thee Therefore thou mayest without feare turne thy backe to the Earth and behold thy Sunne Râ—st delight and remaine in him Say with the Apostle St. Mat. 17 Peter It is good for vs to be here Epist Ad Com. And with the Martyr Ignatius It is better for me to liue with Christ then to rule the Earth Care not what they thinke of thee which loue the world for he is not approued whom the world coÌ„mendeth but whom God coÌ„mendeth The Moone hath also an other property Cap 5 which God is accustomed to vse towardes his elect For the Moone gonerneth the night as the Sunne the day saith Moses in Genesis Gen. 7 and Dauid in the Psalmes Psal 135 but the Sun shineth all day long the Moone somtime in the night casteth a great light somtimes a small and sometimes none at all So God like the Sunne alwayes shineth vpon the holy Angels and blessed Soules which inioy perpetuall day For theresh all be no night there saith St. Iohn in the Apocalips but in this night of our Pilgrimage and banishment Apoc. 21 2 Cor. 5 In which we walke by Faith and not by Sight And Attend to holy Scripture as to a candle shining in a darke place as St. Peter saith in his last Epistle 2 Pet 1 God like the Moone doth sometime visite and illuminate our hearts and sometime leaueth vs in the darknes of desolation Yet thou oughtest not my soule to be too sorrowfull albeit thou enioy not the Light of consolation nor reioyce too much if shortly after thou breathe in the Light of comfortable Deuotion For God is as the Moone and not as the Sunne in the night of this world Neither doth hee onely appeare vnto vs poore and vnperfect creatures sometimes as a Moone full of the Light of Consolation and sometimes without Light leauing vs in the darke night of Desolation For the Apostle St. Paul the vessell of election who was rapt into the Third Heauen 2 Cor. 12 and heard secret wordes which is not lawfull for a man to speake saith sometimes 2 Cor. 7 I am replenished with Consolation I dâ—e exceedingly abouâ—d in ioy in all our tribulation And sometimes he sigheth and lamenteth saying Rom 7 I see another Law in my members repugning to the Law of my minde and captiuing me in the Law of sinne that is in my members Vnhappy man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death 21 Cor. 1 And in his last vnto the Corinthians We will not haue you ignorant Brethren concerning our tribulation which hath happened in Asia that we were pressed aboue measure aboue our power so that it was teadious vnto vs euen to liue And thus as St. Iohn Chrysostome noteth God dealeth with all his Saints Hom. 8 in Math. to wit not suffering them to haue continuall tribulations nor to enioy continuall consolations but in an admirable varietie of prosperitie and aduersitie to spend as it were their liues Thus much of the moone The Starres also are numbred among the ornaments of heauen Cap. 6 of which Ecclesiasticus saith The glory of the starres is the beauâ—y of heauen but he presently addeth Eccle. 43 Our Lord illuminating the world on high For all the beauty of the Starrs Sunne and Moone proceedeth from God the Father of light neither doth the Sunne by day or Moone and starrs by night giue light but it is Our Lord that dwelleth on high who by the Sun Moone starrs giueth light to the world For it is he who as the Prophet Baruch speaketh Baruch 3 Sendeth forth light and it goeth hath called it it obeyeth him with trembling And the starrs haue giuen light in their watches and reioyced they were called and they sayd here we are they haue shined to him with checrefulnesse
escape by flight or by strugling wrest the sword out of his hand and deliuer thy selfe from death But what wilt thou doe when God is angry From whome thou canst not flye for he is euery where whom thou canst not resist for he is Almighty and whom thou canst not delay for he worketh in a moment by his command onely Not without cause said the Apostle It is horrible to fall into the handes of the liuing God Hâ—b 10 But on the other side if thou please God and haue him thy friend who is more happy then thou For he can if he will and he will if he be thy friend giue thee all good and deliuer thee from all euill It is also in thy power whiles thou liuest heere to offend and make him thine enemy or to please and make him thy friend For God first by his Prophets and after by his Sonne and his Apostles doth in the holy Scriptures continually inuice sinners to repentance and the righteous to keepe his Commandements that hee might therby haue them both to be his friendes or rather his dearly beloued children and heyres of his euerlasting Kingdome Heare Ezechiell Liue I saith our Lord God Eze. 33 I will not the death of the impious but that the impious conuert from his way and line Conuert conuert yee from your euill wayes and why will you dye O house of Israell And after The impiety of the impious shall not hurt him in what day soeuer he shall conuert from his imptety And as Ezechiell speaketh so doe Esay Ieremy and the other Prophets also For the same Spirit spake alike in them all Heare the Sonne of God also beginning his Sermon Math 4. Iesus saith St. Mathew began to Preach and to say doe Pennance for the Kingdome of Heanen is at hand Heare the Apostle St. Paul speaking of himselfe and his fellow Apostles in his last Epistle to the Corinthians For Christ saith he wee are Legates 2 Cor. 5 God as it were exhorting by vs. For Christ wee beseech you be reconciled to God What more plaine What more pleasing The Apostle doth beseech vs in the name of Christ to be reconcyled to God and to please and not offend him Who can doubt of Gods mercy if he truely returne to him For he receiueth them as a most loâ—uing Father receiueth his prodigall Sonne which returne vnto him Luke 15 And when we are returned and pardoned what doth he more require of vs to continue his children and friendes Mat. 19 but to keepe his Commandements If thou wilt enter into Life keepe the Commaundements saith our Lord. And least perhapps thou shouldest say that without Gods assistance the Commaundements cannot be kept Heare St. Augustine in his Exposition of the Psalmes Aug. in Psal 56 where speaking of the hardest commandement to witt of spending our liues for our brethren he saith thus Non imperaret hoc Deus c. God would not commaund vs to doe it if hee iudged it vnpossible for man to doe And if considering thy weakenesse thou faintest vnder the Commandement take comfort by the example for the example concerneth thee much He who gaue the example is present also to giue the ayde Ser. 16. de Pas Dom And That euery worde may stand in the mouth of two Heare St. Leo Iustly saith he doth God require vs by his commaund because hee doth preuent vs with his ayde Why then doest thou feare O my soule to enter into the way of the Commaundements since he runneth before thee who by the mighty helpe of his grace Maketh crooked thinges become streight Isay 40 and rough wayes plaine For by this preuenting Ayde The yoake of our Lord is made sweete and his burthen Light Math. 11 And Saint Iohn the Apostle saith His Commaundements are not heauy 1 Ioh 5 But if they seeme heauy to thee thinke how much more heauy the torments of Hell will be and doe not vnlesse thou be sencelesse seeke to trye them Often thinke with thy selfe and neuer forget that now is the time of Mercy and after of Iustice Now of Freedome to sinne after of intollerable torments for sinne Now may a man easily compound with God and with a little labour of repentance obtaine a great pardon and with a short sorrow redeeme eternall lamentation Now also with euery good deed proceeding from Charity obtaine the Kingdome of Heauen After not for all the wealth in the world procure one droppe of colde water THE TWELFE STEPP From the Consideration of the greatnesse of Gods Wisdome by the Similitude of a Corporall quantitie WHo so will attentiuely consider the breadth length Cap. 1 height and depth of Gods wisdome may easily vnderstand how truely the Apostle writ in his Epistle to the Romans Rom. 16 God the onely Wise And to beginne from the breadth Gods Wisdome is most broad because he knoweth all thinges distinctly and perfectly Neither doth hee know their substances onely but also their partes propertyes vertues accidents and actions Hence are these wordes Iob. 14 Thou indeed hast numbred my Stepps And Our Lord doth respect the wayes of a man and considereth all his steppes Wherefore if hee number and consider all his steppes much more doth he the good or bad actions of his minde And if God hath numbred the hayres of our head Math. 10 much more doth hee know all the members of our bodyes and all the vertues of our mindes And if hee know the number of the Sea sandes and droppes of rayne as is gathered out of Ecclesiasticus much more may wee beleeue he knoweth the number of Starres and Angells Eccle 1 And if all the Idle wordes of men shall be iudged Math. 12 as our Lord himselfe doth witnesse His eares doubtlesse doe heare at once all the wordes of Men whether they be corporall or mentall How infinite then is this Breadth of wisdome which comprehendeth at once all thinges that are haue beene shall be or may be Neither doth the Diuine minde become more base by the knowledge of so many particuler inferiour thinges as the foolish Wisdome of some Philosphers supposed for perhappes we might thinke so If God did borrow his knowledge from thinges as we doe But since hee beholdeth all thinges in his owne essence there is no danger of basenesse Albeit it be much more noble to borrow Knowledge as Men doe then altogether to want it as Beastes doe Euen as it is better to be blinde as sensitiue liuing creatures may be then without blindnesse to be vnapt to see as stones are Neither are the other members of the body more noble then the eyes for that they caÌ„not be blinde But the eyes are more noble because they can see although they may also be blinde as St. Augustine doth truely teach in his bookes of the Citty of God Lib. 12 Cap. 1 Thou oughtest therefore to be carefull my soule alwaies and euery where what thou dost
thinke hee offended if being at his Prayers his minde wandered after vayne phantasies When any such thing happened hee spared not Confession but foorthwith made satisfaction This course hee practised so often that seldome was he troubled with those molestations Oâ—ce in a time of Lent he had made a little Basket to passe away some short vacation without being altogether vnocupied which comming to his minde when he said his Houres did somewhat distract it Wherefore being mooued with zeale of Spirit hee burned the basket sâ—â—ing I will sacrifice it to God whose Sacrifice it hindred Therefore distraction of minde in time of Prayer and praising God is not so small an offence as many imagine but great is the Mercy and Longanimitie of God in that hee is no more angry nor presently punisheth vs therefore Next followeth the Height of Gods Mercy Cap. 3 which is taken from the cause moouing God to mercy And truely it is most High and exalted aboue all the Heauens according to that of the Psalmes Lord thy mercy is â—n Heauen Psal 35 And Mercy shall be built vp for euer in the Heauens â—sal 88 Some men haue mercy of other men because they need their helpe and this indeed is the lowest degree of mercy for it goeth not beyond priuate commodity After which manner we also haue compassion of our Horses Dogges and Cattle Others haue mercy by reason of Consanguinity or friendship to witt because they are their Children Brothers Familiars or Friendes and this degree is a little higher and beginneth to haue the Forme of a vertue Lastly others haue mercy because they are their neighbours to wit men as they are made by the same God and of the same molde And therefore they respect not whether they be their friends or enimies good or euill country-men or strangers but they take compassion of all whom they know created according to Gods Image and this is the highest degree of mercy to which mortall men can ascend But God hath mercy vpon all thinges because they are his Creatures and especially vpon men because they are his Images And more especially vpon the righteous because they are his Children heyres of his Kingdome and coheyres of his Onely begotten Sonne But if thou aske why God created the world Why hee made man to his likenesse Why he iustifieth the wicked and adopteth them to be his Children and heyres of his Kingdome Nothing can be answered but because he so would And why would he so but because he is Good For Goodnesse is liberall and doth willingly bestow it selfe Mercy therefore is built vp in Heauen Psal 88 and from a most high habitation to wit from the Heart of the Highest she descended to the Earth and filled it as was foretolde by the Prophet Psal 32 The earth is full of the mercy of our Lord. Lift vp now my soule the eyes of thy minde to that most high fountaine of mercy Consider the absolute purity thereof not mixed with any intention of priuate commodity And when thon hearest the Maister of all exhorting and saying Luk. 6 Be yee therefore mercifull as also your Father is mercifull endeauour all thou canst to haue compassion of thy fellow seruants with that pure affection wherewith thy Heauenly Father hath compassion of vs. If thou forgiue an iniury forgiue it with a true heart and commit to perpetuall forgetfulnesse euery offence For Our Father forgetteth our offences as the Prophet Ezechiell writeth Ezech. 18 And As farre as the East is distant from the West Psal 112 doth he make our iniquityes farre from vs as Dauid speakteh If thou giue an Almes to the poore make account thou dost rather receiue then giue Because hee lendeth our Lord that hath mercy on the poore Pro. 19 Giue it therefore with humity and reuerence not as an Almes to the poore but as a guift to a Prince If thou suffer any discommodity to benefit thy poore neighbour thinke yet how sarre thou commest short of thy Lord who to benefite thee gaue his bloud and life So shalt thou without hope of earthly reward without any motion of vaine glory meerly for the loue of God thy neighbour profite in the vertue of mercy It remaineth that we consider the Depth of Gods mercy Cap. 4 For as the height thereof appeareth chiefly in the cause so the Depth thereof is seene especially in the effect That mercy therefore is not said to be deepe but rather shallow and superficiall which descendeth but to wordes onely That deeper which comforteth the needy not onely with wordes but also with deeds That most deepe which not onely with wordes and deedes conforteth them but also endureth laboures and dolours for their sakes God therefore whose mercie is infinite hath beene mercifull vnto vs after all these manners For first he sent vs letters of comfort to wit the holy Scriptures whereof the Machabies speake Mach. 12 We haue for our comfort the holy Bookes that are in our handes Neither doth he speake to to vs by letters onely but also by the Sermons of Preachers Which are Legates of Christ 2 Cor 4 and by inward inspirations promising vs his helpe and protection I will heare saith Dauid what our Lord will speake in me Psal 84 because he will speake peace vpon his people and vpon his Saintes and vpon them that are conuerted to the hart Secondly the benefits of Gods mercies against our manifold miseries both spirituall and temporall are so many that they cannot be numbred For euery where He crowneth vs in mercie â—sal 102 and commiserations That is he compasseth vs about euery where with the benefits of his mercie Thirdly Gods mercie deseended by the mysterie of the holy Incarnation to labours and dollours to hunger and thirst to ignominyes and reproches to stripes and woundes and to the death of the Crosse to redeeme vs from our sinnes and from eternall death due vnto vs therefore Is there any greater depth to which Gods mercy did descend Yes surely For he did all these thinges not of dutie but out of Loue. Iay 53 He was offered saith the Prophet because himselfe would For who compelled the sonne of God Who thought it no robbery phil 2 himselfe to be equall to the Father but â—e exiranitâ—d himselfe taking the forme of a seruant 2 Cor 8 To be made poore for vs that by his pouerty we might be rich Phil 2 â— To be humbled vnto death euen the death of the Crosse to exalt vs Truely loue onely compelled him mercy onely constreyned him It also descendeth yet farther For he would in the worke of our saluation bestowe on vs honour and glorie That diuision which the Angels made seemed very fit Glory in the highest to God Luk 2 and in earth peace honour be to God and profit to men But Gods mercie would haue all the profite to be ours and part of the glorie to be his and
a drop of colde water Luk 16 shall not be heard Moreouer those proude vaine glorious men with in this life would suffer no disgrace But preferred their honour and estimation before all thinges whatsoeuer shall in that Theater of all mankinde and of all the Angells then the which a greater neuer was nor shall be see all their offences reuealed although they were done in darknesse and kept in the closet of their heartes As Treasons Theftes Incâ—sts Sacriledge and the like For as the Apostle saith in his first Epistle to the Corinthians When our Lord shall come to Iudge the world he will lighten 1 Cor. 4 the hidden thinges of darkenesse and will manifest the councells of the hearts and then the praise shall be to euery man of God And then without doubt the dispraise shall also be to euery wicked and vnrighteous man of God But the disgrace and confusion of the wicked in that Theatre shall be so great that St. Basill in his exposition of the three and thirtieth Psalme doubteth not to say That it shall be the greatest of all punishments especially to Hypocrites and to the proude and vaine glorious which accompted honour as a God or rather as an Idoll in this world But if these thinges which we haue said of the losse of all goods both Coelestiall and Terrestriall and of most vnsufferable dolours ignominies disgraces were to haue end or at least some kinde of comfort or mittigation as all miseries in this life haue they might in some sort be thought tollerable But since it is most certaine and vndoubted that as the happinesse of the blessed shall continue for euer without mixture of misery so likewise shall the vnhappinesse of the damned continue for euer without mixture of comfort Truly therefore are they most blinde and 〈…〉 â—hich endeauour not all they may through any tribulations dangers infamy and death which the Apostle calleth Momentary and light to come to the Kingdome of Heauen and happinesse thereof 1 Cor 4 And if perhappes any one wonder why God who is most mercifull Cap. 5 hath appointed such terrible and continuall punishments for mens sinnes which are soone passed ouer and seeme not to be so great Let him heare St. Austeâ— in his bookes of the Citty of God Lib. 14 cap. 15 Quisquis hâ—â—smâ—di dâ—mnationem c. Whosoeuer saith he thinketh this condemnation too rigorous or vniust knoweth not truely how to measure iniquity in sinning where there is such facility of sinning And after For who can sufficiently declare how wicked a thing it is not to obey in a matter so easie coÌ„manded by so great power threatâ—ed with so great puâ—â—shment St. Aâ—gustine speaketh of Adems sin but the same reason holdeth in all sinnes For if we ballance it truely and not deceiptfully we shall finde that euery mortall sinne is exceeding great in 3. respects First it is a dreadfull thing that the Creature should not obey the Creator seeing the dignity of the Creator is infinitely distant from the basenes of the Creature The Creature is also by nature the seruant the Creator is by nature the Lord and whatsoeuer the creature hath it receiueth froÌ„ the Creator but the Creator receiueth nothing froÌ„ it Secondly although the commaundements of the Creator were heauy yet ought the Creature to obey them 1 Ioh. 1 But his Commaundements are not heauy And our Sauiour saith That his yoake is sweete Math. 1â— and burthen light How great an offence then is it for wormes of the earth not to obey their Creator in so easie a matter Thirdly if God had not threatned the punishment of eternall death vnto sinners Men might herhapps haue excused their sinnes but seeing he hath so often and so plainly threatned it by his Prophets and Apostles what sinner can excuse his coÌ„tumacy Lastly if the sinne of the damned were not eternall we might meruaile why the punishment thereof should be eternall but seeing the abstinacy of the damned is eternal why should wee wonder if their punishment be also eternall And this wilfull obstinacy in wickednes which is both in the damned and in the Deuils I say this peruerse will which is in them auerted from God the cheife Happinesse shall so for euer remaine maketh holy men more to feare a mortall sinne then Hell fire Heare what Edinerus an EnglishmaÌ„ writeth of St. Ansclme in the 2. booke of his life My Conscience saith he heareth 〈◊〉 witnesse I lye not That we haue often heard him Anâ—â—â—me to protest by the testimony of truth That if hee might corporally beholde of one side the horror of Sinne and of the other side the paines of Hâ—â—l and that of necessity he must be drowned in one of them hee would rather choose Hell then Since Another thing he vsed likewise to say which to some perhappes will seeme as strange as the former To wit That he had rather haue Hell without sinne then the Kingdome of Heauen with sinne If this holy man did both speake feele these thinges for that being illuminated by God hee knew sin was more greeuous then the paines of Hell how much more will God who penetrateth the malice vncleanesse and peruersnes of sinne to the bottome truly iudge that the punishment which he hath appointed from all eternity for sinne is most due thereunto Therfore O my soule be not deceiued be not seduced be not like to those Tim. 1â— Who say they knon God but by their deeds deny him For many haue faith in habite but not in acte like a sworde in a scabbard For if they did actually beleeue aâ—â— beleeuing did seriously consider that God is faithfull and iust and hath indeed prepared most grieuous and euerlasting punishmentes without any mixture of comfort for the wicked It could not be that they would do the thinges they doe And drinke as it is said in the booke of Iob iniquity as water Iob. 15 To wit so easily so merily so without feare coÌ„mit many great sins as if rewardes and not punishmentes were due vnto sinners But beleeue thou I say most assuredly and belieuing ofteÌ„ remember that God is in this life The Father of mercyes 2 Cor. 1 and ready mercifully to pardon the sins of all that truely repent and the after this life he will become The God of Reuenge Psal 93 and execute the punishments he hath prepared for them by his Prophets and Apostles commaunded to be Preached coÌ„mitted to writing for the Memory of posterity And in so doing it will come to passe that being lifted vp as it were with two winges to wit the Feare of most intollerable punishments Hope of most great rewardes thou maist passe ouer this life with safety and come vnto the rest of life euerlasting Amen Amen Laus Deo qui dedit velle perficere The faultes escaped in printing we trust the gentle Reader will of his curtesie easily amend and pardon FINIS