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
Now although the laws of Method order require that I should first speak of the first namely the evils of faulte as being the cause of the later to weet the evils of paine yet because we are more moved with the punishments of sinne then with sin it selfe I will begin with that which is most sensible applying my selfe herein to our corruption and grosnesse 2 The evils of paine are of tvvo sorts For the punishment of sin is either temporall to weete all the miseries of this present life or eternall that is to say the tormentes of hell in the life to come The former are so palpable that the meere natural man feeles them grones vnder the burden of them as the complaints of the very heathen manifestly testifie b Sen. praefat in natural questioÌ„ Seneca the miracle of nature for morall learning cries out thus Ah what a base and abiect creature is maÌ„ except he advaÌ„ce lift vp himselfe aboue maÌ„ that is aboue the condition and state of man c Plin. natural hist l. 2 cap. 7. An other saies that this only is certaine that nothing is certaine and that there is not a more miserable nor yet for all that a more proude creature than man And d Idem lib. 7 in prooem againe that it is vncertaine whether nature bee a kinder mother or harder step mother to maÌ„ kind e Cic. de repub lib. 3. apud August contra Iulian lib. 4 c. 14 15 A third renowned for his learning and eloquence complaines that Nature hath brought man forth into the world not as a mother but as a step mother with a body naked weake and sickly and a minde distracted with cares deiected with feares faint for labour and addicted to lust and pleasures And hence grew that coÌ„mon speech among the Gentils related by f Aristot in Eudemo apud Plutare consolat ad Apolon Aristotle repeated g Cic. Tuâ—c quaest lib. 1. by Cicero h Plut. ibid. Plutarch fathered by all three vpoÌ„ Silenus that the best thing in the world was not to be borne the next to die soonest And i Senec. coÌ„solat ad Polyb e 28. Seneca againe exclaimes that our whole life is a penance Which the Thracians confirmed by their practise celebrating their childreÌ„s birth with wee ping and lamentatioÌ„ but their death with ioy mirth as k Herodot lib. 5. Solin Poly. hist cap. 15 Val Maxim lib. 2 cap. 6. divers ancient writers recorde thereby insinuating that our life was nothing but miserie and death the ende of miserie But l Bern de consid l. 2. a ChristiaÌ„ author more effectually expresseth this point thus in substance that if the greatest man in the world do in a holy meditatioÌ„ strip himselfe out of his robes and ornaments of state which hee neither brought into the world with him at his birth nor shall carrie out of the world with him at his death he shall find himselfe to be nothing but a man naked poore pitcous and to be pitied lamenting that he is a man blushing that he is naked weeping that hee is borne and murmuring that he is at all 3 And thus much in generall for particularitie would bee infinite of mans misery in regard of temporall paine which is all that the heathen infidel apprehendeth For as for any eternall punishment for sinne after this life hee never dreames of it nay makes a iest of it as wee by Gods assistance shall see * hereafter Chap. 4 Sect. 3. 4. But the Christian proceedeth further and touching evills of paine is most troubled with feare of eternal punishment for sinne in the world to come Hee hath learned out of Gods word m Exod. 20. v. 5. that God is a iealous God and full of indignation when he is dishonoured and we knowe that ielousie is the anger of angers n Exod. 34. v. 7. that the will in no wise absolue the wicked and vngogly o Hab. 1. v. 13 that his eies are so pure that they cannot endure to beholde iniquitie p Rom. 2 v. 6 that hee rewardeth every man accerding to his workes q Vers 9. that tribulation and anguish shall bee vpon every soule that sinneth that the sinner daily heapeth vp wrath against the day of wrath and declaration of the righteous iudgement of God Å¿ Heb. 10. vers 31. that it is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the living God t Rom 5. vers 12. that death came into the world by sinne u Rom. 6. vers 21. and is the end reward of sinne x Heb. 9. vers 27. that after death commeth iudgement y 2. Cor. 5. vers 10. and that we must all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ to receiue our meed according to that which wee haue done in the flesh whether it bee good or evill z Matth. 8. vers 12. Marc. 9. v. that whosoever shall be condemned in this iudgement shall bee cast for ever into vtter darknes where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth a Aug. in locos aliquot ep ad Rom. numero 42. Finally the Christian considers as Saint Augustine saies that every man by sinning selleth his soule to the devil taking the svveetnesse of temporarie pleasure for the price thereof And thus much for the evils of paine that make mans state so miserable 5 The seconde braunch of mans miserie are the evils of fault or his sinnes which indeede is the greatest part of his miserie although commonly it be least felt and the Infidel scarse feeles it at all For as b Sen. ep â—8 a Heathen himselfe well observed Men are not greaved for their faults before they be greeved with the bad successe of their faults that is they are not sorie for doing ill but for speeding ill not that they are naught but that they are wretched in a word they greeue that they are miserable not that they are wicked and worthie to be miserable that they are punished not that they haue deserved to bee punished Which is verified not only in the common sort of whome he meant it but of the best amongst the Gentils yea of himselfe too For howsoever they seeme to teach sometimes that vice is an evill of it selfe as c Plato de Repub l 4. Plato divinely affirmes that no man can doe wrong to another but first hee must doe wrong to himselfe and d Plutarch quod solum vitium sufficiat ad hominem miserum reddendum another hath writteÌ„ a whole Treatise to proue that vice alone is sufficient to make a man miserable which worke of his is pittifully mangled by iniurie of time yet they only apprehend vice as a political or at the most a morall evill a politicall evill for as much as it made men subiect to punishment and obnoxious to publike iustice or as a morall evill that stained and impaired their reputatioÌ„ and
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
is follie for a man to die for feare of death and a Martial epigt lib 22. epigram 80 another saies it is madnesse * Hic rogo no â—uror est ne moriare moâ—iâ— I pray thee saith he is not this madnes to dy least thou shouldst die Others haue seene the vnlawfulnes hereof namely b Cicero de senect in somnio Scipionis that this is to forsake the standing wherein God our Generall hath placed vs and to refuse shun the office which God hath assigned vs in this world c Arist Eth lib 3. cap. 7. others obserue the basenesse of it that it is a token of a coward and not of a valiant man sith valure consists in a patient enduring of al extremities And therfore d Martial epigram the very profane Poet scoffes at Cato for killing himselfe of whom we haue heard before truely affirming that it is an easie matter to coÌ„teÌ„ne death in our misery that he is the valiant maÌ„ that caÌ„ patietly beare miserie Yea e Virgil Aed lib. 6. some haue gone farther and seene the danger hereof also namely that it is punished in the life to come placing those that haue offended that way in hell that in such torments as they wish themselues backe againe vpon that condition would be content to endure al the miseries incident to this life Lo the poore remedies that nature can teach vs against this first kinde of evils namely the evils which we suffer 5 Now touching the evils which wee do which as hath beene shewed we should hold the greatest as naturall men haue lesse knowne and felt them than the former so haue they beene lesse either carefull or able to finde out any sound and effectuall remedies against them nay I may boldly speake it that as they giue vs foolish Physicke against the former so they giue vs ranck poison against the later And as it fals out in bodily diseases that iâ— the Physitian mistake the causes of them they apply medicines cleane contrary and such as exasperate the evill not asswage it so it fareth with the maladies of the minde if they that professe skil to cure them erre in the originall ground of them insteed of healing them they poyson them and make them far worse 6 The guilt of sinne which al men carry in their bosome tels them that sinne needes some purgation and expiation or else they must incurre the indignation and vengeance of God But when it comes to particulars what the true meanes of delivering vs from the danger of sinne should be here the wit of man is a ground and vtterly amazed and confounded and the best remedies it can devise in this case are either foolish as wee haue seene they were against the first kind of evils namely of paire or els impious and wicked 7 f See Natal Comes Mythiol l. 1. c. 11.12 Some thought that sinne was blotted out Gods wrath appeased by offering of flowers franckincense and other sweere perfumes but suppose that every meane person coulde be as liberal that way as Alexander the great g Plutarch Apopht Regum Imperat who vsed to sacrifice with so much franckincense at a time that Leonidas his steward reproved him for it telling him that hee must first conquer the country where frankincense grew before he wasted it so prodigally suppose I say every man could be so costly in that respect yet who that is well advised can dreame that the sweet smell of hearbs perfumes can take away the filthy stinke of sinne Others thought by certain washigns with peculiar hallowed waters the filth of sinn was washt away as if that which made the skin cleane made the heart also cleane and that purifie the minde which never came neere the minde Others truely iudging these cures to bee light and superficial though it must be death and bloud at least that must do away sinne vsually killed beasts of al sorts in great abundance and sacrificed them to appease Gods anger and make satisfaction for their transgressions But heare againe reason awaked will tell vs that if all men còuld bee as bountifull as Iulian the Roman Emperour vsually was h Ammian Marcellin lib. 25. of whom the iest went that if he had returned with victorie in his last actions against the Parthians the very kinde and race of buls oxen and kyne would haue beene extinguished by meanes of his monstrous excesse in sacrificing of beasts if I say everie man could and should be at such cost that way yet what strange blindnesse were it to thinke that the bloud of beasts could purge the sinnes of men or that man should commit the fault and beastes should beare the punishment of it 8 But the remedies which the natural man devised against this second branch of our misery namely sinne were not only foolish but also wicked pernicious For first some looking further into the matter and considering that it was no reason that man should offende and beastes should be punished die for his offences perceived that in all equitie man must be punished for the faults of man i See Natal Comes Mythol l. 1. c. 8. And therefore most nations vsed to sacrifice certaine men at certaine times of the yeare to make an atonement for the sinnes of all the rest So k Plutarch tractat de supeâ—stit the Carthaginians sacrificed their own childreÌ„ to Saturne being present thereat and looking on and such as had no children of their owne bought the children of the poorer sort as if they had beene lambs or goates and the order was that the very mothers of them must be present at the sacrifice without making any shewe of sorrowe or compassion at the sight and if they did they forfeited the price of them and yet their children were sacrificed neverthelesse The wickednes whereof is so palpable that l Silius Ita li cus lib. 4. Lucret lib. 2. some of the heathenish idolatours theÌ„selues perceived it and cried out against it yea m Plutarch quo supra some were so moved therwith that they disputed the point whether Atheisme were not far better then superstition and much inclined to the affirmatiue part n Lucret. quo supra Others here vpon directly became Atheists crying out that religion was the cause of all impiety And which is yet more strange the Gentils were so blinde in this point that some of them o Strab. 〈◊〉 as the Leucades yearly made choice of some notorious malefactour sacrifized him for the vvhole as though his death could expiate the sins of others who had deserved many deathes for his owne sinnes vvhereas indeede p Bernard ad Milites templi c. 4. the death of the best man now in the state of sinne cannot profit an other siâ—h every man oweth a death for himself But as hath beene said this remedy is not only foolish vnprofitable but also impious and
placed in Paradise in a most happy and pleasant state of life only restrained from tasting of the fruit of one only tree to vveete the tree of the knowledge of good and evill as a triall of their subiection and loyalty by the Divels suggestion Gods deadly enemy theirs presumed to eate thereof and so lost the loue and favour of God and incurred his displeasure and indignation and consequētly became subiect to al misery calamity not only in this life but also in the life to come 2 It may seeme that this offence was not so hainous nor deserved such severe punishment But we must consider that many and grievous iniquities yea abominations lurked in this fact For first of all God having expresly told thē that whensoever they shoulde taste of this forbidden fruite they should die the death that is they should surely die they harkening to the serpent telling them the contrary make God a lyer yea take the Devils word before his Now how great a wickednes this was the simplest may easily perceiue Secondly here vvas great ingratitude and vnthankfulnes The Devill tels them that God had dealt craftily with them in telling thē there was such daunger in eating of that fruit whereas indeede it had that vertue to make them equall to himselfe and therefore in pollicie he forbade them to taste of it Which necessarily argues that they were malecontent with their present estate as if God had dealt niggardly with them and had not bestowed so much vpon them as hee might haue done and so in effect that the Devill would by his counsell and advise do more for thē then God had done or woulde doe Thirdly principally here was high treason against the most high accompanied with detestable blasphemie For they eating of the forbiddē fruit because as the Devill informed them therby they should be equall to God manifestly shewed that they disdained to be Gods vnderlings and to hold a happines from him by inferiority and dependancie and would be happy absolutely and of themselues without being any way beholding to God for the same Now when the subiect denieth homage and fealty to the Soveraigne the Creature to the Creator man to God what can it bee but high treason yea highest treason as committed against the highest Besides it could bee no lesse than abhominable blasphemy that a mortal man should so much as admit a thought to make himselfe equal to the immortal God much more to desire it yea to attempt it 3 And yet further this doth not a little aggravat their sin that they thē had absolute power not to sinne To expresse this pointe I had rather vse Saint Augustines wordes then mine own If saith b Aug. de eivitat Dei li. 14. c. 15. he any man thinke that Adams condemnation was either too heavy or vniust surely hee knowes not howe to weigh the matter namely how great the iniquity of sinning was vvhen there was so great easines not to sin And a little after Where there is great punishment threatned for disobedience and the matter commāded by the creatour to be obeyed so easie who can sufficiently declare how great a wickednesse it is not to obey in a matter so easie where there is so great power to obey and so greate danger for not obeying 4 I omit many other considerations which might farther aggravat the greatnesse of our first parents sin But that which hath beene alreadie saide may suffice Only this I thought good not to omit that it may be replied by some that howe great soever their personall offence were yet what reason is it that their posterity shoulde beare the smart thereof and that in so hard measure as wee see and feele by common experience that they doe The answere is easie that Adam had either happinesse or miserie in his owne hands not onely for himselfe but for all his and therefore by making himselfe miserable willinglie I meane at least willingly doing the thing that iustly made him miserable hee also iustly drewe miserie vpon all his We see that even humane iustice punisheth the children for the offense of the fathers He that commits treason not only dyeth himselfe for it but brings miserie vpon all his children who by his offense loose all their goods and lands that otherwise should haue descended vnto them as also if the parties so offending bee of such quality and ranke their nobility and advantages of birth and parentage Again we as commonly kill the yong foxes wolues and such like ravenous and noisome beasts as the old although as yet they haue done no actuall harme because we knowe they are of the same nature that the olde are and lacke not malice but time to hurt and destroy Much more therfore may God that more hates malignitie of nature in man than man doeth in beastes manifest his wrath against mankinde even in their infancie knovving that the roote and seede of all evill lurkes in them from the wombe yea in the wombe and that the poison of sinne and wickednesse is even incorporated into their essence And this is the cause of all those miseries and extremities which many times wee see yong children to endure The ignoraunce of which point drewe the Gentiles out of the Church and hereticks in the Church into that ridiculous errour * before specified Chap. 3. Sect. 3. that mens soules had committed some foule fault in heaven for the which they were sent into bodies here on earth to doe penance for the same Now man having thus vvillingly seperated himselfe from God his Creator and the onely author of his happinesse it is no marvaile if he became subiect to all kinde of miserie This was saith c Aug. de civit Dei lib. 6 cap. 13. S. Augustine a perverse haughtinesse to forsake that originall cause wherevnto only the soule ought to cleaue after a sort to become his owne originall that is to leaue God and goe about to be his owne God and to be happy without being beholding to God for it And a little after Man by affecting to be more then he was is now lesse then hee was and while he made choice to be sufficient of himselfe forsook him that only coulde be sufficient for him And d Ambro. de Elia ieinmio cap 4. S. Ambrose brings in God expostulating reasonning the matter with man after his fall thus Didst thou thinke to bee like vnto vs therefore sith thou wouldst be what thou wast not thou hast ceased to be what thou wast And c Bernard tractat de gratia libero arbit S. Bernard verie sweetly expresseth this point saith he they to wit our first parents which woulde needes be their owne became not only their owne but the Devils also that is the Divels slaues held in bondage by him at his pleasure as f 2. Tim. 2.36 the Apostle speakes This was a wofull alteration that mā who was the sonne of God while hee would
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
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
last iudgement we haue cause to reioice not to fear to lift vp our heads not to hang them downe And that for sundry reasons but I will specifie one or two that are most materiall fittest to cleare this truth 6 And first for as much as the dissolving of the world is for our ful deliveraunce from the bondage of the world the maÌ„ner of dissolving it must needes bee comfortable vnto vs although in it selfe otherwise terrible Wee see that in particular humane iudgements the things that are terrible to malefact ours are comfortable to good subiects and that which amaseth the theefe reviveth the true maÌ„ The maiestie of the iudges their scarlet robes whose very colour threateÌ„s death their guard that environ them with holdbards yea the gibbet the hangman are pleasing sightes to the good who knowe that all this is for their maintenance and sauegard although they miserably terrify the wicked for vvhose destruction they are prepared Even so the comming of Christ in maiestie and glorie the troupe and traine of Angels that attend on him the shrill sounde of the trumpet summoning all flesh to appeare are before his iudgement seate at this great and generall assises and all other solemnities belonging to the pompe and magnificence thereof wil cheere vp the faithfull knowing that all this is to doe them iustice touching all the wrongs and oppressions which they haue sustained at the haÌ„ds of the wicked and terrifie and daunt the wicked only that now must come to an account for all their enormities and outrages And as it fareth with them that are narrowly besieged in a strong castle when a puissant armie is raised to rescue them draweth neere to the place and is come within sight the neighing and trampling of the horses the glitring of the armour the clashing together of the weapons the noise of drum trumpet are most pleasing vnto them yea the very roaring of the canon is the sweetest musicke that ever they heard because they knowe that all this is to raise the siege and set them free even so the faithfull being straightly besieged in this world as in an impregnable fort by the flesh sinne and the devill when Christ shall come in the clowds with power and maiesty when the glorious army of Angels shall march onward with him as their generall when the last trumpet shall be sounded yea when the earth shal treÌ„ble the sea roare the sunne shall be darkned the moon turned into bloud the stars fal from heaven in a vvorde the elements dissolved and the heavens shall melt and bee shriveled vp like a scroale of parchment the faithfull shall reiolce at the sight as knowing that al this is but to raise the long and grievous siege vvhich they endured in this world to set them at liberty for ever yea to put them in possession of a heavenly kingdome where they shal raigne for ever in vnspeakable blisse 7 Finally that we may see vvhat folly it is to be afraide of this iudgement we must remember that we our selues shall be iudges there So Christ telleth Peter Mat. 19.39 that he and the rest that had followed him in the regeneratioÌ„ that is at the last iudgement when the worlde should be refined should sit vpon twelue throans iudge the twelue tribes of Israel which being somewhat obscurely vttered Christ there alluding to the present state of things the number of the twelue tribes of Israell and of his twelue Apostles i 1. Cotinâ—â— c. v. 2.3 S. Paul expresseth more cleerely applying it in generall to all the faithfull vnder the new Testament affirming that the Saints shall iudge the world yea the Angels that is to say wicked men and wicked spirits And hence k Tertul. exhortat ad Martyres cap. 2. Tertullian notably comforteth and encourageth the Martyrs that were in durance daily expecting the Iudges comming and to receiue sentence of death Perhaps saith hee the Iudge is looke for yea but you shall iudge your iudges themselues Were it not then great folly to feare that iudgement wherein wee our selues shall sit as iudges iudges as I haue said of all wicked both men and spirits that is of all our enimies that haue oppressed vs For although Christ our head principally and properly shall be the iudge yet we that are his members shall haue a braunch of his authority and shall be as it were ioined in commission with him Let vs not theÌ„ feare this last and generall iudgement the bench not the barre is our place there CHAP. 13. The ioies of heaven and glorious state of the faithfull after death 1 BVT that which most of all should comfort vs against our misery mortality here and the terror either of particular iudgement by death or vniversall iudgement at the last day is this that not only all these cannot hurt vs nay are made many waies profitable vnto vs in this world but that through them we passe to a most happy state in the world to come the excellency whereof requires the tongue and penne rather of Angels then of men to describe it or rather cannot be perfectly expressed by Angels theÌ„selues I must be content then darkly to shadow it out sith liuely representation of it is meerely impossible 2 And first the benefits and comforts of this life although miserable as we haue heard doe argue that a far better state is reserved for vs in heaven We see that God even here on earth notwithstanding our sinnes whereby we daily offend him vouchsafeth vs many pleasures and furnisheth vs not only with matters of necessity but also of delight There is a Pasâ— 10â—â— a whole Psalme spent only on this matter a Psalme worthy to be writteÌ„ in letters of gold in papers walles windowes but specially to be imprinted in every godly heart for the admirable excellency thereof God canseth b Cyprian de patientiâ— saith S. Cyprian the sunne to rise set in order the seasons to obey vs the elements to serue vs the windes to blow the springs to flow corne to growe fruits to ripen gardens and orchards to fructifie and aboud woods to rustle with leaues meaddowes to shine with flowers c. And c Chryâ—oÌ„st de compuÌ„ct cordis lib. 2. Chrysostome excellently handling the same point further shewes that God hath in a sorte made the night more beutifull then the day by infinit variety of bright and glittering starres that hee hath beene more mercyfull to man then man would haue been to himselfe who of greedinesse woulde haue overtoiled himselfe but that God made the night of purpose for his rest in a word he saies and truely saies even of these earthly benefits commodities that although we were never so vertuous nay if wee should die a thousand deaths wee should not be worthy of them And d Silv. Italic lib. 15. the very heathen Poet considering this could not chule but breake out into admiration saying *