it And this is as the Scripture sayes Prov. 30. comedere ac tergere os dicere non sum operatus malum to eate and wipe their mouth clean againe and say I have done no harm Those who are of this mind do but laugh whilst they engage their soules unto the devill they lose their part of heaven and do not feele the losse as accounting it but a light and triviall one The second Paragraph BVt on the contrary the predestinate doe lay so sure a foundation of vertue in their minds that they conceive a horror from all kinde of offence and from the least shadow of any sin never consent to take pleasure in that which may be displeasing to Almighty God but they put on this firme resolution to perform that which may be most acceptabâ—e unto God although thereby they should incurre the displeasure of all the world Thither they bend all their thoughts and hence all discourse is derived neither may we doubt but from their inflamed wills with greater ardor then Epâ—ctetus did they will burst forth into these lowder exclamations O my God and my love farre be it from me that I should not ever have the same will with thee no no my will is thine or rather indeed I have no will loâ—ger of mine owne since all I have is thine And now of necessity I must fâ—llow thy wil since it is all I have I neither doe nor ought to desire any thing O my God but that which pleaseth thee Is it thy pleasure then that I be sick then be it so or poore and that too to endure much paine and that wouldst thou have mee suffer contumelies and injuries I am resolved to be despised and contemned although it would touch me to the quick I am prepared wilt thou deprive me of all solace and delight I am resolved to be perplext in minde although it should last to the â—orlds eâ—d I am content wilt thou bereave me of all that a hich I most affect although it is most hard to depart with that we love yet I likewise will since thou wilt have it so wilt thou have me dye of all difficile things this is most difficile and yet I should not refuse to dye a thousand times so I might â—ut breath my last in the deaâ—e armes of thy most sacred will and that a violent death In spight of nature I would embrace it too wâ—lt thou have me a Saint in Heaven O my God it is my hearts desire or a damned soule in Hell â—las sweet â—esus if ever thou hadst beene so minded it had beene done since I have deserved it but it is apparant it is a â—â—ing thou never desirest since thou shedst thine owne pretious bloud to hinder it But yet if it were possible as it cannot be and I might have my choyse whether thy will should be traâ—sgressed and I a Saint in heaven or else I damned and thy blessed will fulfilled O my God I should make no difficulty to conclude that it were farre better for mee to be damned than thy will left undone But O thou soveraign goodnesse I am sure thou desirest not my death since thou wast pleased that thine owne Son should dye to the end that I might live I beseech thee therefore O heavenly father for the most hitter death of that onely Son of thine that thou wouldst preserve mee from eternall death Look upon those wounds looke upon that bloud which for my sake was sacrificed when to spare thy servant thou wouldst not spare thy sonne Behold me thy humblest servant O thou immortall â—ing at the least signe of thy good pleasure ready at thy command all that shall be most gratefuâ— unto mee which proceeds from vertue of thy holy will Paratum cor meuâ— Deus paratum Psal 127. cor meum my heart my God is prepared my heart is ready Such servants as these their heavenly master hath in high esteem who with such a vigilant eye observe every least signe of his sacred pleasure as they make it no other than a law to theirs And with a chearefull countenance are ever ready to say Dominus est quod bonum est in oculis faciat c. Hee is our Lord let him doe that which is best pleasing in his eyes for there is nothing better than to have regard to Gods Commandements The third Paragraph THE Grecians doe commend that celebrated saying of theirs ne quid nimis not too much of any thing but thou O Lord hast expressely commanded mandata tua custodiri nimis that thy commandements should be very much observed God would have all his servants so ready and prompt at every command of his at every beck as they should never passe a day no not so much as that whereon they should suffer the greatest affliction without repeating over this short sentence a thousand times both in heart and mouth quod vult Deus fiat be it as it pleases God and by this meanes the will of men so vertuously disposed becomes to be the will of God himself since they hold themselves constant to this resolution never to will any thing which may be displeasing to his Divine Majesty whence it comes that whatsoever they desire they obtaine since they desire nothing else than onely to conforme themselves to the will of God as knowing that to be most true which St. Hierome writeth unto Paula upon the occasion of Blella's death God is good saies he and therefore of necessity being so good as he is al must be likewise good which he ordaines neither can men of God receive any thing in ill part which is proceeding from so good a God Are they in health they render than â—s then to their Maker for it are they diseased even in this they acknowledge and praise their Makers will are they deprived of their dearest friends they cannot but bewayle so sad an accident but yet in remembring that God hath disposed it so they beare their losses with an equall mind hath death ravished away an onely child a losse how ever grievous yet to be sustained since he who lent it demands it back againe are they overtaken with extreame poverty or more grievous infirmity afflicted to be contemned and opprobriously dealt withall subiect to a thousand inluries and scornes For all this you shall never haare them utter other words but sicut Domino placuit ita factum est ita bene factum etiam in hoc laudetur Deus God hath done as it pleased him and thrrefore hee hath done well for which cause even in this be he likewise blessed and praysed Benedictus Deus in aeternum God be blessed for ever Whosoever are fastned to God as by an Anchor with such a Will as this doe awayt their latest houre with all security and account all misfortunes in the meane time for short which with so fortunate an end are to be closed up Embleme XII Moderation of our passions And unto thee shall bee
men than God of riches then of conscience nor to set more by humane favour than divine that no pleasure whatsoever is to be preferred to heaven nor these instable things unto eternall ones And truely saies St. Chrysostome He can find nothing on earth to bestow his affection on who hath but once savoured of celestiall things This light of understanding our good God was pleased should shine most plentifully on St Austins soule when being advised sayes he to make reflection on my self I entred into the inmost of all my selfe and there saw with such an eye as my soule afforded me the invariable light of God which whosoever knowes doth know eternity and I perceived my selfe to be so farre estranged from thee in an uncouth land and not much unlike to this light of understanding was that light of devotion of which St Bernard speaketh Beseech for thy selfe sayes hee the light of devotion a bright Sunny-day together with a Sabboth and repose of mind where like on old souldier priviledg'd with rest for his long service thou maist passe over all the labours of thy life without any labour at all in running with a dilated heart the way of the Commandments of God whence it will arrive that what at first thou underwentest with force and bitternesse of mind thou shalt afterwards performe with much sweetnesse and consolâ—t on to which likewise the royall Psalmist invites us where he sayes Accedite ad eum illuminamini Taste and behold the sweetnesse of our Lord. And this is he delightfull light of heart that flame burning with the very spirit of pleasure which God makes us every day more and more partakers of and with proportion to this light inkindled in our bosomes God who is incapable of all augmentation and and every way immense doth yet after a wondrous manner receive increase himselfe Embleme II. A preparation to death I am in a Straight betwixt two hauing a Desire to depart to bee wth Christ. Phil 1. v. 23. The second Signe Of Predestination IS a readinesse to die which is signified by a dead mans Scâ—ll with these words Coâ—retor e ducbus desiderioum habens dissolvi esse cum Christo Phil. 1. I am in a straight betwixt two having a desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ Et vos similes estote hominibus expectántibus Dominum suum c. and be you sayes our Saviour like to men awayting their Lord at his returne from some Nuptiall feast that when he comes and knocks they may straight wayes open unto him Then sayes St Gâ—egorie it is that our Lord doth knock when by visiting us with any grievous sicknes he deâ—ounceth unto us that death is neere at hand and then wee readily open unto him when we entertaine his summons with a friendly welcome That guilty person makes small haste to oâ—en the Judge the doore who dares not issue out of his bodies prison to meet with him neither can bee with any security behold his countenance whom he knowes he hath affronted in such unworthy manner whereas he whom his hopes and actions have rendered secure will presently open unto him when he knocks he wil be glad and take it for an honour that hee calls him and be cheerefull in the midst of teares in consideration of his future recompence Phil. 1. Why then doe we not dâ—sire with the Apostl to be dissolved and be with Christ seeing it is every wayes bâ—tter than to â—ive here prolonging of our wofull banishment It is impossible that he shouâ—d dye ill who hath lived well Psal 119. neither on the contrary that he should dye well who hath lived ill and what is our liâ—e which wee are so fearefull to be deprived of but a scene of mockeries a sea of miseries where in what ship soever we embarke our selves whether decked with gold silver and pretiouâ— stones or but simple wood all 's one there is no avoyding of the swelling waâ—es of being often dashed against the opposite rocks and ofâ—ner grounded on perillous flats and sholes Happy â—s he who hath passed this dangerous sea happy he who is safely landed in the haven and hatâ— no more reason to complaine who chances â—o dye before he is well struck in yeâ—rs than one for comming too soon to his journieâ— end â—hy then should we feare death which is but the end of our labors the begâ—nning of our recompence It is the judgement of God upon all flesh which none in former ages could ever avoyd nor ever will in any ensuing times all must follow as many as went before and we are all borne on this condition for to tend thither where every thing must go â—eath is the end of all to many a remedy and every good mans wish as being to godly men no other than a deliverance from all paine and griefe and the utmost bound beyond which no harm of theirs can advance a pace What madnesse then were it in us to oppose our selves to such an universal decre of Almighty Gods to refuse to pay a tribute that is duely exacted of every one and pretend to an exemption that is granted to none How much more sublime is the Christian Theology which teacheth us to make life the subject of our patience and death of our desires Solin de mirab mundi The Swan if we wilâ— believe Solinus lives ever groaning and sorrowfull and onely sings and rejoyces upon the poynt of death and so it becometh the godly to doe who are to depart to the fruition of an endlesse joy So did that white aged swan holy Simeon welcome his approaching death with this melodious song Nunc dimittis c. Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace and why then shouâ—d we lament when this poor cottage of ours doth fal to ruine as if we were ignorant that when this house of earth our habitation here decayes God will prepare us a better one in heaven a house not made by hands but an everlasting one The first Paragraph VVHosoever lyes in a hard and painfull bed makes little difficulty to rise at any time onely they seek excuses and delayes who lye lazing in their softest downe and are unwilling to forgoe their warmer nests Is thy life irkâ—ome to thee I trust then thou wilt not be sorry to passe to a better one hast thou thy hearts content in my opinion then it is high time for thee to close up thy dayes before thy prosperity overwhelme thee as it hath many more with some disasterous ruine at the last Wherefore sayes Tertullian we are no wayes to fear that which secureth us from all other feares God delivers that man from a long torment to whom he allowes but a short terme of life Which conâ—â—deration made the holy Martyr Saint Cyprian when the Emperour Valerian pronounced this sentence aâ—ainst him We command that Thracius Cyprian bee executed by the sword to lift up his hands and eyes to heaven and cheerefully answer
my self unto the vast bosome of so deare a sea as shall set a period to all the miseries of my mortall life O God that death would mend its pace it can never come so suddenly so at unawares as not to finde mee ready and desirous to goe to rest I am not such an enemy of repose to bee sorâ—y when a holy day comes which may bring with it a cessation from â—roubles and afflictions but will rather rejoyce for so good an opportunity of shutting up this wretched shop of life fraught with so many and innumerable miseries to shake off the heavy yoak of death and fortune and begin with a day which shall never end in night O what happy tidings will it be to heare that my King calls for mee out of this prison where I am and ranks me in a state of higher dignity Open but the cage unto a bird and there will be no need to chase it out but it will flye out of its owne accord Even so I will willingly issue forth into those azure plaines as one who long since have beene over cloyed with life Touching the place or hour of my death I am nothing solicitous let him who made mee dispose of me as hee pleâ—se his wil shall be both the rule of life and death to me neither can I expect any thing of him who is all goodnesse but the best And is it not in the potters hands aswell to frame the vessell on his act ye wheele as to new mould it if it seem good unto him I am a vessell of that great potters making and what reason have I to complaine if he who made me please to unmake me or to speak more properly to make me new again and render mee happy who was miserable before Is hee pleased to have me live then I will live as long as it pleases him Is he pleâ—sed that I should dye I I will not desire to have my death respited a moments spâ—ce both my beginning and ending are wholly depending on his holy will Wherefore I will not onely embrace willingly but also gladly whatsoever he shall ordain Mihi vivere Christus est Phil. 1. mori lucrum for unto mee to live is Christ to dye is gaine I love thee O my most amiable God desire yet to love thee more ardently O that my heart might wholly melt away in the flame of such a love since nothing can make me happy beside thy selfe And when and where O my God shall I take my flight hence unto thee I will follow thee O most loving father and at neerer distance thou shalt call mee the more readily I will obey thy call The third Paragraph THis feeling he hath of death who desires to bee transporâ—ed unto heaven and live with Christ neither is this such an uncouth thing for as a Physitian sayes Theophâ—lact when hee peâ—â—eives his patient to have an aversion from the food and physick which he doth prescribe doth first take an assay of them himselfe to incourage his patient to an appetite so Christ vouchsafed to taste first of death himselfe that Christians might have no horrour of dying after him And why then dear Christian tho thou be of nature never so timorous at the apprehension of death wilt thou not put on such a resolution as that which I have set before thine eyes and with an assured and undaunted mind burst forth into these exâ—lamations Psal 116. Caelicem salutarem accipiam nomen Domini invocabo J will receive the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord. I cannot deny but it is a bitter one yet it is no other than that which my Saviour drunk of unto my health upon his bloody Crosse and leâ—â— to me to pledge It is no other than that fatal cup of death which Christ dranke out of his owne free election and all others must drink of inevitable necessity and why then should I alone refuse it All whose lives have a beginning must likewise have an end but to begin a fresh a life againe which neveâ— shal have end What a vaine feare then is this that startles me what a silly pensivenesse that tempts my constancy Calicem quem dedit mihi Pater c. and shall I not drink of the Chalice which my father hath presented mee withall which Christ himselfe hath drunke of to me and fild me out again am I a mortall man and shall I not learne to die Alexander lying once dangerously sick some of his friends more solicitous than needed for his health advised him to beware of Philip his Physitian as one who had a designe to poyson him The King the next time the Physitian visited him with a potion he had prepared to administer unto him did no more but receive the potion in one hand and reach him out in the other the letter to read containing the advice which his friend had given him and whilst he prepared himself to drinke it off hee stedfastly regarded the Physitians face to note whether in the reading thereof he might discover any signes of guiltinesse but perceiving the innocencie of the man from the constancy of his countenance without any more delay he drunke it up In this manner receiving that cuppe which Christ my onely Physitian and Saviour hath ordeyned and presented me withall to cast me into a profound and quiet sleep I will fasten my eyes upon my Physitian whilst I drinke it off I will stedfastly regard the countenance of my crucified Lord wherein I shall read written in lively Characters the countenance of that infinâ—te love he beares me and with a constant and unappaled mind will I drinke it up which will conferre so much the more of health the more affectionately I shall welcome it And thus deare Christian death when it arrives will easily be overcome if before it arrives we arme our selves against the feare of it by often revolving it in our memories Embleme 3. Frequenting of the Sacrament The third Signe Of Predestination IS the frequent use of the holy Sacrament which is exprest by the sacred Eucharist The words Hic est Panis de coelo descendens si quisex ipso manducaverit non moriatur This is the Bread that came downe from heaven he that eateth thereof shall not dye It is said of the ancient Christians that they persevered in the doctrine of the Apostles and communion of breaking bread as it hath beene piously observed that with proportion as this custome grew cold in the primitive Church so their fervour of Spirit the fire of Charity and consequently all sanctitie decayed It is wonderfull how the devill bestirs him here and what plots the crafty enemy hath on foot to divert as many as is possible from the frequent use of the holy Eucharist What barres doth he not set in our way what pretentions what impediments doth he not devise to hinder us Now he suggests unto us doubts in poynt of faith which when
eyes but shalt not eate of it and so it came to passe This is right the punishment of many in these days they see plenty of this heavenly bread but never taste of it They see men communicating in every Church they looke into but Communicate not themselves They are bid Depart because they will goe whether the Pâ—iest will or no. They are excluded fâ—om this holy Table for no other reason but because they exclude themselves The third Paragraph AS for the Holy men to be deprived long of this bread of Life they like true Sonnes of GOD interpret it as a signe of their Fathers high displeasure and indignation farre they are from neglecting any occasion of receiving it for they are not ignorant with how great and Fatherly a providence Almighty GOD hath provided for every severall Creature their proper food Eagles prey on lesser Fowle the Whale devoures the lesser Fish the Lyons other savage Beasts Horses and more Domestick Cattell feed upon Oates and Hay And for Man bread growing on the Earth is ordained for Food of such as have no higher ambition but to bee sonnes of men but for those who aspire to become sonnes of God this bread descending from heaven is their chiefest sustenance this celestiall bread this bread of the Sonnes of God this bread of Angels with an ardent desire with a humble affection with a tender reverence they receive most frequently and rather chuse out of piety to incurre the note of presumption by declaring themselves Children than of enemiâ—s out of a too faulty bashfulnesse During which banquet if our blessed Saviour should addresse his speech in this manner to any of the number of predestinate Consider seriously what I have suffered for the love of thee thou mayst well count the thornes my head pierced but canst never number those torments I have sustained for tâ—ee in every part of me besides â—y body was all goard with boudy whips and nailes but how much my heart hath suffered is beyond expression It was little lesse than a death I suffered for thee even in the garden when the anguish of my minde drew as much bloud from mee as the Souldiers afterwards in my flagellation And now consider with tâ—y selfe what mine enemies inflicted on me when even my best friends spared me not thou knowest upon how hard a bed I was content for thy sake to render up my Ghost and my love that thou maist know what an ardent one it was would resolve on no death to dye for thee but the most bitter and ignominious of all when it finding none more bitter and ignominious than the Crosse made choyse of it And thus behold how I have dyed for thee and have been still ready to dye for thee a thousand times Wherefore tell me what wilt thou suffer for mee againe if thou desirest that my love to thee should be perpetuâ—ll thou must love me againe who have so loved thee For my part I have loved thee unto death even unto the death of the Crosse it rests that thou wilt declare how farre thou wilt extend thy love for me againe Who now all of that happy company will not presently answer him all bathed in affectionate teares even unto the death O my most loving Loâ—d even unto the Crosse it self so it bee thy divine pleasure my love shall extend it selfe And who shall grant unto me that happinesse to dye for thee O Iesus my sweetest Iesus or who am I that I should be thought worthy for to dye for thee O what a love was this of thine my dearest life that thou wouldest suffer thus that thou wouldest dye thus for me without any the least merit or desert of mine such sighes as these such most chaste aspirations use commonly to bee the table talke at this sacred banquet and thus a soule becomes intimately united unto Almighty God For which reason wee place this frequency of Communion provided that our affections be sincere at least though otherwise not so inflamed as wee could wish among the principall signes of Predestination But alas there are but too too many Christians yet who whatsoever is delivered to them by way of Sermon or of written books are so dead asleep in the Lethargy of their deboysht lives as neither the examples of the more pious sort nor admonitions of holy Saints can stirre them up to a more frequent use of this holy Sacrament O Christians what Rocks of Ice what deadly cold is that which freezes up your hearts that thus you avoyd the comfortable beames of this all-cheeâ—ing Sun Do you not perceive that this is nothing else than the meere stratagems of your enemy who endevours all he can to extinguish wholly in us the fire of this divinest love to the end that being all stifly frozen with this pernicious cold of mind we may live no otherwise then if we were wholly dead perish in the filth and sordidnesse of sinne and never arrive to the kingdom of the lâ—ving but those who love our Saviour Christ with constant affections are delighted with nothing more than in often repairing to him for as Cassiodorus saith admirably well Inaudita est ditectio quae amicum amat praesentiam ejus non amat It is such an affection as was never heard of that one should love his friend and not be delighted in his company Embleme IV. Renouncing All Worldly things What things were gaine some those I counted losse for Christ Philip 3. V. The fourth Signe Of Predestination IS an intire renunciation of all we have which hath for its Device a bare Altar dispoyled of its ornaments with this Motto Quae mihi fuerunt Lucra Phil. 3. haec arbitratus sum propter Christum detrimenta But what things were gaine to me those I counted losse for Christ Our Saviour proclaims aloud Qui non renuntiat c. whosoever renounceth not aâ—l he stands possest of cannot be my Disciple Hee commands to relinquish all hee counsells us to dispossesse our selves of every thing and who then that hath any Christ an blood in him but will put on this resoâ—ution I had rather become poore than Gods enemy I had rather be deprived of all my substance then of his holy grace Poverty hath made many merchants not of spices Draperies or such commodities but of heaven Simile est regnum coelorum homini negotiatori c. The Kingdome of heaven saith our Saviour is like a Merchant travailing in quest of richest pearles who having found one more precious than all the rest goes and sells all that hee hath to purchase it And such a Merchant as this is so farre from thinking he hath received any detriment by departing with all he had as he accounts his stock exceedingly improved by the purchase of a Iewell of such inestimable price He but receives a bill of exchange of our Saviour Christ upon the delivery of those slight commâ—â—ities the paiment of which wil â—ender him happy above measure he hath
regnum Dei And eâ—en as the furnace trye the potters vessells so are iust men men proved by adversity but wee must know that straw doth consume in that furnace where gold is purified and whilst the one is converted into ashes the other is burnished from its drosse This furnace is the world in which the iust are gold tribulation is the fiâ—e and the Gold-smith Almighty God now if gold had sence and speech without doubt it would say let the workman dispose of me as he please I will endure wheresoever he places me and let the straw burne as much as it will with intent wholly to consume me I shall but become the more refined for it whilst it shall vanish away in filthy smoake wherefore marke well all you who are gold Aug. in Ps 60. all you who are but straw in that very fire in which the straw blazes away to nothingâ— the gold becomes more bright and so the wicked blasphemes and accuses God for sending him the same afflictions for which the patient man doth glorifie him the more and they encrease in strength in the midst of adversities as fires waxe greater tâ—e more the winde doth blow and become more forcible by that which threatens wholly to extinguish them Crescit adversis agitata virtus REckon me up all the iust mâ—n from the beginning of the world and you shall find none of them without this mark of â—redestination God proved them Wis 3. and found them worthy of him â—braham was variously afflicted and perplext Ioseph solâ— by his owne brethren David most unnaturally persecuted by hâ—s son Esaias sawed asunder in the midst Ezecâ—ias draâ—ged upon craggy rocks till his brains were daâ—ed out Hieremiah stoned to deat Mâ—cheus executed by the sword Amos had a naile driven into his temples Daniel was cast unto the Lions Naba th buried in a heap of stones Elizeus derided Job so ulcerous as out of meere detestation he was spit upon Tobias deprived of his sight Innocent Susanna condemn'd to die and hundreds more whom I could reckon up Besides of what adversities had not Sâ— Paul h s part As for the rest of the Apostles were they not scourged crucified and diversly put to death In fine Gâ—d spares none whom he affects Quem enim diligit Dominus castigat Heb. 1â— stagellat autem omnem filium quem recipit For God chastises whom hee loves and scourâ—es every child whom he reâ—eives evâ—ry one excepting none â—or all who â—esire to live piously in Iesus Christ 2 Tim. 3. shall suffer persecution The fourth Paragraph WHerefore let every serâ—ant of thine O God assure himselfe that if he shall have past in this life this probat on he shall bee crowned for it in the next since it is thy manner of proceeding to send a calme and serenity after stormes and aftâ—r teares and sorrow to replenish a soule with consolation Wherefore Beatus homo qui corripitur á Deo c. Iob. 3. Job 7. 2 Tim. 2. Blesseâ— is tâ—at man whom God rebukes for if wee susteine any thing for him we shall likewise reigne with him Let none therefore feare this scourge of God but rather feare this dis-inheritance by these stripes we are but prepared for our eternall inheritance least if otherwise we should be too converâ—ant with those delights which occur e unto us here up n our way we should insenâ—â—bly forget those we aspire unto at our celestiall home If thou beest exempted from correction saith Saint Augustine thou art also excluded out of the number of the sonnes of God be not then â—o inconsiderate or childish eâ—er to utter such complaints as â—hese My father cherisheth my â—ro theâ— more than me since â—e permits him to do what he â—â—st whilst â—f I but stirre without â—is comm nd I am chastised for it but you ought rather to glory in your sufferings since it is an evident signe that he reserves an his inheritaâ—ce for you whilst those whom he spares for the present â—e intends afterwards to punish eternally Those who runne on the way of this lifes prosperitiâ—s to their destruction are but â—ike men lead to prison saith St. Grâ—gory thorow some pleasant fields Iob 5. It hath beâ—ne observed that the Rose never savours more sweetly than when it is planted neare to garlick neither doth our heaven y Gardner want his fragrant Roses here of those whom he hath predestinated for Paradise whom he so disposes for the most part as they are still annoyed by the neighbourhood of others with whom they have the greâ—test antipathy in that the more vertuous a man is the more subiect he is to the scorne of the wicked the more open he lieâ— unto adversities and thus these Roses become the more odoriferous by the aire which other ungratefull odours breath It is likewise an observation that such Roses as by art grow without prickles have no scent at all and even so the sweet odour of vertue is lost specially of patience when we suffer nothing of adversity Assuredly none can know how much he profits but by affliction neither doe any begin to understand themselves till they become acquainted with misery for as the starres lye hid by day and onely become transparant by night so true vertue which rarely appeares in prosperity shines forth most brightly in adversity Neither is our Lord halfe so delighted with the glorious exployts of his servants as when he sees them suffer cheerefully and confidently Tribulations as the Eagle doth prove its young ones by exposing them face unto the Sunne as the Goldsmith by the touchstone tryes the goodnesse of the metall so God Almighty experiences his servants in the furnace of affliction whence with much more reason then the Romans wee may say facere patifortia hoc â—hristianum est to doe and suffer difficile things doth most become Cristians and that way which our head doth lead us on best befits us his members for to follow Embleme VI. Frequenting Sermons The wise man shall increase his wisdome by hearing Prou â— V 5. The Sixth Signe Of Predestination IS the hearing of the Word of God expressed by the Fig-tree by reason our Saviour Christ not onely in his Sermons made frequent mention of it but also because it was so diligent an Auditor as I may say of the Divine Word that being commanded by it to shed its leaves and wither away it â—beyed presently The word is prov 1. Audiens sapiens sapientior erâ—t And have we not aâ— cleare testimony of this signe of Predestination from the mouth of Christ himselfe Iean 8. Qui ex Deo est verba Dei audit he who is of God doth heare the word of God which Saint Ambrose in a certaine passage doth excellent well declare How saith he can the word of God relish well in thy pallate which is defiled with the gall f wickednesse Is d. Soliloq That which wee heare willingly weâ— put easily in execution
undertaken onely at certaine times and then intermitted foâ— so long againe but we are still to actuate our selves therein with a firme purpose of persevering And this is the Doctrine delivered to us from that Angellicall mouth St. Tho. vera serâ—a penitentia non tantum a peccatis praeteritis expiat sed etiam preservat à futuris that true and sincere repentance doth not only expiate us from our passed sins but also preserves us from future ones he doth not repent for his sins who hath not the like purpose withall of never falling into the like sinnes againe The first Paragraph CHrist having healed the Paraletick in the Gospell Iohn 5. commanded him to take up his bed and walk which he performed instantly sustulit grabatuÌ„ suum ambulabat The occasions of sinning are first to be avoyded and removed out of the way and then we are to proceed to a most vertuous course of life The Prodigall-child being almost starv'd with hunger said Surgam ibo ad patrem meum I will rise and goe to my Father Neither did he onely say he would goe but he went indeed whereas we for the most part when it comes to this through our owne negligence doe lose both usâ— of hands and feet we are onely active in words nothing in deeds mighty of our tongues and feeble of our hands we bend the bow but never shoâ—t the arrow we purpose much but never performe any thing we are sorry when we are fallen iâ—to any sin but use no dâ—ligence in providing not to fall againe And as those who wish to have their wounds cured but apply not the remedy so we would avoyd the falling into sins but divert not the stream of affections which carries us towards them Age finds us still procrastinating and seeking of delayes our liâ—e hastes away whilst we doe nothing but purpose and make faire promises and is past before we put them in execution when death arrests us in midst of our long purposes and derides us for having consumed so many yeares in resolving what to do without doing any thing Such an one was St Augustine once but not long such an one he â—id not diferre that till he was old which no man can undertake too yong Dicebam apud me intus Ecce mâ— do fiat 8 Cons c. 11. modo fiat Et cum verbo jam ibam in placitum jam pene faciebam non faciebam nec relabebar tamen in pristina sed de pâ—oximo stabam râ—spâ—rabam Retinebant me nugae nugarum vanitates vanitatum antiquae â—micae meae succuâ—iebant vestem meâ—m carneam submurm rabant dimittis ne â—os I said in my selfe saâ—th he behold I wil doe it shortly and â—â—orâ—ly it shall be done And having said this I was satisfied I was even upon the poynt of performance but performed nothing yet I returned not wholly to my old customes again but stood panting not far of I was stayed and detained by those old friends of mine the toyes of toyes and vanities of vanities and shaking me by this same vestment of flesh they muttered these words Will you forsake us then Yes truely he forsook you and wholly discarded you he shook off your intollerable yoke and detested in such manner the wayes of his former life as he never thereafter set foot in them againe The second Paragraph WE often undertake a better course of life but we persever not in it and so whilst we goe not forwards with our web it unravels againe and becomes as miâ—hapen as it was before We want not as we may well suppose many pious endevours ho y thoughts pure intentions and wise deliberations and in all which wee are but like the Athenians who enacted excellent lawes but were starke nought to urge them on to execution or provide they might not be antiquated by the times abuse We prescribe to ouâ— selves a most laudable course of life and most conducing to our salvation but at every little tediousnesse and molestation we desist from it we fortifie our selves with many holy and fiery purposes but at thâ— first parley of our rebellious flesh at the first solicitation of our alluring enemy seconded with others of that flattering crew we render up our selves and without any resistance suffer our selves to be trailed into the filthy puâ—dle of our former sinnes so unconstant is oâ—r Repentance and so little durable O deare Christian thou hast resolved to lead a life most pure to decline all occaâ—ons which may blemish it to refrain thine eyes the â—ollicitors of lust and mortifie the unrulinesse of thy flesh and thou dost well therein Thou beginnest to debâ—t thy tongue from mis-beseeming words to harbour an aversion from reading lascivious books And all this very well Thou purposest to suppress thy anger to moderate thy passions to reject all enmity and banish envy wholly from thy mind and thou dost excellent well Thou resolvest to be more reserved in speech to be silent whilst others are detracted of and patient when thâ— selfe art injured and all this excellâ—nt well But how far more excellent were it to remain still constant to our purposes whereas alas how many are there who yesterday could bridle their tongues containe their lubricities suppresse their angers and overcome themselves who to day are wholly effused on their former licentiousnesse and in receiving againe the servile yoke of unruly lust and a licentious tongue and giving the reines of their furious passions become as very slâ—ves to vices as they were before It is no true repentanc wihich is not stable and permanent but rather inconstancy and light volubility of mind We are like those cowardly fencers who at blunt can handle their weapons skilf lly and make great flourishes but being challenged to the field at sharp the glaunce of the naked weapons so dazles their eyes as they run dastardly away and expose their backs to those wounds which make them fearefully turne away their face We are like unexpert foot men who at their first setting out do keep a mighty adoe ut they are presently all in a sweat and forced to take up bâ—fore they have halfe run the race How often doe we undertake matters of great consequence which we begin laudaâ—ly and for a time hopefully proâ—â—cute untilâ— by degrees wee languish afterwards come to fall and at thâ— lenâ—th lye groveling all along That â—ice makes vaine ostentation of blossoms which onely promises fruit b t never produces any That Architect lays but a bootlesse foundation on which he never raâ—seth a building up and what doth it availe a Mariner to hoise up sayle weigh Anchor and betake him to the sterne if he never put to sea or else make for land againe as soon as he is out of the havens mouth And what do we but lay the foundation with this Architect and never goe forward with the building we have in hand Begin our Exordium with tâ—e Oratour
few scattering bunches of grapes by those few Olives which were left to be gleaned whilst the rest were gathered and the excessive multitude of evill by the precedent plentifull harvest of grapes and Olives For there is no truth sayes the Prophet Oseas there is no mercy Ose 4. there is no knowledge of God on earth but slandering lying murther theft and adultery doe swarmâ— sanguis sanguinem tetigit This scarcity of the good is but too apparent which the Prophets thus deplore unto whose teares succeed the Apostles complaints in the new Testament where St. Iohn affirmes all the world to be set on malice Eph. 15. totus mundus in maligno positus est and St. Peter in this manner sorrowfully argues Si justus vix salvabitur peccator imâ—ius ubi apparebunt If the just shall scarcely be saved where shall the wicked and impious appeare St. Paul lamenâ—s wiâ—h often iterating the same Phil. 2. that all seeke things that are their owne not things that are Iesus Christs And our Saviour Christ himselfe affirmes Matth. 11. Luke 6. Luke 8 17. 14. that the kingdome of heaven suffers violence and only the violent take it by force Neither in the meane while abstaines from threatnings Vae vobis c. woe unto you sayes he who are rich for you have your consolation woe to you which are full for you shall hunger woe to you who now laugh for you shall lament and weep And this likewise is lively set before our eyes in the parable recounted by S Luke where one part of the good seed is said to lie withering away among the stones another choaked among thornes and bryars a third lâ—ghts in the high way where it is troden under foot and scarcely a fourth part meets with a fruitfull soyle So likewise of ten Lepers whom our saviour cleansed onely one returned to thank him for curing him of those who were invited to the feast not one but found an excuse to absent himselfe and as often as the fish-poole was stirred by the Angel of so many diseased persons who lay awaiting the occasion onely one was cured Onely a Nicodemus of all the Magistrates of the Iewes would venture to private conference with our Saviour Christ and of so many covetous and wealthy Citizens of Ierico of so many Camels to use St. Bedes phrase laden with their wealth â—nely one Zacheus would discharge his bunchy back of his rich load and restoring all which he had unjustly got assay to enter by the narrow gate Onely one Matthew from his intricate accounts onâ—ly one Magdalen from her dissolute life is recorded to bee converted to a more innocent one St. Paul preaching before a frequent assembly of people at Philippi a City of Macedonia onely one Lydia approved hi Doctrine another time discoursing of Christian Religion at Athens in the publike pallace before a great and learned audâ—tory onely Denys and Damaris assented to what hee said the rest for the m st pâ—â—t moâ—kâ—ng and deâ—iding him and iâ— that renouned assembly of 72. of the Iewish Mâ—giâ—trâ—tes Luke 23. theâ—e was scaâ—ce one or two found who thâ—â—sted nâ—t â—fter ouâ— S vâ—â—urs precious blood Lâ—kewise at his Crucify ng there were many spectators but lovers â—nd imitators of his Crosse a very few So in these our dayes there are many Sermons but rarely any who amend their lives for them vâ—câ—s are s fficiently inveighed agâ—insâ— but seldome sufficiently amended 〈◊〉 men are so far from desiring to amend tâ—em as they cannot endure to have them mentioned Multi vocati pauci electi there are many called but few chosen alas but few indeed There are many sayes St. Gregorie adjoyne themselves unto the faith but few make use of it to attaine to heaven And as upon the floore you shall find more straw than corn more leaves thâ—n fruit upon the treâ—s more prickles than roses on the bryars every where flints but a few precious stones even so the number of those whom the Divine providence promotes to beatitude is but small compared to the multitudes of wicked men How truely hath Ieremy pâ—â—phesied Desolatione desolata est omnis terra c. All the world is wasted with a desolation because there is none who considers in his heart there is none who considers in hâ—s heâ—rt indeed since the thoughts of oâ—r hearâ—s are so fleeting and inconstant as they are still wandering and never can apply themselves long to any thing that is good and vertuous And this is the reason why wee have no more apprehension of hell no more desire and longing after heaven This accusation may bee urged as well against Christians as any other men that they make no account of the desireable Land pro nihile habuerunt terram de fiderabilem Psal 105. for what is more to be defiled than heaven and yet by reason wee have so little commerce with it in thought we either conceit this kingdome of the blessed as some tedious thing or else desire it nothing so fervently as we ought From thence the devil conceives such hopes and acquires such force against us as Iob affirmeth of him Iob 40. Ecce absorbebit fluvium c. That he shall not wonder if he swallow up a floud and hee confides to have Iordan flow into his mouth And for this reason saith that mirrour of patience verebar omnia opera mea sciens quod non parceres delinquenti cap. 9. I was suspitious of all my actions as knowing that thou sparest not the delinquent I have all my words works and even my thoughts suspected when I consider the rigid Iustice of Almighty God This was the motive of St. Hilarions who as St. Hierome recounteth was most grievously peâ—plexâ— at the Article of death and in a deadly feare to present himselfe before the tribunall of Christ There remained but a little vitall heat unperished in his feeble body and excepting his sences there were no signes in him of a living man â—hen sadly lifting up his eyes and voyce together Egredere said he quid times egredere anima mea quid dubites Septuaginta prope annis serviisti Christo mortem times Depart sayd he what dost thou feare depart my soule what dost thou doubt Thou hast served Christ almost these seventy yeares and now at last art thou afraid to dye No his soule was not so much appaled at death as that the approach of that judgement it was to undergoe And now let every Christian consider with himselfe with what security he can revell and take his pleasure whilst such Saints as they doe tremble when they come to dye let them if they think good hoard up treasures of gold and silver mischiefe and ruine one another with mutuall enmity and hate hunt after honours and hauk for soaring glory deny nothing to their humours and delights alleaging forsooth that God allotted the earth of which you are inhabitants to the use of the sonnes of
men and reserved the heavens to be disposed by the soveraigne Lord thereof Take then your liberties in seeing thinking and doing every thing you have a fancy to make as many figaries as you list think every thing lawfull which you have a mind unto let your body take its fill of contentment be sure to live at your ease walke in the wayes of your heart and take your owne eyes for guides Et scitote quod pro omnibus his adducet vos Deus in judicium Eccl. 11. c. But yet be assured that for all these you must render an account to God and though a man live never so many yeares and have past them all over to his hearts content yet hee is to bee mindfull of the dismall time of those many dayes Ibid. which when they arrive will argue all that is past of vanity Wherefore let your endevour rather be to procure by your good works a certainty of your vocation and election Satagite ut per bona opera certam vestram vocationem electionem saciatis Pet. 1. What the signes of predestination are you have already understood 1. Not only to love our friends but our enemies 2. To relieve â—he poor not only by the bounty of our hands but also with the affection of our minds 3. To endure all afflictions patiently and praise God Almighty for sending them 4. To set light by the goods of fortune in regard of heaven 5. and 6. To consider how smally it availes us to hearken to the interiour admonitions of God or exteriour of men if we neglect to put them in execution 7. So to detest our former sins as never to commit the like again 8. To imagine we are not pleas ng to God until we become displeasing to our selves 9. Not to perswade our selves that we love Iesus Christ so long as we love and cherish not his presence within our selves 10. To resist stoutly our vitious inclinations especially at first since then every one can overcome them if he list 11. To lay a sure foundation of vertue in our minds lest otherwise we be alwayes wavering 12 To become so familiar wiih death by often thinking of it as we may the lesse feare it when we come to dye for he never dyes unwillingly who dayly and seriously imagines that he must dye at last And this is the way to that life wholly devoyd of death And now let each one take a surveigh of his owne conscience whether these signes of Predestinations whereby he may conceive a certtaine hope that he is not strayed from the way of the good which leadeth into heaven be extant in him or no As for the way of the wicked although for the present it seemeth smooth and levelled yet it ends in hell and utter darknesse at the last and notwithstanding by reason the entrance to it seems so commodious and delightsome there are so many flock unto it to their perditions as our own eyes may testifie that true saying of our Saviour Christ Lata porta speciosa via est quae ducit aâ—perditionem c. that the gate is wide and the way spacious which leads to perdition and many too many alas are those who enter by it It is reported by divers credible Authors that a certaine holy Anchoret beheld in a vision soules falling as thick into hell as flocks of snow or drops of raine insomuch as the damned all amazed at their multitude not without good reason imagined the world to be at an end as thinking it impossible considering their number who descended into hell that any more persons shauld be left alive St. Vincent Ferrerius of St. Dominicks order that mirrour of preachers and religious men did once in a publike sermon discourse with great efficacy of the scarcity of the predestinate and confirmed it with a Wonderfull example whose words in reverence of so great a person I will be as exact in reporting as the difference of language will give me leave Before our Saviours comming into the world says he in humane flesh S. Vinc. Dâ—min Septuag serm 6. post initium more than five thousand yeares were already past and except some of few of the children of Israel all the rest of the world was damned Imagine with your selfe besides in the time of the Law of Moses how many Children have dyed without Circumcision as also in the time of the Law of Christ how many without Baptisme of all which number likewise not one is saved Moreover how many Jewes Sarazens Pagans and Jnfidels how many wicked Christians for faith and Baptisme cannot save a man unlesse they be accompanyed with good life and how many other Christians are there besides who although they have faith are yet proud avaricious of lewd life and given to many other vices c. And here note the example of the Arch-deacon of Lions who having resigned his Benefice undertook a course of austere pennance for forty yeares together in the wildernesse This holy man after his death appeared to the Bishop of Lyons who desiring of him to discover somewhat unto him of the other world the Saint answered that thirty thousand in the world had dyed the same day with him wherof only 5. were saved himselfe and St. Bernard being two of them This is the reason why our Saviour advises us with so much solicitude to eâ—ter by the narrow gate Jntrate per a gustam portam This narrow gate of paradise is the wil of God to which every one must conforme himselfe who desires to enter into paradise The broad gate is our owne will and the spatious way is worldly conversation as to eate and drink our fill to follow our lustfull appetites take our pleasure revenge our selves of those who have injured us and the like So as pauci sunt electi but a few are saved To which exhortation of St. Vincent we will add another example recounted by an approved Author A famous Preacher in Germany named Bertold of Saint Francis Order inveighing once in a great audience with much vehemency of speech against a certaine vice a woman there present conscious of her owne guiltinesse therein conceived so great a terrour at his words that on the suddain in the midst of so great a throng she fell downe for dead But afterwards being restored to life again by the joynt mediation of the peoples prayes she declared unto them how she had bin presented before the judgment seat of Almighty God aâ—d among many other particulars how of 60000. of all nation aswell Christians as infidels who by divers sorts of death had departed this life at the same instant with her onely 3. soules of so huge a multitude entred heaven and al the rest damned to eternal fire O how true is it that many enter indeed by the large and spatious way of perdition St. Chrysostome grounding himselfe on the sence of these words of our Saviour Christ doth confidently affirm that the number is far greater of those who goe to hell but yet the kingdome of God though it hath fewer inhabitants is more capacious Multi sunt plures ghennam ingredientes Tom. 9. hom 14. sed maius est Dei regnum licet habeat paucos And tel me saith he how many think you of those who live in this city shal be saved I know that which I shal say wil â—ffend your eares but notwithstanding I wil utter it Of so many thousand scaâ—cely one hundred I doubt me whether I have not been too large in my account For alas how much malice is there now a dayes in the younger sort in the elder how much negligence c This was the discourse of that most prudent and saintly man that Doctour of the Church and light of the world St. Chrysostome in that mighty and populous City of Antioch and that too in such a time when the fervour was not yet extinguished of the Primitive Church and who then shal wonder if S Paul with so much solicitude doth admonish us to worke our salvation with feare and trembling Ad Phil. 2. cum metu tremore v stram salutem operamini and our Saviout Christ in such expresse tearmes exhorts us to endevour to enter by the narrow gate Luke 13. Truth cryes out unto us strive to labour and endevour with all your forces to enter into this gate by works worthy of repentance into which we cannot bee admitted without much industry and a resolution to overcome all difficulties whatsoever and those who falter and go lingring on may never hope to arrive unto it For unless the minds intention be fervent indeed saith St. Bede and a man forcibly overcome himselfe he wil easily recoyle and be wholly unable to persevâ—r in so narrow a passage so great is the effusion of the unruly appeâ—ites of his flesh to say nothing of the tentations and persecutions which the world and the devill procure those who endevour to enter by this narrow way And even as a water-man who rowes against the streame must adde so much the more force unto his Oare so those who steere on their soules towards heaven in spight of the practises of the enemy must enforce themselves with all the vertue they have to overcome the violence they find with greater violence for feare their soules should be carryed away by force of the streame like boats into irrecoveâ—able errour Evigilate itaque justi 1 Cor. 15. â— nolite peccare Wherefore all you that are just be watchfull and do not sin neither is any to bee accounted watchful but such as in al places at al times so lead their lives as if each day were the lâ—st they should ever see and have so wary an eye over their conscience in all thoughts and works as if they were instâ—ntly to dye Let us therefore doe that whilst we may which otherwise when we may no longer we shall wish to have done Quae seminaverit homo haec metet a man shall reap onely that which he hath sowne and so he who sowes in his flesh doth reap corruption from his flesh againe Gal. 6. whereas hee who sowes in spirit doth reap from his spirit an eternall life FINIS
us our great debts unlesse we remit our brothers their smaller ones and we are to expect at Gods hands againe such pardon as we afford our enemies The second Paragraph WHerefore whosoever thou art have compassion at least of thy selfe and rather than to hate thine owne se fe love tâ—ine enemy the plea ure of revenge is short but that of mercy is perpetuall Wherefore Noli vinci a malo Rom. 12. sed vince in bono malum Be not overcome I beseech you of evill but overcome evill with good If thine Enemy be a hungry bestow food upon him if thirsty asswage it but with a draught of water a d thou shalt heap hot burning coales upon his head Prov. 25. and God will reward thee for it vince in bono malum St Chrysostome speaking of this victory sayes that in the Olympick gam s where the Devill was president it was enacted Male faciendo vincere In c. 12. ad Rom. that they should overcome by violence and all fou e meanes but in those where Câ—r st presides there is a decree quite opposite to this where not he who strikes but he who is strucken meriteth a Crowne If we did strive to excell in meeknesse how invincible should we be how farre above all iniurie and wrong O then never utter such odious words as these reddam malum I will repay evill Prov. 20. but expecta Dominum liberabit te doe but expect our Lord and he will undertake thy cause Neither say I will deale with him as he hath dealt with me Alas why to your owne losse should you seek anothers harme and detriment why doe you bite those stones which are throwne at you like some Mastiffe Cur and not rather turne upon the hand which threw them Ridiculous blindnesse why art thou so furious against thine enemy 2 Kings 16 Dimitte eum ut maledicat dominus enim praecepit et ut malediceret tibi let him revile thee still for it is God who hath appoynted him Those who are condemned to dye are not angry with the Eâ—ecutioner but with the Iudge and why silly as thou art dost thou bend thy forces against him who inflicts upon thee thy sufferings and not rather coâ—sider by whose warrant it is done Is it not God who for thy greater good hath singled thee out such an adversary as this to the end to punish thee for thy passed crimes The Devill could not have bereaved Iob Iob of one herd of cattell but by expresse permission of Almighty God wheâ—fore he said well not the devil but the Lord bestowed them on me and deprived me of them againe Our Saviour Christ told Pilate when he gloried in his power Iohn 19. non haberes potestatem c. Thou shouldst have no power over me unlesse it were given thee from above And this were an excellent answer to give an enemy Divers have more profited by their enemies than by their dearest friends The Church had had no Martyrs if all its Tyrants had beene extiâ—pated and should we have no enemies we should be deprived of many a glorious Crowne Dioclesian did no lesse advance and propagate the Church by his inhumane cruelty than Constantine by his reverence towards it and liberality That rich â—armer in the Gospell commanded that both the corne and weeds should be suffered to grow up together Sinite utraque crescere whereas we over-hasty and violent to our owne perditions no sooner can espy a weed above the ground but we cry out presently to the fire with these Thistles let this Darnell be burnt let our enemies be destroyed Stay stay deare Christians we ought not to take this violent course as yet when tâ—e harvest comes there will be order given to the husbandman to gather first of all the Cockle and Darnell into bundles and cast them into the fire and why then should we discredit our owne zeale with our owne in considerate haste why are we so forward to drag ouâ— eneâ—ies to deserved punishment Never feare it such weeds as these shall not escape the sikle the fire but as yet the harvest is not come Matth. 6. expect a wh le Our Saviour Christ teaching his Disciples a forme of Prayer consisting of seven Petitions to his heavenly Father doth not without profound mystery particularly repeat and expound that which concernes the forgivenesse of offences to signifie thereby without doubt that for the rest it might suffice to have only insinuated them unto theâ— but that this could never bee inculcâ—ted enough Nunquam enim nimis dicitur quod nunquam satis dicitur And even in this respect the royall Psalmist enlarges himselfe in Psal 118. commendations of the law Latum mandatum tuum nimis thy law saith he O Lord is exceeding broad indeed so broad as to command us to extend the bosome of our loves not onely to our acquaintance but to meere strangers as well to our adversaries as those who are beneficiall to us to the worthy and unworthy unto friends and enemies alike No exteriour marke of any dignity doth so testifie a man to be learned wealthy or noble as the actuall loving of our Enemies doth us to be the Sons of Almighty God But who you will object is so absolute a master of himselfe as not to be transported sometimes through violence of passion danger to some extraordinary expression of our aversion from an enemy But we must know that it becomes a Christian to refraine his anger and curb such violent motions as these St. Augustine sayes rarely well Audîsti convitium ventus est Ser. 3. inter 17. Hom. Iratus es fluctus est Vento igitur flante fluctu surgente periclitatur navis periclitatur cor tuum audito convitio vindicari vis ecce vindicando te fecistinaufragium Dost thou heare thy selfe ill spoken of sayes he it is but a wind art thou offended at it it is but a billow but when this winde and billowes meet thy heart is in jeopardy the poore ship is in danger to be cast away Thou resolvest to revenge thy selfe for those offensive words and behold it is the wrack of thee And he proceeds to give the the reason for it quare hoc Why is all this sayes he quia dormit in te Christus oblitus es Christum nimirum excidit tibi Christum cum crucifigeretur inimicis suis non Crucem sed veniam a patre lachrimis exorasse Because Christ is a sleep in thee thou hast forgotten Christ thou dost not remember how Christ whilst he was crucified besought his Father even with teares to pardon and not to punish his enemies And now behold how Christ is a sleep in thee who taught thee not onely to watch but even to dye to pleasure thine enemies O therfore awake Christ within thee by expostulating in this manner with thy selfe And who am I that I should revenge me of mine enemies Who knowes whether I may not sooner
meet with death than my revenge can meet with them and then O miserable as I am what will become of me when Christ shall disclaime my departing soule when he shall reject me who hath taught mildnesse not anger who hath profest himselfe a master of submission not of revenge of charity and pardon not hate and rancorous spight The third Paragraph BVt revenge hath neither eyes nor eares it is carryed blind and deafe away by the swing of every suddaine passion so as with good reason that ancient Poet declares himselfe agrieved Verum ita sunt isti nostri divites Si quid benefacias Plaut in Pan. Act 3. See ult levior plumâ est gratia Si quid peccatuÌ„ est pluÌ„beas iras geruÌ„t It is the fashion now of the richer sort if you doe them any pleasure their thanks are lighter than a feather for it but if once you displease them the memory of it lyes as heavy as lead upon their galled mindes Where he seemes to have lively disciphered such as now a dayes suffer their friendships to be blown away and vanish with the least wind of an offence whilst they rivit the hate of an injury as deeply in their minds as if it were sodered there with sheets of lead O Christians for shame be more prone to pardon least we be found more defective herein than very Heathens themselves least we be convinced with so many cleare examples and testimonies of theirs as to have no colorable excuse left to pretend for pardon at that last generall day Pompey the great is no lesse famous in History for his constancy to his friends his easinesse in forgiving offences and facility in admitting of any satisfaction than for his three glorious triumphs over the third part of the universall world Augustus Caesar in these expresse tearmes pardoned Cinna who had conspired against his life O Cinna once more I grant thee thy life the first time as to an Enemy now as to a Traytor and a Paracide and hereupon he bestowed upon him the Consular dignity and the issue of this his clemency was that he experienced him ever after most loyall to him and Cinna dying left him inheritor of all he had Phocian a man of most innocent life and one who had borne Offices of highest dignity in the Common wealth being condemned to dye some of his friends as the hang-man was presenting him with the poysoned Cup asked him What service he would command them to his Son Nothing said he but that he would never cal to mind what a draught the Athenians inforce me this day to drinke It is recorded of Iulius Caesar that he was unmindfull of nothing but injuries But who is there of us who would not think it a blemish to tâ—eir reputations to have such an opinion as this conceiv'd of them how freshly doe we beare injuries in mind how sensible are we of them and whilst we write down benefits in light dust we record them in solid flint manet altâ mente repôstum neither can the authority of Almighty God himself prevaile to bring us to reconciliation God long agoe hath sevâ—rely prohibited all revenge in declaring Deut. 32. mea est ultio ego retribuam in teâ—pore Revenge belongs to me and in time I will reward them and notwithstanding how many are there who impiously answer him again No ô Lord revenge belongs to me and I will requite them Our Lord replyes It is my revenge let me alone with it And yet man desists not nay rather mine leave the managing of it to me you O Lord are too soon appeased your revenge is too too slow And thus with most intollerable presumption we usurpe the authority of Almighty God and dare even impiously to wrest the sword out of Gods hands to strike our enemies whose punishment he reserves to himselfe and against aâ—l right put on the severity of a â—udge whilst we are parties in the offencâ— our selves The fourth Paragraph IT is recounted by divers credible Authors how a certain person who had received an injury had recourse once to one Sisovius an ancient holy man Rufin Aquil l. 3. n. 7â— Paschasâ—e 10. Pelag. libell 1â— r. 10. Pallaâ—l in aâ—pen Puusi Hist n 13. to whom after he had declared his agrievances as the manner is with all exaggeration of circumstance he besought him to let him declare himself a man and revenge himselfe The same with al instancy of prayer desired him not to shew himselfe so farre a man as to become a Devill For his revenge God would have care to dispose all for his greater good wherefore he was to commit it wholly unto him and even according to true fortitude this was the sufficientest revenge that he could take who might assure himselfe that his enemy should never escape the divine hands unpunished The other replyed Father I am fully resolved never to pardon him nor to desist till I have requited him with the like injury For heavens love answered the holy man be a man but so as you be a Christian withall and consider more what reason may perswade you than what your violent passion may suggest Why said the other it is no other than reason which puts me upon this resolution not to spare him who cares not for sparing any O but said Sisovius you cannot determine your owne right your selfe nor execute what you have determined it is onely in Gods power to punish his creatures he is the Lord of vengeance and therefore may freely take revenge for us we ought not intermeddle in it Besides I am sure you are not ignorant how Christ hath not only counselled but even coÌ„manded us to pardon nay to pray for to love and do good unto our enemies Father sayd he never perswade me my heart is a tempestuous sea can never be calmed untill I have taken vengeance of mine enemy Then answered Sisovius since you are so resolved respit at least your anger untill we have commended ouâ— selveâ— to God in prayer And thereupon they both fell down upon their knees when the holy man began prescribing unto the other as it were this for â—e of Prayer O God we have no need of thy assistance any more neither doe we request thee hereafter to be solicitous for us We will sufficiently provide for our selves revenge belongs unto us and we will reward our foes as they deserve Behold even now we are upon the poynt of subjecting our enemies as foot-stooles under our feet These words so lively touched the heart of that other man that casting himselfe all along at Sisovius feet he vowed with many teares there in the place so wholly to lay aside all thought of his revenge as never thereafter by the least word to call it to mind againe And this is that which he who onely by excellence is just commanded us this is the peculiar distinction of the sonnes of God not onely to make no difficulty to remit offences but even to