that hope in him for no deceit no snare or allurement shall be able to deject the mind relying on God through hope or overcome him persevering Now let humane despaire be ashamed and cursed be the feare of cowardlinesse which beleiveth that he can deny or withhold his benefits from them being rich and very liberall to all those that call upon him and put their perfect hope in him For hath not the eternall Father in whom there is no change of his sole exceeding great bounty sent his only begotten Son in whom he hath given all that he had all that he wold all that he was So that if his liberality should now diminish his infinite goodness perhaps our infirmity and weaknesse not unworthily would stagger But because he is good of himselfe and not by any accidentall good he is not by the communication of his goodnesse diminished nor by Addition of any others goodness augmented MAN O my soule Great is thy faith thou art very strong in hope and confidence And although the hope which proceeds from the promise of God and a holy life and conversation be worthy of praise and ought to be eternised yet truely I councell thee before thou scendest to get Inebriation into thee that thou first wholesomely descend below thy selfe by the consideration of thy selfe that thou mayest learne reverently to feare thy Spouse before that thou beginnest to enter into his secret Bed-chamber whom thou oughtest not only to feare when he is angry but also when he doth most sweetly and delicately cherish thee The end of the second part The third Exercise How the Soule by mentall Exercise ought to convert the beames of Contemplation to things below her that shee may understand 1 The Inevitable necessity of mans death 2 The Formidable austerity of finall Judgment 3 The Intollerable paine of Infernall punishment CHAP. I. Of the Inevitable necessity of Mans death SOVLE TEll me I pray thee O man what are those Inferiour things to which my consideration is to be converted I hasten to ascend I seek Inebriation of the divine comfort I am not able long to rest on those things which are below me Even now I desire O Lord my helper thy beloved Tabernacles I covet with all my strength to dwell in the Courts of our Lord. MAN THese are the Inferiour things O my Soul that thou mayst convert thy selfe unto and may see the inevitable necessity of Death and mayst lament all the infallible equity and truth of the Divine Judge and mayst tremble and be afraid of the intollerable austerity of infernall punishment Consider therefore often weigh and revolve diligently that death cannot be avoided that the hour of death cannot be discovered that the time pre-ordained of God cannot be altered Isidorus In humane things nothing is more certain then death nothing more uncertain then the hour of death it hath not any pity on Poverty it is not afraid of power it respecteth not the excellency of manners or kindred it spareth not youth or age it is at the old mans gate and at the young mans heels SOVLE I Understand that our life is nothing else but a passage to death Why then are temporall things loved which for such an uncertain time are possessed Why desire we this life to continue so long wherin by how much the longer we live by so much the more we sin by how much our life is prolonged by so much the more numerous is our transgression for daily evills encrease and good things are diminished For who is able to consider how many evills wee commit in a moment of time or how many good things we neglect For truely it is a great sinne when wee neither do good nor think of good but suffer our mind to wander after vain and unprofitable things MAN AS St. Gregory saith Carnall minds O my Soul for that cause love temporall pleasures because they consider not how fleeting this life is For if they should but look into the swiftness of the passage thereof truely they would not affect this so little enduring a prosperity My life is like to one sailing for whether I sleep or watch I am still hastning to my end O present life how many dost thou deceive which whilest thou flyest art nothing when thou art seen but a shadow when exalted but a fume to fools pleasant to wise men bitter they that love thee know thee not they that fly thee onely understand thee To some thou promisest thy selfe for a long season that thou mayst deceive them to others for a short time that thou mayst bring them into despair With continuall meditation let us exercise our understanding Author de spiritu Anima and let us consider our miseries With sorrow we entred this life with labour we live therin with fear go out therof St. Bern. How many of us have lived in this Region of the shadow of death in sickness of body in conflict and in the place of tentation if wee diligently take notice therof wee miserably labour with a threefold discommodity For we are easie to be seduced weak to resist and frail to operate SOVLE NOw I see that he lives unprofitably in this world that hastens not to gain that wherby he may live for ever Therfore it should not be any ones care to live long but rather that he may live well Because although it may be granted to any one that he live well yet it is certain that it is not granted to any that he may live long St. Bern. Therefore that is a secure life where the conscience is pure where death is expected without feare or trembling is wished to be at hand with delight and received with devotion MAN O My Soul if thou understandest these things to be so hear my councel and in this life so long as it lasteth prepare for thy self that life which lasteth eternally Whilst thou art in the flesh dy to the World that afterwards thou mayst begin to live in God Understand that there is no one that admitteth death approaching merrily and jocundly but he that hath prepared himself therto by good works whilst he lived give attention to that of Seneca The indiscreet man that is the sinner and the guilty man beginneth his death in dying but the wise man and virtuous overcometh death by death SOVLE O Man J perceive that the death of good men is blessed and the death of Sinners unhappy and miserable MAN O My Soul according to St. Bern. the death of the just man is good in respect of rest better in respect of change the best in respect of security Contrarywise the death of Sinners is most miserable and well may it be termed the worst evil in the loss of the world worse in the separation of the flesh but the worst in the double sorrow and suffering of the Worme and fire and that which is worst of all is in the privation of divine Contemplation CHAP. II. Of the Formidable austerity
thou condemnest me in the time of judgment True it is These St. Anselme in his meditations that my Conscience hath deserved damnation my repentance sufficeth not for satisfaction yet certain it is that thy mercy is above every offence Do not O Lord St Aug. in his meditations so look into my evil that thou mayst forget thy owne goodness O good Lord if I have committed that wherby thou mayst condemn me thou hast not lost that wherwith thou mayst save me St. Gregory in Hom. O if man could but understand how admirable that is Behold the Spouse cometh How pletsant Those that were prepared entred with him to the marriage How bitter And the Gate was shut O my Soule what is more Consider how great an evil it is to be separated from the face of Christ to be excluded from that joy of divine Contemplation to be deprived of the most blessed Society of all the Saints to dye an everlasting life and to live an eternall death to be plunged in the bottom of a restless Gulph for ever to be torne in peeces with consuming worms and yet the torments not to end to suffer the noise of raging flames to be blinded with the bitter myst of the sulphurous smoaking Pit not to perceive that which enlightneth but to perceive that which tormenteth St. Aug. Such shall be the power of grief in the infernal deep that it admitteth no other intention of thought within it self SOVLE NOw I tremble with fear now I faint with the horrour therof Tell me I pray thee O man to what purpose is so lamentable a Meditation MAN O My Soul I think that the continuall and devout meditation of the prescribed is the sinners medicine and wholsom encourager and provoker to do all good things and to sustain all evil Thou fearest watching and the labour of thy hands St. Bern. inquadam Epistola but these are but easie to any one meditating on perpetuall flames The remembrance of that darkness maketh a man not to abhor Solitude yet if thou leasurely thinkest on a future discussion of thy words silence shall not displease thee that weeping and gnashing of teeth being often brought before the eyes of thy understanding do render unto thee equall rest and peace St. Aug. inquodam sermone A mans understanding being overcome with the inticements and concupiscences of this world flyeth all labour desireth pleasures can scarce be brought to this that hee can refrain the customes of his former life But when hee shall begin to think on the necessity of future judgment he induceth a voluntary war on his passions moved either by hope of reward or for fear of punishment hee doth violence to his former desires and earnestly contendeth to overcome himselfe Whence cometh these Verses O foelix mortale Genus si semper haberet Aeternum prae mente bonum finemque timeret Right happy is that man that ever hath The eternall good in 's mind and fears his death The fourth Exercise How the Soul by mentall Exercise ought to convert the light of Contemplation to those things that are above her that shee may know and understand 1. The inestimable value of Celestiall Joy 2. The unspeakable Delight and 3. The interminable Eternity CHAP. I. Of the Inestimable value of Celestiall Joy SOVLE EVen now O man thou hast sufficiently affrighted me miserable soule being prostrated in this vale of teares although thou hast taught me not unprofitably have mercy also now on mee most miserable and do what thou long since hast promised Speak a little of the perpetuall felicity if happily I may be able to receive thereby some comfort of mind for that it is delightfull to use change because according to Saint Aug. It is alwayes well done whether it be by punishing or pardoning or by terrifying or comforting so that there by the life of man may be amended Consider O man how noble the mind of man is often times it is more easily perswaded with easie and pleasant things then by terrible and adverse oftentimes it is more allured by promisses and things comforting then it is enforced by threats and terrours Wherefore our Sister the Spouse desired to be drawn with the odour of Celestiall Unguents with the savour of divine graces and so to runne with the Spouse and now not out of feare but love delightfully to walk in the way of his Commandements MAN O My Soule it is true I confesse which thou sayest but alas there are many which will not imitate God in Prosperity Wherefore it is convenient that they be terrified in Adversity For there are many which either for blindnesse understand not the divine Graces or for negligence loose them in vaine Employments Wherefore as I beleeve God out of the abundance of his Infinite goodness would alwayes be ready rather to favour them with Consolations then to affright them with austerities if men were rightly disposed that they might receive his divine consolation which is so pretious and delicate that by no means it is fitting or expedient that it should be indifferently bestowed on all Thou therefore if thou aspirest after all these things proposed unto thee see that thou have a pure understanding and a well disposed affection because the chiefest good is not discerned according to Saint Aug. but by the clearest understandings and I think it is much lesse tasted but by very well disposed affections For it is of many men in this life clearly discerned of whom neverthelesse it is in no wise tasted Wherefore Saint Aug. saith O Lord mak me I desire thee to taste that by affection which by my intellect J understand make me to perceive that by love which J perceive by knowledge SOVLE TEll me J pray thee O man what dispositions ought to proceed in affection and understanding that at least to a little Excess of mind J may be able to tast in contemplation the Celestiall sweetnesse For J have long agoe exercised my mind in speculation and alas as yet my feare is that J have never felt the least drop of that Heavenly sweetnesse J have read many things of the lives and conversation of Saints many things of Nature of the operations and orders of Angels also I have read some things of the inestimable unity of the Divinity of the Incomprehensible Trinity of the Godhead more of the inestimable happinesse of all the blessed and when with all my endeavours I have employed my mind to the former studies alass I have remained yet Hunger-starven and empty and have alwaies cryed out with blessed Saint Aug. Make me O most mercifull Father to tast by affection what I perceive by my understanding and yet I have not profited Also oftentimes being wearied with long study and angry at my self I have cryed out with the Prophet expecting the Crummes which fall from the Table of their Lord in that Heavenly Court How long O Lord wilt thou forget me for ever How long dost thou
contemplation the comfort of the Celestiall Kingdome forget by contempt and detestation thy People and thy Fathers house that is to say the World the Devill thy selfe and vain Ambition See therefore and devoutly consider how those divine and Heavenly Spirits which have escaped the danger of this present life and misery although they can never convert themselves from that splendour of that eternall Sonne sometimes notwithstanding they convert the light of their contemplation to things below them sometimes to things above themsometimes to things interiour somtimes to things exteriour They convert themselves I say to things below them and rejoyce for three reasons First That they have overcome by the divine power such impious horrible and cruell enemies Secondly that they have avoided all their defects and sins either by the divine wisdome or long ago have amended their faults transgressions Thirdly That they have escaped such lamentabe and eternally interminable torments by the divine mercy and clemency O my Soul With how great Joy thinkest thou do they daily rejoice when they perceiue so many to be overcome of the flesh the world and the devill so many to be defiled with such diversity of sins of which they shall never obtain pardon so many without end eternally to be damned Truly then I beleive to have passed from death to life redoubleth the joy of life O Lord God if the danger in war be now so greivous how great shall the joy be in Triumph when after the world is overcome and utterly vanquished wicked Pharoah and his Army being drowned in the Red Sea all the Elect shall hold their Timbrels playing singing praising and blessing our Lord saying with one voice Let us sing unto our Lord for glorious c. Then two Cherubims shall be framed that is to say two quiers of the elect to wit the Innocenes and Penitents the one answering the other Holy Holy Holy Lord God of the Sabboth Holy God the Father that hast powerfully delivered us from the world the flesh and the devill Holy God the Son which hast so wisely justified us both from the sinne and punishment Holy God the Holy Ghost which hast so mercifully preserved us from the Eternall Torments All the Earth is full of his Glory who hath called us from the misery of the world to the joyes of the celestiall Kingdome O my Soule what a one shall that day be unto thee when thou shalt be assumed into this quier when all thy torments if thou shalt live well if thou wilt patiently suffer shal be converted into Eternall Jubisee Then thou shalt praise with exultation the Lord thy God for all these things saying I will sing the mercies of our Lord for ever Then which Song according to Saint Aug. that is fung to the praise of the glory of Christ by whose precious blood wee are delivered nothing shall be more pleasant to that City nothing more sweet Thou therefore when thou art tryed with Temptations when thou art overcom with Persecutions and when thou art molested in this World with divers Tribulations then mentally fly into Heaven and consider that this is no other thing but the Subject of eternall joy and then the consideration of the Reward lesseneth the violence of the punishment If we would consider what and how great the Rewards are which are promised us in Heaven all things on Earth would seem vile in our mind and truly not only the goods which delightfully we possesse but also the evills which lamentably wee sustain The troubles of this world are not equivalent to the fault past which is forgiven to the present Grace which is bestowed and for the future glory which is promised which thou then O my Soul with joy shalt possess when thou perfectly understandest that thou hast lived in the world with so great danger wherewith the most are oppressed that thou hast overcome the deceitfull wiles of Satan wherewith many are deceived that thou hast escaped the eternall torments wherewith innumerable are afflicted CHAP. II. Of the ineffable Delight SOVLE O Man how sound and wholsome is thy Consolation for when I consider these things which thou hast proposed by hope I receive very much comfort But O Lord God what thinkest thou shal then that be when I shall truly possess that which now I but hope for MAN O My Soule These are but little which thou hast heard yea comparatively they are as none which thou hast mentally perceived but erect the eyes of thy understanding a little and weigh and devoutly consider how great the joyes are which thou shalt perceive by these which are nere unto thee Attend therefore and consider the beautiful place which the divine wisdome hath built for thee Consider also the delicate food the curious bravery the precious Treasure which the eternal power hath gathered for thee Consider likewise the renowned Colledge with whom thy mind shall eternall rejoice by the divine clemency O my Soul consider how glorious how renowned how gladsome that house of God is the Heavenly City the secure mansion the Countrey coutaining all that delighteth Consider how clear how light how glorious that City is which needeth neither Sun nor Moon that they may shine therein but the Lord himselfe the Sun of Justice the Candor of Eternall light is the light thereof and the Lamb is the Lamp thereof O my Soule consider how high and how spacious how fair and how beautifull how comely and how renowned that City is which the most blessed Trinity of himself adorneth O City of God how glorious are the things which are spoken of thee O Israel how magnificent is the house of God and great is the place of his possessions O my Soule contemplate there the Tabernacles of the Patriarcks and Prophets the Habitacles of the Apostles and Martyrs the stately and lofty Chambers of the Confessors and Virgins the Palaces of the most heavenly Spirits that most beautifull Throne of the most blessed Trinity O my Soul though thou art here corporally yet be there mentally O my Soul fly over all things search all things visit all things enter into all the Gates in order untill thou shalt come into the Palaces of the highest King let thy mind St. Aug. be there and here shall be thy rest O my Soule willingly endeavour to be stayed willingly to be conversant in that holy City because there is life without death youth without old age light without darknesse peace without disturbance For my People shall sit in a Tabernacle of confidence and in a rich rest saith our Lord. Secondly consider the delicate food the curious bravery and the pretious treasure And who shall there be out food but that most blessed Lamb that pure and Immaculate Jesus the Son of God the Father of whom they shall administer most excellent dainties to the holy spirits in all sufficiency very excellent truly of the most pure humanity but most of the more then most blessed Divinity For then the soule
that thou mayest begin to cry out with St. Peter in great Jubilation of heart O Lord it is good that we remaine here here is our Father here our Sister here our Brother here our Country O Lord permit us to be here and never to depart from hence St. Amb. Let us fly O my soule into our most true Country because there is our Countrey for that which we were created there our Father by whom we were created there is that Hierusalem that Heavenly City which is our Mother O my soule thy love here in this mortall life ought to be so great Saint Ansel and desire to come to that for which we were created and so great thy griefe because as yet thou art not there and so great thy feare least perchance thou never comest there that thou oughtst to feel no Joy but from these things which do either bring thee aid or hope to come thither CHAP. III. Of the Interminable Eternity SOVLE O Man whilst that sometimes I think of these things whilst that silently I consider with my selfe what is that which then shineth in me and woundeth my heart without hurting me and I am afraid yet am inflam'd I admit sometimes mentally into my affection something which is unusuall St. Aug. but I know not what sweetness it is which if it were perfected in me I know not what it shall be that this life shall not be But I fall into a relapse with ponderous burthens and am swallowed up with my wonted cares Here I am able to be but not willing there I am willing to be but am not able miserable in both Haec August MAN O My Soul consider that these celestiall things can not so much as be thought upon of those that are worthily disposed without foretasting of the sweetnesse But I am ignorant what that shall then be when they can be perfectly without intricacy tasted or perceived in thee wherfore it is not to be marvled at if the foretasting of such things cause in thee a wearinesse of this Exile because nothing is more bitter then after that the Soul hath been accustomed to be comforted with the joy of such delights if again it shall begin to be intangled with worldly and transitory things From hence it is that the Soul laboureth struggles and is vexed there she alwaies desires to be and yet it sufficeth not here she is compelled to be yet after this she endeavoureth to ascend to that which she hath already tasted for now having tasted of the Spirit all flesh is distastfull Thou hast seen the joy of the blessed from these that are below thee and from these which are neer thee now behold if thou canst what joy is to come from these which are within thee For man shal be rewarded in body and in mind and with the eternall and inseperable union of these two for our body is composed of four Elements wherfore it shall be remunerated with four gifts of Nature the Earth then shall have eternall immortality the water all manner of impassibility the Air exceeding great agility and the fire most transparent and bright shining clearness then shall the Just shine like the Sun and shall run like sparkles among the reeds for God will wipe away all tears from the eyes of his Saints and then there shall not be any more either lamentation or roaring or greif but everlasting peace and gladness In this sempiternall Kingdome the hearts of the blessed shall shine in clearnes one against another and shalâ— in purity be transparent there every ones Countenance is beheld and conscience penetrated there the bodily substance of any one hideth not his intent from the eyes of another Also at an instant wheresoever the mind would be there the body shal be also presently St. Aug. For as then the mind most perfectly obeyeth its Creator so also the body shal most readily obey its Moover God will make the Soule then so powerfull that from the most full beatitude thereof it shall returne into the body from the superabundance whereof it shall receive the vigor of impassability the splendor of clearness the aptitude of subtilty the promptitude of agility there all the senses shall be imployed in their proper actions for there the eye shall see a most beautifull comliness the tast shall feele a most most sweet Savour the sence of smelling shall be perfumed with a most pleasant odour the touch shall imbrace a most delicious object the Hearing shall be changed by a most delicate Sound for there when the mind is ravished by exultation the Tongue is elevated into a Song of praise SOVLE O Man I have heard these wonderfull things long ago and seeing that these are all true what other thing is this present life but a certain shadow of death MAN O My Soul thou hast sayd well because temporall life compared to the eternall is rather be called death then life for what other thing is this defect of our daily corruption then a certain prolongation of death therfore holy men because they incessantly look into the shortness of this life live as though they were dayly dying and therefore more carefully prepare themselves not minding an abode be cause they alway consider that all these things are nothing in the end But men carnally minded therefore love things present frr that they never weigh how fleeting mans life is for if they should looke into the swiftnes of their passege yea they would in no wise love this prosperity Haec Gregorius Let therefore O my Soule the love of this present life passe from thee and let the fervency of the life to come take place where no adversity disturbeth noe necessity distresseth no trouble disquieteth but ever lasting gladness raigneth and consider how great the future felicity is to be where there shal be no evill thing nor good thing shall be hidden all being imploeyd to the praises of God who shall be All in All for there shall be no end of rest nor shall any want pinch there our being shall have no Death our knowledge shall have no Errour our Love shall have no offence There all slowness all corruption all deformity all infirmity shall be absent There is a new Heaven and a new Earth there we shall be like unto the Angells of God and although not in age yet truly in happines St. Aug. O my Soul Thou shouldest imbrace that Life where there is Life wthout Death Youth without old Age Joy without Sadnesse Peace without Discord Will without Injury Light without Darknesse a Kingdom without Change Consider how much the spirit may rejoyce when it shall resume such a body as now thou hast heard not such a one as thou hast sustained with great griefe and hast overcome with great strife of whom oftentimes thou patiently impatient and meekly angry hast said to thy self Who will free from the body of this death Not surely such a one but now perfectly obeying and spirituall such a
of the finall Judgment SOVLE NOW thou hast spoken sufficiently of death so also speak of the state of final Judgment MAN O My Soule J do what thou exhortest yet J entreat thee to hear with patience Thou oughtest to know that although it be a horrible thing to meditate on death yet to meditate on the state of finall Judgment as I am perswaded it is no less formidable because there is not any that then shall be able to deceive his Wisdom to alter his Justice to incline his Clemency to avoid the sentence of revenge and just retribution St. Bern. Consider therfore O my Soule with trembling how it shall bee with theein the last day when thy Conscience shall speak against thee of thy thoughts when the Elements shall accuse thee of all thy Actions when the Cross of Christ shall be carried for a testimony against thee when his stripes shall cry out against thee his wounds plead against thee his nails speak against thee his scarrs complaine against thee O Anguish hence shall proceed the accusing sins from thence terrifying justice within a burning Conscience below the horrible Chaos of Hell above the angry Judge of just Judgment without the flaming World within the fearfull justice of the Judge And if then the just shal scarcely be saved where shall the wicked man and sinner appear Where shall they hide themselves To lye hid impossible to appeare is intollerable O sinfull Soul Anselm in meditationibus unprofitable and dry wood adjudged to eternal flames what will thou answer at the day when all the time bestowed on thee shall be even to the twinkling of an eye exacted how thou hast spent it Ah Ah! O my Soul what shall then become of vain and idle thoughts of light sportfull and ridiculous words of unprofitable and unfruitfull works Woe is me St. Amb. on St. Luke if I shall not lament for my sins woe is me if I shall not rise at midnight to confess to thee Now the Axe is laid to the Tree let him that may bring forth fruits the works truly worthy of repentance O my Soul whether thou wakest or sleepest let that horrible Trumpet alwaies sound in thy Ears Arise yee dead and come co judgment O my Soule never let this pass from thy memory Go yee cursed into fire everlasting Come yee blessed receive a Kingdom O what can bee thought more lamentable or more terrible then Go yee And what can bee exprest more pleasant then Come yee They are two Voyces then the one whereof there is nothing can be heard more horrible then the other nothing mre delightful O my Soule now separate thy self from the world that hereafter thou mayst abide with Christ Now fly the world that thou mayst follow God Now forsake the Companies and Societies of wicked people that hereafter thou mayst be able to follow the Troops of Saints CHAP. III. Of the intollerable pain of Infernall punishment MAN AFter all these convert thy Contemplation to the torments of Reprobates take notice how various they are how sharp how intollerable St. Bernard to Eugenius I am afraid of and am astonied at the gnawing Worm never dying death O infernall Region to be flyed where there is flaming fire chilling cold the immortall Worm intollerable stench and brusing mallets palpable darkness confusion of Sinners and intangling of Fetters and the horrible sight of Devils Wo be to him for whom the gnawing worm St. Aug. in quodam sermone burning flame thirst without drink weeping and gnashing of teth continuall tears shall be prepared where death is wished for but shall not bee granted where there is no order but ever lasting horrour doth inhabit What dost thou think then shall bee the sorrow what the grief what the lamentation when the wicked shall bee separated from the company of the just and shal be delivered to the power of Devils and shall go with them to everlasting punishment and shall for ever be with them in lamentation mourning groaning without end far from the joyes of Paradice never to receive comfort or recreation but to be tormented for many thousands of years and yet alas most miserable never to be released There the tormentor and Punisher shall never bee weary there he that is tormented shall never dye For so shal that fire consume that it shall alwaies notwithstanding preserve life they shall so suffer old torments as if they were alwaies renewed they shall alwaies so live without hope of pardon or mercy as they should dy notwithstanding they shall so dye as notwithstanding they may never be consumed SOVLE O Man wherfore is death as thou sayest in Hell sought for and not found And wherfore is that punished eternally which was committed temporally MAN BEcause according to Sr. Gregory to whom life is offered in this world and they would not receive it in Hell they shall seek death shall not find it idem The wicked willingly would live eternally that they might persist in their Iniquities for ever Therfore it pertaineth to the justice of the just Judg that they should never want punishment whose mind in this life would never want sin St. Hierome O death how sweet will thou be to those to whom thou hast been so bitter they only desire thee who so vehemently have hated thee O my Soul if these before spoken of seem so terrible unto thee heare those things which are more harsh then all these If thou sest before me a thousand Hells St. Chrysost upon St. Matthew I do not so much weigh them as to be expelled from the pleasure of that glorious Society and to become hatefull to my Creator O my Soul Hell is terrible but more terrible is the angry countenance of the Judge but that which surpasseth all terrour is the perpetuall elongation from the Contemplation of the most sweet and most blessed Trinity To be excluded from the eternall good and be estranged from that which God hath prepared for them that love him doth beget so much torment that if outwardly no torment or punishment should torment this only was sufficient and it would be better to endure a thousand thousand flames then to behold that most meek face of Christ angry and from it to be eternall separated O if God hath dealt thus with the Angells growing proud what shal become of Earth and Ashes He was proud in a Celestiall Palace but I upon a Dunghil Who will not affirm that it is more tollerable in a rich man to be proud then in a poor man Wo is me if pride bee so austerely and harshly punishable in an Angel how in me miserable and poore is it to be adjudged O mercifull Jesus for thy names sake grant me thy mercy and pardon me proud provoking thee Behold me miserable humbly calling upon thee and acknowledge O most benign God what is thine and wipe away what is any others Have pity O Lord whilst there is time of pity least