So doe thou louing that which is made of GOD and abhorring that which man hath made euill But perhaps thou wilt reason with thy selfe and say What haue I to doe with him in what thing am I bound to him I know him not he is not my father nor my kinsman he neuer pleasured me nor performed any duty vnto me yea he hath some-time endamaged me But remember that GOD without any desert of thine hath heaped many benefits vpon thee and therefore hath commaunded thee that in being thankfull and making some recompence for this his bounty thou in like manner shouldest be liberall not towards him for he needeth none of thy goods but towards thy neighbour whom â—e hath commended and committed vnto thee Of the remedies against Gluttony CHAP. VIII GLuttony is an inordinate desire or appetite of meate and drinke Christ exhorteth vs to beware of this vice when he sayth Take heede to your selues least at any time your harts be oppressed with surfetting and drunkennes and cares of this life When as this vice doth knock at the gates of thy hart resist it with these considerations First consider how for one sinne of gluttony death entred vpon all mankind and therefore it is necessary that thou shouldest be superiour and haue the vpper hand in this first combat in which if thou fayntest or yeeldest thou shalt be impugned more noisomly of ther vices and shalt be much more weake and vnable to make resistance Therfore aboue all things resist the temptation of gluttony with a manly courage which vnlesse thou conquerest thou shalt in vaine oppose thy selfe against other vices But thou shalt easily ouercome all other enemies which are without if first thou shalt ouerthrow and kill those that are bred in thee For he to no end fighteth with them that are without if he hath an enemy within Wherefore the deuil first tempted Christ with gluttony thinking so to open a gate for other vices Consider also the rare and singuler abstinence of our Lord Iesus Christ who not onely after his fast in the Wildernes but also other where oftentimes handled his most holy and sacred flesh most sharply and suffered hunger for our comfort that he might giue vs an example For if he that by his onely presence nourisheth Angels and feedeth the fowles of heauen suffered hunger for thee how much more oughtest thou to suffer somthing for thy selfe by what title wilt thou glory that thou art the seruant of Christ if he hungered and thou consumest thy whole life in gluttony and drunkennes he suffered troubles and punishments for thy saluation and wilt not thou suffer for the same If the crosse of abstinence seeme too greeuous vnto thee remember the gall and Vineger which Christ tasted vpon the Crosse because as Bernard sayth No meate is so bitter vvhich if it be tempered with the remembrance of the Vineger and gall of Christ is not forth-with made sweeter Recall also into thy memory the abstinence of all the holy Fathers in the Wildernes who frequenting desert places haue with Christ crucified their flesh with all the lusts and concupiscences and by the grace of God haue sustained themselues many yeares onely with the rootes of hearbs and haue macerated themselues with so great abstinence that almost it seemeth incredible If therfore our fathers haue thus imitated Christ and after this manner haue followed him into heauen how thinkest thou to come thether by the way of deliciousnes and pleasure Remember how many poore there be in the world who thinke themselues happy if they may satisfie their bellies with bread and water and thou shalt vnderstand how bountifully the Lord hath dealt with thee who hath bestowed much more vpon thee then vpon them Therefore there is no reason neyther is it meete that thou shouldest conuert this liberality of thy Lord to be an instrument of thy gluttony To be briefe consider that the delight of gluttony doth not consist in a greater place then of two fingers nor in a longer time then of two minutes in which the meate passeth downe and is gone neyther is it meete that for a place of mans gluttony so narrow and for a pleasure so short and momentany that the Land the Sea nor the ayre should suffice To satisfie this gourmandizing gluttony oftentimes the poore are spoyled and many iniuries are done that the hunger of the feeble may be conuerted into the delicates of the mighty Certainly it is a thing miserable and lamentable and much to be deplored that a pleasure of so small a part of mans body should cast the whole man into hell and that all the members and sences of the body should suffer eternall punishment for the momentany greedines of one member Thou doost not marke how shamefully thou errest nourishing thy body so delicately and with such costly meates which ere it be long shall be meate for wormes but neglectest thy soule which before it be long shall stand before the Diuine tribunall which being voyde of vertues when as the body is full of delicate meates shal be punished with eternall torments And if thy soule be damned be sure that thy body also shall haue her punishment for euen as the body is created for the soule so it shall be punished with the soule Therfore thou contemning the nobler part of thy selfe and nourishing in delicacie the ignobler thou doost destroy them both and thou killest thy selfe with thine owne sword For thy flesh which is giuen to be an helpe vnto thee doth lay a snare for thy life and doth attend thee vnto torments as it followed thee here in vices Remember the hunger of Lazarus who desired to be releeued with the crums that fell from the rich mans table and there was no man that gaue them vnto him Wherfore when he was dead he was carried by the hands of Angels into Abrahams bosome but on the contrary part the rich Glutton who was clothed in purple and fine linnen and fared well and delicately euery day was buried in hell for hunger fulnes pleasure and continency haue not the same euent for after death misery followeth pleasure and pleasure misery Let vs put the case thou â—atest and drunkest the last yeare both delicately and largely tell me now what remayneth vnto thee of all those pleasures surely nothing at all except it be the sting and remorse of conscience which perhaps will torment thee euerlastingly Therefore all that thou hast prodigally wasted and deuoured beyond reason and measure all that thou hast vtterly lost and that thou hast with-drawne from thy selfe and distributed to the poore that is very well disposed and bestowed and as a treasure layd vp for thine owne vse which shall be restored and repayed vnto thee in the heauenly Citty Least thou be entrapped by ouer-sight and at vnawares in this vice thou must very heedfully beware because often-times when as necessity desireth to be satisfied and releeâ—ed the
his life These therefore sufficiently prooue that saying of the Wiseman to be true Remember thy end and thou shalt neuer doe amisse Goe to therefore if this consideration doth so surely draw a man from sinne let vs carefully runne ouer those things which are wont to be spoken of death that we may obtaine that excellent and notable good Remember therfore my brother that thou art a Christian and a man because thou art a man it is certaine that thou must die because thou art a Christian it is certaine that thou must giue an account of thy lyfe after that thou art dead Heere the fayth that we hold and professe excludeth all doubt and thus the experience teacheth vs vvhich we daily see before our eyes So that no man is free from thys cup but all must drinke of it whether he be Emperour King or whatsoeuer he be That day sometime will be when as thou shalt liue in the morning but shalt not lyue at night That day at the length wil come but when it will be whether to day or to morrowe it is altogether vncertaine in the which thou thy selfe who novve readest these things which we write beeing strong and lustie measuring thy life with longnes of desires and thy dayes vvith multitude of businesses thou shalt see thy selfe lying in a bedde expecting the blow and sentence of fearefull death spred ouer all mankinde from which no man can appeale to any other Iudge But most of all we must consider how vncertaine that houre is for that is wont to come for the most part when it is least looked for and when as man is secure in all things doth least thinke of it but beeing busied and earnest about the businesse and necessities of this life doth cast with himselfe to lyue and ouer-passe many dayes For which cause it is sayde that it commeth like a theese in the night who is wont then to come when as men doe soundly sleepe and beeing secure doe thinke of nothing lesse then of the theft so neerly hanging ouer them Before death come great and grieuous infirmities goe before which are to be considered with all their accidents griefes vexations molestations loathings decocted syrrups fumigations pills gargarismes and other medicines and also of the long nights which at thys time bring much teadiousnesse and wearinesse For euen as he that would conquer a Castle at the first doth make way to the ruine with his greater shot after he doth assault inuade and possesse it so before death great infirmitie is sent which doth so vanquish and breake the naturall strength that it giueth no rest to man whether it be by day or by night but without intermission shaketh and wringeth all the chiefe members of the body so that the soule can no longger defend her Castle neither can any longer be preserued in it wherefore the relinquisheth the body hauing escaped flyeth out of it and goeth to another place But when as the infirmitie doth draw to that passe that eyther the sicke partie or the Phisition beginneth to doubt despaire of lyfe good God what streights what oppressings what griefes doe then crush teare the miserable hart For then the whole race and processe of thy precedent life dooth come inâ—o thy minde then is it represented vnto thee that thou must leaue all those things which heere thou so deerly louest vvife chyldren friends parents riches honours titles offices and other things which leaue off to be and take end with thy lyfe After these things those last accidents grow on which are ioyned with death it selfe which are much greater then these going before The forehead waxeth hard the skinne is stretched out from whence cold sweat breaketh foorth the eyes vvaxe dimme sayle and are writhen about with intollerable payne the eares grow deafe the nose doth sincke downe the nosthrils are filled with filth the countenaunce waxeth pale the mouth is disturbed the tongue is vnmoueable and ceaseth to doe his dutie any more the tast perrisheth the lipps waxe blewe and wanne the breath gathering it selfe from the bottome of the breast faileth the hands waxe cold the nayles waxe black the pulse languisheth and is very little but very thicke sometime it ceaseth and sometimes striketh softly the feete die and loose theyr naturall heate What neede I many wordes all the flesh is turned to corruption and all the members and all the sences are disturbed troubled by reason of theyr too hastie seperation After thys maner a man must at his departure out of thys life recompence the labors and sorrowes of those by whom he entred into thys world bearing those griefes at his end which his mother bare when shee brought him forth And so the proportion of mans departure and entrance into this world is notable for both is full of sorrowes his ingresse hath the sorrowes of another his egresse his owne Whilst man is tost in this straight sodainly the agony of death is at hand the ende of life is presented to the memorie the horrour also of the graue and the infelicity of his body which straightwayes is to be meate for wormes but especially the soule is plunged which as yet remayneth in the body but after an houre or two being seperated from the body it knoweth not what entertainement or dwelling place it shall haue Then thou wilt thinke that the iudgement of God is present at hand then thou shalt see before thee all thy sinnes which will accuse thee before the iudgement seate of the Diuine iustice then thou at the length too late wilt acknowledge how filthie the crimes were which thou so easily didst commit then with many cursings and execrations thou wilt banne that day in which thou didst offend thou wilt bitterly curse the pleasures and delights which moued thee with their enticements to sinne In that houre thou canst not sufficiently wonder at thy selfe and thy lenity who for things so vaine and of no moment as those were which thou wast wont to loue with so inordinate loue hast cast thy selfe in danger to suffer so intollerable paines of the which in that most sorrowfull houre thou shalt make no small experiment For the pleasures passing away the iudgment of them approching that which before of it selfe was but little and now ceaseth to be shall seeme to be nothing but that which is great of it selfe and present at hand thou shalt suppose that it is greater then it is because at the length thou shalt manifestly know it with all the circumstances When as therefore thou shalt see that for matters so vaine and light I will not say filthy thou hast depriued thy selfe of so great blessings and casting thy eyes heere and there thou shalt see thy selfe on euery side compassed about with griefes and tribulations because longer thou canst not liue and for repentance there is neyther place nor time the number of thy dayes are come to an end they cannot helpe thee whom
himselfe to the sacrifice he heard of him Now I know that thou fearest God seeing for my sake thou hast not spared thine onely sonne By my selfe haue I sworne because thou hast done this thing and hast not spared thine onely sonne Therefore will I surely blesse thee and will greatly multiply thy seede as the starres of the heauen and as the sand which is vpon the Sea shoare and thy seede shall possesse the gate of his enemies More-ouer amongst thy sonnes I will giue thee one who shall be the Sauiour of the world and he shal be both thy sonne and the sonne of GOD. Dooth this seeme vnto thee an ample reward Thys is a reward woorthy of God for God is God in all things Hee is God in recompencing hee is God in correcting hee is God in all other things Dauid on a certaine night considered with himselfe howe he himselfe dwelt in a house of Cedar trees and the Arke of GOD remained within the Curtaines and he began to think of building an house vnto the Lord. And the same night the word of the Lord came vnto Nathan saying Goe and tell my seruaunt Dauid thus saith the Lord vvilt thou build mee an house for my dwelling I doe sweare vnto thee I will builde thee an house for euer and for all thy posteritie with a perpetuall kingdome neyther shall my mercy depart from it So he sayd and so he did for to the comming of Christ they raigned in the house of Iuda who descended of the familie and seede of Dauid whō Christ followed who shall raigne for euer Therefore if the glory of Heauen be a recompence and an vniuersall remuneration of the diuine worship and seruice done vnto God of his Saints if God be so liberall in this recompence it is no hard thing to coniecture how great the glory to come of the blessed will be We haue another coniecture if we consider howe great the price is which God requireth for this glorie notwithstanding he is so liberall and bountifull For after sinne hee would not grant this glory to any man at a lesser price then at the death blood of his onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ insomuch that this heauenly life is not gyuen to man but for the death of God and for the sorrowes of God celestiall ioy is giuen to man And because God hanged vppon the Crosse between two theeues now man raigneth amongst the assembly of Angels Tell me if by any meane it may be spoken what manner of good is that which that the Lorde might giue it vnto thee first he must sweat out his owne blood he must be apprehended bound beaten mocked crowned with thornes and crucified What will it be I pray thee that the Lord who otherwise of his own nature is so liberall hath prepared that he might giue vnto men for this so inestimable a price Hee that kuoweth well how to fish in thys depth hee by this coniecture shall know the greatnes of thys glory more manifestly then by all others which may be imagined God also exacteth as an appendix of thys former the greatest thing that may be exacted of man for this celestiall glory that is he take vp his crosse that hee pull out his right eye and cast it from him if it offend him that he forsake Father and Mother with all other things created if they at any time perswade any thing contrary to the diuine commandements And when we haue doone all things that we can the Lord willeth that we say that wee are vnprofitable seruants hee willeth that glory be gyuen vnto him onely and all things to be esteemed as his sole and meere grace Which he confirmeth by Saint Iohn when he sayth I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end I wil giue to him that is a thirst of the wel of the water of life freely Tell me what ones how great are they thinkest thou for the which the Lord requireth so hard things which when we haue giuen or done yet he would haue vs to confesse that they are gyuen vnto vs freely of his meere grace Tell me therefore if the Lord our God be so magnificent and so liberall in bestowing his graces if his diuine goodnes hath graunted to all men in this life the vse of things so different if all the creatures of heauen and earth indifferently serue all and the possession of them be common as well to the vniust as to the iust who deseruedly can doubt that much greater are those supreame blessings which he hath prepared onely for the righteous Who was euer found that freely bestowed so great treasures vpon him to whom he was not indebted How much greater will he gyue if he shal be indebted to any He that is so liberall in bestowing gifts freely how liberall will he be in repaying and rewarding a debt He that bestoweth so great things freely what will hee not giue to him that continueth faythfull If the magnificence of those things which he giueth be so inestimable vvhat shal be the splendour of those things which he will repay Certainly it cannot be spoken nor be expressed by any words how great that glory will be which the Lord will gyue to his Elect seeing they are so great which of his great bountie he bestoweth vpon the vnthankfull The situation and height of the place may somewhat teach vs also of the quantitie and qualitie of thys glory that this heauen of heauens which is aboue the seauen Spheares as it is greater then all the heauens so it is the noblest of all the most beautifull the most glorious and the most worthy Thys place the Scripture calleth The Land of the liuing that he might signifie that this Land which wee inhabite is a land of those which be dead But if in this region of death the creatures be so noble so precious and so excellent what shall those there be in the land of the euer-liuing Turne thine eyes into what part soeuer thou wilt of thys visible world and behold how many and how beautiful things are found in it Behold how spacious the greatnesse of the heauen is how great the splendour is of the Sunne Moone and of all the s tarres how beautifull the earth is being beautified and adorned with so great multitude and variety of plants byrds and other liuing creatures How pleasant a thing is it to see the plainnesse of the fielde the highnesse of hills and mountaines the greenes of Valleyes the streaming of fountaines the aboundance of riuers vvhich like vaynes runne through the whole body of the earth and that which is more what great pleasure it is to see the largnesse of the Sea full of so many and so admirable things What be the standing pooles vvhat be the lakes of pure and cleere water what other things be they then the eyes of the earth the looking-glasses of heauen What be the meddowes clothed adorned with the pleasantnes
saying An vngodly man will not be reformed but can helpe himselfe with the example of others in his purpose That is with apparant excuses The same thing also Salomon seemeth to tell vs of when he sayth He that would depart from his friend seeketh occasions So hee that would depart from God as sinners doe seeke and at length finde out some of these excuses some deferre and procrastinate their repentance putting it off from day to day others reserue it to the ende of theyr life many say that they absent themselues from godly and vertuous lyuing because it is painefull and laborious some cheere vp themselues through the hope of the Diuine mercy supposing that they shall be saued by a naked and fruitlesse fayth and a dead hope without charity to be briefe others being inamoured of this world will not change the felicity which they think they possesse in it with the promises of Gods word These in a manner be the fraudes and errors the snares and nets with which the enemy of mankind ensnareth and entangleth the vnderstanding of men that he may detayne them all their life long prisoners and flaues vnder sinne that at the length death may set vpon them sodainly and oppresse them at vnawares To all these cauelations and friuolous excuses we will aunswere in this last part of this booke But first of all we will dissolue and aunswere their obiection who put off the amendment of their life 's vnto the time to come which excuse is more vsuall and more generall then the rest There are many that confesse that all things are true which hetherto haue beene spoken and that there is not any estate or condition more secure and safe then theirs that embrace and follow after Vertue yea and that they themselues will heereafter enter into a vertuous and a godly kinde of life but they cannot yet but the time will come when they shall doe it with greater conueniencie and performe it with more perfection So Saint Augustine saith of himselfe O Lord I had not wherwith to aunswere thee when thou saydst vnto me Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall illuminate enlighten thee and thou demonstrating in euery poynt those things to be true which thou spakest vnto me I beeing conuinced with the truth had not any aunswere at all but onely the words and speaches of a loytering sluggard of a drouzie sleeper By and by and behold anone and let me alone a little But by and by and behold anone had neyther measure nor moderation and let me alone a little held on a long time So also the wicked at this day deale with God still procrastinating and putting off the time and neuer comming vnto true conuersion It is no hard thing to shew that this was the deceipt of that old Serpent to whom it is no new or vnusuall thing to lye and to deceaue miserable men and if I shall conuince this I thinke that I shall take away this controuersie and dissolue this obiection For we all know that nothing ought more to be wished of Christian men then the health of their soules and for this respect the amendment of their lifes is necessarily required for without this it is most certaine that no man can be saued So that heere nothing commeth into question but the time in which the life ought to be amended In the rest there is no discent Thou sayst that thy conuersion is to be deferred till the time to come my assertion is that it ought to be done presently Therefore let vs see whether opinion is more probable and more conformable vnto the truth But before we speake of the easines and facility of conuersion tell me I pray thee who hath promised thee this time to come How many men haue there been whom this vaine hope hath miserably deceaued Although God sayth Gregory hath promised pardon to the penitent yet he hath not promised tomorrow to a sinner Not vnlike to this is that of another learned Writer Some man will say when I come vnto old age then I will runne vnto the remedy of repentance Why dare mans frailty presume thus much of himselfe seeing he hath not one day of all his life in his owne power Verily I suppose that innumerable soules haue perished through this vaine perswasion After this manner that rich man in the Gospell perished of whom Saint Luke wryteth that when his fielde had brought foorth plentifull fruites hee thought within himselfe saying What shal I doe because I haue no roome where to bestow my fruits And he said This will I doe I will pull downe my barnes and build greater and therein will I gather all my fruites and my goods And I will say to my soule Soule thou hast much goods laid vp in store for many yeeres take thine ease eate drinke and be merry But whilst this miserable man thought thus with himselfe a voyce vvas heard saying vnto him Thou foole this night doe they require thy soule againe from thee then whose shall those things be vvhich thou hast prouided Therefore what greater foolishnes can there be then that a man by his owne authority should presume to dispose of that that is to come no otherwise then if he had beene set and appoynted to gouerne times and seasons which the eternall Father hath put in his owne power And if Saint Iohn say that the sonne onely hath the keyes of life and death that hee may shut and open to whom he pleaseth and when he pleaseth how dare a vild and an obiect worme attribute vnto himselfe and vsurpe this authority Onely this impudent boldnes is worthy of notorious punishment that is that he should finde no place of repentance in the time to come who vainely and fruitlesly passeth ouer that time which God hath graunted vnto him That so this punishment may giue vnderstanding and that a foole thereby may become the wiser But seeing that the number of them that are thus chasticed is very great men shall doe very aduisedly if by other mens harme they become more wary and out of other mens danger they learne to be more circumspect following that good counsaile of Ecclesiasticus saying Make no tarrying to turne vnto the Lord and put not off from day to day for sodainly shall his wrath come and in the time of vengeance he shall destroy thee But let vs graunt that thy life shall be as long and lasting as thou perswadest and promisest vnto thy selfe tell me I pray thee whether will be more easie now to amend it or heereafter when thou hast procrastinated and deferred thy conuersion But that thou mayst vnderstand that better which we say we will by the way rehearse the chiefest causes from whence this difficulty ariseth It ariseth not from those impediments lets which they imagine but from an euill habite and from the corruption of a naughty custom of a
Saint Isidore doth consent vnto this He that would sayth he be certaine of the remission of his sins in the houre of death let him repent whilst he is in health and then let him lament deplore his iniquitie and wickednes But he that hath liued wickedly and repenteth at the houre of his death it is most certaine that he is in very great ieopardy For euen as his damnation is vncertaine so also his saluation is doubtfull Surely these words are very dreadfull but those more fearefull which Eusebius the Scholler of Saint Ierome writeth and which his glorious holy Maister spoke being at the poynt of death stretching him selfe vpon the earth arrayed in rugged and course Sack-cloth but because I dare not relate them with that rigour that they are written least I should minister occasion of distrust and despaire to those that be weake and faint-harted let him that pleaseth reade them he shall finde them in the fourth tome of saint Ieromes workes in a certaine Epistle of Eusebius to Byshoppe Damasus as touching the death of Saint Ierome whose beginning is To the most reuerent Father c. Where amongst other things hee sayth But some man will say That man that hath done wickedly all the time that he liued and repenting at the houre of his death he shall obtaine pardon of God Alas how vaine a supposall and how false a meditation Scarcely of an hundred thousand men whose lifes haue alwaies beene wickedly led scarcely I say one deserueth fauour at Gods hands A man altogether borne and brought vp in sin who hath neither seene nor acknowledged GOD neither is willing to heare of him neither knoweth when he sinneth nor what repentance is vnlesse perhaps he sometimes dreame of it and altogether intangled in worldly busines whom the loue of his children whoÌ„ he must forsake oppresseth whom infirmitie amateth vvhom the losse and griefe of riches and temporall blessings shaketh excruciateth because he seeth that he can no longer enioy them what repentance can he bring forth acceptable to God which he at all would not bring forth nor once medle with if he had any hope of recouery Certainly I will conclude as I thinke he that whilst he is young strong feareth not to offend God in death he deserueth not to finde any fauour of God What repentance is that my beloued children which a man onely maketh for this respect because he seeth that hee can liue no longer Who if he should recouer of his sicknes would becom worser then he was before I haue knowne many peny-fathers and helhound vsurers who may rightly be termed the deuils Alcumists or the deuils Mint-maisters that haue beene sorry and penitent when they haue thought that there was no way with them but death but after that they haue beene recouered their lifes haue beene a great deale more wicked and detestable then it was before This I hold this I thinke to be true this I haue lerned by long experience that his end is not good whose life was alwayes euill who feared not to sinne but alwaies liued in the vanities of the world Hetherto Eusebius by whose words it is manifest how suspected that repentance was to this holy Doctor Ierome which was made at the houre of death of him who had continued in sinne all the time of his life Neyther heere the iudgement of S. Gregory is to be kept close as concerning this matter who vpon these words of Iob For what hope hath the hypocrite though he be nâ—uer so couetous if God take away his soule Will God heare his cry when trouble commeth vpon him sayth God heareth not his cry in the time of trouble who in the time of peace and prosperity hath not heard the Lord crying vnto him in his commaundements For it is written Hee that turneth away his eare from hearing the law his prayer shall be abhominable Therefore the holy man beholding how those that contemne the law and all right paths doe at the last cast conforme themselues vnto prayer sayth Will God heare his cry Those words doe iumpe with those of our Sauiour who sayth Afterward came also the foolish Virgins saying Lord Lord open to vs. And it shall be answered vnto them Verily I say vnto you I know you not Because then so much the more seuerity shall be vsed by how much the more mercy hath now beene extended and then iudgement shall be seuerely and strictly executed vpon them whom now persisting in sinne mercy patiently wayted vpon These be S. Gregories words Another Doctour of the Church sayth It is a hard thing that then that is at the poynt of death true repentance should be when it commeth so late When as anguish and payne tormenteth the body and greefe oppresseth the sences scarcely can a man thinke of any other thing Greatly suspicious ought that repentance to be which seemeth constrayned The coniecture is easie that a man should thinke that himselfe is vnwilling to doe that which he hath no ability to doe Possibility doth very well proue the willingnes If thou doost not whilst thou mayst thou manifestly shewest that thou art vnwilling to doe Another Doctour of the Church doth also subscribe to all this Seeing therefore sayth he that a fruitfull repentance is not the worke of a man but of God by his mercy he can inspire it whensoeuer he will and reward those by his mercy whom he could condemne by his iustice But because there are many things that hinder and hold backe the sicke partie and him that languisheth and faynteth through sicknes it is dangerous and neere vnto destruction to protract and defer repentance till death But a meruailous great thing is it if God at that time inspire any man with true repentance Consider I pray thee how fearefull and dreadfull these words be Who then is so bold and audacious that dare expose this great treasure to so great hazard Is there any thing more precious in this world then saluation Who therfore is so inconsiderate and vnaduized that dareth presume to say that he doth not passing ill that committeth so great treasure to such danger These be the iudgements of the holy Doctours by whom we may euidently gather how great theyr folly and madnes is without an especiall care to sayle ouer this so dangerous a Sea of which the most expert and experienced Mariners haue spoken so doubtfully and with so great feare To dye well is an Art which ought to be learned all 〈◊〉 life long For in the houre of death so many and so great are the discruciatements that cause death that scarce remayneth any time to learne to dye well ¶ The authority of Schoole Doctours concerning this matter IT remayneth now for the greater confirmation of this matter that we see what the Schoole Doctours thinke of it Among others there is one that excellently handleth this matter agreeing in all things vnto vs putting and inferring this conclusion Repentance
which is made at the poynt of death and in extreamity is sildome true by reason of the great difficulty that happeneth at this time He prooueth this conclusion by foure reasons or arguments The first is by reason of the great perturbations which arise out of the greatnes of griefes sicknes and the presence of Death through which the hart is lesse able to lift vp it selfe to God and rightly to busie it selfe in the exercises of true repentance For the better vnderstanding of this argument we must know that all the perturbations of our hart haue great force to disturbe and hinder our will and sences and according to the rule of Philosophy in this effect and euent the affections or passions are much more powerfull which cause sorrow and sadnes then those that procure mirth and ioy Hence it is that the perturbations or affections of one dying are exceeding strong and of all other most powerfull For as Aristotle saith death is the most dreadfull of all terrible things there being so many dolours discruciatements in the body so many afflictions and anguishes in the soule so great sorrow and care for children wife the world all which are to be forsaken Amongst so many and so tempestuous winds of the passions where shall the sences be and where the cogitations but where these dolours and perturbations doe carry and whirle them Daily experience teacheth vs that if any one be tormented with the tooth-ach or by any other sharpe payne although he be a very godly and a religious man yet scarcely then can he stedfastly lift vp his hart to God nay all the sences thoughts haue recourse thither where the griefe is If this happeneth to the righteous what will he doe who neuer accustomed himselfe to thinke of God and who so much is readier to endanger his greater friend then his lesser by how much he is apter and proner to loue his body better then his soule Amongst the foure impediments of contemplation which S. Bernard doth reckon vp one is the euill disposition and temperature of the body For then the soule is so vrged and occupied with the dolours of the flesh that scarce it permitteth a man to thinke vpon any other thing besides that which then greeueth and excruciateth him Which if it be true what greater dotage or madnes can there be then to expect tarry and wayte for the worst disposition and temperature of the body in it to handle and deal with the greatest businesses of the soule I knew a certaine man who being at the poynt of death when he was willed and admonished to prepare himselfe for his end for the glasse of his life was now runned out he was so affrighted and ouerwhelmed with the presence of death that he thought vpon nothing els then how he might escape the danger of death as if the date of his life had beene put in his owne hands and he had the ordering and determining of it All his care was how he might remedy and auoyde this danger if possibly it might be But when the Minister saw him so little carefull and troubled with those things which were necessary for that time he admonished him that he should let passe such thoughts and begin earnestly to call vpon God The sicke man hardly taking this aâ—â—onition began to talke a farre off from the purpose and so yeeleded vp the ghost Notwithstanding this man had beene a louer of Vertue wherby thou mayst see how the presence of Death doth disturbe and disquiet them who are in loue with their lifes seeing that it so greatly troubled him who at other times had despised it I knew also another man who when hee had fallen into a most dangerous and greeuous sicknes and saw Death now at hand he earnestly desired to conferre a little with God and to preuent the Iudge by a deuoute prayer before hee should depart out of this life but sorrowes and the continuall accidents of his infirmity would let him haue no rest If therfore onely preparation to repentance bâ—so hard at that time who will be so fond and mad to defer and prorogue the remedy and repentance of his whole life to that moment The second reason of the Shoole-man is that true repentance ought to be voluntary that is it ought to be done willingly and not of constraint or compelled by necessitie Thys is that which Saint Augustine saith Let no man tarry so long as he can sin For God requireth the liberty of the vvill that thy faultes may be wiped away he requireth not necessity but charitie not onely feare because man liueth not onely in feare Therefore it behoueth him that lately repenteth not onely to feare the Iudge but to loue him because without charitie no man can be saued Wherefore that man that neuer truly repenteth himselfe in his life time but prorogeth it to the houre of death he seemeth not to bring forth repentance of will but of compulsion â—â—d if of constraint or necessity then it is not meerely voluntary Such was the repentance of Shimei for that offence which he had committed against Dauid when hee fled from the face of his sonne Absolon Which Shimei when he saw that the victory did incline to Dauid and considering of the mischiefe that hung ouer his head he descended with the men of Iuda to meete King Dauid and with the thousand men of Beniamin and prostrating himselfe before the King he craued pardon for his fault Which when Abishai heard he sayd Shall not Shimei die for this because he cursed the Lords annointed But holy king Dauid not ignorâ—â—â— of what small desert this repentance was for the time wisely dissembled the deede yet he would not that it should vtterly passe vnreuenged but when he was at deaths doore not for any desire of reuenge but in the zeale of iustice he commaunded his sonne that hee should not suffer it to goe vnreuenged who afterwards commanded him to be slaine Of this kinde and nature seemeth the repentance of many wicked Christians to be who when they haue perscuered all theyr lyfe thorow in sinne offending God when the houre of rendering an account shall draw neere when they see death approching and the graue open and the Iudge present when they shall vnderstand that no strength or power can be founde against that infinite power omnipotencie and that that shall be determined in that moment which is for euer irreuocable then they turne themselues vnto the Iudge with prayers and protestations which if they be true certainly they are profitable But the common euent teacheth what manner of prayers and protestations they were and are for we haue learned by experience that many of them hauing escaped this danger forthwith haue forgot all that they promised and as Swine haue returned to theyr wallowing in the myre yea they haue reuersed and recalled that good which then they purposed and haue againe embraced those
perceiue and know that I haue beene a true Prophet in these things which I haue admonished thee of Then thou shalt see thy selfe compassed about with dolours loaden with those things that are yrkesome vnto thee and miserablie afflicted with the presence of death wayting for the condition which straightwayes shall be awarded either that thou shalt be for euer happy or for euer vnhappy O perrilous estate ô hard and dangerous way ô sentence after which euerlasting death or euerlasting life is to be expected ô who can alter this Decree at that houre ô who shall be able to heare that sentence My brother now thou hast aduantage doe not neglect it now thou hast time make the Iudge thy friend that hee may be sauourable vnto thee Heare therefore and follow the counsell of the Prophet who saith Seeke yee the Lord whilst he may be found call vpon him whilst hee is at hande For now the Lorde is at hand to heare vs albeit wee see him not In the houre of iudgement we shall see him but hee will not heare vs vnlesse we be such as are to be heard now Against them that through the hope of the Diuine mercie doe continue and perseuere in theyr sinnes CHAP. XXVII SOme men there are that persisting and continuing in their wicked life doe cheere vp and comfort themselues in hope of Gods mercie and the merrits of Christes passion and to these as to the other their errour is to bee showen Thou sayest that the mercy of God is vnmeasurable infinite for he willingly would be crucified as a malefactour for sinners I confesse indeede that his mercy is exceeding great for it suffereth thee to vtter so lauishlie such cursed blasphemie as that thou wouldest his goodnes bounfulnes should be a fautour and a fauourer of thy wickednesse and that his Crosse which hee apprehended as a meane to destroy the kingdome of sinne should be made of thee a meane to strengthen and defence sinne and whereas thou shouldest offer a thousand lifes vnto him if thou haddest so many because he hath sacrificed his life for thee there thou takest an occasion to denie that one vnto him which thou hast yea vvhich thou hast receiued of him This grieueth thy Sauiour more then the death did which he suffered for thee for hee who neyther lamented nor deplored his own death most greeuously lamenteth and bewaileth thy sinnes in the Prophet saying The plowers plowed vpon my backe and made long furrowes Tell me I pray thee who hath taught thee thus to argue that because God is good and gracious thou shouldest conclude that it is lawful for thee to sinne and to follow wickednes The holy Ghost seemeth vnto me to conclude after another manner that because God is good and gracious he gathereth that he is worthy to be worshipped obeyed and to be loued aboue all things And because God is good it is meete that I be good also and that I should trust in him who although I be a most greeuous sinner yet is ready to receiue me into fauour if I with all my hart will be conuerted vnto him Because God is good and so good it is double wickednes to offend so great magnificent a goodnesse Therefore by how much the more thou doost exemplifie the goodnes of GOD by so much the more thou doost aggrauate thy sinne which thou committest against him And it is meet and equall that so great a sinne should be punished for it is the nature and dutie of the Diuine iustice which also thou esteemest not to be contrary but the sister and the auenger of the Diuine goodnesse that it should not leaue so enormous an iniury vnpunished Thys kinde of excuse is not newe or sprung vp of late but very old and vsuall in the world This in times past was the difference betweene the true and the false Prophets because the true did denounce the threatnings of God against the people and did exaggerate and aggrauate his iustice but the false on their owne heads did promise false peace and mercy But when the punishments of GOD did approue the veritie of the one part and the falsehood of the other the true Prophets sayde Where are now your Prophets which prophecied vnto you saying The King of Babell shall not come against you nor against this Land◠Thou sayst that the mercy of God is great Thou which sayst so credite me GOD hath not opened thine eyes that thou mightest see the greatnesse of his iustice For if thou haddest thine eyes open to behold it thou wouldest say with the Prophet Who knoweth the power of thy wrath for according to thy feare is thine anger But that thou mayst be freed from this dangerous perrilour errour I pray thee let vs dispute of the matter a little and be ruled by reason Neyther thou nor I doe see the Diuine iustice as it is in it selfe that we may come to the knowledge of the measure of it Neither doe we know God himselfe in this worlde but by hys workes Therefore let vs enter into the spirituall world of the holy Scripture then let vs goe out into this corporall world wherein we liue and let vs out of them both reason what the Diuine iustice is that by this meanes we may know it Certainly this consideration will be most profitable For besides thys end which now we propose vnto our selues we shall reape also out of it another fruite for it will a fresh stirre vp in our harts the feare of the Lord which as the Doctors say is the treasure the keeper and burthen of our soules For euen as a ship is not safe without balas or lastage for it is easily tossed with euerie winde nowe no this side and now on that to the great danger of the shyp so is the soule endangered which lacketh the ballas burthen of the diuine feare This feare poyzeth the soule that the windes of worldly fauour or of diuine graces doe not tosse and pusse it vp and so ouerthrowe it Although it be defenced yet if it hath not his balas it is in ieopardy Neither onelie the Punyes and Incipients but also those that are growen old must necessarily liue in feare in Gods house Not onely the sinners and guiltie must feare who haue great cause so to doe but the righteous also are not to be freed who haue no such great cause to feare Sinners must feare because they haue offended and also the righteous least they should offend theyr faultes and misdemeanors past ought to strike feare into them but the dangers to come ought to terrifie these But if thou desirest to know how this holy feare is engendered and wrought in thee I say that it is wrought when it is infused by grace and it is preserued and increaseth by the consideration of the works of the Diuine iustice of which we begin now to speake Consider of them often and reuolue
whole matter dependeth For we must know that although the Diuine mercy extendeth to the iust and vniust calling these and expecting their repentance and preseruing the other neuerthelesse the great graces the notable benefits which God promiseth to men in the Scriptures especially belong to the righteous who as they faythfully obserue the law and commandements of God so faithfully God keepeth them he keepeth his promises with them and he is a true father vnto them as they are his morigerous and obedient sonnes On the contrary part whatsoeuer threatnings curses and seuerity of Diuine iustice the holy bookes of the Bible contayne all that properly pertayneth to thee and to such like vnto thee How great therfore is thy blindnes and blockishnes who fearest not so great cominations purposely intended against thee and comfortest thy selfe with promises not made for thee O miserable man haue an eye to those things that are spoken of thee and giue to the iust that is theirs Wrath belongeth to thee therfore feare but loue to the righteous let them therfore reioyce and be glad Wilt thou that I shall proue this to be true heare what Dauid sayth The eyes of the Lord are vpon the righteous and his eares open to their prayers But the face of the Lord is against them that worke euill to roote their memory from off the face of the earth Such a like speach is found in Esdras The hand of our God sayth Esdras that is the Diuine prouidence is ouer all that seeke him in truth and his wrath strength and fury ouer them who forsake him Which seeing that it is so why ô wretched man doest thou continue in thy sinne vvhy doest thou deceaue thy selfe vvhy art thou so dull vvhy errest thou thus These testimonies of Scripture are not for thee so long as thou remaynest in the state of damnation the sweetnes of the Diuine fauour and loue speaketh not to thee This is the portion of Iacob it belongeth not to Esau. This is the lot of the righteous thou who art wicked what right hast thou here Leaue of to be wicked and it shall be thine forsake thine vngodly life and the loue of God and his fatherly prouidence shall protect thee and cherrish thee Which if thou doest not thou art a tyrant and doest vsurpe the rights of other men Hope in the Lord sayth Dauid and doe good And in another place Offer the sacrifices of righteousnes and trust in the Lord. This is the best manner of hoping doe not further abuse the mercy of God in perseuering in thy sinnes and in hoping that thou shalt come to heauen It is the best hope to flye sinne and to call vpon God but if thou continuest in thy sinnes this is not to hope but to presume this is not to hope for mercy but it is to doe an euill deed and to offend that mercy For euen as the Church doth profit them nothing who depart from it that they may doe wickedly so also it is meete that the mercy of God should not profit them who continue in their sinnes This before all things the dispencers and Preachers of Gods word ought to consider who oftentimes not marking before whom they make their Sermons minister occasion to the wicked to continue and perseuere in their sinnes They should respect that euen as a sicke and a diseased body the more it eateth the greater harme it taketh so also a soule hardened in sinne the more that it deceaueth it selfe with this kinde of trust the more it is hardened and moued to perseuere in sinne In stead of a conclusion that excellent sentence of S. Augustine shall be By hoping and despairing men perish By hoping naughtily in their lifes but by despairing worser in their deaths Therfore cease my brother and forsake this presumptuous hope remember that as the Lord is mercifull so also he i◠iust Therfore as thou castest one eye vpon mercy that thou mayest hope so cast the other vpon iustice that thou mayest feare For as S. Bernard sayth God hath two feete mercy and iudgement we ought to apprehend neyther of them alone or seuerally for iustice without mercy doth not so make to feare as mercy without iustice doth make men continue and perseuere in a wicked life Against them that excuse themselues saying that the way of Vertue is rough sharpe and difficult CHAP XXVIII WOrldly and carnall men are wont also to bring another excuse that they may seeme not without cause to haue left and eschewd Vertue and Religion saying that it is rough and difficult albeit they are not ignorant that this difficulty ariseth not from vertue her selfe for she is a friend vnto reason and very well agreeth with the nature of a reasonable creature but from the euill inclination of our flesh and our wicked appetities which taketh the originall from sinne Hence it is that the Apostle sayth that the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and that these two doe striue between themselues And in another place he sayth I delight in the law of God concerning the inner man But I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde and leading me captiue vnto the law of sinne which is in my members By which words the Apostle meaneth that the law of God and Vertue doe very well agree with the superiour part of our soule which altogether is spirituall in which the vnderstanding and the will is but her watch and warines is hindered by the law of the members and this happeneth of the euill inclination corruption of our appetites and the passions arising from them which are aduersaries to the superiour part of the soule and to God himselfe which discord contrariety is the cause of all this difficulty For this cause many alienate themselues from Vertue albeit otherwise they highly account of it as also sicke men doe who although they desire health yet they abstayne from and abhor medicines because they suppose them to be bitter and of euill tast Wherefore if we take this errour and opinion from men I take it that we shall performe a thing not to be repented of for this is the onely stay and let that hindereth them from Vertue besides this difficulty there is nothing in Vertue which is not greatly and especially to be desired and affected ¶ How the grace giuen vs by Christ doth make the way of Vertue easie and pleasant FIrst of all in this place we must know that the chiefest cause of this errour is that men onely looke vpon this small difficulty which is found in Vertue and lift not vp theyr eyes to those Diuine helps which God sendeth to ouercome it The errour of the seruant of Elizeus was of this kinde who seeing the army of the Syrians compassing the Citty and Horses and Charets begirding the house of the Prophet saw not the army of the Lord prepared
tast that which being tasted bringeth death Hence it is that those beasts in Ezechiell which are the figures of holy men were full of eyes round about that thereby might be signified howe necessary these spirituall eyes are for the seruants of GOD that they may defend themselues from vices Therefore of this remedy we will in this tractate especially entreate to which we will also adioyne all others which seeme to bring any profit as shall be more plainly seene in the discourse following Of the remedies against Pryde CHAP. IIII. WE handling in thys former part sinnes the remedies of them will take our beginning from those seauen which are called capitall as it were the heads and fountaines of all other For euen as the rootes of trees beeing cut vp the boughes branches which receiue life from the rootes doe foorth-with wither and perish so those seauen generall vniuersall rootes of all other vices beeing hewen in sunder and vtterly eradicated suddenly also the vices will dye which are deriued from them For this cause Cassianus with great diligence writ eyght bookes against these vices in which kinde of studie many other learned and graue men haue imitated him 〈◊〉 they did see that these enemies being ouerthrowne others could not lift vp their heads The reason of this is because all sinnes doe originally flow from selfe-loue because euery one of them is committed through the loue desire of some particuler good to desire which this selfe-loue pricketh vs forwards From this loue those three branches do spring of which S. Iohn speaketh in his Canonicall Epistle which are The lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life Which that I may expresse them by more known names are the loue of carnall delights pleasures and the loue of riches and honours These three loues are deriued from that first For from the loue of pleasure three sins are engendered Luxurie Gluttony Idlenes From the loue of riches Couâ—tousnes ariseth and from the loue of honour Pride The other two Wrath and Enuye serue each one of these peruerse corrupt loues For Wrath proceedeth thence that a man cannot obtaine that he desireth and Enuye thence that any one is preferred before vs or that any one hath obtayned that we desired Seeing therefore that these three are as the vniuersall rootes of all euils from which all these seauen sinnes proceede these seauen beeing destroyed the whole Armie of other vices shall be ouerthrowen Therefore all our studie ought to be to thys end that we fight valiantly against these Gyants if we will tryumph ouer all other enemies who possesse the Land of Promise Among these vices Pryde is the most powerfull which is an inordinate appetite of our owne excellencie The Saints doe call this the Mother and Queene of all other vices Wherefore not without cause amongst many other instructions holy Toby said to his sonne Suffer not pride to raigne in thine hart or in thy mouth for in pride destruction tooke her beginning Therefore when as this pestilent beast doth assault thy hart thou maist defend thy selfe with the weapons following Consider first that horrible punishment with which Lucifer and his Angels are punished because they were proude for in a moment in the twinckling of an eye hee with his Angels was cast from the highest heauen downe to the deepest hell See 〈◊〉 darke and blinde this vice made him who was more cleâ—â—â—n the starres who not onely was an Angell but the Prince of Angels but now is made not onely a deuill but the wickedst and the filthiest of all deuils If it could doe so much in Angels what can it not doe in thee who art dust and ashes For God is not contrary to himselfe neyther is hee an accepter of persons and as he suffered not pryde in Angels so also in men it dooth displease him in whom he looketh for humilitie Hence it is that Saint Augustine saith Humilitie maketh men like vnto holy Angels pride of Angels maketh deuils And that I may speake plainly Pride is the beginning end cause of all sinnes because it is not onely a sinne but that no sinne is or hath been or shall be without it This saith he And Bernard saith Pride casteth downe from heauen to hell Humilitie rayseth from the lowest place to the highest an Angell falleth froÌ„ the loftiest height to the lowest pitte and man ascendeth from out the world to heauen Then with this punishment let vs consider of the inestimable example of the humility of the sonne of God who for vs tooke vpon him the most abiect nature of man and for vs in like manner was obedient to his father euen to the death of the Crosse. Learne therfore ô man to be humble learne ô earth to obey learne ô dust to be despised Learne ô man of thy God for he is meeke and humble in spirit If it seemeth not honorable inough vnto thee to imitate the example of other men imitate the example of the God of Gods who became man not only that he might redeeme vs but also that he might teach vs humility Cast thine eyes also vpon thy selfe for in thy selfe thou shalt finde that may perswade humility Consider what thou wast before thou wast borne what thou art now being borne and what thou shalt be after death Before thou wast borne thou wast filthy and obscene matter not worthy to be named now thou art dung couered ouer with snow and a while after thou shalt be meate for wormes Why then art thou proud ô man seeing that thy natiuity is sinne thy life misery and thine end putrefaction and corruption If the possession of temporall goods doe puffe thee vp stay a while and death will come who maketh the begger equall with the King and the cottage with the crowne For as we are all borne alike and equall as much as pertayneth to the condition of nature so we all dye alike and equall by reason of the common necessity that being excepted that after death they haue the greater count to render who here haue possessed more Wherfore Chrisostome sayth excellently well Looke into the Sepulchers of the dead seeke amongst them for tokens and notices of that magnificence in which they â—â—ned seeke and enquire for their riches seeke for the solaces of this world which they enioyed whilst they liued Tell me where are now their ornaments their precious and costly apparell their delights and pleasures they are all past away all gone all their magnificent and riotous banquets laughters sports and all the mirth of this world is faded and vanished away Come neerer to the Sepulcher of whom so euer thou wilt and thou shalt find no other thing here but dust ashes wormes and putrified bones Here then is an end of all bodies yea although fed and nourished with the greatest delicates and dainties of the world And I would to God that here were an end of
they as Plutarch sayth that teach that vertue is to be embraced but deliuer not the way and manner how to attaine vnto it they doe as those that light a Lampe to burne but poure in no oyle Certes although the second booke is very profitable yet the first booke if I may so say is most necessarie The reason is because to the knowledge of good euill the very light of nature and reason is much conducent which is bred borne with vs but that wee should loue one and hate another embrace one and flie from another very great contradictions and lets doe meete with vs and doe arise of sinne as well within as without man For seeing that man is compounded of a spirite and flesh both parts desire theyr like the flesh alwayes seeketh for things carnall and fleshly in which vices raigne and beare sway but the spirit desireth spirituall things in which vertues haue dominion and preheminence Therefore the spirit dooth feele and suffer great contradiction and repugnancie of his owne flesh which hath no feeling but of those thinges which delight and bring pleasure which desires and appetites next vnto originall sinne are most vehement when as by that the bridle of original righteousnes is lost with which they were bridled and restrayned Neyther doth the flesh only resist the spirite but also the world Which as S. Iohn testifieth wholie lyeth in wickednes The deuill also a capitall enemie of vertues doth repugne the spirit and so doe our corrupt dispositions and vicious custome which as an other nature especially in those who haue had growth and are confirmed in wickednes through the continuaunce and diuturnitie of tyme. Therefore that a man may passe boldly through the midst of these difficulties and that hee may approch neere vnto vertue in veritie and with the whole desire of his hart to the despight of the flesh and all her powers it cannot be denied but that these difficulties doe happen to man and that ayde and helpe is necessary for him Therefore that we may come vnto thys first part this former Booke is made and sette foorth in the which I haue bestowed much paynes and haue laboured with all my strength that I might gather as it were into a bundle all the reasons which seemed any whit to belong to the qualitie of this matter or to the manner of this writing for the aduauncement of vertue by setting before your eyes the profit and fruites of them who follow vertue as well in this life as in the life to come and by declaring the great bonds by which wee are bounde to vertue seeing that God doth cōmaund it vnto vs whom not to obey is exceeding haynous and to which we are obliged as well for that which it is in it selfe as for that which it is for vs and towards vs. I vvas especially moued to handle this argument for that I dyd dailie see the greater sort number of men to prayse vertue in words but to follow vices in deedes And truely in mine opinion amongst many other causes of this so great enormitie one is because men ignorant of the condition and nature of vertue doe esteeme it to be vnpleasant barraine and painefull For this cause when as they are wholy drowned in vices because they seeme more pleasant vnto them they flie from all vertue supposing that there is no sweetnes in it I pittying the error of these men willingly vnderwent thys labour that I might shew how many and howe great be the riches delights and treasuries how great is the dignitie and beautie of this heauenly Bride and also that I might demonstrate howe vnknowne it is vnto men that these mine admonitions might free them from this errour and inflame them with the loue of so precious a thing For if it bee true that thys is one of the most excellent things that are in heauen or earth and most worthy to be loued had in honour without doubt it is to be lamented that men are such strangers from the knowledge and desire of so great a good A great benefite therefore hee shall doe to all mankinde whosoeuer he be that endeuoureth to restore thys Lady to her honour and to seate her in her royall Throne for shee is the Queene and Lady of all things But before I come to my purpose I will shewe by a certaine example with what minde thys Tractate ought to bee vsed Heathen men doe write of theyr famous Hercules howe when he began to waxe a man which time is gyuen of Nature to choose what course of life euery man will follow and enter into went into the wildernes and there sitting long debating discoursing with himselfe when he saw two waies the one of Pleasure the other of Vertue which it were better to enter walke in at the length after mature deliberation Pleasure being neglected he entred into Vertues path Truely if there bee anie thing in the world woorthy of deliberation and aduise this is it For if wee so often muse vpon those thinges which pertaine to the vse of life and doe so aduisedly deliberate of thē how much more carefully and thorowly ought wee to weigh and consider of life it selfe especially seeing so many and so diuers kindes of lyuing are found in the world Proceede therefore my brother thys is that that I woulde haue thee now to do and to the which I now inuite thee Therfore thou must know that before all things it is needfull that in this short time thou sette behinde thee the whole rabble of the thoughts and busines of this world that thou enter into thys spirituall wildernes and that thou beginne to deliberate with thy selfe of the manner and way of that life which it behoueth thee to follow hereafter Remember that among all humane affaires there is none which ought to bee weighed and examined vvith greater care and attention and which requireth a longer time in deliberating then the election of that kinde of life which is to be followed continued till death For if the beginning be good those things that follow will be lawdable On the contrary part if thy choyce be faultie what soeuer is built thereon will goe frō ill to worse All other consultations with the errors that are committed in them are particuler thys onely is generall which containeth all other vnder it Tell mee I pray thee what may be builded vpon an ill foundation What doe all prosperous euents profit What auaile al admonitions and counsailes if thy life be ill ordered And what doe all aduersities hurt if thy life be well lead For what shoulde it profit a man though he should winne the whole world and loose his owne soule Therefore we can speake of no matter or businesse more weightie vnder heauen of none more proper vnto man or of greater moment for we doe not intreat heere of riches or of honors but of the lyfe of the soule and of euerlasting
if God doth but a little draw backe his hand thou necessarily commest to naught how is it possible that thou darest prouoke to wrath that Diuine Maiestie which sustaineth thee euen in that same time wherein thou offendest him For as Dionisius sayth the vertue and goodnes of the chiefest Good is so excellent that the creatures when they are immorigerous and disobedient doe receaue of his immeasurable vertue the Being and Ability by which they striue and strugle against him that they may both Be and be able to repugne him Which seeing that it is so how darest thou offend with thy members and sences that Lord who preserueth thee O great blindnes ô intollerable rebellion Who euer saw so impudent a conspiracy The members doe rise against the head of which their life and death dependeth The day will come when this iniury shall be manifestēd and the complaints of the diuine honor shal be heard Haue yee conspired against God It is equall and right that the vniuerse of the whole world shold likewise conspire against you and that God should arme euery creature to the reuenge of that iniury and that all the whole circumference of the earth should warre against the ingratefull and those that will not acknowledge this benefit For it is meete that they that would not open their eyes whilst they had time and were inuited of so great a multitude of diuine benefits I say that is meete that their eyes shold be opened by the multitude of torments which neuer shall haue end But what will be done if to these aforesayd we set before thee the plentifull rich and aboundant table of this world which the Lord hath created for thine vse Whatsoeuer is found vnder the cope of heauen is eyther for the vse of man or for the vse of that thing which attendeth and wayteth vpon man for if man be not fed as I may so say with flies that flye in the ayre yet he is fed with those birds which are fed with these flies and if hee eate not grasse and wild hearbs yet he eateth the beasts of diuers sorts and kinds which are nourished with these hearbs Cast and cast againe thine eyes vpon euery corner of the world and thou shalt see how spacious and large the bounds and limits of thy riches are and how plentifull and affluent is thine inheritance Euery thing that goeth vpon the earth that swimmeth in the water that flyeth through the ayre that shineth in heauen is thine But all these benefits are of God and the works of his prouidence are the glasses of his beauty and testimonies of his mercy the sparks of his loue and the reports and prayses of his liberality See how many Preachers God sendeth vnto thee that thou mayst know him All things that are in heauen and in earth sayth Saint Augustine doe tell me that I should loue thee ô my Lord and they doe not cease to make the same proclamation to all men that no man can be excused If thou hast eares that thou canst vnderstand the voyces of the creatures thou shalt perceaue manifestly how they all together teach thee that thou shouldest loue God For all they in holding their peace cry that they were made for thy seruice that thou as well for thy selfe as for them mightest serue both thy Lord theirs Heauen sayth I doe minister vnto thee by day the light of the Sunne and by night the benefit of the Moone and starres that thou shouldest not walke in darknes and I doe giue and send vnto thee diuers influences that diuers things may encrease and breed with thee that thou mayst not perish thtough hunger The ayre sayth I doe apply my selfe vnto thee that thou mayst breathe in me I doe coole and refresh thee I doe temper and moderate thine internall heate least it consume thee I haue in me diuers kinds of birds that by their variety and beauty thine eyes may be delighted thine eares with their singing pleased and thy pallate by their tast contented and satisfied The water sayth I do serue thee in the appoynted times of the yeere with my rayne and showers I doe refresh comfort thee with my riuers and springs I doe bring forth nourish diuers kinds of fishes that they may be meate for thee I doe water thy sowing thy gardens fruitfull trees that thou mayst be nourished with them all I doe giue thee way through the midst of the Sea that thou maist traffique with the whole world and that it may be at thy pleasure to ioyne thy riches with the wealth of another Hemispheare What thinkest thou that the earth will say which is the common mother of vs all as it were the shop and ware-house of all naturall things Truly it will say not without reason I doe beare thee as an vnprofitable lump I thy mother doe carry thee as it were in mine armes I doe prouide thee of necessaries I doe sustaine thee with the fruits of my bowels I haue participatinn communion with all the other elements with all the heauens and I doe pertake of all theyr influences and I doe fruitfully yeeld and giue thee all my benefits To conclude I like a good mother neyther leaue thee in life nor death for in lyfe I doe suffer thee to tread vpon mee with thy feete and doe sustaine and beare thee vp and in death I yeeld thee a place of quiet and rest and I doe hide and enclose thee within my wombe What neede I many words All the world doth cry with a loud voyce Behold with what great loue my Lord and Creator doth affect thee who created me for the loue of thee and willed that I should serue thee for him that thou in like manner shouldest loue and serue him who created me for thee and thee for himselfe These are ô man the voyces of all the creatures marke and giue eare now that there can be no such wicked deafenes as to heare these voyces and to be ingratefull for so great benefits If thou hast receaued a benefit pay thy debt by thankfulnes least thou be plagued vvith the punishment of ingratefull persons For euery one of the creatures as very well sayth a certayne Doctour doe speake to and call vpon man with three words Receaue Render Beware that is receaue a benefit render thy debt and beware of punishment if thou doest not render it But that thou mayst more feruently meditate think vpon these things consider how Epictetus a Philosopher of whom we haue made mention before came to the knowledge of this Diuinity who willeth that in all things created we shold heare and see our Creator saying When the Crow doth crooke and doth fore-shew any change of weather it is not the Crow that doth fore-shew this to thee but God himselfe And if by mans voyce thou be admonished of any thing is it not in like manner God who created man and gaue vnto him power and
me thou didst fast thou didst watch thou didst run hether thether thou didst sweat thou didst weepe and thou didst proue by experience those miseries which my sinnes deserued and yet thou wast without any sinne neyther was there guile found in thy mouth neyther hadst thou offended but wast offended To be briefe for me thou wast taken forsaken of thine denied sold presented now before this Iudge now before that falsely accused before them beaten with fists spette vpon mocked whypped crowned with thornes reuiled with blasphemies hanged vpon the Crosse dead and buried At the length thou didst free me from all euill dying vpon the Crosse and ending thy life thy mother looking on at which time thou wast found in so great neede and misery that in that thine intollerable thirst a small drop of water was denied vnto thee by which thou mightest refresh and coole the heate of thy mouth Not onely thou wast forsaken of all externall things but also of thine owne Father What is worthy of greater admiration then that the God of so great a maiestie should end his lyfe vpon the cursed tree of the Crosse with the title of a malefactour When any man yea of meane estate commeth to that misfortune that he is to be punished with like death for his offence and fault and thou by chaunce dost know him seeing his countenaunce thou canst not sufficiently wonder considering into what an vnhappy estate his misery hath cast hym that hee must vnder-goe a death so cruell and ignominous Wherefore if it be an admirable thing to see a common man of inferiour degree to be compassed with so miserable calamitie what will it be to see not a man but the Lord of all creatures to be so plunged Can a thing be seene with greater admiration then God himselfe to be brought into so great misery for the offences of one malefactour And if by how much the person is more worthy and more noble who is slaine by so much hys case is more admirable and more miserable O yee Angels to whom the height and excellencie of this Lord is so perfectlie knowne vnderstood tel me what was your griefe and discruciatement What was your admiration astonishment when ye saw him hanging vpon the tree The Cherubins whom God in the old Testament commaunded to be placed at the two ends of the Arke of the Couenant theyr faces beeing turned one to another towards the Mercie-seate as though they beheld it admiring wondering doe signifie vnto vs that those high and supreame spirits were astonished when they did see and behold a worke of so great pietie when I say they did see God made the propitiatorie sacrifice of the worlde hanging vpon a tree Nature herselfe stoode astonished and all the creatures were suspended from theyr functions the principalities and powers of heauen were amazed considering this inestimable goodnesse which they knew to be in GOD. What then shall they doe who doe not swimme in waters of so great admiration of the Sea What shal they doe who are not drowned in the Ocean of this goodnes How cannot he but be amazed as another Moses astonished then in the Mount when the figure and patterne of this misterie was reuealed vnto him and he cryed out with a loud voyce The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gracious slowe to anger and aboundant in goodnesse and truth Beeing able neyther to say nor doe any thing but to proclaime with a high voyce that mercy which God then shewed to him What shall hee doe that couereth not his face as Elias dyd when he saw God passe by him not in the figure of his maiestie but in the forme of his most lowly humility not ouerthrowing Mountaines renting in sunder Rocks by his infinite power but presented to the eyes of a froward Nation commaunding Rocks to be rent and clouen in sunder through his compassion Who then will not shut the eyes of his vnderstanding who will not open the bosome of his will that he may perceiue the greatnesse of thys loue and benefit and loue thys Lord without any meane or measure O the height of loue ô the depth of vnmeasurable humility ô the greatnes of mercy ô the bottomlesse pitte of incomprehensible goodnes O Lord if I bee so greatly indebted to thee because thou hast redeemed me what doe I not owe thee for that manner by which thou hast redeemed me Thou hast redeemed mee with most great dolours with contumelies and ignominies not to be borne in so much that thou wast made a reproch of men and the scorne of the whole vvorld Through thy reproches thou hast honored me through thy accusations thou hast defended me through thy blood thou hast washed me through thy death thou hast raysed me and through thy teares thou hast freed me from euerlasting weeping and gnashing of teeth O good Father who so tenderly louest thy chyldren thou art that good and true Sheepheard which giuest thy selfe foode for thy flocke O thou most faythfull Keeper who lavest down thy life for thy Sheepe which thou tookest to defend keepe vvith what rewards shall I recompence this so great a benefit vvith what teares shall I requite thy weeping vvith what lyfe shall I remunerate thy holy and pure liuing There is too huge and great a difference betweene the life of man and God betweene the teares of the Creator and the creature But if ô man it be apparent vnto thee that thou art not onlie indebted vnto God that hee dyed not onely for thee alone but for the whole world beware thou be not deceiued For so he dyed for all that also he dyed for euery one For by his infinite wisedome all they for whom he suffered were so present to his eyes that they were all comprehended as it were in one and with his vnmeasurable loue he embraced all in generall and euery one in particuler and he so shedde his blood for all as if it had beene for one To conclude his loue was so great and so exceeding that as the holy men of GOD doe say if but one onely amongst all men had been guiltie and faultie yea for him alone he would haue suffered all that which he suffered for all Marke therefore and ponder with thy selfe howe much thou art indebted to thys Lord who hath doone so great thinges for thee and would haue doone much greater if thy necessitie had required greater ¶ Of this afore-said it is gathered how great an offence it is to offend our Sauiour I Would that all creatures would tell mee if any benefit greater if a greater bond if greater fauour thē this may be found Let the whole assembly and company of Angels tell me if God did euer such things for them Who then is he that will refuse to offer himselfe vp wholy a sacrifice to GOD For three causes saith Anselme ô Lord I owe all that to thee that I am First because thou hast created mee
I owe all those things to thee which are in me Secondly because thou hast redeemed me I owe the same but by a more iust title Thirdly because thou hast promised thy selfe a reward vnto mee it maketh mee eftsoones to owe my selfe wholy vnto thee Why therfore shal I not giue my selfe once wholy to him to whom I owe my selfe by so many meanes and titles O exceeding ingratitude ô the hardnes of mans hart a hard hart in deede thou art if thou be not bended and moued with so many benefits if thou doest not render ouer and giue thy selfe for so many gifts There is not any thing found in this world so hard but that by some Art and vvorkmanship it may be mollified and softned Mettals melt through fire Iron is made tractable by the same the hardnes of a Diamond is broken by the blood of a Goate but thou ô hart of man art harder then any rocke harder then Iron harder then a Diamond when as neyther hell fire may breake thy hardnes nor the Art of thy most mercifull and louing father may mollifie thee nor the blood of the vnspotted Lambe can make thee tractable Seeing therfore thou ô Lord hast exhibited and giuen vnto vs so great goodnes and mercy doth it seeme a thing tollerable vnto thee that any man should be found who loueth thee not Who is vnmindfull of thy benefits Yea which is most insufferable that blusheth not to offend thee What loueth he that doth not loue thee For what benefit will he be gratefull who doth shew himselfe ingrateful for thy benefits How can I not but worship him but serue him who so deerely hath loued me Who with so great dilligence hath sought for me who with so great labour hath redeemed me from all euill If I were lift vp from the earth sayth our Sauiour I will draw all men vnto mee With what violence ô my Lord With what chaines With the violence of thy loue and with the chaines of thy benefits I will draw thee with the cords of a man sayth the Lord and with bands of loue Who will not willingly be drawne with thy cords Who will not suffer himselfe to be bound with thy bands Who would not couet to be bound and to be ouercome of so great benefits But if it be such an offence not to loue this Lord what will it be to offend him and to violate his commaudements Is it possible ô man that thou hast hands to offend those hands which haue been so liberall towards thee that for thee they were nailed to the Crosse Whē as that lasciuious and vnshamefast woman would haue allured the holy Patriarke Ioseph to adultery and solicited him to be vnfaithfull to his Lord the chast young man defended himselfe after this manner Behold my Maister knoweth not what he hath in the house with me but hath committed all that he hath to mine hand besides thee which art his wife how then can I doe this great wickednes and so sinne against God As if he should say If my Lord hath beene so good and liberall vnto me if hee hath committed all his goods vnto my trust if hee hath me in such great honour how can I haue hands ready to offend so good a Maister who hath bound me to him with so many benefits In which place we are to note that hee was not content to say that it was not decent or meete that I should offend him or I ought not to doe this but he sayd How can I doe this great wickednes c. Signifying that the greatnes of benefits ought not onely to bridle our will but also to take away our power and strength by any meanes to offend our Lord God If these kind of benefits deserued so great gratitude and thankfulnes what doe not the diuine benefits deserue That man had committed to the hands of Ioseph that which he had and God hath committed to thee those things he hath Now compare those things which God hath with those things which that man had and see by how many wayes those are greater and more excellent then these They are double and triple which thou hast receaued of God if thou comparest them with those that Ioseph receaued of this man Tell me I pray thee what wealth what riches hath God which he hath not communicated vnto thee The heauen the earth the Sunne the Moone the starres the Seas riuers birds fishes trees liuing creatures to be briefe all that is found vnder heauen is in thine hands What not onelie those things which are vnder heauen are in thy power but also which are aboue the heauens that is the glory of them and eternall blessednes All things are yours sayth the Apostle whether it be Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death whether they be things present or things to come euen all are yours That is ordained and appointed for your saluation But what if I shall say that thou onely hast not those things which are aboue the heauens but that the Lord himselfe of all heauens is giuen vnto thee by a thousand wayes Hee is giuen vnto thee as a Father as a Tutor as a Sauiour as a Maister he is thy Phisition he is the price of thy redemption he is an example to thee a helpe a remedy a keeper To be briefe the father hath giuen vnto vs his sonne the sonne hath deserued for vs the holy Ghost whom the father and the sonne sendeth vnto vs from whom proceedeth all good things Seeing therefore that it is as true as truth it selfe that God hath giuen all things into thine hands which he hath how can it be that thou hast hands to prouoke and incense him Doest thou thinke that it is a thing to be borne to be ingratefull to a father so good and to a benefactour so liberall Certainly this seemeth to be extreame wickednes but if to this ingratitude thou ioynest the contempt of the benefactour and iniury or offence what a mischiefe will that seeme to be If that young man whom before we remembred tooke himselfe to be so bound and chayned that hee had no power or abillity to offend him who had cōmitted vnto him all the substance of his house how wilt thou finde strength in thy selfe to offend him who hath giuen to thee heauen earth and himselfe Ah vnhappy man more vnthankfull then the beasts more cruell then Lyons and Tygers more insensible then the stones is it possible that thou canst not keepe thee from so great wickednes What Beast what Lyon what Tyger is so vnmindfull of benefits that will hurt him of whom he is benefited Saint Ambrose speaketh of a certaine dogge which a whole night lamented his Maister slaine of one of his enemies with barking and howling In the morning many men came to the dead corps and amongst others he also came that had slaine the man The dogge seeing that homicide made out sodainly against
be predestinated For if any Prince who is to be the heire of a great kingdome doth passe by any way all the inhabitants their houses being left flock to that place that they may see him and they admire that blessed according to the opinion of the world estate which doth tarry for that young man because he is borne to be the heire of a kingdome how much more then ought men to admire and wonder at this most blessed estate That is that man is borne and elected without any merrit of his not that he may be a temporall King in this world but that he may raigne in heauen with God himselfe and with his blessed Saints for euer and euer world without end Therfore by these things my brother thou mayest easily know of that great bond by which all the Elect for this benefit are bound to their Lord and Electour From the which benefit let no man thinke himselfe excluded so that he will doe his duty and will not be wanting vnto himselfe yea let him giue all dilligence that by good works as Saint Peter admonisheth hee may make his calling and election sure for we assuredly know that he that doth this shall be saued we also know that the fauour and grace of God doth neuer faile and diaspoynt any man neyther will at anie time leaue or forsake him Therefore let vs perseuere in good works in the vndoubted certainty of these two truths and let vs hope that wee are of that happy and blessed number of the Elect. THE SEAVENTH TITLE That man is bound to follow and embrace Vertue by reason of the first of these foure last things which happen vnto him which is Death CHAP. VII EVery one of the fore-sayde titles ought worthily and of right to mooue a man to serue the Lord his God to whom hee is bound by so many names and reasons But because the greater part of men is more moued by reward and hire then by the debt to iustice that is as others speake rather by profit then honesty we haue thought it a thing worth the labour if to these afore-sayd we adde the great profits and commodities which are promised to Vertue as well in this life as in the lyfe to come Heere at the first we will speake of two especially amongst the rest of the Glory which we obtaine by Vertue and of the Punishment which we auoide by it These are the two oares by the benefit of which we row and saile out of the danger of this troublesome stormy Sea these are the two spurs by which we are pricked forward to runne with celeritie to the way of this life Hence it is that certaine holy men inspired with the holy Spirit haue wished that Preachers would preach altogether or for the most part of vertues and vices of glorie and punishment of vertues and vices that they may teach how to liue well of glory and punishment that they may moue and perswade to liue well It is also the opinion of Phylosophers the common iudgement of all men that reward punishment are the two counterpoises by which the Horologe of mans life is mooued For so great is the misery of our will that no man desireth vertue being naked bare and plaine to the which punishment is not adioyned or which is not recompenced vvith some profit And because no punishment nor reward can bee thought of greater then that eternall glory euerlasting paine wee haue purposed at this present to speake of them before which wee will sette other two because they are first in order that is Death and the Generall Iudgement Because each one of them being well considered of they haue great motions to incite and stirre vs vp to Vertue and to feare vs from vice according to that saying of the Wiseman Remember the end and thou shalt neuer doe amisse By the end vnderstanding those foure that we a little before haue remembred of the which wee will entreat in order according to the tenour of our purpose Of Death therefore we wil take our beginning which is the first in the number of those last things that happen vnto man which is so much the more powerfull to moue the minde by much it is more certaine more vniuersall and more familiar common vnto him Especially if wee consider the particuler iudgement of all our life which shall bee pronounced of it which shall not be changed in that generall Iudgement for that which shall be gyuen at the houre of death that same for euer shall be ratified How seuere thys iudgement will be and how strickt the account which shall there be required I wil not that thou learne of my wordes but of an history which Iohannes Climacus remembreth of which he was an eye witnes vvhich truly is one of the terriblest and fearefullest which I remember that euer I read these are the words of Climacus I will not omit to relate the history of that solitary monastical man who dwelled in Choreb When as of a long time he had lyued verie dissolutely and loosely and had not had at all any care of his soule at the length he was taken with a disease and brought to his last home And now when as an extasie had seased vpon his body after an houre he came to himselfe againe and desired all vs that forth-with we should depart from him the entrance of his Cell beeing stopped with stones hee remained vvithin twelue yeeres not at all speaking any thing to any man neither tasting any other thing besides bread and water There sitting and beeing amazed hee onely ruminated and reuolued those things which he had seene in that seperation of his soule from his body and in these things he was alwayes of so fixed stedfast a meditation that he neuer changed his countenaunce but alwaies continuing thus amazed astonished silently he poured forth aboundance of seruent teares When he was nowe at deaths doore and death beganne to seaze on him the entrance of his Cell beeing broke open vve entred in And when as we earnestly desired some instruction and doctrine of him vve onely heard thys of him Pardon me No man can abide himselfe should be drawn to sinne if hee in deed doth soundly carry in his mind the remembrance of death We meruailously wondered at him beholding him that before was so negligent and loose to be so suddainly changed and to be made another man by this most blessed change Hetherto Climacus who was present at all these things and what he saw he testifieth in his writings So that no man ought to doubt of thys deede although it seeme to some incredible especially seeing that the witnes is true and faythfull In thys story there are many things which wee woorthily ought to feare considering the life which thys holy man ledde and much more the vision which hee sawe whence came that manner of lyuing which afterwards he obserued thorow out al
the iust doe so greatly feare what shall the sinner doe When as the Cedar of Libanus is shaken what will the sprigge of the wildernesse doe If the righteous scarcely shal be saued as saith S. Peter where shall the vngodly and sinner appeare Tell me I pray thee what doost thou thinke of that houre whē as thou departing out of this life shalt enter into that iudgment alone naked poore without any one that may defend and maintaine thy cause besides thy good works which thou hast doone and only thy conscience wayting vpon them that tribunall vvill be very sharpe and seuere where it is not handled of life or death temporall but eternall And if in rendring thine account thou art found wholy oppressed with debts alas how horrible wil be the dolours and vexations of thy mind O how full of confusion wilt thou be and how aboundant in vnprofitable repentance how voyd wilt thou be of all aduice and counsaile and how destistute of all comfort Truly great vvas the trouble and distraction of minde among the Princes of Iuda when as the victorious sword of Sesac King of the Egyptians did tyrannize in all the streets of Ierusalem when as by the present paine and punishment they acknowledged their passed faults and old errors But there is no comparison between that confusion and thys of the which we now speake In that houre what will sinners doe vvhether will they turne themselues vvho shall defend them Teares will not profit them there all repentance will be barraine and vnfruitfull In that houre neither prayers shall be heard neither any promises shall take place or any suretieshippe be accepted When as the last moment of life is come and the houre glasse runne out novve there is no more time left for repentance But if these foresaide things will not profit much lesse shall riches nobilitie or honours helpe for the Wise-man sayth Riches auaile not in the day of wrath but righteousnes deliuereth from death When as the vnhappy soule shall see it selfe compassed and inclosed in these streights what will it doe what will it say vvith what other words will it lament this lamentable estate then with those which the Prophet vsed in times past when he sayd The sorrowes of death compassed me and the floods of wickednesse made me afraid the sorowes of the graue haūe compassed me about the snares of death ouertooke me Woe is me poore wretch into what a laborinth haue my sinnes ledde me How suddenlie and thinking nothing lesse hath this houre entrapped me How hath it rushed vpon me I neuer dreaming of it What doe now my honours profit me vvhat doe now my dignities helpe me What doe all my friends for me vvhat profit doe now my seruaunts bring me vvhat fruite doe I now reape of all my riches goods which I was wont to possesse For no a small peece of ground of seauen foote will containe me and I must be content with a dwelling in a narrow Coffin and vvith lodging in a poore winding-sheete But that which is worst of all my riches shall remaine heere behind me which I haue scraped together with so great toyle and sweating others shall enioy them and shall spend them on their pleasures Onely my sinnes which I haue committed in gathering them waite vpon me that I may suffer deserued punishment for thē What can I make now of all my pleasures delights seeing they are all ouer-past onely theyr dreggs are my portion which are scruples bytings of conscience which like thornes doe pearce me and doe runne through my myserable hart and shall torment it with euerlasting tortures O my intollerable blockishnes ô my madnes and folly to be cursed with a thousand execrations how could it be that I vnmindfull of thys time haue not prepared my selfe to eschew these present calamities How often haue I beene admonished of this day but vvith deafe eares I ouer-passed all counsaile vvoc is me why did I not receiue instruction vvhy haue I not obeyed and harkened vnto my Teachers and to the wordes that they taught mee I lyued irreligiously in the midst of the Church and amongst Gods people I haue polluted my selfe with all kinde of sinne With these and such like lamentations sinners will deplore and bewaile theyr miserable estate and these most commonly will be their meditations considerations and confessions But least thou my brother sholdest fall into the like straights I pray thee that thou wouldest examine all these things aforesayd with diligent regard and that they being often meditated vpon thou wouldest euery where and alwayes set them before thine eyes but amongst others lay vp chiefely these three things deepely in thy minde and in a faithfull memory the first of which is that thou consider the greatnes of the punishment which thou shalt feele in the houre of death for thy multitude of sinnes by which thou hast offended the diuine goodnes the second is that thou diligently ponder with what great desire thou wilt then wish so to haue led thy life that in that houre thou mightest haue God propitious and fauourable vnto thee thirdly that thou remember how great and how seuere a repentance thou wouldest enter into if time should be graunted vnto thee Therefore liue so now as thou wouldest desire and wish that thou hadst liued in that houre THE EIGHT TITLE That man is bound to desire Vertue by reason of that second last thing that happeneth vnto him which is the last Iudgement CHAP. VIII AFter death followeth the perticuler iudgement of euery one and after that the vniuersall iudgment of all when that shall be fulfilled which the Apostle sayth Wee must all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ that euery man may receaue the things which are done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or euill Heere we will speake of the rigour of that strict account which shall be exacted of vs in this iudgement and what will follow after the sentence of this iudgement that man may see that he not onelie is inuited vnto Vertue but rather that he is drawne and constrayned First therefore we are to consider that one thing amongst other which holy Iob wondered at that although man is so weake a creature yet God who is so great and mighty entreth with great rigour into iudgement with him Insomuch that there is no word no thought no inordinate and disordered motion which he hath not written in the booke and record of his iustice that he may exact a most strict account of it After a long discourse he at length sayth thus Wherefore hidest thou thy face and takest me for thine enemy Wilt thou breake a leafe driuen too and fro And wilt thou pursue the dry stubble For thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possesse the iniquities of my youth Thou puttest my feete also in the stocks and lookest narrowly vnto all my paths and makest
come let vs rayse and stirre vp our selues before we be ouer-taken before that great day of the Lord come and appeare of which the Prophet sayth Behold it commeth and who shall endure it Or who shall abide the day of his comming That is a feareful day of hurly burly and of darknes But thou wilt say Howe then may I escape these foresaide euils I will tell thee not onely keepe thy body pure and vnspotted but when thou hast suffered iniurie do good for it if thou beest accused be thou patient When thou doost fast be not boasting of it for fasts are not commended for abstayning from meate but for abstayning from sinne Search the Scriptures see how first the Prophet seeth a Hasill-wand and afterwards a burning Cauldron demonstrating vnto vs that the fire doth consume those that doe not beare the chastisement and correction of the rodde So by Moses the pyllar of fire showed that they that obserue the law receiue the light but the disobedient receiue fire Reade the Scriptures of our Sauiour and learne howe that when we goe hence thether no body can helpe vs. The brother shall not redeeme the brother from endlesse torments nor the friend hys friend nor the parents their children nor the children their parents And what doe I speake of myserable men when as if Noe Iob and Daniel come they cannot intreate the Iudge But thou wilt say Whence may I know this to be true Looke vppon him that hauing not his wedding garment was excluded and none intreating for him Looke vppon him that had the talent committed vnto him and dyd not increase it and how for him no body intreateth Looke vpon the fiue Virgins shutte foorth neyther the other fiue intreateth for them which also Christ calleth foolish because after they had troden pleasures vnder theyr feete after they had cooled the fornace of concupiscence then they were found fooles and not without cause because they obseruing that great dutie of Virginitie dyd not keepe that small commaundement of Humilitie Looke vpon the Iudge in the day of iudgement placing the Sheepe on hys right hand and the vnprofitable Goates on his left and saying to those on his right hand Come yee blessed of my Father receaue a kingdome prepared for you But those on his left hand to be cast into vtter darknesse and that no body dooth helpe and succour them being cast out For it is a true speech Behold the man and his worke Thou hast heard how Diues neuer pittying Lazarus was tormented with flames desired a droppe of water Thou knowest how that Abraham himselfe could not ease his paines although he desired and beseeched him Therefore heereafter we regarding and respecting our selues before we are confounded and vtterly cast downe let vs giue the glory to God It is better here that thy tongue should be dried vp through fasting then to keepe it moyst and there to desire that moysture which being denied is eternall paine Heere with small labour wee may auoide great torments And if we be so delicate and tender in this life that we can not suffer patiently a feauer of three dayes how shall we in the life to come be able to suffer euerlasting fire If wee doe feare the sentence of death pronounced of an earthly Iudge which taketh only from vs life of a few yeres why doe we not feare the sentence of this Iudge which depriueth vs vtterly of an eternall life If we are terrified seeing the execution of some horrible punishment which in this world is inflicted vpon some malefactour when wee see the Sargiants with the Hang-man to draw the malefactour to punishment to beate him to hang and quarter him or to burne him Yet all these are rather solaces then sorrowes if they be compared with the punishments to come For these torments are ended together with life but there neyther the worme shall dye nor the tormenter shall be wearied nor the fire shall euer be extinguished In so much that if all things which thou shalt compare with this punishment be fire be sword be beasts be what torment thou wilt yet it is a sleepe and a shadow in comparison of this But what will the condemned doe when they see themselues depriued of so great a good and condemned to so great misery What will they doe What will they say How will they breathe And all these in vaine For after the ship is drowned the Saylers are for no vse neyther is a Phisition profitable when the diseased dye Then although too late they shall disclaime their errours and say this was to be done and this not Although we often haue beene admonished yet we haue not obeyed Then the Iewes at the length shall acknowledge him that commeth in the name of the Lord but this too late knowledge shall nothing profit them For there shall be no time O vs wretched and miserable what shall we bring for our excuse in that day when as heauen the earth the Sunne the Moone the day and the night with all things that are in the world shall accuse vs and shall cry out for reuengement vpon vs bearing witnes of our euils Yea if all should hold their peace yet our owne conscience would lift vp her voyce against vs and accuse vs. All these things are out of Saint Chrisostome by which it is manifest how greatly hee shall be striken with a vehement feare who shall come vnprepared to this sentence This same Saint Ambrose feared when he sayth woe vnto me if I shall not rise at midnight to confesse and prayse thee ô Lord. Woe to me if I shall deale craftily with my neighbour Woe vnto me if I shall not speake the truth The axe is layde to the roote of the tree let it bring forth those fruites of grace which it should of repentance The Lord is at hand that requireth fruite hee giueth life to the fruitfull but casteth the barren into the fire THE NINTH TITLE That man is bound to the exercise of Vertue by reason of the third last thing that happeneth vnto him which is the glory of Heauen CHAP. IX EVery one of those things which hetherto wee haue spoken of by very good reason ought to haue sufficient force to inflame our minds with the loue of Vertue But because the hardnes of mans hart is so great that after all this it cannot be moued with all these we will adde an other motiue no lesse effectuall then the praecedent It is the greatnes of the reward which Vertue promiseth to her louers that is the glory of Heauen in which two things are to be especially looked vnto the one is the excellencie and beauty of the place that is of the heauen of heauens the other is the dignity and greatnes of the King that dwelleth there with all his elect As touching the first howe great the beauty is and how great are the riches of this place no humane
eloquence can vtter but by certaine coniectures we may come as it were aloofe of to some knowledge of it Amongst these coniectures the first is the end of that worke for the end is one of the circumstances which are wont especially to declare the condition and excellencie of a thing The end therefore for which the Lord hath made this place is that by it he might manifest his glory For although hee hath created all things for his glory as sayth Salomon yet properly and peculierly he is sayd to haue created heauen for this end for in it after a more speciall manner his dignitie greatnes and magnificence doth shine and appeare For euen as King Assuerus that raigned from India euen vnto Ethiopia ouer an hundred and seauen and twenty prouinces made a great feast vnto all his Princes and his seruants euen the power of Persia and Media in the Citty of Susan by the space of an hundred and fourescore dayes and that with all maiesty cost and royall magnificence that hee might shew the riches and glory of his kingdome and the honour of his great maiestie So the great King of Kings determined to make a most solemne and sumptuous feast in heauen not by the space of anie time but throughout all eternity that in it he might show the vnmeasurablenes of his riches of his wisedome also of his liberality and goodnes This is that feast of which the Prophet Esay speaketh when he sayth And the Lord of Hoasts shall make to all people in this mountaine a feast of fat things euen a feast of fined wines and of fat things full of marrow of wines fined and purified That is of meates most delicate most precious and most sweete If therefore the Lord God doth make that solemne feast that in it he may manifest the greatnes of his glory if his glory be so great what shall the feast be What the riches How precious all things that to this end are prepared But we shal vnderstand this better if wee consider the greatnes of the power of this Lord. His power is so great that with one word he created this admirable frame and that with one word in like manner he can destroy it againe Neyther could he haue created one vvorld with one word but infinite vvorlds in like maner againe he could haue destroyed so many with one word Furthermore whatsoeuer he doth hee doth it without labour so that with the same facility that he created a small Pismire hee could haue created the greatest Cherubin and Seraphin for he feeleth no burthen he sweateth not vnder a greater weight neyther is hee eased of a lesse For he can doe all things that he willeth and whatsoeuer he willeth he worketh by his onely will Tell mee therefore if the power of this Lord be so great and if the glory of his most holy name be so great so vnmeasurable his loue what thinkest thou will be his house the ioy the feast which he to this end hath prepared What can be wanting to this worke why it should not be absolute in euery respect There shall be no defect of his hands because he is infinitely mightie and powerfull There shall be lesse defect of his braine because he that made it is infinitely wise There shall be no defect of his will because he is infinitely good Neither shall this worke be hindered through want of riches because the maker is the Sea and Ocean of all treasure What then vvill this vvork be where there is such and so great preparation What shall that vvorke be that commeth out of that shop in which such vvorkmaisters vvorke together as are the omnipotency of the Father the vvisedome of the Sonne and the goodnes of the holy Ghost Where the goodnes vvilleth the vvisedome disposeth and ordereth the omnipotencie can doe all that vvhich the goodnes vvilleth and the vvisedome ordereth although all these are one and the same in diuers persons We haue also an other coniecture meete for this purpose not vnlike to the former For God prepared not this house onely for his owne honour but for the glory and honour also of his elect Consider therefore how carefull God is to honour his friends and to performe his promise by vvhich he promised that hee vvould honour all them that doe administer vnto him This is manifested by the effect seeing that he hath giuen to them that liue in this world dominion and rule ouer all creatures This is manifest in Iosua at whose commandement the Sun stood vnmoueable in the midst of heauē no otherwise then if hee had had in his hands the bridle of the frame of the whole world The Lord obeying as the Scripture saith the voyce of a man We see the like in Esay who gaue to King Hezekiah his wish whether he vvould that the shadow of the Sun should goe forward tenne degrees or goe back ten degrees for vvith the same facility that he could doe the one he could doe the other Is not the like power seene in Elias vvho by his vvord stayed the cloudes that they should yeeld no raine as long as hee pleased And afterwards by the vertue of his prayer hee brought backe the cloudes and obtayned raine and vvatered the earth vvith showers and dewes Not onely such things in life are graunted vnto the Elect but the Lord doth honour them so farre that hee hath giuen this power after death to their bones and ashes Who vvill not prayse God that the bones of dead Elizeus reuiued a dead man vvhose body through feare of the theeues of Moab vvas cast into the Sepulcher of the Prophet Yea he hath not onely giuen this vertue vnto the bones and ashes of his elect but also to their shadowes the shadow of Peter restored them to health whom it shadowed O admirable God ô exceeding and infinitely good who hath giuen to man what he tooke not to himselfe or which he himselfe vsed not for it is not reade of Christ that his shadow healed the diseased which notwithstanding the Scripture testifieth of Peter If God be so ready to honour his Saints yea in a time and place not ordayned nor destined for their reward but appoynted for labours and miseries how great doost thou thinke that glory will be which he hath prepared for his beloued in a place proper for reward and recompence to honour them and that he may be honoured in them Hee that so greatly desireth to bestow honour and can so easily doe it let euery one consider with himselfe how ample precious rare and magnificent those things ought to be which hee hath prepared for the honour of his Elect In this place also may be considered the incomparable liberality of this Lord in rewarding the seruices of his seruants The Lord commaunded the Patriarke Abraham to sacrifice his onely and deerely beloued sonne who beeing obedient to the commaundement and preparing
of Roses and other flowers No other thing then a cleere heauen in a faire night adorned vvith starres What shall I speake of the vaines of gold siluer and other mettals in most rich Mines What of Diamonds Carbuncles Emeralds and other most precious Iemmes which seeme to contend by theyr beautie and brightnes with heauen with the starres themselues What of the shapes and the diuersity of colours which are seene in byrds and in other liuing creatures and flowers Let the pleasantnesse of Art if it please you be ioyned to the beautie of nature and the beautie of all things shall be doubled Because by Art diuers and excellent peeces of curious workmanshyp are wrought in gold siluer by Art vessels images and pictures are made no lesse pleasant then artificiall gardens and Orchards by singuler industrie are set and planted buildings of Churches palaces of Kings are so cunningly made of gold marble and other things that they carry mens minds into admiration astonishment If therfore in this base element the lowest of all which is called the Land of the dead there be so many so delightfull beautifull and pleasant things hovve many and how great thinkest thou shall those things be in that highest place which by how much it is higher then all the heauens and all the elements by so much it is nobler by so much richer by so much more beautifull Especially if wee consider those celestiall bodies which are obuious to our sight as are the starres the Sunne Moone in splendour in vertue in beauty and in perpetuitie by so many degrees to excell and exceed all inferiour things what then wil those things doe which are hid from mortall eyes and are onely open to immortall sight thys excellencie can scarcely be presupposed or thought vpon We know that there are three kind of places appointed of God vnto men in thys life according to the diuersitie of times the first is the mothers wombe after conception the second is this world straightwaies after byrth the third shal be heauen after death if we haue liued well In these orders of places there is that proportion that by how much more the second is more excellent then the first by so much the third is more excellent then the second as wel in the continuaunce and perpetuitie of the tyme as in the largenesse and beautie of the place and in all other things For the diuturnitie and longnes of the first lyfe it is certaine that it is no longer then nine moneths the second life at the most is but an hundred yeeres but the third is endlesse and eternall Moreouer the greatnesse of the place of the first life is no larger then the wombe in which it is contained of the second thys large and spacious world but of the thyrd the place is so much the greater and more spacious then the second place by how much the second is larger then the first and the same excellencie that it hath in largenes and greatnesse the same it hath in beauty fairenes riches and in all other things If therefore thys world by so much is more large more beautiful and more rich then the mothers wombe how great will the largenes the beautie the riches the nobilitie be of that heauenlie place This same thing the difference of the inhabitants dwelling in these two places doe manifestly declare For the frame and fashion of the building ought to be sutable to the condition of the inhabitants dwelling in it This as we haue sayd is the land of the dead that of the liuing this is full of sinners that of the righteous and iust this of men that of Angels this penitentiaries inhabite that those that haue obtayned the remission of sinnes in this dwell the militant in that the triumphant to be briefe this is the habitation of friends and enemies that of friends onely and of the elect If therfore the difference of the inhabitants be so great how great thinkest thou shal the difference of places be Especially seeing that God doth make all places conformable to the inhabitants Great and glorious things are spoken of thee thou Citty of God Thou art large and great in space and latitude faire and beautifull in fight and view precious in matter noble in society sweet in exercises rich in all blessings and free from all euils In all things thou art great for he is the greatest that made thee and the end is most excellent for which thou wast made and thy inhabitants also are most noble for whose vse thou wast made All these pertaine to accidental glory But there is an other glory greater without all comparison which is called essentiall and consisteth in the sight and possession of God himselfe of which Saint Augustine sayth he himselfe shal be the reward of Vertue who gaue Vertue who shal be seene without end loued without loathing and praysed without wearines In so much that this reward is so great that a greater cannot be because it is neyther heauen nor earth nor sea nor any other creature but the Creator himselfe and the Lord of all who also as he is one so he is the most pure and simple good in whom all other good things are found For the further intelligence of this thing we must know that one of the wonderfull thinges which are in this substance is this that we haue spoken of that is that it being but one and the most simple yet it includeth all the perfections of all things and that in the highest eminencie of perfection For seeing that he is the Creator and maker of all and it is he that gouerneth and directeth all to their last end and perfection it cannot be that he hath not that he giueth to another or laboureth with any penury of that thing that hee so aboundantly distributeth to others Hence it is that all the blessed spirits doe reioyce in seeing all things in him alone yet euery one according to the proportion of that glory which they haue gotten For euen as now the creatures are as it were looking glasses in which the beauty of God may after some manner be seene so then God shall be the looking glasse in whom the beauty and fairenes of all creatures shall be seene and that vision shall be much more perfect then if it were seene in the creatures themselues So that God will be there the vniuersall good of all his Saints the perfect felicity and satietie of all their desires There God will be a looking glasse to the eyes of his Saints musicke to their eares Nectar Ambrosia to their palats and ordoriferous Balsanum to their smelling There we shall see the variety and beauty of the seasons the pleasantnes of the Spring the brightnes of Sommer the fruitfulnes of Autumne and the quiet of Winter To be briefe there shall be whatsoeuer may delight our sences and euery faculty of our soules There as Bernard sayth will
be the fulnes of light to our vnderstanding the aboundance of peace to our will and the continuance of eternity to our memory There the wisedom of Salomon shall seeme ignorance there the beauty of Absalon shall seeme deformity there the strength of Sampson shall seeme weakenes there the life of those men that liued at the beginning of the world shall be as it were death to conclude there wee may worthily call the treasuries of all Emperours and Kings starke beggerie and pouertie If these things be so ô wretched man as they are in deede wherefore and to what end doost thou desire to stay longer in the Land of Egipt and to gather stubble Why doost thou drinke troubled and foule water out of all cesternes despising the vaine of felicity and the fountaine of liuing waters Why doost thou loue to begge and â—o liue of almes when thou shalt finde such aboundance in heauen If thou desirest pleasure lift vp thine hart and see how delightfull that good is that contayneth in it the delight and pleasure of all good things If this life created doth please thee how much more shall that life please thee which created all things If health giuen make thee merrie how much more shall he make thee merry that giueth all health If the knowledge of the creatures be sweet and acceptable how much more sweeter shall the Creator himselfe be If beauty be acceptable vnto thee it is hee at whose beauty the Sunne and Moone admire If thou desirest nobility hee is the fountaine and originall of all nobility If thou desirest long life and health he is eternal life If thou desirest satiety and aboundance he is the fulnes of al good things If thou delightest in the wel-tuned musicke harmony of mortall men there Angels doe sing most sweetly the Organs of the Citty of God are heard there with great delight and pleasantnes If the friendship familiarity and society of good men doe like thee there thou shalt finde all the elect hauing one minde and one hart If thou thirstest after riches and honours in that house of the Lord they are found in great aboundance To conclude if thou desirest to escape all kinde of punishments tribulations and miseries there thou shalt finde libertie and freedome from them all God commaunded in the olde law that vpon the eight day Circumcision should be celebrated that secretly he might let vs vnderstand that vpon the eight day of our Resurrection which succeedeth the seauenth day of this life God will circumcise and cut off all the griefes sorrowes miseries and calamities of them that for his loue whilst they liued haue circumcised and cut off their appetites lusts and sinnes What thing then can be found out more blessed or happy then this estate of liuing most free from all kinde of misery What sayth Saint Augustine is more blessed then this life where there is no feare of pouerty no infirmity of sicknes No man is hurt none angry none enuieth no concupiscence is kindled no appetite of meat no ambition of honour or dominion doth vrge or moue thee There is no feare of the deuill no deceipts of deuils the terror of hell is farre of there is neyther death of body or soule but a pleasant life through the gift of immortality Then there shall be no mischiefes no discords but all agreement because there shall be one concord of all the Saints Peace and ioy embrace all things all thinges are at quiet and rest there is continuall brightnes and shining not that which is now but much more bright and cleare because that Citty as it is reade needeth neyther Sunne nor Moone but the Lord almighty shall enlighten it and the Lambe is the light of it Where the Saints shall shine as the brightnes of the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnes as the starres for euer and euer Wherefore there is no night no darknes no concourse of cloudes neyther anie distemperature or vnseasonablenes of heate or cold but there shall be such a temperature and moderation of all things which neyther the eye hath seene nor the eare hath heard neyther hath it entred into the hart of man except of them who are found worthy to enioy it whose names are written in the booke of life But aboue all these things it is to be consociate with the assembly of Angels and Archangels and of all the celestiall powers to behold the Patriarches and Prophets to see the Apostles and all the Saints to see also our parents These are glorious but much more glorious is it to behold the countenance of the Lord and to see that light not to be circumscribed that will be superexcellent glory when we shal see God in himselfe wee shall see and shall haue him in vs whom to behold there shall be no end O my soule sayth the same holy man if wee daily should suffer torments if for a long time we should endure hell it selfe that we might see Christ in his glory and haue society with his Saints were it not a thing worthy to suffer all bitternes and all crosse that we might be pertakers of so great good and so great glory Therfore let the deuils lye in waite for me let them prepare temptations let fastings weaken my body let hard and course cloathing afflict my flesh let labours oppresse mee let watchings dry me vp let this man cry out against me let this or that disquiet mee let cold benum me let my conscience murmur against mee let heate burne mee let my head ake let my hart boyle within me let my stomach faile mee let my countenance waxe pale let euery part of me be enfeebled let my life forsake me in griefe and let my yeeres end in sorrow let rottennes enter into my bones and flow vnder me so that I may rest in the day of tribulation and that I may ascend to the holy hil For what shal be the glory of the righteous How great the ioy of the Saints when as euery face shal shine as the Sun Hetherto S. Augustine If this good be so great and so vniuersall what shal the felicity and glory be of those blessed eyes which shal behold all these things How excellent a thing wil it be to see the beauty of this Citty And the glory of the Cittizens The face of the Creator The magnificence of the buildings The riches of the Pallace and the common ioy of that Countrey How pleasant a thing wil it be to see the orders of the blessed Spirits The authority of that holy Senate And the maiesty of those venerable Seniours and Elders which Saint Iohn saw Sitting vpon thrones in the sight of God clothed in white rayment and hauing on their heads crownes of gold How sweet and how pleasant wil it be to heare those sweet angelical voyces the consent of theyr musicke most excellently composed of maister singers such Psalmody of such holy singers such Symphonie
blood of the sonne of God was necessarie in supplying the dignity of the person which was wanting fayling for the greatnes of the punishment what shall it be vvhen the recompence shall be performed not by the dignitie of the person but onely by the seueritie of the punishment But let vs come from the condition of the Iudge to the condition and quality of the executioner whose part it will be to execute the sentence and decree of the Iudge If it be demanded who it shal be I say that it shal be the deuil From whose hands what is to be hoped I thinke that no man will doubt Yet that thou mayst vnderstand after some manner how great the cruelty is of the executioner I pray thee consider how cruelly he handleth them which are committed to his power as was holy Iob. Thou doost see this cruell Tyrant after that manner tyrannizing ouer this innocent man that after a greater or more cruel manner he could not tyrannize ouer any reasonable creature hauing not the least pitty or compassion Did he not burne his sheepe and his seruants with fire brought from aboue Did hee not by the Sabaeans steale away all his Oxen and Asses and by the Chaldaeans steale all his Camels and slay his seruants with the edge of the sword Did he not ouerthrow his houses and with the fal of them kil his children Did he not at the last smite his body with sore byles from the sole of his foote to the crowne of his head neyther left him any other thing besides a dunghil and a potshard to sâ—rape him Hee left him a wife and vnsound friends not for his comfort and solace but that they by theyr speeches might be as wormes to gnaw and deuoure the very intrals and bowels of poore and miserable Iob. All these things he could and dared to doe against a man God permitting it But what cruelty and extreame tirannie did he practise against our Sauiour especially in that night in which he was deliuered to the power of darknesse This can not be expressed in a fewe words If therefore this enemy with all his confederate Catchpols be so cruell and so direfull and extreame an executioner and so bloody an enemy to all mankinde ô wretched man what wilt thou do when thou shalt see thy selfe deliuered into his hands that hee may exercise all his crueltie vppon thee according to the decree of the Diuine iustice Alas this matter is too horrible Neither must thou think that this punishmeÌ„t is for one night for one day or for one yere but that it shall endure for euer that is throughout all eternity What doth it seeme vnto thee doost thou thinke that thou art committed to the hands of a good man O what an obscure blacke day will that be when thou shalt vnderstand thy selfe to be committed to the power of Wolues so rauenous But that thou maist better vnderstand what friendshyp is to be looked for of these deuils I will relate vnto thee a notable example recorded long agoe of Saint Gregory There was of late sayth hee a certaine young man that remained amongst vs his name was Theodorus of a dissolute life and most negligent of his health and safetie In thys same plague which lately hath consumed the greater part of our people he was strooken with it in his groyne and was brought to deaths doore Whilst he was drawing to his last home certaine brethren came vnto him that they might pray to God for him Now already the vtmost parts of his body were dead only vitall heate remained in his breast All the brethren began to pray so much the more earnestly for him by how much he hasted more speedily to his end Then on a suddaine he beganne to cry out to the brethren kneeling about him and with his exclamations to interrupt theyr prayers saying Depart depart Beholde I am gyuen to a Dragon to be deuoured who by reason of your presence cannot deuoure me Hee hath already swallowed vp my head into his mouth giue place that he may no more torment me but let him doe that he is to doe If I be gyuen to be deuoured of him why am I delayed by you Then the brethren began to say vnto him Brother what is that which thou speakest Call vpon the name of Iesus Christ our deliuerer He aunswered saying I would call vpon the name of Christ but I cannot because I am oppressed with the scales of this Dragon When the brethren heard thys they fell prostrate vppon the ground and began with teares to pray more feruently for hys release and deliuerance And beholde on a suddaine the sick-man began to cry out saying I giue thanks to God behold the Dragon which would haue deuoured me is fledde he durst not stay beeing feared by your prayers Now pray and I will pray with you that God through Christ would forgiue my sinnes for now I am ready to be conuerted to leaue thys sinful lyfe the which he did Of the same deuils Saint Iohn speaketh in his Reuelation by the manner of an horrible figure And I saw saith he a star which was fallen from heauen vnto the earth and to him was giuen the key of the bottomlesse pitte And hee opened the bottomlesse pitte and there arose the smoake of the pitte as the smoake of a great fornace and the sunne and the ayre were darkned by the smoake of the pitte And there came out of the smoake Locustes vpon the earth vnto theÌ„ was giuen power as the Scorpions of the earth haue power And it was commaunded them that they should not hurt the grasse of the earth neither any greene thing neither any tree but onely those men which haue not the seale of God in their foreheads And to them was commaunded that they should not kill them but that they should be vexed fiue moneths and that their paine should be as the paine that commeth of a Scorpion when hee hath stunge a man Therefore â— those dayes shall men seeke death and shall not finde it and shal desire to die death shall flee from them And the forme of the Locustes was like vnto horses prepared vnto battaile and on their heads were as it were crownes like vnto gold their faces were like vnto the faces of men And they had haire as the haire of vvomen their teeth were as the teeth of Lyons And they had Habbergions like vnto Habbergions of yron and the sound of their wings was like the sound of Charrets when many Horses runne vnto battaile And they had tailes like vnto Scorpions and there were stings in their tailes Hetherto Saint Iohn Tell mee nowe my brother what was the minde of the holy Ghost for he is the Authour of this Scripture when vnder that horrible and fearefull figure he vvould signifie the greatnesse of the scourges of the Diuine iustice What other intent had he then that by this terrible horrour he might
with the Windy-colicke that often his life was endangered by it he stroue with death When on a time he had lost together with his speech all his sence so that there was scarcely left any hope of longer lyuing they applying a little phisicke vnto him forth-with againe he began somewhat to breathe and by little little to come vnto himselfe At the length on a suddaine he began to prayse the Lord crying out with a loude voyce All things which thou hast spoken ô blessed Iesu are most true And he repeated these words very often Those religious men that stoode about him meruailed at him and asked him how he did and why he sayd so He aunswered none other thing but doubled the same saying ouer againe All things which thou hast spoken ô blessed Iesu are true Some that were present sayd that the greatnes of his payne and disease had disturbed his reason and iudgement and that this disturbance did cause him so to speake To whom he aunswering sayd It is not so my brethren but I doe speake with a sound iudgement and with a good vnderstanding that those things are most true which our Sauior Iesus Christ spake They said vnto him again surely we confesse as much that it is so but for what intent doost thou speake it Because sayth he he sayth in the Gospell that whosoeuer for the loue of him shall forsake his parents he shall receaue an hundreth fold in this world and shall haue life euerlasting in the other The experience of this I haue now in my selfe and I confesse with all my hart that now I haue receaued an hundred fold in this life for the greatnes of the griefe which I now suffer is so sweet vnto me for the certaintie of the hope which I haue of my saluation that I woulde not change my Christ with the hundreth fold of all those things that are in the vvorld And if I that am so great a sinner doe receaue so great consolation in my griefes and paines what shal holy and perfect men receaue in their reioycings For that spirituall ioy vvhich hath brought this hope vnto mee dooth farre exceede all that worldly ioy which I possessed in this world When they had heard these things all they that stoode by meruailed that a man vnlearned illiterate should vtter so great misteries but surelie it was the holy Ghost that dwelled in his hart that spake these things in him Therefore by this example it is very manifest that God with out any pompe or preparation of these temporall blessings can giue to his much more aboundance and many moe precious blessings then those were which they left for him and by consequent it is hence euident howe shamefully they erre who thinke that no reward is destined and ordained for Vertue in this life To banish therefore this errour so dangerous besides those things which haue beene spoken the twelue priuiledges prerogatiues which follow shall be most profitable in which we will handle and discourse of the twelue admirable fruits and preheminences which attend and waite vpon Vertue in thys life that by them the louers of this world may vnderstand that in Vertue there are found many moe excellent blessings then they suppose And although to the perfect knowledge of thys the experience and vse of Vertue herselfe were necessarie that thereby we might the better know her riches and commodities yet that which is wanting in this respect Fayth shall supply which confesseth acknowledgeth the truth of the diuine and holy Scriptures by the testimonies of which I will approue all things which I am to speake of this matter that we should at no time doubt of the excellencie of Vertue THE TWELFTH TITLE That the first priuiledge or prerogatiue of Vertue doth bind vs vnto her which is the speciall prouidence by which God directeth all good men to all good and chastiseth the iniquity of the wicked CHAP. XII WE beeing about therfore to speak of the twelue priuiledges and prerogatiues of Vertue we wil beginne of the first and principall from which as from a liuely fountaine all the rest doe flow and that is of the prouidence and fatherly care which God vseth towards them who do serue him Although there is in him a generall prouidence ouer all his creatures yet he hath a singuler and a speciall prouidence onelie ouer them whom hee hath chosen that they should be his and seeing that he accounteth of them as of his sonnes he hath also giuen vnto them a childes hart and a filiall spirit and he in like manner beareth towards them the hart of a most louing tender Father and therefore he hath ouer them a care a prouidence equall vnto this loue But how great that prouidence is it cannot be vnderstood vnlesse of them which haue tried or at least haue seene or haue read with industrie attention those places of Scripture which speake of this prouidence Whosoeuer shall doe this hee shall see that generally all these things are directed to that end For all things haue reference and are turned about these two points no otherwise then the heauen about his poles that is about the Commaundement and the Promise For here the Lord commaundeth obedience to man and obseruaunce of his precepts there he promiseth great rewards to them who obserue keep them threatneth fearefull punishments to them who breake and violate them This doctrine is deuided after that manner that all the morrall bookes of the sacred Scripture do cōmaund and promise and the historicall doe shew the true effect of this or that showing how differently GOD carrieth himselfe towards the good euill But seeing that God is so magnificent and so liberall and man so miserable and so fraile he so rich in promising this so poore in giuing greatly different is the proportion of that which he commaundeth in respect of that hee giueth so that he commaundeth few things but giueth verie many he commaundeth loue and obedience both which hee himselfe giueth and for them he offereth inestimable blessings as well of grace as of glory both in this life and that to come Amongst these wee giue the first place to his loue and fatherly prouidence which he beareth towards them who are receiued of him for sonnes which loue exceedeth al loue prouidence which all earthly fathers haue or can haue towards their sonnes The reason is this because euen to this day there hath not been found any Father who hath layd vp prepared so great blessings for the good of his chyldren as GOD hath prepared prouided for his children that is the participation of his owne glorie Neyther hath any Father laboured or taken so much paynes as hee who hath for them shedde his owne blood To conclude neyther doth any Father watch and keepe his vvith so great care and diligence as God dooth his who are daily in his eyes and to whom he is present in
all their tribulations This Dauid confesseth in his Psalmes when he sayth Thou vpholdest me in mine integritie and doost sette mee before thy face for euer That is thou neuer turnest thine eyes from me for that contitinuall care thou hast of mee Also hee sayth in another place The eyes of the Lord are vpon the righteous and his eares are open vnto theyr cry But the face of the Lord is against them that do euill to cutte off theyr remembrance from the earth But because the greatest riches of a good Christian is the prouidence which God beareth ouer him this the more certaine it is and better knowne vnto man the greater is his ioy confidence I thinke that I shall doe a thing worth the labour if I shall adde and bring hether moe places and testimonies of the sacred Scripture seeing that euery one of them are as the Charters and Letter-pattents of a King and new confirmations of the rich promises and legacies of his diuine will Therefore Ecclesiasticus sayth The eyes of the Lord are vpon them that feare him and he knoweth all the workes of man hee is their mighty protection and strong ground a defence from the heate and a shadow for the noone day a succour from stumbling and an help from falling he setteth vp the soule and lightneth the eyes he giueth health life and blessing Hetherto are the words of Ecclesiasticus out of which it is euident and plaine to euery man how many kind of duties there be which GOD supplyeth in the preseruation of man This the Prophet Dauid confirmeth The paths of man are directed by the Lord for he loueth his way Though he fall he shal not be cast of for the Lord putteth vnder his hand Consider I pray thee heere what ill can happen vnto him who falleth vpon a bolster so soft as is the hand of the Lord our God And in another place Many great sayth he are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuereth him out of them all He keepeth all his bones not one of them is broken In the New Testament also more excellent magnificent things are spoken of this diuine prouidence where the Lorde sayth that he onely hath not a care of the bones of the righteous but also of euery one of theyr haires that they fall not nor perrish without his prouidence willing after this manner of speaking to insinuate and intimate vnto vs his greatest and speciallest prouidence towards them For of what thing shall not he haue care who hath a care of all our haires If this seeme too much vnto thee heare that which is no lesse which God speaketh by his Prophet Hee that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye It had beene sufficient to haue sayd hee that toucheth you toucheth me but it is more that he saith he that toucheth any part of you toucheth the apple of mine eye Neyther is our most bountifull Lord content that he hymselfe should alone watch-ouer our safetie but he also willeth that the Angels should be ready to doe vs seruice for so wee read in the Psalmes Hee hath giuen his Angels charge ouer thee to keepe thee in all thy waies they shall beare thee in theyr handes that thou hurt not thy foote against a stone Didst thou euer see I pray thee such a Chariot or Wagon as are the hands of Angels See therfore how the Angels who are our elder brethren doe beare the righteous in their armes who are their younger brethren who as yet know now how to walk alone but must be carryed in the armes of their elders And this they doe not onely in life but also in death at the history in the Gospell testifieth of the rich Glutton in which we see that the begger Lazarus after death was carryed of Angels into Abrahams bosome The diuine Psalmographer confirmeth this The Angell of the Lord pitcheth round about them that feare him and deliuereth them How mightie and strong this garde is the translation of S. Ierome dooth more expresse The Angell of the Lorde compasseth and encircleth them that feare him that he may deliuer them What King was euer founde that had such a garde as our Lord hath giuen vnto vs This is most manifestly seene in the bookes of the Kings the King of Syria comming to take the Prophet Elizeus brought a great Armie with him vvhich the seruaunt of the Prophet seeing feared and began to tremble But the Prophet turning to his prayer prayed the Lorde that hee would vouchsafe to open the eyes of his vnbeleeuing seruant that he might see the Armie which stoode for the defence of the Prophet being stronger by infinite thousands then that which came to hurt and wrong him And hee opened the eyes of his seruant and he saw the Mountaine ful of horses and of fierie Charrets for the defence and gard of Elizeus Like to this gard is that which is mentioned in the Canticles in these words What shall you see in the Shulamite which is the Church or any soule liuing in the state of grace but as the company of an Army that is an Armie of Angels This same also in the same booke is explaned by an other figure when it is said Behold Salomons bedde threescore strong men are rounde about it of the valiant men of Israell They all handle the sword and are expert in warre euery one hath his sword vpon his thigh for the feare by night What other thing is this then that the holy Ghost by this figure might teach and show the great care singuler prouidence by which God defendeth and watcheth ouer the soules of the righteous For whence is it I pray thee that man being conceaued in sin liuing in a corrupt flesh bent to all euill should passe so many yeeres among so many snares and dangers without destruction and vtter ruine of himselfe if hee were not preserued sustayned by the Diuine prouidence Which is so great that it dooth not onely preserue men from euill but also oftentimes it dooth turne the very euills into which men fall through carelesnesse and negligence into a matter of greater good that is as often as by that they are made more wary more humble and more thankfull vnto him who hath drawne them back from so great danger and hath pardoned them so great a sinne For this cause the Apostle sayth Vnto them that loue God all things worke together for the best If this fauour and friendship be worthy of admiration that shall be more worthy that God doth not onely shew this mercy to his seruants but also to their sonnes and Nephewes and to all things that appertaine vnto them as God himselfe testifieth saying I am the Lord thy God a iealous God visiting the iniquity of the fathers vpon the children vpon the third generation and vpon the fourth of them that hate me And shewing mercy
life by grace and the blessed in the other by glory Of the fift priuiledge of Vertue which is the tranquilitie and peace of a good conscience which the righteous enioy and of the torment and inward byting with which the wicked and vngodly are tortured CHAP. XVII AFter the ioy and consolation of the holy Ghost an other ioy doth succeede which the righteous haue from the testimonie of a good conscience For the more euident vnderstanding of this priuiledge wee must know that the Diuine prouidence which bountifully prouideth that all the creatures haue those things that are necessary for their preseruation and perfection when it willeth that a reasonable creature should be perfect hath prouided most plentifully and copiously that not any of those things should be wanting which belong vnto his perfection And because the perfection of this creature consisteth in the perfection of his vnderstanding and will which are two of the chiefest and principallest faculties of our soule one of which is perfected by Science the other by Vertue God hath created vniuersall principles of all sciences in our vnderstanding whence theyr conclusions proceede and in the vvill hee hath ordained a seminary or seede plotte of all vertues for hee hath put in it a certaine naturall inclination to all good and a dread or horrour of that which is euill so that the vvill naturally reioyceth in the one and is heauy in the other murmuring against that as against a thing which it naturally abhorreth Which inclination is so naturall and so effectuall that although by chaunce it be weakened through a daily custome of ill liuing yet it cannot vtterly perrish or altogether be extinguished We haue a figure of this in the booke of Iob in each of the calamities and losses of this man of God alwayes there was a seruant remaining which brought him word of the misfortune and misery After the same manner this seruant is neuer wanting nor euer leaueth him who sinneth The Doctors doe name this seruant the Keeper or Watcher ouer the conscience which in all shypwracks escapeth safe and among all the dead it onely dieth not which ceaseth not to present before the eyes of the wicked the good which they haue omitted vvhen they sinned and the euill which they haue committed In vvhich thing the care and loue of the Diuine prouidence shineth with a wonderfull beautie by which it loueth embraceth vertue after that it hath appointed for her a perpetuall stirrer vp that she sleep not a perpetuall Preacher that neuer keepeth silence and a maister who alwaies directeth her to all good The Stoicke Philosopher Epictetus very well vnderstood this who said Our Parents deliuered vs beeing children to a Schoolemaister or Tutor which might attende vs that wee should not be hurt but God hath committed men to bee kept of their owne conscience seated within them which conscience and Keeper is not to be contemned because it both would displease God and we should become enemies to our owne conscience Euen as this conscience is as it were a Teacher and Maister of good men so on the contrary part it is a tormenter and torturer of the wicked which afflicteth and excruciateth them inwardly without intermission accuseth sinners for their sinnes committed and mingleth Wormwood with all their pleasures insomuch that scarce they bite of the Garlicke of Egypt but a teare doth fall from theyr eyes This is one of those plagues with which the Lord in Esay doth threaten that he will torment the wicked saying And I will make Babilon a possession to the Hedgehog For by the iust iudgement of God the hart of the wicked which heere is vnderstood by Babilon is giuen into the power of the Hedghog that thornie and pricking creature that is into the handes of the deuill and also into the power of the thornes and pricks of the conscience which sinnes doe bring with them which as sharpe thornes and needles doe thrust through and rent the hart of man But if thou askest mee what be these thornes I say that one is the filthines and enormity of sinne that of it owne nature is so abhominable that a certaine Phylosopher sayd If I knew that God would pardon me and that men were ignorant of it yet I should blush to sinne for the onely filthines of sinne Another thorne is when the sin bringeth with it an offence or iniurie to another man for then as it were the blood of Abel is represented to his eyes which cryeth for vengeance before the Lord there is an example of this in the bookes of the Machabees all the iniuries and all the euils which Antiochus the King had doone at Ierusalem came into his minde hee beeing now at the point of death by the which remembrance he came into such tribulation and anguish and into those floods of heauinesse and sorrow that he said And nowe doe I remember the euils that I haue doone at Ierusalem for I tooke all the vessels of gold and of siluer that were in it and sent to destroy the inhabitants of Iuda without cause I know that these troubles are come vpon mee for the same cause and beholde I must die with great sorrowe in a strange Land Infamie is another thorne which followeth sin whicha sinner knoweth of will he nill he and therefore he cannot but grieue for naturally men wish well vnto themselues are afflicted with the contrary For there is not a more grieuous punishment as a certaine Wiseman sayth then publique hate An other thorne is the necessarie feare of death the incertainty of life the feare of rendering an account and the dread horrour of euerlasting punishment Euery one of these are seuerall thornes which grieuously pierce and prick the hart of the vngodly insomuch that as often as the memory of death commeth on one side so certaine on the other so incertaine he cannot but be sadde and heauy as saith Ecclesiasticus For he seeth that day which shall auenge all his iniquitie and bring an end to his vices and pleasures Neither is there any man who can altogether cast the remembrance of this from him seeing that nothing is so naturall to a mortall man as to die Hence it is that being in any dangerous estate hee quaketh and trembleth through feare being doubtfull whether he shall die or not for the vehemencie of his owne loue and the perturbation of feare maketh him to feare a shadow and to dread where there is no such cause Therefore if in the Land destructions and common infirmities doe arise as the plague Earthquakes thunder and lightning a sinner straight-waies feareth and is troubled and is altered through the feare of an euill conscience perswading himselfe that these shall light vppon him All these thornes together pricke goare and thrust through the harts of wicked men as very largely remembreth one of Iobs friends The wicked man sayth he is continually as one
beleeuest in him where is thy charity where is thy fortitude where is thy obedience where is thy patience where is thy faithfulnesse and where is thy strength of hope Is this the end of all thy labors is this thy good purpose is this that thou so often desiredst prayedst to God for Remember that Christianitie consisteth not onely in this to fast to pray to heare seruice and sermons but it is necessary that God find thee faithfull as another Iob or Abraham in the time of trouble A righteous man beeing helped after this manner by his good meditations and contemplations by his owne vertue and by the fauour of the Diuine grace which neuer forsaketh him at length commeth to that passe that he beareth the burden of his troubles not onely with patience but also with thanks-giuing and with great ioy A proofe of this is the example of the holy man Tobias the elder of whom it is written that after many calamities with which he was proued yea by Gods sufferance he lost his sight in his old age that an example of patience might be giuen vnto men he was neither consumed through griefe of minde neither lost he that sayth and obedience which before he had Wherefore the Scripture sayth But God therefore suffered this temptation to happen vnto him that an example of his patience might remaine vnto posteritie like as of holy Iob. For when as hee had alwayes feared God euen from his infancie and had kept his commaundements hee did not murmur against God that this plague of blindnesse fell vppon him but he remained vnmoueable in the feare of GOD giuing thanks to God all the dayes of his life Thou seest therefore that the holy Ghost dooth adde patience in troubles vnto vertue and vnto the feare of the Lorde which this holy man had according to that which before hath beene said There might also in this place be remembred certaine excellent and famous examples of our time in which certaine men and maids the seruants of GOD haue borne very great troubles and afflictions with great ioy who in bitternesse haue found sweetnes in tempest a calme and in the midst of the Babylonian fornace haue found a most wholsome and comfortable refreshing ¶ Of the impatience and fury of the wicked in tribulations THere is lesser cause to praise the Lord when we see the righteous constant in tribulation then there is to lament and grieue when we see the wicked compassed and enclosed vvith troubles For these haue neither charitie nor fortitude nor hope nor any vertues like vnto those and so tribulations finde them vnarmed and vnprepared neither haue they light by benefit of which they might see that which the righteous doe see through fayth neither doe they embrace that by a liuely hope neyther by experience haue they tryed that singuler goodnes fatherlie prouidence of God by which he watcheth ouer his It is a thing worthy of exceeding sorrow to see them swallowed vp in this sea neither to finde any footing nor any body to reach the hand vnto them to stay and support them For whilst they haue not this helpe and saile without this Pilot and Gouernor and fight without this Armour what is to be hoped for of thē but that they must be drowned and make shypwracke in that storme and tempest or that they must be slaine in this warre What is to be hoped for of them but that they must be tossed with the stormes of windes and with the floods of tribulations and that they must split theyr ship against the rocks of vvrath faint-hartednes impatience blasphemy and desperation There are many also found who furthermore haue lost their vnderstanding their health their life or els their sight through continuall mourning teares So that one part of men as most pure gold tried in the fire of affliction remaineth firme vnconquerable and another part as lead or tinne foorth-with is melted through the heate of the fire Therfore whilst one sorroweth another singeth and where one is drowned and choked another swimmeth and walketh dry foote therfore in the Tabernacles of the righteous alwaies the voyce of prayse and myrth dooth sound but in the houses of sinners lamentations are alwaies heard and voyces full of misery and confusion But if thou wilt more plainly vnderstand that which I say consider the sighes and sorrowes and the extreame lamentations of certaine great noble women after that by death they had lost a son or a husband and thou shalt find that some of thē haue closelie shutte vp themselues in obscure and darke places where they might neither see the Sunne nor the Moone others lyke beasts shutte themselues vp in Caues and Dennes of the earth others haue cast themselues into the fire others to whom lyfe was a payne and death a desire haue dashed out theyr ovvne braynes against a wall To be briefe others after easier maners through impatience and vehemencie of sorrowe haue ended theyr liues and ouerthrowne their families But this is more that not onely they haue been cruel and inhumane vnto themselues but they haue maliciously spurn'd against God blaspheming his Name and reuiling and reproching his prouidence cursing his iustice banning his mercy and opening theyr sacriligious mouthes against heauen and against the high and soueraigne maiestie of God Hence it is that calamities and miseries at the length doe raine and shoure vpon their houses and theyr miseries are doubled which the Lord sendeth vnto them for so great blasphemies For this reward deserueth he who spetteth in the face of God and willingly kicketh against the pricke Yea oftentimes this worke of the hand of GOD is wont to be most iust that hee suffereth man from one calamitie and tribulation to fall into greater Wherefore these vnhappy and miserable wretches the guidance of Vertue leauing them doe all thinges after a contrary and preposterous manner and doe peruert all order in the time of tribulation they blaspheme where they ought to blesse they are proude when humilitie is required augmenting their owne woe and misfortune with that punishment they bring vpon themselues and making their case more desperate with that medicine which they thought to apply vntothemselues which is as the beginning of one hell and going to another which is prepared For if hell be a place of punishments and sinnes what hindereth but that wee may say that there is a certaine resemblance of hell where so many punishments and so many sinnes are found But besides all these what griefe is it to see howsoeuer it be done yet that there is no remedy but that tribulation must bee suffered but to take them vpon vs and to beare them with patience doth make the burden lighter and is well pleasing vnto God but how miserable is that man which loseth the fruite of his patience for beare he must increaseth by impatience the bitternes of his condition which sorer afflicteth then the misfortune
commaundements which I commaund thee this day the Lord will set thee on high aboue all nations of the earth And all these blessings shall come on thee and ouertake thee if thou shalt harken vnto the voyce of the Lord thy God Blessed shalt thou be in the Citty and blessed in the field Blessed shall be the fruite of thy body and the fruite of thy ground and the fruite of thy cattell the encrease of thy kine and the flockes of thy sheepe Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store Blessed shalt thou be when thou commest in and blessed when thou goest out The Lord shall giue ouer thine enemies that rise against thee that they may fall before thy face they shall come out against thee one way and flee before thee seauen wayes The Lord shall commaund the blessing vpon thee in thy store-houses and in all that thou settest thine hand vnto and will blesse thee in the land which the Lord thy God giueth thee The Lord shall make thee on holy people vnto himselfe as he hath sworne vnto thee if thou shall keepe the commaundements of the Lord thy God and walke in his wayes And all nations of the earth shall see that the name of the Lord is called vpon ouer thee and they shall be afrayd of thee And the Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods in the fruite of thy body in the fruite of thy cattell and in the fruite of thy ground in the land which the Lord sware vnto thy fathers to giue thee The Lord shall open vnto thee his good treasure the heauen to giue raine vnto thy Land in due season and to blesse all the labours of thy hand Tell mee what riches what treasures may be compared to these blessings But if thou shalt say that these promises are rather made vnto the Iewes then vnto Christians for vnto these according to Ezechiel those more excellent blessings as are the blessings of grace and of glory are promised yet as in that carnall law God did not denie to the righteous Iewes spyrituall blessings so in the spirituall law he doth not withdraw temporall prosperity from good Christians yea hee doth giue vnto them temporall blessings and that with a double commodity neyther of which the wicked haue The first is because as a skilfull Phisitian he bestoweth these blessings vpon them after that measure which their neede requireth that by this way they may be releeued and not waxe proude neyther beeing fatted and crammed kick and spurne This commodity the wicked haue not for they scrape together as much as they are able neuer regarding theyr saluation When as notwithstanding the superfluity of temporall goods is not lesse hurtfull to the soule then that meate is to the body which cannot be by any meanes digested For although it is necessary and needefull to eate for the releefe and sustentation of the body yet superfluity of meate doth very much hurt So although the life of man consisteth in the blood yet too much aboundance of blood is the cause of death and oftentimes killeth men The second commodity is because lesser pelse and a measurable and an indifferent possession of riches doth bring greater quietnes and tranquillity vnto the soule which is the end why men with such greedines desire temporall goods For whatsoeuer God can doe by second causes he can doe it yea more perfectly by himselfe without those meanes So hath hee done in all his Saints in whose name the Apostle sayth Hauing nothing and possessing all things For so little doth suffice vs that we hauing very little and being therewith content we seeme vnto our selues to be the Lords of the whole world A trauailer for his prouision in his voyage carrieth his money in gold for so he is the richer and he is troubled with lesse weight after the same manner also our Lord doth lighten his laying vpon them but easie burthens but yet sufficient and that which may content them After this manner the righteous doe goe naked yet they are content they are poore and yet they are rich But the rich when they are full of wealth yet dye for hunger and when as they sit euen vp to the lips in water yet they are slayne with thirst as the Poets in times past fabled of Tantalus For this and such like causes that great Prophet long agoe did prayse the obseruance of the Diuine law willing that in it all our meditation should be For he knew very well that in this all things were fulfilled These be his words Seate all these words in your harts and in your soules and bind them for a signe vpon your hands and they shall be as frontlets betweene your eyes And yee shall teach and rehearse them continually vnto your children and shall talke of them when yee tarry in your houses and when yee walke by the way and when yee lye downe and when yee rise vp Also thou shalt write them vpon the posts of thine house and vpon thy gates that thy dayes and the dayes of thy children may be multiplied in the Land which the Lord sware vnto your fathers to giue yee for euēr O holy Prophet what I pray thee hast thou found worthy of so great commendation in the keeping of the law It is not to be doubted but thou who wast so great a Prophet and a Secretary of the Diuine counsaile didst vnderstand the inestimable greatnes of this good and knewest that in it were to be found all kinde of blessings present and to come temporall and eternall corporall and spirituall and he that hath satisfied the law hath fulfilled all things Thou knewest very well that a man did not loose his time when hee was occupied in doing Gods will yea then to labour in hys owne Vineyard then to water his gardens to till his fields and to dispatch all his busines better then if he had laboured with his owne hands for he satisfying Gods will casteth all his care vpon God who finisheth all the rest For this is the law of the league and federacie which God made with man that man should keepe his commaundements and God would prouide all necessary things for him and doe his busines Neyther shall this league and couenant be euer violated of God For if man be a faythfull seruant vnto God God will be a faythfull Lord and patrone vnto man This is that one thing which the Lord sayd was necessary that is to know to loue and to serue God for this one thing being kept and obserued all the rest are well and in safety Godlines sayth Paule is profitable vnto all things which hath the promise of the life present and of that that is to come See I pray thee how plainely heere the Apostle promiseth vnto godlines which is the worship and seruice of God not onelie the blessings of eternall life but also of this life as much as are conducent to obtayne the other But we
the time of Achab king of Israell when Samaria was besieged by the Armie of the king of Syria we read that men did eate the dunge of Doues that thys kinde of meate was sold for a great price But thys was not so much at the length it came to that passe that mothers did kil and eate the chyldren of their owne wombe Iosephus also writeth that the same happened at the siege of Ierusalem But the slaughters and captiuities of this people together with the vtter ouerthrow of the Common-wealth and the kingdome of the Iewes are so well knowne to all that heere they neede not to be rehearsed An eleuen of theyr Tribes were made perpetuall seruants to the Kings of Assyria that one Trybe which remained a long time after beeing vanquished was brought into seruitude vnder the Romaines in which destruction exceeding great was the number of the captiues but greater was the number of those that were slaine as the same Historiographer copiously describeth Neyther let any one deceaue himselfe saying that this calamitie pertaineth onely to the Iewish nation seeing that it generally appertaineth to all men who haue knowledge of the Diuine law and doe despise it neyther will obey it as the Lord himselfe testifieth by his Prophet Haue not I brought vp Israell out of the Land of Egipt and the Philistines from Cappadocia and the Syrians from Cyrene Behold the eyes of the Lord God are vppon the sinfull kingdome and I will destroy it cleane out of the earth Signifying that all these changes of kingdoms whereby thys kingdome is ouerthrowne and that planted and raysed vp doth come through sinne And if any one will see that this is true let him read ouer the histories of times past he shal vnderstand how God doth chastice the froward and peruerse but especially those that haue the true law and doe not keepe it He shal see how great a part of Europe Asia and Affrica which in times past were full of Churches and of Christian people now are possessed of Infidels he shall know also what great massacres ruines and destructions the Gothes Hunnes and Vandales haue made vpon the Churches who in the time of Saint Augustine destroyed and wasted the Prouinces of Affrica and that without any mercie or compassion they sparing neyther men nor women neither old nor young neither Virgins nor married At the same time also and after the same manner the kingdome of Dalmatia was wasted with the bordering Countries as Saint Ierome showeth who was borne in that Country insomuch that he that should haue passed through trauelled those Countries should haue seene nothing but heauen and earth all things were so ruinated and ouerthrowen Yea if we will looke into our owne times we shall see what slaughters and effusion of Christian blood what desolations and euersions of Citties sinne hath caused in Fraunce Belgia and many other Countryes What mightie massacres and lamentable diuastations hath sinne brought vppon the world by the sword of the Turkes those professed enemies of Christianitie who stil brandish their swords against Christendome for the sinnes of Christians These sufficient plainly doe declare how that true vertue and sincere religion are not onely profitable to the obtayning of eternall blessings but also to gette and keepe temporall blessings that the consideration of all these may inflame our mindes with the loue of Vertue which preserueth vs from so many mischiefes bringeth with it so many good things Of the twelfth priuiledge of Vertue that is of the quiet peaceable ioyfull death of the righteous and contrarily of the wretched miserable painfull disquiet and grieuous death of sinners CHAP. XXIIII THE last priuiledge prerogatiue at the length is ioyned to the precedent that is the death and the glorious end of the righteous when they depart out of the prison of this body vnto the which end all the rest of the priuiledges are destinated and ordayned Because in the end as we are wont to say the praise is proclaimed Tell mee what is more glorious or what more delightsome then the end of the iust and righteous And contrarilie what is more wretched or vnhappy then the death of sinners Right deere and precious saith the Psalmogapher in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints but the death of sinners is vilde and exceeding euill What meaneth thys vvord Exceeding euill vttered in the Superlatiue degree Because thys is the last and greatest of all euils as well for the soule as for the body After thys manner S. Bernard doth expound this of the Psalmist The death of sinners is exceeding euill Because it is euill in losing the world worser in the seperation of the flesh but exceeding euill in that double calamitie of the worme and of the fire It is grieuous to leaue the worlde more grieuous that the soule is seperated from the body but exceeding grieuous and in no wise to be compared vnto the other to be tortured vvith the torments of hell Both these and many moe miseries shall vexe and turmoile the wicked in this houre For then before and aboue all things the accidents of thys infirmitie shall surmount the griefes of the body the terrors of the soule and the afflictions of externall things the thoughts of things to come the remembrance of sinnes past the feare to giue an account the dreadfull sentence the horrour of the graue the seperation and departure from euery thing that was too deere and imbraced with an inordinate loue that is from riches friends wife children from this light from the ayre wherein we breathe and from life it selfe All euery one of these so much the more doe afflict a man by how much they are loued For as Augustine sayth They are not lost without griefe which are possessed with loue Therefore it was very well said of a Phylosopher Hee that in his life knoweth of fewest delights least of all other feareth death But most of all in that houre the burned and feared conscience and the consideration of that which is prepared for them doth excruciate vexe the vvicked For then man beeing raised as it were out of a deepe sleepe by the presence of Death openeth hys eyes and beginneth to behold and see that which he neuer saw before Eusebius Emisseâ—â—s giueth a reason of this At what passe will man be then at sayth hee when bidding his last farewell to all worldly matters hauing death before him leauing life behind him he shal be drawn into that horrible fearefull gulfe For there shall be no preparation for victuals or care for cloathing no busines for Labourers Souldiers or Traffickers no ambition for wealth or honour but there an intollerable terror of giuing an account shall fill and possesse the minde being free from all other cares and the heauy and vnsupportable weight of iudgment shal dreadfully hang ouer the captiue sences Then man forgetteth all thinges
present which he must forsake and beginneth to thinke vpon future things which he must expect Behold shall he say all delights and pleasures haue passed away as a shadow but reproches and faults remaine still The same Doctour also in another homily prosecuting this matter sayth Let vs consider what a lamentable estate a dissolute soule shall be in departing frō this body what streights shall it be brought into what horror and darknes will there be when as the conscience all about beset with faults and sinnes shall appeare first of all the number of our aduersaries For it all other proofes and witnesses set apart shall bring that to light and to our eyes that the proofe of it shall conuince vs and the knowledge of it shall confound vs. Neyther may any one couer or keepe secret any thing or deny any thing when as the accuser or witnes is not to be produced from farre or from another place but is to be fetched from within vs. Hetherto he Another learned and holy man doth handle this same matter more largely and more mistically when hee sayth Let vs consider with speciall attention when the soule of a sinner is departing out of the prison of the flesh with what terrible feare it is shaken and smitten and with how many pricks of a pearcing conscience it is goared and thrust through It remembreth sinnes past which it hath committed it seeth the Diuine commaundements which it hath contemned it greeueth that the time of repentance hath beene so ill and lewdly ouerpast it is afflicted because it seeth the ineuitable houre approch of rendering an account and of the Diuine vengeance it would tarrie still but it is constrayned to depart it would recouer that is past but time is not graunted If it looke behind it seeth the course and race of the whole life led as a moment of time If it looke before it beholdeth the infinite space of eternity which expecteth it It sorroweth and sobbeth because it hath lost the ioy of euerlasting eternity which it might haue obtayned in so short a time it tormenteth it selfe because it hath lost the ineffable sweetnes of perpetuall delight for one sensuall carnall and momentany pleasure It blusheth considering that for that substance which is wormes meate it hath despised that which Angels price so highly And weighing the glory of those immortall riches it is confounded that it hath changed them for the basenes and vildnes of temporall things But when it casteth the eyes vpon things below and seeth the darke and obscure valley of this world and beholdeth aboue it the shyning brightnes of eternall light then it confesseth that all that it loued in this world was black night and vgly darknes O then if such a soule could obtayne a space of repentance and a time to recall it selfe how austere and seuere a life would it embrace What difficult and great matters would it promise vnto what great vowes prayers and other exercises would it bind it selfe But whilst it meditateth and consulteth of these things with it selfe the fore-runners and harbengers of death begin to approach that is the eyes waxe dim the breast swelleth and panteth the voyce sayleth and foltreth the members grow colde the teeth waxe blacke the mouth is filled with humors and the countenance waxeth pale and wan In the meane time come the Officers and Sargiants which attend vpon Death now at hand and they present vnto the wretched soule all the works speaches and cogitations of the life past bearing bad and dangerous witnes against theyr mistres and although she would not see them yet she is compelled to see them By and by commeth an horrible flocke of yelling deuils and there also a sacred company of holy Angels doe present themseules And there they begin to dispute betweene themselues to whether part this miserable pray must happen For if fayth in Christ vertues and works of piety and godlines be found in her straightwayes she is comforted with the sweete speaches and consolations of Angels But if the enormity of sinnes and a life wickedly led doe require another thing alas sodainly she trembleth and is terrified with an intollerable dread and feare and trembling doe terribly assault her Forthwith the deuils assayle her and take her and violently pluck her from the miserable flesh and cast her headlong into torments neuer to be ended but to continue for euer and euer All these be the words of this holy and learned man Tell me if thou wilt confesse this to be true and that each thing proceedeth after this order what other thing is required if so any sparke of wisedome or vnderstanding be left in vs that we may know how detestable and wretched the condition of sinners is seeing that the end prepared for them is so greeuous and vnhappy and which neuer shall haue end And if the delights and pleasures of this life at that time could bring any help or comfort as they were wont to doe this mischiefe were more tollerable but honours will not there helpe neyther riches defend friends heere cannot preuaile nor seruants giue theyr attendance neyther can families nor the noblenes of descent profit any thing in riches there is no hope all the helpe for one that lies a dying is in Christ in Vertue and in innocencie of life For the vvise-man testifieth that Riches helpe not in the day of vengeance but righteousnes that is Vertue deliuereth from death Seeing therefore that a sinner is found so naked poore and destitute of all helpe and ayde how can he not but feare and be afflicted when as he seeth himselfe left alone forsaken and desolate neyther hauing any hope or confidence in that Diuine iudgement ¶ Of the death of the righteous BVt the death of the righteous is farre off from these miseries and calamities For euen as at that time the wicked receaue the punishment of theyr iniquity so the righteous receaue the wages of their vprightnes according to that of Ecclesiasticus Who so feareth the Lord it shall goe well with him at the last and in the day of his death he shall be blessed That is he shall be enriched and shall receaue the reward of his labours Saint Iohn in his Reuelation doth insinuate the same thing more manifestly when he sayth that he heard a voyce from heauen saying vnto him Write The words which he was commaunded to write were Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord. Euen so sayth the Spirit that they may rest from theyr labour and their works follow them How can he be discouraged in that houre that heareth this of the Lord when he now seeth himselfe hasten thether where he shall receaue that which he desired all the time of his life Therefore of the righteous it is reade in the booke of Iob And thine age shall appeare more cleare then the noone day thou shalt shine and be as the morning Which words Saint Gregory expounding
sayth The age of the righteous shall appeare more cleare then the noone day because hee knoweth how great clearenes and brightnes remayneth for him when now he beginneth to goe out of this world And so at that time when the wicked are heauy and faynt the righteous reioyce and haue confidence in the Lord. This Salomon testifieth in his Prouerbs The wicked sayth he shall be cast away for his malice but the righteous hath hope in his death Tell mee I pray thee what greater hope or confidence can be wished for then that which a certaine holy man did ioy in at the houre of his death Death drawing on and he seeing the enemy of mankinde sayd Thou cruell beast why standest thou there thou shalt find nothing deadly in me for the bosome of Abraham shall receaue me in peace How can hee feare or be disquieted who at the very poynt of death had so great hope of the heauenly glory Therfore the righteous doe not feare death yea they reioyce and prayse God when they dye and doe render vnto him great thanks for theyr ende for by the benefit of death they are deliuered from all their labours and enter into their happines Saint Augustine writing vpon the Epistle of Saint Iohn sayth Hee that desireth to be dissolued and to be with Christ dyeth not patiently but lyueth patiently and dyeth delightsomly Therefore the righteous hath no cause to sorrowe neyther to feare death yea rather â—â— is to be sayd of him that like vnto a Swan he dyeth singing yeelding the glory to God who calleth him He feareth not death because he feared God and he that feareth him neede not feare any other He feareth not death because he feared life but feares of death are the effects of an euill life Hee feareth not death because throughout all his life he learned to dye and prepared himselfe to dye but a man prepared and prouident feareth not his enemy Hee feareth not death because so long as he liued he sought for those things that might helpe him that is for vertues and good works He feareth not death because he hath the Iudge fauourable friendlie vnto him and this was the comfort of Saint Ambrose when he was departing this life I haue not so liued sayth he among you that I am ashamed to liue any longer neyther doe I feare to dye because we haue a good and a gracious Lord. To be briefe he feareth not death because to a righteous man death is not death but a sleepe it is not death but an end of all labours it is not death but the way vnto life and a ladder vnto Paradice For he knoweth very well that death hath lost all the bitternes of death after that it hath passed through the veines of life and that it hath receaued the sweetnes of life Hee is not discouraged for any other accidents which oftentimes happen vnto him at this last cast for he knoweth that those sorrowes are the sorrowes of the birth by which he is borne vnto eternity for the loue of which he hath alwayes desired death and led his life in patience He is not terrified through the memory of his sinnes because he hath Christ his Redeemer whom alwayes he did striue to please He feareth not the Diuine iudgement because he hath Christ his Aduocate he sereth not the presence of deuils because he hath Iesus his defender and Captaine he feareth not the horrour of the graue because he knoweth that his body is sowne a corruptible body but shall rise againe an incorruptible body And after this manner prayse is sung in the end The last day iudgeth all the praecedent as Seneca sayth and giueth sentence of the life past for this is it which eyther iustifieth or condemneth but seeing that the end of the righteous is so quiet and peaceable and the death of the wicked so troublesome and dangerous what is further required to make vs flye an euill life and to embrace a good besides this difference What doe all pleasures riches and sauours of this world profit and what auaileth prosperity if I am at the last to be cast into hell fire And what haue all the miseries and calamities of this life hurt me if I shall sleepe and rest in peace tranquillity and if I shall passe hence hauing a pledge and pawne of eternall life Albeit a sinner be wise in the busines of this life vvhat profit reapeth he by this wisedome vnlesse he heape and scrape together those things whereby he becommeth prouder vainer more delicate and of greater power to worke mischiefe but more vnfitte and vnapt to any good worke Hence death is so much the more bitter vnto him by howe much lyfe vvas sweeter There is no wisedome nor prudence more excellent in this life then so to dispose of all affaires that the end may be ioyfull and happy For it is the propertie of a wise man conueniently and fitly to direct the meanes to the end Wherefore if he be called a skilfull Phisitian who can so temper his medicine that it bringeth health which is the end of his medicine so he shall be termed truly wise who hath so learned to lead his life that a good death may follow that is that he be prepared to giue an account which in that day shall be exacted vnto which all the life is to be disposed aymed and leuelled at ¶ The Conclusion of those thinges which haue beene spoken of in this second part THou hast heard therfore my brother what how great be these twelue priuiledges prerogatiues which are granted vnto Vertue in this life which are as the twelue most notable and excellent fruites of that most noble tree which S. Iohn saw in his Reuelation which was planted by the side of a Riuer bearing twelue manner of fruites and yeelding fruite euerie month For what other thing can thys tree be after the Sonne of GOD then Vertue herselfe which yeeldeth fruites of holines and of lyfe And what other fruites more precious then these can be desired which throughout this whole part we haue remembred For what fruite is more pleasant to the sight then that fatherly prouidence by which God preserueth his What fruite is sweeter then the Diuine grace the light of wisedome the consolations of the holy Ghost the ioy peace of a good conscience the good euent of hope the true libertie of the soule the inward peace of the hart to be heard in prayers to be helped in tribulations to be prouided for temporall necessities and to conclude to be ayded and to tast of heauenly comforts in death Surely each one of these priuiledges is so great and so excellent of it selfe that if it were thorowly known each I say were sufficient to moue a man to embrace Vertue to alter and change his life and it would make a man truelie to vnderstand how well it was said of our Sauiour That whosoeuer shall forsake the
life wickedly vngraciously led which to change is a death as we are wont to say The ouermuch accustoming our selues vnto vices sayth Saint Ierome doth make the way of Vertue hard and vnpleasant vnto vs. For custome is another nature and to expell it is as it were to ouercome Nature herselfe then the which there cannot be a greater victory Hence it is that Saint Bernard sayth After that any one vice hath been cōfirmed rooted in vs by the custome of many yeeres we haue neede of the speciall and miraculous helpe of the Diuine grace to ouercome and roote it vp And therefore a Christian ought to be very wary and circumspect that he doth not fall into the custome of any vice for when as anything commeth vnto an habit it is very hardly thrust forth and expelled so also vice being confirmed by daily vse and custome cannot be eschewed and forsaken without the especiall grace of GOD as sayth Bernard Also this difficulty proceedeth from the power of the deuill who hath a certaine peculier rule in that soule which is held vnder the slauery of sinne For he is that strong man armed of whom the Gospell speaketh who keepeth his pallace with a vigilant and a most especiall care Moreouer it proceedeth from that that God is farre of frō a soule polluted with the filth of sinne For this is the watch and gard that the Lord sette ouer the walles of Ierusalem which is so much the further of from a sinner by how much a sinner is heauilier loaden and burthened with sinnes From this absence great mighty miseries are deriued as the Lord himselfe saith by his Prophet Woe vnto them who haue forsaken me And Woe vnto them when I shall forsake them Thys is according and correspondent to that Woe of which Iohn maketh mention in his Reuelation To conclude this difficultie arriseth from the corruption of the powers of our soule which are grieuously disturbed and corrupted through sin although not in themselues yet in theyr operations and effects For euen as Wine is marred by vineger and fruites are spoyled of wormes and euery contrary is corrupted of his contrarie so also all the powers of our soule are disturbed and infected through sinne which is an especiall enemie and most contrarie to our soules Wherefore by sin the vnderstanding is obscured the will is weakened and the affections remooued out of order and it maketh that man is neyther Lord of himselfe nor of his actions yea although his Fayth the liberty of himselfe be neuer lost For these powers faculties be as instruments by which the soule worketh that which is good as wheeles of the clock of a life wel ordered which when they wander out of order what other thing is to be hoped of them but misgouernment and the confusion of all the Clock These be the chiefe and especiall causes of that difficultie which take their originall from sinne daily increase through vse and the corruption of euill custome These things beeing thus who will be so madde to beleeue that his conuersion and the amendement of his life shall be more easie after certaine yeeres when his sinnes shall be moe in number and the causes of this difficultie shall be multiplied It is certaine that thē thou by so much shalt be more vnapt and vnfitte and that the deuill shall haue so much the more power ouer thee and that GOD shall be so much the more further of from thee by howe much thy sinnes shall be multiplied increased Moreouer after certaine yeares thy soule will be more disordered and all the powers and faculties of it more disturbed as before we haue sayd If therefore these be the causes of this difficultie who is of so corrupt a iudgement amongst vs that hee should suppose that his conuersion should hereafter be easier the causes of the difficulties encreasing on euery side For when as sinnes are dailie heaped vnto sinnes there is no doubt but that the knots vvith which the soule is tyed are multiplied and the chaines vvith which it is bound are made the stronger and the more insoluble The vnderstanding for the time to come through the vse of sinning will be more darke and obscure the will wil be weaker to worke well the appetite will be more ready and prone to all euill and all the faculties of the soule will be so weakened that they shall not be able to defend themselues from the violence of sin Which seeing that it is so how can it be that thou shouldest beleeue that thy conuersion in the time to come shal be more easie and that thou caust performe it with greater conuenience If thou shalt say that in the morning thou canst not passe ouer the Fourd when as yet the water is low how shalt thou be able to passe ouer it at night when the bankes are full and the Riuer swelleth like the floods and tydes of the sea If it seemeth an hard thing vnto thee to pull vp the roote of vices newly and lately planted what wilt thou doe when they haue taken deepe and profound rooting and they cleaue and sticke much faster in the earth then they dyd before Let vs put the case That now thou must fight with an hundreth sinnes but hereafter the time shall be that thou must fight with a thousand that now thou art to fight with the corrupt depraued custome of one or two yeeres but perhaps hereafter with the naughty inueterate custome of ten yeares Who then will say vnto thee that hereafter thou shalt be more able to carrie that burden when now thou art in no wise able to support it when as the burden neuerthelesse is daily augmented and increased Doost thou not perceaue that these are the cauillations and impostures of euill paying debters who because they cannot repay that money that was credited vnto them doe delay and put off from day to day theyr payment Who knovveth not that these are the deceits fraudes of that old Serpent who by the same craft and subtiltie that hee deceiued our first Parents doth continually goe about to circumuent theyr chyldren Surely I doe maruell and exceedingly wonder that the difficultie daily on euery side increasing that thou shouldest thinke that that then should be possible and easie which novve seemeth vnto thee to be difficult vnpossible Who wil be induced to beleeue except he be madde that the offence increasing yet the pardon to be the easierly obtained and the disease and infirmity growing greater yet the medicine should speedilier profit the diseased Art thou ignorant of that of Ecclesiasticus An inueterate and old disease troubleth the Phisitian but an infirmitie lately growen he easily taketh away There is a pretty Story in the liues of the Fathers wherin an Angell excellently sheweth this guile and legerdemaine to a certaine holy Father lyuing in the Wildernes For the Angell taking this Anchorite carried
things which then they estimated preiudiciall to their soules as if they were the men that had not doone that they did for the loue of God but onely for feare of the extreamitie in which at that time they were which ceasing also the effect ceaseth which thereupon followed Whereby it most manifestly appeareth that this repētance is like vnto that which Saylers make who when they are in extreamity and danger of shypwrack they promise to change their lifes to embrace vertue and I know not what protestations they make but vvhen the storme is appeased and ouer-past and a wished calme commeth and they are without ieopardy byand by they returne to theyr former vomit they laugh they trifle they blaspheme carouse and sweare and become worser then they were before making no account of their vowes and protestations yea reputing them as dreames and toyes The third reason is because the custome of sinne in vvhich the sinner hath hetherto liued will almost neuer forsake a man but euen till death waiteth vpon him and followeth him no otherwise then the shadow doth the body For custome is another nature which is not ouercome without very great difficultie And so we see by experience that many at the houre of theyr deaths are so little carefull for the saluation of their soules are so couetous so drowned in carnall and wordly things such louers of this life that they would still enioy it if at any price they might buy it so captiuated in the loue of this world so enamoured with all those things that they loued in it as if they vvere not at all at this passe or in this danger Haue you not often-times seene old men so greedy and so couetous that they haue neuer intermitted one houre nor slacked any time to hourd vp the pelfe of this worlde who notwithstanding are vnmercifull and haue theyr hands shut when they should doe any good and whose affections and appetites are very fresh and liuely in prosecuting the businesse of thys world heaping vp riches without end or meane which they must leaue in the world GOD knowes to whom but to anie good worke reprobate and dull This is a punishment not the least by which God punisheth sinne permitting it to attend vpon the offender to the graue according to that of S. Gregorie God chastiseth a sinner with this kinde of punishment that he permitteth him to forget and be vnmindfull of himselfe in the houre of death because he remembred not God in his lyfe And so one negligence or obliuion is punished by another the forgetfulnes of the fault is punished with that obliuion which is both a punishment and a fault which we see and heare verified by daily experience for how often doe we heare that many haue wished to die and haue died in the armes of theyr harlots whom they tenderly loued that as in theyr life time they would not expell them out of their houses so in death they would not forsake them because by the iust iudgement of God they are become vtterly vnmindfull obliuious both of themselues and of their soules The fourth reason of the Schoole-man is founded in the qualitie of the valour of the workes which are commonly done at that houre for euery one who hath but a sparke of Diuine light seeth plainly how farre different the works that then are done are from the works which are done of a man sound and in health he acknowledgeth I say that those much lesse please God then these That gift cannot be very acceptable to God as saith a certaine holy woman which therefore is offered because the last day so enioynes it for it is not of the right nature of a gift What I pray thee is it to pardon an iniury at that houre when not to pardon it is a great reproch Doost thou thinke it praise worthy that then thou leauest thy Concubine when thou must leaue her whether thou wilt or no neither may shee stay any longer in thine house By these reasons this subtile Doctor concludeth that a man with great difficultie in that houre truely repenteth Yea he saith that a Christian who of a set purpose deferreth his repentance to the houre of death doth very highly sinne by reason of the great iniury that he offereth to his owne soule and by reason of the great danger vnto which he exposeth his saluation Now I leaue the Reader to his owne conscience and consideration that he may see whether there is any thing more to be feared then this ¶ Certaine authorities of the holy Scripture confirming the precedent sentences of the Doctors BVt because the strength and bulwarke of all this disputation consisteth in the word of God for against this there is neyther appeale nor answere heare what it teacheth vs concerning this matter Salomon in the first chapter of his Prouerbs after he had related the words by which the eternall Wisedome calleth man to repentance hee in like manner adioyneth those wordes which shee will speake to those that doe not obey her call Because saith she I haue called and yee refused I haue stretched out my hand and no man regarded But all my counsailes haue ye despised and sette my correction at naught Therefore will I also laugh at your destruction mocke you when the thing that ye feare commeth vpon you Euen when the thing that ye be afraid of falleth in suddainly like a storme and your miserie like a tempest yea when trouble and heauines commeth vpon you Then shall they call vppon mee but I will not answere they shall seeke mee early but they shall not finde mee And that because they hated knowledge and did not choose the feare of the Lord. Hetherto be the wordes of Salomon or that I may speake better of God himselfe Which Saint Gregory in his Morrall bookes doth expound to be spoken of this repentance which heere we handle What can be aunswered vnto this Are not these threatnings sufficient being from God himselfe to make thee to feare and to admonish thee that betimes thou prepare thy selfe for that houre But heare also another testimony not lesse plaine then this The Lord reasoning in the Gospell of his comming to iudgement he aduiseth and counsaileth his Disciples with great instancie that they prepare themselues against that day hauing vsed many parables and similitudes to that end that by them they might vnderstand of what great weight that matter was His words be these Blessed is that seruant whom his Lord when he commeth shall finde watching But if that euill seruant shall say in his hart My Lord will be long a comming and so beginne to finite his fellowes yea and to care and drinke with the drunken The same seruants Lord shall come in a day when he looketh not for him and in an houre that he is not ware of and shall hew him in peeces and giue him his portion with the Hipocrites It is playne and euident by
mistery of that time it will be counted a ridiculous thing to thinke that these are matters for all times and places which were onely proper for that time We see also in all well ordered common wealths that some things be done ordinarily and alwayes after the same manner and some things that are vsed extraordinarily Ordinary things are common to all but the extraordinary are proper to some certaine The same thing also commeth in vse in the common wealth of God which is his Church And so that of the Apostle is regular and ordinary Whose end shall be according to theyr works signifying that after the common manner of speaking an euill death followeth an euill life and a good death a good life And it is an ordinary thing that those that embrace Vertue and leade a godly life doe enter into an eternal life and those that liue viciously and wickedly to be cast into hell fire This sentence is common and true which the holy Scripture doth beate vpon in many places This the Psalmes doe sing of this the Prophets doe celebrate this the Apostles doe preach of this the Euangelists haue noted The kingly Prophet hath comprehended this in few words when he sayd God spake once and twice I haue also heard the same that power belongeth vnto God And that thou Lord art mercifull for thou rewardest euery man according to his worke This is the summe of all Christian Philosophy Therfore according to this speach of Dauid we say that it is an ordinary thing that as well the righteous as the sinner should receaue a reward at the end of their lifes according to the works which they haue done Yet besides this vniuersall law God can by his especiall grace and fauour bestow mercy vpon some that they should dye the death of the righteous who haue liued the life of sinners as also it may come to passe that he that hath liued like a righteous man in this world by the secret iudgement of God may dye as a sinner As it happeneth vnto them who haue sayled very fortunately in a long voyage and at the very mouth of the Hauen suffer shipwrack Hence it is that Salomon sayth Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth vpward and the breath of the beast that goeth downe to the earth For although it be alwayes in a manner true that their soules who liue like beasts descend to hell and that theirs that liue like men ascend to heauen yet in the secret and particuler iudgement of God this order may be somtimes inuerted Yet it is safe and generall doctrine that a good liuer shall haue a blessed death Therefore no man ought for the praecedent causes to leane to their examples who haue been saued by especiall and particuler grace and sauour for they make no generall rule nor extend themselues to all men but onely to few and those vnknowne Neyther canst thou know whether thou art contayned in that number But if thou obiectest vnto me the repentance of the Niniuites which proceeded from feare least they should all haue beene destroyed within forty dayes consider thou not onely their sharpe and seuere repentance which they made but also their change of life Change thou also thy life after the same manner and the same mercy shall not forsake thee But I perceaue that thou art scarcely recouered of thine infirmity and scarcely risen out of bed seeing that thou straightwayes runnest to the first kind of life and recallest all that which thou didst purpose when thou wast weake Wherfore I leaue thee to consider what I may think of thy repentance ¶ The conclusion of the former disputation WHatsoeuer hath hetherto beene spoken hath not beene spoken to that end that it should shut the gate of saluation or of hope against any man for neyther hath any of the Saints shut it neyther ought any man to shut it but to this end that the wicked may be recalled turned from that refuge and fortresse in which they lurke and are made mightier to perseuere in their iniquities But tell me I pray thee my brother if all the voyces and iudgements of Doctors and holy men if all reasons if the holy and sacred Scripture pronounce so dangerous and perillous things of it how darest thou hope for saluation in so great danger and hazard In whom doest thou trust that will helpe thee in this ieopardy Perhaps thou placest thy hope in thy preparations in thine almes and in thy prayers Thou vnderstoodest a little before how the fiue foolish virgins with great care would haue prepared made ready thēselues after that they had heard the voyce telling them that the Bridegrome came thou hast learned also with what great instancie they knocked and cryed at the doore yet it profited none of them for it proceeded not of true loue or of true repentance Perhaps thou trustest to thy teares which thou wilt poure forth at that time surely vnfained teares at all times are auailable happy is that man that from his very hart can poure thē foorth but remember I pray thee what teares Esau shedde Who as the Apostle saith found no place of repentance though he sought it with teares For he did not weepe for the loue of GOD but for his owne commoditie Or doost thou put thy hope in thy good purposes which thou then settest before thine eyes These are of force vvhen they are true and sincere but remember the purposes of King Antiochus who when hee was in this danger promised such great and magnificent things that it would make a man amazed that readeth them This wicked man saith that booke prayed vnto the Lord of whom he obtayned no mercy The reason was for all things that he purposed proceeded not of the spirit of loue but of seruill feare which is not acceptable For to feare hell may proceede of the meere naturall loue which man beareth to himselfe But that man loueth himselfe is no reason that the kingdome of heauen should be giuen vnto him Insomuch that as no man entred into the pallace of King Assuerus clothed in Sackcloth so it is lawfull for no man to enter into the pallace of God with a seruill garment but all that will enter must be clothed with wedding garments that is adorned and beautified with true loue and charitie Wherefore my brother I pray and intreate thee that thou wouldest reade and consider of these things with great attention that thou after a very short time without all doubt shalt come to this houre and to this ieopardy For thou seest vvith what great swiftnes heauen is turned about and with what velocitie time slippeth and posteth away how soone the thred of thy life shall be cut off The day of destruction is at hand sayth the Prophet and the times that shall come make hast Therefore a little space of time being ouer-past this prophecie shal be fulfilled Then thou shalt
with corporall eyes sayd Plato she would alure the whole world vnto her If we respect profit what thing is more profitable and supported with greater hope then Vertue for by Vertue we obtayne the chiefest good Length of dayes and gifts of eternity are in her right hand and in her left hand riches and honour If thou art delighted with pleasantnes what greater delight canst thou wish for then a peaceable and a good conscience the sweetnes of charity of peace and of the liberty of the children of God that in the meane time I may say nothing of the consolation of the holy Ghost which is most sweet and pleasant If thou desirest a perdurant and lasting name The righteous shall liue and shall be had in euerlasting remembrance But the memoriall of the wicked shall perish with them If thou be desirous of vvisedome that thou mayst finde the way that leadeth to heauen and the meanes that direct to this end there is no meane more certaine then Vertue which leadeth vnto God If thou desirest to be gracious and acceptable among all men there is not any thing more gracious or more conducent to it then Vertue For as Cicero sayth nothing is more amiable then Vertue nothing that more allureth men vnto loue seeing that for vertue and honesty we loue them whom we neuer saw Such force it hath which is more that we loue it in an enemy Euen as of the conueniency and proportion of the members and lyneaments and of the humours of the naturall body a certaine beauty ariseth which is acceptable to the eyes of men so of the order and vertuous frame of the life laudably led and formed so great a beauty proceedeth that not onely it is most acceptable to the eyes of God and Angels but it is also amiable and beloued of peruerse men and enemies That is truly and simply good which is good in euery respect neyther hath any euill in it Therfore God not without cause sendeth this honorable embasie to a righteous man which we haue set in the forefront of this booke and now againe repeate in the end Say yee surely it shall be well with the iust Say yee so because he is borne vnder an happy starre and that he shall die in a good houre because his life and death is blessed and whatsoeuer after death shall beside him Say yee so vnto him because all things shall goe well with him as well prosperous as aduerfe as well things pleasant as heauy both in quietnes and in labour For all things worke together for the best vnto them that loue God Say yee vnto him although the vvorld be turned topsey turuey and the elements confounded if heauen be ruinated and disturbed let not him feare yea then let him lift vp his head because the day of his redemption is at hand Say yee surely it shall be well with the iust Because a blessing is prepared for him vvhich in excellencie exccedeth all blessings that is God himselfe and that he is free from all euill and from the tiranny of the deuill which is the worst of all euils Say yee surely it shall be well with the iust For his name is vvritten in the booke of life and God the father hath adopted him for his sonne the holy Ghost to be a liuely temple vnto him Say yee surely it shall be well with the iust For that estate which he hath gotten is happy blessed in euery respect And if at any time in any temporal matter it seemeth lesse happy if this be patiently borne it is turned vnto him for a greater good for that which seemed a loose vnto him that is patient is made a gayne vnto him his labour becomes a reward and his warre victory and a perpetuall crowne As often as Laban changed the wages of Iacob his sonne in law he thought that it was profitable vnto him hurtfull to his sonne in law but it fell out cleane contrary for it was vnprofitable vnto him and profitable to his sonne in law Wilt thou then my brother be so cruell to thy selfe and such an enemy that thou shouldest linger to embrace so great a blessing which promiseth on euery side so great good vnto thee What counsaile is more wholsome what more profitable condition or estate of life canst thou follow Blessed are those that are vpright in their way and walke in the law of the Lord saith the Prophet a thousand times blessed are they and blessed againe that keepe his testimonies and seeke him with their whole hart If a good thing as the Philosophers say be the obiect of our will and by how much the more any thing is good by so much the more it deserueth to be loued desired What I pray thee doth make thy will so sottish and insencible that it tasteth not nor embraceth this so vniuersall a good O how much better did that King who sayd I haue chosen the way of thy truth and thy iudgements haue I layd before me I haue cleaued to thy testimonies ô Lord. And in another place O Lord I haue layd vp thy commaundements in mine whole hart He saith not in a corner not in his hand but in the midst or in his whole hart which is the beginning of life the chiefest the best place of all others as if he had sayd This is my best part in which I contriue and determine of all my busines and all my cogitations are in it The men of this world do contrarily for vanity possesseth the chiefest roome of their harts and Gods law lyeth obscured and hid in some corner But this holy man albeit he was a King and troubled with many businesses of his kingdome yet he put them all vnder his feete but placed the law of his Lord in the midst of his hart What hindereth then why thou doost not imitate this good example and embrace so great a good For if thou respectest the bond of the obligation what greater obligation can there be then that which is betweene God and man or only for that cause that he is what he is All the obligations of this world are not worthy of this name if they be compared with this as we haue sayd in the beginning of this booke If thou lookest vnto the benefits what benefits can be greater or more excellent then those that we receaue from the hand of the Lord For besides that he hath created vs and redeemed vs with his blood we haue receaued frō him all that we possesse both within and without our body our soule life health riches grace if so we haue it the continuance of our life our purposes the desires of our harts and all that which hath the name of essence or of goodnes we receaue it I say originally frō him who is the fountaine of all essences and of all goodnes Words are wanting vnto me by which I might set out her
lusts which drowne men in perdition and destruction For the desire of money is the roote of all euill The naughtines and malignitie of this vice cannot be described more cunningly or curiously For it is manifest by these words that that vnhappy man who is subiect to this euill is the seruaunt and slaue of all other sinnes Wherfore wheÌ„ this vice doth assault thine hart thou shalt defend thy selfe with these weapons following First therefore ô thou couetous man consider that vvhen the Lord and thy GOD descended from the highest heauen to the earth he would not possesse riches which thou so greatly desirest yea he loued pouerty so wel that he would take flesh of a Virgin most poore and lowly and not of a Queene rich mighty When he was borne he would not lodge in a stately and wealthy pallace he would not lye vppon a soft bed he refused dainty swadling-clothes embraced for his cradle a hard Cratch So long as he lyued in the world he alwayes loued pouerty and contemned riches He chose his Apostles and his Embassadours not Princes and great men but base and abiect Fishers What preposterous order then is this that the most vild worme should seeke riches which the Lord of al the world and of all creatures contemned for his cause Consider furthermore the exceeding great basenes of thine hart that when as thy soule is created according to the image similitude of God and redeemed by his owne blood in comparison of which all the world is nothing yet thou art not ashamed to lose it for so small a gaine God would not haue gyuen his life for the whole world which notwithstanding he willingly layd downe for the soule of man Therefore thy soule is worthier and of more price then the whole world True riches are not gold nor siluer nor precious stones but they are found in Vertue which a good conscience bringeth with it Relinquish the false opinion of men and thou shalt see that gold and siluer are no other things but yellow and white earth which through the errour of men is crept into so great credit That which hath been despised by all the Phylosophers of the world doost thou beeing a disciple of Christ so much esteeme it that thou shouldest make thy selfe a seruant and slaue vnto it For as S. Ierome saith he is a seruant vnto riches who keepeth and tendeth them as a seruant but he who hath cast off that yoke deuideth them as a Lord. Consider also what the Lord sayth in the Gospell No man can serue two Maister God and Mammon that is riches The soule cannot freely serue God if it follow and hunt after riches so greedily and with so open a mouth Spirituall delights doe shunne a hart busied and occupied about earthly matters neyther doe things counterfeit and true agree together nor things hie and low temporall and eternall spirituall and carnall neyther can any man reioyce and recreate himselfe in them both together Consider in like manner that by howe much more prosperously earthly matters succeede with thee by so much perhaps thou art more miserable by reason of that pledge which here is giuen vnto thee that thou maist relye vpon vaine felicity which heere is offered vnto thee Ah that thou knewest what great euils and how many inconueniences thys small prosperity bringeth with it thou shouldest see the loue of riches more to afflict by desire then to delight by vse For it enwrappeth the soule in diuers temptations and bindeth it in infinite cares it allureth it with sundry delights prouoketh it to sinne and disturbeth the quiet no lesse of the body then of the soule And that vvhich is greater riches are neuer gotten without trouble nor possessed without care nor lost without griefe and that which is worser they are sildome gathered without sin and offence to God Hence is that prouerbe A rich man is eyther a wicked man or the heâ—re of a wicked man Consider moreouer how great an errour it is without intermission to desire those things which albeit they be most plentifull yet they can neuer satisfie the desire of man yea they prouoke it and inflame it more as drinke in a Dropsie is the cause of greater thirst so that although thou hast yet thou alwaies couetest that which thou wantest and alwaies couetest more and more So that the miserable and wretched hart wandering through all the things of this world is wearied but neuer satisfied it drinketh but the thirst is not quenched for it esteemeth not those things which it hath vnlesse also it possesse in like manner those things which further it may haue and there is no lesse trouble for things which it compasseth not theÌ„ there is pleasure in things which it possesseth neyther is the heart more satisfied with gold then the body with wind or ayre Wherefore not without cause Saint Augustine maruelleth saying What greedines sayth hee of desire is this seeing that the beastes haue a meane For then they rauine when they are hungry but they spare the pray when they feele fulnes Onely the couetousnes of riches is vnfatiable it alwayes raueneth and is neuer satisfied neyther feareth GOD nor reuerenceth man neyther spareth Father nor acknowledgeth Mother neyther yeeldeth vnto brother nor keepeth fayth with friend Consider that where much riches is there are many that eate and deuoure them many that couet them and many that lye in waite to steale them What hath the richest man of this world more of all his riches then whereof he may necessarily lyue of thys yrksome care thou maist disburthen thy selfe if thou wilt cast thy care vpon God and commit thy selfe to his prouidence for God neuer confoundeth them that trust in him For whom God made he will not suffer to die through hunger He that feedeth the foules of heauen and clotheth the Lillyes of the field how is it possible that he should forsake man especially seeing that so small a thing sufficeth the necessity of man The life is short death followeth at our heeles what need is there then of so great prouision for so short a iourney What wilt thou doe with so much riches especially seeing that the lesse thou hast the more lightly and freely thou mayest walke and when thou shalt come to the end of thy pilgrimage if thou beest poore thy estate shall not be worser then rich mens who are loaden with much gold Yea it shall be much better for thou shalt feele lesser griefe in forsaking this trash and pelfe of the world and a smaller account is to be rendered before God On the contrary part rich men in the end of their iourney leaue their mountaines of gold not without great griefe of hart which they adored as GOD neyther without exceeding great danger and hazard vnto them an account is to be rendered of those things they possessed Consider also ô thou couetous man for whom thou gatherest so
great riches for it is most certaine that like as thou camst naked into this vvorld so thou shalt depart naked hence thou entrest poore and shalt returne poore These things are often to be meditated of thee For he easily contemneth all things sayth Ierome who perswadeth himselfe that he shal dye At the houre of death thou must leaue all temporal things onely thy works which thou hast done whether they be good or euill shal waite vpon thee then thou shalt remember how thou hast changed eternal things for things temporal in heaping vp of which thou hast consumed thy time thy affections and all thy labours Then thy goods shal be deuided into three parts thy body shal be giuen to the wormes thy soule to deuils and thy temporal goods shal fall to thine heires which perhaps shal be vngrateful spend-thrifts and wicked Therfore it is much better and safer to follow the counsaile of our Sauiour who willeth vs to deuide our goods amongst the poore that they may prepare an entrance into life for vs as the Princes of this vvorld doe who determining a voyage doe send their furniture and treasure before them and such prouision as would hinder theyr speede and they themselues follow after What greater folly and madnes I pray thee can be thought of then to leaue thy treasure in a place to the which thou shalt neuer returne againe and not to send it before thee to that place in which thou shalt alwayes abide Consider moreouer of the great Gouernour and high director of this spacious Vniuerse who like a wise Housholder hath so disposed of the goods of this vvorld as he hath done of offices and degrees of estate and hath so ordered all things that one should rule and another be ruled that one should distribute and deuide wealth and another should receaue it Seeing therfore that thou art one of those on whom much wealth is bestowed to giue to those that neede thine owne necessity being supplied thinkest thou that it is lawfull to reserue it solely to thy selfe which thou hast receaued for many Heare what Ambrose sayth It is no lesser fault to deny that to the needy which he wanteth thou being of ability to giue it then it is to take by force from him that hath It is the bread of the hungry that thou detaynest the garment of the naked which thou layest by thee and the money and ransome of the captiue and miserable which thou hidest in the earth Consider therfore that those goods which thou hast receaued of the Lord are remedies and releefes of mans misery and not instruments of pleasure and pride Haue an eye that seeing all things prosperously succeed with thee thou remember him who is the authour and giuer of them and beware that the remedies of another mans misery doe not minister matter vnto thee of vaine glory Doe not ô my brother more loue banishment then thy Countrey Let not the furniture and prouision of thy voyage be an hinderance and a burden to thy iourney Doe not so loue the Moone-shine that thou contemne the noone-sunne doe not so liue that the solaces of this present life minister matter of eternal death Be content with the condition and estate which is happened to thee being mindfull of that of the Apostle Hauing foode and rayment let vs there-with be content For the seruant of God as Chrisostome sayth ought not to be clothed gorgiously to fare deliciously and to pamper his flesh delicatly but only to satisfie his necessity Seeke first the kingdome of God and his righteousnes and all other things shall be ministred vnto you For God who is willing to bestow great matters vpon thee will not deny thee small And if it please him to giue thee pouerty take it patiently for the poore are like vnto Christ who when he was rich became poore for our sakes They that are poore and with patience abide the Lords leysure and doe not respect riches which they haue not these make their pouerty a vertue And as the poore in their pouerty doe imitate Christ and are fashioned like vnto Christ so the rich bestowing and laying out their almes are renewed reformed by Christ for not only the poore sheepheards found Christ but also the Wise-men that came from the East and brought him their treasures Wherfore thou that art rich giue almes to the poore which if thou dost Christ himselfe receaueth them And doubt not but that almes that thou now giuest shal be reserued for thee in heauen where thy mansion shal be for euer but if in this earth thou hidest thy treasures thou shalt not there finde any thing where thou hast layd vp nothing How then shal any man truly terme those goods which cannot be taken away with vs yea which may be lost we looking on What doe they profit me sayth Ambrose if they may not be with me after death They are gotten heere and here shal be left But on the contrary part spirituall goods are goods truly and in deede for they neuer leaue nor forsake their Lord neyther fayle in death neyther can any man take them away we liuing and being against it ¶ That no man ought to detayne goods that are not his owne their Lord and Maister being eyther against it or not knowing of it ABout this sinne a very great danger is to be considered of which men oftentimes doe incurre in detayning other mens goods for we must know that it is not onely a sinne to steale other mens goods but also to keepe them against their owners wils neither is it sufficient to haue a determination at the length to restore them againe if forth-with they may be restored For we are not only bound to restore but also forth-with to restore If so be we be able but if we be not able forth-with to restore or not able to restore the whole by reason of pouerty in such a case we are not bound to the one nor to the other For God compelleth no man to performe impossibilities To the confirmation of this conclusion I think that we need not many words for that of Saint Gregory will be sufficient who writing to Iustinus a certaine Pretor of Sicilia sayth Let not any bribes or gaines allure and hale thee to iniustice let no mans threatnings or friendship make thee to decline from the right and straight way It is a thing diligently and seriously to be thought of that we leaue all gaines and bribes here behind vs and carry to iudgement onely the pleas and actions of harmfull and hurtfull gaines What greater madnes is there then then here to leaue the profit and to carry the losse with thee to doe another man a commodity and to disprofit thy selfe to procure mirth to another and torment to thy selfe vvhat is more foolish then to suffer punishment for that in another life which of others is consumed in this Furthermore it is an intollerable error that any
man should more esteeme his riches then himselfe and rather make shipwrack of his soule then of his substance expose his body to the sword that his garment might not be rent Such an one whosoeuer he be seemeth to me not much to differ from Iudas who for a few pence sold iustice sold grace and sold his owne soule To conclude if it be certaine as we assuredly beleeue that thou in the houre of death if thou meanest to be saued art bound of necessity to make restitution what greater madnes can there be then when thou art bound to restore and repay that thou owest to persist and continue in sinne to the houre of death to goe to bed in sinne to rise in sinne to liue and receaue the communion in sinne and to lose all that he loseth who perseuereth in sinne rather then to restore forth-with vvhat perdition can be greater in the vniuersal world He seemeth to haue no iudgment who slenderly accounteth of so great a losse Labour therfore my brother that thou mayst speedily and fully restore that thou owest neyther hereafter offer iniury or loose to any man Beware in like manner that the wages of thine hireling do not sleepe with thee til the morrow Doe not cause him to come often vnto thee and to depart heauy and sad from thee before he receaue his stipend least he lose more time in receauing then in earning it which often-times cōmeth to passe through the iniury of euil pay-maisters If thou beest the executour of any mans wil and testament beware that thou deceauest not the soule of the deceased least it proue another day a burden and clogge to thy soule If thou hast a family and many accounts to cast vp endeuor that they may be cleare and absolute or at least whilst thou lyuest that they may be cleared least when thou dyest strife and contention fall amongst thy family All that thou canst doe for the finishing and perfecting of thine owne will and testament passe it not ouer to the trust of another for if thou shalt be negligent in thine owne busines what thinkest thou others wil be in other mens Reioyce if thou owest not any thing to another but charity for then thou shalt sleepe securely and thou shalt feele no prick of conscience thy life shall be peaceable and thy death in tranquility But that thou mayst more be stirred vp to all these things cast a bridle vpon thine appetites and desires least thou giue the raynes vnto thy will and so out-runne thine estate dispose of thy diet and charges according to thy substance measure thine expences not by thy will but by thine ability least thou be oppressed with the lone of other mens money The burden of lones is drawne vpon vs by our owne affections temperance alone is more worth then many thousand of yeerely reuenues Possesse those blessed and true riches of which Paule speaketh Godlines is great gaine If men would be content with that estate that God hath sent them neyther murmur against the Diuine ordinance they should alwayes liue in peace but when they will ouerpasse these bonds and limits it is necessary that they should lose much of their tranquillity and quiet For those things haue neuer a happy end which are taken in hand against the will of the Lord. Remedies against Luxurie CHAP. VI. LVxury is an ordinate desire of filthy and vnhonest pleasures This sinne is very generall and common and more violent then all the rest For of all the combats and battailes which Christians are to fight the combat of Chastity is most difficult for the wrastling is perpetuall and the victory rare as sayth Bernard Therefore when as this soule and obscene vice doth tempt thy minde and thy flesh beginneth to tickle and prouoke thee thou shalt meete these motions with the cogitations following First and formost consider with thy selfe that this vice doth not onely pollute and contaminate thy soule which the sonne of God hath washed and beautified with his owne blood but also it defileth thy body which is a member of Christ and the temple of the holy Ghost But if it be a great wickednes to pollute the materiall Church of GOD what an hainous offence will it be to prophane this temple which is the liuely habitation of the true God For euery sinne sayth the Apostle that a man dooth is without the body but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his owne body that is by prophaning and coinquinating it with carnall lust and fleshly sinne Consider that this sinne cannot be done without the scandall and preiudice of many persons which concurre to the effecting of it which thing wonderfully afflicteth the conscience at the houre of death For if the Law of the Lord commaundeth that life is to be tendered for life an eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth how can he giue a like recompence to God who hath destroyed so many Christian soules howe shall hee be able to make satisfaction for so many soules which Christ hath purchased vnto him by his precious blood See how many delights and pleasures this sinne hath in the beginning but the end is most bitter the entrance is easie but the issue and egresse most difficult Therefore the Wise-man sayth A whore is as a deepe ditch and a strange woman is as anarrow pit Ingresse to her is easie but egresse difficult For truely there is nothing found in which men are more easily taken then in the sweetnes of this sin which appeareth by the beginnings and entrance into it But when as hands haue strooken friendship and this league is confirmed and lust hath captiuated thy soule who shall be able to deliuer and free it Wherefore not without cause this sinne is sayd to be most like a fishers Wee le or bow-net which hath a large entrance into it but a narrovve getting out and therefore the fishes that once goe in cannot get out Hence it appeareth how great is the multitude of sins which ariseth from this one when as in all that time in which the way is prepared and the deede committed God is a thousand wayes offended by thoughts desires and workes Consider furthermore as a certaine learned Doctor sayth what a multitude of other mischiefes this deceitfull pestilence bringeth with it First it spoyleth thy good name which is the most precious thing that belongs to man neyther is there any sinne that pulleth more haynous infamy vpon thee then luxurie doth After that it weakeneth and enfeebleth the strength of man it taketh away the beauty it hurteth the sound constitution it bringeth infinite diseases which are both filthy and reprochfull it perisheth and blasteth the florish and blossome of thy youth neyther suffereth it to bud and increase it bringeth old age before the time it breaketh the force strength of thy wit it dulleth the subtiltie of thine vnderstanding and maketh a man like vnto a brute beast
constancie But what shall I speake of the arts and inuentions vvhich that ingenious and witty cruelty I say not of men but of deuils hath deuised to ouer-throw and confound with corporall tortures fayth courage fortitude Some of them after they were most cruelly martyred and theyr flesh all to be-torne and rent were cast vpon a floare all sette with goades and prickes that theyr bodies all at once might be goared and 〈◊〉 with a thousand woundes and that they might feele a generall greefe throughout all theyr members that theyr intollerable payne might striue for victory with their faith Others beeing condemned were commaunded to walke vpon hote burning coales with their naked feete Others beeing tyed to the tayles of horses were drawne ouer thornes and bryers and rough places Others were condemned to wheeles stucke all round about with sharpe kniues that theyr bodies being put vppon them whilst they turned about might be cutte small peeces Others were stretched vpon Racks and their bodyes beeing harrowed and furrowed from top to toe with yron crookes and peircers did openly show their naked bowels the flesh being puld of and their ribs lying bare What shall I say more seeing that the barbarous and more then beastly cruelty of Tyrants not being contented with these torments hath found out a certaine new kind of cruelty With certaine instruments they so brought together two high sturdie trees that their tops touched one the other to one of these tops they bound the right foote of the Martyr to the other the left Then losing the Trees to their old scope they carried the body with them and violently tare it in peeces and each tree carryed with it his part into the ayre In Nicomedia among other innumerable Martyrs one was beaten so long till his white ribbs appeared through his bloody wounds for the scourges and whippings had peece-meale puld away the flesh then they washed his whole body with most strong vinegar after vinegar stuffed all his wounds ful of salt The Tyrants not yet satisfied with these dire discruciatements and extreame tortures when they saw that the Martyr yet breathed they cast his halfe dead body vpon a gridyron vnder which they made a fierce scorching fire haling the gridyron this way and that with their yron hookes vntil the body being fully rosted the sanctified pure-purged soule passed to the Lord. And thus those most barbarous inhumane butcherly murtherers inuented tortures more cruel thē death which notwithstanding was wont to be termed the terriblest of all dreadful things For they sought not so much to kill as to slay with vnheard of torments without any deadly wound by a lingering death and with intollerable greatnesse of dolours and sorrowes Surely these Martyrs had not bodies vnlike to ours or which were of another substance their flesh was as our flesh and theyr complexion was the same with ours neyther had they another God for theyr helper besides our God neyther did looke for another glory then that wee looke for Proceede therefore if they haue obtayned eternall life by so violent death why should we feare for the same cause at the least to mortifie the euill concupiscences of our flesh If they died through hunger wilt not thou fast one day If they with their mangled bodies perseuered in prayer why wilt not thou being sound and in health with bended knees continue a little in prayer If they were so patient that without resisting or contradiction they suffered their members to be maymed and detruncate and theyr flesh to be torne in peeces why wilt not thou abide that thine appetites and thine vnruly affections should be circumcised and mortified If they many yeares and many moneths sat imprisoned in darke dungeons why wilt not thou a little be contayned and shut vp in thy chamber If they haue not refused to haue their shoulders furrowed and mangled with whips and scourges why wilt not thou chastice thine If these examples doe not suffice thee lift vp thine eyes to the Crosse of Christ and behold who is he that hanging vppon it suffered so great and so cruell things for the loue of thee The Apostle sayth Consider him that endured such speaking against of sinners least yee should be wearied and faint in your minds This is a fearefull and a dreadfull example what way so euer thou shalt consider of it For if thou lookest vppon the torments there can be no greater If thou respectest the person who suffereth a more excellent cannot be giuen If thou examinest the cause for which he suffereth not for his owne offence for he is innocency it selfe neyther suffereth he of compulsion for he is the Creatour and Lord of all creatures but of his mere goodnes and free loue Yet for all this he suffered so great torments not only in his body but also in his soule that the torments of all Martyrs of all men that euer haue been in the world are not to be compared with these This was such a spectacle that the heauens were astonished the earth trembled rocks claue in sunder and all the insencible creatures felt the indignity of the thing How therefore commeth it to passe that man should be so insencible blockish that he should not feele that which the brute elements haue felt with what face can he be so ingratefull that he should not study somewhat to imitate him who hath done and suffered so great things that he might leaue vs an example For euen so as the Lord himselfe affirmeth Christ ought to haue suffered and so to enter into his glory For seeing that he came into the world that he might teach that heauen is not to be cōpassed by any other way then by the Crosse it was necessary that the Lord himselfe should first be crucified that a courage might be put into his Souldiers seeing their Captaine to be so cruelly and inhumanely handled and intreated Who then will be so ingratefull wicked proud and impudent who seeing the Lord of Maiesty with all his friends and chosen ones to walke such difficult wayes and yet he himselfe will be caried in an Horse-litter and on a bed of Downe led his life in deliciousnes King Dauid commaunded Vrias whom he had called from warre to goe into his owne house to sup sleepe with his wife but the good seruant answered The Arke and Israell and Iuda dwell in tents and my Lord Ioab and the seruants of my Lord abide in the open fields shall I then goe into mine house to eate and drink and lye with my wife by thy life by the life of thy soule I will not doe this thing O good and faithfull seruant who by so much is worthier of prayse by how much he is vnworthier of death And thou ô Christian seeing thy Lord lying vpon an hard Crosse hast thou no respect of him neyther doost thou yeeld honour reuerence vnto him The Arke of God made of incorruptible Ceder wood
man page 55 What mischiefe sinnes worke to the soule ibidem The beauty of a iustified soule page 56 By iustification God dwelleth in vs page 57 Iustification doth make vs the liuely members of Christ ibidem Confidence in prayer page 58 Christ is honoured when a righteous man is honoured ibid. By iustification eternall life is giuen ibidem Iustification is of greater value then creation 59 How to know whether we be iustified or not ibidem Of many effects which the holy Ghost worketh in a iustified soule 60 Graces wayting vpon the holy Ghost ibidem After what manner the holy Ghost sitteth in the soule of a righteous man and what he doth there ibidem The holy Ghost is fire a doue a cloud a wind ibidem page 61. The sixt Chapter The sixt Title That the inestimable benefit of the Diuine predestination doth bind vs vnto Vertue page 63. The matters handled in this Chapter Election is the foundation of all benefits page 64. Perseuerance in goodnes is a signe of election ibidem The circumstances in election are to be considered page 65. An Apostrophe to a begger but elected page 67. The seauenth Chapter The seauenth Title That man is bound to follow and embrace Vertue by reason of the first of those foure last things which happen vnto him which is death page 69. The matters handled in this Chapter A rehearsal of the foure last things that happen vnto man to wit Death Iudgement Heauen and Hell Ibidem A terrible and fearefull history out of Climacus 70 Death certaine but the houre of death vncertaine 71 Th◠danger in which he that dieth is 74 Feare the mightiest perturbation of the mind 75 The Sunne goeth downe at noone to the wicked ibidem The things that before seemed pleasant in death are bitter ibidem The accout that shall be required of vs. 76. The history of Arsenius out of the life 's of the Fathers 77 The history of Agathon out of the same booke ibidem A fearefull example of one Stephanus that led a solitary life out of Climacus ibidem Why the Saints doe feare in death 79. Nothing is of force in the houre of death 80 The lamentation of a sinner at the houre of death page 81 The eight Chapter The eyght Title That man is bound to desire Vertue by reason of that second last thing that happeneth vnto him which is the last iudgement page 82 The matters handled in this Chapter The shame of sinners in the last iudgement page 84 How fearefull the sentence of the Iudge is ibidem The paines of the damned 85 The blasphemies of the damned ibidem For what sinnes men are damned 88 Certaine excellent comparisons that agrauate the paines of the damned and the terrour of the last iudgement page 90 Repentance too late ibidem Our accusers in the last iudgement ibidem The ninth Chapter The ninth Title That man is bound to the exercise of Vertue by reason of the third last thing that happeneth vnto him which is the glory of heauen page 91 The matters handled in this Chapter What things are handled in this Chapter to wit the reward of the vertuous which is the glory of heauen in which two things are to be looked vnto the beauty of the place and the dignity of the King ibidem The beauty of heauen is gathered by coniectures ibidem The first coniecture is from the end why heauen was made 92 The second coniecture that it was not onely made for Gods honour but also for the honour of his elect page 93. The thyrd coniecture the price by which it was purchased by the death of God page 95 The fourth coniecture the situation and height of the place 97 The fift coniecture the proportion of the three kinde of places 98. The sixt coniecture the inhabitants dwelling in heauen 99 The power of the Lord. page 92 Reasons why Heauen should be absolute and perfect 93 All things obey the righteous euen in this world ibid. Christ gaue more to his Saints then he vsed himselfe page 94 The price that must be giuen for the celestiall glory 95 The quantitie and quality of the glory of heauen is argued by the greatnes of the place page 97 The beauty of the earth ibidem Three kind of places appointed to men of God 98 From the noblenes of the inhabitants wee may gesse of the glory of heauen page 99 Essentiall glory ibidem God is the perfection of all things 100 God is all in all ibidem The mistery of Circumcision 101 All things are to be suffered for the heauenly glory 102 The tenth Chapter The tenth Title That the last of those foure last things that happen vnto vs that is Hell-fire doth binde vs to seeke after Vertue 104 The matters handled in this Chapter There are but two wayes ibidem The greatnes of the punishment in hell by reason of the greatnes of God page 105. The greatnes of the iustice of God 107 The greatnes of the punishmens of hell is gathered by the punishments of thys lyfe ibidem Of the mercy of God the greatnes of the punishment is gathered 108 The two commings of Christ compared 109 The punishment ought to be like to the sinne page 111 From the person of the executioner that is of the deuill the greatnesse of the punishment is gathered page 112 A fearefull and horrible example of one Theodorus out of S. Gregories Dialogues ibidem A description of the deuils power page 114 The Conclusion page 115 Of the eternity of these punishments 116 A fearefull saying of the eternity of the punishments in hell ibid. A notable Allegory of the Furnace which King Nabuchodonozer commaunded to be heate in Babilon 118 ¶ The second part of the first booke In this second part are handle◠the temporal and spirituall blessings which in this lyfe are promised to Vertue and more particularly the twelue more notable and famous priuiledges prerogatiues which are found in Vertue page 120 The Chapters of the second part of the first booke The eleuenth Chapter The eleuenth Title That we are bounde vnto Vertue by reason of the inestimable blessings which are promised in this present life ibid. The matters handled in this Chapter It is a wonder that among Christians so many men are found wicked and vicious ibidem Whence this negligence of men is page 121 All things happen a like to the good and euill ibidem Men are ignorant of those good things that are in Vertue page 123 Vertue like vnto Christ. ibidem Helpes of God by which we ouercome the difficulty of Vertue 124 Vertue is an habite ibidem A comparison of the life of good men and ill men 125 Diuine blandishments with which the righteous are cherished 126 Good men are truly rich 127 All thys afore-sayd is explaned by a notable sentence of the Gospel ibid. What Christ meaneth by the hundreth fold in the tenth of Marke 128 What goods be those that God bestoweth vpon the good ibidem To the
and put of from day to day the amendment of their lifes and the embracing of Vertue ibidem The matters handled in this Chapter Diuers refuges and euasions of sinners ibidem Against them that deferre their repentance 266 The state of the question handled in this Chapter 267 The iust iudgement of God 268 Causes from whence the difficulty of conuersion ariseth ibidem The first cause is an euill habit and a naughty custome of a life wickedly and vngraciously led ibidem The second cause is the power of the deuill 269 The third cause by reason God is farre of from a soule polluted with the filth of sinne ibidem The fourth cause is the corruption of the powers of our soule ibidem Whether now or hereafter it is more easie to turne vnto God ibidem The force of euill custome 272 The Allegory of Lazarus being foure dayes dead 273 The losse of tyme ibid. The sinnes which we commit we shall heereafter deplore and lament in vaine 274 The reliques of sinne remayne after the sinne is committed 27â— How absurd a thing it is to reserue repentance for old age ibidem The greatnes of the satisfaction that God requireth of sinners 276 Deferring of repentance is a certaine infidelity ibidem Repentance is not to be deferred in regard of benefits receaued at Gods hand ibidem Repentance is not be deferred in regard of predestination 277. We offer the best part of our life to the world the worst to God ibid. What we owe vnto God in respect of our redemption 278 An excellent exposition of a place in the twelueth of Ecclesiastes ibidem The conclusion of the first obiection 279 The 26. Chapter Against them that deferre theyr repentance to the houre of death 280 The matters handled in this Chapter It is dangerous to dispute of finall repentance ibidem Authorities of certayne Fathers concerning finall repentance 281 To be conuerted what it is ibidem To dye well is an Art which ought to be learned all the life long 285 The authority of Schoole Doctors concerning finall repentance 286 The conclusion of Scotus that repentance made at the poynt of death and in extreamity is sildome true which he proueth by foure reasons or arguments ibidem The first reason of the Shoole-man is the great perturbations which arise out of the greatnes of griefes sicknes and the presence of death ibidem The euill disposition and temperature of the body is an impediment of contemplation 287 The second reason of the Schoole-man is that such repentance seemeth to be brought forth not of will but of compulsion whereas repentance ought to be voluntary ibidem The third reason of the Schoole-man is drawne from the custome of sinning 289 His fourth reason is founded in the quality of the valour of the workes which are commonly done at the houre of death 290 Certayne authorities of the holy Scripture confirming the precedent sentences of the Doctors 291 Aunswers to certayne obiections 294 Many miraculous and wonderfull things reserued to the comming of Christ among which the sauing of the theefe on the Crosse was one ibidem The iudgments of God 295 An obiection of the repentance of the Niniuites with an aunswere to it page 296 The conclusion of the former disputation ibidem The 27. chapter Against them that through the hope of the diuine mercy doe continue perseuere in theyr sinnes page 298. The matters handled in this Chapter The difference betweene the true Prophets and the false 299 Whence the Diuine iustice is knowne 300 All men ought to feare ibidem Whence feare is engendered 301 Of the works of the Diuine iustice whereof mention is made in the holy Scripture ibidem The beginning of the wayes of the Lord. ibid. The fall of deuills ibid. The fall of Adam ibidem The hidden and secrete iudgements of God page 103 Of the workes of the Diuine iustice which are seene in thys world 304 The great infidelity of men 305 What it is to trust in God 312 The conclusion of all those things which haue been spoken in thys chapter ibidem The promises of God belong to the righteous and the threatnings to the vnrighteous ibidem The 28. chapter Against them that excuse themselues saying that the way of Vertue is rough sharpe and difficult page 314 The matters handled in this Chapter Vertue is a friend vnto reason ibidem How the grace giuen vs by Christ doth make the way of Vertue easie pleasant 315 From whence the difficulty of Vertue ariseth 317 An answer to certaine obiections 319 For what end the reliques of sinnes and euill appetites remaine in vs. ibid. Another obiection with the answer 320 Spirituall circumcision 321 The commaundements of God are not impossible 322 How charity maketh the way easie and pleasant which leadeth vnto heauen 323 The cheerefulnes of Saint Laurence in his martirdome page 324 Those things which are vncleane to the world are cleane to the righteous ibidem Of other things which make the way of saluation easie and sweet 325. The way of the wicked is hard and difficult 326 All the precedent matters are proued by examples to be true 328 The great changes and alterations which the hande of the highest worketh 329 Thâ— disciples of Christ were on a suddaine made learned ibidem The conuersion of Saint Cyprian 330 The conuersion of Saint Augustine 331 The 29. Chapter Against them that feare to enter into the way of Vertue for the loue of thys world page 335. The matters handled in this Chapter What euills are in the world ibidem How short the felicity of this world is 336 No felicity of the world is lasting ibidem Of the great miseries that are mingled with worldly felicities 337 Some myseries are common both to the good and bad some proper onely to the wicked 338 Euils of God page 339 Punishments are inflicted vpon the wicked by the Ministers of God 340 The euils that passions and affections bring ibidem Of the multitude of the snares and dangers of thys world ibidem Of the blindnes and darknes of thys world page 342 The blindnes of men 342 Of the multitude of sinnes that are in thys world page 343 How deceaucable the felitie of the world is 345 The conclusion of all thys aforesayd 348 What the world is ibidem The world is a hell 349 That true rest and tranquility is found in God alone 349 Obiectiue beatitude ibidem Onely God can satisfie the hart of man page 350 The nature of the Sea-mans Needle ibidem Saint Gregory deplored the losse of his quiet and sweet solitary life 351. Those things which haue beene spoken are prooued by examples ibid. No man happy in thys world 353 The world is an hypocrite 354 The conclusion of the first Booke 356 In Vertue all perfections are found 357 Vertue is loued in an enemy ibidem THE SECOND BOOKE THE Prologue of the second Booke page 365 Matters handled in the Prologue The deuision of the second booke into two
Martyrs 521 The cruell Martyrdome of constant and religious Corona 522 An horrible kind of Martyrdome in Nicomedia ibidem FINIS Onely his Meditations in English done by ANONYMVS And his Manuell in the Germane tonge translated by Philippus Doberniner Exod. 3. The deuision of the Booke Two things required to pietie A similitude 1. Iohn 5 Cicero in the first booke of his offices Math 16. Honestie Profit are to be considered of in euery action GOD is that he is Epicures teach that God is to be serued A similitude Apoc. 19. The kingdome of God is not by succession Bernard in his 83. Sermon vpon the Canticles Why men are lesse moued with the perfection of God In the contemplation of God we must turne our eyes froÌ„ al creatures Exod 24. 1. Kings 19 Ess 6 A similitude Psal. 18 1 Tim. 6. A similitude Iob 5. In the 27 Booke of his Morals cap. 36. In his mistâ—call Theologie 〈◊〉 1. Psal 65. In his book of Soliloquies Cap. 1 Three things are to be marked in euery thing the Being the Ability and the Worke. Eccle. 11. Psalm 50 Honour is due to God because he is our father Mal. 1. Dâ—ut 32. By the consideration of the creation man doth come to the knowledge of his Creator Ezech. 29. Augustine in one of his Soliloquies ca. 31. Exod 12 Exod. 13. Exod. 16. GOD requireth of vs gratefulnes and thanksgiuing Exod. 17. Gen. 41. Epictetus That the benefits of nature are of God All things that are borne are not by and by perfect A similitude Psalm 119. Prou 13. All things without God are nothing A similitude In his mysticall Theologie ca. 4. All things created for the vse of man The expostulation of the elemeÌ„ts with man The creatures do cal vpon vs with three words The saying of Epictetus Rom. 12. A similitude Men like vnto swine A similitude See Aulus Gellius in the 5. booke 14. chap. The notable gratitude of a Lyon Plinie lib 8. cap. 17. The like to this is reported of Henricus Leo Duke of Saxonie See Krantius in his Saxonie lib. 6. cap. 34. The gratitude of horses Plinie lib. 8 cap. 42. The gratitude of doggs Plinie lib. 8. cap. 40. Ditmarus in the first booke of his Chronicle Diuers degrees of ingratitude A similitude A similitude Men doe abuse the gifts of God to the iniurie of the giuer Iob 34. A similitude The beginning of mans perdition 4 Kings 5. The admirable misterie of the incarnation Wee are bound to God not onely for our RedeÌ„ption but for the manner of it Iob 35 The means by which we are redeemed The Angels were astonished at the passion of our Lord Exod. 34. 3. Reg. 19. The Lord suffered not onely for all in generall but also for euery one in particuler For three things man oweth himselfe vnto GOD. The hardnes of mans hart Iohn 12. Ose. 11. Gâ—n 39. All things are giuen vs of God 1 Cor. 3. By how many wayes god is ours In the sixt booke of his Hexaemeron A dogge bewrayeth a murtherer Our sinnes nayled the Lord to the Crosse. A similitude What iustification is No man can be iustified by his own streÌ„gth Iohn 6. A similitude Iustification what great blessings it bringeth with it 1. It reconcileth man to GOD. Psalme 5. It maketh vs the sons of God 1. Iohn 3. 2 By iustification man is freed from eternall punishment 3. Iustification doth renue a man What mischiefe sins work to the soule The beauty of a iustified soule 4. By iustification God dwelleth in vs. A similitude Math. 12. Luke 11. Iohn 14. 5. Iustification doth make vs the liuely members of Christ. Confidence in prayer Christ is honoured wheÌ„ a righteous man is honored Act. 9. 6. By iustification eternal life is giuen Rom. 8. 2 Cor. 4. Iustification of greater value then creation Augustine vpon Iohn Howe to know whether we be iustified or not Graces waiting vpon the holie Ghost After what manner the holy Ghost sitteth in yâ— soule of a righteous man and what hee doth there The holy Ghost is fire A Doue A cloude A wind Psalm 118 Psalm 119 Augustine vpon the 144. psalme Gene 42 In his 8. homilie of the Passeouer To a certaine Virgine Psalme 71 Augustine vpon the 71. psalme Iohn 6 Ephe. 1. Psalm 65 Election is the foundation of all benefits Iere 31 Rom. 8. A similitude Perseuerance in good a signe of election 1 Cor. 1. Prouerbs 22. Luke 10. The circumstances in election are to be considered An Apostrophe to a begger but elected A similitude 2 Pet. 1. The â—â—â—â—bring rehearsall of those things that he will speake of Ecclus 7. In his lâ—dder to Paradice in the 6. staire A terrible feareful historie Ecclus 7â— Death certaine but the houre of deaâ—h vncertaine A similitude The danger in which he that dyeth is Amos. 8. Feare the mightiest perturbation of the minde When the sunne goeth downe at noone to the wicked Those thinges which before seemed pleasant in death are bitter Ecclesiasticus 43. The account that shall be required of vs. Psalm 143. Arsenius In the life 's of the fathers Part 2 §. 153. Agathon in the sâ—me booke §. 51 In his ladder to Paradice in the 7 staire A fearefull example of one Stephanus that led a solitarie life Why the Saints doe feare in death In the 4. booke of his Morrals chap. 2. In the 11. booke of his Morrals chap. 21. In the 24. booke of his Morrals chap. 7. Note 1 Peter 4. 3 Reg. 25. Nothing is of force in the houre of death Prou 11 The lamentation of a sinner Psalm 18. 2 Cor. 5. Iob. 13. Iob. 14. Math. 12. The shame of sinners in the last iudgment Ose. 10. How fearefull the sentence of the Iudge is Math. 25. Iob 26. Iob 21. Apoc. 18 The paines of the damned The blasphemies of the damned Iob 3. Iob 24. Wisdom 5. In the 22. homily to the people of Antioch For what sinnes men are damned Math 15. Ierem. 9. Psalm 95. Psalm 6 Math 16 Gene 3 Mala 3. Exod 19 Psalm 49 Luke 16. Certaine excellent comparisons Repentance too late Our accusers Ambroâ—e vpon Luke VVhat things are handled in this chapter The beauty of heauen is gathered by coniectures The first coniecture is the end Prouer 16. Esther 1. Esay 25. The power of the Lord. Reasons why heauen should be absolute perfect The second coniecture Iohn 12. All things obey the righteous euen in this world Iosua 10. 4 Kings 20. 3 Kings 17 18. 4 Kings 13. Acts 5. Christ gaue more to his Saints then hee vsâ—d himselfe Gen. 22. 2 Reg 7. The 3. coniecture The price that must be giuen for the celestiall glory Apoc. 21 The fourth coniecture The quantity qualitie of the glory by the greatnes of the place Psalm 26. The beauty of the earth The 5. coniecture Three kind of places appointed to men of GOD. The 6 coniecture From the noblenes of the inhabitants Psal. 83. Essentiall glory God is the
solitary and monasticall lyues A wonderfull and excellent saying of Petrus Damianus of the oureof death Nothing auaileth in death but vertue Prou. 11. Ecclesiast 1. Apoc. 14. Iob. 11. In the 10. booke of his Morals Cap. 21. Prou. 14. The righteous feareth not in the houre of death Paulinus in the life of Ambrose In death prosperity doth nothing profit nor aduersity hurt A similitude Apoc 22 Math 19 Vertue hath one inconuenience Math 13 Esay 14 Psalm 144. â— Kings 1. Psalm 34 Prou 20 Cant 8 Ecclesi 32. Prou. 18. Diuers refuges of sinners Againt theÌ„ that defer their repentance August in the 8 booke of his confessions the 5. chap. The stâ—te of the question Gregory in an homily Luke 12. Apoc. â— The iust iudgement of God Ecclesi 5. Causes froÌ„ whence the difficulty of conuersion ariseth Ierome vnto Celantia Chap. 4. Bernard Luke 11 Esay 62 Osea 7 and the 9. Apoc 11 A similitude A similitude Whether nowâ— or hereafter it is more easie to turne vnto God A similitude Ecclus 10 The force of euillcustome A similitude The Allegory of Lazarus foure dayes dead The losse of time A similitude See August his tenne strings The sinnes which wee nowe commit wee heereafter shal deplore lament in vaine Psal. 6. A similitude The reliques of sinne remaine after the sinne How absurd a thing it is to reserue thy repeÌ„tance for old age A similitude Seneca in his book of the shortnes of life The greatnes of the satisfaction Deferring of repentance a certaine infidelity Greg. in his Morals Repentance is not to be deferred in regard of benefits receaued at Gods hand Ecclesi 18. Not to be deferred in regard of predestination We offer the best part to the world the worst to God Seneca in his 109. Epi. Mal. 1. Deut. 25. What we owe vnto God in respect of our redemtion Eccles. 12. An excellent exposition of this place of Eccles. The conclusion of the first obiection Ecclus 25 Ecclus 17. Iohn 5. Psalm 95 It is dangerous to dispute of finall repentance Ezech. 35 Augustine of true and false repentance ca 17 In the same place To be conuerted what it is In his exhortation to repentaÌ„ce which forthwith foloweth in his second booke of repentance The iudgement of Isidore In the ninth tome of Plantynes edition a little before the end Greg in his 18 book of his Morals chap. 5. Iob. 27. Prou. 28. Math. 25. The conclusion of the Schoole man The first reason of the Schoole man The euill disposition and temperature of the body is an impediment of coÌ„templation The 2 reason of the Schole-man Aug. in hys booke of true false repentance chap 17. 2 Kings 16 2 Kings 19 3 Kings 2. A similitude The thyrd reason of the Schole-man The fourth reason of the School-man Prou â— Math 24 Math. 25. August in an Epistle to Dios. Many miraculous and wonderful things reserued to the comming of Christ. Euseb. Emiss of the good theefe A similitude 2 Cor. 11. Psal. 62. The iudgements of God A similitude Eccles. 3. An obiection of the repentance of the Niniuites Heb 12 2 Macha 9 Hester 4 Deut 32 Esay 55 Psalm 129 The difference between the true Prophets and the false Ierem 37 Psalm 90 Whence the Diuine iustice is knowne A similitude All men ought to feare Whence feare is in-gendered The beginning of the wayes of the Lord. The fall of deuills Esay 14 The fall of Adam Gen. 7. Gen. 19. Numb 16. Leuit. 10 Acts 5. The hidden and secret iudgements of God Luke 23. The great infidelity of men 2 Kings 2. Ierem 5 Chap 8 In the foresaid chap. Esay 61 2 Reg 24 Ecclus 23 Psalm 69 Saint Augustine Psalm 147 Luke 13 Math 7 1 Pet 3. Eccles 1 Math 26 A similitude 1 Tim. 2. What it is to trust in God Ecclesi 5. The promises of God belong to the righteous and the thretnings to the vnrighteous Psal. 11. Esd. 8. Psal. 37. Psal. 4. August in his 11. homily among his 50. Bernard in his 56. Sermon amongst his small ones Vertue a friend vnto reason Gal 5. Rom 7. 4 Kings 6. Psal. 119. Psalm 19 Math 1 Esay 40 Esay 10 FroÌ„ whence the difficultie of vertue ariseth Ezech 11. Rom 4. Esay 41 For what end the reliques of sins euill appetites remaine in vs. Psalm 27 Another obiection with the answer Deut. 30. Spirituall circumcisioÌ„ Deut. 10. Augustine A similitude Esay 26. The commaundements of God are not impossible Deut. 30. 2 Iohn 5. August of holy widdowhood In the 13. book of his coÌ„fessions Rom. 8. Petrus Rauennas vppon that Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God c. Those things which are vncleane to the world are cleane to the righteous Exod. 8. Acts 5 Bernard in his small Sermons chap. 30. A similitude Prou 4 The way of the wicked hard and difficult Psalm 119 Psalm 17 Psalm 119 Math 11 Osea 11 Exod 3 2 Cor 4 Esay 40 The great changes â—lterations which the hand of the highest worketh The disciples of Christ were on a suddaine made learned Cyprian in his 2 book and 2 Epist. Augustine in the 8 book of his Confessions Chap. 11. Chap. 11. In the 9 book of his Confessions chap. 1. What euils are in the world No felicitie of the world lasting Eccles 11 Wisdom 5 Esay 29 Baruch 3 Some miseries are coÌ„mon both to the good and euill some proper onely to the wicked Wisdom 5 Euils of GOD. Gene 4 Deut 7. PunishmeÌ„ts inflicted vpon the wicked by the Ministers of God The euils that passions bring Psal. 11. Athanasius in the life of Saint Anthony Prou. 6. Ecclesi 13. The blindnes of men See Cyprian in his 2 booke and 2 Epistle Psal. 14. Hosea 4. Ierem 9 Psalm 55 Gene 25 What the world is Psalm 55. S. Bernard The world a hell Obiectiue beatitude A similitude Onely God can satisfie the hart of man The nature of the Seamans needle Psal. 45. S. Gregory deplored the losse of his quiet sweet solitary life Aug. of the manners of the Church 1. booke 3. chap. No man happy in this world Eccle 1 Psalm 4. Psalm 31. The world an hypocrite S. Augustine In vertue all perfections are found Plato Prou 3. Psal. 112. Psal. 9. Cicero in Loeli A similitude Vertue is loued in an enemy Rom. 8. Gen. 31. Psalm 119. In the same Psalm Wisdom 8. Cyprian in his 2 book and 2 Epist. Baruch 3 Ierem 9 Euill cuâ—toâ—e A similitude The world The deuill Ecclesiast 2 Moe for vs then against vs. A firme resolution is to be planted in the soule A similitude Iorome in the life of Paule the Hermite A similitude The proposition of this Booke Ezech â— A similitude 1 Iohn 2 Tob 4. August to a certaine Earle Bernard in a certaine Sermon Bernard in a Sermon 1 Cor 15. Wisdom 6. A saying of Tigranes King of the Armenians 1 Peter 5. Greg. in the 9. book of his Morals Chap. 11 Iob 9. See Bernard