first storme of rayne winde or flouds it is cast downe and the fall thereof is great Thy house my soule hath diuers powers and faculties as it were Chambers or parlors and if it be built vpon God as vpon a Rock that is if thou dost firmely beleeue in God if all thy trust be in God and thou be grounded in the loue of God that thou mayst say with the Apostle Who shall seperate vs from the charitie of Christ Ephes 3 Rom. 8 Then be assured that neither the spirituall wickednesse which is about thee nor carnall concupiscence which is vnder thee nor thy domesticall enemies which are on the side of thee to wit thy kinsfolkes and acquaintance shall euer by their temptations preuaile against thee Great surely is the force and subtiltie of the spirituall powers but greater is the power and wisdome of the holy Ghost who ruleth in that house which is founded on God The flesh also fighteth eagerly against the spirit and sometime ouercommeth the strongest but the loue of God doth ouercome the loue of the flesh and the feare of God doth vanquish the feare of the world Those also of a mans houshold are his enemies and with their peruerse councells drawe his soule into the company of sinners But that soule which trusteth she hath a Lord a Father a brother and spowes in heauen will easily contemne and in that respect hate her carnall friendes and kinsfolkes and say with the Apostle Luke 14 Rom. 8 I am sure that neither death nor life nor other Creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. But that soule is indeede miserable whose house being built vpon the sand cannot continue long And the fall therof will be great because it beleeueth lyes and trusteth to a staffe of Reede Whose God is the belly or money or the smoake of honour all which things passe away and perish very speedily drawe the soule which followeth them into eternal distruction It is also an other property of the earth like a good Nursse Cap. 3 plentifully to bring forth hearbes and fruites for the sustenance of men and beasts This propertie directeth vs to our maker as to our true Nursing Father For not the earth but God in the earth bringeth forth all good things So speaketh the holy ghost by the mouth of Dauid Psal 103 Who bringeth forth grasse for be astes and hearbe for the seruice of men And againe All expect of thee that thou giue them meate in season Thou giuing to them they shall gather it thou opening thy hand all thinges shall be filled with bounâ—ie And our Lord in the Gospel Math. 6 Behold the foules of the ayre that they sowe not neither reape nor gather into barnes and your heauenly Father feedeth them And the Apostle Act. 14 And truely not without testimony hath God left himselfe bestowing benefites from heauen giuing raine and fruitfull seasons filling with foode and ioy our harts Neither is that false which is said in the beginning of Genesis Gen. 1 Let the earth shoote forth green hearbes and such as may seede and fruit trees yeilding fruite after his kinde For although the earth shoote forth hearbs and fruit trees yet it is by the vertue which God gaue vnto it and God by it keepeth and increaseth them Therefore Dauid inuiting all creatures to prayse their maker ioyneth with the rest Psal 140 Fruitfull trees and all Cedars And the three children in Daniel are exhorted with all other thinges to blesse Dan. 3 prayse and magnifie him for euer And if all creatures after their manner praise God with what affection oughtest thou my soule to prayse him for all his benefites which thou dost dayly enioy acknowledging in them his fatherly loue which neuer ceaseth to prouide all things for thee But this is not much in the eyes of thy Lord God For he produceth in thee as in his spirituall field the noble branche of Charitie For Charitie is not of the world but of God 1 Iohn 4 as the most beloued Disciple speaketh in his Epistle From Charitie also as from a heauenly tree spring the white and odoriferous flowers of holy cogitations the greene leaues of profitable wordes for the saluation of Nations and the ripe fruites of good workes by which God is glorified our neighbour edified and merits increased and kept for eternall life But woe to those who after the manner of foolish beastes desire to be filled with the fruites of the earth not thinking of their giuer nor thanking him for them their soules are like the earth which God did cursse that bringeth forth nothing but thorns thistles For what do they think in whose minds God soweth not chaste intentions but of adulteries homicide sacriledge theftes trecheries and the like And what doe they speak but blasphemies periuries reproches heresies detractions contumelies false testimonies and lyes which they haue learned of their father the deuil finally what fruites do they bring forth but those whereof we haue spoken and which the Apostle calleth The workes of the flâ—sh Gal. 6 These indeed are the thornes which first pricke the minde which bringeth them forth with bitter thoughts of feares and cares And then they pricke the fame mindes and bodies of others with vncurable woundes whereby great hurt often times ensueth But leauing this my soule if thou wilt be the Garden of God take heed that thornes and thistles be neuer found in thee but with all diligence cherish the tree of Charitie the Lilly of chastitie and the Spiknard of humilitie Take heede it neuer enter into thy minde to thinke that these braunches of heaueâ—ly vertues come from thy selfe and not from thy Lord God who is the Lord of vertues Neither attribute to thy selfe the keeping increase and ripenesse of the fruite of good workes but as much as thou canst commend them vnto God There remaineth the last Cap. 4 commendation of the earth for that in her bosome are conteyned gold siluer and precious stones but truely the earth doth not by her owne vertue bring forth such precious kindes of thinges but he who by Aggeus saith Mine is the siluer Agg. 2 and mine is the gold O louer of men did it please thy goodnesse not onely to produce stones wood yron brasse lead and such like thinges necessarie for the building of houses shippes and other instruments but also gold siluer and precious stones for beauty and ornament And if thou giuest these thinges to Pilgrims on earth and often also to thy enemies which blaspheme thy name what wilt thou giue to thy friendes who shall prayse thee and raigne with thee in heauen Thou wilt giue them doubtlesse not some little peeces of golde and siluer or some fewe precious stones but that Cittie whereof Iohn the Apostle speaketh in the Apocalips when he saith Apoc. 21 And the building of the Wall thereof was of Iasper
the more he was hardened and the more Gods mercy appeared in remoouing his punishments the more was he animated to despise and contemne God But when our Lord is pleased to enkendle one sparke of the fire of his true loue in a hard heart presently it waxeth soft and melteth like waxe so that no obstinacy though neuer so continuall and obdurate can hinder it And of a heart of stone it becommeth a heart of flesh Psal 147 For when the spirit of our Lord bloweth Waters will slowe from the frozen Snowe We haue an example in the Gospell Luk. 7 of that woman that was a Sinner in the Citty whome neither the admonitions of her Brother reprehensions of her Sister honour of her Family nor her owne shame could moue to abstaine from sinne And yet one beame of Christ peircing her heart and there enkindling a sparke of Diuine loue did so strangely alter her that being a Noble woman she blushed not in a publicke Feast to cast her selfe at Christes feete All weeping with her teares to bathe them and with her haire in steede of a towell to wipe them oftentimes most louingly to kisse them and with a most precious odoriserous oyntment to annoint them signifying thereby that from thenceforth she bequeathed her selfe and all that was hers vnto the seruice of Christ Therefore she heard that saying of our Sauiour Many sinnes are forgiuen her Luk 7 because she hath loued much But it shall not be from our purpose to sett downe another example also of late time William Duke of Aquitane liued in the time of St. Bernard a man most wilfull and obstinate In defending Anacletus the Scismatical Pope against Innocentius the lawfull He banished all the Catholicke Bishops out of his Countrey and tooke an oath that hee would neuer be at peace with them and because all men knewe him obdurate in wickednesse and cruelty and terrible for his pride there was none that durst admonish him It pleased God by his seruant Bernard to visite the hard heart of this man and to kindle a great sparke of Diniue loue therein Presently of a Lyon he became a Lambe humble of proude and most obedient of most obstinate For at one onely worde of St. Bernard hee friendly imbraced the Bishop of Poyters and with his owne hand placed him in his Chaire And which seemeth to surpasse all admiration demaunding of a certaine Hermit remedy of soule for his sinnes past He was commanded by the same Hermit to weare a coate of Brasse next his skin so buckled that it could neuer be put off and presently hee obeyed and it was so donne And being sent by the Hermite to the Pope for absolution he went But the Pope suspecting that hee did not heartily repent or else desirous to try his patience commaunded him to goe on Pilgrimage to Ierusalem to demaund absolution of the Patriarke of that Citty Without delay he vndertooke that iourney and fulfilled the Popes commandement Lastly of a potent Prince he became an humble Monke So that in that age there was scarce any found to surpasse him in humility patience pouerty deuotion and piety This indeed is the change of the right hand of the heighest Psal 76 this is the force of the Diuine fire against which no heard heart can resist There remaineth the last property of the Fire which is to extenuate heauy thinges and cause them easily to mount aloft And this is the cause why men that burne not with the fire of Diuine loue are heauy of heart and to them the Prophet said Psal 4 How long are you of heauy heart Why loue you vanity and secke lying This also is the cause why The body that is corrupted burdeneth the soule as the wise man saith Wisd 9 And an heauy yoake vpon the Children of Adam from the day of their comming foorth of their mothers wombe vntill the day of their burying Eccle. 40. into the mother of al saith Ecclesiasticus And what this heauy yoake is which in this mortall body so burdeneth the soule the same Author declareth a little after when he addeth Fury Euâ—y Wauering Feare Anger and such like commonly called the Passions of the minde These so depresse the minde of Man that it beholdeth nothing but earth to which it cleaueth in such sort that it cannot ascend to seeke God nor speedily run the way of his Commondements But when the fire of God beginneth from aboue to inslame it forthwith those passions begin to deminish and be mortified and this heauy burden to wax lighter And if the heate increase it will so vnburthen the haâ—t that it may flye vp like a Doue say with the Apostle Our conuersation is in heauen Phil. 3 And being also dilated by this fire it may say with Dauid Psal 111 I haue runne the way of thy commandements when thou hast delateâ— my harâ— Truely since our Sauiour said Luk. 12 I came to cast fire on the earth and what will I but that it be kindled We haue seene many so enlightned therewith that they haue wholy forsaken the loue of honour pleasure and wealth and haue said to Christ ascending into heauen Draw vs after thee This hath caused so many Monasteries to be erected so many desertes to be inhabited so many companies of virgins to be instituted who did not onely with ease runne the way of the Commandements but also ascended into the way of Counsells To follow the Lambe whethersoeuer he shall goe Apoc. 14 O Blessed fire which giueth light and wasteth not and if it waste it wasteth but the peccant humors that lise be not extinguished thereby Who will cause me to be inflamed with this fire which with the light of true Wisdome expelleth the darknesse of ignorance and blindenesse of an erronious conscience And which changeth the coldenesse of slothe indeuotion and negligence into the heate of loue That it neuer suffer my hart to be hardened but with the heate thereof to be mollified and made deuout And that it take from it the heany yoake of earthly cares and desires that with the winges of holy contemplation wherewith Charitie is nourished and increased it may be so lifted vp that I may say with the Prophet Make ioyfull the soulc of thy seruant Psal 85 because to thee O Lord I haue lifted vp my Soule THE SEVENTH STEPP From the Consideration of Heauen to wit of the Sunne Moone and Starres WE shall not labour much in this place from the consideration of Heauen Cap. 1 to frame for our selues a Stepp to contemplate God for we haue the kingly Prophet going before vs who in the Psalmes saith Psal 18 The Heauens shew forth the glory of God the â—â—â—mament declareth the workes of his hands And because there are two seasons to wit the day night in which we may from the consideration of heauen ascend vnto God with the wings of contempâ—ation of the first he writeth
world from the first Creature to the last I say nothing so perfectly as that hee is able to explicate the Nature Propertyes Accidents and secret virtues thereof Into what errors shall he fall if hee vndertake to search out the thinges which are aboue Heauen Therefore if thou be Wise my soule follow the knowledge of Saluation and Wisdome of Saintes which consisteth in fearing God keeping his Commaundements Delight more in prayer then in DisputatioÌ„ and in edifying Charity then in proud knowledge For that is the way which leadeth vnto life Eternall where we little ones shal he made equall with Angells which alwayes see the face of their Father which is in Heauen Luk â—0 Mat. 18 There is also a third thing wherein Mans soule is not a litle lesse but much lesse then Angells to witt in the power and commaund ouer Bodyes For Mans soule moueth the body by commaundment of the Will but other Bodyes it cannot so moue And it moueth the body by Progressiue motion vpon the Earth but cannot suspend it vpon the Water cleuate it aboue the Ayer or carry it whether it will But Angells onely by Force of Spirit and commaundment of Will eleuate heauy bodyes and carry them whether they lift So an Angell tooke vp Abachue Dan. 14 and in a very short time carried him to Babilon to bring Daniel his â—inner recarried him again to Palistine A man also cannot fight in spirit onely with his enemies but with his handes and weapons but an Angel by power of spirit without hands or weapons can encounteâ— and ouercome a whole army of men So one Angel â—â—ew at once a hundred fourescore and fiue thousand Assyrians 4 Reg. 19 And if Angels can do these thinges what can the Lord and maker of Angels doe He truely made all thinges of nothing and can reduce all thinges to nothing Mans soule moreouer can by the art of paynting with industry and labour make the image of a man so lively that it may seeme to liue and breath But an Angell can without labour of handes or instruments almost in a moment of time assume in such sort a body Elementarie that wise men will iudge it to be the true body of a man because it can walk speake eate drinke be touched handled and washed So Abraham prepared meate for the Angells Gen. 18 and washt their feete For as the Apostle declareth Ieb 13 He receaued Angels to harbour thinking they had bene men Which also happened to his nephew Loth when he receaued two Angels as strangers into his house Gen. 19 The Angell Raphael in like manner remayned with young Tobias many-dayes walking speaking eating and drinking as if he had bene a man indeede yet notwithstanding being after to depart he said I seemed indeede to eate with you and to drinke Tob. 12 but I vse an inu sible meate and drinke and sodainly he vanished from their sight Surely it is admirable and proceedeth from great power so to frame a body on the sodaine as that it may seeme to differ in nothing from the liuing body of a Man and againe at pleasure on the fodaine so to dissolue the same body that nothing therof remayne If then the power of Angels be so great how great is the power of the maker of Angels who gaue them that power Truely as the knowledge of Angells and men being comâ—ared with the knowledge of God is ignorance and as the iustice of Angells and men being compared with the iustice of God is iniustice so the power of Angells and men being compared with the power of God is infirmitie Therefore it is truely said Rom. 16 â—uke 18 1 â—â—m 6 Cap 4. Our God onely wise onely good and onely mighâ—ie Lastly if we consider the place of Angels and of men we shall finde mans soule in that respect also Not a little lesse Heb. 2 but much lessened vnder Aâ—gells I willingly vse that word which the Apostle vâ— sâ—th For God hath appâ—inted a place on earth for the soule of man and in heauen to wit in his Pallace a place for Angels Psal 113 For the heauen of heauen is to our Lord but the earth he hath giuen to the children of men Whereupon our Lord in St. Math 24 Mathew calleth them The Angels of heauen And in St. Luke he saith There shall be ioy in heauen vpon one sinner that deth penance Luke 15 And a little after There shall be ioy before the Angels of God vpon one sinner that doth penance God also hath so tyed the soule to the body that it cannot without it remoue from place to place but Angels are not tyed to any body but haâ—e power giuen them to pâ—sse from heauen to earth and from earth to heauen or whether soeuer they will with very great speede so that Angels being next vnto God in dignitie of Nature doe also in some sort by their celerity immitate his vbiquitie For God is euery where by immensitie of Nature and therefore needeth no change of place Angels by swiftnesse of motion passe so speedily from place to place and so exhibit their presence in cuery place that they seeme after a sort to be euery where But my soule if thou wilt heare the Lord of Angels there is no cause why thou shouldest enuy that Angels haue so high a place and so vnsatigable a motion For not onely thou my soule when thou art loosed from the body shalt be equall vnto Angels but when thou shalt returne vnto thy body which Christ Will corfigure to the body of his glory Phil. 3 with that body shalt thou possesse heauen as thy owne-house it being made spirituall shall without labour or wearinesse be presently there wheresoeuer thou the soule shalt will and command it 1 Cor. 5 Thy Lord doth not deceaue thee who saith in his Gospel Ioh. 14 In my Fathers house there be many Mansions And I goe and prepare you a place And If I go and prepare you a place I come againe and will take you to my selfe that where I am you also may be Father I will that where I am Ioh. 17 they also maâ— be with me and that they may see my glory which thou hast giuen me But thou art not ignorant where Christ is and what body he hath For thou dost confesse euery day and say On the third day he rose againe from the dead he ascended into heauen thou knowest also that his body after the resurrection did sometimes enter in among his Disciples the dores deing shut â—châ—â—o Lâ—k 24 and departed from them not walking but vanishing that is he transferred his body from them so speedily as if it had beene a Spirit and not a body But if thou secke after this glory thou must first Consigure thy body Phil. 3 to the body of the humilitie of Christ And then Christ will configure thy body to the body of his glory For
true breadth his Eternity is true length his Omnipotency is true height and his Incomprehensibility is true depth But for him that desireth to Ascend and to finde what he seeketh It is not enough to consider these thinges lightly but he must Comprehend That you may be able saith the Apostle to Comprehend with all the Saintes what is the Breadth and Length and Height and Depth Hee surely â—oâ—h comprehend who considereth attentiuely and is so fully perswaded by the Truth that selling all hee hath hee maketh hast to buy the Treasure he hath found And the Apostle added With all the Saintes because the Saintes onely comprehend these thinges or for that none comprehendeth them as he ought vnlesse hee become a Saint Neither doth St. Augustine contradict what wee haue said who in his Epistle to Honoratus writeth Epist 120 cap 26 That the Apostle describeth the Crosse of Christ by the breadth length height and depth thereof The breadth of the Crosse was where his handes were nayled the length to which his body cleaued the height where his tytle was written and the depth was fastned and hid in the earth I say St. Augustine doth not contradict our meaning but rather much confirme it For the Crosse of Christ is the way to obtaine true breadth length height and depth For although to the eyes of men the Crosse seeme small short base and of no depth Yet the armes thereof haue bin extended from East to West and from North to South that is the glory therof hath reached to the Highest Heauen which like a key it hath opened for the Elect and hath pierced to the lowest Hell which from the same Elect it hath shutt for euer Let vs begin from the essence Cap. 2 and then passe on to the Attributes The Essence of God may many wayes be said most Broad First in it selfe because it is truely Insinite and comprehendeth all the perfections of Creatures which are or may be without end For whatsoeuer is shall be Or may be is without doubt contained in God In a most eminent manner Creatures therefore are Good with an addition As a good Man a good Horse a good House a good Garment and the like but God is All good For when Moses said Shew me thy Glory God answered Exod. 3 I will shâ—w the all Good If one had a thing at home that contained all the Sences obiects in the highest perfection so that hee should neuer need to goe abroad because he had at home as many delightes in that one thing as any sensuall man could desire should not that thing be very precious And if moreouer that thing contained in it selfe such abundent wealth of all sortes as any couetous man could wish weare it not the more precious And againe if that thing should bring as much honour and dignity to the possessor thereof as any ambitious man could imagine would it not now seeme vnualewable And further if that thing sufficed to satisfie not onely the desires of men but also of Angells who exceed men in desires as they excell them in knowledge what wouldest thou say Yet notwithstanding should the goodnesse of that thing be farre inferiour to the goodnesse of God which is so great that it sufficeth to satisfie the Infinite desire or rather Infinite capacity of God For God neuer goeth out of himselfe because he hath All good thinges within himselfe and before the world was made he was as rich as happy as he was afterward for nothing was made by him but was from euerlasting after a most eminent manner in him Dost thou vnderstand my soule what happinesse thou shalt enioy in heauen if thou loue God on earth And what happinesse thou shalt loose if thou loue him not For then God will giue himselfe to wit All good to those that loue him Math. 25 when he shall say Good and faithfull seruants enter into the ioy of your Lord. Cap. 3 God also is immense because he filleth all creatures Hier 23 I fill heauen and earth saith our Lord And Psal 12. If I shall ascend into heauen saith Dauid thou art there Psal 128 if I descend into hell thou art present I add also if I shall goe aboue heauen or vnder heauen or out of heauen I shall not be aloue because thou art there neither can I be any where but in thee and by thee Which carriest all thinges by the word of thy power Heb 1 Moreouer God by his immensitie not onely filleth all bodies but also all spirits For how else could he search the hart vnlesse he were in it and how could he heare the Prayers of the hart vnlesse he gaue eare to them And how could the Prophet say Psal 84 I will heare what our Lord God will speake in me vnlesse God did put his mouth to the eares of the hart Happy therefore is that soule which loueth God there God dwelleth For he that abydeth in Charitie 1 Ioh. 4 abydeth in God and God in him Neither doth God fill all things with his presence onely but also with his glory For the Seraphins cry Isay 6 That the earth is ful of his glory And Dauid addeth O Lord Psal 8 our Lord how merueylous is thy name in the whole earth Because thy magnificence is eleuated aboue the heauens as if he should say Thy name fame and glory hath not onely filled all the earth with admiration but also hath ascended and is eleuated aboue the heauens Ecclesiasticus saith likewise Eccle 42 Full of the glory of our Lord is his worke For there is no creature in heauen or on earth but continually prayseth God Psal 148 For which cause Dauid in the Psalmes and the three Children in Daniel doe inuite all creatures to prayse and magnifie their maker Dan 3â— albeit they were not ignorant many creatures to be of such a nature that they could not heare what they sayd but because they knew that all Gods workes were good and with their beautie therefore praysed their maker they reioyced in them and exhorted them to doe as they did And truely whosoeuer hath inward eyes may see that all Gods workes are as Censcers sending vp an odour of the sweetnesse of his glory And who so hath inward eares may heare them as it were a consort of all kinde of Musicall instruments praysing God and saying He made vs psal 99 and not we our selues For although there are of the wicked which cursse and blaspheme the name of God yet they also are enforced euen against their wills to prayse God as the worke doth the Worke-man because in them likewise Gods power doth merueylously appeare whereby he made them his goodnesse whereby he preserueth them his mercy whereby he expecteth and inuiteth them to repentance And his iustice whereby he condemneth them to punishment There are many truely in the world which heare not these voyces of Creatures albeit they cry
whome he loueth Thus he Whereby he plainely declareth that God sheweth himselfe vnto blessed soules not as a iudging Lord but as a familiar friend And truely the familiaritie which God also sheweth in this life to pure and chaste mindes is vncredible For of him it is sayd My delights to be with the children of men Prou. 8 Prou. 3 And his talke is with the simple Hence was it that all the Saintes albeit they suffered pressures in the world had notwithstanding peace in their harts where God dwelt therefore they seemed and were indeed alwayes ioyfull and quiet For to them the Truth said Ioh 16 Your hart shall retoyce and your ioy no man shall take from you There remaineth the fourth part of dimension which is called depth Cap. 8 The depth of Gods essence is manifold First the Diuinitie is in it selfe most deepe solide and substantiall Not like a guilded wedge which hath gold onely in the outside and within is brasse or wood but like an endlesse wedge of gold or rather like a mine of golde so deepe that by digging it can neuer be emptied So is God vncomprehensible For as a Myne of gold without bottome can neuer be emptied with digging so God whose greatnesse is without end can neuer be so perfectly knowne by any Creature but that there still remayneth more to be known and God onely comprehendeth that depth who onely hath an infinite vnderstanding Depth also belongeth to God in respect of place For as he is most high and aboue all So he is most deep and vnder all Who as the Apostle saith Carrieth all thinges by the word of his power Heb. 1 God therefore is as the foundation and rooâ—e of a house Act. 17 In whom we live and mooue and be So that Salomon sayd most truely Heauen and the heauens of heauens cannot containe thee â— Reg. 8. For God rather containeth the heauens and all thinges vnder them because he is both aboue the heauens and vnder the earth Furthermore Gods depth is his inuisibilite For God is Light but vnaccessible he is truth but most secret Psal 17 Thou hast put darkenesse thy Couert saith Dauid And Isay 45 verily he is God hidden as I say speaketh St. Augustine seeking God on a time sent his eyes as messengers from earth to heauen And all thinges answered Lib. 9 coÌ„â— c. 〈…〉 lib. 10 c. 6. in psal 26. 28 We are not him whom thou seekest but he made vs. Wherefore not finding God by Ascention through outward thinges he began to Ascend through inwrard thinges and from them he learned that God was more easily to be found for he knewe that the soule was better then the body and the inward sence then the outward sence and the vnderstanding then it Whence he gathered that God who is more inward then the vnderstanding was better then the vnderstanding Therefore whatsoeuer we vnderstand or conceaue is not God but some other thing lesse then God for he is better then we can conceaue Goe too then my soule if thou art better then thy body to whome thou giuest life because it is a body and thou a spirit and if the eye of thy body cannot see thee because it is without and thou within So thinke likewise that thy God is better then thou art because he is a spirit more high and inward then thou For thou dwellest as it were without but he resideth in his most profound and secret Tabernacle But shalt thou neuer be admitted thether God forbid Thy Lord doth not lye who saith Math 5 Blessed are the cleane of hart for they shall see God Nor his Apostle who sayd We see now by a glasse in a darke sort 1 Cor. 13 but then face to face Nor St. Iohn the Euangelist who writ We knowe that when he shall appeare 1 Ioh 3 we shall be like to him because we shall see him as he is How great then will thy ioy be when in that secret and sacred Sanctuary thou shalt see and enioy that light beauty and goodnesse it selfe Then shall it plainely appeare how vaine transitorie and of small moment the goods of this earth are wherewith men being inebriated forget the true and euerlasting But if thou thirst indeed after the liuing God And if thy teares be breades vnto thee day and night whiles psal 41 it is sayd where is thy God Be not slowe to cleanse thy hart whereby thou mayst see God Be not weary to dispose ascentions in thy hart vntill the God of Goddes shall be seene in Syon Psal 83 Neither waxe thou colde in the loue of God and thy neighbour 1 Ioh. 3 nor loue in word and in tongue but in deed and truth For that is the way that leadeth to life euerlasting THE ELEVENTH STEPP From the Consideration of the greatnesse of Gods power by the similitude of a corporall quantitie GReat is our Lord Cap. 1 and there is no end of his Greatnesse For he is not great onely because Omnipotencie is his higth infinite wisdome his depth incomprehensible mercie his breadth iustice like a rod of yron his length but also for that these Attributes are infinite in breadth length higth and depth And to begin from his Power or rather his Omnipotency The breath of Gods power consisteth in extention to infinite thinges First it is extended to all thinges made for there is nothing from the greatest Angel to the least Worme or from the highest Heauen to the lowest Hell which was not made by the power of God Ioh. 1 All things saith St. Iohn were made by him and without him was made nothing And after The world was made by him Secondly it is extended to all thinges that shal be made For as nothing hath bin made but by him so likewise nothing shall be made but by him So speaketh the Apostle Rom. 1. Of him and by him and in him are all thinges Thirdly it is extended to all thinges that may be made So speaketh the Angel There shall not be impossible with God any worde Luk. 1 And our Lord himselfe saith Math 19 With God all thinges are possible Fourthly it is extended to the destruction of all thinges made For as God could by a floude of Water destroy at once all men and other liuing creatures vpon earth except a few which it pleased him to preserue within Noahs Arke So be can by a floude of Fire at one time destroy not onely all Men and other Creatures found liuing at the lâ—st day but also all Trees Cittyes and other thinges vpon Earth The day of our Lord saith Saint Peter the Apostle in his last Epistle shall come as a Theefe 2 Pet. 3 in the which the Heauens shall passe with great violence but the Elements shall be resolued with heate and the Earth and the workes which are in it shall be burnt Great surely is the breadth of Gods Power and
men as they haue preferred their loue before their estate and dignitie children and parentes yea their life and eternall saluation The examples which are read in holy Scripture of Dauid Salomon and Sampson are known histories are full of the like Wherefore my soule if so great beautie be giuen by God to creatures how great admirable maist thou think is the beautie of God himselfe For none can giue that which he hath not And if men delighted with the beauty of the Sun and starres though those Bright bodies saith the wise man to be Goddes Wisd 13 Let them knowe how much the Lord of them is more beautifull then they for the author of beautie made all these thinges How great the beautie of God is we may gather not onely because it comprehendeth the beautie of all creatures most eminently within it selfe but also for that it being vnto vs inuisible while we are Pilgrims on earth and onely vnderstood by faith of Scriptures and mirrour of Creatures yet notwithstanding many saints haue bin so inflamed with the loue thereof that some of them haue hid themselues in Desertes and attended onely to the contemplation therof as St. Mary Magdalen Paul the first Heremite the great Anthony and others of whom you may reade in the religious History of Theodoret. Others forsaking their wiues and Children and whatsoeuer els they possessed on earth liued in Monasteries vnder the obedience of others that they might enioy the friendship of God Others desired willingly with rigorous paines to end their liues that they might come to the sight of that infinite beautie Heare one of them to wit St. Ignatius the Martyre in his Epistle to the Romans Let fire gallowes beastes breaking of my bones quartering of my members brusing of my body and all the torments of the Deuill come vpon me so that I may enioy Christ If then this diuine beauty not yet seene but onely beleeued and hoped for could kindle such a feruent desire what will it doe when as the vaile being remooued it shall be seene as it is in it selfe It will doubtlesse bring to passe Psal 3 That being drunke with the torrent of that pleasure we neither will nor can one moment turne our eyes from it And what wonder is it although the Angels and blessed soules which alwayes see the face of their Father in heauen are not wearied or tyred with that sight since God himselfe from all eternity beholding his owne beauty is fully pleased there with and being happie by that sight desireth nothing els entring as it were into a Vineyard or Garden of all delights from whence he neuer shall nor will depart Seeke that beauty O my soule sigh after it day and night say with the Prophet My soule hath thirsted after thee the strong liuing Psal 41 when shall I come and appeare before the face of God Say with the Apostle We are bolde 2 Cor 5 and haue a good will to be Pilgrims rather from the body and to be present with our Lord. Neither doe thou feare to be defiled with the loue of that beauty For the loue thereof doth comfort not corrupt doth purifie and not polute the hart The holy virgin and martyre St. Agnes sayd truely I loue Christ whose mother is a virgin whose Father knoweth no woman whom when I loue I am chaste when I touch I am cleane when I take I remaine a virgin But if thou dost truely desire the vncreated beauty of thy Lord thou must fulfill that which the Apostle addeth in that place 2 Cor. 5 Therefore saith he we endeauour whether absent or present to please him If God please thee thou oughtest likewise to please God And surely we shall please God in the country of the liuing when as we shall be illuminated with his glory as the Prophet saith Psal 114 I will please our Lord in the country of the liuing But in this Pilgrimage we are so easily poluted and defiled with the slime of sinne that the Apostle St. Iames said Iam. 3 In many things we offend all And the Prophet Dauid to shewe how fewe are immaculate in this life affirmeth that it belongeth to Happinesse Psal 118 saying Blessed are the immaculate in the way Therefore my soule if in this absence and Pilgrimage thou wilt please thy Lord it is not enough to desire to please him but it behooueth thee as the Apostle saith to striue to please him that is with great diligence to beware of such spottes as may make thy face deformed and if any happen to sticke therein with like diligence to endeauour to wipe them away Dost thou not see how women which seeke to please their husbands spend many houres in dressing their hayre adorning their face and wiping away the spottes of their garments and all this they doe to please the eyes of a mortall man who soone after must be turned to earth and ashes what oughtest thou therefore to doe to please the eyes of thy immortall spouse who alwaies beholdeth thee and desireth to see thee without spot or wrinkle It is needefull then to striue with all thy force Luc. 1 That thou walke before him in holinesse and iâ—stice and remoue from thee with speed all things that may hinder the same not hauing respect to flesh and blood nor to the speeches and opinions of men For thou canst not please God and the world both at once according to the Apostles saying Yf I yet did please men Gal. 1 I should not be the seruant of Christ THE THIRD STEPP From the Consideration of the earth WE haue considered the Corporall world in generall Cap. 1 Let vs now consider the principall parts thereof that from them we may erect a Ladder to contemplate their maker First there is the Earth the which although it occupie the lowest place among the elements and seemeth to be lesse then the rest yet it is not lesse then the water and in dignitie and worth it excelleth the other elements Whereupon we often read in holy Scripture That God made heauen and earth as the principall parts of the world Gen. 1 For he made heauen as the Pallace of God and Angels the earth as the Pallace of men Psal 113 The heauen of heauen is to our Lord saith the Prophet but the earth he hath giuen to the children of men And that is the cause why the heauen is full of bright starres the earth aboundeth with mettalls precious stones hearbes trees and beastes of diuers kindes whereas the water is stored onely with fish and the ayre and fire are in a manner emptie and naked elements But omitting this The earth hath three thinges most worthy of consideration by which a vigilant minde may easily ascend vnto God First the earth is the most firme foundation of the whole world without which we could neither walke worke Psal 92 rest nor liue He hath established saith Dauid the round world which
thou canst not for other businesse giue thy selfe to prayer and spirituall exercises For the holy Apostles were most busied but indeed in the worke of God and saluation of soules so that on of them sayde 2 Cor. 11 Beside those thinges which are outwardly my dayly instance the carefulnesse of all Churches Who is weake and I am not weake Who is scandalized and I am not burnt And yet the same Apostle beside the often commemoration of his prayers writeth vnto the Philippians Philip. 3 our conuersation is in heauen For in the middest of businesse in desire he was in heauen els would he not haue said Cal. 2 With Christ I am nayled to the Crosse And I liue not now I but Christ liueth in me It is an other property of the ayre to be the Medium or meanes whereby colours and soundes come to our eyes and eares Cap. 2 without which we could not see heare or speak Wherefore we ought greatly to thanke God that it hath pleased him to beautifie our nature with so singular a benefit We ought also to admire the wisdome of our maker in a worke of so great subtilitie For although the ayre be a true body and so great that it filleth almost an infinite space yet it is neither seene nor felt by reason of the vncredible raritie therof The auncients did wonder at the smalnesse of a lyne which Apelles had drawne with a pencill but that line was seene and touched and therfore not to be compared with the thinnesse of the ayre which couereth and compasseth all and yet is seene of none And it is the more to be wondred that the ayre being so thinne a body yet being diuided it closeth againe together with meruaylous facilitie and remaineth as if it had neuer bin diuided Truely it is not possible for an Artizen so to amend a Spiders broken cob web or the rent of a very thinne Veyle but that the former renting will appeare It is also most worthy of admiration and onely belongeth to the wisdome of God to cause innumerable kindes of colours to passe together without confusion through the same part of the ayre For he who shall stand in a high and open place in the euening when the moone shineth and behold the heauen full of starres and fieldes full of flowers with houses trees beastes and other thinges of like sort cannot denie but that the Species or formes of those thinges are conteyned in the Ayer next vnto him altogether without confusion But who can conceiue this For how can it bee that so thinne a body should containe together such variety of formes And what if at the same time and place Birdes sing Instruments of musicke play and Waters falling make a noise are not those soundes or Formes of Soundes receiued altogether with so many colours or formes of colours in the same Ayer Who doth these thinges O my Soule but thy Maker Who onely doth great wonders And if his workes are so wonderfull how much more wonderfull is hee himselfe An other commoditie also the ayre affoordeth by reason of the exceeding raritie therof For it helpeth the motion of all thinges that reâ—â—â—oue from place to place We al knowe with what labour shipps are towed through the waters albeit they are liquid and easily diuided For somtimes neither Windes nor Oares suffice but the strength of horses and Buffaloes must be added And if perhapps a way be to be made through hills and Mountaines although but short yet in how long time and with what labour is it performed But in the ayre horses runne birdes flye and arrowes and Dartes are shot with great facilitie and speed men also goe vp and downe about their businesse and mooue their feet armes and handes vpward downeward and on either side And yet the ayre though it be euery where and of a corporall nature hindereth them no more then if it were a spirit or nothing at all Lastly Cap. 3 the ayre giueth place to euery thing changeth it selfe into euery forme and is diuided and broken for the commoditie of men so that it may seeme to teach them humilitie patience and charitie It representeth likewise vnto them the vncredible sweetnesse and exceeding bountie of the maker thereof Recollect therefore thy selfe O my Soule and diligently consider that thy Lord God is alwayes present with his Creatures and alwayes worketh with them and which is a token of Infinite sweetnesse cooperateth with the nature of euery one as if hee should say with his Apostle To all I became all thinges that I might saue all 1 Cor. 9 Necessary Agents hee causeth to worke necessarily Voluntary Agents voluntarily and free Agents freely He mooueth and helpeth the Fire to ascend the Earth to descend the Water to runne into steepe places the Ayer to passe which way soeuer it is driuen the Starres to mooue alwayes circularly Hearbes Shrubbes and Plants to beare fruite according to their nature Beastes of the earth Fishes and Fowles to do such thinges as their Kinds doth require And if the Sweetnesse of God appeareth so plainly by cooperating with his Creatures in the workes of Nature what shall wee thinke of the workes of Grace Truly God hath giuen Man free-will yet so that it is ruled by his Commandements terrified by his punishments allured by his benefites 1 Tim. 2 God would haue all men to bee saued Yet his will is that they also should haue a will thereunto and therefore hee doth so sweetly preuent incite lead and direct them that it is admirable to consider These are the inuentions of Gods Wisdome wherof Isay speaketh Isay 12 Make his inuentions knowne among the people Wicked men sometime he doth vehemently terrifie sometime louingly expect sometime mercifully admonish as he thinketh most agreeable to there natures and conditions Heare how mercifully God dealt with the first sinner Adam saith he where art thou Gen. 3 Who answering I heard thy voyce in Paradize and I feared because I was naked and I hid me God mercifully replied Who hath told thee that thou wast naked but that thou hast eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat And Adam being admonished by this pious correction did repent for the Scripture saith She the wisdome of God kept him that was first made of God Father of the world Wisd 10 and she brought him out of his sinne Heare againe how mercifully God corrected the Children of Israell by his Angell and prouoked them to repentance Iudg. 2 The Angel of our Lord went vp saith the Scripture from Galgal to the place of weepers and said I brought you out of Aegipt and haue brought you into the Land for the which I sweare to your fathers and I promised that I would not make frustrate my couenant for euer Onely so that you shold not make a league with the Inhabitants of this Land but should ouerthrowe their Altars and you would not heare my voyce
to be of their nearenesse subiection and coniunction with God the Father of Light The Moone signifieth Man the Sunne God When the Moone is opposite against the Sunne then with her light borrowed from the Sunne she onely beholdeth the Earth and turneth her backe as it were to Heauen Therfore she then appeareth very beautifull to the Inhabitants of the Earth but very deformed to those in Heauen Euen so Men when they are farr from God as that prodigall Son that departed froÌ„ his Father went into a far Countrey then doe they abuse the light of reason which they receiued froÌ„ him to behold the earth onely are altogether occupied in getting the wealth therof And then of the children of this world they are accounted wise and happy But of the heauenly Cittizens they are esteemed Poore Apoc. 3 and blinde naked deformed and miserable Againe when the Moone is vnder yâ— Sun or very near it she then shineth in the higher part and onely beholdeth Heauen turning as it were her back to the Earth vanishing from the eyes of men Euen so when a sinner beginneth to returne vnto virtue and to be truely subiected vnto God the true Sunne of Soules by Humility and ioyned vnto him by Charity then will he fulfill that which the Apostle aduiseth Col 3 Seeke the thinges that are aboue where Christ is sitting on the right hand of God and minde the thinges that are aboue not the thinges that are vpon the Eâ—rth And then shall hee be dispised by fond Worldlings and accompted a dead man For indeed he is dead to the world And his life is hid with Christ in God But when Christ shall appeare his Life Then he also shall appeare with Christ in Glory as the same Apostle saith in that place And this is the cause as St. Epist 19 c. 4 5 6 Augustine in his Epistle to Ianuarius hath noted why the Pasch of our Lord neither in the olde or new Law could be rightly Celebrated vntill the full Moone were past to wiâ—t vntill the Moone which at the full is opposite beginneth by conuersion to returne to coniunction with the Sunne For God by this coelestial Planet would shew how by the Passion and Resurrection of Christ Man that was opposite vnto God by his iniquity should begin to returne vnto God and by the merites of Iesus Christ seeke to vnite himselfe vnto his grace But thou my soule if perhapps by Gods grace thou finde thy selfe subiected in true humility vnto the Father of Light and ioyned vnto him in feruent Charity doe not imitate sooles who Are changed as the Moâ—ne Eccle 27 but emulate Wise men which remainâ— as the Sunne as Ecclesiasticus witnesseth For the Moore increafeth quickly and decreaseth But if thou be wise abandon not grace once receiued depart not from it for nothing canst thou finde better in any place Neither knowest thou hauing once lost it whether thou shalt returne to it any more for hee that promised pardon and grace vnto the penitent hath not promised the Guift of repentance or a long life vnto thee Therefore thou mayest without feare turne thy backe to the Earth and behold thy Sunne Râ—st delight and remaine in him Say with the Apostle St. Mat. 17 Peter It is good for vs to be here Epist Ad Com. And with the Martyr Ignatius It is better for me to liue with Christ then to rule the Earth Care not what they thinke of thee which loue the world for he is not approued whom the world coÌ„mendeth but whom God coÌ„mendeth The Moone hath also an other property Cap 5 which God is accustomed to vse towardes his elect For the Moone gonerneth the night as the Sunne the day saith Moses in Genesis Gen. 7 and Dauid in the Psalmes Psal 135 but the Sun shineth all day long the Moone somtime in the night casteth a great light somtimes a small and sometimes none at all So God like the Sunne alwayes shineth vpon the holy Angels and blessed Soules which inioy perpetuall day For theresh all be no night there saith St. Iohn in the Apocalips but in this night of our Pilgrimage and banishment Apoc. 21 2 Cor. 5 In which we walke by Faith and not by Sight And Attend to holy Scripture as to a candle shining in a darke place as St. Peter saith in his last Epistle 2 Pet 1 God like the Moone doth sometime visite and illuminate our hearts and sometime leaueth vs in the darknes of desolation Yet thou oughtest not my soule to be too sorrowfull albeit thou enioy not the Light of consolation nor reioyce too much if shortly after thou breathe in the Light of comfortable Deuotion For God is as the Moone and not as the Sunne in the night of this world Neither doth hee onely appeare vnto vs poore and vnperfect creatures sometimes as a Moone full of the Light of Consolation and sometimes without Light leauing vs in the darke night of Desolation For the Apostle St. Paul the vessell of election who was rapt into the Third Heauen 2 Cor. 12 and heard secret wordes which is not lawfull for a man to speake saith sometimes 2 Cor. 7 I am replenished with Consolation I dâ—e exceedingly abouâ—d in ioy in all our tribulation And sometimes he sigheth and lamenteth saying Rom 7 I see another Law in my members repugning to the Law of my minde and captiuing me in the Law of sinne that is in my members Vnhappy man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death 21 Cor. 1 And in his last vnto the Corinthians We will not haue you ignorant Brethren concerning our tribulation which hath happened in Asia that we were pressed aboue measure aboue our power so that it was teadious vnto vs euen to liue And thus as St. Iohn Chrysostome noteth God dealeth with all his Saints Hom. 8 in Math. to wit not suffering them to haue continuall tribulations nor to enioy continuall consolations but in an admirable varietie of prosperitie and aduersitie to spend as it were their liues Thus much of the moone The Starres also are numbred among the ornaments of heauen Cap. 6 of which Ecclesiasticus saith The glory of the starres is the beauâ—y of heauen but he presently addeth Eccle. 43 Our Lord illuminating the world on high For all the beauty of the Starrs Sunne and Moone proceedeth from God the Father of light neither doth the Sunne by day or Moone and starrs by night giue light but it is Our Lord that dwelleth on high who by the Sun Moone starrs giueth light to the world For it is he who as the Prophet Baruch speaketh Baruch 3 Sendeth forth light and it goeth hath called it it obeyeth him with trembling And the starrs haue giuen light in their watches and reioyced they were called and they sayd here we are they haue shined to him with checrefulnesse
part of it to be ours For he would giue vs his grace whereby we might worke our saluation Not that the merit of Christ suffised not but to communicate with vs the prayse and glory of our owne saluation Wherevpon it is said in the Gospell Math. 20 Pay them their hyre And the Apostle glorifieth saying 2 Tim 4 There is layd vp for me a Crowne of Iustice Lastly Gods mercie is most deepe because it exceedeth the affection of Fathers and Mothers which is the greatest we can finde on earth Heare the Prophet Isay Isay 49 Can a woman forget her infant that shee will not haue pittie on the sonne of her wombe and if she should forget yet will not I forget thee Heare Dauid psal 102 As a Father hath compassion of his children So hath our Lord compassion on them that feare him And lest thou mightest say there are some parents whose Loue sometime changeth into hacred Dauid saith further of Gods mercie and loue toward his Children The mercy of our Lord from euerlasting vpon them that feare him Of which continuance the Apostle also certifieth vs in his last Epistle to the Corinthians where he calleth God The Father of mercies 2 Cor 1 and God of all Consolation God therfore is not onely a father to those that feare him but a most mercifull Father For he taketh away such miseries and afflictions from his Children as he iudgeth expedient to be taken from them and therein he sheweth himselfe to be the Father of mercies And giueth them vnspeakeable comfort to suffer those which he iudgeth not expedient for them to be taken away And therein he sheweth himselfe to be The God of Consolation But the Apostle saith Of all Consolation for two causes First because God comforteth those that are his in al kindes of tribulations which truely the world cannot doe for oftentimes it vnderstandeth not the causes of tribulations Euen as Iobs friendes Were heauy Comforters as he calleth them Iob 16 because they knew not the cause of his griefe and therefore applyed the remedy where they ought not or els for that the tribulation is sometime so great that no earthly consolation can equall it But God the almighty and most skilfull Phisition can cure euery infirmitie and therefore the Apostle saith Who doth comfort vs in all our tribulation 2 Cor. 1 Moreouer he is called the God of all Consolation because he comforteth so fully that it were better to suffer tribulations with such a comforter then to want them both together as it happened to a young man called Theoderus a confessor in the Persecution of Iulian the Apostata who being tortured ten houres together with such crueltie and change of executioners as in no age is reported the like Sung notwithstanding all that while with great ioy the psalmes of Dauid and when it was commaunded he should be let downe he began to be sorrowfull because of the great comfort he receiued by the presence of an Angell whilest he was in torturing as Ruffinus writeth lib. 10. hist c 36 2 Cor. 7 Wherefore it is no meruaile if the Apostle say I am replenished with consolation I doe exceedingly abound in ioy in all our tribulation And in the beginning of his Epistle 1 Cor 1 Who comforteth vs in all our tribulation that we also may be able to comfort them that are in all distresse What thinkest thou O my soule of this so ample continuall pure and infinite mercy of our Lord who needeth nothing of ours and yet out of the abundance of his loue is so carefull of his seruants as if of them depended all his Happinesse What thankes therefore wilt thou giue him What canst thou euer doe not to be vngratefull to so great mercy Seeke therefore all thou canst to please him And because it is written Luk. 6 Be yee mercifull as also your Father is mercifull And Haue mercy on thine owne soule leasing God Eccle 30 Begin diligently first to finde out the miseries of thy soule For the miseries of the body are plaine to the eye so that it is needlesse to put a man in minde of them For if the body be but one day without meate and driuke or one night without sleepe or by a fall or wound be hurt it presently cryeth out and complaineth and is with great care looked vnto But the soule fasteth whole weekes from her meate and is sicke with woundes or perhapps dead and none taketh care or compassion of her Visite therefore thy soule often examine all her powers whether they be well and profit in the knowledge and loue of true Happinesse or whether they be sicke with ignorance or languish with diuers desires Also whether the minde be blinded with malice or the will infected with enuy and pride And if thou finde any such thing Crye vnto our Lord Psal 6 Haue mercy on me because I am weake Seeke spirituall phisitions and apply fit remedies Take compassion likewise of other soules whereof an infinite number perish although Christ dyed for them O my soule if thou didst truely knowe the price of soules to wit the precious blood of the sonne of God and also the great slaughter which is made of them by the infernall Wolues and roaring Lyons the Deuills Surely thou couldest not but from thy hart take pitty on them and by thy prayers to God and by all other meanes seeke to deliuer them Lastly also take compassion on the corporall necessities of thy neighbours not in Word and tongue onely 1 Ioh. 3 Math 5. but iâ— deede and truth hauing in minde the saying of our Lord Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercy THE FIFTEENTH AND LAST STEPP From the Consideration of the greatnesse of Gods iustice by the similitude of a corporall quantitie GOds iustice in holy scripture is taken foure wayes Cap 1 First for iustice ingenerall which conteyneth all vertues and is the same with Sanctitie or probitie So in the psalmes Our Lord is iust in all his wayes psal 144 and holy in all his workes Secondly for truth or fidelitie So in another psalme That thou mayst be iustified in thy wordes Psal 50 Thirdly for iustice distributing rewardes so in the last Epistle to Tim thâ—e There is layd vp for me a Crowne of iustice 2 Tim 4 which our Lord will render to me in that day a iust iudge Lastly for iustice punishing sinne So in another psalme He shall rayne snare upon sinners Psal 10 fire and Brimstone and blast of stormes the portion of their cupp because our Lord â—s iust and hath loued iustice The greatnesse therefore of Gods iustice wil appeare to vs if we consider the 〈◊〉 thereof ingenerall the length thereof to wiâ— his truth and 〈…〉 the higth thereof distributing rewardes in heauen and thâ— depth thereof punishing the wicked eternally in Hell And to begin from the breadth That is called iustice ingenerall among men which