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
made And we also in this beleeue what we see not but we belecue God who cannot lye I say we beleeue that heauen and earth and all thinges that are therein were created by God without anyprecedent matter whereof they were made But how this could be done is a thing too deepe for vs to finde out Moreouer God did not onely make all thinges of nothing but also in nothing to wit without precedent space or place to containe them in which is hard to vnderstand especially in corporall things And therefore this depth also is not to be founded Take away saith St. Augustine in his Epistle to Dardanus the distances of plaeces from bodies Epist 57 and they shall be no where and because they shall be no where they shall not be If therefore nothing was before God created heauen and earth where did he place heauen earth Truely not in Nothing And yet they are created placed in themselues because he so would and could who can do all thinges although we cannot conceaue how they are done This did God himselfe signifie when declaring his omnipotence to holy Iob he said Iob. 38 Where wast thou when I layd the foundations of the earth tell me if thou hast vnderstanding who set the measures thereof if thou knowe Or who stretched out the lyne vpon it Vpon what are the foundations thereof grounded Or who let downe the corner stone thereof And that we might vnderstand these workes of Gods omnipotence to be most worthy of all prayse our Lord himselfe presently addeth When the morning starrs praysed me together and all the sonnes of God mode inbilation To wit the Holy Angells which were created together with heauen and earth and are as it were spirituall starrs so bright that they may be called the sonnes of God when they sawe heauen and earth created of nothing and placed in nothing and yet to be most firmely founded vpon their owne stabilitie with wonderfull admiration and iubilation they praysed the omnipotency of their maker Neither is it lesse profound to vnderstand how God by the onely command of his will did erect such huge buildinges For we knowe that in edifices lesse without comparison how many instruments inginnes and workemen Architeckes want Who therfore can conceaue how by Will onely which neuer goeth out of the thing that willeth so great and manyfold workes could be made God sayd but to himselfe for the word of God is in God and is God He sayd I say commanding and expressing the commandement of his will Gen 1 Ioh. 1 Be Heauen made and heauen was made Be earth made and earth was made Be light made Be a Sunne made Be starrs made Be Trees made Be Beastes made Be Men made Be Angells made And all things were made Add also that the same God can if he will destroy all thinges with one becke as we read in the books of the Machahies 2 Mach 8 It is likewise a depth vnsoundable how God made all these great and manifold thinges consisting of so many partes and members in a moment Nature and Art with vs require a long time to perfect their workes We see hearbes are sowen long before they growe and oftentimes many yeares passe before trees take roote extend their boughes and bring forth fruite Beastes likewise carry their young ones long within them and after they seede them long also before they growe great I will say nothing of Art for experience sheweth that our Artizans can bring nothing to perfection but in a competent time How great therefore is the power of God which in a moment hath brought so great thinges to perfection But I dispute not whether God in a moment made heauen and earth and all thinges therein or whether he spent six whole dayes in the first Creation of thinges For I vndertake not to cleere doubts but to frame Ascentions vnto God from the consideration of thinges That then which I affirme and admâ—re is that euery particular thing was made in a moment by the Omnipotent Creator For of the earth water ayte and fire there is no doubt as also of the Angells but that they were created altogether in a moment Of the Firmament and diuision of waters it is likewise certaine that all was don by the powerfull word onely of the speaker saying Gen 1 Be a Firmament made amidst the waters that in a momeÌ„t For it followeth And it was so done Vpon which place St. Hom 4. in Gen. Iohn Chrysostome saith He onely sayd and the worke followed And the same Author vpon those wordes Let the earth shoote forth green hearbs And it was so done sayth Hom. 5 â—n Gen. Quis non obstupescat cogitans c. Who would not wonder to thinke how at the word of our Lord the earth should shoote forth sundry flowers and adorne her face as it were with an admirable embroyderie You might haue seene the earth which before was without forme on the sodaine to become almost as faire as the heauen And after vpon those wordes Be there Lights made thus he speaketh He onely saâ—d and this admirable element was made I meane the Sunne What if you add that in the same moment and with the same word the same Creator made the Moone and all the Starres Also vpon those wordes Let the waters bring forth thus he speaketh Hom. 7 What tongue can sufficiently prayse the maker For euen as when he sayd to the earth Let it shoot forth and presently there appeared great plenty of sundry hearâ—es and flowers So here he said let the waters bring forth and forthwith so many kindes of Fowles and creeping creatures were made as no tongue can rehearse Who therefore is like to thee among the strong O Lord Thou dost now plainely vnderstand O my soule Cap. 5 how great the power of thy maker is whose breadth is infinite whose length is eternall susteyning and gouerning all thinges without wearinesse whose higth doth thinges which seem vnpossible are so but to him onely whose depth maketh thinges in such sort that the maÌ„ner therof surpasseth the vnderstanding of any Creature For he maketh them of nothing in nothing without tooles without time onely hy his worde and commandement He said saith the Prophet and they were made Psal 148 hee commanded and they were created Whence thou maist gather if thou be wise how much it importeth thee to please and not offend him and to haue him thy friend and not thy enemy For being offended with thee hee can in a moment depriue thee of all Good fill thee with all Misery neither is there any that can deliuer thee from his hands If being â—aked and alone thou shouldest meete with thy mortall enemy who assayled thee with a sharpe Sword what wouldest thou doe how wouldest thou sweat looke pale tremble and casting thy selfe on thy knees begge for mercy and yet he is a man so that perhappes thou mightest
not made of any matter but created of nothing And none but God almightie can make something of nothing He therefore alone without compagnion without helpe with his owne handes which are his vnderstanding and will created thee when hee pleased But perhappes not God but creatures produced thy body that as thy soule must acknowledge God so thy body must acknowledge thy parents for authors It is not so For although God vse the means of parents to begette the flesh as inferiour workemen in the buylding of a house yet is he the cheife buylder Author and true father both of the soule and body and so would be said to be the beginning of mans whole essence For if the parēts of thy flesh were the true Authors and as it were the Cheife framers of thy body they would know how many muscelles vaines synnowes bones how many humors how many turnings and how many other things of like kinde there are in mans body all which they are ignorant of vnlesse perhaps they haue learned them by the art of Anatomie Moreouer when the body is sicke or a member withered or cut off they could certainely by the same art by which they made it againe repaire it if they were the true Authors euen as those which make clockes or build houses know how to order and repayre them But parents know not how to doe any of these thinges The coniunction also of the soule with the body which is a speciall part of the affection of mans nature can be done by none but by a workeman of infinite power For by what art but by diuine can a spirit be ioyned with flesh in so neere a bond as to be made one substance For the body hath no proportion or likenesse with the spirit Psal 135 He therefore did it who alone doth great wonders Truly therefore doth the holy ghost speake by Moyses in Deuteronomie Deut. 23 Nonne ipse est c. Is not hee thy father that hath possessed thee and made and created thee And by Iob Iob. 10 With Skinne and Flesh thou hast cloathed me with bones and Sinnowes thou hast compacted me And by the kingly Prophet Psal 118 Thy handes haue made me and formed me and againe Psal 138 Thou hast formed me and hast put thy hand vppon me And the most wise mother of the Machabaean children 2 Mac. 7 I knowe not how you appeared in my wombe for neither did I giue you Spirit and Soule and life and the members of euery one I my selfe framed not but indeede the Creator of the world that hath formed the Natiuitie of man and that inuented the origine of all Hereupon surely the wisdome of God Christ our Lord said Math. 22 Call none father to your selues vppon earth For one is your father he that is in heauen By which admonition St. Augustine said to God of his sonne Adeodatus whome he had begot in fornication 9. Confes c. 6 Tu bene seceras c. Thou didst make him well but I beside sin had nothing in that childe Goe to now my soule if God be thy Author and thy bodyes also if he bee thy Father Supporter and Nursse if what thou art is of him if what thou hast thou receiuest from him and what thou bopest thou expectest from him why dost thou not glory in such a parent why dost thou not loue him with all thy hart why dost thou not for his sake contemne all earthly things why dost thou suffer vaine desires to ouerrule thee Lift vp thine eyes to him feare not thine enemies on earth since thou hast a father Almighty in heauen With what confidence and affection thinkest thou did Dauid say Psal 59. I am thine saue me O my soule if thou wouldest consider that the almightie and euerlasting God who wanteth none of thy goods and if thou perish hee loseth nothing turneth not his eies from thee but so loueth protecteth directeth and cherisheth thee as if thou were his greatest treasure surely thou wouldest onely hope in him thou wouldest feare him as thy Lord and loue him as thy Father neither should any temporall good or euill seperate thee from his loue Let vs come to the matter whereof man is made Cap. 3. Truely it is most base but it giueth vs thereby the greater occasion to humble our selues which is a vertue in this life very profitable and rare and therefore the more precious to be desired And surely of the matter of our soules there can be no doubt but that it is That Nothing then the which what can be imagined more vacant and vile The immediate matter of the body what is it but menstruous blood a thing so impure as our eyes refuse to see our hands to touch our mindes to thinke of The matter whereof the first man was made what was it but red and barren earth or dust slime Formauit Deus Gen. 2 c. God formed man saith the Scripture of the slime of the earth and againe God said to man Dust thou art Gen. 3 and into dust thou shalt returne Wherefore the Patriarch Abraham remembring his vnworthynesse 〈◊〉 vnto God Because I haue once begunne Gen. 18 I wil speak to my Lord whereas I am dust and ashes But yet here is not an end of the basenesse of this matter for that dust or slime proceeded not from an other matter but from nothing In the beginning God created heauen and earth and surely not of another heauen and earth but of Nothing so that whether we consider the soule or body it is reduced to Nothing from whence this proud creature Man proceeded Hee hath nothing therefore to boast of but what he receiued from God Truely the workes of Men which proceede either from witte or labour haue euer somewhat of themselues whereof if they had vnderstanding they might glory against their maker For a vessell of gold a chest of wood a house of Iuory or Marble if they could speake might say to him that made them to thee I owe my forme but not my matter and more pretious that is which from my selfe I haue then what I receiued from thee But man who hath nothing from himselfe nor is any thing of himselfe can not glory in any thing And most truely saith the Apostle Gal. 6 If any man esteeme himselfe something wheras he is nothing he seduceth himselfe And What hast thou that thou hast not receiued Cor. 4 and if thou hast receiued what dost thou glory as if thou hadst not receiued Whereunto St. Cyprian agreeth when he saith In nullo gloriandum quando nostrum nihil est Lib. 3 ad Quirinū 4. We must glory in nothing since nothing is ours But thou wilt say men do many worthy works for which they are deseruedly praised that vertue praised may increase It is so but let the glory be to God not to themselues as it is written 2 Cor. 10 He that
and excellencie it selfe which thou art O my Lord God Thy seruant Dauid iudged right who esteemed thy commaundements To be desired aboue golde and much pretious stone Psal 18 and more sweete aboue hony and the hony Combe And he added And in keeping them is much reward What meaneth this O Lord dost thou promise reward to those that keepe thy commandements To be desired aboue golde and more sireete then the hony Combe Yes truely a most ample reward Iam. 4 for Iames thy Apostle saith Our Lord hath prepared a Crowne of life for those that loue him And what is a Crown of Life Truely a greater Happinesse then we are able to conceiue For so speaketh St. Paul out of Isay 1. Cor. 2 Isay 64 Eye hath not seene nor eare hath heard neither hath it ascended into the heart of Man what things God hath prepared for them that loue him Surely therfore there is great reward for keeping thy commandements Neither is that first greatest cōmandement profitable onely to man obeying not to God commanding but also the rest of Gods commandements do perfect beautifie instruct and illuminate the obedient and finally make them good and happy Therefore my soule if thou be wise vnderstand that thou art created to Gods glorie and thy eternall happinesse that is thy end that is thy treasure and center if thou come to that end thou shalt be happy if thou declyne from it thou art vnhappy Therefore think that assuredly good for thee which directeth thee to that end and that assuredly euill which causeth thee to decline from it Prosperitie and aduersitie wealth and pouertie health and sicknesse honour and ignominy life and death of a wise man are neither to be desired nor auoyded but if they make to Gods glorie and thy eternall welfare they are good and to be desired if they hinder it they are euill and to be auoyded THE SECOND STEPP From the Consideration of the greater world WE haue framed the first Stepp of our Ladder of Ascention vnto God Cap. 1 from the Consideration of Man who is called the Lesser World Now we also purpose to frame the Second Stepp from the Consideration of this most great corporall quantitie commonly called the Greater world St. Gregory Nazianzen writeth in his second sermon of the Pasche That God placed Man as a great world in a lesser world which is true if we seperate Angels from the world For man is greater then the whole corporall world not in quantitie but in qualitie but if that Angels are comprehended in the world as we in this place comprehend them then is man a Lesser world placed in a Greater world In this greater world therefore which conteyneth all things many things are to be wondred at but especially quantitie multitude varietie efficacie and beauty All which if by Gods assistance they be duly considered are of great force to eleuate the minde and to make it become in a manner wrapt with admiration of an infinite greatnesse multitude varietie efficacie and beautie and being returned to it selfe whatsoeuer it beholdeth without God to dispise as vaine and of no moment Truely the earth is so great that Ecclesiasticus saith Eccles c. 1 The breadth of the earth and profunditie of the depth who hath measured which may be vnderstood For that in so many thousand yeares as haue passed since the creation as yet the whole surface of the earth for that Ecclesiasticus calleth the breadth of the earth is not knowne vnto our men who daily haue sought after it And what I pray you is the greatnesse of the earth compared to the compasse of the highest heauen It is said by Astronomers to be as a Poynt and not without cause For we see the sunne beames so to illuminate the opposite starres of the Firmament although the earth be betweene as if the same were nothing at all And if euery starre in the Firmament be greater then the whole earth as the common opinion of wise men is and yet seeme to vs because of their almost infinite distance to be very small who then can conceiue the greatnesse of heauen in which so many millions of starres doe shine If therefore Ecclesiasticus said The breadth of the earth and profunditie of the depth who hath measured What would he haue said of the Compasse of the highest he euen and distance thereof vnto the lowest hell truely it is so great that it cannot be conceiued Goe too now my soule I aske thee if the world be so great how great is he that made the world Great is our Lord and there is no end of his greatnesse Heare Isay Isay 40 Who hath measured the waters with his fist and pondered the heauens with a spanne Who hath poysed with three fingers the huge greatnes of the earth Where St. Ierome saith that according to the translation of Aquila by a fist is vnderstood the little finger so that the sence is The whole element of water which is lesse then the earth is measured with one little finger of God the earth with three fingers the heauen which is greater then the earth and water together is pondered with a spanne But this is spoken metaphorically for God is a Spirit and hath no handes nor fingers properly and the scripture by these comparisons doth sufficiently shewe that God is much greater then his Creatures which Salomon signified more expressely when he said 2 Para. 6 The heauen and heauens of heauens doe not containe thee For if an other world or more worldes yea infinite worldes were made God would fill them all But thinke not my soule thy God doth so fill the world that a part of God is in a part of the world and all God in all the world for God hath no partes but is all in all the world and all in euery part of the world Therefore if thou be faithfull to him although Armies rise vp against thee thy heart shall not feare for what should he feare who hath an almightie Father and freind but if for thy sinnes thou hast God an angry judge and an almightie enemie then hast thou iust cause to dread with horrible feare and to giue thine eyes and feete no rest vntill God being pleased with thy true repentance thou take breath in the light of his mercies But now who can number the multitude of things created by one God maker of heauen and earth Cap. 2 Who saith Ecclesiasticus can number the Sandes of the sea and drops of rayne Eccles cap. 1 But how many mettalls of gold and siluer brasse lead pretious stones Iemmes margarites are there within the earth and Sea how many kindes sortes and Indiuidualls of hearebs fruites and plantes are there vpon the earth also how many kindes sortes and Indiuidualls of perfect and vnperfect liuing creatures foure footed beasts creeping Creatures foules how many kindes sortes and Indiuidualls of fishes in the Sea Who can number them
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
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
why haue you done this And when the Angell of our Lord spake these wordes to all the Children of Israell they lifted vp their voyce and wept Aâ—d the name of that place was called the place of Weepers or of teares and there they immolated hoastes to our Lord. And that it was a great and generall lamentation and a signe of true repentance the 〈◊〉 name giuen to that place beareth perpetuall record For it was called the place of Weepers or of teares What shall I say of the Prophets They euery where teach and proclaime that God desireth not the death of sinners but that they would be conuerted and liue Ezech 18 Hier 3 It is commonly said saith God by Hieremy if a man put away his wife and she departing from him marry another man will he returne to her any more But thou hast committed fornication with many louers Neuerthelesse returne vnto me saith our Lord and I will receiue thee And by Ezechiell Ezech 33 Thus you haue spoken saying Our iniquities and our sinnes are vpon vs and in them wee fade away How then can wee liue Say to them liue I saith our Lord God I will not the death of the Impious but that the impious conuert from his way and liue Conuert conuert yee from your most euill wayes and why will you dye O house of Israell But to omit the wicked none can expresse the more then fatherly or motherly loue which our Lord sheweth to those that feare and hope in him Dauid in the Psalmes saith Psal 102 According to the height of Heauen from Earth hath he strengthned his mercy vpon them that feare him And after As a Father hath compassion of his Children so hath our Lord compassion on them that feare him And againe The mercy of our Lord from euerlasting and vnto euerlasting vpon then that feare him And in another place Tast yee and see that our Lord is sweet Psal 33 Blessed is the man that hopeth in him And againe Psal 72 How good is God to Israell to heÌ„ that are of a right heart That is who can expresse the great goodnesse mercy and sweetnesse of God vnto righteous soules Isay 49 God also faith by Esay Can a Woman for gether Infant that she will not haue pitty on the Sonne of her wombe And if she should forget yet will not I forget thee And â—teremy in his Lamentations Lamen 3 Our Lord is my pâ—rtion said my soule thâ—refore will I exâ—cct him Our Lord is good to them that hope in him to the Soule that secketh hâ—m It is good to waite wâ—h silence for the saluation of God If I should set downe moreouer what the Apostles say in their Epistles of the loue of God towardes the righteous I should neuer make an end Let that stand for all which St. Paul hath writ in the beginning of his last Epistle to the Corinthians 2 Cor. 1 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ the Father of mercyes and God of all comfort who comforteth vs in all our tribulation That wee also may be able to comfort them that are in all distresse Hee saith not God is a comforter but most full of all comfort Nor that hee comforteth vs in some tribulation but in all tribulation Nor that wee may bee able to comfort them that are in some distresse but in all distresse So that hee could not more sett forth the mercy of God to those whome hee loueth and by whome he is beloued But to conclude it shall not bee amisse to set downe the wordes of St. Prosper in which he declareth the mercy of God not onely to the righteous but also to the wicked to make them righteous Lib 2 de voc gentium c. 26 Gratia omnibus iustificationibus principaliter praeeminet c. Grace saith he doth chiefly excell all iustifications by perswading with exhortations by admonishing with examples by terrifying with dangers by incyting with miraclet by giuing vnderstanding by inspiring counsaile by illuminating the heart and induing it â—ith the affections of faith But â—â—t mans will is toâ—red and adioyned thereunto Which therefore is inciteâ—s by the former helpâ—s that it shâ—uld coop rate wâ—th the diuine worke in it selfe and bâ—gin to vse for merite what from heauenly seede it conceiued fâ—r exercise proceeding from selfe inconstancy if it decay and from the assistance of grace if it increase which assistance is giuen vnto all by innumerable wayes either secret or manifest and that it is refused of many proceedeth from their wickednesse But that it is receiued of many is a worke of Gods grace and mans will Thus he Goe too now my soule Cap. 4 if thy maker bee so Sweete and mercifull suffering Sinners with incredible benignitie to conuert them and comforting the righteous that they may increase the more in vertue Oughtest not thou to beare meekely with thy neighbours and to become All thinges to all men 1 Cor. 9 that thou maist gaine all vnto thy Lord God Thanke with thy selfe to what high excellency the Apostle doth exhort theâ— when he saith â—phâ— 5 Be yee therefore followers of God as 〈…〉 deare Children And walke 〈◊〉 Loue as Christ also loued vs and deliuered himselfe fâ—r vs an oblation and hoast to God in an odour of sweetnesse Imitate God the Father who maketh his Sunne to rise vpon good and bad Mat 5 and raineth vpon iust and vniust Imitate God the Son who taking humane Nature spared not his owne life to deliuer vs from the power Of darknesse and eternall damnation Imitate God the holy Ghost who infuseth plentifully his most precious guiftes into vs to make vs being carnall to become spirituall THE SIXT STEPP From the Consideration of the Fire THe Element of Fire is so pure and noble Cap. 1 that God himselfe would be called fire as Moses and St. Paul witnes saying Our Lord is a consuming Fire Deut 4 Heb 12 And when God first appeared vnto Moses hee appeared in a flame of Fire burning a bush and not consuming it Exod 3 Our Lord appeared saith Moses in aflame of Fire out of the midst of a bush And he saw that the bush was on fire and was not burnt And when the same God came to giue the Law vnto the people hee came in the forme of fire For so speaketh Moses Exo. 19 All the Mount Sinai smoaked For because our Lord was descended vpon it in Fire According to the similitude of which mistery when as the new Law was to bee promulged the holy Ghost appeared vnto the Apostles in fiery tongues Act. 2 Those spirits also which are most neare to God in Heauen are called Seraphins that is to say Fiery because they are more inflamed with the Fire of Diuine Loue then other Angells Which being so it is not a thing difficult for vs from the element of Fire and the nature and properties thereof to frame
in the same Psalme He put his Tabernacle in the Sunne Psal 18 and himselfe as a Bridegroome comming forth of his Bride Chamber He hath reioyced as a Gyant to runne the way his comming forth from the toppe of heauen and his recourse euen to the topp thereof neither is there that can hide himselfe from his heate Of the latter he writeth in an other psalme Psal 8 I shall see the heauens the workes of thy fingers The Moone and the Starres which thou hast founded Let vs begin with the first season Of the Sunne which dayly we behold the holy Ghost by the mouth of Dauid singeth foure prayses First that it is Gods Tabernacle Secondly that it is exceeding beautifull Thirdly that it alwaies runneth most swiftly without stay Fourthly that by giuing light and heate the vertue thereof especially appeareth By reason of all which Ecclesiasticus hath written Eccle. 4 A meruâ—â—lous instrument the â—orke of the Highest Great is our Lord that made it First then God hath put his Tabernacle in the Sunne as in a most noble creature for that among all corporall thinges he hath chosen the Sunne as a Princely Pallace or diuine Sanctuary to dwell in God truely filleth heauen and earth Hier 33 And the heauen and heauens of heauens containe him not but yet he is said to dwell there cheifely whereby working meruaâ—lous thinges he sheweth greater signes of his presence 2 Par 2 And because the Hebrew text saith He hath pâ—â— a Tabernacle for the Sunne iâ— them to wit in the heauens We gather by this place of the psalme an other excellencie of the sunne which doth not contradict the former The Sunne is a great thing for which God hath prepared a most spatious beautifull and noble Pallace for he would haue heauen it selfe to be the pallace of the Sunne that it might therein freely walke and worke and the Sunne to be the Pallace of himselfe who ruleth all As therefore we knowe the great excellencie of the Sunne because that heauen is the Tabernacle thereof So we may knowe the great excellencie of God because the Sunne is his Tabernacle A meruailous InstrumeÌ„t doubtlesse then the which there is nothing among corporall creatures more to be admired Moreouer Dauid to declare by thinges knowne the excellent beautie of the Sunne compared it to a Bridegroome comming forth of his Bride-Chamber For men neuer adorne themselues more or seeke more to shewe their comelinesse and beauty then when they are bridegroomes for then they exceedingly desire to please the eyes of their spowes whom they most dearely loue But if we were so neere the Sunne as to descerne what and how great it is we should not then neede to vse the resemblance of a Bridegroome to conceaue the vncredible beauty thereof Truely the beauty of colours dependeth of light and the light fayling the beauty of colours soone fadeth away Nothing therefore is more beautifull then light For which cause God Who is beautie it selfe would be called â—â—ght God saith St. Ioh. is light 1 Ioh 1 no darkenesse is in him Among corporall thinges also there is nothing brighter then the Sunne and therefore nothing more beautifull then it The beauty of things belowe and specially of men fadeth in short time but the beauty of the Sunne is neuer altered or diminished but at all times with equall brightnesse shineth vnto all Do we not see how all things as it were reioyce at the rising of the Sunne Men goe about their businenesse cheerfully the windes blow sweetly the flowers open the hearbes spring vp and the birdes sing pleasantly Wherupon the olde blinde Tobias when the Angell said vnto him Ioy be to thee alwaies Tob. 5 Answered What ioy shall be to me which sit in darkenesse and see not the light of heauen Consider then my soule and thinke with thy selfe if the Created Sunâ—e doth so reioyce euery thing at his rising what will the increated Sonne doe which is without comparison more beautifull and bright when to the cleane of haâ—t he shall rise not to be seene for a time but for all eternitie And how sorrowfull and vnhappy will that houre be to the wiclâ—ed when they shall be sent away to be buried in eternall darkenesse where neither the increated nor created Sunne shall euer shine How great ioy then shall that soule haue to whom the Father of Light shall say Enter into the ioy of thy Lord. Mat. 25 Afterward the same Prophet doth extoll the course of the Sunne Cap. 2. which also is very admirable He hath reioyced saith he as a Gyant to runne the way Psal 18 A Gyant truely if he extend his steppes according to the greatnesse of his body and runne as fast as his strength will affoord will in a short time passe a long way And indeede the Prophet hauing compared the Sunne vnto a Bride-groome thereby to declare the Beauty therof after also compareth it to a Giant that by that resemblance hee might in some sort shew the most speedy course thereof But albeit he had not compared it to a Giant but to the flight of Birdes and Arrowes or to the Windes and Lightning yet should it haue bin farre from the thing indeede For if that be true which with our eyes we see to witt that the Sunne in foure and twenty houres passeth about the whole compasse of his Orbe And if the compasse of the Sunnes Orbe exceedeth almost without comparison the compasse of the Earth And if the Compasse of the Earth containeth about twenty thousand miles all which is most true It must then needs follow that the Sunne euery houre runneth many thousand myles But why say I euery houre nay euery quarter of an houre yea almost euery minute For whosoeuer shall obserue the rising or setting of the Sunne in an open Horizon as at Sea or in a plaine field shall perceiue the whole body of the Sunne to ascend aboue the Horizon in lesse space then the eight part of an houre And yet the Diameter of the Sunnes Body is much greater then the Diameter of the Earth which notwithstanding containeth seaueÌ„ thousand myles I my selfe being once desirous to know in what space of time the Sunne sett at Sea At the beginning thereof I beganne to read the Psalme Miserere and scarce had read it twice ouer before the Sun was wholy sett It must needes be therefore that the Sunne in that short time in which the Psalme Miserere was twice read ouer did runne much more then the space of seauen thousand myles Who would beleeue this vnlesse certain reason did demostrate it And now if any should say moreouer that this body which is so swiftly mooued is much greater then the whole Earth and that the motion thereof is performed without ceasing or wearines so that if God should so command it might continue for all eternity Surely if hee were not insensible he could not but wonder at the infinite power of
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
and receiueth them of none Iudgeth all and is iudged of none Moreouer God is not onely a Iudge but also a King And therefore hee iudgeth not like a Iudge appointed by a King but as the highest coÌ„manding King For which cause hee is called the King of Kinges Apoc 19 And A great King aboue all Godds â—sal 94 psal 75 And terrible to the Kinges of the earth Because hee transferreth Kingdomes and Empyres from one Nation vnto another and Taketh away the spirit of Princes when hee pleaseth Neither is God the Highest King and Iudge onely but also an Abâ—olute Lord which is the highest tytle of all For Kinges are not such absolute Lordes ouer their Subiectes as that they may when they please depriue them of their goods and liues Whereof King Achab can be a witnesse 3 Reg 21 who would haue had Naboths vineyard yet could not but by the treachery and calumnie of his wife For which cause they both miserably perished But God is an Absolute Lord whom all thinges doe serue and yet he serueth none and as can if he so please reduce all thinges to Nothing because hee made them all of Nothing Thinke therfore my soule what great feare and reuerence wee wormes of the Earth owe vnto him that sitteth vpon the Highest Throne If I be the Lord saith he by the Prophet Malachie where is my Feare Mal 1 And if the Highest Angells of Heauen serue him with feare and trembling what ought we fraile mortall men to doe who dwell on the earth with beastes But to some it may seeme strange why God who is most high loueth not creatures that therin resemble him to witt the high and loftie but the humble and poore For so speaketh God by Isay To whome shall I haue respect Isay 66 but to the peore little one and the contrite of Spirit and him that trembleth at my wordes Psal 12 And Dauidâ— Our Lord is high and beholdeth the lowe thinges Yes surely God loueth high and lofty Creatures if therein they resemble him But then they must be high in Deede and not in appearance God therfore loueth not the Proude which are elate and puffed vp not truely high But hee loueth the humble and such as tremble at his wordes and exalteth them And they are high indeed whome be exalteth Those therefore that are humble are High To witt humble in their owne eyes and high in the eyes of God If one had seene not onely with his bodily but also with his mentall eyes illumiminated by God the rich Glutton cloathed in purple sitting at his table furnished with all kindes of costly meates attended with many seruantes diligently doing their offices And at the same time had likewise beheld poore Lazarus halfe naked and full of sores sitting at the rich mans gate and begging to be filled with the crummes that fell from his table He truly should haue seene the rich man whom the world accompted most happy to be in the eyes of God and his Angells as vile and abhominable as the dung and dirt of the earth Luk. 16 For that which is high to men is abhomination before God saith our Lord in the same place where he describeth the rich GluttoÌ„ But on the other side he should haue seene the poore deiected Lazarus to be esteemed and enobled in the eyes of God and his Angells as a precious Margarite which in the end proued true For Lazarus as the beloued of God was carryed by the handes of Angells into Ahrahams bosome And the rich man as hatefull to God was dragged by the Deuills into the Hell of Fire But why speake I of Lazarus There is none higher with God then our Lord Iesus Christ euen according to his humanity And yet neither in Heauen or Earth is there any to be found more humble then hee So that he said most truely Learne of me because I am meeke and humble Math 11 For as that most holy soule doth knowe more perfectly then all other the Infinite height of the Diuinitie So it doth more perfectly know the basenesse of a Creature which is made of nothing And therefore being also it selfe a Creature it is most humbled and subiected to God and by him exalted aboue all Creatures The like we may also say of blessed Angells and soules of holy men For there are none more humble then those which possesse the highest places in Heauen Because they being more neere to God doe more clearely see how great the difference is betweene the greatnesse of the Creator and smalnesse of the Creature Therfore my soule loue humility if thou desire true glory Immitate the Lambe without spott Immitate his virgin mother immitate the Cherubins and Seraphins all which the higher they are the more humble also they are Neither hath God onely a most high Throne Cap. 7. because he iudgeth all but also because he resteth more then all and maketh them to rest vpon whom he sitteth Gods most high Throne is his most high rest For although he gouerneth the whole world in which are continuall conflicts and warrs of elements beasts and men Wisd 1â— yet he iudgeth with tranquilitie as it is said in the booke of Wsdome and alwayes enioyeth most high rest Neither can any thing trouble his quietnesse and the contemplation of himselfe wherein he taketh eternall delight Therefore he is called the king of Ierusalem which is to say the vision of peace But his peculiar Throne is vpon the blessed Angells therefore it is said He that sitteth vpon the Cherubins Psal 79 98 For God is said to sit rather vpon the Cherubins then vpon the Seraphins For the Cherubins signifie multiplicitie of knowledge and the Seraphins heate of loue And rest followeth Wisdome but care and anxietie followeth loue vnlesse it be accompanied with Wisdome Therfore the soule of a righteous man is also called The seate of Wisdome Isay 66 Moreouer when Isay saith Heauen is my seate And when Dauid saith Psal 113 The heauen of heauen is to our Lord by the heauen of heauen is vnderstood the spirituall heauens which dwell vpon the corporall beauens to wit the blessed Angells as St. Augustine saith in his exposition of the hundred and thirtieth Psalme And these heauens God maketh to rest so admirably that it is a peace which passeth all vnderstanding St. Bernard in one of his Sermons vpon the Canticles Ser. 23 setteth downe a very fit similitude to declare this rest in these wordes Tranquillus Deus tranquillat omnia c. God being quiet quieteth all thinges and to behold his quietnesse is to rest We see a king after dayly suites of causes heard before him to dismisse the company to auoyde the troubles of the Court and to goe at night into his priny Chamber with a sewe whom he familiarly loueth thinking himselfe the more sure the more secret he is and being the more pleasant the more quietly he beholdeth those fewe
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
disposeth a man to behaue himselfe well in all actions according to all lawes And in this all vertues as weâ—l Theologicall as Moral are comprehended There is also another vertue called Charitie which conteyneth all vertues in her bosome and commaundeth and directeth all their actes vnto their endes Which although it be a particular Theologicall vertue yet it may truely be called likewise iustice ingenerall For it disposeth a man to behaue himselfe well towards God and his neighbour and in so doing he fulfilleth all lawes So speaketh the Apostle Rom 13 Lâ—ue worketh no euill And He that loueth hath fulfilled the lawe And Loue is the fulnesse of the Lave St. Augustine also in his booke of Nature and Grace sayth Vnperfect Charitie is vaâ—erfect â—â—stice Charitie increased is iustice increased great Charitie is great Iustice perfect Charity is perfect iustice Moreouer in God are all vertues without any imperfection and in lieu of them which may praesuppose imperfection there is somthing much better more excelleÌ„t for which cause he is most truly called The onely good oneâ—y holy Faith therfore is not in God a Theologicall vertue because Faith is of those thinges which are not seene But God seeth all thinges Neither is their hope in God because hope is an expectation of thinges to come but God expecteth nothing for hee possesseth all thinges from eternitie Neither is there in God repentance for sinne because God cannot sinne Nor Humilitie for Humilitie keepeth a man that he ascend not vainely aboue himselfe but continue in his estate but God hath nothing aboue himselfe because he is most High Yet Charitie the Queene of vertues is in God most ample truely infinite For he loueth himselfe infiintely because himselfe onely perfectly knoweth the insinite goodnesse of his Essence He loueth also all thinges he hath made so speaketh the Wife man Wisd 1 Thou honest all thinges that are and hatest nothing of those which thou â—â—st made For God by his wisdome knoweth how to seperate euill from good to wit defect from nature euen in the Deuils in the most wiâ—ked And he loueth nature which he made hateth defect which he made not Furthermore there is such true Charity in God that himselfe would be called Charitie as St. Iohn speaketh when he saith God is Chrritie 1 Ioh. 4 But our loue being compared with Gods loue is exceeding small For many thinges we loue not because we knowe them not Many thinges also which we knowe we loue not because we decerne not in them good from euill many good thinges likewise we loue not well and therefore not with true charitie because we are naught and follow rather lust then loue And we loue God vnperfectly not onely because we loue him not so much as his goodnesse doth deserue which neither the Angels doe but also because we loue him lesse then we ought and lesse also then we might if we did with more attention and diligence giue our selues to prayer and Meditation This Queene of vertues in the Lord of vertues is accompanied with singular magnificence infinite liberalitie incredible benignitie and humilitie admirable patience and longanimitie most abundant mercie and pietie euerlasting truth and fidelitie perfect iustice and most vnspotted sanctitie so that The Sâ—arres are not cleane in his sight Iob 25 And the Seraphins being astonished â—ive Holy holy holy Isay 6 the Lord God of hâ—stes O my soule if thou didst consider these thinges attentiâ—ely with what feare and membling wouldest thou serue God in thy deuotions and prayers 〈◊〉 And especially at the holy Altar with what reuerence humilitie wouldest thou offer vp to the eternall Father his onely begotten Sonne in the sight of Angels for the health of the quicke and dead But let vs go on Cap. 2 The length of Gods iustice is manifested by the truth fidelitie thereof Our Lord is faithfull in all his wordes saith the Prophet Psal 144 That is The promises of God which were declared many ages since by the Prophets neuer were nor shall be frustrate but more firme and stable then heauen and earth Luke 16 For so saith our Lord It is easier for hearten and earth tâ— passe then one tittle of the lawe to fall And our Lord meaneth by the Lawe not onely the truth of his Commandements but also of his promises For whatsoeuer he hath commaunded must be obserued or punishment followeth and whatsoeuer he hath promised is by eternall truth established and performed Where vpon he also saith Math 5 Heauen and earth shall passe but my wordes shall not passe And Isay Iâ—â—y 40 The word of our Lord abideth for euer And Dauid Psal 110 All his Commaundements are faithfull Confirmed for euer and euer Rom 3 And the Apostle But God is true and euery man a Lyer And It is vnpâ—ssible for God to lye Heb. 1 The reason of which sayinges is because being Wisdome he cannot be deceaued being goodnesse he cannot deceaue and being Omnipotencie he cannot saile But men although they be wise good and mightie may be deceaued and deceaue because they neither knowe all thinges nor can performe all thinges as they will they also that are good when they promise may soone after become euill and not fulfill their promise Therefore if thou be wise my soule trust onely in God cleaue onely to him and vpon him cast all thy care Walke thou carefully with thy Lord God Mich. 6 and hee will be carefull of thee Take heed all thou canst least thou offend his Iustice and his mercy will alwayes so defend thee that thou shalt not neede to feare what man or deuill can doe to thee The Height of Gods iustice is seene in giuing the reward of Heauen Cap. 3 which God as the Highest and most iust Iudge hath prepared for them that haue liued righteously And first we shall decerne the Greatnesse of his Iustice if wee compare God as a Iudge with men that are Iudges Secondly if we compare rewards with rewardes to wit the rewards which God will giue with those which men vse to giue Men that are Princes Prelates or Iudges and haue vnder them subiectes or seruantes for the most part giue not for many causes iust Rewardes to those that deserue them For either they cannot through want of ability giue to all according to their deserts or they know not all their desertes or they knowe not their true worth which dependeth vpon the sincerity and affection of their mindes or through couetousnesse and malice or some other peruerse inclination they will not iustly reward their iust labours Or lastly they are either preuented by death before they can pay the recompence which they owe or they to whome it is due depart out of this life before they begin to tast the fruits of their trauailes But God giueth the righteous not onely iust rewards for their good workes but also aboue their deserts Math.
the reparation of his owne minde St. Augustine in his bookes of the Cittie of God saith 19 Ciu. 19 Ocium Sanctum quaerit charitas veritatis c. The loue of truth seeketh holy rest the necessitie of Charitie vndertaketh iust busines but neither is the delight of truth to be altogether forsaken least the sweetnes thereof being withdrawne the necessitie of busines oppresse And the same St. Augustine speaking in his Confessions of himselfe and of his frequent Meditation of God by creatures saith Sepe â—stud facio c. 10. Conf. c. 40. I often doe this It delighteth me and when I can be spared from my necessarie busines I haue recourse vnto this pleasure St. Gregorie in his booke of pastorall Charge saith 2. par Pastor 5 Sit Rector c. Let a Prelate be equall vnto any in compassion and before all in contemplation that through the bowels of pietie be may transferr the infirmities of others vnto himselfe and by the height of Contemplation in seeking after things inuisible he may exceed himselfe And St. Gregorie in the same place bringeth the example of Moyses and Christ For Moyses often went into the Tabernacle and came out He went in that he might contemplate Gods Secrets he came out that hee might beare with the infirmities of his neighbours And Christ himselfe in the day time by preaching and working miracles sought the saluation of his neighbours but the night hee passed ouer without sleepe in prayer and contemplation For he passed saith St. Luke the whole night in the prayer of God Luke 6 Many thinges also like vnto these may be read in the last chapter of the same booke Moreouer St. Bernard to admonish seriously Pope Eugenius who was sometime his scholler not to giue himselfe wholy to action but sometime euery day to recollect himselfe and to enioy holy rest and heauenly foode writ fiue bookes of Consideration in the which he doth not onely exhort him vnto the daily Meditation of diuine thinges but also doth plainely teach him the manner method how to meditate and by Meditation to ascend and by ascention to vnite himselfe vnto God in vnderstanding and affection Neither doth he admitt that excuse which he might haue pretended and which many now a dayes pretend to wit that the ouer-many businesses wherewith the office of a Bishop is accompanied would not afford him leysure enough to apply himsele vnto the mediation of diuine things For none truely ought to giue himselfe so wholy to outward businesses but that he may take sometime to strengthen his body with meate drinke and sleepe And if the body doe duely require this refection and rest with how much more reason doth the soule require her meate and rest neither can she without this refection truely execute her office by any means amidst the incumbrances of so many great affaires But the meate of the soule is prayer and her rest is contemplation by the which Ascentions are framed in the hart Psal 83 That the God of Gods may be seene in Syon as much as in this vaile of teares he maybe seene But wee mortall men as it seemeth can finde no other Ladder whereby to ascend vnto God but by the workes of God For those who by the singular gift of God haue by an other way beene admitted into Paradice to heare Gods Secrets which it is not lawfull for a man to speake are not said to haue Ascended but to haue bene wrapt Which St. Paul doth plainly confesse of himselfe when he saith 2 Cor. 12 I was wrapt into Paradice and I heard secret wordes which it is not lawfull for a man to speake And that a man may by the workes of God that is by Creatures ascend vnto the knowledge and loue of the Creator the book of Wisdome doth teach Wisd 13 Rom. 1 and the Apostle to the Romans and reason it selfe doth sufficiently confirme since the efficient cause may be knowne by the effects and the example by the Image neither can there be any doubt but that all creatures are the workes of God and that men and Angels are not onely his workes but also his Images as the holy Scripture teacheth vs. I therefore being mooued by these reasons hauing obtained some small vacancie from publique affaires and admonished by the example of St. Bonauenture who in the like vacancie writ a booke intituled The Pilgrimage of the minde vnto God haue essayed from the contemplation of creatures to make a Ladder by the which we may in some sort ascend vnto God And I haue deuided it into fifteene Stepps in resemblance of the fifteene stepps by the which they went vp into the Temple of Salomon and of the fifteene Psalmes which are called Gradualles THE FIRST STEPP From the Consideration of Man IF any one truely desire to erect a Ladder vnto God Cap. 1. he ought to begin from the consideration of himselfe For euery one of vs is both the creature and image of God and nothing is nearer vs then our selues Therefore not without cause Moyses saith Attende tibi Attend to thy selfe vpon which two wordes Basil the great writte an excellent sermon For he that shall truly behold himselfe and consider what is within him shall finde as it were an Abridgement of the whole world whereby he may easily ascend vnto the maker of all things But I at this present intend to seeke out nothing els but the foure common causes who is my maker of what matter he made me what forme he gaue me and to what end hee produced me For if I seeke my maker I shall finde him onely God If I seeke the matter whereof he made me I shall finde it nothing whence I gather whatsoeuer is in me is made by God and the whole to be of God if I seeke my forme I shall finde my selfe to be the Image of God If I seeke my end I shall finde that the same God is my Cheife and totall happinesse Therefore I may vnderstand there is so great a coniunction and nearenesse of my selfe with God that he onely is my maker my author my Father my example my happinesse and my All. And if I vnderstand this how can it be but that I should most ardently seeke him thinke of him sigh for him desire to see and imbrace him and detest the great blindenes of my hart which so long time hath desired sought or thought of nothing lesse then of God who onely is All vnto me But let vs consider more diligently euery particular Cap. 2. I aske thee O my soule who gaue thee being when as a little time before thou wast nothing surely the parents of thy flesh begot thee not for what is borne of flesh is flesh but thou art a spirit neither did heauen or earth or the Sunne or starres produce thee for those are bodies thou without body nor yet could Angels Arch-angels or any other spirituall creature be causes of thy being for thou art
shall not be mooned Psal 103 And Thou hast founded the earth vpon the stabilitie thereof it shall not be inclined for euer and euer Secondly the earth like a good Nursse to men and other liuing creatures doth daily bring forth herbs fruits grasse innumerable things of like kinde For so God speaketh Gen. 1 Behold I haue giuen you all maÌ„ner of hearb that seedeth vpon the earth all trees that hane in themselues seede of their own kinde to be your meat and to all beastes of the earth Thirdly the earth bringeth forth stones wood to build houses and mettalls of brasse and yron for diuers vses and gold and siluer wherof money is made which is the instrument whereby all thinges necessary for the life of man are easily procured And truely that first propertie of the earth to wit to be the place in which our bodies rest and not in the water ayre or fire is an embleme of our Creator in whom onely mans soule findeth a place of rest Thou hast made vs O Lord saith St. Augustine for thy selfe Cib. 1 Confes c. 1 and our hart is vnquiet vntill it rest in thee Salomon as much as euer any king sought after rest in honour wealth and pleasure He possessed a most ample peaceable kingdome so that the Scripture witnesseth He had in his dominion all the kingdomes with him 3 Reg. 4 from the riuer of the land of the Philistimes vnto the border of Aegypt of them that offered him presentes and serued him all the dayes of his life His wealth also was incomparable so that he kept forty thousand horses for Chariots twelue thousand to ryde vpon And as we read in the same booke the Nauy of Salomon brought gold and precious stones from Ophir in such plenty that siluer was nothing worth and as great was 3 Reg. 9 10. the plenty thereof in Ierusalem as stones in the streetes So many also were the pleasures which he had prouided for himselfe that they may seeme vncredible For falling into the inordinate loue of women 3 Reg. 11 he tooke seauen hundred wiues as Queenes and Concubines three hundred as weread in the same book But let vs heare himselfe speak of himselfe Eccle 2 I haue magnified my workes saith he I haue built me houses and planted vineyardes I haue made gardens and Orchardes and set them with trees of all kindes and I haue made me ponds of waters to water the wood of springing â—rees I haue possessed men seruants women seruaÌ„ts haue had a great family heardes also and great flockes of sheep aboue all thâ—t were before me in Ierusalem I haue heaped together to my selfe siluer gold and the substance of kings Prouinces I haue made me singing men singing womeâ— and the delights of the children of men Cuppes and Gobletts to serue to poure out Wines and I surpassed in riches all that were before me in Ierusalem Wisdome also hath perseuered with me and all things that mine eyes desired I haue not denied to them neither haue I stayed my hart but that it enioyed all pleasure and delighted it selfe in these thinges which I had prepared And this I esteemed my portion if I did vse my labour Thus he who doubtlesse had as great contentment as could be had in Creatures For he neither wanted kingdomes nor wealth nor pleasures nor humaine wisdome so much esteemed And lastly he enioyed peace a long time to possesse so great happinesse Let vs see now if all these things could content satisfie the desires of his minde When I had saith he turned my selfe to all the workes which my hands had don Eccle. 2 to the labours wherin I had swet in vaine I sawe all thinges vanitie and affliction of minde and nothing to be permanent vnder the Sun Salomon therefore found not contentment in all his riches delights wisdome and honours neither could he although he had enioyed much more For the soule of man is immortall and these things are mortall and cannot long remaine vnder the Sunne neither can it be that a soule which is capable of infinite good should be satisfied with finite goods Therefore as the body of man cannot rest in the ayre although it be most spatious nor in the water although it be very deepe because the earth is the place thereof and not the ayre or water so the minde of man is neuer satisfied with ayrie dignities nor watry wealth to wit with soft and deceauing pleasures nor with the false glory of humane knowledge but with God onely who is the center of soules and their onely true resting place O how truely and wisely did the father of Salomon say What is to me in heauen Psal 72 and besides thee what would I vpon earth God of my hart and God my portion for euer As if he should haue said I finde nothing in heauen or earth or in any creature therein that can giue me true contentment thou onely art the God of my hart that is thou onely art a firme rocke to my hart for the word God in the Hebrew text signifieth a rocke in that place Thou therefore art onely a most firme rocke to my hart in thee onely will I rest thou onely art my portion my inheritance and all my good other things are nothing nor of any force to suffice me one day but thou alone wilt suffice me for euer Dost thou not knowe as yet my soule that God onely is the rocke whereupon thou must rest and that in al things els is vanitie and affliction of spirit For they are not but appeare to be they comfort not but afflict because they are gotten with labour kept with care lost with sorrow Despise therefore if thou be wise all transitory thinges least they carry thee away with them and abide in that vnitie and bond of Charitie which continueth for euer Lift vp thy hart to God in heauen least it putrifie on earth and learne true wisdome from the folly of many in whose names the wise man speaketh saying Wis 5 We therefore haue erred from the way of truth and the light of iustice hath not shined to vs and the Sunne of vnderstanding rose not to vs. We are wearied in the way of iniquitie and perdition and haue walked hard waies but the way of our Lord we haue not known What hath pride profited vs Or what coÌ„modity hath the vaunting of riches brought vs All those things are passed away as a shaddow but in our naughtines we are consumed Moreouer Cap. 2 a Rocke is also in an other respect an embleme of our Lord God as the wisdome of God did expound vnto vs in his Gospell when he said Math. 7 That a house built vpon a Rocke should remaine vnmoueable although the rayne fell and the flouds came and the windes blew But a house built vpon the sand cannot stand against any of these things but at the
will set downe three differences betweene the washing of the one and the other The created water doth wash away corporall spotts yet not all for many it cannot wash away vnlesse it be holpen with soape or some other meanes The increated water doth wash away alâ— spotts for so we reade in the place aboue â—ited And you shall be cleansed from all your Contaminations The created water doth seldome so wash away spots but that some little signe of them remayneth The increated water doth wash in such sort that the thing washed becommeth more white and cleane then before it was contaminated Thou shalt wash me saith Dauid and I shall be made whiter then Snowe Psal 50 And our Lord saith by Isay If your sinnes shall be as Scarlet they shall be made white as Snowe Isay 1. and if they be red as vermition they shall be white as Wooll Also the created water doth wash naturall spottes which resist not the washing the increated water doth wash voluntary spotts which cannot be cleansed vnlesse the soule consent thereunto And so admirable is the vertue of this water that it sweetly entreth into hardened hartes and is not refused because as St. Augustine doth truely teach It selfe is the cause that it is not refused Lib. de praed ss c. 8. Who can conceaue O Lord how thou giuest faith vnto the vnfaithfull humilitie vnto the proude and charitie vnto thine enemies that he who once breathed forth threates and slaughter and persecuted thee in thy Deciples being changed on the sodaine most willingly suffered for thee and thy Church threates and persecutions Farr be it from me to diue into thy secrets for I had rather seele then search after the force of thy grace And because I knowe that water of thine to be A voluntary raine Psal 57 separated to thine inheritance as the Prophet sayd Therefore I humbly beseech thee let me be found in thy inheritance and let the dwe of thy grace descend into the earth of my hart that it remaine not like earth without water to thee for so barren it is that of it selfe it can thinke no good But to proceede Water quencheth fire Cap. 2 and the heauenly Water that is the grace of the holy ghost doth strangely quenche the fire of carnall lust Fasting and bodily afflictions auayle much also if they be vsed as instruments of grace otherwise of themselues they are of small force For loue is the cheife among the affections and perturbations of the minde which ruleth all and is obeyed by all Loue will not be forced and if it be stopped one way it breaketh out an other way Loue feareth nothing dareth any thing and vanquisheth all thing Lastly Loue yeeldeth onely vnto greater lone So flâ—shly loue which followeth the wealth and pleasures of the world yeildeth onely to the louâ— of God and the water of the holy ghost distilling into the hart of man quickly cooleth the heate of concuâ—â—scence Witnesse St. Augustine who being long accustomed to lust thought it vnpossible to want the company of a woman yet beginning to taste the grace of the holy ghost he cryed out in the ninth booke of his confessions 9 Cons c. 1. Quam suaue c. O how sweet was it to me on the sodaine to want the pleasures of trâ—flles and what before I feared to loose I now reioyced to firsake For thou the true aâ—d chiefest Happinesse didst cast them from me Thou didst cast them from me and didst enter for them more sweet then any pleasure but not to flâ—sh and blood more brigh then any light more inward then any secret more high then any honour but not to those that are high iâ— themseâ—ues Water also quencheth thirst Cap. 3 and onely the water of the holy ghost can quench the manifold and almost endlesse desires of mans hart So the truth speaking to the Samaritan woman plainely taught Euery one saith he that drinketh of this water Ioh 4 shall thirst againe but he that shall drinke of the water that I will giue him shall not thirst for euer Indeede so it is The eye is not filled with seeing neither is the eare fulfilled with hearing For the minde of man is capable of infinite good and all creatures are finite But he that beginneth once to drinke of this diuine water wherein all things are seeketh after no more And of this we haue spoken before were we treated that the rest of our soules is in God onely as in their proper center Water ioyneth diuers things together Cap. 4 as many graynes of corne to make one loafe and many peeces of earth to make one bricke But more easily and more vnsepeperably doth the Water of the holy Ghost make Act. 4 many men to be of one hart and one foule as we read in the Acts of the Apostles of the first Christians Act. 4 vpon whom the holy ghost did next after the Apostles descend And our Lord being to Ascend to his father commendeth that vnitie which the water of the holy gost causeth saying Ioh. 17 And not for them onely do I pray but for them also that by their word shall beleâ—ue in me that they all may be one as thou Father in me and I in thee that they also in vs may be one And a little after That they may be one as we also are one I in them and thou in me that they may bee consummate in one To which vnitie the Apostle also exhorteth vs in his Epistle to the Ephesians saying Be carefull to keep the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace Ephe. 4 One body and one spirit as you are called in one hope of your vocation O happy vnion which maketh many men one body of Christ 1 Cor. 10 1 Cor. 6 gouerned by one head participating of one bread drinking of one Cup and liuing by one spirit of God is made one spirit with him What can his seruants more desire then to participate not onely of all their masters goods but also by the vnseparable bond of loue to be made one with the Almighty All which is wrought by the grace of the holy Ghost when as liuing water it is deuoutly receiued and diligently kept in the hart Lastly the water ascendeth as high as it descendeth lowe Cap. 5 And as the holy ghost came from heauen to earth so that hart in whom he is receaued Ioh. 4 Is made a fountaine of water springing vp into life euerlasting as our Lord said to the Samaritan woman that is man borne againe of water and the holy Ghost who hath the same spirit dwelling within him causeth his merits to ascend from whence grace did descend Therefore my soule being taught and incited by these passages of Scripture say often to thy heauenly Father with deepe sighes Giue me this water which washeth cleane all spotts quencheth all fire of Lust colleth all heat of thirst and maketh me one spirit
with my God that being in me a Fountaine of water springing vp into life euerlasting it may cause in me merits to ascend thether wheras I hope to liue for euer Not without cause did the Son of God say If you then being naught knowe how to giue good guifts to your children Luk. 11 how much more will your Father in heauen giue the good spirit to them that aske him And he saith not that he will giue bread cloathes wisdome charity or life euerlasting but the good spirit for in it al things are conteyned Cease not then O my soule daily to admonish the Father of the promise of his son saying with great deuotion assured hope to obtaine O holy father not in mine owne iustification doe I pray vnto theâ— but in the promise of thy onely begotten Sonne For he hath said vnto vs How much more will your Father in heauen giue the good Spirit to them that aske him Surely thy Sonne is the Truth he deceaueth vs not Fuifill therefore the promise of thy Son who hath glorified thee vpon earth Ioh. 17 Phil. 2 and was obedient to thee vnto death euen the death of the Crosse Giue the good â—pirit to them that aske it of thee Giue the spirit of thy loue and feare that thy seruant may loue nothing but thee his neighbour in thee nor feare but onely to offend thee Create a cleane hart in me O God Psal 50 and renew a right 〈…〉 in my bowells Cast me 〈…〉 from thy face and thy holy spirit take not from me Render vnto me the ioy of thy saluation and confirme me with a principall spirit Now I come to the resemblance which Fountaines of water haue with God Cap. 6 for from them also may the minde be eleuated to consider his wonderfull workes And not without cause is God called in holy scripture A Fountaine of life Psal 35 Eccle. 1 And A Fountaine of liuing water And that he is the Fountaine of Being Hier. 2 We gather by these wordes of God to Moyses I am which am Exod. 3 he which is hath sent me to you All which the Apostle seemeth to haue included when he saith Act. 17 In him we liue and moue and be For in him we are as in a Fountaine of being In him we liue as in a Fountaine of life And in him we mooue as in a Fountaine of Wisdome Wisd 7 because Wisdome is more moueable then all moueable things reacheth euery where because of her cleannesse as it is said in the booke of Wisdome A fountaine of water with vs hath this propertie that Riuers spring from it and when they cease to flowe from their fountaine they are soone dried vp but the fountaine dependeth not of the riuers for it receaueth not water from them but from it selfe and giueth it vnto others This is a true resemblance of the diuinitie For God is the most true fountaine of Being because he receaued his Being from no other thing but all thinges receiued their being from him God receaued his being from no other thing because his essence is to be and his being is his existence so that it cannot be conceaued or caused but that God hath beene alwayes and alwayes shall be Other thinges may be for a time and for a time not be because existence doth not necessarily belong vnto their offence For example It belongeth to the essence of a man to be a reasonable creature and therefore he cannot be a man vnlesse he be a reasonable creature and if existence belonged also to the essence of a man he should then alwayes exist but because it belongeth not to his essence therefore hee may exist and not exist God then is the Fountaine of Being because his essence includeth actuall existence for euer as is signified by those wordes I am Which am Exod. 3 That is I am essence it selfe and receaue not my Being from any other thing for to me onely my essence is my existence Therefore eternitie and immortalitie is proper vnto God onely as the apostle saith To the king of the worldes immortall 1 Tim 1 1 Tim. 6 onely God And who onely hath immortalitie For all other things receaue in such sort their essence from God that vnlesse they doe alwaies depend one him and be preserued by him they presently cease to be Wherevpon the same Apostle saith Heb. 1 Who carieth all thinges by the word of his power Therefore O my foule admire and reuerence the infinite goodnesse of thy maker who maintaineth and preserueth all thinges so louingly although he needeth not their seruice Admire and Imitate also the patience of thy sayd maker who is so mercifull vpon the vnkinde and the euill Luke 6 that he feedeth and preserueth those which blaspheme him and deserue to be brought to nothing Let it not therefore seeme much vnto thee to beare sometimes with the infirmities of thy brethren and as thou art commanded to doe good to those that hate thee But the being a Fountaine doth not onely consist in not receauing being from an other Fountaine and in giuing being vnto other things For the water both of Fountaines and Riuers with vs is of the same kinde and albeit that fountaines receaue not their water from other fountaines yet they haue a cause of their being to wit vapours which also haue other causes successinely vntill we come vnto God the first cause But God thy maker my soule is not of the same kinde with creatures but infinitely surpasseth them in dignitie nobilitie and excellencie He also is truely and properly the Fountaine of Being because he doth not onely not receaue his being from an other fountaine of being but also for that he hath no cause at all A Fountaine of created water as is said is not deriued from any other water but from an other cause but the increated Fountaine of Being hath not my thing before himselfe dependeth not of any thing wanteth not any thing nor can he hurt by any thing but all thinges depend of him 2 Mach. 8 and he can Destroy the whole world with a becke as saith the valiant Machabaeus Admire this eminencie O my soule this beginning without beginning this Cause without Cause this essence that is infinite vnlimited immense and absolutely necessary in comparison wherof all other things are but casuall And of this perhappes the Truth said But one thing is necessary Luk. 10 Adhere therefore to him onely serue him onely and delight in his loue onely Despise all other thinges for his sake or els be not troubled with too much care about many thinges since one thing is necessarie which onely is enough for thee and al others but let thy care be neuer to fall from his grace studying alwaies and euery where how to please him God also is most truely called a Fountaine of life Cap 7 because he hath life in himselfe and is life eternall it selfe
He is the true God 1 Ioh. 5 and life eternall saith St. Iohn and all thinges that liue receaue life from that fountaine which when it shall cease to giue them life They shall fayle Psal 103 and shall returne into their dust as the holy Prophet Dauid saith It is proper vnto liuing creatures to beget their like God also begott a Sonne most like vnto himselfe Ioh. 5 For us the Father hath life in himselfe So he hath giuen to the Sonne also to haue life in himselfe as St. Iohn witnesseth in the Gospell But the Father hath life in himselfe because he is the fountaine of life and the Sonne hath life in himselfe because the Father hath giuen him the same life which he hath wherby the Sonne also is the fountaine of life yet the Fountaine of life of the Fountaine of life as God of God and light of light Who can declare or conceaue what the life of God is and what this Fountaine of life is from whence all thinges that liue in heauen or earth drawe drops of life The life which we in this banishmēt know is no other but The internall beginning of Motion For those things we say liue which mooue themselues after some manner And therefore the water of Riuers is commonly called running or liuing water because it seemeth to moue of it selfe And the water of Ponds standing or dead water For that it is not mooued but by the Windes or some other externall force Thy God O my soule most truely liueth and is the Author and Fountaine of life For often doth he in holy Scripture inculcate this saying Num. 14 Liue I saith our Lord And the Prophets often repeate The Lord liueth the Lord liueth And in Hieremie God complaineth of the people saying Hier. 2 They haue forsaken me the Fountaine of liuing Water and yet he is not moued either by himselfe or by any other I am God saith he and am not changed And againe Hier. 16 Malae 3 Num. 23 God is not as the sonne of Man that he may be changed We sing also very often in the ecclesiasticall hymne O God which dost preserue the strength of things thy selfe being vnmoueable dost successiuely diuide the day and night c. So that if God beget a sonne he begetteth him without mutation and if he see heare speake loue pardon or iudge he doth all without mutation And if he create and preserue or destroy and dissipate and againe renue and change yet he worketh resting and changeth without being changed How then doth he liue if he moue not And how doth he not liue if he be the Fountaine and author of life This knot is easily vntyed For to liue it is absolutely enough that the thing which liueth worke of it selfe and be nor moued by an other But life for the most part in Creatures is the Internall beginning of motion because Creatures are vnperfect haue need of many things to performe the actions of life But God is Infinite perfection and hath neede of nothing without himselfe and therefore he worketh of himselfe and is not moued by any other Creatures neede mutation to ingender and be ingendred because they ingender without themselues and the thing ingendred must be changed from a not being to a being But God begot a sonne within himselfe And within himselfe produceth the holy ghost neither ought the Son or the holy Ghost to be changed from a not being to a being because they receaue that being which was alwaies and they receaue it not in time but from eternitie Creatures need the Motion of Augmentation because they are borne vnperfect but God the Sonne is borne most perfect and God the Holy ghost is breathed and produced most perfect Creatures need the motion of alteration to attaine diuers qualities which they want but God wanteth nothing for his essence is of infinite perfection Creatures neede locall motion because they are not euery where but God is wholy euery where Moreouer Creatures need many things to see heare speake and worke because their life is poore and vnperfect but God needeth nothing without himselfe to see all heare all speake to all and to worke all For he as is said is life it selfe and the Fountaine of life And that we may put an example in ihe action of seeing A man to see needeth a seeing power which is distinct from the soule which properly seeth he needeth an obiect that is a coloured body distant from him he needeth the light of the Sunne or of some other bright body he needeth a Medium that is a perspicuous body he needeth a sensible Species or forme to be caried from the obiect to the eye he needeth a corporall orgā to wit an eye furnished with humors fleshy tunicles he needeth sensitiue spirits and opticke synowes by which those spirits must passe he needeth a proportionable distance And lastly he needeth the Application of the seeing powre or facultie Behold how many thinges men and other liuing Creatures want to performe one action of life But God who truely hath all life in himselfe needeth nothing His infinite essence doth include power forme obiect light and all other things God of himselfe by himselfe and in himselfe seeth all thinges which are haue bin or shall be and euedently knoweth all thinges which may be And before the world was made God sawe all things so that by the creation of things there came nothing but was before knowne vnto him What then shalt thou be my soule when thou shalt partake of that life Is it much that God commandeth thee when he would haue thee spend this corporall animall poore and vnperfect life for himselfe and thy brethren to obtaine life eternall And if he commaund not much when he commandeth this life to be contemned how light and little ought it seeme to thee when he commandeth thee to bestowe thy dead riches vpon the poore to abstayne from lust to renounce the Deuill and his pompes and with true deuotion of hart to sigh after that life which onely is true life But it is time now to Ascend as we may vnto the Fountaine of Wisdome Cap. 8 A Fountaine of Wisdome the word of God on high saith Ecclesiasticus Eccle. 1 And he saith On high because the Fountaine of Wisdome doth plentifully flowe vpon the holy Angels and blessed soules in heauen but vnto vs that inhabite this Desert and Pilgrimage Wisdome her selfe descendeth not but a certaine vapour or shadow thereof Wherefore my soule seeke not after higher thinges then beseemeth thee Prou. 25 Doe not search the Maiestie least thou be oppressed of the glory Admire his Wisdome of whom the Apostle speaketh Rom. 16 To God the onelywise Congratulate those blessed spirits which drinke of the fountaine of Wisdome And although they doe not comprehend God which onely is proper vnto God yet they beholde the face of God without Vtyle or interposition and being irradiated
a step by which through prayer and meditation wee may Ascend vnto God For surely it is more easie to Ascend with Elias in a Chariot of Fire then of Earth Water or Ayre to make a Ladder Let vs therefore consider the properties of the Fire The fire is of such a nature that in diuers thinges it worketh after a diuerse and often after a contrary manner Wood Hay and stubble it burneth presently Gold Siluer and precious stones it maketh more pure and bright Iron which of it owne nature is blacke colde hard and heauy the Fire so changeth into contrary quallities that forthwith it becommeth white hot soft and light yea to shine like a starre to burne like fire to melt like water and to bee so light that the Smith may easily mooue and remoue it as he pleaseth All these thinges doe manisestly agree vnto Almighty God For Wood Hay and stubble according to the Apostle in his first Epistle to the Corinthians signifie Euill workes which cannot indure the fire of Gods Iudgement 1 Cor 3 And truly it is vncredible how greatly all sinne displeaseth God who is a Most pure Fire and with what zeale he consumeth and destroyeth it if by repentance it may be destroyed that is If the sinner bee in state to repent But if hee be not capable of repentance as the Deuils are not nor men after this life then is Gods wrath turned vpon him For to God the impious and his impiety are odious alike saith the wise man Wis 14 And how exceeding great this hatred is the Deuill can witnes who sinned once and being a most noble Angell Greg. lib. 32 moral c 24 alias 18 and as St. Gregory saith Prince of the first Order and the most excellent of Gods Creatures was notwithstanding presently cast downe from Heauen depriued of all beauty and supernaturall grace changed into a most deformed monster and condemned vnto eternall punishment Our Sauiour Christ can witnesse who descended from Heauen to destroy the Workes of the Deuill to wit sinnes Ioh. 3 and therefore hee is called The Lambe of God that taketh away the Sinnes of the world Ioh. 1 But who is able to declare or conceiue what our Sauiour suffered to destroy the workes of the Deuill and perfectly to satisfie the iustice of God Who when hee was in the forme of God tooke the forme of a Seruant Being made poore for vs when as he was rich Hee had not where to repose his head albeit hee made Heauen and Earth He came into his owne Phil. 2 2 Cor. 8 Luk. 9 Ioh â— 1 Pet 2 and his owne receaued him not Who when hee reuiled did not reuile When hee suffered he threatned not but deliuered himselfe to him that iudged him vniustly Who himselfe bare our Sinnes in his body vpon the tree Phil 2 1 Pet 2 He humbled himselfe made obedient vnto death euen the death of the Crosse By whose stripes wee are healed Lastly hee was mocked spitten on whipped crowned with thornes and being crucified with exceeding ignominy and paine he rendred vp his life to destroy the workes of the Deuill and to wipe away our sinnes The Law of God can witnes which prohibiteth and punisheth all sin yea leaneth not one idle worde vnpunished Mat 12 How greatly then doth God abhorr enormious crymes that cannot indure one idle worde Psal 18 The Law of our Lord is imaculate the precept of our Lord lightsome detesting sinne and darkenesse for betweene light and darkenesse 2 Cor. 6 iustice and iniquitie there can be no society Hell also can witnesse which God hath prepared for sinners who when as they had time neglected or refused to be washed with the blood of the immaculate Lambe For it is iust that they who haue committed Eternall sinnes should haue eternall punishments But what and how great the paines of Hell are is horrible to thinke Whereof we wil speak more in the last step Therefore my soule since Gods hatred is so great against sin if thou louest God aboue all thinges thou oughtest also to hate sinne aboue all thinges Take heed they deceaue thee not who vse to extenuate or excuse sinne Looke also that thou deceaue not thy selfe with false reasons for if sinne displease thee not both in thy selfe and others thou louest not God and if thou louest not God thou art vndone Againe if thou bee not vngratefull vnto Christ how greatly mayst thou reckon thy selfe indebted to his loue laboures blood and death Who hath washed thee from sinne and reconciled thee to his father And shall it then be greeuous vnto thee to suffer somewhat for Christ or for his sake by his grace to resist sinne euen vnto blood Lastly if thou canst not patiently indure the Hell of eternal fire surely thou oughtest not patiently to indure sinne but As from the face of a Serpent flye from it Eccle. 21 and from euery light occasion or suspition thereof Endeauour therfore all thou mayst to hate sinne aboue all things and to loue God aboue all things The fire also destroyeth not but perfecteth and purisieth golde Cap. 2 siluer and pretious stones For as the same Apostle doth there declare those mettalls signifie good workes which are approoued by the fire of Gods iudgement 1 Cor. 3 These workes God doth approoue because they are his guiftes And when he crowneth our merits saith St Augustine Con. 2. in psal 70 he crowneth his guiftes For they are done by his commandement asistance and powre and by the lawe and precepts which he hath appointed Gold also signifieth the Werkes of Charâ—â— 1 Ioh. 4 and how can the workes of Charitie but please God since God himselfe is Charitie Siluer signifieth the workes of Wisdome Dan. 12. to wit of them that instruct mony vnto iustice And they also are very pleasing and acceptable vnto God For the Wisdome of God saith Mat. 5 He that shall doe and teach he shall be called great in the kingdome of heauen Pretious stones are the workes of a continent soule of which Ecclesiasticus speaketh Eccle. 26 All Weight is not worthy a continuent soule And that is the cause why in the office of the Church the Gospell of One pretious Pearle found is read in the praise of holy virgins Math. 13 And how greatly the puritie of virginitie is pleasing to God may be vnderstood by the Prophet Esay who by Gods appointment and in his name prophesied vnto such Eunuches as haue gelt themselues for the Kingdome of heauen Math. 19 I will giue vnto them in my house and with my walles a place Isay 56 and a name better then Sonnes and Daughters An euerlasting name will I giue them which shall not perish Which place St. De Sanct virg c. 21 24 Augustine in his booke of holy virginitie excellently declareth to be vnderstood of holy virgins of either sex And these three sortes of workes by the consent of
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
God Truly therefore writeth Ecclesiasticus That this is a meruaiâ—ous Instrument the worke of the Highest and great doubtles is our Lord that made it There remaineth also the efficacy of the Sunnes light and beate Cap. 3 wherof Dauid speaketh Neither is there that can hyde himselfe from his heate This one bright body being placed in the middest of the World giueth Light to all the Starres to all the Ayer to all the Sea and to all the Earth and with his quickning heate causeth all Plants Corne and Trees throughout the world to budde blossome and beare fruite and vnder the earth it also produceth all kindes of Mettals Therefore St. Iames in the beginning of his Epistle compareth the Sunne to God Iam 1 Euery best guift saith hee and euery perfect guift is from aboue descending from the Father of Lightes with wheme is no transmutation nor shadowing of alteration The Sunne indeede is the Father of corporall Light as God is the Father of spirituall Light Yet in three thinges there is great vnlikenesse betweene God and the Sunne First the Sunne needeth continuall Transmutation to giue light and heate to the whole World but God is wholy euery where and necdeth no transmutation And therefore Saint Iames saith With whome there is no teansmutation Secondly the Sunne for that it alwayes changeth places causeth by turnes day to some and night to others shining to one people and fetting to another But God is neuer changed and yet is present with euery one and therefore St. Iames addeth There is with him no shadowing of alteration Lastly which is the chiefe from the Sunne the Father of corporall Light all things proceed which growe on Earth And those thinges are good Yet not excellent nor perfect but small temporall and transitory and which make not men good because they may be abused as they are by many to their destruction But from God the Father of Spirituall light Euery best guift and euery perfect guist doth descend by which the â—possessors thereof are made better and more perect These guises none can abuse and whosoeuer perseuereth in them vnto the end shall come to that true Happinesse which is defined to be A state of all good thinges perfectly vnited together Seeke therefore my soule What these best guiftes and perfect guifees are which come from aboue and descend from the Father of Light and when thou hast found them endeauour all thou canst to keepe them But thou shalt not neede to seeke farre for the Sunne doth demonstrate them sufficiently vnto thee The Sunne by his light and heate which are the Guiftes of the Father of Corporall light produceth all thinges So also The best guistes and perfect guiftes which are from aboue and descend from God the true Father of Light are the Light of Wisdome Heate of Charity The light of Wisdome which maketh vs truely wise leadeth vs to the Heauenly fountaine of Wisdome teacheth vs to contemne thinges Corporall and esteem thinges Eternall It teacheth vs 1 Tim 6 Not to trust in the vncertainty of riches but in the liuing God It teacheth vs not to make this banishment our Countrey nor to loue this Pilgrimage but to endure it Lastly it teacheth vs to holde this Life in patience which is so full of dangers and temptations and death in desire because Blessed are the dead that dye in our Lord. Apoc. 14 The order of true charity is to loue God without end who is the end of all desires And to loue other thinges so farre foorth as they shall be needfull to obtaine that Happines Truely there is not any among the Children of men who will proceed so absurdly in the cure of his body as to loue a bâ—tter Potion better then his health For he knoweth that the one is the end and the other is but the meanes to obtaine that end How then commeth it to passe that so many who would be accounted wise keepe no measure in heaping together riches in following the pleasures of the flesh in getting degrees of Honour as if in these thinges consisted the end of Mans desire But in louing God and in seeking after eternall Happinesse they are content with so little as if it were the meanes to the end and not the end of all other thinges Truely the reason is because they haue the Wisdome of this World and not the Wisdome which is from aboue descending from the Father of Light And because their loue is not orderly therefore it is not true loue which cannot be but orderly for they are full of Couetousnesse which is not from God but from the World Thou therfore my soule whiles thou art a Pilgrim from thy Countrey and among enemies which oppugne true Wisdome and Charity and call subtiltie Sapience and couetousnesse Frugality Sigh from the bottome of thy heart to the Father of Light that it would please him to cause those hest guifes and perfect guiftes to witt the light of true Wisdome and the heaâ—e of orderly Charity to descend into thy heart that being replenished with them it may ruune without stumbling in the way of Gods Commaundements and come to that Countrey where they drinke of the Fountaine of Wisdome liue by the milke of Charity I come now to the Night season Cap. 4 in which the Heauen by the Moone and starres maketh vs a stepp to ascend vnto God For so speaketh Dauid Isal 8 Because I shall see thy Heauens the worke of thy singers The Moone and the Stars which thou hast founded If we could see Heauen it selfe the Prophet would not haue said declaring in a manner what before he set downe The Moone and the Starres which thou hast founded For then doubtlesse we should haue an excellent Ladder to ascend vnto God We know there were some who defined the Nature of the Heauens by the motion of the Starres to be a Fift essence simple incorruptible and alwayes circularly moouing And wee know there haue bin others also who would haue Heauen to be the Element of Fire not moued circularly and in some partes corruptible But we seeke not after opinions but certaine knowledge or Doctrine of faith that wee may frame thereby a firme Ladder to know God We will therfore from the Moone and starres which we see erect a Ladder with the Prophet as we haue done already from the Sunne the Fountaine of Corporall light The Moone hath two properties which may helpe vs to Ascend vnto God First the neerer it commeth to the Sunne the lighter it is in the higher part next to Heauen the darker in the lower part next to Earth And when it is vnder the Sunne and ioyned therewith then is it wholy light toward Heauen and darke toward Earth Againe when it is opposite against the Sunne it shineth at Full to the inhabitants of the Earth and hath no Light in the higher part towardes Heauen This property of the Moone may teach men how carefull they ought
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
no vnderstanding This is a great dignity of the soule whereby man is made like to God and vnlike to Beastes And from hence we may and ought to consider the Infinite eminency and sublimitie of God For the soule is indued with the light of vnderstanding but God is Light and Vnderstanding The soule discourseth from the Cause to the effect and from the Effect to the cause and with great labour getteth knowledge God seeth all things at once perfectly together The soule vnderstandeth thinges which are and therefore her knowledge dependeth of thinges God by his Vnderstanding causeth thinges to be and therefore their existence dependeth of his knowledge The soule in some sort coniectureth of thinges to come God seeth alwayes all thinges to come as plainly as thinges past or present The Soule wanteth many thinges to exercise the guift of vnderstanding As Obiect Species Phantasie and the like God wanteth nothing for his Essence is to him all thinges Lastly the Soule while it is in the body cannot see God nor Angels or it selfe or any substance truely though it be Corporall many thinges also it knoweth not and is deceiued coniecturing much by opinion and comprehending little by demonstration But God knoweth all thinges without coniecture or error Heb. 4 for All thinges are naked and open to his eyes as the Apostle speaketh in his Epist Heb 4 to the Heb. If man then esteem his knowledge so much that the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 13 Knowledge puffeth vp how ought hee to admire the knowledge of God in coÌ„parison whereof all knowledge of man is ignorance Fourthly there is another kinde of knowledge in the soule of man Cap 4 with consisteth not in speculation but in action Whereupon so many bookes of vertues and vices so many Lawes ordinaÌ„ces Institutions exercises haue bin written by Philosophers to attaine the knowledge how to liue Well By all with an admirable light of reason is discouered to be in man wherby he far excelleth Beastes But all thesethinges are nothing in comparison of the Law eternall which liueth in the minde of God from whence as from an euerslowing Fountaine all Lawes and Ordinances haue sprung For there is one Law-maker and Iudge God saith St. Iam 4 Iames in his Epistle He is Truth Iustice and Wisdome By whom Kinges raigne Pro. 8 and the makers of Lawes decree iust thinges Thou shalt neuer therefore finde out the skill how to liue Well vntill thou be admitted into the schoole of Christ Who onely is the true Maister Mat 23 By his worde and example thou shalt learne that Iustice which aboundeth aboue the iustice of the Scribes and Pharistes or of the Philosophers the end whereof is Charity from a pure heart and a good conscience and a Faith not fained 1 Tim. 1 Fiftly the Soule of man hath a third kinde of Knowledge Cap. 5 which consisteth in making thinges ingeniously And truely Spiders know also how to make their cobwebs Birdes their nestes Bees their hony and Foxes their holes But these Creatures by Instinct of Nature doe the same thinges after one and the same manner But the soule of man by reason and iudgement hath inuented innumerable Artes by which it gouerneth ruleth by force all other liuing Creatures Neither can Birdes escape by flight Fishes by swimming Lyons and Beares by strength Horses and Mules by fiercenesse nor Stagges and Goates by swiftnesse For euen Children take birdes with snares and birdlime and Fishers with hookes and nettes catch fishes And Men by witt and art include and carry Lyons and Beares into Iron cages take wilde Boares and Staggs in Toyles or kill them with Iauelyns and tame Horses and Mules with the bridle and make them fitt to be ridden on What shall I say of the Art of Nauigation How great light of Witt shined in the soule of Man when it taught great Shipps being heauily loaden not onely to runne through the Maine with oares like feete but also to flye with Sayles like winges What of Agriculture Who will not wonder at mans witt to beholde the Corne fieldes Vineyards Orchardes Gardens Fish-ponds springes of Waters brought to irrigate and moysten them What of Architecture Who will not admire the Pallaces Temples Cittyes Arches Towers Amphitheaters Pyramides and Pillars of stone I omit the Artes of Painting and Engrauing by which the Countenances of men and other thinges are so liuely expressed in colours or marble that sometimes they are taken for true not for painted or engrauen I will say nothing of other Artes inuented by man either for necessity profite or pleasure for they are so many that scarcely they can be numbred Giue thankes therefore O my soule to God that it hath pleased him to make thy Nature so farre different from the nature of other liuing Creatures And lift vp the eyes of thy minde vnto thy said Maker in whom is the true fountaine of that Witt and Wisdome which created all thinges From thence did slow all the Wâ—tt which is deriued vnto thy Nature And if thou dost admire Mans witt because it hath learned how to tame wilde Beastes by industry and Art admire Gods wisdome much more whome not onely all liuing Creatures but also all things without life serue obey And if it seeme much to thee that Man hath inuented the Artes of sayling on the seas tilling the fieldes and building houses much more let it seeme to thee that God hath built the Heauens Earth and Seas all thinges which are in them And lastly if thou wonder at the liuely painting in colors or ingratâ—â—ing in stone Why dost thou not wonder at the skill of thy Creator who of clay made a true liuing man and of the ribbe of a man a true liuing woman Adde also that Man can doe nothing without God but God doth all thinges alone without helpe of any other Sixtly Mans soule hath Free-will Cap. 6 in which it is like to God and Angels and chiefly differeth from other Creatures This is a great and admirable excellency But the Freedome of Will in God is so great that the Freedome of the soule being compared thereunto scarce seemeth a shadow thereof The Freedome of mans will is weake and prone to choose thinges euill and hurtfull The liberty of Gods will is most strong and can neuer faile or be inclined to euill For as to dye is an Infirmity of a Mortall body and not to dye an Ability of a Glorified body So to sinne is an infirmity of Free-will and not to sinne will be an ability of the same Free-will when God shall hereafter in Heauen giue vs that by Grace which he alwayes hath by Nature Our Free-will also is free indeed potentially to will and not to will or actually to will not to will But it caÌ„not doe what it will or not doe what it will euen in it selfe and much lesse in others Heare the Apostle lamenting in his Epistle to the Romans
Rom 7 Not the good which I will that doe I but the euill which I will not that I doe And which of vs all but findeth this true by experience I would pray with attention to God and I command my imagination not to wander about and cause me to thinke of other thinges whiles I pray And yet I cannot keepe it in order but when I least suspect I finde my selfe deluded by it and omitting my prayers I fall to muse on other matters I would not be molested with lust nor angry out of reason and by Free-will I command the concupiscible and irascible powers which are in me to obey reason and not to be seduced by the bodily sences And yet reason is not obeyed nor that done which I would but that which I would not But of all other things it is most admirable miserable that the minde coÌ„mandeth the body it presently obeyeth it doÌ„mandeth it selfe it disobeyeth Lib 8. con cap. 4 Vade hoc Monstrum Whence is this strange thing saith St. Augustinâ— the minde coÌ„maâ—deth the hand to moue it doth with such speede that the comman ment can hardly be discerned froÌ„ the execution therof it is the minde the hand a body The minde commaundeth the minde to be willing and it is the same thing and yet it doth it not But it willeth not fully and therefore it doth not fully command It is not therefore any strange thing but an infirmitie of the minde whith doth â—ot fully rise being lifted vp by truth and kept downe by custome But the free will of God is ioyned with absolute power for of him it is written He hath done all thinges whatsoeuer he would And Psal 113 There is none that can resist thy will Esther 13 Wherefore my Soule if thou be wise doe not boast of the force of thy free will vntill thou come into the freedome of glory where thy Heauenly Phisition will cure all thy infirmities and fill thy desire with all good thinges And in the meane while sigh dayly and say vnto God with the Prophet Psal 26 Be thou my helper for sake me not Not coldly also for custome sake but with attention and from thy hart repeate at the least seauen times a day O God intend vnto my belpe Psal 69 Lord make hast to help me Seauenthly Cap. 7 Mans soule hath a reasonable will which not onely hath power to desire good thinges present particular and corporal as beasts doe but also good thinges absent vniuersall and spirituall which are knowne by the light of faith or reason vntill it come to the Highest Happinesse which is God This maketh the soule capable of vertues and especially of Charitie the Queene of vertues Brute beastes indeede haue the loue of Concupiscence but the loue of friendship they knowe not But thou my soule art by God made capable of Charitie the Chiefe of all Guiftes whereby God remaineth in thee and thou in him For God is Charitie 1 Ioh. 4 and he that abideth in Charitie abideth in God and God in him And if the Happinesse of a created will be so great what may we think of the Happinesse wherwith the increated will is filled Onely the will of God is capable of infinite loue wherewith the infinite goodnesse of God is worthy to be loued Neither doth his will want vertues or needeth to be directed by his vnderstanding for they are all one as Wisdome and Charitie in God is the same thing Eightly Cap. 8. the soule of Man is in the body but farre otherwise then the soules of brute beastes in their bodies The soules of brute beastes are materiall and extended according to their bodies so that a part of it is in a part of their body and the whole in their whole body But the soule of Man because it is an indiuisible spirit is after an admirable manner Whole in all and whole in euery part so that albeit it fill all the body yet it occupieth no place in the body And when the body groweth the soule groweth not but beginneth to be where before it was not And if a member be cut away or withered the soule is not deminished nor withered but ceaseth to be in that member where before it was without hurt or mutilation This is a true resemblance of Gods existence in Creatures For God is an indiuisible spirit and yet he filleth all the world and euery part thereof Neither doth he occupie any place But is Whole in all and whole in euery part of the world And when any creature is produced God beginneth to be in it and yet he is not mooued And when any creature is by chance destroyed or dyeth God is not destroyed or dyeth but ceaseth to be in it without locall mutation Thus farre then God and the soule agree but in many thinges God as it is meete doth farre excell For the soule before it can moue and gouerne the body must become the forme of the body and be so vnited vnto it that of the soule and body is made one Man But God needeth not become the forme or soule of the world Neither of him and the world is one Compounded substance made For his immencitie is such that he is euery where his indiuisible vnitie such that he is wholy euery where And his omnipotencie such that he worketh euery where Moreouer although the soule be said to be in all the body yet it is not properly but in the partes which haue life and therefore it is not in the humors in the hayre in the nayles or in dryed and dead members But God is in all thinges both corporall and spirituall without exception neither can it be that any thing exist wherin God is not The soule also is but in her owne body which is narrow and straight where all the partes are continued together But God is in this vniuersalitie of thinges although it be very great and the partes thereof not continued together but contiguous and adioyning And if more worldes were made God should be in them all for of him it is written 1 Par. 6 The heauen and heauens of heauens doe not containe thee And albeit new heauens and earthes were multiplied without end God should fill them all for no place can be where he should not be Ninthly the soule of Man beside those thinges which are said hath also in it an obscure image of the Blessed Trinitie because it hath a power to remember to vnderstand and to loue and also for that the minde doth by the vnderstanding Forme a word and from the minde and the word proceedeth loue For that which is knowne by the minde and represented by the Word as Good is forthwith by the Will loued and desired But God the Father did after a more high and diuine manner begett God the Word and God the Father and God the Word becathed our God the hâ—ly Ghost the huâ—ng Fountaine of
teares that while time serueth they may be clensed and washed away by thy grace Amen THE THIRTEENTH STEPP From the Consideration of Gods practicall Wisdome WE haue considered the speculatiue Wisdome of God Cap. 1 Let vs now consider his practicall wisdome which also we may call Effectiue This Wisdome hath her Bredth Length Height and Depth The bredth is knowne by the Creation the length by the Preseruation of thinges created the height by the worke of Redemption the depth by Prouidence predestination And to begin from the Creation Psal 103 God hath made all thinges in wisdome as it is said in the Psalme Ecclus 1 And hath powred her out vpon all his workes as Ecclesiasticus writeth As therefore by the Creation of all thinges of nothing wee knowe the power of their Maker So likewise by the admirable work-manshippe which we beholde in euery one of them we wonder at the wisdome of the same Maker Wisd 11 For he hath dispâ—sed all thinges in meâ—sare â—nd number and weight as the wise Man saith And with this sauour God hath seasonâ—â— alâ— things that thereby we may 〈…〉 to knowe 〈…〉 aâ—â—able and desâ—â—â—able Wâ—sdoâ—â— it selfe is All creatures therefore haue a certaine measure number and weight First to distinguish them from God who hath no Measure because he is immense nor Number because he is most perfectly and simply One in Essence Nor Weight because his prise and value exceedeth all estimation Secondly for that they are good and beautifull as Moyses truely sayd Gen 1â— God saw all things that he had made and they were very good All thinges therefore haue that Measure which is needful for them to obtaine the end for which they are made in such sort that there can be no addition or substraction therein but forthwith the thing becommeth deformed vnprofitable and lesse good then before Eccle 3 God made all thinges good in their time saith the Preacher Wee cannot add any thing nor take away any from those thinges which God hath made that he may be feared God therfore hath giuen to the heauen a most large Measure that it might containe all thinges belowe within the compasse thereof To the ayre much lesse then to the heauen yet greater then to the earth and waters which make one Globe enclosed round about by the ayre To an Elephant he hath giuen a great measure of body that he might be able to carry great burthens and Castles full of men To a Horse a body somewhat lesse because he is to carry but one ryder Birdes he hath made small that they might hang their Neastes vpon the boughes of Trees Bees and Antes the least of al that they might â—ide themselues in their Hiues or in holes of the earth The like we may say of Number God hath made but one Sunne because one Sunne suffised to giue light to the whole earth and with his brightnesse to make the day He made also but one Moone because one Moone suffised to giue light in the night Yet would he haue many starres that when as the Sunne and Moon were both absent as at their comunction it happeneth they might in some sort put away the darkenesse of the night Neither hath he onely assigned a necessary Number to all thinges ingenerall but also hath appointed to each thing in particular such Number of partes that there can nothing be added or taken away God hath giuen a man two eyes two eares two handes two feete one nose one mouth one breast one head And he hath appeared a very beautifull and comely creature Change this order Let a man haue one eye two noses one â—are two mouthes one hand one foote two breastes or two heades and nothing can be more vnseemely or more deformed Moreouer God hath giuen Weight to wit that estimation to euery Creature as the Nature thereof doth require By the name of Weight or price we vnderstand such qualities as make thinges good and pretious And they are in number three Necessary partes that nothing be superfluous or defecture Commensuration or an apt proportion of partes And an externall amiable colour of the body with such internall vertues as shall be profitable and necessary for diuers actions But it is merueylous to consider what vertue God hath giuen to sundry very small and slender Creatures that as his power is in great so his wisdome might be seen in small-thinges Who can conceaue what vertue is in a graine of Mustard-seede which is the least of all seeds so that the eye can hardly discerne it and yet so great a tree lyeth hidden therein That the Foules of the 〈◊〉 come and dwell in the braunches thereof as the Truth speaketh in the Gospell Math 3 Neither is this proper to Mustard seede onely but common to all other seedes in whose vertue lyeth hidd the roots stâ—mms branches leaues blossomes and fruite of great trees Truely if we did not know this by experience we should not easily perswade men that from so small a seede so many sundry great thinges could euer spring Who likewise would imagine that an Ant a Ghat a Hea and such small câ—â—atures had seete which speedily mooue a head a hart inward and outward senses and prudence and iudgement after their manner although very vnperfect Who also would suppose that in these and such like small creatures there should be such force to pierce and enter the quicke flesh that they become not onely very troublesome to men but also to Elephantes and Lyona whome they terrifie Great therefore is our Lord and great is his Wisdome both in great thiâ—ges and in small The Prince of Phisitions although an Ethnicke did sometimes wonder at the cunning workmanship which God hath wrought in a mans hand Gal inlib depart and cryed out in praise of the Maker What oughtest thou then O Christian to doe who seest that not onely the bodies of men and other liuing creatures but also the heauens the starres the Angells and the immertall soulâ—s of men are made with vncredible Wisdome by the same most wâ—se Creator Moreouer the length of his Practicall wisdome appeareth in the preseâ—â—ation of things Cap. 2 as the breadth therof in their Creation but especially of such as are corruptible First then if any one will but consider how God nourisheth and causeth hearbes plantes beastes and the bodies of men to growe and preserueth them to the vttermost he cannot but with astonishment wonder at Gods Wisdome For with earth and water he nourisheth hearbes and plantes and causeth that the nourishment doth passe from the roote to the stock and from the stock it is drawne vp by a certaine vertue to the boughes leaues and fruite so that it â—unneth into euery part after an admirable manner Men likewise and some beastes he nourisheth with hearbes Aples and with the flesh of beastes and causeth the nourishment to enter and passe through all partes of the body with such facilitie and delight
thinke hee offended if being at his Prayers his minde wandered after vayne phantasies When any such thing happened hee spared not Confession but foorthwith made satisfaction This course hee practised so often that seldome was he troubled with those molestations Oâ—ce in a time of Lent he had made a little Basket to passe away some short vacation without being altogether vnocupied which comming to his minde when he said his Houres did somewhat distract it Wherefore being mooued with zeale of Spirit hee burned the basket sâ—â—ing I will sacrifice it to God whose Sacrifice it hindred Therefore distraction of minde in time of Prayer and praising God is not so small an offence as many imagine but great is the Mercy and Longanimitie of God in that hee is no more angry nor presently punisheth vs therefore Next followeth the Height of Gods Mercy Cap. 3 which is taken from the cause moouing God to mercy And truely it is most High and exalted aboue all the Heauens according to that of the Psalmes Lord thy mercy is â—n Heauen Psal 35 And Mercy shall be built vp for euer in the Heauens â—sal 88 Some men haue mercy of other men because they need their helpe and this indeed is the lowest degree of mercy for it goeth not beyond priuate commodity After which manner we also haue compassion of our Horses Dogges and Cattle Others haue mercy by reason of Consanguinity or friendship to witt because they are their Children Brothers Familiars or Friendes and this degree is a little higher and beginneth to haue the Forme of a vertue Lastly others haue mercy because they are their neighbours to wit men as they are made by the same God and of the same molde And therefore they respect not whether they be their friends or enimies good or euill country-men or strangers but they take compassion of all whom they know created according to Gods Image and this is the highest degree of mercy to which mortall men can ascend But God hath mercy vpon all thinges because they are his Creatures and especially vpon men because they are his Images And more especially vpon the righteous because they are his Children heyres of his Kingdome and coheyres of his Onely begotten Sonne But if thou aske why God created the world Why hee made man to his likenesse Why he iustifieth the wicked and adopteth them to be his Children and heyres of his Kingdome Nothing can be answered but because he so would And why would he so but because he is Good For Goodnesse is liberall and doth willingly bestow it selfe Mercy therefore is built vp in Heauen Psal 88 and from a most high habitation to wit from the Heart of the Highest she descended to the Earth and filled it as was foretolde by the Prophet Psal 32 The earth is full of the mercy of our Lord. Lift vp now my soule the eyes of thy minde to that most high fountaine of mercy Consider the absolute purity thereof not mixed with any intention of priuate commodity And when thon hearest the Maister of all exhorting and saying Luk. 6 Be yee therefore mercifull as also your Father is mercifull endeauour all thou canst to haue compassion of thy fellow seruants with that pure affection wherewith thy Heauenly Father hath compassion of vs. If thou forgiue an iniury forgiue it with a true heart and commit to perpetuall forgetfulnesse euery offence For Our Father forgetteth our offences as the Prophet Ezechiell writeth Ezech. 18 And As farre as the East is distant from the West Psal 112 doth he make our iniquityes farre from vs as Dauid speakteh If thou giue an Almes to the poore make account thou dost rather receiue then giue Because hee lendeth our Lord that hath mercy on the poore Pro. 19 Giue it therefore with humity and reuerence not as an Almes to the poore but as a guift to a Prince If thou suffer any discommodity to benefit thy poore neighbour thinke yet how sarre thou commest short of thy Lord who to benefite thee gaue his bloud and life So shalt thou without hope of earthly reward without any motion of vaine glory meerly for the loue of God thy neighbour profite in the vertue of mercy It remaineth that we consider the Depth of Gods mercy Cap. 4 For as the height thereof appeareth chiefly in the cause so the Depth thereof is seene especially in the effect That mercy therefore is not said to be deepe but rather shallow and superficiall which descendeth but to wordes onely That deeper which comforteth the needy not onely with wordes but also with deeds That most deepe which not onely with wordes and deedes conforteth them but also endureth laboures and dolours for their sakes God therefore whose mercie is infinite hath beene mercifull vnto vs after all these manners For first he sent vs letters of comfort to wit the holy Scriptures whereof the Machabies speake Mach. 12 We haue for our comfort the holy Bookes that are in our handes Neither doth he speake to to vs by letters onely but also by the Sermons of Preachers Which are Legates of Christ 2 Cor 4 and by inward inspirations promising vs his helpe and protection I will heare saith Dauid what our Lord will speake in me Psal 84 because he will speake peace vpon his people and vpon his Saintes and vpon them that are conuerted to the hart Secondly the benefits of Gods mercies against our manifold miseries both spirituall and temporall are so many that they cannot be numbred For euery where He crowneth vs in mercie â—sal 102 and commiserations That is he compasseth vs about euery where with the benefits of his mercie Thirdly Gods mercie deseended by the mysterie of the holy Incarnation to labours and dollours to hunger and thirst to ignominyes and reproches to stripes and woundes and to the death of the Crosse to redeeme vs from our sinnes and from eternall death due vnto vs therefore Is there any greater depth to which Gods mercy did descend Yes surely For he did all these thinges not of dutie but out of Loue. Iay 53 He was offered saith the Prophet because himselfe would For who compelled the sonne of God Who thought it no robbery phil 2 himselfe to be equall to the Father but â—e exiranitâ—d himselfe taking the forme of a seruant 2 Cor 8 To be made poore for vs that by his pouerty we might be rich Phil 2 â— To be humbled vnto death euen the death of the Crosse to exalt vs Truely loue onely compelled him mercy onely constreyned him It also descendeth yet farther For he would in the worke of our saluation bestowe on vs honour and glorie That diuision which the Angels made seemed very fit Glory in the highest to God Luk 2 and in earth peace honour be to God and profit to men But Gods mercie would haue all the profite to be ours and part of the glorie to be his and