beg his bread in summer and no man shall give him to eat And in another place hee sayth He that gathereth in summer is a wise sonne but hee that giveth himselfe to sleeping at that season is the sonne of confusion For what confusion can there be greater than that which that miserable covetous rich man suffereth who with a fewe crums of bread that fell from his table might have purchased to himselfe abundance of everlasting felicitie and glorie in the kingdome of heaven But because he would not give so small a thing he came to such an extreame necessitie that hee begged yea and shall for ever beg in vaine onely one drop of water and shall never obtaine it Who is not mooved with that request of that unfortunate damned person who cried O father Abraham have compassion on me and send down Lazarus vnto mee that hee may dip the tip of his finger in water and touch my tongue for thâ—se horrible flames doe torment mee exceedingly What smaller request could there bee desired than this Hee durst not request so much as one cup of water neither that Lazarus should put his whole hand into the water nor yet which is more to bee wondered at did he request so much as the whole finger but onely the tip of it that it might but touch his tongue and yet even this alonely would not be granted unto him Whereby thou maiest perceive how fast the gate of all consolation is shut up and how universall that interdict and excommunication is that is there laid upon the damned sith this rich glutton could not obtaine so much as this small request So that wheresoever the damned persons doe turne their eyes and on which side soever they stretch their hands they shall not find any manner of comfort bee it never so small And as hee that is in the sea choaked and almost drowned under the water not finding any stay wherupon to set his foot stretcheth foorth his hands oftentimes on every side in vaine because all that hee graspeth after is thinne and liquid water which deceives him even so shall it fare with the damned persons when they shall bee drowned in that deepe sea of so many miseries where they shall strive and strug gle alwayes with death without finding any succour or place of stay whereupon they may rest themselves Now this is one of the greatest paines wherewith they be tormented in that cursed place for if these torments shold have their continuance liâ— mitted but for a certaine time though it were for a thousand yea a hundred thousand millions of years yet even this would bee some little comfort unto them for nothing is perfectly great in case it have an end But alas they have not so much as this poore and miserable comfort but contrariwise their paines are equall in continuance with the eternity of almightie God and the lasting of their miserie with the eternitie of Gods glorie As long as almightie God shall live so long shall they die and when Almightie God shall cease to be God then shall they also cease to be as they are O deadly life ô immortall death I know not whether I may truly tearme thee either life or death for if thou be life why dost thou kill And if thou be death why doest thou endure Wherefore I will call thee neither the one nor the other for so much as in both of them there is contained something that is good as in life there is rest and in death there is an end which is a great comfort to the afflicted but thou hast neither rest not end What art thou then Marry thou art the worst of life and the worst of death foâ— of death thou hast the torment without any end and of life thou hast tâ—e continuance without any rest O bitter composition ô unsavorie purgation of our Lords cup of the which all the sinners of the earth shall drinke their part Now in this continuance in this eternitie I would wish that thou my deare Christian brother wouldst fixe the eyes of thy consideration a little while and that as the clean beast cheweth the cud even so thou wouldest weigh this point within thy selfe with great deliberation And to the intent thou maiest do it the better consider a little the paines that a sicke man abideth in one evill night especially if he be vexed with any vehement greefe or sharpe disease Marke how oft hee tumbleth tosseth in his bed what disquietnes he hath how long and tedious one night seemeth unto him how duly hee counteth all the houres of the clocke and how long he deemeth each houre of them to bee how hee passeth the time in wishing for the dawning of the day which notwithstanding is like to helpe him little towards the curing of his disease If this then bee accounted so great a torment what torment shall that bee trowyee in that everlasting night in hell which hath no morning nor so much as any hope of any dawning of the day O darknesse most obscure ô night everlasting ô night accursed even by the mouth of almightie God all his Saints That one shall wish for light and shall never see it neither shall the brightnesse of the morning arise any more Consider then what a kind of torment shall that bee to live everlastingly in such a night as this is lying not in a soft bed as the sicke man dooth but in a hote burning furnace foming out such terrible raging flames What shoulders shall be able to abide those horrible heats If it seeme to us as a thing intollerable to have onely some part of our feet standing upon a panne of burning coales for the space of repeating the Lords prayer What shall it bee thinke you to stand bodie and soule burning in the midst of those everlasting hot raging fires in hell in comparison of which the fires of this world are but painted fires Is there any wit or judgement in this world Have men their right sences do they understand what these words import or are they peradventure persuaded that these are onely the fables of Poets or doe they thinke that this appertaineth not to them orels that it was onely meant for others None of all this can they say for so much as our faith assureth us most certainely herein And our Saviour Christ himselfe who is everlasting trueth crieth out in his Gospell saying Heaven and earth shall faile but my word shall not faile Of this miserie there followeth another as great as it which is that the paines are alwaies continuing in one like degree without any manner of intermission or decreasing All manner of things that are under the cope of heaven doe moove and turne round about with the same heaven and do never stand still at one state or beeing but are continually either ascending or descending The sea and the rivers have their ebbing and flowing the times the ages and the mutable fortune of men and of kingdomes
seeing never satisfide God as he is sight beyond estimate Which angels tongues are untaught to discover Whose splendor doth the heavens illustrate Vnto which sight each sight becomes a lover Whom all the glorious court of heaven laud With praises of eternities applaud There where no teares are to interprete greeves Nor any sighs heart dolours to expound There where no treasure as surpris'd by theeves Nor any voice that speakes with sorrowes sound No use of passions no distempered thought No spot of sinne no deed of errour wrought The native home of pilgrime soules abod Rest's habitation ioies true residence Ierusalem's new citie built by God Form'd by the hands of his owne excellence With gold-pav'd streets the wals of precious stone Where all sound praise to him sits on the throne Finis ⧠Of the glorie of the blessed Saints in Heaven TO the end there might want nothing to stir up our mindes to vertue after the paines which Almightie God threateneth to the wicked he dooth also set before us the reward of the good which is that glorie and everlasting life which the blessed Saints doe enjoy in heaven whereby he dooth very mightily allure us to the love of the same But what manner of thing this reward and what this life is there is no tongue neither of angels nor of men that is sufficient to expresse it Howbeit that wee may have some kind of savor knowledge therof I intend here to rehearse even word for word what S. Augustine sayth in one of his meditations speaking of the life everlasting ensuing this transitorie time and the joies of the blessed Saints in heaven O life sayth he prepared by almighty God for his friends a blessed life a secure life a quiet life a beautifull life a cleane life a chast life a holy life a life that knoweth no death a life without sadnesse without labour without greefe without trouble without corruption without feare without variety without alteration a life replenished with all beautie and dignity where there is neither enemy that can offend nor delight that can annoy where love is perfect and no feare at all where the day is everlasting and the spirit of all is one where almightie God is seene face to face who is the only meat whereupon they feed without lothsomnesse it delighteth me to consider thy brightnesse thy treasures do rejoice my longing heart The more I consider thee the more I am stricken in love with thee The great desire I have of thee doth wonderfully delight me no lesse pleasure is it to me to keep thee in my remembrance O life most happie ô kingdome truly blessed wherin there is no death nor end neither yet succession of time where the day continuing evermore without night knoweth not anie mutation where the victorious conqueror being joined with those everlasting quires of Angels and having his head crowned with a garland of glorie singeth unto Almightie God one of the songs of Syon Oh happie yea and most happie should my soule bee if when the race of this my pilgrimage is ended I might bee worthie to see thy glorie thy blessednes thy beautie the wals and gates of thy city thy streets thy lodgings thy noble citizens and thine omnipotent king in his most glorious majestie The stones of thy wals are precious thy gates are adorned with bright pearles thy streets are of very fine excellent gold in which there never faile perpetuall praises thy houses are paved with rich stones wrought throghout with Zaphirs and covered above with massie gold where no uncleane thing may enter neither dooth any abide there that is defiled Faire and beautifull in thy delights art thou ô Ierusalem our mother none of those thinges are suffered in thee that are suffered here There is great diversitie betweene thy things and the things that we doe continually see in this life In thee is never seene neither darkenesse nor night neither yet any change of time The light that shineth in thee commeth neither of lampes nor of Sunne or Moone nor yet of bright glittering stars but God that proceedeth of God and the light that commeth of light is he that giveth clearenesse unto thee Even the very king of kings himselfe keepeth continuall residence in the middest of thee compassed about with his officers and servants There doe the Angels in their orders and quires sing a most sweet and melodious harmonie There is celebrated a perpetuall solemnitie and feast with everie one of them that commeth thither after his departure out of this pilgrimage There bee the orders of Prophets there is the famous companie of the Apostles there is the invincible armie of Martyrs there is the most reverent assembly of confessours there are the true and perfect religious persons there are the holy Virgines which have overcome both the pleasures of the world and the frailtie of their owne nature there are the young men and young women more auncient in vertue than in yeares there are the sheepe and little lambs that have escaped from the wolves and from the deceitfull snares of this life and therefore do now keep a perpetuall feast each one in his place all alike in joy though different in degree There Charitie raigneth in her full perfection for unto them God is all in all whome they behold without end in whose love they be all continually inflamed whom they doe alwaies love and in loving do praise and in praising doe love and all their exercises consist in praises without wearinesse and without travell O happie were I yea and very happy indeed if at what time I shall bee loosed out of the prison of this wretched bodie I might bee thought worthie to hear those songs of that heavenly melodie sung in the praise of the everlasting king by all the cittizens of that so noble cittie Happie were I and very happie if I might obtaine a roome among the chaplaines of that chappell and wait for my turne also to sing my Alleluia If I might be neare to my king my God my Lord and see him in his glorie even as he promised mee when he said O father this is my last determinate will that all those that thou hast given unto mee may bee with me and see the glorie which I had with thee before the world was created Hetherto are the words of S. Augustine Nowe tell mee Christian brother what a day of glorious shine shall that bee unto thee if thou lead thy life in Gods feare when after the course of this pilgrimage thou shalt passe from death to immortallitie and in that passage when others shall begin to feare thou shalt begin to rejoyce and lift up thyhead because the day of thy deliverance is at hand Come foorth a little sayth S. Ierome unto the Virgine Eustochia out of the prison of this body and when thou art before the gate of this Tabernacle set before thy eyes the reward that thou hopest to have for thy present labours Tell
possessions in large thy territories dominions yea commaund if thou wilt whole empires and worlds yet shalt thou never bee so great as the least of all the servants of almightie God who shall receive that treasure which this world cannot give shall enjoy that felicitie which shal endure for evermore when thou with thy pomp and riches shall bear the rich glutton companie whose buriall is in the deepe vault of hell but the devout spirituall man shall be carried by the holy Angels with poore Lazarus into Abrahams bosome a place of perpetuall rest joy sollace and eternall happines ¶ Of the benefites which our Lord promiseth to give in this present life to such as live a iust and godly life PEradventure thou wilt now say that al these things before rehearsed bee rewards and punishments only for the life to come and that thou desirest to see something in this present life because our mindes are wont to bee mooved very much with the sight of things present To satisfie thee herein I will also explaine unto thee what may answere thy desire For althogh our Lord do reserve the best wine and the delicat dishes of most delight untill the end of the banket yet he suffereth not his friends to bee utterly destitute of meat and drinke in this tedious voyage for he knoweth very wel that they could not otherwise hold out in their journey And therfore when he said unto Abraham Feare not Abraham for I am thy defendor and thy reward shall bee exceeding great By these wordes hee promised two thinges the one for the time present that was to be his safegard and defence in all such things as may happen in this life the other for the time to come and that is the reward of glorie which is reserved for the next life But how great the first promise is and how many kinds of benefites and favours are therein included no man is able to understand but onely hee that hath with great diligence read the holy scriptures wherein no one thing is more often repeated and set forth than the greatnesse of the favours benefits and priviledges which Almightie God promiseth unto his friends in this life Hearken what Salomon saith in the third chapter of his Proverbes as touching this matter Blessed is that man that findeth wisdome for it is better to have it than all the treasures of silver and gold be they never so excellent and precious and it is more worth than all the riches of the world and whatsoever mans heart is able to desire is not comparable unto it The length of daies are at her right hand and riches and glorie at her left Her waies be pleasant and all her passages be quiet she is a tree of life to all those that have obtained her and hee that shall have her in continuall possession shall bee blessed Keepe therefore O my sonne the lawes of Almightie God and his counsels for they shal bee as life to thy soule and sweetnesse to thy tast Then shalt thou walke safely in thy waies and thy feet shall not find any stumbling blockes If thou sleep thou shalt have no cause to feare and if thou take thy rest thy sleepe shall be quiet This is the sweetnesse and quietnesse of the way of the godly but the waies of the wicked are far different as the holy Scripture doth declare unto us The paths and waies of the wicked sayth Ecclesiasticus are full of brambles and at the end of their journey are prepared for them hell darkenesse paines Doest thou thinke it then a good exchaunge to forsake the waies of Almightie God for the wayes of the world sith there is so great difference betweene the one and the other not onely in the end of the way but also in all the steps of the same What madnesse can bee greater than to chuse one torment to gaine another by rather than with one rest to gaine another rest And that thou maist more clearely perceive the excellencie of this rest and what a number of benefits are presently incident therunto I beseech thee hearken attentively even what Almightie God himselfe hath promised by his Prophet Esay to the observers of his law in a manner with these words as diverse interpreters doe expound them When thou shalt doe saith he such and such things which I have commaunded thee to do there shall forthwith appear unto thee the dawning of the cleare day that is the sonne of justice which shall drive away all the darkenesse of thy errours and miseries then shalt thou begin to enjoy true and perfit salvation Now these are the benefits which almighty God hath promised to his servants And albeit some of them bee for the time to come yet are some of them to be presently received in this life as that new light and shining from heaven that safetie and abundance of all good thinges that assured confidence trust in the almightie God that divine assistance in all our praiers and petitions made unto him that peace and tranquilitie of conscience that protection and providence of Almightie God All these are the gracious gifts and favours which almightie God hath promised to his servaunts in this life They all are the works of his mercie effects of his grace testimonies of his love and blessings which hee of his fatherly providence extendeth To bee short all these benefits do the godly injoy both in this present life and in the life to come and of all these are the ungodly deprived both in the one life and in the other Wherby thou maist easily perceive what difference there is betweene the one sort and the other seeing the one is so rich in graces and the other so poore and needie For if thou ponder well Gods promised blessings and consider the state and condition of the good and the wicked thou shalt find that the one sort is highly in the favour of Almightie God and the other deeply in his displeasure the one be his friends and the other his enemies the one bee in light and the other in darkenesse the one doe enjoy the companie of Angels the other the filthie pleasures and delights of swine the one are truly free and lords over themselves and the other are become bondslaves unto Sathan and unto their owne lusts and appetites The one are joyfull with the witnesse of a good conscience and the other except they be utterly blinded are continually bitten with the worme of conscience evermore gnawing on them the one in tribulation stand stedfastly in their proper place and the other like light chaffe are carried up and downe with everie blast of wind the one stand secure and firme with the anker of hope and the other are unstable and evermore yeelding unto the assaults of fortune the praiers of the one are acceptable and liking unto God and the praiers of the other are abhorred and accursed the death of the one is quiet peaceable and precious