mind without doubt from his good Angell it proceeded Thou art here in a good and easy bed environed with filken curtaynes and finds the night so long and tedions and vnable to take any repose Oh what can the soules so many yevres in purgatory doe not mentioning those which burnes in hell for all eternity This thought well pondered made him to resolue to quitt these Fopperyes to apply him the more seriously vnto the obtayning celestiall and eternall happynes What ravishing speech or mouing discourse persuaided a yong and vaine lady to fortefy her courage and to resolue to do penance for her sinns which she did detest as she ought A strong imagination ceased on her Heart She goes with her Neighbours to confesse as much for company sake as for devotion by good fortune she mett with a discreet Confessarious who having heard her confession and sweetly having advertised her of the injury she did her self in living so vainly and wickedly he gave her for penance to weare a haire cloth for certayne howres O Father sayed she what say you to vveare a haire cloth Alas I can not do it I have great difficulty to weare a smocke if it be not very fine well answered the confessarius in lieu of Heircloth you shall fast three dayes how fast replyed she J who can not rise forth of my bed before I have eaten a good caudell O Father this is impossible for me to performe Well then sayed the Confessarius you shall heare three Masses on your knees without turning your head it will be very hard for me not to turne my head replyed she a gaine but impossible for me to kneel so long without fainting I know not what then to do with you replyed the Father seeing you refuse so easie penances having commit'ed so many great sinns Perhaps you can as often as you wash your hands thinke that those white hands shall become filth and wormes meate she accepts of this pen̄ance receaves absolution goes home washing her hands before she sitts to eate she thinks on what was enioyned her for the first and second time she made but smal reflexion but on the third time this thought made so deep impression in her Heart that she resolues to give a fare well vnto all delicacie and vanity for to do pennance proportionable vnto her sinns and to give herself wholy vnto God and to become a Saint Lett these particulare examples suffice for it is a most assured truth that ther have ben million of Persons who have heard most eminent Preacheurs and yett have not ben moved who have had religious Confesseurs able to make Saints and have not gained any thing who have read most spirituall bookes and have nothing profited And yett two or three words well considered a speech spoken without disigne but well pondered and digested hath made them to know themselves and hath reduced them into an happy condition I was Confessarius vnto a Lady of quality who assured me rhat she for 7. years had wepp for the death of her Husband in the beginning very often in the day and afterwards twise every day she never failed to weep I know not how many Religious of divers ordres and other able and discreet people were imployed to make her know the injury she did vnto the holines reputation and virtue of her deceased Husband but all to no effect one day as she was weepeing in her chamber passing throught a gallery she meets with one of her Maydes sweeping who mildly sayed vnto her I know not Madam vnto what purpose your Lá so long time opposeth the will of God This speech proceeding from a chambre mayde glided so deeply in to her soul and she considered it so well that she resolued to make an end of these teares the which so many premeditated dis courses could not effect because they were not well considered on one word by chance spoken and well considered gained and eonquered her Ther fore being it is most true that one sole word well meditated on is capable to convert a person and to profitt more then long exhortations even as as one only graine well buried in the earth will yeeld more increase then a hundred others cast on the high way or on stones I am resolued having a most ardent desire to aide ye Towards your saluation not to propose vnto ye above two or three words at a time but I conjure you by what is most deare vnto you after that I have spoken Thinke well on it ANd because the great secreat consist in giving you the meanes of well thinking on it J find not a better then a strong representation a lively imagination of the hovvre of death This is the secreat which those that would live holy made vse of For this reason the Emperor Maximilian had his Coffin caried allwayes with him S. Iohn Elimosinarius twise or thrise every day visited his sepulcher The Anchoritts have allwayes in their Cels a Deaths head on which they alwayes looked Ther are so many good Religious vvho hardly meditate on any thing then on death Believe me that amongst the infidels those that have desired to live the better have made vse of this meanes I vvill not give you any other example then that of Philip King of Macedony Father of Alexander the great vvho had one of his Pages vvitth him for to come and tell him every Morning Sir remember that you are a Man and therfore must dye Go too my deare friend tell me seriously and from the heart if God should send you an angell to assure you that you were to dye whithin two or three dayes in earnest what would you thinke then what would you say hasten not to answere but before Thinke well on it I read on your countenance what lyes hidd in your Heart you thinke that you are in health young and strong and therfore you can not imagine death to be so necre O for the love of God my deare friend J befeech you confide not on your youth on your health and strenght nor any quality you can have No no you must be deceaved by those who have no other designe then to ruine you believe me rather who am your faithful friend having no other interest then your good I tell you then and assure you desireing you to believe me More younge beter in health and stronger then you more rich and abler then you shall dye this weeke who not witshstanding believes to live as long as you And although I am not a Prophet for to foretell that you shall be of the number yet I can with as great assurance advertise you as if I were one that death to day is neerer vnto you then it was yesterday and that to morrow it will be neerer then it is to day and it will never rest vnt ill it hath over taken tript vp your heils and sent you into the other world Consider therfore seriously on your affaires Thinke well on it THat
who will leave thee at the grave but affect and addict thy self unto the third which will accompany thee for all eternity IF thou wert to be laid on a bed this evening for to morrow morning to be carried unto the grave which I know to have happen unto more then four wouldst thou not be exceedingly content to have suffered with patience the loss of thy goods thy renown thy health and all other things and wouldst thou not rejoyce really for having moderated although with difficulty thy natural passions wouldst thou not be infinitly consolated if God should tell thee by thy Patience thou hast saved thy Soul and thou shalt dwell with me for all eternity in my glory Thinke well on it Thou wilt conclude that he is most wife who moderating his violent passions had rather recourse in his affaires unto the puissant ayde of God and so gain a great Crown in Heaven HEre I make an and of all my queries and only ask thee if being at this hour to die thou dost remember among the paynes and anguishes of death that thou hast used a great diligence in the service of God and for thy salvation that for it thou hast not spared riches life nor honor that for it thou hast imployed thy self day and night with all possible intention that the glory of God and the good of thy soul have been the two feet on which thou hast marched in all thy affaires the two hands which hath made thee to labour alwaies the two eyes which hath conducted thee through all wouldst thou not be exceedingly cheerful and in fulness of delight if then presenting thy soul unto God he shall demand of thee whofe Image is this thou canst answer Lord it is the Image of the most holy Trinity which I have conserved inviolate the best I could possible washing it in the blood of Jesus Christ which I receaved in the Sacrament of Penance when that I confessed any Sin I have thereunto added according unto thy intention the imbellishment of all the virtues I knew to practice assisted with thy divine Grace O what pleasure wilt thou feel when after this answer thou shalt see the Father Omnipotent give the kiss of peace unto thy Soul acknowledging her for his child what consolation vvhen the most amiable Jesus shall imbraise it most affectionatly as his dear Spouse vvhat ravishment vvhen the Holy Ghost shall place it on high among the Saints of Heaven as his dear beloved dear Friend I do beseech thee both for the good I vvish thee and for the ardent affection I bear thee Thinke well on it If thy patience being tired thou telst me that I sing but one song vvhich is very importunate and troublesome and that I break your brains with my Think well on it And thou shouldest be exceedingly pleased if I would think on it well my self and leave you in quiet well God be blessed I did expect cleen another thing from a Person whom I so dearly love and desire to serve in the important affaires of the salvation of his soul but patience I will not any longer trouble thee and I will depart presently after I have said these two words Thinke well on it or not Thinke on it These things will not saile to happen Thinke on death or Thinke not on it notwithstanding it will not leave approaching thee dayly so that all the worldly power cannot make it stop one moment nor make it avance before its time most happy are those who often think on it O how sweet and fair will they find it miserable are those that never think on it O how hideous and bitter will they find it Thinke to give an account Thinke not on it yet it must be made maugre thee who soever thou art Happy are they who thinke to keepe them selves alwayes ready O how cheerfull will they depart unfortunate are those who are never mindefull of it O how cruelly shall they be treated Thinke that there is a Hcaven and a Hell Thinke not on it neverthelesse most assuredly thou most goe for all eternity unto the one or the other Most happy are those who practice virtue which conducts them unto the first O how few are there Miserable are those who are given unto vice which leades them into the second O what multitudes are there But what do I I am al most angry with one whom I love as my self excuse my dearest Friend I beseech thee this little and sudden passion and remember not what I sayed last Thinke or not Thinke on it Alas all the contrarie I doe conjure thee more thcn ever to Thinke on it with attention to the end thou maist act better permitt me to shew thee the meanes O death how bitter is the memory of thee unto a man enjoying peace and content in his riches O death how sweet is the memory of thee unto a man having peace with his God! Choose thou hast freedome THE THIRD PART Certaine meanes ayding to do well what he would have ben done and to hender the doing of that which he would not have ben done in this life WHat better and more prevalent reason can J give him who is very deeply engraven in my heart for to assist him in procuring his saluation then that which the Holy Ghost sayes in the 7. of Eccle My Sonn in all thy workes remember thy later end and thou wilt not sinne for ever and what must arrive then but Death Judgment Hell or Heaven these therfore are the things which he counsels us to remember if we desire to serve God faithfully and never to offend him Death I have already helped thee with the first knowing it to be both the easiest applyed because daily we see some one or other dye or heare the bell for some buriall and the most proper remedie to cure our spirituall diseases for thou never so affectionatly fastened unto any thing the sole thought of Death will easiely untye it the horse leech is not so obstinately fastened unto the Body but a few ashes will force him to quitt his hold Be thou proud and the most ambitious that ever was only consider that after death all will trample on thee and thy bones shall not be distinguished frō those of the poorest begger who perhaps will be happy in Heaven when thou shalt burne in Hell assuredly this consideration will render thee humble and make thee to esteeme all J suppose thee to be the most avaricious in the world and to thinke on no other thing then to gaine riches if thou wouldst consider with Iob that the rich Man being awaiked from the sleepe of death shall finde nothing of what he had gathered together and opening his eyes in the other life he shall find nothing but torments which he hath merited by his rapine thou wilt of necessity moderate thy disordinate affection which thou hast towards perishable and momentary riches When thou hast the most violent passion to be esteemed and to be
to smell them never the lesse as favorably as may be this being sayed the damned opened his cloke with which he seemed to be covered from whence issued so horrible stinke that all the Religious were constrained to leave the Monastery without ever being able to inhabite there againe if one damne soul caused so great infection what shall J pray thee so many millions of Souls and bodies burning in Hell cause Thinke well on it ADde unto all these evils the comble and chiefe of all these miseries which is that all these cruell torments shal never have an end my deare Friēd at this word Never thy Heart though never so couragious doth it not faile thee yes never the miserable damned shal shal have an end of their paine after an hundred yeares torment a thousand of yeares begin and they being ended an hundred thousand are beginning and after them succeeds as many millions as there are drops of water in the Sea and Athomes in the aire and after all this ther will remaine an eternity intire O eternity thou art exceeding O eternity thou art most horrible O eternity thou art badly considered Eternity Eternity O the weighty word Eternity If one were for tenn yeares to lye on a soft bed and strewed with roses what a great torment this would be if one were constrained for twenty yeares to have his eyes fixed on the most agreable object of the world what anguish and wearisomnes vvould it cause if thy eares during fifty yeares vvere inforced to heare the most ravishing musick on earth vvould it not be insupportable Alas O my God what will be the eternall paine which with out any mitigation or solace will continue for ever to be couched for ever on most ardent coales to swallow alwaycs most bitter gall and wormwood mingled with the foame of Serpents to see for ever the hideous and inexplicable shapes of the divels to heare alwayes the enraged musick of horrid blasphemies which the damned shall utter against God to smell the stinkes and the intollerable infections of Hell for all eternity For ever Alas my God! alas how long is this for ever that shall never have an end nor rest it is exceeding long to suffer for ever it is a miserie without a second if it were for a thousand yeares one might hope that it would have an end but for ever my soul likes it not O! For ever a great for ever which never can be comprehended this eternall ever frights my Soul considering this ever what Heart doth not fayle and tremble Heaven THe consideration of Heaven must-needes be a very efficacious meanes for to withdraw us from vice and to leade us unto virtue seeing that the Prince of the Apostles made use of it for to excite Prelats to justly performe their duty firmely believe yee sayes he unto them that in recompense of your fidelity and labours which yee have taken in the government of souls yee shall receceave a Crowne of Glorie which shall shine on your heads all eternity St. Paul imployed no other reason for to persuade the Collossians to cast off the old man which carryes with him many infirmities and to revest themselves with the new man who hath for his portion the greatest virtues if yee do this sayes he the celestiall inheritance shall be the high prize and avantageous reward of your paynes Jesus Christ himself after having declared unto his Disciples the many wayes which leades unto Heaven found nothing more efficacious for to incourage them thē to say unto them my Friends among the difficulties with which yee shall incounter in these separated wayes from the commun and publike way Confide couragiously on the assurances which I give yee that they will conduct yee unto infinite rewards The greatest Saints made use of this consideration for to practice the highest virtues Heare David who speakes for all O my Soverign Lord I confesse that I had an exceedingly proud Heart and very hard to yeeld unto thy favorable inspirations but by the consideration of thy infinit recompences I have humbled it and made it to performe all thy pleasures and commands Deare Friend tell me art not thou able to do the same Thinke well on it BEcause the true recompance which God gives unto his good servants is found in Heaven it is necessary to know what this Heaven is St. John Apoc 21. affirmes that it is a great City of which the walls are of precious stones raised on a fundation of pure gold with twelve gates most magnificent which serves but for shew for they are never shutt for the light which produceth there a continuall faire day banisheth all darknes and night St. Matthew sayes it is a great Kingdome St. Luke addes that it is eternal St. Peter calls it divine divine indeed since that God is ther King the Virgin Mother is ther Queene the Angels are the Courtiers and all the Saints are there Inhabitatants A Kingdome where all the discourse is of Ioy and contentment All griefe vexation anger and disquiet being banished thence wher is not to be seen any Plebeyan or mean Person all there being most Noble wher all that is good is found in aboundance without any want the Divines teache that it is an Estate composed of all the good imaginable and yet more then can be imagined and exempt from all evils Dispute no more of it sayes St. Paul for I who have ben there can not declare the things I have seen ther so great and admirable they are No truly addes St. Augustine for though all the tongues of men yea of all the Angels should be imployed in it they could not declare them J will not omit notwithstanding to say a word or two of this place of the company and of the glorie of this beautifull Heaven whilst I shall speake Think thou well on it THe place wher Heaven is seated is very high infinite in its extension most pure and most fertile and full of all goodnes the Philosophers and reason teach us that the place ought to answer the qualitie of him that ther is lodged even so we see the Palaces of Princes do surpasse and excell in beautie and richesse the Cottages of Peasantes and clownes I will leave thee to think what must be the mansion and habitation of a God and of all his Favorits compared with all the Howses of this world One must be ignorant that the Firmament so admirable in beauty so shining with stars is but the pavement of this divine Howse for not to conclude evidently that with in there are other rarietyes farr beyond our imagination O Lord God of Power sayes David how charming is the place of thy habitation my Soul can not think on a more agreable and delectable thing because thinking on it presently it is ravished Great King thou hast greater occasion to do this then the Queene of Saba had considering the wonders of the Palace of thy Sonn Salomon Jt is this that caused St.
Ignatius casting amorous looks towards Heaven and melting into teares to say O how miserable the earth seemes unto me when J behold the Heaven that is the abode of mortals this the habitation of the immortals that the place of banished men this the natural country of Angels that the prison of Sinners this the noble Palace of the just and of the Children of God Happy a thoutimes happy those who dwell in this holy Mansion for in a most accomplished felicitie they shall prayse God for ever and ever desirest not thou to be in this holy howse Think well on it THe noble Company of the Saints will cause an inexplicable ravishment What happines J beseech thee to discourse familiarly and friendly with so many Patriarkes and Prophites with so many Apostles and Disciples with so many Martyres and Confessours with so many most pure Virgins whose reliques are in this world so much esteemed that often times long pilgrimages are undertaken for only to kisse thē What joy to see continually the Angels if it be deemed a great favour to see any one of them in a human forme what will it be to see them all in their proper shape what pleasure to be alwayes with the Mother of God who is an hundred times more beautifull then the Monn and more radiant then the sunn O happynes inestimable O contentement beyond comparison to enjoy the company so noble so beautifull so perfect so complete so vnited with a ligature of Love that every one estremes the good and felicity of all as his owne and all deemes the happynes of each one as their proper Who is able to declare the felicitie that he enjoyes who is in the company of most amiable Jesus to be with him in the most pleasanr and delightsome gardens of Paradise to sit at his Table alwayes to follow him to behold his divine Face which rejoyceth the Angels and is a part of the felicity of the Saints It is impossible to imagine the contentment which the soul shall have in seeing its Creator no more in a myrror or looking glasse but face to face as he is in the splendor of his Divinity it is in this sight that the soul will be inflamed with love it is in this love that it will be lost in God it is in this losse that it shall finde all honors wealth and pleasures is it not true Thinke well on it THe glorie of Heaven more surpasseth all that which hath ever ben good beautifull and agreable in this world and which shal be then the ocean exceeds a drop of water St. Bernard sayes that this glorie is so great that it can not be measured so long that it hath no end so numerous that it can not be reckoned so precious and excellent that it can not be valued St. Augustin enhauncing the price of it assures that it goes beyond all Beliefe that it surpasseth the limits of Hopes that it can not be comprised by Charity I wonder not at it sayes one for if we can hardly know the great benefits which God in this life bestowes indifferently on his Friends and enimies what shall be the Blessings which he hath reserved in Heaven for his Favorits If entring into a Palace thou seest the stables gilded and azured if thou perceivest the chambres of scullions shining with precious stones wilt thou not conceave some thing more magnificent for the lodgings of the gentry and nobility and for the Cabinet of the King The Saints with these considerations became transported and ravished St. Ignatius at the sight of Heaven melted into teares St. Francis at the pronouncing of the celestiall Glorie licked his lipps as a lickorous Person doth at the savor of some delicate and sweet meate St. Bernard at the sole name of Heaven rehearsed by Children as he walked in the streets entred in to a profound extasie The Saints seriously thinking on this Beatitud have with a commune voice sayed that all the afflictions of this life have not any proportion with the consolations which those shall receave who have suffered them with patience for the love of their God All Createurs even the Divels themselves acknowledgeth this truth for we read in the spirituall Medow that a Divel being demanded what he would doe for to enjoy the glorie and felicity in Heaven was constrained to answere that if it were in his powre and had a Body he would willingly be pounded and brayed in a Morter or burned in a Furnace untill the end of the world for to enjoy only one quarter of an Howre the Glorie of Heaven Alas It will not cost us so much if we be but willing and diligent to be ther for ever My deare Friend if thou believest all that I have sayed and what is that which J have sayed in comparaison of that is ther wherfore art thou so glued unto the earth that thou doest not raise thy thoughts towards this ravishing Heaven wherfore doest thou then below search and hunt after any consolation seeing that thou mayest finde all pleasures and felicities in Heaven Why art thou so diligent and solicitous to heape up riches which thou must leave sonn or late and takest no care to gather those treasures which will remaine with thee for all eternity Wherfore sayest thou not from the bottome of thy Heart with St Augustine O beautifull and glorious Mansion of God I love thy ornaments and the pleasures with which thou art replenished my Heart doth day and night sigh after thee my Soul is in a trance with the sole remembrance of thy felicitie O habitation most happy O Kingdome truly fortunat exempted from hunger eloigned from all evils wher the day is never followed with night wher the seasons are never subject unto any alteration wher reigneth unvariable eternity in its infinite happynes O admirable Paradise and never sufficiently desired being wher the faithfull Soul crowned with glorie invironed with all sortes of contentement sasiated with blessings singes among the Angells the canticles of joy God grant that purified of all my crimes which doe contaminate my Soul I may be lodged in the meanest of thy appartements for there to enjoy a solide peace and a perfect felicity for to converse with the Saints and to contemplate the divine Face of my most deare and amiable Jesus for to singe ther with the celestiall Courtiers the sweet consorts of the prayses of my good God and to see for ever the sovereigne and infinit light O Heaven O Heavē that I might have thee alwayes present before my eyes and engraved in my Heart that I might have the honor to be eternally one of thy inhabitants O Heaven Deare Friend since I must make an end and take my leave of thee I doe rejoyce exceedingly that I leave thee in so good a residence God of his infinit mercy grant that thou and I may live so well that after this life we may meete ther for to be never separed let us often pray thou for me and I for thee that this may be and it will be without doubt if we duely practice these four words Thinke well on it IESUS MARIE IOSEPH Poterit imprimi J. Gillemans L.C.G.