can estimate them of such varietie and perfection that this world hath nothing comparable to them In summe they are most free most pure most beautifull most infinite But the cleare beholding of the face of God which is the essentiall reward of the blessed whereby they see him as he is and in him all other things doth farre exceede all the fulnesse and varietie of that inexplicable ioy For so much they shall loue him as they know him whence it is that they shall so much reioyce of his infinite greatnesse perfection beautie and goodnesse as if they in God and God in them were King of all things Consider the aspect of Christs humanitie now ioyned by glory to the diuine nature what is the pleasure the grace and splendour in soule and bodie His forme doth exceed without comparison the beautie of all the blessed Spirits and holy men 1. Pet. 1. insomuch that the Angels themselues desire to behold it And the more shall men receiue comfort and ioy hereby in that they vnderstand that by this bloud they were redeemed which they shall see to sparkle in his most holy flesh more flammously and burning-bright then any Iasper chefely in his heart feete hands and side and somuch the more in that their humane nature is by that humanitie of Christ aduanced to the right hand of God which nature in Christ as the head of all things and Gouernour of all creatures they adore Nor shall the ioy be a little which they shall take in the view of the blessed Virgine when they shal see in her so great sublimitie with so great submission such maiestie with such miserie The aspect also of one another shall much increase their ioy when they see themselues placed in a state so secure in glory so glorious and vnspeakeable euerie one reioycing as much of anothers glory as of his owne Meditate seuerally in what estate are the bodies and soules of the blessed The soule shall be so swallowed vp of the Ocean of the Diuinitie and so rauâ—shed with the loue of God and so shall liue as if it were transformed into God If Saint Paul were in that estate that hee could say Gal. 2. I liue no more but Christ liueth in me why should not rather euerie blessed soule say I liue not I now but God liueth in mee The powers of the soule shall be illustrated with a most full knowledge of God and fulnesse of ioy the Memorie shall be exercised in commending the benefits of God the Vnderstanding in the aspect of the diuine beautie the Wil in the loue of the infinite goodnesse The bodie shall be immortall not obnoxious to any hurt or danger sorrow or sicknes whose glorie is excelling the Sunne in brightnesse so that now it may truly say 1. Cor. 15.54.55 Death is swallowed vp into victorie O death where is thy sting O Graue where is thy victorie Now is that verified which the Prophet foresaw Eye hath not seene nor care heart nor hath it entred into mans heart Isa 4. which God hath prepared for them that loue him The ioy also which the Saints conceiue of their securitie is very fit for meditation seeing themselues to haue escaped the deceits of the World flesh and Deuil and safe from the iawes of Hell into which they see so many so miserably plunged How reioyce they of the labours they haue endured of the many grieuous thinges to the flesh they haue performed of the occasions of sinnes they haue declined of their industrie in vanquishing the assaults of their spirituall enemies of restrayning the appetites and desires of the flesh of ouercomming all difficulties in this life in the way of vertue and obedience to God With what prayses shall fasting prayer mortification of the flesh repentance and faith the father of all these as also all the holy counsailes and happie examples of others whereby they haue beene stirred vp to vertue and holpen in the way of saluation be extolled Thinke vpon the eternitie of this glorie For our light affliction which is but for a moment causeth vnto vs a farre more excellent and eternal weight of glorie 2. Cor. 4.17 Who will then for the short space of time which is granted vs to liue nay for many ages of Worldes refuse to suffer aduersities to repent in sackcloth and ashes to beate downe this rebellious bodie that wee may at length arriue at the hauen of this glorious eternitie The more to inflame vs hereunto let vs know for certaine That as Gregorie saith Momentaneum est quod delectat aeternum quod cruciat It is but momentanie whatsoeuer it be in this life that can delight vs but it is for euer and euer that wiltormeÌ„t vs. Our delights liue die in a moment but our punishment is interminable and endlesse Agâ—â—ne and againe revolue with thy selfe what thou hast done what thou now doest and what thou thinkest to doe to obtaine this goale of glorie for which glories sake God made thee after his owne image redeemed thee with the bloud of his sonne and preserued thee vntill this houre Thinke I say with thy selfe what thou wilt doe for this heauenly glorie and know that thou must follow peace with all men and holinesse without which no man shall see God Here cast thy eyes vpo those things which the Saints of God haue done Heb. 1214. whome now thou seest triumph in glorie and descend into all the offices of a spirituall life and see what meanes they vsed to attaine so wished an end what they suffered either for the loue of God or desire of this glory And that done set downe and determine with thy selfe from the heart to follow their footsteps whose end thou desirest that thy end may bee like and knowe that this is spoken to direct thee in the way Bee yee followers of mee as I am of Christ and also that 1. Cor. 11.1 Bee yee followers of mee and looke on them which walke so as you haue vs for an example To conclude shut vp all with a sweet conference with God begging of him pardon for thy sins past by the merits of his Son Iesus Christ and that he would giue thee grace by the working of his spirit not any longer to spend thy time wickedly and neglitently but that from hence forth thou maist goe on to runne the wayes of his Commandements vnto the end of thy life Of true Wisdome what it is and wherein it consists TRue Wisdome is that which estimates euery thing to bee such as it is indeed vile things to bee vile and precious things to be precious First then only vertue that is piety towards God and Men to wit the worship of God and loue of men is the only precious thing all other things are only good precious as they stand in relatioÌ„ therunto otherwise they are meerly euill First Riches are not Gemmes Mettals Magnificent Buildings and Treasures but not to want those things which
wicked the sense of the horrible anger of God against their sinnes the most sorrowfull feare confusion flight roaring indignation biting and gnawing of conscience arising from the recordation of their sinnes now laid open to the whole world and with the most direfull thunder of Gods anger inflicted vpon them The wicked perceiuing themselues for euer with the Diuels cast off from God and his horrible wrath powred out vpon them all their turpitude and malice to all the Angels and men demonstrated and all occasions of flying these punishments and mending of their manners in this life intercepted acknowledging godly men enioying with God eternall ioy and glorie to be for euer blessed so all houle and lament for their carnall securitie and final impenitency and amongst these infinite torments of bodie and soule with horrible lamentations eiulations sobbes and sighes and in perpetuall mourning anguishâ— trembling shame ignominie gnashing of teeth and desperation ration shal euery moment in vaine wish that these sorrowes and torments might by death be cut off and they themselues to be redacted into nothing but all this I say in vaine Apoc. 9.6 For Cupient mori mors fugiet ab eis they shall desire to die but death will not be acquainted with them This is eternall damnation this is eternall fire O horrible eternitie whom the consideration of thee may not moue to forsake all euill and follow all that is good I will speake it in a word but I will speake it truly he hath no faith or if any sure he hath no heart or if any sure hee he hath no hope of saluation Close vp this Meditation with a sweet colloquie and speech with God desiring him so to inflame thy heart with a true zeale of seruing him in holinesse and righteousnesse of life that all thy life long thou maist be out of the feare of this eternall death and in the death of thy bodie thou maist enioy the fruit and Crowne of righteousnesse eternall life MEDITATION IIII. Of Coelestiall glorie CAst downe thy self before God and begge of him that he will direct all thy thoughts words and workes to his glorie and thy saluation First cast thy conceit earnestly vpon that description of the holy Citie Apoc. 21. New Hierusalem where is represented to thee a place full of all glory pleasures and excellencies that heart can imagine and all those perdurable and for euer Secondly aske of God to giue thee grace intimously and from the heart to vnderstand the glory of this heauenly countrie and so to be affected and rauished with the desire thereof that euer and euery where thou maist be stirred vp to serue him in purenesse of life and also labour to bring as many to this glorie as thou canst The first point is to consider what kind of place it is that the blessed doe inhabite in site most high in space most ample in matter most sumptuous in shew and beautie most specious and glorious whose foundations are precious stones and the whole Citie of most pure gold the gates of Smaragds and Saphyres and the streets of no lesse price and beautie There is no night nor darknesse for the Sunne of righteousnesse which knowes not to be hid doth euer send his beames into it Now if the fabricke of this world which is but a stable for beasts an exile and valley of teares to men hath so much beautie and excellency that it strikes him that contemplates it into admiration and astonishment and such plentie of good things that no sense can desire more such varietie of beastes fishes fountaines townes cities prouinces disagreeing in institutes manners and lawes such choise of all stones of value gold siluer and exquisite silkes naturall and artificiall if I say this building of so small a frame of the Sunne Moone and Starres shine with such brightnesse what shall then our heauenly countrie doe not now the habitation of seruants but sonnes not of beasts but blessed soules where is the Hall of the great King of Kings the omnipotent God who can and will performe to his beloued children much more then they can conceiue what things will not he frame in his eternall Palace for his sonnes Psal 84.1.2 How amiable are thy dwellings thou Lord of Hostes My soule hath a desire and longing to enter into the Courts of the Lord. What ioy shall that bee when they shall come from the East and from the West from the North and from the South Luc. 13.29 sit at table in the kingdom of God Thou shalt consider what kind of house Gods house is wholly pleasant wholly desirable remoued from all euill replenished with all good in which as Angustine there is a life prepared of God for his friends a secure life a quiet life a beautifull life a cleane life a chast life a holy life a life that knowes not death a life without straitnesse without necessitie without sorrow without auxietie without corruption without perturbation without varietie without mutation a life full of beautie and honour Where as Bernard saith there is nothing present that offends nothing absent that delights How louely a house is this where is perfect loue and no feare eternall day and all one Spirit where God is seene face to face Blessed are all those who so liue in this world that departing hence they may be assured to remoue to so blessed a home Then contemplate that blessed society of most pure minds in their seueral quires described Angels Archangels Principalities Powers Dominions Vertues Thrones Cherubins and Seraphins Whereof there is such a multitude that Daniel saith Dan. 7. Thousand thousands serue him ten hundred thousands assist him Behold with these so many most holy soules of men and women Patriarches Prophets Apostles Martyres Virgins Innocents so many that Iohn said Apoc. 15. They could not be numbred Behold the beautie of euery one and so great charitie that they no lesse reioyce of anothers glorie then their owne Conceiue what is the exercise of the blessed to see God face to face First to know the diuine Essence in three persons Father Sonne and holy Ghost with which knowledge they are so illumined and inflamed that incessantly they sing Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabbath Isa 6. In the diuine Essence they know themselues and all things else and do not onely see God but also loue him with a vehement loue a full loue a perfect loue with all the heart and all the strength and in louing they enioy him and in enioying with an inexplicable ioy are rauished No cessation of praises admiration thanksgiuing and ioy which they receiue by the presence of God whom with all reuerence and rest they assist and by that societie of so many Saints with whom they see themselues in glorie in a place so sublime secure and pleasant doe eternally reioyce Consider withall the multitude and fulnesse of those ioyes so many that God can onely number them so great that onely he
in Heauen and then shall all the kindreds of the Earth mourne and the wicked shal be with horrour so confounded that they shall runne by the way like mad men and crie vnto the mountaints Cadite Cadite fall fall and hide vs from the Lambe and the fury of his wrath Seuenthly in the fire whose power shal be so great that it shall suppe vp as it were with one deluge all the other Elements and all men and Creatures shall it suddenly turne to dust and ashes so that there may be a new Heauen and a new Earth The second point to be meditated is That The Sonne of God shall appeare with power and great Maiestie accompanied with an Armie of Angels his aspect to the wicked terrible to the godly most comfortable For their redemption draweth neare Then shall hee take the good to his right hand and place the wicked at his left where such griese shall inuade them as neuer in all their liues before seeing themselues in that miserable estate which they neuer dreamt on euen there where with a most iust ballance all the thinges that euer they haue done spoken or thought all the good they haue omited shal bee weighed and no man not so much as in one word can patronize them It will much increase their torment when they shall see the signe of the Sonne of Man the nailes as most sharpe arrowes shall wound their hearts when they shall vnderstand that they haue all their life long trampled vnderfoot by the turpitude of their liues that pretious bloud shed for the redemption of the World and made a mocke of it And the more to shame them the Iudge shal open his wounds from which his most precious fountaines the water and bloud issued most plentifully to wash them from their sinnes if they would haue taken hold of it in time Now conceiue what miserie the wicked shall thinke themselues in to be placed at the left hand a most infallible signe of damnation and what ioy and securitie to the godly at his right hand a sure token of eternall saluation Now meditate that the consciences of the whole World shall be laid open the books shal be read and there was neuer any thing so secret which shall not be reuealed And if small erreurs committed now in the sight of great persons do make vs blush what shall then they grieuous sinnes which are so sul of turpitude that not onely in the sight of others thou blushest but euen thâ— selfe alone doest blush to thinke on them seing there all the men of the World shall see them There will be made no reckning of Nobilitie or wit no account of riches grace fauour and splendour thou once haddest no care had of any naturall or supernaturall giftes of bodie or minde In a point of time shall bee set before thee all thy most secret thoughts and wordes of Lust Pride Hatred Enuie and all the rest yea euen all the good thou hast omitted to doe shal be put on thy score to increase thy damnation O miserable and thrice miserable wretch thou art in thy owne conscience damned thou art destitute of all patrocinie and defence not onely of men but of Angels who were once inployed whilest thou liuedst for thy good but are now by so much the more become thy aduersaries by how much once they loued thee more Nay to conclude forsaken of Christ who onely therefore sits in Maiestie to iudge and condemne thee for if the iust bee scarcely saued 1. Pet. 4. where shall the wicked and vngodly appeare The fourth point considerable is what kind of Iudge he is First most wise and cannot be deceiued Secondly most iust and will not bee inclined Thirdly most powerfull and will not bee resisted Fourthly full of anger and indignation and will not bee appeased so that the Kings of the Earth shall tremble and crie to the rockes Fall vpon vs fall vpon vs and couer vs. Fiftly fierce and inexorable and cannot bee mollified Apoc. 6. 1. Sam. 15. For the strength of Israel will not lie nor repent Thinke that Christ hauing duly examined euery cause hee will then pronounce that fearefull sentence as a thunder against the vngodly Depart from mee yee cursed into eternall fire prepared for the Deuil and his Angels O most vnhappie sinners then will they crie but none will heare weep but none will haue mercie on them then shall they seeke God but shall not finde him because they hated knowledge Pro. 1. and did not seeke the feare of the Lord the shall they damne all wicked wayes and curse the societie of sinners and madding shall grow franticke with the furie of their sinnes which for most vile pleasures they committed On the other side the iust shall be surprised with vnspeakeable ioy when that blessed sentence shall be read Come ye blessed of my Father receiue the Kingdome ordained to you from the beginning of the world Then shal their mouths runne ouer with praises and their hearts beefilled with vnutturable ioy Then shal the ignominie of the Crosse be counted an exceeding glorie austeritie of life wonderfull sweetnsse and the despising of all the pleasures of the World and the flesh most vnspeakeable pleasure Thinke that thy particular iudgement when thou commest to death shall bee like to this generall therefore now whilest thou hast time labour to doe those things whereby thou maist assure thy soule that thou shalt receiue that blessed reward and escape that fearefull punishment Now direct thy speech to God who shall bee thy Iudge and pray that in this life he will lay his iudgments vpon thee as Saint Augustine Domine hic vre hic seca me ne in eternum peream Lord burn mee here cut mee here that I perish not for euer And also pray that these Meditations may take such roote in thy heart that thou maist iudge thy selfe that thou maist bee chastened of the Lord least thou bee Condemned with the World I. Cor. 11. MEDITATION III. Of Hell THis Meditation must take his rise from a preparatiue Prayer as in the former in which wee must first propose to our selues a most vast and bottomlesse gulfe hideous to behold in darknesse most dungeon-like in paines and torments most horrible in smel most odious as it were a Sea breathing out flames and smoke whereof we may represent to our imagination a modell by calling to minde that horrible mountaine of Aetna in Sicilia and Vesuvius in Naples both which belch out the inward bowels of the Earth with stones flames fumes and ashes and that in such surie as if it imitated the Giants warre and meant to ouerthrow the God of Heauen and all his Saints to draw the Sunne downe to the Earth and turne the night into day The burning ashes of this hellish Vesuvius as Dion Cassius notes in the time of Titus his Empire were not onely carried to Rome but to Affrica and Aegypt when in the boyling Seas fishes were boyled to death
all false and diuellish diuinations which the Scripture forbids ought to be farre from all good Christians namely 1. That of the obseruation of the flying of foules Deut. 18.10 2. That of dreames 3. That of forceceries or lots 4. That of Pythonists Leâ—it 19. and diabolicall inspiration 5. That of illusions 1. Sam. 21. and fained apparitions of the diuell Thus if we will wisely consider of the precedent discourse wee shall find many arguments rules and obseruations touching most probable coniectures of Kingdomes ruines and changes and such as the wisest Antiquaries and Sages of all times haue not lightly weighed and cast of the euents of such things in many pregnant and notable particulars answering the ground of the same rules obseruations which are as lights to guide our iudgements the better to conceiue what shall fall out in the changes of Kingdomes and ruines of States though not to diuine of things to come against Gods power and authoritie and also spurres to incite vs to abandon such things as haue euer brought with them the Countries ruines where they were committed that we seeing a fâ—rre off the rod of Gods anger shaken at vs and his sword readie to bee drawne â—ay meete him by a repentance neuer to be repented of And tâ—at we of this Nation for whose good this taske slender as it is was vndertaken may take the profit that was intended by it let vs apply it to our present times and deare countries wherein we liue and take such measure of our selues and times thereby as becommeth honest and vnpartiall Iudges and if we be such as we should be then must wee be such as I wish with all my soule we might bee and that is that we may be but such as may iustly contend with Pagans and Heathens for sinceritie integritie and pietie such as the seuen Ambassadours commended in their seuerall Commonwealthes vnto King Ptolomie Plutar. lib. de Exiliâ— euery one vanting of the vertue of their State by the comparison of three excellent things 1 The Ambassadour of Romes commendations were That their Temples were honoured their Gouernours obeyed their wicked punished What honour is now done to Temples with vs or to the soules of the Temples God and his Ministers is so little that if that little were not in some sinceritie it were nothing the obedience to the spirituall Gouernours so little that none but the little ones and crawling contemptible wormes doe them any albeit the holy Ghost hath giuen a charge to obey them that haue the ouersight of vs Heb. 13.17 and submit to them for they watch for our soules The punishment of little ones and little sinnes is not omitted but great men and grosse offenders who dare touch 2 The Ambassadors of Carthage vanted that their Nobilitie was valiant to fight their Commonaltie to take pains their Philosophers to teach I will leaue the application 3 The Sicilian Ambassador his praises were that their countrie executed Iustice loued Truth and commended Simplicitie 4 The Rhodian Ambassador said that their old men were honest their young men shamefast and their women peaceable 5 The Ambassador of Athens That they consented not that their rich should be partiall their people should be idle their gouernours should be ignorant 6 The Lacedaemonian Ambassador That with them there was no enuie for all were equall no couetousnesse for all was in common no idlenesse for all did labour 7 The Ambassador of Sicyonia iustly gloried in these That they admitted no Strangers inuenters of new toyes that they wanted Phisitions to kill the sicke and Aduocates to make their pleas immortall I will not aduenture to make the comparison nor to lay my square to this building but will leaue the particular application to each religious and iudicious conceit concluding it with the blessed Apostle 1. Cor. 10.15 I speake as to them that haue vnderstanding Iudge you what I say Neverthelesse my hearts desire is and my prayer euermore shall be that England might be such as may truly glorie if not in these morall respects yet in that which is farre better euen that as it hath receiued from God infinite and vnspeakable benefits and deliuerances benefit vpon benefit and deliuerance vpon deliuerance God hauing watched ouer it to doe it good Isa 5. not hauing more blessings to do for his Vine but that he hath done sauing the continuance of the same mercies so it might not onely neuer forget such admirable fauours but also in the sincere profession of the Gospell of eternall peace and holy conuersation such as becomes the glorious Gospel of peace it may out-strippe not onely all Nations of the world 1. Pet. 2.9 but all times future present and past as a chosen generation a royall Priesthood a holy Nation a peculiar people to shew forth the vertues of him that hath called it out of darknesse into this maruellous light That Conuersions and Ruines of Kingdome may be knowne before hand not by Apodicticall and demostratiue necessitie but by Topicall probability WHereof let this be the foundation That there is euer a reall relation of the cause and the effect insomuch that euermore sufficient causes being put there must follow the effect of necessitie Physitions deliuer precepts of Art by which diseases against nature may be cured or eased Why should not then a wise Gouernour of the Re-publique foresee the Sun-setting of a Kingdome why should he not procure the good of it Or if the furie of iniquitie be so great and the streame of impietie so strong that by no wisedome it can be withstood yet why should hee not obtaine so much as a skilful Physition doth who by the decretorie daies and from the cause of the disease doth fore-iudge of the death of a sicke patient in what sort it shall be And albeit that as touching the secrets of the diuine prouidence for the most part they are insearchable for who knowes the minde of the Lord which thing also Reason teacheth vs yet in the meane time by obscure tokens it sometimes sheweth his effects sometimes by prophetical answeres foreshewing the translations of Empires and sometimes by miraculous ostents So saith Iun. quast pol. 5. Before the destruction of Domitian a Crow cried in the Capitoll 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All things are well Suetonius So Vultures renting in peeces the young vnfeathered Eagles portended death to Tarquinius Superbus Alex. ab Alexandro 5.12 So Snakes shewed the captiuitie of Croesus Here. dot 1. So in the Citie of Aurenge when the foundations of certaine edifices were laid a propheticall stone was found wherein was written in foure French verses all the calamitie which arose after the destinie of Henrie King of France Tar. Bizarr de Bello Pann So a brasse â—â—ble was found in the riuer by a boy playing in which the miserie and calamitie of the Citie of Swetssons before it came to passe was described Maieri in Annal. fol. 275. But in these things
labour is not for base and contemptible things but for true honours the Kingdome of God and the vnspeakable glorie thereof Whence it doth manifestly follow that seeing nothing in this world is more abiect then sinne nor any thing of more excellency and magnanimitie then vertue Princes and great ones are much to bee blamed if they suffer themselues to be ouercome of any sinne or doe depart from the more noble life of vertues and contemplation Yet it is to be obserued that this vertue of Magnanimitie is in this world mightily obscured and troden vnder foote by the blindnesse of men For albeit many are by nature magnanimous yet because they make great account of the prosperities and honours of this world forgetting the more sublime and excellent honour of vertue it selfe and chiefely of Fortitude which consists in this That a man doe vanquish himselfe and also forgetting that most high reward which in heauen is prepared for them that giue themselues to a spirituall life Thus whilest they magnifie the things of this world and are with all their hearts and strength occupied in them they disesteem that in which true Magnanimitie consisteth namely Vertue and the contemplation of heauenly things And they hence take a pretext and colour of this their complacency worldly comportment from the common vse and practise of this kinde of life amongst the most high and noble persons who for the most part ire besotted with these sublunarie and base fooleries nor in the meane time doe they obserue that the truly-wise do laugh them to scorne euen as those most high celestiall Princes and all the Courtiers of his Court the least of whom hath a greater regall pompe then al the Caesars Courts of this brittle world which onely is as it were but a little village and yet doth so delude their vnderstandings From this will manifestly arise thus much That in very deed they are most abiect and vnworthie of honour albeit they are held for great in this world who doe not exercise all their powers in the spirituall life and seruice of the most high King and God from whom onely they may obtaine those so excellent benefits which in heart they so much desire It is also euident that Princes and great ones haue a greater Obligation to this vertue of Magnanimitie and to all that proceeds from the same and therefore it may truly be said that for this Obligation and Magnanimitie all doctrine which concernes a spirituall life doth more appertaine to them then to others whose pusillanimitie and weaknesse of minde doth not lift vp themselues to desire and procure so difficult and great matters Surely if it be a base thing for Princes and Great ones to be exercised in gatheting vp the small crummes of Sugar that fall from the ballance much more abiect and base it is to place the minde in the vaine sweetnesse of delights and prosperities of this world seeing hence doth follow not onely obliuion but also the perdition of the most high honour and glory for the which was giuen them that great and generous minde they haue and that mightie power and great place they hold Of all these things that most glorious King of the vniuersall heauenly and earthly Court our Lord Iesus Christ hath giuen a most cleare example who offered his most regall person to innumerable iniuries and afflictions for those wonderfull things of heauen who for the ioy that was set before him endured the Crosse despised the shame Heb. 12.2 and is set at the right hand of the Throne of God who also with a minde truly great and glorious Mat. 4.10.6 despised the Kingdomes of this world when they were offered him Surely I know not by what title or right he will call himselfe an illustrious Lord in this world who spends his life in acquiring the honours of this world seeing he may behold his King to desire death whereby to set him free from the vaineâ— loue of mundane honours and transferre him to heauenly honours Againe I know not how he dare number himselfe amongst great and excellent men who lets fall his heart vpon things so abiect and base seeing in very truth that abiect things are farre distant and vnfit for sublime great and generous spirits This Magnanimitie ought singularly to induce Noble and Heroicke persons neuer to commit sinne seeing sinne is the most abiect vile thing in this world in respect that it is aduersant to the fidelitie they owe to God and vilifieth them in the sight of God and all good men Surely no tongue nor hand of another man can so affect vs with any iniurie as our owne sinnes doe defile and shame vs which we daily commit before God before whom we are euer present This Magnanimitie also must haue this effect in great ones not to feele any aduersitie from whomsoeuer it come seeing it cannot hurt a wise man any further then he will in his minde estimate it But a true magnanimous esteemer of things doth not reckon any thing for any great euill which doth not concerne the soule for all the rest where that is had must be committed to obliuion and where that hath past away it must no more moue vs then that which for the vilitie of it deserues to be committed to forgetfulnesse Vnto all these things which I haue spoken great men and Rulers ought to inuite and moue their subiects by all possible meanes and that for many reasons First for that the King of Kings and Lord of Lords did so Secondly for that chiefely euen for this cause principalitie and power is giuen vnto them in the earth seeing all good gouernment is to this end disposed of God vnto which good gouernement they stand obliged Thirdly for that vnto great men is due a great and excellent societie which cannot bee vnlesse their people be godly and vertuous Furthermore amongst all men vertue and good life is most glorious which things of a suretie no Preacher can with so great facilitie and such felicitie plant in any Region or Kingdome as those that gouerne it if they would marke and do the things wee houe declared and those that will not so doe but thinke that the studie of vertue religion and contemplation are vnsutable for Princes and great persons I may say as the blessed Apostle saith That they are worse then Infidels For as the soule and spirituall life is by so much more louely by how much the whole world with the riches thereof is to be preferred before a basket of dung as our Lord taught vs who led a life full of calamities and died a death full of sorrowes and ignominies teaching vs to liue a spirituall life and little to esteeme of this corporall so those that are greatest amongst men ought to chuse and bee exercised in the greatest and best things that is in consummating a spirituall and heauenly life contemning the vaine glory of this world as a thing most vnworthie of a generous