necke of the proud and powrefull Be gone accursed O God! what a second thunder bolt shall fall vpon the heades of the Reprobate by this eternall curse a curse which doth comprehend in it selfe in an eminēt manner all the torments which euerlastingly they are to endure in Hell Be gone thou accursed figue tree Be gone barrē trees twise deade rooted out of the blessed earth and are onely fitt to be cast into the fire Be gone you are not worthy to take vp place in the garden of my delightes where I plante none but trees that beare good fruite Goe you accursed into eternall fire Goe into deuoureing flames take vp your Abode in eternall fires The blast of my wroth shall kindle the brimstone of the furnace wherin you burne as long as I shall be God Athanasia I leaue to your meditation the rest of this horrible sentence which in the twinkling of an eye shall be put in execution ingeniously confessing vnto you that my quakeing pen doth fall from its flight as did the birds of old which flew ouer the accursed lake of Pentapolis But le ts turne our eyes from this tragicall spectacle let 's giue an attentiue eare to the sweete voice of the Spouse of the elected foule ô how delightfull shall this voice be and how iustly may the Elect say with the Psalmist ô how sweete is thy word ô Lord to our taste yea it is more sweete then the honie combe Loe here the sentence of their eternall felicitie Come ô what an actractiue word is this able euen to draw out of the Abisse of nothing that which yet hath no beeing sith God doth call that which is not as that which is giueing beeing to that which is not by his powerfull word Come With what promptitude shall the Elect spring vp into the ayre to present themselues before their Spouse and to obey his blisfull cōmands wholy to be desired yea the crowne and accomplishment of all their desires Though they were as vnsensible as iron this lodestone will draw them II it will draw them after it selfe in the sweete odour of this inuitation Come This word doth intimate a perfect vnion of grace and Glorie which shall transforme the Blessed into God participating of his felicitie and shall translate them into the inheritance of the children of the eternall Father Come yee blessed ô benediction far passing that of the old Patriarkes and which conteynes in it the fatnes of the wishfull soyle and all the dewe of Heauen quite putting downe the dewe of Hermō which doth disperse it selfe all ouer the Mountaine of Sion O how blessed are they who are blest by our Lord who made Heauen and earth They shall dwell for euer in the Land of Promise a Land of benediction freed from all captiuitie by the presence of our Lord. A Land which doth flow with the milke and honie of Diuine blessings a Land abūding with the bread of Angells with heauēly Manna where the Elect possest of a constant peace shall enioy a plentuous repose In this happie day alloted for Iustice and Mercy an inuariable plentie of Peace shall befall the Iuste and the Moone of change shall be taken away Here it is Athanasia that I would inuite you to ruminate with me that Diuine sallie of loue and desire of the greate S. AVGVSTINE Bring to passe that I may loue thee ô Lord and if I loue thee not yet enough effect that I may loue thee more Certes it is not possible for me to know in what measure I want necessarie loue this onely I know that all plentie which is not my God is to me meere miserie and want O how happie is he saith the Psalmist who hath his desires filled with him And who indeed can be said to be compleatly rich but he that is saciated with his glorie and inebriated with the abundance of the delightes of his house Come yee blessed of my Father and receaue the Kingdome prepared for you from the begining of the world O what a Kingdome ô what a crowne Crowne of gold beset with signes of sanctitie glorie and honour liueries of vallour Come my beloued saith he to those elect soules come and you shall be crowned This eternall and infinitly happie Kingdome saith S. ISIDORVS in what euer respect it be considered is promised to all kind of people and yet ô humane blindnesse few speake of it few thinke of it and that but rarely too Worldly entertaynemēts are stuffed with friuolous and impertinent discourses rarely doe we heare any newes of Heauen and that heauenly life which shall neuer haue end This is a miserable straying from the right way Our life is lent vs to breath after Eternitie Nor it is sutable to the condition of a Christian to hope for any glorie or felicitie which is not eternall Those that doe vndertake any lōg voyage or famous pilgrimage as that of the Holy Lād doe entertayne thēselues in the way with on other thought then that of the place whither they tend solacing their wearinesse with the sweet memorie of that which they hope to see there O Athanasia what ought we to doe in this sade exile where we are Pilgrimes and Passingers after the manner of our fore-fathers where we wander and stray from God but to place our thoughtes vpō the Contrie whither we trauell vpon the Citie of permanent abode whither we breath and to refresh our labours by the blessed hope of the wished period of our pilgrimage and withall to imitate the Traueller who contēting him selfe vpon the way with pure necessaries holds on without stop or stay or looking backward making vse of temporall things onely to aduance vs in our way to Eternitie O how full of glorie is this Kingdome sings the holy Church where all the Saintes doe raigne with God And who will giue force to the wings of our desires to ayme and fly towards this marke during the whole course of our mortall life a happie course if it arriue at so wishfull an end But now it is high tyme that to free our pencill we giue the last touch to this Draught by an Adoration of the essentiall Eternitie LXXX O Great God! Eternall Essēce ESSENTIALL ETERNITIE why it is thee in fine which before and aboue all things I desire and seeke for And if I aspire after the Blessed Eternitie the reasō is because it is no other thing then thy selfe who art and who doth make eternall life which without thee and out of thee would nether be desireable nor estimable Behold all my desire is before thee and I powre out my prayer in thy presence which hath no other ayme but inseparably and eternally to vnite my selfe vnto thy Goodnesse to hold it and neuer to be separated from it to seeke thy face to search for thy faire countenance the onely Obiect of myne eternall felicitie Giue thy selfe vnto me ô my God behold I loue thee and giue thee my whole heart Thou desirest not the man
in the eternall God To whom keeping an inuariable fidelitie in the various change of things she pronounceth couragiously with the Apostle whether we liue or die we are our Lord's I will blesse him at all tymes his praise shall be continually in my mouth Whether he draw vs vp to Heauē or he depresse vs downe into the Abisses below whether he doe mortifie or quicken vs his loue shall be so strong vnto me loue which is more strong then death or Hell that nothing shall euer be able to separate me from his charitie Yea she will rather be vnmyndfull of her selfe then forget this deare Hierusalem of that Eternitie wherin she hath cast the Ankre of all her hopes and of her saluation Exercise your selfe therfore frequently and faithfully in this Practise of Aspirations and Iaculatorie Prayers which are so familiar to all those that professe true pietie and you will find by experience that as by meanes therof you come to see God in all things so shall you easely discouer therby in euery thing the Blessed or accursed Eternitie since Fortune and misfortune are the two basons or rather the two Poles of this life and the two Caskes or tunns of Prouidence according to that auncient Philosophers conceipt or at least to contemplate therin the essentiall Eternitie which is God the Center wherin all our desires and asperations doe end The moments wher vpon Eternitie doth depend LXXVII O God Athanasia what am I about to say this Eternitie which shall neuer haue end is not yet in respect of vs without begining and it is that which the Diuines call Euiternitie for God alone being his owne Eternitie is without begining or end But all other creatures who were made in TYME had a begining yet true it is that both Angells and men shall be eternall marrie in the tyme to come for they had a begining and were not from all Eternitie Now as we haue had a begining and shall haue no end whether our wicked life doe precipitate vs into eternall punishments or our good endeauours assisted by God's grace make vs a way to eternall life So our passage to the blessed or accursed Eternitie depends of a moment as of its principle O Athanasia how attētiue ought we to be to vnderstand that dreadfull moment whervpon depends our Eternitie If you aske me which it is I will discouer vnto you in the next stroke that it comprehends all the moments of this mortall life But as in a plentious heruist there are alwayes some eares of come more notable then the rest and amongst the starrs those which are neerest the two Poles are the most remarkable so amongst the moments of which our mortall life are composed I would wish that we should haue a principall care of the two of which I am about to speake The first is the precious moment in which the Diuine grace doth touch our hearts called by the Scripture the tyme of our visitation a moment of such importance that being rightly receaued it is the blosome of our blessed Eternitie but being ill managed it is the begining of our accursed Eternitie Woe be to thee said our Sauiour weeping ô Hierusalem because thou hast not decerned the tyme of thy visitation O God Athanasia how we shall be astonished when before the Tribunal of the iust Iudge where we must all appeare we shall heare our selues accused of so many negligences for that we haue ether despised the Diuine inspirations or that we haue abused so many heauēly graces which could haue giuen vs life if we had bene deade by sinne or life more abundantly if we were alreadie in grace according as it is writtē How much was that slothfull louer of the Canticles greeued when she perceaued that her Spouse was past by who had stood at her Chāber doore quaking with cold and beseeching entrie by so many louing inuitatiōs and aduantagous promisses She riseth but to late she runs full of desolation into diuers places but fines him not till after a thousand and a thousand labours affrontes reproches But what a heart breake shall it be to the reprobate soule when after her condemnation she shall clearly see how many occasions of working her saluation she had neglected and how many meanes she had to free her selfe from the torments to which she shall see her selfe adiudged for euer We sēnselesse say the damned speaking of the Elect esteemed their life who wrought their owne saluation madnes themselues dasterous and dishonorable but now we see their lot is in the inheritance of Saintes On the other side what a consolation shall it be to thee Blessed when they shall consider that their well imployed moments of affliction in earth had wrought in them an eternall waight of Glorie Let vs therfore be carefull of our selues Athanasia Let vs marke what our Sauiour speakes in our hearts and doubtlesse we shall vnderstand words of Peace and reconcilement Blessed is the man that heareth him and watcheth at his doores dayly which we doe when we are earefull to gather vp his inspiratiōs as the dropes of a heauenly dew which begets precious Pearles in our hearts and the holy vnions of our soule with God Let 's still be on foote and as it were stand Sentinell vpon our wayes let vs thinke in what sort we walke let vs turne our feete into the Pathes of the Diuine Lawe The SECOND MOMENT is that which makes a separation betwixt our soule and our body that is the instant of our departure out of this life a moment which is our last and is to be iudge of all those that went before For as the Tree remaynes for euer where it falls so shall we continue for euer in the state in which we are found in the instant of our death And such as God shall find vs then such will he iudge vs. For if all this life be but a waying to Eternitie death is to be tearmed the doore of Eternitie yet a double doore passing the good to felicitie the wicked to eternall miseries And if PHILIPPE MACEDO to conteyne himselfe within the bounds of temperance and modestie in his Kinglike greatnes made a Page aduertise him euery morning that he was a Man and consequētly mortall least he might haue framed some immortall cōceipt of himselfe How much more ought a Christian continually to call to mynd that double Eternitie which attends him after death The present moment LXXVIII BVt besides these two moments which I haue proposed vnto you Athanasia I doe so much desire that you would attend and applie your selfe to the consideration of Eternitie that I would wish from my heart that all the moments of your life were imployed in that exercise that I might applie to you that of the Prophete you are a nightly Sentinell of this life and might one day see you amongst the wise Virgins in the eternall banquet of the marriage of the Lambe I could wish that at euery breathing you would cast an ey
became mortall and the Eternall for your saluation did subiect himselfe to Tyme in vniting his Diuinitie to our humanitie How good occasion doth this descent of the Sonne of God into earth administer vnto you to rayse vp your selfe to Heauen and there to seeke a permanent Citie for euer in the holy Sion Vndertake this holy exercise by taske and for the space of some dayes to th' end that custome may beget in you a habite frequently to thinke of Eternitie For the third PRACTISE oblige your selfe by a firme pourpose yet without vow to say euery day at some houre most comodious for you three PATER NOSTER's And in reciting them to thinke of the Blessed accursed and essentiall Eternitie which is God Vniting your selfe to the last by Loue by desire to the Blessed detesting the accursed rather by the correction of your manners and amendment of life then by emptie words For as we come not to the celestiall Eternitie without doing good so we auoyd not the accursed but by flying euill When you recite your beades or the Crowne of our Blessed Lady a prayer very familiar to all those who make profession of pietie Let this crowne of flowres put you in mynd of the flowres which neuer fade wherof the Garland of Eternitie is wrought Let the round forme of this Crowne make you myndfull that the Sphearicall figure which hath nether begining nor end is the Symbole of the essentiall Eternitie which neuer had begining nor shall euer haue end This you may vse as a fourth PRACTISE None can liue like a good Christian who doth not twice a day at least wind vp the Cloke of his heart and thinke of his wayes to witt in the morning and euening These are two tymes which he that desires to liue according to God and to direct his footsteps in the pathes of Peace ought neuer to omitt Take then some litle part of that tyme to cast a looke vpon Eternitie that totall coÌ„tinuance which is neuer followed with euening nor morning And beseech God Almightie that you may so passe through temporall that you may not loose eternall things This shall be a fift PRACTISE for you Le ts passe to Other indeuours LXXV THere is nothing so frequent in the mouth of Christians Athanasia as the Prayer which our Lord and Maister made to direct vs to his heauenly Father according to his words and spirit to th end that hauing his will in our mouth we might be heard for the reuerence of it If you will beleeue me as often as this holy Prayer shall passe through your lipps you shall call to mynd the Essentiall Eternitie by apprehending that you speake to the Eternall God You shall thinke of the Blessed Eternitie in making this petition Thy Kingdome come and of the accursed Eternitie in pronunceing that other Deliuer vs from euil since it is the collection and fulnesse of all euils And let this aduise passe for THE SIXT ENDEVOVR OR PRACTISE You may doe the like when pietie shall moue you to salute the Blessed virgine in the words of the Angell and the Church And when as you shall beseech her to assiste you by her intercession in the houre of your departure out of this life call to mynd that this houre shall be the tyme and instant which shall decide your Eternitie A moment in which you will stand in great need of her assistance to auoyd the perills of Hell and to acchiue the Land of the â—ueing Let this be the SEAVENTH PRACTISE I say the same of the Apostles Creed When you recite it waigh the Articles therof in the waights of the Sanctuarie The Communion of Saintes of the Triumphant Church with those of the Militant And Life euerlasting and they will serue you as MEMORIALLS to engraue in your soule the Memorie of Eternitie Behold the EIGHT PRACTISE Whether you assiste in the solemne songe of the Diuine Office or you recite your boures apart Remember that for diuers reasons the holy Church hath ordayned that these two versicles should be added to the end of euery Psalme Glorie be to the Father and to the Sonne and to the Holy Ghost Euen as it was in the begining and now and euer c. And that amongst the others this is not the least prowrefull to imprint the memorie of Eternitie in the mynds of the Faithfull Take this for a NINGHT PRACTISE The Iewes that they might continually remeÌ„ber Gods law carried it about with them yea wore it euen before their eyes written vpon Phylacteries or peeces of parchement VnderstaÌ„ding literally certaine passages of the auncient Couenaunt wherby it is commanded that one should alwayes behold them that is that one should haue them as rules of their actions I would to God that Christians were as carefull to haue still before their eyes the eternall Ghospell and to that effect they had painted Tables in their houses to renew the memorie therof I know some personages who to this pourpose caused the words of a Prophete to be written vpon the chimney of their chambers in letters of Gold WHO IS ABLE TO LIVE FOR EVER IN A CONSVMING FIRE AND AMIDST ETERNALL FLAMES This is facile and Fruitfull and shall be counted for the TENTH PRACTISE An other memoriall of Eternitie LXXVI BEsides these former PRACTISES which are very familiar I will yet bestow vpon you Athanasia a verie facile Memoriall to make you thinke of Eternitie vpon euery occasion It is the vse of Aspirations or Reflections which the Doctours of spirituall life doe so highly recommend to such as desire to liue piously and according to God If you will please to make vse of it you will shortly find by experience that all things will rayse you towards God who is the essentiall Eternitie wherin you will represent vnto your selfe the differeÌ„t Idea's of the Blessed or accursed Eternitie All the creatures being as so many Mirrours vnto you shall discouer the Image of the Eternall God And which way so euer you turne your selfe the inuisible and eternall God shall appeare in visible and temporall things All that can fall within the knowledge of your senses shall beare you aboue your selfe to him that passeth all vnderstanding Or at the least you may make reflection vpon the eternall delightes or colours which doe attend you in the blessed or accursed Eternitie according to your comportment in this life And to afford you some smale scantling of that so familiar an exercise to those that are conuersant in the knowledge of Saintes As oft as you shall behold this vniuersall obiect of heauen and earth which was S. ANTONIE's great booke wherin he read in capitall letters the Authour's greatnes whom all this admirable fabrike cost but one smale word what will hinder you to say with DAVID ô Lord how wonderfull is thy name through all the world thy magnificence is extolled beyond the Heauens Heauens which are but the workes of thy hands Heauens which shall passe while thou shalt still remaync