perpetual decree that it can't pass it and tho' the waves thereof toss themselves yet can they not prevail tho' they roar yet can they not pass over it as if he had said hast thou not a great deal of reason to dread the Arm of so powerful a God whose omnipotency is sufficiently discover'd by this prodigious work And if he be so great in all his works thou must likewise acknowledge him to be great in the chastisement of Sinners The same Prophet was Innocent and free from the least spot of Sin being Sanctifi'd in his Mothers womb yet he trembles at the very noise of my Severity to Sinners and says there is none like unto thee O Lord thou art great and thy name is great in might Who would not fear thee O King of Nations for to thee does it appertain For as much as among all the wisemen of the Nations and in all their Kingdoms there is none like unto thee My heart is replenish'd with the fear of thy wrath and therefore have sequester'd my felf from the converse of all men into a remote wilderness to prevent thy fury and appease thy Anger with sorrow with Sighs and with a continual flood of tears Respicit Terram facit eam tremere tangit montes fumigant Psa 105. Stellae Columnae Coeli pavent contremiscuntad nutum ejus Job 26.11 Ideo sn uno die venient plagaeejus mors luctus fames igne comburetur quia fortis est Dominus Deus qui Jndicabit illam Ap. c. 18.8 Tho' this holy man was certain that my Indignation and wrath was not against him yet seeing it so great and ready to fall with all its weight upon the criminal and guilty heads of Sinners he had no less then cause to tremble being that even my looks put the Earth in a quaking fit and make the Mountains groan nay they make the Stars and even the Pillars of Heaven to tremble they are astonish'd at my reproof and why not being that the Angels and Archangels the Cherubins and Seraphins the Principalities and Powers of Heaven are all Struck into an amazement at the very aspect of my most dreadful Majesty and angry countenance not that they fear to be depriv'd of their glory but because the greatness of my indignation is such that they can't but be astonish'd at the very sight of me By this thou mayst Judge in what a deplorable condition the Damn'd will be for these are the unhappy wretches which are to feel the weight of my wrath all their plagues shall come upon them in one day everlasting death mourning and famine shall be their inheritance for ever they shall be utterly burnt with fire for strong is the Lord God who judgeth them My Apostle had a sufficient tryal of my Strength when I forc'd him out of the way of iniquity Horrendum est incidere in manus Dei viventis Heb. 10.31 and of a Persecutor of Christians made him the Defender and powerful promoter of Christianity therefore he says it 's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God not into the hands of men for they are not so powerful but criminals may fly from their violence and decline from their anger moreover they have not the authority to cast a Soul into the Dungeon of Hell It 's therefore I had warn'd my Disciples not to fear them which kill the Body Mat. 10.28 and are not able to kill the Soul but rather to fear him which is able to destroy both Soul and body in Hell And these are the hands which my Apostle calls dreadful they are them also that the wise man speaks of where he says unless ye do pennance and give that slender attonement of tears and of a hearty grief to God for your sins ye shall undoubtedly fall into the hands of the Lord and not into the hands of men By what is already said thou mayst easily conclude that as I am omnipotent and great in my power in my Majesty and in all my works I am the same in my wrath in my Justice and in the punishment which I have decreed for the Damned If thou wilt examine Scripture thou shalt finde there such dreadful effects of my Justice upon the wicked even in this life which is the only season for mercy that thou shalt be forc'd to confess that the pains of Hell must be as intollerable as they are unspeakable and that it were better for the dam'd they had never been born then to endure them for an Eternity without any hopes of redemption or of the least abatement What a terrible punishment was that of Dathan and Abiram and of all their Complices in the sight of that numerous People of Israel at the request of my Servant Moises to vindicate his innocency and punish the wrong which was intended to him by those Peoples rising in Rebellion against him I commanded the Earth to open its bowels and to swallow them alive together with all their Earthly substance down into the bottomless pit of Hell which was no sooner commanded then put in execution The punishment of Sodom and Gomorah if well consider'd is able to terify the stoutest Bully that ever appear'd on the Stage of this world to mollify his obdurate heart and force from his mouth Lord what wilt thou have me do They were so much addicted to that brutish pleasure Domine quid me vis facere Act. 9.6 and sordid Sin of the flesh that they must attempt even upon my very Angels and strive to make them the subject of their Lust this was a general corruption and therefore requir'd a general chastisement their Sins cry'd for vengeance Gen. 19.24 and tho' I was sollicited by my Servant Abraham to spare their lives for the sake of ten Just men knowing there was none but Lot who was already secured and under the safeguard of my Angels I pour'd down wild-fire and brimstone upon them and cast them headlong into Hell-fire there to increase the fatal number of the damn'd and to become partakers of their torments as they had been of their crimes on Earth Didst thou ever hear such terrible menaces as are set down in Deuteronomy Deut. 28.16 17. c. and which were exactly put in execution against the transgressours of my Law Hear how the Prophet speaks to them in my behalf Cursed shalt thou be in the City and Cursed shalt thou be in the field Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in enrfed shalt thou be when thou goest out The Lord shall send upon thee cursing vexation rebuke in all that thou set'st thine hand unto for to do untill thou be destroyed and until thou perish quickly because of the wickedness of thy doings whereby thou hast for saken me The Lord shall smite thee with a Consumption and with a Fever and with an inflamation and with an extream burning and with the sword and with blasting and they
Issue I hope the same favours will attend your Lordship and be the reward as well of your Charitable Inclinations for the Poor in general as of the rare examples of Piety and Devotion you give your Children and which they are faithful to follow as well at home as abroad Moribus vita nobilitatur homo and the rather that they know them to be the essential Ornaments of true Nobility and that without them a Gentleman born is no more than he who is a Clown by his Extraction They know full well my Lord that whoever converses with the proud shall be puft up that a lustful acquaintance makes a Man lascivious and the way to secure a man from wickedness is to withdraw from the examples of it it is too much to have them near us but more to have them in us They know likewise that ill examples pleasure and ease are without doubt great corrupters of manners and as an ill Air may endanger a good Constitution so may a place of ill examples endanger a good Man There be some even of the highest rank who ought to influence their Inferiours with Piety and Devotion that take a Priviledge to be licentious so that the meaner sort are hurri'd on by their ill examples to all manner of dissolution And this perfect knowledg of the present Corruption of this unhappy Land prevents them from hankering after such places or persons and makes them take more pleasure in their Clossets than they can expect to find in their debauch'd Company 'T is this vertuous and godly disposition of your noble heart and Family which mov'd me to bring this pious work newly model'd under the shadow of your gracious Protection The very Title of the Book is able to make your Lordship affect the perusing of it and I am certain the substance thereof will give a further increase to your Devotion and also contribute much to the reducing strai'd Souls to the right understanding of their Duty to God which will redound to your greater Glory being it is by your means it appears to the World out of the obscurity of my Confinement who am Your Lordships most humble and most Obedient Servant Jo. Weldon C.J. THE Preface WHen God the grand Architect of the Vniverse had compleated the vast Fabrick of this visible World and brought out of nothing the Heavens the Earth the Seas and all that is contained within their Prccincts to exhibit as yet a more remarkable instance and a more glorious evidence of his Eternal Wisdom he did fully resolve to start out of the Bowels of the Earth with a Faciamus that Microcosm Man and give him an ascendent power to keep all other Creatures in Subjection He was moulded indeed as to his Body not very unlike to Terrene and Bruit Animals but as to his Soul if not equal with the Heavens and heavenly Spirits at least be was not much inferior to them for its certain that in the whole Vniverse thore's nothing worthy any difference if compar'd with the Soul Gold Silver Jewels Pearls Fire Moon Stars and the very Sun it self which with its resplendent Beams brings a solemn joy over the whole surface of the Earth are of no Estimate in her regard because that with a Word only God gave them all both their rise and their office which was to serve Man and give him all their attendance The wonderful Structure of humane Body is a sufficient demonstration of his Excellency for where as God had created all other things with a sole Dixit as David says he must come himself in person to the Creation of this little great Master-piece Gen. 1 26. first he prepares the necessary matter for this Construction then he Breaths into it the Spirit of Life and after he shapes him to the likeness of the primitive and principal Beauty But to what end It was says Scripture with an effectual resolution to devolve upon him an absolute Supremacy over all the Fishes of the Sea Ibid. 28. the Fowls of the Air and the Beasts of the Earth so that Man even before he was wafted over from Nothing to a Being was openly declar'd Lord of the whole Vniverse and was after introduc'd thereinto at to his Royal Palace already furnish'd with all Necessarys and Varieties both for his subsistence and pleasure But you must conceive that all this Honour was exhibited to him only upon the account of his participated resemblance of the Divine Trinity by which alone he does infinitely exceed all terrene Creatures so that every mortal Man may be deservedly term'd a petty Divinity especially when the Grace of God resides in his Soul Psal 81.6 For you must know that he does not bear this resemblance of God in his Body but within his Soul because that God is a pure Spirit without any terrene medley and consequently can't be perfectly represented by any Corporeal Image It s then within the facultys of his Soul that Man bears that resemblance which gives him an ascendent power over all other earthly Creatures viz. in his Memory Vnderstanding and Will where God is still President and constantly present as in his Image and Throne so steady that he is more intimate to the Soul than she is to her own Substance For the Eternal Father does replenish her Memory with his Omnipotency the Son does illustrate her Vnderstanding with his Wisdom and the Holy Ghost does enflame her Will with his Charity and even as God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost are not Three but One God in Three distinct Persons so the Memory is the Soul the Vnderstanding is the Soul the Will is the Soul yet not three Souls but one in each Body bearing those three distinct Dignitys wherein the Image and likeness of God does shine to admiration 'T is true our Sins may deface this Image within our Souls however they can't utterly blast it for it is an inherent property in the Wicked as well as in the Just but with this distinction that the Righteous are a lively Image of God whereas the Wicked are indeed a sort of an Image of God but a very obscure one however the Divine Bounty is so much enamour'd with the Soul he devoted to himself with the impression of his Image to be his dearly beloved Spouse that he can't be removed thence though the Devil should worm out her consent to debase his Image with all the enormity Imaginable Moreover the Soul leans over and tends towards God her Spouse with so great a weight of natural inclination that nothing in this World is able to replenish her capacity or satisfy her mind but he alone who of his own Nature is Infinite good incircumscript and Immense The Dignity and Excellency of the Soul must therefore be truly great that all th'alluring objects and attracting pleasures of this World can't content her though they may barter her affections for a tract of time and may perhaps now and then
Psal 10. and I shall cast them into a burning fire where they shall not subfist in their miseries nay I shall pour down vengence fire and sulphur upon them fire hail snow Ice and the Spirit of tempests shall be but a small part of their chalice This great misfortune of the wicked is perfectly represented by my beloved Disciple in his Revelations where he says Revel 18.1.2.5.6.7 After these things I saw another Angel come down from Heaven having great power and the Earth was lightn'd with his glory and he cry'd mightily with a strong voice saying Babylon the great is fallen is fallen and is become the habitation of Devils and receptacle of every foul Spirit and a Cage for every unclean and hateful Bird. Her Sins have reach'd unto Heaven and God has remembred her iniquities He shall reward her even as she rewarded him and double upon double unto her according to her works the Cup which she has fill'd he shall fill to her double How much she has glorifi'd her self and liv'd deliciously so much torment and sorrow he shall give her Her Plagues shall come in one day upon her death mourning and famine and she shall be utterly burnt with fire for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her After this a mighty Angel took up a stone like a great milstone and cast it into the Sea saying thus with violence shall that great City Babylon be thrown down and shall be never found more Thus the wicked which are understood by Babylon shall be cast into the precipice of hell into that dark Dungeon overwhelm'd with horror and all manner of confusion O what tongue is able to express the multitude of torments which they shall suffer there for an Eternity their bodies shall burn with living flames never to be extinguish'd their Souls without any intermission shall be gnawed with the worm of conscience which shall never give them the least respit of ease there they shall continue perpetually weeping sighing and gnashing their teeth without any hopes of goal-delivery In this woful place of despair those miserable damn'd wretches in a cruel fury full of rage will send forth their invectives against me and turn their anger against themselves devouring their own flesh tearing their bowels incessantly blaspheming me who had condemn'd them to those unspeakable torments There every one of that damn'd crew will curse his grand misfortune and the unhappy day of his birth always repeating that mournful lamentation of Job let the day perish wherein I was born Job 3. and the night in which it was said there is a man-child conceiv'd let that day be darkness let not God regard it from above neither let the light shine upon it Let darkness and the shaddow of death stain it let a cloud dwell upon it let the blackness of the day terrify it As for that night let darkness seize upon it let it not be joyn'd unto the days of the year let it not come into the number of the months let that night be solatary let no joyful voice come therein Let them curse it that curse the day who are ready to raise up their mourning let the Stars of the twilight thereof be dark let it look for light but have none neither let it see the dawning of the day Because it shut not the door of my Mother's womb nor hid sorrow from mine eyes Why died I not from the womb Why did I not give up the Ghost when I came out of the belly why did the knees prevent me or why the breasts that I should suck For now should I have lain still and been quiet I should have slept then had I been at rest This shall be the musick these the Canticles these will be the Morning and Evening prayers of the damn'd for ever MAN If it be so bad with the damn'd as without doubt it is being thou sayst it O Lord I think they have sufficient reason to curse eternally the day that ever they were born for as thou didst say of Judas foreseeing his treachery and his Damnation which was to ensue it were better he had never come into the world I think the same of those wretched Souls it were better they had perished in their Mothers wombs then to become by their own Sins the fatal object of thy just Indignation and wrath O most unfortunate Souls if it were lawful for me or in the least available to you I would commiserate your condition but your sentence can never be recall'd there you are lodg'd among so many Legions of Devils and there you are like to continue for an eternity O unfortunate tongues that bolt out nothing but blasphemies O unhappy Eyes that see nothing but miseries calamities and new found torments at every moment O sad Ears that hear nothing but horrid crys woful screeks mournful lamentations and constant gnashing of teeth O deplorable bodys that have no other refreshment then scorching flames Whilest you were dwellers in this world you spent all your time in vanities in sinful recreations and pleasures increasing your fortunes and heaping up of earthly treasures far from the least thought of heavenly things but see now what is the end of all your actions what an infinite deal of miseries you have brought upon your selves O foolish and infatuated wretches what does all your unlawful and transitory pleasures avail you now for which you are condemned unto everlasting sorrow and woe what is become of all your wealth where are your treasures what is the end of all your joys and comforts nothing but everlasting misery woe tribulations and sorrow This is well illustrated in holy writ by the great famine which came upon the People of Egypt and which continu'd for the space of seven years O what an extream grief was it unto them that they did not in the seven former years of abundance provide for the seven following years of Dearth they were like men in despair for loosing the benefit of so favourable an opportunity and were vehemently troubl'd in minde for their misfortune and negligence herein but alas their grief is not to be compar'd to that of the damn'd 't is no more then a shaddow that is compar'd with the truth For the Famine of Egypt lasted no longer then seven years but that of hell shall never be at an end there was a remedy found for that of Egypt tho' with vast expences but for this there is no remedy at all to be expected That was soon releiv'd by selling their Cattle and lands to Joseph but this can never be abated with any manner of exchange this punishment can never be recall'd this pain will never be diminish'd The People of Egypt after the seven years of Dearth were expir'd began a little to respire to wade out of their miseries but in hell alas the wicked shall never be quit of their misfortunes they shall never come to the least rest or ease they shall be both night and day
a Transformation into God Raptures Extasies Acts of heroical virtue the immoveable quietness and peace of the minde in God then by a supreme degree of the gift of Wisdom thou art made as it were one of Gods Secretarys and Cabinet-Councel so that being come to this height thou art made privy to all the hidden mysteries of his eternal Wisdom and rais'd to that pitch of honour as to lodge him sweetly within thy breast Then thou shalt sincerely and sweetly contemplate with a clear understanding what are of Faith and the reasons for believing them Thou shalt behold the glory the Emanation the inbred Communication the mutual intuition dilection fruition and eternal consistance of the ever Blessed and super-glorious Trinity Then all creatures compar'd to the infinite and incomprehensible Majesty of God will appear to thee as Pismires nay even as nothing In fine then will all thy comfort all thy pleasure all thy satisfaction and affection be lodg'd after a most solid manner in thy God alone I leave thee now to judge whether this be not a most noble life and worthy of so much pains taken to purchase it MAN THy words o' Lord are as dreadfull to me as Thunder and lightning are to the timorous and pregnant Hinde Thy Doctrine is so sublime and surpasseth so much my understanding that I cannot conceive it Dost thou think that man in his frail and mortal flesh can lead the life of an Angel that a Pilgrim can pretend to the prerogatives of the Blessed or that he can live on earth so conformable to the Rules and Rites of the Saints in Heaven What man alive can pass over his mortal days without Sin Thou know'st that there 's nothing more unsettled and more inconstant then the minde of man and wilt thou require of him as an incumbent duty to be always in contemplation of heavenly things to have his thoughts always fix'd upon thee to stand at all hours in the presence of God and never to have the least correspondence with the world or with any earthly affairs I know that with the powerful assistance of thy Grace he might easily comply with thy will in all these prescriptions and I know likewise that Nature will never bear the rigour of such weighty impositions so contrary to her inbred inclinations for the motions of Grace and Nature are directly opposit in operations both tend to good but the good that one aimes at is a great evil to the other so that many may be deceived in their election of this or that other good Grace walks on innocently and without any disguise she is ignorant of all Quibbles and fallacies she declines from all things that bear even the shaddow of evil does all her actions purely for the love of God whom she owns to be her bountiful head-spring Prototype final end this is very good in her thoughts yet Nature looks upon it to be quite contrary for she is subtil politick alluring and with her charms she draws insnares and deceives many as for her last end she will admit of none but of self-interest Grace delights to mortify and pull down the Flesh to curb and utterly suppress all the Insurrections and Rebellious motions of the old man to resist all sensuality she loves to be kept under to be Cross'd in her inclinations to be depriv'd of her proper will and bar'd of her liberty to be under correction rather then have the command of others to be always submissive to God and for his sake to become an humble Servant and even a slave to all mankind but Nature is directly contrary in her temper she is desirous of all manner of pleasure and has an abhorrence for mortification and hates to be curb'd to be oppress'd or debarr'd from her inclinations she will command rather then obey for she detests discipline and will not if she can possibly avoid it submit her self to any higher Power Grace will rather choose to do what is beneficial to others then what is profitable and convenient for her self but nature will labour for her own advantage and if she does any service to others she will expect to be accordingly rewarded Grace will return faithfully all honour and glory to God as being the Soveraign alone deserving of it but Nature will thirst after honours and reverence after Supremacy and dignitys and thinks that Cap and Knee is for her alone Grace will rejoyce to be debass'd and to suffer reproaches and injuries for the name of Jesus but Nature abhors the very thoughts of such sufferings and will use all means possible she can to avoid them Grace cannot endure to be idle but ever thirsts after action but Nature is so well pleas'd with ease and quietness that the conceit alone of toil and disturbance is to her as odious as the Plague it self Grace delights in low and sordid imployments and will not repine at a course and thredbare garment but Nature does place her comfort and whole satisfaction in curious and costly Apparel will be strangely disturb'd when humbled and brought to any mean exercise Grace is absolutely for heavenly things she passes by the temporal she values not their loss neither is she disturb'd at evil accidents because she hath placed all her treasure and pleasure in Heaven where nothing can suffer any loss or detriment but Nature has all her attention to temporal things puts all her satisfaction in Earthly wealth is sad for the loss of them and cannot bear the least affront or injury Grace is piously inclin'd and free to communicate her favours to all without any exception but Nature is greedy and covetous she is wholly for proper and private interest she cannot see the way to the poor mans house but she is all eyes to finde out the rich and liberal she is not willing to stretch her hand to the needy but she is pleasant when she is touch'd in the hand with a weighty gift Grace draws all Creatures to God not for her own Interest for she is an absolute Enemy to the World she abhors all sensual desires excursions are odious to her and blushes to appear in publick but Nature's delight greatest pleasure is to be conversant with the Creatures to pamper her own flesh to discourse of vain and idle matters and if a heavy word casually fall in by the by of a neighbour Quod ti bi non vis fieri alteri non fecris she will inlarge upon it contrary to that fundamental rule of her own proper and positive law what you would not be done to don't do it to another Grace seeks for her comfort in God alone and finds in that Summum bonum more fatisfaction and pleasure then in all visible and delightful objects of this world Grace expects no temporal reward for what favours she exhibits for God alone is her retribution and of all temporal necessaries she covets none but what may exactly help her to the acquisition of eternal Bliss
how much then am I oblig'd to thee who hast bestow'd so many and such great favours upon me and who wouldst have done far greater things to purchase my Salvation if necessity had requir'd it SAVIOVR I Would have thee and all other creatures of the same Species to tell me whether there was or can be any benefit obligation or grace greater then what I have confer'd upon thee let all the Choires of Angels declare whether I had exhibited the like favours to them or given them any such proofs of my excessive kindeness and of my ardent love and after all wilt thou refuse to consecrate thy self wholly unto me wilt thou deny to sacrifice all thine actions inclinations and passions to my divine will and pleasure Thou can'st not deny but that thou art wholly mine by three several titles First because I created thee thou with all that thou hast belongest to me Secondly because I redeem'd thee thou art mine as aforesaid but by a more strict title Thirdly because thou hast promis'd in thy Baptism to be mine for ever and therefore without committing a Sacriledge thou canst not dispose of thy self otherwise why then dost thou delay to give thy self wholly to me and without any reserve being thou art mine already by so many just titles O Ingratitude never to be paralel'd O hardness of neart never to be sufficiently admir'd Thou art certainly more obdurate then ever the most impenetrable Rocks since that thou wilt not relent and suffer thy self to be gain'd by so many and such extraordinary great favours There is nothing so hard but may be mollifi'd by some art or another the most obdurate mettle is mollifi'd by fire Iron is made pliable by the same element the hardness of an Adamant is overcome and made soft with the bloud of a Buck but thy heart O man is harder then any rock harder then steel harder then the very Adamant being neither the fire of Hell nor the charms of thy heavenly Father no nor the bloud of the most immaculate Lamb can mollify it and make it tractable and submissive to my commands How dost thou think I can bear such horrid ingratitude I lov'd thee and thou dost hate me I have laid several obligations on thee and thou dost forget them all being thou art not asham'd or afraid to offend me at all hours and upon all occasions O man what can'st thou love if thou dost not love me what favour can move thee to a kinde return if my benefits can't prevail how canst thou but love serve and worship me who am so much inamour'd with thee who have sought thee when thou wert lost with so much care and diligence and who have redeem'd thee from all evil with so much labour and toil Thou hast heard me say Si exaltatus fuero a terra omnia traham ad me ipsum Joa 13. In funibus Adam traham vos Osee 1. Qui non diligit manet in morte 1. Jea 3.15 if I be lifted up from the Earth I will draw all men unto me but with what chains with what violence dost thou think with the violence of my Superabundant charity and with the chains of my manyfold favours Who will be so great an enemy to his own Salvation as to refuse to be tied with those cords and bound fast with those chains If it be death for a man not to love me what will his punishment be if he hates me and makes nothing to transgress my commandments Is it possible O man that thou shouldst be so Tyger-like as to stretch thy hands to nail mine to the shameful cross of thy wicked passions mine I say which were so liberal to thee and so accessary to thy Salvation that they freely and without compulsion offer'd to be transpeirc'd to the wood of the Cross A lascivious woman having solicited the Patriarch Joseph to dishonour his Master by commiting adultery with her was frustrated of her intention by his worthy defence in these words behold Gen. 39. my Master knows not what is with me in the house and he has committed all that he hath to my charge there is none greater in this house then I neither has he kept any thing from me but thee because thou art his Wife How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God as if he had said seeing my Lord and Master was so good and so liberal to me since he has intrusted me with his affairs and that he has so great an esteem for me as to make me his favourite sole overseer of his house and fortune how can I be so ungrateful to him after so many great favours as to defile his bed with so horrid a crime no I cann't attempt it If these terrene favours have deserv'd so worthy a return of gratitude what love what service what submission should I expect from thee for thy Creation for thy Redemption for all the labours and toils I endur'd in the space of full thirty three years to procure thy Salvation Josephs Master did intrust him only with what earthly substance he had but I gave thee both my self and all that I had which is infinitely more then what Joseph receiv'd from his Master Heaven Earth Sun Moon Stars Seas Flouds Fowls Fishes Trees Beasts of all kindes In a word all that is precious under or above the Heavens are my free gifts to thee says my beloved Apostle Omnia vestra sunt sive Paulus five Apollos sive Cephas sive mundus five vita sive mors sive presentia sive futuraâ— omnia cnim vestra sunt 1 Cor. 3. All things are yours whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come all are yours that is to say All have I created in order to thy Salvation nay to indear thee more to me I have given my self to thee in several respects for I am thy Father thy Pastor thy Saviour thy Master thy Physitian and the Price of thy Redemption Since 't is so certain that I have given all into thy hands how canst thou have the hands or face to offend me how canst thou be so impious to so good a Father so ungrateful to so liberal a benefactor and so obstinate a Rebell to so bountiful a God O unhappy man thou art more ungrateful then the very beasts more headstrong then the most fierce among them and more insensible then the very Stones Is it possible that thou art not mov'd at all this and that thou art resolv'd never to relinquish thy wickedness what wild Boar what Lyon what Tyger would be so unmindful of benefits as to injure him from whom they receiv'd them St. Ambrose will tell thee of a Dog that rambl'd a whole night barking and howling for the death of his Master who had been murther'd in the Road St. Ambr. lib. 6. Hexame next morning a multitude of People came to view the Corps among which was the man
didst send him word by thy Prophet that he should dy for it and that He and all his People should suffer the punishment which was to fall upon the Syrians and their King O my Sweet Saviour if thy judgement even in this life be so far distant from that of men what shall it be in that dreadful hour which thou hast reserv'd for the executing of thy divine Justice SAVIOVR MY Judgment is indeed far remote Vas electionis est iste mihi ut porter nomen meum coram Regibus Gentibus Act. 9.15 not only from that of the common sort of men but also from that of the holiest among them Paul was a Saint upon Earth he was a vessel of Election and made privy to the Secrets of Heaven yet he was deceiv'd in his judgment of Timothy for he thought him to be a Saint and worthy of the character and station of a Bishop yet I found him otherwise Apoc. 3. and threatn'd to deprive him of his Church of Ephesus for falling from his former zeal and would certainly take away his Chair but that he repented and did Pennance My dearly beloved Disciple had a great veneration for all the Seven Bishops of Asia the whole Country look'd upon them all as holy men and great lovers of virtue yet in my sight the Bishop of Sardis was so far from being a Saint that his Soul was tainted with mortal Sin the Bishop of Laodicia was a miser poor blinde and naked of all virtue the Bishop of Thiatira was indeed a faithful servant to me as to his own person but in performing his duty to those under his charge I found him guilty in several sins of omission The Bishop of Philadelphia was not indeed fallen from his first zeal Utinam frigidus esses aut calidus sed quia tepidus es incipiam te evomere ex ore meo Apo. 3.16 yet I found wherewith to reprehend him not for committing of evil nor for the omitting of good nor for being remiss in his former fervour but only for his little virtue and charity with another I found fault and told him I would thou wert either hot or cold but because thou art luke-warm I shall begin to vomit thee out of my mouth By this thou mayst see how far different my judgment is from that of men in this life As for the severity of my Judgement even in this life wherein for the most part I make use of my mercy t is very terrible as thou mayst well perceive by what I said to the People of Israel by the mouth of my Prophet nay 't is able to drive thee and even the most obstinate of Sinners out of the ways of iniquity into the path of mortification and Pennance which alone can lead them to Salvation Mark well my words and lodge them within the closet of thy heart as a divine treasure their efficacy is such that if often minded they will exempt thee from the following calamities I will powr out all my Rage upon thee and will accomplish my fury in thee I will Judge thee according to thy ways and will lay forth all thy wickedness against thee my eyes shall not pardon thee neither will I have mercy on thee I will charge thee with all thy misdeeds and thy abominations shall be in the midst of thee and thou shalt know that I am the Lord that smites Nay my wrath shall be upon all the People the Sword without and Pestilence within and Famine too they who fly to save themselves shall all remain in the mountains as the Doves of the valleys trembling in their iniquities their hands shall be disjoynted and their knees shall dissolve into water for the great fear and amazement which I shall send upon them in my wrath Consider seriously now and conclude if my Judgement be so severe and so rigorous even in this life which is the only time for mercy what will it be when mercy is clear out of date and when Justice will admit of no mixture of pitty of tenderness or of compassion when the books of all mens consciences shall be laid open to the view of the whole world when the most secret Sins of their hearts those sordid acts committed in the dark those Sins which through shame were conceal'd in confession or made less considerable with false and Sacrilegious excuses when all crooked and sinister intentions hidden and unknown Treacheries counterfiet and dissembling virtues feigned friends adulterous Wives unfaithful Husbands deceitful Servants false witnesses and all such trash shall be discover'd to their great shame and confusion when In fine Ite maledicti in ignem aeternum qui paratus est Diâ—boio Angelis ejus Mat. 25. Job 26.11.12 they shall behold me feated on a dreadful Throne with a countenance full of indignation and wrath and hear from my mouth these dreadful words depart from me ye cursed into eternal fire prepar'd for Satan and his Angels This dreadful sentence shall overthrow them for ever and cover them with eternal sorrow and confusion The Pillars of Heaven says Job do tremble and are astonish'd at his reproofs If we be not able to hear so few words from his mouth without amazement in puncto ad inferna descendent Job 21. how shall we withstand the thunder of his omnipotent power This voice shall be horrible and of so great a power that the earth in the twinkling of an eye shall open and swallow them down into the bottomless pit of Hell O Man if Ananias and Saphira were struck dead only with hearing the angry voice of my Disciple what a terror will my dreadful and angry voice strike into the hearts of the reprobate Act. 5.1.2.3.4 c. S. Catharine of Sienna was reprehended by St. Paul for not imploying her time to more advantage for her Soul this was at most but a charitable advice givenprivately too yet she said she had rather be disgraced before the whole world then once more to suffer what she did by that reprehension but what is this in reference to the horrour and confusion which my dreadful words will bring upon the wicked in the day of my vengeance If when I suffer'd my self to be taken and led to be judged with these two words I am I overthrew the astonish'd multitude of Souldiers and Rabble to the ground what will my words be when I come to Judge what a terrible fall and irrecoverable overthrow will these dreadful words give to all the wicked depart from me ye cursed into eternal fire prepared for Satan and his Angels Psal 54. for at that very instant the fire of that general burning shall invest those misorable Creatures the Earth shall open and Hell shall enlarge his throat to swallow them to all eternity Psal 139. Then they shall see the accomplishment of my malediction let death come upon them and let them sink alive into hell Coals of fire shall fall upon them
in torments and tortures and that for an Eternity If the People of Egypt fell into despair before the expiration of the seven years Ex Inferno nulla est redemptio Facilis Descensus Averni sed revocare gradum hoc opus hic labor est Varg. being sure of a relief soon after what despair will the wicked be in having an assurance from thy mouth O Lord that their miseries shall never have an end O what miserable and unfortunate wretches are we they will cry what time what powerful means what opportunities of working our eternal Salvation have we neglected The time was that with one cup of cold water we might have purchas'd unto our selves a Crown of glory we might by relieving the poor and other such like works of mercy have merritted life everlasting how great was our blindness our madness and folly to have neglected those favourable occasions of enriching our selves for ever and to suffer those fruitfull years of such great abundance to pass away without making any provision for our Souls Had we been brought up amongst Infidels and Pagans and believ'd that our Souls were mortal as well as our bodies that we were in the same Category with all brute animals whose souls do perish at once with their bodies we might have some kinde of excuse and plead that we knew nothing of what was commanded or what was forbidden by God but being brought up Christians and holding for an Article of our belief that the hour shall come wherein we must give a strict account of all our transactions to God we have been often told by Preachers and Teachers that the kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and that we could not attain to it otherways then by the pass-port of Mortifications and Pennance that it was our incumbent duty to depress our unruly Passions and never to be drawn away by our evil inclinations yet unfortunate Souls we were fondly perswaded that Heaven was for us without any pains at all that God was so merciful that he would not condemn our Souls to everlasting torments ' tho' we were never so wicked and therefore we have justly deserv'd that he should deal with us according to the full rigour of his Justice Come then ye Infernal Furies come and rend us in pieces come and devour our unchristian bowels for we have justly deserv'd to be so cruelly dealt with we have deserv'd to be hunger-starv'd for ever being we have neglected to provide for our selves while we had both the means the time and conveniency of doing it we deserve not to reap because we have not sown We deserve to fuffer want and misery being we never laid up any thing in store we often refused the poor and needy their humble and earnest request and therefore we deserve to be deny'd ours We often have clos'd ears to the sighs and groans of the poor and distress'd and therefore we deserve to sigh and lament for an eternity in vain We deserve that the worm of our conscience should gnaw our intrails for ever by representing unto us our criminal and transitory pleasures the great happiness which we have lost by them Erravimus a via veritatis Justitiae lumen non illuxit nobis Sol intelligentiae non est ortus nobis lassati sumus in via iniquitat's perditionis ambulavimus vias difficiles viam autem Domini ignoravimus Sap. 5.6 7 8. the unspeakable torments which we are to suffer for them and their long continuance which will be for an Eternity We err'd and wander'd from the ways of truth and the light of Justice was not with us nor did the Sun of Wisdom shine upon us We weari'd our selves in the ways of wickedness and perdition and walk'd in paths of difficulty and knew not the way of the Lord. What has our Pride profited us and what has the pomp of our Riches avail'd us all those things have pass'd like a shaddow or like a messenger who passes in hast or like a Ship which cuts the instable waves leaves no mark where it went even so we are now consum'd in our wickedness The cruel and bloudy Tyrants who have afflicted put to death thy holy Martyrs O Lord shall be troubl'd with horrible fear when they shall behold them whom they had so unhumanely treated in this life to be so highly honour'd in Heaven they shall wonder at their unexpected Salvation and say amongst themselves with great regret with much grief and anguish of Spirit These are the men who sometime were unto us matter of Scorn and laughter We insipid wretches imagin'd their life to be madness and that then end will be without nonour but behold how they are counted amongst the children of God and how their lot is amongst the Saints such will be the amazement of those mercenary Judges also who have trampl'd under foot the justice and right of thy poor servants on Earth when they shall behold them Judges in Heaven and themselves condemn'd to Hell-fire for their unjust Sentences Solomon's words verifies this Eccl. c. 3. 10. where he says I saw a great evil beneath the Sun that in the Throne of Judgement was Seated impiety and wickedness in the place of Justice And I said in my heart God shall Judge the good and evil and then shall be seen who every one is Here on Earth the wicked sometimes are exalted and the Godly depress'd but thou O Lord shalt in the day of thy visitation rectify those great disorders and grievances thou shalt Separate the wheat from the tares thoushalt place the good upon thy right hand elevated in the Air that all the world may honour and reverence them as being thy favourites whereas the wicked shall stand all in a confusion far off at thy left expecting their final Sentence and the immediate execution thereof O how they shall at that dreadful hour envy the happy state of the Just seeing them so much honour'd and themselves so much despis'd O how will the Potentates and crown'd heads of the Earth be astonish'd when they shall behold their Vassals in Glory their Slaves amongst the Angels and themselves in the same rank with the Devils O my Sweet Saviour St. Chrys hom 24. in Lucam Armabit omnum creaturam ad ultronem inimicorum pugnabit proâ—eo orbis terrarum contra insensatos what shall I think of my self what shall I say what shall I do or how shall I be able to excuse my self in that day of thy wrath when Heaven Earth Sun Moon Stars Night and Day together with all that is contain'd within the precincts of the whole world shall accuse me bear witness of all my evil and cry vengeance against me before thy dreadful Throne nay were they all silent mine own conscience shall fly in my face and accuse me of all my offences even of the least idle word that ever I have spoken Woe 's me then says St. Ambrose St. Ambr. in
esse filium hominis Mat. 16.14 I long to hear what Worldlings say of me and of my Kingdom for I suppose that some of them are apt to believe I am John the Baptist others will say perhaps that I am Elias others that I am Jeremiah or some one of the Prophets Noli me tangere Jo. 20.17 Vos autem quem me esse dicitis Ibid. v. 15. Some will think that it 's a folly for mortals to expect admittance to my Kingdom because that after my Resurrection I refus'd the Magdalen leave to touch me or to lay her hand upon any part of my garment But what dost thou say of me and of my glorious Residence MAN I Say Tu es Christus Filius Dei vivi Jo. 6.70 Et regni ejus non erit finis Luc. 1.33 that thou art Christ Son of the living God and that thy Kingdom will never have an end it 's therefore I believe that Scripture calls it the land of the living to let us understand that this wherein we abide deserves no better denomination then that of the dead Alas we know it by our woful experience to be very true for tho' Adam and his Descendants for a long time liv'd each of them so many Ages yet this fatal Epitaph mortuus est which he has entail'd upon all his posterity came at last to shew that as the world is mortal the inhabitants thereof must be of the same nature but as for thy Kingdom O Lord 't is immortal and without any end 't is therefore St. Paul says that this corruptible body of ours shall put on incorruption and of mortal become immortal This flesh of ours which now is so burdensome and does so depress our minde which is now invested with so many inconveniences subject to so many alterations griev'd with so many diseases defil'd with so many corruptions overwhelm'd with such an infinite deal of miseries and calamities shall in thy Kingdom O Lord be made glorious and advanc'd to the height of perfection It shall be endu'd with Seven gifts suitable to thy liberality and to the dignity of thy beloved Servants which are Beauty Agility Fortitude Justi fulgebant sicut sol in regno Patris eorum Mat. 13.43 Penetration Health Pleasure and Perpetuity As for the first gift which is Beauty thou hast thy self declar'd that the Just shall shine as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father The second is Agility and this prerogative of the Just is no less then the former for by this their flesh is free'd from that lumpish heavy weight which kept their Spirits fetter'd whilst they remain'd in this life and made as light even as the Angels themselves who pass from one extremity of the world to the other in the twinkling of an eye the third gift is Supernatural Strength which does so abound in a glorifi'd body that he shall be able to move the whole globe of the Earth at thy command and give us a dry passage through the main Ocean with as much ease as thy Angel did to the People of Israel through the red Seas to avoid the Rage and fury of their pursuing Enemys The fourth is I enetration whereby he shall be able to penetrate any other bodies tho'never so hard or massy and make nothing to peirce Walls Doors the Earth and the very Firmament tho' it were made of Brass This thy glorifi'd body has perform'd after thy Resurrection for thou didst penetrate the house where thy Disciples were the Doors being all shut and at thy Ascension thou didst penetrate the Heavens also The fifth prerogative is absolute Health free from all pains of this life quit of all diseases troubles incumbrances and all other infirmitys incident to humane nature and shall be perpetually fix'd in a most perfect and flourishing state of health and felicity in no way liable to the least alteration for ever The sixth is Delight and Pleasure which shall be heap'd upon a glorifi'd body to that degree that all his senses shall finde their peculiar and proper objects in a far more delicious manner then ever they could expect in this world for his eyes shall be for ever recreated with the beatifical vision and with the sight of the most glorious and beautiful bodies of all the Saints One Sun is enough to bring a full joy over the whole continent of the Earth as also to depress the raging waves of the main Ocean in its greatest fury it revives the mortifi'd grain and makes it appear with it's green blades to assure the Labourer of it's being alive and sets at liberty all those varieties of flowers and simples which the cold season of winter kept a long time in it's prisons of Ice what joy then shall a blessed Soul conceive when he beholds as many Suns as there are Saints and when he sees himself to be one of them when he sees his hands his feet and the rest of his members to cast forth beams clearer then even the Sun in it's full height His ears shall be replenish'd wiih the most harmonious Songs and Musick of so many Quires of Angels of so many millions of Saints and of so many hundred thousands of heavenly Spirits as St. John in many several places of his Revelations makes mention of O my Soul here I would have thee stay a while and consider seriously what a great satisfaction this is to the blessed If the harp of David were so delightful to Saul and had so great a power as to asswage the fury of his passion and to recal him from that melancholy fit of which the Devil made use to destroy his Soul If the Lyre of Orpheus was able to operate such great prodigies in the World and to win the hearts not only of men but also of the Infernal Spirits if we may believe Poets who tell us that he recover'd his Wife out of their clutches with the sweetness of his melodious instruments If St. Francis thought himself already in Heaven hearing an Angel play on his instrument what pleasure what delight will a blessed Soul have when he hears the sweet harmony of so many thousands of Angels together Tradition which gives life to the best of Historys informs us that the singing of one little bird alone ravish'd a devout Monk to that degree that three hundred years seem'd no more to him then three hours what a sweetness will it be to hear the melody of those Songs which the innumerable citizens of that heavenly Jerusalem sing in praise of thee their eternal King his smell shall be recreated with the most odoriferous scent which comes from those beautiful bodies infinitely more sweet then all the perfumes of the Indies In fine the whole glorifi'd body shall be fill'd with abundance of all kind of consolation the Eyes the Ears the Nose the Mouth the Hands the Throat the Lungs the Heart the Stomach the Back nay the very Intrals and every part of the Body Inebriabuntur ab
ligatis Discite Mortales facilis descensus Avcrni Sed revocare gradum superûmque evadere ad orbem Hoc opus hic labor est Solis quos Christus amavit Arbiter aut ardens evexit ad Athera virtus Tantus erit concessus honor Jesuque potiri Perpetuo Aspectu Sanctis simul annumerari Angelicisque choris sine fine dicentibus hymnum Sanctus Sanctus Sanctus Dominus Deus omni Potens qui est qui erat qui venturus est MOst Gracious Saviour in order to comply with thy command I must premit these two considerations First that there is nothing happens to mortals in this life or in the other but by thy permission Secondly that the Devil who is the mortal Enemy of all mankind is to be the Executioner of thy Justice in Hell and sometimes on Earth as appears by what St. John says in his Revelations I saw says he Apoc. 9. a Star fall from heaven unto the Earth And to him was given the key of the bottomless pit And he open'd the bottomless pit and there arose a smoke out of the pit as the smoke of a great Furnace and the Sun and the Air were darken'd by reason of the smoke of the pit And there came out of the smoke Locusts upon the Earth and unto them was given power Adescription of the power of hell as the Scorpions of the Earth have power And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the Earth neither any green thing neither any Tree but only those men which have not the Seal of God in their for-heads And to them was given that they should not kill them but that they should be tormented five Months and their torment was as the torment of a Scorpion when he strikes a Man And in those days shall a man seek Death and shall not finde it and shall desire to dye and Death shall fly from them And the shapes of the Locusts were like unto horses prepar'd unto battle and on their heads were as it were Crowns like gold and their faces were as the faces of men And they had hair as the hair of women and their teeth were as the teeth of Lions And they had breast-plates as it were breast-plates of Iron and the sound of their wings was as the sound of Chariots of many horses running to battle and they had tails like unto Scorpions and there were Stings in their tails St. Augustin says that the meaning of the holy Ghost who is the undoubted Authour of this Scripture was to represent unto us under so formidable and dreadful a figure the severity of thy Justice the greatness of thy chastisements thereby to frighten the wicked debar them from ever offending so powerful and so dreadful a Judge He understands by that Star which fell from Heaven unto the Earth and to whom the key of that bottomless pit was given Exod. 8. Lucifer a most beautiful and resplendent Angel indeed who for his Pride was cast down from Heaven to assume the fatal Government of that Region of everlasting darkness and by those Locusts like unto horses arm'd and ready for a battle the infernal Spirits which were the associates of his rebellon in Heaven and now are become his Ministers and the tyranical executioners of his inbred rage and malice against men by that grass and green plants which they are prohibited to hurt he understands the Just whose Souls being moisten'd with the waters of thy divine grace do sprout out the green leaves the flourishing branches and the most odoriferous fruit of life everlasting But what are those that have not the Seal of God in their foreheads which is the glorious character and distinctive mark of thy faithfull Servants O Lord what but the wicked 't is then against them only that this great Army of Devils are to fight these are the People which they are to torment according to their demerits and the Services which they had exhibited unto them in their life even as the People of Egypt were punish'd by the very flies and frogs which they had ador'd as their Gods a little before What a horror will it be to them to behold in that most obscure and nasty dungeon of Hell so many thousands of hideous and ill shap'd Monsters what a fearful thing will it be to stand in full view of that hungry Dragon bursting with rage and fury against those unfortunate Slaves of that Behemoth that Job speaks of who eats grass as an Ox Job 40. who has his strength in his loins and his force in the navel of his belly who moves his tail like a Cedar who devours the mountains drinks up the rivers who makes nothing to draw Jordan into his mouth and eyes This dreadful Monster is to execute thy Sentence O Lord against the damn'd what favour what mercy can they expect at his hands being he deals so cruelly even with those who are not his slaves but are only deliver'd to his power in order to exercise their patience Behold how cruelly he treats that Innocent and harmless Job after he had consum'd by fire all his sheep and his Servants after he had taken away all his Cows his Camels Asses and slain their keepers after he had beat down his houses and Smother'd all his Children under their ruines he cover'd his body from head to foot with so loathsome an Ulcer that he was an eye-sore to his whole family and cast out upon a dunghill where he lay without any comfort relief or assistance from any friend or relation so that he was forc'd himself to scrape off the worms and corruption that came from his wounds with a pot-sheard His poor body was so far consum'd and left so lean that only so much flesh remain'd about his lips as might enable him to speak and make answer The night which brings some refreshment and ease to the afflictions of others augmented his misery and increas'd his pains with most dreadful apparitions his Wife which should be a great comfort to him in his deplorable state and condition was one of his greatest plagues for she did both rail and vilify him to that degree as to tell him to his face that she could not endure the noisomeness of his putrifi'd body and bid him to curse God and dye like a rotten dog as he was His friends were no less cruel to him upon the same account for in seven days they did not speak a word to condole his misfortune O most gracious Saviour if thou hast permitted that cruel and devouring Dragon to handle so roughly the simple pious obedient pure and Saint-like Job only to exercise his patience and convince the Devil that thou hadst a faithful Servant upon Earth what a large commission and full liberty wilt thou give him to torment in Hell Adulterers Murtherers High-way robbers Usurers Drunkards Cheats Knights of the Post Lascivious companions cruel Parents Disloyal and stif-necked Children and all
of Christians then he did so great was his animosity to both that he murther'd very many thousands of them and destroy'd all their Alters and Churches which were erected and dedicated to my worship and Service will this most wicked and disssembling Prince cry Peccavi in the hour of his death no he will continue his impiety to his last breath which will be the perfect Eccho of his most ambitious and abominable life for receiving a mortall wound in the siege of a Town in the Kingdom of Persia he took a handfull of his blood flung it up as it were into my face with this horrid expression vicisti Nazarene vicisti O Nazarean Cum mens inclinata fugrit ad aliquid non se jam haber aequaliâ—er ad utrum que oppositorum sed ad illud ad quod magis inclinatur fertur nisi per rationis discussionem ab eo quadam solicitudine abducatur St. Tho. thou hast indeed overcome me at last after this he commanded his Gentlemen to put his Corps into a Coffin of lead and cast it into the Sea that his subjects finding not his body on Earth might believe it was carri'd by the hands of Angels into Heaven and seated there amongst the Gods Thou seest by these presidents what a foolish mistake the wicked ly under when they put off their conversion to the very last hour of their life in hopes to have then a hearty Peccavi which may be to me a sufficient Atonement for all their offences and breaches of both my Laws and commandments The Angelical Doctor St. Thomas seems to be much astonish'd at their folly herein for says he when men are viciously inclin'd and taken with a surprize in their evil habits it is out of their jurisdiction to conceive an abhorrence against them and have a love and esteem for a virtuous life unless they make use of their reason to finde out the manifold advantages of the one and the several evil consequences of the other but how can a wicked man that is seiz'd on by Death as he walks in the streets by a tile falling from the top of a house or some other such like unexpected accident make use of his reason in that ample manner 't is impossible and consequently Hac animadversione percutitur percator ut moriens obliviscatur sui qui dum viveret oblitus est Dei St. Amb. Arist whoever neglects his Salvation so far as to put it to such perilous events deserves no mercy at my hands But set the case that an old habitual Sinner should dye of a long and languishing sickness 't is very probable he will never think of me in his latter hour nor have the least feeling of a Peccavi being he forgot to call to me for mercy in his healthful days and this indeed is the usual punishment which I do inflict upon such persons Moreover 't is grounded upon this other Maxim of Philosophy altogether as undeniaable as the former Ab assuetis non fit passio That is to say things which men have dayly before their eyes make no impression upon their hearts the Sun which is the most resplendent and the most glorious Creature that ever was wrought by my hands for the use of men is dayly seen without the least admiration whereas if a Comet appears they are all eyes to behold it A Chirurgion will handle and dress the nastiest wound that ever man had without the least grudge or loathing because he is accustom'd to it A new rais'd Soldier will tremble at the noise of a bullet whereas an old and well-train'd Soldier will never shrink or give ground tho' even Cannons were roaring about him and their bullets flying on every side of him because he is acquainted with such warlike entertainment 'T is even so with a wicked liver in the hour of his death tho' his Ghostly Father his Wife his Children and all his friends were round his bed breaking their hearts and bursting their lungs calling and crying unto him to produce one act of Contrition one sorrowful Peccavi one have mercy on me O Lord he will take no notice of what they say all their exhortations to him intended to bring him to dye a good death will be to no effect he had often heard the like or rather more pressing motives from Teachers and Preachers in their Pulpits yet his heart was Steel-proof to all their fiery words they could never make him think on his Salvation and therefore 't is but in vain to expect he will be sollicitous for it now when the Devil has him fast fetter'd when his heart is over-clouded with the darkness of his manifold and grievous Sins when his understanding is blinded his will altogether corrupted his senses decay'd and the whole commonwealth of his Body and Soul clear out of order by reason of their approaching and dismal separation Thou hast a very remarkable president of this in the old Testament there thou mayst read what wonders I had done in order to mollify the heart of Pharaoh Exod. 9.10 and bring him to a right understanding of his obedience and duty to me who am the powerfull and mighty Jehovah who depress at will and make subject the greatest Potentates of the whole World How I had slain his first-born for refusing to let go the People of Israel out of his Land how I made all the Rivers Streams Fountains Springs within his Dominions run with bloud for the same reason how I cover'd all his Realm with darkness and Frogs which were so numerous that they came in Swarms upon his Table and even into his Bed how I sent a grievous Swarm of Flies into his house and into all the houses of Egypt how I had plagued all the Inhabitants of the Land as also their Cattle which pestiferous Ulcers Boils of which they all died how I had rain'd down such a stupendious shour of Hail upon them as was never seen before or since in the world how I had spread over the whole Land of Egypt Locusts that devour'd and destroy'd all that the hail had left yet all these prodigies could not mollify the obdurate and rebellious heart of Pharaoh till at last my Justice took him to task and drown'd both him and his whole Army in the Red-Seas which was a passage they were to go through to take up their quarters in the unquenchable fire of Hell where they shall repent for an Eternity but to no advantage for their Souls If this discourse so well grounded upon Scripture Fathers and Reason Hos 13.9 as also upon so many presidents out of Holy Writ will not prevail with Sinners not to delay their conversion or put it off to their crasy years I have only this to say Perditio tua ex te Israel let their eternal ruine and the fatal loss of their Souls lie at their own doors However to let them know how much I thirst after their Salvation I will have thee
vapours of carnal affections which have in a manner lul'd her into a Lethargy And as thou wert created to enjoy the fellowship of Angels let these demonstrations of all my Favours to mankind in general and to thee in particular kindle such a fire of divine love in thy Soul as when she departs thy body she may ascend to Heaven in it's aspiring flames Nolite voeare vobis Patrem super terram unus est enim Pater vester in caelis Mat. 23. Hast thou not heard what I say in the Gospel to thee and to all men that ye should not rely upon them ye call Father on Earth for you have but one only Father who is in Heaven and is really so in a far more eminent degree then is either Carnal or Spiritual Father whatever For from him thou didst receive thy Soul by his immediate creation and whatever advantage thou hast of nature from thy Parents or from the Concurrence of any celestial and Second causes thou receivedst the same eminently from Him who is the Principal Authour of all things Sin only excepted Thy Philosophers confirm this for they tell thee that every prime and Original cause does influence the effect more then any second cause whatever Omnis causa prima plus influit quam quaecunque causa secunda Arist Ex quo omnis paternitas in Caelis in terra nominatur Ephes 3.15 If thou by all Laws Natural Divine and Positive art strictly commanded to love reverence honour and obey with all submission thy carnal Parents how much more oughtest thou to love honour adore and obey thy Heavenly Father who is the Original of all Paternitys as well in Heaven as on Earth and from whom all causes have their action their motion and their Fecundity The remisness and frequent failings of all mortals in this their incumbent duty gave me occasion to make this sorrowful complaint Malac. 1.6 the Son does hear his Father and the Servant does both fear and obey his Lord and Master If I be then the Father of mankinde where 's their love their respect and obedience to me And if I be their chief Lord and Master where 's their fear and dread of displeasing me and transgressing my commandments My Apostle seems to admire so great a neglect we have had says he Hebr. 12.9 for our Tutors Fathers of the Flesh and to those We have paid all submission and reverence and shall not We give a far greater respect to our Father in Heaven by whom and from whom We have our being and preservation If even the very Heathens accounted it a most abominable crime in Children not to obey their Parents or to despise them and not regard their commands and counsels and if in the old Law I have order'd all contumacious Levit. 20.9 rebellious and Avaritious Children to be even ston'd to death without any further Process how much more nefarious a crime it is to be refactory to the omnipotent God and Father and to be so great and so cruel a rebell to him as to crucify him every moment in his dearly beloved Son This is so hainous an offence that I can't but resent it and say by my Prophet will a man rob God of his honour and of all his Prerogatives this is the common injury which the generality of mankinde has done unto me for they have indeed rob'd me even the whole generation of them Hear O Heavens and give ear O Earth I have nourish'd brought up Children they have rebell'd against me The Ox knows his owner Esai 1 2 3 4.23 c. and the Ass his Masters crib But Israel does not know me neither does my People consider me Ah! Sinful nation that they are a people laden with iniquity a seed of evil doers Children that are corrupted themselves and greater corrupters of others they have all forsaken the Lord they have all provok'd the holy one of Israel unto Anger Their Princes are rebellious and the companions of Thieves Every one loves gifts and follows after rewards they judge not the Fatherless nor does the cause of the Widdow come unto them But I will ease me of my Adversarys and revenge me of mine Enemies then shall come the utter destruction and ruine of all Transgressors and Sinners and they that have forsaken me to follow the World and it's unlawful pleasures shall be wholly consum'd They shall be as an Oak whose leaf fades Psal 20 9. and as a garden that has no water They shall be as Tow and Fire and shall both burn together and none shall be able to quench their flames to fulfil the words of my Prophet I shall make them as a fiery oven in the time of my Anger I shall swallow them up in my wrath and the fire shall devour them A Check to MAN O Ungrateful man Gen. 2.7 hast thou not justly deserv'd these dreadful effects of my heavy indignation and Wrath for in the very exordium of the World I created thee to my own Image and likeness I have instructed thee in the Law of nature which thou wert to observe and to regulate thy actions by the dictates and Maxims thereof I have also printed the dictamen of Reason in thy Soul that thou might'st thereby discern betwixt good and evil truth and falshood the Creature and thy Creator But thou ungrateful Wretch and most unworthy of such extraordinary favours hast from the very beginning shaken off my Yoak broke my Chains and hast declar'd openly that thou wouldst no longer live submissive to my decrees no longer obey my Commands neither wouldst thou serve so good and so bountiful a Master but be a Tenant at will to embrace whatever was most pleasant to thy brutish passions and most charming to thy rebellious inclinations wherein thou hast transgress'd the agreement that had pass'd betwixt us broken the Contract violated the Law and hast cancel'd thy bonds wherewith thou hadst bound thy self and thy Descendents to the World's end to live upright faithful and obedient to my Will and to my Commands for ever And what was it that engag'd thee to incur the guilt of so horrid a crime the fear only of displeasing thy silly Wife O ingratitude never to be paralell'd What must a foolish and phantastical creature be honor'd and obey'd rather then I who am thy Omnipotent God and Creator I produc'd thee with a faciamus only out of the bowels of the Earth to make thee happy for an Eternity with the perpetual fruition and vision of my divine Essence but thou hast perferr'd before so immense and unspeakable a blessing a created Good vile in it's self tho' pleasant to the eye and sweet to the taste and what was it 'T is an eternal shame and an infinite disgrace for all mankinde to hear in mention'd 't was no less then to postpone me the Fountain of life and all my Glory for a Trifle an Apple Heavens are you not astonish'd that
by so doing thou shalt reign with God in his eternal felicity But if thou dost really aim at so glorious a conquest of thy self thou must make use of the means to attain it which are poverty frugality mortification pennance Fasting and humiliation thou must joyfully suffer derision injurys tribulation persecution Adversity Infirmitys Subjection and all things that are able to debase and depress thy old deprav'd man This is the only way to conform thy self to me who have suffer'd all that 's here rehears'd more too for thy love this is the way also to destroy thy proper love and to become a proficient in all sorts of virtue in humility patience meekness sobriety and Chastity in the love of God and that of thy Neighbour in pennance interiour peace and in all the gifts and fruits of the Holy Ghost In fine there 's nothing contributes more to the utter destruction of that curs'd and proper love then the continual mortification of thy sinful appetite and passions and the powerful hatred of thy self for he that hates his life in this World shall keep it to life Eternal The perfect abnegation of thy self together with the lively and cruciform imitation of me is a most exquisit and powerful means to expel it entirely from thy heart Jo. 12.15 If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross daily Luc. 11.23 and follow me for the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force Mat. 11.12 If thou wilt but learn to love thy self thus in God thou wilt be truly learn'd and wise but Alas the folly and perverseness of men is so great that they will not study this holy science they neglect this heavenly lesson and trifle away their time in riding or discoursing of terrene sordid and impertinent matters contrary to this good advice of the Wife Eccle. 3. think always of those things which God has commanded thee O Religious Man hadst thou imploy'd thy time faithfully in the serious consideration of thy incumbent duty to God and of thy main obligation to quit thy self intirely of that private and proper love which prevents thy increase in virtue and which is also the fatal fource of all disasters and crosses incident to thee in this World thou wouldst certainly enjoy plenty of ease and comfort in thy own mind and thy Soul would swim in the pleasant waters of my Grace thou wouldst also secure thy self from the eternal torments of Hell and purchase a most glorious Crown in Heaven Moreover thou must know that a Religious life is a state of perfection Non progredi regredi est and not to go forward therein is to go backward which is the utter perdition of thy Soul nay the Holy Fathers are of opinion that it is the highway to sempiternal damnation Now lay thy hand to thy breast and examine what progress thou hast made in this School of virtue if after so many years in Religion thou dost find thy self as prone to Pride Psa 26.12 to Vanity to Anger to impatience to foolish and idle words c. as thou wert before thy entring into it where 's thy glory where 's the fruit of all thy labours where 's the faithful performance of thy Vows Does not iniquity bely it self thinking thou art a Religious man when indeed thou art none at all thou only hast the name of one Thou appearest to be living Devisum est cor eorum nunc interibunti Osee 10. but really thou art dead Thy heart is divided and the World has the greater share thereof but what will follow thou shalt undoubtedly perish unless thou dost amend thy life I know thy works that thou art neither cold Apocal. 3.15 16 17. nor hot I would thou wert cold or hot but because thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot I will spew thee out of my mouth And because thou sayst I am rich and increas'd with goods and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable poor and blind and naked Such men do commonly think themselves to be upon very good terms with God and therfore are cock-sure of heaven but alas in the hour of Death they shall find themselves grossly mistaken 'T is a crime of the deepest die in a Christian Pro. 29.20 Ibid. 21.23 but 't is much more abominable in a Religious Person to be incessantly prating and uttering words at random it 's therefore the wise man says seest thou a man that is hasty in his words there 's no more hope of his correction then of a Fool 's he says in another place whosoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps his Soul from troubles But St. Jac. 1.26 James is more plain in the case for he says if any man among you seem to be Religious and bridles not his tongue but deceives his own heart this man's Religion is vain 'T is not the habit that makes the monk neither is it the transporting of thy Body out of the World into a Monastery that makes thee Religious as it is not thy being in the World that makes thee a worldling 'T is the heart that does it if that be fix'd upon God alone thou art a perfect religious man but if thy affections be settled upon terrene and transitory objects thou can'st lay no claim to the title of Religious nor to the least share of God's glory Another touchstone whereby thou mayst easily know whether thou art really a Religious Man Jo. 13.35 or not is if thou beest in Charity with all the World by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another Moreover this is my precept and it alone is enough to work thy Salvation Rom. 13. Pet. 4. If punctually observ'd because that all other Precepts are virtually contain'd therein It 's therefore St. Paul says Eph. 5.1 2. whoever loves his Neighbour fulfils the law and my supreme Vicar on Earth exhorts all mortals to have a mutual love one for th' other because Charity covers a multitude of Sins And the same S. Paul after his return from his sweet and mysterious conference with God in the third Heaven says be ye therefore followers of God as dear Children and walk in love as Christ also lov'd us and has given himself for us an offering and a Sacrifice to God as a sweet smelling Savour so ye ought to expose your lifes for your Brethren And St. Jerome in his Monastical Rule says St. Jerome in his Monastical Rule that Charity revives a man in God she alone compleats the Religious man and the Monk too without her Monasterys are Hells upon Earth and th' Inhabitants are Devils but with her they are Paradises and the Dwellers are all Angels By the Premises thou mayst see that Fraternal Charity is the fundamental Virtue of a Religious state ahd of Christianity too but alas if I