the Tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradice of almightie GOD The righteous shal neither hunger nor thirst heate nor sunne shall not hurt them for he that fauoureth them shal lead them and giue them drinke of the springing wells they shal eate drinke and be merry for very quietnes of hart yea their gladnes and theyr ioy shall continue for euer and euer The wise saith Daniell shall glister as the shining of heauen and be like the starres worlde without end My people saith God shal dwell in pleasant peace and safe holds shal haue continuall rest without disturbance Therefore when the Psalmograph did consider the excellent things that are spoken of the Citty of God and of the great Citty holy Ierusalem he cryed out O how amiable are thy dwellings thou Lorde of Hosts my soule hath a desire longing to enter into the Courts of the Lord. My hart my flesh reioyce in the liuing God for who can be delighted with the kennell of this life when he shall read what the diuine Egle the Egle of Diuines hath spoken of this cittie that it is pure golde like vnto cleare glasse that the streets are pure golde as shining glasse that the shining is like vnto a stone most precious as a Iasper stone cleere as Christall that the foundations of the wall are garnished with all manner of precious stones that the twelue gates bee 12. pearles that the keepers of the 12. gates be 12. Angels that the light is the gloty of God the lambe that the temple is the Lord God almightie and the lambe that the inhabitants be pure and that no vncleane thing entereth therein that the Records be the booke of Life that the water is a water of Life that the tree is a tree of Life and of the mimunities of the Cittizens that there shall be no more curse no night no need of candle nor light of Sun and that the estate of the Cittizens is this that they shall raigne for euermore Oh who would not willingly diue into the whitlpoole of deuouring Death and desire that the twisted feeble threds of our life would euery houre vntwine so that we might be receiued into this heauenly foeietie after the ioyfull diuorcement of Soule bodie Balaam wished that his soule might die the death of the righteous and that his last end might bee like vnto theirs the Prophet Dauid wished rather to bee a doore keeper in the house of God then to dwell in the tents of the vngodly one day in thy Courts is better then a thousand blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will alwaies be praysing of thee These ioyes might allure vs to raise our thoughts aboue the ordinarie leuell of this world and to say with Poule I desire to be loosed from this body of sinne and to bee with Christ no musicke should bee so sweete vnto our eares as the remembrance of death for death is our faithful conductor to this Ierusalem I haue oft wondered at the folly of our nature which doe so abhorre to heare the mention of our death yea euen aged men whose spring was past whose summer spent and euen arriued at the fall of the leafe and winter cullours had stayned their hoary head whose tired ship did beginne to leake and grate vppon the grauell of their graue yet how timerously they were amazed when they perceiued that the trumpet of death beganne to giue his last sound O foolish imbecillitie who would not willingly bee luiled in deaths slumbering fits and close vp the day of his life that from a mortall day hee may come to an euerlasting morrow It is they will say themselues the greatest delight and pleasure in this world to heare the Nightingales recount their tunes with daintie variety to see Valleis compassed about with siluer Riuers To see medowes enameled with eye pleasing flowers to see Gardens bedecked with roses and lillies and pleasant shades Or to heare the Lambs craue their Dams comfort with their bleting oratorie yet these be trifles from heauen you shall heare the Angells singing Alleluia which will surpasse the musicke of Nightingalls there is the Eden of content the Paradise of pleasure Will you haue pastures to pastime in Marke what Saint Gregorie saith pasma electorum sunt vultus Dei vbi erit perpetua latitia et securitas Dost thou delight in shepheard Lambs there is our watchfull shepheard Christ there is the Lambe of God crauing day and night for the comfort of our soules yet I will saile a little further into the broad Sea of these celestiall ioyes It will bee no small ioye vnto vs when our soules shall bee presented before the Throne of the most blessed Trinitie by the hands of the Angells and they placing them before the Tribunall seate of almightie God shall declare our good workes our almes deedes our prayers our fastings our innocencie of life our temperance in diet our crosses our tribulations torments iniuries and afflictions we haue suffered for Gods sake Saint Luke writeth that when holy Tabitha the great almes giuer was dead all the widdowes and poore people came about the Apostle Saint Peter showing him the coates and garments she had giuen them wherewith the Apostle being mooued made his prayer to almightie God for that so mercifull a woman and by his prayers he raised her againe to life Now what a ioy and gladnesse will it be to vs when the Angells shall rehearse our vertues and good deedes which wee haue performed in our lise Then shall wee fully perceiue the value of vertue there the obedient man shall talke of victories there shall the Kings come loaden with the spoiles of honor There shall the valiant men enter with triumphe which haue conquered sathan and all his deuises There shall the innocent Virgines enter which haue liued chastly in the world adorned with Garlands of Lillies and Roses There shall the whole Court of heauen imbrace with kisses religious bishops which haue beene watchfull shepheards ouer the whole flocke of Christ There shal the constant Martirs bee receiued which haue suffered martirdome for the Gospell There shal the aged men enter which haue with discretion and wisedome passed their daies on earth There shall the vertuous young men receiue there reward There vertue shal be honored according to her merrit Oh how sweete and sauorie shall the fruite of vertue then bee Sweet is the fountaine to the weary traueller sweete is rest to the tyred seruaunt sweet is the cold euening after a hote sunny day yet much more sweeter will it be to the faithfull seruaunts of almightie GOD and Saints of the heauenly Cittie to haue peace after warre continuall quietnesse after paynes ioy after trouble securitie after danger Then shal not the childrē of Israel neede to feare Pharao Then Mardocheus neede not feare proude ambitious Haman Then Iosephs feete shal not be pinched and hurt in the stocks Then the VViddowe of
Sarepta may cast away her cruse and her meale for shee shal be satisfied vvith heauenly manna Then may the blessed Father Saint Ierome take his rest who in his watchings made no difference betweene dayes and nights beating his breast in his deuour prayers and fighting against the violence of the old serpent Then Ieremy need not renew his tragicall note in his prophecie saying O that my head were a well of vvater and my eye-lidds fountaines of teares that I might weepe day night for the slaine of the Dangliters of my people Then may the stout harted Souldiers lay downe theyr swords and spears for there is a region of peace and a place of tranquilitie for euery one in that Cittie enioy the fruite of sweet peace That Citty is situated aboue all the Elements where no cloudes can arise no stormy winds can blow no tempetuous waues can come There is the lambe of God Christ Iesus embracing his deere spouse the Church saying My sister my spouse how fayre how pleasant art thou ô my Loue in pleasures thy lippes my spouse drop as honny combes Hony and milke is vnder thy tongue my spouse is as a Garden enclosed with Roses and Lillies ô Paradise of Gardens ô well of liuing waters ô my vvel-beloued thou art the fairest among women O ioyfull time when we shall see face to face Christ Iesus and heare the sweet communication betweene him and the Church his beloued Spouse Blessed are they saith holy Tobias that loue thee and enioy thy peace VVherefore Bernard might well say If any man should tast in his heart howe great the pleasantnesse of the heauenly reward is then euery thing in the earth will seeme bitter euerie comly thing shamefull and all ioy sorrowfulnes Also in another place he saith In comparison of heauenly ioy all pleasure is griefe all delights sorrow all sweetnes bitternesse and all honor horriblenesse VVherfore I will exhort all godly Christians with the graue sentence of blessed S. Augustine where he saith O man be feruent in the loue desire of Eternall life where euery action is without labor rest without idlenes praise without disdaine life without defect where there is no want but all superfluitie where there is no good hidden and no euill present Oh into what an Ocean of ioyes my ioyfull tongue leades me my eyes waxe dim at the sunne-shine of this glory my penne begins to tyre and yet I will not like a badde Historian speake of the meanest ioyet and cut of the course of the greatest happinesse Therefore my tongue mine eyes my penne each of them shall sing a part to make vp the harmonie of this excessiue felicitie It is an vnspeakable pleasure to a christian whē he shall arriue at this blessed hauen shall turne back and looke vpon the course of his nauigation wherein he hath sailed in the tempestuous sea of his former life whē he shall remember the waues where-with hee hath been tossed the rocks which he hath escaped the Pyrats namely the deuill and his Angels whom hee hath happily auoyded VVhen he shal cōsider this transitory world to be but a dungeon of sinners where the growth of Vertue is poysoned with the puddle water of penurie where rancor despight chiefely raigneth and all goodnes is ouer-whelmed in malice where vertue is a handmaide to sugred hypocrisie smooth malice hidden ambition smiling enuie wicked tyranny Besides when he shall behold so many thousand soules descending into hell and that it hath pleased the omnipotent King among so many millions of damned persons thou shalt be one of that predestinated companie which should obtaine such vnexpressable felicitie and glory Yea what a glorious sight will it bee to thee to see so many persons hauing on their heads golden Crownes and to see the Kingly seats of heauen filled vp and that Citty builded and the noble Ierusalem repayred againe Yea what a ioy will it bee to thee to see Archangells Angells the soules of Saints the companie of Martirs the Sunne the Moone the glistering Starres and all other things each one of them in their course and qualitie showe themselues obedient to his will giuing veneration glory and praise singing this sweete song praise and honor and power and glory bee vnto him that sitteth vppon the Throne and vnto the Lambe for euermore Is not this a glorious companie a ioyfull countrey a happy life who shall be these so fortunate and so happy that are elected for thee Happy shall I be if the remnant of my posteritie might come to see the clearenes of this Ierusalem To behold her gates wrought with Emeraldes and Zaphires and all the circuit of her walls built with precious stones her streetes paued with polished marble and in all her parts shall be sung Alleluia It seemeth a presumption to desire thee and yet I will not liue without the desire of thee for by the grace of God which grace I hope in Christ shall more and more daily abound in mee I purpose to refuse no labours paines and trauels so that at the end of my naturall life my soule may rest with my Redeemer Let tribulations afflict me let diseases molest mee let my daies be consumed with weeping and teares alwaies runne downe by my cheekes let mee alwaies drinke the bitter wormewoode water of aduersitie let lamentation and mourning alwaies accompanie me let me be persecuted with captiuitie Nay let my head be cut off with Iohn Baptist or let mee be stoned to death with Stephen yea let my eies be pulled out of my head or my flesh be torced with pincers let vexations poure downe as thicke as haile so that all that passe by may behold and see if there bee any sorrowe like vnto my sorrowe Yet all these griefes would I willingly sustaine if it would please my God that when pal◠death shall shut vp the eies of my body that my eies of my soule might still behold and looke vpō my Red emer And that when I shall bee stripped out of this mortall weede and turned both out of the seruice and houseroome of this world yet at last I may arriue at that blessed Hauen the celestiall Ierusalem there to be placed among the glorious company of the holy Angells and Saints receiue an immortall incorruptible crowne of glory For what will it grieue a man to haue a troublesome-night so that ioy commeth in the morning The Mariner will not regard a short tempest so that presently after the storm there followeth a quiet calme euen so should it seeme to vs. Although for a short season we suffer sorrowe in this world yet for that short sorrowe wee shall reape euerlasting ioy Therefore let vs constantly endure to the end of our sorrowes for he that endureth to the end shall be saued Would we not esteeme him a foolish man who would refuse to suffer patiētly the tortures of one moment so that after hee should inioy perpetuall happinesse VVell saith S. Augustine So
in store eate drinke and take thy rest VVho would endure the mocks and scornes of the world who would be rosted with Laurentius or martyred with the Apostles vnlesse they hoped that after the vessel of theyr bodies were seasoned in the wombe of the earth they should arriue at that blessed vndiscouered country where is no mediocritie of ioy no end of pleasure So then we Christians who are illuminated with the bright sunny beames of Christs Gospell wil reiect such Epicurian opinions of godlesse Atheists who belieue there is no resurrection no crowne of glorie remaining for them after theyr life is ended but S. Paul teacheth vs an other lesson For saith he if the dead be not raised then is Christ not risen if Christ be not risen thē our fayth is in vaine And in another place If in this life we haue hope onely then of all men we be most miserable So Iob saide when hee was ouerwhelmed with a sea of sorrowe I am certaine that my redeemer liueth and that I shall rise out of the earth in the latter day and that I shall be clothed againe with this skinne and see GOD in my flesh yea I my selfe shal behold him not with other but with these same eyes This poynt of religion concerning our resurrection the very Heathen VVriters haue approoued for thus Cato speaking to Scipio Laelius in Ciceros booke De senectute saith Doost thou thinke that I would haue vndertaken so great labors both by day and night both at home and at the warre if my glory should haue had the same limits which my life hath So Plato in his Booke De animae immortalit saith That the soule of man is immortall and that it shall liue in another world So Socrates when he did drinke the venemous poyson with which he should breake of the feeble thred of mortalitie said I am sure that my soule shall liue and that my body shall arise in the second neuer dying birth But why doe I spend my time in a matter so needlesse to be confirmed sith the scripture the oracles of wisdome be so plentifull of proues all VVriters doe defend this vndeniable veritie for who can denie but that there is a resurrection and a reward reserued for them which die in the Lord if that this life were the only Paradise where we should take our delights who would not desire a long life with Methusalah or store of wealth with Salomon or honor with Haman but wee that knowe this earth to bee nothing else but an element of sorrowe this world to be but a Hydra of renewing cares will not place our eternall affaires and treasures of heauen vpon the gliding streame of this vncertaine life For we are surely perswaded that after the houre glasse of this momentary life is runne out we shall be imparadized in heauen and made free Denizers in that celestiall Ierusalem whose ioyes and praises doe superabound all inhumaine inuention to comprehend for so sayth Saint Gregorie No man is able to tell how great the ioyes of the heauenly Cittie shall be Because as Saint Bernard sayth the dishes of the heauenly banquet are so great that they cannot be measured so long that they cannot be limitted so many that they cannot be numbred and so precious that they cannot bee esteemed Yet notwithstanding that those ioyes be inestimable and innumerable we shall be certaine to inioy them after this life is finished For so sayth Saint Paule when this earthly house of this Tabernacle is destroyed wee knowe wee haue a building giuen of God that is an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens there shall wee haue ioyes without measure pleasures without end We shall sayth Saint Augustine see without wearinesse we shall loue with-measure and shall giue praises without end Then shall Dauid tast how sweete the Lord is I am sure sayth hee I shall see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing These ioyes and the hope of the fruition of that blessed future life doth inbolden and harden a true Christian against his fatall houre willingly and ioyfully to leaue this world which is valles miseriae as Augustine sayth that hee may see the new Ierusalem that blessed companie of Angells whose glory whose praises whose blessednesse whose delights no tongue is able to expresse no heart to conceiue Yet that I might giue you a tast of those ioyes and as it were a shaddow of the Sunne shine of that glory which we shall possesse after the dissolution of our earthly bodies I will recite a few things which I haue reade in the Scriptures and in other places concerning the blessednesse of that happie life for the ioyes of heauen bee the onely causes which doe mooue and incite vs to liue godly in this present life For what doth make the laborer to worke but his hire The husbandman to toyle but the hope of a good haruest The Souldier to fight but the hope of victory and of obtaining of a Garland so in like manner what doth stirre vp mortall men to liue religiously and louingly to welcome the approach of death but only the confident hope of that hire which none of them by vertuall merrits shall deserue The hope of that good haruest wherein they shall reape all contentment of minde The hope of that wished victory and precious Garland wherewith they shall bee adorned and florish like Angelis These bee the true motiues and inducements which doe giue alacrity and bold spirits to vndergoe the pangs of death willinly and encourage and animate all timerous and fleshly minded persons to bee delighted and theyr eares tickled with musick in the daunce of death when they shall seriously consider they shal passe from death to life from mortalitie to immortality from miserie to ioy from pertill to securitie frō bondage to libertie from aduersitie to prosperitie and in fine from hell and damnation to blisle and saluation Howbeit that I may giue some kind of sauour and feeling knowledge thereof which may allure fearefull men cheerefully to expect and patiently to suffer the Iayler Death to lock vp the windowes of the prison house of theyr soules I intend heere to rehearse euen worde for worde what S. Augustine saith in one of his Meditations namelie the 22 meditation speaking of the felicitie of the future life O life sayth hee prepared by almighty God for his friends a blessed life a seeure life a quiet life a beautifull a cleane life a chast life a holy life a life that knoweth no death a life without sadnes without labour without griefe without trouble without corruption without feare without varietie without alteration a life replenished with all beautie and dignitie where there is neither enemie that can offend or delight that can annoy where loue is prefect and no feare at all where the day is euerlasting the spirit of all is one where almightie God is seene face to face who is the onely meate