this time the feare and terrour of the wicked shal be so great that as the Prophet Esaie saieth Esa 2.19 they shall seike the cliftes of stones and the hollowe places of the rockes to hide them selues therein for the great feare they shall haue of oure Lorde and of the glorie of his maiestie when he commeth to iudge the worlde To conclude this feare shal be so great Apoc. 20. that as S. Iohn saieth both the heauens and the earthe shall flye from the presence of the iudge and shall finde no place where to hide them selues Now ô ye heauens why doe ye flye awaie What haue ye done Why are ye afraide And if by the heauens be vnderstode the blessed spirites that are in heauen O ye blessed spirites that were created and confirmed in grace At the daye of generall Iudgmente euen the blessed spirites shal be afrayde to see so greate maiestie and indignation in Christe the iudge why doe ye flye awaie What haue ye done Why are ye afrayde Vndowbtedly they are not afrayde for anie daunger that is towardes themselues but they be afrayde to beholde in the iudge such a great maiestie and indignation the greatnes whereof shal be able to stryke all the heauens with terrour and admiration When the Sea is outragious and tempestious euen he that standeth safe vpon the shore is in a kinde of feare and admiration When the father goeth like a lion about his howse in punishinge his bond slaue his innocent sonne is also afraide although he knowe right well that his fathers rage is not bent against him but against the slaue Now what shall the wicked doe at this time when euen the iust shal be so greatly afrayd If the heauens flye for feare what shall the earthe doe And if those that be wholly spirite doe tremble and quake what shall they doe that haue bene wholly fleashe Esa 64. And if as the Prophet saieth the mountaines shall melt in this daie before the face of almightie God What stonie harde hartes then haue we that for all this be nothinge at all moued The holie crosse shall come before Christe the Iudge at the daye of generall iudgemente and be a witnes againste the wicked Math. 24.30 Before the Iudge there shall come that royall standarde of the crosse to be a witnes of the redemption and remedie which almightie God sent to the worlde and that the worlde woulde not receiue it And so the holie crosse shall there iustifie the cause of almightie God and leaue the wicked voide of al maner of comforte and excuse Then shall all nations of the earthe saieth our Sauiour weepe and lament and they all shall stryke and beare vpon their brestes O how great cause shall they then haue to weepe and waile They shall weepe because at that tyme they can neither doe penanceÌ„ nor flye from the iustice of almightie God nor appeale from his sentence They shall bewaile their sinnes past their shame present and the tormentes that are to come They shall bewaile their miserable happe their vnfortunat birthe and their cursed ende For these and manie other causes they shall weepe and waile verie bitterlie and as persons whollie dismayed and fettered in all partes and without all maner of comforte and remedie they shall wringe their handes and stryke theÌ„ selues vpon their brestes Our sauiour Christe the Iudge shall make a seperatioÌ„ betwene the good and the wicked Math. 25. Then shall the Iudge make a diuision betwene the euill and the good and place the goates at his left hande and the sheepe at his right hande O how happie and blessed shall those persons be that shal be though worthie to haue a place emonge those elected sheepe O Lorde I most humblie beseeche thee let me haue tribulation here in this worlde Punishe me here cutte me in peeces here burne me here so that I maie there be placed at thy right hande Then shall the generall iudgement beginne to be solemnised and the causes of each one shal be throughlie scanned and examined Accordinge as the Prophet Daniell writeth in these wordes Daniel 7.9 I stode saieth he attentiuely and I sawe certaine seates set in their places and the auncient of yeares sat downe whose garmente was white as snowe and the heare of his head like the pure wolle The throne wherein he sat was like flames of fier and the wheeles thereof like burninge fire And a riuer of raginge fire issued and came forthe from before him Thowsande thousandes were attendant to serue him and tenne hundered thousande thowsandes stode waitinge before him c. I behelde all this in the vision of the night and I sawe one comminge in the cloudes who seemed to be the sonne of man Hetherto are the wordes of the Prophet Daniell Wherevnto S. Iohn addeth and saieth Apoc. 20.12 I sawe all the dead both great and smalle standinge before this throne and there the bokes were opened and an other boke opened which is the boke of lyfe and the dead were iudged accordinge to the contentes in those bokes accordinge to their workes Beholde here deare Christian brother the measure whereby thou shalt be iudged Beholde here the taxe and prices whereby all thinges that thou doest shal be valued and esteemed and not by the fonde iudgement of the worlde which hath the false and counterfeit weightes of Canaan in their handes Osâ—â— 12. in whose ballance vertue and vice are iudged to be of smalle weight and accompte In these bokes are written all our whole lyfe and that with such care and diligence that a worde hath no soner passed thy mowth but it is foorthwith noted and set in his proper register But of what thinges trowe ye will the Iudge require an accompte of vs Of what thinges we must giue an accompte Iob. 31.4 O Lorde saieth Iob thou hast nombered all the steppes of my lyfe Certainly there shall not be somuch as one idle worde nor one onely thowghte whereof an accompte will not be required in that iudgement Yea Math. 12.36 and not onely of those thinges that we either thinke or doe but also of those that we leaue vndone of such thinges I meane as we are bownde to doe If thou saie at the daie of Iudgment ô Lorde I haue not sworne the Iudge will answere that thy sonne or thy seruant hath sworne whom thy dutie was to haue chastised and corrected And we shall geue an accompte not onely of our euill workes but also euen of our good workes with what intention and after what maner we did them Finally as S. Gregorie saieth S. Gregorie Math. 12.36 An accompte shall there be required of vs of euerie point and moment of our lyfe how and after what sorte we haue spente them Consideringe therefore that such a strait accoÌ„pte shal be required of vs how happeneth it that we that beleue this as a most certaine truthe doe neuerthelesse liue with such securitie and
which is the thinge that is of chiefest force to susteine the burthen of the lawe of God Ecclesiast 35. And therefore Ecclesiasticus saith He that keapeth the lawe multiplieth praier For whereas he seeth by experience that none can kepe the lawe of God by the obseruation whereof euerlasting glorie is obteined without the grace of God he helpeth him selfe by praier to obtein grace by meanes wheeof he maie be able to kepe the lawe of God The lawe commaundeth vs to be chast But besides this the holie Ghost addeth and saith by the wise man Vnderstanding that none could be chast Sap. 8. vnles thou o Lord diddest geue him grace for the same and it was a great grace to knowe of whose gifte this was I went vnto oure Lord and I demaunded of him this grace with all my hart Whereby thow maist see accordinge as we declared in the beginninge that the walle hath neede of a forewalle or bulwarke and the vessell hath neide of a cubbord to kepe it in and some vertues haue neede of other vertues to defend and garde one an other Now if this be true that thou arte bounde to kepe the lawe of God and not to commit anie deadlie sinne it is good reason that thou do seeke out all such meanes as maie helpe thee to kepe the same lawe and to preserue thee without deadlie sinne The which meanes although generally they be but of counsell yet sometimes they maie be of precept when the necessitie of exercisinge them as we haue said is so great that without the vse of those meanes the verie commaundementes them selues cannot be kepte and fulfilled as all the learned diuines do affirme Howbeit euerie christian that hath an earnest desier of his saluation owght not to expecte and delaie the seekinge for these remedies vntil the verie last and extreme danger when the knyfe is alreadie at his throte but he owght to make good prouision and to furnishe him selfe before hand by meanes of these for sayd spirituall exercises that he maie liue the more safe and secure from the perill of breakinge Gods commaundementes Againe I confesse that these meanes as we haue said do apperteine to the religious and to the laie people after a diuers sort and that praier and consideration it selfe which is one of these meanes must be vsed of them in diuers degrees For the religious person must exercise the same as a thinge appertening to his office and dewtie of his professiō because he walketh towardes perfection but the laie person must exercise it as a meane whereby he maie the better fulfill his bounden duetie of keping the commaundementes of almightie God And therefore the laye person must take so much of this medecine to witt of praier meditation c. as maie suffice to cure his disease and so much muste he take of these meanes as maie suffise to obtein his ende It is sufficient for the laye person to withdrawe him selfe sometimes for to enter and take an inwarde vewe within him selfe and then by meanes of these or anie other spirituall exercises and praiers to attende vnto the reparinge of his conscience and to the reformation of his life for considering that this is the greatest of all our busines it is requisite that this be not the last of our cares OF THE MATTER OF CONSIDERATION § XII HAVING now spoken both of the profit and necessitie of consideration and our hartes being nowe well affected herewith towardes this vertue lett vs beginne to treate of the matter of consideration which consisteth of certein godlie and deuout considerations which are of greatest force to induce vs to the loue and feare of God to the abhorring of sinne and contempt of the world For which purpose there be no considerations better nor of greater force and efficacie then those that are taken out of the principalle articles and misteries of our faith as the bitter passion and death of our Sauiour the remembrance of the terrible daie of iudgement of the horrible tormentes of hell of the glorie of heauen of the benefites of almightie God of our synnes and of our life and death For euerie one of these pointes beinge well weied and considered be able to prouoke our hartes verie much to all the effectes aboue mentioned These verie pointes S. Bonauenture hath treated in a boke that he intituled FASCICVLARIVS and hath diuided them into the seuen daies of the weke And thus he did that a man might haue euerie daie newe foode for his sowle and newe prouocations vnto vertue and so auoide the tediousnes that he should otherwise haue in thinking alwaies vpon one same matter And for this cause it seemed good vnto me to followe the same diuision which this renowmed and blessed holie father hath made who of all others hath treated most largelie of these matters And if there be anie that shall not well like of this diuision but will followe some other he is at free libertie so to doe and hath also examples to followe therein For it importeth not much what order and diuision he folow in the same And suerlie that is the best order The worde of god and the consideration of heauenlie matters be the foode of our soule to be vsed in these matters that each man fyndeth to be best for him selfe and wherein he taketh most profit and commoditie Moreouer I thowghte it expediente considering that the foode and sustenance of our sowle is the worde of God and the consideration of heauenly matters for therewith is our sowle susteined in the spirituall life which consisteth in the loue and feare of God that like as we geue ordinarily to our bodie his refection twise euerie daie to preserue it from feintinge in this life euen so we should also geue to our sowle her ordinarie refection twise euerie daie that she faile not in her life howbeit this is not a thinge of bounden dewtie nor of precept but onely of holesome councell espetially cōsideringe that the Sainctes haue vsed this exercise more often tymes For we reade Daniel 6. that the prophet Daniell with drew him selfe to this exercise three tymes in the daie Psalm 118. and the prophet Dauid also vsed to praise God seuen tymes in the daie After whose vertuous example our holie mother the Catholike Church hath instituted the seuen Canonicall howers of dailie seruice Here be two kindes of meditations assigned the one for the morninge and the other for the eueninge And for this cause haue we here assigned two kindes of meditations The one for the morninge which treateth of the most bitter passion of our redeemer and the other for the euening or night which treateth of the other pointes and matters here before mentioned But if anie man shall haue such want of tyme or of deuotion that he can not withdrawe him selfe vnto this exercise twise in the daie let him yet finde the meanes to withdrawe him selfe thereunto at the least once in the daie
trouble O how farre do these mattins differre from those which the orders of angells sounge at the same time in heauen vnto thee There they synge Holie Holie but here these caitifes crie out put him to death put him to death crucifie him crucifie him O ye angelles of Paradise that heard both these voices what thowghte ye when ye sawe him so despitefullie contemned in earthe whom ye honoure with so greate reuerence in heauen What thowght ye wheÌ„ ye sawe almightie God himselfe suffer such despites euen for theire sakes who did all this villanie vnto him Who hath euer heard of such a kinde of charitie that one woulde suffer death to deliuer the verie same persons from death that were the procurers of his death Assuredlie the malice of man coulde not anie further extende it selfe in committinge a more wicked deede than thus to presume to laie handes vpon almightie God him selfe neither coulde the goodnes and mercie of almightie God appeare more plainlie in anie thinge than in this that he was content to suffer such a cruell death for that verie creature that conspired his deathe The painfull greifes and turmoyles of this troublesome night were increased farre the more by the denyall of S. Peter For he Of the deniall of S. Peter who was so familiare a frende of our Sauiour he whom our Sauiour chose to see the glorie of his transfiguration and he who aboue all the rest of his Apostles was honoured aÌ„d chosen by our Sauiour Christ promised S. Peter in Math. 16. vers 18. that he woulde buylde his Church vpon him And in Luke 22. vers 32. he was bid after he shoulde repent his denyall to confirme his brethren And in Iohn 21. vers 17. Christ after his resurrection made S. Peter pastor of all his sheepe to haue the pincipalitie and cheife rule of the whole Christian Churche this verie cheife Apostle I saie first before all others not once but three seuerall tymes together euen in the verie presence of his Lorde and master sweareth and forsweareth that he knoweth him not and that he wist not who he is O Peter is he that standeth there by thee so wicked a man that thou accomptest it so great a shame onelie to haue knowen him Consider that this is a condemnation of him by thee before he be condemned by the high preistes sithence by this deniall thou geuest the worlde to vnderstande that he is such a maner of man that euen thou thy selfe doest accompt it as a greate reproche and dishonour vnto thee euer to haue knowen him Now what greater iniurie coulde be done than this Our Sauiour then hearinge this deniall turned backe and behelde Peter and cast his eies vpon that shepe which there was lost from him O looke of wounderfull vertue O silent looke but yet full of misterie and signification Peter vnderstode right well the langwage and voice of that looke and althowgh the crowinge of the Cocke was not able to awake his spirites yet was this able as indeede it did For the eies of our Sauiour Christe doe not onelie speake but also worke as it plainlie appeared by the teares of Peter which albeit they gushed from the eies of Peter yet did they much more proceide from the looke and eies of Christe Wherefore when thou shalt at anie time awake againe out of thy sinfull lyfe and with greife and sorowe call thy sinnes to minde wherein thou hast offended almightie God thou must vnderstande that this benefit proceideth from the mercifull eies of our Lorde which doe then looke vpon thee The Cockes had alreadie crowed but Peter remembred not himselfe because our sauiour had not as yet looked vpon him But when our Sauiour Christ looked vpon him then he remembred him selfe and repented and bewailed his offence For the eies of Christ doe open our eies and those are the eies that doe awake such as are a-sleepe The holie Euangelistes S. Mathew and S. Luke saye that Peter went out forthwith Math. 26.75 Luc. 23.62 Peter after his deniall of Christe wente forthewith out of the place and wepte bitterlie and wept bitterlie to geue thee to vnderstande that it is not enowghe for thee to be sorie and bewaile thyne offence but that it is requisite also to auoyde and eschewe the verie place and occasions of sinne For otherwise to lamente and be sorie alwaies for thy sinnes and alwaies to reiterate and commit the same sinnes againe is to prouoke alwaies the wrathe and anger of almightie God against thee And note well and diligentlie this poynt espetiallie A disciple of Christ must not be ashamed nor afearde openlic to confesse Christ and his Catholike religion that the principall sinne that Peter had committed was for that he shronke backe and feared to be accompted one of Christe his disciples and in this his doinge he is saied to haue denied Christe Now if this be to denie Christe how manie Christians trowe ye maye ye now finde in the worlde that doe after this sorte denie Christ Alas how manie be there at this daye that refuse to confesse their synnes to communicate to praye to talke of God and of spirituall matters to vse conuersation with suche as be good and vertuous and to suffer iniuries and trowbles because the worlde shoulde not the lesse estieme them or haue them in contempte for the same And what is this els but euen to be ashamed to appeare to the worlde to be a disciple of Christe and a keper of his commaundementes And what is this els but to denye Christe as S. Peter denied him when he was ashamed to be accompted his disciple What other thinge maie those that behaue them selues after this sorte hope and looke for at the dreadfull daie of Iudgment but that punnishement and sentence threatened by our sauiour Christe himselfe sayeinge He that is ashamed to be accompted my disciple before men Luc. 9. 12. Math. 10. Marc. 8.2 Tim. 2. the sonne of the virgin wil be ashamed to acknowledge him as one of his when he shall come in his maiestie and in the maiestie of the father and his holie Angelles HOW OVR SAVIOVR WAS BROWGHT BEFORE KINGE Herode and mocked and accompted for a foole by him and his cowertiers Si mundus vos odit scitote quia me priorem vobis odio habuit Johan 19.28 Aâ—tâ— Reges et praesides stabitis propter me in testimonium illis Marc. 13.9 VHEN this painfull and troublesome night was ended they led our Sauiour forthewith to the howse of Pilate the president And Pilate vnderstandinge that he was borne in Galilee sent him vnto Herode that was kinge of that countrie who tooke him for a foole and as such a one caused him to be appareiled in a white garmente and so returned him backe to Pilate againe Whereby it appeareth that our Sauiour was taken in this worlde not onelie for a malefactor but also for a verie foole O misterie worthie of great reuerence The
principall vertue of a Christian man is not to make anie accompte of the iudgementes and reputations of the worlde Our sauiour Christe is a good exaÌ„ple vnto vs not to make anie accoÌ„pte of the iudgementes and estimations of the worlde Wherefore thou hast here good Christian brother an occasion geuen thee whereby to learne this heauenlie philosophie and by this example to comforte thy selfe whensoeuer thou shalt see thy selfe to be vniustlie despised mocked and persecuted of the worlde For the worlde cannot doe thee anie iniurie nor beare false witnes against thee but it hath done the like vnto our Sauiour Christe before He was accompted as a malefactor and stirrer of sedition and for such a one they accused him before the iudges Luc. 23.2 and accordinglie demaunded sentence of deathe vpon him He was taken to be a nigromancer and as one possessed with a deuill Luc. 11.15 and so they saied That in the power of Bel-Zebâ—b he cast out diuelles Math. 9.34 He was taken for a glutton and great eater and so they reported him sayeinge Beholde this man is a glutton Math. 9.34 and a drincker of wyne He was taken for a man of euill behauiour Math. 11.19 Ioan. 8.48 Marc. 2.7 and as one that kepte euill companie sayeinge That he kept companie with publicans and sinners and that he did eate with them He was taken as one that was come of a wicked generation and of a nawghtie race and so they tearmed him sayeinge Thou art a Samaritane and art possessed with a deuill He was taken for an hereticke and blasphemer and so they said that he made him selfe God and forgaue synnes as God There wanted nothinge els but after all this to accompt our Sauiour as a foole and so is he now taken And that not of euerie common person but euen of the rufflinge nobilitie and gentilmen ye and of the chieffest counsellors magistrates and officers in kinge Herodes cowert And so they apparell our Sauiour like a foole that he might be also taken of all men for such a one O wounderfull humilitie of our sweete sauiour Christe O example of all vertu A singuler coÌ„fort for al troubled and persecuted Catholickes O comfort of all troubled and persecuted Catholickes Wherefore o thou Christian that art persecuted by Turckes Moores or heretickes for thy publicke zealous profession of the Catholike religion be of good comfort as a trewe Christian ought to be in bearinge patientlie and willinglie thy crosse in this worlde as a faithfull disciple of our Sauiour Christe And to the intent thou maist make the lesse accompte of the iudgmentes and estimations of the worlde and verie euidentlie perceiue how foolishe and franticke the worlde is in his sayeinges doinges opinions and iugmentes fixe thyne eyes vpon this liuelie purtraiture of all vertues looke vpon this generall comforte of all miseries and beholde here how the wisedome of almightie God is holden for follie vertu for vice truthe for blasphemie temperance for glottonie the peace maker of the worlde for a seditious disturber of the worlde the reformer of the lawe for a breaker of the lawe and the Iustifier of sinners for a sinner and a follower of sinners In all these goinges and comminges and in all these demaundes and answeres made before the Iudges consider diligentlie and note the constancie and modestie of our sauiour the grauitie of his countenance and the integritie of his minde which was neuer ouercome nor once dismaied for all these great conflictes And when he sawe him selfe in the presence of so many officers and Iudges sittinge in theire Iudgmente seates when he sawe him selfe in the middest of so manie iniurious villanies and furious blowes and in such a confusion of outcries and clamowrs thundered out vehementlie by the accusers and conspirers of his death when he sawe him selfe in such a thronge of outragious and cruell ennemies his death and Crosse standinge as it were presente before his face when our sauiour I saie sawe himselfe thus tossed and turmoyled vp and downe with so manye tempesteous waues and blusteringe stormes of all aduersitie and persecution it was wonderfull to beholde his constancie his patience and his temperance insomoche as what so euer he did or spake made a plaine demoÌ„stration of a noble harte and couragious minde in him There came no one bitter or sharpe worde out of his mowthe He neuer yeelded or submitted himselfe so much as to frame anie maner of supplication or intreatie to his ennemies for his life neither shed he anie one teare or made anie lamentation vnto them in that behalfe But in all pointes and respectes he obserued such a comelie grauitie and maiestie as was seemelie for the dignitie of so highe and worthie a personage What sylence kept he emonge so manie and those so false accusations How circumspecte was he in his wordes when so euer he spake How wiselie behaued he him selfe in all his answeres To conclude such was the forme and showe of his countenance and minde in these his trowbles that euen that alone with out anie further testimonie might haue suffised to iustefie his cause if the grossenes of theire wicked and malitious vnderstandinges had bene able to conceaue the highnes and excellencie of such a proofe OF THE CREWELL SCOVRGINGE AND WHIPPINGE OF oùr Sauiour at the pillar Communicantes Christi passionibus gaudete vt et in reuelatione gloriae eius gaudeatis exultantes 2. Petr. 4.13 § III. AFTER all these iniuries consider what scourginges and whippinges our sauiour suffered at the pillar For when the Iudge perceaued that he was not able to pacifie the furious rage of those his most cruell ennemies he determined to punnishe our sauiour with such a seuere kinde of punnishement as might suffice to satisfie the malicious outrage of such cruell hartes that they beinge contented therewith shoulde cease and seeke no more after his deathe This is one of the greatest and most wonderfull sightes that euer was seene in the worlde Who woulde euer haue thowght that whippes and lasshes shoulde haue bene laide vpon the shoulders of almightie God The Prophet Dauid sayeth Psalm 90. that the place of thy habitation o Lorde is most highe and that there shall none euell approche neere vnto thee he saieth that there shall no whippe be felt in thy tabernaele Now what thinge is farther from the highe maiestie and glorie of almightie God than to be villaynously whipped and scourged This is suerlie a ponnishement rather for bondslaues and thieues yea it was accompted generallie so vyle and infamous that in case the offendor were a Citezin of Rome though his offence were neuer so haynous he was thereby quitte and exempted from that most slauishe and villeynous kinde of ponnishement All which notwithstanding beholde here howe the Lorde of the heauens the creator of the worlde the glorie of the angells the wisedome power and glorie of the liuinge God vowchesafeth for our sakes to be
callinge to minde his wicked and synfull lyfe and how gladly he wishethe at that time that he had taken a better waie and what an awstere kinde of lyfe he woulde then determine to leade if he might haue time to doe the same and how fayne he woulde then enforce himselfe to call vpon almightie God and to desier him of helpe and succour Howbeit the verie paine greife and continuall increasinge of his syckenes and death will scarcely permitte him so to doe Consider then also those last accidentes and panges of the sicknes Of the pāges of deathe which be as it were the messingers of death how fearfull and terrible they be How at that time the sicke mans breast panteth his voyce waxeth hoarce his feete begynne to die his knees waxe colde and stiffe his nostrels ronne out his eies sincke into his head his countenāce looketh pale and wanne his tonge faultereth and is not able to doe his office finally by reason of the hast of the departure awaye of the sowle out of the bodie all his senses are sore vexed and troubled and they doe vtterlie leese their force and vertue But aboue all the sowle is then in most payne Of the greate payne ād agonie the sowle abideth at her departure out of the bodie and suffereth greatest greifes and troubles For at that time she is in a verie great conflicte and agonie partely for her departure from the bodie and partely for feare of her dreadfull accompte which is then to be made Because she is naturally lothe to departe from the bodie and she liketh well her lodginge and is in verie great dread to come to her accompt before almightie God Now when the sowle is thus departed out of the fleashe yet there remayne two voiages for thee to make with him the one to accompanie the bodie vntill it be layed in his graue the other to followe the sowle vntill her cause be determined And thou hast to consider diligentlie what shall become of eache one of these two partes Of the funeralles ād buryenge of the bodie Consider now in what plight the bodie is after the sowle hath forsaken it and what a worthie garment they prouide to winde it in and what haste his friendes and executors doe make to get him quickly rydde awaye out of the howse Consider also the funerals with all the other circumstances that are wonte to happen therein The often ringinge of the belles the goinge aboute of the belman cryinge vnto the people to praye for his sowle the questionynge in the streates one of an other who is dead the diriges and dolefull seruice of the Churche the accompanyinge of his corps to the Churche and mourninge of his wife children kynsfolke seruātes and friendes for him and finally all th' other particulars that are then wont to happen vntill the bodie be laide and lefte in the graue where it shall lye buried vntill it be raysed agayne by the terrible sownde of the trompet at the generall daie of iudgement And such is the great chaunge and alteration in worldlie affaires that it maie so come to passe as a time maie happen when some buildinge maie be made neare vnto thy graue be it neuer so gaie and sumptuous and that they maie digge for some earthe out of the same to make morter for a walle and so shall thy seelie bodie beinge now changed into earth become afterwardes an earthen walle although it be at this present the most noble bodie and most delicately cherished of all bodies in the worlde And how manie bodies of Kinges and Emperors trowest thou haue come already to this promotion Now when thou hast left the bodie in the graue what becōmethe of the sowle after it is departed out of the bodie goe from thence forthwith and followe after the sowle and cōsider what waie it taketh through that newe region whither it goeth what shall euerlastinglie become of it for euer and euer and what iudgement it shall haue Imagin that thou arte now present at this iudgemēt and that thou seest all the whole cowert of heauen to expecte the ende of this sentence Eccles 12. vers 14. Iob. 14.13 Iob. 31.14.23 where the sowle shal giue a particular accōpte and be chardged and dischardged of all that he hath receaued euen to the valewe of a pinnes poynte yea Math. 12.36 Math. 19.17 Rom. 2.6 1. Co. 4.4 1. Cor. 9.27 2. Cor. 5.10 Ephes 6.8 Philip. 2.12 Haeb. 9.27 1. Peter 4.18 2. Pet. 1.10 Apoc. 2.23 Apoc. 14.7.13 and as our Sauiour himselfe affirmeth of euerie idell worde There an accompt shal be required of his life of his lādes ād riches of his howseholde ād familie of the inspiratiōs of almightie God of the meanes and opportunitie he hath had to leade a vertuous and godlie lyfe and aboue all he shal be streitelie examined what estimation he hath made of the most pretious bloude of our sauiour Christe and of the vse of his Sacramentes And there shall euerie man be iudged accordinge to the accompt he shall make of the giftes and graces he hath receaued of almightie God THE THIRDE TREATISE WHEREIN IS TREATED OF THE consideration of death Where the former meditation is declared more at lardge THE consideration of death is verie profitable for manie purposes and espetially for three First for the obteyninge of true wisedome that is to knowe how a man ought to gouerne and frame his lyfe For as the Philosophers doe saie in thinges that are ordeined to anie ende The consideration of death causeth a man to gouerne and frame his life the rule and measure whereby to directe them is to be taken of the same ende and therefore when men doe either builde or Saile or doe anie thinge they haue alwaies their eie fixed vpon the ende which they pretende and accordinge to the same doe frame and direct all the rest of their doinges Now consideringe that emonge the endes and tearmes of our lyfe death is one of them whither we goe all to take our rest he that will endeuour to direct his lyfe in good order let him fixe his eies vpon this marke and accordinge to the same let him dispose and directe all his affaires Let him consider how poore and naked he must depart out of this worlde and what a strait iudgement he must passe at the hower of his death and how he shall lie in his graue all betroden and quyte forgotten of all men and accordinge to this ende let him consider how to frame and direct the whole order and course of his lyfe By this rule a certaine Philosopher gouerned and directed his lyfe that saied Naked came I out of my mothers wombe Iob. 2. and naked must I retourne againe to my graue To what purpose then shoulde I lose my time in purchasinge and heapinge together landes and riches seing nakednes shal be my ende For want of consideration of this our ende doe growe all our errours and
they went to finde the partye they sought for how amased and ashamed were they when they sawe how fowlie they were deceiued Now what thinge in the worlde coulde make a more liuely resemblance of the proces and deceites of our lyfe We all doe walke here in this worlde by the waie of our appetites and desires Some seeke after golde others to purchace lādes others to make great buildinges others seeke for pleasures and delightes others for offices and dignities and each one is fullie perswaded that he taketh the best and wisest waie to obtein the thinge he disiereth But when the terrible presence of death and the daunger of our accompt discouereth the vanitie of our hopes then findinge our selues to be in arrerages for our accompt we shall clearlie perceiue how fowlie we haue bene deceiued and we shall see that by followinge that waie whereby we thought to haue founde quietnes and rest we finde our perdition O what miserable men are we How blindly doe we now wander vp and downe in the worlde What eies shall we then haue How shall our iudgement be then altered How farre different shall it be from that it was before Then shall we playnelie see how all the thinges of this worlde are miserable her goodes false her waies crooked her hopes vaine her promises lyinge her pleasures bitter her glorie shorte and vaine Then shall we perceiue though to late how her riches were thornes and her delightes poyson To be short then shall we see how our eies haue bene closed vp and that we neuer knewe whither we went and at the ende of our iourney we shall finde our selues in the streites of Samaria and in the snare of the iudgement of almightie God and compassed about with all our enemies to witt the diuells and our sinnes O how shall the wicked be confounded at that howre and how fowly shall they see them selues beguiled How truelie maye euerie one of them saie at that tyme O miserable wretch that I am what other commoditie haue I now by all my pleasures past but onely that I haue prouoked at this dreadfull howre the indignation of the iudge against me who must geue sentence vpon me Now my pleasures are all ended and gone and there remaineth of them neither relique nor memorie to comfort me withall no more than if they neuer had bene yea contrariewise they remaine as thornes that lye prickinge all about my harte they make my cause doutfull they torment my wofull sowle now presently and peraduenture shall torment it euerlastinglie for euer and euer This is the fruit that I haue gathered of my dissolute and wanton lyfe and of all my carnall delightes This is the settinge of my teeth on edge that my gluttonies past doe cause me now to haue My pleasures and delightes haue now forsaken me They are quite gone awaie and will neuer retourne againe yea perhapps in steede of pleasures that cōtinued but a momente there are prepared for me euerlastinge horrible tormentes in hell fier Now what blindnes can be greater than this How much better had it bene for me neuer to haue bene borne than to haue offended him of whose helpe and fauour I haue at this presente so great neide How much better had it bene for me that the earth had opened and swalowed me vp before I had once thought to offend him O vnfortunat daie O cursed howre wherein I offended thee ô Lorde Why did I not consider beforehande of this dreadfull howre Why was I not sooner mindfull of this terrible iudgement How were mine eies blynded with so smalle a glimse Is this the waie that I tooke to be so certayne and sure Is this the ende that all the honours of the worlde come vnto What are all those thinges which I haue so greatlie estiemeed heretofore of so litle accompte at this presente Of the terrour of the deadfull accompt we must make at the howere of our death vnto almightie God of all our lyfe past § V. AFTER this griefe there followeth also an other as great as this which is the feare of the accompt that shall then be required of vs. This is one of the greatest troubles and greifes we shall haue at that time For besides this that it is so terrible a matter to enter into iudgemēt with almightie God the very deuils also and fyendes of hell will increase this feare at that howre which before they were wont to extenuate and diminishe vnto vs with the hope and coulour of gods mercie Then will they put vs in minde of the greatnes and profoundenes of the iudgemēntes of almightie God and of his iustice which they will then shewe to be so great that he pardoned not his owne onely sonne for the sinnes of others Luc. 23. If this then be done in greine woode what shal be done saie they in drye woode Then the wicked man shall beginne to tremble and qwake for feare and saie to him selfe O miserable wretche that I am If that be true which al the scripture reporteth to wit that almightie God will geue to euerie one accordinge to his workes what maie I hope to receiue at his handes that haue done so manie wicked workes If the Gospell saie Math. 6. vers 27. Rom. 2.6 2. Cor. 5.10 Math. 3.10 Math. 7.19 That the tree shal be iudged accordinge to the frute that it yeldeth What iudgement maie I looke for that haue brought forthe so manie wicked fruites If it be true which the Prophet saieth That none shall ascend vp to the hill of God vnles he haue innocent handes Psal 23.3.4 and an vndefiled harte whither shall I then goe that haue had such wicked handes and such a filthie harthe If the sayeinge of the Wiseman be true Prou. 28.9 That whosoeuer shutteth his eares and will not heare the lawe shall crie and not be harde what maie I looke for that haue had mine eares shutt against almightie God and yet haue had them so open to harken after lies and vanities of the worlde Wherefore ô my omnipotent God with what face shall I now appeare before thee and desire thee to geue eare vnto me seinge thou hast so often times called me and I woulde geue no eare vnto thee How can I request thee to receiue me into thy howse seinge thou hast so often times called at my howse and I haue shutt my gates against thee How shall I finde thee now at the time of my neede seinge thou hast had so oftentimes neede of me in thy poore and impotent members and hast not found me By what title or right maie I request thee now at the ende of my iourney to graunt me heauē seinge I haue spente all my lyfe time in the seruice of the deuill thine enemie O how iustly maist thou then ô Lorde saie vnto me Thou hast serued the worlde and the deuill get thee therefore vnto them and let them geue thee thy hyre The like answere made the Prophet Heliseus
sowle in a merueilous great conflict and agonie not so much for her departure as for feare of the howere of her dreadfull accompt approchinge so neare vnto her Then is the time of tremblinge and quakinge yea euen of such as be most stowte and couragious The blessed holie father Hilarion S. HilarioÌ„ as he was passinge out of this worlde beganne to tremble and feare and was lothe to die howbeit the holie man encouraged himselfe sayienge Goe forth my sowle goe foorth out of this bodie whereof shouldest thou be afraid It is threescore and tenne yeares that thou hast serued Christ and art thou yet afraide of death Now if this holie man were afraid of his passing out of this worlde who serued Christ so manie yeares what shall he doe who peraduenture hath offended him so manie yeares Whither shall he goe Whom shall he call vpon What counsell shall he take O that men vnderstode how great this perplexitie and anguishe is at this dreadfull howre Imagin now I beseach thee in what a dolefull case the harte of the Patriarke Isacke was Genes 22. when his father held him bounde handes and feete and had laide him vpon the woode to sacrifice him when he sawe his fathers glisteringe sworde ouer his heade and vnderneth him the flames of fiere burninge and the seruantes that might haue succoured him stayinge at the foote of the hill and he himselfe bownde handes and feete in such sort that he cowlde neither flie nor defende himselfe in what plight trowe yee was the harte of this blessed younge man when he sawe himselfe in so narrowe a strayte In what greate perplexitie the sowle of the wicked man is at the hower of deathe And surelie in farre greater perplexitie is the sowle of the wicked man at this dreadfull hower because he can tourne his eies on no syde where he shall not see occasions of great terrour and feare If he looke vpwarde he seeth the terrible sworde of the iustice of almightie God threateninge him If he looke downwarde he seeth the graue opeÌ„ euer gapinge and tarienge for him If he looke within himselfe he seeth his owne conscience gnawinge and bytinge him If he looke about him there be Angels and deuils on both sides of him watchinge and expectinge the ende of the sentence whether of them shall haue the praie If he looke backwarde he seeth his dolefull wyfe his littell younge children his poore seruantes his kinsfolke his freindes his companions his acquaintance his howse his landes and the goodes of this lyfe to remaine all behinde and are not able to succoure him in this his great distresse forsomuch as he must depart all alone out of this lyfe and they all must remaine still here To conclude if after all this he take a vewe of him selfe and consider what he is inwardelie he shal be wonderfully amased and afraide to see himselfe in such a daungerous and terrible state insomuch as if it were possible he woulde flie awaie euen from himselfe Nowe alas to depart from the bodie is a thinge intollerable To continewe still therein is a thinge impossible And to differre his departure anie longer will not be graunted All the time past seemeth vnto him but as a blast of wynde and that which is to come appeareth as it is in deede infinite Now what shall the miserable sowle doe beinge thus compassed and enuironed about with so manie straites O how fonde and blynde are the sonnes of Adam that wil not prouide in time for this terrible passage HOW FILTHIE AND LOTH-some the bodie is after it is dead And of the burâ—inge of it in the graue Eccle. 3â— 23 Eccle. â—â— â—◠§ VII LAST of all when this great conflict is ended the sowle is violently taken awaie from the bodie and departeth from her auncient habitation the bodie remayninge vtterly spoyled of all the beawtie and qualities it had Now let vs consider what lotte each one of theise two partes must haue First consider in what case the bodie is In what case the bodie is after the sowle is departed out of it after the sowle is departed out of it What thinge is more esteimed than the bodie of a prince whiles he is a liue And what thinge is more contemptible and more vyle than the verie same bodie when it is dead Where is then that former pryncely maiestie become Where is that royall behauiour and glorious magnificence Where is that highe authoritie and soueraintie Where is that terrour and feare at the beholdinge of his presence Where is that cappinge and kneelinge and speakinge vnto him with such reuerence and subiection How quicklie is all this gaye pompe vtterly ouerthrowen and come to nothinge as if it had bene but a mere dreame or a plaie on a stage that is dispatched in an howre Then out of hande the wyndinge sheet â—s prouided and brought forth The richest man in this worlde shall haue no more with him of all his gooddes at the hower of his deathe but onelie a wyndinge sheete Psal 48.17.18 which is the â—ichest iewell he maie take with him out of this lyfe And this is the greatest recompence that the richest man in this worlde shall haue of all his goodes at that hower I wâ—she this pointe were well considered by eâ—erie couetous man and by those that make their money their God whose blindnes and follie the Prophet reprehendeth in theise wordes Be not afraide when a man waxeth riche and when thou seest the glorie of his howse verie much multiplied and increased for when he dieth he shall not carie his goodes awaye with him neither shall his glorie goe downe with him Of the buriall of the bodye Then doe they make a hole in the earthe of seuen or eight foote longe and no longer though it be for Alexander the great whom the whole worlde coulde not holde and with that smalle rowme onelie must his bodie be contence There they appoint him his howse for euer There he taketh vp his perpetuall lodginge vntill the last daye of generall Iudgment in companie with other dead bodies There the wormes crawle out to geue him his interteinment To be short there they let him downe in a poore white sheete his face beinge couered with a napkin and his handes and feete fast bownde which trewlie needeth not for he is then suer enough for breakinge out of prison neither shall he be able to defende himselfe against anie man There the earthe reâ—eyueth him into her lappe There the bones of dead men kisse and welcome him There the dust of his auncesters embraceth him and inuiâ—e him to that table and howse which is appointed for all men liuinge And the last honour that the worlde can doe vnto him at that time is to cast a litle earth vpon him and to couer him well therewith that the people maie not feele his stinckinge sauour aÌ„d beholde his dishonour And the greatest pleasure that his verie deare and
spetiall friendes can doe then vnto him besides prayinge for his sowle is to honour him with castinge a handfull of earthe vpon him And therefore the faithfull people are wont to vse this ceremonie towardes the dead that almightie God maye dispose others to doe the same vnto them whē they shal be in the like case Now what greater confession and acknowledginge of our miserie can we diuise than to see how men doe preuent before hande that they may not want after their death so smalle a benefite as this is O greidie couetousenes of the lyuinge and great pouertie of the dead Why shoulde a man desire and gape after so manie thinges for this presente lyfe beinge so shorte as it is seinge so litle will content him at the howre of his death Then the graue maker taketh the spade and pykeaxe into his hande and beginneth to tumble downe bones vpon bones and to tread downe the earth verie harde vpon him Insomuch that the fairest face in all the worlde the best trimmed and most charily kepte from wynde and sonne shall lye there and be stamped vpon by the rude graue maker who will not sticke to laie him on the face and rappe him on the sculle yea and to batter downe his eies and nose flatte to his face that they maie lye well and euen with the earth And the fyne dapperde gentleman who whiles he liued might in no wise abide the wynde to blowe vpon him no nor so much as a litle heare or moore to falle vpon his garmentes but in all hast it must be brusshed of with great curiositie here they laie and hurle vpon him a donghill of filthines and dirte And that sweete mynion gentleman also that was wont forsooth to goe perfumed with Amber and other odoriferous smelles must be contented here to lye couered all ouer with earthe and fowle crawlinge wormes and maggottes This is the ende of all the gaie braueries and of all the pompe and glorie of the worlde In this plight doe all his freindes nowe leaue him lyenge in that strait lodginge in that earthe of obliuion and in that darcke prison where he shall remaine accompanied with perpetuall solitarines vntill the generall daye of Iudgment O worlde what is become of thy glorie O yee my howses landes and riches where is your power O my wyfe my children my freindes and kinsfolke where haue ye now left me How happeneth it that yee my olde freindes and companions doe so quickly forsake me and leaue me here in the earthe thus solitarie alone How chaunceth it that the wheele of my so great prosperitie and felicitie is so quickly ouerturned and defaced They that sawe Quene Iezabell when she was by the iust iudgement of God eaten with dogges 4. Reg. 9. when they sawe that there remained nothinge els of her bewtie but onelie her sculle and the extreme partes of her feete and handes those I saie that had knowen her before in so greate flourishinge and royall estate and sawe her at that time in such a miserable plight wonderinge at that so great alteration and chaunge demaunded and saied Haeccine est illa Iezabel Is this that Iezabell 4. Reg. 9.37 And as manie as passed by that waie and behelde her thus eaten with dogges repeted the same exclamation merueylinge at so great a chaunge and saied Is this that Iezabell Is this that great Quene and Ladie of Israëll Is this she that was so mightie that she vsurped and seased the landes and goodes of her subiectes by sheedinge of their bloude Is death able to bringe the mightie and puissaunte Princes to such a base and miserable calamitie Now therefore my deare brother goe downe I praie thee with thy spirit into the graues and Sepulchers of such Princes and great noble personages as thou hast either harde of or knowen in this worlde and consider what a horrible and deformed forme of their bodies is there to be seene And thou shalt see that thou hast good cause to make the like exclamation and to vse the same wordes and saie Is this that Iezabell Is this that amiable face which I knewe so faire and liuelie Are these those eies that were so cleare and brighte to beholde Is this that pleasaunt rowlinge tongue that talked so eloquently and made such goodlie discourses Is this that fyne and neyte bodie that was so trimlie pollished and adorned Is this the ende of the maiestie of Princes scepters and roiall crownes Is this the ende of the glorie of the worlde O how often times saieth a Wise man hath it bene my chaunce to enter into the sepulchres of some dead bodies where wonderinge or rather beinge greatlie astonied at the sight that I sawe I fixed mine eies aduisedlie vpon the shape of the dead corps I sette the bones in order I ioyned the handes together and sette the lippes in their proper places and spake thus secretlie to my selfe Beholde these feete that haue trauayled such crooked pathes and waies These handes also that haue committed so manie wicked actes These eies that haue behelde so manie vanities This mouth that hath eaten and deuoured so manie delicate and superfluous meates Beholde this sculle of his head that hath built so manie vaine castels and towers in the aier This dust and filthie skinne for whose pleasure and delight he hath committed so many sinnes and wickednes and for which cause the sowle of this bodie doth and shall perhappes suffer euerlastinge horrible tormentes in hell fier This done I departed out of that place wholy astonied and amased and meitinge with certain persons both men and women yonge and olde I behelde them likewise and considered that both they and I shoulde shortelie appeare in the like vglie forme and sieme as vyle and lothsome to beholde as those dead bodies are now presentelie Wherefore what a fonde wicked wretche am I to liue in suche wise as I doe To what ende is my purchasinge ād heapinge together of lādes and riches ād my buildinge of such sumptuous howses seinge I shall shortly be here so poore and naked To what ende are my gaie braueries and gorgious ornamentes in my apparell and furniture of howsholde stuffe seinge I shall shortly be here so filthie and lothsome to beholde To what ende are my delicate disshes my sugered sawces and deyntie fare seinge I shall shortly be here meate for the wormes and maggottes of the earthe Of the waie that the sowle taketh after it is departed out of the bodie And of the dreadfull iudgment and sentence that shal be geuen vpon it at that time § VIII Note that there be two iudgemētes one is at the hower of euerie mās deathe which is called the particular iudgemente And the other is at doomesdaye which shal be the vniuersall iudgmente of all mankinde together S. Bernarde LET vs now leaue the bodie lyinge thus buried in the graue and let vs see what waie the sowle taketh throughe that newe worlde which is
before the generall daie of iudgemente Secondly consider what fearefull and terrible signes shall goe before this daie For as our Sauiour saieth Before the comminge of this daie there shal be signes in the Sonne in the Moone and in the Sterres and in all creatures both of heauen and earthe For they shall all haue as it were a certayne feelinge and vnderstandinge of their ende Luc. 21.25 before they come to their ende in deede And shall tremble and quake and beginne to falle before they falle in deede But as for men they shall saieth he goe vp and downe drie and withered Luc. 21.26 in great anguishe and feare of death hearinge the terrible roringes of the Sea and seinge the great outragious stormes and tempestes that shall then be stirringe And by those dreadfull signes they shall coniecture what great calamities and miseries are threatened to the worlde And in this wise shall they goe wholy amased and astonied their faces pale and wāne theyr hartes dead before deathe come and as persons condemned before the sentence be geuen For they shall measure the perilles and daungers to come by the greate feare and terrour they be presentelie in And euerie one shal be so throughlie occupied with his owne affaires that none shall thinke of others no not so much as the father of the sonne or the sonne of the father No man shall haue to doe for anie other man because no man shal be sufficient for himselfe alone The Sibilles doe affirme that at that time the beastes shall goe bellowinge and roringe throughe the feildes and cities and that the trees shall sweate bloude and that the Sea shall cast vp the fisshes on the drie grounde But if this seeme incredible to anie man let him consider that there is much more spoken in the gospell For it is a greater matter for men to be dried vp Luc. 21. than for the sea to be dried vp And it is a greater matter that the vertues of the heauens shoulde be moued than that all creatures in the earthe shoulde be altered Thirdlie consider that vniuersall floude of fier Of the cōminge of the floude of fier before the Iudge and of the dreadfull sownde of the trompette at the generall Iudgment Nahum 1. that shall come before the iudge and that dreadfull sownde of the trompett which the Archangell shall blowe to sommon and calle all the generatiōs of the worlde to assemble together in one place and to be present at their generall and vniuersall iudgemente And aboue all this consider with what a dreadfull maiestie the Iudge shall come Whos 's comminge is described by the Prophet Nahum in these wordes Our Lorde shall come like a tempest and furious whyrlewinde and the clowdes are the dust of his feete He shal take indignation against the Sea and it shall waxe drie and all the riuers of the earthe shal be dried vp The hill Basan and Carmelus shal be withered and the floure of the mounte Libanus shall fade and falle awaye The mountaines shall qwake before him and the hilles shall melte The earth shall tremble at his presence and the worlde and all the inhabitantes thereof Who shall stande before the face of his indignation And who shall abide the fearcenes of his furie His wrathe shal be poured out like a fire and the verie rockes shall become dust before him Of the straite accompte that shall then be required of euerie mā Iob. 4. Iob. 31. After this consider what a strait accompte shal be there required of euerie man Verelie saieth Iob no man can be iustified if he be compared with almightie God and if he contende with him in iudgment of a thousande thinges that he shall charge him withall he shall not be able to answere vnto one Now then what shall euerie wicked person thinke at that tyme when almightie God shall enter with him in this examination How almightie God shall then accuse the wicked within their owne consciences ād shal there within his owne cōsciēce saie thus vnto him Come hither thou wicked and naughtie man What hast thou seene in me that thou shouldest thus despise me and goe to myne enemies syde I haue raised thee from the dust of the earthe and created thee after myne owne image and likenes I haue geuen thee vertue and strengthe wherewith thou mightest haue obteined my glorie But thou despisinge the benefites and commaundementes of lyfe which I haue geuen thee wouldest rather followe the lies of the deceiuer than the holesome counsell of thy Lorde and creator To deliuer thee from this foule falle I went downe from heauen into earth where I suffered the greast paynes tormentes and reproches that euer were suffered in the worlde For thee haue I fasted for thee haue I traueyled from place to place for thee haue I watched laboured and sweate droppes of bloude for thee haue I suffered persecutions scourginges blasphemies reproches buffettinges dishonours tormentes and euen deathe it selfe vpon the crosse To be shorte for thee I was borne in much pouertie for thee I liued in great paine for thee I died with intollerable tormentes and greifes Witnes hereof are this crosse and nailes which thou here now seest Witnes hereof are these woundes both of my handes and feete which are here to be seene in my bodie Witnes hereof are heauen and earthe before whom I suffered Witnes hereof are the sonne and moone which were eclipsed at the same howre Now what hast thou done with this thy sowle which I with the sheedinge of myne owne bloude purchased to be mine In whose seruice hast thou emploied that which I bought so dearly O foolishe wicked and adulterous generation why wouldest thou rather serue thy enemie with paine than me thy creator and redeemer with ioye Be yee astonied ô ye heauens at this straunge case and let your gates falle downe at the straungnes hereof Ierem. 2. For two abhominations hath my people committed They haue forsaken me that am the fountaine of liuely water and refused me for an other Barrabas I called yow verie oftentimes and ye woulde not answere me I knocked at your gates and ye woulde not awake I stretched out my handes on the crosse and ye woulde not beholde them Ye haue despised my counsels with all my promises and threatninges Wherefore speake ye now ô ye Angels be you iudges betwene me and my viniarde what coulde I haue done more for it than I haue done Now what answere can the wicked make hereunto Let the wicked prouide what answere to make here vnto now whiles they haue tyme in this worlde Such as be scoffers at holie and diuine thinges Such as be mockers of vertue Such as be despisers of simplicitie Such as make more accompte of the lawes and statutes of the worlde than of the lawes of almightie God Such as haue bene deaffe to heare the callinges of God vnsensible to vnderstande his inspirations rebellious against his commaundementes obdurate and
vnthankfull for all his chastisementes and benefites What can they saie What answere will those persons make that haue liued in such sorte as if they had beleeued that there were no God And such as haue made none accompte of anie other lawe but onely how to procure their owne worldly interest and commoditie What will ye doe saieth the Prophet Esaie in the daie of the visitation and calamitie Esa 10. that shall come vpon you from afarre Vnto whom will ye flye for succour and helpe What shall the glorie and aboundance of your landes and riches at that tyme auaile you but that yee maie be caried awaye prisoners into hell and there falle emonge the deade After all this consider the terrible sentence which the Iudge shall thunder out against the wicked And that dreadfull sayeinge Of the terrible sentēce that the iudge shall then giue againste all the wicked which shall make the eares of all that shall heare it to glowe and tingle His lippes saieth the Prophet Esaie are full of indignation and his tonge is like a consuminge fier What fier shal burne so hoat as those wordes Esa 30. Departe from me ye cursed into the euerlastinge fier Math. 25. This is the most terrible sayeinge that can be saied to a creature For by this departure and separation is vnderstode the paine which the diuines calle Penam damni that is the losse of all losses Which is a vniuersall spoile of all thinges and a depriuation of that cheiffest goodnes to witt of almightie God in whom all good thinges doe consist Now whither shall those cursed wicked persons goe ô Lorde that shall depart from thee In what hauen shall they arriue What master shall they serue Ierem. 17. Whosoeuer they be that shall departe from thee shal be written in earthe because they haue forsaken the vaine ād springe of the water of lyfe which is almightie God The greatest punnishement that the Romaines vsed to put a Citizen vnto for certein greiuous offences was to bannishe him out of the noble cittie of Rome and to cōfine him into some Ilande aparte emonge some Barbarous natiō Now if it were thought so great a punnishement to be bannished out of the cittie of Rome what a punnishement shall this be to be bannished out of the companie of almightie God and of all his electe Yea and to be bannished for euer and euer into the companie of Satan and of those Barbarous helhowndes Depart from me saieth Christ ye cursed Math. 25. As if he shoulde saie I haue inuited you with my blessinge and ye would not come now therefore take ye my curse to your despite The wicked man saieth the Prophet loued maledictiō Psal 108.18 and it came vpon him and he refused the blessinge that almightie God offered vnto him and therefore it shal be kept farre enoughe from him Math. 21.19 Our Sauiour Christ cursed the figtree Marc. 11.14 and immediatle not onelie the leaues but euen also the bodie and routes of the tree withered awaie so as it neuer brought frute anie more In like maner shall those miserable damned persons be accursed and vtterlie depriued of all hope of saluation and of all frute and merite for euermore But whither doest thou sende them ô Lorde Vnto euerlastinge fyer O what a bedde is this for delicate and tender persons Esa 33.14 Which of you saieth the Prophet is able to dwell in the burninge fyer Which of you is able to continewe in the euerlastinge flames What greater curse and malediction can there be than this What calamitie what sentence what aduersitie maie be compared with the onely shadowe of this Esa 34. This is that terrible and fearfull fier which the Prophet Esaie settethe forthe in these wordes The streames thereof shal be turned into meltinge pitche and the dust of the earthe into sulphure and brimstone and the verie earthe of it shal be whollie burninge pitche It shall not be quenched nighte nor daie The smooke of it shall goe vp euermore It shall be desolat from generation to generation No man shall euer passe throughe it THE FOVRTHE TREATISE OF THE CONSIDERATION OF the generall daie of iudgemente wherein the former meditation is declared more at lardge GREAT are the effectes vndoubtedlie which the feare of God worketh in the sowle Who so feareth God saieth Ecclesiasticus it shall goe well with him at his last ende Eccles 1.13 and on the daie of his death he shal be blessed Eccles 25.13 And in an other place he saieth How great is that man that hath atteined vnto wisedome and knowledge but be he neuer so great he is no greater than he that feareth God For the feare of God hath placed his seate aboue all thinges Blessed is that man to whom it is geuen to feare our Lorde He that hath this feare with whom shall we compare him For the feare of God is the beginninge of his loue All these be the wordes of Ecclesiasticus Whereby it appeareth plainly The feare of God is the beginnynge of the loue of God that the feare of God is the beginninge of all goodnes sithence it is the beginninge of his loue And it is not onely the beginninge but also the keie and preseruation of all good thinges As S. Bernarde witnesseth sayeinge I knowe this for a most certaine truth S. Bernarde that there is no thinge of so great force and efficacie to kepe vs in the grace of God as to liue at all times in the feare of him and to eschewe alwaies all maner of prowde and presumptuouse thoughtes Now to obteine this so pretious a Iewell it auayleth very muche to occupie our minde in the consideratiō and continuall remēbrance of the iudgemēte of almightie God The consideration and continual remēbraunce of the iudgementes of almightie God will helpe vs to obteine the feare of God and aboue all other thinges in the cōsideratiō of that supreme and final general iudgemēt that shal be geuē in the ende of the worlde This iudgement is the most dreadfull thinge of all that the holie scriptures declare vnto vs. For the thinges that are there signified vnto vs of this daie are so terrible that were it not that almightie God himselfe reported them they woulde seime altogether incredible And therefore our Sauiour after he had preached and set out certaine of thē to his disciples the greatnes of thē was such that they seemed to exceide the cōmon credulitie and faith of men in regarde whereof he ended the matter with this affirmatiō Marc. 13. sayeinge Verily verily I saie vnto you that the worlde shall not ende before all these thinges be fulfilled For heauen and earthe shall faile but my worde shall neuer faile It is written in the Actes of the Apostles Act. 24. that when S. Paule preached before the president of Iudea of the terrible thinges of this daie the same president beganne to tremble and
of the horrible roringes and noyces of it which shal be so extremelie outragious that they shal be hearde manie myles of In what a pittiefull case then I praie you shall men be in these daies How shall they be astonied confounded yea vtterlie bereued of their senses of their speach and of their tast of all thinges Luc. 21. Our Sauiour saieth that at this time the people shal be in great anguishe and distres and that men shall goe as thoughe they were withered and dried vp and had no lyfe in them by reason of the great feare of those thinges that shall happen to the worlde Then shall they saie one to an other What meaneth this What doe these terrible prognostications signifie What will the worlde at the length bringe forthe that it now swelleth and rageth in such furious wise What shall the ende be of all these so great tossinges and alterations of all thinges Now after this sort shall men goe vp and downe sore afraide and dismaide their hartes failinge them and carienge their armes a crosse and one of them lokinge pittiefullie vpon an other And they shal be in so great dread and feare beholdinge one an other to be so farre chaunged and disfigured that euen that alone were enoughe to dismaie thē although there were nothinge els to be feared All occupations and trades of the worlde shall then ceasse euerie where and so shall in like maner all studie and desire of purchasinge and gayninge For the greatnes of the feare shal holde mens hartes so throughly occupied that they shall not onely forget these thinges but they shall also forget euen to eate and drinke and to doe suche thinges as are necessarie for the maintenance and sustentation of their liues Their cheifest care shal be where to seike out sure and safe places to defende them selues from earthquakes and from the tempesteous stormes of the aier and from the inundations of the Sea And so men shall goe to hyde themselues in the caues and dennes of wylde beastes And the wylde beastes shall seike likewise to saue them selues in the lodgynges and howses of men And so all thinges shal be tossed and turmoiled vpside downe and be full of terror and confusion The present calamities shall afflicte them verie sore but the greate dread and feare of those that are to come shall vexe them worse because they knowe not what the ende shal be of such dolefull and lamentable beginninges I wāte wordes to declare this matter as it were requisite to be declared And all that is saied is much lesse then that which shal be in deede We see euen now by experience when anie outragious tempest riseth in the Sea or when anie stormy whirlwinde or earthquake happeneth vpon the lande how wonderfullie men are dismaide how they tremble and be astonied and how bothe their strengthe and wittes doe faile them Now then when the heauen the earthe the Sea and the aier shal be whollie distempered and disordered when in all regions and elementes in the worlde there shal be peculiare stormes and tempestes when the Sonne shall threaten with mourninge the Moone with bloud and the Sterres with their fallinges who shal be able to eate Who shal be able to sleepe Who shal be able to take so muche as one minute of rest beinge compassed on each side with so manie outragious stormes and tempestes O how miserable and vnhappie is the state and condition of the wicked who are threatened with all these fearefull prognostications And contrariewise how blessed is the state of the good and Godlie vnto whom all these thinges are fauours comfortes and good tidinges of the happie prosperitie so neare at hande approchinge then vnto them How ioyefully shall they then singe with the Prophet God is our refuge Psalm 45. and our strengthe and therefore we will not feare thoughe the whole earthe be tossed and tormoyled and the mountaines be remoued and falle into the bothome of the Sea Luc. 21.30.31 Like as you vnderstande saieth our Sauiour when the figge tree and all other trees beginne to blossome and to bringe fourthe their frute that then the springe time draweth neare at hande euen so when ye shall see these thinges come to passe then maie ye perceiue that the kingedome of God is at hande Then maie ye open your eies and lift vp your head because the daie of your redemtion approcheth How ioyefull shall the good and vertuous then be How well shall they thinke all their trauels and labours employed And contrariewise how woefull and sorowfull shall the wicked be and how sore shall they then condemne all the steppes and waies of their sinfull liues Of the ende of the worlde and of the resurrection of the dead § III. AFTER all these signes shall the comminge of the Iudge approche neare at hande before whom there shall goe an vniuersall floude of fire There shal be an vniuersall floude of fyer before the comminge of the Iudge which shall burne and consume to ashes all the glorie of the worlde This fire shal be to the wicked a beginninge of their paine to the good a beginninge of their glorie and vnto them that haue not made full satisfaction it shal be a purgatorie for their offences Then shall all the glorie of the worlde haue an ende Then shall the mouinges of the heauens the course of the planettes and the generation of thinges ceasse Then shall the varietie of times with all other thinges that depende of the heauens haue an ende And so S. Iohn writeth in the Apocalippes Apoc. 10. That he sawe a mightie Angell clothed with a bright cloude His face was like the sonne he had a rainbow for a crowne on his head his feete were like pillers of fier of the which one he sette on the Sea and th' other vpon the lande And he saieth that this Angell lifted vp his arme towardes heauē and sware by him that liueth euerlastinglie worlde without ende that from thenceforthe there shoulde be no more time That is to saie that there shoulde be no mouinge of the heauens nor of anie other thinge that is gouerned by them And which is more than all this no place of penance nor anie time to merite or demerite for the lyfe to come After this fyre there shall come as the Apostle saieth an Archangell with great power 2. Thes 4. and maiestie and he shall sownde a trompette to wit At doomes daye an Archangell with the sounde of a trompette shall sommon all nations to come to the generall iudgmente a great and terrible voyce whose sounde shal be hearde ouer all the partes of the worlde and with this trompette he shall summon all nations to come to the generall iudgemente This is that fearfull voyce whereof S. Ierome speaketh sayeinge Whether I eate or drinke or whatsoeuer I doe me seemeth alwaies that I heare that voyce soundinge in mine eares which shall saie rise vp all yee that are
dead and come to iudgemente Who shall appeale from this sommons Who shal be able to auoide this iudgment Whose hart shall not tremble and quake for feare at the terrible sownde of this voyce This voyce shall take from death all her spoiles and cause her to restore againe all that she hath taken awaye from the worlde And so S. Iohn saieth that then The Sea shall restore the dead bodies which it hath had Apoc. 20. And likewise both death and hell shall restore all those bodies that they haue Now what a wounderfull sight shall that be to see the Sea and the earthe to bringe forthe in all partes such varietie of bodies and to see so manie huge armies and so manie sortes and diuersities of nations and people assemble together There shall the Alexanders appeare There the Zerxes and Artaxerxes There the Dariies and the Emperours of Rome and the most mightie Kinges and puyssante Princes of the worlde with an other maner of habite and behauiour and with other kinde of thoughtes much differinge from those that they had in this lyfe To be shorte there shall all the children of Adam meete together euerie one to geue vp an accompte of his owne lyfe and to be iudged accordinge to his workes There shal be a greate difference at the daye of resurrection betweene the bodies of the iust ād the bodies of the wicked Howbeit althoughe all persons shall rise agayne at that daye neuer to die anie more yet shall there be a great differēce betwene bodies ād bodies For the bodies of the iust shal rise verie bewtifull and bright like the Sonne But the bodies of the wicked shall rise verie darke and filthie euen like vnto death it selfe Now what a great ioye shall it be then vnto the sowles of the iust to see their desire now fullie accomplished What a ioye shal it be to see thē selues after so longe a banishement to be vnited and ioyned euerlastingly in cēpanie with their most deare and louinge brethern With what ioye maye the sowle saie then vnto the bodie O my bodie Of the ioyefull meeting of the sowles and bodies of the iust at the daye of generall iudgemēte and faithfull companion that hast holpen me to gaine this crowne that hast so oftentimes fasted watched and suffered with me the painfull strookes and lashes of discipline the trauell of pouertie the crosse of penance and the contradictions and reproches of the worlde How often times hast thou spared the meate from thine owne belly to geue it to the poore How often hast thou lacked clothes thy selfe to clothe the naked How often hast thou renounced and lost thine owne right and title for that thou wouldest not breake peace and be at discention with thy neighbour Wherefore it is meete that thou shouldest now be partaker of this heauenly treasure seinge thou hast holpēme to gaine the same And it is meete that thou shouldest be my companion in this my glorie seinge thou hast bene my companion in all my paines and labours Thē shall these two faithfull friendes be ioyned together in one subiecte not as they were in this lyfe with contrarie appetites and desires but with a leage of perpetuall peace and conformitie So as they maie singe and saie for euer Beholde what a good and ioyefull thinge it is Psal 132. Of the sorowful and greeuous meetinge that shal be of the sowles and bodies of the damned persons at the daye of generall iudgemente for brethern to dwell together in one But contrariewise what a heauines and greife shall it then be to the sowle of the damned person when he shall see his bodie in an vglie forme as there it shal be geuen vnto him to wit blacke filthie stinckinge and horrible Then shal he saie O cursed bodie O beginninge and ende of my paines and sorowes O cause of my damnation Now art thou no more my companion but mine enemie Now art thou no more my helper but my persecutor Now art thou no more my habitation but the chaine and snare of my destruction O cursed tast How dearlie doe I paie now for thy delicacies and delightes O stinckinge fleashe that hast thus brought me to these painfull horrible tormentes by yeeldinge to thy lustes and pleasures What Alas is this the bodie for whose sake I cōmitted so manie sinnes Were these the delightes of this bodie that caused me vtterlye to cast awaie my selfe Was it for this stinckinge muckhill that I haue lost for euer the kingdome of heauen Was it for this vyle and filthie carkas that I haue lost for euer the glorie of lyfe euerlastinge O ye infernall furies rise vp now against me and teare and rent me in peeces for I haue well deserued these horrible tormentes Cursed be the daie of my vnfortunat birthe seinge my happe must be so miserable as to suffer euerlastinge tormentes in the most horrible pitt of hell for so short pleasures and delightes These and other more desperate wordes shall the dāned sowle speake vnto that bodie which she loued so exceedinglie in this trāsitorie worlde But tell me ô miserable sowle why doest thou now so much abhorre that thinge which heretofore thou louedst so well Is not this fleashe thy dearlie beloued Is not this the bellie which thou madest thy God Is not this the face which thou diddest kepe so warily frō the sonne and winde Is not this the visage which thou diddest paint with so manie artificiall coloures Are not these the armes and fingers which glistered with ringes of golde and dyamondes Is not this the bodie for whose sake searche was made both by lande and Sea to furnishe a table for it with all delicate and deintie disshes to haue a fyne and softe bedde to procure curious and costly garmentes Who hath now so altered thy affection Who hath made thy bodie to looke now so horrible and vglie which before seemed so faire and amiable Thou seest here now Christian brother what ende the glorie of the worlde hath with all the vayne pleasures and delightes of the bodie Of the comminge of the Iudge Of the matter of the iudgement And of the witnesses and accusors that shal be there against the wicked § IIII. NOW when all mankinde shal be raised againe and assembled together in one place expectinge the comminge of the Iudge Act. 10. then shall he whom almightie God hath appointed to be iudge ouer the quicke and the dead come downe Note here the two cōminges of Christe the firste was with greate humilitie and the secōde shal be with great maiestie and glorie And like as at his first comminge he came with verie great humilitie and meikenes inuitinge men vnto peace and callinge them vnto penance euen so at his seconde comminge he shall come with verie great maiestie and glorie accompanied with all the powers and principalities of heauen threateninge all those with the furie of his anger that refused to vse the meeknes of his mercie At
negligence as we doe Wherein doe we put our affiance Wherewithall doe we perswade and flatter our selues in the middest of so manie dreadfull perilles and daungers How commeth this to passe that those persones that haue most cause to feare this dreadfull daye doe least feare it and those that haue least cause to feare it doe liue in greatest feare thereof Iob. 2. vers 3. Holie Iob was a iust man for so almightie God witnessed of him with his owne mouthe and yet for all this he liued in so great feare and dread of his accompte at the daye of Iudgment that he saiede What shall I doe Iob. 31.14 when almightie God commeth to iudge and when he beginneth to question with me what answere shall I make vnto him Suerlie these be wordes that procede from a verie sore afflicted and troubled harte What shall I doe saieth he As if he had saiede One care I haue that troubleth me continually One naile I carrie alwaies fixed in my hart that will not suffer me to take any rest What shal I doe Whither shall I goe What answere shall I make when almightie God shall enter into iudgemente with me But ô holie and blessed man Iob why art thou thus afrayd Why art thou thus troubled ād vexed Iob. 29.15.16 Art not thou he that saiede I haue bene a father vnto the poore an eie vnto the blinde and feete vnto the lame Art not thou he that saied Iob. 27.6 that In all thy lyfe time thy hart neuer reproued thee of anie wicked deede Now beinge a man of so greate innocencie why ô holie Iob art thou thus afrayde Trulie the cause is for that this holie man knewe right well that almightie God looked not with fleashlie eies and that he iudged not accordinge to the iudgemēte of men in whose eies often times that thinge shyneth verie gaye and bright which in the sight of almightie God is verie abhominable Thou art ô holie Iob verie iust indede yea euen for this cause thou arte verie iust becauthou liuest in so great feare This feare of this holie man Iob my deare brethern condemneth our false securitie These wordes of his ouerthrowe our vaine confidence For which of vs hath at anie time in respecte of this care of our dreadfull accompte at the daye of Iudgment once refrained from his dynner or supper or broken his sleepe Whereas those deuout godlie persons that thinke herevpon as they ought to thinke doe oftentimes loose their sleepe and their appetite to their meate yea and sometimes more than that also We reade in the liues of the auncient holie fathers that whā one of those holie mē sawe one of his scholers laughinge he reprehended him for it and saiede What knowinge as thou doest that thou must yeeld an accompte to almightie God before heauen and earthe art thou that notwithstādinge so bolde as to laughe This holie father thought that that mā which looked earnestly for this dreadfull accompt coulde hardly laughe Now as touchinge accusors and witnesses there shall not want in this behalfe For our owne verie consciences shal be witnesses and crie out against vs All creatures which we haue abused shal be witnesses against vs And aboue all our Lorde him selfe whom we haue offended shal be also a witnes against vs As he himselfe hath signified by one of his Prophetes sayeinge Malach 3.5 I wil be a swifte witnes against inchaunters adulterers periured persons and against those that seeke cauels to defeit the labourer of his daie wages and against them that doe euill intreat the widowe and Orphan and oppresse pilgrimes and straungers For they doe not feare me saieth our Lorde The diuell shall accuse the wicked at the daye of iudgmēte Neither shall there want accusors against the wicked For the diuell himselfe shal be a sufficient accusor who as S. Augustine writeth shall alledge verie exactly before the iudge his right and title and shall saie vnto him O most iust and righteous iudge thou canst not of iustice but geue sentence and adiudge these wicked traitors to be myne forsomuch as they haue bene alwaies myne and haue in all thinges fulfilled my will Thyne they were I graunt because thou diddest create them and make them after thy Image and likenes and redeime them with thy bloude But they haue defaced thy Image and put on myne They haue refused thyne obedience and embraced myne They haue dispised thy commaundementes and obserued myne They haue liued with my spirite They haue imitated my workes They haue walked in my steppes And in each thinge haue followed my counsels Consider how much more they haue bene myne than thyne as appeareth herein that notwithstandinge I gaue them nothinge I promised them nothinge nor laid my shoulders on the Crosse for them yet haue they alwaies obeied my commaundementes and not thyne If I commaunded them to sweare and forsweare to robbe and to kill to commit adulterie fornication simonie and vsurie and to denie thy holie name all this they did willingly and with great facilitie If I commaunded them to bestowe their landes their goodes their lyfe and their sowle for a point of honour and estimation which I perswaded them in anie wise to mainteine or for a false delighte whereunto I inuited them they did forthwith verie willinglie hazarde all this for my sake But for thee that art their God their creator and their redeemer that gauest thē their lādes their goodes their healthe and lyfe that hast offered vnto thē thy grace and promised them thy glorie and aboue all this hast suffered most cruell deathe vpon the crosse for them they neuer toke the least paine and labour in the worlde How oftentimes hast thou come to their doores in great pouertie nakednes and full of sores And what almes haddest thou of them but a waiewarde answere and shuttinge their doores in a great furie and anger vpon thee they beinge then more carefull to feede their hawkes their dogges and their horses and to clothe their walles with hanginges of tapessarie silke and golde than to relieue clothe and helpe thee Wherefore seinge thou art a most Iust Iudge and knowest that this is most certainlie true the verie order of iustice requireth that they shoulde be now punnished for their iniuries and contemptes done to so great a maiestie Now this accusation beinge founde most true Christe the iudge wil pronounce that terrible sentence against the wicked Math. 25. sayeinge Depart ye cursed into the euerlastinge fier which is prepared for Satan and his angels for I was hongrie and ye gaue me not to eate I was thirstie and ye gaue me not to drinke c. And then shall the good goe to lyfe euerlastinge and the wicked to fyer euerlastinge Now who is able to expresse what an intollerable anguishe and griefe it wil be to the damned persons when they shall heare those most terrible wordes pronoūced against them There shall they crye out to the mountaines to
not for the space of one night alone nor of a thousande nightes but for euer and euer duringe infinite worldes What sense what wordes what iudgement is there in the worlde that is able to cōceiue and expresse this matter as it is indede And yet this is not the greatest paine that is there suffered Paena dāni to wit the payne to be depriued for euer of the sighte of almightie God For there is an other payne farre greater without anie comparison than all these to witt that paine which the diuines tearme Poenam damni the paine of losse or depriuation Which is to be depriued of the sight of almightie God and of his glorious companie for euer and euer And albeit this paine be common to all the damned persons yet shall it be much more grieuous vnto them that haue had better meanes and oportunitie than others whereby to enioye this felicitie As namelie all Christians to whom the Gospell hath bene preached and espetially all naughtie religious persons and preistes who as they haue had greater meanes and prouocations to obteine this euerlastinge felicitie euen so shall they be more vexed and greiued for the losse thereof These are the paines that doe generally appertayne to all the damned In hell besides the generall paynes there be also particular paynes proportionable to the qualitie of euerie synnes not forgiuen in this lyfe But besides these generall paines there be other particuler paines which euerie one of them shall also suffer accordinge to the qualitie of his synne For there shall be one kinde of paine for the proude man an other for the enuious one for the couetous and an other for the lecherous and so in lyke maner for all other sinnes In which punnishemente the wisedome and iustice of almightie God shall wonderfully appeare in that emonge such an infinite nomber of synnes and synners he shal be able to iudge verie perfectlie all the excesse of each one and shall measure vnto them as it were in a ballance the paines proportionable to their synnes As the Wiseman saieth Prou. 16.11 The iudgementes of our Lorde are by weight and measure O what a dolefull thinge shall it be to the wicked when they shall see how almightie God will then paye them home in the verie ioyntes And what a delighte shall it then be to the iust when they shall see such a wonderfull iust proportion obserued in allottinge paines and tormentes emonge such a great multitude of synnes The payne in hel shal be taxed accordinge to the pleasure and delight receiued in this worlde There shall the paine be taxed accordinge to the pleasure and delight receiued And the confusion accordinge to the presomption and pride The nakednes accordinge to the superfluitie and aboundance The honger and thirst accordinge to the gluttonie and delicate deyntie fare in their lyfe past And in this wise did almightie God commande that naughtie woman to be punished which is mētioned in the Apocalips who sat vpon the waters of the Sea holdinge a Cuppe in her hande full of poisoned pleasures and delightes Against whom was thondered out from heauen that terrible sentence Apoc. 18.7 which sayede Looke how much she hath extolled her selfe and enioyed her pleasures and delightes euen so proportionably geue her tormentes and wailinge and lamentation Vnto all these paines and tormentes there is added an eternitie or euerlastingnes of sufferinge them The eternitie of the paynes in hell And this is as it were the seale and keye of them all For all the rest were yet somewhat tollerable if they might haue some ende Forsomuch as nothinge is great that hath an ende But to be tormented with most horrible paines that haue neither ende nor ease nor mitigation nor declination nor change nor hope that euer they will finish and haue an ende neither the paines nor he that geueth them nor he that suffereth them but to be as it were a perpetuall bannishement neuer to be remitted this is a matter able to make a man besides him selfe that shoulde consider it deepelie and with good attention Of this eternitie and euerlastinge sufferinge of these paynes and tormentes in hell commeth that horrible hatred which the damned haue against almightie God and those blasphemies which they shall vtter with great despitefull rage against him For when they shal be in vtter despaire of his amitie and friendshippe they shall knowe that they shall neuer be receiued againe into his grace and fauour and that none of all their most grieuous and horrible tormentes shall euer be deminished or asswaged againe when they shall consider that almightie God is he that doth thus tormente and punishe them and that it is he that fettereth them from aboue and kepeth them prisoners in that fierie tormētinge chaine they wil be in such an exceedinge anger and rage against him that they will neuer ceasse daie nor night blaspheminge his holie name THE FIFTE TREATISE OF THE CONSIDERATION OF the paines of hell Wherein the former meditation is declared more at lardge THE consideration of the paines of hell is greatlie profitable for diuers and sundrie respectes First The consideration of the paynes of hell moueth vs to susteyne the labours and austeritie of penaunce it moueth vs to susteine the labours and austeritie of penance As we reade that it moued the blessed holie man S. Ierome who saieth of himselfe that by reason of the great feare he conceiued of the terrible paines and most greiuous tormentes of hell he condemned him selfe to doe that austere penāce which he writeth he did in the deserte It helpeth vs also to ouercome the temptations of the enemie The consideration of the paynes of hell helpethe vs to ouercome the temptation of the diuell when at the first entrie of anie euill thoughte we doe forthwith calle to minde the horror of these paines For by this meane we doe quenche the flame of the delighte before it burne with the remembrāce of the horrible flames of hell fier which shall burne euerlastingly Accordinge hereunto it is written of one of those auncient fathers that liued in the desert that beinge vpon a time tempted by the enemie of mankinde with an euill thought he laid his hāde vpō certaine burninge coles to trie whether he coulde abide that litle heate and perceiuinge that he was not able to abide it he saied vnto him selfe What If I can not abide this litle heate for so shorte a tyme how shall I be able to abide the horrible fier of hell which shall endure for euer and euer worlde without ende This consideration helpeth also to prouoke and styrre vp in our hartes the feare of God The consideration of the paynes of hell helpeth vs to styrre vp in our hartes the feare of God which is the beginninge of wisedome and the originall of charitie and nexte after charitie it selfe it is the greatest brydle we can haue to kepe vs from all synne and wickednes Aboue all
our Sauiour Christe § III. fol. 61. Wensdaie morninge Of the presentation of our Sauiour before Annas Caiphas Herode and Pilate And of our Sauiours whippinge at the pillar fol. 62. Of the troubles and vexations that our Sauiour suffered the nighte before his Passion And of the denyall of S. Peter § II. fol. 69. How our Sauiour was brought before kinge Herode and mocked and accompted for a foole by him and his cowertiers fol. 72. Of the crewell whippinge of our Sauiour at the pillar folio 74. Thursdaie morninge How our Sauiour was crouned with thornes How Pilate saied of him to the people Ecce Homo And how he bare the Crosse vpon his shoulders fol. 79. Of those wordes of the Gospell Ecce Homo § II. fol. 85. How our Sauiour caried the Crosse vpon his shoulders § III. fol. 89. Fridaie morninge Of the misterie of the crosse And of those seuen wordes which our Sauiour spake vpon the Crosse fol. 93. A contemplation vpon the misterie of the Crosse § 1. fol. 98. How our Sauiour was nayled vpon the Crosse § II. fol. 100. Of the compassion the some had vpon his mother and the mother vpon her some hanginge vpon the crosse § III. fol. 101. Of the doctrine that maye be learned at the foote of the Crosse § IIII. fol. 103. What patience we ought to haue in all troubles and aduerseties followinge the example of our Sauiour christe § v. fol. 107. Satturdaie morninge Of the pearcinge of our Sauiours syde with a speare Of his takinge downe from the crosse Of the pittiefull lamentation of our blessed Ladie and of our Sauiours buriall fol. 109. How our Sauiour was taken downe from the Crosse § II. fol. 114. The pittiefull lamentation of the blessed virgin Marie fol. 116. A declaration why the blessed virgin Marie and all iust persons are afflicted in this present transitorie life with diuers aduersities and tribulations § III. fol. 121. Sondaye morninge Of the descendinge of our Sauiour into Limbus Patrum of the Resurrection of his holie Bodie of his appearinge first to our blessed Ladie and afterwardes to S. Marie Magdalen and to the disciples fol. 124. Of the Resurrection of the bodie of our Sauiour § II. fol. 132. How our Sauiour after his Resurrection appeared to the holie virgin his blessed mother § III. f. 144 The seuen Meditations for the same seuen dayes at nighte fol. 136. Mondaie nighte Of the knowledge of our selues and of our sinnes fol. 137. The first treatise Of the consideratiō of sinnes f. 141. Of the multitude of sinnes that thou hast committed in thy former life § I. fol. 142. Of the sinnes and defectes that a man may falle into after he is come to the knowledge of almightie God § II. fol. 145. Of the accusation of a mans owne conscience and of the abhorrings and contempte of him selfe § IIII. fol. 149. Tewsdaye nighte Of the miseries of this life f. 153. The secōde treatise of the miseries of mans life fo 157. Of the shortnesse of this life § II. fol. 161. Of the vncertaintie of our life § III. fol. 164. Of the frailtie of our life § IIII. fol. 166. Of the mutabilitie of this life § V. fol. 169. Of the deceitfulues of our life § VI. fol. 171. Of the miseries of mans life § VII fol. 173. Of the last miserie of man which is death § VIII fol. 177. What profite may be taken of the foresaide considerations § IX fol. 178. Wensdaie nighte Of the hower of deathe fol. 181. The therde treatise of the consideration of deathe fol. 185. Of the vncertaintie of the hower of deathe and what agreife it is at that tyme to departe from all thinges of this life § I. fol. 189. Of the horrour and lothsomnes of our graue § II. fol. 192. Of the greate feare and dowbte the soule hath at the hower of death what shall happen vnto it after it is departed out of the bodie § III. fol. 193. How we come to vnder stande hereby the errours and blindnes of our life past § IIII. fol. 194. Of the terrour of the dreadfull accompt we must make at the hower of our deathe of all our life past § V. fol. 196. Of the Sacrament of extreme vnction and of the agonie of death § VI. fol. 198. How filthye and loth some the bodie is after it is dead and of the buryenge of it in the graue § VII fol. 201. Of the waye that the soule taketh after it is departed out of the bodie and of the dreadfull iudgement and sentence that shal be geuen vpon it at that time § VIII fol. 205. Thursdaye nighte Of the generall daye of iudgement fol. 207. The fourth treatise of the consideration of the generall day of iudgemente fol. 211. How rigorous the day of iudgemēt shal be § I. f. 213. Of the terrible signes that shall goe before the day of the generall iudgement § II. fol. 215. Of the ende of the worlde And of the Resurrection of the deade § III. fol. 218. Of the comminge of the Iudge of the matter of the iudgement and of the witnesses and accusers that shal be there against the wicked § IIII. fo 221. Fridaye nighte Of the paynes of hell fol. 227. The fifte treatise of the consideration of the paynes of hell fol. 230. Of twoe kindes of paynes that be in hell § I. fol. 231. Of the tormentes of the inwarde senses and powers of the soule § II. fol. 235. Of the payne which is tearmed by the diuines poena damni that is the payne of losse of almightie God § III. fol. 239. Of the particuler paynes of the damned in hell § IIII. fol. 240. of the eternitie of the paynes of hell § V. fol. 241. Saturdaye nighte Of the euerlastinge glorie and felicitie of the kingdome of heauen fol. 244. The sixte treatise Of the consideratiō of the glorie of Paradise fol. 248. Of the goodlie beautie and excellencie of the place § I. fol. 249. Of the seconde ioye that the soule shall haue in the kingdome of heauē which is the enioyenge of the companie of the Sainctes § II. fol. 252. Of the therd ioye that the soule shad haue in the kingdome of heauen which is the enioyenge of the cleare vision of almightie God § III. fol. 255. Of the fowerth ioye that the soule shall haue in the kingdome of heauen which is the enjoyenge of the glorie of the bodie § IIII. fol. 257. Of the fifte ioye in the kingdome of heauen which is the euerlastinge continuance of the glorie and felicitie of the Sainctes § V. fol. 258. Sondaye nighte Of the benefites of almightie God fol. 259. The seuenthe treatise of the consideration of the benefites of almightie God fol. 262. Of the benefite of Creation § I. fol. 264. Of the benefite of Conseruation § II. fol. 266. Of the benefite of Redemption § III. fol. 269. Of the benefite of vocation § IIII. fol. 272. Of the particuler benefites that almightie God bestoweth vpon vs. § V. fol. 275. Of fiue partes that maie be exercised in prayer Cap. 4. fol. 277. Of Preparation vnto prayer Cap. 5. fol. 278. Of Readinge Cap. 6. fol. 283. Of Meditation Cap. 7. fol. 284. Of Thankes geuinge Cap. 8. fol. 285. Of Petition Cap. 9. fol. 286. Of the most necessarie vertues that are to be demaunded in Petition § I. fol. 288. Note the principall foundations of our confidence in prayer fol. 292. Aduises for Meditations Cap. 10. fo 293. The first aduise That in our Meditation we must not for the obseruinge of our ordinarie course put awaie from vs anie other good thoughte or consideration wherein we finde more deuotion § I. fol. 293. The seconde aduise That in our Meditation we must eschewe the superfluous speculation of the vnderstandinge and committe this busines to the oxercise of the affections of our will § II. f. 294. The therde aduise Which prescribeth also bowndes and limites to the Will that it be neither too excessiue nor too vehemēt in her exercise § III. fol. 297. The fowerthe aduise Wherein it is declared what manner of attention we oughte to haue in our exercise of prayer and Meditation § IIII. f. 299. The fyfre aduise That we must not be dismaied nor geue ouer our exercise of prayer and Meditation at suche time as we want deuotion therein § V. fol. 301. The sixte aduise That we must endeuour to haue a longe prayer and greate aboundance of deuetion § VI. fol. 303. The seuēthe aduise That we muste not receiue the visitations of our Lorde in vaine § VII fo 305. Of sixe pointes that are to be meditated in the holie Passion of our Sauiour Cap. vlt. fol. 307. Of the passinge greate paynes and torments which our Sauiour suffered in his most bitter passion § I. fol. 308. Howe in the passion of our Sauiour Christe appeareth verie manifestlie what a grieuous thinge sinne is in the sighte of almightie God § II. fol. 315. Of the passinge greate benefite of our Redemption § III. fol. 316. Of the wonderfull greate goodnes of almightie God which appeareth verie euidentelye in the passion of oun Sauiour Christe § IIII. fol. 319. Of the excellent vertues that doe shine verie brightelye in the holie passion of our Sauiour Christe § V. fol. 320. Of the conueniencie of the mysterie of our Redemption § VI. fol. 322. The ende of the Table