often it so falleth out that the King cannot command at least dare not the effecting of a thing if so he stand in feare to the multitude of his Subiects For how many Kings and Emperours haue beene dethroned whose authority the Subâ—ects haue shaken off and often with death to the said Kings and Emperours Histories are fraught with Examples of this subiect Therefore that chiefe gouerment in mortall Kings is languide and weake since those Kings cannot performe any thing or atcheiue any exploite without the approbation and allowance of the People But the Soueraignty of God who alone is stiled and truly is The great King hath no dependancy of any thing but only of his owne VVill. The which his VVill since it is Omnipotent cannot brooke any resistance neither standeth it in need of souldiers warlike prouision or any other endeauour out of it selfe And although God doth vse Angels or Men as also euen dead and senselesse things as his inferiour Ministers yet this he doth not out of any necessity but because it so best pleaseth his diuine Will For he who without the ministeriall assistance of any created only by the vertue of his VVord Heauen and Earth and euery thing therin contained and doth conserue them only by his VVill may also no doubt gouerne all things so created only by his owne imperiall dominion Neither only is God said most truly to rule because supreme or as I may tearme it superlatiue power remaineth in him alone but also in that the chiefe mistery of gouerning is peculiar only to him For God needeth not any Senatours or others to consult withall VVho hath knowne saith S. Paul Rom. 11. the mind of our Lord or who hath beene his counsellour And before the Apostle Isay c. 40. thus contesteth the same saying VVho hath holpen the spirit of our Lord Or who hath beene his counsellour and shewed to him VVith whom hath he taken counsell and who hath instructed him and taught him the path of Iustice and taught him knowledge and shewed him the way of Prudence Therefore it followeth ineuitably from the Premisses that a Monarchy which is the best kind of gouerment is not only found to bee in God but it is found to be in him alone true and perfect For hee is not only formidable ouer all the Kings of the earth as we reade Psal 75. but also is a most Maiesticall King ouer all the Gods as is said againe in Psalm 94. For there are certaine false Gods who are rather to bee called diuells according to that of the Prophet The Gods of the Gentils are diuells Psal 95. There are also other Gods by participation as the Kings of the Earth and the Angells of Heauen are for we reade Psal 81. I haue said you are Gods But all these Gods stand subiect and obedient to that one ouerruling God who reigneth in Heauen The refore it necessarily followeth from what is aboue said that that King is truly a King and most puissant whom Nabuchodonosor that fastigious King of Babylon after his pride was iustly punished in these words fully acknowledgeth Dan. 4. Therefore after the end of the daies I Nabucodonosor lifted vp mine eyes to Heauen and blessed the Highest and praysed him for euer because his power is an euerlasting Power and his Kingdome in generation to generation And all the Inhabitants of the earth are reputed with him for nothing for he doeth according to his will as well in the Powers of Heauen as in he Inhabitants of the earth And there is none that can resist hiâ— hand and say to him VVhy didst thoâ— it c. Now therefore I Nabuchodonosor prayse and magnify and glorifâ— the King of Heauen because all hiâ— VVorks are true and his wayes Iudgements and them that walke in pride he can humble Thus Kâ—ng Nabuchodonosor confessed of himself who may be an exaÌ„ple to all others that they doe humble and prostrate themselues vnder the powerfull hand of God as S Peter admonisheth And that they stand more prepared to serue the King of Kings thereby to deserue his beneuolence and fauour then through pride and clâ—tioâ— of heart to resist his Wiâ—l by which their course they are in the end forced to suffer condigne punishments vnder his most rigorous hand accordâ—ng to their iust deserts That all the Blessed in Heauen are Kings CHAP. IV. THE fourth and most principall reason why the place and state of the Blessed may be called the Kingdome of Heauen is because all the Blessed in Heauen are Kings and in that all the conditions of Regall Authority doe most aptly agree to them For although all the Saints in Heauen doe serue and obey God as is said in the Apocalyps c. 22. yet with all they gouerne and rule For whereas it is sayd in the same place his seruants shall serue him it is also there sayd And they shall reigne for euer and euer Neyther only doe all the Bâ—essed serue togeather and rule togeather but withall they may be tearmed both Seruants and Sonnes for thus God speaketh in the Apocalyps cap. 21 They who shall ouercome shall possesse these things c And I will be his God he shal be my Sonne Thus therfore as the same Saints may be said to be SeruaÌ„ts Sonnes so also may they be sayd to be Seruants and Kings They are Seruanes in that they are created of God and do owe all obedience and vassalage vnto him of whome they receaue them Being lyfe and other thinges for nothing created is excepted out oâ— this homage euen by the testimony of Dauid saying All things do seruâ— thee Psal 118. They may be also called the Sonnes of God because theâ— receaue their regeneration from God by water and the Holy Ghost Finally they are Kings since Regalâ— Poweâ— and Dignity is communicated vntâ— them by the King of Kings who euer in thâ—s respect is styled in the Apocalyps cap. 19. The King of Kings anâ— Lord of Lords Perhaps it may be heere vrged that it is not repugnaÌ„t that one the same man should be a temporall King and withall a Seruant of God as it iâ— said accordingly in the 2. Psalme Anâ— now your Kings vnderstaÌ„d take instructioÌ„ you that iudge the earth But to be King of the Kingdome of Heauen and withall to be a seruant of the King of Heauen seeme to be incompatible togeather How then can a man apprehend this difficuâ—ty or belieue it â— answere notwithstanding it is so â—nd facile to fayth both to conceaue and to belieue it Therefore the Iust â—n the Kingdome of Heauen shall aâ—so be Kings of the Kingdom of Heauen because they shall participate of that Regall Dignity and power as also of the spiritual riches aâ—l other goods which are in the Kingdome of Heauen The Verity of which point the Holy Ghost contesteth in three places of Scripture One is in the Ghospeâ—l of S. Matthew cap. 5. Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome
depart from the defence of his flock The Apostolicall Trumpet thus soundeth in our eares Ephes 6. Our wrestling is not against slesh and bloud but against Princes and Potentates against the Gouernours of this darknes against the spiritualls of wickednes in the Celestialls And if the Captaine be absent who shall teach the souldiers how to avoid the Weapons of their Enemies Certainly our Lord said to S. Peter and in him to all Pastours Feede my sheepe Of other things he spake nothing that we might vnderstand thereby that the feeding of the flocke is the principall charge incumbent vpon a Pastour In like sort in the Consecration of a Bispop it is said Vade praedica populo tibi commisso Goe preach vnto the people committed vnto thee But touching temporall busines nothing is added or spoken thereby to admonish the Bishop that Temporall things are not to be ballanced and equalled with spirituall and much lesse to be preferred To conclude in the fourth Councell of Carthage Can. 17.18.19.20 Bishops are earnestly commaunded that they shall not vndertake the gouerment of Widdowes strangers Pupils by themselues but by the meanes and labour of the Arch-Priests the Arch-Deacons In like sort that Bishops shall not vndergoe the defence of Wills or Contentions for any transitory matters and that they shall not ingrosse to themselues the care dealing about other mens states but that they shall wholy and only deuote their labours to reading praying and preaching of the Word Therefore the Councell of Africa consisting of two hundred and foureteene Bishops at which S. Austin was present commanded that Bishops should negotiate and execute all temporall affayres occasions though otherwise pious and necessarie by the ministery and labours of other men that so themselues might more freely spend their dayes in defending and multiplying of their flock Therfore this Parable as it sheweth that Eternall Felicity is chiefefly to be desired as containing most great power accompained with most great Pleasure so also it demonstrateth that the way to this felicity is continuall indefatigable labour placed in seeking and procuring the Health of a Man 's owne Soule and of other mens also Which labour whosoeuer doth seeke to decline and auoyd shall not onely be depriued of that felicity and of that most excellent Power and Pleasure but being damned to Hell shall there suffer eternall Punishments For thus doth our Lord speake Matth. 25. The vnprofitable seruāt cast you out into vtter darknes there shal be weeping and gnashing of teeth And heer we are diligently to note obserue that the seruant in this place eondemed to such punishment is not called wicked or facinorous but vnprofitable only for admitting that a Bishop a Parish Priest or Prince or Magistrate or Father of a family or any other may be free frō other vices yet in this respect onely that he is vnprofitable that is he doth not procure and labour according to his power his owne health the health of others subiect vnto him in this respect I say he shall be cast out into vtter darknes where shal be weeping gnashing of teeth which shall neuer haue End And if the vnprofitable seruant shall suffer these insufferable calamities what portion then is allotted to the wicked seruant who is couetous malignant proud luxurious and wholy drowned in all kind of vices Yf the vnprofitable Seruāt be reiected what account and reckoning then must he who is wicked render to our Lord touching the talents deliuered vnto him Truly they who deepely intensly consider these things will not ambitiously seeke after Honour or Authority and if it be forcedly imposed vpon them let them euer watch with feare and trembling since they are to render a most exact and strict account for the soules committed vnto their Charge Of the great Supper CHAP. V. THe fift Parable which is in Luke 14. resembleth the felicity of the Saints to a Great Supper and this truly not without iust reason In a Great Nuptiall or Regall Supper all things are there found which may delight the Senses of men or which may shew the Power riches and glory of this World Truly King Assuerus who gouerned ouer an hundred twenty seauen Prouinces desiring in great vaunting to shew the riches and glory of his Kingdomes and the largenes of his power did not find a more fitting and conuenient meanes thereto then to make a most sumptuous and magnificent Banquet For first at a great supper the Eyes are delighted in the most costly furniture and hangings of the Place in the order of Officers in costly and courtlike Apparell in the golden and siluer plate wherin the Meate is serued The Eares are much delighted with melodious musicke The sense of smell is satisfyed with the odour of flowers of precious perfumes and with other things breathing forth fragrant and sweet smells The sense of Tast is rauished with the curious seasoning of the meates of all sorts and with delicious Wynes To conclude the sense of Touching is greatly contented with reposing vpon most soft and downy Beds Therfore at a Regall Supper all corporall goods do meet togeather in the greatest affluency this World can afford So as our Lord willing to represent that Felicity which comprehends in it self all sort of Goods would compare it to a Great Supper Of which Supper we also thus reade in the Apocalyps Blessed are they who are called to the supper of the marriage of the Lambe Apoc. 19. Furthermore the greatnes of that supper of our Lord may be knowne in that the Glory of all the glorified bodies shal be as it were the last Table vpon whome all delicates daintyes shall be placed Now the sweetnes of these Dainties is so great as that S. Peter once seeing the Body of our Lord to shine like to the Sunne said Matth. 17. It is good for vs to be heare And if the dainties of Banquets be of so great worth of what dignity then shall the substance of the supper be which is placed in the fruition of the Diuinity Finally All the goods of this vvorld are nothing els then as barks or huskes of the fruites of Paradise And if these husks be of that force as to enchant men with the loue and desire thereof what then are the fruites themselues able to worke in mens soules And if the fruites be of such Vertue what then may we conceaue the more solid and substantiall meates of this Great Supper to be Doubtlesly they shall be such as that they may be euer eaten and euer desired without any fastidious satiety Neither are we to imagine that there shal be a Supper in Heauen such as great Princes haue in the celebration of their Mariage seing in Heauen we shal be as the Angells are who neither marry nor feed on Meates necessary to the mantaining of a mortall life Therefore that Supper shal be full of riches full of delights full of Ornaments full of glory agreable to the
of Heauen Another in the same Ghospell cap. 15. Come yee blessed of my Father possesse the Kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the VVorld The third is in the Apocalyps cap. 3. He that shall ouercome I will giue vnto him to sit with me in my throne as I haue also ouercome haue sitten with my Father in his throne What can be more clearely spoken then this We haue heare the Kingdome of God promâ—sed to vs we haue the possession of the same Kingdome assigned to vs in the day of Iudgment We haue granted to vs seates in the Regall Throne of the Sonne of God of his Father the Eternall King And what other thing is all this then the participation of the same Kingdome of Heauen which God possesseth from all Eternity We may heer adioyne the testimony of S. Paul 2. Tim. 2. saying If we shall sustaine we shall reigne togeather And of S. Iohn in the beginning of the Apocalyps and of S. Iames in his Epistle c. 2 thus writing God hath chosen the poore of this world rich in fayth and heyres of the Kingdom which God hath promised to them that loue him Neyther are we to feare that because the Kingdome of Heauen is communicated to many and almost innumerable Angels and men it is therefore diminished or lessened Since the Kingdom of HeaueÌ„ â—s not lyke to earthly Kingdomes which cannot brooke any corriualls or participation but if they be deuided by diuision they are euer made lesse and in the end are brought to nothing I say the Kingdome of Heauen beareth no proportion 〈◊〉 lyknes to these but being whole it is entirely possessed of all as a so being whole it is entirely possessed of eâ—ery particular Euen as â—he Sunne â—s wholy seene of all men and wholy â—â—ene of euery particuâ—ar Man And iâ— selfe doth no lesse â—eate and illuminâ—â—e ech particular Man then a l Men. Which â—oint shal be more clearely â—llâ—â—trated in our explication of the Gâ—ods of the K ngdome of Heauen But now before we are heere to assigne the condâ—tions and qualities required to be â—n Kings that no Man may reâ—t doubtfull but that the Blessed Saints in Heauen are iustly called Kings and Kings euen of Heauen There are two qualities with which kings ought necessarily to be inuested Tâ— wit VVisdome and Iustice. But with Wisdome the Scripture doth ioyne Pâ—â—dence Councell all other things â—â—â—onging to Intelligence with Iustice â—â—ngeth Mercy Clemency and the 〈◊〉 of the Vertues which do beautiâ—â—nd perfect the VVill. Wisdome â—efore is required that a King may â—â—w how to gouerne his Subiects â—â—â—â—ice how to gouerne them well And according heerto Salomon being admonished from God in the beginning of his Reigne that he should demand what he most desired he demaunded Wisdome which is the Queene of all good qualities necessarily required in Kings And this his petâ—tion was so pleasing vnto God as appeareth out of the third booke of Kings that it was granted vnto him as he desired I could haue wished he had demaunded also Iustice for then perhaps he had not precipitated and cast himselfe into so many crimes and sinnes as afterward he did But with more iudgement did Dauid pray for the good and prosperity of his Sonne Salomon in those words of the 71. Psalme O God giue thy iudgment to the King and thy Iustice to the Sonne of the King In which words he may be thought to haue forseene that Salomon would aske for Wisdome and that therefore himselfe prayed that Iustice Iudgment might be giuen also to his Sonne the which without Wisdome â—annot be wheras Wisdome at â—east sâ—ming and imperfect may be with out Iustice In lyke sort the Booke of Wisdome which was principally written for the erudition and instruction of Kings thus speaketh vnto them Diligite IustitiaÌ„ qui iudicatis terram c. Sap 1. and it beginneth at the vertue of Iustice because that alone and of its owne nature is not only necessary to Kings but it is also a dispositioÌ„ to Wisdomâ— for a litle after followeth Because wisdome will not enter into a malitious soule To conclude pretermitting other testimonies Ieremy prophesying of Christ the eternall King thus sayth cap. 23. Behould the dayes do come sayth our Lord and I will rayse vp Dauid a iust branch and he shall reigne a King and shal be wife and shall do iudgment and Iustice in the earth From all this then it ineuitably followeth that Wisdome and Iustice are the endowments chiefly required Kings That all the Blessed in Heauen though many of theÌ„ perhaps whiles they liued heere vpon earth were but ignorant persons do excell in Wisdom and Iustice so as they may deseruedly be Kings of any K ngdome is so euident that it can admit no contradâ—ction since there is not any one of the Blessed in Heauen who doth not see the Essence of God which is the first Cause of all things and consequently he draweth so much Wisdome out of that fountaine of increated Wisdome as that neyther Salomon not any other Mortall man euer had in lyke degree our Lord Iesus Christ only excepted who euen in the tyme of his mortality did see God and in whome were all the Treasures of Wisdom knowledge of God Now to the measure of Wisdome in all the Saints is giuen a proportionable measure of Iustice so as for the tyme after neyther haue they a desire to sinne neither can they sinne For thus S. Austine speaketh hereof de grat cor cap. 12. Prima libertas voluntatis c. The first liberty of the will was to haue power not to sinne but the last liberty of the will shal be farre greater it being not to haue power to sinne And who cannot sinne cannot therefore become vniust And since Charity is perfect therefore Iustice is also perfect And accordingly S. Austin affirmeth that he who caÌ„not loue God but wâ—th a supreme perfect loue cannot also but possesse supreme and perfect Iustice They also who behould God their supreme pure and infinite Good cannot diuert their eyes from him neither can they but prosecute him euer with most ardent and burning Affection From whence it is euicted that all the Saints in Heauen are perfectly wyse and perfectly Iust and are therefore most apt euer to reigne as Kings Now raise thy selfe vp O Christian Soule and ascend in spirit as much as thou canst and meditate how great a felicity it is to reigne with God and penetrate with the Wings of conteÌ„plation the very Heauens behould that sublime Throne of which our Sauiour speaketh Apoc. 3. He that shall ouercome I will giue vnto him to sit with me in my throne O how ineffable a glory will it be for a Soule in the presence of an infinite multitude of Angells to be placed in the Throne or seate it selfe of Christ and God And to be proclaimed by the iust iudgment of God as conquerour ouer the World ouer the gouernours
Prophet Psal 132. O how good and pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell in one For what greater consolation and comfort can be imagined to a man then to conuerse with innumerable Angels with men of all degrees eyther superiour equall and inferiour to him and he to be beloued of them all with most sincere affectioÌ„ as a brother to be vsed as a brother imbraced entertained as a brother Of the greatnes and Beauty of the House of God CHAP. II. ANother reason for which the Habitations of the Saints is called a House may be taken from that Houses especially the houses of Kings haue many ornaments in their Hals in their BedchaÌ„bers in other withdrawing roomes which the rest of the Citty doth want For who can recouÌ„t the Arras Tapestry precious vestmeÌ„ts plate of Gold and Siluer with the which the Palaces of Kings do glitter and shine Neither are these interiour ornaments only of great worth and pryce but also the externall and outward building it selfe is accustomed to be most admirable for the goodly marble stately Pillars guilded Porches hanging gardens and such other delicacies which is ouer long to relate Salomon King of Ierusalem after he had built a Temple to our Lord with such cost and charges as was fitting did make a Pallace for himselfe with such profuse cost as that he spent thirteene yeares in the building of it although he had many Maisters and Ouerseers of the whole Fabricke and had at hand with small labour great store of precious and curious marble and other stones and abundance of Cedar-trees And not with lesse charge and magnificence did he erect a Pallace for his vvife being the daughter of the King of Egypt so sumptuous as it seemed incredible Therefore when the Sacred Scripture calleth that Habitation the House of God which in other passages therof it calleth the Citty of God and the Kingdome of Heauen it seemeth to insinuate that all that Citty and Kingdome is as resplendent and glorious as any Regall house or Pallace For as we haue learned aboue out of the Prophet Baruch the House of God is of that largenesse and extension as that it is able to comprepend and containe the whole Kingdome of Heauen It seemed a little aboue a thing worthy of admiration if any whole Kingdome should appeare to be of that splendour and fayrenesse with which its chiefe Citty is adorned Who then will not rest astonished â—â—en he shall thinke that the whole Kingdome of Heauen is styled the House of God in that it is all stately all fayre all precious as beseemeth the House of God to be Therefore with good reason did the Prophet Dauid burst forth into those words Psal 83. My soule euen coueteth and fainteth vnto the Courts of our Lord. For who doth not thirstingly desire to see and possesse a most noble Kingly house which in its spacious greatnesse may equall any Kingdome As on the contrary to see and enioy a most ample and large Kingdome which for ornaments splendour and magnificence may contend and compare with any Princely house or Pallace Neither would our soule only desire the fruition of such a House such a Kingdom if attentiuely it did thinke thereof and confidently belieue the same but it would be wholy absorpt and euen faint and transgresse its owne limits through the incredible beauty and worth of so great a matter But alas we who lie vpon the ground and are become thrall to temporalities and earthly things and doe admire so much what we here see doe little busy our thoughts with inuisible matters we bearing our selues herein like to little children who neuer going out of their Fathers house doe so loue that poore Cottage as that they neuer once thinke of the Pallaces of Kings In like sort we imitate herein the Countrey-pesants who neuer saw any Citty but are busied in tilling their ground and in repayring their poore wodden and clayie house neuer thinking on Pallaces Towers Theaters Honours dignities increasing of siluer chargeable banquets and the like And perhapps these Rusticks and Children are more happy then many rich Cittizens and great Princes because those things which are in this world much prized and highly esteemed are commonly attended on with more anxiety care and danger then with solid profit and dignity But the goods which are in that Heauenly house of our Father are inestimable neither are they accoÌ„panied with any sollicitude discontent or perill but are exempted from all griefe and molestation and this not for any short time but for all Eternity Therefore S. Paul who was neither a Ch ld nor a Rusticke and who well knew the goods and commodities of this worâ—d for he was a man most learned and conuersed with most wise men He also had beene in the House of God and had perused and viewed the Heuenly Citty as being rapt into the third Heauen doth thus speake of himselfe 2. Cor. 4. VVe not considering the things which are seene but which are not seene for the things that are seene are temporall but the things that be not seene are eternall And againe Phil. 3. Our conuersation is in Heauen And according hereto he exhorteth vs all Colloss 3. To seeke the things which are aboue where Christ is sitting on the right hand of God And to mind the things which are aboue not the thinges which are vpon the Earth Of the Dyning Chamber of the House of God CHAP. III. ANother reason why that which is cal ed a Citty and a Kingdome is also called the House of God may be taken from those words of our Lord Ioan. 14. In my Fathers House there be many mansions Thus we see that in Houses there be Chambers or Partours to dine and sup in Chambers also for men to take their repose and sleepe Halles and other spacious roomes for the exercise of seuerall Actions which out of the House are not accustomed to be done But to begin with the Great Chamber as I may say or place of Refection Certainly there is a place in the House of our Lord in which all the Saints are not only fed wâ—th Princely viands but which is wonderfull and scarcely credible were it not that the Holy Ghost teacheth vs so much where the King himselfe shal be girded and prepared to minister and serue the Table For thus doth our Lord himself speake Luc. 12. Blessed are those seruants whome when our Lord commeth he shal find watching Verily I say vnto you that he will gird himselfe and make them sit downe and will come forth minister vnto them What kind of baÌ„quetting House is this Who euer heard of the lyke The Lord standeth the seruant sitteth downe the Lord is girded that without any hinderance or let he may wayte The Seruant is vngirded that so more freely and coÌ„modiously he may sit at Table The Lord goeth vp and downe to bring in and serue the meates The Seruant quietly feedeth vpon those Princely viands O if we
or Lords of the world and ouer all the inuisible Powers And with how much ioy shâ—ll that Soule exult when she shall perceaue her to be freed of all danger and labour and to triumph most happily ouer all her enemies And what is left more that she can defir wheÌ„ she shall be made partaker of all the goods of her Lord and Creatour yea euen to the parâ—icipation of his own Throne and Kingdome O with what alacrity doe those Men fight heere vpon Earth and how easily doe they tolerate and vndergoe all aduersities for Christ who with a vigorous faith and erected hope behould with the eye of the vnderstanding such magnificent and supreme honours in Heauen Of the goods of the Kingdome of God CHAP. V. THe fift reason of calling the happinesse of the Saints the Kingdome of Heauen may be taken from the similitude and resemblance of the Saints liuing in Heauen to the goods which terrene Kings do enioy though those of Heauen doe so much ouer-ballance these of the earth and are greater then they by how much Heauen is more worthy and noble then the Earth Therefore the Kingdome prepared for the blessed is not simply a Kingdome but is called for more fulnesse of speach the Kingdome of Heauen that thereby we may be instructed that the like proportion here is of goods to goods which is of the Earth to Heauen that is of a thing in it selfe narrow base sordid temporary to that which is most ample most high most noble and which is the chiefest eternall and euerlasting The goods of a terrene Kingdome are accounted these to wit Power Honour Riches Pleasures A temporall King may commaund ouer his subiâ—cts if they be found disobedient or stiffe-necked he may punish them with bonds imprisonment banishment penalty of money whipping or euen with death And hence it is that Kings become feareful to their Subiects and are reputed as it were certaine Gods Againe Kings wil be honored with a certaine height of veneration and worship almost transcending mans Nature for they expect the bowing of the knee neither will they ofteÌ„ vouchsafe to heare their Subiects speake but with a submisse and humble couÌ„tenance and deportement of body and if they passe through the streets they looke that all men should go backe and giue them the way Againe kings couet to haue a most copious and rich Treasury replenished with gould ane siluer neither do they number their reuenews by hundreds or thousands but by ten huÌ„dred thousands this not without iust reason since they are not to mantayne ten or tweÌ„ty seruants or followers but great powerfull armyes of soldiers against their enemies Lastly they are not content to recreate themselues with accustomed sports but they hould it as necessary to the splendour of their greatnes maiesty to wast many pouÌ„ds of gould and siluer in banqueting huÌ„ting and in publike shewes and sights And these things aboue rehearsed are the sole goods almost belonging to teÌ„porall Princes which goods haue this one thing incident to them all that is that they are but momentary fading beginning at the birth of the Princes and ending with their death except perhaps it may fall so out that the lyfe of the Kings be of longer continuance then their Reigne Furthermore these goods are not pure but are accompanyed with their â—tings Thus power is oftentymes ballanced with infirmity and weakenes Honour with ignominy Riches with Pouâ—rty and Ioy with griefe and lamentation True it is that Regall Dominion is such as that the People do depend vpon the least intimation or signification of the King his mynd yet this his power is mixed with infirmity since the Prince resteth vpon the strength and courage of his people For what can the command of a Prince eyther in beseiging or defending a Citty effect if his subiects eyther be not able or not willing to encounter the Enemy Neyther doth the authority of the Prince rest only vpon the strength of his Subiects but also in the walles of the Citty of the Trenches of weapons of miliitary stratagems and of Money which is vsually called the Sinew of Warre Therefore the people rest at the commaund of the Prince and are subiect to one man But the Prince relyeth vpon the Wills of many Men as also vpon diuers other things in all which he is forced in some sort to be seruiceable To conclude it is in the Power of the King to chastize his subiects with bonds imprisonment banishment yea with death notwithstanding the King himselfe I speake what actually may be done not what by right ought to be done lyeth open to bonds imprisonment banishment wounds death The truth of this point is proued from the pittifull examples of Iulius Caesar Caius Nero Galba Vitellius Domitian Commodus Heliogabalus and from diuers others Neyther do these wicked Princes but such as haue beene of great modesty and moderation in their comportement witnes the same as Alexander MammeÌ„a Gordianus the yonger Pertinax Tacitus Numerianus Probus Gratianus Valentinianus the second I could insist also in such Princes which haue beene most remarkable for piety and Sanctimony of lyfe as S. Edward King of England S. Wenceslaus duke of Bohemia S. Sigismundus King of Burgandy S. Canutus King of Denmark and some others In this next place let vs discourse of Honour Kings indeede in their owne presence and in the presence of others are much reuerenced but in their absence they are often slaundered and their Honours turne aâ—under with contumelious Inuectiues In like sort in their owne presence â—hey are much flattered by such their Sycophants who secretly beare to them a great contempt and inward hatred And if account should be taken both of such as extoll them in prayse and of others their detractours these later would be found far more in number Therfore doubtlesly the glory of Kings is for the most part lesse then their ignominy since those who in the presence of a King do honour him are but few whereas the absent are many of which some doe taxe the King with sordide auarice some with cruelty others with luxury and others with other vices To descend to riches Perhaps some may thinke that Kings haue no mixture of Pouerty adioyned to their riches Nothing lesse For no men are found to be more wanting and poore then Kings They haue indeed great reuenewes and treasure but withall they often are indebted more they their Treasure can discharge And that man is not so poore who hath litle as he who desireth much because he wanteth much And is it not a great argument of Pouerty for Kings to extort farthings or halfpeÌ„nies from their Subiects being poore since they exact small customes or payments of all those who sell things necessary for mans sustenance and prouision I speake not this as reprehending such exactions fot I well know that Kings may iustly require these Tributs according to those words of the Apostle in his Epistle to
the Romans cap. 13. Be subiect not only for wrath but for conscience therefore giue you Tributs also for they are the Ministers of God c. Render therefore to all men their due to whome tribute tribute to whome custome custome Onely my intention heere is to paint out the miserable state of mortall Kings who of necessity are to abound with great affluence of riches and yet are forced to gather no small part thereof from poore and needy men But now in this place what shal we say of the pleasures and delicacies which Kings enioy Kinges indeed haue their gardens their bowers their Orchards most sumptuous tables of meate their hunting sportes their theaters and other such pleasures for their recreation but these are often attended on with the goute the griefe or paine of the stomâ—ke or Head and which is more violent with most grieuous solicitude and cares of the mynd which not seldome do depriue them of their nightly rest such are suspicious feares augours c. Thus if their Bedchamber dore doe but open or make the least noyse in the night they instantly suspect treachery and treason If newes be brought them that there is seene a multude of armed men togeather they feare a combination of their Subiects against them Thus is there made a compound of their ioyes and griefs of their repose and disquietnesse which hath beene the Motiue why diuers Kings abandoning all domination and Rule haue finally choseÌ„ to liue vnder the hatches of a priuate lyfe But let vs heare S. Chrysostome who discourseth of the Emperours of his tyme in these words hom 66. ad pop Antioch Ne diadema respicias sed curarum tempestacem neque purpuram intuere c. Do not so much cast thy eye vpon the diademe or Crowne of Kings as vpon the storme of their Cares neyther behould the Purple garmeÌ„t and Robe but the Soule and mynd more blacke then the Purple The Crowne doth no more incompasse the Head then Care doth the mynd Neyther thinke thou of the great company and traine of Officers and Attendants but of the multitude of troubles For thou shalt â—ot find a priuate house so replenished with cares as Kings Pallaces are For in the day tyme death is feared in the night the very soule seemes to leape out of the body through apprehension of terrours And these thinges happen in tyme of Peace But if the trumpet be once sounded and that VVarres rush on what lyfe is more miserable then the lyfe of Kings How many dangers doe their familiars and subiects threaten to them For the very pauement and stones of Kings Courts doe euen flow with the bloud of their owne friends and kinred This will be fully acknowledged if I doe insist in some examples both of former times and of our dayes This King for example hauing a wife suspected of Adultery did tye her naked leauing her to bee deuoured of beasts in the mountaines though she became mother of many Princes Now what kind of life may wee thinke this man did liue For hee would neuer haue burst out into so great a reuenge had he enioyed the true vse of Iudgment This other Prince did throtle to death his owne Sonne This third being suprised by his enemy became his owne Homicide Another muthered his owne Nephew being Competitour to the Crowne The fifth is reported to haue depriued his owne Brother of life Another ended his life by taking Physicke being impoysoned and the eye of his Sonne was pulled out for the preuenting of future dangers when as yet he had committed no wrong The next Emperour as a Man breathing only misery and infelicity was burned with his horses wagons and other his furniture VVords light short to expresse the calamities which the next Prince to the former was forced to suffer And as for this Emperour that now reigneth is it not most euident that after hee was crowned with the Diademe he spent no short time in labours in dangers in disconsolation and secret endeauours At non talis Caelorum Regia but such is not the Court or Kingdome of Heauen Thus farre S. Chrysostome Who how truly he concluded what wee shall now relate will fully proue For it is certaine that the Kings of the Kingdome of Heauen and such are all the blessed who doe liue with God haue Power without weaknes honour without ignominy riches without Pouerry and pleasure without griefe For of them it is said in the 90. Psalme There shall no euill come to thee and scourge shall not approach to thy Tabernacle And in the Apocalyps cap. 21. And God shall wipe away all teares from cheir eyes and there shall bee no more death neither sorrow neither crying neither shall there be any more paine Therefore the power of those celestiall Kings is most great their imbecillity and weaknes none Wee reade in the 4. of Kings that one Angell without any military forces without any artillery or svvords or launces did kill at one blow a hundred eighty thousand of Assyrians neither did the Angell feare to receaue any wound from them S. Gregory relateth in his third booke of Dialogues cap. 36. how a holy man being assaulted by a bloody and mercilesse fellow with his arme stretched out and a naked sword in his hand instantly cried out O Saint Iohn hould him And presently thereupon his hand did grow stiffe so as hee could not mooue it Therefore Saint Iohn did heare the prayer of his Client from Heauen and with such celerity did punish that wicked Man as that it preuented the blow being already begun to be giuen Such is the power of Celestiall Kings as that neither almost an infinite distance of place nor the solitarines of one poore iust man nor the multitude of armed men could hinder S. Iohn from deliuering his Suppliant from imminent death Infinite other examples lâ—ke to this might be produced Now concerning the Honour of those Kings of Heauen it is so glorious and great as that not only the godly and vertuous but euen the wicked yea the very Diuells doe reuerence and giue veneration to them Many doe contemne and be trample vpon vertuous and holy men here liuing vpon the earth whome after that they be translated to Heauen their sanctimony celebrated by the publicke suffrage and decree of the Church the former men doe worship and honour And the Diuells themselues doe reuerence and feare the relicks and Images of such holy Saints in Heauen whome whiles they liued in flesh they vexed with their temptations yea often times with stripes blowes through the permission of God What shall I say of the Riches of these Heauenly Kings Their chiefest riches is to want nothing since God to them is All in al 1. Cor. 15. for he is not rich who possesseth many things but he who desireth nothing since he waÌ„teth nothing For it is the mynd which maketh a man to be rich not his stored chests or coffers We may add heerto that Heauen
and eatth and what is therein contayned belong to the riches of the Saints for what do not they possesse who are the heyres of God the coheyres of Christ Rom. 8. And whome the Father will constitute the heyres of all things Heb. 1. There now remayneth to speake of Pleasure Certainly the pleasure which the celestiall Kings enioy is most pure and cleare not contaminated with any drosse of griefe or dolour For we haue aboue learned out of the Apocalyps c. 21. that God shall wype away euery teare from their eyes and that they shall not suffer any more lamentation But touching Pleasure we shal enlarge our selues more in discourse hereafter when we treate of Paradise Now it is euident from what we haue aboue deliuered that the goods of the Kingdome of Heauen shal be common to all the Saints and Blessed and that they are of that worth as that they cannot brooke any comparison with the goods of this world especially since all terrene goods are temporary but celestiall goods euerlasting How much earthly Kingdomes are prized by Men and how much the Kingdome of Heauen ought to be esteemed CHAP. VI. NOw let vs a little obserue with what vehemency and heate of endeauour are earthly Kingdomes desired and sought after by men though they be vncertaine small in their own nature and euen fraught with infinite feare and sollicitudes that from thence we may gather with what a thirsty desire ardour the Kingdome of Heauen ought to be sought after The greedines of Domination Rule doth incomparably exceed all other humane desires Since a Kingdome is not one only particular good but it is a massing or heaping togeather of all the goods which may be desired of men For there is Power Honour Riches pleasure as is aboue sayd There also is found a liberty of liuing after ones owne will which is incident gratefull not only to men but also to beasts There is also a supereminency and as it were a certaine Diuinity in respect whereof Kings haue no Equals in the Kingdome but are aboue all command all and are worshipped of all And hence it riseth that when Kings wil promise any thing of greatnes they are often accustomed out of a glorious boasting of their owne sublimity and height to promise the halfe of their Kingdome Thus we read of Assuerus in Hester cap. 5. VVhat dost thou desire to be giuen thee c. Though thou aske the halfe of my Kingdome thou shalt obtaine And in lyke fort of Herod to the daughter of Herodias Mar. 6. VVhatsoeuer thou askest I will giue thee though the halfe of my Kingdome And from this grouÌ„d it riseth that for the obtayning of a Kingdome men hould it lawfull to peruert all lawes and right neyther do they thinke any thing so sacred and holy which they may not violate to satisfy their thirst of raigning Ninus was the first Man who prouoked his friends and neighbours by vniust warres that by that meanes whether right or wrong he might enlarge his Empire as S Austin relateth out of Iustin lib. 4. de Ciuit. c. 6. Maximinus the Thracian hauing receaued many and great benefits from Alexander the Emperour notwithstanding caused him to be slayne by his owne Souldiers that therby he might succeed in the Empyre The lyke facinorous and vnheard of act did Philip of Arabia commit vpon Gordianus his Lord and Emperour Neither this vnquenchable lust of raigning hath caused men to wash their hands in the bloud only of their Neighbours and Benefactours but also of their Brethren Nephews yea their owne Father Romulus killed Remus his brother and Caracalla Geta his brother and both through desire of raigning Athalia depriued of lyfe all the nephews of Ochozias King that herselfe might after gouerne the sterne as we read in the 4. Booke of Kings cap. 11. Thus we see that this greedines of Soueraingty inciteth not only men but euen women to commit most flagitious crymes Sinochus the Persian procured the murdering of Cosdroas his Father and Medarses his brother that himselfe alone might sway the Gouernment Yea which is more the Mother of Nero hauing receaued answere from the Astrologers that the Sonne should reigne but the mother should perish is reported to haue said Interimat dum imperet Let Nero be the cause of my death so that himself may raigne So much did this ambitious Woman affect that her Sonne should gouerne as that in respect therof she nothing pryzed her owne lyfe Neyther doth this insatiable honger of raygning and gouerning make Iniustice only to seeme iust and ouercome the loue vvhich men vse to beare to Brethren Nephews and Parents but withall it maintayneth that euen any religious oath is to be violated for that end which act of Religion was euer houlden most sacred in all Countryes and was thought most fit to be kept euen by the most fierce and cruell Souldiers though with dangers of life And according to this if we may belieue Cicero Iulius Caesar had euer in his mouth those verses of Euripides Si iusiurandum violandum est regnandi causa violandum est in caeteris pietatem colas If an Oath be to be broken it is to be broken for gouernment sake in other respects thou oughtst to keep it religiously Cic. l. 3. de Off. I pretermit infinit examples demonstrating that in all ages nothing hath been so much esteemed as a Kingdome though the Kings do not raigne long and though the Kingdomes also do in a short tyme come to vtter ruine and dissolution whereas the Kingdome of the Saints in Heauen shal be established for all Eternity Heare the Prophet Daniel of this point say cap. 2. In these dayes of those Kingdomes the God of Heauen will raise vp a Kingdome that shall not be dissipated for euer and his Kingdome shall not be deliuered vp to another People and it shal breake in peeces and consume all other Kingdomes and it selfe shall stand for euer This Prophesy is to be accomplished in the consummation and end of the world at what tyme not only greater monarchies but also lesser Kingdomes and Magistracies and power of temporall Princes shall vanish away and resolue to smoake the Kingdome of Christ and his Saints shall remaine euerlasting according to that of the Angell Et regni eius non erit finis and of his Kingdome there shall be no end Luc. 1. Now if a Kingdome which is to continue but for a moment which of its one Nature is weake and vncertaine which belongeth but to few and which standeth obnoxious and subiect to many anxieties and troubles be so â—rdently loued and sought after be to be preferred before all other things yea to be acquired and obtained by slaughter and great effusion of bloud what is then the cause why so few do loue the Kingdome of Heauen but most negligently and carelesly doe sleight it And neuerthelesse it is euident if we belieue the Sacred Scriptures that this Kingdome of Heauen
lyeth open to all men that the getting thereof may be had without suffering of blowes or sheeding of bloud and that it incoÌ„parably surpasseth all earthly Kingdomes If I should say to one Contemne a whole Kingdome that thou maist obtaine a litle field or vineyard thou wouldest deseruedly eyther laugh or wonder at me But when I say or rather God sayth Contemne a small earthly Kingdome and seeke after â— most precious great and eternall Kingdome the which thou mayst purchase if thou wilt through the grace of God which will neuer be wanting why dost thou not raise vp thy spirits both for the desiring and gayning of it Doubtlesly I cannot conceaue what may be answered heerto but that the glory of an earthly Kingdome as being present to the eye may be as it were touched with the hand whereas the Kingdome of Heauen cannot be seene cannot be touched nor scarse apprehended by Fayth This indeed is true notwithstanding if a man will seriously and intensly consider what force and efficacy the Verity Antiquity Sincerity and grauity of the sacred Scripture enioyeth and how perspicuously and cleerly the sayd Diuine VVrit speaketh of this poynt and how great a cloude of witnesses during already so many ages not only with miracles but euen with bloud haue confirmed the authority of the sayd diuine writings doubtlesly he cannot but burst out with the Prophet and say Thy testimonyes O Lord are made ouer much credible Psal 98. Wherefore we may conclude that it is not the obscurity and darknes of Fayth which withdrawes vs from seeking after the Kingdome of Heauen but it is because our mynds are wholy absorpt in exteriour things and burdened with the weight of custome therefore we do not take sufficient tyme and leasure to meditate and ponder of such things as conduce to our Soules good neyther do we according to the counsell of our Lord Mat. 6. enter into the closet of our hart and the dore being shut we do not euen besiege God with our feruerous prayers that in so great and wayghty â— busines he would assist vs. Certainty â—f once laying a syde all care of inferiour and lesser matters we would seriously and with due preparation take into our thought what the Kingdome of Heauen is and how easily certainly it might be obtayned and what infinite disparity there is betweene things euerlasting and temporall betweene matters of greatest weight and trifles and briefly betweene the Kingdome of Heauen earthly Kingdoms without doubt so great a contempt of temporall Thrones Crownes and Scepters would be ingendred in vs and on the contrary so ardent a desire of celestiall affayres would so inflame vs as that we should without difficulty yea with much ease and facility bestow all our labour and diligence in pursuite of the Kingdome of Heauen to the which as to one true and last end we are made by our Creatour The first path-way or Tract leading to the Kingdome of God CHAP. VII HEre we are now to know what is necessarily to be done that we may arriue to the most desired and most happy Kingdome of Heauen But to know this is no great difficulty since the King of Heauen himselfe to teach vs the same did descend to the Earth And being become our Master and Captaine setteth before vs foure chiefe and most safe wayes thereunto Of these the first is contayned in those words of Mat. 6. Seeke first the Kingdome of God the Iustice of him and all these things shall be giuen to you Morall doctrine beginneth from the end our End is the Kingdome of God which Kingdome shal be ours if so we will walke in that path wherein our Captaine walked Also the Iustice of the Kingdome of God is as it were â—he scope or marke whereat we â—re to â—euell if so we desire to enioy â—he reward of the Kingdom of Heauen For as Cassianus rightly teacheth col â— cap. 2. The End is one thing the scope an other thing The Scope is a signe or marke vnto which arrowes â—re directed in shooting But the End is the reward which those do take who haue shot more neere the scope or marke In lyke manner the Scope of our Actions propounded by God is â—ustice the Reward of those who obâ—aine this marke is the Kingdome of Heauen But the Iustice of the Kingdome of God is not the Iustice of the Scribes and Pharisies which was placed in the externall obseruation of â—he Preceps Neyther it is the Iuâ—â—ice of the Philosophers which did â—ot transcend the light of naturaâ—l â—eason corrupted by Sinne. But it â—s the Euangelicall Iustice which teaâ—heth to loue God with all our hart withall our soule withall our strength and to loue our neighbour though our Enemy as our selfe Of this Scope End S. Paul Rom. 6. speaketh saying You haue your fayth vnto Iustification but the End life euerlasting This is that whereunto the Apostle admonisheth vs that the first of all things we do seeke the Kingdome of Heauen and the Iustice therof that is that our earnest and chiefest thoughts be not caryed away to any temporall goods but be directed to the gayning of the Kingdome of Heauen and to a most diligent and inuiolable keeping of that first and greatest Precept The which Precept being neglected and broken by most men therefore it is sayd Matt. 22. Many are called but few are chosen For most men do so liue and comport themselues in their maÌ„ners as that their furthest thought is to seeke how they may come to this Kingdome of Heauen neither is there anything which they more couldly looke after then the Kingdome of Heauen the Iustice therof As if our Lord had said First seeke after the Kingdom of this world and its iniustice and deceyt and the Kingdome of God shal be giuen vnto you But that celestiall Kingdome is not of that basenes and meane esteeme as that it should be thrust vpoÌ„ those who do preferre all other things before the obtaining thereof Therefore he that will learne a certaine and easy way for gayning the Iustice of the Kingdome of God which leadeth directly to the Kingdome it selfe let that man heare our forsayd Mayster and Lord Christ Iesus thus affirming Matt. 5. Blessed be they that hungar thirst after Iustice for they shall haue their fill But what ô Lord is the facility of fynding Iustice so great with thee as that it is sufficient onely to be hungry or thirsty of it Certainly all poore meÌ„ would be blessed if only by thirsting after money they should be so replenished therewith as that they should not need to be satiated with any other thing But the matter heere is farre otherwise for it is one thing to be hungry and thirst after money and other thing after Iustice For they who suffer hunger and thirst after Iustice that is who so greedily and anxiously seeke after Iustice as men doe who thirst after water and are hungry after meate those men certainly
doe euer busy their mind with the thought of it and breathlesly labour after it and which is the chiefest do humbly beseech it of God with inutterable sighs and lamentations God doth willingly heare men praying in this manner and is ready to replenish them with the guifts of Iustice so as they being satiated therwith may euen breath nothing but words and works of Iustice But money or riches is not a good of this nature as that who desireth or prayeth for it to God is presently heard Since many abuse the vse of money our riches but of Iustice there can be no abuse To conclude Iustice is like to Wisdome of which S. Iames sayth cap. 1. If any of you lack VVisdome let him aske of God who giueth to all men abundantly and vpbraydeth none O ineffable clemency of God who is more ready and wiâ—ling to giue vs those things which conduce to our Soules good then we are eyther to demaund or desire them Whosoeuer therefore wanteth the wisdome of Saints or the guift of Iustice which are the chiefe dispositions for the gayning the Kingdome of Heauen let him most humbly beseech God by most earnest prayers and deep sighs and coÌ„plaints and he shall infallibly obtaine his desire For God giueth to men thus praying and he do not repell or exclude any man neither doth he giue sparingly and nigardly but largely abondantly without any vpbraiding or delay for God is not agrieued with mans importunity herein Now what may we heer say With what colour of excuse can a man plaiâ—ter ouer eyther his ignorance or weakenes at the day of iudgement Onâ—y thirst after Iustice and demaund it of God and thou shalt fully drinke thereof to thy owne satiety but do not thirst after the blandishments or allurements of the flesh neyther after the empty smoake of Honours nor â—ny other earthly benefits so shalt thou draw out thy dayes in this world in all iustice sobriety and Piety in the next thou shalt arriue to the euerlasting Kingdome of Heauen The second Path to the Kingdome of God CHAP. VIII ANother Tract or Path of the Kingdome of God the which our Captaine sheweth vs is that of Matt. 5. Blessed are the poore in spirit By which words we are not commanded to empty our chests and bags altogeather of money but only to keep our harts voyde of all greedy affection and desire of earthly things Our Lord doth offer to vs great wealth and abundaÌ„ce of riches but he will not giue them to vs except we do bring an open hart free and estranged from all worldly couetousnes The roote of all euils is couetousnes 1. Tim. 6. Which in the Greeke is called Philargyria that is loue of Siluer The roote of all good is Charity which two things cannot stand togeather Therefore except a man become truly and wholy poore in spirit so as whether he haue great or small store of riches his mynd be not fixed vpon them but that he be ready to distribute to them â—hat want and reserue to himselfe â—nâ—y what is necessary to his state this â—an I say cannot fulfill the Iustice of â—he Kingdome of Heauen and conseâ—uently cannot obtaine that Kingâ—ome This is the true Tract to the Kingâ—ome of Heauen in this path Christ â—imself did first tread who for vs was â—ade poore that he might enrich â—s through his Pouerty And although â—e had some money yet he deliuered â—t to Iudas to keepe whome he knew â—o be a thiefe that thereby we might â—nderstand his mynd was not possesâ—ed with the desire of money This Tract the Apostles also did follow â—ho might easily haue procured abunâ—ance of riches since they were faâ—ous for working of wondrous siâ—nes and Miracles did speake the tonâ—ues of all Countries and became adâ—irable throughout the whole world â—or their Wisdom But they who once â—yd Behould we haue left all things â—nd followed thee did tast the sweetâ—es of liberty as being free from the â—ares and loue of riches and contenâ—ng themselues with meate drinke cloaths did esteeme piety and the Iustice of the Kingdome of God to be the greatest riches This path not only Monks and Hermites but also Kings and supreme Bishops haue walked in who are arriued to the Kingdome of Heauen Certainly S. Lewis King of France was rich but withall he was poore in spirit for he did vse but ordinary cloathing did much fast was liberall and open-handed to the poore and onely to himselfe most sparing nor do we read that he wasted any money in Playes or Banquets S. Gregory also being Pope did possesse in diuers places great store of Ecclesiasticall Patrimony and riches yet because he was poore in spirit he was most profuse and bountifull in giuing Almes and most sparing yea euen almost couetous in bestowing any thing vpon himselfe or his kinred Thus he might well be thought to haue exceeded the bonds of liberality towards others and of sparingnes towardâ— himselfe and his friends But this is the way which leadeth to life euerlasting We will adioyne to the former Examples two rare Women S. Paula â—e Roman whose lyfe was written 〈◊〉 S. Ierome was no lesse rich in possessions and reuenues then poore in sâ—irit for being a Woman of most â—â—ble extraction she bestowed all her â—ealth riches in erecting of Monaâ—â—ries and relieuing the poore and â—â—is with such feruour of charity as â—â—at she desired in soule to be brought 〈◊〉 that low degree of want as that the Charity and mercy of others should discharge her funeralls Now how sparing in charges she was to herselfe appeareth in that she forbore to feed vpon flesh or egs or to drinke wyne for linnen next to her body sâ—e wore a haire-cloath she did lie vpoÌ„ the ground and did purge cancell euen her smallest offences with continuall prayers and teares To proceed to the next Heduigis Queene of Polonia was rich in temporall faculties but more rich in poâ—erty of Spirit She did content herselfe with one poore gowne and wore iâ— alone euen in the greatest frosts She fâ—sted euery day SuÌ„dayes great festiuall dayes only excepted She afflicted her tender body with sharpe disciplines with great watching and all maÌ„ner of austerities Now from this he course of lyfe we may easely coniecture vpon what things she did spenâ— all her Regall wealth and how smal an affection or rather none she bare to riches Therefore we are not to wounder that a woman so poore iâ— spirit and so desirous to shake of alâ— temporall cares did at the last through such spirituall endeauours arriue to Heauen The third Path way to the Kingdome of God CHAP. IX THE third way appointed by ouâ— Spirituall Captaine is this Maâ—â— S. Blessed are they who suffer persecutiâ—â— for Iustice for theirs is the Kingdomâ— of Heauen The wisdome of Iesas Chriâ—â— our Doctour is most admirable yet altogether secret and vnknowne to thâ— wisemen of this world For who woulâ— belieue were it not
avvay Hence it is that in another place I haue said Luc. 18. How hardly shall they that haue money enter into the Kingdome of God For it is easier for a Camell to passe through the eye of a nedle then a rich man to enter into the Kingdome of God And againe How narrow is the gate and how straite is the way that leadeth to life And few there are that find it I haue also compared the Kingdome of Heauen to a Treasure hid in a Field as also to a precious Margarite vvhich cannot be bought vvithout the sale of all other things intimating thereby that a man must depriue himselfe of all things vvhich he holds deare vpon earth if so he hope to possesse the celestiall Treasure and precious Margarite in Heauen I haue furthermore perspicuously and vvithout any ambiguity of vvords protested Luc. 1. VVho doth not renounce all things which he possesseth cannot be my disciple And although this renunciation is to bee vnderstood of the preparation of the mind Neuerthelesse seeing this preparation of the mind to renounce all temporalities vvhen either the health of the Soule or the glory of God doth require it is not easily performed and the accomplishment thereof is found but in few therefore I haue adioyned the similitudes of him vvho vvill build a Tovver not hauing sufficient prouision meanes to performe the same as also of that King vvho thinketh of vvaging vvarre against another King and yet hath not equall forces vvherby hee might hope for victory Novv if the building of a Tovver vvithout good store of money and the encountring in vvarre and hostility against a potent King be things most difficult and almost impossible Hovv much more difficult then is it to performe both these tvvo points together But hee ought to performe them vvho vvil besiege or lay battery to the Kingdome of God For first a Tovver is to be built vvhich may reach to Heauen That is merits and the price of good vvorks are to be procured vvhich may deserue eternall life And with all he is to fight vvith very many and most potent enemies to vvit with the vncleane vvicked Spirits vvho shall labour by their subtile endeauours to hinder the building of the foresaid Tovver The Tipe or figure herof happened to the Israelits vvho endeuouring to reedify and build vp the Citty of Ierusalem then ruined and beaten to the ground by the Chaldeans were hindred by their neighboring Countreyes vvarring against them so as they vvere forced to vse incredible sollicitude and care in building vvith one hand and fighting vvith the other From all vvhich the Conclusion is that the Kingdome of Heauen cannot without great paynes and sweat be purchased by such men who become a prey to earthly and momentary pleasures and benefits not knowing how to bridle and tame the Concupiscence of the flesh or to fight with an inuisible enemy Neuerthelesse whosoeuer being assisted by the the grace of God shall seriously giue his mind to Christian Perfection and shall most attentiuely consider the words of Christ following the examples of him and all other Saints to this man by little and little the way and Tract shall be enlarged the gates shall be opened the vigour and courage of the mind shall increase the enemies shall be enfeebled and thus through the charity of God in Christ Iesus increasing in him the burden shall beginne to be light and the yoke sweet And those words of Esay c. 40. shall be verified They that hope in our Lord shall renew their strength they shall take wings as Eagles they shall runne and not labour walke and not faint And this man shall say with the Royall Prophet I did runne the way of thy commandements when thou didst dilate my heart Psal 118. Certainly it was not grieuous to S. Antony to spend whole nights without sleepe yea the night did seeme most short to him in respect of the sweetnesse of diuine Contemplation as well appeared when he complained of the Sunne it selfe in these words Quid me impedis Sol c. VVhy dost thou hâ—nder me O Sunne which risest so soone to the end thou maist withdraw me from the splendour and brightnesse of the true light Cass Col. 9. cap. 31. Neither seemed it any difficult matter to this Saint and such like holy men to coÌ„tinue their fasts by whole weeks when they euen fed vpon and were refreshed with the reading and meditating of the sacred Word of God as with a celestiall supernaturall bread Neither was it painfull to S. Austin to weane himselfe from the sweetnesse of worldly pleasures to the which euen from his youth he had beene enthralled after he once had tasted the sweetnesse of diuine loue and of internall Contemplation Therefore let no man be disanimated or let his heart and courage fall but cast himselfe with an immoueable Hope into the Armes of Gods most holy assistance who as he made vs for himselfe so will he draw vs to himselfe And who will vouchsafe to place all those in his Kingdome whome hee vouchsafed to redeeme with the precious bloud of his only begotten Sonne Now in regard of all this O Christian Soule thou oughtest not through the asperity of the way to rest disheartned but to trust in our Lord who would neuer haue inuited vs to seeke after his Kingdome before all other things whatsoeuer had he not beene prepared to strenghthen vs in this our iourney with his most powerfull and puissable help Therefore enter into this Path or tract-way towards the Kingdome of Heauen with all cherefull animosity of mind Here is no place left for a wauering mind or iudgement For if the labour be great which here presents it selfe to thee yet the reward propounded for this thy labour is incomparably farre greater and if the forces of thy enemies hindering thee in this thy voyage be powerfull yet the hand of God vvhich leads and conducts thee is more povverfull And if many of all Ages and Sexes could by this vvay arriue to the Kingdome of God vvhy vvilt thou be so faint-harted and deiected in spirit as to despaire by the same vvay to arriue to the same Kingdome Their bodies vvere not made of stone or iron but of flesh and they vvere mortall and fraile And therfore vvhat they atcheiued vvas not through their ovvne strength but through the strength of our Lord. Why therefore mayst not thou though vveake and infirme accomplish the like attempt Cast thy selfe vpon God faith S. Austin l. 8. confess c. 11. and be not afraid He will not withdraw himselfe from thee that thou shouldest fall Cast thy selfe vpon him confidently He will receaue thee He will help thee God is faithfuâ—l hee cannot deny himselfe Two things are required at thy hands The one that most firmely and vnalterably thou wouldst resolue to preferre the glory of God and saluation of thy ovvne Soule before all other things vvhatsoeuer The other That thou vvouldst repose all thy hope and
worldly felicity can delight them and thus the only remembrance and expectation of future ioyes is sufficient in this their banishment to comfort them I hold it conuenient to close vp this Booke with the words of S. Austin that such who will not perhapps belieue me may not doubt to giue credit vnto so great and worthy a man This Father in these following words doth expresse which is the true note of the inhabitants of the Citty of the world and of the Citty of God Thus he then writeth Omnes qui terrena sapiunt c All those who are wholly immersed in earthly affayres All who doe preferre a temporary felicity before God All who seeke after their owne things not after those of Iesus Christ doe belong vnto thâ—t one Citty which mystically is called Babylon and which hath the Diuell for their King But all such others who bend their labours to things which are supernall and aboue who are euen absorpt in the meditation of Celestiall matters who liue in this world with all sollicitude and care that they doe not offend God or sinne who sinning are not ashâ—med to confesse their offences finally who are humble meeke holy iust pious good All such I say belong to that one Citty which hath Christ for its King Thus faâ—re Saint Austin in explicat Psal 61. OF THE ETERNALL FELICITY OF THE SAINTS Vnder the Title of the House of God THE THIRD BOOKE That all the Blessed are the Domesticks and Sonnes of God CHAP. I. I Reioyced in these thinges which were said to we VVe shal go into the House of our Lord sayth the Royall Prophet Psal 121. Certainly it is a great and ineffable cause of reioycing for a good and faithful seruant after he hath painefully laboured in the Vineyard or hath multiplyed his Talents through negotiation and trafficke or as first hath gained the Prize in the race or hath deserued the Crowne in warre spirituall fight or hath diligently fed the sheep committed to his charge couragiously and valiantly defending them from wolues for then such a man after the accomplishment of all these his labours doth with all alacrity cheerfulnes enter into the House of his Lord. But let is first consider why that is called a House which a litle before was called a Citty Truly we cannot thinke that the cause of this appellation is that this House is strait or narrow and therefore doth deserue the name of a Citty since indeed it is of that largenes as that in greatnes it giueth not place to any Citty or Kingdome Giue eare to what the Prophet Baruch cap. 3. by way of acclamaaion speakes hereof O Israel how great is the House of God and how great is the place of his Possession It is great and hath no end Why then may not so great a House iustly be called a Citty The first reason heerof then is because the blessed though they be spred throughout the Kingdome of Heauen are the domesticks and familiars of our Lord. For perhaps a man might imagine that if mention were made only of a Kingdome or of a Citty that many might be in the Kingdome of Heauen and in the Citty of God who did neuer see God nor were euer admitted to speake or haue any entercourse with God but onely by the mediation of other greater Saints But because the matter standeth farre otherwise and that all the Saâ—nts do euer see God do coÌ„uerse with him and do speake to him face to face whether they be the supreme Seraphims and Cherubims Patriarches Apostles Prophets inferiour Angels and the lowest Saints For euen of our Angels Gardians who belong to the least degree of Angells our Lord thus saith Matth. 18. Their Angels in Heauen alwayes do see the face of my Father which is Heauen And the Apostle writing to the Ephesians cap. 4. auerreth that all the Saints are not only the Citizens of God but euen the domestick friends of God Therefore from hence I inferre that the habitation of the Saints is not only called a Citty but also a House There are doubtlesly diuers MaÌ„sions in Heauen to wit greater and lesser there are also seuerall Crownes some more illustrious others not so illustrious according to the disparity and inequality of merits neuertheles all those Cittizens are blessed and happy and are cleane in hart and replenished with Charity We may then from hence coÌ„clude that there is no Saint who is not in that ceâ—estiall house and who seeth not God and conuerseth not with him as a domesticall and familiar friend howsoeuer contrary heerto in other Kingdomes and Citties there are many who neuer see the King and most few they are to whome he vouchsafes any speach or familiarity Another reason why the Citty of God is called a House may seeme to be in that in a Citty many do see the King and do speake to him yet all those are not the Domesticks Sonnes heyres of the King but only those who dwelling in the Kings Pallace are acknowledged by the King for such But now in the Kingdome of Heauen and in the Citty of God all the Saints whether oâ— higher or low degree are truly the Domestickes of God and Brethren of Christ by reason heerof they are linked togeather in the strait coniunction of fraternity or brotherhood so as the Superiours among them do not contemne their inferiours neither with them is any coÌ„tention or malignity For when our Lord did teach the Pater noster that chiefe Prayer which is daily to be recited he in these words excluded not any man and when at the day of Iudgement he shall say Come you Blessed of my Father possesse you the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation the VVorld Matth. 25. he shall not except any out of this most confortable inuitation And when the Apostle said to the Romans cap. 8. whosoeuer are gouerned with the spirit of God those are the Sonnes of God and if Sonnes Heyres also Heyres truly of God and Coheires of Christ He in these words shutteth out no man whether great or litle so that he enioyeth the Spirit of God and will suffer himselfe to be sterned and guided therewith Which one Point is doubtlesly common to all the regenerate in Christ perseuering in Fayth Hope Charity In like sort S. Peter 1. Pet. 1. promiseth to all the regenerate an incorruptible inheritance incontaminate and not decaying being reserued in Heauen To conclude S. Iohn without any exception thus preacheth to all the iust See I pray what manner of Charity the Father hath giuen vs that we should be named and be the Sonnes of God 1. Ioan 3. From all this then we gather that the Place of habitation of the Saints is a House and not only a Citty or Kingdome in which house all are Domestickes Sonnes and heyres of the great King and all of them are beloued of God as Sonnes and of Christ as brethren that they may by good right say with the
good Theefe hanging with him vpon the Crosse Luc. 23. To day thou shalt be with me in Paradise For by the vvord Paradise our Sauiour did vnderstand the Kingdome of Heauen and essentiall Beatitude For when the Theefe had said O Lord remember me when thou shalt come into thy Kingdome our Lord promising to him the participation of his Kingdome did answere To day thou shalt be with me in Paradise The same is also witnessed by S. Paul when he said 2. Cor. 12. I know a man in Christ rapt euen to the third Heauen he was rapt into Paradise S. Iohn doth witnesse the same in his Apocalyps cap. 2. where he bringeth in our Lord thus speaking To him that ouercommeth I will giue to eate of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of my God Now from these passages of Scripture it is euident that the Region of the Blessed is a place of delight and Pleasure Furthermore when our Lord said to the good and faythfull seruant Math. 25. Enter into the ioy of thy Lord doth he not most openly declare the House of God or the City of God to the which all the good and faythfull Seruants are admitted after their passing out of this world to be a place of Ioy And where in many places be compareth the Kingdome of Heauen to a Supper as in Luc. 14. A certaine mâ—n made a great supper And againe cap. 22. where he sayth And I dispose to you as my Father disposed to me a kingdome that you may eate and drinke vpon my Table in my kingdome To conclude in the Apocalyps â—t is said cap. 19. Blessed are they who are called to the supper of the Mariage of the Lambe Certainly the Scripture by the Metaphor of a supper signifieth delectation and pleasure except we will maintayne that in the sense of Tasting there is no pleasure And we may annex hereto that in the Gospell and in the Apocalips the Kingdome of Heauen is compared to a Regall or Princely Supper as is euident out of that King VVho made a mariage for his sonne and out of the Parable of the Wise foolish Virgins of which the Wise Virgins did enter with the Bridegroome to the Mariage but the Foolish Virgins were shut out We also fynd in the Apocalyps many things to be spoken of the Mariage of the Lambe in the Kingdome of Heauen being celebrated with all magnificent preparation Furthermore the felicity of the Saints is compared to Princely Mariages at what tyme all kind of pleasures almost are enioyed of which point we are further to discourse in the next ensuing Booke To conclude S. Iohn in the Apocalyps did see a Company of Virgins who did follow the Lambe wheresoeuer he went and did sing a new song which no others could sing Which place S. Austin expoundeth of certaine holy ioyes and pleasures which the Virgins either men or Women do enioy His words are these You shall bring to the Mariage of the Lambe a new song which you shall sing vpon your Citherns that is you shall sing prayses in your Harts not such as the whole Earth singeth but such as not any can sing but your selues Aug. de sancta Virgin c. 27. And then after Whither may we thinke this Lambe will goe Where none shal be able or dare to follow him but your selues Whither may we thinke him to goe into what gardens or other pleasant places Thither I belieue where the grasse is ioyes not the vayne ioyes of this VVorld being but lying Madnes neither the ioyes which are graunted in the kingdome of God to others not being Virgins but they are ioyes distinguished from all other kind of ioyes And then againe a little after The rest of the multitude of the faithfull shall see you which cannot follow this Lambe They shall see but the shall not enjoy and reioycing with you that which they haue not in themselues they shall haue in you for they shall not be able to sing that new song peculiar to you but they shal be able to heare it and to be delighted in your great delight But you who shall both sing and heare this new song because in that you shall sing it you shall heare it you shall with more felicity exult or reioyce and with more pleasure reigne ibid. c. 29. Thus from all aboue expressed it is manifest that in the Heauenly Kingdome and City or House there be many true Ioyes and most true and most great Pleasures Of the Ioy of the Vnderstanding CHAP. II. SEing aboue we haue proued out of the Holy Scripture that there are true Ioyes in the Kingdome of Heauen we wiâ—l now explicate what those Ioyes be And first we will vndertake to shew what the Ioyes of the Vnderstanding VVill and Memory be all which do belong to the spirit or soule next what the ioyes of the seuerall senses be which do appertaine vnto the Body VVe do not intenâ— herby to maintayne that the Vnderstanding the Memory and the sâ—nses of the Body are the proper seats of Ioy for we are not ignorant that Ioy as also desire do properly beloÌ„g to the will in the superiour part and to the Appetite in the inferiour But we heare speake as men do vulgarly speak who forbeare not to say that the Eye is delighted with the beauty of Colours and the Eare with sweetnes of sounds Therefore we vnderstand by the Ioy of the mynd or of the Memory or of the Externall senses a delectation or pleasure which a man taketh from those things which either he doth vnderstand or remember or which he doth draw from the externall senses The first Ioy then of the Blessed shal be to see with the eyes of the mind God euen face to face as S. Paul speaketh and as S. Iohn sayth to see him as he is Now how great a Ioy this wil be we may in part coniecture in that the Prophet Isay and the Apostle do witnes that it exceedeth all the Ioyes which any maÌ„ hath either seene heard desired or euer imagined The eye hath not seene nor the eare hath heard neither hath it entred into the harâ— of man what things God hath prepared for them that loue him Isa 64. 1. Cor. 2 For the Scripture here speaketh of the chiefe and Essentiall Beatitude or Happines which is placed in the vision and sight of God himselfe according to that saving of our Lord Matth. 5 Blessâ—d are the cleane of Hart for they shall see God And This is life euerlasting that they know thee the only true God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. And truly there semeth in the former VVords a great amplification to wit That no man hath either seene or heard or desired or thought what kind of ioy consisteth in the Vision of God Notwâ—thstanding it is no amplification but a simple Truth because the Eyes the eares and the harts of men are accustomed to perceaue only ioyes that haue end but the Vision of God is
the Authour of sweetnes was thither come But if the glorifyed Body of our Redeemer did breath an odour of such sweetnes then it is altogether credible that all the Bodies of the Saints shall send forth in Heauen a wonderfull sweetnes For it is fitting that the members should be conformable to the Head not only in splendour but also in suauity of Odour Those men therefore who are delighted with Odours let them thinke with what sweetnes they are to be replenished when they shall draw into their glorified sent the diuerse and most sweet odours of so many thousands of Celestiall flowers on euery syde breathing forth in that diuine garden Of the Ioy of the senses of Tasting and Touching CHAP. VIII COncerning the Sense of Tast Deuines do write that the Blessed shall not vse any mortall meates Notwithanding they shall haue some delight in that sense that it may not seeme to be superfluous But concerning the Sense of touching or Feeling all do agree that the Vse thereof shall not be wanting in Heauen Since the Bodies of the Blessed as being true bodies with life may doubtlesly be touche Our Lord thus speaking Touch and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see me to haue Luc. 24. Yet all impure touching shal be most remote from their bodies for they shall haue no desire of Generation And therefore our Lord speaketh thus Math. 22. In the Resurrection neither shall they marry nor be marryed But are as the Angels of God in Heauen But we will not heere stay about these things which are daily disputed in the Schooles This one thing we affirme that the Sense of Touching shall receaue no small pleasure from the perpetuâ—ll and most excellent habitude or disposition of a Glorious Body through its qualities of which the Apostle thus speaketh 1. Cor. 15. The body is sowen in Corruption it riseth in Incorruption It is sowen in Dishonour it shall ryse in Glory It is sowen in Infirmity it shall rise in Power It is sowen a naturall Body it shall rise a spirituall Body Of these foure qualities or priuiledges of a glorified Body that of glory or splendour belongeth to the sense of Seeing as aboue we haue said the other three seeme properly to belong to the sense of Touching For euen as when the Body is oppressed with strokes diseases or wounds endangering the life the Sense of Touching is that which suffereth and grieueth so in like manner when the Body enioyeth perfect health is sound and of a strong constitution the Sense of Touching doth reioyce Therefore this sense shall haue great ioy in Heauen vvhen after the Resurrection it shal be clad with Immortality Impassibility and Health in the highest degree and this for all Eternity What charges would not men willingly be at especially Princes and others of great estates to be freed all their life time from the dolours of the Goute or of the Heade the stomack or the reynes What ioy shall it then be in Heauen from whence not only death but all diseases and griefs shal be altogeather exiled Furthermore those Qualities through the which a corruptible body doth rise incorruptible and a body that is infirme riseth impassible do belong to the ioy of the Sense of Touching In like sort the qualities of Agility or Subtility by which a Naturall Body shall rise spirituall seeme to belong to the same Sense of touching since that Body shaâ—l be called spirituall and shal be a glorious Body not in that it hath not truly flesh and bones but because it shal be so subiect to the spirit as that at the very beck and pleasure of the spirit or soule it shal be able without any difficulty toyle or wearines to be moued most swiftly to ascend and descend to goe and returne to penetrate and pierce all places and this in such sort as if it were not a Body but a spirit Therefore euen as the Sense of Touching grieueth and beareth it selfe not well when a heauy and weighty body is forced to ascend high or with great swiftnes speed to be remoued from place to place so also on the contrary it much reioyceth and exulteth when a Body without any toyle or wearines either ascendeth aboue or passeth most speedily from place to place Behould therefore from what seruitude of Corruption the Blessed shal be freed when as they shaâ—l no more stand in neede of Horses Coaches Gards of men Weapons nor any other thing but those Blessed Bodies euen by their ovvne forces shall passe and goe into what places themselues Will and they shall be euery where most safe and exempt from all danger yea in the middest and thickest troupes of armed men I would to God that such men who cannot tast or resent spirituall delights in that they haue an inuenomed and corrupted palate or Tast at least would entertayne with due consideration these most great and perpetuall Corporall Goods and Pleasures and that they would labour with all endeauour bent of Will for the purchasing therof For thus it might come to passe that by litle and litle they would aspire to higher Matters and so by these degrees they might at length through the assistance of God arriue to euerlasting Ioyes Of the Comparison of the Ioyes of the Earth with the Ioyes of Heauen CHAP. IX VVE haue vnfoulded and explicated according to our small ability what Ioyes are prepared in Heauen for those that loue God Now we will endeauour to demonstrate by certaine externall ArgumeÌ„ts how great and transcendent those Ioyes are Our first argument shal be taken from the comparison of the Ioyes which God often in this World giueth euen to his professed Enemies and to the Reprobate And certainly there is such a confluence of Ioyes consisting in Riches Honours Power and diuers pleasures which God imparteth to sinners to his Enemies either blaspheming against his dignity or not belieuing in him as that of most men they are judged to be Blessed and most happy according to the vvords of the Prophet Psal 143. They haue said it is a happy People which hath these things Which of the Louers of this world doth not enuy and grudge at Salomons Prosperity who reigned fourty yeares abounded with all affluence of riches and delights had seauen hundred wyues and three hundred Concubines Who neuerthelesse according to the iudgment of S. Austin was a Reprobate for thus this Father writeth in Psal 126. Euen Salomon himselfe was a louer of VVomen and was reprobated of God And in his booke de Ciuitate Dei c. 20. he sayth the same of Salomon which Salust did of Cataline This man had a good beginning but an euill ending S Gregory followeth S. Austins iudgment herein thus writing l. 2. moral cap. 2. Hence it is that Salomon though receauing VVisdome did not perseuere in Gods fauour c. Neither are the Kings or Emperours of the Turks the Persians those of China and Tartary vnlike to Salomon herein
all who enioy most vast and large Kingdoms and are so deuoted or rather become slaues to all sorts of pleasure of the flesh as that they giue all liberty to the Hart to the Eyes to the eares to their tast vnto Lust wallowing in all such voluptuousnes and sensualities as may content any of these Parts But to passe ouer these Ioyes of which but few are partakers How great are the consolations and Ioyes which God giueth to all men in Common of whom the Greatest part either know not God or at lest do not adore him with that Honour feare with which they oxght Doth he not giue all the Earth with all its riches delights liuing Creatures flowers Mettals to men in generall Doth he not giue the seas the fountaynes Riuers Lakes with so seuerall sorts of fish to all men promiscuously Hath he not created Heauen which is as a Couer of this great House and beautified with so many starrs for the generall vse of Man Hath not this our most gratious and most bountifull Lord commanded the sunne to rise and the Clouds to rayne vpon both the Iust Iniust Now if he be so profuse as I may say in distributing so great benefits comforts to reprobate sinners being his vngratefull bondslaues worthy all punishment in this life Is it then not most iust and reasonable that he should reserue incomparably far greater Ioyes for his friends and his sonnes Heare what S Austin meditateth hereof saying in Psal 10. Seing God giueth to sinners dayly blaspheming him the Heauens the Earth the Fountaines Fruits Health Children Riâ—hes abundance of all temporall Benefits VVhat then dost thou thinke he layeth vp and prouides for his seruants who giuâ—th all these former ioyes and Comforts to sinâ—ers It is written of S. Fulgentius in his life that he once behoulding the glory and magnificence of the Senate of Rome did burst forth into exclamation saying How specious illustrious may the Celestiall Ierusalem be if Earthly Rome do thus shyne And if in this world so great dignity and Honour be ascribed to the Louers of Vanity what Honour and Glory shal be due to the Saints contemplating the Truth Certainly S. Austin who made a prudent and true estimation of things affirmed all earthly pleasures whatsoeuer to be so far short and inferiour to Celestiall as he doubted not to say that it were more to be wished for a man to enioy Heauenly pleasure but for the space of one day then to enioy all temporall pleasures for many thousands of Ages His words are these l. 3. de lib. arbit c. vit So great is the pleasure of eternall Light as that if it were permitted for one to remayne and stay therein no more then the space of one day yet euen for so short a space of the fruition therof innumerable yeares of this life though fraught with all delights and affluence of temporall goods are deseruedly to be contemned For it is not said through any false or mistaking iudgment Psal 83. Better is one day in thy Courtes aboue thousands Thus S. Austin Novv what shall we from all this conclude If these things be true as they are most true haue we not reason as length to begin to be wise and open our eyes Hitherto we haue beene accustomed to say that earthly pleasures are to be contemned because they are but short and momentary and that Celestiall are to be loued because they are euerlasting But we haue heard S. Austin a most wise Doctour inueighing against this our manner of speach and earnestly contesting that if earthly matters were euerlasting and Celestiall but momentary that neuerthelesse in a cleere iudgment Heauenly goods and benefits were to be preferred before Earthly Are we not therefore deafe are we not blind are we not fooles and stupid if for earthly benefits pleasures which are not only base and ignoble but also fading and momentary we do contemne or sleight Celestiall which are most precious and shall continue for all Eternity O most mercifull Lord dissolue this our deafnes enlighten our blindnes dispell our stupidity cure our madnes To what end hast thou signed vpon vs the light of thy Countenance Psal 4. if we cannot discerne and see these so great and so necessary matters And why hast thou giuen vs iudgment of Reason if we do not penetrate points so euident A Comparison of the Terrestriall Paradise with the Celestiall CHAP. X. VVE haue aboue compared the Ioyes of this World with the Ioyes of the kingdome of Heauen In this next place we will briefly parallel togeather the Ioyes of the Terrestriall Paradise How great the Ioyes of the Earthly Paradise were may be knowne from that it was as it were a Garden of Delights allotted to men who were created to the image similitude of God whereas the rest of the Earth was giuen to Brute Beasts And hereupon when Adam by sinning did lose his Honour in which God had constituted him and was made like to Beasts without Vnderstanding Psal 48. he was then cast out of that Place and banished into this S. Alcuinus surnamed Auitas writing vpon Genesis doth liuely describe this Terrestriall Paradise and sheweth it to haue byn a Region most pleasant and most temperate where the Heate of the sommer did not scorch or burne nor the cold of the Winter annoy or hurt but a perpetuall spring of flowers did exhilerate refresh and the Autumne to abound with all kind of fruits His words are these Hic ver assiduum c. In this place the mildnes of the Aire causeth a continuall spring the teÌ„pestuous Southwind is absent the Cloudes do flye away from vnder the cleere firmament giuing place to a continuall serenity Neither doth the nature of the Soyle require any showers since the buds and the young plant are content with the falling dew Thus seing neither Winter to hurt nor Sommer to burne the Autumne furnisheth the yeare with all fruits and the spring-tyme with flowers Thus he S. Basill in like manner lib. de paradiso thus describeth this Terrestriall Paradise saying Illic plantauit Deus c. God placed Paradise there where no violence of wynds nor vnpleasantnes of times nor Hayle nor lightning nor thunder nor frost nor moysture nor scorching eate nor drines is to be found But there is a peacefull and temperate agreement of all times amoÌ„g themselues c. And S. Austin agreeth with the former doctours in describing this Terrestriall Paradise lib. 14. de Ciuit. cap. 10. Quid timere vel dolere poterant illi c. VVhat should those men feare or grieue at who were euen incompassed about with such an affluency of so great goods where neyther death nor any euill disposition of the Body was to be feared neither was there any thing absent which a vertuous will could desire nor any thing there present which could displease or offend the flesh or mynd of a man liuing happily c. And then a litle