your owne skill for all my will for I may minde what is not meete and you may wish what is more conuenient Your enough is nothing too much for that which you said was both pleasurable to heare and profitable to learne And it may be my minde is little amisse For I would learne what I know not and get what I haue not For my part therefore I can be contented to proceede can you so too R. Yea verily for I am now at your direction Q. We will now then to the third thing you say he was to regarde which in prosperous time of life was desirous to prepare against perilous day of death R. As you please for that But doe you remember what it was Q. Very well I thanke you For this it was He must striue by all good meanes he may to enter into the first degree of eternall life R. You say true but what would you touching this point Q. I would first know how many degrees of life eternall there are for your naming of the first argues that there are diuers I would secondly learne what it is to enter into the first degree of eternall life For you say he must striue and striuing argues it is not common nor easie to enter into it Thirdly I would know by what meanes a man may come to enter thereinto For enter a man cannot into any thing without meanes R. And these things in some sorte will I manifest vnto you Touching the first therfore there are three degrees of life eternall The first is in this life when men being iustified and sanctified haue peace with God The second is in the ende of life when the body freed from all diseases paynes and miseries is layd to rest in the earth and the soule is receiued into heauen The third is after the daie of Iudgement when bodie and soule being reunited shall be both aduanced to eternall glorie Now to enter into the first of these 3. degrees of life eternall is to haue such peace with God through Christ as he that hath it can say with Paul I liue not but Christ liues in me The meanes to enter heereinto are three Repentance of sin Fayth in Christ and Newenes of life For none can enter heereinto but he that repents him of his sinnes beleeues in Christ and riseth to newenes of life He that repents not perisheth He that beleeueth not is condemned He that walketh not in newnes of life is yet in his sinnes Hence it is that Peter said vnto the Iewes A mende your liues and turne that your sinnes may be put away when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Act. 3.19 Hence is it that Paul said vnto the Iayler 16 31. Beleeue in the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saued and thine household Dan. 4.24 Hence is it that Daniel said to Nebuchadnezar Breake off thy sinnes by righteousnes and thine iniquities by mercie toward the poore Loe let there be an healing of thine errour Hence it is that as Peter said of Ioyning vertue with faith and with vertue knowledge 2. Pet. 1.5 and with knowledge temperance and with temperance patience and with patience godlines and with godlines brotherly kindenes and with brotherly kindenes loue if ye doe these things ye shall neuer fall So may I say of mixing repentance with faith and with faith obedience and with obedience more if ye doe these things ye shall neuer fall for as Iohn the Euangelist sayth Apoc. 20.6 Blessed and holy is hee that hath part in the first resurrection for on such the second death hath no power By which is signified that hee which will escape the second death must be made partaker of the first resurrection of which none is in deed partaker but he that is regenerated iustified and sanctified regenerated by the spirit of God iustified by the death of Christ and sanctified with the gifte of the holy ghost for none but such can say with Paule I liue not now but Christ liueth in me Q. I but others than such haue parte in the first resurrection R. In shew they may but in truth they haue not Q. How then may a man come to be able to say with Paule I liue not now but Christ liueth in me R. By three especiall graces in which the first degree of euerlasting life consisteth Q. What three are these R. The first is a sauing knowledge by which a man doth truely resolue himselfe that God the father of Christ is his father Christ his sonne his redemer and God the holy ghost his sanctifier for as Christ sayth This is life eternall to know thee the onely God Ioh. 17.3 and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ The second is peace of conscience Pro. 15.5 Philip. 2. which as Salomon saith Is a continuall feast And as Paul saith Passeth all vnderstanding For as the same Paul saith The kingdome of God is righteousnes Rom. 14.17 peace of conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost And no meruaile for the horrour of a giultie conscience is the beginning of death and destruction Syr. 25. 14. The greatest heauines is the heauines of the heart saith Syrach and the greatest trouble is the trouble of conscience say I. As Syrach also saith Giue mee any plague saue onely the plague of the heart So say I giue me any trouble saue onely the trouble of conscience For as the plague of the heart passeth all other plagues so the trouble of conscience passeth all other troubles Pro. 18.14 The spirite of a man saith Salomon will sustaine his infirmitie but a wounded spirit who can beare it As one in Plautus saith Seruus in Mustellaria There is nothing more miserable than a mans owne guiltie minde In a prouerbe it is Seneca lib. de moribus Ibidem A guiltie conscience is as good as a thousand witnesses As Seneca saith The conscience goes beyond all the euill the tongue can speake An euill conscience is often safe without daunger neuer sure without care Hmbros lib. 2. de offic Bernar. in serm Bern. 3. considerat ad Euge. But saith Ambrose The peace of conscience makes a blessed life And saith Bernard He prepares a good dwelling for God whose reason neither hath been deceiued nor wil peruerted nor memorie defiled The opinion of good men with the testimonie of conscience is euer sufficient against the mouth of them that speake euil Horat. Hor. Iudgeth it an happie thing for a man to know no euil by himselfe nor to waxe pale through some default Hugo lib. 2. de Ani-cap 9. Hugo therefore speaking in the praise of a good conscience saith A good conscience is the title of religion the temple of Salomon the field of benediction the garden of delight the declinatorie of gold the ioy of angles the arke of couenant the treasure of the king the house of God the habitation of the holy ghost the booke
it and holde it if they will I am weary of talking of it there is so small comfort in it R. It was your selfe that gaue the occasion otherwise I had not spoken of it But sith we haue said thus much of it know thus much more touching it First though there be no comfort in it to the wicked that shal haue part in it because there is no peace to the wicked Isay 48.22 yet there is comfort by it to the godly because they know the wicked shall be plagued in it and all things worke togither vnto the best for them Secōdly Rom. 8.28 that the wicked shal to it whether they will or no. For in Mathew the seuenth they reason to and for the contrary Lord Lord Matth. 7.22 haue we not by thy name prophecyed and by thy name cast out diuels and by thy name done many great workes But there Christ saith then will I professe to them I neuer k ew you depart from me ye that worke iniquitie Now seeing you are weary of talking about this talke of what you will Q The libertie you giue me is more than I wish and greater than now I can vse You haue tied me to a course and I will not runne much out of course Now therefore when the sicke hath taken his prescribed phisicke after your described sort hath hee done touching himselfe or is there any thing else he is to regard in regard of his bodie R. I thinke not but I may say he hath done For whatsoeuer else is to be done is most what comprehended in the things alreadie named or else will be mentioned hereafter where other things are pursued Q. As we haue seene then what he is to doe concerning God and himselfe so if you please let vs see what he is to do concerning his neighbour For as I beare away hee was the third person you say the sicke person was to thinke of R. You say true and what pleased you shall not displease me for it aunswers the course before propounded and hitherto followed The first thing the sicke man is to doe concerning his neighbour is to seeke reconciliation with him for if he must doe nothing out of charitie he must not die out of charitie for the greatest worke that man hath to doe in this world is to die But the Apostle affirmeth that nothing must be done out of charitie 1. Cor. 16.14 for he saith Let all your things be done in loue and therefore die a man must not out of charitie For one of his things it is to die and as euen now you heard one of his greatest Moreouer if in the olde testament a man was to doe what I say when he was to offer but a beast in sacrifice vnto God much more is he to do it at Death when he is to offer himselfe his soule and bodie a sacrifice of a sweet smelling sauour vnto God For that which was an hinderance to the acceptation of a beast to be offred in sacrifice will much more be an hindrance to the acceptation of a man to be offered in sacrifice for the sacrifice of a man is greater than the sacrifice of a beast but then he was to doe it For then it was said If thou bring thy gift to the altar Matth. 5.23 and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leaue there thine offring and go thy way first be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift for without reconciliation of his sacrifice there was no acceptation When you shall stretch out your hands Esa 1.15 I will hide mine eyes from you saith the Lord and though yee make many prayers I will not heare for your hands are full of blood Now therefore also he is to doe it for now it is said When ye shall stand and pray forgiue Mark 11.25 if yee haue any thing against any man that your father also which is in heauen may forgiue you your trespasses For if you will not forgiue your father which is in heauen will not pardon you your trespasses And no meruaile for without peace betweene man and man there is no peace betweene man and God Without loue all is nothing Saith Paul Though I speake with the tongues of men and Angels 1. Cor. 13.1 and haue not loue I am as sounding brasse or a tinkling cymball And though I haue the gift of prophecie and knew all secrets and all knowledge yea if I haue all faith so that I could remoue mountaines and had not loue I were nothing And though I feede the poore with all my goods and though I giue my bodie that I be burned and haue not loue it profiteth me nothing And saith Iohn If any man say I loue God 1. Ioh. 4.20 and hate his brother he is a lier for how can he that loueth not his brother whom he hath seene loue God whom he hath not seene Q. I make no question of the dutie but of the sence For euery man vnderstands you not To seeke reconciliation is as farre from their vnderstanding as their practizing R. That may bee yet I hope you are not so senceles but you knowe the sence thereof Q. Though I be not yet I would haue you so speake as not I alone but that all others may vnderstand you R. I speake not in such parables but they may But I will speake plainely and as plainely as may be that the plainest of all may plainely vnderstand me To seeke reconciliation is freely to forgiue all men that haue offended and earnestly to desire all men to forgiue that are offended so that when I doe say it is the sicke mans part to seeke reconciliation with his neighbour it is as much as if I should say he is freely to forgiue all men that haue offended him as he himselfe would be forgiuen of God whome he himselfe hath many waies offended and also earnestly to desire all men whome he any waies hath offended to forgiue him as willingly as hee doth forgiue others The first part of this reconciliation is enioyned Marc. 11.25 And the second Mat. 5.23 what is said in either you haue already heard and it is needeles heere againe to repeate I thinke now that I haue spoken thus plainely you do not any longer stand in doubt Q. Not of the dutie as I haue said R. Not yet of the sence as you did say Q. Of neither but of the accomplishment of the dutie according to your sence R. That is more then you need if as I haue said the sicke doth proceed Q. How is that R. That is if he doth simply forgiue and sincerely desire to be forgiuen Q. What if a man cannot come to the speech of them to whom he should forgiue nor of them of whom he would be forgiuen or if he doe what if they will neither forgiue nor be forgiuen R. Nothing but well the will of the sicke God will heere accept for the deed
but when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shal be abolished Now we see through a glasse darkely but then we shall see face to face now I know in part but then shall I know euen as I am knowen and vpon this saying of the Apostle What may a man better inferre then this knowing one another while they are heere they shall not be ignorant one of another when they are gone hence for mine owne part I neither see how this can be infringed nor how a better thing may be inferred but to eche forward thus againe I say where the knowledge of the greater and the better cannot bee denied there I would thinke the knowledge of the lesse must needes be graunted but there the knowledge of the greater and the better cannot bee denied 1. Ion. 3.2 For there we shall know and see Christ as he is Heb. 1.3 which is the wisedome image and brightnes of the heauenly father There therefore the knowledge of the godlie among themselues must needs be graunted for what shall they know their head which is Christ and shall they not know themselues which are members of that head In that I take it there is smal likely-hoode and lesse reason of my minde I am sure are others no meane persons for account in the Church of God Amongst others the principall I will now stand vpon is that ancient and learned father Gregorie who in his dialogues hath this saying Greg. lib. dialog 1.33 There is a certaine thing in Gods elect and chosen people which is to bee marueiled at for they being in heauen doe not onelie know them whom they knew in this world but they know also the good people whom they neuer saw euen as perfectly as though they had afore both seene and knowne them for when they in that euerlasting inheritance shall see the auncient Fathers they shall not be vnknowne to them in sight whom they alwaies knew in worke for when they all with a like cleannesse doe behold God what is it that they should not there know where they know him that knoweth all thinges The next out of whom I will alledge any thing is Brandmiller a Minister and citizen of Basil Brandmil conc funer Conc. 10. who in one of his funerall Sermons hath this memorable saying It is certaine that in the life eternal we shall know those with whom in this life wee haue beene conuersant our parents our children our kinred and acquaintance yea and also all the Patriarches and Prophets Adam Abraham Moses Dauid Esaie Iohn the Baptist Zacharie Elizabeth Marie the mother of our Lord Christ Peter Paul and others as the Apostles in mount Thabor both saw and knew Moses and Elias whē they there talked with Christ though they themselues still were but in their mortall and corruptible bodies For in the life euerlasting we shall not be stockes wanting all sence and vnderstanding as some affirme which say that after this life we shall not one mutuallie know another If we shall know God which we must because it is said Ioh. 17.3 this is life eternall to know thee to be the onelie verie God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ much more shall we know men As also blessed Gregorie reasoneth in the fourth booke of his dialogues where he saith Because there all in a common cleannes do behold God there is not any thing there whereof they should bee ignorant where they know him that knoweth all things Did not the rich man of whom mention is made Luk. 16. know Lazarus after his death whom before hee had knowne in his life time and also Abraham whom neuer he had seene before did not the disciples also according to their old manner know Christ after his resurrection Furthermore if there shal be loue in the life to come there shall also be knowledge for knowledge causeth loue and loue commeth of knowledge there is no loue or desire of a thing vnknowne but there shal be loue most perfect in the life to come 1. Cor. 13.8 loue neuer falleth away ergo there shall also be knowledge besides all this in the holie Scripture the place and estate of the blessed is called heauenlie Ierusalem and the Citie of the liuing God but what Citie should that bee if therein the citizens should not mutually one know another by the testimonie of these two as I take it and the reasons out of Scripture before propounded there is now at length as much proued as was by mee sometime since promised If further manifestation thereof bee required more is yet at hand to be adioyned many of the better sort among the heathens were so well beaten to the beliefe thereof as they not onely thereupon hartilie desired death ere it came but also tooke it ioyfully and patiently when it came they desired it that so they might goe the sooner vnto the blessed company of immortall Gods they quietlie and ioyfullie suffered it that so much the more certainlie they might see and know not onelie the gods but also all those noble good and vertuous persons that euer liued in this world aswell such as they neuer knew as also those whome in this world they did most perfectly know As Tullie therefore relateth the matter this was the saying of Cato the elder I haue a great desire to see your fathers Cic. lib. de Sene. whom I honoured and loued but I wish not onely to talke with them whom I haue knowne in this world but with them also of whom I haue heard and read yea and I my selfe written If I were once againe going thitherward J would neuer haue mind to returne hither againe and againe this was his saying Oh that noble and pleasant day when it shal be my chance to come vnto that heauenlie companie and blessed fellowship and depart from this troublous and stinking world for then shall I goe not onelie vnto those men of whom I spake vnto you before but also vnto my Cato which was as worthie a man as euer liued and as noble Moreouer as the same author reporteth these were the sayings of Socrates when hee went to his death It is a most blessed and goodlie thing for them to come togither which haue liued iustlie and faithfully Cic. lib. ◠Tuscul q. O what a great pleasure thinke it you to bee friendly to talke with Orpheus Museus Homerus Hesiodus and such like verily I would die full oft if it were possible to get those things I speake of And as ere while you heard this was the saying of Cercidas when one asked him whether he would die willinglie Elianus de varia hist lib. 13. being fallen into a most dangerous and desperate disease Why should I not for after my death I shall see the best learned in all kind of sciences among the Philosophers Pythagoras among the Historians Herateus among the Poets Homer among the Muses Olympus which through their monumentes of learning haue