amongst women And infinite other the like amorous tearmes and kind speeches expressing the passages of chast loue spirituall pleasures and delights exercised betweene God Almightie and a Soule his fauorite Whereupon S. Augustine in his Booke of Confession calleth God Almightie His sweet happinesse the God of his heart God the light of his heart the inward bread of the mouth of his soule and the vertue marrying his minde and the bosome of the thoughts of his minde c. Insomuch as all the kindnesses in nature and exchanges of lawfull naturall affections vsed amongst creatures are but shadowes infinitely a farre off imitating the kinde passages and spirituall affections betweene God Almightie and a Soule his loue and fauorite which are so great that neither eye 1. Cor. 3. 9. hath seene nor eare hath heard neither hath it ascended into the heart of sensuall man what thinges God hath prepared for them that loue him So thou must not maruell though the friendship and passages of amitie which I write of betweene God Almightie and a Soule that loueth him with all her heart seeme strange and almost incredible since such he saith they are and ought to be as exceede the capacitie of men These are the workes of God and they are maruelous in our eyes He that hath my Commandements Io. 14. 21. and keepeth them hee it is that loueth me and hee that loueth me shall be beloued of my Father and I will loue him And of this ariseth the filling increase or extention of Loues motions whereof the first is Feruor which is an increase of desire to our Lord beloued whereof the Prophet Dauid speaking saith My heart waxed hot within me and in Ps 38. 4. my Meditation a fire shall burne The second is Languor or languishing in loue which is an extension of feruor to our Lord beloued but not yet in spirit inioyed and so remayning betweene extension of desire and not inioying little esteeming of any thing else sweetly languisheth after our Lord beloued whereof the Spouse in the Canticles speaking saith Stay me vp with Flowers Cant. 2. compasse mee about with Apples because I languish with loue The third Extasis which is a passing of the soule out of her selfe that shee may bee in our Lord beloued Whereof the Prophet Ieremie speaking saith He shall Ierem. Lam. 3. 28. sit solitarie and hold his peace because he hath lifted himselfe aboue himselfe The fourth is Liquefaction which is a certaine dilatation or ratifying of the heart for the better receiuing and inioying of our Lord beloued Whereof the Spouse speaking saith My soule melted Cant. 5. 6. as he spake The fift Vnion which is as it were a certaine being together with our Lord beloued whereof the Spouse speaking said My beloued to me Cant. 6. 2. and ◠to him The sixt Mutuall inhesion which is a cleauing to our Lord beloued whereof the Prophet speaking saith It is Ps 72. 28. good for me to cleaue to God The seuenth Penetration which is an entring of our Lord into the bottome of the soule and vnion with all the powers which cannot bee better explicated then by the words of S. Paul This is Eph. 5. 32. a great Sacrament but I speake in Christ and the Church The same vnion that is betweene Christ Iesus and the whole Church the same is with one soule his beloued the Church as it is vnited with Christ our Head by Charitie cōsisting of the iust onely with whom he is so vnited that they are but one spirit as man and wife are two in one flesh so Hee 1. Cor. 6. 16. that cleaueth to our Lord is one spirit with him saith S. Paul Thou must not thinke that God Almightie in these delights with the sons of men is altered or changed who is one and the same for euer but that we are changed by his grace and fauour and so we speake of these things according to the changes which his grace doth make in our soules and explicate them the best we can by these actions of sensuall loue which are through the miserie of mankind better knowne and so though our words sound carnall yet if thou wilt vnderstand our meaning thou must abstract from the senses and vnderstand them vnder spirituall conceptions Wee speaking of the loue betweene a soule louing our Lord with all her force and our Lord rendring by his grace and fauour mutuall exchange of spirituall loue whereof the bodie for the vnion it hath with the soule hath his part at least in the two first Feruor and Languor though little in the latter which happen as S. Paul saith in bodie 2. Cor. 12. or out of bodie I know not The auersion of his intention was such from the senses of this life in his Extasis that he saith he knew not whether it was in bodie or out of bodie Aug. epist 112. That is saith S. Augustine whether as it happeneth in vehement extasies his mind was alienated from this life into the other the bond betweene it and the bodie still remaining or there was a ful dissolution of his soule from his bodie as happeneth in complete death he knew not And thou must not maruell at it for first the attention is so great and the obiects so exceeding all things that this World can afford that the admiration drowneth all other thoughts Secondly he neither can nor may see or know more in vehement extasies and rapts then it pleaseth God Almightie to shew him The chiefest effect of all or any one of these Loues motions is Zeale of the honour and glorie of God and the keeping of his Commandements and an holy impatience detestation and horror of sinne as well in himselfe as in others as is admirably to be seene in our Father Elias the Prophet 3. Reg. 19. Dauid Saint Paul and all the Apostles and Saints as to our Father our Lord said What doest thou here Elias But he answered With zeale haue I beene zealous for our Lord the God of Hostes because the children of Israel haue forsaken thy Couenant thy Altars they haue destroyed and thy Prophets they haue slaine with the Sword c. And not to see these wickednesses and miseries desired to die saying It sufficeth me Lord take my soule for I am not better then my Fathers And the Prophet Dauid Who had 3. Reg. 15. 5. done right in the sight of our Lord and had not declined from all things which he commaunded him except the matter of Vrias the Hethite had such a detestation of his sinne that hee sayth My sinne is before mee alwayes Ps 50. 5. to detest bewaile and lament it and expressing his further sorrow and griefe for the said sinne sayth For the voice of my Ps 101. 6. groaning my bone hath cleaued to my flesh I am become as a Pellican of the Wildernesse I am become as a night-Crow in the house I haue watched and am become as
or enioy God or haue anie true content that hath anie vice or iniquitie in his soule as S. Paul sayth If any man 1. Tim. 6. 3. consent not to that doctrine which is according to pietie he is proud knowing nothing because all men may and ought to know that God Almightie is of infinite pietie and so cannot plant a Faith or Religion which is not pious and teaching all vertues as necessarie to saluation and vnion of heart with him their happinesse Thirdly that Faith and Religion in all reason must be the Faith and Religion planted by God which teacheth and sheweth men the most and best meanes how to loue God this being an Argument in Nature and Grace That euerie one loueth his owne 3. Reg. 3. 26. Ioh. 5. 19. Whereby is manifest that our Catholike Religion is the true Faith for that it teacheth vs how to loue God with all our hearts and how to obtaine Saluation and Happinesse by louing God VVhereas Protestants doe teach Saluation by onely Faith and that it is impossible to loue God or keepe the Commaundements And can there be a more vile and wicked Religion inuented then to teach that it is impossible to loue God Almightie with all our hearts Fourthly by generall consent of all People and Nations though of different Religions who all generally say and affirme That Catholikes liuing according to their Faith and Religion may be saued and haue a sparing as some tearme it sauing Faith And the consent of all People and Sects and Nations cannot erre in Reason CHAP. VII That it is as certaine that our Catholike Faith which Protestants call Papistrie is the Faith of God planted by our Sauiour as it is certaine that God Almightie cannot lye or be forsworne and how easily to end and determine all Controuersies by maintaining the Oath of God as true BY my own selfe haue I sworne Gen. 22. 16. saith the Lord to Abraham because thou hast done this thing and hast not spared thy onely begotten sonne for my sake I will blesse thee and I will multiply thy Seed as the starres of Heauen and as the sand that is by the Sea shoare thy Seed shall possesse the gates of his enemies and in thy Seed shall be blessed all the Nations of the Earth because thou hast obeyed my voice Againe our Lord promised to Isaack saying In thy Seed Gen. 26. 4. shall be blessed all the Nations of the Earth for because Abraham obeyed my voice Againe our Lord promised to Iacob Thy Seed shall be as Gen. 28. the dust of the Earth thou shalt be dilated to the West and to the East and to the North and to the South and in thee and thy Seed all the Tribes of the Earth shall be blessed Of these Promises the Prophet Esay speaketh saying Israel shall flourish and spring Isa 27. 5. and they shall fill the face of the world with Seed Againe I Isa 61. 8. the Lord that loue Iudgement and hate Robberie in Holocaust And I will giue their worke in truth and make a perpetuall Couenant with them And they shall know their Seed in the Gentiles and their Budde in the middest of Peoples All that shall see them shall know them that those are the Seed which the Lord hath blessed And of this Oath the same Prophet speaking sayth As in the dayes of Noe is this thing Isa 54 9. to me to whom I sware that I will no more bring the Waters of Noe vpon the Earth so haue I sworne not to be angrie with thee and not to rebuke thee for the Mountaines shall be moued and the little Hills shall tremble before the Day of Iudgement but my Mercie shall not depart from thee and the Couenant of my Peace shall not be remoued said our Lord thy Miserator Of this Oath the Prophet Daniel in the Captiuitie of Babylon maketh mention saying Take not away thy Dan. 3. 35. Mercie from vs for Abraham thy beloued and Isaack thy seruant and Israel thy holy one to whom thou hast spoken promising that thou wouldest multiplie their Seed as the starres of Heauen and as the Sand that is in the Sea shoare Of this Oath the Prophet Dauid speaking sayth I will Ps 88. 28 put him the first begotten high aboue all the Kings of the Earth I will keepe my Mercie vnto him for euer and my Testament faithfull vnto him I will put his Seed for euer and euer and his Throne as the dayes of Heauen But if his children shall forsake my Law and will not walke in my Iudgements if they shall prophane my Mercies and not keepe my Commaundements I will visit their Iniquitie with a Rod and their sinnes with stripes But my mercies I will not take away from him neither will I hurt in my Truth Neither will I prophane my Testament violate his Oath Againe speaking of this Oath and these Promises hee sayth He hath beene Ps 104. mindfull for euer of his Testament of the Word which he commaunded vnto thousand of Generations which he disposed to Abraham and his Oath to Isaac and he appointed it to Iacob for a Precept and to Israel for an eternall Testament That this Oath of God and Promises to the Patriarkes were to be fulfilled in Christ Iesu and in Christians maintaining and professing the Faith of God planted by our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ the Scriptures abundantly do testifie Our Lord expounding the Parable of the Cockle of the field sayth He that Mat. 13. 37. soweth the good Seed is the Sonne of Man and the Field is the World and the good Seed those are the Children of the Kingdome dispersed ouer the World according to the Oath of God to Abraham Againe our Lord sayth Doe Mat. 5. 18. not thinke that I come to breake the Law or the Prophets I am not come to breake but to fulfill Againe All things must needes Luc. 24. be fulfilled which are written in the Law of Moyses and the Prophets and the Psalmes of me Our Blessed Ladie speaking of the fulfilling of this Oath in our Sauiour and his Seede the Christians saith Hee hath receiued Israel his Luc. â— 54. Child being mindfull of his mercie as he spake to our Fathers to Abraham and his Seede for euer And Zacharie replenished with the Holy Ghost prophecied saying Blessed be Luc. 1. 68. our Lord God of Israel because he hath visited and wrought the redemption of his people as he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets that are from the beginning to remember his holy Testament the Oath which he sware to Abraham our Father Of the fulfilling of this Oath and these Promises in our Sauiour and Christians S. Peter speaketh saying You are the Children of the Act. 31. 24. Prophets and of the Testament which God made to our Fathers saying to Abraham And in thy Seed shall all the Families of the Earth be blessed That this Oath of God
Francis Yet in one generation both the names of these potent Kings vvere extinguished from the face of the Earth according to this Prophecie so faithfull is God Almightie in fulfilling of his Word So supposing thou beleeuest that God Almightie cannot lye not be forsworne and that thou as a creature of his wilt glorifie him and maintaine both in words and deedes the fulfilling of his Oath and Promises that hee may blesse and glorifie thee I set downe these Acts of Faith following thereby to end and determinate all matters of Controuersies or Differences in Faith or Beleefe that hereafter thou mayest remaine alwayes firme stable and vnmoueable in the Faith Eph. 2. 20. built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being the highest corner Stone in whom all Building framed together groweth into an holy Temple in our Lord Which is that I wish vnto thee and desire thee to pardon me if I speake for thy content boldly Acts of Faith GOd forbid deare Lord that I should euer think that thou hast broken the Oath and Testament which thou hast spoken to Abraham Isaack and Iacob thy Seruants saying By my Gen. 22. selfe haue I sworne I will multiply thee and I will multiply thy Seed as the Starres of Heauen and as the Sand that is vpon the Sea shoare Thy Seede shall possesse the Gates of his Enemies and in thy Seede shall be blessed all the Nations of the Earth Thy Seed shall be as the dust of Gen. 28. the Earth that shal be dilated to the East and to the West and to the North and to the South and in thee and thy Seed shal be blessed all the Tribes of the Earth I detest O Heauenly Father as Suggestions of the Deuill all opinions whatsoeuer which are contrarie to the vnitie of the Faith dilated ouer the World O God of Heauen I beleeue most firmely that the Christians dilated ouer the World professing one Faith are the Seed of Abraham the Gen. 22. Children of thy Kingdome the Wheat that thou didst sowe the Mat. 1◠Sheepe that thou doest feed and Ioh. 10. the Blessed which at the last day Mat. 25. shall enter into the Kingdome of Heauen Deare Lord I beleeue most firmely that if we be Christs Gal. 3. 29. then we be the Seed of Abraham and must professe the faith dilated ouer the World O Lord of Infinite Maiestie I humbly beseech thee for thy tender Mercies that I may be one of the great Multitude Apo. 7. 9. which no man could number of all Nations and Tribes and People and Tongues which are to be signed with thy Marke and to be conducted by thee to the Liuing Fountaines Apo. 7. 17. of Waters I detest Eternall God more then Death or Hell to hold or maintaine any opinion which the Catholike Church the Seed of Abraham dilated ouer the World doth not approue Deare Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ I vndoubtedly beleeue that thou art the Sonne of the liuing God to whom this Promise is made I will giue thee the Gentiles for Ps 28. thy Inheritance and for thy Possession the ends of the Earth I beleeue deare Lord all the Articles of the Catholike Faith and for the truth of any one of them by the assistance of thy grace am readie to die not one death but if it were possible as many deaths as all the Martyrs haue suffered from the beginning of the World vntill this day O Lord of infinite Maiestie while I liue I will faithfully beleeue and heartily confesse with thy seruants S. Ambrose and S. Augustine That the holy Church doth Hym. SS Amb. et Aug. confesse thee throughout the World I beleeue most firmely O liuing God that thou art the God of Abraham Isaack and Iacob keeping thy Couenant with them for thousand of Generations and maintaining thy Promise of multiplying their Seed as the Starres of Heauen and possessing the Gates of their Enemies vntill the end of the World Graunt deare Lord that I may rather die a thousand deaths then not confesse with thy Seruant S. Athanasius from my heart in a Catholike sense That whosoeuer will be saued it is needfull before all things that hee hold the Catholike Faith the which vnlesse each one shall keepe whole and inuiolate he shall without doubt eternally perish Man may lye and mine owne iudgement may be deceiued but I beleeue firmely that God Almightie cannot be forsworne deceiue or be deceiued in his Oath I beleeue most firmely deare Lord that the Christians professing one Faith multiplied as the sand that is by the Gen. 28. Sea-shore and dilated to the West and to the East to the North and to the South are the Seed of Abraham thy seruant the children Ps 104. of Iacob thy elect and there is no saluation in any other Act. 4. I doe most firmely hold and doe no waies doubt but that not only Aug. li. de side ad Petrum all Pagans but also all Iewes Heretikes and Schismatikes who doe die out of the Catholike Church are to goe into euerlasting fire which was prepared for the Deuil and his Angels Beare witnesse O ye Heauens and be testimonies all ye that dwell vpon the Earth that I vndoubtedly and most firmely beleeue that God Almighty hath and doth visibly multiply the Christians professing in vnitie the Faith planted by our Sauiour as the starres of Heauen and as the sand that is by the Sea-shoare according as he spoke Luc. 1. 55. to our Fathers to Abraham and his Seed for euer Let mee neuer liue deare Lord to beleeue or thinke that thou hast broken thy Oath and Promises to the Patriarkes and Prophets and canst lye and be forsworne in permitting the Catholike Church to erre or vanish away frō the face of the Earth Deare Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ by the assistance of thy grace though as great torments as the sensible paines of the torments of Hell should fall vpon me for it yet will I confesse that thou art the true Messias and came to fulfill the Oath and Promises which God made to Abraham the Patriarks Prophets and not to breake them These Acts grounded vpon the Oath and Promises of God you are to make often and with simplicity and sincerity of heart and they will so direct you to know and finde out truth that your owne conscience will not permit you euer to be an Heretike Iew Infidell or Protestant of any Sect or sort whatsoeuer And by these Acts without disputing of Controuersies thou puttest an end to all Controuersies and Disputes in matters of Faith and Religion beleeuing them thou art as sure that thou beleeuest aright as that it is certaine that God Almightie cannot be forsworn or that our Sauiour was the Messias promised to the Patriarkes Prophets and excludest all Errors Heresies and Temptations of the Deuil in matters of Faith and infallibly setlest thy vnderstanding in
the Faith Word of God planted by our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ vpon Earth to the great Content Ease and Rest of thy minde and assurednesse of knowing diuine Truths and Verities without deceit because God Almightie cannot deceiue thee nor faile of his Oath and Promises whereupon they are grounded So Saint Paul telleth the Colossians and in them all Christians that they shall be holy and immaculate and blamelesse Col. 1. 27. before God if yet you remaine in the Faith grounded and stable and vnmoueable from the hope of the Gospel which you haue heard which is preached among all Nations that are vnder Heauen CHAP. VIII How our Catholike Faith is so founded vpon the Oathes and Promises of God that it is not possible for any man to be an Heretike or Protestant of any Sect or sort without affirming in effect and deed that God Almightie is periured and forsworne OVR Catholike Faith which Protestants call Papistrie is not founded vpon Men as Protestant Ministers tell thee but vpon two things immoueable The Oath of God and That it is impossible for God to lye By my selfe Gen. 22. haue I sworne saith our Lord I will multiply thee and I will multiply thy Seede as the Starres of Heauen and as the sand which is by the Sea-shore thy Seede shall possesse the Gates of his enemies and in thy Seede shall be blessed all the Nations of the Earth Not only the Brittans in an Iland diuided from the whole World but all the Nations of the Earth The Scripture foreseeing that God Gal. 3. 8. iustifieth the Gentiles by Faith by Faith that worketh by Gal. 3. 22. Charitie shewed vnto Abraham before that in thee shall all Nations Gal. 5. 6. be blessed For God promising Heb. 6. 13. to Abraham because he had none greater by whom hee might sweare hee sware by himselfe saying Vnlesse blessing I shall blesse thee and multiplying shall multiply thee c. for mensweare by greater then themselues and the end of all their controuersie for confirmation is an oath So God meaning more abundantly to shew the heires of the Promise the stabilitie of his Counsell hee interposed an Oath that by two things vnmoueable whereby it is impossible for God to lye wee may haue a most strong comfort who haue fledde to hold fast the Hope proposed That in the Seede of Abraham our Sauiour not one or few Nations but all the Families of the Earth Act. 3. 25. should be blessed Vpon these two things vnmoueable are founded our Catholike Church holy Faith the Oath of God That it is impossible for God to ly or violate his Oath Promises euery where spoken of in the Scriptures to be fulfilled vpon Christians beleeuing in our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ of the Seed of Dauid of the Seed of Abraham that in his Seed Gen. 22. Luc. 1. 55. should be blessed all the Nations of the Earth as hee spake to our fathers to Abraham and his Seed for euer So that it is not possible for any man by any means to become an Heretike or Protestant of any Sect or sort vnlesse he affirme in effect and deeds that God Almightie is a lyer and forsworne nor possible for any man sincerely to maintaine or defend in effect and deeds that God Almightie cannot lye or be forsworn but he must be of that Religion which Protestants call Papistrie doe what hee can Whereupon S. Paul sayth An Heretike sinneth being condemned 1. Tit. 3. 10. by his owne iudgement For that he knoweth that he preacheth against the Oathes and Promises of God and pronounceth in his workes and deeds God Almightie to be forsworne and a lyar and hereupon our Sauiour sayth He that doth not beleeue is alreadie iudged Hee that will not beleeue God Almightie when hee sweareth and reneweth his Oath so often as hee doth in the Scriptures there are no meanes left to conuince him but by Aristotles argument viz. Punishment and Paines Those who Li. 1. Top ca. 9. doubt sayth Aristotle whether they should honour the Gods or no stand in need of Paines And according to this are the words of our Sauiour where Luc. 16. 30. hee sayth If they heare not Moyses and the Prophets neither if one should rise from the dead will they beleeue Such as will not beleeue the Oathes of God Almightie recorded by Moyses and the Prophets there is no other meanes left for to make them confesse truth but by eternall Torments Eua beleeued the Deuill that God Almightie could lye when he told her No you shall not die whereas God Almightie Gen. 3. 4. had told her that shee should if she eate of the forbidden fruit and by this meanes deceiuing her hee depriued her and all her posteritie of the Ioyes of Paradise and brought them to Miseries and temporall Death Take thou example by thy Mothers fall and doe not beleeue the Deuill or Sectaries when in effect and deeds they shall perswade thee that God Almightie can lye or be forsworne and suffer his Catholike Church to erre faile and decay contrarie to his Oath and Promises that they draw thee not from the Content and Happinesse of Grace in this life and Glorie in the other into the horror of all temporall Discontents and after death into eternall Torments Saint Augustine in his time vrged the Donatists with this foundation of our Catholike Faith the Oath of God and the Impossibilitie for him to lye saying to them as wee in his wordes say now to Protestants changing onely Donatists for Elizabethians and Africa for Brittanie To you Elizabethians the Catholike Church doth say O sonnes of men how long are yee of heauie heart Why doe you loue vanitie and seeke after a Lye Wherefore haue you diuided your selues by a wicked sacrilegious Schisme from the vnitie of the whole World You giue eare to Falsehoods which are told you of Man either lying or erring from the tradition of the Scriptures that you may die in your Hereticall Seperation And doe not attend what the Bookes themselues say that you may liue in Catholike 〈◊〉 Wherefore doe you open your eares to Men telling you that which they could neuer proue and are deafe against the Word of God which saith Our Lord Ps 2. 7. said to me Thou art my Sonne this day haue I begotten thee Aske of me and I will giue thee the Gentiles for thine Inheritance and thy Possession the ends of the Earth To Abraham are the Promises Gal. 3. 16. made and to his Seed hee doth not say to his Seedes as in many but as in one and to thy Gen. 22. Seed which is Christ In thy Seed Gal. 3. 8. shall be blessed all Nations Lift vp the eies of your hearts and consider the whole Globe of the Earth how in the Seed of Abraham all Nations are blessed Then it was beleeued of one when it was not yet seene now you see it
be weeping and gnashing of teeth Neither can the Passion of our Lord or merite of his Sacrifice vpon the Crosse as it sanctifieth and iustifieth be applyed by parts as that any one might be sanctified iustified by only Faith or only Hope in him also haue iniquitie for that grace which iustifieth and mortall sinne or iniquitie cannot dwell together in one and the same Soule For what participation 1. Cor. 6. 14. hath Iustice with Iniquitie or what societie is there betweene Light and Darkenesse and what agreement with Christ and Belial or what part hath the Faithfull with the Infidell Againe No Mat. 6. 24. man can serue two Masters you cannot serue God and Mammon Not onely Faith nor onely Hope nor Faith and Hope with Impietie and Vice and want of other Vertues are sufficient to Rest Content and Happinesse There shall Apoc. 21. 27. not enter into it any polluted thing nor that doth abhomination and maketh a lye without euer finding Rest or Ioy are Dogges Heretikes whom S. Peter calleth Dogges for that they hauing beene once conuerted to Christianitie are returned to Infidelitie and Sorcerers and the Vnchast and Apoc. 22. 15. Murtherers and seruers of Idols and euery one that loueth and maketh a lye according to the words of our Sauiour saying Mat. 7. 23. Depart from me you that worke iniquitie I neuer knew you and they shall goe into punishment euerlasting As in Arts Sciences euery one is made expert cunning in his Art by frequent acts so in Vertues euery one becommeth groūded in Vertue Pietie Godlinesse by frequent acts and exercises of Vertue according to the saying of the Holy Ghost Ps 17. With the holy thou shalt be holy and with the peruerse thou shalt be peruerted So it resteth here to set down acts of Hope in God Acts of Hope MOst mercifull Lord and my God I most firmely hope by meanes of thy helpe and the good workes which by thy particular grace I intend to doe at the end of my life to enioy eternall glorie Deere Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ although in euerie moment I commit manie Imperfections yet I hope by thy gracious helpe to arriue to Christian perfection Most mercifull Lord whose Mercies are aboue all his Workes if I alone had committed all the sinnes and enormious crimes vvhich haue beene committed from the beginning of the World vntill this day yet would I not despaire of thy mercie I hope most firmely O Sonne of God and my Redeemer by meanes of thy holy Sacraments to come to possesse eternall glorie All my hope deere Lord and Sauiour is in the merite of thy sacred Passion Graunt sweet Sauiour that I may vse the meanes which thou hast ordained should be vsed by all those who shall receiue benefite by it O Lord of infinite Mercie there was neuer sinner that did call vpon thee to whom thou diddest not shew mercie so I hope that thou wilt haue mercie vpon mee who calleth vpon thee with all my heart In thee onely I hope O Lord Thou art the portion of Ps 15. 5. mine inheritance thou art he that will restore mine inheritance vnto me From them that resist thy right hand keepe me as the apple of thine eye vnder the shadow Ps 16. 8. of thy wings protect me from the face of the impious that haue afflicted me Our Lord is my firmament and my refuge and my deliuerie Ps 17. 1. my God is my helper and I will hope in him Deere Lord in all my tribulations Ps 21. 6. I will hope in thee In thee our Fathers haue hoped they hoped and thou diddest deliuer them They cryed to thee and were saued they hoped in thee and were not confounded Lord of infinite power and Maiestie Although I Ps 22. 4. shall walke in the middest of the shadow of death I will not feare euill because thou art with me Our Lord is my saluation whom should I feare our Lord is the Protector of my life of whom shall I be afraid If Campes stand together against mee my heart shall not feare If Battels rise vp against mee in thee will I hope In thee O Lord haue I hoped Ps 30. 1. let me not be confounded Be vnto mee for a God a Protector and for a house of refuge that thou mayest saue mee because thou art my strength and my refuge Into thy hands I commend Ps 30. 4. my spirit thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of Truth Be delighted my Soule in Ps 36. 4. our Lord and he will giue thee the petition of thy heart Reueale thy way vnto our Lord and hope in him and he will doe it Why art thou heauie O my Ps 41. 12. Soule And why doest thou trouble me Hope in God because yet I will confesse to him the Saluation of my Countenance and my God CHAP. X. That Charitie or loue of God together with Faith and Hope is necessarie to the Content and Happinesse of Man THat it is not possible for Man to be content and happie without the loue of God is manifest by the light of Reason For if I had what things soeuer can be giuen me and yet did not loue them I should not find or receiue any true content or ioyes from them and yet those who loue things that are not good are deceiued and Time discouering Deceits they will remaine afflicted Againe those who loue such things as haue an end at their end or parting they will rest comfortlesse whereby is manifest by the light of reason that true Content and Ioyes cannot be without true Loue nor true Loue vnlesse it be placed in louing a perpetuall Good Againe this perpetuall Good must be such as I may at all times and in all places loue talke with and in some sort enioy which is God Almightie who is euery where and in all places eternall and of infinite goodnesse Neither is it lesse manifest by the light of Grace the Scriptures euery where promising Happinesse to such as loue God Almightie with all their hearts and Miserie and Wretchednesse to such as fornicate from him saying If thou wilt enter into Mat. 19. 17. life keepe the Commandements whereof the first is Thou shalt Mat. 22. 37. loue the Lord thy God from thy whole Heart and with thy whole Soule and with thy whole Minde Insomuch as the holy Ghost pronounceth them first Accursed who who doe not loue God with their whole hearts saying Cursed are they that decline from thy Commandements Ps 118. 21. Secondly the holy Ghost accounteth them Fooles without wit and vnderstanding saying Giue me vnderstanding and I will search thy Law and Psal 118. will keepe it with my whole heart Thirdly It tearmeth them vniust reserued for to endure Torments in the Poole of Fire and Brimstone for euer and euermore saying The vniust Ps 118. 85. haue told me Fables but not as thy Law Wicked people sayth
which according to God is created in Iustice and holinesse of the Truth Whereupon Saint Iohn Baptist speaking of the way or meanes how to attaine vnto Content and Happinesse sayth Who hath shewed Mat. 3. 7. you to flye from the wrath to come yeeld therefore fruit worthie of Penance Which is as if he should haue said If any one hath shewed you the way to Content and Happinesse and not by contrition and detestation of sinne the fruites of Penance hee hath deceiued you So our Lord and Sauiour in his first Sermon according to Saint Matthew taught Penance as the first meanes to Happinesse the Text saying that Mat. 4. 17. Iesus began to preach and to say Doe Penance for the Kingdome of God is at hand Heere thou mayest see how many men which are of short Capacities and weake and shallow Wits and Vnderstandings are deceiued in framing to themselues a conceit that to doe Penance is to be tormented deiected and oppressed in minde when it is nothing lesse but the greatest ease remedie and rest to a deiected and oppressed minde that can be had or found and the way and meanes to all true Content and Happinesse If thou wilt beleeue the Scriptures and Experience Contrition or sorrow for sinne doth much differ from the sorrow or lamenting of worldly men when out of selfe-loue they lament the losse of their worldly Commodities or Pleasures The fruites of this Sorrow are Sadnesse Oppression of Minde and Discontent as being inordinate and not ordained by God to be vsed as a meanes of finding Happinesse vvhereas Penance Contrition and Sorrow for Sinnes beeing meanes ordained by God to Content and Happinesse the more thou vsest them the more rest and content of heart thou shalt finde because God Almightie doth reuiue the Isa 57. 15. heart of the Contrite by the assisting of the holy Ghost Gal 5. whose fruits are Charitie Ioy of heart and Peace of minde of which wee are to speake more in his place A second meanes of attayning vnto the loue of God is often to Communicate according to the words of our Lord saying He that eateth Ioh. 6. my Flesh and drinketh my Bloud abideth in me and I in him which is the Charitie wee seeke for A third meanes is Meditation seriously to consider all the benefits thou hast receiued from his diuine Maiestie as Creation Redemption Conseruation and whatsoeuer graces thou hast or expectest and likewise to meditate often vpon his diuine Attributes as his infinite Goodnesse Beautie Maiestie and Power c. for the onely meanes to loue any thing that is very good faire pleasing and beautifull is but to looke seriously vpon it and consider it well and the loue or liking of it presently is begotten in thy heart And it being excellently good the more thou thinkest or meditatest vpon it the more the loue of it increaseth in thee So if thou wilt loue much GOD Almightie doe not omit thy Meditations A fourth meanes is alwaies to keepe the Presence of God that hauing alwayes before thine eyes an infinite Good from whom all things else borrow whatsoeuer good they haue thou canst not but little esteeme of all other goods in comparison of it and loue it with thy whole heart and all things else as they may conduct thee vnto it of which Presence wee are to speake in our third Booke A fifth meanes is to make many Acts of the loue of God As in Arts and Sciences thy continuall practise increaseth thy knowledge and skill so the making of many Acts of the loue of God increaseth in thee the loue of God And to that end heere I set downe these Acts following Acts of Charitie or Loue towards God AS the chased Hart thirsteth after the Fountaine of Water so I desire that my heart should perpetually thirst after thee deare Lord. O Lord of infinite beautie that my heart were so wounded with thy loue that out of feruour of spirit I might in silent speech perpetually breath forth When shall I come and appeare before thy face O most amiable Sonne of the liuing God take now possession of this my heart which was created for to loue thee and pierce it with a thousand wounds of pure loue that I may for euer sweetly languish after thy eternall beautie How beloued are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts my soule coueteth and fainteth after the Courts of my God Decre Iesu to thee I consecrate my heart O deere King of all beautie and glory I will no other inheritance but thee O Life of my life and more beautifull then all beauties created put together inflame me with a most desired burning after thy eternall beautie O Lord of infinite mercy how great are the multitude of thy mercies that thou commandest mee to loue thee and if I doe not thou art angrie and threatenest eternall miseries when in louing thee consisteth all my ioyes and good O who will giue to me my Lord that I may die for thee that by my corporall death my soule may be ingulfed in thee her rest and chast bed-Chamber of all diuine delights Too late haue I loued thee Beautie so ancient and so new too late haue I loued thee but pardon my negligence past deere Lord and graunt that this my beginning may last and increase for euer Thou deere Lord was within mee and I was without my selfe and amongst these faire things which thou hast created I sought thee and fowly erred faire they were because thou createdst them but to me foule for that I loued them and loued them not in thee O how I lament deere Lord that my poore soule hath beene so deceiued with sensuall loue and worldly vanitie now conuert mee so wholly vnto thee deere Lord that nothing created may please me but the only louing of thy diuine Maiestie Thou art all faire my Loue thou art all faire and there is not a spot or staine in thee O my infinite Good I resigne to thee all that thy liberalitie hath bestowed vpon me that thereby I may please thee and offer without ceasing in the Altar of my heart my selfe in Sacrifice If I forget to loue thee my Lord let all my pleasures be turned into sorrowes and let my right hand be forgetfull of her actions if I doe not offer vnto thee vpon the Altar of my heart a Sacrifice of perpetuall Loue Morning Mid-day and Euening CHAP. XII That true Content and Happinesse cannot be without Charitie or loue towards our neighbours and keeping of the Commandements of God SO great is the Obligation and bond of Societie interposed betweene all things created that the good of one in some sort dependeth vpon the loue and societie with the other The Angels in Heauen reioice one at anothers good and Happinesse and receiue increase of Content by the increase of Glory bestowed vpon any one The Heauens send downe showers and dew to water and make pleasant the Earth and the Earth shooteth vp all her fruits
of God with all our hearts and our neighbour for Gods sake as our selues And first it is necessarie to speake of temporall blessings and contentments and after of spirituall and eternall The practise of this our Doctrine of louing God with all our hearts and our neighbours for Gods sake as our selues yeeldeth such abundance of temporall Happinesse and Content as that it taketh away all the causes of temporall discontent and miseries from amongst men and planteth in their places all temporall Happinesse and Contentments for supposed that this our Doctrine were practised amongst men and that euerie one would loue God with all his heart and his neighbour for God as himselfe first it would take away all Vsurie Theft Murder Fornication Adulterie Suits in Law Sects Controuersies Rebellions Conspiracies Enuie Hatred Malice Emulations Oppressions Contentions and whatsoeuer miserie is in any Kingdome State or Common-wealth and all the euils which are prohibited and forbidden by Lawes For if we did loue God Almightie with all our hearts wee should be verie sorrie to offend him As wee see by experience euerie one hath great care not to offend him whom hee loueth So if men loued God Almightie with all their hearts there would bee no such sinnes committed as are spoken of in the Tenne Commaundements or in anie other Ciuill or Common Law According to the wordes of our Sauiour saying If any loue mee hee Ioh. 14. 23. will keepe my Word Againe Hee that loueth me not keepeth Io. 14. 24. not my wordes So establish the loue of God in the hearts of men and you take away all Idolatrie Theft Fornication Adulterie Couetousnesse Extortion Iniustice Sinne and Wickednesse forbidden by any Law To the verifying of the vvordes spoken by the Prophet Isay saying Iustice shall be Isa 11. 5. the girdle of his Loynes and Faith the girdle of his Reynes The Wolfe shall dwell with the Lambe and the Leopard shall lye with the Kid The Calfe and Lion and Sheepe shall abide together a little child shall leade them The Calfe and the Beare shall feede their young ones shall rest together And the Lion shall eate Straw as it were an Oxe And the Infant from the Breast shall be delighted vpon the hole of the Aspe and he that is weyned shall thrust his hand into the hole of the Cockatrice They shall not hurt and they shall not kill in all my holy Mountaine because the Earth is replenished with the knowledge of our Lord the loue of God and Man for he that saith he knoweth God and keepeth not his Commaundements 1. Ioh. 2. 4. is a lyar and the truth is not in him Whereby thou seest deare Reader that the practise of our Doctrine taketh away all temporall miseries and wretchednesse from amongst men insomuch as if that it vvere practised there vvould bee no neede of Lawes nor any vse of any Lawyers Againe supposed that euerie one would loue his neighbour as his second selfe then all would relieue the poore and euerie one would reioyce at others good and prosperitie as at his owne and all seeke to aduance one and one all and found a perfect Monarchie in defence inuincible and in offence against the enemies of their common good alwayes conquerors euery one faithfully seconding of his companion as his second selfe they would remaine inuincible and euerie one louing his neighbour as himselfe euerie one would willingly supply to his power his neighbours wants and by this meanes they would all liue in happie and quiet temporall Content like perfect friends confirmed in sociable amitie according to the Prophecies Thy People all Isa 60. 21. iust for euer shall inherite the Land the Budde of my planting the worke of my hand to glorie The least shall be into a thousand and the little one into a most strong Nation the Lord in the time thereof will suddainely doe it Againe I will make thy visitation Isa 60. 18. Peace and thy Ouerseers Iustice Iniquitie shall no more be heard in thy Land Waste and Destruction in thy Borders and Saluation shall occupie thy Walls and Praise thy Gates And this wee see fulfilled in the Christians of the Primitiue Church Of whom it is said The multitude Act. 4. 32. of Beleeuers had one Heart and one Soule neyther did any say that ought was his owne of those thinges which hee possessed And is euen vntill this day fulfilled in all poore reformed Religious Orders dilated ouer the World who neuer stand in need to vse Suites or Lawyers And it is also fulfilled in all Countreyes more or lesse accordingly as they are Christians Catholike or stayned with spots of Heresie All the temporall Blessings of Monarchies Kingdomes and States are founded vpon the keeping of the Commaundements of God according to that Pact or Couenant which Moyses made with the people of Israel which now wee Christians are saying If thou wilt heare Deut. 28. the voice of our Lord thy God that thou doe and keepe all his Commandements which I commaund thee this day our Lord thy God will make thee higher then all Nations that be on the Earth and all those Blessings shall come vpon thee and ouertake thee yet so if thou heare his Precepts Blessed shalt thou be in the Citie and blessed in the Field blessed shall be the fruit of thy Wombe and the fruit of thy Ground and the fruit of thy Cattell the troopes of thy Heards and the foulds of thy Sheepe c. Our Lord will raise thee vp vnto himselfe to be a holy People as he sware to thee if thou keepe the Commaundements of our Lord thy God and walke in his wayes And all the people of the Earth shall see that the Name of our Lord is inuocated vpon thee and they shall feare thee c. And our Lord will make thee the Head and not the Tayle and thou shalt be alwayes aboue and not vnder yet so if thou wilt heare the Commandements of our Lord thy God which I commaunded thee this day and keepe and doe them c. Which wee see to haue beene fulfilled in all Ages amongst Christian People Emperours Kings Empires Kingdomes and States insomuch as that these were alwayes the most renowmed happie blessed and fortunate Kingdomes who most followed the Doctrine of the Catholike Church and attended to the keeping of the Commaundements of God As of Constantine the Great Saint Augustine writeth saying Ciuit. Dei li. 5. ca. 6. Constantine the Emperour not suppliant to Deuils but worshipping the true God receiued so many gifts and blessings from God as none durst presume to wish This one Augustus held possessed and defended the whole Romane Empire In administrating of Warre he was iust and victorious in vanquishing and repressing Tyrants wonderfull prosperous being of great yeares he died of sicknesse and old age his sonnes Emperours to succeed him Of Theodosius the elder S. Augustine sayth That hee De Ciuit. Dei li. 5. ca. 26. had wonderfull
vpon one sinner that doth Penance And againe Luc. 15. 10. I say to you that there shall be ioy before the Angels of God vpon one sinner that doth Penance Neither at this must thou maruell since a soule that loueth God becommeth by his grace so beautifull as that God Almightie taketh her for his Spouse and liueth with her in chaste delights as in his bed-chamber house and home whereof we are to speake in the next Chapters Beautie corporall is a proportion of the members with a certaine sweetnesse of the mixture of colours Beautie spirituall is a portion of vertues with a certaine sweetnesse of diuine splendor which is of such excellencie that it cannot be expressed vnto thee but by changing literall sense of wordes into spirituall so abstract from thy senses that thou mayest in some part vnderstand what the Scriptures say of the Beautie of a soule louing our Lord and keeping his Commaundements vnder these tearmes How beautifull Cant. 4. art thou my Loue how beautifull art thou Thy eyes as it were of Doues besides that which lyeth hid within thee Thy haires as the flockes of Goates which haue commed vp from Mount Galaad Thy teeth as flocks of them that are shorne which haue commed vp from washing all with twinnes and there is not a barren amongst them Thy lippes as a Scarlet Lace and thy Speech sweet as a piece of Pomegranats so are also thy cheekes besides that which lyeth hid within Thy necke is as the Tower of Dauid which is built with Bulwarkes and thousand Targuets hanging on it all the Armour of the valiants Thy low breasts are low Faunes the twinne of a Roe which feedeth among the Lillies Thou art all faire O my Loue and there is not a spot in thee So the Scriptures in expressing the beautie of a Soule endued with Charitie and louing God Almightie with all her heart Whereupon S. Augustine sayth How shall Aug. in epist Ioan. tract 9. we become faire or beautifull but by louing him who alwayes is beautifull As much as the loue of him doth encrease in thee so much doth thy beautie encrease because Charitie is the beautie of the soule And how great happinesse it is to haue this beautie of soule or cleanenesse of heart our Lord himselfe in few words setteth it downe saying Blessed are the cleane of heart for they shall see God For Mat 5. this cause God Almightie was incarnate and suffered death that hee might dissolue sinne and present vs to God immaculate and pure that we might see him and enioy him in seeing and enioying of whom is consummated all our happinesse For this saith S. Iohn 1. Ioh. 3. 8. appeared the sonne of God that hee might dissolue the workes of the Deuill and present vs to God pure and immaculate according to the words of S. Paul saying Whereas you were Col. 1. 21. sometime alienated and enemies in sense in euill works yet now he hath reconciled you in the body of his flesh by death to present you holy and immaculate and blamelesse before him And againe Eph. 1. 3. Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed vs in all spirituall blessings in heauenly things in Christ as he chose vs in him before the constitution of the world that we should be holy and immaculate in his sight in Charitie And yet adding sayth Christ loued the Church and Eph. â— 15. deliuered himselfe for it that he might sanctifie it cleansing it by the Lauer of Water in the Word that hee might present to himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinckle or any such thing but that it may be holy and vnspotted So if it be a Content vnto thee to haue and possesse Beautie corporall or cleane Linnen soft Apparrell stately Pallaces rich Gardens which are nothing but a proportion of earthly thinges mixt with varietie of workes or colours how farre greater a Content and Happinesse would it be to thee to haue a pure Heart and Soule a good Conscience and Faith not fained Which the loue of God and keeping his Commaundements would bring thee vnto as affirmeth S. Paul saying The end of the Precept is 1. Tim. 1. 5. Charitie of a pure Heart and a good Conscience and a Faith not fained from the which things certaine straying are turned into vanitie of words desirous to be Doctors of the Law not vnderstanding neither what things they speake nor of what they affirme As wee see by experience in the Solifidians of this Age. And this for the first spirituall Content and Happinesse of such as keepe the Commaundements CHAP. XIX Of the second spirituall Content and Happinesse which such enioy as loue God Almightie with all their hearts and their Neighbours as themselues which is to be beloued of God Almightie WE see by experience that to loue and not to enioy or not to be beloued againe is painefull so hauing put all our Content and Happinesse in louing his Diuine Maiestie with all our hearts and all other things for him if we should not be beloued of his Diuine Maiestie nor enioy him we could not be content or happie So supposing that thou firmely beleeuest that God Almightie is faithfull in all his Promises and cannot lye or deceiue but will performe whatsoeuer hee hath promised if there bee no impediment on thy behalfe it is necessarie to shew vnto thee how hee hath promised to loue such as loue him with all their hearts and to make them his Children Sonnes and Coheires with our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ and endue them with his Spirit the holy Ghost his gifts and fruits and maintaine his Oath and Couenant with them which hee spoke to Abraham and his Seed for euer And first for the Promises to loue them that loue him and keepe his Precepts he saith He that hath my Commandements Io. 14. 21. and keepeth them hee it is that loueth me and hee that loueth me shall be beloued of my Father and I will loue him Againe If any man Io. 14. 23. loue me he will keepe my Word and my Father will loue him Againe If you keepe my Precepts Io. 1â— 10. you shall abide in my loue as I also haue kept my Fathers Precepts and doe abide in his loue Againe Io. 16. 27. The Father himselfe loueth you because you haue loued mee Againe Hee that keepeth 1. Io. 2. 5. his Word in him in verie deed the Charitie of God is perfited Whereby wee see that God Almightie cannot but loue those who loue him with all their hearts and heereupon ariseth all these amorous tearmes of chast loue betwixt God Almightie and a soule that loueth him so often spoken of in the Scriptures and repeated in the workes and writings of the Fathers as Spouse and Espouse Kisse me with the kisse of his mouth my loue my beloued my beautifull one How beautifull art thou my loue my sister Spouse most beautifull
a Sparrow solitarie in the house top I did eat ashes as bread and mingled my drinke with weeping So great was the detestation and sorrow this holy Prophet had for his sinne that hee withered away through sighing and groaning fled the companie of men for shame and liued as a Crow or Owle that flyeth onely by Night and as a Sparrow who hauing lost her Mate and young remayneth mourning all alone and did eat ashes as bread and would take no comfort but in weeping My teares haue Ps 41. 4. beene bread vnto me day and night I haue laboured in my sighing I will euerie Night Ps 5. 7. wash my Bed and will water my Couch with my teares And of his zeale against sinne in others hee sayth My zeale hath made me pine Ps 118. 139. away because my enemies haue forgotten thy wordes Againe I saw the Preuaricators Ps 118. 138. and I pined away because they kept not thy wordes Againe Did not Ps 138. 21. I hate them that hate thee O Lord and pined away because of thine enemies With perfect hatred I did hate them That is hee did hate their sinne and loue their persons and seeke their saluation and in this was so zealous that hee would neither permit any one who liued in the breach of the Commandements of God either to sit at his Table with him or wait vpon him or dwell in his Pallace laying One of proud eye and vnsatiable Ps 100. 5. heart with him I did not eate mine eyes are towards the faithfull of the Earth that they may sit with me A man that walketh in the immaculate way he did minnister to me He that doth proudly shall not dwell in the middest of my house And wishing all others to follow the same rule saith With the Ps 17. 16. holy thou shalt be holy and with the innocent man thou shalt be innocent with the elect thou shalt be elect and with the peruerse thou shalt be peruerted And out of his zeale of the glorie and honor of God composed the Psalmes and prepared for the building of the Temple of God The like example of Zeale wee may finde in the Apostles and Saints Loue cannot be idle nor spirituall Iealousie euer be satisfied with labouring for God Almightie and the more it laboureth and doth the lesse it esteemeth it hath done according to the words of our Lord When you haue Luc. 17. 10. done all thinges that are commaunded you say we are vnprofitable seruants The infinite mercies and liberalitie of God Almightie so ouerwhelming and drowning all their affections in the Sea of his goodnesse that they finde no paines but in not suffering paines and vndergoing labours for his loue So Saint Paul sayth Who shall separate Rom. 8. 35. vs from the Charitie of Christ Tribulation or Distresse or Famine or Nakednesse or Danger or Persecution or the Sword In all these things we ouercome because of him that hath loued vs. Once wounded with his loue farewell all the base pleasures and delights of the sonnes of Agar and estimation of the commodities and vanities of the World I haue Phil. 3. 8. made all things as detriment and doe esteeme them as dung that I may gaine Christ and may be found in him to know him and the vertue of his Resurrection and the societie of his Passion configured to his death If by any meanes I may come to the Resurrection which is from the dead Then so high an estimation of God Almightie and of the glorie of the other life entreth into his soule by the taste of a few droppes of his grace and fauour that paines are turned into pleasures and labours into delights for his loue and all earthly things seeme dung base and vile as they are indeed in comparison of the enioying God Almightie and the attaining vnto eternall life the force of Charitie hauing so ouercome the weakenesse of humane nature that now they liue not they but Christ in them Loue hauing so drawne them out of themselues as that they are no more that they were but that they loue To the fulfilling of the Promises and Prophecies saying in the person of our Lord I will Osce 11. 4. pull them vnto me in the coardes of Loue in the bonds of Charitie Againe This is the Iero. 31. Testament which I will make with them After these dayes Heb. 10. 15. saith our Lord giuing my Lawes in their hearts and in their mindes will I superscribe them This is the Testament which God made with our Fathers That hee would giue vs his Loue and Charitie in our hearts and soules and draw and pull vs vnto him with coardes and chaynes of Loue and Charitie This is it which our Lord promised before his Passion saying If I be exalted from the Earth Io. 12. 32. I will draw all things to my selfe Signifying that by his Passion hee would obtaine so great Charitie and Loue for his Elect who are all things all things being for them That he would draw them to himselfe into Heauen according to the saying of S. Paul Our conuersation is in Heauen and Phil. 3. 20. the wordes of our Lord saying For where thy treasure is Mat. 6. 22. there is thy heart also The treasure of the Saints is our Lord Iesus in Heauen and their hearts being wounded with the abundance of his Loue and Charitie of them it may more properly be said that they liue in Heauen then here vpon Earth for that their hearts and affections are there and man is said rather to be there where his soule loueth then where his bodie liueth and according to this our Lord saith Father whom thou hast giuen Io. 17. 24. me I will that where I am they also may be with me by grace in this life and glory in the other and so saith Iust Father Io. 17. 2â— I will that the loue wherewith thou hast loued me may be in them and I in them This he said before his Passion and before his Ascension and by his Ascension Hee departed Aug. li. con 4. ca. 12. from our eyes that wee might returne into our hearts and finde him Hee departed indeed and yet he is heere He would not be long from vs and yet he neuer left vs Hee is in our inward hearts but our hearts haue erred from him turne sinners into your hearts and keepe his Commandements that made you stand with him and you shall stand rest in him and you shall finde Ease and Rest which God of his infinite mercies grant thee deare Reader CHAP. XX. The third Content and Happinesse which such enioy as loue God Almightie with their whole hearts and their Neighbours for God as themselues which is the becomming sonnes of God and coheires with our Sauiour THe next happines of such as loue God Almightie with all their hearts is that they become the sonnes and children of God according to the wordes of
abhorre the signe of my pride and glorie which is vpon my head in the dayes of my ostentation and detest it as the cloth of a woman in her monethly flowers and did neuer reioyce but in thee O Lord the God of Abraham According to this are the many sayings of S. Augustine For that thou O Lord to him that Conf. li. 12. 15. loueth thee as much as thou commandest doest shew thy selfe and art all that he can desire therefore he doth neither decline from thee nor to himselfe And so saith of himselfe That before his conuersion to the Catholike Religion This was all his practise Conf. li. 9. ca. 1. not to will that which God Almightie would he should and to will that which God Almightie would hee should not But after that his Free-will was called to subiect it selfe vnder the light yoake of our Lord and his stout shoulders vnder the burthen of Iesus Christ his Redeemer then hee sayth Of a sudden how sweet it was made to me to want the sweetnesse of Trifles and those thinges which before I feared to lose now I reioyced in shaking them off For thou the true and chiefest Sweetnesse diddest cast them from me thou diddest cast them out of me and diddest enter thy selfe for them who art more sweete then all pleasures Againe Late haue Conf. li. 10. c. 27. I loued thee Beautie so ancient and so new late haue I loued thee and behold thou wast within me and I was without my selfe and there I did seeke thee and amongst these faire things which thou hast made I foulely erred Thou wast present to me but I was absent from thee and these things did separate me farre from thee which if in thee they were not had not beene Thou hast called and cried and hast ouercome my deafenesse Thou hast beene bright and hast shined and hast driuen away my darkenesse Thou hast burned and I haue drawne breath and breathe out after thee I haue tasted and I hunger and thirst Thou hast touched me and I haue burned after thy Peace and Rest Hee which hath knowne Veritie hath Li. 7. ca. 10. knowne it and he who hath knowne iâ— hath knowne Eternitie Charitie hath knowne it O eternall Veritie and true Charitie and deare Eternitie Thou art my God to thee I send forth sighes day and night and when I first knew thee thou tookest me vp that I might see my selfe as I was and that I was not yet that which I would seeme to be and thou diddest beat the weakenesse of my sight excellently shining in me and I trembled with loue and feare and I haue found my selfe to haue beene farre from thee in a Countrey very vnlike thee as if I should heare thy voice from aboue saying I am the Meate of great ones grow and thou shalt eate me Againe What Li. 4. ca. 1. am I when it is well with me but one sucking thy Milke or one enioying thee the Meate which neuer corrupteth So S. Augustine God Almightie in our hearts is the Treasure hidden Maâ— 13. 44. in the Field which a man hauing found did hide and for ioy thereof went and sold all that hee had and bought that Field Finding once God Almightie farwel the world and all his sensuall pleasures Then God forbid that â— should Gal. 6. 14. glorie sauing in the Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ by whom the World is crucified to me and I to it Then vnto me to liue is Christ and to die is gayne Phil. 1. 21. Then thou needest not wish him goe and sell all that hee Mat. 19. 21. hath giue to the poore and follow our Lord he will goe and do it of himselfe though he were King of the whole Globe of the Earth and say with the Prophet What is to Ps 72. 25. me in Heauen and besides thee what would I vpon Earth my flesh hath fainted and my heart God of my heart and God my portion for euer God Almightie manifesting of himselfe in the hearts of these who loue him is that precious Pearle Which Mat. 13. 46. the Marchant man hauing found went his way and sold all that hee had and bought it it being all Content Whereupon S. Augustine saith Whatsoeuer Aug. in Ps 26. is not God is not sweet and whatsoeuer my Lord will vouchsafe to giue me let him take it away and giue me himselfe God Almightie is all Loue and Charitie and If Cant. 8. 7. a man saith the holie Ghost shall giue all the substance of his house for Loue as nothing hee will despise it This is the Kingdome of God vpon Earth of which our Lord speaking saith The Luc. 17. 21. Kingdome of God is within you But not euerie one that saith Mat. 7. 21. Lord Lord shall enter into it but he that doth the will of God which is in it He that loueth Mat. 25. God with all his heart and his neighbor as himself he shall enter Luc. 9. 60. into the Kingdome of Heauen God Almighty manifesting of himself to the eies of the harts of these who loue him is the light of the World and men haue Io. 9. 6. loued the darknes rather then the Io. 3. 19. light for their workes were euill euen so euil that they think it impossible or not necessary to keep the CoÌ„mandemeÌ„ts of God Whereupon S. Aug. said to the Aug. li. 9. ca. 4. dead deaf heretiks of his time O that they could see the inward eternall Light which I because I had tasted I was angry at my selfe for that I could not shew it them if they should bring vnto me a heart in their owne eyes without thee should say Who will shew vs good things Of this Light the Prophet Dauid speaking saith The light Ps 4. 7. of thy countenance is signed vpoÌ„ vs thou hast giueÌ„ gladnes in my hart Again With thee is the fountain of Ps 35. 10. life in thy light we shal see light This is that one thing necessarie which S. Marie Magdelen hath chosen the best part which shal not be taken away from her the gracious presence of our Lord in her heart soule according to the words of S. Aug. saying Who wil giue to me Li. Con. â—â— my Lord that he may come into my heart and make it drunke that I may forget all my euils and embrace thee my onlie good God Almightie manifesting of himselfe in the hearts of theÌ„ who loue him is the hidden Manna which no man knoweth but hee that receiueth it spoken of in the Apocalypse saying He that hath an eare Apo. 2. 17. to heare let him heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches To him that ouercommeth sinne I will giue him the hidden Manna and will giue him a white Lot and in the Lot a new Name written which no man knoweth but he that receiueth Whereupon the Prophet Dauid sayth Taste ye and see
She that which late lay hid in cloudinesse More bright and cleare then Phoebus beames shall shine CHAP. XXIII The sixt Content and Happinesse which such enioy as loue God Almightie with all their hearts and their neighbour for God as themselues are the gifts they receiue from the holy Ghost dwelling in them and the fruits which he produceth in them THe mercies which God Almightie sheweth to such as loue him with all their hearts and their neighbours as themselues are so infinite that he doth not onlie dwell in their hearts and soules as in his house and home and manifest himselfe vnto them but also bestoweth inestimable gifts vpon them and decketh and adorneth their soules in this life with his Iewels and produceth in their hearts diuine fruits that it may be fulfilled which was spoken by Isay the Prophet saying Reioycing I will reioyce in our Isa 61. 10. Lord and my soule shal be ioyfull in my God because he hath clothed me with the garments of Saluation and with the garment of Iustice he hath compassed me as a Bridegroome decked with a Crowne and as a Bride adorned with her Iewels For as the Earth bringeth forth her Spring and as the Garden shooteth forth her Seede so shall our Lord God make Iustice to spring in the hearts of all those who loue him according to the words of our Sauiour saying If you loue me Io. 14. 15. keepe my Commandements and I will aske the Father and he will giue you another Comforter that he may abide with you for euer the spirit of Truth he shall abide in you and be in you He Io. 14. 26. shall teach you all things and suggest vnto you all things whatsoeuer I shall say vnto you according to which wordes Saint Paul saith Wee haue 1. Cor. 2. 12. receiued not the spirit of this World but the spirit which is of God Againe If anie haue Rom. 8. 17. not the spirit of Christ the same is not his Whereby we see that the spirit of Christ doth remaine in all those who loue him by whose meanes they become wise learned full of counsell strength knowledge pietie and feare of God according to the wordes of Isay the Prophet saying And Isa 11. 2. the spirit of our Lord shall rest vpon him the spirit of Wisedome and Vnderstanding the spirit of Counsell and Strength the spirit of Knowledge and Pietie and the spirit of the feare of our Lord shall replenish him So here according to good Method wee should speake of the aforesaid gifts or effects of the Spirit of Christ the holy Ghost in vs But hauing occasion to speake of them in our fourth Booke where wee must treat of the interchange of gifts betweene God and Man not to speake twice of them wee deferre them vntill then and proceede to set downe the fruits which the holy Ghost doth produce in the hearts of those who loue him and keepe his Commandements He that beleeueth in me saith Io. 7. 38. our Sauiour as the Scriptures say out of his bellie shall flowe Riuers of liuing Water and this hee said of the Spirit they should receiue which are to beleeue in him Whose fruits or liuing Water Saint Paul setteth downe saying The fruit of the Spirit is Gal. 5. 22. Charitie Ioy Peace Patience Benignitie Goodnesse Longanimitie Mildnesse Faith Modestie Continencie Chastitie These are the delicate fruites vvhich the Holie Ghost doth produce in the hearts of those vvho loue him vvith all their hearts by vvhich they are made beautifull and happie According to the vvordes of Saint Paul saying 1. Tim. 3. 4. For God not by the vvorkes of Iustice vvhich vvee did of our selues as of our selues but according to his great Mercie 2. Cor. 3 5. he hath saued vs by the Lauer of Regeneration and Renouation of the holie Ghost vvhom he hath poured vpon vs abundantly by Iesus Christ our Lord that being iustified by his grace vve may be heires according to hope of life euerlasting The holie Ghost is the Tree of which the Espouse in the Canticles speaking Can. 2. saith Vnder his shadow vvhome I desired I sate and his fruit was svveet vnto my throat Hee brought mee into the Wine-cellar hee hath ordayned in mee Charitie OF THE FIRST FRVIT OF THE Holy Ghost which is Charitie THe first fruit which the holy Ghost doth produce in the Hearts of those who loue him is Charitie or puritie of Heart goodnesse of Conscience and a Faith not fained for so S. Paul and S. Augustine define Charitie saying The end 1. Tim. 1. Aug. tract 8. in Io. of the Precept is Charitie from a pure Heart and a good Conscience and a Faith not fained Whereby they doe easily keepe the Commandements which consist in Charitie and so liue in a happie estate vpon Earth enioying all the blessings which are promised to the Charitable which in some part we haue set down in the former Chapters and more then wee are able to expresse remaine for that Charitie is the bond Col. 3. 14. of perfection and comprehendeth in it whatsoeuer is good and of perfection By it we cleaue to God by it we loue our Neighbours by it wee take away all Euils Wretchednesse and Miseries by it we attaine vnto all good Whereupon Saint Augustine Aug. in epist Ionn tract 5. Sâ—câ— 2. q 23. â—â—t 8. saith Haue Charitie and haue all things And S. Thomas affirmeth Charitie to be the forme of all other Vertues by which their acts are addressed to their last endes and the end of all Vertues and the Foundation in which they are sustained As all Vertues if they be Vertues of Grace and Fauour making vs acceptable to God are grounded in Charitie as we haue shewed in the sixteenth Chapter so all the gifts and fruits of the Holy Ghost are founded in Charitie as boughes or branches in the Root according to the words of our Lord saying Whosoeuer shall doe the Will of my Father Mat. â—â— 50. keepe his Commandements he is my Brother and Sister and Mother hee is partaker of all Ioyes Comforts Contents and Happinesse whatsoeuer For in Christ Gal. 6. 15. Iesu neither Circumcision auaileth ought nor Prepuce but a new Creature a pure Heart and whosoeuer shall follow this rule Peace vpon them â— Tim. 1. and Mercie all Ioyes and Contentments Whereupon our Sauiour saith He that abideth Io. â—5 6. in me and I in him the same beareth much Fruit And â— Io 4. 17. he that abideth in Charitie abideth in God and God in him And S. Paul saith Charitie 1. Cor. 13. 4. is patient is benigne Charitie enuieth not dealeth not peruersly is not puffed vp is not Ambitious seeketh not her owne is not prouoked to anger thinketh not euill reioyceth not vpon Iniquitie but reioyceth with the Truth Whereby is manifest that all the rest of the Fruits of the holy Ghost are founded in Charitie So God grant
thee deare Reader abundance of Charitie that thou maist beare much Fruit of the holy Ghost and be abundantly Happy and Content For with the same Mat. 6. 38. measure you doe mete it shall be measured to you againe saith our Sauiour OF THE SECOND Fruit of the Holy Ghost which is Ioy. THe second Fruit which the Holy Ghost produceth in the hearts of such as loue God is Ioy not such base ioyes as haue gaping hunters when they haue found their prey or sensuall Men in the Lute and Harpe and 〈◊〉 â—0 Timbrell and Psalme and Wines in their Banquets for which cause Hell hath dilated his Soule and opened his Mouth without all measure or limitation and the Strong and High and Glorious ones shall descend into it but Ioy in our Lord according to the words of the blessed Virgine Mary saying My Spirit hath reioyced Luk. 1. 46. in God my Sauiour An exultation of the Heart and Soule in the liuing God according to the words of the Prophet Dauid saying My Psal 83. 5. Heart and my Flesh hath reioyced in the liuing God who is all Pleasure Content and Good An inestimable Ioy and content of Minde and Spirit to finde our Lord there according to his Promise Now indeed you haue Io. 16. â—â— Sorrow but I will see you again and your Heart shall reioyce and your Ioy no man shall take from you Because it shall be in their inward soules with God Almightie which death will not take away but increase according to the words of our Lord saying As my Io. 15. â— Father had loued me I also haue loued you abide in my Loue If you keepe my Precepts you shall abide in my loue as I also keepe my Fathers Precepts and doe abide in his loue These things I haue spoken to you that my Ioy may be in you and your Ioy may be filled with so great Content that in this life you are neither capable nor would receiue or desire more Of this Ioy our Sauiour â—â— 17. 11. further speaking saith Holy Father keepe them in thy Name whom thou hast giuen me that they may be one as also We and these things I speake in the World that they may haue my Ioy filled in themselues Of this Ioy S. Augustine speaking saith God forbid Con. li. 10. ca. 22. my Lord that with what Ioy soeuer I should reioice I should thinke my selfe happie There is a Ioy which is not giuen to the wicked but to such as serue thee gratis whose Ioy thou thy selfe art and that same is happie Life to reioice at thee of thee and for thee this is it and other there is none Againe Con li. 10. ca. 23. Such as will not reioice of thee who only art happie Life will not be happie for happie Life is Ioy of thee who art Truth God mine illumination the health of my face â—nd my God And out of this Ioy are the abundant Prayses and Ioyes of the Prophet Dauid saying Come let vs reioyce Ps â—4 to our Lord Let vs make iubilation to God our Sauiour The habitation in thee as it Iâ— 8â— â— were of all reioycing Light is risen to the Iust and Ioy to the right of heart Be glad ye Iust 〈…〉 1â— in our Lord and confesse ye to the memorie of his sanctification Of this Ioy the Prophet A 〈…〉 〈…〉 writing saith I will 〈…〉 our Lord and will reioice 〈…〉 my IESVS Of this Ioy the Prophet 〈…〉 Isay speaking saith The ioy of 〈◊〉 Asses the pastures of flocks vntill the Spirit be poured out vpon vs from on high and the Desart shall be as Carmell and Carmell shall be reputed for a Forrest and Iudgement shall dwell in the Wildernesse and Iustice shall sit in Carmell The Ioyes and contentments of Men before they he endued with the Spirit of God are as the Prophet saith like the ioyes of wilde Asses all placed in eating drinking sleeping and following their carnall and sensuall appetites but after the Holy Ghost be poured out vpon them then they who were without Fruit and as such abandoned and forsaken and left to the ioyes of wilde Asses shall be as Carmell or Carmelites which is to say knowledge of Circumcision or a Circumcised Lamb and shall abandon and cast off all their wilde Asses pleasures to become partakers of the Promises of God to our Fathers saying Our Lord thy God will circumcise Deut. 30. 6. thy heart and the heart of thy Seede that thou maiest loue thy Lord thy God in all thy heart and in all thy soule that thou maiest liue Whereof S. Paul speaking Rom. 2. saith Circumcision of the heart in Spirit Againe Wee Phi. 3. are the Circumcision which in Spirit serue God and keepe the Commandements And Carmell the Mount from which wee take our Name and vpon which our Fathers Elias Elizeus and the sonnes of the Prophets liued in contemplation and adoration of God in Spirit and veritie shall be so dilated as a Forrest manie giuing themselues to contemplation all ouer the World And Iudgement shall dwell in contemplatiue Men and Iustice shall sit in Carmell in Carmelites or Men hauing circumcised hearts by the Spirit of God As in another place the same Prophet speaking saith Shall Isa 22. not yet within a little while and in a short time Libanus another more waste Mountaine in Palestina be turned into Carmell and Carmell reputed for a Forrest and in that day the deafe shall heare the words of the Booke and out of the Darkenesse and Mist the eies of the blinde shall see and the meeke shall adde ioyfulnesse in our Lord and the poore men shall reioice in the Holy One of Israel c. Againe of these Ioyes Ease and Rest which men endued with Charitie should attaine vnto the Prophet Isay further speaking saith When Isa 2. thou shalt poure out thy Soule to the hungrie and shalt fill the afflicted Soule thy light shall rise vp in darkenesse and thy darkenesse shall be as the Noone-day And our Lord will giue thee Rest alwaies and will fill thy Soule with brightnesse and deliuer thy bones and thou shalt be as a watered Garden and as a Fountaine of Waters whose Water shall not faile And the Desarts of the World shall be builded in thee Thou shalt raise vp the foundations of Generation and Generation and thou shalt be called the builder of the Hedges turning the Paths into Rest. If thou turne away thy foote from the Sabbath from doing thy will in my Holy day and call the Sabbath delicate and the Holy of our Lord glorious and glorifie him whilest thou doest not thine owne waies and thy will be not found to speake a word Then shalt thou bee delighted vpon the Lord and I will lift thee vp aboue the heights of the Earth and will feede thee with the Inheritance of IACOB thy Father for the Mouth of our Lord hath spoken If the
Doe good and lend hoping for nothing thereby and your reward shall be much and you shall be the Sonnes of the Highest because himselfe is beneficiall vpon the vnkinde and the euill Be ye therefore mercifull as also your Father is mercifull that thereby you may be happy according to the words of our Lord saying Blessed are the mercifull for Mat. 5. they shall receiue mercie OF THE SIXT FRVIT of the Holy Ghost which is Goodnesse THe sixt fruit is Goodnesse by which they become really and truly good not by Nature but by Grace and communication of the Holy Ghost which produceth in them goodnesse and an abilitie of doing good workes according to the words of our Lord saying Euery good tree Mat. 7. 18. yieldeth good fruits and by their fruits you shall know them Againe He that abideth in me Ioh. 25. 5. and I in him the same beareth much fruit for without me you can do nothing If any abide not in me he shall be cast forth as the branch and shall wither and they the Angels at the day of Iudgement shall gather them vp and cast them into the fire Whereupon S. Paul saith Rom. 11. 22 See the goodnesse and seueritie of God! vpon them surely that are fallen the seuerity but vpon thee the goodnesse of God if thou abide in goodnesse otherwise thou also shall be cut off Againe You were 1. Cor. 6. 21. Fornicators seruers of Idols Adulterers c. but you are Washed but you are Sanctified but you are Iustified in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God because Ioh. 14. 17. he shall abide with you and be in you by whose communication they shall be renewed as S. Paul saith in the Spirit of Eph. 4. 24. their mindes and put on the New Man which according to God is created in Iustice and holinesse of Truth wherby they become truly and really good holy and iust And the excellencie of this fruit is manifest by the words of our Lord where he saith The houre commeth wherein Ioh 5. 28. all that are in the Graues shall heare the voice of the Sonne of Man and they that haue done good things shall come forth to the Resurrection of life But they that haue done euill into the Resurrection of Iudgement And by the words of S. Paul saying Tribulation and anguish vpon euery Soule Rom. 2 â— of man that worketh euill But glorie and honour and peace to euery one that worketh good Doe then good workes Reader that thou mayest attaine vnto true Glorie Honour and Peace which I wish vnto thee OF THE SEVENTH fruit of the Holy Ghost which is Perseuerance THe seuenth fruit which the Holy Ghost doth produce in their Soules who loue him is Persouerance a firme and constant purpose to persist in louing God Almightie with all their Hearts and their Neighbours for God as themselues for euer It is not inough to begin to doe well but to perseuere all the daies of their life in doing good to euery one for many haue begun good courses but for want of perseuerance haue perished Many false Prophets Mat. 24. shall arise and shall seduce many and because Iniquitie shall abound the Charitie of many shall waxe cold But he that shall perseuer vnto the end in a pure Heart a good Conscience and Faith vnfained shall be saued And he that shall ouercome Apoc. 2. 26. sinne and keepe my workes vnto the end I will giue him power ouer the Nations and he shall rule them with a rodde of Iron and as the vessell of a Petter shall they be broken as I also haue receiued of my Father and I will giue him the Morning Starre He that hath an eare let him heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches He that shall ouer-come shall Apoc. 3. 5. be vested in white garments and I will not put his name out of the Booke of Life and I will confesse his name before my Father and before his Angels He that hath an eare let him heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches OF THE EIGHT fruit of the Holy Ghost which is Mildnesse or Meekenesse THe eight fruit which the Holy Ghost doth produce in the Hearts of those who loue him is as Saint Augustine calleth it a Couragious Tract 8. in Ioan. meekenesse or mildnesse which doth moderate the passion of anger and direct them to doe good with mildnesse and zeale as of our Sauiour it is said Behold my Seruant Isa â—â— 1. whom I haue chosen my beloued in whom my Soule hath well liked I will put my Spirit vpon him He shall not contend nor cry out neither shall any heare in the Streetes his voice The reede bruised he shall not Mat. 12. â—8 breake and smoaking flaxe he shall not extinguish till he cast forth iudgement vnto victorie Yet when he found in the Temple Ioh. 2. 14. them that sold Oxen and Sheepe and Doues and Bankers sitting he made as it were a whip of little Câ—rdes and cast them al out of the Temple the Sheepe also and the Oxen and the money of the Bankers he poured out and the Table he ouerthrew to the fulfilling of the Prophecie which said The zeale of thy House Ps 68 10. hath eaten me In like manner our Sauiour saith vnto his Seruants Vnlesse Mat. 18. 3. you be conuerted and become as little Children you shal not enter into the Kingdome of Heauen Whosoeuer therefore shall humble himselfe as this little Childe which sate in the midst of them he is the greaâ—â—â— in the Kingdome of Heauen and yet saith That Mat. 10. 27. which I speake to you in the Darke speake ye in the Light and that which ye heare in the eare Preach ye vpon the house tops And feare ye not them that kill the Bodie and are not able to hurt the Soule Who are as the Prophet saith Ps 51. Mightie in iniquitie and loue malice rather then benignitie iniquitie rather then to speake equitie But the wayes of Peace the assents to Sion the paths to Ierusalem they haue not knowne videlicet Learne of me for I am meeke Mat. 11. 2â— and humble of heart and you shall finde Rest Because God 1. Pet. 5. resisteth the proud and to the humble hee giueth Grace to finde the assents to Ease and Rest from the wise and prudent in their owne conceits our Lord hath hid them saith our Sauiour and reuealed them to little ones for he Mat. 11. 25. that exalteth himselfe shall be humbled with tribulation and anguish and paines and hee that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted to Ease Content and Rest as S. Peter witnesseth saying Be yee 1 Pet. 5. 6. humble therefore vnder the mightie hand of God that he may exalt you in the time of Visitation into the Ioy of our Mat. 25. 21. Lord which God graunt thee Reader OF THE NINTH fruit of the
Holy Ghost which is Faith THe ninth fruit is Faith not such a Faith as is in Heretikes and Deuils who haue their spirits so full of malice and iniquitie that they thinke it impossible to loue God Almightie with all their Hearts But a Faith in their Hearts rooted Eph. 4. 17. and founded in Charitie that they may be filled vnto all the fulnesse of God and be now no Eph. 3. 19. more Strangers and Forrainers but Citizens of the Saints and the Domesticals of God treating with him in their Soules by Faith that worketh Gal. 5 6. by Charitie A Faith planted in a good Luk 8 15 and very good Heart which hearing the Word doth retaine it and yield fruit in Patience Mat 13 29 some an hundreth fold and other threescore and another thirtie A Faith Light of the World Mat 5 15 shining before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in Heauen A Faith dilated all ouer the World Teach ye all Nations Mat. 28 19. And they going forth Mar. 16. 20. preached euery where Into Rom. 16. 18. al the Earth hath the sound of them gone forth and vnto the end of the whole World the words of them In the Col. 1. 6. whole World it is and fructifieth and groweth A Faith Wherein God meaning more abundantly to shew the Heires of the Promise the stabilitie of his Counsell he interposed an Oath because he had none greater by whom he might sweare he sware by himselfe saying Vnlesse blessing I shall blesse thee and Multiplying shall Multiply thee that by two things vnmoueable whereby it is impossible for God to lye we may haue a most strong comfort who haue fled to hold fast the hope proposed in our Faith The Faith of Iesus Christ Gal. 3. 22. giuen to them that beleeue The Iustice of God by Faith Rom. 3. 22. 31 of Iesus Christ whereby we doe not destroy the Law but establish the Law according to the words of our Sauiour saying Doe not thinke that Mat. 5. 18. I came to breake the Law or the Prophets I came not to breake but to fulfill A Faith which whosoeuer beleeueth and doth according to that which he beleeueth As the Scriptures say out of his belly shall flow Ioh. 7. 38. Riuers of liuing water And Isa 12. 3. he shall draw waters in ioy out of the Fountaines of our Sauiour and be inebriated with Psa 35. 9. the plentie of the house of God and with the torrent of his pleasure be made drunke OF THE TENTH fruit of the Holy Ghost which is Modestie THe tenth fruit which the Holy Ghost doth produce in the Hearts of those who loue him is Modestie which is a decencie or honest temperature of the motions of the Minde and Bodie by helpe whereof they alwaies square their actions to a beseeming comlinesse pleasing in the sight of God whom they know to be present So S. Paul exhorting the Ephesians saith All naughtie Eph 4 29. speech let it not proceede out of your mouth but if there be any good to the edifying of Faith that it may giue grace to the hearers And contristate not the holy Spirit of God in which you are signed vnto the day of Redemption And againe to Timothie The Seruant of our Lord must 2. Tim. 2 24. not wrangle but be milde towards all men apt to teach patient with modestie admonishing them that resist the Truth Heretikes and Schismatikes least sometime God giue them Repentance to know the Truth and they recouer themselues from the snares of the Deuill of whom they are hold captiue at his will Againe Let your modestie Phil. 4. 5. be knowne to all men our Lord is nigh Whereupon S. Augustine saith He made Conf. li. 4. ca. 12. these things and is not farre off from them for he did not make them and then goe his waies but of him and in Act. 17. 28. him they are for in him we liue and moue and be And by these meanes they grow and increase dayly in Pietie and tender affection towards God Almightie and liue without any iust cause of reprehension amongst men excelling in ciuilitie and decent behauiour though Modestie is practised in all actions yet it is chiefly noted in the eyes insomuch as of the Foole it is said The eyes of Pro. 17. 24. a Foole are in the end of the Earth gazing after euery thing But the eies of the Eph. 4. 15. Wise are in his Head looking vpon our Lord who is our Head and there so content that he little careth or desireth to see any thing else more then necessitie requireth So the Prophet Dauid saith To thee haue I lifted vp mine Ps 122. eyes which dwelleth in the Heauens Behold as the eyes of Seruants are to the hand of their Master as the eyes of the Hand-maid on the hands of her Mistres so our eies to our Lord God Againe I foresaw our Lord in my sight alwaies because Ps 15. 8. he is at my right hand that I be not moued for this thing my heart hath beene glad and my tongue hath reioiced moreouer also my flesh shall rest in hope OF THE ELEVENTH fruit of the Holy Ghost which is Continencie THe eleuenth fruit which the holy Ghost doth produce in the Hearts of those who loue him is Continencie which is a vertue by which mē liuing amongst the occasions of vsing lawfull sensuall pleasures to get the victorie and conquest ouer their carnall appetites do abstaine from them that by denying to themselues hings which many times be lawfull or indifferent they may easily attaine vnto grace and force to ouercome and suppresse their vnlawfull Desires thereby to bring their passions and inordinate affections to a subordination vnder the obedience of right reason and so liue in great libertie of Spirit and latitude of Minde free from consenting to base Desires Wherefore S. Paul saith in the same Chapter That against such there is no Law and addeth the reason for that they haue crucified their Flesh with the vices and concupiscences Continencie in generall consisting in the acts of Abstinence and Mortification doth crucifie or make dead the inordinate desires of the Flesh That the iustification Rom. 8. of the Law might be fulfilled in vs who walke not according to the Flesh but according to the Spirit For they that are according to the flesh are affected to the things that are of the flesh as we see by too much experience in carnall Heretikes who professe publikely in Print That they cannot liue chaste But they that are according to the Spirit are affected to the things that are of the Spirit that is to say to Continencie Chastitie Charitie c. For Rom. 8. the Wisdome of the Flesh is death but the Wisedome of the Spirit life and peace Such as liue according to the concupiscences and desires of the
Flesh are dead to Grace in this life and to Glory in the other But such as liue according to the wisedome of the Spirit in Continencie and Chastitie by mortifying their inordinate appetites shall liue with the life of Grace in this life of Glory in the other and in Temporall peace of minde in this life and Eternall in the other Because the Wisedome of the Rom. 8. 13. Flesh is an enemie to God for to the Law of God it is not subiect neither can it be for if you liue according to the Flesh you shall die but if by the Spirit you mortifie the deedes of the Flesh you shall liue For whosoeuer are led by the Spirit of God and mortifie the deeds of the Flesh they are the sonnes of God But if any man haue not the Spirit of Christ the Spirit of Continencie and Mortification the same is not his but the Deuils Whereupon Saint Paul yet further saith I say walke Gal. 5. 16. in the Spirit that is in doing acts of Mortification and Continencie and the lust of the Flesh you shall not accomplish for the Flesh lusteth Gal. 5. 17. against the Spirit so these are enemies one to another and combate for the victorie If the inordinate lust and desires of the Flesh preuaile so farre with thee as that they bring thy Will Reason and Soule to consent to their desires then the inordinate lust and concupisences of the Flesh are Lords and Masters and thy Will Reason and Soule become slaues to their owne vassals and thou becommest a beast and a beastly man to runne after thy fleshly Lusts and Concupisences like the wilde Asses and beasts of the Forrest and that is thy life and felicitie If thy Soule or vpper part make continent and mortifie thy Lusts and Carnall desires and inordinate appetites of thy flesh then thy Soule or vpper part is Lord and Master and thou liuest like a man or reasonable creature and not like a beast and commest by perseuerance in Continencie and Mortification to enioy these delicate Fruits of the Holy Ghost which heere we treate of And for this cause the Life of Man is Iob. 7. called a Warfare For the Flesh Gal. â— â—7 lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh for these are aduersaries one to another that not what things soeuer you will those you doe without combate But combating the lust of the Flesh with Continencie and Mortification which are the fruits of the Spirit you come to enioy inestimable libertie of doing alwaies by combate what you will and will nothing but that which is reasonable according as it is written Where the Spirit of our 2 Cor. 3. 17. Lord is there is Libertie Againe Brethren you are called Gal. 5. 13. into Libertie And S. Paul setting down wherein this libertie consisteth saith Make Gal. 5. â—3 not this Libertie an occasion to the Flesh but by Charity serue one another For the Law is fulfilled in one word Thou shalt loue thy Neighbour as thy self This is the Libertie vnto which we are called a Libertie of doing good alwaies and when we will by being conquerers ouer the inordinate lust of our Flesh and wicked temptations of the World and Diuell by the assistance of the Holy Ghost his gifts and fruits in vs. Who shall deliuer me saith Rom. 7. S. Paul from the bodie of this death the Grace of God by Iesus Christ our Lord. Again The Grace of God our Sauiour 1. Tiâ— 2. 1â— hath appeared to all men instructing vs that denying impietie and worldly desires we liue soberly and iustly and godly in this World expecting the blessed hope and comming of the glory of the great God and our Sauiour Iesus Christ Whereby thou seest deare Reader the excellencie of Continencie since that by instructing thee how to deny impietie and worldly desires it will bring thee to liue soberly and iustly and godly in this world euen as one that continually expecteth the comming of the great God to Iudgement which is the greatest Happinesse we can attaine vnto in this life according to the words of our Lord saying Blessed is Luk. 12. 43. the Seruant who when the Lord commeth he shall finde so doing verily I say vnto you that ouer all things which he possesseth he shall appoint him OF THE TVVELFTH fruit of the Holy Ghost which is Chastitie THe twelfth fruit which the Holy Ghost doth produce in the Hearts of those who loue him is Chastitie which is an abrenuntiation of carnall pleasures and sensuall delights not absolute necessary to Nature wherby they attaine to perfect libertie of Spirit and freedome of Minde and easily and without impediment attend vnto the Exercises of the Heauenly Ierusalem according to the words of S. Paul saying He that is 1. Cor. 7. 23. without a Wife is carefull for the things that pertaine to our Lord how he may please God But he that is with a Wife is carefull for the things that pertaine to the World how he may please his Wife and he is diuided amongst many Masters that he cannot easily serue and loue God with his whole heart according to the Commandement So likewise S. Paul saith The Woman vnmarried and the 1. Cor. 7. 34. Virgine thinketh on the things that pertaine to our Lord that shee may be holy both in Bodie and Spirit But she that is married thinketh on the things that pertaine to the World how she may please her Husband And this I speake to your profit not to cast a snare vpon you but to that which is honest and that may giue you power without impediment to attend vpon our Lord. If thou wouldest obserue it thou shalt finde that the thing which hindreth thee from meditating and practising spirituall courses pious exercises of life is thy vnchast minde which seeking after the fornications of the World and Flesh perpetually distracteth thee froÌ„ well doing or thinking by hir vntame thoughts and wandring discourses after the sensual pleasures vanities of the Earth which if by Chastitie of minde thou couldest cut off thou shouldest as S. Paul affirmeth not onely meditate vpon the things that pertaine to our Lord and be holy both in Bodie and Spirit but also without impediment attend vpon our Lord and liue an Angelicall life vpon Earth according to the words of our Sauiour saying They Luk. â—0 35. that shall be counted worthy of the Resurrection from the dead neither Marry nor take Wiues neither can they dye any more for they are equall to Angels Whereby thou seest the excellencie of chaste Life that it will free thee from Worldly cares and distractions and will indue thee with such a facilitie in seruing God as that thou shalt be able as S. Paul saith to 1. Cor. 7. attend vpon our Lord without impediment And this is sufficient in part to shew vnto thee the Ioy Ease Rest Repose Content and Happinesse which God Almightie