execrable and accursed sinne how great and infinite is thy deformitie filthines and malice Here followeth the same matter of the deformitie of sinne THE V. CHAPTER SVch so great oh Brethren is the deformity of sinne that if a sinner should see his soule in a deadly sinne he would be vtterlie confounded with feare and amazement Wee read of an adulterer who after that he had committed adultery returned home whose wife and children forthwith astonished at the sight of him rāne away for he did appeare vnto them in the likenes of a diuell with fearfull and huge hornes this man beholding himselfe in a glasse and seeing himselfe to be soe deformed being stroken with an horrible feare with all expedition and haste went forth to confession and to be reconciled to almightie God the people that mett him yea the very brute beastes themselues being affrighted fled away he seemed so terrible to them in shape and figure and coming to the preist who did stand at the gate of the church saying his diuine office being espied of him to approach neare vnto the church he did so astonish him as that it caused him presently to shut the dores The miserable soule comming to the dore intimated vnto him that he was a sinner and was so deformed and of so fearfull aspect by reason of his sinne and desired him not to be afraide this being related and manifested the priest being possessed with no smal fear went out vnto him who hauing confessed being penitent and reconciled was restored to his ordinary naturall forme Oh soule soule oh vnhappy and wretched soule if thou couldest but see thy selfe being in a deadly sinne how exceedingly beyond all apprehension wouldest thou bee ashamed astonished confounded at thy selfe how great a terrour would seaze vpon thee if thou shouldest see thy selfe so deformed and vggly through sinne when as before thou wert moste faire beautifull Furthermore when yee commit any sinne lest you should be seene of any one you seeke obscure places for the performance of the same and if by fortune you be apprehended in the acte of your offence presently you are moste grieuously ashamed and perplexed and although the sinne be obscure and not reuealed yet for many yeares you dare not appeare in the presence of him who apprehended you Oh blessed soules who now rest in the fauour of God make knowne vnto these sinners what basenes and confusion yee perceaue in sinne when as some time by the diuine permissiō endued with heauenly virtues and illuminated with the celestiall beames of diuine grace you know vnderstand apprehend your former blemishes and offences and the multitude of soe great iniuries whereby formerly you haue displeased your moste gracious God I beseech you oh blessed soules demonstrate this vnto these sinners and sollicite your benigne and clement spouse for them that he would be pleased for his mercies sake to bestow some measure of those singular graces wherewith yee your selues were endued vpon these destressed desolate and miserable wretches effect this I beseeche you by the loue of him who soe dearly loueth you and whom you likewise so much reuerence honour and esteeme Doe this seeing there is nothing more acceptable vnto God then to intercead for poore sinners for the pardoning and remission of their sinnes who were redeemed and bought with so deare a price as the pretious blood death and passion of his deare sonne obtaine this therefore I intreat you while I proceed further to exaggerate the deformitie of sinne Giue eare oh my Brethren sinners sinne is so odious and abhominable that it compelled Iob to curse the houre and day in which he was borne with that fearfull speech saying Pereat dies in qua natus sum Iob. 3.3 let the day perish in which I was borne the night in which it was said a man childe is conceaued let darknes and the shadow of death obscure it let a miste possesse it let it bee wrapped vp in bitternes let a darkesome whirlewinde possesse that night let that day not be counted with the dayes of the yeare nor numbred in the monethes And a little after in the same chapter he vttereth these words full of misteries Quare non in vuluâ mortuus sum c. why perished I not in the wōbe why did the knees beare mee the brests giue me sucke what doe yee say to this oh my Brethren that such an holy perfect and iust man as Iob should say these thinges of whom God with his owne mouth gaue this testimony vnto Sathan Numquid cōsiderasti seruum meum Iob Iob. 2.3 hast thou considered my seruant Iob that there is not the like vnto him in the earth a man simple vpright fearing God retaining innocency Wherefore then and to what end should such fearfull words as the literall sence giueth proceed out of his mouth as to curse the day the night and houre of his birth surely it was only to intimate vnto vs the greuous and detestable loathsomnes of sinne in which he was conceaued Oh this wonderfull and admirable exaggeration of sinne how fully doth it represent vnto vs the filth and deformity therof God graunt that the terrible soūd of this trumpet may worke in you an abhorring and detestation of vice and kindle in your soule the fire of diuine loue that you may die daily to sinne here liue with him perpetually herafter Amen In what hatred sinne is in the sight of almighty God THE VI. CHAPTER O Dio sunt Deo impius impietas eius Wisdom 14.9 The wicked and his impietie are abhominable vnto God Soe great Brethren is the deformitie of sinne that God who is nothing but beauty splendour and goodnes hath it in great hatred and detestation and not sinne only but also the sinner The wicked and his impietie are odious alike in the sight of God saith the holy scripture By many thinges we may collect the deadlye hatred that God hath towardes sinners but most especially by two The first is that he doth soe sodenlie out of his seuere iustice punish it Lucifer and his associates sinned but God by no means enduring that insolent pride precipitated them frō the height of their former felicitie into the abisse of eternall darknes by Michael the Archangell prime minister in the celestiall paradise Our first parents Adam and Eue sinned and God forthwith expelled them out of paradise There are many examples in holy scripture which doe liuely set before our eyes the rigorous and soden execution of the iudgement and seueritie of God vpon sinners The Israeliticall people sinned adoring the golden Calfe presently the fire of Gods wrath was kindled and he said vnto Moyses Dimitte me ut irascatur furor meus contra eos Exod. 32.20 suffer mee that my fury may arise against them The same people sinned in demaunding Quailes in the wildernes Adhuc escae erant in ore ipsorum Psal 77.30 Euen when the meat was in their mouth the iudgements of
of these thinges Bretheren doe you not likewise perceaue a great delight comfort when you thinke vppon God doe you not consider when you meditate vpon terrestriall and created thinges referring them to God their creatour and efficient cause that you receaue a wonderfull sweet content from them O what a meditation is here for you to contemplate the fairenesse and largenesse of the Emperiall heauen O Israell Magna est domus Domini ingens locus possessionis eius c. O Israell saieth the Prophet great is the house of our Lord and large is the place of his possession he is great and hauing no end high and mightie Baruch 3.25 In domo Patris mei mansiones multa sunt In my Fathers house there are many mansions saieth our Lord Iesus Ioh. 14.2 O how many diuerse places and seats are there in heauen which the Saints enioy What is it then that now hindereth your will what letteth you that you cannot be inhabitants of that heauenly citie I am non estis hospites aduenae c. Ephes 2.19 You are not now pilgrims and strangers but you are the citizens with the Saints and domestickes with God Our mercifull Lord Iesus Christ sinners hath reckoned vs amongst the citizens of heauen by his bitter death and passion he hath made vs heires and coheires of a kingdome haeredes quidem Dei cohaeredes autem Christi heires truly of God but as coheires of Christ. Alas miserable wretches what mischiefe is it that depriueth you of so large and faire an inheritance sinne some small puffe or blast of pride some little delight of your polluted bodies some gredie desire or thirsting after humane affaires some light passion of hatred some foolish plotts to be reuenged accursed be all those sinnes which procure such losse and damage vnto vs as to depriue vs of heauen and of the beatifical visiō of the almightie of the most pleasant sight of God the Father and of our Lord Iesus Christ and this is the portion which befalleth all the damned in hell O most louing Father O blessed Sonne of God and holy Ghost the comforter full of loue and charity for thy mercies sake suffer vs not to be depriued of those thy great and large promises permit not Lord God our mercifull Father Sonne and holie Ghost permit vs not to loose the ioyfull sight of that glory in the life to come and the comfort of thy grace in this life present Amen Of the fire of hell and the paines of sense which the damned doe suffer in the companie of diuells THE XXXI CHAPTER PRaeparata est enim ab heri Tophet c. for Tophet is prepared since yesterday of the King deepe and wide the nourishment thereof is fire much wood the breath of our Lord as a torrent of brimstone kindling it Isay 30.33 Goe to now sinner call to thy remembrance those grieuous punishments which thou shalt endure in hell vnlesse thou amend thy life And first of all consider that in hell there is a wonderful denowring fire euer burning and yet neuer consumeth those miserable damned Praeparata est ab heri It is prepared since yesterday that is from the beginning of the foundation of the world there is a place prepared which is called Tophet which signifieth a misleading or beguiling that is hell whither all the soules misled and beguiled by the world the flesh and the diuell presently resorte This Tophet and this hel God the King of Kinges hath prepared to reuenge and punish those execrable diuels all sinners together with thē Prosūdata c. It is deepe and vaste hell is large of great cōpasse saith the holy Prophet I say Nutrimentum eius c. the fuell of this place is fire wood and God with his breath doth cōtinually kindle and sett it on fire Whereupon sinners it is moste cleare that hell is a very darke place in the most inward deepest partes of the earth broade and wide and so ample that although soules should fall downe therin as fast as the raine vpon the earth yet would it neuer be filled In this place the fire allwaies burneth and without ceasing or intermission cruelly torments the diuells damned persons and will so torment and wofully burne them for euer The holy Doctors doe hould that this fire is corporall Ignem infernalem corporalem esse non ambigo saieth Saint Gregorie I doe not doubt but that the fire of hell is corporall And although no corporall thing hath power to worke on a spirituall thing naturally yet notwithstanding by the diuine power that fire which is corporall of the same nature with ours neuer ceaseth after a wonderfull manner to torment al the diuels which are pure spirits and all the damned soules which likewise are without their bodies vntill the day of iudgement then their bodies also shall burne with them for all eternity Alas miserable sinners this is the place appointed and prepared for you where you shal burne with all the accursed crue of diuells for euer except you amend your liues and by repentance turne vnto God That fire shall burne for euer and neuer be extinguished Nutrimenta eius ignis c. The nutriment therof is fire and much wood neither shall there want one daily to blow it for the breath of our Lord like a torrent of brimstone doth kindle it But you must by no means suppose or thinke that there is wood in hell necessary to encrease the fire but the sacred scripture speaketh so to this end that it may be presēted more liuely vnto our vnderstāding which better comprehends and perceaueth naturall thinges neither can wee but say the diuells and soules before iudgement and the bodies of the damned after iudgement be vnderstood by wood for euen as the wood shall be cast into the fire so the diuels and the damned spirits before the day of iudgemēt and their bodies after shal be cast into the same O wonderfull miserie and calamitie whereinto a sinner falleth seeing that he must go downe into hell where he shal burne for euer and euer and neuer be consumed Thinke with thy selfe that thou cannest not without marueilous paine hould thy fingar in this our fire for the space of one Aue Maria but according to the opinion of the Doctors this our fire being compared with the fire of hell is like a painted fire O ineffable miserie Put thy fingar a while to a painted fire and thou shalt perceaue no sensible paine but thrust it into a reall fire and thou shalt not be able to endure the same So truly stādeth the case here for so mightie and so forcible is the fire of hell and tormenteth the soule in such sort and so intolerably as that suppose any one could deliuer and take a soule out of hell fire and cast it into some burning furnace of our fire the soule would imagine it to be no other thing then a recreation or some sweet
thy pernicious maledictiōs why blaspheamest thou thy God why contemnest thou thy Iesus and his blessed Mother S. Marie and doest not rather commende thy selfe vnto them chaunge now the institution and manner of thy life Doest thou thinke that thou shalt liue perpetually that thou art immortall that death shall be afraide of thee canst thou be perswaded that death which exerciseth her fatall function vpon all men and seazed vpon God himselfe that it will passe by or exempt thee Alas wretch knowest thou not what the scripture saith It is decreed that all must once die Heb. 9.27 Remember therfore thy last end and turne vnto thy God Giue eare vnto the sound of this trumpet if thou intendest when thou art come to the howre of death to triumph ouer the diuell haue confidence in thy God for in thy name saieth the Prophet Dauid we will dispise those that rise vp against vs and the same in the person of thy God saieth Super aspidem basilicum ambulabis c. Psal 90. thou shalt walke vpon the Aspe and Basiliske and shalt tread vppon the Lyon and Dragon because he hath giuen his Angels charge of thee to keepe thee in all thy wayes There be three waies oh sinner in which the Angels doe protect guard thee The first in thy birth and natiuitie the second from thy birth vntill thy death the third from death to the obtaining of eternall life God of his infinite mercie keepe thee in all these waies that thou maiest come to raigne with him eternally Amen Of the fearfull presence of the Iudge in the instant of death THE XVIII CHAPTER ALas wicked and miserable sinner what terrour feare of necessity must possesse thy soule when as thou now dying must behould the angry countenance of that great Iudge God almightie whose glorious and pleasing aspect holy men could not beholde for no man shall see me and liue saieth God to Moyses Exod. 20.19 speake thou to vs and we will heare thee let not our Lord speake to vs least perhappes wee die saide the children of Israell to Moyses Saint Peter who loued Christ soe dearlie and was likewise so well beloued esteemed of him that he deliuered his church to him to be gouerned directed and would that it should relie vpon him as a firme foundation He I say vpon a certaine time when he saw Christ in presence astonished cried out Exi à me quia homo peccator sum goe from mee oh Lord because I am a sinnefull man what thē wilt thou do in the day of thy death when thou shalt behold the angry contenance of Iesus burning with the fire of diuine iustice Oh worme what will then become of thee where wilt thou hide thy selfe whether wilt thou flie Non intres in iudicium cum seruo tuo c. Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant because no man liuing shall be iustified in thy sight crieth out the Prophet in the person of a soule striuing with death Giue eare I beseech thee to that which holy Iob saieth of the presence of the iudge verè quod ita sit c. I know indeed it is so that man cannot be iustified compared with God if he contend with him he cannot answere him one for a thousand Iob. 9.2 notwithstanding Iob was of that integrity and sanctity of life that God him selfe speaking of him said Vir erat in terra Hus c. There was a man in the land of Hus whose name was Iob that was simple and right and fearing God departing from euill Iob. 1. And in the same chapter God speaking of Iob vnto the diuell he saied Hast thou considered my seruant Iob that there is not the like vnto him in the earth a man simple and right fearing God and departing from euill and keeping innocencie Alas how terrible and horrible a thing is it at the time of death to fall into the handes of the iust iudge Truly it would seeme a dreadfull thing if one should be circumuented and besett with a multitude of Serpēts Beares Dragons Lyons or other such like deuouring creatures yet all the terror which would proceed from these thinges created compared with the terrour and astonishment that the contenance and maiesty of the angry and iust iudge shall strike into a soule in the instant of death it is light and nothing O miserable soule commiserate and pitty thine owne case meditate vpon thine owne necessities consider what must at last befall thee consider the last end and thou shalt not sinne for euer saieth the wiseman to forewarne thee ô how much shouldest thou and indeed oughtest to feare and tremble to thinke vpon that last instant of thy life in which thy soule must be dissolued and presented before the maiestie of the angry and offended iudge The iudge miserable wretch will say vnto thee giue an account of thy stewardship render a reason of thy soule which thou receauedst immaculate pure and vndefiled of mee and which being defiled and blemished with the contraction and spot of originall sinne I haue washed and made cleane with my most pretious blood Giue an account of thy Reason Vnderstanding Memorie and Will which thou hast receaued of me thou wast endued with vnderstanding that thou shouldest know mee with thy Will that thou shouldest loue mee with a Memorie that thou shouldest be euer mindfull of mee but thou vngrateful soule hast abused these faculties by which thou wert like vnto God let vs make man after our owne Image saieth God Gen. 1. These endowments more then diuine thou hast occupied and busied about base humane transitorie and vaine subiects for so much as thou dost alwaies thinke of them loue and embrace them and exercise thy memorie with them Bewaile now and lament thou sinner for the time will come in which it will repent thee that thou hast bene no more sorrowfull forget not God now for there will come a time when all thy sayings deedes cogitations and counsels shall be reduced to memorie Now endeuour to loue and honour God with all thy force as he hath commaunded thee in these wordes Loue the Lord thy God with all thy soule and with all thy harte all thy neighbour as thy selfe Math. 22.38 Oh miserable mortall men who so inconsideratly vppon the suddaine runne into death My dayes haue passed more swiftlie then the webbe that is cut by the weauer and are consumed without hope Iob. 7.6 Giue vs we beseech thee thy grace oh Lord pardon and remit oh benigne and bountifull God our delictes crimes and offences Remember that thou art our Father looke not vpon our ingratitude but vpon thy mercie haue respect to mee and behould me with the eyes of pittie and compassion for I am alone and poore the tribulations of my harte are multiplied deliuer mee from my necessities Psal 24.16 Oh Marie Mother of indulgent Iesus by whom I am to be iudged pray for mee and for all sinners that we may so dispose of all our
be assumed with troupes of Angels into heauen there perpetually to enioy the heatificall vision and ineffable delightes of paradise But if thou shalt depart without penance for thy sinnes without confession or at least contrition and desire of confession and reconciliation when thou cāst attaine to the acte of confession thy soule then at the instant of her departure out of thy body presently being seazed vpon by a companie of diuels shal be thrust into the loathsome dūgeō of perpetual darknes Thinke now ô miserable and vnhappy sinner of the misery of the body which shal be left destitute of a soule frō which it receaued its forme beauty and comelines and being depriued of this coniunction and vnion it shall be deformed loathsome pale and wanne Thinke with thy selfe it beganne to be filthy and putrified euen then when it was first taken with a feauer cōsumption impostume or any other disease and from that time to wax most filthy loathsome Thinke that it doth agonize and sweat euen vntill the departure of the soule and continually doth excreate spitt forth fleam and other corrupted filth and in this state and condition weeping languisheth and decayeth consider that after the departure of the soule the eyes will remaine distorted thy teeth grinning thy mouth gaping and thy countenance which before was faire beautifull and comely shal afterwardes become most hideous and fearfull to behould consider what loathsome excrements it will cast forth and of the suddaine moste odiously will stink I haue said to rottennesse thou arte my Father my Mother and sister to the wormes Iob. 17.14 O extreame folly of man which careth for nothing but to pollish nourish adorne and make much of this putrified flesh which whether thou wilt or no must bee eaten and deuowred vpp by wormes We read of a certaine philosopher that out of curiosity did visit the toombe of Alexander the great which beinge opened he found it stinking filled and couered with wormes and two Serpents eating tearing his eyes whereupon he cried out saying O Alexāder how lately is it since the world could not satisfie and fill thy desire but now thou art contēt with three cubits of earth and a little toombe Yesterday thou diddest triumph and boast of the number of thy subiects dominions to day thou art filled with filthines wormes Yesterday thou wert worshipped and honoured of the world this day thou art of the same world left and forsaken yesterday thou diddest feed vpon exquisite meats delicate dainties this day thou thy selfe art become meate for wormes Alas o you sinners and especially you which are giuen to the sensuall desires vnlawfull pleasures of the flesh set before your eyes the last misery of your dead putrified and corrupted bodies goe and consider with your selues the misery and deformity of those dead carcases and perswade your selues that you must be like vnto them and more abhominable it may bee Behould ô you harlotts how Queenes Ladies and Mistresses doe die see ô you sinners how Kings Lords and Masters without exception perish and consider that the same yee it may be worse shall befall you Behould how men and women are buried sinners and harlots behould I say in what state they are which are now buried what they were within these few dayes and be you astonished absolutly perswading your selues that the same it may be worse shall happen vnto you And say to your selues woe Alas to me miserable N. O wretched G. O vnhappy E. Behould into what state we must also one day come Heare you what the dead man saith vnto you To me yesterday to thee to day woe vnto thee which behouldest mee saieth the dead man to euerie one that looketh on him Behould ô woman the miseries of this dead body which in former times was thy associate Behould the mouth nose and countenance of it contemplate the breasts and golden haires of which she did so greatly as thou doest at this present boast and glory cōsider what an alteration there is Behould thou proud and intēperate wretch whosoeuer thou art immerst in the pleasures of the body smel how odiouslie and grieuouslie this dead body stinketh Behould that woman ô lasciuious wanton and tell me if thou knowest her Alasse o yee madd and pertinacious sinners what is there that cā mollify your mindes cleaue in sunder your obdurate and stonie hartes if the misery of your owne bodies and consideration of the loathsome hatefull stinch of the same can no Lord he stinketh for he is now of foure dayes saieth Martha of her dead brother Ioan. 11.39 O sinner what smell can be compared to that of an humane dead carcase To what end therfore such diligence and such curiositie to what end such cost odors paintings and ornaments To what end so many delightes pleasures fancies or whatsoeuer may seeme delectable to soe corrupted and deformed a bodie I haue seene the offenders and haue pined away because they haue not kept thy law saieth the Prophet Psal 118. O my Brethren and sisters sinners you compell me to pine away with Dauid for the extremitie of griefe when I consider the opprobries offences and ignominies whereby you offend your God and the irrecuperable detriment and dammage which you procure vnto your owne soules How long shall sinners o Lord how long shall sinners glory they shall manifest and declare their iniquitie Let God arise and let his enemies be dispersed and let them that hate him flie from his face As smoake vanisheth let them vanish away as wax melteth at the presence of the fire so let sinners perish at the presence of God and let the iust make merrie and reioyce in the sight of God and let them be delighted in mirth Psal 67.2 Breake the arme of the sinner and malignant his sinne shall be sought and he shall not be found saieth the holie Prophet Psal 10.15 beinge moued with an infinite zeale of the honour of God and saluation of soules O good Lord I am not Dauid but of all sinners the most wretched of all heinous offendors the greatest of all wicked malefactours the most pernitious notwithstanding ô my God deare Iesus I am incited and mooued with such a desire of thine honor the saluation of my poore brethren that from the bowells of my harte or rather of thine I implore thy clemency and mercie in these wordes Haue mercie vpon vs ô Lord haue mercie vpon vs for wee are much filled with contempt because our soule is much filled and is made a reproach to the wealthy and despection to the proud O God haue mercie vpon vs haue mercie vppon vs for wee are all thy children thy seruantes and creatures Remember sweete Iesus my deare Lord that all poore miserable sinners are thy creatures thy seruantes thy children thy brothers thy sisters therfore my Iesus take compassion and comiseration vppon thy children and bretheren and shew mercie vpon thy daughters and sisters wee doe
our Sauiour to death how shalt thou bee able to looke vpoÌ„ this crosse O Caiphas and you Scribes Pharises that moued the people to cry out with an exceeding great clamour to Pilat away with him away with him crucifie him him crucifie him what griefe shall you conceaue at the sight of this holie Crosse What furie and madnes shall posesse you at the behoulding of it O vngodlie Christians who still remaine in the filth of your sinnes who haue trampled vnder foot the pretious blood of Iesus what will you then say and doe Thou proud man who reiecting all others wouldest submitt thy selfe to no bodie with what deiection wilt thou cast thy eyes downewards lest thou shouldest behould that triumphant signe Alas ô lasciuious man who wallowing in the mire of all vncleanesse hast liued in the filth and mire thereof hast liued in contempt of the blood and death of Christ how theÌ„ darest thou looke vpon that sacred signe Alas thou angry man who wilt forgiue nothing wherin thou art offended though in the smallest matter although thou shouldest be asked pardon for Christs sake in remembrance of his most bitter death and passion what then shall become of thee how wilt thou looke vpon that signe wheÌ„ thou shalt see all hope of obtaining mercie to bee shutt vp from thee Alas thou couetous man who for Christs sake wouldest not giue one morsell of bread to the poore what shall become of thee when thou shalt see thy selfe destitute of all celestiall and terrestiall things Alas thou wicked woman that hast killed so many soules and iniuried the blood and crosse of Christ with thy lewed and dishonest life what shall then become of thee Thou peruerse and obstinate heretike who dailie reuilest Christe and his holie church thou shalt then bee brought to the acknowledgement of thyne errours Alas daÌ„ned soules then you shall behould the fruite of your sinneful life past when all hope of mercy which you haue despised here vpon earth shall bee taken away what will you doe when after the crosse and other signes of the passion Christ Iesus crucified shall appeare in his maiesty O happie are they who shall be able then to looke vpon him O most sweet woundes of my beloued Iesus bestow that grace vpon mee that I may bee worthy to bee of the number of them which shall behould you with chearfullnes of hart O most amiable Iesus graunt me thy grace that I may bee one of them who with ioy and gladnes may glorie in thy woundes with these or the like wordes Behould my most louing Iesê° who hath shown so great mercy vnto me as to draw mee out of the abysse of so many sinnes and freely pardoned all myne iniquities Behould those woundes and pretious blood by vertue wherof I am saued Bee you blessed ô glorious woundes full of loue Be thou blessed ô my most amiable Iesus who hast vouchsafed to beestow so great fauours vpon mee To thee and to thy sacred woundes be attributed all praise honour glorie and benediction Let all the Angels and Saints in heauen sing praises vnto thee let all faithfull people vpon earth dailie worship thee let the whole fabrique of heauen and earth with all creatures coÌ„tained therin set foorth thy prayse God forbid that I should glorie in anie thing but in the crosse of Iesus Christ by whom the world is crucified to mee and I to the world Now Brethren and sisters sinners turne your selues to Christ the iudge coÌ„ming in the cloudes with his diuine maiestie most glorious to behould to the Angels and all good men but terrible and fearfull to the diuels and all reprobate soules indeed all shall looke vpon him shining with his resplendant glory but with differeÌ„t affections the damned shal be forced to behold him to the greater augmentation of their griefe but the elect to their greater comfort and consolation Ierusalem wash thy harte from malice that thou mayest be saued Ier. 4.14 Sinners purge your soules and consciences looke into your selues with a serious consideration of your estate delay not vntill the terrible day of iudgement shall aproach for then it will be too late to prouide your selues to enter into the place of eternall happines Consider now sinner what helpes are prepared for thee so many teachers to direct thee so many coÌ„fessors to instruct thee so many bookes to cal and admonish thee so many diuine inspirations to moue and excite thee so many prayers of the holy Church so many suffragies of the blessed Saints thou hast thine Angell keeper to protect defend thee Cal to minde the manifould helpes which thy louing Iesus out of his fatherly care hath prouided for thee He daily teacheth and instructeth thee continually prayeth to his heauenly Father for thee we haue an aduocate with the Father saieth S. Iohn Iesus Christ the iust 1. Ioan. 2.1 Consider what helpe the B. V. Marie Mother of mercy patronesse of sinners procureth for thee who neuer ceaseth to pray for all before her sonne in heauen Consider on the otherside if thou continuest and diest in thy sinnes thou shalt be destitute of all helpe thou shalt not finde any to plead for thee not the Saints not the church nor the Blessed Virgin Mary for then the gate of mercy will be shut vp and no entrance shall be fouÌ„d sinners looke to your selues haue recourse to Christ the fountaine of liuing waters whilst it standeth open knocke at the gate of mercy before it be shut so you shal receaue pardon and remission of all your sinnes and offences Which God of his mercy graunt that we may all obtaine Amen Of the great shame wherewith all the damned shall be confounded in the day of iudgement before almighty God and the whole world THE XXVII CHAPTER ANd all nations shall be gathered together before him and he shall separate them one from another as a sheepheard separateth his sheepe from the kiddes and shall place his sheepe on the right hand and the kiddes on the left Mat. 25.32 O sinners what torments and vexations shal you haue in your troubled soules when you shall stand in the presence of God the whole world to be condemned for your iniquities what shame will it be to thee when all thy misdeedes shall appeare and be manifested vnto all And I will reueale thy secrets before thee and will shew thy nakednes to the nations and thine ignominie to the kingdomes saith the Prophet NauÌ„ Naum. 3.6 Noe means can be vsed to couer thy sinnes which thou hast committed so closely then what vices soeuer thou diddest in secret endeuouring to hide them from the eyes of men and Angels shall be brought to light Then traitour all thy treacherous and bloudy plottes shall be reuealed Then deceitfull companion all thy crafty plottes fallaces shall be detected ô wonderfull and maruailous thinge then shall they read one anothers sinnes in their foreheades as in bookes The husband shall see all the dishonest behauiours