a good paye for so litle paynes king Dauid one night beganne to thinke with hym selfe that he had now a howse of Cedar and the arcke of God lay but vnder a tent and therfore resolued to build a house for the sayd Arcke VVhiche onelie cogitation God tooke in so good parte as he sent Nathan the prophet vnto hym presentlie to refuse the thing but yet to tell hym that for so muche as he had determined such a matter God wolde build a house or rather a kingdome to hym and his posteritie whiche should last for euer and from whiche he wold neuer take away his mercie what sinnes or offences so euer they committed VVhiche promisse we see now fullfilled in Christ his Churche raysed out of that familie VVhat shoulde I recite many like exāples Christ geueth a generall note hereof when he calleth the workemen and payeth to eche man his wages so duelie as also when he sayeth of him selfe beholde I come quicklie and my revvarde is with me By which places is euident that God suffereth no labour in his seruice to be lost or vnpayed And albeit as after in place conuenient shal be shewed he payeth also and that abundantlie in this lyfe yet as by these two texts appeareth he deferreth his cheefe paye vnto his cōming in the end of the day that is after this lyfe in the resurrection of the iust as hym selfe sayeth in an other place Of this payment then reserued for gods seruants in the lyfe to come we are now to consider what and what maner a thing it is and whether it be woorthe so muche labour and trauail as the seruice of God requireth or no. And first of all yf we will belecue the holie scripture calling it a kingdome a heauenlie kingdome an eternall kingdome a most blessed kingdome we must nedes confesse it to be a maruailous great rewarde for that wordlie princes doe not vse to geue kingdomes to their seruants for recompence of their labours And yf they did or were hable to doe it yet could it be nether heauenlie nor eternall nor blessed kingdome Secondlie yf we credit that which S. Paul saieth of it that nether eye hath seene nor 〈◊〉 heard nor hart of man conceaued how great a matter it is then must we yet admitt a greater opinion thereof For that we haue seen many wounderfull things in our dayes we haue heard more wounderfull we may conceaue moste wounderfull and almost infinite How then shall we come to vnderstand the greatnesse and value of this rewarde surelie no tongue created ether of man or Angell can expresse the same no imagination conceaue no vnderstanding comprehend it Christ hym selfe hathe sayd nemo scit nisi qui accipit No man knoweth it but he that enioyeth yt And therfore he calleth it hidden manna in the same place Notwithstanding as it is reported of a learned Geometrician that fynding the lengthe of Hercules foote vpō the hill Olimpus drewe out his whole bodie by the proportion of that one parte so wee by some things sett downe in scripture and by some other circumstances agreing thereunto may frame a coniecture of the matter thought it come farre behinde the thing it selfe I haue shewed before how the scripture calleth it heauenlie euerlasting most blessed kingdome VVhereby is signified that all must be kinges that are admitted thither To like effect it is called in other places a 〈◊〉 of glorie a throne of maiestie a paradise or place of pleasure a lyfe euerlasting S. Iohn the Euangelist beinge in his banifnement by speciall priuilege made pryuie to some knowlege and feeling thereof aswell for his own comfort as for ouers taketh in hand to describe it by cōparison of a citie Affirming that the whole citie was of pure golde with a great highe wall of the pretiouse stone called Iaspis This wall had also twelue foundations made of twelue distinct pretiouse stones which he there nameth also twelue gates made of twelue riche stones called margarits and euerie gate was an entire margarit The streetes of the citie were paued with golde interlayed also with pearls and pretiouse stones The light of the citie was the clearenesse shinyng of Christ hym selfe sitting in the middest thereof from whose seat proceded a riuer of water as cleare as cristall to refresh the citie on bothe sides of the bankes there grew the tree of lyfe geuing out continuall and perpetuall fruit there was no night in that citie nor any defiled thing entered there but they which are within shall raigne sayeth he for euer and euer By this deseription of the moste riche pretiouse things that this worlde hathe S. Iohn wolde geue vs to vnderstād the infinite value glorie Maiestie of this felicitie prepared for vs in heauen though as I haue noted before it being the princelie inheritance of our Sauiour Christ the kingdome of his father the eternall habitatiō of the holie Trinitie prepared before all worldes to sett out the glorie expresse the power of hym that hath no end or measure ether in power or glorie we may verie well thinke with S. Paul that nether tongue can declare it not hart imagin it VVhen God shall take vpon hym to doe a thing for the vttermoste declaration in a certain sorte of his power wisdome and Maiestie imagine you what a thing it wil be It pleased hym at a certain time to make certain creatures to serue hym in his presence and to be witnesses of his glorie and thereupon with a woorde created the Angels bothe for numberand perfection so straunge and wounderfull as maketh mans vnderstanding astonished to think of it For as for their number they were almost infinite passing the number of all the creatures of this inferiour woorlde as diuers learned men and some auncient fathers doe think though Daniel according to the fashion of the scripture doe putt a certain number for an vncertain when he sayeth of Angels a thovvsand thovvsands dyd minister vnto hym that is vnto God tenn thovvsand tymes a hundreed thovvsand dyd stand abovvt hym to assist And for their perfection of nature it is suche being as the scripture sayeth spirits and like burning fire as they farre surpasse all inferiour creatures in naturall knowledge power and the like wherein one Angel doeth exceede all men in t̄he worlde put together VVhat an infinit Maiestie doeth this argue in the creator After this when many of these Angels were fallen it pleased God to creat an other creature farre inferiour to this for to fill vp the places of such as had fallen there vpon created man of a peece of claye as you know appointing hym to lyue a certain time in a place distant from heauen created for this purpose which is this worlde a place of entertainmet triall for a tyme which afterwarde is to be destroyed againe But yet in creating of this
eare hath heard nor hart cōceaued A vision that passeth all the beautie of earthlie things of golde of siluer of woodes of feeldes of sea of ayer of sunne of moone of starres of Angels for that all theese things haue their beautie from thence VVe shall see hym face to face sayeth the Apostle and vve shall knovve hym as vue are knouven VVe shall know the power of the father we shall know the wisdome of the sonne we shall know the goodnes of the holie gho ste we shall know the 〈◊〉 nature of the moste blessed trinitie And this seing of the face of God is the ioye of Angels and all saints in heauen This is the rewarde of life euerlasting this is the glorie of blessed spirites their euerlasting pleasure their croune of honour their game of felicitie their riche rest their beautifull peace their inward and outward ioye their diuine paradise their heauenlie Ierusalem their felicitie of lyfe their fullnesse of blysse their eternall ioye their peace of God that passeth all vnderstanding This sight of God is the full beatitude the totall glorification of man to see hym I saye that made bothe heauene and earth to see him that made the that redemed the that glorified the. For in seeyng hym thow shalt know him in knoweing him thow shalt possesse hym in possessing hym thow shalt loue hym in louing hym thow shalt prayse hym For he is the inheritance of his people he is the possession of their folicitie he is the rewarde of their expectation I vvilbe thy great revvard sayeth he o Abraham O lord thou art great and therfore no maruaile yf thow be a great reward The sight of thee therfore is all our hyare all our reward all our ioye and felicitie that we expect seing thou hast sayed that this is lyfe euerlasting to see and know thee our true God and Iesus Christ whome thou hast sent Hauing now declared the two generall partes of heauenlie felicitie the one appertayning to our soule the other to our bodie it is not hard to esteeme what excesse of ioye bothe of them ioined together shall woorke at that happie daye of our glorification O ioye aboue all ioyes passing all Ioye and without whiche there is no ioye when shall I enter in to thee sayeth S. Austen whē shall I enioye thee to see my God that dwelleth in thee o euerlasting kingdome o kingdome of all eternities o light without end o peace of God that passeth all vnderstandinge in whiche the soules of Saintes doe rest with thee euerlasting ioye is vpon their heades they possesse ioye and exultation and all payne and sorovv is fledde from them O how gloriouse a kingdome is thyne o lord wherein all Saintesdoe raigne with thee adorned vvith light as vvith apparell and hauing crovvnes of pretiouse stones on their heades O kingdome of euerlasting blesse where thow o lord the hope of all saintes art the diademe of their perpetuall glorie reioysing them on euerie syde with thy blessed sight In this kingdome of thine there is infinite ioye and myrthe without sadnesse healthe without sorow lyfe vvithout labour light vvithout darknesse felicitie without abatement all goodnesse without any euill VVhere youthe florisheth that neuer waxeth olde lyfe that knoweth no end beautie that neuer fadeth loue that neuer cooleth healthe that neuer diminisheth ioye that neuer ceaseth VVhere sorow is neuer fealt complaint is neuer heard matter of sadnesse is neuer seene nor euill successe is euer feared For that they possesse thee o Lorde whiche art the perfection of their felicitie If we wolde enter into these cōsideratiōs as this holie man and other his like dyd no doubt but we should more be inflamed with the loue of this felicitie prepared for vs than we are and consequentlie should striue more to gayne it than we doe And to the ende thow mayest conceaue some more feeling in the matter gentle reader cōsider a litle with me what a ioyfull day shall that be at thy howse whē hauing liued in the feare of god and atchiued in his seruice the end of thy peregrination thow shalt come by the meanes of deathe to passe from miserie and labour to immortalitie in that passage when other men beginne to feare thou shalt lyft vp thy head in hope accordinge as Christ promi seth for that the time of thy saluatiō cōmeth on tell me what a day shall that be when thy soule stepping furth of prison and conducted by the Angeles to the tabernacle of heauen shall be receyued there with the honorable companies and troupes of that place with all those hierarchies of blessed spirites mētioned in scripture as principalities powers vertues Dominatiōs Thrones Angels Archeangels Cherubines and Seraphines also with the holie Apostles and Disciples of Christ Patriarches Prophets Martyrs Virgines Innocentes Confessors Bishopes Preestes and Saints of Cod All which as they dyd reioyse at thy conuersion from sinne so shall they triumphe now at thy coronation and glorification VVhat ioye will thy soule receyue in that day when she shal be presented by her good Angell in the presēce of all these states before the seat and Maiestie of the blessed Trinitie with recitall and declaration of all thy good woorkes and trauailes suffered for the loue seruice of God when I saye those blessed spirites shall laye doune in that honorable consistorie all thy vertuouse deedes in particular all thy almes all thy prayers all thy fastinges all thy innocēcie of lyfe all thy patience in iniuries all thy constancie in aduersities all thy temperance in meates all the vertues of thy whole lyfe when all I saye shall be recounted there all commended all rewarded shalt thou not see now the valure and profite of vertuouse lyfe shalt thou not confesse that gaynefull and honorable is the seruice of God shalt thou not now be glad and blesse the hower wherein first thou resoluedst thy selfe to leaue the seruice of the woorlde to serue God shalt thou not think thy selfe beholden to hym or her that persuaded thee vnto yt yes verilie But yet more than this when thou shalt cōsider in to what a porte and hauen of securitie thou art come and shalt looke backe vpon the daungers whiche thou hast passed and wherein other men are yet in hazarde thy cause of ioye shall greatlie be encreased For thou shalt see euidentlie how infinite times thow were to perishe in that iourney yf God had not held his speciall hand ouer thee Thow shalt see the Daungers wherein other men are the death and damnation whereinto many of thy freends and acquayntance haue fallen the eternall paynes of hell incurred by many that vsed to laughe be merye with thee in the worlde All whiche shall augment the felicitie of this thy so fortunate a lott And now for thy selfe thow mayst be secure thow art out of all daunger for euer euer There is
sowle which was before the temple of the holy ghost the habitation of the blessed trinitie and place of repose for the Angels to visit now to be the nest of scorpions and dongeon of deuilles and hym selfe a companion of the miserable damned Lastlye he abandoneth Christ and renounceth the portion he had with hym makinge hym selfe a persecuter of the same by treadinge him vnder his feete And crucifyinge hym agayne and defylinge his bloode as S. Paule sayeth in synninge against hym whiche dyed for synne and therfore the same Apostle pronounceth a maruailous heuie sentence against suche in these worldes If vve synne vvillfullye novv after vve haue receaued knovvledge of the trevvth there remaineth no more sacryfice for sinnes but rather a certaine terrible expectation of iudgement and emulation of fyre vvhiche shall consume the aduersaries To which S. Peter agreeth when he saieth It had ben better not to haue knovven the vvay of iustice than after such knovvledge to slyde backe agayne from the holye commaundement vvhich vvas geeuen Now then let our worldlinges goe and solace them selues with sinne as muche as they will let them excuse and pleasantlye defēd the same sayinge pryde is but a pointe of gentrye glouttonie good fellowship lecherye and wantonnes a trycke of yowth and the lyke they shall finde one daye that these excuses will not be receaued but rather that these pleasant deuises wil be turned into teares They shall proue that God will not be iested with but that he is the same God still will aske as seuere accounte of them as he hathe done of other before although it please not them now to keepe any accounte of their lyfe at all but rather to turne all to disporte pleasure persuadinge them selues that how soeuer God hath delt with other before yet he will forgeeue all to them but the holye scripture reasoneth after an other manner which I would haue euerie wise Christian to consider S. Paule comparinge the Iewes sinnes with ours maketh this collectiō If God spared not the naturall boughes take heede least he spare not the. And ther vpō he inferreth this admonition noli altum sapere sed time Be not to high minded but feare Againe he reasoneth thus vpon the olde the new lawe he that broke the lawe of Moyses beinge cōuicted by two or three witnesses died for the same without cōmiseration or mercye and how much more greeuous punishmēt doth he deserue which breaking the law of Christ by wilsull sinne treadeth the sonne of God vnder his feete polluteth the bloode of the new testament reprocheth the holye ghost In lyke maner reasoneth S. Peter and S. Iude towchinge the sinne of Angels and ours yf God spared not the Angels when they sinned but did thrust them downe to hell there to he tormented and to be kept vnto iudgement with eternall chaines vnder darckenes how much lesse will he spare vs And agayne yf the Angels which passe vs in power and strength are not able to heare gods execrable iudgement against thē what shall we doe Agayne in an other place he reasoneth thus yf the iust man shall har dlye be saued where shall the wickedman sinner appeare By which examples we are instructed to reason in lyke sorte yf God haue punished so seuerelie one sinne in the Angels in Adam and in other before reeited what shall I looke for which haue cōmitted so manie sinnes agaynst hym yf God haue dāned so manye for lesser sinnes thé myne be what will he do to me for greater yf Godhath borne longer with me then he hath done with many other whome he hath cut of without geuing them time of repentāce what reason is there that he should beare longer with me yf Dauid and other after their synnes forge euen them tooke suche paynes in afflictinge them selues for satisfaction of the temporall punishement in this lyfe what punishement remaineth for me either heere or in the wold to come for satisfaction of so manie synnes committed If it betrew that our sauyour saithe that the waie is harde and the gate narrow wherby men goe into heauen and that they shall answere for euerye ydle worde before they enter there what shal be come of me which doe lyue so easiea a lyfe and doe keepe no accounte of my deedes muche lesse of my wordes yf good men in olde time did take suche paynes for theyr saluatin yet as S. Peter saieth the verye iust were scarce saued what a state am I in which take no payne at all but doe lyue in all kynde of pleasure and wordly delytes These kyndes of consequentes were more trew and profitable for vs wherby we might enter into some consideration of our owne daunger and into some feare of the iudgementes of God for want wherof the moste parte of synnes amongest Christians are committed For so the holye scripture describinge dyuerscauses of wickednes among men putteth thes two for principall Fyrst the flatterye of the world 〈◊〉 laudatur peccator in desileriis animae 〈◊〉 For that the sinner is praysed in his lustes And secondly quia 〈◊〉 iudicia tua a 〈◊〉 eius For that thy iudgementes o lorde are not before his face And in the contrarye side speaking him selfe he saieth I haue kept the vvaies of our lorde haue not behaued my selfe impiouslie tovvardes God And he 〈◊〉 the reason therof immediatlie For that all his 〈◊〉 are in my sight And againe I haue feared thy iudgementes o lorde And againe I haue ben mindfull of thy iudgementes And how profitable this feare is he sheweth in the same place demaundinge this feare most instantlye at godes handes for so he prayeth stryke my fleshe thorough vvith thy feare o lorde And S. Paule after he had shewed to the Corinthians that we must all be presented before the tribunall of Christ maketh this cōclusion VVe knovveinge therfore thes thinges doe persvvsade the feare of our lorde vnto mē And S Peter after a longe declaration of the maiestie of God and Christ now rayning in heauen concludeth thus 〈◊〉 you call him father vvhich doth iudge euerye man accordinge to his vvorkes vvithout 〈◊〉 of persons doe you lyue'in feare duringe the 〈◊〉 of this your habitation vppon earth A 〈◊〉 lesson no doubt for all men but speciallie for those which by reason of their synnes and wicked lyfe doe remaine in 〈◊〉 and hatred of God and howerlye subiect as I haue shewed to the 〈◊〉 of his iudgementes whiche if 〈◊〉 once fall into they are both irreuocable and intollerable and they may be fallen into as 〈◊〉 and by as manie wayes as a man may come to death which are infinite especiallie to thē whoe by their wickednes haue lost the peculier protection of God and good Angels as I haue shewed and haue subiected them selues to the feendes of darckenes whoe do nothinge els but seeke their
after though he sought the same vvith teares Also the sinne of Saule whoe his sinne beinge but one synne and that onlye of omission in not killinge agag the kynge of Amalech and his cattell as he was willed was vtterlie cast of by God for the same though he were his annointed and chosen seruant before and could not get remission of the same though both he and Samuell the prophet did greatly lament and bewaille the same synne Also I might alleage the example of kinge Dauid whose two synnes albeit vppon his hartie repentar ce God forgaue yet besides all the weepinge fastinge watchinge lyeinge on grownde wearinge of sackeloth and other punishement of bodye that Dauid did vse God punished the same with maruaylous seueritie as with the death of Dauides sonne and other continuall afliction vnto him as longe as he liued And all this to shew his hati ed against synne and thereby to terrifie vs from committinge the same Of this also doe proceede all those harde and bitter speeches in scripture towching sinners which cōming from the mouthe of the holye ghost and therfore beinge most trewe and certaine may iustlye geeue all them greate cause of feare which lyue in synne as where it is saied death bloode contention edge of 〈◊〉 oppression hunger 〈◊〉 and vvhyppes all thes thinges are created forvvicked sinners And againe God shall rayne snares 〈◊〉 vppon sinners brimstone vvith tempestuous vvyndes shal be the portion of their 〈◊〉 Agayne God wil be knowen at the day of iudgement vppon the synner whoe shal be taken in the 〈◊〉 of his owne handes manye whippes belonge vnto a synner let synners be turned into hell God shall scatter all sinners God shall dashe the teeth of synners in their mouthes God shall scoffe at a sinner whē he seethe his daye of destruction cometh on the sworde of sinners shall turne into their owne hartes thow shalt see when sinners shall perishe The armes of sinners shal be crushed and broken sinners shall wither from the earth desire not the glorye and riches of a synner for thow doest not know the subuersion which shall come vpō hym God hath geeuen him riches to deceaue him therwith beholde the daye of our lorde shall come a cruell daye full of indignation wrath and furye to make desolate the earth and to crushe in peeces her synners within her The iust man shall reioyse seinge this reuenge then shall he washe his handes in the blood of sinners These a thowsande suche sentences more of scripture which I omitt vttered by the holye ghost against synners maye instruct vs of their pitifull estate and of the vnspeakable hatred of God against them as long as they perfist in synne Of all these considerations the holy scriptures doe gather one conclusion greatlye to be noted and considered by vs which is miseros facit populos peccatum Synne bringeth men to miserie And againe Qui diligit iniquitatem odit animam suam he vvhich loueth iniquitie 〈◊〉 his ovvne soule Or as the Angel Raphaell vttereth it in other wordes shey vvhich cōmit finne are open enemyes to their ovvne sovvles VVherfore they laye downe to all men this generall seuere and most necessarie cōmaundement vpon all the paines before recited Quasi a facie colubri fuge peccata Flee from siane as from the face of a suake And againe caue ne aliquando peccato consentias Bevvare thovv neuer consent to siane For how soeuer the worlde doeth make litle accounte of this matter of whome as a scripture noteh the sinner is praysed in his lustes and the vvicked man is blessed yet most certaine it is for that the spirite of God auoucheth it qui facit peccatum ex diabolo est He vvhich cōmitteth sinne is of the deuill and therfore is to receaue his portion amonge deuills at the latter daye And is not all this sufficient deare brother to make vs detest sinne and to conceaue some feare in cōmittinge therof nay is not all this strong enough to batter their hartes which liue in state of sinne and doe committ the same daylie with out consideration or scruple what obstinacie and hardnes of harte is this surelye we see the holye ghost prophesied trewlye of them when he sayede sinners alienated from God are possessed vvith a furye like a serpent and like a deafe cocatrise vvhich stoppeth her heares to the enchaunter this furie I saie is the furye or madnesse of willfull synners which stoppe their eares lyke serpentes to all the holy enchauntmentes that God can vse vnto them for their conuersion that is to all his internall motions good inspirations to all remorse of their owne conscicnces to all threatninges of holye scriptures to all admonishmentes of gods seruantes to all the other meanes which God can vse for their saluation Good Lorde whoe would committ a mortall sinne for the gayninge of ten thowsande worldes yf he considered the infinite dommages hurtes incōueniences miseries which doe come by the committinge of one sinne for first he that sinneth mortallie leeseth the grace of God inherent in his sowle which is the greatest gift that Cod can geeue to a creature in this lyfe consequentlye he leeseth all those thinges which dyd accōpanye that grace as the vertues infused and the seuen giftes of the holy ghost wherby the sowle was bewtyfied in the sight of her spouse and armed against the assaultes of her enemies Secondlie he leesethe the fauour of God and consequentlye his fatherlye protection care and prouidence ouer hym and gayneth hym to be his professed enemie Which how great a losse it is we may esteeme by the state of a worldley courtier which should leese the fauour of an earthlie prince and incurre mortall hatred by the same Thirdly he leeseth all inheritance clayme and title to the kyngdome of heauen whiche is dew onlye by grace as S. Paule noteth and consequentlye depriuethe hym selfe of all dignities cōmoditiesfolowinge the same in this lyfe as the condition and high priueledge of a sonne of God the communion of sainctes the protection of Angels and the lyke Fowerthlye he leeseth the quiet ioye and tranquilitie of a good conscience and all the fauours cherisnmentes consolations and other cūfortes wherwithe the holie ghost is wont to visite the mindes of the Iust. Pyuethlye he leeseth the merit and reward of all his good woorkes done sence he was borne whatsoeuer he doth or shall doe while he standeth in that state Sixthlye he maketh hym selfe guyltie of eternall punishmēt and engrosseth his name in the booke of perdition and consequentlie byndeth hym selfe to all these incōueniences wherto the reprobate are subiect that is to be inheritour of hell fyre to be in the power of the deuill and his Angels to be subiect to all synne and temptation of sinne and his