our happinesse Which Christ also affirmeth when he saith to his father This is life everlasting that men know the tru God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent Saint Paul also putteth our felicitie In seeing God face to face And S. Iohn In seeing God as he is And the reason of this is for that al the pleasures and contentations in the world being only sparkles parcels sent out from God they are al contained much more perfectly and excellently in God himselfe than they are in their own natures created as also al the perfections of his creatures are more fully in him than in themselves Wherof it followeth that whosoever is admitted to the vision and presence of God he hath al the goodnes and perfection of creatures in the world united togither and presented unto him at once So that whatsoever deliteth either bodie or soul there he enjoieth it wholy knit up togither as it were in one bundle and with the presence therof is ravished in al parts both of mind and bodie as he cannot imagin think or wish for any joy whatsoever but there he findeth it in his perfection there he findeth al knowledge al wisdom al beautie al riches al nobilitie al goodnes al delite and whatsoever beside either deserveth love and admiration or worketh pleasure or contentation Al the powers of the mind shal be filled with this sight presence fruition of God al the senses of our bodie shal be satisfied God shal be the universal felicitie of al his saints containing in himselfe al particular felicities without end number or measure He shal be a glasse to our eies musik to our ears honie to our mouths most sweet and pleasant balm to our smel he shal be light to our understanding contentation to our wil continuation of eternitie to our memorie In him shal we enjoy al the varietie of times that delite us heer al the beautie of creatures that allure us heer al the plesures and joies that content us heer In this vision of God saith one Doctor we shal know we shal love we shal rejoice we shal praise We shal know the very secrets and judgements of God which are a depth without bottom Also the causes natures beginnings ofsprings and ends of al creatures We shal love incomparablie both God for the infinite causes of love that we see in him and our companions as much as our selves for that we see them as much loved of God as our selves and that also for the same for which we are loved Wherof insueth that our joy shal be without measure both for that we shal have a particular joy for every thing we love in God which are infinite and also for that we shal rejoice at the felicitie of everie one of our companions as much as at our own by that means we shal have so many distinct felicities as we shal have distinct companions in our felicitie which being without number it is no marvel though Christ said Go into the ioy of the Lord. And not let the Lords joy enter into thee for that no one hart created can receive the fulnes and greatnes of this joy Heerof it followeth lastly that we shal praise God without end or wearines with al our hart with al our strength with al our powers with al our parts according as the scripture saith Happie are they that live in thy house O Lord for they shal praise thee eternally without end 13 Of this most blessed vision of God the holie father Saint Austen writeth thus Happie are the clean of hart for they shal see God saith our Savior then is there a vision of God deer brethren which maketh us happie a vision I say which neither eie hath seen in this world nor eare hath heard nor hart conceived A vision that passeth al the beautie of earthly things of gold of silver of woods of fields of sea of air of sun of moon of stars of Angels for that al these things have their beauty from thence We shal see him face to face saith the Apostle And we shal know him as we are known We shal know the power of the Father we shal know the wisdom of the Son we shal know the goodnes of the holie Ghost we shal know the indivisible nature of the most blessed Trinitie And this seeing of the face of God is the joy of angels al saints in heaven This is the reward of life everlasting this is the glorie of blessed spirits their everlasting pleasure their crown of honor their game of felicitie their rich rest their beautiful place their inward and outward joy their divine paradice their heavenly Ierusalem their felicitie of life their fulnes of blisse their eternal joy their peace of God that passeth al understanding This sight of God is the ful beatitude the total glorification of man to see him I say that made both heaven and earth to see him that made thee that redeemed thee that glorified thee For in seeing him thou shal possesse him in possessing him thou shalt love him in loving him thou shalt praise him For he is the inheritance of his people he is the possession of their felicitie he is the reward of their expectation I wil be thy great reward saith he to Abraham O Lord thou art great and therfore no marvel if thou be a great reward The sight and fruition of thee therfore is al our hire al our reward al our joy and felicitie that we expect seeing thou hast said that This is life everlasting to see and know thee our tru God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent 14 Having now declared the two general parts of heavenly felicitie the one appertaining to our soul the other to our bodie it is not hard to esteem what excesse of joy both of them joined togither shal work at that happie day of our glorification O joy above al joies passing al joy and without which there is no joy when shal I enter into thee saith Saint Austen when shal I enjoy thee to see my GOD that dwelleth in thee O everlasting kingdome O kingdome of al eternities O light without end O peace of God that passeth al understanding in which the souls of saints do rest with thee And everlasting ioy is upon their heads they possesse ioy and exultation and al pain and sorrow is fled from them O how glorious a kingdome is thine O Lord wherin al saints do raign with thee Adorned with light as with apparel and having crowns of pretious stones on their heads O kingdome of everlasting blisse where thou O Lord the hope of al saints art and the diadem of their perpetual glorie rejoising them on everie side with thy blessed sight In this kingdome of thine there is infinite joy and mirth without sadnes health without sorrow life without labor light without darknes felicity
he had al other parts of his bodie yet had he not the use of one of them al bicause that yet he wanted that living soul that could rightly use them Or in much like case as Lazarus was the fourth day dead laid in his grave chained up fast in the power of death having no abilitie at al to come forth or to help out himselfe until he was called forth by the word of thy power and withal had power given him to come Or as Nicodemus not yet regenerate or born again who though otherwise he were learned and wise yet did he not see any thing at al such things as belong unto thy kingdome neither yet was able until he was born again from above But as we are in truth thus far to acknowledge the want that is in us and to take the confusion therof to our selves as the proper and only portion that is du unto us so do we again to our comfort remember that thou art able to make our blinde eies to see to give us power to come forth unto thee and to make us able to understand whatsoever belongeth to our peace And this do we finde not only in thy holie word but also in thy mightie works finding it plain by long experience that thou often hast wrought and daily dost work such things as these where it pleaseth thee When as therby it cōmeth to passe that ever thou hast had hast at this praesent and ever shalt have a seed of those that glorifie thee and in some measure study to advance thy honor on earth First therfore giving unto thee al possible thanks for al those thy servants whom thou hast lightened with the knowledge of thy truth and brought into the way of life which either have been heertofore and now are past their pilgrimage heer and triumphing with thee in the heavens or else do live at this praesent whersoever they are in al the world desiring also to be with thee and to see the glorie of thy kingdome we most humbly beseech thee to gather togither to that assemblie al those thy servants that yet are to come in and wander as yet in their own natural blindnes until it please thee to visit them with thy grace from above O most gratious and merciful father hold on that course with the children of the new Adam now that thou didst with the first Adam before As thou hast given them eies harts and al other parts of the outward man in that they are born the natural children of men so we beseech thee to breath into them the living spirit that so their eies indeed may see and their harts understand not only the things of this world but also whatsoever is expedient for them to know belonging to the world to come and that al the powers both of their bodies and soules togither may in some good measure serve to such use as is seemly and meete for those that do appertain unto thee whom by adoption thou hast vouchsafed to make thy children And thou aeternal and everlasting son of the father who by the word of thy power quickenest whomsoever thou wilt al those which thy heavenly father hath given thee and never sufferest one of those to miscarrie we beseech thee to loase al those that are thine from the snares of sin and power of sathan that they may effectually hear thy voice be therwithal so quikned by thee that being set at libertie from the snares they were in and lieng bound in the grave no longer they come foorth at thy cal and do the service Thou also most glorious and mightie spirit the fountain of al our regeneration by whom unles we be born again we can never see the kingdome of God and by whom we are sealed to the day of redemption so many as are by aeternal election therunto ordeined we humbly beseech thee that as thou knowest who they are that are thine and in what time they are to be called so it would please thee so to work in them by thy power as that whosoever are yet but the natural children of Adam decaied and yet in the secret purpose of the Godhead do appertain to the kingdome of God may when the time of their refreshing doth come be so renued framed by thee that they also may plainly understand the doctrine thou teachest professe the same and frame their lives in some good measure agreeable to it and therin to their comfort finde that they also are sealed to aeternal life O blessed Trinitie it is not in us to reform our selves For both the enimie is stronger than we and stil detaineth us under his power and we likewise have no desire to be freed from him and besides that have a natural loathing of the way of life But unto thee O Lord it belongeth and to thee alone Thou art able both to deliver us from the bondage that we are in and to make us both to covet and to love to come to the freedome of thy children to spend the rest of our daies therin We pray not in this respect for the world though otherwise we beseech thee stil to continu thy wonted goodnes to it likewise to al the children of men but as thou hast more specially ordeined those whom thou hast chosen out of the world to be a peculiar people to thee to have now the knowledge and fear of thee and after to see thy glorie in heaven so we humbly desire that now thou wilt so effectually cal them in thy good time and sanctifie them heer in this life that after by the course that thou hast ordeined they may likewise come to life everlasting Seeing that the son is to be had in honor of al and it is not wel with the members until they be joined unto their head in both these respects we beseech thee make haste to unite them togither that the son may have to sanctifie him and to speak of his holy name and that his members heer on earth may so far injoy the peace and comfort that in him thou hast provided for them Grant this we beseech thee most merciful father thorough Iesus Christ thy son our Lord to whom with thee and the holie Ghost as of right appertaineth be ascribed al power thanks and glorie for ever and ever Amen FINIS Of the Author By what occasion he wrote His intent and purpose Of the booke it selfe In what maner it came foorth at the first What is don to it since First in the substance which is approoved Then in the form or maner of it which is amended The first part The second part The end of this bóoke Two parts of this booke The necessitie of resolution Acts. 7. Apoc. 3. Rom. 1. An advertisement The divels argument Wilful ignorance increaseth sin Psal. 35. Ose. 4. Iob. 21. See S. Austen of this sin De gra lib. arb chap. 3. S. Chrisostom hom 26. in epist. ad
threatnings of holy scriptures to al admonishments of Gods servants and to al the other meanes which God doth use for their salvation 12 Good Lord who would wittingly commit any sin for the gaining of ten thousand worlds if he considered the infinite damages hurts inconveniences and miseries which do come by the committing of one sin For first he that in such sort sinneth leeseth the grace of God which was given him which is the greatest gift that God can give to a creature in this life consequently he leeseth al those things which did accompany that grace as the vertues and gifts of the holy Ghost wherby the soul was beautified in the sight of hir spouse and armed against the assaults of hir enimies Secondly he leeseth the favor of God and consequently his fatherly protection care and providence over him gaineth him to be his professed enimie Which how great a losse it is we may esteem by the state of a worldly courtier which should leese the favor of an earthly prince and incur mortal hatred by the same Thirdly he leeseth al inheritance claime title to the kingdome of heaven which is du only by grace as S. Paul noteth and consequently depriveth himselfe of al dignities and commodities folowing the same in this life as the condition and high priviledge of a son of God the communion of saints the protection of Angels and the like Fourthly he leeseth the quiet ioy and tranquillitie of a good conscience and al the favors cherishments consolations and other comforts wherewith the holy Ghost is woont to visit the minds of the just Fiftly he leeseth the reward of al his good works done since he was born and whatsoever he doth or shal do while he standeth in that state Sixtly he maketh himselfe giltie of eternal punishment and ingrosseth his name in the booke of perdition and consequently bindeth himself to al those inconveniences wherto the reprobate are subiect that is to be inherit or of hel fire to be in the power of the devil and his angels to be subiect to al sin and temptation of sin and his soul which was before the temple of the holy Ghost the habitation of the blessed Trinitie and place of repose for the Angels to visite now to be the nest of scorpions and dungeon of devils and himselfe a companion of the miserable damned Lastly he abandoneth Christ and renounceth the portion he had with him making himselfe a persecuter of the same by treading him under his feete And crucifieng him again and defiling his blood as the Apostle saith in sinning against him which died for sin and therfore the same Apostle pronounceth a marvelous heavie sentence against such in these words If we sin wilfully now after we have receaved knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins but rather a certain terrible expectation of iudgement and emulation of fire which shal consume the adversaries To which Saint Peter agreeth when he saith It had beene better not to have knowen the way of iustice than after such knowledge to slide back again from the holie commandement which was given 13 Now then let our worldlings go and solace themselves with sin as much as they wil let them excuse and pleasantly defend the same saieng Pride is but a point of gentrie gluttonie good felowship lecherie and wantonnes a trik of youth and the like they shal finde one day that these excuses wil not be receaved but rather that these pleasant devises wil be turned into teares They shal prove that God wil not be jested with but that he is the same God stil and wil aske as severe account of them as he hath done of others before although it please not them now to keep any account of their life at al but rather to turn al to disport and pleasure perswading themselves that howsoever God hath dealt with others before yet he wil forgive al to them but the holie scripture reasoneth after another maner which I would have every wise Christian to consider 14 Saint Paul comparing the Iewes sins with ours maketh this collection If God spared not the natural boughs take heed least he spare not thee And therupon he inferreth this admonition Noli altum sapere sed time Be not too high minded but fear Again the Apostle reasoneth thus upon the old and the new law he that broke the law of Moises being convicted by two or three witnesses dieth for the same without commiseration or mercie how much more greevous punishment doth he deserve which breaking the law or Christ by wilful sin treadeth the Son of God under his feet polluteth the blood of the new testament and reprocheth the holie Ghost In like maner reasoneth Saint Peter and Saint Iude touching the sin of Angels and ours If God spared not the Angels when they sinned but did thrust them down to hel there to be tormented and to be kept unto judgement with eternal chaines under darknes how much lesse wil he spare us And again If the Angels which passe us in power and strength are not able to bear Gods execrable judgement against them what shal we do Again in another place he reasoneth thus If the just man shal hardly be saved where shal the wicked man and sinner appeere By which examples we are instructed to reason in like sort if God have punished so severelie one sin in the Angels in Adam and in others before recited what shal I look for which have committed so many sins against him If God have damned so many for lesser sins than mine be what wil he do to me for greater If God hath born longer with me than he hath done with many other whom he hath cut off without geving them time of repentance what reason is there that he should bear longer with me If David and others after their sins forgeeven them were nevertheles so sharply chasticed what punishment remaineth for me either here or in the world to come for so many and so greevous sins committed If it be tru that our Savior saith that the way is hard and the gate narrow wherby men go into heaven and that they shal answer for every idle word before they enter there what shal become of me which do live so easie a life and do keepe no account of my deedes and much lesse of my words If good men in old time did take such pains in the way of their salvation and yet as Saint Peter saith the very just were scarce saved what a state am I in which take no pain at al but do live in al kind of pleasure and worldly delites 15 These kinds of consequents were more tru and profitable for us wherby we might enter into some consideration of our own danger and into some fear of the judgements of God for want wherof the most part of sins amongst Christians are committed
to do it I swear to thee saith he by my selfe that I wil multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven and the sands of the sea and among them also one shal be Christ the Saviour of the world Was not this a good pay for so little pains King David one night began to think with himselfe that he had now an house of Cedar and the Ark of God lay but under a tent and therfore resolved to build an house for the said Ark. Which onlie cogitation God took in so good part as he sent Nathan the prophet unto him presentlie to refuse the thing but yet to tel him that for so much as he had determined such a matter God would build an house or rather a kingdome to him and his posteritie which should last for ever and from which he would never take away his mercie what sins or offences soever they committed Which promise we see now fulfilled in Christ his church raised out of that familie What should I recite manie like examples Christ giveth a general note hereof when he calleth the workmen and paieth to ech man his wages so dulie as also when he saith of himselfe Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me By which places is evident that God suffereth no labor in his service to be lost or unpaid And albeit as after in place conveneent shal be shewed he paieth also and that abundantly in this life yet as by those two examples appeereth he deferreth his cheefe pay unto his comming in the end of the day that is after this life in The resurrection of the iust as himselfe saith in another place 3 Of this paiment then reserved for Gods servants in the life to come we are now to consider what and what maner a thing it is and whether it be woorth so much labor and travel as the service of God requireth or no. And first of al if we wil beleeve the holie scripture calling it a kingdome an heavenly kingdome an eternal kingdome a most blessed kingdome we must needs confesse it to be a marvelous great reward For that worldly princes do not use to give kingdoms to their servants for recompence of their labors And if they did or were able to do it yet could it be neither heavenly nor eternal nor a blessed kingdome Secondly if we credite that which S. Paul saith of it That neither eie hath seen nor eare heard nor hart of man conceived How great a matter it is then must we yet admit a greater opinion therof for that we have seen manie woonderful things in our dais we have heard more woonderful we may conceive most woonderful and almost infinite How then shal we come to understand the greatnes and valu of this reward Surely no tong created either of man or Angel can expresse the same no imagination conceive no understanding comprehend it Christ himselfe hath said Nemo scit nisi qui accipit No man knoweth it but he that enioieth it And therfore he calleth it Hidden manna in the same place Notwithstanding as it is reported of a learned Geometrician that finding the length of Hercules foot upon the hil Olympus drew out his whole bodie by the proportion of that one part so we by some thing set down in scripture and by som other circumstances agreeing therunto may frame a conjecture of the matter though it come far behind the thing it selfe 4 I have shewed before how the scripture calleth it an heavenly an everlasting a most blessed kingdom wherby is signified that al must be kings that are admitted thither To like effect it is called in other places A crown of glorie a throne of maiestie a paradise or place of pleasure a life everlasting Saint Iohn the Evangelist being in his banishment by special privilege made privy to som knowledge feling therof as wel for his own comfort as for ours taketh in hand to describe it by comparison of a citie affirming that the whole citie was of pure gold with a great and high wal of the pretious stone called Iaspis This wal had also twelve foundations made of twelve distinct pretious stones which he there nameth also twelve gates made of twelve rich stones called Margarits and every gate was an entire margarit The streets of the citie were paved with gold interlaid also with pearls and pretious stones The light of the citie was the cleernes and shining of Christ himselfe sitting in the middest thereof from whose seat proceeded a river of water as cleer as cristal to refresh the citie and on both sides of the banks there grew the tree of life giving out continual and perpetual fruit there was no night in that citie nor any defiled thing entered there but they which are within shal reign saith he for ever ever 5 By this description of the most rich and pretious things that this world hath S. Iohn would give us to understand the infinite valu glorie and majestie of this felicitie prepared for us in heaven though as I have noted before it being the princely inheritance of our Saviour Christ the kingdom of his father the eternal habitation of the holie Trinitie prepared before al worlds to set out the glorie and expresse the power of him that hath no end or measure either in power or glorie we may very wel think with Saint Paul that neither tong can declare it nor hart imagin it 6 When God shal take upon him to do a thing for the uttermost declaration in a certain sort of his power wisdome and majestie imagin you what a thing it wil be It pleased him at a certain time to make certain creatures to serve him in his presence and to be witnesses of his glorie and therupon with a word created the Angels both for number and perfection so strange and woonderful as maketh mans understanding astonished to think of it For as for their number they were almost infinite passing the number of al the creatures of this inferior world as divers learned men and som ancient fathers do think though Daniel according to the fashion of the scripture do put a certain number for an uncertain when he saith of Angels A thousand thousands did minister unto him that is unto God ten thousand times an hundred thousand did stand about him to assist And for their perfection of nature it is such being as the scripture saith spirits and like burning fire as they far surpas al inferior creatures in natural knowledge power and the like What an infinite majestie doth this argu in the creator 7 After this when many of these Angels were fallen it pleased God to create another creature far inferior to this for to fil up the places of such as had fallen and therupon created man of a peece of clay as you know appointing him to live a certain time in a place distant from heaven created
name Lo heer for that he was a chosen vessel therfore he must suffer great matters Doth not the measure of suffering go then according to the measure of Gods love unto us Surely Saint Peter knew wel how the matter went and therfore he writeth thus If you living wel do suffer with patience this is a grace or privilege before God And again a little after If you suffer reproch in the name of Christ you are happie for that the honor and glorie and power of God and of his holie spirit shal rest upon you 24 Can there be any greater reward promised or any more excellent dignitie than to be made partaker of the honor glorie and power of Christ Is it marvel now if Christ said Happie are you when men revile and persecute you Is it marvel though he said Gaudete in illa die exultate Reioice and triumph ye at that day Is it marvel though Saint Paul said I take great pleasure and do glorie in mine infirmities or afflictions in my reproches in my necessities in my persecutions in my distresses for Christ Is it marvel if Peter and Iohn being reproched and beaten at the judgment seat of the Iewes went away rejoicing that they were esteemed woorthy to suffer contumelie for the name of Iesus Is it marvel though Saint Paul accounted this such a high privilege given to the Philippians when he said It is given to you not only to beleeve in Christ but also to suffer for him and to have the same combat which you have seen in me and now hear of me Al this is no marvel I say seeing that suffering with Christ and bearing the crosse with Christ is as great preferment in the court of heaven as it should be in an earthly court for the prince to take off his own garment and to lay it on the bak of one of his servants 25 Of this now followeth another consequent of singular consolation in time of affliction and that is that tribulation especially when grace is also given to bear it patiently is a great conjecture of predestination to eternal life for so much do al those arguments before touched insinuate as also in the contrarie part to live in continual prosperitie is a dredful sign of everlasting reprobation This point is marvelously prooved by the apostle unto the Hebrews and greatly urged And Christ giveth a plain signification in S. Luke when he saith Happie are you that weep now for you shal laugh And on the other side Wo unto you that laugh now for you shal weep wo unto you rich men which have your consolation heer in this life And yet more vehemently than al this doth the saieng of Abraham to the rich man in hel or rather Christs words parabolically attributed unto Abraham confirm this matter for he saith to the rich man complaining of his torment Remember child that thou receivedst good in thy life time He doth not say as Saint Barnard wel noteth Rapuisti thou tookest them by violence but Recepisti thou receivedst them And yet this now is objected against him as we see David handleth this matter in divers places but purposely in two of his psalms and that at large and after long search and much admiration his conclusion of wicked men prospered above other in the world is this Veruntamen propter dolos posuisti eis deiecisti eos dum allevarentur Thou hast given them prosperitie O Lord to deceive them withal and thou hast indeed thrown them down by exalting them That is thou hast thrown them down to the sentence of damnation in thy secret and inscrutable determination Heer the comparison of Saint Gregorie taketh place that as the oxen appointed to the slaughter are let run a fatting at their pleasure and the other kept under daily labor of the yoke so fareth it with evil and good men In like maner the tree that beareth no fruit is never beaten as we see but only the fruitful and yet the other as Christ saith is reserved for the fire The sik man that is past al hope of life is suffered by the physician to have whatsoever he lusteth after but he whose helth is not despaired cannot have that libertie granted To conclude the stones that must serve for the glorious temple of Salomon were hewed beaten and pollished without the church at the quarrie side for that no stroke of hammer might be heard within the temple Saint Peter saith that the vertuous are chosen stones to be placed in the spiritual building of God in heaven where there is no beating no sorrow no tribulation Heer then must we be pollished hewed and made fit for that glorious temple heer I say in the quarrie of this world heer must we be fined heer must we feel the blow of the hammer and be most glad when we hear or feel the same for that it is a signe of our election to that most glorious house of Gods eternal mansion 26 Beside this matter of predestination and election there is yet another thing of no smal comfort to the godlie afflicted founded on these words of God Cum ipso sum in tribulatione I am with him in tribulation Wherby is promised the companie of God himselfe in affliction and persecution This is a singular motive saith S. Barnard to stir men up withal to imbrace tribulation seeing in this world for good company men adventure to do any thing Ioseph was carried captive into Egypt and GOD went down with him as the scripture saith yea more than that he went into the dungeon and was in chains with him Sidrach Misac and Abdenago were cast into a burning fornace and presently there was a fourth came to bear them companie of whom Nabuchodonosor saith thus Did we not put three men only bound into the fire And his servants answered Yea verily But behold saith he I see four men unbound walking in the midst of the fire and the shape of the fourth is like the Son of God Christ restored as he passed by a certain begger unto his sight which had been blind from his nativitie For which thing the man being called in question and speaking somewhat in the praise of Christ for the benefit received he was cast out of the synagog by the Pharisies Wherof Christ hearing sought him out presently and comforting his hart bestowed upon him the light of mind much more of importance than that of the bodie given him before By this and like examples it appeereth that a man is no sooner in affliction and tribulation for justice sake but streightway Christ is at hand to bear him companie and if his eies might be opened as the eies of Elizeus his disciple was to see his companions the troups of Angels I mean which attend upon their Lord in this his visitation no dowt but his hart would greatly be comforted therwith 27 But