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
of this life for so soone as thy soule shall leaue thy stinking and vile body presently will these cruell fiendes lay hold vpon her and entertaine her with store of tortures Consider with what fury and madnes they will take possession of thy soule Thinke what straunge kindes of torments they will inuent to punish her O there is nothing which we can excogitate so horrible as this Know for certaine that after death iudgement the diuell may dispose of thee as he listeth as well for thy body as thy soule Alas obdurate sinner cannest thou imagine that thou hast no need to doe pennance seeing that thou hast delighted thy selfe with all carnall pleasures and lasciuiousnes euen to the full Thou art deceaued wretch if thou suppose that thy body which for so many yeares together hath bene exposed to al abhominable vices shall not at last receaue recompence for its former lewednes Thou greedy glutton which Epicure-like makest a God of thy belly doest thou not expect the wages which thou hast deserued Thou bloudy companion which desirest nothing more then to be reuenged of thine enemies māgling their bodies at thy pleasure doest thou thinke to goe vnpunished or that infernall fiendes shall not in the same sorte dilacerate and disioint all the partes and members of thy body O the madnesse and blindnesse of mankinde which vnawares casteth it selfe downe headlong into hell what wilt thou doe wretched sinner when thou shalt be brought from one companie of diuells to another farre worse and more furious What wilt thou say lasciuious maide when thou shalt be tortured in one part of hell and from thence in a sudden be thrust into another where an infinite multitude of executioners expecteth thee What course will you take sinnefull men and women when you shall see your selues dailie to be punished with new and straunge deuised punishments Consider sinner that thy pleasures and pastimes are but transitorie call to minde wanton woman how that beautie will decay thy comely countenance be consumed and thy body become a prey for diuells Tell me I pray thee lewed woman hast thou neuer seene any one possessed in all thy life dost thou remember how the damned spirits tosse those miserable creatures torture their bodies in most pittifull manner Goe to then and consider how they will deale with thee when they shall get thee in their regiment when by the diuine iustice thou shalt be deliuered vp into their handes to be afflicted both in body and soule Consider seriouslie if those which the diuels possesse ar handled of them in this sorte vpon whom as yet they haue no power at all but only so farre as God doth giue thē leaue for they haue power ouer the bodie alone but nothing to do with the soule what will then become of thee when both in body and soule thou shalt be wholy deliuered vp to their cruelty which is not the same case with possessed persons because they are very seldome tormented of more diuells then one at the same time woe to you men and women which now disquiet not your thoughts with these thinges for afterwards you will feele the smarte for your negligence What sinner dost thou thinke that it will profit thee any thing if thou complaine and say Alas you afflict mee leaue off punish mee no longer and commiserate my poore case Noe noe it is otherwise yea the more thou shalt bewaile the greater blowes shall they lay vpon thee What canst thou replie that thy griefe and torments might be diminished The time wil neuer come in which these grieuous paines shall cease Ite in ignem c. goe saieth our Sauiour into eternall fire who shall reiect thee with terrible sentence and adiudge thee to these perpetuall flames What punishment will it be vnto thee when thou shalt call to minde the angry coūtenance of Christ Iesus whom after death thou didest behould in iudgement Good God Numquid qui cadit non resurget Shall not he that falleth rise againe and he that is turned away shall he not turne againe why thē is this people turned away with a cōtentious reuolting saieth the Prophet Ieremie 8.4 It is mans frailtie to fall angelicall puritie to amend and diuelish malice to perseuere in sinne as a certaine Doctour affirmeth Alas Brethren and sisters sinners be not so carelesse of the time to come returne to your God be sorry for your offences cōmitted earnestly begg pardon for thē of the diuine clemency whose property is to forgiue sinners Deus cui proprium est misereri c. God whose proprietie is to haue mercy and to spare saieth our holy Mother the church receaue our humble petitions that the pittifulnes of thy mercie may gently absolue vs and all thy seruants whom the chaines of their offences haue fast bound Returne to your Lord God and get againe into fauour with your sweet Iesus Are you afraide sinners that he will not receaue you thinke not so sinners Misericordia Domini plena est terra the earth is full of the mercy of our Lord and his tender compassions are ouer all his workes saith the holie Prophet Dauid Fidelis sermo c. This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptance that Iesus Christ came into the world to saue sinners 1. Tim. 1.15 Meditate a while vpon the great loue wherwith thy God was moued to come downe from heauen and to dwell vpon the earth for thee he was made man for thee and for thy sake after thirtie-three yeares spēt in austerities contempts and reproaches he shedd his most pretious bloud vpon the crosse Alas this alone ought to be sufficient to breake in pieces your stony hartes to bring you backe againe into the right path O Iesu my loue through vertue of thy holy name conuert sinners and those that goe astray take commiseration of their sinnefull state pardon them and be reconciled with them that they may auoide and shunne the tiranny of the diuell Graunt this my sweet Iesu I hūbly beseech thee through the merits of thy death and passion through thy most pretious bloud which thou diddest shedd for mee and for all sinners vppon the holy wood of the crosse Graunt this I beseech thee for the loue of thy most sacred passion for the loue of thy moste deare and pure Mother Graunt this mercy my beloued Iesu to all sinners for thy exceeding great clemency giue them pardon and forgiuenesse in honour of thy Angels and blessed Saints Amen IN THE NAME OF THE Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost Amen FINIS A TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS THE 1. CHAPTER THE diuision of the Seauen Trumpets The 2. Chapter The first Trumpet of Gods grieuous complaint of a sinner The 3. Chapter Of the infinite wrong wherewith a sinner by sinning doth offend the diuine Maiestie The 4. Chapter The second Trumpet of the deformitie of sinne The 5. Chapter Here followeth the same matter of the deformitie of sinne The 6.
with charitie towards you in this our conuent of S. Iohn Baptist at Font Palumb now residing God assisting mee together with the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God and of all the Saints and Angels in heauen but especially of S. Iohn Baptist and my glorious Father S. Francis I doe speake vnto all sinners crying out and compelling them with these wordes Oh yee sinners sinners I say turne yee to God forsake your enemie the diuell amend correct your euill liues and departe from the pernicious and dangerous way wherin yee walke turne oh brethren vnto your benigne creatour prepare the way by the which your sweet and louing Iesus is to come to inhabite and make his mansion in your soules Expell and driue out oh yee wretches those diabolicall vices which haue prepared for themselues an habitatioÌ„ in your poore soules Oh yee miserable sinners do ye not yet perceaue that your soules are as so many caues full of inhumane serpents and cruell dragons Who are al readie to deuoure and teare you in pieces These being expelled and put to flight let in your most louing Iesus into the closet of your soules who standeth knocking without and like a tender Father mercifull Sauiour commiserating your obduratnes crieth out open to me open to me I say my deare children Why doe you therfore oh yee miscreants admit your enemie and deadly aduersary into your soules and exclude and bannish your louing Sauiour and benigne redeemer Open vnto him oh my Brethren open vnto him and at last acknowledge that he alone is your creatour redeemer Sauiour turne to your selues and consider oh vnworthy abiects and know that this is that Iesus which bought you with his moste pretious blood and died for you vpon the holy wood of the Crosse Contemplate oh sinner the great loue which thy most sweete Iesus did and doth at this present beare to thee and be vigilant and carefull least thou againe offend him Consider that for the loue of thee he hangeth conteÌ„ned left of al vpon the crosse behold him nailed through his sacred hands and feete vpon the rood and for thy sake Behold how for thee his diuine head is girded about with sharpe and cruell thornes that pricked him eueÌ„ to the braines looke vpon him how hee is contemned vilified and crucified as a publique malefactour betwixt two theefs and onely for thee heare what opprobries contumelies and disgraceful termes hee endured of the passers by and that for thy sake giue eare vnto him crying with a loud voice by reason of extreme thirst Sitio sitio I thirst I thirst and onely for thee For this was that ardent thirst besides the naturall thirst which was most vehement to witt thy saluation Heare him not murmuring one iot but most ardently praying for his persecutours and malefactours Pater ignosce illis c. Luc. 23.34 Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe Oh the depth of the loue and mercie of Iesus oh the Tigre-like cruelty and obdurate malice of that diabolicall hellish crue that crucified him oh yee vngratefull sinners who little esteeming of the vnspeakable affection of Iesus towardes you doe accompanie and vnite your selues with diuells are slaues to diuels and do eate drinke sleepe and liue in the companie of diuels who likewise at the last shall be damned with diuels vnlesse yee turne to your blessed redeemer This onely thing if yee your selues did not resist is of it selfe sufficient to reduce and conuert you to your louing Iesus that is to say the very remembrance of the fatherly compassion which our Blessed Sauiour did beare towards you which for you alone did suffer death and shedd his moste pretious blood Fidelis sermo omni acceptione dignus Tim. 1.15 It is a faithfull saving and worthy of all acceptatioÌ„ that Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners and in an other place Empti enim estis pretio magno Yee are bought with a great price glorifie therfore God in your bodies But you wretches hauinge no respect of him doe vilifie contemne and trample him vnder your feete he died for you and yee liue that yee might offeÌ„d him he layed downe his soule for you and you giue your soules to your enemie the diuell he hath redeemed you from the hand of your aduersarie and you doe caste and precipitate your selues into his mouth hee freed your from the power of death and you by your vngodly coÌ„uersatioÌ„ bring death vpon your soules throw your selues into hell in despight of him Oh yee vnfortunate wretches commiserate your owne most woful condition and if that you will not be moued to serue him for loue at least beginne awhile to serue him for feare vntill at the last vnderstanding your blinde errours you may serue him as it is fitting for loue alone O my deare Iesu oh louing and sweete Iesu open thy bowells of compassion vnto all sinners regarde not their madnes remember not their pertinacious malice looke vpon the ignominies torments which thou hast sufsuffered for vs beholde that liuelie and hotte blood which gushed out and ranne downe from all parts of thy torne body haue pittie vpon that sinner that taketh no pittie vpon himselfe alwaies prouiding that it may be done to the augmenting and amplifying of thy honour glorie heere and for euer herafter Amen The diuision of the Seauen Trumpets THE I. CHAPTER ET primus Angelus tubâ cecinit the first Angell sounded the trumpet saieth S. Iohn Apoc. 8. without all doubt oh yee sinners if yee will vse the benefit of your free will together with the assistance of diuine grace and that little exhortation of my prologue you may very easily as yee ought abandon sinne flie your accustomed vices and leaue the seruitude of Sathan your deadlie enemie and turne to your sweet and louing Iesus the deare spouse of your soules But being that you sleepe so profoundly and so securely that vee doe not or will not heare the sweet sound of so gratefull acceptable musicke I haue determined to send forth a sound of a more shrill and fearfull trumpet to make triall whether I can awake you from the sleepe and letharâ—ie of your sinnes wherein you lie drowned ouerwhelmed being mindeful of that of the Prophet Clama ne cesses quasi tuba exalta voceÌ„ tuam Isay 58.1 crie out and cease not exalt thy voyce as a trumpet that a sinner hearing it he may be conuerted to repentance But I entreat you my brethren that Hodie si audteritis c. Psal 94. if to day you will heare the voyce of our Lord you would not harden your hartes Brethren I say in the interim whilest you heare the souÌ„d of these trumpets obdurate not your hartes lest God be offended with you Et primus Angelus tubâ cecinit and the first Angel sounded the trumpet That I may come to my intended purpose I haue determined with these Seauen Trumpets set downe
sinne bringeth into his soule at the houre of death and abhorre it following the counsell of the wise man fly from the face of sinne as from the face of a serpent the teeth therof are the teeth of lyons killing the soules of men O Brethren sinners by the sacred woundes of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ I beseech you earnestly and entreat you that you would not imitate the deafe Adder which that she may not heare the melodious tune of the enchaunter stoppeth her eares the one by couering it with her taile the other by laying it on the ground doe you not the same but harken and attend to the sound of this Trumpet with open diligent eares that hereby the diuels stratagemes and diabolicall inuasions being put to flight there may be free accesse for the diuine concourse into your soules Amen Of the terrour which the diuell striketh into a soule in the moment of death THE XVII CHAPTER THe Dragon whom thou hast made to deceaue him saieth the Prophet Psal 103.26 I would to God thou couldest sufficiently weigh and consider the intollerable terrour and feare which the sight of most detestable diuels shall present vnto thee or that thou couldest comprehend what an astonishment it will be to behould a diuell I am certaine thou wouldest chaunge the course of thy life and arise out of the lethargie of thy sinnes if not for feare of God yet for feare of the diuellish and hellish crue For if the sight of a Wolfe a Beare a Lyon a Dragon a Serpent or any loathsome Toade doth strike such terrour into vs and doe so astonish and affright vs what wil the aspect of the diuels doe at the point of death Oh you doating and miserable sinners if you would with due consideratiō thinke of these fearfull formes and sightes which the diuels will lay before your eyes at the very instant of your deaths without doubt you would flie sinne For if when thou art well in health strong and of a good courage any one of the diuels should appeare vnto thee in the forme of some cruell and rauenous beast thou couldest not but tremble and quake through all the partes of thy body what wilt thou doe then vnhappy soule when thou shalt be debilitated and opprest with sicknes destitute and depriued of all powre and strength whē thou canst neither moue nor helpe thy selfe whē thou are scarce able to speak or hardly to intimate and make knowne thy necessities by signes and tokens When last of all the powers and faculties of thy body shall be weakened What when thou art compleate in perfect strength endued with all the ornaments of nature which are required to the full perfection of a man if then thou canest not endure the sight of a fearfull diuell nor of a diuell appearing in some common shape as of a dogge horse or the like what will become of thee when thou shalt behold the diuel not in the shape of some cruell beast but in a forme farre more horrible and that at the instant of thy death Our holy Father S. Francis was wont to say that it were impossible for any one to see the diuell in his owne proper forme and shape which he hath in hell but for the space of the reciting of the Pater or Aue allthough he were in perfect health without present death what then oh sinner will become of thee yeelding vp thy spirit when thou shalt plainly see perceaue that execrable enemy of thine in his detestable shape and forme Turne and direct all the forces powers of the supreme and intellectuall parte of thy soule to this reason abandon thy lasciuious sinneful life now begin to feare that hereafter thou mayest not tremble when it can no way auaile thee Consider that not only one diuell to thee then tormented with the paines of death but many yea thousands shall appeare euery one striuing and endeuoring with their diabolicall actions and gestures to molest affright and astonish thee whether then wilt thou flie for succour or who then will releeue thee will S. Mary whom thou hast despised Will Iesus whom thou hast blasphemed Will the Saints and Angels whom thou hast dishonoured Lastly will God whom thou hast vilified contēned Alas miserable wretch who will assist thee or what Saint wilt thou inuocate to whom wilt thou flie for in the deluge of many waters none of thē wil aproch or draw neare vnto thee Psal 31. no man shall plead thy cause or recite thy necessities Oh in what a depth of miseries art thou in at the houre of death when thou canst not soe much as commend thy soule so agonizing in infirmities to almighty God when thou canst not so much as cal vppon thy good Angell or any of the Saints which in time of thy health thou diddest honour with particular deuotion that they intercede for thee Oh sinners be you now conuerted vnto your God now importune your sweet Iesus now salute the Virgin Mary our blessed Ladie now it is time to implore the aide of the Archangels Michael Gabriell Raphaell and of thy Angel keeper and all the celestial spirits Now it is time to craue the assistance of S. Iohn Baptist S. Peter S. Paul S. Iohn S. Bartholomew and of the other Apostles now it is time to request the helpe of S. Stephē S. Laurēce S. George and all the other Martyrs now it is time to commend thy selfe to S. Benedict S. Dominike S. Francis and the rest of the holy confessors Lastly it is now time to cry out and call vpon S. Mary Magdalen who in time past was a sinner S. Clare S. Agnes S. Catharine S. Lucie and the rest of the blessed Virgins Widowes and Martyrs now Saints in heauen Doest thou not remember that thou hast read or heard how often the diuels haue presented thēselues to sicke mē in their chambers lying vpō their death-beds euē thē drawing their last breath yeelding vp the Ghost sometimes in the formes of Dogges Cattes Hogges or such like one while in one maner an other while in an other alwaies in different formes when they are not able to helpe themselues O wretched vnfortunate sinner how much do I lament thy case who leadest so detestable a life as without repentāce infallibly rēdeth to the pitt of hel cōsider that whē thou shalt come to that accursed place no man can helpe thee not thy Father not thy Mother not thy kindred not thy friendes not thy wife not any of them which stand by thee are of power to afforde thee any releife or assistance only God in the time of thy death can comfort and succour thee only S. Mary his blessed Mother and her sonne Iesus only the Angels the Saints in heauen in these amidst thine extreame agonies thou maiest finde releife comfort and consolation Therefore why doest thou now offend them wherfore doest thou dishonour them why doest thou inueigh against the glorious Saints of God with
Angels to goe to heauen or purgatorie or otherwise the diuels with their infernall acclamations shal take and carrie her into hel there to remaine in perpetuall punishements and torments thinke with thy selfe ô thou miserable sinner in what a miserable streight will thy soule be when shee shall see heauen on this side and hell on the other and the diuells prepared suddenly to carry her away by violence to perpetuall torments Alas ô wretched soule what an alteration is this ô thou accursed doest thou see now that there is an hell ô thou malignant Heretike which hast denied that there is a purgatorie what sayest thou now being dimerged and plunged in the abisseall gulfe of infernall and endlesse flames and tormeÌ„ts haddest thou not rather be in purgatorie euen vntill the iudgement day or the last moment what sayest thou O Iew which haddest the holie scripture to demonstrate and intimate vnto thee the promised Messias but thou out of obstinacie and hardnesse of hart wouldst neither acknowledge nor retaine him doest thou perceaue the scripture to be true in this sence doest thou see now ô Turke the vanitie of thy law the deceipfulnes of thy wicked Prophet Mahomet ô sinner and false Christian doest thou acknowledge that God can punish doest thou vnderstand how much thou wert deceaued in saying to excuse thy sinne God is mercifull and will pardon mee I can not beleeue that he will the death of my soule which hath redeemed me at so great a price as his pretious blood I wil afterwardes amend the course of my life I will sinne noe more after this yeare moneth weeke or day deceauing thy selfe with such like perswasions The dayes of man are shorte the number of his monethes is with thee saieth Iob speaking to God Iob. 14.5 here thou mayest marke ô sinner that he saieth not the nuÌ„ber of his yeares are with thee neither doth he say the yeares of man are short but his dayes and monethes Behould sinner how much thou deceauest thy selfe measuring thy life by yeares saying so many yeares I shall liue enter into due consideration with your selues beare in minde the last end of your liues consider the shorte computation of most wise and holy â—ob which is in moneths and dayes perswade your selues that you may euery day and howre yea euery moment and instant fall downe dead Be yee watchfull for you know not when the time shall be saieth our Lord. Thinke therfore that the last momâ—nt of thy liâ—e is already come and 〈…〉 at this instant thy miserable soule may take her last farrewell of thy stinking body and consider to what place shee must goe Thinke with thy selfe ô man although thou shouldest be the most holy and sanctified man in the world that thou art not alwaies certaine of thy saluation They are iust men and wise and their workes are in the hands of God and yet maÌ„ knoweth not whether he be worthy of loue or hatred Eccles 9.2 Accursed be that night when the soule of a miserable sinner departing without penitencie of her sinnes shall be giuen into the haÌ„des of a thousand diuels to the dreadfull lâ—ke that burneth with fire and brimstone to be perpetually tormented with the hellish crue miserable soule thinkest thou nothing of this matter or thinking of it why doest thou not amend thy life why permittest thou thy self to be deceaued by the alluremeÌ„ts of the flesh Truly that soule shall be most happy when departing out of her body she shall be embraced by the handes of Angels and carried with iubilations hymnes vnto the celestiall paradise O vnspeakable felicitie O most blessed and fortunate soule Pretious is the death of the Saints in the sight of our Lord. Psal 115.5 Consider ô soule that it is the only felicity and beatitude which the Saints did hope for and attend I beseech thee what the psalmist saieth of thy end and destruction The death of sinners is most ill Psal 33.22 marke what wordes the holy Prophet vseth he doth not say it is ill but most ill in the highest degree because it is so ill that it cannot be worse deseruedlie ô sinner is thy death most ill for if thou shouldest die now presently the miseries that would accompanie thee would demonstrate the same for thou shouldest die guilty of mortal sinne and dying guilty of mortall sinne thou shouldest dy hateful to God and dying hatefull to God thou diest an enemie to God theÌ„ the which there can be nothing more grieuous for thee or more abhominable in his sight Therefore ô sinner seriously ponder and duly consider I beseech thee thine imminent danger and great perill accepting the counsell of S. Peter the Apostle who saieth Be vigilant carefull that by your good workes you may make certaine your vocation and election for doing these thinges you shall not sinne 2. Pet. 1.10 Mary Mother of grace Mother of mercy protect thou vs froÌ„ our enemies and receaue vs at the howre of death To thee we flie most pious Queene Aduocate and Mother we implore thine aide and assistance euen vntill that last terrible moment Helpe vs gratious Mother defend vs most sweet clement Mary Remember o most blessed Virgin that thou art the patronesse of all sinners Therfore I the most wicked chiefe of all offendors doe in the name of all desire and craue thy succour and intercession for vs but especially at the last instant when our soules are to depart out of this world Helpe vs Mary and defend vs perishing soules thou art our Mother we thy children therefore we wretched and afflicted commend our selues to thy care for thou art our guide in our last conflict Haile Mary full of grace our Lord is with thee blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruite of thy wombe Iesus holy Mary Mother of God pray for vs sinners now and at the howre of our death Amen Of the dead body and carcase of man and of the miserie of the same after the separation of the soule THE XXII CHAPTER ANd it came to passe that the begger dyed and was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome and the rich man also died and was buried in hell Luc. 16.22 Doest thou heare ô sinner whither the soule of Lazarus the beggar was carried and where the soule of the rich Epicure was buried The poore beggar by the handes of Angels was placed in Abrahams bosome a place of perpetuall rest and tranquilitie the rich man was precipitated into the infernall lake of hell a place of weeping and perpetual misery Consider now that the same shall be fall thee if thou diest not in the fauour and grace of almighty God And dying in his fauour hauing not satisfied for the temporall punishments which thy sinnes do deserue thou shalt be carried into purgatorie and there remaine vntil thou hast paied the last farthing But if thou shalt be dissolued and die in the fauour of God and hast satisfied for thy temporall punishment thou shalt
the scripture that thou mayest harken and giue diligent eare vnto him This if thou doe in his good time he will bestow that grace vpon thee if thou refuse not to receaue it which will enable the to forsake thy lewde course of liuing take heed sinner how thou behauest thy selfe for if thou stoppe thine eares at his cal and running away from him contemne his vocation he will turne away from thee and suffer thee to continue in thy miserable estate and condition and in that shalt thou die and so dying shalt be damned Alas who is there which would not be moued at this and willingly forsake a thousād worldes that hee might not loose God which if he would not doe for the loue of God at least hee would that he might not incurre the losse of so great a good as heauen or procure vnto himselfe so great a mischeife as is the obtaining of held The losse of heauen is no trifling matter or to go into hell is not of a small moment that a mā should not regard whither he come thither or no The damned shall goe yea bee cast downe headlong into hell with the accursed crue of infernall spirits and yee sinners vnlesse you doe pennance you shall all likewise perish the blessed shall be taken into paradise and if you amend your liues you shall be in the number of them The Saints shall enioy all kinde of good and you also if you will shall be made partakers with them The damned shall be cast into hell to bee tormented in euerlasting flames you except you alter your purposes and course of liuing shall be in the same number Good Lord what gladnes shall the blessed haue when they shall enter into heauen exulting and reioycing in the delightfull companie of sweet Iesus and his Mother the Blessed Virgin Mary and of all the Saints men and women Stay here a while sinners and behould this most beautifull companie and societie See how the heauens shine with light Heare the harmonie of celestiall hymnes giue care to the musicke of Angelicall voices behould the Saints leaping for ioy and gladnes about the throne of God see how Iesus Christ and his blessed Mother embrace and kindly receaue all the Saints Behould the Angels triumphing Harken to the quire of heauen singing most sweetly to the honour of Iesus and his Mother the B. Virgin O Iubilie ô gladnes ô mirth such as shall neuer be ended O excessiue ioy which shall neuer cease to be in the inhabitants of this paradise ô happy are you and happy againe you which are there all ready and you which hasten to come thither pray for vs you that haue your soules there that we may be made capable of your vnspeakable ioy and gladnes O heauenly Queen Mother of God O Marie my Ladie and Patronesse pray for me and all sinners that we by thy merits and intercession may deserue to bee reckoned in that blessed number praising and extolling thy God and ours for all eternity O powerfull God who hast created vs despise not our prayers gratiouslie heare our petitions and giue vs that grace that to thy honour and glory we may refraine from the filthines of sinne looke not vpon our manifolde misdeedes which wee haue committed nor vppon the innumerable iniuries wherewith we haue offended thy sacred Maiestie Goe to sinners and be of good courage Dulcis rectus est Dominus our Lord is sweet and righteous saieth the Psalmist Bonus est Dominus our God is God to them that trust in him to a soule that seeketh after him Endeauour sinners striue and labour so much as lieth in you that you may be assured of the mercies of God Misericordia Domini plena est terra the earth is full of the mercie of our God there is no created thing on the earth vnder heauen wherein the most gratious benignity of God doth not appeare and except we our selues be in fault we may be sure of saluation because of his parte he is willing to receaue all Deus vult omnes homines saluos fieri God will haue all men to be saued 1. Tim. 2. ◠Alas sinners purpose and resolue to forsake the world with all your hartes worship God who loueth you so dearly bestoweth so many benefits vpon you and still desireth to bestow farre greater vpon you Be not faint harted doubt not any thing haue recourse vnto Christ so soone as you can I dare be your surety to make you al which are obnoxious to sinne secure and safe if you desire indeede to come to Christ Iesus Come hither Brethren and sisters be not dismaied come to the most sweet amiable woundes of sweet Iesus come to crucified Iesus Doe you not see how he standeth with his armes stretched out to embrace you To Iesus Brethren sinners to Iesus sister sinners haue recourse to Iesus who neuer refuseth or reiecteth any come to Iesus full of loue who expecteth all calleth all thirsteth after all Hic peccatores recipit this Iesus receaueth sinners Luc. 15.2 Christ Iesus came to the world to saue sinners saith S. Paul O louing Iesu who wholy giuest thy selfe for sinners O vnthankefull sinner who belongest wholy to Iesus how great is thy mercy ô Iesu how great is thy benefit ô sinner Propter scelus populi mei percussi cum for the wickednes of my people haue I smitten him saieth the eternall Father of his sonne Isay 53.9 He bare our sinnes in his body vpon the wood saieth the same Prophet If then Iesus hath bestowed so many great benefits vpon a sinner and loueth him so tenderly whence is it sinners that you feare Iesus who is become your friend do him therfore no wrong sinner come forth to thy Iesus behould how he expecteth thee vpon the holy wood of the crosse his handes and feet being pierced through with sharpe nailes that he might giue thee hope and confidence to come vnto him Let this crucified Iesus be engrauen in my harte and in the soule of euery sinner that soe we may chaunge our liues and reforme our conuersations to our saluation and to the honour and glorie of the most holy Trinity the Father the Sonne the holie Ghost Amen The sixt Trumpett Of the dammage that sinne bringeth to a soule in hell and of the most grieuous punishmēts wherwith the damned are there tormented THE XXX CHAPTER ET sextus Angelus tubâ ceciuit And the sixt Angell blew his Trumpet Apoc. 8. Sinners giue care vnto the fearfull and terrible sound of this Trumpet and see whither it be of power to moue your soules O the misery of mans hart which destroyeth it selfe by its obstinacie and hardnesse and extolleth it selfe to the highest degree of mischiefe from whence there is noe hope of returning safe Behould in this world there is nothing more pleasing and delightsome to our fight then the light of the sūne so in the other world and in all the celestiall orbes yea if there were so
Reader Iuditious reader if thou seeke to please The fantasie with Arguments of witt Curious conceites know such fond passages I doe bequeath to lighter subiects fitt To thy deuotion therfore as a Frend My matter not my Meathhoode I commend Thine G. P. BROTHER BARTHOLOMEVV VNVVORTHY Seruant of Iesus Christ crucified to his moste endeared Sister S. Marie Magdalen glorious spouse of blessed Iesus in heauen BEholde my moste deare Sister Magdalen the spouse of Christ crucified once as blacke as the tents of Cedar Cant. 1. but afterwards as beautifull as the courtaines of Salomon portresse of loue and patronesse of all sinners now blessed with celestiall glorie beholde I say I haue finished a little booke entituled by mee The Seauen Trumpets exciting a sinner to repentance And because I haue written of thee being assisted with thy holy prayers not any that I could find might with such equitie challenge the patronage of this booke as thy selfe For to whom might I with more conuenience present this little worke out of which proceedeth such a sound that terrifieth the greatest malefactour and awakneth the securest offender thē to S. Mary Magdalē a sinner To whom I say rather then vnto thee should I the most abiect and vnworthiest of all sinners dedicate this booke that treateth of the saluation of sinners To thee therfore my sister Magdalen I commend it that thou beeing a daily assistant therof mightest cause it to bringe forth its intended frutes which is the safetie health and happinesse of all distressed wretched and sinfull soules Remember oh blessed Magdalen that thou wast once a loste sheepe farre strayed from the folde of Christ and if our deare Sauiour Iesus the carefull shepheard of thy soule had not called thee vnto him thou hadst beene deuoured of the rauening wolfe thou knowest that our Iesus did vndergoe death for the life of soules Christas venit in hunc mundum c. 1. Tim. 1.15 Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners of whom I am the cheefe and Christ himselfe saith Non est opus valentibus medico sed malè habentibus Math 9.12 They that be well neede not the phisitian but they that be sicke and thou art not ignorant of that which is written of him in the Gospell of Saint Luc. Hic peccatores recipit c. Luc. 15.2 This man receaueth sinners and eateth with them Oh therfore Magdalen let thy eyes of pittie be euer watchfull ouer miserable sinners intercede for the conuersion and saluation of so many soules which are running headlong into the abisse of eternall perdition Thou seest and knowest moste deare Magdalē what a number of soules doe daily and hourely descēd into the bottomlesse pitte of hell succour aide and stretch forth thy helping hand therfore to the perishing languishing soules remember oh Sister that all those soules were redeemed and bought with the pretious blood of sweete Iesus the Sauiour and Redeemer of vs both Thou knowest right well the inexcogitable sufferings of our louing Iesus vpon mount Caluarie for all vs rebellious wretches I am certaine thou well remembrest that pretious blood which whilest he hāged vpon the crosse thou sawest distill and runne downe from his sacred bodie vpon the earth Remember oh Magdalen the anxiety of his soule when as thou didst behold him yeelding vp his spirit with such bitter paines vpon the holy wood of the crosse procure by thy intercession that these soules which were redeemed with the pretious blood which did so abundantly flow out of his diuine head being prickt and goared with an vnheard-of crowne of thornes may be deliuered from the power of sinne and brought into the glorious liberty of the sōnes of God succour those poore soules which are bought with such an abūdance of blood running like a torrent from the most sacred hands and feet of thy Master Iesus crucified obtaine by thy holy prayers that those soules may be presented pure before God which were washed with that blood and water that issued out of thy Iesus his side euē vnto his most bitter death Thy prayers oh Magdalen which are enflamed with the burning loue of thy dearest spouse are of no small virtue to procure the helpe of the Angel of the couenāt to put the diseased soules of miserable sinners into the all curing waters of Bethsaida Ioan. 5.4 To thee therefore in the name of our gratious Iesus his blessed Mother he a louing Father she a tender Mother of al sinners I present offer this litle worke which I acknowledge to be thine In the name of the moste holie Trinitie Father Sonne and holie Ghost in the vertue of the name of Iesus and the B. V. Marie together with thy helpe oh Blessed Magdalen these my Seauen Trumpets are come to bee sounded abroad which by the efficacie of the blood death and passion of Christ who is Sonne of God and also him selfe true God and man I implore beseech and desire that they terrifie conuert and reduce to repentance an innumerable company of soules which lie demerged ouerwhelmed and plunged in the pitt of sinne and iniquitie Amen In the name of the Father Sonne and holy Ghost Amen Let thy benedictiō oh my Magdalen descend vpon the soule and bodie of mee and all other sinners which shall peruse this booke by the vertue of the pretious body and blood of our Blessed Iesus which is cōtained in the most holy Sacrament of the altar Amen Pray for mee From Rome our place of S. Fran. Transtib Iun. 14. 1612. Thy most deuoted Brother in our Lord Brother Bartholomew IN THE NAME OF THE Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost Amen Here followeth the beginninge of the Seauen Trumpets of the B. F. B. Bartholomew Saluthius of the holie order of the Frier Minars of obseru reform THE PROLOGVE ET septem Angeli qui habebant septem tubas c. Apoc. 8. And the seauen Angels which had the Seauē Trumpets prepared them selues to sound saith S. Iohn after hee had said in the same place Et vidi septem Angelos c. and I saw seauen Angels standing in the presence of God and there was giuē vnto them Seauē Trumpets Oh Brethren sinners I am not an Angell but a sinner not onely like vnto you but worse then you who being enflamed with the honour of allmightie God and also moued with the desire of all your soules healths I haue presumed to bring to light this little booke entituled The Seauen Trumpets that they may found in your eares and recall you to your most louing God mercifull Father and reduce you into the way of saluation Oh wretches consider that you haue strayed and diuerted from the true path and doe now runne and persist with a swift pace in the way that leadeth to perditiō ponder well oh ye vnhappy soules how that yee stand vpon the brimme of hell ready euery moment to be caste downe headlong into the abisse of perpetual darknesse whereupon I being stirred vp
a sleepe in vices iniquities neither wretch that thou art doest thou take notice of the troubled state of the shippe the church exposed to the danger of shipwrack for thy sinnes on all sides tossed with turbulent windes and stormes of most cruell enemies Arise vnhappy soule I say not the Master or pilot of the shippe but thy poore Brother who beinge touched with a desire of the helth of thy soule and of all other sinners for the loue of him who shewed such great mercy towardes me that called me from the sleepe in which I did lie I say vnto thee wherefore doest thou lie opprest with sleepe sleepe no longer awake oh sinnefull and wicked wretch now is the time to thinke with thy selfe what miseries are imminent now implore the diuine ayde and mercy Si fort◠recogitet de nobis vt non pereamus Ion. 1.6 if perhappes he will thinke of vs that we may not perish Arise now with the holy Prophet Dauid saying Illumina oculos meos Psal 12.5 lighten mine eyes lest I should sleepe in death lest that mine enemies should say I haue preuailed against him There are some which snorte are sound a sleepe in their sinnes and there be some which be halfe awake they of the first sorte be such as daily sinne mortally and they are in continuall enmitie with God because as they that snorte sleepe soundly neither are they awaked of the sudden so they that are in mortall sinne are not easily raised out of the depth thereof But they of the second sorte sometimes they fall sometimes they rise againe out of their sinnes euen as he that slumbereth often sleepeth and often awaketh againe and this is the lesser euill although sometimes they are punished with noe lesser penaltie then they that are soūdlie a sleepe God almighty illuminate you that you may not sleepe slumber nor snorte in the depth of sinne as you haue done vntill now The Apostle prosecuteth this matter further saying Et exurge à mortuis and arise from the dead Beholde a greater danger wherby the soule is endamaged by sinning for after that a soule for some time hath slept in sinne it is more negligent in the exercise of good workes and is so dulled and in disposed that it seemeth to be dead For as the body without the soule is dead so a soule is dead without God as the soule is the life of the body so God is the life of the soule know yee deare Brethren that there is noe dead carcase so stinkinge or hath a more loathsome smell in the sense of man as a soule dead in sinne hath in the nostrills of almighty God There is an example at hād in the liues of the holy Fathers of an Angell that did accompanie an Anachoret to make him vnderstand something of the diuine iudgements These in the way as they iournied foūd a dead body the Angel passing by made noe signe of any offensiue smell but proceeding further they met with a certaine comely yōg man richly inuested bearing about him strong parfumes at the sight of whome the Angell forthwith stopped his nostrills at which thing the Anchoret wonderinge he demaunded the reason wherfore he should stoppe his nose at that comely yong man wel cloathed and sending forth acceptable smells and immmediatly before made no such signe at the dead body because said the Angell youth loaden with sinne stinketh more odiously then a putrified body I am fetet now he stinketh saith Martha of her Brother Lazarus Ioan. 11.39 oh my my Brother sinner how grieuouslie doest thou stinke in the nostrils of God the Angels the Saints in heauen Et illuminabit te Christus Christ shall enlighten thee behold another greeuous effect and detriment that sinne bringeth vpō the soule Oh blinded sinners which perceaue not the resplendant lustre and light of diuine grace Et confestim ceciderunt ab oculis eius tanquam squamae visum recepit Act. 9.18 and presently there fel from his eyes as it were scales and he receaued his sight saieth S. Luke in the acts of the Apostles speaking of the conuersion of Saul Oh sinner persecutor of Iesus Christ I would to God thou couldest see with what great scales thy eyes are couered which doe hinder blinde thy sight Oculos suos statuerunt declinare in terram Psal 16.11 they haue determined to decline their eyes towardes the earth sinners haue made a compact with the diuell to haue their eyes alwaies fastned vppon the earth Oh blinded sinners that Iesus might illuminate your eyes he would permit his diuine eyes to be ridiculously couered shamfully blindfolded How ignorant and blind art thou oh ambitious man which doest so stedfastly fix thine eyes vpon the vanishinge shadow of vaine glory Oh thou couetous man how blinde art thou to whom a lump of dust earth seemeth an incomparable treasure How blinde art thou oh luxurious man to whom a stinking carcase seemeth so pretious a thing Oh intemperate mā how blinde art thou to whom transitorie pleasures seeme soe sweete and inestimable Oh all yee sinners how blinde are you that you cannot perceaue and see your great detriment and eminent danger oh my Iesu illuminate I beseeche thee these blinded sinners that they may take notice of their errours in which they are soe miserablie inuolued graunt them to repent for theire crimes and offences and to turne vnto thee with all their hartes the sweete fountaine of eternall life and happines Amen That a soule by sinne looseth the friendship of God THE IX CHAPTER SI consideremus fratres charissimi qua quanta sunt quae nobis promittuntur in coelis vilescerent animo omnia quae habentur in terris Oh dear Brethren if you would truly consider what and how great thinges are promised and prouided for you in heauen all things vppon earth would seme contemptible and base vnto you saith S. Gregorie I am not determined at this present to speake of the great losse which sinne bringeth vpon the soule in the life to come seeing that I purpose hereafter to take a more oportune occasion but now I wll intimate only what and how great a thing it is that a soule looseth by sinne in this life In maleuolam animam non intrabit sapientia wisedome shall not enter into a malignant soule saieth the scripture Wisd 1.4 behold the first shipwracke of a sinnefull soule is the want of the taste of true knowledge for although a sinful soule is endued with an excellent vnderstāding yet is it depriued of the comfortable tast of the scriptures and neuer hath the gust of the sweetnes thereof But this is nothing in respect of that which it looseth for the soule of a sinner is depriued of the friendship and amitie of God which farre exceedeth all other thinges Be wife now therefore oh yee sinners and know how pretious a iewell you loose heare mee I beseech you Soe long as a soule is void of sinne it
them for thy instruction and enrich thy soule therby for thy saluation 1. The sea shall transcend the mountaines to contemne thy pride and insolency ô arrogant and fastidious wretch The wicked are as a rageing sea saieth the scripture Isay 57.20 But the sea shall ascend in such a height as that it shall excell the mountaines and wash away the arrogancy of the proud 2. The sea shall be depressed to that lownesse that it shall hardly apeare wherby ô proud wretch it shal be declared vnto thee that at last thou must be deposed and plucked downe by God Euery man that exalteth himselfe saieth our Lord shall be humbled Luc. 14. and humility saieth the wiseman followeth the proud 3. The lamentatiō of the beastes which is the third signe what should it demonstrate vnto thee o sinner but that they who haue taken much delight in vaine sensuall and lasciuious complacencies shall then be punished and tormented with fearfull execrations and vlulations Speake vnto the earth and it shall shew thee and the fishes of the sea and they shall declare vnto thee saieth holy Ioh. 4. The fourth signe shall bee that of the sea and waters in that they shall consume with heate which may instruct thee ô luxurious sinner for euen as thou hast burned in this world with the fire of filthy concupiscēce luxurious desires and adulterous actions euen so must thou burne in hell with fire and brimstone their part shall be in fire and brimstone saieth S. Iohn in his Apocalipse Apoc. 21 and by this meanes so much as thou hast abounded in the impious desires of the flesh so much shalt thou receaue of this punishment in this next world How much shee hath delighted her selfe in pleasures so much punishment giue you vnto her saieth the iudge in the Apocalipse Apoc. 18.6 5. What meaneth that sweat of the herbes and trees which is the fift signe O wretch that blood which thou hast shed with thy cruell and vnmercifull handes Because that murder is one of those capitall crimes which cry vnto heauen for reuenge The voice of thy brothers blood crieth out of the earth to mee saieth God to Cain 6. That mourning and lamentation with abstinēcie from meat and drinke of the birdes what other thing ô thou glutton doth it signifie then the paines torments which shall be inflicted vppon thee in hell for thine intemperancy and ebriety for they that are giuen vnto this vice shal be fedd in hell with hunger and dearth The portion of drunkards shall be fire and brimstone and the spirit of tempest is parte of their chalice Psal 10.7 7. The ruine and destruction of all buildings throughout the world what else doth it demonstrate but the folly and vanity of those which placed all their delight and chiefest felicity in building sumptuous and spatious pallacies Alas how many are there found of these times which haue more respect of the houses in which their bodies dwell for a time then of heauen in which their soules should perpetually remaine woe be vnto you which ioyne house to house field to field O miserable wretches how much better would it be for you if you would studie to pollish and adorne the celestiall palaces of your soules for heauen where there are so manie beautifull and glorious habitatiōs In my Fathers house there ar many mansions Ioan. 14.2 saieth our Lord O extreme vanitie and madnes of the world 8. What do those flaming and burning dartes those lighninges running from east to west what doe they signify but the wrath indignatiō of the angry iudge against sinners and those which haue molested or wronged their neighbours or brothers Euery man that is angry with his brother saieth Iesus Christ shall be guilty of iudgement Math. 5.22 9. The conflict of the stones signifieth your Adamantine and obdurate hartes which shall be broken a sunder with the iudgements of God because they are not mollified by repētance Heauen and spiritual thinges nothing profit you the promises of Christ will not allure you the fearfull iudgements of the latter day the intollerable punishments of hell set before you doe not any thing moue you O sinners more obdurate then stones the stones claue a sunder at Christs passion but you more hard then they remaine still in obduracie 10. The great earthquakes ô sinner which shall be so terrible as that S. Iohn saieth in his Apocalipse There is made a great earthquake such an one as hath not beene since the beginning of the world it signifieth this that you cannot be sustained any longer by the same and therefore it trembleth and shaketh that it may swallow you vp Or the earth as S. Gregorie saieth therefore quaketh because it will not receaue sinners any longer before they haue heard the sentence of the iudge pronounced against their crimes and offences Alas into how great a streight shal sinners be brought if they looke vp they shal behould the angry contenance of the iudge offended if they looke downe they shall see hell gaping prepared to receaue them vpon their right hand they shall behould their sinnes misdeedes accusing them vpon the left hand innumerable diuels in readines to carrie them into euerlastinge flames Inwardly the worme of the conscience gnaweth them outwardly the fire and torments scorch them and terrifie them Which way then shall a sinner flie or turne him selfe then shall they cry out O you mountaines fall vpon vs and hide vs from the face of him that sitteth vpon the throne and from the wrath of the lambe 11. The leauellings of hils with vallies what do you thinke it signifies ô sinners but the ouerthrow of proud great and rich men which haue trampled the poore and needy vnder their feet and then all shall be made a like and equall euery vally saieth the Prophet Isay shall be exalted and euery mountaine and hill shall be brought low 12. All creatures shall forsake their caues and dennes being possessed with a kinde of madnes shall wander abroad what meaneth it thinkest thou nothing else but that no secret corner no excuse shall be found of any all succour and releife shall bee taken away from poore sinners and no place or parte left wherby they may be relieued Not any Saint not any Angell not the B. V. Saint Mary Mother of God shal assist them because God him selfe will be so exceedingly offended with them Alas ô you wretched and accursed sinners what will you then doe what will you say ô miserable soules you shall walke and wander here there outragious madde furious not knowing what to say or what to doe Now therfore now I say euen at this instant whilst it is time doe that which then vnfortunate soules that you are you shall not be able to doe 13. The graues shall be opened and the dead bones standing vpon them which shall be the thirteenth signe Behould I shall open your toumbes saieth the Prophet Ezechiel whereby it is intimated vnto
sinner and that in the day of iudgement shall either be cursed or blessed of God shall either ascend into heauen to liue for euer in the companie of Saints Angels or else descend into hell to be punished for all eternity with the company of the damned spirits If thou be wise thou wilt be wise for thy selfe saith Salomon Prou. 9.10 Thou wilt be wise sinner if thou detest and hate sinne and turne to God Thou wilt be foolish and worse then madd if in continuing in thy wickednesse thou forgett thy Creator Alas what a number of peruerse and madd fooles are there who are hardly corrected There is an infinite number of fooles Eccles 1.15 Wretched sinners how sottish haue you beene and yet still remaine so which for a small temporall pleasure like a shadow quickly vanishing you loose so great a substance of eternal good Consider sinners that there is no day nor howre nor moment of time passeth but many millions of soules such as yours are descend thicke into hell The sinner hath giuen vp himselfe to a spirituall kinde of sluggishnes not taking any care for his saluation he cōsidereth not that death is present euery howre and moment to giue him a mortall stroake Alas how many haue gone to bedd at night and neuer arose againe in the morning cōsider consider sinners your last endes which are not farre from you How fareth it with thee ô sinner in what case is thy poore soule full of vices and hainous crimes couered ouer with darknes in the diuels possession fast bound with many strong chaines that now thou maiest cry out with the Prophet I am wrapt round about with the cordes of sinners Psal 118. although thou canst not say that which followeth and I haue not forgotten thy law But let vs returne to the terrible and fearfull sentence which Christ Iesus will pronounce against the damned ponder and seriously consider it imprint it in your harts that it may be a spurre and incitement vnto you for the following of vertue and auoyding of vice meditate vpon that saying of worthy S. Hierome a man admirable in sanctity and holines of life Whether I sleepe saieth he or wake whether I eate or drinke write or read sitte or walke that terrible speech alwaies seemeth to sound in my eares arise yee dead and come to iudgement if men of such innocency and integrity of life so much feared that horrible day what will you doe miserable and blinde sinners against whom the sentence of condemnation is to be pronounced My God sweet Sauiour giue that power to my penne seing it is wanting to my toung that this short and rude woorke of mine written without elegancy of wordes and that the sound of these my Trumpets may so moue the hartes and mindes of those that shall read and heare them that at length they may forsake their former courses and fully resolue with themselues to turne to their Creator and Redeemer My God and sweet Sauiour since it hath pleased thee to inspire mee with thy heauenly grace to set forth this my poore labour for the saluation of poore soules redeemed with thy moste pretious blood graunt mee that fauour that I may awake sinners by this my writing and sound of my Trumpets from the lethargie of vices to the glory of thy name and saluation of their soules My God and sweet Sauiour for thy mercies sake suffer not I beseech thee this my labour to be read or these my shrill Trumpets to be heard of any sinner without profit and commoditie but that the noyse of them may force the diuell to tremble and the powers of hell to shake Bretheren sinners if you shall perceaue your hartes to be moued with their sound I pray you despise contemne or resist it not but thankfully acknowledge that motion and heauenly inspiration to be from God who calleth you out of his tender mercy Returne to God sinners men and women death is at hand and yet God as a kinde and louing Father by the sound of these Trumpetts gently calleth you Awake out of your deepe sleepe of sinnes wherin you haue beene buried so manie yeares and make him an answere Sinners our most mercifull Lord sendeth forth this sound both pleasant and harsh of mine or rather his Trumpetts that it may be for the good and saluation of your soules I pray God it may obtaine the end for which it was intended Pray for me and I will not cease to be mindefull of you all Amen Of the going and departure of the damned to hell in the company of all the diuells THE XXIX CHAPTER ANd they shall goe into euerlasting punishment but the iust into euerlasting life Math. 25.46 They that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life they that haue done ill to the resurrection of iudgement saieth S. Iohn Ioh. 5.29 Sinners stay here awhile and fasten your soules vpon the cogitation of that horrible spectacle and seriously consider how the damned persons goe downe into the darke pitt of destruction with fearful howling and lamentation in the company of innumerable forlorne diuells O fearfull thing whose terrour is able to breake and cleaue in peeces the hardest marbles yet nothing at all moueth the harte of man O the misery of humane nature which is not rent a sunder with so pittifull a spectacle Sinner consider that as soone as those wretched soules shall haue the sentence of condēnation pronounced against them the earth shall cleaue in sunder and all the diuels and damned spirits shall be swallowed vp in one gulfe and be throwne downe into the obscure abisse of hell O terrible and mourneful night when weeping and gnashing of teeth and wofull lamentations of forlorne soules now reunited to theire bodies shall continue for euer O miserable disiunction and diuision the husband shall bee separated from the wife the daughter from the mother when the one shall go to heauen a place replenished with all good the other into hell a place of all torments O God of all mercy open the eyes of blinde and obstinate sinners who neuer trouble their mindes with thinking of either heauen or hell but only deuise how to wallow still in the filth of sinne Surge surge quidormis arise arise thou that sleepest Neglect not thine owne saluation that Christ may helpe thee Behould he calleth now by my penne he desireth to awake thee out of thy sleepe by the loud sound of my Trumpetts Qui fecit te sine te non saluabit te sine te saieth S. Augustine he that made thee without thee will not saue thee without thee but will that thou labour to thy power to dispose prepare thy selfe to ētertaine those wholesom coūsels and exhortations which he of his mercy offereth vnto thee Hereupon it is that God prouideth that his truth should be made knowne vnto thee by teachers that thou shouldest be admonished by confessors ghostlie Fathers hereupon he speaketh vnto thee by spirituall bookes and by
many worldes that they should passe nūbering there would be nothing more glorious or amiable to behould then God almighty O exceeding delight to behould God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost to behould the diuine essence which is one and the same in euery one of the three persons in which all sweetnesse and comelinesse all treasures and riches are to be had in abundant maner Behould God is a thing so sweet and pleasant to the tast that the Prophet Dauid when he had lost it or at least seemed to loose it cried out saying Fuerunt mihi lachrimae meae panes die ac nocte c. My teares were vnto mee bread day and night whilest they said dailie vnto mee where is now thy God The spouse losing her beloued can finde no place wherein to rest whereupon shee saieth In lectulo meo per noctes quaesius quem diligit anima mea In my bedd by night I sought him whom my soule loueth I will arise and goe about the citie by the streetes high wayes I will seeke him whom my soule loueth haue you seene him whom my soule loueth Cant. 3. All Gods seruants and friends did exceedingly lament if in this world at any time they haue felt the spirit and soule to become drie and not to haue the accustomed consolations vsual sweetnes of their beloued yea they did languish and pine away with desire to finde him againe pittifullie wearying themselues in weepings watchings and prayers supposing themselues to be most vnfortunate for this losse The misery of the state of a dāned soule is that it looseth God not for a small time not for a day a yeare or a thousand yeares but for all eternitie so that if the damned soules should be asked in these wordes what shall you neuer see God they would all answere neuer neuer neuer And if they should be asked shall you neuer then see that thing which is not only most beautifull to behould but also the best that can be desired or sought after They would presently with one cōsent answere no no no. If they should be demaunded what is the cause of this their losse they would with lamentable crying and howling tell you sinne sinne sinne But if you should go further with them and aske them with how many sinnes they haue lost so infinite a good are depriued of so beautifull a sight one would say with a hundred an other with a thousand another with tenne thousand and lastly another with innumerable sinnes But how terrible and fearfull would it be to you if one should say amongst the rest Alas most miserable and forlorne wretch that I am who with one onely deadly sinne which endured but for a momēt haue depriued my selfe of all the celestiall benefits Alas then vnfortunate catiffe art thou depriued of the visiō of almighty God for one onely transgression his answere would be I am I am I am Moreouer Consider sinner that there be two kindes of punishments which the damned suffer in hell the one is that which we call pena damni the punishment of losse the other is pena sensus the punishment of senses we will speake hereafter of the latter and now something of the first This pena damni punishment of losse is the greatest euill of all euills and the greatest losse of all losses the greatest priuation that can be imagined to loose God and neuer to haue the sight of him To liue without God is the most grieuous punishment which the damned can suffer who doe not so much as hope once to see him because they be certaine neuer to behould him O intollerable punishment God will send in to the hartes of the damned a desire and wonderfull thirst of those things wherof they cannot be partakers he wil cause in them that they shall know and vnderstand the admirable good which is contained in him and the great sweetnes and delight which ariseth from the contēplation of his diuine maiestie they shall know that they haue lost all these thinges by their sinnes hauing no hope at all euer to enioy him He shall make them vnderstand how the blessed liue in perpetual pleasures which shall neuer faile thē wherupon the damned shall frett and pine away with griefe they shall know how they might haue obtained the same if they had exercised them selues in vertuous actions and had refrained from sinner vices wherupon they shall runne madd for griefe and paine seeing they cā neuer recouer their great dammage which by their negligence they haue incurred O sweetnes flowing from the diuine sight The holy Prophet when in this life he did but call to mind his God languished with a wonderfull kinde of sweetnes which thereby he did conceiue Memor fui Dei c. I haue bene mindfull saieth he of my God and haue exercised my selfe and my spirit failed mee Psal 76.4 The ◅ouse in the canticles cried out for this sweetnes of loue Fulcite me floribus Stay me vp with flowers cōfort me with apples because I lāguish with loue Cantic 2.5 O most sweet and pleasāt God how delightful art thou Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will alwaies be praising thee O forlorne damned wretches but moste happy they which liue in heauē because they alwayes behould the face of God Videbimus eum sicuti est peccatores we shall see him as he is sinners in the other life in heauen euen as the Angells and all the blessed Saints doe now behould him But the damned see him in no sort haue no hope at all euer to see him Videbimus eum sicuti est we shal see him as he is If any one in this world could looke vpō the sunne and see clearly how it runneth in his orbe and spheare not haue his eyes dimmed with the exceeding light and splendour thereof he would count himselfe in a maner happy But if we lead our liues as it beseemeth Christians we shall see our God who in splēdour brightnesse passeth without comparison a thousand yea innumerable sunnes Nec oculus vidit c. Neither eye hath seene nor care hath heard nor hath it entered into the harte of man to conceaue what thinges God hath promised them that loue him saieth the holy Apostle 1. Corin. 2.9 before the Prophet Isayas Beati oculi qui vident c. Blessed are the eyes which see those thinges which you see saieth Iesus Christ to his Apostles when they saw him but in the flesh subiect to labours trauailes paines and death it selfe what blessednes will you thinke it now to behold him resplendent in all his glory What ioy to see him not only as man but also as true God endued with such beautie and brightnes as that noe man is able to expresse with wordes and that in the companie of all the Saints attended with an infinite multitude of Angells I altogether faint and languish in my harte soule when I haue but only a bare thought
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