giue thanks to GOD for the Corinthians saying that in all things they were made rich Calling them absolutelie rich signifying that others were not to be called properly rich but rich in this world or rich men of thys world ¶ All this afore-said is explained by a notable sentence of the Gospell ALthough thys afore-said seemeth to be expounded and approoued plainly enough yet for the further confirmation of it I will ioyne moreouer a notable sentence taken out of the Gospell by which our Sauiour aunswereth to Saint Peter demaunding what reward he his fellow Disciples should haue who for the loue of their Maister had left and forsaken all Verily I say vnto you saith he as it is in Marke there is no man that hath forsaken house or bretheren or sisters or father or mother or vvife or children or lands for my sake and the Gospels but hee shall receiue an hundred fold nowe at this present houses and bretheren and sisters and mothers and children and lands with persecutions in the world to come eternall life These be the words of Christ which are not lightly to be passed ouer For first thou canst not denie but that heere is made a difference and a distinction betweene a reward which is giuen in thys life and that which is in another whilst one is promised as to come the other is offered as present Thou canst also lesse denie but that these promises are ratified and certaine neither euer doe they deceiue them to whom they are promised For heauen and earth shall perrish but one iote or one title shall not escape of these things till all be fulfilled although they seeme vnpossible For euen as we beleeue that God is three and one because he said so although otherwise it seemeth vnpossible so we also must beleeue thys trueth although it passeth all vnderstanding for it hath the testimonie of the same Author who only is truth it selfe in all his sayings Tell mee therefore I pray thee what is this hundreth fold which is giuen to the righteous in this life For we see for the most part that to them is not giuen great dignities not loftie honours not large possessions nor the magnificent furniture of this world but that many of them doe liue in corners buried in the obliuion and obscurity of the world expecting their last houre in pouerty misery and calamity Which seeing that it is so how can the infallible truth of this sentence be defended vnlesse we confesse that God in this life doth giue to his those gifts and those spirituall riches which may satisfie a man without any externall pompe of this world with greater felicitie with greater ioy sufficiencie and quiet then the possession of all the goods of this world Neyther is this so much to be meruailed at For as we beleeue that it is not of any necessity to God that hee should nourish mens bodies with bread onely for he hath many other meanes to that end so is it not necessarie to him that he should satisfie soules with temporall blessings onely For he can doe this most easily without them as hee hath most certainly done in all his Saints Who were endued with that spirituall ioy and mirth and with that affection of deuotion that their prayers exercises teares and delights exceeded all the solaces and pleasures of this world And after this manner it is most certainly verefied that an hundreth fold is receaued for that little they left for they receaue for deceiptfull and apparant things those that be vndoubtedly true for things vncertaine certaine for things corporall spirituall for carefulnes security for troubles quietnes for perturbations peace and inward tranquility to conclude for a life impure vicious and abhominable they receaue a life splendent through vertues and most acceptable to God and Angels So also thou if thou shalt despise temporall good for Christ thou shalt find in him inestimable treasures if thou shalt contemne false and fayned honours thou shalt finde in him those that be true if thou shalt renounce the loue of thy father and mother for this he will delight thee with greater blandishments and cherishing and thou shalt find for a temporall father an eternall if thou shalt cast from thee those pestiferous and venomous pleasures thou shalt haue in him sweeter pleasanter and holier delights When thou shalt come to this poynt thou shalt see manifestly that all things which before did please thee are now not onely not gratefull vnto thee but that they doe bring vnto thee an hatred and dislike of them For after that heauenly light hath illuminated our eyes by and by there is begot a new face of all things and diuerse from the former and all things doe seeme to haue put on a certaine new shape by which they shew themselues to our eyes and therefore that which before seemed sweet is now bitter and that which before appeared bitter is now sweet that which before terrified vs doth now like vs that which before was beautifull now seemeth filthy and although it appeared to be such before yet now it seemeth not such neyther that it was well knowne before Therefore after this manner standeth the truth of Christes promise when for the temporall goods of the body there are giuen spirituall blessings of the soule for those goods which are called the goods of fortune there are giuen the blessings of grace which without all comparison are greater and more effectuall and forcible to enrich and satiate mans hart then all externall blessings For the more confirmation of this matter I will not omit to remember a notable and famous example taken out of the booke called The booke of famous and illustrious men When as sayth the Author Saint Bernard preached the word of God to the people in Belgia and that with a most feruent zeale conuerted the inhabitants to God amongst many other who being touched with the grace of the holy Ghost vvere conuerted to a better lyfe there vvas a certaine noble Knight famous among the Belgians called Arnulphus vvho was bound and tyed to the world with very many and mighty bonds and who was exceedingly ensnared and entangled with wordly vanities This man when at the length he bad farewell to the world and betooke himselfe to a vertuous and heauenly kinde of lyuing this holy father so reioyced at his conuersion that he sayd to them that were present that Christ was no lesse miraculous in the conuersion of Arnulphus then he was in the raysing of Lazarus seeing that Christ had raysed him being so fettered with the chaynes of so great sinnes and buried in such deepe pleasures and had brought him to newnes of life Arnulphus also was no lesse admirable in his proceeding then he was in his conuersion And because it is too long to relate here all the vertues of this man I will onely repeate that which maketh for our purpose This holy man was many times so payned
So doe thou louing that which is made of GOD and abhorring that which man hath made euill But perhaps thou wilt reason with thy selfe and say What haue I to doe with him in what thing am I bound to him I know him not he is not my father nor my kinsman he neuer pleasured me nor performed any duty vnto me yea he hath some-time endamaged me But remember that GOD without any desert of thine hath heaped many benefits vpon thee and therefore hath commaunded thee that in being thankfull and making some recompence for this his bounty thou in like manner shouldest be liberall not towards him for he needeth none of thy goods but towards thy neighbour whom â—e hath commended and committed vnto thee Of the remedies against Gluttony CHAP. VIII GLuttony is an inordinate desire or appetite of meate and drinke Christ exhorteth vs to beware of this vice when he sayth Take heede to your selues least at any time your harts be oppressed with surfetting and drunkennes and cares of this life When as this vice doth knock at the gates of thy hart resist it with these considerations First consider how for one sinne of gluttony death entred vpon all mankind and therefore it is necessary that thou shouldest be superiour and haue the vpper hand in this first combat in which if thou fayntest or yeeldest thou shalt be impugned more noisomly of ther vices and shalt be much more weake and vnable to make resistance Therfore aboue all things resist the temptation of gluttony with a manly courage which vnlesse thou conquerest thou shalt in vaine oppose thy selfe against other vices But thou shalt easily ouercome all other enemies which are without if first thou shalt ouerthrow and kill those that are bred in thee For he to no end fighteth with them that are without if he hath an enemy within Wherefore the deuil first tempted Christ with gluttony thinking so to open a gate for other vices Consider also the rare and singuler abstinence of our Lord Iesus Christ who not onely after his fast in the Wildernes but also other where oftentimes handled his most holy and sacred flesh most sharply and suffered hunger for our comfort that he might giue vs an example For if he that by his onely presence nourisheth Angels and feedeth the fowles of heauen suffered hunger for thee how much more oughtest thou to suffer somthing for thy selfe by what title wilt thou glory that thou art the seruant of Christ if he hungered and thou consumest thy whole life in gluttony and drunkennes he suffered troubles and punishments for thy saluation and wilt not thou suffer for the same If the crosse of abstinence seeme too greeuous vnto thee remember the gall and Vineger which Christ tasted vpon the Crosse because as Bernard sayth No meate is so bitter vvhich if it be tempered with the remembrance of the Vineger and gall of Christ is not forth-with made sweeter Recall also into thy memory the abstinence of all the holy Fathers in the Wildernes who frequenting desert places haue with Christ crucified their flesh with all the lusts and concupiscences and by the grace of God haue sustained themselues many yeares onely with the rootes of hearbs and haue macerated themselues with so great abstinence that almost it seemeth incredible If therfore our fathers haue thus imitated Christ and after this manner haue followed him into heauen how thinkest thou to come thether by the way of deliciousnes and pleasure Remember how many poore there be in the world who thinke themselues happy if they may satisfie their bellies with bread and water and thou shalt vnderstand how bountifully the Lord hath dealt with thee who hath bestowed much more vpon thee then vpon them Therefore there is no reason neyther is it meete that thou shouldest conuert this liberality of thy Lord to be an instrument of thy gluttony To be briefe consider that the delight of gluttony doth not consist in a greater place then of two fingers nor in a longer time then of two minutes in which the meate passeth downe and is gone neyther is it meete that for a place of mans gluttony so narrow and for a pleasure so short and momentany that the Land the Sea nor the ayre should suffice To satisfie this gourmandizing gluttony oftentimes the poore are spoyled and many iniuries are done that the hunger of the feeble may be conuerted into the delicates of the mighty Certainly it is a thing miserable and lamentable and much to be deplored that a pleasure of so small a part of mans body should cast the whole man into hell and that all the members and sences of the body should suffer eternall punishment for the momentany greedines of one member Thou doost not marke how shamefully thou errest nourishing thy body so delicately and with such costly meates which ere it be long shall be meate for wormes but neglectest thy soule which before it be long shall stand before the Diuine tribunall which being voyde of vertues when as the body is full of delicate meates shal be punished with eternall torments And if thy soule be damned be sure that thy body also shall haue her punishment for euen as the body is created for the soule so it shall be punished with the soule Therfore thou contemning the nobler part of thy selfe and nourishing in delicacie the ignobler thou doost destroy them both and thou killest thy selfe with thine owne sword For thy flesh which is giuen to be an helpe vnto thee doth lay a snare for thy life and doth attend thee vnto torments as it followed thee here in vices Remember the hunger of Lazarus who desired to be releeued with the crums that fell from the rich mans table and there was no man that gaue them vnto him Wherfore when he was dead he was carried by the hands of Angels into Abrahams bosome but on the contrary part the rich Glutton who was clothed in purple and fine linnen and fared well and delicately euery day was buried in hell for hunger fulnes pleasure and continency haue not the same euent for after death misery followeth pleasure and pleasure misery Let vs put the case thou â—atest and drunkest the last yeare both delicately and largely tell me now what remayneth vnto thee of all those pleasures surely nothing at all except it be the sting and remorse of conscience which perhaps will torment thee euerlastingly Therefore all that thou hast prodigally wasted and deuoured beyond reason and measure all that thou hast vtterly lost and that thou hast with-drawne from thy selfe and distributed to the poore that is very well disposed and bestowed and as a treasure layd vp for thine owne vse which shall be restored and repayed vnto thee in the heauenly Citty Least thou be entrapped by ouer-sight and at vnawares in this vice thou must very heedfully beware because often-times when as necessity desireth to be satisfied and releeâ—ed the
his wife whom he had defiled with filthy adultery and against all his owne kingdome which hee had so scandalizd Yet hee saith that he had sinned against GOD onely for he knew that all euils offences and inconueniences were of no moment in comparison of the filthines of that sinne for asmuch as it repugned the Law of God Therefore the consideration of that enormitie did so greatly afflict him that he contemned and set at naught all other iniuâ—ies and offences whatsoeuer For euen as God is infinitely greater then all creatures so also our debt is infinitely greater in which wee are bound to him and also the offence greater which is committed against him For there is no proportion of a thing infinite to a thing finite THE SECOND TITLE Of the bond in which we are bound to Vertue and to attend vpon GOD by reason of the benefite of our Creation CHAP. II. WE ought not only to apply our selues vnto Vertue and to obey the diuine commaundements for that which God is in himselfe but also for that which hee is to vs that is by reason of his innumerable benefits of which although wee haue spoken in another place for that purpose which then we had in hand neuerthelesse heere also wee will handle the same things that they being before our eyes we may see plainly by how many names and titles we are bound to serue such a giuer Of these benefits our Creation is the first of which seeing that it is knowne to euery bodie onely I will say that that man wholy is bound for that alone to serue and attend vpon the Lord who hath created him For according to all lawes a man is a debtor of all that he hath receiued Seeing that therefore by this benefite he hath receiued his being that is his body with all his senses and his soule with all her powers and faculties the consequent is that he must bestow all them to the seruice of his Maker vnlesse he will be accounted towards him a theefe and an ingratefull man beeing enriched with so great a benefit For if a man should build a house whom shall it serue for but for the Lord who builded it And if a man shall plant a Vineyard who shall gather the grapes shall not hee that hath planted the Vineyard And if a Father hath a sonne whom shal he rather serue then his father who begat him This is that which auncient lawes doe say that it cannot be esteemed how great the authority of the father is ouer his children which reacheth so farre that it was lawfull for a father being in necessity to sell his child for in respect of that that hee hath giuen to his child to be that he is therefore the father hath that power ouer his child that he might doe with his child what he would If therfore the dominion and authority of a father be so great ouer his child what shall be his dominion and authority from whom is deriued the being of all fathers as well in heauen as in earth And if they as Seneca sayth who haue receaued a benefit ought to imitate and follow the fertile field which yeeldeth much more then it receaueth how shall wee make aunswere to God in this measure of gratitude seeing that we cannot yeeld more vnto him then we haue receaued of him although we yeeld all that we haue But if he that yeeldeth no more then he hath receaued doth not obserue and keepe this law and rule what shall we say of him who yeeldeth lesse then is bestowed vpon him And if as Aristotle sayth there cannot be rendered like to God and our parents how shall there be giuen like to God who hath bestowed more vpon vs then all the fathers in the world But if it be a greeuous offence if a sonne be disobedient to his father what a wickednes will it be to be rebellious to God who by so many names is our father Yea in comparison of whom no man deserueth the name of a father This is that which the Lord worthily complayneth of by his Prophet If then I am your father sayth he where is mine honor If I be your Lord where is my feare Against the same ingratitude an other Prophet also enueieth and that with words more stinging pearcing Ah peruerse and froward generation sayth he ah foolish and vnwise people doest thou render such things to the Lord Is not he thy father that hath bought thee that hath made thee and proportioned thee These are they that doe not lift vp their eyes to heauen neyther doe behold themselues being forgetfull and vnmindfull of themselues For if they would view and behold themselues they would secretly aske themselues and they would endeuour to know what was their first originall and their first beginning that is of whom they were made and to what end they were created For by the knowledge of these things at length they shold come to the knowledge of that which of duty they ought to doe Because men doe not these things they liue as though they sprung and were begotten and made of themselues As liued that cursed King of Aegypt whom God threatneth by his Prophet saying Behold I come against thee Pharaoh King of Egipt the great Dragon that lyeth in the midst of his riuers which hath sayde The riuer is mine and I haue made it for my selfe After this manner liue all they that forget theyr Creator as though they were created of themselues acknowledging no maker Better did Saint Augustine who by the knowledge of his making and beginning came to the knowledge of his Creator saying in one of his Soliloquies And I returned to my selfe and I entred into my selfe and I sayde vnto my selfe Who art thou and I aunswered my selfe a reasonable man and mortall and I began to discourse and dispute with my selfe what this was and I sayd Whence commeth ô my Lord God this manner of creature Whence but from thee Thou madest me and not I my selfe Who art thou Thou art hee by whom I liue thou art he by whom all things liue Who art thou Thou ô Lord art my true and onely God omnipotent and eternall incomprehensible and vnmeasurable who alwayes liuest and nothing dyeth in thee O my God tell me thy humble seruant ô mercifull God tell mee poore wretch tell mee I pray thee for thy mercies sake whence is this manner of creature but from thee Shall any man be the maker of himselfe Is to be and to liue taken from any other then from thee Art not thou the chiefest good of whom all things are that be For whatsoeuer is is of thee because nothing is without thee Art not thou the fountaine of life from whence floweth all life For whatsoeuer lyueth liueth by thee because nothing liueth without thee Thou ô Lord then hast made all things Shall I aske who hath made me Thou ô Lord hast made me without whom nothing is made Thou art
those things of which he should haue taken and receaued greater causes of louing his Creator of those he receaued and tooke greater occasion of treason and disloyalty Therefore he was thrust out of Paradice and cast into banishment yea and was adiudged to hell fire that as hee was made a companion with the deuill in sinne so hee might be his companion in punishment The Prophet Elizeus sayd to his seruant Gehezi Thou hast receaued siluer and garments of Naaman therefore the leprosie of Naaman shall cleaue vnto thee and to thy seede for euer Like was the iudgement of God against man who seeing that he had affected the riches and treasure of Lucifer that is his pride and ambition it was meete that he should be infected with the leaprosie of the same Lucifer which was the punishment of his pride Behold then man made lyke vnto the deuill being a follower of his fault Therfore when man was so abhominable in Gods eyes and had incurred so great displeasure our most gracious and most mercifull Lord did not disdaine to respect vs he did not looke to the iniurie done to his supreame Maiesty but to the misfortune of our owne misery more lamenting our errour then desirous of reuenge for the contumely offered vnto him he determined to repaire man and to reconcile him vnto him his onlie begotten sonne being our Mediatour But how hath he reconciled man vnto him What humane tongue shall declare this vnto vs Christ hath procured so great friendship between vs and God that not onely God hath pardoned to man all his fault hath receaued him into his fauour hath made him one and that same with himselfe through a certaine vnion of loue but that which passeth all greatnes hath made such a likenes and similitude betweene himselfe mans nature that amongst all things created there can be found no greater conformity thē are the Deity and humanity for they are not one and the same through loue and fauour but also in person Who euer durst haue hoped that a wound so largely gaping should after this manner haue beene drawne together Who euer could haue thought that these two natures betweene which there was so great difference both of nature and of offence that euer they could haue beene so neerely ioyned together not in one house not at one table not in one loue but in one and the selfe same person What two greater contraries may be giuen then God and a sinner And what two things are now more straightly and narrowly combined together what more commixt then God and man There is nothing higher or nobler then God saith Bernard and there is nothing lower or baser then that clay of which man is formed Neuerthelesse with so great humility GOD descended vpon the earth to man and with so great sublimitie earth ascended to God that whatsoeuer God hath done earth may be said to haue done it and whatsoeuer earth hath suffered God may be sayd to haue suffered it Who would haue said to man when he was naked knew that he had incurred the wrath of God when he sought lurking holes and corners in Paradice wherein he might hide himselfe vvho I say would haue then said that the tyme should come when this vild substance should be vnited to God in one and the selfe same person Thys vnion is so neere straight and faithfull that when it was to be dissolued which was in the tyme of the Passion it would rather rent and breake then faint and forsake Death might seperate the soule from the body which was the vnion of nature but it could not pluck GOD from the soule nor frō the body for that vvas the vnion of the Diuine person For what it once apprehendeth with so strong a loue it neuer forsaketh This is that peace this is that health and saluation which wee receaue by the benefit of our Mediatour and Sauiour Although we are such and so great debtors for thys benefit that no mans tongue can vtter it yet we are not lesse bound to God for the manner of our Redemption then for the redemption it selfe O my Lord I am bound to thee in a high degree of dutie that thou hast deliuered me from hell and hast reconciled me vnto thee but much more owe I vnto thee for the manner it selfe by which thou hast deliuered me then for the liberty it selfe which thou hast giuen me All thy works are admirable in all things and although a man doth thinke when he hath considered one thing that not any thing remaineth which may be added to further admiratio◠foorth-with all that wonderment vanisheth when he turneth his eyes to contemplate an other thing O lord the glory of thy greatnes is not diminished if one wonder dooth seeme to expell and put out another but these are tokens of thy greater glory But what was the meane ô my Lord by which thou wouldest take away my euils and wickednesses There were infinite meanes by which thou couldest haue helped me and giuen me perfect saluation without labour and without any price Notwithstanding so great and so admirable is thy liberalitie that to show me more manifestly the greatnes of thy loue goodnes thou wouldest helpe me with so great dolours that the onely cogitation of them was sufficient to extract bloody sweat from all thy members thy passion a little after through dolor to cleaue a sunder the hardest Rocks O my Lord the heauens doe praise thee and the Angels sette forth thy wonders What didst thou neede our good or were our euils any preiudice vnto thee If thou sinnest sayth Iob what doost thou against him yea when thy sinnes be many what doost thou vnto him If thou be righteous what giuest thou vnto him or what receiueth he at thy hand Thys GOD so rich so voyde of all euill he whose riches whose power whose wisedome cannot increase or be greater then it is he that was neither before nor after the creation of the world greater or lesser then he is now he that is neither more illustrious or lesse glorious because Angels sing his prayse and men doe glorifie him nay if all the creatures should curse and blaspheme him thys great Lord not of necessity but of meere charitie it not hindering him that we were his enemies he dyd not disdaine to incline and bend the heauens of his maiestie and to descend into this valley of misery to be clothed with the flesh of our mortalitie and to take all our debts vpon him to cancell them to suffer and vnder-goe greater torments then euer any suffered heeretofore or shall suffer heereafter Ah my Lord for the loue of me thou wast borne in a stable and layd in a Cratch for me thou wast circumcized the eyght day for me thou flying into Egipt liuedst there in banishment seauen whole yeeres and for mee thou diddest sustaine diuers persecutions and wast molested and vexed with infinite iniuries For the loue of
and placeth his seate and mansion in it Wherefore if thou comparest all the riches and honours of this world and all naturall graces with the beauty and riches of a iustified soule all will seeme most obscure and most vild in comparison of it For as great difference as there is betweene heauen and earth betweene a spirit and a body betweene eternity and momentary time so great difference also is there found betweene the life of grace and the life of nature betweene the beauty of the soule and the body betweene the inward riches and the outward betweene the spirituall strength and the naturall For all these are circumscribed within certaine limits they are temporall and appeare onelie beautifull to the corporall eyes to which a generall comming of God is sufficient but to the other a speciall perticuler and supernaturall comming is required Neither can they be called temporall when they bring vs to eternity neyther can they be called altogether finite because they bring the infinite God to vs in whose eyes they are so precious and of such valour that by theyr beauty they prouoke God to loue vs. Furthermore when as God could haue wrought all these things by his helpe and will he would not doe it but it pleased him to adorne the soule with infused vertues and with the gifts of his holy Spirit with which not onely the very Essence of the soule but also all her powers are clothed and adorned with these diuine habites To all these diuine benefits the eternall and infinite goodnes of God doth ioyne another that is the presence and ayde of the holy Ghost and so of all the most sacred Trinity which doth turne into a iustified soule and doth come that he may dwell in her that he may teach her how to vse rightly so great riches as a good father who not content to haue giuen riches to his sonne but doth giue him also a Tutor who well knoweth how to dispose bestow them Insomuch that euen as Vipers Dragons and Serpents doe dwel in the soule of a sinner which are a multitude of ill malignant spirits who chose their habitation and abiding in such a soule as our Sauior saith in Mathew so on the cōtrary part the holy Spirit with the whole blessed Trinity doth enter into a iustified soule casting out al monsters and infernall beasts doth consecrate it for a Temple vnto himselfe and doth place his seate there as the Lord expresly testifieth in the Gospel saying If any man loueth me he will keepe my sayings my Father will loue him and we will come vnto him and will dwell with him By the vertue of these words all the Doctors as wel Ecclesiasticall as Schoolemen confesse that the holy Ghost himselfe by a certaine speciall peculier meanes doth dwel in a iustified soule distinguishing betweene the holy Ghost his gifts saying moreouer not only these gifts to be giuen of the holy ghost but also the holy Ghost to giue himselfe who entring into this soule doth make it his Temple habitation placing his seate in it Therfore he doth purge and sanctifie it doth adorne it with his gifts that it may be an In worthy of such a guest These benefits afore-sayd doe not suffice vnlesse that admirable one come to which is that all the iustified are made the liuely members of our Sauiour which before were dead members for they did not receaue and take their influences from the head Christ. Hence others and those very great prerogatiues and dignities doe proceede for hence it is that the sonne of God loueth them as his owne members and hath no lesser care of them then of himselfe he is no lesse carefull for them then for his owne members without intermission hee poureth his vertue and grace vpon them as the head vpon his members to be briefe the eternall Father doth behold them with fauourable eyes no otherwise then the liuely members of his onely begotten Sonne vnited and incorporated with him by the participation of his spirit Of the same dignity it proceedeth that when those that are iustified doe aske for fauour and grace of God they aske it with great confidence for they know that they doe aske it not onely for themselues but also for the sonne of God himselfe who is honoured in them and with them For seeing that it may not be denied but that which the members doe the head also doth the same it followeth that seeing Christ is their head when they aske any thing for themselues they aske it also for him For if it be true that they as sayth the Apostle who offend against the members of Christ doe offend against Christ himselfe and if Christ doth say that he suffereth persecution when his members doe suffer persecution as he sayde to his Apostle persecuting his Church why doest thou meruaile my brother if I say that when the members are honoured that then Christ himselfe is also honoured Which seeing that it is so how great confidence will a righteous man haue in his prayer when he considereth that desiring fauour and grace for himselfe after a certaine manner he also desireth the same of the eternall Father for his best beloued sonne Is it not true that when fauour is done to any man for the loue of an other that it is done principally for him for whose loue it is done For wee beleeue that he that showeth mercy to a poore man for Gods sake that he not onely doth shew it to the poore man but also to God himselfe Neyther heere yet is an end of the heauenly benefits for to all these benefits afore-sayd this as last is ioyned to which all the other are appoynted and ordayned that is the right and possession of eternall life which is giuen to the iustified For as that our infinite and vnmeasurable Lord in whom together shineth all iustice and mercy adiudgeth to euerlasting payne those that doe not repent so hee taketh to eternall life all those that truly repent And when as he could haue pardoned man of all his sinnes and receaued him into his friendship and fauor with communion and participation of his glory yet he would not doe it but those to whom for his mercies sake he remitteth sinnes he also iustifieth whom he iustifieth those he maketh his sonnes whom he maketh his sonnes those also he maketh heires and pertakers of his celestiall inheritance together with his onely begotten sonne Hence ariseth that liuely hope which maketh the iustified merry and glad in all tribulation by reason of the pledge and earnest of this infinite treasure For although they see themselues brought into straights to be afflicted with infirmities to be oppressed with the miseries of this life yet they know that the afflictions of this present time are not worthy of the glory which shall be shewed vnto them And also they know that this light affliction which is but
his life These therefore sufficiently prooue that saying of the Wiseman to be true Remember thy end and thou shalt neuer doe amisse Goe to therefore if this consideration doth so surely draw a man from sinne let vs carefully runne ouer those things which are wont to be spoken of death that we may obtaine that excellent and notable good Remember therfore my brother that thou art a Christian and a man because thou art a man it is certaine that thou must die because thou art a Christian it is certaine that thou must giue an account of thy lyfe after that thou art dead Heere the fayth that we hold and professe excludeth all doubt and thus the experience teacheth vs vvhich we daily see before our eyes So that no man is free from thys cup but all must drinke of it whether he be Emperour King or whatsoeuer he be That day sometime will be when as thou shalt liue in the morning but shalt not lyue at night That day at the length wil come but when it will be whether to day or to morrowe it is altogether vncertaine in the which thou thy selfe who novve readest these things which we write beeing strong and lustie measuring thy life with longnes of desires and thy dayes vvith multitude of businesses thou shalt see thy selfe lying in a bedde expecting the blow and sentence of fearefull death spred ouer all mankinde from which no man can appeale to any other Iudge But most of all we must consider how vncertaine that houre is for that is wont to come for the most part when it is least looked for and when as man is secure in all things doth least thinke of it but beeing busied and earnest about the businesse and necessities of this life doth cast with himselfe to lyue and ouer-passe many dayes For which cause it is sayde that it commeth like a theese in the night who is wont then to come when as men doe soundly sleepe and beeing secure doe thinke of nothing lesse then of the theft so neerly hanging ouer them Before death come great and grieuous infirmities goe before which are to be considered with all their accidents griefes vexations molestations loathings decocted syrrups fumigations pills gargarismes and other medicines and also of the long nights which at thys time bring much teadiousnesse and wearinesse For euen as he that would conquer a Castle at the first doth make way to the ruine with his greater shot after he doth assault inuade and possesse it so before death great infirmitie is sent which doth so vanquish and breake the naturall strength that it giueth no rest to man whether it be by day or by night but without intermission shaketh and wringeth all the chiefe members of the body so that the soule can no longger defend her Castle neither can any longer be preserued in it wherefore the relinquisheth the body hauing escaped flyeth out of it and goeth to another place But when as the infirmitie doth draw to that passe that eyther the sicke partie or the Phisition beginneth to doubt despaire of lyfe good God what streights what oppressings what griefes doe then crush teare the miserable hart For then the whole race and processe of thy precedent life dooth come inâ—o thy minde then is it represented vnto thee that thou must leaue all those things which heere thou so deerly louest vvife chyldren friends parents riches honours titles offices and other things which leaue off to be and take end with thy lyfe After these things those last accidents grow on which are ioyned with death it selfe which are much greater then these going before The forehead waxeth hard the skinne is stretched out from whence cold sweat breaketh foorth the eyes vvaxe dimme sayle and are writhen about with intollerable payne the eares grow deafe the nose doth sincke downe the nosthrils are filled with filth the countenaunce waxeth pale the mouth is disturbed the tongue is vnmoueable and ceaseth to doe his dutie any more the tast perrisheth the lipps waxe blewe and wanne the breath gathering it selfe from the bottome of the breast faileth the hands waxe cold the nayles waxe black the pulse languisheth and is very little but very thicke sometime it ceaseth and sometimes striketh softly the feete die and loose theyr naturall heate What neede I many wordes all the flesh is turned to corruption and all the members and all the sences are disturbed troubled by reason of theyr too hastie seperation After thys maner a man must at his departure out of thys life recompence the labors and sorrowes of those by whom he entred into thys world bearing those griefes at his end which his mother bare when shee brought him forth And so the proportion of mans departure and entrance into this world is notable for both is full of sorrowes his ingresse hath the sorrowes of another his egresse his owne Whilst man is tost in this straight sodainly the agony of death is at hand the ende of life is presented to the memorie the horrour also of the graue and the infelicity of his body which straightwayes is to be meate for wormes but especially the soule is plunged which as yet remayneth in the body but after an houre or two being seperated from the body it knoweth not what entertainement or dwelling place it shall haue Then thou wilt thinke that the iudgement of God is present at hand then thou shalt see before thee all thy sinnes which will accuse thee before the iudgement seate of the Diuine iustice then thou at the length too late wilt acknowledge how filthie the crimes were which thou so easily didst commit then with many cursings and execrations thou wilt banne that day in which thou didst offend thou wilt bitterly curse the pleasures and delights which moued thee with their enticements to sinne In that houre thou canst not sufficiently wonder at thy selfe and thy lenity who for things so vaine and of no moment as those were which thou wast wont to loue with so inordinate loue hast cast thy selfe in danger to suffer so intollerable paines of the which in that most sorrowfull houre thou shalt make no small experiment For the pleasures passing away the iudgment of them approching that which before of it selfe was but little and now ceaseth to be shall seeme to be nothing but that which is great of it selfe and present at hand thou shalt suppose that it is greater then it is because at the length thou shalt manifestly know it with all the circumstances When as therefore thou shalt see that for matters so vaine and light I will not say filthy thou hast depriued thy selfe of so great blessings and casting thy eyes heere and there thou shalt see thy selfe on euery side compassed about with griefes and tribulations because longer thou canst not liue and for repentance there is neyther place nor time the number of thy dayes are come to an end they cannot helpe thee whom
thou hast loued with so an inordinate loue much lesse the Idols which thou adoredst what doe I say that they cannot helpe thee Yea those things which thou louedst most and which were in the greatest estimation with thee these then most of all shall vexe and torment thee tell me I pray thee when thou seest thy selfe left in this danger what minde or what courage wilt thou haue Whether wilt thou goe What wilt thou doe Whom wilt thou call vnto To returne to lyfe it will be vnpossible but to depart out of life it will be intollerable to stay longer in this life it shall not be giuen vnto thee what then wilt thou doe In that day saith the Lord God by his Prophet I will euen cause the sunne to goe downe at noone and I will darken the earth in the cleere day and I will turne your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation and I will make it as the mourning of an onely sonne and the end thereof as a bitter day O fearefull words ô dreadfull sentence shaking all harts In that day sayth he the sunne shal goe downe at noone for in that houre the multitude of their offences shall be set before sinners and they seeing the deuine iustice to cut off the thred of their life some of them shall be strucken with so great feare and trembling and shall be so destitute of all hope and trust that they shall suppose themselues to be reprobate and vtterly excluded from the diuine mercy Be it that as yet they are in the noone mid-day that is that they are in the course of their life which is time as yet to for sake their sinfull wayes and to lay hold on Christ yet they shall perswade themselues that this time is ouer-past and that all grace and fauour is shut vp from them The most powerfull and mightiest perturbation of the minde is feare which supposeth euery small thing to be great and alwayes dreadeth things absent as present If a small feare of any thing doth this what shall that true feare doe conceaued of so fearefull and capitall dangers Be it that yet they suruiue and that they are placed in this life in the midst of their friends neuerthelesse they suppose that they as it were experiment and feele the dolours and punishments of the damned At one and the selfe same time they thinke themselues aliue and dead and they being caught with the sorrow of present things which they are to leaue they begin to feele the future euils which they feare They iudge them blessed and happy who are left in this world and of this enuy new sorrowes arise and increase Therfore then the sunne goeth downe at noone vnto them when they casting their eyes euery way shall see euery where entrance into heauen to be shut and denied vnto them neyther any beame of light shall appeare or shine vnto them For if they looke vnto the mercy of God they shall suppose themselues vnworthy that God should haue mercy on them if they flye vnto the diuine iustice they shall suspect that all cruell tortures are prepared for them and that hetherto their day hath beene but now that the day of the Lord doth hang ouer them yea they shall thinke that euen now it beginneth If they call to minde their life past euery part of that doth reprehend them if they behold the present time they see that now they are dying if the future time which is now at hand they see the Iudge sitting vpon his tribunall and expect iudgement from him Being compassed with so many causes of feare what will they doe whether will they goe The Prophet proceedeth And I will darken the earth in the cleere day that is those things which heeretofore were wont sweetly to delight thee now they shal exceedingly torment thee and shall strike and thrust through thy soule with intollerable stings and pricks of griefe It is pleasant and delightfull to a man liuing and in health to see his children to enioy his friends to gouerne his houshold to haue much riches and to possesse with pleasure whatsoeuer the minde desireth But then all that pleasure shall be turned into sorrow For all these afore-sayde with most bitter torments shall rend and cut in peeces thy miserable conscience and they shall be sharpe speares to wound their louers It is naturall that as the possession and presence of a thing which we loue doth ioy vs and make vs merry so the absence of the same thing doth bring heauines and sorrowe Hence it is that the sonnes doe flie the presence of their dying father and the louing and religious wife being full of anguish doth hide her selfe from her husbands face least by her presence she might encrease his dolours For although the soule being by and by to be seperated from the body hath a long and dangerous iourney to goe yet the great greefe doth not permit any obseruation of the termes of humanity and ciuility neyther doth it graunt the soule euen now iourneying before her departure to bid farewell to her friends If thou my Reader at anie time shall come to this passe thou shalt surely vnderstand that I speake nothing but truth but if thou as yet neuer camst into this danger at least beleeue them which haue had experience of these things For they that saile ouer the Sea as the Wiseman sayth tell of the perils thereof If therefore they be such and so great which goe before this dolorous and lamentable seperation what manner and how great doest thou thinke that they will be which shall follow after If the preparation be so great what shall the solemnity it selfe be For straight-wayes after death the account shall follow which that most iust Iudge shall require of the soule which how mightily it is to be feared I would not haue thee to learne of the men of this world who as they dwell in Egipt that is in a Land of darkues so they liue in great blindnes and intollerable errours But in this matter aske counsaile of the Saints of God who dwell in the Land of Goshen in which alwayes the light of truth shineth and they will teach thee not onely with words but also by examples how greatly this account is to be feared Without doubt King Dauid was a most holy man neuerthelesse so great was his feare which he conceaued being mindfull of rendring this account that he sayd in his prayer to the Lord Enter not ô Lord into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shal none that liueth be iustified Arsenius was a holy man who yet when he should dye began to weepe and to tremble after that manner that his Schollers who stoode about him being moued at this his trembling asked and sayd vnto him Father why weepest thou Why doest thou tremble What doest thou also feare To whom he aunswered I feare in truth and verity and this feare which now is
the print thereof in the heeles of my feete Such one consumeth like a rotten thing and as a garment that is moth-eaten And a little after Man that is borne of a woman is of short continuance and full of trouble He shooteth forth as a flower and is cut downe he vanisheth also as a shadow and continueth not Doost thou thinke it meete to open thine eyes vpon such an one and to bring him with thee vnto iudgement Who can bring a cleane thing out of filthines All these things said holy Iob greatlie wondering at the seuerity of the diuine Iustice which he saw that God did vse vpon man being a creature so fraile and so ready to fall into all euill who drinketh in iniquity like water But if he should vse this seuerity vpon Angels who are spirituall creatures and much more perfect it were lesse to be meruailed at but that God should vse it vpon man whose passions and euill inclinations are innumerable and that by exacting so strict an account that in his whole life hee doth not winke at one idle word nor doth let passe our minute of time ill spent this doth exceede and passe all admiration For who doth not feare and exceedingly tremble when he heareth those words of the Lord Verily I say vnto you that of euery idle word that men shall speake they shall giue account thereof at the day of iudgement Goe too therefore if an account shall be giuen of those words which offend no man what shall become of vnhonest words Of vnchast thoughts of hands full of blood Of the eyes of adulterers To be briefe of all the time of thy life euill spent in the works of iniquity If this be true as it is most true what tongue what eloquence can remember so great things of the rigour and seuerity of this iudgement which shall not be much lesse then the truth of the thing Or which can be equalized with it in any manner of respect How will wretched and miserable man stand astonished and amazed when in the assemblie of so many Senatours and in the presence of such a Councell an account shall be required of a little word which he hath spoken such or such a day without purpose or fruite Who will not be amazed at this demaund Who durst haue sayde these things vnlesse Christ himselfe before had spoken them Who durst haue vttered them vnlesse he had affirmed them What King was euer found that did expostulate or was greeued with his seruants for so small a fault O the depth of Christian Religion how great is the purity which thou teachest How strict is the account which thou exactest And with how seuere a iudgment doost thou examine search out all things How great will that shame be with which wretched and miserable sinners shall be there confounded When as all their iniquities and enormities which closely they committed within the wals of their houses whilst they liued whatsoeuer also vnhonest or filthy thing euen from their birth to their death they haue polluted themselues with all the corners of their hart and euery secret shall be discouered and opened in this Court before the eyes of the whole world Who there shall haue a conscience so pure that when these things shall begin to be done will not straight-wayes change colour and tremble throughout euery part of his body For if a man doth blush and is ashamed to tell his faults secretly to an other how great will that shame be with which sinners shall be confounded in the sight of God and all the world So great shall that shame be that the wicked as the Prophet testifieth shall cry out saying to the mountaines couer vs to the hils fal on vs. But be it that these be tollerable but what wil it be whē as those most sharp keene arrowes of that finall sentence shot from Gods mouth through their harts Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the deuil and his Angels Alas with what dolours wil sinners be tormented hearing this sentence When we can heare but a litle portion of his words saith Iob who can vnderstand his fearful power This voyce shal be so horible of such force that the earth in the twinkling of an eye shall be opened And sodainlie they shall goe downe to the graue as the same Iob sayth those which now take the Tabret and Harpe and reioyce in the sound of the Organs and they that now spend theyr dayes in wealth This fall Saint Iohn describeth in the Reuelation in these words And after these things I saw another Angell come downe from heauen hauing great power so that the earth was lightned with his glory And hee cryed out mightily with a loud voyce saying It is fallen it is fallen Babylon the great Cittie and is become the habitation of deuils and the hold of all foule spirits and a Cage of euery vncleane and hateful Bird. And a little after the same Euangelist addeth saying Then a mighty Angell tooke vp a stone like a great Milstone cast it into the Sea saying with such violenee shall the great Cittie Babilon be cast and shall be found no more After thys manner the wicked shall be cast into that pit and darke prison full of all confusion which in this place is vnderstood by Babylon What tongue shall be able to expresse the multitude and aboundance of paynes which they shall suffer There their bodies shall burne with liuing fire that neuer shall be put out there without intermission their soules shall be gnawne of the worme of conscience which shall suffer them to take no rest there shall be continuall weeping and gnashing of teeth neuer to haue end which the holy Scriptures do so often threaten and repeate In this place of desperation those wretches being damned raging with extreame madnes shall turne their furie against God and shall rage vpon themselues eating their owne flesh tearing their owne bowels most furiously renting one anothers flesh with theyr nayles and continually blaspheming the Iudge who condemned them to these paines There euery one shall curse his miserable estate and his vnhappie birth repeating without ceasing that sorrowfull complaint and those mournfull and forsaken lamentations of Iob Let the day perrish wherein I was borne the night when it vvas said there is a man child conceiued Let that day be darknesse let not GOD regard it from aboue neyther let the light shine vpon it But let darknesse and the shadow of death staine it let the cloudes remaine vppon it and let them make it feareful as a bitter day Let darknes possesse that night let it not be ioyned vnto the dayes of the yeere nor let it come into the count of the Moneths Yea desolate be that night and let no ioy be in it Let them that curse the day being ready to renue theyr mourning curse it Let the starres of that
twilight be dimme through the darknesse of it let it looke for light but haue none neyther let it see the dawning of the day Because it shut not vp the doores of my Mothers wombe nor hid sorrow from mine eyes Why dyed I not in the birth or why dyed I not when I came out of the wombe Why did the knees preuent me and why did I sucke the breastes Thys will be the musicke thys the song which the vnhappie and miserable shall sing without end O vnhappy tongues which pronounce nothing but blasphemies ô vnluckie eyes that see nothing but calamities and miseries ô miserable eares which heare nothing but complaints and gnashings of teeth ô vnhappie bodies which haue no other refreshing but burning flames What minde shal they haue there who whilst thy lyued heere triflingly bestowed their houres and spent all theyr time vpon pleasures and delights O what a long chayne of miseries haue thy short pleasures wrought made for thee O foolish and sencelesse what shall the allurements of the flesh now profit you which you then so much delighted in sith yee are now cursed to eternall mourning and bewayling vvhat is become of your riches vvhere are your treasuries vvhere are your delights vvhere are your ioyes The seauen yeeres of plentie are past and other seauen yeares of dearth and scarcity are come which haue deuoured vp al their plenty no memory or footstep being left of it Your glory is perished and your felicitie is drowned in the Sea of sorrow you are come to that scarcenes and sterilitie that a small droppe of water is not graunted vnto you by which the fierce flaming heate of your throate may be cooled which so exceedingly doth torment you Not onely your delights haue not profited you which you enioyed in this world but they shall be the causes of greater torments For then shal be fulfilled that which is written in the booke of Iob The pittifull man shall forget him the worme shall feele his sweetnes he shall bee no more remēbred the wicked shal be broken like a tree then the sweetnes of the delight of euill things shal be turned into the wormwood of sorow when the memory of fore-passed pleasures according to the exposition of Saint Gregorie shall be get greater bitternesse of present griefes they remembring what somtimes they haue been and what place they now are in and that for that so soone passed away now they suffer that which shall endure for euer Then at the length too late they shall acknowledge the deceits of the deuill and being in the midst of errours they shall begin in vaine to vtter those words of the Wiseman Wee haue erred from the way of truth and the light of righteousness hath not shined vnto vs wee haue wearied our selues in the way of wickednesse and destruction and we haue gone through dangerous wayes but we haue not knowen the way of the Lorde These shall be the complaints these shall be the lamentations this shall be the perpetuall repentance which the damned shall there make world without end when it shall profit them nothing because the time is past and gone in which they should haue brought forth fruites worthy of repentance All these and euery one of them if they be considered are pricks and motiues vnto Vertue Wherfore also Saint Chrisostome dooth vse this argument also in his Homilies that he might stirre vp the people to Vertue That thou maist prepare thy soule saith he as the dwelling and habitation of God remember that horrible and exceeding feareful day in which we all standing before the throne of Christ shall render an account of things done heere our sinnes shall be layde open before the eyes of all people our actions shal be reuealed and showne to all those that know them not where the fierie Riuer and the vnsleeping worme are where all things are naked and open Where the bookes of our harts shall be opened and our secret and hidden deedes done by day or night by ignoraunce or forgetfulnes shall be read manifestly all those things that now lie hid shal be reuealed Thinke therefore that wee must come before a Iudge that cannot be deceaued where not onely our actions but also our words and thoughts shall be iudged where wee shall receaue dreadfull and terrible paynes for those things that seeme but small vnto vs. Alwaies remember these things and neuer forget that vnquenchable flame Haue an eye to him comming to iudge the quick and the dead Thinke vpon the thousands and tenne thousands of Angels wayting vpon the Iudge nowe let thy hearing preuent the sound of the Trump and that feareful sentence of the Iudge condemning Let thine eye fore-see some cast into vtter darknes others excluded and shutte out of the gates after much labour of virginitie Consider some to be gathered as tares and to be cast into a fiery fornace and others deliuered to the vnsleeping worme and to mourning to gnashing of teeth this man to bee iudged for his vnreasonable laughter that man for iniuring his neighbour or because hee hath offended his brother this man to be condemned for faults that he hath forgot another man for an idle word this man to be damned for his ill meaning another for slaunderous rayling one for anger to suffer intollerable punishment another for ignominie some to be depriued of the knowledge of Christ and to heare Verily I say vnto you I know you not because they haue doone those things which Christ hath forbidden These things therefore beeing thus what ones ought we to be or what teares ought we to shedde and to say Oh that mine head were full of water and mine eyes a fountaine of teares that I might weepe day and night But that we may escape this dreadfull punishment Come yee let vs come before the face of the Lord with confession and with diligence and amendement of life let vs call vpon the name of our Lord God For in the pit who shal praise or confesse thy name God hath giuen all things double vnto vs two eyes two eares two hands two feete If therefore one of these be hurt by the other we comfort and relieue our necessitie But he hath giuen but one soule vnto vs if wee shall loose this with what shall we liue Therefore let vs looke to prouide for this let vs preferre nothing before the safetie of it because this is also iudged with the body and is freed and cleered together with it and together with the body dooth appeare before Christes tribunall If thou then shalt say my money allured me the Iudge will say vnto thee hast thou not heard What shal it profit a man though hee should winne the whole worlde if hee lose his owne soule If thou shalt say the deuill deceaued me he also will say vnto thee that it profited Eue nothing to say The Serpent deceaued me Therfore we remembring these things
be the fulnes of light to our vnderstanding the aboundance of peace to our will and the continuance of eternity to our memory There the wisedom of Salomon shall seeme ignorance there the beauty of Absalon shall seeme deformity there the strength of Sampson shall seeme weakenes there the life of those men that liued at the beginning of the world shall be as it were death to conclude there wee may worthily call the treasuries of all Emperours and Kings starke beggerie and pouertie If these things be so ô wretched man as they are in deede wherefore and to what end doost thou desire to stay longer in the Land of Egipt and to gather stubble Why doost thou drinke troubled and foule water out of all cesternes despising the vaine of felicity and the fountaine of liuing waters Why doost thou loue to begge and â—o liue of almes when thou shalt finde such aboundance in heauen If thou desirest pleasure lift vp thine hart and see how delightfull that good is that contayneth in it the delight and pleasure of all good things If this life created doth please thee how much more shall that life please thee which created all things If health giuen make thee merrie how much more shall he make thee merry that giueth all health If the knowledge of the creatures be sweet and acceptable how much more sweeter shall the Creator himselfe be If beauty be acceptable vnto thee it is hee at whose beauty the Sunne and Moone admire If thou desirest nobility hee is the fountaine and originall of all nobility If thou desirest long life and health he is eternal life If thou desirest satiety and aboundance he is the fulnes of al good things If thou delightest in the wel-tuned musicke harmony of mortall men there Angels doe sing most sweetly the Organs of the Citty of God are heard there with great delight and pleasantnes If the friendship familiarity and society of good men doe like thee there thou shalt finde all the elect hauing one minde and one hart If thou thirstest after riches and honours in that house of the Lord they are found in great aboundance To conclude if thou desirest to escape all kinde of punishments tribulations and miseries there thou shalt finde libertie and freedome from them all God commaunded in the olde law that vpon the eight day Circumcision should be celebrated that secretly he might let vs vnderstand that vpon the eight day of our Resurrection which succeedeth the seauenth day of this life God will circumcise and cut off all the griefes sorrowes miseries and calamities of them that for his loue whilst they liued haue circumcised and cut off their appetites lusts and sinnes What thing then can be found out more blessed or happy then this estate of liuing most free from all kinde of misery What sayth Saint Augustine is more blessed then this life where there is no feare of pouerty no infirmity of sicknes No man is hurt none angry none enuieth no concupiscence is kindled no appetite of meat no ambition of honour or dominion doth vrge or moue thee There is no feare of the deuill no deceipts of deuils the terror of hell is farre of there is neyther death of body or soule but a pleasant life through the gift of immortality Then there shall be no mischiefes no discords but all agreement because there shall be one concord of all the Saints Peace and ioy embrace all things all thinges are at quiet and rest there is continuall brightnes and shining not that which is now but much more bright and cleare because that Citty as it is reade needeth neyther Sunne nor Moone but the Lord almighty shall enlighten it and the Lambe is the light of it Where the Saints shall shine as the brightnes of the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnes as the starres for euer and euer Wherefore there is no night no darknes no concourse of cloudes neyther anie distemperature or vnseasonablenes of heate or cold but there shall be such a temperature and moderation of all things which neyther the eye hath seene nor the eare hath heard neyther hath it entred into the hart of man except of them who are found worthy to enioy it whose names are written in the booke of life But aboue all these things it is to be consociate with the assembly of Angels and Archangels and of all the celestiall powers to behold the Patriarches and Prophets to see the Apostles and all the Saints to see also our parents These are glorious but much more glorious is it to behold the countenance of the Lord and to see that light not to be circumscribed that will be superexcellent glory when we shal see God in himselfe wee shall see and shall haue him in vs whom to behold there shall be no end O my soule sayth the same holy man if wee daily should suffer torments if for a long time we should endure hell it selfe that we might see Christ in his glory and haue society with his Saints were it not a thing worthy to suffer all bitternes and all crosse that we might be pertakers of so great good and so great glory Therfore let the deuils lye in waite for me let them prepare temptations let fastings weaken my body let hard and course cloathing afflict my flesh let labours oppresse mee let watchings dry me vp let this man cry out against me let this or that disquiet mee let cold benum me let my conscience murmur against mee let heate burne mee let my head ake let my hart boyle within me let my stomach faile mee let my countenance waxe pale let euery part of me be enfeebled let my life forsake me in griefe and let my yeeres end in sorrow let rottennes enter into my bones and flow vnder me so that I may rest in the day of tribulation and that I may ascend to the holy hil For what shal be the glory of the righteous How great the ioy of the Saints when as euery face shal shine as the Sun Hetherto S. Augustine If this good be so great and so vniuersall what shal the felicity and glory be of those blessed eyes which shal behold all these things How excellent a thing wil it be to see the beauty of this Citty And the glory of the Cittizens The face of the Creator The magnificence of the buildings The riches of the Pallace and the common ioy of that Countrey How pleasant a thing wil it be to see the orders of the blessed Spirits The authority of that holy Senate And the maiesty of those venerable Seniours and Elders which Saint Iohn saw Sitting vpon thrones in the sight of God clothed in white rayment and hauing on their heads crownes of gold How sweet and how pleasant wil it be to heare those sweet angelical voyces the consent of theyr musicke most excellently composed of maister singers such Psalmody of such holy singers such Symphonie
so metrically ordered not of foure or fiue voyces as that is which wee now vse but tuned and ruled with the variety of so many numerous and harmonious voyces as there be Elect What great pleasure wil it be to heare theyr most sweet songs which S. Iohn heard in his Reuelation And they worshipped God sayth he saying Prayse and glory and wisedome and thanks and honour and power and might be vnto our God for euermore Amen If the glory and pleasure be so great to heare this harmonie and consent of voyces what wil it be to see the concord of bodies and soules so conformable and vniforme But how much more admirable wil it be to behold so great vnion of men and Angels What doe I say of men and Angels Yea so great an vnion betweene man and God himselfe Aboue al these it cannot fitly be imagined how acceptable and welcome a thing it wil be to see those most spacious fields and fountaines of lyfe and those most delicate feedings vpon the mountaines of Israel What wil it be to sit at that royall table to haue a place amongst those inuited Nobles and to dip thine hand into the dish with God that is to enioy one and the same glory of God There the Saints shal rest shal reioyce sing prayse and going in and out they shal finde pastures of inestimable delight If the rewards of Vertue be so great and so precious which our Catholique faith doe promise vs who wil be so blind slothful negligent and so peruerse that is not moued to contend with his whole strength for the obtayning of a reward so copious ample and large THE TENTH TITLE That the last of those foure last things that happen vnto vs that is Hell fire doth bind vs to seeke after Vertue CHAP. X. THE least of those good things which hetherto we haue remembred ought to be sufficient to beget a loue of Vertue in our minds by which we may obtayne so great blessings Now if to this vnmeasurable glory the greatnes of the torments of hel be added which are prepared for the wicked who wil be so hard harted and of so rebellious a mind that vices being forsaken wil not hereafter willingly embrace Vertue For the vngodly and peruerse shal not comfort themselues with this voyce Be it that I am wicked vngodly what then Shal I not enter into that heauenly glory Shal I not reioyce with God In this consists al my punishment Of other things I am not careful because I shal haue neyther glory nor any other punishment O my brother thou art deceaued the matter stands not so For it is of necessity that one of these must happen vnto thee that either thou shalt raigne eternally with God or that thou shalt be tormented with the deuils in euerlasting flames For betweene these two extreames there is no meane This is excellently shadowed out vnto vs in the figure of those two baskets which the Lord shewed vnto the Prophet Ieremy before the gate of the Temple for one basket had verie good figs euen like the figs that are first ripe and the other basket had very naughty figs which could not be eaten they were so euil The Lord by this spectacle would shew vnto his Prophet two kindes of men one to whom hee would shew mercy the other that he would punish according to his iustice The estate and condition of the first kinde of men was passing good neyther can a better be giuen of the other exceeding ill then which a worse cannot be found The condition and lot of the good is to see God which is the chiefest of al blessings but the misfortune and vnhappines of the wicked shal be to be depriued foâ—â—uer of the sight of God which euil is the worst of al euils These things ought they diligently to consider and alwayes to meditate vpon who feare not to commit sinne when as they see so great a burthen and so cruel and direful punishment appoynted for sinne Porters and Cariers when they are called to carry a burthen on their shoulders first they looke diligently vpon it then they peise and lift it vp and try whether they be able to vndergoe it and whether they can carry it and thou ô miserable man to whom sinnes are so pleasing that for a little pleasure hast enthralled thy selfe to carry the burthen of it ah mad man first prooue and assay how great the waight is of the burthen that is of the punishment which thou shalt suffer for this pleasure that thou mayst vnderstand whether thou hast strength to beare it That this proofe may be made more conueniently I wil bring hether a certaine consideration by the which after some manner thou shalt be able to vnderstand the quality and greatnes of the torments of hel that thou mayst make a triall whether thou beest sufficient to beare the burthen which thou vndertakest to carry when thou sinnest Let this then be the first consideration the greatnes and infinite immensity of God who will chastice and punish sinne that wee may see what an one God is in all his works This is it that I would say that God is great and admirable in al things not onely in the sea in earth and in heauen but also in hel In so much that if the Lord be God in al his works as we see that he is he wil be God also in his wrath in his iustice and in the punishment of sinners For this cause the Lord sayth by Ieremy Feare ye not me or will ye not be afrayde at my presence which haue placed the sand for the bounds of the Sea by the perpetuall decree that it cannot passe it and though the waues thereof rage yet can they not preuaile though they roare yet can they not passe ouer it That is ouer the limits appoynted of me As if he should say is it not meete that ye feare the arme of the Lord so mighty whose greatnes this admirable worke doth sufficiently shew He therfore that is great in al his works shal he not be great in punishing of sinners Hee that for one thing is worthy whom we doe reuerence and adore shal he not be worthy for an other thing that he may be feared For this cause the same Prophet although he was innocent and sanctified in his mothers wombe so greatly feared the Lord when he sayd There is none like vnto thee ô Lord thou art great and thy name is great in power Who would not feare thee ô King of Nations For to thee appertayneth the dominion for among all the wise men of the Gentiles and in all their kingdomes there is none like thee And in an other place I kept me farre off from men because my hart was full of the feare of thy wrath Although this Prophet was certaine that this wrath was not kindled against him yet it was so great that it brought feare vpon him Therefore it was sayd
very well That hee beholdeth the earth and hee maketh it to tremble he toucheth the mountaines and they smoake And that the starres and pillers of heauen tremble and quake at his reproofe And it is said of him not without reason that before his maiesty those great principalities and supreame powers doe tremble not because they are not secure of their owne glory but because the greatnes of the diuine Maiesty doth strike feare and trembling into them If therfore they that be perfect be not without feare what shal they doe that are guilty and contemners of the diuine Maiesty They are those vpon whom hee wil poure out the fury of his indignation This is one of the principal reasons why the greatnes of this punishment is to be feared as S. Iohn plainely teacheth in his Reuelation where he after this manner speaketh of the scourges and torments of the Lord. Therefore shall her plagues come at one day he speaketh of Babilon death and sorrow and famine and she shall be burnt with fire for strong is the Lord God which will condemne her The Apostle also was not ignorant of the strength of this Lord and therfore he sayd It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the Lord. It is not a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of men because they are not so mighty but we may escape their violence and flye from their fury neyther haue they such authority that they can thrust the soule into hel Therfore our Sauiour sayd to his Disciples Feare not them that kill the body but cannot kill the soule but rather feare him who can cast both body and soule into hell fire These be the hands into which the holy Apostle sayth that it is a feareful thing to fall Of these things it is no hard matter to gather what is the nature of those hands of which Ecclesiasticus speaketh If we doe not repent we shall fall into the hands of the Lord and not into the hands of men By all which it is most manifest that as God is great in power in Maiestie and in all his works so he will be great in wrath in iustice and in the punishments of the wicked The same also is yet more plainly seene in examining the Diuine iustice the effects aud executions of which be these punishments Thys is after some manner knowen by the effects that is by the feareful punishments of God inflicted at diuers times vpon wicked men sundry of which are remembred in the Scriptures How terrible was the punishment of Dathan and Abiron and of all theyr complices whom the earth opening her mouth swallowed vp with theyr Tents and all their substance and they went quick into hel because they had stirred vp sedition against Moses and the Priests Who euer heard such like kind of threatnings as those that are read in Deuteronomie and they are purposed and threatned against thē who doe not obserue the Lawe of the Lord where amongst other horrible and feareful threatnings thus sayth the Lord Thou shalt be besieged in all thy Citties throughout all thy Land which the Lord thy God hath giuen thee And thou shalt eate the fruite of thy bodie euen the flesh of thy sonnes and thy daughters which the Lord thy God hath giuen thee during the siege and straightnes wherein thine enemies shall enclose thee So that the man that is tender and exceeding daintie among you shal be grieued at his brother at his wife that lieth in his bosome at the remnant of his children which he hath yet left For feare of giuing vnto any of them of the flesh of his children whom he shall eate because he hath nothing left him in that siedge and straightnes wherwith thine enemie shall besiedge thee in all thy Citties The tender and daintie woman among you which neuer would venter to sette the sole of her foote vpon the ground for her softnesse and tendernesse shall be grieued at her husband vvhich lieth in her bosome and at her sonne and at her daughter and at her after birth that shall come out from betweene her feete and at her children which shee shall beare for when all things lacke shee shall eate them secretlie during the siedge and straightnesse vvhere-with thine enemie shall besiedge thee in thy Citties Horrible and to be trembled at are these punishments yet both these and al other with which men haue at any time been punished in this world are no other thing then a smal shadow and a figure of those punishments which tarry for the damned in the other world for that shall bee the time in which the Diuine iustice shal shine vpon and against those that heere haue refused his mercy But if the shadow be so horrible who shal be able to sustaine the truth of the matter and the thing it selfe If now when as the Diuine iustice is as yet tempered with mercy and the cup of the wrath of the Lord is mixed with the water of his grace be so bitter what will it be when it shall be drunke pure without mercy especially of those that would shewe no mercy to theyr neighbour although the punishment will alwayes be lesse then the desert and merrit of the sinne Neyther onely dooth the greatnesse of the iustice argue the greatnes of the punishment but also the greatnes of the mercie of the goodnes of which wicked men presume so much For what is more admirable then to see GOD clothed with mans flesh and in it to suffer all kinde of torments reproches euen from his entrance into this life to his going foorth of it which he ended vpon the Crosse What greater mercy then to come into this world and to take vppon him the debts of the vvhole world that he might disburthen the world of them to shed his blood for them who shedde his blood Therefore as the works of the Diuine mercie are admirable so are the workes of the Diuine iustice to be feared for there is not in God lesser or greater but seeing that God is wholy and all that hee is in himselfe therefore as much as his mercie is so much necessarilie is his iustice in those things that pertaine vnto it For euen as by the greatnes of one arme we gather the quantity of the other so by the greatnes of the arme of the Diuine mercy we measure also the quantity of the Diuine iustice seeing that there is one and the same measure of them both Now therefore tell me I pray thee if in that time in vvhich GOD would shewe his mercy to the world hee wrought so admirable things and so incredible to the world that the world supposed them to be foolishnes when the time of hys second comming shall approch in which he determineth to shewe the greatnesse of his iustice what doost thou thinke that hee vvill doe hauing so many moe greater occasions by howe much there
shall be moe and greater offences of men For the mercie of GOD had not any thing that might prouoke it or desire it seeing there was nothing in mans nature that might deserue it but the Diuine iustice shal haue so many pricks motiues and pullers on for reuengement as there hath been sinnes committed in thys world ánd of these sufficient coniectures may bee taken how great and howe terrible the Diuine iustice will be This thing Saint Bernard excellently declareth in a certaine sermon of the Natiuitie of our Lord Looke how milde gentle he was saith he in his first comming so hard and inexorable will he be in his second and as now there is no man that may not be reconciled so after a short time there shal be no man that may Because as the gentlenes and benignitie appeared beyond all hope and esteeme so we must expect the sharpnes and seueritie of the iudgement to be God is vnmeasurable infinite in iustice as he is in mercy great to pardon great to punish but mercy doth challenge the first place that if we will iustice might not be found vpon whom it should be extended This sayth Bernard By thys it sufficiently appeareth how that by the mercie of God the quantitie of his iustice may be gathered The diuine Psalmographer doth most excellently shew thē both This is our God sayth he euen the GOD that saueth vs and to the Lord God belong the issues of death Sure God wil wound the head of his enemies the hearie pate of him that walketh in his sinnes Thou seest by these my brother that the Lorde is as seuere to his enemies and to those that rebell against him as he is kinde and mercifull to his friends The same thing the Diuine pacience doth most plainly teach which hee vseth as well towards the whole world as towards all sorts of men good and euill For we see many men so disordered and dissolute and of so reprobate a life that from the first time that they begin to open theyr eyes of reason euen to the last day of theyr life doe consume and spend the greater part of theyr life in offending God and contemning his diuine commaundements hauing neither respect nor regard of the promises threatnings benefits or coūsels of God or of any other thing Neuerthelesse in al the time of theyr life the great goodnes of God wayteth for them wyth great patience not cutting off the thred of theyr life not ceasing to call them by many wayes to repentance although he see no token of amendement in them But when that long patience shal come to an end if he shal poure vpon them the store-house of his wrath whom so many yeeres by little and little he hath beene gathering into the bosome of his iustice with what force with what violence thinkest thou that they shal be ouerwhelmed What other thing would the Apostle signifie when he said Despisest thou the riches of his bountifulnesse and patience long sufferance not knowing that the bountifulnesse of GOD leadeth thee to repentance But thou after thine hardnesse and hart that cannot repent heapest vnto thy selfe wrath against the day of vvrath of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God Who will reward euerie man according to his workes What is it that he sayth thou heapest wrath vnto thy selfe but that hee may signifie that as one gathering a treasurie doth daily adde a penny to a penny doth heape riches to riches for so the masse dooth increase so the Lord doth euery day enlarge the heape of his wrath as the wicked man by his ill actions dooth increase accounts to be rendered for them Tell mee I pray thee if any man in gathering treasure should so closely and diligently sticke to it that neyther any day or houre should passe in which hee woulde not adde somewhat to it and that by the space of fiftie or sixtie yeeres if at any time afterwards he should vnlock his doore enter into his treasure house what great store of treasure should he finde there O vnhappy man doost thou not marke that neyther day nor houre passeth in which thou doost not augment the heape of Gods wrath which is reserued for thy destruction that is increased and augmented by euery sinne that thou committest For although there were no other thing but the dishonest looke of thine eyes the impure thought or vncleane desire and the hatred of thine hart the word and periurie of thy mouth these were enough alone to fill the whole world But if to these all thy other vices sinnes be ioyned meditate I pray thee what an vnmeasurable masse of the wrath of GOD thou hast heaped to thy selfe by the space of so many yeares If the ingratitude and maliciousnes of peruerse men be well searched into they will shewe vnto vs the greatnesse of the Diuine punishments That thys is true consider the goodnesse and liberalitie of GOD towards men consider moreouer that which he dyd and sayd in thys world with that which he suffered for them all Consider also the commodities and necessaries for the vse of men prepared of hym that they might liue well and all other things that he hath pardoned vnto sinners or winked at how many blessings he hath bestowed vpon them and from hovve many euils he hath deliuered them and many other kind of fauours and benefits which daily he bestoweth vpon them All these things increase and multiply the heape of Gods vvrath Moreouer call to thy minde the forgetfulnesse and negligence of men towards God and also theyr ingratitude and rebellion lastly their blasphemies and contempt as well of God himselfe as of his commaundements which are so great that not onely they looke for no gaine or profit of theyr sinning but oftentimes of onely maliciousnes they tread foolishly all that vnder theyr feete which the Lord hath commaunded He therefore that without any reuerence or shamefastnes despiseth so great a Maiestie no otherwise then if he were some Figge-tree God who so often as Paule speaketh hath troden vnder-foote the son of God and hath counted the blood of the Testament as an vnholie thing wherewith he was sanctified he that so often hath crucified him with his works worse then the works of Pagans what other thing is to be looked for of him when the houre of rendering an account shall come then that he giue the honour to God or suffer so much punishment as he hath iniured God For seeing that GOD is a iust Iudge it is his duety to bevvare that the punishments be not lesse then the iniuries done but that they be like to the sinne of him who hath beene iniurious In thys case if it be God to whom the iniurie is doone vvhat sentence shall be pronounced against the body and soule of the condemned that the iniury doone may bee recompenced by worthy punishment But if in the satisfaction of the offence done to God the
these euils It is most certaine that if God should grant to thee a choyce and say all the time that thou liuest thou shalt eyther be tormented with the goute or be extreamely vexed with the tooth-ache which disease neyther night nor day shal suffer thee to take any case or rest or if thou wouldest be free from these diseases thou shalt enter into some austere and straight kinde of lyuing which thy nature can hardly brooke consider with thy selfe which of these thou wouldest choose I doe not thinke that a man can be found so foolish who for the onely loue of himselfe would not choose rather this straight kinde of liuing then that he would endure so long time these griefes and dolours Seeing that therefore the discruciatements and dolours that we speake of are infinitely more greeuous in diuturnity of time without any comparison longer and this austere and straight kinde of lyuing which God requireth of thee is much more lesse then that thy nature can brooke and beare vvhat madnes is it then to be vnwilling to vndergoe so small labours and so short troubles by which thou mayest escape those eternall torments Who doth not see that this is the greatest errour of this world and intollerable madnes But the reward and fruite will be that whilst a man will not free himselfe here from so great euils by a small labour of repentance that there he shall make euerlasting sorrow and repentance without any fruite or profit Wee haue a figure of this thing in the furnace which King Nabuchodonozer commaunded to be heated in Babilon The flame of which mounted aboue the furnace nine and fortie Cubits for the defect of one Cubit it came not to the number of fifty which signifieth the yeere of Iubily that we may vnderstand that although these eternall flames of Babilon that is of hell doe burne aboue measure and most cruelly doe torment the miserable and wretched being damned yet they shall neuer come to that to obtayne the fauour of a true Iubily O punishments without profit ô barren teares ô sharpe and bitter repentance yet voyde of all hope and solace How little of those thinges that there the damned suffer without fruite if they heere had suffered willingly and patiently might haue preserued them from these euils How easily might they haue beene deliuered and for how small paines Therefore let fountaines of teares flow out of our eyes and let sighs without ceasing be fetched from the bottome of our harts Therefore I will mourne and howle sayth the Prophet I will goe without cloathes and naked I will make lamentation like the Dragons and mourning as the Ostriches because the plagues of my people are greeuous If these things were suspected of men and if there were no credite to be giuen to these things or if they were doubtful and vncertaine after some manner it were tollerable if men fel into this error But we professing all these things most assuredly and with a most vndoubted beleefe and knowing most certainly as our Sauiour sayth That heauen and earth shal passe but not one iote or one title of these things shall scape till all things be fulfilled And saying plainely that all these things are to be holden most religiously and yet liuing securely and negligently this doth passe all wonder and admiration Tell me ô blind and witles man what thou doost finde worthy amongst the riches and goods of this world that may be compared with this price Graunt it sayth Saint Ierome that there is in thee the wisedome of Salomon the beauty of Absalon and the strength of Sampson let the yeeres and life of Enoch be promised vnto thee possesse the riches of Craesus and the power of Octauian what shall all these things profit thee if at the length thy body be giuen for meate vnto wormes and thy soule carried of deuils to hell be deliuered to euerlasting torments to be tortured with the rich Glutton Let these things suffice for the first part of our exhortation to Vertue In the next we will speake of the seuerall and perticuler prerogatiues and priuiledges of Vertue promised to the vertuous The end of the first part THE SECOND PART OF THE SINNERS GVIDE In which are handled the temporall and spirituall blessings which in this life are promised to Vertue and more particulerly the twelue more notable and famous priuiledges prerogatiues which are found in Vertue THE ELEVENTH TITLE ¶ That we are bound vnto Vertue by reason of the inestimable blessings which are promised in this present life CHAP. XI SVrely I know not what they can pretend or what excuse they can make who doe not embrace Vertue seeing there be so many reasons which doe enforce men to that study For it is no small thing for the defence of this matter to alledge that there is a God and what the studious of Vertue deserue what is giuen and what is promised vnto them on the other side what threatnings are menaced and denounced against the vicious and against those that flye from the study of Vertue Therfore not without cause may some man aske why amongst Christians who beleeue and confesse all these things there be so many found who neglect vertues doe follow vices For it is not to be meruailed at that there be many such among infidels who seeing they know not Vertue haue it in no price euen as a ditcher if he by chaunce finde a Iem doth little esteeme it because he knoweth not the vertue and price of it But that Christians who know and beleeue all these things doe liue as though they beleeued not vnmindfull of God seruants of sinne bondslaues vnto their owne passions and appetites by so much more addicted to visible things by how much more they are carelesse of inuisible things ready to all kinde of sinne no otherwise then if death were not at all neither that they should come to iudgement neither that anie glorie of heauen was to be looked for and to be briefe neither hell to be feared This I say is greater then all admiration Therfore as I said it may worthilie be demaunded whence this negligence growes and whence this stupiditie of vnderstanding and this diabolicall inchauntment if I may so call it comes vnto men This mischiefe hath not one onely roote but many and diuers Amongst others and those not the least is a certaine generall errour in which men of this worlde doe lyue supposing all that God promiseth to the louers of Vertue to be reserued to the life to come and that in this present world nothing is to be looked for Therefore seeing that man dooth so greatly desire reward and especially is ledde by profit but not vnlesse it be present and is mooned with those things which are obuious to the outward sences when he seeth nothing present he smally accounteth of that which is to come So the Ievves seeme to haue doone in the time of the Prophets For vvhen
misfortunes of mans life seeing that our enemies are so many and so strong with whom we must fight seeing that so many snares are hid and so many nets layd and to conclude euery where so many and so great difficulties sowne and dispersed in our wayes and man being a creature so fraile weake naked blind vnarmed faynting and voyde of counsaile if the shadow and supportation of God faile him what can he doe poore weake creature among so many strong enemies A Dwarfe among so many Gyants Blind among so many snares alone and vnarmed among so many armed and powerfull enemies Neyther is heere an end of the euill for God doth not onelie turne his eyes from sinners and the vnrighteous and that hee permitteth and suffereth them to fall into diuers kinde of errors and afflictions but he also sendeth euils among them and armeth the creatures against them Insomuch that the eyes which before were open for their profit now they watch for their hurt and ruine as God himselfe manifestly testifieth by the Prophet Amos I will sayth he cast mine eyes vpon them for euill and not for good As if he had spoken more plainely I will change prouidence with prouidence for that with which before I did water for their defence now it shall be for their punishment and for a recompence of their iniquity The same thing he speaketh more plainely in Hosea And I will sayth the Lord be vnto Ephraim as a moath and to the house of Iuda as a rottennes that I may deuoure and destroy them as a garment is consumed of moaths And because this kinde of persecution seemed too long but somewhat more gentle presently after he adioyneth an other more terrible and more fierce and rauening saying I will be vnto Ephraim as a Lyon as a Lyons whelpe to the house of Iuda I euen I will spoyle and goe away I will take away and none shall rescue it Tell me I pray thee what greater misery then this can be thought vpon Neyther is the testimony of this prouidence more obscurely remembred by the Prophet Amos. For when as the Lord had commaunded that the sword should deuoure all the vngodly for the sinne of couetousnes forth-with he addeth He that fleeth of them shall not flee away and he that escapeth of them shall not be deliuered Though they dig into the hell thence shall mine hand take them though they clime vp to heauen thence will I bring them downe And tho ugh they hide themselues in the top of Carmel I wil search and take them out thence and though they be hid from my sight in the bottome of the sea thence wil I commaund the serpent and he shal bite them And though they goe into captiuity before their enemies thence wil I commaund the sword and it shal slay them and I wil set mine eyes vpon them for euill and not for good Hetherto Amos. Tell mee I pray thee who is that man who reading these words and being mindfull that they are the words of God himselfe and seeing what this manner of prouidence is which God vseth against the reprobate doth not tremble both in body and soule Considering how angry and terrible an enemy God is to him to whom he sheweth himselfe an enemy and whom he hateth Whom he hunteth out with so great diligence Whom he snatcheth vp wheresoeuer he findeth Vpon whose destruction he watcheth with so great a care How can this man rest How can he eate hauing such eyes opposed against him Such wrath Such a persecutour An aâ—me so mighty stretched out against him For if it be so great danger to fall from and be depriued of the fauour of so great a Lord what will it be to haue all the armies of the Diuine prouidence turned against him especially when as the sword which before was drawne out for thy defence against thine enemies now doth set vpon thee for reuenge The eyes which were ouer thee for thy safety now watch for thy destruction The arme that was stretched out to support thee now is armed to kill thee And the hart which mused vpon thoughts of peace and loue for thee now is full of thoughts of sorrow and affliction And he that should be thy buckler shadow and refuge is now become a moath to deuoure thee rottennes to corrupt thee and a Lyon to destroy thee How can a man sleepe securely who when he sleepeth hath God ouer his head with a naked sword ready to kill him and watching ouer him as that rod of Ieremy for reuenge and and punishment What counsaile shall this miserable man take against the counsaile of God Of what arme shall he call for helpe against this arme What prouidence shall he oppose against this prouidence Who euer moued warre against God or opposed himselfe against him and went away conquerour Holy Iob sayth If he would dispute with him he could not aunswer him one thing of a thousand He is wise in hart and mighty in strength who hath beene fierce against him and hath prospered To conclude this euill is such and so great that of the greatest punishments with which God threatneth and chastiseth the wicked in this life it is one and not the least when he withdraweth from them the hand of his fatherly prouidence as God himselfe testifieth in diuers places of the holy Scripture Hence is that And my people haue not hearkned vnto my voyce and Israel hath not obeyed mee so I gaue them ouer to their owne lusts and they followed after their owne inuentions That is they daily fell from ill to worse And by Hosea Seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God I will also forget thy children Euen as therefore there can nothing happen worser or more heauily to a woman then to be forsaken and diuorced from her husband nor to a Vineyard then to be neglected of the Lord and no more to be trimmed for then forth-with it degenerates and growes wild so nothing can happen worse to a soule then to be forsaken of God For what is the soule without God It is as a Vineyard without one to dresse and trim it as a garden without a Gardiner as a ship without a Pilot as an army without a Captaine as a common wealth without a Gouernour or that I may speake more fitly as a body without a soule Thou seest therefore my brother how God doth encompasse thee on euery side for this cause that if thine hart will not be moued with the loue and desire of fatherly prouidence at the least that it might be moued with the feare of reprobation and forsaking least perhaps he forsake thee neyther any more stretch his hand out vnto thee For oftentimes they that are not moued with desire of good things are moued with the feare of some great euil ¶ Of the second priuiledge or prerogatiue of Vertue that is of the Grace of the holy Ghost which is giuen to the
brother of the louers of God this the sleepe which they sleepe Therefore with this sweete and amiable humming and murmuring and with this acceptable and delightfull harmony of the creatures the quiet soule is brought to bed and beginneth to sleepe that sleepelesse sleepe of which is written I sleepe and my hart watcheth When as therfore this most sweet Bridegrome seeth his spouse sleeping in his armes hee keepeth and preserueth her in that lyuing and vitall sleepe and commaundeth that none doe awake her saying I charge you ô daughters of Ierusalem by the Roes and by the Hinds of the field that yee stirre not vp nor waken my loue vntill she please Tell mee what nights seeme these vnto thee What night of the children of this world can be more sweet or pleasant Who at this time walke laying snares and setting nets for the chastity of virgins and innocent Matrons that they may destroy their good names their own soules rushing both body and soule into destruction heaping and storing vp for themselues the wrath of God against the day of the wrath of God and their owne perdition ¶ Of their comforts and consolations who first begin to serue God and are Punies and Nouices in his Schoole TO all things which hetherto haue beene spoken perhaps thou wilt ahnswere with one obiection saying these consolations and blandishments which wee haue hetherto handled are not common to all but proper vnto the perfect but that one may become perfect many things are required It is true that these belong to such men yet our most kind Lord by the sweetnes of his blessing doth meete with them who first begin giuing vnto them at the first as vnto children milke and afterwards teaching them to eate bread and more solide meates Doth not that solemne day come into thy minde which the father celebrated for his prodigall child Doost thou not know of the feast and the guesse inuited Art thou ignorant of the musicke and reioycing that there was made What doe these things meane but to signifie the spirituall ioy with which the soule is delighted when she seeth her selfe brought out of Egipt and deliuered from the hand of Pharao and from the seruitude of the deuill How shall not that pleasant banquet be prepared for a seruant made free How shall hee not inuite all creatures that they may meete together and with him giue thanks to his deliuerer How shall not he sing first and thereby also inuite others saying Let vs sing vnto the Lord for hee hath triumphed gloriously the horse and him that rode vpon him hath he ouerthrowne in the Sea Which thing if it be not so where is the prouidence of God which prouideth for euery creature most perfectly according to his nature fragility age and capacity For it is certaine that men yet carnall and drowned in the world cannot tread this vnusuall and vnfrequented path neyther tread the world vnder theyr feete vnlesse the Lord stretch forth his hand and preuent them by the like sweetenes and delectablenes It pertayneth therefore to the diuine prouidence when it is determined to take man from the world to prepare this way and to make it plaine that this new trauailer may walke more easily by it those difficulties being taken away which might terrifie him and draw him backe to the world A most excellent and plaine figure of this way is that by which the Lord brought the children of Israel into the Land of promise of which way thus writeth Moses When Pharaoh had let the people goe God carried them not by the way of the Philistims Countrey though it were neerer for God sayd least the people repent when they see warre and turne againe to Egipt The same prouidence that then God vsed in bringing his people out of Egipt into the Land of promise he now vseth in bringing those to heauen whom he first taketh out of this world We must know in this place that although the comforts and delights of the perfect are very great and excellent yet so great is the goodnes and piety of our God especially towards little ones and young beginners that he respecting their pouerty he himselfe doth helpe them to build them a new house and considering that they are conuersant among many occasions of sinning and that their passions are not as yet mortified that they might carry away the victory that they might be deliuered from the violence of their flesh that they might be driuen from the milke of the world and be tyed in such straight bonds of loue that they should not returne into Egipt and to theyr fathers house he filleth them with a ioy and consolation so powerfull that although they be but beginners and that they haue made but an entrance yet they haue according to their proportion a certaine likelyhood and similitude of the delights and ioy of those that be perfect Tell mee I pray thee what other thing would God signifie by those feasts of the old Testament when hee saith that the first and last day should be of equall worship and solemnity The sixe dayes betweene were of lesse solemnity but the first the last were beyond the rest famous and had their peculier prerogatiues What other thing is this then a shadow and an image of this we speake of Vpon the first day the Lord commanded that the same solemnity should be kept which was vpon the last that wee may vnderstand that in the beginning of the conuersion and in the ende of the perfection the Lord doth celebrate a solemne feast for all his seruants in these considering their proceedings in the other their great necessity vsing towards these iustice with mercy towards the other vsing onely grace or mercy to one giuing the reward of Vertue to the other help in need When trees blosome flourish and when they haue their ripe fruite they are most faire to the eye The day wherin the spousage is contracted and wherin the marriage is solemnized and the wedding consumated are more solemne and renowned then the rest In the beginning the Lord doth affiance and betroth the soule to him but when he taketh her into his house hee maketh a feast for her at his owne cost and charges and that feast is not conformable or aunswerable to the merrits and deserts of the Bride but to the riches of the Bridegrome sending all thinges and all prouision out of his owne houses and saying Wee haue a little sister and she hath no breasts Therefore it is necessary that he nourish his owne creature with the milke of an other Wherefore the same Bride talking with her Bridegrome sayth The young damsels haue loued thee He doth not say the women or Matrons which are soules founded and rooted in vertue but hee sayth young damsels young maydes which are soules which first begin to open their eyes and to looke vpon this new light these sayth the Spouse haue loued
righteous the hope of the wicked betweene the prosperity of the one and of the other What greater commodity can arise from a tree then to be planted after that maner that the Prophet speaketh Beleeue me such is the condition and estate of the righteous to whom all things fall out prosperously and with whō all things goe well because they are planted by the current of the Riuer of Gods grace But on the contrary part there can be no worser estate of a tree then to be wilde then to be planted in a dry ground in the wildernes in a land of salt it dooth not yeeld fruite in due season to be briefe it is farre remooued from the sight and tillage of men By thys comparison the wicked may easily vnderstand that they in thys life cannot haue a more miserable estate because they haue eyes remoued yea quite turned from God who is the fountaine of liuing water and haue theyr eyes sette and fixed and theyr hope reposed vpon frayle deceitfull creatures which are vnderstood by a dry land desert vnoccupied By this also it is manifest in how excellent a place the world it selfe is planted which certainly is planted in a dry barraine ground seeing it hath the footing of his hope placed on a foundation so weake which is no hope but errour vanitie and confusion as before we haue showen Tell me I pray thee vvhat misery can be greater then this what pouertie more naked thē to liue without hope Therefore seeing that man is through sinne left so poore and naked as before we haue declared and that the hope of the Diuine mercy is so necessary for him what shall bee left vnto him who hath lost it which might haue strengthened and confirmed him Wee see that all liuing creatures in theyr kinde are brought foorth perfect that nothing is wanting vnto them for the preseruation of theyr life But man through sinne is so desolate and so bereft of all things that hee hath nothing of those things which are needfull and necessary for him but he must liue of almes and be relieued from the diuine mercy Then if thys meanes be taken away what shall be the life of man Surely lame maimed full of a thousand defects What other thing is it to liue without hope then to liue without God What other thing is left vnto man of all his auncient patrimony to preserue his life besides this onely support and helpe What Nation was euer so barbarous so voyde of all religion that had not some knowledge of God or of some Dietie whom it did not worshyp with some certaine honour adoration of whom also it did not looke for some benefit of the Diuine prouidence In that short time that Moses was absent from the chyldren of Israell the people thought that they had beene vvithout a God and as rude and ignorant began to exclaime and to speak to Aaron Arise make vs Gods to goe before vs as if they durst not goe any further without some God Wherby it is manifest that mans nature although it alwayes knoweth not the true God yet it is necessary that it know some God And although man is ignorant of the cause of his owne frailtie yet he acknowledgeth his owne frailtie and for this naturally seeketh helpe of some God Euen as Iuie naturally seeketh for some post or tree which it may leane vnto or some wall by which it may bee supported and creepe aloft it beeing not able to sustaine and held vp it selfe And as a woman naturally seeketh for the supportation and shadow of man for she as an imperfect creature knoweth that the ayde and helpe of man is necessary for her so mans nature beeing needfull and wanting many things doth seeke for the shadow and refuge of God These things therefore beeing thus wee may easily coniecture what is the life of those men who liue in this wretched miserable widowish estate forsaking God and beeing forsaken of God I would gladly knowe this one thing They that lyue after thys manner how doe they comfort themselues in theyr miseries howe doe they defende themselues in dangers vvho doth cure theyr infirmities with whom doe they confer of their businesse of whom doe they aske counsaile in doubtfull matters of whom doe they seeke for help in theyr necessities with whom doe they traffique with whom are they conuersant whom doe they sticke to to be briefe by whose help doe they escape the snares of this life who haue not any refuge If the body cannot liue without the soule nor the soule without God surely God is no lesse necessary for the one life then the soule is for the other And if as we haue said before liuely hope be the anchor of our life how dare any man vndergoe the dangers of this tempestuous sea his shyp beeing destitute of this anchor of hope If hope be the shielde by which wee defend our selues how can men defend themselues in the midst of theyr enemies beeing without this shield If hope be the staffe by which mans nature is supported in all her weakenes and frailtie vvhat shall weake and feeble man doe without the staffe of this hope Hetherto as I thinke we haue sufficiently showed what is the difference betweene the hope of the righteous and of the wicked and what is the nature and condition of them both That is one of them hath God for his defence and bulwarke but the other the broken staffe of reede of Egipt which he that leaneth vpon it goeth into his hand and shooteth it through For it is meet that that error which he committeth in hoping in things so vncertaine and doubtfull relying altogether on them that he should be corrected no otherwise then by hauing mischance and being deceiued by them as the Prophet Ieremy plainlie testifieth who when he would denounce the destruction and ouerthrow of the kingdome of Moab he sayth thus For because thou hast trusted in thine owne workes and treasure thou shall bee taken and Chamos the God in whom thou trustest with his priests and Princes shall goe away into captiuitie Consider therefore what kinde of ayde that is the trust of which is the ruine and ouerthrow of him that so trusteth Therefore let these things suffise which haue beene spoken of the priuiledge and prerogatiue of hope which although it seeme almost to be the same with the speciall prouidence of God of which wee haue spoken before yet it is not the same for they differ betweene themselues as the effect and cause of a thing For although there be many foundations of thys hope as the goodnes of God truth of the same God and the merrits of Christ yet the principall ground is the fatherly prouidence of God from which ariseth thys hope confidence For to know that God hath so great a care ouer him and that he is defended and gouerned of him with so
respectiue a regard dooth excite and stirre vp in man a great hope and an assured confidence Of the seauenth priuiledge of Vertue that is of the true libertie which the righteous haue and reioyce in and of the misery and vnknowne seruitude and bondage in which sinners liue CHAP. XIX OF all the priuiledges and prerogatiues hetherto spoken of but especially of the second fourth that is of the grace of the holy Ghost and of the Diuine cōsolation another preheminence doth arise no lesse admirable which the righteous enioy and that is the true liberty of the soule which the Sonne of God brought into this world of which priuiledge he hath obtained the name of the Redeemer of mankind Because he hath redeemed man and hath freed him from that wretched miserable seruitude in which he liued and brought him into true libertie This is one of the especiallest blessings which Christ brought into this world one of the most excellent benefits of the Gospell one of the most noble effects of the holy Ghost For where there is the Spirit of the Lord there is libertie sayth the Apostle To be briefe this is one of the richest rewards which in thys world are promised to the worshippers of the true God Thys libertie the Lord promised to certaine that were willing to serue him If saith he yee continue in my word yee are verilie my Disciples and shall knowe the truth and the truth shall make you free that is it shall giue vnto you true libertie They answered him Wee be Abrahams seede and were neuer bounde to any man vvhy sayest thou then ye shall be made free Iesus answered them Verily verily I say vnto you that whosoeuer committeth sinne is the seruant of sinne And the seruant abideth not in the house for euer but the sonne abideth for euer If the sonne therefore shall make you free yee shall be free in deede In which words the Lord plainely intimateth vnto vs that there are two kinds of liberty one false and in a show the other true and reall False liberty is proper vnto them who haue their bodies free but their soules captiuated and subiect to the tiranny of their own passions and sinnes as was the soule of great Alexander who when hee was the Lord of the whole world he was the seruant of his owne vices But true liberty is proper vnto them who haue their soules free from all these tirannies although their bodies be somtimes free and sometimes bond and captiuated as was the soule of the Apostle who although he was captiue and holden in bonds yet in spirit he mounted vp to heauen and by the doctrine of his letters he freed the whole world The reason why this liberty is called properly liberty and not that other is this because as among the two essentiall parts of man the soule is much more noble then the body yea it is as it were the whole man the body is no other thing then a matter or subiect in which the soule is included so he truly is to be called free who hath his more principall part free but hee is falsely called free who hath his soule captiue bond although he carrieth about his body freely whether so euer he pleaseth ¶ Of the seruitude in which wicked men liue IF any man shall aske me whence is this bondage of which we speake I say that it is a seruitude and captiuity vnder the most terrible most direfull and most cruell Tyrant of any that may be named that is vnder Sinne. For amongst all the most abhominable and dreadfull things that be in the world the torment of hell is most dreadfull and abhominable yet much more dreadfull and abhominable is Sinne which is the cause of this torment and also of this seruitude by which sinners are made seruants and bondslaues as you haue vnderstoode by the words of our Lord before aleadged Whosoeuer committeth sinne is the seruant of sinne What seruitude then can be more miserable then this Neyther is he onely a seruant of sinne who committeth sinne but he is a slaue vnto the perswaders and procurers of sinne as are the deuill the world and his owne flesh corrupted of the same sinne and he is a seruant vnto all other inordinate desires which proceede of the flesh For he that is the seruant of the sonne is also a seruant of the father And it is confessed of all that these three are the fathers of sinne and therefore they are called enemies to the soule because they bring procure great mischiefe to the soule as that is that they make it a slaue a Captiue and deliuer it into the hands of this cruell Tyrant And although all these three doe conspire to this end yet they worke by diuers meanes For the two first are serued of the third which is the flesh as another Eue to deceiue Adam or as an instrument very fit to carry and draw vs into all euill For this cause the Apostle doth more manifestly call the flesh sinne putting the effect for the cause for it is it which pricketh forwards to all kind of sin For the same cause the Diuines call it the tinder touchwood of sinne that is the meate and nourishment of sinne By a common name it is called Sensuality Flesh or Concupiscence which also is called by a name more knowne Fleshly or sensuall desire whence all the perturbations of the minde spring in as much as it is corrupt and made disordered through sinne it is the motioner mouer and picker forwards to all sinne Therefore also the two other enemies take singuler aduantage of the flesh and her appetites that they may more strongly assault and wrong vs. Hence it is that Saint Basill sayth that the especiall weapons with which the deuill fighteth against vs are our owne desires For the vehemency of our affection seeketh by right and wrong to enioy those things that it lusteth after neither maketh any regard although it be forbidden by the law of God and from such an affection sinnes doe arise Such an appetite therfore is one of the most cruell Tyrants which man being a sinner is subiect vnto or as the Apostle speaketh vnder which he is sold. Hee calleth him sold vnder sinne because his sensuall appetite is made so mighty that it carrieth him as a bondslaue whether so euer it listeth But what is more lamentable then to see a man who hath a soule made to the image and likenes of God illuminated with heauenly light and an vnderstanding by which hee ascendeth aboue all things created vntill it find out God himselfe yet notwithstanding that hee should contemne and despise all this his nobility and excellency and be subiect and gouerned after a certaine furious and frantick maner of his beastly appetite to be corrupted of sin and moreouer to be led about to be moued and driuen forwards backwards of the deuill What I
pray thee at the length is to be expected of this gouernment but ruine downfall destruction incomparable mischiefes But that thou mayst see more manifestly the filthines of this seruitude bondage I will illustrate it by a certaine example Imagine that a man had married a woman of so great beauty nobility wisedom as could possibly fall into any of this sexe being happy through this marriage should haue a Mayd-seruant a Witch or an Inchaunter with whom he is besotted by some preposterous meanes and so dotes on this in chaunting drudge that forsaking his owne wife he giueth himselfe a pray vnto his seruant vsing her in steed of his wife eating sleeping and conferring with her acting executing all his busines with her and with her prodigally consuming and spending all his riches in banquets sports and surfetting and after such like maner yea not content with these to come to that dotage and folly that he forceth his owne wife to wayte on this drudge and to serue her in all things as a slaue which she shall commaund her Who would think that a man should euer come to this madnes And if he shall so fall how shall he be rayled vpon and condemned of those that be wise How great shall the hate and indignation of all be against this seruant And on the contrary part how great will the moane and commiseration be of all towards that good and noble woman With how many sighs will her kinsfolke deplore the madnes of her husband This thing at the first view doth seeme very shamefull yet much more shamefull and filthy is that which heere wee speake of For wee must knowe that these two women that is the spirit and the flesh are found in our soule which the Diuines doe call by another name the superiour part and the inferiour part of the soule The superiour part is that wherein the reason and the will are which are naturall lights with which God in the creation hath marked that part of which part there is so great beauty and noblenes that by reason of it man is sayd to haue the image of God to be capable of God and to be the brother of Angels This is that noble woman which God hath ioyned and coupled to man as his wife with whom he should leade his life ordering all his affaires by her direction that is by the instruction of her heauenlie light In the inferiour part is the sensuall appetite of which we haue lately spoken which is giuen vnto man to desire all things necessary for his life and for conseruation of his kinde This therefore as a Steward receaueth al things by limitation and order appoynted of reason and layeth out and disburseth the goods according to the will of the maister and Lord. This appetite is that Hand-mayde of which wee spake a little before which because it hath not the light of reason it is not made that it should gouerne or rule but that it should be gouerned and ruled These things being thus vnhappy is that man who commeth to that madnes to be giuen as a pray to the loue and lust of this naughty woman which casting reason aside by which she ought to be gouerned commeth to that malapertnes and headstrongnes that shee will rule and dominere ouer reason doing all the mischiefe that this sawcie and peruerse drudge will following and prosecuting all her appetites all her desires and lusts as well carnall as sensuall For we see many men so carnall vnbrideled and subiect to the lusts of their owne hart that in all theyr actions like vnto beasts they obey this malapert and froward woman without respect eyther of law or reason What other thing is this then to giue the whole rule of the life into the hands of an abiect seruant which is the flesh by surfetting in all the delights sports banquettings and pleasures of this world and despising the counsailes and aduices of Reason being the noble and lawfull wife But that is worser and lesse tollerable that it sufficeth not to haue bestowed this rule and dominion vpon the seruant but also this free and noble Lady is compelled to serue her owne seruant being most base vile and abiect by consuming nights and dayes in her seruice and in doing all that shee commaundeth and which her insatiable and inordinate appetite desireth Wherefore when man is busied and his reason and all his vnderstanding occupied about these inuentions as are the ornaments of the body the pride and statelines of buildings the curiosity of houshold-stuffe the variety of meates and the multitude of dainty dishes what other thing doth he then draw the soule from the spirituall exercises of her nobility and make it a seruant a cooke a slaue vnto her that ought to be her seruant in all obsequiousnes A carnall man enamoured with the loue of any woman that he may ouerthrow her chastity when hee hath bestowed and imployed all the strength and sinnowes of his reason and vnderstanding in wryting Letters in compozing Poems in making loue Verses in laying traps and in other endeauours which are required to that Art what other thing doth he if we confesse the truth then that hee forceth the Lady to serue the Hand-mayde whilst he spendeth that diuine and celestiall light in inuenting and deuising meanes by which he may satisfie the appetite of his vild flesh When as King Dauid was wholy occupied in deuising meanes to couer his fault with Bersaba in sending her husband to the Army by inuiting him to supper by making him drunk by giuing him dangerous Letters written to this end that he innocent man should be slaine what other plotted this notable Stratageme but reason and vnderstanding And who pricked forward Reason to this complot but the peeuish Flesh that shee might hasten the wickednes whereby she might more safely and more conueniently enioy her pleasures Seneca although an Ethnick did abhorre such seruitude I am greater sayth he and borne to higher matters then that I should be a bondslaue to mine owne flesh Goe to tell me if he feared so to demeane and debase himselfe least he should be termed a doater and a hopelesse vnthrift how much more ought we to flie such wickednes by which so great blessings are lost and such an heape of mischiefes succeede in their place Which thing seeing that it is partly so natural partly so vsuall we tread on in this old path hauing no regard of so great misgouernment which now euery where in the world is seene Hence it is as S. Bernard sayth that the abhominable sauour of vicious men is not smelt because the multitude of thē is too great For euen as in a country where all are borne Ethiopians it is not an vglie thing to be blacke and as where all are drunk it is no ignominie nor slander to bee drunke so this monstrous seruitude because it is so familiar to the worlde
that no time is left him to bestow on his owne busines or that he may not breathe from his duty but this vice as also others is such an one that when it hath once gotten rule and empire ouer the soule it doth so deuoure and swallow it vp that scarcely there remayneth to man any force any commodity any time or memory or any wisedome to follow other busines Therefore not without cause long agoe sayd Ecclesiasticus Wine and women leade wise-men out of the way For man by reason of this vice is so besides himselfe and estranged from his right minde that although he be wise yet he is made as vnfit to mannage and execute any businesses which belong and are proper vnto man as if hee had drunke vp a whole Hogshead of vvine To shew and demonstrate this that most excellent Poet fayned a fable of Queene Dido who when she began to be blindfolded with the loue of Aeneas she slacked and fore-flowed all the busines of the common wealth saying The works of Towres are left no feates of armes the youth applies Nor Hauens are wrought nor for the wars the mighty butwarks rise All things vnpersit stand the buildings great and threanings hie Of hugie wals and engines for their height that match the skie For this Tyrant had so possessed all the sences of this Queene that now she was vnfit for al things only the thoughts and cogitations of her new loue being excepted Which by how much more he ruled in her hart by so much she was lesse able to apply her selfe to those thinges that pertayned to the common wealth and lesse able to doe thinges which otherwise ought to haue beene done O pestilent vice ô destruction of common-wealths the sword of all good exercises the death of vertues the cloude of good wits the peruerter of men the drunkennes of wise-men the dotage of old men the madnes of yong men and the common plague of mankind Neyther must wee thinke that onely in this vice there is so great tiranny but also in all others Behold view a little while an ambitious man and one that is swelled with vaine glory and choked with the smoke of honour and see how seruilely he lyueth subiect vnder this desire and how immoderately he affecteth and thirsteth after this vaine worldly glory how carefull and vigilant he is to attaine vnto it directing all his actions and all his endeuours to this end To serue to get acquaintance to be cloathed to be booted and spurd his table his bed his house his seruants the carriage of his body his gate his speach to be briefe what so euer is done of such like men and what so euer is in them all that is formed compozed and applied to this end For they doe adorne and fashion themselues onely to this end that they may seeme neate and cult thereby to gaine the prayse and vaine opinion and applause of the people Yea if thou doost well consider thou shalt see that an ambitious man in all things that he doth or speaketh hath none other respect then that he may lay snares and nets to catch the popular applause of the people If we wonder at that Emperour which passed ouer all the festiuals in taking of flyes how much more is the madnes of an ambitious man to be wondered at who doth not onely spend all the festiuals and holy-dayes but also the whole course of his life in catching onely smoke and wordly vanity This wretched man by reason of this ambition doth not what he would neyther doth he cloath himselfe according to his own estate neyther is he permitted to goe whether he would for he goeth but sildome to the Church neyther dare he be conuersant with good men fearing least perhaps the world to which he lyueth subiect should see somthing in him which might be reprehended And that which is more that he might satisfie this his passion he lauisheth out greater store of riches then eyther he is willing or hath casting himselfe headlong into a thousand needes and many debts with which his soule is afflicted with the griefe of his posterity which he leaueth to be heires of his debts and imitators of his folly What punishment I pray thee deserueth he if not that which a certaine King inflicted on an ambitious man vnder whose nosestrils hee commaunded so grosse and so thicke a smoake to be raised that he was choaked with it saying It is meete that he should die with smoake who had consumed his whole life in snuffing and sucking vp the smoake of vanitie Therefore what greater misery then this can be found What shal I speak of a couetous man who not only is a bondslaue but also an Idolator of his riches mony for he adoreth and serueth them and whatsoeuer these commaund he willingly performeth it For them hee fasteth and with-holdeth bread from his owne mouth to be briefe he loueth them more then he loueth God himselfe seeing that for the loue of them hee is not afraid oftentimes to offend GOD In them is his rest hys glory his hope and all his thoughts With them hee watcheth and sleepeth and for them he consumeth his whole life and all his sences in trafficking and taking vncessant paines for them in the meane while vtterly forgetting himselfe and all other businesse Shal we say that such a man is the Lord of his riches that he may determine of them as he pleaseth or rather shall we affirme that he is the seruant and slaue of his money for the couetousnes of his riches as a most hard and seuere mistres doth compell him to obey them but it suffereth him not to enioy them it sharpeneth the desire but taketh away the pleasure A couetous man prouideth riches as though he were a gallant and braue man but he vseth them as a beast a niggardly peasant He taketh paines but he wanteth the fruite pleasure of his trauaile whilst he with-draweth and holdeth his riches from his body and soule yea and from life it selfe if so his treasure and store may encrease and augment Surely I knowe not what captiuitie can bee more great or grieuous for if you call him a captiue and a prysoner who is shutte vp in a turret and there hath his handes and feete sette in a payre of stocks rather is he not worthy of this name vvhose soule is imprisoned and captiuated with the inordinate desire of those things which he loueth For when a man doth gape after gaine and is wholy occupied in seeking after pelse hee hath no facultie or power of his soule truely free neyther is he Lord of himselfe but a seruant of his owne riches For where the loue or desire is there the hart lyeth bound and fettered Neyther is the seruitude of thys captiuitie lesser because it is voluntarie for if it be captiuitie in deede it is so much the more dangerous by how much it is more
the desires and affections of our appetite are brought into such order that they are stilled quieted and content with that part and portion that happeneth vnto them according to the disposition of the vpper portion of the soule For there the part concupiscible thinketh her selfe satisfied when she seeth her sister contented and so the whole man resteth and is quieted by reason of the participation and tast of the chiefest good Fourthly this peace proceedeth from the testimony and inward ioy of a good conscience which bringeth great quietnes and tranquillity to the soules of the righteous although it doth not make them vtterly secure for they doe not remaine without the care and dread of holy feare Lastly this feare is engendered of hope which the righteous haue in the Lord for that maketh them quiet after a singuler manner and comforteth men in the midst of the tribulations and torments of this life because they are strengthened with the anchor of holy hope that is they hope that they haue God theyr father theyr tutor theyr defender and buckler vnder whose shadow and shield they not without good cause liue securely singing with the Prophet I will lay me downe and also sleepe in peace for thou Lord onely makest me dwell in safety For hence springeth and ariseth the peace of the righteous and a remedy in all theyr troubles neyther haue they any cause to feare or lament who haue such an helper Of the ninth priuiledge of Vertue that God heareth the prayers of the righteous and reiecteth the prayers of the wicked CHAP. XXI THey that embrace and seeke after Vertue haue yet another priuiledge besides those which hetherto we haue spoken of that is that their prayers are heard of God and this vnto them is a notable and an excellent comfort and a singuler helpe in all their necessities and miseries of this life For the vnderstanding of this priuiledge we must know that there haue beene two vniuersall deluges and drownings of this world the one materiall the other spirituall and they both had one cause that is sin The materiall deluge that was in the time of Noah left nothing aliue in the worlde but those that were in the Arke for the waters couered all things so that the Sea deuoured the earth with all the labours and riches of men But there was another flood before that much greater then this for it did not onely hurt and endamage the men of that age but it brought deadly destruction to all the men of the ages past present and to come neyther did it onely hurt their bodies but also theyr soules for it spoyled them of all the riches of grace which the world had receaued by the meanes of him that was first formed And in this miserable estate all things as yet continue as we may see in euery creature which newly commeth into this world being naked and disfurnished of all the goods as well of the soule as of the body From this first deluge all those miseries beggeries and calamities are deriued to which mans life is subiect which are so many and so great that learned Wryters and graue Doctors of the Church haue written large and copious volumes of this matter Philosophers also very learned on the one part considering the dignity of man aboue all other lyuing creatures and on the other vnto what great miseries and vices he was subiect they could not wonder sufficiently at it seeing so great disorder and misgouernment in the world for they vnderstoode not the cause which was sinne For they did note and marke that onely man amongst so many liuing creatures enioying so many thousand kindes of pleasures and desires of the flesh was vexed with couetousnes ambition and insatiable desire to liue neither with these bonds his misery to be limitted but that hee must thinke of his death and buriall and what shall become of him after death There is not any liuing creature that hath a nature more fraile or inflamed with greater gurmandize or couetousnes neyther that feareth more vainely or more rageth through anger They did also see that other lyuing creatures did passe the greater part of their life without sicknesses and infirmity without the helpe of Phisitions and that all necessaries were prouided for them without their labour or industry But on the contrary part they did see that miserable man was exposed and layd open to a thousand infirmities mischaunces necessities and greefes as well of soule as of body both for himselfe and for his friends That which is past greeueth him that which is present afflicteth him that which is to come terrifieth him and that oftentimes he laboureth and taketh paynes all his life long for a morsell of bread and a mouth full of water to sustaine himselfe with all Neyther can I so soone make an ende to speake of these miseries of mans life of which blessed Iob sayth The life of man is a warfare vpon earth and his dayes as the dayes of an hireling This same thing with so great tediousnes afflicted those auntient vvise-men that there be some found amongst them who feared not to say that they doubted whether Nature was a mother vnto vs or not much rather a stepdame which hath exposed vs to so great miseries Another sayd That it is the best for man neuer to haue beene borne and the next soone after to dye Neyther erred he that sayd That many would not haue desired life if they had made tryall of it before If therfore our life be thus deformed through sinne and our chiefest renowne and principall good lost through this deluge what remedy hath he left for man who so grieuously hath punished mankinde Tell me what remedy hath a lame and a weake sickly man who sayling vpon the Sea looseth at one mischance all his riches I know what thou wilt say vnto me If hee haue not whereon to liue sayst thou neyther hath ability to traffique by reason of his infirmity it followeth of necessity that he must begge Goe to then if man in that vniuersall deluge lost what so euer he had and scarcely escaped the danger poore and naked what other remedy is left vnto him then that like a most needy begger he call and cry at the gates of the Lord This King Iehosophat teacheth plainely when he sayth Lord when wee are ignorant what we ought to doe we haue onely this remedy that we may lift vp our eyes towards thee To this agreeth King Hezechias From day to night sayth he wilt thou make an ende of me Like a young Swallow so did I chatter I did mourne as a Doue As if he should haue sayd I am so poore and I doe so depend of thy mercy and prouidence that not one day I am assured of my lyfe Therefore all my exercise shall be alwaies to mourne grone poure out my sighes before thee as a Doue and I will call and cry out
the time of Achab king of Israell when Samaria was besieged by the Armie of the king of Syria we read that men did eate the dunge of Doues that thys kinde of meate was sold for a great price But thys was not so much at the length it came to that passe that mothers did kil and eate the chyldren of their owne wombe Iosephus also writeth that the same happened at the siege of Ierusalem But the slaughters and captiuities of this people together with the vtter ouerthrow of the Common-wealth and the kingdome of the Iewes are so well knowne to all that heere they neede not to be rehearsed An eleuen of theyr Tribes were made perpetuall seruants to the Kings of Assyria that one Trybe which remained a long time after beeing vanquished was brought into seruitude vnder the Romaines in which destruction exceeding great was the number of the captiues but greater was the number of those that were slaine as the same Historiographer copiously describeth Neyther let any one deceaue himselfe saying that this calamitie pertaineth onely to the Iewish nation seeing that it generally appertaineth to all men who haue knowledge of the Diuine law and doe despise it neyther will obey it as the Lord himselfe testifieth by his Prophet Haue not I brought vp Israell out of the Land of Egipt and the Philistines from Cappadocia and the Syrians from Cyrene Behold the eyes of the Lord God are vppon the sinfull kingdome and I will destroy it cleane out of the earth Signifying that all these changes of kingdoms whereby thys kingdome is ouerthrowne and that planted and raysed vp doth come through sinne And if any one will see that this is true let him read ouer the histories of times past he shal vnderstand how God doth chastice the froward and peruerse but especially those that haue the true law and doe not keepe it He shal see how great a part of Europe Asia and Affrica which in times past were full of Churches and of Christian people now are possessed of Infidels he shall know also what great massacres ruines and destructions the Gothes Hunnes and Vandales haue made vpon the Churches who in the time of Saint Augustine destroyed and wasted the Prouinces of Affrica and that without any mercie or compassion they sparing neyther men nor women neither old nor young neither Virgins nor married At the same time also and after the same manner the kingdome of Dalmatia was wasted with the bordering Countries as Saint Ierome showeth who was borne in that Country insomuch that he that should haue passed through trauelled those Countries should haue seene nothing but heauen and earth all things were so ruinated and ouerthrowen Yea if we will looke into our owne times we shall see what slaughters and effusion of Christian blood what desolations and euersions of Citties sinne hath caused in Fraunce Belgia and many other Countryes What mightie massacres and lamentable diuastations hath sinne brought vppon the world by the sword of the Turkes those professed enemies of Christianitie who stil brandish their swords against Christendome for the sinnes of Christians These sufficient plainly doe declare how that true vertue and sincere religion are not onely profitable to the obtayning of eternall blessings but also to gette and keepe temporall blessings that the consideration of all these may inflame our mindes with the loue of Vertue which preserueth vs from so many mischiefes bringeth with it so many good things Of the twelfth priuiledge of Vertue that is of the quiet peaceable ioyfull death of the righteous and contrarily of the wretched miserable painfull disquiet and grieuous death of sinners CHAP. XXIIII THE last priuiledge prerogatiue at the length is ioyned to the precedent that is the death and the glorious end of the righteous when they depart out of the prison of this body vnto the which end all the rest of the priuiledges are destinated and ordayned Because in the end as we are wont to say the praise is proclaimed Tell mee what is more glorious or what more delightsome then the end of the iust and righteous And contrarilie what is more wretched or vnhappy then the death of sinners Right deere and precious saith the Psalmogapher in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints but the death of sinners is vilde and exceeding euill What meaneth thys vvord Exceeding euill vttered in the Superlatiue degree Because thys is the last and greatest of all euils as well for the soule as for the body After thys manner S. Bernard doth expound this of the Psalmist The death of sinners is exceeding euill Because it is euill in losing the world worser in the seperation of the flesh but exceeding euill in that double calamitie of the worme and of the fire It is grieuous to leaue the worlde more grieuous that the soule is seperated from the body but exceeding grieuous and in no wise to be compared vnto the other to be tortured vvith the torments of hell Both these and many moe miseries shall vexe and turmoile the wicked in this houre For then before and aboue all things the accidents of thys infirmitie shall surmount the griefes of the body the terrors of the soule and the afflictions of externall things the thoughts of things to come the remembrance of sinnes past the feare to giue an account the dreadfull sentence the horrour of the graue the seperation and departure from euery thing that was too deere and imbraced with an inordinate loue that is from riches friends wife children from this light from the ayre wherein we breathe and from life it selfe All euery one of these so much the more doe afflict a man by how much they are loued For as Augustine sayth They are not lost without griefe which are possessed with loue Therefore it was very well said of a Phylosopher Hee that in his life knoweth of fewest delights least of all other feareth death But most of all in that houre the burned and feared conscience and the consideration of that which is prepared for them doth excruciate vexe the vvicked For then man beeing raised as it were out of a deepe sleepe by the presence of Death openeth hys eyes and beginneth to behold and see that which he neuer saw before Eusebius Emisseâ—â—s giueth a reason of this At what passe will man be then at sayth hee when bidding his last farewell to all worldly matters hauing death before him leauing life behind him he shal be drawn into that horrible fearefull gulfe For there shall be no preparation for victuals or care for cloathing no busines for Labourers Souldiers or Traffickers no ambition for wealth or honour but there an intollerable terror of giuing an account shall fill and possesse the minde being free from all other cares and the heauy and vnsupportable weight of iudgment shal dreadfully hang ouer the captiue sences Then man forgetteth all thinges
which is made at the poynt of death and in extreamity is sildome true by reason of the great difficulty that happeneth at this time He prooueth this conclusion by foure reasons or arguments The first is by reason of the great perturbations which arise out of the greatnes of griefes sicknes and the presence of Death through which the hart is lesse able to lift vp it selfe to God and rightly to busie it selfe in the exercises of true repentance For the better vnderstanding of this argument we must know that all the perturbations of our hart haue great force to disturbe and hinder our will and sences and according to the rule of Philosophy in this effect and euent the affections or passions are much more powerfull which cause sorrow and sadnes then those that procure mirth and ioy Hence it is that the perturbations or affections of one dying are exceeding strong and of all other most powerfull For as Aristotle saith death is the most dreadfull of all terrible things there being so many dolours discruciatements in the body so many afflictions and anguishes in the soule so great sorrow and care for children wife the world all which are to be forsaken Amongst so many and so tempestuous winds of the passions where shall the sences be and where the cogitations but where these dolours and perturbations doe carry and whirle them Daily experience teacheth vs that if any one be tormented with the tooth-ach or by any other sharpe payne although he be a very godly and a religious man yet scarcely then can he stedfastly lift vp his hart to God nay all the sences thoughts haue recourse thither where the griefe is If this happeneth to the righteous what will he doe who neuer accustomed himselfe to thinke of God and who so much is readier to endanger his greater friend then his lesser by how much he is apter and proner to loue his body better then his soule Amongst the foure impediments of contemplation which S. Bernard doth reckon vp one is the euill disposition and temperature of the body For then the soule is so vrged and occupied with the dolours of the flesh that scarce it permitteth a man to thinke vpon any other thing besides that which then greeueth and excruciateth him Which if it be true what greater dotage or madnes can there be then to expect tarry and wayte for the worst disposition and temperature of the body in it to handle and deal with the greatest businesses of the soule I knew a certaine man who being at the poynt of death when he was willed and admonished to prepare himselfe for his end for the glasse of his life was now runned out he was so affrighted and ouerwhelmed with the presence of death that he thought vpon nothing els then how he might escape the danger of death as if the date of his life had beene put in his owne hands and he had the ordering and determining of it All his care was how he might remedy and auoyde this danger if possibly it might be But when the Minister saw him so little carefull and troubled with those things which were necessary for that time he admonished him that he should let passe such thoughts and begin earnestly to call vpon God The sicke man hardly taking this aâ—â—onition began to talke a farre off from the purpose and so yeeleded vp the ghost Notwithstanding this man had beene a louer of Vertue wherby thou mayst see how the presence of Death doth disturbe and disquiet them who are in loue with their lifes seeing that it so greatly troubled him who at other times had despised it I knew also another man who when hee had fallen into a most dangerous and greeuous sicknes and saw Death now at hand he earnestly desired to conferre a little with God and to preuent the Iudge by a deuoute prayer before hee should depart out of this life but sorrowes and the continuall accidents of his infirmity would let him haue no rest If therfore onely preparation to repentance bâ—so hard at that time who will be so fond and mad to defer and prorogue the remedy and repentance of his whole life to that moment The second reason of the Shoole-man is that true repentance ought to be voluntary that is it ought to be done willingly and not of constraint or compelled by necessitie Thys is that which Saint Augustine saith Let no man tarry so long as he can sin For God requireth the liberty of the vvill that thy faultes may be wiped away he requireth not necessity but charitie not onely feare because man liueth not onely in feare Therefore it behoueth him that lately repenteth not onely to feare the Iudge but to loue him because without charitie no man can be saued Wherefore that man that neuer truly repenteth himselfe in his life time but prorogeth it to the houre of death he seemeth not to bring forth repentance of will but of compulsion â—â—d if of constraint or necessity then it is not meerely voluntary Such was the repentance of Shimei for that offence which he had committed against Dauid when hee fled from the face of his sonne Absolon Which Shimei when he saw that the victory did incline to Dauid and considering of the mischiefe that hung ouer his head he descended with the men of Iuda to meete King Dauid and with the thousand men of Beniamin and prostrating himselfe before the King he craued pardon for his fault Which when Abishai heard he sayd Shall not Shimei die for this because he cursed the Lords annointed But holy king Dauid not ignorâ—â—â— of what small desert this repentance was for the time wisely dissembled the deede yet he would not that it should vtterly passe vnreuenged but when he was at deaths doore not for any desire of reuenge but in the zeale of iustice he commaunded his sonne that hee should not suffer it to goe vnreuenged who afterwards commanded him to be slaine Of this kinde and nature seemeth the repentance of many wicked Christians to be who when they haue perscuered all theyr lyfe thorow in sinne offending God when the houre of rendering an account shall draw neere when they see death approching and the graue open and the Iudge present when they shall vnderstand that no strength or power can be founde against that infinite power omnipotencie and that that shall be determined in that moment which is for euer irreuocable then they turne themselues vnto the Iudge with prayers and protestations which if they be true certainly they are profitable But the common euent teacheth what manner of prayers and protestations they were and are for we haue learned by experience that many of them hauing escaped this danger forthwith haue forgot all that they promised and as Swine haue returned to theyr wallowing in the myre yea they haue reuersed and recalled that good which then they purposed and haue againe embraced those
things which then they estimated preiudiciall to their soules as if they were the men that had not doone that they did for the loue of God but onely for feare of the extreamitie in which at that time they were which ceasing also the effect ceaseth which thereupon followed Whereby it most manifestly appeareth that this repētance is like vnto that which Saylers make who when they are in extreamity and danger of shypwrack they promise to change their lifes to embrace vertue and I know not what protestations they make but vvhen the storme is appeased and ouer-past and a wished calme commeth and they are without ieopardy byand by they returne to theyr former vomit they laugh they trifle they blaspheme carouse and sweare and become worser then they were before making no account of their vowes and protestations yea reputing them as dreames and toyes The third reason is because the custome of sinne in vvhich the sinner hath hetherto liued will almost neuer forsake a man but euen till death waiteth vpon him and followeth him no otherwise then the shadow doth the body For custome is another nature which is not ouercome without very great difficultie And so we see by experience that many at the houre of theyr deaths are so little carefull for the saluation of their soules are so couetous so drowned in carnall and wordly things such louers of this life that they would still enioy it if at any price they might buy it so captiuated in the loue of this world so enamoured with all those things that they loued in it as if they vvere not at all at this passe or in this danger Haue you not often-times seene old men so greedy and so couetous that they haue neuer intermitted one houre nor slacked any time to hourd vp the pelfe of this worlde who notwithstanding are vnmercifull and haue theyr hands shut when they should doe any good and whose affections and appetites are very fresh and liuely in prosecuting the businesse of thys world heaping vp riches without end or meane which they must leaue in the world GOD knowes to whom but to anie good worke reprobate and dull This is a punishment not the least by which God punisheth sinne permitting it to attend vpon the offender to the graue according to that of S. Gregorie God chastiseth a sinner with this kinde of punishment that he permitteth him to forget and be vnmindfull of himselfe in the houre of death because he remembred not God in his lyfe And so one negligence or obliuion is punished by another the forgetfulnes of the fault is punished with that obliuion which is both a punishment and a fault which we see and heare verified by daily experience for how often doe we heare that many haue wished to die and haue died in the armes of theyr harlots whom they tenderly loued that as in theyr life time they would not expell them out of their houses so in death they would not forsake them because by the iust iudgement of God they are become vtterly vnmindfull obliuious both of themselues and of their soules The fourth reason of the Schoole-man is founded in the qualitie of the valour of the workes which are commonly done at that houre for euery one who hath but a sparke of Diuine light seeth plainly how farre different the works that then are done are from the works which are done of a man sound and in health he acknowledgeth I say that those much lesse please God then these That gift cannot be very acceptable to God as saith a certaine holy woman which therefore is offered because the last day so enioynes it for it is not of the right nature of a gift What I pray thee is it to pardon an iniury at that houre when not to pardon it is a great reproch Doost thou thinke it praise worthy that then thou leauest thy Concubine when thou must leaue her whether thou wilt or no neither may shee stay any longer in thine house By these reasons this subtile Doctor concludeth that a man with great difficultie in that houre truely repenteth Yea he saith that a Christian who of a set purpose deferreth his repentance to the houre of death doth very highly sinne by reason of the great iniury that he offereth to his owne soule and by reason of the great danger vnto which he exposeth his saluation Now I leaue the Reader to his owne conscience and consideration that he may see whether there is any thing more to be feared then this ¶ Certaine authorities of the holy Scripture confirming the precedent sentences of the Doctors BVt because the strength and bulwarke of all this disputation consisteth in the word of God for against this there is neyther appeale nor answere heare what it teacheth vs concerning this matter Salomon in the first chapter of his Prouerbs after he had related the words by which the eternall Wisedome calleth man to repentance hee in like manner adioyneth those wordes which shee will speake to those that doe not obey her call Because saith she I haue called and yee refused I haue stretched out my hand and no man regarded But all my counsailes haue ye despised and sette my correction at naught Therefore will I also laugh at your destruction mocke you when the thing that ye feare commeth vpon you Euen when the thing that ye be afraid of falleth in suddainly like a storme and your miserie like a tempest yea when trouble and heauines commeth vpon you Then shall they call vppon mee but I will not answere they shall seeke mee early but they shall not finde mee And that because they hated knowledge and did not choose the feare of the Lord. Hetherto be the wordes of Salomon or that I may speake better of God himselfe Which Saint Gregory in his Morrall bookes doth expound to be spoken of this repentance which heere we handle What can be aunswered vnto this Are not these threatnings sufficient being from God himselfe to make thee to feare and to admonish thee that betimes thou prepare thy selfe for that houre But heare also another testimony not lesse plaine then this The Lord reasoning in the Gospell of his comming to iudgement he aduiseth and counsaileth his Disciples with great instancie that they prepare themselues against that day hauing vsed many parables and similitudes to that end that by them they might vnderstand of what great weight that matter was His words be these Blessed is that seruant whom his Lord when he commeth shall finde watching But if that euill seruant shall say in his hart My Lord will be long a comming and so beginne to finite his fellowes yea and to care and drinke with the drunken The same seruants Lord shall come in a day when he looketh not for him and in an houre that he is not ware of and shall hew him in peeces and giue him his portion with the Hipocrites It is playne and euident by
whole matter dependeth For we must know that although the Diuine mercy extendeth to the iust and vniust calling these and expecting their repentance and preseruing the other neuerthelesse the great graces the notable benefits which God promiseth to men in the Scriptures especially belong to the righteous who as they faythfully obserue the law and commandements of God so faithfully God keepeth them he keepeth his promises with them and he is a true father vnto them as they are his morigerous and obedient sonnes On the contrary part whatsoeuer threatnings curses and seuerity of Diuine iustice the holy bookes of the Bible contayne all that properly pertayneth to thee and to such like vnto thee How great therfore is thy blindnes and blockishnes who fearest not so great cominations purposely intended against thee and comfortest thy selfe with promises not made for thee O miserable man haue an eye to those things that are spoken of thee and giue to the iust that is theirs Wrath belongeth to thee therfore feare but loue to the righteous let them therfore reioyce and be glad Wilt thou that I shall proue this to be true heare what Dauid sayth The eyes of the Lord are vpon the righteous and his eares open to their prayers But the face of the Lord is against them that worke euill to roote their memory from off the face of the earth Such a like speach is found in Esdras The hand of our God sayth Esdras that is the Diuine prouidence is ouer all that seeke him in truth and his wrath strength and fury ouer them who forsake him Which seeing that it is so why ô wretched man doest thou continue in thy sinne vvhy doest thou deceaue thy selfe vvhy art thou so dull vvhy errest thou thus These testimonies of Scripture are not for thee so long as thou remaynest in the state of damnation the sweetnes of the Diuine fauour and loue speaketh not to thee This is the portion of Iacob it belongeth not to Esau. This is the lot of the righteous thou who art wicked what right hast thou here Leaue of to be wicked and it shall be thine forsake thine vngodly life and the loue of God and his fatherly prouidence shall protect thee and cherrish thee Which if thou doest not thou art a tyrant and doest vsurpe the rights of other men Hope in the Lord sayth Dauid and doe good And in another place Offer the sacrifices of righteousnes and trust in the Lord. This is the best manner of hoping doe not further abuse the mercy of God in perseuering in thy sinnes and in hoping that thou shalt come to heauen It is the best hope to flye sinne and to call vpon God but if thou continuest in thy sinnes this is not to hope but to presume this is not to hope for mercy but it is to doe an euill deed and to offend that mercy For euen as the Church doth profit them nothing who depart from it that they may doe wickedly so also it is meete that the mercy of God should not profit them who continue in their sinnes This before all things the dispencers and Preachers of Gods word ought to consider who oftentimes not marking before whom they make their Sermons minister occasion to the wicked to continue and perseuere in their sinnes They should respect that euen as a sicke and a diseased body the more it eateth the greater harme it taketh so also a soule hardened in sinne the more that it deceaueth it selfe with this kinde of trust the more it is hardened and moued to perseuere in sinne In stead of a conclusion that excellent sentence of S. Augustine shall be By hoping and despairing men perish By hoping naughtily in their lifes but by despairing worser in their deaths Therfore cease my brother and forsake this presumptuous hope remember that as the Lord is mercifull so also he i◠iust Therfore as thou castest one eye vpon mercy that thou mayest hope so cast the other vpon iustice that thou mayest feare For as S. Bernard sayth God hath two feete mercy and iudgement we ought to apprehend neyther of them alone or seuerally for iustice without mercy doth not so make to feare as mercy without iustice doth make men continue and perseuere in a wicked life Against them that excuse themselues saying that the way of Vertue is rough sharpe and difficult CHAP XXVIII WOrldly and carnall men are wont also to bring another excuse that they may seeme not without cause to haue left and eschewd Vertue and Religion saying that it is rough and difficult albeit they are not ignorant that this difficulty ariseth not from vertue her selfe for she is a friend vnto reason and very well agreeth with the nature of a reasonable creature but from the euill inclination of our flesh and our wicked appetities which taketh the originall from sinne Hence it is that the Apostle sayth that the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and that these two doe striue between themselues And in another place he sayth I delight in the law of God concerning the inner man But I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde and leading me captiue vnto the law of sinne which is in my members By which words the Apostle meaneth that the law of God and Vertue doe very well agree with the superiour part of our soule which altogether is spirituall in which the vnderstanding and the will is but her watch and warines is hindered by the law of the members and this happeneth of the euill inclination corruption of our appetites and the passions arising from them which are aduersaries to the superiour part of the soule and to God himselfe which discord contrariety is the cause of all this difficulty For this cause many alienate themselues from Vertue albeit otherwise they highly account of it as also sicke men doe who although they desire health yet they abstayne from and abhor medicines because they suppose them to be bitter and of euill tast Wherefore if we take this errour and opinion from men I take it that we shall performe a thing not to be repented of for this is the onely stay and let that hindereth them from Vertue besides this difficulty there is nothing in Vertue which is not greatly and especially to be desired and affected ¶ How the grace giuen vs by Christ doth make the way of Vertue easie and pleasant FIrst of all in this place we must know that the chiefest cause of this errour is that men onely looke vpon this small difficulty which is found in Vertue and lift not vp theyr eyes to those Diuine helps which God sendeth to ouercome it The errour of the seruant of Elizeus was of this kinde who seeing the army of the Syrians compassing the Citty and Horses and Charets begirding the house of the Prophet saw not the army of the Lord prepared
that God as hee gouerneth the world by his generall prouidence so also he swayeth and ruleth euery one by his speciall prouidence and as we daily see that the greater the store of sinners is the greater is the aboundance of punishments as are famine warre pestilence heresies and such like calamities so also oftentimes according to the number of the sinnes of men so is the number of the punishments Therefore God sayd to Caine If thou doe well shalt thou not be accepted and if thou doost not well sinne lyeth at thy doore that is the plagâ—e and punishment of sinne In Deuteronomie also Moses sayth vnto the people And thou shalt know that the Lord thy God he is God the faithfull God which keepeth couenant mercie vnto them that loue him and keepe his commaundements euen to a thousand generations And rewardeth them to theyr face that hate him to bring them to destruction he will not deferre to reward him that hateth him to his face Marke here how often this Prophet repeateth the word to his face or such like significatioÌ„ that thou mayst vnderstand that besides the punishments which are reserued for the life to come that the wicked are oftentimes also punished in this life seeing that the Scripture so often remembreth here that their punishments shal not be deferred Whence many calamities proceede and many scourges of sinners for without intermission they as a wheele are rouled froÌ„ one trouble and sorrance into another from one necessity anxietie and tribulation into another which although they very well feele yet they know not whence and from whom they are sent and therefore they ascribe them rather to the condition of nature then to their sinnes For euen as they doe not account the blessings of nature to be the gifts of God neyther doe they giue thanks to God for them so neyther doe they acknowledge the scourges of his wrath to be for the punishment of their sinnes neyther doe they amend themselues Some punishments also are brought vpon them by Gods Ministers and Iusticers vvho are the executioners of the Diuine iustice who oftentimes meet with malefactors and doe persecute and afflict them vvith imprisonments banishments penalties persecutions and with manie other kind of punishments by which is brought to passe that the insatiable appetites of sinners seemeth bitter vnto them and doe afflict theÌ„ also in this life There be also other afflictions which flow out of their owne affections and the perturbations of their soules and from the inordinate appetites of their harts For what good I pray thee may be hoped for of a superfluous and an excessiue affection of vaine feare of a distrustful hope and of an inordinate desire nothing but offences irksomnes and troubles which disturbe the peace and liberty of the hart of which wee haue spoken before they make the life vnquiet they allure and entice to sinne they hinder the prayers take away sleepe and doe comber all the dayes of the life with loathing and tediousnes All these miseries are ingendered of man himselfe that is of his inordinate appetites and of these thou seest what is to be looked for of other seeing that man hath these of himselfe and consider what peace he can haue with others who hath so great warre with himselfe ¶ Of the multitude of the snares and dangers of this world IF in the world besides the punishments and afflictions of the body no other euil were to be found the feare were so much the lesser buâ—â—n it there are not onely the euils of the body but also the greatest dangers of the soule of which greater regard is to be had because they concerne the better and more principall part of man and doe more hurt it And they be so many that the Prophet sayth God shall rayne snares vpon sinners How great I pray thee is the number of the snares in the world which are resembled to the drops of water which fall from heauen and he saith specially and perticulerly Vpon sinners For they hauing so little care of their hart and sences and lesser to fly the occasions of sinne and so little regard of spirituall remedies and besides all this seeing that they walke through the heate of this world how can it be but that they must walke amidst a thousand dangers He sayth that it shall rayne snares vpon sinners snares in their youth snares in their old age snares in riches in pouerty in honour in reproches in friendship snares when they company with men and when they are alone snares in prosperity and in aduersity to be briefe snares in all the sences of man which are so many that the Prophet cryeth out Snares vpon the inhabitants of the earth And surely if the Lord would open thine eyes a little as hee in times past opened the eyes of Saint Anthony thou shouldest see the whole world full of snares touching one another and thou wouldest cry out with him saying O Lord who shall escape all these snares Hence it is that so many soules perish daily that Saint Bernard feareth not to say that of tenne ships which are in the Sea scarcely one perisheth and of tenne soules which floate vpon the Sea of this vvorld scarce one is saued Tell me then I pray thee how is it that thou fearest not the vvorld being so dangerous that thou studiest not to escape so many snares vvho amongst so many Serpents dare walke bare-footed or march vnarmed among so many enemies or liue securely and inconsideratly amongst so many occasions of sinnes and conuerse amongst so many deadly and mortal diseases without medicines Who would not labour to depart out of this Egypt vvho would not fly out of this Babilon vvho would not desire to be deliuered from the fire of Sodome and Gomorrha Seeing therfore that the world is beset with so many snares and so many downfals and breake-necks are in the way and the flame of vices doe so burne vs who at any time shall be secure and safe Well therefore sayde the vvise-man Can a man take fire in his bosome and his clothes not be burnt Or can a man goe vpon coales and his feete not be burnt He that toucheth pitch sayth another shall be defiled with it and he that is familiar with the proud shall be like vnto him ¶ Of the blindnes and darknes of this vvorld ANother miserie ioyneth it selfe vnto these multitudes of snares and dangers which maketh them to be farre moe and much greater that is the blindnes and wordly darknes which most fitly is shadowed by that darknes of Egypt which was so grosse and thicke that it might be felt with hands and the whole three dayes that it lasted no man remoued himselfe out of his place neyther saw his neighbour that stoode by him Such in deede or rather greater is the darknes in which the world now sitteth and which now hath possessed the vvorld But if thou doost not beleeue me
looke a little into the worlds darknes and blind guidance and thou shalt soone discerne it Tell me I pray thee what is more blind then that men should beleeue as they beleeue and liue as they liue What greater blindnes then so to reuerence and dread men and so wickedly to contemne and despise God So carefully to seeke and study for the commodities of the body which is nothing else but a brutish creature and to haue no care for the soule which is the image of the Diuine maiefty what greater blindnes can there be What greater blindnes then when wee assuredly know that we shall dye neyther doe we know in that houre whether our felicity or misery shall be determined which for euer shal stand ratified yet we liue so negligently and securely as if we should alwayes liue For sinners liue no otherwise to day then if they meant to liue alwayes and that death would neuer come What greater blindnes can be thought vpon then this that men for the satisfying of one desire should lose willingly their whole inheritance of heauen So greatly to esteeme of riches and so finally to set by their conscience To haue so diligent a regard that all external blessings should be safe and ordered and not to care whether the life be ordered and sound Such plenty of blindnes and palpable darknes is found in the world that a man hath good cause to coniecture that men are inchaunted and bewitched who hauing eyes see not eares yet heare not who when they are cleare and bright sighted to behold earthly things yet are more blind then Moles in viewing celestiall things That happeneth to them that in times past happened to Saint Paule persecuting the Church of God who falling vpon the earth when hee opened his eyes hee saw no light so also these miserable and wretched men who when they haue eyes broad open in earthly matters doe see nothing in Diuine matters as though their eyes were shut ¶ Of the multitude of sinnes that are in this world IF there be so many snares in the vvorld and so great darknes what is to be hoped therof but stumblings slydings and sinnes But sinne is the greatest of all the euils of this world and ought to be the most effectuall motiue to mooue vs to forsake the world By this only consideration that glorious Martir Cyprian endeuoured to perswade a friend of his to despise contemne this world imagining him to be set on the top of a very high mountaine whence he might view all things lying beneath him his eyes being cast on euery side the holy Martyr sheweth vnto him all Seas Lands Pallaces and iudgement seates to be fild and replished with a thousand kinde of sinnes and iniuries which were committed in euery place and when he had seene so many and great euils which were daily perpetrated in the vvorld he very well knew with what great circumspection and care he ought to beware of the world how great a debter he was to God who had vouchsafed him such a caueat wherby he might detest and abhorre the world Ascend thou therefore my brother to the top of this mountayne and cast thine eyes into euery corner of the vvorld and behold the stormy vvhirle-winds of this boysterous Sea Looke into the Pallaces of Princes the Courts and publique meetings of this vvorld and there thou shalt see so many kind of sinnes so many lyes so many cauilations deceits iniuries thefts enuyings flatteries vanities and that which is greater so great forgetfulnes of God and so little care of saluation that thou canst not but greatly vvonder and stand amazed in beholding so many and so great euils Thou shalt see the greater part of men to liue after the manner of beasts ruled and swayed by the violence of their affections hauing no respect eyther of iustice or of the Diuine law or of nature or reason lyuing more filthily then the Heathen who haue no knowledge of the true God neyther doe they thinke that any thing further remayneth then to be borne and to die Thou shalt see Innocents wrongfully punished and malefactors escape vvithout danger thou shalt see good men despised and vvicked men honoured thou shalt see poore men afflicted and humbled and in all things fauour to be preferred before equity and vertue Thou shalt see the lawe sold no respect being had vnto the truth thou shalt see vnlawfull Arts maintayned offices peruerted and depraued and all estates of men corrupted and turned vpside downe Thou shalt see many dishonest and vild men woorthy to be seuerely punished vvho by theft and frandulent means haue purchased store of vvealth to be praysed and feared of all men To be briefe thou shalt see the vvorld more deuoutly vvorshipping and adoring a penny then God himselfe And vvhen thou hast beheld and ouer-looked all things thou shalt confesse that it is most truly and iustly spoken of the Psalmist The Lord looked downe from heaven vpon the children of men to see if there were any that would vnderstand and seeke God All are gone out of the way they are all corrupt there is none that doth good no not one Hosea doth no lesse deplore the estate of men The Lord sayth he hath a controuersie with the inhabitants of the Land because there is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the Land By swearing and lying and killing and stealing and whooring they breake out blood toucheth blood But that thou mayest more plainly discerne the condition and estate of this vvorld take a view of the head that gouerneth it and beholding the Gouernour thou shalt easily vnderstand the condition of that thing that is gouerned For if it be true that the Prince of this vvorld that is of sinners be the deuill vvhich Christ himselfe also affirmeth vvhat is to be looked for of that body vvhich hath such an head and of that common vvealth vvhich hath such a Ruler This one thing is sufficient to let vs vnderstand vvhat is to be expected of the louers of this vvorld What neede we many words tell me vvhat other thing is the vvorld then a denne of theeues an army of robbers astie of Swine a galley full of Pirates and a lake of Serpents Cockatrices and Basiliskes If the vvorld be thus and of this kind why doe I not leaue a place so filthy and impure sayth a certaine Phylosopher a place so full of traditions and deceits wherein scarcely any pietie faithfulnes or iustice may be found Wherein all vices raigne where one brother lyeth in waite for another where the sonne wisheth the death of his father where the wife desireth the death of her husband and the husband of his wife to be briefe where nothing beareth rule but gluttony enuie wrath luxurie ambition and all other euils and enormities Who would not wish to be deliuered from such a world it is not to be doubted but that Prophet wished it who said O that
external things but in the Spirit and in spirituall blessings and inuisible as both the Philosophers of sounder iudgement and also good Christians although after a diuers manner doe auouch and affirme The Prophet would signifie the same thing when he sayd The Kings daughter is all glorious within her clothing is of broydered gold In which she hath so great peace and quite as all the Kings of the earth neuer had nor shal haue the like vnlesse we will say that the Princes of this world haue greater peace and quiet then the friends of God which besides that it is false many Princes themselues haue also denied who tasting of the sweetnes of God haue forsaken their dignities and riches amongst whom S. Gregory was one who tried both estates and fortunes vvhen he was promoted to high dignity and to be a Bishop he was wont much to deplore his estate and to wish for his former peaceable quiet and sweete life no otherwise then hee is wont to doe who languisheth for the desire of his Countrey and liberty beeing in seruitude and slauerie ¶ Those things which haue beene spoken are prooued by examples BVt seeing that this errour and deceipt is so great and vniuersall I will adioyne another reason no lesse effectuall then the former by which the louers of this vvorld may easily vnderstand how impossible a thing it is to find that felicity in it which they desire Thou must therefore presuppose that many moe things are required that a thing should be perfect then that it should be vnperfect For that any thing should be perfect two perfections are required together but that it should be vnperfect one onely imperfection is sufficient These things being presupposed proceed after this manner That any man should haue perfect felicity it is required that he should haue all things according to his harts desire and if one onely thing be mixed with the rest which pleaseth not that will be sufficient thâ—◠〈◊〉 both is and may be called miserable albeit all other things 〈◊〉 make him happy and blessed I haue seene many men of high degree whose Lands haâ—e yeelded them large and rich reuenues who notwithstanding haue alwaies liued in heauinesse for that discruciatement was much greater which they had conceiued by the frustration of that they desired then the ioy which they reaped of all other things For it not to be doubted but all that they possessed dyd not so much gladde them as that only appetite afflicted them which had the deniall because to possesse many things maketh not a man quiet but to haue satisfied contended hys will Which thing amongst others Saint Augustine doth excellently declare in a booke of the manners of the Church in these words In my iudgement he is neyther sayd to be happy who hath not that he loueth whatsoeuer it be neyther he that hath that he loueth if it be hurtfull neyther he that loueth not that he hath although it be the best thing For he that desireth that he cannot obtaine is vexed he that hath obtained what was not to be wished is deceaued and he that desireth not that which is to be obtayned hee is not of a well disposed minde Whereupon it is inferred that our felicity consisteth in the possession and loue of the chiefest good neyther any other to be true without it So that these three things possession loue and the chiefest good make a man blessed and happy Without which no man at any time shall be blessed and happy whatsoeuer he be Although I could alledge very many examples for the confirmation of this conclusion yet we will content ourselues with that one of Haman so well beloued of King Assuerus for wheÌ„ as he was happy in all things in the iudgement and sight of the world he thought great iniury was offered vnto him because Mardocheus dyd not rise vp vnto him when hee pasâ—ed by Wherefore calling together his friends and his wife he layd open before them the greatnes of his riches and the multitude of his chyldren and what great glory and honour the King had bestowed on him aboue all other Princes and seruants how he had exalted him and sette him aboue them all Yea Hector the Queene sayd he hath called no man in with the King to the banket that shee hath prepared saue me and to morrow am I bidden vnto her also with the King But all this doth nothing auaile mee as long as I see Mardocheus the Iew sitting at the Kings gate not yeelding me that reuerence I desire Marke then thys place thou shalt see that thys one small thing more disturbed and troubled hys hart then all his other prosperities could make it happy Consider also how farre a man is of in this lyfe from that peace and manquilitie of minde and how neere vnto disturbance perturbation Who then in thys world is found who can effect thys that he should not be miserable What Kings or Emperours are found to whom all things succeed according to theyr desire and to whom some thing happeneth not which disturbeth and disquieteth their mindes For although in this respect that a man is a man no aduersity doth touch or come neer vnto him yet who can escape all the mischaunces of fortune vvho can auoyde the infirmities of the body or eschew all the feares fantasies and vaine imaginations of the soule which a man feareth without reason of feare and so is many times afflicted without cause If all these fore-sayd reasons beeing so euident cannot conuince thee and thou requirest moe reasons rather from experience then reason goe to wise Salomon and he as one that hath long sayled in thys Sea with greater prosperity then any other trying and experimenting all kindes of the delicacies and pleasures of thys world he I say will saythfully instruct thee in this matter what he hath seene and what he hath tryed he will tell thee if perhaps he hath other where found that which satisfied his appetite if thou shalt demaund of him what it was hee will aunswer thee saying Vanitie of vanities sayth the Preacher vanitie of vanities all is vanitie Beleeue him thou shalt not be deceaued we may safely trust a man so well experimented For he dooth not speak vnto thee of his theory and speculation but of his experience and practice hee dooth not tell thee of those things he heard but which he saw and proued Doe not think that thou thy selfe or any other can discouer moe nouelties and heretofore vnheard of then he heath discouered and tryed For what Prince euer lyued in the worlde that was wiser or richer or more glorious or famouser then Salomon Who euer tryed moe kindes of delights of sports of huntings of singing of women of ornaments of ridings and of all other things then he dyd And when he had tryed them all hee reaped no other fruite by them then that thou hast heard Why wilt thou now experiment that which
with corporall eyes sayd Plato she would alure the whole world vnto her If we respect profit what thing is more profitable and supported with greater hope then Vertue for by Vertue we obtayne the chiefest good Length of dayes and gifts of eternity are in her right hand and in her left hand riches and honour If thou art delighted with pleasantnes what greater delight canst thou wish for then a peaceable and a good conscience the sweetnes of charity of peace and of the liberty of the children of God that in the meane time I may say nothing of the consolation of the holy Ghost which is most sweet and pleasant If thou desirest a perdurant and lasting name The righteous shall liue and shall be had in euerlasting remembrance But the memoriall of the wicked shall perish with them If thou be desirous of vvisedome that thou mayst finde the way that leadeth to heauen and the meanes that direct to this end there is no meane more certaine then Vertue which leadeth vnto God If thou desirest to be gracious and acceptable among all men there is not any thing more gracious or more conducent to it then Vertue For as Cicero sayth nothing is more amiable then Vertue nothing that more allureth men vnto loue seeing that for vertue and honesty we loue them whom we neuer saw Such force it hath which is more that we loue it in an enemy Euen as of the conueniency and proportion of the members and lyneaments and of the humours of the naturall body a certaine beauty ariseth which is acceptable to the eyes of men so of the order and vertuous frame of the life laudably led and formed so great a beauty proceedeth that not onely it is most acceptable to the eyes of God and Angels but it is also amiable and beloued of peruerse men and enemies That is truly and simply good which is good in euery respect neyther hath any euill in it Therfore God not without cause sendeth this honorable embasie to a righteous man which we haue set in the forefront of this booke and now againe repeate in the end Say yee surely it shall be well with the iust Say yee so because he is borne vnder an happy starre and that he shall die in a good houre because his life and death is blessed and whatsoeuer after death shall beside him Say yee so vnto him because all things shall goe well with him as well prosperous as aduerfe as well things pleasant as heauy both in quietnes and in labour For all things worke together for the best vnto them that loue God Say yee vnto him although the vvorld be turned topsey turuey and the elements confounded if heauen be ruinated and disturbed let not him feare yea then let him lift vp his head because the day of his redemption is at hand Say yee surely it shall be well with the iust Because a blessing is prepared for him vvhich in excellencie exccedeth all blessings that is God himselfe and that he is free from all euill and from the tiranny of the deuill which is the worst of all euils Say yee surely it shall be well with the iust For his name is vvritten in the booke of life and God the father hath adopted him for his sonne the holy Ghost to be a liuely temple vnto him Say yee surely it shall be well with the iust For that estate which he hath gotten is happy blessed in euery respect And if at any time in any temporal matter it seemeth lesse happy if this be patiently borne it is turned vnto him for a greater good for that which seemed a loose vnto him that is patient is made a gayne vnto him his labour becomes a reward and his warre victory and a perpetuall crowne As often as Laban changed the wages of Iacob his sonne in law he thought that it was profitable vnto him hurtfull to his sonne in law but it fell out cleane contrary for it was vnprofitable vnto him and profitable to his sonne in law Wilt thou then my brother be so cruell to thy selfe and such an enemy that thou shouldest linger to embrace so great a blessing which promiseth on euery side so great good vnto thee What counsaile is more wholsome what more profitable condition or estate of life canst thou follow Blessed are those that are vpright in their way and walke in the law of the Lord saith the Prophet a thousand times blessed are they and blessed againe that keepe his testimonies and seeke him with their whole hart If a good thing as the Philosophers say be the obiect of our will and by how much the more any thing is good by so much the more it deserueth to be loued desired What I pray thee doth make thy will so sottish and insencible that it tasteth not nor embraceth this so vniuersall a good O how much better did that King who sayd I haue chosen the way of thy truth and thy iudgements haue I layd before me I haue cleaued to thy testimonies ô Lord. And in another place O Lord I haue layd vp thy commaundements in mine whole hart He saith not in a corner not in his hand but in the midst or in his whole hart which is the beginning of life the chiefest the best place of all others as if he had sayd This is my best part in which I contriue and determine of all my busines and all my cogitations are in it The men of this world do contrarily for vanity possesseth the chiefest roome of their harts and Gods law lyeth obscured and hid in some corner But this holy man albeit he was a King and troubled with many businesses of his kingdome yet he put them all vnder his feete but placed the law of his Lord in the midst of his hart What hindereth then why thou doost not imitate this good example and embrace so great a good For if thou respectest the bond of the obligation what greater obligation can there be then that which is betweene God and man or only for that cause that he is what he is All the obligations of this world are not worthy of this name if they be compared with this as we haue sayd in the beginning of this booke If thou lookest vnto the benefits what benefits can be greater or more excellent then those that we receaue from the hand of the Lord For besides that he hath created vs and redeemed vs with his blood we haue receaued frō him all that we possesse both within and without our body our soule life health riches grace if so we haue it the continuance of our life our purposes the desires of our harts and all that which hath the name of essence or of goodnes we receaue it I say originally frō him who is the fountaine of all essences and of all goodnes Words are wanting vnto me by which I might set out her
lusts which drowne men in perdition and destruction For the desire of money is the roote of all euill The naughtines and malignitie of this vice cannot be described more cunningly or curiously For it is manifest by these words that that vnhappy man who is subiect to this euill is the seruaunt and slaue of all other sinnes Wherfore wheÌ„ this vice doth assault thine hart thou shalt defend thy selfe with these weapons following First therefore ô thou couetous man consider that vvhen the Lord and thy GOD descended from the highest heauen to the earth he would not possesse riches which thou so greatly desirest yea he loued pouerty so wel that he would take flesh of a Virgin most poore and lowly and not of a Queene rich mighty When he was borne he would not lodge in a stately and wealthy pallace he would not lye vppon a soft bed he refused dainty swadling-clothes embraced for his cradle a hard Cratch So long as he lyued in the world he alwayes loued pouerty and contemned riches He chose his Apostles and his Embassadours not Princes and great men but base and abiect Fishers What preposterous order then is this that the most vild worme should seeke riches which the Lord of al the world and of all creatures contemned for his cause Consider furthermore the exceeding great basenes of thine hart that when as thy soule is created according to the image similitude of God and redeemed by his owne blood in comparison of which all the world is nothing yet thou art not ashamed to lose it for so small a gaine God would not haue gyuen his life for the whole world which notwithstanding he willingly layd downe for the soule of man Therefore thy soule is worthier and of more price then the whole world True riches are not gold nor siluer nor precious stones but they are found in Vertue which a good conscience bringeth with it Relinquish the false opinion of men and thou shalt see that gold and siluer are no other things but yellow and white earth which through the errour of men is crept into so great credit That which hath been despised by all the Phylosophers of the world doost thou beeing a disciple of Christ so much esteeme it that thou shouldest make thy selfe a seruant and slaue vnto it For as S. Ierome saith he is a seruant vnto riches who keepeth and tendeth them as a seruant but he who hath cast off that yoke deuideth them as a Lord. Consider also what the Lord sayth in the Gospell No man can serue two Maister God and Mammon that is riches The soule cannot freely serue God if it follow and hunt after riches so greedily and with so open a mouth Spirituall delights doe shunne a hart busied and occupied about earthly matters neyther doe things counterfeit and true agree together nor things hie and low temporall and eternall spirituall and carnall neyther can any man reioyce and recreate himselfe in them both together Consider in like manner that by howe much more prosperously earthly matters succeede with thee by so much perhaps thou art more miserable by reason of that pledge which here is giuen vnto thee that thou maist relye vpon vaine felicity which heere is offered vnto thee Ah that thou knewest what great euils and how many inconueniences thys small prosperity bringeth with it thou shouldest see the loue of riches more to afflict by desire then to delight by vse For it enwrappeth the soule in diuers temptations and bindeth it in infinite cares it allureth it with sundry delights prouoketh it to sinne and disturbeth the quiet no lesse of the body then of the soule And that vvhich is greater riches are neuer gotten without trouble nor possessed without care nor lost without griefe and that which is worser they are sildome gathered without sin and offence to God Hence is that prouerbe A rich man is eyther a wicked man or the heâ—re of a wicked man Consider moreouer how great an errour it is without intermission to desire those things which albeit they be most plentifull yet they can neuer satisfie the desire of man yea they prouoke it and inflame it more as drinke in a Dropsie is the cause of greater thirst so that although thou hast yet thou alwaies couetest that which thou wantest and alwaies couetest more and more So that the miserable and wretched hart wandering through all the things of this world is wearied but neuer satisfied it drinketh but the thirst is not quenched for it esteemeth not those things which it hath vnlesse also it possesse in like manner those things which further it may haue and there is no lesse trouble for things which it compasseth not theÌ„ there is pleasure in things which it possesseth neyther is the heart more satisfied with gold then the body with wind or ayre Wherefore not without cause Saint Augustine maruelleth saying What greedines sayth hee of desire is this seeing that the beastes haue a meane For then they rauine when they are hungry but they spare the pray when they feele fulnes Onely the couetousnes of riches is vnfatiable it alwayes raueneth and is neuer satisfied neyther feareth GOD nor reuerenceth man neyther spareth Father nor acknowledgeth Mother neyther yeeldeth vnto brother nor keepeth fayth with friend Consider that where much riches is there are many that eate and deuoure them many that couet them and many that lye in waite to steale them What hath the richest man of this world more of all his riches then whereof he may necessarily lyue of thys yrksome care thou maist disburthen thy selfe if thou wilt cast thy care vpon God and commit thy selfe to his prouidence for God neuer confoundeth them that trust in him For whom God made he will not suffer to die through hunger He that feedeth the foules of heauen and clotheth the Lillyes of the field how is it possible that he should forsake man especially seeing that so small a thing sufficeth the necessity of man The life is short death followeth at our heeles what need is there then of so great prouision for so short a iourney What wilt thou doe with so much riches especially seeing that the lesse thou hast the more lightly and freely thou mayest walke and when thou shalt come to the end of thy pilgrimage if thou beest poore thy estate shall not be worser then rich mens who are loaden with much gold Yea it shall be much better for thou shalt feele lesser griefe in forsaking this trash and pelfe of the world and a smaller account is to be rendered before God On the contrary part rich men in the end of their iourney leaue their mountaines of gold not without great griefe of hart which they adored as GOD neyther without exceeding great danger and hazard vnto them an account is to be rendered of those things they possessed Consider also ô thou couetous man for whom thou gatherest so
great riches for it is most certaine that like as thou camst naked into this vvorld so thou shalt depart naked hence thou entrest poore and shalt returne poore These things are often to be meditated of thee For he easily contemneth all things sayth Ierome who perswadeth himselfe that he shal dye At the houre of death thou must leaue all temporal things onely thy works which thou hast done whether they be good or euill shal waite vpon thee then thou shalt remember how thou hast changed eternal things for things temporal in heaping vp of which thou hast consumed thy time thy affections and all thy labours Then thy goods shal be deuided into three parts thy body shal be giuen to the wormes thy soule to deuils and thy temporal goods shal fall to thine heires which perhaps shal be vngrateful spend-thrifts and wicked Therfore it is much better and safer to follow the counsaile of our Sauiour who willeth vs to deuide our goods amongst the poore that they may prepare an entrance into life for vs as the Princes of this vvorld doe who determining a voyage doe send their furniture and treasure before them and such prouision as would hinder theyr speede and they themselues follow after What greater folly and madnes I pray thee can be thought of then to leaue thy treasure in a place to the which thou shalt neuer returne againe and not to send it before thee to that place in which thou shalt alwayes abide Consider moreouer of the great Gouernour and high director of this spacious Vniuerse who like a wise Housholder hath so disposed of the goods of this vvorld as he hath done of offices and degrees of estate and hath so ordered all things that one should rule and another be ruled that one should distribute and deuide wealth and another should receaue it Seeing therfore that thou art one of those on whom much wealth is bestowed to giue to those that neede thine owne necessity being supplied thinkest thou that it is lawfull to reserue it solely to thy selfe which thou hast receaued for many Heare what Ambrose sayth It is no lesser fault to deny that to the needy which he wanteth thou being of ability to giue it then it is to take by force from him that hath It is the bread of the hungry that thou detaynest the garment of the naked which thou layest by thee and the money and ransome of the captiue and miserable which thou hidest in the earth Consider therfore that those goods which thou hast receaued of the Lord are remedies and releefes of mans misery and not instruments of pleasure and pride Haue an eye that seeing all things prosperously succeed with thee thou remember him who is the authour and giuer of them and beware that the remedies of another mans misery doe not minister matter vnto thee of vaine glory Doe not ô my brother more loue banishment then thy Countrey Let not the furniture and prouision of thy voyage be an hinderance and a burden to thy iourney Doe not so loue the Moone-shine that thou contemne the noone-sunne doe not so liue that the solaces of this present life minister matter of eternal death Be content with the condition and estate which is happened to thee being mindfull of that of the Apostle Hauing foode and rayment let vs there-with be content For the seruant of God as Chrisostome sayth ought not to be clothed gorgiously to fare deliciously and to pamper his flesh delicatly but only to satisfie his necessity Seeke first the kingdome of God and his righteousnes and all other things shall be ministred vnto you For God who is willing to bestow great matters vpon thee will not deny thee small And if it please him to giue thee pouerty take it patiently for the poore are like vnto Christ who when he was rich became poore for our sakes They that are poore and with patience abide the Lords leysure and doe not respect riches which they haue not these make their pouerty a vertue And as the poore in their pouerty doe imitate Christ and are fashioned like vnto Christ so the rich bestowing and laying out their almes are renewed reformed by Christ for not only the poore sheepheards found Christ but also the Wise-men that came from the East and brought him their treasures Wherfore thou that art rich giue almes to the poore which if thou dost Christ himselfe receaueth them And doubt not but that almes that thou now giuest shal be reserued for thee in heauen where thy mansion shal be for euer but if in this earth thou hidest thy treasures thou shalt not there finde any thing where thou hast layd vp nothing How then shal any man truly terme those goods which cannot be taken away with vs yea which may be lost we looking on What doe they profit me sayth Ambrose if they may not be with me after death They are gotten heere and here shal be left But on the contrary part spirituall goods are goods truly and in deede for they neuer leaue nor forsake their Lord neyther fayle in death neyther can any man take them away we liuing and being against it ¶ That no man ought to detayne goods that are not his owne their Lord and Maister being eyther against it or not knowing of it ABout this sinne a very great danger is to be considered of which men oftentimes doe incurre in detayning other mens goods for we must know that it is not onely a sinne to steale other mens goods but also to keepe them against their owners wils neither is it sufficient to haue a determination at the length to restore them againe if forth-with they may be restored For we are not only bound to restore but also forth-with to restore If so be we be able but if we be not able forth-with to restore or not able to restore the whole by reason of pouerty in such a case we are not bound to the one nor to the other For God compelleth no man to performe impossibilities To the confirmation of this conclusion I think that we need not many words for that of Saint Gregory will be sufficient who writing to Iustinus a certaine Pretor of Sicilia sayth Let not any bribes or gaines allure and hale thee to iniustice let no mans threatnings or friendship make thee to decline from the right and straight way It is a thing diligently and seriously to be thought of that we leaue all gaines and bribes here behind vs and carry to iudgement onely the pleas and actions of harmfull and hurtfull gaines What greater madnes is there then then here to leaue the profit and to carry the losse with thee to doe another man a commodity and to disprofit thy selfe to procure mirth to another and torment to thy selfe vvhat is more foolish then to suffer punishment for that in another life which of others is consumed in this Furthermore it is an intollerable error that any
man should more esteeme his riches then himselfe and rather make shipwrack of his soule then of his substance expose his body to the sword that his garment might not be rent Such an one whosoeuer he be seemeth to me not much to differ from Iudas who for a few pence sold iustice sold grace and sold his owne soule To conclude if it be certaine as we assuredly beleeue that thou in the houre of death if thou meanest to be saued art bound of necessity to make restitution what greater madnes can there be then when thou art bound to restore and repay that thou owest to persist and continue in sinne to the houre of death to goe to bed in sinne to rise in sinne to liue and receaue the communion in sinne and to lose all that he loseth who perseuereth in sinne rather then to restore forth-with vvhat perdition can be greater in the vniuersal world He seemeth to haue no iudgment who slenderly accounteth of so great a losse Labour therfore my brother that thou mayst speedily and fully restore that thou owest neyther hereafter offer iniury or loose to any man Beware in like manner that the wages of thine hireling do not sleepe with thee til the morrow Doe not cause him to come often vnto thee and to depart heauy and sad from thee before he receaue his stipend least he lose more time in receauing then in earning it which often-times cōmeth to passe through the iniury of euil pay-maisters If thou beest the executour of any mans wil and testament beware that thou deceauest not the soule of the deceased least it proue another day a burden and clogge to thy soule If thou hast a family and many accounts to cast vp endeuor that they may be cleare and absolute or at least whilst thou lyuest that they may be cleared least when thou dyest strife and contention fall amongst thy family All that thou canst doe for the finishing and perfecting of thine owne will and testament passe it not ouer to the trust of another for if thou shalt be negligent in thine owne busines what thinkest thou others wil be in other mens Reioyce if thou owest not any thing to another but charity for then thou shalt sleepe securely and thou shalt feele no prick of conscience thy life shall be peaceable and thy death in tranquility But that thou mayst more be stirred vp to all these things cast a bridle vpon thine appetites and desires least thou giue the raynes vnto thy will and so out-runne thine estate dispose of thy diet and charges according to thy substance measure thine expences not by thy will but by thine ability least thou be oppressed with the lone of other mens money The burden of lones is drawne vpon vs by our owne affections temperance alone is more worth then many thousand of yeerely reuenues Possesse those blessed and true riches of which Paule speaketh Godlines is great gaine If men would be content with that estate that God hath sent them neyther murmur against the Diuine ordinance they should alwayes liue in peace but when they will ouerpasse these bonds and limits it is necessary that they should lose much of their tranquillity and quiet For those things haue neuer a happy end which are taken in hand against the will of the Lord. Remedies against Luxurie CHAP. VI. LVxury is an ordinate desire of filthy and vnhonest pleasures This sinne is very generall and common and more violent then all the rest For of all the combats and battailes which Christians are to fight the combat of Chastity is most difficult for the wrastling is perpetuall and the victory rare as sayth Bernard Therefore when as this soule and obscene vice doth tempt thy minde and thy flesh beginneth to tickle and prouoke thee thou shalt meete these motions with the cogitations following First and formost consider with thy selfe that this vice doth not onely pollute and contaminate thy soule which the sonne of God hath washed and beautified with his owne blood but also it defileth thy body which is a member of Christ and the temple of the holy Ghost But if it be a great wickednes to pollute the materiall Church of GOD what an hainous offence will it be to prophane this temple which is the liuely habitation of the true God For euery sinne sayth the Apostle that a man dooth is without the body but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his owne body that is by prophaning and coinquinating it with carnall lust and fleshly sinne Consider that this sinne cannot be done without the scandall and preiudice of many persons which concurre to the effecting of it which thing wonderfully afflicteth the conscience at the houre of death For if the Law of the Lord commaundeth that life is to be tendered for life an eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth how can he giue a like recompence to God who hath destroyed so many Christian soules howe shall hee be able to make satisfaction for so many soules which Christ hath purchased vnto him by his precious blood See how many delights and pleasures this sinne hath in the beginning but the end is most bitter the entrance is easie but the issue and egresse most difficult Therefore the Wise-man sayth A whore is as a deepe ditch and a strange woman is as anarrow pit Ingresse to her is easie but egresse difficult For truely there is nothing found in which men are more easily taken then in the sweetnes of this sin which appeareth by the beginnings and entrance into it But when as hands haue strooken friendship and this league is confirmed and lust hath captiuated thy soule who shall be able to deliuer and free it Wherefore not without cause this sinne is sayd to be most like a fishers Wee le or bow-net which hath a large entrance into it but a narrovve getting out and therefore the fishes that once goe in cannot get out Hence it appeareth how great is the multitude of sins which ariseth from this one when as in all that time in which the way is prepared and the deede committed God is a thousand wayes offended by thoughts desires and workes Consider furthermore as a certaine learned Doctor sayth what a multitude of other mischiefes this deceitfull pestilence bringeth with it First it spoyleth thy good name which is the most precious thing that belongs to man neyther is there any sinne that pulleth more haynous infamy vpon thee then luxurie doth After that it weakeneth and enfeebleth the strength of man it taketh away the beauty it hurteth the sound constitution it bringeth infinite diseases which are both filthy and reprochfull it perisheth and blasteth the florish and blossome of thy youth neyther suffereth it to bud and increase it bringeth old age before the time it breaketh the force strength of thy wit it dulleth the subtiltie of thine vnderstanding and maketh a man like vnto a brute beast
of himselfe neyther did he trust to himselfe neyther to the long experience of his good life But if this be not sufficient for thee ad also the example of Dauid who although he was a most holy man and a man according to Gods owne hart yet when he beheld a woman he fell into three most greeuous sinnes into adultery scandall and murder Thy eares also must be carefully kept least they heare obscene vnhonest speaches which if thou at any time shalt heare let them displease thee for a man is easily brought to effect that in his deede which he with ioy heareth with his eares Refraine also thy tongue that thou speake not filthy and vncleane words for euill words corrupt good manners The tongue doth discouer the hart of a man and bewrayeth his affections for the tongue speaketh out of the aboundance of the hart Let thy hart be alwayes busied with holy thoughts thy body with godly exercises for deuils cast into an idle soule dangerous thoughts sayth Bernard with which it is occupied that although the offence be not in deede yet it is in thought In euery temptation and most of all in this set before thine eyes thy Angel who is thy keeper and the deuill thine accuser who are alwayes euery where with thee and see all thy works and present them before thy Iudge who seeth all things For this cogitation will worke that in thee that thou darest not preâ—ume to doe any filthy thing in their sight For how darest thou doe that which thou blushest to doe if a wretched man see thee doe it thy keeper thine accuser and thy Iudge looking vppon it Consider also that dreadfull tribunall strict iudgement and flame of eternall torments for euery punishment is ouercommed with a punishment more greeuous none otherwise then one naile is driuen out with another And by this meanes the heate of luxury may be extinguished by the thought of hel fire Furthermore take heede that as sildome as possibly it may be thou alone speake with a woman alone especially in thy suspected yeares For as Chrisostome sayth then the deuill more boldly insulteth ouer men and women when he espieth them alone and where many feareth not the reprehendour hee is the bolder and the tempter commeth the nearer beware therfore to conuerse with women when no witnes is by for solitarines inuiteth to all mischiefe Doe not rely vpon thy strength and vertue past albeit it be auntient and stable for we know how those olde men were inflamed with the loue of Susanna who alone was seene of them in the garden How great Bishops and excellent Clarks after great combats and victories sayth Augustine haue beene knowne to haue made shipwrack with them all when they would sayle in a slender and weake ship What strong Lyons hath this one delicate infirmity which is luxurie tamed which being vild and miserable yet maketh a pray of those that be great And in another place Beleeue me assuredly I speake by experience before the Lord I lye not I haue knowne the Cedars of Libanus the guides of the flocks to haue fallen by the pestilence of luxury whose falls I did no more suspect then I suspected the shamelesse rebuke of Ambrose and Ierome Fly therefore all suspected company of women for to see them doth hurt the hart to heare them doth inflame thy mind to touch them doth prouoke thy flesh to be briefe all that that is done with women is a snare to that man that is conuersant with them This is that which Gregory admonisheth vs of Let not them presume to dwell with women who haue consecrated their bodies to continency least they deuoure the bayte before they be aware for the presence of beauty doth sodainly entrap Fly therfore the familiarities visitations and gifts of vvomen for all these be as lime-twigs by which the harts of men are ensnared as a bellowes by which the fire of concupiscence is blowne when as otherwise perhaps the flame would faile and dye If thou wishest well to any honest and deuouâ— vvoman let it be done in thy minde without often visiting too familier conuersing with her For the chiefe of this busines consisteth especiallie in flying and auoyding occasions Remedies against Enuie CHAP. VII ENuie is a greefe taken at the good of another man and an irksomnes conceaued by another mans felicity I meane at one greater then himselfe whom he enuies because he cannot be equall vnto him and at his inferiour because he thinks that he would be equall vnto him and at his equall because his degree and state doth iumpe with his So King Saule enuied Dauid and the Pharises Christ who lay in wayte for their lifes for so cruell a beast is this enuy that it cannot abide nor any way brooke those men whom it enuieth This sinne is mortall and deadly and Diameter-wise is opposed vnto Charity euen as hatred is This sinne is one of the mightiest and most dangerous and which most spaciously dominereth throughout the whole world but especially in the Courts Pallaces and houses of Kings and Princes Although also it is no stranger in Vniuersities Colledges and conuents of religious men Who therefore may defend himselfe from this monster Who is so happy that runneth not into this vice eyther by falling into another mans enuy or by enuying another man himselfe For he that considereth of the enuy which was betweene those two brethren I doe not say the founders of the Citty of Rome but the sonnes of our first parents which was so great that one slew the other or of that which was betweene the brothers of Ioseph which forced them to sell Ioseph for a seruant and a slaue or that which was betweene the very Disciples of Christ before they had receaued the holy Ghost and aboue all the enuy with which Aaron and Miriam being both elected of the Lord burned against their brother Moses He I say that readeth these examples what thinkest thou that he will thinke of other men of this world amongst whom there is not so great kindred nor so much sanctitie Assuredly this vice is one of the mightiest and most powerfull which without controuersie at this day most largely swayeth empire throughout the whole world and more cruelly and tirannously ouerthroweth and wasteth kingdomes and dominions then the other vices For it is a proper effect of enuy to persecute the good and those that are famous and held in honour for their vertues and excellent gifts Against these the enuious doe direct their poysoned and venemous arrowes as to a white wherfore it is very well sayd of Salomon I beheld all trauaile of men and all perfection of works to suffer the enuy of man Therefore it is very requisite and necessary that thou shouldest very well arme thy selfe whereby thou mayst be able to resist so powerfull an enemy by daily desiring ayd and assistance of the Lord and by impugning this
pleasure which lurkâ—th vnder necessity craueth that tâ—ou wouldest satisfie and fulfill her desire and it so much the sooner deceauâ—th by how much it more couertly insinuateth it selfe vnder the câ—lour of honest necessity and hideth from thee her inordinary Therefore very especiall warines and wisedome is here to be vsed to bridle the appetite of pleasure and to subiect and subingate the sensuality vnder the rule of reason If therefore thou desirest that thy flesh should be a seruant and a subiect vnder the soueranity of thy soule looke that thy soule be subiect vnto God for it is requisite that thy soule be gouerned of God that it may in like manner rule ouer the flesh And by this admirable amiable order man shall be reformed that is that GOD may rule ouer his reason the reason may gouerne the soule and the soule the body and so man shall be wholy reformed But the body striueth and strugleth against the gouernment of the soule if the soule be not subiect vnder the rule of reason and if the reason be not conformable to the diuine will When thou art tempted of Gluttony thinke and consider that thou enioyest a very short delight which soone passeth away and that the pleasure of the taste is like a dreame of the night vanishing away and flying froÌ„ the eyes and consider that thys pleasure when it is past leaueth the soule heauy in the conscience but if that pleasure be conquered the soule reioyceth frolicketh and the conscience is quiet and ful of peace according to that most excellent and egregious sentence of that wise man If thou shalt do any honest thing with paines taking the paines passeth but the honestie remaineth if thou doost any filthy or vnhonest thing with pleasure taking the filthines and dishonestie remaineth but the pleasure passeth away Remedies against anger hatred and enmities which arise of anger and wrath CHAP. IX ANger is an inordinate desire to be reuenged of him whom we suppose to haue wronged vs. Against this pestilent vice the Apostle sheweth vnto vs an antidote saying Let all bitternes and anger and wrath crying and euill speaking bee put away from you with all maliciousnes Be ye curteous one to another and tender-harted forgiuing one another euen as God for Christes sake forgaue you Of thys sinne the Lord speaketh in Matthew But I say vnto you whosoeuer is angry with his brother vnaduisedly shall bee culpable of iudgement And whosoeuer saith vnto his brother Râ—câ— shall be worthy to be punished by the Counsell And vvhosoeuer shall say foole shall be woorthy to bee punished with hell fire Therefore when this outragious vice doth solicite and disquiet thy minde repell it by these considerations following First consider that brute beastes doe liue peaceably vvith those that are of the same kinde Elephants accompany with Elephants in like maner Kine and Sheepe feed rogether in their heards and flocks Byrds of a feather flie together Cranes on the day time flie together and at night one plaieth the Sentinell for the other The same thing also doe Storkes Harts Delphins and many other creatures The concord and order of Ants and Bees is knowen vnto euery body And amongst wilde beastes there is a certaine peace and agreement The fiercenes of Lyons is not exercised against them of the same kinde the Boare is not spightfull and hurtfull to the Boare the Linx vvarreth not with the Linx nor the Dragon with the Dragon VVhat need we many words the wicked spirits themselues vvho are the authors of all our discord obserue the league between them selues and by common consent do exercise their tyrannie Onely men to whom curtesie and peace are very necessary most conducent nourish deadly discords and cruell variance These things are worthy of great consideration Neyther is it lesse to be considered of that nature hath giuen weapons to all liuing creatures to fight hoofes to horses horns to Bulls tusks to Boares a sting to Bees clawes and beakes to birds yea to Gnats and fleas nature hath giuen weapons to bite and sting by which they fetch out blood But thou ô man because thou art created to peace and concord are created vnarmed and naked that thou maist not haue any thing to hurt or offend another Therefore consider howe vnnaturall it is that thou shouldest reuenge and hurt him of whom thou art offended especially by seeking for weapons which are without thee which nature hath denied vnto thee Remember that anger and desire of reuenge is proper vnto wilde beasts of whose anger thus speaketh a certaine wise man O man why doost thou degenerate from the nobility of thine estate and condition by following the nature of Lyons Serpents and other fierce and cruell beasts Aelianus writeth of a certaine Lyon who beeing wounded in hunting with a launce more then a yeere after espied him a farre of that had wounded him passing that way in the company of the King of Iuba and many other men the Lyon forth-with knew him and rushing violently through the ranckes of the men they with all theyr forces resisting him he rested not till he came vnto him who had hurt him whom presently he rent and tare in peeces The same thing we haue seene done of a certaine Bull against them of whom he was smitten and hurt Wrathfull and angry men are the imitators of these fierce and cruell beasts who wheÌ„ they might mitigate theyr wrath by reason and discretion as it becommeth men they had rather follow their beastly force furie glorying in their ignobler part which is common vnto them with beasts when as they should vse diuine reason in vvhich they pertake with Angels If thou shalt say that it is an hard thing for thee to mitigate and asswage thine angry hart I answere that thou oughtest in like manner to consider that it was much more difficult that the sonne of GOD should suffer for the loue of thee What wast thou when hee shed his blood for thee wa st not thou his enemie Doost thou not see with what great clemency and gentlenes he suffereth thee sinning daily and with what great benignity and goodnes he receaueth thee turning vnto him Peraduenture thou wilt say that thine enemy is not woorthy to haue his fault forgiuen Tell me deseruest thou or art thou worthy that God should pardon thee Wouldest thou that God shold pardon thee and wilt thou vse extreamitie against thy neighbour If thine enemy be not worthy that hee should haue pardon yet thou art worthy to pardon him and Christ most worthy for whose loue thou oughtest to forgiue him Further obserue that all the time that thou burnest with hatred and rancour against thy neighbour thou art not worthy to offer any sacrifice to the Lord gratefull acceptable vnto him which our Sauiour intimateth when he saith If then thou bring thy gift to the altar there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee
neyghbour the hart of a mother towards himselfe the hart and spirit of a Iudge These be the three parts of iustice or righteousnes in which the Prophet teacheth that all our good consisteth when hee sayth I will showe vnto thee ô man what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee surely to do iustly and to loue mercy and humbly to walke with thy God For of these three kindes of duties the first belongeth vnto vs namely to doe iustly the second to our neighbour to loue mercy the third to God which the words of the Prophet declare when he sayth humbly to walke with thy God Of these three kindes therefore in thys last part we will speake seeing that all our good is contayned in them Of the bond and dutie of man towards himselfe CHAP. XIIII SEeing that loue rightly ordered in man beginneth of himselfe we will begin thys matter from that member which the Prophet hath put in the first place that is To doe iustly Which pertayneth to the spirit and hart of the Iudge and this duty man oweth to himselfe It is the part of a good Iudge to haue his prouince well composed and ordered And because in man as in a little Common-wealth two principall parts are to be reformed that is the body with all his members and sences and the soule with all her affections and powers it is necessarie that these parts should be reformed and well ordered according to the rule of Vertue which we will declare in thys place And so a man shall repay and render that he oweth to himselfe ¶ Of the reforming of the body TO the reformation of the body first an orderly discipline of the exteriour man is required that that may be obserued which Saint Augustine requireth in his rule that is that there be nothing in thy gate in thy state or in thy sitting or in thy clothing that may offend any mans eyes but that all things be agreeable to thy profession Wherefore the seruant of GOD ought especially to be carefull that his conuersation amongst men be graue humble sweet and curteous that as many as do conuerse with him may alwaies be edified and may daylie be bettered through his good example The Apostle would haue vs to be a good sauour which may communicate participate hys sweet smell to euery thing that it partaketh with The hands which haue handled any fragrant and odoriferous thing participate of the smell so the wordes the deedes the iestures and the conuersation of the seruants of God ought to be such that what man soeuer vseth them familiarly may be edified and after a certaine manner be sanctified by their examples and conuersation Thys is the especiallest fruite which springeth of this modestie which is as a silent Preacher for not by the noyse of words but by the examples of vertues he inuiteth man to glorifie GOD and to embrace Vertue Wherefore also our Sauiour himselfe stirreth vs vp vnto thys when he sayth Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heauen To whom agreeth Esay when he sayth that the seruaunt of the Lord is like to beautifull vvood planted of God vvhich whosoeuer seeth will glorifie the Lord. We must heere obserue that a man ought not therefore to doe good workes that hee may be seene but as Saint Gregory sayth Good workes are so to be doone in publique that the intent may remaine in secret that by our good workes wee may giue an example to our neighbour and by our intent to please God onely we may alwaies wish that they may remaine secret The second fruite of thys composition and orderly disposition is that the exteriour man is the best keeper of the interior and notably preserueth deuotion for betweene eyther man there is a great confederacy and neere league that that vvhich is done of one is forthwith cōmunicated to the other and the course being altered that which this doth hee communicateth it to the other that if the spirit be wel disposed immediatly the body is well composed and contrarily if the body be ill ordered the spirit also putteth on the same habit So that one of thē is as it were the glasse of the other For euen as whatsoeuer thou doost that also the glasse opposed to thee doth imitate so also whatsoeuer eyther of these two men dooth forth-with one of them imitateth it and therefore the outward modesty and grauity much helpeth the inward and surely it is a matter of great wonder to finde a modest and a quiet spirit in an immodest vnquiet body Hence it is that Ecclesiasticus saith He that is too hastie in his gate shall offend Insinuating by this kinde of speaking that those to whom that grauitie is wanting which becommeth Christians doe often stumble and fall through many defects as they who lift vp theyr feete too lightly when they goe The thyrd fruite of this vertue is that by it a man preserueth that graue authority which is agreeable both to his person and place especially if hee be a man seated in dignity as holy Iob kept his as he testifieth of himselfe saying The light of my countenaunce did not fall to the earth And a little before When I went out to the gate euen to my iudgement seate and when I caused them to prepare my seate in the streete The young men saw mee and hidde themselues and the aged arose and stoode vp The Princes stayed talke and layd theyr hand on theyr mouth The voyce of Princes was hid and theyr tongue cleaued to the roofe of their mouth So great was their reuerence towards Iob. Which grauity that it might be free from all pride thys holy man had ioyned vnto it so great curtesie that hee sayth of himselfe that sitting in his throne as King his Princes and people standing about him he ceased not to be an eye to the blinde a foote to the lame and a father vnto the poore We must here note that as benignity and curtesie and the good carriage of the outward man is commendable so to affect company and societie too much too much to care for the furniture and accoustrements of the body too much to cherish make of the exteriour man is faulty and immoderate Wherefore Ecclesiasticus sayth A mans garment and his excessiue laughter and going declare what person he is Like to thys is that which Salomon sayd As the face of the lookers are beheld in the waters so the harts of men are manifested to the wise by exterior workes These be the commodities which this modestie bringeth with her and certainly they be very great Neyther is it a thing that should delight any man to loue too much the familiarity and company of men to be too familiar populer which many men doe that because they would not be taken for hypocrites they
laugh they vtter many vaine and idle wordes they show themselues dissolute and carelesse in all theyr conuersation and therefore they are depriued of all these commodities For as a learned man sayth No man ought to violate the lawes of abstinence for the feare of vaine-glory neyther is it meete that for the opinion of the world a man should leaue to be abstinent For euen as one vice is not to be restrained or repressed by another so no man ought to start backe from vertue for the censure of the world This is that which especially and generally pertayneth to the modesty of the exteriour man in all places and at all times But because this modesty is most chiefely required at feastes and banquets vvee vvill speake more largely of it in the Chapter following ¶ Of the vertue of Abstinence THat we may prosecute the matter begun of the reformation of the body I say that it is more meete and conuenient that the body should be handled with rigour and sharpnes then with daintines and delicacie For euen as a dead body is preserued by Mirrh which is bitter otherwise it would putrifie and breed wormes so also our flesh is corrupted through delicacies and effeminacy and bringeth forth vices which otherwise by austerity is kept in the duty of vertue Therefore in this place we will handle Abstinence which is one of the principall vertues which are necessary to the attainment of others It is very true that it is a most difficult thing to attaine it by reason of the rebellion of our corrupt nature against it Albeit therfore that we haue before sufficiently spoken of gluttony so that the condition and excellency of this vertue of abstinence may be vnderstood for he that knoweth one of the contraries knoweth also the other seeing that there is the same reason of contraries yet for the more manifestation of this doctrine I account it worth the labour to entreate peculierly of it teaching how this vertue may be gotten and how exercised Therefore beginning to speake of modesty which ought to be obserued at the table I say that Ecclesiasticus teacheth it after a singuler maner in these words Eate modestly that which is set before thee and deuoure not least thou be hated Leaue thou of first for nurtures sake and be be not insatiable least thou offend When thoù sittest among many reach not thine hand out first of all Certainly this rule is very well fitting a morrall life and is worthy of that wise man who would haue vs keepe this order The very same doctrine Saint Bernard teacheth The measure time quantity and quality of the meate saith he is to be obserued superfluities also are to be auoyded and artificiall and new fangled sauces The measure is to be obserued that he that eateth doe not poure forth his soule vpon euery dish The time not before the houre The quality such as our brethren eate if infirmity doth not will otherwise This is the rule of S. Bernard The rule vvhich Saint Gregory deliuereth in his Morrall bookes doth not differ much from this That saith he is Abstinence which preuenteth not the houre of eating as â—â—d Ionathas in his honey combe vvhich seeketh not to eate dainties as the Israelites in the Wildernes not deliciously prepared as the sonnes of Ely in Silo not to superfluity as the Sodomites not euery vild and base meate as Esau in his hunger cared not what it was so he had it Hetherto be the words of S. Gregory Another learned man more largely and copiously handleth this matter who teaching the modesty that ought to be obserued in eating saith Two things ought to be considered of in eating the meat and him that eateth it For he that eateth ought to keepe modesty in eating in silence in seeing and in framing the gesture of his body that he eate not greedily that he be not irksome and importunate through much babling that he rowle not his eyes to euery corner that all his members and parts be kept in good order For there are some who as soone as they are set doe forth-with show their greedines and the insatiable gurmandizing of their gluttony their immoderate minde and the vnseemely mouing of all their members They shake theyr heads pull their sleeues this way and that and lift vp and tosse their hands as if they would deuoure all the meate and through their vnusuall gestures they betray and bewray the insatiable voracity of their bellies They sitting in one place with theyr hands and eyes wander and reach throughout the whole table together they call for vvine breake bread and marshall this dish this way and that way and like vnto a Captaine or leader who is to besiege some Fort on euery side vieweth it so they sit musing and consulting with themselues of what meate they should begin that they may goe the currantlier through all All this inciuility he ought to auoyde that eateth and in eating he ought to see what he eateth and that with modesty lesse he passe the bonds and limits of honesty and ciuility and offend those that sit at meate with him And although at all times we ought to come to meate with this ciuility yet especially when hunger doth more prouoke vs and delicates doe stirre vp our appetites for then there are greater motiues of gluttony both in respect of the good disposition of the organ of tasting and in respect of the excellency of the obiect Then let a man diligently take heede least in this case his rauenous gullet perswade him that he is so hungry that he thinketh that he is able to deuoure both the meate and the trenchers Therfore a learned man very well calletâ— this rauening gluttony a deceitfull counterfait to the belly for when the belly is satisfied this stil crieth out that it wanteth that it hath not inough He calleth it also a seducer of the eyes receauing a little but in conceit prouoking to deuoure all At the first when a man beginneth to eate he supposeth that he is more hungry then he is in very deede and therefore he thinketh that he can deuoure all but a little after being satisfied with a smal pittance all this appetite is gone Against this euill when thou commest to the table remember the saying of a certaine Philosopher that two guests are to be refreshed of thee that is the body and the soule the body by receauing meate but the soule by taking it temperatly and soberly not for pleasure and satiety but according to the prescript rule of temperance for euen as the body is satisfied and filled with meate so the soule is refreshed with this sobriety and parsimony as with vertue No lesse remedy against gluttony is it if any one would weigh in equall ballance all the fruites of abstinence with the short pleasure of rauenous gurmandizing then he should manifestly see how vniust and how vnequall a thing it is to
thou lyuest not to feede thy belly but that thou must pray and forth-vvith read or studie or some other good worke is to be doone for which thou art vnfit if thou burdenest thy stomacke beyond measure Wherefore when thou commest to eate or drinke dâ— not respect how much thy mouth delighteth to eate but howe much is sufficient for thy life and to sustaine thy necessity We doe not say that thou shouldest kill thy selfe through fasting but that thou shouldest not pamper thine appetite fâ—rther then the vse of thy life requireth For thy body as the bodies of all other liuing creatures necessarily requireth nourishment that it faint not but thou must beware that through superfluity of nourishment thou surfet not Hence Bernard The body saith he is to be handled seuerely that it rebell not that it waxe not proude yet so that it may be of sufficient strength to serue because it is giuen to serue the spirit let thy flesh be restrained not consumed let it be pressed but not oppressed let it be humbled that it grow not insolent and let it serue and not rule Hetherto of the vertue of Abstinence ¶ Of the keeping of the Sences AFter that we haue chastened and reformed our bodies according to the rule deliuered it is necessary also that wee should reforme the sences of our bodies in which thing the seruants of God ought carefully to watch and to vse especiall heede and warines least theyr eyes which are as wide gates by which all vanities enter into vs which pierce euen to our soules and often are the windowes of our perdition by which death entreth least I say that they wander and stray abroade too licenciously But especially they that attend prayer ought warily to keepe this sence both that chastitie may be preserued and the hart being fixed may attend his deuoier Otherwise the images and shapes of things which enter into vs by this gate doe leaue many painted toyes and fansies behind them which hinder vs when we pray or meditate and they make vs scarcely think of any other thing then of that impression they haue left For this cause deuout religious men haue beene so carefull to moderate theyr sight that not only they haue not seene those things which might harme them but they haue auoyded costly buildings â—rtificiall pictures and precious and curious workes that they â—ight haue their imaginations pure and free at that tiâ—e when â—hey were to deale with God For thys exercise is such and so â—elicate that it is not onely hindered through sinnes but also â—â—rough the representation of those things which of themselues 〈◊〉 not euill The care and watch of the eares is no lesser then that of the 〈◊〉 for by these gates oftentimes those things enter into our soules which doe hinder and disturbe them destroy pollute them We must not haue our eares onely shut to hurtfull matters but also to the flying brutes rumors of this world which nothing concerne vs. For he that bewareth not of these things oâ—â—entimes when hee woulde gather his spirits together more firmely to meditate on God and heauenly things his hart is so troubled with the remembrance of things heard that they doe not suffer him rightly to meditate Of smelling I haue not much to say seeing that to carry about strange and outlandish smels and fumigations or to be delighted with them besides that it is the property of lasciuious sensuall men it is also infamous not onely for men but also for honest and chast women Of the tast also something were to be added but that wee haue already spoken of it in the precedent Section when we handled Abstinence Of the keeping of the tongue THE tongue is a copious theame to discourse of for as the Wiseman sayth Death and life are in the power of the tongue By which words it is manifest that all the good and ill of man consist in the good or ill keeping of this member Saint Iames the Apostle admonisheth vs of thys watch and guarde saying Behold we put bits into the horses mouthes that they should obey vs and we turne about all theyr body Behold also the shippes vvhich though they be so great and are driuen of fierce windes yet are they turned about with a very small rudder whither soeuer the Gouernour listeth Euen so the tongue is a little member and boasteth of great things beholde howe great a thing a little fire kindleth And the tongue is fire yea a world of wickednes so is our tongue sette amoâ—g our members that it defileth the whole body That we may gouerne and rule thys member well we must obserue foure things that is what is to be spoken the manner how it is to be spoken the time when it is to be spoken and the cause why it is to be spoken First therfore we will handle what is to be spoken that is the matter which wee would speake of Wherein that of Paule is to be obserued Let no corrupt comâ—â—nication proceed out of your mouthes but that which is good to 〈◊〉 vse of edifying that it may minister grace to the hearers And 〈◊〉 another place showing more plainly what is corrupt communication he sayth But fornication and all vncleannesse or couetousnesse let it not be once named among you as it becommeth Saints neyther filthines neyther foolish talking neither iesting vvhich are things not comely Euen as therefore Saylers are wont to haue all dangerous places noted and deciphered in theyr Mappes by which theyr shyppes might be endangered and hazarded that they may auoyde them So the seruant of God ought to haue all kinde of corrupt speeches noted and sette downe that he may not be endangered by them Neither oughtest thou to be lesse faythfull and silent in these which are commended vnto thee that thou shouldest conceale them then the Saylers doe who knowing of a dangerous Rock are very wary not to discouer it least they should be ieoparded vpon it In the manner of our speaking wee must be circumspect that we speake not too finely delicately too vnaduisedly too affectedly too curiously and with wordes too exquisite but with grauity leysurely and with gentlenes simple and plaine wordes Here he that speaketh is to be admonished that hee be not head-strong obstinate of theyr nuÌ„ber that would alwaies ouercome for by this oftentimes the peace of conscience is disturbed charitie patience our friends are offended It is the part of a generous and noble minde sometimes to giue place and in disputation to giue the victory to another It is the part of wise and discreet men to follow the counsaile of the VVise-man who sayth In many things be as one that is ignorant be as one that vnderstandeth and yet hold thy tongue If thou be among great men compare not thy selfe vnto them and when an Elder speaketh babble not much The thyrd thing which ought to
be obserued is the time that is that we speake in due time for as the Wise man saith A wise sentence loseth grace when it commeth out of a fooles mouth for he speaketh not in due season The last is the end and intent which we ought to haue when we speake For some speak good things that they may be counted Saints others that they may make boast of their eloquence and subtilty of wit the first is an hypocrite the other a vaine-glorious bragart and a foole Therefore he that speaketh ought to mark that not only his words are good but also that the end be good for which hee speaketh thē But then the end is good when the glory of GOD and the profit of our neighbour are onely sought Also we must respect who speaketh whether a young man amongst old men an idiote among wise men or a prophane man among those that be religious To be briefe when the wordes of the Speaker are not heard silence may be laudably kept All these things hee ought to obserue who speaketh least hee offend and because all men are not able to obserue all these therefore it is the safest remedy to take refuge in the Hauen of silence for by silence and sole cogitations a man may satisfie all these precepts Thys is that the Wise man sayth Euen a foole when he holdeth his peace is counted wise ¶ Of the mortification of the affections AFter that we haue thus ordered reformed the body with all the sences yet the greater part of busines stil remaineth that is the moderating of the soule with all her faculties and powers And first of all the sensuall appetite offereth it selfe which comprehendeth and containeth all the lustes and carnall motions as are loue hatred mirth mourning lust feare hope indignation and such like perturbations This appetite is the ignobler part of our soule which maketh vs like vnto beastes which are led in all things by their affections appetites Thys appetite maketh vs waxe brutish and mightily draweth vs to earthly things whilst it with-holdeth vs a farre of from heauenly things This is the vaine this is the fountaine of all euills and mischiefes that are in the world and the chiefest cause of our destruction Therefore Saint Bernard said Let thine owne will cease and giue place and there shall be no hell For against whō should that fire rage but against thine owne will For thyne owne will impugneth God and is lifted vp against him It is it that robbeth Paradice enricheth hell that maketh the blood of Christ of none effect and subdueth the world vnder the iurisdiction of the deuill For in thys part is the shop and Store-house of sinne for out of it sinne draweth strength and armor to wound more cruelly This is in vs another Eue which is the weaker part more inclined to the inferiour matters of our soule by which the old serpent inuadeth our Adam that is the superiour part of our soule in which the vnderstanding and the will is inuiting it to lift vp his eyes to the forbidden tree This is that part in which originall sinne doth especially show his strength and in which it hideth the greater aboundance of his poyson Heere are fights here are fallings here victories and here crownes Heere I say are fallings of the weake victories of the strong crownes of the Conquerers to be briefe here is the whole warfare exercise of vertue For in taming and restraining this cruell and fierce beast a great part of the exercise of morrall vertues consist This is the Vineyard in which we must continually labour and the Garden which we must without intermission till Here are sundry weedes and noysome plants which must be pulled vp that the young tender sprigs of Vertue may be grafted into their place It behooueth therefore the seruant of the Lord alwayes to walke in thys Garden with his weeding-knife in his hande with which he may cutte vp and eradicate the superfluous and pernicious plants which grow and spring vp among the good or that like a wise Leader a good Captaine marching among these affections he may restraine guide and direct them sometimes by enlarging sometimes by brideling and plucking in the raynes that they may not wander as they list but that they may be led and guided according to the prescript and lawe of reason Thys is an especiall exercise of the sonnes of God who are no more gouerned by the affections of flesh and blood but by the spirit of GOD. Thys is the difference between spirituall and carnall men for these are ruled by the lusts of the flesh like brute beastes the other are mooued by the spirit of God and by reason Thys is that mortification and laudable mirth which the Scripture doth often mention This is that mortification sepulture to which the Apostle inuiteth vs so often This is that Crosse and the denyall of our selues which the Gospell preacheth vnto vs. Thys is to doe iudgement and iustice which so often is repeated in the Psalmes and in the Prophets Heere all our strength is to be expressed hether our labours prayers and exercises must be intended It is here also necessary that euery one very well know and discerne his owne disposition and naturall inclination for in what part so euer he feeleth chiefely this inclination let him know that in that part he is most endangered And although we are continually to warre with all affections yet especially vve are to fight with the appetites of honours pleasures and riches For these be the three fountaines and vaines of all euils Let vs beware that we doe not couet or desire alwayes that our owne will may be done and our owne affections satisfied for this is a most dangerous vice most powerfull to cast a man out of his right vvits and to mad his mind Which vice is very common and familier to mighty and great men and to those that are accustomed to raigne and rule ouer others Wherfore it shall be very profitable for them to exercise themselues in matters contrary to their appetites and humours and to depriue their will yea of things lawfull that they may be more prompt and ready to temper and moderate themselues in things vnlawfull For this exercise is no whit lesse required that a man may as well be ready in spirituall armes as in carnall yea so much the more as the victory is greater and more difficult to conquer himselfe and the deuill then all other things We must also be exercised in humble and contemptible duties and offices and not aspire to dignities and honours for the world can giue nothing nor take away any thing from him vvho hath God for his inheritance and his treasure ¶ Of the reforming of the Will TO the attainment of this fore-sayd mortification the moderating and reforming of the superiour vvill which is the reasonable appetite is much auaileable
shadow of goodnes Oftentimes vnder hoâ—ey there is gall and vnder flowers thornes are hid Remember â—hat Aristotle sayth Some lyes haue more apparency and semâ—ance of truth then truth it selfe It may also be that euill hath â—ore likelihood of goodness then goodnes it selfe And aboue 〈◊〉 things it is to be obserued that as to proceede with grauity is â—igne of wisedome so to goe forward with leuity and carelesâ—s is a token of folly For this cause in these sixe things thou â—ghtest to be very circumspect and prudent that is in beleeuing in yeelding in promising in determining in conuersing with men but especially in anger for often-times it hath been noted that men haue falne into very great dangers who in these haue beene light and carelesse For to beleeue easily springeth from the lenity of the hart to promise easily taketh away the liberty to yeeld easily begetteth occasion of repentance to determine easily is next to the danger of erring as it happened to Dauid in the cause of Mephiboseth to be easie in acquaintance and conuersation bringeth contempt lastly to be easily angry is a manifest token of foolishnes For it is written He that is patient hath much wisedome but he that is soone displeased exalteth foolishnes ¶ Of certaine meanes by which this vertue is gotten TO the attainment of this vertue amongst many other means the experience of errors past and the euent of things both of our owne and of others well brought to pâ—â—se is conducent and auaileable for from these many counsailes and rules of wisedome are for the most part taken and for this cause it is sayd that the memory of auntient things is a familier helper and a mistres of wisedome and that the present day is a Scholler of the former Wherfore Salomon sayth also The thing that hath beene commeth to passe againe and the thing that hath beene done shall be done againe For by the things past the present are iudged and by the present the things past But aboue all things profound and true humility of hart helpeth very much to the obtayning of this vertue as on the contrary side pride hindereth and destroyeth all Therefore it is written Where there is humility there is wisedome Besides this all the holy Scriptures doe proclaime that God is the teacher of the humble and a maister vnto the little ones who reuealeth his misteries vnto them Neuertheles our humility ought not to be such that it shoulâ— be subiected and ouer-ruled by euery ones opinion and be caried about with euery wind For this is not humility but instaâ—bility and debility of hart To this vice the vvise-man beinâ— willing to vse a remedy sayth Be not too humble in thy wisedâ—â— As if he should say A man ought to be constant in the 〈◊〉 things he professeth being founded on a iust and a catholiâ—â— foundation nor ought he to be easily remoued from his purpose as some weakelings are who suffer themselues to be seduced by euery opinion and to be tossed and turned euery way The last thing which is most profitable for the attayning of this vertue is humble and deuout Prayer For seeing that it is an especiall duty of the holy Ghost to illuminate mans vnderstanding with the gift of Science wisedome counsaile and vnderstanding with how much more humility deuotion man commeth to the holy Ghost bringing the hart of a Disciple and a little one so much more perfectly is he instructed and honored with these heauenly gifts Matter is not wanting vnto vs to discourse of this vertue more copiously for seeing that it is the guide conducter of al other vertues it is necessary that being the leader it should not be blind least the whole body of vertues should be darke and without eyes yet seeing that we endeuour to be briefe we will be no more prolixe And because all those things hetherto spoken pertaine to the reformation of ones selfe and to the composition and well ordering of his body and soule which is the first part of the iustice and righteousnes which before we haue set downe it remayneth that now we speake of the second part which teacheth what man oweth to his neighbour Of that which man oweth vnto his neighbour CHAP. XV. THE second part of iustice is that a man render to his neighbour that he oweth him That is that he exercise towards him loue and mercy according to the commaundement of God How necessary this part is and how often commaunded in the holy Scripture which is the rule and line according to which our life is to be squared no man will easily beleeue except he hath beene conuersant in it Reade the Prophets Gospels and Epistles thou shalt haue it so obuious and so many times commended vnto vs that thou canst not but exceedingly meruaile In Esay God teacheth most excâ—llently how our neighbour is to be handled when the Iewes complayning said Lord wherefore fast we and thou seest it not wee put our liues tâ— straightnesse thou regardest it not The Lord answereth Behold when you fast your lust remaineth still for yee doe no lesse violence to your debters loe ye fast to strife and debate and to smite with your fist without mercy nowe yee shall not fast thus that your voyce might be heard aboue Thinke yee this fast pleaseth me that a man should chasten himselfe for a day and to hang downe his head like a Bulrush and to lye vpon the earth in an hairie-cloth Should that be called fasting or a day that pleaseth the Lord Doth not this fasting rather please me That thou lose the wicked bands that thou take of the ouer-heauy burdens that thou let the oppressed goe free and breake all manner of yoke To deale thy bread to the hungry and to bring the poore wandring home into thy house When thou seest the naked that thou couer him and hide not thy selfe from thine own flesh Then shall thy light breake forth as the morning and thy health florish right shortly righteousnes shall goe before thee and the glory of the Lord shall embrace thee He prosecuteth this matter to the end of the chapter Thou seest therefore my brother in what thing God hath placed a great part of true iustice and righteousnes and howe religiously he would haue vs to be charitable and mercifull to our bretheren and neighbours What shall I 〈◊〉 of the Apostle Paule in whose Epistles nothing is so frequent and vsuall as this commaundement With what great praise setteth he foorth Charitie how doth he exemplifie and extoll it how gallantly dooth he depaint the excellencie of it how preferreth he it before all other vertues calling it the most excellent way to come vnto the Lord Not content with thys in one place he calleth it The bond of perfection In another place he sayth That Charitie is the end of all the commaundements of God And againe in another place He that loueth
Remember also all the commendations of thys Vertue before sette downe of vs and howe greatly it is commended of God For if there be a liuely desire in thee to please God wilt thou not endeuour to performe thys one thing so acceptable vnto him Consider what the loue of one kinsman is to another for the onely participation of flesh and blood which is betweene them and let it shame thee if the grace of the spirituall vnion be not as forcible in thee as carnall parentage or kindred If thou shalt say that in this there is a communion and a participation in one and the selfe same roote and in the blood of eyther consider howe much more noble that coniunction and communion is which is betweene the faythfull as the Apostle showeth while we haue all the same Father the same mother the same Lorde the same baptisme the same hope the same fayth the same meate and the same spirit who quickneth vs. We haue all the same Father GOD the Church our mother and Christ Iesus our Lord. We haue one fayth which is that supernaturall light of which we all pertake and which seuereth vs and maketh vs differ froÌ„ all other Nations one hope which is the very glory of the heauenly inhearitance in which wee all shall be of one hart and one mind We haue one Baptisme by which we are all adopted the sonnes of the same father made one anothers brethren We haue one and the selfe same spirituall meate euen the blessed body of Christ Iesus which incarâ—ateth vs together and maketh vs one with him no otherwise then as one loafe is made of diuers cornes and one wine of many grapes Besides all thys we participate of one and the selfe-same spirit which is the holy Ghost who dwelleth in all the soules of the faythfull whether it be by faith or by fayth and grace together quickning and sustaining vs in this life If the members of the same body albeit hauing diuers duties and functions and differing also in forme doe so tenderly and mutually loue one another because they liue by one and the selfe same reasonable soule how much more mutually ought faythfull Christians to loue one another who are made aliue by that Diuine Spirit who by how much he is more noble by so much also he is more powerfull to knit and vnite those together in whom he dwelleth If onely the kinred of flesh blood can procure so great loue between kinsfolke how much more shall so great an vnitie procure it and the participation and communion of so noble and excellent things Let that notable rare example of that singuler loue wherewith Christ hath loued vs neuer slip out of thy minde vvho hath loued vs so strongly so sweetly so graciously so perfectly not for any profit or neede to himselfe not for any merrit of ours that we being strengthened by so noble an example and bound by so great a benefit may forth-with prepare our selues and as much as lyeth in vs dispose our selues to loue our neighbour with such loue that we may satisfie and obserue that commaundement which our Sauiour Iesus hath giuen vnto vs and so commended vnto vs when he ascended to his Father left thys earth saying This is my commaundement that yee loue one another as I haue loued you Of that which man oweth vnto God CHAP. XVI AFter that we haue showne and declared what we owe to our selues and to our neighbour now we will set down what we owe vnto God This is the chiefest and noblest part of Christian iustice and righteousnes vpon which three Theologicall vertues doe attend Fayth Hope and Charity which haue God for their obiect with that vertue which of Diuines is called Religion whose obiect is the Diuine worship A man shall satisfie all the bonds and obligations which are contayned vnder this vertue if towards God he hath such an hart as a sonne hath towards his father For euen as a man shall satisfie content himselfe if he hath the hart of a good Iudge and his neighbour if he hath the hart of a mother so after a certaine manner of speaking he shall satisfie God if he loue him with such an hart as a sonne is wont to loue his father for it is one of the especiall functions and operations of the Spirit of Christ to giue to man such an hart towards God Now therfore consider diligently what the hart of a sonne is towards his father what is his loue his feare his reuerence his obedience towards him and the zeale of his fathers honour how he serueth him freely with what affiance and boldnes he runneth vnto him in all his needs how patiently he beareth his correction and chasticement with all other duties and obseruances Of such an hart and mind be thou towards God and thou shalt absolutely fulfill this part of iustice and righteousnes To prepare and procure such an haâ—t nine vertues seeme especially necessary vnâ—o me the first and principall of which is loue the second feare and reueâ—ence the third trust and confidence the fouâ—th 〈◊〉 of the honour of God the fift a pure intent in the â—â—â—rcise of the Diâ—ine worship the sixâ— prayer and refuge to God in all needs and necessities the seauenth thanksgiuing for Diuine benefits the eight obedience and conformity of our will to Gods will the ninth humility patience in all scourges and tribulations which God sendeth vnto vs. According to this order the first and the especiall thing that we ought to doe is to loue God after that manner as he hath commaunded himselfe to be loued that is with all the hart with all the soule and with all our strength so that whatsoeuer is in man it is to worship and embrace God according to his kind the vnderstanding by meditating vpon him the will by louing him the affections by inclining theâ—selues vnto that which his loue requireth the strength and vigour of all the members sences by exercising themselues in those things which his loue hath appointed The second thing that is required after this holy loue is feare which springeth of this loue for by how much more we loue any one by so much we feare that we doe not onely not lose him but also that we doe not offend him This is manifest in the loue of a good sonne towards his father and of a wife towards her husband who by how much she more tenderly loueth him so much the more diligently she endeuoureth least any thing be found in the house that may offend her husband This feare is the keeper of innocency and therefore it is necessary that it take deepe rooting in our harts which thing the Prophet Dauid long agoe desired of God when hee sayde Pierce through my flesh with thy feare for I am afrayde of thy iudgments It was not inough for this most holy King to haue feare planted in his hart but also he
would haue it pierced and thrust through his flesh and bowels that through it he might haue a smarting sence of it as a naile fastned through which might stick in his mind for a perpetuall memoriall to stirre him vp that he might not sleepe and so in some-thing offend his eyes whom he feareth therefore it is most fitly sayd of Ecclesiasticus The feare of the Lord driueth out sinne For by how much any one is feared by so much more diligently we take heed that we doe not offend him It pertayneth to this holy feare not only not to commit euill deeds but also to examine the good least perhaps they be not pure or want their necessary circumstances least a thing of it selfe good by our defect be made euill and vnprofitable For Saint Gregory sayd very well It pertayneth to a righteous man to feare a fault where no fault is Such a feare holy Iob had when he sayd I did feare all my works knowing that thou doost not spare the offender It pertayneth also to this feare that when we are present in the Church at Diuine seruice especially where the holy Sacrament is administred that we chat not nor walke nor vnreuerently gaze about casting our eyes now hether now thether as many doe but we ought to abide there with feare and great reuerence in the presence of the Diuine maiestie who is there after a speciall manner But if thou askest me how this holy affection is begot and bred in our soules I say as I sayd a little before that the loue of God is the especiall roote of it After which seruile feare in like manner auayleth which is the beginning of filiall feare and doth bring it into the soule no otherwise then the bristle doth bring the Shoomakers lyne into the shooe To nourish and increase this holy affection the consideration of the exceeding highnes of the Diuine maiesty is profitable and the consideration of the depth and profundity of Gods iudgements the greatnes of his iustice and the multitude of our sinnes but especially the resistance which we make against Diuine inspirations Therfore it is great wisedome to busie and occupy our minds with these foure considerations for so this holy feare is begot and preserued in our soules Of this feare we haue more copiously spoken in the eight and twenty Chapter of the precedent booke The third vertue which is required in this Diuine worke is trust and confidence that is euen as a sonne in all his troubles and necessities which happen vnto him trusteth and affianceth his repose in his father especially if he be rich and powerfull that his helpe and fatherly prouidence will not at any time faile him so also in this matter let a man haue the hart of a sonne so enlarged that considering he hath such a father as he hath in whose hands is all the power of heauen and earth let him boldly hope and assuredly trust that in all troubles that betide him he shall finde helpe in that father and let him constantly perswade himselfe that if he turne vnto him hoping in the mercy of this heauenly father he shall altogether be deliuered from euill or it shall be ordered to his greater good and further commodity For if the sonne hath so great repose and security in his father how much more ought to be our confidence and trust in God who is our father after a better manner then all earthly fathers and is richer then all the richest men of this world But if thou shalt say that the scarcity of thy good works and deserts and the multitude of the sinnes of thy passed life doe strike a feare into thee whereby thou darest not expect or promise vnto thy selfe so great things from God the remedy will be if when this cogitation commeth into thy mind thou forth-with turnest thy mind from it turnest thy selfe wholy vnto God and to his onely sonne our Sauiour and Mediatour For then presently thou shalt recouer thy courage and thy strength shall increase in him Euen as we add courage vnto them who passe or ferry ouer any swift current or riuer which with the swiftnes and velocity of the running causeth the swimming and giddines of the head and with some call or encouragement admonish them that they should not behold the water but the earth or heauen that they may more securely and healthfully passe so those that be faint-harted and weaklings are to be dealt withall in this busines least heere they looke vpon themselues or their sinnes But perhaps thou wilt say whether shall I turne me that I may procure this strength and confidence vnto me I aunswer that aboue all things the infinite goodnes and mercy of God is to be considered which extendeth it selfe to all the wretchednes of thys world Then his infallible promises are to be weighed in which he promiseth grace and helpe to those that call vpon his Name and doe flie vnto him Neyther are we further to doubt For we see that the enemies themselues doe not denie their fauour beneuolence to them that flie vnto their Tents because they are marked for banishment with some brand or incision but they graciously defend them in the time of danger and heale theyr woundes Consider also the multitude of benefits which hetherto thou hast receaued of his gracious and bountifull hands and of his mercy which thou hast already tryed in benefits past learne to hope for things to come But aboue all these looke vpon Christ with all his torments merrits in which there be especiall causes why we may confidently presume to sue for the fauour of GOD seeing that it is manifest that those merrits on the one part are so great that they cannot be greater and on the other part are the treasuries of the Church for remedy and releefe of all them which stand in need of them These are the cheefest props of our trust and confidence which haue so strengthened and encouraged the Saints in those things they hoped that they were more stedfast and and more vnmoueable then mount Sion But it is greatly to be wondered at that we when we haue so great motiues to moue vs to hope and so iust reasons to perswade vs to trust yet that we are so weake and faint-harted that when we see present danger to hang ouer our heads forth-with wee flie into Egypt to the shadow of Pharaoes Charriots So that many seruants of GOD are found strong and couragious in fastings feruent in prayers liberall in almes deedes and exercised and expert in other vertues but very few are found who haue so steddy a confidence as that holy woman Susanna had Whose hart when she was condemned to death and brought to the place of execution had confidence and trust in the Lord. Hee that desireth moe authorities for the perswasion of this vertue he may bring the whole store-house of the holy Scripture
especially the Psalmes and the Prophets in which nothing is so vsuall and common as hope in God and assurednes of the Diuine ayde and assistance which remayneth for them that trust in him The fourth vertue is the zeale of Gods honour that is if all our cogitations be to this end that the honour of the Diuine maiesty may be encreased and be preferred sanctified and glorified before all other things and that his will may be done in earth as it is in heauen and that we haue this minde in vs that no greater griefe can happen vnto vs then to see the Diuine honour impugned or abused Such a will was in the harts of those Saints in whose name it is sayd The zeale of thine house hath 〈◊〉 eâ—teâ— me For their harts were so afflicted for this cause and so great griefe of mind did feede vpon their bodies that euident tokens of it were seene in them If we did burne with the like zeale forth-with we should be marked in our foreheads with that glorious signe of Ezechiell and wee should liue free from all punishment and scourge of the Diuine iustice The fift vertue is the purity of the intent to which pertayneth that in our actions we seeke not our selues or our owne commodity but the glory good pleasure of our Lord God certainly perswading our selues that as they that play at the game called He that winneth looseth by loosing they winne and by winning they loose so also we by how much more we traffique negotiate with God without purpose of our owne profit by so much we make the greater gaynes and contrarily Therefore in this poynt we must diligently aduice our selues and examine all our actions with an vpright and an impartiall iudgement as men iealous that our mind doth respect no other thing in working but God himselfe for the property of naturall selfe-loue is very subtill as we sayd before seeketh it selfe in all things Many are rich in good works which if they were tried by the touch of the Diuine iustice would be found without this purity of intendment which is that Euangelicall eye which when it is cleare and simple it maketh the whole body cleare but if it be wicked it maketh the body full of darknes Many men in great places and dignities placed as well in the common-wealth as in the Church seeing vertue laudable and beautifull in her functions haue endeuoured themselues so to walke in her trackt that they haue been reputed for good men and haue purged their hands from all filthy luker aud vncleannes which might by any meanes haue polluted their honours Yet they haue done it for this respect that they might not fall from that authority they were placed in and that they might be fauoured of theyr Princes and graced with great dignities and honours And therfore theyr good works proceeded not from the liuely sparke of loue or from the feare of God neyther had they his obedience and glory theyr purposed end but sought for their owne commodity and the glory of man But what soeuer is doone after thys manner although it seeme somwhat in mans eyes yet in Gods sight it is as smoake and a shadow of righteousnes not true righteousnes For before God workes are not acceptable commended onely by the strength and grace of morrall vertues neyther doe corporall actions and businesses please him no not if a man should sacrifice his owne sonne but onely that spirit of loue sent from heauen all that which groweth on this roote is acceptable in the Diuine sight In the Temple there was not any thing which eyther was not gold or that was not couered with pure gold so it is not lawfull that any thing should be in the liuely Temple of our soule which is not eyther charitie or ouer-guilded deaurated with charity Therefore the seruant of God should not so much respect that he doth as the end which he intendeth and destineth it for For workes very base and of low account beeing doone for an excellent intent become most â—â—ellent and contrarily For God doth not so regard the body of the worke as the soule of the intention which proceedeth of charity Thys is to imitate after a certaine manner the most noble and most gracious loue of the sonne of God who commaundeth in his Gospell that we should loue after the same manner as he before loued that is of pure good will and not for the cause of any profit And seeing that among the circuÌ„stances of charitie which is in God this is most admirable he shall be the happiest who in all the works that he doth endeuoureth to imitate this Hee that doth thus let him assuredly beleeue that he is entirely beloued of God as beeing very like vnto him in the perfection of beautie and puritie of intent for similitude and likenes is wont to get and winne loue Wherfore let man turne his eyes from all humane respects when he dooth good and let him haue them fixed vpon God neyther let him suffer that those workes which are in so great reckoning and price with God serue humane regards If a noble and a beautifull woman worthy of a Kings bed should be married to a foule Collyer it would mooue all to compassion that beheld her after the same manner and much more effectually shall he be mooued that seeth vertues woorthy of God and diuine reward to be made vassals to compasse the drosse dung of thys world But because this purenesse of intent is not so easily obtained let man desire it instantly of God in all hys prayers especially in that part of prayer which the Lord himselfe taught his Apostles where it is said Thy wil be done in earth as it is in heauen That as all the heauenly Armies doe the vvill of GOD with a most pure intent onely that they may please him so also let man as much as lyes in him heere in earth imitate that heauenly custome and stile not because besides that that we please God we may not come to his kingdome but because workes are so much the more perfect as they are voyder and nakeder of all priuate and selfe commoditie The sixt Vertue is Prayer by meanes of which we ought to haue recourse to our Father in the time of tribulation as chyldren haue who when they are feared or daunted foorth-vvith runne to the bosome and lappe of their Father We haue neede of this prayer that 〈◊〉 â—ay haue our Father in continuall remembrance and standing in his sight wee may often conuerse and haue conference with him For all these things are annexed to the bond and duty of a good sonne towards his Father But because the vse and necessity of this vertue is knowne to euery body seeing we labour to be briefe in this place we will speake no further of it The seauenth Vertue is giuing of thanks to which belongeth to haue alwaies
theyr deepe pouertie aâ—ounded into the riches of theyr liberality Thys is one of the chiefest degrees of patience charitie and perfection to which an humane creature may ascend but fewe ascend so high and therefore the Lord hath commaunded it vnto none But these are not so to be vnderstood as though wee ought to reioyce at the death calamities and tribulations of our neighbours parents and kinsfolkes much lesse of the Church for the same charity which requireth ioy of vs in the one requireth sorrow and compassion in the other seeing the nature of it is to reioyce with them that reioyce and to weepe with them that weepe which thing we see to haue been done of the Prophets who dyd weepe all theyr liues long because they did see the calamities and scourges of theyr fellow Cittizens Whosoeuer therefore hath these nine conditions or vertues shall haue a sonnes hart towards GOD and hath already fulfilled perfectly this part of iustice and righteousnes which rendereth to euery one yea to God that which is due vnto hym Of the bond and dutie of diuers estates CHAP. XVII AFter that we haue largely enough handled vvhat generally appertaineth to all men now it is time that we speake particularly of seuerall and particuler estates of men But because this tractate would prooue to prolixe long therefore I say briefely besides those things that haue been spoken that euery one must haue an eye and a diligent respect vnto those Lawes ordinances and customes that are prescribed and directed for his estate and condition which are many and diuers according to the diuersitie of estates in the Church Common-wâ—â—lth in which some are Rulers and Ouerseers and some subiects some Clergie some Layetie some maisters of families c. Euery one of which haue theyr peculiar lawes and constitutions Of the Ruler and Ouerseer the Apostle sayth Watch thou in all things lobour fulfill thy ministerie And Salomon admonisheth My soâ—â—e if thou be surety for thy neighbour and hast fastened thy â—â—â—d for another man Thou art bound with thine owne words and taken with thine owne speech Therefore my sonne doe thus and thou â—â—â—â—t be discharged When thou art come into thy neighbors danger goe thy wayes then soâ—ne humble thy selfe and with thy friendes intreate thy Creditour Let not thine eyes sleepe nor thine eye-lids slumber Sâ—ue thy selfe as a Doe from the hand of the Hunter and as a bird from the hand of the Fouler Neyther oughtest thou to wonder that the Wiseman doth admonish thee to be so carefull in this case For men are wont to be carefull in keeping of theyr things for two causes eyther because they are of great price or because they are in great danger and ieopardy Both of these doe concurre in the charge of soules neyther can the price of any thing be greater nor the danger more Therefore it is requisite and meete that a Ruler and an Ouerseer should be very carefull and circumspect It behooueth a subiect that hee haue his eyes on his Ruler and Ouerseer and that he reuerence him not as a man but as GOD and that he do that he coÌ„maundeth him with as great alacritie and cheerefulnes of minde and with as great deuotion as if God himselfe had commaunded it For if my Lord commaund me to obey the Steward of his house when I obey the Steward whom doe I obey but my Lord so also if God commaund me to obey my Ruler and Ouerseer when I doe that he commaundeth me I doe my obedience vnto God If S. Paule commandeth seruants to obey theyr maisters not as men but as Christ howe much more ought subiects to obey their Rulers and Ouerseers to whom they are bound by the bond of obedience In this Obedience three degrees are set down the first is to obey onely in worke the second to obey in worke and vvill the third to obey in worke will and vnderstanding For some doe that they are commaunded but because the commaundement seemeth not vnto them iust and right they doe it not willingly Others doe it willingly but they thinke that he that commaunded it did not well vnderstand what he commanded To be briefe there be others who haue wholy and altogether dedicated their vnderstanding to the diuine worship and do obey theyr Ruler and Ouerseer as God in worke will and vnderstanding And doing this in worke will and vnderstanding they humbly approue all that is commaunded them without carrying any preiudice of them of whom they are to be censured and iudged Wherefore my brother learne with all humilitie affectionately to obey thy Ruler and Ouerseer being mindfull of that is written He that heareth you heareth mee and hee that despiseth you despiseth mee Doe not murmure nor speak ill of them least thou heare Your murmuring is not against vs but against the Lord. Doe not basely or vildly esteeme of them least the Lord say vnto thee They haue not cast away thee but me that I should not rule ouer them Doe not lie vnto them or deceaue them least it be said vnto thee Thou hast not lyed vnto men but vnto GOD. Least for thine offence thou perrish by suddaine death because thou didst dare to lye as they who perrished after the same manner Let â—married wife giue her diligence to rule her house and please her husband and when she hath satisfied her dutie and done that belongs vnto her office as much as she can let her attend vpon religion yet so that she passe not the limits of her estate and condition Let a Maister of a family to whom God hath granted children sette before his eyes as a glasse the fearefull example of Ely who was negligent in correcting and chastening his chyldren whose punishment was not onely the suddaine and vnthought of death of himselfe and his sonnes but also the perpetuall depriuation and losse of the hie Priesthood of which for that offence he was depriued Let him marke and consider that the sinnes of the chyldren are after a certaine manner the sinnes also of the parents and the destruction of the child to be in like manner the destruction of the parent of whom he was begotte and bred For he is vtterly vnworthy the name of a Father that begetteth chyldren not for heauen but for this world Therefore let him chastice his children withdraw them from ill company commend and commit them to religious Maisters and Tutors and let it be his onely care that they may be taught and instructed in the way of vertue and from theyr cradles after the example of Tobias let him teach theÌ„ the feare of the Lord. Let him often crosse them of their owne wils and they that in the birth of theyr children haue been Fathers of theyr bodyes now they are borne let them be fathers of theyr soules For it is not enough that parents should be as byrds and other brute beastes who after that they haue brought
the end these as the meanes to the end those as health these as a medicine by benefit of which we obtaine health Those are as the spirit of Religion these as the body of it which albeit it is part of the whole yet one part is more principall then another and whose function is more especially required in working Those are as the treasury these as the keyes by which it is opened and shutte Those are the fruite of the tree these as leaues which adorne the tree and doe preserue the fruite from the iniury of the ayre Albeit in thys the comparison is lame and maimed and somewhat fayleth because the leaues of the tree although they preserue the fruite yet they are not part of the fruite but these vertues doe so preserue iustice and righteousnes that they are a part of iustice and righteousnesse This therefore my brother is the estimation which is to be made of vertues of which there hath beene made mention in this rule as we haue said in the beginning of this Chapter by benefit of which we may be free from two vicious extreamities which are in this world One is the antient one of the Pharises the other is a later one of moderne Heretikes For the Pharises as carnall and ambiâ—â—ous were altogether giuen to the obseruance of that Law which in like maner was carnall as for true righteousnes which consisteth in spirituall vertues it was in no esteeme among them as the whole history of the Euangelists dooth testifie and the Apostle saith that they had a showe of godlines but had denied the power of it Also that the Law had onely a shadow but brought not men to perfection The moderne neotericall Heretikes after a contrarie maner vnderstanding this errour and beâ—â—g willing to auoyde one extreame fall into another that is into contempt of all externall vertues according to that Charybdis gulfe who thought to haue escap'd Fell into Scyllaâ—s iâ—â—es thâ—â— widely gâ—p'd Wherefore the true and Catholicke Church of Christ condemning both extreames approoueth the truth which is the meane for attributing prerogatiue and excellencie of dignity to the internall vertues shee also allotted theyr place vnto the externall Because she accounteth of some as of the order of Senators of others as of the degree of nobles and gentlemen and other she receiueth into the number of Cittizens vvhich make one Common-wealth in which the dignity of euery one is knowen and what is due and belongeth vnto euery one is easily seene 〈◊〉 very profitable 〈◊〉 which are 〈…〉 of the precedent doctrine CHAP. XIX OVT of the precedent doctrine foure instructions doe arise very profitable and necessary for a spirituall life The first is that a perfect man and a true seruant of God ought not onely to seeke for spirituall vertues albeit they be excellent and noble bâ—â— aâ—â—o he ought to ioyne others vnto theâ— as well for the preseruation of them as for the obtaining of absolute perfection and the whole complement of Christian righteousnes Wherefore he ought to consider that as man is not only a soule nor onely a body but a soule a body together for the soule without the body maketh not a perfect man the body without the soule is no other thing then a sacke full of earth and ashes so also it is necessary that hee know that true and perfect Christianitie is not onely internall nor externall but internall and externall together For the internall alone cannot be preserued without the externall whether it be little or much according to the conueniencie of the bond of euery mans estate neither is it sufficient for the fulfilling of all righteousnes Much lesse can the externall without the internal make a man perfect as neyther the body alone without the soule can make a man Euen as therefore all the life of the body proceedeth from the soule so all the dignity and worth of the externall proceedeth from the internall but especially from Charity He therefore that will not erre from this scope and determined resolution let him thinke that as he that made man would not separate the soule from the body so he must not seuer the spirituall from the corporall that would make a perfect Christian The body is ioyned to the soule the treasure is preserued in the Arke the hedge compassing the Vineyard dooth make it safe and Vertue is defended by her Fortresses Bulwarkes defences which are her owne parts Otherwise beleeue me one will decay and perrish another For one cannot be increased nor assisted vnlesse both be ioyned together Consider how nature and Art the Ape and imitatour of Nature doe nothing which hath not eyther a barke or some couer for a fortification defence and also for an ornament of it after the same manner Grace also worketh which is the most perfect forme and most perfectly effecteth her operations Remember also that it is written He that feareth God neglecteth not any thing And Hee that setteth naught by small things shall fall by little and little Remember the example set downe in the former booke that by the want of one nayle the yron shoe is lost and the shoe beeing lost the horse falleth and the horse falling the rider perisheth Remember the dangers which hee incurreth that neglecteth small things for this is the high-way that leadeth to great errors Marke also the order of the plagues of Egipt after harmlesse and hurtlesse Frogs came lyce and great flyes Gadbees stinging Horse-flies and byting Oxe-flies Whereby it is euident that the neglect and contempt of the lesser doth prepare the way for greater for they that feare not polluting and euill-sauouring Froggs will not feare stinging Horse-flies byting Oxe-flies ¶ The second instruction BY that we learne also to what vertues we ought most especially to addict our endeuours and studies vpon which we ought to bestow greater diligence and vpon which lesser as men doe who make greater account of an heape of gold then of siluer and doe more esteeme an eye then a finger so also it is meete and requisite that with greater endeuour and diligence we should apply our selues to the woorthier vertues and vvyth lesser to the lesse worthy otherwise if we more diligently study and imploy our paines rather vppon the ignobler then the noble the whole spirituall busines will be disordered Wherefore I say that those Bishops and Pastors do very wisely that in theyr pulpits and Sermons doe often beate vpon these wordes Silence Fasting Solitarines Rites and Ceremonies and that often stand vpon and preach Charity Humility Prayer Deuotion Contemplation the Feare of God the Loue of our Neighbour and such like And this ought to be done so much the more often by how much the inward defects are more secret theÌ„ the outward and therefore rhe more dangerous For euen as men are more diligent to amend defects that are seene of them then those that are vnseene so it
they that are newly inaugurated into Gods Church are to be admonished of a notable error which oftentimes happen vnto them Who perchaunce reading in some spirituall booke of the greatnes of the sweetnes and consolations of the holy Ghost and how great the pleasant allurements and enticements of charity be forth-with they suppose that this whole way is plaine full of deliciousnes and that no labour nor trouble is to be found in it wherefore they prepare themselues to walk in this way as to an easie and delectable matter neyther doe they arme themselues as those who goe to warre but they put on a soft and a delicate robe as if they were to goe to a mariage or a banquet They doe not consider that although the loue of God is sweet and pleasant in it selfe and of it owne nature yet that the way vnto it is straight and bitter For it is needfull aboue all things to conquer and ouercome selfe-loue and to striue alwayes against thy selfe which fight is greater then any other Both of them that Euangelicall Prophet insinuateth when he sayth O Ierusalem shake off the dust arise and sit downe It is certaine that in sitting there is neyther labour nor difficulty but it is labour to shake off the dust of earthly and carnall affections and to arise from the sinne in which we sleepe which is necessary to doe before we come to that sitting and rest It is true that God bestoweth many and wonderfull comforts vpon them that faithfully labour and in like manner vpon them who now desire to change the delights of the world for the pleasures of heauen yet if this change be not made and if a man will not leaue the pray he hath taken beleeue me this refreshing and comfort shall not be giuen him as neither Manna was giuen to the children of Israell in the wildernes before the dowe was spent which they brought vvith them out of Egypt Returning therefore to our purpose I say let those seeke for rest as long as they will who are not armed with this fortitude and let them know that vnlesse they first change theyr mindes and purpose they shall not finde it Let them knowe and assuredly beleeue that quietnes is not purchased but by labor that a crowne is obtayned by fighting that ioy is atchiued by sorrowing and that the most sweet loue of God is procured by hatred of our selues For thys cause this idlenes is so often reprehended in the Prouerbs but fortitude and diligence commended because the holy Spirit the Authour of this doctrine knew very well that vertues are very much hindered by laâ—nes but ayded and perfitted by fortitude and diligence ¶ Of the meanes by which this fortitude is obtained PErhaps some man will aske by what meanes this fortitude may be procured and atchiued seeing that it is no lesse difficult then the other vertues Wherfore not without cause the Wise-man thus beginneth his Alphabet full of spirituall instructions Who shall finde a strong and a valiant woman for her price is farre aboue the pearles As if he should say shee is more precious then all the treasure and Iems which may be brought out of all the Coasts of the world How then may we compasse a thing of so great price and value We shall compasse it first if diligently we consider the dignity excellency of it for that ought to be in great account with vs which openeth vnto vs the treasuries of all vertues If it be otherwise tell me why the louers of thys world doe after that manner flie froÌ„ vertue Not for any other cause but because it is hard and difficult vvhich difficulty sluggards doe shunne and flie The slothfull man sayth as the Wise-man speaketh A Lyon is in the way and a Lionesse in the streetes in the midst of the way she will deuoure me And in another place The foole foldeth his handes and eateth vp his owne flesh saying Better is a handfull with quietnes then two handfulls with labour and vexation of spirit Seeing therefore that there is no other thing that hindereth vs from comming vnto vertue but this onely difficultie if wee will embrace this fortitude to ouercome it we haue already obtained the kingdome of vertue together with the kingdome of heauen to which no man shall come but hee that is valiant strong and vndaunted In like manner by this fortitude the loue of our selues is cast vnder foote with the whole Army of her complices and confederats which enemy when it is ouerthrowne and cast foorth behold presently entereth in the loue of God or if you had rather God himselfe For as Saint Iohn sayth God is loue and he that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God and God in him The manifold examples of the seruants of God doe much auaile and profit vs whom we see heere in the world poore naked bare-foote and bare-legged leaue hungry restlesse hauing not where to lay theyr heads and wanting all those things which are requisite for the maintenaunce of this life Some of them doe so hasten to labours and austerenes of life where they may liue religiously and strictly and not be entangled with the pleasures of this life as a Merchant to some rich mart or a student of the liberall Sciences to some famous Vniuersity What I pray thee can be more contrary to the custome of this world and to the desires of her louers then that a man should seek out those places where his body may be pinched his soule made heauie and his life exposed to many greeuances and troubles These are assuredly most contrary to flesh and blood but very agreeable vnto the Spirit of GOD. But yet more especiallie our pleasures are condemned by the example of the Martyrs who haue entred into the kingdome of heauen by so many so cruell torments Consider howe one of them was rosted another had his skinne pulld ouer his eares the third drowned in the water the fourth cast head-long from a steepe Rocke a fift layde on a peece of vvood with a sharpe ridge his flesh being scraped and rent of with a ragged tormenting Curry-combe and his bowels beeing slitte out yeelded vp the ghost a sixth hath so many Darts sticking in him that he is liker an Hedg-hog then a man the seauenth is fryed in a frying pan or boyled in scalding lead others tormented with other extreame tortures Consider how many of them haue beene tormented not with one kinde of punishment but with all kinde of torments which humane nature hath beene capable of and so haue passed to death For some haue been taken from the filthines vncleannesse of the pryson to be whipped and scourged from whipping scourging to be singed with burning coales from burning coales to the bastinado from the bastinado to yron combes then to the sworde which alone had beene sufficient to take away the life of the Martyrs but not to make them shipwracke theyr fayth or
constancie But what shall I speake of the arts and inuentions vvhich that ingenious and witty cruelty I say not of men but of deuils hath deuised to ouer-throw and confound with corporall tortures fayth courage fortitude Some of them after they were most cruelly martyred and theyr flesh all to be-torne and rent were cast vpon a floare all sette with goades and prickes that theyr bodies all at once might be goared and 〈◊〉 with a thousand woundes and that they might feele a generall greefe throughout all theyr members that theyr intollerable payne might striue for victory with their faith Others beeing condemned were commaunded to walke vpon hote burning coales with their naked feete Others beeing tyed to the tayles of horses were drawne ouer thornes and bryers and rough places Others were condemned to wheeles stucke all round about with sharpe kniues that theyr bodies being put vppon them whilst they turned about might be cutte small peeces Others were stretched vpon Racks and their bodyes beeing harrowed and furrowed from top to toe with yron crookes and peircers did openly show their naked bowels the flesh being puld of and their ribs lying bare What shall I say more seeing that the barbarous and more then beastly cruelty of Tyrants not being contented with these torments hath found out a certaine new kind of cruelty With certaine instruments they so brought together two high sturdie trees that their tops touched one the other to one of these tops they bound the right foote of the Martyr to the other the left Then losing the Trees to their old scope they carried the body with them and violently tare it in peeces and each tree carryed with it his part into the ayre In Nicomedia among other innumerable Martyrs one was beaten so long till his white ribbs appeared through his bloody wounds for the scourges and whippings had peece-meale puld away the flesh then they washed his whole body with most strong vinegar after vinegar stuffed all his wounds ful of salt The Tyrants not yet satisfied with these dire discruciatements and extreame tortures when they saw that the Martyr yet breathed they cast his halfe dead body vpon a gridyron vnder which they made a fierce scorching fire haling the gridyron this way and that with their yron hookes vntil the body being fully rosted the sanctified pure-purged soule passed to the Lord. And thus those most barbarous inhumane butcherly murtherers inuented tortures more cruel thē death which notwithstanding was wont to be termed the terriblest of all dreadful things For they sought not so much to kill as to slay with vnheard of torments without any deadly wound by a lingering death and with intollerable greatnesse of dolours and sorrowes Surely these Martyrs had not bodies vnlike to ours or which were of another substance their flesh was as our flesh and theyr complexion was the same with ours neyther had they another God for theyr helper besides our God neyther did looke for another glory then that wee looke for Proceede therefore if they haue obtayned eternall life by so violent death why should we feare for the same cause at the least to mortifie the euill concupiscences of our flesh If they died through hunger wilt not thou fast one day If they with their mangled bodies perseuered in prayer why wilt not thou being sound and in health with bended knees continue a little in prayer If they were so patient that without resisting or contradiction they suffered their members to be maymed and detruncate and theyr flesh to be torne in peeces why wilt not thou abide that thine appetites and thine vnruly affections should be circumcised and mortified If they many yeares and many moneths sat imprisoned in darke dungeons why wilt not thou a little be contayned and shut vp in thy chamber If they haue not refused to haue their shoulders furrowed and mangled with whips and scourges why wilt not thou chastice thine If these examples doe not suffice thee lift vp thine eyes to the Crosse of Christ and behold who is he that hanging vppon it suffered so great and so cruell things for the loue of thee The Apostle sayth Consider him that endured such speaking against of sinners least yee should be wearied and faint in your minds This is a fearefull and a dreadfull example what way so euer thou shalt consider of it For if thou lookest vppon the torments there can be no greater If thou respectest the person who suffereth a more excellent cannot be giuen If thou examinest the cause for which he suffereth not for his owne offence for he is innocency it selfe neyther suffereth he of compulsion for he is the Creatour and Lord of all creatures but of his mere goodnes and free loue Yet for all this he suffered so great torments not only in his body but also in his soule that the torments of all Martyrs of all men that euer haue been in the world are not to be compared with these This was such a spectacle that the heauens were astonished the earth trembled rocks claue in sunder and all the insencible creatures felt the indignity of the thing How therefore commeth it to passe that man should be so insencible blockish that he should not feele that which the brute elements haue felt with what face can he be so ingratefull that he should not study somewhat to imitate him who hath done and suffered so great things that he might leaue vs an example For euen so as the Lord himselfe affirmeth Christ ought to haue suffered and so to enter into his glory For seeing that he came into the world that he might teach that heauen is not to be cōpassed by any other way then by the Crosse it was necessary that the Lord himselfe should first be crucified that a courage might be put into his Souldiers seeing their Captaine to be so cruelly and inhumanely handled and intreated Who then will be so ingratefull wicked proud and impudent who seeing the Lord of Maiesty with all his friends and chosen ones to walke such difficult wayes and yet he himselfe will be caried in an Horse-litter and on a bed of Downe led his life in deliciousnes King Dauid commaunded Vrias whom he had called from warre to goe into his owne house to sup sleepe with his wife but the good seruant answered The Arke and Israell and Iuda dwell in tents and my Lord Ioab and the seruants of my Lord abide in the open fields shall I then goe into mine house to eate and drink and lye with my wife by thy life by the life of thy soule I will not doe this thing O good and faithfull seruant who by so much is worthier of prayse by how much he is vnworthier of death And thou ô Christian seeing thy Lord lying vpon an hard Crosse hast thou no respect of him neyther doost thou yeeld honour reuerence vnto him The Arke of God made of incorruptible Ceder wood
foorth their young ones doe only nourish them and prouide meate for them but a Father ought to be a father as a man and as a Christian man and as a true seruant of God who educateth traineth vp his chyldren as the chyldren of God and heyres of the kingdome of heauen not that they should be the bond-slaues of sathan and inhabitants of hell Let Maisters of families who haue seruants and other houshold be miâ—dfull of the commination of S. Paule who saith If any prouide not for his owne and especially for them of his houshold he hath denied the fayth that is the faithfulnes that he oweth and to which he is bound and is worse then an infidell Let them remember that these are as Lambes of their shâ—epefold and that they are the Sheepheards that should care and vvatch ouer them and let them thinke that the time will come vvhen as GOD will exact an account for them saying Where is the flocke that was giuen thee the sheepe glorious and noble Worthelie he calleth them glorious and noble for great is the price by which they are redeemed Noble and glorious is the most sacred humanity of Christ by which they are enobled Therefore there is not any seruant albeit abiect and base who is not free and noble in regard of the blood humanity of Christ. Therfore let a gooâ— Christian striue and endeuour that those that be in his house may be free from all enormous vices as are quarrels and strifes vnlawfull gaming false and vaine oathes blasphemies fornications c. And furthermore that they haue knowledge and skill in matters of Christianity and that they obserue the orders and constitutions of the Church and that especially vpon the Lords day they be at Church to heare Sermons and Diuine seruice and that they be not contumacious and peruerse inthwarting the good and orderly proceedings of the Church as the Puritans and Precisians of this time are who by their ignorant zeale peeuish singularity disturbe the quiet and peace of the Church The first admonition in what esteeme and price vertues are to be had that this rule may be better vnderstoode CHAP. XVIII AS in the beginning of this rule we set downe certayne preambles agreeable and conuenient for this purpose so now the rule being perfected and absolute for the better vnderstanding of it I take it to be worth the labour if I shall add certaine admonitions For seeing that we haue spoken discoursed of many kinds of vertues it is behoofefull that we teach which is worthier and which lesse worthy that we may estimate matters according to their dignity and assigne a proper place to euery one For he that selleth precious pearles rich Iems ought very well to know them that he be not deceaued in the price and the ouer-seer and gouernour of any Princes house ought to know the deserts of euery one in the house that he may dispose of euery one according to his dignity for otherwise he should commit many errors and offer much inequalitie so a man that dealeth with the worth value of these Iems that is of vertues and he that as a good ouer-seer and gouernour of an house is bound to render and tender to euery one of these vertues the due honour he must most exactly know the price and dignity of them that comparing them betweene themselues he may see which is to be preferred before another least he as it is wont to be sayd be penny wise and pound foolish least he I say gather ashes and cast away flower vvhich many doe Therfore we must know that all the vertues vvhich hetherto we haue spoken of may be reduced into a two-fold order for some of them be spirituall inuisible and internall and some corporall visible and externall In the first order are theologicall vetues with all other which are referred vnto God but especially Charity which among all other vertues possesseth the first and chiefe place as the Queene of all other To this are many other noble vertues ioyned and which are nearest vnto Charity in dignity as are humility chastity mercy patience discretion deuotion poorenes of spirit contempt of the world denying of our owne will the loue of the Crosse and of austerity and very many moe of this kind which by taking largely the signification of this vvord we call vertues They are called spirituall and internall vertues because principally they reside and haue their being in the soule although also they passe into externall works as we see in Charity and deuotion vvhich albeit they are altogether internall yet they produce their external acts to the honour and glory of God Other vertues are more externall and visible as are fasting discipline silence solitarines reading singing preaching a Christian and a religious life For albeit these vertues also reside and haue their being in the soule yet their proper acts are more outward then the former which are often hid and inuisible as are to beleeue to loue to hope to contemplate to be humbled to be inwardly contrite for sinnes to iudge discreetly and so in others Among all these vertues there is no doubt but that the former are farre more excellent and more necessary then the latter For the Lord sayth vnto the vvoman of Samaria Woman beleeue me the houre commeth and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the father in spirit and in the truth for such the father also requireth to worship him God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in the truth The same words fall also into our common speach children in Schooles are wont to learne those verses If God be a spirit as verses record In spirit and truth thy worship afford Wherfore also the Prophet Dauid describing the beauty of the Church and of a soule that is in the fauour of God he saith The Kings daughter is all glorious within her clothing is of wrought gold The same thing the Apostle insinuateth when he sayth to his Disciple Timothy Exercise thy selfe vnto godlines for bodily exercise profiteth little but godlines is profitable vnto all things hauing promises of the life that is now and of that which is to come In which place he vnderstandeth by godlines the worship of God and mercy toward our neighbonr and by bodily exercise abstinence and other corporall austerenes as learned expositers auerre expounding this place This also the Heathen Philosophers vnderstood For Aristotle who albeit he writ very little concerning God yet sayth If humane affaires be regarded of God as we may very probably gather that they are it is very likely that he ioyeth in the best things and in those that are the likest vnto him but those are the mind and spirit of man Therfore they that haue their spirits beautified and adorned vvith the knowledge of the truth and reformed affections are most acceptable vnto God The