all chasts lone And therefore the mysterie of the Trinitie doth surpasse all naturall knowledge neither can a learned Philosopher attaine thereunto without supernaturall light For the soule of Man produceth a Word and a loue which are not substances but accidents and therefore no persons But God the Father did beget the word consubstantiall to himselfe And the Father and the word breathed out the holy Ghost consubstantiall likewise to them both Therefore the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost are truely three persons The soule of Man also produceth a Word which continueth not long and the Will produceth a loue which lasteth not long but God the Father did beget The Wordeternall and the Father and the Word did breath out the holy Ghost eternall For God cannot be without his Word and Spirit Furthermore the soule of Man by one Word representeth but one thing and therefore it multiplyeth the wordes not onely of the Minde but also of the mouth The will of Man likewise must produce many actes of Loue if it will loue many thinges but God with one Word speaketh all truth and with one Acte of loue loueth all good thinges Tenthly and lastly Cap. 10 the soule of man whiles it is in the body is not seene heard mooued nor scarce conceiued to be there and yet from it all good thinges are deriued to the body as sense motion speech subsistence beauty strength and the like For how could a man see heare speake walke subsist and be strong faire and amiable vnlesse his soule were in him And why doth he not after he is dead see heare speake and mooue but because his soule is departed from whence these benefites proceeded Euen so thy God O my soule whiles he liueth in thee by his Grace maketh thee to see what Faith sheweth thee and to heare what he speaketh in thee That thou mayest walke in the Way of the Commaundements towardes the Heauenly Hierusalem and speake in prayer to God and in good exhortations to thy neighbour and subsist perseuering in good workes and be strong in battaile against thy inuisible enemies and thereby become beautifull in the eyes of the inuisible God and his Angells But take heede least Gods grace departing from thee which is the life of thy soule thou fall into the losses of the First death And from it be carried to the second death froÌ„ whence is no Resurrection O that thy God would open the eyes of thy minde that thou mightest behold the beauty of a Soule that is vnited to him in Charity What place hee prepareth for it What ioyes hee promiseth it How louingly hee looketh on it And with what longing it is ezpected by the Angells and blessed Soules Then wouldest thou not endure that so great beauty should be blemished with the least spott And if it should so happen thou wouldest endeauour to wash it away with floudes of teares For so did St. Francis as Saint Bonauenture reporteth who although he could not follow the immaculate Lambe without some spot endeauoured notwithstanding to purge and clense his soule with daily shewers of teares from all spottes of offences whatsoeuer Againe if thy God would open thy inward eyes that thou mightest see the deformity of a Sinfull soule how it slinketh like a rotten carcasse and how both God and his Angells reiuse to looke thereon although perhaps it dwell in a beautifull body very pleasing to the eyes of men surely thou wouldst be so affrighted that by no meanes thou wouldest become such a one nor long continue in such estate THE NINTH STEPP From the Consideration of Angells WE are come to the highest Stepp of Ascention vnto God Cap. 1 from created substances For if wee speake onely of Naturall perfection there is no created substance higher then that of Angells First therefore we will consider Angells according to their excellency of Nature Secondly according to their sublimity of Grace And lastly according to the Offices which they execute For it is not our meaning to enter into a full Disputation about Angells but onely to touch such thinges as may helpe vs to eleuate ouâ— mindes to God If an Angell then be compared vnto Mans reasonable Soule it may fitly be called a perfect Soule euen as the soule may be called an vnperfect Angell For so of man spake the Prophet by reason of his Soule when he said Thou hast minished him a little lesse then Angells Psal 8 An Angell is a Perfect Spiritual Substance the Soule an Vnperfect Spirituall Substance because it is the Bodyes Forme and but one part of Man Therefore an Angell is all Spirit Man partly Spirit and partly flesh or partly an Angell and partly a beast As if one should say An Angell is all of golde Man partly of golde and partly of clay The Prophet then said truely Man is minished little lesse then Angells And it is also true that the soule of man because it is a part of man is little lesse then an Angell Whereupon it followeth that an Angell is more like to God then a man or his soule for God is a Spirit and not a Body or Forme of of a body And yet notwithstanding this resemblance of an Angell vnto God God is a spirit infinitely excelling the dignity of an Angel For God is a Spâ—rit vncreated eternall immense Almighty onely Good onely Wise onely High If then my soule thou wilt confesse that thou doest with reason admire the Nature of Angells How much more oughtest thou to admire and reuerence the Nature of God who without all comparison excelleth them Neither in Nature or substance onely may an Angell be called a perfect Mâ—n Cap. 2 and Man an vnperfect Angell but also in knowledge and vnderstanding For man because hee vseth the ministery of his sences and discourseth from effectes to causes and from causes to effectes vnderstandeth with lâ—bour and by degrees attaineth vnto knowledge whervpon he oftentimes doubteth oftentimes is deceiued and seldom findeth out the Truth But an Aâ—gell beholdeth aâ— once the effectes and causes together seeth the Substance with the Accidentes and spirituall thinges with corporall Man therfore whiles hee is a Pâ—grim on carth in vnderstanding is not a little lesse but much lesse then Angells So that albeit hee excell in Witt and in the study of Philosophy Yet in comparison of an Angell he may truely be accounted a Childe or sucking Infant Not vntruely therfore spake that Prophet of vs mortall Men Oâ—â— of the mouth of Infantes Psal 8 and Sucklings thou hast perfited praise Heare what the wise Salomon iudged of our Wisdome wherewith we are so puffed vp All thinges are hard saith he Man cannot explicate them in Worde Bccle 1 Bccles 3 And againe God hath deliuered the World to their disputation that man cannot finde â—he Worke which God hath â—rought from the beginning to the end If all thinges then are hard and which man cannot explicate And if man vnderstand nothing in this visible
world from the first Creature to the last I say nothing so perfectly as that hee is able to explicate the Nature Propertyes Accidents and secret virtues thereof Into what errors shall he fall if hee vndertake to search out the thinges which are aboue Heauen Therefore if thou be Wise my soule follow the knowledge of Saluation and Wisdome of Saintes which consisteth in fearing God keeping his Commaundements Delight more in prayer then in DisputatioÌ„ and in edifying Charity then in proud knowledge For that is the way which leadeth vnto life Eternall where we little ones shal he made equall with Angells which alwayes see the face of their Father which is in Heauen Luk â—0 Mat. 18 There is also a third thing wherein Mans soule is not a litle lesse but much lesse then Angells to witt in the power and commaund ouer Bodyes For Mans soule moueth the body by commaundment of the Will but other Bodyes it cannot so moue And it moueth the body by Progressiue motion vpon the Earth but cannot suspend it vpon the Water cleuate it aboue the Ayer or carry it whether it will But Angells onely by Force of Spirit and commaundment of Will eleuate heauy bodyes and carry them whether they lift So an Angell tooke vp Abachue Dan. 14 and in a very short time carried him to Babilon to bring Daniel his â—inner recarried him again to Palistine A man also cannot fight in spirit onely with his enemies but with his handes and weapons but an Angel by power of spirit without hands or weapons can encounteâ— and ouercome a whole army of men So one Angel â—â—ew at once a hundred fourescore and fiue thousand Assyrians 4 Reg. 19 And if Angels can do these thinges what can the Lord and maker of Angels doe He truely made all thinges of nothing and can reduce all thinges to nothing Mans soule moreouer can by the art of paynting with industry and labour make the image of a man so lively that it may seeme to liue and breath But an Angell can without labour of handes or instruments almost in a moment of time assume in such sort a body Elementarie that wise men will iudge it to be the true body of a man because it can walk speake eate drinke be touched handled and washed So Abraham prepared meate for the Angells Gen. 18 and washt their feete For as the Apostle declareth Ieb 13 He receaued Angels to harbour thinking they had bene men Which also happened to his nephew Loth when he receaued two Angels as strangers into his house Gen. 19 The Angell Raphael in like manner remayned with young Tobias many-dayes walking speaking eating and drinking as if he had bene a man indeede yet notwithstanding being after to depart he said I seemed indeede to eate with you and to drinke Tob. 12 but I vse an inu sible meate and drinke and sodainly he vanished from their sight Surely it is admirable and proceedeth from great power so to frame a body on the sodaine as that it may seeme to differ in nothing from the liuing body of a Man and againe at pleasure on the fodaine so to dissolue the same body that nothing therof remayne If then the power of Angels be so great how great is the power of the maker of Angels who gaue them that power Truely as the knowledge of Angells and men being comâ—ared with the knowledge of God is ignorance and as the iustice of Angells and men being compared with the iustice of God is iniustice so the power of Angells and men being compared with the power of God is infirmitie Therefore it is truely said Rom. 16 â—uke 18 1 â—â—m 6 Cap 4. Our God onely wise onely good and onely mighâ—ie Lastly if we consider the place of Angels and of men we shall finde mans soule in that respect also Not a little lesse Heb. 2 but much lessened vnder Aâ—gells I willingly vse that word which the Apostle vâ— sâ—th For God hath appâ—inted a place on earth for the soule of man and in heauen to wit in his Pallace a place for Angels Psal 113 For the heauen of heauen is to our Lord but the earth he hath giuen to the children of men Whereupon our Lord in St. Math 24 Mathew calleth them The Angels of heauen And in St. Luke he saith There shall be ioy in heauen vpon one sinner that deth penance Luke 15 And a little after There shall be ioy before the Angels of God vpon one sinner that doth penance God also hath so tyed the soule to the body that it cannot without it remoue from place to place but Angels are not tyed to any body but haâ—e power giuen them to pâ—sse from heauen to earth and from earth to heauen or whether soeuer they will with very great speede so that Angels being next vnto God in dignitie of Nature doe also in some sort by their celerity immitate his vbiquitie For God is euery where by immensitie of Nature and therefore needeth no change of place Angels by swiftnesse of motion passe so speedily from place to place and so exhibit their presence in cuery place that they seeme after a sort to be euery where But my soule if thou wilt heare the Lord of Angels there is no cause why thou shouldest enuy that Angels haue so high a place and so vnsatigable a motion For not onely thou my soule when thou art loosed from the body shalt be equall vnto Angels but when thou shalt returne vnto thy body which Christ Will corfigure to the body of his glory Phil. 3 with that body shalt thou possesse heauen as thy owne-house it being made spirituall shall without labour or wearinesse be presently there wheresoeuer thou the soule shalt will and command it 1 Cor. 5 Thy Lord doth not deceaue thee who saith in his Gospel Ioh. 14 In my Fathers house there be many Mansions And I goe and prepare you a place And If I go and prepare you a place I come againe and will take you to my selfe that where I am you also may be Father I will that where I am Ioh. 17 they also maâ— be with me and that they may see my glory which thou hast giuen me But thou art not ignorant where Christ is and what body he hath For thou dost confesse euery day and say On the third day he rose againe from the dead he ascended into heauen thou knowest also that his body after the resurrection did sometimes enter in among his Disciples the dores deing shut â—châ—â—o Lâ—k 24 and departed from them not walking but vanishing that is he transferred his body from them so speedily as if it had beene a Spirit and not a body But if thou secke after this glory thou must first Consigure thy body Phil. 3 to the body of the humilitie of Christ And then Christ will configure thy body to the body of his glory For
that made them By which words the infinite power of God is signified who did in a moment produce and cause to worke bodies so great and beautifull And to shine to him with cheerefulnesse that made them is with such readinesse to obey their maker as if in obeying him they were greatly pleased and delighted And surely it is a thing much to be meruayled that the starres moouing so speedily and continually and some performing their course so slowely and some so swiftly in their seuerall orbes yet they alwayes keepe such measure and proportion together that from it ariseth a most sweete and pleasing harmonie Wherof God speaketh in the booke of Iob when he saith Iob. 38 Who shall declare the manner of the heauens and the harmony of heauen who shall make to sleepe This is not the harmony of voyces or soundes heard with corporall eares but the harmony of proportion in the motions of the starres heard onely with the eare of the Hart. For all the starres of the firmament passe with the like speede about the whole compasse of heauen in foure and twenty houres And the seauen Planets or wandring starres are mooued some swifter some slower So that the starres of the Firmament seeme to beare the plaine song to speake after the vulgar manner and the Planets to modulate a sweet and continuall kinde of Descant But these thinges are aboue vs and this Harmony is heard onely by them that are in Heauen and vnderstand the reasons of these motions The starrs also keepe a iust measure alwayes in turning â—ound and therefore they seeme to daunce continually in â—eauen like honest virgins skilfull in that art But thou my soule ascend a little higher if thou canst and by the great brightnesse of the Sunne the beauty of the Moone the multitude and varietie of the other lightes the admirable harmony of heauen and delightfull dauncing of the starrs Thinke what it will be to beholde God aboue heaven to wit That Sunne that inhabiteth light 1 Tim. 6 not accessible to behold the virgin Queene of heauen who being faire as the Moone reioyceth the Cittie of God To behold the quires and orders of Angells which being more in number and brighter then the starres adorne the Emperiall heauen To behold the soules of Saintes among the companies of Angels as Planets among the starres of the Firmament And lastly to heare the songes of prayses and that eternall Alleluia with concording voyces most sweetly to resound in the streetes of that Cittie Then shall it come to passe that neither the beauty of heauen will seeme great vnto thee and the thinges belowe heauen which are small short and of no value will be reiected and contemned THE EIGHT STEPP From the Consideration of the reasonable Soule WE haue hetherto passed onely through corporall things Cap. 1 whiles we intended from the contemplation of creatures to ascend vnto the Creator And now we finde the soule of Man surpassing the dignitie of all bodies to be in the lowest ranke of spirituall substances betweene whom and God there are no other but the Hierarchies and Orders of Angells The soule of man carrieth such a resemblance with God the maker thereof that truely I knowe no way more easie for a man to ascend vnto the knowledge of God then from the consideration of his owne soule And therefore he is vnexcusable before God if he knewe not God since from the knowledge of his owne soule he may by Gods assistance without difficultie attaine thereunto First therefore the soule of Man is a spirit for so the holy Fathers expound those wordes of Genesis Gen 2 Our Lord God formed Man of the slâ—me of the earth and breathed into his face the breath of life And that of Tobias Command my spirit to be receaued â—ob 3 And Ecclesiastes Let thedust returne into his earth Eccl 12 and the spirit returne to God who gaue it For albeit the word spirit agree also to the winde whereof it is said in the psalme The spirit of stormes Psal 148 Ioh. 3 And in the Gospell The spirit breatheth where he will and thou hearest his voyce Yet there is no doubt but that the Spirit of stormes is a body which by reason of the exceeding raritie thereof doth neerer immitate a Naturall spirit then any other body whatsoeuer but the soule of man is a true spirit not a body neither is it produced out of matter but created of God Whereof among Catholiques there is no controuersie Heere then beginneth the excellencie of the soule and her resemblance with God For God is a spirit saith our Sauiour and they that adore him Ioh. 4 must adore in spirit and veritie But although God is a spirit and the soule of man is also a spirit yet God is a spirit vncreated the soule a spirit created whereupon it followeth that there is an infinite difference between that spirit which is the soule and that spirit which is God As therefore the soule may reioyce for being a spirituall substance excelling thereby the heauens and starres in nobilitie of Nature so ought she also to be humbled vnto God her Maker because she is made of nothing and without him of her selfe is nothing Secondly Cap. 2 the soule of Man is a simple spirit and therefore immortall for it hath nothing within it selfe that can dissolue it or cause it to dye but as it hath this priuiledge aboue the soules of brute beastes which dye with the bodie so it ought likewise to admire and reuerence the excellencye of the Creator who is not onely immortall but also eternall For there was a time when the soule of man was not and by the will of God onely it tooke beginning and may likewise if God so please be reduced to nothing although in it selfe it hath no cause of corruption Therefore the Apostle said of God â— Tim. 6 Who onely hath immortalitie for he onely can by no power chance or reason be dissolued because he is the Fountaiâ—e of life Thirdly Cap. 3 the soule of Man hath the light of vnderstanding for it not onely decerneth colours senttes tastes soundes hot cold hard soft and other such like thinges which lye open to the senses of the body But also iudgeth of substances and of generall and vniversall Notions as well as of particular Neither knoweth it onely thinges present but also coniectureth of thinges to come and mounteth by discourse aboue the Heauens penetrateth the depth searcheth out causes by effectes and from causes runneth backe to effectes Lastly by the light of reason it ascendeth vnto God who Inhabiteth Light vnaccessible And of this Light St. 1 Tim. 6 Iohn saith in the Gospell Ioh. 1 It was the true Light which lightneth euery man that commeth into the World Psal 4 And Dauid in the Psalmes The Light of thy countenance O Lord is signed vpon vs. And Psal 31 Doe not become as Horse and Male which haue
Rom 7 Not the good which I will that doe I but the euill which I will not that I doe And which of vs all but findeth this true by experience I would pray with attention to God and I command my imagination not to wander about and cause me to thinke of other thinges whiles I pray And yet I cannot keepe it in order but when I least suspect I finde my selfe deluded by it and omitting my prayers I fall to muse on other matters I would not be molested with lust nor angry out of reason and by Free-will I command the concupiscible and irascible powers which are in me to obey reason and not to be seduced by the bodily sences And yet reason is not obeyed nor that done which I would but that which I would not But of all other things it is most admirable miserable that the minde coÌ„mandeth the body it presently obeyeth it doÌ„mandeth it selfe it disobeyeth Lib 8. con cap. 4 Vade hoc Monstrum Whence is this strange thing saith St. Augustinâ— the minde coÌ„maâ—deth the hand to moue it doth with such speede that the comman ment can hardly be discerned froÌ„ the execution therof it is the minde the hand a body The minde commaundeth the minde to be willing and it is the same thing and yet it doth it not But it willeth not fully and therefore it doth not fully command It is not therefore any strange thing but an infirmitie of the minde whith doth â—ot fully rise being lifted vp by truth and kept downe by custome But the free will of God is ioyned with absolute power for of him it is written He hath done all thinges whatsoeuer he would And Psal 113 There is none that can resist thy will Esther 13 Wherefore my Soule if thou be wise doe not boast of the force of thy free will vntill thou come into the freedome of glory where thy Heauenly Phisition will cure all thy infirmities and fill thy desire with all good thinges And in the meane while sigh dayly and say vnto God with the Prophet Psal 26 Be thou my helper for sake me not Not coldly also for custome sake but with attention and from thy hart repeate at the least seauen times a day O God intend vnto my belpe Psal 69 Lord make hast to help me Seauenthly Cap. 7 Mans soule hath a reasonable will which not onely hath power to desire good thinges present particular and corporal as beasts doe but also good thinges absent vniuersall and spirituall which are knowne by the light of faith or reason vntill it come to the Highest Happinesse which is God This maketh the soule capable of vertues and especially of Charitie the Queene of vertues Brute beastes indeede haue the loue of Concupiscence but the loue of friendship they knowe not But thou my soule art by God made capable of Charitie the Chiefe of all Guiftes whereby God remaineth in thee and thou in him For God is Charitie 1 Ioh. 4 and he that abideth in Charitie abideth in God and God in him And if the Happinesse of a created will be so great what may we think of the Happinesse wherwith the increated will is filled Onely the will of God is capable of infinite loue wherewith the infinite goodnesse of God is worthy to be loued Neither doth his will want vertues or needeth to be directed by his vnderstanding for they are all one as Wisdome and Charitie in God is the same thing Eightly Cap. 8. the soule of Man is in the body but farre otherwise then the soules of brute beastes in their bodies The soules of brute beastes are materiall and extended according to their bodies so that a part of it is in a part of their body and the whole in their whole body But the soule of Man because it is an indiuisible spirit is after an admirable manner Whole in all and whole in euery part so that albeit it fill all the body yet it occupieth no place in the body And when the body groweth the soule groweth not but beginneth to be where before it was not And if a member be cut away or withered the soule is not deminished nor withered but ceaseth to be in that member where before it was without hurt or mutilation This is a true resemblance of Gods existence in Creatures For God is an indiuisible spirit and yet he filleth all the world and euery part thereof Neither doth he occupie any place But is Whole in all and whole in euery part of the world And when any creature is produced God beginneth to be in it and yet he is not mooued And when any creature is by chance destroyed or dyeth God is not destroyed or dyeth but ceaseth to be in it without locall mutation Thus farre then God and the soule agree but in many thinges God as it is meete doth farre excell For the soule before it can moue and gouerne the body must become the forme of the body and be so vnited vnto it that of the soule and body is made one Man But God needeth not become the forme or soule of the world Neither of him and the world is one Compounded substance made For his immencitie is such that he is euery where his indiuisible vnitie such that he is wholy euery where And his omnipotencie such that he worketh euery where Moreouer although the soule be said to be in all the body yet it is not properly but in the partes which haue life and therefore it is not in the humors in the hayre in the nayles or in dryed and dead members But God is in all thinges both corporall and spirituall without exception neither can it be that any thing exist wherin God is not The soule also is but in her owne body which is narrow and straight where all the partes are continued together But God is in this vniuersalitie of thinges although it be very great and the partes thereof not continued together but contiguous and adioyning And if more worldes were made God should be in them all for of him it is written 1 Par. 6 The heauen and heauens of heauens doe not containe thee And albeit new heauens and earthes were multiplied without end God should fill them all for no place can be where he should not be Ninthly the soule of Man beside those thinges which are said hath also in it an obscure image of the Blessed Trinitie because it hath a power to remember to vnderstand and to loue and also for that the minde doth by the vnderstanding Forme a word and from the minde and the word proceedeth loue For that which is knowne by the minde and represented by the Word as Good is forthwith by the Will loued and desired But God the Father did after a more high and diuine manner begett God the Word and God the Father and God the Word becathed our God the hâ—ly Ghost the huâ—ng Fountaine of
not made of any matter but created of nothing And none but God almightie can make something of nothing He therefore alone without compagnion without helpe with his owne handes which are his vnderstanding and will created thee when hee pleased But perhappes not God but creatures produced thy body that as thy soule must acknowledge God so thy body must acknowledge thy parents for authors It is not so For although God vse the means of parents to begette the flesh as inferiour workemen in the buylding of a house yet is he the cheife buylder Author and true father both of the soule and body and so would be said to be the beginning of mans whole essence For if the parēts of thy flesh were the true Authors and as it were the Cheife framers of thy body they would know how many muscelles vaines synnowes bones how many humors how many turnings and how many other things of like kinde there are in mans body all which they are ignorant of vnlesse perhaps they haue learned them by the art of Anatomie Moreouer when the body is sicke or a member withered or cut off they could certainely by the same art by which they made it againe repaire it if they were the true Authors euen as those which make clockes or build houses know how to order and repayre them But parents know not how to doe any of these thinges The coniunction also of the soule with the body which is a speciall part of the affection of mans nature can be done by none but by a workeman of infinite power For by what art but by diuine can a spirit be ioyned with flesh in so neere a bond as to be made one substance For the body hath no proportion or likenesse with the spirit Psal 135 He therefore did it who alone doth great wonders Truly therefore doth the holy ghost speake by Moyses in Deuteronomie Deut. 23 Nonne ipse est c. Is not hee thy father that hath possessed thee and made and created thee And by Iob Iob. 10 With Skinne and Flesh thou hast cloathed me with bones and Sinnowes thou hast compacted me And by the kingly Prophet Psal 118 Thy handes haue made me and formed me and againe Psal 138 Thou hast formed me and hast put thy hand vppon me And the most wise mother of the Machabaean children 2 Mac. 7 I knowe not how you appeared in my wombe for neither did I giue you Spirit and Soule and life and the members of euery one I my selfe framed not but indeede the Creator of the world that hath formed the Natiuitie of man and that inuented the origine of all Hereupon surely the wisdome of God Christ our Lord said Math. 22 Call none father to your selues vppon earth For one is your father he that is in heauen By which admonition St. Augustine said to God of his sonne Adeodatus whome he had begot in fornication 9. Confes c. 6 Tu bene seceras c. Thou didst make him well but I beside sin had nothing in that childe Goe to now my soule if God be thy Author and thy bodyes also if he bee thy Father Supporter and Nursse if what thou art is of him if what thou hast thou receiuest from him and what thou bopest thou expectest from him why dost thou not glory in such a parent why dost thou not loue him with all thy hart why dost thou not for his sake contemne all earthly things why dost thou suffer vaine desires to ouerrule thee Lift vp thine eyes to him feare not thine enemies on earth since thou hast a father Almighty in heauen With what confidence and affection thinkest thou did Dauid say Psal 59. I am thine saue me O my soule if thou wouldest consider that the almightie and euerlasting God who wanteth none of thy goods and if thou perish hee loseth nothing turneth not his eies from thee but so loueth protecteth directeth and cherisheth thee as if thou were his greatest treasure surely thou wouldest onely hope in him thou wouldest feare him as thy Lord and loue him as thy Father neither should any temporall good or euill seperate thee from his loue Let vs come to the matter whereof man is made Cap. 3. Truely it is most base but it giueth vs thereby the greater occasion to humble our selues which is a vertue in this life very profitable and rare and therefore the more precious to be desired And surely of the matter of our soules there can be no doubt but that it is That Nothing then the which what can be imagined more vacant and vile The immediate matter of the body what is it but menstruous blood a thing so impure as our eyes refuse to see our hands to touch our mindes to thinke of The matter whereof the first man was made what was it but red and barren earth or dust slime Formauit Deus Gen. 2 c. God formed man saith the Scripture of the slime of the earth and againe God said to man Dust thou art Gen. 3 and into dust thou shalt returne Wherefore the Patriarch Abraham remembring his vnworthynesse 〈◊〉 vnto God Because I haue once begunne Gen. 18 I wil speak to my Lord whereas I am dust and ashes But yet here is not an end of the basenesse of this matter for that dust or slime proceeded not from an other matter but from nothing In the beginning God created heauen and earth and surely not of another heauen and earth but of Nothing so that whether we consider the soule or body it is reduced to Nothing from whence this proud creature Man proceeded Hee hath nothing therefore to boast of but what he receiued from God Truely the workes of Men which proceede either from witte or labour haue euer somewhat of themselues whereof if they had vnderstanding they might glory against their maker For a vessell of gold a chest of wood a house of Iuory or Marble if they could speake might say to him that made them to thee I owe my forme but not my matter and more pretious that is which from my selfe I haue then what I receiued from thee But man who hath nothing from himselfe nor is any thing of himselfe can not glory in any thing And most truely saith the Apostle Gal. 6 If any man esteeme himselfe something wheras he is nothing he seduceth himselfe And What hast thou that thou hast not receiued Cor. 4 and if thou hast receiued what dost thou glory as if thou hadst not receiued Whereunto St. Cyprian agreeth when he saith In nullo gloriandum quando nostrum nihil est Lib. 3 ad Quirinū 4. We must glory in nothing since nothing is ours But thou wilt say men do many worthy works for which they are deseruedly praised that vertue praised may increase It is so but let the glory be to God not to themselues as it is written 2 Cor. 10 He that
first storme of rayne winde or flouds it is cast downe and the fall thereof is great Thy house my soule hath diuers powers and faculties as it were Chambers or parlors and if it be built vpon God as vpon a Rock that is if thou dost firmely beleeue in God if all thy trust be in God and thou be grounded in the loue of God that thou mayst say with the Apostle Who shall seperate vs from the charitie of Christ Ephes 3 Rom. 8 Then be assured that neither the spirituall wickednesse which is about thee nor carnall concupiscence which is vnder thee nor thy domesticall enemies which are on the side of thee to wit thy kinsfolkes and acquaintance shall euer by their temptations preuaile against thee Great surely is the force and subtiltie of the spirituall powers but greater is the power and wisdome of the holy Ghost who ruleth in that house which is founded on God The flesh also fighteth eagerly against the spirit and sometime ouercommeth the strongest but the loue of God doth ouercome the loue of the flesh and the feare of God doth vanquish the feare of the world Those also of a mans houshold are his enemies and with their peruerse councells drawe his soule into the company of sinners But that soule which trusteth she hath a Lord a Father a brother and spowes in heauen will easily contemne and in that respect hate her carnall friendes and kinsfolkes and say with the Apostle Luke 14 Rom. 8 I am sure that neither death nor life nor other Creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. But that soule is indeede miserable whose house being built vpon the sand cannot continue long And the fall therof will be great because it beleeueth lyes and trusteth to a staffe of Reede Whose God is the belly or money or the smoake of honour all which things passe away and perish very speedily drawe the soule which followeth them into eternal distruction It is also an other property of the earth like a good Nursse Cap. 3 plentifully to bring forth hearbes and fruites for the sustenance of men and beasts This propertie directeth vs to our maker as to our true Nursing Father For not the earth but God in the earth bringeth forth all good things So speaketh the holy ghost by the mouth of Dauid Psal 103 Who bringeth forth grasse for be astes and hearbe for the seruice of men And againe All expect of thee that thou giue them meate in season Thou giuing to them they shall gather it thou opening thy hand all thinges shall be filled with bounâ—ie And our Lord in the Gospel Math. 6 Behold the foules of the ayre that they sowe not neither reape nor gather into barnes and your heauenly Father feedeth them And the Apostle Act. 14 And truely not without testimony hath God left himselfe bestowing benefites from heauen giuing raine and fruitfull seasons filling with foode and ioy our harts Neither is that false which is said in the beginning of Genesis Gen. 1 Let the earth shoote forth green hearbes and such as may seede and fruit trees yeilding fruite after his kinde For although the earth shoote forth hearbs and fruit trees yet it is by the vertue which God gaue vnto it and God by it keepeth and increaseth them Therefore Dauid inuiting all creatures to prayse their maker ioyneth with the rest Psal 140 Fruitfull trees and all Cedars And the three children in Daniel are exhorted with all other thinges to blesse Dan. 3 prayse and magnifie him for euer And if all creatures after their manner praise God with what affection oughtest thou my soule to prayse him for all his benefites which thou dost dayly enioy acknowledging in them his fatherly loue which neuer ceaseth to prouide all things for thee But this is not much in the eyes of thy Lord God For he produceth in thee as in his spirituall field the noble branche of Charitie For Charitie is not of the world but of God 1 Iohn 4 as the most beloued Disciple speaketh in his Epistle From Charitie also as from a heauenly tree spring the white and odoriferous flowers of holy cogitations the greene leaues of profitable wordes for the saluation of Nations and the ripe fruites of good workes by which God is glorified our neighbour edified and merits increased and kept for eternall life But woe to those who after the manner of foolish beastes desire to be filled with the fruites of the earth not thinking of their giuer nor thanking him for them their soules are like the earth which God did cursse that bringeth forth nothing but thorns thistles For what do they think in whose minds God soweth not chaste intentions but of adulteries homicide sacriledge theftes trecheries and the like And what doe they speak but blasphemies periuries reproches heresies detractions contumelies false testimonies and lyes which they haue learned of their father the deuil finally what fruites do they bring forth but those whereof we haue spoken and which the Apostle calleth The workes of the flâ—sh Gal. 6 These indeed are the thornes which first pricke the minde which bringeth them forth with bitter thoughts of feares and cares And then they pricke the fame mindes and bodies of others with vncurable woundes whereby great hurt often times ensueth But leauing this my soule if thou wilt be the Garden of God take heed that thornes and thistles be neuer found in thee but with all diligence cherish the tree of Charitie the Lilly of chastitie and the Spiknard of humilitie Take heede it neuer enter into thy minde to thinke that these braunches of heaueâ—ly vertues come from thy selfe and not from thy Lord God who is the Lord of vertues Neither attribute to thy selfe the keeping increase and ripenesse of the fruite of good workes but as much as thou canst commend them vnto God There remaineth the last Cap. 4 commendation of the earth for that in her bosome are conteyned gold siluer and precious stones but truely the earth doth not by her owne vertue bring forth such precious kindes of thinges but he who by Aggeus saith Mine is the siluer Agg. 2 and mine is the gold O louer of men did it please thy goodnesse not onely to produce stones wood yron brasse lead and such like thinges necessarie for the building of houses shippes and other instruments but also gold siluer and precious stones for beauty and ornament And if thou giuest these thinges to Pilgrims on earth and often also to thy enemies which blaspheme thy name what wilt thou giue to thy friendes who shall prayse thee and raigne with thee in heauen Thou wilt giue them doubtlesse not some little peeces of golde and siluer or some fewe precious stones but that Cittie whereof Iohn the Apostle speaketh in the Apocalips when he saith Apoc. 21 And the building of the Wall thereof was of Iasper
will set downe three differences betweene the washing of the one and the other The created water doth wash away corporall spotts yet not all for many it cannot wash away vnlesse it be holpen with soape or some other meanes The increated water doth wash away alâ— spotts for so we reade in the place aboue â—ited And you shall be cleansed from all your Contaminations The created water doth seldome so wash away spots but that some little signe of them remayneth The increated water doth wash in such sort that the thing washed becommeth more white and cleane then before it was contaminated Thou shalt wash me saith Dauid and I shall be made whiter then Snowe Psal 50 And our Lord saith by Isay If your sinnes shall be as Scarlet they shall be made white as Snowe Isay 1. and if they be red as vermition they shall be white as Wooll Also the created water doth wash naturall spottes which resist not the washing the increated water doth wash voluntary spotts which cannot be cleansed vnlesse the soule consent thereunto And so admirable is the vertue of this water that it sweetly entreth into hardened hartes and is not refused because as St. Augustine doth truely teach It selfe is the cause that it is not refused Lib. de praed ss c. 8. Who can conceaue O Lord how thou giuest faith vnto the vnfaithfull humilitie vnto the proude and charitie vnto thine enemies that he who once breathed forth threates and slaughter and persecuted thee in thy Deciples being changed on the sodaine most willingly suffered for thee and thy Church threates and persecutions Farr be it from me to diue into thy secrets for I had rather seele then search after the force of thy grace And because I knowe that water of thine to be A voluntary raine Psal 57 separated to thine inheritance as the Prophet sayd Therefore I humbly beseech thee let me be found in thy inheritance and let the dwe of thy grace descend into the earth of my hart that it remaine not like earth without water to thee for so barren it is that of it selfe it can thinke no good But to proceede Water quencheth fire Cap. 2 and the heauenly Water that is the grace of the holy ghost doth strangely quenche the fire of carnall lust Fasting and bodily afflictions auayle much also if they be vsed as instruments of grace otherwise of themselues they are of small force For loue is the cheife among the affections and perturbations of the minde which ruleth all and is obeyed by all Loue will not be forced and if it be stopped one way it breaketh out an other way Loue feareth nothing dareth any thing and vanquisheth all thing Lastly Loue yeeldeth onely vnto greater lone So flâ—shly loue which followeth the wealth and pleasures of the world yeildeth onely to the louâ— of God and the water of the holy ghost distilling into the hart of man quickly cooleth the heate of concuâ—â—scence Witnesse St. Augustine who being long accustomed to lust thought it vnpossible to want the company of a woman yet beginning to taste the grace of the holy ghost he cryed out in the ninth booke of his confessions 9 Cons c. 1. Quam suaue c. O how sweet was it to me on the sodaine to want the pleasures of trâ—flles and what before I feared to loose I now reioyced to firsake For thou the true aâ—d chiefest Happinesse didst cast them from me Thou didst cast them from me and didst enter for them more sweet then any pleasure but not to flâ—sh and blood more brigh then any light more inward then any secret more high then any honour but not to those that are high iâ— themseâ—ues Water also quencheth thirst Cap. 3 and onely the water of the holy ghost can quench the manifold and almost endlesse desires of mans hart So the truth speaking to the Samaritan woman plainely taught Euery one saith he that drinketh of this water Ioh 4 shall thirst againe but he that shall drinke of the water that I will giue him shall not thirst for euer Indeede so it is The eye is not filled with seeing neither is the eare fulfilled with hearing For the minde of man is capable of infinite good and all creatures are finite But he that beginneth once to drinke of this diuine water wherein all things are seeketh after no more And of this we haue spoken before were we treated that the rest of our soules is in God onely as in their proper center Water ioyneth diuers things together Cap. 4 as many graynes of corne to make one loafe and many peeces of earth to make one bricke But more easily and more vnsepeperably doth the Water of the holy Ghost make Act. 4 many men to be of one hart and one foule as we read in the Acts of the Apostles of the first Christians Act. 4 vpon whom the holy ghost did next after the Apostles descend And our Lord being to Ascend to his father commendeth that vnitie which the water of the holy gost causeth saying Ioh. 17 And not for them onely do I pray but for them also that by their word shall beleâ—ue in me that they all may be one as thou Father in me and I in thee that they also in vs may be one And a little after That they may be one as we also are one I in them and thou in me that they may bee consummate in one To which vnitie the Apostle also exhorteth vs in his Epistle to the Ephesians saying Be carefull to keep the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace Ephe. 4 One body and one spirit as you are called in one hope of your vocation O happy vnion which maketh many men one body of Christ 1 Cor. 10 1 Cor. 6 gouerned by one head participating of one bread drinking of one Cup and liuing by one spirit of God is made one spirit with him What can his seruants more desire then to participate not onely of all their masters goods but also by the vnseparable bond of loue to be made one with the Almighty All which is wrought by the grace of the holy Ghost when as liuing water it is deuoutly receiued and diligently kept in the hart Lastly the water ascendeth as high as it descendeth lowe Cap. 5 And as the holy ghost came from heauen to earth so that hart in whom he is receaued Ioh. 4 Is made a fountaine of water springing vp into life euerlasting as our Lord said to the Samaritan woman that is man borne againe of water and the holy Ghost who hath the same spirit dwelling within him causeth his merits to ascend from whence grace did descend Therefore my soule being taught and incited by these passages of Scripture say often to thy heauenly Father with deepe sighes Giue me this water which washeth cleane all spotts quencheth all fire of Lust colleth all heat of thirst and maketh me one spirit
with my God that being in me a Fountaine of water springing vp into life euerlasting it may cause in me merits to ascend thether wheras I hope to liue for euer Not without cause did the Son of God say If you then being naught knowe how to giue good guifts to your children Luk. 11 how much more will your Father in heauen giue the good spirit to them that aske him And he saith not that he will giue bread cloathes wisdome charity or life euerlasting but the good spirit for in it al things are conteyned Cease not then O my soule daily to admonish the Father of the promise of his son saying with great deuotion assured hope to obtaine O holy father not in mine owne iustification doe I pray vnto theâ— but in the promise of thy onely begotten Sonne For he hath said vnto vs How much more will your Father in heauen giue the good Spirit to them that aske him Surely thy Sonne is the Truth he deceaueth vs not Fuifill therefore the promise of thy Son who hath glorified thee vpon earth Ioh. 17 Phil. 2 and was obedient to thee vnto death euen the death of the Crosse Giue the good â—pirit to them that aske it of thee Giue the spirit of thy loue and feare that thy seruant may loue nothing but thee his neighbour in thee nor feare but onely to offend thee Create a cleane hart in me O God Psal 50 and renew a right 〈…〉 in my bowells Cast me 〈…〉 from thy face and thy holy spirit take not from me Render vnto me the ioy of thy saluation and confirme me with a principall spirit Now I come to the resemblance which Fountaines of water haue with God Cap. 6 for from them also may the minde be eleuated to consider his wonderfull workes And not without cause is God called in holy scripture A Fountaine of life Psal 35 Eccle. 1 And A Fountaine of liuing water And that he is the Fountaine of Being Hier. 2 We gather by these wordes of God to Moyses I am which am Exod. 3 he which is hath sent me to you All which the Apostle seemeth to haue included when he saith Act. 17 In him we liue and moue and be For in him we are as in a Fountaine of being In him we liue as in a Fountaine of life And in him we mooue as in a Fountaine of Wisdome Wisd 7 because Wisdome is more moueable then all moueable things reacheth euery where because of her cleannesse as it is said in the booke of Wisdome A fountaine of water with vs hath this propertie that Riuers spring from it and when they cease to flowe from their fountaine they are soone dried vp but the fountaine dependeth not of the riuers for it receaueth not water from them but from it selfe and giueth it vnto others This is a true resemblance of the diuinitie For God is the most true fountaine of Being because he receaued his Being from no other thing but all thinges receiued their being from him God receaued his being from no other thing because his essence is to be and his being is his existence so that it cannot be conceaued or caused but that God hath beene alwayes and alwayes shall be Other thinges may be for a time and for a time not be because existence doth not necessarily belong vnto their offence For example It belongeth to the essence of a man to be a reasonable creature and therefore he cannot be a man vnlesse he be a reasonable creature and if existence belonged also to the essence of a man he should then alwayes exist but because it belongeth not to his essence therefore hee may exist and not exist God then is the Fountaine of Being because his essence includeth actuall existence for euer as is signified by those wordes I am Which am Exod. 3 That is I am essence it selfe and receaue not my Being from any other thing for to me onely my essence is my existence Therefore eternitie and immortalitie is proper vnto God onely as the apostle saith To the king of the worldes immortall 1 Tim 1 1 Tim. 6 onely God And who onely hath immortalitie For all other things receaue in such sort their essence from God that vnlesse they doe alwaies depend one him and be preserued by him they presently cease to be Wherevpon the same Apostle saith Heb. 1 Who carieth all thinges by the word of his power Therefore O my foule admire and reuerence the infinite goodnesse of thy maker who maintaineth and preserueth all thinges so louingly although he needeth not their seruice Admire and Imitate also the patience of thy sayd maker who is so mercifull vpon the vnkinde and the euill Luke 6 that he feedeth and preserueth those which blaspheme him and deserue to be brought to nothing Let it not therefore seeme much vnto thee to beare sometimes with the infirmities of thy brethren and as thou art commanded to doe good to those that hate thee But the being a Fountaine doth not onely consist in not receauing being from an other Fountaine and in giuing being vnto other things For the water both of Fountaines and Riuers with vs is of the same kinde and albeit that fountaines receaue not their water from other fountaines yet they haue a cause of their being to wit vapours which also haue other causes successinely vntill we come vnto God the first cause But God thy maker my soule is not of the same kinde with creatures but infinitely surpasseth them in dignitie nobilitie and excellencie He also is truely and properly the Fountaine of Being because he doth not onely not receaue his being from an other fountaine of being but also for that he hath no cause at all A Fountaine of created water as is said is not deriued from any other water but from an other cause but the increated Fountaine of Being hath not my thing before himselfe dependeth not of any thing wanteth not any thing nor can he hurt by any thing but all thinges depend of him 2 Mach. 8 and he can Destroy the whole world with a becke as saith the valiant Machabaeus Admire this eminencie O my soule this beginning without beginning this Cause without Cause this essence that is infinite vnlimited immense and absolutely necessary in comparison wherof all other things are but casuall And of this perhappes the Truth said But one thing is necessary Luk. 10 Adhere therefore to him onely serue him onely and delight in his loue onely Despise all other thinges for his sake or els be not troubled with too much care about many thinges since one thing is necessarie which onely is enough for thee and al others but let thy care be neuer to fall from his grace studying alwaies and euery where how to please him God also is most truely called a Fountaine of life Cap 7 because he hath life in himselfe and is life eternall it selfe
may be forgotten What Prince in the world did euer promise rewardes to those that came to demand of him mercy or iustice And yet those which come to the Princes of the World are men and the Princes themselues also are men made of the same molde and subiect to the same Almighty God But albeit it may seeme much to reward those that aske yet ought it not seeme much to giue them free accesse to appoint faithfull masters of Requestes to keepe their petitions and to offer them vp and sollicite their speedy dispatch The third Office of Angels is to be sent as Ambassadours to denounce such thinges as God will haue denounced especiall concerning our Redemption and saluation So speaketh the Apostle to the Hebrewes Heb. 1 Are not all the Angels ministring Spirits Sent to minister for them which shall receaue the inheritance of saluation We reade also in many places of the olde Yestament Gen 18 how Angels appeared to the Patriarches and Prophets and manyfested to them such thinges as God would haue manifested Dan 9 We finde likewise in the new Testament that the Angel Gaâ—riel was sent as an Ambassador from God to Zacharie and to the virgin Mother of God Luke 1 Luk. 2 Angels also were sent to the shepheards to St. Ioseph and after the Resurrection of our Lord to the women that stayed at the Sepulcher Ioh 20 and after the Ascention Math 28 Act 1 to all the Disciples But if any aske why God who is euery where and can easily by himselfe speake in the hearts of men sendeth notwithstanding his Angels I answer because men may vnderstand that God regardeth their affaires and that all thinges are gouerned and ordered by him For otherwise they might perswade themselues that Gods inspirations did proceede from their owne discourse and counsaile But when they see or heare that Angels are sent by God and the thinges which the Angels foretold to come so truely to passe they cannot doubt but that God foreseeth mans affayres doth cheisely direct and dispose such thinges as appertaine to the saluation of his Elect. The fourth Office of Angells is to protect men both in particular and ingenerall For it pleased the mercy of God to commend vnto his strongest seruants the custodye of the weaker And to appoint them as Tutors ouer Children Gardians ouer Infantes Patrons ouer Clyents shepheardes our sheepe Phisitions ouer sicke folkes Defendors ouer Orphans and such as cannot defend themselues but vnder the winges of the more mighty Of the protection of particular men Dauid witnesseth He hath giuen his Angels charge rf thee Psal 90 that they keepe thee in all thy wayes And Christ himselfe is also a faithfull witnesse heereof See saith he that you despise not one of these little ones Math 18 for I say to you that their Angells in heauen alwayes doe see the face of my Father which is in heauen Touching their protection also of Prouinces and kingdomes Daniel witnesseth Dan. 10 Who calleth the Gardian Angel of the kingdome of Persia the king of Persia and the Gardian Angell of the Kingdome of Greece the King of Greece And the Gardian Angell of the Children of Israell he calleth by his name Michaell Apcc. 2 Saint Iohn likewise in the Apocalips writeth of the Angells Gardians of Churches and maketh mention Of the Angell of the Church of Ephesus of Smyrna and of others Therefore in euery Kingdome there are two Kinges the one a visible Man the other an inuisible Angell And in euery Church there are two Bishops the one a visible man the other an inuisible Angell And in the vniuersal Catholique Church there are two chiâ—fe Pastors appointed vnder Christ our Lord the one a vifible man the other an inuisible Angell which wee beleene to be St. Michaell the Archangell For â—s the Synagogue of the Iewes in times past So now the Church of the Christians doth reuerence him for her Patron Dost thou not see my soule how carefull that Maiesty who needeth nothing of ours is of vs his poore seruantes What could he doe more to manifest his great loue then hee hath donne He hath loaded vs with Benefites to make vs to stay wallingly with him He hath guarded vs wâ—th a Watch that we should not Fly from him and he hath appointed ouer vs Protectors least wee should be carried from him What would he doe if wee were his Treasure as indeed he is our onely Treasure Therefore my soule yeild at last to his Loue and being ouercome therewith Mancipate and giue thy selfe wholy by an irreuocable vow vnto his seruice Let not things which are seene moue thee but thinke of and sigh after the thinges thou seest not 2 Cor. 4 For the thinges that be seene are Temporall but those that be not seenâ— are Eternall The fift and last Office of Angells is to be as armed Captaines or Soldiours to workâ— Reuenge vpon Nations and Cotrection among the people They were Angells which burned the Infamous Cittyes Gen 19 with fire and brimstone Which kild the First begotten throughout all Egypt Exod. 12 Which at one Assault destroyed many thousand Assirians 4 Reg. 19 And they shall be Angells which at the day of Iudgement Mat. 13 Shall seperate the euill from among the iust and shall cast them into the Furnace of Fire Let good men therefore loue the holy Angells as their Country-men And let wicked men dread their power which are the Executioners of Almighty Gods wrath from whose handes none can deliuer them THE TENTH STEPP From the Consideration of Gods essence by the similitude of a Corporall quantity WE haue ascended by created sustances as high as we can Cap. 1. And yet we are not come to knowe God so perfectly as by Specularion euen in this Vayle of teares hee may be knowne It remaineth then that we consider if by the Dimensions of a Corporall quantity which we know we may ascend vnto the Breadth Length Height and Depth of Gods inuisible essence For among Creatures those are said to be great which haue foure great Dimensions And God in the Psalmes and in many other places is said To be Great and his greatnesse without end Psal 47 Truely St. Bernard a man excelling in contemplation in his bookes of Consideration which he writ to Pope Eugenius framed from these Dimensions certaine steppes to knowe God Yet was hee not the first Inuentor of a Ladder of this kinde but hee learned this manner of Ascention from the Apostle who was rapt into the third Heauen For so speaketh the Apostle in his Epistle to the Ephesians That you may be able to comprehend with all the Saintes Ephe 3 what is the Breadth and Length and Height and Depth For if any one consider attentiuely he shall finde indeed that there is nothing without God sound and substantiall But all is small short base vaine and superficiall But in God His immensity is
their vtmost and spare no cost or labour to preserue the same We see beastes to sight and striue euen aboue their strength with those that ouer master them rather then they would loose their liues We see a burning candle when it is almost out rayse vp it selfe two or three times and send forth a great flame that it may seeme to striue as much as it can not to goe out We see droppes of water hanging some-time vpon wood or stone to become round and to holde themselues together as long as they can least they fall and perish We see heauie thinges against nature to ascend and light thinges to descend least Vacuitie should happen whereby they being seuered from the rest of thinges could not be preserued But the loue which God hath giuen to parents toward their young is so admirable that it may seeme vncredible We see the Hen feede her Chickings and fast her selfe and though she be weake and seeble to sight most eagerly against the Kytes Dogges and Foxes And what labours and throwes women willingly endure to bring their children into the world and after vp in the world we all knowe The cause of this is the Councell of Gods Wisdome who to maintaine this propagation as a shadowe of his Eternitie hath enâ—rasted in brute and wilde beastes and in all huâ—ing Creatures that haue sence a most vehement loue towardes their young ones For seeing there are many kindes of Beastes and Fowles which men seeke to destroy either for gaine as Hares Bores Stagges Thrushes Quayles Partriges and almost all kindes of Fishes or least they should doe hurt as Wolues Foxes Serpents and other without number the like Many of those kindes of Creatures should haue perished long since If Gods wisdome had not by this Loue prouided for their preseruation and propagation If then the Naturall loue of all liuing thinges to this short and troublesome life be so great what ought our Loue to be to the Blessed and eternall Life O blindnesse and folly of Man All thinges striue euen aboue their strength to preserue this short life which is but a Shadow of eternitie and Man that hath reason will not striue I say not aboue but according to his strength for the Eternitie of a most happy life All thinges by instinct of Nature feare and eschue temporall Death aboue all Euill And man who is indued with reason and taught by Faith doth neither feare nor eschue Eternall death as he doth Temporall euills Truely therefore said the Preacher Eccle 1 The number of Fooles is infinite And truely also said the Truth in the Gospell Math 7 How narrow is the gate and straite is the way that leadeth to Lâ—fe and few there are that sinde it The Height of Gods Practicall Wisdome is seene in the worke of our Redemption Non satisbar c. Cap. 3 Conf. lib. 9. cap. 6 I was not filled saith St. Augustine with thy admâ—rable sweetnesse to consider the height of thy Councell touching the saluation of Man-kinde And surely it was a most high Councell by the Ignominie of the Crosse to repaire all the damages which the Craft of the Deuill had caused by the sinne of the first man and so to repaire them that the worke repaired became more beautifull then it was before the reparation Foure Euills were caused by the sinne of Adam Iniurie to God by his Pride and Disobedience the punishment of him and of all Mankinde by the losse of Gods grace and of eternall Happinesse The sorrow of the Angells to whom the Iniury done to God and the misery fallen to Man did very much displease The tryumph of the Deuill and of all the wicked Spirits who reioyced to see Man ouercome and cast downe by them All these Euills the Wisdome of God by the mistery of the Crosse tooke away and turned them to greater good so that not without cause the Church singeth O happy fault which had such a Redâ—emer For if a Taylor could by putting in some other costly peece so amend a precious new garment rent and torne that it should appeare more beautifull and precious then it was before it might truely be called a happy renting which gaue occasion to such mending Adam therfore being waxen proude by the crast and enuy of the Deuill sought to be like God and broke his Commandement And so after a sort tooke vnto himselâ—e Gods honour But Christ the second Adam Humble phil 2 himselfe made obedient vnto death And restored vnto God much greater honour then the first Adam by his pride and disobedience had taken away For Adam was a meere man and if hee had obeyed it had bin in a small matter For what great matter had it been for our first Parentes to haue abstained from the Fruite of one forbidden Tree hauing plenty of many more excellent Therefore their sinne was the greater in that their obedience was in a thing easie and of no labour to performe But Christ was God and Man and humbled himselfe to obey God his Father in a thing most hard and laborious to witt in the death of the Crosse which was full of paine and ignominie Wherefore if we consider the eminency of the person and the depth of his Humility and Obedience nothing can be imagined more to Gods honour and glory nor more meritorious then that Humble obedience of Christ For which cause our Lord said most truely in the Gospell Ioh. 17 I haue glorified thee vpon earth For Iesus Christ did glorisie God his Father with vnspeakable glory before the Augells of heauen and before all the Soules of the Prophets and others to whom these things were knowne And if the Angells at Christs birth for the humility of the Crib did sing Glory in the Highest to God Luk 2 With greater ioy did they sing it for the humility of the Câ—â—sse Moreouer Man if he had not sinned had obtained at the most but to be equall with Angells but now by the Redemption which is in Iesus Christ man kinde hath obtained that a Man being exalted aboue Angells sitreth at the right hand of God and is become the Lord both of Angells and of men For so of Christ writeth St. Peter the Apostle in his first Epistle Bâ—ing gone into Heauen 1 Per. 3 Angells and Potestates and powers sâ—bâ—â—cted to him And his fâ—llow Apostle St. Paul to the Philippiaes Pâ—al 2 For the which thing God also hath exalted him and hath giuen him a name which is aboue all names that in the name of Iesus euery Knee bowe of the coelestialls terrestrialls and infernalls Therefore the Sonne hath glorified the Father after an vnspeakeable manner by the humility of his Passion And the Father hath also after an vnspeakable manner glorifiedthe Sonne by exalting him vnto his right hand Which glorification hath in such sort redounded vnto all mankinde that truely they are most vngratefull which acknowledge not so infinite a benifite and giue not