reuelations represent vnto vs this heauenly Sion as a Citie all of gold and precious stones these being but shadowes of its true greatnes since the Heauens which we discouer with the Sunne and all the other starrs are but the pauement of the eternall firmament the inhabitants wherof treade vnder their feete the front of the brightest starrs All this vniuers the obiect and wonderment of the beholding eye and all this great world which hath so many louers and admirers is but a miserable stable full of dunge and durt in comparison of this seate of glorie of God's elect the God of the Elect. O great Apostle how good reason thou hadst in contemplation of this eternall Felicitie which consists in the sight of the true God and of that IESVS which he sent to esteeâ—â— all the rest durt and dung These visible heauens which in so high a strayne sing the glorie of their maker These nights and dayes which doe proclame his prayses through all the earth and so many wonderfull works which doe rayse our mynds by sense towards the greatnes of this Architect who sustaines this great bulke with three fingars are but the footstooles of the Throne of the eternall SalomoÌ„ and stayres onely by which we mount to his glorie If we should here giue bridle to our consideration and permit our mynd to walke through the multitude of different creatures which by their varietie doe so beautifie the face of the vniuers doe you not thinke Athanasia that it would be a course of too long a breath and such as was a subiect to so many the pens of antiquitie amongst others S. BASILS S. AMBROSES and ORIGENS in their Exam. and the Expounders of Genesis Let vs content our selues to draw from this spacious prospect this inference If the world a place of Nature be a Stage wherin is presented so many pleasant things how rauishing shall those beauties be which God shall manifest vnto his friends in the Mansion of his glorie the Paradice of his delightes If he permit the wicked his enemies such as offend him to inioy in this visible world so many delightes and pleasures what will he coÌ„municate to those whom he daignes to crowne with his heauenly and eternall fauours in the State of glorie A Stoicall Philosopher speaking of the felicitie of blessed soules according to the light of nature obscured with the shadowes of Paganisme could say that as much difference as there is betwixt the dungeon of a womans wombe and this great world so much is there betweene the wonders of this heaueÌ„ly beatitude of vertuous soules departed from their bodies and the greatest beauties which are seene in heauen and earth To what length are we to driue this dissimilitude we that are enlightened with the light of fayth and taught by so many faithfull promises as are contayned in the Scripture touching this blessed and vnconceauable Eternitie O Israel how goodly are thy tabernacles how delightfull thy Pauillions gardens watered with floods and fountaines are not so florishing nor are the vallies abounding with fruite so aboundant These are the words of a Prophete who yet doth but sparingly expresse the delightes of this happie Abode where the light is continuall and the dayes without nightes by reason of Gods presence who is wholy light and who doth not suffer those that doe follow and adore him to remayne in darknesse Wherevpon the spirits which doe serue before his Throne are called Angells of light It is a resplendant Residence not standing in need of those tortches the Sunne and Moone which are onely made to giue light to this low and elementarie world the heauenly Lambe being the Lampe which doth lighten the eternall Sion A Residence where the flowres doe continually accompaignie the fruites and where the extreamitie of heate and cold are banished to make place to an agreeable temperature and farr other then that earthly Paradice a garden of delight wherin were placed our first Parents created in originall Iustice A Residence in conclusion wholy constant and of an eternall durance From whence death is excluded and the qualities subiect to bring in alteration and change are banished and where all the inhabitants shall in some sort be made participant of the immutabilitie of God This stabilitie is in my opinion as it were the crowne of this faire place euen in that name farr differing froÌ„ the figure of this world which incessantly slides away not vnlike to ones shape in a mirrour which in an instant is both form'd and past according to S. IAMES O Citie of peace ô triumphant Hierusalem ô Court of the eternall Salomon when shall we come when shall we appeare before the face of this King of glorie when shall we be led into his Cellers when shall we passe through thy peaceable gates gates dearer to God then all the Tabernacles of IACOB O delightfull Abode ô wishfull Residence if euer I forgett thee let me not onely forget my right hand but euen my selfe for if I loose thee am I not eternally lost without all hope of redresse or mercy Of the essentiall happines of the blessed XLIII BVt you will aske me Athanasia what will be the highest point of the glorie of those that doe inhabite this place of delightes O my deare soule if neuer mortall ey saw what they see how doe you thinke I shall be able to expresse it with tongue or pen Is it in your opinion any thing which can fall within the compasse of a discours or can be put downe vpon paper Howbeit we will declare vnto you that which we haue discouered by the obscure light of faith rather in a glasse after a darke sort then openly face to face which is reserued for the next life as a reward for hauing beleeued it without seeing it It is therfore the constant doctrine of the Catholike Church that the essence of the eternall glorie doth consiste in the sight of the soueraigne well-beloued in the loue of the soueraigne well-beholden doe you vnderstand these few words well Athanasia which doe lay open vnto you all that you are to beleeue in this matter of the essentiall felicitie of the Blessed For leauing a part all the thornie disputes and contestations of the schoole vpon this point of the vision of the vnderstanding or of the fruition of the will the principall faculties of the soule wherin doth reside the happinesse of this supreme glorie whose obiect is God Omitting I say their debate who will place Beatitude in an act of the vnderstanding and theirs that will haue it to consist in an Act of the will we will follow the comon consent of Doctors and all the schooles who reiecting in this behalfe all partialitie haue now for a comon Maxime That it consistes in two actes of the vnderstanding and will grownding therin vpon the Scripture which now assignes the one now the other and somtymes both together As when we reade that eternall life is to know one onely God And againe
Yet the Saints who are in glorie whose faces are marked with his splendour and doe shine like the Sunne for perpetuall eternities are yet incomparably more liuely pictures of the Diuinitie For euen as the Sunne meeting with a thicke and darksome cloude in the aire doth sometymes so deeply imprint its beames vpon its face that it appeares another Sunne so are the Blessed in Heauen so transformed into God that they shewe as so many Gods and as so many dearest children of the Highest as DAVID deliuers it This excellent beautie with which the Diuine presence doth adorne them was cause that S. IOHN espying an Angell whom he tooke for God had adored him if that spirit no lesse humble then glorious bright had not giuen him to know that he was his fellow-seruant And in my opinion in this neere resemblance to God the verie toppe of the eternall glorie of the blessed is placed For what thinke you is God's owne glorie and felicitie but the life which he hath eternally of him selfe the most cleare knowledge which he hath of his immutable Truth and the most ardēt loue which he hath towards his owne infinite Goodnes His Beatitude consisting in the vision loue and fruition which the Diuine and increated Persons of the Blessed Trinitie haue of their owne mutuall knowledge Loue and eternall perfect and infinite complacence Now the soule of the Blessed being raysed to the vision loue and fruition of the same Diuine Persōs and of their Diuine and most indiuisible Essēce ought not her supernaturall and inineffable life by the resemblance which is betwixt her and God's felicitie to be said to be the accomplishment of her glorie since that without all feare of change she is wholy attentiue to the cleare contemplation of the prime and soueraigne Truth inflamed with the loue of the supreme and increated goodnes and hath the fruition of the infinite and vnspeakable sweetnes of God O truly liuing and happie life when shall it be that we shall liue in thee and by thee when shall we ô my soule inhabite this heauenly Hierusalem built as a Citie and with her glorious Citizens be made participant of him who is still himselfe immutable and whose yeares neuer decay Of the felicitie of the powres of the soule and first of the memorie XLV THis essentiall Beatitude Athanasia is extended and doth spread it selfe out yet diuersly in the lower degree of the soule to witt there wherin the three principall faculties or powres doe reside For euen as the Prophete to rayse the widowes deade child did shorten himselfe vpon this litle body and did apply his mouth to its mouth his hands to its hands and his feete to its feete So God who shall be all to all shall fill all the soule with the abundance of his bountie and shall cōmunicate vnto it a Diuine life which shall not feare the assaultes of death The memorie being entered into the liberties of our Lord shall call to mynd the effectes of his iustice and no lesse those of his mercy for she shall sing no neuer will I forgett thy iustifications ô Lord since in them thou hast giuen me life Fild with this rauishing and no lesse pressing then present obiect she shall breath out the remembrance of his sweetnes and shall exalt his adorable iudgements This remembrance shall be her soueraigne delight O how she shall call to mynd the sweetnes of the duggs of this incomparable goodnes farr passing the fuming wines of worldly delightes In how high a strayne shall she take the memorie of this supreme sanctitie Alas how can she forget him whom she hath so inwardly present and who shall be more in her then her selfe and to whom she shall be so strongly tyed in adauantine and diamantine chaynes that nothing shall euer be able to diuerte her Blessed memorie replenisht with the fairest Idea's that can possibly inhabit a heart and which then shall be a Magazine and memoriall of heauenly wonders whether she make reflection vpon things past how dearely shall she conserue the memorie of the incomparable obligations which she shall haue to this Creatour Conseruer Redeemour and Glorifier of her beeing Such as grace shall haue led from greatest sinns to repentance fauours before bounding where malice did superabound ô God! how highly shall they sing the sacred Canticle of the Diuine mercy And those who by the same grace shall haue conserued the first stole of their innocencie and being preserued from the abomination of desolation whose deluge doth ouerflowe the whole vniuerse shall haue bene drawen to the safe harbour of saluation by the chaynes of loue and humanitie will not they haue reason to beare a part in the fame Canticle and to pronounce that that mercy which conserued them vnstayned amidest the worlds impurities is a portion of that which is eternally grounded and built in Heauē The royall Prophete calling to mynd out of what an Abisse of miseries the Diuine goodnes had reclaymed him recalling him so sweetly to the accnowledgment of his faults coniures his soule and all his interiour powres to blesse God exciting his memorie neuer to permitt his benefites to fall into a disloyall obliuion for he it is that pardons saith he all thyne infirmities who cures all thy wounds who recouers thee from eternall death and who crownes thee with his mercyes O God what must this King of penitents needs say in heauen if he spoke thus in this vaile of teares reduced by a holy repentance from his iniquities to the state of grace When the Saintes whom God hath pardoned many faultes for there are in Heauē penitent sinners of all kinds shall see them selues deliuered from the innumberable torments which they contemplate in the accursed Eternitie and which they had as oft deserued as by their malice they had bene separated from God will they not haue great reason to say with the Psalmist Thy mercy ô Lord and thy iustice shall for euer be the subiect of our song vpon this shall our Psalme-singing be imployed whilst we walke in this immaculate way in which thou hast put vs. And if the memorie of paynes and perills past euen in this world be so delightfull how much more shall the Saintes and martyrs who haue suffered much for the Almighties sake haue cause to reioyce in this memorie While they walked in the way of this mortall life they sowed in teares but in the heauenly Sion they shall reape an eternall ioy They shall sing this pleasant Song We haue past through fire and water but in the end we are entred into refreshment And they shall blesse those light and transitorie moments of tribulation which brought them to eternall glorie And if their memorie doe stay vpon the present felicitie which they feele and of which they haue a liuely sense with what contentment shall they not be crowned in tasting the ineffable goodnes of God who rewards them infinitely beyond their merits Yea if they enlarge themselues vpon the
with which God did endow that heauenly and Angelicall bread We may say the same of the sight of God the highest point of eternall Glorie a sight which S. IOHN in his Reuelations tearmes a hidden Manna for the reasons which we will reserue for that stroke wherin we set out the pleasures of the Will Whether the beatified vnderstanding sees all in God L. BEfore I come to the Beatitude of the will I desire to show Athanasia whether as the vnderstanding enlightened with the light of Glorie sees God all so it sees all in God We cannot haue an answere to this difficultie from a better mouth then from the ORACLE of the Schoole the Angelicall Doctor who teacheth vs that like as no created vnderstanding can totally comprehend God so consequently can it not see in God all that he doth or is able to doe that being reserued to God alone who is of an infinite capacitie or rather infinitie it selfe Marrie it shall see more or lesse according to the measure of the light of Glorie by which it is sustayned He shall see in God all that he shall see yet shall he not for all that see all which God seeth Not because all that which God seeth is not visible in himselfe but in regard of the created vnderstandings limitation whence it cannot comprehend an illimited thing Nor is it to the pourpose to affirme that the Blessed who shall resemble the Angells shall see like those heauenly spirits in the WORD the true Mirrour without all Spot the likenesse of his Fathers Goodnes and figure of his substance the splendour and candour of his light being God of God and light of light All things as in a Mirrour being a thing comonly knowen that he that sees a Mirrour sees all things represented therin For to make that obiection vanish like smoake we need onely to reply that it is true indeed when we speake of a Mirrour which is comprehēded by the eye But this Mirrour of the WORD and the Diuinitie being incomprehensible how can it be imagined that a finit and limited vnderstanding can comprehēd that which is incomprehensible God therfore doth onely communicate himselfe infinitly vnto himselfe by reason of the infinit capacitie which he hath to giue and receaue such a communication To creatures it is sufficient that he communicate himselfe with proportion to their sufficiencie to receaue him For how can they iustly desire any more after they be replenished with the fulnesse of God so far forth as their capacitie and abilitie can admitt But let vs consider further Athanasia how excellent this sight of things in God shall be by the manner of seeing which shall be much more perfect then though they were seene in themselues in their nature and proprieties or els by their species and representation For the beatified vnderstanding being vnited vnto God and beholding the verie Diuine Essence without species or image shall by consequence see all the creatures in this Diuine Essence without Species or representations in a far more compleate and high manner then though they were seene in themselues because they shall see them in the same manner they see God whose proper Essence shall supplie the Species of things all which it contaynes in a most eminent manner O incomparable glorie of the blessed vnderstanding since thou shalt see the Essēce of God without species without mediation face to face and in it all things Thou shalt be blessed like vnto God and shalt enioy the felicitie which God himselfe enioyeth sith his Beatitude consisteth in the louing contemplation of his owne Essence The pleasures of the Will LI. ALthough the aduantages of the vnderstanding be such as we haue set them out in the preceedent stroke yet is the Will alwayes his Mistrisse and all his labours and actions are directed to her He is her Page her Torch-bearer her Forerunner it is he that discouers the GOOD and proposeth it to the Will to be loued who after she hath knowen it she imbraceth it For according to the Philosophers Axiome The will is not carried to an obiect it knowes not Now this Diuine Essence seene without the mediation of Species by the vnderstanding being the essentiall and infinite Goodnes whence all that is good amongst creatures doth flow the will shall so closely attentiuely and inuariably vnite her selfe vnto it that no creature ether in Heauen or earth shall euer be strong enough to separate her from this Charitie so perfect and accomplished And out of this inseparable vnion of the will with the Soueraigne Good her Rest and Center a fountaine of water of life runing to Eternitie shall spring vp in the soule and thence shall flow a floode of continuall ioyes and delightes so shall they be absorpt in the pleasures of our Lord and as it were drunke vp in the Abisses of Diuine sweetnesses And if the wiseman say that all good things did accompainie wisdome in him how much rather may the blessed soule pronounce the same in the possession of the Diuine wisdome and that eternall Kingdome which in the Ghospell we are exhorted to search after with promisse that in possessing of it all good shall befall vs For being accompained with a compleate Charitie Charitie the bond of perfection by a necessarie sequall she shall be attended by all the Vertues whose actes she shall exercise with an incredible delight and facilitie And this louing fruition of God by the Will is that hidden Manna wherof mention is made in the Apocalipse reserued for the victorious inhabitants of the triumphant Hierusalem For as the Manna of the Wildernes did conteyne in it selfe all kind of sauours so this vnion of the Will with the essentiall Goodnes of God doth cōprise all the fauours heart can wish in a most eminent◠māner There is nothing in the pleasures honours and riches of created things which is worthy to be compared to this treasure The Manna was a celestiall Foode taking its name from the admiration of those who tasted it for the word imports What is this and was spoken by the Israelites when they saw it fall from Heauen And this gust of the will can be no otherwise exprest but by rapture so far doth it outstripe all humane capacitie It is called a hidden Manna for that being vnknowen to the world it is onely knowen of such as doe experiēce its sweetnesse inconceaueable sweetnesse which caused the Kingly Prophete to cry out ô Lord how great is the multitude of the sweetnesse which thou hast treasured vp for those that walke in thy feare O God! might I dare to expresse in this poore Draught the vnspeakeable contentmēt of the Will in her vnion and application to the Goodnes of the Diuine Essence to the Diuinitie of the essētiall Goodnes O powrefull Vertue of Faith to what a high point of light dost thou rayse our soules in this vaile of darknesse Yes Athanasia euen as the vnderstāding shall be applied to the Prime Truth which is
onely inuested with them but ouer-inuested not onely full but ouer-heaped so that next to the humanitie of thy adorable Sōne who was conceaued by the Holy Ghost of her pure blood there is no created obiect in Heauen that dare approach her beautie It was written of ESTER that she was extreamely faire incredibly gracefull meruellously amiable and gracious in the eyes of euery one But nothing below was powerfull enough to gaine the Heart of the Heauenly ASSVERVS saue onely the Diuine Maries perfections O vessell of Election choyce peece of the massiue gold of faire and pure dilection beset with all the precious stones of vertues what a ioy shall it be to the Elect thy litle children sith thou art the mother of their Sauiour and Father to liue eternally in thy happie compaignie What sense of obligation shall they testifie vnto thee who by thy powrefull prayers receaued so many sundry graces in earth Yea that which is the toppe of all graces their admittance into the Pallace of immortalitie what a delight shall it be to be associated to the troopes of Angells whose conuersation is intirely sweete and deuoyd of bitternesses and to be made partakers of their splendour and beautie yea to become like to them according as it is written the Elect shall be as the Angells of God which is easie to be beleeued since that in some sort they shall be made like vnto God when they shall see him face to face and such as he is What a glorie shall it be to be made an eternall Citizen of that delightfull Hierusalem built as a Citie to be participant of the same freedome which the Saintes of God enioy without all feare of falling from it or of being euer banished from that Residence of permanēt and eternall abode And if in the tyme of the Triumphant Rome it was reputed so greate a priuiledge to be made free Denisan of that famous Citie as then LADY CONQVERESSE of a great part of the world And if while Hierusalem florished vnder SALOMON's reigne it was so wishfull a thinge to liue there and to haue a share in the delightes and triumphes which were there ordinarie O heauenly Societie where God raignes in and amongst his Saintes eternally where triumphes and pleasures are perpetuall and that in a life that shall neuer pay tribute to death how much more art thou to be desired The Excellences of this holy Societie LIX BVt let vs not contēt our selues Athanasia with a generall sight of this holy compaignie but that we may take more gust and reape more fruite from this speculation let vs walke our thoughtes amidst the particular excellences therof and let vs waigh it as we ought in the waightes of the Sanctuarie If earthly Cities be esteemed for the multitude of their inhabitants as was the great NINIVE of old since that ROME CONSTANTINOPLE and now the incomparable PARIS who for the abundance of her riches and the number of her inhabitants seemes in deede as in name an Abridgement of Paradice What esteeme is to be made of the numberlesse number of the heauenly Hierusalem No saith IOB the number of God's Champions vpon whom the light of his countenāce doth shine cannot be counted A thousand thousand Angells saith DANIEL serue him and tenne thousand milliō assiste before his throne And if the first quire of Angells surpasse the number of men and that Quire be the lest in number as in all other qualities how great must the number of the eight former quires needs be if according to the opinion of S. THOMAS followed by DENIS THE CARTHVSIAN the number of Angells doth as much outstripe that of men who haue bene now are or shall be as heauenly bodies doe put downe the elementarie in quantitie As for the Elect who are to succeede in the vacante Seates and to repaire the ruines of the Angells Apostataes they shall be in so great abundance that S. IOHN saith in his Reuelatiōs that their number cannot fall vnder the lawes of Arithmetike Counte if thou canst the starrs in the Heauens and the sands on the Sea shoare said our Lord of old to ABRAHAM and know that thy posteritie shall be yet more numerous In what number shall the children of the God of ABRAHAM ISAAC and IACOB be who could out of stones raise the children of that great Patriarke the Father of the faithfull and beleeuers O Lord grant that I may be enrowled in the booke of life which shall contayne all their names new names which shall proceed from thy mouth and that I may cōfesse thee in that great Church and triumphant assemblie and that I may blesse the amongst that people full of grauitie And it is an excellencie no lesse gratefull to contemplate the fine distinction of rankes in that incredible multitude without all diuision or iealousie For if in the Babilone of the Reprobate there be a horrible confusion and disorder in this Hierusalem Mother of the Elect there is a well gouerned Order by the Diuine wisdome a thousand tymes fairer then that which we dayly behold in the compositiō of this great vniuerse There are many Mansions in my Fathers house saith our Sauiour CHRIST The Angells are diuided therin into three principale Hierarchies and each of these Hierarchies into three orders which make vp nine Quires of all those heauenly Spirits Thus are the troopes of the Armie of the God of Hostes ranged of which it is said in the Sacred Canticle speaking of the Spouse of the great and Heauenly SALOMON what can you espie in the Sulamite but troopes of Soldiers well ordered whence she is terrible as an Armie put into Battaile araye And though the Elect Associates of the felicitie of Angells as being their brothers be disposed of according to the diuerse degrees of their Quires yet shall they keepe their owne particular titles by which they shall be distinguished from one another and knowen for such as they were in the seruice of God in his Church Militant Thus shall the Quires of PATRIARKES PROPHETES APOSTLES EVANGELISTS MARTIRS VIRGINS CONFESSORS and all the rest of the Faithfull who euen in the world ouercame the world be seene in a goodly order Other excellencies LX. THis multitude and Order is accompained with another excellencie which consistes of an admirable vnion and correspondancie proceeding from one and the same spirit to witt the spirit of God which doth animate and gouerne this heauenly companie There DAVID would haue iuster reason then here below to sing ô how good and pleasant a thing it is to see brothers liue vnanimously together Their accord and vnion doth resemble the oyle of the high Priest AARON which runing downe from his heade spredd it selfe vpon his beard and from thence fell vpon his coller or as others say to the hemme of his garments The sweete and peaceable Societie of Doues Bees Pismires sheepe and of Cities and Comō wealthes well gouerned is but a weake and vnworthy draught of the agreeable intelligence
but in the onely fruition of the increated Good which is God the essentiall fountaine of all Goodnes Yet as the most ridged Philosophers haue not denyed that Glorie Reputation meanes and lawfull pleasures doe contribute to tēporall felicitie so Diuines are not so strict as to deny that those qualities doe concurre in Heauen to the accidētall Beatitude of the Elect. I dare therfore as boldly as truely affirme that besides the vertues which are the beauties of the soule and the beauties which are the vertues and graces of the bodie which vertues shall be all together and that in a high measure in all the Saintes since that this heauenly Citie is thervpon called The Citie of vertues the Citie of God the Citie of the God of Vertues DAVID saying they shall goe from Vertue to Vertue to see the God of Gods in Sion Besides the vertues I say the inhabitants of this glorious Citie shall be most holy most illustirous most noble and most eminēt in all kinds of greatnes qualities titles perfections without all mixture of basenesse abiectnesse or imperfection Alas in this poore and miserable world there are a thousand weaknesses and miseries mingled with the most prosperous honour in the earth and oftē tymes they serue onely to make the vice and weaknesse of such as are aduanced vnto them more appearant The greatnesse of their fortunes serue onely to aggrauate their fault if their qualities doe rather moue vs to pittie then enuie their blame-worthy manners doe more moue to enuie then pittie By how much the place is higher whither the Ape climes by so much he is more ridiculous and for want of his tayle discouers all his infamie wheras vpon the ground his deformitie doth lesse appeare There are certaine great-ones whose scandalous proceedings which would be couered in the throng if they were but of a comon condition seeme onely to appeare in the face of the Sunne to fasten shame vpon their foreheades to perceaue in themselues such abiect mynds in qualities so high Certes saith the great Stoicke imagine what greatnes you please in man it neuer passeth the limites of humanitie Though a man be mounted vpon a Throne his stature is no greater for all that To take the dimensions of a Statua one is neuer to measure the Base nor to take the hight of a man doe we measure him with his dignitie of which he is often vnworthy He that is seated in a high seate sitts in the same manner that he would doe being set in a lower place Stiltes and footstooles make not a man taller though he appeare higher A noble out-side doth not rayse an abiect mynd nor doth the brightest luster of nobilitie alwayes light vpon the greatest head There is nothing perfect here-below there are no roses without thornes no wheate without cokle nor corne without chaffe This world is an Arke wherin are cleane and vncleane beastes A Parke wher goates and sheepe liue together A nett wherin both good and bad fish are found The rayne and Sunne doe equally fall and shine vpon the fruitfull and fruitlesse ground But in Heauen it fares not so nothing that is ether impure or imperfect can haue entrie there In that faire place saith S. BERNARD SALOMON 's wisdome will appeare follie his knowledge ignorance ABSALON 's beautie shall be reputed there deformitie SAMSON 's force shall passe there for feablenesse The longest tearme of life in our foreelders will appeare a death and all the riches of all the Kings of the earth shall be there verie pouertie Say the like of all great place honours pleasures and contētments of the earth to which we asscribe the name of good things Verily being compared to eternall things they shall haue the true shape of true euils such as indeed they are when the lawfull vse therof is turnd to abuse And if the conuersation and compaignie of the wise great vallourous vnderstāding vertuous and of personages who are illustrious ether in regard of their qualitie or merite is so witchingly pursued in this world where ther is no gold without drosse where nothing is compleate what a blesse shall it be to a soule to perceaue her selfe associated for euer with so many Angells and Elect all filled by the King of immortall ages with all desireable and imaginable perfectiōs A flight of the mynd towards this happie compaignie LXII BVt ô my soule who will bestow vpon thee the winges of a doue to flie vp into this eternall repose Who will grant thee the wing of an Eagle to take a strōg flight and not to fall from the wing What prosperous gale saue that of grace shall fill the sayles of thy desires to make them sayle vpon the Sea of this world to that Harbour of saluation Why doe we not make haste ô my soule to enter into this happie tranquilitie amongst this holy nation this people of acquisition who is sett in an abūdant peace a rich and magnificent repose What dost thou doe in this Land of Egipt where thou drinkest nothing but troubled and durtie waters leauing the pursuite of that streame of water of life which springs towards Eternitie Alas dost thou not sigh vpon the protraction of thy mortall pilgrinage doth it not vexe thee to be so long detayned amongst the inhabitants of darknesse Canst thou be in peace amōgst such as hate Peace and take a malicious pleasure in crossing thee Goe to thē and sleepe not betweene the two pathes of the two Eternities Take the siluerd wings of the white doue which are guilt in their extremities and full of innocencie puritie of heart and Charitie qualities which make passage into the Tabernacles of the heauenly Hill flie into the porche of that celestiall douecote whether the Sacred Spouse calls thee S. GREGORIE THE GREAT whom PETER his DEACON did see so often accompained with a doue which witnesseth that the holy Ghost spoke by the mouth of that holy Pope and flowed out of his pen will lend thee the flight of a doue to beare thee vp to this Societie of Saintes by his holy words As often as we consider the great reward which is promised vs in Heauen how vile doth all earthly things appeare in our sight For what tongue is able to speake or vnderstanding to comprehend the incomparable delightes of the heauenly Hierusalem the happinesse to be rancked amongst the Quires of Angells to assiste before the Throne of Glorie of the Highest and the compaignie of those blessed spirits the felicitie which is tasted in beholding the splendour of the Diuine face the contentment of being freed from the feare of death and the pleasure to haue assurance of a perpetuall incorruption What mynd is so far benum'd and frosen as will not take heate and fealing from the desire of so great a good and wish speedily to be transported to the place where he hopes to enioy an endlesse ioy But none comes without labour to so excellent a reward whence S. PAVLE saith that none
shall be crowned but such as haue lawfully fought And if we be taken with the greatnes of the reward let vs not be amaysed with the paines we are to vndergoe in obtayning it We must still goe forward and without looking back ouer our shoulders we must perseuere in the way If the roughnesse of the way affright vs let the consideration of Eternitie our end and contrie encourage and comfort vs. Another flight of mynd LXIII IF after the wings of a doue which the successour of the Sōne of a doue S. PETER hath now lent thee thou wilt take those of the Eagle who builds his nest in high places but of an Eagle which is able fixedly to behold the Sonne and who neuer stoopes from his winge of whom can you better borrow them ô my soule then of that greate Doctor who holds the same ranke amongst the Fathers of the Church that S. IOHN holds amongst the Euangelists and who is that great Eagle which is nourished with the sappe of the Cedars of Libanus You will easely imagine that I speake of S. AVGVSTINE Let vs borrow then this second flight of that superlatiue witt in these no lesse affectionate then sublime tearmes If you were saith he euery day to suffer extreame torments yea euen for a longe space to support the tortures of Hell to behold IESVS CHRIST in his glorie and to be admitted into the Societie of his Saintes for so great a good were not all sufferances I will not say supportable but euen desireable Let then the Diuel lay Ambush for vs let him prouide temptations let fasting breake our bodie let our flesh be ouercharged with austerities let labours oppresse vs let watchings drie vs vp let this man torment me let that man persequute me let me be frosen with cold scorched with heate let heade breake in peeces heart ake contenāce waxe wāne let me become wholy abiect let my life pine away with greife and the yeares of my life in gronings let my bones rott it imports not so I find repose in the day of tribulation he vnderstands the day of generall iudgment and that I may rise againe amongst the Elect. For who can conceaue what shall be the glorie of the iust how greate the ioy of Saintes when their faces shall shine like the Sunne when the Sauiour of the world shall number his people of acquisition and shall range them into diuers orders in the house of his eternall Father rēdring to euery one according to their merits and giuing heauenly things for terreane things eternall for temporall There saith the same Doctor in auther place the Angelicall troopes make a rauishing musike there is keepe a feaste of a perpetuall solemnitie with such as doe dayly arriue departing out of their mortall pilgrimage There are seene the Compainie of PROPHETES the assemblie of the APOSTLES is manifested there there the inuincible Armies of MARTIRES are discouered There is the holy congregation of CONFESSORS there the Quire of venerable MVNKES there that of DEVOVTE WOMEN who at once ouercame the weaknesse of their owne sexe and the delightes of the world There the young VIRGINS elder in vertue then in yeares there are the sheepe and tender lambes that haue escaped out of the iawes of the wolues and from the inueigling snares of this life whence they doe now celebrate a perpetuall feaste and though their glorie be different yet is their ioy comon There Charitie raigneth in her full perfection for vnto them God is all in all whom they behold and loue without end or intermission whom in louing they doe praise and in praysing doe loue and all this without wearinesse or trauaile at all O my soule how happie thou shouldst be if being deliuered out of the prison of this wretched body thou mightest be thought worthy to heare the sacred songs of that celestiall harmonie and the praises of the eternall King of that glorious Empire sung in an admirable aire O how accomplished should thy honour and glorie be for so it would come to thy turne to entone that gracious Alleluia which is in the mouth of all the Elect. Let vs yet add that iert of the wing or rather stroke of the same Fathers Pen before we conclude these flightes and eiaculations of mynd From this sacred Residence all feare of pouertie is banished all weaknes miserie infirmitie none there is angerie none doth enuie his neighbours happinesse none stands in need of eating or drinking There is no ambition nor desire to be great There is no apprehension nor of Hell nor Diuell nor yet of death of body or soule Contrariwise there is a life full of alacritie through the assurance they haue of immortalitie Disorder can haue no footing there where all things are maintayned in a constant Peace and conserued in a perfect concord Ioyne to all this the pleasure there is to liue in the compaignie of ANGELLS to enioy the gratefull conuersation of all those excellent and sublime SPIRITS and to behold the Armies of Saintes more bright thē the starrs of Heauē To contemplate the Sanctitie of PATRIARKES the Hope of PROPHETES the Crowne of MARTYRES the white and flowrie Garland of VIRGINES And as for the SOVERAIGNE KING who keepes his Residence in the midst of that glorious people what tongue is able to speake his praise That bird of Paridice which hāgs still in the aire doth she not intimate vnto vs by her ingenious hanging the incōceaueable greatnesse of that glorie Eternitie is the fulnesse of Beatitude LXIV BVt in fine Athanasia if you wilt see the garlād and crowne of this glorie adorned with so many bright precious stones you must fixe your eyes vpon its Eternitie for if all those glorious aduantages could end amidst all those felicities one would be accompaigned with a misfortune which would distaste all his ioy and would make him resemble the great-ones of the earth who amidst all the honours which Politike Idolatrie doth sacrifice vnto them are cōtinually stung with the thought of death which shall in the end mow them downe euen like vnto other men and burying them in dust shall equalise their Scepters with hatchets Kings with all their Powre escape not its dart nor doe Giants with all their force auoyd it Herein appeares Origen's errour who walking vpon the wings of the wind perished like to that old Milo Crotoniensis by his owne strength while he was of opinion that the Elect after a long residence in Heauen should fall at length from that felicitie like as he had held before that the paines of the dāned should not be eternall one absurditie drawing on another An errour excellently well refuted by S. AVGVSTINE in his bookes of the Citie of God as also by the Angell of the Schoole An errour in fine which aimes at the ruine of the immortalitie of the soule which is more then a bestiall blindnesse And certes besides that in a thousand places of holy Scriptures the life of the Elect in Heauen is