his life shall be saued Wâ—erfore the same cause that mooued me to beginne ought also to mooue me to continue that the merit and crowne of my good resolution be not cut off by any want of perseuerance Let not the cries of mine enemies moue me let me with S. Paul say the world is crucified to me and I to the world and with Dauid it is good for me to cleaue vnto God Finally let me imitat the exaÌ„ple of Christ that perseuered oÌ„ the cross vnto death for my sake though ofteÌ„ called vpon to come downe Fiftly I must consider that in what state soeuer of grace or merit of damnation I begin the next life I must shall vndoubtedly perseuere in it according to the word of Salomon whersoeuer the tree faleth there shall it be towards south or north that is towards heauen or hell for both the paine of this continueth for euer and the ioy of the other after it is once begunne for it may bee deferred for a time by the paines of purgatory is also euerlasting If therefore I will perseuer in heauen let me perseuer in the way that leadeth vnto it and neuer forsake the painefulnes of it till the iourneis end The passions of this life are not condigne or compatable to the fuâ—uâ—e glory and it is extreame folly for auoiding a short and transitory paine to hazard the losse of euerlasting ioy and put my selfe in perill of peâ—petuall bondage in farre more extreame and endlâ—s torment The sinners perseuer still in wickednes and seruice of the Diuâ—ll The wordlinges perseuer in pursuing vanities following the world yea and that with most seruile toile and base drudgery and not without many bodily and ghostly harmes how much more ought a true seruant of God perseuer in his seruice and not seeme by forsaking him in the way to condemne him for a worse master then the world or the Diuel whom many thousandes serue to the end to their owne damnation Let me remember that the first Angell for want of perseuerance became a Diuell Adam for want of the same was thrust out of paradise and Iudas of an Apostle became a prey of hell Finally there be many thousands in hell fire burning that began very good courses and for a time went forward in the same and yet in the end for want of perseuerance were damned for euer What good a soule looseth by mortall sinne 1. The grace of the holy Ghost 2. The friendship and familiaritie with God 3. Al moral vertues infused and of Gods spirit 4. The inheritance of the kingdome of heauen 5. The portion of Gods children and patronage of his fatherly prouideÌ„ce which he hath ouer the iust 6. The peace quietnes of a good and cleare conscience 7. Many comfortes and visitations of the holy Ghost 8. The fruite and merit of our former life during the state of sinne 9. The merit and satisfaction of our present actions albeit in the mean time they dispose to Gods grace and satisfie the precepts of God and the Church 10. A great portion of the communion of Saintes and of the participation of the good workes and praiers of the whole Church And finally of the fruit and part of the merite of Christs passion What misery the soul gaineth by mortall sinne 1. Condemnation to eternall paine 2. To be quite cancelled out of the booke of life 3. To become of the child of God the thrall of the Diuell 4. To be chaunged from the Temple of the holie ghost into a denne of theeueâ—â— a nest of vipers a sincke of corruption How a soule is prepared to iustification by degrees Faith setteth before our eyes God as a iuste Iudge Angry with the bad Mercâ—full to the repeÌ„taÌ„t Of this faith by the gift of Gods spirit aâ—iseth a feare by coÌ„sideration of Gods iustice of our owne sinnes This feare is comforted by hope grounded in Gods mercy and the merites of Christ. Of this hope aâ—iseth loue and charitie vnto Christ. For louing vs without desert Redâ—ming vs with so many torments Of this loue followes sorrowe for offending Christ of whom we haue bin so mercifully Created Redeemed Sanctified Called to his faith Of this sorrow ariseth a firme purpose to auoyde all sin which God aboue all thinges detesteth The diuil aboue al thinges desireth Aboue all thinges hurteth the soule Of deuotion to Saints and how our conuersation may be in heauen as Saint Paul saith it should FIrst after a special deuotion towardes our B. Lady whom aboue all pure creatures we ought continually to affect and reuerence we must procure to haue a kind of reuerent familiarity with our good Angel whoÌ„ we ought to make reckning of as a most vndiuided and peculiar friend who is vnto vs as a nurse vnto a childe a shepheard vnto a wandering lambe a guide of our waieâ— a gardian of our persons a counsellor in doubts a comforter in troubles a patron in our needes and an assured friend in all our afflictions We must therefore loue him as our friend honour him as our superiour thanke him for his censureâ— finally vse him as one to whom we may boldly both impart our comfortes and vtter our desolations When wee sleepe he waâ— cheâ—h ouer vs when we wake he attendâ—th on vs wheresoeuer we be he gardeth vs whithersoeuer we goe he assâ—â—teth vs and whatsoeuer we doe he hath still an eye to succour vs. We must therfore often coÌ„mend our selues and our busines vnto him often aske his aduise with our inward eare often harken what he saieth within vs. We must account him as an ordinary and assured friend euâ—rmore readie at our call to affoord his present helpe and to beare vs company in all necessities Because our nature is delighted and holpe with varity we may euery day in the weeke vse the patronage of diuers Saints according to the order of our Letanies On Sunday the blessed Trinitie our Lady and the nine quires of Angells especially the three Archangells there named Michael Gabriel and Raphael On monday S. Iohn Baptist with all the Patriarches and Prophets On Tuesday S. Peter with the rest of the Apostles Euangelistes and Disciples of Christ and all the holy Innocents On Wednesday S. Steuen with all the holy Martirs On Thursday S. Siluester with aâ—l the holy Bishops Confessors and Doctors On Friday S. Benedict with all the holie Priestes Leuites Monks Eremites Religious men On Saturday S. Mary Magdalen with all the holy Virgins and Widowes Wee must euery day in the morning so soone as we awake commend our body soule affaires to God and our patrâ—nes of that day In euery principal action wee must commend our selues to some one of them desiring their helpes and asistaÌ„ce Wee must ofâ—en in the day thinke what guestes wee haue bidden that day into our soule and seeke to make it a sitte receipt for so honorable a company We must seeke to imitate that vertue which in these Saints
onely to be different from the erroneous opinions sects and actions of infidels but euen mine ordinarie actions of eating drinking playing working and such like ought to haue a marke and badge of christianitie and some difference from the like thinges done by heathens And this marke which maketh christian and good workes is a right and sincere intention which in euery principall action I ought to procure so that it bee done to the honour gâ—orie and seruice of God and agreeable to the rule of christian dutye with that measure temperance and circumstance which faith and reason requireth perswading my selfe that as wel in these actions done in this sorte as in others that carry more shew of piety God may be serued honoured And therfore it should be a great negligence and carelesnes in me for want of directing mine intention which by vse is easely gotten to lose so many great merites as in these ordinary actions I might daily and howerly gaine The Sixt Affection THe sixt Affection is a Perfect resignation of my selfe into Gods hands with a full desire that he should vse me as it were most to his glorie whether it were to my temporall comfort or no. And to bee as ready to serue him in misery need and affliction as in prosperity and pleasure thinking it my cheifest delighte to be vsed as God wil and to haue his pleasure and prouidence fully accomplished in me which is the end for which I was created and for the which I doe now liue To attaine this resignation it is a very fitte way to debate and discourse with my selfe what thing there is could happen vnto me though neuer so much against my liking which if it should fall out would trouble me or make me loose that indifferency which I ought to haue in most willingly yeeldinge my selfe to whatsoeuer God shall laye vppon me And if I finde any thinge which I thinke I should not well digest nor accept with due patience let me endeuour to ouercome my selfe in it and by praieâ— and meditation seeke to winne the difficulty therof that there may be nothing which I would not willingly accept at Gods handes how contrary soeuer it were to mine inclination To which these considerations may helpe me First the ende I ayme at is Gods glorie in this world and his reward in the next and therfore knowing that nothing but my voluntarie sinne can barre me from this ende what neede I much care by what meanes God will haue me to attaine it for the meanes can last but a litle and the end endureth for euer and is so much the more comfortable in that it hath beene atchiued with more discomfortable toiles Secondly God loueth mee more then I loue my selfe and is so wise that he best seeth what is fittest for me all present future circumstances considered he is so mighty that what his wisdome and loue shall conclude for my good his power can put in execution and therfore let me rather yeeld my selfe wholy to his prouidence then mine owne desires Thirdly whatsoeuer moueth me to feare or dislike any thing which I could not frame my minde to beare God seeth it as wel and farre better then I yea and all other secret and vnkowen hazardes that are annexed to that thing if therefore he knowing all these thinges will neuerthelesse let it happen to me I must assure my selfe that it proceedeth of loue and is for my greater good and that he hauing laid a heauy burden vpon weake forces will by his grace supply all my feares wants and frailties The Seuenth Affection THe seuenth affection is gratitude and thankfulnes which I ought to finde in my selfe towards God and feeling an earnest desire to doe any thing that might counteruaile or in parte aunswere the excessiue loue that God hath and howerly doth shew vnto me and to let no litle good that I receiue thoughe neuer so ordinarie passe without thankes to him who euen in the least things is contented to serue me and finally to make God my repose and his remembrance my comfort and to loath al earthly things as base and vnpleasant in comparison of him Of my duety to my Superiours THE THIRD Chapter NExt my duty to God it behoueth me to consider my dueâ—ie to my Superiours whom I must accouÌ„t as his Vicegerents substitutes in the thinges wherein I am subiecte vnto them And first to speake of those which are my superiours in temporall thinges in all pointes belonging to their charge I am to yeeld them temporall duty contenting my selfe with their appointment so farre as with iustice and equity they can command and by Gods lawes I shall be bound to yeeld vnto them And for my spirituall superiours whom I am to account as guides of my soule a farre better part then the body First I must procure that my choice be of vertuous graue and mortified meÌ„ who hauing their owne passions well subdued may the better teach me how to bridle mine And because it is the chiefe helpe and most profitable if my choise bee good and very dangerous if it be euill I must make my choise with greate aduise and deliberation vsing the counsaile of some other persons of good and grounded iudgement in such things When I haue a man of discretion and good gouernement and experienced in directinge of soules I must behaue my selfe towardes him in this sort First I must procure to loue him as a parent or father by which name such men in the Church of God are called endeuouring to cary my selfe towards him as dutifully not onely in spirituall things but also in those temporall wherin I might iustly feare any sinne as a well nurtured childe behaueth him selfe toward his naturall father and seeking to make him take an affection and desire to direct me with great ioy diligence and care to all spirituall good Secondlie I must reuerence and honour him as the Vincegerent of God consider Christ in his person and do my duety to him as if in him I did see Christ taking heede of any such familiarity or surlinesse as may and vsually doth breed contempt and alwaies carrying my selfe with due respecte to his function and office and hauing mine eye more bent vpon that then either his person calling or other temporall or spirituall qualities Thirdly I must auoid such things as maie cause in me any vniust discontentmentes or dislike towardâ—s him and therfore interprete his doings and sayinges in the best sort not giuing rash iudgement of them but rather seekinge to excuse his faultes if he haue any and in my daily prayers to commend him to God and pray that God may graunt him grace iudgemeÌ„t discretioÌ„ and the assistance of his spirit that thereby he may direct me as is most for Gods glorie and my soules health Fourthly to obey him in al things wherin I see not any expresse sinne taking his wordes when hee counsaileth commandeth or forbiddeth me any thing as the words
deinties that wit can deuise or heauen and earth afford but onely Gods owne pretious body was by hâ—m deemed a repâ—st fitte to feed it If not all the creatures of this no nor millioÌ„s of new worldes if so many more were created but onely the illimitable goodnesse and maiestie of God can satisfie the desire and fill the compass and capacity of it who but of lame iudgment or peruerse will yea who but of an incredulous mind and pittiles spirit could set more by his soule or be contented to suffer so noble a paragon so many monethes and yeeres to lie chanâ—lled in ordure and mired in all sinne Can we not see our 〈◊〉 sicke but we allow him a Phisician our horse diseased but wee send for a leach nor our garment torne but we will haue one to meÌ„d it And caÌ„ wee so much maligne our soule as to let it die for want of cure seeing it mangled with so many vices neuer seeke any to restoâ—e it to the wonted integrity Is our seruant neerer our beast more pretious and our coate deerer than our owne soule If any should call vs Epicures Atheists rebels vnto God or murderers of soules wee would take it for an intollerable reproach and think it a most disgraceful and opprobrious calumniation But to liue like Epicures to sinn like Atheists to struggle against Gods callinges and like violent rebels to scorne his commandements yea and with daily and damnable woundes barbarously to stab our infortuâ—ate soules this wee account no contumely wee reckon for no discredite yea rather wee register it in the â—aunt of our chiefest praises O yee soâ—nes of men how long wil you carrie this heauie hart aliking vanity and seeking lies howe long will children loue the follies of insancie and sinners â—unne carelesse and wilfull to their ruine Will you keepe youâ— chicken from the kite your lambe from the wolfe your fawne from the hound Dare you not suffer a spider in your bosome or a toade to come neare you and can you nestle in your soule so many vipers as vices permit it to be so long chewed and wearied with the poisoned iawes and tuskes of the Diuel And is our soule so vaine a substance as to bee had in so litle esteem Had Christ made ship wrack of his wisdom or was he in a rage of passion when he became a wandering pilgrime exiling him selfe from the comfortes of his God-head and passing three thirty yeeres in paine penuâ—y for the behoof of our soules Was he surprized with a rauing fit when in the tragedy of his passion so bloodily inflicted and so patiently accepted hee made his body as a cloud to resolue into showers of innocent bloud and suffered the deerest veines of his hart to be launced to giue full issue to the price of our soules redemption Or if Christ did not erre nor deeme amisse when it pleased him to redeeme vs with so excessiue a ransome then what should wee iudge of our monstrous abuse that sell our soules to the Diuel for euery vaine delight and rather aduenture the hazard thereof then of a seelie pittance of worldly pelse O that a creature of so incomparable a price should be in the demaine of so vnnaturall keepers and that which is in it self so gracious and amiable that the Angels and Saints delight to behold it as S. Chrisostom saieth should by sinne be fashioned into so lothsom disguised shapes as to become a horrour to heauen and a sutely pheere for the fowlest fends Alas if the care of our owne harmes moue vs no more but that we can stil be so barbarous to the better portion of our selues lett vs at the least feare to iniurie an other party very careful and ieallous ouer it who wil neuer endure so deepe an impeachment of his interest to passe vnreuenged We must remember that our soule is not onely a part of vs but also the temple the paradise spouse of almightie God by him in baptisme garnisht stored eÌ„dowed with most gratious ornameÌ„ts And how thinke you he can brook to see his temple prophaned turned into a den of Diuels his paradise displanted altered into a wildernesse of serpentes his spouse defloured and become an adulteresse to his vtter ennemies Durst we offer such vsage to our Princes yea or to our Farmers daughter woulde not feâ—re of the lawe popular shame disturne vs froÌ„ it And shal not the reuereÌ„d Maiestie of almighty God the vntâ—bated iustice of his angry sword terrifie vs froÌ„ offering the like to his owne spouse Doe we think God either so impotent that he cannot so base and sottish that hee will not or so weake witted that he knoweth not howe to wreak himself vppon so conteÌ„ptuous daring offenders Will he so neglect and loose his honor which of al things hee claimeth as his chief peculiar Will he that for the soules sake keepeth a reckoning of our very hairs which are but the excrementes of her earthly weede see himself so much wronged in the principall passe it without remonstrance of his iust indignation O deere sir remeÌ„ber that the scripture termeth it a thing full of horrour to fal into the hands of God who is able to crush the prowd spirites of the obstinate to make his enemies the footestole of his feet Wrastle no longer against the cries of your owne conscience and the forcible inspiratioÌ„s that God dooth send you Embrace his mercy before the time of rigour and returne to his Church iest hee debarâ—â— you his kingdome He caÌ„ not haue God for his father that refuseth to professe the catholick church for his mother neither caÌ„ he atchieue to the church triuÌ„phant in heauen that is not a member of the church militant here in earth You haue bene alas too loÌ„g an alâ—aÌ„t in the tabernacles of sinners straied too â—ar froÌ„ the fold of Gods flock Turn now the biaze of your heart towards the sanctuary of saluation the City of refuge seeking to recompence your waÌ„dering steps troddeÌ„ in errour with a swift gate zealous progresse to christiaÌ„ perfectioÌ„ The ful of your spring tide is now faleÌ„ the streame of your life runneth at a low ebbe Your tired ship beginneth to leak grateth often vpon the grauell of your graue therfore it as heigh time for you to strike saile and to putt into harbour lest remaining inthe scope of the wicked winde and weather of this time some vnexpected gust and sodaine storme dash you vpothe roks of eternall ruine TeÌ„der the pittiful estate of your poore soule be hereafter more feareful of hel than of persecution more eager of heauen theÌ„ of worldly repose If God the Father had been the inditer the SoÌ„ne the sender the holy Ghost the scribe that had written this letter if hee had dipped his pen in the wouÌ„des of our Sauiour vsed his precious bloud in lieu of inke If one of the highest