sudden and vnexpected comming of our spouse but readie to receiue him when he shall come and to enter into his rest with him But because the loue of this life and the sweetnesse and delights of this world doe often full vs asleepe and turne from vs the remembrance of these things to awake vs we cannot doe better then to frequent the sicke folkes houses and hospitals not onely there to behold on euery side the Images and examples of the corruption and mortality of our poore nature to the end to humble our selues and to containe our selues modestly But also to exercise our charity towards those that languish and are affected in comforting them The which then to do we must first shew them that all sicknesse commeth from God and he sendeth it sometimes to chastise and to bridle vs sometimes to proue and exercise our vertue giuing vs by that meanes matter and argument to shew the affiance and trust that we haue in him to require his mercie by prayers and sighings to acknowledge and confesse our faults and offences with griefe displeasure and to bring the sicke to this point to cause him to make a true and humble confession of his sinne Secondly we must propound vnto him that it is the spring and principall cause of sicknesses as well corporall as spirituall and for to heale them they must take away the causes which ingendred them that is to say our sinnes whereof we cannot be otherwise deliuered but by the remission and pardon that God giueth vs of them by his grace prouided as saith St. Iohn that we confesse them vnto him 1. Iohn 1. and be assured that Iesus Christ is our aduocate and mediator towards him by the means of his iustice wherwith he couereth and blots them out in such sort that they come not in iudgement And because that the loue which we beare naturally doth blind vs and is cause that we neuer thinke our selues so vicious and imperfect as we are we must to take away this vaile from before the eyes of the sicke lay before him the law of God as a looking glasse wherein hee may behold his whole life and to giue him to vnderstand how by that not onely our actions but also our whole nature is condemned And for proofe and confirmation thereof alledge generally vnto him that we are all conceiued in sinne and borne the children of wrath that we are but flesh and all vanity that we are sold vnder sinne that in vs there is no goodnesse that euen all our iustice is but olde ragges and for conclusion that we are nothing at all but dust and putrifaction After that we must make vnto him a briefe discourse vpon all the commandements of God and shew vnto him by little and little that whensoeuer he shall examine himselfe he shall finde that there is not one of them but he hath very often transgressed and beginning at the first table put him in mind 1 That he hath not done his duty in seeking after God endeuoring to know him That he hath not loued him with all his heart with all his strength and with all his vnderstanding That he hath not alwaies put his whole trust in him That he hath often doubted of his promises and hath mistrusted his helpe That hee hath rather relied vpon the armes of the flesh and humane meanes which he had then vpon the succour and helpe of God That hee hath not waited for all his prosperity and aduancement from his onely fauour and blessing That he hath not alwaies called vpon him in his affairs with assurance certaine hope to be vnderstood and to obtaine That he hath not alwaies feared and reuerenced him as did appertaine to his high and soueraigne Maiestie That hee hath not alwaies giuen him thankes and blessed his name for all things and at all times as well in aduersitie as in prosperitie 2 Afterwards that thinking vpon God he hath presented him vnto himselfe sometimes vnder a humane and corporall figure That he hath not apprehended him like vnto a Spirit being immense infinite inuisible immortall impassible vnchangeable soueraigne in might goodnesse mercy iustice and verity like vnto a protector of all vertue and perfection and a spring of all life and light fountaine of all fulnesse and good the scope of beatitude and felicity beginning and end of all things who is and by his onely word causeth all creatures to subsist That he hath not serued and worshipped him in spirit and truth as he requireth and commandeth vs in his law That he hath bene more curious of ceremonies and exterior demonstrations of pietie then of piety it selfe and to make the shew of a Christian then to be one indeed And finally that he hath not alwaies thought that the true and legitimate seruice of God consisteth onely in the obedience of his holy will 3 That speaking of God it hath not bene with such respect and reuerence of his Maiestie as did appertaine that he hath not studied to sanctifie celebrate and glorifie his name as he ought That by his wicked life and conuersation he hath bene cause that he hath bene blasphemed by the ignorant and infidels That he hath not heard reade and meditated the word of God with such desire feare and zeale as was required to doe honour vnto the Lord who spake and in whose name it was denounced vnto him That he hath not alwaies spoken of the workes of God nor in them acknowledged the greatnesse of his power wisedome and goodnesse with such praise admiration and astonishment as they deserue by their amplitude and magnificence That being at the Lords table at all times when the communion hath bene celebrated in the Church it hath not bene with such humility and deuotion nor such contēplation of the mystery there set before him nor such eleuation of his heart vpwards where Iesus Christ is set at the right hand of God his father as he ought to haue done 4 That in the daies appointed to abstaine and rest from prophane and bodily worke to the end wholy to be applied to the sanctification onely of the name of God hee hath not altogether giuen himselfe to the meditation and exercises of spiritual things thinking vpon nor seeking after nothing but onely those that are aboue That he hath often bene more curious of his temporall affaires then to seeke the kingdome of God and his iustice preferring by that meanes this transitorie and corruptible life before the happy and euerlasting life and the care of his bodie before that which he should haue had of his soule and the seruice of the world and of his flesh before the seruice of God which hee ought to haue honoured aboue all things That for small and light occasions he hath dispenced with himselfe not being at the place of conuocations and Ecclesiasticall assemblies there to make a publike confession and protestation of his faith to shew his deuotion and the feare that he hath
of saluation And Saint Peter speaking to IESVS CHRIST Thy wordes are wordes of eternall life If God the Prophets and Apostles doe assure vs that the word of God receiued by a true faith in our heartes doth there quicken keeping and retaining it what occasion haue wee then to feare death Moreouer by faith wee dwell in IESVS CHRIST and haue him dwelling in vs who hauing life in himselfe as his father doth quicken vs and all those vnto whom he doth communicate himselfe Wherefore then being his members flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones briefe being one with him shall wee feare death Hath not hee power ouer it and not onely for himselfe but also for vs He saith St. Cyprian who hath once ouercome death for vs will alwaies ouercome it in vs. Hath not hee beate downe dispossessed chased and spoyled Satan the Prince and Lord of death hath not hee accomplished the law and by this perfect obedience which hee hath borne to God his Father appeased his anger satisfied his will and abolished the malediction of the law which is nothing else but death Did not hee die to make it die when hee rose againe hath not he broken and dissipated all the torments plucked downe the gates of Hell and triumphed ouer her and all her power Say not henceforth saith St. Paul who shall go vp into heauen or who shall descend into the depthes for to bring life vnto vs for IESVS CHRIST is dead and risen againe from the dead for to deliuer vs from death and risen againe to restore vs to life Hee is our Pastor And for this reason wee ought not to feare that any creature should snatch vs by violence out of his handes or can hinder him from giuing vs eternall life He is our Aduocate we ought not then to feare to be ouerthrowne in iudgement nor that by sentence we should be condemned to death He is our Mediator we neede not to feare the wrath of God Hee is our light we neede not to feare the darkenesse He is our shadow and our cloude we ought not then to feare the heate of the fire eternall no more then did the children of Israel the heate of the Sunne in the Wildernesse being hidden vnder the pillar Let vs then for these reasons forsake and cast behinde vs all feare of death the which hauing had no power nor aduantage ouer the head shall haue no power ouer his members Item By faith we haue with Iesus Christ God his Father and are allied ioyned together with him as he saith by his Prophet I will marry thee if thou wilt promise me thy faith and Iesus Christ in St. Iohn Hee that loueth me will keepe my worde and I and my Father will come and dwell in him for this reason we are also called his Temples because we are consecrated and dedicated vnto him by his holy spirite that he should dwell in vs. Now seeing God is with vs we haue the originall the fountaine the cause the beginning and the author of life we haue the great Iehouah of whom all things depend by whom all things are and moue in whom the Angels Arch-angels Principalities the heauens and all the elements consist we haue him that is the true Zeus from whom al creatures visible and inuisible take their life and their being by the participations which they haue with him We haue him who is the true Promitefz most perfect and soueraigne worke-man of all things who by his breath doth quicken and make them to liue We haue ton Theon that is to say he who discoursing all things by his power infinite doth preserue them Wee haue to make short AEL that is to say he who onely can satisfie and by his presence cause that of life of all other good things we shall haue and thinke we haue enough Shall we then feare death in such company If as S. Augustine saith God is the soule of our soule we cannot die but by being separated from him the which Dauid doth confirme in one of his Psalmes saying Those shall perish O Lord who doe depart and go from thee which being considered let vs striue onely to keepe him with vs by faith and obedience and besides let vs take away all the feare which we may haue of death Againe by faith wee haue the spirite of God you are not carnall sayth S. Paul writing to the Romanes but are spirituall for who hath not the spirit of God are none of his And else-where speaking to the Galathians Haue you not the spirit of God by faith Now this spirit is the spirit of life if God withdrawes it from his creatures they die they perish and come suddenly to nought to the contrary when he pleaseth to send and powre it vpon them he raiseth and restoreth them in an instant euen as we see a Hen brooding of her egges by a secret vertue doth disclose and bring them to life albeit that before they were without soule or feeling Euen so doth the spirit of God al creatures by his diuine power He giueth testimony and doth assure vs in our hearts that we are the children of God to the end that from him as from our father by a certaine and assured hope wee should waite and looke for life He is as a pledge vnto vs for feare left wee should doubt Hauing such earnest of life hauing testimony from him who being the spirit of truth cannot lie nor abuse hauing him himselfe who is the preseruer of all creatures shall we feare death It is as much as who should feare the darkenesse at none-day the spirite of him who hath raised againe Iesus Christ and who hath vp-held him because he should not be ouercome of death being in vs will quicken vs also saith Saint Paul and wil preserue vs from it let vs then put away all feare of it Faith also causeth that God doth adopt and repute vs for his children you are all children of God by faith saith S. Paul and S. Iohn he hath giuen power to al those that shall receiue him and beleeue in his name to be made the children of God then being children we are the heires co-heires with Iesus Christ and we are by the meanes of this adoption certaine once to come vnto life vnto the rest and vnto the glory wherein we shall reigne eternally with his Father Moreouer being children of God we are of his houshold and it is not in his house where death dwelleth it is in hell in the diuels house in heauen and the place where God abides there is an vnspeakeable light so great a beatitude and happinesse that in the contemplation thereof Dauid crying out said O that they are happy that doe inhabite and dwell in thy house And else-where In this consists all my good Lord that I may be neere vnto thee Again being children we are at liberty free from sinne free from death free from the condemnation and rigor of the law freed from
hee hath sometimes made vs of his anger doe not beget in our hearts too great a feare whereof may follow a mistrust of him and of the promises of saluation which hee hath made vs let vs heare what saith this Prophet speaking to the Church in the name of God Isay 54. I haue forsaken thee for a little while but I will gather thee againe by great compassion I haue a little as in a moment of indignation hid my face from thee But I haue had compassion on thee by an euerlasting benignity saith the Lord thy Redeemer And this shall be as Noahs waters for as I sware that I would no more passe the waters of Noah vpon the earth So haue I sworne that I will no more bee angry with thee and will reprooue thee no more For although that the mountaines bee moued and the little hils shake my mercy shall neuer goe from thee and the alliance of my peace shall not stirre saith the Lord who hath compassion ouer thee God in Ose to this purpose saith vnto his Church Ose 2. that hee will espouse her for euer in faith iustice verity mercy and iudgement declaring thereby vnto it that the alliance that hee will contract with it shall bee firme and inuiolable and for to bee such as hee shall sound it in himselfe that is to say in his mercy verity and iustice requiring only that it walke vpright before him â—nd that in all its wayes it follow a roundnesse and integrity keeping it selfe as much as it may from deceit and hypocrisie Which must bee diligently noted for the Diuell for to astonish vs and to make vs to doubt of the effect of the promises of GOD when wee are ready to appeare in iudgement and when being adiourned our cause is ready to bee called vpon if hee see that we stand firme and that for to answere thereunto wee are setled vpon the word of his Gospell in the which hee offereth vs his grace hee yeelds vnto vs that God is true in all that hee saith and likewise that he offers vs his grace and life by his promise But that hee is hindred from accomplishing it and exhibiting that which hee hath promised by our indignity and vnworthinesse because that hauing so much offended him euen since wee were illuminated and regenerate by the knowledge of his truth and that hee hath done vs so much fauour as to receiue vs into his family and to adopt vs for his children wee by our ingratitude haue made our selues altogither vncapable of these benefits and vnworthy that hee should fulfill the promises which hee hath made vs. Therupon to driue back this temptation which is the strongest and most dangerous wherewith wee can be assailed Wee must first note that as the only good pleasure of God hath beene the beginning and only motiue by the which hee hath beene induced to desire to contract an alliance with vs and to offer vnto vs the promise of saluation by the which hee declares himselfe our God and receiues vs to bee his people that also his grace is the only meanes that may stirre him vp to accomplish it towards vs. By the meanes whereof Saint Paul said Rom. 6. that the reward of sinne is death but that grace is life Although that to dispose well and set downe the Antithese it seemes that hee ought to haue said to oppose member against member That as life is the reward of our righteousnesse also is death of our sinnes But to giue vs to vnderstand that life which is the effect of the promise is gratis as well as is the promise which offereth it vnto vs hee hath wholly attributed it to the grace of God without making any mention of our workes nor vertues Whereunto ought to bee referred that which hee alleageth in the two and thirtieth Psalme where Dauid declares that the beatitude of man consists in that God alloweth him his iustice without workes saying Happy are they whose iniquities are remitted and whose sinnes are couered Happy is the man vnto whom God hath not imputed his sinne Seeing then that the beatitudes which God offereth vs in his promises are not graunted in the contemplation and fauour of the merits and vertues which are in man but by the only grace of God thence it followes that as the price and dignity of our workes cannot purchase vs euerlasting life that also our indignity and vnworthynesse cannot hinder vs from attayning it For it is a meere gift of God which hee bestoweth on whom hee pleaseth according to his mercy and not according to the merit of our iustices the which are not only imperfect but also defiled with much filthinesse by reason that our hearts from whence they proceede can neuer bee so well cleansed in this world but there doth still remayne much corruption whereby they are contaminate Which is the cause that the Prophet prayeth God so feruently not to enter into iudgment with him In iudgment with thy seruant Lord Oh enter not at all Psal 143. For iustified be in thy sight Not one that liueth shall And else where Psal 130. O Lord our God if thou dost weigh Our sinnes and them peruse Who shall then escape and say I can my selfe excuse And that St. Augustine in his booke of Confessions saith this good and memorable sentence Mishap to all our righteousnesse if it be examined and iudged without mercy But neuerthelesse that cannot hinder but God will giue vs eternall life as he hath promised prouided that wee know feele and confesse our indignity For there is nothing that makes vs capable and if it may bee so spoken worthy of the fauours and blessings of our God but the knowledge and feeling which wee haue in our selues to bee altogither vnworthy of them And what worthinesse could bee noted in the Theefe hanged vpon the Crosse at one of the sides of Iesus Christ who had continued in his theeuery and wickednesse vntill the extremity of his life Luk. 23. without euer hauing knowen his Sauiour vntill the houre that hee was ready to giue vp the Ghost And neuerthelesse hee had no sooner opened his mouth generally to confesse and to require the mercy of Iesus Christ but it was presently said vnto him Thou shalt bee this day in Paradise with me Luk. 16. What worthinesse was there in the poore Publicane who for the great shame and horror which hee had of his life passed durst not life vp his eyes yet neuerthelesse presently when hee had acknowledged his pittifull and miserable estate wherein hee was and prayed God to haue pitty on him then al his sinnes were forgiuen him and hee went home iustified What dignity was found in Saint Paul when hee went to Damascus transported with rage and furie to informe himselfe according to the commission which he had obtained of the high Priest Act. 9. of all those that did confesse the name of Iesus Christ to bring them bound and
lye hid in him so that at the day of the separation of our soules from our bodies wee may finde it wholly in heauen waiting with assured rest and ioy the happy resurrection of this flesh in the which all corruption infirmity and ignominie being abolished and death being swallowed vp of victory wee shall liue eternally with thee in an incomprehensible happinesse in thee by the which thou shall be glorified Maintaine then thy children O Lord in this faith and hope finishing thy worke in vs vntill they be altogether with thee for to enioy the inheritance and the glory which thine onely Sonne hath by his merit purchased for them Amen Prayer LOrd Iesus Christ Creator and Redeemer of mankind who hast said I am the way the truth and the life I do beseech thee by this vnspeakable charity which thou hast shewed in yeelding thy selfe to death for vs that I may neuer stray any iot from thee who art the way nor that I doubt of thy promises seeing thou art the truth and dost accomplish that which thou promisest Cause that I may onely take pleasure in thee who art the eternall life beyond the which there is nothing to be desired neyther in heauen nor earth Thou hast taught vs the true only way to saluation because we should not abide erring like strayed sheep in the lost waies of this world shewing vs so clearly that nothing can be more that which wee ought to beleeue to do to hope and wherein we ought to yeeld settle our selues It is thou that hast giuen vs to vnderstād how cursed we are in Adam and that there is no way to escape from this perdition in the which we are all plunged but by faith in thee Thou art that faire light which doest appeare to those that walke in the desert of this life who hauing drawen vs out of the darknesse of the spirituall Egypt hast driuen away the darknesse of our vnderstandings and doest enlighten vs to the end we may tend towards the promised inheritance which is the life euerlasting into the which the mistrustfull doe not enter but those that haue assuredly relied vpon thy holy promises O what a goodnesse that thou hast vouchsafed to descend from thy Fathers bosome and from the euerlasting throne to the earth to put on our poore nature of master to become seruant to the end that by thy doctrine thou mightest doe away the darkenesse of our ignorāce to guide our feet into the way of peace to make plaine the way of saluatiō vnto vs a way made vnto vs the which if we follow we cannot stray nor wax weary seeing that thy grace power do accompanie vs therin all the daies of our life Moreouer by thy spirit thou doest strengthen vs in it and double our courage Thy word is bread which nourisheth vs therein thy promise is the staffe which vpholds vs. Thou thy selfe by thy secret and incomprehensible vertue doest beare and maintaine vs in it in an admirable manner to the end that both in faire and foule weather we may walke with all alacrity vnto thee And as in preseruing vs thou hinderest that we do not fall into the snares of Satan the world also seeing thou art the truth thou takest away all doubts scruples mistrusts which may trouble let vs or turne vs during our course thou causest vs to behold the supernall vocation the misery and vanity of the world the frailty of this present life the gate of death the most happy life which is beyond that And as thou art this true life euen in this world thou dost quickē by thy truth vs that are poore wretched and dead in sinne thou doest augment that life by the ministery and efficacie of thy holy Gospell and doest confirme it by the vse of the Sacraments which thou hast established to confirme the faith of those that are thine vntill that our corruption what we haue of mortality in vs being abolished by the resurrection we shall bee and liue euerlastingly with thee both in bodie and soule when thou shalt be all in all Life euerlasting is to know the true God and thee his Sonne which wert sent vnto vs. Now we see thee by faith in a glasse and in obscuritie but one day we shall behold thee face to face and shall be transformed into thy glory and wholly reformed vnto thy image I doe beseech thee mercifull Sauiour to increase my faith that I may be so well grounded in the doctrine of my saluation that nothing may turne mee from it increase in my heart the reuerence which I owe thee that I may neuer turne from thy obedience strengthen mee in such sort that the allurements nor threatnings doe neither intrappe nor astonish mee but that constantly I may cleaue vnto thee who art my life till death Cause that in vertue of thy holy promises and of thy Spirit I may heate my selfe more and more in thy loue and leauing behind mee the things of this world I may tend to that which is firme and perfect Increase thy grace in mee that euery day I may die in my selfe for to be quickened and guided by thy fauour fearing no other but thou God Almighty louing nothing but thee as there is nothing but thee to be loued boasting my selfe in nothing but in thy onely grace and mercy which is the glorie of all thy seruants seeking no other good but thee nor desiring any thing but thee who art the full and entire felicity of all the faithfull Amen An other LOrd Iesus who art alwaies mercifull who doest not sticke to be my Sauiour as well in aduersitie as in prosperity giue me the grace in all humble obedience to yeeld vnto thy will when it shall please thee to mingle bitternes amongst so many sweet things which thou causest me to taste in liuing vnder thy protection Thou art admirable and most good in the time of afflictions In that by such meanes thou doest heale spirituall diseases and in visiting of vs in this world thou disposest vs to meditate of a better life hauing thy selfe shewed vs the example thereof True it is that I find it verie hard to digest but thou hast beene brought to a more strange condition when for to draw me out of hell thou wentest downe into it thy selfe and for to reconcile mee to thy heauenly Father thou hast vndergone his curse by reason of my sinnes I haue so often deserued hell and the fiery torment and thou deliueredst me assuring mee that I haue part in the merits of thy death and thy obedience and that I am one of thy coheires for to reigne one day with thee in thy kingdome and at this present in the middest of so many afflictions to be neuerthelesse set in the heauenly places Hauing part in so many good things why shall I vexe my selfe for a little endurance by the meanes whereof thou wilt awake mee and make me better and draw mee so much