knowe and no more I leaue greater misteries to them that are better learned Our reward in heauen sure is admirably great but what it is or in what fashion that we may say it is thus and thus no man can deliuer Two things I knowe and am assured of touching heauen and heauenly ioyes that is to say the greatnesse of them when we come there and the neerenesse of them while we bee heere which may bee also no small comfort vnto vs and of these two I will speake a little after my wonted breuity leauing the rest to your good thoughts when I haue done If your faith were like to his that said iustus ex fide viuit Abac. 2. Rom. 2. wee should feele this greatnes we speake of before we come at it our very soule would reioyce and triumph in it before it could expresse why If our faith I say were so liuely and springing as it might be our tongues would not list to speake but our very deedes actions and behauiours would shew heauen in our faces Our very countenance would bewray heauen in vs. There is nothing would disturbe vs no anger disquiet vs no passion distemper vs no ill fortune beare vs downe but as we shall bee when wee come there so shall we begin to bee while we be heere constant stout resolute in all good purposes like Elias or Elizeus or Saint Iohn Baptist and a multitude of others after the new testament But I shall speake more of this anon Our faith and spirit is not of that viuacity that theirs was of nor haue we apprehensions of heauens delights but by such similies and resemblances as we can make by visible things by which we haue a ghesse or estimate at the greatnesse we speake of and yet come short of it by infinite degrees I cannot tell how to expresse this greatnesse better then by one word a long word full of matter and makes vp a verse alone Incomprehensibility the summe of our felicity For we must know for a certainety that the greatnesse of our reward that is to say of heauen is incomprehensible of any mortall vnderstanding But why so doe wee not reade of some that haue seene heauen or paradise in a traunce or extasie and comming to themselues againe haue told what they saw there delicate green meddowes with siluer streams and golden sands in the bottome running through the midst of them the bankes beset with violets and primroses that neuer partch with heate nor perish with treading on the weather temperate alwayes Aprill with them Coole without cold day without night Sunne full of shade shade full of light Is not this comprehensible gardens full of all sweeteflowers daintily drest without mans labour the rose without thornes neuer fading pinckes and lillies of all fresh colours neuer decaying spring and haruest comming alwayes together blooming and bearing all at a time nothing there but wish and haue it from the chirping bird of rarest feature to the lowde organ or musicke of the best harmony these and such like haue beene reuealed to some good folk Are not these also comprehensible and yet we said that heauen is incomprehensible We shall there behold the humanity of Christ his blessed mother the glorious Virgin whom to see in flesh wee could trauell the world round if they were liuing such comfort wee should finde of it For if that notable Law-maker of Megapolis thought long to dye Circidas and tooke pleasure to thinke he should then see Pythagoras Euclid and other famous men deceased how much more pleasure will it be to vs to see Iesus whom we all serue and honour whose name alone makes hearts to leape and diuells to tremble in power so triumphant so sweet andamiable in aspect and so alluring to all beholders that we shall not off on him after wee come once to see him And is not this comprehensible This heauen we speake of was reuealed to S. Apoc. 21. Iohn in forme of a city twelue thousand furlongs in length as many in breadth and as many in height all the twelue gates of it were entire pearle the streetes paued with gold and the walles of the same pure gold and smoothe like christall on the bottome whereof grewe all kinde of pretious stones whereof twelue are named It had no temple for the temple was God himselfe Hee sawe a Riuer also of liuing water cleere as christall springing out of the seate of God and the lambe This and a great deale more he sawe in spirit and is not all this comprehensible I gaue you the other day fiue properties of bread Wherin I tolde you nothing aboue your reach but yee might plainly vnderstand them to bee in our bread of Trauellers And I can make it as plaine to you how they bee also as euident and farre more certaine in our bread of Angels The substance of our trauelling bread was the grace of God in word and workes The substance of our Angelicall bread is his grace also not in faith but in fruite not in workes but in reward His grace is with vs heere but in hope there in certaine knowledge heere in trembling there in true possessing Heere wee may fall againe there neuer This grace of God in heauen shall bee his eye of glory vpon vs alwaies The masters eye makes a fat beast and the eye of God vpon vs incessantly makes faire creatures and not inferiour to Angels And this was the first propertie to feede vs and nourish vs Quipascit inter lillia He shall feede vs amongst Lillies and Angels The second property was to make purest blood in vs. We shall not looke like our earthly complexions No grosse humours or drosse shall approch vs. How pure shall wee be As pure as Angels Our bodies like glasse transpârent Sine macula aut ruga All manner of spots will bee taken out of vs and euery wrinckle made plaine A third quality of bread was to be loued of all And who shall behold that sparkling eye of God and shall not be enamoured with it Vulnerasti cor meum in vno oculorum tuorum Cant. 4. Our hearts will bee wounded with that alluring eye It shall not bee like our loues heere which are more in clayming then in obtaining and after a while wee care not for them Beleeue me not so in heauen And all this is comprehensible Now what should I speake how common this bread is in heauen which was the fourth property This bread of Seraphins ô how easily it is gotten and without asking Common I say for euery one shall haue enough Neither shall the commonnesse or hauing without asking make the reward more vile For euery one shall reioyce that another hath the same or more then he The fore-finger is graced with that the little finger weares I keepe still within compasse of your capacity And to omit the fift property which is not in heauen where none can euer be at losse or fall from good estate I
vs according to our many vocations and diuers imployments wee receiued of his goodnesse in this his Millitant Church And here I shall desire you instantly to note well the words of this blessed Apostle when he saith thus in cor hominis non ascendit it ascended not into mans heart or came not so high as mans heart Why did hee not say it came not downe or descended not into mans heart but ascended not into mans heart Are heauenly things belowe vs that hee should say they ascended not into our hearts Christ ascended into heauen Heauen is aboue vs. Psal 122. Ad te domine leuaui oculos When wee pray for any thing we looke vpward and aske it from aboue And when it comes to vs it descends and comes downe to vs not ascends to vs and yet the Apostle saith it hath not ascended The greeke word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ascendit How can they ascend or come vp to vs that are so farre aboue vs this word me thinkes hath a mistery in it and very fitte for our purpose to shew the greatnesse we speake of There is no contentment in this world but if it come to affect vs and to possesse our heart it ascends to our heart and comes from belowe our heart it comes from vnder vs and for the most part from vnder our very feete We tread on them and they are all vnder vs. Great lands and possessions faire houses parkes and pallaces they come all from vnder vs and were earth and clay first before they came to this magnificence Their furniture of silke arrasse and beddes of gold all that we carry on our backs or decke our heads or necks withall when we be at the richest with stone and pearle and coffers full of treasure that are made so much of whence comes all this but out of barren earth or the bottome of the sea sought for and tumbled out by the toyle of man from the bowels of the earth that are so farre beneath vs. Againe if our contentment bee in belly cheere all comes likewise from the lowest elements Nothing lower then the earth and water which they feede on before they come to feede vs. And therefore if they come so neere our heart as to be loued by vs we loue that which is lower and baser then our selues and they must ascend a great height vnto vs to be as high as our hearts Yea let vs goe to higher elements and so vpward to the toppe of primum mobile let them be neuer so high aboue yet are they vnder vs by Gods ordination who made them to serue vs. And if we delight in them in the study of them as to contemplate their motions and iufluences and all their varieties that are most pleasant to think on and haue holden Philosophers all their liues time all these may bee said and are in the number of those that ascend to vs our heart and best part being Lord of them and they our subiects and inferiours The consideration of starres and planets with their brightnesse and beauty pure substance and greatnesse and the orbes they are carried in the swiftnes of their motion without noyse their change without disorder their various aspects without confusion all these and a great deale more come vnder the heart of man though they appeare much higher then wee that goe lowe by the grounde vnderneath them yet may they truely bee saide to ascend to vs yea all that God made in his sixe dayes worke be they neuer so rich or excellent neuer so high in their situation yet are they beneath the soule or thought of man and are homagers to this little world of our vnderstanding and they cannot be so great but our thought is greater they cannot be so high or tall but our vnderstanding will compasse them and is higher and taller then they Onely the ioyes of heauen are higher then our apprehension and therefore Saint Paul saith they ascend not into our thought or heart as all things else doe because we are made to ascend to them and vntill then wee are not capeable of them no not of the least of them Behold here the greatnesse of heauenly rewards our heart and minde our soule and vnderstanding that is capeable of all things that are in the world and all things ascend to it as to their commander yet knoweth it not the least thing in heauen as it is indeede The witte of man doth pierce the most hidden and abstruse things that are in nature and yet cannot fasten vpon the least and lowest things aboue nature It is a wonderfull thing that there is almost nothing that escapeth our knowledge but is laid open by vs we can teach it them that know it not Who was there euer that went down to the center of the earth to take measure of it and yet wee can prooue by iust demonstration how many mile it is thither and how many about the whole earth and neuer stirre foote Who was euer carryed so high as the Moone who hath walked among the planets and firmament to know their motions and distances one from another the bignesse of the Sunne and Moone and their heights from the earth yet all this is knowne and the professors of that science are so well acquainted with the lawes and rules of that Celestiall common-wealth as if they bad beene borne and bredde there Their yearely Ephimerides doe shew the certainety of their knowledge pointing vs to the very degree and minute where to finde a starre or what time of day or night an Ecclips will be and how many points it will be darkened an hundred yeares hence It is not vnknowne to any what a multitude of hidden matters are reuealed and lye open to the Philosopher and what an Anatomy hee hath made of nature and naturall things And not so contented hath transcended nature with his metaphisicall knowledge and lets not God himselfe lye wholly hidden but brings him out into light Who taught Aristotle and Plato that God was eternall infinite of greatnesse infinite in power the first moouer one and no more but one But it is not my purpose to speake of all sciences that haue beene laboured and perfected by man euery one of them so full of mistery variety and delight as nothing more Which although it greatly commend Gods goodnes and bounty towards vs in that hee hath made out of dust and ashes a creature so capeable and piercing by his owne permission euen into his owne substance and nature yet so hath he limited this knowledge of ours that we are not able to imagine what he is indeede Sicuti est nor how great the meanest thing that belongs to vs and shall be ours in the world to come if God makes vs worthy We haue not only not seene or heard but neither can we ghesse in thought in cor hominis non ascendit what it is If the least thing then in heauen be so great what is all
done and perhaps neuer lesse done You can doe no more but cut it downe as it growes hurtfull yet vp it comes againe like Hydraes heads If I can weede it in my selfe which J cannot well say and can shew an other how which J dare say let no man despise an admonishing brother that speakes in Gods name and his countries vnder your Lordships correction My proiect J doubt not will be well pleasing if it want not well handling So wishing you all the blessings of the Patriarke Ioseph I humbly take leaue of Your Lordship All your good Lordships to command W. Wisemart THE SECOND CHARGE BY THE CIVILLIAN AGAINST AVARICE THe noble Philosopher and Statesman Plutarke hath such a saying De ira cohib that lust selfe-loue and cupidity do prouoke much anger in vs and breede in our bosomes a neast of Bees As much to say they put sowre in our sweet gall in our pleasure a sting in our hony and our best contentments worldly are subiect to a frette And to prooue his words true as touching lust what gall it is mixt withall wee neede not seeke so farre as the destruction of Troy for the rape of Helena and the warres that were made for loue of her Wee haue examples enough at home of those that haue lost their liues and limmes for women And for the other part which is Couetousnesse or Cupidity and what matter it giues for anger and vnquietnesse we may well perceiue it both by courts of iustice that are full of quarrelling for thine and mine and also by them that haue more then they can spend yet rest not so content but still will be adding more water to the sea Of anger or the part Irascible right worthy friends and gentlemen of great hope it pleased my good Lord to speak very nobly yesterday and there is nothing to bee added though all be too little that can be said if the concupiscible also be not well qualified and made to know it selfe Of this therefore it comes to my course to speake to day though very vnable for it and where the last daies charge was to quench the fire of anger with coole water now shall it be my endeauour to pull away wood from it also and all combustible matter if I can that there may bee nothing to kindle it And it will no doubt be worth my labour since there is nothing hurts vs more then anger nothing stirres vp anger sooner then euill guided Concupiscence whereof I shall now intreate And yet of lust and luxurie which is t 'one halfe of it I will not speake those being such knowne sinnes and hauing so little excuse for them that their apparant deformity doth shew it selfe sufficiently without my labour and your trouble at this time And they that are entangled with this vice if they would refraine it as well as they know it well to be sinne they would not sure bee farre from the kingdome of heauen My charge shall be to you the other part called Couetousnesse a desire of other mens in latine alieni appetentia And not of all that neither as of vsury theft or vniust bargaines by cheuance practise cosmage or deceit such as lawes doe punish and take note of All these are likewise so manifest to a mans owne conscience that he needes no other tutor then himselfe to instruct him nor yet an heauier iudge then himselfe to condemne him My purpose only is to speake of one thing and that is the desire we haue of too much which is called superfluum the vnstinted desire I say of more by much then is ynough or competent to our estate And for this as there is no law against it nor can well be but ones owne will so the will is commonly in infinitum if there be meanes to feede it It is true there is no law against this and therefore we must be our owne law the euill of it being as dangerous to our soule as it is vnmarked and yet we run on with it as moules doe vnder the earth vntill we be catcht in a ginne and lye sweating in our moulten mettall for it in hell ere we be aware God requires it therefore that we should be our owne law and that we be carefull herein The nature of common good requires it Charitie and brotherly loue in that we be euen Christian doth also require it and challenge it at our hands For otherwise how come publike weales to allow of priuate possessions how doth God restraine his hand from the common good to the good of a few if he put not a trust in those few as in his faithfull stewards to dispence his bountie and deuide it againe when they haue it and to dispose it to his fellowes as cause or neede requireth Gods is the earth and the fulnesse thereof Psal 23. Psal 113. And when God made vs he gaue it vs to liue of Terram dedit filijs hominum He gaue it not at the first to one more then to another but to the sonnes of men indifferently And as he gaue them the earth so he gaue them the fulnesse withall that euery one might haue full ynough and no more And the earth is a large field and was alwaies able to feed them all that liued on it and more And so common-weales began with equality and equall distribution of outward fortunes and none to haue more then other Noe Sem Cham and Iaphet had all betweene them and their posteritie after them The Israelites had there partage in the land of promise per funiculum distributionis part partlike as it is written in the Psalmes Psal 77. And that which they had thus the law was so carefull to preserue equalitie that they could not morgage or sell the same but it must reuert againe to them in the yeere of Iubilie Euen so amongst gentiles a while And when this equalitie was broken they laboured still to restore it and reduce it if it might be as by the practise of all estates throughout the world and the consent of law-makers accordingly it may appeare Such as Bocharis Licurgus Draco Solon Romulus all tending to this to cut of superfluum in many and to helpe pouertie in the most who haue bodies as well as the best and must haue maintenance as well as the rich and are the Maior part of the common-wealth yea the principall strength of the same For the taking away of extorsion oppression and misery in the multitude and that all sorts might liue in comfort and their Common weale happie and prosperous they laboured in the beginning to bring it to equalitie thinking nothing so fit for their purpose as that And Licurgus herein went further then the rest or else had better fortune For in what estate hee left the Lacedemonians in that they continued fiue hundred yeares after no nation stronger or more inuincible then they But when gold and siluer came in againe which hee had vtterly banished they
likings and holding affections blinde vs. Concupiscentia transuertit sensum sine malitia saith Sapiens Wee are so vsed to our appetites and iniustices and make them so bold and wanton with vs euery day that wee sinne and thinke not of it And therefore woe be to a man alone without a guide or admonisher It is not good for a man to be alone sayth God himselfe Faciamus ei adiutorium Gen. 2. Ier. 10. Let vs make him a helpe For Viri non est vt dirigat gressus suos saith holy Jeremy It belongeth not to a man to gouerne himselfe And therefore let vs make him a helpe And what helpe Not an angell not a God to conuerse with him but simile sibi Such an other as himselfe a sinner like himselfe a frayle man like himselfe a man It is for our humility that God will haue man to comfort man none but man to counsell man and will not haue vs looke for illustrations from heauen in euery doubt as they did in olde time when all was darkenesse and very fewe to gouerne vs. God shines vpon diuerse diuersly And his grace hath put more wisedome and grace into one then into another to furnish them that lacke The Scripture cals them Sensatos Cum videris sensatum euigila ad eum When yee shall shall finde an vnderstanding man Eccl. 6. or a learned man giue eare to him Weare downe his thresholds with often comming and listen to him as it is written in the same place Gradus ostiorum eius exterat pes tuus ibid. saith he And King Dauid tels vs in another place where he speakes to God saying Psal 98. Tu parasti directiones That God prouided directions for euery one that will aske Yea more then this if wee aske not it is a signe I thinke that God is angry with vs. For so he speakes of a sinner that Secundum multitudinem irae suae non quaeret It is according to the greatnesse of Gods anger Psal 9.25 that a sinner will not seeke or aske And therfore why doe men aske no oftner then they doe or follow them no better or why doe they not weare downe their thresholds with comming and going as they are bidden And I speake not this to hourders onely but to young men and spenders also who daily vndoe themselues for want of directions I neuer knew any man waste himselfe that was ruled by such And of all the vnthrifts that euer I heard of I neuer knew any that was ruled by such They will be ruled by cheaters those that prey vpon them but not by such They will listen to them that humor them but not to them that pitty them and wish them all true wealth Both sorts neede counsell I know not which more Whether he that will waste all with ouer lashing or hee that ruines many with ouer-keeping You stand yet indifferent betweene both But which way soeuer you incline bee neuer your owne iudges but listen Bee fearefull alwayes to endammage any man and at such times especially I wish you to be aduised most when yee haue most aduantage or are likely to gaine most There be that perswade you to contempt of the world I entreate you onely that it contemne not you when it hath tumbled you into the lake To them it belongs to shew you the ficklenesse and deceit of it I doe but wishe you to imprint it in your minde Your preachers tell you how and what yee must hourd Mat. 6. thesaurizate vobis thesauros in coelis Heape treasure in heauen I doe but admonish you of your sinne against nature and the abuse of your good meanes which God hath lent you Thêy tell you how hardly things are gotten how soone lost and how little they deserue of vs for all our much making and will not so much as accompany vs to our graue I say no more then what Leonidas tolde you when Xerxes wrote vnto him to come on his side and hee would make him much greater then euer hee was But hee wrote vnto him againe If thou knewst ô Xerxes what the goods of this life are and how little to bee esteemed thou wouldest not seeke as thou doest for others mens This yee will thinke was well saide of a king a souldier a heathen Wee should know better then hee what these things are What bee they better the best of them then a penny in a paile of water seeme great and are not fire in ones bosome burne more then warme a wagge or wanton much cockered and loued and loues not againe when wee dye they are as readily another mans as ours who tooke all the care to get them together Let vs learne of a heathen for very shame if not for charity nor loue of Christ to esteeme as little of these outward things as they doe of vs. That is to say to make vse of them and no more or at the least not to prize them so as to lye cankering by vs long If yee like to goe light and free from burthen heape not burthen vpon burthen which if ye doe yee will hardly keepe euen but one sinne or other will ouertake you and giue you a fall Qui pauca requirunt non multis exidunt saith our Philosopher They that seeke little offend little therefore they that seeke much offend much and what they get ill will prooue ill doe what they can What will it auaile a man to circumuent his poore brother and to get by him as they say by right or wrong I haue tolde you it is wrong if hee get it so and it must bee repaired ere yee dye If learned men bee learned and haue not bestowed all their time in vaine if God haue promised them his spirit to direct you if they bee not very cyphers and dumbe shewes onely Eph. 4. and furthermore if God hath giuen them our soules in charge for their knowledge and grace and wee as much bound to heare them as the Iewes were to heare theirs in the olde law Ose 4. Ier. 17. who helde it the greatest sinne that was to disobey them in any thing and lastly if wee bee not very Atheists and enemies to all religion thêy bee the men wee ought to beleeue in the cases aforesaid where wrong or iniustice may in any sort bee doubted The very attempt and throught of wrong is wrongfull much more the accomplishing And beleeue mee they will none of them prooue as they promise but deceiue vs most pittifully in the end I haue known seen it in many If God loue them hee will neuer let them thriue with it long but either they shall loose it quite that they get so or shall haue more vnquietnesse and trouble with it then it is worth If God loue vs not wee may thriue with it iollily for a time and some of our posterity after vs for our greater plague God giues the wicked also their desires but it is in anger not