The diuision of the Seauen Trumpets. THE I. CHAPTER.

ET primus Angelus tubâ cecinit, & the first Angell sounded the trumpet saieth S. Iohn (Apoc. 8.) without all doubt oh yee sinners, if yee will vse the benefit of your free will, together with the assi­stance of diuine grace, and that [Page 46] little exhortation of my prolo­gue, you may very easily as yee ought, abandon sinne, flie your accustomed vices, and leaue the seruitude of Sathan your deadlie enemie, and turne to your sweet and louing Iesus, the deare spou­se of your soules; But being that you sleepe so profoundly, and so securely, that vee doe not, or will not heare the sweet sound of so gratefull & acceptable musicke, I haue determined to send forth a sound of a more shrill, and fear­full trumpet, to make triall, whe­ther I can awake you from the sleepe, and lethar [...]ie of your sin­nes, wherein you lie drowned, & ouerwhelmed, being mindeful of that of the Prophet. Clama, ne ces­ses▪ quasi tuba exalta vocē tuam. (Isay 58.1.) crie out and cease not, exalt thy voyce as a trumpet, that a sinner hearing it, he may be con­uerted [Page 47] to repentance: But I en­treat you my brethren, that. Ho­die si audteritis &c. (Psal. 94.) if to day you will heare the voyce of our Lord, you would not harden your hartes; Brethren, I say, in the interim, whilest you heare the soūd of these trumpets, obdurate not your hartes, lest God be of­fended with you.

Et primus Angelus tubâ cecinit: and the first Angel sounded the trum­pet. That I may come to my in­tended purpose, I haue determi­ned with these Seauen Trumpets set downe in this little booke to sound vnto your eares, that at the last you being awaked with the terrour of the same, you may beginne to forsake your flagi­tious, and sinnefull life, and be reduced to the right way, which will guide and conduct you safe and secure, to the happy and hea­uenly [Page 48] porte of perpetuall happi­nes: but know for certaine, that if you stoppe your eares at these sounding Trumpets, at the last pointe, and article of your death, you shall be called to a strict ac­compt for your so great contēpt, and neglect, which God forbid, should come to passe, but rather, that the loue, and charitie which did induce me to write this booke for your saluation, may mollifie your stony hartes and tame your vnruly affectiōs, that these trum­pets sounding forth your eternall blisse, may penetrate and stirre vp your mindes and soules. The first trumpet soundeth forth the great peruersnes; and malice of a sinner wherwith he offendeth allmightie God. The second, the filthines of sinne. The third the detriment that sinne causeth in the soule of a sinner in this life. [Page 49] The fourth, the harme; and losse, that shall appeare in the houre of death. The fift, the damage that it shal cause in the terrible day of iudgement. The sixt, the ineffa­ble punishment, that it doth pro­cure in hell. The seauenth, the societie, and combination which it draweth with it, in this life, in death, and after death.

These, oh my brethren sinners, are the Seauen Trumpets, which to the honour of God, and to your soules health, and the con­fusion of the diuell, I entend to sound in this little booke: Ther­fore I beseech you, that when yee shall heare them, like well disci­plined, and valiant souldiers, you doe awake presently; to enter in battaile, with your enemy, and permit not your selues to be van­quished, & trampled vnder foot, but like horses wel exercised, and [Page 50] trained vp in military discipline, which at the sound of drummes and trumpets, proudly shaking their loftie, and magnanimous neckes, couragiously neighing, and beating the earth with their feete, doe stirre vp them selues, and animate their riders, heroi­cally to march against the army, and affronts of the enemie. Soe behaue your selues, oh my Bre­thren, viriliter agite, take vnto your selues courage, and with an vn­daunted spirit oppose the world, the flesh, and the diuell, necessi­tie vrgeth, Res nostra agitur, it is our cause that is in hand, heere is matter of great importance, namely the saluation, and perdi­tion of your soules: Therfore for Iesus his sake, awake out of that lethargie of vices wherein you lie depriued of all spirituall sence, change your maners, and institu­tions, [Page 51] lead the life of good Chri­stians, call to minde the promise, which you made vnto your rede­mer in your baptisme; Surge qui dormis, awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the spiritual death of sinne, and Christ shall illumi­nate thee. Oh Brethren, Operami­ni dum dies est, worke while the day of Gods mercie appeareth, be­cause the night of his iudgement draweth neare, wherein noe man can worke: let vs doe good to all while we haue time, because eue­rie one shal be rewarded after his death▪ according to his workes, and deedes: Now is the accepta­ble time, now is the time wherin we may buy oyle for our lampes: be vigilant therfore with the wise Virgins, to [...]er in with the bri­degroome, lest you be depriued of his presence for euer. It is time for vs now, oh sinners, to awake [Page 52] and arise from sinne. Iuxta est dies perditionis, the day of perdition is at hand, and the last night draw­eth neare.

Therfore my sinfull brethren, seeke our Lord while he may be found, for vnlesse you will turne vnto him, he will shake his sword, he will bend his bow, and prepare the arrowes of death: Returne therfore, oh returne yee misera­ble and blinded sinners, to the sure refuge of pennance. Nisi peni­tentiā egaritis, vnlesse ye do penan­ce, ye shal likewise perrish: oh my Brethren, a vehement commina­tion, a fearfull threatning, de­nounced to that end, that euery one might be vigilant, in matters concerning his saluation, & care­full to preuent future dangers: Christ Iesus which speaketh these wordes vnto you, for his mercies sake, infuse into your soules his [Page 53] diuine grace, that yee may serue him as ye ought, not of cōstraint, but of a willing mind, not as ser­uants for feare, but as dutifull children for loue:

Amen.

The first Trumpet of Gods grieuous complaint of a sinner. THE II. CHAPTER.

ET primus Angelus tubâ cecinit. (Apoc. 8.) and the first Angell sounded the Trumpet: I would to God, my deare Brethren, that the sound of this first Trumpet would suffice, and that by this he [Page 54] would so powerfully touch your hartes, that you might with in­ternall cōpunction turne to your creatour, and mercifull Sauiour: I haue not the spirit of Ionas the Prophet, who with fiue wordes only conuerted the great & vaste citie Nineue. Adhuc quadraginta dies & Nineue subuertetur. (Ion. 3.4.) yet fourtie daies and Nineue shall be destroied: Ionas sounded with the shrill Trumpet of his voice, ex­clamations and threatnings, but I desire not, that at the first you should heare so fearfull a sound, but that you might attend and giue eare a while, to the pittifull complaintes, of your mercifull redeemer, for surely there is noe soule soe frozen in sinne, whom these grieuous complaints would not dissolue into teares, if they them selues did not make resi­stance.

[Page 55]Giue eare therefore I beseech you, & consider, with what great griefe he bewaileth your ingrati­tude and vnthankefulnes: Obstu­pescite coeli, be astonished oh yee heauens, and be yee desolate oh yee gates therof, for my people hath committed two euills, they haue forsaken mee the fountaine of liuing waters, and haue digged to them selues cisterns, broken cisterns that can holde no waters. (Ierem. 2.12.) Oh wretched sinners penetrate, and weigh well your miserie, and see how true it is, that you haue forsaken Christ, the wel of liuing water, and haue druncke of the bitter waters of Mara. (Exod. 15.) Know yee not yet, that vices are cisterns, that can holde no spirituall water? doe yee not perceaue, that couetousnes is a cisterne that containeth not the water of true delight? because the [Page 52] [...] [Page 53] [...] [Page 54] [...] [Page 55] [...] [Page 54] [...] [Page 55] [...] [Page 56] couetouse man is alwayes sad, & neuer satiated? doe yee not per­ceaue that gluttonie, and intem­perancy, is a cisterne that holdeth not the water of satietie, because it is neuer filled? perceaue ye not that lust and concupiscence are cisternes, which receaue not the water of compleat delectation? for the pleasures therof consume both body and soule: doe yee not perceaue, that ambition is a ci­sterne, that containeth not the water of a satiated desire, for the ambitious man is continuallie wracked? Oh ambitio, ambitio erat, quomodo omnes torques, & omnibus places. (D. Bernard.) oh ambition, ambitiō the torture of ambitious persons, how doest thou torment all, and yet art receaued of all? Which your mercifull and louing Father foreseing, complaineth of your great follie in the precedent [Page 57] wordes of Ieremie: and a little af­ter by the mouth of the same Pro­phet, Scito & vide. (Ierem. 2.19.) know and see, that it is an euill and bitter thing to haue forsaken the Lord thy God: obserue oh sin­ner; with what pittifull wordes full of commiseration the Lord speaketh vnto thee: what Ada­mantine harte as there soe hard, that these so mercifull words can not mollifie? With what pittie & clemencie doeth he pronounce them? he seemeth to speake with his eyes standing full of teares; trickling downe his sacred chee­kes; Moyses considering the loue and clemencie of God towardes that wicked and vngratefull peo­ple of the Hebrews, reprehendeth them in these wordes, Haeccine red­dis Domino, popule stulte & insipiens? (Deuter. 32.6.) doest thou render these things vnto our Lord, thou [Page 58] foolish and vnwise people? is not he thy Father, that hath possessed thee, and thy creatour, that hath fashioned thee? oh charitie, oh clemencie of God towards a sin­ner! oh foolishnes, oh stupiditie of a sinner, towards so bountifull and louing a God!

Time will not permit me to re­uolue the olde and new scripture, for the amplifying of this mat­ter, which is full of the benigni­tie of God towards a sinner, and the contempt of a sinner towards his creatour: neither did I deter­mine to treat of this at large, but only to insert some few thinges, concerning the health and salua­tion of soules, almost lost, which lie dailie wallowing in the filth of of their accustomed vices: I will only say, that in the remembran­ce of the exceedinge great loue which God beareth towards a sin­ner, [Page 59] which the Euangelist decla­reth in the parable of the prodi­gall sonne, Et vidit illum à longè pa­ter ipsius, and when his Father saw him a farre off, he was moued with pittie towards him, and run­ninge vnto him, he fell vpon his necke and kissed him. (Luc. 15.20.) And which he sayeth else where of the cittie Ierusalem: Videns ciuita­tem, fleuit super eam, lookinge vpon the cittie, he wept ouer it, he did foresee the desolation that was to befall the cittie of Ierusalem, the remembrance whereof so pierced his soule, that he wept bitterlie, and seing that prodigall sonne, straying, ragged, and almost fa­mished with hunger, hauing con­sumed all his patrimony and sub­stāce in a riotous course of liuing, notwithstanding all this, seeing him a farre off, and scarse hearing him vttering these wordes, I will [Page 60] arise and goe to my Father, forgetting all his former offences, he went ioyfullie to meet him, and gladly embraced him, fel vpon his necke and kissed him: Oh sinners, sin­ners, turne vnto our Lord with the sound of this only Trumpet, consider the great affection that Christ beareth vnto you, who if it were lawful so to speake, is sicke with loue, & consumed with cha­ritie. (Cantic. 25.) Oh louing and deare Iesu, seeing thou doest soe infinitly loue a sinner, mollifie that obduratnes, wherewith his soule is oppressed, melt and dis­solue his frozen harte. I beseech thee ô Iesu, by that liuely blood, that thou sheddest for vs, by that surpassing loue wherewith thou diddest embrace vs, by all the thoughtes, wordes, and actions thou diddest performe for vs, to be mercifull to sinners:

Amen.

Of the infinite wrong wherwith a sin­ner by sinning, doth offend the di­uine Maiestie. THE III. CHAPTER.

BVt what shal I say now of the great iniury wherewith you sinners, doe offend God? with what toung shall it be related? with what stile shall it be exag­gerated? with what termes shall it be expressed? For many reasons; the offence is vnspeakeable by which God is dishonoured: The first is, in respect of the obiect a­gainst which it is committed, to wit God himselfe, who being in­finite, it necessarily foloweth, that sinne also be infinite: which, all­though of its owne nature, be not infinite, but nothing, as holy di­uines say, peccatum nihil est obiect [...] [Page 62] tamen (that I may vse the school­mens phrase) infinitum est, sinne of it selfe is nothing, but in respect of the obiect, it is infinite: consi­der oh sinner, the greatnes of sin­ne, when as it is infinite, beholde how great an euill thou commit­test quicklie, euen in a moment, ponder with thy selfe, what excee­ding peruersitie, and malice it is, to oppose thy selfe against an in­finite power, examine well how improbous and rebellious thou art, being that thou art aduerse and opposite to God whose good­nes is infinite: Oh malitious and peruerse sinner, what is thy im­pudency, and audaciousnes, that thou darest contest, and contend with thy God and creatour? The second reason is, that God being by his nature, presence, and om­nipotencie, in all places, in thee which offendest, in the matter [Page 63] wherin thou offendest, in the mē ­bers, wherby thou offendest him, beholde how great the offence is, thou being so impudent, that in the diuine presence of the infinite maiestie of the Father, the Sonne and the holy Ghost, thou doest commit such vndecent and hai­nous crimes, which thou desirest to be hidden from the eyes of so many celestial spirits, & of which thou thy self herafter, wilt great­lie repent: For whilest thou doest commit such filthy, and abhomi­nable crimes, seeking obscure pla­ces, that thou shouldest not be seene of men, thou liest open to the all-penetrating eye of God: In omni loco, oculi Domini contemplā ­tur bonos & malos. (Prou. 15.3.) In euery place, the eye of our Lord behouldeth the good & the bad: In a word, goe whither thou wilt, hide thy selfe where thou canst, [Page 64] doe what thou mayest, thou canst not auoid the all-seing eye of the diuine maiestie.

Consider with thy selfe, if thou takest any thing, God is at hand in thy soule, in thy harte, in thy vnderstanding in thy will, in thy handes and feete, in the thing it selfe which thou takest, in the house which thou entrest, in the way wherin thou walkest: Weigh seriously with thy selfe, oh blin­ded sinner, how vnheard of, the impudencie o [...] offence is of lust, for whilest thou doest cōmit not only lasciuious, and filthy crimes, but actes proper to beasts, which are vnseemely to be named, God is in thee, in the thing, in the mē ­bers wherwith thou offendest: Not by his grace, but by his generall influence, and concurse, therfore thou sinnest, in whom God is, in the thinge in which God is, and [Page 65] doest vse those partes, and mem­bers, to be instruments of Sathan, in which God dwelleth, and in­habiteth: Nescitis quia membra ve­stra, sunt templum Spiritus Sancti? (1. Corin. 6.19.) know yee not, that your members are the temple of the holy Ghost? How great ther­fore is thy madnes, impudencie, and wickednes oh sinner? How in­finite the abuse, and wrong wher­with thou offendest, and displea­sest thy God and creatour? But oh thou angry and malitious sin­ner, while thou strikest, killest and murderest thy neighbour o [...] enemy, is not God in thee▪ is not God I say in the members of thee, of thy neighbour, and of thine enemie? nothing more certaine, hee is in thy handes wherewith thou killest, in the members of him whō thou killest, in the wea­pon wherwith thou killest, ther­fore [Page 66] oh wicked impious, and vn­godly wretch, which hauing noe respect, or reuerence to so great & infinite a maiestie, darest com­mit such thinges in his presence, which thou wouldest feare, and be ashamed to commit in the pre­sence of an earthlie King or Prin­ce, although of meane power and authoritie.

The third reason is: Tell mee, oh yee sinners, what punishment is hee worthy of, who receauing many courtesies & fauours from some noble man of worth, as a [...]ouse, ornaments, and clothes, beseeming his qualitie, when be­fore, he was ragged, torne, and meanly cloathed, and being re­stored to his former dignitie, whē as before he was in great disgrace and miserie, and hauing recoue­red his health, which before was sicke & infirme, & by his meanes [Page 67] made rich and wealthy, which be­fore was a begger and in great want, lastly, promoted, and pla­ced in the cheifest degree of ho­nour who before was contemned, vilified, and despised of all, if this man who is thus infinitly obliged and bound to this his friend, should in stead of giuinge than­kes, intend and meditate snares and deceipts for the taking away of the goodes, estimation, and honour, and laste of all, the life of so great a friend and charitable benefactor, and should associate him selfe in the companie of his enemies, to the end that he might abuse, contemne, deride, and kill him? speake I beseech thee, what penaltie shall this vngratefull wretch deserue? surely the greatest that can be inuented. Tell mee now, oh moste wicked, rebellious, & adulterous sinner, what punish­ments, [Page 68] what torments art thou worthy of, when as thou doest dis­unite and separate thy selfe from thy God which made thee, which created thee, which gaue thee thy soule and body, adorned thee with faculties, and senses correspon­dent, which produced thee out of nothing, when as thou wert no­thing, and conserueth thee in this state in which thou now art, and for thy vse & conseruation, hath ordained an infinite number of creatures, visible, and inuisible, the heauens, sunne, moone, star­res, elements, mixt, and compo­sed bodies, for thy sake only, who also exceeding in loue and chari­tie, for thy sake was made man, visible, and mortall, exposinge himselfe to all wronges and diffi­culties, when as he was impassi­ble: who last of all, did offer him selfe to be killed, and naked, like [Page 69] a publique malefactour in the middest of two theeues as theire captaine, crucified vpō the wood of the crosse, only that he might free thee from death, sinne, the diuell, and hell, and to bring thee to the eternall blisse of the cele­stiall paradise: but thou on the contrary, doest oppose and resist with al thy forces this so benigne a God, so indulgent a Father, so gentle, and milde a Lord, this I say so infinite, and great a maie­stie, thou doest studie and endea­uour with all thy faculties, and powers of body and soule with so odious and detestable crimes to offend, despise and dishonour.

Oh miserable and sinneful sou­le, what punishmēt cā be thought vpon, & ordained worthy of thy deserts? oh infinite patience, and clemency of God, which when as thou mightest precipitate, plūge, [Page 70] and caste these sinners into the bottomlesse pitte of hell, and de­liuer them into the hand of the diuell to be carried into the abisse of perpetual darknesse, thou doest not only not doe it, but fauora­bly and patiently expect their re­turne, calling them by thy di­uine inspirations, and heauenly suggestions vnto amendment & repentance: And also hast conser­ued, protected, and defended such cruell, and malitious enemies, forso many yeares together, as well in thinges appertaininge to the body, as the soule; thou callest them, thou goest to meet them, thou inuitest them, and doest of­fer thy selfe vnto them, as if thou wert rauisht with loue towardes them, who art so infinitly offen­ded, and greatly dishonoured by them. Oh immense loue? oh pa­tience, oh clemency, oh mercy [Page 71] of God, what great reason had­dest thou, oh holy Prophet to say? Misericordias Domini in eternum can­tabo. (Psal. 88.1.) Thy mercies oh Lord will I sing for euer, the earth is full of thy mercies oh Lord, & there is no end of thy goodnes.

Let vs come to the fourth rea­son, which declareth the great­nes of sinne, wherwith a sinner offendeth God: What doe you otherwise, oh sinners, when yea sinne and offend, then ballance in one scale, the infinite maiestie power, and presence of God, and your selues, your vnlawfull desi­res, and momentary pleasures in the other? therefore tell mee, oh sinner, whither of these two, is of greater excellency, and worth, & rather to be chosen, God or thy little momentary pleasure? your opinion is, that this your transi­torie pleasure is of greater value, [Page 72] by which meanes, your Sauiour being reiected, you make choise of his creature; God being left, in whom is the fulnes of all thin­ges, you take that which is no­thing; the cheifest good beinge contemned, yee doe embrace that which beareth in it selfe noe spe­cies, or signe of true good, but superficiall, painted, and transi­torie: oh iniurie, oh offence, oh wrong, oh dishonour, wherewith you offend so louing a God, and benigne and clement a Father!

Let vs now proceed to the gift of reason: what doth a miserable sin­ner, by sinning, but call in que­stion and dispute, whether his or Gods diuine will is better? whi­ther with more promptitude hee should obey God, or his owne base desire? He preferreth his own will before Gods, and presently concludeth, that it is more con­uenient [Page 73] to obey his owne, making himselfe an other Lucifer, grea­ter then God: Oh execrable Luci­fers, oh wicked, and accursed sin­ners, who when as yee are base filth and dung, are so swollen, and puffed vp with pride, that in as much as lyeth in your powers, you exalt yourselues aboue God: what affliction therefore shall be imposed vpon you in the world to come, when you shall be deliue­red, and giuen vp into the han­des of that proud Lucifer, of whō ye haue bene such diligent, secta­tours, and vigilant seruants? Oh my deare sinnefull Brethren, I will not be more prolix in this ar­gument, because the disputation calleth mee an other way, it suf­ficeth mee, and also ought to suf­fice you, to haue heard the sound of this our first Trumpet, which with a shorte blaste I haue soun­ded, [Page 74] that detesting, and abhor­ring sinne, you may be disunited from Sathan, and reioyned to your sweet creatour, Lord, and redeemer, that herafter yee may desist from offering him so great iniuries, and make an end and period of so many foule and de­tractiue contumelies, wherby yee haue in no small measure offen­ded him. Doe this I beseech you brethren, which I begge, and im­plore of you by the pretious woū ­des, and liuely blood of our Sa­uiour Iesus Christ, lyinge pro­strate at your feet vpon the earth: I say vnto you oh Brethrē, by the bitter passion of Iesus crucified, offend him not so often with so many iniuries, crucifie him not any more with such hainous cri­mes: desist my Brethren, hereaf­ter to contemne and tread vnder foot the blood of the couenant; [Page 75] And turning to thee oh my Iesu, I say, oh Iesu, my only loue and ioy, graunt pardon and remis­sion to a sinner,

Amen.

The second Trumpet of the deformity of sinne. THE IV. CHAPTER.

ET secundus Angelus tubâ cecinit. (Apoc. 8.) And the secōd Angel sounded the trūpet: Giue eare oh sinners vnto the soūd of this secōd trumpet, rowsing & exciting you vp, out of the sleepe of sinne: be­hold the second Angel soundeth, that he may quicken you, & put to flight all your inordinate dis­positions, that you might attēti­uely heare him; For what doeth Angel signify in the Greeke toūg, but a messenger, harbinger, and legate, in ours? who cometh and [Page 76] calleth you that yee may be con­uerted to your creatour, returne home to your louing Father, and be reconciled to your mercifull redeemer. Oh my Brethren, if the sound and call of the first trum­pet, and counsell and admonition of the first Angell, will not any iot moue you, when it plainely pro­poundeth vnto you the offence wherby yee offend almighty God, which certainely should be a mot­iue more then sufficient, at least, let the deformity and filthines of sinne, which this second Angell with a horrid sound denounceth vnto you, be a powerfull reason to induce you: without doubt bre­thren, if you would but compre­hend in your mindes, and pon­der with your selues, the vggeli­nes of sinne, it could not be, but that you would detest and loath the deformity of it as you ought [Page 77] to doe: for so great and infinite (oh Brethren) is the deformity of sinne, that it is, ex diametro, dire­ctly opposite to the beauty and claritie of God: for what other thing is it in it selfe, or in its owne nature, but an auersion from the diuine will? sinne in it selfe is no­thing. Et sine ipso sactum est nihil. (Ioan. 1.3.) and without him was made nothing (saith S. Iohn) that is sinne, whose deformity is made without God: because he doth not concurre to the inordination of it, although, as the most sub­tile Doc. Scotus saith, to the sub­stance of the actiō God doth con­curre, yet not vnto the malice of the same: for examples sake, man stealeth, and sinneth, heere two thinges are to be considered, the one is the substance of the action, which is to extend, put out the hand, and apprehend the thing, [Page 78] to this God concurreth, for vn­lesse he did giue power to the han­des and feet, this acte could not be performed: furthermore besi­des this action, there is an inor­dination which followeth this ac­tion, contrary to the diuine will, and law, which contradicteth, & forbiddeth theft, the same hap­neth, when adultery, or any other sinne is committed: goe to, con­sider well, how great the malice of sinne is, that it is opposite, and contrary to the diuine will: Fur­thermore it is the common opi­nion of the Doctors, that sinne is an auersion from the creatour, & conuersion to the creature, in so much that so oft as yee commit sinne, ye separate yourselues from your sweet God, and ioyne your selues to the base and corruptible creature, from whence it procee­deth that the eternal and infinite [Page 79] beauty being left, you turne your selues to the extreamest deformi­tie and foulnes: I beseech yee for Gods sake, that yee doe soe noe more, turne to your selues, oh my my Brethren, being illuminated with the resplendant beames of the sonne of righteousnes, behold your blindnes, and misery, and separate not your selues from this so infinite a good, lest you chan­ge the inestimable treasure and riches of the incomprehēsible di­uinitie, for the drosse of thinges temporall, and transitorie: Quem enim fructum habuistis &c. (Rom. 6.21.) what fruite had yee in those things of which yee are now asha­med. Furthermore if yee desire to see the foulnes of execrable and detestable sinne, giue eare vnto the sequele; the diuell of himselfe was moste faire, and of his owne nature, next vnto almighty God, [Page 80] excelling al other thinges created in beautie and comelines: Duo fe­cisti Domine, vnum propè te, & aliud propé nihil: Thou haste made (oh God) two things, one neare vnto thee, the other almost nothing: saieth the holy Father S. Augu­stine: that which cometh nearest vnto thee, and is more perfect then all the rest, is the nature of the Angels, the other which is al­most nothing, is the first matter, whose entitie & being is so small, that it hath giuen occasion to the philosophers to say, that it is en­titie only in possibilitie, from whence many haue denied mat­ter to be entitie, although the subtill Doctor defendeth the con­trarie, contendinge that it is not placed only in possibility, but is an entitie, yet so little and small, that take away one degree, and it is nothing: These I haue said, not [Page 81] without reason, that I might inti­mate vnto you, the nature of the diuell, who was created of God, the moste perfect and absolute of all thinges, notwithstanding with one only sinne, he is made so fear­full, loathsome, and detestable, that our holy Father S. Francis, being asked of his companion Brother Aegidius concerning this matter, was wont to answere, that it were impossible for any man to see the diuell in his diabolicall shape, and filthines, but for the space of reciting the Pater noster, without losse of life. Therfore oh yee sinners, how great must nee­des the deformitie of sinne be? that hath so obfuscated that na­ture of so excellent a beautie, and made it so filthy and odious? oh my Brethren, gather your forces together, march with vndaunted spirits, at the sound of this trum­pett, [Page 82] against the violence of your enemie, cancell the bond wherin you haue boūd your selues as sla­ues vnto Sathan, breake the truce which yee haue made with your aduersary the diuell: But let vs proceed further, that wee may more clearly behould the filthi­nes of sinne: consider our first pa­rents Adam, and Eue, who were created with compleat stature, and comelines of body, before they had sinned, because they were endued with originall iusti­ce, they were so pure and simple, that like little children they were not ashamed of any thinge that they did, but immediatly after that they had eaten of the forbid­den fruite, and transgressed the commandement of God their Fa­ther, the holy scripture saith, that aperti sunt oculi eorum. (Gen. 3.7.) their eyes were opened, and they [Page 83] perceaued thē selues to be naked, & they sowed together figge lea­ues, to couer themselues: neither is this all, for the scripture saieth in the same place, Cum audissent vocem Domini &c. hearing the voy­ce of our Lord God, walking in paradise at the coole of the day, they hidd themselues in the mid­dest of the trees, for the feare of our Lord: And the shame was so great, that perceauing their na­kednes, it did not suffice them to couer their members, with figge-tree leaues, but they hidd them­selues also in the middest of the trees, and vpon this, God crying vnto them, Adam vbi es? to whom Adam answered, Domine vocem tuam audius, oh Lord I heard thy voyce, and was afraid, because I was na­ked; who did intimate vnto thee, that thou werte naked, but the sinne of disobedience, by eating [Page 84] of the forbidden fruite? oh exe­crable, and accursed sinne? how great and infinite is thy deformi­tie, filthines, and malice?

Here followeth the same matter of the deformitie of sinne. THE V. CHAPTER.

SVch & so great (oh Brethren) is the deformity of sinne, that if a sinner should see his soule in a deadly sinne, he would be vtter­lie confounded with feare and a­mazement. Wee read of an adul­terer, who after that he had com­mitted adultery, returned home, whose wife and children forth­with astonished at the sight of him, rāne away; for he did appeare vnto them in the likenes of a di­uell, with fearfull and huge hor­nes, this man beholding himselfe [Page 85] in a glasse, and seeing himselfe to be soe deformed, being stroken with an horrible feare, with all expedition, and haste, went forth to confession, and to be reconci­led to almightie God: the people that mett him, yea the very brute beastes themselues being affrigh­ted fled away, he seemed so terri­ble to them in shape and figure, and coming to the preist (who did stand at the gate of the church, saying his diuine office) being es­pied of him to approach neare vnto the church, he did so asto­nish him, as that it caused him presently to shut the dores: The miserable soule comming to the dore, intimated vnto him, that he was a sinner, and was so defor­med, and of so fearfull aspect by reason of his sinne, and desired him not to be afraide: this being related and manifested, the priest [Page 86] being possessed with no smal fear, went out vnto him, who hauing confessed, being penitent and re­conciled, was restored to his or­dinary & naturall forme. Oh sou­le, soule, oh vnhappy and wret­ched soule, if thou couldest but see thy selfe being in a deadly sin­ne, how exceedingly beyond all apprehension, wouldest thou bee ashamed, astonished, & confoun­ded at thy selfe? how great a ter­rour would seaze vpon thee, if thou shouldest see thy selfe so de­formed and vggly through sinne, when as before thou wert moste faire, & beautifull? Furthermore, when yee commit any sinne, lest you should be seene of any one, you seeke obscure places, for the performance of the same, and if by fortune you be apprehended in the acte of your offence, pre­sently you are moste grieuously [Page 87] ashamed, and perplexed, and al­though the sinne be obscure, and not reuealed, yet for many yea­res you dare not appeare in the presence of him who apprehen­ded you. Oh blessed soules, who now rest in the fauour of God, make knowne vnto these sinners; what basenes and confusion yee perceaue in sinne, when as some time by the diuine permissiō, en­dued with heauenly virtues, and illuminated with the celestiall beames of diuine grace, you know, vnderstand, & apprehend, your former blemishes, and of­fences, and the multitude of soe great iniuries, whereby formerly you haue displeased your moste gracious God: I beseech you oh blessed soules, demonstrate this vnto these sinners, and sollicite your benigne and clement spouse for them, that he would be plea­sed [Page 88] for his mercies sake, to bestow some measure of those singular graces, wherewith yee your sel­ues were endued, vpon these de­stressed, desolate, and miserable wretches: effect this I beseeche you, by the loue of him who soe dearly loueth you, and whom you likewise so much reuerence, honour, and esteeme: Doe this, seeing there is nothing more ac­ceptable vnto God, then to in­tercead for poore sinners, for the pardoning and remission of their sinnes, who were redeemed and bought, with so deare a price as the pretious blood, death, and passion of his deare sonne; obtai­ne this therefore I intreat you, while I proceed further, to exag­gerate the deformitie of sinne.

Giue eare oh my Brethren sin­ners, sinne is so odious and abho­minable, that it compelled Iob to [Page 89] curse the houre, and day in which he was borne, with that fearfull speech, saying, Pereat dies in qua natus sum. (Iob. 3.3.) let the day pe­rish in which I was borne, & the night, in which it was said, a man childe is conceaued: let darknes, and the shadow of death obscure it, let a miste possesse it, let it bee wrapped vp in bitternes, let a darkesome whirlewinde possesse that night, let that day not be counted with the dayes of the yeare, nor numbred in the mo­nethes: And a little after in the same chapter, he vttereth these words full of misteries; Quare non in vuluâ mortuus sum, &c. why pe­rished I not in the wōbe? why did the knees beare mee, & the brests giue me sucke? what doe yee say to this, oh my Brethren, that such an holy, perfect, and iust man, as Iob, should say these thinges? of [Page 90] whom God with his owne mouth gaue this testimony vnto Sathan, Numquid cōsiderasti seruum meum (Iob? Iob. 2.3.) hast thou considered my seruant Iob, that there is not the like vnto him in the earth? a man simple, vpright, fearing God, & retaining innocency? Wherefore then, and to what end should such fearfull words as the literall sence giueth, proceed out of his mouth, as to curse the day, the night, and houre of his birth? surely it was only to intimate vnto vs, the gre­uous and detestable loathsomnes of sinne, in which he was concea­ued. Oh this wonderfull, and ad­mirable exaggeration of sinne? how fully doth it represent vnto vs, the filth and deformity, ther­of? God graunt that the terrible soūd of this trumpet, may worke in you an abhorring and detesta­tion of vice, and kindle in your [Page 91] soule the fire of diuine loue, that you may die daily to sinne here, & liue with him perpetually her­after,

Amen.

In what hatred sinne is in the sight of almighty God. THE VI. CHAPTER.

O Dio sunt Deo impius, & impie­tas eius. (Wisdom. 14.9.) The wicked and his impietie, are ab­hominable vnto God. Soe great (Brethren) is the deformitie of sinne, that God who is nothing, but beauty, splendour, and good­nes, hath it in great hatred, and detestation: and not sinne only, but also the sinner. The wicked, and his impietie, are odious alike in the sight of God saith the holy scripture: By many thinges we may collect the deadlye hatred [Page 92] that God hath towardes sinners, but most especially by two. The first is, that he doth soe sodenlie, out of his seuere iustice punish it: Lucifer, and his associates sinned, but God by no means enduring that insolent pride, precipitated them frō the height of their for­mer felicitie, into the abisse of e­ternall darknes, by Michael the Archangell, prime minister in the celestiall paradise: Our first pa­rents, Adam and Eue sinned, and God forthwith expelled them out of paradise. There are many ex­amples in holy scripture, which doe liuely set before our eyes, the rigorous and soden execution of the iudgement, and seueritie of God vpon sinners: The Israeliti­call people sinned, adoring the golden Calfe, presently the fire of Gods wrath was kindled, and he said vnto Moyses. Dimitte me, ut [Page 93] irascatur furor meus contra eos. (Exod. 32.20.) suffer, mee that my fury may arise against them. The same people sinned, in demaunding Quailes in the wildernes. Adhuc escae erant in ore ipsorum. (Psal. 77.30.) Euen when the meat was in their mouth, the iudgements of God descended vpon them.

To be briefe, the scripture is full of such examples, although on the contrary his diuine mercy in expecting the conuersion of a sinner, farre surpasseth his iudge­ment: and the reason that there are so many examples extant of sinners in the scripture, not pu­nished by God sodenly, is, that he might declare vnto vs the ri­ches of his mercy, according to that saying of the Apostle. Deus autē qui diues est in misericordiâ. (Eph. 2.4.) God who is rich in mercie, would expect them, vntill they [Page 94] were conuerted: he expected the penitencie of the olde worlde an hundred yeares, before he would destroy it with the deluge, in the meane time, he commaunded Noah to preach pennance, all­though according to the custome of the world, they beleeued him not, who were wont very seldome to beleeue Prophets, who did de­nounce any destruction vnto thē, but rather did persecute and tor­ment them with diuerse punish­ments: The Euangelist declareth this, where Iesus Christ our Lord, threatning Ierusalē, Ierusalem (in­quiens) Ierusalem quae occidis Prophe­tas. (Math. 23.37.) Ierusalem, Ieru­salē thou which puttest to death the Prophets, and stonnest them which are sent vnto thee.

But let vs omit these, and de­clare how long time he expected before he would raine downe fire [Page 95] and brimstone, vpon that obscene & cōtaminated citie of Sodome: and after that he had decreed to consume it, he was soe clement, that he was compelled, & drawne vnto it, as if it were by the eares, wherupō the holy scripture saith. Clamor Sodomorum, & Gomor: mul­tiplicatus est. (Gen. 18.21.) The cry of Sodome & Gomorrha is mul­tiplied, and their sinne aggraua­ted exceedingly, I will descend and see, whether they haue in act [...] accomplished the crie which is come vnto me: Notwithstanding though he hath in so full a mea­sure manifested his mercy, yet that he might demonstrate the hate & detestation which he hath towardes sinne, it appeareth by many wonderfull examples, how seuerely and iustly, he hath puni­shed it, euen so soone as it was committed, which is an infalli­ble [Page 96] argument of the great defor­mitie of sinne.

The second reason, by which we may vnderstand the great dis­pleasure which God conceaueth against sinne, is, that for the sub­uersion of the same, he would giue his only begotten sonne to die a most ignominious death vpō the crosse, amidst two theeues. Sic e­nim Deus dilexit mundum &c. (Ioh. 3.16.) so God loued the world, that he gaue his only begotten sonne for the redemption of it: Propter scelus populi mei percussi eum. (Isay. 53.8.) for the sinne of my people, I haue strooke him; and hee hath laid vpon him all our iniquities, saieth the same holy Prophet. Oh thou sinner, consider wel this pla­ce, and let it touch thee to the quicke; if the eternall Father for the bannishing of sinne, would that his owne sonne should suffer [Page 97] death, who was not man only, but also God, and that so pretious a life should be giuē for the death of sinne, which was prized at soe high a rate, that the holy Apostle saieth. Empti enim estis pretio magn [...]. (1. Cor. 6.20.) for yee are bought with a great price, what an infi­nite then, and immense indigna­tion, and wrath, must God needs conceaue against sinne? Further­more, how odious and detestable, must execrable sinne be, when Ie­sus, Qui erat speciosus prae filijs homi­num, who was the fairest amonge the sonnes of men, should soe a­base himselfe, that he made him­selfe of no reputation, that the Prophet Isay, did say, Vidimus eum &c. (Isa. 53.2.) we haue seene him, and there was moe appearance of beautie in him▪ we were desirous of him, despised, and most abiect of men, a man of sorrowes, and [Page 98] knowing infirmitie, whereupon, neither haue we esteemed him, but counted him as a leaper, and one striken of God: oh yee Bre­thren sinners, if the eternall Fa­ther would not pardon and re­mit sinne, without the death of his only sonne, how hatefull must it needes bee in his diuine sight? and so much the more, that it did not satisfie his infinite, & inscru­table iustice, that his deare sonne should ōly dy, but that he should suffer vpon the crosse, a death most ignominious, that he should be so oppressed with griefe and so tirannically hādled, that his con­tenance and shape could not bee knowne.

Oh sinne be thou accursed, that wast the cause, that my sweet Sa­uiour Iesus suffered, and died so shamefull, & vnheard of a death. Oh Iesu, my loue and delight, [Page 99] commiserate and compassionate poore sinneful and wretched sou­les, the which thou hast redeemed with so great a price, as thy pre­pretious blood. Neither can yee say, that deare Iesus suffered and was crucified for the fall and sin­ne of Adam only, when as tru­lie he died for the sinnes of the whole world. Supra dorsum meum fa­bricauerunt peccatores. (Psal. 128.3.) sinners haue builded vppon my backe, saieth the Prophet Dauid in the person of Iesus Christ, what need we many words? Iesus Christ our Lord died for the abolishing and abliterating of all sinnes and offences, generally and particu­larly, and he suffered no more for all, then for one, yea I say, he of­fered himselfe to be buffeted and massacred for one only soule, and if it were needfull and necessary, he would doe the same againe for [Page 100] the most abiect soule that liueth.

Oh therfore yee sinners, sinne no more, by your so many offen­ces, and execrable iniquities, cru­cifie no more your sweet Iesus, & indulgent Father: for what? of only the Iewes doe yee say he was crucified? I will tell you brethren, that what time so euer ye commit any sinne, in as much, as in your power lieth, you doe crucifie him againe, and doe cause him with euery one of your mortall sinnes, (if his death and passion were not already sufficient) to vndergoe, and suffer the same againe. Rur­sum crucifigentes sibimetipsis filium Dei. (Hebr. 6.6.) crucifying againe vnto themselues, the sonne of God: oh therefore Brethren abstaine from such infinite & heinous offences, and offend not your louing God any more with such death-brin­ging iniuries, which loueth you [Page 101] so exceedingly, & mercifully ex­pecteth your penitency, and con­uersion, saying. Conuertimini ad me in toto corde vestro. (Ioel. 2.12.) turne to me with your whole harte: oh clemencie, oh benignitie, oh loue of Iesus, oh ingratitude, oh obdu­racie, oh malice of a sinner! Oh deare and louing Iesus, haue pit­tie vpon vs, looke not vpon our iniquities, but remember that in­finite mercy, wherewith thou did­dest imbrace vs, Et secundum mag­nam misericordiam tuam. (Psal. 50.) and according to the multitude of thy mercies, doe away mine iniquitie,

Amen.

The third Trumpet, of the detriment that sinne bringeth to a soule in this life. THE VII. CHAPTER.

ET tertius Angelus tubâ cecinit. &. (Apoc. 8.) and the third An­gell [Page 102] sounded the trumpet. Draw neare my sinfull Brother, and at­tentiuely giue eare vnto the soūd of this trumpet, if thou canst not be moued to the abhorring of sin­ne, by that deformity which the former trūpet hath sounded vnto thee, at least decree, and resolue with thy selfe to flie from it, for the exceeding detriment that the soule suffereth by it, euen in this world: O wretch that thou art, if thou didst but know what preiu­dice thou receauest, when thou committest any sinne, I am most certaine, thou wouldest fly from it as from a serpent: Quasi a facie colubri fuge peccata. Flie sinne, as from the face of a Serpent, the teeth of it, are as the teeth of a Lyon, killing the soules of men. All iniquitie is as a two-edged sword, the wound thereof is incu­rable, saith the wise man. (Eccles. [Page 103] 21.3.) Oh Brethren what a fearfull speech is this, to terrifie you from sinning, and to draw you from offending your God and Redee­mer? how euidently doth it de­monstrate, how great, and infinite the detriment is, and how paste cure, the vlcer of sinne is? how true is it, that sinne is a sting of a venemous serpent, which causeth such a wound in the soule of man, as that without great difficultie it cannot be cured? Nam peruersi difficulter corriguntur, peruerse men are not easily reformed, and brought to amendment: And, Im­pius cum in profundum venerit peccato­rum contemnit. (Prou. 18.3.) the wic­ked whē he cometh to the height of vngodlines, contemneth: How much violence must a couetous, intemperate, malitious, or angry mā, or any sinner, vse to be truly, and cordially conuerted, which [Page 104] for a long time, hath bene inue­terated in his accustomed vices? how true is it, that sinnes are lions teeth, mortally woūding the sou­les of men? Lions at one stroke, and moment, kill and deuoure beastes: sinne likewise in one in­stāt butchereth soules: In so much that it peruerteth, and molesteth all the internall, and externall powers, it darkneth and blindeth the vnderstanding, it congealeth the affections, it debillitateth all the faculties, that they are made weake to resist and withstand all oppositions.

I would to God that yee could perceaue, what woundes you giue your soules, euery time that you sinne. I wish from my harte, you could see, how grieuously, and deadly, you strike, stabbe, and murder them, so often as you of­fend: Therfore the holy scripture [Page 105] saieth very properly, Quasi rom­phea bis acuta, omnis iniquitas. (Eccles. 21.4.) all iniquitie is a two-edged sword, which may be vnderstood, because it killeth both body and soule; or therfore it is spoken, to exaggerate, and make knowne vnto vs, the deadly wounds, that it doth inflict vpon a soule. Nei­ther is the scripture content with this, but it goeth farther, and saieth. Illius non est sanitas, there is no remedy for the hurt thereof: neither truly is there found a na­turall balme against the wound of sinne, but we must seeke one supernaturall and diuine: Quis po­test remittere peccatum, nisi solus Deus? who can forgiue sinne but God a­lone? (Luc. 5.21.) this blemish can­not be taken away, nor this woūd cured, vnlesse God himselfe, the heauenly phisitian of soules, ap­plie the salue: Magnus de coelo des­cendit [Page 106] medicus, quia magnus iacebat egrotus: it was necessary that a grat phisitian should come from heauen, because there was a dāge­rous woūd to be cured vpō earth: In a word, it is only the pretious blood of Christ, that can effect this, Et sine sanguinis effusione, non fit remissio peccatorum. (Heb. 9.22.) and without the effusiō of blood, there is no remission of sinne: Blinde & olde Tobias, that he might reco­uer his lost sight, was compelled to apply the gall of a fish, taken out of the riuer Tigris: and thou inueterated sinner in vices, to re­ceaue thy spirituall sight againe, hast need to apply the bitter gall, of the sacred fish Christ Iesus, ta­ken out of the torrent of his pas­sion, according to that of Ionas. Protecisti me in profundū, in corde ma­ris, & flumē circumdedit me. (Ion. 2.) Thou hast cast me into the deepe, [Page 107] and the riuer hath compassed me, about, which truly may be vn­derstood of the passion of Christ. Passio Christi est mare propter penali­tatis amaritudinem: flumen propter cha­ritatis dulcedinem, S. Bon. proemio sentent.

And therfore if thou desirest to be made whole, thou must haue recourse to the wounds of Christ, & that pretious blood which was powred forth, and distilled from his sacred body, hanging vpon the wood of the crosse: runne with all speed to the whippes, and nai­les, blowes & ignominies, which our deare Iesus suffered: to those torments, and sufferinges which he endured: to the paines which he did vndergoe: to the disgrace­full crowne which was set vpon his head: to the spittings, buffe­tings, opprobries, accursed ma­ledictions, and blasphemies, with [Page 108] which thy sweet Iesus was op­prest: In a word Brethren, that you may be awakened from the lethargie of sinne, and abandon the societie of the diuell, of ne­cessitie you must make haste to prostrate your selues at the feete of Iesus Christ crucified, there to begge the balme, electuarie, and potion, which may cure your in­ueterate woundes, poisoned soa­res, and apostemes: To conclude it is necessary, to caste all our co­gitation, into the immense abisse of the passion of Iesus Christ, and that we should assure our selues, that whatsoeuer he hath suffered, hath bene for vs, and that our sin­ne hath bene the only cause ther­of: Last of all, that we may reco­uer our former health, & change our lifes & conuersations, let our Lord illuminate vs, & take pitty, and commiseratiō vpon vs for his [Page 109] mercies sake,

Amen.

Other damages and losses which a soule receaueth by reason of sinne. THE VIII. CHAPTER.

SVrge qui dormis. (Ephes. 5.14.) Arise thou that sleepest, and come from amongst the dead, and Christ wil illuminate thee: Marke I beseech you, and giue eare to this saying of the Apostle, if yee desire to know more detriments of sinne, whereby your soules are preiudiced: The Apostle doth de­monstrate three harmes in this place, which sinne procureth: The first is, that it dulleth the soule, that it cannot well performe her function: therfore it is said. Surge qui dormis, arise thou that sleepest: The second is, that it killeth the soule: therfore it is said. Surge à [Page 110] mortuis. The third is, that it blin­deth it, therfore the Apostle saith. Et illuminabit te Christus, and Christ shall giue thee light: oh ye drow­sie and sluggish sinners, how true is it, that you are a sleepe, and possest with the lethargy of sinne? Et Ionas descendebat ad interiora na­uis, & dormiebat sopore graui. (Ion. 1.5.) Ionas descended into the in­nermoste partes of the shippe, & slept a sound sleepe, he perceaued not the roaring of the sea, nor the violent encountring of the fo­ming waues, nor the great dan­ger to which he was exposed, nor did he heare the cry, and lamen­tation of the marriners, nor had he awaked, had not the Master of the shippe, stirred him vp, say­ing vnto him. Quid tu sopore depri­meris? what doest thou sleepe? a­rise and cal vpon the name of thy God.

[Page 111]Oh sinner, how hast thou des­cended into the interiour parte of the shippe, our holy Mother the church? thou liest there lulled a sleepe in vices, & iniquities, nei­ther wretch that thou art, doest thou take notice of the troubled state of the shippe, the church, ex­posed to the danger of shipwrack for thy sinnes, on all sides tossed with turbulent windes, and stor­mes of most cruell enemies. Arise vnhappy soule, I say, not the Ma­ster, or pilot of the shippe, but thy poore Brother, who beinge touched with a desire of the helth of thy soule, and of all other sin­ners, for the loue of him who shewed such great mercy towar­des me, that called me from the sleepe in which I did lie, I say vn­to thee, wherefore doest thou lie opprest with sleepe? sleepe no lon­ger, awake oh sinnefull, and wic­ked [Page 112] wretch, now is the time, to thinke with thy selfe, what mise­ries are imminent, now implore the diuine ayde and mercy, Si for­t [...] recogitet de nobis, vt non pereamus. (Ion. 1.6.) if perhappes he will thinke of vs, that we may not pe­rish. Arise now with the holy Pro­phet Dauid, saying. Illumina ocu­los meos. (Psal. 12.5.) lighten mine eyes, lest I should sleepe in death, lest that mine enemies should say, I haue preuailed against him.

There are some which snorte & are sound a sleepe in their sin­nes, and there be some which be halfe awake: they of the first sorte, be such as daily sinne mortally, and they are in continuall enmi­tie with God, because as they that snorte, sleepe soundly, neither are they awaked of the sudden, so they that are in mortall sinne, are not easily raised out of the [Page 113] depth thereof: But they of the se­cond sorte, sometimes they fall, sometimes they rise againe out of their sinnes, euen as he that slum­bereth, often sleepeth, and often awaketh againe, and this is the lesser euill, although sometimes they are punished with noe lesser penaltie, then they that are soūd­lie a sleepe: God almighty illu­minate you that you may not sleepe, slumber, nor snorte in the depth of sinne, as you haue done vntill now.

The Apostle prosecuteth this matter further, saying. Et exurge à mortuis, and arise from the dead; Beholde a greater danger, wher­by the soule is endamaged by sin­ning? for after that a soule for some time hath slept in sinne, it is more negligent in the exercise of good workes, and is so dulled, and in disposed, that it seemeth [Page 114] to be dead: For as the body with­out the soule is dead: so a soule is dead without God; as the soule is the life of the body, so God is the life of the soule: know yee (deare Brethren) that there is noe dead carcase so stinkinge, or hath a more loathsome smell in the sense of man, as a soule dead in sinne hath, in the nostrills of almighty God. There is an example at hād in the liues of the holy Fathers, of an Angell that did accompa­nie an Anachoret, to make him vnderstand something of the di­uine iudgements: These in the way as they iournied, foūd a dead body, the Angel passing by, made noe signe of any offensiue smell, but proceeding further, they met with a certaine comely yōg man, richly inuested, & bearing about him strong parfumes, at the sight of whome, the Angell forthwith [Page 115] stopped his nostrills, at which thing the Anchoret wonderinge, he demaunded the reason, wher­fore he should stoppe his nose, at that comely yong man, wel cloa­thed, and sending forth accepta­ble smells, and immmediatly be­fore, made no such signe at the dead body: because said the An­gell, youth loaden with sinne stinketh more odiously, then a putrified body: I am fetet, now he stinketh saith Martha of her Bro­ther Lazarus, (Ioan. 11.39.) oh my my Brother sinner how grieuous­lie doest thou stinke in the nostrils of God, the Angels, & the Saints in heauen?

Et illuminabit te Christus, & Christ shall enlighten thee, behold an­other greeuous effect, and detri­ment that sinne bringeth vpō the soule: Oh blinded sinners which perceaue not the resplendant lu­stre [Page 116] and light of diuine grace: Et confestim ceciderunt ab oculis eius tan­quam squamae, & visum recepit. (Act. 9.18) and presently there fel from his eyes, as it were scales, and he receaued his sight, saieth S. Luke in the acts of the Apostles, speak­ing of the conuersion of Saul. Oh sinner, persecutor of Iesus Christ, I would to God, thou couldest see with what great scales, thy eyes are couered, which doe hinder, & blinde thy sight: Oculos suos sta­tuerunt declinare in terram. (Psal. 16.11.) they haue determined to decline their eyes towardes the earth: sinners haue made a com­pact with the diuell, to haue their eyes alwaies fastned vppon the earth.

Oh blinded sinners, that Iesus might illuminate your eyes, he would permit his diuine eyes to be ridiculously couered, & sham­fully [Page 117] blindfolded: How ignorant, and blind art thou, oh ambitious man, which doest so stedfastly fix thine eyes vpon the vanishinge shadow of vaine glory? Oh thou couetous man, how blinde art thou, to whom a lump of dust & earth, seemeth an incomparable treasure? How blinde art thou, oh luxurious man, to whom a stin­king carcase, seemeth so pretious a thing? Oh intemperate mā, how blinde art thou, to whom transi­torie pleasures seeme soe sweete, and inestimable? Oh all yee sin­ners how blinde are you, that you cannot perceaue and see your great detriment, and eminent danger? oh my Iesu, illuminate I beseeche thee these blinded sin­ners, that they may take notice of their errours, in which they are soe miserablie inuolued: gra­unt them to repent for theire [Page 118] crimes and offences, and to turne vnto thee, with all their hartes, the sweete fountaine of eternall life, and happines,

Amen.

That a soule by sinne, looseth the friend­ship of God. THE IX. CHAPTER.

SI consideremus (fratres charissimi) qua & quanta sunt, quae nobis pro­mittuntur in coelis, vilescerent animo omnia quae habentur in terris. Oh dear Brethren, if you would truly con­sider, what, and how great thin­ges are promised, and prouided for you in heauen, all things vp­pon earth would seme contemp­tible, and base vnto you: saith S. Gregorie: I am not determined at this present to speake of the great losse, which sinne bringeth vpon the soule in the life to come, [Page 119] seeing that I purpose hereafter to take a more oportune occasion, but now I wll intimate only, what, and how great a thing it is, that a soule looseth by sinne in this life: In maleuolam animam non intrabit sa­pientia, wisedome shall not enter into a malignant soule, saieth the scripture. (Wisd. 1.4.) behold, the first shipwracke of a sinnefull sou­le, is the want of the taste of true knowledge, for although a sinful soule is endued with an excellent vnderstāding, yet is it depriued of the comfortable tast of the scrip­tures, and neuer hath the gust of the sweetnes thereof. But this is nothing in respect of that which it looseth, for the soule of a sin­ner is depriued of the friendship, and amitie of God, which farre exceedeth all other thinges.

Be wife now therefore, oh yee sinners, and know how pretious a [Page 120] iewell you loose; heare mee I be­seech you: Soe long as a soule is void of sinne it is a friend & com­panion of God, by how much it is intense in his worship, praise, and honour, by so much it is gra­tious and acceptable vnto him: from whence it cometh to passe, that these great holy men when they were liuing in the worlde, they were called the friendes of God: Loquebatur Deus ad Moysen. (Exod. 13.11.) God spake vnto Moyses, face to face, as a man speaketh to his friend: and Iesus Christ saieth to his disciples. Iam non dicam vos seruos. (Ioan. 15.15.) now I will call you no more ser­uantes, for the seruant knoweth not the minde of his Master, but you haue I called friends, because whatsoeuer I haue heard of my Father, that I haue manifested vnto you: Behold by what meanes [Page 121] a soule is made a friend and dar­ling of God? to witt, by obeying his holy will, and obseruing his diuine precepts; now a sinner re­fuseth to doe that which is al­waies commaunded by God, and in neglect of this, & performing the contrarie, he witnesseth his malice, and contempt of so om­nipotent, and infinite a maiestie: if God saieth vnto him, Non assu­mes nomē Domini tus in vanum. (Exod. 20.7.) thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vai­ne, he is presently breathing forth blasphemies: If God saieth, Obser­ua diem Sabath, keepe holy the Sa­both day, he will little esteeme the prophanation of it: if God saieth, Honora Patrem, honour thy Father, and thy Mother, he will be disobedient to them: hence therfore ariseth a capitall emni­tie betwixt the soule & God, Ini­quitates [Page 120] [...] [Page 121] [...] [Page 122] vestrae diuiserunt inter vos, & Deum vestrum. (Isay. 59.2.) your ini­quities haue made a diuision be­twixt you and your God.

Oh vnfortunate soule, what an inexcogitable preiudice hast thou procured, which is the losse of Gods friendship, and to appeare no other wayes in his diuine as­pect, then an abiect? Reprobate, and wretched enemy, perhaps thou thinkest with thy selfe, that thou hast lost but the fauour of some ignoble and vnworthy man or Prince: Oh no, no it is no lesse, then the friendship of almighty God, the creatour, and conseruer of all thinges, and redeemer of all mankinde. Oh miserable sou­le, if thou wouldest but duly con­sider, and equally ballance thy vnheard of detrimēt, what could there be inuented so pleasant, or delightfull, which might retaine [Page 123] thee in the snares of sinne? what fetters, and chaines of sinne so stronge, that thou wouldest not shake off, and breake in sunder? oh what damage doe you sinners suffer, when as you loose the loue, fauour, and friendship of so om­nipotent, clement, and mercifull a God? The holy Prophet Dauid consideringe only that he could not be present at the solemnity of the temple, bewailing, and la­menting, he saieth. Fuerunt mihi lachrimae meae &c. (Psal. 41.4.) my teares haue bene my bread day, and night, whilest they doe say vnto me, where is thy God? Quē ­admodum desiderat ceruus euen as the harte panteth after the fountai­nes of waters, so my soule desi­reth after thee, oh God, my soule hath thirsted after God the liuing water, when shall I come and ap­peare before the face of God? Si [Page 124] ergo inueni gratiam in conspectu tuo, &c. If therefore I haue found fa­uour in thy eyes, shew mee thy fauourable cōtenāce, saith Moy­ses to God. Exod. 33.13.

This is that, that caused the Saints to be so vigilant, and in­dustrious in their prayers, so au­stere in their fastinges, mortifica­tions, and resignations of their proper wills, and that to no other end, but that they might be coū ­ted worthy to be friendes of God: for truly, what other is the end, center, or repose of our soule, but God? As fire of its owne nature is carried vpward, & as euery pon­derous and heauy thing of its na­ture falleth downewards, euen so the soule is directed towards God, and euen as the waters runne into the sea, so haue our soules recour­se vnto almighty God; now truly from this center, from this end, [Page 125] and from this sweet repose, is the soule hindred by the obstacle of sinne, & no other thing: Oh ther­fore sinners, enemies of God, where wil you be secure? To what place will you flie for refuge? Where will you hide your selues, from the presence of God? Quò ibo à spiritu tuo? (Psal. 138.7.) whether shall I go from thy spirit? or whe­ther shall I flie from thy face? It was the misery of sinne that made Cayn crie out. Ecce hodie eijcis me à facie terrae, (Gen. 4.14.) behould thou doest cast me this day from the face of the earth, and I shall be hid from thy face, therfore e­uery man that seeth me, may kill mee: It is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God, saith S. Paul: But do ye not trem­ble, oh you sinners, when your aduersary is so powerfull, & your enemy so potent? wo be vnto vs, [Page 126] if he were not clement, who is so mighty: Returne therfore, now oh Brethren, vnto him, which so louingly expecteth you. Humilia­mini igitur sub potenti manu Dei. (1. Pet. 5.6.) humble your soules vn­der the mighty hand of God, that he might exalt you in the time of his visitation, reconcile your sel­ues vnto him, and agree with your aduersary, whilest you are in the way, that when he shall see you at the point and laste article of your death, taking your fare­wel of the world, he may not con­demne you with the damned sou­les, and execrable diuells in hell, but of his mercy, extoll and place you in heauen,

Amen.

That a soule by sinne doth lose the grace of God. THE X. CHAPTER.

GRatiam & gloriam dabit Domi­nus. (Psal. 83.4.) Our Lord will giue grace and glorie: That I may comprehend the matter in few wordes, our Lord is he that in this life, giueth grace, and in the next, glorie: But you, so long as yee are in mortall sinne, are depriued of that grace, and dying in sinne, shall neuer attaine to that glory (which God forbid:) therefore rather turne from your wicked wayes, and learne to liue vnto God, for our Lord saieth: Nolo mortem peccatoris impij &c. (E­zech. 33.11.) I will not the death of a wicked sinner, but had rather that the vniust man would leaue [Page 128] his iniquitie and liue. Therefore Brethren, consider I beseech you, the exceedinge great detriment and losse, that you suffer by the depriuation of grace: which that with fruite, and profit, I may in­timate, & demonstrate vnto you, I beseech you, and implore this thing of you, that you would at­tentiuely heare and with diligen­ce read this that followeth.

I haue formerly declared, how a sinner looseth the friendship of God, and now my intent is to make knowne vnto you, how he looseth his diuine grace, which grace is as it were, an intermediat thing betwixt the soule and God, causing it to be acceptable, and gratefull vnto him: for the grace of God is no other thing, then a certaine ornament, garment, or spirituall vestment of the soule, by which she is made glorious & [Page 129] appeareth beautifull in the eyes and presence of her beloued spou­se Christ Iesus. Queene Hester when she would present her selfe vnto the King her husband, the scripture saieth. Circundata est glo­riâ suâ. (Ester. 15.4.) she was ador­ned with all her glory, that shee might find fauour in the fight of the King her spouse: So likewise a soule, that it may become ac­ceptable, in the diuine eyes of the King of heauen and earth, had neede be adorned with that rich garment of diuerse colours. (Psal. 44.) which is the varietie of spiri­tuall gifts, and graces.

But before I shall declare what this grace is, it will be needfull to speake of the common diuision of grace, which all Doctors affirme, saying, that grace is two folde. The one is, Gratia gratis data, gra­ce giuen gratis, and for no prece­dent [Page 130] merit: the other, Gratum fa­ciens, making the party accepta­ble, vpon whom it is bestowed. Graces of the first sorte, are the fouours, and spiritual gifts which are bestowed vpon men, of which the Apostle speaketh of, when be he saieth, Alij quidem per spiritum da­tur sermo sapientia &c. (1. Cor. 12.8.) to one is giuen by the spirit, the word of wisedome, to another the worde of knowledge, to an­other the grace of doing cures, to another the working of miracles, to another, prophecy, to another, the discerning of spirits, to an­other diuersitie of tounges, to another interpretatiō of langua­ges, and all these, worketh one, and the same spirit, diuiding vn­to euery one, according as he wil: Grace of the other kind, is a cer­taine spirituall qualitie, created of God alone, and infused into [Page 131] the soule, which filleth and puri­fieth her essence: as the subtile Scotus affirmeth, afterwards re­doundeth into the powers and fa­culties, as the angelicall Doctor teacheth: It is not our purpose to dispute of this matter, it will be sufficient for you to know, what you loose by your sinnes.

Now the grace of God being thus vnderstood, that it is a cer­taine spirituall qualitie created, and infused into the soule, which of its owne nature, is opposite to mortall sinne, in so much that grace by no means, can stand to­gether with mortall sinne, I say mortall sinne: for grace is not ex­cluded by veniall sinne, although a soule should be blemished with a thousand venial sinnes, yet not­withstandinge it might obtain [...] loue, and fauour in the sight of God, but it is true, that when the [Page 132] soule is thus stained with the ble­mishes of veniall sinnes, that the mutuall loue and amitie, which intercedeth betweene God & the soule, waxeth more colde and te­pidd, that it cannot be eleuated with that ardent feruour of loue towardes God, as it was wonte, neither with that zeale doth shee seeke his honour, and glorie, as is requisite: but so soone as one mortall sinne seaseth vpon the soule, the grace of God imme­diatly, vpon, that instant, depar­teth, and leaueth that vnhappy soule, which becometh thereby, an enemie vnto God, and appea­reth abhominable in his sight.

Behold now (Brethren) your in­finite detriment, penetrate your great losse, ponder well with your selues, in what a state you are, whē as you are hatefull to almightie God: It is no small thinge to be [Page 133] depriued of the fauour of some earthly King, or to purchase the displeasure of a worldly Prince, but it is a farre greater thing, to be destitute of the grace of God, and to incurre the wrath of the King of Kings: And yet this wret­ched world, vilifying, and dispi­sing this, seemeth to esteeme of it as a matter of small moment. Oh vnwise, oh foolish, oh blinde world, which folowest butterflies, and fearest the stings of flies, and gnats, but tremblest not to thinke of the euer gnawing worme of cō ­science, and quakest not at the eternall furie, and consuminge wrath of God. Oh (Brethren sin­ners) feare God, feare God I say, and remember the saying of our B. Sauiour, pronounced with his owne moste sacred mouth. Nolite timere &c. (Math. 10.28.) feare not those that kill the body, but can­not [Page 134] hurte the soule, but rather feare him, that can cast both bo­die and soule into hell fire. Christ Iesus our Lord God, for his mer­cies sake, vouchsafe to infuse into your soules, the holy feare of him, for feare is the beginning & ori­ginall of all our good works: Bea­tus homo qui semper est pauidus. (Prou. 28.14.) blessed is the man that al­waies feareth, saith the wise man: giue vs therefore (sweet Iesu) this holy feare of thee, and illumi­nate, and burne vs in the furnace of diuine loue,

Amen.

Of the terrible sentence which is giuen vpon a soule, at the instant that it sinneth. THE XI. CHAPTER.

ANima quae peccauerit ipsa morie­tur. (Ezech. 18.20.) the soule [Page 135] that sinneth, shall die. Oh yee sin­ners, how fearfull is the sound of this third Trumpet? It seemeth like vnto the soūd of those trum­pets, which at the laste leaue be­hinde them, a fearfull, broken, and terrible note: Oh how horrid, and vnpleasant is it? giue eare; The soule that sinneth shall die. Oh fearful sentence: but who pro­nounceth it? the holy scripture, the mistresse of truth, in the per­son of God the Father, the Son­ne, and the holy Ghost. But that you may with more attentiō, giue eare to the sound of this trumpet, know yee, that so soone as yee commit mortall sinne, in the con­sistorie of heauen, by the mouth of the moste holy and blessed Tri­nitie, the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost, your sentence is denounced in these wordes. Let this soule be accursed, condem­ned, [Page 136] and adiudged to death, that shee may be tormented, and bur­ned in the euerlasting flames of hell fire, in the companie of vg­glie and terrible diuels, in that detestable & odious place of per­dition; And then all hope and means being taken away of euer returning, if shee die in this state, without penance, contrition, and it may be confession, she is giuen into the hands, and authoritie of diabolicall, and hellish furies, for euer to be consumed in not con­suming flames. Oh that fearfull and moste terrible sentence, yet moste right and iust!

But giue eare a little further, oh you sinners, for euery mortall sinne that you commit, the same sentence, in the same heauen, of the same God, Father, Sonne, & holy Ghost, in the presence of the B. V. Marie, Mother of God, and [Page 137] the whole celestiall courte of hea­uen, is againe pronounced against your soules, and al the Saints and Angels in that celestiall paradise, say Amen. Oh deare Brethren, take this councell of mee, turne vnto almightie God, neither be diffident, or call into doubt, the diuine clemencie, and mercie, for though you were ten thousand ti­mes by sentence condemned vnto hell, notwithstanding, so long as yee liue, you haue time to chan­ge the sentence: Si autem impius e­gerit penitentiam &c. (Ezec 18.21.) if the sinner do pennance for all his sinnes, which he hath wrought, all his iniquities shall be done away which he hath committed, saith God by the mouth of his holy Prophet Ezechiel: thus thou seest, oh sinnefull soule, that God can & wil change his sentence, if thou please to chāge thy wicked course [Page 138] and vngodly maner of liuing.

There be two thinges (sinners) that God do [...]h not remember: to wit, sinnes, and good workes: if one hath liued wel, thirty or four­tie yeares, and hath serued God with much feruour of spirit, and maceration of his body, with fa­stings, watchings, disciplines, or other such acts, and at last should sinne, and decline from his for­mer institution, and manner of liuing, God blotteth out of his memorie, all his former good workes, and meritorious actes, and if he die in such a state, he is for euer plunged into the pitt of perdition: On the other side, if any one hath liued, thirty or four­tie yeares, in sinnes, be they ne­uer so great, and at the last should be penitent, and sorrowfull for them, God will forgett them all, & were they as redd as scarlett, he [Page 139] will make them as white as snow, and dying in that estate, without all doubt, he should be made par­ticipante of the perpetuall ioyes of heauen: The former ought to strike great feare, trembling, and terrour into the good, but the latter, much confidence, hope, & trust into the wicked.

Therfore I beseech you, and entreat you (deare Brethren sin­ners) for Gods sake, and the ho­nour and loue of him, that died for you, that you would leaue sin­ning, & be conuerted vnto your clement Redeemer; not any lon­ger to abuse his mercies, but to giue his diuine maiestie, infinite thankes, for his long suffering, & expecting, euen vntill this instāt, of your amendment, and conuer­sion, and who is alwaies prepared fatherly to receaue you, if euer by amendement of life you shall [Page 140] returne home vnto him: Dixi con­fitebor aduersum me iniustitiam meam. (Psal. 31.6.) I said, I will confesse against my selfe, mine iniustice vnto our Lord, and thou hast for­giuen the impietie of my sinne, saieth the holy Prophet Dauid: who is he (oh Brethrē) that would abuse this so great benignitie of God? doe it not, doe it not, doe it not, for Iesus Christ his loue, and bitter passion, who died vpon the crosse for you, but turne your sel­ues vnto so louing, and fatherly a God, which doth not only ex­pect, but also draw you, that he might pardon, free, and redeeme you from sinne, death and hell. A lasse, oh yee fooles, wherefore do you any longer defer it? Sweet Iesu Christ, looke downe vppon these blinded wretches, and in­fuse into their soules, the light of grace, which may bring them to [Page 141] the participation of thy glorie, which (for thy mercie, and much suffering) vouchsafe to make thē capable of, that they may die, to liue with thee eternally,

Amen.

That man may easily sinne, but cannot of himselfe rise from thence. THE XII. CHAPTER.

SIne me nihil potestis facere. (Ioan. 15.5.) without me yee can doe nothing, and in another place. Nemo potest venire ad me, &c. (Ioan. 6.44.) no man can come vnto mee, vnlesse my Father who hath sent mee, shall draw him: ther­fore the spouse in the canticles cried out. Draw me after thee. (Can­tic. 1.3.) Now therfore, oh sinner, it is no smal euill, that thou doest incurre by sinning, seeing thou hast power to fall, and that it is in [Page 142] thy free will to sinne, or not, but being once fallen, canst not of thy owne forces rise againe, without the assistance of diuine grace. Tel mee I pray thee (speaking of thy body) that by all probability, im­mediatlye after foote set vppon ground, thou shouldest fall, how careful wouldest thou bee in wal­king, what diligēce wouldest thou vse, for the placing of thy feete, for the auoyding of danger, and if thou chance to fall, how wil­lingly wouldest thou imitate the asse, which with great difficulty i [...] drawne that way, where hee fo [...] merly receued any hurt: The case is the same, oh sinner, in respect of thy soule, in the next moment thou art ready to fall dangerous­lie, in so much that thou hast not power and abilitie to rise againe, what care oughtest thou to haue then, in ordering thy footsteps? [Page 143] what vnwillingnes to walke in that path againe, in which for­merly thou hast receaued so great hurt and danger?

But thou neglecting this, per­haps wilt say, God will helpe me: True it is, thou maiest hope, and it is good that thou trust, & con­fide in his diuine assistance, but with this hope, there must be ioy­ned an holie feare to offend, or sinne against so great a maiestie, for otherwise thou shalt much aggrauate thy crime, and delict, and procure the displeasure of so benigne, and louing a Father. But who hath, or can assure thee, that the effectuall helpe of God, will alwaies be at hand to assist thee? Hee can doe, or omitt this, as it shall be thought fitt by his diuine prouidence: and therefore thou hast great reason carefully, and prudently to institute thy life, & [Page 144] to shunne, and abandon all ob­iects and occasions, that may any way distract or hinder thee, from the vnion of so mighty, & pow­erfull a Lord.

Furthermore, whē as God hath administred vnto thee oftētimes his diuine helpe, and raised thee vp againe, but thou continuing in vices, and still with the dogge, returning to thy former vomit, it may be (I say) then he will leaue thee, as long as that sentence of thy damnation may be pronoun­ced in heauen, thou art neuer se­cure; why therefore doest thou studie (as I may say) to sinne, and to prouoke the diuine goodnes? Leaue therfore, Brother, leaue I beseech thee, by that life and pre­tious blood, which Iesus Christ our Lord powred out for vs, han­ging vpon the holy wood of the crosse: Brother, sinne no more, [Page 145] for assure thy selfe, that so long as thou art polluted with the ble­mish of sinne, thou art no other then an adulterate person, and liable to eternall perdition. Be­holde vnfortunate soule, if thou shouldest be in daunger to fal in­to some deepe lake, or into the sea, or any other depth, or into the iawes of some cruel wilde bea­stes, how vigilant, and carefull wouldest thou bee, for the auoy­ding of so great, and imminent a perill? and yet thou seemest no­thing at all, to feare or care for falling into hell, out of which there is no redemption.

How good workes, done in sinne, doe perish and are of no merit. THE XIII. CHAPTER.

WHat? dost thou not know, that all thy good, and [Page 146] meritorious acts, and deeds, shall not auaile thee any thing, if thou but once sinne? This only thing truly, ought to be a sufficient mo­tiue, if thou wouldest admit it to thy serious cogitation, to excite & rouse thee vp, to amendement, and correction of thy life & man­ners. Vnderstand how great and ineffable, the loue and benigni­tie of our Lord and Sauiour Ie­sus Christ is, towards vs vngrate­full soules, who hath ordained & decreed, for the least thing soeuer, done in the honor of him, to giue, and make vs capable of heauen: for one fasting, for one mortifi­cation of the body, for one al­mes, for one penny giuen for the loue of him, for one submission, and inflexion of the body, pro­ceeding and tending to his glory, for pronouncing only of the bles­sed name of Iesus, if it be done [Page 147] with due reuerence, he will make vs partakers of his celestial king­dome.

Cōsider now poore wretch, that so long as thou art blemished, & polluted with the spott and con­tagion of sinne, what soeuer thou doest (were it to die) it would not be imputed meritorious, for the obtayning of eternall saluation, and from hence it cometh, that whatsoeuer thou doest, it doth all perish, although thou shouldest doe so much pennance, so auster­lie macerate thy body, so often fast, as often as the whole world: if thou shouldest distribute al thy goods to the poore, and giue thy body to be consumed in flames of fire, & performe what soeuer can be done or saide, it doth not any way profit or auaile thee, for the obtaining of eternall life, so long as thou art in mortal sinne: These [Page 148] good workes doe profit thee, but to other endes, as to conseruing of thy health, and procuring and obtaining of temporall goods, & riches, in this life: because God out of his infinite goodnes and iustice, letteth passe no euill vn­punished, and no good thing vn­rewarded: Therfore abstaine thou not, hereafter from doing well, & performing those good morall acts, although thou beest guiltie of mortall sinne, because besides that they conduce to that which I haue formerly intimated, it may be also that they auaile so much, that thou being freed from the guilt of sinne, thou mayest be made more fitt and apt, that God may more freely concur with thy soule, and cause in thee peniten­cie, and satisfaction for thy for­mer sinnes, although of thēselues they auaile not to obtaine heauē.

[Page 149]I will here demonstrate vnto thee, a certaine manner of pro­ceeding, that although thou art guiltie of mortall sinne, notwith­standing, God may accept of thy good works, to thy saluation, which is very profitable, and I earnestly desire thee to attend & giue eare vnto it. When thou art about to giue an almes, to fast, to say the Rosary, to heare Masse, or a sermon, or to doe any good worke, being then in mortall sin­ne, if then thou hast not oportu­nitie, or leasure, to goe to con­fession, I will that thou endea­uour to gaine that sorrow and pe­nitencie for thy sinnes, that is re­quisite, with a purpose neuer to sinne more, and confesse them, when there shall be conuenient time, and occasion: which thing being so done, thy good workes shall be gratefull, meritorious, [Page 150] and capable of eternall retribu­tion: But if thou obseruest not this, & remainest guiltie of dead­lie sinne, there is no hope, that thou shalt euer gaine heauen, for all thy good deeds, although they were innumerable.

Here I also tell thee, that not a few are deceaued, who suppose, & beleeue, that those good acts, that they doe in mortall sinne, af­ter confession, and reconciliation with God, shall be restored vnto them againe, and by their merits they may gaine heauen, which is is most vntrue: But that thou mayest fully, and truly vnderstād this opiniō, I will that thou know (ô sinner) accordinge to all the Doctors, that there are three kin­des of workes: which are, liue wor­kes, dead workes, mortified wor­kes: Liue workes are those, which are done in grace, and these are [Page 151] meritorious of eternall life: Dead workes are called those, which are done in sinne, which are al­together dead, neither are capa­ble of merit: Mortified workes, are these which are done in the state of grace of any one, but af­terwards, he sinneth, and therby, so mortifieth, & obscureth them, that if he should die in mortall sinne, the workes which before were meritorious and liuely, shall perish, and be abolished, because their vertue and force was so de­bilitated, and weakned by sinne.

Againe these mortified workes, when thou shalt be receaued into grace, they shall haue their for­mer nature, and that mortifica­tion being remoued, they shall be reuiued, and of no lesse merit, thē they were formerly: But these which were done in sinne, which had no vigour, or life, although [Page 152] thou art admitted into grace, not withstanding, they shall obtaine nothing, vnlesse, as I haue for­merly explicated. Iesus Christ for his mercies sake, graunt that he would impresse, the horrible sound of this fearfull trumpet, in your eares, and hartes, and ther­by so awake you, that you may be alwaies fitt instruments of his diuine grace, and at last to raigne with him, and his eternall Father, in the kingdome of eternall glo­rie, in blisse and happines, for e­uer and euer,

Amen.

The fourth Trumpet, of the losse that a sinner suffereth through sinne at his death. THE XIV. CHAPTER.

ET quartus Angelus tubâ ceciuit. (Apoc. 8.) and the fourth Angel [Page 153] sounded the trumpet: Come yee now (ô sinners) to the hearing of the fourth trumpett, attend and marke how terrible and fearfull it is: O wretched and blinded sou­les that you are, consider with your selues, that you must once die; Dust thou art, and into dust shalt thou returne, said God to Adam, when he was penitent for his of­fence. (Gen. 3.) By the enuie, and malice of the diuell, sinne entred into the world, and those that are of his combination, striue to imitate him. The holy scrip­ture saieth. It is decreed, once for men to die: accordinge to the A­postle, Alasse (oh yee sinners) what reason can you haue, to be so proane and facill to sinne, when as it must needes bee, that you are not ignorant of the necessitie of your deathes? Oh yee harlotes, which make [Page 154] your owne bodies netts of the di­uell, to deceaue, and entrap your selues, and make your soules a prey for the furie of the diuell, with thē to be burned perpetual­lie in hell? how can it be (I say) that beinge mindefull of death, you doe not desist from such ma­lignant offences, and crimes?

O death, how cometh it to passe, that at the remembrance of thee, sinners are not astonished? In all thy workes remember thy last end, and thou shalt neuer sinne, saith the wise man. (Eccles. 7.40.) But which are your last and finall ends, oh yee sinners? doe you know? They are Death, Iudgement, Hell, & Hea­uen, we will at this present pro­ceed to treat, and say something of death, and hereafter of the o­ther. O happy soule which now bearest in minde, and appliest to thy harte, the last houre and mo­ment [Page 155] of death. Mors est vltimum ter­ribilium. Death is the last thing of all that are to be feared, saith the philosopher: There can nothing be fained, or thought vpon, more fearful thē death, but thou think­ing not vpon this matter, studiest continually how to sinne, saying with the impious mā. Let vs crowne our selues with roses, before they wi­ther, let there be no pleasant medow, which our riot shall not passe through. (Wisd. 2.8.) Thus thou spendest ten, twenty, thirty, perhaps four­tie yeares, liuing in this irreli­gious, and vngodly course of life: But tell me I beseech thee sinner, what will all this profit thee? at last thy life shall draw to an end, at length thy last day shall come, at length whether thou wilt or not, thou must departe, at last, thou must leaue all thy treasures, delightes, recreationes, and plea­sures, [Page 156] I say to all these thou must once die.

Thy magnificent glorie must haue an end, thy splendour, beau­tie, and comelinesse must decay, and thy flesh whyther: that body of thine must turne to dust, and ashes: thou shalt die, shalt be con­sumed, and depart this present life: But which is most to be la­mented, at last thy miserable, and execrable soule (if thou repēt not) shall depart out of thy filthy and putrified body, to a place of grea­ter misery, then can be expressed: But when shal this be? when thou thinkest least of it, when thou art least of all prepared, when thou shalt be strangely bound with the chaines, and fetters of thy sinnes, by the diuell: The cordes of my sin­nes haue bound mee, saith the Pro­phet. (Psal. 118.) taking vpon him the person of a sinner: Man know­eth [Page 157] not his end, saieth Ecclesiastes, but as fishes are taken with the hooke, and as birds are caught with the snare, so men are taken in the euill time, when it shall sodenly come vpon them. Ec­cles. 9.

O wretched sinner, giue eare, & receaue the sound of this fear­ful trumpet; Thou must once die, ô sinner, and thou, oh harlot, must one day be dissolued: But when, wilt thou say! The time is vncer­taine, the time is concealed from thee, the time is only knowne vn­to God himselfe, and it may be, when thou not so much, as thin­kest of it: There is nothing more certaine then death, and there is nothing more vncertaine thē the houre of death, saith S. Bernard: This yeare, this moneth, this weeke, this day, this hower and moment, thou mayest die, and yeeld vp the Ghost: They spend their [Page 158] dayes in mirth, and in an instant they descend into hell. (Iob. 2.) men shall be indulgent to their sensualities, sporte, laugh, and be merrie, and in a moment shall die, and go to hell: For when they shall say peace, and securitie, then shall sodenly destru­ction come vpon them, as the paine to a woman in childbirth, and they shall not escape, saith the holy Apostle. 1. Thessa. 5.4.

Of the last and deadly disease, and da­mage of the soule, and that after this life there is no recouery. THE XV. CHAPTER.

MIserere mei &c. (Psal. 6.3.) haue mercy vpon me oh Lord, be­cause I am weake, heale me oh Lord, because my bones are sore troubled, saith the Prophet Dauid. Consi­der a while (ô sinner) that a little [Page 159] before thy soule depart out of thy vncleane & polluted body, thou shalt be vexed & tormented with some cruell disease or other, vn­lesse thou be killed, or die soden­lie (which God forbid) from so­den & vnprouided death oh Lord deliuer vs, as our holy Mother the church teacheth vs often to repeate. Tell me I pray thee, who hath made thee certaine, that thou shalt not fall downe dead as thou art eating? who hath secu­red thee, that thou shalt not de­parte this life, hauing now the bread in thy mouth, and the cupp in thy hand? who can tell thee for a certaine, that when thou art in the highest degree of delightes, pleasures, and worldly content­ments, that then euen in the midst of these thou shalt not be dissol­ued, and descend into the abisse of perpetuall darknesse? ô wret­ched, [Page 160] and vnhappie sinners, call to minde, and foresee what you doe, and haue respect vnto the end, which most certainly shall come, but when you know not.

Be it, that God, out of his in­finite mercy and clemency, will not deale with thee according to thy merits, nor take thee away with a suddaine & vnforseene, but with a common, & ordinary kind of death: In what an astonishmēt wilt thou then be, whē thou shalt see the last messenger of thy life, which shall be an ordinary disea­se, but deadly, euen in thy flou­rishing yeares, beauty, strength, or in whatsoeuer gift and endow­men of nature, belonging to a cō ­pleate and perfect man? consider vnfortunate wretch, that thou shalt not depart this life, on a suddaine, without some vehemēt feauer, or the like disease, which [Page 161] through heat or colde, shall one while, cause thy teeth to chatter, & shake, an other while, with heat & burning, shalt not only be en­flamed, & molested with the grief of thy stomacke and head, but thy very harte will tremble, and quake within thee, that all thy nerues, sinewes, iunctures, artu­ries, and veines, shal be moued, & tremble, and all this through thy intollerable paine and anguish, neither shalt thou haue sleepe, or appetite: last of all, thou shalt take no rest, night, nor day.

What wilt thou doe then, mi­serable soule, loaden with sinnes, which for the space of soe ma­nie moneths or yeares loste, hast not confessed, nor bene recon­ciled to God, and thy neigh­bours, nor agreed with thy ad­uersarie? who like an other Sar­danapalus, hast runne a moste [Page 162] libidinous course, and lastly seest thy selfe to be defiled, and conta­minated with the spott and filth, of thy sinnes and offences? Tell me, I beseech thee, how great will that anguish bee, and how intol­lerable that affliction, which then thy sinnes shall cause, and bring vpon thee? how infinite shall thy doloures be, which shall cruciate thee, when thou shalt cal to mind the iniuries wherewith so many yeares together, thou hast offen­ded almighty God? Tell me, whe­ther of these greifes will be more vehement, the tormentes of the body, or the sorrow of thy soule? For when thou shalt beginne to feare death, and to receaue a re­muneration according to thy sin­nes, which is death, what a pre­sent hell will it bee to all the pow­ers, and faculties of thy soule, when as for the hardnes of thy [Page 163] harte, thou canest not repent? In­durauerunt facies suas &c. (Ierem. 5.3.) They haue hardened their faces more then the rocke, and would not returne, saith the Prophet Ieremie.

Be thou conuerted, oh sinner, and turne with al expedition vn­to thy God; expect not (blinded soule) the last howre, in which that vnwelcom messēger of death shall come & intimate vnto thee, thy dissolution; It is your cause that is now in hand, therefore be well aduised what you doe: it is your suite that is now in action, therefore take counsell, preuent the future, and expect not that latter and perilous time. What? shall you then be confessed, and brought into the state of grace? who cā make you certaine of that, or promise you that thē God will forgiue your crimes & offences, and admitt you into his fauour, [Page 164] who haue all your life time, so exceedingly offended him? But if God should then assist you, not­withstanding it wil be very pain­full and laborious to remember your so innumerable sinnes. By what meanes shall you call to minde so many wronges, wherby you haue dishonoured God, when as you shal be circumuented with so many griefes, and oppressed with so many diseases, and tor­ments? It may be, you shall not be capable of sense or reason: Last of all, how shall it be manifest vnto you, that you shall be of power, and abilitie, to make a true confession? or speake or pro­nounce the words, when you shall be dried vp with heat and debili­tated with extremitie of sicknes?

Alas (blinde, and miserable wretches) why prouide you not now for your necessities? why lea­ue [Page 165] you not your pernicious and wicked course of life? why desist you not from offending your gra­tious God? why crie you not out with the Prophet Dauid? Haue mer­cie vpon mee, oh God, according to thy great mercie, and according to the mul­titude of thy mercies, doe away mine ini­quities? If you will now implore the diuine assistance, your daun­gerous woundes may be cured, and you may find grace and mer­cie, at the handes of God, which at the howre of death it may be, you shall not obtaine; for then you will with feare, but now you may with loue, inuocate & craue his diuine clemencie; then you leaue not your sinnes, but your sinnes leaue you.

Wherefore (Brethren sinners) be now vigilant and carefull for your soules, begge at this instant with importunity, pardō for your [Page 166] so many heinous offences, and o­dious delinquences. Turne you to your Lord God with all your hartes, he is exceedingly clement, and his mercies are many, and you shal finde rest vnto your sou­les: Returne to him with the say­ing of the prodigal sonne in your mouthes. Father I haue sinned against heauen and against thee, and am not worthy to be called thy sonne, which if you shall so doe, he being mo­ued with compassiō towards you, will goe out to meet you, and fall vpon your neckes, and louingly embrace you, pardoning all your former iniuries wherby you haue offended him, euen as a Father taketh pittie of his children, so hath our Lord compassion vpon them that feare him, because he knoweth our making, he remem­breth that wee are but dust. (Psal. 102.13.) Our Lord is nothing but [Page 167] clemencie and goodnes, the earth is filled with his mercie, & there is no end therof. (Psa. 32.5.) Breake forth therefore yee sinners into these wordes, sayinge, oh sweet Iesu, our God & Redeemer, grant pardon, mercie, and remission: helpe, aide, succour, and assist vs, perishing soules, for thy bitter passions sake,

Of the separation of the soule from God, in the article of death. THE XVI. CHAPTER.

INiquitates vestrae diuiserunt &c. (Isay. 59.2.) your iniquities haue diuided betweene you and your God, saith the holy Prophet Isay: consider now (obdurate sinner) [Page 168] that thou must approach to the last moment of thy death: per­swade thy selfe, that thou must come to that terrible and fearfull instant, in which thy soule shall be separated from thy body: oh misery and calamity, what wilt thou then say or doe, when as by no meanes thou canst hinder thy soules departure; Thy spirit must be then disioyned from thy flesh, which I wish may not bee separa­ted from God: Alas, alas, wret­ched and miserable sinner, when thou shalt see thy soule to depart from thy body, and eternally to be separated from God, what wilt thou then doe? oh miserable sepa­ration of the soule from the bo­die, but oh farre more miserable, the separation of the same from God? What wilt thou coniecture, when thou shalt see thy selfe to be excluded the presence of God [Page 169] thy Creator? vnfortunate soule, consider what a seuere iudgement there will be of thee at thy death, which the holy Apostle conside­ring, saieth. For we must all be ma­nifested before the iudgement seat of Christ, that euery one may receaue the proper thinges of his body, according as he h [...]th done, either good or euill. (2. Corin. 5.10.) Then, of all thy dee­des, euen thy least actions, of all thy vaine wordes, and cogitatiōs, which euer came into thy minde, thou art to giue and yeelde, a strict and seuere account. Then shalt thou be constrained to ans­were, not only for thy lost time, but for al thy time il spent: Then shalt thou vnderstand, how profi­table it would haue bene for thee, to follow the counsell of the wise man, who saieth. Make vse of time, and decline from euill. (Eccles. 4.23.) O miserable humane nature, [Page 170] which runneth to death, as the ri­uers to the sea. You shall all die and fall as the waters vpon the earth, which do not returne.

Enter therfore into the closet of thy harte, and consider, that thou art not to answere for thy owne crimes only, but also for those, which are committed ei­ther by thy fault, consent, coun­sell, or conniuency, or not hin­dering them when it was in thy power: Then thou shalt not ex­cuse thy selfe, nor say with Cain. Am I my brothers keeper? (Gen. 4.9.) for truly he hath commaunded to euery one, the care and charity of his neighbour. Bee vigilant therfore, thou sinner, for there will be a great and difficult mat­ter handled at the moment of thy death. Well, wilt thou then know, how great an offence it is, to vse iestes, tauntes, scoffes, sportes, [Page 171] and other merrie passages, euen although without preiudice, or detrimēt of thy neighbour? How perspicuouslie shalt thou then perceaue, what it is to be distra­cted in time of diuine office, Mas­se, and other holy Ceremonies, and to be negligent, and indis­posed in the church, or in other holy places? If euery sinne, be it neuer so smal, for its obiect which is God, is most great, therefore also the least iniurie offered to God who is infinite, is likewise in­finite.

Now therefore, oh sinner, see how preposterously, and peruers­lie, thou doest, when thou wilt not alwaies eleuate, and fix thine eyes vpon God: Be circumspect, least thou displease him, euen in the least thing, because thinges seeming of no moment, are in his diuine presence very great: [Page 172] from little and meane thinges of no account, we easily fall into greater, and more enormous, as the scripture saith. He that despi­seth small thinges, by little, and little falleth, saieth the wise man. How truly did Salomon say. The number of fooles is infinite? because euery sinner is a foole, who for a little vaine, and transitorie pleasure, feareth not to loose an infinite treasure, permanent, and immu­table? Oh sinners turne into your selues, liue in the feare of God, who created you, for this is true wisedome, and solidd prudence. The beginning of wisedome, is the feare of God. Psal. 110.10.

Oh yee obdurate, and blinded wretches, looke into the state of your soules, & foresee what grie­fes you shal conceaue, when your soules must departe your bodies, with whom they haue bene with [Page 173] so great affection, conioyned and vnited. Consider that vnwilling, and most dolefull departure, and separation; no man euer hated his flesh, saith the Apostle. (Ephes. 5.29.) but loueth it with a moste vehement loue, and affection; whereupon, the philosopher vn­derstanding this naturall loue of the soule, saied, that, death is the last of terrible, and fearfull thin­ges. Know now sinner, that this feare & terrour is to inuade thee, but when this horrour shall seaze vpon thee, the time is vncertaine.

Oh my Trumpet, send foorth thy sound, that thou mayest bee heard in the extreamest, and fur­thest partes of the world, let thy eccho enter into the eares of the wretched sinner, that hee may know himselfe, & knowing, may turne vnto himselfe, and see the infinite losse & detriment, which [Page 174] sinne bringeth into his soule, at the houre of death, and abhorre it, following the counsell of the wise man; fly from the face of sin­ne, as from the face of a serpent, the teeth therof, are the teeth of lyons, killing the soules of men.

O Brethren sinners, by the sa­cred woundes of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ, I beseech you, earnestly, and entreat you, that you would not imitate the deafe Adder, which that she may not heare the melodious tune of the enchaunter, stoppeth her ea­res, the one, by couering it with her taile, the other, by laying it, on the ground: doe you not the same, but harken and attend to the sound of this Trumpet, with open & diligent eares, that here­by the diuels stratagemes, and diabolicall inuasions, being put to flight, there may be free ac­cesse [Page 175] for the diuine concourse in­to your soules,

Amen.

Of the terrour which the diuell stri­keth into a soule, in the moment of death. THE XVII. CHAPTER.

THe Dragon whom thou hast made to deceaue him, saieth the Pro­phet. (Psal. 103.26.) I would to God, thou couldest sufficiently weigh and consider, the intolle­rable terrour and feare, which the sight of most detestable diuels shall present vnto thee, or that thou couldest comprehend, what an astonishment it will be to be­hould a diuell, I am certaine thou wouldest chaunge the course of thy life, and arise out of the le­thargie of thy sinnes, if not for feare of God, yet for feare of the [Page 176] diuellish and hellish crue. For if the sight of a Wolfe, a Beare, a Lyon, a Dragon, a Serpent, or any loathsome Toade doth strike such terrour, into vs, and doe so astonish, and affright vs, what wil the aspect of the diuels doe, at the point of death?

Oh you doating, and misera­ble sinners, if you would with due consideratiō thinke of these fear­full formes, and sightes, which the diuels will lay before your eyes, at the very instant of your deaths, without doubt you would flie sinne: For if when thou art well in health, strong, and of a good courage, any one of the di­uels should appeare vnto thee, in the forme of some cruell and ra­uenous beast, thou couldest not but tremble, and quake, through all the partes of thy body, what wilt thou doe then vnhappy sou­le, [Page 177] when thou shalt be debilitated, and opprest with sicknes? desti­tute, and depriued of all powre and strength? whē thou canst nei­ther moue, nor helpe thy selfe? whē thou are scarce able to speak? or hardly to intimate and make knowne thy necessities, by signes, and tokens? When, last of all, the powers and faculties of thy body, shall be weakened? What? when thou art compleate in perfect strength, endued with all the or­naments of nature, which are re­quired to the full perfection of a man, if then thou canest not en­dure the sight of a fearfull diuell, nor of a diuell appearing in some common shape, as of a dogge, horse, or the like, what will be­come of thee, when thou shalt behold the diuel, not in the shape of some cruell beast, but in a for­me farre more horrible, and that, [Page 178] at the instant of thy death?

Our holy Father S. Francis, was wont to say, that it were im­possible for any one, to see the diuell in his owne proper forme and shape which he hath in hell, but for the space of the reciting of the Pater, or Aue (allthough he were in perfect health) without present death: what then (oh sin­ner) will become of thee, yeelding vp thy spirit, when thou shalt plainly see & perceaue, that exe­crable enemy of thine, in his de­testable shape and forme? Turne and direct all the forces, & pow­ers, of the supreme and intelle­ctuall parte of thy soule, to this reason, abandon thy lasciuious & sinneful life, now begin to feare, that hereafter thou mayest not tremble, when it can no way auai­le thee. Consider that, not only one diuell (to thee then tormen­ted [Page 179] with the paines of death) but many, yea thousands shall ap­peare, euery one striuing and en­deuoring with their diabolicall actions and gestures, to molest, affright, and astonish thee: whe­ther then wilt thou flie for suc­cour? or who then will releeue thee? will S. Mary, whom thou hast despised? Will Iesus, whom thou hast blasphemed? Will the Saints and Angels, whom thou hast dishonoured? Lastly, will God, whom thou hast vilified, & contēned? Alas miserable wretch, who will assist thee? or what Saint wilt thou inuocate? to whom wilt thou flie? for in the deluge of ma­ny waters, none of thē wil aproch, or draw neare vnto thee. (Psal 31.) no man shall plead thy cause, or recite thy necessities: Oh in what a depth of miseries art thou in, at the houre of death? when thou [Page 180] canst not soe much as commend thy soule, so agonizing in infir­mities, to almighty God, when thou canst not so much as cal vp­pon thy good Angell, or any of the Saints, which in time of thy health, thou diddest honour with particular deuotion, that they intercede for thee.

Oh sinners, be you now conuer­ted vnto your God, now impor­tune your sweet Iesus, now salute the Virgin Mary, our blessed La­die, now it is time to implore the aide of the Archangels, Michael, Gabriell, Raphaell, and of thy Angel keeper, and all the celestial spirits; Now it is time to craue the assistance of S. Iohn Baptist, S. Peter, S. Paul, S. Iohn. S. Bartholo­mew, and of the other Apostles; now it is time to request the helpe of S. Stephē, S. Laurēce, S. George and all the other Martyrs, now it [Page 181] is time to commend thy selfe, to S. Benedict, S. Dominike, S. Fran­cis, and the rest of the holy con­fessors: Lastly, it is now time to cry out, and call, vpon S. Mary Magdalen, who in time past was a sinner, S. Clare, S. Agnes, S. Ca­tharine, S. Lucie, and the rest of the blessed Virgins, Widowes, and Martyrs, now Saints in heauen.

Doest thou not remember, that thou hast read, or heard, how of­ten the diuels haue presented thē ­selues, to sicke mē, in their cham­bers, lying vpō their death-beds, euē thē drawing their last breath, & yeelding vp the Ghost, some­times in the formes of Dogges, Cattes, Hogges, or such like? one while in one maner, an other whi­le, in an other, alwaies in different formes, when they are not able to helpe themselues? O wretched, & vnfortunate sinner, how much do [Page 182] I lament thy case, who leadest so detestable a life, as without repen­tāce, infallibly, rēdeth to the pitt of hel? cōsider that whē thou shalt come to that accursed place, no man can helpe thee, not thy Fa­ther, not thy Mother, not thy kindred, not thy friendes, not thy wife, not any of them which stand by thee, are of power, to afforde thee any releife, or assi­stance, only God in the time of thy death, can comfort and suc­cour thee, only S. Mary his bles­sed Mother, and her sonne Iesus, only the Angels, & the Saints in heauen: in these, amidst thine ex­treame agonies, thou maiest finde releife, comfort, and consolation.

Therefore why doest thou now offend them? wherfore doest thou dishonour them? why doest thou inueigh against the glorious Saints of God, with thy perni­cious [Page 183] maledictiōs? why blasphea­mest thou thy God? why contem­nest thou thy Iesus, and his bles­sed Mother S. Marie, and doest not rather commende thy selfe vnto them? chaunge now the in­stitution, and manner of thy life: Doest thou thinke, that thou shalt liue perpetually? that thou art immortall? that death shall be afraide of thee? canst thou be per­swaded, that death which exerci­seth her fatall function vpon all men, and seazed vpon God him­selfe, that it will passe by, or ex­empt, thee? Alas wretch, knowest thou not, what the scripture saith. It is decreed, that all must once die. (Heb. 9.27.) Remember therfore thy last end, and turne vnto thy God: Giue eare vnto the sound of this trumpet, if thou intendest, when thou art come to the howre of death, to triumph ouer the di­uell: [Page 184] haue confidence in thy God, for in thy name (saieth the Prophet Dauid) we will dispise those that rise vp against vs: and the same, in the person of thy God, saieth. Super aspidem, & basilicum ambulabis, &c. (Psal. 90.) thou shalt walke vpon the Aspe and Basiliske, and shalt tread vp­pon the Lyon and Dragon, because he hath giuen his Angels charge of thee, to keepe thee in all thy wayes. There be three waies (oh sinner) in which the Angels doe protect, & guard thee; The first, in thy birth and natiuitie: the second, from thy birth, vntill thy death: the third, from death, to the obtaining of eternall life; God of his infinite mercie, keepe thee in all these waies, that thou maiest come to raigne with him eternally,

Amen.

Of the fearfull presence of the Iudge in the instant of death. THE XVIII. CHAPTER.

ALas wicked and miserable sinner, what terrour & feare of necessity must possesse thy sou­le, when as thou now dying, must behould the angry countenance of that great Iudge, God almigh­tie, whose glorious and pleasing aspect, holy men could not be­holde? for no man shall see me and liue, saieth God to Moyses. (Exod. 20.19.) speake thou to vs, and we will heare thee, let not our Lord speake to vs, least perhappes wee die, saide the children of Israell to Moyses: Saint Peter who lou­ed Christ soe dearlie, and was likewise so well beloued, & estee­med [Page 186] of him, that he deliuered his church to him, to be gouerned & directed, and would that it should relie vpon him as a firme foun­dation. He (I say) vpon a certaine time, when he saw Christ in pre­sence, astonished cried out. Exi à me, quia homo peccator sum, goe from mee, oh Lord, because I am a sinnefull man; what thē wilt thou do in the day of thy death, when thou shalt behold the angry contenance of Iesus, burning with the fire of di­uine iustice? Oh worme what will then become of thee? where wilt thou hide thy selfe? whether wilt thou flie? Non intres in iudicium cum seruo tuo &c. Enter not into iudge­ment with thy seruant, because no man liuing shall be iustified in thy sight, crieth out the Prophet, in the person of a soule, striuing with death.

Giue eare (I beseech thee) to [Page 187] that which holy Iob saieth, of the presence of the iudge, verè quod ita sit &c. I know indeed it is so, that man cannot be iustified, compared with God, if he contend with him, he cannot answere him one for a thousand. (Iob. 9.2.) notwithstanding, Iob was of that integrity and sanctity of life, that God him selfe speaking of him said. Vir erat in terra Hus, &c. There was a man in the land of Hus, whose name was Iob, that was simple, and right, and fearing God, departing from euill (Iob. 1.) And in the same chapter, God speaking of Iob vn­to the diuell, he saied. Hast thou considered my seruant Iob, that there is not the like vnto him in the earth, a man simple, and right, fearing God, and departing from euill, and keeping inno­cencie? Alas how terrible, and hor­rible a thing is it, at the time of death to fall into the handes of the iust iudge? Truly it would [Page 188] seeme a dreadfull thing, if one should be circumuented, and be­sett. with a multitude of Serpēts, Beares, Dragons, Lyons, or other such like deuouring creatures, yet all the terror which would pro­ceed from these thinges created, compared with the terrour, and astonishment that the contenan­ce and maiesty of the angry and iust iudge, shall strike into a sou­le, in the instant of death, it is light and nothing.

O miserable soule, commise­rate and pitty thine owne case, meditate vpon thine owne neces­sities, consider what must at last befall thee, consider the last end, and thou shalt not sinne for euer, saieth the wiseman, to forewarne thee: ô how much shouldest thou, and indeed oughtest to feare, and tremble, to thinke vpon that last instant of thy life, in which thy [Page 189] soule must be dissolued, and pre­sented before the maiestie of the angry, and offended iudge? The iudge (miserable wretch) will say vnto thee, giue an account of thy stewardship, render a reason of thy soule, which thou receauedst immaculate, pure and vndefi­led, of mee, and which being de­filed, and blemished with the con­traction and spot of originall sin­ne, I haue washed, and made clea­ne with my most pretious blood. Giue an account of thy Reason, Vnderstanding, Memorie, and Will, which thou hast receaued of me: thou wast endued with vn­derstanding, that thou shouldest know mee, with thy Will, that thou shouldest loue mee, with a Memorie, that thou shouldest be euer mindfull of mee; but thou, vngrateful soule hast abused these faculties, by which thou wert like [Page 190] vnto God; let vs make man after our owne Image, saieth God. (Gen. 1.) These endowments, more then diuine, thou hast occupied, and busied about base, humane, tran­sitorie, and vaine subiects, for so much, as thou dost alwaies thinke of them, loue, and embrace them, and exercise thy memorie with them.

Bewaile now and lament thou sinner, for the time will come, in which it will repent thee, that thou hast bene no more sorrow­full; forget not God now, for there will come a time, when all thy sayings, deedes, cogitations and counsels, shall be reduced to memorie. Now endeuour to loue, and honour God, with all thy force, as he hath commaunded thee in these wordes. Loue the Lord thy God, with all thy soule, and with all thy harte, all thy neighbour, as thy [Page 191] selfe. (Math. 22.38.) Oh miserable, mortall men, who so inconside­ratly, vppon the suddaine runne into death: My dayes haue passed more swiftlie, then the webbe that is cut by the weauer, and are consumed without hope. Iob. 7.6.

Giue vs we beseech thee, thy grace, oh Lord, pardon and re­mit, oh benigne, and bountifull God, our delictes, crimes, and offences; Remember that thou art our Father, looke not vpon our ingratitude, but vpon thy mer­cie, haue respect to mee, and be­hould me with the eyes of pittie and compassion, for I am alone and poore, the tribulations of my harte are multiplied, deliuer mee, from my necessities. (Psal. 24.16) Oh Ma­rie Mother of indulgent Iesus, by whom I am to be iudged, pray for mee, and for all sinners, that we may so dispose of all our actions [Page 192] in this world, and so direct the course of our liues, according to his holy and diuine law, that so at the last he may show vs, not his seuere, and angry, but plea­sing, and amiable countenance.

Oh Marie, looke to the soules of poore distressed sinners, leaue vs not, oh sweet Mary, thou art our Queene, our Patronesse, our Mistresse, our Mother: Marie Mo­ther of grace, Mother of mercie, doe thou defend vs from our ene­mies, and receaue vs, at the howre of our death; By the loue of the blessed soule of thy deare Sonne, I beseech, and humbly begg, that thou wouldest be pleased, to ac­cept my poore soule, and the di­stressed soules of all sinners, vnto thy carefull, and motherly tui­tion: by the pretious blood of thy deare Sonne, haue compassion vpon sinnefull soules: Remem­ber [Page 193] Marie, that thou art a Mo­ther, and that our soules were re­deemed and bought with the sa­cred blood of thy sonne Iesus. O Iesu be thou now propitious vn­to vs, that we may not commit any thing, whereby we may de­serue thy angry countenance. Oh Iesu our Father, oh Marie our Mother, graunt that we may be your true children, graunt oh di­uine maiestie, that we may amēd and correct our manners, & end our liues in the holy feare of thy omnipotent deitie; That at the houre of our death, we may be­hould thee as a louing and mer­cifull Father, & auoide the great terrour, of thy angry countenan­ce,

Amen.

Of the gnawing of the conscience, which after a terrible manner shall mo­lest a sinner dying. THE XIX. CHAPTER.

AS if a man should flie from the face of a Lyon, & a Beare should meet him, and enter into his house, and leane his hand vpon the wall, and a Ser­pent should bite him. (Amos. 5.19.) Be­holde the similitude of Amos the Prophet, verie fit for this matter; Oh wretch, what wilt thou doe therfore at the time of thy death? which way wilt thou flie? which way wilt thou turne thy self? there will be imminent daunger on all sides, thou shalt finde no place where to hide or secure thy selfe, in euery way, thou shalt be cir­cumuented, and surprised with terrours, & molestations. If thou [Page 195] wouldest eschew, and flie the furie of the Lion, thou shalt be expo­sed to the daunger of the Beare: and in flying from the Beare, ta­king house of some seeming re­fuge, thou shalt be stunge with a venemous Serpent: for truly what is meant by the Lion, but Iesus Christ the angry iudge, the Lyon of the tribe of Iuda? (Apoc. 5.5.) what doth the Beare signify, but the diuell? nothinge else is ment by the Serpent, but the con­science.

Behold therefore, vnworthy wretch, what daunger is to befall thee, at the time of thy death: dost thou desire to auoide the Lyon, the angry iudge, Iesus offended? thē the Beare, the diuell wil meete thee, and with his diabolicall in­uentions, infernall forces, and hideous roaringes, wil confound, astonishe, and affright thee, and [Page 196] when thou presumest of thy secu­rity within thy selfe, and enterest thine owne house to take rest, there thou shalt find the Serpent, thy conscience, which will permit thee to haue no peace, reste, or quietnes: then thou shalt see in it, as in a glasse, all thy sinnes, & offences, which thou in thy life time, hast thought, said, or done: neither will it only suggest, what thou hast thought, sayed, or com­mitted amisse, but it will also re­present vnto thee, all thy good deedes, and actions, which thou hast omitted: then (oh sinner) this Serpent, shall bite, and deadlie sting thee, arguing, and accusing thee of all thy crimes, threatning hell, perpetuall death, and dam­nation vnto thee.

Alas miserable soule, then what a vaste, and profound sea of mi­serie, shalt thou be plunged in, [Page 197] Omnes persecutores eius &c. all the persecutours apprehended her in the midst of her tribulatiōs: these wordes of the Prophet Ieremie in his lamentations, may be truly spoken of thee, when thou art de­parting, and at the instant when thy soule shall be separated from thy bodie; all thine enemies shall then compasse thee, and in the extreamest of thy miseries, and difficulties, thou shalt be enuiro­ned with all thine aduersaries: God, the Diuell, and thine owne Conscience, the Diuell will be at hand, and call to minde all the sinnes which thou hast commit­ted, and will crie out vnto the iudge, for iustice, according to thy merit, and vse all his forces to bring thee to desperation. Thy Conscience shall sting thee, and leaue no parte vnwounded: al thy sinnes shall present them selues [Page 198] vnto thy memory, in the very same manner, and kinde, as thou diddest commit them. The Diuell will delineate and draw them out, in a farre more great and heinous manner, then thou coniecturest, thou didst commit them. The Iudge will demaund, an exact a iust account of all thinges, say­ing, Render to mee an account of thy stewardship; then thou mayest tru­lie crie out with the Prophet Da­uid, I am afflicted, and humbled ex­ceedingly, I haue roared for the groa­nings of my harte. Psal. 37.9.

O wretched sinners, why doe you not now at this instant amēd your liues, and manners? O rebel­lious miscreantes, why are you so prompt and ready to sinne and offend, your louing and mercifull Father? Doe you thinke that you are immortall, that you shall ne­uer taste of death? Doe you thinke [Page 199] that the time will neuer come, when you shall giue an account of your whole liues so euilly spēt? you deceaue your selues (ô wret­ches.) Amend your selues therfore (ô my Brethren) forsake your for­mer crimes, and offences, least you be like the Horse and Mule, which haue no vnderstandinge. (Psal. 31.9.) O that my wordes were so ardent, and of such efficacie, that they might burne out, al the offences from the hartes of sinne­full men? To Iesus, ô you sinners, to Iesus: Are you ignorant, that he is your God, Creator, and Fa­ther? know you not that blessed Iesus, for you was made man? For you he shedd his moste pretious blood vpon the holy wood of the crosse, and burning with the loue of you, was willing to vndergoe all kindes of punishments? Are you ignorant that he offered him [Page 200] selfe, to die such a bitter death, & only for the loue of you? Christ came into the world to saue sin­ners. (1. Tim. 1.15.) Iesus came not for them that were well, and haue no infirmitie, but for those that are ill and diseased.

Consider sinner, that Christ is thy brother. Goe too, my Bre­thren, remember that Iesus for you was made man, and the word was made flesh, and dwelt in vs. (Ioan. 1.14.) cease therfore (oh sin­ners) to be any longer offensiue to Iesus your brother: wicked Saul for tēne yeares did pursue Dauid, but you by your wicked liues, and vnheard of offences, for these ma­nie yeares, haue persecuted and pursued your afflicted Iesus: feare at last, poore wretches, to offend so louing a redeemer: behold that infinite iniurie and wrong, wher­with you haue afflicted him, mark [Page 201] and duely penetrate I entreat you the manifold iniuries, which you haue committed, in neglecting, and contemning so deare a Bro­ther, so faithfull a Friend, so lou­ing a Father, so good a God, that God who hath created you, & re­deemed you with his owne blood.

O you wretches, behold in what a blindnes you walke and liue, in so much that you persecute your dearest friend, euē God himselfe: if it were to molest, or vexe, some creature, the fault would be more tollerable, but you persecute and blaspheme, euen almighty God himselfe, neuer ceasing to quench the spirit of God, and to resist his sacred inspirations, which if you would know how great an e­uill it is, giue eare; I say to you (saith our blessed Sauiour) that al sinne, & blasphemy shall be forgiuen men, and who so shall speake a word against the [Page 202] sonne of mā, it shal be forgiuen him, but he that shall speake against the holy Ghost, he shall not be forgiuen in this world, nor in the world to come. (Math. 12.) If you should cast or spit out your malice, against the face of one of your enemies, which by some heinous crime had offended you, if against one which beareth an aduerse minde, or affection to­wards you, you might finde, some excuse or euasion; but you offend God, who of his great bounty, hath bestowed such ample bene­fits vpon you, which created and redeemed you, which preserueth, and susteineth you, who last of all is ready to giue you eternall life: what an infinite, & heinous crime is this? how loathsome, & detesta­ble an offēce is this? (Oh my Bre­thren) so much, as that nature it selfe abhorreth, and detesteth it.

I would to God, vnworthy sin­ner, [Page 203] that thou couldest but see that indignation, with which, so often as thou offendest thy God, the elements, fire, ayre, water, and earth, heauen, starres, sunne, and moone, are inflamed, and moued against thee? O that thou couldest but perceaue, how much the very brute beasts, voide of reason, are molested, and troubled. I would to God, thou couldest behould, and with due consideration, pon­der, how thinges euen without sense, as herbes, plantes, stones themselues, doe stand armed a­gainst thee, so often, as they see thee offending their God, and Creator: know therfore thou sin­ner, and perswade thy selfe, that if it were not for the clemencie and benignitie of thy God, after thou hast sinned & preuaricated, the earth it selfe would open her mouth, and swallow thee, the wa­ters [Page 204] submerge thee, the ayre in­fect & choake thee, the fire burne and consume thee, the heauens send forth lightninges, and fear­full tempests to kill and destroy thee; and last of all, what thing soeuer is created, would rise vp a­gainst thee, to reuenge the wrong done to their God, and Creator.

O you sinners, know that, for a certaine, all liuing Creatures, as wilde beastes, Serpents, Dragons, also rauening birdes, all trees, & such like, would oppose, & make warre against you, if it were soe permitted by your God: What? doest not thou thinke, that the house, in which thou sinnest, could fall downe vpon thee, in the very acte wherein thou offendest, if it were not vpholdē by God? What? doest thou not perswade thy selfe, that the very bedde, wherin thou committest adultery, and disho­nourest [Page 205] thy Creator, would be cō ­sumed vnder thee, if it were not hindered by the diuine prouiden­ce? What doest thou not firmely beleue, that the bread which thou eatest, the meate, whereby thou art nourished, the wine that thou drinkest, would presently choake thee, and poysen thee, so that it might cause thy death, did not the goodnes of thy God with­stand it?

Consider therefore (ô sinner) that if God would permit it, thou shouldest not liue one moment longer, wherby to offend him any more, because all creatures would rise vp in armes against thee, but he reserueth this, vntill the last day of iudgement, although he permitted many particular sin­nes, to be reuenged, and puni­shed, by diuerse creatures, that hee might giue an example to [Page 206] other offenders: God graunt that we may take example at such, & so soone as may be, amend our li­ues, and be in his grace and fa­uour so great, that we may be no more enemies to him & his crea­tures,

Amen.

Of the separation of the soule from the body, and of the great dolors and af­flictions, which follow at that time and instant. THE XX. CHAPTER.

LEt vs proceed further, and goe forward to consider now, the anguishes, dolors, & griefes, which the soule shall feele in the instant, and time of her separa­tion from the body. O poore sou­le, if thou wouldest seriously exa­mine this, I doubt not, but that thou wouldest giue such charge [Page 207] to thy Will, that it should neuer consent to the sensuall pleasures of the flesh. Consider, ô sinner, that Iesus Christ himselfe, who was God, when he knew he was to approach and draw nigh to his death, he did sweat blood, and being in an agonie, he prayed vn­till his sweat became as droppes of blood, trickling downe vpon the earth. (Luc. 22.44.) O wicked wretch, if God considering, that his blessed soule should departe out of his sacred body, did soe much feare death, that such an anguish & sorrow did possesse his soule, what will become of thee?

Consider obdurate sinner, the great griefe and sorrow that one friend taketh at anothers depar­ture, and separation, they depart, weeping, sighing, and lamenting their separation, neither are able scarse to speake, or take leaue [Page 208] each of the other; How incompa­rably will then that griefe bee, which the soule feeleth at the se­paration from the body, vnto which it hath bene vnited, with such intimate and naturall loue and affection? O miserable soule how great will thy griefe be? how intollerable thy anguish and sor­row, when thou shalt be separa­ted frō this thy flesh, which thou haste so naturally loued, and ne­uer denied it any thing? All the thinges which my eyes desired, I haue giuen them, saieth Salomon: O vn­fortunate soule what a penaltie, and punishment will it be vnto thee, to be disunited frō thy flesh, which so dearly thou louest, and so highly esteemest of, as that thou wouldest not disobey it in any thing? No man hath euer hated his owne flesh, but nourisheth and suc­coureth it, saieth the holy Apostle.

[Page 209]Hearken vnto mee, ô sinner, and at this instant, consider, that the time shall come, when the bō ­des wherwith thy soule is so strict­lie bound & conioyned with thy body, shall be violated, and dis­solued; It shall come, ô vngrate­full sinner, that most horrible ti­me, I say, shall come, ô, it shall come (accursed soule) I say that ruefull, and dismall moment and instant shall come? O sinner com­miserate and take pittie on thy selfe, and on thy poore soule, by seruing and pleasing God. What will it profit a man (saieth the holy scripture) to gaine the whole world, and to loose his owne soule? Consider therfore (ô thou improbous sin­ner) which art so indulgent, to that flesh of thine, and desistest not to pittie, feed, and nourish it, consider, that thou must be dis­ioyned from it, when thou art [Page 210] to depart this life. Consider that when thou shalt approach and draw nere vnto thy last end, thou shalt be tormented, and afflicted with some disease, that thou shalt not be able to receaue meate, whē sweet sleepe shall be wanting vn­to thee, when all thinges shall be distastfull vnto thee, when thou cāst not endure to heare the voy­ce, wordes, or speech, of thy Wife, Children, Father, or Mother, or of thy most deare friendes, when thou thy selfe shalt be distastfull vnto thy selfe: O sinner what wilt thou then doe, opprest on euery side with so many infirmities, do­lors, and vexations? when thou maiest truly say with the Prophet; The sorrowes of death haue compassed me about, the torments of iniquity haue troubled me, the sorrowes of hell haue ouertaken me, the snares of death haue preuented me. Psal. 17.5.

[Page 211]O wretch, be thou conuerted now vnto thy God, now amend and correct thy life, implore, and craue with al submission, pardon, for thy sinnes past: O you sinners giue an attentiue eare vnto your God, who at this instant calleth you, saying; Be you conuerted vnto me with all your hartes. (Ioel. 2.13.) O my sweet & louing Iesus, which didest vouchsafe for the saluatiō of miserable sinners to come into this world, bestow such efficacie, and force vpon my wordes, that offenders therby, knowing them­selues, may be conuerted vnto thee. Remember, blessed Iesus, at what a price thou hast bought their soules. Remēber what thou hast suffered for the redemption of them. Graunt that the found of these my (or rather thy) Trum­petts, may awaken the soules of sinners, and stirre vp their mindes [Page 212] and affections to the embracing of thee, and the seeking of their owne saluation: O Clement Iesu, I know with how great loue thou didest hasten to the ignominious death of the Crosse, for the re­demption of sinners, forgett not therfore them which thou hast re­deemed with thy moste pretious blood: permitt not, ô Iesu, that those soules which thou hast so dearly bought, doe perish, but ra­ther graunt that they may be rai­sed vp from death, and liue. De­liuer my soule (ô God) from the sword, and mine only one from the hand of the Dogge, saue me from the Lions mouth, and my humilitie from the hornes of the Vnicorne. Psal. 21.21.

Inuocate thy Iesus (ô poore soule) with these wordes of the Prophet, placing all thy trust and confidence in him, who de­sireth nothing more then thy re­pentance, [Page 213] and health: I thirst, I thirst, cried he, in the time of his bitter passion, which although it may be vnderstood of a corpo­rall thirst, yet more especially is it meant of the spirituall thirst, and ardent desire, which he had for the saluation of soules: O af­flicted soule, would to God, thou couldest perceaue that infinite loue, by which thy Iesus is en­flamed towardes thee, would to God, thou couldest comprehend that speciall care which thy Ie­sus from thy first being, hath had ouer thee: O therefore my lou­ing Iesus, how cometh it to pas­se, that a miserable sinner can be so ingratefull, and vnmind­full of thee, his soe clement, mercifull and louing God? O my God, can it bee, that the diuell should possesse the harte of a sinner, that hee should [Page 114] become the vassaile of Sathan, thy cheifest, and most opposite enemie.

Alas miserable soule, at thy death, thou shalt perceaue & ex­perience, the diuels plot, and in­tent, the end of his allurements, and faire profers, which he hath presēted vnto thee, inuiting thee to offend thy God, and to follow him so impious and cruel an ene­mie of thy Sauiour: Then thou shalt see, ô wretched soule, how malitiouslie, and treacherouslie the diuell will hādle thee; In these thy extreame agonies, and affli­ctions, when thou mayest truly say; Tribulations are on all sides of me: Thou shalt stand in the presence of the diuell, and all his execra­ble companions, who so soone as thy soule is departed frō thy bo­dy, shal carrie it into the infernal abisse of hell, there to liue with [Page 115] the damned soules, in perpetuall torments, and flames of fire. God of his mercie (ô sinners) opē your eyes, that you may prouide for your soules health, and auoyde those horrible punishmēts: Heare now (ô sinner) I hartily beseech thee, set thine house in order, for thou shalt die, and not liue. (Isay. 38.2.) for, it is apointed for al men to die once. (Heb. 9.27.) Thou shalt die, but to liue in perpetuall tormentes: God graunt that we die, to liue a spirituall and eternal life with Ie­sus in glorie,

Amen.

Of the place whether the soule goeth, so soone as it departeth out of the body. THE XXI. CHAPTER.

BEhould the Timbrell, & the Harpe, and reioyce at the sound of the Or­gane, [Page 216] they lead their dayes in wealth and prosperitie, and in a moment they goe downe into hell. (Iob. 21.12.) It is time now, ô sinner, to draw nere to the consideration and contem­plation of thy future estate, and being; Tell mee I beseech thee, what shall become of thee, when thy soule shall depart thy body? To what place shall shee betake her selfe, when shee shall be exiled and banished from this flesh, with which, so long as they were con­ioyned, she committed such exe­crable sinnes, and so heinouslie offended thy God and redeemer? Heare what shall be said: Behold miserable sinners your end: Be­hold the reward of your delights, the hire of your pleasures, the euent of your desires: Behold the end of all your goods, riches, and honours, in a moment you shall forsake them, and goe downe into [Page 217] hell: O sadde and heauie newes, for your delightes must perish, your pleasures shall be expired, your sensuall desires shall for e­uer cease. Last of all; your estate shall be taken away by death: Let vs eate and drinke, for to morrow we shall die, sayed they in the persons of all sinners. (Isay. 22.11.) O mi­serable sinners, fix your cogita­tions vpon that dreadfull time, whē your soules shall bidde adew, & take their last farewell of your corrupted, and loathsome bodies.

There be three places, in which our soules so soone as they are se­parated from our bodies, may haue their beings, which be these, heauen, hell, purgatorie: Thinke therfore with thy selfe ô sinner, that thou art to depart into one of these places, according to thy merit, or demerit, for our iust Lord hath loued iustice: Et equi­tatem [Page 218] vidit vultus eius, and his con­tenance hath seene equitie. (Psal. 10.8.) and therefore he rewardeth euery mā according to his works, good or euill: Mine hire is with me to giue vnto euery one according to his workes. (Rom. 2.6.) Those which haue done good workes, shall goe into life euerlastinge, and they which haue done euill, shall goe into euerlasting fire, saieth S. A­thanasius.

Consider (ô sinner) that when thou art striuing and contending with death, thy soule shall by lit­tle and little withdraw it from the inferior parts of thy body, and shall betake her selfe to the harte, where she hath her principall re­sidence; last of all, when she can finde no place in the body, where she may be receaued, she present­lie flieth away, and leaueth that dead carcase of thine. But aboue [Page 219] all this, consider with thy selfe, what shall become of her, after her departure: for so soone as she is departed from thy body, she presently is receaued by the An­gels, to goe to heauen, or purga­torie, or otherwise the diuels with their infernall acclamations, shal take and carrie her into hel, there to remaine in perpetuall punishe­ments, and torments: thinke with thy selfe (ô thou miserable sinner) in what a miserable streight will thy soule be, when shee shall see heauen on this side, and hell on the other, and the diuells prepa­red, suddenly to carry her away by violence, to perpetuall tor­ments.

Alas ô wretched soule, what an alteration is this? ô thou accur­sed, doest thou see now that there is an hell? ô thou malignant He­retike, which hast denied that [Page 220] there is a purgatorie, what sayest thou now, being dimerged, and plunged in the abisseall gulfe of infernall, and endlesse flames and tormēts? haddest thou not rather be in purgatorie euen vntill the iudgement day, or the last mo­ment? what sayest thou, O Iew, which haddest the holie scripture to demonstrate, and intimate vn­to thee, the promised Messias; but thou out of obstinacie, and hard­nesse of hart, wouldst neither ack­nowledge, nor retaine him? doest thou perceaue the scripture to be true in this sence? doest thou see now, ô Turke, the vanitie of thy law, the deceipfulnes of thy wic­ked Prophet Mahomet? ô sinner, and false Christian, doest thou acknowledge that God can pu­nish? doest thou vnderstand how much thou wert deceaued, in say­ing, to excuse thy sinne, God is [Page 221] mercifull, and will pardon mee? I can not beleeue that he will the death of my soule, which hath re­deemed me at so great a price, as his pretious blood, I wil afterwar­des amend the course of my life, I will sinne noe more after this yeare, moneth, weeke, or day, deceauing thy selfe with such like perswasions?

The dayes of man are shorte, the number of his monethes is with thee, saieth Iob, speaking to God. (Iob. 14.5.) here thou mayest marke, ô sinner, that he saieth not, the nūber of his yeares are with thee, neither doth he say the yeares of man are short, but his dayes and monethes: Behould sinner how much thou deceauest thy selfe, measuring thy life by yeares? say­ing so many yeares I shall liue: enter into due consideration with your selues, beare in minde the [Page 222] last end of your liues, consider the shorte computation, of most wise and holy [...]ob, which is in mo­neths and dayes, perswade your selues, that you may euery day and howre, yea, euery moment, and instant, fall downe dead; Be yee watchfull, for you know not when the time shall be, saieth our Lord. Thinke therfore that the last mo­m [...]nt of thy li [...]e is already come, and [...] at this instant, thy miserable soule may take her last farrewell of thy stinking body, and consider, to what place shee must goe. Thinke with thy selfe, ô man, although thou shouldest be the most holy, and sanctified man in the world, that thou art not alwaies certaine of thy salua­tion. They are iust men, and wise, and their workes are in the hands of God, and yet mā knoweth not, whether he be worthy of loue or [Page 223] hatred. (Eccles. 9.2.) Accursed be that night, when the soule of a miserable sinner departing with­out penitencie of her sinnes, shall be giuen into the hādes of a thou­sand diuels, to the dreadfull l [...]ke that burneth with fire, and brim­stone, to be perpetually tormen­ted with the hellish crue: misera­ble soule, thinkest thou nothing of this matter? or thinking of it, why doest thou not amend thy life, why permittest thou thy self, to be deceaued by the alluremēts of the flesh?

Truly that soule shall be most happy, when departing out of her body, she shall be embraced by the handes of Angels, and carried with iubilations, & hymnes, vn­to the celestiall paradise: O vn­speakable felicitie! O most bles­sed, and fortunate soule! Pretious is the death of the Saints in the sight of our [Page 224] Lord. (Psal. 115.5.) Consider ô sou­le) that it is the only felicity and beatitude, which the Saints did hope for, and attend (I beseech thee) what the psalmist saieth of thy end, and destruction. The death of sinners is most ill. (Psal. 33.22.) marke what wordes the holy Pro­phet vseth, he doth not say, it is ill, but most ill, in the highest de­gree, because it is so ill, that it cannot be worse; deseruedlie (ô sinner) is thy death most ill, for if thou shouldest die now presently, the miseries that would accom­panie thee, would demonstrate the same, for thou shouldest die guilty of mortal sinne, and dying guilty of mortall sinne, thou shouldest dy hateful to God, and dying hatefull to God, thou diest an enemie to God, thē the which, there can be nothing more grie­uous for thee, or more abhomi­nable [Page 225] in his sight.

Therefore (ô sinner) seriously ponder, and duly consider (I be­seech thee) thine imminent dan­ger, and great perill, accepting the counsell of S. Peter the Apo­stle, who saieth, Be vigilant, & care­full, that by your good workes you may make certaine your vocation and ele­ction, for doing these thinges, you shall not sinne. (2. Pet. 1.10.) Mary, Mo­ther of grace, Mother of mercy, protect thou vs frō our enemies, and receaue vs at the howre of death; To thee we flie, most pious Queene, Aduocate, and Mother, we implore thine aide, and assi­stance, euen vntill that last terri­ble moment; Helpe vs gratious Mother, defend vs most sweet, & clement Mary; Remember o most blessed Virgin, that thou art the patronesse of all sinners; Ther­fore I (the most wicked, & chiefe [Page 226] of all offendors) doe in the name of all, desire and craue thy suc­cour and intercession for vs, but especially at the last instant, when our soules are to depart out of this world: Helpe vs Mary, and defend vs perishing soules; thou art our Mother, we thy children, therefore we wretched and affli­cted, commend our selues to thy care, for thou art our guide in our last conflict: Haile Mary full of grace, our Lord is with thee, bles­sed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruite of thy wombe Iesus, holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for vs sinners, now, and at the howre of our death,

Amen.

Of the dead body, and carcase of man, and of the miserie of the same, after the separation of the soule. THE XXII. CHAPTER.

ANd it came to passe, that the beg­ger dyed, and was carried by the Angels, into Abrahams bosome; and the rich man also died, and was buried in hell. (Luc. 16.22.) Doest thou heare (ô sinner) whither the soule of La­zarus the beggar was carried? and where the soule of the rich Epi­cure was buried? The poore beg­gar, by the handes of Angels, was placed in Abrahams bosome, a place of perpetuall rest, and tran­quilitie: the rich man, was preci­pitated into the infernall lake of hell, a place of weeping, and per­petual misery. Consider now, that the same shall be fall thee, if thou [Page 228] diest not in the fauour, and grace of almighty God: And dying in his fauour, hauing not satisfied for the temporall punishments, which thy sinnes do deserue, thou shalt be carried into purgatorie, and there remaine vntil thou hast paied the last farthing; But if thou shalt be dissolued, and die in the fauour of God, and hast sa­tisfied for thy temporall punish­ment, thou shalt be assumed with troupes of Angels, into heauen, there perpetually to enioy the heatificall vision, and ineffable delightes of paradise: But if thou shalt depart without penance for thy sinnes, without confession, or at least contrition, and desire of confession, and reconciliation, when thou cāst attaine to the acte of confession, thy soule then, at the instant of her departure out of thy body, presently being sea­zed [Page 229] vpon, by a companie of di­uels, shal be thrust into the loath­some dūgeō of perpetual darknes.

Thinke now, ô miserable, and vnhappy sinner, of the misery of the body, which shal be left desti­tute of a soule, frō which it recea­ued its forme, beauty, and come­lines, and being depriued of this coniunction and vnion, it shall be deformed, loathsome, pale, and wanne: Thinke with thy selfe, it beganne to be filthy, and putri­fied, euen then when it was first taken with a feauer, cōsumption, impostume, or any other disease, and from that time, to wax most filthy, & loathsome: Thinke that it doth agonize and sweat, euen vntill the departure of the soule, and continually doth excreate, & spitt forth, fleam, and other cor­rupted filth, and in this state, and condition, weeping, languisheth, [Page 230] and decayeth: consider, that after the departure of the soule, the eyes will remaine distorted, thy teeth grinning, thy mouth, ga­ping, and thy countenance which before was faire, beautifull and comely, shal afterwardes become most hideous, and fearfull to be­hould: consider, what loathsome excrements it will cast forth, and of the suddaine, moste odiously will stink: I haue said to rottennesse, thou arte my Father: my Mother, and sister to the wormes. (Iob. 17.14.) O extreame folly of man, which ca­reth for nothing but to pollish, nourish, adorne, and make much of this putrified flesh, which (whether thou wilt or no) must bee eaten, and deuowred vpp by wormes!

We read of a certaine philoso­pher, that out of curiosity, did visit the toombe of Alexander the [Page 231] great, which beinge opened, he found it, stinking, filled, and co­uered with wormes, and two Ser­pents, eating, & tearing his eyes; whereupon he cried out, saying, O Alexāder, how lately is it, since the world could not satisfie, and fill thy desire, but now thou art contēt with three cubits of earth, and a little toombe! Yesterday, thou diddest triumph and boast of the number of thy subiects, & dominions, to day thou art filled with filthines, & wormes! Yester­day, thou wert worshipped, and honoured of the world, this day thou art of the same world, left, and forsaken! yesterday thou did­dest feed vpon exquisite meats, & delicate dainties, this day, thou thy selfe art become meate for wormes!

Alas (o you sinners) and espe­cially you, which are giuen to the [Page 232] sensuall desires, & vnlawfull plea­sures of the flesh) set before your eyes, the last misery of your dead, putrified, and corrupted bodies, goe, and consider with your sel­ues, the misery, and deformity of those dead carcases, and perswade your selues, that you must be like vnto them, and more abhomina­ble, it may bee: Behould ô you harlotts, how Queenes, Ladies, and Mistresses doe die, see ô you sinners, how Kings, Lords, and Masters without exception, pe­rish: and consider that the same, yee it may be, worse shall befall you: Behould how men and wo­men, are buried (sinners, and har­lots) behould I say, in what state they are, which are now buried, & what they were within these few dayes, and be you astonished, ab­solutly perswading your selues, that the same, it may be worse, [Page 233] shall happen vnto you: And say to your selues, woe Alas to me mise­rable: N. O wretched: G. O vn­happy: E. Behould into what state we must also one day come? Heare you, what the dead man saith vn­to you. To me yesterday, to thee to day: woe vnto thee, which behouldest mee, saieth the dead man, to eue­rie one that looketh on him.

Behould (ô woman) the mise­ries of this dead body, which in former times, was thy associate: Behould the mouth, nose, and countenance of it, contemplate the breasts, and golden haires, of which she did so greatly, as thou doest, at this present, boast and glory, cōsider what an alteration there is. Behould thou proud, and intēperate wretch, & whosoeuer, thou art immerst in the pleasu­res of the body, smel how odious­lie and grieuouslie this dead body [Page 234] stinketh. Behould that woman, ô lasciuious wanton, and tell me if thou knowest her: Alasse, o yee madd and pertinacious sinners, what is there that cā mollify your mindes, & cleaue in sunder your obdurate and stonie hartes, if the misery of your owne bodies, and consideration of the loathsome & hatefull stinch of the same, can no? Lord he stinketh, for he is now of foure dayes, saieth Martha of her dead brother. (Ioan. 11.39.) O sin­ner, what smell can be compared to that of an humane dead car­case? To what end therfore, such diligence? and such curiositie? to what end such cost? odors, pain­tings, and ornaments? To what end, so many delightes, pleasures, fancies, or whatsoeuer may seeme delectable to soe corrupted, and deformed a bodie? I haue seene the offenders, and haue pined away, because [Page 235] they haue not kept thy law, saieth the Prophet. Psal. 118.

O my Brethren and sisters sin­ners, you compell me to pine a­way with Dauid, for the extremi­tie of griefe, when I consider the opprobries, offences, and igno­minies whereby you offend your God, and the irrecuperable detri­ment and dammage, which you procure vnto your owne soules: How long shall sinners, o Lord, how long shall sinners glory? they shall manifest, and declare their iniquitie: Let God arise, and let his enemies be dispersed, and let them that hate him, flie from his face. As smoake vanisheth, let them vanish away, as wax melteth at the presence of the fire, so let sinners perish at the presence of God, and let the iust make merrie, and reioyce in the sight of God, and let them be delighted in mirth. (Psal. 67.2.) Breake the arme of the sinner, and ma­lignant, [Page 236] his sinne shall be sought, and he shall not be found: saieth the ho­lie Prophet. (Psal. 10.15.) beinge moued with an infinite zeale of the honour of God, and saluation of soules.

O good Lord, I am not Dauid, but of all sinners the most wret­ched, of all heinous offendors the greatest, of all wicked malefa­ctours, the most pernitious: not­withstanding, ô my God, & deare Iesus, I am incited, and mooued, with such a desire of thine honor, & the saluation of my poore bre­thren, that from the bowells of my harte, or rather of thine, I implore thy clemency and mer­cie, in these wordes. Haue mercie vpon vs ô Lord, haue mercie vpon vs, for wee are much filled with contempt, because our soule is much filled, and is made a reproach to the wealthy, and despection to the proud. O God haue [Page 237] mercie vpon vs, haue mercie vp­pon vs, for wee are all thy chil­dren, thy seruantes, and crea­tures.

Remember, sweete Iesus, my deare Lord, that all poore mise­rable sinners are thy creatures, thy seruantes, thy children, thy brothers, thy sisters, therfore my Iesus, take compassion, and co­miseration vppon thy children, and bretheren, and shew mercie vpon thy daughters and sisters: wee doe confesse, and humblie acknowledge, that wee haue all offended thy diuine, and infinite maiestie, wee doe all desire to a­mend, and to reforme our liues, and actions, wee doe confesse, ô my Lord Iesu, that thine ineffa­ble clemencie, & benignitie hath beene wronged, and abused, by vs all; wee confesse our dullnes, and negligence, in cooperating with [Page 238] the diuine concourse of thy gra­ce, and last of all, we confesse, that in all thinges we haue bene most vnprofitable, negligent, and vn­worthy seruants, and most vnde­seruing of such a clement, louing, and bountifull Father, Lord, and Master.

And therfore we cast our selues downe prostrate at thy feet, sub­missiuely imploringe thy good­nes, that thou wouldest not haue respect vnto our iniquities, but vnto thy fatherly mercy, & most gratious compassion. Euen as a Fa­ther hath mercy vpon his sonne, so God is mercifull vnto those that feare him, because he hath knowne our making; He hath remembred vs, because we are but dust. (Psal. 102 15.) Man is as the hay, his dayes decay, as the flower of the field: Remēber ther­fore my Iesu, that thou art our Father: correct, and instruct vs, [Page 239] as a Father, that we, being moued with thy so great, beniguity, cle­mency, and charity, may fly and haue recourse vnto thee, like good children, and abandoning all vices, may faithfully serue thee, and loue, honour, and obey thee, as our louing, clement, mer­cifull, and omnipotent Father, for euer, and euer, world without end,

Amen.

The fift Trumpet, of the losse that sinne bringeth at the day of Iudgement. THE XXIII. CHAPTER.

ANd the fift Angell sounded the Trumpet: Draw neare, and with attention giue eare vnto the terrible sound of the fift Trum­pet, for, there must come a reuolting first, and the man of sinne shall be re­uealed, the sonne of perdition, which is [Page 240] an aduersarie, and is extolled aboue all that is called God, or that is worship­ped, so that he sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himselfe, as if he were God, and then that wicked one shall be reuealed, whom our Lord Iesus shall kill with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the manifestation of his coming, him, whose coming is ac­cording to the operation of Sathan, in all power, and lying signes, and won­ders, and with all, seducing to iniquitie those that perish, because they haue not receaued the truth, according to chari­tie, that they might be saued. 2. Thess. 2.

Heare, ô you sinners, the terri­ble, and fearfull sound of this Trumpet, be astonished, with all expedition, arise from the sinke of sinne, thinke seriouslie with your selues, what exceeding great detriment & damage, it bringeth with it. Alas thou vnhappie sou­le, if thou couldest but penetrate [Page 241] the greatnes of the losse, that sin­ne procureth, how vigilant woul­dest thou be, for being ensnared in it, and if thou being depriued of the grace of God, shouldest fall, how dilligently wouldest thou rise againe? Miserable sin­ner, if thou wouldest be through­lie mooued with the horrour of sinne, weigh well in thy minde, what thinges shall befall thee, at the last day of iudgement.

And first of all consider that, Antichrist, polluted, and defiled with all kinde of sinne, and vices, must thē appeare, who is the chie­fest enemie of God, who shall striue by all meanes to seduce the faithfull, & beleeuing Christiās, affirming that he is true God: If thou desirest more particularly to know the conditions, and affe­ctions, of this hellish and diabo­licall vsurper, consider diligently [Page 242] the forementioned wordes; There shall come reuolt first, and the man of sinne, shall be reuealed &c. Turne your cogitations (Brethren) to the names which are attributed vnto him, by S. Paul: A man of sinne; The sonne of perdition, that wicked man, whose coming is according to this operation of Sathan: O, wretched, and vnhappy shal they bee, which liue at this time, for many of them, shall either be se­duced, by his false doctrine, or compelled with the extremity of his torments, and tortures, to fol­low his diuellish inuētions: Con­trarilie, moste happie are they, which shall follow blessed Iesus, keeping his holy law, with purity and integrity of minde, for al­though they shall be tormented with the diuerse, and many kin­des of torments & punishments; yet they shall be saued, and re­ceaue [Page 243] a crowne of eternall happi­nesse.

Time will not permit, or suffer me, ô sinners, to insist any longer vpon the improbous impietie of Antichrist, neither did I at the first, intend it, but this, I ardently desire, that you, considering the greatnes, and multitude of euille wherwith your soules are blemi­shed, and deformed, may auoide them, with great detestation ab­horre, and loath them: for what other cause is there, wherefore Antichrist should be so impudēt, and so wicked, but sinne? He shall be a most false lyer, borne by the operation of the diuell, who shall haue a shew of sanctity, when he is most wicked: what maketh him be so cruelly minded, against the professors of Christianity, which are the seruantes of God, but sin­ne? what other reason shall there [Page 244] be, wherfore so many poore sou­les, shall be seduced by him, but sinne? wherfore the holy Apostle saieth; In all seduction of iniquity, vn­to them that perish, for that they haue not receaued the truth in charitie, that they might be sa­ued: Therfore God will send them the opinion of errour, to beleeue a lie.

But who hath secured vs that, that dreadful day shall not come, euen in our time? Certaine it is, that, Antichrist shall come, but when, there is nothing more vn­certaine. O you vnfortunate and wretched soules, what if he should come now? what would you doe? which way would you dispose of your selues? without all doubt, should not God most extraordi­narily preserue you, you would vnite, and ioyne your selues vnto him: for because you haue reie­cted, [Page 245] and refused the truth, which so often hath bene ministred vn­to you, by sermons, and other spi­rituall exercises, and not only, refused it, but in some sorte haue scorned, vilified, and contemned it, how iust would it be with God, if he should permit you to be se­duced with the hellish doctrine of that enemie of God? that you should heare him, obey him, wor­ship him, honour, & follow him, and eternally perish, and be dam­ned with him?

Cōsider, o you blinded sinners, with feare and trembling, what, Dauid the holy Prophet saieth of the diuine maiestie, in these wor­des. Hee is terrible in his diuine coun­cels, vpon the sonnes of men, how hid­den and profound are the diuine iudge­mēts? Blessed are they which runne the race of their liues with feare, blessed is that man, saieth the [Page 246] wiseman, which is alwaies fear­full. Consider also, ô you wret­ches, what the holy Prophet spea­keth of the righteous, and such as are enflamed with the loue of God. Serue, saieth he, your God in feare, and reioyce in him, with trem­bling: as if hee should haue said, you which worship God with all your soules, serue him with all feare and reuerence him, & when soeuer you desire inward exulta­tion, doe it with feare and trem­bling: But you, o wicked sinners who incessantly serue your ene­mie the diuell, lying plunged in the filth of sinne, liuing so incon­sideratly, securely, and confident­lie, as you doe, thinke, and ve­rily perswade your selues (making no doubt) that the diuine wrath & iudgement, shal descend from heauen, vpon the suddaine, vn­looked for, and more swift then [Page 247] the lightning: Alas how many vppon the suddaine haue fallen downe dead, which could not so much as say, Iesu helpe me? Alas how many by negligence, and sloath, haue perished, which ne­uer thinking of their ends, haue liued in all kinde of concupiscen­ce, and voluptuous delightes? when they saide, peace and securitie, there came a suddaine destruction vpon them, saieth S. Paul. (1. Tim. 3.) Man knoweth not his end, but as fishes, are taken with the hooke, and birdes with the net, so are men taken in the time of persecution when there shall come, vp­pon them a suddaine destruction. Eccl. 9.

O you my Brethren, and sisters sinners, looking into your sou­les, and beholding the imminen­cie of your present danger, thinke some thing of your ends: consi­der, o you vnfortunate, and mi­serable [Page 248] wretches, the vncertainty of your liues: consider the perpe­tual torments which are prepared for sinners in hell: consider, o you lost soules, that you must once come to the point of death: con­sider that your delights shal haue an end, your pompes, honours, glorie, and whatsoeuer else, wher­in you tooke sensual delight, and you your selues, shall perish, die, and become as nothing, and your soules themselues shall be drawne and separated from your, impure, filthy, & loathsome bodies, wher­by you haue so heinouslie, & im­piouslie offended your God.

To Christ therfore, o yee sin­ners, to Iesus Christ, o yee obdu­rate soules, draw neare, and haue recourse to him: God calleth you by my penne, by that liuely blood of Christ: O sinners by the virtue, and force of the loue, and mercie [Page 249] of God, I beseech you, and speake vnto you in these wordes: Come ô you sinners, death draweth nere, but Iesus Christ died for you, that you might liue for euer: Come ô you sinners vnto Iesus, for the di­uell, is at hand to throw you into hell: Turne you to Christ, who calleth you, by the sound of my Trumpet, lest he reiect, and vt­terly condēne you with the sound of his seuere, and bitter sentence at the day of iudgement. Woe to you ô sinners, woe I say vnto you, if you refuse to heare the sound of this Trumpet, whereby the di­uine clemency calleth you from sinne and perdition, vnto repen­tance and saluation. O you my Brethren sinners, how cometh it to passe, that your hartes are not mollified, but are deafe, & dumbe at this sound? God graunt that you be not of the nūber of those, [Page 250] of whom it is written, they haue obdurated their faces more hard thē the rocke, and they would not be conuerted.

Of the fearful signes which shall apeare before the day of iudgement: by the consideration whereof, many sinne­ful soules may be saued, which other­wise might perish. THE XXIV. CHAPTER.

ANd there shall be signes in the sunne, and in the moone, and in the starres, in the earth distresse of na­tions, for the confused sound of the wa­ues of the sea, mens hartes fayling them for feare and expectation of those thin­ges which shall come vpon the whole world. (Luc. 21.25.) And I wil make wonders in heauen and in earth, blood, and fire, and vapour of smoake, the sunne shall be turned into darknes, and the moone into [Page 151] blood, before the great, and ter­rible day of the Lord doth come. (Ioel. 2.30.) O vnhappy sinners, if you would but settle your cogi­tations vpon these horrible thin­ges, and prodigious signes, I doe not doubt but that with feare and terrour, at the very consideration of them, your stony hartes would cleaue a Sunder: What? when you shall see the sunne obscured, the moone turned into blood, the starres obfuscated, and seeming to fall from heauen, the earth to be moued and tremble, the sea to rage, mountaines to breake, and fall a sunder, and to be leuelled with the vallies, dumbe creatures so affrighted as to runne here and there; Lions to roare, Beares to make a hideous noise, Wolfes to houle, and other wilde beasts, ter­rible to sight, by the motion of the earth, to come out of theire [Page 252] dennes and caues, Dragons and Birdes to flie vp and downe the aire: who would not be astonished for feare, and dissolued with hor­rour?

O humane miserie, what shall be come of thee? What a terrour will it be, to see and heare in the fearfull day of iudgement, these strange signes, and vnheard of wonders? And there shall be a great tribulation, such, as was not since the beginning of the world, euen to this day, saieth our Lord by S. Ma­thew. (Math. 24.21.) I will not o­mit (ô sinners) to soūd my Trum­pett in your eares, that I may rouse you, out of the deepe sleepe of your sinnes, being moued with a vehement desire of your salua­tion, and incited by the loue of my deare Sauiour Iesus: woe bee vnto you, if you stoppe your ea­res at the sound thereof, but most [Page 253] happy if you attend, and giue eare vnto it, which is sent forth for the saluation of your poore, di­stressed soules. Many signes there are, which shall goe before the day of iudgement, but fifteene only are remēbred by S. Hierom.

The 1. signe is, that the sea shall transcend the mountaines, four­tie cubits. The 2. signe: the same sea shal descēd in such a lownesse, as that it shall hardly be percea­ued. The 3. signe: All the vnrea­sonable creatures, especially they that liue in the sea, shall be ga­thered together into lakes and pooles, there to lament their de­solation. The 4. signe: The sea, and all waters shall burne. The 5. signe: All trees and herbes shall droppe blood. The 6. signe: Al the foules of the ayre shall be gathe­red together, sending forth cries, and lamentations, and abstaining [Page 254] from their vsual meate & drinke. The 7. signe: All houses, & state­lie buildinges which are in the world, shall be ruinated to the ground. The 8. signe: Lightnings, and firie dartes, shall flie from the west towardes the east, threatning the heauens, and striking feare, and astonishment into the whole world. The 9. signe: The stones shall contend amongst them sel­ues, and in their conflict, shall be broken. The 10. signe: Earthqua­kes throughout all partes of the world shall be so great, that nei­ther man, nor beast shall be able to stād on their feete. The 11. signe: All the mountaines shall be tur­ned into dust. The 12. signe: All creatures shall leaue their caues & dennes, and being possest with a kinde of madnes, shall wander abroad. The 13. signe, in all pla­ces the graues and toombes shall [Page 255] be opened, and the bones of all the dead, shall stand vpright vp­pon their graues. The 14. signe: The starres shall fall from hea­uen. The 15. signe: Euery thing that is endued with life, shall be chaunged, as well beasts, as men, as vpon the suddaine; those men that now dy, together with them, that haue died since the creation of the world, shall be reuiued and liue againe: Fearfull signes they be (ô sinner) which I relate vnto thee, receaue them for thy instru­ction, and enrich thy soule ther­by, for thy saluation.

1. The sea shall transcend the mountaines, to contemne thy pride and insolency (ô arrogant, and fastidious wretch.) The wicked are as a rageing sea, saieth the scrip­ture. (Isay. 57.20.) But the sea shall ascend in such a height, as that it shall excell the mountaines, and [Page 256] wash away the arrogancy of the proud.

2. The sea shall be depressed to that lownesse, that it shall hardly apeare: wherby, ô proud wretch, it shal be declared vnto thee, that at last, thou must be deposed, and plucked downe by God. Euery man that exalteth himselfe, saieth our Lord, shall be humbled. (Luc. 14.) and humility, saieth the wiseman, followeth the proud.

3. The lamentatiō of the bea­stes, which is the third signe, what should it demonstrate vnto thee (o sinner) but that they, who haue taken much delight in vaine, sen­suall, and lasciuious complacen­cies, shall then be punished, and tormented, with fearfull execra­tions, and vlulations: Speake vnto the earth, and it shall shew thee, and the fishes of the sea, and they shall de­clare vnto thee, saieth holy Ioh.

[Page 257]4. The fourth signe shall bee, that of the sea and waters, in that they shall consume with heate, which may instruct thee, ô luxu­rious sinner: for euen as thou hast burned in this world with the fire of filthy concupiscēce, luxurious desires, and adulterous actions, euen so must thou burne in hell with fire, and brimstone; their part shall be in fire and brimstone, saieth S. Iohn in his Apocalipse. (Apoc. 21) and by this meanes, so much as thou hast abounded in the im­pious desires of the flesh, so much shalt thou receaue of this punish­ment in this next world; How much shee hath delighted her selfe in pleasu­res, so much punishment giue you vnto her, saieth the iudge in the Apo­calipse Apoc. 18.6.

5. What meaneth that sweat of the herbes and trees, which is the fift signe? O wretch, that [Page 258] blood, which thou hast shed with thy cruell and vnmercifull han­des: Because that murder is one of those capitall crimes which cry vnto heauen for reuenge: The voice of thy brothers blood, crieth out of the earth to mee, saieth God to Cain.

6. That mourning and lamen­tation with abstinēcie from meat and drinke of the birdes, what o­ther thing (ô thou glutton) doth it signifie, then the paines & tor­ments, which shall be inflicted vppon thee in hell, for thine in­temperancy, and ebriety? for they that are giuen vnto this vice, shal be fedd in hell with hunger, and dearth; The portion of drunkards, shall be fire and brimstone, and the spirit of tempest, is parte of their chalice. Psal. 10.7.

7. The ruine and destruction of all buildings throughout the world, what else doth it demon­strate, [Page 259] but the folly and vanity of those, which placed all their delight, and chiefest felicity, in building sumptuous and spatious pallacies? Alas how many are there found of these times, which haue more respect of the houses in which their bodies dwell for a time, then of heauen in which their soules should perpetually remaine? woe be vnto you, which ioyne house to house, & field to field: O mise­rable wretches how much better would it be for you, if you would studie to pollish, and adorne the celestiall palaces of your soules for heauen, where there are so ma­nie beautifull, and glorious ha­bitatiōs? In my Fathers house, there ar many mansions. (Ioan. 14.2.) saieth our Lord: O extreme vanitie, and madnes of the world!

8. What do those flaming, and burning dartes, those lighninges [Page 260] running from east to west, what, doe they signify, but the wrath & indignatiō of the angry iudge against sinners, and those which haue molested or wronged their neighbours, or brothers? Euery man that is angry with his brother, saieth Iesus Christ, shall be guilty of iudgement. Math. 5.22.

9. The conflict of the stones, signifieth your Adamantine, and obdurate hartes, which shall be broken a sunder with the iudge­ments of God, because they are not mollified by repētance: Hea­uen and spiritual thinges nothing profit you, the promises of Christ will not allure you, the fearfull iudgements of the latter day, the intollerable punishments of hell set before you, doe not any thing moue you: O sinners more obdu­rate then stones, the stones claue a sunder at Christs passion, but [Page 261] you more hard then they, remai­ne still in obduracie.

10. The great earthquakes (ô sinner) which shall be so terrible, as that S. Iohn saieth in his Apo­calipse; There is made a great earthquake, such an one, as hath not beene since the beginning of the world; it signifieth this, that you cannot be sustained any lon­ger by the same, and therefore it trembleth, and shaketh, that it may swallow you vp: Or the earth (as S. Gregorie saieth) therefore quaketh, because it will not re­ceaue sinners any longer, before they haue heard the sentence of the iudge, pronounced against their crimes, and offences: Alas into how great a streight shal sin­ners be brought? if they looke vp, they shal behould the angry con­tenance of the iudge offended: if they looke downe, they shall see [Page 262] hell gaping, prepared to receaue them: vpon their right hand, they shall behould their sinnes & mis­deedes accusing them: vpon the left hand, innumerable diuels in readines to carrie them into euer­lastinge flames: Inwardly, the worme of the conscience gnaw­eth them, outwardly the fire and torments scorch them, and terri­fie them. Which way then shall a sinner flie or turne him selfe? then shall they cry out, O you mountai­nes fall vpon vs, and hide vs from the face of him that sitteth vpon the throne, and from the wrath of the lambe.

11. The leauellings of hils with vallies, what do you thinke it sig­nifies (ô sinners) but the ouer­throw of proud, great, and rich men, which haue trampled the poore and needy vnder their feet? and then all shall be made a like and equall, euery vally, saieth the [Page 263] Prophet Isay, shall be exalted, and euery mountaine, and hill, shall be brought low.

12. All creatures shall forsake their caues and dennes, & being possessed with a kinde of madnes, shall wander abroad: what mea­neth it, thinkest thou? nothing else, but that no secret corner, no excuse shall be found of any: all succour and releife shall bee taken away from poore sinners, and no place or parte left, wher­by they may be relieued. Not any Saint, not any Angell, not the B. V. Saint Mary Mother of God, shal assist them, because God him selfe will be so exceedingly offen­ded with them: Alas ô you wret­ched, and accursed sinners, what will you then doe? what will you say, ô miserable soules? you shall walke, and wander here, & there, outragious, madde, furious, not [Page 264] knowing what to say, or what to doe. Now therfore, now I say, e­uen at this instant, whilst it is time, doe that, which then (vn­fortunate soules that you are) you shall not be able to doe.

13. The graues shall be ope­ned, and the dead bones standing vpon them: which shall be the thirteenth signe. Behould I shall open your toumbes, saieth the Pro­phet Ezechiel: whereby it is inti­mated vnto thee, o sinner, that then all the filth and corruption of thy sepulcher (to witt) of thy defiled, and polluted harte, shall be manifested, and brought to light. There is nothing hid, but it shall be reuealed, and nothing so secret, but shall apeare, saieth our Lord. (Luc. 12.2.) Then all thy hidden and se­cret sinnes (o thou adulterate sin­ner) shall be layed open to the eyes of the whole worlde: what [Page 265] therfore wilt thou doe, o wretch? which way will thine vnfortunate soule turne it selfe?

14. The starres shall fall from hea­uen, saieth our Lord: that it may strike a feare, and terrour into all sinners, which haue made them­selues vnworthy of that celestiall kingdome.

15. Last of all, all men shall be changed. To signifie vnto thee, o sinner, that then all pleasures must haue an end, and that thy selfe shalt cease to offend, iniury, and wrong thy God, and deare Sauiour Iesus Christ.

To conclude: noe man doth walke safe, amongst Serpents, & Scorpions: we are here, enuironed with troupes of enemies: wher­fore as often as I thinke, of the daunger of the time now present, and the fearfull signes of the time of the last iudgement, I cannot [Page 266] but tremble, throughout all the partes of my body; for whether I eate or drinke, or whatsoeuer else I do, I thinke I alwaies heare that terrible trumpet soūding in mine eares. Arise you dead and come to iud­gement: for we must all be manifested before the tribunall seat of Christ, that euery one may receaue the proper thinges of his body, as he hath done, either good or euill. (S. Hieron. ad Eustoc. de cast. Virgin.) Consider diligently ther­fore now ô you obdurate & stiffe-necked sinners, and contemplate all these wonders, and prodigies, breaking your hard, and sturdie mindes, and affections, with the consideration thereof vnto your eternall saluations,

Amen.

Of the resurrection of the dead, and how that all men which are dead from the beginning of the world, doe die, and shal die vnto the end of the same, shall be reuiued againe. THE XXV. CHAPTER.

ANd he shall send (to witt) the sonne of mā, Iesus Christ at the day of iudgement, his An­gell with a Trumpet, and a great voyce, to call the dead to iudge­ment. (Math. 24.31.) Alas ô you sinners, what will you doe, at that time, when euen the dead in their graues shall heare this terrible sound, arise you dead and come to iudgement? what will you doe, when the Angell shall gather you to iudgement? you cannot then withdraw your selues, or steale away: you cannot say, we wil not: [Page 268] for will you or no you must come: Alas miserable soules of condem­ned sinners, which from the bot­tomlesse pitt of obscure hell shall heare this fearfull sound, for as soone as the Angel shal haue soū ­ded the Trumpett, the full time of your tormēts being come, you shall bee most miserably rancked with the execrable diuels your as­sociates, whilst other diabolicall spirits go about to apprehend o­ther accursed soules, saying, come you reprobate, and damned sou­les, come you with vs, that you may receaue the terrible sentence of condemnation: come and re­ceiue the ful measure of your pu­nishment due vnto body, & sou­le, and for euer liue with vs in the eternall paines of hell: O fearfull spectacle! the diuells shall breake forth out of hell, with outragious clamors and roaringes, drawing, [Page 269] and dragging these damned sou­les along with them, which they shall beat with many stripes, and excruciate with diuerse kindes of punishments, crying out blasphe­ming, and detesting God: O how great, fearfull, and lamentable a spectacle will it bee, to see such a troupe and multitude of diuells, and damned soules, coming out of secret dennes, and caues of the earth, filling heauen and earth with their hideous out-cries.

Consider ô sinner, that all these diuells, and condemned soules, the number of the which, for the greatnes thereof, cannot be re­counted, shall cause a terrour to the whole world, by reason of the fearfull lamentations of soules, and roaring of diuels, which shall be heard in al partes of the world: Alas sinnefull men and woemen, what will you then doe? Tide and [Page 270] bound to no place you are, and yet you cannot hide your selues, nor flie away, but of necessity vp­pon that day, must appeare be­fore the Iudge, to receaue your sentence of condemnatiō: At that day, all the reprobate soules shall goe weeping and wailing to their graues, to receaue their stinking, and loathsome bodies, and to be ioyned againe with them, and to liue with them perpetually in hel.

Consider, ô sinner, that when those accursed soules shall stand at their graues, euery one of them shall crie out vnto their bodies, in this manner: O detestable, and execrable body, thou my asso­ciate, and companion, come with mee, to be burned in perpetuall flames, hitherto thou hast slept, and taken thine ease, and I alone haue bine swallowed vp in the depth of misery, it is necessary [Page 271] now, that thou also, come to be rewarded, according to thy me­rits. Come, ô cursed body, for I was allured by thy polluted desi­res, to offend the angry Iudge of heauen and earth. Come filthy, and loathsome body, which hast so often procured vomit by thine excesse: thou must now be dam­ned with the innumerable curses of him that created thee, & gaue thee to mee: come you cruell and wicked handes, which haue bine ēbrued in your neighbors blood, that you may receaue the reward of so many murders, thefts, ro­beries, and other heinous offen­ces cōmitted by you. Come you execrable feet, that you may re­ceaue the recompense of so many mischiefs, which with great spee­dines, and celerity, you haue run­ne to commit. Come my pollu­ted mouth and tounge, that you [Page 272] may receaue the wages of so ma­nie blasphemies, dishonest and obsceane wordes, which you haue vttered. Come my deuowringe throat, which neuer couldest be satisfied with excesse, and drunck­nesse: The time is now come in which thou must now pay the olde score, for thy intemperancy in ea­ting and drinking. Come you cu­rious, and gazing eyes, which would not be satisfied with any good sight, come you accursed eares, whom nothing, but disho­nest wordes and lasciuious songes and speeches would delight. In a a word, come hither, all you fil­thy, and loathsome members, which, because I tooke care to cō ­tent you, haue now for euer de­stroyed me: come for the hire of your beastly excesse, to be burned with me in the darksome lake of fire and brimstome without hope [Page 273] of euer returning from thence a­gaine: Lastly come hither dete­stable body, which as thou hast bene my companion in comit­ting of vices, so now in like man­ner, thou must be partaker, with mee, of all my hellish torments, and that in continuall howling and weeping; for we shall for euer liue together without hope of re­turning from this damnable dun­geon of hell.

In this manner shal all the sou­les of the reprobat speake to their bodies in the day of iudgement: In like manner shall your soules ô sinners, speake to your bodies, if you die, burdened with dead­lie sinnes, and offences, and you shall be also cast into the bur­ning Tophet, if you be not care­full in time to preuent. Such like words shall the damned soules vt­ter, when by the diuine power, all [Page 274] the dispersed ashes of their bodies shall be gathered together, and rising out of their loathsome gra­ues, shall be reunited, to their ac­cursed soules. This being done, they shall be presented before the iudge, by the tormenting diuels, that so they may be accursed, and condemned together.

But now sinners, to leaue so pit­tiful, and horrible consideratiōs, let vs come to the contemplation of the blessed soules in paradise, the very cogitation wherof is suf­ficient, to stirre vp your mindes and affections to embrace, & pra­ctice virtues, and to shunne, and forsake vices: O how delectable and pleasant a sight shall it be, to behould so many blessed soules, descending from heauen, as glo­rious as the sunne in his ful beau­tie, that vpon the earth, they may receaue their bodies: O ioyfull [Page 275] spectacle: There shall appeare the soule of the great precursor, S. Iohn Baptist, most resplendāt with the beames of glorie, that it may receaue her dispersed, and scattered ashes. There shall ap­peare S. Peter, and S. Paul, the two chiefe pillars of holy church, with all the other blessed Apost­les. Here shall bee seen the sou­les of the Patriarkes, there of ho­lie Martyrs, and Confessors, as so manie sunnes, & starres, shining in theyr glorie: who singing prayses, to allmighty God, shall fill the ayre with heauenly Alle­luiahs, and shall come to theyr sepulchers, in diuerse places and Countries of the earth, to re­ceaue theyr bodies, endued with comlynes and glorie: O worthie sighte! those blessed soules shall come accompanied with Angels: as contrariwise, the damned sou­les [Page 276] with diuels, but especiallie with theyr Angell Guardians, who hauing defended, and pro­tected them in this life, at theyr happie state and condition, are filled with all ioy, and heauen­lie delight.

Euerie one then of theise bles­sed Angells, shall speake vnto his most happie soule which he hath protected. Come (o soule) blessed of the most holie Trini­tie, whom with al thy power thou hast serued, come and take a­gaine this thy bodie, that toge­ther with it thou maist bee made partaker of celestiall ioyes; O what a sight shall it bee to see at Rome, the two most beautifull soules of S. Peter, and S. Paul, comming to theyr sepulchers, that they may resume their most famous reliques, with a com­panie of so manie blessed Angels? [Page 277] Then shall the Angells, & hap­pie soules themselues speake vn­to their bodies, in these wordes, or the like.

Alas poore bodies of ours, which haue lyen so long time in the dust, without your reward, a­rise, for now is the time, that you must bee reunited vnto vs, and receaue the reward of so ma­nie molestations, greifes, and labors, which you haue suffered: come hither my feet, which haue gone bare so manie iourneies for the loue of God: come hither my handes, which for the loue of Iesus Christ, haue performed so manie good deedes: come hither my tounge, which hast been dai­lie preaching of the praises of God, and teaching others, to conforme themselues to his most holie will: come my bellie which hast so often fasted, and abstai­ned [Page 278] from meats: come my loy­nes which haue borne cordes, & chaines for the loue of Iesus: come my whole bodie which di­uerse times, hast mortified, and subdued thy selfe, with hayr-cloaths, whippings, & scourges, and other soare torments, for the loue of thy Sauiour, for now is the time, wherin thou must re­ceaue the recompence of these labors, and sufferinges.

O what a glorious sight will it bee, to behould, throughout the whole world, especiallie at Ro­me, so great a number of Saints bodies, arising in such wonderful splendour, & brightnes? O thrise happie then are they, which haue runne the race of their life, in the path of vertue: And if perhaps through humane frailtie they did fall, without delay, they rose againe, doeing also, pennance [Page 279] for the same: These shall bee of that most blessed, and glorious number.

What sayest thou now, ô sin­ner, wilt thou any longer harden thy hart, and stoppe thine eares at the sound of my Trumpett? wilt thou still persist in thy lewd, and vngodly courses? woe, woe bee vnto thee, if thou doest so, for by theise meanes, thou shalt come to bee of the number of those miserable, & dāned soules, from which God of his infinite goodnesse, and mercy deliuer thee,

Amen.

Of the comming of the Iudge to iud­gement, and of the great feare which his cōming will strike into the hartes of sinners. THE XXVI. CHAPTER.

WHen the sonne of man, shall come in his maiestie, and all [Page 280] his Angels with him: Then shall hee sitt vpon his throne of maiestie, and all nations shall bee gathered together be­fore him. (Math. 25.31.) Alas sin­ners, returne, forsake your sin­nes and accustomed vices: remē ­ber that you must bee iudged of almightie God, whom by your lewd liues you haue offended: cō ­sider now at length that, after that the angels shall come to cal together all the dead with the sound of a Trumpett, the dead shall rise, and shall bee gathered together, in the valley of Iosa­phat; and in the neere adioyning places: the damned standing on the earth, but the elect remaining in the ayre, in excellent claritie, and brightnes: And last of all, the iudge shall appeare in the same ayre, who shall descend frō heauen, accompanied with his most deare and louing mother, [Page 281] attended of all the celestiall quire of Angels. Consider, the ensigne of the holie Crosse that shall goe before him, with all the other trophies of his victorious death and passion, which shall bee car­ried by the holie Angels, partlie that they may bee an euident te­stimonie against all sinners, and partly that they shew the lawfull­nes of the sentence which the iudge shall pronounce against the damned: and partlie to en­courage, and comforte all good men, which by their force & ver­tue shal bee saued: And then (sayeth our Lord) shall appeare the signe of the sonne of man in heauen: and our holy mother, the church singeth; this signe of the Crosse shall bee in hea­uen, when our Lord shall come to iud­gement.

O wonderfull spectacle, neuer seen in the world before: this most [Page 282] holie signe of the Crosse, shall shine farre more bright then six hundred sunnes, adorned with an innumerable company of ce­lestiall colours: ô happie, and thrise happie are they, who shall behould that crosse, with ioyfull countenance, but contrariwise, most miserable shall bee the re­probate, which against their wil­les, shal be forced to see the same to their great griefe and sorrow: O what ioy and pleasure, shal ver­tuous men haue at the presence therof? and what excessiue lamē ­tations, shall wicked and sinne­full men make, when they see the same? with what alacrity shal S. Iohn Baptist, S. Peter, S. Paul S. Bartholomew, and all the ho­lie Apostles looke vpon that glo­rious wodde of the crosse: S. Be­nedict: S. Charles, S. Domi­nicke. S. Francis, S. Clare, saint [Page 283] Cecilie, sainte Catharine, Marie Magdalen, and all the other ho­lie Virgins, and Matrones, with what gladnes will they behould it?

Alas, o wicked and cruell Pi­lat, which condemnedst our Sa­uiour to death, how shalt thou bee able to looke vpō this crosse? O Caiphas, and you Scribes, & Pharises, that moued the people to cry out with an exceeding great clamour to Pilat, away with him, away with him, crucifie him him, crucifie him: what griefe shall you conceaue at the sight of this holie Crosse? What fu­rie and madnes shall posesse you at the behoulding of it? O vn­godlie Christians, who still re­maine in the filth of your sinnes, who haue trampled vnder foot, the pretious blood of Iesus, what will you then say and doe? Thou [Page 284] proud man, who reiecting all o­thers, wouldest submitt thy selfe to no bodie, with what deiection wilt thou cast thy eyes downe­wards, lest thou shouldest be­hould that triumphant signe? A­las, ô lasciuious man, who wallo­wing in the mire of all vnclea­nesse, hast liued in the filth, and mire thereof, hast liued in con­tempt of the blood and death of Christ, how thē darest thou looke vpon that sacred signe? Alas thou angry man, who wilt forgiue no­thing, wherin thou art offen­ded, though in the smallest mat­ter, although thou shouldest be asked pardon for Christs sake, in remembrance of his most bitter death and passion, what then shall become of thee? how wilt thou looke vpon that signe, whē thou shalt see, all hope of obtai­ning mercie to bee shutt vp from [Page 285] thee? Alas thou couetous man, who for Christs sake wouldest not giue one morsell of bread to the poore, what shall become of thee, when thou shalt see thy selfe destitute of all celestiall and ter­restiall things? Alas thou wicked woman, that hast killed so many soules, and iniuried the blood, and crosse of Christ, with thy lewed, and dishonest life, what shall then become of thee? Thou peruerse and obstinate heretike, who dailie reuilest Christe, and his holie church, thou shalt then bee brought to the acknowledge­ment of thyne errours: Alas dā ­ned soules, then you shall be­hould the fruite of your sinneful life past, when all hope of mercy which you haue despised here v­pon earth, shall bee taken away: what will you doe, when, after the crosse, and other signes of [Page 286] the passion, Christ Iesus cruci­fied, shall appeare in his maiesty?

O happie are they, who shall be able then to looke vpon him: O most sweet woundes of my be­loued Iesus, bestow that grace v­pon mee, that I may bee worthy to bee of the number of them, which shall behould you with chearfullnes of hart: O most a­miable Iesus, graunt me thy gra­ce, that I may bee one of them, who with ioy and gladnes may glorie in thy woundes, with these or the like wordes; Behould my most louing Iesꝰ, who hath shown so great mercy vnto me, as to draw mee out of the abysse of so many sinnes, and freely pardo­ned all myne iniquities: Behould those woundes, and pretious blood, by vertue wherof I am sa­ued: Bee you blessed ô glorious woundes, full of loue: Be thou [Page 287] blessed ô my most amiable Iesus, who hast vouchsafed to beestow so great fauours vpon mee. To thee, and to thy sacred woundes, be attributed, all praise, honour, glorie, and benediction: Let all the Angels, and Saints in hea­uen, sing praises vnto thee: let all faithfull people vpon earth dai­lie worship thee: let the whole fabrique of heauen and earth, with all creatures cōtained ther­in, set foorth thy prayse: God forbid that I should glorie in a­nie thing, but in the crosse of Ie­sus Christ, by whom the world is crucified to mee, and I to the world.

Now Brethren and sisters sin­ners, turne your selues to Christ the iudge, cōming in the cloudes with his diuine maiestie, most glorious to behould to the An­gels, and all good men, but ter­rible, [Page 288] and fearfull to the diuels, and all reprobate soules, indeed all shall looke vpon him, shining with his resplendant glory, but with differēt affections, the dam­ned shal be forced to behold him, to the greater augmentation of their griefe, but the elect to their greater comfort and consolation: Ierusalem wash thy harte from malice, that thou mayest be saued. (Ier. 4.14.) Sinners purge your soules, and consciences, looke into your sel­ues, with a serious consideration of your estate, delay not, vntill the terrible day of iudgement shall aproach, for then it will be too late to prouide your selues, to enter into the place of eternall happines.

Consider now sinner what hel­pes are prepared for thee, so many teachers to direct thee, so many cōfessors to instruct thee, so many [Page 289] bookes to cal and admonish thee, so many diuine inspirations to moue and excite thee, so many prayers of the holy Church, so many suffragies of the blessed Saints: thou hast thine Angell keeper to protect & defend thee. Cal to minde the manifould hel­pes, which thy louing Iesus, out of his fatherly care, hath proui­ded for thee: He daily teacheth, and instructeth thee, continually prayeth to his heauenly Father for thee, we haue an aduocate with the Father, saieth S. Iohn, Iesus Christ the iust. (1. Ioan. 2.1.) Con­sider what helpe the B. V. Marie, Mother of mercy, patronesse of sinners, procureth for thee, who neuer ceaseth to pray for all, be­fore her sonne in heauen.

Consider, on the otherside, if thou continuest, and diest in thy sinnes, thou shalt be destitute of [Page 290] all helpe thou shalt not finde any to plead for thee, not the Saints not the church, nor the Blessed Virgin Mary; for then the gate of mercy will be shut vp, and no en­trance shall be foūd: sinners looke to your selues, haue recourse to Christ, the fountaine of liuing waters, whilst it standeth open: knocke at the gate of mercy, be­fore it be shut, so you shal receaue pardon, and remission of all your sinnes and offences; Which God of his mercy graunt that we may all obtaine,

Amen.

Of the great shame, wherewith all the damned shall be confounded, in the day of iudgement, before almighty God, and the whole world. THE XXVII. CHAPTER.

ANd all nations shall be gathered together, before him, and he shall [Page 291] separate them one from another, as a sheepheard separateth his sheepe from the kiddes, and shall place his sheepe on the right hand, and the kiddes on the left. (Mat. 25.32.) O sinners, what torments and vexations shal you haue in your troubled soules, when you shall stand in the pre­sence of God & the whole world, to be condemned for your iniqui­ties? what shame will it be to thee, when all thy misdeedes shall ap­peare, and be manifested vnto all. And I will reueale thy secrets before thee, and will shew thy nakednes to the nations, and thine ignominie to the kingdomes, saith the Prophet Naū. (Naum. 3.6.) Noe means can be vsed to couer thy sinnes, which thou hast committed so closely; then what vices soeuer thou did­dest in secret, endeuouring to hide them, from the eyes of men and Angels, shall be brought to light: [Page 292] Then traitour, all thy treache­rous, and bloudy plottes shall be reuealed: Then deceitfull com­panion, all thy crafty plottes, & fallaces, shall be detected: ô won­derfull, and maruailous thinge, then shall they read one anothers sinnes, in their foreheades, as in bookes; The husband shall see all the dishonest behauiours of his wife: the wife, all the faultes of her husband, euery one shal haue his vices, and disordered affectiōs plainely knowne: O the iustice of almighty God, which will disco­uer that, which a sinner thought would haue beene for euer con­cealed?

Call to minde, sinner, what shame that will be for thee, to be set before the eyes of the whole world, to be seene of al both with­in and without? Alas how many shall there be, who whilst they li­ued [Page 293] in this world, were reputed Saints, were reuerenced of all for such, but then shall be knowne to be farre otherwise? How many treacherous and diuellish plottes, how many adulteries, and robbe­ries, shall openly be declared to the eyes of the whole worlde? O my sweet Iesu, which seest al thin­ges, that descriest whatsoeuer is committed in priuat, pardon sin­ners, Iesu helpe them, that doing pennance, they may not be con­founded with that last and great shame; Iesu remember that thou art our Father, our Lord, & God, therfore forsake vs not, but turne thine anger from vs: suffer not the fire of thy wrath to consume vs; Let not that perish, Lord, which is altogether thine. Haue mercy vpon vs, crying out vnto thee. I haue strayed, as a sheepe that is lost seeke thy seruant, because I haue [Page 294] not forgotten thy law: He hath forsa­ken mee, and there is none that seeketh after my soule. Psal. 118.

Many poore afflicted soules of sinners, make such lamentations, releeue and succour them Lord, leaue them not, who are thine, they wholly giue vp themselues vnto thee, they flie to thee for re­fuge, they craue, and looke for helpe of thee alone: Alas sinners, men and women, without doubt, our case is most miserable vnlesse we liue well, and honestly, and be conuerted vnto our Lord God, seeing we yet receaue helpe, wher­upon if we perish, it is our owne faultes. The Saints, the Angels, the church, yea, heauen & earth, and euery thing else, is ready to helpe vs, the Blessed Virgin Mary is ready to succour vs: our sweet Iesus to releiue vs, and in a word the Blessed Trinity, is prepared [Page 295] to defend vs, whose wee are, of whom we are created, and preser­ued: God doth lift vs vp, but we cast our selues downe, procu­ring to our selues our owne da­mage, and withall, the infernall pitt of hell: God would haue vs be saued, & our Lord Iesus Christ died for vs all, he is the propitiation for our sinnes, saith S. Iohn, not only for ours, but for the sinnes of the whole world. (1. Iohn. 2.) Therfore sinners if we be damned, we can giue no lawfull excuse, it is our owne mis­chiefe, and we are the cause & be­ginning of our owne destruction.

Alas therfore brethrē & sisters, let vs shunne and detest our for­mer vices, which if we cannot doe at the first for the loue of God, (which we ought to beare towards him, as a Father) yet at the least, let vs doe it, to auoide the shame, which will otherwise befall vs, be­fore [Page 296] the whole world in the day of iudgement; And thus doing, I hope at last, we shall be brought to forsake them for the loue of God: ô heauenly consideration, ô frutefull and profitable contem­plation, I could wish that thou wert engrauen in the hartes of all men, for surely thou wouldest be then a great helpe to miserable, and wretched soules, which now are like to be damned by theire owne foolish madnes. O sinnefull man, what doest thou? what thin­kest thou? whither goest thou? why doest thou hasten with such speed vnto thy destruction, ruine, and damnation? show them a way ô Lord, that so great a number of them may not perish; preserue Christiā soules from destruction, seeing that so many Turkes, here­tikes, and other infidels are daily damned, who obstinatly refuse to [Page 297] acknowledge the truth of the ho­lie Catholique church: But there is a meanes found out alreadie (Christian Bretheren and sisters) which stil remaine in your sinnes: If you will enter into life, keepe the com­maundements. (Math. 19.17.) you know, you are commaunded of God, to lead a life worthy, and beseeming Christian profession: to abstaine from sinne, and flie the apearance of euil, to loue ver­tue, and embrace godlines: God almighty graunt that we all may performe this, that our soules in the day of accompt may be saued,

Amen.

Of the fearfull sentence which Iesus Christ will pronounce at the day of iudgement, blessed and happy are they who seriously ponder it in their har­tes, and soules, for this is the most compendious way to forsake sinne, and to turne vnto God. THE XXVIII. CHAPTER.

THen shall the King say to those that are on his right hand. Come yee blessed of my Father, possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the be­ginning of the world. (Math. 25.34.) There are two things, which may moue, and excite you (sinners) to forsake your enormous crimes, and vices, and with an vnfained repentāce to returne to your God. One is, the consideration of the blessinge which the good shall haue: the other is, the pondering [Page 299] of the fearfull sentence, that Ie­sus Christ shal pronounce against the damned: to the good he shall say. Come yee blessed of my Father, in­heritt the kingdome, prepared for you from the beginning of the world: But to the wicked, Goe into euerlastinge fire, which is prepared for the diuell and his Angells: the one shall be called to a paradise of pleasures, the o­ther shall be sent into a lake of torments: Nothing is more glo­rious, or beautifull, then para­dise, nor any thing more hor­rible, and loathsome then hell: nothing more delightsome, then heauen, nothing more detestable, then hell: therfore sinner consi­der well of these two, such contra­rie places: Thinke of heauen, that forsaking sinne and doing pen­nance, thou mayest come to en­ioy the vnspeakable pleasures of it: Thinke of hell, and learne soe [Page 300] to order thy life, that desisting from thy former courses, thou mayest escape the grieuous pu­nishments of the same.

Wise sinners, and blessed, are they, who chaunge their ill ma­ners, forsake their lewed courses, and satisfy for their misdeeds, for at their death, they shall be sa­ued: but miserable are those, who giue themselues ouer to the filthy lustes of the flesh; and with gree­dines doe commit all sinne; for they after this life, shall finde no redresse: Happy are those who striue here to adorne their soules with virtues, for in the day of iudgement, they shall finde mer­cy, and obtaine euerlasting ioyes: but wretched are they, who fol­lowinge the pleasures of this world, dye in their sinnes, for in the great day of their visitation, they shall be perpetually dam­ned: [Page 301] And they that haue done good saieth S. Athanasius, shall go into life euerlasting, they that haue done ill into euerlasting fire: Happy are the good, to whom God of his bounty, will giue the treasures of heauen: miserable the wicked, whose portion shall bee with the diuells, in torments of hell.

O hard hart, which art not mo­ued with these thinges! O impie­tie of a sinner, who doeth not thinke of these thinges, and by harty cōtritiō returne vnto God! thou hast but one poore soule sin­ner, and that in the day of iudge­ment, shall either be cursed, or blessed of God, shall either as­cend into heauen, to liue for euer in the companie of Saints & An­gels, or else descend into hell, to be punished for all eternity with the company of the damned spi­rits: [Page 302] If thou be wise, thou wilt be wise for thy selfe, saith Salomon. (Prou. 9.10.) Thou wilt be wise (sinner) if thou detest, and hate sinne, and turne to God; Thou wilt be foo­lish, and worse then madd, if, in continuing in thy wickednesse, thou forgett thy Creator. Alas what a number of peruerse and madd fooles are there, who are hardly corrected? There is an infi­nite number of fooles. (Eccles. 1.15.) Wretched sinners, how sottish haue you beene, and yet still re­maine so, which for a small tem­porall pleasure, like a shadow quickly vanishing, you loose so great a substance of eternal good?

Consider (sinners) that there is no day, nor howre, nor moment of time passeth, but many mil­lions of soules, such as yours are, descend thicke into hell: The sin­ner hath giuen vp himselfe, to a [Page 303] spirituall kinde of sluggishnes, not taking any care for his salua­tion, he cōsidereth not that death is present, euery howre and mo­ment, to giue him a mortall stroake: Alas how many haue gone to bedd at night, and neuer arose againe in the morning: cō ­sider, consider, sinners, your last, endes, which are not farre from you: How fareth it with thee (ô sinner?) in what case is thy poore soule? full of vices, and hainous crimes, couered ouer with dark­nes, in the diuels possession, fast bound with many strong chaines, that now thou maiest cry out with the Prophet. I am wrapt round a­bout with the cordes of sinners. (Psal. 118.) although thou canst not say that which followeth, and I haue not forgotten thy law.

But let vs returne to the terri­ble, and fearfull sentence, which [Page 304] Christ Iesus will pronounce a­gainst the damned, ponder and seriously consider it, imprint it in your harts, that it may be a spurre and incitement vnto you, for the following of vertue, and auoy­ding of vice: meditate vpon that saying of worthy S. Hierome, a man admirable in sanctity, and holines of life. Whether I sleepe saieth he, or wake whether I eate, or drinke, write, or read, sitte, or walke, that terrible speech alwaies seemeth to sound in my eares, arise yee dead, and come to iudgement: if men of such innocency and integrity of life, so much feared that horrible day, what will you doe, miserable and blinde sinners, against whom the sentence of condemnation is to be pronounced?

My God & sweet Sauiour giue that power to my penne, seing it is wanting to my toung, that this [Page 305] short and rude woorke of mine, written without elegancy of wor­des, and that the sound of these my Trumpets, may so moue the hartes and mindes, of those that shall read and heare them, that at length they may forsake their former courses, and fully resolue with themselues to turne to their Creator, and Redeemer. My God, and sweet Sauiour, since it hath pleased thee to inspire mee with thy heauenly grace, to set forth this my poore labour, for the sal­uation of poore soules, redeemed with thy moste pretious blood, graunt mee that fauour, that I may awake sinners, by this my writing, and sound of my Trum­pets, from the lethargie of vices, to the glory of thy name, and sal­uation of their soules: My God and sweet Sauiour, for thy mer­cies sake, suffer not I beseech thee, [Page 306] this my labour to be read, or these my shrill Trumpets to be heard of any sinner, without profit, and commoditie, but that the noyse of them, may force the diuell to tremble, and the powers of hell to shake.

Bretheren sinners, if you shall perceaue your hartes to be moued with their sound, I pray you des­pise, contemne, or resist it not, but thankfully acknowledge that motion, and heauenly inspiration to be from God, who calleth you out of his tender mercy: Returne to God, sinners, men, and women, death is at hand, and yet God, as a kinde and louing Father, by the sound of these Trumpetts, gently calleth you: Awake out of your deepe sleepe of sinnes, wher­in you haue beene buried so ma­nie yeares, and make him an ans­were. Sinners, our most mercifull [Page 307] Lord sendeth forth, this sound both pleasant, and harsh of mine, or rather his Trumpetts, that it may be for the good, and salua­tion of your soules, I pray God it may obtaine the end, for which it was intended: Pray for me, and I will not cease to be mindefull of you all,

Amen.

Of the going, and departure of the dam­ned to hell in the company of all the diuells. THE XXIX. CHAPTER.

ANd they shall goe into euerlasting punishment, but the iust into e­uerlasting life. (Math. 25.46.) They that haue done good, vnto the resurre­ction of life, they that haue done ill, to the resurrection of iudgement, saieth S. Iohn. (Ioh. 5.29.) Sinners stay here awhile, and fasten your sou­les [Page 308] vpon the cogitation of that horrible spectacle, and seriously consider how the damned persons goe downe into the darke pitt of destruction, with fearful howling and lamentation, in the company of innumerable forlorne diuells: O fearfull thing, whose terrour is able to breake, and cleaue in pee­ces the hardest marbles; yet no­thing at all moueth the harte of man! O the misery of humane na­ture, which is not rent a sunder with so pittifull a spectacle?

Sinner, consider that as soone as those wretched soules, shall haue the sentence of condēnation pro­nounced against them, the earth shall cleaue in sunder, and all the diuels, and damned spirits, shall be swallowed vp in one gulfe, and be throwne downe into the obs­cure abisse of hell: O terrible, and mourneful night, when weeping, [Page 309] and gnashing of teeth, and wofull lamentations of forlorne soules (now reunited to theire bodies) shall continue for euer? O mi­serable disiunction, and diuision, the husband shall bee separated from the wife, the daughter from the mother, when the one shall go to heauen, a place replenished with all good, the other into hell, a place of all torments!

O God of all mercy, open the eyes of blinde and obstinate sinners, who neuer trouble their mindes with thinking of either heauen or hell, but only deuise how to wallow still in the filth of sinne. Surge, surge, quidormis, arise, arise, thou that sleepest: Neglect not thine owne saluation, that Christ may helpe thee: Behould he calleth now by my penne, he desireth to awake thee out of thy sleepe, by the loud sound of my [Page 310] Trumpetts: Qui fecit te, sine te, non saluabit te, sine te, saieth S. Augu­stine, he that made thee without thee, will not saue thee without thee, but will, that thou labour to thy pow­er, to dispose, & prepare thy selfe, to ētertaine those wholesom coū ­sels, and exhortations, which he of his mercy offereth vnto thee.

Hereupon it is, that God pro­uideth, that his truth should be made knowne vnto thee by tea­chers, that thou shouldest be ad­monished by confessors, & ghost­lie Fathers, hereupon he speaketh vnto thee by spirituall bookes, and by the scripture, that thou mayest harken, and giue diligent eare vnto him: This if thou doe, in his good time, he will bestow that grace vpon thee, if thou re­fuse not to receaue it, which will enable the to forsake thy lewde course of liuing: take heed sinner, [Page 311] how thou behauest thy selfe, for if thou stoppe thine eares at his cal, and running away from him, contemne his vocation, he will turne away from thee, and suffer thee, to continue in thy misera­ble estate, and condition, and in that shalt thou die, and so dying, shalt be damned.

Alas who is there, which would not be moued at this, and wil­lingly forsake a thousād worldes, that hee might not loose God? which if he would not doe for the loue of God, at least hee would, that he might not incurre the losse of so great a good as heauen, or procure vnto himselfe so great a mischeife, as is the obtaining of held: The losse of heauen is no trifling matter, or to go into hell, is not of a small moment, that a mā should not regard whi­ther he come thither, or no: The [Page 312] damned shall goe, yea, bee cast downe headlong into hell, with the accursed crue of infernall spi­rits: and yee sinners, vnlesse you doe pennance, you shall all like­wise perish: the blessed shall be taken into paradise, and if you a­mend your liues, you shall be in the number of them. The Saints shall enioy all kinde of good, and you also, if you will, shall be made partakers with them: The dam­ned shall be cast into hell to bee tormented, in euerlasting flames, & you except you alter your pur­poses, and course of liuing, shall be in the same number.

Good Lord, what gladnes shall the blessed haue, when they shall enter into heauen, exulting and reioycing in the delightfull com­panie of sweet Iesus, and his Mo­ther, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and of all the Saints, men and [Page 313] women! Stay here a while (sinners) and behould this most beautifull companie, and societie: See how the heauens shine with light: Heare the harmonie of celestiall hymnes: giue care to the musicke of Angelicall voices; behould the Saints leaping for ioy and glad­nes about the throne of God: see how Iesus Christ, and his blessed Mother, embrace, and kindly re­ceaue all the Saints: Behould the Angels triumphing: Harken to the quire of heauen singing most sweetly, to the honour of Iesus, and his Mother, the B. Virgin: O Iubilie, ô gladnes, ô mirth, such as shall neuer be ended! O excessiue ioy, which shall neuer cease to be in the inhabitants of this paradise? ô happy are you, and happy againe, you which are there all ready, and you which hasten to come thither: pray for [Page 314] vs, you that haue your soules there, that we may be made ca­pable of your vnspeakable ioy, and gladnes.

O heauenly Queen, Mother of God. O Marie, my Ladie, and Pa­tronesse, pray for me and all sin­ners, that we by thy merits, and intercession, may deserue to bee reckoned in that blessed number, praising and extolling thy God, and ours, for all eternity: O pow­erfull God, who hast created vs, despise not our prayers, gratious­lie heare our petitions, and giue vs that grace, that to thy honour and glory, we may refraine from the filthines of sinne: looke not vpon our manifolde misdeedes, which wee haue committed, nor vppon the innumerable iniuries wherewith we haue offended thy sacred Maiestie.

Goe to sinners, and be of good [Page 315] courage, Dulcis & rectus est Domi­nus, our Lord is sweet and righteous, saieth the Psalmist: Bonus est Do­minus, our God is God, to them that trust in him, to a soule that see­keth after him: Endeauour (sin­ners) striue and labour so much as lieth in you, that you may be assured of the mercies of God: Misericordia Domini plena est terra: the earth is full of the mercie of our God: there is no created thing on the earth, vnder heauen wherein the most gratious benignity of God doth not appeare, and except we our selues be in fault, we may be sure of saluation, because of his parte, he is willing to receaue all: Deus vult omnes homines saluos fieri, God will haue all men to be saued. 1. Tim. 2. [...]

Alas sinners, purpose, and re­solue to forsake the world, with all your hartes; worship God, who [Page 316] loueth you so dearly, bestoweth so many benefits vpon you, and still desireth to bestow farre grea­ter vpon you. Be not faint har­ted, doubt not any thing, haue recourse vnto Christ so soone as you can: I dare be your surety, to make you al which are obnoxious to sinne, secure, and safe, if you desire indeede to come to Christ Iesus; Come hither Brethren and sisters, be not dismaied, come to the most sweet & amiable woun­des of sweet Iesus, come to cruci­fied Iesus: Doe you not see, how he standeth with his armes stret­ched out, to embrace you? To Iesus Brethren sinners, to Iesus sister sinners: haue recourse to Ie­sus, who neuer refuseth, or reie­cteth any: come to Iesus, full of loue, who expecteth all, calleth all, thirsteth after all: Hic peccato­res recipit, this Iesus receaueth sin­ners. [Page 317] (Luc. 15.2.) Christ Iesus came to the world to saue sinners, saith S. Paul.

O louing Iesu, who wholy gi­uest thy selfe for sinners: O vn­thankefull sinner, who belongest wholy to Iesus: how great is thy mercy ô Iesu? how great is thy be­nefit ô sinner? Propter scelus populi mei, percussi cum, for the wickednes of my people, haue I smitten him, saieth the eternall Father of his sonne. (Isay. 53.9.) He bare our sinnes in his body vpon the wood, saieth the same Prophet: If then Iesus hath bestowed so many great be­nefits vpon a sinner, and loueth him so tenderly, whence is it sin­ners, that you feare Iesus, who is become your friend? do him ther­fore no wrong sinner, come forth to thy Iesus: behould how he ex­pecteth thee vpon the holy wood of the crosse, his handes and feet [Page 318] being pierced through with shar­pe nailes, that he might giue thee hope and confidence to come vn­to him. Let this crucified Iesus, be engrauen in my harte, and in the soule of euery sinner, that soe we may chaunge our liues, and re­forme our conuersations, to our saluation, and to the honour and glorie, of the most holy Trinity, the Father, the Sonne, & the ho­lie Ghost,

Amen.

The sixt Trumpett: Of the dammage that sinne bringeth to a soule in hell, and of the most grieuous punishmēts wherwith the damned are there tor­mented. THE XXX. CHAPTER.

ET sextus Angelus tubâ ceciuit. And the sixt Angell blew his Trumpet. (Apoc. 8.) Sinners giue care vnto [Page 319] the fearfull and terrible sound of this Trumpet, and see whither it be of power to moue your soules. O the misery of mans hart, which destroyeth it selfe, by its obstina­cie and hardnesse, and extolleth it selfe to the highest degree of mischiefe, from whence there is noe hope of returning safe! Be­hould in this world, there is no­thing more pleasing and delight­some to our fight, then the light of the sūne, so in the other world, and in all the celestiall orbes: yea if there were so many worldes, that they should passe nūbering, there would be nothing more glo­rious or amiable to behould, then God almighty. O exceeding de­light to behould God, the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost: to behould the diuine essence, which is one and the same in euery one of the three persons, in which, all [Page 320] sweetnesse, and comelinesse, all treasures, and riches, are to be had in abundant maner. Behould God is a thing so sweet, and pleasant to the tast, that the Prophet Da­uid when he had lost it, or at least seemed to loose it, cried out, say­ing. Fuerunt mihi lachrimae meae panes die ac nocte, &c. My teares were vnto mee bread, day and night, whilest they said dailie vnto mee, where is now thy God? The spouse losing her belo­ued, can finde no place, wherein to rest, whereupon shee saieth. In lectulo meo, per noctes quaesius, quem di­ligit anima mea. In my bedd by night, I sought him, whom my soule loueth, I will arise and goe about the citie: by the streetes & high wayes I will seeke him, whom my soule loueth: haue you seene him, whom my soule loueth? Cant. 3. All Gods seruants and friends, did exceedingly lament, if in this world, at any time, they haue felt [Page 321] the spirit and soule to become drie, and not to haue the accusto­med consolations, & vsual sweet­nes of their beloued: yea they did languish and pine away with de­sire to finde him againe, pittiful­lie wearying themselues, in wee­pings, watchings, and prayers, supposing themselues to be most vnfortunate for this losse.

The misery of the state of a dā ­ned soule is, that it looseth God, not for a small time, not for a day, a yeare, or a thousand yea­res, but for all eternitie, so that if the damned soules should be asked in these wordes, what shall you neuer see God? they would all answere, neuer, neuer, neuer; And if they should be asked, shall you neuer then see that thing which is, not only most beautifull to be­hould, but also the best that can be desired, or sought after? They [Page 322] would presently with one cōsent, answere, no, no, no. If they should be demaunded, what is the cause of this their losse? they would with lamentable crying and howling, tell you, sinne, sinne, sinne: But if you should go further with them, and aske them, with how many sinnes they haue lost, so infinite a good, & are depriued of so beau­tifull a sight, one would say, with a hundred, an other with a thou­sand, another, with tenne thou­sand, and lastly, another with in­numerable sinnes: But how terri­ble, and fearfull would it be to you, if one should say, amongst the rest. Alas most miserable, and forlorne wretch that I am, who with one, onely deadly sinne, which endured but for a momēt, haue depriued my selfe of all the celestiall benefits! Alas then vn­fortunate catiffe, art thou depri­ued [Page 323] of the visiō of almighty God, for one onely transgression? his answere would be, I am, I am, I am: Moreouer.

Consider sinner, that there be two kindes of punishments which the damned suffer in hell, the one is, that which we call, pena damni, the punishment of losse: the other is, pena sensus, the punishment of senses we will speake hereafter of the latter, and now something of the first: This, pena damni, punish­ment of losse, is the greatest euill, of all euills, and the greatest losse of all losses, the greatest priuation that can be imagined, to loose God, and neuer to haue the sight of him: To liue without God, is the most grieuous punishment which the damned can suffer: who doe not so much as hope once to see him, because they be certaine neuer to behould him: O intolle­rable [Page 324] punishment! God will send in to the hartes of the damned a desire, and wonderfull thirst of those things, wherof they cannot be partakers, he wil cause in them, that they shall know and vnder­stand the admirable good which is contained in him, and the great sweetnes and delight, which ari­seth from the contēplation of his diuine maiestie: they shall know that they haue lost all these thin­ges by their sinnes, hauing no hope at all, euer to enioy him; He shall make them vnderstand, how the blessed liue in perpetual pleasures which shall neuer faile thē; wher­upon the damned shall frett, and pine away with griefe, they shall know how they might haue obtai­ned the same if they had exercised them selues in vertuous actions, and had refrained from sinner & vices; wherupon they shall runne [Page 325] madd for griefe and paine, seeing they cā neuer recouer their great dammage, which by their negli­gence they haue incurred.

O sweetnes flowing from the diuine sight! The holy Prophet, when in this life, he did but call to mind his God, languished with a wonderfull kinde of sweetnes, which thereby he did conceiue, Memor fui Dei, &c. I haue bene mind­full, saieth he, of my God, and haue exercised my selfe, and my spirit failed mee. (Psal. 76.4.) The [...]ouse in the canticles cried out for this sweet­nes of loue. Fulcite me floribus; Stay me vp with flowers, cōfort me with ap­ples, because I lāguish with loue. (Can­tic. 2.5.) O most sweet and plea­sāt God, how delightful art thou? Blessed are they, that dwell in thy house, they will alwaies be prai­sing thee: O forlorne, damned wretches; but moste happy they [Page 326] which liue in heauē, because they alwayes behould the face of God. Videbimus eum sicuti est (peccatores) we shall see him as he is, sinners, in the other life, in heauen, euen as the Angells, and all the blessed Saints doe now behould him: But the damned see him in no sort, & haue no hope, at all, euer to see him: Videbimus eum sicuti est, we shal see him as he is. If any one in this world could looke vpō the sunne, and see clearly how it runneth in his orbe and spheare, & not haue his eyes dimmed with the excee­ding light and splendour thereof, he would count himselfe in a ma­ner happy; But if we lead our li­ues, as it beseemeth Christians, we shall see our God, who in splē ­dour & brightnesse passeth with­out comparison a thousand, yea innumerable sunnes: Nec oculus vi­dit &c. Neither eye hath seene, nor care [Page 327] hath heard, nor hath it entered into the harte of man to conceaue, what thinges God hath promised them that loue him, saieth the holy Apostle. (1. Corin. 2.9.) & before the Prophet Isayas: Beati oculi qui vident, &c. Blessed are the eyes which see those thin­ges which you see, saieth Iesus Christ to his Apostles, when they saw him but in the flesh, subiect to labours, trauailes, paines, and death it selfe: what blessednes will you thinke it now to behold him, resplendent in all his glory? What ioy to see him, not only as man, but also as true God, endued with such beautie and brightnes, as that noe man is able to expresse with wordes, and that in the com­panie of all the Saints, attended with an infinite multitude of An­gells?

I altogether faint and languish in my harte & soule, when I haue [Page 328] but only a bare thought of these thinges: Bretheren, doe you not likewise perceaue, a great delight & comfort when you thinke vp­pon God? doe you not consider, when you meditate vpon terre­striall, and created thinges, refer­ring them to God their creatour, and efficient cause, that you re­ceaue a wonderfull sweet content from them? O what a meditation is here for you, to contemplate the fairenesse, and largenesse of the Emperiall heauen? O Israell, Magna est domus Domini, & ingens lo­cus possessionis eius &c. O Israell: saieth the Prophet, great is the house of our Lord, and large is the place of his possession, he is great, and hauing no end, high and mightie. (Baruch. 3.25.) In domo Patris mei mansiones multa sunt. In my Fathers house, there are many mansions, saieth our Lord Iesus. (Ioh. 14.2.) O how [Page 329] many diuerse places and seats are there in heauen? which the Saints enioy. What is it then that now hindereth your will? what letteth you that you cannot be inhabi­tants of that heauenly citie? I am non estis hospites & aduenae &c. (E­phes. 2.19.) You are not now pilgrims and strangers, but you are the citizens with the Saints, and domestickes with God: Our mercifull Lord Iesus Christ (sinners) hath reckoned vs amongst the citizens of heauen, by his bitter death, and passion, he hath made vs heires, and co­heires, of a kingdome, haeredes qui­dem Dei, cohaeredes autem Christi, heires truly of God, but as coheires of Christ.

Alas miserable wretches, what mischiefe is it, that depriueth you of so large, and faire an inheri­tance? sinne: some small puffe, or blast of pride, some little delight of your polluted bodies, some gre­die [Page 330] desire, or thirsting after hu­mane affaires, some light passion of hatred, some foolish plotts to be reuenged, accursed be all those sinnes, which procure such losse and damage vnto vs, as to depri­ue vs of heauen, and of the beati­fical visiō of the almightie: of the most pleasant sight of God the Father, and of our Lord Iesus Christ: and this is the portion, which befalleth all the damned in hell: O most louing Father, O blessed Sonne of God, and holy Ghost the comforter, full of loue and charity, for thy mercies sake suffer vs not to be depriued of those thy great and large promi­ses: permit not, Lord God, our mercifull Father, Sonne, and ho­lie Ghost, permit vs not to loose the ioyfull sight of that glory in the life to come, and the comfort of thy grace in this life present,

A­men.

Of the fire of hell, and the paines of sense which the damned doe suffer in the companie of diuells. THE XXXI. CHAPTER.

PRaeparata est enim ab heri Tophet, &c. for Tophet is prepared since yesterday of the King, deepe, and wide, the nourishment thereof is fire & much wood, the breath of our Lord as a tor­rent of brimstone kindling it. (Isay. 30.33.) Goe to now sinner, call to thy remembrance those grieuous pu­nishments, which thou shalt en­dure in hell, vnlesse thou amend thy life; And first of all consider, that in hell, there is a wonderful denowring fire, euer burning, and yet neuer consumeth those mise­rable damned: Praeparata est ab heri: It is prepared since yesterday, that is from the beginning of the foun­dation [Page 332] of the world, there is a pla­ce prepared which is called To­phet, which signifieth a mislea­ding, or beguiling, that is hell: whither all the soules misled, and beguiled by the world, the flesh, and the diuell, presently resorte.

This Tophet, and this hel, God the King of Kinges hath prepa­red, to reuenge and punish those execrable diuels, & all sinners to­gether with thē: Prosūdata &c. It is deepe and vaste: hell is large & of great cōpasse, saith the holy Pro­phet I say: Nutrimentum eius &c. the fuell of this place is fire, & wood▪ and God with his breath doth cō ­tinually kindle and sett it on fire. Whereupon (sinners) it is moste cleare, that hell is a very darke place, in the most inward, & dee­pest partes of the earth, broade and wide, and so ample, that al­though soules should fall downe [Page 333] therin, as fast as the raine vpon the earth, yet would it neuer be filled: In this place, the fire all­waies burneth, and without cea­sing or intermission, cruelly tor­ments the diuells & damned per­sons, and will so torment and wo­fully burne them for euer.

The holy Doctors doe hould, that this fire is corporall: Ignem in­fernalem corporalem esse non ambigo, saieth Saint Gregorie. I doe not doubt, but that the fire of hell is corporall: And although no cor­porall thing hath power to worke on a spirituall thing, naturally, yet notwithstanding, by the di­uine power, that fire which is cor­porall, & of the same nature with ours, neuer ceaseth after a won­derfull manner, to torment al the diuels, which are pure spirits, and all the damned soules, which like­wise are without their bodies, vn­till [Page 334] the day of iudgement, & then their bodies also shall burne with them, for all eternity.

Alas miserable sinners, this is the place appointed, and prepa­red for you, where you shal burne with all the accursed crue of di­uells for euer, except you amend your liues, and by repentance turne vnto God: That fire shall burne for euer, and neuer be ex­tinguished: Nutrimenta eius ignis, &c. The nutriment therof is fire and much wood, neither shall there want, one daily to blow it, for the breath of our Lord, like a torrent of brimstone doth kindle it: But you must by no means sup­pose, or thinke that there is wood in hell, necessary to encrease the fire: but the sacred scripture, spea­keth so, to this end, that it may be presēted more liuely vnto our vnderstāding, which better com­prehends, [Page 335] and perceaueth natu­rall thinges; neither can wee but say, the diuells, and soules before iudgement, and the bodies of the damned after iudgement, be vn­derstood by wood: for euen as the wood shall be cast into the fire, so the diuels and the damned spi­rits before the day of iudgemēt, and their bodies after, shal be cast into the same: O wonderfull mi­serie, and calamitie, whereinto a sinner falleth, seeing that he must go downe into hell, where he shal burne for euer and euer, and ne­uer be consumed!

Thinke with thy selfe, that thou cannest not without marueilous paine, hould thy fingar in this our fire, for the space of one Aue Ma­ria: but according to the opinion of the Doctors, this our fire being compared with the fire of hell, is like a painted fire: O ineffable mi­serie! [Page 336] Put thy fingar a while to a painted fire, and thou shalt per­ceaue no sensible paine, but thrust it into a reall fire, and thou shalt not be able to endure the same; So truly stādeth the case here, for so mightie, and so forcible is the fire of hell, and tormenteth the soule in such sort and so intolera­bly, as that, suppose any one could deliuer, and take a soule out of hell fire, and cast it into some burning furnace of our fire, the soule would imagine it to be, no other thing, then a recreation, or some sweet cooling ayre, in res­pect of the intollerable burning heate, which before, it did suffer in hell. What saiest thou sinner, if thou denie it to be true, thou art much deceaued, and deluded, nei­ther doest giue eare to that which the scripture affirmeth in many places: And besides, thou shalt [Page 337] alltogether gainsay what we be­fore haue produced out of the Prophet Isay.

But if this doeth not satisfie you, how will you giue credit to that, which the holy Euangelist citeth in the parable of the rich glutton? Mortuus est autem & diues, & sepultus est in inferno: the rich man also died, and was buried in hell. And being in torments, he saw Abraham a farre off, and Lazarus in his bosome, to whome he cried out saying, Father A­braham haue mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dipp the tipp of his finger in water, and coole my toung, because I am pittifully tormented in this flame. (Luc. 16.22.) doest thou heare wicked sinner, what the holye ghospell saieth, wouldest thou know by what name he calleth that fire, Crucior in hâc flammâ, I am tormented in this fl [...]me, therefore Christ him selfe saieth in an other [Page 338] place, speaking of hell. Ibi erit fle­cus, & stridor dentium, there shall be weeping, and gnashing of teeth. (Math. 8.12.) Our Lord in these wordes declareth and setteth downe, two very terrible punishments of hel, when he saieth, fletus, & stridor den­tium, weeping, and gnashing of teeth: by weeping, he sheweth that there is fire in hell, for the fire hath al­wais smoake mixed with it, which hurteth, and offendeth the eyes, & so cōsequently procureth wee­ping: but when he saieth, stridor dentium, gnashing of teeth: hee ma­nifesteth vnto vs, that there is a moste vehement colde in hell, of such efficacie, as it forceth them, who suffer it, to gnash with the teeth. Iob also setteth downe these two kindes of punishments: Ad nimium calorem, transeat ab aquis ni­uium, &c. Let him passe from the wa­ters of the snow, to excessiue heat. Iob. [Page 339] 24.19.

Alas wretched sinners, what woefull punishments doe expect you? your poore wretched soules shall be tossed from one place to another, from cold to heat and scorching, & from thence againe into cold, from flames into snow, from ice and froste in to fire, and all this with ineffable torture, and vnspeakable paine: Herupon you may easily coniecture, what tor­ment, griefe and sorrow it is to be in hell, by going our of fire & heat, into frost and colde, neither is there any of you ignorant, if, vpon some occasion, your hands should become nūmed with cold, and afterwards should put them to the fire to warme them, what paine you should feele thereby; For the maruelous force of the [...]eate, which violently piercinge the fingers, endeuoureth to expell [Page 340] and driue out the colde: O the miserable state, and condition of mankinde: what griefe and tor­ment shouldest thou feele, sinner, if in the height of summer, when thou art sweating and burninge with heat, thou shouldest be cast into a cisterne full of snow and cold water? without question thou couldest not long endure in this affliction.

Alas, thinke, therfore serious­lie with thy selfe, of those horri­ble, and intollerable paines of colde, and heat, and firie flames, which thou shalt suffer in hell: Discedite à me maledicti, in ignem &c. Departe from mee yee cursed into euer­lasting fire. (Math. 25.41.) will Iesus Christ say to the damned, sitting vpon his tribunall seat of iudge­ment; whereupon it is manifest, that there is fire in hell; Discedite à me, departe from mee yee cursed, [Page 341] into euerlasting fire, not at the first prepared for you, but for the diuels, but seeing that now by your sinnes you haue deserued the same punishment, discedite à me, departe from mee, with the com­pany of all the dāned spirits, that together with them, you may be punished in euerlasting tormēts: Sinner, what wilt thou now say? wilt thou derogate from the cre­dit of the holy ghospell, the wor­des of truth, the wordes of Christ, who is truth it selfe? if thou doest so, thou art in the number of he­retiques; if an heretique, thou shalt haue the punishment of he­retiques, and of all them, who will not giue credit to the Catholique faith.

Of the diuersitie of punishments wher­with the damned soules are tormen­ted, without any hope of intermission or mitigation. THE XXXII. CHAPTER.

QVantum glorificauit se &c. As much at she hath glorified her selfe, and hath abounded with delightes, so much giue her of torments; saieth S. Iohn in his Apocalipse. (Apocal. 18.7.) These wordes the diuine iu­stice wil vse to you, sinners, in hel: The iustice of God wil cry against you, and commaund the diuells to torture you, according to the measure of your sinnes, and ini­quities. Harken, sinners, what di­uersitie of punishmēts is kept for you, vnderstand wretched soules, those manifolde torments which [Page 343] are reserued for your transgres­sions, you shall be sure, neuer to come out from thence, neuer to obtaine the least rest and repose, that can be imagined, neuer to be freed from any one kinde of these punishmentes: Pater Abra­ham, &c. Father Abraham, send La­zarus, that he may dippe the tippe of his fingar in water, to coole my toung, because I am tormented in this flame: these be the wordes of the rich glutton.

Many and sundry punishments are there ordained in hell, and all of them very cruell, you shall be cōtinually, & swiftly tossed from one to another; This, wretched sinners, shall be your recreation, rest and repose: These innumera­ble punishments, which are pre­pared for you, forlorne soules, are reduced by the sacred scrip­ture, and holy Doctours of the [Page 344] church, vnto tenn heades: Of the first we haue already spokē, which is the fire of hel, wanting all com­fortable light, stinking and bur­ning, and the greater your affec­tion was in this world to commit sinne, so much will God, vse the more, his seueritie and iustice a­gainst you: This fire is prouided especially for you, who haue fol­lowed the pleasures, and lustes of the flesh: for seeing that you haue giuen way to your sensuall appe­tites, and haue bene polluted with all maner of vncleanesse, therfore this loathsome fire, and stinking pittes of brimstone, are prepared for you: Quantum hasit amor, tantum affligit dolor. (S. August.) how much loue and delight you haue had in sinning, so much sorrow and pai­ne shall you haue to recompense the same.

Thinke with your selues, if you [Page 345] must suffer and endure, such in­tollerable paines for euery dead­lie sinne, how miserable will your case be, who all your life time, haue defiled your soules with the filth of concupiscence? what will become of you Epicures, who for so many yeares haue made Gods of your bellies? what will become of thee harlott, which for so long time hast had familiarity with cō ­cubines? what wil become of thee, impudent whore, which hast so many yeares together, allured, inticed, & drawne all passengers, by signes, laughings, gay attire, and deceitfull paintings, to the vnlawfull vse of thy body? what will become of thee silly woman, which hast stollē away many sou­les from Christ, and cast them downe headlong into the pitt of destructiō? Alas voluptuous per­sons, men, and women, where wil [Page 346] you be hereafter, who now daily heape sinne vpon sinne, without remorse of conscience, without shame of men, or feare of God? what doe you thinke of your sel­ues, who haue done actes against the cōmon course of nature? what punishments? what tormēts? what miseries doe waite for you in hell? who is able (I will not say to num­ber) but to thinke of the innume­rable paines, which are appoin­ted for you?

Consider sinners, you especial­lie, who follow with great delight and diligence, the pleasures, and lustes of the flesh, consider what I am to tell you further, of the fire of hell? Although in hel, there is but one common fire to tormēt the diuells, and damned soules, yet in diuerse places, and partes of hell, there shall also be diuerse fires, whereof some shall be grea­ter, [Page 347] then others, burning more, stinking worse, that there, sinners may be punished, according to the diuersitie of their offēces: But let vs come now to the second kinde of punishment.

Ponder with thy selfe, that be­sides this fire, there is a wonder­full intense colde, which some shall feele more, some lesse, ac­cording as they be loaden with the burden of their iniquities: A­las you sloathfull, sluggish, and cold Christians, in holy religion, and in God his diuine seruice, this extreame colde, these vn­speakable tortures, and torments, will he inflict vpon you; congea­ling you like ice, and causing you to gnash with your teeth, as our Lord saieth, Ibi erit fletus, & stridor dentium, there shall be weeping, and gnashing of teeth.

The third kind of punishment, [Page 348] is, the vggly shape and deformi­tie of wormes which shall be con­tinually biting, and gnawing of you: vermis eorum non morietur: their their worme shall not die, saieth the Prophet Isay. (Isay. 66.24.) Vindicta carnis impij, ignis & vermis, the reuenge of the flesh, of the wicked, is fire, and the worme, saieth the wise man. (Eccles. 7.19.) Dominus dabit vermes & carnes eorum, the all powerfull Lord, saieth Iu­dith, will giue wormes to their flesh. (Iud. 16.21.) The more that sinners haue delighted them sel­ues in foule, filthy, and enormous vices and crimes, the more shall they be tormented in hell, with strange vggely monsters, of ser­pents, toades, dragons, and such like, which indeed are nothing else but diuels, in the forme and shape of these liuing creatures, allthough some Doctours affirme [Page 349] such creatures to be really there, that the torments of the damned soules may be more cruell, and intollerable.

Wo to thee then wretched wo­man, which placest thy felicitie, in carnall impuritie, thinke how thou shalt be often times com­passed about with serpents, dra­gons, toades, or other some vg­gely & deformed creatures, worse then the former, all which shall bite thee with their venemous teeth, and teare those partes of thy body, wherein thou tookest greatest pleasure & contentment, with incredible torture: O mise­rie, and calamitie! O thing vn­heard of! yet for all this, the wo­full sinner doth not cōsider them: The daintie damsell, and braue citizens wife, do not trouble their thoughts with these thinges: A­las how many are there, which [Page 350] haue wholy giuen them selues to the sinnefull lusts and sensual de­lightes of the flesh: and in a mo­ment, when they haue the least thought of it, haue descended in­to the bottomlesse pit: Ducunt in bonis, dies suos: they lead (saith ho­lie Iob) their liues in good thin­ges, but in an instant goe downe into hell: O the calamitie, of the blinde and foolish world, which after such a manner, vtterly o­uerthroweth it selfe?

The fourth punishment is, that intollerable stinch which shal fill the nostrils of the damned, with ineffable vexation: This stinch, of the holy scripture is called. Fe­tor sulphureus, a stinch mixt with brimstone: ignis & sulphur &c. Fire and brimstone, and the blast of stormes, is the portion of their cupp, saith the psalmist. (Psal. 10.7.) pars iniquorum &c. the portion [Page 351] of the wicked shall be in a lake, or poole burning with fire, & brim­stone: The reason wherefore the fire, the colde, and the stinch of hell, are so excessiue, and so in­supportable, is, because they can neuer vent forth, but are shutt vp, & kept close within the hol­low partes of the earth; euen as fire in a furnace kept in on euery side, is of greater force to burne, then if it had compasse to dilate it selfe, that the flame and heat thereof might euaporate.

Weigh the matter exactly, and consider awhile, sinner, what an ill sauour thou shouldest smell, if thou wert shut vp close in a sinke, full of all filthines, and corrup­tion, where no ayre can come in, in the which dead carcases lie, where pitch & brimstone is bur­ning: Out of this gather, what ill sauour thou shalt finde in hell, [Page 352] where the damned bodies shall stinke farre worse (without com­parison) then the carcases of dog­ges, or of any other filthy carrai­ne: But contrariwise, the bodies of Gods seruants, and blessed in heauen, shal send forth, through­out euery part of the same, most delightsome sauours. Cōsider sin­ner, what a stinch, that will be of hell, where so many bodies of damned persons, of men and wo­men, shall be, not for one day, but for eternity: All the damned shall be there kept close prisoners to­gether, one lying vpon another, and one infecting another with his stinch and loathsome sauour. Sicut oues in inferno &c. as sheepe, they are put in hell, death shall feed vpon them, saieth the Pro­phet. Psal. 48.15.

Of the fift, sixt, and other aboue men­tioned punishments which the dam­ned suffer in hell. THE XXXIII. CHAPTER.

THE fift punishment of hell, shall be the fearfull sight of diuells, and damned persons, who all very deformed, shall appeare with foule and vggely visages to behould, because the dāned, both men and women, shall be like the diuels themselues. Ponder a while sinner, how loathsome dead bo­dies seeme to be in their graues. Consider with what horrour and dread, the dead body of any man or woman doth affright thee, so soone as the soule is departed frō it: thinke what an ill smell pro­ceedeth from it, when it remai­neth but one day without bu­rying. [Page 354] Weigh with thy selfe, how horriblie stinking are the bodies of those that be dead, which haue beene buried three or foure daies in their graues: Domine iam fetet, quatriduanus est. Lord now he stinketh, he hath beene foure dayes in the graue, saieth Martha of her brother La­zarus.

Alas miserable mortall men, what doe you doe, being cruell, outragious, and vnnaturall a­gainst your selues? Why doe you condemne your selues after such a lamentable manner, and that for iust nothing? O consider wret­ched sinners, if the sight of one diuell, striketh such terrour into you, that although he appeare in the shape and likenesse of no vg­gely creature, you are not able to endure him long, what will be­come of you then, when you shall see in hel so many diuels, so many [Page 355] men, so many women, all alike in one ill fauorednesse, and horrible aspect? O Alas miserable sinners, what sight will it be to see in hell, innumerable diuels, foule & vg­gely, running about hel, with wo­ful noise, and clamours, who with whippes and scourges, shall now vexe this man, another while that woman, and so grieuously tormēt all, that Dionisius, an approued author saieth. Teterrima quaedam in daemonibus phrenesis & furoris amen­tia inest: There is a most mischieuous franticknesse, and madnesse of raging anger, in the diuells.

The sixt punishment of the dā ­ned, shall be in an insatiable, and most vehement hunger, wherwith gluttons, and all those shall bee tormented, who like brute beasts, place their felicity in banquets, iunketts, and merrie meetinges, without any feare of God, or re­morce [Page 356] of conscience, who breake the fasts instituted by our holy Mother the church, neither doe they regard Lent, and other ti­mes of pennance, which she hath carefully ordained for their sou­les health & saluation. They eate often, deuowre and consume not only their goods and estate, but that also which should maintaine and relieue poore widdowes, and fatherlesse children: Herupon our B. Sauiour threatneth thē in the Gospell, in these wordes: Va vo­bis qui saturati estis, &c. Woe bee to you that are now filled, because you shall be hungrie. (Luc. 6.23.) In like manner God speaketh by the mouth of the Prophet Isaias, say­ing. Serui mei comedent, & vos esu­rietis &c. Behould my seruants shall eate, and you shal be hungrie. (Isai. 65.) Behould my seruāts shall drinke, and you shall be thirstie, my ser­uants [Page 357] shall reioyce, and you shall be confounded, my seruants shall praise with ioyfulnes of harte, & you shall crie for sorrow, and for contrition of spirit you shal how­le: And the wise man giueth vs this counsel: Ante obitum tuum, ope­rare bonum, &c. Before death, worke thy good, because thou shalt finde no meate with thē in hel. Eccl. 14.

Alas thou gluttonous compa­nion, cōsider that extreame hun­ger, and thirst, which thou shalt endure in hell, where thou shalt haue nothing, but thine own flesh to feed vpon, Vnusquisque carnem brachij sui vorabit, &c. (Isay. 9.) Euery one shall deuowre the flesh of his owne arme, saith the Prophet Isay. Spea­king of the damned: Doest thou know miserable glutton, what thy fare shall be in hell? wormewood and gall: Ecce ego cibabo vos absyn­thio &c. Behould I will feed you with [Page 358] wormewood, and will giue you gall to drinke: saith the Prophet Ieremie. (Ierem. 23.15.) Doest thou know sinner, for whom thou shalt bee meate? for death it selfe: Sicut o­ues in inferno &c. They are put in hell like sheepe, death shalt feed vpon them. (Psal. 48.) Alas foolish and madd gluttons, what will you doe then, when hauing nothing to refresh your selues with all, you shall pe­rish for hūger, but although you might haue all the dainty dishes, which the world could afford you, they would in no wise, satisfie your appetite.

The seauenth punishmēt, shall be an intollerable thirst: As wee read, the rich glutton was her with cruelly tormented, when he cried out; Father Abraham &c. (Luc. 16.) And it foloweth; that I may coole my toung, for I am tormented grieuously in this flame: Vae qui [Page 359] consurgitis ad ebrietatem &c. Woe to you that rise vp early to follow drun­kennesse, and to drinke, euen vntil eue­ning, that you may be enflamed with wine. (Isay. 5.) and Salomon saith. Be not in the feasts of great drin­kers, nor in their meetings, which take flesh together to eate, for they that are giuen to drinking, and that pay shotts, shall be con­sumed: Alas wretched and coue­tous persons, which would neuer giue so much as a cup of cold wa­ter to him that was thirstie, nor a smal morsel of bread to the poore, needy, and hungry: this hunger, and thirst shall molest, vex and torment you, aboue all others, Fili recordare &c. Sōne remember, that thou hast receaued good thinges in thy life time, and Lazarus euill thinges: Thus doeth Abraham speake to the rich glutton: The same I may say to you rich couetous mē, who [Page 360] will not show pittie or commise­ration to any: Alas, how wofully shall all those pine away with hū ­ger, who in this world haue gor­ged themselues with wine and su­gred soppes, and haue enlarged their possessions with the goods of the needie, and distressed, with the rents and liuing belonging to te church? Fumus tormentorum &c. The smoke of their torments shall as­cend for euer, and they shall haue no rest day or night, saieth S. Iohn in his Apocalipse. (Apoc. 14.11.) And the Psalmist saieth. Laborabit in e­ternum, hee shall labour for all eterni­tie, and shall liue yet vnto the end. Psal. 48.9.

The eight punishment of the damned shall be, to be fast bound and chained: Our Lord affirmeth it in the Gospell: Ligatis manibus: Binde him hands, and feet, and cast him into vtter darknesse: Iniquitates capient [Page 361] impium, his owne iniquities shall ouer­take the wicked, and hee shall bee linked with the cordes of his sin­nes, saieth Salomon. (Prou. 5.22.) Congregabuntur congregatione vnius fascis: They shall be gathered to­gether, in the gathering of one bundle, and shall be shut there in prison. (Isay. 24.22.) Alligate eos in fasciculos, &c. Binde them into bun­dels to burne, saith our Lord, spea­kinge of the Tares of the field, (Math. 13.30.) whereby the dam­ned & reprobate are vnderstood: Consider sinner what a multitude of bundles of men and women, shall be in hel, for they that haue beene participant of the same cri­mes, and defiled themselues in the like offences, shall be gathered together, into the same bundle, to receaue most cruell torments▪ woe to you, who will not pardon, nor so much as looke vpon your [Page 360] [...] [Page 361] [...] [Page 362] enemies, what will you doe then, when you shall be fast chained to those, to whom in this world, you did beare deadly malice and ha­tred?

The ninth punishment, shall be obscure darknes, and thicke smoake: Terra miseriae, & tenebrae­rum: A land of miserie and darknes, where the shadow of death is, and no order, but euerlasting horrour inhabi­teth. Although indeed there shall be great darknesse, yet the diuine iustice hath so ordained, that one damned shall clearly see another: That of this mutuall behoulding of one another, their torments may be the more encreased and augmented.

The tenth punishment is, an intollerable filthines of that fou­le, horrible, and stinking hel, that nothing can possiblie be compa-with it: Goe to now sinner, con­sider [Page 363] how thou shalt be shutt vp and bound fast, in this place, ha­uing no hope at all, euer to come out againe: O the calamity, and miserie of mortall men? who cast themselues headlong downe thi­ther, for iust nothing: Quae viden­tur temporalia sunt, quae non videntur eterna. The thinges that are seene, are temporall, and transitorie: but those thinges that are not seene, are eternall, and euerlasting, saith the holy Apo­stle. (2. Corin. 4.18.) Your deligh­tes, and pleasures (sinners) are ve­rie short: but the torments of hel, to which you hasten, are of long continuance: your pasttimes va­nish away, like smoake, but your punishments shal be permanent: your sportes & merry conceipts, quickly consume, and passe away like a cloud, but your troubles & afflictiōs, shal neuer haue an end.

Alas therfore, sinners, returne [Page 364] at length to God, why doe you not forsake your iniquities, and transgressions? why doe you not flie the diuell, your cruell, and deadly enemie? woe to you sin­ners, men, and women, who liue as if you should neuer die? who take no care for the time to come, but pursue your wicked and sin­full course of life, euen as if you had no soules to saue, neither were there any hell to torment you: Sweet Iesus, for his clemency, and tender mercy, open your eyes: Sweet Iesus for his moste bitter death and passion sake, chaunge and turne your hartes: Iesus the true sonne of almightie God, and the B.V. Marie, his deare belo­ued Mother, bring you backe a­gaine into the right path of sal­uatiō, that you may not be dam­ned in the bottomlesse pitt of de­struction,

Amen.

The Seuenth Trumpett, of the society, and companie, which a sinner draw­eth with him, in life, death, and af­ter death. THE XXXIV. CHAPTER.

ET septimus Angelus tubâ cecinit. And the seuenth Angell sounded the Trumpett. (Apoc. 8.) Heare now at length, the last Trumpet soun­ding, which if it shall nothing, moue thee, thou giuest mee but smal hope of thy saluation: Con­sider a while, sinner, whose com­panion thou shalt be, so long as thou liuest: Afterwardes wee will speake of thy company in death, and after death: Et societas nostra &c. And our societie is with the Father, and the Sonne, saieth S. Iohn, speaking of good men. (1. Iohn. 1.3) O happy and fortunate [Page 366] men, wheresoeuer they goe, they haue the Angels, and God him­selfe, in their company, for where two or three, are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of thē, (Math. 18.20.) But sinner, who shall associate thee? Alas wretch, the diuell, shal be thy daily com­panion, and attendant; For what end and purpose? That he may tumble, & fling thee downe head­long, that he may kill, and mur­ther thee, that he may enforce thee to commit all kindes of vi­ces, and lastly, that he may carry thee with him into hell: The Do­ctors affirme, a certaine diuell to be assigned to euery man, who doth continually watch, and fol­low him, nor euer leaueth him while he liueth, that he may en­trapp and ensnare his soule: What then sinners doe you? can you for all this, sleepe, and shorte, seeing, [Page 367] that the diuel euery day watcheth so narrowly for your destruction? Can you so carelesly neglect your owne saluation, and suffer the di­uell alwaies to busie himselfe in the worke of your damnation? wil you not yet take any thought vp­pon this matter? Are you still de­lighted with so mischieuous a cō ­panion? Madd men, and cruell against your owne sinnefull sou­les! O wicked and senslesse crea­tures, which are so in humane a­gainst your selues.

Ponder, sinner, that witherso­euer thou walkest, there is a diuell ready to be thy lackie: Thinke how sometimes, he goeth before, sometimes he followeth, one time on the right hand, another time on the left hand, now he goeth before to ouerthrow thee, now he followeth, prouiding snares to catch thee, now he standeth at thy [Page 368] left hand, by calamities, and di­stresses, to bring thee to despaire: and by, and by, he is on thy right hand, by honours, and dignities to puffe thee vp with pride, and arrogancy, thereby to giue thee a greater fal. Consider when thou eatest, he is about thee, to make thee exceede by gluttonie. When thou speakest, that thou mayest stumble, & faulter in thy speech: Thinke that when thou awakest, he causeth thee to be drowsy, whē thou sleepest, he deludeth thee by strange visions, and deceipts, ma­nie subtil deuices, many deceipts, and craftie sleights doth he ima­gine: How many netts, how many snares doth that tirāt lay for the miserable soules of sinneful men? In how many wayes and comers, doth that enemy sitt lurking, to spoile, robbe, and murder all pas­sengers? Fratres sobrij estote &c Bre­thren [Page 369] be you sobre and watch, because your aduersary, the diuell, as a roaring lyon, goeth about, seeking whome he may deuoure, saieth the holy Apo­stle S. Peter. (1. Pet. 5.8.) which worthy sentēce, our holy Mother the church, hath apointed to be daily sung at Compline in al pla­ces, where the diuine office is said: Circuiui terram, &c. I haue cōpas­sed about the earth, and walked along through it, saieth the diuel to God, asking of him, frō when­ce he came. Iob. 2.2.

What is the reason, why the diuell so vieweth the world? why he walketh through the earth so diligently? for your soules, for your soules I say; God & his An­gells, seeke to saue your soules, the diuell with all greedines thir­steth after your damnation: Da mihi animas &c. Giue me the sou­les, take thou the rest, saith Abra­ham. [Page 368] [...] [Page 369] [...] [Page 370] (Gen. 14.21.) The diuell saith the like to man; the true seruants and worshippers of God, are en­flamed with desire to winne sou­les: so likewise all the diuels hate them with extreame indignatiō, neuer ceasing vntill they haue brought them, as low as hel: The Angells and good men, and the diuells are marchants of soules, but after a different manner. For the first, by all means endeauour to conduct them into heauen, but the latter to make shipwracke of them, in the bottomlesse pitt of hell: That soule maketh an ill, and an vnluckie iourney, which taketh the diuell for her compa­nion, seruing him daily by sinne, contemning God, and reiecting his most sacred law: But on the other side, that soule maketh a prosperous iourney, which fol­loweth the Angels, and Gods ser­uants, [Page 371] for they will assuredly lead her into paradise, shewinge her the way which they haue trodden, namely the keeping, and true ob­seruing of the diuine precepts, & commaundements. Thine Angel Guardian (sinner) will neuer for­sake thee, so long as thy soule re­maineth in thy body, exciting thee to shunne euill, and to chose that which is good: The diuell a most cruell tyrant, thy compa­nion, will not be idle about thee, but wil prouoke thee vnto all sor­tes of wickednesse, & tragression.

Now then (sinner) how doest thou behaue thy selfe towardes thy good Angell? how doest en­tertaine this thy most faithfull, and louing keeper? Alas sillie mis­creant thou refusest thy good An­gell, and thy blessed Sauiour, to ioyne thy selfe to the infernall Prince of darknesse, whom thou [Page 372] seruest with all homage, diligen­ce, and industrie. Consider (sin­ner) with what streight obligation thou art bound to God, and thy good Angell, who cōtinually de­fendeth, and accompanieth thee, & keepeth thee from the assaults, and snares of innumerable dam­ned spirits: Thinke how many yeares are passed, wherein thou hast liued in the sure custody of infernall enemies, offending, di­shonouring, and dispising thy God, who al this time hath expe­cted thee, ready to embrace thee in his armes stretched out vpon the crosse, there manifesting his benignity, mercy, loue, and cha­ritie towardes thee: It is not long since, sinners, that the diuel would haue quite destroyed you, and haue carried you hence, had not the goodnesse and clemency of our most sweet, and milde Iesus, [Page 373] hindered, & withstood him, who gently preserued you aliue, expe­cting, & looking that you should doe pennance, calling you by in­ward motions, and inspirations, and admonishing you, by whole­some instructions of deuout prea­chers, and spirituall bookes.

Consider wicked, and forlorne sinner, how great thine ingrati­tude hath bene against God, who so earnestly desireth thy conuer­sion, saying. Conuertimini ad me, turne to mee, in your whole harte. (Ioel. 2.) Turne to mee, and I will turne vnto you, saieth God. (Zach 1.) Turne then speedilie vnto him, as to your louing God, sinners, seeing that his tender mercie so kindely inuites you. Wilt thou leaue him (sinner) to take the di­uell? take heed what thou doest. Nunquid non ipse est Pater tuus? Is not he thy Father, that hath posses­sed [Page 374] thee? hath not he made thee, and created thee? It is a nation without counsell, and wisedome: O that they were wise, and would prouide for their last end, saieth the holy scripture. (Deut. 32.) O the blindnesse of man! O the mad­nesse of a sinner! who forsaketh his God to follow a most terrible diuell. Remember well, and call to minde, sinner, that he is thy God, that hath created thee, that alone hath redeemed thee, with his most pretious blood.

Tell me I pray thee (sinner) whose ayre is this wherewith thou breathest? Whose earth is this which sustaineth thee, and houl­deth thee vp? The water which washeth thee, the fire which war­meth thee, whose I say, are all these, but Gods? who gaue thee cloathing, wherewith thou coue­redst thy nakednesse? hadst thou [Page 375] not it from God? from thy Iesus? Who giueth thee bread to eate, water to drinke, but onely thy God? wilt thou then be vnthank­full vnto him, who bestoweth so liberally these benefits vpon thee? who affordeth thee health? Who maintaineth thy life? is it not God that gaue the same vnto thee? My God and sweet Sauiour, my be­nigne, clement, mercifull, & lou­ing God, what iustice, and equi­tie is it, that we should all be con­uerted vnto thee? It is good for mee to cleaue to God, to put my hope in our Lord my God, saied the holy Prophet, who knew how many great good things procee­ded to him from his God. (Psal. 72.) but you, forlorne sinners, and sillie miscreāts, are so farre frō de­siring to come to God, who is wil­ling & able to purge and sanctifie you, that willingly, and with free [Page 376] consents, you associate your sel­ues with the diuel, who will make you diuelish, like vnto himselfe, when as otherwise you might be made one with God by the ardor of loue and charitie: Deus chari­tas, est &c. (Ioan. 4.) God is charitie, and he that abideth in charity, a­bideth in God, and God in him, saieth S. Iohn: If any man loue mee, he will keepe my wordes, and my Fa­ther will loue him, and we will come to him, and make our mansion with him. (Ioan. 14.) Delitiae meae &c. My de­light is to be with the sonnes of men. Behould here the inexcogitable felicity of the good, & the ineffa­ble miserie and calamitie of the wicked: for the good shall remai­ne in the blessed companie of all­mightie God, but the wicked, and trāsgressors, shall for euer be shut vp amōgst the damned crew of in­fernall diuels.

[Page 377]To conclude, assure thy selfe (sinner) that whether thou eatest, or drinkest, whether thou sitt, or walke, whether thou sleepe, or wake, or what thing soeuer thou dost, thou art alwaies in the com­pany of innumerable diuells, who daily stand attending thee, ready to carry thee along with thē into hell. And againe, perswade thy selfe, that they would not be long without the prey of thy poore soule, if Gods clemency, and the custodie of Angels were not pre­sent to defend it from them: Our Lord by the merits of S. Marie Magdalen (in remembrance of whose cōuersion, the church eue­rie yeare solemnly celebrateth her festiual day) so chaunge the min­des of sinners, but especially, of those, who are to read this little worke, that, vtterly forsaking the familiaritie of the wretched di­uells, [Page 378] and damned spirits, they may obtaine a heauenly societie, and friendship, with Iesus Christ, their God, their Father & Crea­tor, world without end, Amen. And I humbly beseech euery one, that shall read this booke, that he would pray for mee miserable sinner, liuing or dead: Sweet Ie­sus blesse vs all:

Amen.

Of the societie which sinners haue in their death, and how dangerous their state is about the houre of their death. THE XXXV. CHAPTER.

IT is an olde Prouerbe (sinner) well knowne vnto thee. Qui [Page 379] malè viuit, malè moritur. He that liues ill, dieth ill: What then doest thou suppose will become of thee, who hast lead so wicked a life so many yeares? It may be, thou wilt say, with S. Paul, diues est in misericor­dia &c. (Ephes. 2.) God is rich in mercie, and wil shew singular cle­mencie vnto mee in death: But this befalleth but to very few, for although some sinners haue bene saued at the last gaspe, as it hap­pened to the good theefe, yet woe to them who sinne, presuming vpon such a confidence; Paeniten­tiam in extremis nec damnamus, nec ap­probamus, we neither approue of, nor condemne repentance deferred to the last end, saieth S. Augustin: It is only knowne to God, what such mens cases shall be: This is most certaine, that all sinners, that are saued, must haue an exceeding great, and perfect sorrow for all [Page 380] their offences, and iniuries, wher­by they haue offended his diuine Maiestie: But who is he that shall be assured to haue this considera­tion with himselfe, how he hath formerly liued, in sinne and ini­quity, to haue a sufficient contri­tion & sorrow for offending God, at the time of his death? Let no man seduce you by idle, and fri­uolous wordes, saieth S. Paul. E­phes. 5.

What then sinner, canst thou be so foolish, as once to harbour such a thought in thy mind, that the diuell, thine aduersary, who hath bene thy companion all the course of thy life, will leaue and forsake thee at thy death? be wiser then so, for otherwise thou wilt be farre deceaued, yea rather, at that time he will shew all his ma­lice, and vse the greatest care and diligence that he can, to obtaine [Page 381] the victory, so longe desired of him: Then shalt thou behold the vggely shape of thy infernall cō ­panion, then shalt thou clearly see, how horrible his coūtenance is, for then God will permit thee to discerne him whom thou hast serued, and to whom thou hast boūd thy selfe as slaue for so ma­nie yeares.

Alas (sinner) what wilt thou say, when the diuell, boasting & exul­ting ouer thee, will terrifie thee with his fearfull deformed face? If happily thou purpose to go frō him, and to returne to Christ by doing pennance for thy former lewed life, then he will demon­strate, and lay open before thine eyes, some subtill deceipts, and fallacies which before he kept se­cret: Alas wretch, with how many difficulties will he then circum­uent thee? and the more, because [Page 382] thou shalt not know what to ans­were in thine owne behalfe: thou shalt be sore besett on euery side, and preuaile nothing at all, thou shalt be cast headlong into the gulfe of eternall perdition: Alas miserable, vnfortunate, and for­lorne sinners, you will then haue no time to take an inward hatred of your hainous crimes, and mis­deedes: The diuell will stand in your presence, alleadging, and re­citing al your enormous faultes, and offences, declaring them to the full: to the which you will not know what to answere, or to make any excuse, for your selues.

Harken (sinners) to a terrible example, which maketh for our purpose, and is related of Iohn Climachus, in the eight sermon of his booke of sermons, the hi­storie is thus: A certaine Monke called Stephen, dwelling in moūt [Page 383] Sinay, was wonderfully delighted with the tranquillity of a solitary life, who (as this authour repor­teth) was adorned with rare ver­tues, learning for many yeares together, to become a valiāt soul­dier of Iesus Christ: This reli­gious mā, the day before he died, would some times looke on the right side, other times on the left side of his bed, as though there were some present, that demaun­ded a very strict account of all the thinges which euer hee had done: We indeed, saw no body saieth he, to talke thus with him, yet sometimes he would say, Tru­lie so it is, againe he would say, I graunt it, but this I haue con­fessed, and for the same, I haue fasted, & lamented so lōg a time: Another while, he would say, it is true, and presently after, you belie mee, it is not so, I neuer cō ­mitted [Page 384] any such crime, thē short­lie after, he would tell them, ve­rily, you accuse me vniustly, and lay this infamy vndeseruedly vp­pon mee; But this most of all a­mazed vs, when he sayed, I yeeld, that it is true, neither doe I know what to replie, or answere for my selfe: yet I put my trust in God who is mercifull: so that this obs­cure iudgement which none there present did vnderstand, was most terrible to relate, but especially in this, that the diuels should ac­cuse him of thinges which he ne­uer did: O wretch, that I am, to what streight was that Anachoret brought into, a true louer of a so­litarie, and an heremiticall life! who after that he had continued a monke for fourty yeares, and had shedd forth many profitable teares, yet after all this, he affir­med that he could not say any [Page 385] thing for him selfe, or giue a suf­ficient answer to excuse his offen­ces: Woe, woe then to vs: where was that large promise which all­mighty God had made by the mouth of his holy Prophet Eze­chiell? Si impius egerit paenitentiam. (Ezech. 18.27.) If the wicked shall doe pennance for all the sinnes which he hath wrought; all his iniquities which he hath done, I will not remember: He could answere nothing, nor al­leadge this in his behalfe, where­upon, God is onely to be praised and extolled, who knoweth the cause and reason of all thinges: And so much the more, for that some monkes affirmed, that this Stephen so long as he liued in the desert, fedd and nourished a Leo­pard with his owne hāds: yet this Heremit, of such fame, and note in the world, being called to giue an account of his life, left no cer­tainty [Page 386] behinde him, what senten­ce passed on him, whither he was accepted before God or no. This history Climachus relateth.

Haue you giuen eare to this, sinners? how is it then, that you liue so securely, being contami­nated with vices and loathsome sinnes, supposing that you shall die well enough, when Alas you heare that so famous an Heremit, a man of such notable sanctitie, who did great pennance ful four­tie yeares, now dying, had no­thing to answere, when a recko­ning was to be made? O how nar­rowly shall our life be discussed, and examined, when we shall be summoned by death, to appeare before the tribunall seate of all­mightie God, to render a strict account of the same?

We read in the Chronicles of our sacred order, that when a cer­taine [Page 387] brother died, who had liued well, and deuoutly, and giuen good example to all the comuni­tie, a Doctor of diuinity beinge slacke in perfourming his office, which was, to say Masse for this dead brother, according to his obligation, thinking indeed, that seeing he had liued so vertuously, he did not stand in any need ther­of; Hereupon, one day, betimes in the morning, this deceased re­ligious, appeared vnto him, and sayed. Salue Magister, vbi est illa cha­ritas, quâ te sacrificium pro me factu­rum promiseras? God saue you Sir, what is become of your charitie, in that you promised to offer, the holy sacrifice of the Masse for my soule? I thought (re­plied the diuine) you had no need thereof; No need of it, saied the other? Vtinam scires quàm seueré ne­gotium in morte transigatur. I would to God thou knewest how seuerely our [Page 388] busines is handled after death? Know thou, that I am punished in pur­gatorie, with most grieuous pai­nes and torments, for which if thou wilt offer this holy sacrifice for me, forthwith I shal be freed: when he had sayed this, he depar­ted, and the Doctor fulfilled his promise.

Alas therfore sinners, take heed what you doe, refraine from your mischieuous acts, doe pennance for your former offences, delay not, diligently to caste vp your account: Lord God almightie, cleaue in sunder the stonie hartes of wandering sinners, that thou mayest be worshipped, and poore soules redeemed with thy moste pretious bloud, may be saued: Take away Lord Iesu, and vtter­lie destroy the power of Sathan, which he so long hath exercised with all cruelty, against the mi­serable [Page 389] soules of men, that so this damned spirit may be put to vt­ter shame, and confusion: thy holy name be praised and glori­fied, and sinnefull soules deliue­red,

Amen.

Of the societie which the soule of a sin­ner hath after death. THE XXXVI. CHAPTER.

ITe maledicti &c. Goe yee cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the diuell and his Angells: Is not this the sen­tence (sinners) which Iesus Christ the iudge, will pronounce in the last iudgemēt, against the repro­bate, who haue died in mortall sinne? goe yee cursed into euerla­sting fire, in the companie of all the diuels: Cōsider therfore what associates you shall haue after death, thinke that you shall be [Page 390] amongst the most cruell enemies of your soules: But how long shall you tarry with that cursed crew? for one? tenn? or a thousand yea­res? yea for euer, miscreants, and for all eternitie: Alas what mise­rie? Alas what torments and paine will you haue to continue, im­prisoned in that infernall darke dungeon? Ponder that after death thou shalt be wholie in the diuels custodie, where thou mayest bee sure, that these deadly enemies of God, and of mankinde, will vse all cruelty to afflict thee, which possibly they can deuise: When, I pray thee will the diuel beginne his dominion ouer thee, in respect of thy soule? In the very day of thy death, and departure out of this life: for so soone as thy soule shall leaue thy stinking and vile body, presently will these cruell fiendes lay hold vpon her, and [Page 391] entertaine her with store of tor­tures: Consider with what fury, and madnes, they will take pos­session of thy soule: Thinke what straunge kindes of torments they will inuent to punish her? O there is nothing which we can excogi­tate so horrible as this: Know for certaine, that after death & iud­gement, the diuell may dispose of thee, as he listeth, as well for thy body, as thy soule.

Alas obdurate sinner, cannest thou imagine, that thou hast no need to doe pennance, seeing that thou hast delighted thy selfe with all carnall pleasures, and lasci­uiousnes, euen to the full? Thou art deceaued wretch, if thou sup­pose, that thy body, which for so many yeares together, hath bene exposed to al abhominable vices, shall not at last receaue recom­pence for its former lewednes: [Page 392] Thou greedy glutton which Epi­cure-like, makest a God of thy belly, doest thou not expect the wages which thou hast deserued? Thou bloudy companion, which desirest nothing more then to be reuenged of thine enemies, māg­ling their bodies at thy pleasure, doest thou thinke to goe vnpu­nished, or that, infernall fiendes, shall not in the same sorte, dila­cerate and disioint all the partes, and members of thy body? O the madnesse, and blindnesse of man­kinde? which vnawares, casteth it selfe downe headlong into hell? what wilt thou doe wretched sin­ner, when thou shalt be brought from one companie of diuells to another, farre worse, and more furious? What wilt thou say, las­ciuious maide, when thou shalt be tortured in one part of hell, and from thence in a sudden be thrust [Page 393] into another, where an infinite multitude of executioners ex­pecteth thee? What course will you take sinnefull men and wo­men, when you shall see your sel­ues dailie to be punished with new, and straunge deuised pu­nishments?

Consider sinner, that thy plea­sures and pastimes are but transi­torie: call to minde, wanton wo­man, how that beautie will decay, thy comely countenance be con­sumed, and thy body become a prey for diuells: Tell me I pray thee lewed woman, hast thou ne­uer seene any one possessed in all thy life? dost thou remember how the damned spirits tosse those mi­serable creatures, & torture their bodies in most pittifull manner? Goe to then, and consider, how they will deale with thee, when they shall get thee, in their regi­ment, [Page 394] when by the diuine iustice, thou shalt be deliuered vp into their handes, to be afflicted both in body and soule: Consider se­riouslie, if those which the diuels possesse, ar handled of them, in this sorte, vpon whom as yet, they haue no power at all, but only so farre as God doth giue thē leaue, for they haue power ouer the bo­die alone, but nothing to do with the soule: what will then become of thee, when both in body, and soule, thou shalt be wholy deliue­red vp to their cruelty? which is not the same case with possessed persons, because they are very sel­dome tormented of more diuells then one at the same time: woe to you men and women, which now disquiet not your thoughts with these thinges? for afterwards you will feele the smarte, for your ne­gligence.

[Page 395]What (sinner) dost thou thinke, that it will profit thee any thing, if thou complaine and say; Alas you afflict mee, leaue off, punish mee no longer, and commiserate my poore case? Noe, noe, it is o­therwise, yea the more thou shalt bewaile, the greater blowes shall they lay vpon thee. What canst thou replie, that thy griefe and torments might be diminished? The time wil neuer come in which these grieuous paines shall cease: Ite in ignem, &c. goe (saieth our Sa­uiour) into eternall fire, who shall reiect thee with terrible sentence, and adiudge thee to these perpe­tuall flames. What punishment will it be vnto thee, when thou shalt call to minde the angry coū ­tenance of Christ Iesus, whom af­ter death thou didest behould in iudgement? Good God; Numquid qui cadit, non resurget? Shall not he [Page 396] that falleth, rise againe? and he that is turned away, shall he not turne againe? why thē is this peo­ple turned away with a cōtentious reuolting (saieth the Prophet Ie­remie 8.4.)? It is mans frailtie to fall, angelicall puritie to amend, and diuelish malice to perseuere in sinne, as a certaine Doctour af­firmeth.

Alas Brethren and sisters, sin­ners, be not so carelesse of the ti­me to come, returne to your God, be sorry for your offences cōmit­ted, & earnestly begg pardon for thē of the diuine clemency, whose property, is to forgiue sinners; Deus cui proprium est misereri &c. God whose proprietie, is, to haue mercy, and to spare, saieth our holy Mother the church, receaue our humble pe­titions, that the pittifulnes of thy mer­cie, may gently absolue vs, and all thy seruants, whom the chaines of their of­fences [Page 397] haue fast bound: Returne to your Lord God, and get againe into fauour with your sweet Iesus: Are you afraide (sinners) that he will not receaue you? thinke not so sinners: Misericordia Domini plena est terra, the earth is full of the mercy of our Lord, and his tender compassions are ouer all his workes, saith the ho­lie Prophet Dauid; Fidelis sermo, &c. This is a faithfull saying, and wor­thy of all acceptance, that Iesus Christ came into the world to saue sinners. (1. Tim. 1.15.) Meditate a while vpon the great loue wherwith thy God was moued to come downe from heauen, and to dwell vpon the earth for thee, he was made man for thee, and for thy sake after thirtie-three yeares spēt in auste­rities, contempts and reproaches, he shedd his most pretious bloud vpon the crosse: Alas this alone ought to be sufficient, to breake [Page 396] [...] [Page 397] [...] [Page 398] in pieces your stony hartes, to bring you backe againe into the right path.

O Iesu my loue, through vertue of thy holy name, conuert sinners and those that goe astray, take commiseration of their sinnefull state: pardon them, and be recon­ciled with them, that they may a­uoide and shunne the tiranny of the diuell; Graunt this, my sweet Iesu I hūbly beseech thee, through the merits of thy death, and pas­sion, through thy most pretious bloud, which thou diddest shedd for mee, and for all sinners vp­pon the holy wood of the crosse: Graunt this I beseech thee, for the loue of thy most sacred passion, for the loue of thy moste deare, and pure Mother: Graunt this mercy, my beloued Iesu, to all sinners, for thy exceeding great clemency, giue them pardon, and [Page 399] forgiuenesse, in honour of thy Angels and blessed Saints,

Amen.