A guide to salvation, bequeathed to a person of honour, by his dying-friend the R.F. Br. Laurence Eason, Ord. S. Franc. S. Th. L.

The Manner of Life to obtain Salvation.

SECOND PART.

CHAP. I.

Of the divers Lives of Chri∣stians.

ST. Augustine speaking of the An∣tient Patriarks and Prophets, sayes, Re, non nomine Christiani; they were not Christians in Name, but in effect and action. But we may affirm the contrary of many in our times, who stile themselves Christians; they are not such really and in effect, but only by Baptisme and Name.

To discover fully this truth unto you, I shall shew you the divers lives of Chri∣stians; and what is the true one necessa∣rily required to obtain Salvation. For we be such, as the lives are we lead; good, if they be such; bad, if they be bad. To have life, saith St. Thomas, is to have in one the principle and cause of Motion; when a Woman with Child perceives the fruit she bears in her, begin to move, she sayes, I know well my Infant is alive; when one is on his Death-bed, if we see he hath not any more motion, neither in hands, eyes, lips, or pulse, we say, he hath no life in him. From hence we give by a Metaphor, the name of Life; to a running water; to a flame as∣cending in the Air; not that they have properly life in them, but because they move, being not in their Center, but tending to it. We find in the world four sorts of Lives, according to four divers principles, which give motion to all the actions of living Creatures. The Vege∣tative Life, which is that of Plants, which is imployed to nourish and in∣crease.

The Sensitive Life, that of Beasts and Animals, which conduct themselves by sence. The Rational Life, which is guided only by Natural Reason. The true Christian Life, which is governed by Faith. If we look amongst Christi∣ans and Catholicks with the true eye of the Spirit, we may discover many fair Plants, good Beasts, and honest Men, as the world stiles them; but few true Christians.

Of the Vegetative Life of Christians.

We may begin this with the saying of the blind Man in St. Mark; when Christ had open his eyes, he said, Video homines sicut arbores ambulantes; I see men walking as Trees. Many persons who are in esteem in the world, have no other Life but that of Plants; no other principle of their actions, than that of Trees. Behold a Merchant, who with care and diligence Travelleth by Sea and Land, coucheth late, riseth early; what is the principle of this Motion? why

doth he all this? to purchase a House, a Farm, a Possession, or the like; to e∣stablish himself on Earth, as a Tree which spreads its Roots on every side, to encrease and fix it self deeper and firmer in the Earth; and so, of a petty Mercer at the first, in time become a rich Mer∣chant; as a Plant, which of a petty Shrub at the first, grows up into a great Tree in time.

See here again, Parents of no great extraction, and of small revenue at the first, but so vigilant and active in managing their affairs, that they come to be a great Family, and Marry their Children to persons of honour and qua∣lity▪ One may say here, behold an ex∣cellent and fruitful Tree, which pro∣duceth so many fair graffs to propagate withal; what is this, but the life of a Plant? and in the mean time, have no more spirit in them, than a Plant, nay in some respect, far worse: See a Tree placed by a Wall, it doth not extend its branches on that side where the Wall casteth its shadow, but which is warmed

and heated most by the comfortable and cherishing beams of the Sun: You breed up, and dispose of your Children, which are your branches, Quorum filii sicut no∣vellae plantationes: [Psal. 144.] Whose Children as young Plants, amongst the Grandeurs of the world, which are but shadows of true greatness, and less re∣garded, and visited by the Sun of Justice, and gratious influence of Heaven, and not on the side of Humility and Vertue, which God most willingly respects; for which, many of them thrive so ill. The like Errour we may discover in multi∣tudes, whose aime and endeavour here, is only to advance themselves and their Families in worldly wealth and great∣ness; to extend and dilate themselves and their Posterity on Earth; do not Trees do the like? and can we esteem better of the life of such, than of that of Plants, which naturally covet a deeper root and greater growth in the Earth. Give me leave to say, that such are worse than Trees and Plants, which at last come to a term and stand in their growth

and extent: but these worldlings are without bounds and limits in their de∣sires and endeavours, never satisfied with the earth, till they be buryed in it. O Earth, Earth, Earth, hear the word of our Lord, as the Prophet Jeremy ad∣monisheth, [Jerem. 22. 29.] and fol∣low that advice of the Apostle, Seek and savour those things which are above, and not those things which are on Earth; for which you were not Created, nor have your being here.

Of the Sensitive lives of many Christians.

Many others lead only a sensitive life, and in the judgment of God are esteem∣ed no better than Beasts, conducted only by sence; of such a one, the Psalmist thus speaks, Comparatus est jumentis in∣sipientibus: He is compared to the foolish Beasts. A Labourer works couragi∣ously, because he is well fed and re∣warded, he doth no more than a Horse; your Servant is faithful to you in his im∣ployment, because you are a good Ma∣ster to him; so will your Dog be for a

piece of bread. A young man spends his whole Morning in Combing, Curl∣ing, Powdering his Hair; in composing himself according to the Mode; and one praiseth him, saying, See what a fine head of hair he hath, what a handsome body, how neatly adorned; one may give the like commendations to a Horse which is well Limb'd, Curried and Dressed. You may see a young Virgin, or Wo∣man vainly attired and trickt up, and set out exactly to the fashion, by these allu∣ring charms to draw the eyes of others to behold her, having no spirit of Vertue or Prudence to be commended or de∣sired with judgment or reason; such a one in the judgment of the Psalmist, is to be no more esteemed than a Horse or a Mule, & by the Wise man in Ecclesiasticus, is compared to a fair & fat-body'd Bullock. what reproach shal such have in the judg∣ment of God? what Shame & Confusi∣on? when they shall see, that being en∣dued with Reason; & further, that being Christians & Catholicks, they have fol∣lowed nothing but the conduct of sence.

In fine, consider the resort of the thoughts of most, and the motive of their actions, and you shall find them to be nothing but the contentment of the sences, the ease and conveniency of their bodies. They labour, eat, drink, sleep, sport for their sensual pleasures; Lyons, Bears, Bruits do the like: They go to rest at Night to repose their bodies, because they are weary; so doth a Horse after a hard Journey, or labour, if he finds good Litter: They eat, because they are hun∣gry; so will an Ass if you give him Provender: They breed up their In∣fants and Children because they are theirs, so do Beasts and Birds; We are such as our lives are; if the principle of our actions is properly our life; if the Motive, out of which we act, is the prin∣ciple of our actions, then, if we do our actions out of no other Motive, but that of Beasts, without doubt in the judg∣ment of God, and men of Reason, we are no other than Beasts. Hence is that Councel of St. Ambrose; Tibi ergo attende: Mind and know thy self, not

what body, power, dignities, possessions thou hast; sed qualem animam & men∣tem: but what manner of Soul and mind, from which thy Consults proceed, and the fruits of them are to be referred. The Apostle councelleth men, not to be de∣ceived and deluded in this kind of life, [Gal. 6.] Que semina verit homo: That which a man sows he shall Reap. He who sowes in the flesh, from it, shall reap Cor∣ruption and Death.

Of the meer Moral lives of Christians.

We find others, not so brutish as the former, but yet far from true and good Christians. They think they are per∣fect, because rational, humane Reason, Prudence, natural and moral Vertues are the principle of their Actions. They do hold aright the Ballance of Justice, they will do no injury, be∣cause naturally they love Equity; They assist the afflicted, because they think it reason to relieve their like, and they desire to be assisted in the like Conditi∣on. They abstain from sensual Plea∣sures,

from carnal Contents, because they are Noble, and aspire to greater Things, than to be slaves to their Bo∣dies. Major sum, & ad majora natus, quam ut corpori me Servitutem exhibe∣am. Said a Moral Pagan, I am born to greater things than to be a drudg to my Body. They patiently endure the injuries and affronts offered, because they esteem it proper to a generous Courage, to misprise feeble Spirits, and to esteem them not worthy their Choller; As a Lyon and Elephant con∣temn the barking of little Doggs. All this is, to be but an honest Man, and one of Honour, but far from a good Chri∣stan; a true Disciple of Christ and Faith. Dorotheus one time visited the Sick of his Monastery of which he was Abbot; The Informarian addressing himself to him, said Father, I have a great Tempta∣tion of vain Glory, considering that you admire my diligence, seeing all the Rooms and Beds so clean and orderly composed: The Saint thus replyed, Brother, one may affirm, that you are a good Ʋalet and

Groom of the Chamber, but one cannot say, for all this, that you are a good Reli∣gious. So if you are a man of honour; just, zealous for the common good, out of a natural inclination only, or out of a moral and philosophical Probity, one may say, that you are a good justice of Peace, a good States-man, Wise, Poli∣tick; but for all this, a man cannot say, that you are a good Christian. I do not condemn this morral Life as bad, but I rather commend it, as laudable to be Practised. Because it hinders a man from committing many Evils; it affords good examples to others, and renders a man less indisposed for further helps: And God of his mercy will sooner have com∣passion on such, then on those that are vitious, and corrupt in naturalls, and offend against the manifest light of Rea∣son: but I only affirm this kind of life to be Insufficient for the obtaining of Salvation. Because man is ordained to a Supernatural end, to which nature can∣not reach, nor discover the means which God hath ordained to obtain this

end by, nor the manner how he will be worshipped or served in order to it. The greatest importance of this life is to serve God in a manner agreeable to himself; which a man cannot do, unless God ma∣nifest his Will to him by Divine Reve∣lations, which Pagans endeavouring to do by their natural judgment commit∣ted unsupportable extravagancies, and monstrous errours in the manner of their Worship. Aristotle generally estee∣med the greatest man for humane lear∣ning, and one who penetrated further the secrets of nature, then others; yet as Theodoret relates of him, [Theod. lib. 8. de cura graec. affect.] He was so deplo∣rably blind in the conduct of his Con∣science, that he Sacrificed to his de∣ceased Woman, who had been a Servant to a Tyrant; and that not once, but of∣ten is his life, and in that manner that the Athenians sacrificed to Ceres, which was with the most Religious Ceremonies, which were used in the superstions of the Gentiles; And therefore he said truly, that natural reason is as weak

and blind towards divine things, as the eyes of a Batt or Owl are to behold the brightness of the clear Sun. And do we not manifestly see the truth of this now amongst us, by the diversity of Sects and Opinions in Religion, every one fol∣lowing the dictamen of their natural reason, and so run into many absurdi∣ties in this kind, and are continually changeing their judgments, without certainty in any thing. And we see that natural reason is weak and de∣fective, even in things within its own Sphear, as appears in the divers and contrary Opinions among Philosophers and Scholastick Divines, and in the differences in the judgments of men in ordinary occurrences; what a blind Guide then must this needs be in divine and sublimer things? From this then we must necessarily conclude, that the light of Faith is required to direct us without errour in these Affaires. The Apostle affirms, that Fedes est substan∣tia rerum sperandarum: That Faith is the ground of things we hope for in the next

Life, and the foundation of our Spiritu∣al Edifice; if that be wanting, there can be no building; if that be not sound, all must fall to the ground. And the Apostle further declares the necessity of this. Accedentem ad deum oportet crede∣re; he that will come to God he must be∣lieve aright: And captivate his under∣standing and reason to the obedience of Faith; to which Reason must be a Hand∣maid not a Mistris. And our Blessed Saviour tels us, that he who doth not be∣leeve is condemned. And this Faith can be but one; so the Apostle affirms Una fi∣des: One Faith, one Baptism, one Lord of all. Hence is that of St. Fulgentius [lib. de fide c 38.] omni enim homini &c. to a man that holds not firmly the faith and unity of the Catholick Church, neither his Baptism, nor Alms, nor Death for the name of Christ, will profit him to Salvation. And St. Athanatius informs us in his Creed, that he who will be Sa∣ved, above all things, must hold the Ca∣tholick Faith, entirely and inviolably; From hence it necessarily follows, that

a man, though our Politicians imagine the contrary, cannot be Saved in any sort of Religion, for all these cannot be the only true one, necessarily required to Salvation. I will conclude this discourse concerning a meer honest Life, with the judgment of St. Augustine; [Serm. 13. de verb. Apost.] The Epicurian Phi∣losophers, saith he, practised vertue, for the conveniency of the Body; useing mo∣deration in their eating and drinking, in their prosperities and adversities, and in their whole conduct, for the welfare of their body, that it may in no man∣ner suffer dammage. The Stoick Phi∣losophers, being more Spiritual, practi∣sed Vertue for the natural good of the Soul, and Reason; to which Vertue is conformable and agreeable; in fine, he blameth them both, that their ver∣tues were defective; and as the first were Sensual in their moderation and temperance, so the second were proud in their Vertue, which they practised for it self, and the good of reason to which they ordred it. The first, saith he,

lived according to the flesh, the second according to the reason of the Soul, but neither according to God. So according to St. Augustine, one is not to rest in the utility and honesty of vertue; but he will, that a Christian Soul should raise it self higher, to practise Vertue for God, to glorify him by it; So that the body should not be the end, nor also the ra∣tional Soul, but only God, to whom it must be ordered and referred, He on∣ly being our soveraign good, and so a∣lone deserves to be desired and searched for himself, and in that manner as he hath prescribed, without which there can be no true Vertue acceptable to him; and the light of Faith is necessary to direct us in this, seeing humane rea∣son cannot do it. Therefore Christ sends us to his Church, to receave from her his Doctrine and Instructions, and com∣mands us to obey her, under the penal∣ty of being rejected as Heathens and Pub∣licans, which he Incurs, who makes his imagination his Oracle, his proper sence his Doctor, and himself the Church he followes.

CHAP. II.

The true Life of a Christian, which is that of Faith.

JUstus autem meus ex fide vivit; my just one (saith God by the Prophet) shall live by faith. There are too Sorts of just men, one according to the world, the other according to God; the just according to the world are those, who are so by Humane reason, maxims of Estate, or temporal Interest. The just according to God are those, who have Faith for the Principle of their actions, and rule of their lives. A just man according to the world doth not injury to any, because the light of reason dictates to him, what he would

not have done to himself, that he should not do to another; one just according to God, doth no injury to any, out of a further motive, which is because Jesus Christ commanded and practised it, for our example. A just man ac∣cording to the world gives alms to an indigent person, out of a natural com∣passion and tenderness of heart; A just man according to God doth it, be∣cause Jesus Christ saith, What you shall do to one of these little ones, you shall do to me, because they are members of Christ. Whosoever gives a cup of could water, shall not lose his reward; it is the promise of Christ; but he doth not promise this reward, if you give an alms to one, because he is one of the same country, condition, or nature you are of; but if you give it to him, because he is a Christian, a disciple of Christ, because he required it of you, & you gave it in the name of Christ; or because he is ordain'd as a companion to glorify God with you in heaven. A good Servant according to the world,

serves his master faithfully, because he expects a reward from him for it: a good servant according to God doth it because St. Paul exhorts servants, to obey theirs Masters, as Jesus Christ, and for conscience sake. One just according to the world nourisheth and brings up his children, because they are his: A just parent according to God, doth it because they are members of Christ, creatures ordained for his glory. The reason of this truth is evident, The life of a true Christian is a Supernaturall life; faith is more above reason, then reason above sence; and as one who lives as a man, is not go∣verned by his sence as beasts, but by reason; so he who will live as a true Christian, must not follow the con∣duct of naturall reason only, as men do, but he must be directed in his life by faith and Evangelicall maxims; The glorious name we carry, obligeth us to this; The name of Christians comes from Christ, and by it we pro∣fess to be disciples and followers of

him; and he who belongs to Christ, ought to live and walk as he did; so the Apostle informs us. Platonists and Epicurians were so called, because they were disciples of Plato, and of the school of Epicurus. We say one is a Ciceronian, because he imitates Cicero in writing and speaking. St. Ma∣thew called those souldiers Herodians, who belonged to Herod: we are called Christians, and if we will be such in effect, we must be true disciples of Christ; enter into his school, study his doctrine, obey his commands, pra∣ctice his maxims; so his heavenly Fa∣ther commands, Ipsum audite; hear and obey him.

In my Judgment, the best reason, the rightest intention, the holyest disposition, we can have in our acti∣ons, is to practice them, because Christ taught them, recommended and practiced the like, for our example. When the disciples of Pythagoras ad∣vanced any proposition, they allead∣ged no proof for it, nor gave any o∣ther

reason then, ipse dixit; he said it; ought not the word, and the au∣thority of Christ, to prevail as much with us Christians? sure it ought, if we had but such an esteem and respect for him, as they had for their Master. If you ask a Schollar in paynting or writing, having a modell before his eyes, why he paints this visage so, or frames that letter after such a man∣ner? he will answer you, because his pattern and example is so. If you de∣mand of a Souldier, why he goes on this side, or that; sometimes in the wing, sometimes in the reer; he will reply, because his Ensign makes the like martches. So he who is a true Christian, a disciple, and Souldier of Christ, practiseth this or that Vertue, not as Philosophers, because it is excel∣lent and befeeming a great courage, but because Jesus Christ, his pattern, example and captain, taught it, com∣manded it, practised it; some are of∣tentimes in care, to know what is the will of God, what most pleasing

to him, and what to do most for his honour and glory? no man knew bet∣ter the will of God, then Christ, who obeyed it, and fulfilled it in every thing; no man knew so well as he, what most conduced to the glory of God, seeing (as he testifieth of himself) he did not seek his own glory, but his Fathers in every thing; we have then no more to do in this affair, then to consider, what Jesus Christ did teach, command and practice, for our exam∣ple? For God hath made him the pattern and example, of all the pre∣destinate, as the Apostle informs us [Rom. 8.] in these words, Whom he did foresee to be his, he did predestinate them: conformes fieri imagini filii sui; to become conformable to the image of his Sonn. God hath called us of his mercy to be Christians, we are not such by generation, but by regeneration; nature, by all its power, cannot make a good Christian; it is a work of grace: let not a day pass without praising God for this benefit, and let us often

demand of him, ardently and humbly, his grace, to become good Christians; without which, the benefitts of our creation, conservation, redemption, and of the Sacraments, will not pro∣fit us. What profit, to beleeve God, and what he sayes, if we do not do his Will? to consent to his Word, if we obey not his command? to pro∣fess his verities, if in practice we fol∣low our vanities?

By this doctrine delivered, we may discover the errour of many mistakes, who speak of Christs humanity, in the like manner as they do, of other in∣firm creatures; affirming, that the consideration of it, obscures the bright rayes of the Divinity in Contempla∣tion; and therefore to become a per∣fect contemplative, a man must ab∣stract from that and transcend it, as he would do from that of other crea∣tures. This mistake of theirs, they ground upon the doctrine of St. Denys, not well understood by them; that H. Father affirms it necessary, to the

perfect Contemplation of the Divini∣ty, to transcend all Creatures, either by denying them, or adding somthing, to shew that they are not God, and so that we ought not to rest in them, if we seek God. But this reason holds not good in Christ, who is both God and Man; and so as St. Augustine speaks, by the same pace we go to him as Man, we as∣cend to him as God: And by the same act, we love him as Man, we love him too as God. But it is not so in the love of other Creatures; for here is necessa∣ry, a reflection, and an affirmation, that I love them not for themselves, but for God, because they contain not God in∣timately in them; and so in loving them, my mind directly by this tends not God. But when I love Christ, who is perso∣nally God and Man, that act tends to him as God and Man, because he is both, inseparably. Hence saith St. Bernard, The Divinity shadowed it self in a body, the better to be seen.

So though the humanity of Christ is

not a pure spirit, yet it is not so flesh, as to be an impediment to the spirit. This is the Doctrine of St. Augustine, [Lib. 9. de civit. c. 15.] who says, that God being made partaker of our huma∣nity, Compendium praebuit participandae divinitatis suae; shewed a compendious way to become partakers of his Divinity, is that by touching him man, we touch also God; what more compendious? Christ inform'd us as much in his Trans∣figuration on the Mount, where he did speak of his excess which he was to accomplish at Hierusalem, [Luc. 9.] seeing in such a Splendour, Majesty, and Glory, he would solemnly mention his Death and Passion; Moses and Elias would not be amid'st the rayes of Divi∣nity, without the meditation of Christ Crucified; glory became more pleasing to them by it, and that most resplendant Vision was thereby the more easily sup∣ported, without fear of being oppressed by the ravishing violence of its delight∣fulness.

And hence is that of St. Bernard, Marcessit divinitatis contemplatio, ubi languit passionis meditatio; The con∣templation of the Divinity will soon fail, when the Meditation of the Passion languisheth and decays.

CHAP. III.

The Lives of the Primitive Chri∣stians propounded, as an Ex∣ample in this kind of Life.

TErtullian affirms, that the Christi∣ans in his time, were of such an innocent Life, that they had no other crime pretended against them by their Enemies, than their Religion; And he gives the Pagans the defiance, if they say, they have Christians in their Prisons amongst them for any thing else but for their Religion. Athenagoras sayes in his Apology, Nullus Christianus malus; There is not any Christian bad, unless he dissembles his Religion. Eu∣sebius relates, that in the time of Diocle∣sian, the Oracle of Apollo answered, that

the Just had hindered him from speak∣ing; Dioclesian demanding who these Just were, the Idolatrous Priests replyed, that they were the Christians, who led an Innocent life.

Pliny Junior, writing to Trajan, sayes, that he had no Crime to object a∣gainst Christians, but their Superstition. If he had known the Truth, he would have said, then their Devotion; we have the same Faith, the same Ceremonies, the same Mysteries which the Primitive Christians had; but their interiour dis∣positions, their substantial devotions, their solid virtues are so ecclipsed in our time, that scarce any thing of them ap∣pears amongst us; so that we seem in re∣spect of them, to be Christians only in Name. When St. Hierome was called before Christ his Judg in a Vision, and the Judg asking him, who he was, he replyed, I am a Christian; the Judg said unto him, thou lyest, Ciceronianus es, non Christianus: Thou art a Cicero∣nian, not Christian; thou takest more delight in reading the works of Cicero,

than books of Piety & Devotion; and the Judg commanded an Angel to scourge him severely for it; the marks of which remained for a long time in his body, as he writes of himself to Eustochium.

Are they then to be esteemed true Christians, who spend most of their time in reading frivolous Romances, idle Play∣books, and such fopperies? Voluptuous Man, if God should demand of thee, what art thou? as sure enough he will one day; if thou sayest unto him, thou art a Christian, he will give you the lye; and say, you are not a Christian, but an Epicurian; you observe the pre∣cepts of Epicurus, not of Jesus Christ; you have made a God of your belly, and your chiefest pleasure hath been to satisfie your bruitish passions. Vindica∣tive person, if God should demand of thee, who art thou? darest thou say, thou art a Christian? God will con∣found thee presently, in saying, thou art not a Disciple of Jesus Christ, but rather of Cicero or Demosthenes; to re∣pel injury with injustice; to curse them,

who curse you; to take Revenge for words spoken amiss, are the maxims of Cicero, or of Demosthenes, or other Pa∣gans; not of Jesus Christ, who taught and practised the quite contrary; as to forget Injuries, to pray for our Persecu∣tors, or render good for evil. What will your Vain Dame answer at the hour of Death, which may happen sooner than she expects, when God will demand of her what she is? will she have the bold∣ness to answer, she is a Christian? no sure, she knows too well in her Con∣science, that she is a Worldling, that she lived according to the Laws and Mode of the World; that she hath a heart plunged in vanities; and that she feared more to displease a person of the world, than to offend God; that she thought it not te∣dious to spend every day, three or four hours to adorn and compose her self, to appear grateful; I know not to whom, and thought much, even on a day of Communion, to spend one hour, to pre∣pare her self to appear agreeable unto God. In fine, many persons amongst

us, who make profession of the true Faith, will appear then to be no true Christians, but rather Antichrists, having lived contrary to the Evangelical Rules and Maxims delivered to us by Christ, and faithfully practised by the Primitive Christians, his true followers, and whom we challenge for our Predecessors in Re∣ligion. Habentes Igitur, [Hebr. 12.] having such a Cloud of Witnesses put upon us, let us lay aside every weight that cloggs us, and sin that beset us, and let us with Patience, run the Race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our Faith.

It is the admonition of the Apostle: such a Cloud of Witnesses, who shew to us by their lives, how we ought to live, to obtain Salvation. An antient Monk, called Machaire, having visited the Cells of other Religious, who lived in great perfection, returning from thence with great Confusion, humbly said, vidi Mo∣nachos: I have seen true Monks and Religious, in comparison of whom, I am not one, I deserve not to carry that name.

When I consider the lives of the an∣tient Christians, I cannot but say, vidi Christianos: I have seen true Christians, in respect of whom, we are but such in name and appearance only, not in effect, in manners and life. But as St. Chry∣sostom adviseth, if that we cannot arrive to so high a perfection, as the antients did, yet at least let us do what we can to imitate and follow them; talem nubem, such a Cloud; If we endeavour to imi∣tate them to our power, they will be Clouds which will distill down upon us, benigne influences, refreshing dews from Heaven; otherwise, they will be Clouds, which at the day of Judgment will cast forth against us Thunder-bolts of Ven∣geance; they will Accuse, Confound, and Condemn us by the opposition of their former Lives and Vertues. Were they not frail, as we are? composed of the same matter? clogged and oppressed with the same flesh? as sensible and de∣licate as we? have we not the same God? the same Jesus Crucified? Have we not the same Sacraments? Are we not in

the same Church? And yet we expect the same Paradice for a little, which cost them so dear. Is there any reason, that without a lawful Fight and Victory, we should possess the same Kingdom which they Conquered by so many Combats, and possessed by so holy a Violence: Curramus ad propositum certamen: Let us run to the Fight set before us; The A∣postle doth not say, Ad coronam, To the Crown proposed; for if there were no Crown to be obtained, no Sallary to be received, yet it would be highly honou∣rable for us to Combate in the cause of God.

How many generous Spirits are in the world, who hold it glorious to be em∣ployed in the occasion of venturing their blood and lives without any other re∣ward, than to have the honour of serving their Prince and Country? and can we be of so base and servile a Spirit, as to be inferiour to them, in order to God, in whom we move and have our being? Let us cast our eyes on Jesus Christ, Aspicientes in Authorem fidei; He is the

Authour of our Faith, and ought to be the Idea and Model of our life; let us look upon him, not only to imitate him, but to implore his ayde and succours; that as he is the Authour of our Faith, he may be also the Finisher of our Hopes; as he is the Alpha and first principle, he may be also the Omega and last end; as he is our liberal Saviour by grace, he may be our full recompence by glory.