The narrow path of divine truth described from living practice and experience of its three great steps, viz Purgation, illumination & union according to the testimony of the holy scriptures; as also of Thomas a Kempis, the German divinity, Thauler, and such like. Or the sayings of Matthew Weyer reduced into order in three books by J. Spee. Unto which are subjoyned his practical epistles, done above 120 years since in the Dutch, and after the author's death, printed in the German language at Frankfort 1579. And in Latin at Amsterdam 1658. and now in English.

CHAP. VI.

BY what way or means, the Resure∣ction, and the judgment of God, are to be accomplished after this time, no man living can comprehend, or under∣stand: for whosoever would know or understand that, he belongeth unto death, and becometh subject unto death. We have indeed a representation of the thing, but what the very thing will be in the fu∣ture, is not lawful for us to know. When the thing it self is present, then at length it is known. All things to come are lock∣ed up from the natural man in darkness, and ignorance: yet he arriveth so far, as to know, that he knoweth nothing, &c.

By how much the greater is the streight, so much the more durable is the judg∣ment: by how much the greater is the desertion, so much the nearer is any one to God.

For the most part inward affliction gets entrance by outward affliction: and outward affliction is as it were the gate, by which the inward entreth into a man.

For without outward affliction, nature searches out many escapes, that inward affliction cannot touch her. As if one kept in a dungeon, should still see light by one only cranny, and upon that account, the evils of being in a dungeon would be∣come much easier to him: So also as Na∣ture can catch its propriety, this internal affliction is hindered, nor can gain a room or place. For there is no place for inward sufferings, where Nature hath got escaping holes. Great is the misery where nature is thus kept in death, that she can hope for nothing: but acquie∣scence can bear all things.

He who is founded in death, destru∣ction, and misery and is quiet in them, admits not comfort either of life or of joy, and is unmoved as to all things, which are grateful and acceptable, and no man can either comfort him, or terrify him. For if one should threaten spoiling, death, misery, and affliction to him, he already forseeth all these, and yieldeth himself up unto them, and is conversant in them. And therefore he is immoveable, both in respect of things grateful, or of un∣grateful:

No man can either make him merry, or fright him. Death, and the withdrawing of all things, are indeed a terrour to him, but not such a one as now at length beginneth but now afflicteth him. Nor do grateful things exhilerate him, because he hath renounced all things, and he can re-asume nothing, and there∣fore he is unmoved. Here Nature is, as it were, ground between two Mill stones, because he acknowledges the judgment of God upon him to be just, and suffer∣eth such misery, that he must thus be∣hold the thing; and the thing must then be done. But he is not like other male∣factors, who are outwardly in affliction and captivity: For these if they could kill their keeper, they would readily do it, that they might get loose, yea if they could, break the windows, gates and walls. But this other sort do not thus be∣have themselves, but are subjected unto the will of God, and in it do quietly rest: and although they could do as other do, yet that they cannot desire: there is there∣fore a great difference betwxt the coacti∣on of those, and of these.