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FOurthly, I am to consider how Christe our Lord in the Instant of Deathe, by his lust Sen∣tence depriueth, and vnclotheth the wretched Soule of the Sinner, of those supernaturall graces, and giftes which remained with him after Sinne, that hee may without them enter into Hell-fier.
The terriblenesse of this Sentence, and the paine that the Damned shall suffer in this Conflict, I may ponder by that which happeneth to a Prie∣ste, who hath committed some crime, for the
which hee deserueth to bee burned: For not to dis∣grace the Sacerdotall dignitye with so Infamous a punishment, first a Bishop degradeth him, taking of from him one by one his Priestlike garments, saying vnto him: Seeing thou hast made thyselfe vnworthy of the Honour of a Preiste, wee take from thee thy Preistlike Garments, and depriue thee of the honour that thou hadst, and so beeing de∣graded they deliuer him to the secular Power, who executeth vpon him the punishment of fier that hee deserueth. In this manner, I may Imagine that Christe our Lord the Bishop, * 1.1 and Pastor of our Sou∣les, degradeth the Soule of the Sinner, to whome hee gaue in Baptisme the dignitie of spirituall Priesthood, and adorned him with Sacerdotall ha∣billiments, depriuing him of them, for that with Sinne hee made himselfe vnworthy of this honour, stripping himselfe naked of the principall Vestment of Grace, [ 1] and Charitie. First, in that Instant God will take from him the light of Faithe, which was his Spirituall Girdle, saying vnto him: Because thou madest thyselfe vnworthy of this girdle, and didst not gird thyselfe therewith, leading thy Life ac∣cording to thy beliefe, I take it from thee, that thou mayest remaine bound hande, and foote in perpe∣tuall Darkenesse. [ 2] Then will hee take from him the Vertue of Hope, saying vnto him; Because thou madest thyselfe vnworthy of this Vertue, not ma∣king thy proffit thereof, I take from thee the hope of those aydes which I had offered thee to carrye the sweete yoke of my Lawe; and the Stole, and pledges of Immortalitie, and eternall life that I had giuen thee: and I pull from thee the Maniple of VVeeping, and Repentance, that thou maiest haue no hope of my pardoning of thy Sinnes: and I vnclothe thee of the Amice of my Protection, that thou maist neuer more hereafter enjoy it.
Hee will likevvise take from him the Graces gi∣uen gratis or freelie, that hee had, [ 3] * 1.2 of Prophecy∣ing, and doing miracles, saying vnto him: For that thou madest thyselfe vnworthy of these Graces, vsing them for thyne owne vaineglory, & treading vnder foote my holy Lawe, I dispoile thee of them, and of all grace whatsoeuer; because for thee there shallbee nothing now bur rigour of Iustice. In this sorte the vnfortunate Soule shall remaine with in∣famous nakednesse, fullfilling therein the terrible menaces of Ezechiell: * 1.3 They shall strippe thee of thy Garments, and shall take avvay the vessels of thy glo∣rye, and they shall leaue thee naked, and full of Confusion. O what terrible confusion shall the vn∣happy Soule suffer, when it shall see itselfe stript naked of that which before did adorne it? * 1.4 O Redee∣mer of the VVorlde, Prince of Pastors, and Bishop of our Soules, degrade not, nor strip not naked my Soule of the Vestments thou gauest it in Baptisme: clothe mee anevve vvith the garment of thy Grace, vvhich I haue lost through my Sinne, that I may free myselfe from this nakednesse, and eternall Confusion.
Then am I to ponder how the Soule remaineth with one of these Vestments, which is, [ 4] * 1.5 the Chara∣cter, or marke of Christianisme which was giuen it in Baptisme, and that of Confirmation, and Priest∣hood, if a man receiued these two Sacraments: but this shallbee for his greater torment: for the Pa∣gans, and Moores that shallbee with a Christian in Hell, beholding the Signall of an edifice that was begun, and not ended, shall scoffe at him, say∣ing: O mad, * 1.6 and Inconsiderate man that hadst so much good in thy handes, and letst it bee lost tho∣rough thyne owne fault, why didst thou not finishe thy building, seeing thou hadst so much aide there∣unto? If wee had beene Christians, wee would haue endeuoured to flye from the miserie, that now wee
are in; o whoe beguiled thee, and brought thee vnto vs?
Finally the Soule shallbee stript naked of those morall, * 1.7 and politike Vertues which it acquired in this Life: it shall remaine without Prudence, or Fortitude, or Iustice, or any other: and if any Sciences bee left it, that it gotte with its industrie, it shallbee to its greater paine, for not hauing ne∣gotiated therewith the Science, that might haue redeemed it from all this miserie. In this manner shallbee accomplished therein that dreadefull sen∣tence of holy Iob: * 1.8 His breade in his belly shallbee tur∣ned into the gall of Aspes, the riches vvhich he hath deuoured, he shall vomite out, and God shall dravve them forth out of his belly. O my Soule looke that thou doest not vomite vvith thy VVill the Riches of Grace, and Charitie that thou receiuedst, for after∣vvardes they vvill make thee vomitte perforce, Faithe, and the Vertues that thou hadst gained. And those Sciences vvich novv thou gainest vvith delight, shall turne into the gall of Aspickes to torment thee.
These are the principall fruites which out of these Considerations I am to collect, endeuouring to negotiate with those Talents that God hath gi∣uen mee, * 1.9 leaste at the reckoning daye God take them from mee, as from the slothefull seruant, lea∣uing mee onely those, which like Aspickes, & Dra∣gons, shall most cruelly gnawe my Hearte, because I proffited myselfe so euilly with them.
1. Pet. 2.25.
Matt. 7.22.
Ezech. 23.26.
1. Petr. 2 25.
D. Tho. 3. p. q. 63 art. 5. ad 3.
Luc. 14.30.
D. Th. in addit. q. 98. ar. 1. ad 3. Ibid. art. 7.
Iob. 20.14. Colloquie
Matt. 25 26.