The Godly Mans Journey to Heaven, Treatise 1 · Meditation 1 – Meditation 2
1. …ehold ô man that vnspeakable louelove wherewith God loued thee, and that rare accompt thy God maketh of thee, in that shining glasse of the Creation.
O My soule wast thou not sent downe here in time by that blessed wise Creator, to seeke after that eternitie which is aboue? O my soule couldest thou learne to know with what louelove thy God loued thee, in what accomp… thy God hath thee, busily wouldest thou while this euersliding time remaineth, seeke after that euer-abiding eternitie. Oh ô my soule, when shall I begin, grauely to consider that admirable order kept by my God in bringing foorth that great worke of Creation, presented to my eyes in the first Chapter of holy Scripture. Wouldest thou, ô my soule, leisurely paine thy selfe a little to meditate aright vponupon that order; ô with what a louelove wouldst thou louelove thy God: and so ô with how swift feete wouldest thou endeauour to runne through fleeting sinfull time, towards that euer continuing eternitie, in the which dwelleth righteousnesse! Yea, ô my soule, I must tell thee, could that order be well taken to heart by thee, were I warming my selfe in my parlour, at the refreshing fire of greatest honor, pleasures, and daintiest cheare, euen with my dearest companions, thou wouldest be easily able by a very small signe to draw me out of doores, making me with Peter to seeke after some secret place, that there I might weepe bitterly, because I cannot be moued to seek him who could not be stayed from seeking of me; because I cannot learne to account of him, who could willingly account of nothing till he did find me. The worke of Creation is begun the first day, the worke of creation is prosecuted till the sixt day, and a number of good creatures of diuerse kinds aboue vsus, about vsus, and beneath vsus; in the heauens, in the seas, and in the earth brought forth: but can our louing wise God ceasse to worke, till he hauehave made man? And when he had made him, did he go any further? Yea, rested he not then? O my soule, I charge thee before God, that thou remember this; I command thee, as thou wilt be answerable to God, that thou forget not this.
2 Behold that holy vse, man, dearely beloued and farre honoured of God, should make of that wise order kept by God in bringing foorth the worke of Creation.
BVt, ô my soule, what would thy God tell thee by this comely admirable order kept by his Maiestie, in bringing fo…t… that worke of Creation? Surely that he made all the other creatures for thee, which he made before thee, and that he made thee for himselfe, whom he made after them. And what would thy God, ô my soule, teach thee hereby? Surely that all other creatures could not content him vntill he found man. And darest thou, ô my soule, attempt to thinke or alledge that thou art made for any other vse, besides this thy onelyonly God? Yea darest thou rest vponupon any of these creatures? were the sight of them neuer so pleasant to thy eyes, the sound of them neuer so melodious to thy eares, the sauour of them neuer so delicious to thy smelling, the taste of them neuer so sweet to thy mouth, the touch of them neuer so alluring to thy other members? O my soule many seruants hast thou, for thy Maker hath made all the other creatures for thee: onelyonly one master hast thou, euen that good God, who made thee for himselfe onelyonly. And therefore see that thou vse all these creatures, which thine eye seeth, thine eare heareth, thy smelling sauoureth, thy tasting tasteth, or any member of thy bodie toucheth; as pleasant soft cords sent downe from heauen, to draw thee vpwards towards that God who made them for thee, and thee for himselfe: otherwise be assured thou shalt be conuicted, not onelyonly of grosse vnthankfulnesse, forgetting the giuer, and abusing the gift, but of high Treason, for thrusting y• perishing gift into the throne of the euerliuing giuer. Augustine saw this when he writeth thus:Aug. epist. 21. Potest anima rationalis etiam temporali & corporali felicitate bene vti, si non se dederit creaturae, Creatore neglecto: sed eam potius felicitatem fecerit seruire Creatori, qui & ipsam suae bonitatis abundantissimalargitate donauit. Sicut enim bona sunt omnia quae creaut Deus, ita in his bene agit anima rationalis, si ordinem seruet in distinguendo, eligendo, pendendo subdere minora maioribus, corporalia spiritualibus, inferiora superioribus, temporalia sempiternis, ne superiorum neglectus, & appetitu inferiorum, & se & corpus suum mutet in peius, talibus bonis non fiunt homines boni, sed aliunde boni facti, bene vtendo faciunt vt ista sint bona. The Christian soule may vse euen temporall and corporall prosperitie aright, if it giuegive not ouer it selfe to the perishing creature, neglecting the euerlasting Creator: but make this his prosperitie, rather to serue his maker, who also hath freely enriched him with his superabundant goodnesse. For as all those things be good which God hath created, so the Christian soule vseth them aright, when he keepes an order, wisely distinguishing, weighing, and choosing, and so postponing lesse things to greater, corporall things to spirituall, things below here, to things which are aboue, and temporall things to euerlasting, lest otherwise through the neglect of those things which are aboue, and through the inordinate desire of things below here▪ he turne both himselfe and his bodie to the worst: for by such good things as the things of the world, men are not made good; but men being first made good by another, to wit, by God, by vsing the things of the world rightly, make them also to become good.