A Fruitful Treatise, Meditation 2
¶ A Meditacion of the bleſſed ſtate and felicitie of the lyfe to come.
THis body is but a priſon wherein ye ſoule is kepte, and that verely not beautifull & bright, but darke and moſt dirtie, diſquiet & fuſty, fraile, and filled vp with muche vermine and venemous vipers (I meane it cōcerning our affaccions) ſtanding in an ayre moſte vnholſome, & proſpect moſt lothſome, if a man conſyder the excrements of it by the eyes, noſe, mouth, eares, hands, feete and al the other partis. So that no bocardo, no little eaſe, no dungeon, no biſhops priſon, no gate houſe, no ſinke, no pit maye be compared in any poynte, to be ſo euill a pryſon for the body, as the body is for and of the ſoule. whereby the chyldren of God hauehave bene occaſioned to crie, and lament their longe being in it. Oh ſayth Dauid, how longe ſhall I lye in this priſon? Oh wretch that I am, ſayth Paule, who ſhal delyuer me out of this body of ſinne? Rom. 7.which is an heauy burthen vntounto ye ſoule, as ye wiſe mā ſaith. And therfore the godly crye, nowe let thy ſeruant depart in peace: Oh Luke. 2.that I were diſſolued & had put of this earthly and fraile tabercle: Take me vntounto thee, and bringe my ſoule out of this priſon, Pſal 142that it may geue thankes vntounto thee, O Lord. For ſo long as we be in this body, we cānot ſee the Lorde: yea it is an heauy habitation, and depreſſeth down ſore the ſpirite from the familiaritie, which it els ſhoulde hauehave with God.
This world and life is an exile, a vale of miſerye, a wildernes, of it ſelfe being voyde of all vertues and neceſſaries for eternal life, & ful of enemies, ſorows, ſighings, ſobbinges, groninges, miſeryes, &c. In daunger to hunger, colde, heate, thirſt, ſores, ſicknes, temptations, troubles, death, and innumerable calamities: being momentanie, ſhort, vnſtable, and nothing but vayne, and therfore is cōpared to a warfare, a womās trauaile, a ſhadow, a ſmoke, a vapor, a worde, a ſtorme, a tempeſt, in the whych Gods people feele greate moleſtations, grefes, and troubles, nowe of Sathan hymſelfe, nowe of the world, nowe of their owne fleſhe, & that ſo wonderfully, diuerſly, daungerouſly, and contrarily, that they are enforced to cry: Oh Lord whē ſhal we come and appere before thee? Whē ſhal this miſery ende? whē ſhall we be deliuered out of thys vale of miſery? out of this wyldernes? out of this continual affliction and moſt perilous ſeas?
But where thou art (Oh lord and deare father of mercy) there is not only no priſon, no dolors, no ſorow, no ſighings, no teares, no ſicknes, no hunger, no heate, no colde, no payne, no temptations, no diſpleaſure, no malice, no pride, no vncleanes, no contention, no tormentes, no horror, no ſinne, no filth, ſtink, dearth, death no weping, teares, miſery, myſchiefe: There is (I ſay) not only no ſuch thynge or any euill, noyſome, or diſpleſaunt thyng: but al libertie, all light, all pleſantnes, al ioy, reioycing, mirth, pleaſure, paſtime, health, wealth, ryches, glory, power, treaſure, honor, triumphh, comfort, ſolace, louelove, vnitie, peace, concord, wiſedome, vertue, melodye, mekenes, felicitie, beatitude, and all that euer can be wiſhed or deſired, in moſte ſecuritie, eternitie, and perpetuitie yt may be thought, not only of mā, but of Angels and Archangels, yea aboue all thoughts. The eye 1. Cor. 2.hath not ſeene the lyke, the eare hath not heard it, nor no hart is able to conceyue in any poynt, any part of the bliſſeful beatitude, which is wyth thee moſte deare God and father, moſt deare lorde and ſauiour, moſt gracious good God and comforter, where thou art (O bleſſed God) The Archā gels, Angels, thrones, powers, Dominations, Cherubi…s, Ceraphins, Patriarkes, prophets, apoſtles, martyrs, virgins, confeſſors, and ryghteous ſpirites, Apoca. 4ceaſe not to ſinge nighte and day holye, holye, holye, Lorde God of Hoſtes: honour, maieſtye, glory, power, empire and dominion be vntounto thee, Oh God the creator, Oh Lord Ieſu the redeiner, Oh Apoca. 5.holy ſpirite the comforter.
In recordation of this, oh how thy Children reioyce: howe contemne they the pleaſures of thys worlde? howe little eſteme they anye corporall griefe or ſhame? how deſire they to be with thee? Howe amiable are thy tabernacles, Oh Lorde God of Hoſtes, Pſal. 84.(ſay they:) my ſoule hath a deſire to enter into the Courtes of the Lorde: my hart and my ſoule reioyceth in the liuing God: bleſſed are they that dwell in thy houſe, they yt may alwayes be prayſing thee. For one day in thy courtes is beter thē a thouſād els wher. I had rather bee a bore keper in the houſe of my God, then to dwell in the tentes of vngonlynes: for the Lord God is a lyght and defence. And againe, lyke as Pſal. 24.ye harte deſireth ye water brokes, ſo longeth my ſoule after thee, oh god: my ſoule is a thirſt for god, yea euen for the liuing god. Whē ſhal I come to appeare before the Pſal. 13.prſence of god? My ſoule thirſteth for thee, my fleſh alſo lōgeth after thee in a barren & dry land, where no water is. They (thy chyldren I meane O lord) deſire the day of that their redemptiō: they ſtill crie, let thy kingedome Roma. 8.come: they cry, come lord Ieſus: they lift vp their heads, lokynge Apoc. 22.for thy apearing (oh lord) which wil make their vile body lyke to Philip. 3.thine own glorious and immortall body: for when thou ſhalt appeare, they ſhalbe like vntounto thee. Math 14Thy Angelles wil gather them together, & they ſhall meete thee in the cloudes, and be alwayes with thee. They ſhal heare thys Math 25ioyfull voyce: Come ye bleſſed of my father, poſſeſſe the kingdome prepared for you, from the begin Math. 12ning. Then ſhall they be like to thy Aungels. Then ſhal they be Math. 13like vntounto the Sunne in thy king dome. Thē ſhal they hauehave crownes of glory, & be endewed with white garments of innocencie & Apoc. 7.righteouſenes, with palmes of victory in their handes. Oh happy is he that may but ſee that immortall and incorruptible inheritaūce, which they ſhal enioy for euermore.
Amen.