at the soules of men and not at the only tickling of their eares or the applause of their handes shoots at no lesse then the souls of meÌ„ them he conuinceth by so pregnant reasons and obligeth by so plaine demonstrations as to make them glad or or least he giues them cause why they should be so to cast away that loose liberty which made them slaues to their own passions to step or rather to leap into the chaines of the loue of God which will put them into a kind of soueraignity not only ouer all other thinges created but euen ouer their very selues And (y) The extraordinary great care wherwith he conducteth his Reader throughout the whole discourse in this he equalleth in my poore opinioÌ„ if he do not rather excel any other whom I haue read That he most carefully doth conduct the soule which he instructeth in the way of spirit accompanying his discourse with aboundance of caution so to saue his Reader from sliding into any extreme and being no lesse sollicitous to guide him straight then a tender mother or nurse would be to lead her only child by the sleeues or armes for feare least otherwise he might take a fall I (z) The occasion whereupon he wrote this booke will further premise to you vpon what occasion he wrote this Booke and to whom he did particulerly direct the same and then by way of preuention I will both make and answere an obiection to the end that your selfe may be kept from errour afterward There was a Lady called (a) The person for whom he wrote it Donna Sancba the daughter of the Lord of Guadalcaçar who for her beauty and other better parts was designed to serue the Queene of Spayne in quality of a Lady of Honour Already she was euen vpon the point of parting from her parents who had put her into an equipage which was to haue becom a Court But before her iourney she meant to arme her selfe with the holy Sacraments of the Church in the strength of that desire she went and cast her selfe at the feet of Doctour Auila in the way of Confession She would after say that he reprooued her a little sharply for bringing a hart which pretended to be penitent for sinne in a body set out ardorned too curiously too costly for such a busines What els passed between them in that priuate conference and Confession of hers God and they do only know but the sequele thereof was notorious to the world For she instantly did vnturne Courtier she grew quickly to cast away her vaine and sumptuous attires and she betooke her selfe though only in her Fathers house to a course of admirable pennance recollection which she accompanied with a Vow of perpetuall chastity wherein she dyed most holily and most happily some ten yeares after This Lady then as being the Child and Creature as it were in spirit of Doctour Auila was deare to him after an extraordinary manner And so for her both consolation and instruction he made this Booke of Audi Filia and she esteemed it as she ought for she neuer would know or call it by other name then of her Treasure But when she was gone to God he took the Booke againe to himselfe and enlarged it and enriched it to that proportion which at this day we see it beares Now in regard that he chiefely speakes therein to her as to a person who had giuen her selfe to God by a vow of chastity you (b) An obiection which it importeth much to be wel answered may seeke perhaps to make your selfe belieue that the doctrine therin conteined belongeth only to such as she But the answere is obuious and assured That howsoeuer it may import such as she was knowne to be in a more eminent manner then other Christians in regard that she had consecrated her selfe to our Lord Iesus as to the spouse of her soule by a particuler vow yet for as much as coÌ„cernes the obligation which we (c) The general obligation to which all good Christians are subiect all haue to abstaine from sinne to imploy ourselues in prayer good workes to despise the vanity of the world to resist the motions of sense to arme our selues against the temptations of the Diuel to which the promise euen of our very Baptisme bindes vs to loue God aboue all thinges to imitate the life and to practise the doctrine of our Lord Iesus and finally to be and to continue true children of his holy Catholique Church this doctrine I say doth so much and so mightily belonge to vs all as that none of vs shall euer get to heaueÌ„ but either by an exact obedience to it or a cordiall griefe for hauing swarued from it And so (d) Of the variety of addresse in the way of spirit which is to be found in this book for persons of al quality es if you may be intreated to obserue what variety of addresse for spirit the Authour giueth in the seueral parts of the worke you cannot chuse but discerne that it is not only meant for Virgins but for all others also if they be Christians yea and if they be not so much as that they yet will heer find reason to beg of God that they may grow so happy Let (e) How much it importeth that this booke be read with great attention deuotion vs also all beg hard for that whereof we haue most need That when heerafter at the day of Iudgment we shall meete Doctour Auila in the valley of Iosaphat there may be no cause to be reproached by our Iudge of so deep ingratitude as not to haue been the better for the great benefit which the godnes of God hath vouchsafed to mankind by means of this his deare and most deuout seruant But (f) In this valley there abouts is the vniuersall IudgmeÌ„t to be made Ioel. 3. that the seed which hath fructified so abundantly in Spayn in Italy in France in I know not how many other countryes by the translatioÌ„ of this booke into so many seuerall languages may also in England be of comfort to that good (g) Matt. â—â— husbandman of the ghospell and not be choaked by thornes nor supplanted by stones nor deuoured by the rauenous birds of the aire who are euer watching how to enrich themselues by our pouertie For so truly miserable are those damned spirits as to think themselues more happy in nothing then if they might draw vs into a society with them in torment though indeed euen our very torment would be sure to serue but for an increase of theirs Our Lord Iesus deliuer vs from that place of eternall malediction both for that which we know thereof by Fayth already and much more for that which we do not know and which I hope we shall neuer know by experience A RICH CABBINET FVLL OF SPIRITVALL IEWELLS CHAP. I. WHEREIN IS TREATED How necessary it is for vs
THE AVDI FILIA OR A RICH CABINET FVLL OF SPIRITVALL IEVVELLS Composed by the Reuerend Father DOCTOVR AVILA Translated out of Spanish into English Omnis terra adoret te psallat tibi Psal 65. Let all the earth adore thee sing to thee O Lord. Permissu Superiorum M.DC.XX THE DEDICATORY TO ALL ENGLISH CATHOLIKES HAVING receaued the honour and happines to be a member of your Holy Communion and on the other side hauing done you nothing but dishonour by leading an vnprofitable life at least and most vnvvorthy of the high vocation of being a Catholike I haue had too much reason to cast my thoughtes vpon thinking hovv I might make you some little part of amendes Nothing came to my mind vvhich might also be vvithin the measure of my povver but the presenting you vvith this Book vvhich togeather vvith my selfe I cast at the feet of you all vvith an humble and most reuerend affection Our Lord doth knovv hovv much need I haue of all your prayers and the high account vvhich I make of them vvhereby you may ghesse hovv much in earnest I desire the same And because there is amongst you a Religious Person a true seruant spouse of Christ our Lord by vvhose meanes through the goodnes of God I am grovvne to an increase of some good desires to doe him Seruice and vvho made much impression vpon my mind tovvards the making me translate this very Booke I do also dedicate it to the same person in a particuler manner as a token of Eternall Gratitude And I beg of that Soule that vvhen by vvay of Exchange for the great Treasures vvhervvith God hath trusted her she shall be remitting her deuout Petitions to that diuine Maiesty the necessityes of myne may not be layd aside Our Lord Iesus graunt by the precious merits of his bitter Passion vvhich I beseech him to apply to vs all by the intercession of his Immaculately conceaued Mother the Queene of Heauen that vve vvho by his grace are in these difficult tymes made members of his Militant Church vvhich to vs indeed is so truely Militant may one day by his goodnes arriue to be also meÌ„bers of the Triumphant Where clearely and at once vve shal be sure to see and vvonder at the inestimable riches of Mercy vvhervvith our Lord did choose vs fevv out of so many millions of soules to professe his Truth and Fayth vvith so much preiudice to our selues in all those thinges vvhich the Foolish and Childish World is vvont to hold so deare Only vve must take care that vve continue in it to and in the end and in the meane tyme also to accompany our Fayth by such good vvorks as may become this high Profession for else vve shall but double our damnation Our Lord deliuer vs from falling into that Abysse of misery and enable vs by his holy Grace so to serue and suffer for him heere that Eternally vve may adore him in Heauen The affectionate humble seruant of you all L. T. THE PREFACE TO The discreet and pious Reader THE (a) The great fam that this Booke enioyeth throughout the world extraordinary fame of this Excellent book gaue me a curiosity to be acquainted with it charity I hope is that which makes me thus deliuer it ouer to be acquainted with you The Title thereof will haue told you the Authours Name and when you shall haue perused it you will acknowledge I belieue that spirit to haue been eminent which the only Giuer of all good thinges bestowed vpon him The (b) The Nation of the Author and the tyme wherin he liued and when he dyed Country of his birth was Spaine and the time of his life was this last age of ours for he dyed in the yeare of our Lord Iesus 1569. some thirteene years after (c) B. P. Ignatius dyed in the yeare 15â—6 Doctour Auila in the yeare 1569. and B. Mother Teresa in the yeare 1â—8â— Blessed Father Ignatius about as many before Blessed Mother Teresa With (d) The communication which he had with the holiest persons of his tyme. both these Saints being mirrours of their tymes and the lasting miracles of these endes of the world he had particuler communication For the later of them he aduised and directed in the way of spirit concerning some difficultyes which occurred to her and she was both comforted and instructed greatly by him And as for the former he bore such affection and euen admiration to his holy Institute that his owne being already at that tyme so far in yeares was (e) He carryed great deuotion to the Society of Iesus the only cause that clipt the winges of his desire which would faine haue beene carrying him on to flye apace after such a guyde But what he could he did by addressing diuers of his disciples to become members of that Society wherein they happily both liued and dyed as appeareth both by the history of his life and yet further by some of his owne printed letters and in a Church of the Society of Iesus he would needs be buried namely at Montillia in Andaluzia The (f) Fray Lewis de Granada wrote his life life of Doctour Auila is written by Fray Lewis de Granada a Religious man of the glorious Saint Dominickes Order and one renowned in the world both for the memory of his great vertues and the presence of his holy bookes It is no meaning of myne to giue you heere the full relation of this life but I only shew euen by the circumstance of the eminent man who wrote the same what account our Authour deserueth at our hands which must needs rebound vpon this Booke so farre as to increase your estimation therof For this reason also you shall vnderstand that when he was yet in health and subiect to the greatest importunity of busines he (g) He was a man of very great Prayer mentally prayed foure houres euery day and he slept but foure euery night When afterward he grew into sicknes which he was subiect to and that in greate extremity for those seauenteene yeares which did immediately precede his death it is probable that he must sleep much lesse and 〈◊〉 is faithfully recorded in the life it selfe that â—e prayed much more for all was prayâ—r with him from the morning till two of the clocke afternoone and againe from six till bed-tyme which with him was not till about an eleuen So as this (h) With how great light of vnderstaÌ„diâ—g and heaâ—e of Charity this Boâ—k was written Booke and the rest of his excellent workes in this kind were not so much the issue of a studious and speculatiue brayne as of a bâ—eeding and boyling hart Boyling through the loue of God and bleeding for the sins of the world Which two obiects being so perpetually before the eyes of his mind and he so hourely treating with the purity of God by way of amorous contemplation and vvith men whose consciences were
of the other Yet be not thou dismaid but present thy selfe with them all before ou◠Lord though not without groaning sighes (i) A sweet and significāt comparison as the Child would do who letteth the mother see where the thorne hath haspt it self into his hand and he beggeth of her with teares that she will pull it out and so will our Lord do with thee For as he is a glasse to declare thy faults so by his example and helping hand he is the true remedy thereof And now considering through how great shame he was content to passe for the loue of thee thy hart wil be kindled towards the casting away off all affection to honour and his patience will kill thy anger his gall vinegar will cure thy glottony and thy seeing him obedient to his Father euen to the death of the Crosse will tame thy necke towards the obedience of his holy will euen in those thinges wherin thou mayst find the greatest difficulty And when thou shalt behold how that most high God humaned the Lord of the heauens and of the earth all that which they conteine did (k) See heer whether or no thou haue any reasō to be impatient or proud obey those wretches when they were pleased to strip him starcke naked and then to apparaile him againe and when they bound him and when they vnbound him and when they commaunded him to spread himselfe vpon the Crosse and to stretch out his armes that they might be nailed thereunto I am deceaued if it will not giue thee a desyre and that with the deepest sighes of thy hart if it be capable of any feeling to be obedient not only to thy betters and equalls but to thy inferiours also and to submit thy selfe for the loue of God as S. Peter (l) 1. Pet. 2. sayth to all the reasonable creatures in the world and that so farre as euen to be ill vsed by them By this meanes also will couetousnesse come to dye in thee if thou behold those handes boared through for the good of men that they may accomplish that which formerly he commaunded when he said (m) Ioan. 13. Loue you one another as I haue loued you And in a word thou wilt find by experience that S. Paul (n) Rom. 6. said true when he told vs that our old man was crucified with Christ. Yf thou do not fynd this cure and conquest ouer thy selfe to grow instantly as thou wouldest desyre be (o) We are so wicked that we had need to haue much patience with our selues not yet dismaid and giue not ouer thy good beginnings But (p) If we haue little feeling of those thinges at the first we must not yet despaire but be humble diligent in prayer as now thou art come to know that the hardnesse of thy hart and thy wickednesse is greater then thou couldst haue thought so do thou sigh out so many more groanes and with so much the more humility begge thou of our Lord that his mercy may not permit thee to remaine sicke since he being God did suffer and dye to make thee whole And haue thou hope that he will not make himselfe deafe who hath commaunded thee to cry out vpon him and that he will not carry such bowells of cruelty about him as to see thee sicke to hear thee cry out at that gate of the hospitall of his mercy which are his wounds but that some one day or other he will take thee in to cure thee But (q) The perfect cure of thy soule wil not be wrought vpon a suddaine I aduertise thee of this that it is not a businesse to be dispatched in so short a tyme. And although S. Paul (r) Gal 18.9 said in few wordes That they who were of Christ had crucified their flesh with the vices and desires thereof yet such as are not content with departing only from mortall sinne but haue a desire to obtayne a perfect victory ouer themselues by ouercomming those seauen generations of enemyes which haue taken possession of the land of promise do find by experience that the thing which is sayd in one word is not completely performed in many yeares But our soueraigne Lord is wont to giue such persons hope of perfect health vouchsafing them now and then the cure of some particuler infirmity We (ſ) A place of Holy Scripture excellently applyed read of the Captaine Iosue that hauing ouercome fiue Kinges he sayd thus to his souldiars Set (t) Iosue 10. your feet vpon the neckes of these Kinges and do not feare but take hart and comfort for as our Lord hath ouercome these so will he also all those others whome you fight against Do (u) If thou consider the reward euen in this life which is heer mentioned thou wilt not think thy labour ill imploied and therefore resolue vpon the word of this holy Authour which is Either to conquer of dye thou in this manner and resolue either to conquer or to dye for if thou obtayne not the victory ouer thy passions thou wilt not be able to proceed in the exercise of this familiar conuersation with our Lord. For it is not reason that the most sweet repose which is taken with ioyfull peace in the armes of our Lord be affoarded but to them who first haue fought and with difficulty haue ouercome themselues Nor can they obtaine to be the quiet Temples of that peaceable Salomon if first they be not hammered by the blowes of the mortification of their passions and by the breaking off their wills For (x) The smoake of the passions depriue the soule of being able to see that sweetnes and sublimenes Gods beauty the smoake which vnmortified passions raise vp in the soule do not suffer the sight to be so cleare as it fit for the beholding of the King in his beauty Nor doe they permit the soule to haue that purity which is requisite for the vniting of it with God like a chast Spouse and in a manner which is particuler and secret kept safe for them to whom our Lord vouchsafes to giue it after they haue laboured many yeares as Iacob did for Rachel CHAP. LXXVIII That the most excellent thing which we are to meditate and imitate in the passion of our Lord is the loue where with he offered himself to the Eternall Father AFTER hauing entred into the first exteriour part of the Temple of this true Salomon which is to consider Christ in the exteriour man and after hauing sacrificed thy disordinate passions by the knife of the word of God which office was executed in that part of the Temple which was called Holy it remaines if we meane to proceed in our way that we procure to enter into the Sancta Sanctorum the Holy of Holyes which is a more pretious place and the period of all the rest If now thou aske me which is this place (a) The pretious hart of
is a distinct thing from that wherby Christ is iust And from hence it commeth that although the workes which we did before were meane and of aâ—â— imperfect kind of goodnesse and which had noâ— in them any true iustice nor could deserue 〈◊〉 haue it as being of our owne stocke and store yet those thinges which now we do being oâ—â—â— in the state of grace are of so high valew and are workes so truely iust as that they deserue an increase of iustice according to that of (n) Apocâ— 22. S. Iohn He that is iust let him be yet more iust and they are worthy to obtaine the kingdome of God as it was sayd by (o) 2. Tim. 4. S. Paul That the Crown of iustice was kept for him This vnspeakable benefit do we owe to Iesus Christ but (p) See heer how honourable to Christ our Lord the doctrine of the holy Catholike Church is in the point of workes this is not all For as it is the ordinance of God that no man shall obtaine grace and iustice but by the merits of this Lord so is it also that none of them that haue it is able to increase or euen to conserue it but by their being vpheld by this Lord as a liuing member is by his head as the fruitful branch is by his vine and as the building is by his foundation For although by gayning grace and iustice for them he gaue them as hath beene sayd a good (q) Because God through Christ our Lord would haue it so title by the way of merit to the kingdome of heauen as also that they should obtaine by prayer that which they would aske as they ought yet if they had a mind to enioy the same and to vse it rightly they must not do it like people which would disband from their captaine or deuide themselues from their head or as if they could go vpon their owne feet alone without the help of any other No a soule must rely vpon and be vnited to this (r) Christ Iesus our Lord. blessed head to the end that (f) See the excellent immaculate doctrine of the holy Catholik Church Grace may be conserued to it and that from thence a certaine spirituall strength may come which may proceed and accompany and follow the good works that it shall do and without which those good workes cannot be meritorious as is declared by the Councell of Trent And by this meanes the prayers which that iust person shall make will be worthy of the eares of God and to obtaine that which the man desires Salomon (t) 2. Para. 6. did begge of God That he who should pray in the Temple which he had made on earth might be heard by God from heauen granting that which should be desired And the true and most excellent Temple of God is Iesus Christ our Lord in respect that he is man in whome as S. Paul sayth The accomplishment of diuinity doth corporally remaine That is it remayneth in him not only by way of grace as it doth in the Angells and in holy men but in another fashion of more weight and valew by the way of the personall vnion whereby that sacred humanity is raised vp to haue the dignity of being personated in the word of God which is one of the three persons of the Blessed Trinity This is that Temple whereof Dauid sayd God heard my voyce from his holy Temple And he that in this Temple shall vtter the speach of prayer which is inspired by his spirit and resting vpon him as a liuing member which demandeth succour by the merits of his head which is Iesus Christ this man I say shall be heard by God in the title of iustice as Dauid was and all iust men were who vvere euer heard But the prayer vvhich is made without this Temple (u) That is we must be members of Christ our head by being in the state of grace which requireth that we resort to the sacrament of pennance with harty sorrow for that sin which is past a firme purpose to coÌ„mit no more for otherwise insteed of receauing a Sacrament we should commit a sacriledg by whomesoeuer it be made is a oarse and prophane prayer and vnworthy of the ares of God And not being inspired by Iesus Christ it carryeth not that broad seale whereby 〈◊〉 should be warranted and held for iust in the â—btaining of what it askes And to the end that Christ in the quality of our aduocate may giue â—ispatch to our petitions it is necessary that on â—arth we be his liuing members and inspired to â—ray by him For although his mercy is so great â—hat many tymes he maketh the petitions of his â—ead members to be heard which are they that â—old the fayth of his Church but are not in state â—f grace yet heere we speak only of those which being made in Christ haue the dignity and the â—erit of obtayning what they aske And the hoâ—y Church our Mother well knowing the necessity that we haue of Christ in our prayers is wont â—o say to the Eternall Father at the end of hers Graunt vs this or that O God through Iesus Christ â—ur Lord. This did she learne of her spouse and maister when he (x) Ioan. 16. sayd Whatsoeuer thing you aske the Father in my name he will giue it you Let thankes O Lord be giuen to thy name â—ince through thee we are heard For thou doest not content thy selfe only with being our Mediatour to merit that grace for vs which we receaue by thee nor with being our head which instructeth and moueth vs to pray by thy spirit as we ought but thou also wilt be our (y) He obtayneth that we may be heard by our selues when we aske in his Name Bishop in heauen that so representing to thy Father that sacred humanity which thou hast and the passion which thou didst receaue thou mightst obtayne the effect of that which we desire on earth by our inuocation of thy Name So that as the holy Gâ—ospel sayd When (z) Matt. 3. Marc. 1. Luc. 3. our Lord was baptized the heauens did open themselues to him and although many haue followed in thither after him yet they are opened to none but by his meanes so may we also say that the bowels of his eternall Father which open themselues for the graunting our petitions are opened to Christ And he is the person heard by his Father since the fauour grace vvhere with we are heard we haue by him For if it were not for this as no man would be iust in himselfe so no man could be heard for himselfe And as through the great loue which our Lord did beare vs he tooke our miseryes vpon himself as his owne and he payed for them by his life death so with the same loue vvhich he carryeth towards vs although now he be in heauen if any little one of his be either naked or clad
sweetnes which is in God and which is enioyed by the Saints and by the Angells and by God himselfe the Creatour of them all It is a businesse belonging to beasts which thou dost so prize and loue and thy passions are no better then very beastes And so often doest thou cast the most high God vnder the feet of thy most vile beasts as thou doest offend him for carnall pleasures Fly therefore O thou Virgin from a thing so infamous as this and ascend thou vp to the mount of prayer and beseech our Lord that he will giue thee some tast of himselfe that thy soule being strengthned by the sweetnes that distills from him thou mayst despise those durty pleasures which inhabit flesh and bloud Then wilt thou haue a cordiall and deep compassion of them who go casting themselues away through the bâ—senes of the durty vallies of a bestiall life And (n) Thou hast a hart of stone if this do not moue thee being all amaz'd thou wilt cry out O you men and what is it that you loose And for what The most sweet God for most stinking flesh bloud And what payne do they deserue for so (o) False weights are an aâ—hâ—min â—ioÌ„ to God and how false are these which make vayne empty creatures to outweigh the God of eternall glory false weights and measures but eternall torment and of that they shall infallibly be sure CHAP. X. Of many other meanes which we are to vse when this cruell Enemy doth assault vs with his first blowes THE aduises which thou hast already heard by way of remedy of this infirmity are thinges which ordinarily thou must vse though it be not in the tyme of tentation Hearken now to that which thou art to do when it sets vpon thee by giuing thee the first blow Then blesse thy (a) Diuers profitable and practicall remedyes against temptations of sense forehead or thy hart with the signe of the Crosse calling with deuotion vpon the holy name of Iesus Christ and say Not I I sell not God so good cheape O Lord thou art more worth and I loue thee more then so If (b) Note the tentation do not then giue ouer descend with thy thoughts into hell and behold how terribly that liuing fire doth burne and maketh those miserable creaturs which were heere inflamed with the fire of lust cry out and howle and blaspheme why lest in the meane tyme the sentence of God is executed vpon them which sayth Let (c) Apoc. 18. somuch torment and desolation be laid vpon them as they glorifyed themselues in their delights Be thou astonished at the grieuousnes of the punishment though yet withall it be most iust that the pleasure of one moment should be chastized with eternall torments And say within thyselfe as S. Gregory doth Momentary is that which delighteth but eternall is that which tormenteth If this contemplation help thee not send vp thy hart to heauen and represent to it the purity of that Chastity which remayneth in that happy Citty where no beast can haue any entrance I meane no person that is bestiall And there continue thou for some time till thou mayst find strength of spirit and so that heere thou mayst abhorre that which there is so abhorred through the loue of God It doth also help to suppose that thy body were in the graue and to behold at leasure how miserable and stincking the bodies of men and woman are there to be So also is it good to go instantly to Christ Iesus nayled vpon the Crosse and especially as he is tyed to the pillar and whipped and bathed in bloud from head to foote and then to say with a deepe internall groane Thy virgineall and diuine body O Lord so tormented and so loaden with grieuous paynes and that I should put myne into pleasure this were worthy of all rigorous punishment Since thou with scourges so full oâ— cruelty doest pay for the delightes which men take in offence of thy law I will not O Lord delight my selfe so much to thy cost In like manner will it auayle to represent thy selfe instantly in presence of the most pure Virgin Mary considering the purity and integrity both of her body mind and instantly to abhorre the dishonest thought which came to thee as darknesse is driuen away by the approach of light But (d) Pray to God to giue thee grace to practise this aboue all if thou canst shut the dore of thy vnderstanding and shut it well as we vse to do in the most internall recollection of our prayer as hereafter we will declare thou shalt find help at hand with more facility then by al those other remedies For it happens many tyms that by opening the dore to a secoÌ„d good thoght an ill one doth vse to enter in but keeping out both the one the other it is a turning from the enemy not opening the dore till he be gone and so he is put to a scorne So doth it also help to spread the armes into the forme of a crosse to beÌ„d the knees and to beate the breast But that which most importes or at least as much as all the rest togeather is to (e) The deuout receauing of the B. SacrameÌ„t is the most soueraigne remedy against tentations of sense receiue with due preparation the holy body of Christ Iesus our Lord which was formed by the holy Ghost is very far estranged from all impurity This is an admirable remedy against those mischeifes which would grow vpon vs by occasion of our flesh conceyued in sinne And if we could well ponder the blessing that we receyue by the comming of Christ Iesus into vs we should esteeme our selues to be as so many pretious Reliquaries and we would fly from all kind of filthynesse for the honour of him whome we had receiued What (f) Read this with great feeling hart can any one haue to prophane his body when it hath byn honoured so far as to close with the most holy body of God humaned what greater obligation could haue byn cast vpon me what more forcible motiue cold haue byn offered to make me liue inpurity then to behold with myne eyes to touch with my hands to receyue with my mouth to ledge in my breast the most pure body of Iesus Christ He vouchsafing me that vnspeakeable honour to the end that I might not descend to basenesse and knitting me to himselfe and consecrating me as a place into which he vouchsafes to enter How then with what body shall I endure to offend our Lord. since he being the authour of purity hath entred into the same body I haue fedd vpon him and fedd with him at the same table and shall I now be a traytour to him No I will neuer be so for the whole world Thus is it fit that we esteeme this fauour to the end that we may haue a crown put vpon this weake and frayle condition of ours
thing which the Diuell went about though he went by a kind of circling way by bringing in thoughtes of a different nature Now (b) Note thy course must be rather to increase in thy well doing then to decay as if one would do it euen of purpose to make the Diuell retyre with loste when he thought to haue gone on with gaine And if thou want tendernesse of deuotion do not trouble thy selfe for that for as much as our seruices are not to be measured otherwise then by the rate of our loue which (c) Note this well and belieue it for it is a certaine truth consisteth not in tendernesse of deuotion but in a francke offer and resolution of our will to doe that which God and his Church commaundeth and to endure that which his pleasure is that we should suffer for his coÌ„tentment Yf some who may seeme to haue left their pleasures of the world for the seruice of God did leaue also the inordinate desyre of sweet and sensible deuotions of the soule they would liue with more alacrity then now they haue and the Diuell should not be able to fynd certayne (d) We must take care that the Diuell haue no hold to take vs by haires of appetite to take hold of and thereby to turne their heads about and to deceyue hurt them Christ Iesus died naked vpon the Crosse and naked we should offer our selues to him And we should care for no other cloths then the doing of his holy will as it is declared to vs by the commaundments of himselfe and of his Church and to receiue with an (c) Pray for this blessing for it is a great one amorous kind of obedience that which he shal be pleased to send how hard soeuer it be with equality of mind we are to take from his hand eyther affliction or consolation and to giue him thankes both for the one and the other S. Paul (f) Ephesâ— 5. saith That in all thinges we are to giue thankes to God because as it is the marke of a good Christian to loue one that doth him hurt for the loue of God since euery one loues him that doth him good so to be (g) 5. Note thankfull to God in aduersity not regarding the rough exteriour that it carrieth but the hidden fauour which God doth send vs vnder that superscription is the signe of a man who beareth other eyes in his head then of flesh and bloud and that he loueth God since in that which is painefull to him he doth yet conforme himselfe to Gods will And (h) A soueraigne receit against all miseries of mans life both interiour and exteriour so we must not seeke to fasten our selues to the weake boughes of our owne desyres though they may seeme good but to the strong pillar of the diuine will to the end that obeying it as hath bin sayd we may participate according to our possibility of that peacefull rest and immutability which resideth in that Will and that we may decline those many changes which in our hart we shal be sure to find if it giue accesse to this kind of (i) Of spirituall gust couetousnesse There is in very deed little difference betweene seruing Christ for money or els for consolation and spirituall gust of thy soule whether for heauen or for earth if the last marke that I ayme at be this couetousnesse Euen Lucifer according to the opinion of many Doctours did desyre true felicity but because he desired it not as he ought and of whom he ought that it might be giuen him when it should haue pleased God it serued not his turne to haue desyred that which was good but he sinned by not desyring it well for so it came to be couetousnesse no good desyre In the same manner therefore do I declare that we must not fasten our selues to an earnest and disordered appetite of spiritual gustes but offering our selues to the Crosse of our Lord we must be glad to take what he shal be pleased to giue whether it be sweete hony or vinegar and gall Nor (k) Note haue I yet sayd this as if these gustes were euill or vnprofitable of themselues if men know how to make true vse thereof and if they receiue them not as to dwell in them but to procure more breath and hart in the seruice of God especially for beginners who ordinarily according to their age haue need of milke like children And (l) How great a blessing it is to meet with a guyde who hath the guift of spirituall prudence he that would nurse them with the food that is fit for men and seeke by that meanes to make them perfect vpon a suddaine should commit a great errour and insteed of helping would do hurt Euery age hath a seuerall condition and degree of strength according to which the food and nourishment is to be applied And as the well experienced and holy Bernard sayth We must not fly but walke forward in the way of perfection and let no man thinke that it is the same thing to vnderstand it and to possesse it And therefore it our Lord impart these comfortes let them be receiued towards the carrying of his Crosse with greater force For as much as it is his custome to comfort his disciples in Mount Thabor that so they may not be disquieted in the persecution of the Crosse And ordinarily before the gall of tribulation come vpon vs he sendeth the hony of comfort And I neuer knew any man mislike or vndervalow spirituall Consolations but such an one as by whose soule they had neuer passed But if our Lord be pleased to guide vs by the way of discomforte and that we must needes heare the harsh and (m) Of dâ—abohâ—al tentatâ—os and disolations paynefull language wherof we were speaking yet must we not be dismayed at any thing that he sendeth but with patience we must drinke the Chalice which the Father giues euen because he giueth it and we must beg strength of him that our weakenesse may yielde obedience thereunto Nor yet on the other side must thou conceaue that I teach thee not to haue ioy when our Lord doth visit or not to haue a sad feeling of his absence when we find our selues deliuered ouer to our enemies to be tempted or afflicted by them But that which I would say is this that according to the force which God shall giue vs we must procure to conforme our selues to his holy will with obedience and equality of mind and in no case to follow our owne which infallibly wil be accompanied with discomfort and disconfidence such things as these Let (n) We ought to carry a most cordiall and profound loue to the accomplishment of the holy aâ—â—e will of God in all things vs beseech our Lord that he will open our eyes for then we shal more cleerly see then now we do the very light of the sun that
all thinges of the earth yea and of heauen it selfe are but very poore and vnworthy of being desyred or enioyed if from them we seuer the will of our Lord. And that there is no one thing how little soeuer or how bitter soeuer it be otherwise which if it be ioyned to the will of our Lord is not of extreame valew Better it is without comparison to be in affliction if our Lord require it then abstracting from his will to be in heauen And if once we did banish from our selues this secret couetousnes with resolution there would fall of withall many euill fruites which grow from thence and we should gather others in place thereof of more worth namely ioy and peace which vse to be deriued from the vnion of a soule with the will of God And so firme they would be withall that tribulation it selfe would not be able to take them from vs. For as much as although such persons do find themselues afflicted and forsaken yet are they not in despayre no nor greately troubled as knowing that to be the way of the Crosse to which they haue offered themselues and by which Christ did walke as it appeared when being vpon the Crosse he sayd to his Father O (o) Matt. 17. my God Why hast thou forsaken me But shortly after he sayd Into thy hands O Father I commend my spirit Our Lord had also sayd already Againe (p) Ioan. 10. Will I see you and your hart shall reioyce and no man shall take this ioy from you For if a man enioy this condition there is no tribulation which there in the most inward part of his soule doth much disquiet him because there within he is close vnited to the will of him that sendeth it If thus we would carry our selues we should deceaue the deceauer which is the diuell For as much as by not being dismayed nor retyring from our good course begun notwithstanding the euill language he speaketh but on the other syde taking that which our Lord doth send with obedience and giuing of thankes we depart without any hurt out of this skirmish although it should last as long as we liue Yea we come to greater profit then we had before since it gaue vs occasion to gaine more crownes in heauen in reward of that conformity which we had to the will of our Lord without respecting our owne euen in that which was very painefull to vs. CHAP. XXVII That the conquest of these temptations doth consist more in hauing patience to beare them and in the hope of the fauour of our Lord then inprocuring forcibly that they may not come THE conquest whereof we haue spoken proceedeth more from the stratageme of hauing patience at that which commeth vpon vs then in the force which we can vse in procuring that it may not come And for this did the spouse say in the Canticles Catch me those little foxes which spoyle our vineyards for our vine hath sâ—orished The vineyard of Christ is our soule which was planted by his hand and watered by his bloud It doth flourish when the tyme of sterility being past it beginneth to lead a new life and yealdeth fruite to him that planted it But because in such beginnings both these and other temptations of the crafty Diuell do lye in waite for vs therefore doth the noble spouse admonish vs that since our soule which is his vineyard is in flower we should procure to hunt those foxes out By which word it is giuen vs to vnderstaÌ„d that it must be done in the (a) Because the flowers come before the fruits morning as hath bin sayd By saying that they were foxes we are as good as told that they come disguised to deceaue vs seeming to byte on the onesyde they wound on the other and in saying that they are little he telleth vs that they are not so much to be feared by him that knoweth them for the knowing theÌ„ is to weaken theÌ„ if not to ouercome them out right In saying that they destroy the vines he signifyeth that they doe men much mischiefe who know them not For being frighted and not confiding to goe through with their businesse in the sight of God they leaue their way and following a lamentable perswasion they giue themselues openly to sinne conceauing that they enioy more peace in the broad way of perditioÌ„ then by the strayte one of vertue which leadeth to life The end of such persons if they returne not first to the right way many tymes is such as that it carrieth most certayne tokens of eternall perdition as the Scripture sayth He (b) Eccl. 〈◊〉 that passeth from iustice to sinne God hath prepared him for the instrument of iustice that is for hell They (c) Note should consider that as the Gabaonites were besieged and persecuted by their enemies for hauing made peace with (d) Iosue 10. Iosue and that Iosue being called vpon by them to giue them succour did relieue and free them making their case his owne because they were persecuted by their enemies in regard of the peace they made with him so they who beginning to serue God do enroll themselues in his band grow instantly to be persecuted by the Diuells which they were not before and this doth euidently appeaâ—e to be so because by forsaking the party of Christ the persecution which is made against them would cease and if they continue to suffer they suffer for holding vp the party of Christ Now this is a most particuler fauour which God doth as S. Paul (e) Phil. 1. affirmeth To you it is giuen by Christ not only to belieue in him but also to suffer for him And if the Angels of heauen were capable of enuying earthly creatures (f) The great nobility of suffering for the loue of God and for his will it would be for this that they suffer for God And although by the word of God a Crowne is promised to that man who suffereth (g) lac 1. temptations is prooued by them which reward it shal be fit for vs to consider and desyre thereby to get more spirit that we be neither tepide in working nor weake in suffering as it is sayd both of Moyses and of Dauid also that they had an eye to the reward yet the true and perfect louer of our Crucifyed Lord doth so much esteeme a being in conformity with him that he receiueth euen the very suffering it selfe as a great fauour and reward for as Saint Augustine saith A happy iniury is that wherof God is the cause And since there is not a man who will not succour another that suffereth by comming to his seruice much more may this be expected from that diuine goodnesse And that he will make that mans cause his owne as Dauid thus desyred that he would Rise vp o Lord and iudge thy cause remember the iniurious words with the foole hath vttered against thee all the day longe That businesse
of this Church And although in these tymes of ours there be departed from her a certayne race of people full of (c) Heresy is both the Mother and the companion and the daughter of Pride pryde and who for that very pryde were fit to be deceaued by the diuell yet the Church doth not for this giue ouer to be what shee was nor must we leaue to belieue that which formerly we belieued And therefore against this Church let no reuelation moue thee nor inward feeling of spirit nor any other thing eyther greater or lesse although it might seeme to be an Angell from heauen which should go against it I say although it should seeme for to be so indeed it is not possible Much lesse art thou to be moued by the doctrine of heretikes whether they be past or present or to come who being forsaken by the hand of God through his iust iudgment do follow a false light insteed of a true and destroying themselues they are the cause of perdition to as many as follow them Obserue what end they haue had who in former tymes haue departed from the beliefe of this Church and how they haue resembled the blustring of a wind which quickly passed and soone after was forgotten And consider how this Church hath remained victorious And although euen since the infancy therof it haue byn assaulted yet neuer hath it byn conquered because it was grounded vpon a firme rocke against which neither the raine nor the wind nor the riuers nor the very gates of hell can preuaile Shut therefore thyne eares against all doctrine which is contrary to this Church and follow that beliefe which hath byn receiued and kept for such a multitude of yeares since it is certaine that an infinite number of men haue byn not only saued therein but haue heere byn Saintes For my part I cannot reflect vpon a greater folly then for a man to leaue a way by which so many persons so wise and so holy went to heauen to follow certaine other folkes who are incomparably inferiour to the former in euery thing that is good In pryde indeed and impudence they are superiour for they will needs be better belieued without any other proofe but of their owne opinion then a multitude of our forefathers who were indued with diuine wisedome and who lead a most excellent life and who wrought a multitude of great miracles Whereas their chiefe whom these deceaued creatures follow was a certaine (d) A strang fellow to make the reformer of Gods Church Luther a man so weake in the point of his flesh that he was not able to liue without a woman nor shee being dead could he liue then in chastity but (e) According to Luthers doctrine he must either do that or worse for he sayth it was not possible for a man to liue withoâ—â—â— woman was faine as the report goes to take a second though many others haue contented themselues with one and others agayne without any at al that so they might with greater liberty purity attend to the contemplation of God How then shall we call that a good spirit which liued in that wicked man since it had not force to giue him a chastity euen of the most vulgar streine whereas yet he had made a promise of it after the highest manner which many men did so possesse whom it had byn fit for him to follow as his betters And since our Lord hath sayd that by the fruites we should know the tree it must haue byn a spirit of earth and of infirmity of flesh and of the diuell which dwelt in that man since he yealded such fruites as these and worse then these Stay a whyle thou shalt see the end of these wicked persons and how God will vomit them out to their extreame reproach declaring the errour of them by some manifest punishment as he hath done with their predecessours CHAP. XLVII What a terrible chastisement it is when God permitteth men to loose their Faith and that it is iustly taken away from them that worke not in conformity of what it teacheth HE that could haue light to iudge that the true blessinges or miseries of a man are the spirituall would quickly discerne the seuere chastisement of God vpon that kind of (a) Heretiques people yea so great chastisement as that only hell is worse then it Who (b) Iâ—rem 20. Psal 39. will not feare thee O thou King of the Nations or who hath knowne the power of thy wrath or who shal be able to recount it through the great feare which is to be had thereof The greatest chastisements of God which are most to be feared are not the losse of goods or of reputation or of life but for God to suffer the will of man to be hardned in sin or to permit his vnderstanding to be blinded in errour especially in matters of Fayth these be the wounds which are inflicted by that celestial indignation they are not the corrections of a father but of a iust and rigorous iudge Of these it is with much reason vnderstood which God sayth in (c) Iâ—rem 30. Ierâ—â—y With the wound of an enemy with rigâ—rous chastisemenâ— I haue wounded thee Though indeed he vseth not this rigour of a iudge till first he haue imployed the mercy of a Father And if thou marke it well the blindnes of the Vnderstanding hath this particuler mischiefe belonging to it more then hath the hardnesse of the will that (d) Let Heretikes consider the sad case they are in this latter though it be a great one is capable of more hope to meete with remedyes For as long as a mans Fayth remaineth though it be dead yet stil he knoweth that there is help in the Church towards the cure of his sinne which is a great step towards his recouering and rising But he that looseth his Fayth how shall he seeke it or where shall he find it since it is not to be found out of the Church because it is no where els and that which is in the Church he will not seeke because he belieueth it not and so he remayneth in ruine This is a word which God speaketh in Israel whosoeuer shall heare it his very cares shall tingle againe with meere seare But so great a punishment is not inflicted without great cause which S. Paul (e) Rom. â—â— declareth thus The wrath of God discouereth it selfe from the heauens downeward vpon all the wickednes of those men who (f) A place of Scripture excellently pondered detayned the wrath of God in iniustice And the intent of the Apostle in that place is this That there were men who although they knew God did not serue him as God but rather did puffe themselues vp with a blind kind of pride and hauing Truth in their vnderstanding they wrought iniquity with their will So that the truth of God was detayned or imprisoned in them since they did
as if it were some great and wholesome Truth A (*) Heresy is one of the most terrible iudgmēts which God inflicts for the punishment for other sinnes great and extreame iudgment of God is this and since he is iust that sinne must needs be great whereof the punishment is such and what this sinne is S. Paul (e) Thess 2. himselfe declareth to vs by saying Because they receaued not the loue of Truth to be saued thereby For if thou consider how powerfull the Truth is of that which we belieue for the helping vs to serue God to be saued soone wilt thou acknowledge it to be a great fault not to loue this Truth and not to follow that which it teacheth and much more to worke wickedly against it How (f) A good and iust consideration far should he be from offending God who belieueth that for such as offend him there is prepared an euerlasting fire with other innumerable tormentes wherewith such an one is to be punished as long as God shal be God without all hope of the least remedy How will he presume to sinne who belieueth that when sinne entreth into the soule by one dore God goeth out by another And what kind of creature a man is without thee O Lord he well knew who prayed O (g) Psal 4◠Lord depart not thou from me For when God is gone we remaine in the first death of sinne which is but an introduction to the second death of infernall paine With great reason did Iob (h) Iob. 6. say Who can find in his heart to taste that which being tasted bringeth death Without doubt it is but reason that since we would not taste of any food which a Physitian whom we belieued should tell vs did carry death therin we should lesse taste of sinne since God hath sayd That (i) Ezech. 18. the soul which finneth shall dye For the Fayth or beliefe which thou hast in the word of God doth not worke that effect in thee which the word of that Physitian doth worke and yet this later both can deceaue and vseth sometymes to do it which God neuer doth And since God hath sayd That he is the eternall reward of such a seruant why doth not this make vs all go towards his seruice with great diligence and courage although we were to passe through many labours and that it should cost vs euen our liues Why do we not loue our Lord whome we belieue to be supreame goodnesse and whom we know to haue loued vs first yea and that so farre as to dye for vs And so (k) Note we should discourse in all other things which this holy Fayth doth so powerfully teach vs and inuite vs to for as much as concerneth it our selues are in great fault for leauing to follow it yea and for doing the very contrary things to it Can there be a more prodigious thing in the world then that a Christian should belieue the things which he belieueth and that yet he should do so wicked things as many of them do In punishment therefore of this that they did not loue the Truth whereby they might haue byn saued putting in practise that which they were taught thereby it is a most iust iudgement of God VVho (l) Psal 65. is terrible in his counsailes ouer the sonnes of men That this Fayth be taken from them they be permitted to belieue errour And if thou do consider how God doth suffer the snare to be prepared whereby Iewes and heretikes are chastised as we haue sayd it will appeare to thee that it is a thing rather to be trembled at then to be talked of Aske any of these that are so peremptory in following the obstinacy of their errour vpon what it is that they ground themselues The (m) Almost all heretikes do offer to shrowd thēselues vnder holy scripture one sort will say that it is the Scripture of the old Testament and the other of the New and thou shalt plainely see the prophesy of Dauid accomplished when he sayth The (n) A passadge of holy Scripture excellently pòdered Table of these people shall be turned into a snare and into a punishment and into a stumbling blocke Didst thou euer see a thing of so contrary appearance as that the Table of Life should be turned into a snare of death the Table of comfort and pardon into a punishment that Table where there is light which guideth men into a way that leadeth to life to conuert it selfe into a meanes of making one loose the way and fall vpon death Great without (o) A holy contēplation of the Authour of much terrour to such as are in heresy all doubt is the fault which deserueth such punishment that a man should be blinded in the light and that his life should be conuerted into death But thou art iust O Lord and thy iudgements are iust and there is no wickednes in thee but that wickednes is in them who serue not themselues well of thy goodnesse and therfore it is fit that they should but stumble vpon the same goodnes of thyne that the dishonour should be punished which they do both to it and thee A great blessing O Lord an extraordinary blessing is thy Fayth being reuered obeyed and put in excution as al reason doth require And a great blessing didst thou bestow in giuing vs thy holy Scripture which is so profitable and so necessary for vs in the way of thy seruice But (p) Note because the wind which bloweth vpon this sea is a wind that cōmoth from heauen and there haue byn some who would needes sayle by the earthly windes of their owne braynes and studyes they haue beene drowned and thou hast suffered it Because as in the Parables which thou O Lord didst preach on earth those men were secretly taught therby who had a good disposition thereunto whereas others were blinded euen thereby through thy iust iudgment so doest thou also gouerne the profound sea of thy diuine Scripture which is deputed for the shewing of mercy to the lambes of thy fold who may swimme therein to the profit both of themselues and others and so also is it designed for the shewing of iustice in suffering proud Elephants both to drowne themselues others also A fearefull and very fearefull thing it ought to be esteemed to enter into the diuine Scripture and no man ought to runne vpon it without much preparation as to a thing wherein there may be much danger to him Let him that (q) An-vnderstāding exercised in humility a lifeled in piety are good dispositiōs for the reading of holy Scripture with profit entreth into it carry with him the sense of the Catholike Roman Church and he shall auoyd the danger of heresy Let him for his further profit by it carry purity of life as S. Athanasius doth aduise by these wordes Goodnes of life and purity of the soule and Christian piety is
consider of many others as absurd and foolish as this is into which both in other tymes and these also such persons haue fallen as grew lightly to beliâ—ue that the notions or instinctes of their owne harts did come from God CHAP. LI. Of the way wherein we are to carry our selues that we may not erre by such illusions and how dangerous the desire is of Reuelations and such things as those THROVGH the desire I haue that thy soule may not be one of these I recommend to thee much that thou profit as the prouer be sayth by anothers harme and that thou be very carefull that in thy selfe there be no consent either great or small to any desire of these singular or supernaturall things for it is a signe either of pride or at least of curiosity which is full of danger There was a tyme when (a) Marke this Exemple S. Augustine was assaulted by this temptation his wordes are these By how many subtilties of temptation hath the enemy procured with me O Lord that I should beg some miracle at thy hands but I beseech thee for the loue of our Lord Iesus Christ and of our Citty the heauenly Hierusalem which is pure and chaste that as now all consent to this temptation is farre from me so it may euer be farre and further off S. Bonauenture sayth that many had fallen into great follies and errours in punishment of their hauing desired such things as these and he sayth further that they are not so much to be desired as feared If any such extraordinary things happen to thee without any desire of thyne be thou afraid and do not giue them credit but instantly haue recourse to our Lord beseeching (b) A holy wise and safe aduice him that he will be pleased not to carry thee by this way but that he will suffer thee to worke thy saluation in his holy feare and in the vsuall and plaine way of such as serue him Thou art especially to do this when any such Reuelation or instinct shall inuite thee to admonish or reprehend a third person of any thing that is secret much more if he be a Priest or Prelate or the like to whome particular reuerence is due In such case as this thou art to cast away these things withall the hart thou hast and to depart from them with saying that which Moyses sayd Send him O Lord I beseech thee whome thou art to send And Ieremy sayd I am but a child O Lord I cannot speake and both these did hold themselues for insufficient and fled from being sent to reproue others Do not feare least by this humble resistance God should be made angry or to absent himself if the businesse be his but (c) There is no danger of loosing any thing with God by doing acts of humility rather he will draw nearer to thee and he will assure and settle the thing in question For he that giueth grace to the humble will not take it away for an act of humility and if it be not of God the Diuell will fly away as being strooke with the stone of humility which giueth a blow that breaketh his head like that of Golias And so it happened to a Father that remayned in the Desert who vpon the appearing of the figure of a Crucifixe he would neither adore it nor belieue it But (d) See the sweet safe simplicity humility of thâ—se holy Ermites shutting his eyes sayd I will not see Iesus Christ in this world it shall serue my turne to see him in heaueÌ„ Vpon which answere the Diuell fled away who was desirous to deceaue him vnder that forme Another Father answered to one that told him that he was an Angell sent to him on the behalfe of God I haue no need nor am I worthy to receaue messages by the mouth of Angels and therefore consider well to whome it is that thou wert sent for it is not possible they should send thee to me Nor will I so much as heare thee And so with this humble answere the proud Diuell fled away By this way of humility and by a most cordiall driuing away such things as these many persons haue beene free through the mercy of God from great snares which by this meanes the Diuell had prepared for them Experimenting so in themselues that which Dauid (e) Psal 12. sayth Our Lord keepeth the little ones I humbled my selfe and be deliuered me And on the other side a false instinct or Reuelation of the Diuell finding any vaine contentment in the hart of him that doth receaue it taketh roote and force from thence to deceaue men out right God permitting it with iust iudgment For as S. Augustine sayth Pryde deserueth to be deceaued Thou must therfore be free from this vaine inclination and from thinking that thou art capable of these Reuelations that so thy hart may not vary the compasse in the least point from that humility wherein thou wert before vnder the holy feare of God And so carry thy selfe in them as if they had not come to thee And if notwithstanding this answere of thyne the matter do still go on giue thou instantly account to them that may tell thee what is fit although it will be better done to giue notice of it instantly after first it happened and to help him by meanes of prayer fastes other good works who is to giue thee counsaile that God may declare the truth to him in a matter that is of so much difficulty For (f) A great strayte if we hold the good spirit of God for the wicked spirit of the Diuell it is a great blasphemy and we shall so be like to those miserable Pharisees the contradictours of the truth of God who attributed to an euill spirit the workes which Christ Iesus our Lord did by the Holy Ghost And on the other side if with facility of beliefe we accept of the instinct of an euil spirit as if it were of the Holy Ghost what greater misery can there be then to seeke darkenesse and errour insteed of truth and which is worse the Diuell for God On both sides there is great danger eyther in holding God for the Diuell or the Diuel for God And how great necessity there is to be able to distinguish and to iudge of these thinges as indeed they are I thinke there is none who doth not see But as euident as this necessity is so difficult and hidden a thing it is to get assurance and light wherewith to cleare this doubt And therfore as it belongeth not to all men to prophesy or to worke miracles or to impart such other graces but to them to whome the Holy Ghost is pleased to impart them so also is it not giuen to the spirit of man how wise soeuer it be to iudge with certainty and truth of the difference of spirits vnles it were in a matter which were euidently (g) For in that ease
instruction which wise men giue and they practise the euill which they say the others do commit in being proud And they despise them without esteeming that course and order which is both naturall and diuine and that is that they who are lesse should be gouerned by them who are more wise Nor is this doctrine against that which is deliuered by (d) Ioan. 2. S. Iohn That the (e) Of the holy Ghost Vnction teacheth all thinges For that which he intended is but this That (f) The true meaning of this place of Scripture the grace and light of God doth sometymes teach a man interiourly by it selfe and at other tymes it directeth him to aske the opinion of others of whome he is to aske and so it teacheth all though not all alone To this purpose S. Augustine sayth Let vs flye from such teÌ„tations which incline men to the greatest pride and are the most dangerous of all others Or rather let vs consider how the Apostle (g) Act. 9. S. Paul although he had beene prostrated and instructed by a voyce from heauen yet neuerthelesse was sent to a man of whom he was to receaue the Sacraments and by whom he was to be incorporated into the Church And (h) Act. 10. Cornelius the Centurion was sent to S. Peter not only to receiue the Sacraments but to vnderstand from him what he was to belieue and in whom he was to hope and whom to loue For if God did not speake to men by the mouth of men the condition of men would be miserable And how should it else be true which is written The (i) 1. Cor. 3. Temple of God is holy which Temple you are if God gaue not answeares out of this Temple which is men but should resolue that whatsoeuer men were to learne should be deriued from heauen by the meanes of Angells And so also charity would haue no intercourse by the communication of some hartes with others if men were not taught by the meanes of other men S. Philip was sent to the Eunuch and Moyses tooke counsayle of Iâ—thro his Father-in-law All this doth S. Augustine say S Iohn Climacus (k) Note the authorityes doth also affirme that a man who belieueth himselfe saueth the Diuell a labour in tempting him for he is Diuell inough to himselfe In like manner S Hierome sayth I will not follow myne own opinion for that is wont to giue me euill counsaile And S Vincentius doth much aduise that a man who desireth to be spirituall may haue some maister to gouerne him and if he will not haue one when he may God will neuer communicate grace to that soule for the pride thereof S. Bernard and S Bonauenture do at euery turning of a hand aduise the same Yea the Scripture of God is full of it Sometymes it sayth Woe (l) Isa 5. be to you who are wise in your owne eyes and in your owne sight are prudent And else where If thou see a man who esteemeth himselfe wise belieue that the foole shall go away better cheape then he S Paul admonisheth vs not to be wise in our own opinion And the Wiseman (m) Eccl. 6. sayth Whatsoeuer thou sayst to a foole vnles it be of things that his hart belieues he will not receiue the words of prudence And in another place If thou incline thyne eare thou shalt receaue instruction and if thou loue to heare thou shalt be wise Therefore to auoyd prolixity I say that the holy Scripture and the admonition of Saints and their liues and the experimentall knowledg that we haue doe all with one voyce recommend to vs that we do not leane or rest vpon our owne prudence but incline our eare to the counsayle of others For otherwise what thing would there be in the world more disorderly then the Church of God and the same would happen to any other Congregation of men if euery one might follow his owne opinion conceauing that he is in the right And how can it be that the spirit of Christ which is the spirit of humility of peace and of vnion should mooue any one to be contrary to the rest of those men in whom God himselfe doth dwell And how can it grow from this spirit of God that a man should haue him selfe in so high esteeme as that there may not be found in the whole congregation of men another who can teach him or who can iudge whether his Spirit be good or bad For as S. Augustine sayth He would not fayle to take and follow the counsayle of others if it were not that through pride he thinketh himselfe better then the other in giuing counsayle And though his pride is so great as to thinke that he is better then others yet he might thinke that as one may belesse good then another and yet may haue the gift of prophesy and power to cure sicke persons and may haue such giftes as these which another perhaps may not haue though he be better then the former so it may also be that he who is inferiour in other giftes may be yet more eminent in the gift of affoarding counsaile or in the discretion of spirits which another man who is more eminent may chaunce to want And since God is so great a friend of humility and peace let no man feare that if the thing which he hath be of God it will go from him or that he shall loose it only because he submitteth himselfe for the loue of the same God to the opinion of another but rather it wil be more and more confirmed and if it proceed from other meanes it will fly away Consider also that if this wisedome be infused by God one of the conditions thereof according to (n) Iacob 3. S. Iames is (o) A wise and true consideration to haue a power of persuasion and consider yet agayne that S. Augustine calleth these thoughtes most proud and most dangerous For (p) The Pride of the vnderstanding is much more daÌ„gerous them the Pride of will and why it is so although the pride and disobedience of the Will be dangerous which consisteth in being vnwilling to obey anothers will yet much more dangerous is the pride of the vnderstanding which consisteth in not being subiect to another vpon the beliefe which he giueth to himselfe For a man that is only proud in will sometymes may be content to obey because he holdeth another mans opinion to be better but he that is resolued to hold his owne for best who shall cure that man And how shal he be able to obey in a thing which he holdeth to belesse good And if the eye which is the vnderstanding wherewith it should be able to see and cure this pride be blind it selfe with being full of the same pride who shall be able to cure it And if the light grow to be darkenes and if the very rule of straightnesse become crooked what kind of thing will the
himselfe for iust as if a man who were all full of leprosy should account himselfe to be in health We (a) Of the humility which is to be exercised in the consideration of a mans good workes must not therfore be contented to esteem only little of our selues in respect of our sinnes but much more are we to do so in our good workes Profoundly knowing that neither the fault of sinne is of God nor the glory of our good deedes of our selues But that of all the good that may be in vs we are perfectly to giue the glory to the Father of lights from whome all good and perfect gifts descend So that although we may haue a thing that is good we must looke vpon it as none of ours and we must vse it with so great fidelity as not to pretend for the glory which is due to God nor that the hony as the Prouerbe sayth may be found sticking to our fingers ends This humility is not of sinners as the first was but of iust persons Not only is this kind of humility in this world but in heauen also For by occasion therof it is written Who is like our Lord God who dwelleth in the Altitudes and lookes vpon humble things both in heauen and in earth This kept the good Angells fast on foot and disposed them fitly for the enioying of God since they would be subiect to him And the want thereof did thrust downe those wicked Angells because they had a mind to robbe God of his honour This was possessed by the sacred Virgin Mary our B. Lady who being preached for happy and blessed by the mouth of S. Elizabeth she puffed not vp nor did she attribute to her selfe any glory for the graces which were in her but with (b) More humble and more faythfull then all men and Angells put togeather an humble and most faithfull hart she teacheth S. Elizabeth and the whole world that the glory of the greatnes to which she was raysed was not due to her but to God and with profound reuerence she beginneth to sing My soule doth magnify our Lord. This very humility and that which was yet more perfect did inhabite the most blessed soule of Iesus Christ our Lord which for as much as concerned the personall being that he had did not rest vpon it selfe but vpon the person of the Word as it exceeded all the soules and celestiall spirits in other graces so did it exceed them in holy humility being further off from giuing glory to it selfe and from relying vpon it selfe then all those others put togeather And from this hart did that proceed which so often he most faythfully preached to the world That he had receaued his workes and wordes from his Father and that to him he gaue the glory And he sayd My doctrine is not myne but of him that sent me and againe The (c) Ioan. 7.14 wordes that I speake I speak not of my selfe but the Father who is in me is he that doth the workes And so it was fit that the redresser of mankind should be very humble since pride was the rooâ—e of all misery and mischiefe And our Lord resoluing to make vs know how necessary it is for vs to haue this holy and true humility he maketh himselfe a maister of it in particuler manner and he puttes his owne example before our eyes saying thus Learne (d) Matt. 1â— of me for I am humble and meeke To the end that men seeing their so wise Maister recommend this vertue so particulerly they might labour much in the purchase thereof And seing that our Lord being so soueraign doth not attribute the good to himselfe there may be no man so franticke as to presume vpon the committing of so great a wickednesse Learne therefore O thou seruant of Christ of this thy Maister and Lord this holy humility to the end that according to his word thou mayst be exalted For he (e) Luc. 14. that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted And keep in thy soule this holy Pouerty for of this it is vnderstood Blessed (f) Wats 5. are the poore in spirit for of them is the kingdome of heauen And of this be sure that since Iesus Christ our Lord was exalted by the way of humility he that hath not this doth loose his way And he must vnbeguile himselfe and belieue that which S. Augustine sayth If thou aske me which is the way to heauen I shall answere thee Humility and if thou aske me till the third tyme I shall answere thee the same and if thou aske me a thousand tymes a thousand tymes shall I answere that there is no other way (g) I doubt much that ProtestaÌ„ts are then out of the way if it be but euen for this but of Humility CHAP. LXIIII. Of a profitable exercise of knowing the being which we haue in Nature that by it we may obtayne Humility BECAVSE (a) I beseech you ponder well the foure next chapters for they will teâ—l you â—ewes I thinke thou desirest to obtayne this holy humiliation of thy self wherby thou mayst become pleasing to our Lord I will say somwhat of the meanes how thou mayst procure it And (b) The meanes which are to be vsed for the procuring of the holy vertue of humility let the first of them be to begge it with perseuerance of him who is the giuer of all good thinges for it is a particuler guift of his which he bestoweth vpon his elect Yea and the very knowing that it is a guift of God is no small fauour They who are tempted with pride do wel perceaue that there is nothing further off from their owne power then this true and profound humility and that it hapneth many tymes that by the same meanes whereby they hope to obteine it they fly furthest from it and that by the very acts of humiliating a mans selfe the very contrary which is pride sometymes doth grow Thou (c) Note must therefore as I sayd in that discourse which I made before of Chastity take in hand the obteyning of this Iewell in such sorte as that neither thou giue ouer thy endeauour by saying What shall I get by striuing for it since it is the guift of God nor yet must thou put thy confidence in thy arme of flesh and bloud but in him who is wont to graunt his guiftes to whome he giueth the grace to aske them by meanes of prayer and other deuout exercises The course then which thou art to hold shal be this Consider these two thinges in order The one a being the other a good and happy being As for the first thou art to thinke who thou wert before God made thee and thou wilt find that thou wert a profound pit of being nothing a priuation of all thinges that are good Consider then how that mighty and sweete hand of God drew thee out of that profound Abysse placed thee in the number of his creatures giuing
of his Mother vpon the day of his espousall And therfore because according to the history it cannot agree to Salomon who was a sinner we must necessarily since the Scripture cannot speake vntruth vnderst and it of another true Salomon who was Christ and that with great reason For Salomon doth signify peaceable that name was imposed vpon him because he made no warrs in his time as his Father Dauid had done And therfore God was not pleased that Dauid who was a (f) Not of cruelty towards his subiects but of conquest ouer his enemyes man of bloud but his peaceable Sonne should build that famous Temple of Hierusalem wherein he would be adored Now if the name of peaceable were imposed vpon Salomon because he was peaceable according to the peace of the world which sometymes wicked Kinges maintaine vpon how much more reason is this name due (g) Christ our Lord is the true Salomon the true Prince Peace to Christ who made the spirituall peace betweene God and maâ— to his owne so great cost the paine of all our sinnes which caused the emnity betweene God and vs falling headlong vpon him He also made peace betweene those people which had been so contrary to one another namely the Iewes and Gentils taking away that wal of emnity which stood betweene them as S. Paul sayth That is to say the Ceremonies of the old Law and the Idolatry of the Gentills To the end that both the one the other hauing left their particularityes and thâ—se rites which they deriued from their ancestouâ—â— might submit themselues to the new Law vnder one Fayth one Baptisme and one Lord hoping â—o participate the same inheritance as being all the sonnes of one Father of heauen who begot theâ— a second tyme by water and the Holy Ghoâ—â— with more honour and aduantage then they were engendred before of flesh by their Fathers to misery and shame All these blessinges came by Christ Iesus who is the pacifyer of heauen aâ—d earth and of one people with another and of a man with himselfe whose warre as it is mâ—â—â— troublesome so the peace is more desired Thâ—â— peace could not be made by the other Salomon but he had the name of the true pacifier only in figure as the peace of Salomon which was temporall is a figure and shaddow of that which as spirituall and which hath no end If then thou do well remember O thou spouse of Christ which in reason thou must neuer forget the Mother of this true Salomon who was and is the blessed Virgin Mary thou shalt find her to haue crowned him with a fayre garland giuing him flesh without any sinne vpon the day of the Incarnation which was the day of the coniunction and espousall of the diuine word with his sacred humanity and of the word being made man with his Church which Church we are From that sacred wombe did Christ issue as a spouse who riseth from his bed of state and he beginneth (h) Psalm 18. to runne his Carriere like a strong Giant taking the worke of our redemption to hart which was the hardest thinge that he could enterprise And at the end of this Carriere he did vpon the day of our Good fryday espouse (i) Christ espoused the Church to himselfe vpon the Crosse his Church by wordes de prasenti For which he had taken paines as (k) Genes 19. Iacob did for Rachel And then was she drawne out of his side when he was reposing in the sleepe of death as (l) Gen. 2. Eue was out of Adams whylest he slept And for this worke so excellent and of so great loue which in that day was wrought Christ called that day his day when he saith in the (m) Ioan. 8. Ghospell Your Father Abraham reioyced to see my day he saw it he reioyced thereat Which was accomplished as S Chrysostome saith when the death of Christ was reuealed to Abraham by the resemblance of his sonne Isaac whome God commaunded him to (n) Genes 22. sacrifice in the mount Moria which is mount Sion Then did he see this painefull day and he reioyced at it But at what did he reioyce was it perhaps at the scourges at theâ— afflictions and at the torments of Christ No it is certayne that the affliction of Christ was so great as to be sufficient for the making of any hart though neuer so cheerefull to be euen oppressed with compassion And if you belieue not me let those three beloued Apostles tell you this truth to whome he said My (o) Watt. 10. Mare 14. soule is sad euen to the death What did their hartes feele in themselues at the sound of that word which vseth to wound their hart with the sharpe knife of sorrow who heare it spoken but a farre off And his scourges torments nayles and Crosse were so full of torment to him that whosoeuer should see them though he had a most inflexible hart could not choose but be moued by them Yea I know not but that those very wretches that tormented him seing his meekenesse in suffering and their owne cruelty in afflicting must needs sometymes haue compassion of one that suffered so much and euen for them though they knew not that Yf therefore they who abhorred Christ might be afflicted by the sight of his torments vnlesse their hartes were made of hardest stone how shall we say of a man who was so greately Gods friend as Abraham was that he reioyced to see the day whereon Christ was to endure so much CHAP. LXIX Wherein he proseâ—uteth that of the former Chapter pondereth this passage of the Canticles in contemplation of the passion of Christ. BVT that thou mayst not meruaile so much at this do thou hearken to another thing yet more strange and which is expressed by these wordes of the Canticles That this garland was put vpon his heade in the day of the ioy or triumph of his hart The day of his so excessiue griefe as that no tongue is able to vnfold it doest thou call the day of his ioy And that no ioy which was counterfaite and exteriour only but they call it the day of the ioy of his very hart O (a) Note and learne hereby to loue God thou ioy of the Angells and thou full riuer of their delight in whose face they desyre to looke by whose most puissant waters they are swallowed vp by finding themselues within thee and by swimming in that ouer abounding sweetnesse of thyne and what is that at which thy hart reioyceth in this day of thyne afflictions At what doest thou reioyce in the middest of those scourges those nayles that dishonour that death Is it true perhaps that they did not afflict thee Yes verily they did afflict thee and more thee then they could haue afflicted any other though it were but euen for the delicacy of thy complexioÌ„ But because our miseries do afflict thee yet more then thyne owne
the excesse of admiration and amazement And if this would happen to such as in their owne person had not receiued this benefit from the King but by the only thinking what he had done for another man what may be belieued that it would worke in the hart of that very slaue vnlesse he were franticke for whome that King should so haue dyed Doest thou not thinke that such a knocke of loue as this would awake him would change him would so entitely captiue him to the loue of that King as that he could neuer get leaue of himselfe to conceaue his prayses nor thinke of his merits but with teares Nor employ himselfe vpon any other thing then the expressing of supreme gratitude and loue by doing and suffering for him all that possibly he could Hast thou heard this Parable which in the world did neuer take effect Then (m) A miserable man thou art if this do not mouethee to the very soule know That what the Kings of the earth haue not done that very thing hath beene done by Christ Iesus the King of heauen Of whom S. Iohn (n) Apoc. 19. sayth That in his thigh he carryed this title written King of Kinges and Lord of Lordes For euen as he is man as he hath taken humane nature which is signifyed by the word Thigh so great is his altitude as that it surmounteth all Lords Kings created not only them of this world but (o) The celestiall spirits also of heauen Enioying a Name which is aboue all Names and a height and power of dominion aboue all the highest men and Angells Behold this height which hath no equall and cast downe they eyes to behold that (p) The infinite God for base and sinnefull man basenes for which it suffers And thou wilt see as S. Paul sayth That (q) Rom. 1. we are weake and wicked and traitours against God and his enemyes Which titles are of so much dishonour basenes as that they cast a man backe and downe into the hindmost place and into the lowest price that can be set vpon any creature Since there is nothing so base as to be wicked nor nothing so wicked as a sinner is in respect that he is such Comparing therfore these extremes which are so different of so high a king and so wicked slaues behold now the much that he loued them Come (r) If thou refuse this inuitatioÌ„ thou art vndone hither into the hart of our Lord and if thou haue the eyes of an Eagle heere in matter for them to worke vpon Nay they will not serue thy turne to make thee sufficiently see the brightly burning high heaped loue which inhabited that most holy soule with such extent and latitude that although those highest Angells of heauen for the great power which they haue to Loue are called Seraphims which signifyeth that they are set on fire yet if they had come to mount Caluary at the time when our Lord did suffer there his excessiue loue would haue cast them into wonder in comparison whereof their owne would haue bin no more then meere tepidity For as that most sacred soule possesseth greater altitude and honour then can be had by any other eyther in heauen or earth for as much as instantly vpon the creation thereof it was vnited to the person of the Word of God so was the Holy Ghost infused into it beyond all measure and such degrees of grace and loue were giuen to it that neither they could increase nor could the soule contayne more So that it is with great reason applyed to this most holy soule which is written The (Å¿) Cant. 1. King did place me in the cellar of wine and in me he ordayned Charity Or as we read in another translation he placed his Ensigne or Banner of loue vpon me For in regard that this soule as soon as it was created did clearly see the Diuine Essence and was carryed to it with an vnspeakable force of loue the banner of holy loue was planted on it To giue vs to vnderstand that this soule was the most ouercome by loue that euer man or Angell was either in Heauen or on Earth And (t) They only conquer who are captiued by the loue of our Lord Iesus because in the warre of the loue of God he that is most ouercome is most worthy and most valiant and most happy therefore doth this most blessed soule carry the Ensigne of loue which standes vpon it That al they may know who either on Earth or in Heauen do pretend to loue God that they must follow the conduct of this Lord if they meane to do it well as the disciple would do his maister or the soldiar his captaine since he exceedeth them all in loue as he exceedeth them otherwise in dominion Now since so great a fire of loue was lodged in that most sacred soule it is (u) If thy hart loue deeply it will find meanes to expresse iâ— selfe not strange if the flame fly out and scorch and burne the cloaths which are his most sacred body which was loaden with such torments as giue testimony of the interiour loue For it is written Who shall be able to carry fire in his bosome and that his garment should not be burnt And when thou shalt see that in the exteriour they guide in his handes with cruell ropes thou art to vnderstand that within he is taken prisoner by the nets of loue which are so much stronger then those other as chaynes of iron are beyond threeds of flaxe This (x) Shall we not paâ— such loue with loue loue this was it which defeated him which ouer cam him which tooke him which tost him from Iudge to Iudge and from the torment of scourges to the torment of cruell thornes and which cast the Crosse vpon him first and which carryed him to Mount Caluary where he was after cast vpon the Crosse There stretcht he out his armes abroad to be crucifyed in token that his hart had beene opened by his loue and that so widely towardes all as that the brightly burning and puissant beames of loue did sally out from the center of his hart and went to determine themselues vpon euery (y) wherof thou and I are two man in particuler both such as were past such as were present such as were to come offering vp his life for the good of them all And if (z) Note the high Priest do exteriourly carry the names of the (a) Eâ—â—d 28. twelue Sonnes of Israel written both vpon his shoulders and vpon his breast much more excellently doth this Priest of ours carry men vpon his shoulders by suffering for men And he carryeth them also written in (b) And our Lord make vs able to write him iâ—â—â—tâ— his hart for he doth so cordially loue them that if the first Adam sold them all for an apple and if they sel themselues at a base price and if so
they grow indeed to hate themselues through the loue they haue of being wicked this enamoured Lord doth so highly prize them so much loue them that to redeeme them out of such a miserable captiuity he gaue himselfe as a price for them In testimony that he loueth them more then they are beloued by any other or then they know how to loue themselues CHAP. LXXIX Of the burning Loue wherewith Christ Iesus loued God and men for God from which loue as from a fountatine that did spring which he suffered in the exteriour and that also which he suffered in the interiour which was much more then the other IF the hart of man be so wicked as Ieremy (a) Ierem. 17. sayd as that God only can tell how to sift it that the more deep a man diggs in that rotten wall the more abhominable filthines is discouered as was shewed in figure to (b) Ezech. 8. Ezechiel with how much more reason may we say that since the hart of Iesus Christ our Lord is more good then any other can be wicked there is none who can wholy diue into it but only the same Lord whose it is It is worthy of admiratiō and which in reason ought to robbe vs euen of our very soules and to bind vs as slaues to God to consider the excessiue loue of his hart which did expresse it selfe in suffering the whole course of that Passion and death for vs as we haue shewed But if thou digge yet deeper with the light of heauen in thy hand and do looke neere into this (c) The hart of our Lord Iesus is the Reliquary the loue is the Relique Reliquary of God which is so full of vnspeakable secrets thou wilt discerne such effects of loue as will cast thee into more wonder then any outward thing belonging to the passion For this purpose thou art to remember how in the towne of Bethsaida our Lord being in the cure of a deafe man the Ghospell sayth That he cast vp his sacred eyes to heauen and he sighed deeply and that then he cured the patient That groaning sigh which carryed an exteriour sound was but one and it might passe in a short tyme but it was a witnes of another sigh yea and of many profound internall sighes and which lasted not only for a short tyme but for months yeares For thou art to vnderstand how that most holy soule in being created and infused into the body in that virgineall wombe of our Blessed Lady did then behold the diuine essence which for the height therof is called heauen with great reason as clearly as now it doth And in seeing it it did iudge that it was worthy of all honour and seruice and so it desired all honour to it with that vnspeakeable force of loue wherwith it was endued And although the ordinary law for such as see God clearly be this that they must be blessed both in body and soule and be subiect to no kind of payne yet to the end that we might be redeemed by the pretious afflictions of our Lord it (d) See the inuentiōs of the loue the God was ordeined that felicity and ioy should remaine in the superiour part of his soule should not redound into the inferiour part or into his body renouncing all that sense of happines which so iustly was due vnto it for the accepting and suffering of that paine to which we were liable Now if that most holy soule who cast the eyes of the vnderstanding vp to the heauen of the diuinity had not had any other thing but that to looke vpon it could not haue been capable of payne since God is such a Good that nothing can grow from the sight of him but loue and ioy But for as much as he saw all the sinnes which then had bin committed by men from the beginning of the world and (e) So that then he saw all and euery of my sins and al thy sinnes those also which would be committed euen to the end of it his griefe was fully as internall and as profound to see that heauen of the Diuine Maiesty offended as his desyre was that it should be serued And (f) The infinite desire which our Lord Iesus had that God should be serued as infinite griefe that he is offēded as no man is able to reach to the greatnesse of that defire so neither can any man arriue to the greatnes of that griefe For the holy Ghost which is figured in (g) Note this griefe loue fyre which was giuen him beyond all measure did inflame him to loue God with an incomprehensible (h) Ioan. 11. loue and the same Holy Ghost which is also figured in a (l) Luc. 19. Doue did make him bitterly lament to see him offended whome he loued after such an ineffable manner But to the end that thou maist see how this knife of griefe which passed through the hart of our Lord did not only wound him on the one syde but that it was doubly and most sharply edged remember that the same Lord who looking vp to heauen did deeply sigh did also weepe both ouer Lazarus and ouer Hierusalem And then as S. Ambrose saith it is not to be wondred at that he greiued for all since he wept for one So that to see God offended and to see men destroyed by sinne was a (k) Our Lord graunt vs one touch of this knife vpō our harts by the merits of his knife with a double edge which did most lamentably pierce his hart through the inestimable loue which he bare to God as God and to men for his sake desiring to make satisfaction to the honour of God and to obtaine a remedy for men how deerly soeuer it should cost him O (l) The vnspeakable affliction of our Lord Iesus in his sacred Passion most blessed Iesus to see thee tormented exteriourly in thy body doth euen breake the hart of a Christian but to see thee so tormented and defeated inwardly with such deadly griefe there is no eye there is no force that can endure it Three nayles O Lord did breake through thy handes and feet with excessiue paine and more then seauenty thornes they say did pierce thy diuine head thy buffetts and thy affrontes were very many and the cruell scourget which that most delicate body of thyne receiued they say did passe the number of fiue thousand By occasion of these and many other grieuous torments which concurred in thy passion which no man arriueth to vnderstand but thou that feltest them it was said in thy person long before O all you that passe by the way obserue and see if there be any griefe like myne And yet nowithstanding all this thou whose loue hath no limit didst both seeke and sind new inuentions for the drawing and feeling within thy seife certaine paynes which exceeded those nailes and scourges and tormentes which exteriourly thou didst endure and which continued
and I will be their God and they shal be my people and therefore I haue come out of the middest of them And Depart sayth our Lord and touch not any thing that is vncleane and I will receiue you and I will be your Father and you shal be my Children saith our Lord omnipotent Hauing heard these promises thou art to procure with courage to make thy selfe a meerâ— stranger to this people both for the good which is promised and for the euill which thereby thou shalt auoyd It (e) The extreame danger of ill coÌ„pany is no safe thing for thee to remayne vnder a house which infallibly will fall and ouerwhelme as many as are in it And we would not giue him meane thankes who should aduertise vs of such a danger which we might decline Well (f) Hearken well for heere it is the Angell of God that speakes then know thou for certayne and I aduertise thee of it on the part of God that the day will come wherein that vision shal be spiritually accomplished which S. Iohn (g) Apoc. â—8 saw concerning this wicked people when he said I saw another Angell that descended from heauen who had great power and he made the whole earth become all light by his bright splendour and he vttered a voyce with great strength and sayd Babylon the great is fallen it is fallen and it is made the habitation of Diuells and of euery impure spirit and of euery horrible and vncleane bird And afterward he sayd That an Angell tooke vp a huge stone like such an one as they vse in milles and threw it into the sea and sayd with this force shall the great Citty of Babylon be plunged into the sea and it shal be heard of no more And to the end that such as haue a desyre to saue themselues may not grow carelesse by conceauing perhaps that the scourge of God will not lay hold vpon them whilest they are in company with the wicked the same S. Iohn affirmeth that he heard another voyce which sayd thus from heauen Get thee out from Babylon O my people and be not partaker of her sinnes and do not receaue of her markes for her sinnes haue reached vp to heauen and our Lord hath remembred her impietyes And (h) In what maÌ„ner the society of the wicked is to be fled although it be a thing very profitable to a good man euen corporally to fly the company of the wicked and for such an one as is but a beginner in goodnesse it is euen necessary vnlesse he meane to vndoe himselfe yet that going out of the middest of Babylon which heere is commanded by God is to be vnderstood as S. Augustine saith for a going out with the hart from amongst the wicked louing that which they abhorre and abhorring that which they loue For if wee looke but vpon that which is externall Hierusalem and Babylon may be not only in the same Citty for as much as concerneth corporall presence but euen in the same house But if we respect their harts they wil be found to be far a sunder and Hierusalem which is the Citty of God wil be found to be in the one Babylon the Citty of the wicked in the other Forget therefore thy people and get thee vp to the people of Christ being well assured that thou shalt neuer be able to begin the leading of a new life vnlesse with griefe thou first forsake thy old Remember how S. Paul (i) Heb. â—3 saith That our Lord Iesus for the sanctification of his people by his bloud suffered death without the gates of Hierusalem And since that is so let vs goe towardes him out of our tentes and let vs imitate his dishonour This saith S. Paul giuing vs this lesson thereby That Christ did therefore suffer without the Citty to giue vs to vnderstand that if we meane to follow him we must also go our of the Citty whereof we haue spoken which is the congregation of such persons as (k) The very root of all sin loue themselues after an inordinate manner Christ our Sauiour could easily haue cured the blind man in (l) Marc. â— Bethsaida but he chose to draw him out and so to giue him his eyesight and thereby to make vs also know that when we shal be retyred from that common life which is lead by the multitude we are to be cured by Christ in following that (m) Matt. 7. straite way wherein truth it selfe hath told vs that few do walke Let (n) If we pretend to serue christ our Lord we must forsake and forsweare the seruice of the wicked world no man deceiue thee Christ will none of them who will both performe his will and the will of the world And by his owne blessed mouth he hath assured vs That (o) Matt. 6. no man can serue two maisters And since he sayd That he was not of the world that his disciples were not of the world and that his kingdome was not of the world it is not reason that thou be of it if it were but for feare of not comming to such an end as ouertooke the disobedient (p) 2. Reg. 1â— Absolom Who being hanged by his hayre vpon an oak was transpierced with three lances by the hand of Ioab and so as he was hanging he dyed For thus shall it happen to the man who is disobedient to our Lord of heauen Which Lord he doth euen persecute by his wicked life and whose affections thoghts like so many haires of the head do hold him hanging vpon this world For all his ambition is how he may be made great vpon earth and that he may haue faire dayes in this transitory life of his But what can he get by this since the tree whereon he hanges is an (q) Remember the story of the prodigal son Oake which yealdes no fruit but for swine And so this world giues no contentment or fruit at all but to bestiall men whome the Diuell doth passe through with three lances pride of life the desires of the flesh and concupiscence of the eyes the (r) How miserably sinners at treated by the diuell not only in the next life but euen in this Diuell I say who is called the prince of this world because he ruleth and commandeth wicked men whilest yet he treateth his followers in such a fashion as that he fills them not with so much as the food of swine but like as to another (Å¿) Iud. 1â— Adonibesech he cutteth off the endes of their feet and of their hands to disable them from doing any thing that is good and then he casteth them vnder the table that they may feed yet still not vpon full dishes but vpon the crumms that he knoweth not how to bestow elsewhere He keepeth them hungry for the present and he will carry them afterward with himselfe to a place where there will be eternall hunger in company of other torments