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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68815	The imitation or following of Christ, and the contemning of worldly vanities wherevnto, as springing out of the same roote, we haue adioyned another pretie treatise, entituled, The perpetuall reioyce of the godly, euen in this lyfe.; Imitatio Christi. English. 1568.	Thomas, à Kempis, 1380-1471.; Castellion, Sébastien, 1515-1563.; Hake, Edward, fl. 1560-1604.	1568 (1568)	STC 23971; ESTC S118357	145,208	331

wyth our whole heart and mouth and to doe his commaundements Would to God we being frée from all worldly affaires would care only for heauenly things for after that man is once come to that point that he séeketh for comfort of no worldly thing then at the length it commeth to passe that GOD doth begin in déede to smatter and sauour vnto him and that hée taketh all things in good woorth howsoeuer they fall out and neyther in prosperitie is puffed vp with gladnesse nor yet in afflictyons is disgraced with heauinesse but committeth himselfe altogither wyth confidence vnto God which is all in all vnto whome nothing perisheth or dyeth but all things doe liue and are obedient at his beck or call without any delay Looke euer to thine ende and remember well that lost time shall neuer returne againe thou shalt neuer attaine vnto vertue surely wythout carefulnesse and dilygence And if it shall chaunce thée to waxe warme thou shalt styll be in case woorse and woorse but if thou wilte applie thy worke wyth a zealous Soule thou shalt finde perfit peace and shalt féele thy labour to bée more slight both for the fauor of God towards thée also for thyne own loue of vertue A feruent and diligent man is readye to all thinges It is greater labor to resist vices troublesome affections of the mynde than to sweate with bodily labors And he that auoydeth not small offences the same by lyttle and lyttle falleth into greater faultes Thou shalt alwayes reioyce at night if thou hast bestowed the daye fruitefully watch vnto thine owne selfe stirre vp and admonish thine owne self despise not thyne one selfe whatsoeuer at any time doth happen vnto other men So much good shalt thou doe herein after as thou shall enforce and compell thy selfe The seconde Booke Of the Inwarde life of man The first Chapter THE Kingdome of GOD is within you saith the lord Turne thy selfe wyth thy whole hart to the Lorde forsaking this wretched worlde and thy soule shall finde rest Leare to contemne outward thinges and to giue thy selfe to the inwarde things so shalt thou sée the Kingdome of God to come into thée For the Kingdome of God is peace and ioye in the holy Ghost which is not gyuen to the godlesse or wicked Christ will come vnto thée to giue thée his comfort so that thou wilt prouide him a dwelling place méete for hym within thée For the whole beautie and brauerie thereof remayneth within there is hée willingly conuersaunt he maketh often repaire to the inwarde man To the inwarde man he hath swéete communication acceptable comfort much peace singuler familiaritie Come of thou faithfull soule prepare thy heart vnto thys Bridegrome to thintent he may vouchsafe to come vnto thée and inhabite within thée For thus he sayth If any man loue me the same will keepe my sayings and I and my father will come vnto him and dwell wyth him Therefore giue a place vnto Christ denying to all other any entraunce vnto thée If thou shalt haue him thy guest thou shalt then be ryche and welthie He will looke vnto thée and so faithfully doe all thine affayres that there shall be no néede for thée to put thy hope in men for men are quickly altered and swiftly breake frendship but Christ abideth stil by it for euer and is a constaunt helpe vnto his seruaunts vnto the verye ende There is neither great trust nor affiance to bée put in a frayle mortall man though he be profitable and thy deare fryend neither must thou greatly be sory if the same at sometime withstande thée gaine say thée Possible it is that those which be on thy side to daye be to morrow against thée and so cōtrarilye bicause they are often altred like the winde Put thy whole trust and confidence in the Lorde so demeane thy selfe that thou mayest feare him and that thou mayest loue him He it is that wil handle thy cause aright set the same in verye good order Thou hast no permament dwelling place and aboade in this life but whersoeuer thou become thou art but a forreiner and a traueiler that shall neuer attaine to rest vntil thou be nighly ioyned with Christ. Why dost thou gaze about thee here séeyng thys is not the place of thy rest Thy dwellyng ought to bée in heauenlye thinges and all thynges earthly must be looked vpon by the way onely that is how al things doe passe and vanishe and thou lykewyse wyth the same Beholde them in such wise that thou doe not cleaue fast vnto them least thou being entrapped doe perishe Let thy thoughts be directed vnto almighty God call vpon Christ Iesus wyth praiers wythout intermission and ceassing If thou canst not tell how to occupie thy minde in the contemplacion of hygh and heauenlye thynges yet rest or staye in the passion of Christ and dwell gladly vpon his woundes For if thou shalt relygiouslye flye to those healthsome wounds and stripes of Christ thou shalt féele a great strengthning in thy aduersitie and shalt not much passe vppon the contempt of men but shalt with facilitie beare their false and craftie accusations Christ himself in the worlde was taken but for an abiecte among men and was in the middest of his rebukes forsaken of his acquaintaunce and friends at his greatest néede Christ hymselfe woulde suffer and be despised and wilt thou dare to complaine and moane for any thing Christ had aduersaries and euill reporters wylt thou haue all men to be thy friends speake well of thée Howe shall thy pacience bée exercised if no aduersitye shall happen vnto thée If thou wylte suffer nothyng that is contrarye vnto thée howe wylt thou be the friend of Christ Thou must suffer aduersitye both wyth Christ and for Christ if thou wilt raigne wyth christ If thou hast truely entred but once into the bowels of Chryst and hadst but a little tasted of the feruentcie of hys loue thou wouldest not onely nothyng passe vppon thine owne commodities or incommodityes but also wouldest reioyce at thyne infamye or slaunder For the loue of Iesus causeth a man to contemne hymselfe I say the louer of Iesus and the true inward man and one voyde of inordinate desires is able fréely to turne himselfe vnto God being lifted vp in spirite aboue himselfe to enioy the same God quietly He which wayeth all things as they be in déede and not as they be called or supposed the same is truely wise and rather taught at Gods hande than of men Hée that can tell how to lyue inwardelye and lyttle to waye outwarde thynges the same doth neyther requyre places nor yet looke after tymes to practyse hys religious or Godly exercyses The inwarde man doth quickely call home hymselfe bycause he neuer outwardely sheweth what hée is altogyther The outewarde labour is no iet vnto him or hys necessarie businesse for the tyme But rather as all thyngs doe

THE Imitation or following of Christ and the contemning of worldly vanities Wherevnto as springing out of the same roote we haue adioyned another pretie treatise entituled The perpetuall reioyce of the Godly euen in this lyfe Ephesians 5. Be you followers of GOD as deere children and walke in loue euen as Christ hath loued vs c. Seene and allowed according to the order appointed Imprinted at London by Henry Denham INRI C. TeBrun pinx S. Gribelin Sculp ¶ To the Noble and Right worthy Prince Thomas Duke of Norfolke Earle Marshall of Englande one of the Lordes of the Queenes Maiesties priuie Counsell and Knight of the honorable order of the Garter IF Augustus Caesar renoumed Prince being presented by a poore and simple Poet with a fewe briefe and compendious Epigrams dyd not onelye by aunswering with the lyke seeme to accept and allowe that his trauaile but also wyth great and ample rewarde giue encouragement therewithall I trust that your Lordshippe being of your selfe both wise and well affected will much more in this so precious a present receyue my trauayle and fruitefull exployt The worke of it selfe deserues a good Patrone and the worthynesse thereof putteth me in mynde of your grace And although in the same no difficult questions at all are pursued I meane in matters of religion yet ghostly instructiōs and right Godly lessons at large are dilated knowledge of letters and literall sense therein so much is nothing supported as amendement of life maners aduanced How much it is needfull in these present dayes your Lordshippe I thinke doth well vnderstand to you it is knowne how far doth dissent our life frō our knowledge And by howe much the more it shal be by your Lordshippe thought worthy the sale by so much vndoubtedlye your honor the better shall shew your selfe fautor and friend vnto vertue Not distance of place coulde haue altered my mynde but that to your grace I woulde haue presented this signe of good will and loyall entent And yet notwithstanding such inwarde affection I am to craue pardon of skillesse attempt and hoping no lesse then fauor therin I leaue your good grace vnto the Almightie who alwaies in honour preserue your estate Your humble Oratour Edwarde Hake To the Reader THOV hast here gentle Reader the path-way to perfit lyfe vnder the tytle of The Imitatiō of Christ whose footesteps if thou follow thou canst neuer go astray for he is the way the truth and the life Learne here wyth Christ to contemne the worlde learne his modestie his meekenesse and humilitie In doctrine learne his synceritie simplicitie veritie Learne his loue vncomparable charity And to conclude learne to beare thine owne Crosse after Christ manfully This shalt thou soone learne to doe if thou canst once become humble in thine owne eyes For to the humble God giueth grace but the prowde he doth resist Fly therefore from pride as farre as possible thou mayest It was the ouerthrow of the first man yea God spared not his Aungels in theyr pryde Wherefore Christ hath sayde that who so shal exalt himself shal be brought low and who so shall humble kimselfe shall be exalted Humble thy selfe therefore wyth Christ follow his steps in this lyfe and where thou shalt not finde thy selfe able to treade in his steppes as thou wouldest call vppon him for helpe and thou shalt be sure that eyther he will make thee able or else accept thy desire for the deede that thou desirest to doe And that crowne of righteousnesse that is due vnto him he will giue vnto thee in that daye when he shall take thee vnto himselfe Farewell in Christ and praye with all the holy Sainctes that Christes Kingdome may shortly come Amen ¶ The Table or Summaries of all the Chapters OF the contempt of worldly Vanities folio 1. Of Modestie folio 3 Of the Doctrine of the truth 4 Of Wit in our doings 6 Of the reading of holy Scripture 7 Of the vnruly affections of the minde 7 Of fleeing vayne Hope and Pryde 8 Of taking heede of ouermuch familiaritie 9 Of Obedience and Subiection 10 Of the auoyding of familiaritie of wordes 10 Of the attayning of peace and earnest desire of profiting 11 Of the profite of aduersitie 12 Of resisting temptations 13 Of taking heede of rash iudgement 15 Of the workes of Loue. 16 Of bearing of other mens faults 17 Of solitarie Lyfe 18 Of the examples of Godly Fathers 18 Of the exercises of one that is the childe of God in deede 20 Of the loue of solitarinesse silence 22 Of chastining thy soule keeping the same in awe 25 The consideration of mans miseries 26 Of the meditation of death 28 Of the last Iudgement of God and punishment of Sinners 31 Of the zealous amendement of our whole lyfe 33 ¶ Of the ●●●●rde lyfe of Man. 37 Of Modestie and obedience 39 Of the good and quiet person 40 Of the sinceritie of mynde plainesse of meaning 41 Of the consideration of a mans selfe 42 Of the ioy of a good Conscience 43 Of the louing of Iesus aboue all things 44 Of the familiar friendship of Iesus 45 Of the lacking or being without comfort 46 Of thankefulnesse for the benefites of God. 49 Of the small number of the Louers of Christ his Crosse. 50 Of bearing of Christ his Crosse. 52 Of the inwarde communication of Christ wyth the faythfull Soule 56 That the truth doth speake within vs without noyse of wordes 57 That the wordes of God are to be hearde humbly and that the same notwithstanding be not pondered wayed of most men 58 ¶ A prayer by which heauenly doctrine and religion is called for 59 That truth and modestie in the sight of God is to be ex●●●ised 60 Th●●●●yse of God and thankesgiuing for his benefits and likewyse of the force of the loue of God. 61 Of the tryall of the true Louer and howe the enimie must be resisted 63 Of Modest hyding the benefits of God. 65 Of setting little by a mans selfe in the sight of God. 57 That we ought to driue all our doings to Gods glorie as to the fardest ende or marke that we shoote at 68 That it is a sweete thing to serue God to despise the worlde 69 That the desires of the minde are to be examined and ordered 71 Of the maner of patience and the fight against desires 71 Of obeying our betters according to the example of our Lorde Iesus Christ. 73 Of considering the secret iudgements of God that we do not aduance our selues to much in prosperitie 74 How we must be minded and what we ought to say in such things as we desire to haue 75 ¶ Prayers to performe Gods will. 76 That true comfort must be sought for in God only 76 That all carefulnesse is to be committed to God. 77 That the miseries of this life must be suffered paciently according to Christes example 78 Of bearing of iniuries and wronges and who it is

Which of the Godly men in the worlde hath there euer béene without his Crosse and miserie Our Lorde Iesus Christ was not an houre voyde of sorrowe and torment so long as he lyued in this worlde For it behooued Christ to suffer and to rise againe frō death and so to enter his glory and wilt thou séeke any other way besides this high waye of the Crosse The whole life of Christ was a crosse and torment and wilt thou séeke rest and ioy vnto thy self Thou wandrest out of the way thou wandrest out of the way I say if thou séeke any other meane then the pacient suffering of calamities bicause thys mortall lyfe of ours is altogither full of miseries and hedged round about with Crosses and the more euery man hath profited in godlinesse into so much the more gréeuous Crosses doth he fal namely when the paine of calamity doth encrease the more through loue And yet doth not this man of whome I talke being pressed with so manifolde calamities lacke the ease of comfort for asmuch as he also féeleth that hée taketh plentifull commoditie and friut by thys Crosse. For whilst that he submitteth himselfe of hys owne accorde vnto the crosse it happeneth that the whole burthen of calamitie is tourned into the trust of Gods comfort and the more the fleshe is ouertourned with calamitie so much the more is the spirit strengthened wyth the comfort of the soule And so much is he sometime confirmed in the féele of calamitie and aduersitie to great is the loue of the similitude of Christ his affliction that he wisheth not to be voide of sorrow and misery bicause he beléeueth that he shall be so much the more accepted of God the mo and the more grieuous things that he can paciently beare for his sake Neyther doth that thing chaunce by mans vertue and power but through the benefit of Christ which can doe so much and bringeth so much to passe in our fraile flesh that the thing which man naturallye doth alwayes abhorre and flye the same yet he attempteth and loueth through the feruentcy of the spirite It is not in mans reach to beare the Crosse to loue the Crosse to tame and subdue the body to flye from honours willyngly to take reproches and despites to despise himselfe and to wishe to bée despised paciently to suffer al aduersities and losses and to desire no maner of prosperitie in this worlde None of all these things canst thou doe of thy selfe if thou shalt depende vppon thy selfe but if thou shalt put thy trust in the Lorde strength shall bée giuen thée from Heauen and the worlde and the fleshe shall be subdued vnto thy rule and dominion Nay thou shalt not feare the enimitie of the Deuill neyther if thou be armed with fayth and marked with the Crosse of Iesus Wherfore apply thy selfe like as it becommeth the faithfull and good seruaunt of Christ to beare the Crosse of the Lord manfully nayled vpon the Crosse for thy sake through very pure loue Be thou readie to beare many aduersities and diuers incommodities in this wretched lyfe for so shal it frame with thée whersoeuer thou shalt liue and this condicion must be suffred of thée altogither whersoeuer thou shalt lye hidde neyther is there any way in any place to escape the misery of calamities and sorrowes but that the same must be paciently suffered Drinke thou of the Lordes Cup gréedilye if thou couet to be his fryende and partner And as touching the comforts commit thou them to God let him vse them according to his good will and pleasure Bée thòu wholy gyuen to beare calamities and recken the same for very great comforts Neyther are the calamityes of thys lyfe counternayling the glorye to come that wée shall at the length enioy although thou were able alone and no body but thy selfe to suffer them al. After that thou art come so farre forwarde that it is a swéete and pleasaunt thing vnto thée to beare aduersitye for Christ hys sake then thinke that thou art in good case which hast alreadie founde the kingdome of heauen vpō the earth againe so long as thou shalt be grieued to beare them and shalt flye from them so long shalt thou be in euill case the auoyding or flying from calamitie shall vexe thée euery where But if thou shalt applye thy selfe to thy duetye that is to saye to suffer and mortifie olde Adam thou shalte shortlye be eased and shalt finde peace Although thou be wrapt wyth Paule euen into the third heauen yet hast thou no warrantize or assuraunce that thou shalt suffer no maner of aduersitie I saith Iesus will shew vnto him howe much he must suffer for my names sake Therfore it is necesiary that thou doe suffer if it lyke thée to loue Iesus and to serue him euermore And would to God thou were worthie to suffer some thing for the name of Iesus How much glory shal arise both vnto thy selfe therby and ioy to all the saints and profite vnto men For pacience doe all men cōmend though few be willing to suffer Surely there is great cause why thou shouldest be willing to suffer a litle for Christ his sake séeing thou sufferest much more paineful things to compasse the worlde And wote thou well this that thou must liue by dying vnto thy self and the more that euery man doth dye vnto himself so much the more doth the same waxe aliue vnto god No man is apt or fit to comprehende heauenly things but he which shall submit himselfe to beare aduersitie for Christ his sake Finally nothing is either more acceptable vnto God or more healthfull vnto thy selfe in this life thā willingly to suffer for Christ in so much that if thou be put to thy choyse thou oughtest to desire rather to suffer aduersitie for Christ thā to be refreshed with many comfortes For so shalt thou be the liker both vnto Christ to al his holy seruants Neither is our merite and the comming forwarde in our duetie consisting in plentye of pleasures and comforts but rather impacyent bearing of gréeuous euilles and calamities Now if there had béene any better way or more healthfull vnto man than to suffer aduersities no doubt Christ woulde haue shewed the same vnto vs by his wordes and déedes But now he exhorteth his disciples followers and all those that are desirous to doe as he did manifestly to beare the Crosse and that in this wise If any man will followe me let him renounce himselfe and take vp his Crosse and follow me Therfore al things beyng reade ouer and tryed let this bée the conclusion of our talke we must enter into the kingdome of God by manye calamities The thirde Booke Of the inwarde communication of Christ with the faithfull soule The first Chapter IWil heare what the Lord GOD speaketh within mée Blessed be the soule which heareth the Lorde speakyng wythin hym and receyueth the worde of comfort at hys mouth Blessed are the eares that

thy self the néerer thou shalt approche onto mée Lyke as to couet nothyng outwardly is the cause of inwarde peace euen so to forsake himself inwardelye doth ioyne a man vnto God I will haue thée to learne à perfite denial of thy self in my wil without any gaynesaying complaint Follow me I am the way the truth and the lyfe Without way there is no traueyling without truth the way is vnknowne without life we liue not I am the way by which thou must goe the truth which thou must beléeue the life which thou must hope for I am the ready way the truth neuer deceiuing the life without ende I am the most straight waye the highest truth the true life the blessed the increated or vnmade If thou wilt perseuere in my way thou shalt knowe the truth and the truth shall so deliuer thée that thou mayst attaine euerlasting life If thou wilt get life obay my commaundements If thou wilt follow the truth beléeue in me If thou wylt bée perfite sell all thinges If thou wilt be my Disciple denie thy selfe If thou wilt attaine to the blessed life despise the life present If thou wilt be exalted in Heauen thrust downe thy selfe vpon the earth If thou wilt raygne with me then be are my Crosse with me For the seruaunts of the Crosse onely doe find the way of blessednesse and true lyght SERVANT O Lorde Iesu Christ forasmuch as thy way is narrow and hatefull to the worlde make me with thée to despyse the worlde For the seruant is not greater then the Lorde nor the 〈◊〉 aboue his Mayster Let thy seruaunt be exercised in thy way séeing that my sauing health and true holinesse is there to be founde of me Beside that whatsoeuer I eyther reade or heare the same doth not fully refreshe or delight me LORDE Sonne séeing thou both hast read knowest al those things thou shalt be blessed if thou wilt practise and perfourme them Hée that both knoweth doth my commaundements the same loueth me and I will likewise loue him will open my selfe vnto him and will cause that he may sit wyth me in the kingdome of my father SERVANT Lorde bring to passe therefore that these thinges maye happen vnto mée which thou hast sayde and promysed I haue receyued a Crosse at thy handes I will paciently beare the same euen to the very death according as thou haste enioyned vnto mée Surely the lyfe of the Chrystian man is a Crosse but by this waye men go into Paradise We may not go backe againe or leaue off our enterprise To it nowe chéerefully Brethren let vs go on togither Iesus wyll bée present wyth vs For Iesus sake haue we taken vp this crosse For Iesus sake let vs perseuer and continue in the crosse The same Iesus shall be our helper which is both our guide and leader and goeth also before vs Beholde oure Kyng which shall fight for vs doth goe before vs Let vs follow like men Let no man be striken with feare let vs be readye manfullye to dye in battayle and let vs not staine our glorie by running away backe agayne from the Crosse. That man be not ouermuch discouraged if at any time he haue fallen into any offense The Lxij Chapter LORDE SOnne pacience and humblenesse of mind in aduersitie doth more please mée then much cōfort and godlinesse in prosperitie Why art thou vexed wyth so small a thing spoken against thée which though it were greater yet oughtest thou not to be mooued to impacience Passe not vpon this thing it is neyther first nor strang nor it shal not be last if thou liue longer Thou art man like inough so long as no aduersity doth come against thée yea thou canst giue good counsel to other and canst tel how to confirm chéere them vp with thy words but when sodaine calamitie is at thy doore then art thou destitute of counsel strength Consider how great thy frailtie is which thou makest profe of many times in smal and trifling matters Howbeit both these things al other like vnto these doe make for thy saluation Cast these things out of thy minde accordyng as thou knowest thou must do But if they nippe thée endeuor that they either cast thée not downe or do long time kéepe thée troubled and if thou canst not take them ioyfully at the least wise beare thē paciently But if thou heare such things vnwillingly and doest féele indignation in thy selfe represse and kéepe in thy selfe and suffer nothing once to come one of thy mouth wherby the litle ones should bée offended By thys meanes shall it be brought to passe that both this affection may be forthwith setled and the gréese of the minde waxe swéete the fauor of God returning to thée againe I am yet aliue saith the Lord ready to helpe thée to comfort thée more then I was woont if puttyng thy trust in me thou wilt cal vpon me deuoutly Be of a more pacient minde prepare thy selfe to greater sufferaunce Thou must not therefore be discouraged if thou sée thy self to be oftentimes afflicted and grieuously tempted Thou art a man and not a God Thou art flesh thou art no Angell Mayest thou be able alwayes to abyde still in one state of vertue when the same hath béene wanting both to the Aungel in heauen and to the first man in Paradise as the which did not long remayne in perfite case I am he that will both raise vp the mourners vnto health will lift vp vnto my dignitie those men that doe acknowledge their owne infirmity SERVANT Lord I giue thée thankes for thy sayings which to me are more swéete thā honie and the hony combe What could I doe in so great calamities and anguishes vnlesse thou didst strengthen me with this thy holy talk So that I may at the last come vnto the hauē of saluation what matter maketh it what and how great things I do suffer Giue me a good ende graunt me a happye departure out of this life be mindefull of me O my God and directe or setle me in the straight way of thy kingdome Amen Of leauing the deeper things the hid iudgements of God vnsearched The Lxiij Chapter LORDE SOnne beware thou doe not dispute about highe matters and the hidde or secret iudgements of God why this man is thus forsaken left to himselfe that other man is increased with so great fauour this man so much tormēted that man so highly aduanced These things do surmout mans capacity neither is any reason of disputacion full ynough to search out the bottome of gods meaning purpose Therefore if at any time the enimy do minister these things vnto thée or else some curious persons aske thée the question make answere with that saying of the Prophet Thou art iust O Lorde and thy iudgement is right And likewise that saying The iudgementes of the Lorde are true and agreeable to equitie My iudgementes must be

feared and not discussed as they which doe passe mans vnderstanding capacity Desire not so much as to search or dispute about the merits of the saints and Godly who shall bée more holy or greater then other in the kingdome of heauen For these things doe manye times cause vnprofitable debates contentions doe also mainetaine pride and ambicion whereof aryseth enuyinges and dissentions whilest one stryueth prowdly that an other is holier than the rest The desire to learne these things the searching of them out are fruitlesse Nay rather doe displease the godly sort For I am not God of dissension but of peace which peace consisteth in true modestty and lowlinesse not in arrogancy and pryd Some for the affection of loue doe cast more fauour vnto these then to those but they do it rather vpon their carnall affection then that God is so affected I am he that haue created all the saints that haue endued the same wyth gifts haue giuen them honor I know the merites of euery man I prouoked them with moste pleasant gifts and benefits I knew that they were to be loued before the beginning of the worlde I did choose them out of the worlde not they me I called thē w my fauor I drew them to me with my mercy I led thē through diuers temptacions and did poure vpon them notable comforts I gaue them perseuerance and did crowne their pacience I knowe both the first and the last I embrace all men with loue incredible I am to be praysed in all my saintes ioyntly and to be magnified and honored in all particularly aboue all thinges which saints being appointed by me to saluation I haue so gloriously lifted vp without any of their deserts going before Therfore he that despiseth euen the least of my seruaunts the same doth neither honor the great in as much as I haue made aswell the small as the great so that he the doth derogate from any on of the saints the same doth both derogate frō me from al the parteners of the heauenly kingdome For they are al but one in the bonde of loue thinking all one thing willing all one thing also louing al one another with mutuall loue Nay rather which is a much more high matter they more loue me than themselues their owne merits For being rauished aboue themselues drawne beside the loue of themselues they do go forward altogither vnto the loue of me do repose themselues in the fruition therof in so much that nothing can turne thē from it or thrust them down as the which being full of euerlasting truth doe burne w the fire of vnquenchable loue Therfore let the carnall sensuall men leaue of to reasō about the state of the saints which knowe not to do ought else but to loue their priuat ioies Many as yet by their naturall affection and worldly loue are bent to these or to those and euen as their iudgement is in the inferior things so doe they likewise imagine of the heauenly things Without doubt it cannot be vttered in words in how great vnlikelynesse in those things do differ the one from the other which the vnperfit men do think with themselues which the men that by God are lightned doe behold as made open vnto them frō aboue Wherfore beware Sonne that thou occupie not thy self somewhat curiously about those things which passe the capacitie of thy wit but rather apply thy selfe vnto that that thou mayest bée found euen the least in the kingdome of god Now in case a man did know who were accounted more holye or greater than other in the heauenly kingdome what should the knoledge thereof auaile him vnlesse he did humble himselfe so much the more vnto me and rise vp higher vnto the greater prayse of my name He doth a much more acceptable thing vnto God which doth thinke vpon the greatnesse of his sinnes and the slendernesse of hys vertues and how farre of he is from the perfection of the saintes then he which reasoneth about the greatnesse lownesse of the saints and godly They do not boast of their merits which doe ascrybe no goodnesse at all vnto themselues but acknowledge that all cōmeth from me which they haue bicause I haue bestowed al those things vpon them accordyng to my excéeding great loue of Godlinesse and surely they are enuironed with so great loue of Godlynesse and so great ioy of mynd that no glory at all no maner of felicitie is wanting vnto them The more high in honor and glory that all the saints are so much the more modest and the nygher and eke the more déere the same are vnto mée And for this cause that same in the Apocalips is wrytten That they did cast their Crownes before God and with a groueling countenance before the lambe did worship him liuing for euermore Many doe séeke who is greatest in the kingthe kingdome of God and cannot tell whether that they themselues shall bée reckened in the number of those that are least It is a great thing to be the verye least in Heauen whereas all be great for all shall be called and shall so be in déede the children of God. The least shall growe into a thousande and the hundreth person that shall be punished of me shall dye a yoong man For when the disciples asked who shoulde be greatest in the kingdome of God they had this same aunswere Vnlesse yee be altered in manners and become like vnto the little ones yee shall not enter into the Kingdome of Heauen Therfore who so shall humble hymselfe lyke to this little chylde he shall be greatest in the Kyngdome of heauen Wo be to them that disdaine to submitte themselues wyth the little ones for the gate of the Heauenly Kingdome is to lowe for them to enter in at Wo bée to the ryche also that haue their comfortes here in thys Worlde For when the poore doe enter the Kingdome of GOD they shall stande wythout crying and howling Keioyce yée lowly and méeke Triumph ye poore for the kingdome of God is yours in case yée doe obey the truth That all hope and trust must be fixed in God alone The Lxiiij Chapter SERVANT LOrde in whome is my trust set in this life or what is my greatest comfort among all things that are vnder the cope of heauen Art not thou O my Lord GOD being endued with infinite mercye When was I eyther in good case wythout thée or in euill plight whilest thou wast present with me Surely I had lieffer to be poore for thy sake then to be rych wythout thée and had rather to be a traueyler with thée vpō the earth than wythout thée to possesse heauen Where thou art there is heauen And again where thou art not there is death and Hell. Thou art my longing and wishe therfore doe I recken it necessarye to sigh to cry to praye vnto thée In fine I can fully put