is impossible with one eye to looke vp to heauen and with the other downewarde to the earth so against reason is it that so-long as thine affection is bent toward earthly thinges thou shouldest enioy the comforts of the spirite If therefore thou haue any desire at all after God of necessitie thou must depriue thy selfe of all humane ioy when it is an hinderance vnto heauenly consolation Flie with all thine heart from al comfort of the world and thou shalt be comforted of God Plucke away from thy soule the loue of the world that a place may bee lefte wherein the loue of God may be ingraffed and take root God would not suffer that one and the same Altar shoulde serue for himselfe and for Dagon too and though the Philistines with might and maine labored yet neuer coulde they bring the same to passe God will not that the idoll of sinne which thou wouldest adore shall haue anie roome there where his heauenlie maiestie hath an abiding place He cannot abide that himselfe and the world should be worshipped together If thou wilt loue God of force thou must hate the glory of Purge thine hart from al wickednes and thou shalt come vnto that peace Learne in euery thing to conqâ—er thy selfe so shalt thou haue the inward quietnes of the minde Breake thine vnbridled appetites remoue away the vaine desires of this present world abandon pleasures that thou maist liue at peace and tranquilitie that nothing may trouble nor molest thee that finally thou maist enioy the sweetnesse of the spitit and attaine a certaine Paradise in this world Nothing can happen vnto a righteous man vnto his perturbation Thine own affections are they which moue bates against thee and thine enemies being within howe canst thou complaine of them without He is a great Lord that can commaund himselfe And this in fine is the noble soueraigntie of our will that it hath more power than the Kinges and Emperours of the world who of enemies cannot make friends as can our will being disposed therevnto when she subdueth the disordered appetites Why are iniuries and afflictions whatsoeuer greeuous vnto thee but bâ—cause thou dost shun them Now if they would bee sweete rather and not irkesome wouldest thou once loue them S. Paul reioyced in the Crosse of Christ and those glorious Apostles went away reioycing that they were counted worthie to suffer rebuke for his name Why did â—hese so holy men reioyce in tribulations wherein thou hast no ioy Surely that pleased them which is vnpleasant to thee Once do thou loue that which holie men haue loued and thou shalt finde that comforte which they had in troubles If persecutions bring thee griefe complaine not on the persecutor but rather on thy selfe who flyest from that wherein thou shouldest reioyce Conforme thy selfe after the ensample of Iesus Christ be a friend of his crosse and suffering Resign thy selfe wholy into his hands and loue that which hee did loue so shalt surelie it were alone sufficient to confounde then which in title onely be Christians Let vs bee ashamed to passe the time in pleasures and delights when our Captaine liued in great reproach and perill â—â—ee is no good Souldier which beholding his captaine dying before his face wil not venture himself to the peril of death without thinking of his owne life and pleasure If thou seeke after honour seeing thy Captain dishonoured it is a great argument that thou art none of his band and counting thy self a Christian thou shouldest greatelie blush if thou finde in thy selfe any loue at al of vanitie which Infidels seeke after Many there bee which say they are christians but very few do imitate the life of Christ. They bee in name like it cannot be denied but altogether vnlike for manners If the life of many Christians were compared with the life of our redeemeâ— it would then euidently appeare how crooked their heartes bee and how much also they decâ—ine from that straitnes which God did set them in seeing they turne themselues vnto the loue of those things which his pleasure is should be despised I would gladly knowe who hath more knowledge God or the world If thou beleeuest that God knoweth more marke how he hath chosen pouertie and a base condicion and this onely may suffice to teach thee how wicked thy life is That so hard cratch wherein hee lay on the day of his birth condemneth the delicacie of this world that stable doeth demonstrate how vaine the honors and prosperitie of this life are those vile clothes wherin his deuine maiestie was wrapped doe sufficiently shewe of what account are the riches of this world Consider a litle the dicourse of his life and behold also his death so shalt thou find that the Sonne of God become man hath alwaies adhorted vs to contemne the world aswel by example of his life as by wordes doctrine The Lord preaching vpoÌ„ the moâ—Ì„t thus began his Sermon Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the kingdome of heauen The Lord came not to destroy thee but to direct thee into the way of heauen and to bring thee vnto euerlasting saluation If Christ haue not erred thou dost erre if he hath chosen the good thou chusest the ill if hee through infamie and suffering hath entered into the gates of glorie out of question thou takest the readie way vnto hell which so louest immoderately honor and vanitie In great perill thou liuest and thou dost hazard thy saluation if thou returne not from this way and detest that which thou so louest and earnestlie determine with thy selfe hereafter to follow his steppes which cannot erre O what an abuse is it that a most vile worme of the earth doth so desire to be great when the God of maiesty hath made himselfe so small Therefore Christian soule if thou see thy husband Isaacke going on foot thou must after th'nsample of Rebecca alight from thy Camel for thou shouldest blush to beholde Iesus in a base estate thy selfe aloft vpon a Camel of worldly vanities Come downe therefore come downe I say as shee did by contemning the promotions and vanitie of this present world and conforme thy selfe according to the life of thy redeemer that with him hereafter thou maiest enioy the true ioy and eternal glory CHAP. IV. All the thinges of this world are vaine VAnitie of vanities saith the Preacher vanity of vanities al is vanity I haue considered al the workes that are vnder the Sunne and behold all is vanity This world in the sacred Scripture is rightly called an Hypocrite who though to the outward apparance it seeme wonderfull goodlie yet within is full of vanity and corruption In those good thinges which are sensible it appeareth good wheras in truth it is full of falshood and deceit Fasten not the anchor of the shippe of thine hearte in the sea of worldlie loue The
is right when the middle annswereth proportionably both to the beginning and ende of the same Hee that straieth out of the way fetcheth a compasse many times that hee may so come into his way againe The holy scripture doth liken vs in many places vnto way faring men and strangers At our birth wee beginne the iorney and at our death wee finish the same Aske the wise man what our beginning is When I was borne saith he I receiued the common aer and fel vpoÌ„ the earth which is of like nature crying and weeping at the first at al the other do I was nourished in swadling clothes and with cares For there is no king that had any other beginning of birth Al meÌ„ haue one enterance vnto life and a like going out Thou wast borne with tears and thou shalt die with paine and wilt thou liue in ioy If thou art of that minde thou goest not the way of righteous men but fetchest a compasse with the vngodlie Let the middle of thy life be correspondent to the beginning and end of the same that is so liue both as thou wast borne and as thou shalt die Care not much for riches but say with Iob Naked came I out of my mothers wombe naked shall I return thither â—uild not large and sumptuous houses but remeÌ„ber that a poore little cradle did holde thee beeing newely come into the worlde and forethinke that being deade a small pit shall containe thy body Neuer couet in this world to bee greate seeing thou wert so little at thy birth and shalt bee so vile when thy breath 〈◊〉 gone Into the world thou camest not great and rich but little and poore Thou camest not like a Champion and thou shalt not goe to thy graue like a wâ—â—rier with a drawenâ— word in thine hande And therefore see that thou liue in peace and quietnes while thou art in the world Loue not riches hunt not after promotion consume not thy time idlely in delights bewaile thy sinnes Repent in this life that thou mayest be blessed in the life to come The Lord saith Your sorrow shal bee turned into ioy O happy sorrowe that shall be so rewarded Loue holy compunction of the heart sigh after the celestial cunâ—rey and make not this present banishement thy paradise of pleasure Thou art vtterly loste and wanderest out of the way if thou wouldest spend thy time altogether Pleasantly in this world Returne therefore and come into the right way againe embrace the light by thinking vppon the most bitter passion of thy Redeemer so shalt thou attaine vnto the desired ende euen vnto that happines whereunto at the first thou wast created CHAP. 17. The true ioy is in the Lord. REioyce in the Lord alway againe I say reioyce saith the Apostle The ioy of the seruant of GOD ought onely to be in his Lord God A vaine man is he which reioyceth in any other theÌ„ in God alone It is not the will of God that thou shouldest liue in sorrow but in ioy and mirth onely he requireth thee to change the cause of thy ioy and in steede of that false ioy of the worlde to embrace the true comfort of the soule The Apostles reioyced when they tolde our Lorde how the diuels were subdued to theÌ„ through his name But it was answered them foorthwith In this reioyce not that the spirites are subdued vnto you but rather reioyce because your names be written in heauen So he forbideth not al but the false ioy All ioy without God is vaine and without a foundation in God onely you should reioyce nor in any other thing vnder heauen Say with the Apostle Our reioycing is this the testimonie of a tru conscience 〈◊〉 good conscience is a pleadge of the true ioy which thou shalt taste in heauen Dauid he was without God as hee thought therefore breaketh he forth into teares day and night wanting the presence of his God Signifiing that where God is not there can bee no true ioy The worldly ioy is not the true ioy because it is not founded vpon a good conscience S. Iohn the Baptist he sprang for ioy in the belly of his mother this was a true ioy All other ioy is vaine which hath not grace for the foundation thereof Get therefore Grace before God and thou shalt gette the true goodnesse of the heart Desirest thou riches Riches and treasurs be in his house desirest thou beutie The Lord saieth to the spouse Thou art faire my loue Desirest thou life I am the life saiteh the Lord Desirest thou saluation Hee shal saue his people from their sinnes Desirest thou peace The Lord is our peace as witnesseth Th'apostle Desfirest thou honor Heare the Psalmist Thy friendes bee veri honorable and their praeeminence is verie comfortable If thou hast God with thee thou hast the true ioy What more desirest thou Well may hee reioyce which hath wiâ—h him the fountaine of grace Renounce therefore al temporal ioy and more esteeme thou the smalest quantitie of spirituall consolation than all manner of worldly ioy whatsoeuer There is no true taste where God is not nor true ioy but in God for sonne vanished the comfort of this worlde Soone was the water spent which Abraham gaue Hagar and Ismael his sonne after the flesh but Isaac his soone after the spirit he wanteth noe water I he comfortes of the world doe soone leaue the vngodly but the consolation of the righteous are as wels of liuing water which may be drawen but neuer dried vp This ioie is certaine and euerlasting which no man shall take from you saith the Lorde Of worldlie folkes manie glorie in their braue apparell but this glorie is their apparels not their owne others glorie in their riches and this glorie also is not theirs but their riches For take them awaie and the glory is gone Bnt the ioy which is in the Lord proceeding from a good conscience no man can take from vs except we wil our selues Which ioy is rightly numbred among the other fruites of the holy spirit In creatures there can bee no full ioy but the ioy in the Lord is ful because it is infinite answereth to his infinite goodnes Ioy doth answere vnto desier as rest doth vnto motion For then is our rest quiet and consummate when there is not any thinge more to bee moued Euen so our ioy shal be full when their is nothing besides to bee desired Nowe because in worldly thinges the desire is neuer perfect rest it followeth that among the creatures there câ—n no true rest bee founde But because God 〈◊〉 he satisfieth our desire he is alone to be loued that our ioy be full The Kingly prophet he saith that God he satisfieth our mouth with good thinges and Anna the mother of Samuel she saith Mine heart reioyceth in the Lord mine horne is exalted in the Lorde To
when it is discommended of ill men and they are to bee praysed which vile persons dispraise It is no reproch at al vnto the light that the Battes and Owles cannot away therewith Yee are the children of the light sayeth the Apostle to all good christians What communion hath light with darkenes knowledge is contemned of the ignorant and fooles despise wisedome and instruction Therefore let not the childreÌ„ of the light be grieued though they be hated and persecuted of the sons of darkenes If blind men iudge amisse of colours the blame is not to bee laid vpon the colours which may be good and beautifull but vpon the censurer which lacketh iudgement To bee praysed of the vngodly is to bee dispraised and to bee dispraised of them it is hie commendation So then to despise iniuries and reproaches it is a signe of a minde that is rightlie noble He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty man and he that ruleth his owne mind is better than him that winneth a citie saith SalomeÌ„ Vertue it withereth without an aduersary True loue it is fixed in the bottom of vertue and is tried by affliction The patient man is the Lord of himselfe He that knewe of what loue to vsâ—ward God sendeth tribulation doutlesse he would receaue it with a gratefull heart AduersitÃe it is the good gifte of God sent of his maiestie to such as he liketh and loueth wel for the setting out of their soule A sicke man impatient causeth a Physition to be rigorous If thou chafe at the bitternesse of the medicine thou doest but augment thy paine but that which is taken with a willing minsd it hurteth not The chiefest part of wisedome is patience And yet maruell it is that rather thou haddest to abide without God than to suffer somewhat If thou desirest health neuer wrest the rasor out of the Chyrurgions hand Flie not the troubles which make for the welfare of thy soule abide aduersity if thou desirest health The Apostle saith Blesse them which persecute you Blesse â—say and curse not And again Wee are euill spoken of and we pray we are persecuted and we suffer it Saile thou with a contrary wind as Christ sayled vpon the crosse wheÌ„ hee praied for his enemies did good to his very persecutors As for the wicked they suffer also much persecution and troubles because the pleasure of God is that of the torments of hell they shoulde haue some taste in this present worlde If thou see a man to bee grieuously offended for the affliction that is laide vpon him assure thy selâ—e it is a signe of his farther troubles in the time to come But if he thank God for the same then know againe that his defects shall bee put away and his rewarde shall be very great The chosen and elect people of God they are patient in troubles A most acceptable sacrifice vnto God is patience in aduersity tribulation Be therefore of a patient minde if thou be sad to day thou shalt be glad to morrow if troubled to day thou shalt bee comforted the next day Bridle thine anger and lay a bitte vpon thy tongue for breaking oâ—â— into intemperate speech Take not aduersity too greeuously and drowne not thy selfe in a litle water When thou hast humbled thy bodie with fasting releiued the poors by thy liberalitie and showen other fruites of a penitent soule little shall all this profite thee afore God 〈◊〉 thou be carried away with the vaine prayses of men Patience is like a treasure hid in the field where patience is there is silence but the impatient man troubleth many with his wordes He that can bridle his tongue is a prudent man and worthy all prayse and the more thou dost sacrifice thine heart vnto God the more acceptable shalt thou be in his sight Haue thou patience therefore assure thy selfe that all things shal bee remedied in time To conclude Be thou faithful vnto the death and I will giue thee the crown of life sayeth the Lord CHAP. 24. The world is not to be accounted of FLie out of the middest of Babel saith God The worlde is â—ul of confusion there little order is but exceeding horror there golde is more esteemed than vertue and transitorie things preferred afore spirituall riches So full of confusion is the worlde that it exalteth the wicked and casteth downe the good The world promoteth Iudas but keepeth backe the vertuous from preferment He that well considereth the confusion and disorder of the world will neuer set his heart thereupon The pleasures and comfortes of the worlde they bee more noysome than the waters of Ierico more changeable than the moone Hardly shalt thou go forward in the way of godlines liuing in the same Abraham looking toward Sodom and Gomorah and toward all the lande of the plaine sawe the smoke of the lande mounting vpp as the smoke of a furnace And hee that looketh into the world aduisedly shal finde from thence the smoke of pride and vanitie and the flame of disordinate concupiscence to arise Holy and good men the nearer that they drawe vnto death the more earnest they bee about al good workes They which were to eat the Passeouer did first circumcise themselues according to the commaundement of the Lord If thou circumcise not thine heart from the inordinate loue of this world and the delightes of the same looke not to haue anie taste of the spirituall comforts of the soule If thou haddest come lying vpon a low and moist flower and one should tell thee if thou remoue it not it will â—ot and putrifie wouldest thou not for the preseruation of the same remoue it into some higher roome But God himselfe in his worde hath warned thee not to laye â—hine heart vpon the lowe and base thinges of this earth but to place the same vpon hie and heauenly matters and yet wilt thou not harken vnto his wholesome counsaile CHAP. 25. The world neuer keepeth at a stay THou hast made the lande to tremble and hast made it to gape heale the breaches thereof for it is shaken sayeth the Prophet The very change of the worlde were there nothing besides weâ—e sufficient to cause the same to break into splintes and peeces God himselfe the master workeman of al doth tell thee how heauen and erth shall passe away And S. Iohn saith The world passeth away the last thereof â—onors vanities do fal and alter euery moment Consider how great the chaunge is The monarchy of the worlde began â—irst with the Assyrians from thence it came vnto the Persians from the Persians vnto the Grecians and from the Grecians vnto the Romaues and from the Romanes it is nowe come vnto the Almans Now if the Empire which is the chiefest place of honor hath so often been changed from one people to another nation where can you finde in this worlde any thing
people of whom more profite shall you receiue at the length than at the first you would imagine CHAP. 29. The world must be despised in no worldly respects WHosoeuer shall forsake houses or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my Names sake hee shall receiue an hundred folde more and shal inherite euerlasting life saith the Lord Many do forsake great possessions which yet receiue no reward because they forsake not these thinges for Christ his sake but seeke themselues loue their owne glorie and couet the praise of men The more thou louest God the more acceptable is that whatsoeuer thou doest Though I feede the poore with all my goods and though I giue my bodie that I be burned and haue not loue it profiteth me nothing saith the Apostle Study thou onely to please God and let his loue onely mooue thee to serue him contemne this world not hoping for any temporall commoditie God he praised Iob and the Diuel replied againe Doth Iob feare God for nought The Diuel he denied not the workes of Iob but he argued vp In euery worke therefore let God be the cause and ende of the same if thou haue no purpose to worke in vaine CHAP. 30. Death is to be had in continunual remembrance WHatsoeuer thou takest in hand remember the ende and thou shalt neuer doe amisse saieth a wise man The remembrance of death it auaileth much to make vs to contemne this world Hee will easily despise all which hath in minde that he shall die Vnto Adam and his wife did the Lord God make coates of skinnes and clothed them that thereby they might haue in remembrance the sentence of death whereinto they were fallen through sinne Seeing thou with all mortall creatures art condemned to die the death and art still going the right way vnto the graue thou oughtest to giue thy selfe vnto continuall mortifying of thy selfe It is a soueraigne medicine for to refraine thy sensual and wicked appetites to haue death in remembrance whereby the bodie shal be turned into duste and ashes and eaten vp of wormes The cogitation of death it throweth water as it were into the fornace of our burning desires to quench them Death is the clocke by which wee set our life in order and the memory thereof doth choake vp much of that loue that wee doe beare vnto the world As Daniel by strawing of ashes in the flore discouered by the print of the feete the deceipt of the false Priestes of Babylon so doe thou cast in thy memorie the ashes whereinto thou shalt one day bee conuerted and thou shalt perceiue the deceiptes of the worlde the subtilty of the Diuel and the secrete tentations whereby the wicked spirits doe impugne thy soule O that these thinges were in thy minde howe purely should the life beleeue the things which dayly thou seest to happen before thy face Thinke that euery moment thou hearest that terrible trumpet resounding in thine eares Arise ye dead and come vnto iudgement The memorie of death in a good man it clenseth and purifieth all that passeth through it as a strainer clenseth all that liquor that is powred into it Driue not from thy mind the remembrance of death for it will detaine thee greatly from reuenging iniuries and from following the vanities of this world which as yet abide in thy minde and study to get the Christian virtues which highly doe please God and are profitable to man CHAP. 31. The houre of death is vncertaine WAtch for yee knowe neither the day nor the houre when the sonne of man will come saith our Sauiour Seeing death is so certaine and the time thereof so vncertaine we are continually to watch and to thinke that euerie day shall bee the last Many doe builde houses yet wot they not whether they shall inhabite them or no Many doe make prouision against the yeere to come which it may bee they shall neuer see They giue themselues to this life which is vncertaine and ouerpasse the caâ—e of death which is most certaine Seeing then with such an earnest studie thou prouidest for vncertaine thinges why prouidest thou not against death which is of all most certaine It is not good to leaue the certaine for the vncertaine Man knâ—weth noâ— his time sayeth the preacher but as the fishes which are taken in an euill net and as the birdes that are caught in the snare so are the children of men snared in the euil time when it falleth vpon them suddenly Why tariest thou longer vpon present things If a King of speciall fauour should giue thee one of the cities of his stingdome and should assigne thee a certaine houre to confirme his graunt wouldest thou not with all studie and diligence endeauour that that houre should not bee ouerslipt But now a farre more excellent and glorious city than any is in this world euen the celestial Ierusalem is promised vnto thee by the vnspeakeable magnificence of the King of Kinges The time of this life is giuen thee to attaine therein this blessed citie Leese not thy time therefore omit not a good opportunitie least thou leese that happinesse which thou so longest for The night commeth when no man can worke No man hath an houre sure of his life Therefore the time being so short and the promises so ample what a woonder is it that many can so idlely passe the time away in vanities and pastimes as though they had yet an hundred yeeres moe assured them to liue and looked for none other world after this life If for the getting of some temporal good thing thou art willing to breake thy sleepe to refraine from meate to absent thy selfe from many meetinges of pleasure and that onely to finish which is in thine handes least the occasion doe slip and thou wottest not when to haue the like againe why doest thou not take the like occasion now giuen thee of God for the attaining of that life which shall endure for euer Those fiue foolish virgins that sufâ—ered the time praeâ—ent unprofitably to passe-away and presumed of the time to come were deceiued of their vaine expectation Disire not a long but a good life nor many but good yeares Endeuor rather to liue well than long and seeke not onely to haue a good-will but adde thereunto good workes Many contenting themselues with a good intentes haue descended into the tormentes of hell Vncertaine is the houre of death which is a thing that should stirre vs vp vnto more watchfulnesse in our calling It were extreme foolishnesse for thee to liue in that state in which thou wouldest not that death should finde thee And seeâ—ing this may fall out euery houre euen in reason it standeth thee vppon to liue well for little doe you knowe the houre when death wil summon you to answere for your life before the iudgement seate of God CHAP. 32. The houre of death is vnknow en because we
if nothing they further vnto vertue but hinder much why so impatiently dost thou couet them Art thou so blinde that thou seest not how embracing riches thou nourishest a serpent or scorpion in thy bosome For as the scorpion will kill them with poyson which cherished them with their heate so these riches which with the heate of in ordinate desire thou doest nourish and augment they will eate thy bowels gnaw thy conscience choke the good spirit hinder thee from saluation aud bring thee to destruction both of body and soule This is that thou louest O thou blind man this is that thou seekest this is that lastly that destroieth Call thy wits together a little and behold the falsehood of these riches so shalt thou lift vp thy mind not onely vnto the liking but also vnto the louing of thinges far much greater and euery way more true CHAP. 21. To loue riches and earthly thinges it is meere vanitie LOue not the world nor the thinges in the world saith S. Iohn By the light of nature wee are taught not to loue these natural thinges in regarde of themselues For loue is a thinge so pretious that it should bee bestowed onely vppon him who can with like affection of loue answere the good wil. But seeing no creature natural can with like measure recompenc thy loue therfore thou oughtest not to applie thine heart to the thinges of this world Doubtlesse couldest thou perceiâ— thus much in desiring to enioy the thinges which be ordained onely for thy vse thou doest peruert the order of God God alone thou must enioy by louing him as the soueraigne good thing from the bottome of thy heart but vse thou must the things of the world as seruants referring the loue of them vnto God and to the setting out of his glory God created man after his owne likenes to the end that as other liuing creatures do he should loue his like Seeing therfore thou hast no likenes with earthly thinges thou art bound of equity to loue not these earthly thinges but God after whose similitude thou art made All the while that Iacob had children by Leah and her handmaide he neuer thought of returning into his countrey but so soone as Rahel had borne him a sonne he had a longing forthwith to returne home againe So the men of this world while they are occupied about earthly thinges they are forgetfull of the Celestial countrey but when they once bring out the fruite of Godlines then begin they to loath their former state and greatly to desire the happinesse of heauen When the king of the Egyptians was dead the children of Israel sighed for their bondage and cried God heard their mone but afore his death though they cried bitterly yet were they not heard Both good and badde al crie vnto God but none be heard saue they which haue killed the kinge of Egipt that is the loue of this world which worldlinges haue not Let the loue therefore of the worlde once be dead and God wil heare thy praier out of hand It is the lawe of vnfained loue that you doe shewe your selfe to bee such as that is which you loue Our soule is like vnto waxe which taketh the forme of that which is imprinted thereupon As that is which you loue such is thy soule earthly or heauenly If thou puttest a glasse toward heauen thou shalt see the figure of heauen there-vpon if thou turne it to the earth warde there shalt thou beholde the figure of earth So thy soule is like vnto that whereunto thou appliest the same insomuch that whatsoeuer goodnes or badnes is in thee thou maiest ascribe the same to that thing which thou so leuest Nebuchad-nezzer louing the world became a beast and did eate grasse like an oxe but lifting vp his eies vnto heauen by true repentance hee came againe vnto his former shape When God had made the Sunne the Moone and all other creatures hee saide of them all that they were very good for such did approue them but man being created he was neither said to be good nor ill not thereby preferring other creatures aboue man for whose sake they were all created Why then said God of all other creatures how they were good and said not so of man who was better then they The reason is because God he looked that man according to his freewil should worke and as he made his choise so should his titles be good or euil When hee loued the good he was good but when he loued the euill he was ill For man onely of all creatures had free libertie to chuse either good or ill The holy Apostle speakinge of certaine wicked men saide They turned the glory of th'incorruptible God to the similitude of the image of a corruptible man and of birdes foure footed beastes and of creeping thinges As they made God such were they themselues the images â—â—ey made of God were not so vnlike him as they resembled their images which they made The proper seate of the soule is in heauen where they onely do inhabite which be perfect men as the apostle doth say Our conuersation is in heauen Loue not riches and thou shalt be rich It is great riches not to couet riches Who possesseth much Euen hee that desireth little God gaue in commaundement that no man to his proper vse should take any parte of the rich spoiles of Iericho which in respecte of the mutabilitie thereof representeth the worlde the treasures whereof should not bee desired of Christians least they com vnto that destruction which Adam did CHAP. 13. The rices of this worlde are to be contemned WHosoeuer renounceth not all that he hath he cannot be my Disciple saith our Sauiour Christ Despise from thy hart these transitory things They which followed Christ frosooke so much riches as they could desire which followed him not And so infinite is our will in coueting that he shall neuer be satisfied which foloweth the same and he which renounceth it renounceth al thinges Insomuch that poore S. Peter left as much indeede as ambitious Alexander could in heart desire These thinges if thou contemne thou shalt find thy selfe but if thou doe them loue thou dost for-doe thy selfe Happy is that soule which earnestly despiseth these transitory thinges which the couetous minde so greedily desireth For by contemning thinges corruptible the riches which are eternal be attained Golde and siluer are to loade a beast not a man Yet no beast is so voide of vnderstanding that willâ—ngly will take more than it can beare Onely the couetous man as more voide of reason than a beast will offer himselfe to beare it lay on him what or how long soeuer yee will But if thou be wise thou wilt vnburden thy selfe by renouÌ„cing the vaine riches of this world so assure thy selfe thou shalt goe the lighter A fond man thou art that may haue poore men in ough to beare
the same So is the battel ordered somtime by the captaine and such newe stratagems he vseth that they seeme foolish altogether to the barbarous soldiers because they knowe neither the ground of his deuise not yet the ende whereunto it tendeth So doth foolish man iudge of the wisdome of God Which euen worldly folke as it is in the booke of Wisdome confessed whē they said The light of righteousnes hath not shined vnto vs and the sunne of vnderstanding rose not vpon vs. For the weake eies of our vnderstanding they are not able to comprehend the glorious light of heauenlie wisdome Moses so long as he was in Egypt he was taken to be a very wise man but whē once he was to speake before the Lord of heauen and earth he then confessed that slow he was of speech and slow of tongue For hee was onely wise with secular wisdome Salomon was a very wise man yet when he compared his wisdome with the wisdome of God he thought himselfe more foolishe than any man It is a point of great wisedome for Gods sake to contemne the worlde In the true knowledge of a mans owne selfe consistteh the high and heauenly wisedome of Iesus Christ. In comparison of this high wisdome all knowledge is but ignorance to the seruant of God If thou haue the perfect knowledg of all the liberal artes what wil it profit thee if thou know not thy selfe Thou wanderest about and thinkest that thou knowest much whē in deed thou knowest nothing as thou shouldest Happy is the soule which is replenished with heauenly wisedome and happy is the man whose care is to bee wise in the sight of God To haue one litle drope of heauen ly wisdome it is better than to haue euē a whole vaste sea of secular knowledge True wisedome is nothing els but a perfect mortificatiō of a mans owne selfe The more thou knowest the more ignorant shewe thy selfe and deade vnto the world Righteous men which see God as Iaacob did because they know God they are lame and vnapte as it were vnto earthly affaires and counted fooles of men because they are wise in Gods sight As that part of the moone which is toward the Sun is so glorious with light that the other part therof which hath respect vnto the earth giueth no light at all so when the chiefe and principall part of thy soule is fixed vpon the Sunne of righteousnesse it will be so possessed of the glorious beames thereof that it wil haue noe light to cast vpon the earth earthly thinges The foole saith Ecclesiasticu◠changeth as the moone for leauing the light of God he turneth himselfe vnto the inferior things of the earth The wisedome of this world it is confoūded of the heauenly wisdome For as the serpent of Moses deuoured the serpents of Pharoas magicioners so the wisedome of God deuoureth consumeth all the wisedome of man God in the old lawe hee promiseth riches vnto men and those thinges which the nature of man desireth yet notwitstanding fewe there were that turned vnto the Iewish religion which was the true worshipe of God But Christ our Sauiour when hee came and preached persecution and tribulation which men naturally do hate in all partes of the worlde many were conuerted vnto the faith The wisdome of God is of that force that by foolish thinges of the world the wise are confounded and by weake thinges of the worlde hee hath confounded the mighty whē they professed themselues wise they became fooles saith the Apostle And what maruel seeing all thinges are subiect to the wisdome of God This wisdome Sathan would plucke from thee as would Nahash the Ammonite the right eies of the Israelites which is the knowledge of celestiall thinges The eies of a wise man are in his head which is Christ Neither doth a wise man seeke nor looke vpon any thing but Iesus Christ accordine to that of the Apostle I esteemed not to know any thing among you saue Iesus Christ and him crucified Therefore let thine whole exercise be in the meditation of the passion of Christ to the intent that knowing him in part here on earth thou maiest afterward haue a full sight of him in heauen CHAP. 35 The life of man vpon earth is but both short and vaine MAN that is borne of a woman is of short continuance and full of trouble saith Iob Hee shooteth forth as a flouer and is cut downe he vanisheth also at a shadowe and continueth not Our life is euen a vapor that appeareth for a little time and afterwarde vanisheth awaie like a cloud in the aier which so soone as the Sunne shineth disperseth it selfe This life so much accounted of seemeth among men to bee very goodly insomuch that it rauisheth the mindes of many with the glory of the same But vaine are such persons for who so knoweth not that euē a little sicknesse and infirmitie resolueth euen the goodliest personage into dust and allies So that he becommeth very vile that was so glorious but a while before What is the whole time of our life but euen a very instant which runneth away more swiftly thā the wind They are more swift thā a poste they haue fled aud haue seene no good thinge Euen as lightening in the aire which in the twinckling of an eie is dissolued so passeth away both the life and the glorie of this world For all is vanitie Number al the daies hours monethes and yeares of thy life and terme wherebe they now They are all passed away like a shaddow and like a spiders webbe that is blowen away with the wind There is nothing stable vpon earth whereout Adam was formed and his children I here is nothing shorter thā life which carieth death alwaies with it It is both short and miserable good men beare it mith patience and euil men loue it with great delight We must needes die and we are as water spilt on the grounde which cannot be gathered vp againe saith the Scripture There is no streame that runneth so fast awaie as the life of man doth the water streames neuer turne backe againe and the daies that are passed cannot be called backe The time past is irrecouerable Thou maiest sit by the riuer as Tobie did at the floud Tybris and by tht swiftnesse of the same consider how swiftly thy life it passeth awaie That riuer Tybris had his name of his speedie runninge and yet is not the course thereof fo swift as is the course of thy yeares after which thou art drawen immediately vnto death In this consideration wash the feete of thy soules affections in this contemplation purge thy selfe from the filth of earthly loue which thou hast gotten by much busying thy selfe in the world The life of man is but a dreame and deceite The Psalmist saith I saide in my feare all men are lyers The
thou shalt neuer tast death If thou art in loue with this life open to so many troubles me thinkes thou shouldest much more desire that life where all manner of rest and felicitie is in most abundant wise In this world thou art a pilgrime therfore labour with might main to come vnto the possession of the celestiall countrie All thinges that are seene in this world they fade away like the shadow A foolish part then thou shalt play if rather thou haddest to perish with the transitorie worlde than to flourish for euermore with ioy in the world to come The paine which thou takest here to defer death and to prolong this life of thine thou mayest doe well to bestow though it were to the losse of this present life for the attainement of that happy life in the other world CHAP. 15 The disquietnes which the men of this worlde doe feele it is great and wonderfull BEcause your fathers haue forsaken mee sayeth the Lord c ye shall serue ether Gods day and night He that serueth the worlde he goeth continually with a troubled minde is like the wheele of a clocke which neuer standeth quiet being distracted with continuall cares and anguish of the heart The worlde will neuer suffer thee to be quiet a whit if thou followe thine appetite being depressed with the waight of worldly loue depending on thine owne will This it is which turneth those wheeles this is it which doth vexe thee inwardly so much this is it which taketh all sleepe from thine eyes and causeth thee to turne still in a perpetual motion For what is more troublesome than for a man to be subiect to his owne affections Who can promise himselfe any rest at all in the affaires of this world which are so sâ—biect â—o continual alteration Great stâ—â—â—e was there betweene the heardmen of Lot and the heardmen of Abraham which debate arose through the riches which they had it was so greate that they coulde not dwell together One of the great plagues wherewith Egypt was afflicted was the litle busie flies whose properties are and of God which willingly refused the land of promise for the liking they tooke of Gilead because it was an apt place for cattel Last of all nener thinke to finde quietnesse in that place where all thinges are full of confusion and alteration The worldly men themselues they rest all amazed and know not what they doe nor whether they intend to go no more then did the builders of the tower of Babell CHAP. 16. There is more sorrow than comfort in the pleasures of this world HE will not suffer mee to take my breath but filleth me with bitternes saieth Iob You cannot in the worlde haue any perfect ioy and comfort where all things be replenished with bitternes and sorrow Marke I pray you vnder the goodly showe of sweetenesse what gall of pleasure what paine doeth lurke Consider the paine and vexation that doth accompanie sinne Vices do adorne and set out themselues after the brauest manner being in deede most filthie but vertue though ragged and torne is maruelous louely Let not the pleasures of this world deceaue thee seeing within they are so full of gal and bitternesse In that great glorie of his transfiguration Christ he spake of his death and passion whereby thou maiest obserue that euen the chiefest comfort of this worlde hath some affliction If the world being al full of bitternesse be yet so loued and made of how woulde men esteeme of the same were it all sweete and voide â—f troubles But God he hath so tempered sorrowe with pleasure of the worlde to the end that man with all possible speed might aspire vnto the ioies of heauen Haman that so hunted after the glorie of this worlde he was ioyfull and had a merrie heart because hee was inuited vnto the banquet which Ester had prepared for the king MIne heart panteth my strength faileth me the light of mine eyes euen they are not mine owne saith the Prophet of himselfe Surely I may say thou art blinde if thou seest not the miseries that thou art in which seruest the worlde As the Hauke could neuer be kept quiet vpon the pearch except his eyes were couered with an hoode so thou couldest neuer endure the miserable bondage of the world except thine eyes were blinded that thou couldest not see How were it possible that thine heart should bee so fixed vpon earthly thinges but that thou seest not the vanity of them But for that thou art blinde thou art a bond man open thine eyes therefore I pray thee that thou maiest perceiue the miserable condition which thou doest endure The dung of the sparowes which fell vpon the eyes of Tobit as he was a sleep bereft him of his eye sight The Apostle doth iudge all things of the world to bee but dung and experience teacheth vs that they haue the quality to make men blind as had the dung of Tobits Sparrowes The property of the swallow is to sing sweetly in the beginning of sommer but suddenly afterwarde shee becommeth both blind mute The propertie of the worlde also is first with a short and sweet harmony to bring men a sleepe and after to make them blind that they may not see the vanities of the same Men of this world they lacke eyes to see the light of God and of those good thinges which they forgoe They are like vnto Eli the Priest whose eyes were so dimme that hee could not see the Lampe of God which hung continually burning in the Temple And though worldly men doe seeme wise and of sound iudgement yet is it not so in truth but towardes worldly matters otherwise as touching things of the spirite they haue no sight at all but are as blinde as Moles Fall not from sinne vnto sinne as a blinde man The Prophet Zephaniah speaking of worldly men doeth say They shall walke like blind men because they haue sinned against the Lord And our Sauiour Christ walk while ye haue light least the darkenesse come vpon you For when sinners doe walke in the darkenes of their ignorance what maruell though miserablie they stumble and take a fall The eyes of worldly men they are taken easily with certaine imaginarie profites and affections of their own toward the world and they are made blinde therewith euen as the Egyptians vpon whome God brought such a darkenes that no man saw another neither rose vp from the place where he was for three dayes together If thou couldest haue a sight of the miseries thou artin questionles thou couldest not stand still so securely after that Egyptian manner as thou doest But blindnesse hath ouertaken thee blinded thou art with the loue of this glittering vaineâ— glorious world like the Beare which becoÌ„meth blind if it behold the brightnes of a burning bason Had not the world beene blind S. Iohn had not said The world
tasted the pleasures of the same but it leaueth them comfortlesse This knewe the Prophet Baruch right wel when crying out he said Where are the Princes of the heatheÌ„ such at ruled the beasts vpon the earth They that had their pastime with the fouls of the heauen that hoarded vp siluer gold wherin men trust make none end of their gathering For they that coyned siluer and were so careful of their work whose inuentioÌ„ had none ende are come to naught and gon down to hâ—l other men are come vp in their steades Soone passed the glory of this worlde from them euen as in a moment What brought their great promotion in the world vnto them but a miserable death and infamous ruine The glory of the worlde it passeth soone away the goodes thereof are like floures that soone doe vade to which small trust is to be giuen for they will sooner be gone than you would thinke If thou be exalted one high take heede thou be not throwen downe againe as the hangmaÌ„ vseth to deale with condemned persons Know you not how the worlde dealeth so with such as it doeth aduance That great whore af Babylon spoken of in the Reuelation of S. Iohn vaunted her selfe exceedingly of her soueraigne prosperitie in the worlde but when shee thought her selfe most sane she tooke a shamefnll faâ— That couetous rich man also as we read in the Gospel after S Luke he gloried immoderatly in his riches but straight away God said vnto him O foole this night will they fetch away thy soule from thee then whose shal those things be which thou hast prouided The children of Israel were scattered abroad throughout al the lande of Egypt for to gather stubble in the steeâ—e of strawe Al men do seek for riches al men are obedient to mony and in this respect no friende is known and after they had sought about they were well dribasted for their labour so done they might bee throwne out of that ioyfull paradise euen as the prophet Ieremy doeth say Mine enemies chased me sore like a bird without cause Worldly pleasures great promotions what are they but a baite many times laied by the Deuill or his instrumentes to bring vs into his snares When the world doth make much of thee then doth it hunt after thy soule vnlesse thou take the better heed thou wilt soone be taken with the deceipts of the same Contrarily God when he inuiteth vs he seeketh our welfare And although his call is very sweet kind yet heard is it not many times because the loue of the word shutteth the gates against him And seeing that great is the sture and noyse in the soule of a sinner maruell it is not if the knocke of the Lord bee not heard within The spiritual crying is the earnest desire of the soule and the godly praâ—â—r vttered with zeale strength of the mind Moses prayed and though his lips went not at all yet the Lorde saide vnto him Wherfore criest thou vnto me Hannah the mother of Samuel she praied vnto the Lord yet did her lippes onely moue her voice was not heard Lord thou hast heard the desire of the poore thou preparest their heart thou benâ—est tâ—ine eare to them saith Dauid Great is the noyse and cry among them that giue themselues to the matters of this world the desires of promotion they alwaies make a foule sturre and therefore no maruell if the noyse of God bee not hearde in an house so ful and so oppresâ—ed with disordered appetites which can neuer be satisfied according to that of Horace The more they drinke the drier they are For the thirst of couetousnes is neuer quenched Content thy selfe with that thou hast considering both the shortnesse of this present life the poor estate of Iesus Christ this will cause thee to keep all the vnquiet appetites of thy mind in peace and tranquility Driue from thine heart the loue of this world so with Iâ—b thou maist say Thou shalt call me and I will aunswere thee CHAP. 22. The wicked are made of but the godly are persecuted in the world IF ye were of the worlde the world would loue his own but because yee are not of the world but I haue chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you saith the Lord It is no new thing that the wicked do persecute the good and worldly men the seruantes of Christ. For so persecuted was Abel of Caine Isaac of Ismael Iakob of Esau Ioseph of his brethren Anna of Peninnah Dauid of Saul Helias of Iezabel The vertuous life of the children of God being a secrete reprehension of the wicked behauior of vngodlie persons what maruaile if the wicked through â—atted doe pursue the good The saintes in this worlde may not vnfithe be compared vnto babes dead borne who bee readie to be borne away and buried so soone as they are borne but the vngodly are like those children which come into the world aliue and therefore it is a place for them to liue and deale in The theeues which breake by night into a house to robbe they will first afore other things put out the light that they bee not discried so deale wicked men with the godly who are the light of the world For euâ—ry man that euill doeth hateth the light Dauid through spirituall ioy leaped and danced before the Arke of God and Michal Saules daughter despised him in her heart for so doing It is the custome of naughty persons to scorne at the actions of well disposed men So wickedly were the people inhabiting within the land of Iudah giuen that they were so farre from building the temple of the Lorde according to the expresse commaundement of King Darius that they hindered that good worke and discouraged such as set their handes therunto Euen so doe the men of the worlde at this day they will neither doe that which good is themselues nor further them that would but so much as in them lieth hinder all good actions and enterprises But the true and godly Israelites were not discouraged for all this but went forward in the businesse of the Lord They did the worke with one hand and with the other helde the sword This example may teach thee not to giue ouer a good worke for the malice of il men but to prâ—ceede in the race of true religion and in the exercise of vertue defend thy selfe in patience against thine aduersaries whosoeuer they be It is an argument that thou art not good if thou canst not quietly put vp il patience my friend it will doe thee no hurt but it maketh greatlie for thy commendatiâ—n For as it redounâ—eth to thy discredite when thou art extolled of the wicked so it is to thy great prayse when the vngodly and none else cannot abide thee Then is our life commendable
Christ our blessed redeemer did manifest his glorious transfiguration but onely vnto three oâ— his Disciples but the shame of his reprochâ—ull death he made open to all the worlde dying vpon a crosse publiquely in the great citie of Ierusalem and that in the time of the solemne â—east of Easter â—ut the guise of man is not so which desireth that his vertues and fame but not his imperfections and shame should bee knowen of any Oâ—ten did our Sauiour preach of humilitie because hee would haue that lessoâ— to be wel remembred And greatly was he touched with compassion toward the humble After the Centurion had said I am not worthy that thou shouldest come vnder my roofe he was preferd afore all Israel S. Paul that saide He was not meete to bee called an Apostle was the chiefe preacher of all the Aposâ—les and laboured more aboundanâ—ly than theâ— all S. Peter that fell downe at Iesus knees saying Lord goe from mee for I am a sinfull man h was straightway made a fisher of men S Iohn Baptist that humble man that said he was not worthy to beare the shâ—â—s of our Sauiour Christ was not withstanding the chosen friend of the bridegrome and baptised Christ. God alwaies from the beginning hath chosen for himfelfe the least and the simplest things in showe Of the first two brethren that were borne in the worlde Kaine and Habel hee choase Habel that was the yonger Of the sonnes of Abraham Ismael and Isaak hee choase Isaak that was the yonger Of the sonnes of Isaak Esau and Iaakob hee choase Iaakob which was the yonger Of the 12. sonnes of Iaakob hee choase Ioseph one of the yongest and made him ruler ouer the lande of Egypt Of the sonnes of Ishai he choase the least and yongest Dauid that kept his fathers sheepe He made Saul King of Israel being of the least tribe the meanest familâ—e of all the Iewes Againe when Christ himselfe came into the worlde to shewe that he â—â—ned humilitie hee choase not the great and mightie men to bee his disciples but poore men that vsed the trade of fishing Amongest all his vnreasonable creatures he hath planted in the very meanest and in the least in a manner of them all as the Pismire the coâ—ies the grashoppers the spiders such a wisedome at the wisest men in the worlde cannot but wonder at the same In the creation of the world hath not God of materia prima as the Philosophers doe terme it the vilest matter made all things yea of nothing as the Scripture teacheth Furthermore the sonne of God Christ made himselfe of no reputation and took on him the forme of a seruant and was made like vnto man and was found in shape as a man Hee humbled himselfe and became obedient vnto the death euen the death of the crosse To commend humilitie vnto man Suffer litle children and forbid them not to come vnto me for of such is the kingdome of heauen saith Christ At an other time to make pride odious vnto vs he brake out into these words against Capernaum And thou Capernaum which are lifted vp vnto heauen shalt be brought downe to hell The glorie of a proude man shall soone turne into confusion and as pride is hatefull to God men so coÌ„trariwise humilitie purchaseth fauor As ashes doe keepe and preserue the fire so doth humilitie preserue the grace of the holy Ghost Abraham said vnto God I haue begunne 〈◊〉 speake vnto my Lord being but dust and ashes The deeper the well is the sweeter is the water thereof and the more lowly thou art the more louely art thou in the sight of God Seeke not ambitiously after promotion and dignity in the world for all these things full speedily shall come vnto an end If thou knewest to what a miserable end the proude shall come thou couldest not chuse I thinke but contemne pride When corne is cut in the field all lyeth alike on the ground together and no man can discerne which were the hiest eares although that in the growing one eare did much ouergrowe another so likewise in the fielde of this worlde although that some be higher than others and that a fewe doe exceede the residue in learning honor wealth and dignities of the worlde yet when death commeth with his hooke and cutteth vs all downe and bereaueth vs of our liues then shall we be all equal and no difference made between one and another of vs. If thou openest the graues thou canst not tel which was the rich man and which was the poore which was the King and which was the subiect which was the noble and which was an abiect in the world So then if all men of power and honour in the world shall be brought to one and the same miserie with the poore men and of no reputation â—urely it is vanitie to desire to mount aloft in this present world â—hinke therefore humbly of thy selfe so shalt thou finde grace with God couet to be lowe and little so God will promote and exalt thee CHAP. 36. The couetous man is good for none no not to himselfe NO couetous person which is an â—â—olater hath any inheritance in the kingdome of Christ and of God saith S. Paul Vnder couetousnesse are comprised another troup of enemies which doe set vpon man for his destruction Easilie in this battel mayest thou ouercome if thou wouldest beare in minde wherefore thou camest into the worlde and that all the riches of the same are to bee accounted but as dung must be left by death There is no man more barbarous and cruell than the couetous man The couetous man is voide of loue hee knoweth neither mother noâ— brother neither his owne nor strangers Ecclesiasticus doth say He that is wicked to himselfe to whom will he be good What good can a man looke for at a couetous mans hand seeing hee is cruell against himselfe Hee doth no good but when he dieth He that is couetous and sparing of his goods is of his honour and credite ouer lauish and prodigall It is a wonderfull thing that man created for to loue God should so be addicted to the inordinate loue of the vile things of this life There is nothing worse than a couetous man saith Ecclesiasticus Other sinners though they hurte themselues yet they doe good to other men in some sort but the couetous man hurteth all men as well priuately as publiquely for while hee hideth the good thinges of the earth he causeth a greeuous and miserable dearth to arise in the lande A couetous man is a poore man yea so poore as none is poorer Hee is the cause of his owne miserie There can be no greater pouerty than to haue nothing A couetous man lacketh as well that which hee possesseth as that which he hath not The things which hee hath hee vseth not yea hee maketh
perceiuest therein although it haue besides many imperfections why louest thou not God who is essentially good of himselfe and the perfection of all goodnesse The lesse materiall substance there is in a bodie the lighter it is and so much the more apt to ascende vpwarde so againe the more thou art loden with the loue of earthly things the more hardly shalt thou ascend in heart vnto God The fewer thine inordinate passions be the greater is thy loue And if thou loue God perfectly thou wilt make none account of earthly things CHAP. 7. We are necessarily to loue our neighbour THou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe sayeth God The honest loue of thy neighbour is so linked to the loue of God that as thou art commaunded to loue so art thou enioined also to loue thy neighbour They both proceede out of one and the same roote and bee vnseparable The Apostle saith Hee that loueth another hath fulfilled the lawe Thou canst not separate thy selfe from thy neighbour vnlesse thou separate thy selfe from God All the lines that bee made from the vttermost part of a circle vnto the Centre which is the middle point doe all meete together in the Centre and the further any of those lines is drawen from the Centre the further is it diuided from the other lines and the further one line is drawen from an other the further doth it goe from the Centre it selfe Thou canst not by any meanes diuide thy selfe from thy neighbour but withall thou doest diuide thy selfe from God thou art so made that of necessitie thou must mourne when thy neighbour mourneth and take a part of his troubles vpon thy selfe by a Christian compassion Iob he neither tare his clothes nor complained grieuously for the losse of his goods but for the death of his childreÌ„ But for the most part many they are more grieued at the losse of temporal riches than at the hurt of their neighbours Let it not greeue thee to forgoe these corruptible thinges which God doth suffer to be taken from thee for the good of thy soule but let thy neighbours harmes pearce thine heart and let his hurt bee thine owne After God had created al things I meane the trees plants beastes and such like which were to multiply and encrease euery one after his kinde he created man male and female of whom all men that were to liue in the world should descende that they seeing themselues to proceede from one roote should by so much loue one another the more Thinke it not an hard commandement to loue thy neighbour though he haue offended thee but acknowledge that much harder it had been if God had commanded thee to hate thine enemy For to loue it agreeth with the nature of vs all but to hate it is contrarie to mans natures nowe God hath willed those things wherevnto naturally wee are enclined and as much against the nature of man it is to hate as it is against the nature of water to ascend vpward If it seeme an hard thing for thee to loue thy neighbour it will be much more hard in hell fire to burne Chuse therefore one of the twaine I say not if thou hate but if thou loue not thy neighbour looke out of question to burne in hell And worthy is hee the curse of God which had rather to burne in the bottomelesse pit than to loue his neighbour and so haue the fauour of the Lord. Loue thy neighbour yea though he be thine enemie so shalt thou be the childe of God if the child than also the heire eâ—en the heire of God and an heire annexed with Christ of that celestiall kingdome whih hath none ende CHAP. 8. We must loue our enemies LOue your enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you and pray from them which hurt you and persecute you that yee may be the children of your father that is in heauen saith the Lord A Kings sonne wil abide his schoolmaster both to teach and reprehend him There is no better schoolemaster than an enemie who hath a singular â—are of thy life and can no sooner â—ee thee to slip and take a fall but foorthwith hee rebuketh thee for â—he same If thou wouldest bee warie in leaâ—ing of thy selfe than pray God to â—end thee an enemie whome if thou â—â—nce haue thou needest none other â—aister whose paines thou maiest â—argely recompence Before thine enemy thou ponâ—erest aduisedly what thou art to â—peake for thou knowest howe thou shalt no sooner trâ—p in thy speech but thou shalt be taken but if thou haue none enâ—my thou carest almost neither what thou sayest nor what thou doest An enemie is a bridle as it were to keepe thee from sinne but a friend couereth and concealeth thine offences By thy friend thou offendest God and through thy foe thou doest thy duty Thine enemie is to thee a clocke whereby thou mayest order thy steps aright More good a great deale thou reapest from thy â—oe than from thy friend and therefore good cause hast thou to honor him by whose meanes thou prouest more circumspect wise and good than otherwise thou wouldest be If thou doest set by and esteeme a a little staffe or wande for that it seâ—ueth thee to beate off the dust from garments why wilt thou not esteeme of thine enemies and set much by them that driue away the dust of thy defects by sharpe reprehending of thee O Ashur the rod of my wrath and the staffe in their hands is mine indignatiâ—â— saith the Lord by his Prophet Isaiah Cast not such a rodde into the fire neither make more account of riches than of thy soule When our friendes doe extoll and magnifie vs our enemies doe humble and bring vs downe that wee waxe not proude If prosperity doe blinde vs our enemies by persecution will cause vs to see now seeing the enemie doth make vs better let vs esteeme of him greatly as reason doeth require Friendes many times will not say the truth when enemies wil tel all that they know As much good as thine enimie doth vnto thee so much harme doth he vnto himselfe for hee killeth his owne soule and woundeth his conscience therefore seeing him in so euill a plight that did thee so much good thou oughtest greatly to pittie his estate The Psalmist doth say They persecute him whom thou hast smitten and they add vnto the sorrow of them whom thou hast wounded He addeth sorrowe vnto sorrow which doth recompence one hurt with another and hee taketh life from the man that is dying which hateth his enemie If yee loue them which loue you what rewarde shal yee haue Doe not the Publicans euen the same To loue an enemie is the very property of a true Christian and Gospeller The malice of thine enemie is verie poyson but yet of poyson is the wholesome triacle made so mayest thou make of the malice of thine enemie a good medicine for thy
soule Giue to thine enemies being hungry foode being naked and needy clothes and almes and so shalt thou make of this poyson compounded with these good receiptes a wholesome medicine against many noysome diseases CHAP. 9. self-Selfe-loue is the bane of many Christian vertues GEt thee out of thy countrie and from thy kinred and from thy fathers house saith the Lorde vnto the Patriarch Abraham All earthly affections must bee renounced least thou beginne to like more thine owne than the thinges of Iesus Christ. For the desire of thinges inuisible and heauenly renounce the loue of visible thinges Plucke ill weedees by the rootes that they spring not againe Selfe-loue it peruerteth iudgement dimeth the light of reason darkneth the vnderstanding corrupteth the wil and shutteh the doore of saluation against vs it knoweth not God and forgetteth the neighbour it banisheth vertues affecteth honour and loueth the world He that so loueth his life shall loose it The roote of all iniquity is selfe-loue Esau Saul â—ntiochus they found no place to vnfained repentance though they sought the fauor of God with teares the reason is because they more esteemed their owne losse than the offending of God Seeke therefore GOD in all thy workes and put thy trust in God onely Selfe-loue is as the heart in the body which ruleth and guideth the flesh the fynewes and the vaines of man Why giuest thou thy selfe so to the immoderate desiring of honour riches and delights but because thou laborest of selfe-loue To contemne a mans owne selfe is a gratefull thing both to God and man He that loueth himselfe more than God his maker or Christ his Sauiour is like a traitor that deserueth to loose both life and goods If selfe loue haue the dominion ouer thy soule thou doest what thou wilt but not what thou shouldest and is for thy behoofe thou art blind and vnworthy to haue any credite giuen vnto thy wordes Renounce thine owne will If that would beequiet and keepe her place thou shouldest bee quiet and not be so torment in minde Follow not thine owne will and there will be nothing to torment thee but vntill thy will bee vtterly consumed looke to bee tormented by the fire of Gods wrath Why halt ye between two opinions you cannot loue God vnlesse you forsake your selfe There be certaine precious stones which if they touch some kind of metall doe loose their vertue and by some other againe they encrease the same Loue is such a precious iewell for beeing fastened vppon thy selfe it looseth his vertue but fixed vpon God it is most glorious and of infinite vertue Because thou shewest thy selfe so familiar to thy selfe thou louest thy selfe so much but wouldest thou be more familiar with God by faithfull praier and meditation thou wouldest loue God more and thy selfe lesse than thou dost a great deale A man bread and brought vp altogether in a simple cottage is so blinded in iudgement that hee will praeferre his rude home before the most princely pallace in the world so for that thou acquaintest not thy selfe as thou shouldest with the house of God thou more esteemest a present trifle than the infinite treasures laide vp in heauen for such as loue God If the Apostle did so loue Christ that hee could say that nothing should seperate him from the Loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord maruel not that the same Apostle did say Our conuersation is in heauen Greatly familiar was the Apostle with God and little with himselfe therefore hee loued God much and himselfe but little Let thy mind runne still vpon God euermore thinke vpon him by some deuoute prayer or meditation this if thou doe vse from time to time it is vnpossible but thou shouldest loue God seeing thou art come vnto the knowledge of him Two loues doe build two Citties the one is the loue of God which bringeth the contempt of thy selfe the other is the loue of thy selfe which causeth the contempt of God Betweene both these that is betwixt God and thy selfe standeth thy will whereby the nearer thou art vnto thy selfe the farther thou art from God the nearer vnto God the farther thou art from thy selfe Had not these two pronownes Meum Tuum Mine and Thine so much bene vsed in our mouthes so much discorde as there is had neuer bene in the world But because the most part doe more loue their owne than the publique commoditie there be so manie defectes in euerie common-weale The Apostle saith In the last daies shal come perilous times For men shal be louers of their owne selues couetous boasters proude cursed speakers disobedient to parentes vnthankefull vnholy c. And of all these euiles here mentioned selfe loue is set in the fore-front as the cause and originall of them all Nothing so hurteth a man as the hauing of his owne will Take away this foundation and the walles of worldly vanities whereunto thou art giuen will fal downe flat vnto the ground CHAP. 10 It is the part of the seruantes of God to denie themselues Iâ— any man will come after me let him deny him selfe take vp his crosse dately and follow mee saith the Lord The way to come vnto Christ is to conquer thine owne will to suffer tribulation with patience and not to seeke thine owne profite and commodity The true seruant of God hunâ—eth not after his owne commodity but for the glory and honour of God him selfe In all thy workes studie to please God and from his hande thou shalt receiue the greater blessing Let him be the beginning and ende of all thine actions least thou loose the fruit of thy labours Selfe loue is a most deadly plague Hee that seeketh himselfe spoyleth himselfe Good workes done in the Lorde they reioyce the conscience enlighten the vnderstanding and be recompensed with new blessings from God aboue Many doe despise outward things which they possesse and yet for all that attaine not vnto that perfection which the Gospel requireth which consisteth in the denial of a mans own selfe and of his will The seruant of Iesus Christ ought not onely to make light account of temporal goods but also to contemne himselfe least he bee hindered in the way that he walketh Let him learne by the grace of the holy spirite to ouercome himselfe that hath learned before to despise the things of the world This is the perfect denial euen for a man to denie himselfe from the bottom of his heart and not to seeke consolation in any creature If thou seekest any priuate or temporall commoditie surely thou art not throughly motified neither shalt receiue any spirituall comfort from the Lord. Many that haue had some zeale and ioy of the spirit at the first haue continued in that good course but a litle while they haue begunne with heate but they haue gone forwarde but coldly They sought in their prayers their owne consolation
which when they sawe they were depriued of they gaue their minde vnto the worlde againe which they renounced before and the cause was they subdued not their owne affections as they should neither were truely mortified because they forsooke not themselues Be it alwayes in thy mind to serue God and then though thou finde no comfort in thy selfe yet thinke that thou art occupied in his seruice and that it is his will that thou shouldest haue no further comfort thereby than hee should thinke it conuenient If thou wilt profite in the seruice of God learne to denie thy selfe euen in euery thing Many denie themselues in some but not in all thinges They are obedient in all thinges which doe like them but in the thinges which are contrarie to their humors they finde themselues But thou must in all thinges bee readie to yeelde vnto Gods will and vtterly forsake thy selfe for his sake The carefull Merchant sold all that he had to buy the pearle Ananias and his wife Sapphira were killed with present death for that they gaue parte of their money vnto God and reserued part for themselues If thou wilt serue God thou must as occasion is offered forgoe all and reserue nothing for thy selfe Through renouncing of thine owne will the will of God getteth the dominion ouer vs and so mans will is transformed into the will of God when man for Christes sake is readie to endure all manner of aduersitie Hadst thou once gotten a full victorie ouer thy selfe in a small time thou shouldest greatly profit in the schoole of Christ. Our Sauiour Christ he sought not his own glory but thine the Lord of heauen descended not into the earth for his owne profite but for thy coÌ„modity Why then seeking thy selfe dost thou forget him which for thy sake so forgat himselfe that hee gaue himselfe vnto the death to saue thee A good wife and an honest is she that wil please none but her husband and happy is that soule which onely seeketh to please delight her spouse Iesus Christ. Blessed is that soule whose onely desire is to haue the fauour of God and vtterly contemneth all other loue Christ is a good husband and worthy solely and sincerely to bee loued Therefore thou shouldest forsake all and deny thy selfe to the end thou mayest enioy the sweete friendship of Iesus Christ. CHAP. 11. A good Christian will take it patiently when he is despised LET vs cast away euery thing that pressed down and the sinne that hangeth so fast on let vs run with patience the race that is set before vs looking vnto Iesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the ioy that was set before him endured the crosse and despised the shame is set at the right hand of the throne of God saith the Apostle It is thy dutie to bee dead and estranged from all the inordinate affection of humaine praises honors and fauor and to desire of all men to bee contemned and put to shame Alas fewe there bee which seeke to be adorned with such vertues If any be founde which hunt not after dignities yet are there almost none that loue to be contemned and put to rebuke It thou desire these thinges with all thine heart God will graunt them vnto thee If God doe not send thee aduersitie it is not because it is not good for thee but because thou art so weake that thou art not fit for the same beeing yet smally mortified For God is vnto nothing more ready than to laye afflictions and tribulations vppon him which is truely mortified in some good measure knowing that they that ouercome shal be crowned with glory wherof he would haue his friendes to bee partakers All things which either thou wouldest or canst desire of God which belong not vnto the due mortification and despifing of thy selfe for Gods sake haue some-what within them sauouring of thy corrupt nature and selfe loue and although in part thou hast put away from thee the loue of thy selfe yet secretlie returneth it vnto thee againe by seeking somewhat of thy selfe and thine owne commoditie which thou wert not aware of and so many times when we thinke that wee are farre from our selues we are not so Hence it is that thou which before thou haddest it desiredst some great aduersitie but once falling into a little trouble thou diddest â—ainte foorth with because thoroughly thou haddest not contemned thy selfe for selfe loue did still lurke in thy minde and it was no sooner touched but it rose againe Though thou sleepe now and then yet art thou not altogether dead Happie is that man which is so dead to himselfe that hee desireth to be contemned of all men Our Lorde gaue vs a most perfect example of mortification when vpon the crosse he saide My God my God why hast thou forsaken me So the seruant of God ought so to content himselfe when hee is forsaken that yet hee faint not therein albeit he be depriued of all sensible perceauing the comfort of the spirite for a time as our Sauiour was vppon the crosse It is not againe the propertie of Gods children to place the last ende of their prayers in the sensible vttering of them by the mouth to be heard of men But seeing that an eye is alwaies to be cast vnto that which God would haue vs to doe ascende once vnto this perfection which consisteth in the essentiall loue of God so that in all things thou maiest do his wil through contempt and mortification of thy selfe and that onely for Gods sake not for thine owne either glorie or commoditie Happie is hee which is so mortified that hee is readie to endure euen extreame 〈…〉 for the loue of God and 〈…〉 stil his fauor Happy is that man which inflamed with the loue of God is content with all his heart to be destitue of all sensible so he may enioy the essential loue of the holy Spirite Happy is hee which coueteth to imitate Christ Iesus in the crosse abandoning all consolation of earthly and corporall things Happie is that soule that is so dead to it selfe that it liueth without these strange affections such a soule is pure without sinne quiet without disturbance free without molestation depriued of worldly honour but adorned with vertues clarified in vnderstanding lifted vp in spirite vnited vnto God and blessed for euermore CHAP. 12. That bodie shall bee blessed which is subdued of the soule PVt on the whole armour of God that yee may bee able to stand against the assaults of the diuel saith S. P. u. Thou canst not liue without warfare for wheresoeuer thou art thou shalt haue a battell because in thy bosome thou bearest him that euermore will gaine say thee In one and the same man the Apostle setteth downe vnto vs two men so ioyned together and so compact that the one cannot bee without the other and yet are they so diuided that the life of the one is
Iob vnto God Seeing thou wast made to knowe God open thine eies to the end thou maiest know him Of the knowledge of God commeth the knowledge of thy selfe and by the knowledge of thy selfe groweth the knowledge of GOD. Therefore saide Iob Mine eie seeth thee There fore I abhorre my selfe and repent in dust and ashes By thy knowing of God thou art moued to reuerence him But if thou knowe him not thou art like vnto him which passing nigh a King because hee knoweth him not is so farre from giuing him due honour belonging vnto his Maiesty that hee iustleth and pusheth him So dealeth the poore swaine of the country with his Lord now and then Maruel not that the holy men of God so humbled themselues when they came before the presence of God for they knew him to bee the King of heauen and therefore they fel flat prostrate on the ground before his glorious Maiesty Pray earnestly vnto God from the bottom of thine heart that thou maiest thoroughly know thy selfe Doe not deceiue thy selfe by thinking thou dost fully know God when thou dost but know onely that there is a God and beleeuest that which the holy Church beleeueth A rude fellowe that keepeth sheepe may haue a certaine confuse knoweledge of a king But if it be told him that hee is a great Lord and for power able both to rewarde abundantly such as desâ—rue well at his handes and to punish the wicked hee then will haue him in more reuerence than afore So if onely thou beleeue there is a God and art not instructed how seuere hee is in punishing malefactors thou wilt not feare him and againe if thou bee ignorant of his mercie thou wilt not trust in him Learne what great riches hee hath laide vppe in store for such as loue him Consider further his exceeding goodnesse who without any merite or desert of thine hauing no neede at all of thee came of his owne free will to seeke thee and with his infinite griefe and paines to redeeme thee that thou shouldest loue him for so doing Beholde his power his wisedome and his infinite greatnesse and yeelde that reuerence and honour which is due to his glorious maiestie If thou beleeuest that God is good seeke with all diligence for some portion of that perfection which thou knowest to be in him God would not haue any other beastes offered vnto him in sacrifice than such as did chewe the cudde Whereby was meant as I thinke such men as did meditate in their mindes and diligently call into their remembrance the wonderfull workes of God that thereby they might come vnto some knowledge of the Creator which is inuisible Labor euen to the vttermost of thy power to know thy maker preseruer and redeemer Wilt thou know who God is Behold who thou art to him and what he is to thee If thou wouldest know him then must thou take away the earth which the loue of this world hath set before the eies of thine vnderstanding whereby the sight is dimmed Before God would manifest himselfe vnto Moses hee gaue him commandement first to put of his shoos Surely God will neuer make himselfe manifest vnto thee vnlesse first thou throw away all naughtie desires of the world If thou wilt ascend into the profound knowledge and contemplation of Gods matters then must thou abandon all worldly affections or cares of this world from thine heart CHAP. 16 It is the dutie of a Christian to meditate vpon his God WHile I was musing the fire kindled saieth the roiall Prophet For to kindle the fire of Gods loue in thy will meditation and contemplation are necessarie betweene which twaine there is little difference but that meditation agrâ—eth to those which with difficultie and paine doe thinke vpon heauenly matters and contemplation to them which bee exercised in the matters of the Spirit But neither in the one nor in the other consisteth our perfection but in the loue of God onely Contemplation is the worke of the vnderstanding and the way or meane vnto perfection But perfection is in lifting vp the will vnto God through that heauenly vnion and soueraigne loue which is the chiefest There is small pleasure in contemplating but in louing there is a great ioy The vnderstanding doth not giue sustenance vnto our soules but onely prepareth the meate that our soule is fed withall There is no plesant taste in preparing that which must bee eaten but in eating that which is prepared And for so much as the obiect of our will or that thing which our will tendeth vnto is either good or seemeth to be good so that nothing can be loued but that which is good or else taken for good vnder the coulor of some thing that is good the vnderstanding conceaueth a bottomlesse depth of goodnesse in the Lord very colde should the will be if like another Phenix it consumed not it selfe euen with the fire of that heauenlie loue beholding by contemplation the glorious beames of the Sunne of righteousnesse Shake thy winges like the Phenix and lift vp thine heart in meditation and surely thou shalt perceiue thy selfe to bee conuerted into dust and ashes as it were while thou confessest thy loathsome basenesse before the infinite aud incomprehensible goodnesse of the Lord. If thou wilt enioy the sweetnesse of godly prayer be refeshed therin by heauenly contemplation thou must lift vp the force of thy will vnto God Some are exercised onely in the intellectuall part and not in the affectuall part of the will whose ende is not to bee enflamed with the loue of God but onely to attaine some curious speculation in hie matters hence are they still musing how our Sauiour Christ was borne how he liued how he suffered and rose againe from the dead But these bee farre from true contemplation in deede if they fixe their felicitie in the knowledge and pure speculation of such misteries of God for they are to ascende vnto the firie sea of Gods loue to manwarde to whom by a reciprocall loue of their owne they should be vnited and incorporate so as all the imperfection of thine owne mortification may be made perfect pure through him and his loue If thou hast gotten any knowledge of God thou must not staie there but thou art withall to proceede vnto the loue of God They which truely thinke of these things they may well bee called and counted the friendes of God such were the blessed Apostles vnto whom the Lord saith Hence foorth call I you not seruants for the seruant knoweth not what his master doth but I haue called you friendes for all things that I haue heard of my Father haue I made known vnto you But they which neither thinke hereof nor giue themselues vnto the workes of pietie may well bee called not the seruantes of God but the bondslaues of Satan True contemplation is the beginning of glorie Through it a man commeth to the
knowledge both of God and himselfe and that beeing attained hee falleth out of loue with this world and thereby God blesseth him with newe strength to serue him withall CHAP. 17. He that will liue with Christ must first die to the world FOr thy sake are we slaine continually saith the Psalmist Happie is that soule to which Christ both in life and in death is aduantage So long as thou liuest in thy flesh thou must die to the world that after thy death thou mayest liue for euer with Christ. Thou shalt bee quiet within if thou vse not to gad much abroad but to keepe thy selfe at home He that feruently seeketh after outward things must needs waxe cold in the matters of God If thy disordinate appetites and desires of the world be not dead in thee looke neuer to obtaine the true comfort of the spirit Christ he died for all that they which liue should not hence forth liue vnto themselues but vnto him which died for them and rose againe I liue yet not I now but Christ liueth in me saith the Apostle That Christ may come into thy soule it is needefull that first thou die vnto sinne and that the inwarde man may liue the outwarde man must be mortified Yee are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God saith the Apostle Thou diest when thou ceasest to be such as thou wert before in wickednesse If we liue in the spirite saith the Apostle let vs walke in the Spirite For if ye true after the flesh ye shall die but if ye mortifie the deedes of the body by the Spirite ye shall liue Saul he spared Agag and put him into prison being commanded from God himselfe to destroy all the Amalikites and to haue no compassion vpon anie of them So many doe enclose and shut vp their wicked passions for a while but they kill them not presently as God would haue them to doe For it is not enough for thee to imprison thine affections that they burst not forth but thou must besides kill them so that all inordinate concupiscence and desire of the worlde haue no life at all in thee There bee diuers and sundrie persons which like the trees in winter seeme as it were dead vnto the world but they are no sooner ill entreated but they cannot onely murmur but raile too For the rootes beeing left aliue they beginne to spring againe assoone as the tentation of sommer commeth vpon them Because thou hast let goe out of thine handes a man whom I appointed to die thy life shall goe for his life saith the Prophet vnto Ahab The life which thou giuest vnto thy fleshly parte which God will haue killed it shal be recompensed by the death of thy soule Consider aduisedly who it is that liueth within thee If the flesh doe liue than is the spirite dead Thou shalt neuer giue thy selfe vnto deuoute prayer and meditation vnlesse first thou bee mortified in minde yea it is necessarie that all thy spirituall exercises beginne at mortification Manie will flie without winges They profite smallie which are not mortified Of this be thou sure thou shall neuer see God vnlesse thine affections are so rauished with the loue of God that thou art throughlie minded in regard thereof to despise thy selfe The pure loue of God maketh thy minde simple and so free from all worldly desires that it doth without all paine and labour mount vp vnto the Lord. If thou wert dead vnto the world the world also would bee dead vnto thee againe as it was to the glorious Apostle S. Paul Euen as the sea retaineth in it those men that bee liuing and casteth out to the shore such as are dead so the world it maketh greatly of those which liue to the world and suffereth them to haue no rest therein which are as dead thereunto for Christ his sake CHAP. 18. By abstinence the flesh mâ— be brought in subiection to the spirit IF yee liue after the flesh ye shall die but if ye mortifie the deedes of the bodie by the Spirite ye shall liue saith the Apostle Thou shalt neuer please the Spirit except thou subdue thy bodie by abstinence and true repentance for thy sinnes If thou burden thy bodie with much meate thou shalt depresse thy soule through the waight of sinne The diuell by offering the forbidden fruite to our first parentes ouercame them and brought them and vs by them into the displeasure of God The first tentaion wherewith Iob was tried arose from the rioâ—ing and bellie-cheere of his sonnes and daughters S. Paul notwithstanding hee knew himselfe to bee an elect vessel of the Lord yet hee beare downe his bodie and we on the other side knowing our selues most hainous sinners in respect of him wee liue and fare deliciouslie without scruple of conscience Take heede to your selues least at any time your hearts bee oppressed with surfetting and drunkennesse and cares of tâ—tâ— life saith our Sauiour Daniel to bee the better prepared to receaue the heauenly consolations hee was in heauinesse for three weekes of daies and ate no pleasant bread neither came there any flesh or wine into his mouth till three weekes of daies were fulfilled and immediately thereupon he saw most heauenlie visions and reuelations from God If thou wilt ouercome thine enemy bereaue him of his weapons The armor that Satan taketh to foile thee with all is thine owne flesh He that giueth himselfe to bodily plesures shall fall into the snares of the diuell Labour to destroy the idol of the flesh by abstinence watching and praier so shalt thou carrie away from Satan a most glorious victorie Nothing maketh the Diuell more bolde to inuade as thy delicious pampering of thy flesh Hee that thinketh hee can liue chast faring daintelie and deliciouslie deceaueth himselfe and is a foole Take away delicate fare as wood and thou shalt quench the fire of sensuall desire After that Lot had out of measure quaffed vp wine and was drunke hee committed incest with his owne daughters Though a man ascende vnto the mount of meditation and professe religion yet will he fall with Lot vnlesse he keepe a sober diet abstaine It is dangerous riding of a colt which neither is tamed nor hath a bridle Holde in the colt the flesh with the bridle of abstinence least he throw thee downe to thine hurt bind his mouth with bit and bridle as the Prophet saith Rush not violently into the waters of worldly delightes vnlesse thou wilt be drowned as Pharao with all his host were They sunke like stones into the bottome as thou shalt likewise both in bodie and soule vnlesse thou tame and restraine thy flesh with the bridle of abstinence By abstinence much sinne is auoyded vnlawfull pleasure banished our saluation furthered grace confirmed and chastitie is retained It is a shamefull thing for the maister to bee ouercome of the seruant As great shame
God Doe you not remember how vpon the sudden the father receaued his prodigall son into fauor againe vpon his returne made a great feast for him and receaued him with all tokens of ioy insomuch that the elder sonne was angrie and said that although many yeeres hee had serued him yet did he neuer receiue so much as a kid from him to make merry with his friends Which his anger and indignation was altogether vndiscreet because the prodigall sonne after his fall returned most zealously vnto his father requiring pardon for his offences whereas the elder son was luke-warme not so zelously affectioned to his Fatherward There bee some young men more zelously giuen in the seruice of God than many old men And therefore the multitude of yeeres is not so to bee regarded as the zeale of the spirite Hee that is neither hote nor colde in Gods matters may easily bee seduced to offend the Lord. God saith I would thou werest colde or hote Therfore because thou art luke warme and neither colde nor hote it will come to passe that I shall spewe thee out of my mouth Of warmnesse there be two kinds one which goeth from heate vnto colde which is nought another which forsaketh the colde and draweth towardes the heate and this is good Hee that hath beene naught and beginneth now to drawe neere vnto God is not to bee rebuked but encouraged and inflamed but hee that was feruent and is now neither hote nor colde deserueth reprehension because hee declineth from the heate of the spirite vnto the colde of wickednesse This is that luke-warmnesse which the Lord so findeth fault with and vpon iust cause For it is vnmeete that hee should so coldly bee serued who with such a feruencie of loue hath giuen himselfe to serue thee Our Lorde and Sauiour Christ at his last supper saide vnto Iudas the traitor That thou doest doe quickly he burned so with desire to die for vs miserable sinners The glorious virgine Mary shee went into the hil country with hast to visite her cousen Elizabeth in which acte of hers thou maiest perceiue the great zeale of her affection Doe we not read in like sort that the Passeouer was commaunded to bee eaten In haste And did not the Patriarch Abraham runne to meete strangers that he might entertaine and receiue them into his inhabitation If thou wert to receaue a peece of mony about the euening the day beeing alreadie well spente and thou hauing some good way to goe wouldest thou not set the best legge formost and make speede that you bee not disappointed Remember my good friend what a pretious treasure thou art to receiue how far it is to the place where thou must take it vp and how short the time is limited for the attaining the same make haste therefore and loose no time least thou loose all to thine vtter vndoing O that thou couldest with the Prophet say I will runne the way of thy commaundements Thou oughtest to bee as swift and ready in the seruice of God euen as though within one houre thou shouldest leaue this world A certaine wise man thus spake his mind of Phisicke The life is short the art is long and practise may deceaue this said hee not to terrifie his Disciples from giuing their minds vnto the studie of Physicke but that with more diligence they should studie the same inasmuch as our life is short and the science very hard Be thou therefore earnest in the seruice of God because thy life is short and many things there be in the same which thou hast to doe CHAP. 28. We must not rashly resolue our selues in any thing BEleeue not euery spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God saith S. Iohn Before thou set vpon a worke consider first the qualitie thereof and thine owne strength least like a blind man thou rush vpon a thing and take a fall Many beginne the worke euen of God with great zeale but with little discretion and so in the end loose all their labour for when they should should bring it vnto perfection they faint and so repente them of their paines taken God will not that wee should bee rash in determining any matter but to doe thinges with wisedome and discretion and that before we enterprise any worke that we aduisedly premeditate The virgine mother of our Sauiour being saluted of the Angel before shee made any answere vnto the Angel Gabriel she thought what manner of salutation that should be If thou dost not consider with prudence afore hand thou must runne blindly in the darke and so the more forciblie thou fallest the greater shall be thy bruise Thinke that by howe much thy zeale is greater by so much should thy wisedome bee greater than other mens It is written to the reproach of the Iewes that they are a nation voide of counsell neither is there any vnderstanding in them Dauid in giuing too light credite vnto the false reports of Zâ—ba gaue an vniust sentence against Mephibosheth which faults diuers Princes and Prelates doe fall into by beleeuing hand ouer head that which is told them whereby manie a good man is vndone before his cause bee heard and many a poore man suffereth great wrong before hee euer know who were causers of the same The Prophet Nathan did not well in aduising Dauid to build an house for the Lorde before hee had asked counsel touching the same of God Our Sauiour Christ being chosen to be a iudge in the cause of the adultresse suspended his iudgement for a while writing first with his finger on the ground Giue not credite rashly to euery man for Hee that is hastie to giue credite is light minded and he that quickly beleeueth shal repeÌ„t at leisure Bee not moued with euerie winde neither walke thou by euery way The Apostle saith Take heede therefore that yee walke circumspectly not as fooles but as wise that yee fall not into daunger Christ saith vnto his Disciples I haue giuen you an example that yee should doe euen as I haue done vnto you Againe he saith Learne of me that I am meeke and lowly in heart Christ would that we should follow him not onely in doing well but also in the manner of well dooing for otherwise a worke morally good may bee vnprofitable for want of wisedome Greatly is Abraham commended in the Scripture for dooing with wisedome that which was enioyned him of the Lord. God commanded him to offer his onely sonne Izaacke whom hee loued for a burnt offering and he for the better performing of that which was commaunded him tooke his sonne early in the morning least his wise should haue hindered his purpose and left his seruants a farre off with the asse that they might bee no let vnto him at all insomuch that hee had put that in execution in deede had not an Angell of the Lorde called
Little knowe the men of this world what they say when they iudge the yoake of Christ sharpe and soure and their wordes are so much to be waide as the wordes either of a blind man that will iudge of colours or of him that will condemne a way aâ—â—l which he neuer went not yet knoweth But seeing all the Saintes of God haue carried vppon their shoulders the yoake of Christ and haue by experience found the same to bee light more credit is vnto them to bee giuen than to those men whosoeuer they are which neuer did vndergoe the same No man euer hath taken vpon him this yoake of Christ but he hath confessed that the same was light againe no man will say it is bitter and intolerable but hee that knoweth not what it meaneth This wil they testisie to bee true who laying aside the burden of sinne by humble confessing them vnto the Lord haue fouÌ„d theÌ„selues so lightened as they seemed foorthwith to be rapt vp into the heauens If such comfort cometh vnto vs by forsaking of sinne howe much greater will the consolation be in proceeding forwarde in the holy exercises oâ— most Christian vertues For of one good deede thou shalt not be called good but of many actions The habite of vertue it commeth after thou hast first seuered thy selfe from euill and exercised thy selfe in godly vertues And by proofe thou shalt sinâ—e that wel it will goe with thee when thou feelest the true comfort of the soule by going forwarde in the way of the spirit The natural man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God of many good things is he depriued O that but euen a little thou hadest tasted the ioy of the holiâ— Ghost thou wouldest soone take the things which seeme so sweete here in the world for very soure and bitter Seeing the yoake of Christ is so sweete and the yoake of the worlde so burdensome take vpon thee and that cheerefully the yoake of the Lord so at the length thou wilt say that both nowe it doth and hereafter it will go wel with thee CHAP. 13 In all our troubles we must make recourse vnto the Lord COme vnto me al ye that are wearie laden I will ease you saith the Lord If thou forsake God and runnest backe vnto the worlde looke not for any comfort in thy troubles So long as thou obeiest the desires of thy minde and the world so long assure thy selfe no consolatioÌ„ wil come vnto thee That good woman Mary Magdalene when shee was comfortâ—â—sse she came vnto our Sauiour Christ into the Pharisies house and had her sinnes forgiuen her but desperat Iudas flying vnto men hanged himselfe afterward in desperatioÌ„ Here you may see that wiser waâ— that woman than Iudas the Traitor they had both offended and both confessed their sinnes but better did she for her selfe in flying vnto the fountaine of comfort than the foolish Disciple which leauing his life sought his own death If a picture that sometime was faire and perfect afterward becommeth soule and spotted who better canne restore the same to the former integritie than the painter which first made the same So if thy soule be defiled with the spottes of sinne who better can reforme it than God himselfe which created the same after his owne likenesse Be take not therefore the reformation of thy soule to the worlde for it cannot mende but empaire yea vtterly destroy the same Beleeue not lies but turne thee vnto God the fountaine of all mercy Hee that wil aske an almes of a poore man when a rich man that is both able and willing also to giue is present is a verie foole No creature is so rich that it can comfort thee but God onely heerein is most liberall Turne therfore thy praiers vnto him and cast thy heart vpon his kindnesse who is the true quietnes consolation Seeke vnto thy Sauiour Christ as the doue sought vnto the Arke of Noah But hang not vppon this worlde as the rauen hanged vppon carion The doue founde no rest vntill she returned vnto the Arke againe If thou wouldest inwardly be comforted in thy soule fly the outwarde consolation of the body If thou hungrest after Christ hee will fil thee with the bread of heauen Happy is he that setteh not his heart vpon any creature but dedicateth himselfe and al his works vnto the Lord. One thing is needful vnto thee Is it not better to ioine thy selfe to one than to many Let others seeke if they wil varietie of things external seeke thou that one thinge which is spiritual and with that be content Of one al thinges proceede and not that one thing of many By seeking these visible thinges while thou thinkest to finde rest in them thou forgoest the things which are truely good if thou turne thy selfe vnto transitory goods thou shalt leese trust vnto it the good thinges in deede and finde thy selfe incombred in many troubles but if vnto God the soueraigne good thou turne thy selfe then shalt thou in him finde quietnesse â—nd a plentifull heape of all good thinges Seeke the water of life to refresh thy soule whithall at the fountaine which by no possibe meanes can bee dried vp For better is one dropp of heauenly consolation than all the floudes and streames of worldly pleasures The men of this world they seeke for quietnesse in thinges that bee out of quiet and for continuance in things transitory Let them therefore take to themselues the dignities of the world but let it be as a shielde vnto thee to make recourse vnto God and in him to repose al thy trust and confidence CHAP. 34. The comfort of this world as they are not true so neither be they of continuance I Haue seene the wicked strong spreading him selfe like a green bay tree Yet he passeth away and loe hee was gone and I sought him but he could not be founde saith Dauid The righteous haue been counted for dead in this worlde like the treeâ— in winter whose vertue remaineth hidden in the rootes Therefore in the sight of the world they seemed fruitelesse and good for nothing but the sommer being come their vertue flourisheth and then will they shewe themselues in their glorious array The floures appeare in the earth so shall the iust say when gloriously shining as the Sunne they shal bee presented before the God of heauen Trust not the greene and goodly hew of this worldly vanity which soone vanisheth away loue not the world which thou seest to passe away so swiftly Salomon saith As the whirl wind passeth so is the wicked no more As a thunderclap which maketh a great noyse in the ayre and as a sudden shower of raine which soone passeth away and by and by the day is cleare again such is all the pomp and show of this world it no sooner commeth but it is gone again Loue the life which is eternall which enioying