things which then they estimated preiudiciall to their soules as if they were the men that had not doone that they did for the loue of God but onely for feare of the extreamitie in which at that time they were which ceasing also the effect ceaseth which thereupon followed Whereby it most manifestly appeareth that this repētance is like vnto that which Saylers make who when they are in extreamity and danger of shypwrack they promise to change their lifes to embrace vertue and I know not what protestations they make but vvhen the storme is appeased and ouer-past and a wished calme commeth and they are without ieopardy byand by they returne to theyr former vomit they laugh they trifle they blaspheme carouse and sweare and become worser then they were before making no account of their vowes and protestations yea reputing them as dreames and toyes The third reason is because the custome of sinne in vvhich the sinner hath hetherto liued will almost neuer forsake a man but euen till death waiteth vpon him and followeth him no otherwise then the shadow doth the body For custome is another nature which is not ouercome without very great difficultie And so we see by experience that many at the houre of theyr deaths are so little carefull for the saluation of their soules are so couetous so drowned in carnall and wordly things such louers of this life that they would still enioy it if at any price they might buy it so captiuated in the loue of this world so enamoured with all those things that they loued in it as if they vvere not at all at this passe or in this danger Haue you not often-times seene old men so greedy and so couetous that they haue neuer intermitted one houre nor slacked any time to hourd vp the pelfe of this worlde who notwithstanding are vnmercifull and haue theyr hands shut when they should doe any good and whose affections and appetites are very fresh and liuely in prosecuting the businesse of thys world heaping vp riches without end or meane which they must leaue in the world GOD knowes to whom but to anie good worke reprobate and dull This is a punishment not the least by which God punisheth sinne permitting it to attend vpon the offender to the graue according to that of S. Gregorie God chastiseth a sinner with this kinde of punishment that he permitteth him to forget and be vnmindfull of himselfe in the houre of death because he remembred not God in his lyfe And so one negligence or obliuion is punished by another the forgetfulnes of the fault is punished with that obliuion which is both a punishment and a fault which we see and heare verified by daily experience for how often doe we heare that many haue wished to die and haue died in the armes of theyr harlots whom they tenderly loued that as in theyr life time they would not expell them out of their houses so in death they would not forsake them because by the iust iudgement of God they are become vtterly vnmindfull obliuious both of themselues and of their soules The fourth reason of the Schoole-man is founded in the qualitie of the valour of the workes which are commonly done at that houre for euery one who hath but a sparke of Diuine light seeth plainly how farre different the works that then are done are from the works which are done of a man sound and in health he acknowledgeth I say that those much lesse please God then these That gift cannot be very acceptable to God as saith a certaine holy woman which therefore is offered because the last day so enioynes it for it is not of the right nature of a gift What I pray thee is it to pardon an iniury at that houre when not to pardon it is a great reproch Doost thou thinke it praise worthy that then thou leauest thy Concubine when thou must leaue her whether thou wilt or no neither may shee stay any longer in thine house By these reasons this subtile Doctor concludeth that a man with great difficultie in that houre truely repenteth Yea he saith that a Christian who of a set purpose deferreth his repentance to the houre of death doth very highly sinne by reason of the great iniury that he offereth to his owne soule and by reason of the great danger vnto which he exposeth his saluation Now I leaue the Reader to his owne conscience and consideration that he may see whether there is any thing more to be feared then this ¶ Certaine authorities of the holy Scripture confirming the precedent sentences of the Doctors BVt because the strength and bulwarke of all this disputation consisteth in the word of God for against this there is neyther appeale nor answere heare what it teacheth vs concerning this matter Salomon in the first chapter of his Prouerbs after he had related the words by which the eternall Wisedome calleth man to repentance hee in like manner adioyneth those wordes which shee will speake to those that doe not obey her call Because saith she I haue called and yee refused I haue stretched out my hand and no man regarded But all my counsailes haue ye despised and sette my correction at naught Therefore will I also laugh at your destruction mocke you when the thing that ye feare commeth vpon you Euen when the thing that ye be afraid of falleth in suddainly like a storme and your miserie like a tempest yea when trouble and heauines commeth vpon you Then shall they call vppon mee but I will not answere they shall seeke mee early but they shall not finde mee And that because they hated knowledge and did not choose the feare of the Lord. Hetherto be the wordes of Salomon or that I may speake better of God himselfe Which Saint Gregory in his Morrall bookes doth expound to be spoken of this repentance which heere we handle What can be aunswered vnto this Are not these threatnings sufficient being from God himselfe to make thee to feare and to admonish thee that betimes thou prepare thy selfe for that houre But heare also another testimony not lesse plaine then this The Lord reasoning in the Gospell of his comming to iudgement he aduiseth and counsaileth his Disciples with great instancie that they prepare themselues against that day hauing vsed many parables and similitudes to that end that by them they might vnderstand of what great weight that matter was His words be these Blessed is that seruant whom his Lord when he commeth shall finde watching But if that euill seruant shall say in his hart My Lord will be long a comming and so beginne to finite his fellowes yea and to care and drinke with the drunken The same seruants Lord shall come in a day when he looketh not for him and in an houre that he is not ware of and shall hew him in peeces and giue him his portion with the Hipocrites It is playne and euident by
doest thou promise that thou thy selfe wilt performe it This question is aunswerrd by the words of Augustine who sayth Lord giue that thou commaundest and commaund what thou wilt So that he be the same vvho commaundeth me what I ought to doe and he that giueth me grace to doe it Therfore in one and the selfe same thing both the commaundement and the promise are found and God and man doe one and the selfe same thing he as the principall and chiefest cause but man as a cause lesse principall So that God in this busines carrieth himselfe to man as a Paynter who guideth the pencill in the hand of his Scholler and so maketh a perfect picture two perfit this worke but more honour belongeth to the one then to the other So also God worketh with vs in this busines after an absolute manner man hath not wherein to glory but to glory with the Prophet and say Lord thou workest all our works in vs. Therefore be thou mindfull of these words for by them thou mayst interpret all the commaundements of God For all that he commaundeth thee to doe he promiseth also that he will doe it with thee When as therfore he commaundeth thee to circumcise thine hart he sayth also that he will circumcise it so when he commaundeth thee that thou shouldest loue him aboue all things he bestoweth grace vpon thee that thou mayst be able so to loue him Hence it is that the yoke of the Lord is sayd to be sweete For there be two that draw it God man and so that which seemed and was difficult vnto nature the Diuine grace doth make it light and sweet Wherefore the Prophet after the fore-sayd words doth proceede further and say This commaundement which I commaund thee this day is not hid from thee neyther is it farre of It is not in heauen that thou shouldest say who shall goe vp for vs to heauen and bring it vs and cause vs to heare it that we may doe it Neyther is it beyond the Sea that thou shouldest say Who shall goe ouer the Sea for vs and bring it us and cause vs to heare it that we may doe it But the word is very neere vnto thee euen in thy mouth and in thine hart for to doe it In which words the holy Prophet would altogether take away that difficulty which carnall men imagine to be in the precepts of the Lord for they onely looking to the law of the Lord without the Gospell that is to those things that are commaunded and not to the grace which is giuen to obey and walk in those commaundements they accuse the law of difficulty saying that it is greeuous heauy difficult not considering that they expresly contradict Saint Iohn who sayth For this is the loue of God that we keepe his commaundements his commaundements are not greeuous for all that is borne of God ouercommeth the world That is all they that haue conceaued the spyrit of God in their soules by meanes of whom they are regenerated and made his sonnes whose spirit they haue receaued all these haue God in them who dwelleth in them by grace and they can doe more then all that that is not God and so neyther the world nor the deuill nor all the power of hell can hurt them And here-vpon it followeth that although the yoke of Gods commaundements be heauy and burthenous yet that newe strength and fortitude which is giuen by grace doth make it light and tollerable ¶ How Charity also maketh the way easie and pleasant which leadeth vnto heauen WHat wilt thou think if to all these precedent another help be ioyned which is deriued in vs from Charity For it is certaine that it is one of the most principall conditions of Charity to make the yoke of the Diuine law most sweet Wherfore as Saint Augustine sayth by no manner of meanes the labours of louers are burthenous or combersome but are delightfull and pleasurable as the labours of Hunters Fowlers and Fishers For in that which is loued eyther there is no labour or the labour is loued And in another place He that loueth sayth he laboureth not For all labour is contrary vnto them that doe not loue It is onely loue that blusheth at the name of difficulty What is it that maketh that a mother doth not feele the continuall labours and troubles which she hath in bringing vp her children but onely loue What is it that maketh an honest and a good vvife to attend night and day vpon her weake and sickly husband but onely loue What doth moue beasts also that they are so carefull to bring vp and foster their young ones and to giue them meate from their owne mouthes that theyr yong may haue to eate what doth moue them I say so to trouble and torment themselues that they may liue safely and what doth moue them so strongly to defend them endangering their owne lifes but true loue What is the cause why Saint Paule sayd with so magnanimous a spirit Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christ shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednes or perill or sword As it is written For thy sake are we killed all day long we are counted as sheepe for the slaughter Neuertheles in all these things we are more then conquerers through him that loued vs. For I am perswaded that neyther death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor thinges present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. What is the cause why the holy Martyrs of Christ so feruently desired martirdome as the hart desireth the water brookes but true loue What is the cause why Saint Lawrence lying vpon the Gridiron in the midst of his torments sayde cheerefully that the flames did comfort and refresh his limbs but that great desire by which he longed for martirdom which was kindled with the flames of this loue For true loue thinketh nothing hard nothing bitter nothing greeuous nothing deadly as Petrus Rauennas sayth What sword what wounds what paynes what death can preuaile against perfect and true loue Loue is an impenetrable coate offence it resisteth darts it beateth backe the sword it tryumpheth ouer dangers it scorneth death if it be loue it ouercommeth all things Therefore ô man loue God loue him wholy that thou mayst ouercome and subdue all sinnes without labour The warre is pleasant and the combat delicate onely by loue to carry the victory ouer all crimes and vices This sayth he Neyther is true loue content if it conquer all labours and troubles but the very nature of loue desireth to sustaine moe labours and troubles for his sake whom it affecteth Hence ariseth that ardent desire of martyrdome which righteous and truly religious men haue that is to shed and poure forth
with corporall eyes sayd Plato she would alure the whole world vnto her If we respect profit what thing is more profitable and supported with greater hope then Vertue for by Vertue we obtayne the chiefest good Length of dayes and gifts of eternity are in her right hand and in her left hand riches and honour If thou art delighted with pleasantnes what greater delight canst thou wish for then a peaceable and a good conscience the sweetnes of charity of peace and of the liberty of the children of God that in the meane time I may say nothing of the consolation of the holy Ghost which is most sweet and pleasant If thou desirest a perdurant and lasting name The righteous shall liue and shall be had in euerlasting remembrance But the memoriall of the wicked shall perish with them If thou be desirous of vvisedome that thou mayst finde the way that leadeth to heauen and the meanes that direct to this end there is no meane more certaine then Vertue which leadeth vnto God If thou desirest to be gracious and acceptable among all men there is not any thing more gracious or more conducent to it then Vertue For as Cicero sayth nothing is more amiable then Vertue nothing that more allureth men vnto loue seeing that for vertue and honesty we loue them whom we neuer saw Such force it hath which is more that we loue it in an enemy Euen as of the conueniency and proportion of the members and lyneaments and of the humours of the naturall body a certaine beauty ariseth which is acceptable to the eyes of men so of the order and vertuous frame of the life laudably led and formed so great a beauty proceedeth that not onely it is most acceptable to the eyes of God and Angels but it is also amiable and beloued of peruerse men and enemies That is truly and simply good which is good in euery respect neyther hath any euill in it Therfore God not without cause sendeth this honorable embasie to a righteous man which we haue set in the forefront of this booke and now againe repeate in the end Say yee surely it shall be well with the iust Say yee so because he is borne vnder an happy starre and that he shall die in a good houre because his life and death is blessed and whatsoeuer after death shall beside him Say yee so vnto him because all things shall goe well with him as well prosperous as aduerfe as well things pleasant as heauy both in quietnes and in labour For all things worke together for the best vnto them that loue God Say yee vnto him although the vvorld be turned topsey turuey and the elements confounded if heauen be ruinated and disturbed let not him feare yea then let him lift vp his head because the day of his redemption is at hand Say yee surely it shall be well with the iust Because a blessing is prepared for him vvhich in excellencie exccedeth all blessings that is God himselfe and that he is free from all euill and from the tiranny of the deuill which is the worst of all euils Say yee surely it shall be well with the iust For his name is vvritten in the booke of life and God the father hath adopted him for his sonne the holy Ghost to be a liuely temple vnto him Say yee surely it shall be well with the iust For that estate which he hath gotten is happy blessed in euery respect And if at any time in any temporal matter it seemeth lesse happy if this be patiently borne it is turned vnto him for a greater good for that which seemed a loose vnto him that is patient is made a gayne vnto him his labour becomes a reward and his warre victory and a perpetuall crowne As often as Laban changed the wages of Iacob his sonne in law he thought that it was profitable vnto him hurtfull to his sonne in law but it fell out cleane contrary for it was vnprofitable vnto him and profitable to his sonne in law Wilt thou then my brother be so cruell to thy selfe and such an enemy that thou shouldest linger to embrace so great a blessing which promiseth on euery side so great good vnto thee What counsaile is more wholsome what more profitable condition or estate of life canst thou follow Blessed are those that are vpright in their way and walke in the law of the Lord saith the Prophet a thousand times blessed are they and blessed againe that keepe his testimonies and seeke him with their whole hart If a good thing as the Philosophers say be the obiect of our will and by how much the more any thing is good by so much the more it deserueth to be loued desired What I pray thee doth make thy will so sottish and insencible that it tasteth not nor embraceth this so vniuersall a good O how much better did that King who sayd I haue chosen the way of thy truth and thy iudgements haue I layd before me I haue cleaued to thy testimonies ô Lord. And in another place O Lord I haue layd vp thy commaundements in mine whole hart He saith not in a corner not in his hand but in the midst or in his whole hart which is the beginning of life the chiefest the best place of all others as if he had sayd This is my best part in which I contriue and determine of all my busines and all my cogitations are in it The men of this world do contrarily for vanity possesseth the chiefest roome of their harts and Gods law lyeth obscured and hid in some corner But this holy man albeit he was a King and troubled with many businesses of his kingdome yet he put them all vnder his feete but placed the law of his Lord in the midst of his hart What hindereth then why thou doost not imitate this good example and embrace so great a good For if thou respectest the bond of the obligation what greater obligation can there be then that which is betweene God and man or only for that cause that he is what he is All the obligations of this world are not worthy of this name if they be compared with this as we haue sayd in the beginning of this booke If thou lookest vnto the benefits what benefits can be greater or more excellent then those that we receaue from the hand of the Lord For besides that he hath created vs and redeemed vs with his blood we haue receaued frō him all that we possesse both within and without our body our soule life health riches grace if so we haue it the continuance of our life our purposes the desires of our harts and all that which hath the name of essence or of goodnes we receaue it I say originally frō him who is the fountaine of all essences and of all goodnes Words are wanting vnto me by which I might set out her
with the Windy-colicke that often his life was endangered by it he stroue with death When on a time he had lost together with his speech all his sence so that there was scarcely left any hope of longer lyuing they applying a little phisicke vnto him forth-with againe he began somewhat to breathe and by little little to come vnto himselfe At the length on a suddaine he began to prayse the Lord crying out with a loude voyce All things which thou hast spoken ô blessed Iesu are most true And he repeated these words very often Those religious men that stoode about him meruailed at him and asked him how he did and why he sayd so He aunswered none other thing but doubled the same saying ouer againe All things which thou hast spoken ô blessed Iesu are true Some that were present sayd that the greatnes of his payne and disease had disturbed his reason and iudgement and that this disturbance did cause him so to speake To whom he aunswering sayd It is not so my brethren but I doe speake with a sound iudgement and with a good vnderstanding that those things are most true which our Sauior Iesus Christ spake They said vnto him again surely we confesse as much that it is so but for what intent doost thou speake it Because sayth he he sayth in the Gospell that whosoeuer for the loue of him shall forsake his parents he shall receaue an hundreth fold in this world and shall haue life euerlasting in the other The experience of this I haue now in my selfe and I confesse with all my hart that now I haue receaued an hundred fold in this life for the greatnes of the griefe which I now suffer is so sweet vnto me for the certaintie of the hope which I haue of my saluation that I woulde not change my Christ with the hundreth fold of all those things that are in the vvorld And if I that am so great a sinner doe receaue so great consolation in my griefes and paines what shal holy and perfect men receaue in their reioycings For that spirituall ioy vvhich hath brought this hope vnto mee dooth farre exceede all that worldly ioy which I possessed in this world When they had heard these things all they that stoode by meruailed that a man vnlearned illiterate should vtter so great misteries but surelie it was the holy Ghost that dwelled in his hart that spake these things in him Therefore by this example it is very manifest that God with out any pompe or preparation of these temporall blessings can giue to his much more aboundance and many moe precious blessings then those were which they left for him and by consequent it is hence euident howe shamefully they erre who thinke that no reward is destined and ordained for Vertue in this life To banish therefore this errour so dangerous besides those things which haue beene spoken the twelue priuiledges prerogatiues which follow shall be most profitable in which we will handle and discourse of the twelue admirable fruits and preheminences which attend and waite vpon Vertue in thys life that by them the louers of this world may vnderstand that in Vertue there are found many moe excellent blessings then they suppose And although to the perfect knowledge of thys the experience and vse of Vertue herselfe were necessarie that thereby we might the better know her riches and commodities yet that which is wanting in this respect Fayth shall supply which confesseth acknowledgeth the truth of the diuine and holy Scriptures by the testimonies of which I will approue all things which I am to speake of this matter that we should at no time doubt of the excellencie of Vertue THE TWELFTH TITLE That the first priuiledge or prerogatiue of Vertue doth bind vs vnto her which is the speciall prouidence by which God directeth all good men to all good and chastiseth the iniquity of the wicked CHAP. XII WE beeing about therfore to speak of the twelue priuiledges and prerogatiues of Vertue we wil beginne of the first and principall from which as from a liuely fountaine all the rest doe flow and that is of the prouidence and fatherly care which God vseth towards them who do serue him Although there is in him a generall prouidence ouer all his creatures yet he hath a singuler and a speciall prouidence onelie ouer them whom hee hath chosen that they should be his and seeing that he accounteth of them as of his sonnes he hath also giuen vnto them a childes hart and a filiall spirit and he in like manner beareth towards them the hart of a most louing tender Father and therefore he hath ouer them a care a prouidence equall vnto this loue But how great that prouidence is it cannot be vnderstood vnlesse of them which haue tried or at least haue seene or haue read with industrie attention those places of Scripture which speake of this prouidence Whosoeuer shall doe this hee shall see that generally all these things are directed to that end For all things haue reference and are turned about these two points no otherwise then the heauen about his poles that is about the Commaundement and the Promise For here the Lord commaundeth obedience to man and obseruaunce of his precepts there he promiseth great rewards to them who obserue keep them threatneth fearefull punishments to them who breake and violate them This doctrine is deuided after that manner that all the morrall bookes of the sacred Scripture do cōmaund and promise and the historicall doe shew the true effect of this or that showing how differently GOD carrieth himselfe towards the good euill But seeing that God is so magnificent and so liberall and man so miserable and so fraile he so rich in promising this so poore in giuing greatly different is the proportion of that which he commaundeth in respect of that hee giueth so that he commaundeth few things but giueth verie many he commaundeth loue and obedience both which hee himselfe giueth and for them he offereth inestimable blessings as well of grace as of glory both in this life and that to come Amongst these wee giue the first place to his loue and fatherly prouidence which he beareth towards them who are receiued of him for sonnes which loue exceedeth al loue prouidence which all earthly fathers haue or can haue towards their sonnes The reason is this because euen to this day there hath not been found any Father who hath layd vp prepared so great blessings for the good of his chyldren as GOD hath prepared prouided for his children that is the participation of his owne glorie Neyther hath any Father laboured or taken so much paynes as hee who hath for them shedde his owne blood To conclude neyther doth any Father watch and keepe his vvith so great care and diligence as God dooth his who are daily in his eyes and to whom he is present in
sayth The age of the righteous shall appeare more cleare then the noone day because hee knoweth how great clearenes and brightnes remayneth for him when now he beginneth to goe out of this world And so at that time when the wicked are heauy and faynt the righteous reioyce and haue confidence in the Lord. This Salomon testifieth in his Prouerbs The wicked sayth he shall be cast away for his malice but the righteous hath hope in his death Tell mee I pray thee what greater hope or confidence can be wished for then that which a certaine holy man did ioy in at the houre of his death Death drawing on and he seeing the enemy of mankinde sayd Thou cruell beast why standest thou there thou shalt find nothing deadly in me for the bosome of Abraham shall receaue me in peace How can hee feare or be disquieted who at the very poynt of death had so great hope of the heauenly glory Therfore the righteous doe not feare death yea they reioyce and prayse God when they dye and doe render vnto him great thanks for theyr ende for by the benefit of death they are deliuered from all their labours and enter into their happines Saint Augustine writing vpon the Epistle of Saint Iohn sayth Hee that desireth to be dissolued and to be with Christ dyeth not patiently but lyueth patiently and dyeth delightsomly Therefore the righteous hath no cause to sorrowe neyther to feare death yea rather â—â— is to be sayd of him that like vnto a Swan he dyeth singing yeelding the glory to God who calleth him He feareth not death because he feared God and he that feareth him neede not feare any other He feareth not death because he feared life but feares of death are the effects of an euill life Hee feareth not death because throughout all his life he learned to dye and prepared himselfe to dye but a man prepared and prouident feareth not his enemy Hee feareth not death because so long as he liued he sought for those things that might helpe him that is for vertues and good works He feareth not death because he hath the Iudge fauourable friendlie vnto him and this was the comfort of Saint Ambrose when he was departing this life I haue not so liued sayth he among you that I am ashamed to liue any longer neyther doe I feare to dye because we haue a good and a gracious Lord. To be briefe he feareth not death because to a righteous man death is not death but a sleepe it is not death but an end of all labours it is not death but the way vnto life and a ladder vnto Paradice For he knoweth very well that death hath lost all the bitternes of death after that it hath passed through the veines of life and that it hath receaued the sweetnes of life Hee is not discouraged for any other accidents which oftentimes happen vnto him at this last cast for he knoweth that those sorrowes are the sorrowes of the birth by which he is borne vnto eternity for the loue of which he hath alwayes desired death and led his life in patience He is not terrified through the memory of his sinnes because he hath Christ his Redeemer whom alwayes he did striue to please He feareth not the Diuine iudgement because he hath Christ his Aduocate he sereth not the presence of deuils because he hath Iesus his defender and Captaine he feareth not the horrour of the graue because he knoweth that his body is sowne a corruptible body but shall rise againe an incorruptible body And after this manner prayse is sung in the end The last day iudgeth all the praecedent as Seneca sayth and giueth sentence of the life past for this is it which eyther iustifieth or condemneth but seeing that the end of the righteous is so quiet and peaceable and the death of the wicked so troublesome and dangerous what is further required to make vs flye an euill life and to embrace a good besides this difference What doe all pleasures riches and sauours of this world profit and what auaileth prosperity if I am at the last to be cast into hell fire And what haue all the miseries and calamities of this life hurt me if I shall sleepe and rest in peace tranquillity and if I shall passe hence hauing a pledge and pawne of eternall life Albeit a sinner be wise in the busines of this life vvhat profit reapeth he by this wisedome vnlesse he heape and scrape together those things whereby he becommeth prouder vainer more delicate and of greater power to worke mischiefe but more vnfitte and vnapt to any good worke Hence death is so much the more bitter vnto him by howe much lyfe vvas sweeter There is no wisedome nor prudence more excellent in this life then so to dispose of all affaires that the end may be ioyfull and happy For it is the propertie of a wise man conueniently and fitly to direct the meanes to the end Wherefore if he be called a skilfull Phisitian who can so temper his medicine that it bringeth health which is the end of his medicine so he shall be termed truly wise who hath so learned to lead his life that a good death may follow that is that he be prepared to giue an account which in that day shall be exacted vnto which all the life is to be disposed aymed and leuelled at ¶ The Conclusion of those thinges which haue beene spoken of in this second part THou hast heard therfore my brother what how great be these twelue priuiledges prerogatiues which are granted vnto Vertue in this life which are as the twelue most notable and excellent fruites of that most noble tree which S. Iohn saw in his Reuelation which was planted by the side of a Riuer bearing twelue manner of fruites and yeelding fruite euerie month For what other thing can thys tree be after the Sonne of GOD then Vertue herselfe which yeeldeth fruites of holines and of lyfe And what other fruites more precious then these can be desired which throughout this whole part we haue remembred For what fruite is more pleasant to the sight then that fatherly prouidence by which God preserueth his What fruite is sweeter then the Diuine grace the light of wisedome the consolations of the holy Ghost the ioy peace of a good conscience the good euent of hope the true libertie of the soule the inward peace of the hart to be heard in prayers to be helped in tribulations to be prouided for temporall necessities and to conclude to be ayded and to tast of heauenly comforts in death Surely each one of these priuiledges is so great and so excellent of it selfe that if it were thorowly known each I say were sufficient to moue a man to embrace Vertue to alter and change his life and it would make a man truelie to vnderstand how well it was said of our Sauiour That whosoeuer shall forsake the
weepe in the very bitternes of my hart These and other things being past finished which he remembreth forth-with the light of security being infused into his hart the darknes of al doubt fled away The Lord so changed his mind that afterwards he neyther desired any carnall vices nor any other vanity in this world And being losed from these chaynes he beginneth at the entrance of the booke following to giue thanks to God his deliuerer saying Lord I am thy seruant I am thy seruant and the sonne of thine Hand-mayde Thou hast broken my bonds I will sacrifice vnto thee the sacrifice of prayse My hart and my tongue doe prayse thee and all my bones doe say Lord who is like vnto thee Let them say so and Lord aunswer me and say to my soule I am thy saluation Who then am I and what an one What euill am I not Or was it my deedes or if not my deedes was it my words or if not my words was it my will But thou Lord art good and mercifull and thy right hand respected the profundity of my death and thou drewest the depth of corruption from the bottome of my hart And this was wholy that vnwillingnes which thou willedst and that willingnes which thou wouldest not But where was all this long time my wil to doe wel and from vvhat bottome and deepe Abysse didst thou in a moment call it forth vvhereby I might submit my necke vnder thine easie yoke and my shoulders vnder thy light burthen ô Christ Iesus my helper and onely redeemer How sweete on a sodaine was it for me to want the sweetnes of trifles and which I was afrayd to lose now it was a ioy vnto me to lose them For thou being the true and chiefest sweetnes didst cast them from mee thou didst cast them away and for them entredst in thy selfe being sweeter then any pleasure but not to flesh blood and brighter then any light but to the inward secret man and higher then all honour but not to those that are high in themselues Hetherto are the words of Saint Augustine Tell me now if the matter standeth thus if the vertue and efficacie of the Diuine grace be so powerfull what is it that holdeth thee captiue vvhereby thou canst not doe that vvhich they haue done If thou beleeuest that these things are true that the grace of God is effectuall to worke so admirable a change if it be denied to no man that with all his hart desireth it because now also he is the same God vvhich he vvas then vvithout respect of persons vvhat doth hinder thee vvhy thou goest not out of this wretched seruitude and embracest that chiefest good vvhich freely is offered thee Why hadst thou rather vvith one hell to gayne another then vvith one Paradice to gayne another Paradice Be not negligent or vvithout hope Assay once his busines and trust in God vvhich vvhen thou shalt scarcely begin to doe behold he vvill come to meete thee as the father met his prodigall child with open armes Certainly it is a matter of wonder astonishment That if some cosener should promise thee the Art of Alcumy vvhereby thou mightest extract gold out of brasse thou vvouldest not cease although it vvere very chargeable vnto thee vntil thou hadst tried and experimented it and heere the vvord of the Lord teacheth thee to make heauen of earth spirit of flesh and an Angel of a man and vvilt thou not assay and make trial And when as in the end eyther later or sooner eyther in this life or in that to come at the length thou shalt know the truth of this matter I desire thee that with attention thou wouldest consider how thou shalt finde thy selfe deceaued in the day of rendering an account when thou shalt see thy selfe damned because thou didst forsake the way of Vertue because thou imaginedst to thy selfe that it was hard and difficult And there thou shalt know most manifestly that this way is much more sweet and pleasant then the way of vices and pleasures which leade thee onely to earthly delights of which then there shall not be any footsteps or reliques left Against them that feare to enter into the way of Vertue for the loue of this world CHAP. XXIX IF we should feele the pulse and life vaine of all them who feare to enter into the way of vertue perhaps wee should finde many so slothfull and sluggish because the loue of this world hath infatuated them and made them fooles I say that it hath infatuated them for this loue is a false glasse and an apparance of good things which in truth are not good vvhich false glasse maketh all worldly things to be in so great price amongst the ignorant Whereupon beasts which feare shadowes flie all shadowie things as hurtfull dangerous when in deed they are not So these men on the contrary part doe loue and embrace the things of this world supposing estimating them to be louely and delectable when in deed they are not Therefore as they that would bring beasts from their shadowie idle imagination doe often leade them through those places which they feare that they may see that that is but a vaine shadowe which they feared So now it is necessary that we leade these men through the shadowes of earthly things who so ordinarily doe loue them that we may make them to behold them vvith other eyes that they may plainly see how great a vanitie and a shadow all that is which they so greatly admire and loue and that as those dangers are not worthy that they should be feared so also these good things are not worthy that they should be desired or loued He therefore that shall diligently and seriously consider of the world with all the felicities in it shall finde sixe euils and mischiefes in it which no man can denie as are shortnesse miserie dangers blindnes sinnes and deceipts vvith which the felicitie of the world is alwaies mingled by which it may plainly be seene who and what it is Euery one of these wee will handle in that which followeth yet briefely and in order ¶ How short the felicity of this world is GOe to thou canst not denie to me beginning to dispute of this worldly felicitie but that all the felicitie and sweetnes of this world or by what name so euer els thou wilt call it is short and of small continuance For this felicitie cannot endure beyond a mans life But how long the life of man is we haue before declared seeing that it reacheath scarcely to an hundred yeeres But how many be there that come to an hundred yeres I haue seene diuers Bishops and Cardinals who haue scarcelie liued two moneths in theyr dignitie others elected Popes who haue scarce sit one month I haue seene others that haue married wiues louing beautifull rich and vertuous so that nothing seemed to be wanting in them who haue not enioyed them one week
that which the Lord sayd The vvorld shall reioyce and yee shall sorrow but your sorrow shall be turned into ioy Or hath it slipt out of thy memory which the same Lord sayth in aâ—other place Wâ—e be to you that now laugh for yee shall 〈…〉 weepe Many words and much babling sayth He is not faulty that speaketh many words so they be good 〈◊〉 he that speaketh few and those ill Discreet 〈◊〉 answereth It is true that thou sayst but whilst many good wordes are vttered it often happeneth that the speech begunne of good words often endeth in ill Thys the holy Scripture telleth In 〈◊〉 â—â—rds there cannot want iniquâ—ty Is it possible that in many words there should be none faulty But can idle and vnprofitable words be auoyded of which thou art sure to render an accouâ—t hereafter Luxury sayth Why doost thou not wallow thy selfe in pleasure seeing that thou knowest not what will become of thee Therefore thou oughtest not to lose the time alotted vnto thee in want because thou knowest not how soone it may fade away For if GOD would not haue had man no take his pleasure with woman at the beginning hee would haue onely created male and not female Undefiled Chastitie answereth I would not haue thee to sayne thy selfe ignorant what shall become of thee after thys lyfe For if thou liuest religiously and chastly thy ioy shall be without end but if thou leadest thy life irreligiously and luxuriously thou shalt be tortured with eternall paynes Spirituall fornication sayth Doth he doe any thing damnable who consenteth to lust in his hart and doth not effect the deede of his desired lust Cleannes and purity of hart aunswereth He offendeth very deeply that keepeth not purely the cleannes and chastity of his hart Wher-vpon the Author of cleannes and chastity saith in the Gospell Whosoeuer looketh on a wâ—mâ—n to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already iâ— his hart To auoyde this holy Iob saith I made a couenant 〈◊〉 â—iâ—e eyes that I should not thinke on a mayde The loue of this world sayth VVhat can be more beautifull honest or delectable then that we daily behold in this present life O how admirable iâ— the glorious vaute of heauen in the tralucent ayre in the light of the Sunne in the increase and decrease of the Moone in the variety and course of the starres how delightfull is the earth in the flowers and flourish of vvoods in the sweetnes of fruites in the pleasantnes of meddowes and riuers in the ripenes plenty of corne in the fruitfulnes of Vineyards loaden with clusters of Grapes in the shades and chaces of woods in the running and coursing of Horses and Doggs in the skippings and iumpings of Harts and Goates in the flying of Hawkes in the necks and feathers of Peacocks Doues and Turtles in the paynted walls and carued roofes of houses in the sweet and pleasing sounds and tunes of Organes and all musicke in the beautifull aspects of vvomen in their fore-heads in their hayre in their eyes and cheekes in their lips and necks in their nose and hands and especially if they be beautified and adorned with gold and precious stones with Bracelets Ouches Carcanâ—ts and Tablets and such other Ornaments which I cannot in any wise reckon The loue of the heauenly Countrey aunswereth If these things delight thee which are vnder heauen if the prison be so beautifull what is the Countrey the Citty and the house If they be such and so excellent which the strangers enioy what be they which the children possesse If they that be mortall and miserable be so rewarded in this lyfe how are they that be immortall and blessed inriched in that life Wherefore let the loue of this present world goe where none is so borne that he doth not dye and let the loue of the future world come in the place where all so liue and are reuiued that they dye no more Where no aduersity disturbeth no necessity pincheth no greefe disquieteth but euerlasting ioy raigneth and remayneth for euer and euer If thou demaundest what is there where there is such and so great felicity it cannot be aunswered otherwise but that whatsoeuer good is that is there and whatsoeuer euill is that is not there Thou askest what that good is Why doost thou aske me It is aunswered thee of a Prophet and of an Apostle The things which eye hath not seene neyther eare hath heard â—eyther hâ—th entrâ—d intâ— mâ—ns hart hath God prepâ—red for them that loue him VVhatsoeuer hath hetherto beene spoken of vs hath this â—yme that it may moue vs to haue alwayes our spirituall weapons in a readines which are necessary for vs in this warfare for the attaynement of the first part of vertue which is the flying and eschewing of vices and to defend this fraile house of ours in which God hath placed vs least it should be surprized of enemies For if we shall faithfully keepe this Mansion and Habitacle there is no doubt but that heauenly guest will turne in vnto it and will lodge and dwell in it Seeing that Saint Iohn sayth God is loue and he that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God and God in him But he dwelleth in loue who doth nothing contrary to loue and the opposition and contrary to loue is onely sinne And against this sinne all that fighteth and warreth vvhich hetherto hath beene spoken of vs. ¶ The end of the first part of the second Booke THE SECOND PART OF THE SECOND BOOKE OF THE SINNERS GVYDE In which wee entreate of the exercise of Vertues Of the three kinde of Vertues in which the vvhole summe of Christian righteousnesse is contained CHAP. XIII SEeing that in the former part of thys Booke wee haue spoken largely and sufficiently of sinnes by contagion of which our soules are polluted and obscured now we wil intreat of Vertues which beautifie them with spirituall graces and adorne them with the ornaments of righteousnesse making them seeme fayre and beauteous in the sight of the Diuine Maiestie Euen as it pertaineth vnto iustice to giue to euery one that is his owne belongs vnto him that is to God to our neighbour to our selues so also there are three kindes of vertues pertayning to righteousnes and iustice and which concurre to the effecting and perfecting of it One is by which we render to GOD that which is due vnto him the second is by which wee giue to our neighbour that which is his and the third by which man is bound vnto himselfe When man hath attained these three kindes of vertues nothing is further required to fulfill all that righteousnes vvhich he professeth But if thou wouldest learne in fewe words and very summarily howe thys may be brought to passe I will tell thee by thys triple duty and bond man shall repay most exactly all his debt that is if towards GOD he hath the hart of a sonne towards his
before of vs the power and force of the cause is knowne by the effects and work and by the power force the Essence is knowne What maner of power shall it be from whence so great a worke proceeded and if this power be such and so great what an one and howe incomprehensible is that Essence which is knowne by that power This contemplation without all doubt doth farre exceed all humane reach In this we must further consider that all these excellent and great workes not onely as they are but as they might haue beene are as though they were not in the viewe of that diuine power yea after an infinite manner they are lesser for that is infinitely greater to which this power doth extend it selfe Who then will not be astonished considering of the greatnes of such an Essence and of such a power which although a man cannot see with his externall eyes yet he may make a most certaine coniecture and gather of the foresaid reason how great it is how incomprehensible This wonderfull immensitie of God that great Schooleman Thomas Aquinas doth show in his Breuiarie of Diuinitie by this example We see sayth he in things corporall that by how much any thing is more excellent by so much also it is greater in quantitie for we see that the element of the water is greater then the earth and the ayre greater then the water and the fire then the ayre furthermore the first or lowest heauen is greater then the element of fire the second heauen greater thē the first and the third then the second and after the same manner by ascending euen to the tenth Spheare yea euen to that heauen which is aboue all the Spheares whose greatnes is incomparable That any one may plainly see if he haue any consideration how little the Globe and roundnes of the earth and water be if they be compared with the heauens The Astrologers also say that the whole circumference of the earth and water are but as a pricke or a poynt in comparison of heauen which they proue manifestly by their demonstrations For although the circle of the heauen be deuided into the twelue signes of the Zodiacke through which once in a yeere the Sun doth runne yet in eyther Horizon onely sixe are seene for the bignes and standing of the earth dooth take vp and possesse no more place of heauen then a leafe of paper or a tablet will being placed and sette in the Center of the world from whence the compasse of the heauen may be seene without let or impediment Seeing therefore that that heauen which is aboue all the Spheares which is the chiefest and the noblest body of the world is of such an inestimable magnitude aboue all bodies we may easily vnderstand sayth Thomas how God who is without any circumscription the chiefest greatest and best of all things as well of things corporall as spirituall who also is the maker of them ought must exceed all things with a certaine infinite magnitude not in quantitie for he is no body but in excellencie and noblenesse of his most perfect Essence But that we may returne from whence we are digressed after the same manner we may search in all other things how great and of what condition be the magnitudes perfections of this Lord. For it is necessary that they be such as his Essence is Ecclesiasticus confesseth that where he speaketh of Gods mercy According to his greatnes saith he so is his mercy of such sort are all the rest of his perfections Such is his goodnes such is his benignitie maiestie gentlenes wisedome sweetnes noblenes beautie omnipotencie and to be briefe such is his iustice He therefore is infinitely good infinitely sweet infinitely amiable and woorthy whom all creatures should obey feare and reuerence insomuch that if mans hart could containe infinite loue and feare and infinite obedience and reuerence all that should be obliged by the bond and rule of iustice to the dignitie and excellencie of this Lord. For if as euery one is more worthy more excellent so greater reuerence is due vnto him it followeth that seeing the excellencie of God is so infinite that also infinite reuerence is due vnto him Heereupon is inferred that all that which is wanting to our loue and reuerence whereby we doe not come to that measure is therefore wanting because it is indebted to a dignitie of such greatnesse Which thing seeing it is so how great I pray thee is that debt which this onelie title although there were no other doth request of vs in the loue obedience of this Lord What I pray thee will he loue who doth not loue so great a goodnesse What will hee feare who doth not feare so great a Maiestie Whom will hee serue who will not attend vpon such a Lord For what is thy will made if not to loue and embrace that which is good If then he be the chiefest good what is the cause that our will doth not loue embrace him aboue all that is called God And if it bee so heynous an euill not to loue or feare his Lord aboue all things what wil it be not to esteeme or regard him Who would haue euer supposed that the malice of man would haue come to so great impietie Neuerthelesse to that height of peruersitie they are come that for a little beastly pleasure or for a little honour or for a small gaine and filthy lucre doe offend and contemne so great a goodnesse O blindnes to be deplored ô insensiblenes more then bestiall ô deuillish rashnes and presumption What doth not he deserue who dareth such things with what punishment with what kind of torture shall the contempt of so great a maiestie be worthily satisfied It is certaine that it shall be punished with no lesser torment then that which is prepared for such an offence that is that whosoeuer hee be that contemneth God shall be tormented in hell fire euerlastingly and yet neither shall he worthily be punished This then is the first Title which bindeth vs to the loue and seruice of this Lord which bond is so great that all bonds by which by any manner of meanes in thys world we are bound to any person eyther for his excellency or for his perfection are vnworthy the name of bonds if they be compared with this For euen as the perfections of all other things being compared with the diuine are no perfections so neither the bonds which by reason of their perfections and excellencies are named such are bonds beeing compared with this as neyther all the offences made onely to the creatures cannot be called offences if they be compared to them by which the Creator himselfe is offended For which cause Dauid also in that paenitentiall Psalme sayth that he had offended the Lord onely and onely sinned against him albeit he had offended most grieuously against Vrias whō he had commaunded to be slaine being innocent and against
if God doth but a little draw backe his hand thou necessarily commest to naught how is it possible that thou darest prouoke to wrath that Diuine Maiestie which sustaineth thee euen in that same time wherein thou offendest him For as Dionisius sayth the vertue and goodnes of the chiefest Good is so excellent that the creatures when they are immorigerous and disobedient doe receaue of his immeasurable vertue the Being and Ability by which they striue and strugle against him that they may both Be and be able to repugne him Which seeing that it is so how darest thou offend with thy members and sences that Lord who preserueth thee O great blindnes ô intollerable rebellion Who euer saw so impudent a conspiracy The members doe rise against the head of which their life and death dependeth The day will come when this iniury shall be manifestēd and the complaints of the diuine honor shal be heard Haue yee conspired against God It is equall and right that the vniuerse of the whole world shold likewise conspire against you and that God should arme euery creature to the reuenge of that iniury and that all the whole circumference of the earth should warre against the ingratefull and those that will not acknowledge this benefit For it is meete that they that would not open their eyes whilst they had time and were inuited of so great a multitude of diuine benefits I say that is meete that their eyes shold be opened by the multitude of torments which neuer shall haue end But what will be done if to these aforesayd we set before thee the plentifull rich and aboundant table of this world which the Lord hath created for thine vse Whatsoeuer is found vnder the cope of heauen is eyther for the vse of man or for the vse of that thing which attendeth and wayteth vpon man for if man be not fed as I may so say with flies that flye in the ayre yet he is fed with those birds which are fed with these flies and if hee eate not grasse and wild hearbs yet he eateth the beasts of diuers sorts and kinds which are nourished with these hearbs Cast and cast againe thine eyes vpon euery corner of the world and thou shalt see how spacious and large the bounds and limits of thy riches are and how plentifull and affluent is thine inheritance Euery thing that goeth vpon the earth that swimmeth in the water that flyeth through the ayre that shineth in heauen is thine But all these benefits are of God and the works of his prouidence are the glasses of his beauty and testimonies of his mercy the sparks of his loue and the reports and prayses of his liberality See how many Preachers God sendeth vnto thee that thou mayst know him All things that are in heauen and in earth sayth Saint Augustine doe tell me that I should loue thee ô my Lord and they doe not cease to make the same proclamation to all men that no man can be excused If thou hast eares that thou canst vnderstand the voyces of the creatures thou shalt perceaue manifestly how they all together teach thee that thou shouldest loue God For all they in holding their peace cry that they were made for thy seruice that thou as well for thy selfe as for them mightest serue both thy Lord theirs Heauen sayth I doe minister vnto thee by day the light of the Sunne and by night the benefit of the Moone and starres that thou shouldest not walke in darknes and I doe giue and send vnto thee diuers influences that diuers things may encrease and breed with thee that thou mayst not perish thtough hunger The ayre sayth I doe apply my selfe vnto thee that thou mayst breathe in me I doe coole and refresh thee I doe temper and moderate thine internall heate least it consume thee I haue in me diuers kinds of birds that by their variety and beauty thine eyes may be delighted thine eares with their singing pleased and thy pallate by their tast contented and satisfied The water sayth I do serue thee in the appoynted times of the yeere with my rayne and showers I doe refresh comfort thee with my riuers and springs I doe bring forth nourish diuers kinds of fishes that they may be meate for thee I doe water thy sowing thy gardens fruitfull trees that thou mayst be nourished with them all I doe giue thee way through the midst of the Sea that thou maist traffique with the whole world and that it may be at thy pleasure to ioyne thy riches with the wealth of another Hemispheare What thinkest thou that the earth will say which is the common mother of vs all as it were the shop and ware-house of all naturall things Truly it will say not without reason I doe beare thee as an vnprofitable lump I thy mother doe carry thee as it were in mine armes I doe prouide thee of necessaries I doe sustaine thee with the fruits of my bowels I haue participatinn communion with all the other elements with all the heauens and I doe pertake of all theyr influences and I doe fruitfully yeeld and giue thee all my benefits To conclude I like a good mother neyther leaue thee in life nor death for in lyfe I doe suffer thee to tread vpon mee with thy feete and doe sustaine and beare thee vp and in death I yeeld thee a place of quiet and rest and I doe hide and enclose thee within my wombe What neede I many words All the world doth cry with a loud voyce Behold with what great loue my Lord and Creator doth affect thee who created me for the loue of thee and willed that I should serue thee for him that thou in like manner shouldest loue and serue him who created me for thee and thee for himselfe These are ô man the voyces of all the creatures marke and giue eare now that there can be no such wicked deafenes as to heare these voyces and to be ingratefull for so great benefits If thou hast receaued a benefit pay thy debt by thankfulnes least thou be plagued vvith the punishment of ingratefull persons For euery one of the creatures as very well sayth a certayne Doctour doe speake to and call vpon man with three words Receaue Render Beware that is receaue a benefit render thy debt and beware of punishment if thou doest not render it But that thou mayst more feruently meditate think vpon these things consider how Epictetus a Philosopher of whom we haue made mention before came to the knowledge of this Diuinity who willeth that in all things created we shold heare and see our Creator saying When the Crow doth crooke and doth fore-shew any change of weather it is not the Crow that doth fore-shew this to thee but God himselfe And if by mans voyce thou be admonished of any thing is it not in like manner God who created man and gaue vnto him power and
intollerable if a married woman should giue all her Ouches Tablets Ringes Chaynes Earings and Bracelets which her husband gaue her that shee might be beautified with them and to please him to an adulterer that shee may allure him to her loue I doe not thinke that a more execrable and damnable thing coulde bee thought of in the world and yet this iniurie is doone to man of man to an equall of an equall But how much greater and filthier is it if such great iniurie be offered to God And what other thing doe men daily when as they doe spend and consume their fortitude strength health and riches which God hath giuen them vpon ill works most filthy and dishonest actions They wax more proud do mightily swell through fortitude they hunt after greater glory through beautie in health they more easily forget God by riches they be come more couetous and more greedy to sucke out the blood of the poore by riches they study how to heape vp moe riches they doe deck and trim their bodies beyond measure they lye in waite for the virginity and chastity of women and they doe that they as an other Iudas may sell the blood of Christ and they as Iewes may buy it at an appoynted price And how may I remember sufficient worthily the abuse of the rest of the benefits The water serueth their gullet they abuse the beauty of the creatures to their lust the fruites and blessings of the earth doe wayte vpon their couetousnes The graces and habites of nature doe encrease their pride through too much prosperity they waxe mad and foolish and through aduersity they are so deiected and cast downe that they make shipwrack of theyr soules and runne into damnation The murtherer riseth early and killeth the poore and the needy and in the night hee is as a theefe as it is written in Iob. To be briefe whatsoeuer God created for his glory they conuert it to be instruments for their madnes and frenzie He should enter into a bottomlesse pit of miseries if any would exactly remember their distilled waters smels fumigations apparell Babilonian tapestry and their diuers kinds of delicates boyled rosted broyled fryed and a thousand other superfluities of the which that there might be more skill to sinne not onely whole books are written but also imprinted so little shamefastnes there is amongst vs and so great strength the enticements of the flesh haue got All these precious things for which wee ought to giue to the Lord God infinite and euerlasting thanks they vse as the prouokements of their riotousnes and luxuries peruerting the vse of all the creatures of God and making them the instruments of vanity which they ought to make the instruments of vertue To be briefe they haue vowed and bequeathed all things which are in the world to the lusts and delights of their flesh but nothing to their neighbour whom God hath commended so seriously vnto them For when they shold giue any thing to their neighbour then they are onely poore then they rip vp and record that they are much endebted in all other things neyther are they endebted to any man neyther is anie thing wanting or lacking to them Therfore ô my brother doe not suffer that this so dangerous a burthen layd vpon thee doe remaine to the houre of death which by how much it is greater by so much a straighter account shall be exacted of thee That God giueth much to him who is ingratefull is a certaine kinde of iudgement but when he giueth to him that abuseth his benefits it is a token of reprobation For in this we shew that wee haue put off all shamefastnes the beasts in this kinde of vertue doe goe before vs and are much more thankfull to their benefactour then wee are Wherefore if the Niniuites shall rise against the Iewes at the last iudgement and shall condemne them because they were not moued to repentance by the preaching of Christ let vs beware and take heede least God condemne vs for the example of beasts because they doe loue their benefactour whom we doe not loue THE FOURTH TITLE That we are bound vnto Vertue by reason of the inestimable benefit of our Redemption CHAP. IIII. AFter the benefits of our Creation and Preseruation followeth the inestimable benefit of our Redemption To handle and speake of this benefit I finde my selfe so vnworthy and so vnapt that I am vtterly ignorant where to begin or where to make an ende I know not what to speake neyther what to keepe close and silent If the idlenes and slothfulnes of men did not neede this prick to liue well it were better to adore with silence the altitude and depth of such a benefit then to obscure and darken it with the harshnes that I may so speake and penury of my tongue It is remembred in the writings of auncient men that a certaine famous Paynter when he would depaynt the funerall solemnity of a certaine Kings Daughter fayned many of her kinsfolks alliance standing about the course with sorrowfull and heauy countenances hee ioyned also the mother vnto them more mournfull and sorrowfull then the rest When he came to delineate and pourtray the father hee did couer his face with a certaine artificiall shadow signifying thereby that his Art did heere faile him By which new deuice and inuention he expressed the greatnes of his greefe If therefore all our knowledge is not sufficient to declare the benefit of our Creation what tongue what eloquence what oratory can sufficient worthily expresse the benefit of our Redemption God created all things with the onely becke and pleasure of his will but for mans redemption he sweat thirty three yeeres hee shed his blood neyther had he any one member or sence which was not tormented and vexed with some particuler and peculier greefe It seemeth that an iniury is done to this glorious misterie if any man shall suppose that he can expresse it with humane tongue Then what shall I doe shall I speake or shall I holde my peace I may not be silent and I cannot speake How can it be that I should keepe in silence thy mercy so vnmeasurable and how shall I declare this mistery so high and so to be adored To hold my peace ingratitude to speake may be called rashnes and presumption Wherefore ô my God I intreate thine vnmeasurable piety grant vnto me that as long as I shall speake of thy glory after my rude manner those blessed spirits which are aboue in heanen who know how to glorifie thee may prayse and glorifie thee for me and that thy holy spirit may administer and supply vnto me those things wherin I faile After that man was created and seated in a place of delights in great dignity and glory and also was bound to God with so great and straight bonds as the benefits were great that he had receaued of him he became disobedient and rebelled and of
those things of which he should haue taken and receaued greater causes of louing his Creator of those he receaued and tooke greater occasion of treason and disloyalty Therefore he was thrust out of Paradice and cast into banishment yea and was adiudged to hell fire that as hee was made a companion with the deuill in sinne so hee might be his companion in punishment The Prophet Elizeus sayd to his seruant Gehezi Thou hast receaued siluer and garments of Naaman therefore the leprosie of Naaman shall cleaue vnto thee and to thy seede for euer Like was the iudgement of God against man who seeing that he had affected the riches and treasure of Lucifer that is his pride and ambition it was meete that he should be infected with the leaprosie of the same Lucifer which was the punishment of his pride Behold then man made lyke vnto the deuill being a follower of his fault Therfore when man was so abhominable in Gods eyes and had incurred so great displeasure our most gracious and most mercifull Lord did not disdaine to respect vs he did not looke to the iniurie done to his supreame Maiesty but to the misfortune of our owne misery more lamenting our errour then desirous of reuenge for the contumely offered vnto him he determined to repaire man and to reconcile him vnto him his onlie begotten sonne being our Mediatour But how hath he reconciled man vnto him What humane tongue shall declare this vnto vs Christ hath procured so great friendship between vs and God that not onely God hath pardoned to man all his fault hath receaued him into his fauour hath made him one and that same with himselfe through a certaine vnion of loue but that which passeth all greatnes hath made such a likenes and similitude betweene himselfe mans nature that amongst all things created there can be found no greater conformity thē are the Deity and humanity for they are not one and the same through loue and fauour but also in person Who euer durst haue hoped that a wound so largely gaping should after this manner haue beene drawne together Who euer could haue thought that these two natures betweene which there was so great difference both of nature and of offence that euer they could haue beene so neerely ioyned together not in one house not at one table not in one loue but in one and the selfe same person What two greater contraries may be giuen then God and a sinner And what two things are now more straightly and narrowly combined together what more commixt then God and man There is nothing higher or nobler then God saith Bernard and there is nothing lower or baser then that clay of which man is formed Neuerthelesse with so great humility GOD descended vpon the earth to man and with so great sublimitie earth ascended to God that whatsoeuer God hath done earth may be said to haue done it and whatsoeuer earth hath suffered God may be sayd to haue suffered it Who would haue said to man when he was naked knew that he had incurred the wrath of God when he sought lurking holes and corners in Paradice wherein he might hide himselfe vvho I say would haue then said that the tyme should come when this vild substance should be vnited to God in one and the selfe same person Thys vnion is so neere straight and faithfull that when it was to be dissolued which was in the tyme of the Passion it would rather rent and breake then faint and forsake Death might seperate the soule from the body which was the vnion of nature but it could not pluck GOD from the soule nor frō the body for that vvas the vnion of the Diuine person For what it once apprehendeth with so strong a loue it neuer forsaketh This is that peace this is that health and saluation which wee receaue by the benefit of our Mediatour and Sauiour Although we are such and so great debtors for thys benefit that no mans tongue can vtter it yet we are not lesse bound to God for the manner of our Redemption then for the redemption it selfe O my Lord I am bound to thee in a high degree of dutie that thou hast deliuered me from hell and hast reconciled me vnto thee but much more owe I vnto thee for the manner it selfe by which thou hast deliuered me then for the liberty it selfe which thou hast giuen me All thy works are admirable in all things and although a man doth thinke when he hath considered one thing that not any thing remaineth which may be added to further admiratio◠foorth-with all that wonderment vanisheth when he turneth his eyes to contemplate an other thing O lord the glory of thy greatnes is not diminished if one wonder dooth seeme to expell and put out another but these are tokens of thy greater glory But what was the meane ô my Lord by which thou wouldest take away my euils and wickednesses There were infinite meanes by which thou couldest haue helped me and giuen me perfect saluation without labour and without any price Notwithstanding so great and so admirable is thy liberalitie that to show me more manifestly the greatnes of thy loue goodnes thou wouldest helpe me with so great dolours that the onely cogitation of them was sufficient to extract bloody sweat from all thy members thy passion a little after through dolor to cleaue a sunder the hardest Rocks O my Lord the heauens doe praise thee and the Angels sette forth thy wonders What didst thou neede our good or were our euils any preiudice vnto thee If thou sinnest sayth Iob what doost thou against him yea when thy sinnes be many what doost thou vnto him If thou be righteous what giuest thou vnto him or what receiueth he at thy hand Thys GOD so rich so voyde of all euill he whose riches whose power whose wisedome cannot increase or be greater then it is he that was neither before nor after the creation of the world greater or lesser then he is now he that is neither more illustrious or lesse glorious because Angels sing his prayse and men doe glorifie him nay if all the creatures should curse and blaspheme him thys great Lord not of necessity but of meere charitie it not hindering him that we were his enemies he dyd not disdaine to incline and bend the heauens of his maiestie and to descend into this valley of misery to be clothed with the flesh of our mortalitie and to take all our debts vpon him to cancell them to suffer and vnder-goe greater torments then euer any suffered heeretofore or shall suffer heereafter Ah my Lord for the loue of me thou wast borne in a stable and layd in a Cratch for me thou wast circumcized the eyght day for me thou flying into Egipt liuedst there in banishment seauen whole yeeres and for mee thou diddest sustaine diuers persecutions and wast molested and vexed with infinite iniuries For the loue of
it enlightneth the vnderstanding it inflameth our will it strengtheneth our memorie it tempereth and moderateth our part concupiscible least it runne into all euil it cōfirmeth the part irascible least it be slow too sluggish to work well Moreouer because all our natural passions which are found in these two inferiour powers of our appetite are as it were step-dames vnto vertue dores wherby deuils oftentimes enter into our soules it hath appointed as it were Sentinels in each of these parts which watch and keepe it that is a certaine infused vertue comming from aboue vvhich doth helpe man and maketh him secure in danger which ariseth by meanes of those passions So to defend the soule frō the appetite of gluttonie it sendeth Temperance to defend it frō the lust of the flesh it sendeth Chastitie and to defend it from ambition it sendeth Humilitie and so in the rest But there is one thing which exceedeth all the fore-sayde that is that grace maketh God to dwell in our soule that dwelling in it he may gouerne it defend it direct it in the heauenly way God therefore sitteth in our soule as a King in his kingdome as a Captayne among his armie as a Maister in his schoole and as a Pastour among his flocke that there he may exercise and vndergoe spiritually all these offices and administer all prouidence Goe to therefore if this precious pearle out of which so many good things come be a perpetuall companion vnto Vertue who will not willingly imitate that wise Merchant in the Gospell who sold all that he had that he might buy this alone ¶ Of the third priuiledge of Vertue which is a light and a certaine supernaturall knowledge which our Lord giueth to them who seeke after Vertue CHAP. XV. THE third priuiledge which is graunted vnto Vertue is a certaine speciall light and a certaine wisedome which our Lord doth bestow vpon them that are righteous which also proceedeth from that grace of which we haue hetherto spoken The reason is because it is a function and duty of grace to heale and recure nature beeing weake feeble and decayed Euen as therefore it healeth the appetite and will weakened through sinne so also it recureth the vnderstanding being exceedingly obscured and darkned by the same sinne that by this benefit the vnderstanding may know what it ought to doe and by the will there may be ability power to doe that which now it vnderstandeth is needefull for to be done Not vnlike to this is that Saint Gregory hath in his Morals Not to be able to fulfill that which man vnderstoode was a punishment of sinne as also that was a punishment of the same not to vnderstand that Therefore sayd the Prophet The Lord is my light against ignorance and my saluation against impotencie In one is signified what is to be desired in the other strength is giuen by which we may attaine vnto it And so as well this as that pertayneth to the same grace Hence it is that besides fayth and prudence infused which enlighten our vnderstanding that it may vnderstand what it ought to beleeue what also to doe the gifts of the holy Ghost doe increase also in vs foure of which pertaine to the vnderstanding that is the gift of wisedome which is giuen for the knowledge of high and lofty matters the gift of Science which is giuen that wee may vnderstand lower matters the gift of vnderstanding by which we come to the knowledge of the misteries of God and to the congruencie and beauty of them and the gift of counsaile and aduice by whose helpe we know the actions of this life and how to gouerne and rule whatsoeuer happeneth to vs in it All these beames come from the splendour of grace onely which therefore is called in the holy Scriptures an Annointing or Vnction For it teacheth all things as Saint Iohn speaketh Wherefore euen as oyle among all liquid substances is the fittest to preserue light and to cure wounds so this diuine Vnction doth cure the wounds of our will and doth illuminate the darknes of our vnderstanding This is that most precious oyle better then all oyle of which the kingly Prophet speaketh Thou hast annoynted mine head with oyle It is certaine that he speaketh heere not of a materiall head nor of materiall oyle but of a spirituall head that is of the superiour part of our soule in which our vnderstanding is as very well sheweth a learned man wryting vpon this place and of spirituall oyle which is the light of the holy Ghost by which our lampe is preserued that it is not put out Of the light of this holy oyle this good King had much who thus speaketh of himselfe Thou hast taught me wisedome in the secret of mine hart An other reason may be also giuen of this For seeing that it is the office of grace to make a man endued with Vertue it cannot execute this vnlesse first it moue a man to sorrow and repentance of his former life and stirre vp the feare of God in him Vnlesse before it worketh that man doth deadly hate sinne and desire heauenly blessings with great feruency and altogether contemne these worldly vanities But the will cannot obtayne these and the like vnlesse before it hath the light of vnderstanding and a knowledge proportionable by which the will may be stirred vp For the will is a blind faculty which is not mooued except the vnderstanding goe before carrying a light and shewing good and euill in all things that the affection towards them may encrease or decrease Hence it is that Thomas Aquinas sayth euen as the loue of God doth encrease in the soule of a righteous man so also encreaseth the knowledge of the goodnes fauour and beauty of the same God and that by an equall proportion that if one of them encrease an hundreth degrees so many also encreaseth the other For hee that loueth much he vnderstandeth many causes of loue in the thing beloued but he that loueth little vnderstandeth but few And that which is cleerely vnderstoode of the loue of God this also is vnderstoode of feare hope and of the hatred of sinne From which men would no more abhorre then from other things vnlesse they vnderstood that it was an euill then which nothing in this world is more worthy of horror and execration Seeing therefore that the holy Ghost willeth that these effects should be in the soule of a righteous man he willeth also that there should be causes in it from whence they may come As hee willeth that there should be diuersity of effects in the earth so also he willeth that diuers causes and celestiall influences should be wrought in it Furthermore seeing that it is true as we before haue proued that God doth dwell by grace in the soules of the righteous and that God is light Enlightning euery man that commeth into the world as Saint
small thing vnto the iust man is better then great riches vnto the wicked And in another place A day in thy courts is better then a thousand other-where I had rather be a dore-keeper in the house of my GOD then to dwell in the Tabernacles of wickednesse To be briefe what other thing meane those words of the Spouse in the Canticles Thy breasts are better then Wine and a little after We will reioyce and be glad in thee beeing mindfull of thy breasts aboue wine That is mindfull of the most sweet milke of thy consolations and comforts with which thou refreshest and nourishest at thy breasts thy spirituall children which is sweeter and more pleasant then all vvine By that wine he vnderstandeth not materiall wine as neither in the breast of God we know that there is milke nor the delights and ioyes of the worlde such as the whore in the Reuelation beginneth to her louers sitting vppon many waters and hauing a golden cup in her hand full of abhomination and of the filthines of her fornication making drunken and peruerting the iudgment of all them that dwell in Babylon least they should foresee their destruction and repent them of theyr wickednes ¶ How the righteous are refreshed in theyr prayers after a singuler manner with these diuine consolations IF in prosecuting this matter thou shalt aske me in what matter the righteous chiefely enioy these consolations of vvhich we haue hetherto spoken God himselfe will make answere vnto thee by the mouth of his Prophet Also the strangers that cleaue vnto the Lord to serue him and to loue the Name of the Lord and to be his seruants euery one that keepeth the Sabaoth and polluteth it not and embraceth my couenant them will I bring to mine holy mountaine and make them ioyfull in mine house of prayer For in thys exercise GOD especially and particulerly reioyceth his Elect. For as Laurentius Iustinianus in a certaine prayer sayth the harts of the righteous are inflamed with the loue of theyr Creator and are oftentimes lifted aboue themselues and doe thinke that they are in the company of Angels and there in the presence of the Creator they sing loue breathe praise sorrowe ioy eate and are hungry drinke and are a thirst and by euery way contend to be transformed into their Lord whom they do contemplate by fayth worship by humilitie seeke by desires enioy by loue Then they shall acknowledge howe true it is of our Sauiour That they might haue my ioy fulfilled in themselues Which as a riuer of peace is diffused and dispersed thorowe all the powers of the soule illuminating the vnderstanding reioycing the will renuing the memory and gathering all her cogitations to God there they embrace him with the armes of loue and haue I know not what in them they desire to holde hym with all theyr strength neither will they that hee should depart from them And as Iacob who stroue with the Angell woulde not let him depart so the hart after his manner striueth with the Diuine sweetnes neyther will let it depart but valiantly keepeth it as a thing in which he hath found all that he sought for and desired and saith with S. Peter in the mount Lord it is good for vs to be heere The soule placed in this estate very vvell vnderstandeth the phrase and right idiome or proprietie of the booke of the Canticles but especially it tuneth accenteth that most sweet song His left hand is vnder mine head and his right hande doth embrace me And Stay me with flagons and comfort mee with apples for I am sicke of loue Then the soule sette on fire with that diuine flame greatly desireth to be dissolued and to be deliuered out of this prison teares are her bread day and night as long as this deliuerance is deferred Death is her wish and lyfe her patience Without intermission shee repeateth that of the Canticles O that thou werest as my brother that sucked the breasts of my Mother I would finde thee without I would kisse thee thē they should not despise me Then wondering at herselfe she thinketh after what manner these treasures haue beene hid all the time past and seeing all men capable of so great good shee desireth to goe into all streets and high-waies and to cry out to all men and to say Whether hast yee yee fooles and vnwise What seeke yee Why doe yee not hasten Why doe ye not contend that ye may enioy this blessing Tast and see how sweet the Lord is blessed is the man that trusteth in him For after that she hath tasted of the spirituall sweetnes all flesh is vnsauery vnto her all societie is a prison vnto her all solitarinesse shall seeme a Paradice and her delight shall be to cleaue vnto the Lorde whom she loueth All honor shall be a burthen all houshold gouernment and disposing of riches shall be to her a kind of martyrdome She shall not suffer any thing either in heauen or in earth to disturbe her pleasures and therefore she will watch that no externall cogitations or cares enter into her hart There shall be but one loue vnto her one desire shee shall loue all thinges in one and shall loue one thing in all Very well said the Prophet Whō haue I in heauen but thee I haue desired none in the earth with thee My flesh fayleth and mine hart also but GOD is the strength of mine hart and my portion for euer He that commeth to this happinesse hee thinketh not that he hath any more an obscure knowledge of diuine things but he supposeth that he dooth see with other eyes for hee feeleth those motions and those changes in his hart which are as infallible arguments and most firme testimonies of the truth of his fayth When the day is stormie and bringeth tediousnesse hee desireth a quiet night that hee may poure out his soule before the Lord and that he may passe the night with God No night is too long yea that which is the longest seemeth to bee the shortest If it be a cleere night hee lifteth vp his eyes that hee may contemplate and beholde the beautie of heauen the splendour of the starres and Moone and all these things he considereth of with new eyes and with new ioy farre different from the former He considereth of them as Images of the beautie of his Creator as glasses of his glory as messengers and interpretors who declare his maiestie as testimonies of perfection which is in him as gyfts which the Bridegrome sendeth to his Bride to continue and increase loue euen to that day in which hee shall take her with his hand and in his heauenly pallace shall solemnize with her that euerlasting marriage The whole world seemeth one booke vnto him which speaketh of the wonders of God one Epistle which hee sendeth to his beloued one instrument of his loue These be the nights my
brother of the louers of God this the sleepe which they sleepe Therefore with this sweete and amiable humming and murmuring and with this acceptable and delightfull harmony of the creatures the quiet soule is brought to bed and beginneth to sleepe that sleepelesse sleepe of which is written I sleepe and my hart watcheth When as therfore this most sweet Bridegrome seeth his spouse sleeping in his armes hee keepeth and preserueth her in that lyuing and vitall sleepe and commaundeth that none doe awake her saying I charge you ô daughters of Ierusalem by the Roes and by the Hinds of the field that yee stirre not vp nor waken my loue vntill she please Tell mee what nights seeme these vnto thee What night of the children of this world can be more sweet or pleasant Who at this time walke laying snares and setting nets for the chastity of virgins and innocent Matrons that they may destroy their good names their own soules rushing both body and soule into destruction heaping and storing vp for themselues the wrath of God against the day of the wrath of God and their owne perdition ¶ Of their comforts and consolations who first begin to serue God and are Punies and Nouices in his Schoole TO all things which hetherto haue beene spoken perhaps thou wilt ahnswere with one obiection saying these consolations and blandishments which wee haue hetherto handled are not common to all but proper vnto the perfect but that one may become perfect many things are required It is true that these belong to such men yet our most kind Lord by the sweetnes of his blessing doth meete with them who first begin giuing vnto them at the first as vnto children milke and afterwards teaching them to eate bread and more solide meates Doth not that solemne day come into thy minde which the father celebrated for his prodigall child Doost thou not know of the feast and the guesse inuited Art thou ignorant of the musicke and reioycing that there was made What doe these things meane but to signifie the spirituall ioy with which the soule is delighted when she seeth her selfe brought out of Egipt and deliuered from the hand of Pharao and from the seruitude of the deuill How shall not that pleasant banquet be prepared for a seruant made free How shall hee not inuite all creatures that they may meete together and with him giue thanks to his deliuerer How shall not he sing first and thereby also inuite others saying Let vs sing vnto the Lord for hee hath triumphed gloriously the horse and him that rode vpon him hath he ouerthrowne in the Sea Which thing if it be not so where is the prouidence of God which prouideth for euery creature most perfectly according to his nature fragility age and capacity For it is certaine that men yet carnall and drowned in the world cannot tread this vnusuall and vnfrequented path neyther tread the world vnder theyr feete vnlesse the Lord stretch forth his hand and preuent them by the like sweetenes and delectablenes It pertayneth therefore to the diuine prouidence when it is determined to take man from the world to prepare this way and to make it plaine that this new trauailer may walke more easily by it those difficulties being taken away which might terrifie him and draw him backe to the world A most excellent and plaine figure of this way is that by which the Lord brought the children of Israel into the Land of promise of which way thus writeth Moses When Pharaoh had let the people goe God carried them not by the way of the Philistims Countrey though it were neerer for God sayd least the people repent when they see warre and turne againe to Egipt The same prouidence that then God vsed in bringing his people out of Egipt into the Land of promise he now vseth in bringing those to heauen whom he first taketh out of this world We must know in this place that although the comforts and delights of the perfect are very great and excellent yet so great is the goodnes and piety of our God especially towards little ones and young beginners that he respecting their pouerty he himselfe doth helpe them to build them a new house and considering that they are conuersant among many occasions of sinning and that their passions are not as yet mortified that they might carry away the victory that they might be deliuered from the violence of their flesh that they might be driuen from the milke of the world and be tyed in such straight bonds of loue that they should not returne into Egipt and to theyr fathers house he filleth them with a ioy and consolation so powerfull that although they be but beginners and that they haue made but an entrance yet they haue according to their proportion a certaine likelyhood and similitude of the delights and ioy of those that be perfect Tell mee I pray thee what other thing would God signifie by those feasts of the old Testament when hee saith that the first and last day should be of equall worship and solemnity The sixe dayes betweene were of lesse solemnity but the first the last were beyond the rest famous and had their peculier prerogatiues What other thing is this then a shadow and an image of this we speake of Vpon the first day the Lord commanded that the same solemnity should be kept which was vpon the last that wee may vnderstand that in the beginning of the conuersion and in the ende of the perfection the Lord doth celebrate a solemne feast for all his seruants in these considering their proceedings in the other their great necessity vsing towards these iustice with mercy towards the other vsing onely grace or mercy to one giuing the reward of Vertue to the other help in need When trees blosome flourish and when they haue their ripe fruite they are most faire to the eye The day wherin the spousage is contracted and wherin the marriage is solemnized and the wedding consumated are more solemne and renowned then the rest In the beginning the Lord doth affiance and betroth the soule to him but when he taketh her into his house hee maketh a feast for her at his owne cost and charges and that feast is not conformable or aunswerable to the merrits and deserts of the Bride but to the riches of the Bridegrome sending all thinges and all prouision out of his owne houses and saying Wee haue a little sister and she hath no breasts Therefore it is necessary that he nourish his owne creature with the milke of an other Wherefore the same Bride talking with her Bridegrome sayth The young damsels haue loued thee He doth not say the women or Matrons which are soules founded and rooted in vertue but hee sayth young damsels young maydes which are soules which first begin to open their eyes and to looke vpon this new light these sayth the Spouse haue loued
scarcelie it is knowne or noted in any man All these things doe sufficientlie declare how miserable thys seruitude is and with what a horrible punishment man is condemned for sinne seeing that for it the noblest creature is deliuered into the hands of so barbarous and cruell a Tyrant Ecclesiasticus hath expressed the nature of this beast when he beseeched the Lord that hee would put from him all wicked and vngodly desires that hee would take from him the greedines of the belly that the lust of the flesh should not take hold of him and that he might not be giuen ouer to an impudent minde As if he should say that he desired that he might not be deliuered into the hands of such a Tyrant or executioner For he supposed that such an appetite was worthy of such a name But if thou desirest to know how great the force and power of thys Tyrant is thou maist easily gather of that which he hath done and which hee daily dooth in thys world I will not send thee to the fables of Poets which tell vs how that most famous Hercules after he had conquerd all the Monsters of the world at the length beeing captiuated with the loue of a certaine lasciuious woman cast away his club and sat amongst other vvomen spynning and drawing out threds from his distaffe For so the woman that hee loued commaunded him yea if hee did it not she threatned him and checked him Thys those wise Poets fained more ingeniously then truly that they might shewe the cruell tyrannic and power of that appetite Neyther vvill I bring out of the holy Scriptures that known example of Salomon who beeing most holy and most wise yet hee was so besotted by his Concubines that his true God beeing forsaken he adored Idols and builded for them magnificent and stateliâ— Temples that hee might serue these impure harlots and his owne appetite although this example doth no lesse argue the tiranny of this most pestilent passion then that afore For I had rather bring those which daily are obuious to our eyes Consider I pray thee into what present danger an adulterous woman doth cast her selfe that she may satisfie her inordinate lust for it pleaseth vs to take an example from that perturbation seeing that the knowledge of the rest doe depend of the knowledge of one That woman knowes if she be found of her husband in an act so wicked and detestable that she shall be slaine without any hope of pardon shee knowes that shee shall loose together at one and the selfe same time her soule her life her honour her riches and all other blessings which she might hope for eyther in this world or in the world to come then which losse surely a greater nor a more vniuersall cannot be inuented or thought of She is not ignorant that she shall be a perpetuall reproch and scandale to her desamed children to her father and mother also to her brethren and sisters and to her whole family and that shee shall for euer be a griefe vnto them Neuerthelesse so great is the violence of this appetite or that I may speake better the power of this Tyrant that he forceth the woman to all these and easily bringeth her to so great danger and she doth willingly what so euer he commaundeth her What Barbarian or Tyrant was euer found in the world who could euer force his seruant to vndergoe so great dangers and so farre to obey him What captiuity can be found more hard or sharper In this estate all sinners liue as the Prophet witnesseth when he sayth That they dwell in darknes and in the shadow of death being bound in misery and yron That is in yron chaynes What darknes is this except that blindnes in which the wicked are conuersant as we haue shewed before seeing that they know neither themselues nor God as they ought to knowe neyther for what cause they liue neyther for what end they are created much lesse doe they know the vanity of the things they loue neyther this seruitude wherein they liue What be these bonds with which they are bound vnlesse the violence of their affections which holdeth their harts tyed with the most straight bonds of those things which they to inordinately doe desire And what is that hunger and misery which they suffer but an insatiable appetite and desire by which they are tormented about infinite things which they cannot haue Consider now therefore if any captiuity harder or sorer can be sustayned or borne But that thou mayst know this yet more plainely I will illustrate it by another example Behold Amnon King Dauids eldest sonne when as he laciuiously had beheld his sister Thamar he was so blinded with this darknes and so miserably bound with these chaines and so vehemently tormented with this hunger that he could neyther eate nor drinke nor sleepe yea he was so farre enamoured of her that he was sicke for her loue Tell me I pray thee what ones were the chaines of this perturbation or appetite with which his hart was bound when it so changed his flesh and so infected the humors of his body that a great infirmity followed vpon it But that thou mayst know that the remedy of this infirmity was not to haue obtayned that he desired marke how the same Amnon was further out of square and more greeuously afflicted and more vexed with a contrary affection after hee had satisfied his lust then he was before for the Scripture sayth And hee hated her exceedingly so that the hatred where-with he hated her was greater then the loue where-with he had loued her So that the rauishing of his sister did not free him from the passion but changed the one into another greater Is there any Tyrant to be found in the world who so often doth tosse and turmoyle his Captiues that doth commaund them to doe vndoe that forceth them to goe and returne the same way Certainely beleeue me my brother they are all such who are subiect to the like vices who are scarce Lords ouer themselues For they eate nothing they drinke nothing they thinke vpon nothing they speake nothing they dreame of nothing but of it So that neyther the feare of God nor their conscience nor heauen nor hell nor death nor iudgement nor oftentimes life it selfe and their proper honour which they so ambitiously loue and maintaine can bring them from this way or breake these bonds What shall I speake of their iealousie of their feare of their suspitions and of other externall accidents in which they are plunged night and day casting themselues headlong into most certaine danger of life and honour for this rauening and tormenting pleasure Is there any Tyrant in the world which after such a manner doth dominere and tyrannize ouer his seruant as vice rageth and raigneth ouer this mans hart For a seruant is neuer so bound to his Lord that night and day he doth wayte vpon him
worlde for his sake shall receaue an hundreth fold heere and shall inherite euerlasting life Behold therefore my brother what an excellent good it is that hetherto I haue shewed thee behold to what I inuite thee consider whether any will say that thou art deceaued if for the loue of it thou shalt forsake the world and all things which are therein Onely one inconuenience this good hath if so that it may be called an incoÌ„uenience why it is not esteemed amongst wicked men that is because it is not knowen vnto them For this cause our Sauiour said That the kingdome of heauen was like vnto a treasure hid for this good is indeede a treasure but hid not to these that possesse it but to others That Prophet very well knew of the price of this treasure who said My secret to my selfe my secret to my selfe Hee regarded not whether others knew of his treasure or no for this good is not of the nature of other goods which are not good vnlesse they be known of others vvherefore they are not good of themselues but only in the estimation of the world and therefore it is necessarie that they be knowen vnto him of whom they are so called But thys good maketh his possesser good and happy and doth noe lesse warme heate his hart when he knoweth of it alone then when the whole world knoweth it But my tongue is not the key of the Casket of this secret and much lesse of all those things which hetherto haue been spoken for whatsoeuer mans tongue can vtter is much lesse theÌ„ the truth of the thing it selfe The Diuine light experience and vse is the key of vertues I would that thou shouldest desire thys key of GOD that thou mayst finde this treasure yea God himselfe in whoÌ„ thou shalt finde all things and thou shalt see with what great reason the Prophet said Blessed is the people whose GOD the Lorde is For what can be wanting vnto him who possesseth this good It is written in the bookes of the Kings that Elcana the Father of Samuell said to his wife sorrowing because shee vvas barren and had no chyldren Anna why weepest thou and why catest thou not and why is thine hart troubled Am not I better to thee then tenne sonnes If a good husband who is to day and to morrow is not be better to his wife then tenne sonnes what thinkest thou of God what will hee be to that soule that possesseth him O men what doe ye whether looke ye what doe ye regard why doe ye leaue the fountaine of Paradice drinke of the muddy Cesterns of thys world Why doe ye not follow the good counsaile of the Prophet who saith O tast see how gracious and sweet the Lord is Why doe we not once assay thys Fourd why doe wee not once tast of these bankets Haue trust to the words of the Lord and beginne and he shal deliuer thee from all danger Terrible and fearefull seemed that Serpent a farre off into which Moses rodde was turned but when it was handled it returned to the old forme againe Not without cause saide Salomon It is naught it is naught saith he that buyâ—th but when hee commeth to his owne house then hee boasteth of his penny-worth Thys hapneth daily to men in this busines For not knowing at the beginning the value of this merchandize because they theÌ„selues are not spirituall neither know they of what esteeme it is and vnderstanding what is requested for it because they are carnall they thinke it is too deere and not worth the price But when they once beginne to tast how sweet the Lord is foorthwith they boast of their merchandize and they confesse that no price is too high or too much to be giuen for this incomparable good Consider how the Merchant in the Gospel cheerfully sold all that he had that he might buy the field in which the treasure was hid Therfore for what cause doth not a Christian man this name being heard contend to know what it is Certainly it is a matter of wonder if any tatler or tale-bearer should tell thee that in thy house there is treasure hidde thou wouldest not rest to digge and delue and to seeke and try whether it were true or no that hee had said But when the Lorde himselfe affirmeth that within thee in thy soule thou hast an inestimable treasure hid canst thou not be brought to seek for it O how soone shouldest thou sinde this treasure if thou onelie knewest how nigh the Lord is vnto them that call vpon him in truth How many men haue their beene in this world vvho considering of their sinnes and perseuering in prayer and desiring remission of them haue in lesse time then a weeke opened the earth or that I may speake better haue found a new heauen and a newe earth and haue begunne to feele in them the kingdome of God How great is it which that Lord doth who saith At what tyme soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinnes I will put them out of my remembrance How great was that which that good Father did who scarcely that short prayer of the Prodigall beeing ended could no longer containe himselfe but he must needes embrace him and receaue him into his house with great mirth and feasting Returne therefore my brother to thys gracious fauourable Father and whilst it is time lift vp thy hart vnto him and cease not for some fewe dayes vncessantly to call and knock at the gates of his mercy and assuredly beleeue mee if thou shalt perseuer with humilitie at the length the Lord shall make aunswere vnto thee and shall show thee the hid treasure of his loue which when thou shalt haue tasted and assaied thou wilt say with the Spouse in the Canticles If a man woulde giue all the good of his house for loue he should count it nothing The end of the second part THE THIRD PART OF THE SINNERS GVIDE In which aunswere is made to all those excuses by which those men are wont to excuse and defend themselues who will not embrace Vertue Against the first excuse of those who deferre and put off from day to day the amendment of their lifes and the embracing of Vertue CHAP. XXV I Thinke that no man can deny but that those things are sufficient which hetherto haue beene spoken of vs yea and that they sufficientlie and plentifully doe approoue our principall purpose and intent which wee promised at the beginning to discourse aâ—d dispute of That is that we might moue the harts of men Gods grace being first presupposed to the loue and study of Vertue But although we may be thought to haue satisfied and performed our promise yet the malitiousnes of men haue excuses which haue a show of truth by which they defend their lingering and loytering negligence and still comfort and please themselues in their wickednes as Ecclesiasticus intimateth and insinuateth
which is made at the poynt of death and in extreamity is sildome true by reason of the great difficulty that happeneth at this time He prooueth this conclusion by foure reasons or arguments The first is by reason of the great perturbations which arise out of the greatnes of griefes sicknes and the presence of Death through which the hart is lesse able to lift vp it selfe to God and rightly to busie it selfe in the exercises of true repentance For the better vnderstanding of this argument we must know that all the perturbations of our hart haue great force to disturbe and hinder our will and sences and according to the rule of Philosophy in this effect and euent the affections or passions are much more powerfull which cause sorrow and sadnes then those that procure mirth and ioy Hence it is that the perturbations or affections of one dying are exceeding strong and of all other most powerfull For as Aristotle saith death is the most dreadfull of all terrible things there being so many dolours discruciatements in the body so many afflictions and anguishes in the soule so great sorrow and care for children wife the world all which are to be forsaken Amongst so many and so tempestuous winds of the passions where shall the sences be and where the cogitations but where these dolours and perturbations doe carry and whirle them Daily experience teacheth vs that if any one be tormented with the tooth-ach or by any other sharpe payne although he be a very godly and a religious man yet scarcely then can he stedfastly lift vp his hart to God nay all the sences thoughts haue recourse thither where the griefe is If this happeneth to the righteous what will he doe who neuer accustomed himselfe to thinke of God and who so much is readier to endanger his greater friend then his lesser by how much he is apter and proner to loue his body better then his soule Amongst the foure impediments of contemplation which S. Bernard doth reckon vp one is the euill disposition and temperature of the body For then the soule is so vrged and occupied with the dolours of the flesh that scarce it permitteth a man to thinke vpon any other thing besides that which then greeueth and excruciateth him Which if it be true what greater dotage or madnes can there be then to expect tarry and wayte for the worst disposition and temperature of the body in it to handle and deal with the greatest businesses of the soule I knew a certaine man who being at the poynt of death when he was willed and admonished to prepare himselfe for his end for the glasse of his life was now runned out he was so affrighted and ouerwhelmed with the presence of death that he thought vpon nothing els then how he might escape the danger of death as if the date of his life had beene put in his owne hands and he had the ordering and determining of it All his care was how he might remedy and auoyde this danger if possibly it might be But when the Minister saw him so little carefull and troubled with those things which were necessary for that time he admonished him that he should let passe such thoughts and begin earnestly to call vpon God The sicke man hardly taking this aâ—â—onition began to talke a farre off from the purpose and so yeeleded vp the ghost Notwithstanding this man had beene a louer of Vertue wherby thou mayst see how the presence of Death doth disturbe and disquiet them who are in loue with their lifes seeing that it so greatly troubled him who at other times had despised it I knew also another man who when hee had fallen into a most dangerous and greeuous sicknes and saw Death now at hand he earnestly desired to conferre a little with God and to preuent the Iudge by a deuoute prayer before hee should depart out of this life but sorrowes and the continuall accidents of his infirmity would let him haue no rest If therfore onely preparation to repentance bâ—so hard at that time who will be so fond and mad to defer and prorogue the remedy and repentance of his whole life to that moment The second reason of the Shoole-man is that true repentance ought to be voluntary that is it ought to be done willingly and not of constraint or compelled by necessitie Thys is that which Saint Augustine saith Let no man tarry so long as he can sin For God requireth the liberty of the vvill that thy faultes may be wiped away he requireth not necessity but charitie not onely feare because man liueth not onely in feare Therefore it behoueth him that lately repenteth not onely to feare the Iudge but to loue him because without charitie no man can be saued Wherefore that man that neuer truly repenteth himselfe in his life time but prorogeth it to the houre of death he seemeth not to bring forth repentance of will but of compulsion â—â—d if of constraint or necessity then it is not meerely voluntary Such was the repentance of Shimei for that offence which he had committed against Dauid when hee fled from the face of his sonne Absolon Which Shimei when he saw that the victory did incline to Dauid and considering of the mischiefe that hung ouer his head he descended with the men of Iuda to meete King Dauid and with the thousand men of Beniamin and prostrating himselfe before the King he craued pardon for his fault Which when Abishai heard he sayd Shall not Shimei die for this because he cursed the Lords annointed But holy king Dauid not ignorâ—â—â— of what small desert this repentance was for the time wisely dissembled the deede yet he would not that it should vtterly passe vnreuenged but when he was at deaths doore not for any desire of reuenge but in the zeale of iustice he commaunded his sonne that hee should not suffer it to goe vnreuenged who afterwards commanded him to be slaine Of this kinde and nature seemeth the repentance of many wicked Christians to be who when they haue perscuered all theyr lyfe thorow in sinne offending God when the houre of rendering an account shall draw neere when they see death approching and the graue open and the Iudge present when they shall vnderstand that no strength or power can be founde against that infinite power omnipotencie and that that shall be determined in that moment which is for euer irreuocable then they turne themselues vnto the Iudge with prayers and protestations which if they be true certainly they are profitable But the common euent teacheth what manner of prayers and protestations they were and are for we haue learned by experience that many of them hauing escaped this danger forthwith haue forgot all that they promised and as Swine haue returned to theyr wallowing in the myre yea they haue reuersed and recalled that good which then they purposed and haue againe embraced those
alike yet there were great cause of feare Why do I say alike Yea such so great are the euerlasting torments of hell that if onely one man of all man-kind were to be banished thether yet we all should tremble and feare When our Sauiour did eate his last Supper with his Disciples and sayd One of you shall betray me they were all exceeding sorrowful began to feare although theyr conscience witnessed their innocencie For when as an imminent mischiefe is grieuous heauie although there be but few to whom it is threatned yet all and euery one feareth least it should happen to him If there were a great Army of men in a fielde and it should bee reuealed from heauen to them all that a little after an Arrow should fall from heauen and should kill one of them neyther was it known whom it should be there is no doubt but that euery one would feare himselfe least it should fal vpon him But what would they do if the greater part of them should be in danger and ieopardy How much greater would thys feare be Tell me ô man thou that art so cunning in fleshly wisedome and so vnskilfull in the busines of thy saluation did God euer reueale vnto thee that there should be so many whom the thunder or sword of the Diuine iustice should smite If thou knowest not this certainly I much lesse beleeue that thou knowest how many and which â—e they that shall escape that plague on which side thou shalt stand and yet doost thou not feare Or doth hell seeme more tollerable vnto thee then the wound of an arrow Or hath God secured thee or hast thou letters of thy securitie or is an infallible charter of thy saluation graunted vnto thee or a priuiledge of immunity and freedom Hetherto there is nothing that promiseth any such like thing vnto thee moreouer thy works condemne thee and according to the present iustice vnlesse thou turne ouer a new lease thou art reprobated and doost thou not yet feare or wilt thou say that the Diuine mercie doth comfort thee Surely that doth not dissolue the works of iustice neither is contrary to them yea if it suffer so many to be damned will it not also suffer thee to be one of them if thou together sinnest with them Doost thou not see that thys vnhappy loue of thy selfe doth blinde thee and miserably deceaue thee whilst it maketh thee to presume other things then are seene in the whole world What priuiledge I pray thee is giuen vnto thee beyond the other sonnes of Adam that thou shouldest not be banished thether whither they are gone whose works tâ—oâ— doost follow But if God be to be known by his works I know what I wil say For although there be many comparisons by which the mercy of God his iustice may be compared between themselues in which the works of mercy doe preuaile yet at the length we finde that in the posterity of Adam of whose seede thou also art borne that there are found many moe vessels of wrath then of mercy seeing that there are so many that are damned and so few that are saued The cause of which is not because the grace and helpe of God forsaketh them or is wanting vnto them For God as the Apostle sayth would haue all to be saued and to come to the knowledge of his truth but because the wicked are wanting to themselues and the grace of God is of none effect in them All these things are remembred more largely and prolixely of me that thou mayest vnderstand that notwithstanding the mercy of God which thou pretendest God suffereth so many to be Infidels and in the Church so many euill Christians and so many Infidels and so many euill Christians to perish so also he will permit thee to perish with them if thou imitatest theyr life Or when thou wast borne did the heauens reioyce or shal the iudgements and decrees of God be changed that the world may be peculier to thee and another to others If therfore notwithstanding the mercy of God hell be so enlarged and so many thousand soules be daily swallowed vp of it shall not thy soule also come thether if thou continuest in thy sinnes But that thou mayest not say that God in times past was seuere and sharpe but now gentle and mild consider that also with this gentlenes and clemencie he suffereth all that thou hast heard neyther shalt thou be free and exempted from it but also thy punishment remayneth for thee yea although thou beest called a Christian if thou beest found a sinner Or therfore shal God lose his glory if he shall condemne thee Hast thou I pray thee any singuler thing in thee for which God aboue others ought to spare thee Or hast thou any priuiledge which others haue not for which he should not destroy thee with others if thou beest not lesse euill then others be Consider I pray thee the sonnes of Dauid for their fathers sake many priuiledges were promised vnto them but neyther for that cause would the Lord suffer their wickednes vnpunished wherefore many of them had but sorrowfull ends Where then is thy vaine trust Why doest thou vainely hope they perishing that thou shalt not perish seeing thou art pertaker of their wickednes Thou errest my brother thou errest if thou thinkest that this is to hope in God This is not hope but presumption For hope is to trust that God will forgiue thee thy sinnes if thou be repentant and sorrowfull for them and turnest from thy wickednes and that then he will receaue thee into fauour But it is exceeding great presumption to beleeue that thou shalt be saued and happy perseuering and continuing in thy sinnes Doe not think that this is a small sinne for it is numbred amongst those which are committed against the holy Ghost for he that presumeth after this maner he offereth no smal ignominy reproch to the Diuine goodnes which especially is attributed to the holy Ghost Such sinnes as our Sauiour testifieth are not forgiuen in this world nor in that to come insinuating that they are remitted with great difficulty for as much as they shut against them the gate of grace and offend a Phisitian who can giue life apply the medicine to the wound ¶ The conclusion of all those things which haue beene spoken in this Chapter LEt vs at the length conclude this matter with that excellent sentence of Ecclesiasticus Because thy sinne is forgiuen be not without feare to heape sinne vpon sinne And say not The mercy of God is great he will forgiue my manifold sinnes for mercy wrath come from him and his indignation commeth downe vpon sinners Tell me I pray thee if of a sinne forgiuen we ought to feare how can it possibly be that thou shouldest be secure by daily adding sinnes to sinnes Marke diligently what he sayth His indignation commeth downe vpon sinners For of this sentence the
of sinne might be destroyed that hencefoorth wee should not serue sinne The Apostle in thys place by the old man and the body of sinne vnderstandeth our sensuall appetite with all the euill inclinations that proceede from it Hee sayth that thys together with Christ is crucified-vppon the Crosse for by thys most noble and excellent sacrifice we haue obtayned grace and strength to weaken and debilitate this Tyrant so that wee are free from the seruitude of sinne as before I haue shewed Thys is that great victorie that great benefit which the Lord promiseth by Esay saying Feare thou not for I am with thee be not afraid for I am thy God I will strengthen thee and helpe thee 〈◊〉 I will sustaine thee with the right hand of my iustice Behold all they that prouoke thee shall be ashamed and confounded they shall be as nothing and they that striue with thee shall perrish Thou shalt seeke them and shalt not finde them to wit the men of thy strife for they shall be as nothing and the men that warre against thee as a thing of naught For I the Lord thy God wilâ— hold thy right hand saying vnto thee Feare not I will helpe thee Thys sayth Esay Tell me who shall faile hauing such an helper Who will be faint-harted and discouraged who will feare or dread his owne wicked passions seeing that grace doth thus vanquish and ouercome them ¶ An aunswer to certaine obiections IF thou shalt say vnto me that alwayes some reliques remaine in a man which accuse him and doe beare witnes against the righteous as we reade in the booke of Iob. The same Prophet answereth vnto this saying They shall be as though they were not For although they remaine they remaine onely for our exercise and not to our ruine they remaine that they may stirre vs vp not intangle vs in the snares of sinnes they remaine that they may yeeld vs occasion to attaine a crowne and not to ouerthrow vs and cast vs downe they remaine for our tryumph not for theyr conquest to be briefe they remaine so to profit vs that they are for our tryall humiliation that we may know our selues and our owne weakenes that thereby wee may acknowledge the glory and grace of God so that thys remainder doth redound to our commodity Whereupon euen as wilde beasts according to theyr nature are hurtfull vnto men and yet when they are tamed doe them good seruice so when as the purturbations of our soule are gouerned and moderated they helpe vs in many exercises of vertue Goe to then tell me If God doth thus strengthen and defend thee who vpon the earth shal be able to hurt thee if God be for thee who is against thee The Lord is my light sith the Prophet and my saluation whom shall I feare the Lorde is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid When the wicked euen mine enemies and my foes came vpon me to eate vp my flesh they stumbled and fell Though an host pitched against mee myne hart should not be afraid though warre be raised against me I will trust in this Truely my brother if thou beest not mooued by thys promise to serue God thou art very slothfull and vild I will not say vncleane and corrupt And if these words are not of credite with thee thou art a very Infidell It is God who saith vnto thee that he will giue thee a new essence and will make thy stony hart fleshy and will mortifie thine affections and that he will so change thine estate that thou shalt not know thy selfe when thou seekest for thine affections and passions thou shalt not finde them he shall make them so weake and infirme What could he promise more what canst thou further expect and hope for what is wanting vnto thee but a liuely Fayth and aliuely Hope that thou mayst trust in God shroud thy selfe vnder his almighty arme Surely I thinke that thou canst aunswer nothing at all vnto these things except perhaps thou wilt say that thy sinnes are many and great and therefore this grace is denied vnto thee Vnto this I aunswer that thou canst not offer greater iniury vnto God then to say so seeing that by these words thou doest signifie that there is somthing for which God eyther will not or cannot helpe his creature when as he is conuerted vnto him and desireth mercy and pardon at his hands I would not that thou shouldest credite me credite that holy Prophet who then seemed mindfull of thee and was willing to helpe thee meete with thine infirmities when he writ these things saying Now when all these things shall come vpon thee eyther the blessing or the curse which I haue set before thee and thou shalt turne into thine hart among all the nations whether the Lord thy God hath driuen thee and shalt returne vnto the Lord thy God and obey his voyce in all that I commaund thee this day thou and thy children with all thine hart and with all thy soule then the Lord thy God will cause thy captiues to returne and haue compassion vpon thee and will returne to gather thee out of all the people where the Lord thy God had scattered thee and will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed and thou shalt possesse it And a little after The Lord thy God will circumcise thine hart and the hart of thy seede that thou â—ayst loue the Lord thy God with all thine hart and with all thy soule that thou mayst liue O that the Lord would now circumcise thine eyes and take thee out of this darknes that thou mightest clearely see this manner of circumcision Be not so ignorant and rude that thou shouldest deeme this circumcision to be corporall for of such a circumcision our hart is not capable What circumcision then is this which the Lord here promiseth Surely it is the superfluity of our affections and of our euill appetites which springeth from our hart and bringeth great hinderance to our Diuine loue He promiseth therfore that he will circumcise and lop off all the barren and hurtfull branches with the knife of his grace that our hart being so pruned and circumcised may imploy and bestow all his strength vpon the branch of the Diuine loue Then thou shalt be a true Israelite then thou shalt be circumcised of the Lord when hee shall take away and cut out from thy soule the loue of this world and shall let nothing remayne in it besides the entire loue of God I would haue thee diligently to marke that that which God in this place promiseth to doe that he doth commaund thee to doe in another place that when thou art conuerted vnto him thou shouldest doe it thy selfe saying Circumcise the foreskinne of your hart c. And how Lord that which thou promisest to doe thy selfe now thou commaundest that I should doe it my selfe if I must doe it how
their blood for him who first shed his for them and when they cannot come vnto that they desire they rage against themselues becoÌ„ming their owne tormenters for they doe torment their bodies by hunger and thirst by cold and heate and by many other afflictions and by such works after some manner they satisfie their desire This Idiome and propriety the louers of this world vnderstand not neyther can they imagine how he can be loued so ardently whom they so abhorre and on the contrary part that they are so abhorred for that which they so tenderly loue and yet this is the truth of the thing We reade in the Scriptures that the Aegyptians had for their Gods vnreasonable creatures and that they did worship them But the Israelites called them an abhomination and that which they called their God the Israelites killed and sacrificed to their true God After the same manner also the righteous as the Israelites call the Gods of this world an abhomination as are honours pleasures and riches which notwithstanding the the world adoreth these false Gods the righteous as abhominations doe sacrifice to the glory of their true God So he that would offer an acceptable sacrifice to God let him haue an eye to that which the world adoreth and let him offer that and let him embrace that which the world abhorreth Doe not they seeme vnto thee to haue so done who after that they had receaued the first fruites of the holy Spirit departed from the Councel reioycing that they were couÌ„ted worthy to suffer rebuke for the name of Iesus What sayest thou vnto these things that which can make bonds whyps fire and other torments sweet shall it not make the obseruation and keeping of the commaundements of God sweet Thou errest my brother thou errest not knowing the nature of Vertue and the force of charitie and the Diuine grace ¶ Of other things which make the way of saluation easie sweete THis that we haue hetherto said is sufficieÌ„t to take away that common impediment which many alledge But let vs put the case that this is not which wee haue spoken of and therefore this way is hard and difficult I pray thee tell mee why should it be troublesome and grieuous vnto thee to do that for thy soule which thou refusest not to doe for thy body Shall it seeme a great thing vnto thee to suffer a little trouble here that hereafter thou maist escape eternall torment What would not the rich couetous man buried in hell willingly doe if he might haue licence to come into the world againe that he might amend his errors It is not meete that thou shouldest doe lesse now then he would doe seeing that if thou doost perseuere in thy wicked maliciousnesse the same torments remaine for thee and therefore thou oughtest to haue the same desire Furthermore if thou wouldest diligently perpend and consider the manifold and great things that GOD hath doone for thee and greater which he hath promised thee and also thy hainous sinnes by which thou hast offended him moreouer the great torments which the Saints haue suffered but most of all those exceeding great ones which the Holy of Holies himselfe hath borne without doubt it would shame thee to be vnwilling to abide so little for the loue of God yea to be vnwilling to flie that which delighteth thee Therfore Saint Bernard saith The afflictions of thys world are not worthy of the fault past which is pardoned nor of the present grace of consolation which is giuen nor of the future glory which is promised vnto thee Euery one of these considerations ought worthily to moue vs to enter into this way although it be very laborious But that we may confesse the truth although our life in euery part and in euery proceeding is grieuous and full of tribulations yet without coÌ„parison greater is the griefe trouble that is found in the lyfe of wicked men then that which is found in the life of good men For although to goe or walke in the way be laborious for which way soeuer thou walkest at the length thou shalt be wearie yet much greater is the trouble of him who walketh blindly and often dasheth his feete against the stones then of him who goeth with open eyes and seeth where and howe he passeth Seeing therefore that our life is a way it cannot be but man must be wearied vntill he come to the place of reâ—â— But a sinner who vseth not the light of reason but his own affections and is gouerned by the perturbations of his minde it is certaine that he walketh blindfold for there is not any thing founde in the world more blinde then the perturbations of the mind But good men who are gouerned of reason when they meete with rockie and breake-necke downfalls they shun them and so they walke with lesser labour and with greater securitie That great wise man long agoe vnderstood this and therefore said The way of the righteous shineth as the light that shineth more and more vnto the perfect day But the way of the wicked is as the darknes they know not wherin they shall fall Neyther is the way of the wicked onely obscure and darke as Salomon sayth here but also difficult slipperie and full of Caues Dennes as Dauid saith that thou mayst thereby learne how often they flyp and slide that tread in that path Besides in thys short and small trouble which meeteth with the godly a thousand kind of helps are giuen which doe lighten diminish this trouble For principally the presence fatherly prouidence of God doth help which guideth them and the grace of the holy Ghost which encourageth them the Sacraments which strengthen them and the Diuine consolations which cheere them and the examples of good men which comfort them and the holy Scriptures which teach them and the peace of a good conscience which doth ioy them and lastly the hope of glory which maketh them constant and vnmoueable with a thousand other graces and benefits of God which maketh thys way so easie pleasant to the walkers in it that they say with the Prophet How sweet are thy promises vnto my mouth yea more then Honny vnto my mouth Let it be whosoeuer it will that considereth of this thing diligently he shal find very many authorities of scripture concerning this matter notwithstanding some of them make thys way harde and sharpe others make it easie light and pleasant For the same Prophet in another place sayth For the wordes of thy lippes I haue kept straight and difficult wayes And in another place I haue had as great delight in the way of thy testimonies as in all riches For thys way hath two things Difficulty and Suauitie the one by reason of nature the other by reason of grace so that which is difficult by reason of the and is made sweet pleasant by reason of the other As well the
as a certaine VVise man saith to flie vice after which a man may speedily and without cumbrance prepare himselfe to the exercise of Vertue Therefore we will deuide this doctrine into two parts In the first part wee will entreat of the commoner vices and will sette downe remedies conuenient for the same In the second wee will speake of Vertues But before wee enter the liftes of this tractate we will send before two conducent aduices and needfull institutions which are most necessary for that man who hath purposed and determined with himselfe to enter into this way THE SECOND BOOKE of the Sinners Guyde In which doctrine appertaining vnto Vertue is handled and diuers instructions are set downe which teach how a man at the length may come vnto Vertue The first aduice and instruction which is very necessary for that man that desireth to serue GOD. CHAP. I. THat man that now purposeth to consecrate him selfe to Gods seruice and determineth to leade a new lyfe before all things hee must resolutely perswade himselfe that this endeuour is acceptable aboue all others and he must so esteeme of thys resolution as it deserueth I say that hee must firmly and confidently beleeue that this purpose is of greater moment a treasure more rich a worke more wisely taken in hand then any other which in this world mortall men admire and loue Yea he must think with himselfe that besides this there is none other wisedome none other treasure nor any other necessarie busines in this world Learne ô Israell saith the Prophet where is wisâ—â—â—â— where is strength where is vnderstanding that thoâ— mâ—ist know also from whence commeth long continuance of life and where the light of the eyes and peace is Not without cause therefore the Lord sayth by Ieremie Let not the wise man glory in his wisedome nor the strong man glory in his strength neyther the rich man glory in his riches But let him that glorieth glory in this that be vnderstandeth and knoweth me For thys is the whole summe of Christian Phylosophie Although a man be wise yet if his wisedome be not ioyned with vertue he hath not wherein to boast or glory To the embracement of this vertue all the holy Scriptures inuite vs which so often and by so many waies and meanes doe commend vnto vs this exercise as especially profitable and necessary To thys exercise the holy Scriptures doe chiefely inuite vs which by so diuers wayes and sundry meanes do commend Vertue vnto vs. To this all the creatures as well heauenly as earthly doe exhort vs. To this the voyces and clamours of the Church doe prouoke vs to this all lawes humane and diuine doe direct vs to this infinite examples of the Saints doe leade vs who being ful of heauenly light haue despised the world and with the entirest deuotion of their harts haue embraced Vertue insomuch that many of them haue merrily and ioyfully suffered martirdome some of them being cut in peeces some rosted vpon Gridirons and some burned to ashes who would haue suffered a thousand kinde of other torments rather then they would haue offended the Diuine Maiestie in the least thing or haue liued a moment out of the fauour of GOD. To be briefe all those things do allure vs or rather binde vs to this exercise which more copiously wee haue discoursed in the former Booke For all these things doe encrease and stir vp a courage in vs to striue for thys maistry because they declare vnto vs the greatnes and price of Vertue Euery one of these seuerally beeing diligently marked and attentiuely considered of is sufficient to demonstrate the greatnes and waightines of this busines but much more they altogether can doe it that by this man may vnderstand to what purpose it is and of what great consequence to follow and embrace Vertue how necessary and glorious a worke it is to yeeld himselfe wholy to Vertues iurisdiction and howe meete and iust a thing it is at the length to aspyre and attaine vnto her as hath already been said and hereafter shall be showen And this is the first document and instruction which appertaineth vnto thys busines Of the second instruction and aduice which that man must follow who will come to the seruice of God CHAP. II. THE second instruction and document is seeing that the busines is of so great dignity and worth that a man offer and yeeld himselfe with a merry and cheerefull hart to beare all the blowes and strokes of aduersity and tribulation which customarily are wont to happen to theÌ„ who loâ—e God so that he account all things base and vild and willingly contemâ—e them for the loue of God that he may victoriously returne from this glorious combat setting this before his eyes that nature hath brought forth nothing into the world excellent and precious which hath not some difficulty Because in that moment wherein man purposeth to relinquish and forsake his vices and to follow and embrace vertues the powers of hell are troubled the Prince of darknes mustereth his forces and armeth his Catchpoles fiends and all his damned crew against this fresh-water Souldier of Christ. Forthwith the flesh a louer of all filthy and obscene pleasures inclined to euill from the very birth after it was infected with the deadly poyson of that infeâ—â—all Serpent with great importunity solliciteth him assaying by all possibilities to bring him backe to his accustomed delights The custome also of corrupt manners which can doe as much as Nature herselfe doth hardly brooke this alteration and sheweth that it will be most difficult to bring it to passe For euen as it is very hard to with-draw a great riuer from his naturall course which by many yeares it hath been accustomed to to another current so also it is very haâ—d â—â—aâ—a man should change his life which many yeares he hath led and should assume another The world also which is more cruell and fierce then the most furious and tyrannous beast which is armed with very many most pestilent and pernicious examples which are in it will come tempting this new Souldier of Christ with her pomps and vanities and soliciting him with her euill and lewd examples of sinners or terrifying him with her persecutions which are procured of euill men and wicked tyrants And as though this were not sufficient not any whit behind these that most subtill mighty and auntient deceauer the deuill will hasten who will impugne thee no lesse perniciously then the rest and he will doe according to his wont that is he will with all might and meane persecute and set vpon these which are of late become his enemies and casting off his yoke haue newly begun to rebell On euery side therfore difficulties and warres wil grow and arise all which temptations it is requisite that he expect as presupposed and fore-seene that if at any time they inuade and impugne him they may not seeme vnto
Christ might doe and whether he might turne he knew not whom torments had not conquered nowe pleasure ouercame At length beeing inspired from aboue hee bit off his tongue and spet it in the face of the harlot kissing him and so he quenched the heate of his lust by the greatnes of his paine Surely a deed maruailous heroick and such an one as hetherto hath not been found eyther in the histories of the Greekes or Latines Let these suffise to shew with howe cheerfull and manly a courage these Saints resisted sinne I could also alledge other examples of them who had rather be tumbled naked vppon thornes and in the deepe of Winter be rouled vpon snow and Ice then they would satisfie the lust of their flesh which burned in them the deuill blowing the coales Wherefore that man that determineth to enter into this way ought firmely to fasten this purpose in his mind more to esteeme the fauour of God as a iust Iudge of things then all the treasures of thys world and alwayes to renounce the lesser that the greater may be kept when he is in the like need In this he ought to ground his life this ought to be his obiect in all his actions let him earnestly craue thys of God in all his prayers to this end he receiueth the Sacraments of the Church Let him gather thys out of Sermons and out of the reading of godly Bookes let him take this out of the creation of the world the forming of all creatures let him reape this fruite especially out of the passion of Christ and out of the rest of the Diuine blessings for the fruite of these is not to offend him to whom so great things are due and according to the soundnes of this holy feare and determination let him measure the quantitie of his profit equalizing the strength and firmnes of his purpose according to the greatnes of the profit so that by how much that is greater or lesser by so much his resolution may be greater or lesser Furthermore euen as he that would fasten a naile into a wall is not content to haue giuen one two or three strokes with a mallet but he so long smiteth it and forceth it forwards vntill it stick fast so this purpose and resolution ought not to be sufficient for a man there to stay let it be what it will but he must daily labour and endeuour that of all things that he seeth heareth readeth or meditateth vpon he take an occasion whereby the loue of God may more and more increase in him that hee may hate and abhorre sinne more and more For by how much the hatred of sinne shall more and more increase in him by so much shall he perceiue himselfe to haue profited and fructified in the Diuine loue and consequently in all vertue But that hee may more firmely persist and continue in thys resolution let him perswade himselfe assuredly beleeue that if all the euils paines and sorrowes of the world from that time it first began to this present houre were put in one ballance together with all the punishments which all the damned suffer in hell and in the other ballance one onely sinne were put it is certaine that he should rather preferre the escape from this sin before all the rest and flye from it more speedily then from all those tribulations and punishments albeit the blindnes of thys Egipt or of thys world is so great that men thinke far otherwise Neyther is it maruell that the men of this world being blind do not see this so great an euill or that they being deade doe not feele a wound so hideously gaping for it is not giuen to blinde men to see any thing although it be very great neyther to the dead to feele a wound albeit it be deadly Therefore I beeing about to handle in this second Booke the doctrine of Vertue which hath sinne for her contrary in the first part I will entreate of the irreconcileable hatred of sins and specially of the remedies of them for the rootes of sinnes beeing pluckt out of the soule the plants of vertues may bee more easily ingrafted of which wee will speake in the second part Neyther onely will we speake here of those sinnes vvhich are accounted horrible and abhominable amongst men but also of those which the world reckoneth not of and which they make no scruple to commit We will begin with those seauen mortall and deadly sinnes which are called capitall because they are the heads and rootes of all other This doctrine will be profitable that a man when he is mightily assaulted and tempted may haue refuge and recourse to this doctrine as to a spirituall defence and that out of many remedies which are set downe in this part hee may select and choose those for himselfe vvhich are more conuenient for his purpose It is true that many of these remedies are common for all kinde of vices yet some are particuler sette downe for certaine vices as when I say against Pryde against Couetousnes and so in the rest Of these in this part we will speake setting downe speciall remedies for euerie sinne that the prouision and furniture of spirituall Armor may be in a readinesse alwaies for vs to vse at all needes We must consider note in this place that we haue no need of Hercules his strength to fight in this spiritual combat neither of winged feete to flie away but of cleere and bright eyes to see for eyes are the chiefest weapons and instruments of this warre for wee are not to fight against flesh blood but against most peeuish and peruerse deuils who are spirituall creatures The reason is because the first roote of all sinnes is the errour of the vnderstanding which is the counsailour of the vvill For thys cause our aduersaries doe especially labour this that they may corrupt our vnderstanding for the vnderstanding beeing corrupted the vvill also is corrupted which is gouerned and guyded of it therefore they endeuour to colour euill with good and to 〈◊〉 vice vnder the show and semblance of vertue and so to hide the temptation that it seemeth not temptation but reason For if they assault any man by ambition by couetousnesse by wrath or desire of reuenge they perswade him that it is altogether agreeable vnto reason to desire this that this or that affection desireth and that it is against reason not to lust after that that it lusteth after After this manner they pretend reason that they may so much the more easily deceiue them who are ruled by reason Wherefore it is very necessary that we should haue sharpe-sighted eyes that wee may see the hooke lurking within the baite least wee be deceaued with the shadowe and likelihood of goodnes Eyes also are necessary vnto vs that wee may see the malignity filthines dangers and losses which vices bring with them that our desires may be restrained by this bridle may feare to
Euery tree that bringeth not forth good fruite shall be hewen downe and cast into the fire And in another place admonishing vs to liue circumspectly and carefully which is opposite to this vice he sayth Be yee ready watch and pray for in the houre that yee thinke not of will the sonne of man come Therefore when this slothfull and idle vice tempteth thine hart thou mayst arme thy selfe with these considerations following First consider what great labours and troubles Christ from the beginning of his life suffered for thee howe he continued whole nights in prayer for thee how he ran vp and downe froÌ„ one country to another teaching healing men how he was alwayes busied about those things which belong vnto our saluation and aboue all these things howe at the time of his passion he bare that heauy crosse being wearied martired through many stripes and whippings If therefore the Lord of maiestie suffered so many labours and sorrowes for the saluation safetie of others how much more meete is it that thou shouldest doe and suffer some thing for thine owne That most immaculate Lambe suffered so great things to deliuer thee from thy sinnes and wilt thou not suffer a little while and a small thing for his loue Consider also what the Apostles haue suffered when trauailing throughout all the world they preached the Gospell and what the Martyrs Confessors and Virgins haue suffered with those holy Fathers that liued in most vast and solitary wildernesses farre remote from any humane resort To be briefe coÌ„sider of all the labours and trauailes of the Saints who now tryumph with the Lord in heauen by whose labours toyles the Church of God to this day enioyeth many notable blessings Contemplate moreouer how nothing is created to be idle for the heauenly Armies cease not to praise the Lorde The Sunne the Moone the starres and all the celestiall bodies are euery day once turned about the vniuersall Orbe for our commodity hearbes plants and trees from small bodies encrease to theyr iust magnitude Ants in sommer gather theyr graynâ— which they may liue of in winter Bees make their Honey-combes with all diligence persecute the Drone Thou shalt finde the same thing to haue place in all if thou shalt run thorow all the kindes of liuing creatures Therefore ô thou man capable of reason let it shame thee of idlenes which all creatures detest and that onely by the instinct of nature Behold how great paynes and trauailes those doe sustaine who gather earthly riches together which shall perrish vvhich are gotten with great labour are possessed with grâ—â—ter cares and dangers what oughtest not thou rather to do who dealest for heauenly matters who laborest for celestiall treasures which endure for euer Beware that now when thou art sounde and strong and hast time that thou walke not idely least somthing be wanting vnto thee which hereafter thou canst not labor for and yet wouldest faine haue Which we see to happen to many The tyme of our life is short and full of a thousand miseries therefore whilst thou hast fitte time to worke take heede that it slide not away vainely in idlenes For the night shall come in which no man can worke Remember that the multitude of thine enormous sinnes do aske great repentance Saint Peter denyed the Lord thrice and he mourned for this sinne all the daies of his life although it was already forgiuen him Mary Magdalen deplored her sinnes to her dying day which shee had committed before her conuersion albeit she had heard those sweet words of Christ Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee But because I labour to be briefe I cease to rehearse moe examples of thys sort of those who in like manner haue ended theyr repentance with theyr life many of whom had committed both fewer and lesser sinnes then thou hast But thou who daily heapest sinnes to sinnes how darest thou say that it seemeth a thing too hard and difficult vnto thee to doe necessary labours by which thou mayst flie sinnes Therefore in the time of grace and mercy endeuour with thy ful strength that thou maist bring forth fruite worthy of repentance And sette before thine eyes that example of a certaine godly man who as often as the clocke made a report of a passed houre was wont to say O Lord GOD behold novve another houre of them is already past which thou hast allotted vnto my life for which how shall I be able to render thee an account If at any time we be wearied in our godly exercises and labours let vs forth-with consider by how many tribulations and troubles we must enter into the kingdome of heauen and that hee shall not be crowned that hath not lawfully contended And if thou thinkest that thou hast laboured inough already and that no further paynes is to be endured remember that he onely shall be sâ—â—ed who continueth and perseuereth to the end For withou◠〈◊〉 all perseuerance neyther the course is worthy of reward nor of the small fauour of the Lord. For this cause the Lord would not descend from the Crosse when the Iewes willed him because he would not leaue the worke of our redemption vnperfect If therefore we will follow our head it is necessary that we should labour with all diligence till death because the reward of our Sauiour endureth for euer Let vs not leaue of continuall repentance let vs not be weary in bearing the Crosse of the Lord by following Christ otherwise what shall it profit to haue sayled succesfully and prosperously a long voyage if at length we make shipwrack in the Hauen Thou oughtest not to feare the difficulty of fighting God who sendeth thee to the warre doth promise thee helpe to ouercome he is a present beholder of thy fight and doth ayde and succour thee with a fresh supply when thou art eÌ„ndangered or when thy strength faileth but crowneth thee when thou hast ouercome When thou art wearied through tediousnes of trauaile thus resolue with thy selfe Doe not compare the labours of Vertue with the sweetnes and delight of the contrary vice but conferre the sorrow and anguish which thou now feelest in Vertue with the sorrow and disquietnes which thou shalt feele after thou hast sinned and the ioy which thou feelest in sinning with the ioy which for vertue remaineth for thee in the glory to come and thou shalt presently see how much better the condition of vertue is then of vice When thou shalt come Victour from one warre be not idle be not voyde of care for often-times as a certaine Wiseman sayth after victory the conqueror casteth away all care yea alwayes stand vpon the watch for by and by thine enemy wil approch againe and his trumpet will giue a signe of a new onset and a new assault will begin For the Sea cannot be vvithout vvaues and billowes nor this lyfe vvithout tribulation and temptation For he
which among others we ought to moderate and adorne with three holy affections as are Humility of hart Poorenes of spirit and an holy Hatred of our selues For these three doe make the busines of mortification very easie Humility as Saint Bernard defineth is a contempt of our selues which springeth of a deepe and true knowledge of our selues For it is the property of this vertue to cast out of the soule all the branches and all the daughters of Pride with the whole progeny of ambition and to cast vs downe vnder all creatures and to think that any other creature if so it were giuen vnto him of God to worke well as it is giuen vnto vs would be much more gratefull and would bring forth many moe fruites then we doe Neyther is it sufficient that man hath this contempt of himselfe hid within him but it is necessary that it should appeare and show it selfe in his conuersation so that in all things as much as may be hee show himselfe most humble according to the quality of his estate hauing no regard of the iudgement and estimation of this world which perhaps opposeth her selfe against him Wherfore it is necessary that all our actions and affaires haue a relish of humility and pouerty and that we submit our selues for the loue of God not onely to our elders and equals but also to our inferiours The second thing which is required in this place is the pouerty of spirit which is a voluntary contempt of the things of this world and a minde content with that estate which is alotted of God although it be meane and low At this stroke that roote of all mischiefe is cut vp which they call couetousnes and it bringeth to man so great peace and tranquillity of hart that Seneca is not afraid to say He that hath his gate shut to the lust of his desires may for felicity contend with Iupiter himselfe And in another place No man else is worthy of God but he that hath contemned riches Hath he little that chilleth not for cold that hungreth not that thirsteth not Iupiter hath no more He hath neuer little that hath inough This sayth Seneca By which words he intimateth that the felicity of man consisteth in the satiety and contentednes of the harts desire He that commeth to this stayednes and quiet of desire he may say that he is come to the height of felicity or at least hath attayned a great part of it The third affection is an holy Hatred of our selues of which our Sauiour sayth He that loueth his life shall lose it and he that hateth his life in this world shall keepe it vnto life eternall Which doctrine is not to be vnderstoode of a peeuish and a peruerse hate as the desperate doe hate themselues but it must be vnderstood of an hate which the Saints beare towards their owne flesh as against a thing which was the cause of many and great euils and which hindred much good and therefore they handled it not according to the will and lust of it but according to the prescription of reason which coÌ„maundeth that we should often handle it not as a Mistres but as a seruant of the spirit otherwise that of the Wise-man will happen vnto vs He that delicately bringeth vp his seruant afterwards shall finde him obstinate and contâ—macious Wherefore in another place we are admonished that wee should smite it with clubs as an vntamed beast and bridle it The yoke and the whip sayth Ecclesiasticus bow downe the hard necke so tame thine euill seruant that is thy body with the whips and correction Send him to labour that he goe not idle for idlenes bringeth much euill Send him to worke for that belongeth vnto him if he be not obedient put on moe heauy fetters That he insult not nor waxe proud that he be not idle and rush into open wickednes This holy hatred is much auaileable in the busines of mortification that is it is very conducent to the mortifying and cutting away of our euill desires although it be hard and difficult For without this hatred how can we make incision and draw forth blood and greeuously wound a thing so dearely beloued of vs For the arme and strength of mortification getteth valour not onely from the loue God but also from the hate of our selues by vertue of which strength and valour man doth not excruciate his soule of passion but as a seuere Chirurgian doth cleanse and wipe away the corruption of a member affected and putrified ¶ Of the reforming of the Imagination AFter these two sensuall faculties there are other two which pertaine to knowledge 〈◊〉 Imagination and the Vnderstanding which answer to the two former that both of these appetites may haue his guide and knowledge conuenient and fit Imagination which is the ignobler of these two is called a power of our soule greatly weakened through sinne which is very haggard to be subiected vnto reason For oftentimes as a fugitiue seruant that departeth without licence it rusheth out of dores and wandreth throughout the whole world before we vnderstand where it is It is a faculty also very greedy in excogitating or searching out any matter which it hath a desire to and it imitateth hungry doggs who tosse and turne all things vpside downe and thrust their snowt into euery dish now lapping of this now of that and although they are beate from it yet alwayes they returne to their repast fore-tasted This faculty also is very glib and fleeting as a wild and an vntamed beast flying very swiftly froÌ„ one mountaine to another least it should be taken and restrained for it cannot abide a bridle or a bit neyther is it willing to be gouerned or managed of man Notwithstanding this licenciousnes and naturall wildnes there are some that daily make it worser as they that bring vp their children most deliciously daintily permitting them to vage freely whether so euer they list and to doe whatsoeuer pleasure willeth them without any reprehension Wherefore when as man would that this imagination should quietly persist in the contemplation of Diuine things it is disobedient and immorigerous because it hath accustomed to wander licentiously neither acknowledgeth it any moderation Therfore it is needfull that after we haue acquainted our selues with the bad conditions of this beast that we restraine it and that we bind it to a cratch that is to the consideration of good necessary things and that we commaund it perpetuall silence in all-other things So that as a little before we haue bound the tongue that it speaketh not any thing but good words and to the purpose so let vs bind our imagination that it may remaine and continue in good and holy cogitations and to all other that we shut the gate against it Herein we are to vse great discretion to examine what cogitations are to be admitted and what to be excluded that
his neighbour hath fulfilled the Law What greater prayse may be vttered or spoken of any other vertue Besides all thys the most beloued disciple of Christ I meane Iohn in his canonicall Epistles doth repeate nothing so often neyther commendeth any thing so much as this vertue And that he teacheth in his Epistles he confirmeth in his history nothing was so cōmon in his mouth as Bretheren loue one another and that through the whole course of hys lyfe yea when he was conuersant among the Disciples hee would often and sundry times on one day repeate it and when he was demaunded why he repeated it so often he answered the demaunders Because it is the precept of the Lord and if it alone be done it is sufficient ¶ Of the duties of Charitie HE therefore that would satisfie the Diuine will let him assuredly knowe that amongst all the principall matters that GOD commaundeth there is not one so much beate vppon and so often required as this commaundement of loue yet so that we vnderstand not thys to be a bare and a naked affection but to haue annexed vnto it all the effects which are wont to concurre with true loue for otherwise it were not woorthy of the name of loue as the same Euangelist showeth saying Who so hath this worlds good and seeth his brother haue neede and shutteth vp his compassion from him howe dwelleth the loue of God in him My babes let vs not loue in word neyther in tongue but in deed and in verity Therefore vnder the name of loue amongst many other sixe things are comprehended To loue to counsayle to releeue to beare to pardon and to teach by good examples which workes are so ioyned with Charitie that as any one hath moe or fewer of them he hath more or lesse Charitie Thys we say to this end because there are found some who say I loue but theyr loue hath no effect but the name onely There be others who loue and by good admonitions and counsailes doe giue some relish of it but they doe not open theyr coffers neither put theyr hands into theyr Chest that they may releeue the necessities of theyr brethren and neyghbours Againe there be others that helpe theyr neyghbour with theyr aduice releeue hym with that they possesse yet they beare not the iniuries and infirmities of theyr brother nor follow the counsaile of the Apostle who sayth Beare ye one anothers burden so fulfil the law of Christ. Some beare patiently the iniury offered vnto thē but they do not pardon mercifully him that hath iniured them and although in their harts they beare no hate yet outwardly they doe not show forth their loue by benefits by pliantnesse and by fauour These although they doe not faile in the first yet they doe not profit in the second neither doe they come to the perfection of this vertue There be some that haue all the fore-said effects but they edifie theyr neighbor neyther with words nor with good examples which surely is the noblest among the duties of Charitie According to this order euery man may examine himselfe that he may vnderstand what he hath and what is wanting vnto him in this vertue For we may say hee that loueth is in the first degree of charitie hee that loueth and giueth counsell in the second he that loueth counsaileth and releeueth in the third he that loueth counsaileth releeueth and suffereth in the fourth he that loueth counsaileth releeueth suffereth and pardoneth in the fift but he that loueth counsaileth succoureth suffereth pardoneth and teacheth edyfying by examples or godly words which is properly of those that are perfect and who are Apostolike men he hath ascended the sixt steppe and standeth vpon the vpmost staire And these be the positiue or affirmatiue acts which are required in charitie for they showe what we ought to doe for our neighbour There be others negatiue which teach what wee ought not to doe to our neighbour of which sort these are Not to iudge another not to detract another mans estimation not to couet his goods not to lust after the dignity or the wife of our neighbour not to giue him an offence or scandalize him eyther by raylings or vnhonest words or those that are superfluous much lesse by examples or ill counsailes He that diligently obserueth all these he fulfilleth whatsoeuer is required in the perfection of this diuine commaundement And if thou desirest a particuler and a briefe memory of all these comprehended in one worde see that thou hast as wee sayd before the hart of a mother towards thy neighbour and thou shalt altogether fulfill whatsoeuer hath hetherto been spoken Consider how a wise a religious mother louing her sonne admonisheth him if any danger be neere vnto him she succoureth him in need she beareth his errors and faults with patience sometimes chasticing them with iustice some-times couering and concealing them vvith wisedom For all vertues do waite vpon this one as the Queene and mother of all other Vertues Consider also howe the same mother reioyceth at the good and sorroweth at the ill hap of her sonne no otherwise then if they were her owne With vvhat great zeale she affecteth his profit and honour how deuoutly and diligently she alwayes prayeth vnto GOD for him to be short how shee is more carefull for the health and safety of her sonne then for her owne and that shee is cruell and seuere towards herselfe that shee may be gentle and good to her sonne If thou canst come thus farre that thou louest thy neighbour with such an hart then thou art come to the perfection of chatie but if it be not giuen vnto thee to ascend so high yet at least let this be the scope of thy desires and alwayes direct thy lyfe hether that thou maist be lifted higher and higher and that thou mayst not sticke in lower matters But if thou shalt aske mee howe thou mayest be induced with such an hart to loue a forreiner I say that thou oughtest to consider of thy neighbour not as a forreiner or an alian but as the image of GOD the workmanshyp of his hands his sonne and the liuely member of Christ. Hence it is that Saint Paule so often admonisheth vs that all we are the members of Christ therefore by sinning against our neighbour wee sinne against Christ and by dooing good vnto our neighbour vvee do good vnto Christ. So that thou must consider of thy neighbour not as a man or such a man but as of Christ himselfe or a liuely member of him And although thy neighbour be not such an one in respect of the matter of his body yet hee is such an one in regard of the participation of the same spirit and of the greatnes of the reward remuneration seeing that Christ sayth He that receaueth his neighbour receiueth him neyther shall his reward be other then if hee had receiued Christ hymselfe
some old and ruinous bridge vnder which a very deepe and a swift riuer runneth least he should fall into it and be deuoured of the water To be briefe consider what great warines they vse that goe vpon ropes least they declining to this hand or that fall downe With the same care and warines thou oughtest to walke especially in the beginning of thy conuersion that a good habit may be formed and framed in thee with a thought and an intent so exact that thou speake not a word nor thinke any thing as much as is possible which any whit strayeth from the path of vertue For this Seneca giueth vs excellent counsaile and that which is familier saying let a man that is vertuous or that would liue vprightly imagine that he doth alwayes stand and walke in the presence of some man of great authority and account and who is worthy to be reuerenced of all men this imagination being presupposed let him speake and doe all things none otherwise then he would doe and speake if he stood in his presence Besides this aduice there is another no lesse conuenient nor lesse profitable then the former let a man thinke that this is the last day of his life and therfore that all things are to be done no otherwise then if that day or that night following he were to stand before the Diuine tribunall to render an account of his life There is yet another counsaile much more excellent Alwayes so to be conuersant as much as is possible in the sight of the Lord and to haue him before his eyes as if he were present visibly and corporally as in truth he is â—â—uisibly present in all places and therfore to doe all things no otherwise then he that hath God his witnes and his Iudge seeing all things let him alwayes desire of God grace so to be conuersant that he may not be vnworthy the sight and presence of so great a Maiesty So that this care watch which we now speake of hath two proposed scopes one to looke vpon God with our harts to haue them lifted vp vnto him that we may stand before him with great reuerence by worshipping him by praysing by reuerencing by louing him by yeelding thanks vnto him and without intermission by offering vnto him the sacrifices of deuotion vpon the alters of our harts The other scope is a diligent obseruation of all our actions that we doe and speake all things with that warines that we doe not stray in the least from the tract and path of vertue So that with one eye we alwayes behold God by requesting grace of him and with the other looking to that which is conducent for our life that it may be well ordered and after this manner we shall very well bestow that light which God hath giuen vnto vs as well in Diuine things as in humane Therefore we shall stand partly attending on God and partly on that thing which we are to doe The which thing although it cannot alwayes be done yet let vs doe this that at the least we may then proceede after this manner when our intent is not hindered by corporall exercises yea our hart is free and may steale somwhat from exteriour businesses and hide it selfe in the wounds of Christ. I thought it very conuenient to handle this instruction here because it is very profitable The fourth admonition of the fortitude which is necessary for them that aspire vnto vertue CHAP. XXII THE precedent admonition hath opened our eyes that we are now able to see what we are to doe but this will reach vs an arme that is fortitude and courage that we may be strengthned and enabled to doe that which the eyes behold For seeing that in Vertue there be two difficulties one that we may well distinguish good from euill and seperate this from that the other that wee may conquer the one and proceede in the other in that we haue neede of wisedome and vigilancie in this of fortitude and diligence so that eyther of these failing the busines of Vertue remayneth vnperfect For there will be blindnes if vigilancy and fore-sight be wanting and if fortitude and courage faile man being lame and feeble shall not be able to worke This fortitude which we here speake of is not that which as a meane tempereth and moderateth audaciousnes and feare for that is one among the foure cardinall vertues but it is a certaine generall force and power profitable to ouercome all difficulties which hinder the vse of Vertue and therfore it alwayes walketh in the company and fellowship of the vertues hauing as it were a sword in her hand that she may open prepare the way for them which way so euer they goe For Vertue as the Philosophers say is a thing hard and difficult and therfore it is needfull that this fortitude alwayes march in the vauntgard of the vertues that she may lay to her helping hand to ouercome and conquer this difficulty Therfore as a stone-cutter ought alwayes to haue his mallet in his hand by reason of the hard matter which he laboureth in so a spirituall man of necessity ought alwayes to haue in a readines this fortitude as a spirituall mallet to tame and ouercome this difficulty which meeteth with vs in the way of vertue And as the stone-cutter shall doe nothing to any purpose vnlesse he hath his mallet so also the louer of Vertue without this fortitude shall sweat in vaine Tell me what instance of any vertue canst thou giue which hath not some particuler difficulty ioyned vnto it Consider of them seuerally if it please thee Looke into Prayer fasting obedience temperance poorenes of spirit patience chastity and humility These and all other are alwaies ioyned with some difficulty which comes eyther through our owne self-selfe-loue or the malice of the deuill or the crosnes and repugnacy of the world Wherfore if thou takest away this fortitude what can naked and vnarmed Vertue doe and therfore all other vertues doe seeme as it were bound hand and foote neyther can they performe any thing Wherfore my brother if thou desirest to warre in the tents of Vertue to bring forth fruite in them imagine that the Captaine and Emperor of Vertue doth say vnto thee as he sayd in times past vnto Moses although in another sence Take this rod in thine hand where-with thou shalt doe miracles and bring my people out of Egipt Trust doubt not as that rod was the worker of these miracles which effected so blessed and ioyfull a worke so also it is the rod of fortitude which will conquer ouercome all difficulties which may be procured and obiected eyther of selfe-loue or of any other enemies and it will strengthen and enable thee to bring the wished victory from this warre Therefore see that thou haue it alwayes in thine hand for thou canst doe no admirable thing without it In this place in my iudgement
they that are newly inaugurated into Gods Church are to be admonished of a notable error which oftentimes happen vnto them Who perchaunce reading in some spirituall booke of the greatnes of the sweetnes and consolations of the holy Ghost and how great the pleasant allurements and enticements of charity be forth-with they suppose that this whole way is plaine full of deliciousnes and that no labour nor trouble is to be found in it wherefore they prepare themselues to walk in this way as to an easie and delectable matter neyther doe they arme themselues as those who goe to warre but they put on a soft and a delicate robe as if they were to goe to a mariage or a banquet They doe not consider that although the loue of God is sweet and pleasant in it selfe and of it owne nature yet that the way vnto it is straight and bitter For it is needfull aboue all things to conquer and ouercome selfe-loue and to striue alwayes against thy selfe which fight is greater then any other Both of them that Euangelicall Prophet insinuateth when he sayth O Ierusalem shake off the dust arise and sit downe It is certaine that in sitting there is neyther labour nor difficulty but it is labour to shake off the dust of earthly and carnall affections and to arise from the sinne in which we sleepe which is necessary to doe before we come to that sitting and rest It is true that God bestoweth many and wonderfull comforts vpon them that faithfully labour and in like manner vpon them who now desire to change the delights of the world for the pleasures of heauen yet if this change be not made and if a man will not leaue the pray he hath taken beleeue me this refreshing and comfort shall not be giuen him as neither Manna was giuen to the children of Israell in the wildernes before the dowe was spent which they brought vvith them out of Egypt Returning therefore to our purpose I say let those seeke for rest as long as they will who are not armed with this fortitude and let them know that vnlesse they first change theyr mindes and purpose they shall not finde it Let them knowe and assuredly beleeue that quietnes is not purchased but by labor that a crowne is obtayned by fighting that ioy is atchiued by sorrowing and that the most sweet loue of God is procured by hatred of our selues For thys cause this idlenes is so often reprehended in the Prouerbs but fortitude and diligence commended because the holy Spirit the Authour of this doctrine knew very well that vertues are very much hindered by laâ—nes but ayded and perfitted by fortitude and diligence ¶ Of the meanes by which this fortitude is obtained PErhaps some man will aske by what meanes this fortitude may be procured and atchiued seeing that it is no lesse difficult then the other vertues Wherfore not without cause the Wise-man thus beginneth his Alphabet full of spirituall instructions Who shall finde a strong and a valiant woman for her price is farre aboue the pearles As if he should say shee is more precious then all the treasure and Iems which may be brought out of all the Coasts of the world How then may we compasse a thing of so great price and value We shall compasse it first if diligently we consider the dignity excellency of it for that ought to be in great account with vs which openeth vnto vs the treasuries of all vertues If it be otherwise tell me why the louers of thys world doe after that manner flie froÌ„ vertue Not for any other cause but because it is hard and difficult vvhich difficulty sluggards doe shunne and flie The slothfull man sayth as the Wise-man speaketh A Lyon is in the way and a Lionesse in the streetes in the midst of the way she will deuoure me And in another place The foole foldeth his handes and eateth vp his owne flesh saying Better is a handfull with quietnes then two handfulls with labour and vexation of spirit Seeing therefore that there is no other thing that hindereth vs from comming vnto vertue but this onely difficultie if wee will embrace this fortitude to ouercome it we haue already obtained the kingdome of vertue together with the kingdome of heauen to which no man shall come but hee that is valiant strong and vndaunted In like manner by this fortitude the loue of our selues is cast vnder foote with the whole Army of her complices and confederats which enemy when it is ouerthrowne and cast foorth behold presently entereth in the loue of God or if you had rather God himselfe For as Saint Iohn sayth God is loue and he that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God and God in him The manifold examples of the seruants of God doe much auaile and profit vs whom we see heere in the world poore naked bare-foote and bare-legged leaue hungry restlesse hauing not where to lay theyr heads and wanting all those things which are requisite for the maintenaunce of this life Some of them doe so hasten to labours and austerenes of life where they may liue religiously and strictly and not be entangled with the pleasures of this life as a Merchant to some rich mart or a student of the liberall Sciences to some famous Vniuersity What I pray thee can be more contrary to the custome of this world and to the desires of her louers then that a man should seek out those places where his body may be pinched his soule made heauie and his life exposed to many greeuances and troubles These are assuredly most contrary to flesh and blood but very agreeable vnto the Spirit of GOD. But yet more especiallie our pleasures are condemned by the example of the Martyrs who haue entred into the kingdome of heauen by so many so cruell torments Consider howe one of them was rosted another had his skinne pulld ouer his eares the third drowned in the water the fourth cast head-long from a steepe Rocke a fift layde on a peece of vvood with a sharpe ridge his flesh being scraped and rent of with a ragged tormenting Curry-combe and his bowels beeing slitte out yeelded vp the ghost a sixth hath so many Darts sticking in him that he is liker an Hedg-hog then a man the seauenth is fryed in a frying pan or boyled in scalding lead others tormented with other extreame tortures Consider how many of them haue beene tormented not with one kinde of punishment but with all kinde of torments which humane nature hath beene capable of and so haue passed to death For some haue been taken from the filthines vncleannesse of the pryson to be whipped and scourged from whipping scourging to be singed with burning coales from burning coales to the bastinado from the bastinado to yron combes then to the sworde which alone had beene sufficient to take away the life of the Martyrs but not to make them shipwracke theyr fayth or
constancie But what shall I speake of the arts and inuentions vvhich that ingenious and witty cruelty I say not of men but of deuils hath deuised to ouer-throw and confound with corporall tortures fayth courage fortitude Some of them after they were most cruelly martyred and theyr flesh all to be-torne and rent were cast vpon a floare all sette with goades and prickes that theyr bodies all at once might be goared and 〈◊〉 with a thousand woundes and that they might feele a generall greefe throughout all theyr members that theyr intollerable payne might striue for victory with their faith Others beeing condemned were commaunded to walke vpon hote burning coales with their naked feete Others beeing tyed to the tayles of horses were drawne ouer thornes and bryers and rough places Others were condemned to wheeles stucke all round about with sharpe kniues that theyr bodies being put vppon them whilst they turned about might be cutte small peeces Others were stretched vpon Racks and their bodyes beeing harrowed and furrowed from top to toe with yron crookes and peircers did openly show their naked bowels the flesh being puld of and their ribs lying bare What shall I say more seeing that the barbarous and more then beastly cruelty of Tyrants not being contented with these torments hath found out a certaine new kind of cruelty With certaine instruments they so brought together two high sturdie trees that their tops touched one the other to one of these tops they bound the right foote of the Martyr to the other the left Then losing the Trees to their old scope they carried the body with them and violently tare it in peeces and each tree carryed with it his part into the ayre In Nicomedia among other innumerable Martyrs one was beaten so long till his white ribbs appeared through his bloody wounds for the scourges and whippings had peece-meale puld away the flesh then they washed his whole body with most strong vinegar after vinegar stuffed all his wounds ful of salt The Tyrants not yet satisfied with these dire discruciatements and extreame tortures when they saw that the Martyr yet breathed they cast his halfe dead body vpon a gridyron vnder which they made a fierce scorching fire haling the gridyron this way and that with their yron hookes vntil the body being fully rosted the sanctified pure-purged soule passed to the Lord. And thus those most barbarous inhumane butcherly murtherers inuented tortures more cruel thē death which notwithstanding was wont to be termed the terriblest of all dreadful things For they sought not so much to kill as to slay with vnheard of torments without any deadly wound by a lingering death and with intollerable greatnesse of dolours and sorrowes Surely these Martyrs had not bodies vnlike to ours or which were of another substance their flesh was as our flesh and theyr complexion was the same with ours neyther had they another God for theyr helper besides our God neyther did looke for another glory then that wee looke for Proceede therefore if they haue obtayned eternall life by so violent death why should we feare for the same cause at the least to mortifie the euill concupiscences of our flesh If they died through hunger wilt not thou fast one day If they with their mangled bodies perseuered in prayer why wilt not thou being sound and in health with bended knees continue a little in prayer If they were so patient that without resisting or contradiction they suffered their members to be maymed and detruncate and theyr flesh to be torne in peeces why wilt not thou abide that thine appetites and thine vnruly affections should be circumcised and mortified If they many yeares and many moneths sat imprisoned in darke dungeons why wilt not thou a little be contayned and shut vp in thy chamber If they haue not refused to haue their shoulders furrowed and mangled with whips and scourges why wilt not thou chastice thine If these examples doe not suffice thee lift vp thine eyes to the Crosse of Christ and behold who is he that hanging vppon it suffered so great and so cruell things for the loue of thee The Apostle sayth Consider him that endured such speaking against of sinners least yee should be wearied and faint in your minds This is a fearefull and a dreadfull example what way so euer thou shalt consider of it For if thou lookest vppon the torments there can be no greater If thou respectest the person who suffereth a more excellent cannot be giuen If thou examinest the cause for which he suffereth not for his owne offence for he is innocency it selfe neyther suffereth he of compulsion for he is the Creatour and Lord of all creatures but of his mere goodnes and free loue Yet for all this he suffered so great torments not only in his body but also in his soule that the torments of all Martyrs of all men that euer haue been in the world are not to be compared with these This was such a spectacle that the heauens were astonished the earth trembled rocks claue in sunder and all the insencible creatures felt the indignity of the thing How therefore commeth it to passe that man should be so insencible blockish that he should not feele that which the brute elements haue felt with what face can he be so ingratefull that he should not study somewhat to imitate him who hath done and suffered so great things that he might leaue vs an example For euen so as the Lord himselfe affirmeth Christ ought to haue suffered and so to enter into his glory For seeing that he came into the world that he might teach that heauen is not to be cōpassed by any other way then by the Crosse it was necessary that the Lord himselfe should first be crucified that a courage might be put into his Souldiers seeing their Captaine to be so cruelly and inhumanely handled and intreated Who then will be so ingratefull wicked proud and impudent who seeing the Lord of Maiesty with all his friends and chosen ones to walke such difficult wayes and yet he himselfe will be caried in an Horse-litter and on a bed of Downe led his life in deliciousnes King Dauid commaunded Vrias whom he had called from warre to goe into his owne house to sup sleepe with his wife but the good seruant answered The Arke and Israell and Iuda dwell in tents and my Lord Ioab and the seruants of my Lord abide in the open fields shall I then goe into mine house to eate and drink and lye with my wife by thy life by the life of thy soule I will not doe this thing O good and faithfull seruant who by so much is worthier of prayse by how much he is vnworthier of death And thou ô Christian seeing thy Lord lying vpon an hard Crosse hast thou no respect of him neyther doost thou yeeld honour reuerence vnto him The Arke of God made of incorruptible Ceder wood
suffereth griefes and dolours and vndergoeth most bitter death and doost thou seeke for pleasures and delicacies The Arke in which Manna was put that is the foode of Angels for the loue of thee tasted gall and vineger and doost thou long and hunt after sweet and delicious meates The Arke in which the two tables of the law were that is all the treasures of the wisedome and knowledge of God is mocked and derided as foolish and wilt thou be smoothed and praysed and doost thou gape after honors preferments But if the example of this misticall Arke be not sufficient to confound thee let the afflictions of the seruants of God which abide remaine vpon the face of the earth be ioyned vnto it that is the examples passions of all the Saints Prophets Martyrs Confessors Virgins who with so many and so great tribulations haue sayled ouer the huge and turbulent Sea of this world Wherupon one of them saith The Saints haue been tried by mockings scurgings yea moreouer by bonds prisoment They were stoned they were hewen asunder they were tempted they were slaine with the sword they wandered vp and down in sheeps skins and in goates skins being destitute afflicted and tormented whō the world was not worthy of they wandered in wildernesses mountaines and dens and caues of the earth And these all through faith obtained good report And among so many tribulations were found faithfull vnto God If therfore the life of the Saints was such yea if the life of the Holy of Holies was such surely I know not by what title priuiledge or immunity some doe think to enter by the pleasures delights of this world into that place where these doe now ioy and for euer shal reioyce Wherfore my brother if thou desirest to raigne with them learne to imitate them learne to beare and suffer the troubles and discommodities of this life This exhortation wil be profitable vnto thee to kindle inflame thee with the loue of this vertue fortitude that thou seeke for it after it so long vntill at the length thou commest to the perfection of that soule of whō it is read that she girded her loines with strength strengthned her armes And that this chapter may simbolize agree with the whole doctrine of this second Booke I will vse that most excellent noble sentence of our Sauiour If any man will come after me let him deny himselfe and take vp his Crosse daily follow me In which words this heauenly Teacher hath comprehended the sum of the whole doctrine of the Gospel which is for this end ordained that it might make a man Euangelicall perfit who deriuing the originall of his inward man from heauen in his outward might take vp the Crosse and through the sweetnes of the one might willingly embrace all the afflictions of the other ¶ The end of the second Booke of the Sinners Guide LAVS TRI-VNI DEO A necessary Table directing the Reader to euery Chapter in this Booke and to euery particuler Argument handled in each Chapter THE Prologue of the first booke Matters handled in the prologue page 1. The deuision of the booke Two things required vnto pietie page 2. Whence the deuision of the booke groweth Ibidem The Argument of the first booke page 7. In the first booke is contained a large and copious exhortation to keepe Gods commaundements page 9. ¶ The Chapters of the first part of the first Booke The first Chapter The first Title That man is bound to seeke after Vertue and to serue GOD and of the excellencie of the diuine perfection page 9. The seuerall matters handled in this Chapter Honesty profit are to be considered of in euery action ibidem GOD is that he is page 10 The Epicures teach that God is to be serued ibidem The kingdome of God is not by succession page 11 Why men are lesse moued with the perfection of God 12 In the cōtemplation of God we must turne our eyes frō all creatures ibid. Three things are to be marked in euery thing the Beeing the Ability and the Worke. page 17 The second Chapter The second Title Of the bond in which we are bound to Vertue and to attend vpon God by reason of the benefit of our creation page 21 The matters handled in this Chapter Honour is due to God because he is our Father page 22 By the consideration of the creation man doth come to the knowledge of his Creator ibidem God requires of vs gratefulnes and thanks-giuing page 24 That the benefits of Nature are of GOD. page 25 Another reason why we are bound to serue God our Lord because he is our Creator page 26 All things that are borne are not by and by perfect ibidem All things without God are nothing page 28 The third Chapter The third Title How we are bound to the Lord God by reason of the benefit of preseruation and gouerning page 29 The matters handled in this Chapter All things are created for the vse of man page 30 The expostulation of the elements with man page 31 The creatures doe call vpon vs with three words 32 That it may be gathered of these aforesaid how vnworthy and how vild a thing it is not to serue the Lord God page 33 Men like vnto Swine page 34 The ingratitude of men is conuinced by the gratitude of Lyons page 34 35 36. Of Horses page 36. Of doggs page 36 37. Diuers degrees of ingratitude page 38 Men doe abuse the gyfts of God to the iniury of the gyuer ibid. The fourth Chapter The fourth Title That we are bound vnto Vertue by reason of the inestimable benefit of our Redemption page 40. The matters handled in this Chapter The beginning of mans perdition page 41 The admirable mistery of the incarnation 42 We are bound to God not onely for our redemption but for the manner of it page 43 The meanes by which we are redeemed 44 The Angels were astonished at the passion of our Lord. 45 The Lorde suffered not onely for all in generall but also for euery one in particuler page 47 Of this afore-said is gathered how great an offence it is to offend our Sauiour ibidem For three things man oweth himselfe vnto God ibidem The hardnes of mans hart ibidem All things are giuen vnto vs of God page 49 By how many wayes God is ours ibidem A dogge bewrayeth a murtherer page 50 Our sinnes nayled the Lord to the Crosse. ibidem The fift Chapter The fift Title How we are bound to follow Vertue by reason of our iustification page 51 The matters handled in this Chapter What iustification is page 52 No man can be iustified by his owne strength ibidem What great blessings iustification bringeth with it page 53 It reconcileth man to God ibidem It maketh vs the sonnes of God ibidem By Iustification man is freed from eternall punishment page 54 Iustification doth renue a
and put of from day to day the amendment of their lifes and the embracing of Vertue ibidem The matters handled in this Chapter Diuers refuges and euasions of sinners ibidem Against them that deferre their repentance 266 The state of the question handled in this Chapter 267 The iust iudgement of God 268 Causes from whence the difficulty of conuersion ariseth ibidem The first cause is an euill habit and a naughty custome of a life wickedly and vngraciously led ibidem The second cause is the power of the deuill 269 The third cause by reason God is farre of from a soule polluted with the filth of sinne ibidem The fourth cause is the corruption of the powers of our soule ibidem Whether now or hereafter it is more easie to turne vnto God ibidem The force of euill custome 272 The Allegory of Lazarus being foure dayes dead 273 The losse of tyme ibid. The sinnes which we commit we shall heereafter deplore and lament in vaine 274 The reliques of sinne remayne after the sinne is committed 27â— How absurd a thing it is to reserue repentance for old age ibidem The greatnes of the satisfaction that God requireth of sinners 276 Deferring of repentance is a certaine infidelity ibidem Repentance is not to be deferred in regard of benefits receaued at Gods hand ibidem Repentance is not be deferred in regard of predestination 277. We offer the best part of our life to the world the worst to God ibid. What we owe vnto God in respect of our redemption 278 An excellent exposition of a place in the twelueth of Ecclesiastes ibidem The conclusion of the first obiection 279 The 26. Chapter Against them that deferre theyr repentance to the houre of death 280 The matters handled in this Chapter It is dangerous to dispute of finall repentance ibidem Authorities of certayne Fathers concerning finall repentance 281 To be conuerted what it is ibidem To dye well is an Art which ought to be learned all the life long 285 The authority of Schoole Doctors concerning finall repentance 286 The conclusion of Scotus that repentance made at the poynt of death and in extreamity is sildome true which he proueth by foure reasons or arguments ibidem The first reason of the Shoole-man is the great perturbations which arise out of the greatnes of griefes sicknes and the presence of death ibidem The euill disposition and temperature of the body is an impediment of contemplation 287 The second reason of the Schoole-man is that such repentance seemeth to be brought forth not of will but of compulsion whereas repentance ought to be voluntary ibidem The third reason of the Schoole-man is drawne from the custome of sinning 289 His fourth reason is founded in the quality of the valour of the workes which are commonly done at the houre of death 290 Certayne authorities of the holy Scripture confirming the precedent sentences of the Doctors 291 Aunswers to certayne obiections 294 Many miraculous and wonderfull things reserued to the comming of Christ among which the sauing of the theefe on the Crosse was one ibidem The iudgments of God 295 An obiection of the repentance of the Niniuites with an aunswere to it page 296 The conclusion of the former disputation ibidem The 27. chapter Against them that through the hope of the diuine mercy doe continue perseuere in theyr sinnes page 298. The matters handled in this Chapter The difference betweene the true Prophets and the false 299 Whence the Diuine iustice is knowne 300 All men ought to feare ibidem Whence feare is engendered 301 Of the works of the Diuine iustice whereof mention is made in the holy Scripture ibidem The beginning of the wayes of the Lord. ibid. The fall of deuills ibid. The fall of Adam ibidem The hidden and secrete iudgements of God page 103 Of the workes of the Diuine iustice which are seene in thys world 304 The great infidelity of men 305 What it is to trust in God 312 The conclusion of all those things which haue been spoken in thys chapter ibidem The promises of God belong to the righteous and the threatnings to the vnrighteous ibidem The 28. chapter Against them that excuse themselues saying that the way of Vertue is rough sharpe and difficult page 314 The matters handled in this Chapter Vertue is a friend vnto reason ibidem How the grace giuen vs by Christ doth make the way of Vertue easie pleasant 315 From whence the difficulty of Vertue ariseth 317 An answer to certaine obiections 319 For what end the reliques of sinnes and euill appetites remaine in vs. ibid. Another obiection with the answer 320 Spirituall circumcision 321 The commaundements of God are not impossible 322 How charity maketh the way easie and pleasant which leadeth vnto heauen 323 The cheerefulnes of Saint Laurence in his martirdome page 324 Those things which are vncleane to the world are cleane to the righteous ibidem Of other things which make the way of saluation easie and sweet 325. The way of the wicked is hard and difficult 326 All the precedent matters are proued by examples to be true 328 The great changes and alterations which the hande of the highest worketh 329 Thâ— disciples of Christ were on a suddaine made learned ibidem The conuersion of Saint Cyprian 330 The conuersion of Saint Augustine 331 The 29. Chapter Against them that feare to enter into the way of Vertue for the loue of thys world page 335. The matters handled in this Chapter What euills are in the world ibidem How short the felicity of this world is 336 No felicity of the world is lasting ibidem Of the great miseries that are mingled with worldly felicities 337 Some myseries are common both to the good and bad some proper onely to the wicked 338 Euils of God page 339 Punishments are inflicted vpon the wicked by the Ministers of God 340 The euils that passions and affections bring ibidem Of the multitude of the snares and dangers of thys world ibidem Of the blindnes and darknes of thys world page 342 The blindnes of men 342 Of the multitude of sinnes that are in thys world page 343 How deceaucable the felitie of the world is 345 The conclusion of all thys aforesayd 348 What the world is ibidem The world is a hell 349 That true rest and tranquility is found in God alone 349 Obiectiue beatitude ibidem Onely God can satisfie the hart of man page 350 The nature of the Sea-mans Needle ibidem Saint Gregory deplored the losse of his quiet and sweet solitary life 351. Those things which haue beene spoken are prooued by examples ibid. No man happy in thys world 353 The world is an hypocrite 354 The conclusion of the first Booke 356 In Vertue all perfections are found 357 Vertue is loued in an enemy ibidem THE SECOND BOOKE THE Prologue of the second Booke page 365 Matters handled in the Prologue The deuision of the second booke into two
obiecteth Cleanenes and purity of hart aunswereth ibidem The loue of this world obiecteth The loue of the heauenly Countrey answereth 435 The conclusion of the first part of the second booke 426 The second part of the second Booke In which we entreate of the exercise of vertues 437 The thirteenth chapter Of the three kind of vertues in which the whole summe of Christian righteousnes is contayned ibidem The matters handled in this Chapter The duties of iustice to wit towards our selues towards our neighbour and towards God ibidem The fourteenth chapter Of the bond and duty of man towards himselfe 438 The matters handled in this Chapter The parts to be reformed in man ibidem Of the reforming of the body ibidem What manner of conuersation man ought to haue ibidem A Caution 439 The three fruites of modesty 440 Of the vertue of Abstinence 441 The body ought to be handled austerely ibidem Rules to be obserued in eating ibidem Gluttony is a deceitfull pretender of that which is not 443 The touch and the tast are the ignoblest sences ibidem The pleasure of the tast is short 444 Wine immoderatly taken how dangerous ibidem The Vine bringeth forth three kind of Grapes 445 Wine is a very bad counsayler ibidem Much talke is to be auoyded ibidem Saint Augustines Distichon written in his dining chamber 446 Of the keeping of the sences 447 At the time of prayer the eyes are especially to be kept ibidem The eares are to be kept ibidem The smelling is to be ordered 448 The tast is to be moderated ibidem Of the keeping of the tongue ibidem Foure things are to be obserued in speaking the matter the manner the time and the intent ibidem Of the mortification of the affections 450 The euils and mischiefes of our owne will ibidem The inferiour part of the soule is to be watched and kept ibidem The difference between the sons of God the children of the world 451 With what affections we are especially to warre 452 Of the reforming of the Will ibidem How the superiour part of the soule is to be reformed ibidem The pouerty of the spirit 453 Of the reforming of the Imagination 454 The Imagination is a wanderer and a fugitiue 155 Of the reforming of the vnderstanding and of the duties of wisdom 456 The duty and office of wisedome ibidem Wisedome is the Captayne and guide of other vertues ibidem No man hurteth more then he that hurteth vnder the show of piety 459 Of the wisdom which concerneth the practise effecting of things 460 What things are required for this wisedome ibidem Foure step-dames of wisedome 461 Vertue hateth extreames ibidem Antiquity doth not patronize nor vphold sinne ibidem Apparences of things doe often deceaue vs. ibidem In what a man ought to be circumspect ibidem Of certayne meanes by which wisedome is gotten 462 Euery opinion is not to be followed ibidem The fifteenth chapter Of that which man oweth vnto his neighbour 463 The matters handled in this Chapter The second part of iustice ibidem Of the duties of Charity 465 Charity is not a naked and a bare affection ibidem Sixe duties of Charity ibidem The negatiue duties of Charity 466 We must haue the hart of a mother towards our neighbour ibidem How such an hart is to be purchased 467 All things common to vs with our neighbour 468 The sixteenth chapter Of that which man oweth vnto God 469 The matters handled in this Chapter We must haue such an hart towards God as a sonne hath towards his parents ibidem Nine vertues are required to prepare and furnish such an hart 470 1. The loue of God ibidem 2. Feare and reuerence ibidem How feare is bred in vs. page 471 3. Trust and confidence ibidem The merits of Christ. 473 4. The zeale of Gods honour ibidem 5. The purity of the intent 474 The intent approueth and commendeth the worke 475 With what intent good is to be done ibidem A pure intent is to be craued of God 476 6. Prayer ibidem 7. Thanksgiuing ibidem 8. Obedience 477 Of the foure degrees of obedience ibidem 9. Patience 480 Of patience in aduersity ibidem A man must be armed against all euils that may betide him 483 Three degrees of patience 484 The seauenteenth chapter Of the bond and duty of diuers estates 486 The matters handled in this Chapter What is meete for Rulers and Ouer-seers ibidem The duty of a subiect ibidem Three degrees of this obedience 487 The duty of a good Matrone ibidem The duty of a Maister of a family 488 The eyghteenth chapter The first admonition in what esteeme and price vertues are to be had that this rule may be better vnderstood 489 The matters handled in this Chapter The two-fold order of vertues 490 The internall vertues are more excellent then the externall ibidem The affection of deuotion how tender and delicate it is 493 The difference betweene the outward vertues and the inward 494 Two extreames in the estimation of vertues 495 The ninteenth chapter Foure very profitable instructions which are deriued out of the precedent doctrine 496 The matters handled in this Chapter The externall vertues are to be ioyned to the internall ibidem Internall vertues are lesse knowne then externall 497 A two-fold righteousnes 499 What euils doe arise from false righteousnes 501 Two kinds of hipocrisie 502 Who is hote cold and luke warme 503 The reason why the luke warme are in worser estate then the cold ibidem The world hath alwayes beene set vpon mischiefe 504 The twenteth chapter The second admonition wherein is handled the diuersity of estates and sundry manners of liuing in the church 507 The matters handled in this Chapter Diuers meanes to obtayne grace page 508 Euery one likes his owne way best ibidem Euery one prayseth that Science wherein he excelleth 509 The variety of grace by nature 510 Variety of nature by grace and why God would haâ—â— variety of gifts in his Church 511 There is a certayne diuersity in the creatures 511 It is an euill thing to enuy our neighbour 512 The 21. chapter The third admonition is of the care watch which a religious man ought to haue ouer his actions 514 The matters handled in this Chapter Continuall care is a generall vertue ibidem In the beginning of our conuersion we must walke warily and circumspectly 515 Certaine counsailes 516 The 22. chapter The fourth admonition of the fortitude which is necessary for them that aspire vnto Vertue 517 The matter 's handled in this Chapter Two cifficulties in Vertue ibidem Vertue is hard and difficult 518 The error of them which forth-with in the beginning of their conuersion doe seeke for peace ibidem Of the meanes by which this fortitude is obtayned 519 The sluggard flieth from Vertue by reason of the difficulty 520 The feruent desire of some to serue God ibidem The sundry and manifold trials and torments of