hunt the Hare in the Ocean Sea were it not think you a great Folly so to think Even the like is it to think that true Felicity is to be found here in this wretched world And for so much as in perfect Felicity is Comprehended all goodness and that the world as saith St. John Is addicted and given to all Evill and Subject to hunger thirst heat cold diseases calamities pride ambition covetousness and voluptuousness it is evident that those which here be living supposing here to find true Felicity are worse then Fools and void of right Reason True Felicity is not without goodness and vertue which cometh from God above if it be so why then is it not a most wicked and Presumptuous Opinion to think that by a Man 's own industry he is able to possess and enjoy the fair for of true Felicity Therefore every one that thinketh in this world he may come to perfect Felicity and true blessedness shall find in fine as I found for Felicity Vanity for Good Evill CAP. II. The Wandring Knight declareth unto Dame Folly his Governesse what is his Intent INtending to take my journey I considered that it was necessary to use Councell therein knowing that whatsoever is done without advice cannot have good Suctess as contrariwise a matter discreetly attempted is luckily ended Then dwelt with me a Damosel which ruled my House whose proper name was Folly the only Enemy to Wisdome For every thing that hateth the one loveth the other There is as much difference between them as between white and black hot and cold moist and dry light and darkness God and the Devil all which be contraries and cannot be in one body together Wisdome governes the good Folly the evill Wisdome maketh the evill good when they yield themselves to be her Subjects Folly maketh the good evill when they place themselves under her Protection Wisdome draweth Men from Hell and bringeth them to Heaven Folly fetcheth Angels from Heaven to dwell in Hell I do not term that Wisdome to know the seven Liberal Soiences the qualities of the Stars and Planets but I count him wise that hath the true knowledge of God For as saith Saint Cyrill Wisdome is that true understanding by the which the Soveraign good namely God is seen known and loved with a chaste love and pure Affection Folly is very Ignorance and salse Worshipping of God Wisdome maketh Fools wise and Folly maketh wise Men Fools Lell me I pray you can there be a greater Wisdome than to serve God with a pure Faith and to observe and keep his holy Law Obediently And contrariwise can there be greater Folly than to commit Sin and to disobey God by transgressing his Commandements It is not possible For whosoever committeth sin burieth himself and runs headlong to Hell which is a point of very great Folly Therefore all those that saithfully serve God and keep his holy Commandements are wise and governed by Wisdome and all those that transgress she Commandements of God are Fools and fostered by Folly as Slaves or Vassals When I wandred into wanton wayes I wrought my will esteeming my self wise but I proved a flat Fool. Thus fostered by Folly to whom I unfolded my intent which was to take upon me a Voyage to find Felicity and Messedness I requested her Counsell who without regard whether it were profitable for me or no did not only like the matter but also forced me forwards and with flattering phrase commended my Enterprize And to encourage me therein she began to exalt my device to commend my industry and wit to praise my strength to advance my vertue to blaze my knowledge to decipher my beauty and to extoll all my qualities saping that I was a second Solomon to have in my head such notable Cogitations Hereupon she promised to be my Enide and vowed not to go from me in all my Voyage affirming that she had sundry seasons made the like journey and that I might assure my self shortly to see the Palace of true Felicity My Son quoth she I would not have thee think that any Evil or Guile can have place in my heart Thus Comforted or rather emboldened I thought my self most happy to have such a Governesse so wise so grave and so expert for very joy whereof my heart tickled within me But alas wretch that I was my destre was alwayes after contrary Things for I rejected whatsoever tended to my Health in so much that to me sowre seemed sweet black seemed white evil seemed good Folly seemed Wisdome Light seemed Darkness And Folly so fore bewitched me that I neglected to do the good I should have done and I was too willing to play the part I should not have plaved It is true that the wise man make saying There is health where many do give counsell and he that taketh good advice and counsell before shall not repent him after But it is forbidden to take counsell of Fools For that they love but what they like There is an old Proverb Such as my Councellour is such needs must be my Counsell It were against all reason that a Fool should give good Councell For this is even as if Rivers should run against the Hill Nothing can be compared to good Counsell neither can any thing be worse than evil Counsell by the which the World is troubled Realms molessed Princes defaced Kings killed Empires altered Townes taken Cities sacked Lawes abolished Iustice generally corrupted Divine Mysteries prophaned mingled with mischief and confounded the true knowledge of God is forgotten all Reverence to Superiours neglected Shame-fastnesse Sobriety Faith Hope Charity and all other Virtues defaced all manner of Wars both Forraign and Civill attempted O Griefe O Plague O cruel Monster â— Now to our purpose CAP. III. Folly and Evill-will provided the Knight Apparell Armour and Horses FOrasmuch as Men oftentimes do alter their intents Folly was bufie and earnest to force me forward in the prosecuring my purpose perswading me to put my self on the way and saying that such good meanings and enterprises should presently and without delay be put in execution for sear of inconveniences that might ensue and that to mean a matter without doing it was a reproach to any Person Whereto I answered that I would proceed whatsoever followed thereupon but me thought it was necessary to have company and other provition as Apparell Horses and Armour sit for such a Voyage My Son quoth she I will take that charge upon me whereto trust cast all care from Thee let nothing torment thee be of good cheer Sleep at thine ease refuse no rest for I will within few dayes bring thee all necessaries that thou shalt need and seeing thou hast submitted thy self to me I will not sail thee Being glad of these words I referred the whole matter to her discretion and took mine ease Then Folly was acquainted with an Armourer named Evill-will whose company she daily frequented This Armourer was not alwayes occupied in
love the Goods of this World are well ordered and by Love the Goods of this World are contemned and by Love the secrets of God are revealed Saint John saith That God is Love or Charity whereby no doubt he meaneth the Father the Son and the holy Ghost the three persons in Trinity God the Father is Charity God the Son is Charity and God the holy Ghost is charity This Love or Charity requireth in the same such likely things namely love and charity by the which as by some spiritual affinity thou art joyned unto God which Love also boldly commeth unto God and familiarly speaketh unto him without any doubt or fear He that loveth not shall lose his Life but He that loveth alwayes lifteth his eyes to God whom be loveth whom he desireth on whom he museth in whom he is refreshed and by whom he is preserved such a debour and religious soul doth so sing so say read so dispose all his business and so circumspectly foreseeth all things as if God were ever present with Him as doubtless in spirit he is The man in whose soul the love of God is lodged so prayeth as if God were personally present with Him The Love of Charity awaketh the soul when she is asleep it puts him in mind of His Salvation it softneth and moysteneth the Heart Charity or Love setteth the cold Heart on fire Love maketh the froward soul gentle Love chaseth away sin Love keepeth the affections of the flesh and blood under Love amendeth Iewd Mens manners Love reneweth the Spirit Love bridleth the light motions of wanton youth all this worketh Love or Charity where she is present Contrariwise where Love or Charity is absent there the Soul doth Languish and waxeth cold even as a Caldron of water doth when the fire is taken from under it and raked abroad Charity is the only thing whereby the soul boldly approacheth unto End constantly cleaveth unto him and familiarly speaketh unto him The Soul that loveth God cannot but think and talk of God insomuch that it hateth all ungodly things Who so will know God must love God the more that one loves God the more be growes in the knowledge of God To read to write and to study of God yieldeth no true knowledge of God without Love In vian do we read in Vain do we talli in Vain do we preach in Vain do we pray to God if we do not love God the love of God ingendreth the love of thine own Soul and maketh it attentive alwayes to God God loves to be loved again and when he loveth he requireth nothing but love happy therefore is he that loveth God The Soul which loveth God rejecteth his own effections being earnestly given to Gods love The Soul that loveth hath no fear the soul that loveth not is ever in fear The Soul that loveth is carryed by promises and drawn by desires unto Heaven the soul that hath in it the presence of Gods love is tickled with joy and with ravishing leapeth up to Heaven having by coutemplation exceeding great joyfulness Love breeds familiarity with God familiarity breeds boldness with God boldness breeds the taste of God and Taste breedeth an hunger after God If I should declare all the excellency of Love or Charity the time would fail me and mine Ability in that behalfe would not suffice But let this stand for a conclusion that the Soul which is touched with the love of God cannot desire any thing contrary to God but ever after it hath received any taste of Sin it cryeth out and saith with the Prophet Psal 14. O Lord God like as the Hart desireth the Fountains of water even so long I after thee Well then Sir Knight lift up thy Soul and remember the great Love and Charity of God and his manisold benefits bestowed upon thee that by them thy Heart being enlightned thou maist encrease and go â—orâ— and day by day in doing good works to the glorifying of God 〈◊〉 delighteth in the same according as it is said Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good works may glorisie God in Heaven Thus much touching these three spiritual Vertues now come we to the four morall Vertues CAP. VII The description of the four moral Vertues Prudence Justice Fortitude and Temperance By these sour Marral Vertues Man liveth orderly in this martalise Saint Hierom saith that the Christian man by these 〈◊〉 liveth well in this mortality and by them after death cometh to everlasting Life Prudence knoweth the good we should do and evil we should leave Justice doth good Temperance leaveth the evill Fortitude is constant without losing courage in adversity or waring proud in prosperity Prudence teacheth man how to approach unto God Fortitude and Temperance how to govern himself Justice how to use his Neighbour These are the four things which Satan shooteth at to destroy the Soul By Prudence which is the rule of right Reason we govern our selves wisely we order our affairs discreetly doing nothing but Right and reason In Prudence consisteth Reason Knowledge Fore-sight Aptness to give good Counsell Plato saith That Prudence is the Governess of all Moral Vertues shewing how we should understand and use the rest For as Faith informeth us what we should hope after and what we ought to love even so Prudence teacheth us how we should use Justice Fortitude and Temperance Aristotle saith that it is impossible but a prudant Man should be good If he mean moral goodness it is most true for a wise Man doth nothing but that which is lawfull But yet without Love or Charity Prudence is a Vertue no more meritorious then Faith without Love and Charity But if the prudent man love God with all his heart it is unpossible but that he should do good and consequently be good Justice is a Vertue used in two sorts sometimes it is a general Vertue and comprehends in her self all Vertue as the man that Ilbeth well and justiy is therefore called good and Iustice otherwise is understood a particular Vertue called Justice distributive yeelding to every one that which unto him belongeth This Vertue Justice distributive is convenient for all men and principally for Emperours Kings and such as have the Administration and Governments of Common-wealths to the end that they may yeeld to every one their right defending the innocent and punishing the offender doing justice and right according to equity as well to little as great and to poor as rich Many have justice painted in their Houses and yet have wrongfull dealing lodged in their hearts Many a one hath Christ in their mouth but the Devil in their minde He that will be acceptable to GOD he must be just in word upright in deed undefiled in thought Fortitude is a vertue unto which belongs a magnisicent courage not fearing any thing but unlawful actions He that hath this vertue keeps himself constant in adversity and waxeth not proud in prosoerity Fortitude gives a man
which the Prophet speaketh saying Cursed is the man that trusteth in man and contrariwise happy is the man that trusteth in God We ought alwayes to do well to delight in well-doing and to hope in the goodness of God that he will give us that which he hath promised But this Hope ought to be firm and as an Anchor constantly to hold thy conscience that by the floating of temptation it move not But some will ask by what testimony or witness can the conscience rest assured of remission of sins of Gods adoption and of Heavenly blessedness I answer S. John Epist 1 chap. 5. saith There be three things that bear witness in Earth that is the Spirit Water and Blood These three testifie unto the spirit of the believing Man that Christ is the infallible truth who fulfilleth in the believing man the whole sum of his promises The first witness then that assureth man in Hope is the precious bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ which was shed for the remissien of our sins The second witness is the water of Baptism by the which also our sins are forgiven But these two witnesses put not the conscience in full and perfect Hope and Assurance And therefore there must be annexed unto them a third which third is The holy Spirit which beareth witness with our spirit that we are the Sons and Heirs of God Who so hath not this witness he cannot be assured of his Salvation The works of the holy Spirit in Man if thou ask me what those works are I answer thee that they are these that follow and such like namely Sorrow for sin hatred of all things which displease God and are contrary to his Commandements taking pleasure to read and hear Gods word mourning for thy imperfections and sure Faith Hope and Charity and effection desire intent and purpose to love God above all things and to do thy endeavour to fulfill his Commandements For all these things spring not from the corrupt nature of man unless his Heart be moystened with the dew of Gods grace without the which we feel not in our selves any good affections nor desire to do good works which are signs of the presence of the holy Chest in us Wherefore we ought with sighing to pray unto God and to beseech him most humbly that it would please him of his unspeakable pity to send us his holy Spirit which may assure us of the remission of our sins to Vouchsafe us his heavenly Adoption and the enjoying of everlasting Blessedness And thus much concerning Hope New let us speak of Love or Charity CAP. V. The Description of Love or Charity and how we ought to love God and our Neighbour CHarity is a Vertue by the which God is loved for the love of himself and our neighbour for the love of God or in God It is said in the first part of this Desinition that Charity is a Vertue Let us see how certainly Charity in the excellentest vertue that is even the mother and nurse of all the rest For he that hath not charity hath nothing in him to obtain everlasting life This Charity is given when the holy Spirit it is given For the holy Spirit being resident in the Soul makes us to love God for the love of himself and our Neighbour for the love of God To love God for the love of himself is to love him for his own sake and because he is God And that is to be done three wayes that is to love God above all things entirely above all things orderly above all things preciously We will declare these three wayes of loving God the more plainly that every one may know how to love God To love God intirely is to have a good will to God and to rejoyce greatly that he is such a one as he is But for the better understanding hereof it shall not be amiss to shew what it is to love to love is nothing else but to wish well to every body as when I love a man I wish as well to him as to my self Now there are two manners of love One is called the cobetous love as when a Man loves any thing for his own profit sake in such sort men love their horses their victuals and all other worldly necessaries The 〈…〉 the love of friendship when one loves a thing for the love of it self without respect of particular profit as when I see a man wise I take pleasure in him and wish that the Vertues which are in him may not only be continued but also encreased in him and this do I being to him well affectionated and loving him with delight There is not in God and good that is not like himself For his might or Power his Wisdom his Mercy his Iustice and his knowledge are Heavenly as he himself is who is all wise all just all mercy all knowledge and all mighty So that we love God above all things intirely when we rejoyce and be glad that he is as he is without regarding our proper profit or honour Thou oughtest not to love God with a covetous love that is thou must not love God only because he gives thee all things profitable for thee or in so doing thou lovest thy self better then thou lovest God If thou love God rightly he will reward thee greatly but this love must be single and it must be pure and not depending upon any other thing for who so loveth God for gain loveth him but as his Horse in whom he delights because he serves his turn God ought to be loved lovingly without respect of particular profit But then maist ask me a question May I not love God to this end and under this condition that he may give me Heaven which is the principallest thing that Man can wish for after this life the Doctors say no if we consider well of the thing beloved which is God for in so doing thou lovest thy self better then thou lovest God Thou maist come to Heaven by this means as namely by keeping his Commandements by giving Alms and by doing other good deeds and yet give God his due and single love Now these things are not charity it self but the works of Charity We say then that God ought to he loved in doing good deeds and in keeping his commandements but this love ought to be entire without respect of profit or reward To love God orderly above all things is to refer thy self and all thy goods to God so that all which thou lovest wishest dost and leabest undone thou oughtest to love to wish to doe and leave undone for the love of God and his glory Thus referring all to the Honour and Glory of God thou lovest God above all things ordarly and accomplishest as much as in thee lyeth what is written in Deut. and in Saint Mathew where it is said Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soul and with all thy strength For what other
Schoole Then Repentance said unto me Son thou must enter in at this Streight hole whereout I came But when I complained and said that it was unpossible because my Head would not in she said there was no other way or entrance into her Schoole Then I called to mind what our Lord had said in the Gospel of Mathew The way is streight which leadeth to everlasting life and very few walk that way Now as I stood Wondring at the narrow hole I saw an old Serpent enter in who for lack of room left his Skin behind him and presently returned all renewed and young Whereat as I marbelled Gods Grace told me saying Thus thou must do For in entring the Schoole of Repentance thou must leave thy old Skin behind thee and afterwards thou shalt return a new Man This is it which the Apostle speaketh of saying Put off the old Man according to the first conbersation corrupted with ill thoughts and put on the new Man which is to be created according to God in justice holinesse and truth The Old Man is the affections of Sin and the former evill life which is left behind in the Schoole of Repentance and the new Man is the good life which is newly begun in holiness and truth As Gods grace was thus teaching me I saw an Old Eagle heavy-eyed and thick featherd fluttering aloft This Eagle falling down dived three times into a fair fountain thereabouts and presently returned young and lusty which Miracle made me marvail more then that of the Serpent Then said Gods grace as the Eagle is renewed from the Fountain of water young and lusty so shalt thou after thou comest to Christ with sorrow for thy sin and consession of the same which if thou do thou shalt receive thy first innocency which I gave thee in thy Baptism Then Gods grace entred into the Schoole of Repentance before me saying I will draw thee in for it is none but I that sheweth Sinners the way of Repentance With that she pluckt me in and sorthwith I became an enemy to Sin Now therefore let no Man glorine himself seeing it is Gods Grace that goeth before Mans will and that by its means is made good Then I eutring in after and being a little way in the passage waxed wider Gods grace plucking me in by the head and Repentance thrusting at my feet So then in passing in at the narrow place I left Lasciviousness my Shirt behind me torne in pieces which she hurled into the Dungeon and all my body was scratched Thus doth Repentance prepare her Scholars for if any mouth will consess his former sins not having inward sorrow and heart-grief for offending God and full purpose to amend his life he is greatly deceived For thinking to have Gods blessing he shall be sure of cursing But to my purpose Repentance put on my naked body such Apparel as she her self did wear which when I saw I thought upon the Apostles not that I thought my self as good as they but hoping to come by Gods grace to the place where they are I was well content to do as they did CAP. IV. How true Repentance begins in us and how the Knights conscience accused him what pains he had deserved IT is true that Repentance as it ought cannot be done without special grace from God For the heart of sinfull men cannot change her disordinate life nor turn from their offences nor prepare themselves to God without the fingular operation of Gods grace The Doctors dispute daily whether true Repentance taketh her beginning at love or at sear This question cannot be decided in few words but to be short I say it may begin at both For true Repentance being a work of God he may bring it as he list But when it comes from love it is not ordinary or common but Marvellous Look upon the conversion of Saint Paul of Saint Mathew and the Thiefe But ordinarily God begins Repentance in us by fear as in the third Book of the Kings when be commanded Elias to come out of his Cave to remain in the Mount before the Lord and a mighty strong Wind passed by and rent the high Hills and ragged Rocks before the Lord but the Lord was not in the Wind After that came an Earth-quake but the Lord was not in the Earth-quake After that came a Fire but the Lord was not in the Fire After that came a soft Wind wherein the Lord was In such sort Gods sends to Sinners a Wind of Terrour to break the mighty Mountain of Pride and the heart more hard than the Rock after that comes the troubling of the Soul after that comes the Conscience grudging the heart of the finner and accusing him of his evill Life but yet the Lord is not there with his quickning grace Neverthelese these be forerunners to prepare the way of the Lord. For when the perverse Will of Man is mortified by servile fear and led almost to Hell after comes the sweet sound of Gods grace which reviveth the Soul saying Lazarus come forth This is the voice that giveth Consolation at the hearing whereof we may be bold to depart in peace with assurance of remission of our sins But it seems that Repentance began first in the Knight at Love and that miraculously for he being in the Filth of Sin suddenly by Gods Providence confessed his folly and loathing his lewd life he required help and succour at Gods grace who presently assisted him and brought him out of the sink of sin But this manner of conversion is not ordinarily used There are indeed certain fore-runners to the justifying of sinners which prepare the way to Gods reviving or quickning grace and offereth unto God a renewed Spirit and a pure and upright heart which manner of conversion Godly People only do use And hereof meaneth the Knight to speak purposing also to shew how it digresseth from Gods grace When Repentance had thus apparelled me with Hair and Sack-cloath I was set upon a Stoole and then Gods grace appeared unto me with two Women and one Man which was a Preacher Now one of the Women held in her right hand a sharp pricking Iron rod called the gnawing of the Conscience in her lest hand she had a red Book whereat I was afraid For as she beheld me me thought she threatned me The other Woman was Courteous and Milde and gentle holding in her right hand a Book of Gold covered with Pearls and she was called Remembrance Gods grace placed Conscience on my left hand and Remembrance on my right hand the Preacher repentance and the Damsels about me and then commanded Conscience to open the red Book which when I perceived and saw the Words Written with blood declaring all my offences with Torments unto them belonging for my following of Folly I was amazed and became speechless Then Conscience with her Iron rod teucht me prickt me yea pierced my heart and cryed aloud unto me saying Behold thou Wretch view this
Book and thou shalt see how thou hast lived even against God and contrary to right and reason Thou hast been Proud Arrogant ambitious spitefull at others prosperity a prolonger of time Wrathfull a Backbiter injurious Trayterous hatefull Covetous of Gold more than of God Gluttouous Wanton Shameless a stewes-hunter given to all vices and hast transgressed all the commandements of God leading a loathsome life denying God swearing and blaspheming his name an haynous effender a false Witness bearer a lyar a desirer of other Mens goods disobedient to Parents cursing them and wishing their death Furthermore thou hadst neisher Faith nor hope in God but rather in the force riches honour and friendship of thy kindred with their Authority I cannot reckon up the rest of thy Sins for they are uncountable Very little care hast thou had of Christs merits or of thy own souls health but alwayes yielding to Voluptuousness filthiness and iniquity When Conscience had thus accused me Sorow for Sin sell bitterly aweeping and oftentimes struck her breast Then Conscience shewed me what Torments I had deserved for following Voluptuous affections and for loving them better then God Thou oughtest said she to burn in Hell fire that never quencheth and to be nipped with Torments both of Body and Soul for evermore Thy laughing shall be turned to Weeping the Ioy to Sorrow thy Songs to Cries yea what pains can be named but thou art like perpetually to suffer them without hope of Redemption For this is the due reward of Worldly Felicity and following Folly Be think thee now and tell me if it be in thy power to rid thee from these grievances Hearing my Conscience thus speak me thought I saw Hell open to swallow me up and with sorrowfull sadness I fell to the ground before Gods grace speechless but she had Compassion on me and bade me arise the which I did though half in despair and to re-comfort me she opened the book which Remembrance held in her hand CAP. V. By the Commandements of Gods grace remembrance read to me the goodness of God with his promises made to repen tant sinners AFter Remembrance had opened her Book I perceived the Letters were Gold and Azure containing the great goodness and infinire mercy of God so repentant Sinners with fair promises annexed thereunto Then at the commandment of Gods grace remembrance read out of that book unto me in this manner Saint Paul Writing to the Romans saith Where Sin hath abounded grace hath more abounded He that mistrusteth the mercy of God mistrusteth God to be mercifull and in so doing he doth God great dishonour For he denyeth God to be Love and power wherein consisteth all the hope of poor Sinners For of his great love he sent his only Son to take Mans Nature upon him in this World that in the same he might suffer death upon the Cross for the remission of Sins Consequently he promised for the love of his Son Remission and Pardon to all Poor Sinners so often as they desired it in Faith with an heavy and sorrowfull Heart Now God is as true of his Promises as he is of Power able to perform them And as he is of Power so will he do whatsoever pleaseth him God will pardon Sinners their Sins who then can let him from doing it To whom God pleaseth or hath promised to pardon their Sins he forgiveth The truth hereof is Written in plain Words and shewed by examples in many places of the holy Scripture as well in the Old Testament as the New First Esay saith It is I my self It is I my self that doth blot out thine iniquities for mine own love sake and I will not have thy sins in remembrance For the love of me saith he and not for the love of thee meaning his goodness and mercy and not for the love of thy merits As if he had said to all sinners in this sort If thou thinkest that I pardon thy Sins for thy merits sake thou art deceived and Wallowest in despair no no but for my mercy and infinite goodness I remit and forgive Thou hast no cause to despair for the least part of my mercy exceedeth all thy Sins In another place he saith by the same Prophet Turn your selves unto me all the Earth and you shall be saved for I am God and there is none other besides me What is the meaning of these Words I am God any thing else but that God is good and mercifull If it be unpossible but he should be God it is unpossible but he should be good and mercifull The same Prophet speaketh unto every one of us saying Let the Infidell leave his wayes and the unjust Man his thoughts let them turn to the Lord and he will have pitty upon him for he is ready to forgive And by the Prophet Jeremy he saith to the People of Israel that he was wroth for their Idolatry and many other Sins nevertheless he said Turn Israel thou Rebell unto me thy Lord and I will not turn my face from thee or as the Hebrew Text saith I will not lay mine ire upon thee for I am saith the Lord holy and gentle and keep not mine anger for ever And by the Prophet Ezechiel he saith If the evill Man repent him of his Sins and keep my Commandements doing righteously he shall live and not dye neither will I have his former offences any more in remembrance Do you think saith the Lord that I delight in the death of a Sinner nay rather that he should turn from his Wickedness and live Repent you then and you shall live The Prophet David said That from morning till night Israel hoped in the Lord what doth this signifie but that the faithfull from their Nativity and Birth untill their very Death have hope in the Lord There is mercy in the Lord and great Redemption attendeth upon him In Joel it is Written Turn your selves unto the Lord with all your heart in Fasting Praying Weeping Sorrow tearing your hearts and not your Garments so shall you be turned unto the Lord your God for he is full of Clemency Mercy and Grace slow to ire and ready to forgive or as the Hebrew Text saith such a one as repents him of evill that is to say is leath to execute the punishment upon Sinners which he hath denounced and threatned Micheas the Prophet saith What God is there like unto thee which takest away iniquities and forgivest Sins for the rest of thine Heritage sake He keepeth not his ire for ever but of his compassion and mercy will have pitty upon us He will put out our iniquities and throw all our Sins into the bottom of the Sea What Sinner is there that hearing these words hath so heavy a heart as to despair seeing that God is more ready to forgive than the Sinner is to ask forgiveness Now let us come to the New Testament to try if there be not Testimenies to the same effect The Son of God which is
also the Lord and God of Prophets answered the thought of the Proud Pharisie saying Simon I have somewhat to tell thee Then said he Speak on Master A Creditor quoth the Lord had two Debtors whereof the one ow'd him 500 pence the other but 50 now they both having nothing to pay the Creditor forgives them the Debt Now tell me which of those Debtors loveth the Creditor most Simon said I think he to whom most was forgiven Jesus answered Thou hast rightly spoken Our Lord in propounding this Question defired also to heal this Pharisie For if he had denyed it Iesus would have eaten none of his meat These two Debtors were Simon and the sinfull Woman The sinfull Woman not only by the Iudgment of the standers by but also by her own confession acknowledged her self more indebted then Simon and Simon less indebted then she because he thought himself righteous in respect of her The Creditor is our Lord God who lends and gives us his gilts both temporal and spiritual to interest disbursing to one five Talents to another two and to another one Now then is signified by the judgment of Simon that the Woman was most in debt to God unto whom he forgave most And because she loved God better then Simon did she deserved again of him to be better beloved in that she did more good service to God then Simon did notwithstanding his meat Wherefore the Lord valued the love and good Will of this woman and preferred it before Simons reprehending him of his arrogancy and saying Dost thou seest this Woman whom thou judgest more in debt then thy self I entred into thy House and thou hast not given me water to wash my feet but she hath washed them with tears and wip'd them with her hair though Water was easier to be found then tears Thou hast not kist my mouth but she hath kist my feet Thou hast not annointed my head with common Oyl but she hath annointed my feet with fine Oyntment So that by these signes thou seest that she loves me better then thou dost Therefore I tell thee that many Sins are forgiven her because she loved much For to him is least forgiven that hath least loved The Lord said this to beat down the proud opinion of the fond Pharisie not that he was but little forgiven but because Simon might know that he thought so For truly as who so committeth most Sins is most indebted to God so likewise is he that hath least offended To conclude both the less and the great stand in need of Gods Grace unto whom they cannot come of their own strength and vertue As the greatest Sinner reserreth to God the remission of his fins even so ought the justest man to do also For there is no sin which one Man committeth but another would commit the like if God who made Man without sin did not keep him from sin as witnesseth Saint Austen But perchance one will say I have not committed Adultery as this man hath To whom I answer thou hast not had such occasion ministred as he hath had and he hath not had the Grace to avoid it as thou hast had It was Gods doing and no Will of thine if thou hast had no occasion nor convenient time nor fit opportunity to fall into that Sin Suppose thou hast had occasion offered with opportunity and all things fit and yet hast resrained Well it is God then that guided and governed thee that thou shouldest not do it Acknowledge then the grace of God as thou art bound because thou hast not committed such a sin For as he who hath committed most sins is most indebted to God even so is he who never finued Gods debter for were not the grace of God his Guide he would do enough Now to our purpose After the Lord had convinced the Pharisie of his proud Opinion to comfort the sorrowfull Woman lying at his feet he said thus Woman thy sins are forgiven thee O joyfull voice O happy Woman that art worthy to hear the Son of God speak to thee and forgive thee thy Sins But those comfortable words of the Lord greatly offended the proud Pharisies at the Feast who turned them to Blasphemy saying What Fellow is this that also forgiveth Sinners It is apparent enough that he is a Blasphemer for to pardon and forgive Sinners belongeth only to God No doubt our Lord Iesus Christ was taken to be a very poor man of him that requested him to Dinner and of those which were at the Table It was known that man could not forgive sins but they believed not that Iesus Christ was God and therefore say they What Fellow is this that forgiveth sins These Feasters were sick of a deadly disease which they neither knew nor yet the remedy to heal and do them good Is it not a Madness that such as are Sick should fall a laughing at them that are sound and in good Health So did the Pharisies laugh at Iesus Christ and the Woman who were not sick or if she were sick she acknowledged her Sicknesse and sought help of the Physitian It is most true that Man cannot forgive Sins but this Woman which believed that Christ could forgive Sins believed also that he was God and therefore able to forgive Sins But why did not our Saviour Christ answer these murmuring Pharisies and say I am the Son of God when they asked the question saying what Fellow is this that forgiveth Sins No he let them murmure and turned himself towards the Woman and said Thy Faith hath saved thee depart in Peace Though she heard him say of the Pharisies these men murmure and esteem me as it pleaseth them nevertheless be thou assured that thy Faith hath saved thee and therefore depart in peace and enjoy full rest and tranquility of conscience justified by a lively Faith and fulfilled with Love Let all sick souls that are laden with Sins if they will be healed let them I say come in Faith and assured Hope to the true Physitian of souls which is Iesus Christ let them confess their offences with s … w and Weeping let them Wipe the Feet of our Lord with their hair and they shall be restored made whole and recover their Health Let your superfluous riches be given among the poor and not spent in Feasting and Pompous Apparell And after that the Sinner with love and liverality hath thought upon the poor helping them in their need as well with good counsell as with Alms-deeds and living as the Rule of Gods Word requireth he shall receive peace and quietness of Conscience and he reconciled to God the Father for the merits of his Deer Son Iesus Christ to whom be all Honour and Glory for ever and ever Amen CAP. VII The Knight having heard the sermon received the holy Communion and dinner being ended mounted into a Chariot and was by Gods grace carried to the Palace of Vertue GReat was the comfort I took by the sermon of the
and abilities in Man inward only but not outward that is to say a perfect affection of the soul which God precureth in man and not Man in himself For although such motions seem to be motions of free-will yet they cannot be such except God vauchsafe of his working Grace to sanctifie the will and to make it capable of such good affections These two Opinions recited by the Master of the Sentences in the second Book and 27 Distinction I refer to the Iudgment of the Reader and allow them so far forth as they both agree that Vertue is a work of God in Man and not of Man in himself But yet they differ because the first sayes that Vertue is not a moving of the Soul for that it is the only working of God without Man and of meer Grace the other Opinion saith that Vertue is a good motion of Man not coming of God in Man I dare not judge rashly in so High and secret a Mystery and therefore I appeal to the determination of the Learned It sufficeth to know that Vertue is a work of God in Man and not of Man in himself and in this point as both Opinions do consent so I approve them to be true CAP III The Description of Faith and how we ought to believe in God for our salvation FAith is a Vertue whereby we believe that which we see not When it is said that Faith is a Vertue it is most manifest that faith is the pure gift of God whereby we believe that which we see not But yet it followeth not that we should believe all that we hear and see not but this is meant only in things touching Religion and the Worshipping of God Faith is properly of things not apparent for apparent things have no Faith but a certain Demonstration as when our Lord saith to Thomas Because thou hast seen thou believest Yet Thomas believed more than he saw a Man and he believed that the same Man was God also which he saw not for he said Thou art my God and my Lord. In this consisteth the merit of Faith when a man at the Commandement of God believeth that thing which he seeth not To believe saith Saint Austin is to think upon a thing with consent to that thought as when thou thinkest the Son of God was born of a Virgin and toah mans nature upon him and consentest to that Thought it is properly called Beliefe This thought may come often by seeing and often by hearing And when Saint Paul saith that faith cometh by hearing of the word of God he understands that by hearing faith comes into the mind and thought if we consent thereunto For we may hear a Preacher without consenting to that he saith because men do not alwayes believe what the Preacher speaketh for that the consent wherein consisteth the perfection of Faith comes of the meer gift of God and not from seeing nor hearing but from the light of Grace speaking in the Soul of the Believer believing the principal truth which is God and working in him an agreement with that Soveraign truth above all other things So that Faith is a foundation unmovable our Lord Iesus Christ who is the only Foundation of true Blessedness dwelleth in the Hearts of the Believers and so long as Faith is in Man he shall be sure not to perish but faith without Charity is no Foundation because such Faith is in vain and unprofitable Faith then joyned with Love or Charity belongs to good Christians and Faith without Love belongs to evill Christians It is necessary therefore that we note the difference in these three sayings or speeches namely To believe a God To believe of God To believe in God To believe a God is to believe that he is the only true God so the Devils do believe as well as the evill Christians To believe of God is to believe that all is true which God saith and so believe the evill Christians as well as the good unless they be Hereticks But to believe in God is to love God and in believing to joyn thy self to God by love and obedience incorporating thee with His Members that is to say his Church This Faith justisteth the Sinner and this Faith being knit with Love and with Charity begins to do good deeds which cannot be done without Love The Faith which evill Christians have is indeed a quality of free will but it is not knit with Love and Charity which is the bond of perfection and the life of faith as Faith is the Life of the Soul And yet such an unshapen Faith being naked and Void of Charity may be termed a gift of God for that the evill man may have some gift of God but that cannot properly be called Vertue because that by Vertue we learn to live rightly and for that the Devils and Evill Christians do live wickedly it is a sign that the faith which they have is dead and therefore is not properly Vertue nor yet a work of Vertue If thou wilt then have thy Faith to be good and saving it must have four properties that is to say it must be plain and simple it must be whole and sound it must be constant and unmovable it must be quick and lively Touching the first that it must be plain and simple that teacheth thee thus much in effect that thou must believe the word of God simply and whatsoever is therein contained without inquiring into Gods mystical matters by humane Reasons and simply believing in thy heart that every thing contained in the holy bible is most true Secondly thy Faith must be whole and sound that is thou must not take part with Hereticks or cleave to the erronious Opinions of the Enemies of Gods truth for this is no good faith And therefore for a Testimony of thy Faith be not ashamed to make open Confession in the Congregation of thy belief with the Fellowship and Communion of Saints That thou believest in God the Creator and Governour of all things in his Son Iesus Christ the Redeemer and in the holy Ghest by which we are sanctified and receive true comsort and joy c. according as it is declared in his holy word Thirdly it must be constant and unmovable that is without doubting for any reason of Mans brain that seemeth contrary or for any temptation promise or threatnings either of torment or of death And let not the obstinacy of such as enchant with the vain pleasures of this life although they seem to live most joyfully allure thee to cleave to their opinion which is siat heresie for that is a work of Satans who wholly possesses them can change himself into an Angel of light to deceive the simple and innocent whom God permits to be tempted for the tryal of their constancy Not that he is ignorant of the issue but because he would have it appear in others that he crownes us with glory for our constancy and perseverance This is clearly
set down by Moses in the 13. of Deut. and by S. Peter in his 2 Epistle chap. 2 and by our Saviour Iesus Christ in the 24 of Matthew And though we live in the later times when many Sects do abound and Vertue and truth in many places do fail yet let us listen what our Saviour saith Whosoever believeth to the end shall be saved Fourthly and lastly thy Faith must be quick and lively that is it must be linked with love and charity which is the life of faith as the Soul is the life of the hedy And therefore abuse not thy self as some do saying I have Faith and I shall be saved whatsoever chance No no assure thy self that if thy Faith be not quickned with Love and Cherity it is nothing Worth and therefore unable to atchieve true Blessedness as S. Paul well noteth in the first Epistle the 13 chap. to the Corinth Even so when our Lord in the Gospel attributeth salvation unto Faith and S. Paul justification this is to be understood of an holy lively and Evangelical Faith working with Love and Charity Likewise when our Saviour saith in the Gospel that he which believeth and will be Baptised shall be saved that is meant of such a Faith as love quickneth and Charity reviveth The holy Scripture in many places expresseth that none shall be saved unless he observe and keep the Commandements of God Now none can keep the Commandements without Love and charity Ergo none can be saved without Love and Charity The sum and effect of all is this That whosoever renounceth Sin and imbraceth a quick and lively Faith and liveth in Love and Charity he cannot perish but shall find in the end perfect and everlasting Felicity in the Kingdom of Heaven CAP. IV. The Description of Hope and how we ought to hope in Almighty God NOw Sir Knight know this that Hope is a Vertue whereby Happiness or Blessedness both spiritual and eternal are hoped for And as Faith is of things not seen so is Hope also For Saint Paul saith Hope that is seen is no Hope because we have possession of it already It is common to Faith and Hope to be of things unseen and yet Hope is distinguished from Faith not only by name but by reason For by Faith we believe as well evill things as good that is Hell as Heaven We believe that Adultery is a very wicked sin we believe also Charity is a very good thing all these things good and bad we believe but we Hope only for good things and not for bad Again Faith is of things past present and to come For we believe the death of Iesus Christ which is past we believe also that at this present he sits at the right hand of God the Father in Heaven and we believe that Christ shall come to judge the quick and the dead But under correction I think that Hope is of things present as when I Hope that I am in Gods favour and of things past as when I Hope my Sins be forgiven me and of things to come as when I Hope to have eternal life This is true that Faith hath an eye generally unto that which is spoken in holy Scripture believing that all the promises without exception which God made shall be accomplished without descending to particular or special Persons but Hope applyeth unto her self those same promises waiting for the accomplishment of that which God hath promised And therefore it is requisite for assured Salvation that thou believe thou shalt be saved but to Hope so is not sufficient For Faith in it self importeth an infallible assurance and certainty of things as when we firmly believe all the Articles of our true and Christian Faith and all things contained in the holy Scriptures to be more certain then man is man but the hoping of it is not so requisite For if we have a firm assiance in the goodness of God touching our Salvation and doubt not a whit of the remission of our sins it is enough There be two degrees in Hope which are two contrary extremities The one being the most highest is the infallible assurance of eternal Blessedness The other being the basest and lowest is to despair of Salvation Between these two extremities consisteth Hope But the more that a Man approacheth to the highest extremity which is an infallible assurance of Eternal life and the more he rejoyceth from the lowest extremity which is desperation the more perfect he is in hope As it sufficeth the hoping Man that believes anâ— loves God that he hath a firm affiance and confidence that God of his good grace will give him whatsoever he hath promised to his Elect hoping that he is of their number So it is necessarily requisste that we have a perfect infallible certainty of our Salvation Now for that in the Definition of Hope it is said that by her we Hope and look for the eternal Happiness it is to be noted that Hope hath two Objects the first the perfect enjoying of Gods presence the other is all the necessary means to come unto the clear seeing and enjoying of God and these means are remission of Sins through Gods Grace justification Faith unfained and charitable deeds and agreeableness unto God Now all that we hope for we ought with prayer devoutly to crave of God as his Kingdom the remission of our sins justification encrease of Grace and Vertue deeds of faith and Charity But concerning goods temporal forasmuch as we may use them well and ill they may be said to hinder the Salvation of Man rather then to surther it And therefore the good Christian ought not to ask them nor covet them excessively indeed so much as will necessarily serve him for sustenance in this life he may lawfully ask and here by the way it is a lesson worthy the Learning namely that it is necessary for us to do good Works because it hath pleased God to enrich us with Goods which Goods ought well to be employed Now unto him properly belongeth the merits of the works which he worketh in us For all our good works are the gift of God howbeit he doth not deny us his Grace whereby we consent to do the good works which he only moveth in us And therefore every one ought to the uttermost that he is able to do good works considering that they come of God who is the Author of all good works and without whom we are not able to think so much as one good thought much less do a good deed For otherwise to hope in doing ill to go to heaven without good works springing from a firm faith is not hope but a flat presumption And therefore thou oughtest to enforce thy self to do good works hoping that thou and thy works may be acceptable unto God nevertheless thou must not in any case trust upon thy merits or good works but altogether to the infinite goodness of God For otherwise thou fallest into that curse
without change without beginning and without Ending In this City there is no Night there is no limitation or term of life but continual day most brightly shinning For in this City dwelleth the Father of Lights even God himself whose brightness no darkness can over-shadow The Citizens of this City are partakers of unspeakable grace of endless joy and of such persection as thereunto there can be added no more Vnto this place shall the just be advanced as for the wicked their promotion is in the Lake voyling with Fire and Brimstone CAP. IX The desire that the Knight had to come to Heaven and how Gods Grace brought perseverance HAving seen from the Tower of faith the City of Heaven and heard by her the manner of it I was ravished of my wit and esteemed nothing at all of the World For I selt not my self methought I was walking in Heaven Hereupon I destred Faith that I might remain still in her Tower the which willingly she granted me insomuch that I was never weary out of her lower Window to behold Heaven yea the more I beheld it the more beautifull it seemed Then I was loath to live in this World and desired that I might dye the sooner to have the sight and enjoying of Christ my Redeemer and kneeling by my self all alone I made this Prayer saying O How happy is the soul that is out of this earthly prison and resteth in Heaven most joyfull seeing his Saviour face to face That soul is without fear and affliction O how happy is the soul which is in the company of Angels and holy Saints singing prayses unto the Most High Such a Soul surely is laden with abundance of joy O happy society of Citizens O happy company of Saints which lamented in their mortall life but now raigne with God immortally O sweet Jesus let me come to thy pleasant City where thy Citizens see thee daily to their great delight O let me come there where nothing is troublesome to hear or understand what melody hear they without ending And how happy were I if I might hear the Songs or be admitted to sing a Song of David in the holy Hill of Sion O that I being the least of thy Servants may by thy grace put off my fleshly burthen and come to thy happy City to accompany the holy and happy assembly of Saints to see the glory of my Creatour and to behold his amiable Majesty That I may be made meet for this so sweet a blessing grant I beseech thee O gracious God that I never look back upon this shadow or valley of tears that I remember not the false pleasures of this wicked world that I esteem not this corruptible and evill life O how can we here be happy where the Devill alwayes assaults us where the world flatters us where the soul is blinded and where all men sinne After which great evills death doth follow as the very end of all vain pleasures and then they are esteemed as if they had never been What recompence may be made unto thee O God which givest us consolation in the midst of all our extrencities by the wonderfull visitation of they Divine Grace Behold me miserable wretch filled with sadness when I consider my sins when I fear thy judgments when I think on the hour of death when I remember the pains of Hell when I am ignorant what punishment I deserve when I know not where nor in what Estate I shall end my dayes In all these things and many other I appeal to thy gracious goodness knowing that thou art ready to give me consolation against all these sorrowes Thou liftest up my soul full of anguish above all Mountains thou makest me receive thy great love charity and goodnesse by the which thou recreatest my heavie spirit and rejoycest my sad heart in revealing unto me thy heavenly delights This Prayer ended I rested my Soul upon the anchor of hope Then as I was kneeling Gods grace appeared unto me accompanyed with another Lady which I had not seen before And after I had given her thanks for all her benefits she delivered me this Lady named Perseverance to continue with me charging me on keep her with me if I meant to be a Citizen of Heaven For said she all other vertues without her are as nothing to win braven For it is written who so perseveres unto the end shall be saved And therefore if thou wilt be saved then must continue Hereof we have many Examples in the holy Scripture but I will only touch two When Saul was first annoynted King of Israel he was as lowly as the child of one year old but he continued not above two years in his goodness For after he had once put Perseverance away he became evill and grew to be a cruell Tyrant insomuch that he slue many of the Lords Priests and persecuted good David But what was his end He was vanquished of his Enemies and being given over of God he killed himself upon the Mount Gilboa Again touching the same matter Judas at the first when God made him an Apostle was good and dutifull but when he had put Perseverance away he became a Thief and by Covetousness he vetrayed and sold his Master Christ and being forsaken of God he became a Reprobate fell into desperation and with a Halter hanged himself When I heard Perse verance say so for fear lest the like should befall me I desired the counsell of Good Understanding to shew me the means how I might keep Perseverance alwayes with me that in so doing I might not be deprived of the glorious City of Heaven To which request of mine the good Hermit Understanding tendring the safety of my Soul and having a carefull regard to all my Endeavours did yield and spake to me on this wise CAP. X. Good Understanding sheweth the Knight how to keep perseverance alwayes with him MY Son the last point of thy Souls health quoth Good Understanding is to know how thou art now without going back which if thou desire then must Perseverance never leave thee for if she forsake thee then must thou needs lose the pleasures of Lady Vertues Palace wherein thou art now From whence if thou go back thou shalt be sure to lose the joyes of Heaven Thou must therefore remain constant without wavering the which to do thou must by devour and continual prayer faithfully crave helpof Gods grace And to accomplish all this thou must remember three things the first is thy Life past the second thy life present and the third thy lise to come Those three confiderations will encourage thee to stay where thou art and as it were with a bridle will keep thee from recoyling First think what thou hast done before time in following Folly how thou livedst vainly yielding to every vain concupiscence whereby thou didst fall into the filth of sin and endangeredst both thy body and Soul O where hadst thou been if Gods Grace had not taken