feare after hym to drynke syth we do so that there chaunced none euyll to hym but onely good by rysing agayn No doubt chat chyef pure myrrhe Crystes lyppes distillyng it and his wordes coÌ„mending it shulde be moste acceptable aÌ„d swete euen as the smell of lylses So writeth Petre in the fyrste pystle for asmuche as Chryst hath suffer for vs in flesshe Arme your selues lykewyse with the same mynde Paule also in the .xij. to the Hebrues Consyder howe that he endured suche speaking agaynst hym of synners / lest ye shulde be weryed eÌ„d saynt in your myndes Therfore yf we haue lerned in the ymages byfore whiche were byneth vs and nere vnto vs to suffer euylles paciently / cruely in this last ymage which is set aboue vs we being rauysshed in christ lyft vp and set hygher them all euylles ought not onely to suffer theym / but also to loue / desyre and seke theym And the ferther of that a man is frome this mynde desyre / the lesse he hath of Christes passion As they which vse the sygnes and armure of Christ against euylles and deth / that they might nether suffer nether dye / whyche desires are clene contrary to the crosse and deth of Christ wherfore it is necessary that what euylles so euer we suffer be consumed clene brought to nought in this seuenth ymage / so that it shulde not greue vs but rather delite vs and make vs glad yf this ymage perse and entre in to oure herâ—s / or do remayn and sure in oure inward desire and mynde ¶ This mothe haue we spoken of the fyrst table Nowe foloweth the secunde TO the secunde table we shal also assygne seueÌ„ ymages contrarye to they me that were made bifore The first shall be of the inward goodnesse The secunde of the goodnesse to come The thyrd of the goodnesse passed The fourth of the goodnesse beneth vs. The fyft of the goodnesse on the lyft honde The syxt of the goodnesse on the ryght honde The ses venthe of the goodnesse aboue vs. ¶ The first chapter of the fyrst ymage whiche is the goodnesse with in vs. WHo is a bill to numbre the goodnesse whyche euery man possesseth in his owne person fyrst howe grete are the gyftes of the bodie as beutye streinght helt / qÌ„cknesse / witte besydes these in the male the most ê‘faiâ— noble kynde nature / by the whyche he is mete to exercyse and take vpon hym many thinges priuate / comune and other excelleÌ„t actes / whiche woman is nothing mete nor apt to / whathe merueyle is it / yf thou vsing these giftes thorough the fauoure of god cenne twenty / or thyrty yere with pleasure shuld suffer be payned in one of theym for the space of teÌ„ne dayes whate shal we do whiche haue had manye good houres / and will not be coÌ„tent to suffer one euell here may we se howe we be endued by hepe with the goodly giftes of god And agayn with howe fewe euylles many of vs be oppressed or touched Howe be it god almyghtye not thynking it sufficieÌ„t to haue done this moche for vs dyd also cast vnto vs rychesse plenteous abundaunce of all thinges / though not to all men yet truely to many / to theym specially that are impotent weake to suffer euyll for as I sayde bifore to theym he gyueth more of the sprete / to whome he gaue lesse worldly bodyly goodes that there shuld be a certeyn equalite in all thynges he the ryghtuouse iuge of al thinges Nether do grete rychesse so moche comfort a man as a mery glad sprete Bisides this / to some he gyueth yssue children whiche is a grete pleasure power / imperye / honour a name / glory / fauoure / and suche other whyche yf a man vse a longe season ye though he vse theym but a smal season they shall sone declare vnto hym whate he shal do in a lytell euyll The gyftes of the soule are more exceleÌ„c then all these as witte / connyng iudgemeÌ„t eloquence / wysdom / and these also as he dyd the other he deuideth after an equalyte so that he hath recompensed it in the other / by gyuing theym more quietnesse and gladnesse of mynde In all these thynges the most liberall hond of god must be considered with gyuyng thankes and oure infirmite must be comforted that in this multitude and gretnesse of goodes we merueyl not / though some sowernesse be admyxt / for vnto voluptuous men / there is no meate acceptable whiche of his nature hath not other some sharpe tast / or elles hys sawce prepared for hym / so that contynuall and onely swetnesse is a thing intollerabill Therfore it was well sayd euery pleasure by his perseueraunce maketh a man full of it / and to disdayn it And agayn / it is said Euen pleasure hir self is a payne bycause this lyfe is to weke and impotent to suffre coÌ„tinually goodnesse without the temperature of euyll for the abuÌ„dant copie of the goodnesse wherof spryngeth thys prouerbe They re bones must be strong whyche shall suffer good dayes whiche prouerbe I haue often considered merueyling at the merueylous true sentence of it / howe all the purposes and desires of men are clene contrary vnto it / whyche seke nothyng but good dayes / ye when they haue gotte theym they can worse bere theym theÌ„ the euyll For whaÌ„te doth god coÌ„mend vnto vs in those thinges / but that the crosse shulde be merueylous / euen in the enemyes of the crosse Insomoche that we ought to tempore and halowe all thynges by it / euen as we powdre flesshe with salte that it do not putrifie wareful of wormes werfore theÌ„ do not we receyue with a glad hert / thys temperature sent of god / whyche yf he dyd not sente / yet oure lyfe whiche is not able to endure with thys contynuall pleasure and goodnesse / wolde desire it of his owne will Nowe we perceiue howe truely the wise maÌ„ sayed of god he that contynueth from the one ende to the other strongly / and dysposeth all thynges swetely / for yf we consider these good thynges / it shall appere that it is also true whiche is spoken of Moses in the. xxxij of Deuteronomyon / he bare hym Vppon hys shulders / he ledde hym about and kept hym as the balle of hys eye wyth thys saying we may stoppe they re mouthes whyche vnkyndly chatter that there are mo euilles in this lyfe them good thynges for surely / we neuer lacke goodnesse nor pleasures / full of proufit swetnesse but we do moche lacke suche people as shuld vnderstond it with the Prophete saying The Erthe is full with the mercy of god And agayn the erth is full of hys prayse / in the .ciij. psal The erth is replenysshed with thy possession / thou hast delyted me Lorde in tese creatures for this cause we syng dayly in the
but that of thy gracyous mercye thou makest vs promises / fulfyllest them for thy truthes sake Thou dyst promyse vnto Abraham a sonne when he was aged / thou falfylledst thy promyse in olde and baren Sara / because thou louedst truth Thou promysest vnto the children of Israell a lande that flowed with milke and honye / and at the last dydst geue it them / for thy truthes sake Thou madest a promyse to Dauid sayenge I shall set vppon thy sete regall one of the frute of thy bodye / and it came euen so to passe / because thou woldest be founde true There are other innumerable promyses in which thou hast euer bene faythfull because thou louedst truth Thou hast promysed to synners which wyll come vnto the / forgeuenesse and fauoure / and thou hast neuer defrauded man / for thou hast loued truth That vnthryftye sonne Luc. xv that toke his iorney in to a farre cōtre and wasted all his goodes with covetous lyuinge / when he came to hym self / he retouened vnto the sayenge Father I haue synned agenst heauen and before the / now am I not worthye to be called thy sonne / make me as one of thy hyred seruauntes / When he was yet a greate waye of / thou sawest hym and haddest cōpassyon on hym and rannest vnto hym / fallynge vppon his necke and kyssynge hym / thou broughtest forth the best garmenth and puttest a rynge on his fynger and showes on his fete / Thou kylledst that fatted calfe and madest all the house merye sayenge / Let vs eate be merye / for this my sonne was deed and is alyue agayne / he was lost and is now founde Why dydst thou all this Lorde God surelye because thou louedst truth Loue therfore o father of mercyes this truth in me / which retorne vnto the from a farre countre / runne towardes me geue me a kysse of thy mouth / geue me those chefe garmētes / drawe me in to thy house / kylle that fatted calfe that all which trust in the maye reioyce in me / and lette vs eate to gether in spirituall feastes Oh Lorde wilt thou exclude me alone and wilt thou not kepe this truth vnto me yf thou shuldest loke narowlye on oure wykednesse o lorde lorde who myght abyde the But Lord thou wilt not be so strayght vnto vs / for thou louest truth yee and that with a feruent incomprehensible loue Which is the truth that thou so louest is it not thy sonne that sayde Ioan .xiiij. I am the waye / truth / and lyfe he is the verye truth of whom all truth is named in heauen and in erth / this is it that thou hast loued and in it onlye hast thou delyted for thou dydest fynde it pure with out spotte and woldest that it shuld dye for synners / kepe therfore Oh God this truth / behold I am a greate synner in whom thou maist kepe it / to whom thou maist forgeue manie synnes / whom thou mayst purefye in the bloude of thy Christ / whom thou mayst redeme thorow his passyō why Oh lorde hast thou geuen me this knowlege of thy sonne / this fayth of hym Because I shuld se my redēpcyon and not to attayne it that I myght by that meanes be the more vexed with sorow God forbydde / but rather that I maye perceaue the remissyon of my synnes purchased by Christes bloude / and so by his grace maye obtayne it Purge me therfore and redeme me oh Lorde for thou hast vttered vnto me the vnknowne and secrete poyntes of thy wysdom that this knowlege maye helpe me brīge me vnto helth for trulie the philosofers neuer knew these thinges / they were vnknowne vnto hē / yee vtterlye hid frō thē and no mā knewe these thīges except a fewe whō thou lonest entyrelie before thy sonnes incarnaciō The most curyous serchers of the world / I meane the wysemen of this world lyfted vp their yies aboue heauen yet coulde not fynde this thy wysdom / for thou hast hyd these thinges from the wyse prudent / and hast opened them vnto babes / that is / to humble fishers and thy holye prophetes which also haue vttered thē vnto vs. And so hast thou vttered the vnknowne and secrete thinges of thy wysdom of thy scriptures vnto me / why do I know thē in vayne I know them surelye in vayne yf they profytte me not vnto my helth and saluacyon For the Philosophers when they knewe God by his meruelous creatures they glorifyed hym not as god nether were thākefull / but wexed full of vanityes in theyr ymaginacyons and their folish hartes were blinded / when they counted them selues wyse / they became soles / wylt thou suffer me Lorde to be of their numbre God forbyd / for thou arte euē mercye it selfe which doth neuer vtterlye forsake any man / fauoure therfore Lorde fauoure and spare thy seruaunt / and commaunde hym to be of the numbre of thy babes / that the vnknowne secretes of thy wysdom / which thou hast opened to hym maye leade hym vnto the fountayne of wysdom which is an hye / that thou mayst be praysed in the worke of thy mercye which thou dost exercyse towardes thy seruaunte Lorde which neuer forsakest them that trust in the. Sprinkle me Lorde with hysope / and so shall be clene / thou shalt wash me / and then shall I be whitther then snowe Because Lorde that thou hast loued the truth hast opened vnto me the vnknowne secretes of thy wysdome / I am well cōforted and I trust that thou wilt not cast me out of thy fauoure / but thou shalt sprinkle me with hysope and so shall I be clensed Hysope is a lowe herbe / it is hote and of a good sauoure / which sygnifyeth nothynge els / but thy onlye sonne oure lorde Iesu Christ / which humbled hym selfe vnto deeth / euen vnto the deeth of the crosse / which with the heate of his feruent charite loued vs / and washed vs from oure synnes in his bloude / which with the redolent sauoure of his beneuolence and rightuousnes replenyshed the hole worlde Therfore with this hysope shalt thou sprincle me / when thou pourest apon me the vertue of his bloude when Christ thorow fayth shal dwell in me when thorow loue I am ioyned with hym when I shall countre fayte his humylite and passyon / then shal I be clensed frō all myne vnclennesse Then shalt thou wash me with mine awne teares which flowe out of the loue of Christ / then shall I sygh vntyll I be werye I shall water my bed euerye nyght with my teares / so that it shall swymme in them and then shalt thou wash me and I shall be whyter then snowe Snowe is whyte and colde / but Lorde yf thou sprinkle me with hysope I shal be more whyte then snowe for I shall be thorowlye endued with thy splendent lyght which passeth all bodelye whytenesse And when I am enflamed
oure self care for oure selfe whate do we els then goo about to let the prouisyon of God and to make also oure lyfe sadde / labourouse / bered with many feares / cares / and troubles and that in vayne / for we do nothyng profit here with / but as the Ecclesiastique sayeth This is the vanyte of all vanytyes / veryng of the sprete / For thorow his hole boke he speakith in experyence of this thiÌ„g whiche he hath moche laboured and atteÌ„pted for hym selfe Howe be it in all his laboure he founde nothyng but payne vanyte and vexacyon of the sprete / so that he coÌ„cludeth that is the gyfte of God yf a man eate / drynke / and be mery with his wyfe / that is to say yf he lyue without care and thought / and so be taketh hym selfe to god whiche caryth for all Wherfore we ought to take none other care vpon vs but this that we take no thought for oure selfe but coÌ„mytte and leue all oure care thought to God All there thinges as I sayed a maÌ„ may sone gather by the coÌ„trary ymage / and by remembraunce of his lyfe passed ¶ The fourth Chaptre of the .iiij. ymage whiche is the good beneth vs. HEtherto we haue coÌ„sydered the goodes whiche are in vs and oures / here after let vs exteme these goodes which are set without vs and in other And first theym whiche are byneth vs / that is to say deade and dampned ParadueÌ„ture ye wolde merueyle whate good thinges coude be founde in theym whiche are deade dampned / howe be it the power of the godly goodnesse is so greate in euery place that he she with vs goodnesse and his glory in the most euilles that be Let vs coÌ„pare theym vnto oure selfe then so we oure inestimable and infinite profites / and coÌ„modytyes as we may also easily perceyue by the contrary ymage of euylles For the moo euylles of death and hell we see in theym the moo profite we perceyue in vs. And the more vehement and extreme theyr euylles be the more we count oure aduauntage whiche are not lyghtly to be dispysed and set at nought for they commend to vs the hyghe and bounteous mercy of God And the ieoperdye is / lest we vnking settyng lytell by it be founde worthy to be dampned with theym or worse to be tormented Therfore the more we se theym sorowe and lament / the more we ought to reioyse in oure selfe of the goodnesse of God / accordyng to the sayng of Esay Behold my seruauntes shall eate and you shall be hungry Beholde my seruauntes shall drynke / and you shal be tristye Beholde my seruauntes shall be mery and you shall be confounded Beholde my seruauÌ„tes shall prayse for the reioysyng of they re hartes / and you shall crye for the sorowe of youre hartes and you shall howle for the contricion of your sprete / and you shall put downe youre name in an other to my elect and so furth / fynally as I sayde The examples of theym that do euyll dye and are dampned / as saynt Gregory doth shewe in a dialoge / do profyt vs to be a monysshement / and an instructyon that he may be happye whome other mennes perylles do make wise Truly this good bycause it is comenly knowen doth but litel moue vs / although it ought to be numbred amoÌ„ge the chyef / is of greate reputacyon to theym that haue good iugement / syth that a great part of holy scripture where he speaketh of the wrath iugementes / and thretenynges of God perteyne to this place These holsome instruccyoÌ„s / the examples of wretched persones do profitably coÌ„firme in vs / whiche them chyefly be of power and efficacyte / yf we put on vs the mynde of theym whiche suffer theym / and coÌ„uict oure selfe in they re stede and place / them shall they flurre vs vp and moue vs to the prayse of the goodnesse of God / whiche hath kept vs from theym Let vs also coÌ„ferre theym to God hym selfe / so that we may coÌ„fyder the iustice of god in theym Though this he harde / yet let vs go about it / for syth that god is a iust iuge / it is expedyent that his iustice be loued and praysed And so then ought we to reioyse in God / when he distroyeth euyll men both in body and soule / for in all these thinges his hyghe and ineffable iustice she wyth hym selfe Therfore verey helle also is full of god and hyghe goodnesse / no lesse then heuen / for the iustice of god is god him selfe / and god is the hyghe goodnesse Wherfore as his mercy / euen so his iustice and iugement / most hyghly are to beloued / praysed and preached This ment Dauid saying the ryghtuoê° man shall be glad when he shall se auengement / he shall wasshe his hondes in the bloude of a synner For this cause dyd the Lord forbid Samuel that he shuld no more lament Saul / saying howe loÌ„g mornest thou for Saul / syth I haue cast hym downe that he shuld not reygne ouer Israel As though he shuld say / doth my wyll so displease the / that thou wilt preferre a maÌ„nes with before myne fynally This is the voyce of prayse and gladnesse thorough all the Psalter / that the Lord is iuge of widowes / and father of fatherles chyldren / that he shall auenge the pore / that his enemyes shall be coÌ„founded the wikked shall be distroyed / and many suche other And yf that any man thorough folisshe mercy will haue pytye on that wyked bloudy nacyoÌ„ and hope of infidels whiche kylled the ryghtuous / ye the sonne of god / by by / he shal be founde to reioyce in they re iniquite / and to allowe and fauoure those thinges whiche they dyd / and so to be verey worthy to perisshe with theim whose offences he wolde not haue punysshed Let vs therfore heare this texâ— Thou â—oest loue theym that bate the and hatest theym that loue the. Aâ— Ioas sayde to Dauid when he dyd ouer moche lament his wyked son an homycyde Absalon .ij. of the kynges .xix. wherfore in this ymage we must reioyce in the pitye of holy men and in the iustice of God whiche most ryghtuously doth punisshe the pursuer of pytye / to delyuer his chosen people from theym And so thou seyst that there appereth not a lytle but a great deale of good in theym that are dede and dampned for in theym is aduenged all the iniuryes of the holy men / and thyne also yf thou be ryghtuouse emoÌ„g theyrs Whate merueyle is it then yf by thy present euyll he punysshe thyne enemye / that is to say the synne of thy body Ye thou must reioyse in this act of the most noble iustice of God / whiche though thou desire hym not doth kyll and distroye thy mischeuous enemye / that is to saye / thy synne in thy selfe / whiche yf thou fauoure thou shalt be founde a
the holye gost beholdeth a farre off the glorye of God accordynge to the capacite of this lifte / and therfore sayed the Apostle .ij. Corinth .iij. all we with an vncouered face beholdynge as in a glasse the glorye of the Lorde / after the same ymage are transformed from glorye to glorye as by the sprete of the Lorde Lord god how small is thy church at thys daye almost the hole world is fallen from the there are many mo myscreauntes then christen And yet emonge the chrysten how many are there which forsake worldlie thīges seke the glorie of the Lorde Surulye ye shal finde fewe / in comparyson of them which are addicte to wordlye thīges whose god is theyr belye glorye to theyr shame and confusyon / Deale gentlye Lorde of thy fauourable beneuolence wyth zyon that it maye be encreased both in multitude in good lyuynge Beholde frō heauē deale gentlye as thou arte wont to do that thou wilt send emonge vs the fyre of thy cheryte / whych maye consume all oure sunnes Deale Lorde accordynge to thy fauourable beneuolence / and do not with vs after oure deseruinge / nether yelde thou vs agayne accordynge to oure iniquytyes but ordre vs accordinge to thy greate mercye Thou arte Lorde oure father and redemer / thou arte oure hope / and euerlastynge helth Euerye man desyreth goodnes of he / yf thou geue it them / then shall they gather it yf thou open thy hande all shal be fylled wyth plentye / when thou turnest awaye thy face / then are they astōnyed whē thou gatherest in theyr breth then are they deed and returne in to erth And agayne when thou brethest on them / then are they created a new and thus renuest thou the face of the erth Psalme .ciiij. Lorde I praye the whate profyte is there in the damnacyon of so manye thousande men Hell is fylled and thy church doth daylye decrease Aryse Lorde / why slepest thou so longe Aryse / and differe not vnto the ende / Deale gentlye of thy fauourable beneuolence with zyon / that the walles of Hierusalem maye be buylded agayne / what is Hierusalem whych by interpretacyon signifieth the vysion of peace but the holye congregacion and citye of the blessed whych is oure mother Her walles were decayed whē Lucifer with his aungels fell / in to whose places are the rightwyse men receaued Deale therfore gentlye oh Lorde with zyon / that he numbre of thy chosen maye shortlye be fulfylled / that the walles of Hyerusalē maye be edefyed and finyshed with newe stones whych shall euer prayse the and endure euerlastinglye Then shalt thou accepte the sacrifice of ryghtwysnes / obsaeions burnt offeringes them shal they laye vppon thyne altare wanton casues When thou hast delt gentlye of thy fauourable will beneuolence with zyon / then shalt thou accepte the sacrifice of rightwisnes / for thou shalt consume it with burninge fyre of thy loue cheryte / so acceptedst thou the sacryfyces of Moses and Helias And then acceptest thou the sacrifyces of rightwysnes / whē thou fattenest with thy grace the soules which endeuoure them selues to lyue ryghtwyslye / what profiteth to offer sacrifices vnto the whē thou acceptest thē not oh Lorde How many sacryfices offer we now a dayes whych are not pleasaunte vnto the but rather abhominable for we offer not the sacrifices of ryght wysnes / but oure awne ceremonyes and therfore are they not accepted Where is now the glorye of the Apostlee where is the valyaunte perseueraunce of martyrs where is the frute of preachers where is that holye simplycyte of them that vsed to lyue solitarye where are the vertues and workes of the Chrysten which were in olde tyme Then shalt thou accepte theyr sacrifyces / when thou shalt decke and garnish them with thy grace and vertues Also yf thou deale gentlye with zyon of thy fauourable beneuolēce / then shalt thou delight in sacrifices of ryghtwysnes / for the people shall beginne to lyue well / to kepe thy cōmaundemētes to deale iustlye so shall thy people be endued wyth thy benefyted blessinge Thē shall the oblacious of the preastes of the clergye be acceptable vnto the / for they shal forsake their carnall affeccyon endeuoure thē selues vnto a more perfeyte liffe / so shall the oyntmēt of thy blyssinge descende vppon theyr heddes Then shall the burnt offerynges of the relygious be pleasaunt to the / for they shall cast out all drousye sluggeshnes and false confidence / and be hoellye enflamed and made perfayte with the burninge fyre of goddes loue Thē shall the bisshoppes and preachers put calues vppon thyne altare / for after they are consummate in all kynde of vertue and replenysshed wyth thy holye sprete / they shall not feare to geue theyr lyues for theyr shepe what is thyne altare swete Iesu but thy crosse where vppō thou wast offered what sygnifyeth a wanton calfe / but oure bodye Therfore thē shall they put calues on thyne altare / whē thei shal offer theyr awne bodies vnto the crosse / that is vnto all afflictions euē vnto the verye deeth for thy names sake Then shall the church florish and dilate her coostes / then shall thy prayse be noysed from the last ende of the worlde / then shall ioye / and gladnesse fulfyll the hole worlde Then shall thy sayntes reioyce in glorye shall make mirth in their māciōs waytinge for vs in the loude of the lyuynge Accōplish in me euē now Lorde that thē / which I so ofte name / that thou maist haue compassiō on me accordinge to thy greate mercye / that thou mayst receaue me for aburnt sacrifice of rightwisnes for a holie oblaciō for a sacrifice of good lyuinge / and for a calfe to be offered on thyne altare or crosse / by the which I maye passe from thy vale of miserye vnto that ioye which thou hast prepared for them that loue the. Amen ¶ To fyll vp the leffe we haue touched certayne places which we thou most necessarye to edefie the congregacion of Christ ¶ Of fayth FIrst dere brethren ye ought to geue diligent hede that you maye purelye vnderstonde what fayth is and what frutes procede out of her / And to cōclude the summe in fewe wordes / fayth is a sure persuasyon full knowlege that God for his truth and ryghtwysnes sake wyll fulfyll such promyses / as he hath made vnto vs of his mercye and sauoure / which sure persuasyon must be geuen from god .i. Corin. xij For it can nother be goien by mannes power / nether yet retayned Therfore with feare and tremblinge performe that helth which is begōne in you / for it is God that worketh in you both the wyll and also the deed / euē at his awne pleasure And se that with all mekenes ye submitte youre selues vnto the vocacyon of god / not sekynge the libertye of the flesh / nether yet despysinge good workes / for
masse heuyn erth are full of thy glorye / why so for there are many good thinges for the whiche he shulde be praysed / but that is onely of theym whiche se this fulnesse and replenysshyng for euyn as we sayde of the euylles in the first ymage / that euery mannes euyll was so greate as hys opynyon / and knowelege was in it Euen so good thynges though they come on vs on euery syde and in a maner suppresse vs / yet are they no gretter them they are extemed / for all that god made be verey good / howe be it they be not knowen so of all men Of this ymage / Iob gyueth vs a fayre most proufitable example / whyche when all his goodes were taken a way sayde / yf we haue taken goodnesse of the hond of the Lorde whye shall we not also suffer euylles truely it was a goodly sayng and a myghty comfort in temptacion / for he dyd not onely suffer but was also tempted by his wife to ympacyence / saying vnto hym wilt thou yet perseuer in this innocency curse the Lorde and dye / for it is manyfest that he is not god whyche so doth forsake the / why them doest thou trust in hym and not rather denye hym / and curse hym / and so to knowelege thy selfe mortall / to whome after this lyfe nothyng is remaynyng These and suche other to euery man hys owne wyfe whyche is sensualyte doth prompt and shewe in temptacyon / for the sense sauoureth not that thyng whyche perteyneth to god howebeit all these thinges are bodyly goodes / and comen to all men But a Chrysten man precelleth in other inwarde goodes which are farre better that is to say in the fayth of Chryst / of the whyche it is spoken in the .xl. Psalme All hys glorye is of the kynges doughter whyche is withyn in borderes of gold cumpassed about with varyete And as we haue spoken of the euyll of the fyrst ymage / that there can be sene no euyll so grete in a man / but there is a moche worse in hym whiche he can not se Euyn so the best of all the good thinges that be in a Christen he hym self can not se nor iudge / for yf he dyd perceyue it he shulde be then in heuen / bycause the kyngdome of heuen as sayeth Chryste is withyn vs for he that hath faith hath the truth and word of god / he that hath the worde of god hath god hym self the maker of all thinges If these goodes were reuelat vnto the soule that he myght feale the botom of theym as they be in verey dede / he wolde sone be dissolued from the bodye / for thabundaunce of that swetnesse wherfore all other goodes art as it were a monysshyng of those goodes that we haue withyn vs whiche he wolde by theyme shulde be shewed vnto vs / bycause thys lyfe is not a byll to abyde the glorye of ther yf they were shewed forth Therfore they are mercyfully hydden of god vntyll they are encreased to they re perfit state / euen as louing fathers do gyue vnto they re chyldren sometyme lytell gyftes to play wythall / wherby they may entyce the myndys of they re chyldren to trust for gretter thynges Howe be it sometyme they shewe theim selfe and come forth when that the conscience reioysing / doth coÌ„mytte hym self holly vnto got / speaketh gladly of hym / hereth his worde swetely deuoutly / is redy and glad to serue hym / to do good workes / to suffer euylles / and suche other / whiche all are tokens of an infinite and incoÌ„parabill goodnesse lying with in / whyche sendeth out theÌ„se swete droppes by a lytell at ones though sumtyme it chaunce that it be ferther reuelate to soules whyche fall to contemplacyon / in so moche that they are made dronkeÌ„ with it / and can not tell where they are As S. Augustine his mother do confesse of theym selues / and many other ¶ The secunde Chapter of the secunde ymage whiche is / the goodnesse to come / or byfore hym THey that are not Christen can take but small comfort of the goodnesse to come / bycause to theym all thynges are vncerteyn for this affect whyche is called hope by the whyche we are commaunded after mannes confortyng to trust euer for the best / bithe whiche we take greate maters in honde trustyng to bryng theym to oure purposse doth of ten tymes ye and in a maner alweyes / deceyue vs. As Chryst doth teache in the .xij. of luke of the ryche maÌ„ whiche said to his soule I wil distroy my barnes and bylde gretter / and theryn will I gadre all my frutes and all my goodes / and will saye vnto my soule Soule thou hast moche goodes leyd vp in store for many yeares / take thyne ease / eate / drinke / be mery But god said vnto hym thou sole this nyght will they fetche awey thy foule agayne froÌ„ the / then whose shall tho is thinges be whiche thou hast prouyded So is it with hym that gathereth rychesse and is not ryche in god Nether yet hath god left the sones of men so / but doth confort theym by a hole suer and perfait hope / that they shall ouer come they re euilles and obteyne goodnesse And though they be vncertein where goodnesse â—t is that shall come / yet they hope styll wythout doubt / by the whyche hope they are susteyned / lest by falling ynto desperatyon they shulde not be able to suffer they re present euyll / so to do worse wherfore this affect of hope whiche is in temporall thinges is gyuen the of god / not taht he wold haue the stykke therin / but to procede vnto the hole suer / and parfayt hope whiche is onely vnto hym And for thys cause god is luÌ„g sufferyng that be may briÌ„g vs to repentaunce / As paule sayeth in the ij to the Romains Nether will he suffer that all men be deceyued in this vnperfit deceytful hope whithe is in worldly maters / but that they retorne and take the parfait and vnfayned hope whiche is in hym There are bysides these goodes to the ChristeÌ„ .ij. great goodes whiche they shall suerly haue but not without deth and sufferyng for they haue also the comon hope that we spake of / concernyng the fynysâ—hing of they re present euyll encreasing of the coÌ„trary good / although they do not so gretely regard that / as they do in the increasyng of they re owne proper good / whiche is the truthe in Christ in the whiche they do procede from day to day / for the wiche they do both liue and hope But bysides these as I sayde / there ys .ij. chyef whiche shall come in deth The fyrst is that in deth is fynysshed all the tragedy of the euylles in thys lyfe / as it is wryten Precioê° is in the sight of god / the deth of his sayntes And agayn in peace I