THE HOLY LOVE OF HEAuenly VVisdome With many other godly Treatises Newly set forth perused and augmented by the Author Translated out of French into English by Tho. Sto. Gent. ANCHORA SPEI LONDON Printed by Richard Field for Thomas Man 1594. The names of the treatises contained within this volume 1 The holy loue of heauenly Wisdome 2 The Epistle of S. Basile of a solitary life 3 An exhortation vnto a ciuil life dedicated vnto Mounsi L. 4 A Meditation of the 7. Psalmes of Dauid his repentance 5 A Meditation of the 7. Psalmes of Dauid his consolation 6 A Meditation of the Lordes Prayer 7 Meditations of the Lamentations of Ieremiah 8 The song of Ezechias Isaiah 38. The Translator to the Christian reader THou shalt receiue here I hope Christian Reader vnto thy great comfort these short discourses and meditations if thou reade them with iudgement and according to sobriety the titles of which thou shalt finde set downe seuerally and a part in the next page before Accept therefore I beseech thee both the great paine of the Author and my poore trauell in translating of them which I trust I haue faithfully done according to his meaning and looke what benefit thou reapest by them be first thankefull vnto God and next vnto him and so I commit them to thy gentle acceptation The holy loue of heauenly Wisedome WE are like vnto that kinde of people who hauing bene led captiue into some farre countrey when they were yong haue not onely lost their time but haue forgotten also both their countrey naturall language and the amitie of their own kindred For we are no sooner out of our cradle and swadling cloutes as it were but that our peruerse and froward affections surprize vs as a man would say like violent windes and filling the sayles of our desires with a thousand delicat gales make vs mightely degenerate from our owne naturall inclination driuing vs therby from all true and right reason For let our soule continue neuer so litle a while in this banishment she by and by forgetteth her originall being leeseth the remembrance of her principall benefite and good and in the end which is a farre greater mischiefe she forgetteth likewise the knowledge of her self Now then there remaineth nothing why we are not altogether like vnto these miserable captiues For if they after their long captiuitie haue neuer so little hope of their returne or do but heare their countrie spoken of a man shall perceiue their hearts to leape with ioye in their bodies so greatly doth this kinde of newes please and like them But contrariwise we vtterly mislike those men who labour to call vs home againe vnto the place where we had our first being and abhorre nothing more then when we see them marke out vnto vs the ready way to come thereto These men will leaue the fortunate Islands and returne vnto the Ithaque set fast like a neast built vpon the very top of a sharpe steepie rocke And we will not onely leaue the mire and dirte wherein we sit fast mortrized rather then we would possesse and enioy most assured and euerlasting felicitie Now some man may peraduenture say vnto me I beseech you Sir where is that felicity which you talke of shew it vnto vs for that is it that we desire for what man is he that would refuse to be happie and blessed Alas my good friends I know that the worde liketh you well but without doubt yee flie from the thing it selfe or at least yee follow naught else but the shadow and leaue the bodie flying from you and hunting after a vaine cloude of delight reiect the true sound and incomparable pleasure Where then is it say you shew vnto vs the way and tract that we may speedely take hold thereof Shall I tell you my good friends one thing and that is this would it not thinke you make you laugh to see a pore or sand blinded man come vnto Pylon a most excellent counterfeitor in painting and importune him to shew him his pictures and exquisite paintings or to see a deaffe man presse in to heare the sweet musicke and hermonie of Bayf a most excellent musition would not the first man say vnto the sand blinded man go thy way and remoue first from thee that running humor which is the cause of the dimming of thy sight vnto the other go thou and drie vp the catarre which is the occasion of thy deafenesse and then thou that art blindish shalt see our excellent paintings and thou that art deaffish shalt heare our delicate and pleasant songs For as the pleasure of the sences cannot be well tasted nor relished but by such as haue whole and sound bodies no more can the contentation and delight of the minde wherein resteth our chiefe felicitie be perceiued by any but by such as haue cleansed their soules of all sinfull and corrupt lusts which as filthie botches and blaines extinguish the vitall spirits in that part of the body wherein they are engendred Heere then you see what you must do if you determine to make your selues capable to taste of the fruits of this euerlasting happinesse I right well know that ye are so brought vp euen from your youth in the pleasures of your sences and make so much of them as that you are afeard yee shall lose them without I leaue this as a pawne vnto you which will bring vnto you farre more infinite greater pleasure and wherewith I will feast you and quickly shew it you But who is able to make men that are no better then dust and ashes to see the estate and disposition of a pure and innocent soule whose action is perfectly blessed and altogether heauenly wherin consisteth this most excellent contentation In very deed you presse me too too sore and craue at my hands more then I am able to do But because I am loth to discourage you and make you mal-content I wil do for you whatsoeuer I am able And I will deale with you as the carriers about of monsters do For they set vp their pictures at the corners of the streets and hang out the portraitures of them at their owne lodgings and when the people haue paid their money at the comming in of the gate then they shew them their naturall and liuely bodies Now the sight which I inuite you to see is this VVisedome which we may rightly say to be the very truth and knowledge of all things but especially of heauenly things which is full of vnspeakeable cleerenesse brightnesse and splendure and which also if we might behold face to face and in her naturall excellencie would rauish vs with her loue and cause vs hate these base and earthly things with the loue of which we are so farre sotted euen to our very destruction I will heere hand vp as it were vpon the beaten high waies pictures and images so that if ye be disposed to go right on to the gate yee shall see
cogitations from it and make them flie haue nothing proper vnto himselfe keepe no company he must be poore and without substance and without all worldly dealings farre from any negociations ignorant of politike sciences and trades and onely prepare himselfe to receiue into his soule the instructions of holy wisdom And we cannot better prepare our selues herevnto then to forget wicked conditions and naughtie dealing wherein we were heretofore brought vp in and instructed for it is impossible to write any thing vpon a written paire of tables except we first wipe that out-which before was written Euen so likewise it is impossible to engraue in the heart of men the will and word of God if ye first of all pluck not out thereof the fore conceiued opinions which before haue beene therein imprinted by a wicked kinde of life And hereunto the solitarie life is wonderfull profitable because that it ouercommeth all our perturbations and giueth reason time and leisure to draw them out of the soule For as wilde beasts are easily tamed when as they are made much of and dealt gently withall euen so our lusts choller terrors and sorrowes which are the very poisons of our soules are with greater ease ruled and gouerned by reason when as they begin to quiet themselues and are not prouoked and made sauage by a continuall cogitation And therefore such a place must be chosen out as this which we are in out of all company to the end our continuall meditation be not interrupted by any resort for this godly meditation nourisheth the soule with sweet and heauenly cogitations and what a more blessed thing can there be then to imitate here vpō earth die life and accord of Angels And to be vp by the sunnering to pray sing himnes and songs vnto the creator and when the sunne is at the highest to begin his labour againe and licor and season his trauaile in the salt of deuout praiers and spirituall songs For there is nothing that so much gladdeth the minde and maketh it more merie and strong then the consolation of holy songs and therefore quiet rest is the very right preparatiue for the purging and clensing of the soule For because the tongue is not then impeached for the discouering of the affaires of the world neither are the eyes yet occupied about the iudging of the brightnesse and diuersity of colours or of the proportion of bodies neither doth the hearing spend and waste the forces of the vnderstanding to heare pleasant songs which are made to tickle the eares or yet matter of laughter foolery and knauery which serue for none other purpose but to weaken the force and intention of the mind Now when the soule is not caried away with thinking of outward things spred abroad as it were by the sences vpon worldly things she commeth back vnto her self and returnerh wholy into her selfe and afterward of her selfe raifeth vp her self euen vnto God Then all the clearnesse and brightnesse of this diuine most bright shining light forgerteth all her naturall actions careth no more for food and clothing no she not so much as once thinketh of any earthly thing but transferreth all her study for the getting of eternall benefits She addicteth her selfe and studieth how she may become temperate how she may frame her actions according to righteousnesse and prudence how she may become couragious and generallie all other vertues which deuout persons learne to addresse al their actions vnto comlinesse and perfection of life The plaine beaten high way that must bring vs hereunto and keepe vs within the compasse of our duty is the reading and meditating of the holy scriptures for therein we shall finde the most vertuous and excellent instruction to cause vs to do well that possiblie may be and examples and histories of the liues of holy and religious persons which are so many liuely images and exemplars of all good manners and holy conuersation which are there set before vs to follow Wherefore whosoeuer he be that shall feele any infirmitie in him selfe and staieth himselfe hereon shall finde therein as in a ritch and well furnished Apothecaries shop euery necessarie drugge that is fit to recouer his heal for let him that loueth temperance and modestie read oner ordinarily the historie of Ioseph and therein he shall learne actions full of great continencie and chastitie and finde that he was not onely chaste and a resister of filthie lust but by reason of long exercise confirmed also in all sorts of ventues he shall likewise learne by Iob a rare couragious minde in seeing the aduersities which he endured as being become from a great riche man to be a most miserable poore wretch and from a father of a noble and great familie a man alone and without children standing couragiouslie and coutinually vnto his tackling his mightie constancie being neuer abated nor his heart any whit at all lessened And when his friends which came to comfort him had prouoked him and fell a iesting at him for his talke and stirring his mildnesse yet could they neuer thereby driue him into choller But if any man would dreame with what magnanimitie he could be able to hold himselfe courteous and gentle and being angrie against sinne loue and make much of the persons that offēd he shall finde Dauid who was a most braue and valiant expert man of warre to be notwithstanding such a one as was farre from reuenging himselfe of his enemies Such a one was also Moses and yet notwithstanding he would be mightely angrie against those that blasphemed the honour of God but vnto such as offended and slaundered himselfe he would be merueilous calme and gentle And therefore we must do as good Painters and Counterfeiters do who taking vpon them to draw out the counterfeit of some man or beast or any other thing else curiously wrought in a table before their faces looking oftentimes vpon the thing which they are counterfeiting do draw the liniaments one after another vntill they haue finished and ended their worke that is to say looking vpon the liues of holy men as vpon liuely images draw out of them the most excellent liniaments of vertue to make vs perfect and to make ours by imitation like vnto them in all goodnesse and excellencie So we returning from labour vnto praiers shall by them make our minds and spirits more liuely and merie as heated and enflamed with a true godly loue For a good and faithfull praier engendreth in our soules a manifest knowledge of the goodnesse of God for that maketh God as it were to dwell in vs as hauing setled him deepely in our remembrances and so by this means we are made the temples of God when as the intent of our minde is not interrupted by any earthly cogitations nor our soule troubled with any suddaine motions but flying and eschewing all other thing retireth her selfe towards God as to her friend and driuing away all peruerse affections which mooue vs vnto intemperance
hart stirreth it selfe like vnto one walking with his nose lifted vp into the weather who through his retchlesnesse falleth into the botrome of a well hauing forthwith thereby beene amazed is incontinent void of iudgement falleth out with himselfe and tormenteth himselfe vntill such time as being come againe to his wits he knoweth both the place wherein he is and vnderstandeth the maner how he fell in and then beginneth by little and little to get vp againe vnto the top thereof and yet is scarslie able to note and marke the place whence he so easily fell 5 And so hauing called to minde as farre as I possibly could the memorie of things past hauing set before me in a deepe meditation the workes of thine hands and hauing exactly considered the perfection thereof yea and remembring the estate wherein thou hast created vs and besides setting before me him by whome I feele my selfe now as it were oppressed vnder the destruction of sinne I cursed in my self the houre wherein my mother conceiued me I abhorred the day which first opened vnto me mine eye lids whereby I might see heauen and earth witnesses of mine infirmitie and in the end finding nothing in the world that in this distresse might comfort and helpe me I at last addressed my selfe vnto thy most excellent maiestie 6 I fell on both my knees before thee I stretched out mine armes and hands vnto thee and my soule thirsting for thy grace waited with a great desire for the same as the chapping ground through heat looketh for a gratious and sweet showre in the hoatest daies of sommer 7 Make hast therefore vnto me O my God for I am already out of breath for loe mine heart fainteth and I am at the point of swound wilt thou stay vntill I be dead I am already so if thou make not hast for my sences do by little and little faile me my soule glideth gentlie out of me leauing my body without moouing and I am like vnto him who letting his foote bleede in the water looseth his life with his bloud without feeling the occasion or cause of his death 8 If thou O Lord holdest thy selfe aloofe from me and turnest thy face away I shall become like vnto those that go downe into the bottom of hell pale death will make my face looke wanne and my feeling to sleepe nay a worse thing then this will betide me my God for spirituall death will kill my soule make it horribly a feard and take from her the acknowledgement of thy singular goodnesse and the hope of grace which shineth in thy miracles as a bright shining starre in a duke night 9 Make me therefore O Lord in thy good time to vnderstand and feele the effect of thy mercy and when the sunne riseth in the morning vpon the face of the earth let then thy louing kindnesse rise vpon me for the enlightening of mine ignorance and leade me in the way of thy wyll But let it not deale with me O Lord as the sunne dooth who at his fall plungeth him selfe into the sea keeping away his light for a time from poore wretched and distressed men But let thy fauour and grace continually assist and defend mee and neuer depart more from me then my soule doth from my body for thy mercy is farre away more the soule of my soule then my soule is the life of my bodie 10 And therefore let thy mercie neuer forsake me but let her light direct my footsteps alwayes in thy wayes and leade me continually in the way which must bring me vnto thee For my spirit which hath run it self through the strange queaches of this world and strayed into the broad and thicke bushes thereof can neuer find out her tract againe but rusheth out at all aduentures and loseth both her path and also her payne going alwayes back from the abiding place whither she was determined to goe But I my God do alwayes attend thine ayd for it is from aboue that I looke for help 11 I am a captiue in the hands of the most cruell enemies of my life and therefore I most humbly beseech thee ô Lord to make haste to deliuer me I flye vnto thee for refuge receiue mee into thy protection Teach mee what thou wouldest haue me to do for thou art my God whome alone I am resolued now to serue And now away away from me deceitfull pleasure which heretofore hast bewitched my poore soule and poysoned my spirit thou hast with thy sweet delights fed me and made me with a little bait of hony to swallow a deadly potion which running through my members hath so astonished and mortified me as that there is no differēce betweene me and a dead man nay worse then that for it is not my body that is thus mortified but it is my soule wherin cōsisteth the principall matter both of this present life and also of the life to come 12 And therfore thy holy spirit must light vpon me to rewarme and fetch againe my dying soule and take it by the hand to quicken and set it in a safe place imprinting therein the image of thy righeuousnesse to serue her as a sauegard against all tentations which besiege her on euery side and threaten her destruction 13 Thou shalt come therefore and at thy comming shalt draw back my soule from tribulation and in shewing of me mercy shalt destroy all those that haue coniured against me And then shall my sorrow haue an end and theirs shall begin and the beginning of their sorrow shall neuer cease But as the streames comming out of the spring heads do still growe larger and larger vntill such time as they enter into the deepe Seas where is neyther brinke nor bottome euen so shall theyr miserie day by day encrease and in the end will heape vppon them extreame dolour and infinite distresse 14 And so shall all they perish which shall vexe my soule for I ô God am thy faithfull seruant whome thou hast remembred and wilt remember all those who in disdayne of my Lord haue thus shamelesly troubled mee They laughed at my miseries but now behold the season wherein they shall bewayle theirs Thy vengeance beginneth to waxe hoat against them and a man shall see them fall like vnto the leaues of trees in the beginning of winter O God what glorie shall I render vnto thy name and at what end shall I begin to set foorth thy prayse Shall I publish thy goodnesse in creating so many wonderfull works which are vnder the Sunne Thy wisdome in the conseruing of them Shall I preach abroad thy iustice in the condemnation and vengeance of the pride of the Angels the disobedience of men Shall I sing foorth thy mercy in the redeeming of those who by transgressing thy lawes haue cast them-selues downe headlong into the bondage of eternall death vnto what part of thy prayses may the sound tune of my voyce attaine reach Yea put the case that my voyce were
vnderstood thy councell therein For after I had resolued with my selfe to see the end whereunto thou haddest prepared those peoples I forthwith saw that thy iustice is most true and that although it sometimes maketh slow haste yet it payeth home at the last with seueare punishment and therefore I verie stedfastly waited and looked what should become of them 18 And truly in the end thou payedst them thorough stitch and rewardedst them according to their craftie and wicked dealing For when they thought them selues at the highest degree of honor behold thou ouerthrewst them and castedst them down headlong in a bottomlesse depth of miserie For all their pomps magnificences and ritches were nothing vnto them in the end but an high and eminent scaffold to bring them vp vnto that steepe and high breake-necke from whence they were most shamefully rolled downe ouer and ouer 19 O most true God what a desolation discomfort is this There is nothing but weeping about them for all they of their guards and all their pentioners do nothing else but beate their brests holding down their heads as the Lilly holdeth downe his when it is sore rayne-beaten and hauing compassion of those whome they were wont to enuy They most lamentably looke vpon the ruine of their idoll and consider with them selues how foolish they were to make a mortall and miserable man their God who was no better then wind or smoke For if a man considereth and marketh their end he shall see them dispatcht and gone in a moment neyther is there any thing that commeth more speedily to an end then the way of their greatnesse bringeth them thereunto and they haue bene so suddainely changed as that there could be nothing possibly to be seene of them Behold and looke on them for once they were and now they are not hardly can a man see their footsteps and marke whither their sinnes haue brought them it was a great while before the snare or grin could be made fit for them but loe in the end they lighted into it For during the time that the foundation of the house was in vndermining they climbed the higher that their fall might be the greater They continually clambered vp higher and higher and thought that whatsoeuer was below them was theirs only but in the end they clambered vp so high as that they lost them selues in the ayre before they could get againe to the earth so as they were caried away with the wind And loe they became as dreames when men awake for as a man sayth when he awaketh I dreamed well to thinke of such a thing euen so shall it fare with you for when such men as ye are shall vanish away and come to naught the people will then say surely the greatnes of these men was but as a dreame and a very meere vaine and inconstant folly For thou wilt make them of so little worth as that they shall be neuer once thought of but as in a mockerie and in discommending and condemning their pride and insolencie will say See how their houses are ruined behold the place where these outragious Sirs dwelt who cared neither for God nor men which delighted in nothing but in filthinesse wickednes who haue built so many and so many houses with the boanes of the poore and cimented their palaces with the bloud of the needy and loe there remaineth nothing of all that they had but the markes and notes of their ignominie for the tempest hath passed ouer them and there is not so much as any one tittle or iote remayning of them 21 Thus we see ô Lord that we must not rashly iudge of thy prouidence and therefore who so euer will iudge therof must patiently wait vnto the end and suffer himself to be led by thy spirit must call vpoÌ„ thee also for the comforting addressing of him for notwithstanding that I fret fume chafe sigh grone and haue set euery part of my body in a sweat with sore labor and brought my selfe as it were euen to deaths dore yet am I neuer awhit the better for it and after I had tormented my selfe I found my selfe as resolute as I was before 22 I was so vexed and grieued I say as that I knew not whether I was a man or a beast nay I was in very deed like a beast and could no more comprehend the same then if I had vtterly lost mine vnderstanding Howbeit I still stand to that hope which I haue in thee and the more I see my sense and iudgement fayle me the speedelier runne I vnto thee and humbly beseech thee to open my spirit that I may know and vnderstand what thy will is 23 Thou hast taken and held me fast by the hand and set me gently againe in the way of thy will and madest me vnderstand the purpose and mind nay thou hast done more then that for me thinketh thou hast opened both mine eyes and the heauens all at once that I might see the mightinesse of thy glorie Thou hast I say ô Lord made me to see it for this is a thing whereunto no mortall man without thee is able to reach 24 For alasse should I poore weake thing that I am go to seeke for that in heauen which I cannot very well see at my feet who cannot perceiue but â—ith much ado that which is here oâ—…â—…th before me The eyes of my boâ—e are very duskish and mistie and â—…e eyes of my soule farre worse and â—ens thoughâ—s are maruellous vncerâ—ine and weake for the earthly and â—…rruptible body dulleth and maketh â—…le our spirits and â—yeth and bindeth 〈◊〉 senses fast vnto the earth in so â—…ch as that without thee I can not â—ope for any thing here below in the â—orld nor yet promise vnto my selfe â—y certaine knowledge of what thing â—…uer What am I able being here â—…on the earth to iudge and discerne â—hout thy ayd and without it pleaâ—…h thee to enlighten my spirit with â—…se things which thou hast ordeyâ—…d in heauen in the seate of thine eâ—…itie But thou also ô Lord hast â—…plyed my want and led me by the â—…d to make me see the counsels of â—e eternall wisedome thou hast as 〈◊〉 â—ere made me in loue with thee â—…d hast heaued and thrust my spirit 〈◊〉 of my body to make it capable of 〈◊〉 heauenly light and of thy wise â—poses 25 Surely when I consider of these wondrous things I am cleane gone my hart is taken from me and I am fallen into a swound ô God What is this my God which thou hast made me see O thou the God of my hart of my thoughts of my hope and thou ô God whome I esteeme to be my only felicitie and whome to loue I haue from henceforth destined all my affections I now know ô Lord what thou art how iust and how puissant I will now neuer be abashed more ne yet astonyed to see the strange and wonderfull things of the world whereof I am
about O how wonderfull great is thy mercy which blindfoldeth the eyes of thy Deitie which hideth from thee that euery one seeth and maketh thee forget that which thou knewest before such time as it was done 13 From whence ô Lord commeth this great change and alteration in thee whence commeth it that to do me fauour thou puttest so farre from thee thy iustice which is naturally in thee I wonder but yet cannot I tell from whence this thy so great clemency and louing kindnesse proceedeth It is yea it is ô Lord because thou wilt saue vs whether we wil or no and to draw vs as it were by force out of that condemnation which we most iustly haue deserued For thou art the God of glory iealous of honour and praise for thou art alone worthy therof Thou knowest right well that very hell shall praise thee and thou knowest also ô Lord that death it selfe shall set forth thy praise Seeing that thou hast created all things to testifie thine infinite goodnesse and power shall death which is one of thy works make an end of thy praise Yea and seeing thou hast here placed man to lift vp his eyes vnto heauen and to behold thy glory and to sing both with the heart and mouth a continually hymne therof and if thou take away his life is not that a breache of one of the organes of thine honour And if thou send him to hell is not that to defame thy workmanship Thou hast ô Lord sowne by the mouthes of thy Prophets the truth of thy promises Shall they that are pent vp in the earth gather together the fruite thereof shall they whome the death of the body hath closed vp the eye liddes and whome the death of the soule engendred through their impenitence hath sealed vp the eyes of the spirit making them go groping to hell wandring and stumbling from paine to paine and from torment to torment No no it shall be the liuing man that shall publish and set forth thy praise the man I say that liueth and that liuing life which is maintained by those blessings which thou bestowest vpon vs here on the earth and that life which is nourished by the beholding of thy Deitie and by the blessings which thou hast laide vppe in heauen Euen so O Lorde do I at this day with them seeing it hath pleased thee to conuert my miseries into grace and blessing and to turne away from me death and dolors which brought them vnto mee Mine infirmitie is at this day seeing it so pleaseth thee an argument of thy glory thou workest such miracles in me as are able to astonish an whole world To the end ô Lord that the fathers may tell vnto their children what the effects of thy mercies are how sure the effect of thy promises and how vndoubted the truth of thy word And so wâ—…soeuer the lasâ— and hindermost posteritie shall vnderstand what hath be fallen vnto my person it will praise and blesse thy holy name 15 Seeing then my God that â—hou hast assured me this life I meane this earthly and corporall life graunt me also assurance of this heauenly and diuine life to the end that I being most full of all hope and strength may passe the rest of my daies in praising and seruing of thee continually Mine aboade ô Lorde shall be alwaies at the feete of thine aulâ—eâ—s mine action shall â—ee a song of thy praise and goodnesse and so will goe day and night into thy church lifâ—ing vp mine eyes vnto thee and hauing my thoughts fixed on thee I will openmine heart and thou shalt fill it with thy grace that it may sanctifie all mine affections and so I thereby may set forth nothing more then thy glory FINIS
be a companion with him in this workemanship Nay he did more then this for his meaning was that man wh◠was bond and thrall vnto death looke◠that there should one day one o◠his posteritie be borne of a Virgine who should be the Sauiour and redeemer of the world stirring him vp as i◠were religiouslie to vse an holy vnion which should serue to the ministeri◠of his redemption Wherefore as the vse of this coniunction at this day is no more necessarie for our saluation which for vs is fully purchased neither left vnto vs but as a lawfull intemperāce if so be we are not able to passe it yet let vs vse it at the least as a remedy of infirmity vnder the authority of the law of God for the cooling and mortifying of the lusts of the flesh which bud spring out in vs. And seeing that the desire which casteth vs out of ou◠selues cannot driue vs to loue God as we should let vs yet at the least keep it within the chaste bosom of her whom God hath destined for our wife companion And let vs take great heed that we make not our members filthy stinking vessels and so defile the Temple of God seeing he vouchsafeth to dwell in vs by the impure dealing with those kind of women who in violating their bodies violate also therewith all maner of lawes For first they breake the law of God who commaundeth chastitie the law of nature which forbiddeth to make that common which is borne for one alone the law of Nations which hath brought in marriages and the law of families vniustly transferring the labour and trauell of another vnto a strange heire Truly from this abhominable and vnbrideled concupiscence come and are deriued as from a liuely and pleasant Fountaine all publike and particular calamities as it were For when this foolish loue is once formed in our soules which being nourished with belly-cheere and idlenesse beginneth there to grow and encrease and hath as heady wine run through our vaines it by and by bringeth our sences a sleepe and benummeth our members bereaueth our reason and so furiously reigning ouer vs carrieth vs away violently into most furious purposes and practises Do we not see at this day the mightiest kingdomes to be by it digged downe as it were with Pickaxes and Empires to stumble and fall downe to ruine And do we not see that it deuoureth in one day the ritches and conquests of infinite worlds That it openeth the gate to all iniustice Hath it not brought ielowsie betweene brethren and quarrels betweene Fathers and their children But the worst and foulest of all the effects that it hath wrought is the vncertaintie that it bringeth into the minds of kinsmen and families For in defiling the mariage bed it taketh frō the children the loue of their father which cannot be conserued but by the good opinion that the husband hath of the chastitie of his wife it breaketh also the pietie of the children towards their fathers which cānot be founded but vpon the self same conside ratiō Now when these bonds of affection good will are lost amongst mē how can they conteine themselues within any ciuill amity and society how can they ioyne vnite themselues together to serue God obey his cōmandements This sinne as an ancient father saith is the deuils hauen which floting flowing in vs through voluptuousnes continually rebloweth the bellowes of our sences with new hoat desires which set our soules on fire there nourisheth them with smoake taking from them both sight iudgement which should guide them to euery good thing And therfore how far soeuer we can see this foolish loue we must hunt it away and detest it as the very poison of our souls Howbeit we contrariwise call it vnto vs and make much of it how farre soeuer it be from vs. For we inuite it to giue it reward and the rewards of honor are for none but for his officers all the most fine and rare wits take the greatest delight to impe his feathers that he might the speedelier and more contentedly come flying into the palaces of Princes Now a Christian man especially such a one as would attaine vnto this blessed contēplatiō whervnto we prepare him will bereaue his soule of all these filthy lusts vsing himselfe vnto this continuall continēce wil endeuor himself if he possibly can to cōserue this treasure of virginity wherein lieth a great purity of the mind perfection of vnderstanding they chiefly conserue the same which cōmunicate themselues with the spirit of God which gaue S. Ierome occasion to say according to Varro That the reward of virginity was diuination because that diuination is nothing els but the knowledge of the truth to come which we attaine vnto by communicating with God that which we neuer can obtaine except we keepe our selues pure from all earthly and beastly affections So as as we haue before said if that our infirmitie surmounteth our discourse we may make our intemperance lawfull excusable in rightly vsing the remedie which God hath giuen vnto our infirmitie and so be like vnto those first Christians of whom Tertullian said That they were not borne men but for ther wiues Let vs therefore with reuerence enter into this societie of marriage and let it be a coniunction both of the spirit and will a communion both of faith and religion wherein nothing is proper ne yer particular no not so much as the very secret thoughts themselues This is as Themistius the Platonist said a full mixture of all together as wine and water which being once mingled together can neuer be seperated againe Heereby we see wherein the principall effect of this Temperance should rest To stirre vp men vnto sobrietie and detest infamous foule gluttonie or filthy delicacie of meates and drinkes neither is vertue thereby any whit impeached but through bond slaues and transgressours for such lusts very seldome grow in an honest mind Such lusts are very seldome found in the minds of wisemen Although the ages heeretofore haue borne and brought foorth monstrous Sardanapales who made their bellies their God The common cry of the people themselues detest them and are sufficiently reprooued by the voice of the multitude although wisdom should no way deale with them about the matter It is very true that when such spirits are choked with great cheere they can neuer talke of any thing that is either honest or yet godly which should make them capable of that contemplation wherevnto we call them Now when as Philo describeth out vnto vs the liues of these good religious Egyptians he therein noteth out vnto vs such a notable sobriety as that it is impossible for bodies which kept such a diet could any way hinder the beautifull actions of their soule And therefore let vs vse meates and such other like transitorie good things for the strengthening and vpholding of the infirmitie of our
bodies as the necessary instrument of the spirit But we must not so deale with our bodies as men deale with the garments of the magnificence of Princes which are so stiffened with embrodery and Goldsmithes worke and so beset with Pearles precious stones as that a man can scarsly stir himselfe when they are on his back but we must make vs such a garment as must serue for euery day and take such a fold as pleaseth vs to giue it There is also another thing which hindreth our soules no lesse theÌ„ these passions wherof we haue already spokeÌ„ And that is choler which to speake truly is the fairest flower of follie and that is that passion which blindeth vs all at once when as it hath once taken hold of vs maketh things appeare vnto vs as it were through a clowd cleane otherwise then in deed they are is so much the more dangerous a guest by how much the more that they that are possessed therewith are mighty of great power authority for the choller of princes which is aided by reason of their power flyeth out like lightning breaketh out before such time as a man can see the flash or heare the crack thereof as the thunder and lightning breaketh a sword in the scabard eueÌ„ so doth choller punish without knowing any cause insomuch that they pursue their actions for the most part with most â—edious and vnprofitable repentance being able to do no more as great as they are but to wish that that which is ill done were vndone For as Tyndare saith God himself hath no other power ouer that that is past but to forget and so they are for the most part driuen to repent them of that at leisure which in their hast they had committed Howbeit for the repressing of this furious hast we must frame a moderatioÌ„ of the spirit which we call Clemency by which our wils being vnaduisedly prickt forward to wish euill to another and the desire of reuenge are restrained repressed when as we shall haue this clemency rightly framed in vs by the perfect obseruation of our maners she will temper vs with such a milde and gratious behauiour as shall defend our reason from such a tedious and strong impression as choller is She will make vs take leisure to iudge of things by weight and measure to counsell our friends therunto and disswade vs from beleeuing and trusting too much to our owne selues Wherefore she will infinitely serue vs to perswade our selues that we cannot be offended but with our selues neither yet once keepe in our brests those iniuries which others haue done vnto vs. For if our actions be pure and sound and our life holy and innocent can our venimous and hatefull tongue change it selfe against our neighbour And if we at any time propound vnto our selues to liue to the good liking of any one man wheÌ„ shall we be able to find the meanes to please all the world and content both good and bad together if we iustifie vs before God and our selues haue cleane and vndefiled consciences nothing shall then do vs hurt Thou wouldest hurt me in my good name and thinkest by falsly accusing me of my life greatly to wrong me and I haue God men and mine owne conscience to testifie against thee to assure and iustifie me Thou maiest haue a will to hurt me howbeit I need not feele it without I will Thou takest and carriest away my goods from me all this inooueth me not or the time was that I had none or I had them when I was so yong as that I knew not what to do with them and lastly although thou haddest left them vnto me yet carried I not them with me when I dyed and I must either leaue them or else they must leaue me And why should I be more sorie for the one then for the other Well thou greeuest me in my body thou beatest and hurtest me and behold the Souldier which returneth very ioyfully from the skirmish carrying his arme in a scarfe maketh more account of his wound then he doth of his life if so be he bring from thence a great gash either in his head or in his face the more he beholdeth himselfe the more he wondereth at himselfe If he come home with the string halt of one of his legges he goeth not a step but he reioyceth that he was so gloriously marked Wherefore they are not our wounds that do so greeue and trouble vs but the occasions for the which we receiue them they bring vs either honor or dishonor neither is any thing esteemed for the thing it selfe but for the end why we do it If we endure all things for the honor of God and for the saluation which we shall obtaine through ouâ— patience then that which we call euilâ— shall turne to our good and that whicâ— once seemed to vs to be bitter shall iâ— the end be found very sweet The patience which this moderation of spirâ—… shall bring vs will be a secret testimonie vnto vs that we are the faithfulâ— seruants of our maister that we sparâ— our selues no whit at all to obey him nor yet refuse any trauell or paine tâ— put his commandements in execution There is nothing surely so honourable in this world euen in the iudgement of the very heathen aâ— to vnderstand how to forgiue and pardon The lawes permit euerâ— man to pursue the wrong done vnto him but to pardon and forgiue belongeth vnto a Prince alone Anâ— therefore if thou wilt be a king ouer thy selfe forgiue thy selfe freely for the glory of a Christian consisteth chiefly in this loue by which he bindeth his neighbour to loue him and to be voide of this worldly desire of reuenge which as a worme gnaweth the hart of those which are infected therewith tosseth turmoileth them all the day and keepeth them waking all the night And therefore the spirit will compose it selfe with this equalitie as that it will not suffer it selfe to be carryed away with hatred and euill will And from thence will ensue another excellent disposition of the soule which is modesty moderation which bringeth with it a certaine comlinesse vnto all the actions of the body and is a testimonie by them of gentlenesse goodwill vertue which can do more then all the rest to make vs sociable to get vs the friendship of those with whom either our nature good hap or choise coÌ„ioineth vs. This gratious maner is so agreeable vnto meÌ„ as nothing more for she wringeth out of theÌ„ that which force is no way able to do for she desireth no superiority ouer the rest but according to reason which is a kind of weapon that will cut deeper then either yron or steele But these proud frowning and scornefull people which looke at all the world ouer their shoulders which are therwith swolne so full as their skinnes can hold and looke at their tailes like vnto proud
of our persons euery membeâ— to be so framed therein as that thaâ— which is fardest off moueth it selfâ— forthwith in affectioÌ„ good liking vnto the rest so as if we haue any paine iâ— our foor by by the eye looketh vntâ— it straightways we put to the hand 〈◊〉 in the end bend the whole force of ouâ— body to help to do it good Euen so â—…reth it with the mistical coniunction of the body in the holy coÌ„gregation of the faithfull whereof we are all members and the spirit of God which doth rule and gouerne vs teacheth vs that for our owne conseruation we must needs make one of another and make both our aduersitie and prosperitie common that we might contribute vnto the necessities of one another For our christian righteousnes restraineth not vs only to discharge the ciuile and politick bands which may be amongst vs but also acquiteth this naturall obligation which bindeth one man to another by mutuall good will and loue It remayneth now that this righteousnesse must conioyne vs vnto God and bring forth her most excelleÌ„t effects which kepeth our soule vpright quiet capable of the wil of God and as it were fast tied vnto the loue of euerlasting blisse which is done by the gifts of faith hope For after we haue purged our selues of the peruerse filthy affectioÌ„s whhich our soul hath gotteÌ„ into her by liuing on erth so blinded our wil as that she caÌ„not returne to ill yet must she go on to her mark guide her self vnto her resting place Now as we are cast downe into the darkenesse of this world into the deserts of sin bottomlesse deapths of perdition we cannot see our end without light not find our way without a guide ne yet sustaine our selues go forward without stay and our light guide and stay is the reuelation which God hath shewed vnto vs out of his will the knowledge which he hath geuen vnto vs by his grace the spirit by which he communicateth himself with vs and in the end commeth himselfe vnto vs because we are so feeble as that we cannot go vnto him We call faith the sound and right affection whereby wee receiue that which he declareth vnto vs and which we constaÌ„tly beleeue and by which we iudge of him in the goodnes simplicitie of our harts This is it with which we humble our senses and with which we deny our selues to gue credit vnto his truth in acknowledging our infirmitie by which we allow his almightines reuereÌ„ce admire the effects so often reiterated for the reconquering of our saluation deliueraÌ„ce froÌ„ eternall death Now wheÌ„ as our soule hath once found her self disposed to belieue this and receiued this impression froÌ„ the word of God she then cleerly seeth the marke whereat she aimeth knowing thereby the benefit which is set before her she is touched with a certain effectual feeling of pleasure which eggeth her coÌ„tinually forward to wish looke for the saluation which is prepared for her This is that hope by the which she foreseeth the happy hour of her felicitie by which she is kept for the loking for her blessednes vpholden double strengthened against all the griefes and miseries which might shake the same and crosse her in the way Here then wee see how we must prepare our soule to make it capable of this felicitie We must now then necessarily see behold by her dealing how she delighteth her self in this most excelleÌ„t pleasure And it is to be considered two maner of wayes the one is that whilst she is clad about with this flesh and detained here in this vile world yet she still ioyneth and vniteth her selfe vnto God her creator by meanes of her pure holy disposition and of her good and charitable works The other is that wheÌ„ she is deliuered despoiled of the earth the world she wholy vniteth her self vnto her first originall being In this first estate we shal see her reioice in such happinesse pleasure contentment as infinitely surpasseth all the other delights which we possibly are able to wish or desire here below And such in very deed as are no way comparable vnto those pleasures which we know to be prepared for vs in the life to come and such in truth as our thoughts cannot apprehend For it is very true which Esdrâ— sayth That man that liueth here 〈◊〉 this world can comprehend nothing but earthly things And it is sayd iâ— Ecclesiast That wee must not search in things aboue our reach but thinke vpon the which God hath commaunded vs for it 〈◊〉 not fit for vs to looke vnto that which Gâ—… keepeth secret vnto himselfe from vs. Now the blesseddest and chiefest pleasure of our soule consisteth in conforming 〈◊〉 addressing all her doings to that end wherunto she is created which is donâ— by action prayer and meditation For God hauing caused vs to be borne to be members here of this vile world euery part of vs obseruing the duty motion whereuento he hath ordeined the same serue for his glory testimony of his power It standeth vs therfore vpon so long as we liue here to keepe well our part and beware that in our particular discording we breake not the vniuersall right note and harmony wherein the beauty of his workemanship subsisteth for he hath called euery of vs vnto a certaine ministery and office whereof he hath made some Kings some Princes some Magistrates some priuate men or to say as the Apostle sayth he hath ordeyned Some to be Prophets some Euangelists some Preachers and some Doctors And therefore let vs take heed that we fulfill the ministerie which is layd vpon vs. For if so be we deale lamely and haltingly in the charge which is geuen vnto vs we fayle not onely in our owne duties but we also bring a generall confusion vpon the whole people and so become culpable of the sinnes of all the multitude Where contrariwise if so be we deale iustly and truly in our office we shall be like vnto good and skilfull musitians who ouer and besides the great pleasure of the excelleÌ„â— and sweet sonnding of their voices they feele a maruelous and incredible delight by the euen meeting of one anothers voice which falleth into theirs with an agreemeÌ„t accord full of sweet melodie And therefore it is surely a great pleasure to do well neyther is there any pleasure so great as the contentmeÌ„t which we feele in our consciences when we performe any godly commendable action Neither is there any thing that more gladly tickleth the spirit then the glory which it offâ—eth promiseth vnto that mâ—… or woman who vertuously be haue the selues in their liues conuersationâ— I meane not such glory as is fed either with winde or smoke which pleaseth men only but such glory as maketh vs see a far off the crowne which is prepared for vs. Neither must we stand
vpon the outcries and clapping of the hands of the people which fauour the course that we take in hand no more then a valiant Champion readie prepared in the lists to fight the combat doth but let it rather hasten vs to run the swiftlier vnto the goale garland of prize which attendeth our victorie and lift vp our soules with such a cogitation as that all our actions being referred to this end may be full of that ioy contentmeÌ„t wherein consisteth our whole blessednes Niether may we ne yet can we coÌ„tinually tie our selues vnto the affaires and businesse of this world for after labor ensueth rest which is in very deed the true operatioÌ„ of the soule and that is Meditation And in very truth most blessed are they whose vocation is wonderfully far â—hest off from the care of these worldly affaires and whom God hath withdrawn from the tempests and stormes of the world and placed them as it were in a calme peaceable hauen to behold a farre off the ship wrack of others And this me ditation consisteth only of the knowledge of the truth and glory of God which we must seeke after as wel by the contemplation and exact consideratioÌ„ of his works our of which shineth forth euery where his power incomparable goodnes as by the ordinary reading of his word by which he openeth vnto vs the treasure of his wisedome and draweth the curtaines of heauen to make vs see his maiestieâ— face to face as much as our infirmitieâ— is able to beare And the works of Goâ— vndoubtedly are as scaling ladders seâ— vp for vs euery where to climb vp vnto him For let vs turne our selues which way soeuer we will and we shall finde here in the world wonderfull things for if we looke downe into the deph of the bowels of the earth we shall see there such a number of veines of gold and siluer such a sort of pertious minerals and such spring heads of liuely waters as is wonderfull Again if we looke vpon the face of the earth we shal finâ— such varietie of hearbs floures fruits trees beasts of the fields and in then such vertues and secret properties 〈◊〉 that it would make vs altogether astonished And are the seas lesse admirable by reason of their ebbing flowing the multitude of fishes and the diuersitie of monsters which they feeâ— bring forth And will not the ayreâ— replenished with foules clouds raineâ— snowes hayles lightnings thundeâ— make vs wonder And when as we liâ—… vp our eyes far higher and behold the curtaines of heauen spread vpon the face of the earth behold the brightnesse of the Sunne the clearnesse of the Moone and the ruling of their course obserue marke the goodly beautifull order of the Starres their course effects influeÌ„ces must it not needs altogether amaze vs And yet al this geare together coÌ„sidered in grosse is nothing in respect of the matters which we haue now in hand wheÌ„ as we shall haue examined theÌ„ a part and by peecemeale for wheÌ„ as we shall haue seene that the very least things in the world haue in their constitution such a maruelous prudence wisedome we must of necessitie find out the author creator of them in heauen Let man but looke into himself consider with himselfe what maner a things he is and how so litle a moyst humor could make him grow vnto such a fashion to be framed a body of so many sundry parts with such proportion And let him not content himselfe to see himselfe stand vpright vppon his feete with his face vpward his eyes open and remouing all his members but let him a litle vncouer his skin and ghesse how the flesh and the bones are so workemanlike set together and vnderstand how many sinewes and muskleâ— are drawne downe euen from the neck vnto the most base outermoâ— parts of the body to bind loose and remoue to all the parts vnto all sort of mouings and let him behold hoâ—… so many veines are spread throughouâ— the body to carry the bloud and nourishing iuice vnto euery member Leâ— him also see what a number of arteries are guided from the heart and deuided to accompanie all the sineweâ— and veynes to hold in the vitall spirits in euery part as the messengers of his will to the end to commaund the siâ—newes to moue or not to moue Leâ— him then if he will lay open his stomacke and see how his life is mainteâ—ned how the meates sent downe into the stomacke are transformed by a secret and incomprehensible power how by laboring and stirring in the stomack they runne into the paunch how the good iuice floweth through the small vaines into the liuer whiâ—… is the shop of the bloud how the liue dischargeth her super fluities into the gall splene and kidneys how it distributeth the bloud into the veynes and how it is sent into the heart to be there made thin and subtilized euen vnto the confection of the vitall spirites If he behold the moouing and breathing of the lights which refresheth and moderateth the heat of the heart if he see the artificiall â—urnings and wreathings of the guts let him not thinke the same to be fallen out of the clouds neither yet that he seeth any other things within then he seeth without Howbeit when as he shall come to consider of the head which is the treasure of the sences and seat of reason let him dreame amongst other things what an especiall woâ—ke the eye is and with how many filmes and thin skinnes this lightsome spirit is garnished and defended which in very truth is the pleasure of the life he shall remaine as it were astonished and amazed but yet not so much as when he commeth to pierce the braine where he shall perceâ—ue the manner whereon the portracture and images of things are borne by the sences as faithfull messengers and interpreters to be receiued and exercised therein by the common sence and afterward to be ordered and placed within the custodie of the celles of the memorie But the thing that most astonisheth vs is this when as we desire to vnderstand what our soule is which manageth gouerneth all this whole workemanship what a power it is of that thus strangely moueth and worketh which awaketh when we sleepe comprehendeth so easily all things reacheth into the deepest matters and by discourse findeth out the cause and reason of the most secret things And we see and feele these effects in our selues and yet we can neither see not yet conceiue them Certainly when we in the contemplation of these things are lifted vp by faith we feele our selues forthwith led vnto the author of these workes And to say truly when as we see so many maruelous things dispersed throughout the whole face of the earth for what other purpose serue they but to be as a booke left wide open for vs to read out thereof the greatnesse and almightie power of God who