receiue the sounde of that noyse that God maketh vnto them and take no héede at all vnto the noises of this world Blessed altogither are the eares which harcken not vnto the voyce that soundeth outwardelye but heareth the truth and speakeing inwardlye Blessed are the eyes which being shut vnto outward thinges are wholly bent vpon inward things Blessed are they that pierce vnto inward things and doe more and more endeuor to prepare thēselues by daily exercises to receiue heauenly secrets Blessed are they that take it ioyefully to giue themselues vnto god and to ridde themselues from all worldely let Marke these things O my soule and shutte foorth desires that thou mayest able to heare what thing the LORD God doth speake in thée Thy friende speaketh these things I am thy health and saluation I am thy peace I am thy lyfe cleaue first vnto me and thou shalt finde peace Let passe all worldly things and séeke for euerlastyng things For what are all temporall thinges but onely very deceites Or what doe all the Creatures profite thée if thou be forsaken of the Creator Wherfore reiecting al things make thy selfe accepted and faythfull to thy Creator that thou mayest be able to attayne vnto true blessednesse That the truth doth speake within vs without noyse of wordes The .ij. Chapter SPeake Lorde for thy seruant doth hearcken I am thy seruant giue me vnderstanding that I maye learne thy lawes and decrées Incline my soule to the wordes of thy mouth bicause thy talke floweth lyke vnto dewe The Israelites sayd to Moyses in olde time Speake thou vnto vs and wee will heare thee but let not the Lorde speake least we shoulde die Howbeit I pray not so O Lorde I pray not so but rather with the Prophet Samuell doe humbly and earnestly beséeche thée thus speake on Lorde For thy seruaunt doth hearken And let not Moyses or any other of the Prophets speake vnto mée but doe thou rather speake vnto me O God being the inspirer and gyuer of life vnto al the Prophets who art able alone without them to instruct me Whereas they on the other side wythout thée can preuayle nothing In déede they may vtter and sounde foorth the wordes but the spirite they doe not giue They speake in déede very trimlye but if thou holde thy peace they doe not kindle and stirre vp the soule They teache the letters but thou openest the meaning They speake foorth the secretes but thou vnlockest the vnderstanding of the thinges signified They vtter the commaundements but thou helpest to performe the same They shewe the waye but thou giuest strength to walke ouer the same they handle the matter outwardlye but thou instructest and gyuest lyght vnto the minds They water outwardly but thou giuest the fruitfulnesse They cry out in words but thou giuest vnderstanding to the hearer Wherfore let not Moises speak vnto me but thou O Lorde my God beyng the euerlasting truth least I die and be made vnfruitefull or least if I shall be admonished outwardly onely and not also kindled or inflamed within thy worde being hearde not practised knowne not loued beléeued and not kept make but vnto my punishment Therfore do thou speake O Lord for thy seruant doth giue eare For thou hast the words of euerlasting life Speake vnto me I saye that thing which may bring both comfort vnto my soule and amendement vnto my whole life and also may cause glory and immortall honour vnto thée That the wordes of God are to be heard humbly and that the same notwithstanding be not pondred and weyed of most men The thirde Chapter LORDE SOnne heare my words being wordes most swéete and pleasant and such as doe excell all the wysedome of the Philosophers and wise of this worlde My words are spirite and life and not to bée wayed with mans wit and policie nor yet to be drawn vnto vaine pleasure but to be hard with silence and to be receiued with all modestie and godlynesse SERVANT Blessed is he whome thou instructest and traynest vp in knowledge O Lorde and doest teache thy lawe that thou mayest helpe him in time of trouble that hée perish not LORDE I both haue taught the Prophets long since in olde time and euen yet also now doe not cease to speake vnto all men Howebeit many are deafe and hard hearted at my voyce Most men doe more willingly heare the worlde than God and doe sooner obey the appetite and desire of their owne fleshe than the wyll of god The worlde promyseth but temporall and small thyngs and yet is it serued with great gréedinesse I doe promise excéeding great and euerlasting things yet are the hearts of men heauy and dull What is he that serueth and obeieth me in al things wyth so great care as the worlde and the LORDE of the worlde are serued Bée ashamed of it and if thou wouldest knowe why hearken and giue eare vnto me Many men doe run a great iourney for a little wages or hier and there be scarcely a fewe that will once step forward a fote to get euerlasting life A vile rewarde is painefully sought for men doe shamefullye go to lawe togither sometime for a small péece of money and men doubt not both day and night to be tryed for a vaine tryfle and small promise but it yrketh them to traueyle euen the least thing in the worlde for a good thing vnchaungeable for a rewarde vnestimable for honor excéeding and for glory immortall Therefore be thou ashamed thou slow complayning seruant bycause they are more ready and quicke vnto destruction than thou art vnto lyfe and doe more reioyce in vanitie than thou in truth And as for them they are disappoined of their hope sometime but my promise deceiueth no man nor sendeth any man away vnspedde of his erraunt putting his trust in mée That which I promise and prouounce in words the same doe I performe and fulfill in déede in case a man doe perseuere stil vnto the ende in the loue of me I am the rewarder of all good thinges I am also an earnest searcher and tryer of all the godly Wryte my wordes in thy heart and occupie thy selfe diligently about the same For they shall bée verye necessary in the time of thy trouble The things that thou vnderstandest not when thou readest them the same shalt thou knowe in the time of thy curyng and healyng And after two sortes am I woont to cure and heale my elect that is wyth temptacyon and wyth comforte and the same I dailye scoole twoo wayes Fyrst in fynding faulte wyth theyr sinnes then with exhorting and stirring them vp vnto the increase of vertues He that hath my words and despiseth the same he hath that of which he shall be cōdemned in the last day ¶ A prayer by which heauenly doctrine and religion is called for The .iiij. Chapter SERVANT O My God which art my whole goodnesse who am I that I dare bée so bolde as to speake vnto
THE Imitation or following of Christ and the contemning of worldly vanities Wherevnto as springing out of the same roote we haue adioyned another pretie treatise entituled The perpetuall reioyce of the Godly euen in this lyfe Ephesians 5. Be you followers of GOD as deere children and walke in loue euen as Christ hath loued vs c. Seene and allowed according to the order appointed Imprinted at London by Henry Denham INRI C. TeBrun pinx S. Gribelin Sculp ¶ To the Noble and Right worthy Prince Thomas Duke of Norfolke Earle Marshall of Englande one of the Lordes of the Queenes Maiesties priuie Counsell and Knight of the honorable order of the Garter IF Augustus Caesar renoumed Prince being presented by a poore and simple Poet with a fewe briefe and compendious Epigrams dyd not onelye by aunswering with the lyke seeme to accept and allowe that his trauaile but also wyth great and ample rewarde giue encouragement therewithall I trust that your Lordshippe being of your selfe both wise and well affected will much more in this so precious a present receyue my trauayle and fruitefull exployt The worke of it selfe deserues a good Patrone and the worthynesse thereof putteth me in mynde of your grace And although in the same no difficult questions at all are pursued I meane in matters of religion yet ghostly instructioÌ„s and right Godly lessons at large are dilated knowledge of letters and literall sense therein so much is nothing supported as amendement of life maners aduanced How much it is needfull in these present dayes your Lordshippe I thinke doth well vnderstand to you it is knowne how far doth dissent our life froÌ„ our knowledge And by howe much the more it shal be by your Lordshippe thought worthy the sale by so much vndoubtedlye your honor the better shall shew your selfe fautor and friend vnto vertue Not distance of place coulde haue altered my mynde but that to your grace I woulde haue presented this signe of good will and loyall entent And yet notwithstanding such inwarde affection I am to craue pardon of skillesse attempt and hoping no lesse then fauor therin I leaue your good grace vnto the Almightie who alwaies in honour preserue your estate Your humble Oratour Edwarde Hake To the Reader THOV hast here gentle Reader the path-way to perfit lyfe vnder the tytle of The ImitatioÌ„ of Christ whose footesteps if thou follow thou canst neuer go astray for he is the way the truth and the life Learne here wyth Christ to contemne the worlde learne his modestie his meekenesse and humilitie In doctrine learne his synceritie simplicitie veritie Learne his loue vncomparable charity And to conclude learne to beare thine owne Crosse after Christ manfully This shalt thou soone learne to doe if thou canst once become humble in thine owne eyes For to the humble God giueth grace but the prowde he doth resist Fly therefore from pride as farre as possible thou mayest It was the ouerthrow of the first man yea God spared not his Aungels in theyr pryde Wherefore Christ hath sayde that who so shal exalt himself shal be brought low and who so shall humble kimselfe shall be exalted Humble thy selfe therefore wyth Christ follow his steps in this lyfe and where thou shalt not finde thy selfe able to treade in his steppes as thou wouldest call vppon him for helpe and thou shalt be sure that eyther he will make thee able or else accept thy desire for the deede that thou desirest to doe And that crowne of righteousnesse that is due vnto him he will giue vnto thee in that daye when he shall take thee vnto himselfe Farewell in Christ and praye with all the holy Sainctes that Christes Kingdome may shortly come Amen ¶ The Table or Summaries of all the Chapters OF the contempt of worldly Vanities folio 1. Of Modestie folio 3 Of the Doctrine of the truth 4 Of Wit in our doings 6 Of the reading of holy Scripture 7 Of the vnruly affections of the minde 7 Of fleeing vayne Hope and Pryde 8 Of taking heede of ouermuch familiaritie 9 Of Obedience and Subiection 10 Of the auoyding of familiaritie of wordes 10 Of the attayning of peace and earnest desire of profiting 11 Of the profite of aduersitie 12 Of resisting temptations 13 Of taking heede of rash iudgement 15 Of the workes of Loue. 16 Of bearing of other mens faults 17 Of solitarie Lyfe 18 Of the examples of Godly Fathers 18 Of the exercises of one that is the childe of God in deede 20 Of the loue of solitarinesse silence 22 Of chastining thy soule keeping the same in awe 25 The consideration of mans miseries 26 Of the meditation of death 28 Of the last Iudgement of God and punishment of Sinners 31 Of the zealous amendement of our whole lyfe 33 ¶ Of the â—â—â—â—rde lyfe of Man. 37 Of Modestie and obedience 39 Of the good and quiet person 40 Of the sinceritie of mynde plainesse of meaning 41 Of the consideration of a mans selfe 42 Of the ioy of a good Conscience 43 Of the louing of Iesus aboue all things 44 Of the familiar friendship of Iesus 45 Of the lacking or being without comfort 46 Of thankefulnesse for the benefites of God. 49 Of the small number of the Louers of Christ his Crosse. 50 Of bearing of Christ his Crosse. 52 Of the inwarde communication of Christ wyth the faythfull Soule 56 That the truth doth speake within vs without noyse of wordes 57 That the wordes of God are to be hearde humbly and that the same notwithstanding be not pondered wayed of most men 58 ¶ A prayer by which heauenly doctrine and religion is called for 59 That truth and modestie in the sight of God is to be exâ—â—â—ised 60 Thâ—â—â—â—yse of God and thankesgiuing for his benefits and likewyse of the force of the loue of God. 61 Of the tryall of the true Louer and howe the enimie must be resisted 63 Of Modest hyding the benefits of God. 65 Of setting little by a mans selfe in the sight of God. 57 That we ought to driue all our doings to Gods glorie as to the fardest ende or marke that we shoote at 68 That it is a sweete thing to serue God to despise the worlde 69 That the desires of the minde are to be examined and ordered 71 Of the maner of patience and the fight against desires 71 Of obeying our betters according to the example of our Lorde Iesus Christ. 73 Of considering the secret iudgements of God that we do not aduance our selues to much in prosperitie 74 How we must be minded and what we ought to say in such things as we desire to haue 75 ¶ Prayers to performe Gods will. 76 That true comfort must be sought for in God only 76 That all carefulnesse is to be committed to God. 77 That the miseries of this life must be suffered paciently according to Christes example 78 Of bearing of iniuries and wronges and who it is
some singuler things to some againe I appeare pleasantly in signes and figures to other I open my secrets with much light The saying or voyce of Bookes is all one which instructeth not all men alike But I am the teacher of the truth within the searcher of minds the vnderstander of thoughts the setter forward of déedes and the giuer of so much to euery man as I doe thinke right and reasonable Of not drawing outward things vnto a man The .xlix. Chapter LORDE SOnne thou must in manye things be ignorant and vnskilfull and accoūt thy selfe but for a dead man vpon the earth and for hym to whome the whole worlde is crucified For many things must be passed by with a deafe care those must be pondered and thought vpon which do belong vnto thy peace It is more profitable to turne thine eyes from those things which mislyke thée to let euery man haue his own saying than to follow contencious talking of words If thou agrée well with God and looke vpon his owne iudgement thou shalt beare it the bett 〈…〉 r to be ouercome in such things SERVANT O Lorde to what passe is it come Beholde a short dammage or losse is lamented men trauell and runne for a little gaine and scantly are able to come home againe at night but the spirituall losse is quite and cleane forgotten Men apply themselues to this that profiteth little or nothing at all negligently passe ouer that which is most necessarie of all So greatly both a man wholly wast his time about outward things vnlesse he spéedily repent doth willingly welter still in outward things That we must not beleeue all men that we soone fall and offende in wordes The L. Chapter HElpe me O Lorde in this calamitie For the ayde of men is surely but vaine How manye tymes haue I not founde faith there where I thought to haue had it And againe haue there found it where I would not haue looked for it So greatly is that hope in men and vaine and in thée only O God is the health of the iust standing We giue thée thanks O Lord God for all things which doe happen vnto vs weakelings vnstable which are soone deceyued and chaunged What is he that can behaue himselfe so warily circumspectly in all things that the same doth not somtime come into some snare and distresse But Lorde he that putteth his trust in thée and doth study to haue a simple minde he doth not offende so soone or if he do fall into any calamity with how great diffycultie and distresse soeuer he be wrapped and entangled he is either quickely deliuered frō it by thée or else strengthned with comfort bicause thou doest not forsake them at the last which haue their hope in thée Surely faithful friendes are rare such as will bide still by a man in al kind of aduersities thou O Lord thou onely art most faithfull in all things there is none like vnto thée O howe wise was that holy soule which saide My mind is confirmed hath his foundation in Christ. If it went so well with me worldely feare shoulde not so soone trouble me nor the darts of words moue me But who can foresée all things who can beware of euils that come after Nowe if things fore séene do yet oftentimes hurt one how much more gréeuously will things neuer thought on come néere vnto the heart But why haue I not better looked vnto my selfe siely wretch Or why haue I beléeued other men so soone Howbeit we are men and that frayle brittle though we be iudged called angels of many And whome shalt I beleeue Lord Whom but thée which art the selfe truth and neuer deceyuest nor canst be dececeyued For in déede all men are but liers weake vnstable fraile most of all in words so that it ought not forthwith to be beléeued rashly whatsoeuer pretendeth a colour shew of truth wherby it hapneth that thou wisely hast premonished to take héede of men that euery one of a mans houshold are his enimies and that we must not beléeue them that saye Here he is or there he is I am taught to my cost I praye God I be made the more warye therby not the more foolish Be wary saith one be wary and kéepe it close to your selfe that I tell you Afterward when I helde my tong and thought that the same was counsel he on the other side coulde not kéepe silence in that which he bade no words to be made off but forth with betraying both me himselfe went his wayes From such counterfaites vnwary persons deliuer me O Lord that I neuer fal into their hands or commit such follies Minister true and stedfast sayings vnto my mouth and put far from me a wyly and deceitfull tong For I ought altogither to beware that I do not the same to another man which I woulde not haue done vnto my selfe How good how quiet a thing is it to saye nothing of others and not to beléeue all things without any respect or readily to speak much and to vtter or open himselfe but to few alwayes to séeke for thée that knowest the minds not to be caried about with blast of wordes but to desire that all inwarde and outwarde things may be done according to thy pleasure and commaundement How safe is it to the kéeping still of the fauor of God to flie worldly brauery not to coueth those things which with their gay shewe are had in admiration but rather to folowe those things with all diligence which doe bring amendement of life zeale of godlinesse How many hath vertue known ouer hastily praised done hurt vnto Again how many hath so the same done good to being kept in silēce in this fraile life which is said to be nothing but tēptacion warfare Of putting thy trust in God if thou be assayled with the darts of euill tongues The Li. Chapter LORDE SOnne shewe thy selfe constant haue thy hope set in me For what are wordes but wordes which flying through the ayre doe not hurt a stone if thou bée guiltie or sinfull sée thou be willing to correct thy self If thou be guiltie of no sin endeuor to beare paciently slaūderous reports for Gods sake and at the leastwise beare words sometymes though thou canst not yet abyde the sharpenesse of strypes And why doé so small things mooue thy minde disquieted it but bicause thou art as yet carnall hast greater regarde of men then thou oughtest to haue For bicause thou fearest to be dispised thou wilt not be reprooued for thy faultes séekest for starting holes of excuses But looke somewhat narrowly vpon thy selfe and thou shalt well perceiue that the worlde is yet alyue in thée a vaine loue to please men For when thou refusest to be bored and shamed for thy faults thereby it is plaine
had in admiration and to be called wise Now many things there are the knowledge of which doe lyttle profyte the Soule or rather nothing at all and he is a verie foole that earnestly applyeth any other thinges than those which doe make to hys owne saluation Many words doe not fill the soule but a godly life doth refresh the minde and an vpright cōscience doth minister boldnesse to approche vnto god Looke how manye the moe and better things that thou hast learned so much the more grieuous punishment shalt thou haue except thou leade thy life so much the more vertuously Wherefore waxe thou not insolent either for any cūning or knowledge that thou hast but rather become the more fearefull for the knowledge of things that god hath giuen thée aboue others And if thou thinke to thy selfe that thou knowest many thinges that thou hast learned many things wéete thou well that there be a great sort of thinges more which thou doest not know and be not therefore prowde lofty but rather acknowledge thine owne ignorance and want of skill Wherefore shouldest thou put forth thy self afore other when there are many founde better learned and more skilfull of the law than thou thy selfe art If thou wilt know and learne some thing with vtility and profit loue thou to be vnknowne and to be accounted as no bodye For true knowing despising of a mans owne selfe is the chiefest and moste profitable learning aboue al other and great wisedome and perfection it is to set little store by himselfe and to magnifie other men and to haue them in price and estimation If thou shalt sée one offende openlye or commit some grieuous cryme thou oughtest not therefore to thinke thy selfe more perfite than he is For thou knowest not howe long thou shalt thy selfe continue in vertuous lyfe We are fraile assuredly all the sort of vs but yet thinke thou that no bodie is more frayle than thy selfe Of the doctrine of the truth The thirde Chapter HAppie is hée whome the truth teacheth not with letters and wordes that vanish but wyth it selfe by it selfe euen as it is For oure opinions and senses doe oft tymes deceyue vs and bée of lyttle force What profiteth subtile disputacion about hid and obscure matters which though we be ignorant of yet shall they be no hinderance vnto vs at the iudgement day of God Truely it is notable follie that wée doe wilfully apply our selues vnto curious and hurtfull thynges and despise such thinges as bée profitable and necessary for vs Being so Egle eyed yet we sée nothing at all Wherfore should we passe vpon those diffused termes of the Logicians called Genus and Species For he is ridde from a great number of opinions whome that euerlasting Worde doth speake vnto For all things haue their beyng of the worde onely and all thinges doe speake the worde onely this is that beginning which doth speake vnto vs and without whome no body vnderstandeth or iudgeth the thing aright But hée vnto whome all thinges are that one thing and which draweth all things vnto that one thing beholdeth all things in that one thing the same is able to be constant of minde and euermore to repose himselfe in god O God of truth make me one with thée in euerlasting loue It yrketh me to reade here many things diuers times It is in thée whatsoeuer I doe desire and couet Let all Teachers holde their peace let the whole worlde kéepe silence in thy sight doe thou onely speake vnto mée For the more néerely ioyned that euery man is with himselfe and the more dwelling in himselfe hée doth the lesse runne at random abrode the same doth perceyue both so many the mo thynges and the more profounde thinges wythout labour bicause he receyueth the light of hys vnderstanding from aboue A pure simple and constaunt soule is not drawne into dyuers workes which doth all thinges vnto the honour of God laboureth earnestly to ceasse from al loue of himselfe For what doth more hinder a man and vexe him than the vnruly affections of the soule A good and godly man doth first and formost take deliberation wyth himselfe before such time as he begin his businesse neyther doth he suffer hymselfe to be drawne away to wicked lustes by his owne déedes but enforceth them to be at obedience and commaundement of right reason Surely there is no combat more sharpe than for a man to endeuor to conquere himselfe and thys is the worke that we ought to take in hande that wée doe conquere our selues and become euery daye more strong than our selues and euermore profite somewhat in vertuous life For the whole perfection of thys life hath a certaine imperfection adioined vnto it and all the knowledge of truth that we haue here is yet not voyde of darknesse and ignoraunce The humble knowledge of our selfe is altogither a more certaine and approued way vnto God than profound searching out of knowledge And yet is not knowledge to be founde fault withall or the vnderstanding of any thing which being duely considered is good and the creature of god Howbeit I say that an vpright conscience is euermore to be preferred before it and the lyfe that treadeth the path of vertue and Godlynesse But bicause most men doe studie rather howe to haue knowledge than to liue well it happeneth that most commonly they erre or wander and doe get in maner no fruite and commodity or at least wise slender and smal in consideration of their traueyle who in case they woulde bée as diligent both in rooting vp of vices and also in sowing of Vertues as they are in proposing of questions certes there shoulde not be so manye enormities and haynous offences committed of the Vulgare people nor yet should there reigne so great libertie of lyfe amongst those that are learned And when the day of our doome or iudgement shall come and accompt shall be required at our handes not what we haue read but what we haue done nor yet howe well wée haue spoken but howe Christian-like we haue liued Go to nowe I praye you where are all those maisters and passing fellowes at thys present which were once of thyne acquaintaunce whilest they were lyuing and flourished in learnyng whose stypendes other men doe nowe enioye which perhappes doe not so much as once thinke vppon them nowe Euen they séemed to bée somewhat also as long as they were alyue and yet nowe there is no wordes at all made of them So soone doth the glorye of thys Worlde vanyshe awaye If these men had framed a lyfe according to theyr knowledge then had they traueyled in the studyes of learning happilye Howe many men doe perishe in the Worlde through theyr vayne knowledge in that they make small accompt of the worshippe of GOD and bycause the same had liefer to be great than to bee humble it happeneth that theyr thoughts are nothyng but vayne and vnprofitable Hée
thée I am thy most pore slaue and vile worme much more poore more vile than I eyther know my selfe or dare tell vnto thée And yet O Lorde be thou mindefull euen of this same thing the I am nothing that I haue nothing that I am nothing worth Thou only art good thou iust thou holy thou art able to doe all things thou perfourmest all thyngs thou fulfillest al things leauing the sinful only voyd emptie Remember thy mercy O Lord and fill my soule wyth thy fauor which wilt not haue thy workes to be good for nothing For howe maye I continue in thys wretched life vnlesse thy mercy fauor do strengthen me Turne not thy face away from me Deferre not thy curing of me from day to day Withdraw not thy cōfort from me least my soule doe sée me in thy sight like vnto the earth that is voyde of moysture Lorde teach me to doe thy will teach mée to walke worthilye and humblye before thée For thou art my wysedome and doest both know and hast knowne me perfectly aswell before that I was borne into the worlde as also before the worlde it selfe was made That truth and modestie in the sight of God is to be exercised The .v. Chapter LORDE SOnne practise thou truth in my sight and alwaies séeke me in singlenesse of heart He that exerciseth truth in my sight the same shal be defended from the inuasions of euill and him shall truth deliuer from deceiuers and siaunderers of the wycked Now if the truth shall deliuer thee thou shalt be frée in déede and shalt not passe vpon the vayne wordes of men SERVANT It is as thou sayest Lord and let me be so delt withall I pray thée to wéet that thy truth may teach me may kéepe me and maye bring me vnto an happie ende Let the same deliuer me from all wicked lust and from inordinate loue So shall it be brought to passe that I maye vse great libertie and freedome of soule towardes thée TRVTH And I will teach thée what is right what is acceptable vnto me Call thy sinnes to remembraunce with great sorrow and heauinesse of hart and doe thou chalenge any thing vnto thy selfe for thy good déedes For in verye déede thou art sinfull and endaungered and inwrapped in many diseases of the minde which goest euermore of thyne owne nature vnto nothing and soone fallest art soone ouercome art soone troubled and throwne downe headlong Finally thou hast nothing wherin thou mayst glory and boast but rather many things for which thou oughtest to set litle by thy selfe For thou art much more weake than that thou art able to perceyue the same Wherfore sée that none of all thy workes séeme great vnto thée Sée thou think nothing of thy loftinesse nothing precious woonderfull nothing to be reuerenced nothing high nothing prayse woorthy and to be desired in déede sauing that which is euerlasting Let the euerlasting truth please théé aboue all thinges and let thy excéeding vylenesse displease thée Feare nothing so much dispraise and flie from nothyng so much as thy vices and sinnes which ought more to myslyke thée then the losse of anye manner thing besides Some doe not behaue themselues towardes me purely and sincerely but rather being led with a certaine curiosity and arrogancie doe studiously search out my secrets and high mysteries neglecting themselues and their owne saluation These folowers doe many times fal into gréeuous tēptacions and sinnes for their owne curiositie and pryde bicause I am against them But being timerous doe thou stande in awe of the sentence and wrath of almightie GOD and search not out the works of the almighty but search thorowly thine own faults either how much euill thou hast done or else howe much good thou hast neglected Some doe beare about their whole religion and Godlinesse in beekes onely some in pictures some in outewarde signes and figures Other carye mée in their mouth but not so in theyr heart Contrariwise there are which being of perfite vnderstanding in minde and pure in hart doe euermore breath and couet after euerlasting things doe heare of earthly things against their willes do that which nature necessarily requireth with griefe sorrow and these in déede doe féele what the spirite of truth doth speake within them as they which doe teach them to loue heauenly thinges despising the earthlye and both daye and night doe couet heauen the worlde being contemned The praise of God and thankesgiuing for benefites and likewise of the force of the loue of god The .vi. Chapter SERVANT I Prayse thée O heauenly Father the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christ which hast vouchsafed to remember mée néedie Soule O father of mercy and God of al comfort I giue thée thanks which refreshest me being vnworthy of al comfort sometime with thy comfort I praise magnifie thée euermore and also thy onely begotten Sonne and thy holy ghost the comforter worlde without ende Oh my Lorde God O the holy louer of me when thou shalt come into my soule I will reioyce with my whole heart Thou art my glory and the reioyce of my heart Thou art my hope and refuge in the time of my calamitie and trouble But bicause I am yet of weake loue and vnperfite vertue I recken it necessary to be confirmed of thée and to be comforted at thy handes Wherefore visite me oftentimes instruct me with holy discipline Deliuer mée from wicked affections of the Soule and heale my minde from all the vnruly desires and vices that being healed inwardly and well purged I maye be made fit to loue strong to suffer constant to perseuere Loue is a great matter no doubt a great good thing which onely doth make light each thing that is heauy and beareth equally whatsoeuer is vnequall For it beareth a burthē without any burthen and doth turne all bitter thinges into swéete and sauorie The same Iesus I saye beyng our Noble Loue doth inforce to doe great things and euermore stirreth vp to desire the things that are more perfite Loue will be aboue and not kept still with any low things Loue will be frée and voyde from all worldly affection least hir inwarde sight be hindered or least it bée enwrapped eyther wyth some temporall commoditie or ouercome with incommoditie Nothing is more swéete than Loue nothing more strong nothyng more déepe nothing more broade nothing more pleasant nothing more full Nothing better eyther in Heauen or in earth bycause it is sprong of God and can not rest but in God aboue all the creatures The louer flyeth runneth reioyceth is frée and is not holden It giueth all thinges for all things and hath all things in all thinges as the which resteth in one highest thyng aboue all thynges out of which floweth and spryngeth all goodnesse It looketh not vppon hys gyftes but turneth it selfe vnto the gyuer aboue all good gyftes Loue canne not tell howe to kéepe measure but is feruente
with thy iudgements doest shake all my lims with feare trembling doest out of measure terrifie my hart This doe I ponder vpon amazedly that the very Heauens are not cleane in thy sight And if thou haue founde sinne in the very aungels themselues hast not spared them what shal then become of me If the Starres themselues haue fallen from heauen what may I being dust hope for They haue fallen down to the lowest places whose works did séeme laudable and praise worthy and they that did eate the bread of Aungels those sawe I to be delighted with Hogs meate and draffe Therefore Lorde there is no holinesse if thou once plucke backe thy hande No wisedome preuaileth if thou cease to gouerne No strength helpeth if thou leauest to kéepe and preserue No chastitie is in safetie vnlesse thou defende it No kéeping of a mans selfe doth profite vnlesse thy holye watching go withall For being once forsaken we are drowned and doe perysh and when thou doest take care ouer vs then we liue erected and lyfted vp We are in our owne respect but vnconstant Of thée we be confirmed and strengthned we are but warme of our selues of thée we are kindled Surely I must thinke of my selfe most humbly and basely must altogither way my selfe at nothing if that I séeme to haue any goodnesse in me I say again that I ought to submit my selfe most lowlye vnto those thy vnsearchable iudgments wherin I find that I am nought else but nothing of nothing O waight without mesure O sea that cannot be passed thorow wherein I finde my self to be nothing but altogither of nothing Where is then the couert of glory Where is then the confidence of glorie for the which thou hast bargayned Al vaine glory is swallowed vp in the gulfe of thy iudgements that thou hast of me What are all mortal men in thy sight Clay may boast it selfe against the Potter belike Can he ware prowd with vaine praises whose mind is subiect vnto god in the truth No though the whole worlde doe extol him after that the truth hath once made him subiect vnto it I say he shal be mooued with no bodies prayses that hath fixed his whole hope in god For euen al they that do speake are but nothing and shall fade away with the sounde of their owne wordes But the truth of the Lorde abideth for euer How we must be minded and what we ought to saye in such things as we desire to haue The .xvi. Chapter LORDE SOnne thus must thou saye in all thinges Lorde if it shall please thee let it bee euen so Lord if this shal be to thine honour bee it done in thy name Lorde if thou see that this shall be expedient and profitable for me bring it to passe that I maye vse it to thine honour but in case thou know that it shall not be for the health of my soule but hurtfull therevnto take this desire from me For euery desire is not of the holye spirite although it séeme right and good vnto man but harde it is to iudge whether a good or a wicked spirite doe enforce thée to couet after this or that or whether thou bée mooued rather within thine owne spirite Many men haue béene deceyued at the last which dyd séeme to be stirred at the first with a good spirit Therefore we must alwayes couet with the feare of God lowlinesse of mind whatsoeuer commeth into our heads by occasion to wishe for and the whole matter must bée committed to God with vnfained chiding of our selues and thus must we say Lord thou knowest whether of both is more expediēt for me do thou whether of both thou wilt thy self Giue me that thou wilt and as much as thou wilt and at what time thou wilt Deale with me as thou knowest it méete for me to be delt with al and as it liketh thée and as the thing may procure greatest glorie vnto thée Place me there where thou wilt deale fréely with me in al things I am in thy hands turne me and tosse me euery way Beholde I thy seruant am prest vnto al things for as much as I desire to liue I pray God accordingly and perfitely not vnto my selfe but vnto thee Pryaers to performe Gods will. The .xvij. Chapter SERVANT GRaunt vnto me O most bountifull Iesu thy fauour which may be assistant vnto me may labour with me may continue wyth mée to the verye ende Graunt vnto me euermore to will and couet the thinges which are acceptable and deare vnto thée Let thy will be my wil and let my will away follow thine and iustly agrée with thine Let one willing one nilling be common vnto vs both in such wise that I maye will or nill nothing but that which thou wyllest or nillest Graunt me to die vnto al things that are in the worlde and to loue to be contemned and not knowne in this world for thy sake Graunt me aboue all my wishes to repose and rest my self in thée and to haue a quiet and contented minde Thou art the true peace of the heart Thou art the onely rest out of thée are al things difficult and vnquiet In this peace that is to say in thée onely being the chiefest and euerlasting goodnesse will I sléepe and take my rest That true comfort must be sought for in God onely The xviij Chapter WHatsoeuer comfort I can wish for or imagine the same doe I not looke for here in this world but in the world to come Now if I alone had euen all the comforts that are any where and coulde enioy all maner delicates and dainties certaine it is that the same could not long continue or endure Therfore O my soule thou canst not attaine full comfort be perfitely refreshed sauing onely in God the comforter of the néedie and the helper of the modest Looke a litle while O my soule looke a little while after Gods promise and then thou shalt attaine plentie of all good things in heauen Now if thou wilt somewhat inordinately couet these present things thou shalt léese the euerlasting and heauenly things Let temporall thinges be in vse and occupying but let the euerlasting things be in thy desire Thou canst not be filled with anye temporall good thing bycause thou wast not created to enioye the same Albeit thou haddest all good things that are created yet couldest thou not be blessed notwithstanding Nay thy felicitie consisteth in God the creator of all things I meane not such as is thought so and praised of the folish worldlings but such as the good faithfull Disciples of Christ doe looke after such as the spiritual and cleane of hart whose conuersation is in heauen do sometime foretaste in this life Vaine and short is all mans comfort blessed and true is that which is receyued inwardly from the truth The godly person both euery where cary Iesus Christ hys comforter about
all things well iustly holyly and order them with wisedome But I being more prone to reuolting then comming forward doe neuer continue still in one state bicause I am subiect to the alteratiōs of time But when thou doest stretch forth thy helping hand I am by by refreshed for as much as thou art able alone to helpe without help of man to strengthen me so much that my countenance may not now be chaunged into diuers things but my minde may be corrected and repose it selfe in thée onely Therefore if while I either desire the godlynesse of minde or am mooued vpon some necessity to séeke for thée when there is no body to comfort me I could skill to cast al humaine comfort frō me surely I might rightly hope well of thy fauor looke for a new gift of comfort with ioy and gladnesse Finally it is thy benefite whatsoeuer doth happen well vnto me at any time I am vaine a wretched man of no regarde in thy sight vnconstant weake Therefore wherevpon may I boast or why shall I desire to be reuerenced Forsooth I shall boast but of nothing and as for that it is most vane Ambition is in déede a most pestilent and most vaine thing which draweth a man away from true glory spoyleth him of heauenly fauor For whilst a man standeth in his owne conceit he displeaseth thée whilst he gapeth after mans praises he is depriued of true vertues But true glory holy reioyce is to boast of thée and not of himself to reioice in thy name and not for his owne vertue or to be delighted with any thing sauing onelye for thy sake Therefore let thy name and not mine be praysed Let thy work and not mine be extolled Let that holy name of thine be so praised that I may haue no prayse of men at all Of thée will I boast gladly for euermore Of my selfe will I boast nothing sauing of mine owne infirmities Let the Iewes desire mutuall glory betwéene themselues I will study for that which doth only make for god Surely all mans glory all mortall honor all worldly loftinesse if it be compared with this thy euerlasting glory is vanitie folishnesse O my truth my mercy my God blessed trinitie to thée only be praise strength power honour glory worlde without ende Amen Of the contempt of mortall honour The .xlvi. Chapter LORDE SOnne thinke it no matter to thée if thou sée others honoured and extolled and thy selfe to bee despised and contemned Lyfre vp thy minde vnto me into heauen and so shalt thou not take it grieuously to be contemned of men in this worlde SERVANT Lord we are in blindnesse are soone seduced with vanitie If I looke rightly vppon my selfe I neuer haue anye wrong done vnto me of any creature wherby it happeneth that I haue no cause to complaine worthily of thée But bicause I haue sinned against thée both oftentimes and gréeuouslye the whole worlde vpon good cause is sharpely set against me Therfore is infamy and contempt due vnto me to thée is prayse honour and glory belonging And except I so fashion my self to be despised and forsaken of al men and take it quietly to be had in no maner of reputacion at all I can not either attaine vnto a quiet and stedfast minde or bée lightned frō aboue or fully ioyned vnto thee That a man must not set his peace vpon Men. The .xlvij. Chapter LRODE SOnne if thou shalte fixe thy peace in any man lyuing bycause of thy agréement and familiaritie with him thou shalt be vnstedfast and vnquiet But if thou shalt repaire to the euerlasting immortal truth thou shalt not be vexed with the departure or deceasse of thy friend For man is so much the nearer vnto God as he departeth farther from all earthly comfort doth ascende so much the more highly vnto God as he descendeth the more déepely into himself and as he is the more vile in his own conceite But he that doth attribute any goodnesse vnto himselfe the same is a let for gods fauor to haue place in him bicause the fauor of the holy ghost doth alwaies séeke for a lowly mind If thou knowest how to bring thy self altogither into nothyng and to ridde thy self from all loue of the creature surely I should flow into thée with great bountifulnesse But whilest thou lookest vpon the creatures the sight of the Creator is withdrawn from thée Learne to maister thy self in al things for thy Makers sake so shall it happē that thou maist come vnto the knowledge of god Euen the least thing in the worlde if it be loued and regareed inordinately hindreth one from the chiefest felicity doth defile a man with sin Against vaine and worldly knowledge The .xlviij. Chapter LORDE SOnne be not mooued with the feare sharpe sayings of men For the kingdome of God doth not stande in talke but in vertue and power Consider my words which both kindle the soules and giue light to the minds and make remorse of conscience bring true and perfite comfort Neuer reade any thing with this intent to séeme the better learned or the wiser therefore but endeuor to mortifie thy vices and sinnes For this shall stande thée in more steade than the knowledge of many harde subtil questions When thou hast reade and knowne manye thinges yet at the last thou must come to one beginning I am he that teache men knowledge and doe procure more sharpe vnderstanding to litle ones than can be taught of any mortall man into much that they whom I speake vnto doe soone become wise and do much profite in the spirite Wo be to thē that séeke many curious things at men and passe litle vpon the way that teacheth to serue me That time shall come when Christ the mayster of maysters the Lord of Angels shall appeare to require accounts of all men to examine the conscience of all men when as he shall search Hierusalem throughout with cādlelight and those things shall become manifest which haue lyen hid in darckenesse the filed finenesie of tongues then holding their peace I am he the in one moment doe so raise vp the lowly minde that he may vnderstand mo reesons of the euerlasting truth than another shall attaine vnto euen with ten yeres studie I teach without noyse of words without multitude of opinions without pryde of ambicion without fight of Arguments I am he that teacheth to despise worldely things to loath present things to séeke sauor euerlasting things to flie honors to beare offenses to put all hope in me out of me to desire nothing to loue me feruently aboue al things For by louing of mée a certaine man did so wholy learne heauenly things that he coulde speake woonders and did more come forware in forsaking all thinges than hée coulde haue done by any subtiltie of studies But I vtter common thinges to some to
thy self the néerer thou shalt approche onto mée Lyke as to couet nothyng outwardly is the cause of inwarde peace euen so to forsake himself inwardelye doth ioyne a man vnto God I will haue thée to learne à perfite denial of thy self in my wil without any gaynesaying complaint Follow me I am the way the truth and the lyfe Without way there is no traueyling without truth the way is vnknowne without life we liue not I am the way by which thou must goe the truth which thou must beléeue the life which thou must hope for I am the ready way the truth neuer deceiuing the life without ende I am the most straight waye the highest truth the true life the blessed the increated or vnmade If thou wilt perseuere in my way thou shalt knowe the truth and the truth shall so deliuer thée that thou mayst attaine euerlasting life If thou wilt get life obay my commaundements If thou wilt follow the truth beléeue in me If thou wylt bée perfite sell all thinges If thou wilt be my Disciple denie thy selfe If thou wilt attaine to the blessed life despise the life present If thou wilt be exalted in Heauen thrust downe thy selfe vpon the earth If thou wilt raygne with me then be are my Crosse with me For the seruaunts of the Crosse onely doe find the way of blessednesse and true lyght SERVANT O Lorde Iesu Christ forasmuch as thy way is narrow and hatefull to the worlde make me with thée to despyse the worlde For the seruant is not greater then the Lorde nor the 〈◊〉 aboue his Mayster Let thy seruaunt be exercised in thy way séeing that my sauing health and true holinesse is there to be founde of me Beside that whatsoeuer I eyther reade or heare the same doth not fully refreshe or delight me LORDE Sonne séeing thou both hast read knowest al those things thou shalt be blessed if thou wilt practise and perfourme them Hée that both knoweth doth my commaundements the same loueth me and I will likewise loue him will open my selfe vnto him and will cause that he may sit wyth me in the kingdome of my father SERVANT Lorde bring to passe therefore that these thinges maye happen vnto mée which thou hast sayde and promysed I haue receyued a Crosse at thy handes I will paciently beare the same euen to the very death according as thou haste enioyned vnto mée Surely the lyfe of the Chrystian man is a Crosse but by this waye men go into Paradise We may not go backe againe or leaue off our enterprise To it nowe chéerefully Brethren let vs go on togither Iesus wyll bée present wyth vs For Iesus sake haue we taken vp this crosse For Iesus sake let vs perseuer and continue in the crosse The same Iesus shall be our helper which is both our guide and leader and goeth also before vs Beholde oure Kyng which shall fight for vs doth goe before vs Let vs follow like men Let no man be striken with feare let vs be readye manfullye to dye in battayle and let vs not staine our glorie by running away backe agayne from the Crosse. That man be not ouermuch discouraged if at any time he haue fallen into any offense The Lxij Chapter LORDE SOnne pacience and humblenesse of mind in aduersitie doth more please mée then much cōfort and godlinesse in prosperitie Why art thou vexed wyth so small a thing spoken against thée which though it were greater yet oughtest thou not to be mooued to impacience Passe not vpon this thing it is neyther first nor strang nor it shal not be last if thou liue longer Thou art man like inough so long as no aduersity doth come against thée yea thou canst giue good counsel to other and canst tel how to confirm chéere them vp with thy words but when sodaine calamitie is at thy doore then art thou destitute of counsel strength Consider how great thy frailtie is which thou makest profe of many times in smal and trifling matters Howbeit both these things al other like vnto these doe make for thy saluation Cast these things out of thy minde accordyng as thou knowest thou must do But if they nippe thée endeuor that they either cast thée not downe or do long time kéepe thée troubled and if thou canst not take them ioyfully at the least wise beare thē paciently But if thou heare such things vnwillingly and doest féele indignation in thy selfe represse and kéepe in thy selfe and suffer nothing once to come one of thy mouth wherby the litle ones should bée offended By thys meanes shall it be brought to passe that both this affection may be forthwith setled and the gréese of the minde waxe swéete the fauor of God returning to thée againe I am yet aliue saith the Lord ready to helpe thée to comfort thée more then I was woont if puttyng thy trust in me thou wilt cal vpon me deuoutly Be of a more pacient minde prepare thy selfe to greater sufferaunce Thou must not therefore be discouraged if thou sée thy self to be oftentimes afflicted and grieuously tempted Thou art a man and not a God Thou art flesh thou art no Angell Mayest thou be able alwayes to abyde still in one state of vertue when the same hath béene wanting both to the Aungel in heauen and to the first man in Paradise as the which did not long remayne in perfite case I am he that will both raise vp the mourners vnto health will lift vp vnto my dignitie those men that doe acknowledge their owne infirmity SERVANT Lord I giue thée thankes for thy sayings which to me are more swéete thā honie and the hony combe What could I doe in so great calamities and anguishes vnlesse thou didst strengthen me with this thy holy talk So that I may at the last come vnto the hauē of saluation what matter maketh it what and how great things I do suffer Giue me a good ende graunt me a happye departure out of this life be mindefull of me O my God and directe or setle me in the straight way of thy kingdome Amen Of leauing the deeper things the hid iudgements of God vnsearched The Lxiij Chapter LORDE SOnne beware thou doe not dispute about highe matters and the hidde or secret iudgements of God why this man is thus forsaken left to himselfe that other man is increased with so great fauour this man so much tormēted that man so highly aduanced These things do surmout mans capacity neither is any reason of disputacion full ynough to search out the bottome of gods meaning purpose Therefore if at any time the enimy do minister these things vnto thée or else some curious persons aske thée the question make answere with that saying of the Prophet Thou art iust O Lorde and thy iudgement is right And likewise that saying The iudgementes of the Lorde are true and agreeable to equitie My iudgementes must be