Nothing shall be able to put it selfe betweene me and home God can conquer giants by grassehoppers In my God I will treade lyons and dragons vnder my feete By the grace and fauour of our lord we shall be stronge Qui docet manus meas ad praelium posuit vt arcum aereum brachia mea Of other great benefits and aduantages which grow by the exercise of a mans knowledge of himselfe CHAPTER XI ONe of the principall meanes which for our parts we are able to imploy to the end that our lord may shew vs fauour and communicate greate graces and guifts to vs is that we humble our selues and know our owne frailty and misery And see said the Apostle S. Paule libenier igitur gloriabor in infirmitatibus meis vt inhabitet in me virtus Christi I will gladly glory in my infirmities and weakenes that soe the power of Christ may dwell in mee And Sainct Ambrose vpon those wordes Placeo mihi in infirmitatibus I am pleased in my infirmities saith Si gloriandum est Christiano in humilitate gloriandum est de qua crescitur apud Deum If a Christian be to glory it is to be in his owne pouertie and miserie whereby he may increase and prosper in the sight of God Saint Augustine 〈◊〉 that of the Prophett to this purpose Pluuiam voluntariam segregabit Deus haereditati tuae infirmata est tu vero perfecisti eam When thinke you that God will giue the voluntary and sweete rayne of his guifts and graces to his inheritance which is the soule of man Et infirmata est When the same soule shall vnderstand her owne infirmitie and misery then will he perfect it and the voluntary and sweete shower of his guifts and graces shall fall downe vpon it And as heere amongst vs the more our poore beggars discouer their wretchednes and their soares to rich and charitable men the more they moue them to pittie and the more almes they receiue at their hands soe the more a man knowes and humbles himselfe and cōfesses his misery the more doth he inuite and incline the mercy of God to take pitty and compassion on him and to communicate the guifts of his grace with the more abundance Qui dat lasso virtutē his qui non sunt fortitudinem robur multiplicat For he giues strength to the weake and to them who are as if they were not he multiplyes courage and strength To declare in few words the great benefitts and aduantages of this exercise I say that the true knowledge of a mans selfe is the vniuersall remedy of al inconueniences And soe in the questions which we vse to aske in spirituall conferences whence such or such a thinge vses to grow and what may be the remedy thereof we may in effect answere in them all that they proceede from want of a mans knowing himselfe and that the remedy thereof would be to know and humble himselfe as he ought For if you aske whence it growes that I iudge of my brethren I say from the want of knowing my selfe For if I would goe watching with in my selfe I should finde soe much for me to see and soe many miseries to bewayle that I would not marke the faults of others If you aske from whence it comes that some tymes I speake sharpe and vnmortified words to my brethren that alsoe growes from the want of knowing my selfe For if I knew my selfe well and held myselfe for the worst of the company and looked vpon euery other man as if he were my superiour I should not be soe bould as to hould such language to them If you aske from whence grow those excuses and those complaints and those murmurings as why they doe not giue me this or that or why they treate me in such a fashion it is cleere that it rises from the same roote If you aske from whence it comes that a man is soe much troubled and deiected when he findes himselfe molested by varietie of temptations or growes melancholy and is discouraged when he falls often into any defect this alsoe growes from want of a mans knowinge himselfe For if you were truly humble and considered well the malice of your harts you would not be troubled or dismaid at this but you would rather be in wounder that you committ noe worse things how you came not to haue more dāgerous faults and you would be giuing great thanks and prayse to God for houldeing you soe fast in his hand that soo you fall not into those things into which infallibly you would haue fallne if he had not held you vp For from a very source and sincke of vice what sinne is that which would not flowe From such a filthy dunghill what should we expect but an odious and abominable stincke and from such a tree such fruite Wpon those words of the Prophet Recordatus est quoniam puluis summus Hee remembreth that we are but dust S. Anselme saith what wonder is it if dust be blowne away by winde If alsoe you desire a meanes whereby you may come to shew much Charitie towards your brethren and that you may be obedient and patient and very penitent you may heere finde the remedy of all Wee reade of our Father Franciscus de Borgia that being once in iourney he was mett by a great lord of theis kingdomes whoe was a freind of his and when he obserued him to be soe full of pouertie and incommodity he was hartily sorry to see it and besought him to be more carefull of his person and to cherish himselfe The Father with a cheerfull countinance and much quietnes said thus to him I beseech your Lordship not to be troubled concerning me and thinke not that I goe soe ill prouided as you haue conceiued For you shall wnderstand that I alwaies send a harbinger before me who makes my lodging ready and takes care that I be regaled to the full That lord asked then who that harbinger was to which he answered thus The knowledge of my selfe and the consideration of what I deserue for my sinnes which is no lesse then hell fire And when with this knowledge I arriue at my lodging how vnprouided and incomodious soeuer it may be me thinks it is euer better then I deserue In the Cronicles of the Order of the Dominicans it is recounted of B. Saint Margaret of the same Order that a certaine religious man a great seruāt of God and very spirituall person speaking one day with her tould her amongst other things that he had often begged of God in his prayer that he would shew him the way which those auntient fathers had held whereby they pleased him soe much and had receiued so many fauours from his hand and that one night Whilst he was taking his rest a booke was laide open before him whereof the letters were written in Gould and instantly a voice awaked him which said thus Rise vp and read And then he rose and read theis
his temptations but was euen sett on fire by them and was sometymes in danger to fall and to leaue the institute of a Moncke Being then in this trouble the holy Abbott Isidorus came to him and told him on the parte of God that for that tyme forweard his temptations should cease in the name of IESVS CHRIST our Lord and soe they did and neuer sett vpon him more And the Saint by way of declaring the cause adds this that till then God had not giuen compleat victory to Abbot Moyses least he should haue growne vaine and proud as conceiuing that he had conquered by his owne strength and therefore that God had till then permitted it for his greater good Moyses had not yet obtayned the guift of distrusting himselfe and now to the end that he might obtaine it and not grow proud by confiding in himselfe God left him soe longe a tyme and he obteyned not by soe many and soe great indeauours the compleate victory ouer this passion which others by diligence had obteyned The like did Palladius relate to haue hapned to the Abbot Pacon for euen whilst he was seauenty yeares old he was very much molested by vncleane temptations and he saith that the other affirmed it to him with an oath that after he was fiftie yeares old the combat had bene soe vsuall and soe very fearce as that there had not passed either one day or night in all that tyme wherein he had not bene tempted to that sinne Hee did very extraord nary things to free himselfe from theis temptations but they did not serue the turne And lamenting one day and euen halfe fearing that our lord had forsaken him he heard a voice which interiourly said thus to him know that the cause why god hath permitted this sharpe assault to be made against thee that beene to the end that thou mightst know thine owne pouertie and miserie and the little or nothing which thou hast of thy selfe and therefore see that thou humble thy selfe heereafter and conside not in thy selfe at all but in all things haue recourse for helpe to me And he saith that he was soe comforted by this instruction that he neuer felt that temptation againe In fine the will of our Lord is that we put all our confidence in him and that we distrust our selues with all our owne diligences and meanes This is the doctrine not onely of Saint Augustine Cassian and those antient Fathers but of the holy Ghost himselfe and that in those very termes whereby we haue expressed it heere The wise man in the booke of wisedome setts expresly downe both the Theory and the practise of this pointe in theis words Et vt sciui quoniam aliter non possem esse continens nisi deus det hoc ipsum erat sapientia scire cuius esset hoc donum adij Dominum deprecatus sum illum ex totis precordijs meis When I know saith Salomon that I could not be continent but by the spirituall guift of God Now Continent is heere the generall word which embraces not onely the conteyning or restrayning that passion which is against Chastitie but all the other passions alsoe which rebell against reason And that other place also of Ecclesiasticus Omnis autem ponderatio digna est continentis animae No weight of gold is able to goe in ballance with a continent sowle No pretious thinge is soe much worth as the person who is continent Hee meanes that kinde of man who intirely containes all his affects and appetites that they may not passe beyond the bounds of reason And now saith Salomon knowing that I could not containe theis passions and powers both of my body and sowle within the moderation of vertue and truth without the especiall guift of God but that sometymes they would exceede the knowledge whereof is a high pointe of wisedome I had recourse to our lord and begged this guift of him with my whole hart Soe that in fine this is the onely meanes whereby a man may become continent and may be able to continue continent to restraine and gouerne our passions and binde them to the good behauiour and to obtaine victory ouer all temptations and the perfection of all vertues And soe the Prophet vnderstood it rightly when he said Nisi Dominus aedificauerit Domum in vanum laborauerunt qui adificant eam Vnlesse our lord build the howse he labours in vaine who desires to build it Nisi Dominus custodierit Ciuitatem frustra vigilat qui custodit eam If our lord doe not guard the Cittie he labours in vaine who seekes to guarde it It is he who must giue vs all good things and when he hath giuen them must conserue them to vs or els all our labour will be lost That Humilitie is not contrary to Magnanimity but rather that it is the foundation and cause Thereof CHAPTER XXXVI SAint Thomas treating of the vertue of Magnanimitie makes this question On the one side the Saints say yea and the holy Scripture alsoe saith that Humilitie is very necessary for vs and with all that Magnanimitie is alsoe necessary especially for such as exercise high ministeries and liue in high place Now theis two vertues seeme to bee contrary in them selues because Magnanimitie is a greatenes of minde to attempt and enterprise greate and excellent things which in them selues may be worthie of honour and both the one and the other seeme to be contrary to Humilitie For as for the first which is to enterprise greaâ—e things this seemes not to sute well with this vertue because one of the degrees of Humilitie which the Saints assigne is Ad omnia indignum inutilem se confiteri credere To confesse and hould himselfe vnworthie and vnprofitable for all things and now for a man to attempt that for which hee is not fitt seemes to be presumption and pride And as for the second pointe which is to enterprise things of honor it seemes alsoe to be contrary because the true humble man must be very farre from desiring honour estimation To this Saint Thomas answeres very well and sayes that although in apparance and by the exteriour sound of the words theis two vertues may seeme to be contrary betweene themselues yet in effect and truth one vertue cannot be contrary to another in particular he saith coÌ„cerning theis two vertues of Humility and Magnanimâ—ty that if wee will attentiuely cast our eyes vpon the truth and substance of the thing we shall not onely finde that they are not contrarie but that they are direct Sisters and depend much vpon one another And this he declares very well because as for the first which is to enterprise and attempt great things which is proper to the magnanimous person it is not onely contrary to the humble man but rather is very proper to him and he who is the one may well do the other If confiding in our owne diligence and strength wee should vndertake great
few but heauenly words This was the perfection of those auntient Fathers to loue God to despise them selues not to contemne or iudge any other And then instantly the booke vanished a way How much it concernes vs to be exercised in the knowledge of our selues CHAPTER XII IT will appeare by what is said how much it concernes vs to be exercised in the knowledge of our selues Thales Milesius one of the seaueÌ„ wise men of Greece being asked which of all naturall things was the hardest to be knowne made this answere A mans selfe Because the loue which a man beares himselfe is soe great that it distracts and hinders this knowledge and from hence grew that saying which was soe much celebrated amongst the auntieÌ„ts Nosce te ipsuÌ„ know thy selfe And an other said Tecum habita Dwell with thy selfe But lett vs leaue theis strangers and come home to others of our owne communion who are better Maisters of this science The B. Saint Augustine and Saint Bernard say that the science of a mans knowing himselfe is the most profitable and most high that euer was inuented or found Men saith Saint Augustine are wont to esteeme much the knowledge of the heauens and of the earth by Astrologie and Cosmographie and to knowe the motions of the skye and the course of the planetts With their proprieties and influences but yet the knowledge of a mans selfe is the most high and profitable science of them all Other sciences blow a man and puffe him vp as Saint Paule saith but wee are humbled and edified by this And soe the Saints and all Maisters of spiritt doe greatly charge vs to employ our selues in prayer vpon this exercise and they reproue the errour of some who passe too lightly ouer the consideration of their owne defects and detaine theÌ„selues in thinking vpon other deuout things because they finde gust in them but none in the consideration of their defects and faults because they take noe pleasure in looking into them selues and in this they are like such as are deformed who because they are soe dare not looke vpon themselues in a glasse The glorious Saint Bernard speaking to man in the person of God saith thus O homo si te videres tibi displiceres mihi placeres sed quia te non vides tibi places mihi displices O man if thou didst see and know thy selfe thou wouldst be displeasing to thy selfe and thou wouldst be pleasing to mee but now because thou doest not see and know thy selfe thou art pleasing to thy selfe and art displeasing to me Veniet tempus cum nec mihi nec tibi placebis mihi quia peccasti tibi quia in aeternum ardebis Take heede that there come not once a tyme when thou shall neither be pleasing to God nor to thy selfe not to God because thou hast sinned nor to thy selfe because thou art damned by thy selfe through thine owne fault Saint Gregory treating of this saith there are some whoe as soone as they beginne to serue God and to take vertue a litle into their consideration thinke presently that they are holy and good and doe soe place their eyes vpon the good they doe that they forgett their miseries and sinnes past yea and sometymes their present sinnes too for they are soe very busy about gazing vpon the good they doe that they attend not nay and see not the ill which sometymes they committ But such as indeede are good and the elect of God proceede after a very different manner For where as indeede they are full of vertue and good works they are yet euer looking â—pon the ill they doe and are considering and ruminating vpon their imperfections defects And we shall quickly see what becomes of both theis kindes of men For they whoe are most considering their sinnes secure their good deedes and conserue the great vertues which they possesse remayneing euer in humilitie and on the contrary side those others whoe are looking soe earnestly vpon their good deedes loose them because they growe vaine and proud thereof So that good men serue themselues of their very sinnes and draw good spirituall profitt from thence whereas ill men draw hurt and losse euen from their good deedes because they make ill vse thereof As it happens in the case of corporall food which though in it selfe it be healthfull good yet if a man eare of it without rule or measure it will make him sicke And soe on the other side if the very poyson of vipers be taken wiâ—h a certaine composition proportion it will become a Treacle and giue him health When therefore they shall bring the good things which you haue done to your memory to the end that you may esteeme and value your selfe S. Gregory aduises you to oppose your ill deedes against them and to call your former sinnes to minde So did S. Paule to the end that his great vertues might not blowe him vp as alsoe his hauing benne rapt into the third heauen and made capable of those high reuelations which were imparted to him Quia prius blasphemus fui persecutor contumeliosus Alas saith hee I haue bene a blasphemour and a persecutor of the seruants of God and of the name of Christ alas I am not worthie to be called an Apostle because I haue persecuted the Church of God Qui non sum dignus vocari Apostolus quoniam persecutus sum ecclesiam Dei This is a very good counterpoise and a very good countermine against this temptation Vpon those words which the Archangell Gabriell spake to the Prophet Daniell Intellige fili hominis O sonne of man obserue what I intend to say to the S. Hierome saith that those holy Prophetts Daniell Ezechiell Zacharias through the high continuall reuelations which they had seemed already as it were to conâ—erse amongst the Quires of Angells and to the end that they might not exalt them selues aboue them selues and grow idle headed and proud vpon that occasion as conceiuing that they were growne to be of a kinde of Superiour Angelicall nature the Angell letts them know on the part of God that they must remember their humaine nature and frailty he calls them sonnes of men that soe they might vnderstand them selues to be fraile men and miserable creatures like the rest and that soe they might be humble and esteeme them selues but as they were And wee haue many examples in histories both Ecclesiasticall and prophane both of Saints and other illustrious persons kings Emperours and Prelates who vsed this meanes and euer kept some about them whoe might bring them to remembrance from tyme to tyme that they were but men soe to conserue them in Humilitie and to keepe them from growing vayne and proud It is recounted of our Father Franciscus Borgia that whilst he was yet Duke of Gaudia a holy man gaue him this councell that if hee had a minde to profitt much in the seruice of God no day might passe