dependant of him and altogeather directed by him But before we declare how this is performed by Obedience we wil shew the necessitie of it And certainly there is no bodie but doth find within himself that in the gouernment of ourselues and setling the course of our life there hangs a great mist and obscuritie before our eyes which makes vs subiect to manie errours faults wherof holie Scripture doth put vs in mind saying The thoughts of mortal wights are feareful and foresight vncertain For what darknes can be greater then where we haue no notice at al of things to come and very little of those which are present and as for the minds and intentions of other men with whom we must necessarily conuerse traffick we are so farre from vnderstanding thē that most commonly we know not what lurketh in our owne breast Sometimes we think we can do more then indeed we are able to doe sometimes that we cannot doe so much the one thrusting vs vpon aduentures aboue our strength the other discouraging vs in things that are good for vs and necessarie to be vndertaken It is therefore one of the greatest benefits that can befal vs to haue some bodie in so great a night of darknes to lead vs as blind men by the hand and that we may as it were leane vpon their shoulders much more to haue God for our leader whose wisdome is so infinite that nothing can be hidden from him nothing deceaue him and his power and goodnes is so great that as S. Augustin telleth vs he hath as much care of euerie man in particular as if he had that one man only to care for Whosoeuer therfore shal light vpon so good a fortune must needs esteeme himself wonderfully happie in it in regard he may confidently say with the Psalmist Our Lord doth gouerne me and nothing shal be wanting vnto me For the one doth follow of the other and while God doth gouerne vs we shal not only want nothing but he wil place vs in a place of pasture vpon the waters of true refection that we may haue abundant plentie of euerie kind of thing 4. Now let vs see how God doth most truly and most certainly gouerne vs by Obedience and to make it the more playne and euident we wil search the ground of it to the verie roote For though among the ancient Philosophers as they stiled thēselues there were some so shamefully vnlearned as to think that God hath care of no kind of thing without himself or only of things eternal yet Fayth and Nature doth conuince and compel vs to belieue and professe as it is in the booke of Wisdome Thy prouidence ó Father doth gouerne al things from the beginning al things without exception little and greate he excepteth not the greater as if he were vnable to menage them nor the lesser as if he did contemne them or thought it vnworthie of his Greatnes and Maiestie to looke downe vpon them The manner also which the Diuine wisdome doth hold in the gouernment of this world is worthie to be obserued is set downe by the Holie-Ghost in an other place of the same Booke in these words He doth react from end to end strongly and disposeth al things sweetly Heer likewise his strength and power is declared which nothing can withstand as we sayd before nothing hinder his counsel and prouidence nothing escape his hands The sweetnes of his Prouidence which is the chiefest part of Wisdome consisteth in two things first in gouerning euerie thing as the nature of that thing doth require things that are necessarie necessarily things contingent contingently those that are free so as their freedome be preserued Secondly to gouerne them orderly in their due rank and proportion the highest agreing with those that stand in the middle the middlemost with those that are below effects with their causes precedents with those that are next and consequent and that this order be neuer broken or confounded Wherefore as we see that corne and other fruits of the earth do not suddenly put-forth al at once and come to ful growth and ripenes but first are smal and tender by little little waxe ripe by the warmth of the Sunne the Sunne itself that it may not scorch and burne them vp is tempered with timelie showers the showers which fal vpon the ground to moisten it fal not suddenly from aboue but grow of the vapours which are suckt-vp from the earth and the like course is constantly obserued in al works of nature euerie thing being produced by an other which is next it and by some immediate cause so it was fitting the same order should be much more obserued in actiōs that are voluntarie they being of a higher strayne then the other For first it could not haue stood with reason that the wils of al men should haue been as it were seuered and distracted asunder euerie one taking a course by himself alone for what could be more confused But it was certainly best that they should be lincked one with an other and ordered dependent of one an other to that end which God in his infinit wisdome hath ordayned Secondly it being fitting that such an order should be established among the wils and intentions of men it was also necessarie that among them there should be that connexion which is betwixt a cause the effect therof that is that there should be some who moue others and some againe that are moued by others But as S. Thoma◠sayth in the order of natural things those that are of a higher degree moue those that are lower by a certain force and efficacie and abundance of vertue inserted in them by God through which they preuayle ouer those things which they moue but in humane actions no other power doth moue but the Wil which is likewise ordayned by God and doth moue by command and precept For the first and principal rule of al reasonable Wils being the Wil of God al other Wils are ordered vnder that Diuinie Wil some neerer vnto it some farther of as it hath pleased him who appointeth euerie thing his place and as it were his turne and ward 5. Thus sayth S. Thomas And it is the ground of an other discourse which he setteth downe more at large in a Booke intitled The Regiment of Princes where he sheweth that al power which one mā hath ouer an other man is deriued frō God proueth it by manie natural reasons applyed to moral gouernment drawne from the nature of euerie Entitie Motion End For as the foundation of al power and dominion is first to haue a being euerie thing that is created hath his being from one which is not created So it hath also power motion which if it be so necessarie in corporal motion that from the inferiour we must passe to those that are higher and higher til we come to
by his meanes This is the effect of S. Thomas his discourse 5. Wherefore we shal do wel to weigh and ponder and with al hartie affection to embrace this most delightful and happie quiet and vacation from al things which Religion bringeth in regard of the particular kind of force and efficacie it hath to rayse our thoughts to the contemplation and knowledge of heauenlie things For as no man can attentiuely think of anie thing in the midst of a great hurrie and noise but in the dead of the night or in a solitarie place that verie silence and solitude doth inuite a man to contemplation so it is very hard to recollect one's self in the world where there be such endles distractions but the quiet of a Religious life doth of its owne nature cal vs and hold vs without difficultie in the studie of heauenlie knowledge free from al kind of trouble Wherof S. Bernard is witnesse saying in a certain Epistle that Long silence and continual freedome from worldlie noise doth compel vs to meditate heauenlie things He sayth it doth compel vs in regard of the strange force it hath to hold the powers of our soule from wandring after idle fancies to reclayme them when they chance to stray and wholy to fixe them vpon God and things Diuine This difference between a Religious life and a Secular is excellently wel expressed by S. Gregorie expounding as he is wont in a Moral sense that which in the Booke of Iob is spoken of wisdome And the sea pronounceth it is not with me What other things is signifyed by the Sea then the bitter vnquietnes of secular minds which while they are at variance with themselues resemble the beating of contrarie waues one vpon another A secular life therefore is rightly called a Sea because being tossed with the tempestuous motions of outward actions it is depriued of the quiet and stabilitie of inward wisdome Whervpon on the contrarie side the Prophet sayth wel Vpon whom shal my spirit rest but vpon the humble and quiet and fearing my words But from earthlie minds the spirit doth fly the farther the lesse quiet it doth find in them For he that doth diuide himself into endles thoughts of earthlie desires cannot retire himself to the consideration of himself And so holie Iob vnderstanding that wisdome cannot dwel amidst these waues of vnquietnes sayth And the Sea pronounceth it is not with me For no man doth fully receaue it but he that endeauoureth to withdraw himself from the billowes of carnal cogitations as it is sayd in another place Write wisdome in the time of quiet and he that hath litle busines shal attaine vnto it Thus farre S. Gregorie 6. But some bodie perhaps wil obiect that Religious people also do manie things and are cumbred with manie toylsome businesses about necessarie occasions of their owne or for the good of their neighbour The answer is at hand that the busines which they vndertake for the help of their neighbour is spiritual and not worldlie or temporal and consequently draweth them nâ—t from God but rather knitteth them faster vnto him because they help God and God helpeth them in so great a busines And though that which they do for their owne domestical occasions and necessaries be in some kind temporal yet their end is not temporal and secular as be the ends of secular people but in al things they ayme at Spirit and Eternitie and besides there is an other mayne and important difference to wit that Secular people in following their teÌ„poral businesses haue alwayes their eye vpon their owne priuate interest seeking how they may purchase wealth or honour to themselues But when Religious people handle the self-same businesses they seeke not greatnes but that which is necessarie they intend not anie priuate commoditie to themselues but their thoughts are for the common their labours are for the Common as S. Hierome speaketh in the life of Malchus the Monk which is so farre from couetise or priuate interest that it is a great act of Charitie yea these verie employments do giue a double value and benefit to a Religious life conioyning the holie and holesome labours of Martha with the quiet of Marie and calling vs so to spiritual rest and vacancie from toylsome care and work that if notwithstanding anie such work do come in our way directing it to a spiritual end and giuing it a spiritual forme and essence it turnes to our greater benefit as we cannot say but worldlie seruants do their Maisters seruice not only when they wayte in their presence attending their pleasure but when they go to and fro about their Maisters businesses yea then oftimes they serue them better and more to their owne and their Maisters benefit The sixt fruit Religious people alwayes do the wil of God CHAP. XVIII IF men were truly wise and vnderstood indeed what is good for them they should ayme at nothing more then perfectly to conforme their wils with the wil of God in great and litle and absolutly in al businesses concerning themselues and others Manie reasons might be giuen of this truth but one shal suffice for al to wit that among creatures themselues the inferiour are euer subiect to those that are more excellent and higher in nature which must needs be of more force in God he being sole Soueraigne ouer al King of Kings Lord of Lords to whom al mankind is by right and equitie subiect for those seauen causes which I declared in the beginning But in God there is yet an other consideration of more weight and importance For the Diuine Nature being Goodnes itself and equitie and the cause of al things his Wil also is the rule and leuel of al that is iust and vpright so that as a written coppie or a house or anie other work is sayd to be right and perfect if it be according to rule and agree with the platforme or sampler after which it was drawne and how much it swarueth from the model and coppie so manie faults and errours there be in it So the wil of God being the onlie rule whereby our wil is to be ruled our wil is good and honest or contrariwise faultie vitious as it agreeth or disagreeth with his wil. Wherefore Climacus sayâ—h that the seruants of God should alwayes as ardently desire to know and performe the wil of God as a Deere that is euen dead with thirst thirsteth after a fountaine of running water S. Bernard in a Sermon which he wrote of this subiect hauing spoken something of Humilitie sayth The substance of al Humilitie doth seeme to be this that our wil be subiect as it ought to the wil of God as the Prophet speaketh Shal not my soule be subiect to God I know that euerie creature is subiect to God whether it wil or no but voluÌ„tarie subiection is required of creatures that are reasonable that they sacrifice voluntarily vnto God
the desire of heauenlie things For as thâ—se that gaue themselues ouer to carnal pleasure or the care of anie worldlie busines haue their minds so carried away vpon them that they seeme to beset 〈◊〉 in the same 〈◊〉 as I may tearme it of which those things are made so contrariwise they that liue chast and intire and curbe the flesh and bring it vnder and withal busie their mind in holie exercises and settle it vpon spiritual things are not much molested by the corruption of the bodie but rather as S. Paul speaketh their conuersation is in heauen And consequently death being nothing but a separation of the bodie from the soule which Religious people doe practise al their life they are not to begin to dye when the soule is departing but they went about it long before and were alwayes dying by which meanes they are not troubled at the time of death as if they were to abide some hard and vnwonted thing It helpeth also that they parte not with a life that hath manie things to hold them with delight in it which is one of the chiefest causes why people loue this life but rather a life wherin they suffer manie incommodities by pouertie watching and paynes-taking much mortification of their senses and wil which are as so manie spurres quickning our soules to desire more ardently eternal rest and more cheerfully to embrace it when it is at hand Besides they come not suddenly and vnprouided to that houre but they both soresaw dayly that it might happen by reason of the common frayltie of our nature and wished dayly for it because they desire to appeare in the sight of God and their whole life is but one good preparation for death as a certain Franciscan-Friar sayd truly of late yeares in the Indies For after he had long laboured in those countries very paynefully sickning and being aduised by the Physicians to prepare himâ—elf for death he spake thus I haue done nothing else al the while I haue worne this Habit but prepared myself for this passage The same al Religious people doe for the State itself doth direct them to doe no other but as our Lord commaÌ„ded expect his coming with their loynes gyrt and burning lâ—ghts in their hands which S. Gregorie interpreteth to be Chastitie and continual practise of good works both which are principally found in Religion 3. Now as for the assaults and temptations of the Diuel wherewith euerie bodie is troubled at his death thus much we may truly say that if there be anie man that is not troubled at al or very litle with them anie man that doth resist them and ouercome them it is a Religious man For first it belongeth to the goodnes of God not to leaue him at his death vpon whom in his life-time he heaped so manie great guifts and graces somewhat also it belongeth to his Iustice to defend and protect him that during life serued him and fought for his honour Wherefore we ought not to doubt but that he that is our strength and stabilitie wil assist vs most of al in that dangerous and fâ—areful combat and in time of need enlighten our vnderstanding and giue vs courage wipe away al feare and teach our hands and fingars to wage warre compasse vs round and couer vs with the shield of his good pleasure and with inward comforts strengthen our mind and fil it with assured hope of eternal saluation which being so what crownes and kingdomes can be compared with this bâ—nefit And no man can think but that it must needs be wel bestowed not only that he forsook this one world but if there were infinit worlds to leaue that he alone had left them al to the end that in such a feareful passage he might haue such assured comfort and defence 4. To this we may adde the comfort which euerie one receaueth by the assistance of his Bretheren their exhortations counsel and continual prayers which alwayes but chiefly at the point of death are very powerful to encourage vs and to abate the fierce assaults of the enemie We learne this by example of a yong man called Theodore of whom S. Gregorie relateth that hauing liued in his Monasterie somewhat wantonly like a boy he fel sick and was brought to the last cast and while diuers of the Monks stood by praying for him he began to crye out as if he were desperate to get them gone For he was as he sayd deliuered to a dragon to be deuoured by him and their being present hindred him Whervpon they fel presently vpon their knees and prayed more earnestly for him and soone after the sick man now quite and chearful affirmed that the Diuel was gone vanquished and put to flight by their prayers 5. The like passage though somewhat more feareful is recorded of Cuno Lord of Malburch who after he had spent in the world almost fourtie yeares liuing for the most part after a worldlie fashion betook himself to Religion where when he had liued some three yeares he made a happie end At which time the Diuel by the mouth of a woman whom he had possessed told that he and fifteen thousand more of his crue for so manie he sayd they were came to this Cuno's Celle when he lay a-dying but could not hurt him nor so much as come neer him by reason of the lowde cryes of those bald-crowned fellowes that stood by his bed-side for so the enemie of God tearmed God's seruants and their prayers in scorne And he complayned further that God had done him great iniurie in regard that wheras Cuno had serued the Diuels fourtie yeares and God but three yet he spared him from the paynes of hel and carried him to Heauen Whereby we may plainly see the force of Religion 6. It remayneth that we speake of the hope of saluation which I sayd was in Religion very assured Two things cause this assurance in a Religious man first not to be guiltie in his conscience of anie grieuous sinne secondly the memorie of the abundance of good deeds of his former life both which cannot fayle in a Religious course For we are not heer troubled with marchants accounts nor with obscure and ambiguous formes of conueyances nor with worldlie ambition nor such like occasions of sinning On the other side we haue much matter of patience and continual occasion of practising other vertues whereof I haue spoken at large before Wherefore S. Hierome sayth excellently wel to this purpose writing to Iulian and exhorting him to Religion in these words Happie is the man and worthie of al blessednes whom old age doth ouertake seruing Christ whom the last day shal find fighting vnder our Sauiour who shal not be confounded when he shal speake to his enemies in the gate to whom in the entrance of Paradise it shal be sayd Thou hast receaued â—l things in thy life but now reioyce heer S. Bernard also pressing Romanus to
perfection vanisheth into the ayre For first how secret and vncertain is the wil of God how manie errours and perplexities doth a man runne into in seeking it Besides that he that followeth his owne dictamen in scanning it and making his coniectures about it putteth alwayes something of his owne vnto it which is a thing very considerable And certainly he is in the farre better way that ordereth his life so as he may say truly he hath nothing of his owne in it For this is that perfect Renunciation Abnegation which our Sauiour commandeth to forsake ourselues so as to reserue nothing of ourselues True vertue therefore is that which Climaens sayth whose words I wil set downe because the verie simplicitie of them doth much please me An humble man alwayes abhorreth his owne wil as deceauer and erroneous and though al his thoughts and deeds he conformable to the Diuine rule yet he followeth not his owne wil nor beleeueth his owne iudgemeÌ„t For to an humble man it is a grieuous paine to relye vpon his owne wil as to a proud man it is a payne and burden vntollerable to be vnder the â—il of an other 17. And S. Gregorie sayth excellently wel He without al doubt mounteth vp to a higher forme in the Schoole of Christ that forsaking al which outwardly he did possesse endeauours to breake his inward wil that putting himself vnder an other's wil he may renounce not only his euil affections but his good desires to the plentiful encrease of his perfection and be at an other's command in al things which he doth 18. And then speaking of the reasons which these men alleadge and which we haue been hitherto confuting he reckoneth them al for temptations of the Diuel For thus he sayth The craftie Enemie speaketh the fayrer to such an one by how much he striueth more eagerly to throue him off from a more eminent standing and flattering him with suggestions ful of poison he sayth thus vnto him O how wonderful strange things mayst thou doe of thy self if thou put not thyself vnder an other's direction Why dost thou lessen thy profit vnder colour of bettering it What euil didst thou when thou hadst thine owne wil Seing therefore thou art fully able to liue of thyself why dost thou seeke that another should be ouer thee to direct thee Thus he insinuateth himself by flatterie and on the other side layeth occasions for him to exercise pride in his owne wil. Al this of S. Gregorie which testimonie makes the cause euident on our side to wit how farre more perfect and more safe it is to forgoe our owne wil then to retaine it though we should vse it wel 19. Besides it cannot be denyed but that it is farre greater humilitie to obey God in man then to obey when he commandeth immediatly by himself as no man almost wil stick to obey a King when he speakes himself in person but manie find much difficultie to obey his seruants and ministers And moreouer he that in effect abandoneth the world and al that is in it abandoneth it also in affection For that which he did he did it willingly and of his owne free choyce but he that wil leaue it only in affection first comes short in that he leaueth it not also in effect secondly he may easily mistake and think that he hath forsaken the world when in verie deed he hath not For in al things but specially in such as are distastful to sense there is great difference betwixt the wil of doing a thing and the doing of it nothing is more easie then to haue a wil and desire but to doe a thing is hard and payneful and the work most commonly trieth our wil and examineth it whether it be right for oftimes a seruent resolution when it comes to deed begins to quaile at the difficultie of them 20 Finally that which ought most to moue vs in this kind is the example of our Sauiour for wheras his life was a most perfect and absolute model of al our liues he that cometh neerest in imitating him is doubtlesse to be accounted the most perfect He therefore embracing pouertie and humilitie not only in wil and desire but in effect and deed and following it in the whole course of hiâ— life whosoeuer shal represent in himself the likenes of him in both those shal deserue certainly greater commendation then he that shal resemble him but in one Which was S. Barnard's opinion when he sayd it was enough for the ancient Fathers to follow the Spirit of God in spirit only but sayth he now the Word hath been made Flesh and dwelt among vs in him a forme of life and sampler of perfection is giuen vs which we must corporally imitate that following him with both our feet we halt not heerafter with the Patriarch Iacob vpon one leg And yet we say not this as if a man might not be saued in these dayes if he doe otherwise but to make him know his ranke and that he vsurpe not the place of perfection or the office of a disciple Thus S. Bernard 21 But because in the beginning the aduerse partie vsed the names of those ancient Fathers Abraham and Isaac and others against vs we must answer this obiection also or S. Bernard for vs who sayth pleasantly thus What shal we answer to these new followers of the ancient Saints And you wil Let them put calues vpon the altar of our Lord let them kil rammes Sacrifice goates because Abraham did so And so goeth-on discoursing how their temporal wealth was a figure of the Spiritual riches reserued for vs and how they are vanished these to be maintayned And addeth that which is very true that we shal find none almost of these ancient Fathers who did not either suffer much by aduersiâ—ie or was not tried to the quick in worldlie prosperitie perhaps in danger by it and that we may truly say of them that they walked in the depth of the diuided Sea in the mire of manie waters possessing earthlie things that lawfully but we haue an other more strange and more wonderful new manner of walking vpon the waters themselues by forsaking al things which grace and prerogatiue was due to the State of the Ghospel and to Peter as the Leader and Captaine of it 22. S. Iohn Chrysostome in his booke of Virginitie hath almost the like discourse that we must not wonder if those ancient Patriarcks had lands and wiues and great wealth because God required not of them the like measure of vertue that he doth of vs. For now sayth he no man can be perfect vnlesse he sel al vnlesse he renounce al and not his money only or his house but lay aside al care euen of his life But in those dayes there was no such patterne of perfection And handling this point at large he giueth the reason why we haue greater commandments