¶ The Rote or myrour of consolacyon cōforte PEr multas tribulaciones oportet introire in regnum dei ¶ Thus sayth the apostole saynt Poule in the boke of actes and dedes that is to saye in englysshe By many trybulacōns we muste entre in to y e kyngdome of god wherfore all those whiche intende to com in to the kyngdome of heuen muste pacyently take temporall trybulacyon For that is the waye thyder by the ordynaūce of god And those y t moest pacyently take ther trybulacōn they shall haue ther̄ moost consolacyon For say nt Poule sayth in the seconde Epystle to the Corynthes ¶ Sicut socu sumus passionis sic erimus consolacionis ¶ That is to saye Lyke as we are parteners in trybulacyons so shall we be parteners in Joye and consolacyon Thus trybulacyon is bytter but the ende that hit bryngeth to is moost swete delectable And remēbraūce of that euerlastynge swetenes maketh faythfull soules swetely to take mater of trybulacyon Temporall aduersyte trouble profyteth no thynge to the rewarde of eternall Joye but yf it be pacyentely taken Thus pacyence maketh trybulacyon profytable And the profyte of temporall prosperyte cometh of the vertue of mekenes wherby prosperyte is lytel set by The parfyte pacyente herte maketh moche of aduersyte And the parfyte meke herte setteth lytell by temporall prosperyte lytell Joyeth therin but rather soroweth bycause he fereth that he vseth not parfeytly acordynge to the grete plesure of god the goodes of this prosperyte Yf thou aske me why our lorde wyl gyue these temporall goodes to suche as he knoweth y t are wretched sinners and vse them euyl I answere One cause is to shewe his parfyte habondāt goodnesse whiche gyueth good thynges not only to suche as be good but also to suche as are euyl wretched synners And to gyue vs example to folowe hym in doynge good for euyll as he byddeth in the gospell of Mathew Loue your enemyes sayth he do well to suche as do euyll to you and praye for suche as pursue you speke euyl of you For ye doo thus than ye may knowe that ye are parfyte in vertue lyke as your fader in heuē is parfyte maketh the sonne to gyue lyght as well to the euyll men as to the good men And maketh the vnryghtwysse men to haue profyte of the rayne as well as the ryghtwysse And this is a grete comforte to take pacyently trybulacyon For yf we wyll for the loue of god breke our one frowarde herte ād for to wynne y e loue of god loue suche as trouble vs praye for them and do good ayenst euyll thā we haue one of the gretest tokenes that we are parfyte in the syght of god as his owne children and folowers of hym whiche thynge yf we wyll remembre vs is most Joyfull to vs. Also it maketh vs more pacyent yf we duely remembre y e goodes that we haue resceyued of god the goodes of nature as wytte eloquence seblenesse of bodye helthe beaute goodes of fortune as golde syluer clothe lyuelode and how we haue myspended them synfully how pacyently he hath suffred vs longe tyme to abyde in synne to the entent that fynaly remembryn ge his goodenes his pacyence longe sufferynge we sholde tourne to hym wherfore whan he stowe geth vs yf we remembre how wel we haue deserued hit we shall by his grace more parfytly be ayen hit Our lorde gyued good thynges as helthe rychesse prosperyte to euyll men wymen y t remembryng his kyndenesse they sholde be the more moeued to penaunce sorynesse whan they see they haue offen ded so kynde a lorde whiche so gentelly calleth thē of his grete goodnes And he sendeth oftymes trybulacōn to good folk whiche are not parfytly goode for they take not thankefully trybulacōn but some tyme grudge vnder the rodde of chastysemēt wherfore he kepeth them styll vnder the rodde tyll they be so acustomed therwith y t they can take it pacyently Thus by his kyndenesse he bryngyth euyll folke to penaūce and by his sharpnesse he bryngeth good folke to pacyence Also he gyueth prosperyte and goodes of this worlde to good men and wymen to nourysshe them cheryshe them in his loue lyke as the fader telleth the childe to folowe hym by a fayre appell he sendeth also trybulacōn to euyll folke to make them drede hym And thus the good folke he bryngeth to loue by worldely prosperyte And euyll folke he bryngeth to drede by aduersyte ONe cause why our lorde wyll that good folke haue aduersyte and trybulacyon is this bycause that euyll folke shall not thynke that trybulacyon is so euyll that our lorde accepteth hit nought ne loueth them whiche hate hit for they see the contrarye that those whiche be moost in vertue haue moost trybulacyon as our sauyour wiche neuer dyd synne hadde moost bytter payne and trouble Also his blessyd moder his apostles and his dyscyples And lyke wyse now in these dayes suche folke as our lorde loueth beste suche he sendeth moost sorowe in ther herte and moost payne or labour in bodye with the whiche in the begynnyng they grut che but fynally they are taught to suffre hit swetly and to gyue thankynges to our lorde therof whiche by trybulacyon delyuereth them from grete synne and brnngeth theym to grete grace in this worlde and ordeyneth for them plentefully the plesure perpetually and glorye of the lyfe that is to come ¶ He gyueth also the goodes of this lyfe to suche as be wretched and synfull lyuers after theyr owne wyll and not after the wyll and lawe of god bycause that good men and wymen shal not set theyr herte to moche on these goodes which they see that wretched people haue with the hatred of god but that they shall loue those goodes moost whiche haue none but suche as be good are specyaly beloued of our lorde And these are the goodes of vertue whiche brynge vs to the habondaūce rychesse of y e ryall empyre of heuen The good soules set lytell by the vayne prosperyte of this worlde for hitis transytorye ād rather occasyon of vyce than of vertue and shey see that they are gyuen to theym only well to dyspense that they haue no lordshyp in theym but only vse that they shall be straytely examyned ād gyue acounte how they haue vsed them and by the ryghtfull Jugemēt of god they shall haue grete punysshement in this lyfe or after this lyfe for euery thynge y t they myspende wherfore these faythfull soules haue more fere than fauour more payn thā plesure in grete possessyon of worldely goodes they are not inflate ne exalte in themselfe by pryde in prosperyte For amonge grete possessyon of worldely bodely goodes they fynde themselfe ryght poore in the goostly goodes wherfore yf the worldely prospe ryte rychesses honours be taken fro them they are not caste downe by sorowe for they knowe that
glorye of god to the crowne of vyctorye O how gladde mayst thou be to seke thy lorde god and fynally to fynde hym by sekenesse whoo 's gloryous syght is of soo grete a plesure that thou wolde chese to suffre the grete paynes of helle longe tyme after a shorte syght so that thou myght see hym ayen And yf a soule whiche is in the paynes of helle myght see hym the grete Joye of the syght of god sholde stoppe for the tyme all the paynes of helle that hit sholde fele none for that Joye sholde so fulfyll the wyll with delectacoÌ„n plesure that hit sholde fele no payne for ther sholde no place be lefte for ony contrarye felynge In this lyfe ther is no plesure so grete but ther is payne moche more but after this lyfe ther shal be plesure incomparable more than ony payne may be now I exhorte the to seke thy lorde truly by trybulacoÌ„n payne whiche hath sought the fouÌ„de the by incomparable more payne than thou whiche haste loste hym mayst suffre to fynde hym ayen THe xvii comforte is to remembre that our lorde hath sende trybulacoÌ„n to the to the entente that he wyll make the aferde to of offeÌ„de hym for comonly our freyle nature refuseth noo thynge whiche is plesaunt to it except it be meoued of fere and many ther are whiche in lacke of perfyte fayth fere ryght lytel the paynes to come wherfore suche sholde be taken in the snares of the deuyl and falle to contynuaunce in synne yf our lorde of his grete mercy dyd not sende them payne trybulacyon in this present lyfe But he kepeth them soo occupyed with fere bytternesse of payne that ther mynde is withdrawen fro theyr dysordynate plesure And yf they haue y t specyall grace to thyÌ„ke that theyr payne is mynde to them from our lorde to make them to flee synne than theyr payne and trouble putteth them in grete fere to synne maketh them to flee it Wherfore Job spekynge of suche sayth ¶ Terrebit eos tribulacio et angustia ¶ Trybulacyon and anguysshe shall fere them Many ther are whiche as yonge childern that haue lytell vse of reson lyue al after sensualyte plesure of theyr fleshe and that is theyr grete sporte delyte in this worlde And often tyme in the myddes of theyr playnge tyme without ony warnynge they are called out of this worlde to theyr acounte Jugement where the sentence of dampnatoÌ„n is shortly gyuen of them forth with they are put in to payne of the vengeable fyre of helle ther they shall abyde euer without ende That soule whiche fleeth syÌ„ne pryncypally for fere of payne or for worldely shame or for ony other creature it shall haue noo rewarde therfore in heuen but yet by that it offendeth lesse to god than it sholde haue done yf it had no suche fere sooner ryseth to grace This fere of payne is called a seruyle fere for thus fereth the seruannt for to offende his mayster by cause he fereth he sholde haue grete strokes and punysshement But the good childe fereth his fader pryncypaly for loue that he hath to hyÌ„ bycause he wolde not offende hym And ryght so the good wyfe loueth her husbonde for loue that she hath to hym she wyll not offende hym But the euyl wyf fereth to make transgressyon of her spousage more for fere of strokes than for loue Thus the childely fere of god is merytoryous shal haue grete rewarde of our lorde whan a soule fleeth synue for loue y t it hath to god bycause it wolde not fynally be sperate from hym Neuerthelesse for seruyle drede the soule is brought to childely drede oftentymes Than sythen no thynge shal departe the soule fro god brynge it to perpetuell payne but on lysynne our lorde sendeth the payne to departe the fro synne than he wyll by temporall payne delyuer the fro the eternall payne Joyne the to hym in perpetuell glorye wherfore yf y e lyft thy mynde to god in the tyme of payne trybulacyon seeyng so faderly he deleth with the what profyte he ordeyneth to come of thy payne trouble thou ought to take it pacyently and gyue hym grete laude and praysynge therfore whiche thus mercyfull deleth with the. THe xviii consolacyon is to remembre how our lorde prouydeth for the whiche art in trybulacoÌ„n yf y u take it well that after thyn herte be constrayned to god with anguysshe of payne it shall be dylated with Joye aÌ„d opened ayen as the prophete sayth ¶ In tribulacoÌ„e dilatasti michi ¶ Thou haue dylated by trybulacoÌ„n myn hert to me And as it is wryten in the booke of Tohbye ¶ Post tribulacioneÌ„ et flectuÌ„ exultacioneÌ„ infundis ¶ Thou gyuest to the herte after trybulacoÌ„n we pynge Joye gladnesse Ther is none after the ordynate lawe of our lorde that cometh to grete gladnesse in hym but after grete sorynesse of this lyfe specyally yf the sorowe and trouble be taken for the loue of god in ordre to hym as the prophete sayth ¶ Detorrente in via bibet ê“pterea exaltauit caput ¶ He shall drynke of the bytter water in the waye of trybulacyon therfore he shall exalte afterwarde his hede with Joye in god delectacyon That thynge whiche maketh man or woman to sett lesse by hemselfe that same dysposeth hem to make more of god Some tyme a persone is made to set lesse by hemselfe by mysery of synne for many one whiche made ryght moche of hymselfe whan they are fallen in to grete abhomynable synne than they are ashamed abhorre with hemselfe And after this lytel makynge of hemselfe they begynne to lerne to make moche of our lorde and come as Mary magdaleyn dyd to grete grace plesure in god By mysery of payne also many come to the same plesure in god and that is the better waye for mysery of synne can neuer be good the tyme is loste of goostly profyte as longe as a soule is in this mysery our lorde hateth this wretchednesse of synne But wretchednesse of payne yf it be wel taken is of grete plesure to our lorde it is of grete meryte the tyme is well spended they y t be in this mysery well taken wherfore I exhorte the whiche haste had plesure in synne worlde haue plesure in god take pacyently payne trybulacyon and than thou shalt see that thou shalt lerne to make moche of god he shall make moche of the. THe xix consolacyon is to remembre how a dulle soule by trybulacyon is made quycke to serue god as the ê“phete sayth ¶ Si ambulauero in me dio tribulacoÌ„is viuificabis me ¶ yf I shall walke in the myddes of trybulacyon thou shalt receyue and quyken me Lyke as a dulle seruaunt by strokes is made sharpely to applye his labour so are dulle soules whiche had lytell appetyte to serue god be made to spende
hym is moost pryncypall as saynt Poule sayth ¶ Nemo coronabi◠nisi qui legittime certauerit ¶ Ther shall none be crowned but suche as lawfully fygureth and pre uayleth by kepynge of ther soule fro consent to syn ne And the more dygnyte that a knyght or a clerke is call dto the more profe to be made before of his habylyte Thus by these techynges thou mayst vnderstande that trybulacyon is ordeyned of god in this lyfe to calle the lede the ayen in to knowlege of thyself in to remembraūce of thyn owne herte And knowe y u veryly that the herte whiche hath not caste out of hymselfe the Joye of worldely prosperyte may not parfytly fele ne knowe hymself For the plesure of this false Joye soo inchothes the herte that it may not retourne in to hymselfe but it is al occupyed with worldely maters whiche in that it may not it ordeyneth to the increace of this vayne Joye so it laboureth euer more more to blynde hymself as longe as it renneth outwarde in worldely prosperyte therof complayneth hym the prophete Dauid in the persone of asynner where as he sayth Lumen oculorum meorum ipsum non est niccum ¶ Thelyght of mȳ eyen is not with me alas they may be sory to whom our lorde hath gyuen grete natural wyll knowlege they spende the candell of ther wysedom in orderynge of worldely vanytees in orderynge of themselfe they spende but lytell or none it is gyuen to them specyally for themselfe that is to saye to the we le of ther soule not to the plesure of theyr bodye Lyke as euery man is moost nyghe hymselfe so vnder god he ought moost to loue hymselfe in ordre to those thynges whiche shal be moost to the auayle of hymselfe as to god vertue and nothynge is so nessarye to be knowen of man as hymselfe For all knowlege without knowlege of hymselfe is but vayne to brynge a man to the ende that he was made fore and lyke as he that hath not hymselfe hath nothynge for yf a man haue no parfyte power to rule hymselfe no thynge is well ruled that cometh in his handes For ther is no outwarde dede well ruled except it come of a well ruled soule for the goodnesse of the outwarde dede presupposeth the goodnesse of the good dede of the wyll Inwarde so yf y u haue not a good wyll ther is no thynge good that y u doost But peraduenture y u wylt saye than y u doost neuer no good dede For comonly whan y u haste wyll to doony good dede ther cometh in thy mynde some shrewde entente as vay ne glorye laude of the worlde or to haue a temporall profyte therby or to plese thy frende or for fere to dysplese hym or of enemyte y u doost to the rebuke of other whiche do not see lyke as y u doost Or y u leuest thynges vndone by cause y u woldest not y t other sholde folowe the. Thus comonly thy wyll is not good and than after this doctrine thy wyll is not good Here I answere y t it is vnpossyble to the to let suche though◠to come to thy mynde But as longe as y u wolde do ony good thynges for y e loue of god profyte of thy soule yf y t vayne or euyll thought we re awaye than y u dost it pryncypaly for god y t euyl or vayne thought letteth no thynge the meryte of thy dede As thus perauenture y u seest a poore man wolde gyue a peny in almesse to hym forth with cometh in thy mynde y t y u shalt haue a laude of the worlde therfore or suche as see y e this thought shal not make the to lese thy meryte as longe as y u wolde gyue y t peny to the poore man for the loue of god yf no man sholde see the than y u dost it pryncypally for god this wyll is merytoryous y e dede folowynge therupon Than retornyng to my saynge before lyke as he whiche hath not hymselfe hath no thynge Lyke wyse he y t knoweth not hymselfe knoweth no thynge that is to saye profytable to hymselfe as to purchesse the rewarde of our lorde in the euerlastynge Joye after this mortal lyfe The wretched man or woman that fixeth ther loue moost on this worldely prosperyte he forgeteth hymselfe for he is not with hymselfe Loke what thynge y e soule moost loueth ther it is moost by conuersacyon of the mynde and the werkers of the soule moost renne thyder As our sauyour sayth ¶ Ubi thesaurus tuus ibi cor-tuū ¶ Loke where that thynge is that y u louest ther is thyn herte Thus the herte of the couetous man is with his golde and syluer The herte of the leche rous man is with the persone there he hath moost fless hely plesure to The herte of the proude man is there he hath moost reuerence and with his fresshe clothes Thus the worldely prosperyte false transytorye Joye in hertely creatures draweth the herte of men and woymē fro themselfe and with moche sorowe oftentymes they come to suche thynges as they loue and therfore they by them with lesse labour sorowe they myght bye grete excellent Joye in heuen than they bye this falte worldely Joye the whiche hastely they shall lese and than they shall haue euerlastynge sorowe But lyke as a man that is besyeged whan he wolde eschewe and goo out of his house he is compelled to retorne and is betyn in ayen by suche as haue besyeged hym and is broughte therto that he dare not ones sette out his fote at the dore Lyke wyse our lorde of hys grete mercy sen deth the soudyoures of trybulacyon to suche soules and hertes as he loueth and wolde that they sholde abyde at home and beteth them in to themselfe ād the more trybulacyons ther are and also the more they be so moche y e hertes haue lesse power to stroye abrode from themselfe Than thanke god theros whiche sendeth the aduersyte wherby thou art made to leue the loue y t y u haste to worldely prosperyte lerne to knowe to loue god ād thyselfe in ordre to god thus to abyde at home and kepe well ordred the loue of thy soule For whan ther is noo dweller in an house soone it falleth to ruyne dekaye Lyke wyse the soules whiche are not Inhabyte in this maner falle to waste come to nought Blyssed is that man or woman whiche abydeth in hymselfe lerneth to knowe hymselfe how they shal kepe ther bodye obedyent to theyr soule theyr soule obedyent to god And aboue all thynge attendeth to kepe hymselfe that the flesshe drawe not the soule to the loue of the worlde but that the soule drawe the flesshe to the seruyce of god and hath the grete Joye in the clerenesse of conscyence is whan it lyueth without rumours
¶ Precurre prior in domuÌ„ tuaÌ„ ¶ That is to saye Whan thou seest the worldely vanytees renne in to thyn herte renne thou byfore and stoppeth them and shyt y e dore of thyn herte that they haue no lodgynge ther by remembrauÌ„ce of the hurtes that they do ther. For they kepe the herte fro y e loue of god fro the loue of themselfe in ordre to god fro the loue of vertue from holy medytacoÌ„ns from holy desyres fro deuoute prayers from dedes of pe naunce And comonly whan the vanytees occupye it is dysposed to no vertue or to lytell Suche men wymen as moost labour to gete to kepe the plesures goodes of this worlde labour lytell to kepe ther herte but let it renne where it wyll these are grete foles for fynally these shall lese All these tran sytorye vanytees they labour moost to gete aÌ„d kepe and also themselfe from the eternyte of Joye be brought to perpetual payne in defaute y t they keped norther herte as they sholde haue done the tyme of this lyfe And those whiche gyueth lytel kepe to the wordely vanytees prosperyte but moost they applye theyr mynde how they may theyr hertes kepe wel accupyed These after the passynge of all worldely pleasures shall haue theyr hertes replenysshed with the moost delycate plesauÌ„tes hertely delytes of the glorye of god of the Inestymable blysse and Joy of the felycyte of angelles sayntes in heuen These whiche ordeyne them moost specyally to kepe ther hertes lytell sett by those thynges whiche worldely folke moost desyre are called foles in this worlde but they are called wyse of god theyr wysedom shall be coÌ„mended of all the heuenly multytude in the kyngdome of god For this cause sayth Salomon in his prouerbis ¶ Omni custodia serua cor tuuÌ„ quia ex ipÌ„o vita ê“cedit ¶ With all thy dyly gence kepe well thyn herte for therof cometh lyfe dampnable deth cometh yf it be not well keped This hert is the longynge of thy lorde god whiche hath grete plesure to abyde in it whan it is clenly keped fro fylthy mocyons of synne as he sayth in the boke of Prouerbes ¶ Delicite mee esse cuÌ„ filiis hoim ¶ My delyte is to be with the childern of men For theyr loue he becam a childe hymselfe borne of the virgyne Marye wherfore lyke as y u desyrest to be welcome to his house see that y u kepe well thyne house of thyn herte and oftentymes tourne therto dresse it y t he w t no thynge ther be offended but y t he may haue a plesure for to beholde it as he sayth in Canticê ¶ Reuertere vt intueamur te ¶ Torne ayen y t we may beholde the. He sayth not y t I may be holde the but y t we may beholde the that is to saye yf y u see well to thy selfe than I shall haue a grete plesure to see the for than I shall garnysshe thy sou le with my grace to thy moost profyte my plesure Than I exhorte the whiche retorneth not to thy selfe as y u sholde take pacyently the trybulacyon whiche our lorde sendeth the to the entente that y u shalt gyue good attendauÌ„ce to the kepynge of thyn herte forsake the loue of those wretched or vayne plesures whiche let thyn herte fro the loue of hym Thou thynkest y t thy trouble payne gretely hurteth the â–ª but it is the gretest profyte helpe that y u mayst haue in this lyfe the gretest token y t our lorde loueth the of this y u sholde be moost glad for his loue y u shalt fynde fynally to thy moost Joye comforte after this transytorye payne trouble This trybulacyon bryngeth the bothe to god to thy selfe lyke as thy vayne plesures in prosperyte had dryuen the fro bothe And for this cause payne trybulacy on is called the bande of god for it tyeth the to god lyke as prosperyte louseth the from-hym and byndeth to suche wretched peryllous liberte of y e worlde and in these bandes thou shalt lerne to knowe god and thy selfe and to chaunge thy lyfe in to an other maner of lyuynge And whan thou by holy customes of this lyfe art tyed to hym than he wyll tye the by payne to kepe the at home with hymselfe And thus he sendeth trybulacyon not only to brynge the herte home to themselfe but also to kepe it at home that it go not fro themselfe Thy lorde god deleth gracyousely with the whan he called the fro plente to pouerte I mene not that he make the to lose all thy good but whan he maketh the to sette lytell by thy good so that thyn herte is poore and naked without them that is to saye without grete affeccyon and loue of home Soo sayth Salomon ¶ Est pauper in diuicus ¶ Ther are some whiche are poore in rychesses that is to saye whiche that sette theyr herte in maner noo more on them than yf they hadde no rychesses To this goostly pouerte the whiche in the syght of almyghty god is moost habondaunt rychesse are the soules brought to hym whan that they are sore hunted by grete aduersyte and trouble and tyed to our lorde with the bande of trybulacyons And not withstandynge that our lorde kepeth the thus tyed that thou mayst not renne at thy wyll at large as y u haste ben acustomed afore tyme thynke not that thou loses therby ony lyberte but rather our lorde putteth the in more lyber te Ther is noo very perfyte lyberte of the soule but only in thynges of vertue This lyberte to renne w t thyn herte loue to vanytees or to synfull werkes of this lyfe this lyberte is thraldom not rmenda ble more than it is to suffre a seke man as he that is in an hote axes to ete drynke what he wyll desyre for his appetyte is so dysordred w t corrupt humours that comonly he desyreth those thynges whi che be mooste contrarye to his helth lyke wyse that soule is in a peryllous lyberte whiche at his owne plesure hath power to synne But whan our lorde by trybulacyon called it to hym to be the louer of vertue at lyberte this is the perfyte lyberte And y e other lyberte to synne is rather seruage for it maketh the soule seruauÌ„t to the deuyll fynally bryngeth to the bouÌ„dshyp of hym in helle And the lyber te of vertue bryngeth to the moost perfyte freedom of heuen Whan the phesycyan suffreth the pacyent to take what mete drynk y t his appetyte is moost to it is a sygne that he dyspeyreth of his helth co monly they wyll saye he is but a deed man wherfor let hym take what he wyll lyke wyse whan our lorde the grete phesycyan letteth the lyue after thy fles shely plesure maketh no restraynth by trybulacioÌ„ it is a
cupiditatibus amarissimas dissicultates to ê“picio tanto magis quamto minus sinebas dulcescere quod tu non eras ¶ In my desyres of worldely plesures I founde moost bytter dyffycultees â–ª for thorugh thy mercy thou wolde suffre noo thynge to be swete to me but only thy selfe But perauenture thou wylt saye Syr I complayne me not of the closyÌ„ge of this er thely tauerne soo that the tauerne aboue were opened to me that I myght haue some swete draÌ„ught of the wyne of contemplacyon fro thens but I fele that all the tauerners are closed to me for no solace myn herte fyndeth neyther in bodely ne in gostely thynges To this I answere that not withstandyn ge that the tauerne bynethe is shette vp yet thou shalt not meruayle why the tauerne aboufe is not opened anone to the. For after the shettynge of this y u muste desyre the lorde therof to open it to the and besechynge hym oftentyme that he wyll open it to the for the desyrynge of the openynge is to the encresse of thy meryte for the sekynge of the delyte goostly swetnesse is of more meryte than to delyte and haue delectacyon in hym for that goostly swetnesse cometh onely of hym but the labour wherby thou art ordeyned to haue his comforte cometh bothe of hym and of the by his grace wherby the dedes of thy soule and of thy bodye are acceptable to hym And therfore be not mysmade yf thou abyde a whyle at the tauerne dore afore it be opened to the For the lenger thou abydest at the dore knockynge the more thou shalt haue whan it is brought to the suffre thy thurst to waxe for the more delectable the wyne shall be to the. Dauyd the prophete forsoke the plesures of the worlde for to haue the goostly so lace from aboue and by cause he haddehem not anone he complayned hym as he that hadde payed his syluer and myght not haue his penyworth And ther he sayth ¶ Quid enim michi est in celo et a te quid voluit super terram ¶ Lorde what solace haue I desyred to haue in erthely thynges as who sayd none and yet thou gyuest me no solace from heuen Thus he speketh in the persone of a sekesoule and Impotente to abyde the ordynate workinges of god but in maner complayneth as god were in defaute to whom our lorde may answere saye frende I thanke the that thou haste forsaken the plesures of the worlde for me but yet thou haste not deserued onely to haue forgyuenes of all suche dysplesures as thou haste done in the worlde and muche more to haue the plesures of me whiche be ordeyned for hyÌ„ that are made clene and perfytly purged fro theyr offences wherby they haue dysplesed me To this saynge yet he answereth in the persone of a frayle soule thus ¶ Uelociter exaudi me defecit spiritus meus ¶ Good lorde here me hastely and graunte me that I desyre for my soule faynteneth me for taryenge and it may not lenger abyde But after the grete and contynued desyre of god he sendeth suche comforte that the soule than sayth ¶ Deus cordis mei et pars mea deus ineternum ¶ Thou art the god of myn herte and my parte euerlastynge For only thou mayst cause the Joye whiche I fe le in myn herte and of that grete Joye that thy childern shall haue in the. I truste that I shall with them be partener euerlastyngly Euer complayne of thy selfe and thynke thou art not worthy to haue goostly comforte of god thy wretchednesse is suche wherfore beseche hym that he wyll comforte theÌ„ in thy fayth that thou falle not in dyspere by the subtyll crafte of the deuyll whiche laboureth all that he can to dyscomforte the. Sette not thyn herte on worldely comforte ne desyre not of god the goostly comforte but in that tyme that it plese his mercy to gyue it the. Meke thy selfe and thou shalt haue the more as saynt Peter sayth ¶ Humiliamini sub potentem anu dei et ipse exaltabit vos ¶ Meke your selfe vnder the almyghty hande of god and he shall exalte you wherfore I couÌ„seyll the derely thankefully to take trybulacyon for this withdraweth thyÌ„ herte fro transytorye and vayne delectacoÌ„ns of this worlde maketh the desyre delectacoÌ„n in thy lorde god whiche is moost naturall to thy resonable nature in whom shall be thyn eternall Joye and felycyte THe nynthe consolacoÌ„n is to remembre how-that trybulacoÌ„n bryngeth god in to y e mynde maketh the soule to thynke on god and to bere hym in remembrauÌ„ce whiche without payne and trybulacyon sholde lytell be thought vpon Wherfore our lorde sendeth trybulacoÌ„n as propters rememberes to a dulle mynde And soo whan he beteth the by trybulacyon he techeth the to knowe hym Joyneth hymselfe to thy soule by knowlege whan thou sufferes the trybulacoÌ„ns pacyently for the loue of hym than thou Joynest thy selfe to hym And the more thy payne trouble be the more tra thou remembred of god Thou shalt vnderstande here that the Infenyte mynde of god knoweth all thynges togydre whiche euer are or euer shall be more dystynctly perfytly than ony mynde create of angell or man may vnderstande on thynges by hymselfe And he may no thynge forgete for than he sholde be mutable fro knowlege to Ignoraunce but after y e maner of spekynge of scrypture is sayd that our lord forgeteh suche as he loueth not setteth not by after the comon spekynge as we saye this man knoweth not me whan he taketh lytel kepe of me Soo our lorde suche as he loueth he knoweth by the knowlege of approbacyon ordeynynge hym to rewarde grete Joye with hym This knowlege he hath not of wretched folke y t he prayseth not he approbateth them And those after scrypture our lorde thynketh vpon whiche he sendeth comforte in trybulacyon delyuerauÌ„ce in ouercomynge in temptacoÌ„n and encresse of grace and well spen dynge of tyme by good labour occupacyon wherfore yf y u wolde be Joyned to god in thought where is the rote of thy saluacyon in forgetynge of hym the rote of dampnacyon be glad of trybulacyon for this well taken knytteth the god to gyder by blessyd medytacoÌ„n in thy sufferynge see thy mynde renne to hym than doubtles his renneth to the. The bytter trybulacyons of this lyfe make the thoughtâ— of Ihesu cryst to habonde multeplye in the hertes of his frendes lyke as the thought of man whan he is in trouble lyghtly wyll renne to his frendes whiche he trusted that specyally myght helpe hym in his vexacyon suche tyme this frende cometh ofter in his mynde than an other tyme. And thus our lorde by his suffreayne purueauÌ„ce ordeyÌ„eth medytacoÌ„ns of hym to be multeplyed in the myndes of his frendes to the gretter encresse of grace vertue in hem Wherfore in trybulacyon recomforte the in y e that y u art therby lyfe