Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

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cause_n	bring_v	good_a	let_v	1,459	5	4.0417	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13678	The following of Christ translated out of Latin into Englishe, newlie corrected and amended. VVherento also is added the golden epistle of Sainct Bernarde. And nowe lastelie the rules of a Christian lyfe, made by Iohn Picus the elder earle of Mirandula.; Imitatio Christi. English.	Cyprian, Saint, d. 304. [Swete and devoute sermon of mortalitie of man]. aut; Whitford, Richard, fl. 1495-1555?; Elyot, Thomas, Sir, 1490?-1546.; Bernard, of Clairvaux, Saint, 1090 or 91-1153. Epistola de perfectione vitae. English. aut; Pico della Mirandola, Giovanni, 1463-1494. Regulae duodecim portim excitantes portim dirigentes hominem in pugna spirituali. English.; Thomas, à Kempis, 1380-1471, attributed name.	1585 (1585)	STC 23968; ESTC S103013	152,704	352

thinge vnprofitable O Lorde thou arte alwaye one euer shalt be one alway good alway righteous and holy well righteously and blessedly disposing all thinges after thy wisedome but I wretche that alway am more redy prone to euill then to good am not alwaye abidinge in one for seuen times be chaunged vpon me Neuerthelesse it shall be better with me when it shall please thee to put to thy helpinge hand for thou onely act he that without man mayest helpe me and so cōfirme and stable me in thee that mine heart shall not so lightlie be changed from thee but that it maye be wholly fired in thee and finallye to rest in thee And verilye if I coulde cast awaye from me all mans comfort either for getting of deuotion or for that I am compelled therto of necessitie for that I finde no comfort in man then might I well trust in thy grace to haue of thee newe visitations newe heauenlie consolation But I confesse it for truth that I am vnworthy to haue anye suche consolations and I thanke thee as ofte as anye good thinge commeth to me for all that is good cōmeth of thee I am but vanitie and nought before thee an vnconstant man and a feeble and therefore whereof maye I righteously glorifie my selfe or why should I looke to be magnified Truelye vaine glorie is a perillous sickenes a greeuous pestilence a right great vanitie for it draweth a man from the true ioy that he should haue in God and robbeth him cleerelye of all heauenly grace For when a man pleaseth him selfe he displeaseth thee when he delighteth in mans praysinges he is depriued from the true vertues for the true stedfast ioye gladnes is to ioye in thee not in him selfe in thy name and not in his owne vertue nor in anye creature Therefore thy name be praysed and not mine thy workes be magnified and not mine and thy goodnes be alwaye blessed so that nothing be geuen to me of the laude and praysing of man Thou art my glory and the ioy of my hart in thee shall I be glorified and alway shall I ioy in thee and in my selfe nothinge but in my infirmities Let the Iewes seke glorye amonge them selues but I will seeke none but that is onely of thee for all mans glory all temporall honour and all worldlye highnes to thy eternall glorye compared is but as foolishnes and a great vanitie O truth O mercy O blessed trinitie to thee be laude honour and glory euerlastingly Amen Hovve all temporall honour is to be despised The 46. Chapter My sonne take it not to greefe though thou see other men honoured and exalted and thy selfe despised set at nought If thou raise vp thine hart to me in heauē the despites of man in earth shall litle greeue thee O Lord we be here in great darknes and are soone deceyued with vanities but verilie if I beheld my selfe well I should openlie see that there was neuer any wrong done to me by any creature nor that I haue nothing wherof I maye righteoussie complayne But for as muche as I haue ofte sinned and greeuouslie offended against thee therefore all creatures be armed against me To me therefore is due confusion and despite to thee lande honour and glorye And vnlesse I can bring my selfe to this point that I woulde gladlye be despised and forsaken of all creatures vtterlye to seeme as nought in the worlde I may not be inwardlye pacified nor stablished in thee nor spirituallie be illumined nor yet fully vnited to thee That our trust is not to be put in vvorldlye people The 47. Chapter My sonne if thou set thy peace with anye person for thyne owne pleasure or worldlye frendshippe thou shalt alway be vnstable and neuer shalte thou be cōtented but if thou haue alway recourse to the truth euerlasting that is God himselfe then the death or goinge awaye of thy dearest freende whatsoeuer he be shall litle greue thee The loue of thy frend ought alwaye to be referted to me and for me he is to be beloued howe good and howe profitable soeuer he seme vnto thee in this life VVithout me frēdship is nought worth nor maye not long endure nor that loue is not true and cleane that is not knit by me Thou oughtest therefore to be so mortified in all such affections of worldlie men that in as much as in thee is thou wouldest couete to be without all mans comfort So muche a man draweth nerer to God as he can withdrawe hym selfe from the worlde and from all worldlie comfort and so muche the more he ascendeth higher to God as he can descend lower in him selfe and as he can waxe vile and abiect in his owne sight He that ascribeth any goodnes to him selfe withstandeth the grace of God and letteth it to liue in him for the grace of the holye ghoste seeketh alwaye a meeke and an humble heart If thou couldest perfectly annihilate thy selfe and whollie put out of thy heart all humane and create loue then shoulde I sayth our Lorde dwell in thee with great aboundaunce of my grace But when thou lookest to creatures then is righteouslie drawen from thee the sight of thy Creator Learne therefore to ouercome thy selfe for the loue of him that made thee like to hym selfe and thou shalt anone come to great ghostlie knowledge Howe lytle soeuer the thinge be that a man loueth yf he loue it inordinatlie it hindreth and letteth him greatlie from the true and perfect loue that he shoulde haue to God That vve should eschevv vayne seculer cunninge The .48 Chapter My sonne sayth our Lorde let not fayre and subtil wordes moue thee for the kingdome of heauen standeth not in wordes but in good vertuous workes Take hede to my wordes for they enflame the harte and lighten the vnderstandinge and bringe in also compunction of harte for sinnes past and cause also ofte times great heauenlie comfort sodenly to come into the soule Reade neuer in any sciēce to the intēt thou wouldest be called wise but studie rather to mortifie in thee all stirringes of sinnes as much as in thee is that shall be more profitable to thee than the knowledge of many harde and subtill questions VVhen thou hast reade and vnderstoode many doubtes yet neuerthelesse it behoueth thee to come to one that is beginninge of all thinges that is God him selfe and els thy knowledge shall litle auayle thee I am he that teacheth a mā cūning do giue more vnderstāding to meeke persons than can be taught by mās teaching And he to whom I speake s●al soone be made wise much shall he profit in spirite when payne and wo shall be to them that onelie seeke for curious learninge takinge litle heede to the waye to serue God The time shall come when Christ Lorde of Angels and master of all masters shall appere to heare the lesson of euery creature and to examine the conscience of euery person and then shall

incumbred by an euill custome for that euill custome may be ouercome with a good custome And excuse thee not that thou art let by other men for if thou wilt leaue the familiaritie with other they will suffer thee to doe thy deedes without impediment Meddle thee not with other mens goodes neither busie thee in great mens causes haue alwaye an eye to thy selfe and diligentlie informe and admonishe thy selfe before all other If thou haue not the fauour of worldlie liuinge people sorowe not therfore but let this be thy daylie sorowe that thou behauest not thy selfe in thy conuersation as it beseemeth a good religious person for to doe It is more expedient and more profitable that a man sometime lacke consolations in this life the that he haue them alwayes after his owne will namelye fleshlie consolations Neuerthlesse that we haue not sometime heauenly consolations or that we so seldome feele them as we doe it is through our owne defaulte for we seeke not to haue the true compunction of harte nor we caste not fullie awaye from vs the false outwarde consolatiōs Holde thy selfe therfore vnworthy to haue any consolation and worthye to haue much tribulation VVhen a man soroweth perfectlye for his sinnes then all wordly cōfortes be painefull to him A good man findeth alway matter ynough why he ought iustlie so sorowe weepe for if he beholde him selfe or if he thinke on his neighbour he seeeth well that none liueth here without great miserie the more throughlie that he may consider him selfe the more sorow he hath And alwaye the matter of true sorowe and of true inwarde copunction is the remembraunce of our sinnes wherein we be so wrapped on euery side that seldome we may beholde any ghostly thinges But if we would more ofte thinke on our death then we doe on long lyfe no doubt but we should more feruentlie apply our selfe to amendment and I beeleue also that if we woulde hartily remember the paines of hell and of purgatorie that we shoulde more gladlye sustayne all labors and sorowes and that we shoulde not dreade anye paine in this world wherby we myght auoyde the paynes that are to come But forasmuch as these things goe not to the heart and we yet loue the flattering and false pleasures of this worlde therefore we remaine colde and voide of deuotiō and ofte it is through the weakenes of the spirite that the wretched bodie so lightlie complaineth Pray therfore meekelie to our Lorde that he of his great goodnes geue thee the spirite of compunction and saye with the prophete thus Feede me Lord with the breade of compunction and geue me to drinke water of teares in great abundance Of the consideringe of the miserie of mankinde and vvherein the felicitie of man standeth The .22 Chapter AVVretch thou act whosoeuer thou be withersoeuer thou turne thee but if thou turne thee to God VVhy arte thou so lightlie troubled for that it falleth not to thee as thou wouldest and desirest VVhat is he that hath all thinge after his wil neither thou nor I nor any man liuinge for none liue here without some trouble or anguishe be he kyng Or who thinkest thou is in moste fauour with God truelie he that suffreth gladlie moste for God But many persons weake and feeble in spirite saye thus in their heartes Lo howe good a life that man leadeth howe riche he is howe mightie he is how high in authoritie how great in sight of the people and how faire and beautifull in his bodily kinde but if thou take heede to the goodnes euerlastinge thou shalt well see that these worldlye goodes and worldly likinges are but litle worth and that they be more rather greuous then pleasaunt for they may not be had ne kept but by great labour and busines of minde The felicitie of man standeth not in abundance of worldlie goodes for the meane is best And verilie to liue in this world is but miserie and the more ghostlie that a man would be the more painfull it is to him for to liue for he feeleth more plainely the defaultes of mans corruption For why to eate to drinke to sleepe to wake to rest to labour and to serue all other necessities of the bodie is great miserie and great affliction to a deuout soule which woulde gladly be free from the bondage of sinne that it might without let serue our Lord in puritie of conscience and in cleannes of heart The inwarde man is greatlie greeued through the bodilie necessities in this world VVherefore the prophete Dauid desired that he might be deliuered from such necessities But woe be to them that knowe not their owne misery woe be to them that loue this wretched and this corruptible life for some loue it so muche that yf they might euer lyue here though they myght poorelye get their liuinge with labour begginge yet they would neuer care for the kingdome of heauē O madde and vnfaithfull creatures are they that so deepelie set their loue in earthly things that they haue no feeling nor taste but in fleshlie pleasures Truelie in the hour of death they shall knowe howe vile and howe naughtie it was that they so much loued But holle Saintes and deuout folowers of Christ they did not what pleased the fleshe ne what was pleasaunt in the sight of the world but all their whole intent and desire they helde to thinges inuisible and feared least by sight of thinges visible they might be drawen downe to the loue of them My welbeloued brother lose not the desire to profite in spirituall thinges for thou hast yet good time and space VVhy wilt thou any longer deferre the time Arise and now this same instant beginne and saye thus Nowe is time to laboure in good workes nowe is time to fight in ghostlie battaile and nowe is time to make amēdes for trespasse passed VVhen thou art troubled then is best time to merite and get rewardes of God It behoueth thee to go through fire and water before thou come to the place of recreation and but if thou can fullie haue the mastry ouer thy selfe thou shalt neuer ouercome sinne nor liue without great tediousnes and sorow VVe would gladlie be deliuered frō all miserie and sinne but because we haue through sinne lost our innocencie we haue lost also the verie ioye and felicitie VVherefore we must holde vs in patience and with good hope abide the mercie of God till wretchednes and miserie be ouerpassed and that this bodilie lyfe be chaunged into the life euerlastinge O how great is the frailtie of man that he is euer readie and prone to sinne This daye thou art confessed and to morow thou fallest againe Now thou purposest to beware and intendest to go forth stronglie in good workes and shortlie after thou doest as thou neuer haddest taken such purpose Rightfullie theréfore we ought to meeke our selfe and neuer to thinke in vs any vertue or goodnes for that we be so fraile vnstable

vnwoorthy al comfort I blesse thee and glorifye thee alwaye with thy onelye begotten sonne and the holy Ghoste without endinge Amen O my Lord God moste faythfull louer when thou commest into my heart all mine inwarde partes doe ioye Thou art my glorie and the ioye of my heart my hope and wholle refuge in all my troubles But forasmuche as I am yet feeble in loue vnperfect in vertue therefore I haue neede of more comforte and helpe of thee Vouchsafe therefore ofte times to visite and instruct me with thy holye teachinges Deliuer me from all euill passions and heale my sicke hart from all inordinate affections that I may be inwardlie healed and purged from all inordinate affections and vices and be made apte and able to loue thee stronge to suffer for thee and stable to perseuer in thee Loue is a great thinge and a good and onelie maketh heauye burdens light and beareth in like balaunce things pleasaūt and displeasant it beareth a heauie burden and feeleth it not and maketh bitter thinges to be sauerie and sweete Also the noble loue of Iesu perfectlie printed in mans soule maketh a man to doe great thinges and stirreth him alwaye to desire perfection and to growe more and more in grace and goodnes Loue will alwaye haue his minde vpwarde to god and will not be occupied with loue of the worlde Loue will also be free from all worldlie affections that the inwarde sight of the soule be not darked or let nor that his affectiō to heauenly thinges be put from his free libertie by inordinat winninge or losinge of worldly thinges Nothinge therefore is more sweete then loue nothinge higher nothinge stronger nothinge larger nothinge ioyfuller nothinge fuller nor any thinge better in heauen or in earth for loue descendeth from God and may not rest finallie in anye thinge lower then God Suche a louer flieth high he runneth swiftlie he is merie in God he is free in soule he geneth all for all and hath all in all for he resteth in one high goodnes aboue all thinges of whom all goodnes floweth and proceedeth the beholdeth not onelee the gifte but the geuer aboue all giftes Loue knoweth no measure but is feruent without measure It feeleth no burden it regardeth no labour it desireth more thē it may attaine it complaineth of none impossibilitie for it thinketh all thinge that maye be done for his beloued possible and lawfull vnto him Loue therefore doth many great thinges and bringeth them to effect wherein he that is no louer fainteth and faileth Loue waketh muche and sleepeth litle and sleepinge sleepeth not it fainteth and is not werie is restrained of libertie and is in great freedome He seeth causes of feare and feareth not but as a quicke bronde or sparkle of fire flameth alwaye vpwarde by feruoure of loue into God through the especiall helpe of grace is deliuered from all perils and daungers He that is thus a ghostlie louer knoweth well what his voyce meanes which sayeth thus Thou Lorde God art my wholle loue and my desire thou art all mine and I all thine Spreade thou my heart into thy loue that I may taste and feele howe sweete it is to serue thee and how ioyful it is to laude thee aud to be as I were all molten into thy loue O I am bounden in loue and go farre aboue my selfe for the wonderfull great feruour that I feele of thy vnspeakeable goodnes I shall singe to thee the songe of loue and I shall folowe thee my beloued by highnes of thought wheresoeuer thou go and my soule shall neuer be werie to prayse thee with the ioyfull songe of ghostlie loue that I shall sing to thee I shall loue thee more then my selfe and not my selfe but for thee and all other in thee and for thee as the lawe of loue commaundeth which is geuen by thee Loue is swifte pure meeke ioyous and glad stronge patient faythfull wise forbearing manlye neuer seeking him selfe nor his owne will for whensoeuer a man seeketh him selfe he falleth fro loue Also loue is circumspect meeke righteous not tender not light nor heedinge vayne thinges sober chaste stable quiet and well stabled in his outwarde wittes Also loue is subiect and obedient to his prelate vile and despisable in his owne sight deuout and thankfull to God trusting and alwaye hoping in him and that whē he hath but litle deuotion or litle sauor in him for without some sorowe or payne no man may lyue in loue He that is not alwaye redy to suffer and to stand fullye at the will of his beloued is not woorthy to be called a louer for it behoueth a louer to suffer gladlye all harde and bitter thinges for his beloued and not to decline from his loue for no contrariou thing that may befall vnto him Of the proufe of a true louer of God The 7. Chapter MY sonne saith our Sauiour Christe thou art not yet a stronge and a wyse louer for whye for a litle aduersitie thou leauest anone that thou haste begon in my seruice and with great desire thou seekest outward consolatiōs But a strong and a faithful louer of God standeth stable in all aduersities and geueth litle heede to the deceitfull persuasions of the enemy and as he pleseth him in prosperitie so he displeaseth him not in aduersitie A wise louer cōsidereth not so much the gifte of his louer as he doth the loue of the geuer He regardeth more the loue then the gifte and accompteth all giftes litle in comparison of his beloued who geueth them to him A noble louer resteth not in the gifte but in me aboue all giftes Furthermore it is not all lost though thou sometime feele lesse deuotion to me and to my Saintes then thou wouldest doe on that other syde the sweete ghostly desire that thou feelest sometime to thy Lord Iesu is the feleable gift of grace geuen to thy comfort in this life a taste of the heauenly glory in the lyfe to come but it is not good that thou leane ouermuch to such cōfortes for they ligthly come and go after the will of the geuer but to striue alwaye without ceassing against all euill motiōs of sinne and to despise all the suggestions of the enemy is a token of perfect loue of great merite singuler grace Let no vanities nor no strange fantasies trouble thee of what matter soeuer they be Keepe thine intent and thy purpose alway whole and strong to me and thinke not that it is an illusion that thou art sodenlie rauished into excesse of minde and that thou art soone after turned agayne to thy fyrst lightnesse of hart for thou suffrest suche lightnesse rather against thy will than with thy will And therefore if thou be displeased therewith it shal be to thee great merite and no perdition I knowe sayth our Lorde that the olde auncient enimie the feende will assay to let thy good wil and to extinct the good desire that thou hast to

haste vouchedsafe to serue man thy selfe and haste promised to geue thy selfe vnto hym VVhat shall I then geue to thee agayne for this thousand folde goodnes woulde to God that I might serue thee all the dayes of my lyfe or at the least that I might one daye be able to doe thee faythfull seruice for thou art woorthye all honour seruice and praysinge for euer Thou art my Lorde and my God and I thy poorest seruant most bounde before all other to loue thee and prayse thee and I neuer ought to ware werye of the praysinge of thee And that is it that I aske and that I desire that is to say that I may alway laude and prayse thee Vouchsafe therfore moste mercifull Lord to supply that wanteth in me for it is great honour to serue thee all earthly thinges to despise for the loue of thee They shal haue great grace that freely submit thē selues to thy holye seruice And they shall finde also the moste sweete consolation of the holye ghoste and shall haue great freedome of spirit that here forsake all worldlye busines and choose a harde and straite lyfe in this worlde for thy name O free and ioyfull seruice of God by the which a man is made free holy and also blessed in the sight of God O holye state of religion which maketh a man lyke to aungels pleasant to God dreadefull to wicked spirites and to all faythfull people right highlye commendable O seruice much to be embraced and alwaye to be desired by whom the high goodnes is wonne and the euerlasting ioye and gladnes is gotten without ende That the desires of the heart ought to be vvell examined and moderated The 12. Chapter My sonne sayth our Lorde it behoueth thee to learne many thinges that thou haste not yet well lerned VVhat be they Lorde that thou order thy desires and affections wholly after my pleasure and that thou be not a louer of thy selfe but a desirous folower of my wil in all things I knowe well that desires ofte moue to this thing or to that but cōsider well whether thou be moued principally for mine honour or for thine owne If I be in the cause thou shalt be wel contented whatsoeuer I doe with thee but if any thinge remayne in thy harte of thine owne will that is it that letteth and hindreth thee Beware therefore that thou leane not muche to thine owne desire without my councell least happly it repent thee and displease thee in the ende that firste pleased thee Euerye affection and desyre of mans hart that seemeth good and holye is not forthwith to be folowed nor euery contrarious affection or desire is not hastily to be refused It is sometime right expedient that a man refraine his affections and desires though they be good least happlye by his importunitie he fall into vnquietnes of minde or that he be a let to other or be letted by other and so faile in his doinge and sometime it behoueth vs to vse as it were a violence to our selfe and stronglye to resist and breake downe our sensuall appetite and not to regard what the fleshe will or will not but alwaye to take hede that it be made subiect to the will of the spirite and that it be so long chastised and compelled to serue till it be ready to all thing that the soule commaundeth that it can learne to be cōtent with a litle and can delight in simple thinges and not to murmure nor to grudge for any cōtrarious thinges that may befall vnto it Hovv vve should keepe patience and continually stryue agaynst all concupiscence The .13 Chapter O My Lord God as I heare say patience is muche necessarie vnto me because of many contrarious thinges which in this life daylie chaunce I see well that howesoeuer I doe order my selfe for peace yet can not my life be without some battaile and sorowe My sonne it is true that thou sayest wherfore I will not that thou seeke to haue suche peace as wanteth temptations or as feeleth not some cōtradictiō But that thou trow beleue that thou hast found peace whē that thou hast many troubles and art proued with many cōtrarious thinges in this worlde And if thou saye thou mayest not suffer suche thinges how shalt thou then suffer the fire of Purgatory Of two euils the lesse euill is to be taken Suffer therefore patientlie the litle paines of this world that thou mayest hereafter escape the greater in the worlde to come Trowest thou that worldlye men suffer litle or nothing yes truely thou shalt find none without some trouble though thou seeke the most delicat persons that be But percase thou sayest to me againe they haue many delectations folowe their owne pleasures so much that they ponder but litle all their aduersities VVell I will it be as thou sayest that they haue all that they can desire but howe longe trowest thou that it shall endure Soothly it shal sodenlye vanish awaye as smoke in the ayre so that there shall not be lefte anye remembraunce of their ioyes passed yet when they liued they were not without great bitternes and griefe for ofte times of the same thing wherein they had their greatest pleasure receaued they after great trouble and payne righteouslie came that vnto them that forasmuche as they sought delectations and pleasures inordinatelye that they shoulde not fulfill their desire therein but with greate bitternes and sorowe O howe shorte howe false and howe inordinate be all the pleasures of this worlde Soothlye for dronkenship and blindnes of hearte the worldlye people perceaue it not nor wil not perceaue it but as dombe beastes for a lytle plesure of this corruptible life they runne headlonge into euerlastinge death Therefore my sonne go not after thy concupiscence but turne thee lightly from thine owne wil. Delite thee in god and fixe thy loue stronglye in him and he shall geue thee the asking of thine heart And if thou wilt haue cōsolation aboundantlye and wilt receaue the soothfast comfort that commeth of God dispose thy selfe fullye to despise this world and put from thee whollye all inordinate delectations and thou shalt haue plēteously the comfort of God And the more that thou with drawest thee from the consolation of all creatures the more sweete blessed consolations shalte thou receaue of thy creatoure But soothlye thou canst not at the first come to such cōsolations but with heauines and laboure goinge before thy olde custome will somewhat withstande thee but with a better custome it may be ouercome The flesh will murmure against thee but with feruour of spirite it shall be restrained The olde auncient enemy thee freende wil ●et thee if he can but with deuout prayer He shall be driuen awaye and with good bodilye and ghostlye laboures his waye shalbe stopped so that he shall not dare come nigh vnto thee Of the obedience of a meeke subiect after the example of our Lorde Iesu Christe The 14.

fruit and highest remedie to be in receauinge of this biessed Sacrament inforceth him by all the wayes that he can to let and withdrawe all faythfull and deuout people from it as muche as he can and therefore some men whē they dispose them selues to it haue more greater temptations then they had before for as it is written in Iob the wicked spirit commeth amonge the children of God that he maye by his olde malice and wickednes trouble them or make them ouermuch fearefull and perplexed so that he maye diminishe their affection or take awaye their fayth if happilie he maye thereby make them eyther vtterlye to ceasse from beinge houseled or els that they goe to it with litle deuotion But it is not any thing to care for al his craftes and phantasies howe vyle and vgglye soeuer they be but all phantasies are to be throwen agayne at is owne head and he so far to be despised that for all his assaults and cōmotions that he can stirre vp the holy communion be not omitted Sometime ouer much curiousnes to haue deuotion or ouer great doubt of making confession letteth muche this holye purpose Doe therefore after the counsayle of wise men and put awaye all doubtfulnes and scrupulousnes for they let the grace of God and destroy whollie the deuotion of the minde Also it is not good that for any litle trouble or griefe that thou leaue this holie worke but go lightlie and be confessed and forgeue gladlye all that haue offended thee And if thou haue offēded any other meekelie aske of them forgeueues and God shall right mercifully forgeue thee VVhat profiteth it longe to tarie from confession or to deferre this holie Communion Purge thee first and quickelie cast out thy venim and haste thee after to take the medicine and thou shalt feele more profite thereby then yf thou tariedst lōger for it If thou deferre it to daye for this thinge or that to morowe we may happen to come a greater and so thou mayest be let longe from thy good purpose and be made afterwarde more vnapt vnto it Therfore as soone as thou canst discharge thy selfe from suche heauines and dulnes of minde and fro all slouth for it nothing profiteth long to be anguished long to go with trouble to sequester him selfe for suche dayly obstacles fro the diuine misteries but it doeth great hurt and cōmonly bringeth in greath slouth and lacke of deuotion But alas for sorowe some slouthfull and dissolute persons gladlye seeke causes to tarye from confession and so defer the longer this holye Communion and that they doe to the intent that they shoulde not be bounde to geue them selues to any more sure kepinge of them selues in time to come then they haue done before But alas howe litle charitie and slender deuotion haue they that so lightly leaue of so holie a thing howe happie is he and howe acceptable to God that so liueth and that so keepeth his cōscience in such cleannes that he is euerie daye readie hath good affection to be housled if it were lawfull vnto him that he might doe it without note or slaunder He that sometime abstaineth of meekenes or for any other lawfull impediment is to be praysed for his reuerence but yf it be through slouthfulnes he ought to quicken him selfe and to doe that in him is and our Lorde shall strengthen his desire for his good will for to a good will our Lorde hath alwaye a speciall respect and when he is lawfullie let he shall haue a good will and a meeke intent to it and so he shall not want the fruite of the Sacrament And verilie euerie deuout man maye euerye daye and euerye houre go healthfullie and without prohibition vnto the spirituall Cōmunion of Christe that is to saye in remembringe of his passion and neuerthelesse in certaine dayes and times he is bounde to receaue Sacramentally the bodie of his Redemer with a great reuerēce and rather to pretende therein the laude and honour of God then his owne consolation For so ofte a man is housled misticallye and inuisibly as he remembreth deuoutly the misterie of the incarnation of Christ and his passion and is thereby kindled into his loue He that doeth prepare him selfe for none other cause but because the feast is comminge or the custome compelleth him therto he shall cōmonlie be vnready to it Blessed is he therefore that as ofte as he sayth Masse or is housled offereth him selfe vnto our Lorde in holie Sacrifice Be not in sayinge Masse ouer longe nor ouer short but keepe the good common waye as they doe with whom thou liuest for thou oughtest not do that shoulde greeue other or make them tedious but to keepe the common waye after the ordinance of the holie fathers and rather to confirme thy selfe to that that shall be profitable to other then to folowe thine owne deuotion or priuate pleasure That the bodye of Christe and holye Scripture are moste necessarye for the health of mans soule The .11 Chapter O Moste sweetest Iesu howe great sweetenes is it to a deuout soule when he is fedde with thee at thy heauenlie feast where there is none other meate brought forth to eate but thou his onely beloued and that art most desirable to him aboue all the desires of his heart And verilie it shoulde be sweete and pleasaunt to me by an inwarde and meeke affection to weepe before thee and with the blessed woman Marie Magdalene to washe thy feete with the teares of mine eyes But where is that deuotion where is that plenteous sheddinge out of holie teares Certainlie all my heart ought to breune and to weepe for ioye in the sight of thee and of thy holye Angels for I haue thee verilye present with me though thou be hid vnderr another likenesse for to behold thee in thy proper and diuine cleerenes mine eyes might not beare it neither all the worlde might susteyne to see thee in the cleerenes and glorye of thy maiestie Therefore thou greatly helpest my weaknes in that thou hidest thy selfe vnder this blessed Sacrament I haue him verily worship him whom Angels worship in heauen but I onely in faith and they in open sight and in thine owne likenes without any couerture It behoueth me to be content in the light of true faith and therein to walke till the day of euerlasting eleerenes shall appeare and that the shadowe of figures shall go awaye VVhen that that is perfect shall come all vse of Sacramentes shall ceasse for they that be blessed in the heauēly glorie haue no neede of this Sacramental medicine for they ioye without end in the presence of God beholding his glory face to face so transformed fro clerenes to clerenes of the godhead they tast the glorye of the sonne of God made man as he was in his godhead fro the beginninge and shall be euerlasting VVhen I remember all these maruailous comfortes whatsoeuer solace I haue in this world though it be