are very displeasing vnto me I will neuer commit them any more but I am sory and will be sory for thē as long as I liue and am ready to do pennance and to satisfy for thē to the vttermost of my power Forgiue me o God forgiue me my sinnes for thy holy names sake saue my foule which thou hast redeemed with thy precious Bloud Behould I commit my selfe vnto thy mercy I refigne my selfe ouer into thy hands Do with me according to thy goodnesse not according to my wickednes and manifold iniquity 4. I offer vp also vnto thee all whatsoeuer is good in me although it be very little and imperfect that thou maist amend and sanctify it that thou maist make it gratefull and acceptable vnto thee and alwaies perfect more and more that which thou hast begun and bring me also who am the slouthfull and vnprofitable creature to a good and blessed end 5. I offer vp also vnto thee all the Godly desires of deuout persons the necessities of my parents friends my brethren sisters of al those that are deere vnto me that haue done good either to myself or others for thy loue and that haue desired me to say Maste and pray for them all theirs whether they be yet aliue or already dead that they all may receaue the help of thy grace and comfort protection from dangers delinery from paine and being freed from all euills may ioyfully giue worthy thankes to thee 6. I offer vp also vnto thee my prayers and sacrifices especially for them who haue in any thing wronged grieued or slaundered me or haue done me any domage or displeasure and for those also whome I haue at any time grieued troubled and scandalized by words or deeds wittingly or at vnawares that it may please thee to forgiue vs al our sinnes offences one against the other Take o Lord from our harts all iealousie all indignation wrath contention and whatsoeuer may hurt Charity and weaken brotherly loue Haue mercy o Lord haue mercy on those that craue thy mercie giue grace vnto them that stand in need thereof and graunt that we may be worthy to enioy thy grace and attaine to life euerlasting Amen CHAP. X. That the holy Communion is not lightly to be forborne The voice of the Beloued THOV oughtest often to haue recourse to the Fountaine of grace and of diuine mercy to the Fountaine of goodnesse and of all piety that thou maist be cured of thy sinnes and passions and deserue to be made more strong and vigilant against all temptations and deceipts of the Diuell The enemie knowing the greatest profit and remedie to consist in the holy Communion endeauoureth by all meanes and occasions to withdraw and hinder faithfull and deuout persons from it 2. Some when they purpose to receaue the sacred Communion suffer greatest assaultes of the Diuell For that wicked spirit as is written in Iob cōmeth amongst the Sonnes of God to trouble them with his accustomed malice impiety or to make them ouer fearfull perplexed that so he may diminish their affection or by his subtile assaultes take away their faith to the end they may either altogeather abstaine frō this diuine food or at least come vnto it with lesse deuotiō But there is no heed to be taken of his frauds and malicious suggestions be they neuer so filthy and hideous but all is to be turned back vpon his owne head We ought to contemne and scorne him miserable wreth and not to omit the sacred communion for his assaults and the troubles which he raiseth 3. Oftentimes also an excessiue care for the obtaining of deuotion and a certaine anxiety for the making of our Confession hindreth vs. Follow in these occasions the counself of the wise and put away all anxiety and scruple for it hindreth the grace of God and ouerthroweth deuotion Omit not for euery small vexation of the mind which happeneth to receaue this holy Sacrament but go presently to confession and willingly forgiue others whatsoeuer offences they haue done against thee and if thou hast offended any humbly craue pardon and God will willingly forgiue thee What auaileth it to delay confession and to defer receauing Purge thy selfe with speed spit out the venom presently make hast to take a remedy and thou shalt find it better then if thou deferredst it long If thou omittest it to day for this cause perhaps to morrow some greater will fall out so thou maist be hindred a long time from these diuine mysteries and become more vnfit Stirre vp thy selfe and shake off all heauinesse and flouth with the greatest force and speed thou canst For it profiteth nothing to cōtinue long in disquietnes and trouble of mind and for daily occurring impediments to withdraw thy selfe from the Sacraments Yea it hurteth very much to defer Communion long for it is wont to breed a great and dangerous dulnesse Alas some cold and dissolute people do willingly delay their confession do therfore defer the sacred Communion least they should be bound to greater watch ouer themselues 5. O how little charity weake deuotion haue they that so easily omit the receauing of these holy mysteries How happy is he and gratefull to God who ordereth so his life and keepeth his conscience in such purity that he may be readie and fit to communicate euery day if it were conuenient might be done without note If any one sometimes abstaine of humility or by reason of some lawfull impediment he is to be commended for the reuerence which therin he sheweth But if it proceedeth of coldnesse he must stir himselfe vp do what lieth in him and God will prosper his desire for the good will he hath to do it which God doth chiefly respect 6. And when any lawfull hindrance doth happen he must alwaies haue yet a good will and louing desire to communicate and so shall he not loose the fruit of the Sacrament For a deuout person may euery day and houre profitably and without let receauc Christ spiritually and yet on certaine daies and at time appointed he ought to receaue Sacramentally with a reuerend desire the Bodie of his Redeemer and rather seeke the honour and glory of God 1. Cor. 11. then his owne comfort For he cōmunicateth mystically and 〈◊〉 inuisibly fed as often as he deuoutly calleth to mind the mysterie of the Incarnation and the Passion of Christ and is inflamed with his loue 7. He that prepareth not himself but when a feast draweth neere and when custome compelleth him therunto shall often be vnprepared Blessed is he that offereth himselfe vp as an Holocaust burnt offring to our Lord as often as he doth celebrate or communicate Be not too long nor too short in saying Masse but keep the accustomed manner of those with whome thou liuest Thou oughtest not to be tedious troublesom to others but to obserue the common course according to the appointment of thy Superiours
please others by our company and we rather distast them with our disordered manners and the euill customes which they discouer in vs. CHAP. IX Of Obedience and Subiection IT is a great matter to liue in Obedience to be vnder a Superiour and not to be at our owne disposition It is much safer to liue in the state of subiection then of gouernment Many liue vnder Obedience rather for necessity then for charity and such are discontented and do easily repine and murmure Neither can they attaine to freedome of mind vnlesse they willingly and hartily put themselues vnder Obedience for the loue of God Go whither thou wilt thou shalt-find no rest but in humble subiection vnder the gouernment of a Superiour The imagination and change of places haue deceiued many 2. True it is that euery one willingly doth that which agreeth with his owne sense and liking and is apt to affect those most that are of his owne mind But if God be amongst vs we must leaue our owne iudgment that so peace and quietnes may be the better preserued Who is so wise that he can fully know all things Trust not therfore too much to thine owne conceipts but be willing to heare the iudgment of others If that which thou thinkest be good and notwithstanding dost leaue it for God and followest the opinion of another it shall be better for thee 3. I haue often heard that it is more secure to heare and take counsell then to giue it It may also fall out that ech ones opinion may be good but to refuse to yield to others when as reason or cause requireth it is a token of wilfullnes and pride CHAP. X. Of the auoyding superfluity of words FLY the vnquietnes of men as much as thou canst Matt. 4. 14. for the talke of worldly affaires hindreth very much although they be recounted with sincere intention for we are quickely defiled Ioan. 6. and as it were enthralled with vanity I could wish that I had often times held my peace when I haue spoken and that I had not byn in company Why do we so willingly speake and talke one with another when notwithstanding we seldom returne to silence without hurt of conscience The cause wherfore we so willingly talke is for that by discoursing one with another we seeke to receaue comfort one of another and desire to ease our mind ouer-wearied with sundry thoughts Matt. 7. and we talke willingly and thinke of those things which we loue best Rom. 2. and most desire or of those which we feele most contrary vnto vs. 2. But alas often times in vaine and to no end for this outward comfort is cause of no small losse of inward and diuine consolation Therfore we must watch and pray least our time passe without any fruit or profit If it be lawfull and expedient for thee to speak speak those things that may edify An euill custome and neglect of our owne good doth very much slacke the raynes to inconsiderate speach Act. 1. Yet deuout discourses of heauēly things do greatly further our progresse in spirit Rom. 15. especially where persons of one mind and spirit be gathered togeather in God CHAP. XI Of the obteyning of peace and zeale of spirituall profit VVE might enioy peace if we would not busie our selues with the words and deedes of other men which appertaine nothing to our charge How can he liue long in peace that thrusteth himselfe into the cares of others or that litle or seldom recollecteth himselfe within his owne breast Blessed are the simple and pure minds for they shall enioy much peace 2. What is the reason why some of the Saints were so perfect and contemplatiue Because they laboured to mortify thēselues wholy to earthly desires and therefore they could with their whole hart giue themselues to God and freely attend to their owne affaires We are too much lead by our owne passions and too solicitous for transitory things We also seldome ouercome any one vice perfectly and are not inflamed with a feruent desire to profit in spirit and therfore we remaine cold in deuotion and full of tepidity 3. If we were perfectly dead vnto our selues and not intangled within our owne breasts then we might also haue some tast of diuine things and feele the sweetnesse of heauenly contemplation The greatest and indeed the whole impediment is for that we are not free frō our passions and disordered inclinations neither do we endeauour to enter into that path of perfection which the Saints haue walked before vs and when any small aduersity befalleth vs we are too quickly deiected and turne our selues to human comforts 4. If we endeauour like men of courage to stand continually in the battaile surely we should feele the fauourable assistance of God frō heauen For he who giueth vs occasion to fight to the end we may get the victory is ready to succour those that fight manfully and do trust in his grace If we esteeme our progresse in Religious life to consist only in these exteriour obseruations our deuotion will quickly be at an end Let vs set the axe to the roote that being freed from passions we may enjoy true peace of mind 5. If euery yeare we would root out one vice we should quickly become perfect men But now often times we perceaue it goeth contrary and that we were better and of a more pure conscience at the beginning of our conuersion then after many yeares of our profession Our feruour and profit should increase daily but now it is accōpted a great matter if one can retaine but some part of his first spirit If we would vse but a little violence in the beginning then should we be able to performe all things afterwards with ease and ioy of hart 6. It is a hard matter to leaue that to which we are accustomed but harder to do against our owne wils But if thou dost not ouercome little and easy things how wilt thou ouercome harder matters Resist thy inclination in the first motions and breake off euill customes least perhaps by little and little they draw thee to greater difficulty O if thou didest consider how much inward peace vnto thy selfe and ioy to others thou shouldest procure by demeaning thy selfe well I suppose thou wouldest be more carefull of thy spiritual profit CHAP. XII Of the profit of Aduersity IT is good that we haue sometimes griefe and aduersities for they often make a man enter into himselfe and remember that he is heere in banishment and ought not to place his trust in any worldly thing It is good that we be sometimes contradicted that there be an euill or hard conceipt had of vs and this although we do and intend well These things help often to the attayning of humility and defend vs from vaine-glory for then we chiefly seeke God for our inward witnesse when outwardly we be contemned by men and whēn there is no credit giuen vnto vs. 2.
how sweet and comfortable a thing it is to see the seruants of Christ feruent and deuout endued with vertuous and decent manners And on the contrary how pittifull and grieuous a thing it is to see them that liue in a dissolute and disordered sort not applying themselues to that for which they were called O how great domage and great danger it is to neglect the good purposes of their vocation and to busy themselues in that which appertaineth not vnto them Eccles 3. nor is committed to their care 6. Be mindfull of the purpose thou hast made and haue alwaies before the eyes of thy soule the picture of thy Sauiour crucifyed Thou hast good cause to be ashamed looking vpon the life of Christ seing thou hast so slackly endeauoured to conforme thy selfe vnto him though thou hast walked a long time in the way of the seruice of God A religious person that exerciseth himselfe seriously and deuoutly in the most holy life and passion of our Lord shall there aboundantly find whatsoeuer is necessary and profitable for him neither shall he need to seeke any thing elswhere Gal. 2. 6. but only in Iesus O if Iesus crucifyed would come into our harts how quickly and fully should we be instructed in all truth 7. A feruent religious person taketh and beareth all well that is commanded him but he that is negligent and cold hath tribulation vpon tribulation and on all sides is afflicted for he is void of inward consolation is forbidden to seck externall comforts A religious person that liueth not according to discipline is in great danger of the ruine of his soule He that seeketh liberty and ease shall euer liue in disquiet for one thing or other will alwaies displease him 8. How do so many other religious persons who liue vnder the strict rule of Monasticall discipline They seldome go abroad they liue retiredly they feed meanly they are cloathed coursely they labour much speak little watch long rise early spend much time in prayer read often and keep themselues in all kind of discipline Consider the Carthusians Cistercians and the Religious men and women of diuers Orders how they rise euery night to sing praises vnto God And how vnseemly then it is for thee to be slouthfull in so holy a worke when as so great multitudes of religious persons do begin to glorify God 9. O that we had nothing els to do but alwaies with our mouth and whole hart to praise our Lord God! O that thou mightest neuer haue need to eate nor drinke nor sleepe but mightest alwaies praise God and only imploy thy selfe in the exercises of spirit thou shouldst then be much more happy then now thou art when for so many necessities thou art cōstrained to serue thy body Would God these necessities were not at all but only the spirituall refections of the soule which alas we tast of too seldome 10. When a man commeth to that estate that he seeketh no comfort of any creature then doth he begin to take perfect contentment delight in God Then shall he be contented with whatsoeuer doth befall him in this world Then shall he neither reioyce in great matters Rom. 11. nor be sorrowfull for small but with great integrity and confidence commit himselfe to God who shall be vnto him all in all to whom nothing doth perish nor dy but all things do liue vnto him and serue him at a beck without delay 11. Remember alwaies the end Eccles 7. and how that time lost neuer returnes Without care and diligence thou shalt neuer get vertues If thou beginnest to wax could Apoc. 3. it will be euill with thee but if thou giue thy selfe to feruour of spirit thou shalt find much peace and feele lesse labour through the assistance of Gods grace and loue of vertue The feruent and diligent man is ready and prepared for all things Eccls. 19. It is harder to resist vices and passions then to toile in bodily labours He that auoideth not small faults by little and little falleth into greater Thou wilt alwaies reioyce in the euening if thou spend the day profitably Be watchfull ouer thy selfe stir vp thy selfe warne thy selfe and whatsoeuer becomes of others neglect not thy selfe The greater violence thou vsest against thy selfe the more thou shalt profit The end of the first Booke OF THE FOLLOVVING OF CHRIST THE SECOND BOOKE CHAP. I. Of spirituall conuersation THE kingdome of God is within you Luc 7. saith our Lord. Ioel. 2. Turne thee with thy whole hart vnto our Lord and forsake this miserable world and thy soule shall find rest Learne to despise exteriour things Rom. 19. to giue thy self to the interiour thou shalt perceaue the kingdome of God to come into thee For the king dome of God is peace and ioy in the holy Ghost which is not giuen to the wicked Christ will come vnto thee Psal 44. and shew thee his diuine comfort if thou prepare for him a worthy mansion within thee All his glory and beauty is within and there he pleaseth himselfe The inward man he often visits and hath with him sweet discourses pleasant comfort much peace wonderfull familiarity 2. O faithfull soule make ready thy hart for this bridegrome that he may vouchsafe to come vnto thee and dwell within thee For he saith If any loue me he wil keep my word and we will come vnto him Ioan. 14. and will make our aboad with him Giue therfore vnto Christ a place in thy hart and deny entrance to all others When thou hast Christ thou art rich and he wil suffice thee He will be thy faithfull and prouident helper in all things so as thou shalt not need to trust in men For men are soone changed and quickly decay but Christ remaineth for euer Ioan. 12. and standeth firmely vnto the end 3. There is little trust to be put in a fraile and mortall man Hier. 17. though he be profitable and deare vnto thee neither oughtest thou much to be grieued if somtimes he crosse and contradict thee They that to day take thy part to morrow may be against thee and so on the contrary they often turne like vnto the wind Put all thy trust in God and feare and loue him 1. Pet. 5. Heb. 13. He will answere for thee and do in al things what is best Thou hast not heere a dwelling Citty and whersoeuer thou be thou art a stranger and pilgrime neither shalt thou euer haue rest vnlesse thou be perfectly vnited vnto Christ 4. Why dost thou linger and make delaies heere Phil. 3. since this is not the place of thy rest In heauē ought to be thy dwelling Sap. 5. and all earthly things are to be regarded as it were in the way All things passe away and thou togeather with them Beware thou cleaue not vnto them least thou be enthralled and so doest perish Let thy thought be on the highest
thee and now againe I say the same Forsake thy selfe resigne thy selfe Matt. 16. and thou shalt enioy internal peace Giue all for all seeke nothing require nothing repose thy selfe purely and with a full confidence in me and I will giue my selfe vnto thee darknes shall not couer thee Let this be thy whole endeauourâ— let this be thy praier let this be thy desire that casting of all propriety thou maist all naked follow thy naked Sauiour Iesus and dying to thy selfe maist liue eternally to me Then shal vaine fantasies euill perturbations and all superfluous cares fly away then shall immoderate feare leaue thee inordinate loue shall dye CHAP. XXXVIII Of good gouernment in outward things and of recourse to God in dangers SONNE †Our Lord. thou oughtest with all diligence to procure that in euery place and action or externall businesse thou be inwardly free maister of thy selfe that all things be vnder thy disposition and thou not subiect to them that thou maist be Lord Maister of thy actions not a seruant or a hireling but rather a freeman and a true Hebrew belonging to the lot and freedome of the sones of God who put the things that are present vnder their feet place their thoughts on that which is eternall who looke on transitory things with the left eye and with the right do behould the thinges of heauen who suffer not themselues to be drawne to cleaue vnto them but rather dispose and vse them as they are ordained by God and appointed by the Creatour of all who hath left nothing in his creatures without due order 2. If thou remayne firme and stedfast in all euents and doest not weigh by the outward apparence not with a carnall eye the thinges which thou seest hearest Exod. 33. but presently in euery occasion doest enter with Moyses into the Tabernacle to aske counsell of our Lord thou shalt sometimes heare the diuine and celestiall oracle and shalt returne instructed of many thinges both present and to come Moyses had alwaies recourse to the Tabernacle for the deciding of all doubts obscure questions and fled to the help of prayer for the remedy of the iniquity and dangers of men So oughtest thou in like maner to fly to the closet of thy hart earnestly crauing the diuine fauour For the Scripture testifieth that therfore was Iosue the children of Israel deceaued by the Gabaonites Iosue 9. because they consulted not first with God but giuing too lightly credit to fayre wordes were deluded with counterfait piety CHAP. XXXIX That a man be not ouer earnest in his affaires SONNE †Our Lord. alwaies commit thy cause to me I will dispose well of it in due time expect my ordination and thou shalt find it wil be for thy good Lord * The Seruant I do most willingly commit all vnto thee for my care can profit little O that I cleaued not too much to future euents but offered my selfe with all readinesse of mind to thy diuine pleasure 2. Sonne †Our Lord. oftentimes a man doth earnestly labour for that which he desireth and when he hath gotteÌ„ it he beginneth to be of another mind and not to esteen e so much of it as before he did for mans affections do not long continue fixed on one thing but do passe from one to another Iâ— is therfore a matter not of least moment to forsake our selues euen in the least things 3. The true spirituall profit of man consisteth in denying and forsaking of himselfe and he that is resigned liueth in great freedome and security But the ancient enemy who alwaies laboureth to withstand the seruants of God 1. Pet. 5. omitteth at no time his wonted temptations but day and night lieth still in waite to cast the vnwary if he can into the snare of deceipt Watch therfore pray saith our Lord Matt. 26. that you enter not into temptation CHAP. XL. That man hath no good of himsefe nor anything whereof he can glory LORD * The Seruant Psal 8. what is man that thou art mindful of him or the soone of man that thou vouchsafest to visit him What hath man deserued that thou shouldest giue him thy grace Lord what cause haue I to complaine if thou forsake me Or if thou doest not that which I desire what can I iustly say against it Surely this I may truely thinke and say Lord I am nothing I can do no thing I haue nothing that is good of my selfe but in all thinges I do fayle and am defectiue and doe euer tend to nothing and vnlesse thou help me and doest interiourly instruct me I become cold and am dissolued 2. But thou o Lord art alwaies the same Ps 101. and endurest for euer alwaies good iust and holy doing all things well iustly and holily and disposing all thinges with wisdome But I that am more inclined to fall then to goe forwardes doe neuer continue in one estate for seauen different tymes are changed ouer me yet doth it soone turne to the better when it so pleaseth thee when thou vouchsafest to stretch forth thy helping hand For thou alone canst help me without the fauour of man and so strengthen me that my couÌ„tenance shall be no more changed but my hart shal be conuerted and rest in thee alone 3. Wherefore if I could once perfectly forsake all humane coÌ„fort either for the loue of deuotion or for mine owne necessitie which inforceth me to seeke after thee for none els can comfort me then might I well hope in thy grace and reioyce in the gift of new consolation 4. Thankes be vnto thee from whence all proceedeth as often as it goeth well with me but I am meete vanitie and nothing before thee an vnconstant and weake man Wher of then can I glory Or why do I desire to be esteemed of Is it not of nothing And this is most vayne Truly vaine glory is an euill plague very great vanity because it draweth from true glory robbeth the soule of heauenly grace For whilst a man pleaseth himselfe he displeaseth thee whilst he gapeth after the praise of men he is depriued of true vertue 5. But true glory holy exultation and ioy Abac. 3. is for a man to glory in thee and not in himselfe to reioyce in thy name and not in his owne vertue Psal 112. 1â—3 nor to delight in any creature but for thee Praised be thy name not mine magnified be thy worke not mine let thy holy name be for euer blessed but to me let no part of mens praises be giuen Thou art my glory thou art the ioy of my hart In thee will I glory and reioice all the day but for my selfe I will not ioy but in my infirmityes 6. Let the Iewes seeke the glorie Ioan. 5. which one man giueth to another I will desire this which is from God alone For all humane glory all