noe whitt in that estimation honour but onely in the seruice honour which is done to god by it And again if you fele in your hart an vnfeaned desire or disposition that leauing all honour estimation if so it might please God you had rather for your owne part chose to yeld him your seruice by suffering contempts dispysinges disgraces iniuries then by that estimation credit honour And lastly if you fynde your hart as desireous ioyfull that other mē be estemed honored for the seruice honour of God as your self or that they be preferred before you without any emulation When a man said Probus haithe receiued benefites good gifts from God why may he not delight reioyce in them He may ioy delight in them said Alphonso so he kepe humilitie withall fall not into vayne-glorye for otherwyse he shoulde turne all gods gifts to his dishonour his own greuous ruyne I must therefore by the way geue you warning of vayn-glory which is a vyce that defileth destroyethe all our vertues and good deedes vnlesse we auoyde it well I pray you said Probus teach me to escape it THE FIFTH EXERCYSE HOW to ouercom the vyce of vainglory which is a mortall enemye to Humilitie all vertue VAin-glorie said Alphonso is the Mother of all euill it aboue all other thinges hindreth the increase of Humilitie It is a complacency or delight ioy which one taketh of some thing he ought not or in some sort as he ought not And there be diuers kyndes of it As firste a man may glory reioyce for his own wicked factes euill deedes This kind of glory ioye is not amonge Gods children and seruantes but proper to graceles most wicked persons and therefore I will lett it passe Againe one may glory and ioy for some good thinge or gifte which he haith not This also is most foolishe vaine ridiculous yet is it often incident to the good as ordinary to the badd procedinge from a disordered self loue a prowde mynde delighting in it owne prayse flaterye Againe one may glory reioyce vainelye for some good he haith or doth or heareth of him self This is that kynde which assaultethe muche godds seruantes Nowe a man may well ioye in the gifes which he haith of God so farr forth as he seethe and hopeth thereby some seruice to God or profitt to his owne soule For God haith left it in our owne liberty that we may so much ioy for euery good gift of God as we know it to be from God to redownd to gods honour seruice But when it once passeth this ordinance appointed by god by by it becometh vain-glory or vain ioy excedinge the limitts appoynted by God as glorying and reioycinge in our selues where we should glory onely in God How may we discern said Probus when our glorye ioye is vayne or true spirituall as it should be This vain-glorie said Alphonso is so deceyptfull and subtill that one yet a nouice weake in vertue may often thinke him self to ioye in God for the good he haith and neuerthelesse much vain-glorie is mixed therewith Wherefore till a man euidently know haue throughly tryed vertues to be in him self he shoulde euer flee all kynd of ioy and complacency whyles he calleth to mynd the benefites that he haith receiued from God or the good giftes he haith or heareth spoken of him self and rather accustom his harte to motions of feare at these tymes as suspecting vain glorie which verye secretly vsethe to creepe vpon vs in such occasions And surely he ought to suspect o◠think it vainglorie ioy which he haith of godds gifts geuen him so long as he haith not as much ioy glorye in the gifts benefites which he knoweth other men to haue receiued from god as he haith of his own For albeit we ought to desire and choose vertues for oure selues before other also to ioy that seing it is godds will and ordinance that bothe we others shoulde haue them it haith pleased him to bestow them vpon vs Yet when both we they haue receiued gifts from godds bountifull hande seing god him self equally ioyeth in both our ioy glory in lyke forte oughte to be equall for them both in God onely that his blessed will is fulfilled I vnderstand this satd Probus but teach me I pray you how I may auoyde this fowle sinne of vain-glory and vaine ioy You may said Alphonso by the vse of your vnderstanding will ouercom it escape all the daunger therof For by the assistance of gods grace you can hate that which you once know to be vaine false Consider therefore the vanitie falsed thereof by this example or comparison You will confesse it to be a fowle thinge if some courtier would esteme it for a matter of great valew or worth or would glory in his harte that he had offred him self to a litle daunger for the seruice loue of his Prince who had yelded him self before to most greuous tormēts cruell woūds for the courtiers sake cause But if the same courtier did not onelye in his owne conceipte highly esteeme that litle he had done for his Prince to whom he was so infinitly bound behoulden but moreouer before others woulde prowdly vaunt him selfe thereof it were most ridiculous to-too grosse follie intollerable pryde leuitie Yet were it more abominable vanitye by farr if that Prince had suffred all his tormēts woundes voluntarily without any comforth or succour of his courtier but the courtier contrari-wise had suffered his litle with great fauour assistance comforth of the Prince hauing promise also before his laboures of great benefites rewards receiued the same afterwards So in like manner he falleth into noe lesse abominable vanitie yea into worse incomparablye that folowethe after vain-glory For our high God and King of incomprehensible Maiestie of infinite power honour through his owne goodnes onely withowt any bounde behoulding our extreme necessities for our sakes and saifties exposed him self to a most sharpe and ignominious death In which we not onelye gaue him noe comforthe nor succoure but more-ouer we yelded him noe thankes yea all that were with him fledd forsooke him we also more forsake him now through defect of our vertue when his godhead mercy and goodnes are manifested vnto vs. Which thinges beinge thus let vs acknowledge how vayne it is for any man to glory for his seruice he doth to God omitting in the meane season to glory ioye in god onely And moreouer let vs consider how exceding vaine it is to desire for this smal seruice to be highly estemed with others whereas for that tyme whiles their hartes are occupied in iudginge vs to be of some worth they cease to be occupyed in worthily esteming praysinge God of whom we haue whose is all
our good God forbidd that the hart which is not occupyed in highly esteming praising God to whom all prayse is due shoulde be occupyed in iudging of any worth to whom noe such thing is due And he also deserueth much blame for his consentinge that thinketh other to occupy their hartes in praising esteming him beinge so vyle abiect seasinge in that meane tyme to magnify god for all his goodnes giftes is not ashamed nor greued for so great disorder abuse of thinges It augmenteth also greatly our vanitie that whatsoeuer we do or suffer all is by the mighty grace help of our most high God It is said Probus a thing both glorious meritorious that we accept the gifts graces of God not reiect or resist them and then why may we not glorie think well of our selues that we accepted them We neuer saw man said Alphonso that would vainly glory boaste onely because he had accepted benefites done him by a Prince but rather it would haue bene iudged playne madnes to haue refused thē And it is great folly for a mā to glorye and boaste that he would not be madd whē he might or proudly to behaue and esteme him self because he would not leap into a pitt drowne him self when he might haue done it Muche lesse cause surelye haith any man to glorye because he accepted godds giftes refused them not considering that their verye acceptinge and will to receiue them is not done by their own power abilitie or nature 1 Cor. 4 but principally by the grace and helpe of God as S. Paule saith What hast thou that thou haste not receyued if thou haste receiued it why doest thou glory Nowe after your vnderstandinge haith had these such lyke considerations of this vyce moue incline your will as I taughte you before to refuse hate it And standing firmly in the true conceipte of your owne basenes vnworthines yeld all praise glory to God to whom it is due in him onely let all your ioye and glory be rest The actions of your will you must diligently vse in all occasions where this vain-glorie would creepe in and draw you to delighte in your self or in any thing you haue This may suffyce concerning the euill vyce of vain-glory Now will we speake of patience which is the seconde vertue we are to learne of our Sauiour Christe vnlesse you teste vnsatisfyed in some thing I haue said Goe forwarde said Probus I pray you for I vnderstande you well and haue nothing to replye THE SIXT EXERCYSE HOW to plant in our soules the vertue of Patience which is one of the two vertues which our Sauiour would haue vs to learn of him PAtience said Alphonso is so dear a sister companion to Humility that comonly they are found together And by what waies paths the one is found you may finde the other also And as we said before that to gett Humilitie it is necessarie we sett before our eyes the humilitie of godds Sonne so muste we doe also the same here for obteyninge this vertue of Patience For who can cōplaine or repyne insufferinge iniuries or any tribulation hauinge deserued them as we all haue when he considereth with how great mildnes and patience his Lorde god voluntarily did choose to suffer so manie so greate iniuries contumelies persecutions tormentes together with a moste bitter death who besides that he was true God Lord of all was also a man of more noble delicate tender complexion then any other man in the world more feelinge anie affliction Who will not patiently myldly sustain for curing his owne sinnes anie toyle vexation or distresse that may befall if he consider his God to haue susteyned farr greater for the sinns of other to bringe remedy to our euills The example of our Sauioure said Probus should indede moue suffice vs to take anie aduersitie patientlye but our frayle natures can not away with trouble or affliction Naturallye indeede said Alphonso we are inclyned to flee abhorr thē But godds grace preuenting our wills cooperatinge with vs we may be brought in short tyme to accept and embrace them and this the rather if we consider not onely this example which our Sauiour haith geuen vs but more-ouer cast our eye to the great commoditie we gett thereby which our Lorde also is desireous we labour to obteine For persecutions tribulations are as it were a hammer or fire wherewith the rust or canker of our soules is taken away or as a launcinge knife thrust into our soules to let owt the poysen of our self loue which festreth there drawethe vs from all good that once freed from that filthe we may woorke the high woork of God that is loue serue him as we should For which cause we ought hartely to loue pray for our persecutours thank God that prouideth vs so good surgeons Teache me the way said Probus I pray you to gett this vertue If you remember said Alphonso 1 P. C. 7. I taught it you before when we talked of the way how to plant vertuous habits in our soule For there I put the example of Patience which may suffice also for this place I remember it verie well said Prohus That also which I taughte you said Alphonso of the hatred of your selfe 2 Part. 2 Exer. you must call to mynde againe in this mater for the reasons I gaue you why you should hate your self may serue fitlye to moue you to suffer patiently any aduersitie or affliction Now let vs propounde one example of som odious matter that may befall You either suspect or certenly know a man to speak or reporte som euill of you which you neuer committed Hereby three dartes are caste at you to wound your soule from all which the souldier and seruant of God must cleare acquyte him self that by his fight his Lorde may be serued honored and his owne soule bewtified The first is the dart of euill suspition or iudgment againste the man or against his intention From this dart you must withdraw your self and let it passe inclyninge your will not to accept or deale with it as consenting to any such suspition or iudgment but to referr it wholly vnto God who is the high Iudg of all and haith willed vs not to iudge For fulfilling of whose will we ought with great ioy to forbeare to iudge and not to vsurpe or cake vpon vs his office The second is the darte of greuous impatiencye To this you muste oppose your self with all your strengthe ioying in the paine and iniury which cometh to you by that occasion and the more you seme to ioye of it the lesse will the deuill assaulte you with impatience lest he geue you occasion of so great meritt That you may well demeane your selfe in receiuing this dart remember what I said of the hatred of
your self The third is the dart of hatred of him whom you suspecte or know to haue done you wronge To this also you must oppose your self inclyninge your will to produce some singular acte of loue towards him because it is godds will that you loue and pray for your enemies And in truth as I said they doe you exceding greate good if your self hinder it not and they be as surgeons to cure the festering woundes of our soule Thus in all occasions of aduersitie the seruant of God should be watchfull and euer stand prepared patiently to endure what-soeuer it pleasethe his Lorde to let befall for his tryall that in so doing he may honoure his Lord benefite and as our Sauioure said possesse his own soule which remaineth as voyd of all good captiue to the deuill and quite loste if it be spoyled of this vertue of patience Nowe if you thinke good let vs speake of the foure affections or passions of the soule THE SEAVENTH EXERCYSE HOW to moderate and keepe in order the foure naturall passions of the soule THese passions said Alphonso be Ioy Sorow Hope Feare they be naturall to euery one as to ioy for a presente good to sorowe for a present euill to hope for a future good and to feare a future euill I will teach you how to guyde and brydle them conueniently for the seruice and honour of God and the repayringe of your soule For they may bringe vs much harme if they be lefte at libertie vnrestrayned because they neuer cease ranginge vpp and downe in our soules now one now an other And we may well say that all our euills come vpon vs because they are permitted to wander abowte and runne vnbrydled Yea they bringe much annoyance and hurte to spirituall persons howe lightlye soeuer they walke in them He onely may kepe them in good order great moderation that worketh all thnges aswell internal as externall for God as I toulde you before walketh in the hatred of him self as you haue harde When are these affections said Probus kept in due order moderatiō When we yelde said Alphonso no consent to any of their motions further then we know pleaseth God whereby he may receiue some gratefull seruice Otherwyse we oughte euer to repell their motions banish them from vs if we desire to walke a saife way towarde God May we not said Probus be glad and ioyfull for any good thinge that hapneth vnto vs in lyke sorte be sorowfull for euill The seruants of God said Alphonso should be gladd ioy in nothing but God or thinges which belong or direct further them to him The reason is for that hauinge in God in such thinges so great cause matter of ioyes they are verye foolishe and madd vaine that occupye them selues in ioying for any other cōsidering their powers force to ioy in God loue him are the weaker by how muche more they are deuyded into dyuers ioyes busines And consideringe againe that albeit we yelde our selues wholly to ioy in God yet are we not able to doe it sufficiently How much lesse can we doe it if we distract our selues to ioy in many thinges Wherefore by the vse power of our will as I toulde you before we must doe one of these two either presently so sone as it offereth it self repell putt away all ioye and gladnes which is not in God or thinges belonginge vnto him or direct order it for God as the ende thereof so it be not some vaine or vnlawfull ioye And thus shall we doe as the Apostle willeth vs saying Phil. 4 Ioy in our Lorde at all tymes I say againe ioye For he which cause we must looke warelye about vs for daily innumerable things of small weight occurre ofter them selues to vs bringinge occasions and causes of ioy gladnes from which forth-with we ought to vnwynde our selues knowinge all ioyes which are offered vnto vs by the world are assured harmes noe good to vs at all In a most potent and ryche King you know it would be iudged a very base vyle disposition to make so greate reckning of a peny that the winning of i◠woulde make him verie ioyfull the loosing of it verie sorowfull greiued But farr greater is our basenes vilitye if when alwaies we haue present the infinite goodes which God possesseth for him self vs in which we oughte incessantly to ioye we turne our selues to ioy in other tryflinge thinges which occurr in the world when especially we ought to loue our Lord more then our selues more to respect his glory then our owne which yet he will geue vs most aboundantlye if we faithfully and sincerelye serue him in this our banishment OF SOROW. IN lyke sort may we speake of him that soroweth for any thing of this world that may happen except sin things inducing thereto For it may be well iudged great basenes to sorow for any such temporall thinge of this lyfe whearas we haue before oure eyes so great glorye and inestimable goodes as I said God haith prouided for vs for which we ought euer to reioyce be gladd Wherefore the seruant of God muste suffer noe sorow nor heauines to stay in his harte but that onely which is for sinn because this sorow being a passion which respecteth some present euill or some good lost true euills losses can not happen but onely for sinne He ought with reason to sorowe for none other thinge And hauing present so infinite an euill to sorowe for as sinne is he doth most foolishlye if deuyding his force strength he sorowe for any other thing besides considering especially that all his powers abilities collected to this one woork suffice not to sorow so much for sinn as he should doe These sorowes which offer them selues dailie to vs vpon any tribulation or aduersitie we may easily repell if we consider that we be gods more then our owne that he haith more tender care ouer vs then we can haue of oure selues and beste knowethe what is expedient for vs. And therfore what painefull thing or aduersity soeuer hapneth it ought to be welcom to vs so long as it endureth we must take it ioyfullye as from the hande of our louinge Lorde and as a thinge fitt and conuenient for one that is godds sorow no more for it then God whose we are willeth that we sorow speaking thus within our selues Why haue I greater care of my self then my Lord god willeth that I haue seing I am not myne owne but his who loueth me tenderly can not but continually behould me May we not then said Probus seke meanes to deliuer and free our selues from suffering such paynefull thinges and aduersyties or we shoulde beare them still with ioy let them alone to godds care prouidence As it is godds will said Alphonso that so long as we haue them we euer suffer
hindreth all spirituall good and the progresse in all vertue And with out comparison better it were diligently to kepe practise one thoughe it be a meaner then to be either negligente in the best or to be allwayes inconstantly flitting from one to an other for so should a man neither goe forwarde nor grow perfect in any Be familiar therefore stay youre selfe with Alphonso good Madam for so shall you profitt greatly And beware you be not content with the vertue you haue allready gotten For our Lorde God was made man vouchsaifed to dye for to aduaunce vs to a higher perfect state of holines in this lyfe For this same ende also he would that Angells shoulde minister vnto vs And finallye for the same ende he haith gâ—uen vs the vse of heauen earth with all his creatures in them Remember me I beseche you in your deuotions And thus I committ you to God Your seruant in our Lord. I. M. THE PREFACE OF The Author Alphonso SAinct Ambrose saith that ignorance of the order manner how to woorke greatly troubleth the qualitie of our meritt Neither is it to be thought as the same Author affirmeth that we haue full knowledge of a thinge which we know we ought to doe vnlesse we know withall the order of proceedinge in the same Whereupon it is manifest that it profiteth verie litle if one know what is writen for seruing God be ignoraÌ„t in what manner and order it is to be done And albeit arte knowledge of euery good thinge floweth from God the supremest artificer many be illuminated by his goodnes preuented with benedictions of delighte sweetenes yet for all that we must not omitt to doe what is in vs to seke as we are bounde his commaundementes will other thinges which be necessary for doinge perfectly whatsoeuer is pleasing vnto him For which purpose the breefe forme Methode which here we sett downe will be profitable that we may know woorke those greate thinges which the holy scriptures teach vs. The which to doe it is noe lesse needefull that some arte be sought owte then for doinge any other thinge which we couert rightly to know or woorke To fynde owte this arte the holye Doctoures haue spente much tyme haue lefte it writen at large in diuers volumes of all which we will gather a breefe conclusion or somme But this short work being chiefly ordeyned for the Exercyses of the soule it will seme somtymes verye obscure to them which haue not bene exercysed in the knowledge operations of the powers of their soule Yet we shall shewe after a while in the prosecution of the book this Methode to be so farre from obscuritie that it bringeth greate lighte to all other bookes of lyke argument Neither lett any thinke it superfluous or vayne that we geue Documentes whereby we may be helped to serue God when as all the Scripture witnessith such to be necessary And S. 1 Cor. 3 Paule saith that we are helpers or coadiutors of God but he either helpeth not rightly or not sufficientlye that helpeth not as much as he can oughte Neither is it any other thing in vs that we helpe God then that we moue our soule in all our workes according to the prescripte rule of this present arte as sacred diuinitie at large declareth The Philosopher in his Metaphisicks affirmeth that mankinde liue the by arte in which place he semeth by this propertie to distinguish man from vnreasonable creatures for that all these are moued onely by naturall instruct without arte but man is ruled by arte reason Wherefore he may be said to serue God as it we are onely by naturall instinct lyke to creatures voyde of reason that is moued to serue him that way by which he feeleth greatest consolation sweetenes without regardinge by his vnderstandinge reason whether there be any other manner wherby he may be able to serue God more excellently Moreouer there is noe cause why any should alledge the vnction of the holy Ghost to teach vs in all things therfore any art or Methode where by we may learne to serue God isneedeles which sayinge is true presupposinge that we our selues also be his coadiutors or helpers endeuoringe to know woorke as we are taughte in the sacred scriptures in this arte which we are to geue For the vnction of the holy ghost teachethe not them that are vnwillinge to learne nor them that are idle or make resistance Furthermore leste the sweete yoke of our Lorde seme heauye to any let vs consider that it is not a thing to be merueled at if some dayes are to be spent for getting so highe knowledg wisdom as is heare conteyned and taught in this arte For if in learninge Grammer or Logick artes farr inferiour to this one consume spende 3 or 4 yeares yea all his lyfo if he will be perfecte in any of them how much better is our lyfe bestowed yea if it be wholly spente therein for the perfect learning of this arte most high diuine of all other artes which our supreame maister Iesus Christe came to teach vs with his so great toile payne Moreover he that beginnethe to learne this arte must consider that it will happen to him as it is wonte to happen to infantes who hauinge perfect soules yet want the vse of reason and hauing in their bodyes handes fecte yet can not goe or worke but when they once begin to waxe and to moue their limmes they goe yet with great difficultie with fallinge now then but growing elder vsinge daily Exercyse they goe so freelye that they can runne at their pleasures The same hapneth in these Exercises whyles one desyrethe purelye to serue god aster this Methode For albeit our soules be perfect intyere yet so mightely are we bounde oppressed without strength to mooue our selues in the perfecte way manifested in the holy gospell declared in this arte which we sett owte that at the firste we can not walke or goe at all or if we be moued or attempt this it is with such difficultie that our goinge is well neare nothing Yet notwithstanding let vs manfullye endeuour to doe what is here prescribed so well as we can for whiles we shall scarse dare to hope to gett the perfection taught vs we shall by practyse yea so runne by these high pathes that it may be said truly our motions to be rather the motions of an Angell flying then of a man walking on earth None oughte to pretende any excuse why he serueth not God after the manner we haue here sett downe coÌ„tenting him self with the litterall obseruation of som religious rule or the commaundements of God as sufficiente to saluation For as the Apostle saith Goddes will is that we be holy and perfect Seinge therefore riches allready gotten do not suffyce nor coÌ„tente the louers of the world but allwayes
wronged with iniurious woordes or deedes howe much soeuer he desire the habitt of patience yea how much soeuer he refrain from woordes or deedes of reuenge yet shall he neuer produce or bringe forth in his soule the habitt of patience except he help him self by often mouinge his vnderstanding to coÌ„sider the great good of patience and by stirring his will as the necessary instrument to bring forth this habitt by inclyning it as I said before to desyre to suffer iniuries and persecutions for the loue pleasure and glorie of his Lord that exhorteth vs all to it and haith suffered the lyke for vs. Liuing among good and ciuill people said Probus and Christians especially that haue the feare of God we shall verye seldome haue any suche occasions of impatience offered vs by iniurious woords or deedes so shall we haue small exercise consequently be long in getting the habitt of patience or neuer gett it at all In like sort also may we say of the habitts of other vertues Not so said Alphonso for where or with whom soeuer we liue we may woork and exercise our selues at all tymes to gett any vertuous habitt gett it in deede How may this be said Probus At all tymes said Alphonso you may produce it thus For example the habitt of patience Caste at any tyme your cogitation vpon som iniury that you much abhorr and think what you would doe if it were offered or done to you Presently you shall perceiue a greate repugnancy and horroure of that iniury aryse in your minde by reason of the euill habitt of impatience in you Forthwith therfore call to minde the great good that foloweth how is pleased in the patieÌ„t suffering of such iniuries and then enforce your will to desyre them And cease not to enforce your self to this though it seme but a constraint and compulsion for there is euer some part voluntary therin And if you practise often these actions that which semed to be but a litle voluntary will increase and you shall come to suffer iniuries and tribulation most willingly withall the habitt of patience will be planted in your soule In lyke manner may you at any tyme plante and enriche your self with habitts of humilitie of pouertie Temperance Chastitie and other vertues euer consideringe the greate good that is in the exercyse of them and compelling your will to desyre them vpon this motiue because it is the desyre will and glorie of god that you haue them But yet you must vnderstand againe said Alphonso that by this forethought and acceptance or desyre of iniuries which indeede are not done vs this habitt of patience is not so quickly nor so well gotten as it is when som iniurie or disgrace is actually done and this before others if then you compell your will to accepte it Because the actions of our will accepting such present iniuries are more vehement more subdue the soule then those which are of accepting an iniurie offered onely by our thought may happen but doth not And a few vehement actions woorke more strongly and effectually to the producing of an habitt then many which are remisse and weake This is the way to roote owt euill habitts and to plant good For working of which effect it is moreouer greatly profitable to keepe alwaies a verie firme will and purpose in the desyre and loue of good and in the hatred of euill to which ende serue greatly the high considerations and weightie reasons which many bookes yelde why good thinges and vertues are to be loued and vice to be hated Now hereby you may perceiue how the mightieste Princes of the worlde may enriche them selues with the habitts of Patience of Pouertie Humilitie Temperance of all other vertues and bewtify their Soules in godds sight noe lesse then a religious person if they be willing and diligent to doe as I haue tould you I perceiue it well said Probus but after we perceiue our selues to haue gotten these good habitts may we not assure our selues to be in good state and holy Albeit said Alphonso a man haue gotten excellente habitâ—s of vertues yet can he not be sure that he haith gotten the grace of god without which a man can be in noe good state with him or in truth holye Godds grace is geuen infalliblye vnto them that haue all which I haue tould you already and which foloweth after but naturally we can not know in this lyfe whether we haue these things as godds will is we should and consequently we can not be certaine that we haue his fauour and grace But a cheife signe that we haue it is when in the same manner we behaue oure selues towardes those vertues whereof we haue gotten habitts as we doe towards the vertues of other men that is if our harts be not extolled or any whitt prowde for them but praise thanke God whose is euery thinge that good is And ioy as much in other menns vertues as in oure owne because godds honour and glory are equally manifested in them both But my sonn said Alphonso I forgeat my self it is good tyme nowe you rest a litle and make collation By this which I haue hitherto said you may knowe in some parte firste how God created vs all to serue him to vse all temporall thinges to his honour and for releefe of our necessities Secondly how there be two manners of seruing God and that we are all bounde to setue him in the perfectest sorte Thirdly how by sinn we are falleÌ„ from godds fauour into a miserable state both of body soule the bouÌ„d of seruing God still remaininge Fourthly how we may repaire again this calamitie and destruction in our soule by the powers thereof woorking with godds grace of the vse of our vnderstanding and will to the same ende Fifthly to what ende you are to direct all your actions thoughts desires and how to doe it Sixtly what way to extirpate euill and vitious habitts which cause much harme in our soule and how to plant the habitts of vertues After we haue made collation I shall instructe you how to exercyse your self in a sew principall thinges which are necessary for the reparation of your soule before you can be rightly disposed to loue and serue God in such manner as he requireth THE SECOND PARTE THE SECOND PARTE CONteyning certayne sperituall Exercyses wherby the soule is adorned bewtifyed and rightlye disposed to the perfect actes of louing seruinge God THE first Exercyse how the seruant of God shoulde purge his soule from all sinne AFter they had refreshed them selues with breade and water which was the Ermits vsuall fair he begann saide My sonn the firste thinge and Exercyse wherein a man muste occupy him selfe to gett a fitte disposition to loue and serue God is to extirpate or roote owt of his soule all euill that is the silthe of sinne that when he would do any seruice to his lord there
them with ioy how painfull soeuer they be take them as froÌ„ the hand of our most louing father which ioyfull patience will greatly mitigate their paine so it is also his will that we procure vse with ioyfull moderation such meanes for our remedie deliuerance as we know he haith left vs and would haue vs to take as phisicke in sicknes meate in hunger peace saifty in persecution and the lyke But all this because it is his will we doe it and that our frailties may serue him the better being deliuered from such molestations troubles How shall we said Probus dryue away expell these motions of sorows and greiues which the miseries of this world bringe hourly vpon vs how shall we get this ioy whiles we are in the paines of them The seruant of God said Alphonso must be alwaies prouident and watchfull and so sone as the passion of sorow or greife beginneth to ryse by occasion of any aduersitie presently reiect and refuse it by the acte of his will as I toulde you in the vse of that power in the firste instruction Yea he must endeuour to moue and enforce his will to couet and embrace the things whervpon those paines greiues and afflictions grow For whyles these things be desired the sorow ceaseth as it rose at the first because the same thinges were dislyked or hated He shoulde therfore acquaint and accustome him self to ioy and be gladd in all painfull and sorowfull thinges and contrari-wyse to sorow in all thinges which are ioyfull and bringe delight as it is said Sorow for ioy ioy for payne Kepe with thee as a certaine gayne Why shoulde we said Probus couet these thinges wherby such greif and molestation come to vs First said Alphonso Cap. 2 because they come all from the hand of God as Iob saith Again because we deserue them by our sinnes Lastlye because they bringe to vs many commodities and cure the festred vlcers of our soule OF HOPE NOwe by Hope not as it is the thirde supernaturall vertue but a naturall affection or passion common to all mankinde we expecte and looke for many thinges of this life either pleasante or commodious to vs. Yet nothing we hope for should settle it self or take place in our hartes but onely God these thinges whereby we thinke our selues to draw nearer to him serue him Whatsoeuer is besides we ought to esteeme it as nothinge And if we perceiue the Hope of any thinge to be more fixed in our harte or to occupye delighte our myndes then the blisse of heauen or vertues which we hope from God it muste forth-withe be expelled as a most hurtfull and disordered thinge OF FEARE IN lyke manner also all feare is to be lefte that is not of God as our Sauiour willed vs not to feare them that kill the bodye and can doe noe more but God that can cast both body soule into hell fyre And Dauid said God is the protectour of my life whom shall I feare All the moments of our lyues with all thinges belonginge vnto vs are in the hande of god and can not happen to vs otherwyse then he will permitt And therefore we should rather wish our owne eyes to be pulled owte then aduisedly coÌ„mitt any thinge that may displease his Maiesty For all other thinges there is no cause why we should feare them For thoughe all the calamities of the worlde fall vpon vs yet if we feare them not they can doe vs noe harm nor true euill but rather if we encounter them corragiously bouldly receiue them ioyfully because it is our Lordes will we suffer them in memorye of those he suffered for vs they will increase in vs eternall meritt of glory honour Wherefore we should be prepared alwaies to repute as nothing or rather to este me as moste preceous Iewells ornaments all troubles molestations of the world And if at anie tyme some feare creepe vpon vs presently with our will to encounter repell it lest it occupye the place in which the reuerent feare of God most necessary for vs should be harbored He that can moderate rule and subdue these passions in this sorte shall enioye greate peace and arryue shortly to high perfection of vertue be able rightly to iudg of all things as the christian philosopher Boetius saith If thou wilt the truth behoulde with light most cleare Away with Ioy Sorow Hope and Feare Hauinge declared what way you may repaire the ruyne destruction of your soule it remaineth now that we speake of the loue of God which Exercise is the most principall seruice can doe him the ende of all which we haue spoken of hitherto Take your reste nowe for you are wearie with trauell in the morninge God willing we shall make an ende of this matter THE THIRDE PARTE CONTEYNING the way how to loue God our neighbours and our selues OF THE LOVE OF GOD. AFter they had slepte a whyle Alphonso finished his vsuall deuotions they came together againe Alphonso said Now my sonn if you be satisfyed in all thinges we talked of yester night Let vs goe forward as I promised you I rest fully satisfyed said Probus in all you haue said hitherto Therefore I pray you procede to teach me how I may loue God The loue of God said Alphonso is a fyre which God would haue allwayes burninge on the Altar of our soule if you throughlye knewe the worthines and excellency thereof all woulde seeme litle that hitherto we haue said of the reparation adorning of the soule by which so high a woorke is to be performed For the acte of louing God is of so greate excellency that not Sainct in heauen nor any thinge that is or can be created can doe any woork more high or perfecte For which cause the sonn of God him self Mat. 22 calleth this the greatest and first commaundement Yea if all the endeuours strengthes of Angells men were heaped together in one Angell or man he coulde do nothing more worthy then is the acte of louing God And nothing that is or can be made by the omnipotente power of God can be sufficient to loue God with that perfection which his infinite goodnes worthines doth deserue This loue of God incomparably excelleth all other supernaturall vertues or woorks without it none other gift or qualitye that man haith profitethe him anythinge at all or is to be estemed 1 Cor. 13 as S. Paule saith larglye This is the incessant eternall woorke of God him self For he being of infinite goodnes excellency is infinitely to be loued and is continuallye occupyed with all his infinite power in louâ—nge his owne infinite goodnes ioying in the same And nothing being more consonante to equitie nothinge so profitable or glorious to our selues then that we loue him who is an infinite good infinitely to be beloued whom we caÌ„ not sufficiently