manward bestowed not onely hys benefites but also him selfe vpon him to recouer him agayne not so much to him selfe as to him To the intent that men might be borne of God God was first borne of them Who is so hard harted that he will not be softened by the loue of God preuenting man with so hartie good wil that he vouchsaued to become man for mans sake who can finde in his hart to hate a man whose nature and lykenesse he séeth in the manhode of GOD Doubtlesse he that hateth a man hateth God and so loseth all his labour For God became man for mans sake that he might be a redeemer as well as a creator and that man might be raunsomed with his owne goodes and that one man might loue an other the more hartely God appeared in the shape of man to the end that both body and soule might be made blessed by renewyng the eye of the mynde in his Godhead and the eye of the bodie in hys manhoode so that whether man went in or out he might finde foode in him layde vp in store by hym in hys humane nature ¶ What the sending of the holie Ghost worketh in vs. FOr our Sauiour was borne for vs and crucified and put to death for vs to destroye our death by hys owne death And bycause the grape of hys fleshe was caryed to the wynepresse of the Crosse and there beyng pressed yelded forth the swéete wyne of his Godhead The holy ghost was sent to make ready the vessels of mens harts that the new wyne might be put into newe vessels first to season their harts for marryng of the wyne that should be put into them and afterward to hoope them well for leakyng when the wyne was poured into them that is to wit to clense them from delightyng in sinne and to bynde them from delightyng in vanitie For that which is good could not come in till that whiche is ill was first rid out The delighting in wickednesse defileth and the delighting in vanitie sheadeth out The delighting in wickednesse maketh the vessell foule and the delighting in vanitie maketh it full of cranies To delight in wickednesse is to loue sinne and to delight in vanitie is to be in loue with transitorie thinges Therfore cast out the thyng that is euill that thou mayest receiue the thyng that is good Poure out sowrenesse that thou mayest be filled with swéetenesse Cast out the spirite of the deuill and the spirite of this worlde that thou mayst take in the spirite of god The spirite of the deuil worketh delight in wickednesse and the spirite of the world worketh delight in vanitie And these delightes are euill for the one is a fault of it selfe and the other is the occasion of faultes When the euill spirites be cast out then will the spirite of God come and enter into the tabernacle of thy hart and worke good delightes and good loue wherby the loue of the worlde and the loue of sinne is driuen away The loue of the worlde intyceth men to deceyue them and the loue of sinne defileth and leadeth to death But the loue of God inlighteneth the mynde clenseth the conscience gladdeth the hart and sheweth a man God. ¶ Of the workyng of him that loueth God. HE in whoÌ„ the loue of God dwelleth is alwayes deuising when he shall come vnto God when he shall leaue the world and when he shall scape the corruption of his fleshe And to the intent he may finde true peace he hath his hart and desire alwayes lifted vp aboue When he sitteth when he goeth when he resteth or what soeuer he do his hart is euermore with god He exhorteth all men to the loue of God he commendeth the loue of God vnto all meÌ„ and in hart word and worke he sheweth vnto all men both how swéete the loue of God is and also how euil and bitter the loue of this world is He laugheth at the glorie of this world findeth fault with the care of it shewyng how fond a folye it is to put a mans trust in thinges that be transitorie He marueleth at the blindnes of the men that loue such thinges And he wondereth that all men forsake not all these transitorie and flightfull thinges He thinketh that all men shoulde déeme the thinges swéete wherein he him selfe findeth so good tast that all men should loue that whiche he loueth and that all men should be priuie to that which he knoweth OfteÌ„times doth he behold God and is swéetely refreshed at the contemplation of him so much the more happely as he doth it more ofteÌ„ly For swéete alwayes is that thing to be thought vpon whiche is alwayes swéete to be loued and praysed ¶ Of the true rest of the hart IN déede the true rest of the hart is wheÌ„ the hart is wholly settled in desire vpon the loue of God coueteth nothing els but hath a certeine happy delight in the thing that he holdes him to ioyeth in the same delight And if it be neuer so little withdrawen from him by any vayne thought or businesse of other matters he hyeth him as fast as he caÌ„ to returne to him agayne with all spéede accountyng it but a banishment to abyde any where els then there For like as there is no moment wherin man doth not inioye or vse the gracious goodnesse of God so ought there to be no moment wherein he should not haue him present in remembraunce And therfore no small fault doth that man commit who when he talketh with God in prayer is sodenly pluckt awaye from his presence as it were from the eyes of one that neither saw him nor heard him And that is done when he foloweth his owne naughtie and vnruly thoughtes and preferreth before God some creature that is for his own profite or pleasure whereunto the contemplation of his mynd is easly drawen away by bethinkyng reuoluyng or mynding the same oftener thâ—n God whom he must continually remember as his creator honor as his redéemer attend vppon as his Sauiour and feare as hys iudge ¶ What soeuer withdraweth the sight of the mind from God must in any wise be eschewed and abhorred WHo soeuer thou art that louest the world looke before thée whither thou goest The way that thou walkest is an euil way and full of sorrow Therefore O man leaue of thyne owne businesses for a while and with draw thy selfe from thy trouble some thoughtes Cast away thy burdensome cares lay aside thy paynefull turmoyles bestowe some tyme vpon God and rest thy selfe a while in him Get thée into the chamber of thy mynde shet out all thinges sauyng God and such thinges as further the findyng of hym and séeke hym with thy doore fast shet to thée Let thy whole hart saye vnto God I séeke thy countenaunce it is thy countenaunce that I séeke O Lorde Now then my Lord God go to teache thou my hart where and how it may séeke thée and where and how it may
was rich and wanted nothyng and I wist not that I was poore blind naked wretched and miserable For I beleued I had bene somewhat when as I was nothyng I sayd I will become wise and I became a foole I thought my selfe skilfull but I was deceiued for now I sée it is thy gift without whom we can do nothyng bycause that except thou kéepe the Citie in vayne doth he watch which kéepeth it So hast thou taught me to know my selfe for thou hast forsaken me to trye me not for thy selfe that thou mightest know me but for me that I might know my selfe For as I sayd Lord I beleued I should haue bene somwhat of my selfe I thought I had bene a man able inough of my selfe I perceiued not how thou diddest gouerne me vntill thou haddest withdrawen thée a while from me and then by and by I fell to myne owne byas wherby I saw and knew how it was thou that haddest ruled me and that my fallyng was of my selfe and my rising agayne was of thée O light thou hast opened myne eyes and waked me and inlightened me I sée that mans life vpon earth is but a temptation and that no flesh can glorie before thée nor any liuing wight be iustified bycause that if there be any good in them be it much or litle it is thy gift and we haue nothyng of our owne but euill Whereof then shall any fleshe make his boast Of euill That is no glorie but miserie But what shall he boast of goodnesse Then shal he boast of that which is none of his own For goodnesse is thyne O Lord and thyne is the glorie For he that séeketh his owne glorie by thy goodes and séekes not thy glory he is a théefe and a robber and he is like the deuill who would haue stolne away thy glory For he that wil be praysed for thy gift séeketh not to glorifie thée in the same but to glorifie himselfe although men prayse him for thy gift yet doest thou dispraise him bycause that by thy gift he hath not sought thy glory but his owne As for him that is praysed of men when thou mislikest him men shal not defend hym when thou iudgest hym neither shall they deliuer him when thou cōdemnest him Wherfore O Lord which didst shape me in my mothers wōbe suffer me not to fall into that reproch that it might be cast in my teeth how I would haue stolne away thy glorie For all glorie be vnto thée who art the owner of all goodnesse but shame and miserie be vnto vs who are owners of all euill except it please thée to shew mercy For thou O Lord hast pitie yea thou hast pitie on all thinges for thou hatest not any thyng whiche thou hast made but giuest vs of thy goodes and inrichest vs beggers with thy singular good giftes O Lord god Yea thou louest the poore and inrichest them with thyne owne riches Behold now O Lord we thy childrē and thy litle flocke are poore opē vs thy gates that the poore may eate and be satisfied they that séeke thee shall prayse thée Also Lord I know by thy teachyng and I confesse that none shal be inriched by thée but such as féele thē selues poore and acknowledge their poorenes vnto thée For they that take thē selues to be rich whereas they be poore shall finde them selues shet out from thy richesse I therfore confesse my poorenesse vnto thée my Lord God and thyne be the whole glorie bycause the good that hath bene done by me is thyne Lord I acknowledge accordyng as thou hast taught me that I am nothing els but all together vanitie a shadow of death a dungeon of darknesse a barrein and wast ground whiche without thy blessing beareth not any thyng ne yeldeth any frute but confusion sinne and death If euer I haue had any good in me I haue had it of thée what soeuer I haue it is thyne or I haue it of thée If euer I haue stode I stode by thée but when I haue falne I haue falne of my selfe and I should haue lyen in the myre for euer haddest not thou drawen me out I had bene euer blind haddest not thou inlightened me Whē I was falne I had neuer risen agayn haddest not thou reached me thy hand Yea I had continually falne after thou haddest lifted me vp haddest not thou hild me vp still finally I had oftētimes perished but that thou didst gouerne me Thus alwayes Lord thus alwayes haue thy grace and mercy preuented me deliuering me frō all euils sauyng me from that was past lifting me vp frō that was present and garding me frō that which was to come and also rippyng a sunder the snares afore me and takyng away all causes of annoyance For vnlesse thou haddest done so for me I should haue committed all the sinnes of the world Doutlesse Lord I know there is no sinne which euer any man hath committed but that an other man may do the same if he want his creator by whom he was made man But looke what I my selfe could not do that hast thou done That I forbare it was thy commaundement that I beleued thée it was of thy grace whiche thou didst shed into me For it was thou Lorde that didst rule me both to thée and to my selfe and it was thou that gauest me grace and light that I should not commit aduoutrie or any other kinde of sinne ¶ Of the deuill and of his manifold temptations THere wanted a tempter thou wart the cause that he was wantyng there wanted tyme and place and thou wart the cause that they wanted The tempter was present and there wanted neither place nor tyme but thou hildest me backe that I should not consent The tempter came full of darknesse as he is thou diddest harten me that I might despise him The tempter came armed and strongly but to the intent he should not ouercome me thou didst restreine him and strengthen me The tēpter came transformed into an aungell of light and to the intent he should not deceiue me thou didst rebuke him and to the intent I should know him thou didst inlighten me For he is that great red dragon and that old serpent called the deuill and Sathan which hath seuen heades and ten hornes whō thou hast created to take his pleasure in this howge broad sea wherin there créepe liuyng wightes innumerable beastes greate and small that is to say diuers sortes of féendes whiche practise nothing els day nor night but to go about séekyng whom they may deuour except thou rescue him For it is that old dragon which was bréed in the paradise of pleasure which draweth downe the third part of the Starres of heauen with his tayle castes them to the groūd which with his venim poysoneth the waters of the earth that as many men as drinke of thē may dye which trampleth vpon gold as if it were myre and is of opinion that Iordan shall runne
vnapprochable and secret depth of the incōprehensible iudgemētes of thy wisedome alwayes rightful though vnespiable thou hast without any desert of theirs predestinated before the world called out of the world iustified in the world and wilt glorifie thē after the world But thou doest not this vnto all men wherat all the wise mē of the earth 〈◊〉 maruell and are abashed Yea and euen I O Lord when I bethinke me of it am afrayde and amazed at the depth of the riches of thy wisedome and knowledge wherunto I cannot reach and at the incomprehensible iudgements of thy Iustice for that of one selfe same péece of clay thou makest some vessels vnto euerlasting honor and othersome vnto euerlastyng shame Therfore whō thou hast chosen to thy selfe out of the multitude to be thy holy temple thē doost thou make cleane pouryng out cleane water vpon thē the names and number of whom thou knowest who onely tellest the nūber of the starres and callest thē all by their names Who also are written in the booke of lyfe who cannot in any wise perish and vnto whom all thinges worke to the best yea euen their sinnes For when they fall they be not broosed bycause thou puttest thy hād vnder them and kéepest all the bones of them so as not one of them is broken But most miserable is the death of sinners I meane of those sinners whom thou hast foreknowē vnto eternall death before thou madest heauen and earth accordyng to the great depth of thy secret howbeit alwayes rightfull iudgementes the number of whose names and of their lewd deseruinges is with thée which reckenest the nūber of the sand of the Sea and hast measured the bottom of the bottomles pit whom thou hast left vp to their owne vncleanesse and vnto whom all thinges worke to the worst and euen their prayer is turned into sinne so that if they should clymbe vp into the ayre and aduaunce their head aboue the cloudes yea and build their nest among the starres of the skye yet shall they bee destroyed in the ende as a dunghill Of such as first are righteous and afterward become wicked and contrariwyse GReat are these thy iudgementes O Lord God thou righteous mighty iudge which iudgest vprightly doost things that are déepe vnsearchable Which when I consider all my bones quake for of all men liuing vpō the earth there is none of vs sure to serue thee deuoutly purely in feare all the dayes of our lyfe nor to ioy in the with reuerence so as our seruice may bee without dread our ioy without trembling He that putteth on armour may not glory as he that putteth it of for before thee may no flesh glory but must quake tremble at thy presēce For we haue séene O Lord we haue heard of our fathers which thing I cānot thinke vpō without great dread nor speake of without great shudderyng that many haue heretofore clymbed after a sort vp to the skyes built their nest among the starres yet haue afterward falne downe euē into hell and their soules haue bene forehardened with euilles We haue sene starres fall from heauen by force of the stroke of the dragons tayle and them that lay in the dust of the earth wonderfully mounted vp at the present helpe of thy hand O lord We haue sene the liuyng dye and the dead rise from death them that walked among Gods children in the middes of firie stones wash away to nothyng like a péece of clay We haue séene darknesse quēch light light procede out of darknesse For publicanes harlots go before the natiue people into the kyngdome of heauen the childrē of the kingdome are cast out into vtter darknes And why commeth all this to passe but bycause they be mounted vp into that hill whereinto the first of their race went vp an Aungell and came downe a deuill Now thē looke whom thou hast predestinated them hast thou also called sanctified and clensed that they may bee a méete dwellyng place for thy maiestie with whō and in whō is thy holy cleane delight in whom thou hast pleasure makest their youth chéerefull dwelling with them in their remembraunce so as they be thy holy tēple which is a great dignitie and commendation of our manhode That the faythfull mās soule is Gods sanctuarie THe soule whiche thou hast created not of thyne owne substaunce but by thy word nor of the substaunce of any of the foure elementes but of nothing which truly is reasonable vnderstandyng spirituall euerlyuing and euer mouyng whiche thou hast sealed marked with the light of thy countenaūce and halowed by the power of thy washyng is so made capable of thy maiestie as it may be filled by thée onely and by none other And when it hath thée thē hath it the full lust there remaineth not any thyng els that it can desire outwardly But as long as it desireth any thyng outwardly it is manifest that it hath not thée inwardly for be thou once had there is not any thing more to be wished for For sith thou art the souereine good yea and all the good that may be there is no more for it to desire bycause he possesseth thée which art all the good Now if he desire not the whole good it resteth that he desireth somewhat which is not the whole good and therfore also not the souerein good so consequently not God but rather a creature But if he long after a creature he must néedes be euer hungry still bycause that although he atteine his desire of the creatures yet it abydeth vnsatisfied still in asmuch as there is nothyng that cā fill it but thou vnto whose image it is created And thou fillest them that desire nothyng but thée thou makest them worthy of thee holy blessed vndefiled and Gods frendes who count all thinges as dung that they may winne thée onely For this is the blessednes which thou hast bestowed vppon man this is the honor wherwith thou hast innobled him among all thy creatures and aboue them that thy name might be wonderfull ouer all the earth Beholde O most high souereine good and almighty Lorde my God I haue foūd the place where thou dwellest euen in the soule which thou hast created after thyne owne image and likenesse whiche séeketh and desireth none but thée alone and not in the soule that séeketh and desireth thée not That God cānot be founde neither by the outward senses nor by the inward wittes I Haue straied like a lost shepe séekyng thée outward whiche art inward And I haue taken much paine to séeke thée without me thou dwellest within me at leastwise if I haue a desire to thée I haue gone about the lanes and stréetes of the Citie of this world séekyng thée and haue not foūd thée bycause I did amisse to séeke that thing without whiche is as within I sent abroad all myne outward senses as messengers to séeke thée