same is to be understood of voluntary Vows which have an equal Obligation with Precepts St. Gregory also bears witness to our Lord Return sayes he my dear Brethren inwardly to your selves Ask your selves if indeed you love God Yet let no body believe himself whatsoever his mind shall answer him without the attestation of his Works Let the Tongue Mind and Life be asked concerning the Love of your Creator The Love of God is never idle For if it be it works great things but if it refuse to work it is not Love But this Execution of Works and Observation of God's Commandments must be purified by the Intention and must be done neither for fear of Punishment nor for love of Reward as St. Augustin testifies He loves God not who therefore keeps the Commandments because he is compelled thereunto either by the greatness of Punishment or by the greedy desire of Reward but because that which is commanded is honest and the very best There are also two other signs of a sincere Love to God to wit when a man congratulates with God in all things which please him by whomsoever at whatsoever time and in whatsoever place they are done For a natural Love deserves no praise from God because it alwayes reflects it self upon it self and seeks its own commodity but the gratuitous or free Love only is praise-worthy which always is carried out of it self into another A second sign is when a man condoles with God in all things which displease him by whomsoever at whatsoever time and in whatsoever place they are done Of true Love of our Neighbour True Love to ones Neighbour is to love ones Neighbour as himself Friend and Enemy as St. Augustin says To love ones Neighbour as himself is to love him in God to God and for God Thus every one ought to love his Neighbour as himself As he desires all good to himself and flies all Evil so let him do to his Neighbour Or thus As every one loves his own proper Good in Body and Soul in Goods and good Name and as every one in these four flies and hates his own proper Evil and Dammage so every one ought in these to love all the good and hate all the dammage both of Friend and Enemy Though no body is bound by way of Precept to be moved so much or so ardently to his Neighbour as to himself True Charity cannot be known by our Love of our Friends For even the Publicans love those who love them Matt. 5. But true Charity is understood by our love of our Enemies To love him that loves us is but Nature but to love one who does not love us is the work of Grace But true Charity to our Neighbour is yet more excellently understood in the Gloss upon St. Matthew which says To love one that loves us is Nature but by Favours and Courtesies to draw one to love who loves us not is Perfection And although no body be bound by Precept to love so much and so fervently his Enemy as his Friend yet happy were he and highly Perfect who could love as much yea more and do works of Charity for his Enemy as for his Friend for him that corrects and reproves him as for him that flatters him for him that dispraises him as for him that praises him because as St. Chrysostom says Nothing makes us so like unto God as to be courteous to those who malign and hurt us And it is certain we might get greater Grace out of Persecution than out of Favour if we knew how to use it aright as the Enemies of the Martyrs profited them more to Eternal Glory than did their Friends Nature ought to move us to the love of our Neighbour because every living Creature loves his like and so should every man his Neighbour Eccles 13.19 And because the Image of God is in him and it is commanded us so to do in the Holy Scripture The signs of true Charity to our Neighbour are Truly to condole as well with Enemies as with Friends in all their Adversities Truly and from the heart to rejoyce with them in every thing that happens prosperous unto them The signs of true Hatred to our Neighbour are when we think of him with Regret when we see him with sadness of heart when we speak with him or of him or hear others speak of him with bitterness of mind when we hinder as much as we can all his Good and that which is profitable unto him when we diminish and pervert the good which is in him Our Lord Jesus did not so to his Traytor Judas who in the very time of his Treason fed him with his own Body and Blood together with his other beloved Apostles and in the very place where he betrayed him refusing not to be kiss'd by him most courteously saluted him grieving more for his Evil than for his own incommodity as sayes St. Hierom. But it is wonderful that any one can flatter himself as if he loved his Brother when he has these signs of Hatred in his Heart But to many it seems sufficient if they wish Eternal Happiness to their Neighbours which they can neither give them nor take away from them and which they ought to wish even to Jews and Pagans Nor will they remember that seeing our Lord has laid down his Life for his Enemies we are obliged also not only to love our Christian Brethren but also to part with our Goods and Lives for them in the time of their necessity But Superiours are chiefly obliged hereunto By two things Charity is cherished Our Charity to God by keeping his Commandments according to that John 15. If ye keep my Commandments ye shall remain in my Love as I also have kept my Fathers Commandments and remain in his Love Our Charity to our Neighbour by Compassion according to that of Ecclesiasticus c. 7. Fail not to comfort those that weep and walk with those that mourn refuse not to visit the sick for by these things thou shalt be strengthened in Charity CHAP. II. Of Humility OUR Humility is true and perfect when we do not desire glory should be given us and contemn it when it is given us The humble man always fears lest any glory should be given him and if any be given him he trembles and is heavily sorry for it knowing that Honour and Glory are due only to God The truly humble never glories of any Grace or Glory unless he intend hereby to raise his Hearers to a Confidence in God But if any Grace or any thing that 's glorious be reported of him he hears it with grief of Heart and dejection of himself knowing that what is ascribed to him is God's alone To whom alone all Glory is to be given 1 Tim. 1. The truly humble compares himself neither to his Superior nor to his Inferior nor to his Equal nay indeed he deems no Body inferiour to himself he contemns no Body he heartily despises none
Either forgive them this Fault or if thou doest not blot me out of thy Book which thou hast written Exod. 32. Such Prayers God willingly hears and grants whence those David Christ and Stephen were heard for their Enemies An Argument of Impatience is when one for some Trouble brought upon him by reason of some inward Disturbance voluntarily omitts certain good Works which he might conveniently and ought to have done for then God suffers Injury done him by Man the same inward Motion can hardly hide it self but it will break out either in the Countenance Gesture or Words This is the most dangerous kind of Impatience whose Revenge breaks it self upon the innocent God CHAP. V. Of Poverty TRue and perfect Poverty is voluntarily and freely to leave all things for God to possess nothing but bare Necessaries and to think ones self unworthy of them yea sometimes for God and for the Love of Poverty willingly to want even Necessaries for where there is no need there true Poverty cannot be discerned So our Lord Jesus Christ wanted necessary Food when he could not have Bread for himself and his Disciples rubbing Ears of Corn who in like manner wanted necessary Cloaths when as says St. Bernard he was stripped stark naked before his Cross who also being a thirst upon his Cross could not have a Draught of Water nor a Stone or Board whereon when he was a dying he might lean his crucified Head Alas how often is Superfluity there where true Need is believed to be The truly Poor desires no transitory things yea refuses them when they are offered after the Example of Elizeus who refused the gifts of Naaman 2 Kings 5. and after the Example of Daniel who despised the gifts of King Balthazar He truly loves Poverty who had rather deserve a little Glory in the Kingdom of Heaven through Poverty than a great one through Riches And this to be more conformable to Jesus Christ Three things ought to move us to the love of true Poverty according to St. Bernard Nothing says he is more dear to God nothing more amiable to the Angels nothing more profitable to Men than to end this Life in Poverty and Obedience That Poverty is pleasing to God the same St. Bernard testifies In the left hand of God says he are Riches and Glory in his right hand length of Life Of all these there was an eternal Abundance in Heaven but Poverty was not found there but on Earth it did abound and superabound and Man knew not it's Value wherefore the Son of God being enamoured with it came down that he might make Choice of it for himself and that he might also by his Esteem of it make it precious to us Another motive to true Poverty is the glory of sitting beside our Lord Jesus proceeding hence that the ignoble Poor shall sit by him in Judgment and judge the Noble and Rich. And how laudable is it before God purely to leave all things for him and of ones own Choice to be poor for the Love of God to confide in God above all things because he is so powerful once or twice a day to afford all things necessary for the Body which are the least things before God for he gives them more abundantly to his Enemies than to his Friends as he is powerful to minister to the Spirit Day and Night and every Moment an abundance of spiritual gifts which are the greatest things before God nor does he communicate them to his Enemies but only to the good who are his Friends An Argument of true Poverty is to have no Solicitude for transitory things but simply and securely to commit himself to God who plentifully administers all Necessaries even to Birds and Worms and especially to the young ones of Crows which cry for Hunger in their Nest whom the old black Crow leaves to starve because of their Whiteness as if they were not her own Brood who are fed either by the Bounty of God or by the Dew of the Air until growing black their Damn succour them or else they swallow down Gnats and Flies which stick to the Foam of their Bills they crying uncessantly for Hunger An Argument of false Poverty or Covetousness is willingly to beg Gifts without necessity or willingly and frequently to receive them Such an one sells his Liberty according to that of the Philosopher Publius Mimus to receive Gifts is to sell ones Liberty yea the Scripture says Thou shalt not receive Gifts because they blind the Eyes of the Wise and change the Words of the just Deut. 16. For how is he a Lover of Poverty who will endure no Want and receives unnecessary Gifts willingly and frequently Yea who asks them and by certain subtle Devices extorts them and without Necessity keeps them CHAP. VI. Of Chastity TRue and perfect Chastity is when not only the Body is kept from carnal Pollution but even the Soul is preserved clean from carnal Concupiscence after the Example of Sarah saying Thou knowest O Lord that I have never lusted after man and have kept my Soul clean from all Concupiscence yea and from those things which give occasions of Concupiscence And this is that which follows in the same place I have never kept Company with those that sport neither have I familiarly conversed with those of light behaviour Tob. 3. He truly loves Chastity who if it were possible would chuse rather less Grace in this life and less Glory in the other by Virginal Chastity to be more conformed to Jesus Christ than by paying the Conjugal debt to merit greater Grace and Glory The motives which ought to incite us to the love of Chastity are the Example of our Lord Jesus Christ and of his Blessed Mother and the holy Virgins who have despised Kingdoms and voluntarily lost their Lives to preserve their Chastity as S. Agnes S. Katherin S. Agatha and inumerable others and especially the Chastity of Pagan Women and Virgins of whom S. Hierom writes That they chose Death that they might conserve their Chastity The Cleanness also and Freedom which follow Chastity ought to move and invite us to it as also the glory which our Lord Jesus has promised to Chastity He who shall overcome says he Apoc. 3. to wit the concupiscence of the Flesh I will give him to sit with me in my throne as I also have overcome and have sat with my Father in his Throne for incorruption makes one very near unto God Sap. 6. These things are inductive of Chastity and conserve it a spare Diet plain Attire corporal Incommodity to avoid opportune time and place for Impurity which if Dina the Daughter of Jacob had done she had not been taken when she went to a feast to see the women of the Country Gen. 34. Moreover to shun the Company of suspected persons Now every man ought to be suspected by every woman for hence Thamar the daughter of David was corrupted by her own Brother because she did not suspect
the light of my Countenance did not fall upon the Ground He has an Argument of Levity who is prone to laugh who is jesting in his Words dissolute in his Manners a frequenter of dissolute Places and Company and willingly dwells with such who shuns grave and mature Persons the sight of them is offensive to him and he believes the Infirmity of his Body proceeds from Sobriety Such an one is described in Ecclesiastes ch 11. Rejoyce O Young man in thy tender Age and let thy Heart be joyful in the days of thy Youth and walk in the ways of thy Heart and in the sight of thy Eyes and know that for all these things God will bring thee into Judgment CHAP. XXX Of Simplicity TRUE and perfect Simplicity is to hurt no Body and to do Good to every one as says the Gloss upon the Parables This is the first Vertue for which Job is commended chap. 1. There was a man in the Land of Hus whose name was Job and he was a simple and an upright Man as excelling in that above other Vertues This our Lord commanded when he sent his Apostles into the whole World to gather Unbelievers to the Unity of the Catholick Faith saying Math. 10. Be ye prudent as Serpents and simple as Doves Where Prudence is joyned to Simplicity for Prudence without Simplicity is Craft and Simplicity without Prudence is Folly The Dove neither hurts with her Beak nor with her Talons so the truly simple hurts neither with word nor Deed. He truly loves Simplicity who is not busied about many things as Martha was Luke 10. For where there are many things there are Doubles or Folds But only seeks one thing of which our Lord but one thing is necessary for which Mary Magdalen is commended Who chose the best part which shall not be taken away from her This is that one Good in which are all Goods eternal and immense The Profit coming from Simplicity ought to induce us therunto For it is written Pro. 3. And with the Simple is his Converse that is the Lords For the Lord is familiar with the simple to whom he does not disdain to reveal his Secrets Whence our Lord Math. 10. said to his Apostles prohibiting little Children to come into his presence Permit little Children and do not hinder them from coming to me for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven This is a Virtue without which there is no Salvation For our Lord Jesus says Math. 18. Vnless ye be made like little Childeren ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven He does not say unless ye be made little Children but like little Children that is Simple and Innocent Another Profit of Simplcity is that which is mentioned Pro. 10. He who walks simply walks confidently For the way of Simplicity is the most secure way to the Kingdom of Heaven For it is written He will protect those who walk simply Pro. 2. He has an Argument of true Simplicity who perverts no bodies doings but presumes well of all who neither depraves nor diminishes any ones Good who desires the Salvation of all and wishes ill to none who does good things and does them well And who has good thoughts of the Lord and seeks him in the simplicity of his heart Wisdom 1. Who submits himself to his will and keeps his Commandments He has an Argument of Duplicity who has one thing in his Mouth and another in his Heart and works As Joab holding Amaza by the Chin said Brother God save you and in the mean time secretly drawing out a Sword slew him 2 Sam 20. Against this our Lord Jesus says Let your Speech be Yea yea Nay Nay Math. 5. That is what you have in your Heart speak with your Mouth and exhibit with your Deeds And S. James Chap. 1. The double minded man is inconstant in all his ways And God curses double Dealers to wit who will together serve him and the Devil that is exercise themselves in Sins and in good Works For these our Lord says Math. 6. No body can serve two Masters to wit that are contrary to one another For Vertue and Vice Good and Evil are wholly opposite Against those who seek to please God and the World S. James sayes Chap. 4. Whosoever will be a friend of this World is made an enemy of God He has an Argument of false Simplicity who makes a shew of Simplicity in his outward Conversation and yet carries Deceit in his Heart Of such an one the Prophet Jeremy says Chap. 9. Let every one keep himself from his Neighbour and let him not have confidence in every Brother because every Brother supplanting will supplant and every Friend will walk deceitfully CHAP. XXXI Of Silence TRUE and perfect Silence is not only to restrain the Tongue from unlawfull Words as are Detractions Lyes Perjuries Unchaste light angry hurtful reproachful Words and such like but also from profitable and lawfull according to that Psal 38. I held my Peace and was humbled I was silent from good things that is from declaiming them The Gloss says He does no fall into unlawfull things who warily rastrains himself from those that are lawfull Spiritual Grace is poured out not only by unprofitable and hurtfull Words but by profitable Words when a mean is not observed in speaking This moderation of the Tongue is a rare Virtue Witness S. James Chap. 3. All Beasts and Fowls and Serpents and other living Creatures are tamed and have been tamed by man but the Tongue no man can tame it is a restless Evil full of deadly Poyson The Gloss the Tongue of wicked men surpasses the Beasts in Cruelty the Birds in Levity the Serpents in Virulency For they are Beasts who have sharpened their Tongues like a sword Psal 63. They are Birds who have put their mouth in Heaven and whose Mouth has spoken Vanity Psal 143. They are Serpents of whom it is said The Poyson of Asps is under their Lips Psal 13. The most holy example of our Lord Jesus Christ ought to induce us to the love of Silence who so recommended Silence when he was asked concerning Crimes falsly laid to his Charge would not excuse himself nor by any Answer defer his death The example also of a certain Eremite ought to move us hereunto concerning whom we read that he carried a Stone in his Mouth three years that he might learn to keep Silence for one may sooner learn to speak than to be Silent according to that of a Wise man He who knows how to speak let him learn also to hold his peace The Profit coming from it ought to induce us to it For Silence composes the distracted Heart induces quiet of Conscience and makes the mind apt to receive the Divine Grace But where there is not Silence there a man is easily overcome by the Adversary according to that Pro. 25. As an open City and without Walls so is the man who cannot restrain his Spirit in speaking For where
if thou doest true Penance whilst thou art in Health and thy last Day shall come run to be reconciled if thou doest so thou art secure Why art thou secure Because thou hast done Penance at that time when thou couldest also have sinned But if thou wilt then do Penance when thou canst no longer sin thy Sins have left thee not thou them But thou sayest how do I know if perhaps God may not pardon thee Thou sayest very true How do I know I know not That I know this I know not For therefore I give thee Penance because I know not For if I knew that it would profit thee nothing I would not give it thee Also if I knew that it would profit thee I would not admonish thee I would not fright thee There are two things either thou shalt be pardoned or thou shalt not he pardoned which of these two shall be thy Lot I know not therefore lay hold on the certain and let go the uncertain They who desire to obtain true Confidence it behoves them to convert their Strength to spiritual Works according to that of Esaias chap. 40. They who hope in the Lord shall change their Strength they shall take Wings as an Eagle they shall run and not labour they shall walk and not faint That they who were before strong to corporeal Labours may afterwards be strong to spiritual Labours He has an Argument of Diffidence who not esteeming the grace of Redemption knowingly goes on in his Sins whence in the Gospel Jo. 9. We know that God does not hear Sinners but if any one be a Worshipper of God and do his Will him he hears And Psal 65. If I have regarded Iniquity in my Heart the Lord will not hear me And Esaias 59. Your Iniquities have divided betwixt you and your God and your Sins have hid his Face from you that he should not hear you He has an Argument of false Confidence who thinks the most just God will be so far overcome by Mercy and Pity that in the day of Judgment he will save all both good and bad because he has died for all against this our Lord says Matth. 25. These shall go into eternal Punishment but the Just into eternal Life He also has an Argument of false Confidence who thinks a Sinner can deserve the first Grace when he pleases Also if any one believe that he who abounds here in temporal Goods shall abound hereafter in everlasting Joy against this it is said The Just shall see to wit the wicked Man in Hell and shall fear and shall laugh over him and shall say Behold the Man who made not God his Helper but hoped in the Multitude of his Riches and prevailed in his Vanity CHAP. XXXVII Of the Contempt of the World A True Contempt of the World is to renounce the temporal things of this Life the Pomps of the World all Dignities and Superiorities Spiritual and Secular and to withdraw ones self from all his carnal Friends and secular Manners for the hope of eternal Happiness To this S. John exhorts us 1. Epistle 2. Do not love the World nor those things that are in the World This Contempt S. Augustin had when whatsoever was done in the World displeased him And when he discoursed with his Mother very sweetly and amidst that Discourse the World with all its Delights was vile and disgustful unto him In like manner St. Agnes St. Catharine St. Cecily and other Virgins contemned the World and all its Glory for the love of our Lord Jesus Christ The Worlds great unfaithfulness to it's Lovers at last ought to induce us to the Contempt and hatred of it For this was done even to the Creator himself by the wicked Worldlings whom upon Palm-sunday they gloriously received going out to meet him and singing Math. 21. Hosanna to the Son of David blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest But afterwards on Good-Friday they went forth crying to Pilate Crucifie him Crucifie him if he had not been a Malefactor we had not delivered him unto thee Jo. 18. And when he hung upon the Cross they mocked him saying save thy self if thou art the Son of God Math. 27. And him whom they received with Palmes Flowers and green leaves they crowned with pricking thorns and beat with Rods and Whips and for him whom they strowed their own garments in the way him they stript and spoiled of all his garments before the Cross and changed the Glory they gave him into Reproach The danger which comes from the love of the World ought to induce us to the Contempt and Hatred of it For St. James testifies Chap. 4. Know ye not that the friendship of this World is Enmity with God Whosoever therefore will be a friend of this World becomes an Enemy of God And because the World hated our Lord Jesus and all his Friends as he told his Apostles for their Comfort Jo. 15. If the World hate you know that it hated me before it hated you He has an Argument of Contempt of the World who cares not for Nobility of Parentage nor seeks the Pleasures of the Flesh nor desires Riches nor Honours Such was Moses concerning whom the Apostle Heb. 11. By Faith Moses denied himself to be the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter against Nobility chusing rather to be afflicted with the People of God than to enjoy the delight of Sin for a time against Pleasure esteeming the Reproach of Christ greater Riches than all the Treasures of Egypt against Riches for he had an Eye to the Recompence of Reward He has another Argument of true Contempt of the World who is neither effeminared with the flatteries of the World nor terrified with its Threats nor is moved either with the Praise or Dispraise of men In this Contempt of the World was the Apostle when he said Phil. 3. I havè made all things as loss and I estèem them as Dung that I may gain Christ He has an Argument of false Contempt of the World who then first abstains from the love of it and its Allurements when by reason of old Age and Poverty he cannot enjoy it For then he does not leave the World but is left by the World As alas how many are there who then begin to leave off to sin when they can sin no longer CHAP. XXXVIII Of Mortification TRUE Mortification of the Flesh is when one voluntarily chastizes his Body with Fastings Watchings Prayers Hair-shirts Disciplines and Abstinence from delightful Meat and Drink that in all things the Flesh may be subject to the Spirit This the Apostle did when he said 1 Cor. 9. I chastize my Body and bring it into servitude lest perhaps when I shall have preached to others I my self may be a Reprobate And Judith who was fair and young a Widow and rich after she had dwelt with her husband three years and six Months from her Virginity she had a Hair-shirt upon her loyns and