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A08889
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The meditat[i]ons of saint Bernard; Tractatus de interiori domo. English
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Bernard, of Clairvaux, Saint, 1090 or 91-1153.
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1499
(1499)
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STC 1917; ESTC S108390
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30,253
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66
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vse theym to the prouffyte of the soule What place someuer thou be in dresse well thy thoughtes reuolue some holsome thynges in thy soule For sothly euery place is apte coÌ„uenient to gode thoughtes medytacions Therfore gadre togider thy soule with an hole felycyte Ioye abyde at lyberte in thin inwarde habitacyon walkynge in the largesse of thyne herte Make redy therin to Cryste a restynge place and a large chambre For the mynde of a wyse man is alwaye to god We shold alway haue hym before our eyen by whom we haue our beyenge our lyf vnderstondynge For lyke as we in our beynge haue him as auctour maker so yf we shal profyte in wysdome we muste haue him a doctour a techer· and so we shal be blessyd we muste haue him the yeuer of euerlastynge blysse And in that we knowe that the ymage of him that is to saye that hyghe gloryous trynyte is in vs. For lyke as he is is both wyse gode so we in our maner haue a beyenge knowe that we haue a beynge are glad that we haue that knowlege Therfore vse thyselfe as the temple of god for that that is in the lyke to god Sothly cheyef honoure worshyp to god is to worsyp folowe hym Yf thou be meke thou folowest hym For sothly the mynde of a meke man is an holy temple to our lorde his herte is a chyef awter to hym Thou worshyp peste him yf thou be mercyfull lyke as he is mercyfull to al. Sothly it is an acceptable hoste oblacyon to god to do well to all men for the loue of Cryste do all thynges euyn as the chylde of god that thou maye be acceptable to him that hathe vouchesauf to call the his chylde In all thynge that thou doost knowe well haue in mynde that almyghty god is presente therfore beware that nother thy syghte ne thy thought abyde or tary in vnleful delectacyon or plesyre or· be wel ware that thou nother saye ne doo thynge that is vnlefull for noo maner of plesyre or lykynge leest thou offende god in ony dede or in ony token therto The whiche is presente in euery place beholdeth what someuer thou doost Sothly thou haste nede to be kepte well For thou arte alwaye before the eyen of a Iuge that seeth all thynges Thou arte alwaye with hym in surete yf thou rule thy self so that he vouchesauf to be with the. Yf he be not with the by grace he is nyghe to the by vengaunce but woo to the yf it be so with the. Ye but woo to the yf it he be not so wyth the. For almyghty god is wroth with hym that he chastyseth not whan he synneth For hym that he amendeth not by correccion he suffreth perysh in euerlastynge dampnacyon ¶ Of mannes herte And of prouffyte in redynge holy thynges cao. ixo. CErteyne it is that deth tretyth the in euery place the deuyll layeth watche to take thy soule whan it is departed fro the body but for all that be thou not aferde For almyghty god yf thou be his seruaunte shall delyuer the bothe fro deth fro the deuyll God is a true a faythfull felowe He forsaketh not them that truste in him but yf he be forsaken before Sothly he is lefte and forsaken whan the herte renneth with a wauerynge vnstable mynde by shrewde vnprouffytable thoughtes Therfore we oughte to kepe it well to holde it rule it well with grete besynesse dylygence that almyghty god maye reste therin For amonge all creatures vnder heuen that ben occupyed with worldly vanytees there is noo thynge founde more hyghe and noble more lyke to god than is the herte of man Wherfore our lorde seketh or desyreth none other thynge of the but a clene herte Therfore make it pure and clene by pure clene confessyon and besy prayer that thou mayste see god with a clene herte by contynuell beholdynge of hym Soo that thou be subget cyrcumspecte attendaunt to hym in euery place Dresse well thy maners condycyons that thou maye be quyete and restfull in thyself Loue all men And behaue the amyable and goodly to all men that thou maye be pesyble restfull and the chylde of god Thus thou shalte be a good a holy meke and a true monke And whan thou arte suche one I praye the remembre me Woo is me for I saye thyse thynge I do them not And yf I do them somtyme I perceuer not abyde in them I haue thyse in mynde kepe them not in my lyf I haue them in wordes and sermons but in maners I shewe the lawe of god alday in my herte mouth but I do contrary therto I rede in it both of relygyon prayer I loue more redynge than prayer neuer the lesse the scrypture of god techeth no thynge but to kepe relygyon to loue vnyte to haue charyte but I wretche renne rather to redynge than to pray â—â— I haue more plesyre to rede than to here masse ¶ Some tyme some man taryeth for me desyrynge to speke with me for his necessytees and I take a boke that he or he wolde haue rede theron and in redynge therin lefte the fruyte of charyte the affeccyon of pety the teeres of coÌ„puncyon the prouffyte of masses the coÌ„templacyon of heuenly thynges Neuerthelesse there is noo thynge in this lyfe that sauoureth swetter Noo thynge is more gredyly taken Noo thynge spareth soo the mynde frome the worlde Noo thynge strengtheth the soule so agaynste themptacyons Noo thynge exyteth and helpeth a man soo to good werke and good laboure as redynge and prayer ¶ Of wauerynge and vnstablenesse of the mynde and thoughtes cao. .xijo. Good lorde haue mercy of me for I synne there moost were I sholde make amendys for my synnes Ofte tymes whan I praye in the chyrche I take not hede what I saye Sothly I praye with my mouth but whyle my mynde is wauerynge withoute I lese the fruyte of my prayer My body is within but my herte is withoute And therfore I lese that I saye For it prouffyteth lytyll to synge oonly wyth voys wythoute thentencyon of herte And therfore it is grete peruersyte frowardnesse Ye and moche foly and greatly to be lothed whan we presume to speke with the lorde of mageste in prayer And lyke as we had no wytte or vnderstondynge we torne awaye our ceres and torne our herte and mynde to vncouenable fables tryfles For it is outrageous foly greuously to be punysshed whan moost vyle fylthy duste disdeyneth to here the maker of heuen erthe spekynge to hym Sothly there can noo tonge expresse the suffraunce gentylnes of our maker mercyfull lorde â–ª that dayly beholdeth vs wretches tornynge awaye our ere 's closynge our harde hertes And yet for all that he cryeth to vs sayenge O ye synÌ„ers torne ayen remembre yourself take hede
And he that fyndethe it in sekynge in hymself perceyueth and knoweth it in euery man ¶ Sothely the syghte and perseueraunce of the soule is the vnderstondynge and knowlege Therfore yf that thou see thyne owne persone Thenne thou seest me that am the same thynge that thou arte And yf thou loue god thou lonest me that am the ymage of god And I in louynge god loue the. And so whyle we seke oo thynge and goo towarde oo thynge Lete vs alwaye be present togyder in our self that is to saye in god in whome we loue to gyder ¶ How we sholde praye loue whrshyp god and thynke on hym cao. .xo. WHan thou entrest in to the chyrche to praye to worshyp god leue withoute the heepe of flowynge thoughtes and forgete vtterly cure charge of all outward thynges that thou may take hede to god only For it maye not be that a man speke ony tyme with god that talketh or chatteth softly with all the worlde Therfore gyue attendauÌ„ce and take hede to hym that gyueth attendauÌ„ce taketh hede to the. Heere whan he speketh to yâ— that he may gracyously here whan thou spekeste to him Thus it shall be yf thou applye thy selfe besely to the louynge of our lorde with due reuerence dylygence Yf thou attende and take hede dylygently to euery worde of holy scrypture I saye not that I do thyse thynges myself but I wolde feyne do them I am sory that I haue not done theym in tymes past And it greueth me that I doo theym not now But thou to whome is graunted more grace be the meke eeres of our lorde to the with deuoute prayers Praye to hyÌ„ lowely and deuoutly with teeres and syghynges for remyssyon foryeuenes of thy synnes And looue glorefye hym in all his werkes wyth spyrytuall and goostly songes For there is no presente or gyfte more lykynge and plesauÌ„te to the hyghe cytezyns of heuen Also there is noo gyft more acceptable Ioyfull to the hyghe kynge of heuen as hymself bereth wytnesse sayenge The sacrefyce of laude and praysynge shall honoure worshyp me O how happy sholdest thou be yf thou myght ones se wyth thy goostly eyen the plesaunte ordre of the heuenly company â–ª how prynces Ioyned wyth the holy felyshyp of blessyd vyrgynes come the praysyng and worshyppynge of almyghty god wyth moost swete melodye Thou sholdest se withoute doubte with how moche dylygence and wyth how moche myrth they abyde amonge vs. whan we looue god Assyste and helpe vs· whan we praye be nyghe to vs in our meditacion watche kepe vs whan we reste Defende helpe vs in our prouysyons good labours Sothly the heuenly potestates loue theyr brederen neyghbours They Ioye besely togyder for theym that receyue the herytage of helth comforte theym teche theym defende theym And they prouyde to euerychone in all thynges Sothly they desyre our comyÌ„ge to theym For they loke after to haue the hurte losse of the countree restored of vs And they serche dylygently ben very glad to here good of vs. They renne besely betwene god vs faythfully truly berynge our coÌ„trycyon sorowe to him They dysdeyne not to be our felawes For they ben now made mynystres to vs. we make them Ioyfull glad whan we ben conuerted to penaunce Therfore late vs haste vs to fulfyll theym with Ioye of vs. Woo to yâ— who someuer thou arte that desyrest to torne ayene to thy stynkyÌ„ge synes fylty lyuynge wenest thou to haue theyr frendshyp at the dredfull Iugemete fro whome thou wylte reeue so moche soo veryly trusted Ioye They made moche Ioye whan we came to relygyon as of theym whom they sawe drawen reuoked fro the gate of hell How shal it be now yf they see them depart oute of the gate of paradys go bacwarde that haue the one fote in heuen for though our bodyes ben bynethe yet lete vs haue our hertes aboue Therfore lete vs renne not with bodely steppes but wyth hertly affeccions desyres For not only angels but also the maker of angels abydeth vs Almyghty god the fader abydeth vs his children heyre to gyue vs possessyon of all his goodes The sone of god abydeth vs as his bredeâ—en Inherytours to gyder that he maye offre vp to almyghty god his fader the frute of his natyuyte the pryce of his precyous blode The holy goost abydeth vs Sothly he is charyte wherin we ben predestynat ordeyned to perpetuell blysse fro the begynnynge And no doubte but he wyll that his predestynacion ordenauce be fulfylled Thenne sythe al the hole courte of heuen abydeth desyreth vs. lete vs desyre with as feruente desyre as we maye For who someuer desyreth not gretly to see it shal come therto with greate coÌ„fusyon shamfastnes Therfore who someuer is conuersaunt dwelleth abydeth in it wyth besy prayer besy medytacion thought shal go from hens in surete And shall be receyued in it with greate gladnes Therfore where someuer thou be praye wyth in thyself yf thou be ferre from an Oratory trouble the not to seke a place for thou thyfelf arte a place coÌ„uenyent of thou be in thy besynesse or in ony other place pray there is a temple Sothly the mynde oweth oft tymes to be lyfte vp to god with besy prayer bodely obeysaunce For lyke as there is no moment of tyme wherin man occupyeth not nideth the goodnesse mercy of our lorde soo there oweth to be no moment wherin he hath not hym presente in his mynde But perauenture thou woll saye I pray dayly but I see no fruyte of my prayer but euyn as I go to it so I go frome it For there is none that answereth me none that speketh to me none that giueth me oughe but me semeth that I haue laboured in vayne O this is the folysshe spekynge of man takynge no hede what very sothfastnes promyseth for prayer sayenge on this wyse Sothly I say to you what someuer ye desyre by prayer belyue ye stedfastly that ye shall haue it it shal be done to you Therfore set not at lytyll thy prayer for he that thou prayest to setteth it not at lytell but he coÌ„mauÌ„ded it to be wreten in the boke of lyf before it go forth of thy mouthe And we ought to truste without doubte one of ij thynges for he shall yeue vs that we desyre or elles that he knoweth more prouffytable to vs. thynke therfore of god the beste that thou mayste of thyself the worste yet thou sholde hope worse of thyself than thou mayste thynke Al the tyme that thou thynke not on god counte it as loste fro the. Other thynges belonge to other than vs â–ª but tyme is ours only therfore watche wel whersomeuer thou be be thyne owne spende tyme well and thou shalt be there in surete Geue not thyself to worldly thynges but