coÌ„uerted WheÌ„ thou séest a sinner openly led to his last end to lose his life by law know y t thou staÌ„dest a sinner before god as wel as he although before the world thou be estéemed better The life and death of our Lord sauiour Iesus Christ is a glasse for all faithfull Christians to looke in Wherefore with a good deuotion lead thou an holye life by his example take paines to follow his humilitie his sobrietie his chastitie his goondnesse his charitie his patience his compassion and all his other vertues Ther is no schoole wherein a Christian maye so well learne to liue well as in the contemplation of Christs life conuersation thou must oftentimes think on thy last end as death iudgement hell heauen perseuer in praier in goodnes to the death so thou shalt please God not be loth to dye Remember the end saith y e wise thou shalt neuer sin thou must often pray deuoutly to God wheÌ„ thou wilt so do thou must draw thy selfe from all affaires For praier is a lifting vp of the hart to God and a priuate speach or communication of the soule with God If it be so were there any reason that a man shuld withdraw his cogitations from God or rather all outward busines put apart with all reuerence to submit thy soule before him All this notwithstanding it is not forbiddeÌ„ in all our affairs to pray sing psalmes to Gods glorie and oftentimes with teares to saie the Lordes praier or anie other praier to that effect And heere by the way thou must vnderstand that the longest praier is not most profitablest because of the multitude of cogitations thoughts rising in the minde Besides that they must be deuout for the praiers which are done with deuotion with loue humilitie of the hart doth profit most as for all other praiers they are vaine and to no purpose If thou pronounce but three words as the Publican did saieng God be mercifull to me a sinner or as the Chananite said O sonne of Dauid haue mercie vpon me it is enough Againe be not curious of thy tongue or fine in speaking it sufficeth that thy heart speaks within thee and thy tongue though but bleatingly if vnfainedly it is well as we read of Moses and Anne Samuels mother True it is and no lesse fitte that both tongue and heart shoulde praise God and therefore be circumspect in thy praiers lest thou be reproued as our Lord reproued some saieng You knowe not what you aske In the first parte of thy Prayer thou askest Gods Kingdome according to Gods doctrine and also his Iustice. Then thou askest in thy prayer that God be knowen honoured glorified of all that his wil be done in all accomplished in all as well of men in Earth as of Angells in Heauen Thou askest increase of Faith Hope and Charitie remission of sinnes the grace of God and his glorie Worldly goods superfluously thou oughtest not to aske but necessarily to liue and with a measure for thy bodely health and for the succour of the néedie If thou be sicke poore or in aduersitie thou maist aske health riches or prosperitie so it be done to Gods glorie But if thine afflictions doe more aduaunce Gods glory then thy prosperitie doeth yéelding thy will to GODS will thou oughtest to aske patience and saie with a meeke heart Lord thy will bee done and not mine Euermore haue the feare of GOD before thine eyes iudgeing and condempning thy selfe for thy sinne and thou shalt not be iudged nor condempned of God Let no sinne so raigne in thée as to depriue thee of Gods grace and to tumble thée to eternall death Better it is to dye in trouble without sinne then to liue in prosperitie in sinne and better it is to loose thy life for Gods cause then to liue at ease and loose God and thy life too If thy senses be inclined to sinne be not dismaid for ther is a God to whom if thou pray will by the power of his grace suppresse that inclination Wherefore take courage when thou art tempted aske for helpe at God saieng O God make speede to saue me O Lord make hast to helpe me Lord God leaue me not but be my help O thou Lord God of my health Doe what thou canst to resist the Diuell and he shall goe from thée approch to God by Faith and he will drawe néere vnto vs by his spirite If the Diuell assault thée defie him and make thy mone to our Sauiour saieng Lord helpe me and he will helpe thee Doe thou thine indeuour and assure thy selfe that God wil make thée strong he will aide thée he will ease thée and in the end will set thee free from all vexations placing thée in the heauen of heauens the portion and inheritaunce of his seruaunts To this God and to Iesus Christ with the holy Ghost be all glorie honour and praise worlds without end Amen ¶ THE AVTHORS PERORATION OR Conclusion to the deuout readers or hearers The xij Chahter The xij Chapter I Thanke almightie God of his goodnes that I am come to the ende of the voyage of the wandring Knight by the which thou maist vnderstand that in following Folly and vaine Voluptuousnesse he forsooke God to the preiudice and hurt of his soule yea to the daunger of euerlasting damnation Héere thou maist learne that al voluptuous worldlings are the very subiects of Satan and that earthly goods and worldly pleasure shal quickly consume Thou art taught likewise what great clemencie God vsed to him drawing him by his Grace from the sinke of sinne wherein he was sunke how he was led to the place of Repentance and from thence to the Pallaice of Vertue where by Gods grace he is now and what goodnesse he hath found there thou hast heard at large The Lord graunt vs to lande where he is landed euen in the lande of promise promised to the Elect. And now to conclude I beséech your good courtesies that if any thing in this my labour mislike you interpret the same to the best and to lay nothing to my charge in the waye of presumption but commending my good meaning and allowing my will not to contemne but to speak well and esteeme of this my worke and to vse it for thy benefite and edification for the which ende I made and compiled the same And now I exhort you all in Christian loue and charitie that if by Gods grace you be resident in Vertues Pallaice to perseuer and continue there to the ende humbling your selues before God and alwaies trusting vnto his goodnesse not vnto your owne strength or merites acknowledging also Gods grace by the which you are as you are and of whome you haue that you haue Let all your confidence be in his mercie and in his goodnesse Furthermore if any féele and perceiue himselfe out of Vertues Pallaice by meanes of worldly vanities let him consider the great perill he is in and spéedely tourne to repentaunce with a contrite and sorrowfull heart requiring pardon of God and trusting wholly to the merites and passion of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. Let him not be ashamed to acknowledge his sinnes which if he doe he shall finde at Gods hands grace and mercie And now I beseech our Lord God to giue vs all grace to do according vnto that which heere is spoken for otherwise of our selues it is not possible that leading a life acceptable and agréeable vnto his holy wil we may in the end after the voyage which we haue to passe in this world sée and enioye possesse and haue the full fruition of that glorious Citie of Paradise where true blessednesse and perfect felicitie dwelleth euen in the habitation of God almightie vnto whom be all honor glory power dominion for euermore Amen FINIS GLORIE TO GOD. ¶ Imprinted at London by Thomas East Pro. 11. Eccle. 32. Mat. 12. Luke 6. Gen. â—â— The beginning of Idolatrie Ninus the sonne of Bell and third king of BabiloÌ„ Exo. 32. Trabeta vvaÌ„dred a long time like a vagabond from couÌ„try to couÌ„trie Berosus Exo. 1. Exo. 14. Nu. 16. 1. Kin. 21.26.31 2. Kiâ— 1.12 Kin. 13.11 4. Kin. 12. 3. Kin. 18 21. Iohn 1. Iames. 4 Luke 6. Mat. 7. Eph. 4. Repentance coÌ„meth by loue and feare Act. 9. Luc. 23. 3. King 19 Esay 45. Esay 35 Ezechi 18 Ioel. 2. Micheas 7 Iohn 3. Luke 15. Rom. â— Heb 4. Chron. 33. Luke 7 Iohn 4. Act. 9. Tim. 1. Psal. 93. Psal. 93. Rom. 6. Esa. 61. Psa. 80. 2. Cor. 7. Esay 66. VVis 7. Cor. 3. Cor. 6. Rom. 10. Rom. â— Iere. 17. 1. Iohn 3. Rom. 8. 1. Iohn 3. Rom. 8. 1. Iohn â— Iohn 14 Psa. 41. Ioel. 1. Iohn 17. Mat. 24. Mat. 18. Eccle. 7 Luc. 18. Mat. 17 Ezo 1. 1. Kin. 1. Mat. 20 Mat. 5.
holy Scripture as well in y e old testament as y e new First Esay saith It is I my selfe It is I my selfe that doth blotte out thine iniquities for mine owne loue sake I will not haue thy sins in remembrance For the loue of me saith he not for the loue of thée meaning my goodnesse and mercie not for the loue of thy merits As if he said to all sinners in this sort If thou thinkest y t I pardon thy sins for thy merits sake thou art deceiued wallowest in dispaire no no but for my mercy infinit goodnes I remit forgiue Thou hast no cause to dispaire for y e least part of my mercie excéedeth all thy sinnes In an other place he saith by the same Prophet Turne your selues vnto me all the earth and you shall be saued for I am God and there is none other besides me What is the meaning of these words I am God anie thing els but that God is good mercifull If it be vnpossible but he should be God it is vnpossible but he should be good and mercifull The same Prophet speaketh vnto euerie one of vs sayeng Let the Infidell leaue his waye and the vniust man his thoughts let them turne to the Lord and he will haue pitie vpō him for he is redy to forgiue By his Prophet Ieremy hée saith to the people of Israel that he was wroth for their Idolatrie manie other sinnes neuerthelesse he said Turne Israel thou Rebell vnto me thy Lord and I will not turne my face from thee or as the Hebrew text saith I will not lay mine ire vpon thee for I am saith the Lord holy and gentle and keepe not mine anger foreuer By the Prophet Ezechiel he sath If the euill man repent him of his sinnes and keepe my commaundemants doing righteously he shal liue and not dye neither will I haue his former offences anie more in remembraunce Doe you thinke saith the LORDE that I delight in the death of a sinner nay rather that hee shoulde turne from his wickednesse and liue Repent you then and you shall liue The Prophet Dauid said That from morning till night Israel hoped in the Lord. What doth this signifie but that the faithfull from their natiuitie and birth vntil their verie death haue hope in the Lord. There is mercy in the Lord and great redemption attendeth vpon him In Ioel it is writtē Turne your selues vnto the Lord with all your heart in fasting praieng weeping sorrow tearing your hearts and not your garments so shall you be turned vnto the Lord your God for he is ful of clemencie mercie great grace slowe to ire redie to forgiue or as the Hebrewe text saith such a one as repents him of euill that is to say is loth to execute the punishment vpon sinners which he hath denounced and threatened Micheas the Prophet sayth What God is there like vnto thee which takest awaie iniquities forgiuest sins for the rest of thine heritage sake He keepeth not his ire for euer but of his compassion mercy wil haue pitie vpon vs. He will put out our iniquities and throw all our sins into the bottome of the sea What sinner is ther that hearing these wordes hath so heauie a heart as to dispaire séeing that God is more readie to forgiue then the sinner to aske forgiuenesse Now let vs come to the new Testament to trie if there be not testimonies to the same effect The sonne of God which is the infallyble truth spake this to Nicodemus God so loued the world that he gaue his onelye begotten sonne to the end that whosoeuer beleeued in him shoulde bee saued and not perish but haue euerlasting life God sent not his sonne into the world to condempne the world but to the end the world shuld be saued by him To the Scribes and Pharesies which murmured because he did eate drink among Publicans and sinners Christ said Those that bee whole need not the Phisition but such as be sicke Againe I came not saith the Lord to call the iust but sinners to repentaunce Not as a Iudge but as a Phisition For such as languish in their sinnes came I into the worlde not that they should remaine sinners but to turne them from their sinnes that béeing penitent they might be made righteous Likewise he tolde the Pharesies That the Angells in heauen doe more reioyce in one penitent sinner then in .99 iust persons which needes no repentance God saith Saint Paule spared not his onely sonne for vs but that he shoulde rather die then we be vnpardoned If God spared not his onely sonne to dye for sinners what thing is more worthy and precious vnto him that he should refuse them And therefore the same Apostle speaking of Iesus Christ saith thus We haue not an high priest which cannot haue compassion of our infirmities but such a one as in all points was tempted as well as we sinne excepted Let vs goe then boldly to the seate of grace that we may obteine mercie find grace in time conuenient If I shuld reherse al the places of the Scripture to this effect the time would faile me Thus we sée thē none hath cause to distrust y e goodnes of God or to dispaire of the greatnesse of his sins seeing that God hath made so many faire promises to pardon the penitent sinner there be many examples in the olde new testament of the performance of Gods promises as namely to Dauid who committed both adultrie murther he euen he by sorrowing for his offences and crieng Peccaui obteined mercy and pardon of all his wickednesse Manasses the son of Ezechias restored the false worship of God which his father had defaced of an euill zeale to infidelitie he himselfe offered vp his own children in fire for sacrifice He persecuted the Prophets slew innumerable innocents amongst all which he caused the Prophet Esay to be sawne in péeces In the end he was takē by the enimies and lead captiue to Babilon But when he was in his extremitie he acknowledged his offences asked forgiuenesse of God of whom he was receiued into fauour restored to his kingdome againe The people of Niniue whom God threatened by y e Prophet Ionas vtterly to destroy for y e multitude for their sins they repented praid so God forgaue them The Samaritane also the Cananite notwithstanding their horrible sins when they asked God mercy he forgaue them Mathew Zachee diuers other publicans vpon their repētaunce were receiued into fauour Peter y t denied his Maister thrée times gaue himself to the diuell if he knew him whē he wept bitterly for his sins he was receiued into mercy The theefe also vpon the crosse being at point of death euē this fellow who liued vppon nothing but robberie manslaughter all his life time acknowledged his hainous sins asking pardon God
it as thou hast had It was Gods doing and no will of thine if thou hast had no occasion nor conuenient time nor fit opportunitie to fall into that sinne Suppose thou hast had occasion offered with opportunitie and all things fit and yet hast refrained Well it is God then that hath guided and gouerned thée that thou shuldest not doe it Acknowledge then the grace of God as thou art bound because thou hast not committed such a sinne For as he who hath committed most sins is most indebted to God euen so is he who neuer sinned Gods debter For were not the grace of God his guide he woulde doe ill inough Now to our purpose After the Lord had conuinced the Pharesie of his prowd opinion to comfort the sorowfull woman lyeng at his féet he said thus Woman thy sinnes are forgiuen thee O ioifull voice O happy woman that art worthye to heare the Sonne of God speake to thée and vnto forgiue thée thy sinnes But those comfortable words of the Lord greatly offended the proud Pharisies at the feast who turned them to blasphemie saieng What fellowe is this that also forgiueth sinnes It is apparent inough that he is a blasphemer for to pardon and forgiue sinnes belongeth onelye to God No doubt our Lord Iesus Christ was taken to be a very poore man of him that requested him to dinner and to those which were at the table It was knowen that man could not forgiue sinnes but they beléeued not that Iesus Christ was God and therefore say they What fellowe is this that forgiueth sinnes These feasters were sicke of a deadly disease which they neither knew nor yet the remedy to heale and doe them good Is it not a madnesse that such as are sicke should fall a laughing at them that are sounde and in good health So did the Pharesies laugh at Iesus Christ and the woman who were not sicke or if she were sicke she acknowledged hir sicknesse and sought helpe of the Phisition It is most true that a man cannot forgiue sins but this woman which beleeued that Christ coulde forgiue sinnes beléeued also that he was God and therefore able to forgiue sinnes But why did not our Sauiour Christ aunswere these murmuring Pharesies and say I am the Sonne of God when they asked the question saieng What fellowe is this that forgiueth sinnes No he let them murmure and turned himselfe towards the woman and said Thy faith hath saued thee depart in peace Though she heard him say vnto the Pharesies these men murmure and estéeme of me as it pleaseth them neuerthelesse be thou assured that thy faith hath saued thee and therefore depart in peace and enioy full rest and tranquilitie of conscience iustified by a liuely faith and fulfilled with loue Let all sicke soules that are laden with sinnes if they will be healed let them I say come in faith and assured hope to the true Phisition of soules which is Iesus Christ let them confesse their offences with sorow and wéeping let them wipe the féete of our Lord with their haire and they shall be restored made whole and recouer their health Let your superfluous riches be giuen among the poore and not spent in feasting dronkennes and pompeous apparaile And after that the sinner with great loue and liberalitie hath thought vppon the poore speaking to them with great gentlenesse helping them in their néede as well with good counsell as with almes déedes and liuing as the rule of Gods word requireth in holinesse and righteousnesse he shall be sure to receiue peace and quietnesse of conscience and be reconciled to God the father for the merites of his deare Sonne Iesus Christ his death and passion to whom be all honour and glory for euer and euer Amen ¶ THE KNIGHT HAVING RECEIVED THE holy Communion heard the sermon and ended dinner mounted into a chariot of triumph and was by Gods grace carried to the Pallaice of Vertue The vij Chapter IT cannot be knowen how much consolation I tooke by the Sermon of the good Hermit wherefore I was desirous to know his name the which I asked of Lady Memory who tolde me that it was good Vnderstanding Then I receiued the holy Communion which being ended and thankes giuen to God I meant to salute and gratifie him But before we went to receiue the holy Sacrament of the body bloud of our Lord Sauiour Iesus Christ I remembred the great loue of our Lord which humbly tooke vpon him our fraile and weake nature for our sakes became accursed and suffred most bitter death vpon the Crosse to deliuer vs out of the bondage of sinne hell and eternall death and to bring vs to euerlasting life I remembred also the loue which he shewed vnto me in drawing me out of the sinke of sinne wherein I was plunged ouer head and eares so that I was not onely drawn from my vnspekable sinnes but also made a Communicant of the mysterie of his deuine maiestie by faith And to the ende it might please him to giue me grace to receiue it aright I praied vnto him on this wise O sweete Iesus and louing Redéemer I yéelde thée thankes for thy vnspeakable loue by the which thou hast purged me from the filth of sinne and pluckt me by thy grace out of the darke dungeon of death Beholde I reconcile my selfe vnto thée most heartely beséeching thée that thou wouldest vouchsafe amongst the great number of thy benefites of thy great liberalitie to giue me grace to bée a faithfull pertaker of thy precious body and bloud represented vnto me vnder the visible forme of bread and wine O immortall King I am not worthy I confesse of so great á benefite yet I beséech thée as thou doest make the vnworthye worthye and the sinners iust so make me worthy to receiue this holy blessed and heauenly Sacrament to my soules health Féede my sinfull soule O Lord with thy spirituall bodie and let thy bloud reuiue and quicken my spirite O make me by thy grace dailye encreasing in me a member of thy mysticall bodie that I maye bée included within the couenaunt and blessing which thou madest with thy Saints and Apostles in thy last Supper communicating vnto them the holy Sacrament of thy bodie and bloud and consequently that I maye be of the number of them which according to their vowe and promise made in Baptisme doe liue in faith and by thy grace are receiued into the company of Saints Amen This Praier being ended with all reuerence and deuotion I receiued the holy Sacrament and that being ended we went from the Chapple into a great hall where I met the good Hermite Vnderstanding whom when I had saluted and he me I thanked him for his good Sermon Then as wee were talking Gods grace saide vnto me Sir Knight I giue thée for thy Gouernour this good Hermite Vnderstanding belieue his counsell and doe what he commands thée Then I remembred my olde Gouernesse Folly whom I left in
for y e secōd I instructed him so well y t he would not suffer y e children of Israel to depart out of his land but in y e end being scourged by God he was constrained to let them go when they were gone I gaue him counsell in reueng to pursue them with al his chiualrie power of Aegypt which thing he did but y e tyrant al his cōpany wer drowned in y e red sea I gouerned Chore Dathan and Abiron counselling them not to obeye the commaundement of Moses whome God had ordeined chiefe gouernour ouer the children of Israel but Chore in offering Insence contrarie to his office was atteinted and 500. more of his faction with him And for the rebellion of Dathan and Abiron the earth opened insomuch that they their wiues children and goods were all swallowed vp aliue I gouerned Saule the first king of Israel At the beginning of his reigne hée was good and godlye but at last I enchanted him so that he caused many of Gods Prophets to be killed insomuch y e in one day he put to death .85 I counsailed him to persecute good Dauid to aske counsell of witches and sorcerers contrarie to Gods lawe Then at the last being forsaken of God he was vanquished with the Philistines and with his own hands slew himselfe vpon the mount of Gelboa I was also so bold as to enter into king Dauids house and by my counsell I made him commit adulterie with Bersaba the wife of Vrias And notwithstanding that Vrias was his faithfull seruaunt and good counsellour yet I gaue him counsell to kill Vrias by meanes whereof his sinne might he couered in marrieng of his wife For the which offence the Prophet Nathan disclosed mée so that my further meaning brake of and euer after I was banished his house I Also gouerned his sonne Absalon who after he had killed his brother Amon made warre with his Father and draue him to Hierusalem béeing nothing ashamed to enter the houses of all his Fathers concubines and to lye with them but an Oke did execute iustice vpon that wicked child for when he thought to escape with his Moile the tree caught him fast by the haire of his head till Iacob came with a Lawunce and killed him I also gouerned Roboam king Salomons sonne who vnreasonably grieued and oppressed his people with taxes and imposts insomuch that when they requested to haue it somewhat eased he did not onely denie their petitions but also gaue them vncurteous language followinge the counsell of his yong wanton Gentlemen rather then the wise admonitions of his graue counsailours by which meanes he lost the tenth part of his Realme I gouerned the great Quéene Iezabel by whose aduise king Achab her husband worshipped the Idoll Bale and caused good Naboth to be killed She persecuted the Prophets of God and made manie of them to be put to death Shee sought by all meanes to dispatch good Elias but as her lyfe was euill so was her death shamfull For she falling from a high windowe was ouertroden with horses féet and eaten vp of dogges I gouerned Sardanapalus the last king of the Assirians who regarded not the gouernment of his Realme but liued altogether in delights He vsed to paint his face and to apparell himselfe in womans apparell he exercised himselfe in all kinds of vilanie and filthinesse insomuch that when he sawe that he was forsaken of the greatest part of his people y t he had verie euill luck in battell against his enimies and stoode vpon no ground frée from daunger of death It chaunced one day that being in the towre of Babilon he set it on fire and there burned himselfe and all that euer he had I gouerned Cambises king of Persia the sonne of good king Cirus who by my counsel was giuen to gluttonie and dronkennesse with other vises not beséeming a Prince Upon a time Praxaspes one of his most excellent counsailours seeing him immoderatly bibbing reuerently told him that it was not Prince like whereat the king was wroth commanded him to send for his youngest sonne who being brought Cābices caused Praxaspes to tie him to a trée saieng If I canne hit the heart of thy sonne with my arrow out of my long bow is it the feate of a man that is dronke So Cambices shot and cloue the childs heart in sunder shewed it vnto the father with a warning to take héede how to iudge his liege Lord dronke Then I made him marrie his owne naturall sister and to kill his owne brother It fortuned vpon a daye that as the king the Quéene his sister were at the Table for his pastime and recreation sake he had a young Lion let loose and a mightie mastiefe or band dogge that the king kept These two fought so long till at last the dog was lyke to haue the worst Within the sight of this game an other mastiefe was tyed in a chaine both bred of one bitch this band dogge brake his chaine in hast and came to helpe his fellowe insomuch that these two dogges ouercame and kilde the Lyon The king liked well of the loue and loialtie of these two Dogges but the Quéene béeinge moued thereat beganne to wéepe tenderlye Which when Cambises sawe he asked the cause of her sorrowe to whose demaunde the Quéene aunswered in this sorte It is otherwise hapned to my brother then to this Dog that was to weake for the Lion For thou being his own brother hast not shewed the like loue faithfulnesse vnto him as this band-dog hath done to his mate for thou hast caused thy brother to be slaine The king being sore displeased ful of indignation at hir answere commaunded y t the quéene should be had away by and by out of his sight put to death the which was done But as that king came one day out of Aegypt riding on horsebacke his swoord by hap fell out of the scabbard hée fel likewise vpon y e point of it was thrust through the bodie died I gouerned quoth Folly one Catilin a Romane a very seditious fellow who conspired to kill all the Senators of Rome but he was put besides his purpose by reason that one Cicero opened it and he with all his conspirators were killed in battell I gouerned quoth Folly Herod Herodias to accomplish their lecherie I coupled them in marriage albeit she was his brother Philips wife which vnlawfull marriage Saint Iohn reprehending finding fault with all for so dooing had his head cut off I gouerned Pilate Annas Caiphas in Hierusalem with many Doctors Priests Scribes Pharises I counselled them to crucifie Christ betwéene two théeues as if he had bene a sower of sedition which being done I thought then that I had won all the world but when I sawe y t vpon the third day after he arose againe contrary to my reckoning I lost a greate number of clients
you may perceiue that such as liue in the Pallaice of worldly Uoluptuousnesse are transgressors of the same Contrariwise such as seeke for heauenly Felicitie are Gods beloued and they shall haue the possession thereof Now harken what happened vnto the Knight hauing liued xi daies in the Pallaice of vaine worldly felicitie ¶ THE KNIGHT VVENT FORTH TO RECREate himselfe and viewed the warrens and forests which were about the Pallaice of worldly felicitie Anone he saw it sinke sodainly into the earth and perceiued himselfe fast in the mire vp to the saddle skirts The xiij Chapter AFter I had soiourned xi daies in the Pallaice transgressing Gods commandements leading a beastly life I desired to ride into the forests therabouts not intending to giue ouer voluptuous life but for my pleasure because I was weary of making good chéere For although worldlings delight to eate drinke daunce leape sing ride run and such like yet notwithstanding they cannot continue in this trade of life without entermingling it with some recreation Wherfore they often leaue by that constraint their pastimes though they intend to returne therto againe They do not vtterly abandon thē but breake off for a season to procure them better appetite I then being weary was willing to sée the warrens other pleasures which when my gouernesse Folly vnderstood she told the tale to Lady Voluptuousnesse and the consented to hunt or hawke with me whereof I was right glad Thē I apparailed my selfe in hunters guise taking in stéede of my helmet a hat ful of fethers for mine armour a horne I lept vpon Temeritie my horse Voluptuousnes had a hobbie Folly a Ienet the other Ladies euery one of them a Palfray There came the huntsmen with greahounds mastiues whooping hallowing galloping altogether some one way some another The dogs wer at a beck vp starts y e hare the crie was heuenly to heare But in the midst of al our pastime I chaunced to breath my horse turning towards the Pallaice of worldly felicitie sodainly I saw it sinke into the earth euery body therein But what lamentable outcries they made you y t haue reson are to iudge Then did ther rise amongst vs a whirlwinde with an earthquake which set vs al asūder insomuch y t I my horse sunk in mire vp to y e middle only remained with me al this while my mistres Folly This earthquake yelded such an aire of brimstone y t the like hath not ben felt Thē I perceiued y t I was far frō y e plesant pallaice gardens orchards vineyards of Voluptuousnes but rather in a beastly bog sticking fast nothing neere me but serpents snakes adders toads and venemous wormes Such was my perplexitie in this case that I fel in dispaire being not able to speake one word I was so sore amased But when I came againe to my senses reuiued from death to life and found my selfe in that beastly bog I tare my haire I rent my clothes I wept I waild I howld I cride I wrong my handes I stroke my breast I scratcht my face I bit mine armes and spake thus O wretch O Asse O miserable soule O caitiue O fondlyng Where is now thy Pallaice of worldly felicitie Where are now thy braue chambers hanged with cloath of Arisse Where are now thy gallant Gardens thy Orchardes thy Meddowes thy Corne-fields thy Cofers of coine thy Ladies of Loue thy Hawkes thy Hounds thy Horses thy Oxen thy seruaunts thy softe beddes thy good cheere thy wines thy Musicke thy pleasures and all the things which thou hast abused Alas wicked wretch how hast thou bene deceiued Thou thoughtest thou hadst bene in the Pallaice of true Felicitie and for Felicitie thou findest Vanitie Thou hast bene wickedly inchaunted thus to finde euill in stéede of good Héere withall I turned my selfe toward Folly and railed at hir saieng O cursed cruell and deceiptfull beast O monstrous mocker of mankinde O filthie bawde O venemous Uiper Is this the good hap I should haue Is this the place of felicitie whether thou shouldest bring me Cursed be the daye that euer I sawe thée Cursed be the daye that euer I heard thee Cursed be the daye that euer I beleeued thée Cursed be the daye that euer I followed thee Is it euen so that thus thou gouernest euen beastly and damnably Is it euen so that thus thou leadest people euen to perdition Where is the felicitie thou promisedst me Where is the good hap I should haue by thee It is chaunced to me euen as I doubted by y e way when thou discoursedst thy filthie feates beginnings and procéedings howbeit thine inchantments and thy flatterie caused me to kéepe thée companie when full faine God wot I would haue ben rid of thée But such was mine arrogant ignorance ignoraunt arrogancie that I followed thy daungerous counsell When I had thus scowlded tooke on the lewde lossell lowdly laught me to scorne Whereat béeing in rage I offered to draw my sword but it would not be then I spurred my horse but he wold not lift vp his legges Notwithstanding all this I carried the minde still I might get out not hauing helpe euen by my owne strength and industrie But be you sure of this that after a man is once sunke in sin drowned in fleshly voluptuousnesse he shall sticke fast not be able to recouer himselfe vnlesse he haue the help of Gods grace which he of his goodnesse giue vs all Amen ¶ THE AVTHOVR CRYETH OVT BITTERLY against worldlings and their felicitie The xiiij Chapter O Wicked worldling O traitour O lyar O dampnable deceiuer armed with filthie frawd and cursed craftinesse hauing a face lyke a man but a taile lyke a Dragon who with thy pestilent prating promisest that which thou neither wilt nor canst performe to wit peace rest assuraunce blessing and felicitie Whereas contrariwise thou shewest thy selfe vaine cruel vnquiet vncerteine cursed and desperate And because thou wouldest bestowe thy poisons and not be perceiued thou couerest it ouer with a lyttle honnie of delight O foolish worldlings and louers of Voluptuousnesse why suffer you your selues to be so fowlye abused Why flye you not from her since you knowe she is dampnable Why doe you beléeue a lyar Why doe you follow a deceiuer Why become you acquainted with such a murtherer Why doe you not purge your vnderstandings of erronious opinions Why consider you not what the world is with a perfect iudgement If you did all this you should finde your selues out of the way For worldly goods voluptuousnesse and pleasure are mingled rather with sowre things then with swéete In following Voluptuousnesse you are not happy but vnhappy not wise but flat fooles Saint Iohn saith All that is in the world is cōcupiscence of the flesh cōcupiscence of the eyes concupiscence of pride The world and all her concupiscences shal passe but he that doth the will of the Lord shall continue eternally Harken you
encreased as generations multiplyed The euill rich man that liued at his lust was tormented in hell with fire and thirst in whome the wordes of our Sauiour Christ are verified saieng Wo vnto you that now laugh for you shall lament and weepe Goe you foolish worldlings therfore you vaine voluptuous persons vaunt your selues happye in following your fleshlye appetites When for such pleasures you shall suffer tormentes not in this world but in the worlde to come you will sing a new note But nowe to our knight whome wée left in the mire and déepe ditch of sinne I referre you to the Psalmes of Dauid and chiefely to the .36.68.72.143 and there you shall finde the truth that worldlye Felicitie is no other thing then vanitie dreames and méere abuses and also that worldlinges are accursed and vnhappye Wherefore I beséech you in the name of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ to vse the goods of the world as Pilgrimes vse their lodgings and such fare as they finde in theyr voyage that is not to set your hart vpon them nor so to loue them y t nothing be left for the Lord. For as the knight sawe the Pallaice of worldly felicitie sinke sodeinly with all her people pomp euen so shall it happen vnto all voluptuous worldlings at the dreadful day of iudgement vnlesse they returne from their wicked waiâ—s for sake sinne imbrace a new life and serue the Lord in holinesse and righteousnesse Wherefore let vs bridle our affections refraine our owne peasures repent with true sorrow of heart attend waite hope for the mercy of God by the intercession of our Lord Sauiour Iesus Christ that he may make vs happy possessors of true and euerlasting felicitie to whom be all honour and glory world without end Thus much for the first part of the wandring Knights voiage THE SECOND PART OF THE VOYage of the wandring Knight GODS GRACE DRAVVETH THE KNIGHT out of the filth of sinne wherein he stucke fast The first Chapter I Haue declared in y e first part of my voiage how being gouerned by Folly in conteÌ„ning vertue following Voluptuousnes I entered into y e pallaice of false felicitie ther resting my selfe for a certein season traÌ„gressing all the commandements of God in leading a dissolute worldly life thinking that by liuing so I might be happy wheras indéed I was vnhappy And why because y t in stéed of felicity I fouÌ„d vanity For as I thought to recreate my self in hunting I sawe y e pallaice of Voluptuousnesse sink come to vtter confusion my self also pluÌ„ged into y e pit of sin euen vp to y e saddle It is an easie matter for a man of himselfe to fal into hell but it is impossible for him to get out againe vnles by y e help of Gods grace I terme him to be in hel who liues in continuall wickednes coÌ„mitting sin with delight For if he die in y e estate hel is his reward but in his life if he repeÌ„t ther is hope of saluation For by Gods grace he may be coÌ„forted deliuered Therfore man of himself falleth into perdition but w tout Gods grace he caÌ„not rise vp againe God therfore séeing his creature giuen to all vanitie lead with ambitioÌ„ of worldly honor not ceasing his sinful life ofteÌ„times sends aduersitie diseases dishonors confusion in y e world to make him huÌ„ble to open y e eies of reson which Voluptuousnes had shut vp wherby he may come to y e knowledge of his sins confesse y e same to God All this is figured in y e Gospel wher our Lord Iesus raised y e widows child which was carried out of y e citie of Naim to be buried he coÌ„manded y e bearers to stay hauing touched the Cofin of y e corps with a loud voice he said Young man arise straight way the dead body rose vp spake Which done y e Lord deliuered him to his sorowfull mother This mourning mother mystically represents y e Church lamenting for hir dead children to wit wicked worldlings voluptuous christians which are worse theÌ„ dead corses The widows child representeth soules dead in sin The Cofin representeth y e naturall body wherein lieth the sinfull soule The foure bearers which carrie the dead soule to hell represent hope of long life custome of sinning delaieng of repentaÌ„ce contempt of Gods word Neuertheles when our Lord will raise to life this dead soule he commandeth y e bearers to stay afterwards toucheth y e body sending vpoÌ„ sinners aduersity diseases misfortunes But all y t suffice not vnlesse y e Lord say vnto y e soule Soule I say vnto thee Arise Do not we sée oftentimes people visited with afflictions murmure against God cursing him y t hath afflicted them These by impatieÌ„cie being vnable to arise of themselues is it not necessary that God say to the soule Arise there is no difference betwéene his saieng doing For what he saith he doth And therfore if the Lord say once Arise to the soule she riseth then hée diliuereth her to her mother the Church which was sorowfull for her sinnes In like manner God to raise me from my sinnes sendeth me aduersitie to y e end I should acknowledge mine iniquitie with humility turne vnto him which I cannot do without his heauenly grace much lesse atchiue true felicitie and blessednesse vnlesse he helpe Then was I warned by the scourges of God that liuing worldling lyke and following Voluptuousnesse I was not happie but vnhappy being full of filthinesse and infection tumbling in the mire of all iniquitie from the which I could not withdrawe my selfe for that the eies of reason were closed vp by Voluptuousnesse which afterwards wer opened by Gods grace To sée the pitious estate wherin I was the vnderstanding which Folly had darkned made me the wofullest wretch in the world neuerthelesse when I was whipped w t aduersitie I perceiued my knowledge somewhat cléered and lightened so y t I found in conscience that I had not accustomed my selfe greatly to honest things And when I sawe the sequele that there was no retiring of my selfe without Gods grace I lifted my eyes to heauen and wringing my handes all ashamed confounded I lamented with a loude voice humbling my selfe before the face of my God whom I had grieuously offended I made my mone saieng O Lord God Father and maker of all things I am not worthy to lift vp mine eyes towards thee nor to aske pardon for the infinit sinnes wherein I confesse my selfe guiltie Neuerthelesse O God of all goodnesse father of mercie I beseech thee not to punish me in thy great rage nor to condemne me among the reprobate I acknowledge my euil craue pardon for my misdeeds my former life displeaseth me greatly my heart quaketh for feare of thy iudgmeÌ„ts O God forsake not thy creature which is a sinner but aide assist me with thy
it is written That the seate of wisedome is the soule of the iust God is Wisedome and the iust soule his seate God is in euerie place where hée dwelleth but he dwelleth not in euery place where he is This is most true though meruailous for the euill are alwaies where GOD is but yet God dwelleth not in them Wheresoeuer the wicked are they cannot hide themselues from GOD and yet they are not dwellers with GOD nor GOD a dweller with them They are where GOD is as the blinde man in the light of the Sunne The light is not in him because hée hath not the vse of it But the good are alwaies with God and God dwelleth in them as in his temple Saint Paule saith That the Temple of God is holy And therefore if you liue as he commaundes you you are his Temple and God himselfe saith I will be in them I will walke amongest them I will be their God and they shall be my people Now therefore you sée that although God be euerie where by his power yet he dwelleth no where but where he is by grace It is plaine that where vertue is there God dwelleth Tell mée what displeasure can the soule haue where God inhabiteth by grace which is the onely consolation of all reasonable creatures Is it possible y t anie man can finde in heauen or in earth such souereigne good as is in God who is the most excellentest and chiefest good and the true ioy of all reasonable creatures How can that bodie faile of anie goodnesse which hath God by his grace resting in his heart who is the onely author of all goodnesse and the giuer of all true ioye and perfect felicitie But some will saie that they sée good people in the world oftentimes suffer miserie depriued of their goods and put by the pleasures of this world which appeareth in the sadnesse of their countenaunces for they séeme to be conceiued with sorrow and as it were to labour and trauaile in heauines as a woman in child-birth I confesse it to be so but yet if you say that they are not furnished with all good true ioye and felicitie you erre greatly For the souereigne good which is God dwelleth in the iust soule euermore although foolish worldlings say in their hearts and thoughts Can it be that those miserable men which are afflicted with pouertie or imprisonment haue more possession of true felycitie then wee that wallowe in wealth and are without want of any worldly pleasures But they consider not that true ioy consisteth in the soule But be ye sure that as the soule is the most precioust part of the bodie euen so ought the goodnesse of the soule to be greater then the goodnesse of the bodie The ioye of the iust righteous is more inward then outward for all his goodnesse is in the soule as the ioye of the wanton worldling is outwardlye in the bodie The iust man suffereth outward extremities but yet inwardly he hath more ioye then the voluptuous man And though the iust man being alwaies afflicted maketh shew of sadnesse all his lyfe time yet at the houre of death their ioye and consolation appeareth with hope of eternall lyfe whereas contrariwise the worldling goeth his waye with grudging and dispaire The iust man esteemes golde and siluer to be couloured earth worldly wealth and voluptuous feeding to be famine and filth honour dignitie and delight to be smoake which the aire consumeth sodeinly to be short he maketh all the world no better then an exile and although his bodie be deteined heere for a season yet all his thoughts cares desires and meditations are conuersant among the orders of holy Angels and the happy assembly of Saintes in heauen singing Psalmes and praises incessantlye So that whatsoeuer we esteeme euill in this world God turnes it to good For he makes vs reioyce in tribulatiōs taking them for medicines to purge our corruptions and not accompting our persecutors as our enimies but rather as helpers to saluation The iust man esteemes simple fare sufficing nature better then abundance of delicates and excessiue dronkennesse or gluttonie They take more pleasure in kneeling praieng and fasting then worldlinges doe in dauncing and singing wanton songs Finally all y t they doe or suffer God turnes it to good And therfore S. Paule saith That all things turne to the good of those that loue God The eye neuer séeth the eare neuer heareth the heart of man neuer vnderstandeth the great goodnesse and the ioye that God brings into the bodie when he commeth by grace to dwell in it onely he that hath had experience once knoweth it Worldlings doe wonder to see the iust man weepe and lament to suffer tribulations to be depriued of all worldly pleasure they esteeme the goods of this world to be y e true felicitie much like vnto a blinde man taking vpon him to iudge of coulours For they compare false felicitie worldly wealth with heauenly riches and perfect happinesse whereas indéede they are but shadowes Nothing displeaseth the elect more then sinne that which leadeth to sinne nothing pleaseth the elect but God and that which leadeth to God As concerning the soule no man can denie if he hate sin and loue vertue but that he had rather loose all that is in the worlde then loose vertue and suffer all manner of torments then to commit sinne he had rather descende into hell with vertue then mount vp into heauen with sinne For where vertue is there is quietnesse Contrariwise where sinne is there can be no rest Let euerie one therefore labour to loose worldly happinesse if he meane to atchieue vertue wherein consisteth so much goodnesse But many make no account to come thether and so care not for louing vertue because indéede they know not vertue Wherefore Vnderstanding describeth her and her seauen daughters namely Faith Hope Charitie Wisedome Iustice Fortitude and Temperaunce in manner and forme following THE DESCRIPTION OF VERTVE The second Chapter VErtue according to the definition of S. Austen in his second booke of Free-will the .18 chapter Is a good quality of the soule wherby a man liueth rightly committeth none euill which thing indeed is the only work of God in men By the soule he vnderstandeth in this place the superiour part of the minde or soule wherein consisteth reason iudgement will The inferiour parte we call Sense which is common to man and beast Now this called in Latine Mens is not a part of the soule sensitiue which is the inferiour part but it is that part of the soule where reason and vnderstanding doe sit which is the superiour part By the soule then we doe meane the Fréewill of man which is nothing els as Philosophers say but the franke iudgement of the minde and will For when we say Freewill we vtter and pronounce two words namely Free and Will. It is tearmed Free because that freely and without constraint
the will worketh his feats at libertie And it is called Frée will because of the iudgement of the soule therefore Frée will is in the superiour part of the soule for thereby we differ from brute beasts who haue a sense as well as we but no iudgement of Frée will Nowe when we say that vertue is a good qualitie of the soule that is to saie of Frée will For vertue qualifies Free-will disposeth and prepareth it to doe and will well neither of which cannot be done without the aide and grace of God The second part of the definition is Wherby a man liueth rightly But no man liueth rightly vnles he liue iustly no mā liueth iustly w tout vertue Ergo no man liueth rightly without vertue Who so liueth rightly liueth wel who so liueth well if he continue in so doing atchiueth true felicitie It followeth then y t by vertue we atchiue true felicitie for vertue prepares Frée will which is corrupt depraued therfore vnapt either for well willing or well doing but the grace of God reseruing it by vertue it is made capable of perfect blessednesse The third part of y e definition is And committeth none euill Wherein is comprehended the excellencie of vertue great goodnes by the which none can do il Men may abuse al y e goods al y e arts sciences in the world as indéed very often they are ill vsed as with monie wine women but by vertue they be neuer abused who vseth vertue he doth y e works of vertue Who so vseth y e deeds of vertue he doth wel if by vertue none doth ill thou oughtest rather to loose all y t is in the world then to lose vertue seeing she excels in goodnesse all things in the world The fourth part of the definition is Which thing indeed is the only work of God in man Uertue thē is a work of God in vs as witnesseth S. Austen vpon y t sentence which is spoken in the 118. Psalme I haue done iudgement iustice Iustice saith he is a great vertue of the soule comming more then he sawe for he sawe a man and he beléeued that the same man was God also which he sawe not for he said Thou art my God and my Lord. In this consisteth the merite of faith when a man at y e commandement of God beleeueth that thing which he séeth not To beleeue saith Saint Austen is to thinke vppon a thing with consent to that thought as when thou thinkest the Son of God was borne of a Uirgin had tooke mans nature vpon him consentest to y e thought it is properly called beliefe This thought may come often by séeing and often by hearing And therefore Saint Paule saith that Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God He vnderstands that by hearing Faith comes into the minde and thought if we consent therevnto For we maye beholde a Preacher without consenting to that he saith because men doe not alwaies beleeue what the Preacher speaketh for y t the consent wherin consisteth the perfection of Faith comes of the méere gift of God not from séeing nor hearing but frō the light of grace speking in the soule of the beleeuer beléeuing the principal truth which is God working in him a consent agreement w t that principal souereign trurh aboue al other things So that Faith is a foundation vnmoueable both of beleeuers and of truth by the which Faith when it is ioyned with Charitie our Lord Iesus Christ who is the onely foundation of true blessednesse dwelleth in the hearts of the beleeuers and so long as Faith is in man he shal be sure not to perish but Faith without Charitie is no foundation because such Faith is vaine and vnprofitable Faith then ioyned with Loue or Charitie belongs to good Christians and Faith without Loue belongs to euill Christians It is necessarie therfore that we note the difference in these three saiengs or speaches namely To beleeue a God to beleeue of God and to beleeue in God To beleeue of God is to beléeue that all is true which God saith so beleeue the euill Christians as well as the good vnlesse they be Heretikes To beleeue a God is to beléeue that he is the onely true and almightie God and so the Diuells doe beléeue as well as the euill Christians But to beléeue in God is to loue God and to trust in God and in beléeuing to ioyne thy selfe to God by loue and obedience incorporating thée with his mēbers that is to say his Church This Faith iustifieth and maketh righteous the sinner and this Faith being knit with Loue and with Charitie begins to doe good deedes which cannot be done without Loue. The Faith which euill Christians haue is indéede a qualytie of fréewill but it is not knit with Loue and Charitie which is the bonde of perfection and the life of Faith as Faith is the life of the soule And yet such an vnshapen Faith being naked and voide of Charitie may be termed a gift of God for that the euill man may haue some gifte of God but that cannot properly be called Vertue because that by Vertue we learne to liue rightly and for that the Diuels and euill Christians doe liue wickedly it is a signe that the faith which they haue is dead and therefore is not properly Vertue nor yet a worke of Vertue If thou wilt then haue thy Faith to be good and wholesome it must haue foure properties that is to say it must be plaine and simple it must be whole and sound it must be constant and vnmouable it must be quicke and liuely Touching the first that it must be plaine and simple that teacheth thée thus much in effect that thou must beléeue the word of God plainly simply whatsoeuer is therein contained without enquiring or searching in Gods mysticall matters by humaine reasons but simply beléeuing in thy heart that euery thing contained in the holy Bible is most true Secondly thy Faith must be whole and sound that is to say thou must not take parte with heretikes or leane to the erronious opinions of the enimies of Gods truth for this is no good or wholesome Faith And therefore for a testimonie of thy Faith be not ashamed to make open confession in the congregation of thy beliefe saieng with y e felowship communion of Saints I beleeue in the holy Trinitie as y e holy Church founded by Christ whereof he is y e head hath taught me so do I frame my faith· Thirdly it must be constant and vnmouable that is to say without doubting for any reson of mans braine that séemeth contrarie nor for any temptation promises or threatnings either of torment or of death And let not the obstinacie of such as inchaunt with the vaine pleasures of this life although they liue most ioyfully allure thee to leane to their opinion which is flat heresie For that
Who dwelleth in Charitye sayth Saint Iohn dwelleth in GOD and GOD in him Our Lorde lykewise sayth If anye man loue me he will keepe my commaundements and my Father will loue him and wee will come and dwell with him Canne we desire a more rich a more bountifull or a more lyberall hoste then he Is it lyke that so louing an hoste will suffer the soule to want Will he aske monie for his expenses No hée commeth not to dwell with vs to consume that wee haue but to encrease our riches and to make our store greater Thirdly Charitie maketh our goods be they little or bée they much acceptable vnto God it maketh a man contemne the world it maketh a man to reioyce in temptations afflictions and tribulations When Charitie enters into the soule she comes accompanied with all other goodnesse yea shée knittes vs to GOD and vniteth vs with him Loue or Charitie makes men of one minde and one will Loue or Charitie makes men reforme their manners and to drawe néere vnto God Loue or Charitie maketh men consider of things present and visible as if they were not Loue maketh a pure and cleane heart which may contemplate and beholde heauenly thinges By Loue the goods of this worlde are well ordered and by Loue the goods of this world are contemned and by Loue the secretes of God are reuealed Saint Iohn saith That God is Charitie wherby no doubt he meaneth the Father the sonne and the holy Ghost the three persons in trinitie God the father is Charitie God the sonne is Charitie and God the holy Ghost is Charitie This Loue or Charitie requireth in the same such likely things namely Loue and Charitie by the which as by some spiritual affinity thou art ioyned vnto God which Loue also boldly commeth vnto God familiarly speaketh with him without any doubt or feare He that loueth not shall loose his lyfe but he that loueth alwayes lyfteth his eyes to GOD whome he loueth whom he desireth on whome he museth in whome he is refreshed and by whome he is preserued such a louing deuoute and relygious soule doth so singe so saye so reade so dispose all his businesse and so circumspectly foreseeth all things as if GOD were euer present with him as doubtlesse in spirite he is The man in whose soule the loue of GOD is lodged so prayeth as if God were personallye present with him The loue of Charitie awaketh y e soule when she is a sléepe it puts him in minde of his saluation it softeneth and moysteneth the heart Loue or Charitie setteth the colde heart on fire Loue maketh the froward soule gentle Loue chaseth awaye sinne Loue kepeth the affections of fleshe and bloude vnder Loue amendeth lewde mennes manners Loue reneweth the spirite Loue brideleth the light motions of wanton youth all this worketh Loue or Charitie where she is present Contrarywise where Loue or Charitie is absent there the soule doth languysh and waxeth colde euen as a Chaldron of water doth when the fire is taken from vnder it and raked abroade Charitie is the onely thinge whereby the soule boldlye approcheth vnto GOD constantlye cleaueth vnto him famyliarlye speaketh with him and in all affayres asketh counsell of him The Soule that loueth GOD cannot but thinke and talke of GOD insomuch that he hateth all vngodlye thinges Who so will knowe GOD must loue GOD the more that one loues God the more he growes in the knowledge of God To Read to write and to Study of God yéeldeth no true knowledge of God without Loue. In vaine do we read in vaine doe we talke in vaine doe we preach in vaine doe we praye to GOD if we doe not loue God The loue of God engendereth the loue of thine owne soule and maketh it attentiue alwaies to God God loueth to be beloued againe and when he loueth he requireth nothing but loue happie therefore is he that loueth God The soule which loueth God reiecteth all his affections being attentiuely giuen to his loue The soule that loueth hath no feare the soule that loueth not is euer in feare The soule that loueth is caried by promises and drawen by desires vnto heauen the soule that hath in it the presence of Gods loue is tickeled with ioye with rauishings leapeth vp to heauen hauing by contemplation exceeding great ioyfulnesse Loue bréedes familiaritie with God familiaritie bréedes boldnesse with God boldnesse bréedes the taste of God and taste bréedeth an hunger after God If I shoulde declare all the excellencie of Loue or Charitie the time wold faile me and mine abilitie in that behalfe would not suffice But let this stand for a conclusion that the soule which is touched with the loue of God cannot desire any thing contrarie to God but euer after it hath receiued any tast of sin it crieth out and saith with the Prophet O Lord God like as the Hart desireth the fountaines of water euen so long I after thee Well then sir Knight lift vp thy soule and remember the great Loue and Charitie of God and his manifolde benefites bestowed vpon thée that by them thy hart being inlightened thou maist increase and goe forward daye by day in doing good workes to the glorifieng of God who delighteth in the same according as it is saide Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good workes may glorifie God in Heauen Thus much touching these thrée spirituall Uertues now come we to the foure morall ¶ THE DESCRIPTION OF THE FOVRE Morall Vertues Prudence Iustice Fortitude and Temperance The vij Chapter BY these foure Morall vertues man liueth well and orderly in this mortall life Saint Hierome saith that the Christian man by these iiij liueth wel in this mortalitie by them after death commeth to euerlasting life Prudence knoweth the good we should doe and the euill we should leaue Iustice doth good Temperance leaueth the euill Fortitude is constant without loosing courage in aduersitie or waxing proud in prosperitie Prudence disposeth man and teacheth him how to approch vnto God Fortitude and Temperance how to gouerne himselfe Iustice how to vse his neighbour These are the foure things which Satan shooteth at to destroye the soule By Prudence which is the rule of right reason we gouerne our selues wisely we order our affaires discréetly doing nothing but right and reason In Prudence consisteth reason knowledge foresight aptnesse to teach and giue good counsell A prudent man knoweth afore hande the ende of his counsell Plato saith that Prudence is the Duchesse of all morall vertues showing vs how we should vnderstand and vse the rest For as Faith informeth vs and telleth vs what we should hope after and what we ought to loue euen so Prudence instructeth teacheth vs how we should vse Iustice Fortitude and Temperance Aristotle saith that it is vnpossible but a prudent man should be good If he meane Morall goodnesse it is most true for a wise man doth nothing but that which is