good Hermit wherefore I was desirous to know his Name the which I asked Lady Memory who told me that it was good Understanding Then I received the holy Communion which being ended and Thanks given to God I meant to salute gratisie him But before we went to receive the holy Sacrament of the body and blood of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ I remembred the great love of our Lord which humbly took upon him our fraile and weak nature for our sakes became accursed and suffered most bitter death upon the Cross to deliver us out of the bandage of Sin Hell and Eternal death and to bring us to everlasting life I remembred also that love which he shewed unto me in drawing me out of the sink of sin wherein I was plunged over head and ears so that I was not only drawn from my unspeakable sins but also made a Communicant of the mystery of his Divine Majesty by faith And to the end it might please him to give me grace to receive it aright I prayed unto him on this wise O Sweet Jesus and loving Redeemer I yield thee thanks for thy unspeakable love by which thou hast purged me from the filth of sin and pluckt me by thy grace out of the dark dungeon of death Behold I reconcile my self unto thee most heartily beseeching thee that thou wouldest vouchsafe amongst the great number of thy benefits of thy great liberality to give me grace to be a faithfull partaker of thy precious body and blood represented unto me under the visible form of Bread and Wine O immortal King I am not worthy I confess of so great a benefit yet I beseech thee as thou dost make the unworthy worthy and the sinners just so make me worthy to receive this holy blessed and Heavenly Sacrament to my Souls Health Feed my Soul O Lord with thy spiritual Body and let thy blood revive and quicken my Spirit O make me by thy grace daily encreasing in me a member of thy mysticall body that I may be included within the Covenant and blessing which thou madest with thy Saints and Apostles in thy last Supper communicating unto them the holy Sacrament of thy body and Blood and consequently that I may be of the number of them which according to the Vow and Promise made in Baptism do live in Faith and by thy grace are received into the company of Saints Amen This prayer being ended with all Reverence and Devotion I received the holy Sacrament and that being ended we went from the Chappel into a great Hall where I met the good Hermit Understanding whom when I had saluted and he me I thanked him for his good sermon Then as we were talking Gods Grace said unto me Sir Knight I give thee for thy Governour this good Hermit Understanding believe his Counsel and do what he commands Then I remembred my old Governess Folly whom I left in the bog amongst Serpents and Toads so I was very glad of my Governour and give thanks to Gods Grace who from the Table gave me drugs to eat and repeated unto me a place written in the 80 Psalme of David Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it Then having swallowed that which she gave me I forgat the World and made no reckoning of any thing therein For all my desire was in haste to see the Palace of true Felicity I desired death to be with Christ in Heaven Dinner being done the Gates of Repentance were opened which were narrow contrariwise as it appeareth in the first Book that the entrance into the Palace of Voluptuousness was wide large and great but the end thereof was desperation and destruction as on the other side the entring into the Palace of Repentance is streight and narrow but the end thereof is eternal Life For Repentance as Saint Paul saith leadeth the Repentant to everlasting Salvation When the gates were open I mounted up into a Chariot of Ivory having golden wheels and two white Horses with wings drawing the same Gods Grace gat up first and with her hand helped me up then followed the good Hermit Understanding then Memory Conscience and Repentance but Gods Grace governed all who touching the Horses with her Rod they mounted up over the Mountains which are above the Earth So we passed through the Region of the Air where inhabiteth all the wicked spirits which watch to annoy such as would mount up to Heaven And though I was greatly agast hereat yet my trust was in Gods Grace under whose Wings I hid my self I trusted not in my Conscience although it was at peace nor to Repentance nor to Understanding but to Gods Grace only who safely throwded me under her Wings as the Hen doth her Chickens against the coming of the Kite Then she commanded the wicked Enemies to get them hence and they forthwith sled away crying aloud Now have we lost our Knight lo he is mounted up to the Palace of Vertue in despight of us all Now he is escaped under the Wings of Gods grace Being past this brunt I heartily thanked Gods grace of her goodness and on the sudden I saw upon the top of a Mountain a goodly Palace Now for that love ingendreth tamiliarity and familiarity breeds boldness I asked Gods grace what place it was and she told me it was the Palace of Vertue It was so high that it reached even to Heaven and about it were seven sair Towers of Alablaster In the first dwelt Faith in the second Hope in the third Charity in the fourth Wisdome in the fifth Justice in the sixth Fortitude and in the seventh Temperance In the first Tower Gods grace shewed me Faith which waited for our coming near unto whom I might perceive the Palace of true Felicity With that I desired Lady Memory to put me in mind in the morning of seeing that gallant City Whiles we talked thus our Chariot arrived at the Court where Lady Vertue with her Daughters Faith Hope Charity Wisdome Justice and Temperance dwelt At the first sight I knew it was the same Lady Vertue which afore-time had so well admonished me to whom I gave no ear Then reverently upon my knees lamenting I cryed her mercy for contemning her Counsell and following Voluptuousness Wherewith she made me arise and in token that she took in good part my recantation she sweetly kissed me and bade me Welcome So with great joy accompanied with Gods grace true Understanding quiet Conscience and unfained Repentance I entred into the Palace of Lady Vertue Thus much for the second part of the Wandring Knights Voyage THE VOYAGE OF The Wandring Knight The Third Part. CHAP. I. The Knight declareth the great good the solace and the pleasure which he found in the Palace of Lady Vertue IF I had a thousand tongues to tell the truth of all the good and pleasures which I found in the Palace of Vertue and if I live a thousand years to report this matter all were too little in every
him to Dinner chap. 9. Dinner being done Voluptuousness sheweth the Wandring Knight the rest of the Palace of worldly Felicity with the superscription of the Towers thereof and by the Author is declared the evil fruit of certain notorious sins chap. 10. The scituation or standing of the Palace of worldly Felicity chap. 11. The Author declareth how the Wandring Knight and such like voluptuous livers in the World transgress the Commandements of Almighty God chap. 12. The Knight going for to recreate himself and to view the Warrens and Forrests which were about the Palace of Worldly Felicity anon he saw it sink suddenly into the Earth and perceived himself in the mire up to the Saddle skirts chap. 13. The Author cryeth out bitterly against Worldlings and their Felicity chap. 14. The Second part of the Voyage of the Wandring Knight GOds Grace draweth the Knight out of the filth of sin wherein he stuck fast chap. 1 Gods grace sheweth Hell unto the Knight with all the Voluptuous company that he saw in the Palace of Worldly Felicity chap. 2. The Knight declareth how he entred into the School of Repentance and of his entertainment there chap. 3. How true Repentance begins in us and how the Knights Conscience accused him with the pains he had deserved chap. 4. By the Commandement of Gods Grace Remembrance read to him the goodness of God with the promises made to the repentant Sinner chap. 5. A Sermon which Vnderstanding the good Hermit made unto the Knight upon the History of Mary Magdalen chap. 6. The Knight having received the holy Communion heard the Sermon and Dinner ended mounted into a Chariot of Triumph and was by Gods Grace carryed to the Palace of Vertue chap. 7. The third part of the Voyage of the Wandring Knight THe Knight declareth the great good solace and pleasure which he found in the Palace of Lady Vertue chap. 1. The description of Vertue chap. 2. The description of Faith and how we ought to believe in God for our Salvation chap. 3. The description of Hope and how we ought to hope in Almighty God chap. 4. The description of Love and Charity and how we ought to love God and our Neighbour chap. 5. The effects and praises of Love and charity chap. 6. The description of the four moral Vertues Prudence Justice Fortitude and Temperance chap. 7. How Faith from the top of the Tower sheweth unto the Knight the City of Heaven chap. 8. The desires that the Knight had to come to Heaven and how Gods Grace brought perseverance chap. 9. Good Vnderstanding sheweth the Knight how to keep perseverance alwayes with him chap. 10. The Protestation that good Vnderstanding taught the Knight to make every day to avoid temptation that he ought to humble himself before God and what he should ask in his prayers chap. 11. The Authors Peroration or Conclusion to the devout Readers or Hearers chap. 12. THE VOYAGE OF The Wandring Knight The First Part. CHAP. I. The Wandring Knight declareth his intent and foolish Enterprise supposing in this World to find true Felicity MAny Historiographers both Poets and Orators as well Prophane as Divine have by Writing notified divers persons with their Voyages and Adventures First Justin and Diodore of Sicilie have made mention of the Argonautes Voyage by Sea that is to say of Jason and his Allies Castor Pollux Hercules and other Peers to the I le of Cholcos to winne the Golden Fleece which a great Dragon kept Also Homer a Greek Poet writ in Verse the wandring and Sea Voyage of Ulysses and his Companions at their return from the Trojan Wars After him Virgil a most eloquent Latine Poet set down in Verse the Voyage of Aeneas into Italy with his fortunes after the subversion of Troy Now if we come to the sacred Histories we shall find first how Moses wrote of the Children of Israel their going out of Aegypt into the Land of Promise and of the two and forty Mansions that they made in the Desarts for the space of forty yeers And how the four Evangelists likewise most faithfully have written of the holy peregrination of the Blessed Son of God our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ who took upon him our fraile and humane nature The self same Saviour hath set down the Parable of the boluptuous Voyage of the prodigal Child and his returne S. Luke very notably and sincerely hath delivered in writing the painful and holy perigrination of that great bessed of Election Saint Paul together with the great travel he took to preach the Gospel and the Faith of Iesus Christ to all the Gentiles And now by Gods grace I mean to declare mine own Voyage and Adventures much like to that of the Prodigall Child who left his Fathers house and ranged into strange Countries wasting all his goods living licentiously but after he knew his lewdnesse he returned back to his Father of whom he was very lovingly received So I by great Folly counselled in absenting my self farre away not only in body but also in mind from God my Father and Creator have wasted and consumed all the goods which the same my God and Father had bountifully bestowed upon me in following bain pleasures of this life But in the End I being inspired with Divine grace acknowledged mine effences and leaking the dark Region of sin and vanity through the aid and conduction of Divine grace am returned to mine Eternall Father humbly requiring pardon and mercy who of his unspeakable mercy hath lovingly received me But how all this hath been done I will declare unto you praying you patiently to give me the hearing and attentively consider my talk and well to note the whole from the beginning to the End When I had passed in all Folly and Lastiviousnesse three weeks of the years of mine age that is to say My infancy Child age and Youth which make together one and twenty years I entred into the age of a young man which is the fourth week of my age which is between two and twenty and four and twenty years At five and twenty I was minded to make a Voyage by my foolish industry to seek where in this World I might stud true Felicity and Happinesse which seemed to my sortish sense an easse matter being Young Strong wild Hardy and Couragiously disposed Me thought in my mind to live in the world without Felicity was a Life worse than Death But alas being plunged in deep darkness of Agnorance I considered not that true Felicity was the Gift of God from above and cannot be attained without his help Being robbed of Reason I thought it might come easily of my self without the help of others so that then I sought true Felicity where she is not was not nor ever shall be as in Riches worldly Pleasure strength Honour and Delights of the flesh But I was in so thinking as very a Fool as he who hopeth with Angling Lines to catch Fishes in the Air or with Hounds to
all the Palace Lady Venus and her waiting maids tending upon me But every one departed after I was in Bed saving only Venus the Goddess of Love with whom I lay all night CAP. XII The Authour declareth how the wandring Knight and such like Voluptuous livers in this world transgress the ten Commandements of Almighty God underwritten SO long as the Knight continued in this pestilent Palace of Worldly Desire following his own Fantasie by Vain Voluptuousness enticed he did no other thing but play the tool Dance Leap Sing Eat Drink Hawk Hunt Fish hunt Whores and such like as did the Prodigal Son and lead a dissolutè life for the space of eleven dayes which signifies a marvellous mystery and unfortunate For the Number Eleven by the Opinion of Christian Doctors and Philosophers is a wicked and unlucky number for that the number ten signifies the ten Commandements of God the number of Eleven which is one more prophesieth and sore-telleth the transgression of them Wherefore the Knight having remained eleven dayes in the Palace grievously transgressing the will of God letting loose the bridle of his own affections without refraining any of them if you note well the premises and see into the senuel you shall find that such as live after the order of the Palace of worldly Felicity being given to follow the pomp and Pride of the World with the Pleasures and Voluptuousness of the same and seem willing to lead that life without purpose of change nay rather triumphing and rejoycing therein I say truly that such are Transgressors of Gods Lawes Contrariwise such as account themselves here to he but Pilgrims and fix their affection on the other World where Iesus Christ raigneth in glory reputing this life an exile and destring to be delivered out of it to the end they may enter in at the Pallace of the heavenly King shall enjoy the fulness and happiness thereof As this World yields a great deal of Temporal goods and Transitory Honour so doth it also make an end of them Now these that use these gifts to the glory of God are Gods people Contrariwise those that do use them voluptuously are Vessels of the Devil and transgressours of the Lawes of God as may appear by the Ten Commandements which I have set down for that purpose Wherein all Worldlings may perceive that by living voluptuously they grievously transgress Gods Laws to their own destruction And as the Ten Commandements were written in two Tables even so are they divided into two parts The first comprehends four concerning the Love of God The second six touching the love of your Neighbour And therefore who so loseth his Life Worldling-like and fixeth his Felicity in Voluptuousness is doubtless a Vessel of the Devil and loveth not God nor his Neighbour because he transgresseth the Law of God which followeth in due and convenient order I Am the Lord thy God thou shalt have none other Gods but me 2. Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image nor the likeness of any thing that is in Heaven above nor in the Earth beneath nor in the Water under the Earth Thou shalt not bow down to them nor worship them For I the Load thy God am a jealous God and vifit the Sins of the Fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth Generation of them that hate me and shew mercy unto thousands in them that love me and keep my commandements 3. Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in Vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in Vain 4. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day six dayes shalt thou labour and do all that thou hast to do but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt do no manner of work thou and thy Son and thy Daughter thy Man servant thy Maid servant thy cattel and the stranger that is within thy Gates for in six dayes the Lord made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that therein is and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the seventh day and hallowed it 5. Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy dayes may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee 6. Thou shalt do no murther 7. Thou shalt not commit Adultery 8. Thou shalt not steal 9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy Neighbour 10. Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours House thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours Wife nor his servant nor his Maid nor his Ox nor his Ass nor any thing that is his This is the Law of God by which you may perceive that such as live in the Pallace of Worldly Voluptuousness are Transgressours of the same Contrariwise such as seek for Heavenly Felicity are Gods beloved and they shall have the possession thereof Now hearken what hapned unto the Knight having lived eleven dayes in the Pallace of Vain and worldly Felicity CAP. XIII The Knight rode to recreate himself and view the warrens and Forrests which were about the pallace of worldly Felicity anon he saw it sink suddenly into the Earth and perceived himself fast in the mire up to the saddle AFter I had sojourned eleven dayes in the Pallace transgressing Gods Commandements and leading a beastly life I desired to ride into the Forrests thereabouts not intending to give over my Voluptuous life but for my pleasure because I was weary of making good chear For although Worldlings delight to eat drink dance leap sing ride run and such like yet notwithstanding they cannot continue in this trade of Life without intermingling it with some other recreation wherefore they often leave by constraint their pastimes though they intend to return thereto again They do not utterly abandon them but break off for a season to procure them better appetite I then being weary was willing to see the Warrens and other pleasures which when my governess Folly understood she told the same to Lady Voluptuousness and she consented to Hunt or Hawk with me whereof I was right glad Then I apparelled my self in Hunters guise instead of my Helmet a Hat full of Feathers for mine Armour an Horn and I leapt upon Temerity my Horse Voluptuousness had a Hobby Folly a Ienner and the other Ladies every one of them a Palfrey There came the Huntsmen with Grey-hounds and Mastives hooping hollowing and galloping together some one way some another The dogs were at a beck up starts the Hare the cry was pleasant to hear But in the midst of all our pastime I chanced to breathe my Horse and turning towards the Palace of Worldly Felicity suddenly I saw it stuk into the Earth and every Body therein But what lamentable Out-cries they made you that have reason are to judge then did there arise amongst us a Whirl-wind with an Earth-quake which set us all asunder in so much that I and my Horse sunk in mire up to the Saddle all this while my mistress Folly
Book and thou shalt see how thou hast lived even against God and contrary to right and reason Thou hast been Proud Arrogant ambitious spitefull at others prosperity a prolonger of time Wrathfull a Backbiter injurious Trayterous hatefull Covetous of Gold more than of God Gluttouous Wanton Shameless a stewes-hunter given to all vices and hast transgressed all the commandements of God leading a loathsome life denying God swearing and blaspheming his name an haynous effender a false Witness bearer a lyar a desirer of other Mens goods disobedient to Parents cursing them and wishing their death Furthermore thou hadst neisher Faith nor hope in God but rather in the force riches honour and friendship of thy kindred with their Authority I cannot reckon up the rest of thy Sins for they are uncountable Very little care hast thou had of Christs merits or of thy own souls health but alwayes yielding to Voluptuousness filthiness and iniquity When Conscience had thus accused me Sorow for Sin sell bitterly aweeping and oftentimes struck her breast Then Conscience shewed me what Torments I had deserved for following Voluptuous affections and for loving them better then God Thou oughtest said she to burn in Hell fire that never quencheth and to be nipped with Torments both of Body and Soul for evermore Thy laughing shall be turned to Weeping the Ioy to Sorrow thy Songs to Cries yea what pains can be named but thou art like perpetually to suffer them without hope of Redemption For this is the due reward of Worldly Felicity and following Folly Be think thee now and tell me if it be in thy power to rid thee from these grievances Hearing my Conscience thus speak me thought I saw Hell open to swallow me up and with sorrowfull sadness I fell to the ground before Gods grace speechless but she had Compassion on me and bade me arise the which I did though half in despair and to re-comfort me she opened the book which Remembrance held in her hand CAP. V. By the Commandements of Gods grace remembrance read to me the goodness of God with his promises made to repen tant sinners AFter Remembrance had opened her Book I perceived the Letters were Gold and Azure containing the great goodness and infinire mercy of God so repentant Sinners with fair promises annexed thereunto Then at the commandment of Gods grace remembrance read out of that book unto me in this manner Saint Paul Writing to the Romans saith Where Sin hath abounded grace hath more abounded He that mistrusteth the mercy of God mistrusteth God to be mercifull and in so doing he doth God great dishonour For he denyeth God to be Love and power wherein consisteth all the hope of poor Sinners For of his great love he sent his only Son to take Mans Nature upon him in this World that in the same he might suffer death upon the Cross for the remission of Sins Consequently he promised for the love of his Son Remission and Pardon to all Poor Sinners so often as they desired it in Faith with an heavy and sorrowfull Heart Now God is as true of his Promises as he is of Power able to perform them And as he is of Power so will he do whatsoever pleaseth him God will pardon Sinners their Sins who then can let him from doing it To whom God pleaseth or hath promised to pardon their Sins he forgiveth The truth hereof is Written in plain Words and shewed by examples in many places of the holy Scripture as well in the Old Testament as the New First Esay saith It is I my self It is I my self that doth blot out thine iniquities for mine own love sake and I will not have thy sins in remembrance For the love of me saith he and not for the love of thee meaning his goodness and mercy and not for the love of thy merits As if he had said to all sinners in this sort If thou thinkest that I pardon thy Sins for thy merits sake thou art deceived and Wallowest in despair no no but for my mercy and infinite goodness I remit and forgive Thou hast no cause to despair for the least part of my mercy exceedeth all thy Sins In another place he saith by the same Prophet Turn your selves unto me all the Earth and you shall be saved for I am God and there is none other besides me What is the meaning of these Words I am God any thing else but that God is good and mercifull If it be unpossible but he should be God it is unpossible but he should be good and mercifull The same Prophet speaketh unto every one of us saying Let the Infidell leave his wayes and the unjust Man his thoughts let them turn to the Lord and he will have pitty upon him for he is ready to forgive And by the Prophet Jeremy he saith to the People of Israel that he was wroth for their Idolatry and many other Sins nevertheless he said Turn Israel thou Rebell unto me thy Lord and I will not turn my face from thee or as the Hebrew Text saith I will not lay mine ire upon thee for I am saith the Lord holy and gentle and keep not mine anger for ever And by the Prophet Ezechiel he saith If the evill Man repent him of his Sins and keep my Commandements doing righteously he shall live and not dye neither will I have his former offences any more in remembrance Do you think saith the Lord that I delight in the death of a Sinner nay rather that he should turn from his Wickedness and live Repent you then and you shall live The Prophet David said That from morning till night Israel hoped in the Lord what doth this signifie but that the faithfull from their Nativity and Birth untill their very Death have hope in the Lord There is mercy in the Lord and great Redemption attendeth upon him In Joel it is Written Turn your selves unto the Lord with all your heart in Fasting Praying Weeping Sorrow tearing your hearts and not your Garments so shall you be turned unto the Lord your God for he is full of Clemency Mercy and Grace slow to ire and ready to forgive or as the Hebrew Text saith such a one as repents him of evill that is to say is leath to execute the punishment upon Sinners which he hath denounced and threatned Micheas the Prophet saith What God is there like unto thee which takest away iniquities and forgivest Sins for the rest of thine Heritage sake He keepeth not his ire for ever but of his compassion and mercy will have pitty upon us He will put out our iniquities and throw all our Sins into the bottom of the Sea What Sinner is there that hearing these words hath so heavy a heart as to despair seeing that God is more ready to forgive than the Sinner is to ask forgiveness Now let us come to the New Testament to try if there be not Testimenies to the same effect The Son of God which is
the infallible Truth spake thus to Nicodemus God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son to the end that whosoever believeth in him should be saved and not perish but have everlasting life God sent not his Son into the World to condemn the World but to the end the World should be saved by him To the Scrives and Pharisies which murmured because he did eat and drink among Publicans and Sinners Christ said Those that be whole need not the Physitian but such as be sick Again I came not saith the Lord to call the just but Sinners to repentance Not as a Iudge but as a Physitian for such as languish in their Sins came I into the World not that they should remain Sinners but to turn them from their Sins that being Penitent they might be made righteous Likewise he told the Pharisees that the Angels in Heaven do more rejoyce in one penitent Sinner than in 99 just persons which need no repentance God saith Saint Paul spared not his only Son but gave him that he should rather dye for us than we be unpardoned If God spared not his only Son to dye for Sinners what thing is more precious unto him that he should resuse to give them And therefore the same Apostle speaking or Iesus Christ saith thus We have not an high Priest which cannot have Compassion of our Infirmities but such a one as in all points was tempted as well as we Sin excepted Let us go then boldly to the Seat of Grace that we may obtain merry and find grace in time convenient If I should rehearse all the places of the Scripture to this effect the ti … e would fail me Thus we see then none hath cause to distrust the goodness of God or to despair because of the greatness of his Sins seeing that God hath made so many fair promises to pardon the Penitent Sinner there be many Examples in the Old and New Testament of the performance of Gods promises as namely to David who commitred bath Adultery and Murther he even he by sorrowing for his offences and crying Peccavi obtained mercy and pardon of all his Wickedness Manasses the Son of Hezekiah set up the false worship of God which his Father had defaced and of an evill zeal to infidelity he himself offered up his own Children in fire for Sacrifice He persecuted the Prophets and sine innumerable Innocents amongst all which he caused the prophet Esay to be sawn in pieces In the end he was taken by his Enemies and led Captive into Babylon but when he was in his extreamity he acknowledged his offence and asked forgiveness of God by whom he was received to favour and restored to his Kingdom again The People of Ninive whom God threatned by the Prophet Jonas utterly to destroy for the multitude of their Sins they repented and prayed and so God forgave them The Samaritane also and the Canaanite notwithstanding their horrible sins when they asked Gods mercy he forgave them Matthew Zacheus and divers other Publicans upon their repentance were received into favour Peter that denyed his Master our Lord Iesus Christ three times swearing that he knew him not when he wept vitterly for his Sins he was received into mercy The Thief also upon the Cross being at the paint of Death even this Fellow who lived upon nothing but Robbery and Man slaughter all his life time acknowledged his hainous Sins asked pardon and God forgave him yea he obtained more than he required for Christ said unto him This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise This is Gods property even to give of his Liverality more than Men do or can ask Saint Paul was a Blasphemer and a Persecuter of Gods Church and yet he received mercy God hath set down such Persons as Examples for Sinners to the end they should not doubt of his Mercy and to teach them that he doth not Pardon offences for the merits of the Sinners which are stark Naught even when they are best but for his mercies sake which is adove all his Works For so to imagine of Mens merits is Destruction if any thing be ascribed unto merits then to the merits of his Son Iesus Christ and for his bitter Passion sake Let this be the conclusion that albeit the Sinner hath committed as many Sins as there be drops of Water in the Sea or Sands on the Sea shore yet he hath no cause to despair for though they be never so monstrous and manifold yet the mercy of God doth infinitely exceed them For his mercy consumes them sooner than the fire doth durn up the dry Ton. When I heard Lady Remembrance read these words I took heart a grace and recited a place Written in the Psalmes of David According to the multitude of the grief and sorrowes of my heart thy consolations have refreshed my Soul And then falling on my knees holding up my hands with sorrowfull Countenance and Compunction of Heart resting wholly upon the mercies and promises of God and the merits of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ I most humbly desired pardon for my Sins at the hands of Gods grace Vpon which unfained confession of mine offences and heart-grief hand-maids of perfect Repentance and fore-runners to the purpose I received by the means of Gods grace the benefit of the death and Passion of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory for ever and ever Amen CAP. VI. A Sermon which Understanding the good Hermit made unto the Knight upon the History of Mary Magdalen IN the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost Amen The great goodness and unspeakable mercy which hath been used in all Ages and times of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ towards all poor Sinners are in many places of the Gospel made manitest and clearly notified but chiesty in the seventh of Luke Wherein mention is made of a sinfull Woman lewd of Life and of ill name contemned despised and abhorred of Men whom sweet Iesus did not only receive to Favour but also by inward and secret inspiration drew her to repentance how and in what sort hear and understand The Gospel saith that there was a Pharisie furnished with false Faith and nuzled with a vain Opinion of holiness he was a great Doctor of the Law and a renowned Iusticiary howbeit weak in Faith and yet very high minded When our Saviour had one day preached and instructed the People by his Divine and holy Doctrine exhorting poor Sinners to turn to God by repentance and uttering many Parables and Similitudes as the Prodigal Child the lost Sheep and such like whereby he doth declare and signifie that he is inclined to compassion ready to have mercy and to receive into savour all repentant Sinners the proud Pharisie prayed him to come into his House and to dine with him The good Lord which had taken upon Him Mans Nature
set down by Moses in the 13. of Deut. and by S. Peter in his 2 Epistle chap. 2 and by our Saviour Iesus Christ in the 24 of Matthew And though we live in the later times when many Sects do abound and Vertue and truth in many places do fail yet let us listen what our Saviour saith Whosoever believeth to the end shall be saved Fourthly and lastly thy Faith must be quick and lively that is it must be linked with love and charity which is the life of faith as the Soul is the life of the hedy And therefore abuse not thy self as some do saying I have Faith and I shall be saved whatsoever chance No no assure thy self that if thy Faith be not quickned with Love and Cherity it is nothing Worth and therefore unable to atchieve true Blessedness as S. Paul well noteth in the first Epistle the 13 chap. to the Corinth Even so when our Lord in the Gospel attributeth salvation unto Faith and S. Paul justification this is to be understood of an holy lively and Evangelical Faith working with Love and Charity Likewise when our Saviour saith in the Gospel that he which believeth and will be Baptised shall be saved that is meant of such a Faith as love quickneth and Charity reviveth The holy Scripture in many places expresseth that none shall be saved unless he observe and keep the Commandements of God Now none can keep the Commandements without Love and charity Ergo none can be saved without Love and Charity The sum and effect of all is this That whosoever renounceth Sin and imbraceth a quick and lively Faith and liveth in Love and Charity he cannot perish but shall find in the end perfect and everlasting Felicity in the Kingdom of Heaven CAP. IV. The Description of Hope and how we ought to hope in Almighty God NOw Sir Knight know this that Hope is a Vertue whereby Happiness or Blessedness both spiritual and eternal are hoped for And as Faith is of things not seen so is Hope also For Saint Paul saith Hope that is seen is no Hope because we have possession of it already It is common to Faith and Hope to be of things unseen and yet Hope is distinguished from Faith not only by name but by reason For by Faith we believe as well evill things as good that is Hell as Heaven We believe that Adultery is a very wicked sin we believe also Charity is a very good thing all these things good and bad we believe but we Hope only for good things and not for bad Again Faith is of things past present and to come For we believe the death of Iesus Christ which is past we believe also that at this present he sits at the right hand of God the Father in Heaven and we believe that Christ shall come to judge the quick and the dead But under correction I think that Hope is of things present as when I Hope that I am in Gods favour and of things past as when I Hope my Sins be forgiven me and of things to come as when I Hope to have eternal life This is true that Faith hath an eye generally unto that which is spoken in holy Scripture believing that all the promises without exception which God made shall be accomplished without descending to particular or special Persons but Hope applyeth unto her self those same promises waiting for the accomplishment of that which God hath promised And therefore it is requisite for assured Salvation that thou believe thou shalt be saved but to Hope so is not sufficient For Faith in it self importeth an infallible assurance and certainty of things as when we firmly believe all the Articles of our true and Christian Faith and all things contained in the holy Scriptures to be more certain then man is man but the hoping of it is not so requisite For if we have a firm assiance in the goodness of God touching our Salvation and doubt not a whit of the remission of our sins it is enough There be two degrees in Hope which are two contrary extremities The one being the most highest is the infallible assurance of eternal Blessedness The other being the basest and lowest is to despair of Salvation Between these two extremities consisteth Hope But the more that a Man approacheth to the highest extremity which is an infallible assurance of Eternal life and the more he rejoyceth from the lowest extremity which is desperation the more perfect he is in hope As it sufficeth the hoping Man that believes anâ— loves God that he hath a firm affiance and confidence that God of his good grace will give him whatsoever he hath promised to his Elect hoping that he is of their number So it is necessarily requisste that we have a perfect infallible certainty of our Salvation Now for that in the Definition of Hope it is said that by her we Hope and look for the eternal Happiness it is to be noted that Hope hath two Objects the first the perfect enjoying of Gods presence the other is all the necessary means to come unto the clear seeing and enjoying of God and these means are remission of Sins through Gods Grace justification Faith unfained and charitable deeds and agreeableness unto God Now all that we hope for we ought with prayer devoutly to crave of God as his Kingdom the remission of our sins justification encrease of Grace and Vertue deeds of faith and Charity But concerning goods temporal forasmuch as we may use them well and ill they may be said to hinder the Salvation of Man rather then to surther it And therefore the good Christian ought not to ask them nor covet them excessively indeed so much as will necessarily serve him for sustenance in this life he may lawfully ask and here by the way it is a lesson worthy the Learning namely that it is necessary for us to do good Works because it hath pleased God to enrich us with Goods which Goods ought well to be employed Now unto him properly belongeth the merits of the works which he worketh in us For all our good works are the gift of God howbeit he doth not deny us his Grace whereby we consent to do the good works which he only moveth in us And therefore every one ought to the uttermost that he is able to do good works considering that they come of God who is the Author of all good works and without whom we are not able to think so much as one good thought much less do a good deed For otherwise to hope in doing ill to go to heaven without good works springing from a firm faith is not hope but a flat presumption And therefore thou oughtest to enforce thy self to do good works hoping that thou and thy works may be acceptable unto God nevertheless thou must not in any case trust upon thy merits or good works but altogether to the infinite goodness of God For otherwise thou fallest into that curse
which the Prophet speaketh saying Cursed is the man that trusteth in man and contrariwise happy is the man that trusteth in God We ought alwayes to do well to delight in well-doing and to hope in the goodness of God that he will give us that which he hath promised But this Hope ought to be firm and as an Anchor constantly to hold thy conscience that by the floating of temptation it move not But some will ask by what testimony or witness can the conscience rest assured of remission of sins of Gods adoption and of Heavenly blessedness I answer S. John Epist 1 chap. 5. saith There be three things that bear witness in Earth that is the Spirit Water and Blood These three testifie unto the spirit of the believing Man that Christ is the infallible truth who fulfilleth in the believing man the whole sum of his promises The first witness then that assureth man in Hope is the precious bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ which was shed for the remissien of our sins The second witness is the water of Baptism by the which also our sins are forgiven But these two witnesses put not the conscience in full and perfect Hope and Assurance And therefore there must be annexed unto them a third which third is The holy Spirit which beareth witness with our spirit that we are the Sons and Heirs of God Who so hath not this witness he cannot be assured of his Salvation The works of the holy Spirit in Man if thou ask me what those works are I answer thee that they are these that follow and such like namely Sorrow for sin hatred of all things which displease God and are contrary to his Commandements taking pleasure to read and hear Gods word mourning for thy imperfections and sure Faith Hope and Charity and effection desire intent and purpose to love God above all things and to do thy endeavour to fulfill his Commandements For all these things spring not from the corrupt nature of man unless his Heart be moystened with the dew of Gods grace without the which we feel not in our selves any good affections nor desire to do good works which are signs of the presence of the holy Chest in us Wherefore we ought with sighing to pray unto God and to beseech him most humbly that it would please him of his unspeakable pity to send us his holy Spirit which may assure us of the remission of our sins to Vouchsafe us his heavenly Adoption and the enjoying of everlasting Blessedness And thus much concerning Hope New let us speak of Love or Charity CAP. V. The Description of Love or Charity and how we ought to love God and our Neighbour CHarity is a Vertue by the which God is loved for the love of himself and our neighbour for the love of God or in God It is said in the first part of this Desinition that Charity is a Vertue Let us see how certainly Charity in the excellentest vertue that is even the mother and nurse of all the rest For he that hath not charity hath nothing in him to obtain everlasting life This Charity is given when the holy Spirit it is given For the holy Spirit being resident in the Soul makes us to love God for the love of himself and our Neighbour for the love of God To love God for the love of himself is to love him for his own sake and because he is God And that is to be done three wayes that is to love God above all things entirely above all things orderly above all things preciously We will declare these three wayes of loving God the more plainly that every one may know how to love God To love God intirely is to have a good will to God and to rejoyce greatly that he is such a one as he is But for the better understanding hereof it shall not be amiss to shew what it is to love to love is nothing else but to wish well to every body as when I love a man I wish as well to him as to my self Now there are two manners of love One is called the cobetous love as when a Man loves any thing for his own profit sake in such sort men love their horses their victuals and all other worldly necessaries The 〈…〉 the love of friendship when one loves a thing for the love of it self without respect of particular profit as when I see a man wise I take pleasure in him and wish that the Vertues which are in him may not only be continued but also encreased in him and this do I being to him well affectionated and loving him with delight There is not in God and good that is not like himself For his might or Power his Wisdom his Mercy his Iustice and his knowledge are Heavenly as he himself is who is all wise all just all mercy all knowledge and all mighty So that we love God above all things intirely when we rejoyce and be glad that he is as he is without regarding our proper profit or honour Thou oughtest not to love God with a covetous love that is thou must not love God only because he gives thee all things profitable for thee or in so doing thou lovest thy self better then thou lovest God If thou love God rightly he will reward thee greatly but this love must be single and it must be pure and not depending upon any other thing for who so loveth God for gain loveth him but as his Horse in whom he delights because he serves his turn God ought to be loved lovingly without respect of particular profit But then maist ask me a question May I not love God to this end and under this condition that he may give me Heaven which is the principallest thing that Man can wish for after this life the Doctors say no if we consider well of the thing beloved which is God for in so doing thou lovest thy self better then thou lovest God Thou maist come to Heaven by this means as namely by keeping his Commandements by giving Alms and by doing other good deeds and yet give God his due and single love Now these things are not charity it self but the works of Charity We say then that God ought to he loved in doing good deeds and in keeping his commandements but this love ought to be entire without respect of profit or reward To love God orderly above all things is to refer thy self and all thy goods to God so that all which thou lovest wishest dost and leabest undone thou oughtest to love to wish to doe and leave undone for the love of God and his glory Thus referring all to the Honour and Glory of God thou lovest God above all things ordarly and accomplishest as much as in thee lyeth what is written in Deut. and in Saint Mathew where it is said Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soul and with all thy strength For what other
compassion upon thee Where be the Worldlings the would not be sorry for their sins Where are they become Are they not condemned to everlasting torment in Hell fire O think then that sin doth greatly offend God Think what punishment God hath ordained for sin which makes Man an Enemy to God and a friend to the Devil Secondly think that at this present time thou art in Gods favour by the means of his Grace who made thee a child of God and an Heir of Heaven by Hope so that now thy Conscience is quiet Think what good Consolation thou hast received by devour prayer think what spiritual instructions Gods Grace hath given to thee think all the pleasures of the World are mingled with Sorrow think that this World shall pass away with all the pomps and pleasures of the same think that thy present Estate is the high way to Heaven and so shalt thou keep perseverance Thirdly think that the just judgment of God is to come which is to the good to give Heaven and to the evill Hell Think thou must dye and that at thy death thou shalt not receive so good consolation as thou hast had of Vertue and Gods grace Think that at thy death thou must leave behind thee Wife Children Goods and Mony whether thou do good or evill Think that thou must go to a Region unknown and to a place where thou hast never been and if thou be sound to have dyed in sin without repentance the Devils will attend to take thy damned Soul and will carry it into the dungeon of Darkness there to seel eternal torments But if thou be sound with Perseverance in the Palace of Vertue millions of Angels will go before thee and with great joy will bring thee to heaven O think upon the just judgment of God to come when every one shall be judged according to his deeds For God fahoureth neither Kings Princes nor People high nor low rich nor poor without respect of persons be will chuse the good and condemn the evil at the day of doom when we must appear personally without excuse or exception before him then every man must be his own Atturney when the just Iudge at that day will shew himself terrible to the Perverse which have followed Voluptuousness and have not heartily repented but will be gentle mercifull and good unto those that have been sorry for their offences O think what torments the un-repentant shall suffer both in body and soul perpetually whereas all such as have persevered in goodness to the end shall receive joy and the fulness of God and of Heaven In such sort to persevere in goodness to the end do thine utter endeavour and thou shalt see that God will be ready with his grace to arm thee with constancy in thy Christian purpose CAP. XI A protestation which Good Understanding taught the Knight to make every day for the avoiding of temptations and how he ought to humble himself before God and what he should ask in his prayer MY Son alwayes I wish thee to keep perseverance with thee by whom thou mayest avoid temptations which would induce thee to sin and force thee to forsake the true Faith and also to transgress the holy Commandements of Almighty God This to avoid I wish thee every day to repeat the promises which thou hast made to God in thy Baptism which follow thus in effect O Most high most excellent and holy Lord God I protest that I will live and dye in the true Catholike and Apostolike faith revealed in thy holy Word and that I will do my utmost endravour to keep thy holy Commandements which heretofore I have wilfully and carelessy transgressed wherefore I am sorry and do heartily repent me for the breach of them and in token thereof I make my Confession saying I Believe in God the Father Almighty maker of Heaven and Earth And in Jesus Christ his only Sonne our Lord which was conceived by the holy Ghost Born of the Virgin Mary Sufferred under Pontius Pylate Was crucified dead and buryed He descended into Hell The third day he rose again from the dead He ascended into Heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead I believe in the holy Ghost The holy Catholick Church The communion of Saints The forgiveness of sinnes The resurrection of the body And the life everlasting Amen Then say Lord God give me grace most heartily I beseech thee without doubting to confess and believe the articles of this my Christian Faith and in the same to persevere to the end And so rehearse the Ten Commandements of Almighty God which are these The same which God spake in the xx Chapter of Exodus saying I am the Lord thy God which have brought thee out of the Land of Ægypt out of the house of Bondage 1. Thou shalt have none other Gods but me 2. Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image nor the likenesse of any thing that is in Heaven above nor in the Earth beneath nor in the water under the Earth Thou shalt not bow down to them nor worship them For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God and visit the sins of the Fathers upon the Children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me and shew mercy unto thousands in them that love me and keep my commandements 3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine 4. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day six dayes shalt thou labour and doe all that thou hast to do but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt do no manner of work thou and thy son and thy daughter thy man servant thy maid servant thy catell and the stranger that is within thy gates for in six dayes the Lord made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that therein is and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the seventh day and hallowed it 5. Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy dayes may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee 6. Thou shalt do no murther 7. Thou shalt not commit Adultery 8. Thou shalt not steal 9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy Neighbour 10. Thou shalt not cover thy Neighbours house thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours wife nor his servant nor his maide nor his ox nor his Asse nor any thing that is his Then considering the tenour of that which thou hast said crave grace at Gods hands to walk after his will using the same prayer which Christ taught thee and saying Our Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdome come Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass
against us And lead us not into temptation But deliver us from evill Amen Besides all this thou must also most heartily humble thy self before God acknowledging thy self a sinner and that thou canst do nothing that is righteous but if there be any goodness in thee either of Nature or of Gods Grace thou must sreely confess that all comes from above Repute not thy self better than another but rather the least of all If any despise thee mock thee or injure thee suffer it not only patiently but also willingly and gladly even for the love of God For the sealing Ladder of Heaven is Humility a full denying of thy self in worldly causes Think not well of thy self for any thing that thou doest hast done or mayest do but if thou hast any goodness in thy body or in thy soul be not ashamed to confess that it is not thine because it comes not from thee but of God for from him indeed it proceeds And when at any time thou findest thy self as it were lest of God and destitute of consolation whether it be inwardly or outwardly be not discouraged for it neither think that God hath Forgotten thee but heartily Humble thy Self before God putting all thy confidence in God as in one that knows how to save his Elect. If thou receive any blessing inwardly as Wisdom or any other gift exalt not thy self in pride neither discommend others that have not received of God such grace but use that which thou hast to Gods glory Again if thou see thy Neighbour fall take heed judge him not but think that God permits thee to see his effence for thy profit Imagine thou wast never touched with that crime well it is much but yet thou hast been culpable in some other as bad or else worse upon this examination reform thy self suppose thou art in no fault thou must not therefore esteem thy self better than he that is in fault knowing thou art of such a nature as he is and made of the same stuff as he is and therefore notwithstanding thy supposition a sinner and offender as well as he so that both need amending Be thou sure that if God had provided no better for thee than thy self deserved thou hadst committed the like offence or else greater and thank God for that he hath kept thee so and pray for him that doth amisse and is not yet converted When thou seest a sinner only led to lose his life by Law know that thou standest a sinner before God as well as he although before the world thou be esteemed better There is no School wherein a Christian may so well learn to live well as in the contemplation of Christs life and conversation thou must oftentimes think on thy last end as Death Iudgement Hell and Heaven persevere in Prayer so shalt thou please God and not be loath to die Remember thy end saith the wife Man and thou shalt never sin thou must often pray deboutly to God and when thou wilt so do thou must draw thy self from all affairs for Prayer is a lifting up of the heart to God and a private speech of the soul with God If it be so were there any reason that a man should draw his cogitations from God or rather all outward businesse put apart with all reverence to submit thy soul before him All this notwithstanding it is not forbidden in all our affairs to pray and sing Psalms to Gods glory and oftentimes with Tears to say the Lords Prayer or any other Prayer to that effect And here by the way thou must understand that the longest Prayer is not the profitablest because of the multitude of cogitations of the minde besides that thou must be devout for the prayers which are done with devotion of the heart do profit all other prayers are but vain and to no purpose If thou pronounce but three words as the Publican did saying God be mercifull to me a sinner or as the Canaanite said O Son of David have mercy upon me it is enough Again be not curious of thy tongue nor line in speaking it sufficeth that thy heart speaks within thee and thy tongue though but bleatingly if unfainedly it is well as we read of Moses and Anna Samuels Mother Worldly goods superssuonsly thou oughtest not to ask but necessarily and with measure for thy bodily health and for the succour of the needy If thou be sick poor or in adversity thou mayst ask Health Riches or Prosperity so it be done to Gods glory But if thy asslictions do more advance Gods glory than thy prosperity doth yeelding thy soill to Gods will thou oughtest to ask Patience and say with a meek heart Lord thy will be done and not mine I thy senses be inclined to sin be not dismayed for there is a God to whom if thou pray he will by the power of his grace suppresse that inclination Wherefore take courage when thou art tempted ask help of God saying O God make speed to save me O Lord make haste to help me Lord God leave me not but be my help O thou Lord God of my health Do what thou canst to resist the Devil and he shall go from thee approach unto God by Faith and be will draw near unto thee by his Spirit If the Devil assault thee desy him and make thy moan to thy Saviour saying Lord help me and be with me Do thou thy endeavour and assure thy self that God will make thee strong he will aid thee he will ease thee and in the end will set thee free from all verations placing thee in the Heaven of Heavens the Portion and Inheritance of his Servants To this God and to Iesus Christ with the holy Ghost he all glory honour and praise world without end Amen CHAP. XII The Authors Peroration or Conclusion to the devout Readers or Hearers I Thank Almighty God of his goodnesse that I am come to the End of the Voyage of the wandring Knight by the which thou mavest understand that in following Folly and vain Voluptuousnesse he forsook God to the prejudice and hurt of his Soul yea to the danger of everlasting damnation Here thou mayest learn that all voluptuous worldlings are the very Subjects of Sathan and their earthly goods and worldly pleasures shall quickly consume Thou art taught likewise what great clemency God used to … m drawing him by his grace from the sink of sin wherein he was sunk how he was led to the Palace of Repentance and from thence to the Palace of Vertue where by Gods grace he is now and what goodnesse he hath found there thou hast heard at large The Lord grant us to land where he is landed even in the Land promised to the Elect. Amen And now to conclude I beseech your courtesies that if any thing in this my labour mislike you interpret the same to the best and lay nothing to my charge in the way of presumption but commending my good meaning and allowing my will not to contemn but to speak well and esteem of this my Work and to use it for thy benefit and edincation for the which end I made and compiled the same And now I exhort you all in Christian love and charity that if by Gods grace you be resident in Vertues Palace to persevere and continue there to the end humbling your selves before God and allwayes trusting unto his goodnesse not unto our own strength or merits acknowledging also Gods grace by the which you are as you are and of whom you have that you have Let all your considence be in his mercy and in his goodnesse Furthermore if any feel and perceive himself out of Vertues Palace by the means of wordly vanities let him consider the great peril he is in and speedily turn to repentance with a contrite and sorrowfull heart requiring pardon of God and trusting wholly in the merits and passion of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ Let him not be ashamed to acknowledge his sins which if he do he shall finde at Gods hands grace and mercy And now I beseech nor Lord God to give us all Grace to do according unto that which is here spoken for otherwise of our selves it is not possible that leading a life acceptable and agreeable unto his holy will we may in the end after the Voyage which we have to passe in this world see and enjoy possesse and have the full fruition of that glorious city of Paradise where true Blessednesse and perfect Felicity welleth even in the Habitation of God Almighty unto whom be all Honour Glory Power and Dominion for evermore Amen FINIS