But none of all these I stand in fear of I esteem my selfe much above my life so that I may consummate my course Let us sing after him the same song every one for himselfe Let heaven cost me never so much hatred persecution vexation let my God load me with whatsoever calamities he pleaseth I am ready to do and suffer all so I may consummate my course and say at the end Consummatum est I am well assured the fruit will correspond to the labour abundant infinite eternall CHAP. IV. That afflictions are to be born with thanksgiving PHIDIAS an excellent Artizan most rare for his qualitie in making Statues could frame them of clay wax morter marble wood brasse Ivory silver gold in a word of any matter or metall whatsoever scarcely was there any piece of wood whereof he could not counterset the God Mercâ—ry Seneca saith of him Phidias skill was not to make Statues onely of Ivory he made them likewise of brasse If you had put him to make them of marble or baser meterials he made them as artificially as he could possibly And surely if a rough unpolished piece of wood could have spoken it would have given infinite thankes to this master vouchsafing with his skilfull hand to free it from deformity After the same manner God that all knowing workman polisheth man by miseries and afflictions till he reforme him and mould him a new againe With good reason therefore should this deformed trunke render humble thankes to his Phidias who otherwise had never been transformed into so goodly a Statue haâ— he not lost manâ— a chip and been roughly and sharply treated by the axe We have said That all adversitie should be patiently cheerfully and constantly endured To this we adde fourth manner of taking it to wit with thanksgiving or thankfully Now it remains to declare why thanks are to be given for calamities which otherwise are deemed ungratefull benefits Sect. I. THe ancient Germans were wont to instruct their children by precepts delivered by certain signes and tokens amongst others this was one If at any time thou baitest by the way in thine inne part not thence till thou hast spit thrice meaning hereby that when they were travellers they should take heed they left none of their furniture behinde them Moreover they commanded them not to point at the stars with their finger not for that it is an offence to point at the stars but because they thought that curious frequent aspect was hurtfull to their eyes This likewise was a prudent admonition of theirs If any thing hurt or vex thee say Deo gratias God be thanked or Rependat hoc Deus God requite this A golden precept certainly and agreeable to this our present purpose Whatsoever burns thee what adversity soever happens to thee what man soever injures or troubles thee be sure to render him as ample thanks as if he had given thee a liberall reward In like manner sober and discreet parents now a dayes teach their children to kisse the rod wherewith they have been beaten So shall you see the most towardly scholars in the school give thanks to their Masters after they have corrected them as if they should say My most reverend Master I take it not ill at your hands to be chastised I have deserved it and I am the rather joyed and comforted that my Master hath such regard over me and that he hath not as yet laid aside all hope and care of me And why should I think much or finde my self agrieved It is the Masters part to correct his scholars when they offend that so they may be the more wary in time to come O this is a disposition as excellent as rare to receive stripes and render thanks Yet it beseems us all to do so In all patience and longanimity with joy and thanksgiving to God our Father who hath made us worthy to take part in the lot of Saints And this doubtlesse is to participate this is to have our lot amongst Saints To suffer much and render thanks that God vouchsafeth us so great an honour The divine eloquence of Saint Chrys tem 5. hom 18. initio câ—jus inscriptiâ— Quod maximum lucâ—um in tribula tionibus est gratiarum actio mihi p. 165. Chrysostome wonderfully laboured forcibly to perswade all Christians to this Hear himself speak This quoth he is the will of God that we should alwayes give thanks this is the signe of a soul well instructed Hast thou suffered evill It is no evill unlesse thou wilt Do but thank God for it and thou turnest the evill into good Say as Job did The Name of God be blessed for ever And what I pray hast thou suffered in this nature Thou hast perhaps been visited with sicknesse This is no news our bodies are mortall and born to suffer Thou art pinched with want of money Admit thou hast plenty What certainty hast thou It may as easily be lost as gotten Thy enemies calumniate and seek to supplant thee This is no injury to us that suffer it but to them that do it The sin is his that commits not that suffers evill What evill soever therefore oppresseth thee give God thanks and thou turnest the evill into good And as the same Saint Chryspstome admonished Let us not repine be vexed or troubled in temptations Job by giving thanks when he was stripped of all his goods wounded more the divel then when he distributed them amongst the poore For a far greater matter it is to beare the losse of all with a couragious and thankfull mind then amidst store of wealth to give alms as appeared in this just man But suppose a suddain fire should consume all thy treasure and burne thy house to the ground then call to minde those calamities that fell on Job give thanks to our Lord who could but did not save and prevent all this and thy reward shall be as great as if thou haddest distributed it with thine owne hands amongst the poore Againe reiterating the same Thou shalt saith he have a reward equall to him who gives all his goods to the poor if thou give thanks for the losse of them and whereas thou Idem â—o 4 in 1. ad Thess cap. 3. â—um 3. post med mighst have gone to southsayers wisards thou art content rather to lose then by this means to recover them But perchance thou livest in poverty hunger want and infinite other miseries and dangers Remember Lazarus environed with extreame poverty innumerable troubles forsaken and abandoned by all and this after he had led so good and vertuous a life Call to minde the Apostles that lived in hunger thirst and nakednesse the Prophets and just men you shall not find that any of them lived in riches or jolity but in want scarcity and tribulation Recollect all this with thy self and render humble thanks to our Lord that makes thee partaker of the same poverty that he is so far from hating thee that he
years together I pulled not out and found her worthy of me nor have I otherwise treated my dearest friends and I found them worthy of me And wouldst thou be singular and exempted from the number of the afflicted If thou escape without chastisement thou art likely to have no share amongst my children After this manner do I exercise and try my children and by chastising honour them More enriched and honoured was Joseph in exile then in his fathers house Ezechiel amongst captives was comforted with heavenly miracles The three Hebrew children were never more refreshed then in the burning furnace nothing could have hâ—ppened to them more honourable then to enjoy in the midst of the flames the amiable societie of an Angell Whosoever therefore desires to be numbred amongst the children of God let him declare himselfe so and with a generous spirit and undaunted courage say I am afflâ—cted but endure it patiently I am tortured and tormented for Christs sake but bear it willingly I am overwhelmed with calumnies and false accusations but beare them for the love of God cheerfully God be praised I am bound and burned but for the hope of heavenly joyes endure it couragiously It is that I desire I would rather have fire burn then overcome me I had rather my God should call me in this world to wage war then to live in delights I know well the Oxe designed to the slaughter is left at his own liberty in the pleasant pastures while another pressed with the heavie yoke is suffered to live Chastising my Lord will punish me and not deliver me to death Thus it becomes a Christian Champion to think and speak Sect. III. ANd that we may the better apprehend what hath been said let us discourse in this manner The supream element of fire is so noble and strong by nature that whatsoever viler substance it layeth hold of be it cloath lether wood yea even flints themselves it burns and consumes them into ashes as if it should say Such is my innate generosity that I will not admit into my bosome these base materials that are not worthy of me but give me the noblest metals Gold or Silver and I hurt them not they are welcome to my bosome them I purifie and refine for they are worthy of me And hath the fire such a preeminence amongst other things created that it imbraceth nothing but that which is most worthy of it what shall we then think of God Malachias struck with admiration saith Who shall be able to think of the day of his advent and who shall stand to seâ— him For he is as it were a purging fire and as the herb of Fullers and he shall sit purifying Neither will he refine gold and silver and bring it to the former luster slightly and superfiâ—ially but accurately for he will try them till he find them worthy of himselfe God proceeds after this manner for three ends for whom he afflâ—cteth he either chastiseth and punisheth correcteth and amendeth or finally rewardeth and crowneth First what marvell is it if God daily punish and correct us we daily offend him for the just man falls seven times a day God dealeth herein as doth a carefull and industrious man who that he may not come in debt payes all with ready money so God mercifully expiateth daily our offences with daily miseries And this is a great favour for whilst we are judged we are corrected by our Lord that we may not be condemned with this world King David said well Before I was humbled I sinned Sin and punishment are never fâ—r asunder The other end for which God afflicts us is to teach and correct us It â—s a great happinesse for a man to know himself his own imperfections We commodiously attain to this knowledge by adversity which S. Gregory manifestly declareth By being saith he outwardly stricken we are inwardly by sorrow and affliction put in minde of our sins and by thâ—s which outwardly we suffer we become inwardly more penitent for that we have committed A little stone flew Golias a vast Giant in a single combat because he thought himselfe invincible Peter very stout and resolute in promises said he was ready to go to prison and to death it selfe for his Lord. Come on then Peter and watch but for one short hour and a halfe Ah! what a watchman his Captain had no sooner turned his back but the Souldier fell asleep a vigilant chiefe Sentinell In stead of watching he falls a sleep then forsakes his standing and flies hurls away his weapons and denies his Captain at the voyce of a silly maid But by this means S. Peter learned to know himselfe Saint Augustine affirmeth that Aug. in psa 60. all our profit growes from temptation without which no man truly knows himselfe Who would ever have thought that fire had been in the flint had it not been discovered by the dash of the steel God even by afflicting crownes at last Saint Gregory Greg pâ—â—sat in Iob. c. 5. med l. 20. moral c. 20. post med observing this saith When the innocent person is securged his patience mereaseth his merit The soule of the elect now seemeth to wither that heerafter it may grow green and flourish with everlasting joy Now is the day of their affliction because heerafter the dayes of their rejoycing shall follow This also doth God pronounce by the mouth of S. James Blessed is that man who suffers temptation because after he is tried he shall receive the crown of life Neither is our affliction a preparative onely for future rewards but even the affliction it selfe is sometimes a reward Justus Lipsius the lustre of this our age and as it was said of Pliny the matchlesse Prince of learning though he were most addicted to the Muses yet he far preferred piety before them many years together he weekly made his confession He had a very neat Library furnished with choyce bookes for all whatsoever that served for rare and polite literature which he could procure for love or money out of all parts of the world he had stored up there In a word it was a treasure beyond all Maggazines of gold gathered together in one house There was nothing upon earth that Lipsius loved more ardently then this learned delight a man would have said his heart had been wholly enshrined in this Library But O my God O most disasterous mischance that which with so great care and diligence he had gathered together in so many years all that with a sudden fire was in one moment burned to ashes Out alas I verily think Lipsius had rather have lost himselfe then this which came so neer him But this is Gods usuall custome these are the rewards wherewith he recompenceth vertue in this world and should be taken for great favours Thus God dealeth with his best friends either depriving them of that which they most dearly affect or not granting what they most earnestly request Sometimes you shall
lesse Think that saying of Saint Augustine verified in Aug. Tract 7. â—n Ioan. thee How many are there wicked in health who sick would be innocent Sin is pruned and cut off by sicknesse But O how rich is he that hath his health Answ No in sicknesse thou beginnest to be acceptable to God Reckon this amongst other benefits of thy disease we never set a right value on health till it be taken from us O how weak and how feeble am I now Heer let Saint Bernard answer thee Better it is to be broken with labours and dolours and be saved then to remain Bern de inter dâ—moâ— 46. in health and be damned O what a slave am I to pains and griefe Answ Reflect thine eye from thy selfe upon Christ crucified there view a man of dolours indeed and knowing infirmities for he truly bare our languors and sustained our dolours Ah! when will this obstinate and cruell disease have an end Answ It is a signe of cold love to desire presently an end of suffering for Christ before we have well begun But if I were now in health I would go to Church and purifie my soul with heavenly Sacraments Ans Beleeve me the least degree of patience in sicknesse is the best means to expiate thy sins Therefore as blessed Saint Gregory adviseth we must say to the sick that if they beleeve they have any right to their countrey in heaven they must of necessity suffer labour and pain heer as in a forrain land Let him that is sick commend himselfe to the divine goodnesse and say Even thy rod and thy staffe have comforted me Heer let me be pricked heer tormented heer burned so I burne not everlastingly Think not much I beseech thee gentle Reader to peruse what the harbinger of eternity brings to compose and rectifie the thoughts of sick persons Heer we surcease to avoid prolixity Sect. II. ARROWES PAins and griefes are arrowes piercing deeper then any two-edged sword King David being very sensible of these arrowes saith Thy arrowes are sharp cares irksomnesse griefe feare sicknesse wound the soule like arrowes It is in a manner the greatest griefe of all to have a wounded mind For as mentall delights far exceed all corporall so the griefe and anguish of the mind far surpasses all other dolours Christ the Redeemer of the world on mount Olivet and mount Calvary complained not of stripes and scourges nor of the sharp pricking thornes and nails but upon the crosse cried out of his grieved mind that he was forsaken of his father The sorrow and heavinesse of Christ was inexplicable which caused those lamentable voices My soule is heavie even to death And My God my God why hast thou forsaken me The wounds of the mind exced all penall acerbities And therefore the wise man said Griefe of heart is an universall wound Sometimes Almighty God brings his servants into such straits that all things seem to oppose them and which is the greatest misery they think that God himselfe is highly offended with them Neverthelesse they are not destitute of hope but again and again cry O my Lord God! in the day I have cried and in the night before thee because my soul is filled with evill things and my life hath drawn near to hell I am poore and in labours from my youth Or according to others I am afflicted and like to one giving up the ghost from my youth I have born thy terrours and have trembled The Scripture tells us that the Hebrewes passing out of Egypt came into Mara and could not drink the waters of Mara because they were bitter c. There he gave them precepts and judgements and there he tried them Here one will say I beseech thee Lord was there not a more commodious place for the enacting of thy Lawes Did the worst seem unto thee the fittest heer the very water it selfe increased their thirst But Reason what meanest thou here to expostulate There God established Lawes and Precepts and there he tempted and tried them For this affaire the most incommodious place was most fitting for them In the richest and most fertill countries amidst delicacies the Law of God for the most part is contemned Felicity is but stepmother to all vertues They who are oppressed with adversities and fearfull of losing their estates learn sooner to fear God then they who by felicity are invited to lasciviousnesse For the most part God is neerest unto us in adversity Therefore Nahum the Prophet said Our Lord was in the tempest in the whirlwind of his way God comes to us in the midst of lightning and thunder and then commonly he is neerest when the tempest of afflâ—ction is greatest Witnesse Saint Gregory The evills which heer oppresse us compell us to have recourse unto God Jonathan and David that noble paire of friends thus agreed betweene themselves I said Jonathan will shoote three arrowes and will shoote as it were practising at a marke I will likewise send a boy saying unto him goe bring me my arrowes if I say to the boy looke the arrowes are on this side thee take them up come to me for then all is in peace and nothing amisse God every day and moment shootes and sends forth his arrowes out of his bow and powreth forth on men all kinds of maladies Whosoever is strucken with one of these arrowes let him not be appal'd or dismayd at the wound behold the arrows of God have transfixed thee peace iâ— with thee and there is no hurt done These woundes are signes of health But these shaftes thou sayest miserably torment thy minde and often times afflâ—ct thee with extreame anguishes To be vexed in minde to repent to be contristated to grieve and feare are horrible tormentâ— to the mâ—nde Admit all this yet if thou patiently receive all these arrowes shot against thee feare not peace is with thee and there is no harme done thy God liveth Behold King David who perceiving himselfe more then once wounded saith thine arrows are fixed in me and thou hast confirmed thy hand upon me He did not only lament and groane at the arrowes shot against him but also at those that were fixed and sticking in him There were many things that grieved and troubled this good king Beâ—sabe was no sooner delivered of a sonne but it â—yed His sonne Ammon committed incest wiâ—h his daughter Thamar then ready for marriage Ammon himselfe being druâ—ke at a feast is slaine by his brother Absolon From this degenerating sonne Absalon that good father deposed from his royall throne and deprived of his crowne is forced to flye as from the face of an enemy Behold what deepe wounds these arrowes made in King David I not one or two but very many they were that showred downe one his head And how sharpe and penetrating was Nathans speech pronouncing in publike Tu es ille-vir Thou art that very man why hast thou contemned the word of thy Lord sayâ—h God that thou mightest do evill
when he had sent the second time and he would not come unto him he said to his servants Know yee Joabs field that lies neer to mine containing his barley harvest go therefore and burn it with fire After this manner God humbleth many men and with flames of poverty even forceth them to better courses Whom he knoweth to be proud or else foreseeth except he prevent them they will become contumacious and insolent Let this therefore be the Lesson which we ought to learn in the School of Patience lest poverty a thing in it selfe not evill by the abuse become an evill unsupportable The wise man to make us cautious herein saith Through poverty many have offended and gone astray for some to have wherewith to fill their bellies cheat and steal others prostitute themselves and set their souls to sale These make ill use of poverty a thing very good of it selfe The Scholars in the School of Patience must otherwise behave themselves when they are burned with the fire of poverty Each of them may say thou hast examined me with fire there is no iniquity found in me All extremities are rather to be endured Chrys Hom. 71. in Mat. then to offend God Better it is to begge then steal Saint Bernard through ardent affection Ber. Ser. 16. in Psa Qui habitat ante finem mihi pag. 559. to povertie said It is better for me my Lord to be in tribulation so thou be with me then to reigne feast or glory without thee It is much better to embrace thee in tribulation to have thee with me in the furnace of povertie then to be even in heaven without thee What are we afraid of Why delay we Why seek we to avoid this furnace of poverty The fire is terrible but our Lord is with us in tribulation If God be with us who can stand against us Let us therefore that we may take no harm by poverty seriously revolve this in our minde that all poverty whatsoever it be is laid upon us by God for our greater good that we may be throughly refined from our drosse Even as a tender and loving mother when she beholds her childe playing abroad in the yard fiercely assaulted by Turkey-cockes and hens because he is in a red coate with wings rais'd traine displayed and bristling crestes presently steps to him and takes him from those furious fowles and though the childe cry and mourne to see himselfe disrob'd she pulls off his scarlet wherewith Turkies naturally become so fierce and all this she doth for the good of her little one not moved at all with his fond and childish teares let him weepe and spare not so he may escape this imminent danger So God oftentimes uncloathes us takes away our goodes oppresseth us with poverty but all for our good for by this means we are delivered from many dangers from the assaults of the Divell and snares of manifold sinnes but we like children cry and lament wrangle and complaine that we are deprived of necessaries and brought to utter beggery Oh you foolish babes why weepe you why complaine you all this is done for your good God would not have bereaved you of temporall substance but that he foresaw they would become very prejudiciall to you he would not have reduced you to this poore estate but that he perceiv'd from all eternity you should not otherwise attaine to the kingdome of heaven Wherefore commit these anxious cares to this most loving father who infinitely exceeds in providence and compassion the most tender mother But thou art poore yea poore against thy will give me leave then once more I pray thee to answer thy objections Poverty thou sayest to me seemes intolerable Answ Certainely thou art more to it then it to thee I am forsaken and contemned of all Answ Save only God his eyes looke upon thee poore man O! how happy are the rich and wealthy Answ Oh miserable happinesse for the hoording up of riches is full of labour the possession full of fear and the losse with grief the love Bern de convers ad Clericos c. 13. de 5. negotiat mihi pag. 1748. of riches corrupteth the use is burdensome and their decrease full of vexation and trouble What is more miserable then beggery Answ Perhaps thou art ignorant of that which all men know Lazarus the needy beggar was after his death placed in Abrahams bosome and the rich glutton in the midest of hell the one by Angels was in the place of rest the other by divels buried in hell He that hath money hath all at his command Answ Nay rather he hath nothing if he be destitute of vertue thou hast all things with thee that may make thee good When the rich man shall sleepe he shall take nothing with him he shall open his eyes and finde nothing We may be poore though we abound in riches Answ Certainely great is that man who is poore in the middest of riches but far more secure is he that wanteth them Alasse how void and empty are my coffers What matter is it how empty thy chest be looke to thy conscience he is rich enough who hath a quiet conscience But I want necessaries Answ Perhaps thou rather wantest industry to provide necessaries It is not much that nature requireth but the minde and the eyes are insatiable desire is never satisfied Nature contents her selfe with little The poor man lies every where dejected Answ Cheerfull poverty is most honourable whosoever agrees well with poverty is rich he is not poore that hath little but he that covets much Poverty is extreamely prejudiciall both to me and others Ans It would damnifie neither you nor others but that your poverty proceeds more from vitiousnes then want Poverty is an obstacle to me in all things Answ Rather say it furthers you if thou wilt be at rest and finde repose of minde either thou must be poore or seeme so without care of frugality thy indeavours can never avail thee for frugality is voluntary poverty Say what you will poverty is an insufferable misery Answ Give me leave I pray to tell you Seneca convinces you of untruth who directly saith that there is no evil in poverty so a man keepe himselfe Sen. consol ad Hel c. 9. post medium free from the phrensie of avarice which subverteth all Oh you that are poore whosoever you be what thinke you of such a father who sees his little sonne with bread in his hand and a mastiffe lying in waite and ready to bit him by the fingers were it not a point of wisdom in him and a wary foresight of future mischiefe rather then a depriving the childe of victualls to snateh the bread out of his hand So God sometimes deprives us of food and temporall felicities not to impoverish or famish but to reclaime us from sinne Is not vertue for the most part banished all kinde of vices imbrac'd in their kingdome where men fare daintily sleepe
about with goat skins on their backes and leather thonges in their hands scourging whensoever they mene the women of their owne accord were wont to meete them and offer the palmes of their hands to be strucken supposing thereby they should Alex ab Alex l. 4. â—â—ier gâ—â—â—al â—â—tio have facility in child birth This the Romans used to doe in the moneth of February But we are daily afflicted sometimes one sometimes another yea even the most innocent and just are not exempted In this case it behooves us to endure all with patience sith somtimes we cannot withstand them though wee would But these scourges taken patiently dispose us to a happy death It is a matter of great consequence when a man knowes he hath been ill spoken of to beare it with equanimity And therefore Saint Bernard who was most ready to endure like scourges said Bern in epist In my judgement there is no fitter medicine for the woundes of my soule then reproches and contumelies There is no reason then why I should be displeased thereat who am a wretched man worthy of all despite and reproach Senc de bâ—aâ— vite cap. 55. What Seneca said to the Romans let every man say to his detractours Rage and â—oare as much as you will exercise your mischievous tongues by calumniating good men you shall sooner breake your teeth then bite them The fourth comfort is that the detractions and calumnies of wicked persons nothing hinder the examination of any mans cause at the tribunal of God but rather further it That was a worthy speech of St. Hierome Amongst Christians saith hee that man is miserable who effereth injury not he who suffereth it As Christ our Saviour declareth Blessed are you when men speake evill of you and persecute you and speake all the worst they can against you belying you for my sake rejoyce and exult for your reward is very great in heaven Saint Peter following this word of our Lord If you be reproched saith he for the name of Christ you shall be blessed This is that whereby you are made like to Christ and become Angels That wise woman of Thecua indevouring to extoll and magnifie with the greatest praise the King of Hebrews said My Lord the King is like the Angell of God neither benediction nor malediction can move him Saint Gregory doth very well instruct and arme every one against these tongue-scourges When we are praysed saith he or dispraised we should alwaies have recourse to our owne conscience and if we find not therein the good that is spoken of us with great sorrow and solicitude let us procure to have it on the other side if we find not therein the evill which men object we ought very much to rejoyce For what is it for men to commend us if our owne conscience accuse us or how little should our griefe be though all men accuse us while our owne conscience tells us we are innocent But some will say it grieves me more then may be imagined to be so rashly slandered and belied unjustly Let it grieve thee a Gods name But what then to grieve for Christ the kingdome of Heaven should be a Christians chiefest comfort Art thou greeved to heare these things spoken of thee let it rather trouble thee if they be true if thy owne conscience accuse thee for then thy conversation makes thee an obloquy to the world But let him whom his own conscience defends and assures him that whatsoever aspersions malevolent people cast upon him are vaine and false let him I say not bee contristated whatsoever it be which others spâ—ake against him For why should they grieve him when they hurt him not But sâ—y they should hurt him God without doubt will recompence ten fold this damage how great so ever it be He that hath offended indeed and given just occasion of speech let him accuse himselfe if he be ill reported of but the just man shall be withâ—ut fear as couragious as a Lyon Baltasâ—r King of Babylon sitting amongst thousands of his noble men at a royall banquet saw a hand writing upon the wall over against him wherewith he was so terrified that he waxed pale and beganne to tremble in every joynt of him What cause I beseech you was there of so great feare He saw a hand What hand A mans Did the King so much feare a mans hand if he had seene the threatning pawes of a Lyon Beare or Dragon there had been just cause of feare But why should the right hand of one poore man terrifie so migh yâ—a Monarch at whose only beâ—ke an hundred wings of horsemen would have flowne to have succour'd him was there any sword or weapon brandisht by this terrible hand none but only a writing pen should a stout man I will not say a King be appaled at the wagging of a pen If Joabs triple Lance or the fiery two-edg'd sword of a Cherubim had menaced him there had beene some cause of feare But perhaps it was the writing that terrified him this he understood not and therfore called others to expound it Why then feared he one single hand one pen one writing which he understood not Behold how often the like happens among us There comes a mischievous detractour and with his tongue writes as it were upon the wall these or the like words Let none give credit to this man he is not the man he seemes to be and these vices are usuall with him he hath a faire outside but inwardly he is not the man you take him for This kinde of writing sometimes so terrifies us that we take it for one of the greatest punishments that may be and to desire and yet not to be able to revenge this wrong seemes more grievous then death it selfe But why O Christians doe these detracting words so much trouble you upon so light a wrong turne you all your patience into fury This is the property of the Scorpion provoke him not by touching he never darts forth his poysnous sting but if you once touch him instantly he stings you with his taile Thus many are silent if you doe not vex them but touch them once and they spit fire that blastes and consumes all it lights upon In this case the wisest course is to turne a deafe eare to all detractions you may take example from the holiest men David the best of Kings was wickedly standered by many but I said he as if I had beene deafe gave no eare to them And albeit secret tale-carriers sometimes creepe to you and say this he talkes of you in publike as if you were deafe give no eare to it To goe about to confute all these injurious speechâ—s were to take paines to disturbe your selfe For commonly the more a man strives to supresse these reports the more they are divulged Epictetus very wisely admonishing us Epict. Ench. cap 48. saith if any one shall tell thee that a certaine man speaketh ill of thee
de exam conscien per plura capita men of former ages have taught by their example and at this day it is the custome of holy â—en diligently to looke into themselves and search all the corners of their conscâ—ence And certainly it stands with reason that before we goe to sâ—eâ—p we make our peace with God whom we have that day estended that if death surprize us sleeping which whether it will or no is most uncertaine wee may not be cast headlong to hell and everlasting death And how conformable is it to reason that a man should at least once a day tender thanks to his creatour for all his benefits aske forgivenesse for his sinnes and firmly purpose from thence forward to think speake and proceede in all his actions more warily modestly and chastly He is rather a beast then a man who not diverted by urgent occasions neglects this businesse and buâ—ies himselfe in a feather bed before he hath so much as with one poore word reconciled himselfe to God Repeate therefore O my deare Christian rehearse I say and examin thy conscience how thou hast spent that day He is carelesse and neglects his lesson who layes him downe to sleepe before he hath cast up his accompts betweene God and his owne conscience But sometimes the scholar doth ill pronounce the words of his lesson and recites it unperfectly The like do they who omit not to examine their conscience and say their prayers but are so distracted with diverse other cogitations that they stammer out false and unperfect words For example Some men say our Lords prayer after this manner Our Father which art is heaven while he transported in mind askes what is done at home in the kitching but tery or barne Hallowed be thy name His thoughts reply I had this week a wonderfull affront put upon me Thy kingdome come A strange thing that there should as yet in likelyhood be no end of this war Thy will bee done in earth as it is in heaven I am shrewdly pinched with poverty if I were richer I might perhaps breake through these difficulties But thus as I am poore wretch I lie in misery and contemned O Christians what a prayer iâ— this This is no other then to huddle up words unperfectly to be mindlesse of your lesson and to recite it in the worst manner that may be But he that prayes â—ll shall never carry his crosse well Behold Manasses a king in the whole course of his life most wâ—cked but in the end repentant who after he was distressed prayed to his Lord God and did great pennance and prayed for pardon at Gods hands and be sought him earnestly This indeed is that which God desireth hee would be sought unto and earnestly intreated Sect. II. THe other fault in schooles is to prattle and chat What other is this then to goe a begging to creatures for petty solaces and comforts and to deafen those mens eares with vaine complaints at whose hands you can neither hope for helpe nor counsell He is a foolish beggar and not his crafts master who wandreth about begging at poore mens houses what great almes can he hope for of them Dame poverty dwelleth there and hath none but beggars for her tennants And to begge of beggars is absurd and ridiculous Get thee gon to rich mens houses there knocke there cry out the bounty of one rich house may afford thee a larger almes then an hundred poore cottages So they very much deceive themselves who think with vaine contentments to overcome calamities and afflictions When matters goe ill with them they put themselves into company appoint drinking matches fall to banquetting revelling and dauncing spend their time in wandring up and downe and gaming wast their best howers in barren discourses and take upon them â—ole and impertinent journeys O miserable men what bed soever we lay a sick man in be it of wood or gold he carries his disease about him The true foundation of a peaceable mind is not to delight in vanities They are light supersiciall pleasures to tickle sense not to fill the heart withall they can give no solid cure to afflictions they are confused and troubled delightes so farre from curing that the disease thereby becomes more violent Non enim gazae neque consularis Summovet Lictor miserestumultus Mentis et curas lâ—queâ—ta circâ—m Hor. â—1 car â—â—e 16. Tecta volantes No wealth nor Consuls Lictors who make way Can from the heart disturbed tumults fray Or cares which fly about gilt roofes dispell True and solid joy is from a good conscience It is neither travell nor change of place that can cleere up a sad and cloudy minde The mind not the climate must be changed Goe whither thâ—â— wilt thy sinnes pursue thee This was the very answer of Socrates to one that made the like complaint what marvell said he if thy travells availe thee not seeing thou carriest thy selfe about with thee The cause it selfe that drives thee abroad lies heavie upon thee What helpe canst thou have from strange countries can the knowledg of Cities or places rulielieve thee which is but a vaine fruitlesse ostentation dost aske why this flight doth not help thee Thou takest thy selfe along with thee Thou must lay aside the burden of thy mind Till Sen. apist 21. then no place will ever give thee content It is in a mans power to live happily wheresoever he will By these poore pleasures therefore griefe for a little while is allayed and silenced but ere long returneth againe with more force and after that short time of ease vexeth more sharply Iob utterly detested such vaine consolations I have oftentimes given eare unto you saith he but all you comforters are burdensome The same you may say of all things created they are burdensom coÌ„forters To what end then do we feede our selve with frivolous discorses why beg we helpe of creatures be hold the Creatour offers hâ—mselfe for a comforter I I my selfe quoth he will comfort you Come unto me all you who labour and are burdened and I will refresh you Let us therefore if we be wise or rather that we may be wise and bend all our endeavours to the obtaining of perfect patience lay aside all vaine consolations Sect. III. THe third fault in this schoole is to be carelesse of their writnig which made the carefull father exhort his sonne in this manner Scribe puâ—r vigila causaâ— age perlege â—ubâ—as Majorum leges aut vitem posâ—e libello Write boy and watch reade antient rubricke lawes Or get a Captaines place or plead some cause And what other thing is meant heere by writing but a due and seasonable premeditation the mind is to be instructed and prepared for future events lest calamity with an unexpected shocke oppresse us unawares Seneca wisely admonisheth us Let the mind in time of security prepare it selfe for adversitie The Souldier before hee sees the face of the enemy exerciseth himselfe raiseth
prison for stealing a silver cup. What shall we say in this case Concerning the cup they were altogether innocent but all is not gold that glisters They had committed a farre greater theft It was not a silver cup but their owne brother Ioseph whom they had stolne from his father And this was the theft committed above twenty yeares before which was now at last to be punished The like oftentimes happens unto others Let us therefore love the truth and whatsoever we suffer say with the brothers of Ioseph worthily doe we suffer these things because we have sinned He loved vertue who said I will beare the wrath of our Lord because I have sinned against him But they that thinke themselves innocent and undeservedly punished with so great afflictions gaine nought else by this their murmuring but a greater and sometimes double punishment like the scholar who by murmuring after he is whipp'd deserveth a new correction Wherefore what injuries or calamities wee now or hereafter are to suffer let us confesse our selves guilty let us beare the wrath of our Lord because we have sinned against him Let him then whosoever he be who is a scholar in the Schole of Patience in all afflâ—ctions which he is compelled to suffer speake in this manner I doubtlesse suffer justly I am rewarded according to my deserts This is the way to profit alwayes to acknowledge himselfe worthy of the greatest punishment that may befall him THE SECOND PART CHAP. I. Affliction teacheth us Fortitude and Fidelity I Have delared what kindes of punishment are used in the Schoole of Patience That is to say what sorts of affliction Almighty God is wont to punish men withall whilst they live in this world Now I purpose to set downe what kinde of learning we ought to gather out of these punishments which are as bookes what profit we should reape by afflictions and what vertues wee may chiefely learne in adversity For to say the truth men are made wiser by adversity and infatuated by prosperity The principall vertues which offer themselves to be exercised in adversity are Fortitude and Fidelity how these two vertues are sooner attain'd amongst stormes and difficulties then pleasures and delights we will begin to declare Sect. I. THE education of children under a discreete father is wont to be farre different from that of an indulgent mother The fathers words are daily these to schoole boy to schoole And when he returnes from thence urgeth him againe saying call to mind what hath beene read to thee exercise thy memory practise thy stile anon I will take accompt what thou hast learn'd But when the boy called and examined by his father stammereth answereth not directly shewes himselfe unperfect in his grammar rules or by holding his peace convinceth himselfe of ignorance presently the father corrects him with blowes scourgeth him with roddes sharply rebuketh him with words or at such time as he should play commits him close prisoner to hâ—s study bitterly rating him with these kind of words study slothfull boy study leave off trifling bend thy wits to that which is appointed thee And so soone as this boy hath proceeded somewhat further in yeares and learning his father takes him from his mother and sends him into forraine countries And all this he doth for the good and benefit of his child But the mother alwaies tender and indulgent when shee sees her child with teares in his eies reasons thus with her husband de are heart why should we thus contristate our children Were it not better to have them cheerefull and merry they are young and tender why doe we tiranize over them wâ—th stripes many times you shall see them made worse with beating These are the mothers words and with these blandishments shee doth not only weaken their masculine vigour but with sweete meats and licourish morsells provokes them to gluttony and corrupts their wits and dispositions for one while she secretly conveyes into their pockets Sugar-cakes and Simnells another while Comfits and Marchpanes Thus by cherishing and cockering she utterly overthrowes them What wise man therefore is there that had not rather be brought up austerely by his father for his greater good then indulgently by his mother for his future destruction just in the same manner God our father in heaven who exceedingly desires to have his children vertuous like the severe fathers handleth his children roughly The Roman wise man discoursing very elegantly upon this point saith Dost thou not see that the fathers and mothers carry a far different hand over their children the fathers call them up betimes in the morning to follow their study not so much as upon play-daies will they suffer them to be idle but ply them till they draw even sweat and sometimes teares from their eyes but the mothers desire alwaies to keepe them in their bosomes not permitting so much as the sunne to shine upon them never would they have them labour never shed teares or be contristrated God beareth a favourable minde towards good men he loves them intirely let them saith he that they may gather true and firme strength be throughly exercis'd with labours griefes and adversities continuall prosperity shrinkes at every storme wondrest thou that God that entire lover of all good men who desires to have them exceeding good and excellent should visit them with sinister fortunes to exercise their patience he had rather harden them with stripes then with stroaking effeminate them We also are sometimes much delighted to see a resolute young man encounter with a Stagge at bay or couragiously grapple with a Lyon and the stoutlier he performes it the more gratefull is the spectacle See a sight worthy of God wherein he may contemplate how man the workemanship of his owne hands behaves himselfe behold a spectacle no lesse worthy of God a couragious man stoutly grappling with adversity Neither doe I Seneca see any object God hath in this world more amiable then to bâ—hold some Tobias or Job stand firme and unmoveable amidst so many funeralls of their children amidst so great havocke and destruction of all their goods and substance Christ speaking out of the clowd to Saul said Arise and stand upon thy feeâ—e As if he had said I cast thee down that thou maiest rise and stand more strongly Sect. II. WHEN therefore thou seest a man just and acceptable to God labouring swearing overcomming difficulties and evill men wallowing in pleasures and playing the wantons thâ—nke that these are brought up modâ—stly as children under severe discipline and the other licentiously emboldned like abject slâ—ves and hirelings Thâ—s custome God observeth he never choâ—sly coâ—kâ—reth holy men he tries them he hardens them and prepares them for himselfe How many Fountaines Springs Floods Showers Snowes Rivers and Brookes doe you see discharge themselves into the sea which nevertheles continues brackish so no stormes or tempests of adversity whatsoever can alter or change a couragious mans heart He abideth still in one state
and whatsoever falleth out makes it sutable to his owne colour He being good by patiently bearing and interpreting all in the best sense turnes it into good As red Wine mingled with a fâ—w dâ—opes of white dyeth all with its owne colour so a good man takes all that happens in good part turnes all into good and by suffering makes all affliction profitable to himselfe For his power transcendes all exteriour things not for that he is insensible but because he overcomes them and albeit at other times quiet and peaceable raiseth himselfe against incursions of insuing difficulties All adverse chances to him are either as eâ—ercises or medicines the one if his minde be sound serves to maintaine and increase hâ—s strength the other to recover him if he be sicke or drowned in delights and pleasures Just as it is in the cure of our bodies when we are lanced or cauterized to recover health or strength There is a kinde of tree called Larix that growes very high the leaves whereof never fall by nature it is as it were immortall for it never corrupts nor perishes it can never be burnt nor altered into coales the fire hath no more power to consume it then stones painted tables made thereof are perpetuall it admits no chinkes nor rifts it rots nor nor ever yields unto age Celius Rhodiginus recounteth that he saw a Tower built of Larix which Julius Cesar albeit he caused fire to be put to it could never burne nor destroy A man remarkeable for patience is fitly compared to this tree he burns sometimes amidst the flames of calamity but looseth not so much as a leafe you shall not heare the least impatient word fall from his lips Such for all the world was Job a man like this wood patient even in the middest of flames In all these things Job sinned not with his lips Behold a bush environed on all sides with fire and yet not burned a Tower of Larix which all the power of hell could not set on fire nor demolish This certainely we are taught in the Schoole of Patience to beare with indifferency those things which are not evils unlesse we our selves be evill and repute them such When Rebecca the wife of Isaac felt two infants strugling in her womb she went to consult with our Lord. This answer was returned Two nations are in thy wombe c. and the elder shall serve the younger From hence Saint Augustine raising a great question asketh how this came to passe for it evidently appeared that the elder never served the younger but contrariwise went about to kill him For Esau had determined thus in his mind The daies will come of the mourning of my father and I will kill Iacob my brother How then did he serve him when hee went about to kill him whereunto Saint Augustine answereth very well He will serve him saith he not by obeying but by persecuting him after the same manner as evill men serve good men As the file serves the iron the hammer the gold the mill the wheat and the oven the bread in baking it Jacob the sonne of Isaac had never proved such a man had he not beene so pâ—rsecuted by his brother He was tenderly brought up in his fathers house was most deare to his mother and swayed all as he listed But when his brother threatned his death he fled into Mâ—sopotamia to his uncle Laban and there liv'd a shepeard above twenty yeares together Heere Jâ—cob found the want of his fathers house for being most hardly intreated he learn'd to endure hunger and thirst heate and cold and to watch all night in the open ayre heere he hardned his body and mind almost like non heer he was enabled to undergoe any labour and want whatsoever The cause of all this was the envie and lewd disposition of his brother And what benefite was this to Jâ—cob Exceeding much beyond all meâ—sure For by this meanes hee saved his owne life shak'd of â—dlenes in which his indulgent mother had bred him was inured to labours and incommodities heap'd upriches and had Rachel and Lia for his wives from whom afâ—erwâ—rdes sprunge the twelue patriarches and Christ hâ—mselfe See how the elder brother served the yonger not by obeying but by persecuting him This is the only way to attaine to fortitude by this meanes men become valiant It is a notable speech of a most couragious man when I am weake then am I strong Sect. III. VErtue hath alwayes an eye upon the end whereunto she bends her course not what she â—s to suffer God provideth for his servants whom he would have then to be most modest and humble when occasion is given them to do any thing stoutly and couragiously for whâ—ch respect they must of necessity undergoe some difficulty How can I if thou abound in riches know what patience thou hast to beare poverty How may I if thou be still applauded and flattered in all thy actions bee assured of what proofe thy constancy is against infamy and ignomiâ—y What testimony have I of thy obedience if thou beest onely commanded to doe what is easie to be performed How can I conclude thou art submisse and humble if thou be never assaulted with calumnies and affronts How can I commend thy patience when I never see the oppressed with calamities which are the trialls and touch stones of vertue With good reason may they be said to be miserable who waxe dull and senslesse with too much felicity who through a sluggish drousinesse are laid to sleepe as it were in a calme and peaceable sea Whatsoever happens to them is unexpected and troublesome Cruelties afflict them most who have not experienced them upon a yong and tender necke the yoake presseth heavily A fresh water souldier is appaled even with the conceit of a wound but he that is hardned in warre holdly beholdeth his owne bloud knowing he hath often surviv'd the like adventures Consider the Germans saith Seneca Sen. l. de provid cap. 4. ubi de prisâ—is Germanis loquitur and the vagrant people that live about the river Ister They are perpetually infested with winter and foule weather their barren soile hardly maintaines them they are no otherwise fenced from raine but by the trees themselves and poore thatch'd houses finally they feed on such wild beasts as they kill or take with their own hands Dost thinke these men are miserable No course of life can be reputed so which by continuall custome is become naturall why do you marvell good men are strucken that they may be the more corroborated There is no well rooted tree but that which the winde often shaketh that it may take deeper roote and be consolidated by tempests Those which grow in warme vallies are tender and shallow rooted So the corne which in seed time is covered with frost and snow prospers best and fire by often blowing is sooner kindled what I pray is gold and silver the worse for hammering Certainly you cannot otherwise have
we take in hand is subject to a thousand casualties And if it would please God in prosperity to vouchsafe us a prudent and well disposed minde we should duly consider not onely those things which happened but those also which might have fallen out by adversity we learn to bear all fortunes Give us leave therefore with Secundus openly to exclaim O how commodious a thing it is to passe thorow adversity to the benefit of prosperity But O how Christian-like is it and conformable to modesty to acknowledge a mans selfe not unjustly punished in adversity The brothers of the Aegyptian Vice-Roy as before I have shewed were accused of theft for it was thus openly laid to their charge The cup which you have stollen is the very same that my master drinks in They might have answered for themselves We are no theeves neither will we endare that slander we are guiltlesse and accused wrongfully But O my Masters call to remembrance you have stollen much more then a thousand cups You stole your brother Joseph himself three and twenty yeers ago Do you not remember it This is a foul and grievous theft worthy to be revenged with all the punishments that may be Here the brothers of Joseph albeit otherwise rude and unskilfull persons yet are to be commended in that they confessed themselves guilty God said they hath found the iniquity of thy servants Behold we are all the servants of my Lord. This lâ—kewise was a notable good saying of theirs We are well worthy to suffer these things because we have sinned against our brother Thus let every one of us think and say in adversity Justly do I suffer these afflictions deservedly most deservedly In the Shool of Patience humility is the beginning middle and conclusion of all without humility there is nothing to be learned nothing to be retained nor any profit to be made For the learning of this the principall thing of all others daily to be thought of is that blessed eternity in which we shall sing amidst triumphs we rejoyce for the dayes wherein thou hast humbled us for the yeers in which we have seen evill things Those whom God afflicteth not he either hateth or neglecteth them as sluggish and slothfull persons uncapable of discipline CHAP. V. Affliction is most profitable for divers respects and for the most part we are best taught by our own harms DAvid King of Hebron having received thousands of benefits at Gods hands lest he should die ungratefull cryed out It is well with me my Lord that thou hast humbled me But why rather did he not remember far greater benefits Where are his thanks to God for having changed his sheep-hook into a scepter his straw-hat into a royall diademe for having advanced him from a sheep-coat to a throne from keeping of cattell to the government of men and a purple robe These I say had been far more worthy of most ample thanks Doubtlesse King Divid was not forgetfull of those he deemed it a singular great and unspeakable favour to bee made a King of a shepheard but he tooke it for a farre greater when it pleased God of a king to make him a begger as indeed he was when he fled from Absolon his son This he thought a benefit exceeding all the rest for this rendering most ample thanks he saâ—d it is well with me that thou hast humbled me Let Joseph say to Pharaoh It is well with me that thou hast exalted me Ruth to her Booz It is well with me that thou hast enriched me let Ester say to the King It is well with me that thou hast crowned me let Mardocheus say to Assuerus it is well with me that thou hast honoured me let Tobias say to the Angell it is well with mee that thou hast restored my sight let Naaman say to Eliseus it is well with me that thou hast cleansed me of my leprosy let the lame man say to Saint Peter it is well with me that thou hast cured me let Lazarus say to Christ it is well with me that thou hast restored me to life but King David as for one of his chiefest favours saith it is well with me that thou hast humbled me it is well with me it is well indeed For this is far more available to me and therefore far dearer then if thou hadest bestowed mountaines of gold upon me Why I beseech you was this so great a good unto this King That I may learn thy statutes Till now said he I understood not sufficiently the stile of the celestiall court I was ignorant what belonged to the law of God now at last by this meanes I come to know it but in the Schoole of Patience heere no man becomes learned but he that is humbled It is well therefore with me O Lord that thou hast humbled me With good reason David rendreth great thanks not for that hee was enriched and exalted but because he was humbled We may well say that humiliation and affliction are the profitablest things to a man that may be Affliction exactly teacheth him fortitude and fidelity commiseration abstinence prayer and mortification prudence modesty as already we have shew'd I ad moreover that affliction in generall to a man that is not over much subject to impatience is exceeding profitable so that it is a true saying Quae nocent docent This Cresus witnessed of himselfe in Herodotus My mishaps saith he albeit they have been ungratefull unto me yet they have served me for instructions Quae nocent docent which the Grecians expresse as briefly as elegantly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We grow wise by being beaten with our own rod. And of this we shall now speak more at large Sect. 1. IOb commendeth the admirable providence of God who bindeth the waters in their clouds that they may not all breake down at once It is the providence of God to shut up waters in the aire and binde them as it were in a cloath and garment that they may not issue out The clouds are in stead of a chariot to these waters and the windes the horses which draw these vessels throughout all the quarters of the world Now if Almighty God should suffer these waters at one dash to fal headlong upon the ground without all question they would do more harme then good but falling by little and little and drop after drop they fatten and fertill the earth If he altogether with-hold the waters saith Job all things will be dried up and if he let them absolutely at large they will overwhelme the earth as they did in the generall deluge when being set at liberty they gathered together and powred downe amaine God therfore out of his infinite providence so tempereth the vaste Chaos of the waters that he deprives not the fields of them by continuall restraint nor drowns the earth by too sudden enlargement He observes a mean Waters in the holy Scriptures are a symbol of afflictions and therefore the royall Psalmist said The
waters have entred even to my soule As Almighty God qualifies and proportions the raine for the benefit of the world that neither the want nor abundance thereof should be hurtfull but in such cases when he sends them as a punishment for mens offences so he moderates and mitigates all our labours and griefes in that for want of exercise we may not wax sloathful of sluggish nor yet be so utterly destitute of consolation therein that we faint or fall in the combat And this was the request of the Kingly Prophet Leave me not destitute on every side He desireth not to be exempted from all manner of desolation vexation or afflictionâ— this his onely suit is he may not be utterly forsaken abandoned on every side although his sinnes had deserved it But if God powre down a violent and sudden showre which seemeth to wash away and destroy the fatnesse of the earth it must be taken as a punishment Notwithstanding this may be no way prejudiciall but redound to our good seeing it pleaseth God by this meanes to humble us Quae nocent docent There are certaine trees that have their fruits growing so fast and close unto them that they will not easily let them go unlesse you pull them off with a violent and strong hand Of this sort are Nuts Almonds and Acorns If you shake these trees gently as you do Pears or Plumbs they will part with nothing not so much as a lease you must fall upon them therefore with staves cudgels and stones that they may afforod you by blowes what they refused to give by intreaties We are like these trees our fruits are the pious actions which we undertake God seekes God requires these fruits not sharply or by violence but sweetly and lovingly for these fruits he askes a thousand times My sonne quoth he honour thy Lord and thou shalt be of great power and might feare no other strange Lord beside him My son forget not my Law Give eare my son and receive my words that the yeares of thy life may be multiplied Keep my commandments and thou shalt live Give my son thy heart to me and let thine eyes keep my wayes But for so much as this good God by these prayers for the most part prevails but little and that there scarcely falls any fruit from this tree he is even forced with stones and clubs to strike and fling at it that so at least it may render him the fruits he expected A â—aâ—s conscience without all question often admonisheth the preachers put him in mind and others do their parts to advise him yet such is the contumacie of this tree that all these means will not suffice to make him yeeld his wished fruâ—t Take it not ill therefore O tree if thou beest more hardly handled Thus God dealt with the Hebrewes he delivered them into the hands of the Gentiles and they who hated them had dominion over them And their enemies oppressed them with tribulation and they were humbled under their hands that they might be taught by their own harms What reason then hath this tree to thinke much if it be pelted with cudgels and stones It might have gone free from blowes if it had freely given what was most justly demanded Naaman the Leper was highly offended because Elizeus the Prophet gave him so slender an answer In so much that slighting and contemning the river Jordan he resolved to return again into Syria But his servants appeased their master in this manner Father said they had the Prophet imposed upon you some difficult matter surely you ought willingly to have done it how much more seeing he hath now onely said unto you wash and you shall be cleansed Induced by these reasons he washed in Jordan as he was willed and so was cured of his leprosie O that we would thus be perswaded the same is said to us that we may obtain not corporall but spirituall health and salvation of our soules And albeit God had commanded you some thing of more difficulty you ought certainly to have done it For of so great importance is eternall beatitude that were we commanded to endure even the very torments of hell for a time we should not demurre long upon the matter but without delay readily endure even those paines that our soule might be happy for all eternity Nay admit the blisse and beatitude of heaven might not exceed an hundred yeares we should rather endure any thing for many yeares in this world then neglect the enjoying of that On the other side say hell fire after an hundred yeares were utterly to be extinguished neverthelesse it behoved us rather to suffer all punishments here that can be imagined then to expect those future torments How much more ought all afflictions whatsoever to be now cheerfully suffered seeing they passe away in a short time in a moment whereas the reward or punishment continues to eternity Here Saint Chrysostome opportunely a wakeing us out of our slouth urgeth in this manner What saiest thou O man Thou art called to a kingdome a kingdome of the Sonne of God and like a sluggard doest thou yawne shrugge and scratch thy head What if thou were every day to suffer a thousand deaths were not all these willingly to be endured There is nothing thou wouldest not undergoe to be made a Prince and wilt thou not do the like to be consorted in a kingdome with the only Sonne of God even leape into the fire or run upon a thousand swords And yet all this were no great matter to be suffered Sect. II. IN former times God commanded an edict to be published to this effect Let a man that is cleane gather the ashes of a calfe and powre them out before the tents in the purest place that they may serve for the custody of the multitude of the children of Israell and for water of aspersion because the calfe is burnt for sinne It was the pleasure of God that ashes to make lie off should not bee gathered indifferently by any man but by him only who was clean and that they should not be negligently cast into a by corner but into some pure and cleane place why was so much honour done to these ashes Mary that they might serve to bee sprinkled with water on them that were unclean Heare O Christians and carefully attend and see in what estimation this lie of affliction was sharpe indeed but most fit to purge and clense away the filth of sinne None amongst mortall men are free from sinne and corruption That most holy Job said If I shall be washed as it were with the water of snow and my hands shall shine as being most pure and cleane notwithstanding thou wilt dip me in filthes and my steps will make me abominable If Job were likewise to be washed what shall we say of others But as fire is to metalls the file to iron sope to a cloth so is affliction to sinners that purgeth and washeth away all filth
tendeth not directly towards God it is no other then a foul sin covered under a fair pretext And therefore Christ for the most part gives us with a bountifull hand those things which are most profitable for us inviting all freely to the School of Patience but not so to the glory of this world If any one saith he will come after me let him deny himself and take up his crosse and follow me not to a pleasant garden but to the horrid and noisome mount Calvary Sect. IV. WHen the Saviour of the world would manifest a little glimpse of his glory upon mount Thabor he admiâ—ted onely three of his Apostles to be spectatours And why did he not invite many hundreds that were inhabitants of Hierusalem Or at least why did he not take with him all his Apostles The counsells of God are far different from those of men To behold Christ crucified hanging all bloudy on the Crosse came an infinite multitude of people but to see him glorified on mount Thabor three of his dearest Disciples were only admitted Doubtlesse this was to teach us that they are innumerable who profit themselves by crosses and afflictions but few or none by earthly glory and prosperity And therefore St. Bonaventure said he had rather ascend with Christ to the mount Golgotha then to mount Thabor Thus assuredly Quae nocent docent In times past at Rome the yeer of our Lord 167. Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus commanded all the souldiers in publike triumph to be crowned with laurell which all obeyed except one Christian who would not wear his wreath on his head but on his arm and being asked why he alone differed from the â—â—shion of the rest answered It was not fit that a Christian should be crowned in this life Tertullian in defence of this so generous an answer wrote a book intituled The Souldiers Crown whereby he declares with great eloquence how prudent an act this was of that souldier The truth is a Christian should not be crowned but with thorns for so was our head Christ Jesus Alas How unsutable â—re tender and delicate members with a thornie wounded and bloudy head Saint Augustine Bishop of Hippo considering advisedly these words of Saint James the Apostle Behold we beatifie them that have suffered You have heard the sufferance of Job and seen the end of our Lord. Lest men saith he should patiently suffer temporall afflictions to the end they may receive that which we read was restored to Job Who besides his sores and ulcers cured had doubly restored him what he had lost To shew therefore that after the suffering of temporall afflictions we should not hope for like reward he doth not say You have heard the sufferance and end of Job but You have heard the sufferance of Job and seen the end of our Lord. As if he had said Sustain temporall afflictions as Job did but for this expect not temporall benefits which were given him with increase but rather hope for eternall such as our Lord received We therefore for our sufferings must aime at a reward to be given us where there is no more to be suffered Many are exalted to be cast downe by a greater falls Contrariwise God suffers divers persons to fall the lower that he may thereby advance them higher The more torment here the more reward there Oftentimes in holy Scripture a wel-minded man is compared to a Palm-tree Heare the speech of the heavenly Gardiner himselfe who saith I will ascend up to the top of the Palm-tree and gather the fruit thereof What need is there my God to ascend are not thy armes otherwise long enough to gather the fruit It is as easie for thee to gather fruit on the top of the tree as upon the lower boughes But observe I beseech you the wisedome of the divine counsell A Gardiner standing upon his feet gathers the lower fruit by pulling the boughes gently unto him but when he meanes to pull the higher fruit he climbs up and treads upon the tree â—nd so sometimes breakes a bough before he gather the fruit A man as we said before is compared to a tree his fruits are holy and pious actions high ripe and perfect workes of vertue as singular humility remarkable patience transcendent charity the heavenly Gardiner to get these fruits ascends up into the tree treads upon it and breaks the boughs hence it commeth to passe that one man is deprived of part of his wealth another of his honour a third of his friend another of his pleasure Behold how the Gardiner by treading upon us gathers riper fruits whereby invited and stirred up to worke with more fervour we dispatch sooner and every day become more solicitous in divine affaires Thus oftentimes Qua nocent docent Sect. V. SOmetimes God is pleased to blesse us abundantly with store of all things but to no other end then that as they encrease and become more deare unto us we may be more sensibly grieved for the losse thereof S. Bonaventure saith that Paradise even for this cause was planted by God that our first parents being excluded from thence might suffer the more griefe and by that meanes the more bitterly bewaile and detest their sinne which was cause of their banishment It was therefore his pleasure that Adam should sensibly perceive what happinesse he had lost by his sin and consequently seeke to recover the like or greater blisse by repentance that having lost Paradise he might more earnestly aspire to heaven Thus a thousand severall times even at this day God deals with us For example he gives to some parents a son of an excellent disposition comely docible and ingenious who with those of his age ascends by learning to the second or third Fourme On the sudden death crops this rose this youth of so great hopes dies in the very flower of his age Alas what a grief is this to the parents They are ashamed openly to utter what they conceive secretly in their hearts Why did God give us such a son when he meant presently to take him from us againe Had we not affliction enough before was it requisite to adde this sorrow to our former griefes Yes indeed was it so parents and for that cause was your son borne that his untimely death might increase your griefe and consequently the reward of your patience Did not God at the intercession of Elizeus grant a son to his Hostesse and shortly after take him from her again by death Cauterizing seems to make a new wound whereas indeed it cureâ— the old Affliction seems to be a malady when oftentimes it is a cure for the malady And are you yet ignorant that Qua nocent docent But I am a man say you my heart is not made of iron brasse or steele I am not able to endure such griefes Say not so I beseech you the School-master best knowes what every Scholar is able to undergo he commands one to learne but five verses another ten some
twenty others he will have get by heart a whole side of a leafe and some he appoints to learne without book a long oration To him every ones ability of wit and memory is knowne God is faithfull and trusty who will not suffer you to be tempted above your power but together with temptation gives you profit Oftentimes you shall heare men say How can this man possibly endure such grievous paines Verily I could not It is the grace of God that enables him which if thou hadst thou wouldest endure as much as he whom thou admirest Saint Chrysostome saith excellently Chrys tom â— hom 6. 7. initio mihi pag. 362. well There is no crowne to be looked for without afflictions For where tribulation is likewise is consolation and where consolation grace And contrarywise whom God afflicts not he seldome or never visits with comforts For the soule saith Saint Chrysostome Et hom 67. pag. 358. is purged when for Gods sake it suffers tribulation which suppresseth all pride banisheth flouth disposes a man to patience discovers the basenesse of earthly things and instructeth him in wisdome And therefore it is most true Quae nocent docent Consider Salomon who as long as he was well imployed about serious affaires was accounted worthy of that vision but comming acquainted with delights he was plung'd even into the abyss of impiety What shall we say of his father when was he so admirable and glorious Was it not in the time of his temptations Finally that golden Oratour speaking of himselfe and his friends saies what need we recount ancient examples For if any man do but consider the state of our affaires at this day hee shall easily perceive what is gained by tribulation for now through too much peace and ease we are growne slicke and carelesse neglecting our charge and thereby have filled the Church with innumerable mischiefes but when we were driven into banishment we were more modest civill studious and more ready and fervent both in making and hearing sermons For tribulation is to the soule as fire to gold which purgeth it from al drosse refines and purifies it This is that which conducts to a kingdome the other to hell and everlasting damnation The way hither is large and spatious the other narrow and strait Therfore Christ himselfe said as if he had conferred on us a singular benefit In the world you shall have pressures and greevances If then thou beest his true disciple walke in the rough and narrow way without repining since there is no living here without paines tribulations and miseries Thou art not better then Saint Peter and S. Paul who never found ease but lived in continuall hunger thirst and nakednesse If thou wouldest with them attaine to the same happinesse why walkest thou a contrary way If that citty whereof they were thought worthy be the place thou desirest to arrive at forsake not the way that leads thither It is not ease but tribulation that must bring thee to everlasting rest and happinesse The Isralites were no longer humbly modest then while they were afflicted their insolency and prosperity Crysost hom 64. mihi pag. 351. sprung up together The Jewes saith Saint Chrysostome whilest they had their hands in bricke and morter were humble and daily called upon their God they had no sooner possest themselves of liberty but they fell to murmuring provoked the wrath of God and involved themselves in infinite calamities Let not therefore adversity dismay us which is no other then a wholesome correction Let this then bee inculcated a hundred times over Sustaine my Christian brother whatsoever falls to thee in particular be it never so long and tedious be it never so greevous and miserable how prejudiciall so ever it be sustaine it Quae nocent docent Sect. VI. ALmighty God abundantly declared how he would have his servants treated in this world For if he suffered his only begotten sonne to be scourged he will much lesse spare his servants who are but his adoptive children Alasse how can we excuse our selves We are dissolute and disobedient children prone to filching and stealing rude and exorbitant in the Schoole of Patience and therefore must take in good part these our fathers strips least we smart for it eternally let every one of us now say I am prepared for stripes my grief is alwaies in my sight I for the name of my Lord Jesu am ready not only to be bound but even to suffer death in Jerusalem If therefore the blowes which fall upon the lion himselfe strike a terrour into the whelps how shall we seeing this generous lion of the tribe of Juda scourged be exemâ—â—ed from stripes Assuredly they are most profitable unto us For after the Father hath corrected his child he strâ—kes up the rod in the window that the very sight thereof may terrifie him and from that time make him fearefull of committing the like fault But I am innocent faist thou and am scourged without cause Turne I beseech thee thine eies from thy selfe and behold our most innocent Jesus For if thou wouldest with thy Lord bee crowned thou must with him be scourged though thou beest innocent Aug tom â— ps 37. mihi pag. 13â— All this is for our greater good Thou must of necessity saith S. Augustine be chastized here refusests thou the scourge Looke for no inheritance Every child must needs be scourged yea so impartiall is God in this behalfe to all that he spared not even him who was blamelesse and without all sinne or blemish If children then be whipped what lesse can wicked slaves and servants expect We see the resty or dull horse is quickned with a spurre the dust with a wand beaten our of garments and the wall-nut tree after many cudgells better stored with nuts so we with blows of tribulation become wiser and fructifie with more increase Qâ—a nocent docent Let a Christian then rejoyce in adversity which serves for probation if he be just or reformation if a sinner let him feare whom God vouchsafes not to correct in this world for doubtlesse in the next hee purposeth to punish him It concernes us therefore to give eare to a good master though the things he teacheth be difficult It behooyes us to be thankfull to so loving a Physition be his receits and potions never so bitter The midlest remedies are not alwaies the best some by falling into a river in the depth of winter have recovered their health others by stripes have been cured of a quartan and a suddaine feare diverting the patients mind as if he were not at leasure to waite for his ague hath prevented his fit And how mary should have been prest for souldien had not sicknesse excused them Some have been detained at sea by a cruell tempest who at home had taken their death by the fall of their owne house and some by suffering shipwracke have escaped the hands of pirats So they are innumerable who from under oppression
captive who is fettered with the gives of luxury pride envy and avarice Those the divell needs never to hunt after they are his owne in sure custody But so soone as any of them endeavour to break prison and get away they shall finde satan and all the force of hell oppose them many wicked and malitious men will pursue and persecute them who therefore can ascribe this to their ill fortune that they have many persecutours and enemies seeing it is most certaine that all that desire to live piously in Jesus Christ must of necessity suffer persecution Pharoaâ— the king of Egypt with an oath threatned the Jewes I will persecute quoth he and apprehend you This certainly he would never have said at such time as they were bemired durtied and wearied but when he saw them ready to flie and scape away In like manner doe our enemies deale with us whilest we ly wallowing in the mud of sinne they seldome or never make warre against us but when we seek to save our selves by slight then they either actually invade us or at least seek to terrifie us by hostile incursions For which cause the wise man forewarning us saith sonne when thou comest to the service of God stand in justice and fear and prepare thy soule against temptation Sect. III. WOuldest thou go to the Schoole of Patience Provide and make ready thy selfe not for repose and ease not to sit downe and take thy pleasure but for a great conflict much temptation Art thou ignorant that whosoever goes to the fencing riding or wrastling schoole or to learne the art military must not look to sit still upon a soft cushion with a booke before him but you shall have the fencer give this man a blue eie the horse throw the other the riding master or he that tilts against him set him beside the sadle one unfortunately breakes his thigh with leaping another with wrastling puts his arme out of joint this man hath his head rudely broken another a tooth strucken out with the pummell of a sword another an eie put out with the point of a speare a man must here endure all kinds of wounds and incommodities Let us I pray you looke for no other or better intreatie in the Schoole of Patience we must not thinke here to sit still and take our ease and as in those Schooles I spoke of before of riding fencing and art military the masters themselves entertaine their scholars with blows and wounds so in the Schoole of Patience all paine and anguish all evill and punishment is from God himselfe the rectour thereof Prepare therefore thy soule for temptation From God proceede not only mild cheerfull faire and fortunate but likewise the unlucky darke duskish and dismall dayes which Ecclesiastes plainly affirming saith for as God hath made the one so also he hath the other that a man may find no just cause of complaints against him It was purposely the will of God to set a foule day against a faire adversity against prosperity and to temper and qualifie the force and acrimony of the one with the mixture of the other that it might be more wholsome and medicinable to mens humours and diseases wherefore be mindfull of adversity in prosperity and of prosperity in adversity Thinke of poverty in time of plenty and in the middest of thy riches of the poore mans necessity from morning unto evening time shall be changed and all these are sowne in the eies of God Let us therefore most attentively consider that all adversity is sent us from God that most just and supreme Judge Let us not impute the cause of our miseries to that which is not for they neither come from the east nor from the west nor from the desert mountaines because God is judge He humbleth this man and that he exalteth because there is a cup in the hand of the Lord of meer wine full of mixture And he hath powred it out of this into that but yet the dregges thereof are not emptied all the sinners of the earth shall drinke Behold O you Christians and engrave deeply in your hearts these documents This man God comforts that he afflicts The cup of all miseries and afflictions is in his hand this cup of the Lord is full of pure wine as it comes from the grape but withall it hath its mixture for not one sort but divers kinds of wine are powred into this cup. Excellent wine when it is mingled not with water but with wine more excellent then it selfe becomes infinitly strong So the revengefull justice of God aboundeth with multiplicity and variety of punishments as with severall kinds of wines Many men have suffered both great and manifold miseries to these doubtlesse pure wine is given but mingled as I said before Let them be of good courage all this notwithstanding is gentle and tollerable For by this meanes God inclines sometimes to this man sometimes to that one while he offers his cup to John another while to Peter and sometimes to James this honourable Cup passeth to all every one must taste thereof more or lesse as it hath seemed good to our Lord from all eternity this speech is used to every one either drinke or get thee gone But this may be a great comfort that no man especially in this world is compelled to drink up the dregs The dregs thereof are not emptied The greatest punishments and revenges of justice are reserved till the last day of judgement Then all the sinners of the earth shall drink Whatsoever tribulation we suffer now is but momentary and light it may seem but a sport and jest in comparison of the bitter dregs which the fury and indignation of God shall give eternally to the wicked to drink and never drink up Let us now O Christians joyfully drink up these cups though somewhat bitter seeing we are excused from drinking up the dregs The cup which most of us so much feare is filled with our Lords wine he it is that offers it the cup we refuse is in the hand of our Lord God is the authour of all punishment and calamity Sect. IV. ANd to go to the foundation of this verity let us heare what may be objected against it some there are that aske this question If God be the authour of all evill and punishment he is so likewise of sin My enemy by lying and flandering hath extreamly injured and damnified me he hath contrary to all law and justice entred in and made havock of my estate he hath most wickedly slandered and defamed me he would if it were possible swallow me at one bit And I pray you iâ— God the author of all this He is good sir the author of all this not that God commanded him to lye or calumniate God saith Ecclesiasticus hath commanded no man to do impiously and he hath given no man time to sin But I urge further What if I should say that God commanded him to do these injuries should
the definition of patience this it is Patience is a voluntary suffering without any complaint for what things soever happen or bâ—fall a man otherwise then he expected But we forsooth being men singular in our own conceits want not a cloake and faire pretext for our impatience and complaints these are the words of such delicate persons Alas those things which oppresse us are too troublesome too difficult and too hard to be indured O you Christians it is not the huge weight of your crosse but the weaknesse of you that beare it which causeth impatience He that builds a house when he covers it doth it not with intent to keep the roofe-free from rain haile or snow but that it may without damage endure and beare out haile snow and rain He that builds a ship seeks not to secure it from waves and stormes but to prevent all chinkes and make it tite against leaking He that fears the sharpnesse of the weather in respect of his health goes not about to hinder or withstand the nipping northern winds or hinder them from blowing upon him but keeps his head as warme as he can and his feet free from cold and moisture The same should be observed in our manners and course of life but we practise the quite contrary For our greatest care is to keep our selves from sicknesse poverty and contempt whereas we should be most carefull to be patient in sicknesse poverty and contempt Assuredly it is a signe of no great perfâ—ction in Christian pietie for a man onely to desire health riches and honours what great matter I pray you is there in these things But to be able prudently to beare sicknesse want and contempt is vertue indeed and true magnanimity and greatnesse We need use no Art to avoid miseries but the best use of Art is in suffering them patiently Wherein I am of Bions opinion This Philosopher as Laertius reports was wont to say That it was a great yea even the greatest misery of all not to be able to endure misery To whiâ—h purpose the ancient Poet speaketh in this manner It is no misery to suffer misery but to be ignorant how to suffer it is a misery And surely he that knowes not how to doe this knowes not how to live No man takes contentment in this life but he that hath learned to beare the miseries therof For example The stone and gout are said to be the greatest and the most intollerable torments in the world paines which even make men mad yet there have been eminent persons who have patiently borne these paines how great soever Carneades came to visit Agesilaus when he lay grievously sicke of the gout and fearing lest he might by discoursing exasperate him spake as compendiously as he could and took his leave But Agesilaus said unto him Stay I pray you Carneades and withall pointed with his finger first to his feet and then to his breast Nothing quoth he from these parts comes hither By which speech he made known that his heart was sound merry and able to endure paine though his feet were as he saw miserably swolne and afflicted with the gout A Prince of the Empire visited Charles the fifth Emperour of famous memory and finding him much tormented with the gout used such words as he thought might most mitigate his pains and above other questions was most importunate in asking Why his Majesty applied no remedies having so many excellent Physitions about him To whom the Emperour answered In a disease of this nature Patience is the best remedy It is this that keepes the tongue hands and thoughts yea and the minde it selfe in their duties Sect. II. THere are many speeches and documents of Patience whereof some few we will set downe in this place out of Tertullian a writer albeit he were of Africk very learned 1. Patience in bearing injuries IT is the admonition of our Lord If a man strike thee on one check turne also the other thy patience will asswage the wickednesse of thy adversary Thou givest him a greater blow by bearing it patiently then by revenging it for he shall receive sufficient punâ—shment from him for whose sake thou endurest it When bitternesse shall break forth by way of railing or detraction observe what is said and if it be against thee be glad of it 2. Patience in forbearing to revenge THE chiefest provocation to impatience is the desire of revenge which is set a worke either to preserve a mans reputation or to satisfie his malice But glory and reputation is no other then a vaine opinion and malice alwaies hatefull in the sight of our Lord especially in this case when being provoked by the malice of another he assumes superiority to himselâ—e in taking revenge For what difference is there between him that offereth and him that revengeth an injury but only this that the one is an offender in the first place and the other after Both of them are guilty of sinne before our Lord who forbids us all wickednesse and condemns it for absolutely we are commanded not to render evâ—ll for evill What honour shall we offer up to our Lord if we arrogate to our selves our owne revenge How can we believe him to be a judge if not a revenger He that acteth his owne revenge taketh awâ—y Gods honour who ought to be the only judge What have I to do then with revenging mine owne injury seeing I can use no moderation therein through impatience of mygrief And if I have patience I shall find my self not grieved if not greived I shall never desire to be revenged nothing undertaken with impatience can bee performed without violence whatsoever is performed with violence prooveth either sinfull ruinous or headlong And to conclude briefly all sin whatsoever it be is to be ascribed to impatience 3. Patience in the losse of goods PAtience in losses is an exercise in giving He will never sticke to give who feares not to lose otherwise how should a man who hath two coats bee content to give one of them to cloath the naked unlesse he be such an one as can find in his heart to offer his cloak to one that hath before taken his coate How shall we be able to procure our selves friends from our wicked Mâ—mâ—mon if we be so far in love with it that we cannot endure to lose it we shall even lose our selves in the losse thereof It is the property of Gentiles to be impatient in all their losses and to prefer their money before their soules but we to shew how different we are from them ought not to lay down our soule for our money but our money for our soul either by giving it willingly or losing it patiently Let me lose the whole world so I may gaine Patience For whom but the patient alone did our Lord call happy 4. Patience in enduring other afflictions IT becomes us to rejoyce and give thanks to Almighty God when he vouchsafeth to chastise us I saith he
we rejoyce but as it were with wine for we have not as yet possession of beatitude Comforting our selves onely with hope thither with all our forces we hasten This caused the Christian Martyrs to be so resolute and fearlesse insomuch as even laughing for joy they advanced to crosses wheels fires and gibbets their hearts were cheered with this wine Saint Augustine saith of them Doing and suffering such things they were most infinitely glad and joyfull It was a pleasure to them to give themselves and their lives for him who had suffered much more for them and the inexplicable reward they expected dâ—d wonderfully inflame them Let us therefore cheerfully I beseech you O Christians let us cheerfully run to this goal of suffering patiently The crosse is not extraordinary high whereon we are to be extended no rack to rend or wound our bodies no red hot gridiron to lye upon no huge massie stones to crush us or to be embrewed with our bloud no frying pans to scortâ—h us alive We have no other crosses but daily miseries and those exceeding gentle and tolerable why shrink we at them The more labour the greater shall be our reward the more painfull the combat the nobler the victory Therefore on cheerfully The Germans in times past were wont to encourage their Minstrils at weddings after this manner Come on Piper blow up lustily The greater our miseries are the more let us encourage our selves Come on Stephen John Come on Paul cheer up praise God even for this that it is his pleasure to send us misery Take heed no bitternesse possesse thy tongue or minde A merry heart makes a flourishing old age a sad and lumpish spirit dries the very marrow of the bones He that bears miseries with grief and dolour doth as if he dashed against the walls a fair lute or harp which he should rather sing to or play upon which Saint Augustine most truly confirmed saying If thou beest dejected in tribulations thou hast broken thy harp For doubtlesse through grief of minde the spirit is dejected saith the Hebrew Wiseman If thou shak despair being tired out in the day of distresse thy strength shall be weakened Then the lute and harp are broken and the musick marred Behold Paul of Tarsus How far was he from breaking his harp Nay hear how skilfully he played upon it I rejoyce quoth he in my sufferings The same example Saint Peter invites us to imitate Rejoyce saith he when you communicate with Christ in his sufferings That Angelicall Messenger from heaven entering Tobies house said Joy be alwayes unto thee Tobie Where is thy harp Why singest thou not to God Why drivest thou not thy grief away with gladnesse Tobie answers What joy can I have sith I am despoiled of my goods deprived of my sight and destitute of my friends But the heavenly young man replyed Be notwithstanding alwayes joyfull Then Tobie answers All joy is banished from so sorrowfull a house The Angel assures no grief can be where Gods favour the fountain of all joy resides Tobie replies that they who are miserable indeed can hardly suppresse their grief But the Angel said again Thou shalt shortly be cured by the hand of God be of good courage Wherefore O my Toby and thou my Christian brother be joyfull alwayes even amongst tears St. Chrysostome testifieth that no armour is stronger or more of proof then to rejoyce in God Let us rejoyce saith he when we are afflicted with adversity for this is the way to expiate our sins Sect. IV. YEt we condemn not all sadnesse nor blame that which worketh repentance and thereby sure salvation Christ at the same time when he had said My soul is sorrowfull even to death uttered likewise Arise let us go And thereupon stoutly advancing himself forward encountered his enemies Joy and tears are no ill conjunctions both are compatible in one place Let thy mouth whilst the tears trickle down thy cheeks sing and rejoyce let thy minde be resolute and joyfull whilst thy face looks pale and wan Let us be as Saint Paul saith sorrowfull as it were and yet alwayes rejoycing in all things let us shew our selves as the Ministers of God in much patience Sorrowfull as it were for all good mens sorrow as Saint Anselme observeth is quickly at an end it is but as a dreame or shadow Let us then persevere constantly for dreames passe away and shadowes vanish Wild bullaces and green grapes may perhaps set our teeth on edge but offend not our stomackes such are our miseries they pâ—nch and trouble us but unlesse thou wilt thy selfe they deprive thee not of true comfort Mark the fencers you shall seldome see them come into the lists without some losse of bloud Yet will they leape and caper amidst their wounds and oftentimes the more bloud is shed upon the stage the more laughter is caused We are also upon the stage there cannot be a greater shame then to fall a blubbering there Let us then learne to behold manfully our own wounds bleed without weeping He that wholy resignes himself to the will and providence of God reaps thereby perpetuall contentment even amongst the conflicts of most grievous misfortunes This man like an old souldier beholds boldly his owne bloud with an undaunted spirit what matter is it to rejoyce when thou hast all the world at will Every impatient man is able to do this he will confesse unto thee O Lord so long as thou dealest well with him but if he be not satisfied he will murmur It is the advise of Saint James the great Is any of you contristated Let him pray Is he wellcontent in mind Let him sing Psalms let him fly aloft sing cheerfully praise unto God as those three Hebrew children did to whom the flames were no other then dewy roses Sect. V. LEwis of Granada reporteth certaine things of a religious man well worthy our imitation this holy man seeing himselfe on all sides environed with tribulations said The happinesse I expect is so infinite that in comparison of that all torments all affliction seeme a sport and pleasure to me The true and solid joy of a Christian is to have it in his power to want all joy Stephen Bishop of Autun explicateth that place of Deuteronomy they shall sucke as it were milke the Vixit hic author anno 950. scripta â—jus extant tom 6. bibliotheca S. S. P. P. editions secunda inundation of the sea after this manner The inundation of the sea is the abundance of tribulation which may be said to be sucked when it is reputed sweet by just men Milke is the nourishment of little children and tribulation the food of the Elect. He certainly sucked this inundation of the sea who said But we likewise rejoyce in tribulations This is the property of holy men the more dejected they lie beaten down here on earth the higher they are raised in mind and fly towards heaven Scarcely shall you find any of the kings
old man so approved for his patience found himself nothing agrieved nor any way repined against God for the sad distaster of his blindnesse but persisted notwithstanding immoveable in his fear and reverence giving him humble thanks all the dayes of his life This is a pattern we should endeavour all we can to imitate When we are despised laughed to scorn and made odious when we are cast headlong into many miseries let us render thanks to God Whereby moved through his infinite goodnesse he will either as it hath been often experienced asswage the rage of our enemies or largely recompence by some other means this evill how great soever it be This is the opinion of Saint Paul who exhorts us to give thanks in all things which Saint Hierome considering saith The Jews and idolaters know how to render thanks for benefits but the Christians alone for calamities and afflictions Wherfore let us still say according to the Apostle in all dangers and miseries Blessed be God This is the duty of a Christian Of which subject thâ— third book of the Imitation of Christ in the fiftieth chapter discourseth so notably that I think it were expedient for all that are afflicted grieved or by any means whatsoever molested to read every day this chapter or at least some part of it Out of which we bring this for our purpose I render thanks to thee my Lord God for that thou hast not spared to afflict me with adversity but hast scourged me with sharp stripes inflicting punishment and distressing me both inwardly and outwardly Thy discipline is upon me and thy rod it self will comfort me A Prelate of great note recounts that a certain man very remarkable for learning required of a certain religious Virgin a compendious way to lead a holy life which she comprehended in ten documents whereof this was the fift That how great soever were the affliction a man suffered he should render thanks think himself unworthy of it and desire to have a greater and even doubled which she doubtlesse her self daily practised And what I pray should hinder us from imitating a thing so well worthy imitation What we have said may well be demonstrated by example A poor miserable man hath coughed all night counted every stroke of the clock without taking any sleep or rest till even his very heart strings are broken It were a brave bold resolution for this man to say Giue me my Lord God a more vehement cough to vex me more for my sins have deserved it A man tormented with the head-ach griping of the stomack the stone the gout and yet having these words still in his mouth Double good Lord my pain so thou double my patience Which or where is this man and we will commend him Let me see a man openly jeered and laught to scorn by three or foure mock-king companions and yet say O my Christ how many times hast thou been laught to scorn for me Set more upon me to deride and affront me for I have surely deserved it Is it possible to find any one pray in this manner Some certainly there are but concealed who secretly solace themselves with patience There are likewise some who will pray after this manner My deare God! it is not one affliction alone I suffer I am molested with many but I beseech thee my Lord send me greater augment my miseries for I am well assured thou wilt withall increase my patience For the present I yeeld thee humble thankes for these I suffer and thinke my selfe unworthy to suffer for thee my God Have we ever prayed thus in our lives or shall we pray so hereafter O Christians many times after we have said these or the like prayers we flatter our selves with a supposed kinde of sanctity But alas how farre are we as yet from true patience we play the men nay the gyants in our owne conceits whilst we exercise these devotions but no man here can rightly judge none rightly commend but God himselfe the onely searcher of hearts who amongst all other musicall instruments chiefly commendeth two the Taber and the Organs Tynipanuâ— contributati spiritus Organum laudis gratiarum actionis The Taber of an afflicted spirit and the Organ of praise and thanksgiving The mournfull stroke of the Taber is Ah! ah how painful how grievous is this But forsake me not O my God O most milde and patient Jesu give me patience This Taber doubtlesse is excellently plaid upon and goes beyond the rarest musicke The Organ of praise quavers most sweetly That blessed Saint James surnamed Intercisus being in his martyrdome cut in pieces was a most skilfull Organist For every joynt they cut in sunder hee was heard to say Deo gratias He had here in Job for his Master who as often as any new disaster was reported gave to God a new Deo gratias One brings him word that his Oxen and Asses were driven away by the Sabeans Job answered Blessed be the name of the Lord. Another gives him to understand his flockes of sheep were consumed with fire from heaven again Job answered Blessed be the name of the Lord. A third man tells him the Chaldeans had set upon his Camels and driven them away Job still perseveres Blessed be the name of the Lord. Finally one brings him the dolefull news of his childrens destruction all slain and buried under the ruines of his house Job answers as before Blessed be the name of the Lord as it hath pleased the Lord so is it done Behold an Organ of praise behold a most rare and skilfull Organist whom God himselfe commends saying Hast thou not observed my servant Job that there is none like him on earth Sect. IV. IT was the manner of the Persians saith Sâ—obeus when the King commanded any man were he never so innocent to be called and openly scourged that the party so punished should render most ample thankes to the King that he vouchsafed so graciously to remember him Is it such a matter to be thus in the memory of a King Have we even stripes in such reverence when they are laid on at the Kings command why submit we not our selves in like manner to our most mighty and most mercifull God Why fall we not prostrate and adore with humble thankes those stripes which are no lesse then the price of heaven This surely all the holiest men have done before us Saint Laurence lying on his couch of burning coales was broyled by degrees with a slack and lingring fire which being done he rendred thanks Well mayest thou so most glorious Martyr for thou wast a viand provided for the table of the high and mighty King of heaven Saint Theodore in the time of Maximian the Emperour when his sides were torn and pierced thorow being almost breathlesse did notwithstanding tune his Organ and sang I will blesse the Lord for ever Many Saints treated no better then dogs have notwithstanding like faithfull loving Spaniels the more they
were beaten sawned so much the more upon their master and to gain his favour readily offered themselves to suffer all afflictions whatsoever Is it not a remarkable speech of King David who for Gods sake ranked himselfe amongst brute beasts I am said he made a brute beast in thy sight and I am alwayes with thee Rufinus Aquileiensis recounts that Rufin l. 4. num 157. Pelagius lâ—bel 1 num 10. a good old man amongst the ancient Monkes cheered up a scholar of his that was sick after this manner Courage my child let thy corporall infirmity never trouble thee It is the part of a good religious man to render God most humble thankes in his sicknesse If thou beest Iron this fire will scoure off thy rust if gold refine thee If it be the will of God to afflict thy body what doth it availe to repine or stand against it Endure it therefore and humbly beseech God to grant thee that which may most stand with his will and pleasure We must not fail to inculcate even a thousand times that divine admonition of John Avila One Deo gratias in adversitie is better then six thousand in prosperity Questionlesse it is a high point of spirituall prudence to be thankfull to God in adversity There is great difference between meats that are spitted and laid to the fire for if a leane dry Capon or Chickens are to be rosted the Cooke must of necessity oftentimes powre upon them melted butter and yet notwithstanding all this it will be but a poore dry dish of meat to send to the table but if it be an excellent Goost a crammed Pullet a fat Capon a piece of stall fed Biefe a well liking Pig or a speciall fat Turkey these will be so farre from needing any other basting then that they bring with them that they will leave behinde them a great quantity of dripping And these are choyce meats indeed fit to be served in to a Kings table So for all the world is it with those kind of men who have still been dry and lean in spirit who have neither minde nor sense nor devotion nor fervour if you lay them to the fire of affliction O what a poore piece of rost-meat shall you finde them well may consolation as butter be powred upon them but it avails them little they mourne and lament past recovery They want the fatnesse of a good spirit bast them never so much you cannot help them no comfort can you give them will ever perswade them to patience But they who have plentifully fed upon the precepts of Patience and have wholly devoted themselves to the will of God being once scorched with the fire of calamity most of all shew forth the fatnesse of their devotion their minde and courage is present with them and undaunted they are able to comfort both themselves and others they stick not to submit themselves to the meanest offices that are they give thanks for their miseries and desire their calamities may be increased Thus do they bast themselves with their own fatnesse These doubtlesse are dressed and prepared for that great and royall feast whereunto the guests are invited in these words Behold I have made ready my dinner killed my oxen and fatlings all is ready come to my marriage But as the fat roast meat yeelds a better savour then boyld so thanksgiving is by those who are daily roasted as it were with the fire of griefe and tribulation far more pretious and acceptable unto God then theirs who combat onely with light inconveniences and sail in a calm and peaceable sea Noah with his companions after the deluge wherein the whole world was drowned celebrated a solemne feast of thanksgiving for he erected an Altar selected out of the heards of cattel and flocks of birds the choicest victimes and offered an holocaust Odoraâ—usquâ— est Dominus odorem suavitatia And the Lord smelled an odour of sweetnesse But think now with what miseries how long Noah had been formerly exercised During a great part of his life whilst the whole world wallowed securely in sin and sensuall pleasures he laboured about building of the Arke though he escaped death it cost him much more trouble then if he had died an huâ—dred times For to say nothing else of the tediousnes of the Ark which was no lesse to him then a ten months sepulchre what may be imagined more irksome then to lie all that time as it were buried in the dung of beasts He had no sooner overcome these so great difficulties but he fel into a new misery he perceived himself laught to scorn by his own son insomuch that he was even forced with his owne mouth to curse him who a little before through the great mercy of God had been preserved from the deluge Thus God received as a most acceptable sacrifice Noahs constant patience and thanksgiving amidst adversity and in requitall rewarded him with farre mor ample benefits Sect. V. Let us therefore according as Saint Paul admonisheth still render thanks for all things And in truth no words are oftner to be inculcated in the School of Patience then these Deo gratias Benedictus Deus These alone should be used upon all occasions But we are so indocible that we cannot get by heart so much as two words It was excellently well said of Francis Petrarch This is the common use men are quick to receive but slow to give Petrarch l. 2. de utraque fort dial 37. the one they do cheerfully the other heavily the one in post haste the other as if they were asleep We are coÌ„monly hot and earnest suppliants till we have obtained our petition but remisse and cold when it is granted The contrary course is wont and ought to be observed in this School of ours for when the Scholars of Patience see a cup brim full of bitternesse they pray indeed with Christ Father let this Cup passe from me But those very prayers how hot vehement soever are thus by restriction qualified Let thy will notwithstanding not mine be fulfilled Thus they desire to be delivered so it may stand with the will of God But when they render thanks they do it entirely without the least restriction with infinite fervour both of minde and voice after this manner I render thee O my God! infinite and immortall thanks that thou vouchsafest me so great an honour by sending me somewhat to suffer for thy sake that thou reckonest me amongst thy children And what childe is there I pray whom the father corrects not What man well in his wits saith Saint Gregory will be Greg part 3. Pastoral admon 13. fine omniâ—â— ungratefull for his chastisement seeing Christ himself who lived here without all sin was not exempted from the scourge It is therefore the part of an understanding man to blesse praise God not only in prosperity but also in adversity For if through thy patience thou appease God by yeelding him thanks in adversity
presently dumbe and the like befalls a wolfe if he be first seen by a man which Cardanus supposeth to come to passe by reason of the suddain fear which takes away the voice or brings a kind of hoarsnesse Even so if an unlucky chance like a wolfe first behold a man poor soul he is presently strucke dumb and loseth both hope and courage whereas if he would first behold the mischiefe he might mitigate and lessen it Seneca speaks very fitly to the purpose in such variety saith he of accidents turning and winding up and down if thou do not repute whatsoever future accidents as if they were come to passe thou givest adversity the upper hand of thee which another by foreseeing dissipates and defeatâ— It is too late after dangers to instruct the mind to Patience in dangers I never thought this would have happened I never supposed this would have come to passe And why not I beseech you What honour or dignity is there not waited upon with extreame contempt with a thousand disgraces What kingdome is there in the world which is not reserved for ruine or contempt to be trampled upon by some Lord or other as also by his base executioner Neither is the time long before this comes to passe there is but the distance of one minute of an howre many times between a kingdome transferred from one King to another know then by this that all estates are casuall and uncertain and whatsoever happens unto others may befall thee likewise It was the saying of Socrates that as mariners that saile in calm and quiet weather go provided of instruments to serve them in a tempest so those that are wise make provision in prosperity for adversity This if a man would seriously consider and behold other mens miseries whereof he hath an infinit number daily before his eies as if they had a way altogether as open to him he would long before the blow comes set a guard upon himselfe It is an ordinary saying forewarned forearmed and labours foreseen as Saint Gregory saith are undergone with more ease Saint Hierom was altogether of the same minde because this miserable life quoth he is altered and perplexed every day with interchangeable events let a just man prepare his mind as well for adversity as prosperity that whatsoever happens he may bear it with a free and resolute mind And I pray my Christian brother thinke not thy selfe called to the Schoole of Patience to be laid upon a soft couch or to be cockered with sundry delights thou art deceived my dearst thou art deceived Thou camest to this Schoole to wrastle to fight to be tried and to be exercised with many incommodities See then thou prepare thy minde to temptation But the best preparation in this respect is to treat often with God in prayer Hither in all calamities must you have your recourse heer must you breathe forth all your sighes hither must you chiefly addresse your selves to have help from heaven The Apostles pointed out even with their finger whither they would have you to hasten in all your distresses For whilst they were amidst the boisterous stormes of the sea they cried out to Christ Save us O Lord our God our power our refuge our helper in all tribulations which do exceedingly assault us Here Saint Augustine gives this interpretation There are some refuges saith he that yeeld no succour a man shall finde himselfe rather dis-inabled then strengthened by them For example Thou strest to some great man in the world to make him thy potent friend thou seemest now to have gotten a secure refuge a weak one God knowes for whereas thou hadst not any reason so much to feare or doubt thy cause now thou art as fearfull of him to whom thou fledst for refuge For many in flying to these men fall together with them to whom they have betaken themselves and so are the sooner discovered who would never have been sought for had they not shrowded themselves under their protection We have no such refuge but ours is power it selfe in flying thither we are safe and sure from all dangers This made King David saâ— with a mighty spirit We will not fear therefore though the earth be troubled and mountaiens transferred into the heart of the sea If God stand on our side albeit mountaines dash one against another and fall headlong into the sea heaven and earth go together hell it selfe gape wide open and the whole frame of the world be dissolved all this ruine cannot affright us we will not feare The Sea-urchin and the Cuttle fish when they perceive a tempest at hand mistrusting their own strength and fearing lest by the violence of the waves they should be dasht against the rocks lay fast hold of a rock till the violence of the storm be past And what is more turbulent then this life what more tempestuous One storme begets another the clouds oftentimes are even riveted in the skies In such outragious tempests both of sea and winds let us learn of these poore fishes to cleave fast to God that sure and impregnable rock that every one may answer for himselfe It is good for me to adhere to God from whom no violence of calamities no not whole armies of Divels nor all the power of hell shall draw me For thou art my foundation and my refuge Thou art my patience O Lord thou my hope O Lord from my youth Let us my God deale it thus between us I whatsoever I shall do or suffer will never shrink from thy crosse give me I most humbly beseech thee sufficient patience to bear it constantly unto the end for I am well assured thou sendestâ— us adversity to exercâ—se our patience and to enkindle thereby a greater confidence in thee Place me therefore my Lord neer to thee and let the power of any whatsoever fight against me I fear not now any crosses whatsoever no enemies can terrifie me because thou art my patience Sect. IV. PRemeditation then is a shield of Adamant against all adversitie It is no great wound that all the mischiefes in the world can give us if against these as Saint Gregory saith we be guatded by the shield of Providence A wise man is not exempted from humane casualties but from their errours for all things happen unto him as he imagined not as he would And this is the reason why nothing is said to happen to a wise man unexpected for he providently foreseeâ— in his minde whatsoever impediments may fall out Wherefore you shall often heare him say I will take that voyage if some accident do not crosse me I will gea such an office if I be not prevented such a businesse will fall out according to my desire if no obstacle interpose it selfe to morrow I will be your guest if by occasions I be noâ— diverted within these two or three dayes if I be in health I mean to exercise my selfe in wrastling the next yeare if God spare one life I
any crosse or adversity that all things had succeded not onely answerable but even beyond his expectation before he desired them yea more then he could desire so that he never knew what belonged to calamity Saint Ambrose was much astonished at this and forthwith as if some sudden occasion had called him away took his leave of that fortunate man and his house both at an instant The reason he gave to his followers of this his speedy departure was this That he feared the rest of his entertainment would be but bad in a house so extreamly happy and with a man who all his life time had never tasted adversity Wherefore he thought it expedient to flye thence in all haste lest they together with such an host should be involved in the same ruine Saint Ambrose had not gone far from thence before the house with a sudden and unexpected downfall overwhelmed and buried all the inhabitants How much better is it then to dwell with them who are in this world tossed and turmoiled with stormes to acquire thereby rest and happinesse where ruine and destruction are not to be feared Here we lead a life continually infested with temptations alwayes exposed to great and mafold dangers and till we depart out of this world are never secure but this whether it be known or unknown to those who dream of having their felicity here exempts them not from being altogether as miserable There can be no true felicity subject to errour and perill He is onely happy who resigning himselfe wholly to the will of God sits aloft in the chariot of divine providence Sir Thomas Moore a most illustrious example of patience submitted entirely his will to the will of God after this manner At his return from an Embassage wherein he was imployed beyond seas and attending the King far â—â—om his own house in the moneth â—â— August word was brought him from his wife by his son-in-lawes letters that part of his house and all his barns full of corn were by the negligence or some neighbour burned to the ground Sir Thomas wrote back thus to his wife in a most Angelicall manner Much health and safety Lady Aloysia I understand that our and some of our neighbours barns are burned the losse doubtlesse of so plentifull a provision of corn but that it is the will of God were much to be lamented But seeing it hath so pleased God we ought surely to take this punishment as from his hand not onely patiently but even willingly Whatsoever we have lost we have received from our Lord. And seeing it hath pleased him to take it from us again our Lords will be done Let us not murmur or repine at this accident but 〈◊〉 hâ—c Christianâ— lector nâ—â—â— noâ—â— take it in good part and render great thankes to God as well in adversity as prosperity And if we consider the matter as we should this losse is a greater benefit from God then whatsoever gain for how much it importeth to our salvation it is better known to God then our selves I beseech you therefore not to be dismaied but take with you all your family to the Church give most humble thanks to God as well for that he hath given us and now taken from us as for that which he hath left us God can with great facility when he pleaseth encrease that which remaineth and if it seem good to him to take more from us as it shall please our Lord so let it be done Moreover let enquiry be made what damage our neigbours have sustained and wish them not to be contristated therewith for I will never suffer any neighbour of mine to be endammaged by any losse or mischance that may happen to my domesticall estate tho I should forgo all my house-hold furniture even to the value of a spoon I pray thee my dear Aloysia rejoyce with all my children and family in our Lord. All these commodities and we our selves are in the hands of God let us depend wholly on his will â—â— losse shall ever prejudice us Farewell from the Court at Woodstocke this 13. of Sept. An. 1529. O my God! what a sincere resignation was this to thy will what a letter was this of a true upright hearted man Here we may see a father of a family a great proficient in the School of Patience here was a man here was a man indeed who was able through an entire conformity to the will of God so sweetly to beare a losse of such importance Behold here an Ostrich that could devoure and digest iron His barns were fited but not his minde This patience preserved and firmly fortified And see how the infinit liberality of God repaired this losse as he did the calamities of Job with manifold increase In the moneth of September this sorrowfull news was brought to Saint Thomas More and in October next ensuing he was declared high Chancelour of England and not only that dignity was conferred upon him but a new addition also was made to his revenues whereby he might both reedifie his old barns and build new if he pleased This is the usuall manner of God He bringeth men downe even as low as hell and reduceth them again To this Lord Chancelour of England I annex a Prince of Spain Francis Borgias the third Generall of the Society of Jesus This Borgias tooke his journey towards Septimanca where the Society had a noviceship and being benighted in the way a cold piercing winde a huge driving snow and the darkenesse of the night intercepted his passage At last through snow and darknesse very late in the night he came to the place yet was he not here free from the sharpnesse of the weather for when he was now at the Colledge gates all the Colledgiates being in bed and fast in their first sleep he knocked again and again and many times and no man made answer insomuch that they seemed all rather dead then asleep and which was another inconvenience the house it selfe was far distant from the gates all this whâ—le the wind blew bitterly and pierced this weary travailer hunger afflicted him snow covered this good father and made him all white afâ—er long attendance at last thâ— novices awaked and opened the gates when he was let in so far was he from reprehending or blaming them or shewing an austere countenance or giving sharpe words that he seemed rather full of cheerfullnesse and to take comfort therein the brothers of the society on the other side stood all abashed at their sleepines and negligence humbly begging pardon of the good father that they had suffered him in so bitter a cold night to stand so long at the gates but Borgias albeit he were almost starved to death answered with a clear and smiling countenance you have no reason my dear children to grieve aâ— what hapned to me for my meditation whilest I stood so attending was this That even as a great Prince would be delighted to see a bear a
waking out of his dream found himselfe much more lightsome then before and almost cleared of all his griefe he ran forthwith to the Patriarch and threw himself at his feer declaring the vision that had appeared to him that night and how much he had been comforted by those words for which quoth he I yield most humble thanks â—o God who for my own good hath exercised me and shewed himself no lesse a Father in these his chastisements then heretofore in his comforts and rewards Straightwaies the Patriarch brake forth into these words Glory be to thee O most benigne and most mercyfull God! Who despisest not the prayers of thy servants and turning to the citizen ascribe not this said he to my prayers but to the goodnesse of God and thy faith Let us then learne O you men of small faith to trust in God and not to be daunted in adversity or affliction Let us learn to suffer adversity not only Patiently but likewise Cheerfully and with thanksgiving Why fear we Why hang we backe All is in vain Let us rest assured and look for it before hand that we must suffer much Let us prepare our minde for things of this nature and let Patience be accompanied with constancy Let us absolutely conform our will in all things great or small to the will of God Pope Pius the first enduring with invincible Patience most grievous and deadly paines of the stone was heard often to pray thus Increase O Lord my paine so thou give me more patience Let us imitate him and albeit our minds and bodies be on all sides afflicted let us confidently say Increase my Lord Jesu my pain but increase it so that therewith thou be pleased to give increase of Patience Much after the same manner did Saint Francis Xaverius that famous Preacher to the Indians and Japonians a man so infinitly desirous of suffering that even amidst greatest dangers and difficulties he was wont most earnestly to beg of God not to be delivered out of those miseries unlesse for his glory he might be reserved for greater And when he was at Rome in the Infirmary knew before hand he was to undergo for Christs sake manifold labours want hunger thirst cold heat persecutions perils treacheries both by sea and land with an ardent spirit he exclaimed Yet more my Lord yet more For so great was his confidence in God that he certainly beleeved he who had given him that desire would also give him strength to suffer all Hence proceeded those couragious words Yet more my good Lord yet more let me suffer for thy sake Let us also O you Christians let us I beseech you attempt something worthy of heaven and when we shall be in whatsoever miseries let us with this blessed man cry out Yet more my Lord Jesu yet more Increase our pains for we are confident thou wilt increase our patience But I end this whole discourse of Patience with that blessed Martyr Melitho who albeit he were the youngest of those fourty brave Christian Souldiers gave notwithstanding a notable testimony of his manly courage and constancie His mother a most resolute Christian woman of a masculine spirit seeing her son with his thighs broken and even gasping for life animated him most couragiously after this manner Hold out yet my childe a little longer lo Christ stands ready at the doore to succour and reward thee yet my son a little longer He did so and all inflamed with his mothers encouragement gave up the ghost Our good mother Patience calls upon us after the same manner Suffer my son a little Christ your helper is at hand and your reward even almost in sight your paine and griefe will end in a moment your eternall beatitude is even now nigh at hand which will continue with you for ever Behold an infinite company of blessed soules All these by a little time well spent have gained immortality By patient suffering and by dying they have obtained an endlesse life Why do we therefore refuse and feare to suffer By patience the minde is brought to contemne all afflictions and miseries whatsoever If thou wilt not suffer thou refusest to be crowned This life saith Saint Chrysostome Chrysost tom 5. hom 5. hom 62. post initium is not to be led without misery but the more our tribulations are increased the more shall our rewards be amplified Heaven is bought with labour and paines It is an old saying Labour goes before meat So Suidas reports Suldas v. 1. mihi pag. 87. that the Souldiers of Cyrus never came to dinner without sweat which as a sauce made them to relish their meat the better and kept their bodies in health And would we have that heavenly feast drop into our mouthes amidst pleasure and idlenesse And now to the end we may learn to be better acquainted with that immortall life let us first inform our selves well of this mortall life Why propose we pleasing and delightfull things to our selves We are in exile we live in a wildernesse There is no living here without innumerable inconveniences if thou bearest them ill they are great burdens if well great comforts As there is no immortall man saith Saint Chrysostome to be found Chrys tom 5. hom 67. med mihâ— p. 363. priuâ— 361. in this world so none without griefe and misery But he addes for our comfort When we are opprest with adversity let us rejoyce No generous Champion lookes for bathes in the lists or for a table furnished with wine and dainty meats This were effeminate not Champion like He fights with toile and anguish under the hot scorching Sun besmear'd with sweat and dust This is our time of fight and combat and therefore a time for griefes and bloudy wounds A Souldier is to be knowne in the battell a skilfull Pilot in a tempest a swift Foot-man in the race and a stout Champion in the lists Let us thinke our whole life no other then a combat there is no rest nor ease to be looked for neither let us Idem â—â—d â—om hom 62 ever hold our selves in respect of tribulation ill dealt with for she must be our teacher Not in tribulation but in sin onely is the eyill It is no sin to suffer but to do evill Nay as the same S. Chrysostome Chrys tom 4. in cap. 1 ad Philip. hom 4 mihi pag. 1031. most expresly affirmeth To suffer for Christ is a free offering and indeed more worthy admiration then to raise the dead or worke miracles for there I am a debtor to Christ here I have Christ a debtor to me Moreover a Christian in this respect should differ from an Infidell by suffering all things couragiously mounting as it were with wings above the reach of humane disasters A faithfull man is placed upon a Rock and therefore inexpugnable what waves soever shall beat against him Saint Paul declaring this as a great gift and a singular favour saith To you it is given not onely to beleeve in Christ but also to suffer for him For according to Saint Gregory Christ hath not promised to his elect in this world the joy of delectation but the bitternesse of tribulation that by meanes of this bitter potion as by Physick they may recover their eternall health But what needs any further testimony They are the very words of our Lord the Oracle of eternall truth He that takes not up his crosse and followes me is not worthy of me Here is no sparing of any no exception or prerogative no priviledge He is unworthy of Christ who casts away his crosse and will not follow Christ Thy crosse be it never so heavie must be patiently taken up The dearest friends of Christ even his mother yea Christ himself lived under the same law In times past Judith that widow full of all sincere candor and integrity publickly commended patience with a most elegant oration saying But they who have not accepted of temptations with the fear of our Lord but have discovered their impatience and the scorn reproch of their murmur against God are utterly banished Let us therfore with humility expect his consolation because our fathers have been tempted that triall might be made of them whether they did truly worship their God As your father Abraham was tempted and after he had been by many tribulations tried was made the friend of God So Isaac so Jacob so Moses And all the faithfull people who pleased God passed through many tribulations Why strive or struggle we any longer Thus all have passed All all whosoever they were that pleased God Not one is ever to be accounted faithfull or approved who is not marked with this brand of Patience and Affliction This Oracle of Judith hath and alwayes shall stand most assuredly true and inviolable All the faithfull that at any time have pleased God have passed through many tribulations This is to suffer for Christ this to reigne with Christ This is the Kings high way to heaven narrow indeed and rough but secure Let us suffer and endure but a little succour shortly will come doubt ye not if you do but stand to it in the battell and reward if you overcome FINIS Patientiae scriptae Initium sit exercendae Imprimatur Tho. Wykes R. P. Episc Lond. Capell domest