receiue the sounde of that noyse that God maketh vnto them and take no héede at all vnto the noises of this world Blessed altogither are the eares which harcken not vnto the voyce that soundeth outwardelye but heareth the truth and speakeing inwardlye Blessed are the eyes which being shut vnto outward thinges are wholly bent vpon inward things Blessed are they that pierce vnto inward things and doe more and more endeuor to prepare thēselues by daily exercises to receiue heauenly secrets Blessed are they that take it ioyefully to giue themselues vnto god and to ridde themselues from all worldely let Marke these things O my soule and shutte foorth desires that thou mayest able to heare what thing the LORD God doth speake in thée Thy friende speaketh these things I am thy health and saluation I am thy peace I am thy lyfe cleaue first vnto me and thou shalt finde peace Let passe all worldly things and séeke for euerlastyng things For what are all temporall thinges but onely very deceites Or what doe all the Creatures profite thée if thou be forsaken of the Creator Wherfore reiecting al things make thy selfe accepted and faythfull to thy Creator that thou mayest be able to attayne vnto true blessednesse That the truth doth speake within vs without noyse of wordes The .ij. Chapter SPeake Lorde for thy seruant doth hearcken I am thy seruant giue me vnderstanding that I maye learne thy lawes and decrées Incline my soule to the wordes of thy mouth bicause thy talke floweth lyke vnto dewe The Israelites sayd to Moyses in olde time Speake thou vnto vs and wee will heare thee but let not the Lorde speake least we shoulde die Howbeit I pray not so O Lorde I pray not so but rather with the Prophet Samuell doe humbly and earnestly beséeche thée thus speake on Lorde For thy seruaunt doth hearken And let not Moyses or any other of the Prophets speake vnto mée but doe thou rather speake vnto me O God being the inspirer and gyuer of life vnto al the Prophets who art able alone without them to instruct me Whereas they on the other side wythout thée can preuayle nothing In déede they may vtter and sounde foorth the wordes but the spirite they doe not giue They speake in déede very trimlye but if thou holde thy peace they doe not kindle and stirre vp the soule They teache the letters but thou openest the meaning They speake foorth the secretes but thou vnlockest the vnderstanding of the thinges signified They vtter the commaundements but thou helpest to performe the same They shewe the waye but thou giuest strength to walke ouer the same they handle the matter outwardlye but thou instructest and gyuest lyght vnto the minds They water outwardly but thou giuest the fruitfulnesse They cry out in words but thou giuest vnderstanding to the hearer Wherfore let not Moises speak vnto me but thou O Lorde my God beyng the euerlasting truth least I die and be made vnfruitefull or least if I shall be admonished outwardly onely and not also kindled or inflamed within thy worde being hearde not practised knowne not loued beléeued and not kept make but vnto my punishment Therfore do thou speake O Lord for thy seruant doth giue eare For thou hast the words of euerlasting life Speake vnto me I saye that thing which may bring both comfort vnto my soule and amendement vnto my whole life and also may cause glory and immortall honour vnto thée That the wordes of God are to be heard humbly and that the same notwithstanding be not pondred and weyed of most men The thirde Chapter LORDE SOnne heare my words being wordes most swéete and pleasant and such as doe excell all the wysedome of the Philosophers and wise of this worlde My words are spirite and life and not to bée wayed with mans wit and policie nor yet to be drawn vnto vaine pleasure but to be hard with silence and to be receiued with all modestie and godlynesse SERVANT Blessed is he whome thou instructest and traynest vp in knowledge O Lorde and doest teache thy lawe that thou mayest helpe him in time of trouble that hée perish not LORDE I both haue taught the Prophets long since in olde time and euen yet also now doe not cease to speake vnto all men Howebeit many are deafe and hard hearted at my voyce Most men doe more willingly heare the worlde than God and doe sooner obey the appetite and desire of their owne fleshe than the wyll of god The worlde promyseth but temporall and small thyngs and yet is it serued with great gréedinesse I doe promise excéeding great and euerlasting things yet are the hearts of men heauy and dull What is he that serueth and obeieth me in al things wyth so great care as the worlde and the LORDE of the worlde are serued Bée ashamed of it and if thou wouldest knowe why hearken and giue eare vnto me Many men doe run a great iourney for a little wages or hier and there be scarcely a fewe that will once step forward a fote to get euerlasting life A vile rewarde is painefully sought for men doe shamefullye go to lawe togither sometime for a small péece of money and men doubt not both day and night to be tryed for a vaine tryfle and small promise but it yrketh them to traueyle euen the least thing in the worlde for a good thing vnchaungeable for a rewarde vnestimable for honor excéeding and for glory immortall Therefore be thou ashamed thou slow complayning seruant bycause they are more ready and quicke vnto destruction than thou art vnto lyfe and doe more reioyce in vanitie than thou in truth And as for them they are disappoined of their hope sometime but my promise deceiueth no man nor sendeth any man away vnspedde of his erraunt putting his trust in mée That which I promise and prouounce in words the same doe I performe and fulfill in déede in case a man doe perseuere stil vnto the ende in the loue of me I am the rewarder of all good thinges I am also an earnest searcher and tryer of all the godly Wryte my wordes in thy heart and occupie thy selfe diligently about the same For they shall bée verye necessary in the time of thy trouble The things that thou vnderstandest not when thou readest them the same shalt thou knowe in the time of thy curyng and healyng And after two sortes am I woont to cure and heale my elect that is wyth temptacyon and wyth comforte and the same I dailye scoole twoo wayes Fyrst in fynding faulte wyth theyr sinnes then with exhorting and stirring them vp vnto the increase of vertues He that hath my words and despiseth the same he hath that of which he shall be cōdemned in the last day ¶ A prayer by which heauenly doctrine and religion is called for The .iiij. Chapter SERVANT O My God which art my whole goodnesse who am I that I dare bée so bolde as to speake vnto
many sighs so many painfull cares of mind which I beare out in the world mooue thée O Iesu the brightnesse of glory euerlasting the solace of the wandring soule my mouth is with thée voyde of wordes and my silence doth speake vnto thée How long doth my Lorde God forslow his comming Let him come vnto mée his poore soule and make me ioyfull stretching forth his hand let him deliuer a wretch out of all perplexitie of minde Come come I say For without thée there shal be no day no nor no howre quiet bicause thou art my ioye without whome my table is voyde emptie I am a wretch and know not after what sort I am pressed downe as it were with imprysonment and fetters vntill thou refreshe mée with the light of thy presence and set me at liberty and shewe me thy friendely louyng countenance Let other men séeke what they list in the stead of thée but as for me nothing either liketh or shall like me else saue thée O my God my hope and euerlasting saluation I will neuer holde my tongue I will neuer cease to pray vntil thy fauor doe returne and thou speake vnto me at home IESVS Behold I am here present with thée bicause thou hast called vpon me thy teares desire of mind discouragment anguish haue called me vnto thée in stirring me vnto pitie SERVANT I O Lorde haue called vpon thée as one desirous to enioy thy presence being ready to refuse al things for thy sake For thou diddest first stirre me vp to séeke thée as touching which thing I yéeld thée thanks O Lord which hast done so great a benefite vnto me thy seruaunt according to thy singuler mercy In fine what néedeth many words or what remayneth else besides sauing that I submit my selfe very modestly vnto thée as one mindful euermore of mine owne vnrighteousnesse and vilenesse For no man is like vnto thée any where in all those woonderfull things which are conteined in heauē earth Thy works O Lord are good aboue mesure thy sentence is true al things are gouerned by the helpe of thy prouidence Wherefore praised and glorified be thou O wisdome of the Father let both my soule and my mouth togither with all the creatures of the worlde praise and set forth thée Of the recounting of so many benefits of God The .xxiiij. Chapter OPen O Lorde the eyes of my minde and teach me to liue according to the commaundements of thy lawe Cause that I maye vnderstande thy wyll and may recount with great reuerence diligent consideration thy benefits bestowed aswel vpon all men as also vpon me that therby I may giue thanks accordingly Although to say the truth I am not able sufficiently to praise the least part of the same and so much it wanteth that I am able to set forth so many gifts benefits bestowed vpō me that whilst I consider thy bowntie liberality my spirite fayleth me through the greatnesse thereof For what thyng soeuer we possesse eyther of minde or of bodie either without or within both naturall and against nature those same are thy benefites and doe commend thy liberalitie bountie and goodnesse of whome we haue receiued all good things Nowe if one man haue receiued more or fewer gifts than another hath surely they are all thine without thée the least thing of all may not be had Now if any man haue gotten greater gifts the same can not boast of his owne desert nor extoll himselfe aboue other men or triumphe ouer him that hath lesser giftes For euery man is so much the greater and the better as the same doth the lesse attribute and ascribe vnto himselfe and as he is the more modest Godlie in giuing of thankes and looke how much the more euery man doth thinke hymself most vile and most vnworthy of al other so much the fitter is the same to obtaine greater things at thy handes Againe if one haue gotten fewer gifts the same ought not to bée sorie or to take it heauily or to enuie at him that is richer in gifts but rather to beholde thée and most of all to praise thy goodnesse in that thou giuest thy gifts so plētifully so willinglye without any respecte or difference of persons All thynges are of thée and therfore art thou to be praised in all things and thou knowest what is expedient to be giuen vnto euery man yea it is not for vs but for thée to iudge why this man hath lesse and he more which thorowly perceiuest what thing is conuenient for euery man Therefore O Lorde God I recken account it for a great benefite also to haue but fewe things which maye séeme after the fashion of the worlde to bée praised and gloried in And thus I determine that man ought not onely and to be vexed to sorrow for his owne vilenesse lack of helpe and to be discouraged in mind but also to take therof great comfort and ioy bicause thou O God doest choose the naked and lowly and to such as are despised in the face of the worlde to be thy familiars houshold seruants Thy Apostles themselues are witnesses hereof which being made chiefe of the whole world by thée did shewe themselues so modest so simple so void of all malice guile that they did not onely refraine from complainings but also did reioyce to be taken vp with reprochful words rebukes for thy name sake and did most gréedily imbrace those thinges which other men doe detest flie from Therfore nothing ought so much to céere vp a louer of thée and one that acknowledgeth thy benefits as the knowledge of thy will and euerlasting decrée with the which he ought so to be content and so to accept and take it in good worth that he desire no lesse to be the least of all other then another man desireth to be the greatest and doe no lesse take in good parte content himselfe with the lowest place then with the highest is no lesse willingly despised abiect and a séely soule of no reputacion then he is to be the most noble greatest of al other For thy will and the loue of thy honor ought to ouercome all things to cōfort him more and please him more then all benefits either bestowed or to be bestowed vpon him Of foure things which doe procure peace The .xxv. Chapter LORDE SOnne I will now teach thée the way of true peace and libertie SERVANT Doe Lorde as thou sayst For it is welcome to me to heare this LORDE Endeuour sonne to doe the wyll of another rather than thine owne will. Haue aiwaies liesser to haue lesse than more Alwaies séeke for the lowest place and desire to obey all men Alwaies wish pray that Gods will may altogither be done in thée Hée that both these things wéete thou that he entreth into the bounds of peace and quietnesse SERVANT Lorde
THy name be praysed O Lorde for euermore which wouldest haue me tempted with this calamity which surely I can not auoyde but must néedes fly vnto thée to helpe mée and to cause that thys thing may turne to my commoditie Lorde now am I in calamitie and my minde is in yl case Nay I am much vexed with my present chaunce Therefore what shall I saye O most deare father I am in great perplexitie Deliuer me from this howre into the which no duobt I therfore come that thou mightest be praysed I being first so greatly pressed downe and then afterward deliuered through thy helpe I beséech thée O Lorde that thou wilt vouchsafe to deliuer me out of this euill being a naked soule and ignorant which way I shal turue my self without thy helpe Graūt me now O Lord pacience also helpe me O my God and I will take euen the most grienous chaunces that shall happen vnto mée without feare And what shall I say vnto thée in the midst of these things Lorde thy will be done I surely haue deserued this euill and anguisy therefore must I beare it I praye God I may doe the same paciently vntil such time as the tempest being ended more ioyful seasons doe follow on Howbeit thy almighty hande is able to remooue and turne from me this temptacion also and to mittigate the violence therof that I doe not wholy faint and giue ouer according as thou hast manye times delt with me before tyme O my God according to thy mercy towarde me And with the more harde aduenture that I am oppressed so much the more sweetely shall I be refreshed with the help of thy mighty right hād Of crauing of Gods helpe and confidence to recouer grace The .xxxv. Chapter LORDE Sonne I am the Lorde the strengthener of men in aduersities vnto whome thou maiest repaire resort if at any time it go otherwise than well wyth thée But that most of all doth hinder heauenly comfort that thou somewhat slowly doest betake thy selfe to prayers For before that thou pray vnto me earnestly thou séekest after many comforts al the while and doest refresh thy selfe with outward things therefore if hapneth that all doe but little profite thée till that thou espie me to be the same that doe deliuer those men out of troubles which haue put their trust in me out of whom there is no helpe neither substantiall nor counsell profitable nor remedy durable But now taking courage vnto thée againe after the tempest be whole strong in the light of my mercy For I am at hād saith the Lord to restore all thinges not onely to as good case as they were at the first but also to renue them plentifully with the better Is there any thing ouer harde for me to doe Or am I like vnto them which do not performe theyr promises Where is thy faith Stande stedfastly with perseuerance shew thy selfe a man parient valiant Comfort will be with thée in his due time Looke after looke after me I say I wil come I will cure thée It is temptacion that doth vexe thée and vaine carefulnesse which doth make thée afeard What good doth care of the chaunces to come but that thou mayest heape sorrowe vpon sorrow The euill of the day present is sufficient for it selfe vaine and vnprofitable it is either to be troubled or to reioyce about things to come which perchāce shall neuer happen But it is mans fashion to be deluded with such imaginations and it is the token as yet of a base courage so soone to be drowned with the intisment of the enimy Hee forceth nothing at al whether hée delude and deceiue with true things or false things whether he giue a man a foile with the loue of present things or with the feare of things to come Wherefore be not troubled in thy minde or faint harted beléeue me put thy trust and affiance in my mercy I am many times harde by thée when thou thinkest that I am a great way off when thou supposest that thou hast lost altogither euen then many times is greater gaine so much the more néere at hand All things are not therfore lost though the matter fall quite contrary to thy desire Thou oughtest not to iudge of the féele of present miseries nor when calamitie doth arise from some place so to be mooued nypped in the heade withall as though al hope of escape were taken away Doe not think thy selfe altogither forsaken if at any time I eyther haue sent thée calamitie for a season or yet haue withdrawne my desired comfort frō thée For thus doe men go on to the kingdom of heauen surely this is more for thy profit for the profite of al other of my seruāts that ye should be excited and quickned with aduersities than if all things shoulde happen vnto you according to your hearts desire I am so well acquainted with the secret thoughts of the heart that I know it to make very much for thy saluation that sometime thou he left in heauinesse least perhaps being prowde with prosperous successe thou shouldest therby thinke thy selfe that which thou art not I am able to take away that which I haue giuen I can restore the same againe when me listeth If I haue giuen it it is mine owne If I haue taken it away I haue not taken away thine seing euery good perfite gift is my gift Therfore if at any time I sende thée some euil and aduersitie grutch not therat nor dispaire euen I the same am able to ease thée quickly to turne all thy heauinesse into ioy But in that I deale so with thée I am iust and much to be commended And if thou be wise and do rightly consider this my deede thou shalt neuer with such faintnesse be sorie for aduersities but rather reioyce and giue me thanks Nay thou shalt iudge that this aboue al other thinges is to be reioyced at that I afflicting thée with sorrowes doe nothing at all spare thée As the father loued me euen so loue I you sayde I to my most deare Disciples whom I sent not I tell thée to perishing and transitory ioyes but to great fights Not vnto honours but vnto infamie slaunder Not vnto idlenesse but vnto labors Not vnto rest but to bring foorth plentiful fruit with pacience Remēber these my words O my good sonne The .xxxvi. Chapter Of despising of all things in the worlde that the Creator may be founde SERVANT O My Lorde I haue yet néede of thy far greater fauour to come vnto that point that neither anye man nor yet any creature may be a let vnto me For so long as any thing doth withold me and kéepe me backe I can not flie fréely vnto thée He desired to take his flight fréely which sayde Woulde God I had wings like a Doue to flye away into rest What is more quiet then a simple eie Or what
some singuler things to some againe I appeare pleasantly in signes and figures to other I open my secrets with much light The saying or voyce of Bookes is all one which instructeth not all men alike But I am the teacher of the truth within the searcher of minds the vnderstander of thoughts the setter forward of déedes and the giuer of so much to euery man as I doe thinke right and reasonable Of not drawing outward things vnto a man The .xlix. Chapter LORDE SOnne thou must in manye things be ignorant and vnskilfull and accoūt thy selfe but for a dead man vpon the earth and for hym to whome the whole worlde is crucified For many things must be passed by with a deafe care those must be pondered and thought vpon which do belong vnto thy peace It is more profitable to turne thine eyes from those things which mislyke thée to let euery man haue his own saying than to follow contencious talking of words If thou agrée well with God and looke vpon his owne iudgement thou shalt beare it the bett 〈…〉 r to be ouercome in such things SERVANT O Lorde to what passe is it come Beholde a short dammage or losse is lamented men trauell and runne for a little gaine and scantly are able to come home againe at night but the spirituall losse is quite and cleane forgotten Men apply themselues to this that profiteth little or nothing at all negligently passe ouer that which is most necessarie of all So greatly both a man wholly wast his time about outward things vnlesse he spéedily repent doth willingly welter still in outward things That we must not beleeue all men that we soone fall and offende in wordes The L. Chapter HElpe me O Lorde in this calamitie For the ayde of men is surely but vaine How manye tymes haue I not founde faith there where I thought to haue had it And againe haue there found it where I would not haue looked for it So greatly is that hope in men and vaine and in thée only O God is the health of the iust standing We giue thée thanks O Lord God for all things which doe happen vnto vs weakelings vnstable which are soone deceyued and chaunged What is he that can behaue himselfe so warily circumspectly in all things that the same doth not somtime come into some snare and distresse But Lorde he that putteth his trust in thée and doth study to haue a simple minde he doth not offende so soone or if he do fall into any calamity with how great diffycultie and distresse soeuer he be wrapped and entangled he is either quickely deliuered frō it by thée or else strengthned with comfort bicause thou doest not forsake them at the last which haue their hope in thée Surely faithful friendes are rare such as will bide still by a man in al kind of aduersities thou O Lord thou onely art most faithfull in all things there is none like vnto thée O howe wise was that holy soule which saide My mind is confirmed hath his foundation in Christ. If it went so well with me worldely feare shoulde not so soone trouble me nor the darts of words moue me But who can foresée all things who can beware of euils that come after Nowe if things fore séene do yet oftentimes hurt one how much more gréeuously will things neuer thought on come néere vnto the heart But why haue I not better looked vnto my selfe siely wretch Or why haue I beléeued other men so soone Howbeit we are men and that frayle brittle though we be iudged called angels of many And whome shalt I beleeue Lord Whom but thée which art the selfe truth and neuer deceyuest nor canst be dececeyued For in déede all men are but liers weake vnstable fraile most of all in words so that it ought not forthwith to be beléeued rashly whatsoeuer pretendeth a colour shew of truth wherby it hapneth that thou wisely hast premonished to take héede of men that euery one of a mans houshold are his enimies and that we must not beléeue them that saye Here he is or there he is I am taught to my cost I praye God I be made the more warye therby not the more foolish Be wary saith one be wary and kéepe it close to your selfe that I tell you Afterward when I helde my tong and thought that the same was counsel he on the other side coulde not kéepe silence in that which he bade no words to be made off but forth with betraying both me himselfe went his wayes From such counterfaites vnwary persons deliuer me O Lord that I neuer fal into their hands or commit such follies Minister true and stedfast sayings vnto my mouth and put far from me a wyly and deceitfull tong For I ought altogither to beware that I do not the same to another man which I woulde not haue done vnto my selfe How good how quiet a thing is it to saye nothing of others and not to beléeue all things without any respect or readily to speak much and to vtter or open himselfe but to few alwayes to séeke for thée that knowest the minds not to be caried about with blast of wordes but to desire that all inwarde and outwarde things may be done according to thy pleasure and commaundement How safe is it to the kéeping still of the fauor of God to flie worldly brauery not to coueth those things which with their gay shewe are had in admiration but rather to folowe those things with all diligence which doe bring amendement of life zeale of godlinesse How many hath vertue known ouer hastily praised done hurt vnto Again how many hath so the same done good to being kept in silēce in this fraile life which is said to be nothing but tēptacion warfare Of putting thy trust in God if thou be assayled with the darts of euill tongues The Li. Chapter LORDE SOnne shewe thy selfe constant haue thy hope set in me For what are wordes but wordes which flying through the ayre doe not hurt a stone if thou bée guiltie or sinfull sée thou be willing to correct thy self If thou be guiltie of no sin endeuor to beare paciently slaūderous reports for Gods sake and at the leastwise beare words sometymes though thou canst not yet abyde the sharpenesse of strypes And why doé so small things mooue thy minde disquieted it but bicause thou art as yet carnall hast greater regarde of men then thou oughtest to haue For bicause thou fearest to be dispised thou wilt not be reprooued for thy faultes séekest for starting holes of excuses But looke somewhat narrowly vpon thy selfe and thou shalt well perceiue that the worlde is yet alyue in thée a vaine loue to please men For when thou refusest to be bored and shamed for thy faults thereby it is plaine
and the Lorde hath taken awaye blessed be the name of the Lorde Is he kept vnder with pouertie and néede He aunswereth himselfe out of the Apostle Hauing foode and wherewith to be couered let vs content our selues with the same Is he taunted or taken vp without his desert He remembreth Christ who being rayled at did not reply euill for euill agayne as saint Peter sayeth Doth he receyue some grieuous notorious iniurie He remembreth that saying of Paule to the Romaines Not reuenging your owne quarrels beloued And agayne Leaue reuenge vnto mee and I will requite sayth the Lorde Is he afflicted with intollerable tormentes of some disease or sickenesse or with some other euilles He cryeth with Dauid Thou art iust O Lord and thy iudgement is right Is he forsaken of his acquaintance or friends He calleth to remembraunce that saying out of the Psalmes My father and my mother haue forsaken mee but yet the Lorde hath receyued me Briefly in all troubles miseries and calamities the godly man hath verye great cōfortes set before him in the frée goodnesse mercy and clemencie of God and from hence alway hath vnspeakable ioy doth aske in prayer looke for the mitigation or asswaging of them or if it shall so please God full deliueraunce from those euils wherwith he is laden and kept downe He knoweth that God both hath commaunded himselfe to be prayed vnto in the tyme of trouble and calamitie and that he hath promysed his aide and helpe and that also he looketh for a thankefull hart of such as are deliuered Trusting vnto these things he cryeth with Abacuch O Lorde in thy wrath remember thy mercy And with Hieremye Correct vs O Lorde but in thy iudgement not in thy furie And thus in very good hope of the goodnesse of God he reioyceth woonderfully and doth not onely betake himselfe vnto Gods mercy but also yéeldeth himself vnto Gods will as one ready both to doe also to suffer whatsoeuer God will haue him But as the trust of Gods mercy for Christes sake cannot stand or ioyne togither with a naughtie and corrupt conscience so cannot that ioy neither wherof the Apostle speaketh be at any tyme remayning in a minde guilty of fault or sinne Therfore wheresoeuer there is a bent determination or purpose to committe sinne there is there no maner of ioy at all in the Lorde And truely is that sayde of Plautus the Comicall Poet There is sayeth he nothing more wretched and miserable thā is an euill conscience Hereby it is plaine that the Apostles admonition or warning euermore to reioyce in the Lorde doth belong onlye to the godly sorte which with feare and trembling doe trauayle to their saluatiō For these men bycause they put all their trust in Gods mercy are fully perswaded that God is fauorable and pleased with them for Christes sake and that not onelye their sinnes are forgiuen and remitted them of the heauenly father but that they also are receiued into the fauour and friendship of God and that more is into kinred and cōsanguinitie are made the sonnes of God by adoption the heyres I saye of God and the bretherne and fellowe heires with Christ bycause the godlye I say doe stedfastly beléeue they doe alway reioyce in the Lorde euen in the midst of their troubles and calamities what euer they be that chance eyther common or priuate specially séeing they are not ignorant that God hath a care ouer them as Saint Peter doth witnesse This reioyce in the Lorde séemeth to be the chiefest portion of felicitie and happynesse in this lyfe the very chiefe or principall goodnesse which the godly sort alone do enioy and take fruition of The heathen Philosophers dreamed vpō an Euthumie or happinesse of mynde but touching this ioy of the godly mindes they were not able so much as to suspect or thinke of any such thing For of what sort that is the onely Christians being taught by Gods worde doe know and those especially which are ordayned as Luke saith to euerlasting life whose names are written in the booke of lyfe of the Lambe which was slayne from the beginning of the world as it is sayd in the Apocalips For whyle these doe alway reioyce in the Lorde they haue euen in this mortall lyfe also a certayne taste féeling smacke of the blessed state that shall be in the life to come whereby it happeneth that they being rauished as it were besides themselues do séeme in a maner to the world through euermuch ioye to be pieuish or melancholike to wéete whyle they be mute at the reprochfull checkes and taunts of other men doe pray for them that curse them doe loue and beare good will to their enymies whyles they doe good to them that hate them pray for them that hurt and persecute them to such as strike one side offer the other whiles to one taking away the cloake they leaue him their coate also and giue to euerye one that asketh and lende to one another hoping for no commoditie therby whyles many times they refrayne from wine doe fast sigh are sory wéepe continue all night in prayer by lying on the grounde by watch by studie and by other meanes doe tame their flesh and doe kepe their body occupyed after a seruile sort as the Apostle sayeth and who can well rehearse or recken vp all the other tokens of a certayne foolishnesse as it were or brayne sickenesse in them For the worlde can not iudge otherwyse of such men but that they altogither are besides themselues and out of their right wittes that thus demeane themselues And surely it cānot be denyed but that such men they are most commonly that doe alwaye reioyce in the Lorde The same doe neither desire riches nor séeke for honors and promotions nor folow pleasures They neglect their owne commodities they procure the commodities of other men being in maner lesse carefull for themselues than for others They embrace modestie for stoutnesse basenesse or ignobilitie for glorie austeritie of life for dainties They despise those things that the worlde setteth great store by and set great store by that which it despiseth maketh no accompt off They in maner giue all that euer they haue to the poore that which is giuen to the poore they thinke it giuen to Christ himselfe Such are they therfore that reioyce alway in the Lorde And in déede by the iudgement of the worlde as I haue sayd they séeme almost foolish whyles they so doe but if thou behold the iudgement of God himselfe in his worde thou shalt finde that they alone are the wysest of all other men The thoughts of such mē are alway not on earthly but heauenly things not vpon temporall things but on things euerlasting not vpon humaine affaires but about Gods hestes and cōmaundements For out of these doth arise that continuall ioye in the Lorde Therefore whyle other men are tormented with the cares of this lyfe they doe
heauenlye that euerye man doth couet himselfe to be so much doth this life become the more vnpleasant vnto him to wéete the more he both féeleth and clearly seeth the offences of mans corruption For to eate to drinke to watch to sléepe to rest to traueyle and to be subiect to all the other necessities of nature is vnfainedly great miserie and calamitie to the godlye person who coueteth to be set frée and at libertie frō all maner of sinne For grieuously is a man pressed downe with the necessities of the bodie in this lyfe and therefore doth the Prophet make humble prayer in these wordes to be deliuered from them O Lorde drawe me out of my necessities But wretched are they that knowe not their owne miseries and agayne more wretched which do loue this miserie and mortall lyfe which some doe so far embrace wheras neuerthelesse through their traueyle and carefulnesse they can scant yet get themselues but necessarie thinges that if they might liue here euermore they would passe nothing at all on the kingdome of god O mad braynes and faithlesse persons who lie drowned so déepely in the earth that lyke wretches they haue naught else in their mindes but carnall things and shall once at the length féele not without torment howe vile and nothing it is that they haue loued so much But those good men of God and all the vertuous sort as many as euer were christs friendes did not looke vpon those things that did please the fleshe or that did make a goodly shew for this present tyme but with all hope and gréedinesse did breath to euerlasting good things and with their whole heart were caried vnto the highest and the inuisible things least they should be drawen down to the lowest things through the leue of the visible O brother do not dispayre in comming forward in godly thinges As yet thou hast tyme and space why then dost thou put of thy purpose from day to day Arise and begin out of hand and reason thus with thy selfe nowe is the time to be dooing now is the time to be fighting now is the time to repent and amende thy life In roughnesse aduersity is the time to deserue Thou must passe through fire and water before thou come vnto refreshing and comfort Except thou minister violence vnto thy selfe thou shalt not maister sinne So long as we beare about this frayle bodie of ours we can not liue without irkesomnesse and sorow In déede we would faine haue rest frō all wretchednesse but bicause through sinne we haue lost our innocency we haue also forgone our true happinesse and felicitie Therfore we must hold vs still vnto pacience and awaite for the mercy of God til such time as vnrighteousnesse passe away and this mortalitie of ours be swallowed vp of lyfe Lorde God how great is mans frailty which euermore is prone vnto sinning This day thou confessest thy sinnes and hauing confessed the same to morow thou cōmittest them againe Nowe presently thou determinest to beware and take héede and within an houre after thy dooings be such as though thou hadst not determined at all Therefore great cause haue we to kéepe vnder our selues and neuer to haue anye great good lyking of our selues which are so fraile vnconstant It may also be sone lost with negligēce which with much traueile hath scantlye béene attayned by the help of god What shall become of vs at the last that do wax warm so soone Wo be to vs that thus traueile vnto rest as though there were peace securitie alredy when as no token of true godlinesse doth yet appeare in our condicions Surely we haue néede to be instructed vnto good maners afresh againe like yong beginners if happily there be any hope of amendment and greater profiting in heauenly things Of the meditacion of death The .xxiii. Chapter SEing thy life shall haue an end so quickly looke wel about thée Man flourisheth to day to morow he is no where and being taken out of the sight of the worlde is by by also forgotten of the same O blockishnesse and hardnesse of mans hart which thinking only vpō things present hath no regard to that that shall come after Thou oughtest in such wise to behaue thy selfe in al both déede and thought as though thou were ready to die by and by If thou haddest a good conscience thou wouldest not much feare death Better it is to beware of sinne than to flie death If thou bée not in a readinesse to day how wilt thou be ready to morrow The daye following is vncertaine How knowest thou whether thou shalt lyue till to morrowe or no What preuayleth it to liue a great while when wée be so little amended in oure liues Surely long lyfe doth not alwayes make a man better Nay oftentimes it increaseth sinne Woulde to God we had behaued our selues well in this life but one dayes space Many doe recken the yeares of their amendment repentaunce when oftentimes the fruite therof is but slender If it be a terrible thing to die perchaunce it is a more perillous thing to liue any longer Happie is he that hath euermore the houre of his death before his eies and frameth himselfe euerye day to die If thou hast euer séene a man dye thinke that thou must passe the same way to Be in doubte in the Morning whether thou shalt liue till the Euening And againe at night be afearde to promise thy selfe lyfe tyll Morning and alwayes bée in such a readynesse and liue in such sorte that death mays neuer fynde thée vnprouided Manye die so dainely and when they looke not for it for the sonne of man will come when we thinke not of his comming When as that last houre shall come thou shalt begin to thinke much otherwise of the whole life passed then thou didst before shalt be in déepe sorrow and heuinesse for that thou hast béene so necligent and so slacke O happie and wise man who endeuoureth now to be such a one in hys lyfe as he wisheth to be founde at the time of hys death For the perfite contempt of the world the earnest desire of commyng forwarde in vertue the loue of discipline or good forme of liuing the labour of repentaunce the readie mind to obey the deniall of himselfe and the suffering of euery calamitie for the loue of Christ are cause of great hope to die wel and happily Thou art able to doe many thynges well whilst thou art in health but being sick I knowe not what thou shalt be able to doe For fewe are made better through sicknesse they that driue of the amendement of theyr life vntill that time are seldome times made Gods seruants Better it is to repent and to liue so now whilst thou mayest as after thou mayst liue for euer Otherwise if thou forgo this occasion and oportunitie thou shalt afterwardes séeke for it to late and the tyme shall be when perhaps
thée I am thy most pore slaue and vile worme much more poore more vile than I eyther know my selfe or dare tell vnto thée And yet O Lorde be thou mindefull euen of this same thing the I am nothing that I haue nothing that I am nothing worth Thou only art good thou iust thou holy thou art able to doe all things thou perfourmest all thyngs thou fulfillest al things leauing the sinful only voyd emptie Remember thy mercy O Lord and fill my soule wyth thy fauor which wilt not haue thy workes to be good for nothing For howe maye I continue in thys wretched life vnlesse thy mercy fauor do strengthen me Turne not thy face away from me Deferre not thy curing of me from day to day Withdraw not thy cōfort from me least my soule doe sée me in thy sight like vnto the earth that is voyde of moysture Lorde teach me to doe thy will teach mée to walke worthilye and humblye before thée For thou art my wysedome and doest both know and hast knowne me perfectly aswell before that I was borne into the worlde as also before the worlde it selfe was made That truth and modestie in the sight of God is to be exercised The .v. Chapter LORDE SOnne practise thou truth in my sight and alwaies séeke me in singlenesse of heart He that exerciseth truth in my sight the same shal be defended from the inuasions of euill and him shall truth deliuer from deceiuers and siaunderers of the wycked Now if the truth shall deliuer thee thou shalt be frée in déede and shalt not passe vpon the vayne wordes of men SERVANT It is as thou sayest Lord and let me be so delt withall I pray thée to wéet that thy truth may teach me may kéepe me and maye bring me vnto an happie ende Let the same deliuer me from all wicked lust and from inordinate loue So shall it be brought to passe that I maye vse great libertie and freedome of soule towardes thée TRVTH And I will teach thée what is right what is acceptable vnto me Call thy sinnes to remembraunce with great sorrow and heauinesse of hart and doe thou chalenge any thing vnto thy selfe for thy good déedes For in verye déede thou art sinfull and endaungered and inwrapped in many diseases of the minde which goest euermore of thyne owne nature vnto nothing and soone fallest art soone ouercome art soone troubled and throwne downe headlong Finally thou hast nothing wherin thou mayst glory and boast but rather many things for which thou oughtest to set litle by thy selfe For thou art much more weake than that thou art able to perceyue the same Wherfore sée that none of all thy workes séeme great vnto thée Sée thou think nothing of thy loftinesse nothing precious woonderfull nothing to be reuerenced nothing high nothing prayse woorthy and to be desired in déede sauing that which is euerlasting Let the euerlasting truth please théé aboue all thinges and let thy excéeding vylenesse displease thée Feare nothing so much dispraise and flie from nothyng so much as thy vices and sinnes which ought more to myslyke thée then the losse of anye manner thing besides Some doe not behaue themselues towardes me purely and sincerely but rather being led with a certaine curiosity and arrogancie doe studiously search out my secrets and high mysteries neglecting themselues and their owne saluation These folowers doe many times fal into gréeuous tēptacions and sinnes for their owne curiositie and pryde bicause I am against them But being timerous doe thou stande in awe of the sentence and wrath of almightie GOD and search not out the works of the almighty but search thorowly thine own faults either how much euill thou hast done or else howe much good thou hast neglected Some doe beare about their whole religion and Godlinesse in beekes onely some in pictures some in outewarde signes and figures Other carye mée in their mouth but not so in theyr heart Contrariwise there are which being of perfite vnderstanding in minde and pure in hart doe euermore breath and couet after euerlasting things doe heare of earthly things against their willes do that which nature necessarily requireth with griefe sorrow and these in déede doe féele what the spirite of truth doth speake within them as they which doe teach them to loue heauenly thinges despising the earthlye and both daye and night doe couet heauen the worlde being contemned The praise of God and thankesgiuing for benefites and likewise of the force of the loue of god The .vi. Chapter SERVANT I Prayse thée O heauenly Father the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christ which hast vouchsafed to remember mée néedie Soule O father of mercy and God of al comfort I giue thée thanks which refreshest me being vnworthy of al comfort sometime with thy comfort I praise magnifie thée euermore and also thy onely begotten Sonne and thy holy ghost the comforter worlde without ende Oh my Lorde God O the holy louer of me when thou shalt come into my soule I will reioyce with my whole heart Thou art my glory and the reioyce of my heart Thou art my hope and refuge in the time of my calamitie and trouble But bicause I am yet of weake loue and vnperfite vertue I recken it necessary to be confirmed of thée and to be comforted at thy handes Wherefore visite me oftentimes instruct me with holy discipline Deliuer mée from wicked affections of the Soule and heale my minde from all the vnruly desires and vices that being healed inwardly and well purged I maye be made fit to loue strong to suffer constant to perseuere Loue is a great matter no doubt a great good thing which onely doth make light each thing that is heauy and beareth equally whatsoeuer is vnequall For it beareth a burthē without any burthen and doth turne all bitter thinges into swéete and sauorie The same Iesus I saye beyng our Noble Loue doth inforce to doe great things and euermore stirreth vp to desire the things that are more perfite Loue will be aboue and not kept still with any low things Loue will be frée and voyde from all worldly affection least hir inwarde sight be hindered or least it bée enwrapped eyther wyth some temporall commoditie or ouercome with incommoditie Nothing is more swéete than Loue nothing more strong nothyng more déepe nothing more broade nothing more pleasant nothing more full Nothing better eyther in Heauen or in earth bycause it is sprong of God and can not rest but in God aboue all the creatures The louer flyeth runneth reioyceth is frée and is not holden It giueth all thinges for all things and hath all things in all thinges as the which resteth in one highest thyng aboue all thynges out of which floweth and spryngeth all goodnesse It looketh not vppon hys gyftes but turneth it selfe vnto the gyuer aboue all good gyftes Loue canne not tell howe to kéepe measure but is feruente
with thy iudgements doest shake all my lims with feare trembling doest out of measure terrifie my hart This doe I ponder vpon amazedly that the very Heauens are not cleane in thy sight And if thou haue founde sinne in the very aungels themselues hast not spared them what shal then become of me If the Starres themselues haue fallen from heauen what may I being dust hope for They haue fallen down to the lowest places whose works did séeme laudable and praise worthy and they that did eate the bread of Aungels those sawe I to be delighted with Hogs meate and draffe Therefore Lorde there is no holinesse if thou once plucke backe thy hande No wisedome preuaileth if thou cease to gouerne No strength helpeth if thou leauest to kéepe and preserue No chastitie is in safetie vnlesse thou defende it No kéeping of a mans selfe doth profite vnlesse thy holye watching go withall For being once forsaken we are drowned and doe perysh and when thou doest take care ouer vs then we liue erected and lyfted vp We are in our owne respect but vnconstant Of thée we be confirmed and strengthned we are but warme of our selues of thée we are kindled Surely I must thinke of my selfe most humbly and basely must altogither way my selfe at nothing if that I séeme to haue any goodnesse in me I say again that I ought to submit my selfe most lowlye vnto those thy vnsearchable iudgments wherin I find that I am nought else but nothing of nothing O waight without mesure O sea that cannot be passed thorow wherein I finde my self to be nothing but altogither of nothing Where is then the couert of glory Where is then the confidence of glorie for the which thou hast bargayned Al vaine glory is swallowed vp in the gulfe of thy iudgements that thou hast of me What are all mortal men in thy sight Clay may boast it selfe against the Potter belike Can he ware prowd with vaine praises whose mind is subiect vnto god in the truth No though the whole worlde doe extol him after that the truth hath once made him subiect vnto it I say he shal be mooued with no bodies prayses that hath fixed his whole hope in god For euen al they that do speake are but nothing and shall fade away with the sounde of their owne wordes But the truth of the Lorde abideth for euer How we must be minded and what we ought to saye in such things as we desire to haue The .xvi. Chapter LORDE SOnne thus must thou saye in all thinges Lorde if it shall please thee let it bee euen so Lord if this shal be to thine honour bee it done in thy name Lorde if thou see that this shall be expedient and profitable for me bring it to passe that I maye vse it to thine honour but in case thou know that it shall not be for the health of my soule but hurtfull therevnto take this desire from me For euery desire is not of the holye spirite although it séeme right and good vnto man but harde it is to iudge whether a good or a wicked spirite doe enforce thée to couet after this or that or whether thou bée mooued rather within thine owne spirite Many men haue béene deceyued at the last which dyd séeme to be stirred at the first with a good spirit Therefore we must alwayes couet with the feare of God lowlinesse of mind whatsoeuer commeth into our heads by occasion to wishe for and the whole matter must bée committed to God with vnfained chiding of our selues and thus must we say Lord thou knowest whether of both is more expediēt for me do thou whether of both thou wilt thy self Giue me that thou wilt and as much as thou wilt and at what time thou wilt Deale with me as thou knowest it méete for me to be delt with al and as it liketh thée and as the thing may procure greatest glorie vnto thée Place me there where thou wilt deale fréely with me in al things I am in thy hands turne me and tosse me euery way Beholde I thy seruant am prest vnto al things for as much as I desire to liue I pray God accordingly and perfitely not vnto my selfe but vnto thee Pryaers to performe Gods will. The .xvij. Chapter SERVANT GRaunt vnto me O most bountifull Iesu thy fauour which may be assistant vnto me may labour with me may continue wyth mée to the verye ende Graunt vnto me euermore to will and couet the thinges which are acceptable and deare vnto thée Let thy will be my wil and let my will away follow thine and iustly agrée with thine Let one willing one nilling be common vnto vs both in such wise that I maye will or nill nothing but that which thou wyllest or nillest Graunt me to die vnto al things that are in the worlde and to loue to be contemned and not knowne in this world for thy sake Graunt me aboue all my wishes to repose and rest my self in thée and to haue a quiet and contented minde Thou art the true peace of the heart Thou art the onely rest out of thée are al things difficult and vnquiet In this peace that is to say in thée onely being the chiefest and euerlasting goodnesse will I sléepe and take my rest That true comfort must be sought for in God onely The xviij Chapter WHatsoeuer comfort I can wish for or imagine the same doe I not looke for here in this world but in the world to come Now if I alone had euen all the comforts that are any where and coulde enioy all maner delicates and dainties certaine it is that the same could not long continue or endure Therfore O my soule thou canst not attaine full comfort be perfitely refreshed sauing onely in God the comforter of the néedie and the helper of the modest Looke a litle while O my soule looke a little while after Gods promise and then thou shalt attaine plentie of all good things in heauen Now if thou wilt somewhat inordinately couet these present things thou shalt léese the euerlasting and heauenly things Let temporall thinges be in vse and occupying but let the euerlasting things be in thy desire Thou canst not be filled with anye temporall good thing bycause thou wast not created to enioye the same Albeit thou haddest all good things that are created yet couldest thou not be blessed notwithstanding Nay thy felicitie consisteth in God the creator of all things I meane not such as is thought so and praised of the folish worldlings but such as the good faithfull Disciples of Christ doe looke after such as the spiritual and cleane of hart whose conuersation is in heauen do sometime foretaste in this life Vaine and short is all mans comfort blessed and true is that which is receyued inwardly from the truth The godly person both euery where cary Iesus Christ hys comforter about
as can be possiblye had in thys mortall life Of the excellencie of a free minde likewise that humble prayer is better thā reading The .xxx. Chapter THis truely is the work of a perfite man Lord neuer to release the minde from the handling occupying of the Scriptures heauenly thinges in the middes of many cares to passe ouer the life as it were without care not after the maner of the dull and sluggish person but in the excellency of a frée minde cleauing to no worldly thing with inordinate desire I beséeche thée O my most merciful god preserue kepe me frō the cares of this life least I be ouermuch inwrapped with the necessities of the body or least I be caught with the pleasures of those things which doe hurt the soule or least I be discouraged as one that is harthbroken wyth griefs sorows I meane not of those things which the lightnesse of the worlde doth couet with tooth and nayle but of those myseries which do grieue my mind with the common penall infelicity of our mortalitie doth hinder it that it can not enter into the libertie of the spirite as often as it listeth O my God my vnspeakable swéetenesse turne al carnal comfort into bitternesse which draweth mée away from the loue of things euerlasting and allureth with the beholding of I cannot tell what present delightfull goodnesse Let not flesh and bloud ouercome me Let not flesh bloud ouercome me O my God let not the worlde and the short glory therof deceiue me let not the deuill giue me a fal with his subtilty and craft Graunt me strength to resist pacience to suffer cōstancy to perseuer Graunt me in the steade of all worldly comforts the most pleasant annointing of thy spirite and in steade of carnall loue poure into mée the loue thy name Very meate and drinke and clothing the other necessaryes to the maintenance of our body are burdensome to a feruent spirite Cause that I may vse such nourishments temperately and that I be not entangled with the ouer gréedie desire of the same In dede I may not cast away al things bicause nature must be sustained Againe thy holy lawe forbiddeth to couet all superfluous and most delightfull things For else the flesh would ware prowde against the spirite Betwéene these two thinges let thy hande rule me I beséech thée and teach me that nothing be done ouermuch That men are most of all hindred from the comming of the highest felicity thorow the loue of themselues The xxxi Chapter LORDE SOnne thou must purchase the whole with the whole and not kéepe backe anye thing of thy selfe For to giue thée vnderstanding of this thy selfe loue doth more hurt thée than any thing else whatsoeuer it be and it happeneth that according to that loue and desire which thou hast euery thing doth more or lesse stick vnto thée Now if thou shalt be endued with a pure simple temperate loue thou shalt be void of the bondage of thinges Desire not that which thou maiest not haue Possesse not that which may entangle thée and which may depriue thée of the libertie of the minde It is a woonder that thou doest not vtterly cōmit thy self vnto me with thy whole heart with all these thinges which thou canst wish for or haue Why art thou consumed with vayne mournyng and pensiuenesse why art thou tired with superfluous cares shew thy self obedient vnto my pleasure thou shalt suffer no maner of losse or hindraunce For if to get thy selfe commodities and to haue thy wishes thou wilt apply thy minde to the séeking of things and wylt couet to chang the place wherin thou art thou shalt neuer attaine quietnesse nor be frée frō carefulnesse For in euery thing there shal be somewhat to find lacke off and in euery place there shal be one or other to be thy aduersary Therefore euery thing doth helpe when it is not gotten or plentifullye encreased but rather contemned cut out of the minde by the rootes which thing I woulde haue to be vnderstoode not onely of landes and riches but also of the ambicion of honour and desire of vaine praise All which doe peryshe with the worlde Besides the place doth little fence a man if feruent spirite be wanting Neyther doth that peace which is outwardelye sought for long continue if it lacke the true foundacion of the settled mind That is except thou shalt stande in me thou shalt chaunge but the place and not the minde For an occasion arising and being taken thou shalt find not onelye those thinges which thou doest flie from but also mo things too besides ¶ Prayers to attaine to cleannesse of minde the heauenly wisedome The .xxxij. Chapter SERVANT COnfirme me O God with the gift of thy holy spirite graunt me so great vertue and power that the inwarde man beyng strengthened I may ridde my selfe from all vnprofitable care and langour or féeblenesse and that I be not drawne with the sundry desires of any thing whether it be vile or precious but doe account both my self and all other things for transitoris corruptible forasmuch as nothing is continuallye permanent vnder the sunne Nay all things are but vaine torments of the minde Who so taketh these things in such sort it is he that hath wit aboue other Graunt me O Lorde heauenly wisdom that I may learne to séeke find thée aboue all things to sauor and loue thée aboue al things so to take other things according to the order of thy wisdom as they be in déede in themselues Graunt me both wisely to decline from flatterers pacyently to beare mine aduersaries For neither to be moued with euery blast of wordes nor yet to giue an eare vnto the flattering Mermayde that in déede is perfite wisedome and so shal we safely go forward the way we haue onely begunne Against yll speakers The .xxxiij. Chapter LORDE SOnne if any shall haue an euill opinion of thée or shall speake euyll of thée doe not thou take the same grieuously but rather thinke woorse of thine owne self than he doth and beléeue no man to be more weake than thy self If thou wilt go the secret way of vertue of the mind thou shalt not greatly estéeme flying words It is no small wysedome to kéepe silence in aduersitye and to turne thy mynde vnto me and nothing to bée troubled wyth the iudgement of the worlde Peace must not stay vpon the saying of men wyth whome whether thou be well or yll reported thou art not for that cause another man In mée in mée I saye true glory and true peace doth consist the same shall enioy it plentifully that neither coueteth to please men nor yet feareth to displease them All vnquietnesse of mynde and distracting of the senses doth surely procéede from inordynate loue and vayne feare How God must be called vpon and praysed in aduersities The .xxxiiij. Chapter SERVAVNT
to morrow is no where Feare God and thou shalt not feare men What hurt can any man doe with his words or wrongs He hurteth himself rather than thée and cannot escape the iudgement of God whosoeuer hée be Haue thou God before thine eies striue not with quareling words If thou think thou be oppressed presently with infamy vndeserued take not the same heauilye or diminishe thy crowne with impacience but rather looke vp vnto me in heauen which am able to deliuer man from all rebuke and wrong and rewarde euery man according to his dooings Of the pure and entire yeelding vp of himselfe to the attaining of the libertie of minde The .xlij. Chapter LORDE SOnne forsake thy selfe and thou shalt finde me Sée that thou chalenge nothing vnto thy selfe sée thou haue nothing peculiare and proper vnto thy selfe and so shalt thou be alwayes a gainer For ouer and aboue this thou shalt haue greater giftes giuen thée as soone as thou shalt yéelde vp thy selfe neuer to looke backe againe SERVANT Lorde how oftentimes shall I yéelde vp my selfe and wherein shall I forsake my selfe LORDE Alwaies and at all howres both in smal and great matters I except nothing but that I wil haue thée founde naked made bare in all things Else how couldest thou bée mine and I thine vnlesse thou were spoyled of all thine owne will both within without The more spedily thou shalt thus do so much the better shall it go with thée and the fullier and more sincerely that thou go about it both so much the more shalt thou please me the more shalt thou gaine by it Some in déede do yéelde vp themselues vnto me but yet they doe it with some exception For they doe not put their trust in me fully and wholy therefore endeuor to sée prouide for themselues Other also at the first doe yeelde themselues altogither but afterwards when temptacion once knocketh they come to their olde condicions againe and therefore doe very litle profite in vertue These men shall neuer aspyre vnto the true lybertie of a pure hart to the most pleasant benefite of my familiaritie vnlesse an entire yéelding vp and a daily offring and sacrificing of themselues haue gone before without the which it happeneth not nor will be that thou mayest enioy the coniunctiō of god I haue sayde many times vnto thée and nowe I say againe Forsake yéelde vp thy selfe and thou shalt enioy déepe peace of minde Giue all for all require nothing aske nothing againe abide in me méerely without sticking at it and so shalt thou haue me shalt be frée of minde and voyd of darknesse Endeuor this praye for this labor to wish for this that being wholy turned out of thy selfe thou maiest being naked follow Iesus naked and mortified vnto thy selfe liue vnto me for euermore Then both vaine imaginations and wicked troubles and superfluous cares depart awaye Then also shall immoderate feare be gone and loue inordinate die Of conuenient dealing in outward things and flying vnto God in daungers The .xliij. Chapter SOnne thou must looke vnto this diligentlye that in euery place and outwarde action and businesse thou haue a frée mind and maister ouer it self and do put all things vnder thy subiection not thy self vnder them and be not the slaue or bondman of thine owne déedes but a Lord but a Ruler but one truely set at libertie an Hebrue translated into the lot and libertie of the children of God who despising present things doe beholde things euerlasting and looke vpon mortal things with the left eie but things heauenly with the right eye whome temporall things doe not draw to cleaue vnto them but they themselues doe rather draw them to serue their tourne aright according as they were made of God and the chiefest workmā who did leaue no disordred thing in thinges of his creation Now if in euery chaunce thou shalt not cleaue vnto the outwarde shewe of the matter nor behold the thing séene or hard within a carnall eye but in euery thing shalt forthwith enter with Moyses into the tabernacle to aske counsell of the Lorde thou shalt sometime heare God make thée an answere and shalt returne as one taught in manye things both present and to come For Moyses did alwaies repaire to the tabernacle in assoiling of doubts and questions and he fled vnto the helpe of prayer to driue away the perils wickednesse of men Euen so oughtest thou to flie into the secret place of thy hart in calling earnestly vpon Gods help For it is recorded in the scriptures that Iosua the other Israelites were therefore deceyued of the Gabaonytes bicause they did not first aske counsell of the Lord but were deluded with the swéetnesse of words as men light of credite vnder the shewe or pretence of godlinesse That man be not importunate in his businesse The .xliiij. Chapter LORDE SOnne commyt thy cause vnto me alwaies I wyll frame the same aright Looke for my decrée and determination thou shalt féele a profiting thereby SERVANT Lorde I commit euery thing vnto thée with a good wil bicause my thought doth little preuaile about it And woulde to God I were not carefull thus for the chaunces to come but did submit my selfe without stay vnto thy will and pleasure LORDE Sonne man oftentimes desirous of some thing doth couet the same and then hauing once gotten it hée beginneth to bée of another mynde bycause the desires of one thing are not dureable but force you to dyuers and sundrie things Therefore it is not the least thing of all to forsake himselfe in the least things and the true profiting of a man consisteth in the denying of himself so that he that hath done that once the same is most frée and in most safety But that olde enimy aduersarie to all good men doth neuer cease frō temptacion but day and night worketh high treasons or deceytes if perchaunce he maye thereby throwe downe the vnwary headlong into the snare of guile Wherfore watch pray saith the Lord lest you enter into temptation That man hath no goodnesse of himselfe nor that he can boast of any thing The .xlv. Chapter SERVANT LOrd what is man that thou art mindefull of him What is the sonne of man that thou earest for him what hath he deserued to be had in fauor of thée Lord what can I complain of if thou shalt forsake me Or wherein can I iustly blame thée if thou graunt me for my requestes Surely this may I rightly thinke and say to my self Lorde I am nothing I haue no goodnesse of my self but being voyd of all things doe euer tende vnto nothing And if I be not holpen of thée and instructed of thée wythin my minde I am made altogither warme and dissolute But thou O Lorde art alwayes one and doest abide one for euer more alway good iust holy bicause thou doest
swéetely solace themselues with most pleasant thoughts and thinke themselues present among the companies of angels farre otherwyse than the world thinketh of them Their cogitacions are alwayes busied in the misterie of mans redemption in that Lambe which was slayne from the beginning of the world in the forgiuenesse of sins reuealed and promised by almightie God for the deliuerer to come in that séede of the woman dreading downe the head of the serpent in the séed of Abraham which is Christ as the apostle saith in that Prophet of whom Moses maketh mention in Deuteron briefly in our Lord Sauiour Iesu Christ promised vnto the fathers alreadie giuen vnto vs that is in him onely to whome all the Prophetes doe beare witnes that who so euer doth put trust of his saluatiō in him shal obtain forgiuenesse of sins by his name who came into the world to saue sinners to séeke out saue that which was lost to giue his life for the redemption of many who was sent to bring the glad wished message or Gospel vnto the poore afflicted to heale the contrite of hart to preach deliueraunce to the captiue to comfort them that mourne to deliuer the oppressed who in fine is our aduocate with the father our enterpretour and pacifier betwéene God and men the throne of grace the high bishop the greatest priest to make intercession cōtinually for vs the propitiacion for the sinnes of the world our hope lyfe righteousnesse sanctification and redemption The cōsideration of these things abandoneth heauynesse out of the mindes of the Godly and maketh them to reioyce at all tymes more than one woulde beléeue And now howe great gladnesse doe they at large enioy whiles they set before theyr eyes the holy Catholyke apostolyke right beléeuing true Christian Church or cōgreation whiles they remember that communion or felowship of saints which being euen from the very beginning of the worlde after the promise giuen touching the Messias or Sauiour to come doth continue on still euen to this daye spreade first abroade in the fathers and Prophetes afterwards in the Apostles and Martyrs then by and dyuers degrées orders of Christians professing all one faith displayed throughout the whole worlde Whyles they waye and consider that Christ the sonne of God our Lorde and Redéemer doth rule this same spouse or congregation of his with his worde and Gospell doth helpe it with the holy Ghost defende and maintaine it continually against the Deuill whiles they plesantly and swéetely remember that they are adioyned vnto this fellowship of the Godly true Christian congregation by fayth wyll meaning inuocation prayer and by confession which hath the sonne of God for heade principall Aungels for defenders the holye Ghost for a sanctifier the godly and chosen of all ages for companions I say whiles they remember that they are the members of the people of God and mysticall bodye whose chiefe captaine is Christ Whiles they occupie their heades about thinking vppon that most blessed familiarity in time to come with all the Saintes in the kingdome of Heauen vnto the which they trauaile and labour tooth and nayle with excéeding great desire Therfore howe great ioye thinkest thou that they haue large fruition of whiles they are fixed vpon these and such other cogitacions And surely it behooued Christians alwayes to occupie their mindes about such things and being as it were astonied with the consider atiō of them to brast out into the prayses of God into Psalmes and Hymmes into spirituall songs singing and making melodie in theyr harts vnto the Lord giuing thanks alwayes for all things vnto God the father in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ as the Apostle teacheth And bycause the Godly doe this contynually what woonder is it if they alwaye reioyce in the Lorde And what then is there that can euer make heauy and sad can trouble or faare one that in such wise reioyceth Is it the breache of the lawe But the Apostle doth comfort vs Christ sayth he hath he redeemed vs from the curse of the lawe becomming himselfe a curse for vs. Is it sinne But S. Iohn doth comfort vs If anye man haue sinned we haue an Aduocate wyth the Father Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiacion for our sinnes Is it death The Godly wote full well that it is the gate of life euerlasting a certaine passage out to thys worlde vnto the Father Is it the wrath and the iudgement of God But we are reconcyled vnto God through Christ as Paule sayth Is it Satan Christ hath conquered him already and hath triumphed ouer him being conquered as sayth the same Paule Is it hell fire and the tormentos of hell Nay Christ when he had ouercome hell dyd open a waye vnto Heauen to the Godly And in the Prophet Osea the Lorde sayth I wil be thy death O death I wil be thy destruction O hell Likewise Dauid also in his Psalmes doth testifie that Christ did leade Captiuitie captiue when he ascended into heauen that is as much to say did as a man woulde saye leade the enymies of mankinde prisoners in hys shewe of Triumph the deuill I meane sinne death hell Briefly in all terrours and temptacions of Sathan in all heauinesse in the most sorrowfull cogitacions many tymes of death of the last iudgement of the iudgement seate of the Lorde among the other comfortes of the holy Ghost the godly doe chiefely stay themselues with the wordes of the Apostles Créede I beleeue say they the Communion or fellowship of Saints the remission of sinnes the resurrection of this fleshe and the life euerlasting They leaning vpon this fayth chasing all feare and heauinesse from them if that the deuill doe minister any doe reioyce alwayes in the Lorde Howbeit some man will here obiect that considering they are men it can not be otherwyse chosen but that they should be troubled with passions mourne and be sorowfull oftentimes For they can not lay the nature of mankinde from them renounce as it were the féele of flesh and bloude which all men haue in them I graunt that the godly are distressed with heauinesse many a time and oft and that their minds are sometimes troubled and mazed and that it can not bée otherwise in these tumults of worldly affaires Howbeit the same doe foorthwith come to themselues againe and disquietnesse of mind being setled or appeased they so facion themselues in Gods regard and prouident care toward them that with ioy they take all things very quietly and reioyce in their afflictions reposing themselues in thapprooued loue of God towarde them doe conceyue such gladnesse and pleasure in their minds therof that the same sorrow of theirs is soone ouerwhelmed withall if happily these outwarde things as commonly it comes to passe haue caused any in them For like as a very little sparkle falling into a great riuer is forthwith quenched and come to nothing euen so whatsoeuer euill
may be giuen to him that pleaseth God. But if perhaps ought fall out as the fashion of worldly affayres is that galleth him and stayneth his gladnesse with some griefe of minde by by the godly and faithfull Christians doe resort or flie vnto their heauenly father and hauing as it were familiar communication with him doe lay open their cares troubles before him and whatsoeuer it be that grieueth them do earnestly desire ayde helpe comfort wyth most earnest inuocation and prayer with humble méekenesse call for mercy in fine whatsoeuer aduersities they suffer doe bewayle the same as it were in the bosome of their most excellent and most tender louing father ▪ they craue for to haue the same either lestened and asswaged or else cleane taken away and that with a most sure fayth and affiaunce and yet in such sort that they wholy doe resigne themselues vnto Gods will and committe themselues vnto his goodnesse as men readye to beare paciently whatsoeuer God will haue them And if in the meane tyme they shall féele their affiance or trust toward God to quayle or be ouerthrowne of the deuill if they shall perceyue any scruple of conscience to arise within them if in any point they shal through mischaunce and vnaduisednesse by the meanes of mannes infirmitie swarue and forget themselues then doe they repayre to their Curate or Minister whatsoeuer is a griefe or trouble vnto them doe there open and disclose it without shamefastnesse or feare and doe heare with gladnesse the sentence of the Gospell pronounced vnto them by the Minister of the Church and doe lay it vp déepely in their hearts and mindes as if it were pronounced by Christ himselfe who is in déede our high Bishop and Priest yea and doe rest therevpon with full intent and meaning most hartily and most willingly Besides they doe many tymes also resort to the Lords Table to the ende that their faith may be the more kindled strengthned touching the mercifull loue and heauenly fauour of God towarde them and that the same ioy in the Lorde may be by this meanes repayred againe as it were which our ghostly enimie the deuill did go about to quench or darcken Hervnto may be added a continuall and diligent reading of holy Scripture Wherein the Children of God wyth vnspeakeable pleasure doe harde by heare God talking wyth them familiarly comforting the heauy hearted raysing vp the afflicted strengthening the weake and doubtfull calling men from dispaire Ioyne to this Sermons and godlye Exhortacions which the Preachers of the Worde of Saluacion doe make wherwith also the mindes of the godly are marueilously refreshed that Reioyce of the Lorde here treated of is so oftentymes renewed For God here doth worke ioye and gladnesse to the hearers in déed and the bones that are brought lowe doe triumphantly reioyce as the Prophet sayth Of like effect are the pryuate communications of the godly one wyth an other also touching God and Christ the Sauiour whiles that according to Paules doctrine they teach admonish one another wyth Psalmes Hymmes and Spirituall songs with ioye singing in their hearts vnto the Lorde whiles I say the worde of Christ is among them plentifully with al wisdome as Paule sayeth to the Collossians Besides thys the very times and holy daies doe often renew the Reioyce of the Godly that more is doe rather augment it make it greater than it was For they stirre vs vp vnto the remembrance of Gods woonderfull actes miracles wrought for the saluation of mankinde and by that occasion doe fill the harts of the godly with spiritual ioyes in the lord Such are our Easter Holydayes which are kept to cōtinue the remembrance of Christs Resurrection of Pentecost or Whitsontyde to call the sending downe of the holy ghost vpon the Apostles to minde the feastfull daies of Christs birth when the worde being made fleshe is celebrated Likewise the feast of the Circumcision of the Epiphanie of the Purification Palmes Annunciation Visitacion Ascension such other like At which times that spirituall ioye in the Lorde which the Godly haue is marueylously much increased with a certaine heape as a man woulde saye I meane in the remembring and recounting of things done by almightie God as I sayde afore Hereof commeth that saying in the Psalmes touching Christes Resurrection This is the daye which the Lorde hath made Let vs triumph and be glad therin And in the Apostle also Christ our passeouer was offered vp for vs. Hereof is that saying in the Gospel read in the Church for Christmasse day Beholde I declare vnto you exceeding great ioy which shall be vnto al the people that a Sauiour this day is borne vnto you which is Christ the Lorde And also that in Esay A childe is borne vnto vs and a sonne is giuen vnto vs. These and such other like sayings which are song in the congregation vpon feastful and solemne dayes howe excéedingly thinke you doe they reioyce and cheare vp the heartes of the faithull Christians This euen thys I abide by is to reioyce in the Lord and not as others at such times are woont to do to make feasts and bankettes one with an other and séeke after pleasures and belly chéere but to spend the holy dayes in godly and deuout meditacions and to giue thankes to God for his benefites to sing Psalmes and Hymmes vnto almightie god What doth not that frequent or populous resort and assembly of the congregation Christian men in the Church at all seasons to heare the worde of God to make inuocation and prayer to giue thanks cause a large encrease of gladnesse in the godly What is he that can say nay to it Therfore the faithful do most willingly come forth to be present with other at that most holy and alwayes to God most pleasaunt and acceptable sacrifice of praise inuocation worship giuing of thanks Hymmes prayers which at the comming togither of the whole congregation is vsed ordinarily to be made with very great ceremonie or reuerence And it is not the least ioy of al that they here tell how any of their brethren haue happily and in assured and strong fayth towarde God departed out of this transitorie life Wherevpon they being also glad doe yéelde thanks to the goodnesse of God and praye that they maye haue the like departure and doe followe the corse with a good wil. And in thus doing they are not onely brought in minde of their owne mortality but also their most swéete and plesant desire touching the heauenly dwelling is renewed and the memory to liue there in the fellowship of Aungels and to enioye that most blessed familiaritie in time to come with all the Saintes in the life eternall is with singular pleasure stirred vp Likewyse at the baptisme of an Infant newly borne the ioy of the Godly is also amplified and made more than it was whiles they thinke and cōsider not onelye of the number of Christians
the Lorde for all things I beseech thee the euerlasting father of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ for thy sonnes sake our Mediator high priest and aduocate that pouring forth plentifully into vs thy holy spirite thou wouldest stirre vppe encrease and keepe this same faith in our heartes For it is not in mans power to beleeue trust but commeth from aboue from almighty god neither haue we the same of our selues but we haue it as a gift from thee O most mercyfull father and we ought at all times to acknowledge our faith to come from thee to render hartie thanks vnto thee for the same Thus much had I in maner to declare touching the continuall Reioyce of the Godlye being mooued vppon occasion therevnto through that place of the Apostle to the Thessalonians where he sayth Be gladde alwayes pray without cessing giue thanks in al things And with that likewise to the Philippians Reioyce in the Lorde alwayes and againe I say reioyce By which words the Apostle biddeth the godly sort and them that doe cleane fast to him with full trust and affiance to be of good chéere spiritually iocund at all times in the memory and recounting of Gods good wil toward them and in the sure hope of atteyning saluation through our Lorde sauiour Iesus Christ howsoeuer that the worlde go Nowe happy is that man and happy in déede whatsoeuer he be that reposing himself onely at al times in God who taketh care for the Godly being mooued therevnto thorowe a certayne woonderfull and true fatherly loue and tender affection towarde vs as is the naturall father to his children whosoeuer I saye beléeuing the sonne of God to be our righteousnesse sanctification and redemption and fully perswaded with him selfe that there in no condemnation at all to be feared of thē that are ingraffed in Christ Iesu doth passe ouer the whole time of his life in spiritual ioy taking things present in good woorth nothing carefull with thought and pensiuenesse for things to come seruing alwayes in feare and exceedingly reioysing with trembling as that holy Prophet Dauid the Psalmograph doth admonish This therefore that we may doe in déede and without counterfeyting from the very bottome of our harts howsoeuer things go both in prosperitie and aduersity I praye the same our Lorde and God to graunt without whome there is neuer any syncere ioye and in whom onely the scripture biddeth vs to reioyce and bee excéeding glad alwayes to whom be prayse honor and glory for euer and euer Amen FINIS Learning without true religion nothing woorth Noscere ipsum we ought not to aduaunce our selues of learning but rather to acknow ledge our ignorance and want of skyll There is no combat more xecellent then for a man to conquer himselfe An vpright conscience ought to be preferred before worldly knowledge The coūsayle of wisemen rather to be followed then thine owne fantasies A couetous mind neuer satisfied but an humble spirite leadeth his life in peace A poynt of lightnesse to trust in man or any other creature No hurt to make himselfe inferior to al men but to preferre himselfe before other it is hurtfull A harde thing to iudge wel of a man before he be tryed knowne To liue in subiection of other and not at a mans owne libertie doth very much auayle To stand to much in his owne opinion although it be good betokeneth pride and wilfull stubburnesse To much babling causeth sinne and hindeethr God is the searcher of the heart Mā ought to depende wholy vpon God. Comfort th
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thy selfe in déede howbeit to thine owne destruction For euery man doth more hurt vnto himselfe if hée séeke not after Iesus than the whole worlde and all hys enimies can doe besides Of the familiar friendship of Iesus The .viij. Chapter WHilest Iesus is present al thinges are in good case nothing séemeth difficult or heard but whē he is once absent al things are vneasie When Iesus doth not speake in the soule of man euery comfort is but of litle force whē the same doth speake but one worde méere comfort is felt So Marye Magdalene did ryse from the place wherin she wept assoone as hir Sister Martha did bring hir word that hir Mayster was come that he did cal for hir Happy is that howre in the which Iesus doth cal thée frō teares vnto the ioy of the spirit How dry harde art thou without Iesus How foolish vaine art thou if thou couet any thing besides Iesus with greater losse no doubt thou doest so then if thou shouldst léese the whole worlde For what good can the world do thée without Iesus To be without Iesus is bitter death To be with the same Iesus is pleasant life If Iesus shal be with thée no enimie shal be able to doe thée hurt He that findeth Iesus findeth a good tresure or rather the chiefest goodnes of al other He that forgoeth the same Iesus forgoeth too too great a commoditie And why haue I said to great Nay he forgoeth more thā if he lost the worlde beside He that liueth without Iesus is very poore he that agréeth well wyth Iesus is very rich to be conuersaunt with Iesus is a point of great cunning and to be skilful in kéeping of him thy friend is a point of great wisedome Be modest and pacient and so shall Iesus be present with thée Bée godly and quiet and Iesus shall abide styll with thée Thou shalt soone dryue the same Iesus away and shalt forgo his fauor if thou shalt turne thy self to outward things Now if thou léese him by driuing of him away vnto whome then wilt thou flie for comfort Or what friende wilt thou then séeke for truely without a friende thou canst not long lyue and if Iesus shall not stand thy friende aboue all other thou shalt bée sorye without measure being once forsaken of him Therefore thou doest foolishly if thou trust to any beside or reioyce in any other Better it is to haue the whole worlde against thée than Iesus onely Wherefore of all those that are deare vnto thée let Iesus be the dearest Let other be loued for Iesus sake and let Iesus bée loued for his owne sake Iesus Christ alone is singularlye to bée beloued who among thy friendes is onely founde good and faythfull For his sake and in hym both thy friendes and enimies ought to be deare vnto thée and the same Iesus must be prayed vnto for them all that all may know and loue him Neuer couet to be praysed and loued singularly for this belongeth to God who hath no péere or equall neyther wish thou that any mannes minde should be addicted wholy vnto thée nor be thou occupyed in the loue of any man but let Iesus be both in thée and in all good men haue a cleane and frée soule and such as is without all let of worldely things For thou must be cleane and bring a sincere soule vnto Iesus if thou wilt giue thy selfe to contemplacion and beholde howe swéete or pleasant the Lorde is And surely thou shalt neuer get vp to that gryce vnlesse thou be preuented drawen with his fauor that all things being abolished wholy reiected of thée thou mayst be coupled vnto him alone For if Gods fauor be the meane betwéene man and Iesus it hapneth that man is able to doe euery thing If the same fauor haue once departed from a man he by and by is poore and weake and as it were one left onely for torments and whipping which thinges whilest they chaunce thou oughtest not therfore to be discouraged or yet to dispaire but to haue a good hope of the wyll of God and pacientlye to beare all thy mysaduentures vnto the prayse of Iesus christ For Sommer followeth after Wynter and the day retourneth againe after the nyght and great cleerenesse commeth after tempest Of the lacking or being without comfort The .ix. Chapter IT is no hard matter to despyse worldely comforte so long as Gods comfort is present wyth thée But to be able to lacke both worldelye and Heauenlye comfort and willingly to suffer the banishement of the soule for the glory of God and to be affectionate towarde himselfe in nothing nor yet to behold his owne merite or reward this surely is a great matter or rather the greatest of all other What great thing is it if whilst the fauor of God is with thée thou be chéerefull and godly Who would not wishe for that howre as wel as thy selfe Pleasantly doth he ryde whome Gods grace doth carie what woonder is it if he féele no burthen that is caried of the Almightie and conducted of the highest Guide Gladly doe we cleaue fast vnto the comfort of some creature and hardlye doth man renounce and forsake himselfe yea much and long time must he fight or striue before hée learne fully to mayster himselfe to draw all his powers vnto god So long as hée stayeth vpon hys owne selfe he quickely falleth vnto worldely comfortes but the true louer of Christ and the studious folower of vertues doth not turne vnto those comforts nor séeketh after such delites of the senses but rather for vehement exercises for streight labors for Christs his sake Therfore if at any time spirituall cōfort be graunted thée of God receyue thou the same with thankesgiuing and wéete thou that it is gods gift and not thy deseruing and be not prowd thereat Reioyce not to much at thy gift nor waxe prowde vainely but be rather so much the more modest and in all thy déedes also the more warie and fearefull For the time of that comfort shall passe awaye and temptacion shall come after Therfore when comfort is taken from thée dispaire not forthwith but looke after helpe at Gods hand wyth modesty and pacience For God is able to endue thée againe with a more ample gift greater comfort Neyther is this thyng straunge or vnwoonted vnto them that haue once made tryall of the waye of god For men of greatest vertue and the auncient Prophets haue assaied and felt such alteration in themselues Therefore a certaine man endued wyth the Spirite of God sayde thus Whilest I was in so great felicity I thought I should neuer haue beene disgraced againe And when the same felicitie was once taken awaye from him hée addeth what then happened vnto him in these woordes Afterwarde when thou diddest hyde thy face from me I was troubled And yet all thys while he dispayreth not but prayeth vnto God so much
the more earnestly and sayth thus I haue made mine inuocation vnto thee O Lorde I haue made supplication vnto the Lorde At the last he hath the rewarde of his supplication and testifieth that he was hearde saying The Lord hath hearde me and taken pittie vpon me But wherin I pray you Thou sayth he hast turned my sorow into mirth ridding me from my sackecloth hast clad me with ioy Nowe if these things haue happened to men of so great holynesse we abiectes néedye persons must not dispaire although sometime we be in colde and sometime wée bée in colde and sometime in heate forasmuch as the spirite commeth and goeth according to his will and pleasure And for that cause Iob sayth Thou settest so much store by him that thou hast a regarde ouer him and daily doest care for him and makest proofe or tryall of him euery houre Therefore in what thyng else ought I to haue hope or whervnto else ought I to trust but onely to that mightie mercie of God and heauenlye grace For though I haue good men and godly brethren and faithful friends or bookes of holy scripture and trim communicatiō or swéete songs and balades with me yet doe al these things litle profite They like me but a little if being forsaken of Gods spirit I be left vnto mine owne néede or nakednesse At that time there is no better remedy than pacience and deniall of thy selfe according to the will of god Surely I neuer chaūced to talke with anye Godly person from whome the spirite of God hath not sometime béene withdrawen or which hath not felte a decrease of his heate Neither hath there euer béene any holy man so déepely rauished lightned in soule but that the same hath some time at the least béene tempted eyther fyrst or last For he is not worthy the high contemplacion of God who for Gods cause hath not béene exercised wyth some miserye For the temptacion going before is woont to be a token of the comfort that commeth after For heauenlye comfort is promised vnto them which haue béene tryed wyth temptacyons He that shall ouercome saith Christ to hym will I graunt to feede vppon the Tree of lyfe And Gods comforte is graunted that man may bée more strong to beare out aduersitie And temptacion doth follow least he shoulde be to prowde of that good commoditie The Deuill sléepeth not neyther is the fleshe yet mortified And therefore neuer cease to prepare thy selfe to battell For the vnquiet enimies are both vpon thy right hand thy left Of thankefulnesse for the benefits of god The .x. Chapter WHy doest thou séeke after quietnesse séeing thou art borne vnto labour Yéelde thy selfe rather vnto pacience than to comfort and to beare the Crosse than to ioye and gladnesse For what worldly man woulde not willingly liue alwayes in spirituall comfort if he might euermore haue and obtaine the same which comfort excelleth all the daynties of the worlde and pleasures of the fleshe For all worldelye delites are eyther dishonest or vaine but the spirituall are onely pleasaunt onely honest onely causer of vertues and inspired of God into pure mindes But these comfortes of GOD are such that no man can enioye them at his owne pleasure bicause temptacion doth no long time cease The false liberty of the soule and the ouermuch confidence of a mans own selfe doth much withstand the heauenly help or comfort God doth well which bestoweth the benefite of his comfort vpon man but man doth naught that doth not acknowledg the same wholy to come from God with thākesgiuing Herevpō it happeneth that Gods gifts can not flowe vnto vs bicause wée are vnthankefull to the giuer and doe not poure backe al things into the fountaine and spring againe He that is thankefull doth procure a new benefite and that is withdrawne from the hawtie vnthankefull which maye be bestowed vpon the modest thankefull I woulde not haue comfort that shoulde take from me the pricks of awe neither is that the cause of vnderstanding of things which hoysteth mée vp into pryde For whatsoeuer is high the same is not also holy neither is euery desire pure neither is the same healthfull whatsoeuer is swéet Neither is the same also acceptable vnto God whatsoeuer is déere vnto mē I receyue those benefites willinglye by the which I maye be made the more modest and fearefull and more readie to gyue ouer and forsake my self He that is taught and chastised wyth benefites receyued at Gods hande and the same afterwards be taken from him againe the same dareth not to attribute any goodnesse vnto himselfe but rather confesseth himselfe néedy and naked Giue vnto GOD that which is Gods and ascribe to thy selfe that which is thine owne that is to say giue thankes vnto God for his benefites and attribute sinne vnto thy selfe and for sinne thinke that punishmentes are due vnto thée Recken thy selfe alwaies in the lowest place and so shal the highest be giuen thée For there can be no highest without respect of the lowest Those account themselues for the least whome God reckeneth for chiefest bicause of their godlinesse and the more full of glory they be so much the more humblye they behaue themselues being full of truth and heauenlye glory not desirous of vaine glory It is not possible any way that they should waxe prowde which stande stayde vpon God and they which ascribe vnto GOD whatsoeuer goodnesse they haue attained the same do not couet after mutuall glory but desire that which is of God onely couet that God both in himselfe and in all other holy men may be praysed aboue all things and euermore dyrect their dooings to that ende Wherefore shewe thy selfe thankfull in small things and thou shalt bée woorthie to attaine to greater things Let euen the least and most base gifts be reckened of thée for verie great and notable For if the worthinesse of the giuer be considered no gift or quality ought to séeme smal or course For it is no small gift that is giuen of the high and mightie God insomuch that if he doe giue euen punishments and stripes the same ought to be welcome vnto vs bycause it maketh for our saluation whatsoeuer he suffereth to happen vnto vs He that desireth to kéepe stil the grace and fauor of God let the same shewe himselfe thankfull for the benefites giuen him and pacient when the same be taken from him and let him praye that they may come againe and let him be chary and modest that he forgo them not Of the small number of the louers of Christ his Crosse. The .xi. Chapter IEsus hath nowe many louers of his heauenly kingdom howbeit he hath few bearers of his Crosse he hath many desirous of comfort but fewe of calamitie He findeth a great sort partakers of hys table but fewe of his continencie All men will reioyce with Christ but fewe will suffer affliction with him Manye followe Iesus euen to the breaking of breade