against us And lead us not into temptation But deliver us from evill Amen Besides all this thou must also most heartily humble thy self before God acknowledging thy self a sinner and that thou canst do nothing that is righteous but if there be any goodness in thee either of Nature or of Gods Grace thou must sreely confess that all comes from above Repute not thy self better than another but rather the least of all If any despise thee mock thee or injure thee suffer it not only patiently but also willingly and gladly even for the love of God For the sealing Ladder of Heaven is Humility a full denying of thy self in worldly causes Think not well of thy self for any thing that thou doest hast done or mayest do but if thou hast any goodness in thy body or in thy soul be not ashamed to confess that it is not thine because it comes not from thee but of God for from him indeed it proceeds And when at any time thou findest thy self as it were lest of God and destitute of consolation whether it be inwardly or outwardly be not discouraged for it neither think that God hath Forgotten thee but heartily Humble thy Self before God putting all thy confidence in God as in one that knows how to save his Elect. If thou receive any blessing inwardly as Wisdom or any other gift exalt not thy self in pride neither discommend others that have not received of God such grace but use that which thou hast to Gods glory Again if thou see thy Neighbour fall take heed judge him not but think that God permits thee to see his effence for thy profit Imagine thou wast never touched with that crime well it is much but yet thou hast been culpable in some other as bad or else worse upon this examination reform thy self suppose thou art in no fault thou must not therefore esteem thy self better than he that is in fault knowing thou art of such a nature as he is and made of the same stuff as he is and therefore notwithstanding thy supposition a sinner and offender as well as he so that both need amending Be thou sure that if God had provided no better for thee than thy self deserved thou hadst committed the like offence or else greater and thank God for that he hath kept thee so and pray for him that doth amisse and is not yet converted When thou seest a sinner only led to lose his life by Law know that thou standest a sinner before God as well as he although before the world thou be esteemed better There is no School wherein a Christian may so well learn to live well as in the contemplation of Christs life and conversation thou must oftentimes think on thy last end as Death Iudgement Hell and Heaven persevere in Prayer so shalt thou please God and not be loath to die Remember thy end saith the wife Man and thou shalt never sin thou must often pray deboutly to God and when thou wilt so do thou must draw thy self from all affairs for Prayer is a lifting up of the heart to God and a private speech of the soul with God If it be so were there any reason that a man should draw his cogitations from God or rather all outward businesse put apart with all reverence to submit thy soul before him All this notwithstanding it is not forbidden in all our affairs to pray and sing Psalms to Gods glory and oftentimes with Tears to say the Lords Prayer or any other Prayer to that effect And here by the way thou must understand that the longest Prayer is not the profitablest because of the multitude of cogitations of the minde besides that thou must be devout for the prayers which are done with devotion of the heart do profit all other prayers are but vain and to no purpose If thou pronounce but three words as the Publican did saying God be mercifull to me a sinner or as the Canaanite said O Son of David have mercy upon me it is enough Again be not curious of thy tongue nor line in speaking it sufficeth that thy heart speaks within thee and thy tongue though but bleatingly if unfainedly it is well as we read of Moses and Anna Samuels Mother Worldly goods superssuonsly thou oughtest not to ask but necessarily and with measure for thy bodily health and for the succour of the needy If thou be sick poor or in adversity thou mayst ask Health Riches or Prosperity so it be done to Gods glory But if thy asslictions do more advance Gods glory than thy prosperity doth yeelding thy soill to Gods will thou oughtest to ask Patience and say with a meek heart Lord thy will be done and not mine I thy senses be inclined to sin be not dismayed for there is a God to whom if thou pray he will by the power of his grace suppresse that inclination Wherefore take courage when thou art tempted ask help of God saying O God make speed to save me O Lord make haste to help me Lord God leave me not but be my help O thou Lord God of my health Do what thou canst to resist the Devil and he shall go from thee approach unto God by Faith and be will draw near unto thee by his Spirit If the Devil assault thee desy him and make thy moan to thy Saviour saying Lord help me and be with me Do thou thy endeavour and assure thy self that God will make thee strong he will aid thee he will ease thee and in the end will set thee free from all verations placing thee in the Heaven of Heavens the Portion and Inheritance of his Servants To this God and to Iesus Christ with the holy Ghost he all glory honour and praise world without end Amen CHAP. XII The Authors Peroration or Conclusion to the devout Readers or Hearers I Thank Almighty God of his goodnesse that I am come to the End of the Voyage of the wandring Knight by the which thou mavest understand that in following Folly and vain Voluptuousnesse he forsook God to the prejudice and hurt of his Soul yea to the danger of everlasting damnation Here thou mayest learn that all voluptuous worldlings are the very Subjects of Sathan and their earthly goods and worldly pleasures shall quickly consume Thou art taught likewise what great clemency God used to … m drawing him by his grace from the sink of sin wherein he was sunk how he was led to the Palace of Repentance and from thence to the Palace of Vertue where by Gods grace he is now and what goodnesse he hath found there thou hast heard at large The Lord grant us to land where he is landed even in the Land promised to the Elect. Amen And now to conclude I beseech your courtesies that if any thing in this my labour mislike you interpret the same to the best and lay nothing to my charge in the way of presumption but commending my good meaning and allowing my will not to contemn but to speak well and esteem of this my Work and to use it for thy benefit and edincation for the which end I made and compiled the same And now I exhort you all in Christian love and charity that if by Gods grace you be resident in Vertues Palace to persevere and continue there to the end humbling your selves before God and allwayes trusting unto his goodnesse not unto our own strength or merits acknowledging also Gods grace by the which you are as you are and of whom you have that you have Let all your considence be in his mercy and in his goodnesse Furthermore if any feel and perceive himself out of Vertues Palace by the means of wordly vanities let him consider the great peril he is in and speedily turn to repentance with a contrite and sorrowfull heart requiring pardon of God and trusting wholly in the merits and passion of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ Let him not be ashamed to acknowledge his sins which if he do he shall finde at Gods hands grace and mercy And now I beseech nor Lord God to give us all Grace to do according unto that which is here spoken for otherwise of our selves it is not possible that leading a life acceptable and agreeable unto his holy will we may in the end after the Voyage which we have to passe in this world see and enjoy possesse and have the full fruition of that glorious city of Paradise where true Blessednesse and perfect Felicity welleth even in the Habitation of God Almighty unto whom be all Honour Glory Power and Dominion for evermore Amen FINIS
I governed quoth Folly Julian Apostata the nine and thirtieth Emperour of Rome who in his life was so wise and well given that he was made Reader in the Church of Nicodemia This man Travelled to Athens where he studied Philosophy but he stayed not long in that good purpose for by the connsell of me Folly he renounced the Christian Faith and became a Revolter and an Idolater I perswaded him to persecute the Christians lest they should encrease seven for one I moved him also by my subtill device to root and weed them out quite which thing he meant to do but he was kild within two years after who being stain in Persia and yielding up his evill Spirit he lifted up his bloody hand to Heaven in contempt and despight of Iesus Christ making this out-cry Now O Galilean thou hast the Victory I governed the false Prophet Mahomet and counselled him to make a Book to entitle it Alcaron and to expound things in the holy Scriptures carnally which he did and that Law is yet continued in the greatest part of the World I Governed Mesaline an Empress the Noblest Whore in the world who being but newly marryed to Claudius fifth Emperour of Rome an old Gentleman when she found by proof that her Husband was insufficient and unable to satisfie her leacherous desires by my counsell oftentimes she disguised her self into mans Apparell and went to the common Stewes where she abused her body with a great number returning back no better than a Bitch and vaunted that she had vanquished and gone beyond all the whores in the house of Bawdry When the wandring Knight had heard these wonderfull Discourses uttered by Folly and having in him some sparks or Reason and inclination of nature he thought himself foolish if it were not in him to judge of Deeds so mischive ous and ill And being no longer able to keep silence he breaks his minde to Folly finding great fault with this unfatiable Empress insomuch that he cryed out with a loud voice and said Fie fie fie filthy Bitch and Vile Whore worthy to be tyed to a tree stark naked and delivered to greedy Dogs and ravening Birds to be devoured Then I asked Folly what was the end of this wicked woman who told me that the Emperour put her to Death because she was not content with her lawfull Husband but marryed another Man whose name was Silius whereunto I assented saying that it was a good deed for there need no more but three such detestable filths in all France to spoyle the whole Realm This Tale of Folly touching her deeds and exploits her devices and practices her provocations and counsells it being long and strange I am not able to repeat as it was spoken but have nakedly recorded so much as resteth in my remembrance which thing I have the rather dane to the end that all devout Christian Readers might willingly learn and throughly know what great wickedness they commit in following the evill Counsell of Dame Folly Every one ought to forsake her for that the end of such as he ruled by her precepts tread in her paths and dance after her Pipe is proved by experience to be dangerous deadly and damnable But noto let us return to our Voyage and former matter CHAP. VI. The Wandring Knight finding two wayes and doubtfull whether of them to take Then chanced to come unto him Vertue and Voluptuousness either of them offering to conduct and guide the Knight on his way SO long lasted the talk of Folly that we had worne out the way well and the Sun went low In the end we came into a straight where we found two wayes one lay on the left hand was fair broad and entring into a goodly green Medow the other on the right hand which was narrow racky and full of Mountains Being then in a perplexity and deubtfull which of these wayes I might take Folly told me that the way on the left hand was best and fairest and Temerity my Horse kept a slinging to go that way so that I had much ado to rein him in Then said I to Folly that I feared lest the green grassie way would lead me into some ditch and Quagmire where we should stick fast Bestdes that I was more than halse discouraged with her Tales which she had told me and though I in heart hated them yet notwithstanding custome caused me to use them not being able to do otherwise without Gods grace Hereupon I was resolved to take the way on the left hand Folly keeping me company But as we were thus talking together I espyed two Ladies coming towards the place where we stood which made me very glad one of the Ladies rode upon a white Horse and went in a Gown of costly colours bravely embroydered with Needle-work and in a border the three Divine and the four Morall Vertues were wrought This Lady was very beautifull and she seemed naturally to be fraught with goodly graces and gifts she had a neat body a sweet countenance a modest gesture her face was not painted she was alwayes very courteous she pretended authority and Reverence without flattery she was not sowre and grim but lovely and amiable the other Lady rode upon a Rats coloured Horse and went in a changeable coloured Gown garnished with Gold and excessive cost she wore about her neck a chain of Gold with rich Iewels tyed unto it her singers were decked with Ring upon Ring she seemed to have been delicately brought up her Face was beautifull but I suspected she was painted her looks were wanton and unconstant and she rolled her eyes every way This Lady came to me before the other and after Salutations I asked her which of the two wayes I should take to find persect Felicity She answered me saying My Son if thou wilt follow me I will bring thee a short and pleasant way thorow a green Meadow be not doubtfull for I will lodge thee this night in the Pallace of Felicity into the which when thou art entred and placed thou needest not think upon any thing but what may best please thy mind and procure thy delight as fine Fare Dancing Singing soft Lodging Ladies Love Laughing Hunting Hawking Fishing Fowling Riding Running Shooting Bowling Rich Aray and all things else that can be devised to please thy Phantasie all which pleasures I will provide thee with a thousand more for it is in me to bestow such things upon them that take me for their Mistress With these words I was bewitched and longed to see this pleasant Pallace not mistrusting that she was any other then she said and seemed to be And being destrous to learn her name I began thus My good Lady may it not offend you if I ask your name My Son quoth she such as follow me and have had experience of my goodness call me Felicity and that deserbedly and of good right For I am indeed the Empress of the Pallace of worldly Pleasures whither I will bring
only remained with me This Earth-quake yielded such an Air of Brimstone that the like hath not been felt then I perceived that I was far from the pleasant Palace Gardens Orchards and Vine-yards of Voluptuousness and rather in a beastly Bog sticking fast and nothing near me but Serpents Snakes Adders Toads and Venomous wormes Such was my perplexity in this case That I fell into despair being not able to speak one word I was so sore amazed but when I came again to my self revived from death to life and found my self in that beastly Bog I tare my hair I rent my cloaths I wept I wailed I howled I cryed I wrung my hands I struck my breast I scracht my face I bit my Armes and spake thus O Wretch O Ass O Miserable Fool O Captive O Fondling where is now thy Palace of Worldly Felicity Where are now thy brave Chambers hanged with cloth of Arras Where are now thy gallant Gardens Orchards thy Meadowes thy Corn-fields thy Coffers of Coin thy Ladies so lovely thy hawks thy Hounds thy Horses thy Oxen thy Servants thy soft beds thy good chear thy Wives thy Musick thy Pleasure and all the things which thou hast abused Alas wicked Wretch how hast thou been deceived thou thoughtest thou hadst been in the Palace of true Felicity and for Felicity thou findest Vanity Thou hast been wickedly enchanted thus to find evill in stead of good Herewithall I turned my self toward Folly and railed at her saying O cursed cruell and deceitfull beast O monstrous mocker of mankind O filthy Bawd O Venemous Viper Is this the good hap I should have Is this the palace of Felicity whither thou wouldest bring me Cursed be the day that ever I saw thee cursed be the day that ever I heard thee cursed be the day that ever I believed thee cursed be the day that ever I followed thee It is even so that thus thou governest even beastly and damnably Is it even so that thou leadest people even to Perdition Where is the Felicity thou promisedst me Where is the good hap I should have by thee It is chanced to me even as I doubted by the way when thou discoveredst thy filthy Feats beginnings and proceedings howbeit thine enchantments and thy flattery caused me to keep thee company when full fain God wot I would have been rid of thee But such was my arrogant ignorance and ignorant arrogancy that I followed thy dangerous Counsel When I had thus scolded and took on the lewd lossel loudly laught me to scorn Whereat being in a rage I offered to draw my sword but it would not be then I spurred my horse but he could not lift up his legs Notwithstanding for all this I carryed the mind still I might get out not having help even by mine own strength and industry But be you sure of this that after a Man be once sunk in and drowned in fleshly Voluptuousness he shall stick fast and not be able to recover himself unless he have the help of Gods Grace which he of his goodness give us all Amen CAP. XIV The Author cryeth out bitterly against worldlings and their Felicity O Wicked Worlding O Traytour O Lyar O damnable deceiver armed with filthy fraud and cursed craftiness having a face like a man but a tayle like a Dragon who with thy pestilent prating promisest that which thou never wilt nor canst perform to wit peace rest assarance blessing and felicity Whereas contrariwise thou shewest thy self Vain Cruell unquiet uncertain cursed and desperate And because thou wouldest bestow thy peysons and not be perceived thou coverest it with a little honey of delight O foolish Worldlings and lovers of Voluptuousness why suffer you your selves to be so fouly abused Why fly you not from her since you know she is damnable Why do you believe a Lyar Why do you follow a deceiver Why become you acquainted with such a Murtherer Why do you not purge your understanding of Erronious Opinions Why consider ye not what the World is with a perfect Iudgment If you did all this you should find your selves out of the way For Worldly goods Voluptuousness and Pleasure are mingled rather with Sowre things than with sweet In following Voluptuousness you are not happy but unhappy not Wise but flat Fools Saint John saith All that is in the world is Concupiscence of the flesh Concupiscence of the eyes and Concupiscence of Pride The world and all her Concupiscence shall pass but he that doth the will of the Lord shall continue eternally Hearken ye foolish Worldlings hearken you Vessels of Voluptuousness This teacheth you assuredly wherein consisteth all your Felicity and how it is damnable Consider Saint Johns words That the world shall pass and the Concupiscence of the same What meant he by the World nothing else but as Saint Austen saith All worldlings and lovers of Voluptuousness which preferr visible things before invisible the flesh before the Spirit Satan before Iesus Christ even as commonly we call a house good or bad according to the usage of them that dwell in it The eye the flesh and the pomp of life is the Worldlings Felicity that is their Heaven In all goodness come of God as sure the coucupiscence of the eye the flesh and the pride and pomp of Life cometh of the Devil are not they deceived that think â—t good or sir their affection to follow it I could say there is a gnawing Conscience to terment the Worldings I could say that the Voluptuous man hath the wrath of God hanging ever his head I could say eternal death is reserved for his reward A for excessive eating and drinking centes farfets Head-ach lass of wit dropstes loss of appetite griping of the guts palsies weakning of the body infamy and shame Now to Venery wherein the Voluptuous Man taketh such pleasure as in nothing more First what gains what forrows what torments and anguish hath the Lewd Lover before he can compass his desire his dessire cannot be atchieved without loss For we see that Leachery and Gluttony breedeth poverty which is a very heavy burthen But imagine it costeth nothing as oftentimes it chanceth among such as be rich yet notwitistanding they feel even what so lowes namely loss of Body and Soul Touching the sin of Leachery a man therein is like unto a beast for in his blind delight he is deprived of reason and therefore the deed declareth it self to be damnable This Sin bringeth her reward in this World as Dropsies Palsies Leprosies Gowts Burnings Batches and French Pox which is the very worst the commenist the loathsomest and the most infectious disease of all besides that banishment from all honest company decay of Strength and loss of good Name and Fame Do you account him a happy Man which spends his dayes in Drunkenness and Leachery having here so many Hâ—ls abstinence or forbearance doth not warn them to take heed thereof though it be the only medicine Now touching Concupiscence of the eyes
which the Prophet speaketh saying Cursed is the man that trusteth in man and contrariwise happy is the man that trusteth in God We ought alwayes to do well to delight in well-doing and to hope in the goodness of God that he will give us that which he hath promised But this Hope ought to be firm and as an Anchor constantly to hold thy conscience that by the floating of temptation it move not But some will ask by what testimony or witness can the conscience rest assured of remission of sins of Gods adoption and of Heavenly blessedness I answer S. John Epist 1 chap. 5. saith There be three things that bear witness in Earth that is the Spirit Water and Blood These three testifie unto the spirit of the believing Man that Christ is the infallible truth who fulfilleth in the believing man the whole sum of his promises The first witness then that assureth man in Hope is the precious bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ which was shed for the remissien of our sins The second witness is the water of Baptism by the which also our sins are forgiven But these two witnesses put not the conscience in full and perfect Hope and Assurance And therefore there must be annexed unto them a third which third is The holy Spirit which beareth witness with our spirit that we are the Sons and Heirs of God Who so hath not this witness he cannot be assured of his Salvation The works of the holy Spirit in Man if thou ask me what those works are I answer thee that they are these that follow and such like namely Sorrow for sin hatred of all things which displease God and are contrary to his Commandements taking pleasure to read and hear Gods word mourning for thy imperfections and sure Faith Hope and Charity and effection desire intent and purpose to love God above all things and to do thy endeavour to fulfill his Commandements For all these things spring not from the corrupt nature of man unless his Heart be moystened with the dew of Gods grace without the which we feel not in our selves any good affections nor desire to do good works which are signs of the presence of the holy Chest in us Wherefore we ought with sighing to pray unto God and to beseech him most humbly that it would please him of his unspeakable pity to send us his holy Spirit which may assure us of the remission of our sins to Vouchsafe us his heavenly Adoption and the enjoying of everlasting Blessedness And thus much concerning Hope New let us speak of Love or Charity CAP. V. The Description of Love or Charity and how we ought to love God and our Neighbour CHarity is a Vertue by the which God is loved for the love of himself and our neighbour for the love of God or in God It is said in the first part of this Desinition that Charity is a Vertue Let us see how certainly Charity in the excellentest vertue that is even the mother and nurse of all the rest For he that hath not charity hath nothing in him to obtain everlasting life This Charity is given when the holy Spirit it is given For the holy Spirit being resident in the Soul makes us to love God for the love of himself and our Neighbour for the love of God To love God for the love of himself is to love him for his own sake and because he is God And that is to be done three wayes that is to love God above all things entirely above all things orderly above all things preciously We will declare these three wayes of loving God the more plainly that every one may know how to love God To love God intirely is to have a good will to God and to rejoyce greatly that he is such a one as he is But for the better understanding hereof it shall not be amiss to shew what it is to love to love is nothing else but to wish well to every body as when I love a man I wish as well to him as to my self Now there are two manners of love One is called the cobetous love as when a Man loves any thing for his own profit sake in such sort men love their horses their victuals and all other worldly necessaries The 〈…〉 the love of friendship when one loves a thing for the love of it self without respect of particular profit as when I see a man wise I take pleasure in him and wish that the Vertues which are in him may not only be continued but also encreased in him and this do I being to him well affectionated and loving him with delight There is not in God and good that is not like himself For his might or Power his Wisdom his Mercy his Iustice and his knowledge are Heavenly as he himself is who is all wise all just all mercy all knowledge and all mighty So that we love God above all things intirely when we rejoyce and be glad that he is as he is without regarding our proper profit or honour Thou oughtest not to love God with a covetous love that is thou must not love God only because he gives thee all things profitable for thee or in so doing thou lovest thy self better then thou lovest God If thou love God rightly he will reward thee greatly but this love must be single and it must be pure and not depending upon any other thing for who so loveth God for gain loveth him but as his Horse in whom he delights because he serves his turn God ought to be loved lovingly without respect of particular profit But then maist ask me a question May I not love God to this end and under this condition that he may give me Heaven which is the principallest thing that Man can wish for after this life the Doctors say no if we consider well of the thing beloved which is God for in so doing thou lovest thy self better then thou lovest God Thou maist come to Heaven by this means as namely by keeping his Commandements by giving Alms and by doing other good deeds and yet give God his due and single love Now these things are not charity it self but the works of Charity We say then that God ought to he loved in doing good deeds and in keeping his commandements but this love ought to be entire without respect of profit or reward To love God orderly above all things is to refer thy self and all thy goods to God so that all which thou lovest wishest dost and leabest undone thou oughtest to love to wish to doe and leave undone for the love of God and his glory Thus referring all to the Honour and Glory of God thou lovest God above all things ordarly and accomplishest as much as in thee lyeth what is written in Deut. and in Saint Mathew where it is said Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soul and with all thy strength For what other