are externall and contrary to the spirit where by it is manifest that they are not purely Gods gift and abuse them to their owne pleasure for if they did love God purely and did not vitiosty rest in his gifts they would remaine peaceable in God those gifts being taken away and would not even then turneout of the way to unlawfull consolations Therefore they are unfaithfull because in adversity they keepe not touch with God They beleeve for a whyle and shrinck backe in the time of triall They would have all things goe on their side and indure nothing that goeth against them if God grant those things that they would have they serve him if he deny them they leave him nay in prosperity they serve not God but themselves And in all things would rather have their owne will done then Gods they place fanctity in internall sweetnesse and consolation rather then in the perfect mortification of vices being ignorant that by the withdrawing of devotion it more certainly appeareth If one truly love God then by the infusion of it For that sensible devotion is commonly more truly a naturall then spirituall devotion But whatsoever it be unlesse a man make use of it wisely it is wont oftentimes to bring him that is soe affected to a hidden kind of pride a wicked complacence and a vaine security as wee dayly see in these unfaithfull servants for assoone as they are tickled with this inward sweetnesse they will for sooth begin to iudge and despise others they thinke themselves great saints and the secretaries of God They expect and wonderfully long after divine revelations and wish that some miracles were don by them or of them by which others might take notice of the holinesse which they thinke they have but have not Thus doe they use to vanishe away in their owne imaginations who gape more after sensible grace then the giver of grace But faithfull servants behave themselves farre otherwise for they seeke not themselves but God neyther their owne coÌ„solation but cheifly the will and honour of God they alwayes fly propriety whether God be pleased to infuse or not to infuse the influence of internall sweetnesse they are all one and persisting in equality of mynde cease not to love and praise God it is not internall darknesse nor difficulty of senses nor coldnesse of affections nor drinesse of heart nor dejection of mynde nor drowsinesse of spirit nor adversity of temptation to conclude it is neither misery of adversity nor successe of prosperity that is able to heave them out of their place for although peradventure they feele in the inferiour powers of the soule the oppression of inordinate sorrowe proceeding from adversity or the violence of sensuall delight arising out of prosperity they are not for all that dejected because they continue quiet in the reason or higthet parte of the soule and doe conforme their will to the divine will or permission and grieve that they feele the least contradiction of unseemely motions Being founded therefore as a firme rocke they persiste stedfast in the love of God as they whose cheife comfort is in the wille of God They are alwayes devour because with all their power they avoide and abhorre whatsoever is displeasing to God and may never soe little contaminate the purity of their heart and committinge themselves in all chances to God doe still possesse a pure free and quiet mynde This is the truest devotion and most acceptable to God The other sensible devotion which is more familiare to novices or those that are lately converted is not dureable and sure yet not with standing it is very profitable to us if wee wisely make use of it The faithfull servants for soe I still call them whom christ calleth not servaÌ„ts but frineds faithfull servants I say doe seeke after that effectuall and most pleasant sweetnesse of grace also they seeke after the joy of our lords salvation they seeke after his most lovely countenance and most sweete embraces but they doe this with a spirituall and bashfull not with a sensuall greedinesse or childish lightnes or a troubled impatience They desire the gift of God not that they may be sensually delighted in them but that being made more fervent by them and more pure from all inordinatenesse they may please their heavenly bride groome They love the gift of God and willingly thanke him for them but yet they keepe themselves as it were quiet and free from them as long as they rest not in them By grace they goe forword to the giver of grace and supreame good in whom only it is lawfull for them to rest they are truly happy because by howe much the lesse they stick to those gifts they receave soe many the more And although they benever soe much indowed with blessings from God they lift not up their mynde they dispise not others but themselves I say they dispise and acknouwledge themselves unworthy of all spirituall grace they alwayes keepe in minde that whatsoever they have it is of Gods meere mercy and that of them more is exacted to whome more is given or committed And so continving in holy feare and by these gists proceeding in humility they confesse themselves to be belowe the lowest They rejoice and glory with in them selves if being opprest with uniust infamy reproches injuries and uttermost scorne they have imitated christ not if they could be elevated above themselves by excesse of mynde or could see strange visions or doe most apparant miracles They presently making the signe of crosse repell the deceitfull suggestions by which the devill indevoureth to allure them to vaine glory and selfe complacence noe way consenting to the subtilities of the wicked serpent they doe not confidently place the hope of their salvation either in the number or in the merit of good workes which they doo But put their trust in the freedome of the sonnes of God which they have obteyned by the blood of christ loe then Brother knowing the difference of the faithfull and unfaithfull servants indevour to be of those which may be you are not of and strive to leave them of whome peradventure you are one If you are of those you would not be of and are not of those of whome you would be greive and humble your selfe for God giveth grace to the humble And certainly if you humble your selfe in the sight of our lord greiving that you are yet of the number of the unfaithfull you have already in a manner passed into the lot of the faithfull labour persever feare not You shall not be reprooved with the unfaithfull but shal be receaved with the faithfull There are others also that are bound to the divine service and yet connot be calâ—ed either unfaithfull or faithfull servants of God these a man may lawfully call the idle slaves of the devill I meane those unhappy wretches that esteeming either not art all or very little of devotion or the grace of God and altogether neglecting the
be prepared But you are happy if by grace you have proceeded soe farre that all greife and affliction whatsoever become truly pleasing to you for Gods sake what thinke you brother is my glasse bige nough or is not this yet sufficient for you but you yet desire to heare in more expresse tearmes more abundantly and fully howe to compose your selfe within and without or howe according to reason you ought to order every day before God CHAPTER II Howe wee ought to bestowne our time from our first rising to mattins in the moring AS soon as you are wake and ready to rise to mattens devoutly arme your selfe with the signe of the crosse and breifly pray to God that he will vouchsafe to blot out the staynes of sinne in you and be pleased to helpe you Then casting all vayne imaginations out of your mynde thinke upon some other thing that is spirituall and conceave asmuch puritye of heart as you can rejoysing in your selfe that you are called up to the prayse and worship up of your creatour But if frailty of body if heavinesse of sleepe if conturbation of spirit depresse you be not out of heart but be comforted and force your selfe overcominge all impediments with reason and willingnesse for the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent beare it away certainely according to the labour with you undergoe for the love of God such shal be your recompense and reward being come of from your bed commend and offer your selfe both body and soule to the most high make haste to the quire as to a place of refuge and the garden of spiritual delights untill devine office begin study to keep your mynde in peace and simplicity free from troubles and the multiplicity of uncertaine thoughts collecting a godly and sweete affection towards your God by sincere meditation or prayer In the perfourmance of the devine office have a care to pronounce and heare the holy wordes reverently perfectly thankefully and attentively that you may taste that your lord is sweete and may feele that the word of God hath incomprehēsible sweetnesse and power for whatsoever the holy Ghost hath dictated is indeed the life procureing foode and the delightfull solace of a chast sober and humble soule remember therfore to be there faythfully attentive but avoide too vehement cogitations and motions of mynde especially if your head be weake least being hurt or wearyed confounded and streightened internally you shutt the sanctuary of God against your selfe reject likewise too troublesome care which commonly bringeth with it pusillanimity and restlesnesse and persever with a gentle quiet and watchfull spirit in the praises of God without singularity But if you cannot keepe your heart from evagations be not dejected in mynde but patiently endevour patiently doe what lyeth in your power committing the rest to the divine will Persever in your godly affection towards God and even your very defects which you are noe way able to exclude will in a manner beget you consolation For as the earth which is of a convenient nature doth by the casting of dunge ostentimes more fruitfully send forth her seeds soe a mynde of good will out of the defects which by constraint it susteyneth shall in due time receave the moste sweet fruit of divine visitation if it endure them with patience And what profitt do you reape by being impatient doe you not heape callamity upon calamity doe you not shew your wante of true humility and bewray in your selfe a pernitions propriety As long as you do reverently assist and are ready with a prompt desire of will to attende you have satified God neyther will he impute the inordinatenesse of this instability to you if soe be by your negligence you give not consent unto it and before the time of prayer you sett a garde over your sences if you cannot offer a perfect dutifulnesse offer at least a goodwill offer a right intent in the spirit of humility and soe the devill shall not finde anie occasion to cavill against you Although you have nothing else to offer but a readinesse in body and spirit to serve our lord in holy feare be sure of it that you shall not loose your reward But woe to your soule if you be negligent and remisse and care not to give attendance for it is writte Cursed is the man that doth the worke of God negligently Be diligent that you may perfourme what you are able if you be not able to perfourme what you desire upon this security be not troubled when impediments happen and you be not able to perfourme asmuch as you would when I say distraction of your sences dejection of mynde drynesse of heart greife of head or any other misery and temptation afflicted you beware you say not I am left our lord hath cast me away my duty pleaseth him not these are words befitting the children of distrust endure therefore with a patient and joyfull mynde all things for his sake that hath called and chosen you firmely beleeving that he is neare to those that are of a contrite heart For if you humbly without murmering carry this burden layde on you not by mortall tongue to be uttered what a deale of glory you heape up for your selfe in the life to come You may truly say unto God As a beast am I become with thee Beleeve me Brother if being repleat with interne all sweetnesse and lifted up abone your selfe you fly up to the third heaven and there converse with angells you shall not doe soe great a deed as if for Gods sake you shall affectually endure greife and banishment of heart and be conformeable to our saviour when in extreame sorrowe auginsh feare and adversity crying unto his father lett thy will be done who also being thrust through his hands and feete hanging on the crosse had not wheron to leane his head who also most lovingly endured for thee all the griefes and disgraces of his most bitter passion Therefore in holy longanimity conteine your selfe and expect in silence untill it shall please the most high to dispose otherwise And certainly in that day it shall not be demanded of you hove much intetnall sweetnesse you have heere felt But howe faith full you have bin in the love and service of God CHAPTER III. God hath too sorts of servants and the description of both AMonge those that are called the servants of God many serve him unfaythfully few faithfully indeed unfaithfull servants as long as they have sensible devotion and present grace of teares doe serve God with alacrity they pray willingly joyfully goe about good workes and seeme to live in deepe peace of heart But assone as God hath thought it good to with drawe that devotion you shall see them troubled chafe become malicious and impatient and at last neyther willing to be att theyr prayers nor amy other divine exercises And because they feele not internall consolations as they desire they perniciously betake themselves to those that
the adulterer and humble your selfe exceedingly And peradventure you shall not be receaved to favour unlesse you be first punished and afflicted for a while and that the filthy kisses which the impure spirit hath imprinted on your soule be rased out by the scourge of God But enough hath bin spoken of this CHAPTER IX 〈◊〉 â—it la Sagesse du 〈◊〉 sou l◠〈◊〉 de Solomâ—â— Ci â—it la beaute du 〈◊〉 sou le noÌ„ 〈…〉 Ci â—it la Riches se du moÌ„de sou le noÌ„ de Cresus Ci oit la Valleur du monde sou lâ— noÌ„ dalexandre Further more beware that while you refresh your body your mynde be not in the meane time hungerstarved Therefore let the mouth of your heart feed on the word of God and let your eares receave the wholesome doctrine and deeds of the saints And if you happen to sitt at that table where there is noe holy reading do not thus deprive your selfe of her spirituall foode but as much as silence will permitt converse inwardly either with your soule or with God and propose to your selfe some godly thing to keepe your selfe doing As in your dyet soe be alsoe sober in apparell Reject scorne and detest what soever is contrary to monasticall simplicity Neyther doe you imitate those vaine and wretched monkes that are ashamed of their estate and vocation but not of their lewd life and conversation who if they are to goe abroad and to come into the sight of seculars will bewray their foolishnesse and curiosity They must forsooth have such and such clothes and weare their cassoke after this or that fashion They are ashamed to weare their apparell according as religion doth ordayne and according to the constitutions of their superiours and ancestors And soe comming abroade not like humble monkes but like delicate and neate courtiers by this prodigious sight they provoke wise men to sorrowe and indignation but finde matter of mirth for the devill evidently shewing by this absurdity what they are with in viz proude wanton and full of vaine glory Alas wretched monkes farre wide from the scope of true religion O monkes not monkes but monsters ô monkes detestable by being thus deluded by the devills cloathing Is this it that you promised to God when by the most sacred vowe of poverty you solemly renounced the world with all the pompe and vanities there of is this it that the king of kings hath taught you by his word is this it that he hath shewed by his example when being wrapt in base clouwts he had noe other cradle then a manger When likewise he was apparelled in a white garment and a purple robe in scorne is this to followe JESUS is this to tread in JESUS footesteeps O intolerable confusion O extremity of madnesse Looke to your selfe brother that you become not like these but rather bee content with plaine apparell whether you be with in the monastery or without For thus much your profession exacceth of you Every where but especially during the divine office keepe your eyes from wandring neyther lightly looke about you either this way or that unlesse necessity require least you chance to see something that may hinder you from attention and purity of heart But although there be noe feare of danger yet monasticall dicipline requireth that whether you rest or goe you use modestly to looke downe upon the ground Never looke curiously on the face of any Let not your gate be too swift or hasty especially in the church unlesse it happen that of necessity it must be soe Neyther out of the church let it be overslowe or remisse but modest and civill In all things compose your selfe to a laudable carriage of your whole body Let your lookes before others be pleasing with a decent gravity behaving your selfe courteously and affably towards all And if against your will you happen to be over sorowfull soe dissemble it that you seeme not unpleasant and harsh and soe be troublesome to the rest when you are forced to laugh laugh sparingly and like a monke Avoide longe laughter as a great impediment to you in your purpose and as the distruction of your soule knowing that vehement and immoderate laughter doth violate the cloisters of modesty and dispersing the interiour powers of the soule driveth the grace of the holy Ghost our of your heart Above all things love solitude silence and taciturnity Be more ready to heare then to speake Be not hasty nor turbulent nor clamorons nor contentious in words But speake modestly bashfully courteously and without dissembling what is true and right Be not I say too lowd nor yet soe lowe that you cannot be understood especially if the place time cause or person to whom you speake require that you speake somewhat more lowd then ordinary for as the voice of a monke should alwayes be bashfull and for the most parte lowe according to the holy ordinations of religion soe alsoe sometimes it ought to be reasonable lowde affirme nothing obstinatly unlesse matter of fayth or necessity of salvation constraine but whosoever contradicteth you either yeild or hould your peace if neyther ought to be donne affirme with modesty and humility what you knowe to be certaine For by this meanes you shall take away all occasion of irreligions contention Lett not your words be biting Willingly speake not any thing that may be either to your owne credit or anothers discommendation But if out of necessity or utility you speake any such thing doe it with a laudable modesty and a pure intention Abhorre dissolute tales as the poyson of the soules As for jests if they happen in your presence albeyt you suffer them yet relate them not Never consent to a tongue that speaketh foolishly unseemely and perniciously Yea if such things are spoken doe you if it seeme good mildly and with reason finde fault with the speaker if you thinke it not good yet at least cutt of his speech honestly and endeavour to drawe him to better discourse if possibly you may give noe eare to back biters The liberty of externall recreation granted you either by walking or otherwise see you abuse not that is make such use of them that they hinder not your spirituall going forward but rather further it You may indeed to the honour of God slake your mynde but let it not loose least whilest you wander abroade being expelled out of your selfe some delight or passion contrary to the spirit lay hold on you and disperse your interiour sences and replenish them with bitternesse Therefore carefully learne by a certaine advised simplicity of minde to abide within your selfe that the noyse of vaine cogitations and the motion of inordinate affections being repressed you may keepe your heart in silence and liberty Let God be your cheife yea your whole thought and study for it is not enough for you that he be your whole intention Likewise in all externall occupations endeavour that with Martha you doe not only for the honour