much the more and higher things doth he understand without labor for that he receiveth intellectual light from above A pure sincere and stable Spirit is not distracted though it be employed in many works for that it works all to the honor of God and inwardly being still and quiet seeks not it self in any thing it doth Who hinders and troubles thee more than the unmortified affections of thine own heart A good and godly Man first of all disposeth within himself those things which he is outwardly to act neither do they draw him to the desires of an inordinate inclination but he ordereth them according to the prescript of right reason Who hath a greater combat than he that laboreth to overcome himself This ought to be our endeavor to conquer our selves and daily to wax stronger and to make a further growth in holiness 4. All perfection in this life hath some imperfection mixt with it and no knowledg of ours is without some darkness An humble knowledg of thy self is a surer way to God than a deep search after learning yet learning is not to be blamed nor the mere knowledg of any thing whatsoever to be disliked it being good in it self and ordained by God but a good conscience and a vertuous life is always to be preferred before it But because many endeavor rather to get knowledg than to live well therefore they are often deceived and reap either none or very slender profit of their labors 5. O if Men bestowed as much labor in the rooting out of vices and planting of vertues as they do in moving of questions Neither would there so much hurt be done nor so great scandal be given in the world nor so much looseness be practised in religious Houses Truly at the day of Judgment we shall not be examined what we have read but what we have done not how well we have spoken but how religiously we have lived Tell me now where are all those Doctors and Masters with whom thou wast well acquainted whilst they lived and flourished in learning Now others possess their livings and perhaps do scarce ever think of them In their life-time they seemed something but now they are not spoken of 6. O how quickly doth the glory of the world pass away O that their life had been answerable to their learning then had their study and reading been to good purpose How many perish in this world by reason of vain-learning who take little care of the serving of God And because they rather choose to be great than humble therefore they become vain in their imaginations He is truly great that is great in charity He is truly great that is little in himself and that maketh no account of any height of honor He is truly wise that accounteth all earthly things as dung that he may gain Christ. And he is truly learned that doeth the will of God and forsaketh his own will CHAP. IV. Of wisdom and providence in our actions WE must not give ear to every saying or suggestion but ought warily and leisurely to ponder things according to the will of God But alas such is our weakness that we rather often believe and speak evil of others than good Those that are perfect Men do not easily give credit to every thing one tells them for they know that humane frailty is prone to evil and very subject to fail in words 2. It is great wisdom not to be rash in thy proceedings nor to stand stiffely in thine own conceits as also not to believe every thing which thou hearest nor presently to relate again to others what thou hast heard or dost believe Consult with him that is wise and conscientious and seek to be instructed by a better than thy self rather than to follow thine own inventions A good life maketh a Man wise according to God and giveth him experience in many things How much the humbler one is in himself and more subject and resigned unto God so much the more prudent shall he be in all his affairs and enjoy greater peace and quiet of heart CHAP. V. Of the reading of holy Scriptures TRuth not eloquence is to be sought for in holy Scripture Each part of the Scripture is to be read with the same Spirit wherewith it was written We should rather search after our spiritual profit in the Scriptures than subtilty of speech We ought to read plain and devout books as willingly as high and profound Let not the authority of the Writer offend thee whether he be of great or small learning but let the love of pure truth draw thee to read Search not who spake this or that but mark what is spoken 2. Men pass away but the truth of the Lord remaineth for ever God speaks unto us sundry ways without respect of persons Our own curiosity often hindreth us in reading of the Scriptures when as we will examine and discuss that which we should rather pass over without more ado If thou desire to reap profit read humbly plainly and faithfully never desire the estimation of learning Inquire willingly and hear with silence the words of holy Men dislike not the parables of the Elders for they are not recounted without cause CHAP. VI. Of inordinate affections WHensoever a Man desireth any thing inordinately he is presently disquieted in himself The proud and covetous can never rest The poor and humble in Spirit live together in all peace The Man that is not yet perfectly dead to himself is quickly tempted and overcome in small and trifling things The weak in Spirit and he that is yet in a manner carnal and prone to sensible things can hardly withdraw himself altogether from earthly desires And therefore he is often afflicted when he goeth about to withdraw himself from them and easily falleth into indignation when any opposition is made against him 2. And if he hath followed therein his appetite he is presently disquieted with remorse of conscience for that he yielded to his passion which profiteth him nothing to the obtaining of the peace he sought for True quietness of heart therefore is gotten by resisting our passions not by obeying them There is no peace in the heart of a carnal Man nor of him that is addicted to outward things but in the spiritual and fervent Man CHAP. VII Of flying vain hope and pride HE is vain that putteth his trust in Man or Creatures Be not ashamed to serve others for the love of Jesus Christ nor to be esteemed poor in this world Presume not upon thy self but place thy hope in God Do what lieth in thy power and God will assist thy good affection Trust not in thine own knowledg nor in the subtilty of any living Creature but rather in the grace of God who helpeth the humble and humbleth those that are self-presuming 2. Glory not in wealth if thou have it nor in friends because potent but in God who giveth all things and above all desireth to give thee himself
worthy of the high contemplation of God who hath not been exercised with some tribulation for Gods sake For temptation going before is wont to be a sign of ensuing comfort And unto those that are proved by temptations heavenly comfort is promised He that shall overcome saith he I will give him to eat of the Tree of life 8. But divine comfort is given that a Man may be stronger to bear adversities There followeth also temptation lest he should wax proud of any good The Devil sleepeth not neither is the flesh as yet dead therefore cease not to prepare thy self to the battel For on thy right hand and on thy left are enemies that never rest CHAP. X. Of thankfulness for the grace of God WHy seekest thou rest since thou art born to labor Dispose thy self to patience rather than to comfort and to the bearing of the Cross rather than to gladness What secular person is there that would not willingly receive spiritual joy and comfort if he could always have it For spiritual comforts exceed all the delights of the world and pleasures of the flesh All worldly delights are either vain or unclean but spiritual delights are only pleasant and honest sprung from virtue and infused by God into pure minds But no Man can always enjoy these divine comforts according to his desire for the time of temptation is not long away 2. False freedom of mind and great trust of our selves is very contrary to heavenly visitations God doth well in giving the grace of comfort but Man doth evil in not returning all again unto God with thanksgiving And therefore the gifts of grace cannot flow in us because we are not thankful to the giver and return them not wholly to the head-fountain For grace ever attendeth him that is thankful and from the proud shall be taken that which is wont to be given to the humble 3. I desire not that consolation that taketh from me compunction nor do I affect that contemplation which leadeth to haughtiness of mind For all that is high is not holy nor all that is sweet good nor every desire pure nor every thing that is dear unto us is grateful to God I do willingly accept of that Grace whereby I may ever become more humble and affected with an holy fear and be made more ready to forsake my self He that is taught by the gift of grace and school'd by the scourge of the withdrawing thereof will not dare to attribute any good to himself but will rather acknowledg himself poor and naked Give unto God that which is Gods and ascribe unto thy self that which is thine own that is give thanks to God for his grace and acknowledg that nothing is to be attributed to thee but only sin and the punishment due thereunto 4. Set thy self always in the lowest place and the highest shall be given thee for the highest consist not without the lowest The chiefest Saints before God are the least in their own judgments and how much the more glorious so much the humbler within themselves Those that are full of truth and Heavenly glory are not desirous of vain glory Those that are firmly setled and grounded in God can no way be proud And they that ascribe all unto God what good soever they have received seek not glory one of another but would have that glory which is from God alone and desire above all things to praise God in himself and in all the Saints and always tend unto the same 5. Be therefore thankful for the least gift so shalt thou be meet to receive greater Let the least be unto thee also as the greatest and the most contemptible as an especial gift If thou consider the worth of the giver no gift will seem little or of too mean esteem For it is not little that is given by the most high God Yea if he should give punishment and stripes it ought to be grateful for that he doth it always for our welfare whatsoever he permitteth to happen unto us He that desireth to keep the grace of God let him be thankful for the grace given and patient for the taking away thereof Let him pray that it may return Let him be wary and humble lest he lose it CHAP. XI How few the lovers of the Cross of Christ are JEsus hath now many lovers of his Heavenly Kingdom but few bearers of his Cross. He hath many desirous of comfort but few of tribulation He findeth many companions of his table but few of his abstinence All desire to rejoyce with him few will suffer any thing for him or with him Many follow Jesus unto the breaking of Bread but few to the drinking of the Cup of his passion Many reverence his miracles few follow the ignominy of his Cross. Many love Jesus as long as adversities happen not Many praise and bless him as long as they receive any comforts from him But if Jesus hide himself and leave them but a while they fall either into complaint or into too much dejection of mind 2. But they that love Jesus for Jesus and not for some comfort of their own bless him in all tribulation and anguish of heart as well as in the greatest comfort And although he should never give them comfort they notwithstanding would ever praise him and always give him thanks 3. O how powerful is the pure love of Jesus which is mixed with no self-love nor proper interest Are not all those to be called hirelings that ever seek comforts Do they not shew themselves to be rather lovers of themselves than of Christ that always think of their own commodity and gain Where may one be found that will serve God freely 4. It is hard to find any one so spiritual that is stript of the love of all earthly things For where is any one to be found that is indeed poor in spirit and free from all affection of creatures He 's a Jewel of such price as is scarce to be met with in these parts If a Man should give all his wealth yet is it nothing And if he should outwardly express great repentance yet it is little And if he should attain to all knowledg he is yet afar off And if he should be of great virtue and very fervent devotion yet there is much wanting to wit one thing which is most necessary for him What is that that leaving all he forsake himself and go wholly from himself and retain nothing of self-love And when he hath done all that he knoweth to be done let him think that he hath done nothing 5. Let him not weigh that much which might be much esteemed but according to truth let him affirm himself to be an unprofitable servant as our Saviour hath said when you shall have done all things that are commanded you say we are unprofitable servants Then may he be truly poor and naked in spirit and say with the Prophet I am alone and poor yet no man richer no Man
be cast upon thee For the love of Jesus maketh a man to despise himself A lover of Jesus and of the Truth and a true inward Christian and one free from inordinate affections can freely turn himself unto God and lift himself above himself in Spirit and with the greatest enjoyment of his Soul rest in God 7. He that judgeth of all things as they are and not as they are said and esteemed to be is truly wise and taught rather by God than men He that can live inwardly and make small reckoning of outward things neither requireth places nor attendeth times for performing of Religious exercises A Spiritual man quickly recollecteth himself because he never poureth out himself wholly to outward things He is not hindred by outward labor or business which may be necessary for the time But as things fall out so he frameth himself unto them He that hath well ordered and disposed all things within careth not for the strange and perverse carriages of men So much is a man hindred and distracted by how much he draweth external matters unto himself 8. If all went well with thee and if thou wert all purged all things would fall out to thy good and advantage But many things displease and often trouble thee because thou art not yet perfectly dead unto thy self nor separated from all earthly things Nothing so defileth and intangleth the heart of man as the impure love to Creatures If thou refuse outward comfort thou wilt be able to contemplate the things of Heaven and often receive internal joy CHAP. II. Of humble submission REspect not much who is with thee or who is against thee But endeavor and take care that God may be with thee in every thing thou doest Have a good Conscience and God will defend thee For whom God will help no malice of man can hurt If thou canst hold thy peace and suffer without doubt thou shalt see that our Lord will help thee He knoweth the time and manner how to deliver thee and therefore thou oughtest to resign thy self unto him It belongs to God to help and to deliver from all shame Oftentimes it is very profitable for the keeping us more humble that others know and reprehend our faults 2. When a man humbleth himself for his faults then he easily pacifieth others and quickly satisfieth those that are offended with him God protecteth and delivereth the humble he loveth and comforteth the humble unto the humble man he enclineth himself unto the humble he giveth great Grace and after his humiliation he raiseth him unto Glory Unto the humble he revealeth his secrets and sweetly draweth and inviteth him unto himself The humble person though he suffer shame is yet in peace for that he resteth in God and not in the World Do not think that thou hast profited any thing unless thou esteem thy self inferior to all CHAP. III. Of a good and peaceable Man FIrst keep thy self in peace and then mayst thou pacifie others A peaceable man doth more good than he that is well Learned A passionate man turneth even good into evil and easily believeth the worst A good peaceable man turneth all things into good He that is well in peace is not suspicious of any But he that is discontented and troubled is tossed with divers suspicions He is neither quiet himself nor suffereth others to be quiet He often speaketh that which he ought not to speak and omitteth that which were more expedient for him to do He considereth what others are bound to do and neglecteth that which he is bound to himself First therefore have a careful zeal over thy self and then thou mayst justly shew thy self zealous also of thy neighbors good 2. Thou knowest well how to excuse and colour thine own deeds and thou wilt not receive the excuses of others It were more meet that thou didst accuse thy self and excusest thy Brother If thou wilt be born withal bear also with another Behold how far off thou art yet from true charity and humility which knoweth not how to be angry with any or to be moved with indignation but only against himself It is no great matter to converse with the good and those that are of a gentle disposition for that is naturally pleasing to all and every one willingly enjoyeth peace and loveth those best that agree with him But to be able to live peaceably with unquiet and perverse men or with the disorderly or such as contradict us is a great grace and a very commendable and manly deed 3. Some there are that keep themselves in peace and are in peace also with others And there are some that neither are in peace themselves nor suffer others to be in peace Some there are who are troublesome to others but always more troublesome to themselves And others there are that keep themselves in peace and labor to bring others unto peace Our whole peace in this miserable life consisteth rather in humble suffering than in not feeling adversities He that can best tell how to suffer will best keep himself in peace He is a conqueror of himself a Lord of the world a friend of Christ and heir of Heaven CHAP. IV. Of a pure mind and upright intention WIth Two wings Man is lifted up from earthly vanities that is with simplicity and purity Simplicity ought to be in our intention Purity in our affection Simplicity doth intend God Purity doth apprehend and take him No good action will hinder thee if thou be inwardly free from all inordinate affection If thou intend and seek nothing else but the will of God and the good of thy neighbor thou shalt enjoy internal liberty If thy heart were sincere and upright then every creature would be unto thee a looking glass of life and a book of holy doctrine There is no creature so little and abject that representeth not the goodness of God 2. If thou wert inwardly good and pure then thou wouldest be well able to see and understand all things without any impediment A pure heart penetrateth Heaven and Hell Such as every one is inwardly so he judgeth outwardly If there be joy in the world surely a Man of a pure heart possesseth it And if there be any where tribulation and affliction an evil conscience best feels it As Iron put into the fire loseth its rust and becometh all bright like fire so he that wholly turneth himself unto God is purged from all fulness and slothfulness and is changed into a new Man 3. When one beginneth to wax cold then he is afraid of a small labor and willingly receiveth external comfort But when he once beginneth to overcome himself perfectly and to walk manfully in the way of God then he esteemeth those things to be light which before seemed grievous unto him CHAP. V Of the consideration of ones self WE cannot trust much to our selves for that grace oftentimes and understanding is wanting There is but little light in us and that which we have
Prophets from the beginning and cease not in these days to speak to every one but many are hardned and deaf to my speech The greater number do more willingly listen to the world than to God and follow sooner the desires of their flesh than the will of God The world promiseth temporal and small things and is served with great eagerness I promise most high and eternal things and the hearts of Men are nothing moved therewith Who is he that serveth and obeyeth me with equal care to that with which the world and the Lords thereof are served Blush O Sidon saith the Sea And if thou ask the cause hear wherefore For a little Prebend a long journey is undertaken for everlasting life many will scarce once lift a foot from the ground A thing of small value is sought after greedily for a penny sometimes there is foul contention sor a vain thing and sleight promise Men cease not to toil day and night 3. But alas for an unchangeable good for an inestimable reward for the highest honor and glory without end they are loth to take the least pains Blush therefore slothful and complaining Servant that they are found to be more ready to distruction than thou to life They rejoyce more in vanity than thou in the truth And yet they are sometimes frustrated of their hope but my promise deceiveth none nor sendeth him away empty that trusteth in me I will give that which I have promised I will fulfil that which I have said but to him that remains faithful in my love to the end I am the rewarder of all that are good and do try my devout servants with strong trials 4. Write my words in thy heart and think diligently of them for they will be very necessary in time of temptation What thou understandest not when thou readest thou shalt know in the day of visitation I am wont to visit my elect two several ways to wit with temptation and comfort And I daily read two lessons unto them one reprehending their vices another exhorting them to the increase of virtues He that hath my words and despiseth them hath within himself that shall judg him at the last day A prayer to implore the grace of devotion 5. O Lord my God thou art to me whatsoever is good Who am I that dare speak unto thee I am thy poorest servant and a most vile worm much more poor and contemptible than I can or dare express Remember yet O Lord that I am nothing and can do nothing Thou alone art good just and holy thou canst do all things thou doest all things thou fillest all things only the sinner thou sendest empty away Remember thy mercies and fill my heart with thy grace who will not that thy works be void and in vain 6. How can I bear up my self in this miserable life unless thou strengthen me with thy mercy and grace Turn not thy face from me delay not thy visitation draw not away thy comfort lest my soul become as the thirsty land unto thee Lord teach me to fulfil thy will teach me to live worthily and humbly in thy sight for thou art my wisdom thou dost truly know me and didst know me before the world was made and before I was born in the world CHAP. IV. That we ought to live in truth and humility before God CHrist. Son walk before me in sincerity and truth and ever seek me in simplicity of heart He that walketh before me in truth shall be defended from evil incursions and the Truth shall deliver him from seducers and from the detractions of the wicked If the Truth shall have made thee free thou shalt be truly free and shalt not care for the vain speeches of Men. Christian. Lord it is true According as thou saidst so I beseech thee let it be with me let thy Truth teach me and keep me and bring me safe to an happy end Let it deliver me from all evil affection and inordinate love and I shall walk with thee in great freedom of heart 2. Christ. I will teach thee saith the Truth these things that are right and pleasing in my sight Think of thy sins with great displeasure and grief and never esteem thy self any thing for thy good works Thou art in very deed a sinner thou art subject to and encumbred with may passions Of thy self thou always tendest to nothing thou art quickly cast down quickly overcome quickly troubled quickly dissolved Thou hast nothing wherein thou canst glory but many things for which thou oughtest to despise thy self for thou art much weaker than thou art able to comprehend 3. And therefore let nothing seem much unto thee whatsoever thou doest Let nothing seem great nothing precious and wonderful let nothing seem worthy of estimation nothing high nothing truly and commendable to be desired but that which is everlasting Let the eternal Truth above all things please thee Let thy own great unworthiness always displease thee Fear nothing blame and fly nothing so much as thy vices and sins which ought to displease more than the losses of any thing whatsoever Some walk not sincerely in my sight but led by a certain curiosity and pride will know my secrets and understand the high things of God neglecting themselves and their own salvation These oftentimes for that I resist them do fall into great temptations and sins for their pride and curiosity 4. Fear the judgments of God dread the wrath of the Almighty But discuss not the works of the highest Search thine own iniquities in how much thou hast offended and how much good thou hast neglected Some carry their religion only in Books some in pictures some in outward signs and figures Some have me in their mouths but little in their hearts There are others that being illuminated in their understandings and purged in their affection do always breath after things eternal and are unwilling to hear of the things of this world and do serve the necessities of nature with grief and these perceive what the Spirit of Truth speaketh in them because it teacheth them to despise Earthly and love Heavenly things to neglect the world and all the day and night to desire Heaven CHAP. V. Of the wonderful effect of divine Love CHristian I praise thee O Heavenly Father Father of my Lord Jesus Christ for that thou hast vouchsafed to remember me a poor Creature O Father of mercies and God of all comfort thanks be unto thee who sometimes with thy comfort refreshest me unworthy of all comfort I ever bless and glorifie thee with thy only begotten Son and the holy Ghost for ever and ever O Lord God the holy lover of my soul when thou shalt come into my heart all that is within me will rejoyce Thou art my glory and the exultation of my heart Thou art my hope and refuge in the day of my tribulation 2. But for that I am yet weak in love and imperfect in virtue I have need therefore
must be present and it must be seasoned with the sweetness of thy wisdom 2. What is not savory unto him to whom thou art pleasing And whom thou delightest not what can be pleasant to him But the wise of this world and they that relish the things of the flesh come short of thy wisdom for in the world is much vanity and in the flesh is death But they that follow thee by the contempt of worldly things and mortification of the flesh are proved to be truly wise For they are changed from vanity to truth from the flesh to the spirit These relish God and what good soever is found in creatures they wholly refer unto the praise of their Maker Notwithstanding great yea very great is the difference between the sweetness of the creator and of the creature of eternity and of time of light uncreated and of light enlightned 3. O thou everlasting light surpassing all created lights dart the beams of thy brightness from above which may pierce all the most inward parts of my heart purifie rejoyce enlighten and enliven my spirit with all the powers thereof that I may cleave unto thee with abundance of joy and triumph O when will that blessed and desired hour come that I may be filled with thy presence and thou mayest be unto me all in all As long as this is not granted me I shall not have full joy Alas the old Man yet liveth in me he is not wholly crucified he is not perfectly dead He doth as yet lust strongly against the spirit and stirreth up inward wars and suffereth not the Kingdom of my soul to be in peace 4. But thou that rulest the power of the Sea and stillest the rising of the Waves thereof arise and help me scatter the People that desire war destroy them in thy might display thy greatness and let thy right hand be glorified for there is no hope nor refuge for me but in thee my Lord God CHAP. XXXV That there is no security from temptation in this life CHrist. Son there is no security in this life as long as thou livest thou shalt always have need of spiritual armor Thou livest among enemies and art assaulted on the right hand and on the left If therefore thou defendest not thy self on every side with the shield of patience thou canst not be long unwounded Moreover if thou fix not thy heart on me with a sincere will to suffer all things for me thou canst not bear the heat of this battel nor obtain the triumphant reward of the Saints in bliss Thou oughtest therefore manfully to go through all and to use a strong hand against whatsoever withstandeth thee For to him that overcometh is manna given but for the negligent there remains much misery 2. If thou seekest rest in this world how wilt thou then attain to everlasting rest Dispose not thy self to much ease but to much patience Seek true peace not in Earth but in Heaven not in Men nor in any other creature but in God alone Thou oughtest for the love of God willingly to undergo all things even labors griefs temptations vexations anxieties necessities infirmities injuries detractions reprehensions humblings shame corrections and contempts these help to virtue these try a Novice of Christ these make the Heavenly Crown I will give an everlasting reward for a short labor and infinite glory for transitory shame 3. Thinkest thou that thou shalt always have spiritual consolations at will My Saints had not so but they had many afflictions and sundry temptations and many discomforts in all which they did bear up themselves patiently and trusted rather in God than in themselves knowing that the sufferings of this time are not condign to the deserving of future glory Wilt thou have that straightways which many after many tears and great labors have hardly obtained Wait upon the Lord do manfully be of good courage do not despair do not fly but with constancy expose both body and soul for the glory of God I will reward thee in most plentiful manner and I will be with thee in all thy tribulations CHAP. XXXVI Against the vain judgments of Men. CHrist. Son cast thy heart constantly upon God and fear not the judgment of Men when thy conscience giveth testimony of thy piety and innocency It is a good and happy thing to suffer in such a way neither will it be burdensome to an humble heart nor to him that trusteth rather in God than in himself The most part of Men are given to talk much and therefore little heed is to be given them neither is it possible to satisfie all Although Paul endeavored to please all in the Lord and made himself all things unto all yet with him it was a very small thing that he should be judged of Mans judgment 2. He did for the edification and salvation of others as much as he could and lay in him yet could he not hinder but that he was sometimes judged and despised by others Therefore he committed all to God who knew all and he defended himself with patience and humility against evil tongues and such as thought vanities and lies and spake what they listed Yet sometimes notwithstanding he answered lest the weak should be offended by his silence 3. Who art thou that fearest a mortal Man To day he is and to morrow he is not seen Fear God and thou shalt not need to fear the terrors of Men. What harm can the words or injuries of any do thee He rather hurteth himself than thee neither can he avoid the judgment of God whosoever he be Have thou God before thine eyes and contend not with complaining words And if for the present thou seemest to be worsted and to suffer shame without desert do not therefore repine neither do thou lessen thy crown by thy impatience but rather lift up thy eyes to me in Heaven who am able to deliver thee from all shame and wrong and to render to every one according to their works CHAP. XXXVII Of a full and pure resignation of our selves for the obtaining freedom of heart CHrist. Son forsake thy self and thou shalt find me Make no self respecting choice of any thing appropriate nothing to thy self and thou shalt ever be a gainer For greater grace shall be given thee when thou dost perfectly resign thy self and not turn back to take thy self again Christian. Lord how often shall I resign my self and wherein shall I forsake my self Christ. Always and every hour as well in little things as in great I do except nothing but do require that thou be naked and void of all things Otherwise how canst thou be mine and I thine unless both within and without thou be free from all self will And how much the sooner thou dost this so much the better it will be with thee and how much the more fully and sincerely thou doest it so much the more shalt thou please me and so much the more shalt thou gain 2.
advise thee not to enquire nor dispute of the merits of the Saints which of them is holier than the other and which is greater in the Kingdom of Heaven These things oftentimes breed strife and unprofitable contentions they nourish also pride and vain glory from whence do spring envy and dissentions whilst one will proudly prefer this and the other another To desire to know and search out such things is to no purpose nor would it please the Saints for I am not the God of dissention but of peace which peace consisteth rather in true humility than in self exaltation 3. Some are carried with zeal of affection to love these or those most but this love is rather humane than divine I am He who made all the Saints and have given them grace I have given them glory I know what every one hath deserved I have prevented them with the blessings of my goodness I foreknew my beloved before the beginning of the world I chose them out of the world they chose not me first I called them by grace I drew them by mercy I led them through sundry temptations I have poured into them glorious comforts I have given them perseverance I have crowned their patience 4. I know both the first and the last I embrace all with inestimable love I am to be praised in all my Saints I am to be blessed above all things and to be honored in every one whom I have thus gloriously exalted and predestinated without any precedent merits of their own He therefore that contemneth one of the least of my Saints honoreth not the greatest for that I made both the less and the greater and he that dispraifeth any of my Saints dispraiseth also me and all the rest in the Kingdom of Heaven There all are one through the bond of love they think the same they will the same and they all love one another 5. But yet which is much more high they love me more than themselves and are drawn out of all themselves or any merits of their own For being ravished above self-love they are wholly carried out to love me in whom also they do fruitively rest Nothing can turn them back nothing can press them down for being full of the eternal Truth they burn with the fire of unquenchable love Let therefore carnal and natural Men who can affect no other but their private joys forbear to dispute of the state of Saints They add and take away according to their own fancies not as it pleaseth the eternal Truth 6. Many are ignorant but specially those that be slenderly enlightned and these can seldom love any with a perfect spiritual love They are as yet much drawn by a natural affection and humane friendship to this Man or to that and according to the experience they have of themselves in their Earthly affections so they frame an imagination of Heavenly things But there is an incomparable distance between the things which the imperfect ones imagine in their conceits and those which the illuminated ones do see by revelation from above 7. Beware therefore my Son that thou treat not curiously of these things which exceed thy knowledg but rather so apply thy endeavors that thou mayest at least have the meanest place in the Kingdom of Heaven And if any one did know which of the Saints exceed others in sanctity or were greater in the Kingdom of Heaven what would this knowledg avail him unless he should thereby humble himself the more in my sight and should rise up into the greater praising of my name He pleaseth God much better that thinketh of the greatness of his sins and the smalness of his graces and how far off he is from the perfection of the Saints than he that disputeth of their greatness or littleness 8. They are well and right well contented if Men could content themselves and refrain from these vain discourses They glory not of their own merits for they ascribe no good unto themselves but attribute all to me who of my infinite love have given them all things They are filled with so great love of the Divinity and with such an overflowing joy that there is no glory nor happiness that is or can be wanting unto them All the Saints how much the higher they be in glory so much the more humble they are in themselves and nearer and dearer unto me And therefore it is written That they did cast their Crowns before God and fell down upon their face before the Lamb and adored him that liveth for ever and ever 9. Many inquire who is greatest in the Kingdom of God that know not whether they shall ever be numbred there amongst the least It is a great thing to be even the least in Heaven where all are great for that all there shall be called and shall be indeed the Sons of God The least shall become a Thousand and the sinner of an Hundred years shall die For when the Disciples asked who should be greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven they received this answer Unless you be converted and be come as little Children you shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little Child the same is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven 10. Wo be unto them that disdain to humble themselves willingly with little Children For the low gate of the Kingdom of Heaven will not give them entrance And wo be to the rich that have their comforts here for whilest the poor enter into the Kingdom of God they shall stand lamenting without Rejoyce you that be humble and you that be poor be you glad for yours is the Kingdom of God if you walk according to the truth CHAP. LIX That all our hope and trust is to be fixed in God alone CHristian Lord what trust have I in this life Or what is the greatest comfort that all things under Heaven do yield me Is it not thou my Lord God whose mercies are without number Where hath it been well with me without thee Or when could it be ill with me when thou wert present I had rather be poor for thee than rich without thee I rather choose to be a pilgrim on Earth with thee than to possess Heaven without thee Where thou art there is Heaven and there is death and Hell where thou art not Thou art my desire and therefore it behoveth me to sigh and cry and pray unto thee For I have none fully to trust in none that can seasonably help me in my necessities but thee alone my God Thou art my hope thou art my trust thou art my comforter and most faithful unto me in all things 2. All Men seek their own gain thou only seekest my salvation and my profit and turnest all things to my good Although thou exposest me to divers temptations and adversities yet thou orderest all this to my advantage who art wont to try thy beloved ones a Thousand wayes In which trial thou oughtest no