Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	work_n	world_n	worthy_a	116	3	5.9909	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13678	The following of Christ translated out of Latin into Englishe, newlie corrected and amended. VVherento also is added the golden epistle of Sainct Bernarde. And nowe lastelie the rules of a Christian lyfe, made by Iohn Picus the elder earle of Mirandula.; Imitatio Christi. English.	Cyprian, Saint, d. 304. [Swete and devoute sermon of mortalitie of man]. aut; Whitford, Richard, fl. 1495-1555?; Elyot, Thomas, Sir, 1490?-1546.; Bernard, of Clairvaux, Saint, 1090 or 91-1153. Epistola de perfectione vitae. English. aut; Pico della Mirandola, Giovanni, 1463-1494. Regulae duodecim portim excitantes portim dirigentes hominem in pugna spirituali. English.; Thomas, à Kempis, 1380-1471, attributed name.	1585 (1585)	STC 23968; ESTC S103013	152,704	352

beautie that was deformed through sinne returneth agayne and the grace of this Sacrament sometime is so much that of the fulnes of deuotion that commeth thereby not onelie the minde but also the fee●le bodye recouer their former strength But verilye it is greatlie to be sorowed that we be so slowe and negligent and that we be stirred with no more affection to receyue Christ then we be for in him standeth all merite and hope of them that shall be saued He is our health and our redemption he is the comfortour of all that liue in this worlde and the eternall rest of all Saintes in heauen And it is also greatly to be sorowed that so many take so litle heede of this high misterie which gladdeth the heauen and preserueth all the world Alas the blindnes and hardnes of mans hart that taketh no greater heede to so noble a gifte but by the dayly vsing thereof is negligent and taketh litle heede thereto If this blessed Sacrament were ministred onelie in one place cōsecrate but by one priest in the world with how great desire thinkest thou the people would runne to that place and to that Priest that they myght see there these heauenlie misteries Nowe there be manye priestes and Christe is offred in many places that the grace and loue of God to man maye appeare so muche the more as the holie communion is spreade the more abrode throughout the worlde thankinges be to thee therefore my Lord Iesu that thou vouchsafe to refresh vs poore outlawes with thy precious blood and to stir vs with the wordes of thine owne mouth to receiue this holie misterie sayinge come ye all to me that labour and be charged and I shall refresh you That the great goodnes and charitie of God is geuen to man in this blessed Sacrament The second Chapter O My Lorde Iesu trustinge in thy great goodnes mercye I come to the as a sicke man to him that shall heale him and as he that is hungrye thirstie to the fountayne of life that is needie to the Kinge of heauen as a seruaunt to his Lord a creature to his creator and as a desolate persō to his meeke and blessed comfortour But howe is it that thou commest to me who am I that thou wilt geue thy selfe vnto me howe dare I a sinner appeare before thee and howe is it that thou wilt vouchsafe to come to so simple a creature Thou knowest thy seruant and seest well that he hath no goodnes of him se●●e whereby thou shouldest geue this grace vnto him I confesse therefore mine owne vnworthines and I knowledge thy goodnes I prayse thy pietie and yeelde thee thankings for thy great charitie Verily thou doest all this for thine owne goodnes not for my merites that thy goodnes may therby the more appeare thy charitie the more largelie be shewed and thy meekenes the more highlie be commēded Therefore because this pleaseth thee and thou hast cōmaunded that it shoulde thus be done thy goodnes also therein pleaseth me and woulde to God that mine iniquities resisted me not O my Lorde Iesu howe great reuerence and thankinges with perpetuall praysinges of thy name ought to be geuen thee for the receyuinge of thy holie bodie whose dignitie no man is able to expresse But what shall I thinke in this communion and in goeinge to my Lorde God whom I can not worship as I ought to doe and yet I desire to receyue him deuoutly But what may I think better or more healthfull to me then whollie to meeke my selfe before thee exaltinge thy infinite goodnes farre aboue me I laude thee my Lord God and shall exalt thee euerlastinglie I despise my selfe and submit me to thee and sorowe greatlie the deepenes of mine iniquitie Thou arte the Saint of all Saints and I am the filth of all sinners and yet thou enclinest thy selfe to me that am not worthye to looke towarde thee Thou commest to me thou wilt be with me thou biddest me to thy feast thou wilt geue me this heauenly meate and this Angelles foode to eate which is playnlye none other but thy selfe that art the liuely bread which descēdest from heauen and geuest lyfe to the worlde Beholde Lorde from whence all this loue proceedeth and howe great goodnes shineth vpon vs and howe great thankes prayses are due to thee therfore O howe helthful and howe profitable a counsayle was it whē thou ordeinedst this glorious Sacrament and how sweete and ioyous a feast was it when thou gauest thy selfe as meat to be eaten O Lorde howe meruailous is thy worke howe mightie is thy vertue and howe farre vnspeakable is thy trueth By thy worde all thinges were made and all thinges were done as thou hast commaunded It is a meruaylous thinge worthy to be beleeued and farre aboue the vnderstandinge of man that thou Lorde that art God and very man art wholly conteyned vnder a litle likenes of bread and wine and art eaten without consuminge of him that taketh thee and that thou that art Lorde of all thinges and that needest nothing in this world wouldest by this glorious Sacrament dwell in vs kepe thou mine heart my body immaculate that in a glad and a pure conscience I may ofte times celebrate thy misteries and receiue them to my euerlastinge health which thou haste ordeined most speciallye to thy honour perpetuall memory O my soule be thou mery and glad for so noble a gift and so singuler a cōfort left to thee in this vale of misery for as ofte as thou remembrest this mistery takest the body of Christe so ofte thou workest the worke of thy redemption and art made partaker of all the merites of Christ Truely the charitie of Christ is neuer minished the greatnes of his mercy is neuer consumed and therefore thou oughtest alwaye with a newe renewing of minde to dispose thee to it and with a well aduised and a deepe consideration to thinke on this great mysterie of health It shoulde seeme to thee as newe and as pleasaunt a ioy and comfort when thou singest masse or hearest it as if Christe the same daye first entred into the wombe of the virgin and were made man or if he the same daye suffered and dyed vppon the Crosse for the health of mankinde That it is very profitable ofte to be houseled The .3 Chapter LOrde I come to the to thēde that it maye be well with me through thy gifte and that I maye ioye at the holy feast that thou of thy great goodnes haste made redy for me In thee is all that I may or shoulde desire for thou art my health my redemption my hope my strength my honour and glorie Make me thy seruant this daye mery and glad in thee for I haue lifte my soule vnto thee nowe I desire deuoutlie and reuerentlie to receiue thee into mine house that I may deserue with zeale to be blessed of thee and to be accompanied amonge the children

swinke and sweate both day and night But alas for sorowe for the goods euerlasting and for the rewarde that may not be esteemed by mans ha●●e and for the high honour glory that neuer shall haue ende men be slowe to take any maner of payne and labour Be thou therefore ashamed thou slowe seruaunt of God that they be founde more ready to workes of death then thou art to works of life and that they ioy more in vanitie then thou in truth and yet they be ofte deceyued of that that they haue most trust in but my promise deceueth no man nor leaueth no man that trusteth in me without some comfort That I haue promised I will performe that I haue sayd I will fulfill to euery person so that they abide faythfully in my loue dread vnto the ende for I am the rewarder of all good men and a strong prouer of all deuout soules VVrite my wordes therefore in thy hart diligētly and ofte thinke thou vpō them and they shall be in time of temptatiō much necessarie vnto thee That thou vnderstandest not when thou readest it thou shalt vnderstande in the time of my visitation I am wont to visite my seruauntes two maner of wayes that is to say with temptation and with consolation and two lessons dayly I reade vnto them one wherby I rebuke their vices another whereby I stirre thē to encrease in vertues and he that knoweth my wordes and despiseth thē hath that that shall iudge him in the last day A prayer to obteyne the grace of deuotion The .4 Chapter Lord Iesu thou art all my riches and all that I haue I haue it of thee But what am I Lorde that I dare thus speake to thee I am thy poorest seruaunt a worme most abiect more poore and more dispisable than I can or bare say Beholde Lorde that I am nought that I haue nought and of my selfe I am nought worth thou art only good righteous and holy thou orderest all things thou giuest all things thou fulfillest all things with thy goodnes leauing only the wretched sinner barrain and voyde of heauēly comfort Remember thy mercies and fill my harte with thy manifolde graces for thou wilte not that thy works in me be made in vaine How may I beare the miseries of this lyfe vnlesse thy grace and mercy doe cōfort me therin Turne not thy face from me defer not thy visiting of me ne with drawe not thy comforts from me lest happily my soule be made as dry earth without the water of grace and as it were a thing vnprofitable to thee Teache me Lorde to fulfill thy will and to liue meekly and worthily before thee for thou art all my wisedome and running and thou art he that knowest me as I am and that knewest me before the world was made and before that I was borne or brought into this lyfe Hovve vve ought to be conuersant before God in truth and meekenes The 5. Chapter MY sonne sayth our lord Iesu walke before me in truth and meekenes and seeke me alwayes in simplenes and playnnes of hart He that walketh in truth shall be defended from all perils and daungers and truth shall deliuer him frō all deceyuers and from all euil sayings of wicked people If truth deliuer thee thou art very free and thou shalt litle care for the vayne sayinges of the people Lord it is true all that thou sayest be it done to me after thy saying I beseeche thee that thy truth may teache me and kepe me and finally leade me to a blessed ending and that it may deliuer me from all euil affections and from all inordinate loue that I may walke with thee in freedome of spirite and libertie of harte Then truth sayth agayne I shall teache thee what is acceptable and liking to me Thinke on thy sinnes paste with great displeasure and sorowe of harte neuer thinke thy selfe worthy to be called holy or vertuous for any good deedes that thou hast done but thinke howe great a sinner thou art be●apped and bounde with great and manifolde sinnes and passions and that of thy selfe thou drawest to nought soone fallest soone art ouercome soone troubled and soone art thou broken with labour and payne and thou hast nothing whereof thou mayst righteously glorifie thy selfe but many things thou hast wherfore thou oughtest to despise thy selfe for thou art more vnstable and more weake to ghostly works then thou knowest or mayst thinke Let nothing therfore seeme great to thee nothing precious nothing worthy any reputation nor woorthy to be praysed in thy sight but that is euerlasting Let the euerlastinge truth be most liking moste pleasaunt to thee aboue all other thinges and that thine owne sinne and vilenes be moste misliking and moste displeasaunt to thee Dreade nothing so much nor reproue nothing so much neyther let any thing be to thee so much hated nor flee nothing so muche as thy sinnes and wickednes for they should more displease thee then should the losse of all worldly thinges Some there be that walke not purelye before me for they through pride and curiositie of thē selues desire to searche and know high thinges of my godhead forgetting them selues the health of their owne soules such persons fall oft times into great lēptations and greeuous sinnes by their pride and curiositie for the which I am turned against them leaue them to thē selues without helpe or counsaile of me Dreade therfore the iudgemetes of God the wrath of him that is almightie and discusse not nor searche his secretes but searche well thine owne iniquities How ofte how greeuouslie thou haste offended him howe many good deedes thou haste negligētlie omitted lefte vndone whiche thou mightest well haue doone Some persons beare their deuotion in bookes some in images some in outward tokens and figures some haue me in their mouth but litle in their heart but some there be that haue their reason cleerely illumined with the light of true vnderstandinge whereby their affectiō is so purged and purified from loue of earthly thinges that they maye alwaye couete desire heauenlie thinges in so much as it is greeuous to thē for to heare of earthly likinges and it is to them also a right great payne to serue the necessities of the body and they thinke all the time as lost wherein they go about it Suche persons feele and knowe well what the spirite of truth speaketh in their soules for it teacheth them to despise earthlie thinges and to loue heauenlie thinges to forsake the worlde that is transitorie and to desire both daye and night to come thither where is ioy euerlastinge to the which bringe vs our Lorde Iesus Amen Of the meruaillous effect of the loue of God The .6 Chapter BLessed be thou heauenlie father the father of my Lorde Iesus Christe for thou haste vouchesafed to remember me thy poorest seruant and somtime doest comfort me with thy gracious presence that am

like to mens fables for they be in them selues soothfast true But what haue I done Lorde that thou wilt vouchsafe to geue me any heauenly consolation I knowe not that I haue done anye thing well as I should haue done but that I haue bene prone and readie to sinne and slowe to amendment This is true and I can not deny it for if I would deny it thou shouldest stand against me and no man might defend me VVhat haue I then deserued but hell and euerlastinge fire I confesse for truth that I am woorthy in this worlde of shame and despite and that it becommeth not me to be conuersant with deuout people And though it be greeuous to me to say thus yet sith the truth is so I wil confesse the truth as it is and openlye will reproue my selfe of my defaultes that I may the rather obteine of thee mercy forgeuenes But what maye I then say Lorde that thus am giltie and full of cōfusion truely I haue no mouth nor tonge to speake but onely this word I haue sinned Lorde I haue sinned haue mercy on me forgeue me and forget my trespasse suffer me a litle that I maye weepe waile my sinnes or that I passe hence to the lande of darknes couered with the shadowe of death And what doest thou Lord aske most of such a wretched sinner but that he be contrite and meeken him selfe for his sinne for in true contrition meekenes of heart is found the very hope of forgeuenes of sinne and the troubled conscience is therby cleered and the grace before lost is recouered agayne Man also is thereby defended fro the wrath to come almightie God and the penitente soule mete louinglie together in holie kissinges of heauenlye loue A meeke contrition of heart is to thee Lorde a right acceptable Sacrifice more sweetlie sauouringe in thy sight then burnynge incence It is also the precious oyntment that thou wouldest should be shed vpon thy blessed feete for a meeke and contrite heart thou neuer despisest This contrition is the place of refuge from the dreade and wrath of the enemie and therby is washed clensed whatsoeuer is before misdone or that is defiled through sinne in any maner That grace vvill not be mixt vvith loue of vvorldlye thinges The .58 Chapter My sonne grace is a precious thing and will not be mixte with anye priuate loue nor with worldlye comfortes It behoueth thee therefore to caste awaye all lettinges of grace if thou wilt haue the gratious gift thereof Those therefore a secrete place and loue to be alone and keepe thee from hearinge of vayne tales and fables and offer to God deuout prayers and praye hartily that thou mayest haue a contrite hart and a pure conscience Thinke al the world as naught and preferre my seruice before all other thinges for thou mayest not haue minde on me and therwithall delite thee in transitorie pleasures It behoueth thee therefore to withdrawe thee from thy deerest freendes and from all thine acquaintaunce and to sequester thy minde whollie fro the inordinate desire of all worldlye comfort as muche as thou mayest Thus prayed Saint Peter that all Christien people might holde them selues as strangers and as pilgrimes vpō earth for then they shoulde not set but litle price by the comfort thereof O howe suce a trust shall it be to a man at his departinge out of this world to feele inwardlie in his soule that no worldlie loue nor yet the affection of no passinge or trāsitorie thinge hath any rule in him But a weake feeble person newlie turned to God may not so lightlie haue his hart seuered from earthlie likinge nor the beastlie man knoweth not the freedome of a man that is inwardly turned to god And therefore if a man will perfectlie be spirituall and ghostlie he must aswell renounce strangers as kinsfolke and speciallie before all other that he be moste ware of him selfe for if he ouercome him selfe perfectlie he shall the sooner ouercome all other enimies The moste noble and most perfecte victorie is a man to haue the victorie of him selfe He therefore that holdeth him selfe so muche subiect that the sensualitie obeyeth to reason and reason in all thinges obeyeth to me he is the true ouercommer of hym selfe and the Lorde of the worlde But if thou couet to come to that point thou must beginne manfullie and set thy axe to the roote of the tree and fullie to cut awaye and to destroye in thee all the inordinate inclination that thou haste to thy selfe or to any priuate or materiall thinge for of that vice that a man loueth him selfe inordinatlie well nigh dependeth all that ought groundlie to be destroyed in man And if that be truely ouercome anone shall folowe great tranquilitie and peace of conscience But forasmuch as there be but fewe that labour to die to them selues nor to ouercome them selues perfectlie therefore they lye still in their fleshlie feelinges and worldlie comfortes and may in no wise rise vp in spirite aboue them selues for it behoueth him that will be free in heart haue cōtēplatiō of me to mortifie all his euill inclinations that he hath to him selfe to the world not to be bounde to any creature by any inordinate or priuate loue Of the diuersities and diuers mouinges betvvene nature and grace The 59. Chapter My sonne take good heede of the motions of nature and grace for they be verie subtil and much contrary the one to the other and hardlie may they be knowen asonder but it be by a ghostly man that through spirituall grace is inwardlye lightned in soule Euerye man desireth some goodnes and pretendeth somewhat of goodnes in all his wordes and deedes and therfore vnder pretence of goodnes many be deceaued Nature is wylie and full of deceit and draweth many to her whom she often times snareth and deceyueth euer beholdeth her owne wealth as the ende of her worke But grace walketh simplye without dereyte she declineth from all euill she pretendeth no gyle but all thinges she doth purelye for God in whom finallye she resteth Nature will not gladlye dye nor gladlye be oppressed or ouercome neither will she gladlye be vnder other ne be kept in subiection but grace studieth howe she may be mortified to the world and to the flesh She resisteth sensualitie she seeketh to be subiecte she desireth to be ouercome she will not vse her owne libertie she loueth to be holden vnder holy discipline and coueteth not to haue lordship ouer anye one creature but to lyue and to stande alway vnder the dreade of God and for his loue is alwaye readie to bowe her selfe meekely to euery creature Nature laboureth for her owne profite and aduantage muche beholdeth what winning commeth to her by other But grace beholdeth not what is profitable to her selfe but what is profytable to manye Nature receaueth gladlye honour and reuerence but grace referreth all honour and reuerence to God Nature dreadeth

and singuler grace If thou see any persō sinne or commit any great crime openly before thee yet iudge not thy selfe to be better then he for thou knowest not how longe thou shalt perseuer in goodnes VVe be all frayle but thou shalt iudge no man more frayle then thy selfe Of the teaching of truth The .3 Chapter HAppye and blessed is that person whom truth teacheth and enformeth not by figures or by deceitful voyces but as the truth is our opinion and our wit many times deceiueth vs for we see not the truth What auayleth vs the knowledge of suche thinges as shal neyther helpe vs at the daye of iudgement if we knowe them nor hurt vs if we know them not It is therfore great folly to be negligent in suche things as be profitable and necessary to vs and to labour for such thinges that be but curious and damnable Truely if we doo so we haue eyes but we see not And what auayleth vs the knowledge of the kinde and working of creatures truely nothing He to whom the euerlasting worde that is Iesus speaketh ●is discharged of many vayne opinions and of that worde al thinges proceede and all thinges openlye shewe and crye that he is God No man without him vnderstādeth the truth ne rightfully iudgeth but he to whom al thinges is one and he that all thinges draweth into one aud all thinges setteth in one and desireth nothinge but one may quickly be established in heart and be fully pacifyed in God O truth that God art make me one with thee in perfect charitie for all that I reade heare or see without thee is greeuous to me for in thee is all that I wil or maye desire Let all Doctours be stil in thy presence and let all creatures keepe them in silence and thou only Lord speake to my soule The more that man is ioyned to thee and the more that he is gathered together in thee the more he vnderstandeth without labour high secrete misteries for he hath receyued from aboue the light of vnderstanding A cleane pure and a stable hart is not broken ne lightly ouercome with ghostely labours for he doeth al thing to the honour of God and for that he is cleerely mortifyed to him self therfore he coueteth to be free from folowing his owne wil. VVhat hindereth thee more then thy affections not fully mortifyed to the wl of the spirite truelye nothing more A good deuout man so ordereth his outwarde busines that it draweth not him to the loue of it but that he compell it to be obedient to the wil of the spirite to the right iudgemēt of reason VVho hath a stronger battayle then he that laboureth for to ouercome him selfe and that shoulde be our dayly labour our dayly desire to ouercome our selfe that we may be made stronger in spirite and increase daily frō better to better Euery perfectiō in this life hath some imperfection annexed vnto it and there is no knowledge in this worlde but that it is mixt with some blindens of ignorance And therfore a meeke knowing of our selfe is a more surer way to God then is the searching for highnes of cunning Cunning wel ordred is not to be blamed for it is good and cōmeth of God but a clean conscience and a vertuous life is muche better more to be desired Because some men studye to haue cunning rather then to liue well therfore they erre many times and bring forth litle good fruite or none O if they woulde be as busye to auoyde sinne and to plante vertues in their soules as they be to moue questions there shoulde not be so many euill thinges seene in the worlde ne so much euil example geuen to the people ne yet so much dissolute liuing in religiō At the daye of iudgement it shall not be asked of vs what we haue read but what we haue done nor howe well we haue sayde but howe religiously we haue liued Tell me nowe where be all the great clerkes and famous doctors whom thou haste wel-knowen when they liued they flourished greatly in their learning and now other men occupy their prebendes promotiōs and I can not tell whether they think any thing on thē in their life they were holden great in the world nowe is litle speaking of thē O howe shortly passeth away the glorye of this world with al the false deceauable plesures of it would to God their life had accorded well with their learning for then had they well studied and read How many perishe dayly in this worlde by vayne cunning that care litle for a good life ne for the seruice of God And because they desire rather to be great in the worlde then to be meeke therfore they vanishe awaye in their learninges as smoke in the ayre Truely he is great that hath great charitie and he is great that is litle in his owne sight and that setteth at nought all worldly honour And he is very wise that accompteth all worldly pleasures as vile dounge so that he maye winne Christe And that person is very wel taught that forsaketh his owne will and foloweth the will of God That light credence is not to be geuen to vvordes The .4 Chapter IT is not good lightly to beleeue euery worde or instinct that commeth but the thing is aduisedly and leasurely to be cōsidered pondered that almightie God be not offended through our lightnes But alas for sorowe we be so fraile that we anone beleeue of other euil soner then good But neuertheles perfect men be not so light of credence for they know well that the frayllie of man is more prone to euil thē to good and that it is in wordes very vnstable It is therefore great wisdome not to be hastie in our deeds ne to trust much in our own wits nor lightly to beleeue euery tale nor to shewe anone to other al that we heare or beleeue Take alway counsel of a wise man and couet rather to be instructed and ordred by other then to folowe thine owne inuention A good life maketh a man wise to God and instructeth him in many things that a sinful man shal neuer feele ne knowe The more meeke that a man is in him selfe the more obedient that he is to God the more wise the more peaceful shall he be in euery thing that he shal haue to do Of the readinge of holy Scripture The .5 Chapter CHaritie is to be sought in holye Scripture and not eloquence and it should be read with the same spirite that it was firste made VVe ought also to seeke in holy Scriture ghostlye profite rather then curiositie of stile and as gladly shall we reade simple and deuoute bookes as bookes of high learninge and cunninge Let not the authoritie of thine authour mislike thee whether he were of greate cunning or litle but that the loue of the verye pure truth styrr thee to reade Aske not who sayde this but take heede what is sayde Men

thy mercie from all perils and daungers O righteous father euer to be praysed the time is come that thou wilte thy seruaunt be proued And righteouslie is it done that I now shall suffer somewhat for thee now is the hour come that thou hast knowen from the beginninge that thy seruant for a time should outwardlie be set at naught and inwardlie to liue to thee and that he shoulde a litle be despised in the sight of the world and be broken with passions and sickenes that he might after rise with thee into a newe light and be clarified and made glorious in the kingdome of heauen O holie father thou haste ordeyned it so to be and it is done as thou hast commaunded this is thy grace to thy freende to suffer and to be troubled in this worlde for thy loue howe ofte so euer it be of what person soeuer it be in what maner soeuer thou suffer it to fall vnto him without thy counsayle prouidence nor without cause nothinge is done vpon earth Oh it is good to me Lorde that thou hast meekened me that I may therby learne to knowe thy righteous iudgementes and put from me all maner of presumption and highnes of minde And it is verie profitable to me that cōfusion hath couered my face that I maye learne thereby to seeke for helpe and succour to thee rather thē to man And I haue therby learned to dreade thy secrete terrible iudgementes which scourgest the righteous mā with the sinner but not without equitie and iustice I yeelde thankes to thee that thou haste not spared my sins but haste punished me with scourges of loue and hast sent me sorowes and anguishes within and without so that there is no creature vnder heauen that may comfort me but thou Lorde God the heauenlie leach of mans soule which strikest and healest and bringest a man nigh vnto bodilie death and after restorest him to health againe that he maye thereby learne to knowe the littlenes of his owne power the more fullie to trust in thee Thy discipline is fallen vpon me and thy rod of correctiō hath taught me vnder that rodde I whollie submit me strike my backe and bones as it shall please thee make me to bowe my croked will vnto thy will make me a meeke an humble disciple as thou hast sometime done with me that I may walke all after thy wil. To thee I commit my selfe and all mine to be corrected for better it is to be corrected by thee here then in time to come Thou knowest all thinges nothinge is hidde from thee that is in mans cōsciēce Thou knowest thinges to come before they fall it is not nedefull that any man teache thee or warne thee of any thinge that is done vpō the earth Thou knowest what is speedefull for me and howe much tribulation helpeth to purge the rest of sinne in me do with me after thy pleasure and disdayne not my sinfull life to none so well knowen as it is to thee Graunt me Lorde that to knowe that is necessarie to be knowen that to loue that is to be loued that to prayse that highlie pleaseth thee that to regarde that appeareth precious in thy sight and that to refuse that is vile before thee Suffer me not to iudge after my outwarde wits nor to geue sentēce after the hearinge of vncunninge men but in a true iudgement to discerne thinges visible and inuisible and aboue all thinges alway to searche and folowe thy will and pleasure The outwarde witnes of men be ofte deceyued in their iudgementes And in likewise the louers of the worlde be deceyued through louinge onelie of visible thinges VVhat is a man the better for that he is taken better truelie nothinge For a deceitfull man deceyueth an other a vayne mā deceyueth an other and a blinde feeble creature deceyueth an other when he exalteth him and rather confoundeth him then prayseth him For why howe muche soeuer a man be in light of God so much he is and no more sayth the meeke Saint Fraunces howe holye and howe vertuous soeuer he be taken in sight of the people That it is good that a man geue hym selfe to meeke bodilye laboures vvhen he feeleth not hym selfe disposed to high vvorkes of deuotion The 56. Chapter My sonne thou mayest not alwaye stande in the high feruēt desire of vertue ne in the highest degree of contemplatiō but thou muste of necessitie through the corruption of the first sinne sometime descende to lower thinges and against thy will and with great tediousnes to beare the burden of this corruptible body for as longe as thou bearest this bodie of death thou must neede feele some tediousnes and griefe of heart and thou shalt ofte times beweepe mourne the burden of thy fleshlie feelinges and the contradictiō of thy body to thy soule for thou mayest not for the corruption thereof perseuer in spirituall studies and in heauenlye contemplation as thou wouldest doe and then it is good to thee to flie to meeke bodilie laboures and to exercise thy selfe in good outwarde workes and in a stedfast hope and trust to abide my comminge and my newe heauenlie visitations and to beare thy exile and the drines of thy hart patientlie till thou shalt be visited by me agayne and be deliuered from all tediousnes and vnquietnes of minde VVhen I shall come I shall make thee forget all thy former laboures and to haue inwarde rest and quietnes of soule I shall also laye before thee the florishing medowe of holy scripture and thou shalte with great gladnes of heart in a newe blessed feeling fele the very true vnderstāding thereof and then quickly shalt thou runne the waye of my commaundementes and then shalt thou saye in great spirituall gladnes The passions of this world be not woorthy of thē selues to bring vs to the ioy that shall be shewed vs in the blisse of heauen To the which bring vs our Lorde Iesus Amen That a man shall not thinke him selfe vvorthy to haue comfort but rather to haue sorovve and payne and of the profite of contrition The 57. Chapter LOrde I am not woorthy to haue thy consolation nor any spirituall visitatiō and therefore thou doest righteously to me when thou leauest me needy and desolate for though I might weepe water of teares like to the Sea yet were I not woorthy to haue thy con●olatiō for I am worthy to haue nothing but sorowe and paine for I haue so greeuouslye and so ofte offended thee and in so many things greatly trespassed against thee Therefore I may well saye and confesse for truth that I am not woorthy to haue thy leste cōsolation But thou Lord benigne and mercifull that wilt not thy workes doe perish to shewe the greatnes of thy goodnes in the vessels of thy mercy aboue all my merites or desert doest vouchsafe sometime to comforte me thy seruaunt more then I can thinke or deuise Thy cōsolations be not