him to Dinner chap. 9. Dinner being done Voluptuousness sheweth the Wandring Knight the rest of the Palace of worldly Felicity with the superscription of the Towers thereof and by the Author is declared the evil fruit of certain notorious sins chap. 10. The scituation or standing of the Palace of worldly Felicity chap. 11. The Author declareth how the Wandring Knight and such like voluptuous livers in the World transgress the Commandements of Almighty God chap. 12. The Knight going for to recreate himself and to view the Warrens and Forrests which were about the Palace of Worldly Felicity anon he saw it sink suddenly into the Earth and perceived himself in the mire up to the Saddle skirts chap. 13. The Author cryeth out bitterly against Worldlings and their Felicity chap. 14. The Second part of the Voyage of the Wandring Knight GOds Grace draweth the Knight out of the filth of sin wherein he stuck fast chap. 1 Gods grace sheweth Hell unto the Knight with all the Voluptuous company that he saw in the Palace of Worldly Felicity chap. 2. The Knight declareth how he entred into the School of Repentance and of his entertainment there chap. 3. How true Repentance begins in us and how the Knights Conscience accused him with the pains he had deserved chap. 4. By the Commandement of Gods Grace Remembrance read to him the goodness of God with the promises made to the repentant Sinner chap. 5. A Sermon which Vnderstanding the good Hermit made unto the Knight upon the History of Mary Magdalen chap. 6. The Knight having received the holy Communion heard the Sermon and Dinner ended mounted into a Chariot of Triumph and was by Gods Grace carryed to the Palace of Vertue chap. 7. The third part of the Voyage of the Wandring Knight THe Knight declareth the great good solace and pleasure which he found in the Palace of Lady Vertue chap. 1. The description of Vertue chap. 2. The description of Faith and how we ought to believe in God for our Salvation chap. 3. The description of Hope and how we ought to hope in Almighty God chap. 4. The description of Love and Charity and how we ought to love God and our Neighbour chap. 5. The effects and praises of Love and charity chap. 6. The description of the four moral Vertues Prudence Justice Fortitude and Temperance chap. 7. How Faith from the top of the Tower sheweth unto the Knight the City of Heaven chap. 8. The desires that the Knight had to come to Heaven and how Gods Grace brought perseverance chap. 9. Good Vnderstanding sheweth the Knight how to keep perseverance alwayes with him chap. 10. The Protestation that good Vnderstanding taught the Knight to make every day to avoid temptation that he ought to humble himself before God and what he should ask in his prayers chap. 11. The Authors Peroration or Conclusion to the devout Readers or Hearers chap. 12. THE VOYAGE OF The Wandring Knight The First Part. CHAP. I. The Wandring Knight declareth his intent and foolish Enterprise supposing in this World to find true Felicity MAny Historiographers both Poets and Orators as well Prophane as Divine have by Writing notified divers persons with their Voyages and Adventures First Justin and Diodore of Sicilie have made mention of the Argonautes Voyage by Sea that is to say of Jason and his Allies Castor Pollux Hercules and other Peers to the I le of Cholcos to winne the Golden Fleece which a great Dragon kept Also Homer a Greek Poet writ in Verse the wandring and Sea Voyage of Ulysses and his Companions at their return from the Trojan Wars After him Virgil a most eloquent Latine Poet set down in Verse the Voyage of Aeneas into Italy with his fortunes after the subversion of Troy Now if we come to the sacred Histories we shall find first how Moses wrote of the Children of Israel their going out of Aegypt into the Land of Promise and of the two and forty Mansions that they made in the Desarts for the space of forty yeers And how the four Evangelists likewise most faithfully have written of the holy peregrination of the Blessed Son of God our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ who took upon him our fraile and humane nature The self same Saviour hath set down the Parable of the boluptuous Voyage of the prodigal Child and his returne S. Luke very notably and sincerely hath delivered in writing the painful and holy perigrination of that great bessed of Election Saint Paul together with the great travel he took to preach the Gospel and the Faith of Iesus Christ to all the Gentiles And now by Gods grace I mean to declare mine own Voyage and Adventures much like to that of the Prodigall Child who left his Fathers house and ranged into strange Countries wasting all his goods living licentiously but after he knew his lewdnesse he returned back to his Father of whom he was very lovingly received So I by great Folly counselled in absenting my self farre away not only in body but also in mind from God my Father and Creator have wasted and consumed all the goods which the same my God and Father had bountifully bestowed upon me in following bain pleasures of this life But in the End I being inspired with Divine grace acknowledged mine effences and leaking the dark Region of sin and vanity through the aid and conduction of Divine grace am returned to mine Eternall Father humbly requiring pardon and mercy who of his unspeakable mercy hath lovingly received me But how all this hath been done I will declare unto you praying you patiently to give me the hearing and attentively consider my talk and well to note the whole from the beginning to the End When I had passed in all Folly and Lastiviousnesse three weeks of the years of mine age that is to say My infancy Child age and Youth which make together one and twenty years I entred into the age of a young man which is the fourth week of my age which is between two and twenty and four and twenty years At five and twenty I was minded to make a Voyage by my foolish industry to seek where in this World I might stud true Felicity and Happinesse which seemed to my sortish sense an easse matter being Young Strong wild Hardy and Couragiously disposed Me thought in my mind to live in the world without Felicity was a Life worse than Death But alas being plunged in deep darkness of Agnorance I considered not that true Felicity was the Gift of God from above and cannot be attained without his help Being robbed of Reason I thought it might come easily of my self without the help of others so that then I sought true Felicity where she is not was not nor ever shall be as in Riches worldly Pleasure strength Honour and Delights of the flesh But I was in so thinking as very a Fool as he who hopeth with Angling Lines to catch Fishes in the Air or with Hounds to
good Hermit wherefore I was desirous to know his Name the which I asked Lady Memory who told me that it was good Understanding Then I received the holy Communion which being ended and Thanks given to God I meant to salute gratisie him But before we went to receive the holy Sacrament of the body and blood of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ I remembred the great love of our Lord which humbly took upon him our fraile and weak nature for our sakes became accursed and suffered most bitter death upon the Cross to deliver us out of the bandage of Sin Hell and Eternal death and to bring us to everlasting life I remembred also that love which he shewed unto me in drawing me out of the sink of sin wherein I was plunged over head and ears so that I was not only drawn from my unspeakable sins but also made a Communicant of the mystery of his Divine Majesty by faith And to the end it might please him to give me grace to receive it aright I prayed unto him on this wise O Sweet Jesus and loving Redeemer I yield thee thanks for thy unspeakable love by which thou hast purged me from the filth of sin and pluckt me by thy grace out of the dark dungeon of death Behold I reconcile my self unto thee most heartily beseeching thee that thou wouldest vouchsafe amongst the great number of thy benefits of thy great liberality to give me grace to be a faithfull partaker of thy precious body and blood represented unto me under the visible form of Bread and Wine O immortal King I am not worthy I confess of so great a benefit yet I beseech thee as thou dost make the unworthy worthy and the sinners just so make me worthy to receive this holy blessed and Heavenly Sacrament to my Souls Health Feed my Soul O Lord with thy spiritual Body and let thy blood revive and quicken my Spirit O make me by thy grace daily encreasing in me a member of thy mysticall body that I may be included within the Covenant and blessing which thou madest with thy Saints and Apostles in thy last Supper communicating unto them the holy Sacrament of thy body and Blood and consequently that I may be of the number of them which according to the Vow and Promise made in Baptism do live in Faith and by thy grace are received into the company of Saints Amen This prayer being ended with all Reverence and Devotion I received the holy Sacrament and that being ended we went from the Chappel into a great Hall where I met the good Hermit Understanding whom when I had saluted and he me I thanked him for his good sermon Then as we were talking Gods Grace said unto me Sir Knight I give thee for thy Governour this good Hermit Understanding believe his Counsel and do what he commands Then I remembred my old Governess Folly whom I left in the bog amongst Serpents and Toads so I was very glad of my Governour and give thanks to Gods Grace who from the Table gave me drugs to eat and repeated unto me a place written in the 80 Psalme of David Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it Then having swallowed that which she gave me I forgat the World and made no reckoning of any thing therein For all my desire was in haste to see the Palace of true Felicity I desired death to be with Christ in Heaven Dinner being done the Gates of Repentance were opened which were narrow contrariwise as it appeareth in the first Book that the entrance into the Palace of Voluptuousness was wide large and great but the end thereof was desperation and destruction as on the other side the entring into the Palace of Repentance is streight and narrow but the end thereof is eternal Life For Repentance as Saint Paul saith leadeth the Repentant to everlasting Salvation When the gates were open I mounted up into a Chariot of Ivory having golden wheels and two white Horses with wings drawing the same Gods Grace gat up first and with her hand helped me up then followed the good Hermit Understanding then Memory Conscience and Repentance but Gods Grace governed all who touching the Horses with her Rod they mounted up over the Mountains which are above the Earth So we passed through the Region of the Air where inhabiteth all the wicked spirits which watch to annoy such as would mount up to Heaven And though I was greatly agast hereat yet my trust was in Gods Grace under whose Wings I hid my self I trusted not in my Conscience although it was at peace nor to Repentance nor to Understanding but to Gods Grace only who safely throwded me under her Wings as the Hen doth her Chickens against the coming of the Kite Then she commanded the wicked Enemies to get them hence and they forthwith sled away crying aloud Now have we lost our Knight lo he is mounted up to the Palace of Vertue in despight of us all Now he is escaped under the Wings of Gods grace Being past this brunt I heartily thanked Gods grace of her goodness and on the sudden I saw upon the top of a Mountain a goodly Palace Now for that love ingendreth tamiliarity and familiarity breeds boldness I asked Gods grace what place it was and she told me it was the Palace of Vertue It was so high that it reached even to Heaven and about it were seven sair Towers of Alablaster In the first dwelt Faith in the second Hope in the third Charity in the fourth Wisdome in the fifth Justice in the sixth Fortitude and in the seventh Temperance In the first Tower Gods grace shewed me Faith which waited for our coming near unto whom I might perceive the Palace of true Felicity With that I desired Lady Memory to put me in mind in the morning of seeing that gallant City Whiles we talked thus our Chariot arrived at the Court where Lady Vertue with her Daughters Faith Hope Charity Wisdome Justice and Temperance dwelt At the first sight I knew it was the same Lady Vertue which afore-time had so well admonished me to whom I gave no ear Then reverently upon my knees lamenting I cryed her mercy for contemning her Counsell and following Voluptuousness Wherewith she made me arise and in token that she took in good part my recantation she sweetly kissed me and bade me Welcome So with great joy accompanied with Gods grace true Understanding quiet Conscience and unfained Repentance I entred into the Palace of Lady Vertue Thus much for the second part of the Wandring Knights Voyage THE VOYAGE OF The Wandring Knight The Third Part. CHAP. I. The Knight declareth the great good the solace and the pleasure which he found in the Palace of Lady Vertue IF I had a thousand tongues to tell the truth of all the good and pleasures which I found in the Palace of Vertue and if I live a thousand years to report this matter all were too little in every
Ear never heareth the Heart of Man never understandeth the great goodness and the joy that God brings into the body when he cometh by grace to dwell in it only he that hath had experience once knoweth it Worldlings do wonder to see the just man weep and lament to suffer tribulations and to be deprived of all worldly pleasure they esteem the goods of this world to be the true felicity much like unto a blind man taking upon him to judge of colours For they compare false felicity and worldly wealth with heavenly Riches and perfect Happiness whereas indeed they are but shadowess Nothing displeaseth the Elect more than Sin and that which leadeth to Sin nothing pleaseth the elect but God and that which leadeth to God As concerning the soul no man can deny if he hate Sin and love Vertue but that he had rather lose all that is in the world than lose Vertue and suffer all manner of torments than to commit Sin he had rather descend into Hell with Vertue than mount up to Heaven with Sin For where Vertue is there is quietness Contrariwise where sin is there can be no rest Let every one therefore labour to lose worldly happiness if he mean to atchieve vertue wherein consisteth so much goodness But many make no account to come thither and so care not for loving Vertue because indeed they know not Vertue Wherefore Vnderstanding describeth her and her seven Daughters namely Faith Hope Charity Wisdom Justice Fortitude and Temperance in manner following CAP. II. The Description of Vertue VErtue according to the Definition of Saint Austin in his second Book of Free-will the 18 Chapter Is a good quality of the Soul whereby a man liveth rightly and committeth none evill which thing indeed is the only work of God in Man By the Soul he understandeth in this place the Superiour part of the Mind or Soul wherein consisteth Reason Iugdment and Will The inferiour part we call Sense which is common to man and beast Now that is called in Latine Mens and is not a part of the Soul sensitive which is the inferiour part but it is that part of the Sool where reason and Vnderstanding do fit which is the superiour part By the Soul then we do mean the Freewill of Man which is nothing else as Philosophers say but the frank judgment of the mind and Will For when we say free will we utter and pronounce two words namely free-will It is termed free because that freely without constraint the will worketh his feats at liberty And it is called free-will because of the Iudgement of the Saul Therefore free-will is in the superiour part of the Soul for thereby we differ from bruit beasts who have a Sense as well as we but no judgment of free-will Now then we say that Vertue is a good quality of the Soul that is to say of free-will For Vertue qualifies free-will disposeth and prepareth it to do and will well neither of which can be done without the aid and Grace of God The second part of the Desinition is Whereby a man liveth rightly But no Man liveth rightly unless he live justly no man liveth rightly without Vertue Ergo no man liveth justly without Vertue Who so liveth rightly liveth well and who so liveth well if he continue in so doing atchieveth true felicity It followeth then that by Vertue we atchieve true felicity for Vertue prepares free-will which is corrupt and depraved and therefore unapt either for well-willing or well-doing but the Grace of God preserving it by Vertue it is made capable of perfect blessedness The Third part of the Definition is And committeth none evill wherein is comprehended the excellency of Vertue and great goodness by the which none can do ill Men may abuse all the goods all the Arts and Sciences in the World as indeed very often they are ill used as with Money Wine and Women but by Vertue they be never abused Who useth Vertue he doth the works of Vertue Who so useth the Deeds of Vertue he doth well and if by Vertue none doth ill thou oughtest rather to lose all that is in the world than to lose Vertue seeing she excels in goodness all things in the World The Fourth part of the Definition is Which thing indeed is the only work of God in Man Vertue then is a work of God in us as Witnesseth Saint Austin upon the Sentence which is spoken in the 118 Psalm I have done Judgment and Justice Iustice saith he is a great Vertue of the Soul coming from the Grace of God which none out he worketh in man I have done Justice And therefore when the Prophet speaking in the Person of the Church so saith he meaneth not that he hath done the Vertue of Iustice of himself which passeth Mans power to do but he referreth it unto God whose He affirmeth it to be By these words then of Sainâ— Austin it appeareth plainly that Iustice in Man is no Work oâ— Man but of God Wherefore Peter Lombard upon these word of Saint Austin concludeth and saith That Vertue is not thâ— cause of Free-will nor of any affection of the Soul coming froâ— Free-will but he saith by that Vertue Free-will being depraved evill and corrupt is helped and moved to goodness and so you seâ— that by Vertue which he saith is Gods grace inclining and preparing the Will to will well proceedeth the good affection of the Soul and afterwards do follow good works and an honest trade of Life To make it the more manifest he gives similitudes As the rain saith he moistneth the ground to make it yield fruit and yet the rain is not the ground nor the ground the fruit even so saith he into the ground of our Souls that is to say the free liberty of the Will the rain of Gods blessing is poured that is to say Gods grace is inspired which liquereth the will of man to make him fruitfull to will well according to the effect of Gods inspiration which is his Grace working in us to the end we should do well And therefore all the good works that we do or can do are to be attributed unto Gods grace by whom our will is prepared to will and do well This grace ingendreth good motions in the soul of Man and these good motions are a chief gift of Grace to Man as namely by faith to believe that Christ is the true Son of God by Love and Charity to love God and our Neighbour and so of all other Vertues which are the good Motions and Gifts of Gods grace working in us to the encrease of more Vertue yea to the pessession of eternal life It is apparent then that Vertue is the gift of Gods grace working in our will to make it will and do well and therefore say we that Faith Hope and Charity being Divine and godly Vertues are the works of God Some there be which say that Vertue is the well using of the naturall Powers
love the Goods of this World are well ordered and by Love the Goods of this World are contemned and by Love the secrets of God are revealed Saint John saith That God is Love or Charity whereby no doubt he meaneth the Father the Son and the holy Ghost the three persons in Trinity God the Father is Charity God the Son is Charity and God the holy Ghost is charity This Love or Charity requireth in the same such likely things namely love and charity by the which as by some spiritual affinity thou art joyned unto God which Love also boldly commeth unto God and familiarly speaketh unto him without any doubt or fear He that loveth not shall lose his Life but He that loveth alwayes lifteth his eyes to God whom be loveth whom he desireth on whom he museth in whom he is refreshed and by whom he is preserved such a debour and religious soul doth so sing so say read so dispose all his business and so circumspectly foreseeth all things as if God were ever present with Him as doubtless in spirit he is The man in whose soul the love of God is lodged so prayeth as if God were personally present with Him The Love of Charity awaketh the soul when she is asleep it puts him in mind of His Salvation it softneth and moysteneth the Heart Charity or Love setteth the cold Heart on fire Love maketh the froward soul gentle Love chaseth away sin Love keepeth the affections of the flesh and blood under Love amendeth Iewd Mens manners Love reneweth the Spirit Love bridleth the light motions of wanton youth all this worketh Love or Charity where she is present Contrariwise where Love or Charity is absent there the Soul doth Languish and waxeth cold even as a Caldron of water doth when the fire is taken from under it and raked abroad Charity is the only thing whereby the soul boldly approacheth unto End constantly cleaveth unto him and familiarly speaketh unto him The Soul that loveth God cannot but think and talk of God insomuch that it hateth all ungodly things Who so will know God must love God the more that one loves God the more be growes in the knowledge of God To read to write and to study of God yieldeth no true knowledge of God without Love In vian do we read in Vain do we talli in Vain do we preach in Vain do we pray to God if we do not love God the love of God ingendreth the love of thine own Soul and maketh it attentive alwayes to God God loves to be loved again and when he loveth he requireth nothing but love happy therefore is he that loveth God The Soul which loveth God rejecteth his own effections being earnestly given to Gods love The Soul that loveth hath no fear the soul that loveth not is ever in fear The Soul that loveth is carryed by promises and drawn by desires unto Heaven the soul that hath in it the presence of Gods love is tickled with joy and with ravishing leapeth up to Heaven having by coutemplation exceeding great joyfulness Love breeds familiarity with God familiarity breeds boldness with God boldness breeds the taste of God and Taste breedeth an hunger after God If I should declare all the excellency of Love or Charity the time would fail me and mine Ability in that behalfe would not suffice But let this stand for a conclusion that the Soul which is touched with the love of God cannot desire any thing contrary to God but ever after it hath received any taste of Sin it cryeth out and saith with the Prophet Psal 14. O Lord God like as the Hart desireth the Fountains of water even so long I after thee Well then Sir Knight lift up thy Soul and remember the great Love and Charity of God and his manisold benefits bestowed upon thee that by them thy Heart being enlightned thou maist encrease and go â—orâ— and day by day in doing good works to the glorifying of God 〈◊〉 delighteth in the same according as it is said Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good works may glorisie God in Heaven Thus much touching these three spiritual Vertues now come we to the four morall Vertues CAP. VII The description of the four moral Vertues Prudence Justice Fortitude and Temperance By these sour Marral Vertues Man liveth orderly in this martalise Saint Hierom saith that the Christian man by these 〈◊〉 liveth well in this mortality and by them after death cometh to everlasting Life Prudence knoweth the good we should do and evil we should leave Justice doth good Temperance leaveth the evill Fortitude is constant without losing courage in adversity or waring proud in prosperity Prudence teacheth man how to approach unto God Fortitude and Temperance how to govern himself Justice how to use his Neighbour These are the four things which Satan shooteth at to destroy the Soul By Prudence which is the rule of right Reason we govern our selves wisely we order our affairs discreetly doing nothing but Right and reason In Prudence consisteth Reason Knowledge Fore-sight Aptness to give good Counsell Plato saith That Prudence is the Governess of all Moral Vertues shewing how we should understand and use the rest For as Faith informeth us what we should hope after and what we ought to love even so Prudence teacheth us how we should use Justice Fortitude and Temperance Aristotle saith that it is impossible but a prudant Man should be good If he mean moral goodness it is most true for a wise Man doth nothing but that which is lawfull But yet without Love or Charity Prudence is a Vertue no more meritorious then Faith without Love and Charity But if the prudent man love God with all his heart it is unpossible but that he should do good and consequently be good Justice is a Vertue used in two sorts sometimes it is a general Vertue and comprehends in her self all Vertue as the man that Ilbeth well and justiy is therefore called good and Iustice otherwise is understood a particular Vertue called Justice distributive yeelding to every one that which unto him belongeth This Vertue Justice distributive is convenient for all men and principally for Emperours Kings and such as have the Administration and Governments of Common-wealths to the end that they may yeeld to every one their right defending the innocent and punishing the offender doing justice and right according to equity as well to little as great and to poor as rich Many have justice painted in their Houses and yet have wrongfull dealing lodged in their hearts Many a one hath Christ in their mouth but the Devil in their minde He that will be acceptable to GOD he must be just in word upright in deed undefiled in thought Fortitude is a vertue unto which belongs a magnisicent courage not fearing any thing but unlawful actions He that hath this vertue keeps himself constant in adversity and waxeth not proud in prosoerity Fortitude gives a man
Magnanimity Constancy Hope Assurance Patience and Perseverance With this Vertue the Martyrs of all Degrees and Ages were endued grounded upon a firm Faith contemning the world and setting light by the torments of Lyrants imbracing death rather then to deny Christ Gods Prophets were armed with Fortitude who without siattery reprehended the Kings of Israel and Juda of their fals worship of God and feared not their furies The Apostles of Iesus Christ were armed with Fortitude who feared not to controll the wisdom of the wise and vanquish such as were in high places that they might with contented mindes carry the yoak of Christ This they did not with mans power or warlike weapons but with dibine Doctrine not defiring to kill any one but to die themselves It is a great worlds wonder that so few simple souls unarmed unlearned and having no humane policy should vanquish the wisdom of the World confound earthly policy and strength and subdue Kings and bring them in obedience to the Faith of Christ revoking the People from false Religion and Adoration of Debils With this Vertue of fortitude Kings ought to be Armed not fearing any danger for the Defence of the Faith of Iesus Christ but being of one mind with the holy Martyrs of God With this vertue ought Preachers to be armed worthily defending the word of God against all Hereticks and Enemies of the same not fearing the threatnings of Persecutors whatsoever But you must understand that fortitude is not a dealer in the committing of unlawfull deeds as to beat hurt or kill thy brother unless it be justly done in thy own defence or for thy Countries cause otherwise it is a mere Malice Moreover such as desperately dispatch themselves as Wretches weary of Life they do it not by Fortitude but by the Lemptation of the Devill who is permitted of Gods sufferance to tempt some even to the making away of themselves Such People are not Valiant for it is not fortitude unless it be in lawfull deeds as in the defence of thine own Person the Magistrate thy Country or the Faith of Christ for the which to suffer death is excellent fortitude Temperance saith S. Austen is an affection to resrain the appetite when a Man is excessively inclined Temperance hath rule over pleasures and delights resusing to meddle in any thing which cannot be done without offending God and not falling into any excess whatsoever wherein a man may pass the rule of reason To live in Temperance is to dispose every thing according to the right use whereto it was appointed These four Vertues have four Vices clean contrary unto them by the which Vices the Vertues are corrupted and destroyed Prudence by Folly Justice by Covetousness Fortitude by Pride and Temperance by Inconstancy is defaced These Vices are signified by the sour plagues which consumed the Goods of Job namely The Sabees the Chaldees the force of Fire and the Violence of a vehement Wind. The Sabees of Folly made havock of Prudence Oxen. The Chaldees of Pride led away the Camels of Fortitude The fire of Lechery made waste of Temperance Sheep And the boysterous winde of Covetousness overthrew the Houses of Justice The four Vertues likewise are devoured of their adversary Vices according as Joel complaineth against the Wicked Jewes under sour notable things decyphering the four Vices Opposite and against the sour Vertues before-named These sour things are the Caterpillar the Grashopper the Locust and the Blasting all which four things being vent to wastfullness leave nothing unspoyled By the Caterpillar is meant foolish bragging which destroyed the Vertue of Prudence By the Grashopper is meant Pride which destroyeth the Vertue of Fortitude By the Locust is meant Covetousness which destroyeth the Vertue of Justice And by Blasting is meant Lechery which destroyeth the Vertue of Temperance For foolish bragging destroyeth the Vertue of Wisdem Pride corrupteth the State Avarice devours Justice Lechery spoyleth Temperance Now therefore Sir Knight I wish thee to refrain from these insatiable Vices lest thou lose the enjoying of these four notable Morall Vertues thou knowest what company thou hadst in the Palace of Vertue there thou sawest Gods Graces Faith Hope Charity Prudence Justice Fortitude Temperance and that goodness which none know but they who have had experience CAP. VIII How Faith from the top of the Tower sheweth unto the Knight the City of Heaven AFter Good Understanding had delivered these good words I was ravished in my mind I felt not my self I lost my taste I neither regarded meat nor drink and most of all I marvelled that Night approached not because many hours were consumed Being in that amaze Vertue told me that darkness had nothing to do where she dwelt Then Memory put me in mind what Gods Grace told me by the way saying that by the works of Faith which are the fruits of the same I might perceive and see the City of Heaven wherein is comprehended true Felicity Then Faith led me to her Tower and all the other Vertues kept us company For Faith properly is not without Hope nor Hope without Charity and therefore they must go all together And though these Vertues have several properties yet they joyn hands and are never asunder S. Hierom saith that Abraham was furnished with Faith Job with Fortitude and patience David with Humility and so conseouently Then Faith from her Tower shewed me a high Hill whereon was Luilt a marvellous sumptuous City and she told me it was the City of Heaven wherein is comprehended true Blessedness and perfect Felicity In that City I saw never a Temple which made me marvel untill that Faith told me that the Lord God Almighty was the Temple of that City There needs no shining of the Sun no brightness of the Moon no glittering of the Stars to give them light for Almighty God is their true Light himself None enters into this City but such as are written in the book of Life Furthermore Faith told me that there was no Adversity no sin no iniquity no fear no sorrow no shame no darkness no pain no unquietness no ill no grudging finally nothing that savoureth of mortality but there was Prosperity Perfection Vnity Love Gladness Quietness Charity sure Rest perpetual Felicity and everlasting joy in God with eternal Happinesse There was mirth without Sadness Rest without Pain Abundance without Want Life without Corruption In this City God is seen Face to Face there is the endless light shining the Saints alwayes singing blessed Souls rejoycing and ever beholding God yet still coveting to see him without dulness of destre The Citizens of this City of Heaven are Co-heirs of the eternal Deity the Father Son and holy Ghost They are made immortal according to the promise of our Lord and Saviour Christ saying Father those that thou hast given me I will that they be with me where I am that they may see my brightness What can I say more In this City is our King without death and
hunt the Hare in the Ocean Sea were it not think you a great Folly so to think Even the like is it to think that true Felicity is to be found here in this wretched world And for so much as in perfect Felicity is Comprehended all goodness and that the world as saith St. John Is addicted and given to all Evill and Subject to hunger thirst heat cold diseases calamities pride ambition covetousness and voluptuousness it is evident that those which here be living supposing here to find true Felicity are worse then Fools and void of right Reason True Felicity is not without goodness and vertue which cometh from God above if it be so why then is it not a most wicked and Presumptuous Opinion to think that by a Man 's own industry he is able to possess and enjoy the fair for of true Felicity Therefore every one that thinketh in this world he may come to perfect Felicity and true blessedness shall find in fine as I found for Felicity Vanity for Good Evill CAP. II. The Wandring Knight declareth unto Dame Folly his Governesse what is his Intent INtending to take my journey I considered that it was necessary to use Councell therein knowing that whatsoever is done without advice cannot have good Suctess as contrariwise a matter discreetly attempted is luckily ended Then dwelt with me a Damosel which ruled my House whose proper name was Folly the only Enemy to Wisdome For every thing that hateth the one loveth the other There is as much difference between them as between white and black hot and cold moist and dry light and darkness God and the Devil all which be contraries and cannot be in one body together Wisdome governes the good Folly the evill Wisdome maketh the evill good when they yield themselves to be her Subjects Folly maketh the good evill when they place themselves under her Protection Wisdome draweth Men from Hell and bringeth them to Heaven Folly fetcheth Angels from Heaven to dwell in Hell I do not term that Wisdome to know the seven Liberal Soiences the qualities of the Stars and Planets but I count him wise that hath the true knowledge of God For as saith Saint Cyrill Wisdome is that true understanding by the which the Soveraign good namely God is seen known and loved with a chaste love and pure Affection Folly is very Ignorance and salse Worshipping of God Wisdome maketh Fools wise and Folly maketh wise Men Fools Lell me I pray you can there be a greater Wisdome than to serve God with a pure Faith and to observe and keep his holy Law Obediently And contrariwise can there be greater Folly than to commit Sin and to disobey God by transgressing his Commandements It is not possible For whosoever committeth sin burieth himself and runs headlong to Hell which is a point of very great Folly Therefore all those that saithfully serve God and keep his holy Commandements are wise and governed by Wisdome and all those that transgress she Commandements of God are Fools and fostered by Folly as Slaves or Vassals When I wandred into wanton wayes I wrought my will esteeming my self wise but I proved a flat Fool. Thus fostered by Folly to whom I unfolded my intent which was to take upon me a Voyage to find Felicity and Messedness I requested her Counsell who without regard whether it were profitable for me or no did not only like the matter but also forced me forwards and with flattering phrase commended my Enterprize And to encourage me therein she began to exalt my device to commend my industry and wit to praise my strength to advance my vertue to blaze my knowledge to decipher my beauty and to extoll all my qualities saping that I was a second Solomon to have in my head such notable Cogitations Hereupon she promised to be my Enide and vowed not to go from me in all my Voyage affirming that she had sundry seasons made the like journey and that I might assure my self shortly to see the Palace of true Felicity My Son quoth she I would not have thee think that any Evil or Guile can have place in my heart Thus Comforted or rather emboldened I thought my self most happy to have such a Governesse so wise so grave and so expert for very joy whereof my heart tickled within me But alas wretch that I was my destre was alwayes after contrary Things for I rejected whatsoever tended to my Health in so much that to me sowre seemed sweet black seemed white evil seemed good Folly seemed Wisdome Light seemed Darkness And Folly so fore bewitched me that I neglected to do the good I should have done and I was too willing to play the part I should not have plaved It is true that the wise man make saying There is health where many do give counsell and he that taketh good advice and counsell before shall not repent him after But it is forbidden to take counsell of Fools For that they love but what they like There is an old Proverb Such as my Councellour is such needs must be my Counsell It were against all reason that a Fool should give good Councell For this is even as if Rivers should run against the Hill Nothing can be compared to good Counsell neither can any thing be worse than evil Counsell by the which the World is troubled Realms molessed Princes defaced Kings killed Empires altered Townes taken Cities sacked Lawes abolished Iustice generally corrupted Divine Mysteries prophaned mingled with mischief and confounded the true knowledge of God is forgotten all Reverence to Superiours neglected Shame-fastnesse Sobriety Faith Hope Charity and all other Virtues defaced all manner of Wars both Forraign and Civill attempted O Griefe O Plague O cruel Monster â— Now to our purpose CAP. III. Folly and Evill-will provided the Knight Apparell Armour and Horses FOrasmuch as Men oftentimes do alter their intents Folly was bufie and earnest to force me forward in the prosecuring my purpose perswading me to put my self on the way and saying that such good meanings and enterprises should presently and without delay be put in execution for sear of inconveniences that might ensue and that to mean a matter without doing it was a reproach to any Person Whereto I answered that I would proceed whatsoever followed thereupon but me thought it was necessary to have company and other provition as Apparell Horses and Armour sit for such a Voyage My Son quoth she I will take that charge upon me whereto trust cast all care from Thee let nothing torment thee be of good cheer Sleep at thine ease refuse no rest for I will within few dayes bring thee all necessaries that thou shalt need and seeing thou hast submitted thy self to me I will not sail thee Being glad of these words I referred the whole matter to her discretion and took mine ease Then Folly was acquainted with an Armourer named Evill-will whose company she daily frequented This Armourer was not alwayes occupied in
and was born for the Salvation of all denyed not his proud fellowes request neither resused to enter into his House although he was ambitious but down at the Table sate the Son of God made Man for the Salvation of Men. He was conbersant among Men he did eat and drink with Men he offered himself a helper to every one shewing unto all his goodnesse without exception of any Now he being set at the Table there came one unto him in shape like a Woman but in courage a Man who by the brute of the whole City was counted a great Sinner and very ill-reported of the World and such a one indeed as every Body mocked and pointed at with their fingers But yet in the sight of God she was in great honour not because she was an hainous Sinner but because she was Predestinated and elected of God from the beginning to raign with him in his Heavenly Kingdom This Woman hearing by report the renown of our Redeemer and that he shewed himself sweet and bountifull to all sinners defending them against the malicious slanders and mocks of the proud and arregant Pharisies and promising to every one that believed in him the Kingdom of Heaven this Woman was inspired both outwardly and inwardly by our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ to see and hear him preach Then did she by outward speech express how she was inwardly affected and moved in mind and seeing her Soul sore sick and diseased her heart full of iniquity and sin her Conscience defiled with all kind of vice her self frustrate and void of all hope of health and devising how to recover this malady addressed her self to seek him who is the only Physitian of all sick Souls she sought for grace at the Well of Mercy and though she was a shamefull Sinner yet was she received of him which came into the World to save Sinners She came not pompously arrayed nor yet came with a train she came alone and not empty handed for she brought with her a Box full of most precious Ointment of a sweet smell representing the Faith Hope and Charity lodged in her heart What could this be but the sweet smell of Vertue For what represents the Box of Alablaster-stone but holy Faith founded upon the true Corner-stone Iesus Christ wherein is conserved all Vertues and without which it is unpossible to please God Came she alone being accompanied with Faith Hope and Charity Humility and Repentance She entred the House uncalled where was her Physitian and putting apart all shame which might hinder her together with the mocks of the proud Pharisies which sate at the Table she craved Comfort and Health for her sick Soul acknowledging her griefe and that being certain he to whom she came had power to help her Vnto this Physitian she could not have come without Faith she was not so bold and hardy as to look Iesus in the Face but sell at his seet upon Her knees sementably Weeping and with the flood of Her Hears washing his seet and wiping and drying them with Her hairy locks then she kissed them and with her Precious Oyntment she 〈…〉 All this while her vaice was not heard but her Heert spake unto the true Son of God saying I have no need to declare with my tongue my inward 〈◊〉 or to express the cause or thy coming hither seeing thou knowest the 〈…〉 to thee I come O Christ 〈…〉 to thee my sorrowfull Heart 〈…〉 working well weighed 〈…〉 heartily sorry for her offences For her 〈◊〉 eyes and her sair face which was wont to be painted with costly Colours for the adorning of Her beauty to allure licentiens Lovers and to extice Voluptuous Worldlings is now turned into Tearn Her body which afore-time was given to delights is now asisicted with Fasting Her lauging is turned into weeping and as Her first life was wholly bent to please the World so now it is more behemently and earnestly disposed to please God With Her fair flaxen Hair which she was wont to keep daintily she hath dryed our Saviours Feet her sweet lips wherewith she used to kisse her Lovers hath kissed his feet Her Odoriferous Oyntment wherewith she beautified Her face in wantonness hath anointed our Saviours feet Now all this was a sure fign of Faith Hope and Charity And thus you see how we ought to repent Surely we should do according to Saint Pauls Doctrine which is that our Members which have consented to commit iniquity should be offered unto the Lord as Instruments of righteousness to receive sanctification As for example to make the matter more manifest Hast thou been a Drunkard Become now Sober Hast thou keen a Glutton Now fast Hast thou been proud Be now humble Hast thou been Coverous Now gives Alms. Hast thou been wrathfull Be now gentle Hast thou been envious Be now charitable Hast thou been Traiterous Be now Faithfull Hast thou been Leacherous Be now Chast Hast thou been blasphemous Be now fearfull to speak any thing but Truth And so consequently to every Vile Vice lay a meet medicine which may serve for thy sickness and expel the poyson of sin But now let us see what may be thought and judged of this Pharisie who so saucily besought our Lord and Saviour to come into his House Surely he seemed as he was a Vain-glorious Hypocrite For when he saw the Wofull Woman faln at the feet of our Saviour with her Tears washing them with her hair Wiping them with her mouth kissing them and with her Precious Ointment anoynting them he blamed not only her in his heart but also our Lord for suffering her Then the Lord took the sick Woman healed her of her sickness in the presence of this proud Pharisie and with-held Physick from him whose Heart was wounded to the death with the dart of Vain-glory then he shewed himself frantick and as one that had lost his understanding not knowing his griefe nor what Medicine would do him good But what said he in his foolish Heart If this Man quoth he were a Prophet he would quickly know what Woman this is that toucheth him for she is a great Sinner This Pharisie is of the race of the Vain-glorious of whom the Prophet Esay speaketh in their person saying Come not near me for I am clear or as another Translation saith Get thee hence and meddle not with me for I am holier then thou Even so surely it is not unlike if the Woman had come near the Pharisie he would have used these words and have said Stand back and touch me not for I am holy but thou art known for a hainous Sinner Certainly true righteousness and holinesse hath compassion upon poor Sinners whereas on the contrary false righteousness and Hypocrisie hath them in Hatred and Disdain But let us listen with what sentence this sond Pharisie was convicted and reproved by our Saviour to be worse then this sinfull Woman The Lord then to shew that he was not only a Prophet but
and abilities in Man inward only but not outward that is to say a perfect affection of the soul which God precureth in man and not Man in himself For although such motions seem to be motions of free-will yet they cannot be such except God vauchsafe of his working Grace to sanctifie the will and to make it capable of such good affections These two Opinions recited by the Master of the Sentences in the second Book and 27 Distinction I refer to the Iudgment of the Reader and allow them so far forth as they both agree that Vertue is a work of God in Man and not of Man in himself But yet they differ because the first sayes that Vertue is not a moving of the Soul for that it is the only working of God without Man and of meer Grace the other Opinion saith that Vertue is a good motion of Man not coming of God in Man I dare not judge rashly in so High and secret a Mystery and therefore I appeal to the determination of the Learned It sufficeth to know that Vertue is a work of God in Man and not of Man in himself and in this point as both Opinions do consent so I approve them to be true CAP III The Description of Faith and how we ought to believe in God for our salvation FAith is a Vertue whereby we believe that which we see not When it is said that Faith is a Vertue it is most manifest that faith is the pure gift of God whereby we believe that which we see not But yet it followeth not that we should believe all that we hear and see not but this is meant only in things touching Religion and the Worshipping of God Faith is properly of things not apparent for apparent things have no Faith but a certain Demonstration as when our Lord saith to Thomas Because thou hast seen thou believest Yet Thomas believed more than he saw a Man and he believed that the same Man was God also which he saw not for he said Thou art my God and my Lord. In this consisteth the merit of Faith when a man at the Commandement of God believeth that thing which he seeth not To believe saith Saint Austin is to think upon a thing with consent to that thought as when thou thinkest the Son of God was born of a Virgin and toah mans nature upon him and consentest to that Thought it is properly called Beliefe This thought may come often by seeing and often by hearing And when Saint Paul saith that faith cometh by hearing of the word of God he understands that by hearing faith comes into the mind and thought if we consent thereunto For we may hear a Preacher without consenting to that he saith because men do not alwayes believe what the Preacher speaketh for that the consent wherein consisteth the perfection of Faith comes of the meer gift of God and not from seeing nor hearing but from the light of Grace speaking in the Soul of the Believer believing the principal truth which is God and working in him an agreement with that Soveraign truth above all other things So that Faith is a foundation unmovable our Lord Iesus Christ who is the only Foundation of true Blessedness dwelleth in the Hearts of the Believers and so long as Faith is in Man he shall be sure not to perish but faith without Charity is no Foundation because such Faith is in vain and unprofitable Faith then joyned with Love or Charity belongs to good Christians and Faith without Love belongs to evill Christians It is necessary therefore that we note the difference in these three sayings or speeches namely To believe a God To believe of God To believe in God To believe a God is to believe that he is the only true God so the Devils do believe as well as the evill Christians To believe of God is to believe that all is true which God saith and so believe the evill Christians as well as the good unless they be Hereticks But to believe in God is to love God and in believing to joyn thy self to God by love and obedience incorporating thee with His Members that is to say his Church This Faith justisteth the Sinner and this Faith being knit with Love and with Charity begins to do good deeds which cannot be done without Love The Faith which evill Christians have is indeed a quality of free will but it is not knit with Love and Charity which is the bond of perfection and the life of faith as Faith is the Life of the Soul And yet such an unshapen Faith being naked and Void of Charity may be termed a gift of God for that the evill man may have some gift of God but that cannot properly be called Vertue because that by Vertue we learn to live rightly and for that the Devils and Evill Christians do live wickedly it is a sign that the faith which they have is dead and therefore is not properly Vertue nor yet a work of Vertue If thou wilt then have thy Faith to be good and saving it must have four properties that is to say it must be plain and simple it must be whole and sound it must be constant and unmovable it must be quick and lively Touching the first that it must be plain and simple that teacheth thee thus much in effect that thou must believe the word of God simply and whatsoever is therein contained without inquiring into Gods mystical matters by humane Reasons and simply believing in thy heart that every thing contained in the holy bible is most true Secondly thy Faith must be whole and sound that is thou must not take part with Hereticks or cleave to the erronious Opinions of the Enemies of Gods truth for this is no good faith And therefore for a Testimony of thy Faith be not ashamed to make open Confession in the Congregation of thy belief with the Fellowship and Communion of Saints That thou believest in God the Creator and Governour of all things in his Son Iesus Christ the Redeemer and in the holy Ghest by which we are sanctified and receive true comsort and joy c. according as it is declared in his holy word Thirdly it must be constant and unmovable that is without doubting for any reason of Mans brain that seemeth contrary or for any temptation promise or threatnings either of torment or of death And let not the obstinacy of such as enchant with the vain pleasures of this life although they seem to live most joyfully allure thee to cleave to their opinion which is siat heresie for that is a work of Satans who wholly possesses them can change himself into an Angel of light to deceive the simple and innocent whom God permits to be tempted for the tryal of their constancy Not that he is ignorant of the issue but because he would have it appear in others that he crownes us with glory for our constancy and perseverance This is clearly
set down by Moses in the 13. of Deut. and by S. Peter in his 2 Epistle chap. 2 and by our Saviour Iesus Christ in the 24 of Matthew And though we live in the later times when many Sects do abound and Vertue and truth in many places do fail yet let us listen what our Saviour saith Whosoever believeth to the end shall be saved Fourthly and lastly thy Faith must be quick and lively that is it must be linked with love and charity which is the life of faith as the Soul is the life of the hedy And therefore abuse not thy self as some do saying I have Faith and I shall be saved whatsoever chance No no assure thy self that if thy Faith be not quickned with Love and Cherity it is nothing Worth and therefore unable to atchieve true Blessedness as S. Paul well noteth in the first Epistle the 13 chap. to the Corinth Even so when our Lord in the Gospel attributeth salvation unto Faith and S. Paul justification this is to be understood of an holy lively and Evangelical Faith working with Love and Charity Likewise when our Saviour saith in the Gospel that he which believeth and will be Baptised shall be saved that is meant of such a Faith as love quickneth and Charity reviveth The holy Scripture in many places expresseth that none shall be saved unless he observe and keep the Commandements of God Now none can keep the Commandements without Love and charity Ergo none can be saved without Love and Charity The sum and effect of all is this That whosoever renounceth Sin and imbraceth a quick and lively Faith and liveth in Love and Charity he cannot perish but shall find in the end perfect and everlasting Felicity in the Kingdom of Heaven CAP. IV. The Description of Hope and how we ought to hope in Almighty God NOw Sir Knight know this that Hope is a Vertue whereby Happiness or Blessedness both spiritual and eternal are hoped for And as Faith is of things not seen so is Hope also For Saint Paul saith Hope that is seen is no Hope because we have possession of it already It is common to Faith and Hope to be of things unseen and yet Hope is distinguished from Faith not only by name but by reason For by Faith we believe as well evill things as good that is Hell as Heaven We believe that Adultery is a very wicked sin we believe also Charity is a very good thing all these things good and bad we believe but we Hope only for good things and not for bad Again Faith is of things past present and to come For we believe the death of Iesus Christ which is past we believe also that at this present he sits at the right hand of God the Father in Heaven and we believe that Christ shall come to judge the quick and the dead But under correction I think that Hope is of things present as when I Hope that I am in Gods favour and of things past as when I Hope my Sins be forgiven me and of things to come as when I Hope to have eternal life This is true that Faith hath an eye generally unto that which is spoken in holy Scripture believing that all the promises without exception which God made shall be accomplished without descending to particular or special Persons but Hope applyeth unto her self those same promises waiting for the accomplishment of that which God hath promised And therefore it is requisite for assured Salvation that thou believe thou shalt be saved but to Hope so is not sufficient For Faith in it self importeth an infallible assurance and certainty of things as when we firmly believe all the Articles of our true and Christian Faith and all things contained in the holy Scriptures to be more certain then man is man but the hoping of it is not so requisite For if we have a firm assiance in the goodness of God touching our Salvation and doubt not a whit of the remission of our sins it is enough There be two degrees in Hope which are two contrary extremities The one being the most highest is the infallible assurance of eternal Blessedness The other being the basest and lowest is to despair of Salvation Between these two extremities consisteth Hope But the more that a Man approacheth to the highest extremity which is an infallible assurance of Eternal life and the more he rejoyceth from the lowest extremity which is desperation the more perfect he is in hope As it sufficeth the hoping Man that believes anâ— loves God that he hath a firm affiance and confidence that God of his good grace will give him whatsoever he hath promised to his Elect hoping that he is of their number So it is necessarily requisste that we have a perfect infallible certainty of our Salvation Now for that in the Definition of Hope it is said that by her we Hope and look for the eternal Happiness it is to be noted that Hope hath two Objects the first the perfect enjoying of Gods presence the other is all the necessary means to come unto the clear seeing and enjoying of God and these means are remission of Sins through Gods Grace justification Faith unfained and charitable deeds and agreeableness unto God Now all that we hope for we ought with prayer devoutly to crave of God as his Kingdom the remission of our sins justification encrease of Grace and Vertue deeds of faith and Charity But concerning goods temporal forasmuch as we may use them well and ill they may be said to hinder the Salvation of Man rather then to surther it And therefore the good Christian ought not to ask them nor covet them excessively indeed so much as will necessarily serve him for sustenance in this life he may lawfully ask and here by the way it is a lesson worthy the Learning namely that it is necessary for us to do good Works because it hath pleased God to enrich us with Goods which Goods ought well to be employed Now unto him properly belongeth the merits of the works which he worketh in us For all our good works are the gift of God howbeit he doth not deny us his Grace whereby we consent to do the good works which he only moveth in us And therefore every one ought to the uttermost that he is able to do good works considering that they come of God who is the Author of all good works and without whom we are not able to think so much as one good thought much less do a good deed For otherwise to hope in doing ill to go to heaven without good works springing from a firm faith is not hope but a flat presumption And therefore thou oughtest to enforce thy self to do good works hoping that thou and thy works may be acceptable unto God nevertheless thou must not in any case trust upon thy merits or good works but altogether to the infinite goodness of God For otherwise thou fallest into that curse
which the Prophet speaketh saying Cursed is the man that trusteth in man and contrariwise happy is the man that trusteth in God We ought alwayes to do well to delight in well-doing and to hope in the goodness of God that he will give us that which he hath promised But this Hope ought to be firm and as an Anchor constantly to hold thy conscience that by the floating of temptation it move not But some will ask by what testimony or witness can the conscience rest assured of remission of sins of Gods adoption and of Heavenly blessedness I answer S. John Epist 1 chap. 5. saith There be three things that bear witness in Earth that is the Spirit Water and Blood These three testifie unto the spirit of the believing Man that Christ is the infallible truth who fulfilleth in the believing man the whole sum of his promises The first witness then that assureth man in Hope is the precious bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ which was shed for the remissien of our sins The second witness is the water of Baptism by the which also our sins are forgiven But these two witnesses put not the conscience in full and perfect Hope and Assurance And therefore there must be annexed unto them a third which third is The holy Spirit which beareth witness with our spirit that we are the Sons and Heirs of God Who so hath not this witness he cannot be assured of his Salvation The works of the holy Spirit in Man if thou ask me what those works are I answer thee that they are these that follow and such like namely Sorrow for sin hatred of all things which displease God and are contrary to his Commandements taking pleasure to read and hear Gods word mourning for thy imperfections and sure Faith Hope and Charity and effection desire intent and purpose to love God above all things and to do thy endeavour to fulfill his Commandements For all these things spring not from the corrupt nature of man unless his Heart be moystened with the dew of Gods grace without the which we feel not in our selves any good affections nor desire to do good works which are signs of the presence of the holy Chest in us Wherefore we ought with sighing to pray unto God and to beseech him most humbly that it would please him of his unspeakable pity to send us his holy Spirit which may assure us of the remission of our sins to Vouchsafe us his heavenly Adoption and the enjoying of everlasting Blessedness And thus much concerning Hope New let us speak of Love or Charity CAP. V. The Description of Love or Charity and how we ought to love God and our Neighbour CHarity is a Vertue by the which God is loved for the love of himself and our neighbour for the love of God or in God It is said in the first part of this Desinition that Charity is a Vertue Let us see how certainly Charity in the excellentest vertue that is even the mother and nurse of all the rest For he that hath not charity hath nothing in him to obtain everlasting life This Charity is given when the holy Spirit it is given For the holy Spirit being resident in the Soul makes us to love God for the love of himself and our Neighbour for the love of God To love God for the love of himself is to love him for his own sake and because he is God And that is to be done three wayes that is to love God above all things entirely above all things orderly above all things preciously We will declare these three wayes of loving God the more plainly that every one may know how to love God To love God intirely is to have a good will to God and to rejoyce greatly that he is such a one as he is But for the better understanding hereof it shall not be amiss to shew what it is to love to love is nothing else but to wish well to every body as when I love a man I wish as well to him as to my self Now there are two manners of love One is called the cobetous love as when a Man loves any thing for his own profit sake in such sort men love their horses their victuals and all other worldly necessaries The 〈…〉 the love of friendship when one loves a thing for the love of it self without respect of particular profit as when I see a man wise I take pleasure in him and wish that the Vertues which are in him may not only be continued but also encreased in him and this do I being to him well affectionated and loving him with delight There is not in God and good that is not like himself For his might or Power his Wisdom his Mercy his Iustice and his knowledge are Heavenly as he himself is who is all wise all just all mercy all knowledge and all mighty So that we love God above all things intirely when we rejoyce and be glad that he is as he is without regarding our proper profit or honour Thou oughtest not to love God with a covetous love that is thou must not love God only because he gives thee all things profitable for thee or in so doing thou lovest thy self better then thou lovest God If thou love God rightly he will reward thee greatly but this love must be single and it must be pure and not depending upon any other thing for who so loveth God for gain loveth him but as his Horse in whom he delights because he serves his turn God ought to be loved lovingly without respect of particular profit But then maist ask me a question May I not love God to this end and under this condition that he may give me Heaven which is the principallest thing that Man can wish for after this life the Doctors say no if we consider well of the thing beloved which is God for in so doing thou lovest thy self better then thou lovest God Thou maist come to Heaven by this means as namely by keeping his Commandements by giving Alms and by doing other good deeds and yet give God his due and single love Now these things are not charity it self but the works of Charity We say then that God ought to he loved in doing good deeds and in keeping his commandements but this love ought to be entire without respect of profit or reward To love God orderly above all things is to refer thy self and all thy goods to God so that all which thou lovest wishest dost and leabest undone thou oughtest to love to wish to doe and leave undone for the love of God and his glory Thus referring all to the Honour and Glory of God thou lovest God above all things ordarly and accomplishest as much as in thee lyeth what is written in Deut. and in Saint Mathew where it is said Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soul and with all thy strength For what other
against us And lead us not into temptation But deliver us from evill Amen Besides all this thou must also most heartily humble thy self before God acknowledging thy self a sinner and that thou canst do nothing that is righteous but if there be any goodness in thee either of Nature or of Gods Grace thou must sreely confess that all comes from above Repute not thy self better than another but rather the least of all If any despise thee mock thee or injure thee suffer it not only patiently but also willingly and gladly even for the love of God For the sealing Ladder of Heaven is Humility a full denying of thy self in worldly causes Think not well of thy self for any thing that thou doest hast done or mayest do but if thou hast any goodness in thy body or in thy soul be not ashamed to confess that it is not thine because it comes not from thee but of God for from him indeed it proceeds And when at any time thou findest thy self as it were lest of God and destitute of consolation whether it be inwardly or outwardly be not discouraged for it neither think that God hath Forgotten thee but heartily Humble thy Self before God putting all thy confidence in God as in one that knows how to save his Elect. If thou receive any blessing inwardly as Wisdom or any other gift exalt not thy self in pride neither discommend others that have not received of God such grace but use that which thou hast to Gods glory Again if thou see thy Neighbour fall take heed judge him not but think that God permits thee to see his effence for thy profit Imagine thou wast never touched with that crime well it is much but yet thou hast been culpable in some other as bad or else worse upon this examination reform thy self suppose thou art in no fault thou must not therefore esteem thy self better than he that is in fault knowing thou art of such a nature as he is and made of the same stuff as he is and therefore notwithstanding thy supposition a sinner and offender as well as he so that both need amending Be thou sure that if God had provided no better for thee than thy self deserved thou hadst committed the like offence or else greater and thank God for that he hath kept thee so and pray for him that doth amisse and is not yet converted When thou seest a sinner only led to lose his life by Law know that thou standest a sinner before God as well as he although before the world thou be esteemed better There is no School wherein a Christian may so well learn to live well as in the contemplation of Christs life and conversation thou must oftentimes think on thy last end as Death Iudgement Hell and Heaven persevere in Prayer so shalt thou please God and not be loath to die Remember thy end saith the wife Man and thou shalt never sin thou must often pray deboutly to God and when thou wilt so do thou must draw thy self from all affairs for Prayer is a lifting up of the heart to God and a private speech of the soul with God If it be so were there any reason that a man should draw his cogitations from God or rather all outward businesse put apart with all reverence to submit thy soul before him All this notwithstanding it is not forbidden in all our affairs to pray and sing Psalms to Gods glory and oftentimes with Tears to say the Lords Prayer or any other Prayer to that effect And here by the way thou must understand that the longest Prayer is not the profitablest because of the multitude of cogitations of the minde besides that thou must be devout for the prayers which are done with devotion of the heart do profit all other prayers are but vain and to no purpose If thou pronounce but three words as the Publican did saying God be mercifull to me a sinner or as the Canaanite said O Son of David have mercy upon me it is enough Again be not curious of thy tongue nor line in speaking it sufficeth that thy heart speaks within thee and thy tongue though but bleatingly if unfainedly it is well as we read of Moses and Anna Samuels Mother Worldly goods superssuonsly thou oughtest not to ask but necessarily and with measure for thy bodily health and for the succour of the needy If thou be sick poor or in adversity thou mayst ask Health Riches or Prosperity so it be done to Gods glory But if thy asslictions do more advance Gods glory than thy prosperity doth yeelding thy soill to Gods will thou oughtest to ask Patience and say with a meek heart Lord thy will be done and not mine I thy senses be inclined to sin be not dismayed for there is a God to whom if thou pray he will by the power of his grace suppresse that inclination Wherefore take courage when thou art tempted ask help of God saying O God make speed to save me O Lord make haste to help me Lord God leave me not but be my help O thou Lord God of my health Do what thou canst to resist the Devil and he shall go from thee approach unto God by Faith and be will draw near unto thee by his Spirit If the Devil assault thee desy him and make thy moan to thy Saviour saying Lord help me and be with me Do thou thy endeavour and assure thy self that God will make thee strong he will aid thee he will ease thee and in the end will set thee free from all verations placing thee in the Heaven of Heavens the Portion and Inheritance of his Servants To this God and to Iesus Christ with the holy Ghost he all glory honour and praise world without end Amen CHAP. XII The Authors Peroration or Conclusion to the devout Readers or Hearers I Thank Almighty God of his goodnesse that I am come to the End of the Voyage of the wandring Knight by the which thou mavest understand that in following Folly and vain Voluptuousnesse he forsook God to the prejudice and hurt of his Soul yea to the danger of everlasting damnation Here thou mayest learn that all voluptuous worldlings are the very Subjects of Sathan and their earthly goods and worldly pleasures shall quickly consume Thou art taught likewise what great clemency God used to … m drawing him by his grace from the sink of sin wherein he was sunk how he was led to the Palace of Repentance and from thence to the Palace of Vertue where by Gods grace he is now and what goodnesse he hath found there thou hast heard at large The Lord grant us to land where he is landed even in the Land promised to the Elect. Amen And now to conclude I beseech your courtesies that if any thing in this my labour mislike you interpret the same to the best and lay nothing to my charge in the way of presumption but commending my good meaning and allowing my will not to contemn but to speak well and esteem of this my Work and to use it for thy benefit and edincation for the which end I made and compiled the same And now I exhort you all in Christian love and charity that if by Gods grace you be resident in Vertues Palace to persevere and continue there to the end humbling your selves before God and allwayes trusting unto his goodnesse not unto our own strength or merits acknowledging also Gods grace by the which you are as you are and of whom you have that you have Let all your considence be in his mercy and in his goodnesse Furthermore if any feel and perceive himself out of Vertues Palace by the means of wordly vanities let him consider the great peril he is in and speedily turn to repentance with a contrite and sorrowfull heart requiring pardon of God and trusting wholly in the merits and passion of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ Let him not be ashamed to acknowledge his sins which if he do he shall finde at Gods hands grace and mercy And now I beseech nor Lord God to give us all Grace to do according unto that which is here spoken for otherwise of our selves it is not possible that leading a life acceptable and agreeable unto his holy will we may in the end after the Voyage which we have to passe in this world see and enjoy possesse and have the full fruition of that glorious city of Paradise where true Blessednesse and perfect Felicity welleth even in the Habitation of God Almighty unto whom be all Honour Glory Power and Dominion for evermore Amen FINIS