consideration FOR so much as in the exercise of consideration it can not be but that some labour and paines must neides be taken as well by reasoÌ„ of the employing and occupieng of the tyme which it requireth of vs euerie daie As also in regarde of the quieting and close recollecting of the harte which is a thinge verie requisite for the same I thinke it therefore verie necessarie before all other thinges to declare here what great fruites and commodities do ensue of this exercise to the intent that the hart of man which without great promises and alluremeÌ„ts is not moued to take great paines maie by this meane be the more moued and prouoked to the loue of this holie exercise and to bestowe greater paynes and labour therin Now the greatest commendation we can geue to this vertue is this that it is a great helper and furtherer of all other vertues ConsideratioÌ„ helpeth all vertues in there exercises Summa S. Thomae 22. q. 82. artic 1. I meane not in supplieng the proper office of them but in helping them in their exercise In so much that like as deuotion is a generall stirrer and prouoker vnto all vertues as S. Thomas affirmeth And as the hearing of a sermon if it be hard with such attention and deuotion as it owght to be is also an exercise that moueth vs not to anie one vertue alone but to all vertues for so much as each good instruction is directed to this ende euen so likewise is consideration a great helpe and furtherance not onelie to anie one vertue alone but vnto all kinde of vertues For there is no more difference betwene a Sermon and consideration then is betwene the reading of a lesson and the repetition of the same reading or betwene the meat that is sett before vs in a dishe and the same meat when it is digested and coÌ„cocted in the stomak Now this is one of the greatest and most assured praises we can geue to this vertue The proper praise of consideration For by this meanes it putteth not awaie the labours of other vertues but rather maketh prouision how to helpe and further them in their labours yea and stirreth and prouoketh them thereunto This is the thing which by the grace of God we intend now to proue verie manifestlie in this place For the better vnderstandnig whereof Note here what vertues are coÌ„mon bothe to a Christian and an Infidell and what vertues are peculiare and propre to a ChristiaÌ„ onelie it is to be knowen that emonge vertues some be common both to the Christian and to the pagan philosopher as those fowre that be called Cardinal vertues To witt * Cardinall vertues PRVDENCE IVSTICE FORTITVDE AND TEMPERANCE Of which vertues the philosophers vnderstode and wrote very muche Other vertues there be that are proper and peculiare vnto a Christian onelie in that he is a Christian whereof the pagane philosophers neither knewe nor wrote anie thinge at all or if they did it was surelie verie little These are principally those thre most noble vertues called Theologicale vertues Theologicall vertues To witt FAITH HOPE AND CHARITIE which haue for their obiect almightie God him selfe and their proper office is to dispose and direct a man towardes him These Theologicall vertues haue the empyre and soueraintie ouer all other inferior vertues and therefore they moue and prouâ—ke them to do their operations whensoeuer the same is expedient for their seruice After theise there follow other verie principale and excellent vertues which be verie nere of affinitie vnto them Religion As the vertue called Religion whose obiect is the seruice and honor of God The vertue called Deuotion Deuotion which is the acte and exercise of the same religion and the office of it is The feare of God Humilitie Summa S. Thomae 2.2 q. 161. art 5. ad 2. to make vs verie prompt and readie to do all such thinges as apperteine vnto his seruice The feare of God which refreyneth and brydeleth vs from sinne Humilitie which is also after a sort as S. Thomas saith the roote and foundation of all vertues And penance Penance which is the gate of our saluation whereunto appertaineth the sorowe and greife for our lyfe past and withall a firme purpose and determination to amende our lyfe in time to come Of all these vertues the pagan philosophers vnderstode verie litle or nothinge at all notwithstandinge that these be the vertues that haue the soueraintie and principalitie ouer all others yea they be the rootes and founteines of all our weale First because for the most part they be spirituall vertues that haue the accomplishemeÌ„t of their perfection in the inwarde parte of our sowle where all the bewtie of the dawghter of the kinge standeth Psal 44.14 And secondlie because all these vertues faith excepted be affectiue vertues and consequently they be vnto vs great motions and prouocations to doe good workes Wherein the prouideÌ„ce of the grace of God wonderfully appeareth For like as nature hath prouided for vs natural affectioÌ„s and desiers that should be as it were certain spurres to prouoke vs to doe all such thinges as are requisite for our naturall lyfe euen so likewise hath the grace of God prouided for vs other supernaturall affections that might be also spurres and prouocations vnto vs to doe all such thinges as are behouefull for our spirituall lyfe And such be these vertues before mentioned to witt LOVE SOROWE FEARE HOPE with the rest without which vertues the spirituall lyfe were like a barge without ores or like a shippe without sailes Forsomuch as without these vertues we should not haue anie thinge to moue and prouoke vs to doe good workes And yet hereof we haue greater neede in this lyfe than in the other For consideringe that the waie of vertue is so sharpe and full of difficultie what shoulde become of vs if we had not these spurres and prouocations of loue of feare and of hope to spurre and pricke vs forwardes to labour and traueill in the same For this cause therefore are these vertues so much commended For besides that they are such principall vertues as we haue declared they be also verie great prouocations and motions to moue vs to doe good workes Why the exercise of consideration is so muche coÌ„mended This foundation beinge now laide I saye that the greatest praise we geue to the vertue of consideration is that the same is a great minister and helper vnto all these vertues as well of the one sort as of th' other accordinge as we will now declare Where also it shall appeare that the commendation we geue to this vertue is not somuch in respect of the vertue it selfe as for the seruice and commoditie it bringeth to other vertues HOW CONSIDERATION HELPETH FAYTH § I. Fayth is the first beginninge and foundation of all the Christian lyfe Heb. 11.6 NOW therefore to take our first beginninge of fayth it
hath geuen vnto them whereby they are verie well assured that he will neuer forsake them that repose their hope and trust in him There he seeth that there is no one thinge more often repeted in the Psalmes more commonly promised in the Prophetes more euidentlie declared in the histories from the beginninge of the worlde than the louinge fauours graces and benefites that our Lorde continuallie bestoweth vpon such as be his seruantes and how he hath most mercifullie holpen and defended them in all their calamities and distresses How he helped Abraham in all his iourneis Iacob in his daungers Ioseph in his bannishement Dauid in his persecutiōs Iob in his aduersities Tobias in his blindnes Iudith in her enterprise Hester in her petition The noble Machabees in their battels and triumphes and to be short as manie as with humble and religious hartes committed them selues vnto him These and other the like examples doe strēgthen and encourage our hart in labours and aduersities and cause it to hope and trust assuredlie in God Now what doth consideration worke in all this Forsothe it taketh this medicine into her handes and applieth it to the weake and diseased member that hath neede of it The fruit of consideration I mean hereby that consideration bringeth all these thinges into our remembrance and representeth them to our hart it searcheth and weygheth the greatnes of these louinge pledges and mercies of almightie God and with them animateth and encourageth the afflicted person that he be not dismaide but rather fortifieth him with a stronge hope and enduceth him also to put his trust in that most mercifull and louinge Lorde who neuer failed anie one man that had recourse vnto him with all his harte By this therefore thou seest Christian reader how consideration is the minister and seruante of hope and how it serueth her and representeth vnto her all such thinges as maie strengthen and encourage her But that man that considereth not anye of these thinges and hath no eies to see anie parte of them wherewith can he possiblie strengthen and fortifie this vertue of hope in him selfe that it may be profitable vnto him in his labours and aduersities HOW CONSIDERATION HELPETH CHARITIE § III. Charitie of all vertues is the most excellente AFTER Hope foloweth Charitie whose dewe praises can not be vttered in fewe wordes For Charitie is the most excellent vertue of all vertues as well Theologicall as Cardinall Charitie is the lyfe and sowle of them all 1. Cor. 13.2.13 and charitie is also the accomplishement of all the lawe For as the Apostle saieth Rom. 13.10 He that loueth that is he that is in perfect charitie hath fulfilled the lawe This is the vertue that maketh the yoke of God sweete and his burthen light Accordinge to the measure of our charitie we shal haue like measure of glorie in heauen 1. Cor. 13.2.3 This is the measure whereby the portion of glorie that shal be geuen vnto vs in the lyfe to come must be measured This is that vertue that is likinge and acceptable vnto almightie God and for whose sake all such thinges are verie acceptable vnto him as be indede acceptable vnto him For trewlie without charitie neither fayth nor prophecie nor martirdome be of anie value in the sighte of God Charitie is the fountaine and originall of all other vertues 1. Cor. 13.4 To conclude Charitie is the fountaine and originall of all other vertues by reason of the preeminencie and soueraintie it hathe to commaunde them and to make them to doe their offices As the same Apostle confirmeth saienge Charitie is patient and benigne Charitie is not enuious it doth no hurt to anie man it is not proude nor ambitious neither doth it seeke her owne commoditie Charitie is not angrie it thinketh no euill it reioyceth not at wickednes and it is verie glad of the truthe Charitie suffereth all thinges it beleeueth all thinges trusteth all thinges and beareth all thinges Now althowghe it be true that all vertues and good workes doe helpe vs towardes the obteyninge of this most excellent and precious iewell yet of all others consideration helpeth vs most specially Our will is a blinde power and must be guyded by our vnderstandinge For certain it is that our will is a blinde power that can not steppe one foote vnles the vnderstandinge doe goe before and illuminate and teache it what thinge it owght to desire and withall how much it owght to will and desire the same It is also certain as Aristotle saieth that each good thinge is amiable in it selfe and that euerie thinge doth naturallie loue his owne proper weale And therefore that oure will maie be inclined to loue almightie God it is requisite that the vnderstandinge doe goe before it we be prouoked to loue God bothe in regarde of his diuine perfectiōs and in regarde of his wōderful loue ād benefittes towardes vs. to examin and trie and so consequently to declare vnto the wil how amiable almightie God is both in respecte of him selfe to witt in regarde of his diuine perfections as also in respecte of vs to wit in regarde of his wonderfull loue and mercies shewed towardes vs that is the vnderstandinge must weigh the greatnes and excellencie of his bountie and goodnes of his benignitie of his mercie of his bewtie of his sweetnes of his meeknes of his liberalitie of his noblenes and of all other his perfections which are innumerable Besides this the vnderstandinge hath to consider how louinge and mercifull almightie God hath bene towardes vs how much he hath loued vs how much he hath done and suffered for our sakes euen from the maunger vntill his verie death vpon the crosse how manie greate blessinges and benefites he hath prepared for vs for the time to come how manie he doth presentlie bestowe vpon vs from how manie greate euils and miseries he hath deliuered vs with how great patience he hath suffered vs and how gentlie and louinglie he hath delt with vs with all his other benefites which be also innumerable Summa S. Thomae 1.2 q. 27. art 2. 22. q. 82. art 3. And thus by consideringe and ponderinge verie much in the consideration of these thinges our harte shall by litle and litle be enkendeled and inflamed in the loue of suche a mercifull and bountifull louinge Lorde For if the verie wylde and sauage beastes doe loue theire well willers and benefactors and if giftes as it is commonlie saied doe breake the hard and stonie rockes and if that man that findeth benefites findeth withall as the Philosopher saieth Chaynes whereby to take and bynde mens hartes what hart is there then so stonie harde or sauage that consideringe the passinge bountifull goodnes and greatnes of all these inestimable benefites is not enkendeled and inflamed in the loue of our most louinge and mercifull Lorde that hath bestowed them vpon vs Adde also hereunto that when a man considereth these thinges attētiuelie
is manifest that fayth is the first beginninge and foundation of all the Christian life For fayth maketh vs to beleue that almightie God is our creator our gouernour our redeemer our sanctifier our glorifier to be short our beginninge and our last ende Fayth is that which teacheth vs Fayth bridlethe maÌ„s harte and causeth him to liue in the feare of God that there is an other lyfe after this and that there shal be a generall iudgement of all our workes and that we shall receiue either euerlastinge glorie for the good or els euerlastinge paine for the euill And it is cleare that the fayth and beliefe men haue in these thinges brideleth their hartes and causeth them to stande in awe and to liue in the feare of God For if fayth were not emonge vs as a meane to brydle and directe vs herein what trow ye would become of the lyfe of man And therefore the Prophet saied That the iust man liueth by fayth Rom. 1. Heb. 10. Galat. 3. Abac 2.4 not that fayth alone is sufficient to geue vs lyfe but because faith by meanes of the representatioÌ„ and consideration of those thinges that it teacheth vs prouoketh vs to refraine from sinne and wickednes and to followe vertue and goodnes Ephes 6.16 And this is the cause why the Apostel willeth vs to take faythe as a sheild against all the fyrie dartes of the enemie For certainlie there is no better sheild against the dartes of sinne than to calle those thinges to minde that fayth hath reuealed vnto vs against the same Wherefore that this fayth maye worke this effect in vs it is verie requisite that we doe sometimes ponder and consider in our myndes with good attention and deuotion such thinges as our fayth teacheth vs. Vnlesse we poÌ„dre and coÌ„sider the mysteries of our faythe our faythe is as it were a lettâ—e clovp and sealed For if we doe not so it seemeth that our fayth shal be vnto vs as it were a letter closed vp and sealed in which althowgh there come notable important newes of verie great sorowe or ioye yet it moueth vs not at all neither to the one nor to the other no more than if we had receyued no letter at all And the reason is because we haue not opened the letter nor considered what thinges are conteined in it Now what thinge coulde be said more aptlie or more to the purpose towchinge the fayth of the wicked and dissolute Christians For suerlie there can not be thinges of greater terrour and ioye than those are which our fayth declareth vnto vs. But the wicked Christians because they doe neuer open this letter to see what thinges be conteined in it I meane hereby because they doe neuer thinke and meditate vpon these misteries of our Christian faythe or if they thinke vpon them they passe them ouer verie lightlie and in great hast they cause not in them this manner of motion and alteration to witt of ioye or of feare Wherefore it behoueth vs sometimes to open this letter of our faythe I meane the mysteries thereof and to reade the same very leisurlie and to consider with good attention what thinges are tawght vs in the same the which is done by meanes of the exercise of consideration For it is consideration that openeth that which is locked and vnfoldeth that which is folded together and maketh that cleare vnto vs which is otherwise darke and obscure And so by illuminatinge our vnderstandinge with the greatnes of the mysteries of our fayth it inclineth our will so farfourth as appertaineth to the office of consideration to conforme our lyfe to the same This office of consideration almightie God figured verie notablie in the lawe what was signified by the cleaÌ„ beaste in the lawe Leuit. 11. Deuter. 14. when emonge the conditions that were required in the cleane beast he assigned this for one that the beast should chewe the cudde to witt the meate that it bad eaten before Now it is certain that it was litle to the purpose whether the beast were cleane or vncleane and suerlie almightie God made litle accompt of that But his meaninge was to represent vnto vs in that cleane beast the condition office and exercise of those beastes that be spirituallie cleane to witt of the iust and righteous persons that are not content onelie to eate such thinges as appertain vnto amightie God in beleeuinge them by fayth but after they haue eaten them they doe also chewe them by meanes of coÌ„sideration in searchinge and ponderinge the mysteries which they beleue And after they haue vnderstode the meaninge and excellencie of them they distribute and deuide this meate vnto all the spirituall members of the sowle for the sustentation and reparinge of the same Insomuch that if we marke this matter well A notable similitude we shall finde that it fareth in this case as in the seede of a tree which althowghe it doe virtuallie conteine within it the substance of the tree yet hath it neide of the vertue and influence of heauen and of the benefite and moysture of the earthe to cause the vertue that is inclosed in the seede to come forthe to light and to growe vp by litle and litle and waxe a tree Euen so in like maner we saie that althoughe fayth be the first seede and originall of all our weale yet must it neides be holpen with this benefite of consideration that by the same and by meanes of charitie the greine and fruitfull tree of good lyfe which is virtuallie conteined therein maie growe and come to light HOW CONSIDERATION HELPETH HOPE § II. Summa S. Thomae 22. quaest 17. art 5. quaest 18. artic 1. CONSIDERATION helpeth also no lesse the vertue of hope This hope is an affection of our will that hath his motive and roote in the vnderstandinge As the Apostle signifieth plainlie vnto vs saienge All thinges that are written Rom. 15.4 are written for our instruction that throughe patience and consolation which the scriptures geue vnto vs we may haue hope and affiance in almightie God For vndowtedlie the holie scripture is the fountaine The holie scripture is the founteyne of comfort from wheÌ„ce the iust man gathereth the water of comfort wherewith he strengtheneth him selfe to put his hope and trust in God For first of all he seeth in the holie scriptures the greatnes of the workes and merites of our Sauiour Iesus Christ The workes and merites of our Sauiour Christe are the principall staye and fouÌ„dation of our hope in God which are the principall staie and foundation of our hope There he seeth likewise in a thowsande places the greatnes of the goodnes sweetenes and maiestie of almightie God liuelye expressed and set out to the eie and withall the mercifull louinge prouidence he hath ouer them that be his the gentlenes and benignitie wherewith he receyueth them that come vnto him and the faythfull promises and pledges he
faithfull seruantes of God to perseuere and goe forwarde with our good beginninge vnto what other hauen do we resort but to praier and consideration For there doe we humbly beseach our Lorde to grant vs fortitude and grace that we falle not vnder our burthen and there doe we lyfte vp our eies and consider a thowsande kindes of examples and remedies that maie encourage vs to perseuere in our good purposes Thow seest now deuout Christian reader what a great helpe and succour we haue in this vertue of consideration towardes the seruice and vse of all other vertues HOW CONSIDERATION excludeth not other perticuler helpes vnto vertues § IX HOWBEIT let no man for all this imagine that hereby is excluded the particuler labour and studie that is to be vsed about euerie one of the other vertues for that consideration is so great a helpe to obtein them For so much as generall helpes do not exclude the particuler helpes that be required in euerie thinge And the generall helpes required towardes the obteyninge of all vertues Note the generall helpes vnto all vertues are not onely consideration but also fastinge sylence praier hearinge of Sermons goinge to confesion receauing of the blessed Sacramente of the aulter and deuotion with other the like vertues which be generall helpes and prouocations vnto all vertues But besides these generall helpes that do geue light to the vnderstandinge and moue the will to goodnes it is verie requisite also to vse the proper exercises of the same vertues whereby to roote and make the habites of them more perfett by vse and to cause a man to haue a more promptnes and facilitie in the exercise of good workes For other wise like as the sworde that neuer commeth out of the scabbord is commonlie verie hard to be drawen out at the time that a man hath neide to occupie it euen so whosoeuer doth neuer exercise him selfe in the actes of vertues shall neuer be prompt or quick in doinge them when he shall haue neede to vse them And althowgh charitie be the greatest and most generall helpe we haue vnto all vertues yet consideration is as it were the generall instrument of charitie whereby to atteyne vnto all goodnes as we haue here declared And therefore like as the soule is the first beginning of all the workes of man and yet it vseth naturall heat as a generall instrument vnto all such thinges as it doth euen so is charitie the beginninge of all our good workes Charitie is the beginninge of all our good workes and yet charitie vseth consideration and deuotion as generall instrumentes to bring them to passe So that it is no derogation to charitie to geue this preheminence vnto these vertues forsomoche as this preheminence belongeth vnto charitie as to the mistres and principall agente but to consideration and deuotion as to her instrumentes and helpers HOW THE EXERCISES OF prayer consideration and meditation c. apperteyne not onelie to religious personnes and priestes thowghe principallie vnto them but vnto the laitie also § X. BVT peraduenture thou wilt saye that these exercises of praier consideration and meditation do appertein onelie vnto religious persons and preistes and not vnto the laitie True it is I graunt that these exercises do principally appertein vnto religious persons and priestes by reason of their state and profession of life but yet neuertheles the laietie are not vtterlie excused of vsinge some kinde of exercise of praier thowgh not in so high a degree and perfection if they minde continually to preserue them selues and to liue in the feare of God Laie men are bound to haue faith hope charitie humilitie and other vertues as well as religious persons and priestes without committinge any deadly sinne For euen the laitie also are bownde to haue Faith Hope Charitie Humilitie the feare of God contrition deuotion and an hatred against sinne Now seinge all these vertues be for the most parte vertues affectiue as we haue alreadie declared which affections must necessarily procede of some consideration of the vnderstandinge if this consideration be not exercised how shall these vertues be preserued How shall a man helpe him selfe by faith if he do not sometymes consider such thinges as his faith telleth him How shall he be enkendeled in charitie and strengthened in hope how shall he brydel him selfe with the feare of God How shall he be moued to deuotion to sorrowe for his sinnes and to the contempt of him selfe wherein consisteth the vertue of humilitie which apperteineth vnto all kinde of persons if he do not consider those thinges wherewith these affections are wont to be inkendeled according as we haue before declared Neither owght a man to passe ouer these thinges in the exercise of consideration with to much speid and in post hast For emonge the miseries of mans hart one of the greatest is that it is so sensible to vnderstand the thinges of the worlde and so vnsensible to vnderstand the thinges apperteinyng vnto almightie God In so much that vnto the one it is as it were a verie drie reede and to th' other as it were grene wood that can not be set on fier and enkendled but with verie great labour and trauell And therefore we must not in our exercise of consideration passe ouer these thinges in such hast but staie and pawse for a tyme in them more or lesse according as the holie Ghost shall instruct vs and according also as the busines and occupations of euerie man in his state and vocation of life shall geue him leaue And it is not a matter of mere necessitie to haue certein times appointed euerie daie for consideration Vnto these thinges ye maie adde furthermore the dangers of the world with all the great difficulties men haue to preserue them selues without sinne in a bodie so euill disposed and in a world so dangerous and emonge so manie ennemies as we haue continuallie assaulting vs on euerie side And therefore if for that thow art not a religious person thy state of life do not bynde the vnto so much exercise of praier and meditation yet the greatnes of the danger and perrill wherein thow liuest in the worlde must needes bynde the to vse some exercise therein The state of a religious person I confesse is greater then thyne Note why the laietie liue in more danger of fallinge into deadlie synne then religious persons but thy danger of falling into synne is also greater then his For the religious person is protected and garded by his superior by inclosure within his monasterie by obseruance of his rules by obedience by praiers by fastinges by sainge daylie diuine seruice by the awsteritie of his order by good companie and religious conuersation and by all other spirituall exercises and vertuous labours of the holie monasticall life in so much that euen the verie walles of their monasteries be a great defence and sauegard vnto them to keepe them from the occasions and dangers of synne
with the spowse in the Canticles If a man geue all his substance for charitie he will contemne it as nothing Forsomuch therefore as verie reason would that euerie one should serue them that serue our most mercifull and louinge lord it seemeth vnto me that it is my boundē deutie also to do you some seruice in this your spirituall iourney at the least with this little volume which treateth of prayer and meditation c. that the holie and deuout exercises of your Reuerences maie be holpen somewhat by the same the which I trust in our lord shal be al waies furthered and procede prosperouslie both with it and without it And althowghe this be a dett which I owe vnto you yet do I for this dett craue of you a grace and this is that your Reuerences will most humblie beseach our lord that it maie please him of his infinite mercie and goodnes to graunt his fauour and assistance to this booke that the profitt of them that shall reade it maie be answerable to the paines of him that made it and to the good hart wherewith he offereth it vnto them THE PROLOGE AND ARGVMENT OF THIS BOOKE PRAIER what payer is to define it properlie is a petitiō we make vnto almightie God for such thinges as are apperteining to our saluation Howbeit praier is also taken in an other more large sence An other definition of prayer to wit for euerie lifting vp of our hart vnto god And according to this definition both meditation and contemplation and euerie other good thowght maie be also called a praier And in this sence we do now vse this vorde becaus the principal matter of this booke is of meditation and consideration of thinges apperteyning to almightie God and of the principall misteries of the Catholike faith The verie thinge that moued me to treat of this matter was for that I vnderstode The want of consideratiō is one of the principall cawses of all the euilles in the world Ieremie 12. that one of the principall cawses of all the euilles that be in the world is the want of consideration According as the Prophett Ieremie signified when he said All the earth is destroied with desolation becawse there is none that thinketh with attention vpon the thinges apperteyning vnto God whereby it appeareth that the verie cawse or our euills is not somuch the want of faith as the want of due consideration of the misteries of our faith For trewlie if there were no want in this behalfe the misteries of our faithe be of so great vertue The consideratiō of the misteries of our fayth is a greate bridle to with hold vs from synne and efficacie that if the verie least misterie of them were considered with attention and deuotion euen the same would be a great brydle and redresse of our liffe For who would euer goe about to committ anie sinne if he considered that almightie God died for sinne and that he punyshethe sinne with perpetuall bannishement out of the kingdome of heauen and with euerlasting paines and tormentes in the horrible fyer of hell Whereby ye maie see that although the misteries of our faith be of verie great force to encline our hartes vnto goodnes yet because there be verie manie Christians that haue no due consideration of the thinges they beleue therefore they worke not such effecte in there hartes as such misteries being well weied and considered were able to worke For like as the phisitions affirme that if we will haue a medecine to helpe a sicke man it is necessarie it be first wrowght and digested in the stomak with naturall heat because otherwise it shall not be anie profitt to him at all euen so also if we will haue the misteries of our faith to be profitable and healthfull vnto our soules it is requisite they be first wrought and digested in our hartes with the heate of deuotion and meditation because otherwise they shall profit vs verie littell And for want hereof we see that manie Christians which are verie whole and sownd in matters of faith be yet in there liues verie licentious and dissolute The cawse whie manie Christianes that are sounde in matters of faythe be yet verie dissolute in theire liues And the reason is because they do not consider and weigh the holie misteries which they beleue and so they keepe there faith as it were fast locked in a corner of a chest or as a sword in the scabarde or as a medecine in the potticaries shoppe and vse not the benefitt thereof for such purposes as it serueth They beleue generallie and as it were in a fardel or grosse sōme all such thinges as the Catholike Church beleueth They beleue that there shal be a iudgment that there shal be paines for the wicked and glorie for the good Verye few Christians doe set thē selues to cōsider the misteries of our faithe but how manie Christians shall ye finde that do consider after what sort this iudgment these paines and this glorie shal be with other the like circumstances Now this is the cawse why the holie scripture so earnestlie commendeth vnto vs the continuall consideration and meditation of the lawe of God and of the misteries thereof which is indeede the studie of true wisedome Consider I pray you how instantlie Moses that great prophett and frynde of God commendeth this vnto vs saying Deuteron 5. Prynte these my wordes in your hartes and carie them bound as it were for a signe in your handes and teach them to your children that they may thinke vpon them When thou shalt be sitting in thy howse or trauaylinge in the waie when thou shalt lie doune to slepe or rise vp in the morning thinke and meditate vpon them and write them on the thresholdes and gates of thy howse that thou maist alwaies haue them before thine eies with what more effectuall wordes could he commend vnto vs the continuall meditation and consideration of heauenlie thinges then with these Prouerb 1.3 And no lesse doth Salomon commend the same holie exercise vnto vs in his Prouerbes where he exhorteth vs to carie the lawe of God alwaies as it were a chayne of gold about our neckes and at night to goe to bed with it and in the morninge so sone as we awake to beginne immediatlie to exercise our selues in the same Blessed is that man that is so occupied And so doth Ecclesiasticus tearme him Ecclesiast 14. when he saieth Blessed is the man that dwelleth in the house of wisedome and meditateth vpon the lawe and commandementes of God and exerciseth him selfe in iustice and reasoneth of holie thinges by his vnderstanding Blessed is he that considereth her waies in his hart and vnderstandeth her secretes He shall looke in at her windowes and hearkē at her doores He shall abide beside her howse and fasten a stake in her walles He shall pytch his tent besides her Now what other thinge maie we inferre of