swéetely solace themselues with most pleasant thoughts and thinke themselues present among the companies of angels farre otherwyse than the world thinketh of them Their cogitacions are alwayes busied in the misterie of mans redemption in that Lambe which was slayne from the beginning of the world in the forgiuenesse of sins reuealed and promised by almightie God for the deliuerer to come in that séede of the woman dreading downe the head of the serpent in the séed of Abraham which is Christ as the apostle saith in that Prophet of whom Moses maketh mention in Deuteron briefly in our Lord Sauiour Iesu Christ promised vnto the fathers alreadie giuen vnto vs that is in him onely to whome all the Prophetes doe beare witnes that who so euer doth put trust of his saluatiō in him shal obtain forgiuenesse of sins by his name who came into the world to saue sinners to séeke out saue that which was lost to giue his life for the redemption of many who was sent to bring the glad wished message or Gospel vnto the poore afflicted to heale the contrite of hart to preach deliueraunce to the captiue to comfort them that mourne to deliuer the oppressed who in fine is our aduocate with the father our enterpretour and pacifier betwéene God and men the throne of grace the high bishop the greatest priest to make intercession cōtinually for vs the propitiacion for the sinnes of the world our hope lyfe righteousnesse sanctification and redemption The cōsideration of these things abandoneth heauynesse out of the mindes of the Godly and maketh them to reioyce at all tymes more than one woulde beléeue And now howe great gladnesse doe they at large enioy whiles they set before theyr eyes the holy Catholyke apostolyke right beléeuing true Christian Church or cōgreation whiles they remember that communion or felowship of saints which being euen from the very beginning of the worlde after the promise giuen touching the Messias or Sauiour to come doth continue on still euen to this daye spreade first abroade in the fathers and Prophetes afterwards in the Apostles and Martyrs then by and dyuers degrées orders of Christians professing all one faith displayed throughout the whole worlde Whyles they waye and consider that Christ the sonne of God our Lorde and Redéemer doth rule this same spouse or congregation of his with his worde and Gospell doth helpe it with the holy Ghost defende and maintaine it continually against the Deuill whiles they plesantly and swéetely remember that they are adioyned vnto this fellowship of the Godly true Christian congregation by fayth wyll meaning inuocation prayer and by confession which hath the sonne of God for heade principall Aungels for defenders the holye Ghost for a sanctifier the godly and chosen of all ages for companions I say whiles they remember that they are the members of the people of God and mysticall bodye whose chiefe captaine is Christ Whiles they occupie their heades about thinking vppon that most blessed familiarity in time to come with all the Saintes in the kingdome of Heauen vnto the which they trauaile and labour tooth and nayle with excéeding great desire Therfore howe great ioye thinkest thou that they haue large fruition of whiles they are fixed vpon these and such other cogitacions And surely it behooued Christians alwayes to occupie their mindes about such things and being as it were astonied with the consider atiō of them to brast out into the prayses of God into Psalmes and Hymmes into spirituall songs singing and making melodie in theyr harts vnto the Lord giuing thanks alwayes for all things vnto God the father in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ as the Apostle teacheth And bycause the Godly doe this contynually what woonder is it if they alwaye reioyce in the Lorde And what then is there that can euer make heauy and sad can trouble or faare one that in such wise reioyceth Is it the breache of the lawe But the Apostle doth comfort vs Christ sayth he hath he redeemed vs from the curse of the lawe becomming himselfe a curse for vs. Is it sinne But S. Iohn doth comfort vs If anye man haue sinned we haue an Aduocate wyth the Father Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiacion for our sinnes Is it death The Godly wote full well that it is the gate of life euerlasting a certaine passage out to thys worlde vnto the Father Is it the wrath and the iudgement of God But we are reconcyled vnto God through Christ as Paule sayth Is it Satan Christ hath conquered him already and hath triumphed ouer him being conquered as sayth the same Paule Is it hell fire and the tormentos of hell Nay Christ when he had ouercome hell dyd open a waye vnto Heauen to the Godly And in the Prophet Osea the Lorde sayth I wil be thy death O death I wil be thy destruction O hell Likewise Dauid also in his Psalmes doth testifie that Christ did leade Captiuitie captiue when he ascended into heauen that is as much to say did as a man woulde saye leade the enymies of mankinde prisoners in hys shewe of Triumph the deuill I meane sinne death hell Briefly in all terrours and temptacions of Sathan in all heauinesse in the most sorrowfull cogitacions many tymes of death of the last iudgement of the iudgement seate of the Lorde among the other comfortes of the holy Ghost the godly doe chiefely stay themselues with the wordes of the Apostles Créede I beleeue say they the Communion or fellowship of Saints the remission of sinnes the resurrection of this fleshe and the life euerlasting They leaning vpon this fayth chasing all feare and heauinesse from them if that the deuill doe minister any doe reioyce alwayes in the Lorde Howbeit some man will here obiect that considering they are men it can not be otherwyse chosen but that they should be troubled with passions mourne and be sorowfull oftentimes For they can not lay the nature of mankinde from them renounce as it were the féele of flesh and bloude which all men haue in them I graunt that the godly are distressed with heauinesse many a time and oft and that their minds are sometimes troubled and mazed and that it can not bée otherwise in these tumults of worldly affaires Howbeit the same doe foorthwith come to themselues againe and disquietnesse of mind being setled or appeased they so facion themselues in Gods regard and prouident care toward them that with ioy they take all things very quietly and reioyce in their afflictions reposing themselues in thapprooued loue of God towarde them doe conceyue such gladnesse and pleasure in their minds therof that the same sorrow of theirs is soone ouerwhelmed withall if happily these outwarde things as commonly it comes to passe haue caused any in them For like as a very little sparkle falling into a great riuer is forthwith quenched and come to nothing euen so whatsoeuer euill
heauenlye that euerye man doth couet himselfe to be so much doth this life become the more vnpleasant vnto him to wéete the more he both féeleth and clearly seeth the offences of mans corruption For to eate to drinke to watch to sléepe to rest to traueyle and to be subiect to all the other necessities of nature is vnfainedly great miserie and calamitie to the godlye person who coueteth to be set frée and at libertie frō all maner of sinne For grieuously is a man pressed downe with the necessities of the bodie in this lyfe and therefore doth the Prophet make humble prayer in these wordes to be deliuered from them O Lorde drawe me out of my necessities But wretched are they that knowe not their owne miseries and agayne more wretched which do loue this miserie and mortall lyfe which some doe so far embrace wheras neuerthelesse through their traueyle and carefulnesse they can scant yet get themselues but necessarie thinges that if they might liue here euermore they would passe nothing at all on the kingdome of god O mad braynes and faithlesse persons who lie drowned so déepely in the earth that lyke wretches they haue naught else in their mindes but carnall things and shall once at the length féele not without torment howe vile and nothing it is that they haue loued so much But those good men of God and all the vertuous sort as many as euer were christs friendes did not looke vpon those things that did please the fleshe or that did make a goodly shew for this present tyme but with all hope and gréedinesse did breath to euerlasting good things and with their whole heart were caried vnto the highest and the inuisible things least they should be drawen down to the lowest things through the leue of the visible O brother do not dispayre in comming forward in godly thinges As yet thou hast tyme and space why then dost thou put of thy purpose from day to day Arise and begin out of hand and reason thus with thy selfe nowe is the time to be dooing now is the time to be fighting now is the time to repent and amende thy life In roughnesse aduersity is the time to deserue Thou must passe through fire and water before thou come vnto refreshing and comfort Except thou minister violence vnto thy selfe thou shalt not maister sinne So long as we beare about this frayle bodie of ours we can not liue without irkesomnesse and sorow In déede we would faine haue rest frō all wretchednesse but bicause through sinne we haue lost our innocency we haue also forgone our true happinesse and felicitie Therfore we must hold vs still vnto pacience and awaite for the mercy of God til such time as vnrighteousnesse passe away and this mortalitie of ours be swallowed vp of lyfe Lorde God how great is mans frailty which euermore is prone vnto sinning This day thou confessest thy sinnes and hauing confessed the same to morow thou cōmittest them againe Nowe presently thou determinest to beware and take héede and within an houre after thy dooings be such as though thou hadst not determined at all Therefore great cause haue we to kéepe vnder our selues and neuer to haue anye great good lyking of our selues which are so fraile vnconstant It may also be sone lost with negligēce which with much traueile hath scantlye béene attayned by the help of god What shall become of vs at the last that do wax warm so soone Wo be to vs that thus traueile vnto rest as though there were peace securitie alredy when as no token of true godlinesse doth yet appeare in our condicions Surely we haue néede to be instructed vnto good maners afresh againe like yong beginners if happily there be any hope of amendment and greater profiting in heauenly things Of the meditacion of death The .xxiii. Chapter SEing thy life shall haue an end so quickly looke wel about thée Man flourisheth to day to morow he is no where and being taken out of the sight of the worlde is by by also forgotten of the same O blockishnesse and hardnesse of mans hart which thinking only vpō things present hath no regard to that that shall come after Thou oughtest in such wise to behaue thy selfe in al both déede and thought as though thou were ready to die by and by If thou haddest a good conscience thou wouldest not much feare death Better it is to beware of sinne than to flie death If thou bée not in a readinesse to day how wilt thou be ready to morrow The daye following is vncertaine How knowest thou whether thou shalt lyue till to morrowe or no What preuayleth it to liue a great while when wée be so little amended in oure liues Surely long lyfe doth not alwayes make a man better Nay oftentimes it increaseth sinne Woulde to God we had behaued our selues well in this life but one dayes space Many doe recken the yeares of their amendment repentaunce when oftentimes the fruite therof is but slender If it be a terrible thing to die perchaunce it is a more perillous thing to liue any longer Happie is he that hath euermore the houre of his death before his eies and frameth himselfe euerye day to die If thou hast euer séene a man dye thinke that thou must passe the same way to Be in doubte in the Morning whether thou shalt liue till the Euening And againe at night be afearde to promise thy selfe lyfe tyll Morning and alwayes bée in such a readynesse and liue in such sorte that death mays neuer fynde thée vnprouided Manye die so dainely and when they looke not for it for the sonne of man will come when we thinke not of his comming When as that last houre shall come thou shalt begin to thinke much otherwise of the whole life passed then thou didst before shalt be in déepe sorrow and heuinesse for that thou hast béene so necligent and so slacke O happie and wise man who endeuoureth now to be such a one in hys lyfe as he wisheth to be founde at the time of hys death For the perfite contempt of the world the earnest desire of commyng forwarde in vertue the loue of discipline or good forme of liuing the labour of repentaunce the readie mind to obey the deniall of himselfe and the suffering of euery calamitie for the loue of Christ are cause of great hope to die wel and happily Thou art able to doe many thynges well whilst thou art in health but being sick I knowe not what thou shalt be able to doe For fewe are made better through sicknesse they that driue of the amendement of theyr life vntill that time are seldome times made Gods seruants Better it is to repent and to liue so now whilst thou mayest as after thou mayst liue for euer Otherwise if thou forgo this occasion and oportunitie thou shalt afterwardes séeke for it to late and the tyme shall be when perhaps
thou shalt in vaine desire to haue no more but one daye one houre to amende thy lyfe Therefore bestirre thy selfe and wey déepely from how great daunger thou shalt be rid how great a mischiefe thou mayst auoyde if thou alwayes warily foresée death Endeuor so nowe presentlye to liue that at the houre of thy death thou mayst rather reioyce than bée afearde Learne now to die to the worlde that then thou mayst liue with Christ Learne nowe to contemne all things that then thou mayst fréely passe forwarde vnto Christ Subdue thy body nowe with repentance and amendment of life that thou mayst haue assured confidence and trust in Christ. Ah foole wherfore doest thou think that thou shalt liue long séeing thou hast no warrant for one day here How many haue béene deceyued and taken out of the worlde sodainly How many times hast thou heard it spoken He was slayne with the Sworde that man was drowned in the water That man fell downe and broke his neck He dyed with meate in his mouth Hée ended his lyfe in playing another with fire another wyth sworde another wyth plague or pestilence another was slayne of théeues Thus death is the ende of all and the life of men passeth away like a certaine shadow Who shall help thée when thou art deade if thou forgo the occasion when thou are alyue Now nowe I say it is time to be dooing whilst both thou art ignoraunt of the houre of death and mayst also safely looke to thy selfe against the time to tome Whilest thou hast time heape vp vnto thy selfe immortall ryches thinke vppon nothing else but vppon thy saluation and passe onely vpon heauenly things Procure thée friendes now that may receiue thee when thou art dead into euerlasting tabernacles Become a Pilgrime and stranger on the earth as vnto whome worldely businesse doth nothing belong Haue a soule frée and lyfted vpward vnto god séeing thou hast no long dwelling or aboade in this life Dyrect thy Prayers and dayly sighyngs wyth teares vnto that place that thy spirite after death may blessedly flit vnto God. Of the last iudgement of God and punishment of sinners The .xxiiij. Chapter IN all things haue an eye to the ende and after what sort thou shalt stande before that seuere Iudge from whom nothing is hid who neither is pacified with bribes nor alloweth vnreasonable excuses but doth iudge according to vprightnesse and truth O wretched foolish art thou O thou sinfull man what aunswere wilt thou make vnto almightie God which knoweth all thy sinnes who sometimes fearest the countenaunce of an angrie man why doest thou not looke vnto thy self against the day of that iudgement wherin no body can be excused or defended by his Attorney For euery man shall haue ynough to aunswere for himselfe Nowe is thy labor profitable if thou list now is thy mourning accepted now may thy sighing be harde and thy repentance pacifie God and purge thy selfe And wholy is the pacient man purged after a healthful sort who receiuing iniury is more sory for the wickednesse of an other man than for the wrong that is done vnto himselfe and gladly craueth pardō for his enimies and forgyueth them with his hart and doth not slacke or foreslow the time himselfe to aske forgiuenesse of them and sooner pittieth than is angrie and oftentymes doth vse violence and compulsion to his owne selfe and endeuoreth to make his fleshe wholye subiect vnto the spirite Now these things are not to bée dryuen off from time to time but must be practised in this life and that also quickely Howbeit we surely doe deceyue our selues through the inordynate loue of our flesh I pray you what else shall that fire burne than sinnes The more thou shalte now fauourably yéelde vnto thy selfe shalt obey thy fleshe so much the more gryeuous punishement shalt thou suffer afterwarde and so much the more plentifull matter shalt thou heape vp to thy selfe to be burned For looke in what things euery man hath sinned in the same shal he be punished againe according to the greatnesse of the sinne There shall the slouthfull be pricked wyth hote burning prickes There shall the Gluttons be tormented wyth bytter hunger and thyrst There shall the lecherous and louers of pleasures be bathed in burning Pitch and stincking Brymstone There shall the enuious howle out like mad Dogges and euery vice shall bée punished wyth hys owne torment There shall the prowd be ouerwhelmed with all reproche and rebuke the couetous persons shall be vexed with most my serable néedinesse To be shorte there one houre of punishment shall be more tedyous and paynefull than was a long time here in the betteryng of our manners There the wretches haue no rest no comfort but here yet is somewhat a pawse of sorrowe and the comforting of our friendes doth quiet our hearts Wherefore be carefull now and be sorie for thy sinnes that in the day of that iudgement thou mayest safely reioyce wyth the blessed For then shall the iust stand with great constancie agaynst those of whome they haue béene vexed and oppressed Then shall he sit as Iudge which nowe humblye submytteth hymselfe to the iudgement of menne Then shall the poore and modest person bée of great fayth and trust whilest the prowde bée in feare altogyther Then shall he séeme to haue béene wise in this lyfe which learned to be a foole and an abiect for Christ his sake Then shall the remembraunce of miserie paciently suffered be pleasant when as all the vnrighteous in the meane time shal be mute and silent Then shall all the godly reioyce all the vngodly shall mourne and sorrowe Then shall the man that before was vexed more triumph reioyce then if he had béene brought vp in continuall dainties then shall course apparell glister and fine garments be dimmed and disgraced Then shall the poore cottage be more praysed then is now the gilded Pallace Then shall constant pacience helpe more then all the power of the world Then shall simple obedience be more extolled then all the subteltie of men Then shal a cleane and good conscience more reioyce a man then learned philosophie Then shal the contempt of riches be of greater price then the whole treasure of all the worlde Then shall godly prayer cause greater comfort vnto thée then the eating of dayntie meates Then shalt thou more reioyce for kéeping of silence than for long bablyng Then thy Godly déedes shall be of more power than aboundant eloquence Then shall straight lyfe and austeritie in correctyng of maners be more pleasaunt than all earthly delectacion Wherefore learne nowe to suffer small trifles that then thou mayst be able to be deliuered from the heauier burthens Examine before in this lyfe what afterwardes thou canst well abyde And in case thou canst not nowe beare so small things howe shalt thou bée able then to suffer euerlasting torments And if nowe so little a payne doe make thée impacient what will
if thou wilt obtaine the victory Surely without fighting thou shalt neuer get the crowne of pacience Now if thou wilt not suffer thou refusest to be crowned but if thou desire to be crowned striue like a man beare the fight paciently For neither is rest gotten without labor nor yet victory procured without fighting SERVANT Bring to passe lord that through thy benefite I may be able to doe that which me thinke I am vnable to do by naturall power Thou knowest well that I otherwise of my selfe can beare but litle that I am soone cast down discouraged euē with a light fal Bring it to passe that al misery and aduersity may be vnto me amiable to be wished for for thy names sake For it is very helthful vnto my soul to suffer to be vexed for thy cause Of the confession of a mans owne infirmitie and of the miseries of this life The .xxij. Chapter LOrde I will confesse vnto thée mine vnrighteousnesse and infirmitie or weakenesse A small matter doth manye times dyscourage me and cast mée into heauinesse Some time I determine to holde my self stoutly and valiauntly and by and by with a small chaunce of aduersitye I am in great trouble and sorowe A most grieuous temptaciō doth grow of a most vile thing I that thought to my self that I did not behold it when as I did not féele it euen I the same doe perceiue that I am almost ouerthrowne sometime with alight slender blast Wherfore O Lord looke vpon my humility frailty being perfitly known vnto thée haue pitty vpon me deliuer me out of this mire lest being drowned I perishe vtterly This thing doth oftentimes vexe me at the hart maketh me ashamed in thy sight to thinke that I am so frayle so weake to resist my troublesome affections which though they doe not drawe me wholy to consent vnto them yet is the vexation of them gréeuous painefull vnto mée and it very much yrketh me to liue euery day in stryfe after such sort And hereby is myne owne infirmitie made plaine and manifest vnto me bycause wicked thoughts doe much sooner inuade me than depart frō me Would to God thou wouldest looke vpon my labors and sorrows O most mighty God of Israel and most desirous of faithfull soules wouldest prosper all my enterprises Strengthen me with heauenly strength least olde Adam my wretched fleshe not yet wholye subiecte vnto my spirite doe maister or beare rule ouer me against which I must fight so long as the breath is in this most wretched body of mine most wretched I saye bicause calamities and miseries are neuer wanting therin bicause al things are therein full of snares enymies For temptacions doe followe temtacions yea also whilst the first conflict doth yet endure diuers other do come in the necke of it we not so much as thinketh of anye such matter Can then this life be loued which hath so manye bytter tastes and is subiect to so many miseries and calamities Or yet may it rightly be termed life which causeth so many deathes plagues yea for all that it is loued and in the same do many men hunt after pleasures The worlde is manye times dispraised bicause it is so deceytfull vaine and yet is it hardly forsaken bicause the desires of the fleshe doe heare to great a sway For some things doe allure to loue it other some doe allure man to despise it To loue it the desire of the flesh and the eies doth allure and the pride of his life The punishments and miseries that doe follow after are cause of the hate and yrksomnesse of the same But alacke for pitty wicked pleasure doth maister the mind being bent vnto the world so that it is kept in delight with the ticklings of the senses when as yet neyther it hath séene nor tasted of the pleasantnesse of God the inwarde swéetenesse of vertue But they which vtterly contemne the world and endeuor to liue vnto god vnder holy discipline the same are not ignorant of the promised swéetnesse in God to them that haue wholy renoūced themselues and againe doe sée howe lamentably or gréeuously the worlde wandreth and how diuersly it is deceiued That we must rest repose our selues in God aboue all good things and gifts The .xxiij. Chapter REst thou alwaies in GOD aboue all things in al thinges O my soule For he is the euerlasting rest of the Saintes and godly men Graunt me O most swéete and louing Iesus to repose my selfe in thée aboue all thinges in the worlde aboue all health and beautie aboue al glory and honor aboue all power and dignitie aboue all knowledge and witte aboue all riches and Artes aboue al ioy and triumphant reioysing aboue all fame and praise aboue all swéetenesse and comforte aboue all hope and promise aboue all deserte and desire aboue all giftes and offices which thou canst giue and poure forth aboue all gladnesse and ioye of voyce which the minde is able to comprehende and féele To be short aboue al Aungels Archangels aboue the whole Army of heauen aboue all visible and inuisible thinges and aboue all whatsoeuer thou art not O my god For thou art O my God the best of all other thou onely art most mighty thou onely art most plentifull and most full thou onely art most pleasant and most able to cause comfort thou onely art most bountifull and most amiable Thou onely of all other art most noble most glorious In thée onely rest all good things the same perfit both are and haue béene shal be And therefore it is both lesse little whatsoeuer thou giuest vnto mée besides thy selfe or doest vtter vnto me promise as touchyng thy self being not yet séene nor fully attained vnto For my mind can not soundly take rest nor be contented sufficiently with that which is present except it passing by all gifts and al worldly things doe repose it selfe in thée O my most swéete spouse Iesus Christ a most pure louer Lorde of the whole worlde would God I had wings of true libertie to flie vnto thée and to rest my self in thée O Lord when shall it be lawfull wholy to employ my wit to sée how plesant thou art O my Lord God When shall I at the length settle all my powers in thée in such wise that for very loue of thée I may not nowe féele my selfe but thée onely after an incredible maner of séeling that not knowne to euery man Now I doe many times sigh and doe beare my infelicity with sorow bicause many euils do occurre in this vale of miseries which doe trouble mée oftentimes make me sad pensiue darcken mine vnderstanding many times doe let distract allure shackle and entangle me that I may not haue frée accesse vnto thée nor enioy thy pleasant imbracements being alwayes present with thy blessed spirits Let so
all things well iustly holyly and order them with wisedome But I being more prone to reuolting then comming forward doe neuer continue still in one state bicause I am subiect to the alteratiōs of time But when thou doest stretch forth thy helping hand I am by by refreshed for as much as thou art able alone to helpe without help of man to strengthen me so much that my countenance may not now be chaunged into diuers things but my minde may be corrected and repose it selfe in thée onely Therefore if while I either desire the godlynesse of minde or am mooued vpon some necessity to séeke for thée when there is no body to comfort me I could skill to cast al humaine comfort frō me surely I might rightly hope well of thy fauor looke for a new gift of comfort with ioy and gladnesse Finally it is thy benefite whatsoeuer doth happen well vnto me at any time I am vaine a wretched man of no regarde in thy sight vnconstant weake Therefore wherevpon may I boast or why shall I desire to be reuerenced Forsooth I shall boast but of nothing and as for that it is most vane Ambition is in déede a most pestilent and most vaine thing which draweth a man away from true glory spoyleth him of heauenly fauor For whilst a man standeth in his owne conceit he displeaseth thée whilst he gapeth after mans praises he is depriued of true vertues But true glory holy reioyce is to boast of thée and not of himself to reioice in thy name and not for his owne vertue or to be delighted with any thing sauing onelye for thy sake Therefore let thy name and not mine be praysed Let thy work and not mine be extolled Let that holy name of thine be so praised that I may haue no prayse of men at all Of thée will I boast gladly for euermore Of my selfe will I boast nothing sauing of mine owne infirmities Let the Iewes desire mutuall glory betwéene themselues I will study for that which doth only make for god Surely all mans glory all mortall honor all worldly loftinesse if it be compared with this thy euerlasting glory is vanitie folishnesse O my truth my mercy my God blessed trinitie to thée only be praise strength power honour glory worlde without ende Amen Of the contempt of mortall honour The .xlvi. Chapter LORDE SOnne thinke it no matter to thée if thou sée others honoured and extolled and thy selfe to bee despised and contemned Lyfre vp thy minde vnto me into heauen and so shalt thou not take it grieuously to be contemned of men in this worlde SERVANT Lord we are in blindnesse are soone seduced with vanitie If I looke rightly vppon my selfe I neuer haue anye wrong done vnto me of any creature wherby it happeneth that I haue no cause to complaine worthily of thée But bicause I haue sinned against thée both oftentimes and gréeuouslye the whole worlde vpon good cause is sharpely set against me Therfore is infamy and contempt due vnto me to thée is prayse honour and glory belonging And except I so fashion my self to be despised and forsaken of al men and take it quietly to be had in no maner of reputacion at all I can not either attaine vnto a quiet and stedfast minde or bée lightned frō aboue or fully ioyned vnto thee That a man must not set his peace vpon Men. The .xlvij. Chapter LRODE SOnne if thou shalte fixe thy peace in any man lyuing bycause of thy agréement and familiaritie with him thou shalt be vnstedfast and vnquiet But if thou shalt repaire to the euerlasting immortal truth thou shalt not be vexed with the departure or deceasse of thy friend For man is so much the nearer vnto God as he departeth farther from all earthly comfort doth ascende so much the more highly vnto God as he descendeth the more déepely into himself and as he is the more vile in his own conceite But he that doth attribute any goodnesse vnto himselfe the same is a let for gods fauor to haue place in him bicause the fauor of the holy ghost doth alwaies séeke for a lowly mind If thou knowest how to bring thy self altogither into nothyng and to ridde thy self from all loue of the creature surely I should flow into thée with great bountifulnesse But whilest thou lookest vpon the creatures the sight of the Creator is withdrawn from thée Learne to maister thy self in al things for thy Makers sake so shall it happē that thou maist come vnto the knowledge of god Euen the least thing in the worlde if it be loued and regareed inordinately hindreth one from the chiefest felicity doth defile a man with sin Against vaine and worldly knowledge The .xlviij. Chapter LORDE SOnne be not mooued with the feare sharpe sayings of men For the kingdome of God doth not stande in talke but in vertue and power Consider my words which both kindle the soules and giue light to the minds and make remorse of conscience bring true and perfite comfort Neuer reade any thing with this intent to séeme the better learned or the wiser therefore but endeuor to mortifie thy vices and sinnes For this shall stande thée in more steade than the knowledge of many harde subtil questions When thou hast reade and knowne manye thinges yet at the last thou must come to one beginning I am he that teache men knowledge and doe procure more sharpe vnderstanding to litle ones than can be taught of any mortall man into much that they whom I speake vnto doe soone become wise and do much profite in the spirite Wo be to thē that séeke many curious things at men and passe litle vpon the way that teacheth to serue me That time shall come when Christ the mayster of maysters the Lord of Angels shall appeare to require accounts of all men to examine the conscience of all men when as he shall search Hierusalem throughout with cādlelight and those things shall become manifest which haue lyen hid in darckenesse the filed finenesie of tongues then holding their peace I am he the in one moment doe so raise vp the lowly minde that he may vnderstand mo reesons of the euerlasting truth than another shall attaine vnto euen with ten yeres studie I teach without noyse of words without multitude of opinions without pryde of ambicion without fight of Arguments I am he that teacheth to despise worldely things to loath present things to séeke sauor euerlasting things to flie honors to beare offenses to put all hope in me out of me to desire nothing to loue me feruently aboue al things For by louing of mée a certaine man did so wholy learne heauenly things that he coulde speake woonders and did more come forware in forsaking all thinges than hée coulde haue done by any subtiltie of studies But I vtter common thinges to some to
refuseth not to beare pacientlye suffer whatsoeuer it pleaseth God he shall and he taketh in very good part what so euer hath happened He knoweth that all thynges doe turne vnto good to such as be Godly and feare the lord He knoweth that those are reprooued corrected and chastised whome the Lorde loueth He knoweth that euery sonne is scourged of the Lord whome he receyueth He knoweth that he is touched with such vexations to the ende he shoulde repent amend that he shoulde make his inuocation prayer vnto God the more feruentlie that he should despise wordly things vtterly and trauaile to the heauenly things with the greater desires and sighes He knoweth that the Godly are tried with aduersitie as gold is with the fire and that the same is giuen of God as it were for a matter to kéepe his obedience in exercise He knoweth that the affliction that endureth but a moment and is but light doth worke in vs a glory that is euerlasting and more heauy than al poise or weight as the Apostle saith that the troubles of this present worlde are not worthy to be compared with that glory that shall be reuealed towarde vs Therefore he reioyceth euen in the middest of his calamities and afflictions he acknowledgeth the goodnesse of God being mery and chearefull he giueth the Lorde thanks for all things Euen thus forsooth Paule the blessed Apostle of God reioiceth alwaies in the Lord in so many vexations trauailes aduersities so many miseries so huge euilles as he paciently beareth for the Gospels sake Euen vnto this time sayth he we are both a hungry a thirst and are naked and are beaten or buffeted with fistes and doe go vp and down without any certaine dwelling place doe labour working with our owne hands being reuiled yet we blesse being euill spoken of yet wee praye wee are become as one woulde saye the excrements of the worlde being the refuse of all things euen vnto this daye The same Paule saith Now I reioyce ouer my afflictions for you and I supply that which was wanting of Christes afflictions in mine owne fleshe The Apostle also in another place doth declare this same ioy of his Blessed saith he be God and the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who is the father of mercies and God of al cōfort cōforting vs in al our affliction to the intent that we may cōfort them that are in any kind of affliction through the comfort wherwith God doth comfort vs c. To this purpose maketh that place As it were sorrowing yet alwayes reioycing as it were poore and yet making many rich as hauing nothing and yet possessing all thinges And againe I was filled with comfort I am full and abound excedingly with ioy in al our afflictiō The same Paule writing to the Thessalonians sayth You also haue become followers of vs and of the Lorde receyuing the worde with much affliction with ioy of the holy ghost in so much as ye haue beene an example to all the beleeuers in Macedonia Achaia Séest thou here how with the affliction of the Thessalonians he knitteth the spirituall gladnesse of the same And to this belongeth that which is in the Epistle to the Hebrues whereas it doth testifie that the beléeuers at Hierusalem did heare tell of the spoyle of their goods with ioy or gladnes And now how great cherefulnesse how great gladnesse how great boasting in the Lord do we take at Paules wordes whilest he reckeneth vp his trauailes stripes prisonments stonings shipwrackes watchinges hunger thirst colde nakednesse finallye infinite perilles often deathes And whiles at the ende he addeth Wherefore I please my selfe sayth he in infirmities in reprochful words in necessities in persecutions in anxieties for christ For when I am weake then am I strong Likewise our Sauiour Christ himselfe also biddeth them to reioyce and excéedingly to be gladde whosoeuer for the Gospels sake and for the confessing of his name are afflicted And why so I praye you Bicause sayth hee your rewarde is plenteous in heauen Herevpon also Apostles being beaten the as it is in s. Luke in the Actes what doe they They went quoth he reioycing frō the sight of the counsayle for that they were accounted worthy to suffer Contumelie for the name of Iesu. Hence commeth that excéeding great triumph of the Martyrs in their extréeme passions and torments which was not a token of any desperate fiercenesse in the minde or lacke of féele in the bodye but of the vertue and power of Christ dwelling wythin them as Paule speaketh it Howbeit some man will saye it is a swéete thing and full of comfort to suffer for Christ his sake so that a man may well haue cause to reioice at such a tyme But what Is it possible for any man to reioyce in these calamities and miseries which doe happen to vs for some other cause To answere the matter briefly and in few words The very true christiā man in the common vsual troubles of this life in sorowe sickenesse weakenesse of the bodye in banishment néede pouerty mourning losse of children losse of dignity in the perils trauailes of all sortes mens wronges infortunate successe in counsales losses and detriments of thyngs if wée wyll iudge thereof aright doth alwaye reioyce in the Lorde and that sincerely without doubt and euen from the very bottome of his heart For when he knoweth for certayntie by thé doctrine of the Gospell that God is fauourable well pleased with him for Christes sake when he knoweth that his sinnes be forgiuen him through Christ when he knoweth that he is reconciled vnto God adopted or chosen to be the sonne of God and that the inheritance of life euerlasting is promised him with this same onely thing he is in such wise delighted and hereof taketh so much most true pleasantnesse so much ioy and gladnesse that whatsoeuer calamitie doth happē in this life it is quickly ouerwhelmed with the excéeding greatnesse of this same ioy and doth scarslye séeme to be any thing at all in so much that if the worlde being dissolued might fall vpon him as a certayne Poet writeth yet shoulde the weight of it slaye him being no whit afearde therof For so far it is from the Christen or godly man to feare to quake or tremble and abhorre euen death it selfe or not to reioyce thereat as oft as it comes to remembraunce that rather he wisheth for it with all his hart which onely he is perswaded not to bée the end of lyfe but the beginning of euerlasting blisse not continuall destruction but a short passage out of this worlde vnto the father Therefore he desireth both to be dissolued with the Apostle and with Simeon to bée dimissed in peace So excéeding great is the ioy in the heart of the godly man through the knowledge of God and of hys sonne Iesu christ Hath he by some mishap lost his goods or children He cryeth with Iob The Lorde hath giuen