¶De prima vtilitate tribulacionis Ca: i.

THe firste prouffite of tribulacōnis vnderstō de that is a trewe socoure or helpe sente fro god to deliuer the soule fro the hand of his enemyes whiche enemies ben thise Priue suggestions of the fende that world that cruell enemye false Ioyes & rychesse of y^e worlde that disceyuable ē ­nemye vnclene lustis of the flesshe that homly en [...] mye [Page] These enemies slayne the soule in so moche the mo perlyously that they deceyuen it wyth fals fayned frendshyppe soo preuely. The whiche ben fygured by Ioab ii. regum .xx. ¶That feyned hym frende to Amase holdynge hym by the chynne as he wol­de haue kyssed hym and so wyth his swerde in that other honde preuely slewe hym.

¶Vpon this seyeth saynt gregorye yf ony fortune is to be dredde moch more is to be dredde prosperyte than aduersyte as sheweth openly

¶And not well that god ordeyneth all thynges in tribulation to the delyueraunce of his seruaunt as he behotyth by the profete dauid saynge thus. ¶Cum ipso sum in trybulatione eripiam eum et / glorificabo eum

¶I am wyth him in tribulacion I shall delyuer hȳ of trybulacion and I shall gloryfye hym for trybulacion. ¶For as moche thenne as god is wyth vs ī trybulation we sholde suffre it paciently and gladli for the more fhat trybulation greuyth the. the mo­re nerer god nygheth to the as the prophete sayth. ¶Iuxta est dominus hus qui tribulatio sunt corde et humiles spiritu salitabit

¶Our lorde god is faste bi to theym that ben in tribulation of herte and he shall saue theym that ben / meke of spyryte Therfofore if the payne of trybulacion maketh the heuy & greuith the. The myght & the mercy of god thy sauyour that is wyth the in tribulacyon shulde Inwardly comforte the.

¶But nowe perauenture thou myghteste answe­ [...] [...] cōn [Page] I fele well But swetnesse of his felishyp in try­bulatyon feele I none For yf he shewed to the pre­sente swetnesse of his myrthe as he dooth the byt­ternesse of trybulatyon thou sholde suffre it. ¶Also perauenture y^u wolde saye that afore tribulacyon y^u feleste more swetnesse in god than thou didest whan thou were in trybulation Hereto may be answred that the frendshyp of god in trybulation is vnder­stonde in two maners. Fyrst ryght as trybulatyon encresyth soo god multiplyeth grace & vertu as the appostle sayth. in cōr.

¶Fidelis est enim deus qui non pacietur vos tē ptati supra in quod potestis sed faciet eliam cum tē ptacione prouentum vt possitis sustinere ¶God is full trewe that behotyth to defende his seruauntes in trybulacion whiche shal not suffre you to be temted more than ye may suffre but also more ouer he shall make puruyaunce in trybulation that ye may suffre it that is to saye he shall yeue grace & vertue for to suffre trybulation paciently and gladly Exa­ple as lordes sende socoure and helpe to comforte / theyr seruauntes y^t ben in castelles byseged of their enemyes.

¶Ryght so our lorde god sendeth comforte of grace to soules that ben byseged wyth temptacyons of trybulation. ¶The seconde manere of felyshyp of god in tribulation as the Appostle seyeh / prima. cor ·ii.

¶Sicut habūdāt passiōes Cristi ī vobis Ita habū dat cōsolatio vt (er)a As y^e passiōs of cryst ēcreasē in vs [Page] so encressyth our cōfort cristys passions encreasih ī vs whan they ben sente from hym mekely and pacientli suffre hem as gooddys seruauntys & not as: mensleers & thefes whiche haue deseruyd that they suffre & vnderstonde well that comforte of grace in tribulacionis is not alway yeuen to be felte of hym that is in trybulacon ¶And that is for he shuld preue hymselfe he shulde drede god & truste in hym to be delyuerd / And we rede in y^e boke of holy faders of seynt anton How he after many spirituel temtacyons was trobled of fendis bodilyche betyn and woūded all his body Soo that whan his seruaunte came to visyte hym lyenge as dede ¶And soo he toke hym vppe and bare hym in to the nexte towne where he was watchyd tille aboute mydde nyghte / And then̄e by the wyll of god he releued & bade his seruaūte pryuely alle other slepyng bere hym ayen and so he dide And whan he was brouȝte ayen thyder soo feble that he myghte not stonde but sittynge vp he seyde thus / where be ye euyll spiritys wyked fendys / Loo I am here by the myght of god redy to wythstonde al your malyce And after thyse and many other wonderfull temptations oure lor appered to hym in a wonderfulle lyghte and com­fortable To whome holy saynt Anton sayde. Aa lorde Ihesu Cryste where haste thou ben soo / longe from me in trybulacyon

And oure Lorde answered and sayde here wyth / the beholdyng thy fyghtynge redy to rewarde the [Page] thy vyctory as I am wonte to doo for my chosen chyldrē / For wyte thou well that comforte oweth not to come tyll that a place be arayed therto by trybulacyon / Also we rede of / Sare y^e doughter of Raguel. Thobie .iii.

¶Hoc autem acertum habet omnis qui coltꝭ te quia vita eius si in temptacioue fuerit coro nabitur. Si autem in tribulacōne fuerit liberabitur Et si correpcōne fuerit ad miserecordiam tuam peruenire licebit Non enim delectaris in ꝑdicionibus nostris quia post tempestatem tranquillum facis & post lacrimacionem & fletum exultacionem infundis ¶Eueri man that worshippeth the god hath this forcerteyne that yf his lyfe be here in temtacōne he shall be crowned And yf he be in tribulacōn he shall be delyuerd And yf he be in chastisinge It shall be leefull to come to thy mercy / Thou delyghtes not in oure perisshinges For after tempestys thou ma­kest tranquillytee And after teeris & wepynge y^u sendeste gladnesse as the prophete seythe

¶Secundum multitudinem dolorum meorumcō solaciones tue letificauerunt animam meam. ¶After the multitude of my sorowes in my herte thy comfortes haue glad my soule His conforte of one houre ouerpassyth the sorowes of trybulacōn of many yeres For god that cometh for to helpe and comforte after tribulacōn shall abide wyth the gladynge thi soule And perauenture if thou playnest the that thoue taryeste ouerlonge abidinge his comforte as louers be wonte to playue Herto answerith [Page] a grete clerke casiodorus.

¶Ipsa velocitas dei desideran ti et amanti tar­ditas videtur ¶The swyftnesse of god to a disiryng and a louynge soule semeth longe taryeng Or thus a thynge that is moche coueyted semeth grete taryeng to a louyng soule thenne of thise to forseyde maye be concluded that a soule discomforted in trybulacōn oweth not to holde hymselfe ouercome of his enemyes but rather delyuerd Sythe thenne y^t this is sothe that tribulacyons delyuer vs from oure enemyes though it soo be that they be somtyme heuy and chargeable yet neuerthelesse thei shulde be suffird paciently and gladly wythoute grutchyng For if we grutche ayen tribulacyons thenne we striue ayen our helpers and we helpe oure enmyes And for we be not strong of oure selfe to delyuer vs from oure enemeys praye wee to god mekely seyenge wyth the prophete

¶Da nobis domine axilium de tribulacione ¶Lorde god graunte vs helpe of tribulacyon

¶De secunda vtilitate tribulacionis

THe seconde prouffite of tribulacōn is that it stoppith the malyce of the fende For he is aferde to tempte the soule that is in tribulacōn for he dredith hym to be ouercome or els refusid and that is figured by the frendis of Iob / whe­re it seyde Iob. iii.

Nemo loquebatur ei verbum videbant enim dolorem eius vhementem Noo man spake to hym a vode [Page] they sawe his sorowe was soo grete Thyse feyned frendys of Iob betokim wycked fendys that vexenor trauaylne soules whyche dare not come nyg he a soule that is in tribulacyon nepteme it beynge distroubled / And not oonly tribulacyon stoppeth the malyce of the fende but also there thorough the comofret of angels and of sayntes as we rede of holy faders mauy one of whiche one cometh to mȳ de Abotte sysoy after mōke suffering of certayn tribulacyons and dissesis A litill to fory^e soule shulde parte from the body He sayde brethern beglade loo holy anton cometh to vs and soone after he sayde loo here comen the worshipfull companye of prophetys And the thirdde tyme he sayde Now comen that holy apostses and as it semed hem that stode about he spake wyth hem and thenne they prayed hym that he shulde telle hem wyth whom he spake and he answerd and sayde wyth holy Angles that came to take my soule And I prayed hem abide a while that I shulde suffre more penaunce And theyse wordes seyde the spirite passid wyth grete lyghte All they felynge a wonderfull swete sauour Noot well that there is noo peryll in tribulacion of temptacions soo that thou answere not to hem by delectacyon or consentyng as the speche of an openly cursyd man noyeth notte but yf thou answere hym That is fygured in holy wrytte Where it is seyde / I saye xxxvi ¶Mandauerat enim rex Ezeehas ne populus responderet blasphemus rapsacis ¶Kyn Ezechie commaundid that the peple shulde not [Page] answere to the blasfemyes of that tyraunt Rapsa­cis By Rapsacis is vnderstonde the fende And by his blasphemyes ben vnderstonde temptacyons of wycked thoughtes the whyche noyen not but yf y^u wylfully assente to hym / And yf thou fele the feble by freelte of thy flesshe / pray thou god besely in try­bulacyon / that he stope the malycyous temptacion of the fende / as the prophete sayth Lorde god grante vs helpe of trybulacyon.

¶De tercia vtylytate trybulacionis

THe thyrde prouffyte of trybulacyon is that it pourgeth the soule But it is to wyte that there is v manere of pourgynges one is pturgynges of mannis bodye for corruption of wycoked humours and that is on two maners. One is­by medicinable drynkynge / Another is by craft / blode letynge / The seconde pourgynge is metally as golde by the fyre and Iren by the fyle / The thirde pourgynge is of trees / as of vynes of vnfrute­full braunches The fourthe purgynge is of corn ad betynge or thresshyng wyth a flayle The fyfth pourgynge is of grapes and that is by a pressoure / On / thus many many maner god dothe pourge the soule by trybulacion For as the body is pourged bi medycynable drynkes of euyll humures / Ryght so the soule made clene by trybulation sente by our soue­reyne leche our lorde god of veyne affeccyons and euyll maners For saynt Gregorye sayth.

¶Mali humores sunt mali mores

¶Euyll humours ben euyll maners.

[Page]Drynke this medycyne of trybulacyon sente to the fro god For he is a wyse leche and knowyth all thy preuy syknesse / and how moche thou mayste suffre and how moche thou nedeste. Foche sendeth the nothynge but that is prouffytable to the / And he that hath rasted and allayed and dranke it afore the not for hymselfe / but for thy purgynge he suffred y^e passyon of deth / Wherof he sayde to the apostles Iohn̄ and Iames. M / xx. ¶Potestis bibere calicē quem ego bibiturus sum. ¶May ye drynke the passion that I shall drynke / ¶Thenne sythen this wyse leche hath dronken this medicine for thy loue / Drynke thou therof wythonten drede for it is hol / som. This drynke thrysteth the profete dauyd whā he sayde. ¶Calicem salutaris accipiam et nomen domini inuocado. ¶I shall take the holsom passion of trybulacyon / And yf thou thynke it better clepe thy lorde god into thyn helpe as he sayde ¶Da nobis domine &c. Lorde god graunte vs helpe of try­bulatyon. And as a purgacyon shulde be resceyued hastely wythoute ony more tastynge or longe tari­enge so shulde trybulation be accedice wylfully w^t ­oute argumentis of disputyng or rebellyon of grutchynge But now be well ware For somtyme as the prouffite of the medicyne is lettyd and werkyth the contrary to corrupcion Not for the defaute of y^e medycyne but for the euyll disposycyon of hym that receynyth it / So in the same wyse the prouffyte of tribulatton is lettyd of purgacyon & doth y^e contrarye For it [Page] is beginnyng of payne after whiche folowith euerlastyng dampnacyon As we rede of kynge Pharao Kynge of egipte For the more that he was visited by tribulacyon the more his rebellynge herte encresid in to his dampnacion The seconde purgacōn of man̄es body for euyll humours is by crash blode letynge & y^t is on two maners as by openyng of y^e veine or els by boxyng or vētusyng Opening of y^e veyne is approprid to cōfession & boxyng or vētusynge to tribulacyon And note wel y^e ryȝte as foule blode corruptith y^e body so syn̄e whiche is callid in holy writte blode defouleth y^e soule The veyne by y^t whiche this blode or synne is voyded oute is the mowthe as it is seid ꝓūx ¶Vena vite os iusti qr iustꝰ ī principio accusator ēsui ¶The mouthe of a riȝtfull­man is a veyne of lyfe. For­the rightfulle man in the begynnynge blameth-hymselfe that is to seye by confessyon and also note that as a man owyth by thys veyne to voyde oute wycked bloode to pourgyng of hys body and kepe / the goode bloode to his norisshinge righte soo in / confession he oweth by his mowthe to shewe all his synnes and wythholde & kepe preuy all his goode / dedis for fere of lesing For good dedis shewyd in / confesson by veyne glorie or auaūtyng turnen from vertue vnto vyce for defaute of wyse kepyng / As we rede of the pharise that sayde luc xviii. ¶Gra­cias tibi ago dne quia non sum sicut & ceteri hoīm / raptores adusteri velut eciam hic publicanus ieiu no bis in sabato decimas de hominū que posidio [Page] ¶Lorde I thanke y^e for I am not lyke as other / men robbers and auoutrers Also not lyke this publicane I faste twyes in the weke I paye tythes of / all that I haue Loo here thou mayste vnderstōde / by this pharisee a false feyned & a proude confession ¶Sed publicanus a longe stans noluit ad celū oculos leuare fed percuciebat pectus suū dicēs Deus propiciꝰ esto in peccatori. But y^e publicane stondinge aferre behynde holdyng himselfe vnworthy wolde not life vp his eyē to heuen but he smote his herte & seyde God haue mercy on me And so this publicane yeede thens iustified or made right by his very / meke cōfession To this accordeth y^e veri prophete / Dauid where he seyth thus ¶Dixi cōfitebor aduersū mei iusticiā meā dnō & tu remisist [...] impietatē pec­cati mei ¶I shall knowleche by meke cōfessyon a­yens myselfe to my lorde myn vnrightwysnes & y^u / haste foryeuē y^e wyckidnes of my syn̄e Boxyng or / vētusing accordeth to tribulacōn For as many di­sesis as god sendith to y^e in tribulacōn soo many re­medies he ordeyneth for thy purgacōn But not welle as it is nedefull a fore ventusing y^e flesshe to be / hette & chauffyd for then̄ y^e smyttyng of y^e blood I­ren maye be suffrid more esely Soo it is spedefull afore tribulacōn y^t y^e herte be heted wyth perfigh lo­ue & charitee y^t rētacōn of tribulacōn maye be suffr­id y^e more paciētly & gladly in figure herof the holy goost came downe to the apostels in lykenes of fyre By whom they were soo strengthed comforted th­ey were gladde and yeden Ioyenge for they were [...] [Page] had worthy to suffre tribulacion angre and repre­sse for the name of Ihū The whiche afore that ty­me were so dredefulle that they fledde a waye fro / hym And some forsoke hym as Peter that was pr­ince of the apostles for fere of a woman swore that he knewe hym not ye whiche aftir the comynge of / the holy gooste drade not the cruell tourmentis of / Nero the Emperour But pacyently and gladly su­ffrid to be crucified and dede The seconde manere of materyall purgacyon is of metals as golde by / fyer and Iren by fyle For ryght as the fyer depar­tith golde from other metals and prougyth hym / of ruste and filthe and makith it fayre and clene So tribulacyon departith the soule fro his aduersari­es And maketh him to god louely and acceptable / and therfore it is sayde Sapiensee quinto Tan­quam aurum in fornace probauit electos dominus and quasi holocasta hostie accepit illos et in tem­pore erit respectus eorum Oure lord hathe prouyd his chosen by tribulacyon as golde is prouid in the / furneis and he hath acceptid hem as sacrifice of offeeryng and in tyme of rewarde they shal be beholde wyth thys fyer of tribulacyon As Iob was prouyd whan he seide Iob xxiii Probat me deus sicut au­rum quod perignem transit God prouuith me by / tribulacyon as golde that passith by the fyer and / note well that amonge all metallis golde is mooste precyouse and lede is leste of price And yet neuer­theles golde is not pourgit wyhoute lede For lede / drawyth w^t hym in y^e furneyse the fylthes of y^e gold [Page] On the same maner chosen soules the whyche ben lykned to golde ben pourged by euyll men whyche ben lykened to lede Wherof Salamon sayth Stultus seruit sapienti. ¶The foole shall serue the wyse man / Euyl men shall serue to pourge good men by trybulacyon / ¶Also as Iren is pourged by the fy­le of ruste and made shyninge and bryght so is the soule pourged by trybulacyon from vnclennes and comforted wyth ghoostly lyght and as a knyfe that is not vsyd abydyng in the shethe drawyth ruste so the soule wythout exercyse of tribulacyon desyryth vnclene lust as we rede of dauid ii regum ii Whan he was without tribulacyon of weringe wyth his / enmyes felle in to auoutre with the wyfe of vrie y^t / worthy knyghte and aftyr into homicyde or man / ne slaughter ¶Therfore seith the prophete Ieremie Fertil fuit moab in die (bus) adolescencie sue et / requieuit in fecibus suis Moab the whiche is vndrestonde the sone of my people was plenteuouse by / grace in tyme of his tribulacyon and he hathe restid in filthes of synne Thenne grutche not ayens god / whan he fyleth thy soule to make it fayre and clene louely and liȝt ¶For els maye it neuer come to ha­ue of hym that blessid sighte wherof it sayde M. qu­into ¶Beati mundo corde quoniam ipsi deum vi­debunt Blessid bene thei that be clene of herte for / they shal see god The iii maner of purging that ac­cordeth to tribulacyon is of trees as cuttyng of vy­nes or voydyng vnfruytfull braunches Wherof cri­ste seythe I xx.

[Page]¶Omnium palmitem in me non ferentem fruc­tum tollet eum Et omnem qui fert fructum purgavit eum vt fructum plus afferat. ¶Euery vyne braunche that bryngyth forthe no frute in me that am a very vyne my fader that is a tylyer shall kitte hym of and caste hym awaye and that braunche y^t / beryth frute / he shall purge hym that he may bryng forth more frute By this vyne may be vnderstonde mannis herte by the humure is vnderstonde affection or loue and by vnfrutfull braunche ben vnder­stonde flessly lustes Inordinate loue of creatures carnall affeccyon of kynred and wordly rychesse / Whan the humures or a vyne or of a tree is spred abou [...] louer mani ūfrutful braūches it brȳgeth forth the lesse frute or els none Thenne it longith to a wyse tylyer or to a goode Gardiner to kitte of thyse vnfrutefull braunches that the vyne or the tree maye brynge forth the vetter frute and the more ¶Right so almyghty god the whiche is a wise tylier and a souerayne gardiner cuttyth away vnclene lustes of y^e flesshe wyth the knyfe of bodyly syknesse he cutyth awaye Inordinate loue of creatures wyth the ho­ke of aduersytee and trybulacyon He cuttyth away carnal affeccyon of kynred wyth the swerde of deth ¶And he cuttythe awaye worldly rychesse wyth / his Iren rodde / As brennynge of fyre dreuchȳg of water robbyng of theues and suche other On all these maners dooth god chastyse and pourge by tribulacōn For he wolde that the loue thine herte shulde abide with him and brynge forthe plente of spi­rytuell [Page] frute in hym / and not abyde ne truste in su­che disceyuable frendshyppe / For saynt Gregorye sayth. Qui autem labet inuititur Necesse est vt cū labente labatur ¶He that lenyth to a fallynge thȳ ge / nedis y^e fallynge he muste fall. The fourthe. maner of materyall pourgynge that accordyth to try­bulacionis of corne / as by betynge or thresshynge wyth a flayle to departe the corne from the chaffe Wherof saynt Austyn sayeth. Quod flagello gra­num quod fornax auro quod luna ferro hec facit tribulatio viro iusto. ¶As the flayle seruyth to corne as the fyle seruyth to Iren / so serueth trybulation to the ryghtfull man. As we rede that the angelle Raphaell sayde to thoby hobye .xii. Et quia acceptus eras deo / Necesse fuit vt temptacio probaret te ¶And for thou were acceptable to god it was nedefull that trybulacion shulde preue the / For as betīg of a flayle constreyneth the corne to departe frome the chaffe so trybulacion constreyneth the herto for sake the disceyuable loue of the worlde and the fal­se frendshyp of synners / Whiche are vnderstonde by chaffe. The prouffyte of this flayle knewe the ꝓphete whan pe sayde. Ecce egorn flagella ꝑatus sū Lo I am redy to suffre the betynge of tribulacyon and therfore saythe saynte Austyn / Noly cōquerere de flagello tribulacionis si vis hēre purū gratiū & reponi cupis ī celo vbi non nisi purū granū repone­tetur Playne y^e not of y^e flayle of trybulacyon yf y^u wylte haue clene corn of consyence & yf y^u wylte co­ueyte to be putte in y^e garner of y^e blys of heuen in [Page] to y^e whiche y^u mayst not come till y^u be clene pourge But be well ware for as corne y^t is greue & moste & not rype ne dryed is not departid from the chaffe with y^e betīg of y^e flayle but rather cleueth ther to Soo it is for to drede y^e hertis y^t whiche aren grene in begyn̄ynge of cōuersion & moste in carnall affeccōn y^t wihche haue not assaid y^e prouffite of tribulacōn ben not departid from the falsf frendship of her enemyes But rather cleuen to hē as though thei wolde be cōfortid by hē For whan god sendith vs visitacōns for to pourge y^e soule y^t he louyth be it by bodily sykenes or losse of tēporal godes or aduersite of enemyes or ony other tēptacyon of heuynesse And one the herte rennyth al about [...] to seke cōforte to haue mīde on the Why shuldeste not be glad whan he fendyth to the suche tokens of loue as he toke here for the For he wolde y^t y^u shuldest haue mynde of hym & knowe hym For he is thi frēde & wyll not forgete y^t For as many diuerse tribulacōns as he sēdeth to the soo many sondrye messengers y^u haste cleping & warnyng y^t to haue mynde on hym / But nowe perauētur y^u woldest saye y^t suche tribulacōns are not moost necessary to clepe y^t to haue mynde on him But rather his gracyoꝰ benefaytys of prosperite / For as seynte Austyn seythe / Dei bn̄ficia nil aliud fuit nisi monicōes veniedi ad eū The bn̄fytes of god bē no thing els but warnynges or clepynges to come to hym To this maye be answerid al though y^e / graciouse bn̄faytes of god as yeftis of prosperitee riches bewte & boūtee & suche other clepen y^t to hauynge [Page] to suche yeftis that he wythdraweth thyn herte to haue mynde rather on the yeftis than on the yeuer wherfore he playeneth by the prophete seyenge Expandi manus meas et non erat qui aspiciret I haue spred out myn handes that is yeuyng benefices / And there was noo man that wolde beholde Qr omnes diligunt munera et secuntur retribuciō nes. For all men louen yeftis and they pursuen af­tir rewardes from the mooste to the leste But [...]ewe there ben or els none that beholden mekely knowȳ ge the yeuer of him Also perauenture thou woldyst seye all though it be according to god to clepe indurate and rebellyng hertis to knowe him bi tribulacōn Neuertetheles it nedith not to good and meke hertys the whiche desire to knowe hym bi benefaytes and yeftis / To this maye be seyde all though gode and meke hertys knowen the yeuerof hem by naturall delityng in benefaytes yet neuertheles to to the prouffite of perfighte knowing yf god maye thei not come wythoute growyng of tribulacion Example herof we reden that Salamon was clepid bi benefaytes and yeftis Iob was clepid by drawyng or takyng awaye of his temporell goodes and sē dyng him tribulacions and aduersitees But thyse tribulacyons brought Iob to the perfight knowynge of god Salamon bi propirite [...]e felle in to folie lesyng the prouffite of perfghte knowing of god Whatsoeuer thou arte truste not that thou myghteste not longe abide in this knowyng in suche prosperite and therfore suffre pacientli tribulacōns and aduersytees [Page] / And yf thou be dyscomforted that they / be many and grete / be thou comforted. For the moo and the gretter that they ben to the / the more prou­ffyte of knowynge of god they bryngen to the / And yf thou can not fele ony comforte for frowardnesse or freelte of thy selfe / praye to god that he comforte the in trybulacyon and graunt the grace to come to the prouffyte of perfyght knowyng of hym and say. ¶Da nobis domine auxilium de tribulacione / ¶Lorde graunt vs helpe of trybulacyon.

¶De quarta vtilitate tribulacionis. Ca. iiii

THe .iiii. prouffyte of trybulacyon is that it lighteneth the to haue the knowynge of god In whyche is perfeccyon and the prouffyte of mannys knowynge / the whyche Saynt Austyn desyred seyenge in the boke of answers to hymselfe ¶Libro soliloquiorum ¶Thus wolde god I shulde knowe the. And also it is wretten in the boke of wysdom. sapiencie quinto. ¶Nosce te iusticia est consummata ¶To knowe the lorde god it is ryghtfulnesse ende of cunnynge / to this knowynge hel­pith trybulacyon / For as the roddeconstreyneth a chylde to bowe downe his hede / and taketh hede vnto his boke / and recorde his lesson / So trybulacyon meketh the hert and makyth hym to behold his owne freelte / and to know god. Wherof saynt Bernerde / ¶Deus facit se congnosci verberando qui ob­litus et incognitus erat percendo. God maketh hȳ ­selfe to be knowen in betyng wyth tribulacion why­che [Page] was foryetyn and vnknowen in his meryfulle / sparynge / Daniel iiii. Of this we haue ensample / of the kyng Nabugodonosor whiche for pryde was caste oute of his kyngdom and liued with wilde hestis and ete haye as an oxe But whan he lyfte vp his eye to his maker of holy herte his wytte was resto­rid to hym ayen and he knewe god that castised- him in tribulacyon ¶As the maner of chidren whan they felen strokes sharpe of the rodde They leften / vppe her eyen to hym that smyten him For thei wolden that he shulde turne his face to hem by pitee / and by compassion. ¶Now thenne thou lowely soule that arte vnder the rodde of tribulacyon conside­re and knowe well that the maner of louers is for / to sende yeftis tokens and preui lettres eche of / hem to other for to kepe loue and mynde and kno­wyng eche to other On the same maner oure lorde Ihū crist as a trewe louer sedinth to his treue louyd children suche tokens as he toke here for hem ¶For here he toke mankynde in whiche he usffrid many tribulacōns detraccōns blasphemyes scornes repreues sclaundres hunger thirste and colde and many betyngis sharpe scourgyngys many thou and is of grete woundes and was naled vpon the crosse be­twene ii theues and deyed the shamefolliste dethe / that the Iewes cowde ordeyne for hym and aftir / that he was rysen from deth and stied vp in to heuē he kept his woundis as for tokēs that thou shulde­ste knowe that the wolde haue mynde of the and neuer forgete the as he sayde [Page] by the prophete Isaye xlix.

¶Numquid obliuisci potest mulier infantem suū / vt non misereatur filio vteri sui et si illa oblita fue­rit ego tamen non obliuiscar tui Ecce in manibus-meis descripsi te

¶Whether a woman maye foryete her childe that she haue noo mercy to the sonne of her owne body ¶And though she forgete her childe I shall neuer forgrete the Loo I haue writen the in myne hondis that is in all my woundes whiche I suffrid for loue of y^e sy [...]hen it is soo that he kept the shewyng of woū dis as for a token of loue / And it hath grete drede / there as is noo drede as the prophete sey the I bi ceciderūt timore vbi nō erat timor They fellen down for drede there as noo deede was It maye be cle­pid a cursid comforte that is sette rather in ony creature than in god For the prophete Ieremie seyth / ieremiex vn Maledictus homo qui cōfidit in homīe & ponit carnē brachi suum & a deo recedit cor eius ¶Cursid be y^e man y^t tristyth ī mā & he y^t settyth ony creature to be his strenghe & he that departyth his herte from god But it maye be clepid a blessid com­forte that is sette in god as the same prophete seide ¶Benedictus vir qui confidit in domino & erit dn̄s fiducia eius ¶Blessid be that man that trustith in oure lorde god and oure lorde shall be his truste / ¶And whan that we shall fully truste oonly in god in al maner tribulacyon ¶And drede false com­forte and euyll counseille of oure enmyes ¶We / haue ensample. [Page] of Ochosyas kynge that sente mesengers to / Belzebub the fende of Acharon to haue comforte and counseyle whether he shulde escape the tribulacyon of sykenes or none And god sent an angell to the prophete and bad hym seye chosie iiii regum i c Qr misisti nuncios ad consulendum belsabub deum accha­ron quasi non esset deus in israel a quo posses interogare sermonem Ideo non descendes de lecto super quem ascendisti sed morte morieris For thou hast / sente mesengers to aske counseyle of belzabub the / feende of accharon as though there were noo god / in Israel of whom thou myghteste aske comforte therfore thou shalte not goo oute of the bedde that thou yediste vpon but thou shalte deye Also that we shulde not loue the worlde ne truste in worldly thyngis synte Ihon biddith i Iohis ii ¶Nolite dilegere mundū neqmꝪ ea que in mundo sunt Wyll not ye / loue the worlde ne worldly thyngys &c. ¶The v. / maner of materiall purgacion is of grap is and y^t ­is by a pressour ¶For as a pressour pressith the / grapes to parte the preciose lycour of wyne from / draffe and the draggys Soo god pourgith the soule that he loueth in the presour of tribulacyon from / corrupcyon and wickidnes of synne Some tyme / by bodely sykenesse or preuy goostly heuynesse and sometyme losse of temporell goodes: or persecucion or sclaunder of euyll men and enmyes: Somtyme by lackynge of noble kynrede / or by dethe of fayth / full frendys. And therfore suffre pacyentely the: [Page] prouffite of this pressour yf thou wylte be broughte into cristes blessyd celar of whiche it is seyte Cant ii. ¶Introduxit me dommus rex in cellam suam / vinariam ¶The lorde the kynge hath broughte me in to his wyne seler / Herto accordeth seinte / Austin and seithe That holy martirs weren so pressyd by tribulacyon in thys presente lyfe that the bodely mater was lefte in the pressour of thys erthe / But the preciouse soules weren resceiued into the / seler of euerlastynge blisse ¶Grutche not ayens / god yf he hathe putte the in his prison of tribulacy­on For he hathe assayed it afore the ¶As I saye the prophete seithe in the personne of criste Isa. lxiii / ¶Torcular calcaui solus & degentibus non est ibi­mecum I alone haue troden the pressour of tribu­lacyon and noo man was there with me And note it that he seide no man but he sayde not noo woman / for that blessid woman moder and mayde oure lady saynte Marie abode wyth hym in feith full whan / all the apostles fledde from hym And was redy to suffre dethe for the compassyon of her sone as the. prophete Simeon seith luc ii ¶Et tuam ipius an­imam pertransibit gladius ¶The swerde of dethe shall passe tho rough thyne owne soule ¶Now the n̄e sithen this is sothe that oure lorde Ihū criste hathe assayed thys pressour of tribulacyon and that blessid lady his moder mayde marie What so euer thou be that feliste the in thys pressour take it mekely and gladly prayen wyth the prophete ¶Da nobis domine auxilium de tribula cōne [Page] Lorde god graunte vs helpe of tribulacyon

¶De quinta vtilitate tribulacionis Capitulum v.

THe v. prouffite of tribulacyon is that it reuoketh or bryngeth the to knouynge of thyselfe For that herte that hath not putte awaye ferre from himselfe worldly and veyne glorie maye not truly fele ne knowe himselfe For that herte hathe more very knowyng of lighte wherof the prophete Dauit seyde ¶Numen oculor ūmeorum & ipm̄ non est mecum ¶Lighte of knowynge there is of myn eyen but the lighte is not wyth me Woo to hȳ that dispenden the lighte of her knowynge in vayne Ioye and vorldly thynges and no thynge to desyre the knowyng of hemselfe But howe shulde thei knowe himselfe that ben not wyth hymselfe For y^e mo­re that the soule louyth and desireth vayne Ioye / and worldly prosperitees the more ferther he dra­wyth from the knowyng of hymselfe ¶And ther­fore seythe seinte Gregory As he that is besegid / wyth enmnyes dare not goo ferre out but he is constreinid to goo ayen for drede. Soo tribulacion constreyneth y^e herte to torne in to himselfe. And the. mos aduersytees y^t ben about hym the fewer he hathe of rennynges oute from hymselfe. Thene it is. a blessid aduersitee that bringeth the in to thyselfe and maketh the that thou hast misgoon to tourne ayen. Wherof it is seyd. Exod. xii. ¶Maneat vnis qⁱ sque apud seme [...] ipsum. ¶Dwelle eche man With hymself that is knowe he himself ¶Abide he wyth [Page] hymselfe for as an howse whiche noo man dwellith is washd and fallyth to noughte ¶Ryghte soo the herte that dwelly [...]h or abydith not wyth himselfe / Woo to that herte that renneth from hymselfe all aboute lyke as dooth a Iaper or a Iogelar in to o­ther mennes houses more he singith Iapeth and / Ioyeth in other mennes places The more cause / he findeth in his owne place of sorowe and of wep­yng So the more that the herte deliteth him oute­ward in vayne thynges and worldly Ioyes the lesse he fyndith in hymselfe wherof he shuld be comfortid Therfore tribulacyon is full necessary to the / herte to make hym turne into hymselfe / And it cōs­treyneth hym to saye with the prophete.

¶Conuer [...]ete anima mea in requiem tuam. ¶Turne ayen thou my soule in to thy reste / And also our lorde god hauynge pyte of the soule that ha­th for wrapped hymselfe wyth worldly thynges se­yth thus. ¶Reuertere reuertere sonamitis. reuertere vt intueamur te. ¶Turn ayen turn ayen thou wretch caytyf soull / turn ayen / turn ayen / that we / mowe beholde the that thou beholde thyselfe wyth the eye of consyence / and that I maye beholde the with the eye of mercy. ¶O thou soule that distroubled in aduersytees / suffre the to be reuoked to knowynge of thyselfe by trybulacyon / And namely for that trybulacyon byndeth or knyttyth the to thy maker Whome wycked and large fredom of the worlde ha [...]h lete runne longe loose from thyselfe Wher­of speketh the prophete thus.

[Page]¶Infuniculis adam traham eos et in binculisca ritatis. ¶I shall drawe theym in the small cordys of Adam & in the bondis of charytee. Thyse smalle cordys of adam oure fyrste fader whyche longen to vs by the waye of herytage are clepyd al maner po­uertees sente fro god to reserue the herte from vay­ne and worldly comfortes. by the whyche god dra­wyth many one / as it semyth by vyolence. Wherof sayth saynt Bernarde / ¶Trahimur / cum tribu­lacionibus exercemur. ¶We ben drawen whan we hauntyd wyth trybulacyon / therfore thou that arte streyned wyth thyse cordys and bondys of charyte suppose not that that thou arte defoiled or forsaken but the rather made fayre and chosen of god al though thou haste not that thou askeste / Ne trowe not theym they ben not streyned wyth thyse bondys to be in very lybertee / though they haue that they as­ken / For lyke as the leche whan he grauntyth to the syke all that he desyryth it is a certeyne sygne of dethe / Ryght soo the false fredom of the worlde is certeyne sygne of perysshynge / For the more frely thei desyren and fulfyllen theyr owne desyre wythoute trybulacyon / the rather they fallen downe in / in to theyr dampnacyon. Therfore thou sely soule that / arte troubled Yf thou wylte haue god to the merciable / suffre the to be restreyned wyth thyse bondis of trybulacyon / Whyche comen fro god and drawen y^t towarde god / Wherfore oure lorde sayde to the profete Ezechiel Eccededi viculanica s [...]te Lo I haue yeuen my bōdis vpon y^e / by this is vndstōde y^t bōdis [Page] vpon the By thys is vnderstonde that bondys of / tribulacion ben the yeftys of god and the more tri­bulacyon the strenger byndeth the soule to god Al­so the prouffite of tribulacyon is that it spedith the waye to god For as many tribulacyons as thou haste soo many messengers god hathe sente to the th­at thou haste to hym and not let by the waye Whe­rof sey the the prophete Multiplicate sunt infirmi­tes eorum postea acceleuauerunt Her sykenes we­re multiplied and afterwarde they hastid hem to / god Herof seynte Gregory sayde Disesis that opp­resson vs to haste to god compelle vs Supposse thou not the benefytes of tribulacyon to be disese for / to delyuer the from a greuous pryson and to haste thy waye to the kyndom of heuen As it is sayde / Ecclesiastici uit De carcere cathenis (que) interdum / quis introducitur ad regum From pryson and fr­om Iron bondis other while a man is brought in­to a kyngdom Thys pryson is callid all that the herte loued inordinatly in thys worlde Thyse Iren / bondys are suche thinges that wicked affeccions / be bounden to. But of this prison god deliuereth many one by tribulacyon as whan he puttyth awaye / from hem thyngys that they louen inordynatly ¶ / And that is fygured by seynte / Peter that was kepte in herodis prison whan oure lordis angell stode besyde hym and peters sayde Ismyten He excited / hym and sayde arise vppe lyghtly And anone the / Iren bondis felle from hys hondys By the syde of / petir is vnderstonde thy [Page] brother that cam oute of the same syde that thou / came of Orels all thoo generally that aren alyed / to the by kynrede or by affinitee For whan ony of thys or all whiche by lawe of nature ought to be / thy frende is contraryoꝰ to the or els by ony other maner Vnderstonde thou arte smyten in the syde / for that thou shuldist goo oute of the prisone of in­ordinate loue and set thyne herte oonly in god that may not fayle the But take good heede that as pe­tir playned not on the smytyng on his side Soo th­ou owest not to playne ne to greue the of tribulacōn whiche delyuerith the fro the false and disceiuable loue and flesshly and worldli frendis / And yf the / smytynge of tribulacyon in the side be sharpe and / greuouse to suffre be holde criste thy maker and / thi brother woundid in the side for thy loue and y^u / shalte suffre it the more casely as a trewe knyghte / whan he seeth his lordis woundis therfore refuse-not the messengers of thy lorde god the comen to / clepe the wyth hym and constreyne the to haste to­warde hym For he that refusyth the mesenger re­fusyth his lorde / Whan is the messenger refusyd / whan the herte wyth a vylement cōtrarieth and gru [...]chith ayens tribulacyon ¶Note well that tribu­lacyon turmenyth in pourgyng and pourgyth in / turmentyngh / But whan the herte grutchyth ayenste tribulacyon Thenne he parteth pourgyng from turmentynge For he kepyth the better turmente / of tribulacyon And he lesith the swete profitable / pourgynge [Page] thorough his folye and contrarious grutchynge.

De sexta vtilitate tribulacionis. Capitulum. vi.

THe sixt prouffite of tribulacyon is that it is ayenst in payeng of thy dettis in whiche thou arte bounde to god whom thou maye / not flee ne disceyue ne hide noo thynge from hym / of thy dettis Thyse dettis aren penaunce whiche / thou owest for thy synnes ¶And though euerlast / ynge penaūce be dette for one dedely synne by the / rightwysnes of god in to temporel penaunse by contrycion and confessyon And forthermore it is foryeuen by satisfacion and somtyme it is all relesid and namely by tribulacyon Herof vnderstonde welle / for what soo euer thou sufferiste pacyently in tribu­lacyon afore god it is acounted to hym as for pay­mente of thy dette ¶For as a lordis aduitoure / somtyme in the ende of acountys layeth a counter / of bras or coper or a nother thyng of lytyll valewe to be worthe or signifie an hundryd i pounde of gol­de or siluer / Soo tribulacyon of lytyll tyme wyth / pacyence resceyued in thys presente lyfe deliuerith the from euerlastyng tribulacyon of the payen of / helle ¶And bryngith the to the euerlastyng blysse of the ryche kyng of heuen Wherof we haue exam­ple of the theyf that hinge on cristeryghte syde that whan he suffryd the tourmente of the crosse And / was bounde by dewe dette of synne to the payne of helle ¶He hauyng contricyon of hys wickid. [Page] nes in that same houte torned hym to god and sayd ¶Lorde whan thou comest in to thy kyngdom thȳ ke on me / and anone he was vnbounden and dely­uered of all det of payne. And herde the swete voy­ce of cryste sayenge to hym. ¶Amen dico tibi ho­die mecum eris in paradiso. ¶Sothely I saye to the thou shalte be wyth me to day in paradyse / Wo to hym that nothynge payeth of his dette in this lyfe / but addyth synne / vpon synne. Woo to hȳ that / of large expencys that he makyth shall be constrey­ned to come to a streyght countes. Sothely suche y^t haue lyued euer wythoute a counte / muste paye for theyr dette euerlastynge payne in helle wythouten ony relees ¶There shalle vepe many marchauntes that in this lyfe laughen and / Ioyen Wherof it is sayde in the boke of the apocali­ps Mercatores terre flebunt Marchauntis of the erhte shall vepe Marchauntis of the erhte are thoo that set all her thoughte and her loue in erhtely th­yngys the whiche shall wepe full bitterly For god / shall shewe her Marhaundyse to all that worlde / But marchaūtys of heuen thenne shall laugh and / Ioye For they shall see that for litill shorte tribulacon they haue gete the blysse of paradise Wherof it / is sayde in Eclesiastici Est qui multum redemtt de / modico precio ¶Some other ben that byen moche thinge wyth litill price that is to be paciente in tribulacon of this presente lyfe that god resceyueth for / the grete For it is comenly sayde of an euyll payer / [Page] men resceyuen ootys for whete And though it so be that thou arte not bounde in ony dette of dedely syn ve or veniall For whiche tribulacyon shulde deli­uer the Neuertheles tribulacyon reserueth the frō / fallyng in to dette as sainte Gregorye seide Multa sunt innocencia que cito innocenciam perderent nisi ea tribulaciones preseruarent ¶Many ben innocente the whiche sholde soone lese Innocencie but / yf tribulacōns preseruen hem ¶Therfore thou soule that feliste bounden in dettys or thou that dre­diste the paymente suffre pacyently tribulacōns As longe as tyme endureth It payeth tofore thy det­tis in the whiche thou arte bounden as by an obligacyon For though all the tribulacōns of thys worlde were togider they myghte not be lykened to the leste poynte of tribulacyon of helle

Ne all the trybulacyons of the erthe ben not in cō ­paryson to the leste Ioye of paradyse / As saynt poule sayth. ¶Non sunt condigne passionis huius tē ­poris ad futuram gloriam que reuelabitur in vobis Ad romanos / viii. ¶There ben none worthy passy­ons of this tyme / to the blysse that is to come. that / shall be shewed in vs / vpon this sayth saynt bernarde. ¶Non sunte condigne passiones ad preteritum peccatum quod nobis dimutitur ad presentem graciam. que nobis immittitur et ad futuram gloriam que nobis promittitur ¶There ben noo worthy passyons to the synne that is foryeuen vs to the presente grace that is yeuen vs and to the blysse that is be hyghte vs.

¶De septima vtilitate tribulacionis. Cap̄ vii

THe .vii. prouffyte of trybulacyon is that it / spredith abrode / or openeth thy herte to receyue the grace of god / For as a goldsmyth wyth many strokes of the hamer spredyth a pyece a brode of golde or of syluer to make a vesselle for to putte in wyne or precyouse lycoure / Soo almyghti god maker of euery creature ordeyneth trybulaciō to sprede or to open the soule to put therin yeftes of his grace. Wherfore [...]eyth the prophete in y^e psalme. ¶In tribulacione delatasti michi.

¶In tribulacion thou haste spredde a brode or opened to me / Therfore suffre gladly the strokes of tribulacion. ¶For the more they spredde abrode the / herte in suffrynge pacyently / the more goostly yef­tys our lorde god purtyth therin gracyously / And / considre that as the more precyouse metalle is mo­re ductill and obeyeng to the strokys of the goldsmyth Soo the more precyouse a meke herte is more / pacyent in tribulacyon And all though the sharpe / strokys of tribulacyon greuously turmente the yet comforte the that the goldsmyth almyghty god holdeth the hamer of tribulacion in his honde and knoweth full well what thou mayste suffir and mesuryht his smytyng after thy freel nature ¶Ne will / thou not be thenne as metall in a boystouse gobet / wyth spredyng of sharpe as herde hertys ben wy­thoute techynge In whiche god fyndeth noo place [Page] of worchyngē Ne wille thou not be as an olde fri­enge panne that for hete by a lytyll stroke all to brestyth in many brekynges Ryghte soo faren felle & Impacyente hertys in tribulacyon by a lytyll stro­ke in temptacyon of assayenge they fallen in in to many grete harmes of peyryng therefore suffre w^t goode wylle tribulacyon to worche his crafte in y^e / For so biddith Salamon Eclesiasticin ¶Sustine sustentaciōes dei coniungere deo et sustine vt cres­cat in nouisimo vita tua Suffre the berynge vppe or the helpers of god to Ioyne the to god and suf­fre that thy lyfe encrese in the laste ende. ¶As who sayth suffre trybulacyon in this worlde for god and yelde hym some what the tyme of his seruyse / And what trybulacyon he puttyth to the take it mekely and knowe wel that he wyll not charge the ouer thy myghte· As saynt Poule wytnessyth Corinth x. ¶Hidelis enim est deus qui non pacietur vos tēp tari super id quod potestis. ¶Sothely god is fulle trewe that shall not suffre you to be tempted ouer y^t that ye may not suffre / therfore suffre trybulacyon on suche manere that thy lyfe encrese in the laste en­de / For therby thou shalte lyue in y^e laste ende amen

¶De octaua vtilitate tribulacionis. ¶Capitulum. viii

THe .viii. prouffyte of trybulacion is wherby god shyttyth oute of the soule all worldly cō fortes that ben here byneth / and con strey­ueth the to seke heuenly comfortys [Page] that ben aboue. As an erthely lorde whan he wyll sell his wyne forbedyth all other to open her tauernes tylle that he hath solde his. Sod oure lorde god somtyme forbedyth erthely comfortes that he may bryng forthe his comfortis and that is that be tokeneth by the prophete Ioel where it is sayd. ¶Bestie agri quasi area faciens ymbrem suspex­erunt ad te quoniam exsiccati sunt fontes aquarum ¶The bestys of the felde ben as drye erthe desyrȳ ­ge rayne they loken vp to the see. for the well of waters ben drye. The bestys of the felde he clepyth af­feccyons and flesshely desyres / The welles of y^e wa­ter he clepyth worldly cōfortes therfore whan that / erthely comfortes faylen in aduersytee / thenne is y^e herte constreyned to loke vppe. and to seke helpe of heuenly comfortes. And so moche the more benyng is oure lorde god to the soule. In asmoche as the herte fyndyth gretter bytternes in outwarde thynges But now by thyse thynges thou mayst say I am so sory that the tauern of erthely comfortes is not o­pen to me But for the tauern of heuenly comfortes is so longe shite fro me For nother hier ne louer I fynde no comforte To thys maye be answeryd thꝰ thou oweste not to haue goostly comfortys but If thou besye the desyrynge and sykynge For there / is more myrthe in desyrynge and sekynge god than in the delytynge of hym For why the more thou desireste and sekeste god the more comforte he shall / brynge that And that more swetnesse fynde in hym ¶As the mete sauoureth more to an hungry man [Page] than to an vnhungry man. ¶And wytte thou wel that heuenly comfortes shall not longe be dyfferyd yf worldly comfortes be shytte oute by trybulacōns yf thou aske desyryngely and seke besely / as Sala­mon sayde. ¶Desiderium suum iustis dabitur ¶To ryghtwysmen shall be yeuen here their desyre

¶De nona vtilitate tribulacionis. ¶Capitulum ix.

THe ix. prouffyte of trybulacōn is that it puttyth the in to the mynde of god / and the more tribulacion be / the more he impressith the in his mynde / ¶Not for that god foryetyth the / or ony creature the whiche seeth and knowyth all the preuytees of thy herte But for scrypture sayth god foryetyth a man that trybulacōn is yeuen to. For to hym that he sendyth trybulacion he hath in mynde yeuynge goostly comforte / and encreasynge of gra­ce / ¶Therfore thou good soule / yf thou wylte be / put in mynde. In whose mynde is thyne helpe and thy saluacyon / In whoos foryetynge is thyne har­me and thy dampnacyon / lerne for to suffre pacyently aduersytees and trybulacyons / and in suffrynge thynke mekely in god / and he eftsones shall thynke mekely and mercyably. ¶For a trewe frende thyn­keth feruently on his frende that is dessese / In figure herof oure lorde sayde. Exodie. iiii. ¶Vidi affliccionem populi mei: in egipto et clamo [...]em eius audi ui etcꝭ. ¶I haue seene the dissesis of my peple that is in Egipte / and I haue herde the cryenge For the [Page] duresse of hem that ben the ouerseers of the werkes And I knowyng her sorowe haue goon doun to delyuer hem from the hondis of the Egipcians Therfore all though the egipcians that is to say euil men or enmyes tourmenten and disesen the be thou comfortid For the merciable behouldyng of god in thy disese moche more auaylith the as we rede of Da­uid ii regum xvi. ¶Fleynge from absolon his sone that semeth the whiche was Dauid enmye cour­sid hym and spake euyll to hym and sayd. ¶Egredere egredere vir sanguinum et vir belial. ¶As / whoo leyth goo thy weye thou man of synnes and thou man of beliall And abisay that was dauid frende seenge this saide to kyng dauid This dede hounde hathe myssayede or cursid my lorde the kyng I shall goo and smyte of his heede And dauid an [...]wer [...]d suffre hym to myssaye or curse dauid vpon the comaundmente of god Paraueture god wyll beholde my desese and yelde me goode for thys myssayenge or the cursinge this same daye / Considre in this that dauid wolde suffre the myssayng or the cursynge of thys aduersarie that he myght goote the blessyng of god thenne loke how moche thou desyreste / the blyssyng of god and suffre somoche the more pacyently the myssayeng or cursyng of tyme aduersi­te.

For pacyence of euyll mennys cursyng deserueth / to haue goddis blessyng and that is tokened where it is seyde danielis iii. ¶That the angell yeede downe wyth Azarie and his felowes into the fur­neys [Page] ¶And he made the myddes of the furneys / as a blowyng wynde of a dewe but the flamme brente the kyngis ministres that hette the furneys But sothely the fyre touchid ne greuid hem in ony ma­ner Loo here thou mayste see that the fyre not oon­ly brente theyr fomen but also it refresshid hem the whiche is vnderstonde that criste is presente wyth / hem the ben in tribulacyon and yeuith hem fressyhnge in dysese and blessid hym that ben myssayde or / cursyd for his name Therfore yf thou desire refresshinge tribulacyons and thyne enmyes to be brente suffre pacyently tribulacyons For in tribulacyon / god is with the & fro trybulacyon he shall delyuer y^t and for trybulacyon grete mede he he shall yelde y^t. ¶Cū ip̄o sū in tribulaciōe eripiā eū & Glorificabo eū ¶I am wyth hym in trybulacyon. lo here a gra­cyouse felyshyppe comfortȳge I shal delyuer hym Loo here a fulfeyth of delyuerynge and I shall gloryfye hym / loo here a certeyne hope of rewardynge

De decia vtilitate tribulacionis Capitulum X

THe x. prouffite of tribulacyon is that it ma­kyth thy prayer to be harde of god / For it is not y^e maner of god to put away the prayer of hym y^t is in trybulacyon / but y^e rather mekely to here his preuy prayers / Wherof Salamon sayde. ¶Ecce dep̄cationē lesi exau diet dn̄s. ¶Loo our lorde shall here the prayer of hym that is hurte / Sothely god smyteth and chastysyth many men & sendeth, theym trybulacyon for to compell theym / [Page] to aske or to crye mercy and that they shuld open her mowthes to god in tribulacyon for to aske hel­pe whiche had shue her mowthes from him in prosperitee wherof sayth seynte Austyn that god sendyth tribulacyon to some men to stire hem to aske that he wolde graunte In the persone of suche seyth y^e prophete ¶Ad dominum cum tribularer clama­ui & exaudiuit me Whan I Was in tribulacyon I cryed to oure lorde and he harde me And though / all it happe that in prosperitee thou prayeste god / that prosperite shulde not make the to slowe ¶Yet neuertheles it maketh the some tyme bothe insolent and slowe so that thi prayer in prosperite is not / spedeful as it is inaduercitee occupie soo moche thy herte that thou thynkeste that it hathe none entente ne deuocyon lyke as it had in prosperite yet that / same aduersite makith thi prayer more precyouse And sothely all though tribulacyon oppresset the so moche that thou mayest. not open thi mowthe to crye to god certynly this tribulacyon cryeth and pra­yeth to god for the so that thou haue pacyence for as seith a grete clerke. Petir of lazer that as many woundis as he had so many prayers or cryers he had / to god For whan lazer stillid wyth hys mouth his woundys cryed to god for hym wherof oure lorde / seide to caym that had killid his brother abelle Ge­nesis / ¶Vox sanguinis fratris tui abel clamat ad me de terra The bloode of thy brother abel cryeth to me fro the erthe Thus thenne it shewyth that / tribula [...] [...] more precyouse & y^e [Page] more acceptable to god Tribulacyons ben as it were a paymente for alettir selyd of delyueryng Wherof seyth Iob. ¶Quis michi det vt ueniar peticio mea & quod expecto tribuat michi deus qui cepit / me ipse me conuertat soluat manum suam et suc­cidit me et michi sit consolacio vt astligens me dolotem meum non percat ¶Who shall yeue me myn / askynge and who shall graunte me that I abyde / god that began he conuerte me lose he his honde and kite me vp and that it be to my comforte that he / tormentynge me spare not my sorowe Not well y^t that Iob that had loste his possessions his sonnes / and his doughters and all his body was smyten w^t woundes or sepre from the soole of the soote vnto y^e ouerest parte of the hede / And was repreued of his frendis and scorned of his wyfe and of his false frē des He desired in no other thyng comforte but that god shulde not spare hym It thou askest what per­teyneth to his delyuerynge it maye be aunswerid thus the askynge of his affeccyons or tourmentes / ¶For his tourmentys were paymentys of his leters as it is vsid in some place that whan a poure man drinketh in a tauerne and hath not wherofe to paye hys scote He asketh to be betyn and soo to be desiue If y^u askist wherein was his comforte of thys Iob· ¶Whan he asked to be turmentyd. Saynt Gregory answeryth and sayeth / ¶That god sparyth so­me here in this worlde to tourmente they in afterwarde and some he tourmentyth here the whyche he / wyll afterwarde spare. ¶The comforte of [Page] Iob was that he wyste well by presente trybulacy­he shulde escape euerlastynge dampnacyon For as it is sayde ¶Non indicabit bis deus inidip̄m God shall neuer punysshe or deme twyse for one thynge. And therfore this same Iob that asked y^t god shul­de not spare hym here in this worlde / asked in a nother place and sayde. ¶Parce michi domine. Lorde spare me in tyme comynge / suffre pacyently here in this worlde trybulacyon For tribulacyon saueth the soule / as Iob sayde. ¶Ipse vulnerat et medi­cinat ¶He woundeth & he heleth / For he woundeth the body and helyth the soule.

De vndecima vtilitate tribulacionis. Caplm. xi.

THe xi prouffyte of trybulacyon is that it ke­pyth and nourysshyth the hertē / Sothely / ryght as fyre is kepte in asshes ryght so the hertes of the frendes of god aren kepte in trybulacion. Therfore oure lorde god commaunded Exodi ¶Quod tabernaculum faccis cilicinis cooperietur That the tabernacle of god shuld de hyled wyth heiren sackes the whiche shulde the fende / the presioꝰ curteynes of softe sylke / and goddes ryche vesselles of golde or syluer ayenste wyndes and reynes In token that vertues of goddis seruauntes named me­nes ben kepte in aduersytee of trybulacyon. For trybulacyon constreyneth the herte to thynke on the / wretchydnesse of his owne Infyrmytee / And so it constreyneth a man to be meke. ¶Whome worldly ꝓsperytee had haunsyd by vaȳglorye aboue hȳself [Page] Also trybulacyon nourysshyth the herte as a norys / she her chylde. For as the moder wyth the chyld cheweth harde mete / the whiche the childe may not chewe / and draweth it in to her body where that mete / is turned into mylke to nourysshynge of the childe Soo cryste that in holy wryte is cleped oure moder for the gretnesse of his tēder loue that he hath to vs He chewed for vs bytter paynes / harde wordes re / preues / and sclaundres wyth bytternesse of his passyon that suffred for vs to nourysshe vs / and strey / neth vs goostly by ensample of hym to suffre trybulacyons and aduersytees of this worlde. As wyne that is clensed thoroughe a bagge fulle of spyces / chaungeth his owne sauoure drawynge to hym the sauoure of the spyce / Soo a man suffrynge trybulacyons and aduersytees of thys worlde oweth to clē synge by the blessyd body of oure lorde Ihesu consyderynge the passyon that he suffred for hym / And so it shall wexe swere and tollerable that to foresemyd full bytter and intollerable.

¶De duodecuna vtilitate tribulationis. Capitulum xii

THe .xii. prouffyte of trybulacyon is that trybulacyon is a certeyn token of loue that god hath towarde hym that it is sente to Wherof he sayde. ¶Quos amo arguo et castigo. ¶Hym that I loue I vndernymme and chastyle / And al­so Salamon sayde Ecclesiastici. ¶Qui diligit fili­liū assidua et flagella· He that loueth his son he scourgyth hym ofte tyme. ¶Wherof sayde saynte Iero­me. [Page] ¶Summus pater Ihesus Christus filios suos semper sub aliquo flagello vel virga retinet vt / quando eripiuntur ab vno sub alio capiuntur. ¶Oure souereyne lorde Ihesu cryste kepyth euer / his chyldren vnder a scourge or a rodde And whan they ben deliuered of one / they ben caughte vnder / a nother / But oure gode meke fader and lorde sente not alle his scourgis at ones to geder / but one af­ter a nother knowynge oure freelte / For he wyl that noo man perysshe / but he wyll all men be safe / But euyll men and vnkynde that byleue hym not ne lo­uen hym the whiche lyuen here wythoute scourge of of trybulacion. Whome noo correccyon of chastysȳ ge maye wythdrawe from theyr errours god shalle punysshe wyth all his arowes of vengaunce / For sothely all tourmentys that now ben departed aboute in all the worlde thenne shall be gadered togyder and abyde as in her owne place / As oure lorde sayde Deutrononni xxxii ¶Congregabo suꝑ eos mala. et sagitas meas complebo in eis. ¶I shal gader togyder euyll thynges vppon euyllmen. ¶And I shall spende all myne arowes of vengaunce amon­ge hem. ¶Therfore thou good soule yf thou wylte be beloued of god wyll thou not putte awaye trybulacyons. For they shewen to the tokens and wytnes of the loue of god. But perauenture yf thou sayste y^e goddys chyldren taken of hym bothe good thyn­ges & euyll thynges. Why is the takynge of euylle thȳges shewȳge or token of y^e loue of god more thā y^e takynge of gode thȳges. To this maye be answe­ryd [Page] that god yeuith many gode thynges and grete to his spyrytuell frendis and bytter and gretter to / theym that he louyth more / But the blessyd fader of heuen loued wythoute comparyson more his bl­essid sone oure lorde Ihesu criste than all the worlde and yet he sente hym here many anguesshes po­uertees tribulacyons aduersytees repreues and / scornynges betynges bydynges scorgynges many woundes and cruelle dethe but fewe temporell goodis Thenne is the yefte of aduersitee more shewin­ge token of loue of god than the yefte of temporelle prosperitee / Also ferthermore oure lorde Ihesu criste goddis sone that leued here in this worlde as a wyse marchaūte chose good marchaundyse and refused the badde / For whan they wolde haue made hym kynge of Iude he refusid it and chase rather / to flee in to deserte And whan they soughte hym to tourmente hym and to slee hym he fleddee not but / he chase rather for to deye and sayde. ¶Ego sum I am he whom ye seke Thenne yf criste was wyseste ī chesynge y^e whyche chase aduersitees they ben: moche foles that dispisen tribulacyon and aduersy / tees and chesen worldly prosperites that may not delyuer hem in tyme comynge from the hondes of her enmyes the cruell fendis Suffre thenne pacy­ently wyth criste here tribulacyons that thou maye take afterwarde the crowne of lyfe in the blysse of / heuen For sothely otherwyse thou mayste not come to the blysse For the apostle sayth ¶Per mulcas tribulaciones oportet nos intrare in regum celorū [Page] ¶It behouyth vs by many trybulacyons to entre in to the kyngdome of heuen / He brynge all vs that suffred dethe / oure lorde Ihesus. AMEN.