Of the contempt of vvordly vanities. The first Chapter.

THese are Christe hys owne wordes, by the which we are ad­monished to follow his lyfe & ma­ners, if wée desire to be lyghtned truely & deliuered from all blind­nesse of hart. Therfore we ought to meditate & ponder the lyfe of Christ wyth excée­ding great studie and desire. For vndoubtedly the doctrine of Christ doth passe all the doctrine of all good men that euer were: and in case a man be in­dued wyth the spirit of Christ, the same doth finde in his Worde a secret or hidden Manna. Howbeit, it happeneth y^t many doe therfore conceyue small desire by the often hearing of the Gospel preached, bicause the same are voyde of the spirite of Christ. For assuredly if a man will vnderstand Christ his wordes fully, & with delectacion, he must of neces­sitie endeuor to fashiō out his whole lyfe according to his exāple. What good doth difficult reasoning about the Trinitie in case thou be voyd of humble­nesse of minde, & doth therefore offende the blessed Trinitie? Surely they are not harde sayings that can make a holy & iust man, but it is a studious lyfe that doth make one beloued of God. I had rather [Page] féele the repentance of my sinnes within my selfe, than vnderstande after what sorte repentaunce is defined. If thou haue al the scriptures by hart, yea, and all the witty sayings of the Philosophers to, what good do all these without Charitie & the grace of God? Vanitie is vaine, & all things are but va­nitie, besides the loue of God and hys only seruice. That (whē all is done) is highest wisdome, to go on vnto the Kingdome of Heauen by contemning of the Worlde. It is vanitie for a man to séeke tran­sitorie riches, and to put his hope in the same: It is vanitie for a man to séeke for honour & promotion, to aduance himself: Vanitie it is to folow the lusts of the flesh, & to couet those things which shall af­terwardes cause one grieuously to be punished: Vanitie it is to wishe for long life, & all that whyle to make small accompt of a good life: Vanitie it is to looke vpon the life present onely, & neuer to cast what will come after: Vanitie it is to loue those things which do passe away with in credible swift­nesse, & yet not to make haste to that place where ioy doth endure euerlastingly. Be oftē mindful of y^e prouerb, which saith. Neither is the eie satisfied with seeing nor the eare filled with hearing. Wherefore, endeuour thou to withdraw thy minde frō the loue of transitorie things, & be take thy selfe to thinges that be Heauenly. For they which be obedient to his owne lustes, y^e same do both defile their minds with the cōscience of sinne, & doe therby also forgo the grace and fauor of God.

Of Modestie. The seconde Chapter.

ALl men are naturally desirous of learning: But what good Learning without true reli­gion, no­thing woorth. doth knowledge that is voide of Religion? Euen the basest Husbandeman that is, hauing the true feare of God with him, is in all res­pects to be preferred before the loftie Philo­sopher, who (by Astronomicall speculation) occupieth his head about the course of heauē, without the regarde of himselfe. Hee that knoweth himselfe aright, the same setteth but Noscere ipsum. small store by himselfe, neyther is he tickled with worldly praises. Though I haue know­ledge of all things in the worlde, and yet doe want the loue of GOD, what good shall the same doe me before God, who will iudge me according to my déedes? Giue ouer gréedie desire to learne, which diuersly distracteth the minde, and deceiueth it. For the learned sort haue desire to be had in admiration, and to be called wise. Now, many things there are, the knowledge of which doe lyttle profyte the Soule, or rather nothing at all: and he is a verie foole that earnestly applyeth any other [Page] thinges than those which doe make to hys owne saluation. Many words doe not fill the soule, but a godly life doth refresh the minde, and an vpright cōscience doth minister bold­nesse to approche vnto God. Looke how ma­nye the moe and better things that thou hast learned, so much the more grieuous punish­ment shalt thou haue, except thou leade thy life so much the more vertuously. Wherefore waxe thou not insolent, either for any cūning or knowledge that thou hast, but rather be­come the more fearefull for the knowledge of things that god hath giuen thée aboue others. And if thou thinke to thy selfe that thou kno­west many thinges, & that thou hast learned we ought not to ad­uaunce our selues of learning but rather to acknow ledge our ignorance and want of skyll. many things, wéete thou well that there be a great sort of thinges more which thou doest not know: and be not therefore prowde & lof­ty, but rather acknowledge thine owne igno­rance and want of skill. Wherefore shouldest thou put forth thy self afore other, when there are many founde better learned, and more skilfull of the law than thou thy selfe art? If thou wilt know and learne some thing with vtility and profit, loue thou to be vnknowne, and to be accounted as no bodye. For true knowing & despising of a mans owne selfe, is the chiefest and moste profitable learning [Page 4] aboue al other, and great wisedome and per­fection it is to set little store by himselfe, and to magnifie other men, and to haue them in price and estimation. If thou shalt sée one offende openlye, or commit some grieuous cryme, thou oughtest not therefore to thinke thy selfe more perfite than he is: For thou knowest not howe long thou shalt thy selfe continue in vertuous lyfe. We are fraile as­suredly all the sort of vs: but yet thinke thou that no bodie is more frayle than thy selfe.

Of the doctrine of the truth. The thirde Chapter.

HAppie is hée whome the truth teacheth: not with letters and wordes that vanish, but wyth it selfe, by it selfe, euen as it is. For oure opinions and senses doe oft tymes deceyue vs, and bée of lyttle force. What profiteth subtile disputacion a­bout hid and obscure matters, which though we be ignorant of, yet shall they be no hinde­rance vnto vs at the iudgement day of God? Truely, it is notable follie that wée doe wil­fully apply our selues vnto curious and hurt­full thynges, and despise such thinges as bée [Page] profitable and necessary for vs. Being so E­gle eyed, yet we sée nothing at all. Wherfore should we passe vpon those diffused termes of the Logicians called Genus and Species? For he is ridde from a great number of opinions whome that euerlasting Worde doth speake vnto. For all things haue their beyng of the worde onely: and all thinges doe speake the worde onely: & this is that beginning which doth speake vnto vs, and without whome no body vnderstandeth or iudgeth the thing a­right: But hée vnto whome all thinges are that one thing, and which draweth all things vnto that one thing, & beholdeth all things in that one thing, the same is able to be constant of minde and euermore to repose himselfe in God. O God of truth, make me one with thée in euerlasting loue. It yrketh me to reade & here many things diuers times. It is in thée whatsoeuer I doe desire and couet. Let all Teachers holde their peace: let the whole worlde kéepe silence in thy sight: doe thou onely speake vnto mée. For the more néerely ioyned that euery man is with himselfe, and the more dwelling in himselfe, hée doth the lesse runne at random abrode: the same doth perceyue both so many the mo thynges, and the more profounde thinges wythout labour, [Page 5] bicause he receyueth the light of hys vnder­standing from aboue. A pure, simple, and constaunt soule is not drawne into dyuers workes, which doth all thinges vnto the ho­nour of God, & laboureth earnestly to ceasse from al loue of himselfe. For what doth more hinder a man and vexe him, than the vnruly affections of the soule? A good and godly man doth first and formost take deliberation wyth himselfe, before such time as he begin his bu­sinesse: neyther doth he suffer hymselfe to be drawne away to wicked lustes, by his owne déedes, but enforceth them to be at obedience and commaundement of right reason. Sure­ly There is no combat more xecel­lent, then for a man to conquer himselfe. there is no combat more sharpe, than for a man to endeuor to conquere himselfe: and thys is the worke that we ought to take in hande, that wée doe conquere our selues, and become euery daye more strong than our sel­ues, and euermore profite somewhat in ver­tuous life. For the whole perfection of thys life hath a certaine imperfection adioined vn­to it, and all the knowledge of truth that we haue here, is yet not voyde of darknesse and ignoraunce. The humble knowledge of our selfe is altogither a more certaine and appro­ued way vnto God, than profound searching out of knowledge. And yet is not knowledge [Page] to be founde fault withall, or the vnderstan­ding of any thing, which being duely conside­red, is good, and the creature of God. How­beit, An vp­right con­science ought to be prefer­red before worldly know­ledge. I say that an vpright conscience is euer­more to be preferred before it, and the lyfe that treadeth the path of vertue and Godly­nesse. But bicause most men doe studie rather howe to haue knowledge, than to liue well, it happeneth that most commonly they erre or wander, and doe get in maner no fruite and commodity, or at least wise, slender and smal in consideration of their traueyle: who in case they woulde bée as diligent both in roo­ting vp of vices, and also in sowing of Ver­tues, as they are in proposing of questions, certes there shoulde not be so manye enormi­ties and haynous offences committed of the Vulgare people, nor yet should there reigne so great libertie of lyfe amongst those that are learned. And when the day of our doome or iudgement shall come, and accompt shall be required at our handes, not what we haue read, but what we haue done: nor yet howe well wée haue spoken, but howe Christian­like we haue liued. Go to nowe I praye you, where are all those maisters and passing fel­lowes at thys present which were once of thyne acquaintaunce, whilest they were ly­uing, [Page 6] and flourished in learnyng, whose sty­pendes other men doe nowe enioye, which perhappes doe not so much as once thinke vp­pon them nowe? Euen they séemed to bée somewhat also as long as they were alyue: and yet nowe there is no wordes at all made of them. So soone doth the glorye of thys Worlde vanyshe awaye. If these men had framed a lyfe according to theyr knowledge, then had they traueyled in the studyes of learning happilye. Howe many men doe pe­rishe in the Worlde through theyr vayne knowledge, in that they make small accompt of the worshippe of GOD: and bycause the same had liefer to be great than to bee hum­ble, it happeneth that theyr thoughts are no­thyng but vayne and vnprofitable. Hée is great in déede, which hath great charitie. He is great in déedé, which beyng small in hys owne iudgement, doth accompt all Type of honour as a thing of nothing. Hée is wyse in déede, which reckneth all earthly thinges but for Mucke and Ordure, that hée maye winne Christ vnto himselfe: and hée is well learned in déede, that doth Gods will and for­saketh his owne.

Of witte in our doings. The fourth Chapter.

WEe muste not beléeue euerye thing that is spoken, or put in­to our heades, but the matter must warilye and at leysure be pondered, howe it agréeth wyth the will of God. Euill oftentimes (alacke for pittie) is sooner both credited & spoken touch­ing another man that good is: so great is our infirmitie. But such as be perfite, doe not be­léeue mans saying, bicause they know mans weakenesse to be both prone vnto naughty­nesse, and oftentimes to offende and fall in his wordes. It is a point of great wisedome, neyther to be headlong hastie in those things that thou doest, nor yet to bée so stiffe, that thou wylt neuer giue ouer that which thou hast once coueted in thine heart. It is a point of the like wisedome, neither to credite euery mans words, nor yet by & by to vtter & com­municate vnto other those things which thou hast heard or credited. Counsell with the wise The coū ­sayle of wisemen rather to be follo­wed, then thine owne fantasies. and godly person, and rather endeuor to bée instructed of him that is better, than thy selfe to follow thine owne deuyses. A good life ma­keth [Page 7] one wise to Godwarde, and skilfull of many things. The more humble and obedi­ent euery man doth she we himselfe to God, both the wiser and the more quiet is the same person in all things.

Of the reading of holy Scripture. The fift Chapter.

TRuth must be sought for in the holye Scripture, and not elo­quence: and they ought to bée reade with the same spirite, as they are vttered forth vnto vs: and in them profite rather than the subtiltie of reasoning shoulde be ensued: neyther is it lesse méete for vs willingly to read godly and homely bookes, than such as are difficult and profounde: neyther let the authoritie of the writer mooue thée, to cōsider whether he haue béene of small or great learning, but let the loue of pure truth draw thée to reading: and againe consider, not what person it is that speaketh it, but what thing it is that is spokē. Men doe perishe, but Gods truth abideth for euer: and God speaketh vnto vs after diuers sortes, without hauing any respect at all vnto persons. Our owne curiositie doth often­times [Page] hinder vs, whilest that wée couet to perceyue and discusse those thinges, which shoulde be let alone in all respects. If thou de­sire to haue fruite and commoditie by them, reade thou them humbly, simply, faithfullye, & neuer couet after the name of knowledge. Loue to be questioning wyth godly men, and attentiuely heare their sayinges, and be not offended at the nipping woordes of thyne El­ders, for they are not causelesse spoken.

Of the vnruely affections of the minde. The .vi. Chapter.

WHensoeuer a man doth couet a­ny thing inordinatelye, by and by hée is made vnquiet in his mind. The prowde or couetous A coue­tous mind neuer sa­tisfied, but an humble spirite lea­deth his life in peace man is neuer at reast wythin himselfe: but he which is poore and humble of minde, the same leadeth hys lyfe in perfite peace. But he which hath not yet mortified the affections of his mind, that person is both easily tempted, and also is ouercommed with trifling and vile things. One weake of mind, and that as yet is halfe carnal and prone vn­to sensualitie, is scarcelie able to pull hym­selfe wholy away from earthly desires: and [Page 8] therefore while he doth withdrawe himselfe, full often hée doth the same wyth sorrowful­nesse, and if one doe withstande hym, hée is soone mooued or angry. But if he haue ensued that thing which he hath desired, he is foorth­with pricked with the conscience of sinne, by­cause he hath obeyed his desire, which doth no whit make to the peace which hée sought for. Therefore true peace of minde is founde, not in obeying, but in resisting the desires and affections: and that peace is not in the heart of the carnall man, nor in one addicted to ex­ternall thinges, but in a man that is feruent and spirituall.

Of fleeing vaine hope and pride. The .vij. Chapter.

IT is a point of lightnesse to put hope in men & other creatures, A poynt of light­nesse to trust in man, or any other creature. bée not thou ashamed to bée a slaue to others for the loue of Ie­sus Christ, and to seeme poore in this life. Stay not vpon thine owne selfe, but put thy hope in God. Endeuour to thy pow­er, and God shal helpe thy good will and mea­ning: put no confidence either in thyne owne knowledge or in the pollicie of any mortall [Page] man, but rather in the fauor of God who both helpeth the humble, & also thrusteth down the prowde. Glory not either in thy riches if thou haue them, nor yet in thy friendes, if they be mightie: but glorie in God which both mini­streth all things, and desireth to gyue hym­selfe aboue all things. Aduaunce not thy selfe as touching either the mightinesse or beau­tie of thy body, which being taken with some smal or light disease, is by and by defaced. Do not thou stand in thine owne conceite for thy towardnesse and wit, least thou offend God, whose gyft it is, whatsoeuer goodnesse thou hast of nature. Iudge not thy selfe better than other, least perhappes thou be counted woorse wyth God, who knoweth what is in man. Be not prowde with well dooing. For Gods iudgementes are farre other than the iudgementes of men, whome that thyng doth many tymes dysplease, which doth like men well ynough. If there be any good thyng No hurt to make himselfe inferior to al men, but to preferre himselfe before o­ther it is hurtfull. in thée, thinke that there be better things in another man, to the intent that thou mayest kéepe styll humblenesse of minde. It doth no hurt at all, though a man make himselfe in­feriour to all men: but it is hurtefull if a man doe preferre himselfe but before one man. An humble man enioyeth contynuall [Page 9] peace: but the minde of the hawtie person is tossed oftentimes with anger and ambition.

Of taking heede of ouermuch familiaritie. The .viij. Chapter.

DIsclose not thy minde to euery man: but communicate thy bu­sinesse wyth the person that is wise and Godlye. Bée seldome times conuersaunt with youth, and those that be not of the housholde of faith. Flatter not the rich, nor yet be desirous to liue with great men, but rather associate thy selfe to modest and simple, to godly and well manered persons, and deale in thinges that are profitable. Be familiar with no women, but commende or praise all godly women v­niuersally. Wish to be familiar to God one­ly, and his Aungels. Eschue the familiarity of certaine men. Charitie must bée hadde to­warde all men: but it is not expedient to bée famyliar with all men. Sometime it chaun­ceth A harde thing to iudge wel of a man, before he be tryed & knowne. that one being vnknowne, hath a verye good name, and afterwards, when that same partie is once knowne and present, he grow­eth out of estimation, and becommeth more obscure againe. Wée thinke to our selues [Page 10] something that we shall like other men well with whome we are growne into familiari­tie, of whome when the wyckednesse of oure condicions is once perceyued, we doe also the more displease and mislyke them.

Of obedience and subiection. The .ix. Chapter.

IT very much auayleth to lyue in the subiection of an other, and To liue in subiection of other, and not at a mans owne li­bertie, doth very much auayle. not to be at a mans owne liber­tie: and much more safelye doe men obey, than rule and com­maunde. Many be obedient for necessitie ra­ther than for loue: & the same they doe wyth payne, and quickely murmour and grutch: neyther doe those persons attaine vnto the li­berty of minde, except they shew themselues obedient both from the heart, and also, for Gods sake. Whether soeuer thou turne thy selfe, no rest shalt thou finde in any place but in modestly bearing the rule of an other mā. The ymagination and change of places hath deceyued many. Euery man hath delight to doe according to hys owne iudgement, and sheweth himselfe somewhat friendly to them which be of that minde that hée is of. But if [Page] God be among vs, we must wholy giue ouer our owne opinion and purpose, sometimes to enioy the commoditie of peace. For who hath so good a witte that he knoweth all thinges? Wherefore trust not to much to thine owne opinion: but heare also the iudgement of o­ther men willinglye. And in case thou shalt giue ouer thine owne iudgement for Gods sake (notwithstanding that it be good) & shalt followe an other, thereby thou shalt profite and come forward the better. For I haue of­tentimes hearde, that it is more safe to heare & receyue counsell, than to giue counsell. For possible it is, that a mans owne iudgement, To stand to much in his owne opinion, although it be good, betokeneth pride, and wilfull stubbur­nesse. and opinion may be good ynough in a mater: and yet if the same wyll not obeye other, so long as reason, or the cause doth requyre it, euen by that token, may he disclose & betray his owne pride and wilfull stubburnesse.

Of the auoyding of familiaritie of wordes. The .x. Chapter.

TAke héede of the haunt of men as much as it is possible. For talke which doth commonlye passe about worldely thinges, is cause of great hurte, although [Page] it otherwise procéede from a minde that is simple and without euill meaning. For be­ing snared with vanitie, we are quickely de­filed: and manye times it happeneth that I doe wishe that I had helde my tongue, & that I had not bene in prease and company. Now, if the cause be sought why we doe so gladlye talke togither and babble one with another, (whereas neuerthelesse we seldome returne vnto silence, without some remorse of consci­ence,) it shal be found to be this, that we séeke after comfort by often communication, & de­sire to relieue our wearyed mindes with sun­dry cogitacions, & so the more earnestly that we loue and couet euery thing, or the more we perceyue that euery thing is against vs, so much it lyketh vs the more to talke and thinke thereof, and that most commonlye in vaine. For this outwarde comfort, causeth no small hynderaunce vnto the inwarde and ghostly comfort. Therefore must wée watch and pray, least the time be spent in ydlenesse: and in case it lyketh and be expedient for thée to speake, speake profitable thinges. That ought most of all to feare vs from babling, To much babling causeth sinne, and hindeethr both for that the custome of babling is sinful, and also bycause it hyndereth our commyng forwarde to vertuous lyfe. But it is not a [Page 11] lyttle profitable to become better and better in godlinesse, to vse vertuous talke and com­munication thereof, especiallye when men lyke one to the other in mynde and spirite are coupled togyther in God.

Of the attayning of peace and earnest desire of profiting. The .xi. Chapter.

WE myght enioy sound and per­fit peace, except our heds were occupyed wyth the sayings and dooings of other mē, which are no point of our charge: but how can hée liue in peace anye whyle, that enter­medleth himselfe in other mens affayres? That séeketh for occasions abroade? That calleth home hymselfe eyther lyttle or sel­dome times: Blessed are the simple. For they doe attayne vnto much peace. And now, why haue certayne godly men béene so perfit, and so addicted to the contemplacion of heauenlye thinges: namely, bycause they haue earnest­lye endeuored to mortifie all their earthlye lustes, and therfore haue béene able to cleaue fast, and fréely to gyue themselues ouer to God with all the powers of their soule. But [Page] as for vs, we are occupyed ouermuch wyth the troublesome affections of our minde, and are to much busied with fraile and transitory things. Seldome tymes also doe we conquer euen but one vice or sinne: And as for daylye profiting and comming forwarde in godly­nesse, we are not kindled vnto it, and therfore doe we remayne still colde and luke warme. Howbeit (if being wholy mortified vnto our selues) we were not kept backe as men in­wardely intangled: vndoubtedlye it woulde come to passe, that we might be able to féele deuine things, and somewhat to make proofe of heauenly matters. The greatest (if it be not the whole) let doth vtterly consist in this: that we be not frée from the troublesome af­fections and desires of the minde, nor ende­uour to walke the perfite path of the godlye. In case the least aduersitie in the worlde doe at anye time chaunce vnto vs, we are verye soone discouraged, and then doe betake our selues to such comfort as the world doth mi­nister. But if we woulde labour with tooth & nayle, to sticke to our tackling, as it becom­meth valiant souldiers, there is no doubt but we should sée (euen from Heauen) ayde sent vnto vs. Agayne, the same God is readye to helpe them that fight and trust vpon his fa­uor, [Page 12] which procureth vs occasions to fight, to the intent that we may get the victory. But if we shall put the perfection of a godlye lyfe in dooing of these outward things, our godli­nesse shall then be soone at a poynt. Nay, the Hatchet must be put to the very roote, that being purged from desires, we may attayne vnto a calme and quiet soule. If we shoulde plucke vp by the rootes but one sinne euerye yeare, we should quickly be made perfit men.

Nowe, contrarywise it commeth to passe, that we finde our selues many times to haue béene better and more pure from sinne at the beginning of our repentaunce and amende­ment of life, than we were after a great ma­ny yeares of our profession. Whereby it hap­neth, that whereas our heate and profiting ought euerye daye to be more and more, wée thynke it a great matter if a man can kéepe still a péece of his first zeale and earnestnesse. If we would strayne & force our selues some­what at the beginning, it myght be brought to passe that afterwardes we should be able to performe all thyngs with delite and glad­nesse. It is (no doubt) a payne to leaue things that a man hath vsed himselfe vnto: a more paine also to fight agaynst a mans own will. But if thou shalt not conquere small and tri­fling [Page] thinges, when wilt thou be able to van­quish and subdue the harder things? First of all, resist thine owne inclination, and forsake naughty custome, least perhaps it leade thée by lyttle and lyttle vnto greater difficultie and hardnesse. Would to God thou wouldest marke both howe great peace thou shouldest cause vnto thy selfe, and ioye vnto others in behauing thy selfe godly. Out of doubt, thou wouldest then be more carefull to come fore­warde in ghostly things.

Of the profite of Aduersitie. The .xij. Chapter.

IT is profitable for vs to be kept downe with calamities and ad­uersities sometime, bicause thei oftentimes doe call back a man vnto himselfe, whereby he may know that he lyueth here in banishment, and maye not put his hope or affiaunce in anye worldly thinges. It is also expedient for vs, that some should speake euill of vs, and haue an euill and sinister opinion of vs, though our outwarde behauiour and inwarde man be to­lerable. For these things (I saye) doe much God is the searcher of the heart. make vnto modestie, and kéepe vs from am­bition: [Page 13] for by this meane it is wrought, that we so much the more séeke for GOD (the in­warde witnesse) when as we be outwardlye contemned of men, and not sufficiently credi­ted or beleeued. Therfore ought man so who­ly to depend vpon God, that it be not necessa­ry Mā ought to depende wholy vp­on God. for him to séeke many comforts. For whē a man of good meaning is pressed and assaul­ted with aduersitie, or agrieued for hys euyll thoughts, then doth he vnderstand that gods help is so much the more necessary vnto him, without whome he findeth that he is able to doe no good at all. Then is he sorie: then he sigheth: then he praieth to be deliuered from this wretchednesse which he doth suffer: then doth it grieue him to liue any lōger, & he wi­sheth for death, that departing out of this trā ­sitorye lyfe, he might liue with Christ. Then doth he right well perceiue that a man cānot haue perfit security and full peace in this life.

Of resisting Temptacions. The .xiij. Chapter.

SO long as we are in this lyfe, we cannot be without miseries & temptacions. For which cause also it is writtē in Iob, that mans lyfe vppon the earth is a temp­tacion [Page] and warfare. Therefore ought euery man to be carefull about his temptacions, & to watch with praier, least the Deuil find oc­casion to deceyue him, who neuer slumbreth, but alwaies wandreth about, seking whom he may deuour. No man is so perfit and holy, but that he is sometyme assaulted with them, nei­ther can we wholye be without them. For temptacions are oftentymes very profitable vnto one, though they be troublesome for the time, bicause a man is pressed downe, is pur­ged, is instructed by them. All the godly that euer were, haue passed ouer their lyfe in ad­uersities and temptacions, and by them haue growen vp vnto vertuous life: and such as haue not béene able well to brooke them, the same haue become Reprobats, and reuolted. There is no calling eyther so holy, or place so solitary, but therein are temptacions and ad­uersities. To be short, as long as a man ly­ueth, he is neuer safe wholy frō temptacions, bycause the same is in our selues, of which we are tempted, seing we are borne in concu­piscence and lust. Temptacions come vpon temptacions, miseries vpon miseries, and al­waies haue we somwhat that we must be are or suffer. For we haue lost the state of our fe­licitie Now, whilst many men do shun temp­tacions, [Page 14] they fall into more gréeuous temp­tacions. We shall not conquere by running away onely, but by pacience and true mode­stie shall we be made more strong then our enimies. He which outwardelye declining temptacions onely, doth not pull them vp by the rootes: the same is so farre from profiting and comming forward, that temptacions, do so much the sooner assaile him agayne, and he is by so much in the woorse case againe. By enduring a lyttle and a little, (and that with pacience) thou shalt sooner by Gods helpe get the maystrie, then with sturdinesse and im­portunitie. Vse counsell oftentimes in temp­tacion. And if another man be tempted, shew Comfort thafflicted as thou wouldest be comfor­ted in af­fliction. not thy selfe rough and rygorous vnto hym, but rather minister him comfort, like as thou thy selfe wouldest haue comfort ministred vnto thée. The originall of all euill tempta­cions, is vnconstancie of minde and slender­nesse of fayth or trust in God. For lyke as a shyp without sterne is tossed too and fro with winds, euen so a lose fellow, and one that can but euill kéepe himselfe vnto that which he once determined, is diuersly tempted. As the fyre maketh triall of yron, so doth temptacion make triall of a man. We many tymes know not what we are able to doe: but what we [Page] are, temptacion doth make manifest vnto vs. Most of all we must be vigilant or watchfull at the beginning of temptacion. For then is the enimie more easily conquered, if he be not suffered to enter into the doore of the mynde, but be met without the Thresholde by the way, as soone as euer he had knocked. There­fore full well did a certayne Poet say.

For first of all, the bare cogitacion commeth to thy mind: next a vehement imagination: last of all, a delectacion, and wicked motion, and assent. Wherby it hapneth, that by little and little the malicious enimie doth enter in thorowlye, whylst that he is not encountred withall at the beginning. And how much the longer that euery man is dull and slow to re­sist, The spée­dyer a man doth resist temotaci­ons, the better. so much both the weaker dailye doth the same man become, & the enimie likewise the more mightye against him. Some at the be­ginning of their amendment of life, doe suf­fer more sharpe bickrings: other at the end: other are vexed all their life long: some there are that be tempted but sleightly, according to the wisedome and equitie of Gods proui­dence, [Page 15] which wayeth the maners and deserts of men, and dispenseth all thinges before, to the saluation of his elect. Therfore we ought not to despayre, whilst we are tempted, but pray vnto God so much the more feruently, We ought not to des­payre in temptaci­on, but pray vnto God the more ser­uentlye, to help vs in all temp­tacions and aduer­sities. that he would vouchsafe to helpe vs in all ad­uersitie: who no doubt will so temper the e­uent of such temptacion, (according to Paules saying) as we may be able to bere it. Wher­fore, in all temptacions and aduersities, let vs humble our minds to the mighty hande of God, which is able to kéepe and to lift vp the humble of hart. In temptacions and aduersi­ties, a man is tryed howe much good he hath done, and therein both the greater grace doth appeare, & also vertue doth become the more manifest: neyther is it anye great matter if one be godly and zealous when nothing doth trouble him: but if he shew himselfe pacient in the time of misery, then is there good hope that he shal come forward much Some there are which get out safely from great tempta­cions, and the same againe are oftentimes o­uercome with small and dayly temptacions, so y^t (being so discouraged) they neuer haue confidence in themselues in the great temp­tacions that are weake in so small & trifling.

Of taking heede of rash iudgement. The .xiiij. Chapter.

LOoke vpon thyne owne selfe: beware thou iudge not of the déedes of other mē: for in iudg­ing of other we do both labour in vayne and are commonlye deceiued, and doe quickly sinne or offend. But we alwayes traueile fruitfully with the iudg­ing of our owne selues, and with the exami­ning of our owne selues. As we fansie and are affected towarde euerye thing, so most com­monly doe we iudge therof: and quickly doe we léese true and vpright iudgement, bicause we are blinded with selfeloue. Howbeit, if we were alwaies led with the loue of God alone, our wit repugning the truth, shoulde not so soone trouble or disorder vs. But many times somewhat is hid inwardlye, or is also added without, which draweth vs awaye wyth it. Manye in their déedes doe loue themselues vnawares, and those same doe séeme to be so long of quiet and pacified minde, as thinges doe fall out according to their owne heartes desire. But if things go otherwise then they themselues doe couet, they are easily mooued [Page 16] and brought vnto sorowe. Discensions doe a­rise many tymes and oft betwéene friendes and countrimen, and betwéene the godly, and men wholy bent vnto vertuous lyfe, for the diuersitie of iudgements and opinions. For auncient custome is left with much a doe: be­yonde that that he séeth, no man is willingly led. Therfore if thou shalt more stay thy selfe, eyther vpon thine owne reason, or vpon thine owne traueyle, then vpon that vertue which maketh mā subiect vnto Iesus Christ, scarce­ly (nay not scarcelye neither) shall it come to passe, that thou mayest be such a man as the light of Gods spirite maye illuminate: For We ought to bee in subiection wholy vn­to God. God will haue vs to be wholye in subiection vnto him, and to climbe aboue the reache of reason with loue enflamed.

Of the workes of loue. The .xv. Chapter.

THere ought to be no hurt done at all for any cause, or for the loue of any mortal man: but for the profite of the néedy person, a good déede is now and then to be let passe for a tyme, or to be turned into a better déede. For by this meanes a good déede [Page] is not neglected, but is turned into the better. Without Charitie the outwarde worke doth nothing preuaile: but whatsoeuer is done in Charitie, although the same be but small and course, it is made altogither fruitfull & profi­table. For God doth more behold with howe great loue euerye thing is done, then howe great the same thing is. Much doth he that loueth much: Much doth he that doth some­thing well: well doth he that serueth the com­mon profite more then his owne will. Many times it séemeth to be Charitie which is ra­ther carnalitie. For seldome it hapneth that carnall inclinatiō is away, a mans own will, hope of reward, desire of commodity. He that True cha­rity descri­bed. is indued with true and perfite Charitie, the same serueth himselfe in nothing, but studieth for Gods glory in all things. He doth also re­pine at no body, bicause he loueth no priuate ioy, nor will reioyce in himselfe, but wisheth to be made blessed in GOD about all good thinges. He attributeth no goodnesse to anye man, but wholy acknowledgeth all things to be Gods, from whome as from a fountayne all things doe flowe, in whome at the last all the godly doe rest, with the enioying of felici­tie. But if a man haue but a sparke of true loue, the same no doubt, féeleth that all earth­ly [Page 17] things are full of vanitie.

Of bearing with other mens faultes. The .xvi. Chapter.

THose things which no man can amende either in himselfe or in another, he ought to beare paci­ently, vntill such time as God do determine otherwise. Think that perchaunce it is better so to be for thy tryall and pacience, without the which our merites are not greatly to be weyed. Neuer­thelesse, thou oughtest for such lettes to make supplication vnto God, that he would vouch­safe to assist thée, that thou mayst take these things well and quietly. If one once or twise admonished doe not as thou wouldest haue him, fall not out with the same partie, but commit the whole cause to God, to the intent that that may be done in all his seruauntes, which is agréeable both to his pleasure and honour, who knoweth well how to turne euil vnto good. Endeuour thy selfe to be pacient in bearing of all the vices and infirmities of other men, bycause thy selfe also art diseased with many, which must likewise be suffered of other. If thou canst not fashion thy selfe to [Page] be such a one as thou wouldest, how art thou able to frame an other to thy mind? We de­sire that other men should be perfite, and we in the meane time doe not correct our owne faultes. We will that other men be seuerely corrected, and we our selues refuse to be cor­rected. The immoderate licenciousnesse of o­thers doth mislike vs: we our selues in the meane time will not suffer the foyle. Other we will haue to be brideled with lawes, we our selues doe not suffer our selues any more to be kept vnder. By this it is plaine that we doe not loue another man as wée loue our selues. Truely if all were perfit, what should there be that we shoulde suffer at an other mans hande for Gods sake? Now, it hath so séemed good to God that we should learne one of vs to beare the burthens of another, in as­much as no man is without fault, no man is without his burthen, no man is sufficient to himselfe, no man is wise inough for himself: but that it is necessary for one of vs to beare with another, to comfort one another, to help one another, to instruct one another, to admo­nishe one another. Now is it more easily de­clared by occasion of aduersitie, howe vertu­ous and godly euery man is. For the occasi­ons doe not make a man frayle, but doe shew [Page 18] what maner of fellow he is.

Of solitarie life. The .xvij. Chapter.

THou must learne to breake thy selfe of many thinges, if thou wilt maintaine peace and con­corde with other: If thou wilt stand vprightly, and come for­ward, sée thou thinke thy selfe to be but a ba­nished man and a Pilgrime vpon the earth. Thou must be made a foole for Christes sake, if that thou wilt leade a godly lyfe. The gar­ment and shorne heade make nothing to the He mea­neth not Munkish lyfe. purpose: but it is the chaunging of our con­dicions, and the full mortifying of our old A­dam, that causeth a man to be godly in déede. Hee that séekth anye thing else then méere God, and the saluation of his owne soule, the same person shall finde naught else but mise­ries and sorrowes for his labor. Neither can he long time abyde in quietnesse of mynde which endeuoreth not to be the least of others and to be subiect vnto all men. Thou hast come into this life to be a seruant, and not to beare rule. Wéete that thou art called to suf­fer and labour, and not to passe thy tyme in [Page] ydlenesse and vaine tatteling or communica­tion. Men are here tryed as golde in the for­nace. No man can stand vpright in this life, but such a one as wysheth to kéepe downe himselfe in his heart for Gods sake.

Of the examples of godly Fathers. The .xviij. Chapter.

BEholde the seruent and zelous examples of those godlye Fa­thers in whom very perfection & godlinesse of lyfe did glister, and thou shalt sée how slender, and in a maner nothing at all it is that we our selues doe performe. Alack, what is our lyfe if it be compared with theires? Those godlye men and friendes of Christ did serue the Lorde in hunger and thirst, in colde and nakednesse, in traueyle and wearynesse, in watchings and fastings, in prayers and ver­tuous cogitacions, in many persecutions and spytefull oblaquies or reproches. How many and how gréeuous miseries did first the Apo­stles suffer: after them the Martirs, Confes­sors, Virgins, and in fine all the other that e­uer desired to follow the steps of Christ? For they hated euen their owne soules in this life, [Page 19] that they might kéepe the same for lyfe euer­lasting. O how seuere, how vnpleasant a life did those holy Fathers passe ouer in solitari­nesse? How long and gréeuous temptacions did they paciently abide? How many tymes were they vexed of the enimy? Howe many and how feruent prayers did they offer vnto God? With how great seuerity did they shew themselues continent and chast? With how great studie and excéeding loue did they tra­uayle to come forwarde in ghostly thinges? howe sharpe warre did they kéepe in taming of their vices? Of howe syncere and vpright minde towarde God were the same endued? Whilest the daye did last, they laboured in their vocation: in the night tyme they gaue themselues to prayer vnto almighty God: & yet whilst they were at labour, they dyd not ceasse from the prayers of the minde: to be short, they employed the whole tyme to pro­fitable vses, and euery houre occupyed in the contemplation of God, séemed but short: in­somuch that for the very swéetenesse they had to thinke on heauenly things, they did euen forget the necessitie of regarding and looking to their bodies. They renounced all riches, authorities, honours, friends, kinsfolke, ney­ther did they couet to enioye anye worldlye [Page] thing. To be short, they scarsely applied ne­cessarie things to the maintenaunce of theyr life, in so much that they were sorye also, through very necessitie to become slaues vn­to their bodies. Therefore they were poore in earthly things, but in the fauour of God and vertues they were very riche: and being née­dy outwardly, were inwardly refreshed with the grace and comforts of God. They were deuided from the worlde, but very neare and familiar friends vnto God: They were both in their owne iudgement of no regarde, and in the sight of the world despised persons and abiects: but of God they were accounted ve­ry great and excellent. They were constant in true modestie: they liued in simple obedi­ence: they abode still in charity and pacience, and did therefore profite dayly in the spirite, and had great fauour at Gods hand. In fine, they ought to be an example and spectacle to all godly persons, and more to prouoke vs to go forwarde manfully, then the multitude of such as are but warme in vertuous life ought for to hinder vs. How great was the feruen­cie of all the godlye at the beginning of that holy profession of theirs? How great deuoti­on of prayers? How great emulation of ver­tue? How streight and seuere discipline dyd [Page 20] raigne among them? How great reuerence and obedience did flourish in them all vnder the rule of their maister? The monuments yet remayning doe witnesse, that those men were holy and perfite in déede, who subdued the worlde in fighting so stoutly. And now he is accōpted great, so that he offend no lawes, so that he can pacientlye beare the wrongs that are done vnto him. O the sluggithnesse of our time and state, that so soone doe decline from the olde zeale, and are wearie of life for faintnesse and warmenesse. Woulde to God the profiting in vertues did not wholy sléepe in vs, which haue many times séene so many examples of the godly.

Of the exercises of one that is the childe of God in deede. The .xix. Chapter

THe life of the godly man ought wholye to excell in all kynde or vertues, that he may be such a one inwardly, as he séemeth to the worlde outwardly: nay ra­ther, he ought for good cause to be much more inwardlye then he is séene outwardly. For that God is he that doth behold vs, whom we [Page] ought highly to reuerence in what place so euer we be, and to walke in purity and clean­nesse of lyfe in his sight, after the maner of Aungels. We ought euery day to renue our determined purpose of good lyfe, & as though we were turned from sinne vnto good life but this day first of all, euen so to quicken & stirre vp our selues vnto earnest desire, and to say as followeth: Help me, O my Lord and God, in my good purpose, and holy worshipping or seruing of the: and graunt vnto me to make a perfite entrance and beginning this present day. For that which I haue hitherto done, is nothing at all. Great diligence is néedefull for this our purpose of running & comming forwarde, in case we will rightly bring to an ende that thing which we haue begun. For if he which taketh this businesse in hande vali­antly, is yet many times tired withall: what shal that man doe, which beginneth the same but seldome, or vnconstantly? Surelye, the forsaking of our purpose doth chance diuers waies, and the least omitting of spirituall ex­ercises that can be, scarse hapneth without some hinderance and losse. The determinati­on or decrée of the iust dependeth vpon Gods fauour, and not vpon their owne wisedome, vnto whome they alwayes trust, whatsoeuer [Page 21] they take in hand. For man in déede doth pro­pose, Man doth propose & God doth dispose. but God doth dispose. Neither is it in mans hands how the thing that he doth shall fall out in the ende. If the acustomed exercise of our decrée or purpose be at anye tyme let passe, eyther for pittie or brotherly profit, the same may soone be called back againe: but if it be sleightly giuen ouer for a time, eyther for tediousnesse or necligence of minde, then is the same a great fault in vs, and is cause of hurt. Though we endeuour to the vtter­most of our power, yet shall we quickly of­fende in many thinges. Neuerthelesse, some certaintie must alway be appointed, especial­ly against those vices which be a let vnto vs aboue the rest. We must aswell search and set in good order and frame the outwarde, as the inward things, bicause they are both ne­cessarie to our comming forwarde in godly­nesse. But if thou canst not incontinently call for an accoumpt of thy selfe, yet doe it some­time at the least wise, and once euery day at the least: namely, either at the morning or at night. At night decrée with thy selfe what thou wilt doe in the morning: At night exa­mine thy maners, howe thou hast borne thy selfe in wordes, in déedes, and in thoughtes: for in these thinges perhaps thou hast often­tymes [Page] offended both God and the Worlde. Arme thy selfe against the wickednesse of the deuill, as becommeth a stoute fellowe. Bry­dle thy gluttonous appetite, and so shalt thou Of Idle­nesse com­meth no goodnesse. brydle all desire of the flesh the better. Be ne­uer altogither ydle, but alwaies either reade or wryte, praye or thinke, or doe somethyng to the common profite. Wée must haue re­spect in vsing of the exercises and tamings of the body, neither are they to be practised of al men alike. They ought not to be done abrode which are not common. For things priuate are exercised with more safetie at home. Ne­uerthelesse thou must beware least thou bée slowe in things that be to be done abroade, & more ready to thy priuate things: but rather hauing done thy duetie and vocation, if there be any further leysure, restore thy selfe home according as thy professiō in godlinesse doth require. All men cannot haue one kinde of ex­ercise, but diuers exercises, be conuenient for diuers persons. Againe, diuers exercises doe please according to the diuersitie of times: as that some shoulde more like on the holidaiest and some other againe on the working daies. Some wée haue néede of at the time of oure spirituall sight: some againe in the tyme of our peace and rest. It doth vs good to thynke [Page 22] vpon some thinges whilest we are in heaui­nesse. And some other thinges it liketh vs to occupie our mindes vpon, whilst we are ioy­full in the Lorde. Good exercises are to be re­nued oftentimes, especially vppon the holye daies, as though at that time we were depar­ting out of this life, and going to the euerlas­ting holydaies. Therefore ought we at that time to prepare our selues with carefulnesse, and to shewe our selues more Godly, and to doe Gods commaundements more straight­ly, as men that shall receyue rewarde of our traueyle at Gods hande ere it be long. But if our departure be deferred, let vs beléeue that wée are not well prepared, and that wée are yet vnworthie of so great glorie that is to be giuen vnto vs at the certaine and appoynted time, & let vs endeuour to prepare our selues more diligently to our ende. Blessed is that seruaunt (sayth Luke the Euangelist) whome the Lorde at his comming shall finde watch­ing. Knowe yée this for a certaintie that hée shall be made chiefe ouer all his goodes.

Of the loue of solitarinesse and silence. The .xx. Chapter.

[Page] SEke for an apt and conuenient time to be at leysure, and think oftentimes vppon Gods bene­fites: and letting passe curious things, be oftentimes reading of such matters as the minde may rather be pricked or stirred vp withall, than occupyed. For if thou shalt withdraw thy selfe from su­perfluous cōmunication, and from ydle gad­dings about, & also from hearing of straunge things and rumors, thou shalt finde both ley­sure sufficient, and also conuenient ynough for the exercising of good thoughts. Euen so the godlyest sort did shun the conuersation of the worlde, (when they might conueniently) and did desire rather to lyue seperatelye or a­part vnto God. A certaine man sayd: As oft as I haue beene among men, I haue returned home a man lesse than I was before. For wée haue proofe of this thing manye times, when we babble togither anye long time. It is an easier matter altogither to hold ones peace, than not to passe a measure in his wordes. It Much talke cau­seth sinne. is an easier matter to kéepe at home closely, than to kéepe him vprightlye abroade from sinning. Therefore, who so striueth to come to inwarde and spirituall things, he must de­cline from prease and multitude with Christ [Page 23] Iesus. No man commeth abroade safely, but The pro­perties of a good man. he which kéepeth at home willingly. No man ruleth safely, but he which is subiect willing­lye. No man commaundeth safely, but hée which hath learned to obey gladly. No man reioyceth safely, but he which hath y^e testimo­nye of a good conscience. No man speaketh safelye, but he which kéepeth silence gladly. Neuerthelesse, the securitie and quietnesse of the vertuous, hath alwayes béene full of the feare of God: neither haue they béene the lesse carefull and humble of spirite, although they did excell in great vertues & heauenlye gifts. But the securitie of the wicked doth come of pride and hawtinesse, and at length is turned to the deceyuing of themselues. Neuer pro­mise vnto thy selfe safety in all things, whilst thou liuest in this worlde, though thou séeme godly and a despiser of worldly things. Many times hath it happened that they haue bene in great daunger for their ouermuch confidence and presumption, which by the iudgement of the worlde were counted better than other men: By which it is brought to passe that for many it is more profitable not wholly to bée void of temptacions, but often to be tempted, least perhaps they being to carelesse, should be puffed vp with pride, or least thereby they [Page] shoulde run the more licenciously to outward comforts. But if a man woulde neuer séeke ioye at the worlde, if he woulde neuer make nor meddle with the worlde: Good LORD how vnspotted a conscience shoulde he euer­more retaine and kéepe? If a man would cut off all vaine carefulnesse, and thinke only vp­on soule health and heauenly matters, & put his whole trust in God onely: O Lorde how great peace and quietnesse shoulde the same partie enioy? No man is worthie of heauen­lye comfort, but he which shall exercise hym­selfe diligently in the godly taming of hym­selfe: which taming of thy selfe, if thou woul­dest come vnto, get into thy Chamber, and shut out the tumults or stirres of the worlde like as it is written. Fonder ye vppon these thinges in your Chambers closely and secret­lye. Thou shalte manye tymes fynde in thy Cell or Closet, that which thou shalt forgoe abrode. Thy Cell being continually frequen­ted, wareth swéete: the same againe being negligently vsed, is cause of tediousnesse. But if at the beginning of the amendment of lyfe thou shalt rightlye frequent the same, and shalt kéepe thy selfe therein, at length it wyll fall out that nothing shall be more pleasaunt vnto thée, nothing more full of comfort. In [Page 24] silence and quietnesse doth the Godly soule with silēce doth the godly soule learne the mysteries of the scripture. goe forwarde, and doth learne the mysteries of the Scriptures. In them he findeth whole fluds of teares, with the which he may euery night washe and make cleane himselfe, to be­come so much the more familiar to hys Cre­ator, the farther of he liueth from all careful­nesse of the worlde. Therefore that person that withdraweth himselfe from his acquain­tance and friendes, is resorted vnto of God himselfe and of his holy Aungels. It is bet­ter to liue closely and to haue regarde vnto a mans owne saluation, than with the cōtempt of himself euen to worke miracles. Laudable it is to y^e godly person seldome to go abrode, to flie to be séene, to bée vnwillyng also to sée other menne. Why desirest thou to sée that which is not lawfull for thée to haue and en­ioye? The worlde perisheth, and the desire thereof: the lastes of pleasure doe allure to roauing abroade: but after the tyme is once past, what good hast thou gotten thereby, vn­lesse it be déepe repentance, and vayne wan­dring about of the Soule? A merrie goyng foorth is oftentimes cause of a sorrowfull re­turning: and a ioyfull Euening watch doth cause a sad Morning. Thus the whole ioye of the fleshe doth enter in wyth a flatteryng [Page] countenaunce: but at length it nyppeth and stayeth. What canst thou sée else where, that This con­templation is hadin naturall Philoso­phie. thou mayest not beholde here in thy Cell: Loe, where the Heauen and the Earth and all the Elementes are. For of these are all thinges created. What canst thou sée anye where that doth long endure in hys beyng is Perchaunce thou thinkest to be satisfied with such contemplation: but that shalt thou ne­uer attaine vnto. If thou couldest beholde presently euen all things that euer are, what shoulde they be else but a vaine spectacle and sight? Life vp thine e [...] aloft vnto God, and The du­tye of a christian man. craue pardone for thy sinnes, and offences, Gyue ouer vayne thynges vnto vayne per­sones, and busye thou thy selfe aboute those which GOD doth commaunde to meddle wyth. Shut thy selfe close within thy house, and call thy beloued Iesus vnto thée. Abyde stil with him in thy selfe: for elsewhere shalt thou neuer fynde so great peace. If thou had­dest not gone abroade, nor hearde anye ru­mours of thynges thou shouldest sooner haue continued styll in quyet peace. Now, séeyng that it doth sometime delyte thée to heare no­ueltyes, it falleth out that thou muste bée fayne to beare the trouble and vnquyetnesse of the soule.

Of Chastising thy soule, and keeping the same in awe. The xxi. Chapter.

IF thou wylte any thyng come forwarde, hold fast the feare of God, and bée not ouer dissolute or retchelsse, but kéepe in all thy powers vnder discipline: and yéelde not thy selfe vppe to vayne and transitorye ioye of the worlde. Addicte thy selfe to a correcting and chastinyng of thy soule, whereby thou shalt finde godlynesse. Great is the commoditye of such chastise­ment and exercyse, which slouthfulnesse and sluggerdy is went soone to destroy. A wonder it is that any man can euer reioyce truely in this world, which considereth and waieth tho­rowly hys owne banishment, and so manye daungers of his soule. For the lacke of due consideration, and by meanes of our dulnesse we doe not féele the sorowes of our minde in our offences: but many times doe laugh with lightnesse, when rather we had good cause to wéepe, if we did looke well vnto it. There is no true libertie or substantiall ioye in anye thing, sauing in the feare of God ioyned with [Page] a good conscience. Happie is the man that is able to cast awaye the impediments and lets of all worldely thynges, and yéelde himselfe wholy to the chastining of hys soule. Happie is he that renounceth and putteth from hym whatsoeuer may staine and burthen his con­science. Fight like a man: Custome is mai­stred wyth custome. If thou canst perswade thy selfe not to meddle in other mens mat­ters, they lykewise shall not haue to doe with thyne. Procure not thy selfe another mans charge, or inwrap not thy selfe with the cau­ses of thy betters. Haue chiefely thine eyes alwayes bent vpon thy selfe, and admonishe or warne thy selfe more than all other of thy deare friendes besides are woont. If thou be boyde of the fauour and good will of men, doe not admonishe thy selfe wyth an euill wyll, but rather take it grieuously that thou doest not so wel and circumspectly behaue thy selfe as it becommeth the seruant of God and the person vertuous in déede. It is both more profytable and more safe for a man manye times to haue few comforts in this life, espe­cially worldely: for in that wée eyther haue not, or doe seldome féele such cōforts as God doth minister: we our selues are therefore to blame, which neither séeke after the prickes [Page 26] of conscience, nor yet wholy cast away vaine and outward comforts. Wéete thou wel that thou art not onely vnworthy of diuine com­fort, but also worthie of great myserie. If a man be at any time pricked with the true so­rowes of heart, it commeth to passe thereby that the whole worlde is bitter and yrkesome vnto him. The good man findeth sufficient causes to bée sorye and to wéepe or mourne: For whether he consider himself, or else looke vpon an other man, he séeth that no body ly­ueth wythout calamitie in this worlde: and the more déepely be considereth hymselfe, so much the more grieuouslye hoth hée sorrowe. Now, the causes of due sorrow and pricke of conscience are our owne sinnes and vices, in the which we doe so lie weltred and wrapped, that we are seldome times able to behold the heauenly things. If thou wouldest more of­tentimes muse vpon thy death, than thinke vpon longnesse of lyfe, there is no doubt but that thou wouldest worke the amendement of thy selfe the more earnestlye. Agayne, if thou wouldest throughly waye in thy minde the tormentes that shall be in hell, gladly I thinke thou wouldest sustaine labour and sor­rowe, and wouldest not be afearde of any se­ueritie and streightnesse applied to thy selfe. [Page] But bicause those things are not suffered to sincke déepely into our mindes, and for that we are yet in loue with flattering shewes of the worlde, it hapneth that we continue styll to remaine colde and slow, many times poore and néedie of the spirite of God, whereby our wretched bodie taketh occasion quickly to cō ­plaine and mone. Wherfore make thy praier vnto God with humblenesse of heart, that he will stirre vp his heauenly sparkes and mo­tions in thy soule, and saye thus wyth that Prophete: Feede me, O Lord, with the bread of teares, and wash away my Cup with mour­ning.

The consideration of mans miseries. The .xxij. Chapter.

THou art a wretch, whersoeuer thou bée, and whither soeuer thou turne thy self, vnlesse thou turne thy selfe vnto GOD. Wherfore art thou troubled or disquieted when things frame not according to thy harts desire? What is he vnto whome all things fall out as he wisheth? It is not I, it is not thou, it is not any man liuing beside: I say, there is no man lyuing voyde of all ca­lamitie [Page 27] and traueyle: no not the King, no not the Pope himselfe. Who is then in the best case of all others? euen he that is able to suf­fer some thing for Gods sake. Most of them that are weakelings and fraile doe common­ly say: Ah, sée how happily he lyueth yonder, how welthy he is, how mightie he is, in how great honour he is, what a big man he is, what a well fauoured man he is. But looke thou vpon the heauenly good things, and thou shalt sée that all these good thinges of this mortall life are nothing to be accounted of, bring altogither vncertayne & burdensome, as the which we neuer doe possesse without carefulnesse and feare. The felicitie of man doth not consist in the plentie of such maner of good things: but rather a measure ought to be sufficient vnto him therein. For to lyue bent vnto the earth, is very miserie indéede. The more diuine or 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, [Page] 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 The ende of carnall things. 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 [Page 28] 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 No time to late, to repent & amende thy life. 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 Mannes frailetye prone vn­to sinne. is prone vnto sinning? This day thou confessest thy sinnes, and hauing confessed the [Page] 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 Mans life compared to a flower. 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 [Page 29] 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 Death not to be fea­red, but sinne to be eschewed. 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. [Page] Be in doubte in the Morning whether thou No man can war­rant hys life one hower. 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 [Page 30] 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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 [Page 32] 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 [Page] 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 [Page 33] 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 Hell fyre then make thee? For surely thou mayest not bée twyse happye or blessed, both to enioye pleasures in thys lyfe, and afterwarde to reygne also wyth Christ in Heauen. And nowe, put case thou hast hytherto lyued in continuall honour and pleasures: what good shoulde all these things haue done thée, if it had chaunced thée to dye out of hande? Doest thou not sée that all thinges are but vaine, beside the loue and the seruice of God onely? For he that loueth God wyth all hys heart, the same feareth nei­ther death nor punishment, nor iudgement, nor Hell: bicause perfite loue doth make safe accesse to almightie God. But it is no woon­der if he feare death and iudgement, which yet taketh delyte in sinne. Notwythstanding it is expedient, if loue doe not yet reclayme thée from euill, that the feare of Hell fyre doe at least wyse brydle thée. But he that re­fuseth the feare of GOD, the same per­son can not long continue in goodnesse, but runneth quickly into the trappes and snares of the Deuill.

Of the zealous amendment of our whole lyfe. The .xxv. Chapter.

BE watchful and diligent in the Mans duetie to­wardes God, and whervnto he was or­dayned, aptly de­scribed. seruice of God, and consider whervnto thou wast ordeyned, and for what cause thou hast giuen ouer the world: namely, that thou mightest liue vnto God, & become an heauenly person. Therfore be feruent to come forward: For thou shalt shortly receiue the rewarde of thy traueyles, neyther shall there be any feare or sorrow afterward with­in thy boundes or limits. A little whiles shalt thou now labour and so shalt finde great rest nay rather continuall ioy. If thou wilt shew thy selfe faithful or nimble still in doing, God vndoubtedly will declare himselfe faithfull & bountifull in rewarding. Nourishe inwardly a good hope to obtaine the victorie: but retch­lessenesse must be auoided, least thou be blunt and dull, or else doe waxe prowd. There was sometime a certaine man, which carefullye tossed betwéene feare and hope, dyd humbly say thus, whilst he was in praying: O that I knew certainely that I should perseuere: And [Page 34] forthwith he hard this aunswere from GOD within himselfe in his owne soule: And what then if thou diddest know it? Wouldest thou willingly doe it? Go to then doe nowe but as thou wouldest thē haue done, & haue thou no doubt of perseuerance. He being forthwith cō ­firmed with this comfort, did cōmit himselfe to y^e wil of God, & so ceassed his careful doubt­fulnesse, neither woulde he curiously search, what should become of him, but rather ende­uored to séeke out what thing was conueni­ent vnto the will of God, and acceptable and perfite vnto the same, to begin and finish wel dooing. Put thy trust in the Lord, and do well, saith the Prophet, and thou shalt inhabite the earth, and shalt be fed with the plentie therof. One thing there is that withdraweth manye men from comming forwarde and from fer­uent correction of themselues: The horrible­nesse of the difficultie of it, and the traueyle of the fight and combat. Surely they doe most of all other come forward in vertues, which en­deuour with their powers to conquere most grieuous things, and such as are most of all contrarye vnto themselues. For euery man doth come forwarde so much the better, and obtaine the more ample grace of god, as that the more he ouercommeth and subdueth him­selfe [Page] by Gods helpe. But a like power is not in all men to ouercome and mortifie them­selues: howbeit, the same that shal the more diligently ytch forward this worke, it is euen he that shall be sturdyer or stronger to mooue foorth effectuallye, (though he must beare the mo things paciently) thā an other, otherwise well ynough fashioned of nature, & yet some­what sluggish to vertue. Nowe, two thinges there are chiefly that make much for men to the amendement of themselues: that is, to withdrawe themselues violently from those thinges, vnto which our corrupt nature is prone: and againe, to apply our selues with tooth & nayle vnto that good thing whereof we haue néede. Againe, thou must especially take héede of those thinges, & maister them which doe most of all, and most often mislyke thée in other men. Fynde the meanes that thou mayest take commoditye and aduantage of all things: that in case thou sée before thyne eyes, or heare of any examples of wel dooing, that be kindled and prouoked to doe the lyke. But if thou perceyue any thing worthye dys­prayse, we ought to correct our selues and not other? take héede that thy selfe doe not the lyke: or if at anye tyme thou hast so done, quickely endeuor to amende thy selfe. Lyke as thou hast thine eies bent vpon other men, [Page 35] euen so haue other men likewise their eyes bent vppon thée. Howe pleasaunt and swéete a thing is it to beholde zealous and Godlye Christians well nurtured, and obedyent to the dyscipline of Christ? And agayne, howe we ought to followe our voca­tion or cal­ling. sorrowfull and grieuous a thyng is it to sée men lyuing inordinately, and not exercising those things where vnto they are called? how greatly hurtefull is it to forsake the purpose of thy calling, and to bende thy selfe to those things which are no poynt of thy charge? Be myndfull of thy purpose or profession, and set the remembraunce of Christ crucified before thine eies: & when thou beholdest his lyfe, be ashamed of thy selfe, y^e hast not all thys while shewed thy selfe more diligent in following of Christ his steppes, whereas neuerthelesse thou hast a long time professed a Christian lyfe. Surely, if the Godly person doe practise himselfe attentiuelye and wyth bent studye vppon that most holy lyfe of Iesus, and the torments of his passion, the same shall there plentifully finde all thyngs profitable and ne­cessary for him: Neyther is it néedefull for him to séeke for anye better thyng beside Ie­sus Christ. If Iesus crucified might enter in­to our hart, how soone and sufficiently should wée become learned? A feruent and zealous [Page] Christian man doth, and beareth wyth facy, litie that which hée is commaunded: but if the same partly be negligent and but warm, he then is pressed downe with calamities vp­pon calamities, and is vexed rounde aboute wyth anguishe and sorrowes: bycause hée is both voyde of inwarde comfort, and also for­bidden to séeke after the outwarde comfort. And whosoeuer at all doth go out of the boun­des of the discipline of Christ, the same is subiect to a gryeuous fall: and hée that sée­keth for a more loose and siacke lyfe, the same is alwayes vexed and tormented, bycause there is euermore somewhat that maye mys­lyke him. Set before thée rather that streight life and full of Godlinesse of those holy Apos­tles and Disciples of Christ, and make thy reckening to follow their steps: and as tou­ching the good will of God towarde thee, put no doubts but he wll readily graunt strength vnto thee for those thinges. By thys meanes thou shalt become full of strength and hope: By this meanes thou shalt with an heauenly gate so traueyle thyther, that thou mayest de­spise all worldely things. And would to God we had nothyng else at all to doe and to trou­ble vs, but to prayse God wyth our whole heart and mouth, and to doe his commaun­dements. [Page 36] Would to God we being frée from all worldly affaires, would care only for hea­uenly things: for after that man is once come to that point, that he séeketh for comfort of no worldly thing: then at the length it commeth to passe, that GOD doth begin in déede to smatter and sauour vnto him: and that hée taketh all things in good woorth, howsoeuer they fall out: and neyther in prosperitie is puffed vp with gladnesse, nor yet in afflicty­ons is disgraced with heauinesse, but com­mitteth himselfe altogither wyth confidence vnto God, which is all in all, vnto whome nothing perisheth or dyeth, but all things doe liue and are obedient at his beck or call, with­out any delay. Looke euer to thine ende, and Careful­nesse and diligence y^e way to vertue. remember well that lost time shall neuer re­turne againe: thou shalt neuer attaine vnto vertue surely wythout carefulnesse and dily­gence. And if it shall chaunce thée to waxe warme, thou shalt styll be in case woorse and woorse: but if thou wilte applie thy worke wyth a zealous Soule, thou shalt finde perfit peace, and shalt féele thy labour to bée more slight, both for the fauor of God towards thée & also for thyne own loue of vertue. A feruent and diligent man is readye to all thinges. It is greater labor to resist vices & trouble­some [Page] affections of the mynde, than to sweate with bodily labors. And he that auoydeth not small offences, the same by lyttle and lyttle, falleth into greater faultes. Thou shalt al­wayes reioyce at night, if thou hast bestowed the daye fruitefully: watch vnto thine owne selfe, stirre vp and admonish thine owne self, despise not thyne one selfe, whatsoeuer at any time doth happen vnto other men. So much good shalt thou doe herein, after as thou shall enforce and compell thy selfe.

Of the Inwarde life of Man. The first Chapter.

THE Kingdome of GOD is within you: (saith the Lord.)

Turne thy selfe wyth thy whole hart to the Lorde, for­saking this wretched worlde and thy soule shall finde rest. Leare to contemne outward thinges, and to giue thy selfe to the inwarde things, & so shalt thou sée the Kingdome of God to come into thée. For the Kingdome of God is peace and ioye in the holy Ghost, which is not gyuen to the godlesse or wicked. Christ will come vnto thée to giue thée his comfort, so that thou wilt prouide him a dwelling place méete for hym within thée. For the whole beautie and bra­uerie thereof remayneth within: there is hée willingly conuersaunt: he maketh often re­paire to the inwarde man. To the inwarde man he hath swéete communication, accep­table comfort, much peace, singuler familia­ritie. Come of thou faithfull soule, & prepare thy heart vnto thys Bridegrome, to thintent he may vouchsafe to come vnto thée and in­habite [Page] within thée. For thus he sayth. If any man loue me, the same will keepe my sayings, and I and my father will come vnto him, and dwell wyth him. Therefore giue a place vn­to Christ, denying to all other any entraunce vnto thée: If thou shalt haue him thy guest, The recey­uing of Christ in­to thy hart is the grea test ryches thou canst obtaine. thou shalt then be ryche and welthie. He will looke vnto thée, and so faithfully doe all thine affayres, that there shall be no néede for thée to put thy hope in men, for men are quick­ly altered, and swiftly breake frendship: but Christ abideth stil by it for euer, and is a con­staunt helpe vnto his seruaunts vnto the ve­rye ende. There is neither great trust nor af­fiance to bée put in a frayle & mortall man, though he be profitable and thy deare fryend: neither must thou greatly be sory, if the same at sometime withstande thée & gaine say thée. Possible it is that those which be on thy side to daye, be to morrow against thée, and so cō ­trarilye (bicause they are often altred like the winde.) Put thy whole trust and confidence in the Lorde & so demeane thy selfe that thou mayest feare him, and that thou mayest loue him. He it is that wil handle thy cause aright & set the same in verye good order. Thou hast no permament dwelling place and aboade in this life: but whersoeuer thou become thou [Page 38] art but a forreiner and a traueiler, that shall neuer attaine to rest, vntil thou be nighly ioy­ned with Christ. Why dost thou gaze about thee here, séeyng thys is not the place of thy rest? Thy dwellyng ought to bée in heauen­lye thinges, and all thynges earthly must be looked vpon by the way onely: that is, how al things doe passe and vanishe, and thou lyke­wyse wyth the same. Beholde them in such wise that thou doe not cleaue fast vnto them, least thou being entrapped, doe perishe. Let Mans thoughts ought to be directed vnto God. thy thoughts be directed vnto almighty God, & call vpon Christ Iesus wyth praiers wyth­out intermission and ceassing. If thou canst not tell how to occupie thy minde in the con­templacion of hygh and heauenlye thynges, yet rest or staye in the passion of Christ, and dwell gladly vpon his woundes. For if thou shalt relygiouslye flye to those healthsome wounds and stripes of Christ, thou shalt féele a great strengthning in thy aduersitie, and shalt not much passe vppon the contempt of men, but shalt with facilitie beare their false and craftie accusations. Christ himself in the worlde was taken but for an abiecte among men, and was in the middest of his rebukes forsaken of his acquaintaunce and friends, at his greatest néede. Christ hymselfe woulde [Page] suffer and be despised: and wilt thou dare to complaine and moane for any thing? Christ had aduersaries and euill reporters: & wylt thou haue all men to be thy friends, & speake well of thée? Howe shall thy pacience bée ex­ercised, if no aduersitye shall happen vnto thée? If thou wylte suffer nothyng that is contrarye vnto thée, howe wylt thou be the friend of Christ? Thou must suffer aduersi­tye both wyth Christ and for Christ, if thou wilt raigne wyth Christ. If thou hast true­ly entred but once into the bowels of Chryst, and hadst but a little tasted of the feruentcie of hys loue, thou wouldest not onely nothyng passe vppon thine owne commodities or in­commodityes, but also wouldest reioyce at thyne infamye or slaunder. For the loue of The loue of Iesus causeth a manne to contemne himselfe. Iesus causeth a man to contemne hymselfe. I say the louer of Iesus, and the true inward man, and one voyde of inordinate desires, is able fréely to turne himselfe vnto God, & be­ing lifted vp in spirite aboue himselfe, to en­ioy the same God quietly. He which wayeth all things as they be in déede, and not as they be called or supposed, the same is truely wise, and rather taught at Gods hande than of men. Hée that can tell how to lyue inwarde­lye, and lyttle to waye outwarde thynges, [Page 39] the same doth neyther requyre places, nor yet looke after tymes, to practyse hys religi­ous or Godly exercyses. The inwarde man doth quickely call home hymselfe, bycause he neuer outwardely sheweth what hée is alto­gyther. The outewarde labour is no iet vnto him, or hys necessarie businesse for the tyme: But rather as all thyngs doe happen, euen so doth he apply himself vnto the same. Hée that is ordered and framed inwardely a­right, the same passeth not vpon the woon­derfull and preposterous maners of men. Euery man is so much hindred and distracted as hée draweth businesse vnto himselfe. If thou were rightly fashioned and purged sub­stancially, all thinges shoulde be profitable and commodious vnto thée. Therefore doe many thynges myslike thée, and doe often­times Many­things doth mislike thee bycause thou art not fully mortified. disquiet thée, bycause thou art not yet fullye mortified vnto thy selfe, nor sepera­ted from all earthly and transitorye thyngs. Nothing doth so much stayne and entangle the soule of man, as the impure loue of the creatures. If thou shalt despise the comforts of the externall or outwarde things, it wyll come to passe that thou mayst the better be­holde heauenly thinges, and oftentymes re­ioyce triumphantly within thy selfe.

Of Modestie and obedience. The .ij. Chapter.

MAke no great accounte who is on thy side or against thée: but So God be wyth thée, care not who is against thée. be occupied and carefull in this point, how God maye be wyth thée in all thy dooings, and how thou mayest haue a good and an vpright con­science: so shall it come to passe that GOD will sufficiently defende thée. For no mans frowardnesse shall bée able to doe him anye hurt, whome he shall be willing to defend. If thou shalt skill to hold thy peace, and to suffer or beare paciently, vndoubtedly to shalt be­holde the ayde and succour of the Lorde. Hée knoweth when it is time to deliuer thee, and therefore oughtest thou wholly to commit thy selfe vnto him. It belongeth to God to helpe, and to deliuer man from all rebuke & shame. It doth manye times much good to kéepe vs vnder the better, that our vices shoulde bée knowne and reprooued of other men. Whilst that a man doth humble himself for his faults, hée doth soone pacifie other men, and satisfieth them that are offended with him wyth little adooe: GOD doth defende and deliuer the [Page 40] humble person: He humbleth himself to him that is humble, he bountifullye giueth ma­nye thinges to the humble, and aduaunceth him vnto glorie after his thrusting downe: To the humble he openeth his secretes, and draweth and allureth the same swéetely vnto him. Though the humble person be spitefully vsed and slaundered, or brought into an euill name, yet is he of quiet and pacient mind, bi­cause he stayeth himselfe vpon God, and not vpon the worlde. Thinke not that thou hast profited any thing at all, vnlesse thou take thy self for the veryest abiect of all other men.

Of the good and quiet person. The .iij. Chapter.

PUrchase and procure peace vn­to thy selfe first of all: so shalt thou be abie at the length to set peace among other. A quyet person doth more good than one well learned: But the vnquiet and contency­ous brawler doth drawe euen that which is good into the euill part, and quickly beléeueth A perfite man inter­preteth all things, to the best. euill. A good and quiet man interpreteth all to the best. Hée that is of quiet minde, the same hath no euill suspicion of any man: but [Page] he that is not content with his state or condi­tion, but is tossed wyth diuers suspicions, the same partye is neyther quyet hymselfe, nor yet suffereth other to bée quiet by him. Ma­ny times he speaketh that which hée ought not, and letteth passe that which were expe­dient to be done: Hée considereth what is a­nother mans duetie, and yet his owne dutie he passeth not vppon. Wherefore looke thou speciallye to thine owne dutie, and so shalt thou best looke vnto the duty of another man. Thou hast good skyll to excuse and beare wyth thyne owne dooynges, and yet thou ad­mittest not the excuses of others. More rea­sonable it were that accusing thyne owne selfe, thou shouldest excuse another. If thou wilt be borne with, doe thou likewise beare Doe as thou wol­dest bée done vnto. with another. And behold how farre off thou art yet from perfite loue and modestie, which can tell how to take displeasure and be angry with no body, but onely wyth himselfe. If is no great matter to deale with good and quiet persons, bicause that thing is naturally plea­saunt vnto all men, and euery body wysheth for peace, and loueth them aboue the rest that are agréeable vnto him. But to bée able to liue quietly with the rigorous and frowarde, with those that withstande vs, or men of euill [Page 41] nature & crooked condicions: thys is in déede the point of a ioly & valiant fellowe, and one worthy of high prayse & commendation. And some there be that both liue at peace with thē ­selues, and also with other men. Some other that neyther enioy peace themselues, nor yet suffer other to enioy the same. Troublesome surely are they to other, but yet to thēselues, they are alwaies more troubesome. Some a­gaine there be that doe kéepe still themselues in peace, & also endeuor to reduce other men to peace. Howbeit oure whole peace in thys wretched life is rather to be placed in modest pacience, than it is in not féelng of aduersity. The more a man knoweth howe to suffer ad­uersitie paciently, the greater peace doth he enioye, and is likewise both conquerour of himselfe, and Lord of the worlde, and friende of Christ, and heire of Heauen.

Of the sinceritie of minde, and plainnesse of meaning, The .iiij. Chapter.

MAn is raysed aboue earthlye thinges with two winges: to wéete, with simplicitie and sin­ceritie. Simplicitie is in mea­ning or witte: Sinceritie is [Page] in affection. The first applieth it selfe to God. This other taketh hold of him, & tasteth what he is. No good déede shall hinder thée, if thou wilt haue thy soule free from al inordinate af­fections. If thou wilt intend & séeke after no­thing else than the wyll of God, & the profite of another, thou shalt enioy liberty of mynd. If thy Soule were right & syncere, the whole Worlde shoulde be a glasse to thy lyfe, and a booke of godly doctrine. For there is no crea­ture so small and so vile, that doth not repre­sent vnto vs the goodnesse of God. Nowe if thou haddest a good and pure soule, thou shoul­dest sée all things without any impediment, and shouldest vnderstande them throughly. For the pure soule doth pierce both Heauen and Hell, and such as euery mans soule is, euen so doth it iudge of outwarde things. If there be gladnesse any where, the mā of pure heart doth enioy the same. Againe, if there be calamitie and anguishe any where, no bodye knoweth it better than hée that hath an e­uill conscience. Like as yron being cast into the fyre is rid from his rust, and is made glo­wing hote altogither, euen so the person tur­ning himselfe wholy vnto God, doth put off his dulnesse and is chaunged into a new man. He that is but warme, flyeth from so small [Page 42] paines and procureth outward comfort: but if the same haue begun once earnestly to mai­ster himselfe, & like a man to treade the path of Godlynesse, it happeneth that the thynges which before he felt heauye, he doth now rec­ken but for flight and easie.

Of the consideration of a mans selfe. The .v. Chapter

WE ought not to much to credit our selues, for many times we lacke both naturall giftes and wit: we are endued with slen­der light of vnderstanding, and doe soone forgo the same through negligence. Many times also we doe not marke and per­ceiue that we are in such blindnesse and igno­raunce. And againe, many times we offend: and besides, excuse the woorser sinne, & some­time, prouoked with desire we thinke it a good affection. We finde fault with other men for trifles: & we our selues doe let slip our owne faultes that be greater. Those things that o­ther men doe vnto vs, we féele very soone, and make déepe account of them: But we doe not marke and consider what other men do cary [Page] away at our handes. Vndoubtedly, if a man doe well & rightly consider his owne dooings, the same shall haue small cause to iudge o­therwise than well of an other man. The inwarde man preferreth the care of himselfe before all cares: And he that doth diligently intende hymselfe, the same doth soone holde his tongue about another man. Thou shalt neuer become inwarde & Godly, vnlesse thou wilt say nothing of another, and beholde thy selfe with especiall regarde. If thou wilt giue thy selfe wholy to thy selfe and to God, the things that shall happen outwardlye, shall but lyttle mooue thée. Where art thou be­come whylest thou art not present wyth thy selfe? or after thou hast delt with all things, what hast thou profited, thy selfe being yet neglected? That thou mayest attaine to per­fite peace and concorde, necessary it is that thou haue thy selfe onely before thyne eyes, neglecting al other things. So attainest thou perfit peace and concord. Therfore thou shalt both much profite and come forwarde, if thou A readie way to godlines if y^u giue ouer all world­ly care. giue ouer all worldely care: and againe, thou shalt much decay in godlynesse, if thou shalt set store by any worldely things. Let nothing bée in admiration, nothyng great, nothing welcome, nothyng accepted of thée, but that [Page 43] which eyther is God altogither, or belong­ing to God: and whatsoeuer comfort is of­fered of the creatures, recken all that but for vaine and vnprofitable. The soule that is in loue wyth God, despiseth all thinges in the respect of God. The euerlasting God onely, without measure, filling all thinges, is the comfort of the soule, and true ioy of heart.

Of the ioy of a good conscience. The .vi. Chapter.

THe glory of a good man consis­teth in the testimony of a good A good cō ­science is the testy­mony of a godly man. conscience. Haue alwayes a good and vpright conscience, & thou shalte enioye continuall gladnesse of heart. A good conscience is both able to beare pacientlye a great manye of things, & in the midst of his aduersitie to try­umph also with ioy: but one hauing remorse of sinne within him, is alwaies fearefull and vnquiet. Thou shalt take thy rest swéete­lye, if thy conscience doe not accuse thée. Ne­uer ioye but when thou hast done well. The wicked neuer either enioye true gladnesse, or haue the féele of peace of conscience by­cause the Godlesse (as the Lorde sayeth) are [Page] boyde of peace: But if they affirme that they doe lyue in peace, and yet saye that they are not to bée inuaded wyth aduersitie, and that no man dare to doe them hurt, beléeue them not. For the wrath of God shall be so great vpon them sodainely, that both their dooings shalbe brought to naught, and their thoughts perishe. It is no harde thing for him that lo­ueth, to boast on calamitie. For so to boast, is to boast vpon the care and prouydence of GOD. Soone ended is the glory that is ey­ther gyuen or receyued of men: and heauy­nesse doth alwaye accompanie worldly glo­rie. The glorie of the good standeth in theyr owne conscience, & not in the mouth of men. The ioy of the iust is both of God & in God, The ioye of the iust is of God, and in god. and their ioy is of the truth. He that desireth true and euerlasting glory, the same passeth not vpon temporall glory: and hée agayne that either séeketh temporal glory, or not des­piseth the same wyth hys heart, that person vtterly loueth not the heauenly glory. Great quyetnesse of mynde hath hée which passeth neyther for prayses, nor rebukes and slaun­ders. Hée sheweth hymselfe soone contented and quiet with his owne state and calling, whose conscience is cléere. Neither art thou the more holy if thou be praysed, nor yet the [Page 44] naughtier if thou bée dispraysed. Thou art as thou art: and canst not be called greater then as thou art in the sight and iudgement of God. If thou wilt consider what thou art wythin thy Soule, thou wilt not passe what men doe speake of thée outwardelye. Man séeth thy face and outwarde shape, God be­holdeth thy minde: Man wayeth thy déedes, God is on­ly the sear­cher of mannes heart. God considereth thyne intents & meanings. Euermore to doe well and to estéeme little of himselfe, is the token of a modest mynde. To admit the comfort of no worldely thing, is singuler synceritie and cleannesse, and an ar­gument of inwarde sayth and trust. Hée that séeketh for no testimonie of himselfe frō anye creature, there is no doubte, but the same hath betaken hymselfe whollye vnto GOD. For he is not to be allowed which commendeth hymselfe, (sayth Paule) but he whome God commendeth. To haue to doe wyth God in our Soule, and to be tossed out­wardly wyth no affection, is the state of the inwarde man.

Of the louing of Iesus aboue all thinges. The .vij. Chapter.

[Page] BLessed is he that vnderstandeth what it is to loue Iesus, and to despise himselfe for Iesus sake. For louing, the person beloued must be forsaken: forasmuch as Iesus will be loued onely aboue al things. The loue of worldly thinges is deceytfull & vnstable: But Iesus is faithfull and durable. He that cleaueth fast to a worldely thing, the same shall perishe wyth the thyng subiect to decay and corruption: but he that imbraceth Christ, the same abideth still for euer. Loue him, holde thée still to his friendship, which (when all men goe from thée) wyll not for­sake thée, nor at the length suffer thée to pe­rishe. Thou shalt sometime be pulled from men whether thou wilt or no, wherefore both liuing and dying, stick fast vnto Iesu, & com­mit thy selfe to his promise, which (when all men faile) is only able to helpe thée. Hée it is that is thy friende, being of that nature and propertie, that he can abide no other friende, but doth onely challenge thy soule vnto hym­selfe, and sittes as King in the seate thereof. Now if thou haddest skill to cast away the so­cietie and medling in all worldelye thynges, Iesus woulde willingly come and dwell with thée. Thou shalte in maner finde it all lost, [Page 45] whatsoeuer thou hast bestowed vpon any bo­dy besides Iesus. Trust not or staye not vpon the wauering Réede. For all men are grasse, & their whole glory doth vanishe like a flower. Thou shalt soone be deceiued, if thou shalt one­ly bende thyne eyes vpon the outwarde shew If thou trust vpon y^e outward shewe of man, thou shalt soone be decey­ued. of men. For if thou shalt séeke thy comfort & gaine in other things, thou shalt oftentimes suffer detriment or losse. If thou shalt séeke for Iesus in all things, truely thou shalt find Iesus: but if thou shalt séeke thy selfe, thou shalt find thy selfe in déede: howbeit, to thine owne, destruction. For euery man doth more hurt vnto himselfe, if hée séeke not after Ie­sus, than the whole worlde and all hys eni­mies can doe besides.

Of the familiar friendship of Iesus. The .viij. Chapter.

WHilest Iesus is present, al thin­ges are in good case, & nothing séemeth difficult or heard: but whē he is once absent, al things are vneasie. When Iesus doth not speake in the soule of man, euery comfort is but of litle force: whē the same doth speake but one worde, méere comfort is felt. So Ma­rye [Page] Magdalene did ryse from the place wher­in she wept, assoone as hir Sister Martha did bring hir word that hir Mayster was come, & that he did cal for hir. Happy is that howre in the which Iesus doth cal thée frō teares vnto the ioy of the spirit. How dry & harde art thou without Iesus? How foolish & vaine art thou if thou couet any thing besides Iesus? with greater losse, no doubt, thou doest so, then if thou shouldst léese y^e whole worlde. For what good can the world do thée without Iesus? To be without Iesus is bitter death: To be with the same Iesus, is pleasant life: If Iesus shal The ab­sence of Ie­sus is bit­ter death. be with thée no enimie shal be able to doe thée hurt. He that findeth Iesus findeth a good tre­sure, or rather the chiefest goodnes of al other. He that forgoeth the same Iesus, forgoeth too too great a commoditie. And why haue I said to great? Nay he forgoeth more thā if he lost the worlde beside. He that liueth without Ie­sus, is very poore: he that agréeth well wyth Iesus, is very rich: to be conuersaunt with Iesus, is a point of great cunning: and to be skilful in kéeping of him thy friend, is a point of great wisedome. Be modest and pacient, In modes­tie Iesus is present. and so shall Iesus be present with thée: Bée godly and quiet, and Iesus shall abide styll with thée. Thou shalt soone dryue the same [Page 46] Iesus away and shalt forgo his fauor, if thou shalt turne thy self to outward things. Now, if thou léese him by driuing of him away, vnto whome then wilt thou flie for comfort? Or what friende wilt thou then séeke for? truely without a friende thou canst not long lyue: and if Iesus shall not stand thy friende aboue all other, thou shalt bée sorye without mea­sure, being once forsaken of him. Therefore thou doest foolishly if thou trust to any beside, or reioyce in any other. Better it is to haue the whole worlde against thée, than Iesus If Iesus bée wyth thée care not for the whole worlde. onely. Wherefore of all those that are deare vnto thée, let Iesus be the dearest: Let other be loued for Iesus sake, and let Iesus bée lo­ued for his owne sake. Iesus Christ alone is singularlye to bée beloued, who among thy friendes is onely founde good and faythfull. For his sake and in hym, both thy friendes and enimies ought to be deare vnto thée, and the same Iesus must be prayed vnto for them all, that all may know and loue him. Neuer couet to be praysed and loued singularly: for this belongeth to God, who hath no péere or equall, neyther wish thou that any mannes minde should be addicted wholy vnto thée, nor be thou occupyed in the loue of any man: but let Iesus be both in thée and in all good men, [Page] haue a cleane and frée soule, and such as is without all let of worldely things. For thou must be cleane and bring a sincere soule vnto Iesus if thou wilt giue thy selfe to contem­placion, and beholde howe swéete or pleasant the Lorde is: And surely thou shalt neuer get vp to that gryce, vnlesse thou be preuented & drawen with his fauor, that all things being abolished & wholy reiected of thée, thou mayst be coupled vnto him alone. For if Gods fa­uor be the meane betwéene man and Iesus, it hapneth that man is able to doe euery thing. If the same fauor haue once departed from a man, he by and by is poore and weake, and as If a man be without the fauour of Christ, he is both poore and weake. it were one left onely for torments and whip­ping: which thinges whilest they chaunce, thou oughtest not therfore to be discouraged, or yet to dispaire, but to haue a good hope of the wyll of God, and pacientlye to beare all thy mysaduentures vnto the prayse of Iesus Christ. For Sommer followeth after Wyn­ter, and the day retourneth againe after the nyght, and great cleerenesse commeth after tempest.

Of the lacking or being without comfort. The .ix. Chapter.

[Page 47] IT is no hard matter to despyse worldely comforte, so long as Gods comfort is present wyth thée: But to be able to lacke both worldelye and Heauenlye comfort, and willingly to suffer the banishe­ment of the soule for the glory of God, and to be affectionate towarde himselfe in nothing, nor yet to behold his owne merite or reward: this surely is a great matter, or rather the greatest of all other. What great thing is it, if whilst the fauor of God is with thée, thou be chéerefull and godly? Who would not wishe for that howre as wel as thy selfe? Pleasant­ly doth he ryde, whome Gods grace doth ca­rie: & what woonder is it if he féele no burthen that is caried of the Almightie, and conducted of the highest Guide? Gladly doe we cleaue fast vnto the comfort of some creature, and hardlye doth man renounce and forsake him­selfe: yea, much and long time must he fight or striue, before hée learne fully to mayster himselfe, & to draw all his powers vnto God. So long as hée stayeth vpon hys owne selfe, he quickely falleth vnto worldely comfortes: but the true louer of Christ, and the studious folower of vertues doth not turne vnto those comforts, nor séeketh after such delites of the [Page] senses, but rather for vehement exercises, & for streight labors for Christs his sake. Ther­fore if at any time spirituall cōfort be graun­ted thée of God, receyue thou the same with thankesgiuing, and wéete thou that it is gods gift, and not thy deseruing, and be not prowd thereat. Reioyce not to much at thy gift, nor waxe prowde vainely, but be rather so much the more modest, and in all thy déedes also the more warie and fearefull. For the time of that comfort shall passe awaye, and temp­tacion shall come after. Therfore when com­fort If thou want the spirite of God dys­payre not but looke for helpe at Gods hands. is taken from thée, dispaire not forthwith but looke after helpe at Gods hand wyth mo­desty and pacience. For God is able to endue thée againe with a more ample gift, & greater comfort: Neyther is this thyng straunge or vnwoonted vnto them that haue once made tryall of the waye of God. For men of grea­test vertue, and the auncient Prophets haue assaied and felt such alteration in themselues. Therefore a certaine man endued wyth the Spirite of God, sayde thus. Whilest I was in so great felicity, I thought I should neuer haue beene disgraced againe.

And when the same felicitie was once ta­ken awaye from him, hée addeth what then happened vnto him, in these woordes: Af­terwarde [Page 48] when thou diddest hyde thy face from me, I was troubled.

And yet all thys while he dispayreth not, but prayeth vnto God so much the more ear­nestly, and sayth thus: I haue made mine in­uocation vnto thee, O Lorde, I haue made supplication vnto the Lorde.

At the last he hath the rewarde of his suppli­cation, and testifieth that he was hearde, say­ing: The Lord hath hearde me, and taken pit­tie vpon me. But wherin I pray you? Thou (sayth he) hast turned my sorow into mirth, & ridding me from my sackecloth, hast clad me with ioy. Nowe, if these things haue happe­ned to men of so great holynesse, we abiectes & néedye persons must not dispaire, although sometime we be in colde, and sometime wée bée in colde, and sometime in heate: foras­much as the spirite commeth and goeth ac­cording to his will and pleasure. And for that cause Iob sayth: Thou settest so much store by him, that thou hast a regarde ouer him, and daily doest care for him, and makest proofe or tryall of him euery houre.

Therefore in what thyng else ought I to haue hope, or whervnto else ought I to trust but onely to that mightie mercie of God, and heauenlye grace? For though I haue good [Page] men and godly brethren, and faithful friends, or bookes of holy scripture, and trim commu­nicatiō, or swéete songs and balades with me, yet doe al these things litle profite: They like me but a little, if (being forsaken of Gods spi­rit) I be left vnto mine owne néede or naked­nesse. At that time there is no better remedy than pacience and deniall of thy selfe accor­ding to the will of God. Surely I neuer chaū ­ced to talke with anye Godly person, from whome the spirite of God hath not sometime béene withdrawen, or which hath not felte a decrease of his heate. Neither hath there e­uer béene any holy man so déepely rauished & lightned in soule, but that the same hath some time at the least béene tempted, eyther fyrst or last. For he is not worthy the high contem­placion of God, who for Gods cause hath not béene exercised wyth some miserye. For the temptacion going before, is woont to be a to­ken of the comfort that commeth after. For heauenlye comfort is promised vnto them which haue béene tryed wyth temptacyons. He that shall ouercome, saith Christ, to hym will I graunt to feede vppon the Tree of lyfe. And Gods comforte is graunted that man may bée more strong to beare out aduersitie. And temptacion doth follow, least he shoulde [Page 49] be to prowde of that good commoditie. The Deuill sléepeth not, neyther is the fleshe yet mortified. And therefore neuer cease to pre­pare thy selfe to battell. For the vnquiet eni­mies are both vpon thy right hand & thy left.

Of thankefulnesse for the benefits of God. The .x. Chapter.

WHy doest thou séeke after quiet­nesse, séeing thou art borne vn­to labour? Yéelde thy selfe ra­ther vnto pacience than to com­fort: and to beare the Crosse, than to ioye and gladnesse. For what world­ly man woulde not willingly liue alwayes in spirituall comfort, if he might euermore haue and obtaine the same? which comfort excel­leth all the daynties of the worlde and plea­sures of the fleshe. For all worldelye delites are eyther dishonest or vaine: but the spiritu­all are onely pleasaunt, onely honest, onely causer of vertues, and inspired of God into pure mindes. But these comfortes of GOD are such, that no man can enioye them at his owne pleasure, bicause temptacion doth no long time cease. The false liberty of the soule, and the ouermuch confidence of a mans own [Page] selfe, doth much withstand the heauenly help or comfort: & God doth well: which bestow­eth the benefite of his comfort vpon man: but man doth naught, that doth not acknowledg the same wholy to come from God with thā ­kesgiuing. Herevpō it happeneth that Gods gifts can not flowe vnto vs, bicause wée are vnthankefull to the giuer, and doe not poure backe al things into the fountaine and spring againe. He that is thankefull, doth procure a new benefite: and that is withdrawne from the hawtie vnthankefull, which maye be be­stowed vpon the modest thankefull. I woulde not haue comfort, that shoulde take from me the pricks of awe, neither is that the cause of vnderstanding of things, which hoysteth mée vp into pryde. For whatsoeuer is high, the same is not also holy: neither is euery desire pure: neither is the same healthfull, whatsoe­uer is swéet: Neither is the same also accep­table vnto God, whatsoeuer is déere vnto mē. I receyue those benefites willinglye, by the which I maye be made the more modest and fearefull, and more readie to gyue ouer and forsake my self. He that is taught and chasti­sed wyth benefites receyued at Gods hande, and the same afterwards be taken from him againe, the same dareth not to attribute any [Page 50] goodnesse vnto himselfe, but rather confesseth himselfe néedy and naked. Giue vnto GOD that which is Gods, and ascribe to thy selfe that which is thine owne: that is to say, giue thankes vnto God for his benefites, and at­tribute sinne vnto thy selfe: and for sinne thinke that punishmentes are due vnto thée. Recken thy selfe alwaies in the lowest place, and so shal the highest be giuen thée. For there can be no highest, without respect of the low­est. Those account themselues for the least, whome God reckeneth for chiefest, bicause of their godlinesse: and the more full of glory they be, so much the more humblye they be­haue themselues, being full of truth, and hea­uenlye glory, not desirous of vaine glory. It is not possible any way that they should waxe prowde, which stande stayde vpon God: and they which ascribe vnto GOD whatsoeuer goodnesse they haue attained, the same do not couet after mutuall glory, but desire that which is of God onely, & couet that God both in himselfe and in all other holy men may be praysed aboue all things, and euermore dy­rect their dooings to that ende. Wherefore, shewe thy selfe thankfull in small things, and thou shalt bée woorthie to attaine to greater things. Let euen the least and most base gifts [Page] be reckened of thée for verie great and nota­ble. For if the worthinesse of the giuer be con­sidered, no gift or quality ought to séeme smal or course. For it is no small gift that is giuen of the high and mightie God, insomuch that if he doe giue euen punishments and stripes, the same ought to be welcome vnto vs, by­cause it maketh for our saluation whatsoeuer he suffereth to happen vnto vs. He that desi­reth to kéepe stil the grace and fauor of God, let the same shewe himselfe thankfull for the benefites giuen him, and pacient when the same be taken from him, and let him praye that they may come againe, and let him be chary, and modest, that he forgo them not.

Of the small number of the louers of Christ his Crosse. The .xi. Chapter.

IEsus hath nowe many louers of his heauenly kingdom: how­beit, he hath few bearers of his Crosse: he hath many desirous of comfort, but fewe of calami­tie: He findeth a great sort partakers of hys table, but fewe of his continencie. All men will reioyce with Christ, but fewe will suffer [Page 50] affliction with him. Manye followe Iesus e­uen to the breaking of breade, but fewe fol­lowe him to drinke of the Cup of his passion. Manye men worship his miracles, but fewe doe followe the Ignominy of his Crosse. Ma­ny doe loue Iesus so long as aduersitie doth not happen vnto them: Many doe prayse the same Iesus and giue him thankes, so long as they receyue some comfort at his handes. If the same Iesus doe hide himselfe from them, and forsake them a litle while, they fall either into complaynts and moanings, or else into ouermuch dispayre of soule. But they which loue Iesus for Iesus owne sake, and not for any comfort that they receyue of him, the same doe magnifie and prayse him, as wel in the calamities and anguishes of the mind, as in their greatest comfortes, readie to doe no lesse although he should denie and barre them of all comfort for euermore. So much is the méere loue of Iesus able to do, being blended with no priuate commoditie, or loue of hym­selfe. Therefore, they are to be called hire­lings, which doe euermore séeke after com­forts. Plaine it is that they are rather louers of themselues than of Christ, which doe al­wayes ponder theyr owne commodities and gaine. How many are there of a great num­ber [Page] that will serue God fréely and without al respectes, or which are so spirituall, that they are left bare and destytute of all worldelye thyngs? I say againe: who can fynde one poore in spirite & naked of all worldly things? and that precious fellow that must be fetched from the furthermost coastes of the worlde? Though a man doe bestowe all hys goodes, he hath yet done nothing: and though he chas­tise himselfe with a streight and earnest re­pentaunce of hys sinnes, yet is it but a small matter: and though he vnderstand all know­ledge, he is yet a great way off: and though he be indued with singular vertue, and most earnest zeale of religion, he hath as yet a gret deale lacking: namely this one which is mar­ueylous necessary for him. But what is that I praye you? Namely, that forsaking al other things, he forsake himselfe to, and departyng wholy out of himselfe, doe keepe still no pry­uate or selfe loue. When hée hath done all things that he knoweth shoulde be done, let him thinke that he hath done nothing, and let him not estéeme it much that he may be coun­ted great, but let him pronounce himselfe an vnprofitable seruaunt in déede, like as the truth saith: When you haue done all thinges which are commaunded you: yet say you thus, [Page 52] we are vnprofitable seruaunts. Then shall he at the length be néedie and naked in soule, & shall be able to say with that Prophet. Solita­rie and needie am I. And yet is no man richer then hée, no man more frée, no man more mightie, which both knoweth how to forsake himselfe and all other thinges, and to debase himselfe to the verie basest things.

Of bearing of Christ his Crosse. The .xij. Chapter.

THis séemeth a harde saying to manye men: Denie thy selfe, take vp thy Crosse and followe Iesus. But much more harde is that saying in the latter daye: Get you hence ye curssed, into fire euerlasting. For they which now willingly heare and fol­low the saying of the Crosse, the same then shall not feare that heauy sentence of euerlas­ting damnation. And this signe of the Crosse shall be in heauen, when the Lord shall come to iudge the worlde. Then all the seruants of the Crosse which haue led a life agréeable vn­to Christ that was nailed vpon the crosse shal come vnto Christ the iudge, with great fayth and trust. Why then doubtest thou to take vp [Page] thy Crosse, by the which thou goest to a king­dome? Saluacion is in the Crosse: In the Crosse is life: In the Crosse is ayde against thyne enymies: there is infusion of superna­turall pleasure in the crosse: there is strength of mynde in the Crosse: there is ioye of spi­rite in the Crosse: in the Crosse there is ex­céeding vertue: in the Crosse there is per­fection of Godlinesse. To bée short, without the Crosse, there is neyther health of soule, nor yet hope of euerlasting life. Therfore take vp thy Crosse and follow Iesus, and thou shalt go into life euerlasting. He went forth beare­ing his Crosse, and died vpon a crosse for thy sake, that thou mightest beare a Crosse also, and couet to die vpon the Crosse. For if thou shalt die togither with him, thou shalt also liue togither with him: and if thou shalt be a companion of his passion, thou shalt also be a companion of his glory For that thou maiest vnderstande thus much, al things doe consist in the Crosse, & in dying, neither is there any other waye vnto life and true peace of soule, than the way of the Crosse, and of daily mor­tifing thy selfe. Whither soeuer thou tourne thy selfe, on which side soeuer thou cast thine eyes thou shalt find no way any where aboue or beneath, neither more high or more safe, [Page 53] then is the way of the Crosse. Although thou order and fashion al things according to thine owne wyll and iudgement, yet shall it not bée possible but that thou must euermore suffer somethyng eyther willinglye or against thy will, and alwayes incurre the Crosse. For eyther thou shalt féele paine of bodye, or bée tormented wyth griefe of minde. Sometime thou shalt be forsaken of GOD: sometyme thou shalt be exercised of an other man: and (which is more gryeuous) thou shalt be tedy­ous and yrkesome vnto thine owne selfe ma­ny times: and that so farre, that thou mayest be deliuered by no remedie or comfort, but that thou must pacientlye beare the same so long as it is Gods will and pleasure that it shall so be. For God will haue thée learne to suffer miserie without comfort, and to submit thy selfe wholy vnto him, that thou mayest become the more modest in calamitie. No man féeleth the passiō of Christ so much in his hart, as he vnto whome it chaunceth to suffer the like thinges. Therefore the Crosse is al­wayes ready, & tarieth for thée euery where, neyther canst thou escape it whether soeuer thou runne. For whether soeuer thou go, thou caryest thy selfe with thée, and shalt alwayes finde thy selfe. Turne thy selfe vpward, turne [Page] thy selfe downeward, turne thy self outward, turne thy selfe inwarde, thou shalt finde the Crosse any maner of way: and necessary it is that at all times thou keepe pacience, if thou wilt enioy peace of minde, and obtaine a per­petuall Crowne. If thou wilt wyllinglye beare the Crosse, the same shall likewyse beare and stay thée, and shal bryng thée to the desired ende: namely, whereas there shall be an ende of suffering, which ende vndoubtedly shall not be in this life. If thou shalt beare it against thy wyll, thou shalte cause a burthen vnto thy selfe, and shalte agréeue and waye down thy selfe the more, and yet must néedes beare it for all that. If thou shalt cast awaye one Crosse, thou shalt surely incurre another and the same perhaps more heauy. Dost thou hope that thou shalt escape that, which no man liuing could euer decline or turne from? Which of the Godly men in the worlde hath there euer béene without his Crosse and mise­rie? Our Lorde Iesus Christ was not an houre voyde of sorrowe and torment, so long as he lyued in this worlde. For it behooued Christ to suffer, and to rise againe frō death, and so to enter his glory: and wilt thou séeke any other way besides this high waye of the Crosse? The whole life of Christ was a crosse [Page 54] and torment: and wilt thou séeke rest and ioy vnto thy self? Thou wandrest out of the way, thou wandrest out of the way, I say, if thou séeke any other meane then the pacient suffe­ring of calamities: bicause thys mortall lyfe of ours is altogither full of miseries, and hed­ged round about with Crosses: and the more euery man hath profited in godlinesse, into so much the more gréeuous Crosses doth he fal, namely when the paine of calamity doth en­crease the more through loue. And yet doth not this man of whome I talke, being pressed with so manifolde calamities, lacke the ease of comfort, for asmuch as he also féeleth that hée taketh plentifull commoditie and friut by thys Crosse. For whilst that he submitteth himselfe of hys owne accorde vnto the crosse, it happeneth that the whole burthen of cala­mitie is tourned into the trust of Gods com­fort: and the more the fleshe is ouertourned with calamitie, so much the more is the spirit strengthened wyth the comfort of the soule. And so much is he sometime confirmed in the féele of calamitie and aduersitie (to great is the loue of the similitude of Christ his afflicti­on,) that he wisheth not to be voide of sorrow and misery, bicause he beléeueth that he shall be so much the more accepted of God, the mo [Page] and the more grieuous things that he can pa­ciently beare for his sake. Neyther doth that thing chaunce by mans vertue and power, but through the benefit of Christ, which can doe so much, and bringeth so much to passe in our fraile flesh, that the thing which man na­turallye doth alwayes abhorre and flye, the same yet he attempteth and loueth through the feruentcy of the spirite. It is not in mans reach to beare the Crosse, to loue the Crosse, to tame and subdue the body, to flye from ho­nours, willyngly to take reproches and de­spites, to despise himselfe, and to wishe to bée despised, paciently to suffer al aduersities and losses, and to desire no maner of prosperitie in this worlde. None of all these things canst thou doe of thy selfe, if thou shalt depende vp­pon thy selfe: but if thou shalt put thy trust in the Lorde, strength shall bée giuen thée from Heauen: and the worlde, and the fleshe shall be subdued vnto thy rule and dominion. Nay, thou shalt not feare the enimitie of the Deuill neyther, if thou be armed with fayth, and marked with the Crosse of Iesus. Wher­fore, apply thy selfe (like as it becommeth the faithfull and good seruaunt of Christ) to beare the Crosse of the Lord manfully, nayled vp­on the Crosse for thy sake, through very pure [Page 55] loue. Be thou readie to beare many aduersi­ties, and diuers incommodities in this wret­ched lyfe: for so shal it frame with thée wher­soeuer thou shalt liue: and this condicion must be suffred of thée altogither whersoeuer thou shalt lye hidde, neyther is there any way in any place to escape the misery of calamities, and sorrowes, but that the same must be pa­ciently suffered. Drinke thou of the Lordes Cup gréedilye, if thou couet to be his fryende and partner. And as touching the comforts, commit thou them to God: let him vse them according to his good will and pleasure. Bée thòu wholy gyuen to beare calamities, and recken the same for very great comforts.

Neyther are the calamityes of thys lyfe counternayling the glorye to come that wée shall at the length enioy, although thou were able alone, and no body but thy selfe to suffer them al. After that thou art come so farre for­warde that it is a swéete and pleasaunt thing vnto thée to beare aduersitye for Christ hys sake, then thinke that thou art in good case, which hast alreadie founde the kingdome of heauen vpō the earth, againe, so long as thou shalt be grieued to beare them, and shalt flye from them, so long shalt thou be in euill case, & the auoyding or flying from calamitie shall [Page] vexe thée euery where. But if thou shalt ap­plye thy selfe to thy duetye, that is to saye, to suffer and mortifie olde Adam, thou shalte shortlye be eased, and shalt finde peace. Al­though thou be wrapt wyth Paule, euen into the third heauen, yet hast thou no warrantize or assuraunce that thou shalt suffer no maner of aduersitie. I (saith Iesus) will shew vnto him howe much he must suffer for my names sake. Therfore it is necesiary that thou doe suffer, if it lyke thée to loue Iesus, and to serue him euermore. And would to God thou were wor­thie to suffer some thing for the name of Ie­sus. How much glory shal arise both vnto thy selfe therby, and ioy to all the saints, and pro­fite vnto men? For pacience doe all men cō ­mend, though few be willing to suffer. Sure­ly there is great cause why thou shouldest be willing to suffer a litle for Christ his sake, sée­ing thou sufferest much more paineful things to compasse the worlde. And wote thou well this, that thou must liue by dying vnto thy self, and the more that euery man doth dye vnto himself, so much the more doth the same waxe aliue vnto God. No man is apt or fit to com­prehende heauenly things, but he which shall submit himselfe to beare aduersitie for Christ his sake. Finally, nothing is either more ac­ceptable [Page 56] vnto God, or more healthfull vnto thy selfe in this life thā willingly to suffer for Christ: in so much that if thou be put to thy choyse, thou oughtest to desire rather to suffer aduersitie for Christ, thā to be refreshed with many comfortes. For so shalt thou be the li­ker both vnto Christ & to al his holy seruants. Neither is our merite and the comming for­warde in our duetie consisting in plentye of pleasures and comforts, but rather impacy­ent bearing of gréeuous euilles and calami­ties. Now, if there had béene any better way, or more healthfull vnto man than to suffer aduersities, no doubt Christ woulde haue shewed the same vnto vs by his wordes and déedes. But now he exhorteth his disciples & followers, and all those that are desirous to doe as he did, manifestly to beare the Crosse, and that in this wise: If any man will followe me, let him renounce himselfe, and take vp his Crosse and follow me. Therfore al things beyng reade ouer and tryed, let this bée the conclusion of our talke: we must enter into the king­dome of God by ma­nye calami­ties.

Of the inwarde communication of Christ with the faithfull soule. The first Chapter.

IWil heare what the Lord GOD speaketh within mée. Blessed be the soule, which heareth the Lorde speakyng wythin hym, and receyueth the worde of comfort at hys mouth. Blessed are the eares that receiue the sounde of that noyse that God maketh vnto them, and take no héede at all vnto the noises of this world. Blessed altogither are the eares which harcken not vnto the voyce that soun­deth outwardelye, but heareth the truth and speakeing inwardlye. Blessed are the eyes which being shut vnto outward thinges, are wholly bent vpon inward things. Blessed are they that pierce vnto inward things, and doe more and more endeuor to prepare thēselues by daily exercises to receiue heauenly secrets. Blessed are they that take it ioyefully to giue themselues vnto god, and to ridde themselues from all worldely let. Marke these things, O my soule, and shutte foorth desires, that thou [Page 57] mayest able to heare what thing the LORD God doth speake in thée. Thy friende speak­eth these things: I am thy health and saluati­on, I am thy peace, I am thy lyfe: cleaue first vnto me, and thou shalt finde peace. Let passe all worldly things, and séeke for euerlastyng things. For what are all temporall thinges, but onely very deceites: Or what doe all the Creatures profite thée, if thou be forsaken of the Creator? Wherfore, reiecting al things, make thy selfe accepted and faythfull to thy Creator, that thou mayest be able to attayne vnto true blessednesse.

That the truth doth speake within vs with­out noyse of wordes. The .ij. Chapter.

SPeake Lorde: for thy seruant doth hearcken, I am thy ser­uant, giue me vnderstanding, that I maye learne thy lawes and decrées. Incline my soule to the wordes of thy mouth, bicause thy talke floweth lyke vnto dewe. The Israelites sayd to Moyses in olde time: Speake thou vnto vs, and wee will heare thee: but let not the Lorde speake least we shoulde die. Howbeit, I [Page] pray not so, O Lorde, I pray not so: but ra­ther with the Prophet Samuell, doe humbly and earnestly beséeche thée thus: speake on Lorde: For thy seruaunt doth hearken. And let not Moyses or any other of the Prophets speake vnto mée: but doe thou rather speake vnto me, O God, being the inspirer and gy­uer of life vnto al the Prophets, who art able alone without them to instruct me. Whereas they on the other side wythout thée can pre­uayle nothing. In déede they may vtter and sounde foorth the wordes: but the spirite they doe not giue. They speake in déede very trim­lye: but if thou holde thy peace, they doe not kindle and stirre vp the soule. They teache the letters, but thou openest the meaning.

They speake foorth the secretes: but thou vnlockest the vnderstanding of the thinges signified. They vtter the commaundements: but thou helpest to performe the same. They shewe the waye: but thou giuest strength to walke ouer the same: they handle the matter outwardlye: but thou instructest and gyuest lyght vnto the minds. They water outward­ly, but thou giuest the fruitfulnesse. They cry out in words: but thou giuest vnderstanding to the hearer. Wherfore let not Moises speak vnto me, but thou, O Lorde my God, beyng [Page 58] the euerlasting truth, least I die and be made vnfruitefull: or least if I shall be admonished outwardly onely, and not also kindled or in­flamed within, thy worde being hearde, & not practised, knowne, & not loued, beléeued, and not kept, make but vnto my punishment. Therfore do thou speake, O Lord, for thy ser­uant doth giue eare. For thou hast the words of euerlasting life. Speake vnto me (I saye) that thing, which may bring both comfort vn­to my soule, and amendement vnto my whole life, and also may cause glory and immortall honour vnto thée.

That the wordes of God are to be heard hum­bly: and that the same notwithstanding be not pondred and weyed of most men. The thirde Chapter.

SOnne, heare my words, being wordes most swéete and plea­sant, and such as doe excell all the wysedome of the Philoso­phers and wise of this worlde. My words are spirite and life, and not to bée wayed with mans wit and policie, nor yet to [Page] be drawn vnto vaine pleasure, but to be hard with silence, and to be receiued with all mo­destie and godlynesse.

Blessed is he whome thou in­structest and traynest vp in knowledge, O Lorde, and doest teache thy lawe, that thou mayest helpe him in time of trouble, that hée perish not.

I both haue taught the Prophets long since in olde time, and euen yet also now doe not cease to speake vnto all men. Howe­beit many are deafe and hard hearted at my voyce. Most men doe more willingly heare the worlde, than God, and doe sooner obey the appetite and desire of their owne fleshe, than the wyll of God. The worlde promyseth but temporall and small thyngs, and yet is it ser­ued with great gréedinesse. I doe promise ex­céeding great, and euerlasting things: & yet are the hearts of men heauy and dull. What is he that serueth and obeieth me in al things Satan Prince of the worlde. wyth so great care, as the worlde and the LORDE of the worlde are serued? Bée ashamed of it: and if thou wouldest knowe why, hearken and giue eare vnto me: Many men doe run a great iourney for a little wages or hier: and there be scarcely a fewe that will once step forward a fote to get euerlasting life. [Page 59] A vile rewarde is painefully sought for: men doe shamefullye go to lawe togither, some­time for a small péece of money: and men doubt not both day and night to be tryed for a vaine tryfle, and small promise: but it yrketh them to traueyle (euen the least thing in the worlde) for a good thing vnchaungeable, for a rewarde vnestimable, for honor excéeding, and for glory immortall. Therefore be thou ashamed, thou slow & complayning seruant, bycause they are more ready and quicke vnto destruction, than thou art vnto lyfe: and doe more reioyce in vanitie, than thou in truth. And as for them, they are disappoined of their hope sometime: but my promise deceiueth no man, nor sendeth any man away vnspedde of his erraunt, putting his trust in mée. That which I promise and prouounce in words, the same doe I performe and fulfill in déede, in case a man doe perseuere stil vnto the ende in the loue of me. I am the rewarder of all good thinges, I am also an earnest searcher and tryer of all the godly. Wryte my wordes in thy heart, and occupie thy selfe diligently a­bout the same. For they shall bée verye ne­cessary in the time of thy trouble. The things that thou vnderstandest not when thou rea­dest them, the same shalt thou knowe in the [Page] time of thy curyng and healyng. And after two sortes am I woont to cure and heale my elect: that is, wyth temptacyon and wyth comforte: and the same I dailye scoole twoo wayes. Fyrst in fynding faulte wyth theyr sinnes then with exhorting and stirring them vp vnto the increase of vertues. He that hath my words and despiseth the same, he hath that of which he shall be cōdemned in the last day.

¶ A prayer by which heauenly doctrine and religion is called for. The .iiij. Chapter.

O My God, which art my whole goodnesse: who am I, that I dare bée so bolde as to speake vnto thée? I am thy most pore slaue, and vile worme, & much more poore & more vile, than I eyther know my selfe, or dare tell vnto thée. And yet O Lorde, be thou mindefull euen of this same A true de­scription of man. thing, y^e I am nothing, that I haue nothing, & that I am nothing worth. Thou only art good thou iust, thou holy, thou art able to doe all things, thou perfourmest all thyngs, thou ful­fillest al things, leauing the sinful only voyd & [Page 60] emptie. Remember thy mercy, O Lord, and fill my soule wyth thy fauor, which wilt not God hath made euery thing to some vse or ende. haue thy workes to be good for nothing. For howe maye I continue in thys wretched life, vnlesse thy mercy & fauor do strengthen me? Turne not thy face away from me: Deferre not thy curing of me from day to day: With­draw not thy cōfort from me, least my soule doe sée me in thy sight like vnto the earth that is voyde of moysture. Lorde teach me to doe thy will: teach mée to walke worthilye and humblye before thée. For thou art my wyse­dome, and doest both know, and hast knowne me perfectly, aswell before that I was borne into the worlde, as also before the worlde it selfe was made.

That truth and modestie in the sight of God is to be exercised. The .v. Chapter

SOnne, practise thou truth in my sight, and alwaies séeke me in singlenesse of heart. He that exerciseth truth in my sight, the same shal be defended from the inuasions of euill, and him shall truth deliuer [Page] from deceiuers and siaunderers of the wyc­ked. Now, if the truth shall deliuer thee, thou shalt be frée in déede, and shalt not passe vpon the vayne wordes of men.

It is as thou sayest, Lord: and let me be so delt withall I pray thée, to wéet: that thy truth may teach me, may kéepe me, and maye bring me vnto an happie ende. Let the same deliuer me from all wicked lust, and from inordinate loue: So shall it be brought to passe, that I maye vse great libertie and freedome of soule towardes thée.

And I will teach thée what is right, & what is acceptable vnto me. Call thy sinnes to remembraunce with great sorrow and heauinesse of hart, and doe thou chalenge any thing vnto thy selfe for thy good déedes. For in verye déede thou art sinfull, and en­daungered and inwrapped in many diseases of the minde, which goest euermore of thyne owne nature vnto nothing, and soone fallest, art soone ouercome, art soone troubled, and throwne downe headlong. Finally, thou hast nothing wherin thou mayst glory and boast, but rather many things for which thou ough­test to set litle by thy selfe. For thou art much more weake than that thou art able to per­ceyue the same. Wherfore sée that none of all [Page 61] thy workes séeme great vnto thée. Sée thou think nothing of thy loftinesse, nothing preci­ous & woonderfull, nothing to be reuerenced, nothing high, nothing prayse woorthy, and to be desired in déede, sauing that which is euer­lasting. Let the euerlasting truth please théé aboue all thinges, and let thy excéeding vyle­nesse displease thée. Feare nothing so much, dispraise and flie from nothyng so much, as thy vices and sinnes, which ought more to myslyke thée, then the losse of anye manner thing besides. Some doe not behaue them­selues towardes me purely and sincerely, but rather (being led with a certaine curiosity and arrogancie) doe studiously search out my se­crets and high mysteries, neglecting them­selues, and their owne saluation. These folo­wers doe many times fal into gréeuous tēp­tacions, and sinnes, for their owne curiositie and pryde, bicause I am against them. But being timerous, doe thou stande in awe of the sentence and wrath of almightie GOD, and search not out the works of the almighty, but search thorowly thine own faults, either how much euill thou hast done, or else howe much good thou hast neglected. Some doe beare a­bout their whole religion and Godlinesse in beekes onely, some in pictures: some in oute­warde [Page] signes and figures: Other carye mée in their mouth, but not so in theyr heart. Con­trariwise, there are, which being of perfite vnderstanding in minde, and pure in hart, doe euermore breath and couet after euerlasting things, doe heare of earthly things against their willes, do that which nature necessarily requireth with griefe & sorrow: and these in déede doe féele what the spirite of truth doth speake within them, as they which doe teach them to loue heauenly thinges, despising the earthlye, and both daye and night doe couet heauen, the worlde being contemned.

The praise of God, and thankesgiuing for be­nefites: and likewise of the force of the loue of God. The .vi. Chapter.

I Prayse thée, O heauenly Fa­ther, the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christ, which hast vouch­safed to remember mée néedie Soule. O father of mercy, and God of al comfort, I giue thée thanks, which refreshest me, being vnworthy of al comfort, sometime with thy comfort. I praise & mag­nifie thée euermore, and also thy onely begot­ten [Page 62] Sonne, and thy holy ghost the comforter, worlde without ende. Oh my Lorde God, O the holy louer of me, when thou shalt come in­to my soule, I will reioyce with my whole heart. Thou art my glory, and the reioyce of my heart: Thou art my hope and refuge in the time of my calamitie and trouble. But bi­cause I am yet of weake loue and vnperfite vertue, I recken it necessary to be confirmed of thée, and to be comforted at thy handes. Wherefore, visite me oftentimes, & instruct me with holy discipline. Deliuer mée from wicked affections of the Soule, and heale my minde from all the vnruly desires and vices: that being healed inwardly, and well purged, I maye be made fit to loue, strong to suffer, constant to perseuere. Loue is a great mat­ter: no doubt, a great good thing: which (one­ly) doth make light each thing that is heauy, and beareth equally whatsoeuer is vnequall. For it beareth a burthē without any burthen, and doth turne all bitter thinges into swéete and sauorie. The same Iesus (I saye) beyng our Noble Loue, doth inforce to doe great things and euermore stirreth vp to desire the things that are more perfite. Loue will be a­boue, and not kept still with any low things. Loue will be frée, and voyde from all worldly [Page] affection, least hir inwarde sight be hindered, or least it bée enwrapped eyther wyth some temporall commoditie, or ouercome with in­commoditie. Nothing is more swéete than Loue, nothing more strong, nothyng more déepe, nothing more broade, nothing more pleasant, nothing more full. Nothing better eyther in Heauen or in earth: bycause it is sprong of God, and can not rest but in God, aboue all the creatures. The louer flyeth, runneth, reioyceth, is frée, and is not holden: It giueth all thinges for all things, and hath all things in all thinges, as the which rest­eth in one highest thyng aboue all thynges, out of which floweth and spryngeth all good­nesse. It looketh not vppon hys gyftes, but turneth it selfe vnto the gyuer aboue all good gyftes. Loue canne not tell howe to kéepe measure, but is feruente beyonde all measure. Loue féeleth no burthen, passeth nothing vpon paines, endeuoreth aboue hir strength, nothyng at all waying whether the same bee possible to bée done or not, for­asmuch as it thinketh nothyng to harde for it selfe, nothing vnlawefull. Therefore it is of force vnto all things, and bringeth manye things to an ende, if the louer doe not giue o­uer and be tired. Loue watcheth, and sléeping [Page 63] doth not slumber: laboring is not wearyed: pressed downe, is not oppressed: made afeard, is not troubled: but (like as the liuely flame and burning torch) doth couet out vpwarde, and doth pierce thorowe safely. If any man doe loue, he knoweth what this saying mea­neth. The very ardent affection of the soule is a great cry in the eares of the Lord, whilst it sayth thus: O my God, O my loue, thou art wholy mine, and I am thyne altogyther. Bring forth in mée a plentifull loue, that I maye learne with the inwarde mouth of my hcart to taste howe swéete and pleasaunt a thing it is to loue, and as it were being mol­ten, to swim in loue. Cause that I maye so burne in loue, that I may ouer come my selfe with the feruentey of my study and affection, Let me sing the ballade of loue, let me follow thée aloft my friende and louer, let mée sing thy prayses wyth so great Loue, that I may be swallowed vp through the feruentcy of affection. Let me loue thée more than mine owne selfe: Nay, let me loue neither my self, nor any man else beside (which doth loue thée in déede) but both for thée, and in thée, like as the lawe of loue shyning and casting hir bea­mes out of thée, doth commaunde. Loue is swift, sincere, godly, delectable and pleasant, [Page] strong, pacient, faithful, wise, long suffering, manlike, and neuer applying it selfe to hyr owne commoditie. For when a man is giuen to himselfe, then doth loue fall away. Loue is circumspect, modest, straight, not daintie, not lyght, nor bent to vanities, sober, chaste, con­stant, quiet, and temperate in all the senses. Loue is subiect and obedient to his betters, alwaies vile and despised in his own conceit, vertuous and thankefull towardes God, full of confidence and trust, and alwaies in hope, euen then when it selfe is lothed of God: For­asmuch as without gréefe & paine there is no lyuing in loue. He that is not ready to suffer al things, & to apply himselfe to the wil of his friend & louer, y^e same is vnworthy to be called a louer. In cōclusion, a louer must imbrace all hard & bitter things for his friends sake, & not to be deuided from him, bicause of aduersitie.

Of the triall of the true Louer, and how the enimie must be resisted. The .vij. Chapter.

SOnne, thou art not yet a strong and wise Louer.

Why so Lord?

Bycanse thou lea­uest off thine enterpryse for a [Page 64] small assault and temptacion, and séekest af­ter comfort with ouer much gréedinesse. A valyaunt Louer standeth still by temptaci­ons, and doth not credite the crafty perswasi­ons Mans ioy in trou­bles. of the enimie: & is so delighted with pros­peritie, that he is nothing offended with ad­uersity. The wise louer doth not so much way the gift of his Louer, as the loue of the giuer. The same rather considereth the minde and meaning, then the commoditie and profite: & in respect of his friend, neglecteth al his gifts. The noble Louer resteth not in the gift, but in mée aboue euery gift. Neither must thou foorthwith discourage thy selfe, if at any time thou thinke otherwise then well either of me, or of my Godly seruauntes against thy will. That good and swéete affection wherewyth thou art sometime delighted, is the affection of present fauour, and a certaine foretaste of thy heauenly Countrey, vpon the which fore­taste thou must not staye to much, bicause it suffereth alteration. But to fight against the wicked motions of the minde, and to despise the intisements of the Deuill, this (in déede) is the worke of vertue, and a thing worthye of great rewarde. Therefore there is no cause why these absurde imaginations shoulde so greatly vexe and torment thée, that art woont [Page] to arise of euery trifling occasion. Perseuere thou constantly in thy purpose and enterprise. and be of a sincere minde towarde God. Nei­ther is it an illusion that thou sometime art sodainely rauished aloft, and by and by doest returne againe to the olde fonde trifles of thy minde: which forasmuch as thou rather suf­ferest against thy will, than art the Author & causer of them, and dost struggle against thē so long as they myslike thée, they are rather profitable than pernicious. Wéete thou that that olde enimie doth therevnto wholly bend himselfe to let thy study in goodnesse, and to call thée away from al exercise of godlynesse, to weete, from the deuoute Meditacion and memorie of Christ his passion, from the war­ding and kéeping of thy soule, from the firme purpose, to come forward in vertue. The wic­ked Note the sutteltie of the Deuill for two causes. Féende minystreth great varietie of thoughts to beat a wearinesse and trembling feare into thée, to the intent he maye reuoke thée from prayer & readyng of holy scripture. The humble confession of thy sins doth mis­like him: & if he coulde, he woulde withdraw thée from the Communion. But beléeue him not, nor passe not vpon him, though he cast his subtile snares and trappes ouer thée ma­ny times. When his suggestions are euil and [Page 65] filthie, turne them vpon him againe, and say thus vnto him. Be gone, thou vncleane spirit, blush thou wretch, and be ashamed thou vyle beast: Thou wicked deceyuer, that doest put such things into my head, get thée hence from me. For thou shalt preuaile with me nothing at all. For Iesus my fellowe souldier will be present with mée, and thou shalt be ouercome shamefully. I had rather die, and had rather suffer any thing in the worlde, then once con­sent vnto thée. Holde thy peace and be still, I wil not now heare thée though thou make me to haue a great deale of trouble. The Lord is my light and sauing health, whome shall I feare? The Lord is the strength of my life: at whome shall I tremble: If whole armyes come against me, my soule shal not be afeard whilst the Lorde doth succour and deliuer me. Fight like a valiant souldier: and if tho­row weakenesse thou take a fall at any time, take a better hart vnto thée againe, hauing a good hope of my fauour towardes thée, euen greater then before: and in any wise beware of vaine arrogancie and pride, which is the cause that many men are led into errour, and doe sometime fall into blindenesse and igno­raunce almost incurable. Let that fall of the prowde angels foolishly chalenging to much [Page] to themselues, cause thée to beware and to liue in continuall modestie and humilitie.

Of modest hyding the benefites of God. The .viij. Chapter.

SOnne, it is both profitable and safe or sure for thée to dissemble the affection of godlinesse, and not to extol the same in words, in craking thereof somewhat insolentlye, or to aduaunce the same aboue measure, but rather to despise thy selfe, and to lyue in feare, as one that hath the same vn­worthilye bestowed vppon thée. Thou must not to earnestly cleaue fast vnto that affection which may soone be changed into the contra­rie. Thinke with thy self, so long as thou hast Gods grace with thée, how wretched and née­dye thou art woont to be without his grace: & recken not, that the commyng forwarde and profiting in spirituall life doth only consist in that point, to enioy the benefite of heauenlye comfort: but also if thou modestly, tempe­rately, and paciently, doe take the withdraw­ing of the same, so that thou doe not saint and ware dull, or slowe at that time in the great [Page 66] desire of praying, nor suffer thy other accusto­med exercises to bée wholy left and forsaken, but after the best sort that thou art able and knowest, doest that thing willingly which is in thy power, and not vtterly neglect thy du­tie, for that dryenesse or vexation of minde which thou féelest in thy selfe. For many if it be not so well with them as they woulde haue it, doe become forthwith impacient or sloth­full. It is not alwaies in the power of man to rule and gouerne his owne matters: but it belongeth to God, both to giue & to comfort, both when he will, and howe much he wyll, and whome he will, and that alwaies as it li­keth him best. Some being vncertaine and vnstayed haue cast themselues away frō the study of godlinesse bestowed vpon them, whi­lest they endeuoring aboue their strength, doe not throughly consider their owne corrupti­on and wickednesse, but rather followe the affection of their minde, then the iudgement of reason. Bycause these fellowes haue taken greater matters vpon thē, then it was gods wil and pleasure they should, they haue quick­lye lost the fauor of God: and they which had made them a nest in heauen, euen those same became néedy, vile, and forsaken: to the intent that they, being pressed downe and impoue­rished, [Page] might learne to fiye, not with theyr owne wings, but to staye themselues vppon my Fethers. They which are yet but begin­ners and vnskilfull of the waye of the Lorde, vnlesse the same obay the counsaile of the wi­ser sorte, they may soone be deceiued & throw­en downe headlong: and if the same haue ra­ther yéelded to their owne opinion, then obai­ed the practised and beaten souldiers, those are in the greater daunger, bicause they woulde not be retired from the opinion that they had once conceyued in themselues. It is seldome séene that one séeming wise in his owne con­ceyte, can modestly beare the commaunde­ment of an other. Therefore it is better to haue little wit with modesty, and slender vn­derstanding of things, then for his abundant knowledge to stand to much in his owne con­ceyt. Better it is to haue lesse, then hauyng much to be prowde. He doth not behaue him­selfe circumspectlye ynough, which betaketh himselfe wholly vnto ioy, forgetting his olde néedinesse, and the chaste feare of the Lorde, which feare is woont to stande in awe of lée­sing the benefites alreadie bestowed vppon him. Surelye that person is not Godly wise sufficiently, which behaueth hymselfe to des­perately in the time of aduersitie and trou­ble, [Page 67] and thinketh and iudgeth of me with lesse trust and confidence then he ought to doe. Hée that sheweth himselfe to carelesse in the tyme of peace, the same is often to much dis­couraged and faynte hearted in the time of warre. If thou haddest alwayes skill to shew thy selfe modest and of a lowelye minde, and to rule and gouerne thy spirites aryght, thou shouldest not so soone fall into daunger & offence. It is a point of assurance, to cast what shal come after, if the light shall depart after thou hast conceiued the spirite of feruour and heate. And againe, when the same hath so chaunced in déede, to think that the same light may returne againe, being therefore of mée withdrawne, that both thou mayest be made the more warie, and I become thereby the more glorious. For many times, such trial is more expediēt, then if thou shouldest alwaies enioy prosperitie, according as thou wouldest haue it. For the workes of Godlinesse & ver­tue doe not stande vpon that point, that thou shouldest be full of heauenly visions and com­forts, or be skilful in learning or knowledge, or be placed in a high degrée: but if thou stay vpon true modesty: if thou be full of heauenly charity and loue: if thou alwaies studie for Gods glory chastly and sincerely: if thou set [Page] naught by thy self, but vnfainedly despise thy selfe, & also reioyce more to be despised & pres­sed downe of other, then to be honored of thē.

Of setting little by a mans selfe in the sight of God. The .ix. Chapter.

I Dare speake vnto my Lorde, being my selfe but Dust and Ashes: and if I shoulde set somewhat by my selfe, yet doest thou stande against me, & my owne sinnes doe beare true witnesse a­gainst me: which witnesse I am not able to gainesay. But if I, by thinking my selfe vyle shall bring my selfe to nothyng, and (by cast­ing Man coū ­ting hym­selfe but dust, shall by grace ob taine the sauour of God. all estimation of my self away from me) shal recken my selfe but for dust, as I am in deed, thē shal thy grace be fauorable vnto me, & thy lyght approch néere vnto my hart: & so shall it happen, that if I haue euer set by my selfe the least thing that can be, euen that shal vanish away for euer, when I am altogither pressed downe vnto nothyng. Herein thys case thou shalt shewe vnto mée what I am, what I haue béene, and from whence I haue come. Namely, nothing, and from no­thing: [Page 68] who if I be left once vnto my self, am forthwith nothing but méere infirmitie and weakenesse. But if thou haue sodainely looked backe vpon me, by and by I am made strong The loue of God bringeth gladnesse. and am replenished with new gladnesse. And great woonder it is to sée that I shoulde so so­dainely be lifted vp aloft, when thou doest so gently imbrace me, which am of mine owne waight and pronesse alwaies caried vnto the lowest things. Thy loue fréely preuēting me, and helping me in so many necessities, & de­fending mée from grieuous perilles, and to speake truely, snatching me out of infinite e­uilles, is the cause of this thing. For I both haue lost my selfe in louing my selfe disorder­ly, and also haue found both myselfe & thée, in séeking thée onely, and in louing thée sincere­ly, & with the same loue also haue I the more plunged my selfe into nothing. For thou (O my most swéete Lorde) doest bestowe moe God is more mer­ful then ei­ther we de­sire or de­serue. things vpon me, not onely then I am able to deserue, but also then I dare hope for: I will not saye craue for. O my GOD, I giue thée thankes, that though I be vnworthy of all goodnesse, yet thy nobilitie and infinite good­nesse doth neuer cease to doe good vnto the in­gratefull, and to those that are turned far a­way from thée. Turne thou vs vnto thée, that [Page] we may be thankfull, humble, religious, and godly, which art our helth, vertue, & strength.

That we ought to driue all our doings to gods glory, as to the fardest ende or marke that we shoote at. The .x. Chapter.

SOnne, I must be thy highest & fardest ende, if thou desire to be blessed and happy. By this in­tent of thine shall thy witte bée purged, being wickedly prone many times to it selfe, & also to the creatures. For as soone as in any thing thou studiest for thine owne commodity, thou fallest and wy­therest as dry by and by in thy selfe. There­fore thou must referre and direct all thinges to mée onely, bicause I haue giuen al things: and thou knowest that euery thing doth flowe from me, as from the highest and most prin­cipall goodnesse, and that therefore they are to be reduced vnto me againe, as to their own fountaynē and spring. As well the small as the great, as well the riche as the poore, doe draw liuely water out of me, as out of a liue­ly fountaine and they which serue me of their owne accord, and after a frée and honest sort, [Page 69] shall be laden with benefites vpon benefites. But if any will glory out of me, or be deligh­ted with any priuate goodnesse, the same shall not obtaine parpetuall & true ioye with glad­nesse of heart, but shall incurre diuers incom­modities and anguishes of minde. Therefore oughtest thou to ascribe and impute no good­nesse nor no vertue, eyther to thy selfe or to a­ny man liuing, but to acknowledge althings for Gods benefites, without whom man hath nothing. It is I that haue giuen all thing, & it is euen I also that doe chalenge all things vnto my selfe, by good right, and with great seueritie doe require giuing of thanks. This is the truth, by which the vanity of mans glo­ry is chased away. And who so shall be indu­ed with heauenly fauour & true loue, the same shall neither be attached with enuie, nor dis­couraged in hart, nor shall be holden with the loue of himself. For Gods loue ouercommeth al things, and displayeth or spreadeth abroad all the powers of the soule. Nowe, if thou bée rightly wise, thou shalt reioyce in me onely, thou shalt put thy trust in mée onely, accor­ding as GOD onely is good, to bée praysed aboue all thinges, and to be magnified in all things.

That it is a sweete thing to serue God and to despise the worlde. The .xi. Chapter.

NOwe will I speake againe, O Lorde, & will not kéepe silence, and will speake after this sorte in the eares both of my God, & my Lorde, and my king, inha­biting the high heauen. O how great is that pleasure, O Lord, which thou hast reposed or The Lord careth for the righ­teous. layed vp for them that feare thée? not onely for them that loue thée but also for them that serue thée with their whole heart. The swéetenesse of the beholding of thée, is cer­tainelye vnspeakable, which thou giuest vn­to thy Louers: and in that point hast thou spe­cially shewed forth the swéetnesse of thy loue, that when I had no being, thou then diddest make me: and afterwarde, when I went far astray from thée, diddest bring me againe in­to the waye, that I might serue thée, and didst giue me in commaundement to loue thée. O fountaine of continuall loue, what may I say to thée, or how may I forget thée, which hast vouchsafed to remember me: which contrary [Page 70] to all hope, hast vied mercy toward me thine owne, and after that I was corrupted and perished, and hast wonne my heart vnto thée with thy fauor & friendship, when I did sée no plesure at all? For which liberalitie of thine, what thanks shal I render vnto thée againe? I will euen serue thée. But what great matter is it to serue thée, whome the whole worlde ought to serue? That rather séemeth great and woonderfull in thy sight, that thou vouchsafest to admit and take into thy seruice so néedie, so vnworthy a person, and to choose him into the number of thy beloued seruants. Beholde, all things are thine, whatsoeuer I haue or possesse, and by which I doe thée ser­uice. All good things cō ­meth of God. But howe is this, that thou doest more serue mée, than I doe serue thée? Sée, the heauen and the earth, which thou hast made for mans commodities, are at hande, and doe euery daye whatsoeuer thou cōmandest them to doe. Nay, thou hast made and ordained the Aungels ordained for the vs of man. Aungels also for mans vses. But the verye greatest matter of all is, that thou thy selfe hast vouchsafed to serue man, and hast promi­sed that thou wilt giue thine owne selfe vnto him. For which thy infinite benefites, what thanke shall I yéelde thée againe? I praye GOD I maye bée able to serue thée in [Page] all my life long. I praye God I may be such a one, as may serue thée but euen one day as I ought to doe. Thou in déede art worthye of al seruice, of all honor, and euerlasting praise. Thou in déede art my Lorde, and I am thy simple seruant, which am bound to serue thée wyth all my strength, and neuer to be filled or satisfied wyth thy praises. And surely so I will, so I doe desire: and whatsoeuer is wan­ting vnto me, doe thou vouchsafe to supplye it. Great honor, great glory it is to serue thée, and to despise al things for thy sake. For they shall carie with them great rewarde, that of their owne accorde haue put themselues in subiection vnto this most holy seruice, & shall finde the most pleasant comfort of the holye Ghost, that haue renounced and cast awaye worldely pleasures for thy loue sake. Great libertie of soule shall they attaine vnto, that entring into the straight or narrow way for thy name sake, haue contemned all worldely carkes and cares. O acceptable and pleasant seruice of god, by the which man is made frée and holy in déede. O sacred state of Godlye seruice, which maketh man equall to Angels, accepted of GOD, terrible to Deuils, and commended of all faithfull. O seruice to bée imbraced, and alwayes to be wished for, by [Page 71] which, both the chiefest felicitie is procured, and ioy gotten euerlastingly.

That the desires of the minde are to be exa­mined, and ordered. The .xij. Chapter.

SOnne, there yet remayne a great many thinges that thou must learne.

What be those, Lorde?

That thou submit thy desire altogi­ther to my will and pleasure, and be not now a louer of thy selfe, but one coueting to doe as I will and commaunde. Desires doe kindle thée oftentimes, & vehemently inforce ordriue thée. In this case, consider thou whether thou be mooued with my honor, or stirred rather with thine owne commoditie. For if thou co­uet ought for my sake, thou wilt take in good woorth whatsoeuer I shall determine: but if there lie hid any desire of priuate gaine, euen the very same it is that doth hinder and way thée downe. Therfore, beware that thou rest not to much vpon thy conceiued desire, with­out asking counsell of me, least perhappes it [Page] repent thée afterwardes, and that doe then displease thée, which at the first did like thée, and which thou diddest séeke after as the ve­ry best thing. For neither euery affection that séemeth good, is by and by to be followed, nor yet the contrary at the first chop to be auoy­ded. It is sometime also expedient to brydle good affects and desires, least either thou passé measure with the importunitie of minde, or be an offence vnto other through thine owne vnrulinesse: or whilst the same do resist, thou as one troubled, sodainely doe fal. Sometime it is méete to vse violence, & to fight against the appetie and desire, and not to make ac­coumpt The flesh ought to be obedient to the spi­rite. what the flesh woulde either haue or not haue, but rather endeuor that it maye be obedient to the spirit, whether he will or no: and that shée may be so long kept vnder and suffer bondage, vntill such time as she be ply­ant and readie vnto all things, and learne to be content with a fewe thinges, and to be de­lighted with a simple state and condition, and not to mutter or grutch against any incom­moditie or aduersitie.

Of the maner of pacience, and the fight against desires. The .xiij. Chapter.

WHy then, O my Lorde God, as farre as I doe perceiue, pacy­ence and sufferance is very ne­cessary for me. For many ad­uersities are incident vnto this life of ours: in so much that when I desire peace by all meanes possible, yet can it not be brought about, that I may leade ouer my life without warre and sorow.

It is euen as thou doest saye, sonne: Nay, I will not haue thée to séeke af­ter that peace, that is voyde of temptacions, or which féeleth not aduersities: but to thinke with thy selfe, that euen then also thou hast founde thy selfe peace, when as thou shalt be searched and tryed with sundrye and manye turmoyling calamities of miseries, and ad­uerse chaunces. Now, if thou wilt plead, that thou art not able to beare or suffer so manye things, how then shalt thou be able to abyde the euerlasting torment of Hell fire? Of two euilles the lesse is alway to be chosen. There­fore, Of two e­uilles the least is to be chosen. studie to take paciently for Gods sake thy present euilles, that thou mayest escape those euerlasting punishmentes that are to come. And thinkest thou that the men of this worlde, either suffer no euill at all, or little, or [Page] none? Thou shalt well finde, that euen those that are most delicate and fine, are not with­out their incommodities. Thou wilt say per­aduenture: but these worldlings are incyted with many pleasures, and obeye their owne will or sensualitie: and therefore make little account of their miseries. Put case al things happen vnto them as their heart would haue it: how long will that indure and abide, trow yée? Forsooth, those shall perishe like dung, which in this life haue such wealth and abun­daunce, in such wise, as no maner of remem­brance of ioyes passed shall remaine. Nay, e­uen while they be aliue to, they doe not enioy them without bitternesse and griefe, & feare. For looke of what things they doe take plea­sure, of the very same manye times they re­ceiue sorrow: and reason good they shoulde so doe: that they which intemperately hunt af­ter pleasures, shoulde likewise attaine vnto the same not without tartnesse and trouble. I wisse, they be all but very short, and false or counterfeyte, and inordinate, filthie or disho­nest: yet doe not they sée this through drun­kennesse and blindenesse, but that they wyll néedes purchase themselues death of the soule like vnto brute beastes, for a small or triflyng delight of this mortall life. Wherfore, sonne, [Page 73] doe not thou follow the sensuall desires, but turne thy wil away from them. Be delighted in the Lorde, and so shall he graunt thée the requestes of thy soule. For if thou wilt be de­lighted in déede, and haue large and plentifull comfort of me: Wéete thou that felicitie and the ample rewarde of comfort doth consist in thy renouncing of all worldly things, and of these féeble and weake pleasures: and the fur­ther thou shalt pull thy selfe from all solace of humaine thinges, so much the more sweete, and the greater comfort shalt thou finde in mée. But in déede thou shalte not attaine vn­to those comforts without sorowfulnesse and labour of fighting. For rooted custome doth stande against it: howbeit shée shall be mat­ched and maystred, with better custome. The fleshe will mutter against it: Howbeit shée shall be bridled with the feruentsye of the spi­rite. The olde Serpent will stirre thée fore­warde and sharpen thée: Howbeit he shall be chased away with prayers: And againe, with profitable labour a great entraunce shall bée stopped vp from his temptacions.

Of obeying our betters according to the ex­ample of our Lorde Iesus Christ. The .xiiij. Chapter.

SOnne, hée that withdraweth himselfe from obedience, the Obedience to thy su­periour re­quired of God. same withdraweth himself frō the fauor of God: and he that séeketh after priuate thinges, doth forgo the common. He that doth not sub­mit himselfe vnto his superior gladly and of his owne accorde, the same in so doing, decla­reth that he hath not yet so wholy tamed and schooled his owne fleshe, but that it doth often­times wince & mutter against him. Where­fore, learne spéedily to submit thy selfe to thy superior, if thou couet to tame thy flesh. For the outwarde enymie is the sooner maistred, if the inwarde enimie be once ouerthrowne. There is no more troublesome or woorse eni­my vnto the soule than thou art vnto thy self, whilest thou doest not agrée with thy spirite. For thou must practise an vnfeined contempt of thy selfe, if thou wilt be maister ouer flesh & bloud: for as much as thou doest yet loue inor­dinately, and therfore art afearde to commit thy self altogither to the will of another. But what great matter doest thou, thou doest nothing, if thou become subiecte to another man for Gods sake? Whereas I béeing that Almightie and that Highest, who haue made [Page 74] all things of naught, haue humbly submitted my selfe vnto man for thy sake, becommyng the veriest vnderling and basest of all other, to the ende that thou mightest ouercome thys pride and hautinesse of thine, with that humi­litie and lowlinesse of mine. Learne to obey, thou dust: learne to depresse thy selfe, thou earth and stime, and to put thy trust vnder al mens féete: learne to breake thine owne will, and to shewe thy selfe subiect vnto all men. Waxe earnest against thy selfe, and suffer not pryde or hautinesse to lyue in thée, but make thy selfe so lowlye and simple that all men may go ouer thée and treade vppon thée like mire in the stréete. What hast thou thou vaine man, that thou canst rightly complain off? What is there, thou sincke of sinne, that thou canst iustly reply vnto thē that dispraise and deface thée, in asmuch as thou hast so of­tentimes deserued hel torments by offending of God so many times? And yet haue I gent­ly spared thée, hauing a care of thy soule, to the intent that thou mightest alwaies shewe thy selfe thankefull for my benefites, my loue beyng once knowne vnto thée: and being e­uermore bent vnto true obedience and mo­desty, mightest paciently beare the contempt of thy selfe.

Of considering the secret iudgements of God, least we shoulde aduaunce our selues to much in prosperitie. The .xv. Chapter.

LOrde, thou thundring agaynst me with thy iudgements, doest shake all my lims with feare & trembling, & doest out of mea­sure terrifie my hart. This doe I ponder vpon amazedly, that the very Hea­uens are not cleane in thy sight. And if thou haue founde sinne in the very aungels them­selues, & hast not spared them, what shal then become of me? If the Starres themselues haue fallen from heauen, what may I (being dust) hope for? They haue fallen down to the lowest places, whose works did séeme lauda­ble and praise worthy: and they that did eate the bread of Aungels, those sawe I to be de­lighted with Hogs meate and draffe. There­fore Lorde, there is no holinesse, if thou once plucke backe thy hande: No wisedome pre­uaileth, if thou cease to gouerne: No strength helpeth, if thou leauest to kéepe and preserue: No chastitie is in safetie, vnlesse thou de­fende [Page 75] it: No kéeping of a mans selfe doth profite, vnlesse thy holye watching go with­all. For being once forsaken, we are drow­ned and doe perysh, and when thou doest take care ouer vs, then we liue erected and lyfted Man of himself vn­constaunt: but by god confyrmed & strength­ned. vp. We are in our owne respect but vncon­stant: Of thée we be confirmed and strength­ned: we are but warme of our selues, & of thée we are kindled. Surely, I must thinke of my selfe most humbly and basely, & must altogi­ther way my selfe at nothing, if that I séeme to haue any goodnesse in me. I say again, that I ought to submit my selfe most lowlye vnto those thy vnsearchable iudgments, wherin I find that I am nought else but nothing of no­thing. O waight without mesure: O sea that cannot be passed thorow, wherein I finde my self to be nothing, but altogither of nothing. Where is then the couert of glory? Where is then the confidence of glorie for the which thou hast bargayned? Al vaine glory is swal­lowed vp in the gulfe of thy iudgements that All men mortall in the sight of God. Isai. 29. thou hast of me. What are all mortal men in thy sight? Clay may boast it selfe against the Potter, belike. Can he ware prowd w^t vaine praises, whose mind is subiect vnto god in the truth? No, though the whole worlde doe extol him, after that the truth hath once made him [Page] subiect vnto it: I say, he shal be mooued with no bodies prayses, that hath fixed his whole Man shall fade & con­sume away, but the lord abideth for euer. Psal. 116. hope in God. For euen al they that do speake, are but nothing, and shall fade away with the sounde of their owne wordes: But the truth of the Lorde abideth for euer.

How we must be minded, and what we ought to saye in such things as we de­sire to haue. The .xvi. Chapter.

SOnne, thus must thou saye in all thinges: Lorde, if it shall Iob. 4. please thee, let it bee euen so. Lord, if this shal be to thine ho­nour, bee it done in thy name. Lorde if thou see that this shall be expedient and profitable for me, bring it to passe, that I maye vse it to thine honour: but in case thou know that it shall not be for the health of my soule, but hurtfull therevnto, take this desire from me. For euery desire is not of the holye spirite, although it séeme right and good vnto man: but harde it is to iudge whether a good or a wicked spirite doe enforce thée, to couet after this or that, or whether thou bée mooued rather within thine owne spirite? Many men haue béene deceyued at the last, which dyd [Page 76] séeme to be stirred at the first with a good spi­rit. Therefore we must alwayes couet with the feare of God, & lowlinesse of mind, what­soeuer we ought to desire no thing, but wyth the feare of God. commeth into our heads, by occasion to wishe for: and the whole matter must bée committed to God with vnfained chiding of our selues, and thus must we say: Lord, thou knowest whether of both is more expediēt for me, do thou whether of both thou wilt thy self. Giue me that thou wilt, and as much as thou wilt, and at what time thou wilt. Deale with me as thou knowest it méete for me to be delt with al, and as it liketh thée, and as the thing may procure greatest glorie vnto thée. Place me there where thou wilt, & deale fréely with me in al things. I am in thy hands: turne me and tosse me euery way. Beholde, I thy ser­uant am prest vnto al things: for as much as I desire to liue (I pray God accordingly and perfitely) not vnto my selfe, but vnto thee.

Pryaers to performe Gods will. The .xvij. Chapter.

GRaunt vnto me, O most boun­tifull Iesu, thy fauour, which may be assistant vnto me, may labour with me, may continue wyth mée to the verye ende. [Page] Graunt vnto me euermore to will and couet the thinges which are acceptable and deare vnto thée. Let thy will be my wil, and let my will away follow thine, and iustly agrée with thine. Let one willing & one nilling be com­mon vnto vs both, in such wise, that I maye will or nill nothing, but that which thou wyl­lest or nillest. Graunt me to die vnto al things that are in the worlde, and to loue to be con­temned and not knowne in this world for thy sake. Graunt me (aboue all my wishes) to re­pose and rest my self in thée, and to haue a qui­et and contented minde. Thou art the true God gi­ueth the true peace of y^e hart. Psal. 4. peace of the heart: Thou art the onely rest: out of thée are al things difficult and vnquiet. In this peace, that is to say, in thée onely be­ing the chiefest and euerlasting goodnesse, will I sléepe and take my rest.

That true comfort must be sought for in God onely. The xviij. Chapter.

WHatsoeuer comfort I can wish No com­fort in this world to be looked for, but in the worlde tō come. for or imagine, the same doe I not looke for here in this world, but in the world to come. Now, if I (alone) had euen all the [Page 77] comforts that are any where, and coulde en­ioy all maner delicates and dainties: certaine it is, that the same could not long continue or endure. Therfore (O my soule) thou canst not Psal. 9. 68. 72. attaine full comfort, & be perfitely refreshed, sauing onely in God, the comforter of the née­die, and the helper of the modest. Looke a litle while, O my soule, looke a little while after Gods promise, and then thou shalt attaine plentie of all good things in heauen. Now, if thou wilt somewhat inordinately couet these present things, thou shalt léese the euerlasting and heauenly things. Let temporall thinges Use tem­poral thin­gs: and de­sire euer­lastyng things. be in vse and occupying: but let the euerla­sting things be in thy desire: Thou canst not be filled with anye temporall good thing, by­cause thou wast not created to enioye the same. Albeit thou haddest all good things that are created, yet couldest thou not be blessed notwithstanding: Nay, thy felicitie consist­eth in God the creator of all things. I meane not such as is thought so, and praised of the folish worldlings, but such as the good & faith­full Disciples of Christ doe looke after, & such as the spiritual and cleane of hart, whose con­uersation is in heauen, do sometime foretaste in this life. Vaine and short is all mans com­fort: blessed and true is that which is recey­ued [Page] inwardly from the truth. The godly per­son both euery where cary Iesus Christ hys comforter about with him, & doth speak vnto him in this wise: Lord Iesus, be assisting vn­to me in all places and at all times. Let thys be my comfort, to be voyde of all mans com­fort The say­ings, of the godly. with a good will. Or if thy comfort shall be lacking at any time, let thy will and due tryall of me be in steade of thy chiefest com­fort vnto me. For thou art not he that euer­more Psal. 102. art angry or makest afearde.

That all carefulnesse is to be com­mitted to God. The .xix. Chapter.

SOnne, let mée deale with thée as I will my selfe: I doe know what is for thy profite. Thou imaginest as a man, and doest so thinke in manye thinges as thy fleshly minde doth counsell thée.

Lorde, thou sayest truth: thou hast greater care ouer me, than I could haue of my selfe. For he standeth but after a sickle sort vndoubtedly, which committeth not hys whole care vnto thée. Lorde, vse me as thou list, so that my will toward thée doe continue [Page 78] right and stedfast. For it can not be but good, whatsoeuer thou shalt determine of me. Therfore, whether thou wilt haue me to be in darknes stil, I praise it: or whether thou wilt haue me to enioy light, that doe I also praise: Or whether thou vouchsafe to comfort me, I praise it: or whether thou wilt haue me to be pressed downe w^t aduersity, I praise this also.

Sonne, so thou must be myuded in déede, if thou desire to haue to doe wyth mée: neyther oughtest thou to be lesse chéerefull to suffer, than to reioyce, more vnwillingly née­die and poore, than full and welthie.

Lorde, I will willingly suffer We ought to suffer willinglie, whatsoe­uer doth happen frō the Lorde. for thy sake whatsoeuer thou wylt haue to happen vnto mée: and I wyll receyue at thy hands alike, both good and euill, both swéete and sower, both ioye and sorrowe, and giue thée thanks to for all things that haue chaun­ced vnto mée. Preserue mée from all sinne and so shall I feare neyther death, nor Hell, and so that thou doe neuer tourne mée off or blot me out of the booke of life, there shall bée no calamitie that shall hurt mée.

That the miseries of this life must be suffered paciently according to Christs example. The .xx. Chapter.

SOnne, I descended from Hea­uen God descē ­ded from heauē, and tooke our myseries vpon him, not of ne­cessitie, but of loue. for thy sake, and tooke thy miseries vpon me: not for any necessity, but for very loue that moued me thervnto, to the in­tent that thou mightest learne pacience and sufferance, and mightest take temporall mi­series without disdayne & grutch. From the hower of my birth, till such time as I ended my life vpon the crosse, there were neuer sor­rows wanting to be suffered. I tooke pacient­ly the great lack of necessary things: I often­times heard sundry complaints of me: I toke slaunders & reproches in good worth: I had vnkindnesse for benefits: Curssing and euill Heb. 12. speakings for miracles: reproofes and fault findeings for my doctrine.

Lord, for as much as thou hast shewed thy self pacient in this life. (Wherin surely thou diddest most of al do the cōmaun­dement of thy father) méete & reason it is, that I wretch and sinful man should shew my self pacient according vnto thy will, and shoulde beare the burthen of this mortall lyfe for my soule health sake, so long as thou wilt haue it so. For though this present life be left burden­some, yet hath it béene made alreadye more [Page 71] light by thy benefite, and both by thy example more tollerable and famous vnto the weake­lings, and also by the footesteps of thy saints: yea much more full of comfort also, then it was once in the olde Law, when both heauen gate did continue shut, and the way did séeme somewhat hard to finde, & so fewe did passe to séeke for the kingdome of heauen: Nay, also euen those which then were iustified and in the state of saluation, could not enter y^e kingdom of Heauen before thy passion and the merite of thy precious death: How great thanks am I bound to render vnto thée, in that thou hast vouchsafed to shew the straight and good way to thy euerlasting kingdome, both to me, and to all them that put their trust in thée? For thy way is our way, and through godly paci­ence doe we earnestly traueyle to come vnto thée our crowne and rewarder, who vnlesse thou hadst gone before vs, and haddest taught vs, what man woulde haue passed to follow? How many woulde not only haue bidden be­hind, but also a great way off, except they had behelde and looked vpon these thy notable ex­amples. Lo, if when we haue heard so many of thy miracles and commaundements, & yet are but warme, howe woulde it be then if wee had not so great light to followe thée?

Of the bearing of iniuries and wrongs & who it is that is pacient in deede. The .xxi. Chapter.

SOnne, what is this that thou speakest? Ceasse from cōplaint and moane: consider both my passion, and the martirdome of The passiō of Christ & the martir dome of his Saintes ought to be our cōfort. other saints. Thou hast not yet resisted vnto death. It is but little that thou sufferest, if thou be compared with thē, which haue suffered so many things, haue ben temp­ted so vehemently, haue béene afflicted so gre­uously, haue béene tried and exercised so ma­ny waies. Therefore, other mens cases being Heb. 11. &. 12 more gréeuous, must bée called to minde of thée, that thou maiest take this more tolera­ble case in better part: or if thou doe not think it so tollerable, sée that thine own impacience be not cause hereof: and in fine, whether it bée tolerable or intolerable, endeuor thou to take it paciently throughout. For the better that thou shalt setle thy selfe to be pacient, both by so much shalt thou deale the more wisly in the matter, and shalt deserue the greter things, and shalt more easily beare thy case, as one not slouthfully framed readie in minde & vse [Page 80] therevnto. Neither shalt thou thus say to thy self: I neither am able, nor ought to bere this thing at y^t mans hands. For he hath both done me a great displeasure or hurt, & slaundereth me with other things that I neuer thought. In déede I can be content to beare that at a­nother mans hands, that I shal sée good to be borne. This is the thought of foolishnesse, it neyther considereth the vertue of pacience, nor yet of whome it must be crowned and re­warded, but rather wayeth the persons, & the wrongs done vnto it. He is not truly pacient, He is pa­cient that suffereth al thinges of all men. that will suffer but as much as he list, and of whome he listeth: but the man that is pacient in déede, maketh no account of whome hée is vexed and troubled, whether he be his better, his equall, or his inferior: whether he be good and godly, or else peruerse and wicked: Nay, whatsoeuer aduersity is done vnto him of any man liuing, looke how much, and how often­times soeuer the same be done, he receyueth the same thankfully as it were from Gods hands, & reckneth it for gaine: bicause nothing is so great or so smal, if a man suffer the same for Gods sake, but that it deserueth reward. Wherfore be thou in a readinesse to battaile, if thou wilt obtaine the victory. Surely, with­out fighting, thou shalt neuer get the crowne [Page] 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 w^tout 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 Man of himself but weake. 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 Psal. 13. 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 [Page 81] 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, Psa. 9. & 24. being perfitly known vnto thée: haue pitty vpon me & deliuer me out of this mire, lest be­ing Psal. 68. 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 Wicked thoughts sooner in­uade man, than de­parte from him. 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 [Page] 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 Tempta­ciōs follow temptaci­ons. 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 The world deceitfull & vaine. 1. loan. 2. 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 [Page 82] 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 renoū ­ced 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 God the comforter of those that repose their trust in him. 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 [Page] the minde is able to comprehende and féele: To be short, aboue al Aungels & Archangels, aboue the whole Army of heauen, aboue all God the creator, & gouer­nour of all thinges both in heauen and earth. 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 Psal. 54. 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 Psal. 33. [Page 83] 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 many sighs, so many painfull cares of mind, which I beare out in the world, mooue thée. O Iesu, the brightnesse of glory euerlasting, the solace of the wandring soule: my mouth is with thée, voyde of wordes, and my silence doth speake vnto thée. How long doth my Lorde God for­slow his comming? Let him come vnto mée his poore soule, and make me ioyfull: & stret­ching forth his hand, let him deliuer a wretch out of all perplexitie of minde. Come, come, I say: For without thée, there shal be no day, no nor no howre quiet, bicause thou art my ioye, without whome my table is voyde & emptie. I am a wretch, and know not after what sort I am pressed downe, as it were, with impry­sonment [Page] and fetters, vntill thou refreshe mée with the light of thy presence, and set me at liberty and shewe me thy friendely & louyng countenance. Let other men séeke what they Nothing ought to be lyked or sought for more then God and godlinesse. list in the stead of thée: but as for me, nothing either liketh or shall like me else saue thée. O my God my hope and euerlasting saluation, I will neuer holde my tongue: I will neuer cease to pray, vntil thy fauor doe returne, and thou speake vnto me at home.

Behold, I am here present with thée, bicause y^u hast called vpon me: thy teares & de­sire of mind, & discouragment, & anguish haue called me vnto thée in stirring me vnto pitie.

I O Lorde, haue called vpon thée, as one desirous to enioy thy presence, be­ing ready to refuse al things for thy sake. For thou diddest first stirre me vp to séeke thée: as touching which thing, I yéeld thée thanks, O Lord, which hast done so great a benefite vn­to me thy seruaunt, according to thy singuler mercy. In fine, what néedeth many words, or what remayneth else besides, sauing that I submit my selfe very modestly vnto thée, as one mindful euermore of mine owne vnrigh­teousnesse and vilenesse? For no man is like vnto thée any where, in all those woonderfull Psal. 70. 85. &. 88. things which are conteined in heauē & earth. [Page 84] Thy works, O Lord, are good aboue mesure: Gen. 1. Psal. 18. thy sentence is true, & al things are gouerned by the helpe of thy prouidence. Wherefore, praised and glorified be thou, O wisdome of Psal. 33. & 148. the Father: let both my soule and my mouth togither with all the creatures of the worlde praise and set forth thée.

Of the recounting of so many benefits of God The .xxiiij. Chapter.

OPen O Lorde, the eyes of my minde, and teach me to liue ac­cording Psal. 118. to the commaunde­ments of thy lawe. Cause that I maye vnderstande thy wyll, and may recount with great reuerence & dili­gent consideration thy benefits bestowed, as­wel vpon all men, as also vpon me, that ther­by I may giue thanks accordingly. Although to say the truth, I am not able sufficiently to praise the least part of the same: and so much it wanteth that I am able to set forth so many gifts & benefits bestowed vpō me, that whilst I consider thy bowntie & liberality, my spirite fayleth me through the greatnesse thereof. For what thyng soeuer we possesse, eyther of Psal. 118. minde, or of bodie, either without, or within, both naturall and against nature, those same [Page] are thy benefites, and doe commend thy libe­ralitie, bountie, and goodnesse, of whome we haue receiued all good things. Nowe, if one man haue receiued more or fewer gifts than another hath, surely they are all thine: & with­out thée, the least thing of all may not be had. Now if any man haue gotten greater gifts, the same can not boast of his owne desert, nor extoll himselfe aboue other men, or triumphe ouer him that hath lesser giftes. For euery man is so much the greater and the better, as the same doth the lesse attribute and ascribe vnto himselfe, and as he is the more modest & Godlie in giuing of thankes: and looke how much the more euery man doth thinke hym­self most vile and most vnworthy of al other, so much the fitter is y^e same to obtaine grea­ter things at thy handes. Againe, if one haue gotten fewer gifts, the same ought not to bée sorie, or to take it heauily, or to enuie at him Modestie is y^e vse of Gods be­nefites. that is richer in gifts, but rather to beholde thée, and most of all to praise thy goodnesse, in that thou giuest thy gifts so plētifully, so wil­linglye, without any respecte or difference of persons. All thynges are of thée, and therfore art thou to be praised in all things: and thou knowest what is expedient to be giuen vnto euery man: yea, it is not for vs but for thée to [Page 85] iudge why this man hath lesse, and he more, which thorowly perceiuest what thing is con­uenient for euery man. Therefore, O Lorde God, I recken & account it for a great bene­fite also, to haue but fewe things which maye séeme after the fashion of the worlde to bée praised and gloried in. And thus I determine that man ought not onely and to be vexed to sorrow for his owne vilenesse & lack of helpe, and to be discouraged in mind, but also to take therof great comfort and ioy, bicause thou, O God doest choose the naked and lowly, and to such as are despised in the face of the worlde, to be thy familiars & houshold seruants. Thy Apostles themselues are witnesses hereof, which being made chiefe of the whole world by thée, did shewe themselues so modest, so simple, so void of all malice & guile, that they did not onely refraine from complainings, but also did reioyce to be taken vp with re­prochful words & rebukes for thy name sake, and did most gréedily imbrace those thinges, which other men doe detest & flie from. Ther­fore nothing ought so much to céere vp a louer of thée, and one that acknowledgeth thy be­nefits, as the knowledge of thy will and euer­lasting decrée, with the which he ought so to be content, and so to accept and take it in good [Page] worth, that he desire no lesse to be the least of all other, then another man desireth to be the greatest, and doe no lesse take in good parte & content himselfe with the lowest place, then with the highest, & is no lesse willingly despi­sed & abiect and a séely soule of no reputacion, then he is to be the most noble & greatest of al other, For thy will, and the loue of thy honor The will and loue of God, ought to ouercom all things. ought to ouercome all things, & to cōfort him more, and please him more, then all benefits, either bestowed, or to be bestowed vpon him.

Of foure things which doe procure peace. The .xxv. Chapter

SOnne, I will now teach thée y^e way of true peace and libertie.

Doe Lorde, as thou sayst: For it is welcome to me to heare this.

Endeuour, sonne, to doe the wyll of another, rather than thine owne will. Haue aiwaies liesser to haue lesse than more. Al­waies séeke for the lowest place, and desire to obey all men. Alwaies wish & pray that Gods will may altogither be done in thée. Hée that both these things, wéete thou that he entreth [Page 86] into the bounds of peace and quietnesse.

Lorde, this talke of thine, be­ing but short, doth containe much perfection: and it is surely but small and slender in spea­king, but yet both full of sense, and plentifull in fruit. And if I did faithfully obey the same, truely there should not be trouble and vnqui­etnesse within me so soone: yea, so oftentimes as I féele my self vnquieted & grieued, I find my self to haue declined from this doctrine of thine. But thou, who art able to do al things, and alwayes louest the profiting & comming forwarde of mans soule, encrease thy libera­litie towardes me I pray thée, that I may be able, both to doe as thou biddest, and also to attaine vnto euerlasting saluation.

A prayer against euill thoughts. The .xxvi. Chapter.

O My Lorde my God, depart not from me: O my God, sée thou helpe and succour me. For euil and wicked thoughts are with­in me, & also feares that do vex my soule: which thoughts by what meanes may I passe by, or breake in péeces, without harming my selfe?

I will lead thée the way, and will presse downe mans power, and the pryson doore beyng opened, will declare and make manifest my secrets and hid things vnto thée.

Doe so Lord, & chase all wic­ked thoughts away with thy countenaunce. This is my onely hope & comfort, to flie vnto God must be prayed vnto with faith and constant patience. thée in al calamitie, to put my trust and confi­dence in thée, to cal vpon thée frō the bottome of my hart, & paciently to await for thy cōfort.

Prayers to obtaine the lightning of the minde. The .xxvij. Chapter.

GIue light vnto me, O good Ie­su, with the brightnesse of thy euerlasting light, & disperse all maner darkenesse, as it were, out of the house of my soule. Re­presse so many outwandrings, & beat downe violent temptacions. Fight for me stoutly, & ouercome the wicked beastes, which are the desires of allurements, that peace maye bée made, through thy power and vertue, & the ho­ly Hall, which is my clensed soule, may ring & resounde with thy praises. Commaund the winds and tempest, bid the Sea to be calme & quiet, bid the blowing of the North winde to ceasse, & there shal be great calmenesse. Send [Page 87] thy light and truth to gyue light vnto earth. For I am but rough and vngaine earth, till thou doest giue light vnto me. Poure out thy fauor from aboue: all to be sprinkle my soule with thy heauenly liberalitie: minister water of Godlynesse: which when the vppermost parte of the earth is once watered, may fetch out good, or rather the best fruite. Lift vp my mind, being pressed down with the waight of sins, & hang vp my whole desire vpon heauen­ly things, that the swéetenesse of the heauenly felicity being once tasted of, it may be tedious to thinke of earthly things. Deliuer me or ra­ther snatch me out of all comfort of worldly things, nothing parmanent or durable. For no worldly creature is able to alay and com­fort mine appetite or desire at all. Ioyne mée vnto thée wyth the indissoluble bond of loue. For thou onely art sufficient for the louer, & wout thée al things are but friuolous & vaine.

Of the auoyding of curious enquirie how another man doth liue. The .xxviij. Chapter.

SOnne, be not curious, or haue superfluous cares in thy heade. What belongeth this or that vnto thée? doe thou followe me. For what matter maketh it, [Page] what euery man doth or speaketh? It is not necessary for thée to pleade the cause of other men: thou must giue an account or reckning for thy selfe. Why then doest thou entangle thy self wyth other mens matters? I know all men, & sée all things, whatsoeuer are done vnder the sunne: and know how it goeth with euery man, what he thinketh, what he would haue, and wherevnto his counsell & meaning doth tende. Therefore, all things are to bée The minde must bée drawen from mens friendship, that vnto God it may be most in­ward. committed vnto me: doe thou practise and en­sue peace, and suffer the vnquiet to moyle a­bout what he lyst, that shall surely giue ac­count of all their doings & sayings. For they can not deceiue me. Let neither the shadow of a great man, nor yet the familiarity of many nor the priuate friendship of men be passed vpon of thée. For these things doe cause dys­tractions of minde, and compasse the same a­bout with vncouth darckenesse. Truely I would willingly vtter my sayings vnto thée, and woulde disclose my secrets, if thou woul­dest diligently watch for my comming, and wouldest open the doore of thy soule vnto me.

In what things stedfast peace of mind and true profiting doth consist. The .xxix. Chapter.

[Page 88] SOnne, I haue thus spoken: My peace I leau vnto you, my peace I giue you: not as the world gi­ueth, doe I giue vnto you. All men couet for peace: but al men bée not carefull about those things which are requisite vnto true peace. My peace hath to doe with the modest, and with men of a softe and gentle spirite: Thy peace doth consist in great pacience, and thou mayest enioye the same at large, if thou wilt heare me, and wilt follow my voyce. Wherefore giue good héede in all thyngs, what thou doest or speakest, and be occupied in this one point, to please me, & to couet or desire nothing out of mée. Thou mayest iudge nothyng rashlye and wythout cause, concerning the sayings or dooyngs of other men, nor entangle thy selfe in matters not committed vnto thée. By this meanes, it shall happen that thou shalt be both little and Curiofitie is full of trouble, seldome disquieted. For to féele no maner of trouble at all, nor to haue anye vexation of minde or bodie, is not for this present life, but for the state of the euerlasting rest. Wherfore thinke not that thou hast founde true peace, if thou féele no griefe at all: or that all is well, if thou suffer no maner of aduersitie: or that all is perfite, if euery thing happen as thou [Page] wouldest haue it thy self: nor thinke that thou art any thing of price, or highlie in my fauor, if thou liue in great godlinesse & swéetenesse. Neither shall the true Louer of vertue bée known by these things, nor yet doth the com­ming forwarde and perfection of a man con­sist in these things. In what point then? For­sooth, in offering thy selfe with thy whole hart vnto the will of God, and in louing thy self in no maner of thing great or small, neyther in this life, nor in the life to come: so that thou kéepe still in prosperitie & aduersitie one coun­tenance continually with thankes giuing, in waying all things with vpryghtnesse and in­differencie. Finally, if thou wilt shew thy self so valiaunt and of so strong faith, that though the inward comfort be withdrawen, thou wilt yet prepare thy Soule to endure greater things, & wilt not report and prayse thy selfe for iust and holy, it wil then fall out, that thou maiest tread the true and right way of peace, and that thou mayest haue vndoubted hope to sée my countenance againe with ioyfull sing­ing and melodie. Now, if thou shalt come vn­to the full and perfite contempt of thy selfe, wéete thou, that thou shalt be able to enioy so much peace, as can be possiblye had in thys mortall life.

Of the excellencie of a free minde: & likewise that humble prayer is better thā reading. The .xxx. Chapter.

THis truely is the work of a per­fite man, Lord, neuer to release The per­fection and libertie of man. the minde from the handling & occupying of the Scriptures, & heauenly thinges, & in the mid­des of many cares, to passe ouer the life, as it were without care, not after the maner of the dull and sluggish person, but in the excel­lency of a frée minde, cleauing to no worldly thing with inordinate desire. I beséeche thée, O my most merciful god, preserue & kepe me frō the cares of this life, least I be ouermuch inwrapped with the necessities of the body, or least I be caught with the pleasures of those things which doe hurt the soule, or least I be discouraged as one that is harthbroken wyth griefs & sorows. I meane not of those things, which the lightnesse of the worlde doth couet with tooth and nayle: but of those myseries, which do grieue my mind with the common penall infelicity of our mortalitie, & doth hin­der it, that it can not enter into the libertie of the spirite, as often as it listeth. O my God, my vnspeakable swéetenesse, turne al carnal [Page] comfort into bitternesse, which draweth mée away from the loue of things euerlasting, and allureth with the beholding of, I cannot tell what present & delightfull goodnesse. Let not flesh and bloud ouercome me: Let not flesh & bloud ouercome me, O my God: let not the worlde and the short glory therof deceiue me, let not the deuill giue me a fal with his subtil­ty and craft. Graunt me strength to resist, pa­cience to suffer, cōstancy to perseuer. Graunt me in the steade of all worldly comforts, the most pleasant annointing of thy spirite: and in steade of carnall loue, poure into mée the loue thy name. Very meate, and drinke, and clothing, & the other necessaryes to the main­tenance of our body are burdensome to a fer­uent spirite. Cause that I may vse such nou­rishments temperately, and that I be not en­tangled with the ouer gréedie desire of the same. In dede I may not cast away al things bicause nature must be sustained. Againe, thy holy lawe forbiddeth to couet all superfluous and most delightfull things. For else the flesh Measure is a moste beautifull vertue. would ware prowde against the spirite. Be­twéene these two thinges, let thy hande rule me I beséech thée, and teach me, that nothing be done ouermuch.

That men are most of all hindred from the comming of the highest felicity tho­row the loue of themselues. The xxxi. Chapter.

SOnne, thou must purchase the whole with the whole, and not kéepe backe anye thing of thy selfe. For to giue thée vnder­standing of this, thy selfeloue doth more hurt thée, than any thing else what­soeuer it be: and it happeneth that according to that loue and desire which thou hast, euery thing doth more or lesse stick vnto thée. Now, if thou shalt be endued with a pure, simple, & temperate loue, thou shalt be void of the bon­dage of thinges. Desire not that which thou maiest not haue. Possesse not that which may entangle thée, and which may depriue thée of the libertie of the minde. It is a woonder that thou doest not vtterly cōmit thy self vnto me with thy whole heart, with all these thinges which thou canst wish for, or haue. Why art thou consumed with vayne mournyng and pensiuenesse? why art thou tired with super­fluous cares? shew thy self obedient vnto my pleasure, & thou shalt suffer no maner of losse [Page] or hindraunce. For if to get thy selfe commo­dities, and to haue thy wishes, thou wilt apply thy minde to the séeking of things and wylt couet to chang the place wherin thou art, thou shalt neuer attaine quietnesse, nor be frée frō carefulnesse. For in euery thing there shal be somewhat to find lacke off, and in euery place there shal be one or other to be thy aduersary. Therefore, euery thing doth helpe, when it is not gotten or plentifullye encreased, but ra­ther contemned & cut out of the minde by the rootes: which thing I woulde haue to be vn­derstoode, not onely of landes and riches, but also of the ambicion of honour and desire of vaine praise: All which doe peryshe with the worlde. Besides the place doth little fence a man, if feruent spirite be wanting: Neyther doth that peace which is outwardelye sought for, long continue, if it lacke the true founda­cion of the settled mind: That is, except thou No man is made bet­ter with­out God, wythout whom dis­quietnesse of mynde doth al­waies in­crease. shalt stande in me, thou shalt chaunge but the place and not the minde. For an occasion ari­sing, and being taken, thou shalt find not one­lye those thinges which thou doest flie from, but also mo things too besides.

¶ Prayers to attaine to cleannesse of minde, & the heauenly wisedome. The .xxxij. Chapter.

COnfirme me, O God, with the gift of thy holy spirite: graunt me so great vertue and power, that the inwarde man beyng strengthened, I may ridde my selfe from all vnprofitable care, and langour or féeblenesse, and that I be not drawne with the sundry desires of any thing, whether it be vile or precious: but doe account both my self and all other things for transitoris & corrup­tible, forasmuch as nothing is continuallye permanent vnder the sunne: Nay, all things are but vaine & torments of the minde. Who so taketh these things in such sort, it is he that hath wit aboue other: Graunt me, O Lorde, heauenly wisdom, that I may learne to séeke & find thée aboue all things, to sauor and loue thée aboue al things, & so to take other things according to the order of thy wisdom, as they be in déede in themselues. Graunt me both wisely to decline from flatterers, & pacyently Highest or chiefest wisedome. to beare mine aduersaries. For neither to be moued with euery blast of wordes, nor yet to giue an eare vnto the flattering Mermayde: that in déede is perfite wisedome, and so shal we safely go forward the way we haue onely begunne.

Against yll speakers. The .xxxiij. Chapter.

SOnne, if any shall haue an euill opinion of thée, or shall speake euyll of thée, doe not thou take the same grieuously: but rather thinke woorse of thine owne self than he doth, and beléeue no man to be more weake than thy self. If thou wilt go the secret way of vertue of the mind, y^u shalt not great­ly estéeme flying words. It is no small wyse­dome to kéepe silence in aduersitye, and to turne thy mynde vnto me, and nothing to bée The fickle iudgments of men are little to be accoūted of troubled wyth the iudgement of the worlde. Peace must not stay vpon the saying of men, wyth whome whether thou be well or yll re­ported, thou art not for that cause another man. In mée, in mée I saye, true glory and true peace doth consist: & the same shall enioy it plentifully, that neither coueteth to please men, nor yet feareth to displease them. All vnquietnesse of mynde, and distracting of the senses, doth surely procéede from inordynate loue and vayne feare.

How God must be called vpon, and praysed in aduersities. The .xxxiiij. Chapter.

THy name be praysed, O Lorde for euermore, which wouldest haue me tempted with this ca­lamity, which surely I can not auoyde, but must néedes fly vn­to thée to helpe mée, and to cause that thys thing may turne to my commoditie. Lorde, now am I in calamitie, and my minde is in yl case: Nay, I am much vexed with my pre­sent chaunce. Therefore what shall I saye, O most deare father: I am in great perplexitie. Deliuer me from this howre, into the which, no duobt, I therfore come, that thou mightest be praysed, I being first so greatly pressed downe, and then afterward deliuered through thy helpe. I beséech thée, O Lorde, that thou wilt vouchsafe to deliuer me out of this euill, being a naked soule, and ignorant which way I shal turue my self without thy helpe. Graūt me now O Lord, pacience also: helpe me, O my God, and I will take euen the most grie­nous chaunces that shall happen vnto mée, without feare. And what shall I say vnto thée in the midst of these things? Lorde, thy will be done. I surely haue deserued this euill and anguisy, & therefore must I beare it, (I praye God I may doe the same paciently) vntil such [Page] time as the tempest being ended, more ioyful seasons doe follow on. Howbeit thy almighty hande is able to remooue and turne from me this temptacion also, and to mittigate the vi­olence therof, that I doe not wholy faint and giue ouer, according as y^u hast manye times delt with me before tyme, O my God, ac­cording to thy mercy towarde me. And with the more harde aduenture that I am oppres­sed, so much the more sweetely shall I be re­freshed with the help of thy mighty right hād.

Of crauing of Gods helpe, and confidence to recouer grace. The .xxxv. Chapter.

Sonne, I am the Lorde, the strengthener of men in aduer­sities, vnto whome thou maiest repaire & resort, if at any time it go otherwise than well wyth thée. But that most of all doth hinder heauen­ly comfort, that thou somewhat slowly doest betake thy selfe to prayers. For before that thou pray vnto me earnestly, thou séekest af­ter many comforts al the while, and doest re­fresh thy selfe with outward things: & there­fore if hapneth, that all doe but little profite [Page 93] thée, till that thou espie me to be the same that doe deliuer those men out of troubles, which haue put their trust in me, out of whom, there is no helpe neither substantiall, nor counsell profitable, nor remedy durable. But now ta­king courage vnto thée againe after the tem­pest, be whole & strong in the light of my mer­cy. For I am at hād (saith the Lord) to restore all thinges, not onely to as good case as they were at the first, but also to renue them plen­tifully with the better. Is there any thing o­uer harde for me to doe? Or am I like vnto them, which do not performe theyr promises? Where is thy faith? Stande stedfastly & with perseuerance, shew thy selfe a man parient & valiant. Comfort will be with thée in his due time: Looke after, looke after me, I say: I wil come & I will cure thée. It is temptacion that doth vexe thée, and vaine carefulnesse which doth make thée afeard: What good doth care of the chaunces to come, but that thou mayest heape sorrowe vpon sorrow? The euill of the day present is sufficient for it selfe: vaine and vnprofitable it is, either to be troubled or to reioyce about things to come: which perchāce shall neuer happen. But it is mans fashion to be deluded with such imaginations, and it is the token as yet of a base courage, so soone to [Page] be drowned with the intisment of the enimy. Hee forceth nothing at al whether hée delude and deceiue with true things or false things, & whether he giue a man a foile with the loue of present things, or with the feare of things to come. Wherefore, be not troubled in thy minde, or faint harted: beléeue me, & put thy Wée must stande sted­fastlye a­gainst the tēptacions of the deuil wyth a strong faith in God. trust and affiance in my mercy. I am many times harde by thée, when thou thinkest that I am a great way off: & when thou supposest that thou hast lost altogither, euen then many times is greater gaine so much the more néere at hand. All things are not therfore lost though the matter fall quite contrary to thy desire. Thou oughtest not to iudge of the féele of present miseries, nor when calamitie doth arise from some place, so to be mooued & nyp­ped in the heade withall, as though al hope of escape were taken away. Doe not think thy selfe altogither forsaken, if at any time I ey­ther haue sent thée calamitie for a season, or yet haue withdrawne my desired comfort frō thée. For thus doe men go on to the kingdom of heauen: & surely, this is more for thy profit, & for the profite of al other of my seruāts: that ye should be excited and quickned with aduer­sities, than if all things shoulde happen vnto you according to your hearts desire. I am so [Page 94] well acquainted with the secret thoughts of the heart, that I know it to make very much for thy saluation, that sometime thou he left in God the highest phisition sen­deth no kinde of troubles, but such as bringeth saluation. heauinesse, least perhaps, being prowde with prosperous successe, y^u shouldest therby thinke thy selfe that which thou art not. I am able to take away that which I haue giuen: & I can restore the same againe when me listeth. If I haue giuen it, it is mine owne. If I haue ta­ken it away, I haue not taken away thine se­ing euery good & perfite gift is my gift. Ther­fore, if at any time I sende thée some euil and aduersitie, grutch not therat, nor dispaire: e­uen I the same am able to ease thée quickly, & to turne all thy heauinesse into ioy. But in that I deale so with thée, I am iust, and much to be commended. And if thou be wise, and do rightly consider this my deede, thou shalt ne­uer with such faintnesse be sorie for aduersi­ties, but rather reioyce, and giue me thanks: Nay, thou shalt iudge that this aboue al other thinges is to be reioyced at, that I afflicting thée with sorrowes, doe nothing at all spare thée. As the father loued me euen so loue I you, sayde I to my most deare Disciples, whom I sent not: I tell thée, to perishing and transitory ioyes, but to great fights: Not vn­to honours, but vnto infamie & slaunder: Not [Page] vnto idlenesse, but vnto labors: Not vnto rest, but to bring foorth plentiful fruit w^t pacience. Remēber these my words, O my good sonne.

The .xxxvi. Chapter.
Of despising of all things in the worlde, that the Creator may be founde.

O My Lorde, I haue yet néede of All (crea­tures) must be renoun­ced, to the ende that wée maye possesse the Creator. thy far greater fauour, to come vnto that point, that neither a­nye man, nor yet any creature may be a let vnto me. For so long as any thing doth withold me and kéepe me backe, I can not flie fréely vnto thée. He desired to take his flight fréely, which sayde: Woulde God I had wings like a Doue, to flye away into rest. What is more quiet then a simple eie? Or what is more frée then hée, which desireth nothing vpon y^e earth? Ther­fore, man must passe ouer all the creatures, and bryng himselfe to such a foredeale or for­wardenesse, that béeing rauished beside him­self, he may sée that thou the Creator art no­thing at all like to any of the creatures. And vnlesse a man be deliuered from all the crea­tures, he can not fréely applye himselfe vnto heauenly things. For fewe addicted vnto the [Page 95] contemplation of Godlynesse, are therfore to be founde, because few know how to seperate themselues wholy from vaine and worldely things: wherevnto no doubt we haue great néede of Gods fauor, to lift vp our minde, and to rauish vs beside our selues. But vnlesse we be lifted vp in spirite: and deliuered from all worldly things, be wholy ioyned vnto God, it is a matter of no great importance, whatsoe­uer eyther he knoweth or he hath. He shall be long time a Punye or vnderling, and shal lye vpon the grounde, that doth greatly estéeme any thing besides the one, Almightie, euerla­sting goodnes. Whatsoeuer thing is not good, The wise­dome of a man light­ned frō a­boue is bet­ter thā the knowledge of a learned and skilfull Clarke. the same is nothing at all, & to be reckned as nothing. There is, no doubt, great difference betwéene the wisedom of a man lightned frō aboue and Godly, and the knowledge of the learned and skilfull person: and the doctrine which floweth from aboue, and from the hea­uenly fountaine, is much more noble thē that which is painefully sought for by mans wit. In déede there are many that are desirous to contemplate: heauenly thinges: but such as doe not studie to practise the things that are necessary therevnto. That is also a great let, that men doe stay insignes & sensible things: and small labor is bestowed vpon the perfite [Page] mortification of a mans selfe. I knowe not what the matter should be, & with what spirit we are led, and what is in our minds that are called spirituall, in that we apply our selues with al studie and care to corruptible and vile things, & yet doe seldome or neuer thinke vpō God pas­seth not vp on external & sensible things, but vppon the mortyfica­tion of the soule. the businesse of our soule by gathering all our wits about vs: And how is this to, that after a small calling of our selues in, we forthwith burst out againe, and do not with straight ex­amination way our works? We doe not at­tend or take héede wherein our affections are occupied, neither doe we lament that all our things are so impure. For the maners of all The spiri­tuall man is chiefely busied a­bout spiri­tual thigs. men are corrupted which in olde tyme was the cause of so great a floud. Therefore, when the affection is corrupted within, it is of neces­sity that the action also that doth follow, being the descryer of the lacke of vigour and force, should be corrupted. For the fruit of good life doth procéede out of a pure soule. Inquiry is made how much euery man doth: but with howe great vertue he doth them, it is not so studiously wayed. Search is made whether Mannes iudgement is blinde. one be rich, whether one be strong, whether one be faire and beautifull, whether he be va­liant, a good writer, or a singer, or a plowmā: but most men say nothing of this: How poore [Page 96] he is in spirit, how pacient & gentle, how god­ly & inward. The nature of the world doth be­hold the outward things: but grace doth turn it selfe vnto the inwarde things. The first is many times deceyued this other hath a hope & trust in God, that it may not be deceyued.

The xxxvij. Chapter.
Of the deniall of a mans selfe, and the put­ting of all desire from him.

SOnne, thou mayest not attaine vnto libertie perfitely, vnlesse thou doe wholy renounce and forsake thy selfe. All couetous men, and louers of themselues, men full of desires, curious, wandring & vn­constant, euermore desirous of pleasure, & not of Iesus Christ, and manye times attempt­ing thinges that shall not stande or continue, are but captiues, bicause al that is not of god, is but vanishing, and shall perishe. Here this short & perfite sentence: Forsake al things, and thou shalt finde all things: Forsake thy desire, & thou shalt find rest. Reuolue & ponder this in thy minde: and after thou hast fulfilled all things, thou shalt vnderstand the meaning.

Lord, this is not one daies work, [Page] or play of children, but therein is briefly com­prehended y^e whole perfection of a godly man.

Sonne, thou oughtest not to be tur­ned away forthwith, or to discourage thy self when thou hearest this worde Perfection: but rather be prouoked to higher things, & at the The per­fection of a christian man. leastwise to sigh after thē with desire. Would to God thy case were such, & thou were come so farre, that thou were not a louer of thy self, but diddest wholy obay my will and pleasure. Thus should it come to passe, that thou shoul­dest highly like me, and shouldest passe ouer thy whole lyfe with ioy and peace. Thou hast yet many things to be forsakē, which, vnlesse thou shalt vtterly yéeld vp vnto me, thou shalt not attaine vnto that which thou requirest. I reade & aduise thée to buy gold of me that glo­weth with the fire, that thou mayest become rich: to wéete, heauenly wisedome, treading downe all base and vile things. Cast awaye earthly wisedome, that is: cease to please and flatter thy self after the fashion of the worlde. I haue sayde that thou must buye most vyle things with precious things, and such as are highly estéemed in the worlde. For that true heauenly wisedom, which doth not much cha­lenge vnto it selfe, nor coueteth to be greatly made off in the worlde, séemeth but vyle and [Page 97] course, and in a maner forgotten: which vn­doubtedly many men praising w^t their mouth doe yet farre dissent in their life: & for all that, the same wisedome is that precious pearle, which to many men is hidde and vnknowne.

Of the instabilitie of mans minde, and setting God before himself aboue all things. The .xxxviij. Chapter.

SOnne, do not credite that affec­tion wherein thou now art, be­cause it shal by and by be chaū ­ged into another affection. For so long as thou liuest, thou shalt be subiect to mutabilitie & chaunge, whether thou wilt or no, so as thou art somtimes glad and sometimes sad, sometimes quieted, some­times troubled, sometimes godly, sometimes contrary, sometimes diligent and painefull, sometimes slowe and dull, sometime graue, sometime light. But this wise man I spake off, and one rightly schooled in spirite, doth stande aboue these chaungeable things, not considering what he thinketh in him selfe, or which way the wind of instabilitie doth blow, but bending the whole purpose of his mind to that ende that he ought to doe, that is to saye, [Page] to the very best ende. For so it hapneth that the same man maye abide vnshaken, while the simple eye of his meaning is directed vn­me without intermission or ceassing, through so many, so diuers & sundry euentes. And the more pure that the eye of y^e intent is, so much The pure intent of y^e minde doth cause con­stancie. the more vnconstantly doe men walke in the midst of diuers stormes. But that eie is blind in many men, & doth quickly looke vpon some pleasure lying before it: so that it is seldome séene that he is wholy frée from the stayne or spot of self loue. Thus did the Iewes come in old time to Bethany, vnto Martha & Mary, not for Iesus sake onely, but to sée Lazarus. Ther­fore, the eie of the intent must be clensed, that it may be simple & straight, and to be directed vnto me beyond the reach of all things which doe happen among, in great varietie.

That there is pleasure about all things, and in all things to one that loueth God. The .xxxix. Chapter.

BEhold my God, and al things. What would I haue more? or what can I wish more happy? O sauorie and swéete worde: But to him that loueth y^e word, [Page 98] and not the worlde, nor the things that are in worde. My God, and all things: to a wiseman it is ynough: and to repeate the same often­times, is pleasant vnto thy louer. For whilst thou art present, all things are pleasant: whi­lest thou art away, all things are painefull & troublesome: Thou makest a calme soule, & great peace and plesaunt ioye. Thou art the God is all things in all men. cause that wée haue a good opinyon of all thynges, and that thou bée praysed in all thinges. Neyther canne anye thing long please without thée: Naye, that any thing shoulde be acceptable and sauorie, the pre­sence of thy fauour is requisite and the same must be sawced and powdred with thy wise­dome. What is not sauorie and swéete vnto hym, vnto whome thou art sauorye? A­gaine, what canne cause pleasure vnto him, vnto whome thou art not sauorie? But the wise of the worlde doe faile in thy wisdome, and such as sauour the flesh: because death is found here and there very much vanitie. But they which followe thée by the contempt of worldly things, and mortifying of the fleshe, are to be thought wise in déede, because they are translated from vanitie, to veritie, from flesh, to spirite. Vnto these men God is swéete and sauorie: and whatsoeuer there is in the [Page] worlde created, al that doe they referre to the praise of the Creator and maker. Yet is the There is very great difference betwéene y^e Creator & his creatu­res, be­twéene the giuer and his gifts. taste of the Creator and the creature of euer­lastingnesse, and of time, and light vncreated, and light illuminated vnlike, yea, and that far vnlike to. O euerlasting light, and thou which doest surpasse al created lights, shine cléerely vpon mée: and with thy brightenesse péerce, purge, chéere, giue light vnto all the inwards of my minde, quicken my spirite with hir po­wers, that I maye sticke fast vnto thée with the song of triumphant gladnesse. O Lorde, when shall that blessed & desired howre come, wherein thou mayst fyll me so with thy pre­sence, that thou maist be al things in al things vnto me. Surely, so long as this shall not bée graunted vnto me, I shall not haue full and perfite ioy. The olde man, not yet wholy cru­cified, not yet wholy mortified, doth as yet liue within me, which maketh me sory: yet doth it mightily couet against the spirite, yet doth it moue warre within me, & suffereth not the kingdome of my soule to be quiet. But go to, doe thou helpe me which bearest rule ouer the Sea, and doest settle the motions of the waues & surges. Disperse the people that are desirous of warre, and tread them downe by thy force and vertue: Shew foorth thy great­nesse, [Page 99] & make noble this right hande of thyne. For I haue no hope any where, I haue no re­fuge any where, sauing in thée, O my lord god.

That this life is neuer in safety frō temptacion. The .xl. Chapter.

SOnne, thou shalt neuer bée without daungers in this lyfe, but so long as thou liuest, thou shalt alwaies haue néede of spi­rituall weapons. Thou art in the midst of thy enimies: Thou art assaulted on the right and left hande. Therfore, vnlesse thou wilt defende thy selfe with the buckler of Constant pacience is that that getteth vic torie. wisdome on all sides, thou wilt not long time be without a wound. Againe, vnlesse thou wilt fixe thy mind vpon me, to suffer all things for my sake with a sincere wil, thou shal be vna­ble to continue this heat, or to attaine the re­warde of the blessed. Wherefore, then must ouergo all things like a man, and must vse a mightie hand against the things that are cast against thée. For Manna is giuen to the con­querour: but much miserie is left vnto the sluggard. Now, if thou séeke after ease in this life, how wilt thou come vnto the life euerlas­ting? Bend thy self wholy, not vnto rest, but [Page] vnto pacience. Séeke for true peace, not vpon the earth, but in heauen: not in men and other worldly things, but in god alone. Thou ough­test to enterprise all things willingly for the loue of God, labors, sorrowes, temptacyons, vexations, carckes, necessities, infirmities, wronges, obloquies, reproofes, oppressyons, reproches, corrections, despisinges: These things do allure vnto vertues: These things The louer of god doth beare and sucke vppe most harde thinges. doe make tryall of the yoonge Souldiour of Christ: These thinges doe make a heauenly Crowne: to this man will I praye for hys short labor an euerlasting rewarde: for a re­proche past, euerlasting glory. Thinkest thou that thou shalt alwaies haue spirituall com­forts as thou wouldest thy selfe? The state & condition of those my saints was not such in The state of the true saints was most trou­belsome & tedious. olde time, but they did paciently abide many gréeuous things, & sundry temptacions, and great destructions: wherin neuerthelesse, they did wholy shewe themselues pacient, altogy­ther more trusting vnto god, then to thē selues knowing that the aduersitie of this life shall not counteruaile their glory to come. Wylt thou haue that at the first chop, which manye haue gotten scarsely at the length, after ma­ny teares, & trauails? looke for the lord & shew thy selfe a man, & giue not ouer thine enter­prise [Page 100] for lacke of faith, but bestowe both body and soule constantlye in the defense of Gods glory. I will reward thée most bountifully, & will be assistant vnto thée in all calamity.

Against the vaine iudgements of men. The .xli. Chapter.

SOnne, cast thy mind constant­ly The clean nesse of a mans con­sciēce, doth passe all mens iudg mentes. vpon God, & feare not mans iudgemente, so long as thyne owne conscience doth pronoūce thée godly and innocent. It is profitable and blessed to suffer these thinges, neither is the same gréeuous and painefull to a modest mind, & to one more trusting in God then himselfe. Many men doe prate & babble many things, and therefore little credit must be giuen vnto them: and it is not possible that al men shoulde be satisfied. And though Paule did study to please all men, and did shew him­selfe all things to all men, yet did he litle rec­ken to be counted so by mans iudgement. He did what he coulde no doubt to the profite & saluation of others: but he coulde not let him­self The in­uincible pacience of the minde fixed vpon God. to be condemned & despised by other mens iudgements, & did therfore commit the whole matter vnto God, who knew all, and defen­ded himselfe with pacience and modestye a­gainst [Page] the slaunders and cursed speakings of the wicked, & the lawlesse liers. Neuerthelesse he answered sometime, least he shoulde cause offence to the weaklings, through his silence, Why shouldest thou then at the length feare to be cōdemned of a mortall man, who to day is aliue, & to morrow is no where? Feare God and thou shalt not feare men. What hurt can He that lo­keth vpon God doth refrain frō altercation of words. any man doe with his words or wrongs? He hurteth himself rather than thée, and cannot escape the iudgement of God, whosoeuer hée be. Haue thou God before thine eies, & striue not with quareling words. If thou think thou be oppressed presently with infamy vndeser­ued, God is the delyuerer & rewarder of thē that suffer ad­uersitie pa­ciently. take not the same heauilye, or diminishe thy crowne with impacience, but rather looke vp vnto me in heauen, which am able to deli­uer man from all rebuke and wrong, and re­warde euery man according to his dooings.

Of the pure and entire yeelding vp of himselfe to the attaining of the libertie of minde. The .xlij. Chapter.

SOnne, forsake thy selfe, and thou shalt finde me. Sée that thou chalenge nothing vn­to thy selfe, sée thou haue no­thing peculiare and proper vnto thy selfe, and so shalt [Page 101] thou be alwayes a gainer. For ouer and a­boue this, thou shalt haue greater giftes gi­uen thée, as soone as thou shalt yéelde vp thy selfe, neuer to looke backe againe.

Lorde how oftentimes shall I yéelde vp my selfe, and wherein shall I for­sake my selfe?

Alwaies, and at all howres, both wée are made par­takers of God by re­nouncyng of our own will. in smal and great matters. I except nothing, but that I wil haue thée founde naked & made bare in all things. Else how couldest thou bée mine, and I thine, vnlesse thou were spoyled of all thine owne will, both within & without? The more spedily thou shalt thus do, so much the better shall it go with thée: and the fullier No man but one re­nouncing himselfe, and made bare of all thinges, & brought vnto no­thing, can please God and accord firmelye with him. and more sincerely that thou go about it, both so much the more shalt thou please me, & the more shalt thou gaine by it. Some in déede do yéelde vp themselues vnto me: but yet they doe it with some exception. For they doe not put their trust in me fully and wholy, & there­fore endeuor to sée & prouide for themselues: Other also at the first doe yeelde themselues altogither: but afterwards when temptacion once knocketh, they come to their olde condi­cions againe, and therefore doe very litle pro­fite in vertue. These men shall neuer aspyre vnto the true lybertie of a pure hart, & to the [Page] most pleasant benefite of my familiaritie, vn­lesse an entire yéelding vp, and a daily offring and sacrificing of themselues haue gone be­fore, without the which it happeneth not, nor will be that thou mayest enioy the coniunctiō of God. I haue sayde many times vnto thée, and nowe I say againe: Forsake & yéelde vp thy selfe, and thou shalt enioy déepe peace of minde. Giue all for all, require nothing, aske nothing againe, abide in me méerely & with­out sticking at it, and so shalt thou haue me, & shalt be frée of minde, and voyd of darknesse. Endeuor this, praye for this, labor to wish for this, that being wholy turned out of thy selfe, thou maiest being naked, follow Iesus naked, and mortified vnto thy selfe, liue vnto me for euermore. Then, both vaine imaginations, and wicked troubles, and superfluous cares depart awaye. Then also shall immoderate feare be gone, and loue inordinate die.

Of conuenient dealing in outward things, and flying vnto God in daungers. The .xliij. Chapter

SOnne, thou must looke vnto this diligentlye, that in euery place and outwarde action and businesse thou haue a frée mind, and maister ouer it self, and do [Page 102] put all things vnder thy subiection, & not thy self vnder them, and be not the slaue or bond­man of thine owne déedes, but a Lord, but a Ruler, but one truely set at libertie, & an He­brue, The sum of christian libertie. translated into the lot and libertie of the children of God, who despising present things doe beholde things euerlasting, and looke vp­on mortal things with the left eie, but things heauenly with the right eye: whome tempo­rall things doe not draw to cleaue vnto them: but they themselues doe rather draw them to serue their tourne aright, according as they were made of God and the chiefest workmā, who did leaue no disordred thing in thinges of his creation. Now, if in euery chaunce thou shalt not cleaue vnto the outwarde shewe of the matter, nor behold the thing séene or hard within a carnall eye, but in euery thing shalt forthwith enter with Moyses into the taberna­cle to aske counsell of the Lorde, thou shalt All oute­ward thin­ges doe de­ceiue. with out the in­ward coū ­sell of God wée must determine nothing. sometime heare God make thée an answere, and shalt returne as one taught in manye things, both present and to come. For Moyses did alwaies repaire to the tabernacle in assoi­ling of doubts and questions, and he fled vnto the helpe of prayer to driue away the perils, & wickednesse of men. Euen so oughtest thou to flie into the secret place of thy hart, in calling [Page] earnestly vpon Gods help. For it is recorded in the scriptures that Iosua & the other Isra­elites were therefore deceyued of the Gabao­nytes, bicause they did not first aske counsell of the Lord, but were deluded with the swéet­nesse of words, as men light of credite, vnder the shewe or pretence of godlinesse.

That man be not importunate in his businesse. The .xliiij. Chapter.

SOnne, commyt thy cause vnto me alwaies: I wyll frame the same aright. Looke for my de­crée and determination, & thou shalt féele a profiting thereby.

Lorde, I commit euery thing vnto thée with a good wil, bicause my thought The whol felicitie of man doth depend vp­on the obe­dience of Gods wil. doth little preuaile about it. And woulde to God I were not carefull thus for the chaun­ces to come, but did submit my selfe without stay vnto thy will and pleasure.

Sonne, man oftentimes desirous of some thing, doth couet the same: and then hauing once gotten it, hée beginneth to bée of another mynde, bycause the desires of one thing are not dureable, but force you to dy­uers and sundrie things. Therefore it is not [Page 103] the least thing of all to forsake himselfe in the Reuoun­cing of a mans selfe in all thin­ges is the safest liber­tie. least things: and the true profiting of a man consisteth in the denying of himself, so that he that hath done that once, the same is most frée and in most safety. But that olde enimy, ad­uersarie to all good men, doth neuer cease frō temptacion, but day and night worketh high treasons or deceytes, if perchaunce he maye The deuill doth not cease to tempt. thereby throwe downe the vnwary headlong into y^e snare of guile. Wherfore, watch & pray, saith the Lord, lest you enter into temptation.

That man hath no goodnesse of himselfe, nor that he can boast of any thing. The .xlv. Chapter.

LOrd, what is man that thou art Psal. 8. mindefull of him? What is the sonne of man that thou earest Rom. 11. for him? what hath he deserued to be had in fauor of thée? Lord what can I complain of, if thou shalt forsake me? Or wherein can I iustly blame thée if thou graunt me for my requestes? Surely, this may I rightly thinke and say to my self: Lorde, I am nothing, I haue no goodnesse of my self, but being voyd of all things, doe euer tende vnto nothing. And if I be not holpen of [Page] thée, and instructed of thée wythin my minde, I am made altogither warme and dissolute. But thou, O Lorde, art alwayes one, and doest abide one for euer more, alway good, iust, holy bicause thou doest 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 God doth help with­out al help of man. 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 [Page 104] 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 Ambition is a most pernicious thing to mans sal­uation. 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.

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.

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, Euery cre­ature is ar­med to the destruction of man. Mā except he take pa­ciently ex­tréeme na­kednesse & contempt, he can not be ioyned vnto God. 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.

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 All things do deceiue: the onely euerlasting truth doth make men euerlast­ing. 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 Al the cre­atures do hinder the sight of God. 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 [Page] inordinately, hindreth one from the chiefest felicity, & doth defile a man with sin.

Against vaine and worldly knowledge. The .xlviij. Chapter.

SOnne, be not mooued with the feare & sharpe sayings of men. For the kingdome of God doth The worde of God is not a voice hard with bodily ears but spirite and euer­lasting po­wer being vnderstoode of the soule 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 [Page 106] 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 cā ­dlelight The euer­lastynge truth doth shine ouer the Godly, euen in one moment like vnto y^e Sunne. and those things shall become mani­fest which haue lyen hid in darckenesse, the filed finenesie of tongues then holding their peace. I am he y^e 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 Truth bringeth peace. 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, The louer of God and the renoū ­cer of him­selfe is soundly taught. & 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 some singuler things: to some againe I appeare pleasantly [Page] in signes and figures: to other, I open my se­crets God onely of himself, and by him selfe, is the teacher of the truth. with much light. The saying or voyce of Bookes is all one, which instructeth not all men alike. But I am the teacher of the truth within, the searcher of minds, the vnderstan­der of thoughts, the setter forward of déedes, and the giuer of so much to euery man, as I doe thinke right and reasonable.

Of not drawing outward things vnto a man. The .xlix. Chapter.

SOnne, thou must in manye things be ignorant and vnskil­full, and accoūt thy selfe but for a dead man vpon the earth, and for hym to whome the whole worlde is crucified. For many things must The desire of peace without al contencion. be passed by with a deafe care, & those must be pondered and thought vpon, which do belong vnto thy peace. It is more profitable to turne thine eyes from those things which mislyke thée, & to let euery man haue his own saying, Let a man call home himself frō externall things y^t he cleaue fast vnto God. than to follow contencious talking of words. If thou agrée well with God, and looke vpon his owne iudgement, thou shalt beare it the bett [...]r to be ouercome in such things.

O Lorde to what passe is it [Page 107] come? Beholde a short dammage or losse is lamented, men trauell and runne for a little gaine, and scantly are able to come home a­gaine at night: but the spirituall losse is quite and cleane forgotten. Men apply themselues to this that profiteth little or nothing at all: & negligently passe ouer that which is most ne­cessarie The intire man doth willingly rest himself in outward things. of all. So greatly both a man wholly wast his time about outward things: & vnlesse he spéedily repent, doth willingly welter still in outward things.

That we must not beleeue all men, & that we soone fall and offende in wordes. The .L. Chapter.

HElpe me O Lorde in this cala­mitie. For the ayde of men is surely but vaine. How manye tymes haue I not founde faith there, where I thought to haue had it? And againe haue there found it, where I would not haue looked for it. So greatly is that hope in men and vaine, and in thée only, O God is the health of the iust standing. We giue thée thanks, O Lord God, for all things which doe happen vnto vs weakelings & vn­stable, & which are soone deceyued and chaun­ged. What is he that can behaue himselfe so [Page] warily & circumspectly in all things, that the Euery mā is in daun­ger to tēp­tacions. same doth not somtime come into some snare and distresse? But Lorde, he that putteth his trust in thée, and doth study to haue a simple minde, he doth not offende so soone, or if he do fall into any calamity, with how great diffy­cultie and distresse soeuer he be wrapped and entangled, he is either quickely deliuered frō it by thée, or else strengthned with comfort, bi­cause thou doest not forsake them at the last, which haue their hope in thée. Surely, faithful friendes are rare, such as will bide still by a man in al kind of aduersities: thou, O Lord, y^u onely art most faithfull in all things, & there is none like vnto thée. O howe wise was that holy soule which saide: My mind is confirmed, Ephe. 3. Collo 1. 1. Pet. 1. & hath his foundation in Christ. If it went so well with me, worldely feare shoulde not so soone trouble me, nor the darts of words moue me. But who can foresée all things? who can beware of euils that come after? Nowe, if Lacke of foresight doth in­crease in­cōmodities and sor­rowes. things fore séene, do yet oftentimes hurt one, how much more gréeuously will things neuer thought on come néere vnto the heart? But why haue I not better looked vnto my selfe, siely wretch? Or why haue I beléeued other men so soone? Howbeit, we are men, and that frayle & brittle, though we be iudged & called [Page 108] angels of many. And whome shalt I beleeue Lord? Whom but thée, which art the selfe truth, and neuer deceyuest, nor canst be de­ceceyued. For in déede, all men are but liers, weake, vnstable, fraile, most of all in words, so that it ought not forthwith to be beléeued rashly whatsoeuer pretendeth a colour & shew of truth: wherby it hapneth that thou wisely hast premonished to take héede of men, & that euery one of a mans houshold are his enimies and that we must not beléeue them that saye: Here he is, or there he is. I am taught to my Thou must not beleeue any man rashly, nor blab out a­nye thyng vneduised­ly. cost, I praye God I be made the more warye therby, & not the more foolish. Be wary (saith one) be wary, and kéepe it close to your selfe, that I tell you. Afterward, when I helde my tong, and thought that the same was counsel, he on the other side coulde not kéepe silence in that which he bade no words to be made off, but forth with betraying both me & himselfe, went his wayes. From such counterfaites & vnwary persons deliuer me, O Lord, that I neuer fal into their hands or commit such fol­lies. Minister true and stedfast sayings vnto my mouth, and put far from me a wyly and deceitfull tong. For I ought altogither to be­ware Math. 7. Luk. 6. that I do not the same to another man, which I woulde not haue done vnto my selfe. [Page] How good & how quiet a thing is it to saye no­thing of others, and not to beléeue all things without any respect, or readily to speak much and to vtter or open himselfe but to few, & al­wayes to séeke for thée that knowest y^e minds, The chiefe religion in wordes, déedes and thoughts. & not to be caried about with blast of wordes, but to desire that all inwarde and outwarde things may be done according to thy pleasure and commaundement? How safe is it to the kéeping still of the fauor of God, to flie world­ly brauery, & not to coueth those things which with their gay shewe are had in admiration: but rather to folowe those things with all di­ligence, which doe bring amendement of life, & zeale of godlinesse? How many hath vertue known & ouer hastily praised, done hurt vnto? Again, how many hath so the same done good to, being kept in silēce in this fraile life, which is said to be nothing but tēptacion & warfare.

Of putting thy trust in God, if thou be assay­led with the darts of euill tongues. The .Li. Chapter.

SOnne shewe thy selfe constant, & haue thy hope set in me. For what are wordes, but wordes? which flying through the ayre, doe not hurt a stone, if thou bée [Page 109] guiltie or sinfull, sée thou be willing to correct thy self. If thou be guiltie of no sin, endeuor to Inuincible constancie in bearing slaunders and mali­cious sur­mises. beare paciently slaūderous reports for Gods sake, and at the leastwise, beare words some­tymes, though thou canst not yet abyde the sharpenesse of strypes. And why doé so small things mooue thy minde, & disquieted it, but bicause thou art as yet carnall, & hast greater regarde of men, then thou oughtest to haue? For bicause thou fearest to be dispised, thou wilt not be reprooued for thy faultes, & séekest for starting holes of excuses. But looke some­what narrowly vpon thy selfe, and thou shalt well perceiue that the worlde is yet alyue in thée, & a vaine loue to please men. For when thou refusest to be bored and shamed for thy faults, thereby it is plaine, that thou neyther art modest truely, nor the world truely deade vnto thée, or thou to the worlde. But giue eare to my words, and thou shalt not passe vppon the wordes, euen often thousand men. Loe, if all thinges were spoken against thée that coulde be imagined most maliciously, what hurt should they doe thée, if thou wouldest let them be borne paciently, & wouldest not way them any more then a straw vnder thy féete? Coulde they take so much as one heare from thee? But he that is of a base courage, & hath [Page] not god before his eies, that same is soone mo­ued with a taunt, or yl report. But he that put­teth his trust in me, & dependeth not vpon his owne iudgement, the same is voyde of world­ly feare. I am the iudge and knower of al se­crets: I know after what sort the thing was done: I know both him that hath done the in­iury, & him that hath suffered the wrong done vnto him. This matter hath risen of me, & by my sufferaunce it hapneth that the mindes of many men are disclosed & opened. I wil iudge both the giltie and giltlesse: but first I was minded to search thē both with a secret iudge­ment. Mans testimonie doth oftentimes de­ceiue: my iudgement is full of truth, and shal likewise continue, neuer to be ouerthrowne. And in déede the same is hid for the most part and altogither perceiued of few: but it neuer wée must turne ney­ther to the right hand nor to the left, eyther in prospe­rity or in­aduersitie, eyther for disprayse or for praise. either erreth or can erre, though it séeme no­thing indifferent or iust vnto fooles. Therfore men must flie vnto me in all iudgement, ney­ther aught euery man to vse his own fantasie. As for the iust man, hée is troubled with no aduersitie of Gods sending, or either passeth greatly vpō false reports, or gretly reioyceth for the reasonable excuses of other men in his owne behalfe. For he that considereth that I am he that searcheth the harts & the raynes, & [Page 110] that I iudge not according to y^e sight of world­ly shew and outwarde apperance. For many times in mine eies y^e thing is found culpable that in the iudgement of men is laudable.

Lord God, a iust iudge, strong, pacient, which knowest the frailty & corrupti­on of men, doe thou become my strength and whole affiance or trust. Neither is my consci­ence wée must clime aboue our consci­ence that wée maye stande in the iudge­ment of God. sufficiēt for me: thou knowest the things vnknowne vnto me, and therfore I ought to submit my selfe in al reproofe, and to take the same paciently and quietly: which thing if I haue not at any time done, forgiue me fauor­ably, & bestow this benefite vpon me againe, that I may hence foorth shewe my selfe more pacient. For thy singuler mercy is more pro­fitable to the attaining of pardon, then is the opinion of mine owne goodnesse to the defense of my secrete and hid conscience. And though I be giltie to my selfe of no sinne, yet am I 1. Cor. 4. Psal. 143. not therefore to be quitte, bicause if thy mer­cy were set a side, no man liuing shoulde bée iudged for righteous in thy sight.

That all greeuous things must be suf­fered paciently for the lyfe euerlasting. The .Lij. Chapter.

SOnne, be not eyther brought The crowne of life doth cō fort a stout pacience being con­queresse of most payn­full trou­bles. low with trauailes which thou hast taken in hand for my sake, or so greatly discouraged with aduersities, but that my por­mise may strengthen and comfort thée in all chaunces, which am apt yneugh to restore large rewards. Thou shalt not labor long in this life, nor shalt alwaies be vexed with sor­rowes. Tarie my leysure a whyle, and thou shalt sée a spéedie ende of euils, & the time shall come when al labor and turmoile shal ceasse. It is but trifling and short, what soeuer hath an end in time. Wherfore go forward as thou hast begon, labor faithfully in my vineyard: I will be thy reward. Write, reade, sing, sigh, hold thy peace, pray, beare out aduersitie like a mā. The life euerlasting is worthy al these, yea, and greater fights, Peace shall come vp­pon thée one daye, which is knowne vnto the Being re­ceiued into life euerlas­ting, weé maye pos­sesse ioyes that last for euer and euer. Lord: and it shal not then be the day or night of this time that we liue in, but euerlasting light, infinit brightnesse, firme peace, safe rest & ease. Then shalt thou not thus say: Would God I were delyuered from the body of this death. Nor yet shalt thou cry thus. Alack poore soule, that must dwell in thys lyfe so long. [Page 111] For both death shal be throwne downe head­long there, and there shall be health that shall neuer die: no anguishe, but blessed ioy, swéete and honest company. O that thou hadst seene the perpetual crownes of the saints in heauē, and with how great glory they now also tri­umph and reioyce: which being once despised of this world, were thought then euen vnwor­thy of their liues. Surely thou wouldest forth­with cast thy selfe downe to the grounde, and haddest liesser euen to obay all men, then to beare rule ouer but one man: neither woul­dest thou couet the merie daies of this life, but rather wouldest reioyce to be pressed with ad­uersitie for Gods sake, and wouldest count it for very great gaine to be had in no maner of regard at al among men. Now, if these things They that are saued by hope are shake with no impaci­ence. did like thée, and were suffered to sincke soin what déepely into thy minde, thou shouldest not dare so much as once to complaine. Nay, all painefull thinges must be borne for euer­lasting life, I tel you. For either to attaine or to léese the kingdom of heauen is a matter of great importance. Lift vp thine eies into hea­uen: beholde where all my faints be present with me, who suffred sharpe battaile in thys life. Now they reioyce, now they take cōfort, now they are safe, now they take their rest, to [Page] abide with me in the kingdome of my father for euer.

Of the day of euerlastingnesse, and the angui­shes or troubles of this life. The Liij. Chapter.

O Most blessed Mansion of the su­pernall Citie, O most cleare day of euerlastingnesse, which no night doth darcken, but the hyghest truth doth alwayes spread hir beames vpon: O day, alwaies ioy­ful, alwaies safe, of state neuer to be changed to the cōtrary. O would to God that that day The state of life euer lasting. had once shined ouer vs, and all these mortall thinges were come to an ende. No doubt, the same doth shine bright vnto the saintes wyth Let all thinges be vile and of no reputa­tion, for the hope & de­sire of e­uerlasting light. continuall cléerenesse, but yet a farre off, & as it were in a glasse, bicause they are yet but traueilers vpon y^e earth. The Citizens of hea­uen doe knowe how ioyfull those thinges bée. The banished children of Eue doe sighe: for that this day of this time, both short & wicked and full of sorrowes and anguishes, is so byt­ter and so replenished with troubles: in which man is defiled with so many sins: is entrap­ped or entangled with so many euils, is vexed [Page 112] with so many feares, is occupied with so ma­ny carkes & cares, is diuersly drawen with so many curiosities: is inwrapped with so ma­ny vanities, is compassed about with so many errors, is worne out with so many labors, is thrust downe with so many temptacions, is weakened with so many delicates & dainties: is tormented with so great pouerty, or lacke. O, when shall there be an ende of these so ma­ny trauailes? When shall I at the length bée deliuered from this wretched slauery of sins? When shall I be mindefull of thée onely, O Lorde? When shall I reioyce in thée at the full? When shall I (voyde of all let) enioye true libertie, without any griefe, eyther of mind or of body? When shall there be sound & perfite peace, peace without trouble, and safe peace within and without. Peace substantiall on all sides? O good Iesu, when shall I sée thée face to face? When shall I beholde the glory of thy kingdom? When wilt thou be al things in all things vnto me? Or when shall I leade All things doe afflicte vs as ba­nished mē, that God onely may cōfort vs. my life with thée in thy kingdome, which be­fore al beginning thou hast prepared to them that are beloued of thée? I am left here as one succourlesse, & a banished man in the lande of mine enimy, where daily warrs & right great misfortunes doe raigne rifely. Cōfort my ba­nishment, [Page] mitigate my sorrow, séeing that I breath vnto thée with excéeding great desire of mind. For whatsoeuer of this world is of­fred for comfort, the same is to me but a bur­den. I am wholy desirous to enioy thée: but I can not take holde of thée. I wish to dwell vp­on heauenly things: but things temporall & my affections not mortified, doe thrust mée downe. I am willing to clime aboue al things with my minde: but I am compelled to be in subiection to my fleshe whether I will or no. Thus I wretched man do fight and struggle The conti­nuall con­flict of the christian man. with my self, & am tedious, or yrcksome vnto mine owne self, whilest the spirite tendeth vp­ward, and the flesh bendeth downward. How great stryfe or fight doe I suffer inwardlye, that whilest with my mind I am occupyed on heauenly thinges, by and by the trouble some multitude of carnal things doth come against me, being in prayer? O my God, depart not far from me, nor refuse me not through wrath & anger. Dispearse, through the brightnesse of thy lyghtning, all the imaginations that are ministred mee of the enimie, & disappoint thē with thine arrowes shot against them. Call home my senses vnto thée: make me to forget al worldly things, and quickly to cast away & contemne the imaginations of vices. Succor [Page 113] me, O euerlasting truth, that no vanity may mooue my heart. Come vnto me, O heauenly swéetenesse, for that thy comming flieth from al impuritie. Forgiue me that thing also mer­cifully, Man is distracted with dy­uers thou­ghts while he prayeth, insomuch that very few depar­ting from all the cre­atures into their chā ­ber doe flie pure and cleane vn­to God for succour. and graunt me pardon so often as I thinke vpon any thing else beside thée in prai­ers. For to confesse the truth, I am woont ve­ry much to be distracted, and many times am not there, wherewith my body I doe stand or sit, but rather there, vnto which I am caryed with my thoughts: There (I say) I am, wher my thought is: where my thought manye times resteth, there is that which I doe loue. And y^t which either delighteth me naturally, or liketh me by the means of custome, y^e same doth soone come vnto my mind. For this cause thou, O truth, hast plainely saide: Where thy treasure is, there is thy heart also. If I loue, Heauen, I ponder heauenly things willingly: But if I loue the worlde I reioyce in the be­halfe of the worlds prosperitie, & am sory for the aduersities of the same. If I loue the flesh, I imagine fleshly things many times: but if I loue the spirite, it delighteth me to thynke vppon spirituall thinges. For what thing soeuer I doe loue, I doe both speake and heare of the same gladlye, and doe carye the Images or representacyons of the same [Page] home with me in my head. Surely, he is bles­sed, O Lord, which for thy sake doth let passe In what things the dentall of our selues and sounde blessednesse doth stand all worldly things, doth vse violence or com­pulsion to his own body, and doth crucifie the desires of the fleshe, with the heate of the spy­rite, to the intent that his conscience beyng quieted, he may offer vnto thee pure or cleane praiers, and may be méete to liue in the com­pany of Aungels, all earthly things being ex­cluded both without and within.

Of the desire of life euerlasting, & how great good things are promised to thē that fight. The .Liiij. Chapter.

SOnne, séeing thou féelest a de­sire of euerlasting blessednesse to be poured into thée from a­boue, & doest couet to depart out of the tabernacle of the bodye, that thou maiest behold my brightnesse with­out shadow of alteration: Open thy minde, & receiue this holye inspiration of mine most gréedily. Giue excéeding great thanks to the almighty goodnesse, which doth deale so lybe­rallye wyth thée, doth come to sée thée so mer­cifully, doth stirre thée vp so vehemently, doth ease or comforte thée so mightily, least thou [Page 114] shouldest fall downe vnto earthlye thinges through thine owne waight & pronesse. For Like as modestye doth espe­cially com­mende vs vnto God, euen so wée alwaies do encrease therein. thou shalt not attaine thervnto through thine owne musing or endeuoring, but by the onely vouchsafing of supernall grace and of Gods countenaunce, to the intent that thou mayest come forward aswell in other vertues, as es­pecially in modesty or lowlinesse, and mayest prepare thy selfe to the bickerings to come, & maiest endeuor to cleaue fast vnto me with al the whole strength of thy soule, and mayest serue me wyth an earnest and ardent will.

Sonne, the fire many tymes burneth: but smoke is alwaies the companiō of the flame. Euen so, some also doe burne wyth desire of They are not admit­ted to the heauenly kingdome which are not verye poore in spirite and frée from their affec­tions. heauenly things, and yet are not frée from the temptacion of carnal affections, and therfore they do not those things altogither for Gods glory onely, to the bearing wherof they craue his helpe so desirously. Such is thy desire ma­ny times also, whose sinceritie notwythstan­ding thou pretendest to bée excéeding great. Neyther is it little & perfite which is infected with priuate commoditie. Craue not for that which is pleasaunt & profitable vnto thée, but for that which is acceptable & glorious vnto me. For if thou iudge aright, thou oughtest to preferre and folow my decrée and lawe both [Page] before thine owne desire, and also before all things which are desired. I knowe thy desire or lacke & I haue hearde thy often sigthings. Thou wouldest now be in that glorious liber­tie of the children of God. The euerlastyng mansion, & the heauenly countrey that is full of ioye, doth now delite thée: but the howre is not yet come: Nay the time is yet otherwyse: to wéet, of warre, of labor, & of tryall. Thou wishest to be replenished with the chiefest fe­licitie: but thou mayst not yet attaine thervn­to. I am he (saith the Lord) whom thou ough­test to awayte for, till the kingdome of God do come. Thou must be searched yet vpon the earth, and be exercised in many thinges. In déede, comfort shal be graunted thée somtime but full sacietie thereof shall not likewise be graunted. Wherfore shew thy selfe constant & Pacience (which in this case is not void of comfort) hath an in­uincible hope of the libertie and saluation to come. valiant, both in dooing, and also in suffering things cōtrary vnto the flesh. Thou must put vpon thée the newe man, & be changed into a nother man: and thou must many times doe those things which thou wouldest not do, and let passe those things which thou wouldest do. Other mens attempts shall come forwarde well ynough: but thine shall not so doe. Other mens sayings shall be heard: thine shall bée counted for nothing, Other men asking, shal [Page 115] haue: when thou askest thou shalt go without. Other shall be set out greatly with the praise of men: Of thée no man shall say any thing at all. Other men shall haue offices committed vnto thē to gouerne: but thou shalt be thought good for nothing. For these causes, thine own Pacience doth strug­gle out of many tro­bles. fleshe shall sometimes teach thée, and shall a­bide great conflyctes: But thou shalt haue great good thereby, if thou wilt beare it pacy­ently & say nothing. With these and such like things is the faithfull seruaunt of the Lorde woont to be tried, whether he can deny himself and make himself plyable in all things. And A verye goodly kind of victorye to ouercom his owne wil. accor­ding to the example of Christ. scarcely there is any thing in which it is so much for thy profit to be mortified as in that, that thou mayest beholde and paciently suffer those things which are contrary to thy will, especially whilst things absurde and not pro­fitable in thy iudgement are commaunded: In which, bycause thou darest not resist the power of thy Superior, vnto which thou art subiect, it hapneth that it séemeth a hard thing vnto thée to be at another mans beck, letting passe all thine owne will. But consider sonne, what fruite, how great reward in short time shall follow these trauailes of thine, and thou wilt not be agréeued with them, but wilt take right great comfort of thy pacience. For in [Page] steade of this short will of thine, which thou hast nowe giuen euer of thine owne accorde, thou shalt haue thy will for euer in Heauen. For there thou shalt finde whatsoeuer thou wilt haue, whatfoeuer thou shalt be able to wishe for. There shalt thou haue plentye of of all good things without any feare of léesing them againe. There shall thy will (togither with me) neuer desire any outward or priuate thing. There shall no man resist thée: no man shall complaine of thée: no man shall let thée, The state of euerla­sting lyfe is quiet and perfite. but all thy wishes shall be had, & shall most plentifully fill the desire of thy minde. There will I render glory for reproche, borne paci­ently, the clothing of praise for sorrow & hea­uinesse, a kingly seat for euermore for the lo­west or basest place in the worlde. There shal The fruite of faith shal bée rewar­ded wyth most ample benefites. the fruite of obedience appeare, the labour of repentance reioyce, modest subiectiō be crow­ned gloriously. Wherefore, submit thy selfe nowe modestly to the commaundement of al men, and passe not who speaketh or cōmaun­deth: but especially endeuour this one thing, God doth specially raise vp & extoll men modestly, o­bedient & subiect to others. that whether some superior of thine, or some equal, or also some inferior shal require ought at thy hands, or else shall but giue a token to haue thée doe something, thou take all in good woorth, and studie to doe them with asincere [Page 106] will. Let diuers men séeke diuers things: Let diuers men glory in diuers things: & let them be praysed euē of an infinite number of men: reioyce thou but in the contempt of thy self, & in the dooing of my commaundement, & in loo­king vnto my glory, & wish for that thing a­boue all other, that eyther by life, or by death God may alwayes be honoured in thée.

How a man being pressed downe with euilles, ought to yeelde himselfe vp vnto God. The .lv. Chapter.

I Giue thée immortal thanks, O God my holy Father, for that those thinges are done which thou wilt haue to be done: & thou wilt haue nothing to bée done, but that that is good. Let me thy seruant re­ioyce in thée, not eyther in my selfe, or in any other. For thou onely art true ioy, O Lord, y^u God is our plenty, and sanctuarie in afflictiō. art my hope and crowne, thou art my reioyce & honor: To be short, I haue nothing but that which I haue receyued at thy hand, and that without any maner of desert of mine at all: The mise­ryes and calamities of men. thine are al those things, that either thou hast giuen or made. I néedie soule, and turmoiled with trauailes from my birth, am sory in my [Page] minde, and that so déepely sometime, that teares doe gush out of mine eyes, and that I am altogither disquieted for the euils that are at hande. I long after the ioye of peace, I ear­nestly craue the peace of thy children, which are fed with the light of thy comfort. If thou shalt giue peace: if thou shalt poure forth ioy, I shal haue a minde full of melodie, and singe thy prayses deuoutlye. But if thou shalte withdrawe thy selfe, (as thou art woont very often) I shall not be able to runne the race of thy commaundementes, but rather fallyng downe vpon my knées, will strike my brest, bicause I am not nowe in so good case as I was before, when thy candle giuing light vn­to me from aboue, I was defended wyth the shadowe of thy wings against the euils that ranne violently vpon me. O iust father, and alwayes to bée praysed: the howre is come wherin I thy seruant shoulde be tried. O Fa­ther The ear­nestnesse of prayer. to be loued, right it is that I should suffer something for thy sake in this howre. O Fa­ther euermore to be worshipped, the howre is come, which thou diddest foresée before all be­ginning: that I shoulde so be ouercome out­wardly for a shorte time, that inwardelye I No bitter aduersity is sent vn­to vs with might alwayes liue with thée, & that I might be cōtemned, pressed downe, fayle before men [Page 117] a little while, & be afflicted with euils and sor­rows, out the sin­gular pro­uidence of God. to the intent I might rise againe with thée in the morning of newe light, and might be made bright in heauenly things. O holy fa­ther, thou hast thus determined, so thou woul­dest haue it: & that hath béene done which thou hast commaunded to be done. For this bene­fite is bestowed by thée vpō thy louer or frend, that he should suffer afflictions in this life for the loue of thée, so oftentimes as thou shalte suffer the same to be done vnto him, and of whome thou shalt suffer it to be done, & after that sort as thou shalt suffer it to be done. For there is neyther any thing done in the worlde The boun­tifull pro­uidence of God bear­eth rule o­uer all things. without thy purpose and prouidence, nor yet without a cause. And surely, it is for my pro­fite, O Lord, that thou hast thrust me downe, to the intent that I may learne thy ordinaun­ces, & cast all loftinesse & arrogancie of mind from me. It is profitable to me to haue béene shamed, that I might aske comfort rather of There is excéeding great pro­fite of af­flictions. thée, than of men. Againe also, I haue learned therby to feare thy vnsearchable iudgement, which afflictest the iust togither with the wic­ked and vngodly, and yet not without equitie and right: I giue thée thanks, which hast no­thing spared to sende me aduersities, but hast afflicted me with bitter torments, sorrowes, [Page] anguishes, both within and without: wherein to comfort me, there is none found liuing vn­der heauen: but thou onely art he, O my Lord & God, being the heauenly phisition of soules, which both woundest and healest, which lea­dest downe to hel, and againe, bringest a man backe from thence. Thy correction doth chas­tice me, thy rod doth teach me: Behold most In inuo­cation and praiers, the renoūcing of my owne will is ne­cessary. deare father, I doe submit my selfe to the rod of thy correction: Strike at my back and my necke, that I may bow my naturall corrupti­on vnder thy will: Make me a godly & modest scholer, according as thou art woont rightly to do, that I may alwaies be obedient to thée at a beck. I commit my selfe & all that I haue to thy correction, séeing it is better to be cor­rected here nowe, than hereafter in an other place. Thou knowest all, and euery thing, and nothing is hid from thée in mans conscience. Thou knowest the things to come before they be done: neither is there any cause also why Selfe will being re­noūced, we must wyl­lingly put our necke vnder the crosse. any man shoulde tell or admonish thée of the things that are done in the world. Thou kno­west what is profitable for me to come fore­warde with, & how much aduersities do helpe or preuaile to wype away as it were, the rust of sinnes. Vse thy iudgement and pleasure to­wards me, and despise me not for my wycked [Page 118] life, which is better or more clearely knowen to no body. Nay, it is not knowen at al to any man, but to thée onely. Graunt me, O Lorde, to know those things that are to be knowen, to loue those thinges that are to be loued, to prayse those things, that doe most of al please thée: to take in hand those things which are precious in thy iudgemēt, & to dispraise those Discerning of spirites, and sincere iudgement must be as­ked of God. things which are vile in thy sight. Suffer not me to iudge either with the sight of my out­ward eies, or to giue sentence by the hearing of my vnskilful eares: but with true iudgemēt to discerne both visible and spirituall things, & aboue al things to search out the pleasure of thy will euermore. Mens senses are manye times deceiued in iudging of things. The lo­uers of this world also are deceiued in louing visible things onely. Is a man so much the better, as he is accounted the greater of men? The deceitfull, deceiueth the deceitfull: the The vani­ty of mans iudgemēt. vaine, the vaine: the blind, the blind: the weak, the weake, whilst he extolleth or aduaunteth him: and he doth him reproch in déede, whi­lest hée vaynelye prayseth hym. For looke Fraunces the Mino­ritē. how great euery man is in thy iudgement, so great he is in déede, and no greater, as one ryghtly sayde.

That we must rest vpon base or course works, when we depart from the highest works. The Lvi. Chapter.

SOnne, thou caust not continue still in the most feruent desire of vertues, & in the highest degrée of beholding heauenly thyngs, but that thou must néedes for o­riginall corruption, come downe sometime to The Chri stian man whether he wyll or no, doth come downe to the infe­rior bur­dens and necessities of this mor tall life. the lower things, & beare also with wearinesse the burthen of this mortall life, whether thou wilt or no. So long as thou shalt beare about a mortall body, thou shalt féele the yrckesom­nesse and waight of thy body. Therefore thou must often sigh & sorrowe in thy fleshe for the burthen of thy flesh, bicause thou art not able without ceassing for a time to dwell stil vpon spirituall studies and heauenly contemplatiō. In this case it is expedient for thée to flie vnto the base and outwarde workes, and to re­create Godlynesse hath his be ginnings, procedings & perfecti­ons. thy selfe in good déedes, and to awayte with sure confidence and faith, till I come frō aboue to visite thée, and paciently to beare thy banishment and drynesse or dulnesse of mind, til thou be visited of me againe and deliuered from all anguishes. For I will make thée to [Page 119] forget thy labours, and throughly to enioye inward rest. I will open vnto thée the Field of the Scriptures, that thou mayest begin to run through the way of my cōmaundements with a ioly chéerefull minde, and mayest say thus: The calamities of this worlde are not to be compared with the glory to come, that shal be giuen vnto vs.

That man ought to thinke himself worthy, not of comfort, but of stripes. The .Lvij. Chapter.

LOrd, I am not worthy of com­fort, or of any spirituall care of thine: therefore, thou declarest thy self but righteous vnto me, whilst thou forsakest me being helpelesse and voyd of comfort. For though I shoulde poure foorth a whole sea of teares, yet should I not be therfore worthy of thy com­fort. Nay rather, I am worthy of naught else but stripes & punishments, which haue offen­ded thée so grieuously so many times, & haue done amisse so often in so many things. Ther­fore, if the matter be wayed accordinglye, I am not worthye of the least comfort that is. And yet thou mercifull & gentle God, which [Page] wilt not haue thy workes to perish, to declare & shewe forth the richesse of thy goodnesse to­wardes the vessels of thy mercy, doest vouch­safe to cōfort me without any desert of mine, aboue all mans reach. Neither are thy com­forts like vnto mens bablinges. And what God doth at length comfort the humble by his mercie after that they are brought to extremitie. haue I done, that y^u shouldest endue me wyth any heauenly comfort? Surely, I remember that I haue done no good at all, but that I haue alwayes béene both prone vnto sinne, & slow to amendement. Which thing is so true of it selfe, that if I shoulde denie it, thou canst shew the contrary, & no man is able to stande in my defense. What haue I deserued by my sinnes, but hell & fire euerlasting? Truely, I doe vnfeynedly confesse that I am worthy of all mockerie and contempt, and that it is not séemely for me to leade my life among thy godly seruants. Truly, I am hardly perswa­ded The de­scription of true repē ­tance. so to doe: but bicause it is true, I will so doe, that I my selfe may reprooue mine owne sinnes, to the intent that I may the sooner ob­taine thy mercy. And what shal I sinful man, & one fuil of all reproche say vnto thée? Sure­lye, I haue nothing else to say, but this one thing: I haue sinned, O Lorde, I haue sinned: haue mercy vpon me: Forgiue me, suffer me a little while to lament my calamitie, before I [Page 120] flit into the land that is darke & couered ouer with the dryrinesse of death. And what else dooest y^u require of the sinfull & wretched man, but straightly to punishe & thrust downe him­selfe for his faults? For in the true punishing of a mans selfe, & pressing downe of the soule, hope of pardon commeth foorth, the troubled conscience is reconciled to God, the lost fauor of God is recouered, man is kept from the wrath to come, & God, and the penitent soule of man, doe one méete an other with a holye kisse. I say, the humble sorrow of sinnes, that the sinful man hath, is an acceptable sacrifice Sacrifices and accep­table repē ­tance vnto God are spirituall. 1. Pet. [...]. vnto thée, O Lorde, and of farre more swéete smelling sauor, than is the perfume of Fran­kinsence. The same is that swéete oyntment with the which thou wouldest haue thy holye féete to be enoiled, who neuer despisest the af­flicted and the pressed soule of man. This is the place of refuge against the wrath of the enimie. In this is corrected & rinsed whatsoe­uer is corrupted and defiled any other way.

That Gods fauour hath nothing to doe wyth those men whose mindes are earthly. The lviij. Chapter

[Page] SOnne, my fauor is more preci­ous The fauor of God by­cause it is spirituall & euerlasting yea, & pas­seth al vn­derstādyng hath no­thing min­gled wyth earthlye comfort. than that it can abide to be ioyned with outwarde thinges. Therefore whatsoeuer is a let to the same, thou must cast it a­way frō thée, if thou desire to be indued there­withall. Séeke for a place of solitarinesse, loue to dwell by thy self alone, séeke for no mans communication, but rather poure forth de­uout prayers vnto God: that both thy minde may be stirred vp and quickned, and thy soule guiltie vnto it self of well dooing. Set nothing by the whole worlde, and preferre thy studye applyed to God before all outwarde thinges. For thou canst not both apply thy selfe vnto All transi­torie thin­ges must be diligent­ly renoun­ced that we may sée Gods e­uerlasting enheritāce. me, & also be delighted with things transitory. Thou must depart from thy acquaintance & deare friends, and thy mind must be called a­way from all worldly comfort. Saint Peter doth admonishe the Disciples of Christ euen so to behaue themselues in thys worlde as straungers & traueylers. O how great faith and trust shall the person that shall dye haue, whome the desire of no maner of thing doth kéepe still in the world. But to haue a mynde There is chiefest af­fiaunce in death to thus secluded from all things, belongeth to a man that is not sicke: neither doth the sensual man, knowe the libertie of the inward man. [Page 121] Surely, if he will haue himselfe to be made those that are deade vnto sinne and the worlde. spiritual, he must renounce both things farre oft, & hard by, & must beware of no man more than himself. If thou shalt once conquere thy selfe perfitely, thou shalt the more easily sub­due all other things. For to triumph ouer a It is the perfite vic­tory to tri­umph ouer a mans self. mans self, is perfite victorie. For he that hath himselfe subiect vnto himselfe in such sorte, that both his appetite is obedient of reason, & his reason obedient vnto me in al things, this man is both the conqueror of himself in déed, & also the Lorde of the world: to which grice, if thou desire to come, thou must begin lyke a man: and the hatchet must be put to the roote, that thou maiest cut out and plucke vp by the roote the secrete & inordinate loue, both of thy selfe, and of all priuate and carnall goodnesse. For of this mans inordinate loue of himself, Self loue, the roote of al mischiefe muste bée pulled vppe that conti­nuall peace may folow. all onely doth depende, whatsoeuer by a man must be grubbed vp, which mischiefe being o­uercome & subdued, great peace and continu­all calmenesse shall folow after. But bicause fewe doe endeuor to dye perfitely vnto them­selues, and to depart out of themselues, fully, it hapneth that most of them do abide stil en­wrapped in themselues, & cannot be caried vp in spirit aboue themselues. But he that desi­reth to be conuersant with me fréely, he must No man entereth in to familari­tye wyth God, but hée that doth who­ly mortifye himselfe & renoūceth all creatu­res. [Page] néedes slay and mortifie all his wicked & inor­dinate affections, and not cleaue desirously to any creature through priuate loue.

Of the diuers motions of Nature & of Grace. The .Lix. Chapter.

SOnne, marke diligentlye the motions of Nature & of Grace. For they bée mooued after so suttle & contrary a maner the one to the other, that they can scātly be discerned but of the spiritual man, & one altogither lightned within. Al mē in déed do couet the thing which is good, & do pretend some good thing in their sayings and déedes, & therfore are many deceiued with that shew & countenance of a good thing. Nature is subtile, & draweth, intrappeth, deceiueth many men, and alwaies will haue hir selfe to be the pro­posed ende of hir doings: But Grace behaueth Nature and all thinges that séeme best to the outwarde apperance do deceiue. hir selfe plainely, and declineth from all kind of euill, vseth no deceit, and doth all thinges plainely for Gods sake, & resteth in him vnto the ende. Nature refuseth to die, to be kept vn­der, to bée ouercome, to obeye, to be subiect. Grace studieth to mortifie hir selfe, resisteth hir appetite, desireth to be subiect and to be o­uercome, [Page 122] and will not vse hir owne libertie, loueth to be kept at commaundement, & desi­reth Grace is simple, sin­cere, and without malice. not to beare rule ouer any man, but is ready alwaies to liue, to remaine, to be vnder God, & to be in subiection with lowlinesse to al worldly things for Gods sake. Nature studieth for hir owne commodity, & considereth what The praise and vertue of Gods grace. We must vtterly re­nounce na­ture. gaine maye growe vnto hir by another: but Grace doth consider rather, not what is profi­table & commodious to it self, but what is pro­fitable vnto many men. Nature is gladly ho­nored and magnified: but Grace giueth al ho­nor and glory vnto God. Nature is afeard of reproch & contempt, but Grace reioyceth to be vsed reprochfully for the name of Christ. Na­ture loueth ydleyesse & ease of body: Crace not knowing howe to be ydle, embraceth labour willingly. Nature coueteth after curious and beautifull things, and abhorreth the vyle and grosse things: Grace is delighted with simple & base things, despiseth not things mishapen, nor refuseth to be clad with olde rotten rags. Nature beholdeth transitory things, reioyceth at worldely gaines, is sory for losse, & is pro­uoked to impacience with euery reprochfull word: but Grace hath regard of things euer­lasting, doth not cleaue vnto corruptible thinges, is not troubled with losse nor prouo­ked [Page] to anger, with words somewhat spyteful and roughe, bicause shée hath placed hir trea­sure in heauen, where nothing is corruptible. Nature is couetous, & more willingly recey­ueth then giueth, as louing hir priuate com­moditie: but Grace is bountifull and liberall, flying hir priuate profite, content wyth fewe things, iudging it more blessed to giue than to take. Nature is prone vnto the creatures, to fleshe, to vanitie, to gaddings about: but Grace doth alure to God & to vertues, biddeth the Creatures adue, flyeth the world, hateth the desires of the flesh, represseth gadding a­bout, & is ashamed to be séene abrode. Nature séeketh for outwarde comforts, by the allure­ments wherof, shée may be quieted: but Grace séeketh comfort in God alone, & delighteth it selfe in the chiefest felicitie aboue the reach of all visible things. Nature doth all things by­cause of priuate gaine and commoditie, & no­thing for naught: shée alwayes looketh eyther for equall or greater recompence or else for praise and fauor for hir good déedes, & desireth that hir déedes & gifts be greatly wayed & set by. But Grace séeketh for no worldely thing, nor requireth any other rewarde or recom­pense for hir selfe, then God alone, nor coue­teth mo things necessary to this life, then so [Page 112] much as is néedefull to the attayning of lyfe euerlasting. Nature reioiceth in the multitude of friends & kinsfolkes, bosteth in nobility and greatnesse of stock, smyleth vpon the mighty, flattereth the rich, and doth sooth vp their say­inges, that be like vnto hir selfe. But Grace doth loue euen hir enimies also, and is not prowde with the multitude of fryendes, nor hath the place of hir birth, & noblenes of bloud in admiration & reuerence, vnlesse perhaps the greater vertue and godlinesse did there appeare. The same doth more fauor the poore than the riche, doth more lament the case of the innocent and harmelesse man, than of the mightie: reioyceth in the behalfe of him that is true, & not of him that is deceitfull: doth al­wayes exhort most of all to followe all those gifts that are best, and to expresse the sonne of GOD in vertues and good life. Nature doth quicklie complaine of néede & pouertie. Grace beareth lacke constantly. Nature referreth al things to hirself, and striueth and contendeth for hir selfe: but Grace referreth al things vn­to God, from whence she tooke hir beginning, ascribeth no goodnesse vnto hirselfe, is not ar­rogant, nor contencious, nor preferreth hyr owne sayings before other mens, but submit­eth hir selfe in all searche of truth vnto Gods [Page] wisedome and iudgement. Nature is gréedie to knowe, and to heare strange misteries and and secretes: shée is a boster of hir self, & desi­rous to make proofe of many things with hir senses: desireth to be knowne, and to doe those things, by which shée may get prayse and ad­miration: But Grace doth not employ to la­bor to vnderstand strang and curions things, because all that doth procéede and take his be­ginning of that auncient corruption of ours, wheras in déede no strange thing is durable vpon the earth. Therfore it teacheth a man to kéepe downe vaine delight, to refraine frō o­stentation & braging, modestly to hide things prayse woorthy, & things to be had in admira­tion for their excellencie, & out of euery thing and knowledge to séeke for the fruit of profit, and the prayse and honor of God. Shée will not haue hir selfe nor hir things to be praised, but desireth that thanks shoulde be giuen vn-God for his gifts, who giueth all things vpon The more Nature is mortified, so much y^e more is the spirit quic­kened and made con­formable vnto God. méere loue. This Crace is a light set aboue Natures reach, and a certaine singuler gift of God, and properly the marke of the elect, and the pledge of euerlasting life, which lifteth vp a man from the loue of earthly things, to the loue of heauenly thyngs, & of carnall maketh him spiritual. Therfore the more sharply that [Page 124] Nature is pressed downe & ouercome, so much the greater Grace is poured into it, & so much the more is the inwarde man reformed daily with new gifts, according to y^e ymage of God.

Of the corruption of Nature, & of the power and strength of Gods Grace, The Lx. Chapter.

O Lorde my God, which hast cre­ated me lyke vnto thy ymage, graunt me that benefite (which thou hast declared to bee so ne­cessary for me, and of so great force vnto euerlasting life) that I may ouer­come my nature, so corrupt and sinful, that it draweth me to sinne and to destruction. For I féele in my flesh the law of sinne, that fight­eth against the law of my mind, & compelleth me in many things to obey mine appetite, so that I cannot withstande hir assaults, vnlesse that thy most holy Grace doe helpe me, beyng ardently poured into my soule. I say agayne, I haue néede of thy Grace (& the same great) that Nature may be ouercome, alwaies prone to euill frō the beginning of my life. For Na­ture being fallen and corrupted through sinne by Adams fault, the punishment of this great [Page] blemish hath come ouer al mē, so that Nature hirself, which was created good & right by thée is accounted now for the vice & weakenesse of the corrupt nature, bicause the motion that is The natu­rall man doth after a certaine sorte dys­cerne out­warde things, be­ing other­wise alto­gither w^t out iudge ment. left vnto it, doth draw vnto euil & to the infe­or things. For as touching that slender force, which abideth still therein, the same is as it were a certaine sparke, raked vp in the em­bers. This is that naturall reason compassed about with a blacke darkenesse, so yet neuer­thelesse, that it can as yet discerne and iudge good and euill, truth & falshood, although it bée not able to perform whatsoeuer it approueth nor enioyeth as now perfite light of truth, nor yet the soundenesse & health of his affections. Hereby it commeth to passe. O my God, that I am delighted with thy law, as toughing the inward man, knowing that thy commaunde­ments are good, iust, holy, & reproue al euil & sinne, & teach that it shoulde be auoyded. But with my flesh I serue the law of sinne, whilest The des­cription of man that entereth into the new birth and as yet is not who­ly newe borne. I obay appetite more than reason. Herevpon it commeth that I haue a will ready inough, but I finde not power & abilitie to make per­formance. Hereof I determine many times to doe many things well: but bicause Gods fauour is wanting, which shoulde helpe my weakenesse it hapneth that I leape backe a­gaine, [Page 125] & am tired, for a small fighting against my seife. Herevpon it hapneth, that in déede I doe acknowledge the way of perfection, & doe plainely inough see what belongeth to my dutie: but being pressed downe with y^e waight of my corruptiō, I cannot arise vnto the more perfite things. O how necessary is thy grace for me, O Lorde, both to make entrance into that which is good, & also to go forward ther­in, and to bring it to perfection. For neyther am I able to do ought without y^e same Grace: & againe, when the same Grace doth confirme and strengthen me, then am I able to doe all things in thée. O the right heauenly Grace, without the which no merits of man, no gifts of Nature are to be had in any price or regard. The be­ginning of our salua­tion stan­deth vpon the meere grace of God, the going for­warde and the ende is euerlasting lyfe. Artes are of no force: riches are of no force, beauty and strength is of no force: wit or elo­quence is of no force with thée, O Lord, with­out Grace. For as for Natures gifts, they are cōmon as well to the good as to the bad: But Grace is a gift peculiar vnto the elect, wyth the which who so are endued, they are accoun­ted worthy of euerlasting life Without grace the greatest & most beau­tiful thin­ges are vile and of no repu­tacionin gods sight. To be short, it is of so great price, that without it, neither the gift of prophesie, nor the dooinge of miracles, nor y^e most hid vnderstāding of secret things are any thing at all to be estéemed. Nay ney­ther [Page] faith, nor hope, nor all the other vertues are acceptable vnto thée without loue & grace. O blessed Grace which makest the poore in spirite to be rich in vertues, & makest the low­ly & humble minded mā to be wealthy in good things. Come to me, come downe to me: Re­plenish me earely with thy comfort, least my soule do faile me for very wearinesse of mind & drynesse. I beséech thée, O Lorde, vouchsafe me of thy grace. For the same is sufficient for me, though y^e other things be not had, which Nature doth desire. I say againe, if the same be assistent to me, I will feare the euill of no temptacion at all, of no calamitie at all. This is my strength, this bryngeth counsayle and health. The same is both mightier then al our enimies, & more wise then are al wise men in the worlde. Shée is maistres of truth, teacher of discipline, light of the mind, comfort of an­guishes, the chaser away of sadnesse, the taker away of feare, the nurse of religion and godli­nesse, the moother of teares: Without it, what am I, but a dry sticke, & an vnprofitable and vile blocke: Therefore O Lord, let thys thy Grace alwayce both go before, & come after, and let that bring to passe that I may alwaies apply my selfe vnto well dooing, through Ie­sus Christ thy sonne.

Amen.

We ought to denie our selues, and to followe Christ by his Crosse. The .Lxi. Chapter.

SOnne, the further off thou shalt No man but he that wholy re­nounceth himselfe is ioyned vn­to God. depart from thy self, the néerer thou shalt approche onto mée. Lyke as to couet nothyng out­wardly, is the cause of inwarde peace: euen so to forsake himself, inwardelye, doth ioyne a man vnto God, I will haue thée to learne à perfite denial of thy self in my wil, without any gaynesaying & complaint. Fol­low me, I am the way, the truth and the lyfe. Without way there is no traueyling: with­out Christ is the waye, the truth, & the life, not sodain­ly and at once, but by steps or gryces. Iohn. 14. truth, the way is vnknowne: without life we liue not. I am the way, by which thou must goe, the truth which thou must beléeue, the life which thou must hope for. I am the ready way, the truth neuer deceiuing, the life with­out ende. I am the most straight waye, the highest truth, the true life, the blessed, the in­created or vnmade. If thou wilt perseuere in my way, thou shalt knowe the truth, and the truth shall so deliuer thée, that thou mayst at­taine euerlasting life: If thou wilt get life, o­bay my commaundements. If thou wilt fol­low [Page] the truth, beléeue in me. If thou wylt bée perfite, sell all thinges: If thou wilt be my Disciple, denie thy selfe: If thou wilt attaine to the blessed life, despise the life present: If thou wilt be exalted in Heauen, thrust downe thy selfe vpon the earth: If thou wilt raygne with me, then be are my Crosse with me. For the seruaunts of the Crosse onely doe find the way of blessednesse and true lyght.

O Lorde Iesu Christ, foras­much as thy way is narrow, and hatefull to the worlde, make me with thée to despyse the worlde. For the seruant is not greater then the Lorde, nor the [...] aboue his Mayster. Let thy seruaunt be exercised in thy way sée­ing that my sauing health and true holinesse is there to be founde of me. Beside that what­soeuer I eyther reade or heare, the same doth not fully refreshe or delight me.

Sonne, séeing thou both hast read & knowest al those things, thou shalt be bles­sed if thou wilt practise and perfourme them. Hée that both knoweth & doth my commaun­dements, the same loueth me, and I will like­wise loue him, & will open my selfe vnto him, and will cause that he may sit wyth me in the kingdome of my father.

Lorde, bring to passe therefore [Page 127] that these thinges maye happen vnto mée, The an­guishes of death must be supped vp of a mā in y^e crosse & he must stand sted­fastly to it as one in­uincible. which thou hast sayde and promysed, I haue receyued a Crosse at thy handes: I will pa­ciently beare the same euen to the very death, according as thou haste enioyned vnto mée. Surely the lyfe of the Chrystian man is a Crosse: but by this waye, men go into Para­dise. We may not go backe againe, or leaue off our enterprise.

To it nowe chéerefully Brethren, let vs go on togither. Iesus wyll bée present wyth vs. For Iesus sake haue we taken vp this crosse. For Iesus sake let vs perseuer and continue in the crosse. The same Iesus shall be our hel­per, which is both our guide and leader, and goeth also before vs. Beholde oure Kyng, which shall fight for vs, doth goe before vs. Let vs follow like men: Let no man be stri­ken with feare, let vs be readye manfullye to dye in battayle, and let vs not staine our glo­rie by running away backe agayne from the Crosse.

That man be not ouermuch discouraged, if at any time he haue fallen into any offense. The .Lxij. Chapter.

[Page] SOnne, pacience and humble­nesse Pacience and humi­lity or low­linesse of minde, in aduersitie is better than com­fort or god linesse in prosperity. of mind in aduersitie doth more please mée, then much cō ­fort and godlinesse in prosperi­tie. Why art thou vexed wyth so small a thing spoken against thée? which though it were greater, yet oughtest y^u not to be mooued to impacience. Passe not vpon this thing: it is neyther first nor strang, nor it shal not be last if thou liue longer. Thou art man like inough, so long as no aduersity doth come against thée: yea, thou canst giue good counsel to other, and canst tel how to confirm & chéere them vp with thy words: but when sodaine ca­lamitie is at thy doore, then art thou destitute of counsel & strength. Consider how great thy frailtie is, which thou makest profe of many times, in smal and trifling matters. Howbe­it, both these things, & al other like vnto these, doe make for thy saluation. Cast these things out of thy minde, accordyng as thou knowest thou must do: But if they nippe thée, endeuor that they either cast thée not downe or do long time kéepe thée troubled: and if thou canst not take them ioyfully, at the least wise beare thē paciently. But if thou heare such things vn­willingly, and doest féele indignation in thy selfe, represse and kéepe in thy selfe, and suffer [Page 128] nothing once to come one of thy mouth, wher­by the litle ones should bée offended. By thys meanes shall it be brought to passe, that both this affection may be forthwith setled, and the gréese of the minde waxe swéete, the fauor of God returning to thée againe: I am yet aliue (saith the Lord) ready to helpe thée, & to com­fort thée more then I was woont, if puttyng thy trust in me, thou wilt cal vpon me deuout­ly. Be of a more pacient minde, & prepare thy selfe to greater sufferaunce. Thou must not therefore be discouraged, if thou sée thy self to be oftentimes afflicted, and grieuously temp­ted. The de­scription of a man en­tering into the newe birth, and not yet soundly new borne. Thou art a man and not a God: Thou art flesh, thou art no Angell. Mayest thou be able alwayes to abyde still in one state of vertue, when the same hath béene wanting both to y^e Aungel in heauen, and to the first man in Pa­radise, as the which did not long remayne in perfite case? I am he that will both raise vp the mourners vnto health, & will lift vp vnto my dignitie those men that doe acknowledge their owne infirmity.

Lord, I giue thée thankes for thy sayings, which to me are more swéete thā honie and the hony combe. What could I doe in so great calamities and anguishes, vnlesse y^u didst strengthen me with this thy holy talk? [Page] So that I may at the last come vnto the hauē All things that are most paine­full and trouble­sōe, onght to be taken quietlye without al vexation. of saluation, what matter maketh it what and how great things I do suffer: Giue me a good ende: graunt me a happye departure out of this life: be mindefull of me, O my God, and directe or setle me in the straight way of thy kingdome.

Amen.

Of leauing the deeper things & the hid iudge­ments of God vnsearched. The .Lxiij. Chapter.

SOnne, beware thou doe not dis­pute about highe matters, and the hidde or secret iudgements of God: why this man is thus forsaken & left to himselfe, that other man is increased with so great fauour: this man so much tormēted, that man so high­ly aduanced. These things do surmout mans capacity, neither is any reason of disputacion full ynough to search out the bottome of gods meaning & purpose. Therefore, if at any time the enimy do minister these things vnto thée, or else some curious persons aske thée the question, make answere with that saying of the Prophet: Thou art iust, O Lorde, and thy iudgement is right. And likewise that saying. [Page 129] The iudgementes of the Lorde are true, and agreeable to equitie. My iudgementes must The equa­litie of the state in the kingdome of God must be left vnto God himselfe, who is all in all. be feared, and not discussed, as they which doe passe mans vnderstanding & capacity. Desire not so much, as to search or dispute about the merits of the saints and Godly, who shall bée more holy or greater then other in the king­dome of heauen. For these things doe manye times cause vnprofitable debates & contenti­ons: doe also mainetaine pride and ambicion, whereof aryseth enuyinges and dissentions, whilest one stryueth prowdly that an other is holier than the rest. The desire to learne these things, & the searching of them out are fruit­lesse: Nay rather doe displease the godly sort. For I am not God of dissension, but of peace, which peace consisteth in true modestty, and lowlinesse, not in arrogancy and pryd. Some for the affection of loue doe cast more fauour vnto these, then to those: but they do it rather vpon their carnall affection, then that God is so affected. I am he that haue created all the saints, that haue endued the same wyth gifts, & haue giuen them honor: I know the merites of euery man: I prouoked them with moste pleasant gifts and benefits: I knew that they were to be loued, before the beginning of the worlde: I did choose them out of the worlde, & [Page] not they me: I called thē w^e my fauor. I drew them to me with my mercy: I led thē through Loue re­specteth not the person, diuers temptacions, and did poure vpon them notable comforts: I gaue them perseuerance and did crowne their pacience. I knowe both the first and the last: I embrace all men with loue incredible. I am to be praysed in all my saintes ioyntly, and to be magnified and ho­nored in all particularly, aboue all thinges: which saints being appointed by me to salua­tion, I haue so gloriously lifted vp without a­ny of their deserts going before. Therfore, he that despiseth euen the least of my seruaunts, the same doth neither honor the great, in as much as I haue made aswell the small, as the great: so that he y^e doth derogate from any on of y^e saints, the same doth both derogate frō me & from al the parteners of the heauenly king­dome. For they are al but one in the bonde of loue, thinking all one thing, willing all one thing, & also louing al one another w^t mutuall loue, Nay rather (which is a much more high matter) they more loue me than themselues, & their owne merits. For being rauished aboue Perfite loue. 1. Iohn. 2. 4. themselues, & drawne beside the loue of them­selues, they do go forward altogither vnto the loue of me, & do repose themselues in the frui­tion therof, in so much that nothing can turne [Page 130] thē from it, or thrust them down, as the which being full of euerlasting truth, doe burne w^e the fire of vnquenchable loue. Therfore, let the carnall & sensuall men leaue of to reasō about the state of the saints, which knowe not to do ought else but to loue their priuat ioies. Many as yet by their naturall affection and worldly loue, are bent to these or to those: and euen as their iudgement is in y^e inferior things, so doe they likewise imagine of the heauenly things. Without doubt it cannot be vttered in words in how great vnlikelynesse in those things do differ the one from y^e other, which the vnper­fit men do think with themselues, & which the men that by God are lightned, doe behold as made open vnto them frō aboue. Wherfore, beware Sonne, that thou occupie not thy self somewhat curiously about those things, which passe the capacitie of thy wit: but rather ap­ply thy selfe vnto that, that thou mayest bée found euen the least in the kingdome of God. Now, in case a man did know who were ac­counted more holye or greater than other in the heauenly kingdome, what should the kno­ledge thereof auaile him, vnlesse he did hum­ble himselfe so much the more vnto me, and rise vp higher vnto the greater prayse of my name? He doth a much more acceptable thing [Page] vnto God, which doth thinke vpon the great­nesse of his sinnes and the slendernesse of hys So much as thou knowest, so much thou doest. vertues, and how farre of he is from the per­fection of the saintes, then he which reasoneth about the greatnesse & lownesse of the saints and godly. They do not boast of their merits, which doe ascrybe no goodnesse at all vnto themselues, but acknowledge that all cōmeth from me, which they haue, bicause I haue be­stowed al those things vpon them, accordyng to my excéeding great loue of Godlinesse, and surely they are enuironed with so great loue of Godlynesse, and so great ioy of mynd, that no glory at all, no maner of felicitie is wan­ting vnto them. The more high in honor and glory that all the saints are, so much the more The more high that God doth make a mā so much the more mo­dest and the more néere vnto God and the more belo­ued is that man made. modest and the nygher, and eke the more déere the same are vnto mée. And for this cause that same in the Apocalips is wrytten: That they did cast their Crownes before God, and with a groueling countenance before the lambe did worship him, liuing for euermore. Many doe séeke who is greatest in the king­the kingdome of God, and cannot tell whe­ther that they themselues shall bée reckened in the number of those that are least. It is a great thing to be the verye least in Heauen, whereas all be great: for all shall be called, [Page 131] and shall so be in déede, the children of God. God is all in all, who giueth to euery man his penye that labou­reth in the Vinegard. Math. 20. The least shall growe into a thousande, and the hundreth person that shall be punished of me, shall dye a yoong man. For when the dis­ciples asked who shoulde be greatest in the kingdome of God, they had this same aun­swere: Vnlesse yee be altered in manners, and become like vnto the little ones, yee shall not enter into the Kingdome of Heauen. Therfore who so shall humble hymselfe lyke to this lit­tle chylde, he shall be greatest in the Kyng­dome of heauen. Wo be to them that disdaine to submitte themselues wyth the little ones: for the gate of the Heauenly Kingdome is to lowe for them to enter in at. Wo bée to the ryche also, that haue their comfortes here in thys Worlde. For when the poore doe enter the Kingdome of GOD, they shall stande wythout, crying and howling. Keioyce yée lowly and méeke. Triumph, ye poore: for the kingdome of God is yours, in case yée doe o­bey the truth.

That all hope and trust must be fixed in God alone. The .Lxiiij. Chapter.

[Page] LOrde, in whome is my trust set in this life, or what is my grea­test comfort among all things that are vnder the cope of hea­uen? Art not thou, O my Lord GOD, being endued with infinite mercye. When was I eyther in good case wythout thée, or in euill plight, whilest thou wast pre­sent with me? Surely I had lieffer to be poore for thy sake, then to be rych wythout thée: and had rather to be a traueyler with thée vpō the earth, than wythout thée to possesse heauen. Where thou art, there is heauen: And again, where thou art not, there is death and Hell. Thou art my longing and wishe: & therfore doe I recken it necessarye to sigh, to cry, & to praye vnto thée. In fine, I can fully put my trust in no man, to helpe mée in myne ne­cessyties when tyme requyres, but in thée onely, O my GOD. Thou art my hope: thou art my trust: thou art my comforter, and in all things most faithfull. All menne doe applye themselues vnto their owne af­faires busily: but thou desirest nothing sa­uing my saluation and comming forwarde, and vnto me turnest all vnto good. And wher­as thou doest throwe me abroade vnto sundry temptacions and aduersities: all that doest [Page 132] thou appoint out to my commoditie and pro­fite, who art woont to make tryall of thy be­loued children after a thousande wayes: in which proofe and tryall of thine, thou oughtest no lesse to be beloued, than if thou shouldest re­plenish me with heauenly comfortes. There­fore, O Lorde GOD, I place my whole hope and refuge in thée: in thée doe I settle all my calamities and sorrowes. For what­soeuer God being immutable and euerla sting, all creatures are subiect to alterati­on and change. I doe beholde without thée, all that doe I find to be but weake and vnstable. For neyther fryends can doe one good, nor strong men helpe at néede, nor wise giue profitable counsell, nor bookes of the learned comforte, nor any abundance of wealth deliuer, nor hid place defend, except thou thy selfe be present, doe helpe, strengthen, comfort, instruct and kéepe. For all things that séeme to make to the attaining of peace & felicitie, are nothing at all in thy absence, and in effect doe brynge no maner felicity. Therfore art thou the ende of all good things, and the toppe of life, the depth of all speach: and to haue a hope in thée aboue al things, is the most sure cōfort of thy seruants. I haue mine eies cast vpon thée: in thée I trust, O my God, the Father of mer­cy. Make happy & make holy my soule with heauenlye felicitie, that the same maye be­come [Page] thy holy habitaciōs, and seate of euerla­sting glory, and that no soyle or filth be found in thy temple to offende the eyes of thy ma­iestie. According to the greatnesse of thy good­nesse & multitude of thy mercy, looke thou vp­on me, & giue eare to the prayers of thy néedie seruant, liuing a great waye off in exile in a wilde and sauage Countrey. Defende and preserue the Soule of thy poore seruaunt, in the middest of so many daungers of thys lyfe, and direct me with the guiding of thy fauour, through the waye of peace, into the countrey of euerlasting bryghte­nesse.