Ioan. 14.
2. Cor. 3.
Is there any loue, onles it be thys, but it hath some euyll condycyon? Is there anye pleasure to be herto estemed? Is there any honoure, but maye be accompted shame, to thys compared? Yea, is there any profyte equall to thys? More ouer to conclude it breuely. Is there any thyngethat I coulde more ernestly loue? Alas no. For he that vnfaynedly loueth God, reputeth all these thynges worldly, of lesse value than the dūge hylle. Pleasure profyte, honoure of thys worlde, are all but vayne tryfles vnto hym whych hath founde God. Suche loue is so profytable, honourable, & abundaunt, that (I dare saye) she only suffyseth the harte of a godly man, and yeldeth hym so content, that he neuer desyreth or wolde haue other. For who so euer hath God, as we ought to haue hym, accounteth all other thynges superfluouse or vayne.
Phil. 2.
Esa. 55.
Ioā. 10.
Now thanked by the lorde, through faythe haue I gotē the same loue, wherfor I ought to be satysfyed and content. Now haue I the my father, for defence of my longe youth from wanton folyshnesse. Now haue I the my brother, for to socoure my sorowes wherin I fynde non ende. Now haue I the my sonne, for my feble age as an only staye. Now haue I the a true, & faythfull husbande, for the satisfyenge of my whole harte. Now syth that I haue the, I do forsake all them that are in the worlde. Syth I holde the, thu shalte escape me nomore. Seynge that I se the, I wyll loke, vpon non other thynge that myght kepe me backe from the beholdynge of thy dyuynyte. Seynge that I do heare the, I wyll heare nothynge that letteth me frō the fruycyō of thy voyce. Syth that I maye frely talke with the, I wyll cōmen with non other. Seynge it pleaseth the to put me so nere the, I wyll rather dye than to touche any other. Seynge that I serue the, I wyll serue non other master.
2[unclear]. Thes. 2.
Exo. 15.
Seynge that thu hast ioyned thy harte with myne, if he depart from thyne, lete hym be ponnyshed for euer. For the departynge from thy loue is harder than is any dampnacyon. I do not feare the payne of ten thousande helles, so moche as I do feare the ones losynge of the. Alas my God, my father, and creator, do not suffer that the enemy, inuentor of all synne, haue suche power, that he make me to lese thy presence. For who so euer hath once felte the losse of thy loue, he shall saye that he wolde rather be bounde for euer in helle, than to feale the payne that one shall haue by the losse of the same thy loue one momente of tyme. O my sauer, do not permytt that euer I departe from the. Butif it please the, put me in suche a place, that my sowle through wantonnesse of synne be, neuer separated from thy loue.
Roma. 7.
Hebre. 9.
Eccle. 4[unclear].
In thys worlde I can not haue perfyghtly thys my dsyre. Whych thynge consydered maketh me feruently & with all my harte, to desyre the departynge from thys bodye of synne, not fearynge the deathe nor yet any of her instrumentes. For what feare ought I to haue of my God, whych through loue offered hymselfe and suffered deathe, not of dett or dewtye, but because he wolde for my only sake vndo the power that mortall deathe had. Now is Iesus dead, in whom we are all dead, and through hys deathe he causeth euery man to lyue agayne. I meane those whych through faythe are partakers of hys Passyon. For euen as the deathe before the great mystery of the crosse, was harde to euery bodye, and there was no mā but was feared therwith, consyderynge the copulacyon of the bodye & the sowle, their order, loue, and agrement, so were their sorowes extreme in the departynge of the one from the other.
Sapi. 3.
1. Ioā. 4.
But sens it hath pleased the swete lambe to offer hymselfe vpon the crosse, hys great loue hath kyndeled a fyre within the harte so vehement, that euery true beleuer estemeth the passage of deathe but a playe or pastyme, and so preuoketh other constauntly in hys truthe to dye. And euē as the feare of deathe ded retarde vs, so ought loue to gyue vs a desyre to dye. For if true loue be vnfaynedly within the harte of a man, he can fele non other thynge, because that loue is so stronge of itselfe, that she kepith all the roume, and putteth out all other desyres, not sufferynge any thynge there but God only. For whersoeuer true and perfyght loue is, we do neyther remēbre feare nor yet sorowe.
Deute. 16.
Eccle. 1.
If our owne pryde for to attayne honoure, maketh vs to seke deathe so manye straunge wayes. As if for to haue a folysh pleasure, a man putteth hym selfe in ieopardye of lyfe. If a merchaūte to obtayne ryches, doth daunger hymselfe, somtyme for the value of a shyllynge. If the first cōceyuynge of robery or murther, crueltie or deceyte, doth so blynde a man, that he doubteth nothynge the daunger of deathe, neyther yet mysfortune whan he seketh to auēge hymselfe or doth any other euyll. If the fury of syckenesse or the rankenesseof Melancholy causeth a creature fearcely to wyshe for deathe, & oft tymes to drowne, hāge, or kylle thēselues. For suche euyls are somtymes so great that they cause their payned pacyentes to chose deathe for lyberte. If it so be than that these paynes full of euyll, and imperfectyons, causeth them not to feare the hasarde of deathe, but rather to thynke that deathe tarryeth to longe.
Roma. 8[unclear].
2. Cor. 3.
Alas what ought true and laudable loue to do? What ought the loue of the eternall creatour to wyshe? Shulde she sturre a harte suche wyse, that he beynge transported with suche affectyon, shulde fele non other thynge in hym? Alas yea. For deathe is a plesaunt thynge to the sowle, whych is in loue with God, and estemeth the passage easye, through the whych she commyth out of pryson. For the harde waye, wherthrough she commeth, can not wearye her for to enbrace her husbande. O my sauer, how good is the same deathe, through whom we shall haue the ende of all sorowes? By whom I shall enioye thy syght without impedyment, and be transfourmed into the lykenesse of thy maieste?
Canti. 5.
1. Cor. 15.
O deathe, through thy dede I trust to haue suche honour, as vpon my knees with cryenge and wepynge I do dayly desyre. Therfor come quyckely, and make an ende of my sorowes. O happy doughters, ryght holy sowles ioyned to the cytie hierusalem, open your eyes and with pytie loke vpon my desolacyon. I beseche yow that in my name ye do shewe vnto me bestbeloue, my God, frynde & kynge, how at euerye houre of the daye, I do languysh for hys loue. O swete deathe, through suche loue come vnto me, and with loue brynge me vnto my lorde God. O deathe where is thy stynge and darte? Alas they are bannyshed from myne eyes, for rygour is changed into swetnesse seynge that my frynde ded suffre deathe vpon the crosse for my sake. Hys deathe doth so incourage my harte, that thu wert wonders gentyll to me, if I myght folowe hym.
Ioā[unclear]. 9.
Apoca. 20.
Psal. 11.
O deathe, I beseche the come to put the frynde with hys loue. Now syth that deathe is so plesaunt a lyfe, that she pleasith me more than feareth me, than ought I to feare nothynge but the ryght iudgement of God. All my synnes with hys iustbalaūce shall be wayed & shewed opēly. Thys that I haue done, also my thought and worde shall be better knowne, than if they were written in a rolle. And we maye not thynke that charyte wolde offēde iustyce & truthe. For whoso euer doth lyue vnfaythfully, shall be ponnyshed in euerlastynge payne. God is iust and hys iudgemēt is ryghteouse. All that he doth is perfyght in all thynges. Alas what am I consyderynge my ryghtousnesse, I wretched and poore creature?
Esa. 64.
Hebre. 18[unclear].
Luce. 18[unclear].
Ioan. 6[unclear].
I knowe that all the workes of iust mē are so full of imperfectyon, that afore God they are more fylthye than myer or any other vylenesse. What wyll it be than cōcernynge the synnes whych I do cōmyt, wherof I feale the burden importable? I can saye nothynge els but that I haue wonne by them dampnacyon. Is thys the ende? Shall dyspayre than be the conforte of my greate ignoraūce? Alas my God no. For the inuysyble faythe causeth me to beleue, that all thynges whych are impossyble to men, are possyble vnto the. So that thu do conuerte my worke, whych is nothynge, into some good worke of thyne in me, whych is specyally faythe. Than my lorde, who shall condempne me, & what iudge wyll dāpne me, syth that he whych is geuen me for a iudge, is my spouse, my father, and refuge? Alas what father? Suche as doth neuer condempne hys chyelde, but alwayes doth excuse and defende hym.
1. Ioā. 2.
Math. 18.
Colo. 2.
Than I perceyue to haue non other accuser but Iesus Christ, whych is my redemer, whose deathe hath restored vs our lost inherytaunce. For he made hym selfe our man of lawe, shewynge hys so worthye merytes afore God, wherwith my great debte is so habundauntly recōpenced, that in iudgement it is accompted for nothynge. O redemer, here is a great loue? We fynde but fewe suche mē of lawe. Swete Iesus Christ, it is vnto the that I am a detter, yet dost thu both praye, and speake for me. And moreouer whan thu dost se that I am poore, with the abūdaūce of thy goodes thu dost paye my debte. O incomprehensyble see of all goodnesse. O my father, dost thu vouchesaue to be my iudge, not wyllynge the deathe of a synner? O Iesus Christ, true fysher, and sauer of the sowle, frynde aboue all fryndes. For thu beynge my man of lawe dedystexcuse and speake for me, where thu couldest iustly haue accused me.
Esa. 53.
1. Pet. 2.
1. Ioā. 4.
I feare nomore to be vndone by any man for the lawe is satisfyed by the for all. My swete spouse hath made the payment so habundaunt, that the lawe can aske nothynge of me but is payed of hym. For as I beleue, he hath taken all my synnes vpō hym, and hath geuē me in place of them, hys owne goodes in habundaunce. O my sauer, presentynge thy vertues, thu dost content the lawe. Whan she wyll reproche me of my synnes, thu dost shewe her how willyngly in thyne owne fleshe, thu hast taken the dyscharge of thē, through the coniunctyon of our marryage. Also vpon the crosse through thy passyon, thu hast made satisfactyon for it. Moreouer thy only charyte hath geuē me thys, that thu hast for me deserued. Therfor seynge thy meryte to be myne, the lawe can aske nothynge of me. Than wyll I feare nomore the iudgement, but with desyre rather than parforce, I do tarry for the tyme that I shall se my iudge, and heare a iust iudgemente of hym.
Psal. 119[unclear].
Math. 25.
Luce. 13.
Yet I knowe that thy iudgemēte is so iust, that there is no faulte therin, & that my infydelyte is worthye to suffer the cruelnesse of helle. For if I do only consydre my deseruynge, I can se nothynge in it that can keape me from the fyre of helle. True it is, that the torment of helle was neuer prepared but for the deuyll, and not for reasonable men. Neuerthelesse if any man haue set in hys mynde to be lyke to the deuyll, than ought he as the deuyll to be payed with a lyke rewarde. But if a man through cōtemplacyon of the sowle, do holde of the, hys Angell of coūsell, vertue, goodnesse & perfectyō, he is sure to obtayne heauen, whych is a place of thy deseruynge for hym. Than shall the vycyouse be ponnyshed with the same, to whom they ioyned themselues. For sith that they folowed Sathan, they must holde suche place as is for hym and hys angels prepared.
Hebre. 1.
Luce. 11.
Now I consyderynge the dyuersyte of both the sortes, am lytle conforted in spreet by thys. For I can not denye but I am more lyke the deuyll than the Angell of lyght, wherfor I feare and tremble. For the lyfe of the Angell is so pure & myne so vnpure, that I am nothynge lyke vnto hym, thys do I confesse. But to the otherI am so lyke in my doynges, and so accustomed in hys wayes, that of hys payne & tormente I ought to be partaker. For the cruell synne whych hath bounde me in helle, is so great and hys force so stronge, that it leteth nothynge to come from it, neyther feareth it the cōtrary assaulte of any man. But he whych is in thys kynde stronge, knoweth not how hys strength goth awaye, whan a stronger than he cōmyth. Synne is stronge whych bryngeth vs to helle.
Phil. 2.
1. Cor. 15[unclear].
Roma. 5[unclear].
And I coulde neuer yet se, that anye man by meryte or payne takynge, coulde euer yet vanquyshe that helle, saue only he whych ded the great assaulte through hys vnspeakable charyte, whan he humbled hym selfe to the crosse. Wherby he hath ouercomen hys enemye, broken helle and hys power so that it hath no farther strength to keape anye sowle prysoner, that hath put her trust in God. Than beleuynge in the great strength that he hath, I do not set by helle and synne, No not so moche as a strawe. So that synne can neuer haue holde of me, vnlesse it be for to shewe how my God is mercyfull, stronge, myghtie, & a pusaūt vanquysher of all the euyls whych were within my harte. If my synne forgyuē, is the glorye of my most louynge sauer, I ought also to beleue, that my glorye is encreased therwith, seynge that I am planted or engrafted in hym.
Apoca. 5.
1. Cor. 15.
Apoca. 21.
Hys honoure only doth honoure all hys, and hys ryches doth replenysh euery one of hys with hys goodes. Than deathe, helle and synne are ouercome by hym. O glottonouse helle, where is thy defence? Thu cruell vyllayne synne, where is thy tyrannouse power? O deathe where is thy stynge & vyctorye, whych are so moche spoken of? In steade of deathe, thu deathe geuyst vs lyfe, and so dost thu contrary to thy wyll. Also thu synne which couetyst to drawe yche creature to dāpnacyon thu geuest vs a ladder to reache therby that goodly cytie Hierusalem. Yet woldest thu of thy cursed nature that our eternall maker shulde lose hys creature. But through hys loue and grace, the sorye remēbraunce of thy vncomelynesse, doth cause her by repentaunce to come agayne, and submyt her selfe vnto God more than euer she dyd. Hys inestymable goodnesse causeth the to lose the wholelabour whych thu takest all the weke.
Osee. 13.
Ioan. 6.
Math. 10.
Therfor helle hath not had all the nomber that he did pretende to haue, bicause that the solacyouse shaddowe & power of hys passyon, is suche a myghtye protectyon to the sowle, that she therby nedeth neyther to doubte deathe, synne, nor helle. Is there anye thynge can pull me backe if God be wyllynge through hys gyfte of faythe to drawe me to hym? I meane suche faythe as we must nedes haue to obtayne the hygh graces from aboue, & also suche faythe as through charyte doth ioyne the humble seruaunt to hys maker. I beynge ioyned vnto hym, ought to haue no feare of trauayle, payne, nor sorowe. For who so euer doth wyllyngly suffer anye maner of deathe or sorowe for the truthe, as ded Christ, he doth feale in suche torment great consolacyon for hys sowle, knowynge that as for my selfe, I am weake, and with God I am ryght stronge.
Roma. 8.
1. Ioā. 4.
Through hys confort I maye do all thynges. For hys loue is so cōstaūt & permanēt that it varyeth not for anye worldly thynge. Who can thā withdrawe me from hys grace? Surely the great heyth of heauen, nor the deapenesse of helle, nor the breadeth of the whole earthe, neyther deathe nor synne, whych doth warre euery daye agaynst me, can separate me one mynute from the great loue & charyte, that my heauenly father through Iesus Christ hath vnto me. Hys goodnesse is suche, that he loueth me whych haue not at all tymes loued hym. And if I now loue hym, than shall I feale hys loue to increase in me. But bycause that my loue is not worthy to loue hym, I desyre hys loue to be myne the whych I feale suche as though it were myne owne. Hys desyre is to loue, and through hys loue he causith my harte to be inflamyd with loue.
Ioan. 13.
Roma. 11.
Ephe. 2[unclear].
And through suche loue he fyndeth hym selfe so welbeloued, that hys owne dede yeldeth hym wele content, & not my loue or strengthe. Contentynge hys selfe, hys loue doth increase more in me, than I can of hym desyre, O true louer, fountayne, or welsprynge of all charyte, and only purse of the heauēly treasure. Ought I to thynke, or dare I saye what thu art? Maye I write it, or can anye mortall man comprehende thys goodnesse & loue? And if thu prēte in anye mānys harte, cā he expresseit? No surely. For the capacyte of no man can comprehende the vnmesurable goodnesses whych are in the, for naturall reasō doth shewe vs how there is no cōparyson betwyne an eternall & a mortall thynge. But whan through loue the mortall is ioyned with the eternall, the mortall thynge is so fulfylled with the eternall, that it can not fynde the ende therof. For it hath in it more good therby, than it can contayne or holde.
Roma. 8.
Eccs. 10.
Psal. 118.
Therfor doth a man thynke, whych hath the loue of God, that he hath all the goodes in the worlde therwith. Euen as we se the sūne with one only sparcle of hys lyght doth blynde the eye, and yet doth she witholde her great lyghte. But aske the eye what he hath seane, and he wyll saye that he hath beholden the whole bryghtnesse of the sunne. But that is a great lye. For he beynge dymmed with a lytle sparcle, coulde not se the whole cleartye therof. And neuertheles he is so contente, that it semith vnto hym as though he had so moche lyght as the sunne contayneth. Yet if he had more than the seyde sparcle, he were not able to suffer it. Euen so the sowle whych through faythe doth fele one sparcle of the loue of God, doth fynde therwith the heate so great and maruelouse, so swete and delycyouse, that it is impossyble to her to declare what thynge the same loue is.
Phil. 1.
1. Ioā. 4.
For a lytle threof that she hath felte doth yelde her mynde satisfyed & desyerynge of more wherof she hath ynough. So doth she lyue languyshynge & syghynge. The harte doth fele wele, that he hath receyued to moche, but he hath cōceyued suche desyre in thys to moche, that he alwayes desyerith to receyue the thynge whych he can not haue, neyther is he worthye to receyue it. He knowith the good that he hath alredy to be vnspeakeable, and yet wolde he haue more of that wherof he can not stylle. Truly he can not fele or thynke the good whych is in hym. Then lyeth it not in my power, to tell what thynge the loue of God is, sith that I haue no knowlege of the feruentnesse therof. He that thynketh to haue all thys loue withyn hys harte, can not truly declare what thynge it is. Happye is he wych hath suche abundaūce of thys loue, that he maye saye, My God, I haue ynough of it.
Iaco. 3.
Apoca. 3.
Math. 25.
He whych hath thys loue within hym, dare not moche boaste therof, least in moche speakynge he lose it, vnles it be to edyfye hys neybour vnto saluacyon. The impossybylyte than of the declaracyon of thys loue shall make me to holde my peace. For there is no Saynte so perfyght, if he wyll speake of the loue of the hygh God, of hys goodnesse, swetnesse, graces, and of all thynges els whych pertayneth to hym, but lokynge a lowe shall fynde hymselfe vnworthye, and so stoppe hys mouthe. I than a worme of the earthe, lesse than nothynge, ought to cease and not to speake of the incomparable hyghnesse of thys loue. Yet were it to moch vnkyndenesse to be noted in me, if I had writen nothynge, hauynge that done vnto me whych wolde satisfye a moche better wytte than myne is. For he that wolde hyde the goodnesse of God, so good a mastre, shulde commytt a synne worthye to be ponnyshed with the euerlastynge payne.
2. Cor. 12.
Roma. 11.
Sapi. 17.
Therfor come, O happye Paule, whych hast tasted so moche of the same swete honye, beynge blynded for the space of thre dayes, & rapte vp vnto the thirde hauē. Now I besech the, satisfye my ignoraūce & faulte, & tel me what in suche vysyon thu hast seane. Harkē thā what he sayth. O the vnspeakeable hyghnesse of the abūdaunt ryches or treasure both of the wysdome & knowledge of God. How incomprehēsyble are hys iudgemētes & how vnsearchable hys wayes vnto our weake wittes? O holye Paule, thy wordes causeth vs moche to maruayle, that thu hauynge knowledge of so heauēly secretes, woldest speake no further in them. At the least yet tell vs, what thynge we maye hope to haue one daye through suche godly loue. Geue eare and ponder the wordes that he sayth.
1. Cor. 2.
Esa. 64.
Roma. 8.
1. Ioā. 4[unclear].
Neyther hath the eye seane, nor yet the eare hearde, neyther yet hath it euer entred into the harte of anye man, what God hath prepared for them that loue hym. And wolde he speake it no farther? No truly. Yet all thys that he sayeth here, is for non other purpose, but to prouoke vs ernestly to loue. He wylleth vs also therin to esteme, that he neyther can declare nor yet name it, & so to geue forth our hartes to pacyēce & hope of that thynge whych neuer mā yet coulde se, neyther yet dyscerne, what though many through loue for it hath dyed. O excellent gyfte of faythewherof so moche good cōmyth, that it can sith man to possede the thynge whych he can not cōprehende. Faythe ioyned with the truthe, bryngeth fourth hope, wherby perfyght charyte is engēdered. And charyte is God, as thu knowist. If we haue charyte, thā we haue also God therwith.
Ioā. 1[unclear].
Roma. 12[unclear].
1. Timo. [unreadable].
Than is God in vs, and we are in hym. And all thys cometh through the benefyte of faythe. For he dwellith in all men whych haue true faythe. Thus haue we a greatter treasure thā we cā tell of, or yet anye man expresse vnto vs. Now to cōclude. Syth that so great an Apostle as saynt Paule is, wyll speake no further of God & hys inestymable loue, accordynge to hys ryghtouse exāple and doctryne, I wyll holde my peace & be stylle, folowynge neuerthelesse hys teachynges. Notwithstādynge yet though herin I acknowledge my selfe but earthe and duste, yet maye I not fayle to yelde thankes vnto my eternall lyuynge God, for suche great graces, and benefytes, as it hath pleased hym to gyue me. Vnto that euerlastynge kynge of heauen immortall, inuysyble, incōprehensyble, myghty, and wyse only, be all honoure, prayse, glorye, magnyfycence, and loue for euer & euer. Amen.