The contempte of the vvorld, and the vanitie thereof, written by the reuerent F. Diego de Stella, of the order of S. Fr. deuided into three bookes, and of late translated out of Italian into Englishe, vvith conuenient tables in the end of the booke

••ovv that vve can neither tast of God, nor enioye any spirituall delighte and diuine comforte, yf first vve despise not the vvorld, and the Plea∣sures therof. CHAP. 1.

NO man can serue twoe mais∣ters saith Christ our Sauiour.* 1.1 The comfort that is of God, is sweete and delectable, but this is not for all men, but for those onelie whiche de∣••ise the vanities of the worlde. It is im∣••ossible to tast of God, and to loue dis∣••••dinat••ie the thinges of this lyfe: All men ••••ulde gladlie enioye the sweete conuer∣••ion of our Lorde, but few there be that ••ll forgoe their owne commodities, and ••••linglie despise the earthlye delightes.

They desyre greatlie to haue the inward comforte of the soule, but with all they desyre to satisfie their owne appetites. But yf thou wilt folowe Christ, thou must de∣nye thy selfe.

Thou must withdrawe thy selfe from the world, yf thou thinkest to enioye God, for God and the world be contrarie, they haue nothinge common betwixte them, neyther maye they inhabite together: ca•••• of therfore the loue of the worlde, yf thou wilt that God shall haue accesse to thy soule: Neyther mayest thou fullie tast o•• the sweetenes of God, vntill thou does•• fynde that the pleasures of the world be waxen bitter vnto the, and vnpleasant▪ And when thou shalt accompte of thes•• wordlie thinges to be harde and harshe of tast, then shalt thou fynde thy soule disposed to receyue the inward comfort•• of Iesus Christ. For as it is vnpossible fo•• the with one eie to looke vpward to he••••uen, and with the other to looke downe∣warde to the earth: so is it against reaso•• to haue thyne affections here on thes•• earthlie thinges, and enioye withall th•• spirituall cōfortes of heauen. If thou wil•• enioye God it is necessarie for the to de••pryue thy selfe of all kynde of wordlie 〈◊〉〈◊〉 sensuall comforte: That comforte which cometh from man, must needes be vile an•• of no accōpte, since it hyndreth the com••forte whiche cometh from God.

Thou must not seeke for God in the ple••••sant

fieldes, nor in delightsome gardeins, neyther in the pleasures of this worlde, Synce Moyses one so deare vnto hym,* 1.2 founde hym out amongest the thorney busshes of harde pennance and sharpenes of lyfe. Therefore doe those worldlinges neuer deserue to fynde hym, that doe not seeke hym any where, but amongest pleasures and delightes. But flie from all worldlie comforte asmuch as thou mayest and then shalt thou be refresshed at gods owne hande. Dispatch all worldlie care frō thy soule, to the intent that their maye be place for the loue of God to rest therein where it maye be suerlie planted, and take fast rootinge.

God would not permitte that his holye Arke & the idole Dagon should haue both one Aulter.* 1.3 And allthoughe the Philistines did earnestlie labour to haue it so, yet could they neuer bring it to passe that they might both abide together. God will not that the Idole of vice, whiche thou doest adore, should haue any place there, where as his diuine person remayneth: he cōsen∣teth not that the world and he shoulde be adored together.

And therefore yf thou wilt loue God, as thou oughtest to doe, thou must not sett by the glorie of this worlde.* 1.4 God neuer appeared vnto Moyses whilest he remay∣ned in Egipte, no more owghtest thou to haue any hope of seeing hym, whilest thou ••iuest in darkenes of the world. Refuse the

Pallace of Pharao, despising the honours & vanities in whiche thou liuest, that thou mayest finde in the desert of solitarie lyfe, (as Moyses did) the helpe of God and his spirituall comfortes.* 1.5

VVhilest the flesh pottes of Egipte doe sauour well in thy mouth, thou shalt neuer tast of the heauenlie manna. Thy stomack being full of nawghtie humours thou canst neuer receyue the precious foode of hea∣uen. Despise from the bottome of thyne harte, all that is delightfull here vnder heauen, And thou shalt easelie make thy soule thereby, to mounte aboue the hea∣uens, & to receyue the ioyes thereof. Many be desirous to haue respect vnto both, And geuing them selues vnto God, doe yet re∣serue their wordlie commodities still to them selues. Let it not be greuous vnto the, to seperate thy selfe from thy frendes and kynnesfolke when they doe gyue the any impediment toward the waye to hea∣uen, For God reuealeth not his hidden se¦crettes vnto thy sowle, in the presence of other witnesses, neyther will he be conuer∣sante with hym that is vnquyet, and is oc∣cupyed aboute wordlie busines.

There is none beloued of the worlde, but he that is dryuen away frō Christ: And there is none that is beloued of Christ, but he whome the worlde despiseth. Thou canst not perfectlie loue God but yf thou doe first despise thy selfe, and the worlde for God: And by this mayest thou knowe,

whether thou louest God, yf thou cōferre the loue that thou bearest hym, with the loue thou bearest to the world: for so much the more as thou louest God, so much the lesse, shalt thou esteeme the worlde.

Our Lorde will not haue our hart de∣uided, nor parted in peeces, but will haue it whole to hym selfe.

And therfore that thou mayest not lose a thing of so great a price, esteme but lightly these trāsitorie things. And this is the rea∣die way to get the perfect cōfort of spirit.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Mat. 6.
• * 1.2

  Exd. 3.
• * 1.3

  1. Reg. 5.
• * 1.4

  Exod. 2.
• * 1.5

  Exod. 16.