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

GOD IS ONLIE THE FOODE of our soule, for he hath made vs onlie for hym selfe: and our soule beinge a spirite, it is vnpossible to satiate it vvith corporall thinges, because there is no conformitie betvvixt them and it. CHAP. 3.

I SHALL then be satisfied when I shall see thy glorie,* 1.1 (sayth the Prophet vnto God) doe not thou seeke for contentement in thinges that be created, for in them shalt thou neuer finde it. All that is in the whole worlde, is but little for our reaso∣nable soule. That vessell which is able to conteyne God hym selfe, can neuer be full, vntill that God hym selfe doe fill it. The cause whereof is the vanitie of these worldlie thinges.

The thinges that be of their owne na∣ture vayne, (as all these worldlie thinges be) doe so occupy the place wherein they be, that for all their being there, the place remayneth emptie still, and golde doth no more satisfie the soule, then wynde doth satisfie the bodie. The desires of our soule can be but little satisfied, with all that is

on the earth to be desired, because the desires thereof be infinite, and without the compas of any measure or boundes. Therefore in this lyfe wee haue no other remedie, but to take away the desire of the thinges of this worlde.

If a man were so madde, that he wold needes flie vp into heauen, it were but an euill remedie to deuise for hym all such thinges, as were necessarie to further his enterprice forwarde. It were much better to consider the meanes how to make hym leaue it of, and to put that imagination out of his heade, since it is a thinge impossible to be broughte to passe. After this manner must thou applie the remedie to all thy greedie desires, and thirsting after honors and riches, alwayes perswading thy selfe, that it is vnpossible for thy soule to be satiate with any thinge that is conteyned vnder thee cope of heauen. This is all the remedie that thou hast to take away these vaine desires of thyne, for it is more easie for a man to haue wynges, and to flie aboue the cloudes, then to haue thy desires fullie satisfied with the pleasures of this lyfe.

These temporall goodes, be but as an 〈◊〉〈◊〉 matter, to set our desires on a fire. As it were a madnes to adde more wood to the ••••re for to put it out withall, so is it as greate madnes for vs to thinke, that wee can put out the fire of our desires, with the drie wood of these worldlie delytes.

The principall cause and reason thereof is because that none of the goodes of this lyfe, can haue any conformitie or agree∣ment with the nature of our soule.

God hath made vs for hym selfe, and our harte is neuer setled in full quyetnes, vntill that it rest whollie in hym. God hath gyuen vnto all thinges certaine prescri∣bed rules, answerable vnto their owne natures. It were against all rule of reason to feede an horse with flesh, and a lyon with grasse, because it is not agreable with their natures. And our soule beinge a spirite, how shall it be satisfied with cor∣porall thinges? Golde and our spirite be nothing like together, neyther any thinge that the worlde bringeth forth or gyueth, hath conformitie with the nature of the soule. Vnto some creatures as vnto the Camelions, it geueth ayre to mainteyne them withall, wherewith the proude men doe seeme to be maynteined also, but yet the soule is no Camelion.

Vnto some other it geueth Iron to lyue withall, as the Oysteriges, vnto which it seemeth that couetous men haue some conformitie. Some be fed with filthines, as the fleshlie and carnall folke, and to some it gyueth poyson for their foode, as vnto the enuious persons. But because all these thinges be earthlie and haue no agreement with our soule, it can not b•••• su∣steyned with earthlie thinges: onlie g••ace and the gyftes of the holie Ghost (as

thinges spirituall) can gyue sustenance & strength to our soule. And although that pride, and enuy, and all other vyces, be thinges in their kynde spirituall, yet folo∣weth it not thereon that they be the foode of our spirite, for their be many corporall thinges which be not the sustenance or foode of our bodies. The reason is, for that God is onlie the foode of our soule, and not any other thinge in the world be∣side. He hauing so ordeined it in our crea∣tion, that our soule sholde not be satisfied with any thing but hym selfe.

If thou shouldest curiously aske whye bread doth nourish our bodies & not poy∣son, there is no other reason to be gyuen thee therefore, but that bread is agreeable to the nature of the body and not poyson: And euen so is it by our soule, for as much as God is the naturall foode thereof: if it be fedd or nourished with any other thing but God, it is enough to make it to starue for hunger.

This spirituall foode hath also this ad∣uauntage, which our bodely nourishment hath not, for that our bodely sustenance engendreth still a satietie and loathing in them that doe take of it, but the soule en∣ioying once heauen, and hauing the frui∣tion of God, may both haue satietie with∣out lothsomnes, and yet haue withall an hunger vnto God, so as the satietie or full∣nes quencheth not the desire, neither let∣teth the soule from desiring still.

Make not much a doe in afflicting of thy selfe, to winne authoritie or credite in the world, for all is but affliction and torment of the spirite: seeke not after the riches and honors of this miserable world, for in them shalte thou finde nothing but charge and care, but turne thy selfe who∣ly vnto God, for he is thy true foode, and sustenance of thy soule, that maynteyneth it, and enricheth it.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Psal. 16.