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

VVHOSOEVER DESIRETH to finde rest let hym not seeke it in thinges of this vvorlde, for they be all full of trouble and turmoyle, but let hym turne hym vnto God, and he shall enioy quyetnes, and most happie tran∣quillitie. CHAP. 4.

RETVRNE (O my soule) vnto thy rest: (saieth the prophet) The sicke man although he doe chaunge his beddes ne∣uer so often, yet shall he ne∣uer finde ease, vntil his paine be taken away, that caused his vnquietnes. Thou doest carry about with thee the in∣firm••tie of worldly loue, but vntill thou

cast it cleane away from thee, thou shalte neuer finde any ease in all the delicate beddes of honors, riches, or delightes. In God onely thou shalte finde rest: loue God and thou shalte finde quietnes, turne thee vnto him and thou shalt enioy a most per∣fect contentment.

Ionas the prophete, after he was gone away from God neuer found rest, he was disquieted vpon euery place on the land, he fled after to the sea, and being in a ship the tempest ouertooke him and disquye∣ted him, but where God is, there is no tempest: he called vnto God in the whales bellie, and made his prayers vnto him, and so when he turned vnto him he was dis∣charged of all his former troubles.

Seeke not for any rest in thinges of this lyfe, thinke not to finde any perfecte ioy in this worlde, for where so euer thou becomest, thou shalt be beaten with many afflictions: thou cariest thy infirmitie with thee, thou shalte not finde quyetnes in any thing that thou louest here: chaunge not thy place but chaunge thyne affection: turne vnto God and thou shalte be in reste and quyetnes: this is the readiest way to finde that comforte which thy soule see∣keth after.

VVhen temporall goodes be once gotten, they be but little esteemed: but thinges eternall which be gotten with lesse trauayle then the other, be much estee∣med, because they gyue perfecte content∣ment.

All the tyme that Iacob continued in Labans house, he neuer had any thing but displeasures and disquyetnes, but as soone as he was gone from him, he met strayght way with an whole hoste of angels. They which doe serue the worlde, neuer finde out any thing but trouble and trauayle as Iacob did when he serued Laban: there∣fore the seruant of Iesus Christ ought to turne towarde his fathers house, which is God him selfe, and there shall he finde di∣uine consolations: as in all mischeefes, the remedie that we haue, is to goe out of them, the same way that we came into the so the remedie to make vs perfecte, is to returne thether, from whence we were de∣parted: and it is naturall for euery thing to returne vnto that from whence it firste came, & in this consisteth our perfection.

The bull when he is well bayted in the market place, goeth ouer out agayne at the same dore that he came in at, for na∣turall instincte did teach him to seeke to auoyde daunger the same way he entred into it: and thou when thou arte well bay∣ted and hunted vp and downe here in the worlde, endeuor thou to goe out agayne the very same way that thou camest in, for it is the onely remedie to get perfection of blisse, to enter thether agayne from whence we firste departed.

God being then the onely beginning from whence all our good proceedeth:

since euery good and perfecte gyfte pro∣ceedeth from aboue: as S Iames sayeth. If thou wilt finde rest, and true ioye, it is necessarie for thee to turne thee vnto god. Nothinge doth at any tyme receyue the perfection of his owne nature, vnlesse it be reduced to the generall originall of the same. And because that God is the gene∣rall originall from whence all our good proceedeth, therefore desireth our soule so earnestly after god, because that getting once hym, he getteth all that is good, for all that is good, eyther it is God hym selfe, or els it cometh from God.

VVhen a greate worldly Prince goeth ••o make his abidinge in a countrie that is ••ut barrayne and poore, yet all maner of victuals be founde there aboundantlie, ••nd when he departeth thence agayne, it ••hall remayne barrayne & poore, as it was before. So whē God abideth in our soule, euerie good thing is there aboundantlie, ••nd when he departeth thence agayne, it ••axeth all barrayne and drie. VVith gods presence all good thinges doe come to ••hee, and in hym shalt thou finde rest, and ••ut of hym, there is nothinge but trouble ••nd disquietnes.

The Egyptians had amonge them for ••ne of their plagues, the busy vnquiet ••i••s, which be the troublesome cares of ••he minde, but Israell which is the true people of God, had the sweete Sabaoth of ••est and pleasure.

It is a greate torment to burne in the desire of earthlie thinges: and greete com∣forte it is, not to haue any longinge after any thinge in this worlde. He onlie th•••• hath his sure hold fast vpon god almightie is merie and ioyfull, whilest other lyue i•• in torment and heauines.

Notes

• ••sa 1••4.
• Ion. 1.2.
• Gene. 32.
• Iac. 1.
• Exod. 8.