The chronicle and institution of the Order of the seraphicall father S. Francis conteyning his life, his death, and his miracles, and of all his holie disciples and companions / set foorth first in the Portugall, next in the Spanish, then in the Italian, lastlie in the French, and now in the English tongue.

A discourse of Temptation.

THE XXXI. CHAPTER.

A Great grace cannot be possessed in peace, but that there wil arise many contrarieties: yea the higher degree of grace a man hath, the more shall he be assaulted of the deuill: but a man should not therfore omitt to prosecute his course of vertue, for the more violent the combatt is, the more excellent shalbe the crowne, when he shall haue ouercome. And if any doe misse this employment, lett him know that it is because he is not such as he ought to be; besides this is to walke al∣wayes in the direct way of our Lord IESVS CHRIST, in which all tra∣uell and displeasure is sweet; but a man that followeth the course and way of the world, findeth displeasure and labour euen till death; so that albeit the more a man shalbe perfect in vertues, the more will vices be contrary vnto him: yet hating them so much, att euery vice that he sur∣mounteth, he purcacheth a great vertu, and becomming victorious ouer all kind of vices, wherby he might haue bin tormented, he shall not faile of a great recompence for it, and vpon whatsoeuer occasion he omitteth to walke in the way of our Lord IESVS CHRIST, for the same occa∣sion he looseth his recompence.

* 1.1 The burden of temptations, is often like to the trauell of the labourer that findeth a great peece of land which he is to worck vpon, couered with thistles & thornes, so that he is constrained with great trouble to cleare the same before his labour be auayleable: in such sort that he of∣ten repenteth to haue enterprised so painfull a businesse, in regard of the great expences and bodily labour that he is enforced to employ therin: For first he considereth that he must leuell and make euen all the hilloc∣kes that are vnequall with the ground, and therof seeth not the fruit: Secondly he cutteth or burneth the bushes, thornes and thistles therin, yet seeth no fruit therof: Thirdly with much labour and sweat he dig∣geth vp the rootes, neither yet seeth the fruit. Fourthly, he openeth

the earth with the plough-share to cleanse the same, yet hath no sight of the corne that is the ground of such his labour. Fiftly he tilleth it the second time and maketh it into furrowes: Sixtly he soweth his graine. Seauenthly when the corne is sprung vp he cleanseth it and rooteth out the weedes: Eighthly he doth haruest the corne into his barne: Ninthly with much labour and sweat he separateth it from the chaffe causing it to be threshed, winnowed, sifted and very diligently cleansed: Tenthly and lastly, he transporteth the corne into his garner; and for the contentment he conceaueth to see the fruit of his paines and la∣bours, he then forgetteth them, and purposeth to vndertake yet much greater, for the only ioy he hath of his haruest. Now the like effect is in the temptations and labours which one endureth in this world, for the spirituall fruit and contentment, which he is to reape therof in the life euerlasting.

* 1.2 A Religious hauing one time conference with Br. Giles, sayd vnto him: Father it is recorded that S. Bernard once sayd his seauen peniten∣tiall psalmes, without euer thincking of other matter, nor was assaul∣with any distractiōs. The holy Father answeared: I would better esteeme a castle valerously assaulted, and more couragiously defended.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Compa∣rison of spirituall exercises with la∣bouring.
• * 1.2

  Meritt of combatt with dis∣tractiōs.