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REMEDIES against the troublesome tentations of slouth and idlenes.
THERE is yet an-other vice of the fleshe, engendred of the two former, spoken of in the former Chapters, and is called Slouth or Idlenes, which is a lothsomnes c 1.2 and disliking of spiritual things; and a negligence or fainting to beginne anye good thing, or to finishe that which is entred and begon alreadye.
Against which vice (not a litle hurt∣ful) it is conuenient likewise to be ar∣med; sith thou shalt not be without this wearines, and lothsome tempta∣tions, whiles thou art harboured in this fleshly body; which (as the scrip∣ture a 1.3 saith) doth aggrauate and molest the soule, seing that many times through attending to our bodily necessities, and the importunities of our fleshe, we become slouthful, distract, and dul to doo any good. Wherfore, to th'end thou be not ouercome with this do∣mestical enemie, helpe thy selfe with these considerations and remedies that I shal now prescribe thee.
FIRST consider the strict accompt * 1.4 thou must yeelde of the time that God doth graunt thee in this life, to worke wel in; for that, as S. Bernarde * 1.5 saith: There is no time geuen thee in this mor∣tal life, wherof thou must not render a reckning 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thou hast employed it. For if we be to yeeld an accompt of euery idle word,
(a 1.6 as truth him-selfe doth tel vs in the holy Gospel) howe much the rather are we to doo the same, of time spent * 1.7 idely, and without any fruit or good∣nes? The which a deuout and spiri∣tual man marking wel, euery time he heard the clocke strike, saide thus in his heart. b 1.8 Ah my Lord God, loe now an-other houre of my life spent, wherof I am to yeeld thee a reckning. and so forced him-self with∣al to spend the next houre better thē he had done the former.
SECONDLY consider, howe if thou once let slip the c 1.9 time vnfruit∣fully, that is geuen thee to fructifie and doo good in; it can neuer be pos∣sibly recouered againe; and so must thou needes afterwardes lament the losse of so pretious a thing through thy negligence, and yet want meanes to winne it any more; for albeit thou haue a meaning to doo wel hereafter, yet is it d 1.10 vncertain whether thou shalt haue time and leisure graunted thee
to doo so; and but if thou haue, yet is the good thou shalt then doo, due to that present time; and so both migh∣test and oughtest thou haue done tofore. * 1.11
THIRDLY consider howe long & painful the toils and sweats of world∣lye men be, to scrape a few riches to∣gether; and to purchase some tempo∣ral promotion; and howe they refuse no paines to satisfie others humours, and to gaine their gratious lookes & fauors; and thus be thou vtterly con∣founded, that they to get vaine and transitorie things should be more di∣ligent; then thou to purchace moste pretious and euerlasting riches. Be a∣shamed likewise, that they are more diligent and a 1.12 careful to please men, (but bond-slaues of the world) then thou to please God, that celestial and omnipotent Monarche. Thus reade we, of a holye Father in the liues of
Saintes; who on a time hauing mar∣ked the curious attire and tricking vp of a lewde losel; beganne to be∣dew his cheekes, and say: Pardon me, O my Lorde and omnipotent God, who see, that one dayes trimming vp of this strumpet, surpasseth the pains I haue al my life longe bestowed, to deck and beautifie my soul. a 1.13 The like is al-most writtē of the Abbot Pam∣bus; who hauing seene in Alexandria a woman of no lesse curious attire thē th'other, fel of weeping, and being asked the cause; his aunswere was, that he wept as-wel for the losse of that woman; as also for that he em∣ployed * 1.14 lesse care and studie to please God, then she to please men. * 1.15
THE SECOND Remedie to make thee take paines, and to worke wel in this life, is, to thinke estsons of the glorious fruite that these thy good trauailes and labours wil one
day afforde and yeelde thee; for if the husband-man doo digge and delue; and til his ground in frost, sknow, & al the colde winter winds that blow; and withal this hardnes goeth so lus∣tily away in hope of summers yeeld, that some-times doth deceaue him; howe a 1.16 much more reason is it, that thou shouldest trauail and take pains to serue God in this life; hoping, as thou doest, for so plentiful a haruest in the life to come; which neuer did, nor can possibly deceaue vs, as both our faith, and al the holye b 1.17 scriptures doo assure vs? And if the hired ser∣uant weigh not the toil of his whole dayes trauaile, for ioye of the wages he looketh to receaue at night; whye doest not thou in like maner animate thy self to worke in this life? remem∣bring the aboundant and incompa∣rable hire that shal-be paide thee at night; to wit, after thy death Neither can any man attaine to so great a re∣warde,
but by great pains and trauaile, as S. Gregory testifieth. Cal to minde * 1.18 also the anguishes, griefes, and infinit torments that such suffer, and shal do euerlastingly as in this life through slouth and negligence refused to take any pains to serue God, and to fulfil his diuine commaundementes; a 1.19 and so be deade like barreine braunches without bearing fruit: Which but if thou seriously doo thinke of, wil put life into thee, and make thee beare, right patiently, any paines whatsoe∣uer. So did Achilles the Abbot finde him-selfe quickned thereby; who be∣ing asked of a frier, why, being in his sell, be found him-selfe slouthful; for that (quoth he) thou haste neither seen the ioyes we expect, nor the tor∣ments we dreade: for if thou hadst once wel and diligentlye weighed these, albeit thy sel were ful of wor∣mes, yet wouldest thou abide therein without any idlenes.
THE THIRD Remedie to redresse this vice, and to animate vs not to * 1.20 shrinke at the toiles which we must take in this life to serue and please God with; is, that the Apostle pre∣scribeth to the a 1.21 Hebrues; to wit, the oft thinking and rethinking of the life and passion of our Sauiour Iesus Christe; sithens if we eftsons did con∣sider howe this good b 1.22 Lorde of ours was from his infancie brought vp in trauaile, and how he passed his whole * 1.23 and moste holye life, euen from the cribbe vntil his crosse in continual turmoiles & troubles, these afflictions of his would suffice to ease and ligh∣ten ours, seemed they neuer so intol∣lerable; his droppes of sweate, woulde asswage our heates, and encourage vs to beare him company; woting wel, howe c 1.24 vnseemly a thing it is for the seruaunt to be in better estate then the master. If he therefore tooke such paines in this life for loue of vs, it is
not muche that we on th'other side take some paines for his loue and our owne profite. This consideration caused the holye Saintes afore-time with such feruoure and diligence, to walke in our Lordes waies: here-with did they cheerfully passe ouer their toiles, troubles, fastinges, watchinges, and al other the lothsome labours of this temporal life; and so maiest thou doo in like maner, if thou set the same mirrour continuallye before * 1.25 thine eyes.
THE LAST remedie that shal in * 1.26 this matter helpe thee greatly, is to make accoumpt, that eche daye is the last daye of thy life; which with good cause thou mayest doo, and thinke, seeing thou art not a 1.27 assured whether the next day shal-be geuen thee, or no. Thinke therefore; howe thy whole estate for euer dependeth onely of this one dayes behauiour,
and so animate and cheer vp thy self, saying; my dolours shal endure but for this day: it is not much, that I be∣haue my selfe diligently therin, espe∣cially knowing the profite that is to ensue thereof.
Idlenes en∣gendred of lasciuious∣nes and gluttonie.
Ber. ser. 3. et 6. de As∣cens. Gre. 3. par. curae pas tor. admo∣ni. 16.
Sap. 9. c
The. 1. Re∣medie. S. Bernard.
Ber. de trip 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ma∣nus, linguae & cordis.
Mat. 12. 〈◊〉〈◊〉
Euery mo∣ment to be made ac∣compt of.
P. Ignat. in horas singulas col ligebat sese cap. 1. lib. 5 vitae ipsius.
Gala. 6. c Time past is past reco∣uerie.
Mat. 24. d. 25. a Apoc. 3. a.
The toil of worldlings confoun∣deth the slouth of Christians.
Luc. 16. b.
Petrus de natalib. cap. 38-lib. 6. de SS. ex Heraclide.
The 2. Re∣medie.
The hope of gaine in heauen ought to make vs take pains in earth.
Iac. 5. b.
2. Par. 5 b Prou. 11. c. Eccl. 2. b Mat. 10. d. Luc. 6. c 1. Cor. 3. b
S. Gregory
Mat. 3. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 7. c. 21. b Luc. 13. b Ioh. 15. 〈◊〉〈◊〉
The 3. Re∣medie a∣gainst Slouth.
Heb. 12. c.
Ber. ser. 43. in Can.
Our Saui∣ours passiō ought to make vs painful.
Mat. 10. b Luc. 6. f Ioan. 13. b &. 15. c.
The. 4. Re∣medie.
Euery day to be ac∣compted our dying day.
Luc. 12. c. Mat. 24. d 25. a. Mar. 13. d.