THE ELEVENTH TITLE. ¶ That we are bound vnto Vertue, by reason of the inesti∣mable blessings, which are promised in this present life. CHAP. XI.
SVrely I know not, what they can pretend, or what excuse they can make, who doe not em∣brace Vertue, seeing there be so many rea∣sons, which doe enforce men to that study. For it is no small thing for the defence of this matter, to alledge that there is a God: and what the studious of Vertue deserue, what is giuen, and what is promised vnto them; on the other side, what threatnings are menaced and denounced against the vicious, and against those that flye from the study of Vertue.* Therfore not without cause may some man aske, why amongst Christians, who beleeue and confesse all these things, there be so many found, who neglect vertues, & doe follow vices? For it is not to be meruailed at, that there be many such among infidels, who seeing they know not Vertue, haue it in no price: euen as a ditcher, if he by chaunce finde a Iem, doth little esteeme it: because he knoweth not the vertue and price of it. But that Christians, who know and be∣leeue all these things, doe liue as though they beleeued not, vn∣mindfull of God, seruants of sinne, bondslaues vnto their owne passions and appetites, by so much more addicted to visible things, by how much more they are carelesse of inuisible things, Page 121 ready to all kinde of sinne, no otherwise, then if death were not at all, neither that they should come to iudgement, neither that anie glorie of heauen was to be looked for, and to be briefe, nei∣ther hell to be feared. This I say, is greater then all admiration.
Therfore,* as I said, it may worthilie be demaunded, whence this negligence growes, and whence this stupiditie of vnder∣standing, and this diabolicall inchauntment (if I may so call it) comes vnto men. This mischiefe hath not one onely roote, but many and diuers. Amongst others, and those not the least, is a certaine generall errour, in which men of this worlde doe lyue, supposing all that God promiseth to the louers of Vertue, to be reserued to the life to come; and that in this present world, no∣thing is to be looked for. Therefore, seeing that man dooth so greatly desire reward, and especially is ledde by profit, but not vnlesse it be present, and is mooned with those things, which are obuious to the outward sences, when he seeth nothing present, he smally accounteth of that which is to come. So the Ievves seeme to haue doone in the time of the Prophets: For vvhen as Ezechiell (by the commaundement of God) did set before thē great promises, or did denounce against them direfull commi∣nations, they mocked, and with a certaine contempt, hissed at them all,* saying; The vision that he seeth, is for many dayes to come, and he prophecieth of the times that are farre of. So the scornefull contemned the sayings of the Prophet Esay,* and said; Precept must be vpon precept, precept vpon precept, line vnto line, line vnto line, there a little, & there a little. This is one of the especiall rea∣sons, that withdrawes peruerse and froward men from the ob∣seruance of Gods commaundements, perswading themselues, that there is no reward ordained for Vertue in this world; but all things to be reserued for the world to come.
To this that great Wiseman respected,* when hee said, Be∣cause sentence against an euill worke is not speedily executed, therfore the hart of the chyldren of men is fully sette in them to doe euill. The Wise-man addeth also another thing, and that is, the worst a∣mong all things that are done vnder the Sunne,* and that it doth giue great occasion to the wicked to sinne, that it happeneth ill to the righteous, as though they had doone the workes of the wicked: and the wicked often-times doth liue so securely, as if Page 122 they did the works of the righteous:* or that all things come a∣like to all; and the same condition is to the iust and to the wic∣ked; to the pure, and to the polluted; to him that sacrificeth, & to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner, hee that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath. Whereupon he sayth, The harts of the sonnes of men, are full of euill, and madnes is in their harts whilst they liue, and after that, they goe to the dead. That which Salomon heere speaketh, the wicked and vngodly them selues doe confesse by the Prophet Malachie, saying: It is in vaine to serue God:* and what profit is it that we haue kept his com∣maundements, and that we walked humbly before the Lord of hosts? Therefore we count the proude blessed: euen they that worke wicked∣nesse, are sette vp, and they that tempt God, yea, they are deliuered. These things the wicked say, and these are the things which e∣specially hold them in impietie: for they suppose it a very hard thing, as Ambrose sayth, to buy hope at their owne perrill: that is, to compasse future blessings with the losse of present, and to giue those things that are in their hands, for those which some∣times heereafter may be giuen.
To banish and expell this most pestilent errour, I know not whence to take a fitter beginning, then from those wordes and teares of our Sauiour, with which in times past, he did lament & weepe ouer that miserable Cittie of Ierusalem, saying: O if thou haddest euen knowne at the least in this thy day,* those things which belong vnto thy peace: but now are they hidde from thine eyes. Our Sauiour did consider on the one part, howe great the blessings were, which were brought into the world for the vse and good of that people, together with his person: for all the graces and heauenlie treasures, descended frō heauen together with Christ; on the otherside, he looked to this people, offended at his low∣lie humilitie and base estate, and that they would not accept of his blessings, and that for this sinne, they should not onely lose these treasures, but also their whole Common-wealth, and their Cittie.
Therefore the Lorde exceedingly lamenting, wept most a∣boundantly, and broke forth into this short and imperfect sen∣tence: the which the shorter it is, it hath the greater significa∣tion. This same affection, and these words may be fitly applied Page 123 to our purpose. For considering on the one part the beauty of Vertue, and the graces and riches, which attend on her; and on the other part, how farre these things are remoued and hid from the eyes of men, drowned in earthly things, and also how Vertue doth sweepe the ground, and being despised in all the world, cannot finde a place for her selfe, doost thou not thinke that wee haue iust cause to weepe, and to say with our Lord, O,* if thou haddest euen knowne at the least in this thy day, that is, ô that God would now open thine eyes, that thou mightest see the treasures, magnificence, riches, peace, liberty, light, tran∣quillity, delights, fauours, and all the good things and blessings, which like Hand-maydes attend and wayte vpon Vertue, in what great price and esteeme wouldest thou haue her? With what great desire wouldest thou long and thirst after her? With what great diligence and labour wouldest thou seeke and en∣quire after her? But now all things are hid from carnall eyes: for they not seeing any thing besides the outward bark of Ver∣tue, neuer tasting the inward sweetnes of her, thinke that there is nothing in her, but that which is hard, sharpe, and vnsauery: they thinke, that she is not currant in this present life, but to be vsed in the other: and if there be any goodnes in her, that it pertayneth wholy to another world, and not to this. Therfore they disputing according to the flesh, doe say, that they will not buy hope by danger, neyther that they will hazard present things for things to come. So speake they that are offended at the exteriour figure of Vertue: for they are ignorant of the Philosophy of Christ,* neyther know they that Vertue is like vnto her Maister Christ; who although outwardly hee beare the shape and image of a most poore and base man, yet inward∣lie was the God and Lord of all creatures. The selfe same thing is also reade of the faithfull and beleeuers in Christ, that they are dead to the world,* and that their life is hid with Christ in God. Therefore as the glory of Christ was hid in this world, so is all theirs that imitate and follow his life.* We reade that in aun∣tient times, men were wont to make certaine Images, which they called Sileni: these were rough and vnpolished without, but within they were curiously wrought with great Art. So that the deformity was outward, and the beauty inward. Deluding Page 124 on the one part the eyes of the ignorant, on the other drawing into them the minds and eyes of the wise. Such certainly were the lifes of the Prophets, such the lifes of the Apostles, and such the lifes of all good and faithfull Christians, as was the life of the Lord of all.
* Thou therefore, that hast nothing more oft in thy mouth, then that Vertue is conuersant about hard and difficult things, oughtest to cast thine eyes vpon those helps, which God hath prouided for vs to ouercome these difficulties: as are vertues in∣fused into vs, gifts of the holy Ghost, the Sacraments of the Gos∣pell, with many other graces & diuine helps, which are to vs, that which oares and sayles are vnto ships in sayling, and wings vnto birds in flying. Thou must behold the name and essence of Vertue, which by her owne nature, is a most noble habite. Which if it be true,* it followeth by a common manner of spea∣king, that she will worke and labour with vs with ease and de∣light: for this is proper vnto all habits. Thou must remember that God hath not onely promised to his the blessings of glory, but also the blessings of grace: partly for this life, and partly for the other:* according to that of the Prophet, The Lord will giue grace and glory. Which two are two store-houses filled with all good things: one for this life, the other for the other. That thereby at the least may be vnderstood, that there is somewhat more in Vertue, then outwardly is seene. To be briefe, thou must consider, that seeing that the Author of Nature doth not faile in any necessary thing, (because hee giueth to all his crea∣tures, those things that are necessary) and seeing that in the world there is nothing more necessary, nor any thing of greater moment then Vertue, that he would not leaue her in the hands of a will so weake and crased, of an vnderstanding so blind, of an appetite so ready to all euill, and of a nature so disordered, and so corrupt through sinne: but that he would prouide her of helpe and hability, by ayde of which she might saile through this Sea. For it was not meete, nor conuenient, that seeing the Diuine prouidence was so carefull in giuing to flies, spiders, and pismires hability, and all instruments necessary to preserue their life: that he should be vnmindfull of man, and that he should not giue him those things, which are necessary for the attaine∣ment Page 125 of Vertue. I will say more, if the world and the deuill do bestow vpon their seruants, for the seruice that they yeeld them, so manie kinde of tasts, pleasures, and delights, at the least so in appearance: how is it possible that God should be so barren & vnfruitfull to his friends and faithfull ministers, that he should leaue them in the midst of their labours & tribulations, fasting, and with hungry and dry mouthes? Howe? doost thou thinke then that the condition of Vertue hath so much gall, and that there is so much honny in the flowers of vices? Doost thou thinke that God will permit and suffer, that one should enioy delights, and another be exercised with troubles, and many tri∣bulations? Thou art deceiued. Heare what God aunswereth to the lamentations of the wicked, by the mouth of his Prophet: Returne and see,* what difference is betweene a righteous man, and an vnrighteous, and betweene one that serueth God, and him that ser∣ueth him not. In so much, that God is not content with the pre∣heminence, which the iust shall haue ouer the vniust in the lyfe to come: but in this present, he saith, Returne and see, as though he should say,* I would not that you should onely looke to the world to come, that you may know the glory of the blessed, and the greatnes of their felicitie: but returne now, and see the diffe∣rence in this life, which is betweene a good man and an ill man; consider of the riches of the one, and the pouertie of the other, the ioy of the one, and the sorrow of the other; the peace of the one, and the vvarre of the other; the light in which the one ly∣ueth, and the darknesse in which the other walketh; and then ye shall know indeede, how much more blessed and happy, the estate of the righteous is, then your opinion of them.
The like answere God gaue to certaine others, who beeing deceiued with the same perswasion & error, mocked the good, saying as it is in Esay;* Let the Lord bee glorified: but hee shall ap∣peare to your ioy, and they shall be ashamed. As if they should say, Let the Lord declare the greatnes of his power and glory, and let him show vnto you his fauor, that by this way we may know the prosperitie & felicitie, that they haue, which serue the Lord, aboue them which serue him not. To which words, the Lord doth presently annexe the ioy and prosperitie of the righteous, saying, Reioyce yee with Ierusalem, and be glad with her, all yee that Page 126 loue her,* reioyce for ioy with her, all yee that mourne for her, that yee may sucke and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolation: that ye may milke out and be delighted with the brightnes of her glory. For thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will extend peace ouer her like a flood, & the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing streame: then shall ye sucke, ye shal be borne vpon her sides, and be ioyfull vpon her knees. As one whom his Mother comforteth, so will I comfort you, and yee shall bee comforted in Ierusalem. And when yee see this, your hart shall re∣ioyce, and your bones shall florish like an hearbe: and the hand of the Lord shall be knowne among his seruants. As if hee shoulde say, as men by the greatnes of heauen, of the earth, and of the sea, and by the beauty of the Sunne, of the Moone, and of the starres, doe come to the knowledge of the omnipotencie and excellen∣cie of God, by the meanes of such excellent and famous works: so also the righteous doe come to the knowledge of the great∣nesse of the power, riches, and goodnesse of GOD, by the ineffable graces and gifts, which they receiue of him, and which they feele and perceiue in themselues. For euen as God by the punishments and scourges, which hee inflicted vpon Pharao, declared to the whole world the greatnes of his seueritie against the wicked; so by the gifts of his graces and vnmeasurable be∣nefits, which daily he bestoweth vpon the good, he showeth the greatnes of his goodnes, and his singuler loue, with which hee embraceth them.
Blessed and happy without all doubt, is that soule, which by gifts and benefits receiued of God, doth shew the greatnesse of his goodnesse: but vnhappy and miserable is that soule, which by punishments and torments, dooth make manifest the great∣nesse of the Diuine iustice. Wherefore, seeing that the great∣nes of all these which we haue spoken of, is so inestimable, what shall the riuers be, which flow frō these most fluent fountaines? Adde moreouer that to these sayings: If that the way of Ver∣tue seeme to thee barren & fruitles, what is it that diuine Wise∣dome speaketh of herselfe, Riches and honour are with mee, euen durable riches and righteousnesse.* I cause to walke in the way of righ∣teousnesse, & in the midst of the paths of iudgement, that I may cause them that loue mee to inherite substance, & I will fill their treasures. What be these riches, what be these goods, if not of the heauenly Page 127 which exceede all the riches of this world, what may bee com∣pared to them, who walke in the way of righteousnes, which is Vertue herselfe,* of the which we speake? For if heere there be not found riches, more excellent, and by this name more wor∣thie then those, which the world promiseth, why doth the Apo∣stle giue thanks to GOD for the Corinthians,* saying: that in all things they were made rich? Calling them absolutelie rich; signifying, that others were not to be called properly rich, but rich in this world, or rich men of thys world.
¶ All this afore-said is explained by a notable sentence of the Gospell.
ALthough thys afore-said seemeth to be expounded and ap∣prooued plainly enough; yet for the further confirmation of it, I will ioyne moreouer a notable sentence taken out of the Gospell, by which our Sauiour aunswereth to Saint Peter, de∣maunding what reward he, & his fellow Disciples should haue, who for the loue of their Maister, had left and forsaken all. Ve∣rily,* I say vnto you, (saith he, as it is in Marke,) there is no man that hath forsaken house, or bretheren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or vvife, or children, or lands for my sake and the Gospels, but hee shall receiue an hundred fold, nowe at this present: houses and bretheren, and sisters and mothers, and children and lands with persecutions, & in the world to come, eternall life. These be the words of Christ, which are not lightly to be passed ouer.
For first, thou canst not denie, but that heere is made a diffe∣rence and a distinction, betweene a reward, which is giuen in thys life, and that, which is in another: whilst one is promised as to come, the other is offered as present. Thou canst also lesse denie, but that these promises are ratified and certaine; neither euer doe they deceiue them, to whom they are promised: For heauen and earth shall perrish, but one iote, or one title shall not escape of these things, till all be fulfilled: although they seeme vnpossi∣ble. For euen as we beleeue, that God is three and one, because he said so, although otherwise it seemeth vnpossible; so we also must beleeue thys trueth, although it passeth all vnderstanding, for it hath the testimonie of the same Author, who only is truth it selfe in all his sayings.
Page 128* Tell mee therefore I pray thee, what is this hundreth fold, which is giuen to the righteous in this life? For we see for the most part, that to them is not giuen great dignities, not loftie honours, not large possessions, nor the magnificent furniture of this world: but that many of them doe liue in corners, buri∣ed in the obliuion and obscurity of the world: expecting their last houre in pouerty, misery, and calamity. Which seeing that it is so, how can the infallible truth of this sentence be defen∣ded, vnlesse we confesse, that God in this life doth giue to his those gifts,* and those spirituall riches, which may satisfie a man without any externall pompe of this world, with greater felici∣tie, with greater ioy, sufficiencie and quiet, then the possession of all the goods of this world. Neyther is this so much to be meruailed at: For as we beleeue that it is not of any necessity to God, that hee should nourish mens bodies with bread onely, (for he hath many other meanes to that end) so is it not necessa∣rie to him, that he should satisfie soules with temporall blessings onely. For he can doe this most easily without them: as hee hath most certainly done in all his Saints. Who were endued with that spirituall ioy and mirth, and with that affection of deuotion, that their prayers, exercises, teares, and delights, ex∣ceeded all the solaces and pleasures of this world. And after this manner it is most certainly verefied, that an hundreth fold is receaued for that little they left: for they receaue for deceipt∣full and apparant things, those that be vndoubtedly true; for things vncertaine, certaine; for things corporall, spirituall: for carefulnes, security; for troubles, quietnes; for perturbations, peace and inward tranquility; to conclude, for a life impure, vi∣cious, and abhominable, they receaue a life splendent through vertues, and most acceptable to God and Angels. So also thou, if thou shalt despise temporall good for Christ, thou shalt find in him inestimable treasures: if thou shalt contemne false and fayned honours, thou shalt finde in him those that be true: if thou shalt renounce the loue of thy father and mother, for this he will delight thee, with greater blandishments and cherishing, and thou shalt find for a temporall father an eternall; & if thou shalt cast from thee those pestiferous and venomous pleasures, thou shalt haue in him sweeter, pleasanter, and holier delights.
Page 129When thou shalt come to this poynt,* thou shalt see mani∣festly that all things which before did please thee, are now not onely not gratefull vnto thee, but that they doe bring vnto thee an hatred and dislike of them. For after that heauenly light hath illuminated our eyes, by and by there is begot a new face of all things, and diuerse from the former; and all things doe seeme to haue put on a certaine new shape, by which they shew themselues to our eyes; and therefore that which before seemed sweet, is now bitter, and that which before appeared bitter, is now sweet: that which before terrified vs, doth now like vs: that which before was beautifull, now seemeth filthy; and al∣though it appeared to be such before, yet now it seemeth not such, neyther that it was well knowne before.
Therefore after this manner standeth the truth of Christes promise, when for the temporall goods of the body, there are giuen spirituall blessings of the soule; & for those goods, which are called the goods of fortune, there are giuen the blessings of grace, which without all comparison are greater, and more ef∣fectuall and forcible to enrich and satiate mans hart, then all ex∣ternall blessings. For the more confirmation of this matter, I will not omit to remember a notable and famous example, ta∣ken out of the booke, called, The booke of famous and illustri∣ous men.
When as,* sayth the Author, Saint Bernard preached the word of God to the people in Belgia, and that with a most fer∣uent zeale conuerted the inhabitants to God, amongst many other, who being touched with the grace of the holy Ghost, vvere conuerted to a better lyfe, there vvas a certaine noble Knight famous among the Belgians, called Arnulphus: vvho was bound and tyed to the world, with very many and mighty bonds, and who was exceedingly ensnared and entangled with wordly vanities. This man when at the length he bad farewell to the world, and betooke himselfe to a vertuous and heauenly kinde of lyuing, this holy father so reioyced at his conuersion, that he sayd to them that were present, that Christ was no lesse miraculous in the conuersion of Arnulphus, then he was in the raysing of Lazarus, seeing that Christ had raysed him being so fettered with the chaynes of so great sinnes, and buried in such Page 130 deepe pleasures, and had brought him to newnes of life. Ar∣nulphus also was no lesse admirable in his proceeding; then he was in his conuersion. And because it is too long to relate here all the vertues of this man, I will onely repeate that, which ma∣keth for our purpose. This holy man was many times so pay∣ned with the Windy-colicke, that often his life was endangered by it, & he stroue with death. When on a time he had lost toge∣ther with his speech all his sence, so that there was scarcely left any hope of longer lyuing, they applying a little phisicke vnto him, forth-with againe he began somewhat to breathe, and by little & little to come vnto himselfe. At the length on a suddaine he began to prayse the Lord, crying out with a loude voyce: All things which thou hast spoken, ô blessed Iesu, are most true. And he repeated these words very often. Those religi∣ous men that stoode about him, meruailed at him, and asked him how he did, and why he sayd so. He aunswered none o∣ther thing, but doubled the same, saying ouer againe, All things which thou hast spoken, ô blessed Iesu, are true. Some that were present sayd, that the greatnes of his payne and disease, had di∣sturbed his reason and iudgement, and that this disturbance did cause him so to speake. To whom he aunswering, sayd; It is not so my brethren, but I doe speake with a sound iudgement, and with a good vnderstanding, that those things are most true, which our Sauior Iesus Christ spake. They said vnto him again, surely we confesse as much, that it is so, but for what intent doost thou speake it? Because, sayth he, he sayth in the Gospell, that whosoeuer for the loue of him shall forsake his parents, he shall receaue an hundreth fold in this world, and shall haue life euer∣lasting in the other.* The experience of this I haue now in my selfe, and I confesse with all my hart, that now I haue receaued an hundred fold in this life: for the greatnes of the griefe which I now suffer, is so sweet vnto me, for the certaintie of the hope which I haue of my saluation, that I woulde not change my Christ with the hundreth fold of all those things that are in the vvorld. And if I that am so great a sinner, doe receaue so great consolation in my griefes and paines, what shal holy and perfect men receaue in their reioycings? For that spirituall ioy, vvhich hath brought this hope vnto mee, dooth farre exceede all that Page 131 worldly ioy, which I possessed in this world. When they had heard these things, all they that stoode by meruailed, that a man vnlearned & illiterate, should vtter so great misteries: but sure∣lie it was the holy Ghost, that dwelled in his hart, that spake these things in him.
Therefore by this example it is very manifest, that God with out any pompe or preparation of these temporall blessings, can giue to his, much more aboundance, and many moe precious blessings, then those were, which they left for him: and by con∣sequent it is hence euident, howe shamefully they erre, who thinke that no reward is destined and ordained for Vertue in this life.* To banish therefore this errour so dangerous (besides those things which haue beene spoken) the twelue priuiledges & prerogatiues which follow, shall be most profitable, in which we will handle and discourse of the twelue admirable fruits and preheminences, which attend and waite vpon Vertue in thys life: that by them the louers of this world may vnderstand, that in Vertue there are found many moe excellent blessings then they suppose. And although to the perfect knowledge of thys, the experience and vse of Vertue herselfe were necessarie, (that thereby we might the better know her riches and commodities) yet that which is wanting in this respect, Fayth shall supply, which confesseth & acknowledgeth the truth of the diuine and holy Scriptures, by the testimonies of which I will approue all things, which I am to speake of this matter: that we should at no time doubt of the excellencie of Vertue.
