Granados spirituall and heauenlie exercises Deuided into seauen pithie and briefe meditations, for euery day in the vveeke one. Written in Spanish, by the learned and reuerend diuine, F. Lewes of Granado. Since translated into the Latine, Italian French, and the Germaine tongue. And now englished by Francis Meres, Maister of Artes of both Vniuersities, and student in Diuinitie.

The fourth Meditation, for Thursday: of the contempt of the world, and with what hatred, and diligence it is to be eschewed.

THE glorious Apostle S. Iohn saith; Brethren, loue not the world, neither the things that are in the worlde. For if any man loue the world, the loue of the Father is not in him: and the world passeth away, and the lust thereof. Saint Augustine expounding thys place, sayth: What wilt thou doe? whether hadst thou ra∣ther loue temporall things, and so passe away with the tyme, or Christ our Sauiour, and liue for euer? If thou shalt loue thys world, it will consume and de∣stroy thee; for it cannot defend them that loue it.

Thys VVorlde is as an ex∣communicated man: for as the Church doth not pray for him that is excōmunicated: so Ie∣sus Christ dooth not pray for the world, although he prayed for them that crucified him. O how great madnes is it to serue such a lord, who at the end of thy seruice, is wont to giue no other wages, but nakednes and desolation. So Saladine that great Soldane of Babilon, the conquerer of Asia, being at the point of death, and seeing no hope of life to remaine, cōman∣ded his standard-bearer to bee called vnto him, to whom hee thus spake, saying; Thou hadst wont to carry myne imperiall ensigne before me, whē I went to warre; nowe also carry the ensigne of my death; which is thys poore vvinding-sheete: carry it thorow all the streetes

of Damascus, and cry: Be∣hold the king of all the East di∣eth, & of all his spoyles & tro∣phyes, carryes none other with him, but thys worne thredbare winding-sheete. The lyke is read of a certaine young king of Lothoringia, vvho beeing readie to giue vp the ghost, ly∣ing in a most magnificent pal∣lace, and in a rich sumptuous bedde, cryed out with a loude voyce, that he might be heard of all; O lorde Iesus Christ, how woorthily is this world to be condemned. See in vvhat stately and royall buildings I haue lyued, & now vvretched creature that I am, knowe not whither thys night following I shall goe, what Inne I shall haue, or what manner of en∣tertainement I shall find.

Therefore ô sinner flie from the world, flye I say, from the

worlde, first, because it leaueth thee in so great neede and mi∣sery. For as the Apostle Saint Iames saith; The amity of this world, is the enmity of God. Who∣soeuer therefore will be a friende of the world, maketh himselfe the enemy of God. And Saint Gre∣gory sayth; A man is so much the neerer vnto God, by howe much he is further of from the loue of the worlde. For thys cause the Lord would bee car∣ryed without the Citty, to sig∣nifie, that hee had no parte in the VVorlde: and whosoeuer will bee pertaker of the fruites of hys passion, hee must re∣nounce the vvorlde, and sepe∣rate himselfe from all worldlie conuersation, if not in act, yet in desire: thys is that which al∣mighty GOD commaundeth by his Prophet, saying; Get ye out of Babylon, that euerie one

may saue his owne soule. Baby∣lon, according to the expositi∣on of Saint Hierome, is the house of confusion, vvhich is this world, in which confusion raigneth euery where, as well in the Clergy as in the Layitie, as well in olde, as young, as well in men, as women. Therefore it is very well sayd of Saint Iohn in his generall Epistle; The whole worlde lyeth in wickednesse.

Saint Bernard also counsel∣leth vs very well, saying: Flye out of Babylon, flye and saue your soules. Fly to the Citties of refuge, where ye may both repent for sins past, and for the present finde grace, and safely looke for future glorie. Let not the anguish and remorse of your sins hinder you, nor the austeritie of repentance deter and afright you. For neither the passions of this time, nor

the trybulation of thys world are woorthy, for the fault past, which is remitted; for the pre∣sent grace of cōsolation which is bestowed; nor for the future glory, which is promised. To be briefe, there is no bitternesse so great, vvhich the Prophets meale will not sweeten, which the wisedom of the tree of lyfe will not make sauory. Wee are to knowe, that the worlde is to be eschewed for foure causes, the first of which is, because wise and circumspect men, are wont to flie and auoyd infecti∣ous and contagious places, e∣specially if they be weake and sickly, or feare any infirmitie. Such a place is the VVorlde, which hath in it many euills, & many diseases of sin, we see also much filthines, & many blemi∣shes in it, which cōtaminate & pollute our soules: for sinne it

selfe is a contagious disease, therefore not without cause we ought to eschew & auoyd the societie and company of wic∣ked and vngodlie men; for it is not meet, that the whole and sounde should dwell with the leaprous and diseased: for the Wise man saith: Hee that tou∣cheth pitch, shall be defiled with it, and he that companieth with a proude man, shal put on pride.

Certainly saith S. Ierom, no∣thing dooth so hurte a man as naughty company, and euil so∣ciety. For a man becomes such a one, as the company he kee∣peth. The Wolfe dooth neuer dwel with the lamb: & a chast man doth flie the company of the luxurious. I think it impos∣sible, that a man shoulde long cōtinue honest, who daily vseth the societie of wicked mē. With the holy, thou shalt be holy, sayth

the Psalmist, with the innocent, thou shalt be innocent, and with the frowarde, thou shalt learne frowardnes. For as euill compa∣nie hurteth, so good company profiteth. Nothing can bee compared to thys treasure. He that findeth good society, fin∣deth life, and aboundeth with wealth. I speake truly and con∣fidently; a man is made verie sildome eyther good or euill, but through company & soci∣ety. The hart of a chyld, is said to bee as a Table in which no∣thing is paynted. Therefore that he receiueth from compa∣ny, hee keepeth till his old age, whether it bee good or euill. These things spake S. Ierome, beeing ready to yeelde vp the ghost. Therfore seeing that the worlde is so euill, wee ought to eschewe and auoyde it, as an ill neighbour, who can worke vs

great mischiefe by hys neigh∣bourhoode and vicinitie, and hurte vs very much by sinnes and sinners, of vvhich it is full.

The second cause vvhy the worlde is to be eschewed, is, because vvise and considerate men doe auoyde those places, in which they feare the intrap∣pings and snares of theyr ene∣mies, least they fall into theyr hands: and thys is the revvard that the world rendereth vnto her louers, that shee at the length deliuereth thē into the hands of the deuils theyr dead∣ly enemies. The wordes of the the traytour Iudas are to be re∣ferred hether, saying to them, to whom hee sold and betray∣ed the Sonne of God: Whom∣soeuer I shall kisse, and say peace be vnto thee, that is he, lay hold on him. VVhich vvordes the world saith also to the deuils: to

vvhomsoeuer I shall gyue the kisse of peace, of riches, of plea∣sures and honors, lay holde on him, binde him hand & foote, and cast him into hell. Wher∣fore, S. Gregory saith not with∣out good cause; It is a mani∣fest signe of perdition, whē the effect and euent, dooth fauour affected iniquitie, and no con∣trarietie dooth hinder, what the peruerse minde hath cōceiued. And Saint Ierome sayth: It is a manifest token of damnati∣on, to bee loued of the vvorld, to enioy prosperity, & to haue all things, what the vvill desi∣reth.

Certaine therefore it is, that they are exceedingly deceiued in finding out the way to feli∣citie, who thinke that they may enter into glory, and into the kingdome of heauen, by riches and pleasures.

The third cause, why vvee ought to eschew the worlde, is this, because wise & wary men doe flie & auoyde dangerous places, such as the sea is, wherin we saile with feare. Whervpon the Wise-man saith; They that saile ouer the sea, doe tell of the dangers of it. Dauid certifieth vs, that thys world is a great & spacious sea, in which the grea∣ter parte of the marriners per∣rish. Thys is manifest, because as Bernard saith, many do mis∣carry in it, and fewe are saued. The worlde is as an Ocean, in which of foure shyps, scarcelie one is saued; as the Deluge, in vvhich so many thousand men were drowned, and so fewe e∣scaped: and as the Fornace of Babylon kindled with hell fire, in which a man is sette on a light flame with one word of the fire of vvrath, in vvhich

luxury dooth burne, and coue∣tousnes is inflamed by the one∣ly looke and aspect.

The fourth cause, vvhy we ought to forsake the world, is, because euery man that is wise, beeing admonished, ought to eschew that place, in which his mortal & deadly enemy dwel∣leth. Thys place is the vvorld, which the deuill our capitall e∣nemie inhabiteth; hee hath his signory and dominion in thys world, who alwayes threatneth destruction vnto vs, and thyr∣steth for our deathes. Therfore let vs flye from the worlde, as from the deuill, according to the counsell of the VViseman, Keep thee far from the man that hath power to slay.

These reasons thus beeing sette before our eyes, let vs bee wise: for we see manifestly by these things which haue beene

spoken, that the world cannot be better ouercome by any o∣ther way, then by flying from it. VVee haue an example of thys in the lifes of the Fathers, of Achrimus, who being Em∣perour, & standing in his pal∣lace, prayed thus vnto GOD. Lord I desire thee, shewe vnto me the way of saluation. And behold, hee heard a voyce say∣ing vnto him; Achrimus, a∣uoyde the concourse and so∣lemnities of the worlde, entan∣gle not thy selfe in the snares of humaine vanities, & thou shalt be safe. At the hearing of which voyce, hee betooke himselfe foorth-with to a strict solitarie course of lyfe. And saying an other time the same prayer, he hearde a voyce saying: Fly, o∣uercome, bee silent & at rest. And surely these be the rootes, and the grounds not to sinne.

For by flying, the cōcupiscence of the flesh is ouercome, by be∣ing silent, the pride of lyfe, and by beeing of a peaceable and quiet mind, couetousnesse, & greedines of gaine are subdu∣ed and ouerthrowne.

Saint Isidore admonishing vs that wee shoulde contemne the world, sayth: If thou desi∣rest to lyue quietly, couet no∣thing that is in this world: cast frō thee what-soeuer may hin∣der thy holy purpose. Be dead to the world, and therefore be∣ing deade, doe not thyrst after glory, and thou shalt lyue in tranquilitie and rest, being cō∣tent with thine owne. Despise that in thy life, which thou canst not keepe in thy death. S. Augustine speaketh thus of this deceitfull world: This life is a miserable life, a fraile life, an vncertaine life, a painefull life,

an impure lyfe, a lyfe Lady of enormities, & Queen of pride, ful of miseries & errors: which is not to be called a life, but a death in which wee die dailie, through sundry defections of mutability, and by manifolde kinds of death. A brickle lyfe, an incōstant life, which the fa∣ster it goeth on, the nerer it ap∣procheth to death, a deceitfull and vnsteady life, full of the snares of death. Although it be replenished with these, and o∣ther greeuances, sorrowes, and inconueniences, yet (ô greefe) howe many dooth it ensnare with vanities, and howe many are deceiued with false and de∣ceitfull promises? And albeit of it selfe it is so false and bit∣ter, that it cannot cōceale these incōueniences from her blinde louers, yet it maketh drunk an infinite multitude of fooles

with the golden cup, which she beareth in her hand. As they are happy, so are they rare, that refuse her familiarity; that de∣spise her perfunctory ioyes: that contemne her society, least with this perishing deceiuer they bee also forced to perrish. This sayth he. Beholde, sayth Bernard, the worlde cryeth, I shall fayle thee; and the flesh crieth, I shal infect thee: which then, ô miserable sinner, vvilt thou follow? the failing world, or the infecting flesh? Both of them are euill: therefore fol∣lowe Christ, who will refresh thee. But if all these thinges, my Brother, which thou hast hetherto read of, do not moue thee, heare what the same fa∣mous Doctor of the Church, Bernard sayth, of the louers of the world: Woe be vnto those vnhappy and wretched ones,

saith he, for whom is prepared intollerable sorrow, incompa∣rable stinch, and horrible feare. Woe bee to them, for whom is prepared that place, where no∣thing shall be heard but vvee∣ping and wayling, lamentati∣on and howling, mourning & gnashing of teeth: where no∣thing shall bee seene but the worme, vgly, deformed, and horrible tortures, and terrible & fearefull deuils: where they shal cal & seeke for death, but shal not find it: where there is no order, but where perpetual horror euerlastingly abideth. How great feare, how great so∣row, how great mourning will there be, whē sinners are sepe∣rated frō the righteous, & deli∣uered to the power of deuills, with whom they shall be cast headlong into the eternall tor∣mēts of hel, without hope euer

to see the face of the Lorde, or heauenly glory: without any hope to bee euer freed from those torments; where ney∣ther the torturers shal be wea∣ried, nor the tortures haue any ende: where death shall neuer die, nor lyfe bring any ioy?

Tell mee ô sinner, sayth S. Ierome, if we had the wisedom of Salomon, the beauty of Ab∣solon, the strength of Samp∣son, the long life of Enoch, the riches of Craesus, and the feli∣citie of Octauian: what would these things profit vs, when as our fleshe at the length is to be giuen to the wormes of the earth, and our soules to the de∣uils, to bee euerlastingly tor∣mented with the rich Glutton in hell?

The shortnesse of time, the breuity of life, and the vncer∣tainty of death ought to moue

thee to contemne the worlde, & those vaine delights that be in the world. Wherefore Saint Gregory sayth: Reprobates doe many things wickedly, be∣cause they hope to liue long heere. Contrariwise, the righ∣teous, whilst they consider the shortnes of theyr lyfe, they a∣uoyde the sinnes of pride and vncleannesse. Of the breuity of this life S. Iames saith, What is your life? it is euen as a vapour that appeareth for a little tyme.

And Saint Augustine sayth, If thou haddest lyued all that time, since Adam was expelled out of the garden of Paradice, euen to this day, certainly thou shouldest well perceiue, that thy life was not perpetuall, vvhich hath so passed avvay: but the lyfe of one man what is it? adde as many yeeres as it pleaseth thee, adde a very long

and lasting old age, what then? Is it not yet morning? Bee it that the day of Iudgement is farre of; assuredly thy last day cannot bee farre of, therefore nowe prepare thy selfe; for as thou departest out of thys life, so shalt thou bee presented to the other lyfe. Thys sayth hee. And in another place: All the time that wee liue heere, is ta∣ken from life: so that the lyfe present is none other thing, but a short way, by which wee passe vnto death, in which no man can long stay nor linger, or walke softly, and at leysure; but euery day thou must finish by little and little some part of thy iourney.

All things passe away, sayth Soneca, and are in continuall diminution & augmentation. None of vs is the same in olde age, that wee vvere in youth.

Not any one of vs is the same in the morning, that wee were the day before. Our bodyes passe away after the manner of running riuers: vvhatsoeuer thou seest, runneth away with the time. Nothing remayneth steadie of all those thinges vve see: behold they are changed, whilst I speake, and I also am changed. And in another place; The Fates doe ply their worke, and doe take away frō vs the sence and feeling of our death; and that death may creepe vpon vs more easily, it lurketh vnder the very name of life. Childhood cōuerts in∣fancie into it, youth childhood, manly age youth, and olde age takes away manly age. The ve∣ry increases, if thou doost well account & thinke of them, will be founde to be losses. If (my deere Brother) thou lettest

these thinges into thine eares, and meditatest on thē in thine hart, & well considerest them, thou wilt say, that thou rather runnest vnto death, then that thou canst hope for long lyfe.

Notes

• 1, Iohn, 2,
• In his se∣conde trac∣tate vpon the Epistle of S. Iohn.
• The worlde is as a man excommu∣nicated.
• A speech & fact of Sala∣dine.
• Iames, 4,
• Gregory.
• Vpon the 7. chapter of Mich.
• 1, Iohn, 5,
• Of conuersion vnto the Clergy. chap, 30,
• The world is to bee e∣schewed for 4 causes.
• Tom. 9. Epi. Euseb. ad Damasum de morte Hieron.
• The second cause why the world is to be e∣schewed.
• Math, 26,
• Gregory in his morrals.
• The thyrd cause.
• Ecclus, 9
• The worlde is a sea.
• The fourth cause,
• Ecclus, 9,
• August. in his medita.
• Bernard.
• In his me∣ditations.
• Ierom vpō the 17, of Mathew.
• Gregory.
• Iames, 4.
• August. vp∣on the 56. psalme.
• Seneca in his 59. e∣pistle.
• In his book of consola∣tiō to Mat. chap. 22.