Soliloquium animæ. The sole-talke of the soule. Or, a spirituall and heauenlie dialogue betwixt the soule of man and God. Which, for the great affinitie it hath with other bookes of the auctor published heeretofore in our natiue tongue, is now entituled The fourth booke of the Imitation of Christ. Translated and corrected by Thomas Rogers. Neuer before published.

CHAP. 15. (Book 15)

1. Touching the fruite of freendship. 2. The benefits of Christ vpon man. 3. The true felicitie and ioie of the soule. 4. The affinitie be∣tweene Christ, and the soule of man. (Book 15)

PRaised bee GOD which hath not put back my praier fro meea 1.1.

Therefore I am now againe zelouslie to en∣quire, if your freend at anie time left you without inward comfort.

What meane you? What muse you heere about? How also maie hee bee reconciled and reclamed?

Of all freendship, I beseech you, ô deere and beloued soule to Christ, conceale none of these things which I am to demaund of you.

You maie so doo me a pleasure, in opening to mee your godlie cogi∣tations.

By your talke. I shall be able to measure the waight of my griefe, whether iustlie or without cause I was pensiue.

For I haue seene you sometime merie, and sometime sad, and by and by glad againe, and by you I did somewhat consider of my selfe.

But I suppose the chiefest cause of this your alteration is that returning and departure of the beloued. The which hath made mee, perceauing how you haue run ouer manie mat∣ters, for mine instruction to resort vnto you.

S.

According to your desire, I will bend my selfe somewhat to vnfolde the things which I feele within mee, both when I am with my freend, and also when I am alone, looking for him whome I so doo loue.

This first vnderstand, I reape not so much ioie and pleasure by his pre∣sence, but I finde as much sorow and bitternes through his absence.

But whie it pleaseth him so to come and go, rather I had he should declare than I.

But you shall heare it when I haue finished the words of my song, be∣cause in the ende we will bring him in vnto vs, and sitting among vs, hee shall teach vs his order, the which he vseth to show vnto such as desire his presence.

In the meane while giue attentiue eare vnto mee, and be not offended at mine homelie speech.

For wee are now come together to stir vp our harts, and either to weep together, or through loue to reioice together.

For wo vnto him that is aloneb 1.2, because when hee falleth into some sorow or tentation, there is not a se∣cond to lift him vp. And if to be to∣gether theie will comfort one the o∣ther, while one being sad, the other ministreth ioie; or if he refuse to be comforted, he shall be pittied forth∣with, and griefe will be taken for his griefe; and so it will fall out that ei∣ther theie will both be glad, or both sad together. And although some so∣rowe doo yet still continue for some aduersitie, or matter of sorowe: yet the more patientlie theie beare it, because their harts be so linked, that nothing can change or alter their mindes.

Now, who seeing this faithfull con∣cord of mindes, but must needes breake into these woords, and saie, c 1.3 Behold, how good, and how comelie a thing it is, brethren to dwell euen together.

And therefore I can the more

boldlie tel you what I thinke, because I dread no deceipt, or subtiltie in you.

Lo, this all sweete spouse, and best beloued frend, our Lord Iesus Christ, the louer of holie soulesd 1.4, euen of pure loue, not able otherwise to doo, allured mee vnto him; and when I was not, he gaue me lifee 1.5, wisedome, and power to behold this common light.

Hee gaue mee grace to be borne anewe by Baptisme, and adorned mee with the roabe of his pretious merits.

Ouer and besides, when afterward I had foulie bespotted my selfe with sinne, and was far vnfit to loue him, he cast not his eie vpon my filthines, but vpon the side of his mercies.

For when as yet I wandered out of the waie, hee reclamed mee of his goodnesf 1.6, not suffering mee to pe∣rish in this wicked world.

Moreouer, he hath prouided mee a place to rest in so long as I liue in this mortall bodie.

Notwithstanding, this dwelling vnder the shadow of the beloued is not the true rest, nor the rest which shall for euer continue: but that is

the true rest, which wee shall feele after the labors of this present lifeg 1.7.

Yet for the soule to perceaue her selfe to be vnburdened of worldlie cares, and there to rest where she maie the more fullie serue her belo∣ued, and attend vpon him in the se∣cret chamber of silence, it is a kinde of comfort.

Furthermore, my freend hath not left, but assisted mee in my diuers troubles, and sorest tentations.

Also, he hath both instructed mee oftentimes with profitable sermons, and confirmed mee in his word.

And as yoong plants are woont to be watred with showers: so he hath watered me with inward comfort, that the virtue newlie implanted within me maie not wither.

L.

And he said to me, If thou hast a lust vnto me, and wilt harken vnto me, thou shalt enioie good things; if thou wilt doo, whatsoeuer I com∣mand you, thou art a frend of mineh 1.8.

If thou wilt choose me, and loue me aboue all things, all things that you aske, my father will giue you: but if you forgoe me, then shalt thou come to destruction, for my wrath shall bee incensed against thee; if

thou seeke after another, he shal not please thee long, but thou wilt loath and abhor him. Because I am the sal∣uation, and the life of the soulei 1.9.

S.

So I turned mee vnto him which had doon me good, and expelling my selfe from out the dust of earthlie af∣fections, I decreed in mine hart from thenceforth to serue him onlie: be∣cause I found nothing better than him, nor could imagine no couenant more profitable.

Let others iet, and seeke what freendship theie will else-where, I am thoroughlie perswaded this is the true man of the soule, for whose sake me thinks I could gladlie forsake this world, to enioie his loue euer∣lastinglie.

And therefore I stuck vnto him, for he liked me still; neither could I finde a better freend.

For my soule alwaie hath excee∣dinglie desired such a one, as is the greatest, for power, the best for good∣nes, the woorthiest for dignitie, and the most happie for all good things.

And because he is verie curteous, he gaue me comfortable woords, warelie fore-seeing that theie should neither terrefie, nor breake mee

through ouer-much roughnes, but rather enioine and teach mee that which should bee both light, and sweete to be borne, that so my yoong affection might the better be drawen on, and the more forceablie addicted to the freend beloued, and shrinke not back.

M.

She shall the better, said he, be in∣structed, and profit, if not by force, but through gentlenes she be prouo∣ked forward. She wil the more easilie receaue my yoake, rather by loue with rewards, than by feare with pu∣nishment. And if she neede impul∣sion, let it wiselie be vsed, that vio∣lence doo not ouerthrowe her.

For he knew right well what was best for a yoong plant, and what pro∣fit this his kindnes would bring vnto mee, especiallie at the time of triall, when I should easelie call into my re∣membrance the good things which at the first he did vnto my soule, and thereby take courage to proceede in the battell.

He would not straight-waie open vnto me, what and how much trooble I was to endure in his seruice; but sometime hee tempered aduersitie with prosperitie, well considering my

weakenes at the first, vntill through experience I had gotten strength to endure affliction.

After all this he carried me about, enstructed, and boare me vpon his shoulders.

Hee conducted me ouer the holie Scripture, and with the heate of his holie Spirit he armed me against the wicked tentations of Satan.

Moreouer, he placed before mine eies examples of all the virtues, namelie, the holie Patriarches, and Prophets, besides the glorious lights of the new Testament.

Euen as a Mother teacheth her litle childe, so hee instructed mee, breaking spirituall shales, and put∣ting the carnels into my iawes, be∣cause theie were sweete to be eaten.

Search if you can what theie sig∣nifie, and where such maie be found.

Open the apostolicall booke, reade aduisedlie, and see if you are able to comprehend so great mysteries.

Peruse the Prophet Isaiah; looke into the Gospell, the light of all lights, and marke if theie doo not yeeld most plesant notes of them∣selues.

In them whatsoeuer you finde

which is obscure, and hard to be vn∣derstood, that is a nut in a shel.

But if you heare it expounded, and vnderstand that which afore you did not, then broken is the shel, and the sweetnes of the ••ut dooth sauor in the hart. And so are we to iudge of other darke sentences. Whereby you maie behold so manie nuts, as you see hidden sentences.

And how, thinke you, did he beare me on his shoulders? That he did so often as he beheld mine infirmitie, and yet neither cast me off, nor de∣spised me, but patientlie and merci∣fullie did beare with mek 1.10.

Againe, he did beare me on his shoulders, when he made other men to beare with mine infirmities, and whatsoeuer was blameworthie with∣in mee.

Besides, yet more louinglie he did beare me on his shoulders when he bare his crosse vnto the place, called the place of dead mens sculsl 1.11, where hee was crucified. For then was I a more heauie burden vnto him, than the crosse was. And my sins were more grieuous to his bonesm 1.12, than this wood of the crosse to his back. Because for my sake that crosse was

carriedn 1.13, not for his owne sake.

Oah, how is hee aboue all things to be loued, and to be worshipped, by whose grace and merits I am thus both found outo 1.14, and redeemedp 1.15. And therefore he shall be as deere to me, as the child is to his mother.

But well I knowe, that I am far vn∣meete to loue him. Notwithstanding my boldnes commeth from his good∣nes. Neither could I doo otherwise but run vnto his most freendlie em∣bracements, when hee showed him∣selfe so kinde vnto mee.

I doo well remember what the Pro∣phet Dauid in a certaine place doth saieq 1.16:

What am I? and what is my life, or the familie of my father in Israel, that I should be sonne in lawe to the King?

But our affinitie together is much more excellent, than this of Dauid and Saul. Because ours is a pure and syncere kinred, not with flesh and blood, but betweene God himselfe, betweene faith vnuiolated, and a good conscience.

Of this, did that Disciple whome Iesus loued, speake on this wiser 1.17:

Greater is hee that is in you, than hee that is in the world.

For God is loues 1.18, and loue brin∣geth forth this kinred.

Therefore sith Dauid thought himselfe far vnmeet to be sonne in lawe vnto an earthlie King: much more abashed ought I to be, to enter into alliance with the King of all Kings, that vouchsafeth to allure me, vile wretch, into his freendship.

So that he hath delt with mee, not according to my deserts, but euen as it seemed good in his mercifull eies.

Oah blessed, and happie art thou, soule, now thou art fast bound with the chaine of the heauenlie loue!

Oah how noble, and free art thou, seeing thou art priuie euen to the sighings of so holie copulation!

But seing I haue spent manie words about the beloued, and yet haue not answered fullie vnto your de∣maund, let vs now begin afresh, and God grant that our speech may bee both to our comfort, and profit.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Psal. 66, 20
• b 1.2

  Eccles. 4, verse 10
• c 1.3

  Psal. 133,
• d 1.4

  Wisd. 11, 23
• e 1.5

  Act. 17, 22
• f 1.6

  Rom. 8, 30
• g 1.7

  Reue. 21, 4
• h 1.8

  Ioh. 15, 4
• i 1.9

  Iohn. 14, 6 Iohn. 11, 25
• k 1.10

  2. Pet. 3, 9
• l 1.11

  Ioh. 19, 17 18, &c.
• m 1.12

  1. Pet. 2, 24
• n 1.13

  Isai. 53, 5 6
• o 1.14

  Luke. 15, 4 5, &c.
• p 1.15

  Gal. 3, 13
• q 1.16

  1. Sam. 18, verse 18
• r 1.17

  1. Iohn. 4, 4
• s 1.18

  1. Ioh. 4, 16