To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
1. COnsider, how diligent our Sa∣uiour was in obseruatiō of the law, no otherwise thē if he had byn boūd. For the eight day he was circumcised, and the 40. day he was presented in the Temple; at euery time of the yeare, as it
was appointed, he went vp to Hierusalem, ac∣cording to the custome to worship God there: and he euer respected S. Ioseph, and his Mother, as the law commanded.
2. Consider how, whē he was to preach pen∣nance to others, he wold first of al experience it in himselfe. For after his Baptisme, he retyred into the desert, where he gaue himselfe most
diligently, with fasting, and punishing of his owne body, to contem∣plation, & to other spi∣rituall exercises.
3. Consider how after his returne from out of the desert he begun to preach, & with an ami∣able diligence endea∣uoured to shew the way of saluation to all. To the infirm he gaue dou∣dle health both of body, and of spirit; he repro∣ued
vice, he exhorted to vertue: he went vp and downe from place to place, that he might help many. To be short that he might do good, he spared no pains at al.
4. Consider, how his wil also was, that his dis∣ciples should be diligent in doing of good works. For he oftē sent thē forth to the adioyning castles to preach, to cast forth Diuells, to cure the sicke
and diseased, and there∣fore he often exhorted them to great Charity, for he best of all knew, that such diligence was the mother, and begin∣ning of all spirituall workes.
5. Consider, how dili∣gent, and serious he was in prayer; and when as by day, by reason of his ouermuch busines, wher¦with he was detayned in preaching, and in the
conuersion of his neigh∣bors, he could not pray, he attended to prayer by night, and as S. Luke sayth, he spent the night in the prayer of God. And this is also mani∣fest, for that, before he began his passion, in great humility and ear∣nestnes he addressed his prayer thrice vnto his heauenly Father; and in the expiration of his life he pleased to end it,
and to dye in praying; namely, while he did hang vpon the Crosse, he prayed first for his persecutours, and in say∣ing: Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit, he gaue vp his Ghost.
1. IF the Sonne of God were so dili∣gent, not for any profit that were to redound to
himselfe, why shouldst not thou be confoūded, who art so negligent in matters of spirit, that were prescribed for the good of thy soule.
2. What will it help thee, if thou be cir∣cumspect in temporall and transitory things, & shalt be negligent in prayer, mortification, pennance, and other spi∣rituall functions?
3. Thou art also de∣ceaued,
if thou be di∣ligent in thy particuler deuotions, and slouth∣full, and drowsy in the obseruation of the com∣mandements of God, & of the Church.
4. If thou desire to attaine to a diligence in spiritual matters, endea∣uour to loue them, for that the more thou shalt be affected vnto them, the more diligent wilt thou be inprocuring thē.