A boke newly translated out of Latyn in to Englisshe, called The folowing of Christe with the Golden epistel of saynt Barnard.

❧Of remembrynge of the greate and manyfolde benefaytes of God. The .xxiiii. Chapitre.

OPē myn herte lorde in to the be¦holdynge of thy lawes & in thy cōmaundementes teache me to walke / gyue me grace to knowe and to vnderstande thy wyll and with great re∣uerence and dilygent consyderacion to re¦membre the manyfolde benefaytes that I may fro hensforth yelde to the due thā kynges for them agayne. But I knowe and confesse it for trouthe that I am nat able to yelde to the condygne thankyn∣ges for the leste benefyte that thou haste

gyuen me / for I am lesse than the leste be ne fayte that thou haste gyuen. And whā I beholde thy noblenes and thy worthy¦nes my spirite dredeth and trēbleth very sore for the greatnes therof. ♣ O lorde all that we haue in body and in soule within forth and without forth naturally or su{per}∣naturall / they be they benefa••tes & shewe the openly to be a blessed and a good be∣nefactoure of whome we haue receyued suche gyftes and thoughe one hath recey¦ued more / and an other lesse: yet they all be thy gyftes and without the / the leste can nat be had / and he that hath more re¦ceyued may nat ryghtfully glorifye hym selfe therin as though he had goten it by his owne meryte / ne exalte hym selfe a∣boue other / nor dysdayne other / nor dys∣pyse his inferiours therfor / for he is grea¦test and moste acceptable to the / that leste ascrybeth to hym selfe & that is for suche gyftes the more weke & the more deuout in yeldynge thankynges to the for them agayne. And he that throughe mekenes can holde hym selfe moste vyle and moste vnworthy of al other: is the more apte to receyue of thy hande more larger gyftes. And he that hath receyued the fewer gyf∣tes

ought nat therfor to be heuy ne to dis¦dayne at it / ne to be enuyous agaynste them that haue receyued the greater / but rather he ought to lyfte hys mynde vp∣warde to the & hyghely to laude & prayse thy name that thou so lyberally / so lo∣uyngly / and so frely without acceptynge of persons: departeste thy giftes amonge thy people / all thinges come of the & ther¦fore thou arte in all thynges to be blessed Thou knowest what is expediēt to be gy¦uen to euery persone and why one hathe lesse and an other more / it is nat to vs to reason to dyscusse: but vnto the onely by whome the merytes of euery man shalbe dyscussed. wherfore Lorde I accompte it for a greate benefayte nat to haue many gyftes wherby outwardly and after man¦nes iugemente laude and praysyng shulde folowe. And ouer that as me semeth all though a man consyder and beholde hys owne pouertye & the vylenes of his owne persone he ought nat therfore take grefe or heuynes or deieccyon / but rather to cō¦ceyue therby great gladnes of soule / for thou haste chosen & daily doste chose pore meke persons and suche as be dispysed in the worlde / to be thy ••••mylyer and house vnder

holde seruauntes / wytnes thy Appostles whome thou madeste Prynces of all the worlde whiche neuertheles were conuer∣saunte amonge the people without com∣playnynge or myssayge so meke and sym¦ple without all malyce and dysceyte that ••hey ioyed to suffre reprofes for thy name so farforth that suche thyng{is} as y^e worlde abhorreth and fleeth they coueyted with great desyre / that it appereth that there ought nothynge so muche to conforte / & glad thy louer and hym that hath recey∣ued thy benefaytes as that thy wyll and pleasure in him be fulfylled after thy eter¦nall dysposicyon of hym from the begyn∣nynge / wherwith he ought to be so well contented and pleased that he wolde as gladely beholden leste: as other wolde be holden moste / and as pacefull wolde he be & as well pleased in the loweste place as in the hyghest / and as glad to be dispysed and abiec••e and of no name ne reputaciō in the worlde as other to be nobler: or greater / for thy wyll lorde & the honoure of thy name ought to excell all thynges / and more ought it to please and conforte thy louer than all other benefaytes gyuē or that myght be gyuen vnto hym.