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

❧:Of the desyre of euerlastynge lyfe / and of the greate rewarde that is promysed to theym that strongely fyght agaynste synne. The .liiii. Cha¦pitre.

MI sone whan thou felest y•• a desyre of euerlastyng blysse is gyuē to the & that thou couetist to go out of the taber¦nacle of thy mortall body / y•• thou myght clerely w^tout shadowe beholde my clere∣nes. Open thine herte & with y^e desyre of thy soule take that holy īspiraciō: & yelde most large thankes to the hygh goodnes of god that so worthely doth to the / so be¦nyngly vysyteth the / so brennyngly styr∣reth the / and so myghtely bereth the vp: that throughe thyne owne burden thou fall nat downe to erthely lykynges / and thynke nat that that desyre commeth of thy selfe or of thyne owne werkynge / but rather that it commeth of the gyfte of grace / and of a louely beholdynge of god

vpon the / that thou shuldeste profyte ther¦by in mekenes and vertue / and that thou shuldest also p̄pare the to be redy agaynst an other tyme for batayles that are for to come / and the more surely to cleue to god with all the desyre & affecyon of thy herte and to study with al thy power how thou mayste moste purely and moste deuoutly serue hym / and take hede of thys comon prouerbe· The fyre doth ofte brenne / but the flame doth nat assende without some smoke. So in lykewyse the desyre of some men draweth to heuenly thynges / & yet they be nat all free fro the smoke of car∣nall affecciōs / and therfore they do it nat alway purely for the honoure and loue of god that they aske so desyrously of hym. Suche ofte times is thy desyre that thou shewest to be so importune for that desire is nat clene & perfyte that is myxte with thyne owne cōmodyte. Aske therfore nat that is delectable & profytable to the / but that is acceptable & honoure to me / for if thou do well and iuge a ryght / thou shalt preferre my ordynaūce & my wyll before all thy desyres & before all thynges that may be desyred besyde me. I knowe well thy desyre. Thou woldest nowe be in the

lybertye of the glory of the sonnes of god nowe the euerlastynge house and the he∣uenly countrey full of ioye and glorye de∣lyteth the muche: but that tyme cōmeth nat yet / for there is yet an other tyme to come / that is to saye: a tyme of laboure and of proufe / thou desyrest to be fulfilled with the hyghe goodnes in heuen / but thou mayste nat yet come therto. I am the full rewarde of man / abyde me vntyll I shall come / and thou shalte haue me to thy rewarde. Thou arte yet to be proued here vpō earth / and more throughly to be assayled in many thinges / some comforte shalbe gyuen the / but the fulnes thereof shall nat yet be graunted. Be thou ther∣fore conforted in me / and be thou stronge as well in doynge as in sufferynge thyn∣ges contrary to thy wyll. It behoueth the to be clothed in my bloode / and to be chaunged in to a newe man / and thou must oft tymes do that thou woldest nat do / & that y^t thou woldest do thou muste forsake & leue vndone. That shall please other shall go well forwarde / & that shall please the shall haue no spede / that other mē say shalbe wel herde / & that thou shalt say shalbe set at nought. Other shall aske

and haue theyr askynge / thou shalte aske and be denyed. Other shalbe greate and haue greate laude and prayse of the peo∣ple / and of the no worde shalbe spoken. To other thys offyce or that shalbe com∣mytted and thou shalt be iuged vnprofy∣table in euery thynge / for these thynges and other lyke: nature wyll murmure & grudge / and thou shalte haue a greate ba∣tayle in thy selfe if thou bere them secrete in thy herte without complaynynge and myssaynge. Neuertheles in suche thing{is} and otherlyke my faythfull seruaunt{is} are wonte to be proued / howe they can deny them selfe and howe they can in all thyn∣ges breyke theyr owne wylles / and there is nothyng that thou shalt nede so much to ouercome thy selfe in / as to lerne to be contented / nat to be set any pryce by in the worlde / and to suffre suche thynges as be most cōtrary to thy wyll especyally whan suche thing{is} as in thy syghte seme vnprofytable be cōmaunded to be done. But my sonne consyder well the profyte fruyte of all these laboures the shorte ende and the greate rewarde / and than thou shalt fele no grefe ne payne in all thy la∣boures / but the moste swetest conforte of

the holy ghost throughe thy good wyll / and for that lytel wyl that thou forsakest here thou shalte alwaye haue thy wyll in heuē where thou shalt haue all that thou causte or mayste desyre. There shalt thou haue full possession of all goodnes with∣out drede to lese it. There thy wyll shalbe euer one with my wyll / & it shall coueyte no straunge nor priuate thynges. There no man shall resyste the / no man shall cō∣playne on the / no man shal let the / nor no man shall witstande the / but all thinges that thou cāste desire shalbe there presen•• and shall fulfyl al the powers of my soule vnto the full. There shall I yelde glorye for reproues / and a palle of laude for the heuynes / and for the loweste place here / a sete in heuen for euer. There shal appere the frute of obedyence▪ the laboure of pe∣naunce shall ioye / and the humble subiec∣cion shalbe crowned gloriously: bowe the therfore mekely nowe vnder euery man∣nes hande / and force lytel who sayth this or who commaundeth this to be done. But with all thy study take hede y^t whe¦ther thy p̄late or thy felowe or any other lower than thou aske any thynge of the or wyll any thyng to be done by the / that

thou take it awaye vnto the beste / & with a glad wyll study to fulfyll it / let this mā seke thys thynge and an other that / and let this man ioye in this thyng and an o∣ther in that what so it be and let them be landed and praysed a thousande tymes / but ioye thou neyther in thys thynge nor in that / but onely in thyne owne contēpt and dyspysinge / and in my wyll for to be fulfylled and whether it be by lyfe or deth that I maye alwaye be landed & honou∣red in the and by the. Amen.