THE FIRST STEPP. From the Consideration of Man.

IF any one true∣ly desire to e∣rect a Ladder vnto God, * he ought to begin from the consideration of himselfe. For euery one of vs, is both the creature and image of God, and nothing is nearer vs then our selues.

Therefore not without cause Moyses saith: Attende tibi, Attend to thy selfe; vp∣on which two wordes Basil Page  2the great writte an excellent sermon. For he that shall truly behold himselfe, and consider what is within him, shall finde as it were an A∣bridgement of the whole world, whereby he may easily ascend vnto the maker of all things.

But I at this present, intend to seeke out nothing els but the foure common causes; who is my maker, of what matter he made me, what forme he gaue me, and to what end hee produced me. For if I seeke my maker, I shall finde him onely God; If I seeke the matter whereof he made me, I shall finde it nothing; whence I gather, whatsoeuer is in me is made Page  3by God, and the whole to be of God; if I seeke my forme I shall finde my selfe to be the Image of God: If I seeke my end, I shall finde that the same God is my Cheife and totall happinesse. Therefore I may vnderstand, there is so great a coniunction and nearenesse of my selfe with God, that he onely is my maker, my author my Father, my example, my happinesse, and my All. And if I vnderstand this, how can it be but that I should most ardently seeke him? thinke of him? sigh for him? desire to see and imbrace him? and de∣test the great blindenes of my hart, which so long time hath desired, sought, or thought of nothing lesse then of God Page  4who onely is All vnto me?

But let vs consider more di∣ligently euery particular: * I aske thee O my soule, who gaue thee being when as a little time before thou wast nothing? surely the parents of thy flesh begot thee not; for what is borne of flesh is flesh; but thou art a spirit: neither did heauen or earth, or the Sunne or starres pro∣duce thee; for those are bodies, thou without bo∣dy: nor yet could An∣gels, Arch-angels, or any other spirituall creature be causes of thy being, for thou art not made of a∣ny matter, but created of nothing: And none but God almightie can make some∣thing Page  5of nothing.

He therefore alone with∣out compagnion, without helpe, with his owne handes which are his vn∣derstanding and will, crea∣ted thee when hee plea∣sed.

But perhappes not God, but creatures produced thy body, that as thy soule must acknowledge God, so thy body must acknow∣ledge thy parents for au∣thors: It is not so; For although God vse the means of parents to begette the flesh, as inferiour workemen in the buylding of a house; yet is he the cheife buyl∣der, Author, and true fa∣ther both of the soule and Page  6body, and so would be said to be the beginning of mans whole essence: For if the pa∣rēts of thy flesh were the true Authors, and as it were the Cheife framers of thy body; they would know how many muscelles, vaines, synnowes, bones; how many humors, how many turnings, and how many other things of like kinde there are in mans body, all which they are ignorant of, vnlesse perhaps they haue learned them by the art of Anatomie.

Moreouer when the body is sicke, or a member withe∣red or cut off, they could cer∣tainely by the same art by which they made it, againe repaire it, if they were the Page  7true Authors: euen as those which make clockes or build houses, know how to order and repayre them. But pa∣rents know not how to doe any of these thinges. The coniunction also of the soule with the body, which is a spe∣ciall part of the affection of mans nature, can be done by none but by a workeman of infinite power. For by what art but by diuine, can a spirit be ioyned with flesh in so neere a bond as to be made one substance? For the body hath no proportion or like∣nesse with the spirit. * He there∣fore did it, who alone doth great wonders.

Truly therefore doth the holy ghost speake by Moyses Page  8in Deuteronomie: * Nonne ipse est &c. Is not hee thy father that hath possessed thee, and made and created thee? And by Iob: * With Skinne and Flesh thou hast cloathed me: with bones and Sinnowes thou hast compacted me, And by the kingly Prophet: * Thy handes haue made me and formed me, and againe: * Thou hast formed me and hast put thy hand vp∣pon me. And the most wise mother of the Machabaean children, * I knowe not how you appeared in my wombe: for neither did I giue you Spirit and Soule and life, and the members of euery one, I my selfe framed not: but in∣deede the Creator of the world, that hath formed the Natiuitie Page  9of man, and that inuented the origine of all.

Hereupon surely the wis∣dome of God Christ our Lord said: * Call none father to your selues vppon earth: For one is your father he that is in heauen.

By which admonition St. Augustine said to God of his sonne Adeodatus whome he had begot in fornication: * Tu bene seceras &c. Thou didst make him well, but I beside sin had nothing in that childe.

Goe to now my soule, if God be thy Author, and thy bodyes also; if he bee thy Father, Supporter, and Nursse: if what thou art is of him: if what thou hast, thou receiuest from him: and what thou bo∣pest Page  10thou expectest from him: why dost thou not glo∣ry in such a parent? why dost thou not loue him with all thy hart? why dost thou not for his sake contemne all earthly things? why dost thou suffer vaine desires to ouer∣rule thee? Lift vp thine eyes to him, feare not thine ene∣mies on earth, since thou hast a father Almighty in heauen. With what confidence and affection (thinkest thou) did Dauid say? * I am thine, saue me. O my soule if thou woul∣dest consider that the almigh∣tie and euerlasting God (who wanteth none of thy goods, and if thou perish hee loseth nothing) turneth not his eies from thee, but so loueth, Page  11protecteth, directeth and che∣risheth thee, as if thou were his greatest treasure: surely thou wouldest onely hope in him, thou wouldest feare him as thy Lord, and loue him as thy Father; neither should any temporall good or euill, seperate thee from his loue.

Let vs come to the matter whereof man is made. * Truely it is most base; but it giueth vs thereby the greater occasi∣on to humble our selues, which is a vertue in this life very profitable and rare, and therefore the more precious, & to be desired. And surely of the matter of our soules there can be no doubt, but that it is That Nothing then the which what can be imagined more Page  12vacant and vile? The im∣mediate matter of the body, what is it but menstruous blood? a thing so impure, as our eyes refuse to see, our hands to touch, & our mindes to thinke of. The matter whereof the first man was made, what was it but red and barren earth, or dust & slime? Formauit Deus, * &c. God for∣med man (saith the Scripture) of the slime of the earth, and againe, God said to man: Dust thou art, * and into dust thou shalt returne. Where∣fore the Patriarch Abraham remembring his vnworthy∣nesse, 〈◊〉 vnto God: Because I haue once begunne, * I wil speak to my Lord, whereas I am dust and ashes. But yet here is not Page  13an end of the basenesse of this matter: for that dust or slime proceeded not from an other matter, but from no∣thing: In the beginning God created heauen and earth; and surely not of another heauen and earth, but of Nothing: so that whether we consider the soule or body, it is redu∣ced to Nothing from whence this proud creature Man pro∣ceeded. Hee hath nothing therefore to boast of, but what he receiued from God. Truely the workes of Men, which proceede either from witte or labour, haue e∣uer somewhat of them∣selues, whereof if they had vnderstanding, they might glory against their maker. Page  14For a vessell of gold, a chest of wood, a house of Iuory or Marble, if they could speake, might say to him that made them; to thee I owe my forme but not my matter; and more pretious that is, which from my selfe I haue, then what I receiued from thee. But man who hath nothing from himselfe, nor is any thing of himselfe, can not glory in any thing. And most truely saith the Apostle: * If any man esteeme himselfe something, wheras he is nothing, he seduceth himselfe. And, What hast thou that thou hast not receiued? * and if thou hast receiued, what dost thou glory as if thou hadst not receiued? Whereunto St. Cy∣prian agreeth when he saith: Page  15In nullo gloriandum quando nostrum nihil est. * We must glory in nothing, since nothing is ours. But thou wilt say, men do many worthy works, for which they are deseruedly praised, that vertue praised may increase. It is so: but let the glory be to God not to themselues, as it is written: * He that glorieth, let him glory in our Lord. And, * My soule shall be praised in our Lord. For I aske, when a man doth some excellent worke, of what matter doth he make it? by what vertue, and by whose direction and help doth he it? surely of a matter which God not man created, and by that vertue which God gaue vnto him, & not he to himselfe: by Page  16Gods direction and help also he doth it, without which he could doe no good. For God doth many good things in Man without Man; but Man doth no good which God doth not cause Man to doe, as it is said in the second Arausican Councell c. 20. God there∣fore doth vouchsafe to vse the ministery of man in do∣ing good, the which he could doe without him, that Man may thereby acknowledge himselfe, more indebted vnto God, and not be proude of himselfe, but glory in our Lord. Therfore my soule if thou be wise, sit downe al∣waies in the lowest place; steale not Gods glory neither in little nor in much; descend Page  17to thy Nothing which onely is thine, & all the world can∣not make thee proud. But be∣cause this pretious vertue of humility was almost gon out of the world, and not to be found either in the bookes of the Philosophers, or manners of the Gentiles: the master of humilitie came from heauen, * And when he was in the forme of God, equall to the Father, he exinanited himselfe taking the forme of a seruāt, & he humbled himselfe made obedient vnto death. And to Mankinde he said: Learne of me, * because I am meeke & humble of hart, & you shall finde rest to your soules. wherfore my soule, if perhaps thou art ashamed to imitate y^e humility of men; yet be not Page  18ashamed to imitate the humi∣litie of God who deceaueth not, nor can be deceaued: And Who resisteth the proud and gi∣ueth grace to the humble. *

It followeth now that we consider the forme which is the third cause. * And truly by how much the matter whereof man is made is more base; by so much the forme giuen to man, is more excel∣lent. I omit the outward shape of his body which sur∣passeth all earthly liuing crea∣tures in feature: yet that is not his substantiall, but acci∣dentall Forme. For his sub∣stantiall forme, which maketh him a man distinguished from other liuing creatures, is his immortall soule indued with Page  19reason and free will, which is Gods Image, made to his owne likenes.

For so we reade that God said when he made man: Let vs make man to our Image and likenes: * And let him haue do∣minion ouer the fishes of the Sea, and the Foules of the ayre, and the beastes, and the whole earth, and all creeping creatures vpon the earth. Man there∣fore is Gods Image, not be∣cause of his body, but of his soule; for God is a Spirit, not a body. Et ibi est imago dei, &c. * And there is the Image of God (saith St. Basill) where that is which commandeth ouer other liuing creatures. But man commandeth ouer beastes, not by the members of his Page  20body, the which are stronger in many beastes then in Man; but by his minde endued with reason and free-will; For not by that which hee hath cōmon with them doth he rule them; but by that whereby he is distinguished from them, and made like vn∣to God.

Lift vp thy minde my soule to thy example, and remem∣ber that the cheife commen∣dation of the Image, is to be like thereunto. For although the example be deformed (as the Deuil is vsually made) yet the commendation of the image, is aptly to represent that deformed example. Ther∣fore deformity in the example shall still be deformity; but in Page  21the image it shall be beautie. And if the example also be beautifull; the image shall be most pretious, if it imitate (as neere as may be) the beau∣tie thereof: the image like∣wise if it had vnderstanding, would desire nothing more, then continually to beholde the example, to fashion and frame it selfe to become most like thereunto.

Thy example O my soule is God an infinite beautie; * A light in whome there is no darkenesse; whose beautie the Sunne and Moone admire That thou mayst therefore imitate an example of such beautie, and desire as much as thou canst to be like him, Page  22(wherein consisteth thy high∣est perfection, profit, honor, ioy, rest and happinesse) con∣sider that the beauty of God thy example consisteth in Wisdome and Holines. For as the beauty of the body a∣riseth from proportion of members, and an amiable colour: so in the beauty of the minde, an amiable colour is the Light of Wisedome: and the proportion of mem∣bers is Iustice: but by Iu∣stice no particular vertue is vnderstood; but that vni∣uersall which comprehendeth all vertues. That soule there∣fore is most beautifull, whose minde doth shine with the light of Wisdome; and whose will is confirmed in the full∣nes Page  23of perfect Iustice.

But God thy example (O my soule) is Wisdome and Iustice, and therefore Beautie it selfe. And because both this goodnesse is signified by the name of Holinesse in the Scriptures, * therefore in Isay the Angels crye vnto God: Holy, holy, holy, * Lord God of Sabaoth, And God himselfe cryeth vnto his Images: Be you holy, because I your Lord God am holy. And our Lord in the Gospell: * Be you per∣fect, as your heauenly Father is perfect.

If therefore thou desire (O my soule) as the true image of God to be like thy example; thou must loue Wisdome and Iustice before all Page  24things. It is true Wisdome to iudge of all things according to the highest cause: the high∣est cause is the will of God, or the law which doth make knowne the will of God vn∣to men. Therefore if thou loue Wisdome thou must not in any wise giue eare what the lawe of the flesh doth teach, what the senses doe e∣steeme, what the world doth approue, what thy kinds folks perswade, and much lesse what flatterers propound; but be deafe vnto them all, and onely attend the will of thy Lord God, iudging that wholy good, profitable, glo∣rious, and to be desired of thee, which is according therunto. This is the Wisdome Page  25of Saints whereof the wise∣man writeth: * Aboue health and beauty did I loue her, and purposed to haue her for light, because her light cannot be ex∣tinguished. And all good things came to me together with her.

Moreouer Iustice is an o∣ther part of spirituall beautie, and comprehendeth all ver∣tues which adorne and per∣fect the Will, but especially Charitie the Mother & Roote of vertues. Whereof St. Au∣gustine in his last booke of Nature and grace speaketh thus: Inohoata charitas, &c. * vnperfect charitie, is vnperfect iustice: Charitie increased, is iustice increased: Perfect Cha∣ritie, is perfect Iustice: For, He Page  26that loueth hath fulfilled the law because, * Loue worketh not euil: And therefore, Loue is the fulnesse of the Lawe, as the A∣postle taught.

And againe, He that keep∣eth his word, * to wit, his com∣mandements, in him in very deed the charitie of God is per∣fited as St. Iohn speaketh. Those therefore which will be like the diuine example, ought to obey him that saith: Be ye therefore followers of God, * as most deare Children, and walke in Loue. For the sonne is the Image of the Fa∣ther, and the chiefe commen∣dation of an Image (as wee said before) is to be like the example.

O my soule, that thou Page  27wouldest truely vnderstand these things, and be like thy example in beautye of true Wisdome and Iustice; then shouldst thou please the eyes of the Highest King: how great peace then shouldest thou enioy? how wouldest thou reioyce? how quickly wouldest thou contemne all worldly delights? And on the other side, if thou woul∣dest consider, how greatly God is offended, to see his Image destitute of the Light of Wisdome, and Beauty of Iu∣stice, to be poluted, defiled, and darkened, and Man that was placed in such honour, as to be like vnto God, * Now to be compared to beastes without vnderstanding, and to become Page  28like vnto them, surely thou couldest not but quake, trem∣ble, and be vnquiet, vntil thou hadst washed away all thy spottes with floudes of teares flowing from deepe contriti∣on, and spedily returne to the likenes of thy most beautifull example. And because while thou art a Pilgrim on earth, and dost walke by Faith, * and not by Sight, thou doest continual∣ly want the helpe of thy Lord God, aswell to remaine in the likenes thou hast already, as also dayly to become more like; that is, more bright and beautifull; Sigh therefore from the bothome of thy hart to God, and say vnto him: O holy and most mercifull Lord, whom it hath pleased to Page  29make this my soule thy I∣mage; make Perfect I beseech thee thy saide Image, increase in it Wisdome and Iustice, byde it in thy secret Taberna∣cle, that it be not defiled with the slime of carnall concupi∣scence, smoake of worldly honour, or dust of earthly thoughts. Hetherto of the forme.

There remaineth then the last cause, which is the end. * The end wherefore man was created, is no other but God himselfe. But because the end is twofold, the one intrinse∣call, the other externall, let vs briefly consider each of them apart. The intrinsecal end of e∣uery thing is the perfect estate to which it can come. As the Page  30intrinse call end of a pallace is the perfect sinishing thereof: for then it is said to be en∣ded, when as nothing belon∣ging to the building is wan∣ting: The intrinsecall end of a tree is the most perfect estate which the nature therof doth require: For then a tree may be said to haue attained its end, when it spreadeth the boughes, bringeth forth leaues, is beautified with blossomes, and soone after loaded with ripe fruite. Man therefore who is created to a most high end, may then also be said to haue attained his end, when as his minde shall see God as he is, and in him knowne all things; his will shall enioy the chiefe happi∣nesse Page  31most ardently loued; and his body being qualified with the glorious guiftes of immortalitie, impassibilitie, and the like; shall obtaine perpetuall rest and ioy. And because the sight of God is the essence of this finall hap∣pinesse, by which we which are the images of God must obtaine a most perfect estate by the resemblance of our di∣uine example; therefore St. Iohn writeth: * Now we are the sonnes of God: and it hath not yet appeared, what we shall bee. We knowe that when he shall ap∣peare, we shall be like to him: because wee shall see him as he is.

O my soule, if thou couldest conceaue what this meaneth: Page  32We shall be like to him, because we shall see him as he is, how soone would all the cloudes of earthly thoughtes be dis∣persed? God is most happy, and therefore most happy, because he doth alwaies be∣hold himselfe as he is, and doth enioy himselfe most cleerely seene, and most ar∣dently loued from all eterni∣tie. Of this inestimable good, he would haue thee al∣so partaker with the Angels. To this most high and happy end he created thee, which is signified by that saying: Enter into the ioy of thy Lord, * That is, Be partaker of the ioy which God himselfe doth enioy. And againe, * I dispose to you, as my father disposed to me a Page  33kingdome: that you may eate and drinke vpon my table in my kingdome, That is, I make you partakers of my kingdome, and kingly table, that you may enioy that honour, powre, and pleasure, which I and God my Father enioy. And who is able to conceaue what is the honour, powre, pleasure and happinesse of God? truely if any would but in thought and hope as∣cend vnto the Highnes of our end; he would be asha∣med to contend for the pos∣session of this earth, to grieue for any temporall losse, or to ioy for any temporall gaine. He would I say be ashamed to be a fellow in the pleasures of beastes, who is made a Page  34companion of Angels, and a partaker of Gods friendship and of his inestimable de∣lights, For all thinges among friends are common.

But now the externall end of euery thing, is that for which it is made. The end of a pallace is the dweller there∣in: the end of a tree is the possessor thereof: the end of man is onely his Lord God. For of his owne, and for him∣selfe he made Man, and he keepeth, feedeth, and payeth him his wages. Therefore iustly doth he command and say: * The Lord thy God shalt thou adore, and him onely shalt thou serue. But mark diligent∣ly O my soule; The things which are made for man, are Page  35profitable to man, and not to themselues; beastes labour for man, and not for them∣selues; the fieldes, vineyards, and Orchards, fill the grana∣ries, sellars, and purses of men; neither doe seruants la∣bour, sweate, and toyle for themselues, but for the profit, ease, and pleasure of their masters. But thy Lord God who wanteth nothing, would haue man truely serue him, and yet the profit and reward of his seruice he will not haue. * O Lord sweet and milde and of much mercy, who would not serue thee with all his hart if once he begin to tast a little the sweetnesse of thy gouernment? What O Lord dost thou command thy ser∣uants? Page  36Take (thou sayst) my yoake vpon you. * And what is thy yoake? My yoake (saith he) is sweete, and my burthen light. Who would not wil∣lingly carry a yoake that doth not punish but comfort, and a burthen that doth not wea∣ry but refresh? Not without cause therefore doth he adde, And ye shall finde rest to your soules. And what is this yoake which wearieth not, but bringeth rest?

Truely that first and greatest commandement; Loue the Lord thy God from thy whole h•rt. * And what is more easie pleasant and delightfull, then to loue goodnesse, beautie, and ex∣cellencie it selfe, which thou Page  37art O my Lord God? Thy seruant Dauid iudged right who esteemed thy com∣maundements, To be desired aboue golde and much preti∣ous stone: * and more sweete aboue hony, and the hony Combe. And he added. And in keeping them is much re∣ward. What meaneth this O Lord? dost thou promise reward to those that keepe thy commandements To be desired aboue golde, and more sireete then the hony Combe? Yes truely, a most ample re∣ward, * for Iames thy Apostle saith: Our Lord hath prepa∣red a Crowne of life for those that loue him. And what is a Crown of Life? Truely a grea∣ter Happinesse then we are Page  38able to conceiue. For so spea∣keth St. Paul out of Isay: * Eye hath not seene, nor eare hath heard, neither hath it ascended into the heart of Man, what things God hath prepared for them that loue him. Surely therfore there is great reward for keeping thy commande∣ments. Neither is that first & greatest cōmandement pro∣fitable onely to man obeying, & not to God commanding: but also the rest of Gods commandements do perfect, beautifie, instruct and illumi∣nate the obedient, and finally make them good and happy. Therefore my soule if thou be wise vnderstand that thou art created to Gods glorie, and thy eternall happinesse; that Page  39is thy end, that is thy treasure and center; if thou come to that end, thou shalt be happy, if thou declyne from it, thou art vnhappy. Therefore think that assuredly good for thee, which directeth thee to that end: and that assuredly euill which causeth thee to decline from it. Prosperitie and ad∣uersitie, wealth and pouertie, health and sicknesse, honour and ignominy, life and death, of a wise man are neither to be desired nor auoyded; but if they make to Gods glorie, and thy eternall welfare, they are good, and to be desired: if they hinder it, they are euill and to be auoyded.