Here begynneth the boke called the Pype, or tonne, of the lyfe of perfection The reason or cause wherof dothe playnely appere in the processe.

¶Of the finall meryte and hyghe rewarde of obe∣dience. The .xx. Chapitre.

THe finall meryte and hyghe rewarde of obedience: is grace in this lyfe pre∣sente / and glorie in the lyfe to come. For surely obediēce doth obteine here moche grace and dothe also multiplie the same. Super quem (saythe our lorde) requiescet spiritus meus. &c. Vpon whome (sayth he) shall my spirite reste / dwel / byde and continue: but vpon the persone that is meke in spirite and obedient theraf∣ter? God is euer redy and present (by his grace) to helpe and conforte the persones obedient / as dyd ap¦pere in saynt Petre whan he (at the byddyng of our lorde) went vpon the water. For althoughe (for his feynt feythe) he byganne to synke and drowne:* 1.1 yet (for his obedience) our lorde was redy to helpe him The same was also signified in the ladder that Ia∣cob sawe whervnto our lorde was ioyned / * 1.2 in token that he wolde euer be redy to helpe and conforte thē (by his grace) that done take y^e way and enterpryse the iourney of obedience / whiche thynge Iacob felt

and perceyued in the workynge of his soule: byfore he sawe the outwarde token. And therfore he sayd with great affection / our lorde is in this place: and I knewe nothynge therof. Wherby dothe appere y^e god is euer present with the obedient persones: all thoughe he be nat perceyued. Iacob also dyd se and perceyue: that Angelles dyd ascende and discende by that ladder / whiche thynge doth signifie: the ma¦nyfolde graces that our lorde dothe dayly minister (by his holy Angelles) vnto the persones obedient. Our lorde sayd also of hym selfe.* 1.3 Who so doth loue me (sayth he) wyll be obedient vnto my byddynge / the rewarde wherof: doth folowe. And my father of heuen wyll loue hym / and we both wyll come vnto hym or vnto his house / that is to say / into his soule And there wyll we make our māsion and dwelling place with hym / a good gyfte / and moche cōfortable vnto the soule I assure you.* 1.4 The merite of obediēce is so moche: that therof is sayd. Sola obedientia est: quae fidei meritum possidet. Sine qua infidelis: Quis{que} cōuincitur. Obedience is that vertue: that alone hathe the merite of feythe: without whiche euery {per}∣sone is accoūted & condempned as an infidele / or vn¦feythful {per}sone. And y^e {pro}phet sayth. Preceptū dn̄i lu∣cidū. &c. The cōmaūdemēt of our lorde / is vnto y^e {per}¦sone obediente / bryght and shynynge / and dothe il∣lumine and gyue lyghte vnto the eyes and syghte that is to meane: dothe teache the conscience to per∣ceyue the trouth in all doutes or erroures. For the iugementes of our lorde (as folowethe there) bene (vnto the persones obediente) true in them selfe / and so bene they shewed and byleued of the sayd {per}sones / nothynge doutynge of thē in any wyse

but vnto them more desyrable and pleasaunt / than any ryches / syluer / golde / or precious stones. And more swete & delectable vnto the herte & soule of y^e o¦dient {per}sones: thā is hony or suger vnto the mouthe or palate. And therfore (sayth he) good lorde / thy lo¦uynge seruauntes done kepe thy cōmaundementes and in kepynge of them is moche meryte and moste hyghe rewarde. And in an other place. Ideo dilexi mandata tua super aurum et topasion.* 1.5 I haue ther∣fore (as a liberall obedienser) loued thy cōmaunde∣mentes aboue and moche more than any golde or {pre}¦cious stones. And therfore haue I (with al due dili¦gence) ordred my selfe vnto obedience. And therby haue I hated and auoyded the way of wyckednes / or all wyked wayes.* 1.6 Saynt Augustyne also sayth that the more obedient one persone be (in this lyfe) aboue a nother: the more large shalbe his meryte & rewarde in y^e lyfe to come.* 1.7 And mortal mē (saith he) shal by y^e meryt rewarde of obediēce: passe / atteine / and come / vnto the immortalite of Angelles. And (so to conclude) obedience doth open heuen gates / & dothe conuey and cary the obedient persones there into. For without due obedience: can neuer man be the chylde of saluacion / ne entre the gates of heuen / Our sauiour to wytnes / where he sayth.* 1.8 Si uis ad ui tam ingredi: serua mandata. If thou wilte entre into the euerlastynge lyfe: kepe the commaundementes / whiche thynge is very obedience.* 1.9 And agayne. Qui uerbum meum audit et credit ei qui misit me: ha∣bet uitam eternam. Who so euer is obediēt vnto my cōmaundemente / and gyuethe credence or dothe by∣leue in hym that sente me into this worlde: is nowe in surete (for the tyme) of euerlastynge lyfe. And

saynt Bernarde sayth that Christe hym selfe is the ••ewarde of obedience.* 1.10 And to conclude the great cō¦modites / frutes / profyttes / and hyghe meryte or re∣warde of obedience. Saynt Augustyne sayth / that in heuē shalbe suche a swetnes & pleasaūt felicite & lyght or easyredenes of obediēce: betwene y^e body & y^e soule: that theyr interchaūgeable obedience shall be like to y^e lyfe of that regne & of y^e realme or kyng¦dome. Whervnto he brynge vs that bought vs / our moste obedient lorde and moste swete sauiour Iesu Christe / & (ī y^e meane tyme) he graūt vs y^e grace here of suche obedience: as may render & make vs his fo∣folowers ī y^e same hygh & most noble vertue. Amē. THus you may {per}ceyue (good deuout Christ∣anes) y^t I had in mynde & purposed to haue made here with an ende of this treates / for this mē∣bre & borde or table of obedience. Natwithstādyng sodeynly came to mynde: y^e syghe I had spoken so moche of the cōmodites / frutes & {pro}fytes of this no∣ble vertue of obediēce: it shulde be cōuenient some∣what to shewe of the incōmodites & ieo{per}des of y^e cō∣trarie vice / y^t is to say: inobedience or disobedience.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Matth. 14. D.
• * 1.2

  Gene. 18.
• * 1.3

  Io. 14. C.
• * 1.4

  Glosa su{per} illud Qua si peccatū alielandi, est repūg. 1. Re. 15 E. Psal. 81.
• * 1.5

  Psal. 118.
• * 1.6

  August.
• * 1.7

  Ibidem.
• * 1.8

  Matth. 19. B.
• * 1.9

  Io. 5.
• * 1.10

  Su{per} eum ecce nos reliquim{us} omnia. Augusti.