The narrow path of divine truth described from living practice and experience of its three great steps, viz Purgation, illumination & union according to the testimony of the holy scriptures; as also of Thomas a Kempis, the German divinity, Thauler, and such like. Or the sayings of Matthew Weyer reduced into order in three books by J. Spee. Unto which are subjoyned his practical epistles, done above 120 years since in the Dutch, and after the author's death, printed in the German language at Frankfort 1579. And in Latin at Amsterdam 1658. and now in English.

CHAP. XVI.

TO desist from propriety, and to help another at our own loss, is a thing truly pleasant. To find gain in loss, and to abstain from that which is best in our esteem, and to prefer another thereunto, is a thing grateful to the mind. It would be truly a just thing, if he who hath the temporal goods, should so relieve his neighbour in want, that the one should be made equal with the other, nor should the advantage, or means of the one ex∣ceed the other: if any one is not yet arriv∣ed at or come up to this account, he ought to esteem it for thing unjust, and there∣fore ought also to be sorrowful for it, as also to endeavour to bring it to that pass.

Let no man judge another in any bu∣siness whatsoever, especially in that which he himself hath not yet experienced, and in which he hath not yet got the victory: for if he himself should fall into tempta∣tion, who knows, how he would behave himself in it. If any one therefore will

use modesty, he must hold his tongue upon the fall of others in temptation, and behold them with commisera∣tion. For if any one himself hath been in temptation, and hath overcome, so that he remains constant in that victory, in the which he sees another to stumble and fail, without all doubt he was him∣self so afflicted with such streights, that he cannot possibly do otherwise but pi∣ty his neighbour thus overcome, although he do not defend his falling: seeing the case it self is in it self, so deplorable, that he needs not add to its load, from his judgings: This man therefore stands thus, and beholds all men with an eye of pity or commiseration, and neither judgeth, nor reproacheth them, for he knoweth that God alone is the hinder∣ance to him, whereby it is, that he also does not run headlong in the way of these men, till he becomes equal and alike to them; and that he should easily be like unto them, if God should desert him, or not lead him in so wonderful a manner as he doth, and support him with so much long-suffering. These are the con∣siderations

that suspend his rash judg∣ment: whence it is, that the destruction of others cannot make him glad, but he rather is sad and sorrowful for it, and knows, that he is not better then they, and therefore ranks himself in the same rank with them, yea puts himself be∣neath them. And whatever is found to be better in himself that comes not but from out of the mercy of God, and not out of his own worth and strength.