1. You are miserable wherever you are, and wherever you
turn, unless you turn yourself to God. Why are you disquieted
because it happens not to you according to your wishes and
desires? Who is he that has everything according to his will? Neither I, nor you, nor any man upon the earth. There is no man
in the world free from trouble or anguish, though he were King or
Pope. Who is he who has the happiest lot? Even he who is
strong to suffer somewhat for God.
2. There are many foolish and unstable men who say, "See what a prosperous life that man has, how rich and how great he is, how powerful, how exalted." But lift up your eyes to the good things of heaven, and you shall see that all these worldly things are nothing, they are utterly uncertain, yes, they are wearisome, because they are never possessed without care and fear. The happiness of man lies not in the abundance of temporal things, but a moderate portion suffices him. Our life upon the earth is truly wretchedness. The more a man desires to be spiritual, the more bitter does the present life become to him, because he the better understands and sees the defects of human corruption. For to eat, to drink, to watch, to sleep, to rest, to labor, and to be subject to the other necessities of nature, is truly a great wretchedness and affliction to a devout man, who would rather be released and free from all sin.
3. For the inner man is heavily burdened with the necessities of the body in this world. Wherefore the prophet devoutly prays to be freed from them, saying, "Deliver me from my necessities, O Lord!" But woe to those who know not their own misery, and yet greater woe to those who love this miserable and corruptible life. For to such a degree do some cling to it (even though by laboring or begging they scarcely procure what is necessary for subsistence) that if they might live here always, they would care nothing for the Kingdom of God.
4. Oh foolish and faithless of heart, who lie buried so deep in worldly things, that they relish nothing save the things of the flesh! Miserable ones! they will too sadly find out at the last, how vile and worthless was that which they loved. The saints of God and all loyal friends of Christ held as nothing the things which pleased the flesh, or those that flourished in this life, but their whole hope and affection aspired to the things that are above. Their whole desire was carried upwards to everlasting and invisible things, lest they should be drawn downwards by the love of things visible.
5. Lose not, brother, your loyal desire of progress to things spiritual. There is yet time, the hour is not past. Why will you put off your resolution? Arise, begin this very moment, and say, "Now is the time to do: now is the time to fight, now is the proper time for amendment." When you are ill at ease and troubled, then is the time when you are nearest unto blessing. You must go through fire and water that God may bring you into a wealthy place. Unless you put force upon yourself, you wilt not conquer your faults. So long as we carry about with us this frail body, we cannot be without sin, we cannot live without weariness and trouble. Gladly would we have rest from all misery; but because through sin we have lost innocence, we have lost also the true happiness. Therefore must we be patient, and wait for the mercy of God, until this tyranny be passed over, and this mortality be swallowed up of life.
6. O how great is the frailty of man, which is ever prone to evil! Today you confess your sins, and tomorrow you commit again the sins you did confess. Now do you resolve to avoid a fault, and within an hour you behave yourself as if you had never resolved at all. Good cause have we therefore to humble ourselves, and never to think highly of ourselves, seeing that we are so frail and unstable. And quickly may that be lost by our negligence, which by much labor was hardly attained through grace.
7. What shall become of us at the end, if at the beginning we are lukewarm and idle? Woe unto us, if we choose to rest, as though it were a time of peace and security, while as yet no sign appears in our life of true holiness. Rather had we need that we might begin yet afresh, like good novices, to be instructed unto good living, if happily there might be hope of some future amendment and greater spiritual increase.
2. There are many foolish and unstable men who say, "See what a prosperous life that man has, how rich and how great he is, how powerful, how exalted." But lift up your eyes to the good things of heaven, and you shall see that all these worldly things are nothing, they are utterly uncertain, yes, they are wearisome, because they are never possessed without care and fear. The happiness of man lies not in the abundance of temporal things, but a moderate portion suffices him. Our life upon the earth is truly wretchedness. The more a man desires to be spiritual, the more bitter does the present life become to him, because he the better understands and sees the defects of human corruption. For to eat, to drink, to watch, to sleep, to rest, to labor, and to be subject to the other necessities of nature, is truly a great wretchedness and affliction to a devout man, who would rather be released and free from all sin.
3. For the inner man is heavily burdened with the necessities of the body in this world. Wherefore the prophet devoutly prays to be freed from them, saying, "Deliver me from my necessities, O Lord!" But woe to those who know not their own misery, and yet greater woe to those who love this miserable and corruptible life. For to such a degree do some cling to it (even though by laboring or begging they scarcely procure what is necessary for subsistence) that if they might live here always, they would care nothing for the Kingdom of God.
4. Oh foolish and faithless of heart, who lie buried so deep in worldly things, that they relish nothing save the things of the flesh! Miserable ones! they will too sadly find out at the last, how vile and worthless was that which they loved. The saints of God and all loyal friends of Christ held as nothing the things which pleased the flesh, or those that flourished in this life, but their whole hope and affection aspired to the things that are above. Their whole desire was carried upwards to everlasting and invisible things, lest they should be drawn downwards by the love of things visible.
5. Lose not, brother, your loyal desire of progress to things spiritual. There is yet time, the hour is not past. Why will you put off your resolution? Arise, begin this very moment, and say, "Now is the time to do: now is the time to fight, now is the proper time for amendment." When you are ill at ease and troubled, then is the time when you are nearest unto blessing. You must go through fire and water that God may bring you into a wealthy place. Unless you put force upon yourself, you wilt not conquer your faults. So long as we carry about with us this frail body, we cannot be without sin, we cannot live without weariness and trouble. Gladly would we have rest from all misery; but because through sin we have lost innocence, we have lost also the true happiness. Therefore must we be patient, and wait for the mercy of God, until this tyranny be passed over, and this mortality be swallowed up of life.
6. O how great is the frailty of man, which is ever prone to evil! Today you confess your sins, and tomorrow you commit again the sins you did confess. Now do you resolve to avoid a fault, and within an hour you behave yourself as if you had never resolved at all. Good cause have we therefore to humble ourselves, and never to think highly of ourselves, seeing that we are so frail and unstable. And quickly may that be lost by our negligence, which by much labor was hardly attained through grace.
7. What shall become of us at the end, if at the beginning we are lukewarm and idle? Woe unto us, if we choose to rest, as though it were a time of peace and security, while as yet no sign appears in our life of true holiness. Rather had we need that we might begin yet afresh, like good novices, to be instructed unto good living, if happily there might be hope of some future amendment and greater spiritual increase.
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