Chapter 23

Of the great mischeise, which despair doth work in the soul; and how we must overcome this even my, with spiritual alacrity, and diligence, and fervour in the service of God.

THis despair, and losing of hart, is such a dangerous instrument of our enemy, that when I remember the great mischiefs which have grown by it to the consciences of many, I desire to speak a little more concerning the remedy thereof, if perhaps any good may come thereby. It¹ happeneth so, that sometimes there are persons, who be loaden with a multitude of great sins, and neither know what despair, nor so much as a little fear is, nor doth it once pass, through their thought. But they go on, as being assured, by a false hope; offending God, and yet not fearing punishment for the same. And² if once the mercy of God shine upon their souls, and they begin to see the grievousness of their sins, (though it be reason, that, (since they ask pardon of God, with purpose of amendment, and that they receive the benefit and comfort of the Sacraments) they should, be strengthened thereby, both against that which is past, and that also which, in the service of God, might afterward present itself) yet fall they upon the other extreme of fear; as before they were subject to that, of false security. Not³ considering, that they who offend God, and do not repent, have reason indeed to fear, & tremble, though all the world smile upon them; (because the wrath of the omnipotent, is provoked against them, which wrath there is no power that can resist) and that they, who humble themselves to God, and receive his holy Sacraments, and who will procure to do his will, aught to have the hart of Lions; for as much as they are commanded to confide in God, by that token, that God is with them. Whom as they hold for an enemy to the wicked, (and for that themselves have been such, they are in fear) so it is all reason, that they should hold him for a friend of the good; and that, in regard of the holy purposes, which he hath inspired them with, they may confide, that he is also their friend, and that so he will be, giving increase, to the good seed which himself did plant, and perfecting that which he hath begun.

This is certainly true; that when once a man comes to say in earnest, that which David said, I have held up my hands, towards the performance of thy commanamentes, which I have loved, God putteth his eyes, and hart, where that man putteth his hands, that so he may help him; and, (as one, who is good, by an infinite goodness) he taketh him into protection with care, and ranketh that man on his side, who will fight for his honour; making war upon himself, to give contentment to God. And⁴ although it be true, that when a man beginneth to serve God (through some particular calling, which may incite him (with the contempt of all things) to seek that precious pearl of the Gospel, by the perfection of a spiritual life) there may grow against such a man, such trains and wars of the Devils, (both immediately from themselves, and also by the means of wicked men;) and they lock him up in such straits, that when he raiseth the first foot from ground, and placeth it on the lowest of those fifteen steps, whereby men rise to perfection, he is forced to say, When I was in tribulation, I called upon our Lord and he heard me; O Lord deliver my soul from wicked lips, and from the deceitful tongue; (which wicked lips are they, which do expressly hinder that which is good; and a deceitful tongue is that which procureth, in a disguised manner, to deceive;) and sometimes so great impediments are presented, (or at least it seemeth so) towards the making one departed from his course begun, that they are like those great Giants, whereof the children of Israel said, Compared with them, we are no more than a few little grasshoppers; and the walls of the City which we are to assault, seem to threaten heaven with their height; and the earth in that place, seemeth to open to swallow up her inhabitants: notwithstanding, I say, all this, thou art to consider (and let us all consider it, with well opened eyes) how much that faintheartedness & despair displeased God, which the Sons of Israel were subject to, by the means aforesaid. For as much as, the sins which they committed in the wilderness, (howsoever they were great, & many) and one of them was, that they adored a Calf for God (which seemeth to be the very outside of wickedness) yet God endured all this at their hands; and did them favour towards the prosecuting of their enterprise begun. But⁵ he would not endure their disconfidence, and despair of his mercy, and power; and he swore to them in his wrath, as David saith, that they should not enter in to his rest; and as he swore it, so he performed it. Doth it not seem to thee, that we have reason to curse this vice, which is opposite to the honour of the divine goodness? That, being so much greater than our wickedness, as God is greater than man? And be thou assured, that as the way of perfect virtue, is a kind of stiff battle made against our enemies, who are full of strength, both within us, and without us; yet he that shall begin such a war, cannot bring, in his company, a thing of greater prejudice, than pusillanimity of hart. For he that hath this, will be put to flight, even by shadows.

With much reason did God command in times past; That when his people were in the wars, his Priests should encourage them (before they began to fight) not by humane reasons of the multitude of their men, and strength; but by thinking upon the⁶ protection of the Lord of hosts, who holdeth victory in his hand; and who is wont to conquer lofty Giants by little grasshoppers, for the glory of his holy Name. And agreably to this which God commanded, the valorous S. Paul saith to them who were entering into the spiritual war: Comfort⁷ yourselves in our Lord, and in the power of his strength; that so being heartened, you may fight the battles of God, with cheerfulness, and courage. So is it read of judas Machabaeus, who fought with cheerfulness, and so he conquered. And S. Anthony, a man well experienced in theses piritual combats, was wont to say; That this spiritual cheerfulness, was an admirable thing, and a powerful remedy towards the overcoming of our enemies. For certain it is, that the delight which is taken in doing of any work, doth increase a man's forces towards the doing of it. Therefore⁸ doth S. Paul advice us thus, Rejoice always in our Lord. And we read of S. Francis, that he reprehended such of his friars, as he saw to go sadly up, and down, as if they were ill contented: and he would say to them, He that serneth God, should not be after this fashion, unless it were for having committed a sin; and if thou have committed any, confess it, and return to thy former alacrity. And of S. Dominicke it is also read, That there appeared in his face, a kind of cheerful serenity; which gave testimony of his inward joy. This is wont to grow, out of the love of our Lord, and from a lively hope of his mercy; whereby they are able to carry their Cross upon their backs, not only with patience, but even with pleasure; as they did, whose goods were stolen, & yet they remained content; & the reason of that was, because they had lodged in their hearts, a better kind of riches in heaven. Experimenting that which S. Paul said, Being joyful in hope, and patiented in tribulation, for⁹ without the former, men can hardly arrive to the later.

But when this vigour, and alacrity faileth, it deserveth great compassion, to see how men, that walk in the way of God, are full of unprofitable sadness, their hearts being discontented, and without gust, in things that belong to God; and untoward even to themselves, and to their neighbours; and with so little confidence in the mercy of God, that there wanteth not much to make it none. There are, many amongst these persons, who commit no mortal sins, or very rarely; But they say, that because they serve not God as they ought, and as they desire, and by reason of the venial sins which they commit, they live in such a fashion, as we see.

But¹⁰ if the effects of superfluous sadness be such as these, they do men more harm, than the faults themselves, which they committed. And that which they might prevent and cut off, if they had discretion and courage, they make to increase; and so they fall out of one evil, into another. Such as they, aught to procure, and labour, to serve God withal diligence; & if they see they fall, let¹¹ them weep, but not distrust; and (knowing that they are weaker than they thought) let them humble themselves more, and demand more grace, and live with greater caution; taking help of the time past, for the time to come.

There¹² are many, who, on the contrary side, are careless, and slothful, in serving God; and when they fall into sin, they know not how to help themselves; but they go down into the pit of disconfidence, and of greater negligence. Whereas, in very deed, for the avoiding of despair, we must avoid to be lukewarm, and negligent in the service of God. For¹³ otherwise, as long as a man hath these roots within him, he cannot, though he would never so feign, have that vigour and strength of mind, which¹⁴ groweth from a good, and diligent life. And if such persons would consider, that they endure more¹⁵ trouble by these sad and despairing thoughts, which grow from melancholy; then they should, in cutting up, by the root, those evil affections, and dangerous occasions, which hinder them from serving God with fervour; they would, (especially since they love to fly from pain) make choice of those troubles which are annexed to the perfection of virtue, to fly those others, which follow upon the want thereof.

S. Paul¹⁶ saith, That the end of the law is Charity, which proceedeth from a pure hart, and upright conscience, and a faith unfeigned. And he meaneth this upright conscience to be hope, as S. Augustine saith; giving thereby to understand, that unless there be a good conscience, (having faith and love, and good works which flow from thence) there¹⁷ willbe no lively hope, which may give us alacrity; and if there be any want at all of good conscience, there willbe also want of cheerfulness, and consclation, which are caused by a perfect hope. For although such a fearful man be not slain perhaps by sin, but do live in state of grace; yet he shall work but weakly. So as they who tell thee, Believe that God doth pardon thee, and love thee, and then thou shalt be pardoned and loved, with such other words as these, do¹⁸ grievously deceive thee; and they give testimony that they speak by imagination, & not by experience, or according to the doctrine of faith. And¹⁹ such braveries as those, (for as much as they are not of God) cannot hold a man upon his feet, when tribulation comes, if it be a sound one. Strength of hart, and the joy of a good conscience, are the fruits of a good life, which they gather, who live well, although they look not for it. And after the rate of the one, increaseth the other. Now from a contrary cause, followeth a contrary effect, as it is written, The²⁰ wicked hart, giveth sorrow and from hence groweth disconfidence, and other miseries, in company thereof.

Footnotes

1. This is a case, too common. ↩

2. We see, by lamentable experience, that such as are not catholics do pass from one extremity of pres●●●tion, to the other of desperation, without resting in true hope. ↩

3. Note. ↩

4. The difficulties which use to occur, to such as begin to serve God. ↩

5. Note how predominantly, despair is displeasing to Almighty God. ↩

6. Firrne hope in God is the only sound receit against hart-breaking. ↩

7. Ephes. 4. ↩

8. How necessary it is to have alacrity, and courage in the service of God. ↩

9. It is hard to have patience in a longe-lived Cross, without having a great hope in God. ↩

10. A worse effect, of an evil cause. ↩

11. This is indeed, good counsel. ↩

12. Excessive sloth, doth sointymes also cast men afterward upon despair. ↩

13. No man can have a good hope who endeavours not to lead a good life. ↩

14. Note this point well. ↩

15. The Devil's Martyrs. ↩

16. ●. T●●●. 4. ↩

17. There may be in such men a fond, & dangerous kind of presumption; such as the Sectaryes are acquainted with, but no true Christian hope, which is pleasing to God. ↩

18. As Luther and Caluin havedone their followers. ↩

19. A most certain, & a most sovereign truth, the not understanding whereof makes so many cast themselves away by violent death. ↩

20. Eccl. ●. ↩