Chapter 94

That from the love which we bear ourselves, we must draw a reason of loving our neighbours.

SINCE already thou hast understood, with what eyes thou art to look, both upon thyself, and upon Christ our Lord; it remains for the fulfilling of the prophet's words, which bid thee See, that thou know with what eyes thou art to look upon thy neighbours; that so, on all sides, thou mayest have light; and that no darkness may find thee out. And for this purpose, thou art to note that he beholdeth his neighbour well, who beholdeth him with eyes, which¹ first did pass both though himself, and through Christ our Lord. My meaning is this. When a man findeth trouble, and pain, for as much as concerns his body; or else affliction, ignorance, and frailty, for as much as concerns his soul; it is plain, that he feeleth incommodity, and his sickness troubleth him; and he desireth nothing less, then to be despised, or cast of for his infirmities, but to be endured, pitied, and relieved. Now by that which passeth in himself, as well in suffering afflictions, as in desiring the redress thereof; let him learn to know, what his neighbour feeleth, who is made of the same frail nature; and let him behold, and support, and relieve him, with the same compassion, wherewith he beholdeth, and desireth, that himself may be relieved in like case, and so shall that be accomplished, which the² Scripture saith, The things of thy neighbour, understand thou of thyself; For otherwise, what thing can be more abominable, then for a man to have pity of his own infirmities, and to show rigour towards them of others; to desire that all men should endure him with a great deal of patience, his own errors seeming small; whilst himself, will have no patience with others, but make of every moat of theirs, a beam.

A man who desireth, that all men would look on him, and comfort him, whilst himself will be careless, and cursed to others, deserveth not to be called a man; since he beholds not men, with the eyes of a man, which, it becomes, to be full of pity. The holy Scripture³ saith, To have a weight, and a weight; a measure, and a measure, is an abomination before God. Giving us so to understand, that he who hath⁴ a great measure, wherewith to receive, and another little one, wherewith to give, is disagreeable to the eyes of his divine Majesty. And his punishment shall be, that since he would not measure to his neighbour, with that mercy wherewith he would be measured to; God will measure to him, with that cruel, and straight measure, wherewith he measured to his neighbour. For it is written, That⁵ with the same measure, wherewith you measure, it shallbe measured to you again; and judgement without mercy, shallbe showed to him, who showeth not mercy. And⁶ therefore thou, O Virgin, in whatsoever condition thou seest thy neighbour, consider what thou wouldst feel in thyself; and what thou desirest that others should feel concerning thee, if to thee that thing should happen; and with the same eyes, which pass through thyself, have thou compassion of him: and give him remedy in what thou mayst; and so God will measure unto thee, with the same measure of piety, wherewith thou measurest to him. According to his own words, Blessed⁷ are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. And thus shalt thou draw, the knowledge of thy neighbour, out of the knowledge of thyself, and thou wilt be compassionate towards all men.