Fourteen Points of Consolation, Chapter 5
The fift chapter of the fift conſideration, which is of the euill on the left hand.
HEre we muſt ſet before our eyes that great companie of aduerſaries and euill men, The firſt comfort which the conſideration of the euill on the left hand miniſtreth vntounto vsus.& in them we muſt firſt conſider, that they hauehave not done that euil to our body ſubſtāce, fame, ſoules, which they would hauehave done, but that God did ſtay and let them: and the higher calling and ſtate that one is placed in, to ſo many more deceits, ſubtle deuiſes, ſclaunders and troubles of the aduerſaries is he ſubiect, in all which he may perceiue & feele the preſent hande of God. What maruell is it then if we be ſometime touched with ſome one?
Secondly their owne euills are to be conſidered of vsus alſo, The ſecond comfort which we may take by conſidering the euill on the left hand.not that we ſhould reioice at them, but that we ſhould hauehave compaſſion on them. Nowe they alſo are ſubiect to all the ſame euils, whereunto we are ſubiect, as it may be eaſily perceiued by the former cōſiderations. Howbeit herein they are more miſerable then we, that they are out of our ſocietie, as well corporall as ſpiritual. For this euil which we ſuffer is nothing in compariſon of that, that they liue in ſinnes, in infidelitie, vnderunder the wrath of God, vnderunder the dominion of the deuil, moſt miſerable ſlaues of vngodlines and ſinne, ſo that if the whole worlde ſhoulde curſe them, it coulde wiſhe them no worſe. All which if we doe throughly perceiue, we ſhall alſo perceiue, with how great fauour and bleſſing of God we, liuing in faith, in the kingdome of Chriſt, in the ſeruice of God, do ſuffer ſome litle euill of the body, which in ſo great plentie of moſt excellent thinges, ſhould not be ſo much as felt: yea their miſerie ought to be ſo grieuous to him that hath a Chriſtian and godly hart, that he ſhould thinke his owne griefes delightes. For ſo Paule willeth Philip. 2: Looke not eueryevery man on his owne things, but eueryevery man on the things of other men. Let the ſame minde be in you, that was euen in Chriſt Ieſus, who being in ye forme of God, tooke on him the forme of a ſeruaunt, &c. That is, with moſt louing affection he tooke on him our forme, behauing him ſelfe no otherwiſe in our euills, then if they had bene his owne, ſo, as it were forgetting his owne good thinges, and making him ſelfe of no reputation, that he might be found altogether made like vntounto men, refuſing to be ſubiect to no humane thinge, being occupied onelyonly in our euills.
The Saincts being animated by this affection, and by this example ſtirred vp, are wont to pray euen for the euills of their enemies, & to do all things according to the example of Chriſt, & forgetting their owne iniuries or righteouſnes, to be careful how they may deliuer them from their euills, wherwith they are wtout compariſon more troubled then wt their owne, as Peter writeth of Lot 2. Pet. 2, who dwelled among them, which vexed his righteous ſoule from day to day wt their vnlawfull deedes.
Thou ſeeſt therefore how deepe a pit of euils here appeareth, & that we hauehave occaſion to take pity and compaſſion, & to forget our owne ſmall euil, if the louelove of God be in vsus: thou ſeeſt alſo how litle God permitteth vsus to ſuffer in reſpect of thoſe thinges which they ſuffer. VVhy the euills of our aduerſaries and euill men do litle moue vsus.But whereas theſe things do litle moue vsus, the cauſe is, for that the eye of the hart is not ſufficient cleare, whereby we ſhould ſee how great ye ignominie and miſerie of man is lying vnderunder ſinne, that is, being ſeparate from God & in ſubiection vnderunder the deuill. For who is ſo harde harted, which is not greatly moued with pitie and compaſſion at the miſerable ſight of them that lye in the porches of Churches, & in the ſtreetes, their faces being gnawne, their noſes and eyes eaten with corruption, and their other members waſted with filth and rottennes, ſo that the mind deteſteth to thinke therof, much leſſe can ye eie abide to behold it. But what doth God intend and purpoſe by theſe miſerable creatures, who hauehave like fleſh as we hauehave, & are our brethrē like vntounto vsus, but that he may open the eies of our mind, whereby we may ſee in how more oughly a ſort the filth and corruption of the ſoule of a ſinner appeareth, albeit he weare purple and gold, roſes & lillies, as though he were a child of Paradiſe. But how many ſinners are there in the world, to one of them whoſe bodies are full of ſores?
Now theſe euills which are infinite as well in greatnes as in multitude, being contemned or not regarded in our neighbours, this contempt is the cauſe that our owne euill being euen one of the leaſt ſort, ſeemeth vntounto vsus to be very great, and that we thinke that no other are troubled with the like. Euill men euen in reſpect of out ward cuills are in worſe caſe then the godly.But it muſt needes be that euen in outwarde euills alſo they are in worſe caſe then we. What, I pray you, can be delightfull or throughly pleaſant vntounto them, albeit they hauehave and enioy all thinges that they deſire, when as their conſcience can not be quiet? Is there a more grieuous euill then the trouble of a ſtinging conſcience? For Eſai ſayth chap. 57: The wicked are like the raginge ſea that can not reſt, whoſe water ſometh with the myre and grauell: euen ſo the wicked hauehave no peace ſayth God. Wherefore thou mayſt ſee that verified in them which is written Deut. 28: The Lord ſhall giuegive thee an vnquiet hart, and daſing eyes, and ſorrowe of mind, and thy life ſhal hange in dout before thee: thou ſhalt feare both day and night, and ſhalt hauehave none aſſurance of thy life. In ye morning thou ſhalt ſay, Would God it were night: and at night thou ſhalt ſay, Would God it were morning, for feare of thine hart wherewith thou ſhalt be terrified, and becauſe of thoſe things which thou ſhalt ſee with thine eyes.
Briefly, if one did with due affection ſee and conſider all the euills of euill men, cither of enemies or frendes, he woulde not onelyonly forgette his owne euills, and ſeeme vntounto him ſelfe to ſuffer nothinge, but alſo with Moſes and the Apoſtle Paule earneſtly wiſhe that he might dye for them, and be raſed out of the booke of life, and ſeparate from Chriſt, as it is written Rom. 9, that they might be deliuered. Chriſt burning with this zeale and inflamed affection died for vsus, and deſcended into hell, leauing vsus an example, that we alſo ſhould be ſo carefull for the euills of others, forgetting quite our owne, yea deſirous of our owne.