THe mother of god our lady saynt Mary speketh to the spouse of her son saint Birgit / sayeng thus . Nothing so moch pleseth god / as that a man loue him aboue al thing / as I shal shew to the by a symilytude of a pagan woman / which knowyng nothing of the faith thouzt to her self thus . I know said she / of what mater I am come in to this world / & of what thingꝭ I came in to my mothers wombe . And I beleue that it had ben impossyble that I shuld haue had my body so knyt togyther as it is / and my reson & vnderstanding / but they had be gyuen vnto me / and therfore I know wel ther is some creatoure & maker of me / that hath made me a resonable creature / nat deformed me lyke to wormes or serpentes . wherfore me thinketh that though I had many husbandes & al they called me / I wold rather com at one calling of my creatour / than at the callyng of them all . I haue also many sonnes & many doughters / and neuer the lesse if I saw them haue mete in their handes / & I knew my creatour to want meate / I wolde take the meat fro my chyldren and wold gladly gyue it to my creatour / I haue also many possessyons whiche I order after myne own wyl / and neuertheles if I knew the wyl of my creatour / I wolde gladly leue myne own wyl & dyspose them to his honour . But my doughter / se what god did with this pagan woman . He sent vnto her one of his elect seruauntes that enstructed her in the faith / & god hym self visyted her hert / as thou maist wel knowe & vnderstande herafter by the answer of the woman . For whan that man shewed vnto her that ther was one god without beginyng and without ending / that is the creatour & maker of all thinges / she answered & sayde . It is wel to be beleued that he that hathe created me / & al thinges / that he hathe no treatour aboue him / & it is lyke that his lyfe is euerlasting that mizt gyne me lyfe . And whan the woman herd farther that the same creatour toke manhode of a virgyn / & that he preched in this world & tauzt the people in his own person / she answered . It is to beleue god in euery thing and than she sayd further . I pray the shew me what be the wordis that my creatour dyd speke & commaunde / for I wyll holly leue myne own wyl & fully obey to him / & to euery worde that he hath spoken . Than whan he declared vnto her of the passion of our lord of his crosse / his deth / & of his resurrection / The woman with great weping answered & said . Blessed be my creatour that so paciently sheweth his charyte in the worlde / that be hathe to vs in heuen . And therfore if I loued hīfyrste bycause he created me / I am now more bounden to loue him / bycause he hath shewed me the streight way to heuen & hath redemed me with his precyous blode / & I am bounde therfore to serue him with al my strength and al the partes of my body / and I am bounden also to remoue al my desyer fro me that I had fyrst to my possessyons & to my chyldren & kinsmen / & only to desyre to se my creatour in his glory that neuer shall haue ende Than sayde our blessed lady to saynt Birget . Lo doughter . How great reward that woman had for her gret loue . So is dayly gyuen gret rewarde to euery man after the loue that he hathe to god whyle he lyueth in this world .

THe sonne of god speketh to his spouse saynt Byrget / sayenge thus . There be two lyues which be lykened to Martha & Mary Magdaleyne / and who so euer wyll folow tho two lyues / must fyrst make pure confessyon of all his synnes / taking very contricyon for them / hauynge full wyll neuer after to offende . And the fyrst lyfe / as I do witnes my self in my gospel / Mary magdaleyn did chuse whiche ledeth a man to contemplacyon / that is to say to the beholdynge of heuenly thynges / and that is the best parte & is the very way of the lyf euerlastyng . Therfore euery man that coueyteth to folow the lyf of Mary / that is to say / the lyfe contemplatiue / It suffiseth to him to haue only the necessaris for the body / that is to say clothing without vanyte / mete and drinke in scarcite / and nat in superfluite . Chastyte without any euyl delectacion / fastyng & abstynence after the ordynaunce of the churche / and he that fasteth muste take hede the he be nat ouermoch enfebled & made weke by his vnresonable fasting / lest thorow that wekenesse he be enforsed to lese his prayers & his counsayle gyuing / or other good dedis wherwith he myght both profite him self and his neighbour also . And he must also dyligently take hede that he be nat through his fasting the more slow to iustyce nor more slacker to the workes of mercy / for why / to punissh rebels & to bringe infydeles vnder the yoke of the faithe is required gret strength as wel of body as of soule . Therfore euery syke person that wolde rather to the honour of god fast than ete / shall haue lyke reward for his good wyll as he that fasteth of charite . And in lyke wise he that for obedience eteth / desyryng rather to fast than to ete / shall haue lyke reward as he that fasteth . Seconde the contemplatiue man shal nat ioye of the honour of the worlde nor of the prosperite therof / ne sorowe for his aduersite / but he shal ioy specially in this / the wicked men be become denoute men / that louers of the world be becom louers of god / & that good men profyte in goodnesse / and be through good labour & dilygence in the seruyce of god made dayly more deuoute than other . Of this also the contemplatyue man shall sorow / that synners be made dayly worse & worse / that almyghty god is nat beloued of his creatures as he oughte to be / and that the commaundementes of god be dispised and set at nought . Thirdly the contemplatiue man may nat be ydell / ne no more may he that vseth the actyue lyfe / but anon whan he hath taken his necessary slepe / he shall ryse and thanke almyghty god wyth all hys hert / for that he hathe created & made all thinges / and that of his charyte by takyng out nature he hath reformed and renewed man kynde / shewyng by his passyon and dethe the loue that he hathe to man / whiche is so great that none can be gretter . Also the contemplatyue man shall thanke almighty god for al them that be saued / & for all them that be in purgatorye / and for them that yet be lyuynge in the worlde / prayenge mekely for them vnto our lorde that he suffred them nat to be tempted aboue their power . The contemplatyue man also must be discrete in his prayers / and be well ordred in hys laudes and praysynges of god / for if he haue suffycient to lyue with / with out labour or busynesse he must make the longer praiers . And if he be wery and temptacyon ryse in his prayers / he may labour with his handes some honest and profytable werke / eyther for hym selfe / if he haue nede or for other . And if he be in maner yrkesome with bothe / that is to saye with prayer and labour / that he may haue some other honest occupacyon or here some good holsom wordes or profytable counsayles / in all sobrenesse / all scurrilytic and vnclene wordes set a parte tyll the body and soul be made more apte / and more able to the seruyce of god . And if the contemplatyue man haue nat suffycyent to lyue withal but through his labour than may he make the shorter prayers for his necessari labour / and that labour shall be the perfection and encreasynge of his praier / and if he can nat labour nor may nat / than let him nat be a shamed / ne thinke it nat greuous to begge / but rather that he be ioyous for it / for than he foloweth me the sonne of god / that made my selfe poore to make man ryche / and if the contemplatyue man be vnder obedyeuce / than he must lyue after the obedyence of his prelate and his rewarde shall be double / more than if he were at lybertie . Fourthly the contemplatyue man may nat be couetouse / no more may the actyue man / nor he may nat be prodygall / for as the actyue man distrybuteth temporall godes for god so the contemplatyue man must dystribute his spiritual goodis . Moreouer if the contemplatyue man wyll haue almyghtye god inwardly in his herte / let him be ware to saye thus as many do . It suffyseth to me if I can saue myne owne soule / for if I can do so / what haue I to do with the dedis of other men / or if I be good my selfe / what is it to me how other lyue . O my doughter / they that say or thynke so / if they sawe their frende dyshonested and troubled / they shulde renne with all their power to the deth / that theyr frende myght be delyuered out of his trouble / so shal the contemplatyue man do / he must sorowe that almighty god is offended that his brother which is hys neighboure hath occasion to offende . And if any fall in to synne / the contemplatyue man shal endeuour him al that he can to helpe hym out of his synne with al dyscretyon . And if he haue trouble or persecution for it / set him leue that place and seke another place that is more quyet . For I my self that am very god / sayd to my discyples thus . If they persecute you in oue cytie flye ye in to another : and so did Paule / the which bicause he shuld be more necessarye another tyme / was let go by a walle in a basket . Therfore that the contemplatiue man may be lyberal & pitious / ther be .v. thingꝭ necessary to him . The first is a house / in the which his ghestes may slepe . The second is clothyng to clothe the naked . The thirde is meate to fede the hungrye . The fourthe is fyer to warme them that be colde . The fyfth is medisyns for them that be sycke / that is to say good confortable wordes with the charite of god . The house of the contemplatyue man is his hert / wherof the cuyl ghestes be al tho thinges that trouble his hert / that is to say / wrath / heuynesse / couetyse / pryde / and many other lyke . Therfore all tho vyces whan the come / they shall in maner lye as ghestes that be a slepe / and as they that be at rest . For as an host receyueth euyll ghestes & good with pacyence / so the contemplatyue man must suffre all thynges for god through vertue of pacyence / and in no wyse to consente to vyces / nat to them that seme leest / ne to delyte in them / but as moche as he may be lytell and lytell through the helpe of grace / to remoue them clerely out of the herte . And if he can nat clerely remoue them / he muste suffre theym pacyently agaynste his wyll as enemyes / and neuer to assente to theym knowynge certaynly that they shall profyte him to the greatter rewarde in heuen & nat to dampnacyon . Seconde the contemplatyue man muste haue clothes to clothe hys ghestes / that is to say mekenesse / both inwarde and outwarde / and compassyon of mynde for the afflyction of his neybour . And if the contemplatyue man be dyspysed of the worlde / lette hym thynke how I the god almyghty beynge contempned and dyspysed suffred pacyently / and whan I was iuged I helde my peace / and whan I was scourged & crowned with thornes I murmured nat . The contemplatyue man also must take hede that he shewe nat to them that reproue him or rebuke hym any sygnes of angre or impacyence / but that he blesse them that persecute him / that they that se it may blesse god whom the contemplatyue man dothe folowe / and almyghtye god shall gyue blessynges for the maledictyons . The contemplatyue man must be ware also that he do nat speke euyll of them nor rebuke them that do greue him / for it is dampnable to bacbyte other and wylfully to here them that do bachyte or throughe impacyence to reproue or rebuke his neyghbour . Than that the contemplatyue man may haue perfytely the gyft of mekenesse and pacyence / he must study to admonysshe and warne them that do bachyte other / of the gret peryll that they stande in / and that he exhorte them in all charyte wyth wordes and wyth examples to perfyte mekenesse . Also the clothyng of the contemplatyue man must be compassyon / for if he se his neyghbour do any syn / he must haue compassyon of hym / prayenge to almyghtye god to haue mercy vpon him . And if he se him suffre any wronge or hurt or reproue / he must be sori for him / and helpe him with his prayers / and with his ayde and dilygence and that if nede be / before the great men of the worlde / for the trewe perfyte contricion seketh nat that is his / but that is his neyghbours . And if the contemplatyue man be suche one that he is nat herde with princes / and that it profyteth nat that he go oute of his cell . Than be shall pray hertely for them that be in trouble / and almightye god that is the beholder of mannes herte / for the charytic of hym that prayeth / shall tourne the hertes of the people to peace and quietnesse of hym that is in trouble / so that he shall either be delyuered out of his trouble / or he shall haue pacience sent him of god to suffre it / and so his reward shal be doubled . Therfore suche clothynge / that is to say mekenesse and compassyon muste be in the hert of the contemplatyue man for nothynge so myghtely draweth god in to the hert / as mekenesse and compassyon of the neighbour doth . Thirdly the contemplatyue man must haue mete and drinke for his ghestes / for somtyme euyll ghestes do lodge in the herte of the contemplatyue man that is to say / whan the herte is drawen fro be holdyng of it self / and coueyteth thingꝭ delectable / to se worldly things / to haue possessyon of temporall goodes . And whan the eares desyre to here his owne honour / the flesshe desyreth to delyte in carnall thynges / the spyrite leyth excuse of his fraylnesse / and that synne is but lyght / and whan ther cometh a painfulnesse and a hardnesse to do good bedes / and a forgetfulnesse of thingꝭ to come . And whan he thinketh his good dedes gret / and forgetteth his euyl dedes . Agaynst al such ghestes it is necessarye for the contemplatyue man to haue good counsayle / and nat to dyssemble as though he were a slepe / but that he armed strongely with trewe faithe / answere to suche ghestes / sayenge thus . I woll haue nothinge of th emporall goodes / but barcly for the sustaynynge of my bodily kynde / and I wyl nat spende no hour nor tyme / but to the honour of god / nor I wyll nat take hede what is fayr or foule in the worlde / ne what is plesant or dysplesaunt to the flesshe / or sauoury or nat sauoury to the mouthe / but to the pleasure of god and helthe of my soule / for I wolde nat lyue one hour but to the honour of god . Suche a wyll is meate and drinke for the ghestes that come / and that answere extincteth and putteth away all inordinate delytes and plesures of the worlde and of the flessh .

Fourthly the contemplatyue man must haue fyre to warm hys ghestes and to gyue them lyght / this fyre is the hete of the holy ghoste / it is impossyble any man to leaue his owne wyll / or to forsake the carnall loue of his frendes or the loue of rychesse but through the instynte and here of the holy ghost . Also the coutemplatyue man / howe holy and perfyte so euer he be / may nat of hym selfe beginne nor contynue in good lyf with out helpe of grace in the holy ghost . Therfore that the contemplatyue man may set a lyght before hys ghestes / Fyrst let him thinke thus : Almightye god hath created me / that I shulde honoure hym aboue all thynges / And in honourynge him / that I shulde loue him & drede him / and he was borne of a vyrgyn / to teache me the way to heuen / and that I shulde folowe that way in all mekenesse . And with his deth he opened the yates of heuen / that I shulde wyth great desyre hast me thyder . Also the contemplatyue man must examyn dylygently al his dedes / all his thoughtꝭ and all his affectyons / that is to say how he hath offended god / and howe pacyently god suffreth man / and howe many wayes he calleth man vnto him such thoughtes and such gh●stes of the contemplatyue man / be in maner but as they were a slepe / but they be illumynate with the fyre of the holy ghost : the whiche fyre than cometh in to the hert / whan the contemplatyue man thinketh how resonable it is to serue god / and whan he thynketh that he had leuer suffre all payne / than wyttyngly to prouoke god to wrath / by whose goodnesse his soul is create and made / and is also redemed with his precyous blode . Than also the herte hath here of this heuenly fyre / that is the holy ghost / whan the soule thinketh & discerneth to what intente euery ghest / that is to say / euery thought cometh . And whether it moue the mynde to coueyte ioye perpetuall or transytory / and that he leue no thought vndiscussed ne vncorrected wyth drede of god . Therfore that this fyre may be gotten / & whan it is gotten that it may be safely kepte . The contemplatyue man must ley to drie stickes / that is to say he must dilygently take hede of the motyons of the flesshe / that it rebell nat agaynst the spirite . And he must put to all his dilygence that the workes of pytie and good prayers may be deuoutly encreased / wherwith the holy ghost may haue delyte / but he muste specyally knowe and consyder that where a fyre is made in a close vessel that hath no auoydaunce / anone the fyre goth out and the vessell waxeth colde . So it is wyth the contemplatyue man / if he wolde nat lyue to no thinge elles but that he myghte do honoure to god / it is expedyent that his mouth be opened / & that the flame of his charite go forthe . Than is the mouthe opened whan by his speking whiche procedeth of feruent charitie he getteth spirituall children to god but the contemplatyue man must take good hede that he open hys mouth to preche / wher good men shal be made more feruent / and where euyll men may be a mended / where right wysenesse may be encreased / & euyl customes maye be put away : For the apostell Paule somtyme wolde haue spoken but the holy ghoste dyd prohibyte him / and so somtyme he helde his peace / and whan tyme conuenyente came / he speke / and somtyme he vsed softe wordes / and another tyme more sharper wordes / and alway he ordred hys words to the honour and glorie of god / and to the confortinge and strengthuyng of the faithe . And if the contemplatyue man maye nat preache / but he hath good wyll and connynge to prech and lacketh good herers / he must do as the fore dothe / the which goth about many mountayns and sercheth with his fete in many places / and where he fyndeth the softest place and most apte for him there he maketh a denne to rest hym in . So the contemplatyue man must assay with wordes / with examples / and with good praiers / the hertes of many people / and where he fyndeth the hertes most apte to here the wordes of god / ther he must tary in counsaylyng and in enducyng the people to god all that he can . The contemplatyue man also must labour al that he can / that conuenyent auoydaunce may be had for his flame / for the gretter that the flame is / the mo be illumyned and made hote therby . Than hath the flame conuenyent auoydaunce / whan the contemplatyue man neither dredeth rebukes / ne coueyteth nat his own prayse / whan he neither dredeth aduersyties / ne delyteth him nat in prosperyties / and than it is more pleasure to god that he do hys good dedes openly than preuely / that they that se them may glorifye god . And it is to vnderstand / that the contemplatyue man must put forth two flames / one secretely / another openly / that is to say / he must haue a double mekenes . The first must be with in forth in the hertis the seconde must be withoutforth to the worlde . The fyrst is / that the contemplatyue man thynke him selfe vnworthy & vnprofytable to al good workes / & that he preferre nat hym self in hys own syght aboue no man / ne that he couete nat to be lauded nor to be scene in the worlde / that he slye pryde / & desyre god aboue al thinge / folowyng his wordes & his techiges . And yf the contemplatyue man put forth such a flame with good workes / than his hert shal be illumined with charytie / and all the contraryous thynges that come to hym shall lyghtely be suffred and ouercome . The seconde flame muste be openly / for if perfyte makenesse be in the hert / it must also appere in hys apparel without forth and be herde in hys wordes / and be performed in his dedes . Trewe mekenesse is in th● apparell whan the contemplatyue man concyteth , more to haue clothyng of small pryce / whiche is profytable / than clothynge of gretter value / wherhy he may fall in to pryde / & in to a desyre to be sene in the worlde / for that apparell that is lytell worth / & is called in the world vyle and abiecte / is verye fayre and precyous before god / for it prouoketh mekenesse . And that apparel that is of grette pryce and is called fayre in the worlde / is very foule and vnsemly before god / for it taketh away the fayrenesse of angels / that is to saye mekenesse . But yet if the contemplatyue man for any resonable cause be constrayned to haue an habyt somewhat better than he wolde / let hym nat be troubled therfore / for his rewarde shal therby be encreased . Also the contemplatyue man muste haue mekenesse in hys mouthe / that is to say in spekyng meke thynges / eschewynge all rybaldry and superfluytie of wordes / nat spekinge subtelly ne disceytfully / ne preferring his sentence before other . And 〈◊〉 the contemplatyue man here hym selfe praysed for any good dedes / let him nat be lyfte vp in his herte therfore / but that he answere thus . All laude and honour be to god that gyueth all thynges , what am I but dust in the wynde / or what goodnesse cometh of me / that am nought els but as drie erth withoute water ? And if he be reproued in the world / let him nat be moued ther with / but that he answer thus . I am worthy all this and moche more / for I haue so oft offended god / and haue nat made amendes therfore agayne . Therfore pray ye for me that by suffrynge of suche temporall reproues / I may escape the shames and reproues euerlastynge . Aud if the contemplatyue man be prouoked to angre or wrath / by the vnskylfulnes of his neybours / let him be wel ware & take good hede that he answer nat vndiscretely / for commenly pryde foloweth angre & wrathe . Therfore it is good counsayle that whan angre or pride come / that he hold his peace so long tyme / tyll the wyl may aske helpe of god to suffre / and to take good auysement / howe & what to answere / that he may fyrst ouercome him selfe / and thā●he wrath shal be abated in the herte / so that he may answere wisely to them that be vnwise . Thou shalt know also that the deuyll hath gret enuye to a contemplatyue man / and if he can nat hinder him by breaking of the commaundementes of god / than he wyll styrre him to be either lyghtly moued with wrath / or to be disposed to some vayne & vndyscrete myrthe / or elles to haue some vayne & vnprofitable wordes . Therfore the contemplatyue man must alway aske helpe of god / that all hys wordes & dedes be gouerned by him / & be holly directed vnto him . Also the contemplatiue man must haue mekenesse in all his workes / that is to say / that he do no thyng for worldly prayse / ne that he attempte no newe thinge of him self and that he be nat a shamed of no worke howe vyle so euer it be / so that he maye therby please god / that he flye singularyte / that he do good to al that he can / and in euery good dede that he doth / thinke that he myzt haue do better Also he muste chuse to sytte rayther with poore men than with ryche / rather to obey than to commaunde / to kepe scylence raither than to speke / to be solytary than to be with myghty men or with his worldly frendes . Also the contemplatyue man must hate hys owne wyll / ofte remembre his dethe / flye curiosyte / all murmuringe and grudgynge / alwaye remembre the rightwysenesse of god / and take hede of his own affections . Also the cōtemplatyne man must ofte vse confessyon / be slable and dylygent in his temptations 〈◊〉 to desyre to lyue / to none other entent / but that the honour of god & helth of soules may be encreased . Than if the contemplatiue man that hath suche affectyons and suche de●y●es / as is sayde before / be chosen in to the offyce of an sletyue man / and of obedyence & charyte to god / he taketh vpon hym the rule of other he shal haue a double rewarde / as it may appere by this similytude

There was a mighty man that had a shippe charged with precyous marchaundises / whiche sayd to his seruauntes thus . Go ye with this ship to such a porte / for ther I shall haue ryght great encrease / if the winde rise labour manfully and yrke nat at it / for youre rewarde shal be great .

After as the seruaunt sayled / a great wynd rose / the stormes wered great and the shyppe was tossed & broken greuously . Than the gouernoure of the shyppe wered wery & slowe / and all that were in the shyppe dispeyred of their lyues / & agreed to go to some other porte / whither as the wynde wolde dryue them / & nat to that porte that their lorde had appointed them to . And that hering / one of the most faythfull seruauntes & most feruent / sorowyng through a great zele and loue that he had to his lorde / toke vpon him the gouernaunce of the shyppe / and with strength brought the shyp to the porte that the lorde assygned them to go to . Is nat that man that so manfully brought the shyppe to the porte / worthy to haue gretter rewarde / than any of his felowes ? yes trewly . So it is of a good ruler that for the loue of god and helth of soules / taketh vpon him the charge of gouernaunce of other / and careth nat for the honour / & trewly he shall haue a double rewarde . First he shal be part taker of the good dedes of al them that he bringeth to the safe porte Seconde his glorie shal be encreased without ende . And contrarywise it shall be of theym that come to honoure & prelacy by theyr ambytion / for they shal be parte takers of al the paynes and offences of al them / that they toke vpon them to rule . Seconde their confusyon shall neuer haue ende for prelates that coueyte honours / he more lyke to strumpettes than to prelates / for they deceyue theyr subiectes by theyr euyll examples and their euyll wordes / and be nat worthy to be called neither Cōtemplaryue men / nor Actyue men / but they amende and do due peuaunce . Fyftly the contemplatyue man muste gyue medicyns to hys ghestes / that is to say / he must confort them with good wordes / and to al thynges that come lykyng or mislyking / plesaunt or displesaunt / he must say thus . I wyll euery thinge that it pleaseth our lorde that I shulde wyl / though I shulde go to hell . Aud trewly such a will is a medicyn to all thinges that come to the herte / & is a delyte in all troubles that come / and a great temperaunce in all prosperite . But bicause the contemplatiue man hath many enemyes / therfore he must oft make confessyon / for as longe as he wylfully abydeth in synne / hauing tyme and oportunyte to be confessed / and is neglygent or hebeth it nat / he is rather to be called an Apostata before god / than a contemplatyue man . The Actyue lyfe . Also of the dedes of a man that lyueth in the actyue lyfe . Thou shalte vnderstande that though the parte of the contemplatyue man be best / that yet the parte of the actiue man is nat euyl / but it is very laudable and moch plesaunt to god / therfore I shall shewe the nowe how the actyue man must ordre him self . He must haue as the contemplatyue man hath / fyue thinges . The fyrst is trewe fayth of holy churche . The seconde is that he knowe the commaundementes of god / and the counsayls of the Euangelycall truthe / and theym he must performe / in wyll / worde / and dede . Thirdly he must refrayne his tonge fro all euyll wordes / that are agaynst god and his neighbour / and his handes fro all vnhonest and vniaufull dedes . And his mynde fro ouermoch desyre of worldly goodes / & fro ouergret delite of worldly pleasures and 〈◊〉 to be contente with that god hath sente him and to desyre no superfluous thinges . Fourthly he shall do the dedes of mercy resonably in all mekenesse / so that for trust of the good dedes / he in nothing offende god . Fystly he must loue god aboue all thynges / & that more than him self as Martha dyd / for she gaue her selfe gladly to me / folowyngeiny wordes & dedes / and afterwarde she gaue all her goodes for my loue / and lothed all temporall thinges desyring onely thynges euerlastyng / & therfore she sustayned all thinges pacyently as they came / and cared as well for the helthe of other as of her selfe / thinkynge alway of my charytie and on my passyon / and she was gladde in troubles / mery in aduersyties / & loued all people as a mother her chylde . She wolde also ofte folowe me / whan I was in the worlde desyringe nothyng but to here me . She also had compassion of them that were in trouble . She conforted them that were in heuynesse / releued them that were sycke / she cursed no man ne sayd euyll to no man / but dissymuled the euyll maners of her neyghbours all that she myght / & prayed alwaye for them . Therfore euery man that desyreth to lyue charitably in the actyue lyfe / must folowe Martha / louing his neybour / to the ende that he may come to heuen / but nat to fauour his synne or euyll lyfe / flyeng his owne prayse / and pryde / & doublenesse of herte / and wrathe and enuy he maye nat folowe . But thou shalte vnderstande / that whan Martha prayde for her brother Lazar that was deed she came fyrst to me / but her brother was nat raysed forthwith vpon her commyng / but afterward Mary was called / and whan she came / than at the prayer of them both togyther / theyr brother was raysed fro dethe . So it is spyrytually / for he that desyreth perfytely to come to the lyfe contemplatyue / must fyrst exercise him selfe well in the actyue lyfe / labouring all that he may to the honoure of god in good bodily labours . And lerne first to resyst all fleshly desyres / & to with stande myghtely the fendes temptations / and than he maye afterwarde with good delyberatyon ascende to the hygher degree / that is to say / to the lyfe contemplatyue / for he that is nat proued & well assayed with temptations / and hath nat yet fully ouer come the euyll motions of the fleshe / may nat holly sette him selfe to heuenly thynges . But who is the dedde brother of th actyue man / and of the contemplatyue man / but their vndiscrete dedes / for many tymes a gode dede is done with an vndiscrete entente and of an vnconstaunt mynde / and therfore it is but as it were deed wherfore that a good dede may be acceptable to god / it is raysed agayne and cometh to lyfe by the actyue m● and by the contemplatyue man / that is to say / whan the neibour is purely loued for god & to god / & god is only desyred for him selfe aboue al thingꝭ . And than euery good dede of man or woman is plesaunt to god . Therfore I sayde in my gospell / that Marye had chosen the better parte . The lyfe of the Actyue man is good / whan he soroweth for the sīues of his neybours / but his parte is better whan he laboureth all that he maye that his neyghbours may do well & perseuer well vnto the ende / & that he do all that he doth for the loue of god . But the parte of the contemplatyue man is best / whan he onely beholdeth heuenly thingꝭ & the helth of soules . whan the mynde is fulfylled with good affections / and whan he is wel at rest fro the clamorous noyce of worldly busynesse / and thynketh alway god present vnto him / & setteth his meditations fully in the loue of god / and laboureth fruitfully therin both day and nyght .