| |
| HOW neede the soule to stand vpon her guard, | |
| And keep the tempter at the sp’rit’s sword point! | |
| Else pride will puffe her, sith so well she far’d, | |
| Which swelling will runne downe from ioynt to ioynt, | |
| That she will burst, if grace her not annoynt. | 5 |
| This found he true, that found this true repast | |
| In the third heau’n, as God did fore-appoint: | |
| Yet must he buffets with such banquets taste, | |
| Lest he should be puft vp, and so disgrac’d. | |
| |
| For our soule’s foe extracts ill out of good, | 10 |
| As our soule’s friend doth draw good out of ill. | |
| The foe can foile, if he be not withstood, | |
| With pride our piety and our good-will. | |
| But our best friend, though we offend him still, | |
| From these offences drawes humilitie; | 15 |
| Which makes vs crouch, and kneele, and pray, vntill | |
| He doth commiserate our misery: | |
| This doth our friend, vnlike our enemie. | |
| |
| The soule cannot her fondnesse more bewray, | |
| Then when she doth temptations strong resist: | 20 |
| For like as when our pulses strongly play, | |
| We know we neede not then a Galenist; | |
| So when the soule doth paint, striue, and persist | |
| In strugling with temptations, then we kno | |
| That soule with perfect health is truly blest: | 25 |
| For she by demonstration it doth sho; | |
| And blest are all those soules that striueth so. | |
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