The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Enchiridion the Epistle
• Enchiridion
• We Must Watch and Look About Us Evermore While We Be In This Life.: Chap. I.
• Of the Weapons to Be Used In the War of a Christian Man.: Chap. II.
• That the First Point of Wisdom Is to Know Thyself, and of Two Manner Wisdoms, the True Wisdom, and the Apparent.: Chap. III.
• Of the Outward and Inward Man.: Chap. IV.
• Of the Diversity of Affections.: Chap. V.
• Of the Inward and Outward Man and of the Two Parts of Man, Proved By Holy Scripture.: Chap. VI.
• Of Three Parts of Man, the Spirit, the Soul, and the Flesh.: Chap. VII.
• Certain General Rules of True Christian Living.: Chap. VIII.
• Against the Evil of Ignorance. the First Rule.: Chap. IX.
• The Second Rule.: Chap. X.
• The Third Rule.: Chap. XI.
• The Fourth Rule.: Chap. XII.
• The Fifth Rule.: Chap. XIII.
• The Sixth Rule.: Chap. XIV.
• Here Follow Opinions Meet For a Christian Man.: Chap. XV.
• The Seventh Rule.: Chap. XVI.
• The Eighth Rule.: Chap. XVII.
• The Ninth Rule.: Chap. XVIII.
• The Tenth Rule.: Chap. XIX.
• The Eleventh Rule.: Chap. XX.
• The Twelfth Rule.: Chap. XXI.
• The Thirteenth Rule.: Chap. XXII.
• The Fourteenth Rule.: Chap. XXIII.
• The Fifteenth Rule.: Chap. XXIV.
• The Sixteenth Rule.: Chap. XXV.
• The Seventeenth Rule.: Chap. XXVI.
• The Eighteenth Rule.: Chap. XXVII.
• The Nineteenth Rule.: Chap. XXVIII.
• The Twentieth Rule.: Chap. XXIX.
• The Twenty-first Rule.: Chap. XXX.
• The Twenty-second Rule.: Chap. XXXI.
• Remedies Against Certain Sins and Special Vices, and First Against Bodily Lust.: Chap. XXXII.
• A Short Recapitulation of Remedies Against the Flame of Lust.: Chap. XXXIII.
• Against the Enticings and Provokings Unto Avarice.: Chap. XXXIV.
• The Recapitulation of the Remedies Against the Vice of Avarice.: Chap. XXXV.
• Against Ambition Or Desire of Honour and Authority.: Chap. XXXVI.
• Against Elation Otherwise Called Pride Or Swelling of the Mind.: Against Wrath and Desire of Vengeance.: Chap. XXXVIII.

The fifteenth rule.

Chap. xxiv.

If the labour which thou must take in the conflict of temptation shall fear thee, this shall be a remedy. See thou compare not the grief of the fight with the pleasure of the sin: but match me the present bitterness of the fight with the bitterness of the sin hereafter which followeth him that is overthrown: The bitterness of the fight must be compared with the pain which followeth the sin. and then set the present sweetness of the sin which enticeth thee, with the pleasure of the victory hereafter, and with the tranquillity of mind which followeth him that fighteth lustily: and anon thou shalt perceive how unequal a comparison there shall be. But in this thing they which be but little circumspect are deceived, because they compare the displeasure of the fight with the pleasure of the sin, and consider not what followeth the one and the other. For there followeth him which is overcome, grief both more painful a great deal and also of longer continuance than he should have had in time of fight, if he had won the victory. And likewise there followeth the conquerors more pleasure by a great deal and of longer endurance than was the pleasure which carried him into sin that was overcome: which thing he shall lightly judge, that hath had the proof of both. Prove sometime what it shall be to overcome. But no man that is christened ought to be so outright a coward though he were daily subdued of temptation, but that he should once at the least do his endeavour to prove what thing it is to overcome temptation, which thing the oftener he shall do, the pleasanter shall the victory be made unto him.