of vain thoughts, be first refrained, without doubt the lust of the sensuality may not be attempered.  And therefore who so will abstain him from fleshly and worldly lusts, him behoveth first seldom or never think any vain thoughts.[72] And also never in this life may a man perfectly despise the ease of the flesh, and not dread the disease, but if he have before busily beholden the meeds and the torments that are to come.  But here it is to wete how that, with these four sons of these two maidens, the city of our conscience is kept wonderfully from all temptations.  For all temptation either it riseth within by thought, or else without by some of our five wits.  But within shall Dan deem and damn evil thoughts by sight of pain; and without shall Gad put against[73] false delights by use of abstinence.  Dan waketh[74] within, and Gad without; and also their other two brethren helpen them full much:  Naphtali maketh peace within with Dan, and Asher biddeth Gad have no dread of his enemies.  Dan feareth the heart with ugsomeness of hell, and Naphtali cherisheth it with behighting[75] of heavenly bliss.  Also Asher helpeth his brother without, so that, through them both, the wall of the city is not broken.  Gad holdeth out ease, and Asher pursueth disease.  Asher soon deceiveth his enemy, when he bringeth to mind the patience of his father[76] and the behighting of Naphtali, and thus oft times ever the more enemies he hath, the more matter he hath of overcoming.  And therefore it is that, when he hath overcome his enemies (that is to say, the adversities of this world), soon he turneth him to his brother Gad to help to destroy his enemies.  And without fail, from that he be come, soon they turn the back, and flee.  The enemies of Gad are fleshly delights; but truly, from the time that a man have patience in the pain of his abstinence, false delights find no woning stead[77] in him.

CAPITULUM VII

HOW JOY OF INWARD SWEETNESS RISETH IN THE AFFECTION

Thus when the enemy fleeth and the city is peased,[78] then beginneth a man to prove what the high peace of God is that passeth man’s wit.  And therefore it is that Leah left bearing of children unto this time that Gad and Asher were born of Zilpah, her maiden.  For truly, but if it be so that a man have refrained the lust and the pain of his five wits in his sensuality by abstinence and patience, he shall never feel inward sweetness and true joy in God and ghostly things in the affection.  This is that Issachar, the fifth son of Leah, the which in the story is cleped “Meed."[79] [And well is this joy of inward sweetness cleped “meed"];[80] for this joy is the taste of heavenly bliss, the which is the endless meed of a devout soul, beginning here.  Leah, in the birth of this child, said:  “God hath given me meed, for that I have given my maiden to my husband in bearing of children."[81] And so it is good that we make our sensuality bear fruit