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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A22983	A pretious booke of heauenlie meditations, called a priuate talke of the soule with God which who so zealouslie wil vse and pervse, shal feele in his mind an vnspeakable sweetenes of the euerlasting happines: written (as some thinke) by that reuerend, and religious Father S. Augustine; and not translated onlie, but purified also, and with most ample, and necessarie sentences of holie Scripture adorned, by Thomas Rogers.; De meditatione. English.	Augustine, Saint, Bishop of Hippo.	1581 (1581)	STC 944; ESTC S100313	79,627	230

not thou didest redeeme me when I was forlorne I had bin destroied I had died but thou camest downe vnto the dead thou tookedst mortalitie vpon thee Thou a King camest downe vnto thy seruant and to redeeme thy seruant thou didest giue thy selfe and that I might liue thou didest die and ouercome death When thou didest humble thy selfe thou didest exalt me I was lost I folowed after wickednes I was a bondslaue to Sathan but thou wart sold for me to redeeme mee and so thou louedst me that thou gauest thy bloud a raunsome for me O Lord thou hast loued me more than thy selfe because for my sake thou wouldest needes die On such wise and with so deere a price thou hast brought me home from banishment redeemed me from bondage withdrawne me from punishmēt caled me by thy name and sealed me with thy bloud that I should euermore haue thee in remembrance and neuer forget him who for my sake shunned not the crosse Thou hast annointed mee with that oile wherewith thou wast ointed that of thee Christ I might be called a Christian Lo thou hast written mee vpon thine hands so to haue me in remembrance if so be cōtinualie I haue thee in mind And thus alwaie thy fauor and thy mercie haue preuēted me For out of much and great perils thou hast deliuered me oftentimes ô my sauiour When I haue wandred thou hast reclamed me when I haue bin ignorant thou hast instructed me thou hast corrected me when I haue sinned when I despaired thou hast comforted me when I fel thou hast raised me thou hast vphelde me when I haue stood when I haue traueled thou hast guided me when I haue come home thou hast receiued mee thou hast watched mee when I haue slept and when I haue cried thou hast heard me Chap. 14. That the eies of the Lord are continualie vpon the doings and cogitations of men FOr these and manie mo good turnes hast thou done me ô Lord my God the verie life of my soule And doubtles it should be a pleasure to mee not onlie to talke think alwaies of them but also euermore to thanke thee to praise thee to loue thee for al thy good things and that with al mine heart and with al my soule and with al my mind with al my strēgth yea from the verie pith and intrals of mine hart and of al my iointes ô Lord my God the blessed sweetenes of al which delight in thee But thine eies haue seene mine imperfection thine eies I saie are much brighter than y e Sunne beholding al y e waies of men and the ground of the deepe and in euerie place at al times looke both vpon the euil and the good For sithence thou rulest al things fillest al things art alwaies wholie euerie where yea sithence thou hast a care of al things that thou hast created for thou hatest nothing which thou hast made thou dost so behold my waies my steps and so watch and ward night and daie for my safetie looking so narowly vnto al my paths like a continual watchman as though thou hadest forgot thine other creatures of heauen and earth and hadest cast al thy care vpon me alone hauing no care at al of the rest For the light of thine vnchangeable sight neither encreaseth doe thou see but one nor diminisheth if thou behold infinite diuers things For euen as at one time thou considerest the whole perfectlie togither so doth thy whole countenance behold at one time al particulars although diuers and that perfectlie togither wholie Yet seest thou al things as one thing one thing as al things for thy selfe art whole canst neither be diuided changed nor diminished And therefore thou being whole in al time and without time dost behold me wholie togither and alwaies euen as though thou haddest naught else to consider of Yea so thou standest vpon my garde as though thou wouldest forget al other things and bend wholie to me alone For alwaies thou shewest thy selfe present and offerest thy selfe readie at al times vnto me if thou find me readie to receiue thee O my Lord go I where I wil thou wilt neuer forsake me vnles I forsake thee first Wheresoeuer I become thou leauest me not For thou art euerie where So that to what place soeuer I go I may find thee by whom I may be that I perish not without thee because without thee I cānot be And therefore I confesse indeede that whatsoeuer I do wheresoeuer I doe it I do it in thy presence and that whatsoeuer it be which I doe thou seest it better than I which do it For when I do aught at anie time thou art present at al times as a continual beholder of al my thoughts intentions delectations and doings O Lord my sighing is not hid from thee and my verie thought is open to thy sight Thou knowest Lord whence the spirit commeth where it is and whether it goeth For thou art the trier of al spirits Also thou best knowest inwardlie whether the roote of that tree which hath faire leaues be sweete or sower yea thou narowly dost search the verie pith of the rootes and by the moste euident truth of thy light thou gatherest numbrest considerest and sealest not the intent onlie but the verie pith also of the roote thereof that so thou may estrender vnto euerie man not onlie according to his woorkes but also according to the inner and secret pith of the roote from which proceedeth the intent of the worker What I purpose when I worke what I thinke and wherein I delight thou beholdest thine eares do heare it thine eies see it and consider it thou sealest markest notest and wrightest the same into thy booke be it good or euil that afterward when the bookes shalbe opened and the dead iudged according to the things written in those bookes thou maist render for wel doing rewards and punishment for wickednes Happilie this is it which thou didest saie by these words I will see what their end shal be and which is spoken of thee on this wise He trieth the perfection of al things For thou doubtles in al that we doe regardest the end of the intent more than that which is done And when I diligentlie consider these things ô Lord my God terrible and mightie I am vtterly agast both through feare and shame forsomuch as wee haue great neede to liue wel and vprightlie because we do al things in the presence of that Iudge who seeth al things Chap. 15. That man of himselfe can do nothing without the assistance of God O Lord most mightie and puissant God of the spirits of al flesh whose eies are vpon y

A PRETIOVS BOOKE OF HEAVENLIE MEDITATIONS called A priuate talke of the soule with GOD Which who so zealouslie wil vse and pervse shal feele in his mind an vnspeakable sweetenes of the euerlasting happines Written as some thinke by that reuerend and religious Father S. AVGVSTINE and not translated onlie but purified also and with most ample and necessarie sentences of holie Scripture adorned by THOMAS ROGERS Psal 119 verse 113. I hate vaine inuentions but thy Lawe do I loue Printed at London by H. Denham dwelling in Pater noster Row at the signe of the Starre 1581. Cum priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis To the honorable Master THOMAS WILSON Doctor of the Ciuil lawes one of hir Maiesties principal Secretaries and of the most honorable priuie Counsel Grace and peace in our Sauior Christ. AMong Christians it is hath bin for longe continuance an ancient custome Honorable at this time and at this daie commonlie of the yeere either to purchase fauor if they haue none or to confirme friendship which they haue with giftes and presents Hence both hie estates to them of lowe calling and meane persons to their betters and euerie friend to his wel-willer lightlie wil sende some token if his habilitie doe serue of a friendlie hart and affection In the daie two special things are to be obserued One is that our Sauior Christ was circumcised herevpon another that the newe yeere beginneth now If we showe arguments of loue one toward another for that we haue perceaued the loue of our Sauior to vs ward by his natiuitie circumcision and suffering in y e flesh for our sakes doubtles our custome is a Christian custome if otherwise because the new yeere beginneth we seeke new loue or a renuing of old good wil it is a Ciuil custome commendable in either respect yet vsed in both it better pleaseth God I therefore hearing of the good opinion which it hath pleased your Honor to conceaue of mee haue thought no time coulde be better than now by some present both to thanke your Honor for the same and to craue the continuance thereof til by euil demeanor I shal deserue the contrarie My gift which I doe offer is for price of no great value such as a poore Student may present For as the Persians from the richest to the poorest woulde gratifie their Kings with giftes and rewardes some with golde as Noble men some with silke and spices as Marchant men and some too with simple apples and plums and such like frute as Husbandmen who had no better to giue So though persons of Honor may giue you gold and iewels marchants veluet silk and spices rich men cost●ie rewardes yet can a poore la●orer in the garden of Christian knowledge giue no better than such as he hath apples and plums euen the frute of his studie and trauel Notwithstanding smal for price though it be I haue good hope your Honor wil accept it wel in woorth both for the matter it containeth which is so holie and for the maner of handling the same by the auctor which is so heauenlie that in my iudgement neither Historia Animalium which Aristotle gaue vnto Alexander the Great nor that of Cicero De Republica which Cardinal Poole sought after with the expence of 2000. crownes Nor finalie those sibyllian works that Tarquin Priscus bought ful deerelie of Amalthea are so profounde for knowledge nor manie big volumes of Philosophie for methode so exquisite nor al y e bookes of humanitie so necessarie for vse as it is Which I doe write neither to dissuade anie from the reading of those nor to persuade your Honor to conceiue wel of this booke For I verilie do thinke that both they are commendable yea and necessarie too applied to their due endes and that your Honor conceaueth better of this than I by writing can expresse being as you are for your wisedome an honorable Counseler for your learning a reuerend Doctor by your sundrie good necessarie bookes a famous Writer and for your zeale a valiant oppugner of sin and wickednes But as I thinke therof my selfe so doe I write In which respect I haue not shunned paines to adorne the same with places of holie Scripture For seeing the booke by perusing it to mine vnspeakable both profite and pleasure to sauor most fragrantlie of the flowers and sentences not of humane that is vane wisedome but of Gods holie word and to be as holie for phrase as for matter holie being wholie taken out of the holie Scripture me thought were the places of Scripture annexed in the margine it would be ● quick spur not onlie vnto the true Christians zealouslie to read this ancient and godlie Father when they should see al his sentences in a maner to be nothing but verie Scripture but also vnto Papists who neglecting Scripture cleaue ouermuch vnto this and other Fathers of the Church to reade the Scriptures when they should perceaue al his delight to be in vsing the verie words of the holie Ghost Wherefore both for the bringing the Scripture into more credit with al Papistes and this holie Father with some Protestantes and his methode and maner of handling the Scriptures to be a perpetual monument of imitation vnto both I haue added the places the more willinglie through the earnest instigation of some godlie persons especialie of the Printer heereof whose good nature and zeale as it is not vnknowne to your Honor so is it wel knowne to the Church of Christ by his careful and orderlie imprinting good bookes and now haue published my dooings vnder the protection of your Honor. Which my paines if I shal perceaue to be wel taken of the godlie chiefelie of your wisedome I purpose God assisting me to proceede in setting forth after this same order not onlie the auctors Manuel and Meditations but also diuers and sundrie of S. Augustine his workes beside that the verie Papistes may see though they know it wel ynough alreadie that Augustino plurimùm tribuamus as it is wel giuen out of vs But me thinkes I heare some aduersaries among themselues on this wise speaking His quoting we condemne not and his translating we allow but by his presumptuous parting of Sentences and correcting such a Doctor he plainelie sheweth that he is by the one ouer-curious and by the other a ranke Heretike May it therefore please your Honor to heare my reasons of doing what I haue done the which if your wisedome do like I shal not weigh what anie either Zoilus of enuie or aduersarie of malice will thinke Touching my parting of the sentences I did it vpon these occasions First to imitate those good Bookes out of which they were borowed that is the sacred Scripture For surelie in mine opinion ●t were not wel the Booke beeing most notablie deriued out of the pure fountaines of Gods holie word if it were set forth in anie other forme than is the spring from which it flowed Secondlie that the

Reader might the more sensiblie perceaue the mind and methode of the auctor For I dare saie it by this parting or seuering of the sentences a more cleere light of the auctors minde wil appeere to him who gladlie woulde vnderstande the same than when they are confounded or not parted Thirdlie to offer cause of deepe contemplation to the zealous Christian For there is no sentence almost throughout the Booke which is vane but most heauenlie and able to make euen him who is farthest from Christianitie to occupie his minde with holie and deepe meditations Therfore albeit they can be placed in no forme amisse yet then best do they profit and mooue the mind when they are parted Last of al for the better disposing the places of Scripture by the Printer I haue diuided the sentences For had the Booke bin printed in that letter which other Bookes of Meditations set forth by me are done withal as I thought it would then should the places they are so plentiful neuer haue stoode in good forme nor sight as in some part of this Booke may appeare notwithstanding the letter be verie great in mine eie for so smal a volume Now concerning the seconde point it stoode me vpon both for my owne credite and also for the behoofe of others to leaue somwhat out For had I not so done I should haue said that the hands of GOD Manus inquam illae quae affixae clauis sunt pro me did make mee I should haue said that the light which was made when God said Let there be light was Angelica scilicet natura I should haue said that the Angels as for diuers other ends so for this are appointed Vt orationes filiorum Dei offerant in conspectu maiestatis suae I should haue said that the same Angels do bring Gemitus nostros atque suspiria ad Deum vt impetrent nobis facilem Dei benignitatis propitiationem referant ad nos desideratam saue gratiae benedictionem I should haue said that our Sauiour descended into Hel Vti sedebant in tenebris patres nostri I should haue said that Christ ascended Assumpta secum ex inferis captiuitate quam captiuauerat antiquus ille hostis humani generis inimicus finalie I should haue said that we ought to doubt An ad portum salutis peruenire valeamus quia omnia infuturum reseruantur incerta and so where my purpose was to edifie I should haue destroied the soules of the weake with erronious opinions Beside I should haue cooled the zeale euen of the strongest when thinking to proceede in holie meditation they should find such stumbling blocks of error cast in their waie And therefore did I iudge it better to leaue them quite out though it greeue the Papistes than to leaue them in either to the destruction of some or to the offence of anie good Christian marueling much why in other English translations this matter hath not bin loked vnto ere this and these faultes not wholie as in part they be amended And heere I beseech your Honor euen for Gods glorie the furtherance of the Gospel and commoditie of this land that among al abuses which you studie to reforme as a godlie Magistrate and ought to informe hir Maiestie of as a prudent Counseler you would remember the hurt that commeth by corrupt bookes in our English tong First they infect the mindes of the simple secondarilie they offend the godlie and thirdlie they confirme the obstinate and the more a great deale because they are allowed by publike auctoritie and not either diligentlie corrected or orderlie forbidden Againe cal into mind those bookes which do more hurt than they namelie the inchantments of Circes brought out of Italie and such vngratious workes either translated out of Italian into English or imitating wholie the Italian inuention Ten Sermons at Paules Crosse do not so much good for moouing men to true doctrine as one of those bookes doe harme with inticing men to il liuing Yea I say further those bookes tend not so much to corrupt honest liuing as they do to subuert true religion Mo Papists be made by your merrie bookes of Italie than by your earnest bookes of Louaine This foresee subtile Papists Therefore when the busie open Papists abrode could not by their contentious bookes turne men in England fast inough from truth and right iudgement in doctrine than the subtile and secret Papists at home procured baudie bookes to be translated out of the Italian tong whereby ouermanie yoong wils and wits allured to wantonnes doe now boldlie contemne al seuere bookes that sound to honestie and godlines Which bookes open not fond common waies to vice but such subtile cunning new and diuers shifts to carrie yoong wils vnto vanitie and yoong wits vnto mischiefe to teach olde baudes new schoole points as the simple head of an English man is not able to inuent nor neuer was heard of in England before yea when papistrie ouerflowed al. Suffer these bookes to be read and they wil soone displace al bookes of godlie learning for they carrieng the wit vnto vanitie and marring good maners shal easilie corrupt the minde with il opinions and false iudgement in doctrine first to thinke il of al true religion and at last to thinke nothing of God himselfe And that which is most to be lamented and therfore more needful to be loked vnto there be mo of these vngratious bookes set out in print within these few monethes than haue bin seene in Englande manie score yeeres And because our English men made Italians cannot hurt but certaine persons and in certaine places therefore these Italian bookes are made English to bring mischiefe inough openlie and boldlie to alestates great and meane yoong and olde euerie-where So that now they be solde in euerie shop in London commended by honest titles the sooner to corrupt honest maners dedicated ouer-boldlie to viriuous and honorable personages the easelier to beguile simple and innocent wits These are the words as your wisedome smelleth I am sure not of a yong wit but of a graue head nor of a meane Scholer but of the best Schoolemaster that euer England bred and therefore not lightlie to be ouer passed nor quicklie to be forgotten but with earnest endeuor oftentimes carefulie to be recorded as good counsel expressed from an hartie good-wil with rare eloquence tending to the glorie of God and benefit of this our Countrie that neither such as are wel giuen may be alienated from virtue nor those which are il bent prouoked vnto wickednes through baudie beastlie and blasphemous Bookes Last of al remember I humblie once againe in the bowels of Iesu Christ beseech you remember another abuse that hurteth more than both those which I haue alreadie mentioned namelie prophane Plaies publikelie vsed set foorth as banners of open defiance to the Gospel and godlines that vpon Holi-daies yea and in those places to I meane

the Vniuersities for learning and London for resort which ought to be the Lanternes of godlines vnto al the land beside Preachers euen the grauest for wisedome and yeeres and the greatest for zeale and knowledge not the smallest for auctoritie euerie-where crie out vpon them so zealouslie with such griefe of hart that they are euen tyred againe with crieng Doctors condemne them By shops write against them yea the best auctors in these daies of those wanton yea wicked toies are quite out of loue with them ashamed of their doings Oh that the Magistrate our soueraigne Magistrate I meane would vtterlie forbid them publikelie to be vsed that the common people might not haunt them and al should be wel But to returne to my purpose from which I haue digressed these errors I feare mee haue caused manie to doubt whether S. Augustine were y e auctor of this booke but being left out as nowe they are I cannot see why S. Augustine might not make the same the matter is so heauenlie praiers the words so holie Scripture euerie thing so wiselie orderlie excellentlie done by the auctor that he must needes be a most excellent man whosoeuer made the same and a more excellent than S. Augustine among the Doctors I thinke was neuer none Which being so I trust I shal ●●t neede to request your Honor 〈◊〉 accept this booke in good part 〈◊〉 to request your Honor to par●●n my boldnes in dedicating my ●●ple doings obscure as I am 〈◊〉 person vnknowne to your Ho●●r and to beare with my rude ●diousnes and tedious rudenes ●aue great neede and so I hum●●ie doe The Lord almightie and King 〈◊〉 glorie who hath cast the eies 〈◊〉 his gratious countenance vpon ●●u abide with you for euermore and with this new yeere powre vpon your Honor a newe increase of his heauenlie blessings Amen The first of Ianuarie An. 1581. At your Honors commandement Tho. Rogers A pretious Booke of holie Meditations written by that reuerend Father S. Augustine which he calleth his priuate talke with GOD. Chap. 1. Of the vnspeakable sweetenes of God O Lorde which knowest mee giue me grace to knowe thee to know thee euen ●he strength of my soule O my comforter showe me ●hy selfe let mee see thee ô ●●ght of mine eies Come ô thou mirth of my ●pirit let me see thee the ioie ●f mine hart loue thee the ●erie life of my soule Come in my presence ô my souereigne delight my swee● solace ô my Lord God my life and the whole glorie o● my soule Let me finde thee ô min● harts desire let me hold thee whome my soule doth loue 〈◊〉 O celestial bride-groome le● me embrace thee ô my sou●● reigne comfort both inward and outwarde let me possess● thee ô euerlasting blisse ye● in the middes of mine hart 〈◊〉 me possesse thee ô blessed li●● ô surpassing sweetenes 〈◊〉 my soule Let me loue thee ô Lord 〈◊〉 strength my fortresse my refuge and my Sauior Let me loue thee ô my GOD 〈◊〉 helper mine hie tower a●● mine hope in al my troble Let me embrace thee eu●● goodnes it self without whom nothing is good let me enioie thee the verie best without whome nothing is best O word more sharper than ●nie two edged sword open ●hou the secreat partes of mine eares that I may heare thy voice Thunder ô Lord from hea●en with a loude and mightie voice Let the sea roare and al ●hat therein is let the earth be mooued and al that is in it Lighten mine eies ô in●omprehensible light cast ●orth thy lightning and scatter ●hem that they regard no va●itie Encrease thy lightning and ●●atter them that the fountains ●f water may appeere and the ●●undations of the worlde be ●●scouered O light inuisible giue mee sight to see thee Create a new smelling ô fauor of life that I may runne after thee through the sauor of thy ointments Heale my tasting that I may taste know and discerne how great thy goodnes is ô Lord which thou hast laide vp for them who are filled with thy looue Giue mee an hart that may thinke on thee a minde that may loue thee a soule that may remember thee an vnderstanding to knowe thee and reason alwaies to sticke fast vnto thee the most souereigne delight Let wise loue fauor thee wiselie O life for whome al things liue ô life which giuest me life ô life which art my life by which I liue without which I die O life which raisest me to life without which I perish ô life whereby I reioice without which I am pensiue ô liuelie sweet and louelie life alwayes to be thought vpon where art thou I beseech thee where may I finde thee that I may faint in my selfe and depend on thee O my loue be thou nigh in my minde nigh in mine hart nigh in my mouth nigh in mine eares nigh to aide me For I languish through looue for without thee alas I die but when I thinke on thee I reuiue againe Thy sauor refresheth mee thy remembrance healeth me yet shal I not be satisfied til thy glorie appeereth ô thou life of my soule My soule longeth yea and fainteth through the remembrance of thee when shal I come and appeere before thy presence ô my ioie Wherefore hydest thou thy face ô my delight by whome I reioice O thou faire on whome I so desire where hast thou hid thy selfe Thy sent I feele therefore doe I liue and am somwhat comforted but thee I see not I heare thy voice and I take hart againe But wherfore hidest thou thy face Happilie thou wilt saie No man shal see me and liue Oh then Lord ô that I were dead so I might see thee ô let me see thee that I may die euen here I wil not liue die I would yea I desire to be loased to be with Christ I desire to die that I may see Christ I refuse to liue that I may liue with Christ O Lord Iesu receiue my spirite ô my life take my soule my ioie drawe my hart vnto thee my sweete foode let me eate thee mine head direct me light of mine eies inlighten me ô my comfort reioice me my sauior quicken me ô Word of God refresh me my praise comfort the soule of thy seruant Enter therinto ô my ioie that it also may ioie in thee Enter therinto ô souereigne sweetenes that it may sauor those thinges which are sweet ô light eternal shine thou ouer it that it may vnderstande thee knowe thee and loue thee For the cause ô Lord why it loueth thee