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A22838 A heavenly treasure of confortable meditations and prayers written by S. Augustin, Bishop of Hyppon in three seuerall treatises of his meditations, soliloquies, and manual. Faithfully translated into English by the R. F. Antony Batt monke, of the holy order of S Bennet of the Congregation of England; De meditatione. English. Augustine, Saint, Bishop of Hippo.; Batt, Antonie. 1624 (1624) STC 934; ESTC S101507 162,145 412

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enriching and adorning vs with manifolde guiftes and fauoures soe that thy name is admired in the vniuersall worlde What is man then that thou dost thus exalt him or for what cause dost thou place thine affection vppon him True it is that thou o ancient truthe hast saied My delightes are to be with the children of men But why o Lord or for what reason Is man any thing els but corruption or the sonne of man any thing els but a worme Is not euery man liuing in this vale of miserie either enclined or wholy addicted to vanity Whence is it then that thou dost vouchsafe soe gr●ciouslie to looke vppon him and to bring him and make him sit with thee in iudgment at the day of doome Of the profounde Predestination and foreknowledge of almighty God CHAPT XXVIII O Most profounde depth o infinite wisedome that hast created all thinges vouchsafe to teache and instruct me who hast poised the mountaines and hills in a paire of weightes and the huge and heauie lumpe of the whole earthe in a paire of ballances lifting it vp with three fingers onely lift vp likewise vnto thee with the same three fingers I beseeche thee the heauie lumpe of my mortallitie that I may see and vnderstande how wonderfully thou art to be admired in the vniuersall worlde O most ancient light who before all light didst shine and giue light on the holie hills of thy ancient eternitie to whom all thinges before theire creation were knowen most apparantly O light that hatest all spot of sinne for that thou art most pure and cleane what pleasure hast thou to conuerse with man What hath light to doe with darknes Where are thy delightes in man Where hast thou prepared for thy selfe in me a sanctuarie fitting soe greate a Maiestie in which thou maiest finde pleasure and delight at thy comminge Verily we ought to prouide for thee a cleane habitation who art that vertue that makest all thinges cleane who of such as are vncleane in harte canst not soe much as be seene much lesse canst thou be contained in them Where then can there be founde in man a temple soe free from filthe as that it may be thought worthy to receiue thee who rulest the whole earthe Who is able to cleanse him that is conceiued in vncleannesse sauing thou alone who art onely free from bleamishe who can be cleansed by one tha● is defiled For according to the lawe which thou hast giuen to our fore-fathers speaking vnto them out of the fire burninge the mountaine and out of the darke and mistie cloude whatsoeuer he toucheth that is vncleane shal be esteemed vncleane All of vs therefore being noe better then filthie raggs takinge our beginning● from a loathsome masse of filthie corruption doe carrie in our foreheades the staine of our vncleannes which we cannot conceale by any meanes especially from thee that seest all thinges We therfore cannot be cleane and free from sinne vnlesse thou cleanse vs who art onelie cleane and free from the same For thou art not accustomed to cleanse all the children of men but those onely that it pleaseth thee to dwell in whom thou by the vnsearcheable profounde secrets of the incomprehensible iust yet secret iudgments of thy wisedome without any desert of theirs hast predestinated before the beginning of the worlde hast called out of the worlde hast iustified in the world meaning likewise to magnifie them after the end of the worlde Neuerthelesse thou dost not impart this inestimable fauoure to euerie one which maketh the carnall and worldly wisemen to pine away through admiration As for me I confesse o Lord that when I enter into consideration of this I cannot but tremble and be astonied at the greatnes of the riches of thy wisedome and knowledge vnto which I cannot attaine neither vnto the incomprehensible iudgments of thy iustice sithence that of the same lumpe of clay thou dost forme some vessels vnto glorie others vnto euerlasting contumelie Those therfore that thou hast chosen for thy selfe amonge so many to be thy temple and sanctuarie those thou dost washe cleare by powring vppon them the pure water of thy holy Spirit whose names and number thou knowest who onely art able to number the innumerable multitude of the starrs calling them all by their names who likewise are written in the booke of life and cannot possibly perishe towardes whose good all thinges doe cooperate euen theire verie sinnes For if they chance to fall they take noe hurte because thou dost vphold them with thy hande preseruing all their bones soe that noe one of them is broken Contrariewise the deathe of sinners is the worst of all others of those sinners I say whom according to the bottomles depthe of thy hidden yet alwaies iust iudgments thou hast foreknowen should be damned euen before heauen and earth were created the number of whose names and enormious actions remaine registred with thee who hast numbred the verie sande of the sea and measur●d the profonditie of the bottomles depthe whom thou hast left in theire vncleannes all thinges likewise doe cooperate towardes their damnation and their very prayers are turned into sinne soe that albeit the● haue soared up to the heauens and their heade had ouched the cloudes althoughe they haue built theire nest amongst the starrs of heauen yet finally they shal be cast downe as a dunghill to eternall damnation Of those that at first are good and after Wardes become bad and contrarie Wise of those that at first are bad and after Wardes become good CHAPT XXIX GReate are these thy iudgments o Lord God o iudge most iust and mightie whose iudgments are equitie it selfe whose doings are profounde and vnsearcheable which when I consider all my bones doe tremble because man a longe as he liueth in this worlde is not assured that he shal be saued to the end that during the whole course of our life we might deuoutly and chastly with feare ferue thee and with trembling reioyce before th●e that our seruice might not be without feare nor our ioy without trembling that he that is yet in battaile might not boast before the victorie that no mortall man might vaunt before thee but shoulde rather stande in thy presence with great feare and dreade seeing man knoweth not before his last day whether he be worthy of loue or hatred vntill● which time all thinges are kept secret and as it were vndetermined For we o Lord haue seeene many ourselues and hearde of many more by the relation of our fore-fathers which is a thing which I cannot call to minde and declare without great trembling much feare who at first haue soared vp as it were to the skies and built theire nest among the starres but afterwardes they haue tumbled downe headlong and their soules haue been amazed at the euills that haue hapned vnto them We haue s●ene starres that haue fallen from heauen by force of the Dragons tayle striking them We haue likewise seene o Lord those
Kingdome that in these times you might be ready to erect and fortisie your brethren the Benedictins as a man gratious with both Monarchs with the Lily of Frāce for your fruitfull labours in the soules of his subiects with the Lion of England for your acknowledged faith and loyaltie to his personall right and succession But enough of the causes of dedication a word or two by your graces leaue of the reasons why this worke is translated Taking delight in reading of those heauenly conceipts of S. Augustin I purposed for the priuate intertainemēt of that time which obedience left vnto my choice to put them into English as carefully as I could and then exhibiting my labour to my superiours as an account how I spent my leasure they thought good to publishe it although it had before bene translated which I neuer knew for the translator M. Rogers insteed of giuing the deuout reader the true works of S. Augustin tooke vpon him presumptuously to mangle and maime them in all such places as the holy Doctor had writte directly contrary to Protestanticall doctrine forcing him to speake like an hereticke in all points of prayer vnto Saints merits of good workes suffrages for the faithful departed such other as ordinarily do occurre in spirituall exercises in which S. Augustin most plainely and clearelye speaking as a true Romain catholike this saucie controller M. Rogers either peruerteth his wordes to Puritanisme or els leaueth them out euen whole chapters as if he were more illuminated with the grace of God and knowledge of truth then that glorious Doctor esteemed euen by our aduersaries the learnedst maister that euer the Church had since the Apostles And where S. Augustin in the feruour of his deuotion with most eloquent and wary tearmes representeth vnto his soule and the readers thoughts the dolefull spectacle of our Sauiours passion this impious hereticke leaueth all that out or els wickedlie transformeth it censuring it as escapes and ouersights when it is most euident that they were written by Saint Augustin with full aduertisement of a farre deeper and carefuller iudgement then euer can be in the braymes of an hereticke In one thinge yet is the man to be commended that he doth not this by stelth and silently as most of that faction doe but openly and plainely professing his fact in his prefaces and yeelding particular accompt thereof but no other reason sauing the credit of his heresie But most abominablie in the first preface doth he belie the English Catholickes at home imposing vpon them their translating and printinge of diuers lewed legends of knights errants as Amadis Palmerin and the like as if they had beene published by crafty papists as he calls them to peruert Protestants whom they could not cōsute with disputations wheras the world knowes the translators of those books to haue bene professed Protestants and some of them Poursuiuants and damnable Apostata's as Antony Monday and the like sworne officers and helhoundes to hunt out poore afflicted Catholicks bring them to the miseries of imprisonments and premuniries And both Rogers and Ascam his authour whom he cites were not of so little reading but in their conscience they knew that all such bookes are forbidden very strictly to be read in the Catholicke church by any of her faithfull children and condemned by the rules of the expurgatorie Index appointed by order of the great Councell of Trent and drawne out by most indicious and godly diuines to direct Catholickes how to auoid the venini and poyson of all pernicious books which Index it is a wonder how these men dare presume to find fault with because it blotteth out many vnprobable words and doctrines in late Authors where as they presume by their owne confession to blott out all words and doctrines contrarie to their false beliefe euen in the very ancient and greatest Doctors of the Church whose writinges that index for the reuerence due vnto them euen in those poincts wherin as men some of them haue missed hath left vntouched and vncōtrolled All which I haue presumed to say in this speech vnto your Lordship for the better instruction of all Catholicke readers who in reading this preface I doubt not but will reioyce with me glorifie God for the great honour and blessings both temporall and spirituall powred forth abondantly vpon your grace notwithstanding the resistance made by enuie and emulation and that in your bannishment in a strange countrey though indeed France is not a strange countrey vnto the Giffords whose noble family hath its originall stock and florisheth yet at this day in little Britanie and other parts of France and from thence sent forth its branches into the greater Britany with such prosperous successe that it gaue to England the Dukes of Buckingam and remaineth as yet a principall branch of that house so that it may seeme France hath made estimation of your grace not onely prouoked thervnto by your learning and vertues but euen by the secret instinct of nature gladly embracing the good which sprung first from its owne soyle I haue added certaine verses and a deuout consideration of Blessed S. Peter Damian Cardinall of Ostia monke of our order a man in those dayes so profitablie and feruently imploied by the churches commaundment for his admirable zeale and powerful eloquence in reducing Schismatickes and Sectaries of Italie that your grace may seeme to haue placed him before your eies as a patterne of your actions and the gouernement of your Diocese The verses were heretofore namelesse in many Latin editions of these works but now adiudged by the learned to be S. Peter Damians The consideration also taken out of the same Saints works seemed to me for the profit therof to be a fitt end and conclusion of this my translation as a point most necessarie to remaine alwaies in the memorie of the faithfull reader All this I offer vnto your grace by the commaundment of my Superiours and myne owne desire in the name of all English Benedictins whose prayers vnto almighty God shall neuer be wanting for the long life health and prosperous direction of your gracious Lordshippe in all vertue and happinesse From my Cell in Dieulewart your Lordshipps beloued monasterie where by the leaue of obedience I meane to spend the remainder of my life and remaine alwaies Your graces poore b●ads-man B. ANTONY BATT vnworthy monke of S● Bennet APPROBATIO HAE S. Augustini Meditationes Soliloquia Manuale in Anglicum sermonem fideliter translata vtiliter ad piorum vsum praelo excudentur Actum Duaci 18. Martij 1622. Georgius Coluenerius S. Th. Doctor Regins ordinariusque Professor in academia Duacena librorum censor Ego F. Rudesindus Barlo Presbyter monachus S. Benedicti Sacrae Theologiae Doctor Professor Congregationis Angliae Benedictinorum Praeses missionis Hispanicae ordinis eiusdem Vicarius Generalis habita Theologorum congregationis nostrae censura facultatem concedo vt imprimatur libellus
of his hart with spirituall ioy and most ardent desire speaking vnto God after this manner A Prayer shewing the manifolde properties and attributes of God CHAPT XXIX O God most high most good omnipotent most merciful most iust most secret most presēt most faire most foable stable and incomprehensible seeing all thinges yet inuisible changing al thinges yet immutable immortal without place prefixt without limitt without circumference altogether infinite inestimable ineffable inscrutable without motion of himselfe mouinge all thinges vnsearcheable vnspeakeable dreadefull and terrible to be honoured and feared reuerenced and respected neuer new neuer old mak●ng all thinges new and making proude men old euen when they wot not of it alwaies doing allwaies r●stinge heapinge vpp without hauinge neede bearinge all thinges without being burdened filling al thinges without being included creatinge protectinge nourishing and doing good to all thinges seeking● albeit nothinge is wanting vnto thee louinge without being afflicted iealou● yet restinge assured It repenteth thee and yet thou art not gre●ued thou art angrie and yett art quiet alteringe what thou hast donne but not thy determination Thou takest what thou do●t not finde hauing neuer lost any thing Thou re●oycest in gaine although thou were neuer needy Albeit thou were neuer cou●tous yett thou exactest vsurie To whom we remaine allwaies indebted euen when we giue more then is required But who is there that hath any thing not thine Thou paiest debtes beinge indebted to noe man and forgiuest debtes thereby losing nothing Who alone giuest life to all thinges who hast created all thinges who art euery where and wholy euerie where who maiest be felt but canst not be seene who art noe where wanting and yet art farre distant from the thoughtes of wicked men Who art not there absent where thou art farre distant because where thou art absent by grace thou art present by r●uenge Who dost touche all thinges but not all a like For some thou dost touche thereby onely giuing them a being without giuing them either life feelinge or reason Others thou dost touche therby giuinge them beinge and life yet without either feelinge or reason Others againe thou dost touche therby giuinge them being life and feeling yet without the vse of reason And lastly thou dost touche others giuinge them being life feeling and reason And albeit thou art neuer contrarie to thy selfe yet neuertheles thou dost touche thinges of a contrarie nature after a contrarie manner who at all times art euery where present and yet canst hardly be founde Whom we followe standing still and cannot ouer take Who dost containe all thinges fill all thinges enuiron al thinges surmounte all thinges and sustaine all thinges Neither dost thou sustaine on one side to be surmounted on another neither dost thou fill on one side to be enuironned on an other but by enui●onninge thou dost fill and by filling thou dost enuiron surmountinge by sustayning and sustaining by surmounting Who teachest the hartes of the faithfull without sounde of wordes Who reachest from one end to an other forcibly and disposest all thinges sweetely Who art not extended by places nor changed by times Neither doth thou com● and goe but dwellest in that inaccessible light which neither is not can be seene by any mortall wight And thus remaining quiett in thy selfe thou dost enu●●on the whole world euery where beinge absolutelie who●e euerie where Thou canst not be cu●t or clea●t because thou art trulie one nor deuided into pa●t●s because thou dost wholy rule sill beautifie and possesse euery thinge contained in the whole worlde Soo great is the vnmeasurable depth of this immēse mysterie as that the haite of man cannot conceiue it nor tongue of Oratour declare it neither are all the huge sermons and ample volumes of innumera●le libraries able to expresse it If soe manye bookes were written as with them euen the whole worlde might be filled yett thy marua●lous knowledge coulde not be vnfolded because thou art altogether vnspeakeable and noe way to be desc●ibed either in wordes or writtinge who art the fountaine of diuine brightnes and the Sunne of eternall happines For thou art great without quantitie therfore infinitelie great thou art good without qualiti● and therefore truly and cheifelie good neither is any one good but thou alone whose very will is as the deede donne whose pleasure is reputed for power Who hast created all thinges of nothing by thine one worde makinge them voluntarilie of thine owne accorde Who hast all creatures in thy possession hauing noe neede of thē and dost rule and gouerne then without any wearines neither is there any thing whatsoeuer either in thinges aboue or thinges beneath that can disturbe the setled order of thine Empire Who art in a●l places without situation of pl●ce and art euery where present without situation and motion Who art not the author of any euill neither art thou able to doe euill although thou art able to doe all thinges It neuer repenteth thee of any thing which thou hast donne neither art thou at any time moued with any perturbatiō of minde neither would it be any losse vnto thee although the whole worlde should runne to ruine Thou dost not approue or commande to be donne any sinfull or abominable actiō neither dost thou euer lie because thou art the eternall ver●tie By whose onely goodnes we are created by whose iustice we are chasti●ed by whose mercy we are redeemed For neither any of the celestiall orbes or the element of fire or the globe of the earth or any other sensible creature ought to be adored with diuine honour which is onely due to thy diuine power who art that which thou art truly and really not any way subiect to mutabilitie To whom cheifely doth belong that which the Grecians doe call On the Latines Ens which is asmuch as if they should say That thou art now the same which thou were heretofore and shall be still the same both now and euermore These and many other thinges hath our holy mother the Church taught me of whom by help of thy grace and fauour I am become a member Shee indeed hath taught me that thou who art the one onely true God art neither corporall nor passible And that noe parte of thy substāce or nature is either made or composed or able by any meanes to be violated or chāged wherfore it is most certaine that thou canst not be perceiued by corporall eies neither was it euer possible for any mortall creature to beholde thee in thy proper essence and nature Hence it appeareth painely that we after this life is ended shall by the same meanes see thee by which the Angells doe now beholde thee although indeede euen they themselues cannot comprehēd thee as thou art In conclusion the omnipotent Trinitie is not entirely knowen to any other sauing to thee alone Of the vnitie and pluralitie of personnes in God CHAPT XXX BVt thou o God who art one in diuinitie multiplied by pluralitie of
footestepps of men are guided by thy diuine prouidence the footesteps I say of those who acknowledge that they are guided by thee and not of themselues Wherefore we humbly beseeche thee by the bowels of thy mercy o Lord that thou wilt saue what thou hast created because thou art able to saue vs if thou art willing on whose onely will doth depēde the merit of our saluation Of the ancient benefits of almighty God CHAPT XXVI REmember ● Lord I beseeche thee thy mercie shewed towardes vs of old time through which thou hast preuented vs with the blessings of thy sweetnes euen from the beginninge For thou o Lord and my hope from the verie time that I was a suckling yea before I was borne hast prouided and prepared the waies that I should walke in and by them attaine to the glorie of thy heauenly habitation Thou hast knowen me before thou didst forme me in my mothers b●llie and before I issued forthe of the wombe of my mother thou hast preordained of me whatsoeuer seemed good to thy diuine pleasure I knowe not o Lord what thinges are written of me in thy booke in the secret of thy consistorie which make●h me to feare exceedingly but thou knowest them all particularlie because that which I expect by succession of daies and times a thousand yeares hence to be fulfilled in the sight of thy eternitie is already accomplished and that which is to come is alreadie donne But I for that I knowe not these thinges liuing heere as it were in a darke and obscure night cannot but feare and tremble whilst I see sondrie dangers on euerie side assaulting me troupes of ennimies poursuing me and the infinite miseries of this life enuironning me And were it not that the ayde of thy grace doth succoure me in these my manifolde tribulations I should soone fall into desperation But I haue a great hope and confidence o my God in thee who art a Prince of vnspeakeable pittie and the consideration of thy infinite mercies are noe small comforte vnto me in my miseries The former tokens likewise of thy loue and mercie shewed towardes me before my natiuitie but appearing now especiallie doe put me in hope for the time to come to receiue more ample and greater fauoures from the handes of thy bountifull libe●alitie which thou dost reserue for thy friendes and those that loue thee to the end that my hope may reioyce in thee o Lord my God with a sacred and liuelie cherefulnes with which thou dost continuallie comforte my younge and tender yeares Of the Angells appointed to be the guardians of man CHAPT XXVII Thou hast loued me o my onely loue before I loued thee and hast created me according to thine owne likenes making me Lord and ruler ouer all thy other creatures Which dignitie I then possesse when I know thee for whom thou hast made me Moreouer thou causest those heauenlie spirits for my sake to become messengers to whom thou hast giuen commaundement to protect and guarde me in all my actions that I hurte not my foote against a stone These are the watchmen that keep● continuall sentinell vpon the walls of thy cittie new Hierusalem guarding the moūtaines likewise that are rounde about it keeping watch by night ouer thy flocke least that old serpent our aduersarie the diuell as a Lion shoulde kill and destroy our soules if there were none to desende them who as a roaring Lion continuallie rangeth about seeking whom he may deuoure These are the cittizens of our mother aboue the blessed and celestiall cittie Hierusalem who art sent to serue and attende on those that are preordained by God to inherite the kingdome of heauen that they may deliuer them from theire ennimies and guarde them in all theire waies that they may comforte and admonishe them and in the presence of thy glorious Maiestie may offer vp the prayers of thy children Vndoubtedlie they doe loue their fellowe cittizens expecting by them the reparation of theire ruines Wherefore at all times and in all places with great ca●e and diligence they are present and ready to assist vs succou●ing and supplying our necessities passing incessantly to and fro betwixt thee o Lord and vs relatinge our groanes and sighes vnto thee to the end they may obtaine for vs fauoure and courtesie and may bring to vs the desired blessing of thy grace and mercie In all our wayes they walke with vs entring in and going for the with vs considering with great attention how religiously and laudably we behaue our selues in the midst of a peruerse nation with what care and diligence wee seeke thy kingdome the iustice thereof with how greate feare and trembling we serue thee and with how greate ioy and mirthe of ●harte we sing vnto thee When we laboure they ayde vs when we rest they protect vs when we fight they encourage vs when we conquerre they crowne vs when we reioyce if our ioy be of thee they reioyce with vs when we suffer if our sufferings be for thee they suffer together with vs. Greate is the care which they haue of vs and greate is the effect of theire loue towardes vs All which respect and lou● they shew vs in respect of the vnspeakable loue with which thou hast loued vs. Verilie they loue those that thou louest they preserue those that thou preseruest and forsake those that thou forsakest neither can they endure those that committ sinne because thou they self dost hate those that commit sinne and wilt destroy all those that delight in lying As often as we doe well the Angells are glad and the diuells are sad But when we doe ill we make the diuel merrie and depriue the holy Angells of their● ioy Because they reioyce to see a sinner doe pennāce when he hath sinned wheras contrarie wise the diuell reioyceth to see a iust man irrepentant when he hath offended Wherefore o father I beseeche thee afford● them this fauoure that they may alwaies reioyce in respect of vs to the end that both thou by them maiest perpetuallie be praysed in vs and we with them may be made one folde in the kingdome of heauen that soe we may together prayse thy holie name o creator of men and Angells When I call these thinges to memorie I confesse o Lord that I haue great cause to prayse and magnifie thee for that these thy benefits are verie greate with which thou hast honoured vs by causing thy Angells who are spirits to serue and attende vs. Verily thou hadst bestowed vpon vs before whatsoeuer is contained within the compasse of heauen and yet thou didst imagin all thinges that are vnder heauen to be a guift of small estimation if thou shouldest not likewise add those that are aboue the heauens Let all thy Angells o Lord for this thy goodnes prayse thee let al thy workes acknowledge and confesse the same vnto thee and let all thy Saints extoll thee euerlastinglie Thou hast honoured vs exceedingly o Lord God our honoure
but canst not be seene Woe art noe where wanting and yet art farre distant from the thoughtes of wicked men Who art not there absent wher thou art farre distant because where thou art absent by grace thou art present by reuenge Who art euerie where present yet canst hardly be found Whom we followe standing still and cannot ouertake Who dost containe all thinges fill all thinges enuiron all thinges surmounte all thinges sustaine all thinges Who teachest the harts of the faithfull without sounde of wordes Who art not extended by places nor changed by times neither dost thou come and goe Whose dwellinge is in that inaccessible light which neither is nor can be seene by any mortall wight Remaininge quiet in thy selfe thou dost on euerie side enuiron the whole worlde Thou canst not be cut or cleft because thou art trulie one nor deuided into partes because thou dost who lie fill beatifie aud possesse whatsoeuer is contained in the whole worlde Of the vnspeakeable knowledge of God CHAPT II. IF soe many bookes were written as with them euen the whole worlde might be filled yet thy vnspeakeable knowledge coulde not be vnfolded And for that thou art vnspeakeable thou canst not by any meane be described or defined either with wordes or writing who art the fountaine of diuine brightnes and the sunne of eternall happines Thou art greate without quantitie and therfore infinitely greate thou art good without qualitie and therfore truly and chiefely good neither is any one good but thou alone whose verie will is as the deede donne whose pleasure is reputed for power Who hast created all thinges of nothing by thine onely worde making thē voluntarily of thine own accord Who hast all creatures in thy possession hauing noe neede of them dost rule and gouerne thē without either trouble or laboure neither is there any thinge whatsoeuer either in thinges aboue or thinges beneathe that can disturbe or alter the setled order of thine Empire Who art in all places without place and art euerie where present without situation or motion Who art not the author of any euill neither art thou able to doe euill who art able to doe whatsoeuer thou wilt neither doth it repent thee after thou hast donne it By whose onely goodnes we are created by whose iustice we are chastised by whose mercie we are redeemed Whose omnipotēt power doth gouerne rule and replenish all thinges which it hath created Neuerthelesse we doe not say that thou doost fill all thinges as if they did containe thee seing they are rather contained in thee neither doe we say that thou dost fill them all particularlie neither is it lawfull to thinke that euery creature according to the greatnes of his capacitie doth containe thee that is the greatest more and the least lesse sithence thou art in them all or they all in thee Whose omnipotencie comprehendeth all thinges whatsoeuer neither can any one finde meanes to escape thy power soe that he with whom thou art not appeased will not be able to get away when thou art offended Of the desire of the soule thinking of God CHAPT III. WHerfore I inuite thee o most mercifull God to come into my soule which thou hast made readie to receiue thee by meanes of those holy desires with which thou hast inspired the same Enter into it I beseeche thee and make it fitting for thee that thou mayest possesse it which thou hast created and redeemed that as a seale I may alwayes haue thee fixed vpon my soule Forsake me not o most mercifull Lord I beseeche thee calling vpon thee for that thou hast called me before I called vpon thee and hast sought me to the end that I thy poore seruaunt shoulde seeke thee by seeking shoulde finde thee and being founde should loue thee I haue sought thee o Lord and haue founde thee and doe desire to loue thee Encrease my desire and graunt me that which I doe desire for that vnlesse thou giue me thy selfe I thy poore seruaunt cannot be satisfied albeit thou shouldest giue me whatsoeuer thou hast created Giue me thy selfe therefore o my God giue me thy selfe Beholde I loue thee and if it be but a little I will loue thee more Verilie o Lord I doe loue thee I doe desire thee exceedinglie I am much delighted with the sweete remembrance of thee For during the time that my minde doth sigh after thee whilest it meditateth of thy vnspeakeable mercie the burden of my flesh is lesse burdensome vnto me the hurly burly of my cares and cogitations doe then cease the weight of my mortalitie and manifolde miseries doth not according to its wonted manner dull me all thinges are quiet and at peace My hart burneth my minde reio●ceth my memorie flourisheth my vnderstanding shineth yea my whole soule is as it were rauished with the loue of thinges that are heauenlie being inflamed with a desire of seeing thee Let my soule therfore take as it were the winges of an Eagle and flie and not faile let it flie vntill it come to the beautie of thy house and to the throne of thy glorie that there in the place of thy pasture which is enuironned with pleasant riuers it may be fedd with the foode of thine internall consolation sitting at the same table on which those heauenly cit●izens are wonte to take their refection Be thou o Lord our ioy and exultation who art our hope saluation and redemption Be thou our mirthe and gladnes who art our future happines Let my soule alwaies seeke thee and graunt that it may not fainte in seeking thee Of the miserable estate of that soule that doth neither loue nor seeke our Lord Iesus Christ CHAPT IV. WOe be to that vnhappie soule which doth neither seeke nor loue Iesus Christ our Lord for that it remaineth withered and wretched He that loueth not thee o God liueth but in vaine He that desireth to loue o Lord but not for thee is as it were a meere nothing and not worthy of any estimation He that liueth not to thee is alreadie deade He that knoweth not thee is a foole To thee therefore o most mercifull Lord I commend and commit my selfe from whom I haue receiued my being life and wisedome In thee is my hope trust and confidence by whome I hope to arise liue and obtaine euerlastinge rest and quietnes I desire loue and adore thee with whom I shall remaine raigne and be happie during all eternity That soule doubtlesse loueth the worlde which doth not seeke and loue thee it is a seruaunt to sinne a slaue to all manner of iniquitie being neuer at rest neuer in securitie Graunt o sweete Sauiour that my soule may alwaies serue thee Let my pilgrimage heere vppon earthe continually sigh after thee let my harte be enflamed with the loue of thee Let my soule o my God repose in thee let it contemplate thee in excesse of minde let it with ioyfullnes singe and sounde forthe thy prayses and let this be my