the whole Earth For what is Man that thou shouldest magnify him or soe apply thy harte towards the loue of him For thou O auncient Truth hast sayd My delight is to be which the Sonnes of men But yet is not Man rotennes and the Sonne of Man a very Worme Is not euery Man liueing a kinde of vniuersality of vanity And yet dost thou thinke it worthy for thee to cast thyne eyes vpon him and to bring him with thee into Iudgement CHAP. XXVIII Of the profound Predestination and prescience of God TEach mee O thou most profound Abysse O thou Wisedome which art the Creatrix of all things which hast poysed the mountaines in weight and the lesser hills in a ballance and hast hung vp the whole bulke of the Earth in three fingers Suspend thou towards thy selfe the weight of this corporall heauines which I carry about mee in thy three inuisible fingers that I may see and knowe how admirable thy Name is ouer the whole Earth O thou Light most auntient which didest shine before all other light in those holy hills of old Eternity to which all things were open and cleare euen before they were made O thou light which hatest euery litle spott thy selfe being most immaculate and most pure what delight canst thou take in man and what agreement cann there be betweene light and darkenes For where in fine is the ground of those delights which thou takest in man Or how diddest thou prepare in mee a sanctuary worthy of thy Maiestie into which when thou enterest thou mayest take delight and gust For it is fitt that thou who art the very power which cleanseth all things shouldest haue a cleane roome to be in thou who canst not be so much as seene and much lesse possessed but by pure soules But where is this Temple soe pure in any man as that it may be fitt for the reception of thee who rulest the whole world of men Who can make a man cleane he being conceiued of vncleane seede Is it not thou who art onely cleane For who can be cleansed by one who is himselfe vncleane For according to the Lawe which thou gauest to our Fathers in the fyre which burned the hill and in the cloud which couered the darke water we are told that whatsoeuer an vncleane man did touch should be vncleane But all wee are as a menstruous cloath proceeding out of an impure corrupted masse and wee cannot become cleane vnles wee be cleansed by thee who art onely cleane And wee carry the marke of our impurity in our very fore-heads and are farre from being able to conceale it from thee who seest all things Soe that wee can neuer be cleane vnles wee be cleansed by thee who art onely cleane But amongst vs who are the sonnes of men thou cleansest some in whome thou hast bene pleased to dwell Whome out of the inaccessible profound secrets of the incomprehensible iudgements of thy Wisedome which are euer iust though secret thou hast beene pleased to predestinate without any merits of theyrs before the world was made and hast called them out of the world and hast iustefyed them in the world and wilt magnify them after the world But thou dost not this to all which all the wise men of the earth doe wonder at euen to amasement And I also O Lord whilest I consider this doe all tremble and am astonished at the altitude of the riches of thy Wisedome and knowledge and at the incomprehensible iudgements of thy Iustice to the reason whereof I cann noe way arriue Since out of the same clay thou designest some vessells to honour others to eternall reproach Such therefore as thy chusest out of many to be a holy Temple for thy selfe them doest thou clense powreing out pure water vpon them whose names and number thou knowest who alone dost number the multitude of the starres and callest them all by they re names who are also written in the booke of life and cann noe way perish to whome all things yea euen they re very sinnes themselues doe cooperate towards they re good For when they fall they are not bruised because thou doest putt thy hand vnder them keeping all they re bones in such sorte that noe one of them may be broken But the death of sinners is most pernitious of those I meane whome before thou madest heauen and earth thou diddest according to the most profound Abysse of thy iudgements secret indeede but euer iust fore knowe to eternall death The number of whose names as also of they re foule demerits is with thee who hast numbered the sands of the Sea and hast measured the bottome of the Abysse whome thou hast left in they re vncleanenes in whome all things cooperate to theyr ill yea euen they re very prayer is turned into sinne Soe farre forth as that although they should mount vp as high as the skye and they re heades should touch the very clouds and should build theyr nest amongst the Starres of Heauen they yet shall perish in the end like a very dung hill CHAP. XXIX Of them who first were iust and afterwards become wicked GReate are these iudgements of thyne O Lord my God O thou iust and powerfull Iudge who iudgest according to equitie and dost worke and performe inscrutable things Which when I consider all my bones doe euen shiuer with trembling because noe man liueing vpon the earth can be secure But wee must learne hereby to serue thee piously and purely all the dayes of our life exulting to thee with reuerence and that wee may not serue thee without feare nor reioyce without trembling And that neyther he who is girt nor vngirt nor in fine any creature of flesh and blood may glory but may be full of apprehension horrour before thy face since noe man knoweth whether he be worthy of loue or hate but all things are reserued in vncertainty for the future tyme. For we haue seene many O Lord and wee haue also heard it from our elders which certeinly I cannot call to mynde without much trembling nor repeate without much feare who at the first ascended after a sorte vp to heauen and did place they re nest euen amongst the starrs yet afterwards fell downe to the very Abysse and theyr soules grewe to be euen stupifyed in sinne Wee haue seene starres fall downe from heauen through the force of the Dragons tayle who strooke them And others who lay prostrate vpon the dust of the earth haue ascended vp by the helpe of thy hand which raised them after an admirable manner We haue seene liueing men dy dead men raise againe to life and them who walked amongst the sonnes of God in the midest of those shineing stones of his Temple to haue mouldered away into nothing like soe much durt Wee haue seene light growe darke and againe wee haue seene light proceede out of darkenes because the Publicanes and harlots haue precedence of the naturall inhabitants in
of thine owne blood O Lord thou diddest loue me more then thy self since thou didest resolue to dye for me By so costly a bargaine and at soe high a price thou diddest reduce me from banishement thou diddest redeeme mee from seruitude thou didest retyre mee from punishement Thou diddest call mee in thy Name thou diddest marke me out with thy blood that the memory of thee might for euer stand before mee and that my hart might neuer receede from him who did not refuse the Crosse for mee Thou didest annoynt mee with that oyle which belonged in cheyf to thy selfe that as thou art Christ soe from thee I might be called a Christian And in thy hands thou hast written mee that thou mightest haue a continuall memory of mee with thee vpon condition that the continuall memory of thee might be still with mee Thus hath thy grace and mercy euer preuented mee For thou O my deliuerer hast often freed me from many and greate daungers When I wandred thou broughtest me back to the way when I was ignorant thou diddest teach me when I sinned thou diddest reproue mee when I was in sorrow thou diddest releiue me when I was in despayre thou didest comfort me when I fell thou diddest rayse mee when I stood thou heldest mee when I walked thou diddest lead mee when I slept thou diddest guard mee and when I cryed out to thee thou diddest heare me CHAP. XIV That God doth consider the workes and purposes of mankinde with a perpetuall attention O Lord my God and the life of my soule thou hast imparted these and many other benefits to mee whereof it would be a deare thing for mee to be euer speaking euer thinkeing and euer giueing thankes That I might for euer praise and loue thee for all thy good blessings with my whole harte and my whole soule and my whole mynde and my whole strength and with all the very marrow and the most intimate parts of my affection and with all the parts and powers of my whole man O Lord my God who art the happy sweetnes of all them who are delighted in thee But thyne eyes haue seene my imperfections Those eyes I say of thyne which are farre brighter then the Sunne lookeing downe round about at ease vpon the wayes of men and vpon the profound Abysse and they doe euery where contemplate both the good and badd For as thou doest preside ouer all things thou being all for euer present euery where and takeing particular care of all these things which thou hast created because thou hatest none of them which thou hast made so also dost thou consider all my paces and steps and doest euer keepe a watchfull guard ouer mee day and night and like a perpetuall centinell dost diligently note my wayes as if thou haddest forgotten all the whole world of thy other creatures both in heauen and earth didest not care for the rest For nether would the light of thyne owne vnchangeable sight encrease in thee though thou shouldest behould but any one onely thinge nether is it diminished although thou behould diuers and innumerable things For as thou dost perfectly and at once consider any one thinge by one onely acte of seeinge soe doth thy whole sight most perfectly and that at once behould the whole of euery particular thinge how different soeuer they may be among themselues And as it considereth all soe it considereth one and as any one soe euery one and all of them at once doest thou consider without any diuision or mutation or diminution Therefore all thou in all time without time doest consider all mee at once and that cōtinually as exactly as if thou haddest nothinge else to consider And soe therefore doest thou stand in guard of mee as if thou wouldest attend to mee alone diddest forgett all the rest For thou doest euer shew thy selfe to be present and if thou finde me ready thou doest euer offer thy self also ready Whither soeuer I goe O Lord thou forsakest me not vnles I be the first to forsake thee wheresoeuer I be thou departest not away for thou art euery where and wheresoeuer I goe I shall finde thee By what meanes may I be kept from perishing without thee since without thee I cannot be at all I confesse that whatsoeuer I doe whether it be litle or much I doe it all in thy presence and whatsoeuer that be thou seest it better then my selfe For whatsoeuer I doe thou findest thy self present there as a perpetuall spectatour of all my cogitations intentions delectations operations O Lord all my desires thoughts are euer standing before thee Thou discernest O Lord whence the spirit comes where it is whither it goes For thou art the ponderer and waigher out of all spirits and whether that roote be sweete or bitter from which the faire leaues of our actions are sent out thou as an internall Iudge dost know best Yea and thou dost sifte most subtilely into the most secret parts and pith of those very rootes dost not onely obserue number contemplate and keepe accompt of the intention by the most exquisite truth of thy light but also of the most profound and hidden sapp of that roote to the end that thou mayest repay to euery one not onely according to their workes or theyr expresse intention but also according to that interiour and originall spirit of the roote of theyr actions from whence the intention of him that worketh doth proceede To whatsoeuer I tend when I worke whatsoeuer I thinke in whatsoeuer I am delighted thyne eares heare mee thyne eyes see me and consider mee Thou dost marke and iudge and note and write in thy booke whether it be good or badd to the end that afterward thou mayest render eyther rewardes for that which is good or torments for that which is euill When thy bookes shall be opened all soules shall be iudged according to those things which shall be written in those bookes And this perhaps is that which thou didest already say to vs I will consider the last thinges of those men And that also which is sayd of thee O Lord He considereth the end of all men For thou O Lord dost in all those things which we doe more attend to the end of our intention then to the act of our operation And when I consider those things diligently O Lord my God who art soe terrible and full of strength I am alike confounded betweene huge feare and shame For a mighty necessity is imposed vpō vs of liueing with rectitude and iustice who doe all the things which we doe before the eyes of a Iudge who seeth all things CHAP. XV. Tat man of himselfe can doe nothing without diuine Grace O Thou most mighty and Omnipotent God the God of the spirits of all flesh whose eyes are ouer all the wayes of the sonnes of Adam from the day of theyr natiuity to that other of theyr death to the end that thou mayest reward euery
the power of a man to will that which he hath power to doe or to doe that which he cann will or to knowe what he cann will and doe but rather the paces of men are directed by thee the paces of them I meane who confesse themselues to be directed by thee and not by themselues Wee beseech thee therefore O Lord by the bowells of thy mercy be pleased to saue that which thou hast created For if thou wilt thou canst saue vs and the strength of our saluation consisteth in the pleasure of thy will CHAP. XXVI Of the auncient benefits of Almighty God CAll to mynde thy auncient mercy whereby thou diddest preuent vs from the beginning in those benedictions of thy sweetenes For before I was borne I who am the sonne of thy handmayde O Lord who hast bene my hope euen from the brests of my mother thou diddest preuent mee by preparing those wayes for mee wherein I might walke and whereby I was to arriue to the glory of thy house Before thou framedst mee in my mothers wombe thou knewest mee and before I parted from her wombe thou diddest praeordayne concerning mee whatsoeuer was pleasing to thy selfe What things are contayned and written in thy booke concerning mee in that secret of thy Consistory I for my parte doe not knowe and there vpon I am in extreme feare but it is well knowen to thee For that which I might expect to happen in successe of dayes and tymes betweene this and a thousand yeares hence all that is already done in the sight of thy eternity and that which is future is finished already there Now therefore whilest I liue in this darke night and whilest I am ignorant of these things feare and trembling come vpon mee since I see on all sides that many dangers doe sett vpon mee close at hand and that I am hunted by many enemyes and hemmed in by innumerable miseryes in this life And vnles I had thy helpe in the middest of so great calamityes I should despaire But still I haue a strong hope in thee O thou most meeke Prince and my God And the consideration of the multitude of those mercy which thou hast shewed to mee doth ease my minde the fore-running signes of thy mercyes which preuented mee before I was borne and doe now shine particularly towards mee doe sollicite me to haue good hope concerning those future better more perfect guifts of thy benignity which thou reseruest for thy freinds That soe I may reioyce O Lord my God with that liuely and holy ioy whereby thou dost euer recreate my youth CHAP. XXVII Of the Angels which are deputed to the custody of man FOr thou hast loued me O thou onely Loue of myne before I loued thee and thou hast created mee after thine owne Image and thou hast preferred me before all thy creatures Which dignity I keepe now also hauing knowen thee for whome thou hast made mee Thou hast also made thy Spirits Angels for my benefitt and thou hast commaunded them to keepe me in all my wayes lest els perhaps I might hurte my foote against a stone For these are the Guard which stands vpon the walls of the Citty of thy new Ierusalem and these are those Mountaynes which are sayd to stand in the circuit thereof keeping watch by night ouer thy flocke least at any time the Lyon should snatch away our soules whilest none were by to deliuer them that auncient serpent I say our aduersary the deuill who is euer walkeing the round seekeing whom he may deuowre These are those happy Citizens of Ierusalem that supernall Citty that mother of ours which is aboue and they are sent in ministery to them who are to take hold of the inheritance of saluation that they may deliuer them from theyr enemyes and guard them in all theyr wayes that they may comfort and admonish thy children and offer vp theyr prayers in the sight of the glory of thy Maiestie For they loue theyr fellow-Cittizens by whose society they expect that the ruine of the Schisme which was made by the rebellious Angells may be repayred They doe therefore assist vs with greate care and watchfull endeauour at all tymes and in all places succouring vs and making prouision against our necessityes and passeing with great sollicitude betweene vs and thee O Lord presenting our sighes and sobs to thee that they may obtayne for vs an easy pardon from thy mercy and may bring downe from thee the desired benediction of thy grace For they walke with vs in all our wayes they goe in and out with vs considering with greate attention how vertuously and piously wee conuerse in the middest of a wicked nation with great endeauour and desire we seeke the Kingdome of God and the iustice thereof with how greate feare and trembling wee serue thee and how also wee exult towards thee in the ioy of our harts They helpe such as are takeing paynes they protect such as are at rest they encourage such as fight they crowne such as conquer they reioyce with such as ioy I meane such as ioy in thee and they suffer with such as suffer I meane such as are in sufferance for thee They haue a mighty care of vs. Great is the ardour of theyr affection towards vs and all this for the honour they beare to that inestimable charity where-with thou louest vs For they loue them whom thou louest they keepe them whom thou keepest and they forsake them whom thou forsakest Nor doe they loue the workers of wickednes because thou hatest all the workers of iniquity and destroys all them who speake lyes As often as wee doe well the Angels ioy and the Deuills grieue But as often as wee swarue from vertue wee make the Deuill glad and wee depriue the Angels of theyr ioy For they haue ioy by one sinner doeing pennance but the Deuill hath ioy when pennance is giuen ouer by a good man Graunt them therefore O Father graunt that they may euer reioyce concerning vs and that thou mayest euer be praysed by them in vs and that both they and wee may be brought into one the same sheepfoulde that together wee may confesse to thy Holy Name O thou Creatour both of men and Angels Whilest I am calling these things to minde before thee I confesse to thee with prayse that these are greate benefits whereby thou hast honoured vs whilest thou giuest thy Spirits for Angels to assist vs. Thou haddest already bestowed whatsoeuer was contayned vnder the vaut of heauen yea and thou reputest that as but little which is contayned vnder heauen vnles thou mayest also add those things which are aboue the heauens Lett all thy Angels prayse thee also for this O Lord Let all thy workes also confesse to thee and let all thy Saints themselues blesse thee for it O thou our Supreame honour thou hast too highly honored vs and thou hast beautifyed and enriched vs with many guifts Thy Name O Lord is admireable ouer