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A22871 An introduction to the looue of God. Accompted among the workes of S. Augustine, and translated into English, by the right reuerend father in God, Edmund, Bishop of Norvvitch, that nowe is, and by him dedicated to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie, to the glorie of God, and comfort of his chosen. And newlie turned into Englishe meter by Robert Fletcher. 1581. Simard, Marie Ange, attributed name.; Freake, Edmund, ca. 1516-1591.; Fletcher, Robert, fl. 1586. 1581 (1581) STC 936; ESTC S114474 35,980 111

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lawde Thou art his workemanship and yet the price of thy redemption too Because that price most precious was it was his mercy so to doo Man béeing prisoner thrall to wretche beset about with filthy sinne His fréendly fauour thought it fit he should be raunsomed by him O happy faulte of mine therefore for purging of the which my Lorde Was drawne by looue it to redéeme according to his holy woord I neuer fully should haue knowne his looue and fauour vnto me But that the perrill of my state my present true proportions be How fortunate was then my fall that by the same more happily I was restorde and raisde againe redéemde from endles miserie Then is no looue so great as this no zeale so pure no charitie Nor no affection like to that an innocent for me should die He fréendly was but found no cause of looue and fauor which he bare Euen vnto me deceiuing none therefore O Lord my minde prepare And tell me what remainde in me which thou estéemde so gratiousty Why thou so déerely did me looue that for my sake desirde to die What haste thou found in me O Lord in nature or in qualitie The which so willing might thée make to suffer this great crueltie FINIS 6. Chap. ¶ Of the benefit of God in calling vs to faithe 7. cap. ANd thou my soule to th'end thou maist beholde this looue and ioy therein Consider what comparisons betwéene this looue and thée hath bin How much thy betters be forlorne refusde and cast away likewise That neuer to like grace with thée nor to like fauour could arise Thou knowst that since the world began whole generations passed be Without the knowledge of theyr God and price of theyr redemption frée The which are fallen into the lappes of déepe destruction endles dayes Vnlesse it please our Sauiour swéete of mercie his them thence to raise Héereby it dooth appeare to thée thou wast preferd before them all Fy thy redéemer which by grace so franck and fréely did thée call No cause at all remaindt in thée thereby to claime more then the rest The meere looue of thy Sauiour déere his mercy more to thee exprest Thy Spowse thy Loouer and thy Lord thy God and thy redeemer eke Hath chosen and forchosen thee before all worlds in mercy meeke For his great looue thus borne to thée thy God and Sauiour he became That thy memoriall might remaine he calde thée by his proper name He would thou should partaker be bothe of his name and truthe also Because thou art annointed with the oyle of gladnes which dooth flowe Euen from himselfe that with himselfe he beeing Christ the corner stone Thou maist in him a Christian so be called by his name alone But were thou stronger then the rest in noble ritche or wise degrée Thereby receiuing speciall grace aboue them all to make thée frée How many wise how many strong how many noble ritch also Reiected were yet chosen thou when they forsaken thence did go They perished thou prospered and highly doost in fauour stand Great hath his bounty béene to thée which thou receiued at his hand When thou wast foule he made thée faire when thou with sinne deformed was Yea lothesome ragged rent and torne this mighty woorke he brought to passe His grace he gaue to be thy guide his looue for to inritch thée more A resolution absolute of mercy his take this therefore Moste resolute in this respect perswade thy selfe euen so to be Except thou with indeuor doo as héerein is discribed thée That is thy former decencie thy comlines and cleanenesse all To comprehend and to retaine which thou enioyde before thy fall Els méete thou neuer shalt be thought to enter that Bride Chamber where Thy Spowse in heauenly manner sits thou shalt not in that place appeare Trim vp and deck thy selfe my soule prepare make ready now in time Let present leasure giue thee leaue for to redresse thy former crime Sleeke vp thy forhead from thy face and fashion fine thy trim attire Fret of thy freckles rub thy Warts wash of thy spots of foule desyre Smoothe all thy wrinckles handsome bee thy rude behauiour now amend With all thy might indeuor thou cleane to continue to the end In order all things sée thou set that thou maiste be accepted now Of this moste louing spowse and mate as héeretofore is tolde thée how Prepare thy selfe I say with spéede as best becomes the Bride of him That is immortall euen thy God with whom thou shalt remain most trim And as beséemeth such a Spowse that thée he may his Spowses call Thy Sauiour and redéemer euen thy mighty King celestiall FINIS 7. Cap. ¶ Of the gift of vertues The 8. Cap. KNow this also my soule that thou hast where withall thy selfe to dect As golden Bracelets for thine armes and Chaines to put about thy neck Which of thy selfe thou couldst not haue but that thy God dooth giue them thée For to bestowe at pleasure thine if thankfull for the same thou be For thou of him receiued hast thy vesture and thy garments all All thy good woorkes thy frutes of almes thy fasting and what dooth be fall To thée thy prayers powred foorth to him with faith he héeres the saine All other vertues be his gifts and by his grace in thée doo frame He garnisheth in goodly wise with gorgious and with trim attyre As if a robe bothe fresh and faire of sundry coloures thou desire Least thou should fayle in any poynt of health and of refection good He bountifully hath bestowde on thée thy health and dayly foode And whatsoeuer may repayre thy comlinesse and beauty bothe What els thy credit may conunend that thou should lack it he is lothe Thinke on the same I pray thee then with diligence aduised be That nothing héereof was thine owne till he in grace had giuen it thee That which before thou hadst receiude of him it stoode thée in no cost Of much which was on thée bestowde the same by negligence thou lost That which lost is thée restorde againe whereby thou maist be sure Not destitute thou shalt be left he still thy profit will procure In such sort as thou shalt perceiue and know how that intirely he Dooth looue thée like a Parramour most loth my soule for to loose thée And for this cause he dooth attend and paciently the time dooth stay Long sufferaunce and liberty he lets thee haue him to obay According to his mercy great so often as thou art to blame So often he thy faults remits as thou art sory for the same Wherefore record and call to minde how many may be found which haue Receiued like rewarde with thée as heere recited which he gaue Nor yet with the like fauour might finde for to be renewd againe When they defiled had themselues with foule abuse theyr state did staine Iuste cause thou haste considering then thy selfe belooued more then all For that the things which thou hast lost
for to looue them more But as our selues that is to wishe as to our selues is sayd before Especiallie the ioy and blisse that euerlasting dooth remaine That we with them and they with vs may at the length the same obtaine Them to assist and helpe likewise with bodilie and ghostlie foode As reason and habillitie requireth so to doo them good And as the Gospell dooth you giue to vnderstand euen so to doo To other men as you would wishe that other should doo to you For so sayth Iohn let vs not loue neyther in tongue nor yet in worde But euen in truth and veritie that loue is liked of the Lorde But now where are those neighbors whom we ought to loue forsooth euen all Both Christian Heathen Iewes friends and those which Enimies we call ¶ Why and how God is to be loued Cap. 2. SInce our soules health consisteth in the loue of God let vs prouide To way the cause with diligence when why and how our life is tride But to exite and to increase the loue of God in vs for aye To nourishe it not greater force then on his prouidence to stay Remembering his benefites which he doth heape vpon vs still That in the view thereof our soules doe faint as though our liues would spill For in this case we cannot be so able as we would desire To yielde him thankes for all his gifts as loue and seruice doth require Yet must we doe what may be done what resteth in the power of man So many thankes to render him as we by nature render can And see wherefore for benefites which we by merites might not haue He hath bestowed aboundantly that by decerte we could not craue Intirely he of vs therefore is to be loued with true intent But how and in what sort forsooth euen keepe his straight commaundement Giue eare therefore O man to that which greatest is of others cheefe In memory imprint the same Day night and houre it yieldes releefe And this commaundement it is Loue God the Lord with all thy hart With all thy soule with all thy might With all thy minde as his deserte With all thy memory and thoughts With all thy skill and knowledge eke Yield vnto him obedience due with humble hart and minde most meeke Yet peraduenture thou wilt thinke alas his loue to me is light Therefore I will not be afrayde to aunswere him with loue more slight Searche all thy thoughts haue in minde what he ere this hath doone for thée And what héereafter promist is to be bestowed in like degrée Then shalt thou finde how much thou art vnto him bound beyond thy might Yea and beyond all measure eke if thou regarde his grace aright But to the end the looue of God may quickned and augmented be Waighe and consider well the cause and looue him more aboundantlie Whom why and to what end mankinde was first created and what things God made for th'vse and ease of man these vnto him thy sences brings Whether they heauenly were or not visible or terrestriall Inuisible or in what sorte till his mercy did them call Our fyrst creator Lord and God one God and eke one Lord alone Whose goodnes of such greatnes is that he dooth blesse vs euery one Of which his blessings he dooth bid we on our partners some bestowe It cannot be diminished but dooth increase and ouerflow That goodnes therefore which him selfe is he to others would extend Onely of his frée goodnesse for necessitie may not contend Because vnto thy goodnesse chéefe it appertaines and els to none Our mighty and eternall God he profitable is alone Man of himselfe vnable is partaker of his blisse to be But by the vnderstanding of his mercy perfect made is he The more that he dooth vnderstand the more in grace he dooth abound The lesse that he dooth vnderstand for that he is more guilty found God made a reasonable man that he the chéefe might vnderstand Of goodnesse which th'immortall God had framed with his mighty hand By vnderstanding he might looue and loouing might the same possesse And so possessing it might haue vnto his profit nothing lesse The creature he distinguished that parte moste purely might remaine Vnto himselfe and not be ioynde with humaine shape the same to staine The Aungell is that perfite part without a body passing pure The other is the soule of man that with the body doth indure The reasonable creature is deuided thus as here you see Into the thing which it hath not And whith it hath for both these be That which no body hath is calde an Angell as the word we scan That which a body doth possesse we know doth represent a man He doth consist of flesh and blood his mightie maker to extoll Who by his power did him compact in shape with reasonable soule The cheefest cause Gods goodnesse is by which both men and aungels were With reason and with grace indewed Herein his goodnesse doth appeare So in as much as God is good so are we by his power diuine For goodnesse his he giues to them that from his grace doe not decline And to this end created were these reasonable creatures then to praise their God and him to serue as best becommeth christyan men And by the same we do possesse all profite to the creature For God himselfe fulfilled is with soueraigne bountie perfite pure He neither is deminished nor neede encrease hee is all one A Creator the profite is the creature his owne alone Therfore to them that will demaunde why to what end were creatures made A profytable reason straight is here set downe them to perswade The goodnes of the Creator for profyt of the creature So that he loue the Lord his God and in his seruice stil indure Finis 2. Cap. ¶ The cause of the creation of Aungels men and all other Creatures 3. cap. BOth men and angels are therfore said to be made for God aboue But not because he needeth them but for because hee doth them loue He needeth not the seruice haue of Angels or the sonnes of men He hath no want of worldlie goodes but that they both might vse him whom The seruaunt profite dooth receyue not he to whome the seruice due Is done him hath no néede thereof all textes in Scripture prooue it true As for him selfe the Lord made man the world for man he made also That it might serue at all assayes the vse of man in wealth to flow Where béeing placed in such state and high degrée as wishe hee could Bothe that he might be seruant there and serue his God as reason would That all the goodnesse might redound vnto him selfe of that he sought The seruice of the Lord his God which he to passe in him hath brought That man might holpen be thereby to serue the Lord in godlie trade Bothe in the thing for him ordaind as for the thing that man was made All thinges are ours th'Apostle
sayth aboue or equall howe they bée Inferiour or in what sort else all thinges in highe or lowe degree A highe comparison he makes for to perswade vs to the same Is God in Trinitie sayth he and Vnitie in one to frame The equall thinges with vs are ours in one consent with them t'agree As Angels at this present though farre distant from our sightes they bee In time shall be our equall mates where time in time no ende shall haue That woorthy we may be thereof Lord for thy mercie graunt we craue The thinges inferiour eke are ours and stand vs in most happy steede As necessarie instrumentes to serue our turne in time of néede As thinges pertaining to a Lord or Maister of an earthly man May be his seruants porcion like not robbing his sayde Maister than But pertinent by tytle due to serue the vse of seruant his Heereby the Maister hath no wrong the seruant hath not done amis In sundrie sortes the Scriptures saye that Angels for our sakes be sent To serue and to administer to vs by Gods cōmaundement Th'Apostle hath these wordes likewise are they not ministring Spirites callde Sent for their sakes that fear the lord that they in sinne should not be thrald Beleeue the same and let it not incredible seeme vnto you That he which king of angels is vs for to saue thought good to sew To saue and not be saued he came to dye for our redemptions all He gaue his life for many soules them to redeeme from endles thral The angells eke are saide for vs to offer vowes and prayers pure Vnto the seate of mighty Ioue therby our pardons to procure But not because they do instruct or teach the lord our deepe desires For he himselfe doth know our thoughtes to shew the same thers none aspires Before that wee do crimes commit and afterward to him is knowen Our fond imaginations al our selues before his face haue showen And they do waite to vnderstand his will and what his pleasure is And do to vs the same conuay to keepe vs least we walke amisse And for this cause the aungel sayd to men at such tymes as you pray I offred vp the same to God who sent you ayde without delay In like case also when you praye take not in hande our God to teache As if that ignoraunt he were what at his handes wee beseech But man must of necessitye commit his causes temporal Vnto theternall verity who can redeeme him out of thrall Whether he do desire the thing he could by his indeuour haue Or by consenting to the will of God and so the thing do craue From thabitacion of the heauens our soueraigne Lord doth angels send Euen downe to vs and for our sakes his heauenly pleasure to attend To visite and to help vs eke for God for vs and for themselues For him because most meete it is they wayte vpon no creature else But to reueale his lasting loue the bowels of his mercy great His pitye and compassiou both to imitate his mercy seate For vs because that we in them and they in vs like image haue And reuerentlie they doo admire his power the which such likenesse gaue Now for themselues because that with desire and feruent longing they Doo wayte our comming from this world with them in blisse to liue for aye Finis 3. Cap. ¶ Of the looue of God towards vs. 4. Cap. THis therefore is most néedefull nowe and necessarie to eche man That he consider with him selfe and eke in seuerall sort to skan When his owne woorthinesse is wayde and dignitie he doo not take It from his mightie creatour which him of nothing thus did make Looue him abooue all earthlie thinges of what estate or what degrée Estéeme not equall with his might those thinges that his inferiors bée What follie were it to compare the things that beautifullest bée With those that vile in sight doo séeme which serue in fowle and base degrée For sure it is no séemelie sight where beautie is but counterfeit To match it with the fayrest and for beautie with the same to set Therefore my soule peruse thine owne thy beautie vnderstand and prooue And by the same soone shalt thou learne whose beautie thou art bound to looue But if thy sight be duske and dull or darkned by thy negligence That thou thy selfe canst not beholde thou doost commit a fowle offence Yet at the least let others iudge and doo thou holde their iudgements true What estimation thou art of when they with clearer sight thee view Thou hast a Spowse of beautie such his bounty fauour and his grace Such Maiestie and Mercie great that thou couldst neuer sée his face And yet beholde he hath thée séene if not he would not looue thée so His gifts may make thée graunt thée same and tell if this be true or no. The perfect pledges of his looue and tokens of his kindnesse trie Of this if thou didst sée his face thou nothing doubtfull then would bée Then perfectlie thou shouldst perceyue that he in beautie passeth all So singuler so comely fayre as neuer set the lyke thou shall And yet enamored is of thee so much thy beauty doth appeare Aboue all creatures that he made that none with thee compared wer This beauty yet was not thyne owne but hys in thee left for thy welth that hauing it thou mightst perceaue it came from him thy sauing health But what meanst thou because thou canst not see him present as he is Art not ashamde iuinriously him to abuse with workes amisse Not onely in contemning these his louing graces to thee lent But seruile to thy sensuall lust as vassaile thou dost geue consent But o my soule take heed of this and do not so though able thou Be not assuredly to conceaue whatone he is his grace alow His earnest and his pledgefot thee the gage and token which he gaue As leasses of his loue iutyre from endles death he did thee saue In thy possession these be plast that thou mayst learne thy lord to loue With zeale and with affection great thy minde from him not to remooue His gift right noble is and great great mē giue great rewards we know Which doo receiue them at their hand as with his Maiestie may stand A wise man for a trifle wyll not giue a riche reward we sée But none can giue so great a gift as thy good God hath giuen to thée Yet greater is the gift which he in thée dooth looue thy selfe t'assure And eke much greater will he giue if thou thy faith to him indure But O my soule what are these gifts Examine looke the world beholde If euery thing therein containde To serue thy turne be not controlde Behold how euery creature dooth to serue thy turne his course direct Thy profit to supply and for thy wealth to vse as thy subiect For to accomplish thy delight commodities doo all abound Within the world for thy
Creatures all that in the world euer were No eye his countenaunce can discerne he in no likenesse will appeare And therefore to auoyde him quite it passeth mans habillitie Some time he dooth assault vs sore with violence euen openlie Some times he secretly will steale and guilefully he alwayes will Continew in his crueltie and seeketh meanes our soules to kill But who is able to endure all this his mischéefe to withstand Or who is fit t'encounter with this chapion stoute to take in hand In verie déede no earthlie man but he that long hath looued vs And that by his triumphant death this victorie atchieude for vs. Now maist thou knowe therfore my soule how harde and difficult it is Euen to be continent if that the grace of God thereto thou misse Great cause therefore we haue to looue him most intyrelie for the same For onelie in the Lord we haue this power praysed be his name Our might he giues vs to withstand this tryple battrey all by force Maintaind against vs by these foes that would of vs take no remorce It is our God that dooth therefore tread vnderfoote eche fowle offence Our looue our lust our lauishe minde our fleshlie vile concupiscence As also all the world and all her vile and worldlie vanities Her trecherous entisements and of men the wofull myseries And finally the Diuell with his crafte and false suggestions vile His subtile shiftes whereby he sought my simple soule for to beguile Then haue not I iust cause thinke you of duetie to confesse that he Which mightie is of mighties most all these great thinges hath done for me FINIS 13. Cap. ¶ Of the gift of Hope 14. Cap. MOreouer my good God dooth giue me grace that I my selfe perswade And to conforme that by his will I am to him obedient made And fullie am assured by faith that finally I shall not misse But by his promise shall inioye his kingdome and eternall blisse In the especiall pointes this grace consisteth and continueth too That I contempne detest and hate my sinnes forepast of purpose doo Disdayning present pleasures all or fonde delightes and séeke in some To frame and force our fowle desire to looke and long for thinges to come Which to attaine this hope we haue supported by thrée thinges also Which strengthen and confirme my heart that from this hope it dooth not goe And so dooth animate my minde me so incourage and perswade That lacke of merites want of workes nor worldly blisse my minde may glad Nor estimation of the ioyes which with delight my heart dooth grope Not any of these shall hable be to hale me from the fort of hope First I consider that the looue of him that hath adopted me And secondlie the trueth of him whose promises performed bée The thirde his mercie might and power that in these thrée did me redéeme Haue I not cause these benefites most highlie them for to estéeme Now therefore let my fleshlie thoughtes repine and murmure with disdaine Euen as they lust and aske me how I can these heauenlie ioyes attaine With confidence I aunswer will I knowe whome I beléeued haue His benefites perswades me so which vndeserued his mercie gaue Most condempnable were to doubt I am assured of his trueth I fullie am resolude from hence Grace and adoption bothe ensueth That he his promise will performe as one best hable to fulfill He may and dooth bothe heauen and earth commaund and they obay his will For these his merites I of right my God and Sauiour ought to looue It is the working of his Grace and mercie so my minde to mooue When I doo flée out from his face me to his presence he allures When I for sinfull life dispayre my present comfort he procures I am vnthankfull for his giftes yet dooth he benefite me styll When I vncleannes would commit he dooth my carnall humours kyll When I in vanities delight his trueth to me he dooth declare When I lie bound in snares of sinne he dooth my fréedome straight prepare And to conclude he dooth preserue and kéepe me from the pit of hell And drawes me from the wicked world within his kingdome for to dwell FINIS 14. Cap. ¶ Of Gods bountie of our iniquitie and of thankes giuing 15. Cap. BVt yet my soule beholde and sée consider how Gods goodnesse showne In all his giftes and benefites which thou receyuest as thine owne What gladsome comfortable chéere if thou thy worldlie will deny Christe offereth him selfe to thée what delycates he dooth apply With foode thy hunger to refresh he store in mercie dooth bestowe Thy pouertie he dooth enritch All these his graces thou doost knowe What secrete good affections hée euen with the same thy heart aspyres As with a pleasaunt cuppe of looue he dooth replenishe thy desyres That thou his footsteppes follow doo and transitorie thinges forsake Héereby thou mayst beholde thy God how great accoumpt of thée dooth make This is no simple thing thou séest or vile contempned for to bée That thou a gadding fugitiue his mercie more should giue to thée Thou wast a rechlesse rebell rude thou to eche treacherie wast thrall Yet he vnto his setled home and heauenlie mancion did thée call And plentifullie did refreshe with consolation spirituall He harkened to thy mishappe or euer thou had minde to call He comfortes thy confused minde if thou were tempted he sustaind If he in daunger did thée finde thy lybertie was quicklie gaind He thée reléeu'de if sorrowfull by him thou should comforted bée If wauering in minde thou waste he did confirme and strengthen thée How often euen with verie feare thou séemed like a withered wight He quicklie did thy state redéeme and thée endude with strength and might When thou in drought did drie away he did himselfe to thée infuse And often he with spirituall light thine vnderstanding did peruse Thy sence with swéetnesse he perfumde when thou delightst to reade or sing To praye or meditate thy minde in any kinde of heauenlie thing He rauished thy déepe delight from déepe delight in worldlie vice That thou mightst take thy pleasure in his euerlasting Paradice I leaue to speake of mightie workes it pleasde his Maiestie so to doo Of kindnesse and of mercie more which he restorde my soule vnto Least any parte of his due prayse should be ascribed vnto me And that the giuers graces should with the receipt vnited be Or knit together with the same or séeme as equall in consent Or he lyke praises should receyue whome God dooth make his instrument For if the creature should presume to be pertaker of the prayse Iniuriouslie he dealeth with his good Creatour diuers wayes For what hath any man a liue that he of God did not receyue Why should he then be praysde for that which he enioyes not but by leaue To thée therefore O Lord my God all honour prayse and glorie be Thankes giuing laude dominion power for these thy Graces gouerne me Sée nowe therefore