that the one say to the other know God for all knoweth him and beholdeth him all praise hâ—m and loue him They know him without errour they sée him without ende they prayse him and loue him without wearinesse They euer see him and desire to sée him so much worthy hee is to be séene They euer loue him and euer desire to loue him so sweete is hée to be loued And by how much they loue him by so much the more they will loue him hee is so delightfull to bee enioyed In this delight they repose themselues being full of God full of all blessing and sanctification and cleauing euer to blessednesse they are blessed and happie beholding euer eternity they are eternall And ioyned to the light are made light beholding euer vnchangeablenesse are chaunged into vnchaungeablenesse So much the more willinglier they beholde him in how much hee is the sweeter which countenance is holy and mercifull his face honorable his speeche pleasant O blessed sight to see the King of Angels in his honour to see the holy of all holy by whom all are holy To see him is the chiefest felicity the chiefest ioy a blessed life and life euerlasting Godly Prayers A Prayer to God the Father to vouchsafe to helpe mankinde ALmighty God the ouerséer and searcher of my heart I doe most humbly confesse the omnipotency of thy Maiestie and the maiestie of thy omnipotency But how thou hast vouchsafed to helpe mankinde to the ende of all ages as I beléeue in my heart to righteousnesse and iustification so with my mouth before thée I confesse to my comfort and saluation Thou onely indéede God the father art neuer read as sent but the Apostle writeth so of thy Sonne which is when the fulnesse of time came God sent his sonne When hée saith hee sent hee apparantly sheweth that hee came sent into this world as borne of the blessed virgin he appeared in the flesh very true and perfect man But what is it that the chéefest of the Euangelistes saith of him hee was in the world and the world is made by him In truth thither hée is sent in humanity where hee was euer and is touching his Gothead Which sending I assuredly beleeue with all my heart and confesse with my mouth to be the worke of all the holy Trinity But how hast thou loued vs holy and good Father how much hast thou loued vs mercifull maker which also hast not spared thine onely Sonne but hast deliuered him for vs wretched sinners Hee was subiect and obedient to thee euen vnto the death yea to the death of the crosse taking vp the haâ—â— writing against vs of our sinnes and nailing it to the Crosse crucified sinne and slew death hee onely free amongst the dead hauing power to lay downe his life for vs and to take it againe for vs. Therefore is he a conquerer and a sacrifice for conquest and therefore a conquerour because a sacrifice to thee for vs a Priest and an oblation therefore a Priest because an oblation or offering Worthily haue I a strong hope in him because thou shalt heale through him all my griefes and weakenesse who sitteth at the right hand and maketh intercession for vs. For Lord my languors and griefes are great and many many they be and great for the Prince of this world hath many things in me I know and confesse it But I beséech thee deliuer mée through our redéemer sitting at thy right hand in whom no euill may be found Thorough him iustifie mee which hath done no offence neither was there found any guile in his mouth through him our head in whom is no spot deliuer me a member of him although very slerder and weake I beséech thée deliuer mée from all my sinnes imperfections faults and negligences Replenish mee with thy holy vertues and make mée to preuaile in good vsage and behauiour make me for thy holy names sake to perseuers in goodnesse euen to the end according to thy will Amen A Prayer to God the Sonne Obountiful Iesu O sweete Iesu O Iesu the Sonne of the blessed virgin Mary full of mercie truth O sweet Iesu haue mercie on mee according to thy great mercy O gracious Iesu I beseech thée by that precious bloud which thou hast vouchsafed to shed for vs wretched sinners vpon the aultar of the Crosse that thou wilt cast away all mine iniquities and that thou wilt not despise me humbly praying thee and calling vpon this thy most holy name Iesus this name Iesus is a coÌ„fortable name for what is Iesus but a sauiour O bountifull Iesu which hast â—reated mee and redéemed me with thy precious blood suffer me not to bee damned whome thou hast made of nothing O good Iesu Christ let not mine iniquitie destroy whom thy omnipotent goodnesse hath made and created O swéete Iesu reknowledge that which is thine in me wipe away that which is contrary from me O good Iesu haue mercy on me whilest time is of taking mercy least thou shouldest destroy mée in time of thy terrible iudgement O good Iesu if I wretched sinner from thy true iustice haue deserued euerlasting punishment for my most grieuous sins yet hauing a sure confidence I appeale from thy true iustice vnto thine vnspeakeable mercy vntill thou hast compassion on mee like a louing Father and a mercifull God O mercifull Iesu what profite is there in my bloud if I descend into euerlasting corruption For O Lord the dead shall not praise thée neither such as goe downe into hell O most mercifull Iesu haue mercy on mee O most swéete Iesu bee vnto me wretched sinner a fauorable Iudge O Iesu the health of those that put their trust in thée O Iesu the health of al that beléeee in thée haue mercy on me O swéet Iesu the remission of all my sinnes O Iesu sonne of the virgin Mary poure into me grace wisdome charitie chastitie and also a holy patience in all mine aduersities that I may perfectly loue thee for euer worlde without end Amen A Prayer to God the holy Ghost GIue sentence with mee O GOD and discerne my cause against the vngodly people Teach me to do thy will because thou art my god I beleeue in whome soeuer thou dwellest thou buildest there the long abyding place of the Father and the sonne togither Blessed is hee that shall deserue to receiue and lodge thee because by thee the Father the son make their mansion with him Come nowe come most blessed comforter of the sorrowfull soule descending in due time In tribulation an helper Come the clenser of euills the curer of wouÌ„ds· Come the strength of the weake the releeuer of those ready to fall Come the teacher of the humble the destroyer of the proude Come the gentle Father of the fatherlesse and motherlesse the fauourable Iudge of the widowes Come the hope of the poore the refresher of the faint Come thou starre of the Mariner thou hauen of them that escape shipwracke
THE SINNERS GLASSE Containing AVGVSTINES Ladder to Paradise With diuers Meditations and Prayers both for Morning and Euening Collected out of Saint Augustine and other ancient Fathers LONDON Printed by Iohn VVindet for John Budge 1609. To the vertuous and honorable Ladie Anne Windsor wife to the right honorable Lord Henry VVindsor AFter I had collected certaine doctrines and Meditations out of sundrie works of Augustine to mine owne priuate contentment In time following some of my learned friends by chance perusing and liking the order and method of them it put me in comfort to make them more knowne through the Englishing of them And honourable Ladie first out of that Booke vnder the name of Augustine intituled of the Spirit and Soule I had according to mine owne purpose disposed framed 15. portions or particulars out of many Chapters in that booke They are especiall easie teachings to many that yet know not what themselues are that thereby considering and beholding well of what they are made and their substance which is of the Soule and Body vnited and yet falling too often at variance will not be perswaded the one by the other they may feeling their owne miserie by it seek and desire higher after many diuine knowledges which may keepe their soules and bodies in vnitie and to bee at peace with God Then for the Meditations that follow I gathered them out of that blessed man his woorkes euery where when I thought which might mooue a godly minde not setting downe whole Chapters neither except foure or fiue but parcels thereof and contented partly with breuitie as also some time in a chapter meeting with the ignoraunce and corruption of that time in praying to Saints I left that part out which inuocation is a sacriledge not possible to haue any office allowed it in prayer through the whole scripture but by the large authoritie thereof it is most forcibly extruded And no doubt but Augustine in his time found it so lib. contra Parmenid 2. cap 8. For he sayeth Christian men doe togither commend themselues in their prayers but hee for whom none maketh intercession but he himselfe for all Hee is the verie onely and true Mediator And saith Ambrose lib. de Isaac anima He is our mouth by which we speake to the father our eye by which we see the father our right hand by which wee offer vs to the father otherwayes then by whose intercession neither wee nor all the Saintes hath any thing with God And I intend not that these abstracts out of those prayers and meditations vnto part of which I haue after my iudgment applied some verses out of the Psalmes shuld be vsed of any for or as in stead of their prayers for that cannot bee they haue beene long sithence offered vp by that holy man they were his owne But now they are to be taken as moouers stirrers vp of others to heauenly contemplation contrition and holy sorrow Our perfect prayer with the duties thereto belonging riseth of faith and knowledge which commeth by hearing and reading the Scriptures whereby thorough the holy ghost we are made able to seeke Christ and so the inuisible father who is not found elsewhere but in Christ that thus wee are come to haue a certaine communication with God in which entred into the Sanctuarie of heauen wee haue to doe with three persons As Gregorie Nazianzene vpon the Trinitie writeth I cannot sayeth he thinke of one but presently I am compassed round with the brightnesse and glorie of three Neither can I distinguish of three but suddenly I am brought again to one And so in our prayers it is with vs. Paul sayth thus Gal. 4. God hath sent the Spirit of his Sonne into our hearts which crieth Abba father which spirit so sent proceedeth from the Father and the Son and sendeth vs forth-with to call on the Father through his Sonne And also Rom. 8. That spirit in our hearts certifieth our Spirit that wee are the children of God And the same most holy 3. persons one God keepeth such an immediate course in our prayer that no Saint in heauen can come betweene the holy ghost and our redeemer to intreat him to heare vs or to bee ioyned with him or to bee in his stead for an in tercessor his leue and worthinesse maketh vs worthy through his spirit to come to him our selues As also that holy Spirit which is the cause that wee haue knowledge in the Scriptures prompteth vs how to pray how to edifie and how to answere our aduersaries visible inuisible Moreouer most excellent and heauenly knowledge is learned out of the Scripture in praise of which and comparing it aboue all other learnings Augustin saith de doct Christiana lib. 2. Whatsoeuer a man can learne without it if it be faultie or offensiue there it is condemned If it bee profitable there it is found And when whosoeuer hath found all things which elsewhere hee hath profitably learned hee shall finde those things the more abundantly by much which are learned no where else at all but in the admirable highnesse and marueilous humility of the sacred Scriptures Thus Madame signifying vnto you the contents of this briefe Collection I pray to the Almightie to enlighten and direct you alwaies with his Spirit to the increase of true honour through you in this life and to crowne you with glorie in the life euerlasting Your seruant to your honour dutifully affected Timo. Pimm A confession of our Sinnes O Lord my God euerlasting almighty Father I acknowledge and confesse before thy holy and high Maiestie that I was bred and born in sinne and corruption and that since my birth I haue not ceased nor doe cease dayly to transgresse thy commandements In respect wherof I cannot escape ruine and destruction according to thy rightfull iustice Notwithstanding forasmuch as I am sory that I haue offended thée and doe condemne both my â—elfe and my sinne and forasmuch as it hath pleased thée to loue vs euen when wee were thine enemies and for assurance thereof to giue vs thy onely and wel be loued Sonne our Lord Jesus Christ to be a Mediator and aduocate betwéene thée and vs promising that wee shall obtaine whatsoeuer we aske of thée in his name Vouchsafe O most louing God and mercifull Father to pardon and forgiue me in his name and for his sake and not only to clense my heart from all vanity and vncleannes but also to gouerne and guide me by thy holy spirit in all my waies that I may liue according to thy holy and heauenly commandements all the daies of my life to the glory of thy holy name through the same thy welbeloued Sonne So be it Morning Prayer O God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ whom no man knoweth but by thy speciall gift grant that vnto the rest of thine excéeding great benefites towardes mée this which is the greatest that can bee bestowed vpon mankinde may be added also
part of the heart that out of them wee may diligently consider our state or order of life and study and indeuor to doe their workes whose déeds and writings we couet to reade often Bubow shall wee conceiue these things in minde or how may wee take héede least in meditating on some of them falsly and vainely wee should passe the bounds set downe of the holy Fathers except first we shall be instructed by reading or by hearing for bearing after a certain manner belongeth to reading Whereupon wee were wont to say not only to haue read those books which we read to our selus and others but also those which we haue heard of our Masters Also what profiteth it a man when he may perceiu what may bee done by meditations except he getteth helpe by prayer and Gods grace to obtaine to them Euery good gift and euery perfect gift is from aboue comming from the Father of Lights without whom we can doe nothing It required prayer of the Samaritane woman when he said if thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that sayeth to thée giue me drinke thou wouldest haue asked of him and hée would haue giuen thee water of life The woman hearing this as if she had beene instructed by reading meditating in her heart to bee good and profitable for her to haue this water Therefore inflamed with desire of hauing it turned her selfe to prayer saying Sir giue me of that water that I may not thirst neither come hither to draw Note the hearing of the word of God and the meditation vpon it incited or stirred her vp to prayer For how might she bee carefull and earnest to aske except first meditatioÌ„ had moued her Or what had meditation going before profited her except prayer following did shew what she had requested to attaine to Therefore to the end that meditation bee profitable it behoueth that deuout prayer should follow the effect of which is as it were the swéetnesse of Contemplation Here are declared all these degrees so to bee conioyned that they are inseperable OVt of these we may gather the reading without meditation is barren Meditation without reading is erroneous Prayer without Meditation is nothing earnest Meditation without prayer vnprofitable Prayer with deuoutnesse and obtainer of Contemplation The obtaining of Contemplation without Prayer is very rare or miraculous For God of whose power there is no number or ende and whose mercy is aboue all his workes readeth vp Sonnes to Abraham out of fiue stones whilest or as yet hard and vnwilling hee bringeth them together to assent that they may be willing And so as prodigall as it is a coÌ„mon saying he draweth the Oxe by the horne wheÌ„ not called he putteth in himselfe Which thing and if when wee reade to happen to some men as to Paule and some others yet notwithstanding wee ought not as in a manner of tempting God to take vpon vs diuine things but to doe that which belongeth vnto vs that is to read and to meditate in the law of God To pray to him that he wold helpe our infirmities and consider our imperfections Which hee teacheth vs to doe saying aske and yee shall receiue séeke and yee shall finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you For now the Kingdome of heauen suffereth violence and the violent taketh it by violence Sée if the properties of the foure degrees aforesaid in their agreeable distinctions can bring to passe how they may agrée together and what euery one of them may effect or accomplish in vs. Blessed is the man whose mind is at leasure from other businesses hee alwayes desireth to be exercised in these foure degrées who althings that he hath being solde buyeth that fielde in which lyeth hid the treasure long wished for Marke yee and consider how swéete the Lord is Who that is exercised in the first degrée héedful circumspect in the 2. deuout in the 3. in the 4. lifted vp aboue himselfe he doth asceÌ„d by these which he hath disposed set in order in his heart froÌ„ vertue to vertue vntill hee may sée the Lord of Lords in Sion Blessed is he to whom it is graÌ„ted to remaine in this highest degrée euen a small time for he may truely say behold I féel the grace and fauor of God behold I contemplate with Peter and Iohn behold with Iacob I am often times delighted with the imbracings of Rachel But let this man beware least after this Contemplation in which hee was lifted vp to heauen hee fall downe by any disordinate occasion into the bottomlesse pitt nor after that visiting ended he bee turned into lasciuious déeds of the world and inticements of the flesh When in truth the weake sight of mans minde cannot long indure the brightnesse of the true light let it descend easily orderly to some one of the thrée degrées by which it had ascended and by course turne now in one now in another it may stay as in consideration of the place and time then is it by so much the nearer to God by how much it is the further from the first steppe or degrée But alas â—he fraile and miserable condition of man beholde wee apparantly sée by the leading of reason and the testimonies of scriptures the perfection of good life to bee contained in these foure degrées And in these spiritual good things mans exercise ought to bee imployed But whois he and we wil praise him To wil is present with many but with a few to performe and would to God wee were of that few Foure Causes which draw vs from these foure degrees BUT there are Foure causes which draw vs often times froÌ„ these foure degrées that is to wit vnauoidable necessity Commodity of honest businesse Humane infirmity and worldly vanity The first excusable the second tolerable the third miserable the fourth culpable For those whom such cause withdraweth from a holy purpose had béene yet better not to know the glory of God then known afterwards to goe backe What excuse shall we haue for sin for iustly can the Lord say what should I haue done for thee and haue not done it Thou wast not and I haue created thée thou hast sinned and madest thy selfe the seruant of the Diuell and I haue redéemed thée thou diddst runne a race of the world with the wicked and I haue chosen thée When I gaue thee grace in my sight would make an abiding with thée thou despisedst me and not onely hast cast behinde thée my wordes but my selfe and hast walked after thine owne concupiscenses But O good God gentle and méeke a swéete friend a wise councellor a strong hâ—lper how vain how rash is he that renounceth thée that putteth back so milde and quiet a guest from his owne heart O vnhappy and dangerous change to put away his Creator and to receiue hurtfull cogitations Yea that secret seate of the holy Ghost the secret of the heart which a litle time before bent and
Apostle did know when he saide By the grace of God I am that I am and because his grace in me is not in vame his grace remaineth in mee This double knowledge had Abraham of himselfe when he saide Beholde I haue taken vpon me to speake vnto the Lord which am but dust and ashes In truth man is but dust for as dust is forced about with euery winde and is cast downe and there remaineth So man may fall into euery vice neither can moue to rise except the mercy of God ayde him Also man is ashes because as ashes bringeth forth neyther budde nor sproute of it selfe neither the receiued séede springeth out of it So a man neither can doe good nor remaine in any good thing without the grace of God Therefore wée ought to render great thankes vnto God because hee hath granted many good things vnto vs and many euils that wee haue done hee hath pardoned vs and hath preserued vs from many euils which wee might haue done as likely as many others which wee haue committed done for what euill soeuer wée haue not done it is through his mercy that we haue not done it for if he had suffered it surely we had done it aswell in déed as will And in sooth I do not know whether wee ought to loue him more for those thinges which hee hath forgiuen vs or for those sins which hée hath kept vs frée from For although wée haue not done them wée ought to thinke as if wée had done them and as though hee had forgiuen them for somuch as we had at the least done theÌ„ willingly if he had suffered it In very truth whosoeuer in such maner doth acknowledge himselfe he is both humble before God and men He loueth God and all men for God his sake And if hée haue perfect charity hée iudgeth no man he accuseth no man he condemneth no man he beareth no malice hée mooueth no brawles â—ée soweth no discorde hée doth not persecute innocents he hâ—reâ—â— not those which reproue him hée committeth no theft no false witnesse no periury he slandereth no man be hurteth no man hée hateth none but loueth all men It is written yée shall loue one another for so familiar is charity with God that hee will not dwell in him in whoÌ„ charity is not Who so euer therefore hath charity hath God because God is charity And who so hateth one man looseth God and the good that he doth Wherefore let euery one be carefuâ—l least for the hating of one man he looseth God and euery good thing CHAP. XI That euery man should know himselfe KNow thy self know from whence thou commest and whither thou shalt how thou liuest how much good thou dost or failest therein how farre thou art from God or how neare not as in space betwéene places but in the likenes and vnlikenes of good life and behauior Know how thou art a man whose conception was in sinne to bée borne in misery to liue in griefe and paine and that to die there is no remedie Certaine is it that thou shalt die but vncertaine how or when or where because death expecteth thée euery where And thou if thou be wise expect it euer Therefore carefully take héed what thou doest or what thou oughtst to do if thou hast anything to doe do it If it be to doe good mixe it not with any euill if it be good that thou shouldest doe accomplish it with much vprightnesse as thou oughtest If it be for another doe it as if thou shouldest doe it for thy selfe If thou thy selfe doest good doe it so well that it be a good example to others And thus as the Prophet Dauid sayeth and willeth Thou shalt decline from euill and doe good CHAP. XII What Meditation is BY Meditation wée may the better know God our selues Meditation bringeth knowledge knowledge bringeth compunction compunction causeth deuotion deuotion causeth prayer Meditation is an often moouing of the minde very diligent and foreséeing to search or finde out the meaning of thinges which are hard to bee vnderstood and to bring secrete thinges to knowledge Knowledge or learning is when a man is inlightned by often Meditation to the knowledge of himselfe Compunction is when through the consideration of his owne euills the heart is touched with an inward griefe Deuotion is a godly and an buÌ„ble affection towardes God Hamble by the knowledge of his owne infirmities godly by the consideration of the diuine mercy Prayer is a deuotion of the minde conuerting to God thorough holy and humble affection Affection is a certaine selfe will and swéete inclination of the mind wholy towardes God for there is nothing mouing God so much to loue and mercy as the pure affection of the minde Mens natures is to loue and prayse the knowledge of heauenly and earthly thinges But they are much better that preferre before this knowledge the knowledge whereby to know themselues For truely more prayse worthy is the soule that knoweth his owne infirmity and misery then it which searcheth the course of the starres and natures of things For the soule which waiteth vpon the Lord moued by the feruency of the holy Ghost and imbaseth it selfe before him in his loue and though not able yet willing to enter into him and hee shining oâ— that soule it wayteth on him and findeth him and acknowledging the grief of minde not to bée compared to his mercy hath good cause méekely to wéepe and to beséech him that hee will haue mercy and compassion on it and to put from it all misery This poore soule néedy and sorrowfull knowledge puffeth not vp because loue and charity edifieth and establisheth it For man setteth before him knowledge that is to know himselfe and his owne infirmities rather then to know the force and vertue of hearbes and the nature of all liuing creatures and setting before him this knowledge hée setteth before him griefe and sorrow that is in what hee hath rebelled and lailed in in this his life and pilgrimage in the earth considering of his owne country which hee is to go to and to sée his liuing and eternal God He sorroweth that he is kept in banishment and exile because hee is delayed and put off from his kingdome Hee sorroweth whilest hee calleth to minde what and how great euils he hath done and what intollerable paines for them hee is like to suffer CHAP. XIII That the soule cannot containe it selfe in good thoughts WHen I doe consider what the nature of the Soule is which can giue life to the flesh but cannot as it desireth containe it selfe in good thoughts I doe finde a certaine spirit belonging to vnderstanding liuing by the power of the Creator and quickening the body which it nourisheth and maintaineth But notwithstanding subiect to vanity and changeablenesse which often times myrth and gladnesse lifteth vp feare troubleth iniquity mortifieth righteousnesse reuiueth for in trueth the life of the Soule is God the death of the Soule is
Come the excellent glorie of all the liuing the onely health of the dying Come most holy spirite come and haue mercy on mée prepare mée for thée and discend louingly to me that my vnability and weakenesse may please thy greatnesse and strength according to the multitude of thy compassions through Iesus Christ my sauiour who with the father in vnitie of thée liueth and raigneth world without end Amen A Prayer to the holy Trinity O Thrée coequal and coeternall persons one god and true the Father the Sonne and the holy ghost who onely possesseth eternity and light that no man can come to who hast made the whole worlde with thy power and rulest the round compasse of the earth with thy wisdome Holy-holy holy Lorde God of Sabaoth terrible and strong iust and mercifull to be wondred at to bee praised and to be beloued one god three persons one power wisdome and goodnesse one and vnseparable Trinitie Open to mee calling on thee the gates of righteousnesse and then entring into them I wil confesse to thee O Lord. Beholde the earnest desire of the inward affections of my heart crying out and the complaint of the teares of mine eyes at thy gate O most gracious father before thee is all my desire and my mourning is not hidde from thee and thou O Lord turne not thy face any more from me neyther passe by in thy wrath from thy seruant Father of mercie heare the wailing of thine Orphan and reach out thy right hande an helper that it draw mee backe from the depth of waters and lake of miseries and the puddle of dregs least I should perish the mercy of thine eyes looking on the clemency of thy heart beholding but that I may passe without danger to thée my Lord God that I may sée the riches of thy Kingdome and beholde thy face for euer and sing prayses to thy holy name O Lord which doest maruailous thinges which makest my heart glad with the remembrance of thee which lightenest my youth Despise not mine olde age but make my bones to reioyâ—e and my gray haires to renue as an Eagle Amen Another of the same O God the true and very excellent life from whome by whome and in whome all things whatsoeuer doe liue are good and glorious to see to God whose faith doth erect vs whose hope doth comforte vs whose loue doth linke vs together God which commandest thy selfe to bee sought and makest thy selfe to bee found and openest to him that knocketh God from whome to bee turned it is to fall to whome to bee turned it is to rise in whome to remaine it is most auaileable God whome no man loseth but is deceyued whome no man seeketh but is warned whome no man findeth but is clensed and healed God whom to knowe it is to liue whome to serue it is to raigne whome to praise â—t is health and ioy to the soule Thee I praise blesse and honour with my lippes and heart and with all the strength and power I am able and I thanke thy mercy and goodnesse for all thy benefites and I sing an Hymne to thy glorie Holy holie holy I call on thee O blessed Trinity that thou wouldest come into mee and make mee a worthie temple of thy glorie I beseech the Father by the Sonne I beséech the sonne by the Father I beseech the holy Ghost by the Father and the sonne that all my sines and weckednesse bee remooued farre from mee Most mightie God from whome all things by whom all things and in whome all thinges are made visible and inuisible which compassest thy workes round aboute which replenishest them within couerest them aboue and sustainest them vnderneath keepe mee the worke of thy handes hoping in thee and trusting in thine onely mercy keep mee I beseech thee heere and euery where now and euer within and without before and behind aboue beneath and round about so that no place lie open in me to the deceits of mine enemies Thou art God omnipotent the keeper and protector of all them that put their trust in thee without whome no man is safe no man is deliuered from daungers thou art God and there is no other God besides thee neither in heauen aboue nor in earth below which doest great things to be wondred at of which there is no number Praise honour and songs to thy laud belongeth To thee al the Angels to thee the heuens and all the powers make Hymnes and sing prayses incessantly as it behooueth the creatures to their Creator the seruants to their Maister the Souldiours to their King Euery creature magnifyeth thee euery soule prayseth thee most holie and vnseperable Trinity through Isus Christ our Lord Amen A Prayer how the word becomming flesh is cause of our hope GOD is not so much an enemy that hee may not loue his owne flesh his owne members ' and bowels verily I might despaire by reason of my too many sins and vices faults and infinite negligences which I haue committed and dayly and continually do in Hearte and Worde and deede and by all the meanes by which humaine frailety may sinne but that thy worde my GOD was become flesh and dwelled in vs. But now I dare not despaire because hee beeing obedient to thee euen to the Death yea the death of the Crosse tooke vp the hand writing of our sinnes and nailed it to the Crosse Crucified sinne and Death Therefore in him safely I rest which sitteth at thy righte hand and maketh intercession for vs. Hauing a sure confidence in him I look for to come to thee in whom we are risen againe now we are ascended into heauen and set together in the celestiall places to thee be praise to thee hee glorie to thee be honour to thee be praise and thansgiuing Amen A Praier that the kingdome of Heauen may be obtained O Happie reioysing and reioysing happinesse to see the holie ones to bee with them and to bee to see the holy God to possesse God for euer and infinitly these things wee should consider of with an earnest minde these thinges wee shoulde desire with all longing that wee might bee able quickly to come to them If thou wouldest consider and inquire how this may bee brought to passe either by what meanes heare mee this matter is put in the power of him that can doe it because the kingdome of Heauen suffereth violence the Kingdome of Heauen O man seeseeketh no other price then thy selfe it is worth so much as thou art giue thy selfe and thou shalt possesse it Why art thou troubled touching the price Christ hath yeelded and deliuered vp himselfe to God his father that thou shouldest purchase thee a Kingdom thou so giue thy selfe that thou be his Kingdom and that sinne may not raigne in thy mortall bodie but the spirit in obtaining of eternall life A Praier for the sweetnes of heauenly loue I Loue thee my God I loue thée and more and more will loue thee O my Lorde my God