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
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