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A08920 Saint Bernard his Meditations: or Sighes, sobbes, and teares, vpon our sauiours passion in memoriall of his death. Also his Motiues to mortification, with other meditations.; Tractatus de interiori domo. English Bernard, of Clairvaux, Saint, 1090 or 91-1153.; W. P., Mr. of Arts. 1614 (1614) STC 1919A; ESTC S118711 165,249 611

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accuser and when it shall be sayd of mee behold the man and his vvorkes then I shall reduce and bring againe before mine eyes all my sinnes and offences For it shall be brought to passe by a certaine diuine power that good and euil works shal be recalled to the remembraunce of euery one and shall be seene in the view of the minde with a wonderfull speede and celeritie that the knowledge of them may accuse or excuse the conscience and that so both euery man seuerally and generally may be iudged together Euery man shall be iudged for his deeds And all the secrets of all men shall appeare and lie open vnto all For that which wee are ashamed At the day of iudgement all things shal be made manifest and blush at to confesse now shall then be manifest and apparant to all And there the reuenging and deuouring fire shall burne and consume whatsoeuer heere wee cloake and flatter by dissembling The swift fire shall rage and raigne euery where hauing gotten free scope and libertie And by how much the longer the Lord doth waite and tarry for our amendement so much the more strictly hee will iudge vs if vvee shall abuse and neglect his patience Why therefore doe vvee so earnestly couet this life in which the longer wee liue the more we sinne For by how much the more the dayes of our life are lengthened Nothing more mutable then humane condition by so much the more our faults and transgressions are augmented For euill things do daily increase but good things decay and are diminished Mans state doth neuer stand at a stay but is continually chaunged by prosperity and aduersitie and hee knoweth not when he shall die For as a blazing starre in the skie runneth swiftly and vanisheth away suddenly The shortnesse of mans life shadowed out by a double similitude or as a sparkle of fire is suddenly extinguished and turned into ashes so wee may see this life quickely ended and suddenly consumed For while man tarrieth willingly and liueth most pleasantly in this World and supposeth that hee shall liue long and purposeth many things to be done in long time hee is suddenly snatched away by death and the Soule is taken from the body before hee beware of it Yet the soule is separated with great feare much paine and bitter griefe from the body For the Angels come to take her that they may bring her before the Tribunall seat of a most fearefull Iudge then shee calling to minde her euill and most wicked workes which shee hath done day and night trembleth and seeketh to shunne and auoyd them and to desire a truce of them saying Graunt me the space yea but of one houre Then her workes as it vvere Our works will follow vs to iudgement speaking together shall answere and say Thou hast made vs wee are thy workes wee vvill goe forward with thee to iudgement Vices also shall accuse her with many and manifolde crimes and shall bring many false testimonies against her although one sufficeth to her damnation The Deuils also shall terrifie her vvith their gastly countenance and horrible aspect they shall persecute her and take holde of her as terribly so also horribly desirous to reteine her vnlesse there be one vvho can deliuer her from them Then the Soule finding the eyes shut the mouth and other sences of the body by which shee was wont to haue passage and to bee delighted in these outward things closed The state of a damned soule shall returne to her selfe and seeing her selfe alone and naked stricken vvith exceeding horrour shee shall faint in her selfe and fall downe vvith desperation And because for the loue of the world and pleasure of the flesh shee forsooke the loue of God shee wretched shall be quite forsaken in the houre of such great necessitie and shall be deliuered to the Deuils to be tormented in Hell So the soule of a sinner in the day wherein hee is ignorant and houre in which hee knoweth not is snatched away of death and is separated from the body and proceedeth forward full of miseries trembling and sorrowing and when shee hath no excuse which shee may alledge for her sinne shee fainteth and faileth with dreadfull feare to appeare before GOD shee is shaken and quaketh with exceeding horrour and is tossed and troubled with manifold tempests of perplexed thoughts and dispairefull cogitations the dissolution and separation of the flesh grieuing her and all being remoued out of her sight shee considereth her selfe and that time to which shee approacheth and after a little while she findeth in that that which can neuer be altered nor reuersed Shee considereth throughly how seuere the eternall Iudge commeth and what straight accounts she must make before the seueritie of such great Iustice For although shee haue escaped all the vvorkes vvhich shee could vnderstand yet for all that comming before a strict and seuere Iudge shee dreadeth those more which shee vnderstandeth not in her selfe Feare increaseth when shee thinketh she could not passe through the way of this life vvithout a fault neither that time which shee hath liued commendably is without offence if it be iudged pitty and mercy excluded For who is able to consider how many and how great euils vvee commit in moments of times Sinnes are of two sorts of commission and omission and what great good things wee neglect to doe For as the commission of an euill thing is sinne so the omission of a good thing is an offence For great is the losse and dammage when wee neither doe nor thinke good things but suffer our heart to wander stagger abroad through vaine and vnprofitable things Neuerthelesse it is a very hard and difficult thing to bridle the heart and keepe it from an vnlawfull cogitation Also it is a thing ouer-hard to execute earthly affaires without sinne Wherefore no man can perfectly comprehend and discerne himselfe But being busied toyled with many thoughts and cogitations he remayneth in some measure vnknowne vnto himselfe that hee knoweth not all those things which he tollerateth Why man is at his death fearfull Wherefore his departure out of the world being instant and pressing him hee is terrified with a more exact feare because although he remembreth that hee hath not omitted those things which he knew yet he dreadeth those things which he knoweth not Of the dignitie of the Soule MOTIVE III. OH Soule sealed with the Image of God adorned with his similitude Excellency of the Soule betrothed to him by Faith endowed with the Spirit redeemed by bloud associated with Angels capable of Beatitude heire of Goodnesse partaker of Reason what hast thou to doe with the flesh of whom thou sufferest so many euils Because of the flesh the sinnes of another are imputed to thee and thy vertues reputed as a stained and filthy clout and thou thy selfe art brought to nothing and reputed as nothing The flesh is no other thing vvith
thy daily consuming life thou mayest see the bright and glorious appearing of that euer-shining Morning whose euer-glistering Sunne shall neuer set nor his golden beames be euer obscured with any cloudy Euening And that thou mayest also see with thy cleere-sighted eyes neuer wearyed in beholding to thy Soules eternall solace to the infinite ioy of thy triumphing minde and constant delight of all thy purified sences the resplendant and radiant beames of the gliftering Sunne of conspicuous righteousnesse in vvhich thou mayest behold the bountifull the beautifull the glorious Bridegroome the Lord Iesus Christ vnited vvith his euerlasting most deere best and onely beloued Spouse whom hee hath decked with his rich and royall Robes adorned with super-excellent and admirable beauty hauing with his owne pretious Bloud yea Wee are clensed by Christs bloud his Heart-bloud vvashed cleansed and rinced her from all the foule staines spottes and blemishes of her former sinnefull deformitie Hee that is one and the same Lord of Eternall glory vvho liueth and raigneth by Times which are vvithout any bounds of measure and whose euer-durable continuance shall neuer haue any ending FINIS A most zealous and deuout Lamentation of blessed Anselmus sometime Arch-bishop of Canterbury for the losse of his Soules virginitie appliable vnto the soule of euery mortified Christian OH my soule sorrowfull soule Iob 14.1.5.7 Eccles 1.13 3.10 Oh miserable soule of a miserable wretched and contemptible Creature Arise out of the bedde of senselesse security and narrowly examine the particulars of thy great and grieuous transgressions Great sins desire and deserue great sorrowes rouze vp thy drouzie vnderstanding let the sence of thy haynous sinnes wound thy heart with such a dolefull compunction that thy deepe fetcht sighes may pierce the skies with the sharpe accent of thy sorrowes Let the greatnesse of thy b Ezech. 18.4.5 wickednesse affright thee with dismaying horrour and deepely wound thee with intollerable dolour The terror of a wicked conscience Thou I say which some-time being made as white as Snow with the c Eph. 2.22 Rom 3.25 and 5.10 celestiall Fountaine and Lauor endowed with the holy Spirit bound by a sacred oath to maintaine thy Christian profession being a Virgin hast beene obedient espoused to Christ thy glorious d Mat. 19.15 25.1.5.6 Bride-groome Alas too well I remember it Oh whom haue I named verily not so kinde a Spouse of my chast Virginitie as a terrible e Wis 17.1 Mat. 16.27 Rom. 2.1 Iudge of my odious impuritie Alas wofull is the remembrance of my decayed pleasure Why doest thou more and more increase the sorrow of the possessor How miserable is the lot of vvicked and hainous offences to whom both good and euill doe breed nothing else but torment and torture For an euill f Wis 17.10 Conscience doth trouble and vexe mee and horrour of that vnquenchable fire doth terrifie me in which I feare I shall burne continually and neuer be consumed The remembrance of a good Conscience and of the rewards of it doth afflict and affright mee vvhich I know I haue lost and shall neuer repossesse or recouer Woe is me to lose to lose that without hope of recouery which should haue beene carefully g Acts 23.16 preserued for euer Oh comfortlesse sorrow to lose that which doth not onely depriue mee of good things but doth also multiply my torments Oh Virginitie now not beloued of mee but lost departed from me thou art now not my onely solace and felicitie but alone my onely sorrow and incurable misery how is thy former beauty changed into disdainefull deformitie Into what deepe pit of calamitie hast thou deiected me Oh thou hatefull Fornication which hast defiled my minde with thy contagious vncleannesse and infected my soule with deadly diseases how and from whence didst thou creepe into my wretched bosome to vexe and molest mee From what glorious and delightfull state of Felicitie hast thou tumbled me headlong to languish in continuall miserie On this side bitter sorrow doth sting mee on the other side extreame pangs and terrible feare doth torment mee while my minde is distracted with heauy meditations vpon my vnrecouerable losses And as my losses are voyd of hope and consolation so my torment will admit no moderation and a Sea of woes doth ouerflow mee But if that which is good and that which is euill doe both alike punish and iustly afflict me so that I often feele the horror of death while I liue in this wretched life my guilty conscience doth tell mee and my perplexed thoughts teach mee that I haue worthily deserued it For thou my Soule disloyall periured against God thy Creator and become a filthy strumpet to the dishonour of Christ thy louing Lord and Redeemer art wofully throwne downe from thy glorious high estate of vnspotted Virginitie into the bottomles lake of loathsom Adultery Thou sometime espoused to the King of Heauen art now become an Harlot to the tormentor of Hell Alas for thee that art cast out of the fauour of God who did so kindely regard thee and art exposed to the malice of the diuell vvho will most cruelly torment thee Nay rather thou vvhich hast cast away God and embraced the diuell For thou being changed most miserably from a vertuous Virgin to a vitious strumpet and an impudent Harlot thou first hast offered an vnkinde refusall of thy first loue to God thy gratious Creator and wilfully and willingly hast prostituted thy selfe to the lust of the deuill a cunning deceiuer and thy cruell murtherer Oh damnable exchange most miserable and more then most miserable alteration Alas from what high seat of blessednesse art thou throwne downe into vvhat deepe dungeon of cursednesse art thou ouerwhelmed Alas how kinde and louing a Husband hast thou treacherously reiected how malicious mercilesse and dreadfull a Tyrant hast thou accepted Ah vvhat hast thou done thou furious madnesse of my doting vnderstanding thou doting vncleannesse and vncleane impiety what hast thou done Thou hast vtterly forsaken thy chaste and faithfull Spouse vvho gloriously raineth in Heauen and hast eagerly followed the Authour of thy odious vncleannesse into hell and in that deepe gulfe of euerlasting darkenesse hast not prepared for thy selfe a Bride-chamber to solace thy selfe vvith thy true and chaste beloued but a filthy Brothel-house where thou mayest bee defiled and polluted vvith incurable vncleannesse What wonderfull horror doth attend vpon thee vvhat peruerse will and lustfull desires hath bewitched thee Oh horrible wonder oh voluntary madnesse How oh God am I fallen into the corruption of such great impietie How oh Lord God shall I make satisfaction vnto thee for my grieuous iniquitie Throw thy selfe downe thou miserable and cursed Creature into the depth of immoderate mourning and misery who hast willingly cast thy selfe downe into the Gulfe of immeasurable and horrible iniquity Let the waight of thy wickednesse ouerwhelme thee let the heauy burthen of thy vnsupportable sorrow
in him they reioyce continually in other creatures hee is admirable because he createth all things powerfully gouerneth all things wisely disposeth all things bountifully In men hee is amiable because he is their GOD and they are his people Hee dwelleth in them euen as in his Temple and they are his Temple Hee disdaineth neyther particular nor vniuersall Whosoeuer is mindefull of him and doth both know and also loue him Motiues to moue vs to loue God hee is vvith him Wee ought to loue him because hee hath first loued vs and hath made vs after his Image and similitude which thing he would not impart to any other creature Wee are made according to the Image of GOD that is according to the vnderstanding and knowledge of the Sonne by whom we vnderstand and know the Father and haue accesse vnto him So great is the affinitie betweene vs and the Sonne of God as that wee are the image of him who is the image of God Which affinitie also the similitude doth testifie because wee are not onely made according to his similitude but also to his likenesse Therefore it behoueth that that which is made according to his image doe agree vvith his Image and not participate onely a vaine name of the Image In vvhich regard let vs represent and expresse his Image in our selues in the feruent desire of peace in the beholding of truth and in the loue of Charitie Let vs holde him in our memorie let vs carrie him in our conscience and let vs adore and vvorship him euery where vvho is present euery where For our vnderstanding in that same respect is the image of him in which it is capable of him and may bee partaker of the same The minde or soule is not therfore the Image of him because the minde remembreth it selfe How the soule is sayd to be the Image of God vnderstandeth and loueth it selfe but because it may be able to remember vnderstand and loue him of whom it was made The which when it doth it becommeth vvise The three faculties of the soule to wit Memory Will and Vnderstanding resembling the Trinitie For nothing is more like to that most excellent and highest Wisedome then a reasonable Soule which through Memory Vnderstanding and Will consisteth in that vnutterable Trinitie But it cannot consist and abide in the same vnlesse it remember vnderstand and loue the same Let it therefore remember her God loue and worship him after whose Image it was made with whom it may alwayes bee blessed Oh blessed Soule with vvhom GOD hath found rest in vvhose Tabernacle hee dwelleth and remaineth How the soule is said to be truly blessed Blessed which may say and hee which created mee resteth in my Tabernacle For hee cannot denie the rest of HEAVEN vnto her Therefore why doe wee forsake our selues and seeke God in these externall and outward things who is at home with vs if vvee will be with him Verely hee with vs and in vs but as yet by faith vntill vvee shall see him face to face Wee know saith the Apostle that Christ dwelleth in our hearts by faith How God dwelleth in vs. Because Christ is in our Faith Faith in our Vnderstanding our Vnderstanding in the heart the heart in our breast Through Faith I call God to minde as a Creator I adore him as a Redeemer I attend and wait for him as a Sauiour I belieue to behold him in all his Creatures to haue him in my selfe and that which is more pleasant and blessed then all these vnspeakeable to know him in himselfe What life euerlasting is For to know the Father Sonne and the holy Ghost is life Euerlasting perfect blessednesse What life euerlasting is chiefest pleasure The eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man what great loue what great sweetnesse and what great pleasantnesse doth remaine vnto vs by that vision when we shall see God face to face Which is the light of those which doe inlighten rest to the labouring a Countrey to them that returne from exile life to the liuing a Crowne to the conquering Therefore in my vnderstanding I finde the Image of that most high and supreame Trinitie to the vvhich most supreme Trinitie alwayes to be remembred looked vpon and to be loued that I may remember it be delighted with it embrace and view it I must referre and employ that time which I liue The minde is the Image of GOD The faculties of the soule resembled to the Father the Sonne the holy Ghost in vvhich are these three things Memory Vnderstanding and Will or Loue. VVee attribute to the Memory all vvhich vvee know although we thinke not of it Wee attribute to the Vnderstanding all vvhich vvee finde to bee true in thinking vvhich wee also commit vnto Memory By Memory vvee are like to the Father by Vnderstanding to the Sonne by Will to the holy Ghost Nothing in vs is so like to him as Will Loue or Charitie which is a more excellent vvill For Loue or Charitie is the gift of God So that no gift of GOD is more excellent then this For the loue which is of GOD and which is also GOD is called properly the holy Spirit by whom the loue of God is disfused in our harts by whom the whole Trinitie doth inhabite and dwell in vs. Of the miserie of Man and the examination of the last Iudgement MOTIVE II. COncerning the outward man I proceed from those parents which made mee to be worthy of damnation before I was borne Sinners begot a sinner and nourished mee with sinne the miserable brought a miserable creature into the miserie of the light I haue nothing from them but misery sinne and this corruptible body which I carry about mee And I hasten to goe to them which through the death of the body are departed from hence When I looke vpon their Graues and Sepulchers I finde nothing in them but ashes vvormes stincke and loathsomnesse What I am they haue beene and what they are I shall be What am I Man proceeding from a liquid humour For in a moment of conception I was conceiued of humane seed afterward that froth congealed increasing a little was made flesh Mans corruption and afterward crying and lamenting I was deliuered to the banishment of this World and behold now I die full of iniquities and abhominations Now euen now I shall appeare before a seuere and strict Iudge to render an account of my workes VVoe bee to mee miserable vvretch when that day of Iudgement shall come and the Bookes shall bee opened in vvhich all my actions and cogitations shall be recited in the presence of the Lord. Then hanging downe my head with confusion of an euill conscience I shall stand in iudgement before the LORD trembling and sorrowfull to vvit reckoning vp my wicked deeds which I haue committed The conscience of the wicked shall be their owne
and afterward may bee also present and ready to giue him full pardon of his sinnes But if a sinner doe truely repent and yet by some accidentall necessitie bee preuented that he cannot make any acknowledgement to such men as he hath offended we must confidently beleeue that whatsoeuer is defectiue in him concerning such acknowledgement is fulfilled by Christ who hath made a full satisfaction For GOD accepteth that as done which a man hath beene willing although not able to performe That Sinne is not to be excused MOTIVE X. IN the account of my sinnes where I should haue amended I haue augmented my sinnes and added sinnes to sinnes When I haue beene accused of them I haue eyther by some meanes excused them An vnrelenting sinner will either cunningly excuse or flatly deny his sinne or wholy denied them or that which is worst I haue maintained and defended them and haue answered impatiently when indeed there is no sinne with which I am not or may not be polluted It is iust therefore all occasion being remooued that I promise amendment howsoeuer or of whatsoeuer I am accused to the end that I may be deliuered from sinne committed or to be committed What a great euill it is not to correct or reprehend others MOTIVE XI I Greatly dreading the multitude of my owne iniquities haue beene afrayd to reprehend the transgressions of others By silence we make our selues guiltie of other mens sinnes when wee ought to admonish or correct them and therfore haue beene the Author of death because I haue not expelled the poyson which I might haue purged by crying out vnto them I haue stormed against others and haue beene incensed with furie when they haue reprehended me for my vices and I haue hated them whom I ought to haue loued I desired that those things might not be which did hurt or displease me Neuerthelesse I did know that in their owne Nature they vvere good and made of a good Maker and therefore they did hurt mee because I was euill and did vse them euilly For nothing is contrary or hurtfull to my selfe Good things are made euill by abuse but I my selfe For that is with mee and in mee vvhatsoeuer is able to hurt mee and I my selfe am a burthen to my selfe I wished also that God might not know my sinnes or that hee would not or could not punish them and so I would haue God to be foolish vniust and impotent Which if hee were hee were not a God There is no Pride aboue my Pride therefore the words of my transgressions are farre from my saluation Pride and God cannot dwell together For Pride is suspected and hatefull to GOD neither can it be that it may returne into fauour vvith him They lodge in diuers Innes neither doe they dwell together in one and the same minde vvhich might not dwell together in HEAVEN Shee was borne in Heauen but being as it were vnmindefull by what way shee fell from thence shee hath not beene able to returne thither afterward When as the Ayre hath beene at sometime troubled with Raine or else with too much colde or heat I murmured wickedly against God For all things which we receiued for the vse of life wee reuert or rather peruert to the vse of wickednesse Wherefore it is iust that vvee which haue sinned in all things be smitten and wounded in all things Oftentime in singing diuine Psalmes God more respecteth a true mourning heart then a sweet melodious voyce I was more delighted with the tune of my voyce then in the compunction of my heart But God to whom nothing is hidden vvhich is wickedly committed doeth not so much require the sweetnesse of the voyce as the purity of the heart For while the Singer doth tickle delight the people with melodious voyces he mooueth God to wrath with his euill conditions I haue oftentimes extorted of my Gouernours and Rulers license to speake or to doe something by ouermu h importunitie or by crafty subtilty not considering miserable wretch that hee couseneth and deceiueth himselfe vvhich laboureth priuily or secretly that the Magistrate or Minister may enioyne him that vvhich may best sort and most please his corrupt desire I haue often coueted and desired a Needle or a Knife or some base thing and I haue not beene touched with any sense of sorrow for my couetous desire because I did not esteeme it a sinne by reason of the basenesse of the matter Concupiscence is not to be iudged by the estimation of the thing but by the corruption of the desire But there is no great difference what substance so euer be desired base or precious if the affection be equally corrupted For the Knife is not in fault but the couetous desire of the Knife is to be condemned Neither is Gold in fault but the greedie desire of Gold is vitious and sinfull In my labour I haue not laboured so much as I should or so much as I could In silence also I haue beene idle which is a most great sinne For in silence no man ought to be so idle that in the same leasure he thinketh not on the profit of his Neighbour nor so busied that he require not the Meditation and contemplation of God For hee doth not profit himselfe much which doeth not profit another when he may I haue boasted my selfe of my Vices thinking that to be a signe of Vertue which was a criminall Trespasse Of Vertues also I haue made Vices For Iustice while it exceedeth due mediocritie and measure ingendreth the Vice of all bad and hatefull cruelty and too much pittie bringeth forth the dissolution and ouerthrow of discipline and necessarie correction so oftentimes that is vice which is supposed to be vertue Vices are taken or rather mistaken for vertues So carelesse remisnesse is supposed to be gentle mildnesse and the vice of sloathfulnesse doth imitate the vertue of quietnesse I fained my selfe to be that vvhich I was not or that I would not do that which I would said one thing vvith my mouth and willed another thing in my heart and so vnder the skin of a Sheepe I shrowded the conscience indeede of a subtill Foxe * Notes of a deceitfull Conscience For indeede a luke-warme conuersation and a more naturall and corrupt cogitation ioyned vvith a fained confession a short compunction obedience vvithout deuotion prayer vvithout earnest intention reading vvithout edifying speech without carefull circumspection are properties of a Fox-like and crafty conscience Oh how hard are these things to mee which I speake because I smite wound my selfe by speaking them notwithstanding because I doe not denie my selfe to be a sinner but doe acknowledge my sinne peraduenture the acknowledgement of my faults shall be the obtaining of my pardon with GOD a mercifull and pittifull Iudge The confession of sinnes is a ready way to obtaine remission Therefore I will declare my miserie if peraduenture his kindnesse and pittie may