selfe-same soule And to the end thou maist more clearely understand these things I would have thee to know that the Source and Fountaine of all my sorrowes was that high and ineffable divine dispensation whereby it was forbid mee that the influence of my glorie and fruition thereof which were in the superiour faculties of my Soule should redound to the inferiour for otherwise shee had felt no sorrow But because this influence was by the divine dispensation prohibited mee therefore did I at once perfectly enjoy all joy according to the Superiour faculties and perfectly suffer and become most vehemently afflicted according to the Inferiour faculties And thus miraculously hath the power of my Father joyned anguish with greatest sweetnesse and highest power with lowest weaknesse Because that this influence prohibited me was altogether repugnant to the course of Nature For naturall it is and according to the course of Nature that the Superiour powers or faculties redound to the inferiour and the Inferiour have impression in the Superiour And by how much this Dispensation was more wonderfull by so much was my sorrow more sharpe and dolefull Thou art to know also that I kept my naturall strength during my Passion even to the point of death Whereby it followeth that my Passion was more dolorous Sinner Surely hee is worthy of death who refuseth to live to thee my LORD JESU who laidst down thy life for us Yea though alive yet he is dead who in the remembrance of thy most bitter continuall Passion and representation of thy Crucifying beareth not thy pricks in his body by sharpnesse of repentance and upon the altar of his heart crucifieth not himselfe for thee by making a Crosse for himselfe to represse carnall delights Christ. He that will come after mee let him deny himselfe and take up his Crosse dayly and follow me Sinner O Jesu the power of God and the wisdome of God give me the understanding of these words Christ. In these my words I have proposed three things to a reasonable man made to the Image of God to wit Servitude Lowlinesse Sharpnesse Servitude is implyed in denying himselfe Lowlinesse in bearing of my Crosse Sharpnesse in imitation of mee That hee who by disobedience fell from the state of a threefold felicity might rise againe by Obedience being humbled with the affliction of a threefold misery For he had fallen from himselfe from society of the Angels from the sight of God that is from Dignity Liberty Felicity Let him therefore heare my counsell that by denying himselfe that is his owne proper will hee may regaine his owne Liberty by taking up his Crosse that is by chusing to bee contemned and disvalued by others hee may regaine the Angels society By following me that is by imitating the steps of my Passion by chastising of his flesh he may regaine the sight of my glory Sinner Truly it is meet and right yea necessary that they suffer with thee who will reigne with thee that they imitate thee who will enjoy thee Christ. Happy is this sentence of thine owne mouth Happy yea three and fourefold happy is he who alwaies considereth how strait and narrow how bitter and sharpe the way is which leadeth to life when it behoued me to suffer that I might enter into my glory If I bought my owne glory at so high a rate Who shall have it altogether freely and for nothing Therefore there is no other way by which thou canst come to the heavenly reward but by labours and afflictions That Rich man who chastised not himselfe with labours of repentance in this world is now in eternall paine in hell But the Poore man with the dolour and labour of this miserable life hath purchased a crowne of eternall glory Sinner Woe is mee that I am allured with the sweetnesse of carnall delights and deceived with the vanity of secular joyes when as I ought to imitate thee whom I read to have oft sorrowed and lamented but once in Spirit to have rejoyced Mary thy Virgin-Mother once rejoyced in a Soâ—g O how ofâ—en hath the sword of sorrow gone thorow her Soule Iohn thy forerunner Paterne and Preacher of repentance rejoyced once in his mothers wombe but how often may wee well beleeve that hee lamented after his comming from her wombe Christ. When I hung upon the Crosse I promised Paradise to none but one that was upon the Crosse. Such are upon the Crosse who cruciâ—ie their flesh with the vices and concupiscences thereof Upon the Crosse also I prayed onely for such as sinned negligently not for such as sinned wittingly For so long as they are such sinners they are excluded from the embraces of me that was crucified who with hands spred upon the Crosse embraced all for whom I suffered If thou wilt therefore ascend after me and reigne in heaven with mee thou must follow mee by the way of the Crosse by which I have entred into my glory Look for no easier way in the way which I have gone before thee thou must follow For if thou stray from my steps thou shalt perish Attend diligently that thou maist know by what way thou maist ascend into Heaven At such time as I came into the World I descended by a Ladder that had three steps to wit of humility whence it is read of me Thou shalt finde the Babe of Poverty whence it followeth in the same place Wrapped in cloaths And of austerity as ensueth laid in a manger And by these steps I afterwards returned to heaven These steps mine excellent Apostle Paul intimateth writing thus of me He emptied himselfe behold the step of Poverty Taking vpon him the forme of a Servant behold the step of Humility becomming obedient even unto death behold the step of Austerity But whither hath this Ladder of three steps brought mee Heare what followeth For this cause therefore hath the Lord exalted him and given him a name which is above all names Fooles therefore and mad-men are they who would ascend up into heaven after me by a Ladder that hath steps contrary to these to wit by Richesse Delights and Honours Surely this Ladder leadeth to Hell as the first did to Heaven Sinner It is a great shame for the servant to bee feasting and idling while his Master is suffering and labouring Christ. Whosoever devoutly meditateth of this my Passion cannot but bee ashamed to follow the pleasure of the flesh The memory of my crucifying crucifieâ—h all vices In the paines of my Passion all the delights of the flesh and of the world are condemned which if thou wouldest subdue without difficulty thou must devoutly remember my Passion and sweetly delighting thy selfe in it sincerely cleave to my wounds yea if thou wouldst foile and resist the Devill who especially pursueth and persecuteth the religious and restraine him from annoying thee thou oughtest dayly and devoutly to remember my Passion But necessary it is that they imprint the example and fimilitude of
A SPIRITVAL SPICERIE Containing Sundrie sweet Tractates of Devotion and Piety By RI. BRATHWAIT Esq. Cant. c. 1. 12. c. 5. 13. My Welbeloved is as a bundle of Myrrhe unto mee he shall lye betweene my brests His cheekes are as a bed of Spices LONDON Printed by I. H. for George Hutton at his shop within Turning stile in Holborne 1638. TO THE TRVLY ENNOBLED THOMAS LORD FAUCONBERGE Baron of YAROM Together With his pious Progeny those succeeding Branches of a prospering Family R. B. Zealously Dedicates this Spirituall Spicerie Vpon the translation of his Divine Dialogue TO you my Lord who knowes th' Originall This may seeme fruitlesse yet these sacred flowres Like a Bride-posie at a Nuptiall May tender choice content to some of yours Which blest effect would crowne this Worke of ours That we should be so happy as to give Where we do love RULES how to dye and live Which for his Sake we aske that is our Saviour That we may live in 's feare dye in his favour A TITLE-TABLE Or Short Summarie of all such Tractates Meditations Prayers Contemplations and Motives to Piety as are comprised within this SPIRITUALL SPICERIE A Divine Dialogue or a comfortable Conference betwixt our Saviour and a Sinner with the Life of GRâ—YTRODIUS the Author Professant of a strict disciplinary Order Page 1. A familiar Expostulation of the Flesh to GOD the Father touching Câ—RIST pag. 53. An Answer of the Father to the Flesh. p. 61. A pithy Meditation upon this Expostulation and Answer to inflame the Soule with a devout fervour p. 65. Generall Rules of living well p. 69. The Sorrowfull Soules Solace p. 82. A Meditation referring to the former Ejaculation p. 93. Mans-Mutability p. 95. Minds-Traâ—quillity pag. 103. A Meâ—itation containing the praise of Peace and her Beautie p. 109. Christian Philosophy p. 113 The Soules Jubilee p. 121. The Christian Store-house p. 144. Man his owne Foe p. 153. Two devout Prayers or Meditations of F. Lewis of Granado p. 164. 167. A short and fruitfull Confession of a Sinner unto God for obtaining Contrition p. 179. A Confession of Sinnes p. 183. A Prayer before the holy Communion p. 187. A Prayer after celebration of the holy Communion p. 190. An other Prayer p. 193. A Prayer for all Judges and Justiciaries p. 196. A Prayer for peace or tranquillity of minde p. 201. Of the presence of the Conscience in every place p. 206. A Pithy Consideration inforcing in us to the former Subject a more serious Meditation p. 209. A Closing Sonnet upon these Miscellane Meditations p. 223. A Reply to a rigid Precisian rendring him in a sententions Sapphicke of the Poet all satisfaction p. 226. A Christian Diall which may serve well to shadow out our houres number our dayes direct our wayes contract our yeares and regulate our desires p. 228. The Life of Ioannes Lanspergius a Carthusian Author of that Christian Diall p. 230. A briefe institution with an Exerâ—ise for an happie deaâ—h expressed in a familiar Conference betwixt God and the Soule Wholesome Admonitions teaching a Christian how to dye well p. 252. An Exercise whereby â—arely or whensoever thou willest thou maist poure out thy heart unto God for a good death p. 257. An Oblation of Christ and his meriâ—s to his Father p. 261. The Dying mans Diary or a Christians Memento mori divided into a five dayes Exercise p. 264. Profitable Counsell for one approaching neare the point of death p. 265. An Exercise wherein the sicke person with sighes and groanes may resigne himselfe unto God and â—ervently desire that he may deserve to be joyned unto him p. 270. A Christians Last-will or Testament containing a Protestation or Testament not unprofitable to be repeated or meditated of every Christian at the point of death p. 281. An Elegie of Saint Dionysius of the judgement of death p. 288. An Epistle of Ludovious Blosius written to an especiall friend upon the perfecting and publishing of his Worke entituled The Parlour of the Soule p. 290. Certaine choice or Select Sayings of D. Henricus Suso of the love of the World and of the love of God p. 304. Of the Passion of our Lord. p. 309. Of the holy Eucharist p. 313. Of resigning denying and mortifying ones selfe p. 316. The Passionateâ— Pilgrim Breathing a Contemplative Mans Exercise offâ—ring a Pâ—nitent Soules Sacrifice p. 325. Deaths Memoriall p. 336. Deaths distinction p. 343. Holy Memorialls or Heavenly Memento's p. 345. Of his Conception Memoriall I. ibid. Of his Birth Memoriall II. p. 352. Of his Childhood Memoriall III. p. 360. Of his Youth Memoriall IV. p. 367. Of his Manhood Memoriall V. p. 375. Of his Age. Memoriall VI. p. 383. His Pleasures Memoriall VII p. 395. His Labours Memoriall VIII p. 406. His Life Memoriall IX p. 417. His Death Memoriall X. p. 443. THE LIFE Of JACOBUS GRUYTRODIUS Author of this Divine Dialogue Or Christian Manuall faithfully rendred according to the Originall IACOBUS GRUYTRODIUS a German a man singularly versed divine and humane Learning And opposite in constancy of opinion and consonancie of doctrine to those surreptitious Errours of the Time who as hee had commendably passed his youth in the Liberall Sciences so hee consecrated and happily bestowed the residue of his time to the honour of God in a devout privacie having his pen ever vers'd in Works of devotion and piety never in arguments of division or controversy He lived in the yeare M. CCCC.LXXII A Divine Dialogue Or A Comfortable Conference betwixt our SAVIOUR and a SINNER Sinner PArdon mee I beseech thee my most gracious Lord Jesu CHRIST thy most unworthy and unhappy Servant desirous to talke a while with thee and of thee Christ. Why Who art thou Sinner A sinfull man who unhappily and rashly have fallen into the misery and filthinesse of sundry sinnes and much more unhappily am ready to fall into eternall misery and calamity after the end of this life Christ. Thou needest not feare this fearfull fall if thou wilt but doe so much as truly repent thee of thy sinnes committed and henceforth abstaine from those sinnes whereof thou hast repented For I most tender in my compassion towards thee out of meere love descended from the royall Throne of mine high glory to unmeasurable dolour and anxiety all which I willingly suffered in my flesh in my mind in my members and senses to the end that I might deliver thee from the eternall torments of hell and bestow on thee the joy of Heaven Doubt nothing therefore touching thine offences I will forget them all so thou forget thine evill affection and depraved custome I will forget I say and blot out thine iniquity and as farre distant as the East is from the West so farre will I divide thee from thy sinne I will cleanse thee Neither will I cease till I
fulfill thee throughout that Where sin hath abounded grace likewise may superabound Yet I would beloved I would be trusted I would with sighs and teares be intreated than which no sweeter melody can unto me be tendred Sinner O my crucified JESU I know I am dearer to thee than I am to my selfe for to thee I am alwayes deare who as it is written Lovest all things that are and hatest nothing of those which thou hast made But man is not alwaies equally deare to himselfe as he is unro thee because hee that loveth iniquity hateth his ownâ— soule Christ. This have I shewn in the continuall sorrowes of my whole cruâ—ified life For I received the Crosse of my Passion in the Womb of my mother and continually bore it in my heart and confirmed it with much austerity in my body So as that I might purposely shew the unmeasurablenesse of the sorrowes of my soule my finall passion then approaching it was my will to sweat blood thorow all my members and that which lay hid as a secret of my crucifying from the wombe of my Mother with sensible signes to reveale to my faithfull ones which seemed fittest to be at my passage and poinâ— of death Sinner I conceive my good JESU how in that bloudy sweat with which thou wert deep-died and engrained in all thy members thy blessed soule wholly suffered because it is whole in every part of the body yea and the very life of the body But tell me what thou requirest of me for so great anguish continually sustained for me Christ. Onely to love me againe For to this end have I suffered my passion that I might purchase thy affection Sinner Surely most worthy art thou to bee loved because thou art good in thy selfe and none good but God alone And because thou art the Lord delivering from the power and slavery of the Devill And because thou art God forgiving sinnes which none forgiveth but God alone And because thou lovest those that love thee Whence it is that thou sayest I love those that love mee And because thou hearest those that begge of thee whence one saith I have loved the Lord because hee will heare mee Thou also as the peace of charity comming into the world to warme and inflame the cold and lukewarme hast said I came that they might have life to wit the life of grace in this life and more abundantly to wit of glory in the life to come Christ. Surely there is nothing which may so inflame the fire of Gods love in thy heart as a continuall consideration and meditation of this speech of mine I came that they might have life and that more abundantly And of that much like unto this So God loved the world as he gave his onely begotten Sonne Sinner Truly wretched and miserable is hee in whose heart the fire of love is not kindled when hee considereth these things wherein the Charity of God hath chiefly appeared But ô thou only begotten of God suffer not my heart to bee so frozen or benummed with this icy congelation but rather through thy mercy in the remembrance of these thy Words like Snow melting by the heat of the Sunne let me say with that princely Prophet My heart is become as melting wax Christ. Humane impiety before the time of my passion tooke occasion of being unthankfull For man being created but not as then redeemed said I am no more bound to God than other creatures be For he spake the word and I was made hee hath bestowed no more labour on me than any other brute creature But now the mouth of these that speak wickedly is stopped and no place now is left for unthankfulnesse For I have laboured more in the sole redemption of man than in the whole frame and fabrick of the World For of a Master I became a servant of Rich poore of Immortall mortall of the Word flesh of the Sonne of God the son of man I suffered reproaches of such as upbraided me I suffered underminers in my Works contradicters in my Words scorners in my Woes necessities of the flesh horrour of death ignominy of the Crosse. Sinner O how admirable was this love What shall I render to my Lord for all his sorrowes Christ. If thou recall to mind how great things the Lord of Majesty the Sonne of God suffered for thee though thou shouldâ—t dye a thousand deaths yet wert thou not equally sufficient to answer me for the estimate of so great a benefit exceedeth all meanes of requitall Sinner As thou best knowest how much I owe unto thee the Lord of glory who subjectedst thy self to death for me that I might enjoy that happinesse which neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard recount unto me I beseech thee the reasons which caused that most dolorous paine in thy most holy soule For thou saidst right now that in the wombe of thy blessed Mother thou receivedst the Crosse of thy Passion and bore it continually to the houre of thy dissolution Christ. To this end that thou mightst by affection compassion become an acceptable sacrifice unto God wholly inflamed with the fire of Charity all the rust and rubbish of sin being consumed and wasted Consider diligently with a lively heart how I suffred a double Martyrdome one in my body another in my soule or Spirit As touching the Martyrdome of my Body consider that there was never the suffering of any martyr so sharp so painfull that it might be compared with my suffering which I will prove unto thee by authority by signe by reason First by authority For I my selfe crying out of the greatnesse of my sorrows said O all yee who passe by this way consider and see if ever there were sorrow like unto my sorrow as if I should have said there was never any Secondly by Signe Forasmuch as there were never so many Signes seene in the Martyrdome of any as at my Passion implying the sharpnesse and painfulnesse of it to wit When the Sunne was darkned the Earth moved c. As if by the dolorous clamours of my passion they had conceived a sense of devout compassion bemoning me the Son of God hanging on the Crosse. For it was not in the creature to indure the injury done to the Creatour Wherein wicked and obdurate hearts are justly reproved who will not be wrought to compassion nor softned with a pious devotion in the remembrance of my death Thirdly I prove unto thee the bitternesse of my passion by reason Forasmuch as my complexion was most excellent both by reason of the incorruption of my flesh as also by reason of the most proportionable union or mixture of the Elementary qualities For I tooke corruptible flesh of the Virgin for the freeing of all Originall sinne that is of inordinate concupiscence Now to such a complexion was required comelinesse of beauty and strength of body Because therefore by how much more proportionable the union is of those Elements and qualities whereof
to goe back Let it not then delight thee to stand in the course of piety but endevour alwaies to walke in the way of the Lord. In thy conversation bee cheerefull to all distastefull to none familiar to few Live to Godward devoutly to thy selfe chastly to thy Neighbour justly Use thy friend as a pledge of affection thine enemy for a triall of thy patience all men to a well-disposed benevolence and wherein thou maist more effectually worke to beneficence While thou livest dye dayly to thy selfe and to thy vices So in thy death maist thou live to God Let meekenesse appeare in thy affection mildnesse in thy countenance humility in thy habit modesty in thy habitation patience in tribulation Let facility be in thine accesse decency in thy dresse humility in thy presence affability in thy discourse benignity in thy wayes charity in thy works Let constancy be in thine eie content in thy chest temperance in thy cup. Observe moderation in thy desires discretion in thy delights Think alwaies of those 3. things past Evil committed Good omitted Time mis-speÌ„ded Think alwaies of these 3. things present â—he shortnes of this present life the difficulty of being saved the fewnesse of those that are to be saved Think alwayes of these three things to come Death than which nothing is more horrible Judgement than which nothing is more terrible the paine of Hell than which nothing more intolerable Let thine Evening Prayers redeeme the sinnes of the forepast day let the last day of the weeke reforme the offences of the dayes gone before Thinke in the Evening how many soules are that same day thrown head-long into Hell and give thankes unto God for that hee hath given thee time to repent in There be three things above thee which ought never to depart from thy memory That Eye which seeth all things that Eare which heareth all things and those bookes wherein all things are recorded Wholly hath God communicated himselfe to thee communicate thy selfe likewise wholly to thy neighbour That is the best life which is wholly employed to the behoofe and benefit of others Render to thy superiour obedience and reverence to thy equall counsell and assistance to thy inferiour succour supportance Let thy body be subjected to thy mind and thy mind to God Bewaile thy evils past disesteeme thy goods present covet with all the desire of thine heart those goods to come Remember thy sin that thou maist grieve Remember thy death that thou maist cease from sinne Remember Gods justice that thou maist feare Remember Gods mercy lest thou despaire Withdraw thy selfe as much as thou canst from the World and devote thy selfe wholly to the service of God Thinke alwayes how chastity is endangerd by delicacy humility by prosperity and piety by employments transitory Desire to please none but Christ feare to displease none but Christ. Beseech God alwayes that as he bids what he would so he would doe what hee bids that hee would protect what is done and direct in what is to bee done Endevour thy selfe to bee what thou wouldst have thy self thought to be for God judgeth not according to the outward semblance but according to the inward substance In thy discourse beware of much speech because account shall be required of every vaine word Whatsoever thy works bee they passe not away but as certaine seeds of eternity are they bestowed if thou sow according to the flesh from the flesh shalt thou reape corruption if thou sow after the Spirit from the Spirit shalt thou reap the reward of eternall retribution After death neither shall the honours of this World follow thee nor heaps of riches favour thee nor pleasures enjoy thee nor the vanities of this World possesse thee but after the fatall and full period of this life all thy works shall follow thee As then thou desirest to appeare in the day of judgement appeare such in the sight of God at this present Thinke not with thy selfe what thou hast but rather what thou wantst Pride not thy selfe for that which is given thee but rather become humbled for that which is deni'd thee Learne to live now while thou maist live In this time is eternall life either got or lost After death there remains no time for working for then begins the time of rewarding In the life to come is not expected any worke but payment for the worke Holy Meditation may beget in thee knowledge knowledge compunction compunction devotion devotion may produce prayer Great good for peace of the heart is the silence of the mouth By how much more as thou art divided from the World so much more acceptable art thou unto God Whatsoever thou desirest to have aske it of God whatsoever thou already hast attribute it to God He is not worthy to receive more who is not thankfull for what he hath received Then stops the course or current of Gods grace to man when man makes no recourse by thankfulnesse to God Whatsoever befals thee turne it to good so often as prosperity comes upon thee thinke how occasion of blessing and praising God is ministred unto thee againe so often as adversity aâ—â—ayles thee thinke how these are admonitions for the repentance and conversion of thee Shew the force of thy power in helping the force of thy wisdome in instructing the force of thy wealth in releeving Neither let Adversity bruise thee nor Prosperity raise thee Let Christ be thy scope of thy life whom thou art to follow here in the way that thou maist come to him there in thy countrey Amongst all other things let profound humility ardent Charity be thy greatest care Let charity raise thine heart unto God that thou maist cleave unto him Let humility depresse thine heart lesâ— thou becom proud so leave him Esteem God a Father for his clemency a Lord for his discipline a Father for his sweet power a Lord for his severe power Love him as a Father devoutly feare him as a Lord necessarily Love him because he will have mercy Feare him because he will not suffer sin Feare the Lord and trust in him acknowledge thy misery and declare his mercy O God thou who hast given us to will give us likewise to performe THE SORROWFULL Soules solace Gathered from Saint Augustine in his Tract Upon the 62. Psalme Upon these words My Soule thirsteth for thee my Flesh also longeth after thee BEhold here how the Soule thirsteth and see how good it is for the Soule that thirsteth to wit because shee thirsteth after thee There are who thirst but not after God Every one that would in his owne behalfe have ought performed is in heat of desire till he have it effected and this desire is the thirst of the Soule Now see what various desires are in the hearts of men One desireth gold another silver one desireth possessions another inheritances one store of money another stock of cattle one a faire house another a wife one honours another children You see
even that Sunne whereof it is said unto you that feare the Lord shall the Sunne of righteousnesse arise health shall be under his wings and whereof the proud and wicked shall say The light of righteousnesse hath not shined unto us and the Sunne of understanding rose not upon us Hee shall bee our Summer Now fruits in Winter time appeare not in the root Thou observest how dry Trees are in winter He that knows not the observation of these things prunes the dry Vine before the fruit come and perchance next Spring it becomes so dry as it brings forth neither flower nor fruit when it should come Both these are alike in winter this liveth that is dead But the life of this and the death of that are both in secret The Summer approacheth life appeareth in this death is discovered in that Beauty of leaves precedeth plenty of fruit succeedeth the Vine is attired with that beauty in her leafe which she retains in her root Therefore my Brethren we are now while we are here in our condition like other men Like as they are borne eat drinke live and are cloathed and so passe over their life even so the Saints Sometimes doe these things deceive men whence it is they say Behold since this man became a Christian did his head never ake Or now being a Christian enjoyes hee more than I doe O dry Vine Thou observest the Vine planted neere thee how naked it is in winter but never how dry it is by heat of summer The Lord our beauty will come who lay hid in the root and then will He exalt the horne of his people after this our captivity wherin we mortally live Whence it is that the Apostle saith Iudge nothing before the time untill the Lord come who will lighten things that are hid in darknesse and then shall everie man have praise of God But thou wilt say where is any root where is any fruit If thou beleevest thou knowest where thy root is For there it is where thy Faith is where thy Hope and Charity is Heare the Apostle for yee are dead They appeared as it were dead in winter Heare how they live And your life is hid saith he with Christ in God Behold where thou hast thy root When then shalt thou bee adorned with beauty When shalt thou be multiplied in fruit Heare what followeth When Christ which is our life shall appeare then shall yee also appeare with him in glory THE Soules Jubilee Gathered from Saint Augustine in his Tract Upon the 85. Psalme Upon these words Rejoyce the Soule of thy servant for unto thee ô Lord doe I lift up my Soule For thou Lord art good and mercifull of great kindnesse unto all them that call upon thee REjoyce the Soule of thy Servant Rejoyce her because unto thee do I raise her She was in earth and in earth shee felt bitternesse Now lest she should pine away through bitternes and so lose all thy gracious sweetnesse I have raised her up unto thee Rejoyce her with thee For thou onely art joyfulnesse the World is full of bitternesse Surely very rightly doth he exhort his members that they have their hearts on high Let them then heare it doe it let them lift that up unto heaven which is in an evill state while it is upon Earth For there the heart doth not corrupt if it be lifted up unto God If you have corne in low places lest it should corrupt you remove it higher doe you then seeke to prepare a place for your corne and will you suffer your heart to corrupt on Earth you remove your corne to an higher room lift up your heart unto heaven But how may I doe this will you say What Cords what Pulleis what Ladders are needfull These staires are thy affections thy way is thy will By loving thou ascendest by neglecting thou descendest Standing on Earth thou art in Heaven if thou love God For the heart is not lifted as the body is raised The body that it may be raised changeth her place but the heart that it may be roused changeth her will For unto thee O Lord doe I lift up my soule for thou Lord art good and mercifull therefore rejoyce her As one wearied and tediously affected with the bitternesse of earthly things shee desires to bee sweetned and hath sought the fountaine of sweetnesse but could not find it on earth For what way soever she turned herselfe she found scandals tribulations feares tentations In what man living safe security Of whom certaine joy And if not of himselfe how much lesse from another For either men are evill and of necessity wee must suffer them yet hoping withall that they may be changed or they are good and so wee ought to love them yet fearing withall lest they become evill because they may be changed There the wickednesse of those begetteth bitternesse of soule here care and feare equally surprize us lest hee fall away from us who walked sometime uprightly among us What way soever then the heart shall turne her she findes bitternesse in earthly things shee has not wherewithall to sweeten her unlesse shee lift her selfe up unto God her Maker For thou Lord art good and mercifull What is this mercifull Thou supportest mee till thou perfectest me For truly my Brethren I will speak as a man unto men and of men Let every one bring hither his heart and behold himselfe without flattering and without glozing Nothing is foolisher than flattering seducing ones self Let every one then consider and see what and how many things are acted in mans heart and how for most part our very praiers are hindred by various thoughts so as our hearts will scarcely stand firme before God It desires so to enjoy it selfe that it may stand and in some sort it flyes from it selfe yet for all this it findes no lettices by which it may confine her thoughts or barres by which it may restraine her distractions and wandring motions and stand joyfully before her God Rare it is that a prayer should occurre devoutly fixt amongst so many prayers Now every one would say that what befalleth him befalleth not another unlesse we found in the Sacred Scripture of God that David in one place prayed and said O Lord I have found my heart that I may pray unto thee Hee said hee had found his heart as if it used sometimes to fly from him and he to pursue it as a fugitive and could not lay hold on it and to cry unto the Lord My heart hath forsaken me Therefore Brethren considering what hee here saith Thou art good and mercifull I conceive that for this cause he cals him a mercifull God for that hee suffereth these things in us and yet expecteth prayer from us that hee might perfect his good work in us And when we have given it him by offering our oblation of prayer unto him hee receiveth it freely and heareth it friendly
neither remembers hee those prayers of ours which we so unseasonably presented but receiveth this one which we scarcely found yet found wee humbly offered For tell me Brethren what man is he with whom if his friend shall begin to talke and he will not answer him but observes him to decline from him and to direct his discourse unto another as if he were wholly aliened from him who I say could endure this Or suppose thou should'st intercede a Judge and addresse thy selfe to him in such a place as hee may heare thee and suddenly when thou should'st speake unto him thou leavest him or entertainest some trifling discourse with thy friend how could hee endure this Yet doth God suffer so many hearts of such as pray and thinke of many wandring thoughts while they pray I forbeare to speake of thoughts hurtfull I forbeare to speake of things depraved and offensive unto God for to thinke even of superfluous thoughts is an injury unto him with whom thou speakest Thy Prayer is a speech unto God When thou readest GOD speakes unto thee When thou praiest thou speakest with God But what Are wee to despaire of man-kind and now conclude that every man is damned when any wandring thought shall creepe in upon him and interrupt his prayer If wee should conclude thus Brethren I doe not see what hope might remaine in us But forasmuch as wee have hope in God for great is his mercy let us say unto him Rejoyce the soule of thy servant For unto thee O Lord doe I lift up my soule And how have I lifted it up As much as I could as much as thou gavest me strength as soone as I was able to lay hold on my fugitive soule So long as thou stoodst before me suppose him to speake in the person of God thou entertainedst such vaine superfluous thoughts as thou scarcely pouredst forth one fixt or stable prayer unto me What more canst thou answer unto this but that thou Lord art good and mercifull mercifull thou art in suffering me I fall away through sicknesse heale me and I shall stand strengthen me and I shall bee strong Meane time till thou doest this thou sufferest mee for thou Lord art gracious and very mercifull Not onely mercifull but very mercifull For our iniquity aboundeth and thy mercy aboundeth Yea full of mercy art thou to all such as call upon thee What is it then that the Scripture saith in so many places They shall call upon me but I will not answer Certainly he is mercifull to all such as call upon him unlesse it be for that some calling upon him doe not call upon him of whom it is said They have not called upon God They call but not upon God Thou callest for what thou lovest Thou callest for what thou wishest in thee thou callest for what thou would'st have come to thee Wherefore if for this end thou call upon God that money may come to thee that an inheritance may descend to thee that temporall dignity may befall thee thou callest upon him for those things which thou desirest that they may come unto thee But thou makest God here a furtherer of thy lusts not a favourer of thy desires Is God good if he give thee what thou would'st have What if thou would'st have what is ill were hee not more mercifull unto thee in not giving thee what thou would'st have Yet for all this if hee doe not give it thee God is as nothing unto thee For thou sayest How long have I sought how oft have I sought and yet am not heard But what hast thou sought Perchance the death of thy Enemy what if he also besought thine He who created thee he likewise created him Thou art a man hee likewise is a man But God is the Judge hee hearkneth both but hee heareth not both Thou art sad for that thou art not heard in thy prayer against him be glad that hee is not heard in his prayer against thee But thou wilt say I did not seeke this I sought not the death of mine enemy but I besought the life of my child What evill sought I in this Thou soughtst no evill as thou thinkest but tell mee what if hee were taken from thee lest Sin should change his understanding But thou wilt say hee was sinfull and therefore I desir'd that hee might live that hee might reforme his life Thou desiredst that he might live better but what if God saw that he by living longer would become worse How knowest thou then whether might more redound to his profit to dye or live Seeing then thou knowest not returne into thy heart leave this to the secret counsell of God But what shall I then doe wilt thou say How may I pray How maist thou pray As thy Lord hath taught thee as thine Heavenly Master hath taught thee Call upon God as God Love God as God Nothing is better than hee desire him covet him See how this princely Prophet calleth upon the Lord in another other Psalme One thing have I desired of the Lord that I will require And what is this hee desires Even that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life And to what end To behold the beauty of the Lord. If then thou desirest to be the Lover of God with thy sincâ—rest affections and chastest sighes love him like him long for him languish for him than whom thou canst find nothing more joyfull nothing more gracefull nothing more cheerefull nothing more diuturnall For what more diuturnall than what is sempiternall Doe not feare that hee at any time will fall from thee who hath made thee that thou shouldst not fall from him If then thou callest upon God as God be secure thou art heard thy portion hath relation to that verse He is very mercifull to all such as call upon him Doe not then say He hath not given me this Returne unto thy heart and discharge thy conscience examine it doe not spare it If thou hast at any time called upon God for temporall benefits assure thy selfe that therefore hee did not give them thee because they would not profit thee In this Brethren let your hearts be edified your Christian hearts your faithfull hearts lest yee fall into murmuring against God by being discontented when frustrated of your desires and in vaine it is to kick against the prick Make recourse to the Scriptures The Devill is heard and the Apostle is not heard How seemes this unto you How are the Devils heard They besought him that they might goe into the heard of Swine and it was granted them How is the Devill heard He besought him that he might tempt Iob and it was suffered him How is the Apostle not heard Lest I should be exalted out of measure through the abundance of revelations there was given unto me a pricke in the flesh the Messenger of Satan to buffet me For this thing I besought the Lord thrice
a soft bed a pleasant chamber and delight of the flesh Bee ashamed therefore O my soule when thou beholdest thy Lord hanging upon the Crosse Where imagine him to bee preaching unto thee and rebuking thee after this manner I tooke for thee O man a Crowne of Thornes Thou in contempt of mee wearest a garland made of Flowers I for thee stretched out my hands upon the Crosse wilt thou reach thine forth to pleasures and dalliance I dying could not quench my thirst so much as with water wilt thou seeke after precious Wines and Viands I both on the Crosse as likewise all my life long was full of reproaches and sorrowes wilt thou bestow thy time upon honours and pleasures I suffered my side to bee opened that I might make thee even partaker of my heart wilt thou have thine exposed and opened to vaine and perillous loves A Short and fruitfull Confession of a Sinner unto God for obtaining Contrition O God of inestimable and eternall mercy God of unmeasurable piety God the Creator and Redeemer of mankind who purifiest the hearts of such as confesse their sinnes unto thee who releasest all such from the bond of iniquity as accuse themselves before the sight of thy divine majesty I beseech the power and depth of thy goodnesse with inward groanes that according to the multitude of thy mercies thou wouldst grant mee to make a pure and sincere confession before thee of all my sinnes whereof my guilty conscience doth accuse mee And that thou wouldst give mee true repentance for all such things as I have committed in naughty thoughts depraved cogitations wicked consent unjust counsell in concupiscence and uncleane delights in evill and hatefull words in malicious works in my seeing hearing tasting smelling and touching I truly even in all my members doe conceive my selfe guilty above measure because as the starres of heaven and sands of the Sea so doe I know my sinnes to bee innumerable But to thee Lord who knowest all secrets and who hast said Thou desirest the repentance of a Sinner doe I reveale all the secrets of my heart accusing my naughtinesse and my many and very great sinnes which I have committed before the eyes of thy fearefull Majesty all my wretched life long especially these here for the better increase of thy devotion and spirituall compunction maist thou particularize some of thy grievouser Sinnes with all those my evils which are open and manifest O God of mercy in thy sight And now O most gracious LORD looke upon mee and have mercy on mee and give unto mee a fountaine of teares and remission of all my sinnes through thy free mercie and that with inward confession of heart and affection of desiring remission seconded with so sincere a Confession Rectifie and reforme in mee O most loving Father whatsoever is depraved in mee either in word deed thought through my owne impietie or the Devils subtiltie and by joyning mee a member to the unity of the Church make mee partaker of thy Redemption and admit mee to the Sacrament of blessed reconciliation as one who hath no confidence but in thy mercy and compassion A Confession of Sinnes by Blessed Augustine O Mercifull pitifull great and terrible God I confesse unto thee my sins to thee to thee doe I discover my wounds for thine ineffable goodnesse bestow a Salve on mee Thou O most mild Lord vouchsafedst to say I desire not the death of a sinner but rather that hee may turne from his wickednesse and live I confesse that my life is in thy sight wicked and crooked that my life is falling into the lake of misery and my Soule perishing in my iniquities Lust sinfull delight naughty works wrath pridâ— impatience malice envy gluttony ebriety theft rapine lying perjury scurrility foolish speaking murmuring detraction ignorance infidelity distruct negligence of Gods Commandements as contagious glagues have slaine my Soule Mine heart and lips are polluted My seeing hearing tasting smelling and touching have enfeebled my Soule with sinnes and I am wholly lost as well in my cogitation as action I beseech thee O my Lord God whose mercy hath no end draw mee unto thee as thou drewest that sinfull woman As thou gavest grace unto her not to cease from kissing thy feet washing them with her teares and wiping them with her haires so graciously vouchsafe to grant unto mee that according to the greatnesse of mine iniquities thy great love may bee in mee that for thine unmeasurable piety thou maist forgive mee all my sinnes Bestow on mee pardon for evils past continence for evils present and cautelous prudence for evils to come Grant mee I beseech thee before I dye most fully to obtaine thy mercy and suffer not my dayes to bee ended till my sinnes bee pardoned but as thou willest and knowest have mercy on mee Amen A PRAIER before the holy Communion HAile O most holy flesh and bloud of Christ wherereof I am made partaker in these visible Elements Haile O thou highest sweetnesse who knowest no losing takest away all loathing destroyest death restorest life Haile thou blessed food which leadest thine Elect from the exile of this World to their Country Haile thou happy Sacrifice which art offered upon the Altar of the Crosse to God â—he Father for the whole burden of our sinnes Haile thou Manna more white than snow more sweet than honey more precious than all gold Take from mee I beseech thee O good Shepheard mine iniquities that with a purified heart and spirit I may deserve to taste these Holy of holiest Let this venerable Sacrament bee an impregnable Safeguard to mee against the deceits of the enemy that fed with this wholesome Viand I may passe the slippery wayes of this life in a blamelesse conversation and come unto thee the Bread of life and the true Lord of Angels without any hinderance of the Devils subtilty or malice O Lord heare mee bee pacified with mee attend mee and tarry not from mee O my God for thy goodnesse sake For none can bee worthy of so great a mystery unlesse thou ô Omnipotent God make him worthy Amen A PRAIER OF Th. Aquinas to be said after celebration of the holy Communion I Give thankes to thee O holy Lord OmnipoteÌ„t Father Eternall God who hast vouchsafed to refresh me thy grievous sinner and unworthy servant for no deserts of mine but for thy sole mercy sake with the precious Body and Bloud of thy Sonne our Lord JESUS CHRIST And I beseech thee that this holy Communion may not bee of guilt to mee unto condemnation but a soule-saving intercession of remission and consolation Let it bee unto mee the armour of faith and the shield of good-will Let it bee unto mee a removing of my vices a rooting out of lust and licentiousnesse an increasing of Charity and Patience Humility and Obedience and of all Vertues Let it bee a strong defence against all mine Enemies as well visible as invisible a perfect quieting and composing of my
motions as well carnall as spirituall a constant cleaving in thee the one and true God and a happy consummation of mine end And I beseech thee that thou wouldst vouchsafe to bring mee thy most unworthy â—inner to thatineffable Banquet where thou with thy Sonne and holy Spirit art true light full satiety sempiternall joy consummate gladnesse and perfect felicity to thy Saints Through the same Christ our Lord Amen Another Praier of S. Bonaventure O Most sweet Lord JESU transpierce the marrow and bowels of my soule with the most sweet and wholesome wound of thy love with cleare sincere and most holy Apostolicall Charity that my soule may languish and melt alwayes with the onely love and desire of thee Let her long and faint afâ—er thy Courts Let her desire to be dissolved and to be with thee Grant that my soule may hunger after thee the bread of Angels the repast of holy soules our dayly bread super-substantiall having all pleasantnesse of taste and all delight of sweetnesse May mine heart alwayes hunger and feed on thee on whom the Angels desire to looke and with the sweetnesse of thy taste let the bowels of my soule be filled May shee alwayes thirst after thee the fountaine of life the fountaine of Wisdome and Knowledge the fountaine of eternall Light the streame of pleasure the fulnesse of the house of God May shee alwayes looke about for thee seeke thee finde thee draw towards thee come to thee meditate of thee converse with thee doe all things to the praise and glory of thy name with humility and discretion with love and delectation with facility and affection with perseverance to my dissolution And bee thou alwayes my onely hope my whole trust my riches my delight my joy my gladnesse my quiet and tranquillity my peace my sweetnesse my perfume my solace my meat my repast my refuge my succour my wisdom my portion my possession my treasure wherin my mind and mine heart may be alwayes fixed grounded and unmoveably rooted Amen A PRAYER for all Judges and Justiciaries O Almighty God who judgest iniquity in equity and doest inscrutable things Thou who weighest the mountaines in a balance and wilt bring the Iudges of the Earth to judgement Direct their understandings to discerne what is right give them courage and resolution to doe what is right Give them wisdome in their waies faithfulnesse in their works uprightnesse in their walkes Remove from them covetousnesse and let it bee their ambition to advance thy glory Let neither rewards bee in their hands nor revenge in their hearts Take from them all drousinesse and dulnesse all security and remisnesse Imprint in their hearts a feare of thy name a reverence to thy throne and in all their judgements a sweet attemprature of meâ—cy and judgement Make them tremble when they call to mind whom they personate and imitate thee in being compassionate Let not the Orphans prayers nor the Widowes teares be unremembred seeing these are bottled up by thee let them not bee despised by them that represent thee O let righteousnesse drop upon the Earth that as dew falleth upon the grasse so every flowry border of this thine inclosed garden may bee watred by the dew of thy grace Suffer not this Iland to mourne nor her People to grone because of injustice oppression and wrong Put an hooke in the nostrils of all such imperious Iudges who take thy Law into their mouth and hate to be reformed As for those who turne Iudgement to wormewood and leave of righteousnes in the Earth These who buy the poore for silver and the needy for shoes These that put farre away the evill day and approch to the seâ—te of iniquity The Lord will be avenged of them Hee will mite the great house with breaches and the little house with clefts But remove these judgements from thine Israel O God May no corruption raigne in her Palaces nor iniquity in her pathes May a Zeale of thine house a feare of thy name a love of piety an hate to partiality seize upon the hearts of all Iudges and Iusticiaries in this Kingdome that they may execute their places without respect of persons and afterwards raigne with those three individuate Persons GOD the Father GOD the Sonne and GOD the holy Ghost Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity to whom bee all Glorie Amen A Prayer for Peace or tranquillity of Mind GRacious God who art a God of peace and hast pronounced a blessing upon those who make peace give mee that which thou blessest that I may enjoy what thou lovest embrace that which thou approvest affect that which thou commendest possesse that wherin thou delightest Thou knowest that debates variance and contention doe distract our devotion distemper the affection disquiet every good motion disturbe every pious intention Grant therfore I beseech thee that these differences to which I am ingaged or may hereafter bee intangled or inthralled be to the glory of thy great name the preservation of mine honest repute and fame and quiet of my affaires peaceably composed Cut out of mee towards my family all severity towards my familiars all disloyalty towards my Neighbours all extremity Grant mee peace of mind in my living peace of conscience at my dying and after death that peace which passeth all understanding Cause all tumults of the flesh to cease in mee all immoderate affections to decrease in mee all inordinate motions to dye in mee Sanctifie my heart purifie my mind direct my spirit erect my faith correct my life Remove from mee all occasions of difference that I may find quietnesse of conscience Grant that I may sow the seed of righteousnesse walke in the wayes of holynesse make profession of my faith with all singlenesse that I may come to the possession of happinesse Let mee seeks peace and ensue it Love thy Law and pursue it reforme thine Image and renue it Suffer not the tempests of this world to dismay mee the errors of this life to perplex mee or the terrors of death to appall mee I know O Lord affliction to bee bitter to him that suffers it impatiently but sweet to him that suffers it constantly Thou provest those thou lovest and afflictest those thou affectest Affliction then cannot be bitter when it maketh us better What though disgrace obscure mee wrongs inure mee reproach impeach mee injuries presse thicke upon mee I am made strong through him to beare them who bore the Crosse for me suffered all dishonour for mee shed his bloud for mee lost himselfe to finde mee became sold to redeeme mee racked upon the Crosse to reach mee a Crowne climing Mount Calvarie to mount mee to glory O make mee then ready in my suffering to imitate thee my Saviour Though warre assaile mee without give mee peace within Humble my Spirit that I may bee of that temper as I may still reflect upon the Image of my Saviour that living in his feare I may dye in his favour
Amen Of the presence of the Conscience in every place Gathered out of Saint Bernards Meditations Cap. XIII I Cannot conceale my sinnes because whither soever I goe my Conscience is with mee carrying with her whatsoever I have laid up in her bee it good or evill Shee keepes for mee living shee renders to mee dying whatsoever shee hath received from mee to bee laid up in her or kept by her If I doe well shee is present or if I seeme to doe well and thence become proud shee is present likewise Shee is present with mee living shee followes mee dying every where is there inseparable confusion for mee according to the quality of that which is laid up in my Conscience by me Thus thus in mine owne house and from mine owne family have I accusers witnesses Judges and tormentors My Conscience doth accuse mee my memory is a witnesse against mee Reason is my Judge Will my Prison Feare my Tormentor delight my torment For so many as there have beene of evill delights so many there shall bee of sharpe and painfull torments for thence are wee punished whence wee are delighted A consideration right pithy profitable and proper to inforce in us a more serious Meditation of the former WHither then wilt thou fly O miserable soule or where wilt thou make thy retire Neither to the East nor to the West nor to the desart Mountaines Fly thou maist but escape thou canst not Woe is mee what a day of terror will that bee when thou shalt finde no place to secure thee no friend to speake for thee no meanes to reprive thee all to reprove thee none to relieve thee When Adam must bee brought from his bushes and Sarah from behind the doore and man shall say to his Conscience â—s Ahab said to Elias Hast thou found mee O mine Enemyâ— Poore guilty soule though â—hou shouldst fly from the Field to the City from the â—ity to thy House from thy House to thy Chamber yet wouldst thou finde no rest For there even there where â—he wals inclose thee privacie seemes to secure thee the Curtaines of the Night to obscure thee yet there will thy surcharged Conscience accuse thee thy Memory witnesse against thee the rule of Reason judge thee thy Will imprison thee Feare torture thee Delight torment thee Miserable Creature where pleasure becomes a torture delight a torment Alas if thou hadst none without thee to hunt thee thou hast one within thee will haunt thee afflict thee affright thee though none should pursue thee The wicked flee when none pursueth O cast thine eye upon thy selfe and see if thou bee not one of this number What hast thou done during thy wayâ—aring in this vale of misery that might deserve the least drop of Gods mercy What sinnefull motion hast thou not admitted what sensuall action not committed what spirituall direction not omitted Behold thy state in sin conceived by sinne deceived and into Satans family received Thou hast surâ—eted in the delights of sinne and estranged thy thoughts from the joyes of Sion Thou hadst rather enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season and to the slavery of sense subject the Principality of reason than by contempt of Earth lay thee a sure foundation in heaven Miserable soule what will become of thee when these earthly joyes shall bee taken from thee when these time-suting friends which seeme to love thee shall leave thee and by reason of that corrupt shell wherein thou sojournest shall loath thee When left to thy selfe and through anguish of spirit well neare bereft thy selfe thou shâ—lt call for comfort but none will come neare thee for one of thy many friâ—nds but none will heare thee for one minutes rest but none will ease thee for the least hope of comfort but none will cheere thee Where canst thou looke and not finde new objects of grieâ—e If to Heaven see how thy sinnes have incensed it if to Earth see how thy example hath defil'd it if to Hell see how thy sinnes purchase hath deserved it What hast thou to plead for thee What succour what shelter to secure thee Alas now thou art to bee presented before a Judge who is upright and will not bee bribed who is all-seeing and will not bee blinded who is equally minded and will not be bended Forged oathes cannot delude him personall respect deprave him hireling Advocates by perswasion draw him or powerfull Potentates by countenance ore-awe him The Judges of the Earth shall bee judged by him and the Kings of the Earth shall tremble before him O what will become of thee sinne-soiled soule in these straits of extremity these intricate mazes of misery Poore thou art and who will enrich thee naked of good workes and who will cloath thee Hungring after this world which cannot feed thee thirsting after honours which cannot fill thee O how long hast thou preferred the prodigals huskes of vanity before the delitious viands of eternity How long hast thou turned in thy bed like a doore on the hinges promising thy selfe security when nothing was farther from thee O reflect upon thy misery and implore gods mercy Even that God in whose sight the very Heavens are uncleane such is his purity That God which came not to call the righteous but the sinner to repentance such is his piety Art thou sick Yea sin-sick soule-sick Teares are the best Electuary to cure this desperate malady The penitents brine is the Angeâ—s wine When Sinners weepe Angels rejoyce for right well they know that they which Sow in teares shall reape in joy Bee a Turtle then in thine heart passionatly throbbing a Pelicane in thy brest compassionately piercing an Hart in thine eyes incessantly weeping a Swan in thy voyce deaths Elegy singing a Philomel in thy note for thy lost chastity â—ighing a Crane in thy life circumspectly watching O shut yea speedily shut I say thine eyes from vanity that the Objects of Heaven may onely delight thee shut thine eares from levity that the subject of vertue may invite thee shut all thy senses from the deluding motives of sensuality that reason may bee thy guide the love of God thy goad Heaven thy goale peace of conscience thy crowne of glory Shut the doore of thine inner Chamber and there poure out thine heart to Gods honour where reposing and from the world retyring thou maist thus invoke him thus invite him Let nothing bee unto mee I beseech thee pleasant without thee nothing sweet nothing specious nothing appeare unto mee without thee precious Let all things appeare vile unto mee without thee Whatsoever is contrary to thee let it bee displeasing to mee and let thy good-will and pleasure be my indeficient desire and endevour Let it irke mee to rejoyce without thee let it delight mee to rejoyce with thee and weep with thee O good JESU if it bee so sweet to weep for thee how sweet is it to rejoyce for thee Thus to meditate is to recreaâ—e
Kingdome to wit when all thy desires shall bee satisfied both in praising and loving mee and when I shall bee all iâ— all Therefore it is that â—hou justly cravest and justly with thy whole heart deâ—irest in that Prayer which I gave â—hee Let thy Kingdome come Wherefore O daughter if thou lovest mee rightly â—aithfully fervently thou wilt desire with all thine heart this Kingdome that is this state or condition for this with sighs thou wilt pray to wit that my Kingdome may come wherein thou maist with most sweet love bee to mee united wholly in mee melted and molded And because as I said before this cannot come to passe but by death therefore this Death which is the gate and passage to life is to my Saints in desire and life in patience Hence thou seest how a soule perfectly loving mee feareth not death For whath hath such a Soule to lose by exchange of this miserable-unhappy life but the staâ—e of sinning snares of offending occasions of ruine deceits of enemies self-frailty feares with other innumerable Occurrents which straiten the Soule either ignorâ—â—t or weake or luke-warme not to speake here of the dangers of the body and therefore alwayes fainting and falling Manythings here would the soule have which shee ought not or which she even knowes nor though shee would have them Many things would shee which she cannot In many things is the soule ignorant blind and walking among Snares or in darknesse whence shee knows not how to free her selfe How then may shee not worthily wish how not rejoyce that shee is delivered from these sorrowes and dangers Why therefore O Soule doest thoâ— feare why dost thou not desire death For tell mee what evill shall death bring unto thee If thou fearest nothing in this world death can take nothing from thee If thou love any thing in this world it is with danger yea thou lovest thine owne danger Cease therefore to love the world before death that thou maist nothing at all feare death Furthermore if thou love me onely in this life joy for that thou shalt dye for that thou shalt never enjoy what thou lovest before thou dye But I know what thou fearest Truly thou lovest nothing in this world thou possessest nothing which thou wouldst not lose or grievest to lose yet feare and terror surprize thee because thou knowest not whether thou beest worthy of love or hate thou knowest not how thou art to bee entertained by mee whether to rest or punishment O daughter thou oughtst not to bee too curious after the knowledge of these things yea it is not expedient for thee to know them Stand constantly although thou feare in hope and affiance both living and dying set thy rest upon mee Thou canst not live well of thy selfe neither canst thou dye well of thy selfe Thou hast both from mee What if I shall give thee grace to live holily shall I not also give thee grace to die happily Seeing thou hast all things from mee expâ—ctâ—â— all things of mee how canâ—â— thou expect the one and despaire of the other Of thy selfe thou canst neither live well nor dye well Put thy trust thâ—reâ—ore in mâ— cast thy thought upon mee ground all thy feare and care upon mee As thou canst resist no tentation avoid no sinne living so neither dying If I forsake thee noâ— living if I faithfully prevent tentation and moderate it in thy life that thou maist beare it I am ready to doe the very same unto thee at thy death that thou maist vanquish it Never goe to fight with thine owne weapons but rely on mee If thou rely on mee I will fight for thee And if thou have mee fighting with thee and for thee what hast thou to feare who art nothing of thy selfe And as concerning the condition or quality of death feare nothing There is no kind of death that can hurt the just for the just man with what death soever hee shall bee surprized shall bee at rest Wherefore let it trouble thee nothing whether thou die at home or abroad in thy bed or in thy field neither art thou to feare whether the death bee naturall or violent which takes thee away For if one kind of death were more unhappy than another all my Saints surely were most unhappy the most part whereof in times past in the judgement of the world and eye of flesh most unhappily ended this life Which of mine holy Martyrs dyed a naturall and timely death Whom hath not the violence of the Crosse racke fire or sword extinguished Nothing therefore shall it hurt thee whether thou dyest of the plague or an apoplexy or any other kind of death in the bed or in the field Onely watch that thou maist bee found in faith hope and charity and no death or kinde of Buriall shall harme thee But forasmuch as speaking to thee I likewise speake to them who are as yet imperfect in my love I advise you all in this that yee love innocence and hate iniquity If thou hast at any time sinned what Soule soever thou bee cease grieve repent that thou hast sinned so long as thou livest Yet so repent if thou wishest to thy selfe a fruitfull repentance that thou returne not againe to thy sins or to thy former state of sinning Alwayes expect death and prepare thy self for it as if thou wert at this very present to dye But lest some devout institution should be waÌ„ting to the weake in spirit by which supported they may learne in some sort how to dye I will adde something more to these First therefore thou oughtest to remember what mine Apostle saith and what Truth it selfe speaketh Yee have not here an abiding City but ye seâ—ke for one that is to come unto which here in this world no otherwise than in a journey yee walke as Pilgrimes Now your Pilgrimage is ended when your life is clozed Death therefore is the very last line running betwixt this exile wherein yee are and the Countrey whereto yee goe so as there is no other gate by which yee may passe from this valley of your Pilgrimage and enter your Countrey your heavenly inheritage but by death Death then most certainly doth wait for you like as a most certaine end is limited to your life But this difference there is betwixt the good and evill that here in your Pilgrimage yee all travaile mixtly all I say albeit not all in a right way yee long after your blessed Countrey all yee so long as yee are in your journey although yee wander may returne unto the true way But when yee shall come to the end of your journey in the gate it selfe that is at the point of death yee are discerned that Some of you may passe from exile unto life others to misery and eternall death It is not then lightly to bee considered nor negligently observed how every one is to bee prepared before death come For there yee leave all things after you in which
yee trusted Bee they riches honours friends or any other vaine thing whatsoever they shall availe you nothing at the houre of death but leaving these behind you ye shall goe naked unto the Tribunall of God to receive according to your works What blindnesse nay what madnes is it then to rejoyce here in your journey to love fraile things which profit nothing to neglect the time and occasion of living well and as if without all sense of God through drousinesse and drynesse of mind to rellish those things onely which are of the flesh to have in pursuit those things onely which are outward and not at all to consider the dangerous state of the inward man and so to come unto death Alas how innumerable are those miserably wretched ones who are here deceived with the love of the world ensnared and â—y drawing after them the yoake of the Devill how unhappily slaved And thus unexpectedly they come unto death with hearts both hardned and blinded Alas how unhappy is the end of their life with whom there was never Meditation of death nor preparation for health Such things therefore are to bee rejected as hinder the spirit delight the flesh Such things to bee relinquished as are not expedient In such sort is every one to live every houre as if that were his very last wherein he should dye and goe to judgement This is the most fruitfull profitable soveraigne counsell O Daughter that thou maist live after this manner and that death may be to thee no terrour Now then if not continually yet frequently should that houre bee presented before thee as if it were before thine eyes wherein thy soule going out of thy body shall be judged for all thy workes words and thoughts This therefore oughtst thou even at this present to injoyn thy selfe that thou maist live so even now to the end thou maist be found so prepared is thou wouldst thy selfe to bee prepared whensoever death shall undoubtedly come It is the property of a most sottish and senselesse heart to deferre amendment of life to that time when time expireth when thou canst live no longer when now thou art not to amend thy life but to appeare before God as thou art already amended Surely not sinnes only but even all things doe leave thee going out of this life Thou art not then properly said to leave thy sins when thou canst now sin no more But if whilest thou hast ability to sin thou cease from sin true repentance is never to be called late but this which is deferred to the end of thy life it is to be feared that it is seldome true For if through feare of damnation only being even now to die thou sorrowest and art ready for the avoiding of punishment to performe any taske be it never so extreme to obtaine pardon Thou sorrowest not out of charity in that thou hast offended God but out of selfe-love for that thou wishest to thy selfe good and not evill For thou sorrowest because thou hast brought to thy selfe eternall damnation by thy sinnes Wheras if thou rightly sorrowest for this only wouldst thou sorrow in that thou so disobedient unto me so unthankfull to me so reproachfull to me hast not exhibited due honour and reverence unto me whom thou oughtest with al affection to have honored whatsoever should befall thee Whereas now forasmuch as thou only sorrowest for thy selfe if danger were avoided or no revenge on sinne inflicted thou wouldst never lament though thou hadst offended me a thousand yeares together True Repentance which reconcileth the soule unto me springeth from Charitie and bewaileth this especially that shee hath so greatly and grievously contemned and offended mee her best greatest gracioust and most faithfull LORD GOD her Creator and Redeemer Hence I say is his heart wounded for as much as so unthankfully so disobediently and so proudly being buâ— dust and nothing hee hath lifted up his head against me Whosoever therefore desireth to dye happily let him as mine A postle admonisheth him live soberly justly and holily An evill death followeth not a good and just life but precious in my sight is thâ— death of my Saints yea after what sort of death soever they die that is whether they dye by water or fire or in bed But to prepare thee all the better for death the Meditation whereof is the life of every wise man take here along with thee this short exercise by which every one may instruct and addresse himselfe that he may take a course to be found in that state in which he may not feare to dye Wholesome Admonitions teaching a Christian how to dye well WHATSOEVER dying thou wouldst wish that thou hadst done doe the same even now Whatsoever thou wouldst have done doe not commit this unto others to be done after thy death but doe thou it thy selfe for if thou thy selfe bee negligent of thine owne salvation and a traytour to thy selfe how shall strangers tender thy happinesse Doe not repose trust in uncertaine and vaine promises neither commit thy selfe to doubtfull events So live and so doe that thou maist bee safe in thy conscience and as if thou wert this day to dye Never goe to sleepe till such time as thou hast examined the expence of the day with the conditions and actions of thy life Discusse and call to judgement thine heart and examine all thy senses and whether thou art become better or worse this day Never goe with that conscience to sleepe with which thou darest not dye If thou findest thy selfe in that state wherein thou fearest to dye search out the cause of this feare For peradventure some sins are in thee whereof thou hast not as yet repented or refusest to confesse or else thou forbearest to abstaine from sinne and occasions of sin or thou takest upon thee some profession office or vocation which I admit not of or thou continuest in hatred or in the unjust possession of others goods or too much affected to the desire or delight of temporall affaires or taken with the inordinate love of some creature or drowned with the delight of earthly and visible things as of honour and riches thou canst not turne thy selfe to mee tasting nothing of those things which are of the Spirit but onely let loose to outward things and loathing those which are divine therefore it is that thou fearest death Because thy soule guiltie of evill in her-selfe foretelleth what torments shall befall her after death If any of these shall be in thee thou oughtest to abhorre pursue and with all thine endevour to free thee of them For which purpose and the better effecting of so glorious a designe it may helpe thee much to imitate my steps embrace my crosse and with rigour of mind and with holy hatred commenced against thy selfe to denounce warre upon all thy vices to have a purpose to sinne no more frequently and infatigably to renue the same with no infirmitie or
pusillanimity to be dejected to contemplate the examples of me and my Saints to commend thy selfe to the prayers and exhortations of good men to give way to my inward and divine inspirations to exercise prayer and holy reading never to admit of idlenesse to love silence and retirednesse These and such like doe change the naughtinesse of the mind and chase away the feare of death When thou shalt come in the end of every day say thus to thy selfe Now is my life become shorter by one day Earely when thou risest say thus to thy selfe O Gracious God now am I nearer to death by one Night An Exercise whereby earely or whensoever thou willest thou maist poure out thy heart unto God for a good death O Omnipotent eternall God my Creator and Lover I praise laud adore and blesse thee for that thou so mercifully and patiently hast suffered mee groveling in my sins and my unthankfulnes even unto this houre to which thou of thy goodnesse hast brought mee enriching me with thy benefits conferring this life with things necessary for this life upon me with an angelicall guardian protecting me and inlarging towards mee thy mercy who am injuriously â—nworthy and a spectacle of misery Ah gracious God who knoweth whether the terme of my life shall be proâ—ogued to the evening O what death shall I desire O â—ost mercifull Lord God and Father give unto mee contrition whereby with all mine heart I may bewaile my sins and my offending thee And doe not suffer my soule to goe forth from her bodie till she be reconciled to thee in mercy adopted to thee by grace adorned with thy merits and vertues inflamed with most perfect charitie and accepted according to thy all-good-will and pleasure O most gracious Lord Jesu Christ if this I desire of thee do please thee grant it unto me although I bee most unworthy to bee heard of thee grant unto me I beseech thee for thine infinite mercies and the merits of thy passion that I may bee purged in this life from all my sins that dying and through vehement and true contrition pricked and in most ardent charitie to thee united I may goe out unto thee my most sweet Redeemer being forthwith freed and secured from all damnation and future affliction Notwithstanding O most loving Jesu I doe offer and resigne my selfe unto thee whether it be to poverty penury or any other extremitie for thy glories sake according to thy good-will and pleasure beseeching thee only this that thou wouldst bee mindfull of my frailty vilenesse weaknesse and misery as also of thy goodnesse and charity that thou wouldest never forsake mee nor depart from mee but that thou wouldst alwayes wholly governe and possesse mee according to thy good pleasure Amen An oblation of Christ and his merits to his Father O Omnipotent most gracious Father I doe offer unto thee all those pains dolours reproches stripes and rebukes all adversities extremities and labours of thine onely begotten Jesu Christ the Lambe immaculate which hee suffered in his body for me likewise all his actions and every of his members afflicted for me his bloud shed for me and with prophane feet trampled also his most noble and devout Soule separated from his lovely Body for me his merits likewise and infinite vertues Likewise the powers or faculties of his Soule and body and all those vitall parts in him given up unto death for mee albeit inseparably united to his Divinity yea the whole Christ thy blessed Sonne God and man omnipotent and infirme despicable and glorious doing wonders and hanging upon the Crosse these I say doe I offer unto thy sacred Majesty to the expiation and satisfaction of all my sins and of all the world and to the mortification and extinction of all mine evill passions affections and vices to the supply of all my negligences and to thy praise and thanksgiving for all thy benefits O God be mercifull unto me a miserable sinner for his sake Have mercy on mee for the love of Jesu Christ thy beloved Son THE DYING mans Diary Or A Christians Memento mori Divided into a five dayes Exercise THere are who all the yeare long present the figure and feature of Death before them by some certaine Exercise and prepare themselves no otherwise for death than if they were even then to dye and that for the space of five dayes continually The first day they meditated of the griefes infirmities which goe before death and horrour of death unto all which they resigne themselves The next day they thinke of their â—ins confessing them with so great diligence and intention as if they were to dye presently after their confession Therefore they spend this day in sighs and teares The third day they come unto the blessed Eucharist with all the fervour they may receiving it as their Viaticum in their passage from this their exile The fourth day they make continuall supplications unto God for the unction of the Holy Spirit whereby they might be illuminated and the hardnesse of their hearts mollified And this they do as it were for extreme unction The fifth day they become most fervent Supplicants unto God for a spirituall death wherby they may perfectly dye to the world to themselves and live with God And to everie of these dayes may be applyed proper Psalmes and Prayers as also divine invocations giving of thanks for all benefits conferred by God upon them all their life long Profitable Counsell for one approaching neare the point of death O Daughter seeing thy selfe in this extremitie prepare thy soule for God so order and dispose here in thy life time of thy goods temporall that after thy death no difference nor debate may arise It is most profitable for thee to dispose of thy goods in thy life time and to redeeme thy sins whilest thou livest with works of mercie Whatsoever thou wouldest recommend to others to doe for thee labour to doe it of thy selfe For if after death thou go to eternall torment the Provision of a Will a pompous Funerall Almes and Doales after death what will these availe thee when thou art damned Offer these Oblations to me now whilest thou art living that thou mayest not onely be delivered from thy sins but by increasing in my grace never fall into damnation but by my preventing grace preserving thee from sin persevere in good works even to the end When death draweth neare see that thou wholly free thy selfe then from all unnecessarie cares and imployments strive to meet me immaculately affectionately faithfully promising nor presuming nothing of thy works but through my assured mercie to obtaine Salvation And in this faith committing and commending thy selfe and all thou hast in this world to my providence and good pleasure receive the Sacraments humbly and devoutly Those peculiar priviledges and graces also which have power in them through my merits and are given by mee as a treasure unto the Church albeit many oft-times abuse them
as they do other most holy things if thou canst have them cause them to be applyed unto thee For even this verie holy persons of both sexes and famous for their miracles have formerly done An Exercise wherein the sick person with sighs and groanes because otherwise it can scarcely be done may resigne himselfe unto God and fervently desire that he may deserve to be joyned unto him O Most faithfull Lover most mercifull Lord Jesu Christ grant unto mee that with heart and mind I may feele what I say As the Hart brayeth for the rivers of water so panteth my Soule after thee ô my God I have chosen to be an Abject in the house of the Lord rather than to dwell in the Tabernacle of sinners Blessed are they that dwell in thy house ô Lord for ever and ever shall they praise thee My Soule hath thirsted after thee ô God when shall I come and appeare before thy face Why art thou sorrowfull ô my Soule and why art thou so disquieted within mee Trust in the Lord therefore will I now confesse my selfe unto him the Salvation of my countenance and my God Shew the light of thy countenance upon thy servant ô Lord save me for thy mercies sake Let me not be confounded for ever for I have called upon thee Be not far from mee ô my God Looke downe upon mee and help mee ô my God The poore is left unto thee Thou wilt be the Orphans helper Thou art my refuge in my tribulation which hath compassed mee O my joy deliver me from these that encompasse mee Make hast to helpe mee ô Lord God of my Salvation For thou art my strength and my refuge my helper and my protector Doe not then leave me nor despise me ô God of my salvation Behold I come unto thee ô my God whom I have despised and offended for the whole earth is full of thy mercie Therefore doe I flie unto thee my most mercifull Father Receive mee according to thy word when thou sayest I WILL NOT THE DEATH OF A SINNER and let mee live and confound mee not in my hope O my God I doe not pray unto thee for a life temporall but I call upon thee for the Salvation of my Soule who art life eternall O my sweet Lover O my Lord God for as much as I have offended thee for that I have neglected thine inspirations and admonitions for that I have at any time loved ought beâ—ide thee or without thee for this O my Lord God for this doe I grieve And I beseech thee that thou wouldest give unto mee so much grace as I may with all mine heart grieve aâ—d lament during everie moment of my life Would to God that I might poure out and offer unto thee everie drop of my bloud with teares for griefe and love into thy most sweet heart O sweet Jesu I neither desire nor expect of thee life nor death but thy good will and pleasure may it be done unto mee according to thy will If it be thy will O my sweet Jesu that I shall dye receive my spirit And although I come in the Evening as the verie last of all grant unto mee that I may receive eternall rest with thee and in thee But if it be thy will that I shall live longer O sweet Jesu I purpose this and I crave the assistance of thy grace for this to amend the rest of my life and to offer my selfe wholly as a burnt Sacrifice unto thee to thy glorie and according to thy good will and pleasure O most desired Jesu for as much as I have consumed my life in sin to the reproch of thy glorious name nor to this day have begun to serve thee grant unto mee that I may now at last perfectly begin and employ all the powers of my Soule anâ— Body and all the remainder of my time given mee by thee to thy glorie and according to thy best and most perfect will O most mercifull Jesu be thou neare mee in these my paines and miseries with which I am straitened and iâ— any more grievous than these shall come upon mee for that I have deserved not onely more grievous but most grievous by reason of my sins grant that I may patiently beare them O sweet Jesu if I had never at any time sinned nor at thine hand evilly deserved notwithstanding to thy glorie and for thy love good will and pleasure I offer and resigne my selfe unto thee either in these or any other punishments to deale with mee according to thy will not my worth but in the multitude of thy mercies on which I relye and on which I call that by thy power thou wouldest raise and rouze up the frailtie of my flesh and strengthen with longanimitie and confirme with patience the pusillanimitie and instabilitie of my Spirit that I may not â—all downe as one either vanquished with tentation or faint through pusillanimitie but swallowed up with the most burning heat of thy love I may onely sigh after thee onely desire thee and leave loath and contemne the world with all that is in it giving thee thanks with all mine heart for all things whether ministring unto me occasion of joy or sorrow O most loving Jesu I chuse thee I wish thee I desire thee I meet thee and I renounce whatsoever thou art not in mee what thou willest I will what thou nillest I nill whatsoever thou abhorrest I abjure And though sometimes that 〈◊〉 is contrarie to this will in mee may be incident unto mee I beseech thee O my God that thou wouldst not impute it unto mee nor judge mee according to that depravednesse of Will in mee but according to this Election of my mind by thy grace wrought in mee Because I contradict all those things which I ought not to will yea though which for thy mercie sake avert I hereafter vanquished should consent unto yet now doe I accurse and abjure them O most loving Jesu if it please thee and redound to thy glorie grant unto mee that I may be preâ—erved in this life from all sins and punishments into which after death I ought otherwiâ—â— to come to which I am subject or may possibly come and that thou wouldst receive my Soule by the hand of thy mercie immediately from this life to eternall joyes O Lord Iesu Christ receive my Spirit c. A CHRISTIANS LAST-WILL OR TESTAMENT Containing A PROTESTATION or Testament not unprofitable to be repeated or meditated of everie Christian at the point of death Composed as may be probably gathered by JOANNES LANSPER GENSIS and faithfully rendred according to the Originall A CHRISTIANS LAST-WILL OR TESTAMENT Containing A Protestation or Testament not unprofitable to be repeated or meditated of everie Christian at the point of death Composed as may be probably gathered by JOANNES LANSPER GENSIS and faithfully rendred according to the Originall IN the name of the Father and the Son and Holy Ghost I. M. an unhappie Sinner redeemed with
very Wind h 'as as great a share in them as shee h'as Nor did they deserve so much loving when they were in their very height of enjoying Being such as were got with Care kept with Feare and lost with Griefe proper things to dote on The fulnesse of them could not stay one poore Fit of an Ague nor get a reprive at Deaths hand for a minute Besides that long unwilling Adieu of the unhappie possessour at his heavie departure O Death how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man that liveth at rest in his possessions Seeing then no outward thing should so much delight man as to withdraw his thoughts from the Maker of man Or so trouble him in his passage or translation from Earth as to divert his affections from heaven in his remove from Earth Seeing all things are not onely vanity but affliction where such as are highliest possest of them are most ensnared and deluded by them Seeing the beauty riches pleasures and contentments of earth are no sooner appearing than vanishing no sooner found than lost Why doest thou tremble O my flesh why are thou so troubled O my Soule and why art thou so disquieted within mee put thy trust in the Lord and hee will deliver thee Yea but I heare thee in a silent secrecy framing this reply These worldly respects are not the things that make Death appeare so terrible unto mee Noe I can freely bid farewell to the world there is nothing in it that makes mee enamour'd of it I see nought at all in it but sinne or occasions of sinne Neither did I ever possesse ought which did not afflict mee more in the forgoing than it delighted mee in the enjoying Tell me then poore fearfull soule what is it that so much troubles thee in this thy passage What is it that makes thee so shake and shudder in this thy dissolution O my sinnes my sinnes it is the remembrance of my sinnes which makes mee unwilling to depart from this place where I committed them or to fix mine eyes on that place which is so pure as it cannot abide them I cannot thinke of that place wherein I have not sinned nor of that houre wherein I have not highly transgressed And can one minutes repentance discharge such long arrerages O my perplexed soule remember to thy comfort that divine Cordiall At what time soever a Sinner repenteth c. As I live I would not the death of a sinner c. My mercie I will not take from him There is mercie with the Lord and therefore is hee feared Hee shall call upon mee and I will dedeliver him in the time of his necessitie Draw yet nearer and thinke of the saying of that sweet Father O humble teare thine is the Kingdome thine is the Power thou art not affraid to enter in and appeare before the presence of the Judge thou though thou enter alone shalt never returne alone whatsoever thou askest thou shalt have thou overcommest the invincible and bindest the Omnipotent This Angelicall Wine will bring thee to the societie of the Angels Doubt not stagger not Raise and rouse up thy selfe with the wings of faith Whence comes it that the Soule dyeth because Faith is not in it Whence that the bodie dyeth Because a Soule is not in it Therefore the Soule of thy Soule is Faith No evill then can befall thee so thy faith doe not faile thee Where watry eyes make faith their Anchor they promise a calme Sea and a safe arrivall to the Christian passenger And though late repentance be seldome true yet true repentance never comes too late That devout and well-prepared Father when hee was readie to die with much sweet assurance and Christian confidence spake thus to Stillico and others about his bed I have not lived so among you that I am ashamed to live longer to please God and yet againe I am not affraid to dye because wee have a good LORD Though thou canst not in thine owne approvement so truly say this crowne thy passage with a devout wish Desire to bee dissolved and to bee with Christ Present him with a pious devotion to thy inward'st thoughts Imagining him even now bowing his precious head to kisse thee spreading his gracious armes to imbrace thee his Angels comming forth to meet thee the whole Hoast of Heaven to conduct thee to the Palace of Eternitie after this thy approaching dissolution from this vale of misery Let nothing divide thee from that love which is in thee to Christ Iesus One Houre in his Courts is better than a thousand in the Courts of Princes Humbly commend thy selfe to his protection who made thee to his affection who redeemed thee to his direction who sanctifi'd thee Feare it not timorous soule but thy Fathers power will defend thee his Sonnes Wisedome will enrich thee the Holy Spirits goodnesse will comfort thee even in these pangs of death which assaile thee Oh how sweet is the remembrance of these things to mee There is nothing now that may divide mee from Him to whom I am spiritually espoused There is no Friend so deare to mee as Hee who gave his life for mee No Honour so highly valued of mee as his who became a reproach for mee that by his owne dishonour hee might honour mee No pleasure so delightfull as his presence whose sight shall ever cheere mee No possession like his fruition who is my portion in the Land of the Living to whom to bee joyned shall ever joy mee Every minute then seemes grievous every moment tedious till I bee dissolved that I may see him after whom I have so longed to whom to bee united I have so thirsted in whose sweet presence to remaine in whose Courts to abide I have so desired These pangs I feele are to mee cheerefull these Messengers of my approaching dissolution to mee gratefull these humane wrastlings which I now endure to mee delightfull I know well I am such metall as I must bee tried before I bee fined O! as I draw by little and little nearer my end so may I in true love draw nearer to thee To thee my Redeemer in whom my trust is placed my confidence planted my hopes crowned my Pilgrim-dayes happily closed my heritage after these dayes of my Pilgrimage possessed I feele now my longing Soule fleeting from this darke Cell this noysome shell of corruption every gaspe now promiseth a dissolution My breath is corrupt my dayes are cut off and the Grave is readie for mee I enter'd this world with a Shrique and I leave it with a Sigh Nor doe I sigh for that I love it or am unwilling to leave it but for that I have beene too long divided by living in it from Him in whom my desires are here fixed there filled The houre is come and it is welcome the houre of my translation to glory Come LORD JESUS come quickely Amen FINIS Errata's PAge 102. line 7. for He reade They. p. 116. l. 8. for
this r. these p. 151. l. 16. for huger r. hunger p. 184. l vlt. for glagues r. plagues p. 336. in Tit. for DEAHTS r. DEATHS p. 339. l. 21. for divine r. dimme p. 395. l. 13. fore fore r. for REquiâ—e the Authors paines with thy pen in correcting these literall errors and remember him in thy private prayers who will render the like to thee in his Christian vowes and teares Both Hand and Heart are joyntly given My Hand subscribes My Heart 's for Heaven A SPIRITUALL SPICERIE Containing Sundrie Sweete Tractats of Devotion Piety â—â—ndon Printed by I. H. for Gooâ— Huton at 〈◊〉 in Holâ—â— Gruytrodius Bonaventura Author Ibid. Augustinus Author Granado Augustine Aquinas Bonavent Author Bernard Author Ibid. Ibid. Lanspergius Ibid. Lanspergius Lanspergius Dionysius Blosius Suso Augustine Damian Bernard Author * In that he was innoâ—ent he became more sensible of torment * O Sacred-Secret mystery requiring of us no curious discussion but serious devotion * He is dead in trespasses who liveth not in the remembrance of Christs Passion by washing his precious wounds with pious teares of holy compassion * Three â—â—ngular precepts of Christian imitation Christs counsell * The way by the Crosse is the way to the Crownâ—â— * The Christians Ladder conducting him to Christ his Saviour * The Christians Signet with his Posie * Medâ—tation of Christs Sacred Passion a soveraigne receit against Satans temptation * A Christians Philosophie The terror of the last judgement A most comfortable Conclusion Mat. 26. Luke 12. * Imperator noster Christus eum hostem vicit qui adhuc omnes Imperatores stravit Miscell Theor. Itin. Psal. 36. Exod. 3. Psal. 101. Psal. 102. Psal. 33. Galat. 5. I Cor. 15. Psal. 36. Mat. 5. Malac. 4. Wisd. 5. I Cor. 4. Colos. 3. 2 Reg. 7. Psal. 39. Prov. 1 Psal. 13. Psal. 26. Matth. 8. Job 1. 2 Cor. 12. Psal. 34. Mat. â— No fire gives quicker heat to heath than Christs Crosse to mans heart No fire works more upon combustible matter than the wood of the Crosse on a pliable nature Meaning by this Materiall wood of the Crosse of Christ thaâ— Spiâ—ituall Woâ—d of Life Chrâ—st Jesus â—hanging on the wood of the Crosse. * Delicacy the Devils darling * Christs confection * Christs refection * Christs Musique * Christs Perambulation * Christs habit * Christs house * Christs repose * Christs conversation our imitation * Christs bed * Christs câ—adle a Crâ—bbe his couch a Crosse. * Christs Sermon upon the Crosse. In ore gratiam in more â—agaâ—iamâ— in 〈◊〉 solatiuâ—â— Amos 4. 7. Ibid. 8. 6. Ibid. 6. 3. 11. August in Enar. sâ—p 45. Psalm Prov. 28. 1. * Electrum lâ—chryâ—arum Electuarium animarum * Lachrymae peccatorum sunâ— vinum Angeloâ—um Bern sup Cant. Myâ— rham oculoruâ— diciâ—â—us me ruâ— Angelorum Anselm Damas. in Hiâ—t Barlaam Luke 10. 37. Licot sparso â—â—ine sâ—isâ— is vestibus uberâ— quibus â—e nutrierat mâ—ter osteÌ„daâ— liâ—â—t in limine paâ—er jaceat per contemptam matrem per calcatum patrem perge siccis â—culis ad vexillum Crucis evâ—la Hieroh Rev. 22. 20. The love of God is the faithfull soulesguide * Nec locus sufficeret crucâ—â—us â—ec cruees corporibus Joseph lib. 5. de Bellâ— Iud. cap. 28. Exceâ—lent Motives for the weake iâ— Spirit preparing them how to die A divine Memoriall No true Repentance without Charitie Meditation of death the wisâ— mans life Motives of fearing Death Spirituall Physick against this feâ—rfull distemper Christian Memorials Jam. v. 14. Mar. 6. 13. Christs mercies my merits a Conclave animae Pet. Damian de Horâ—â—ortâ—â— Bern. Aug. Med. 4. S. Bern. S. Ambrose