light is glorifyed by the Saints wher the Maiesty of God is beheld present and the mind of the beholders is satiated by this food of life without all defect They euer see and yet they euer desire to see but they desire without anxiety and they are not glutted by their satiety Where the true Sonne of Iustice doth recreate them all by the admirable sight of his beauty and so doth illuminate all the inhabitants of that heauenly Countrey Where the light of them who are illuminated by that other superiour illuminating light doth shine farre beyond the splendor of our Sun and beyond the clarity of al the Startes adhering to that immortall Deity them selues being made thereby incorruptible and immortal according to this promise of our Lord and Sauiour Father they whome thou gauest me I will that where I am they may be also there that they may see my brightnes and that they all may be one as thou O Father art in me I in thee so they also may be one in vs. CHAP. VIII Of the kingdome of Heauen THE kingdome of heauen is a most happy kingdome a kingdome which hath no death nor end where there shal be no succession of tymes nor no interruption of the day by any night Where the victorious souldier is euen laden with vnspeakeable treasures an immortal crowne being placed vpon his triumphant head O that the diuine mercy hauing first discharged the weight of my sins would commaund me who am the least amongst the seruants of Christ to lay downe this burthen of flesh and bloud that so I might passe on towards my true repose in those eternall ioyes of his Citty that I might beare my part among th' inhabitants of those heauēly Quires that I might assist in glorifying our Creatour with those blessed spirits that I might behold the face of God there present that I might not be so much as touched with the least feare of death but that I might securely reioyce through the incorruptibility of immortall glory that being conioyned to him who knoweth all things I might loose all blindnes of ignorance that I might esteem meanely of all earthly thinges that I might no longer vouchsafe to behold or euen so much as to remember this valley of teares the life whereof is laborious and corruptible a life which is full of all bitternes a life which is the mistresse of sinne and the slaue of Hell The humours of our body doe puffe it vp paynes put it downe intemperate heats dry it the ill affections of the ayre indispose it meate makes it fat fasting makes it shrinke loose myrth dissolueth it afflictions consume it solicitude straitens it security makes it sottish riches make it vane pouerty makes it base youth extolleth it age makes it stoope sicknes breaks it sorrow deiects it the Diuell lyes in wayte for it the world flatters it the flesh is delighted the soule is blinded and the whole man is disioynted And to all these so many and great mischiefes death doth furioussy succeed doth so impose an end vpon these vayne ioyes that when once they leaue to be it is scarce so much as beleeued that they euer were CHAP. IX How God doth comfort an afflicted soule after too great lamentations BVT what prayse what thakes shal we be able to giue thee O our God who euen in the midst of these great miseries of our mortality dost not faile to comfort vs with the admirable visitation of thy Grace For Behold when I am full of many sorrowes whilst I am fearing the end of my life whilst I am considering my sinns whilst I am meditating vpon death whilst I am frighted with thinking on thy iudgement whilst I tremble at the torments of hell whilst I am ignorant with what scales my works are to be wayghed by thee whilst I cannot knowe by what kind of end shal be able to shut them vp whilst I am ruminating vpon these many other things in my hart thou O my Lord and my God according to thy wonted pitty art present with a resolution to comfort me wretched creature And when I am in the midst of these complaints and excessiue lamentations and in the profoundest sighings of my hart thou takest vp this afflicted and perplexed minde aboue those high topps of the mountaines euen to those odoriferous spicy beds of thine and thou dost place me in that deepe pasture neere those brookes of sweet waters where thou preparest in my sight a table full of choice curious meats which may refresh my wearied spirit and may giue ioy to my afflicted hart And so at last being all restored by those delights and forgetting mine owne many miseries and being exalted aboue the highest partes of the earth and earthly thinges I repose in thee who art true peace CHAP. X. Of the sweetnes of diuine loue O My God I loue thee I loue thee and faine would I loue thee yet more and more Grant to me O Lord my God O thou beautifull beyond the sonnes of men that I may desire thee and that I may loue thee as much as I list and as much as I ought Thou art immense and without measure thou oughtest to be beloued especially by vs whom thou so hast loued and so hast saued and for whom thou hast done so many and so mighty things O loue which euer burnest and art neuer quenched sweet Christ deere Iesus O charity my God kindle me with all that fire of thine with thy loue with thy lyking with thy sweetnes with thy desire with thy Charity with thy ioy and exultation with thy piety and suauity with thy pleasure with that ardent desire of thee which is holy and good chast cleane That so being all full with the sweetnes of thy loue and all perfumde sweetened by the flame of thy Charity I may loue thee my most sweet and most beautifull Lord with my whole hart with my whole soule with my whole strength with all the application of my mind with much contrition euen with a very fountaine of teares with much reuerence and trembling loue carrying thee in my hart and in my mouth before mine eyes at all tymes in all places that so there may neuer be found any roome in me for any disloyall and impure loue CHAP. XI Of the preparation of our Redemption O Most beautifull Christ Iesus I beseech thee by that most sacred effusion of thy most pretious bloud whereby we are redeemed graunt me contrition of hart and a very fountaine of teares especially whilest I am offering vp both my vocall and mentall prayers to thee Whilest I am singing the Office of thy prayse to thee whilest I do either declare with my mouth or consider in my mind the mystery of our redemption that expresse testimony of thy mercy Whilest I though vnworthy am assisting at thy sacred Altar intending to offer vp to thee that admirable celestiall sacrifice which is so worthy of
and delightes drawe me to thee with a greedy hart The more I consider thee the more doe I languish with thy loue and with a vehement desire of thee and I am extreamely delighted with the sweete remembrance of thee I am therfore resolued I am resolued to cast vp myne eyes to thee to erect the state of my minde and to conforme the affections of my will to thee I am resolued to talke of thee to heare speake of thee to write of thee to conferr with others of thee daily to read somewhat of thy felicity glory when I shall haue redd it to reuolue it very often in my hart that at least by this meanes I may passe on from the burninge heats and dangers toyling labours of this mortall dying life to the sweete refreshing of that vitall aire of thyne and that I may proceede at last when I shall lay my selfe downe to sleepe to repose my head a little in that bosome of thyne To this end I enter now and then into those sweete feilds of thy holy Scriptures and whilest I am turninge ouer those leaues I gather the fresh flowers of sentences from thence By reading them I eate by frequenting them I ruminate and by gathering them vp at last I lodge them in the deepe receptacle of my memory that by this meanes haueing taken a taste of thy sweetnes I may feele the biteernes of this most miserable life so much the lesse O thou most happy life O Kingdome which art truely blessed free from death and farr from haueing an end to which noe tymes shall euer succeede where that day which is still continued without night admitts of noe Tyme where the conquering souldiers being associated to those chantinge quires of Angells sing that Canticle of the Canticles of Syon to Almighty God without ceasinge the garland of triumph imbraceinge their glorious heads that for euer I would to Christe that my sinns beinge once forgiuen me and then this burden beinge layd downe I might be assigned to eternall rest might enter into thy ioyes within those excellent and beautifull walls of thy Citty receiuinge the crowne of glory from the hand of my Lord. That I might be present with those most holy Quires of Angells That together with those blessed Spiritts I might concurre to glorify our Creator that I might veiwe the present face of Christe our Lord that I might for euer behold that supreame vnspeakable vncircumscribed light and that so not being subiect to any feare of death I might for euer reioyce in the euerlastinge endowment of incorruption CHAP. XXIII Of the felicity of that holy soule which departeth hence HAppy is that soule which beinge discharged from this body of earth goes freely vp to heauen and is in peace safetie not fearing either any enemy or death it selfe For it will then haue present and shall for euer behold that most beautifull Lord whom it hath serued and whom it hath loued and to whom at length it arriueth all full of glory and ioy This glory of so great beatitude noe tyme shall diminish nor wicked enemy be able to bereeue vs of The Daughter of Syon saw this soule and did publish it to be most happy The queenes and the concubines sawe it sayinge Who is this which goeth forward like a riseinge morninge faire like the Moone bright like the Sunn and terrible like a pitched feild of armed men How ioyfully doth she goe forth make haste and runn when with astonished eares she hears her spouse say thus Rise vp and make haste O thou my freind and my beautifull creature and come with me for now the Winter is ouer-past the Storme is gone and hath hidd it selfe the flowers haue appeared in our Land the tyme of pruninge is now come the voice of the turtle hath beene heard in our land The figg tree hath brought forth her younge fruite the vines are in flower and send forth theire odour Rise vp maKe haste O thou my freind my faire Creature my doue in the holes of the RocKe in the lowes places of the wall Shew me that face of thyne let thy voice sound forth in my ears for thy uoice is sweete and thy face is full of comlinesse and grace Come my elected and my beautifull Creature my doue my immaculate my Spouse Come and I will place my throne in thee because I haue had a greedy desire of thy beauty Come that thou maist reioyce in my presence with my Angells whose society I haue promissed thee Come after many dangers and labours and enter into the ioy of thy Lord which none shal be able to take from thee CHAP. XXIV A prayer to the sanites to secure vs in our dangers HAppy are all you O Saynts of God who now haue passed through the sea of this mortality and haue obteyned to arriue at the gate of eternall quietnesse security peace your selues beinge peacefull and secure and perpetually full of triumph and ioy I beseeche you by your owne Charity you who are secure concerninge your selues be yet solicitous concerning vs. You are secure concerninge your owne incorruptible glory be you solicitous of our manifold misery By him I beseech you who chused you who made you what you are in the fruition of whose beauty you are satiated by whose immortality you are now immortalized by whose most blessed vision yow are continually in ioy be you also continually mindfull of vs. Helpe vs miserable creatures who in the salt waters of this life are tossed with stormes rounde about vs. You are those most beautifull gates who haue beene erected to a huge altitude O giue some helpe to vs who are noe better then a base pauement lying so farr vnderneath you Stretch forth your hand raise vs vp vpon our feete that we recouering out of our infirmity may become strong and fitt for warr Interceede pray with constancy and perseuerance for vs miserable and most negligent sinners that by your Prayers we maybe ioyned to your holy society for otherwise we shall not be saued For we are extreamely frayle and of no strength or vertue miserable base wretches beasts who care but for the belly the slaues of flesh blood in whome the very shadow of goodnes doth scarce appeare And yet not withstandinge beinge placed vnder the confession of Christe our Lord we are borne vp by the wood of his Crosse whilest we saile through this great and spatious sea where there are creepinge creatures without number where there are wilde beasts great and small where there is á most cruell dragon euer ready to deuour vs where there are places full of dangers as Scylla and Charybdis and innumerable others where carelesse persons and they who are of a waueringe faith suffer shipwracke Pray you to our Lord pray O you who are full of pitty pray all you troopes of Saintes and all you compagnies of blessed Spiritts that beinge assisted by your Prayers and meritts we may with our shipp
ardent desire of our hart ought to be placed in our Lord. BVt thou O Lord the expectation of Israell and that desire to which our harte doth euery day aspire make haste to vs and doe not stay Rise vp make hast and come and bring vs out of this prison to confesse vnto thy Name that wee may glory in thy light Open thyne eares to the cry of the teares of thy forsaken children who thus are calling out to thee Giue vs O thou Father of ours our daylie breard this day in the strength whereof wee may walke day and night till at last wee may arriue to thy Holy Mountaine Horeb. And I also poore little one that I am amongst the poore little ones of thy familly when shall I O my God my Father and my strength come and appeare before thy face that I who confesse vnto thee now for a tyme may doe it there for all eternity Happy shall I be if once I may be admitted to behould thy brightenes Who will graunt mee soe much fauour as that once I may bee admitted to that happines I knowe O Lord I knowe and confesse that I am vnworthy to enter vnder thy roofe Yet doe thou admitt mee for thyne owne honnour 's sake confound not thy slaue who hopes in thee And who shall be able to enter into thy Sanctuary to consider the wonders of thy power vnles thou open him the gate And who can open it if thou shutt it For if thou destroy there is none can build vs vp And if thou shutt a man in there is none who cā putt him out If thou contayne the waters all the world will be dryed vp but if thou let thē loose they will ouerrune the earth If thou haue a mynde to anihilate all that which thou hast created who shall presume to contradict thee Now therefore ô thou eternall goodnes of thy mercy which is that whereby thou madest whatsoeuer thou wouldest thou art the Archytect of the whole world and therefore doe thou also gouerne vs. Thou didest creat vs and therefore doe not thou despise vs for wee are the worke of thy hands And it is playne enough O Lord our God that wee who are but base wormes and durt shall neuer be able to enter into thy eternityes vnles we be introduced by thee who hast created all things of nothing CHAP. XXIV That all our saluation depends vpon God BVt I the worke of thy hands will confesse to thee in thy feare that I will not putt my confidence in my bowe or thinke that my sword can saue me but that must be donne by thy right hand and by thyne arme and by the illumination of thy countenance For otherwise I should despayre But thou who diddest create mee art my hope that thou wilt not forsake such as trust in thee For thou art our Lord God sweete and patient and disposeing of all things in mercy For it we haue sinned wee are thyne and if wee haue not sinned wee are thine because we are numbred among thy creatures Wee are but as a leafe in respect of the world and all mankinde is but vanity and our life is but as a vapour vpon the earth Be not angry if wee thy poore forsaken little children fall because thou O Lord our God knowest the matter whereof wee are made Wilt thou O God of inestimable fortitude shew forth thy power against a leafe which is whipped away by the winde And persecute a withered strawe Wilt thou O Eternell King of Israell damne a dead dogg wilt thou damne a single gnatt Wee haue heard O Lord of thy mercy and thou puttest not to death nor reioycest in the perdition of dying men Therefore doe wee beseeche thee O Lord that thou wilt not permitt that which thou hast not made to haue dominion ouer this creature of thine which thou hast made Nay thou art greiued with our perdition and what then O Lord shall be able to hinder thee who art omnipotent from eternally reioyceing in our saluation If thou wilt thou canst saue mee but I cannot doe it though I would The multitude of the miseries which I carry about mee is very greate It is at hand with mee to will a thing but I cannot finde the way to perfect it Yet I cannot euen will a good thing vnles thou also wi lt nor can I performe that which I haue a will to doe vnles thy power strengtheneth mee Yea and that which I haue power to doe falls out sometymes that I will not doe it vnles thy will may be done in Earth as it is in Heauen And what I will doe can doe I doe not knowe vnles thy wisedome illustrate mee And though also I doe knowe hauing sometymes a will to doe a thing and sometymes also a power to doe it yet my VVisdome passeth away all imperfect and empty as it is vnles thy true VVisdome helpe mee But in thy will all things are placed and there is none who can resist that will of thyne O thou the Lord of all thy Creatu-Creatures who hast supreame dominion ouer all flesh and doest worke whatsoeuer thou wilt in Heauen and in Earth in the Sea and in all the Abysses Let therefore thy will be done in vs vpon whome thy Name hath beene inuoked and let not this noble worke of thyne perish which thou diddest create for thyne owne glory And what man borne of woeman is hee who can liue not see death and deliuer his soule from the hand of hell vnles thou alone doe snatch him thence Thou who art the vitall life of all life whereby all things liue CHAP. XXV That the will of man wanteth efficacy towards good workes without the Grace of God I Haue now confessed to thee O thou prayse of my life O Lord my God and the strength of my Saluation that there was a tyme when I had confidence in myne owne strength which yet was noe strength at all And when I was so resolued to runne on where I thought my selfe to stand fastest there I fell fowlest insteede of aduanceing I retyred and I was more and more estranged from that which I thought to haue apprehended And so being come to know the little proportiō of my strēgth by the many experimēts which I made for the wāt thereof I doe now vnderstand because I haue bene illuminated by thee that whatsoeuer I haue thought my selfe most able to doe that could I euer bring least to passe For I sayd sometimes I will doe this and I will perfect that I did neither the one nor the other If I had the will I wanted the power If I had the power I had not then the will because I trusted in myne owne strength But now I confesse to thee O Lord my God the Father of Heauen and Earth that noe man shall ouercome in his owne strength to giue occasion thereby to the foolish presumption of flesh and blood to glory in thy sight For it is not in
Good but only the supreme Good can satisfy it and withall it is of so great liberty that it cannot be constrained to commit any sinne It is therefore the proper will of euery one which is the cause of his saluation or damnation so that nothing more rich can be giuen to God then a good will A good will draweth God downe to vs it addresseth vs vp to him By a good will we loue God we chuse him we runne to him we arriue to him and we possesse him O how excellent a thing is this good will wherby we are reformed according to the resemblance of God and are made like to him So amiable to God is this good will as that it refuseth to inhabit that hart wherin a good will is not to be found A good will doth make that supreme Maiesty of the Trinity stoop downe to it For wisedome doth illuminate it towards the knowledge of truth Charity doth inflame it towards the loue of goodnes and the Paternity doth preserue that which it did create that it may not perish CHAP. XXVI VVhat the knowledge of truth is WHat is that knowledg of truth It consisteth first in a mans knowing himselfe in being that which a man ought to be and in reforming that which should be amended It doth therefore consist in knowing and louing the Creatour for this is the whole good of man See then how vnspeakable the loue of this diuine loue is It made vs of nothing and it gaue vs whatsoeuer we haue But because we loued the guift more then the giuer we fell into the snare of the diuell and became his slaues Then did God being moued to mercy send his Sonne to redeeme those slaues and he also sent the holy Ghost to the end that he might make those slaues his sonnes He gaue the Sonne as a price of our redemption and the holy Ghost for the priuiledge of his loue and so he imparteth his whole selfe as the inheritance of our adoption So doth God as being most pittifull most mercifull through the desire which he hath of the loue of man not only impart his mercyes but his very selfe that so he might recouer men not so much to him who is God as to themselues That men might be borne of God God was first born of man Who then is he that hath a hart so hard as that it cannot be softned by this loue of God this loue I say of his so preuenting so vehement which made him be content to become man for the loue of man Who now wil be able to hate a man whose nature and resemblance he seeth in the humanity of God Infaillibly whosoeuer hateth him hateth God and so he destroyeth whatsoeuer he doth For God was made man for man that as already he was mans Creatour so also he might be his redeemer and that he might purchase him out of his owne stocke And to the end that God might be beloued by man in a more familiar manner he appeared in the similitude of man that so both his externall and internall senses might be made happy in God the eye of his soule being intertained fed by his diuinity the eye of his body by Gods humanity to the end that whether he should worke inwardly or outwardly this human nature which he created might be able to feed deeply sweetly vpon him CHAP. XXVII VVhat the mission of the holy Ghost doth worke in vs. THis Sauiour of ours was borne for vs he was crucified and he died for vs that so by his death he might destroy ours And because that bunch of grapes of his flesh and bloud was carried to this wine-presse of the Crosse because the expression thereof being made the new winer of his Diuinity began to flow from thence the holy Ghost was sent downe wherby the vessels of our harts were to be prepared and new wine to be put into new skins that first our harts might be cleansed least els the wine powred in should be polluted and that afterward they should be tyed vp least otherwise when it were infused it might be spilt That they might I say be cleansed from all ioy which could be taken in sinne and that they might be fastened against all ioy which could be taken in vanity For that which is good can neuer come vnles first that be sent away which is euill The ioy which is taken in sinne polluteth and the ioy which is taken in vanity scattereth vs. The ioy which is taken in sinne maketh the vessell fowle and the ioy which is taken in vanity maketh it to be full of holes Ioy is taken in sinne when sinne is loued and ioy is taken in vanity when transitorie things are beloued Cast the refore away that which is euill that thou mayst receaue that which is good Powre out all bitternes that thou mayst be filled with sweetnes The holy Ghost is ioy loue Cast out the spirit of the diuell the spirit of the world that thou maist receaue he spirit of God The spirit of the Diuell breedeth a ioy in sinne and the spirit of the world breedeth a ioy in vanity Now both these ioyes are naught for the one of them hath vice in it the other giueth occasion to vice The spirit of God will come when these wicked spirits are cast out and it will enter into the tabernacle of thy hart and will produce a good ioy and a good loue whereby the loue of the world the loue of sinne shall be put to flight The loue of the world doth intice and deceaue the loue of sinne doth pollute and carry on to death But the loue of God doth illuminate the mind it doth purify the conscience it makes the soule reioyce it demonstrates God CHAP. XXVIII Of the working of that soule which loueth God HE in whome the loue of God remaines is euer thinking how he may arriue to God how he may leaue the world how he may decline the corruption of flesh and bloud and to the end that he may find true peace he euer hath his desire his hart erected towards heauenly things When he is sitting when he is walking when he is resting in fine whatsoeuer he be doing his hart departeth not from God He exhorteth all men to the loue of God he recommendeth it to all men he proueth to all the world both by his hart and by his tongue and by his workes how sweet the loue of God is and how bitter that is of the world He despiseth the glory of the world he discouereth it to be full of affliction and he declareth how fond they are who place their confidence therin He wondreth at the blindnes of men for louing such thinges as those he wondreth how it is possible for all men not to forsake these transitory and fraile things of the world He conceaueth that euery one should find tast in that which is so sauoury to himselfe that