thou shalt take away from the midst of thee thy Sins and thy Idols and return and call upon Me thy God and Redeemer and Preserver I will enlighten thine Eyes lest at any time thou sleep the Sleep of Death I will preserve thee and my Candle shall shine upon thine Head And thou shalt rejoyce in my most pleasant and most blessed Light wherewith I will direct thy Paths in the night of the mortal Life leading thee to my bright-shining Glory in the ways that lead to eternal Life I will open thy Eyes with the Beam of my infinite Light and thou being awaked as it were out of a heavy Sleep shalt wonder how in the by-past time thou didst walk in Darkness and in the Shadow of Death And thou shalt love Me thy Deliverer with all thy Heart and shalt honour Me with the Sacrifice of perpetual Praise Arise speedily my dearly beloved Son arise from the Darkness and Horror of Hell where thou lyest and receive the Light of Heaven which will rejoyce thee before the last night come which will be the last Punishment of Sinners who despise my present Inspirations and Mercies Meditate on these things in the inner Chamber of thy Heart and cast thy Eyes upon Me the Sun of Righteousness who am desirous to enlighten thee and to fill thy dearly beloved Soul with the bright-shining Glory of the Saints of Light CHAP. XIV Concerning the unhappy Death of a Sinner THE Sinner whilst he lives runs through the Fields of the World like an Ox satted for the Slaughter The miserable Man considers not that he will be taken by Death as a Highway-Man lying in wait That being bound in the Chains of Hell he may pay unto the utmost Farthing He drinks he eats he plays he laughs he swears and blasphems and in the very time whilst he is sinning without restraint Sickness and Death comes suddenly upon him and he is called to Judgment O how bitter a Grief is it to be called to Death O how great Trembling and Horror takes hold on the Sinner when he sees that by a most grievous Death he is separated from all things which he dearly loved O how lamentably saith he in that distress the Sorrows of Death have compassed me and the Pains of Hell have taken hold upon me Wo to the wicked Man when he dies upon whom all the Billows of Sorrow and Afflictions do suddenly rush that he may have a fore-taste of the Torments of Hell who did not breath after eternal Consolations Now the riotous Banquets are passed away now the ungodly Games are gone Now Kinsmen and Friends have failed Now Riches profit not and whatsoever was delightful is turned into Matter of Desolation and Despair The unhappy Soul which despised my Inspirations is afraid to go out of the Body into everlasting Flames and flys back as far as it can if so be it may find any that can comfort it in that distress But it resists in vain because the hour of Death is at hand and the time of its giving up all its desireable things which it had in the days of old when it transgressed my most sweet Law All its Sins as a terrible Army are set before it that it may see how sad and bitter an end follows the by-past Joys The Devils like ravenous Dogs stand in expectation of their Prey which is tyed with innumerable Chains of its own Sins that it may be dragged to Punishment The foolish Man when he had time took no care to be reconciled unto Me and in the last hour he hath not any whom he may look to for help All his Persecutors over-take him between the straits and desire cruelly to suck up his Blood and then the Sentence of my Justice being pronounced the Vessel of Wrath fitted for Destruction is halled to Torments This is the Lot of an unrighteous Man whom Evils do overtake in Destruction What thinkest thou then my Son who hast sinned What dost thou expect Is not thy Mind terrified at the hearing of these things which a Sinner dying suffers against his Will Turn then to thy God who can deliver thee from the Wrath to come and comfort thee when thou art going out of this Life by his infinite Grace and his unconceiveable Mercy Be greatly afraid of my Wrath and Justice whilst thou art alive that at thy Death thou mayest find my Fatherly Compassion For they that in their life time fear me as a severe Judge in their Death they find Me as a most bountiful Father Blessed are they who observe my Ways with all their Heart being mindful of their latter end They shall not be afraid of the Terror of the Night when they shall speak with their Enemies in the Gate to wit when they shall pass out of this Life After which will follow the eternal Night of Sinners or the eternal Light of the Righteous whom I have loved Follow me my Son and let my Law cleave to thy inward Parts and the Torment of Death shall not seize upon thee but thou shalt rest in a joyful and delightful Peace FINIS
my Discipline But those that are puffed up and presumptuous I cast away from my Presence that they may sit in Darkness and the Shadow of Death and may not know how to discern between their left Hand and their Right Wo unto Sinners whom their own Wickedness hath blinded lest they should behold me the Sun of Righteousness and Master of Wisdom under whose Instruction they might learn in a moment the Secrets of Heaven and might become more learned than if they knew how to number the Stars of Heaven and the Sand that lies on the Sea-shore Verily though a Sinner who departs from me knew all manner of Learning that is taught in the Universities of the World he would yet know nothing because he knows not in whom are all the Treasures of the Wisdom of God And though he should speak with the Tongues of Men and Angels he would be esteemed as an Infant in my Heavenly City because he knows not the Word of God who makes the Tongues of Infants eloquent Seeing then these things are so what meanest thou my Son to bewilder thy self in the various Sciences of Men in which there is no Salvation or Satisfaction Thou being now wearied return unto me the Fountain of Wisdom which is sweeter than Honey and I will give thee to drink and thy Bowels shall be enlarged Thy Understanding can rest in me only therefore labour not in vain in seeking lying Masters whom I have not taught Fly out of the midst of Babylon and shun the innumerable Anxieties with which thy Heart is distracted and I will lead thee into the Wilderness and nourish thee and teach thee my Goodness Discipline and Knowledge so that thou shalt understand more than the Ancients and excel all the Magicians of Pharaoh and Soothsayers of the Chaldeans Take away the Filth of thy Mind dearly beloved Son and be thou clean that with pure Eyes thou mayest behold my most clear Light And I will give unto thee to know my Mysteries and to be inflamed with the Love of eternal Wisdom which delighteth pure Hearts with unspeakable Joys Take a taste of my Sweetness and thy Eyes shall be opened to behold my Mysteries which are more desirable than Gold and precious Stones and sweeter than Honey and the Honey-comb And thy broken Bones shall rejoyce which I will fill with most pure Delights which I have prepared for Penitents who return from a strange Land unto the lovely City of Jerusalem where they treasure up their Riches CHAP. V. Concerning the Peace of God which is lost by Sin I A peaceable King who am magnified above all the Kings of the whole Earth I do make my Friends Partakers of the Peace which passeth all Understanding For when a Man is in the State of Grace I dwell in him as in the Nuptial Bed-chamber where all things are at Peace and therein is tasted the most sweet Peace of the Children of God and therein is heard the most sweet Harmony of the Parts of Man conspiring into one consent of my Law which that Man well understood who said O God I will sing unto thee a new Song on a Psaltery of ten Strings will I sing Praise to thee This Peace is more precious than Gold and more desirable than all the Honours Riches and Comforts of the World Which if the Men of this World should taste they would immediately despise all Earthly Loves and breath after me Thou therefore my Son consider what thou didst when thou departedst from me Thou didst reject my Peace and it was removed far from thee and innumerable Enemies rose up against thy Soul who sleep not and suffer thee not to rest Thou thoughtest that thou shouldest have and possess Peace if thou shouldest satisfie thy Appetite and its vain Desires living after the manner of the Heathen who know not me and yet thou foundest no Peace but Solicitudes Anxieties Pangs of Conscience Horrors and Fears of my Judgment as Cain who having departed from my Presence was afraid lest every one that found him should slay him That hath befaln thee my Son which of old befel the People of Israel which made not a good use of the Habitation of my City Jerusalem For Judah was removed because of Affliction and great Bondage which she fell into by Sinning She dwelt among the Heathen and sound no rest O how grievously doth the Sinner err who casts away from himself the Peace of the Children of God and involves himself in infinite doubts O how unhappily lives the wicked Man who flyeth when none pursueth carrying with himself the Damnation of Death which he hath procured How long shall I cry and invite thee unthankful Son unto the Banquet of my Dainties where thy inward Parts shall enjoy Peace and rejoyce in the Society of my Peace and Love Return now my Son unto thy Rest which I have purchased for thee by the Sorrows of Death and let it please thee to have one Heart and one Soul with me Let us now make a Covenant of most faithful Agreement which may have no end I spare thee dearly beloved Friend neither do I remember the Fault wherewith thou hast offended me Give me thy Heart that we may enter into a Covenant of Friendship in my Blood which I have shed for thee Break now the Bonds of thy Neck O captive Son and breath after my Liberty for as for me I will be thy most faithful Helper in times of need in Tribulation and in Want I have written thee in the midst of my Heart and will never forget thee Only I require that thou return unto me and for the future make good use of my most sweet Fellowship and I will cause Righteousness and abundance of Peace to arise in thee which shall endure as long as the Sun and Moon Behold my Side opened and my Hands pierced through with Nails joyn the Side of thy Heart unto my Side and thy Hands unto my Hands and return at length unto the most precious Peace of thy Redeemer and Friend CHAP. VI. Concerning the Protection of God from which a Man by Sinning departs I The Preserver of Men take a care of my Servants as a Nurse that nourisheth her little Infant for he that keepeth Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps I keep my dearly beloved Friends as the Apple of my Eye neither do I suffer the Rod of the Wicked to rest upon the Lot of the Righteous lest they being afflicted above measure should stretch forth their Hands to Iniquity From the beginning of the World it hath not been heard that any Mother did so affectionately love and keep her only Son as I who am more than a Mother towards my righteous ones and I love their Souls as my most pleasant Brides They that serve me need not be afraid of the Cold of Winter for all the Servants of my House are cloathed with double Cloathing for they have a good Lord. Wherefore then my Son hast thou departed from me and exposed
thy self to Dangers and Robbers who lie in wait for thee saying God hath forsaken him for his Sins persecute and take him because there is none to deliver him Who shall defend thee from the many Calves and the sat Bulls that have beset thee round if thou art not in my keeping All the Beasts of the Wood will hasten to thy Destruction unless they perceive that I am thy Keeper Without the Sword shall bereave thee and Terror within thou shall be a Vagabond and a Fugitive upon the Earth Hast thou not considered how Malefactors are afraid who have offended Earthly Kings Verily they rest no where but are afrighted at every noise as at the Shadow of Death considering lest the Officers of the King being offended should suddenly fall upon them Therefore how much more will the fear of Death terrifie thee if thou be without my Protection and be delivered as the Servant of Sin unto thy Persecutors It is a wonder how mad Sinners are who have delivered their Souls into the hands of their Enemies not considering that they want my Strength Return therefore dearly beloved Son unto me thy Keeper and I who have broken the Heads of the Dragons will defend thee I will lead thee through a Desert Land through the waste-houling Wilderness if thou continuest in my fear I will trouble the Princes of Edom and Trembling shall take hold on the mighty Men of Moab whilst thou passest through the way of Life under my Protection Return with all thy Heart unto me thy Keeper and Guide not seeking the weak Helps of the World and its Followers And I only will be thy Guide and I will be unto thee as the Eagle teaching her young ones to fly and fluttering over them and thou shalt know by experience that one day in my Courts and Protection is better than a thousand elsewhere And in the time of distress I will deliver thee because thou hast set thy Heart on me guarding it with a most firm Perswasion of my Goodness and Mercy CHAP. VII Concerning the Loss of Divine Grace which the Sinner falls into ALL the Treasures of the World compared with my Divine Grace are Dust and Ashes and are accounted as things of no value For so great is the Height the Dignity and the Beauty of my Grace that it stirs up great Admiration in the Minds of them that rightly conceive thereof Whereby it comes to pass that my Servants having their Eyes enlightned are moved with inward Grief and Compassion for their Neighbours when they fall into any dangerous Sin Which if thou my Son shouldest well consider of thou woulded suddenly return unto me being moved with the Greatness of the Calamity which thou hast faln into by Sinning Thy Soul was my most pleasant Bride in Cloathing of Gold and in Raiment of divers Colours whose Beauty the Sun and Moon did admire So great was its Grace whilst it remained faithful to the Covenant of its Espousals that it wonderfully delighted my Eyes The Daughter of Jerusalem was adorned with Jewels beautiful as a Dove shining very brightly and endued with a very lovely Comeliness She was conform to her Pattern in comparison of whom the Morning Stars do not shine She was greatly enriched with the true Riches of my Vertues which neither Rust nor Moth can corrupt But from the Daughter of Sion all her Beauty was departed when she had sinned and she fell from so great Felicity into so extream Calamity that the Heavens were astonished at this Change For my Son so great is the Filthiness and Shamesulness of Sin which thou hast committed that thou art become a Leper searful to look upon because of thy intolerable Rottenness and Meat for Worms that are crawling out upon thee What is this How is the Pleasantness of my Paradice vanished and the fruitful Land turned into Barrenness for the Wickedness of them that dwell therein How hath thy Soul departed from me contrary to the Covenant of thine Espousals and hath been defiled with many Lovers who have corrupted her Return therefore my Son unto my Grace and Friendship and unto the Light of my Countenance neither be so foolish as to desire to live any longer in so great Misery and Want Put on the precious and white Wedding-Garment that thou mayest be acceptable to me and sit down at the Great Supper with my dearly beloved Elect. I counsel thee to buy of me without Silver the Royal Apparel that thou mayest walk through the Street of the Holy City cloathed in Purple amongst the famous Sons of Sion who are cloathed with the fine Gold of my Love CHAP. VIII Concerning the Communion of Saints which a Man loseth by Sinning WO to him that is alone for if he fall he hath none to help him up But blessed is the Man who enjoys the Communion of all that fear and love Me and keep my most pleasant Commandments Verily he that is united unto me by Grace continues also united unto all my Members who live the Heavenly Life of my Grace than which nothing more lovely is found in the Land of the Living My Angels and Holy Men joyned to me by Grace are most faithful Friends of all Men that love me And then my Son when thou didst the things that please me thou hadst these Consolations and Priviledges of the Righteous which are more precious than all Gold Thou wast joyned to my Saints whose Names are written in the Book of Life and all their Goods belonged unto thee being my living Member And I the Head of the Church my Spouse did influence thee with lively Motions of my Love wherewith I move the Hearts of them that love me and seek my Face For my Spirit pressed thee forward and stirred thee up and inslamed thee with ardent Desire of the eternal Enjoyments wherewith my wearied Souldiers coming from the Earth are satisfied But now thy Visage through Sin is become black as a Coal and thou lyest down in Destruction which thou hast procured to thy self being deprived of the Society of the Saints which is the utmost Calamity What friends wilt thou find my Son if my Friends favour thee not What Society will profit thee whilst thou wantest the Society of Angels and Saints Who will comfort thee in Distress if thou dwellest with Scorpions and art not at Agreement with Heaven Return my Son return unto the Fellowship of the Citizens of Jerusalem my City and to the Feasts that are celebrated with the Communion of most pleasant Love that thou mayest live happily the remainder of thy mortal Life and afterwards mayest pass unto the Communion of the Church triumphant where there will be most sweet Peace and a full and perfect Union Depart from the Tabernacles of the Wicked who love not thee nor themselves for he that loves Iniquity hates his own Soul It will be much more profitable and delightful to thee my Son to associate thy self with my living Members and chosen Vessels that thou mayest
I handled unhappy Judas my Disciple as a loving and faithful Man but after that he resisted my sweet Words and Inspirations and hardned his Heart against me I sent him away so that he becoming like a Devil hanged himself and burst asunder in the midst and all his Bowels gushed out What then dost thou expect my Son who hast sinned and departed from Me Wherefore dost thou continue in the State of Damnation hardning thy Heart lest it should be overcome with my infinite Sweetness and Patience Shall I for ever knock at the Gate of thy House that thy Wildness may be tamed Return O Son unto thy right Wits neither cast thy self into extream Danger so as to make thy Wound uncureable Hast thou not heard that it will be ill with a hard Heart at last and that a Sinner is held with the Cords of his Sins Beware my Son of this great Evil and consider what I require of thee When a Sinner cometh into the depth of Sins he despiseth it but before he despises it he is touched and moved with the inward Inspirations of my Goodness but afterwards by degrees he waxes cold and hath less sense of my Impulses until his stony Heart becoming unsensible he regards not my Admonitions but as an untamed Horse he runs through the Meadows of the World hastening to eternal Fire Wo to thee unless thou return speedily to Me Remember thy Salvation and my Glory which I have prepared for those who repenting in sincerity wash their Garments in my Blood Use now the Remedies of Mercy lest thou be hardned and delivered up to a reprobate sense If thou shalt hearken to me I wilt melt the Ice of thy Heart and my Wind shall blow and the Waters of Compunction shall flow with which thy Fllth shall be washed away Embrace this wholesom Counsel of thy Redeemer who is ready to spare thee and to amend thy Condition If thou return to me I will imprint a sense of Contrition and Love in thy inward Parts and thou shalt rejoyce in the Renovation of thy Heart as Conquerors rejoyce in taking of the Prey and thou shalt celebrate thy Regeneration and being made whole thou shalt sing of my invincible Mercies that are sweeter than the Honey CHAP. XII Concerning Desperation which a Sinner sometimes falls into Consider my Son that there is no other name under Heaven by which thou must be saved but mine Be not deceived in putting thy Trust in the King of Egypt who is a broken Reed upon which if any Man leans it will pierce through his Hand I have overcome the World Death and Hell and therefore he that offends Me and seeks Refuge in the Favour and Delights of Men who are not Partakers of my Victory falls into Dejection of Mind which is a very bitter Punishment He wants my Grace which begets the hope of eternal good things and seeing that he does nothing sutable to the hope of eternal Life he is broken and weakened so that he falls into a most grievous Desperation which resembles the State of the Damned This is the fruit of Ambition which seeks the Honours of Men that are written in the Earth This is the fruit of Covetousness which with an unsatiable desire lays up Treasure in the Earth This is the fruit of Luxury which is drunk with the Pleasures of the Flesh and cares not for the most pure Joys of my Spirit This is the fruit of Anger which makes the feet of Men swift to shed Blood and cares not for being reckoned amongst my meek Servants who shall possess the Land of the Living Moreover this is the fruit of all Sins when Wickedness increaseth and the Soul abhors Good by which Men come to eternal Life What dost thou then my Son Why lyest thou in the lamenble State of Enmity to Me which brings forth the fruit of Desperation hastening Death and Damnation How is it that thou dost not pity thy own Soul which languishes for want of Strength Consider thy Dissoluteness and Madness which makes thee run into Hell-fire and to take no care of eternal Salvation as if thou hadst no hope Thou dost foolishly my Son in despairing and not considering that I am omnipotent and can in a moment deliver thee from the horrible Pit and the miry Clay Cast away from thee the Filth and Weights of Sin which bow thy Back and drive thee to Despair and breath after Me the Author of thy Hope and Redemption and thou shalt be delivered from the grievous Bondage wherewith thou art oppressed and thou shalt be sweetly refreshed with the Breathings of my Spirit Return to me by timely Repentance which begets a Godly Sorrow and also rejoyceth the Soul that is renewed in Me and receives from Me the Pledge of the eternal Inheritance So thou shalt hope and thy troubled Soul sailing through the great Sea shall be kept safe by casting the Anchor of a most firm hope which I have purchased for thee by my most precious Blood and unconceiveable Love CHAP. XIII Concerning Vnbelief which a Sinner is in danger to fall into I The Son of the most high God am the Light of the World and with just Judgment punish a Sinner who hates me with inward Darkness wherewith the Understanding is darkned Which Evil is so grievous and formidable that sometimes an unhappy Sinner by multiplying his Faults departs so far from true Light that he falls into Unbelief He hath departed from Me and loved Earthly good things more than Me Whereby it come to pass that his Will being depraved so corrupts the true Judgment of the Understanding that at length he loses the Catholick Faith So thou mayest see my Son what hath happened unto many Sinners who when they had first believed in me by aggravating the Sins of Covetousness Pride Gluttony or Luxury have erred from the Faith and pierced themselves through with many Sorrows Wo to those that hate my most pure Light whereby the eternal and unchangeable Good is known and preferred before created good things It had been better for those Men if they had not been born For it is extream Unhappiness to err from my Faith and to cast away my Yoke with a darkned Understanding And thou therefore my Son considering what hath happened unto others like thy self return unto me lest perhaps being weary of my immaculate Law thou begin to have hard Thoughts of my Goodness and giving loose reins to thy Heart through the Love of Temperal things thou give thy self up to wicked Doings and ungodly Lusts unto the prodigious denying of my Faith My Son look whither thou art going whilst thou ceasest not to sin be not cruel to thy self in running swiftly to Destruction take heed lest thou despise my Admonitions with which I instruct thee stop not thy Ears being seduced with carnal Love which drowns multitudes of Men into Perdition The time is short traffick till I come to reward thee with eternal Life or with everlasting Fire If