sad people he pretends himselfe to be sad for company To the end that he may delude such as are in ioy he faynes himselfe also to reioyce That he may beguile such as are spirituall he transformeth himselfe into an Angell of light That he may insinuate himselfe and by that meanes crush such as are strong he takes the semblance of a lambe that he may deuoure such as are meeke he borrowes the face of a Wolfe All these things he takes vpon him according to the similitude and proportion of the temptations which he meanes to vse As some he frights with a nocturnall feare others by the arrow which flyes by day others by the busines which walkes by night others by expresse assault and others by that deuill of high noone Now who is he that can thinke himselfe a match for this enemy so farr as that he may so much as know him and who did euer reach to the bottome of his craft Who shall reueale the makeing of his garment to vs and who shall make vs knowe the walke of his teeth Behould he hideth his arrowes in his quiuer and he couers his snares vnder a shew of light soe he is lesse subiect to be vnderstood vnlesse O Lord O thou hope of ours we beg light from thee whereby we may discerne all things For not onely doth he striue to deceiue vs in the sensuall workes of flesh and blood nor onely in the exercise of vice which is easily discerned but euen amongst our most spirituall actions he hideth certain subtile snares vnder the colour of vertue he puts on vice transformes himselfe into an Angell of light these and many other things O Lord our God doth this very sonne of Beliall this Satan endeauour to bring against vs. And now as a Lyon then as a Dragon both manifestly and secretly interiourly and exteriourly both by day and night he is laying traynes for vs that soe he may destroy our soules But thou O Lord deliuer vs thou who sauest such as hope in thee that our enemy may haue cause to be sorry for as much as may concerne vs but that thou O Lord our God maist be praised in vs. CHAP. XVIII Of the benefits of God BVt let mee the sonne of thy handmayd who haue commended my selfe into thy hands confesse to thee O my deliuerer with my whole harte in these little poore confessions of myne and let me call to minde all those good blessings which thou hast voutchsafed to bestow on mee from my youth and in my whole life For I well know that ingratitude doth much offend thee which is the roote of all spirituall mischeife and a kinde of dry and parching wynde which blasteth all goodnes and it shutteth vp the fountayns of diuine mercy towards man and by this meanes both our ill deedes which were dead gett life againe our good deedes which liue doe quickly growe to dy and haue noe more life afterward But as for mee O Lord I will giue thankes to thee Let not mee O thou my deliuerer be vngratefull to thee since thou hast freede mee How often had that Dragon euen swallowed mee vp and thou O Lord diddest drawe mee out of his mouth How often haue I sinned when he was ready to haue deuoured mee but thou O Lord my God diddest defend mee When I did wickedly against thee when I transgressed thy commaundements he stood ready to snatch mee away into hell but thou forbadest him I offended thee and the while thou defendedest mee I did not feare him and yet thou diddest preserue mee I departed from thee made offer of my selfe to myne enemy but thou diddest fright him so as that he should not dare to carry me away These benefits diddest thou bestowe vpon me O Lord my God and I wretched creature knew it not Full often hast thou freed mee from the uery iawes of the Deuill and snatched me out of the mouth of the Lyon and full often hast thou brought me back againe from hell though I was ignorant thereof For I descended euen towards the very gates of hell and thou heldest me back from goeing in I drewe neare the gates of death and thou wert the cause why they opened not themselues to receiue mee Thou also O my Sauiour hast often deliuered me from corporall death when I was subiect to great sickenes And when I found my self in many daungers by sea by land by fyre by sword and many other wayes thou wert euer deliuering mee euer present to mee and euer saueing mee with great mercy For thou O Lord diddest well knowe that if death had then seised vpon mee hell had possessed my soule and I had bene damned for euer But thy mercy and thy grace O Lord my God preuented mee and gaue mee deliuerance from that death of my body and consequently from the death of my soule These and many other benefits diddest thou imparte to mee but I was blinde and knew them not till I was illuminated by thee But now O thou light of my soule O Lord my God my life by which I liue and the light of mynes eyes by which I see Behould thou hast illuminated mee and now I knowe thee and cōfesse my selfe to liue by the guift of thy hand and I giue thankes to thee Which though they be meane and poore full of disproportion to thy benefits yet they are the best which my frailty can affoord For thou alone art my God my benigne Creatour who doest loue our soules and hatest none of those things which thou hast made Behold I who am the greatest of those sinners whom thou hast saued to the end that I may giue an example to others of thy most benigne piety will confesse thy great benefits to me For thou hast snatched me out of that lower hell once twice and thrice and a hundered and a thousand times And indeede I was euer tending towards Hell and thou wert euer drawing mee back And thou mightest iustly haue damned me a thousand times if thou haddest beene soe disposed But thou wouldest not because thou louest soules O Lord my God and thou dissemblest the sinnes of men that soe they may come to pennance and there is much mercy in all thy wayes Now therefore I see these things O Lord my God and I knowe them by thy light and my soule doth euen faynt and is sicke with loue vpon the consideration of thy great mercy towards mee since thou hast snatched my soule out of that lower Hell and hast brought mee back againe to life For I was all plunged in death and thou hast wholy reuiued mee Be therefore all my life and beeing thyne and I doe wholly offer my whole selfe vp to thee Let my whole spirit my whole harte my whole body and my whole life liue to thee O thou my sweete life for thou hast deliuered me wholly that thou mightest possesse me wholy thou hast intirely repaired me that so againe thou mayest haue mee intirely
my selfe am growen to be wholy vayne And hence also it is O Lord that I reioyce not in thee and that I adheare not to thee For I am in exteriour things thou in interiour I am in temporall things thou in spirituall my minde is scattered spilt my thought is entertayned my speach is imployed vpon transitory obiects but thou O Lord doest dwell in the eternities and art eternity it selfe Thou art in heauen I on earth thou louest high and I lowe things thou celestiall I terrestriall when shall these contrarietyes be euer able to meete CHAP. II. Of the misery and frayletie of Man WRetch that I am when shall this crookednes of mine be straightened according to that rectitude of thyne Thou O Lord louest to be alone and I to be in multituds Thou louest to be in silence and I in noyse Thou louest truth and I loue vanity Thou louest purity and I vncleanenes What should I say more O Lord thou art truely good and I naughty thou art holy and I am wicked thou art happy and I vniust thou art light it selfe and I am truely blinde thou art life it selfe and I am dead thou art Phisicke and I am sicke thou art ioy and I am sorrow thou art soueraigne Truth and I am an vniuersality of vanitie as indeede all men liueinge are Woe be therefore to me O thou Creatour of myne what shall I say Yet hearken thou O my Creatour for I am thy creature and I am euen now vpon perishing I am thy creature and am euen very now vpon dying I am the worke of thy hands and I am euen now reduced to nothing I am the thing which thou haste made Thy hands O Lord haue made me and fashioned me those hands I say which were fastened to the Crosse with nayles for me Doe not O Lord despise the worke of those hands of thine I beseech thee behold the wounds which are in thine owne hands Behold O Lord how thou haste writtē me in thyne owne hāds Reade that wrightinge of thine and saue me Behold I thy creature doe sigh towards thee thou art my Creatour and doe thou refresh me Behold I who am the worke of thy hands cry out to thee thou art life it self doe thou quicken me Behold I whom thou haste framed am lookeing towards thee thou art my maker and therefore doe thou restore me Pardon me O Lord for my dayes are nothing And yet what is any man that he should presume to speake to his Creator who is God Pardon me whilest I am speakeing to thee forgiue thy slaue who presumes to open his mouth to soe great a Lord. But necessity hath noe lawe Greife forces me to speake the calamity which I endure constraynes me to cry out I am sicke and I cry out to my Physician I am blinde and I make haste towards the light I am dead and I aspire towards life Thou O Iesus of Nazareth art the Physician thou art the Light thou art life Haue mercy on me O thou Sonne of Dauid Take pitty on me O thou fountaine of mercy Giue eare ro thy poore creature which cryes out after thee O thou light which art passing by expect this blinde man reach forth thy hand to him that he may come to thee ard may see light in thy light O thou liueing life reuiue thou this dead man But yet who am I that am speakinge to thee Woe be to me O Lord haue mercy on me O Lord on me who am a rotten carkas the food of wormes a stinkeing pott and that matter whereon fyre must feede VVoe be to me O Lord wretched man that I am Man who being borne of a woeman is to liue but a little time and is to be filled with many miseries Man I say who is growen like to vanity it selfe and being cōpared to the foolish beasts is now also become like to them But yet still what am I a darke abysse a wretched peece of earth a childe of wrath a vessell euen made fitt for reproach begotten with impurity liueing in mysery and dying in agony Alas poore wretch what am I and yet againe alas what am I to be A vessell full of dunge a hollow shell full of putrefaction full of stinkeing filth which euen breedeth horrour Blynde poore naked subiect to a world of myseries and wholly ignorant eyther how I came into the world or how I shall gett out Miserable and mortall whose dayes passe away like a shadow whose life doth vanish like awayning Moone like a flower which groweth vpon a stalke and presently decayes Now it florisheth and in the turneing of a hande it withereth This life I say this frayle life of myne this transitory life this life which how muche the more it encreaseth soe much the more it decayes how much the more it proceedes so much the nearer it drawes to death A deceiptfull life and like to a shadow and all besett with the very snares of death Now I reioyce and euen now againe I am sadd now I am strong and now againe I am weake now I liue and now I am about to dye now I laugh and now againe I weepe now I seeme happy whilest yet I am all wayes miserable And soe subiect are all things to change vpon all warninges as that there is scarce any one of them which continueth permanent for the space of an houre Here feare and apprehension and hunger and thirst and heate and cold and sickenes of body and sorrow of mynd is in all aboundance And all these are followed by vntimely death which snatcheth men out of the world by a thousand wayes It kills one man with a feauer another man is oppressed with greife of mynd hunger consumeth one thirst makes an end of another one man is drowned by water another man is strangled by a halter another is destroyed by fyre another is deuowred by wilde beasts One is killed by the sword another is corrupted by poyson and another ends his miserable life by the surprise of some strange and sodayne feare And now besides and beyond all these things a huge misery it is that as nothing is more certayn then death soe of nothing is a man more vncertayn then of the tyme when he shal dy When he thinkes he standeth fastest he is tripped vp and his hope perisheth Noe man can tel eyther when or where or how he shall dye and yet he is sure enough that dye he must Behold O Lord how great this misery of man is wherein I am placed yet I am voyd of feare How great the calamite is which I endure and yet I am farre from greife nor doe I cry out to thee But I will cry out O Lord before I passe away to the end that I may not passe away but remayne in thee I will therfore declare I will declare my misery I will not be ashamed to confesse my basenes before thee Helpe me O thou my strength whereby I am raised succour me
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
abhorr thee When therefore thou art angry thou dost not onely not strike the offenders but euē impartest blessings to them if they giue ouer offending O thou my God! the very horne of my saluation and my vpholder I wretched creature haue offended thee I haue done wickedly in thy sight I haue deserued thy wrathe I haue prouoked thy fury I haue sinned and thou hast suffred me I haue offended and thou yet endurest me If I repent thou pardonest if I returne thou receiuest nay more then this whilest I am deferring thou expectest me Thou dost reduce me when I err thou inuitest me when I resiste thou staiest for me when I am dull thou imbracest me when I returne Thou teachest me when I am ignorant thou cherrishest me when I am afflicted thou raisest me whilest I fall thou restorest me when I am fallen thou giuest me when I aske thou art found when I seeke thee and thou openest when I knock O Lord the God of my saluation behold I know not what I may alledge I know not what to answere I haue no refuge nor hole to retire my serfe into from thee Thou hast showed me the way of good life and thou hast giuen me knoweledge how to cōduct my selfe thou haste treatned me with the feare of hell thou hast allured me with the hope of the glory of heauen And now O Father of mercyes ô God of all consolation strike through my very flesh with thy feare to the end through feare I may auoide that which thou threatnest and restore to me the ioy of thy sauing grace that by loue I may obteyne the thinges which thou promisest O Lord my strength and my fundation my God my refuge my deliuerer inspire me with what I ought to thinke of thee teach me with what words I should inuoke thee impart the power of performeinge those workes wherby I may please thee I know there is one thing wherby thou art appeased an other which thou art not wont to despise To witt an afflicted soule is a sacrifice to thee and thou vouchsafest to accept an humble and contrite hart O my God and my helper inrich me I beseech thee with these guifts defend me against mine enemy by these graces impart this refreshinge to me against the burninge heat of sensualityes and lett this refuge be open to me against the importunity of all inordinate desires O Lord the strength of my saluatiō doe not permitt me to be of them who beleeue in thee for a season but in the tyme of temptation departe from thee Ouer shadow this head of mine in the day of battell O thou who art my hope in the tyme of affliction and my saueing health in the tyme of tribulation Behold ô Lord ô thou my light and my saluation I haue begged those things of thee which I neede I haue intimated those things which I apprehend and feare but my conscience fills me with remorse the secretts of my hart reprooue me and that which loue gathered together feare scattereth and that which zeale moues me too distrust drawes me from My sinns giue me terrour but thy pitty putts me into hope thy bounty exhorts me though myne owne malignity holds me back And that I may confesse a truth the images and representations of my old sinns be still obtrudeing themselues on my memory they hold me downe from presumeing too farr CHAP. III. The complainte of a man who is not heard by our Lord through his disobedience FOr in fine when a man is worthy of hate with what face shall he desire fauour To whome punishment is due what rash boldnes is it for him to expect glory He prouoketh his Iudge who instead of giueinge satisfaction for his offence pretends to be honored with rewards He insults vpon his Kinge who beinge obnoxious to punishment will aduenture to begg a prize which is not due to him And that foolish sonne would exasperate the tender hart of his father who hauinge reproached the same father would presume to vsurpe the honour of the inheritance before he had disposed himself to pennance What is this ô my deare Father which I say I haue done I haue deserued death and yet I aske life I haue offēded my souueraigne Kinge whose aide I doe yet thus impudently implore I haue despised my Iudge whome thus rashly I desire to be my helper Most insolently haue I refused so much as to harken to my Father whom yet I am presumeinge to haue for my defender Woe be vnto me how late doe I come woe be to me how slack am I in makeing haste woe be to me who am runninge still hauing receiued fresh wounds and yet vouchsafe not when I am wel to preuent the pearcinge of new arrowes I haue neglected to forsee the darts before they came but now that I behold my death at hand I am full of trouble I added wounds to wounds because I feared not to add crimes to crimes My ancient scarrs I haue broken through with new violence because my late iniquities haue corresponded with my ancient sinns and that which thy diuine phisick had cured and closed the itch of my frensy hath opened againe The skinn which being drawen ouer my wounds did conceale my infirmity hath putrified by the breaking out of filthy blood whilest that iniquity which I iterated did euacuate the mercy which thou dist grante For I well know how it is written In what houre soeuer the iust man shall sinn all his iustice shal be forgotten And now if the iustice of the iust man shal be forgotten when he falls how much more shall the peunance of a sinner be forgotten if he returne againe to comitt those sinns How often like a dogg haue I returned to my vomitt and like a sowe haue I weltered againe in the mire I may wel confesse it for it is impossible but I should remember it How many ignorant persons haue I taught the way how to sinn how many haue I persuaded who had no minde to it I haue compelled such as resisted and I haue consented to such as desired For how many haue I laide a snare who were already in the right way and for others who sought that way I haue digged a pitt and to the end that I might not abhorr the doeinge of these things I feared not to cast them out of my minde But thou ô iust Iudge who sealest vp the accounts of my sinns and who standest watchinge ouer all my wayes and haste numbered euery one of my stepps thou I say heldest thy peace thou hast euer beene silent and euer patient But woe is me thou wilt at length cry out like a woman who is in the torment of child-bedd CHAP. IV. The feare of the Iudge O God of Gods O Lord who art too hard for the malice and sinn of man I knowe that one day thou wilt appeare I know that thou wilt not be allwayes silent when the fire shall burn in thy sight and that
labour Giueinge a beginninge to all things thy selfe haueinge noe beginninge makeing all things changeable beinge yet vnchangeable in thy selfe being infinite in thy greatenesse Omnipotent in thy power souuereigne in thy goodnesse inestimable in thy wisdome terrible in thy decrees iust in thy iudgements secret in thy thoughts true in thy wordes holy in thy workes plentifull in thy mercyes Towards sinners thou art most patiēt towards penitents thou art most pittifull Thou art euer the same eternall sempiternall immortall vnchangeable God whome neither space can dilate nor littlenesse of place can streighten nor any receptacle can keepe in or constraine nor the will vary nor partiality corrupt nether doe sad things afflict thee nor ioyfull things transport thee From whome neither forgetfullnes takes any thinge neither doth memory restore any thing neither doe things past passe away nor future things succeed To whome neither the first gaue beginninge nor the continuance of tyme increase nor shall any accident giue it any end But thou liuest for all eternity both before and in and through all aages And lett immortal praise and eternall glory and souuereigne power and supreame honor and a Kingdome Empire for all eternity remaine with thee through those infinite vnwearied and immortall ages of ages Amen CHAP. XIII How God the Father vouchsafed to helpe mankinde and of the Incarnation of the worde HItherto O Omnipotent God the beholder searcher of my hart I haue confessed the Omnipotency of thy Maiesty and the maiesty of thy Omnipotency But now as I beleeue with the hart to Iustice so will I confesse before thee with the mouth to saluation in what sort thou haste beene pleased at the end of many ages to releiue the misery of mankinde Thou O God and our onely Father wert neuer to be sent any whither But of the Sonne the Apostle writeth thus When the fullnes of tyme was come God sent his Sonne When he saith sent he doth sufficiently showe that then he came sent into this world when being borne of the euer B. Virgin Mary he became and appeared true and perfect man in flesh But what is that which that cheife of all the Euangelistes saith He was in the world and the world was made by him He was sent thither in his Humanity who was euer and is there by his Diuinity Now that this Mission is the worke of the whole blessed Trinity I confesse with my whole hart and mouth But how then didst thou loue vs O thou holy and good Father how much didst thou loue vs O most deare Creator who didst not euen spare thyne owne Sonne but didst deliuer him vp for vs wretched Creatures He was subiect to thee euen vnto the death and that the death of the Crosse takeinge the hand-writinge of our sinns and nailinge it to the same Crosse He crucified also sinn it selfe and killed death He who onely is free amongst the dead haueing power both to lay downe his life for vs and afterward to take it vp againe Hence was he both the conquerer and Sacryfice And therfor the Conquerer because the sacryfice for vs To thee he was the Preist and the Sacrifice and therfore the Preist because the Sacrifice Most iustly haue I a strong hope in him that thou for his sake who sitteth at thy right hand and is continually interceedinge for vs wilt cure all our languishing diseases For my infirmityes O Lord are great and many great they are and many The Prince of this world hath much to say against me I knowe and cōfesse it yet deliuer me I beseeche thee by that Redeemer of mine who sitteth at thy right hand in whome he was able to finde none of his malice By him I beseeche thee to iustify me by him who comitted noe sinn nor was there any guile found in his mouth I beseeche thee by that head of ours in whome there is noe one little spott deliuer this member which yet is his how weake and poore soeuer it be Deliuer me I beseeche thee from my sinns my vices my faults and my negligence Fill me with thy holy vertues make me of most innocent conuersation And grant for thy holy names sake that I may continue euen to the very end in those good workes which thou commaundest according to thy holy will CHAP. XIV Of the confidence which a soule ought to haue in our Lord Iesus in his Passion I Could easily haue despaired through the excesse of my greiuous sinns and of my infinite negligences if thy word O God had not become flesh and had not dwelt amongst vs. But now I dare not despaire because when we were enemyes we were reconciled by the death of thy Sonne how much more now we beinge already reconciled shall we be saued by him For all the hope and stay of all my confidence doth consist in that pretious blood of his which was shed for vs and for our saluation In him doe I take breath and hopeing firmely in him I earnestly desire to come to thee not haueinge any iustice of mine owne but that which is in thy Sonne our Lord Iesus-Christe We doe therfore thank thee O most Clement and benigne louer of mankind who when we were not didst powerfully create vs by Iesus-Christe thy Sonne our Lord. And whē we were lost by our owne fault thou didst admirably deliuer and recouer vs. I giue thankes to thy mercy many thanks doe I giue thee with the whole affection of my hart who through that vnspeakable charity wherewith thou didst vouchsafe with strange goodnes to loue vs miserable and vnworthy Creatures didst send thyne onely begotten Sonne from thyne owne bosome for our common good so to saue vs sinners who were then the sonns of wrath I giue thee thanks for his holy Incarnation and Natiuity and for his glorious Mother of whom he vouchsafed to assume flesh for vs and our saluation that as he was true God of God so he might also be true man of man I thanke thee for his Crosse and Passion for his death and Resurrection for his Ascension into heauen and for his seat of Maiesty at thy right hand For vpō the fortieth day after his Resurrection ascendinge aboue all the heauens whilest his Disciples were lookeing on and being seated at thy right hand he did according to his promisse powre forth the Holy Ghoste vpon the Children of adoption I thank thee for that most sacred effusion of his most pretious Blood wherby we are redeemed and withall for that Sacred and Holy and quickninge Mistery of his Body and Blood which dayly we eate and drinke in the Church and wherby we are washed and sanctified and made partakers of that one supreame diuinity I thank thee for this admirable and vnspeakable charity of thine wherby thou hast so loued and saued vs vnworthy creatures by that onely and beloued Sonne of thine For thou didst so loue the world as to giue thy onely begotten Sonne that euery one who beleeued
in him might not perish but haue eternall life And this is eternall life that we may knowe thee our true God and whome thou hast sent Iesus-Christe by right faith and by works which are worthy and sutable to that faith CHAP. XV. Of the immense charity of the eternall Father towards mankinde O Immense Piety O inestimable Charity that thou might free thy slaue thou haste deliuered vpp thy Sonne God is made man to the end that wretchd man might be drawen out of the prower of the Diuell How inspeakably a benigne louer of man is thy Sonne our God to whose bowels of mercy it seemed not sufficient that he should diminish himselfe so much as to be made man of the true Virgin Mary vnlesse withall he had vndergone the torment of the Crosse shedding so his Blood for vs and for our saluation Our mercyfull God came downe he came through his owne pitty and goodnesse he came to seeke and saue that which was loste He sought his lost sheepe he sought and found it and he brought it home vpon his owne shoulders into his folde Being a mercifull Lord and extreamely deare Pastour O Charity O Piety who euer heard of such things as these who is he that vpon the disclosinge of these bowels of mercy will not be amazed who will not wonder who will not reioyce for that excessiue Charity of thyne wherewith thou louedst vs Thou didst send thy Sonne in the likenesse of the flesh of sinn that by sinn he might condemne sinn and that we might be made thy iustice in him For he is the true vnspotted lambe who hath takē away the sinns of the world who hath distroyed our death by dyinge and restored our life by his Resurrection But what can we returne to thee O our God for the benefitts of thy mercy which are so greate What praises and what thanks can we giue For althouge we did possesse that knoweledge and power which the Angells haue yet should we be vnable to make returne of any thing which might be worthy of thy mercy and goodnes If all the parts of our body were conuerted into tongues this meanesse of ours would neuer yet be able to answeare thee with due praise For that inestimable Charity which thou haste beene pleased to shew to vs vnworthy Creatures through thyne onely pitty and goodnes doth farr transcend all our knoweledge For thy Sōne our God did not assume the Angelicall nature but the seed of Abraham being made like to vs in all things except sinn And so our Lord takeinge the Nature not of Angells but of men vpon him and glorifying it with the Stole of holy Resurrection and immortality he exalted vs aboue all the Heauens aboue all the Quires of Angells and aboue Cherubine and Seraphine placeing it at thy right hand And this Nature doe the Angells praise and the Dominations adore and all the Vertues of Heauen tremble to behold aboue them all God-Man This is all my hope and all my confidence For there is in Iesus-Christe our Lord himselfe a portion of the flesh and blood of euery of vs. Where then any parte of me reignes there I am confident I also reigne Where my flesh is glorified there doe I conceiue my selfe to be glorious Where my blood doth beare Dominion there do I finde my selfe to rule Though I be a sinner yet I cannot diffide not to participate in this grace Though my sinns keepe me back yet my substāce calls me on Though my offences shutt me out yet my communion of nature with him reiects me not For God is not so cruell that he can forgett man and not remember the thinge which he bears about himselfe and which for my sake he tooke vpon him which for my sake he sought No our Lord God is full of meekenesse and benignity and he loues his flesh his body and his bowells in the same God and Lord Iesus-Christe who is most sweete most benigne and most clement in whose person we are already risen and are ascended into heauē and are already seated in those heauenly habitatiōs Our owne flesh loueth vs and we haue the prerogatiue of our blood in him We are his members and his flesh and he in fine is our head and of these parts the whole body is made as it is writen Bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh and they shal be two in one flesh And againe No man did euer hate his owne flesh but he cherisheth and loueth it This is a great mystery I say in Christ in his Church saith the Apostle CHAP. XVI Of the twofolde nature of Christe our Lord who pittieth and prayeth for vs. I Giue thee thankes O Lord our God with my lipps and with my hart and with the whole power I haue for thy infinite goodnesse and for all those mercyes by which thou didst vouchsafe to succour vs poore creatures after an admirable manner by thy Sonne our Sauiour and Redeemer who dyed for our sinns and rose for our iustification and now liueinge in eternity doth sitt at thy right hand and interceedeth for vs. And together with thee he taketh pitty of vs because he is God of thee his Father coeternall and consubstantiall with thee in all things wherby he may for euer saue vs. But for as much as he is man in those respects wherein he is lesse then thou all power is giuen him both in Heauen and in earth that at the name of Iesus euery knee may bowe celestial terrestrial and infernall and euery tongue my confesse that our Lord Iesus Christe is in thy glory Omnipotent God the Father He indeed is appointed by thee to be the Iudge of the quick and the dead but thou iudgest noe man but thou haste giuē all iudgement to thy Sonne in whose brest all the treasures of wisdome and knowledg are layd vp and hidd But he is both the witnes and the Iudge A Iudge and witnes he is from whome noe sinfull conscience can fly for all things lye open and naked to his eyes That very he who was iudged vniustly shall iudge the whole worlde in equity and the people in Iustice I doe therefore blesse thy holy name for all eternity and I glorify thee with my whole hart O mercifull and Omnipotent Lord for that admirable and vnspeakable coniunction of thy diuinity and humanity in the vnity of one person not that God might be one and Man another but that one and the same should be God and Man man and God But although The word was made flesh by a strange graciousnesse and mercy yet nether of those two Natures is changed into another substance There is no fourth person added to the mistery of the Trinity for the substance of the Worde of God and Man was vnited and not confounded that so that might be assumed to God which he had taken from vs and yet that which had beene before might still continue the same it was O wonderfull mistery O vnspeakable kinde of
to inhabite and to illuminate it and that for euer Nor can I finde what I may more fittly call this heauen of the heauens to our Lord then that howse of thine which is contemplateinge thy delighte without any defect at all and without the least inclination to departe from that to any other that pure minde most intirely one that establishemēt of those blessed spirits in the foundation of peace in those heauens aboue which are yet aboue these heauens which we see Hereby my soule whose pilgrimage is so far of from thee may vnderstande if now it thirst affer thee if now her teares are not made her bread if now she desire that one thinge and begg it agayne and agayne that she may inhabite thy howse all the days of her life And what is the life of that howse but thou thy selfe and what are the dayes therof but thy eternity as thy years are which neuer faile Let therfore the soule vnderstand here as well as it can how sublymely thou art Eternall before all tymes since that howse of thyne which neuer wandred from thee although it be not coeternall with thee yet by reason that it adheareth to thee without any failing or euer faintinge vndergoeth noe variety of tyme but sucking vp thee her immutability with a perpetuall perseuering purity of minde she doth at no tyme and in noe place depart from thee to whom she cleaues with vnseparable loue to whom thou art euer present And so haueing no future which it may expecte nor any transitory thing passing by which it may remember it is not varied to and fro by turnes nor extended into future tymes CHAP. XX. Here man prayeth that the said spirituall howse of God may pray for him O Thou bright and beautifull howse of God I haue loued thy comelynesse and the place of the habitation of the glory of my Lord God who did both build thee and doth possesse thee Lett this pilgrimage of myne send sighes to thee day and night lett my hart pant towards thee lett my minde thinke on thee and lett my soule desire to attayne to the Society of thy beatitude I say to him who made thee that he would possesse me in thee for it is he who made both thee me Or rather doe thou desire and beseeche of him that he will make me worthy of the participation of thy glory For I doe not challenge thy holy Society nor thy admirable beauty by any meritt of mine but I despaire not to obteine it by the Blood of him who redeemed me Onely let thy meritts help me let thy most holy and most pure Prayers which cannot but be effectuall with Almighty God succour my sinfulnesse I confesse that I haue wandred like a lost sheepe and my habitation here is prolonged and I am cast farr of from the face of my Lord God into this blindenesse of banishment where being driuen from the ioyes of Paradise I am dayly lamentinge with my selfe the miseryes of my captiuity and I singe a mornefull songe and I make huge lamentations when I remember thee O Ierusalem who art my mother whilest I finde my feete standinge in thy outward Courts O thou faire and holy Sion but am not able so much as to looke into those interior parts of that Temple But yet I hope that I shall once be brought into thee vpon his shoulders who is my Pastor and who was thy builder that I may triumphe with thee in that inspeakable ioy wherewith they reioyce who stand with thee before God our Sauiour himselfe who discharged our enmytyes in his flesh and who pacifyed all things which are both in Heauen and in earth by his blood For he is our peace who made both to become one and who ioyned in himselfe those two walls which went by contrary ways Ordeyninge thy permanent felicity and promissing that he would giue himselfe to vs accordinge to the same measure sayinge And they shal be equall to the Angells of God in Heauen O Ierusalem thou eternall house of God be thou after the charity of Christe our Lord my ioy and my comfort and let the sweet memory of thy blessed Name be a solace to my sorowes and heauinesse of hart CHAP. XXI How full of biternesse this life of ours is O Lord I am extreamely weary of this life and of this woefull pilgrimage This life this miserable life fraile life vncertaine life laborious life vncleane life Life which is the lady of wicked men the queene of proude men full of miseryes and errours which deserues not to be call'd a life but a death since we are dying in euery moment by diuers kinds of death through the seuerall miseryes and changes which we are subiect too Doth therfore this which we liue in this world deserue to be called life when humors make vs swell and greife extenuates and vnnaturall heat dryes vp and impressions of the ayre infect Meat maketh fatt fasting maketh leane mirth makes dissolute sorrowes consume care straitneth security makes dull Riches puffs vs vp pouerty casts vs downe youth extolls vs and old age makes vs stoope sicknes breakes sorrow oppresses vs. And to all these miseryes furious death succeeds and at a clapp doth so impose an end vpon this miserable life that as soone as it hath left to be it is scare beleeued that euer it was This vitall death and this mortall life although it be all sprinckled with these and many other bitter miseryes alas alas it doth yet take very many by the inticeinge pleasures therof and it deceiues them by the false promisses which it makes And although of it selfe it be so very biting so bitter as that it cannot be concealed from her blinde louers yet are there an infinite nomber of fooles in the world whome she intertaynes inebriates with the golden chalice which she hath in her hand Happy are they but they are to fewe who refuse her familiarity who dispise her sleight entertaniements and ioys who forsake all society with her lest they be forced to perish together with her who deceiued them CHAP. XXII Of the felicity of that life which our Lord hath prepared for them that loue him O Thou life which our Lord hath prepared for them who loue him O thou vitall life happy life quiett life secure life beautifull life pure life chaste life holie life life which knowes not what belongs to death which knowes not what belongs to sorrow life without spott without greife without anxiety without any perturbation without corruptiō without variety and mutation life toppfull of all excellency and dignity where there is noe aduersary to impugne vs noe inticeinge baite of sinn to allure vs where there is perfect loue noe feare an euerlastinge day and one spiritt of vs all where God is seene face to face where the soule is full fedd with this food of life without all defect I am resolued to looke earnesly towards thy light Thy felicity
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
my selfe in the most secret corner of my hart that doe I not conceale from thy paternall eares Thou art rich in thy mercy and liberall in thy rewards grant me some of thy good guifts that therby I may doe seruice to thee For we cannot serue nor please thee by any other meanes then of thy guift Strick through I beseech thee this flesh of mine with thy feare Let my hart reioyce that it may feare thy name O that my sinfull soule might so feare thee as that holy Man did who said I haue allwayes feared God like the waues of a Sea which were flowing ouer me O God thou giuer of all good things grant me whilest I am celebratinge thy praises a fountayne of tears together with purity of hart and ioy of minde that loueing thee perfectly and praiseinge thee worthily I may feele and taste and sauour with the very palate of my soule how sweete delicious thou art O Lord accordinge to that which is written Taste and see how sweete our Lord is Blessed is the man who hopes in him Blessed is the people which vnderstandeth this ioy Blessed is the man whose helpe is from thee He hath disposed of certayne degrees whereby to rise vp in his hart in this valley of tears in the place which he hath appointed Blessed are the cleane of hart for they be the men who shall see God Blessed are they who dwell in thy house O Lord for they shall praise thee for euer for euer CHAP. XXXV A prayer which greatly moueth the hart to Deuotion and to Diuine loue O Iesus our Redemption our Desire and our Loue thou God of God giue helpe to me who am thy seruant I inuoKe thee I call vpon thee with a mighty crye and with my whole hart I inuoke thee into my soule enter into it make it fitt for thy selfe that thou maist possesse it without spott and wrinckle For to a most pure Lord a most pure habitation is due Sanctify me therfore who am the vessell which thou hast made Euacuate me of malice and fill me with grace and still keepe me full that I may be made a Temple worthy to be inhabited by thee both here and in the other euerlasting world O thou most sweete most benigne most loueing most deer most powerfull most desireable most pretious most amiable most beautifull God thou who art more sweete then hony more white then any milk or snow more delicious then Nectar more pretious then gold or jewells and more deere to me then all the riches and honors of the earth But what doe I say O my God O thou my onely hope and my so abundant mercy What doe I say O thou my happy and secure sweetnes What doe I say when I vtter such things as these I say what I can but I doe not say what I should O that I could say such things as those Quires of Angells doe vtter in those celestiall Hymns O how willingly would I euen spend powre out my whole selfe vpon thy praises O how faine would I most deuoutly and most indefatigablie proclaime those Hymns of celestiall melody in the middest of thy Church to the praise and glory of thy Name But because I am not able to doe these things compleatly shall I therefore hold my peace woe be to them who hold their peace of thee who loosest the tongues of dumm persons and makest the tongues of children eloquent Woe woe be to them who hold their peace of thee for euen they who speak most may be accompted to be but dumbe when they doe not speake thy praise But now who shal be able worthily to prayse thee O thou vnspeakable Wisdome of the Father But yet although I finde noe wordes whereby I may sufficiently vnfold thee who art the Omnipotent and Omniscient Word I will yet in thy meane tyme say what I can till thou biddest me come to thee where I may say that of thee which is fitt and which I am bound to say And therefore I humbly pray that thou wilt not haue an eye so much to that which I say now in deed as to that which I say in my desire For I desire and that with a great desire to say that of thee which is fitt and iust because it is fitt that thou be praised and celebrated and all honor is due to thee Thou seest therefore O God thou who knowest of all secrett things that thou art more deer to me not onely then the earth and all that is therein but that thou art more acceptable and amiable to me then heauen it selfe and all that it conteynes For I loue thee more then heauen and earth and all those other things which are in them Nay these transitory things are without doubt not to be beloued at all if it weare not for the loue of thy Name I loue thee O my God with a greate loue and I desire to loue thee yet more Giue me grace that I may euer loue thee as much as I desire and as much as I ought that thou alone maist be all my intention and all my meditation Let me consider thee all the day long without ceasinge let me feele thee euen when I am sleeping by night let my spiritt speake to thee lett my minde conuerse with thee let my hart be illustrated with the light of thy holy vision that thou being my Director and my Captayne I may walke on from vertue to vertue and that at last I may see thee the God of Gods in Syon Now as in a glasse or in a cloude but then face to face where I shall knowe thee as I am knowen Blessed are the cleane of hart for they are the men who shall see God Blessed are they who dwell in thy howse O Lord for euer and for euer shall they praise thee I beseech thee therefore O Lord by all thy mercyes whereby we are freed from eternall death mollyfy my hart which is hard stony and rocky and steely with thy powerfull and most sacred vnction and grant that by the fire of contrition I may become a liueing sacrifice before thee in euery moment of my life Make me euer to haue a contrite and humbled hart in thy presence with abundance of tears Grant that through my great desire of thee I may be vtterly deade to this world and that I may forgett these transitory things through the greatnes of my loue and feare of thee and this so farr forth as that I may neuer reioyce nor mourne nor feare any thinge which is temporall and that I may not loue them least so I be eyther corrupted by prosperity or deiected by aduersity And because the loue of thee is strōg as death I beseech thee that the fiery and mellifluous force of thy loue may suck vp and deuoure my whole minde from all those things which are vnder heauen that I may in heare to thee alone and be fedd with the memory of thy onely sweetnes O Lord
is become of thyne ancient mercyes wilt thou be anggry with me for euer Be thou appeased I beseeche thee and haue mercy on me and doe not turne thy face from me thou who for the redeeminge of me didst not turne thy face from such as did reproch and spitt at thee I confesse that I haue sinned and that my conscience calls for nothing but damnation and my pennance wil not serue for satisfaction but yet it is certayne that thy mercy doth surpasse all sinn Doe not I beseeche thee most deer Lord marite vp my wickednes against me to the end that thou maist enter into exact account with thy seruant but blott out my iniquity according to the multitude of thy mercyes woe be vnto me miserable creature when the day of Iugdment shall come and the booke of consciences shall be opened and it shal be said to me Behold the man and his workes what shall I doe then O Lord my God when the heauens will reueale my iniquityes and when the earth will rise vp against me Beholde I shal be able to make noe answeare but my head hanging downe through confusion I shall stand trembling and all confounded before thee Vvoe is me wretched creature what shal I say I will cry out to thee O Lord my God! For why should I consume my selfe with holding my peace and yet if I speake my greife will not be appeased But yet howsoeuer if I hold my peace I am inwardly tormented with extrcame bitternes Lament O my soule as the Widowe vseth to doe ouer the husband of her youth Howle thou miserable creature and cry out because thy spouse who is Christ our Lord hath dismissed thee O thou wrathe of the Omnipotent doe no thou rush downe vpon me for I am notable to receaue thee It is not in all the power I haue to be able to endure thee Haue mercy on me least I despaire and grant that I may repose in hope and if I haue committed that for which thou maiste condemne me yet thou haste not lost that for which thou art wont to saue sinfull men Thou O Lord desirest not the death of a sinner nor dost thou reioyce in the perdition of dyinge soules nay thou dyedst thy selfe to the end that dead men might liue and thy death hath killed the death of sinners And if they liued by thy death I beseech thee O Lord that I by the meanes of thy life may not dy Send forth thy hand from on highe and take me out of the hand of mine enemyes that they may not reioyce ouer me and say We haue deuoured him Who can distrust of thy mercy O deer Iesus since thou didest redeeme vs and reconcile vs to God by thy Blood when we were thine enemies Behold how being protected vnder the shadowe of thy mercy I come runninge to thy Throne of glory askinge pardon of thee and crying out and knocKinge till thou take pitty of me For if thou haste called vs to take the benefit of thy pardon when we sought it not how much more shall we obteyne it when we seeke it Doe not O most swete Iesus remember thy Iustice against this sinner but be mindfull of thy benignity towards thy creature Be not mindfull of thy wrathe against him who is guilty but be mindfull of thy mercy towards him who is in misery Forget the proude wretch who prouoketh thee and take pitty of that miserable man who inuoketh thee For what is Iesus but a Sauiour and therefore O Iesus I beseeche thee by thy selfe rise vp to help me and say vnto my soule I am thy saluation I presume much O Lord vpon thy goodnes because thy selfe teacheth me to aske to seeke and to knocke and therefor being admonished by that voyce of thyne I doe aske seeke and knocke And thou O Lord who biddest me aske make me receaue thou whoe aduisest me to seeke grant that I may finde thou who teachest me to knocke open to me who am knockinge And eonfirme me who am weake reduce me who am lost raise me to life who am dead and vouchsafe in thy good pleasure so to gouerne my sences my thoughts words and deeds that from hence forth I may serue thee and liue to thee and deliuer my selfe wholy vp into thy hand I know O my Lord that for thy onely haueinge made me I owe thee all my selfe and in that thou wert made Man for me and didest redeeme me I should owe so much more to thee then my selfe if I had more as thou art greater then he for whome thou gauest thy selfe But behold I haue no more nor yet can I giue thee what I haue without thee but doe thou take me and drawe me to thy selfe to thy imitation and loue as already I am thyne by creation and condition thou who euer liuest and reignest CHAP. XL. A profitable Prayer O Lord God Omnipotent who art Trine and One who art allwayes in all things who wert before all things and who art euer to be in all things God to whome be praise for euer to thee doe I commend for this day and for all my life herafter my soule my body my sight my hearinge my taste my smell and my touch All my thoughts affections speaches and actions all my exteriors and interiors my sense my vnderstanding and my memory my faith my hope and my perseuerance into the hands of thy power by day and night and in all houers and momenta Hearken to me O Holy Trinity and conserue me from all euill from all scandall and from all mortall sinne from all ambushes and vexation of Deuills and from all our enemyes visible and inuisible by the Prayers of the Patriarches by the Meritts of the Prophets by the suffrages of the Apostles by the constancy of the Martyrs by the Chastity of the Virgins and by the intercession of all the Saints who haue been pleasing to thee since the beginning of the World Expell from me all boasting of minde increase compounction of hart diminish my pride and perfect thou true humility in me Stirr me vp to shed tears mollify my hard and stony hart deliuer my soule O Lord from all the trecheryes of myne enimyes and conserue me in thy will Teach me O Lord to doe thy will for thou art my God Giue me O Lord perfect seesing and vnderstanding that I may be able to comprehend thy profound benignity Giue me grace to aske that which it may delight thee to heare and may be expedient for me to obteyne Giue me tears which may rise from my whole hart wherby the chaynes of my sinns may be dissolued Hearken O my Lord and my God hearken to what I aske and vouchsafe to grant it If thou despise me I perish if thou reguard me I liue if thou looke for innocency at my hands I am dead already and I stinke if thou looke vpon me with mercy though I stinke yet thou raisest me out of the graue Put that farr from me which thou
hatest in me and ingrafte in me the spiritt of chastity continency that whatsoeuer I may chance to aske of thee yet in the very askeing of it I may not offend thee Take from me that which hurts and giue me that which helpes Giue me O Lord some Phisicke whereby my woundes may be cured O Lord giue me thy feare compunction of hart humility of minde and a pure conscience Grant O Lord that I may euer maintayne fraternal charity and that I may not forget mine owne sinne nor busy my selfe with those of other men Pardon my soule my sinns my crymes visite me who am weake cure me who am sicke strengthen me who am languishing and reuiue me who am dead Giue me a hart O Lord which may feare thee a will which may loue thee a minde which may vnderstand thee eares which may heare thee and eyes which may see thee Haue mercy on me O God haue mercy on me and looke downe on me from that holy seat of thy Maiesty and illuminate the darknes of my hart with the beame of thy splendor Giue me O Lord discretion that I may discerne betweene good and bade and grant that I may haue a vigilant minde O Lord I begg of thee the remission of all my sinns from whome and by whome propitiation may be granted me in the tyme of my necessity and of my greatest streights O holy and immacutate Virgin Mary the Mother of God the Mother of our Lord Iesus Chirste vouchsafe to interceede of me with him whose Temple thou deseruedst to be made Holy Michaell holy Gabriel holy Raphael O you holy Quires of Angells and Archangells of Patriarches and Prophetts of Apostles and Euangelists Martys and Confessors Preists and Leuitts Monckes and Virgins and of all the Saints I presume to begg of you hy him who chose you and by the contemplation of whome you are in such ioy that you will vouchsafe to make supplication to God himselfe for me that I may obteyne to be deliuered from the iawes of the Deuill and from eternall death Vouchsafe O Lord to grant me eternall life according to thy Clemency and most benigne mercy O Lord Iesus Christe grant concord to Preists and to Kings Bishopps and Princes who iudge iustly giue tranquillity and peace O Lord I beseech thee for the whole holy Catholike Church for men and woemen for Religious and secular people for all the gouernors of Christians and all such as beleeuing in thee doe labour for the holy loue of thee that they may obteyne perseuerance in theyr good workes Grant O Lord O Eternall Kinge chastity to Virgins continency to such as are dedicated to thee O Almighty God sanctimony to maried follâ—es pardon to sinners releife to orphans and widowes protection to the poore safe arriual to such as are in iourney comfort to such as mourne euerlasting rest to the faithfull soules departed a safe hauen to such as are at Sea to thy best seruants that they may continue in their vertue to them who are but indifferently good that they may growe better to them who are wicked and sinfull as to me poore wertch that they may quickly reforme themselues O most sweete and most mercyfull Lord Iesus Christe the Sonne of the liueinge God the Redeemer of the world I confesse my selfe to be a miserable sinner in all things and aboue all men but thou also O most mercifull and supreame Father who takest pitty vpon all doe not suffer me to become an alien from thy mercy O God thou King of Kinges who haste giuen me this truce of liueing till now grant me deuotion to reforme my selfe stirr vp in me a minde which may earnestly desire and seeke thee and loue thee aboue all things feare thee and doe thy will thou who art all euery where in Trinity and Vnity and that for euer Especially therefore I beseech thee O Lord O Holy Father who art glorious and blessed for euer that all they who remember me in their Prayers and who haue commended themselues to my vnworthy ones and who haue performed any office of charity or worke of mercy towards me and they also who are ioyned to me by kindred and by the naturall affection of flesh and blood and as well all they who are now aliue as those others who are departed may be mercifully and graciously gouerned by thee that they perish not Vouchsafe to giue succour to all the Christians who liue grant absolution with eternall rest to the faithfull who are dead And moreouer I doe in most particuler manner begg of thee O Lord thou who art Alpha and omega that when the last day and pointe of my life shall arriue thy selfe will vouchsafe to be my mercifull Iudge against that maligne accuser the Deuill and be thou my continuall defend or against the sleights of that ancient enemy of mine and make me continue in that holy heauen of thyne in the society of al the Angells and Saints thou who art blessed for euer and euer Amen CHAP. XLI A Prayer in memorie of the Passion of Christe our Lord. O Lord Iesus Christe my Redemption my mercy and my saluation I praise thee I giue thee thanks though they carry noe proportion to thy benefits Though they be very voide of deuotion though they be leane in respect of the fatnes of that most sweete loue of thee which I desire yet such as they are not such I confesse as I owe but such as I am able to conceaue my soule is now paying to thee O thou hope of my hart and thou vertue of my soule and the life and end of all my intentions lett thy most powerfull dignity supply that which my most fainte weaknes doth endeauour And if I haue not yet deserued so much of thee as to loue thee so much as I ought yet at least I haue an earnest desire to performe the same O thou my light thou seest my conscience because O Lord all my desires are before thee And if I endeauour to doe any thing which is good it is thou who bestowest it vpon me If that be good O Lord which thou inspirest or rather because the inclination which I haue to loue thee is good grant me that which it is thy will that I should desire and grant that I may obteyne to loue thee as much as thou requirest I giue thee praise and thankes for what I haue lest otherwise thy gnift might proue vnfruitfull to me which thou hast bestowed of thyne owne free will Perfect that which to hast begunn and giue me that through thy mercy which thou madest me desire without any merit of mine Conuert O most benigne Lord my dull heauinesse into a most feruent loue of thee To this O my most mercifull Lord my prayer my memory my meditation of thy benefitts doe all tend that thou maiste kindle thy loue in me Thy goodes O Lord created me thy mercy when I was created did cleanse me from original sinn thy patience after that
O thou Power whereby I am susteyned Approach to me O thou light whereby I see Appeare to me O glory wherein I ioy disclose thy selfe to me O thou life whereby I liue O thou my Lord and my God CHAP. III. Of the admirable light of God O Thou light which Tobias sawe when he taught his sonne the way of life though himselfe were blinde Thou light which Isaack sawe interiourly when he foretold future things to his sōne though his eyes of flesh and blood were full of darkenes Thou inuisible light I say to which all the abysses of humane harts are visible Thou light which Iacob sawe when thou teaching him interiourly he did exteriourly prophecie to his children Behold whilest thou art light deepe darkenes is spredd ouer the face of the abysse of my minde Behold whilest thou art truth a thicke mist is spredd ouer the wateres of my hart O thou word whereby all things are made and without which nothing is made Thou Vvord which art before all things and nothing was before it Thou VVord which guidest all things and without which all things are nothing thou Vvord which saydest in the beginning Let light be made and light was made say that also to me let light be made and let it then indeede be made And make me also knowe whatsoeuer is not light because without thy helpe I shall mistake light for darkenes and darkents for light And so without thy light there is noe truth but errour and vanity are at hand There is no order but eonfusion noe knowledge but ignorance noe sight but blindenes noe open way but wandering mazes noe life but death CHAP. IV. Of the mortality of Mans nature BEhold O Lord because there is noe light there is death or rather I cannot say that death is there because death indeede is nothing and by that we tend to be nothing whilest we are not affrayd to make our selues nothing by committing sinne And this O Lord happeneth iustly to vs. For we receiue penishement fitt for our demerits whilest we slide away like a little falling water For nothing is made without thee And by doeing and makeing that which is nothing we growe to be nothing because we are nothing without thee by whome all things are made without whome nothing is made O Lord thou who art the Word O God who art the Vvord by whome all things and without whome nothing is made Vvoe be to me miseaable creature who haue beene soe often blynded for thou art light and I haue beene voyd of thee Vvoe be to me miserable creature who haue beene soe often wounded for thou art health it selfe and I am voyd of thee Vvoe be to me miserable creature who haue soe often beene infatuated by errour for thou art Truth and I am voyd of thee Vvoe be to me miserable creature who haue soe often gone astray for thou art the way I haue wandred from thee Vvoe be to me miserable creature who haue beene so often dead for thou art life and I am without thee Vvoe be to me miserable creature who haue beene annihilated soe often for thou art that Vvord by which all things were made and I am without thee without whome nothing is made O Lord who art the word O God the Vvord who art that light whereby light is made who art the way the truth and the life in whome there is noe darkenes nor vanity nor death Light without which all is darkenes Vvay without which all is errour Truth without which all is vanity and life without which all is death O Lord doe but say this word Fiat lux let light be made that soe I may see light and auoyd darkenes that I may see the way and auoyd straying that I may see truth and auoyd vanity that I may see life and auoyd death O Lord my light doe thou illuminate me O thou my illumination and my saluation whome I will praise my God whome I will honour my Father whome I will loue and my spouse for whome I will preserue my selfe Shine forth I say shine forth thou light vpon this blinde creature of thine who is sitting in darkenes and the shadow of death and direct his feete into the way of peace Vvhereby I may enter into the place of thy admirable Tabernacle as farre as the house of God himselfe and the voyce of exultation and confession For a true Confession is the way whereby one may enter into thee who art the way whereby we may departe from all wandring and may returne againe to the same way because thou art that true way of life CHAP. V. VVhat it is to be made nothing I will therfor confesse my misery to thee I will confesse to thee O thou my Father and my Lord that maker of Heauen and Earth that soe I may be admitted to approche thy mercy For I am made wholly miserable and am reduced to nothing and I knew it not For thou art truth and I was not with thee My iniquityes haue wounded me and I was not troubled thereat For thou art life and I was not with thee They brought me to nothing because I was not with thee who art the Word whereby all things were made and without it nothing and therefore did I become nothing without thee For that is nothing which leades to nothing All things are made by him whatsoeuer are made and what kinde of things where they God sawe all those things which he made and they were very good All things which are made were made by the Word and whatsoeuer things were made by that Word are very good Why are they good in regard that all things are made by the Vvord without it nothing is made Because nothing is good withaut a participation of that souueraigne Good But sinne is there where that Good is not and for that cause it is euen nothing For euill is nothing but a priuation of good as blindenes is noe other thing but a priuation of light Sinne therefore is nothing because it is made without the Vvord without which nothing is made and that is sinne or euill which is depriued of that good whereby all things are made which haue any beeing But now those things which are not are not made by him and consequently they are nothing Therefore those things are euill which are not made because all things which are made are made by the Vvord and all things which are made by the Vvord are good Since therefore all things are made by the Vvord sinne is not made by it and therefore it remaynes that all things which are not made be not good for as much as all things which are made be good and therefore those things are euill which are not made and therefore they are nothing because nothing is made without the Vvord Sinne therefore is nothing because it is not made But then how is it euill if it be nothing Because euill is a priuation of that good whereby that which is
stone or some tree or some brute beast but because thy goodnes hath ordeyned otherwise concerning me and that thou shouldest so ordeyne was not caused by any precedent merits of myne CHAP. X Of the incomprehensible prayse of God WHence came this mercy to me O Lord and whence shall I be able to gett power wherewith I may be able to prayse thee For as thou madest me without me according to thyne owne good pleasure so art thou praysed in thy self as thou art best pleased without mee Thy prayse O Lord is thy very selfe Lett all thy workes prayse thee according to the multitude of thy greatenes Thy prayse O Lord is incomprehensible It is not comprehended by the hart nor to be measured by the mouth nor receiued by the eare For these things passe on away but thy prayse O Lord remaynes for euer The cogitation of man begins and his cogitation ends the voyce sounds and the voyce is blowen ouer the eare heares and it leaues of to heare but thy prayse endures for euer Vvho is therefore he that shall prayse thee Vvhat man shall be able to announce thy prayse Thy prayse is not transitory it is eternall He prayseth thee who beleiues thee to be thyne owne prayse He prayseth thee who knoweth that he cann neuer arriue to prayse thee enough Thy prayse is euerlasting doth neuer passe In thee is our prayse and in thee shall my soule be praysed It is not wee who prayse thee but it is thou who prayseth thy selfe and in thy selfe and by thy selfe and wee also haue our prayse in thee Then haue wee true prayse when wee haue prayse from thee when light approueth light For thou O true Prayse doest imparte true prayse but as often as we seeke prayse from any other but thee soe often doe wee loose thy prayse because that other is transitory but thyne eternall If wee seeke that prayse which is transitory wee shall loose the prayse which is eternall If wee desire that which is eternall let vs not loue that which is transitory O thou eternall Prayse O thou my Lord and my God from whome all prayse proceedeth and without whom there is no prayse I am not able to prayse thee without thee but let me possesse thee and I shall prayse thee For who O Lord am I that of my selfe I should be able to prayse thee dust and ashes I am a dead and stinkeing dog I am I am a very worme and putrefactiō it selfe Vvho am I that I should prayse thee O thou most Mighty Lord and thou God of the spirits of all flesh who inhabitest Eternity Shall darkenes be able to praise light or death life Thou art light and I am darkenes thou art life and I am death Shall vanity be able to prayse truth Thou art truth but I am a man as vane as vanity it selfe How then O Lord shall I be able to praise thee Shall my misery be able to prayse thee Shall stinkes be able to prayse pretious odours Shall the mortality of a man who is here to day and will be gone to morrowe be able to prayse thee Shall man who is rottennes it selfe be able to prayse thee and the sonne of man who is noe better then a base worme Shall he be able to prayse thee O Lord who is conceyued and borne and bredd vp in sinne verily thy prayses cannot be gratefull in the mouth of a sinner O Lord my God let thy incomprehensible power thy wisdome which cannot be circumscribed and thy goodnes which cannot be declared prayse thee Let thy supereminent clemency thy superabondant mercy thy sempiternall vertue and diuinity praise thee Let thy most Omnipotent fortitude thy supreme benignity and charity whereby thou didest create vs O Lord thou God of my soule prayse thee CHAP. IX Of the hope which is to be erected towards God BVt I who am thy creature reposing vnder the shadow of thy Vvings will hope in thy goodnes whereby thou didest create me Assiste thy creature who was created by thy benignity let not that perish through my malice which hath bene wrought by thy goodnes Let not that perish by my misery which hath bene framed by thy mercy For what doth it profit thee to haue created me if I shall descend to hell through myne owne corruption For hast thou ô Lord in vaine made all the sonnes of men Thou hast created mee O Lord and therefore gouerne that which thou hast created Doe not O Lord despise the the worke of thine owne hands Thou madest mee of nothing and if thou doe not gouerne me O Lord I shall againe retourne into my nothing For as once I was not O Lord then thou madest me of nothing soe if thou doe not gouerne me yet once againe I shall of my selfe be reduced to nothing Helpe me O Lord my life and let me not perish in my wickednes If thou haddest not created mee O Lord I had not beene and because thou didest create me Behold I am But if now thou doe not gouerne me behold I am noe more For neither my merits nor any priuiledge of myne compelled thee to create me but thyne owne most benigne bounty clemency Let that charity of thyne O Lord my God which compelled thee to create me I beseech thee oblige thee to gouerne mee For what doth it profit me that thy charity constrayned thee to create me if now I perish in my misery and if thy right hand doe not perfect me Let that mercy compell thee O Lord my God to saue that which thou hast created which compelled thee to create that which thou haddest not created Let charity ouercome thee to make thee saue which ouercame thee to make thee create because now that charity is not lesse then it was For that very charity is thy very selfe who art the same for euer Thy hand O Lord is not so abbreuiated as that it cannot saue vs nor is thine eare out of tune that it cannot heare vs but my sinnes haue made a diuision betwixt thee and me betweene light and darkenes betweene the image of death and life betweene vanity and verity betweene this lunatike inconstant life of myne thyne which is capable of noe change or end· CHAP. XII Of the snares of Concupiscence THese are those shadowes of darkenes wherewith I am couered in the Abysse of this darke prison where I lye prostrate till such tyme as the day may dawne and the black shadowes be remoued and the light may be made in the firmament of thy power Let the voyce of our Lord in power The voyce of our Lord in magnificence say thus Let light be made and let darkenes be driuen away let the earth appeare dry sprout forth fresh and greene plants which may bring forth seede and the good fruite of the Iustice of thy Kingdome O Lord our Father and our God thou light whereby all things liue and without which all things are accounted for dead doe not
the body of his glory wee expect when our Lord returneth from the marriage that he may carry vs in with him Come Lord and doe not stay Come O Lord Iesus Christ come visit vs in peace come and carry vs out who are bound in prison that wee may reioyce before thee with a perfect harte Come O thou Sauiour come thou who art the desired of all nations doe but let vs see thy face and wee are safe Come my Light and my Redeemer lead my soule out of this prison that I may confesse to thy holy Name How long shall I wretched creature be tossed vp and downe in these waues of my mortality cryeing out vpon thee O Lord whilest thou hearest mee not Harken to mee O Lord who am cryeing to thee out of this deepe Sea and waft mee into the Hauen of eternall blisse to theyr society who being conducted out of this dangerous Sea haue obtayned to repose in that most safe harbour which is thy selfe O God O how truely happy are they who be deliuered from that Sea to the shore from banishment to their country and from the prison to the Pallace Happy are they who in theyr desired place of rest are eternally to reioyce for haueing soe with such prosperous ioy obtayned that prize of eternall glory towards which they here made they re course through such a multitude of tribulations O how truely happy are they O thrice and three thousand tymes happy who being freed from all misery and being secure in the possession of that inuiolable glory haue deserued to arryue to that Kingdome of order and delight O Eternall Kingdome Kingdome which out liueth all ages where there is a light which neuer fayleth and a peace which passeth all vnderstanding where the soules of the Saincts repose and eternall ioy hāgeth ouer theyr heads For they shall obtaine delight and exultation and greif and sorrow shall fly away How glorious O Lord is that kingdome wherein all thy Saints shall for euer reigne with thee being cladd with light as with a garment and heauing a crowne of pretious stone vpon theyr heads O kingdome of eternall beatitude where thou O Lord who art the hope of the Saints and the diademe of theyr glory art beheld by them face to face delighting them on all sides with thy peace which passeth all vnderstanding VVhere there is infinite ioy without greif health without payne workeing without labour light without darkenes life without death all good without any ill VVhere youth neuer waxeth old where life neuer cometh to an end where beauty is neuer diminished where loue is neuer weakened where health is neuer blasted where Ioy is neuer impayred where payne is neuer felt where groane is neuer heard where sadnes is neuer seene where ioy is euer had where noe euill is feared because the souueraigne good is possessed there which consists in euer seeing the face of our Lord the God of all strength Happy therefore are they who haue obtayned to come to soe greate ioye out of this life where so many shipwrakes are suffered And O vnhappy and wretched creatures wee who are steereing our ships through the floods of this great sea through these stormy whirlepooles not knoweing whether or no wee shall be able to arryue to the porte of saluation Miserable I say wee are whose life is spent in banishement and whose way in daunger and whose end in doubt for wee knowe not our end because all things are reserued in suspense for the future VVee are still tossed in these sea-waues aspireing to thee who art the hauen O thou country of ours wee see thee though it be from farre of VVee salute thee from this sea wee sigh to thee from this valley and wee striue with teares if perhaps wee may be able to get thither O Christ thou God of Gods thou hope of mankinde thou refuge and strength of ours whose light like some beame of the sea starre doth strike our eyes from farre of amongst the foggy mists and tempests of this sea wherein wee liue that soe our course may be directed to thee who art our hauen gouerne I beseech thee our ship with thy right hand by the instrument of thy Crosse that wee may not perish in these floods that the stormes of water may not drowne vs that the profound pitt may not swallow vs vp but drawe vs out of this sea to thee who art our onely solace whome wee see with our lamenting eyes to be expecting vs though from farre of vpon the shore of that celestiall country as it might be some Sunne of Iustice or morneing starre Behould wee cry out to thee who are redeemed by thee and who are now those exiles of thine whom thou hast redeemed with thy pretious blood Harken to vs O our Sauiour the hope of all the sands of the sea how farre soeuer it be of Wee are tossed in this turbulent sea and thou standing vpon the shore doest see our dangers and saue vs for thy names sake Graunt to vs O Lord that wee may hold soe euen away betweene Sylla and Caribdis that haueing escaped the danger of them both wee may securely arriue in the port with our ship and our aduenture safe CHAP. XXXVI Of the glory of our celestiall country WHen therefore we shall be come to thee O thou foūtaine of wisedome to thee O indeficient light to thee O thou who art the splendour which cannot be defaced that we may then behould thee not by representation as in a glasse but face to face then shall our desire be fully satisfyed with good things because no other thing will remayne to be desired by vs when we shall possesse thee O Lord our soueraigne good who art to be the reward of the blessed and the diademe of they re glorye and the sempiternall Ioy which hangeth ouer theyr heads possessing them both inwardly outwardly in that peace of thyne which passeth all vndestanding There shall wee see and loue and praise Wee shall see light in thy light because with thee is the fountaine of life and in thy light wee shall see light But what kinde of light an immense light an incorporeall incorruptible and incomprehensible light a light indefcient a light which cannot bee put out an inaccessible light an vncreated light a light which sheweth truth a diuine light which illuminateth the eyes of Angells which reioyceth the youth of saints which is a light of lights and the fountaine of life which is thy selfe O Lord my God For thou art that light in whose light wee shall see thy self who art that light hat is to say thee in thee in the splendour of thy countenance when wee shall see thee face to face What is it to see face to face but as the Apostle sayth to knowe thee as I am knowen To knowe thy truth thy glory is to knowe thee face to face To knowe the power of the Father the wisedome of the Sonne the meekenes of the Holy Ghost
might be thought fit to be made pertakers of so high a good and so great a glory Let therfore the deuills lye in wayte for vs let them prepare theyr temptations let fasting breake our bodyes let garments loade our flesh let labours weigh heauy vpon vs let watching drye vs let one man cry out vpon vs and let another man disquiet vs let cold contract vs let the conscience repine let heat burne vs let the head ake the breast be inflamed let the stomacke be swolne let the face growe pale and let the whole body be distempered let my yeares be spent in groaning yea let rottennes enter into my bones and multiply therin so that yet I may rest in that day of tribulation and may ascend to our elected people For how great wil that glory of iust persons be how great will be that ioy of the saints when euery one of their faces shal be resplendent like a Sunne When our Lord shall begin to muster vp his people by different ranks in the kingdome of his father shall assigne the promised rewards according to the workes and merit of euery one Celestiall rewards for workes which were performed heere on earth Great rewards for little workes eternall for such as were but temporall That indeed will be a whole huge heape of felicity when our Lord shall bring his Saints into the vision of his Fathers glory and shall place them vpon their seats in heauen that so he may be all in all CHAP. XVI How the kingdome of God may be obteyned O HAPPY sweetnes O delicious happines which it will be for vs to behold the Saints be with Saints and to be Saints to see God and to possesse him for all eternity and euen if it might be beyond eternity Let vs be continually thinking on these things let vs aspire to them with our whole desire that so we may speedily arriue to enioy them If thou aske how this may be done by what merits or by what helpes giue eare and I will tell thee This affaire is put into thine owne power for the kingdome of heauen suffereth violence The kingdome of heauen O man doth exact no price at thy hands but onely thy selfe So much is it worth as thou thy selfe art Giue thy selfe and thou shalt haue it Why art thou troubled about the price Christ our Lord did giue himself away that he might purchase thee to be a kingdome for his father and so do thou also giue thy selfe that thou maist become a kingdome for him that sinne may not raigne in thy mortall body but the Spirit in the renouation of life CHAP. XVII What a happy place Heauen is O My soule returne toward that heauenly Citty wherin we are written and enrold as Cittizens And as Cittizens amongst the Saints the houshold seruants of God and as the heires of God and coheires of Christ our Lord. Let vs consider that excellent felicity of this citty of ours to the very vttermost of what we are able Let vs therefore say with the Prophet O how glorious thinges are sayd of thee thou Citty of God the habitation which is made in thee is of them who are all full of ioy For thou art founded in the exultation of the whole earth No old age is in thee nor any misery which is wont to wayte vpon old age In thee there is no man lame of arme or legg nor crooked nor other wise deformed when once they meet together becoming perfect man in the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ What is more happy then such a life where there is no fear of pouerty nor no incommodity of sicknes where no man is offended no man is angry no man enuious no desire doth solicite vs there is no appetite of meate no man is importuned by thirsting after honour and power there is no feare of the Diuell or the craft of those infernall spirits all terrour of hell is farre off there is no death either of body or soule but a life which is made full of ioy by the guift of immortality In fine there is no kind of ill or discord but all thinges are full of agreement proportion for as much as the concord of all the Saints is intierely one all things are full of peace and ioy all things are quiet and serene An euerlasting splendor there is not like that of this Sunne of ours but another which is so much more bright at it is more blessed For that Citty as we read shall need neither Sūne nor Moone but our Lord omnipotent will illuminate it and the Lambe is the bright lampe therof Where the Saints shall shine like starres and they who instruct many others like the splendour of the firmament No night shal be therefore there no darknes no concourse of clowds no incommodity at all of heat or cold but such a temper of things there wil be as neither the eye hath seene nor the eare hath heard nor can it enter into the hart of any other mē but such as shal be thought worthy to enioy it Whose names are written in the booke of life But it exceedeth all these thinges to be associated to the Quires of Angells and Archangells to behold the Patriarkes and the Prophets to see the Apostles and all the Saints yea to see our owne parents friends These things indeed are glorious but yet still incomparably a more glorious thing it is to behold the present face of God to looke vpon that vnlimitted light of his A superexcellent glory it will be when we shall see God in himselfe we shall see we shall possesse him in our selues and of that sight there wil be no end CHAP. XVIII We cannot make any requitall to Almighty God but only by loue THE soule which is beautifyed by the Image and dignifyed by the ressemblance of God hath groūd inough within it selfe which is also imparted by the same God wherby she may be aduised to remain perpetually within him or at least to return towardes him if she chance to haue beene separated by her affection or rather by her defectes And not only hath she ground of solace in the hope which she may conceaue of pardon and mercy but yet further she may also presume to aspire euen to the marriage of the Word and to contract a league of friendship with God and togeather with that king of the Angells to be drawing in the same sweet yoake of loue Now all this is performed by the same loue if the soule do make it selfe like to God by her will as already she is like him by nature and if she loue him as she is beloued by him For only loue amongst all the motions passions feeling senses of the soule is the thing whereby a creature may answere the benefits of a Creatour and repay after a sort what it oweth though it be not in any equall manner Where loue entreth in it draweth captiueth all other
truth to all such as seeke him but especially to them that loue him A copious redēption is giuen to vs in the wounds of Iesus Christ our Sauiour A great multitude of sweetnes a fullnes of grace the perfection of vertues CHAP. XXII Of the remembrance of the woundes of Iesus Christ our Lord. WHEN I am sollicited by any impure thought I make my recourse vnto the woundes of Christ when my body oppresseth me I recouer strength by calling the wounds of my Lord to mind whē the Diuell is laying some ambush whereby to take me I flye vnto the boweles of my Lords mercy and so the Diuell departeth from me If the ardour of lust make any alteration in my body it is quenched by the memory of the wounds of our Lord the Sonne of God In all the aduersityes which I haue beene subiect to I neuer found so effectuall à remedy as in the wounds of Christ In them do I sleep secure in them do I repose voyd of feare Christ dyed for vs there is nothing so deadly bitter which may not be cured by the death of Christ All the hope I haue is in the death of my Lord. His death is my merit my refuge my sauing health my life and my resurrection My merit is his great mercy I shal neuer be voyd of merit as long as he who is the Lord of mercy shall not be wanting to me And since my merits goe after the rates of his mercyes looke how much more mighty he is towardes the sauing of me so much the more may I be secure CHAP. XXIII The remembrance of the woundes of Christ our Lord is our remedy in all aduersity I Haue committed a grieuous sinne nay I am guilty of many sinnes neither yet wil I despaire because where sinnes haue abounded there hath beene superaboundance of grace He who despaireth of the pardon of his sinnes denieth God to be mercifull He much wrongs God who distrustes in his mercy Such a one doth his best to deny that God hath Charity Verity and Piety wherin all my hope consisteth Namely in the Charity of his adoption in the Verity of his promise in the Piety of his redemption Let therfore my foolish thought be murmuring as much as it will whilest it is saying What a poore thing art thou and what a great glory is that and by what merits dost thou hope to obtaine it For I will confidently answere I know well who it is whome I haue trusted And because he hath adopted me for his sonne with excesse of Charity because he is true in his promises and powerfull in his performances because he may doe what he will I cannot be frighted by the multitude of my sinnes if withall I be able to call the death of my Lord to mind for those sinnes of mine cannot conquerre him Those nayles that launce doe cry out to tell me that in deed I am reconcyled to Christ if I resolue to loue him Longinus opened the side of Christ with his launce there doe I enter in and there I do safely rest He that feares let him loue for charity will put feare away There is not so potent and effectuall a remedy against the ardour of lust as the death of my redeemer He stretcheth forth his armes abroad vpon the Crosse he spreads his handes which are ready to imbrace vs sinners Between those armes of my Sauiour I resolue to liue I desire to dye There will I securely sing I will exalt thee O Lord because thou hast taken me vp hast not giuen myne enemyes their pleasure ouer me Our Sauiour bowed downe his head at his death that he might kisse his beloued so often do we giue à kisse to God as we haue compunction of our sinnes for the loue of him CHAP. XXIIII An exhortation of the soule to the loue of Christ our Lord. O Thou my soule which art dignified with the image of God redeemed by the bloud of Christ espowsed by faith endoweth with a spirit adorned with vertues rancked with Angells be sure thou loue him by whome thou art so much beloued Make him thy busines who hath made thee his Seeke him who seeketh thee loue thy louer by whome thou art beloued by whose loue thou art preuented and who is the cause of thyne He is thy merit thy reward thy fruit thy vse thy end Be thou carefull together with him who is so carefull of thee be attentiue to him who is attentiue to thee be pure with him who is pure be holy with him who is holy Such as thou dost appeare in the sight of God such art thou to expect that he will appeare to thee God who is so sweete so meeke and so full of mercy doth require that thou shouldst be sweet and meeke and gentle humble and full of mercy Loue him who hath drawne thee out of the lake of misery and the filth of durt Choose him for thy friend aboue all thy friends who when all they shall fayle thee will be euer sure to make good thy trust at the day of thy death When all thy friends are departing from thee he will not leaue thee but he will defend thee against those roaring lyons who are sharpe set vpon theyr prey And he will leade thee by a Country wherewith thou art not yet acquainted and he will bring thee to those streets of the celestiall Sion there he will place thee together with his Angels before the face of his owne Maiesty where thou shalt heere that Angellicall Musicke of Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Sabaoth There is the Canticle of ioy the voyce of exultation and saluatiō and thanksgiuing the voyce of prayse and that euerlasting Alleluya There is that high heape of happynes that supereminēt glory that superaboundant gladnes all good thinges put togeather O sigh thou ardently O my soule desire vehemently that thou mayst arriue at that heauenly citty whereof so glorious thinges are sayd where of all the inhabitants are so full of ioy By loue thou mayst ascend Nothing is impossible nothing is hard to one who loues The soule which loues ascendeth often and doth familiarity runne too fro through those streets of the Celestiall Hierusalem Sometimes visiting the Patriarkes the Prophets sometymes admiring those armyes of Martyrs and Confessors contemplating somtymes the Quires of Virgins The heauen and the earth withall which is therein doe neuer cease to let me know that I ought to loue my Lord my God CHAP. XXV That nothing can suffice the soule but the supreme Good THe hart of man which is not fixed in the desire of eternity can neuer be stable and firme but is more wauering then the wind and it passeth from one thing to another seeking reste where it cannot be foūd For in these fraile transitory thinges where the affection thereof is imprisoned it can neuer finde true repose Because our soule is of so great dignity that no