of my mind For why doth my soule appointed for me only love thy Sonne why doth she thus hate mee why relinquisheth shee all things concerning me Behold how she swallowed up with the incomparable love of thy Sonne walketh as one without sense now there is nought else shee heareth nought else shee thinketh or tasteth nought else shee smelleth being alwaies desirous to rest in his armes There is shee joyed there is she cheered there abundantly delighted there made drunke with too much love is shee lodged Neither is it to be wondred at if this my Soule cleave so constantly to thy Sonne Because unlesse she were harder than stone and more insensible than iron seeing thy Sonne hath done such great things for her she can doe no lesse than this for him Yea where is that stone so hard which would not rend with the heat of so great love yea melt like wax if all these aforesaid benefits should be done it I doe not then complaine to thee O most benigne Father of my Soule for that shee hath done no more than she ought but of thy Sonne who hath so forcibly allured her with the benefits of his mercy and by that meanes left mee in so great misery An Answer of the Father to the Flesh. Cap. XV. ATtend and hearken what answer this most gracious Father makes to the Flesh. Forasmuch as thou art my creature I will shew thee Justice with Mercie Whereas then thou wert ordained to bee the Soules Hand-maid yet hadst ever a desire to play the Mistresse and demeaning thy selfe alwaies inordinatly hast caused her to serve thee and not mee by making her prone unto all evill and which is worse hast subjected her who was made after my image to the bondage of Satan Thou I say who hast made her worse than any brute beast being by thee defiled and abâ—ominably polluted yea above all darknesse blackned and so much altered as I cannot know that noble creature stamped and formed to so glorious a feature Needfull it was then because I loved her so much that was inclosed in thy Flesh that my Sonne should take Flesh upon him that so hee might allure her to his and my love And because the Soule by cleaving to thee her Flesh was become dead it was my will that my Sonne who became Flesh should be slaine for her that she might be quickned Neither was this in my Sonne any circumvention or deceiving but mine and his ineffable vouchsafing And because thou O Flesh hast done evilly ever from thy first infusion but my Sonne hath beene inflamed towards thy Soule with exceeding affection and hath wholly given himselfe up for her redemption therefore my justice exacteth many things especially that I wholly and totally resigne her unto him and that shee abhorre thee more than dung and that she desire that thou maist bee abhorred of all But forasmuch as thou hast be sought not onely my Iustice but Mercy it is my will that thou in some measure bee refreshed with that present sweetnesse which thy Soule feeleth in my Sonne yea more than all this I will hereafter endow thee most nobly and most perfectly and if thou beest truly obedient to thy Soule from henceforth deliver thee from eternall punishment and bring thee to an inheritance gloriously permanent where I live eternally resident A pithy Meditation upon this Expostulation and Answer to inflame the Soule with a devout fervour IS it so O my Soule that shee whom thou hast so daintily cockred with whom thou hast so familiarly conversed and to whom thou hast so easily consented is thy domestick Enemy and by so much more fearfull because domesticall Chastise her whoÌ„ thou hast cherished estrange thee from her with whom thou hast so freely consorted incline not to her to whose advice thou hast so freely condescended It is Ismael that playeth with thee who whilest she playes with thee playes upon thee Looke upon that gracious Shepherd who hath sought thee fix thine eye upon that precious price with which he bought thee The worth of the whole world comes farre short of the worth of that price be it then thine highest honour to advance his praise Let no sinne soile that image which is so richly beautified Let no cloud obscure that light which was so freely bestowed Hee that tooke on him Flesh for thee hee that in his Flesh suffered so much for thee hee that gave himselfe to gaine thee and shew'd himselfe so truly thine to retaine thee Let him solely and wholly have thee Suffer not thy Flesh to converse with thee till she become a true Convert in the practice of piety Better is it for thee by contempt of thy Flesh to augment thine owne honour than by obedience to thy Flesh to procure thy dishonour Short is the Fight but great is the Conquest Recoile not for thou hast him for thy Chiefetaine who hath vanquish'd that foe who to this houre hath given all Chiefetaines the foile Fight valiantly then under his banner embrace all contempts for his honour Erect the eye of thy Faith to Heaven while thou directest thy feet on Earth that after thy well-past pilgrimage on Earth thou maist bee rewarded with a lasting inheritance in Heaven Amen GENERALL Rules of living well The highest pitch of Wisdome's pieâ—y By which man 's taughâ— both how to live die EVery day drawest thou nearer than other to Death Judgement and Eternity Bethinke then with thy selfe every day how thou maist stand in the severe discussion of death and judgment and how thou maist eternally live Thou art to take an exact account of all thy thoughts words and deeds because an exact account is to be given of all thy thoughts words and deeds Thinke every evening that death is that night approaching Thinke every morning that death is that day accoasting Deferre not thy conversion nor the performance of any good action till to morrow because to morrow is uncertaine but death is ever certainly waiting There is nothing that hinders piety more than delay If thou contemne the inward calling of the holy Spirit thou shalt never come to true conversion Doe not defer thy conversion nor the practice of any religious action to thy old age but offer unto God the flower of thy youth Uncertaine is old age to the young but certaine destruction attendeth him that dieth impenitently young There is no Age more fit for the service of God than youth flourishing in abilities both of body and mind For no mans sake oughtst thou to take in hand an evill action for not that man which thou so respectedst but God in whose brest all the treasures of wisdome are stored shall in the end judge thy life Doe not then preferre any mans favour before the honour of thy Maker In the way of the Lord wee either increase or decrease Take examination then of thy life every day whether in the practice of piety thou increasest or decreasest To stand in the way of the Lord is
yee trusted Bee they riches honours friends or any other vaine thing whatsoever they shall availe you nothing at the houre of death but leaving these behind you ye shall goe naked unto the Tribunall of God to receive according to your works What blindnesse nay what madnes is it then to rejoyce here in your journey to love fraile things which profit nothing to neglect the time and occasion of living well and as if without all sense of God through drousinesse and drynesse of mind to rellish those things onely which are of the flesh to have in pursuit those things onely which are outward and not at all to consider the dangerous state of the inward man and so to come unto death Alas how innumerable are those miserably wretched ones who are here deceived with the love of the world ensnared and â—y drawing after them the yoake of the Devill how unhappily slaved And thus unexpectedly they come unto death with hearts both hardned and blinded Alas how unhappy is the end of their life with whom there was never Meditation of death nor preparation for health Such things therefore are to bee rejected as hinder the spirit delight the flesh Such things to bee relinquished as are not expedient In such sort is every one to live every houre as if that were his very last wherein he should dye and goe to judgement This is the most fruitfull profitable soveraigne counsell O Daughter that thou maist live after this manner and that death may be to thee no terrour Now then if not continually yet frequently should that houre bee presented before thee as if it were before thine eyes wherein thy soule going out of thy body shall be judged for all thy workes words and thoughts This therefore oughtst thou even at this present to injoyn thy selfe that thou maist live so even now to the end thou maist be found so prepared is thou wouldst thy selfe to bee prepared whensoever death shall undoubtedly come It is the property of a most sottish and senselesse heart to deferre amendment of life to that time when time expireth when thou canst live no longer when now thou art not to amend thy life but to appeare before God as thou art already amended Surely not sinnes only but even all things doe leave thee going out of this life Thou art not then properly said to leave thy sins when thou canst now sin no more But if whilest thou hast ability to sin thou cease from sin true repentance is never to be called late but this which is deferred to the end of thy life it is to be feared that it is seldome true For if through feare of damnation only being even now to die thou sorrowest and art ready for the avoiding of punishment to performe any taske be it never so extreme to obtaine pardon Thou sorrowest not out of charity in that thou hast offended God but out of selfe-love for that thou wishest to thy selfe good and not evill For thou sorrowest because thou hast brought to thy selfe eternall damnation by thy sinnes Wheras if thou rightly sorrowest for this only wouldst thou sorrow in that thou so disobedient unto me so unthankfull to me so reproachfull to me hast not exhibited due honour and reverence unto me whom thou oughtest with al affection to have honored whatsoever should befall thee Whereas now forasmuch as thou only sorrowest for thy selfe if danger were avoided or no revenge on sinne inflicted thou wouldst never lament though thou hadst offended me a thousand yeares together True Repentance which reconcileth the soule unto me springeth from Charitie and bewaileth this especially that shee hath so greatly and grievously contemned and offended mee her best greatest gracioust and most faithfull LORD GOD her Creator and Redeemer Hence I say is his heart wounded for as much as so unthankfully so disobediently and so proudly being buâ— dust and nothing hee hath lifted up his head against me Whosoever therefore desireth to dye happily let him as mine A postle admonisheth him live soberly justly and holily An evill death followeth not a good and just life but precious in my sight is thâ— death of my Saints yea after what sort of death soever they die that is whether they dye by water or fire or in bed But to prepare thee all the better for death the Meditation whereof is the life of every wise man take here along with thee this short exercise by which every one may instruct and addresse himselfe that he may take a course to be found in that state in which he may not feare to dye Wholesome Admonitions teaching a Christian how to dye well WHATSOEVER dying thou wouldst wish that thou hadst done doe the same even now Whatsoever thou wouldst have done doe not commit this unto others to be done after thy death but doe thou it thy selfe for if thou thy selfe bee negligent of thine owne salvation and a traytour to thy selfe how shall strangers tender thy happinesse Doe not repose trust in uncertaine and vaine promises neither commit thy selfe to doubtfull events So live and so doe that thou maist bee safe in thy conscience and as if thou wert this day to dye Never goe to sleepe till such time as thou hast examined the expence of the day with the conditions and actions of thy life Discusse and call to judgement thine heart and examine all thy senses and whether thou art become better or worse this day Never goe with that conscience to sleepe with which thou darest not dye If thou findest thy selfe in that state wherein thou fearest to dye search out the cause of this feare For peradventure some sins are in thee whereof thou hast not as yet repented or refusest to confesse or else thou forbearest to abstaine from sinne and occasions of sin or thou takest upon thee some profession office or vocation which I admit not of or thou continuest in hatred or in the unjust possession of others goods or too much affected to the desire or delight of temporall affaires or taken with the inordinate love of some creature or drowned with the delight of earthly and visible things as of honour and riches thou canst not turne thy selfe to mee tasting nothing of those things which are of the Spirit but onely let loose to outward things and loathing those which are divine therefore it is that thou fearest death Because thy soule guiltie of evill in her-selfe foretelleth what torments shall befall her after death If any of these shall be in thee thou oughtest to abhorre pursue and with all thine endevour to free thee of them For which purpose and the better effecting of so glorious a designe it may helpe thee much to imitate my steps embrace my crosse and with rigour of mind and with holy hatred commenced against thy selfe to denounce warre upon all thy vices to have a purpose to sinne no more frequently and infatigably to renue the same with no infirmitie or
pusillanimity to be dejected to contemplate the examples of me and my Saints to commend thy selfe to the prayers and exhortations of good men to give way to my inward and divine inspirations to exercise prayer and holy reading never to admit of idlenesse to love silence and retirednesse These and such like doe change the naughtinesse of the mind and chase away the feare of death When thou shalt come in the end of every day say thus to thy selfe Now is my life become shorter by one day Earely when thou risest say thus to thy selfe O Gracious God now am I nearer to death by one Night An Exercise whereby earely or whensoever thou willest thou maist poure out thy heart unto God for a good death O Omnipotent eternall God my Creator and Lover I praise laud adore and blesse thee for that thou so mercifully and patiently hast suffered mee groveling in my sins and my unthankfulnes even unto this houre to which thou of thy goodnesse hast brought mee enriching me with thy benefits conferring this life with things necessary for this life upon me with an angelicall guardian protecting me and inlarging towards mee thy mercy who am injuriously â—nworthy and a spectacle of misery Ah gracious God who knoweth whether the terme of my life shall be proâ—ogued to the evening O what death shall I desire O â—ost mercifull Lord God and Father give unto mee contrition whereby with all mine heart I may bewaile my sins and my offending thee And doe not suffer my soule to goe forth from her bodie till she be reconciled to thee in mercy adopted to thee by grace adorned with thy merits and vertues inflamed with most perfect charitie and accepted according to thy all-good-will and pleasure O most gracious Lord Jesu Christ if this I desire of thee do please thee grant it unto me although I bee most unworthy to bee heard of thee grant unto me I beseech thee for thine infinite mercies and the merits of thy passion that I may bee purged in this life from all my sins that dying and through vehement and true contrition pricked and in most ardent charitie to thee united I may goe out unto thee my most sweet Redeemer being forthwith freed and secured from all damnation and future affliction Notwithstanding O most loving Jesu I doe offer and resigne my selfe unto thee whether it be to poverty penury or any other extremitie for thy glories sake according to thy good-will and pleasure beseeching thee only this that thou wouldst bee mindfull of my frailty vilenesse weaknesse and misery as also of thy goodnesse and charity that thou wouldest never forsake mee nor depart from mee but that thou wouldst alwayes wholly governe and possesse mee according to thy good pleasure Amen An oblation of Christ and his merits to his Father O Omnipotent most gracious Father I doe offer unto thee all those pains dolours reproches stripes and rebukes all adversities extremities and labours of thine onely begotten Jesu Christ the Lambe immaculate which hee suffered in his body for me likewise all his actions and every of his members afflicted for me his bloud shed for me and with prophane feet trampled also his most noble and devout Soule separated from his lovely Body for me his merits likewise and infinite vertues Likewise the powers or faculties of his Soule and body and all those vitall parts in him given up unto death for mee albeit inseparably united to his Divinity yea the whole Christ thy blessed Sonne God and man omnipotent and infirme despicable and glorious doing wonders and hanging upon the Crosse these I say doe I offer unto thy sacred Majesty to the expiation and satisfaction of all my sins and of all the world and to the mortification and extinction of all mine evill passions affections and vices to the supply of all my negligences and to thy praise and thanksgiving for all thy benefits O God be mercifull unto me a miserable sinner for his sake Have mercy on mee for the love of Jesu Christ thy beloved Son THE DYING mans Diary Or A Christians Memento mori Divided into a five dayes Exercise THere are who all the yeare long present the figure and feature of Death before them by some certaine Exercise and prepare themselves no otherwise for death than if they were even then to dye and that for the space of five dayes continually The first day they meditated of the griefes infirmities which goe before death and horrour of death unto all which they resigne themselves The next day they thinke of their â—ins confessing them with so great diligence and intention as if they were to dye presently after their confession Therefore they spend this day in sighs and teares The third day they come unto the blessed Eucharist with all the fervour they may receiving it as their Viaticum in their passage from this their exile The fourth day they make continuall supplications unto God for the unction of the Holy Spirit whereby they might be illuminated and the hardnesse of their hearts mollified And this they do as it were for extreme unction The fifth day they become most fervent Supplicants unto God for a spirituall death wherby they may perfectly dye to the world to themselves and live with God And to everie of these dayes may be applyed proper Psalmes and Prayers as also divine invocations giving of thanks for all benefits conferred by God upon them all their life long Profitable Counsell for one approaching neare the point of death O Daughter seeing thy selfe in this extremitie prepare thy soule for God so order and dispose here in thy life time of thy goods temporall that after thy death no difference nor debate may arise It is most profitable for thee to dispose of thy goods in thy life time and to redeeme thy sins whilest thou livest with works of mercie Whatsoever thou wouldest recommend to others to doe for thee labour to doe it of thy selfe For if after death thou go to eternall torment the Provision of a Will a pompous Funerall Almes and Doales after death what will these availe thee when thou art damned Offer these Oblations to me now whilest thou art living that thou mayest not onely be delivered from thy sins but by increasing in my grace never fall into damnation but by my preventing grace preserving thee from sin persevere in good works even to the end When death draweth neare see that thou wholly free thy selfe then from all unnecessarie cares and imployments strive to meet me immaculately affectionately faithfully promising nor presuming nothing of thy works but through my assured mercie to obtaine Salvation And in this faith committing and commending thy selfe and all thou hast in this world to my providence and good pleasure receive the Sacraments humbly and devoutly Those peculiar priviledges and graces also which have power in them through my merits and are given by mee as a treasure unto the Church albeit many oft-times abuse them
A SPIRITVAL SPICERIE Containing Sundrie sweet Tractates of Devotion and Piety By RI. BRATHWAIT Esq. Cant. c. 1. 12. c. 5. 13. My Welbeloved is as a bundle of Myrrhe unto mee he shall lye betweene my brests His cheekes are as a bed of Spices LONDON Printed by I. H. for George Hutton at his shop within Turning stile in Holborne 1638. TO THE TRVLY ENNOBLED THOMAS LORD FAUCONBERGE Baron of YAROM Together With his pious Progeny those succeeding Branches of a prospering Family R. B. Zealously Dedicates this Spirituall Spicerie Vpon the translation of his Divine Dialogue TO you my Lord who knowes th' Originall This may seeme fruitlesse yet these sacred flowres Like a Bride-posie at a Nuptiall May tender choice content to some of yours Which blest effect would crowne this Worke of ours That we should be so happy as to give Where we do love RULES how to dye and live Which for his Sake we aske that is our Saviour That we may live in 's feare dye in his favour A TITLE-TABLE Or Short Summarie of all such Tractates Meditations Prayers Contemplations and Motives to Piety as are comprised within this SPIRITUALL SPICERIE A Divine Dialogue or a comfortable Conference betwixt our Saviour and a Sinner with the Life of GRâ—YTRODIUS the Author Professant of a strict disciplinary Order Page 1. A familiar Expostulation of the Flesh to GOD the Father touching Câ—RIST pag. 53. An Answer of the Father to the Flesh. p. 61. A pithy Meditation upon this Expostulation and Answer to inflame the Soule with a devout fervour p. 65. Generall Rules of living well p. 69. The Sorrowfull Soules Solace p. 82. A Meditation referring to the former Ejaculation p. 93. Mans-Mutability p. 95. Minds-Traâ—quillity pag. 103. A Meâ—itation containing the praise of Peace and her Beautie p. 109. Christian Philosophy p. 113 The Soules Jubilee p. 121. The Christian Store-house p. 144. Man his owne Foe p. 153. Two devout Prayers or Meditations of F. Lewis of Granado p. 164. 167. A short and fruitfull Confession of a Sinner unto God for obtaining Contrition p. 179. A Confession of Sinnes p. 183. A Prayer before the holy Communion p. 187. A Prayer after celebration of the holy Communion p. 190. An other Prayer p. 193. A Prayer for all Judges and Justiciaries p. 196. A Prayer for peace or tranquillity of minde p. 201. Of the presence of the Conscience in every place p. 206. A Pithy Consideration inforcing in us to the former Subject a more serious Meditation p. 209. A Closing Sonnet upon these Miscellane Meditations p. 223. A Reply to a rigid Precisian rendring him in a sententions Sapphicke of the Poet all satisfaction p. 226. A Christian Diall which may serve well to shadow out our houres number our dayes direct our wayes contract our yeares and regulate our desires p. 228. The Life of Ioannes Lanspergius a Carthusian Author of that Christian Diall p. 230. A briefe institution with an Exerâ—ise for an happie deaâ—h expressed in a familiar Conference betwixt God and the Soule Wholesome Admonitions teaching a Christian how to dye well p. 252. An Exercise whereby â—arely or whensoever thou willest thou maist poure out thy heart unto God for a good death p. 257. An Oblation of Christ and his meriâ—s to his Father p. 261. The Dying mans Diary or a Christians Memento mori divided into a five dayes Exercise p. 264. Profitable Counsell for one approaching neare the point of death p. 265. An Exercise wherein the sicke person with sighes and groanes may resigne himselfe unto God and â—ervently desire that he may deserve to be joyned unto him p. 270. A Christians Last-will or Testament containing a Protestation or Testament not unprofitable to be repeated or meditated of every Christian at the point of death p. 281. An Elegie of Saint Dionysius of the judgement of death p. 288. An Epistle of Ludovious Blosius written to an especiall friend upon the perfecting and publishing of his Worke entituled The Parlour of the Soule p. 290. Certaine choice or Select Sayings of D. Henricus Suso of the love of the World and of the love of God p. 304. Of the Passion of our Lord. p. 309. Of the holy Eucharist p. 313. Of resigning denying and mortifying ones selfe p. 316. The Passionateâ— Pilgrim Breathing a Contemplative Mans Exercise offâ—ring a Pâ—nitent Soules Sacrifice p. 325. Deaths Memoriall p. 336. Deaths distinction p. 343. Holy Memorialls or Heavenly Memento's p. 345. Of his Conception Memoriall I. ibid. Of his Birth Memoriall II. p. 352. Of his Childhood Memoriall III. p. 360. Of his Youth Memoriall IV. p. 367. Of his Manhood Memoriall V. p. 375. Of his Age. Memoriall VI. p. 383. His Pleasures Memoriall VII p. 395. His Labours Memoriall VIII p. 406. His Life Memoriall IX p. 417. His Death Memoriall X. p. 443. THE LIFE Of JACOBUS GRUYTRODIUS Author of this Divine Dialogue Or Christian Manuall faithfully rendred according to the Originall IACOBUS GRUYTRODIUS a German a man singularly versed divine and humane Learning And opposite in constancy of opinion and consonancie of doctrine to those surreptitious Errours of the Time who as hee had commendably passed his youth in the Liberall Sciences so hee consecrated and happily bestowed the residue of his time to the honour of God in a devout privacie having his pen ever vers'd in Works of devotion and piety never in arguments of division or controversy He lived in the yeare M. CCCC.LXXII A Divine Dialogue Or A Comfortable Conference betwixt our SAVIOUR and a SINNER Sinner PArdon mee I beseech thee my most gracious Lord Jesu CHRIST thy most unworthy and unhappy Servant desirous to talke a while with thee and of thee Christ. Why Who art thou Sinner A sinfull man who unhappily and rashly have fallen into the misery and filthinesse of sundry sinnes and much more unhappily am ready to fall into eternall misery and calamity after the end of this life Christ. Thou needest not feare this fearfull fall if thou wilt but doe so much as truly repent thee of thy sinnes committed and henceforth abstaine from those sinnes whereof thou hast repented For I most tender in my compassion towards thee out of meere love descended from the royall Throne of mine high glory to unmeasurable dolour and anxiety all which I willingly suffered in my flesh in my mind in my members and senses to the end that I might deliver thee from the eternall torments of hell and bestow on thee the joy of Heaven Doubt nothing therefore touching thine offences I will forget them all so thou forget thine evill affection and depraved custome I will forget I say and blot out thine iniquity and as farre distant as the East is from the West so farre will I divide thee from thy sinne I will cleanse thee Neither will I cease till I
even that Sunne whereof it is said unto you that feare the Lord shall the Sunne of righteousnesse arise health shall be under his wings and whereof the proud and wicked shall say The light of righteousnesse hath not shined unto us and the Sunne of understanding rose not upon us Hee shall bee our Summer Now fruits in Winter time appeare not in the root Thou observest how dry Trees are in winter He that knows not the observation of these things prunes the dry Vine before the fruit come and perchance next Spring it becomes so dry as it brings forth neither flower nor fruit when it should come Both these are alike in winter this liveth that is dead But the life of this and the death of that are both in secret The Summer approacheth life appeareth in this death is discovered in that Beauty of leaves precedeth plenty of fruit succeedeth the Vine is attired with that beauty in her leafe which she retains in her root Therefore my Brethren we are now while we are here in our condition like other men Like as they are borne eat drinke live and are cloathed and so passe over their life even so the Saints Sometimes doe these things deceive men whence it is they say Behold since this man became a Christian did his head never ake Or now being a Christian enjoyes hee more than I doe O dry Vine Thou observest the Vine planted neere thee how naked it is in winter but never how dry it is by heat of summer The Lord our beauty will come who lay hid in the root and then will He exalt the horne of his people after this our captivity wherin we mortally live Whence it is that the Apostle saith Iudge nothing before the time untill the Lord come who will lighten things that are hid in darknesse and then shall everie man have praise of God But thou wilt say where is any root where is any fruit If thou beleevest thou knowest where thy root is For there it is where thy Faith is where thy Hope and Charity is Heare the Apostle for yee are dead They appeared as it were dead in winter Heare how they live And your life is hid saith he with Christ in God Behold where thou hast thy root When then shalt thou bee adorned with beauty When shalt thou be multiplied in fruit Heare what followeth When Christ which is our life shall appeare then shall yee also appeare with him in glory THE Soules Jubilee Gathered from Saint Augustine in his Tract Upon the 85. Psalme Upon these words Rejoyce the Soule of thy servant for unto thee ô Lord doe I lift up my Soule For thou Lord art good and mercifull of great kindnesse unto all them that call upon thee REjoyce the Soule of thy Servant Rejoyce her because unto thee do I raise her She was in earth and in earth shee felt bitternesse Now lest she should pine away through bitternes and so lose all thy gracious sweetnesse I have raised her up unto thee Rejoyce her with thee For thou onely art joyfulnesse the World is full of bitternesse Surely very rightly doth he exhort his members that they have their hearts on high Let them then heare it doe it let them lift that up unto heaven which is in an evill state while it is upon Earth For there the heart doth not corrupt if it be lifted up unto God If you have corne in low places lest it should corrupt you remove it higher doe you then seeke to prepare a place for your corne and will you suffer your heart to corrupt on Earth you remove your corne to an higher room lift up your heart unto heaven But how may I doe this will you say What Cords what Pulleis what Ladders are needfull These staires are thy affections thy way is thy will By loving thou ascendest by neglecting thou descendest Standing on Earth thou art in Heaven if thou love God For the heart is not lifted as the body is raised The body that it may be raised changeth her place but the heart that it may be roused changeth her will For unto thee O Lord doe I lift up my soule for thou Lord art good and mercifull therefore rejoyce her As one wearied and tediously affected with the bitternesse of earthly things shee desires to bee sweetned and hath sought the fountaine of sweetnesse but could not find it on earth For what way soever she turned herselfe she found scandals tribulations feares tentations In what man living safe security Of whom certaine joy And if not of himselfe how much lesse from another For either men are evill and of necessity wee must suffer them yet hoping withall that they may be changed or they are good and so wee ought to love them yet fearing withall lest they become evill because they may be changed There the wickednesse of those begetteth bitternesse of soule here care and feare equally surprize us lest hee fall away from us who walked sometime uprightly among us What way soever then the heart shall turne her she findes bitternesse in earthly things shee has not wherewithall to sweeten her unlesse shee lift her selfe up unto God her Maker For thou Lord art good and mercifull What is this mercifull Thou supportest mee till thou perfectest me For truly my Brethren I will speak as a man unto men and of men Let every one bring hither his heart and behold himselfe without flattering and without glozing Nothing is foolisher than flattering seducing ones self Let every one then consider and see what and how many things are acted in mans heart and how for most part our very praiers are hindred by various thoughts so as our hearts will scarcely stand firme before God It desires so to enjoy it selfe that it may stand and in some sort it flyes from it selfe yet for all this it findes no lettices by which it may confine her thoughts or barres by which it may restraine her distractions and wandring motions and stand joyfully before her God Rare it is that a prayer should occurre devoutly fixt amongst so many prayers Now every one would say that what befalleth him befalleth not another unlesse we found in the Sacred Scripture of God that David in one place prayed and said O Lord I have found my heart that I may pray unto thee Hee said hee had found his heart as if it used sometimes to fly from him and he to pursue it as a fugitive and could not lay hold on it and to cry unto the Lord My heart hath forsaken me Therefore Brethren considering what hee here saith Thou art good and mercifull I conceive that for this cause he cals him a mercifull God for that hee suffereth these things in us and yet expecteth prayer from us that hee might perfect his good work in us And when we have given it him by offering our oblation of prayer unto him hee receiveth it freely and heareth it friendly
thy wearied soule in the greene pastures of spirituall comfort to bath thy panting soule in the pure chrystalline streames of eternall solace to refresh thine hungry spirit with Heavenly Manna to tune thy voyce to an holy Hosanna Oh then leave to love the world before thou leave the world Redeeme the time because the dayes are evill Avoid the occasion lest thou become void of reason Examine thy wayes thy words thy works Subtract an houre from thy sleeping to adde to thy praying Mans security is the Devils opportunity Watch therfore for thou knowst not when the Theefe will come The holy Hermit S. Antâ—onie who became first professor of an Eremiticall or solitary life when he had read that divine sentence of holy Scripture Goe and sell all that thou â—â—st presently conceiving it to be meant by him hee did so Goe and doe thou likewise Follow thy sweet Saviour in a devout contempt of the world from the Cribbe to the Crosse from mount Olivet to mount Calvary and from the tree of his Crosse hee will reach thee a Crowne of glory Follow I say with fervour the steps of thy Saviour Say with holy Hierom It my mother should hang about mee my father lye in my way to stop mee my wife and children weep about mee I would throw off my mother neglect my father contemne the lamentation of my wife and children to meet my Saviour Christ Jesus My heart is ready my heart is ready doe what thou biddâ—st and bid what thou wilt But above all things that thou maist bee at peace with thy Maker and more gracious in the sight of thy Saviour make the Evening the dayes Calendar Say to thy selfe O my soule what hast thou done to day What sinne hast thou healed in thee wherein was God honoured by thee How hast thou increased or decreased profited or failed Doing thus thy Conscience shall not accuse thee but defend thee thy Memory shall not witnesse against thee but for thee thy Reason shall bee a Judge to acquit thee not condemne thee thy Will shall not restraine thee but free thee no Feare shall affright or come nye thee no Delight shall torment thee but as thy delight was in the Law of the Lord â—o thy delight shall bee in the House of the Lord for ever Even so come Lord Iesus come quickly Upon these Miscellane Meditations with other mixt Subjects conteined in this precedent Tract A clozing Sonnet MOrall mixtures or Divine Aptly cull'd and coucâ—â—d in order Are like colours in a shrine Or choice flow'rs set in a border Or like dishes at a Feast Each attended with his sallet To delight the curious Guest And give relish to his palat Store of colours they are meet When wee should ones picture take One choice flow'r bee 't neere so sweet Would no pleasing posie make One Dish be it neere so precious To the Sent or to the Tast Though at first it seeme delicious It will cloy the Sense at last Here are Colours permanent Objects which will cheere the eye Here are Flowers redolent Which will bloome and never dye Here are Dishes of delight Such delights can never cloy To renew the appetite And to new-revive your joy Muse not then if here you see In this various Worke of mine Such a mixt variety Sorting with this hum'rous time Though the Sunne shine in our Sphere Cloud or Night invelop it But the Sunne shines ever here Darting forth pure rayes of wit Now the frâ—uit I wish to gaine Is your profit for my paine FINIS A reply to a rigid Precisian objecting that flowers from Romish Authors extracted became lesse wholesome and divinely redolent SIr it was your pleasure positively to conclude touching Flowers of this nature that they lost much of their native beauty vigour and verdure because called from a Roman border wherein I referre you to that sententious Poet to returne you answer Flores qui lambunt terrae vapores Non magis tetros referunt odores Nec minus suaves redoleâ—e Flores TIBRIDIS oris Which I have thus rendred in true currant English fearing lest that Latine metall might disrelish your more queasy palate Flow'rs which doe lick up from the Earth a vapour Yeeld to the nosthrils ne're the w rser savour Nor bee those Sooâ—s lesse redolent in odour Which groâ— by TIBER A Christian Diall By which hee is directed how to dispose of his houres while he is living how to addresse himselfe for the houre of his dying and how to close his dayes with a comfortable ending Faithfully rendred according to the Originall To the Generous Ingenious and Judicious Sir WALTER VAVASOR Knight and Baronet together with his Vettuously accomplished Lady R. B. Zealously consecrates this Christian Diall To your Grand-father have I welcom bin Receive this Gage in memory of him Whil'st no Sun-Diall may more truly give The houre o th' day than this the way to live THE LIFE of JOHANNES JUSTUS LANSPERGIUS a Carihusian Authour of these Meditations entitled A Christian Diall IOHANNES JUSTUS LANSPERGIUS borne of honest parents at Lansperge a Towne in Bavaria after such time as hee had finished his course in the study of Philosophy at Cullen hee gave there the name to the Order of the Carthusians wherein being growne Famous for the space of 30. yeares both by example of manners and piety as also by writing Books of Devotion and Sanctity he slept in the Lord the 4. of the Ides of August in the yeare of Christs Nativity M.D.XXXIX A Christian Diall By which he is directed how to dispose of his houres while he is living how to addresse himself for the houre of his dying and how to close his daies with a comfortable endâ—ng Faithfully rendred â—cording to the Originall A briefe Institution with an Exercise for an happy death expressed in a familiar Conference betwixt God and the Soule AS there is nothing O Soule which may make the love of the world more distastfull â—nto thee or that may bring thee to so great contempt of it and of all creatures in it as the consideration of the shortnesse of this life and certainty of death whereby all thy endevours all thine honours all thy pleasures thoughts desires and all thy joyes shall perish So is there nothing that may solace or refresh the loving Soule with greater joy than the beleefe and hope she hath to become associated to mee united to me and swallowed up in mee where there is hereafter no offence no sinne no separation no danger no feare no sorrow Where the Soule full of charity may alwaies praise mee alwayes magnifie me become most perfectly obedient most perfectly pleasant unto mee and that shee may bee with mee where shee may desire nothing love nothing feele nothing else beside me where she may wholly possesse me be wholly possessed by me These things forasmuch as they cannot firmly nor â—ully befall thee in this life but then onely when thou shalt bee with mee in my
Unable was I to commit it yet apt enough to be conceived in it Nothing I had about me but what did staine me The Materials whereof I was made I am asham'd to name Ah! poore shell of corruption impure shrine or new-form'd piece of pollution I as then knew not by whom I was made how I was made when or where I was made or for what end I was made Miserable ignorance I knew her not in whose wombe I was conceived nor that sin wherin I was conceived I was as a stranger to my fathers house yet was I daily in it An Alien was I to my Brethren yet lived I amongst them And as a thing not knowne Sojourn'd I amongst my Kinsmen Capable abilities had I both inward and outward yet enjoyed I the benefit of neither Without all sensible compassion a daily paine was I to my sickly mother I lived as one dead for many months together and was fed without seeking food by course of Nature I was as one closed up and might have no passage till the time appointed I increased daily yet knew I not the meanes of my growth He only who made and fashioned me knew mee long before I came out of the wombe did hee know what would become of mee Paths had he prepared for me before I had knowledge how to walke in them Hee had determined mine end before I received birth Long time did I wrastle with my enforced restraint labouring still to be freed yet became I more miserable by my freedom than restraint I wished and yet I knew not what I was the very least of a childe what lesse then could be my knowledge I was weary of my bed yet going out of it I was fit for nothing By this I foretold how far I would be from being content with my estate on earth when my weake infancie could not bee content with her condition before my birth In a better case was I when so incased than when to the miseries of earth inthralled A right worldling was I before I came into it for I grew no sooner a little strong than I grew to be weary of my former estate Any one that had seene mee would have thought there had been no sin in mee But I became so naturalized a â—inner as it was a taske no lesse hard for mee to put off sinne than nature But as one kept in too long like a new-fledg'd bird I begun to flicker a little with my tender unset wings and to leave my first nest But sharply was she that bred me pained with mee before shee could bee discharged of mee So unnaturall was I to mine owne before I entered the world Gather hence what may bee expected from mee after my entrie into the world Of his Birth MEMORIALL II. I Thought I had got out o' th' Iayle but I found one worser than that which I left For having changed a Lesser world for a Greater I found my miseries so much more numerous as the place I came to was larger than the former In the very beginning I shewed my selfe to my friends unthankfull yet must they hold mee excused for those salutes were naturall They entertained mee with smiles and I gratified them with teares Lachrymae were the onely musicall aires that usher'd mee to this vale of woes My very first voyce implyed a prophecie my teares forerunners of my following miserie I came into the world naked whereas all other creatures come cloathed and armed With what joy was I received while those that saw mee cried How like is hee to his Father And they said well if they pointed at Adam for his bloud made me his sonne and like himselfe a sinner What a foolish part it was had I well considered it to see wise men rejoycing at the sight of one who was entring the Tyring-house of mourning The Thracians though Pagans shewed themselves in this more Christians These lamented their Babes birth but rejoyced at their death What great delight could any take in mee when I came so bare into the world as I brought not with mee one poore ragge to shroud my shame and all the regreets I returned them teares and shrikes These deserved no great entertainment of joy To see such a feeble thing as could afford it selfe no succour An Infant Pilgrim who could not find a tongue to beg him harbour One who wanted all things yet could not tell it 's owne â—ants This might rather move compassion than joy And such a poore one was I. Nothing did I see that could please mee Still were my late-unsealed eyes flowing my seeble voyce shriking nought but notes of miserie everie where resounding And deserved these such pleasing entertainment By my birth I got nothing to my selfe but teares to my friends nothing but cares and feares To feed mee was their care lest I should be better fed than taught was their feare Sleepe Food and Shrikes all which begot my parents trouble were the best things I rendred them and the whole expence of those houres which I bestowed on them Silly infancie when that pleaseth the Parent best and batteneth the Infant most which profiteth the world least Sleepe Small cause had my Parents to have joyed in my birth had they considered how my entrie led mee into a maze of miserie a vale of vanitie How that small portion of flesh which I brought along with mee would in time prove my profest enemie My first teares told the world that I had something in mee which annoyed mee My originall guilt struck teares into mine eyes feares into my heart Naked came I as one stript of his coat And this nakednesse came by the losse of my garment of innocence My Grandfire never found himselfe naked till hee had transgressed Then and never till then flew hee to the bushes But what avail'd it him to flye from his sight whose eyes were in everie place Small doubt but I would have taken the same course could I either have considered my guilt or found feet to hasten mine escape But I found an ignorance in the one and a weaknesse in the other Thus was I borne in sinne before I could beare up my selfe Yet for all this did my Parents account of mee as a rich prize Dandled must I bee till I sleepe wrapt in warme cloaths carefully nursed tenderly used and if my too deare Parents got but one poore smile from their Babe they held their care and cost highly recompenced Thus begun I my life in teares and continued it with feares hopes and griefes Which made mee many times with heartie sighs in the privie chamber of mine heart to conclude Better was the day of ones death than the day of his birth And that the best thing that could bee unto man was not to be borne at all and the next to dye soone For what brought I into the world with mee but pulleyes which haled mee along to miserie And what bestowed the world on mee when shee had received mee but clouts
selfe but a Planet in both Fixt I could not bee till some constant Calling admitted mee I resolved then seeing I found nothing either in Court or Citie but cares Cares in the one of getting to hoord and gather cares in the other of getting to spend and scatter in the one more rinde than pith in the other more pith than rinde This partaking more of Complement that of Substance yet a naturall straine of Insinuation in both but their Objects different The one making a cringe for fashion the other for gaine While the former makes his vowes too familiar with his protests to be beleeved the other sees too deepe a glosse of his commodities with shopoaths to be lik't The one with a low dook of your Servants Servant proclaimes him the Servant of time and no ones servant This I wholly dislik't for I found the title of Servant otherwise applyed by that Divine Vessell of Election that devout Sanctuarie of Sanctification that pure Mirrour of Supreme Contemplation His title was as it was likewise of others of his Fellow-Labourers Paul a servant of Iesus Christ Iames a servant of Iesus Christ Iude a servant of Iesus Christ. With this Complement These began their Epistles A Sainâ—-like Preamble an heavenly Courâ—â—hip Such as all Christians are to imitate The other with his subtill weights and measures reserving ever my best thoughts for the best made mee suspect him that hee sold his commodities by retaile and his conscience by whole sale Upon review of these I say I resolv'd to leave those Cinnamon Trees of the Court with their sweet rindes and those Palmato's of the Citie with their broad shades and to turne honest Countrey-man where my Parents providence had setled a competent estate upon mee Here I lookt to finde nothing but plaine dealing where I found in very deed nothing lesse For upon a more serious perusall of that life with the benefits that rose from it and conditions of those who were borne and bred in it I found a cunning Colt wrapt up in a russet coat Men as apt to catch as if they had beene hatcht in the Harpies nest Such as would not stick to hazard their part and portion in the Tabernacle for a Symoniacall Contract And still I went on to dive into the qualitie of those Ilanders Where I found some pining through want others repining at their neighbours wealth few or none coÌ„tent w th their estate yet none so poore in estate as hee would not though hee spared it from his belly have a fee in store to maintaine a suit Long I had not remained in this fashion till it pleased the Prince to put mee in Commission for administration of Iustice a vertue and a choyce one too yet such an one as by the abuse of man not of time may be compared to the Celedony stone which retaineth her vertue no longer than it is rubbed with gold For my carriage therein I appeale to such as knew mee many imperfections and failings Heaven knowes accompanyed mee which by an humble acknowledgement of mine owne wants an earnest desire of supply by Gods grace became so rectified in mee as what before seemed crooked was by that golden Rule of his divine Will in mee streightned Thus have I passed my dayes traced many wayes where the longer I lived the more I sinned which caused mee to wash my couch with teares and to remember the follies of my Youth Manhood and Age with anguish of heart O how much it now grieves mee to have grieved so much at the sight or thought of gray haires and to have grieved so little at the thought or sight of my sinnes May it then bee my care to call for grace lest I bring my gray haires with lasting sorrow to theiâ— grave O may the remainder of my dayes teach mee to number my dayes that I may goe to him and live with him who is the length of dayes His Death MEMORIALL X. WElcome thou unwelcommest to man because I have in part puâ— off man through his grace by whom I am and who for mee became man to free mee from the curse of the Law due to man O Death how terrible hadst thou been unto mee if hee who dyed for mee had not conquer'd thee And yet many things present themselves before mee which highly perplex mee Sinnes nothing but sinnes muster themselves before mee to affright mee Yea sinnes which I never thought of till now appeare foule and ugly unto mee But I know my Redeemer liveth and that with these eyes I shall see him Though the Furies of Sinne and Satan enter their pleas against mee though my secret Sinnes tell mee that I am the child of disobedience that I have justly incurred Gods heavie wrath and displeasure and that my strange sinnes have deservedly made me a Stranger and Alien to the house of my Father Though my whole course hath beene a continued curse by transgressing his Law who satisfied the Law for me Though I have made every Creature mine Enemie by offending that heavenly Maker who made them and me Though I finde no good thing in mee not one Witnesse within mee to speake for mee Not one day nay not one houre of my life without Sinne to accuse mee Not one poore worke of Charitie so pure and without Vain-glory as to plead for mee Not one Friend amongst all those many who profest themselves mine to appeare for mee Yet have I One who h'as vanquished Death Sinne and Satan One who will Cure my Wounds because I have opened them and Cover my Sinnes because I have discovered them One who will bring mee home to my Fathers house bring forth his best roabe to adorne me put a ring on mine hand to inrich me and bring me to his Great marriage Feast which shall for ever refresh me One who wil turne his Curse into a Blessing and with the sight of his Dearest Selfe satisfie my longing One who as hee made his Angels Ministers for mee on Earth will make them my Companions in Heaven One who though hee could see no good thing in me will of his owne free goodnesse supply mee One who will send his holy Spirit to witnesse for mee and will shew to his Father those Prints of his Love those Skars of his Wounds to speake for mee One who will evince the testimony of Sinne so as though it accuse mee it shall never impeach me One who is all charity and with the eyes of mercy will looke on my misery and in this houre of my necessity will plead for mee One who when all my friends shall leave mee will cleave neare mee and at the houre of my death will so defend mee that mine Enemie may have no power over mee Yet for all this old Acquaintance cannot be so easily parted I feele a trembling in my flesh it is death to her to be divided from her Soule Therefore shee desires still to bee a Cottage though a crazie one for the entertainment of