both God and man man and god Neuerthelesse although by thy marueilous will the word was made flesh yet neither of both the natures was chainged into others substance In the misterie of the Trinitie there is not a fourth person added for y substance of the word of God and of man was vnited and knitte together but not confused and mixed that that thing which was taken of vs should be turned into God and that whiche neuer had bene before that time that his flesh manhoode should be the same that had bene euer without any beginning that is his Godhead Oh marueilous mistery Oh vnspekable felowship Oh marueilous meeknes of thy heaueÌ„ly mercifulnes which is euer worthy marueiling and euer to be loued we were but vile seruantes and beholde we are made the sonnes of God yea and heyres of God together with Christ From whence came this goodnes who brought vs vnto this state But I require thee O most mercifull father by thine inestimable pitie goodnes and charity to make vs worthy of these many and great promises of the same thy sonne our Lord Jesu Christ Send forth thy strength O God establish the thing that thou hast wrought in vs Make perfect that which thou hast begun that we may be able to come vnto the fulnesse perfectnes of thy pitie Make vs through y holy ghost to vnderstand and through thy Sonne to deserue with due honor alway to worship this great misterie of thy pitic whiche is manifest in our fleshe iustified in the spirite did appeare vnto Angels was preached vnto nations was beleeued to be in the world was taken vp into heauen Amen ¶ Of the thankes which man ought to geue vnto God for the benefite of his redemption LOoke how much O Lord our God we ar in debt vnto thee euen for so great a price were we redeemed with such a great gift were we saued and with so great a benefite helped Howe much ought we wretehes to loue dread bles praise honour and glorifie thee which hast so loued vs after such fashion saued vs after such a sort sanctified vs to set vs on hie To thee truly do we owe and are bound as much as we are able euen our life and all our study and endeuour But who hath any thing that is not thine But do thou O Lorde our God from whom al goodnes procedeth euen for thy holy names sake geue vs of thy goodnes that we may serue thee of thine owne goodes and giftes and that we may please thee in truth and repay vnto thee daily due prayses for so great benifites of thy mercie For by none other meanes raÌ„ we serue the but by thine owne giftes that thou hast lent vs while we be in this world For euery good gift and euery perfect gift is from aboue commeth down from the father of light with whome there is none alteration or variablenes neyther yet is hee chainged vnto darcknes O Lorde our God and a pitifull god a good God and almighty God an vnspeakable God and incompreÌ„sible of such a nature that can not be contayned as in a place O God which art the beginner of all thinges and the father of our Lord Jesu Christ which diddest send the same thy beloued sonne our Lord foorth of thy bosome to our common profite to take vpon him our life to the entent he might geue vs his life and that hee might be perfect and very God of thee his father and very perfect man of his mother a whole and a perfect God a whole and perfect man and yet but onely Christ both euerlasting and enduring but for a space both immortal and mortall both a creator and a creature strong and weake an ouercommer and one ouercommed a nurse and one that was nursed him selfe a shepheard and a sheepe dead for a time and liuing with the euerlasting promising to theÌ„ that loued him the freedome of life who sayd to his disciples what thing soeuer ye aske the Father in my name he will geue it vnto you For that hie priestes sake which was also a Bishop indeede a good shephearde that offred himselfe in a sacrifice to thee putting his life in ieoperdie for his flock for his sake I say I besech thee which sitteth on thy right hand maketh intercession for vs being our redeemer and our aduocate that thou wouldest graunte vnto me that together with thy Sonne and the holy Ghost I may in all thinges blesse glorifie thee with much contrition of hart and a fountaine of teares with much reuerence and feare For the gift of them that be all of one substance is all one But because a bodie that is corrupted doth aggranate burden the soule stir vp and awake I beseech thee my sluggishnes with thy prickes and prouokinges and make me boldly to perseuer continue in thy coÌ„manndements and lawes day and night Graunt mee that my harte may waxe warme within me and that many meditation prayer I may be feruent And for as much as thy onely sonne sayd No maÌ„ can come to me excepte my Father that sente me shall draw him again No man commeth to the Father but by me I â—â—quire and humbly besech thee drawe me alwayes vnto him that he at the length may bring me to thee thether I meane whereas he is sitting on thy right hand whereas is euerlasting life continuall blessednes wheras is perfect loue without all kinde of feare wheras is one day euerlasting and one spirite of al men whereas is most sure securitie safety sure quietâ—es and quiet plesantnes pleasant felicitie and happines happy eternitie continuall and eternall seeing praising of thee without end wheras thou with him and he with thee in the communion and vnity of the holy Ghost euerlastingly continuallye liuest and raignest throughout all worldes of worldes Amen ¶ A deuout prayer vnto Christ O Christ God which art my hope and the true and gentle louer of mankinde the light the way the life the health the honour and worship of them that be thine I besech thee call to thy remembraunce all thinges that thou willingly didst suffer for theÌ„ both bands crosse woundes death and sepulcher which after three dayes death being ouercommed diddest rise wast seene of thy disciples reforming theyr hartes and establishing them that were almost declining from thee the fortie day after didst ascend vp to heauen which liuest euerlastinly now and raignest throughout worldes Thou art my God both louing true my father and my God both holy and pitiful my mighty king my good shepheard mine onely maister my best helper one whome I am most bound to loue my liuing bread mine euerlasting priest my guide vnto my coutry my true light my holy sweetnes my right and straight way mine excellent wisedome my sure and vnfayned simplicitie my peaceable coÌ„cord my safe garison my good portion mine euer lasting health my great mercy my strongest
patience mine vnspotted sacrifice my holy redemption my sure and stedfast hope my perfect charitie my very and true resurrection mine euerlasting life my ioy most blessed vision and continual without ende I humbly beseech thee I desire and pray thee that I may walke by thee that I may come to thee that I may rest in thee which art the way the truth and the life without the which no man cā come vnto the Father Thee do I desire and couet O good Lord which art the brightnesse of thy Fathers glory which sittest aboue the angell called Cherubin and doest behold the low and deep places which art the true light the light that lighteneth all things the light that neuer falleth nor goeth out which the angels haue desire to beholde Loe my harte is before thee in thy sight put away the darcknes from it that it may fully be replenished with the clearnes of thy loue Geue vnto me Lord thy selfe beholde I do loue thee and if that be but a thing of small valure make me to loue thee more strongly and earnestly I can not measure to knowe how much I lacke of thy loue neyther can I tell howe much should be sufficient for me that my life may fulfill his course in thy loue and not turne backe vntill it be hid in the secrets of thy countenance Neuerthelesse this I know that it were euell with me if it were not for thee O Lord that not onely with the outward things that belong vnto me but also with the inward thinges For all my riches God except is but mere pouertie but thou onely art a treasure and a parcell of riches that canst neither be chainged into better nor worse Thou art he to whome it is not one thing to liue and an other thing to liue happely because thou are thy blessedues thy happines and thou art all one But I which am thy creature to whome it is not one thing to liue an other thing to liue blessedly happely all both in that I liue and in that I liue happely I ought not to attribute nor referre it to be receiued of any body but of thy fauour therfore haue we need of the but not thou of vs because if were not at al yet shouldest thou lack nothing of thy goodnes Therefore O Lord it is necessary for vs to sticke and cleane vnto thee that by thy continuall helpe we may be able to liue holily vertuously and as we ought to liue for with the waight of our frailuesse we are drawn euen downward but by thy gift we are stirred caried vpward we seruētly desire to ascend we make certain ascensiōs in our harts lifting thē vpward sing the song of starres with the fire of thy loue I say are wee kindled moued to goe with thee Whether goe we now vpwarde vnto the peace of Jerusalem because I was glad and did reioyee in those thinges which were spoken vnto me we will go into the house of our Lord there hath he placed vs we will haue good thin-that we may will or desire nothing els but to tary and remaine there for euer But for asmuch as whilest we be clad with this body wer do as it were goe astray and are straingers vnto thee we haue not here an abiding place for euer but wee seek for one that is to come Our abiding place is in heauen therefore thy fauour and grace being my guide I enter into the chamber of my hart and sing vnto thee songes of loue my king my God mourning with merueilous sighinges in this place of my peregrination whereas thy iustices are made my songes and when I remember Jeru salem I extende strerch forth toward it the senses of my hart Jerusalem I say which is my contrey Jerusalem which is my mother and toward thee whiche art a king ouer her her light her father her defender her patron her gouernor her keper her chast and strong delight her only and whole pleasure all her goodnes come of thee because thou art the chiefe good and the true good and I will neuer turne backe vntill thou bring me home from this pilgrimage in whiche I am deformedly scattred abroad vnto the peace of my dearely beloued mother whereas be the first fruits of my spirite and vntill thou O God which art my mercy fasion me and confirme me for euer ¶ A prayer declaring with how great miseries this 〈◊〉 is replenished I Am wonderful wery O Lord of this life of this carefull painful pilgrimage This life is a wretched life a life that will sonefade away an vncertain life a painfull life an vncleane life a life that worthely may be called the maistres of all euilles the queene of pride full of miseries and errors which is not wor thy to be called a life but rather a deathe in the which euery houre wee dye by diuers defectes failinges of nature by mutabilities alterations diuers kinds of deaths How can we therfore cal this that wee liue in this world a life which is puf fed vp and swollen often with humoures made leane and feeble with for rowes dried with angers and whot hasty furies of the minde the ayre filleth it full of diseases meates do infect it fasting doth extenuate and make it leane pastimes make it to dissolute and rechles pensiuenes doth shorten and lessen it securitie and too much case maketh it dull and nothing lustie riches setteth it a flote puffeth it vp into pride pouertie dismayeth and discourageth it youth extolleth it age lameth it infirmitie breaketh it for rowe oppresseth it And immediatly after these euils as though it were by succession commeth death maketh an ende of al the ioyes of this miserable life after suche a sort that a man woulde not thinke when he leaueth this life to haue liued at all This liuing death and dying life although it be sprinckled mixte with these other sorrowes and miseries yet oh good Lord how many men doe it catch entangle with her entising snares and how ma ny doth she deceiue with her deceitfull false promises and al for that she of her selfe is so false and bitter that her blinde louers can not bee kepte long secret nor close vnknown yet doth she daily cause an infinite number of fooles to drinke of the goldē cup which she beareth in her hand yea and maketh them vtterly drunken with the loue of her Happy are they but very few of them is there that refuse her acquaintance and familiaritie or that dispise to vse her ioyes or that neglect her frendship and felowship least when their deceiuer perisheth that they shoulde perish also ¶ Of the blessednes of that life which God hath prepared for them that loue him BUt thou heauenly life thou art she whome God hath ordayned and prepared for them that loue him thou art the heuenly life the blessed life the sure life the quiet life the fayre
¶ Godly Meditations made in the forme of prayers by S. Augustine ¶ A prayer wherein through commemoration of Christes passion we desire pardon of our sinnes and continuance in vertue godlines BEholde O pitifull father thy most pitifull son which suffered for mee beyng so wicked Beholde O most mercifull kyng who suffreth and remember as thou art louyng and kynde for whome he suffred Is not this O my Lorde innocent whoÌ„ although he were thy sonne thou didst deliuer to redeeme and raunsom a seruant Is not this the author and beginner of lyfe which beyng ledde as a sheepe to be killed and beyng made obedient to thee euen vnto death was not afrayde to take vpon him the most cruel sharpe kynde of death Call to remeÌ„braunce O thou distributour of all health that this is he whome although thou didst begette him by thy power yet notwythstanding thou wouldest haue to be made partaker of myne infirmitie and weakenesse Truely thys same is thy Godhead which did take vppon hym my nature which was hanged vppon the gibbet of torment or crosse which in the fleshe which he had taken vpon him did suffer sorrowful punishment Turne the eyes of thy maiestie O lord my God toward the worke of thine vnspeakable pitie Loke vpon thy deare sonne whose whole bodye is stretched forth Marke the harmeles pure handes which do drop distill downe innocent bloud And I beseeche thee be pacified pardon the wicked dedes which my handes haue committed CoÌ„sider his bare and naked side being thrust thorow cruelly with a speare and renue wash me with thy holy fountayne or well which I beleue did flow from thence Marke the vnspotted feete which haue not stand in the way of sinners but alway haue walked in thy law how they ar persed thorow with sharp nailes and make perfecte my steppes in thy pathes and make me of thy louing kindnes to hate all the wayes of iniquitie Remoue froÌ„ me the way of iniquitie make me of thy mercye to chuse the way of truth I besech thee O king of holy men by this holy one of all holy ones and by thys my redemer to make me runne the way of thy coÌ„maundements that I may be vnited knit vnto him in spirit which did not disdayue to be clad in my fleshe Doest thou not looke vpon and marke O pitifull father the head of thy most dearely beloued soune a yong man how it leaned vpon hys shoulder when he was past the most precious death Beholde O my most gentle creator the humanitie gentlenes of thy beloued sonne haue compassion vpon the febleues of me thy weake and feble handy worke Behold O most glorious parent the torne and rent members of thy most kynde and louing chylde and remember gently what substaunce I am of Beholde the paines of God and man and release and loose man which is thy creature out of misery and bondage of sinne Beholde the punishment of hym that did redeme and pardon the offence of them that be redemed This is he O Lord whome thou didst strike for the sinnes of thy people although he be thy welbeloued in whome was founde no guile and yet neuertheles was he reckoned amongst them that were full of iniquitie ¶ A prayer wherein man confesseth himselfe to be the cause of Christes passion WHat hast thou committed O Lorde that thou shouldest be so iudged what hast thou offeded that thou shouldest be so cruelly handled and ordered what was thy faulte what was thyne offeÌ„ce what was the cause of thy death what was the occasion of thy condemnation I Lord I am the cause of thy sorrow the faulte is in me that thou was killed for I haue deserued thy death I committed the offences that were auenged vpon thee Oh merueilous kinde of iudgemeÌ„t and vnspeakable disposition or ordering of misteries The vninst man offendeth and the righteous is punished The giltie doth euill and the innocent is beaten The euill doth trespasse and the good is condemned That which the euill man deserueth the same doth the iust suffer That which the seruaunt doth amisse the maister makes amendes That which man trespasseth God suffereth it O thou which art the sonne of God how low did thine humilitie descend How greatly did thy charitie euen as it were waxe hotte burne towarde vs How farre did thy pitie proceede whither did thy benignitie and gentlenes grow and extend how farre did thy loue stretch how farre came thy compassion for I did wrongfully and thou wast punished I coÌ„mitted the mischieuous deedes and they were auenged vppon thee I did the fault thou submittedst thy self to the tormentes I was proude and thou wast humble meeke I was swelled puft vp thou wast extenuated and appaired I was disobedient neuertheles thou being obedient barest the paines punishmentes of disobedience I obeyed and was as it were a seruaunt to all excesse and gluttony and thou wast punished wyth scarâ—itie and lacke of foode The trâ—e did draw me violeÌ„tly vnto vnlawfull concupiscence and desires but perfect charitie led thee vnto punishmeÌ„t I presumed beyng forbidden but thou didst smart therefore I tooke my pleasure wyth delicatenesse thou wast vexed with the crosse I abouÌ„d and haue plentye of all pleasures thou art all to torne with nayles I do cast the pleasaunt sweetnes of the apple ehou the bitternesse of Baull Behold o king of glory mine iniquitie vngodduies â–ª and thy pietie and goodnes is manifest Be hold mine vnrighteousnes thy iustice is plainly declared What thing O my king and my God shall I render vnto thee for all those thinges which thou hast bestowed vpoÌ„ me for nothyng can be found in that hart of man that may worthely recompence such rewards Can maÌ„s wit excogitate or imagine any thing that is worthy to be coÌ„pared vnto thy diuine mercy Neither is it that office of a creature to goe about to recoÌ„peÌ„ce fully iustly that aide helpe of a Creator There is truly O sonne of God in this thy merueilous dispeÌ„sation and apointmentes somwhat in which my frailenes may helpe a little if so be that my minde once pricked and stirred by thy visitation do punishe the fleshe with the vices also and euill concupiscences thereof and thys thyng if thou wilt graunt and geue me grace to doe then shal it beginne as it were to suffer sustaine sorrowes griefes because that thou also didst vouchesafe to die for my sinne And so by the victory of the inward man it shal be armed thou beyng a Captaine for the externall and outwarde victorye forasmuche as the spirituall persecution once ouercom it shal not bee afrayde for thy sake to be obedient vnto the materiall sword and crosse of this world And so the slendernes of my state and condition if it please thy goodnes shal be able accordyng to the little power thereof to aunswer vnto the greatnes and excellency of my creator And this is the
anger let flesh I besech thee moue thee to mercy that like as flesh hath seduced and led me to sinne so fleshe may get and obtaine for me remission For certaynly it is muche that mine iniquitie hath deserued but much more it is that the goodnes of my redemer may euen of right require Mine vnrighteousnes is great but his righteousnes is bigger For looke howe much God is superiour vnto man euen so much is my malice and euil inferior vnto his goodnes both in qualitie quantitie For what haue I sinned being a man that the sonne of God being man hath not redeemed what pride coulde be in me so exceeding hie but such humilitie as was in him shoulde bring it downe what power of death was there in me so great but the punishmēt which the sonne of God suffred vppon the crosse might deface it and vtter ly destroy it Trueiy my God if the sinnes of sinfull man should be wayed in a iust and equall balance with the loue fauour that was in our redeemer towarde vs the East is not so far distant from the west nor the in nermost part of the earth so much seperated from the vppermost part of y heauen as they shoulde be vnlike so muche lesse should mine iniquitie be then is his goodnesse Now O mostnoble creator of light now pardō mine offences for the vnmesurable trauailes and paynes that thy beloued sonne did sustaine Now I beseech thee let his goodnes be sette against my wickednes his modesty and temperance against mine vngracious frowardnes his mecknes against my fierce crueltie Let his humilitie recompence my pride his patience mine impatiēce his gentlenes mine vnkinde churlishnes his obedience my disobediēce his quietnes mine vnquietnes his pleasant to wardnes my bitter frowardnes his sweet facilitie and gentlenes mine anger fretting fumes to conclude let his charitie make amends for my haynous detestable crueltie Amen ¶ A deuout prayer to the Holy Ghost NOw O ahmighty and holy Ghost which art the loue of the diuine power the holy participator partener with the almighty Father his most blessed sonne the most mercifull comforter of the sorrowfull I beseech thee to slide by thy mighty power into the inwarde partes of mine hart y thou dwelling there mayst make glad and as it were lighten euery darcke corner of the neglect and forletten cottage with the bright shining of thy light and that in visiting the same thou wouldst ornate and deck with the plenteousnes of thy dew the lothsom places therof which be corrupted with filthines Kindle the priuye wounded parts of the inner man with thy holesome flames and with pearsing y inward parts of my foul entrailes with the dart of thy loue Feed all the inner partes both of my minde and bodie by the illuminating and lightening with the fire of thy holy and feruente loue Geue me to driuke of thy most pleasaunt riuer to the entent I may haue no lust to taste any worldly things which be mixed with poisor Geue sentence with me O Lord and defende my cause against the vngodly nation Teach me to do thy will because thou art my god For I beleue that in whome so euer thou doest dwell thou buildest an house in him for the father also and the sonne Blessed is that man that getteth such a ghest because that by thee the father and the Sonne also will dwell abide with him Come now o most louing conforter of my so rowfull soule which art a protector in all necessities and an helpe in troubles aduersities Come O purger of sinnes healer curer of woundes Come the strength of the frayle and feble the relieuer and raiser vp of them that slide Come the instructer teacher of the humble and make the destroyer plucker downe of the proud stubberne Come the good and kind Father of the fatherles the gentle Judge of widowes Com thou which art a guide vnto them that are tossed in the waues of this tēpestions world like as a bright and notable starre is to them that sayle on the sea an hauen vnto thē that are affrayd of shipwracke Come the worship and honor of all them that liue the onely health of the dead Come most holy Ghost come haue mercy on me make me meet for thee mercifully graunte vnto me according to the multitude of thy great mercies that my basenes may please thy maiesty my weaknes thy almighty power for Jesu Christ my sauiors sake which with the Father and thine vnitie liueth raigneth worlde without end Amen ¶ A prayer to the holy Trinitie WIth all my harte and mouth do I confesse praise and blesse thee O God the father vnbegotten and thee O God the Sonne onely begotten also thee O holy ghost comforter to thee be glory in the worlde of worldes Amen ¶ An acknowledging of almightis God in his Maiestie O Most high Trinitie one onely power and vndefiled maiestie our God God almightie I the abiect and hinmost of all thy seruantes confesse and acknowledge thee and being the least member of the church I worship thee with a due sacrifice of prayse as much as I am able and according to that which thou hast vouchsafed to endue me withall And for asmuch as I am destitute of outward giftes to offer vnto thee Those vowes of prayse which I haue of the gift of thy mercy behold willingly and gladlie I offer them to thee whiche bee an vnfayned fayth and a pure conscience I beleue therefore with all my hart O king of heauen and Lorde of the earth and with my mouth do I confesse thee the Father the Sonne and the holy ghost to be three persons and one in substance the true and very God almighty of one simple incorporall and inuincible nature incomprehensible and of such a nature as is not in a place as other natures be that thou hast nothing superiour or aboue thy selfe or lower or any thing bigger thē thy self But in all manner of meanes perfect without all spot of deformitie and that thou art great without quantity good without qualitie euerlasting without time life without death strong without infirmity or weaknes true without lying present in euery place without any situation or being placed in any place to be alleuery where without place fulfilling all things with out stretching foorth thy hand going euery where without any contradiction or gainesaying passing ouer all things with out mouing abiding within all things without any kinde of proportion making all thinges hauing need of nothing gouerning all thinges without labour geuing all thinges their beginning hauing no beginning thy self making all thinges mutable and variable thy selfe being without all kinde of mutabilitie in greatnes without measure in power almighty in goodnes the chief best in wisedom inestimable in counsels ententes and purposes terrible and fearfull in iudgementes most vpright and iust in cogitations thoughtes most secret in wordes true in
drincke of wherwith we are washed and sanctified and are made partakers of the only high diuinitie I geue thee thankes for thy marueilous and vnspeakable charitie and loue wherwith thou didst loue vs vnworthy persons didst saue vs by thine onely and beloued Sonne for so thou didâ—â— loue the world that thou gauest thine onely begotten sonne to the entent that none which beleeued in him should perish but haue euerlasting life This thing truly is euerlasting life to know thee also Jesus Christ whome thou sentest to be very God by an vpright fayth and workes worthy for fayth Of the exceeding loue of the euerlasting Father towarde mankinde OH vnmeasurable pitie and fatherly loue oh inestimable charitie that thou shouldest delyuer thy sonne to suffer death to the entent thou mightest redeme and ransome a seruaunte God was made man to the entent that man being lost might be plucked out of that power of deuils How gentle and kinde a louer of man was thy sonne our God who thought it not enough to humble himself to bee made man of the virgiue Mary but also toke vpoÌ„ him the paines of the crosse in shedding his bloud for vs and for our saluation He came a pitifull God he came for his pitie and goodnesses sake he came to search to saue that whiche was lost He sought the straye sheep he sought found and he being a good lord and truely a very good and plentifull shepheard brought him home vpon his shoulders vnto the foldes of the flocke Oh charitie oh pitie who heard any such thinges who is not astonied to consider the bowels of so great mercy who would not marued who would not honour and worship thee for thy great charity wherewith thou louedst vs Thou didst send thy sonne into the similitude of flesh subiect to sinne that we might condemne sinne for sinne that wee might be made thy righteousnes in him For hee was the very lamb without sporte which tooke awaye the sinnes of the worlde whiche destroyed our death by dying himselfe But what may we render vnto thee our God for so great benefites of thy mercie what prayses or what thankes Uerely if wee shoulde haue that same knowledge and power that blessed angels haue yet should we not be able to requiâ—â— thy so great pitie and goodnes with any thing of valure No if all our meÌ„bers were turned into tongues to repay vnto thee due prayses yet were not our fleÌ„dernes sufficient There is one thing that exceedeth all knowledge euen thine inestimable charitie which thou diddest shew vnto vs vnworthy persons for thy goodnes pities sake Thy Sonne our God did take vpon him to be the seede of Abraham not of Angels yea he was made like vnto vs in all thinges sinne onely excepted He therefore taking mans nature not Angels and glorifying it with the stole of holy resurrection and immortalitie caryed it aboue the heauens and aboue all the melodious companies of angels aboue Cherubin and Seraphin placing it vppon thy right hand This humane nature do Angels prayse all the powers of heauen do tremble to see a man to bee God ouer them This truely is all my hope all my trust And this same humaine nature is in Jesu Christ our Lord who is the portion of euery one of vs the flesh bloud Therfore wheras my portion raigneth there do I beleue to raigne whereas my flesh is glorified ther do I beleue to be glorified where my bloud ruleth there do I perceiue me to bear rule although I be a sinner yeâ— doâ— I not inistrust nor dispeire of the communion and partaking of fauour Although my sinnes do hinder me and in a manner forbid me neuertheles my substance requireth it And albeit that mine offences do exclude me yet the communion of our nature doth not expell me for God is not so vngentle as to forget man and not to remember that thing which himself beareth and that which for my sake he toke vpon him and that which for my sake he requireth But truly the Lord our God is lowly and meek and wonderfull gentle and loueth his flesh his members and his bowels In the very same God our Lorde Jesus Christ who is most gentle louing and merciful in whome we are risen from death that is to say from the state of pernition and eternall damnation and euen nowe by him we asccude into the heauens and now sit in the heauens in him I say our flesh loueth vs For we haue in him and by him a prerogatiue as it were a prefermence of our bloud for we are his members and his flesh and he is our head of the which dependeth the whole body as it is written a bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh they shall be two in one flesh and no man at any time hateth his owne fleshe but rather cherisheth and loueth it This is a great mistery I speak in Christ and in the church sayth the Apostle ¶ Of the double nature of Christ which hath mercy vpon vs â–ª and maketh intercession for vs. WHerefore with my lips and hart and with al the might that I may I render thankes vnto thine infinite mercy O Lord our God for all thy mercy wherwith marueilously thou hast vouchsafed to helpe and succour vs that were lost by the same thy sonne our sauiour and recouerer which dyed for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification and liuing without ende sitteth on thy right hande and entreateth for vs together with the taketh pitie mercy vpon vs because he is God thorow thee O father euer lasting and of one substance with thee in all thinges wherby alway he may saue vs but forasmuch as he is man in which thing he is lesse inferiour vnto thee all power both in heauen in earth was geuen vnto him that in the name of Jesu euery knee should bowe both of celestiall and earthlye creatures and also of infernall that all tongues may confesse that oure Lorde Jesus Christ is in thy glory O Father almighty Hee verely was constituted of thee and ordayned to be a iudge of the quicke and dead for thou truely iudgest no man but hast geuen all thy iudgement to thy Sonne in whose brest al treasures of wisdome and knowledge ar hid He truely is both a witnes and a Judge a Judge and a witnesse whome no sinneful conscience can flye or auoyd for all things be they neuer so secret are open euen naked and vncouered vnto him He verily which was vnrighteously iudged himselfe shall iudge the whole worlde in equitie and the people in righteousnes and according to iustice Therfore do I blesse thy name euerlasting and glorifie the same with al my hart O almighty and mercifull Lord for that vnspeakable and maruellous coniunction of Godhead manhood together in the vnitie of a person and not after this sort that y one should be God and the other man but one the same was
life the clean life the chast life the holy life the life that knowest no death knowest no sadnes or pensiuenes a life without spot without do lour without vexation without corruptiō without trouble without variety or mutabilitie a life most full of pleasure and dignitie wheras is none aduersarie to striue against a man no inticements of sinnes wheras is perfect loue without all maner of feare wheras is day continually one spirite of all men wheras God is sene face to face and the minde is fed with this meat of life without ende I haue a very good minde and desire to marke and geue heed to thy clearnesse with thy goods the desire and appetite of my hart is delighted Loke how much I am able to consider with my selfe in musing and thinking of thy commodities euen so much am I rauished rapte with thy loue with the ardent desire of thee the sweet and comfortable remembrance of thee am I wōderfully delited I haue a pleasure therefore surely to lift vp the eyes of my harte vnto thee to erecte the state of my mind and conforme or fashion the affects of my minde vnto thee It pleaseth me to talke of thee to heare of thee to write of thee to conferre and meditate of thee to read euery day of thy blessednes and glory and to muse oftentimes in my minde of that things I haue read concerning thee that at the least by such meanes I being vnder the sweet refresshing comforting of thy liuely ayre may passe from the vexatiōs ieoperdies laboures and trauels of this mortall life that wil soone perish and that in passing I may lay my wery head in thy bosome to sleepe or to rest a litle For this cause do I enter into the pleasant medow of the holy scriptures and in plowing I pluck the goodliest greene herbes of sentences and in reading I do eate them and in frequenting I do meditate and as it were cut them in gathering them together at the last I last them vp in my memory that by such meanes whē I haue tasted of thy sweetnes I may somewhat lesse feel the bitternes of this most wretched life O thou most happy life oh kingdome which art blessed in deed which lackest deth which art without end no time doth successiuely passe at any time to thee wheras continuall day without night knoweth no time whereas that capitaine conqueror is accompanied with those quires of Angels singing of himnes songes they sing vnto God without ceasing the ballet of ballets of Sion Oh most noble head which art cōpassed about with a perpetuall crowne oh that pardon and forgeuenes of my sinnes were graunted vnto me then immediatly this burden of my fleshe layde away that I might enter into thy ioy to haue true rest that I might get with in the goodly and beutifull walles of thy citie to receiue a crown of life at the hand of our lord that I might bee amongest those most holy quires that I mighte stand with the most blessed spirites of the creator of glory that I might see presently the coūtenance of Christ that I might beholde alwayes that most hie vnspeakable light incomprehensible which can not be cōtayned as in a place And so I should not only be out of al feare of death but also I might reioyce alwayes at the gift of the euerlasting incorruption Amen ¶ Here do we complaine that wee be not moued nor pricked in our contēplation prayer like as the Angels be which tremble at the sight of God. PArdon me O Lorde pardon me mercifully forgeue me and haue mercy vppon me spare mine ignoraunce and my great vnperfectnes do not reproue me as a rash fellow because I dare be be so bolde which am but thy seruaunt but would to God I were eyther a good seruant or none vn profitable nor euill seruant And therfore am I an euill man because I prayse blesse worship thee which art our God almighty terrible very much to be feared I worship thee I say with out contritiō of hart and without a well of teares For if so be that the Angels when they worship and prayse thee do tremble being fulfilled with merueilous gladnes I which am a sinner whilest I stande before thee saying prayses offring sacrifice why am I not afrayd in my hart why am I not pale in my coūtenance why do not my lips quake and tremble why is not all my body afrayd why do I not mourne and bewayle before thee after such a sort that teares might spring out of mine eies I wold faine but I am not able because I can not do that whiche I desire to doo This maketh me truely wonderfully to marueill that I am no more moued when I see with the eyes of my fayth thee which art so fearful But who can do any thing without the help of thy grace except thou make our stony hartes to relent wee of our selues are not able to mollifie them but all our health dependeth vpon thy great mercy O wretch that I am how is my soule made without any feeling or perseuerance that it is not afraid with ouermuche feare whilest it standeth before God and singeth to him his owne prayses Alas how is my hart so hardened that mine eyes do not gush out gret flouds of teares without ceasing when I which am but a seruaunt or bondman do common and talke in my Lorde and maisters presence Yea a man with God a creature with a creator I that am made of the shine of the earth do speake with him that made all thinges of nothing Put me before thee O Lord whatsoeuer I perceiue of my selfe in the secrets of my hart I do not keep it close from thy brotherly ears Thou art rich in mercy liberal in rewards geue me of thy goods that with them I may serue thee For with nothing els can we serue or please thee but with thine owne giftes which thou hast vouchsafed to bestow vpon vs Fasten I beseech thee thy feare in my flesh let my harte reioyce be glad to feare thy name Woulde God my sinfull soule feared thee so much as that holy man which sayd I alwayes feared God as though it wer great swelling floudes should come and tumble vpon me O God the geuer of all good things geue me amongst thy praises a wel of teres with the purenes of hart and reioyeing of minde that I louing thee perfitly and worthely praising thee may feele taste and sauour in the pallace of my hart how sweet and pleasant thou art O lord as it is written Do ye tast and see how sweet delectable the Lorde is Blessed is the man that putteth his trust in him Blessed is that people which knoweth glad and ioyful praysing Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee in whose harte are thy wayes which going through the vale of misery vse it for a well Blessed are the