one of them according to theyr workes whether they be good or bad Teach me how I may confesse my pouerty to thee For once I said that I was rich and that I wanted nothing I did not know the while that indeede I was poore and naked and a miserable wretch I beleiued that I was some-what when yet indeede I was nothing I told my selfe that I would become wise and I turned a starke foole I thought my self to be prudent but I was deceiued And now I see that all is thy guift without whom wee can doe nothing For vnles thou O Lord keepe the Citty he watcheth but in vaine who pretends to keepe it Thou hast taught me thus to knowe thee whilest thou diddest leaue mee for a while and proue mee not that thou mightest knowe mee thereby but for my sake that so I might come to knowe my selfe For as I was saying ô Lord I thought once that I was some-what of my self I conceiued that I was sufficient by my self nor did I discerne that thou wert he that gouerned mee till thou diddest a little withdrawe thy selfe from me And then presently I fell and soe I sawe and knew that thou didest gouerne mee and that it was of my self that I fell and that it was of thee that I rose againe Thou O Light diddest open myne eyes and diddest rowse mee vp and illuminate mee and I sawe that the life of man vpon earth is all temptation and that noe flesh must presume to glory before thee for soe noe man liueing can be iustifyed For if there be any good in him whether it be great or little thy guift it is and nothing is ours but that which is naught Of what therfore shall any flesh be able to vant Shall he glory in sinne This is not glory but misery May he glory in that which is good Noe For he may not glory in that which belongeth to another Thine O Lord is the Good annd thyne must be the Glory For hee who seeketh glory to himselfe and not to thee out of the good he doth that man is noe better then a theefe and robber who had a minde to bereaue thee of thy glory For he who will be praysed for any guift of thyne and seeketh not thy glory but his owne therein although he be praysed by men for that guift of thyne yet he is dispraysed by thee in regard that he sought not soe much thy glory by it as his owne And now he who is praysed by men whilest thou dispraysest him shall not be defended by men when thou iudgest him nor deliuered by them when thou condemnest him But thou O Lord who diddest frame me in my mothers wombe do not suffer me to fall vnder so greate a reproofe as that I should be charged with procureing to robb thee of thy glory To thee be glory of whome all good things are and to vs confusion of face and misery vnles thou vouchsafe to haue mercy on vs. But thou hast mercy O Lord thou hast mercy vpon vs all who hatest none of those things which thou hast made and who bestowest of thy good guifts vpon vs dost enrich vs O Lord our God with thy most excellent graces For thou louest poore creatures and thou enrichest them with thy aboundance And now behould O Lord we are thy poore children and thy little little flocke open thy gates to vs and thy poore shall eate and be satisfyed they who seeke thee and prayse thee I doe also knowe O Lord and I confesse for I am taught to doe it by thee that they onely who knowe they are poore and confesse theyr pouertie to thee shall be enriched by thee and they who conceiue themselues to be rich whereas indeede they are poore will be found excluded from thy riches For my parte therefore I confess my pouerty to thee O Lord my God and let all glory remayne to thee For all that which hath bene well done by mee is thyne O Lord I confesse to thee as thou hast taught me that I am nothing but an vniuersality of vanity a shadow of death and a blacke kinde of Abysse and a plott of earth which is all empty and vnfruitefull and which shootes not vp one leafe without thy blessing and of it selfe it yeilds no other fruite then confusion sinne and death If euer I had any good thinge I receiued it of thee Whatsoeuer good I haue now is thine and of thee I haue it If euer I stood fast I stood by thee but whensoeuer I fell of my selfe I fell and for euer had I weltered in that myre if thou haddest not raised mee And for euer had I continued blinde vnles thou haddest illuminated mee When I fell I had neuer risen vnles thou haddest reached forth thine hand And when afterward thou diddest raise mee I had instantly retournend to fall vnles thou haddest susteyned mee and I had perished very often vnles thou haddest gouerned mee So perpetually O Lord soe perpetually was I preuented by thy mercy and grace deliuering me from all my sinnes saueing me from all such as are past solliciteing me against such as were present and fortifying me against such as might be future Cutting of before my face those snares of sinnes by preuenting the occasions and causes thereof For vnles thou haddest also done this fauour to me I might haue committed any sinne in the whole world And I know O Lord that there is noe kinde of sinne which any one man did euer committ which another man may not also committ if the helpe of the Creatour whereby man is made be wanting But thou art the cause why I committed them not Thou diddest commaund that I should abstayne from them thou didest infuse thy grace that I might beleiue in thee For thou O Lord diddest gouerne mee for thy selfe and thou diddest keepe me both for thy selfe and for my selfe and thou diddest giue me light grace to the end that I might not commit adultery and euery other sinne CHAP. XVI Of the manifold temptations of the deuill THe Tempter was absent and thou wert the cause that he was absēt Fitt time and place for sinne were wanting and thou wert the cause that they were wanting The Tempter was present and nether time nor place were wanting but thou diddest keepe me from consenting The Tempter came to mee all vgly and frightfull as he is and thou diddest comfort mee soe farre as to make me despise him The Tempter came to mee all strong and armed and to the end that he might not conquer mee thou restraynedst him didest strengthen me The Tempter came transfigured into an Angell of light and to the end that he might not deceiue mee thou rebukedest him and thou diddest illuminate mee that I might knowe him For he is that great and redd dragon that ancient serpent and he is called the Deuill and Satā haueing seauen heads and tenn hornes Whose imployment is to inueigle this greate huge Sea wherein
lett my spiritt pante towards thee my hart burne bright in thy loue forgetting all vanity and misery Hearken to me ô God hearken ô thou light of myne eyes hearken to that which I desire and make me desire such things as thou wilt grant O Lord thou who art holy exorable in thy selfe doe not become inexorable to me for my sinns but for thyne owne goodnes sake receaue the Prayers of thy seruant grant me the effect of my desire and sute by the prayers and merits of my Lady the glorious Virgin Mary and of all thy Saintes Amen CHAP. XXXVII A most holy and most excellent Prayer to Almighty God whereby the soule is greatly mooued to deuotion O Lord Iesus O Holy Iesus O good Iesus who didest vouchsafe to dy for our sinns and to rise agayne for our Iustification I beseech thee by that glorious Resurrection of thyne raise me vp from the sepulchre of all my vices and sinns dayly giue me a part in thy Resurrection by grace that I may obteyne to be made a true pertaker of thy Resurrection to glory O thou most sweete most benigne most loueinge most pretious most amiable and most beautifull Lord who didest ascend vp to heauen in a triumph of glory and beinge a most puissant Kinge dost sitt at the right hand of thy Father Drawe me vpward that I may runn after thee in the pursute and sent of thy odoriferous oyntments I will runn and not faynt Whilest thou art leading and draweinge me I will be runninge Drawe vp this mouth of my thirsty soule into those celestiall spirings of eternall satiety Nay rather drawe me to thy very selfe who art the true liueinge fountayne that so accordinge to the vttermoste of my capacity I may drinke that where-vpon I may for euer liue O thou my God and my life For thou haste said with thy holy and blessed mouth If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke O thou fountayne of life grant to my thirsty soule that it may alwayes drinke of thee that accordinge to thy holy and faithfull promisse the liueing waters may flowe from me O thou fountayne of life fill my minde with the torrent of thy delight and inebriate my hart with the sober ebriety of thy loue that I may forget all vaine ād earthly things and may perpetually haue thee and thee alone in my memory as it is written I haue beene mindfull of God and I was delighted Imparte to me the holy Spiritt which was signifyed by those watters which thou didest promisse that thou wouldest giue to such as thirsted after them Grant I beseeche thee that with my whole desire and endeauour I may tend thyther whither I beleeue thee to haue ascended vpon the fortieth day after thy Resurrection That so my body onely be held in this present misery and that I may euer be with thee in desire and thought That my hart may be there where thou art who art my incomparable disireable and extreamely amiable treasure For in the great deluge of this life wherein we are tossed with stormes to and fro surrounding vs and where there is noe secure castinge of anchor nor place more eminent wher-vpon the Doue may place her foote repose her selfe in some smale measure there is noe where any safe peace noe where any secure quietnes but euery where warrs and strife all places full of enemyes fighting without and fears within And because one parte of vs is celestiall and the other terrestriall the body which is subiect to coruption doth dull and stupify the soule Therefore doth this soule of myne which is my companion and my freind and which colmes all weary from trauellinge vpon a long and laborious way lye languishinge and torne in sunder by those vanityes which it passed by and it doth hunger and thirst extreamely and I haue nothinge to sett before it because I am a poore creature and a meere begger Thou ô Lord my God who art rich in all things and art a most plentifull imparter of celestiall satiety giue foode to it being weary recolect it being scattered and repair it being torne in peeces Behold it is at the doore and knockes It beseeches thee by those bowells of thy mercy whereby thou didest visite vs riseinge from aboue to open thy hand of pitty to this miserable soule which knockes and commaund out of thy benignity grace that it may enter in to thee that it may repose in thee and that it may be recreated and fedd with thee who art that true celestiall bread and wine That when it is satisfyed therewith it may recouer strength and so ascēd vp to the things aboue it being snatched vp out of this valley of misery by the wing of holy desires it may fly into those celestiall Kingdomes Let my spiritt ô Lord let my spiritt I beseech thee take the wings of an Eagle let it spring vp and neuer fainte let it fly till it arriue euen as farr as the beauty of thy house that place of the habitation of thy glory that it may there be full fedd vpon that table where thy celestiall Cittizens are refreshed with those secret delights of thyne in that place of rich feedinge close by those full fountaynes and there ô my Lord let my hart repose and rest in thee My hart is a high sea swelling vp with waues Thou who didest commaund both windes and seas where vpon great tranquillity did followe come downe and walke vpon these Waues of my hart that all my thoughts may become serene and quiet to the end that I may embrace thee my deare and onely Lord and that I may contemplate thee who art the sweete light of myne eyes being freed from the blinde mistes or foggs of all vnquiet cogitations Let my hart fly vnder the shadowe of thy wings from the scorching heate of the cares and cogitations of this world that so being hidden vp in that sweete refreschinge of thine it may exult singe In thy peace in thy very selfe will I sleepe and rest Let my memory sleepe let it sleepe I beseeche thee O my Lord God from all sinn and vice Let it hate iniquity and loue sanctity For what is more beautifull what is more delightfull then in the middest of the deepe darkenes and the many bitter sorrowes of this life to pante towards that diuine sweetnes of thine and to aspire to that eternall beatitude and there to haue our harts fixed where it is most certaine that true ioy is to be found O thou most sweete most loueinge most benigne most deare most precious most desirable most amiable and most beautifull Lord When shall I be able to see thee When shall I apppeare before thy face Whē shall I be satisfyed with that beauty of thine Vvhen wilt thou lead me out of this darke prison that I may confesse to thy Name that so from thence forth I may haue noe more cause of greife Vvhen shall I passe on into
will come because he is good and he will not stay long behinde who was here from the beginninge To him be glory for euer and for euer Amen DEO GRATIAS The end of the Meditations of Saint Augustine THE SOLILOQVIA OF THE GLORIOVS Doctour S. Augustine THE FIRST CHAPTER Of the vnspeakable sweetnes of God LET me knowe thee O Lord thou who knowest me Let me knowe the O thou strength of my soute Shew thy selfe to me O thou who art my comforter let me see thee O thou who art the light of myne eyes Come O thou ioy of my spirit let me behold thee O thou solace of my harte Make me loue thee O thou life of my soule Appeare to me O thou who art my great delight my sweete consolation my Lord my God my life and the totall glory of my soule Let me finde thee O thou desire of my harte Let me possesse thee O thou loue of my soule Let me embrace thee O thou celestiall Spouse O thou my soueraigne and both my externall and internall ioy Let me possesse thee O thou eternall beatitude Let me possesse thee in the very center of my hart O thou blessed life and thou soueraigne sweetnes of my soule I wil loue thee O Lord my strength O Lord my foundation and my refuge and my deliuerer Let me loue thee O my God and my helper thou who art a tower of strength to me and my deare hope in all my aduersity Let me embrace thee who art that Good without which nothing is good and let me enioy me thee who are that best without which nothing is best Open the deepe hollowes of myne eares by thy word which is more penetratiue then any two edged sword that soe I may growe to heare thy voyce Thunder O Lord from aboue with that voyce of thyne which is soe loud and strong Let the Sea and the fulnesse therof tunder out let the Earth and all which is therein be moued Illustrate myne eyes O thou incomprehensible light Darte forth that bright lightening and dissipate thē that they may not behold vanity Drawe downe the riuers at full speede put them into commotion that the fountaynes of water may appeare and the foundations of the Earth may be disclosed O thou inuisible light grant to vs such a power of seeing as that wee may be able to behold thee Grante O thou odour of life such a new power of smelling in vs as that wee may runn after thee vpon the odour of thy ointments Cure this taste of ours that it may relish and discerne and knowe how great that multitude of thy sweetenes layd vp for such as feare thee that is of such as are full filled with thy loue Graunt me a hart which may thinke of thee a will which may loue thee a minde which may remember thee an vnderstanding which may conceiue thee and a reason which may adheare close to thee who art the supreame delight and art to be soe for euer Let that loue which is wise be euer loueinge thee O thou Life to which all things liue Life which giuest me life Life which is my very life it selfe whereby I liue and without which I dye Life whereby I am reuiued and without which I perish Life whereby I reioyce and with out which I am in misery Life which art a vitall life a Life which is sweete and amiable and to be remembered for euer where art thou I beseech thee that I may finde thee that I may faynt in my selfe and be refreshed in thee Be thou neer to me in my soule neer in my hart neer in my mouth neer in myne eares neer to giue me helpe because I languish with loue because I dye without thee and I am reuiued by remembring thee Thy odour doth refresh me the memory of thee doth cure me but I shall then onely be satisfyed when thy glory shall appeare O thou life of my soule My soule earnestly desires and doth euen languish through the memory of thee When shall I come and appeare before thee O thou my ioy Why doest thou turne thy face from me O thou my ioy wherein I reioyce where art thou hidden o beautie which I desire I smell the sweete odour of thee I liue and I ioy therein Thy selfe I doe not see but I heare thy voyce and it reuiues me But why doest thou hide thy Face from me Doest thou say perhaps that noe man shall see my Face and liue well then O Lord let me dye that I may see thee and let me see thee that I may dye here below I will not liue but I will dy I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ I desire to dye that I may see Christ I refuse to liue that I may liue with Christ O Lord Iesus receiue my spirit O thou my life receiue my soule O thou my ioy drawe my hart vp to thee O thou my sweete food let me feede on thee O thou my Heade direct me Light of mine eyes illuminate me O thou my true sweetenes temper me thou pretious odour quicken me thou Word of God recreate me O thou my praise delight thou the soule of thy seruant enter into it O thou ioy of myne that it may reioyce in thee Enter into it O thou soueraigne sweetenes that it may relish those things which indeed are sweete O thou eternall light illustrate it that it may vnderstand knowe and loue thee For therefore it is o Lord that he who loues thee not doth not loue thee because he knowes thee not and therfore doth he not knowe thee because he vnderstands thee not and therefore he vnderstands thee not because he comprehends not thy light For the light shined in darkenes and darkenes comprehended it not O thou light of our mindes O bright Truth which illuminatest all men comeing into this world comeing into it indeede but not loueinge it For he who loueth the world is made the enemy of God Driue of all darkenes from the face of the Abysse of my minde that it may see thee by knoweing thee that it may knowe thee by comprehending thee and that by soe knowing thee it may loue thee For whosoeuer knoweth thee forgetts himself that he may loue thee He loues thee more then himselfe he forsakes himself that he may fly to thee and that he may reioyce in thee From hence therefore it growes O Lord that I loue thee not soe much as I ought because I doe not fully knowe thee But because I knowe thee little I loue thee little and because I loue thee little I reioyce little in thee but departing from thee who art the true interiour ioy towards exteriour things whilest I want thee alone I affect to finde impure and false freindships amongst thy creatures And so wretch that I am I haue bestowed this hart of myne vpon vayne things which I ought to haue imployed vpon thee with an entire appetite and affection and so by loueing vanity
which are which growe and which feele because I am I growe and I feele And thou hast created me little inferiour to the Angells because I haue receiued a power of knoweinge thee which is common betweene them ād me But yet I sayd well in saying that it was a little inferiour For they haue that happy knowledg of thee by expresse vision whereas I haue it but by hope they haue it face to face and I but by a glasse as in a cloud they haue it perfectly and I but partly CHAP. VIII Of the future Dignity of Man BVt when that shall come which is perfect that will be euacuated which is imperfect when also we shall see thee clearely face to face what shall now hinder vs to be but little inferiour to the Angells Whom thou O Lord doest vouchsafe to crowne with the crowne of hope which is adorned with honour and glory whome thou doest excessiuely honour as thy friends and as persons who are euery way equalls and Peeres of the Angell Yea and thy truth saith this For they are equall to the Angells and they are the sonnes of God And what are they but sonnes of God if they be equall to Angells They shall indeede be sonnes of God because the sonne of man is made the sonne of God When therefore I consider this I am bould to say that man is not somewhat lesse then the Angells nay he is not onely equall to the Angells but superiour to them because man is God and God is a man not an Angell And therefore I will say that man is the most worthy crsature because the Word which was in the beginning God with God the Word whereby God sayd let light be made and light was made that is the Angelicall nature the Word Whereby God created all things in the beginning the same Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst vs and we haue seene his glory Behoulde the glory wherein I glory when I glory as I ought Behoulde the ioy wherewith I ioy when I ioy as I ought O Lord my God my life and the entire glory of my soule I confesse to thee O Lord my God that when thou didest create me capable of reason thou didest in some respect make me equall to the Angells because I may be perfected by thy word soe farre as that I may arriue to an equality with the Angells and that I may haue the adoption of thy sonnes by thy onely begotten Word O Lord by that beloued Sonne of thyne in whom thou art well pleased by that onely heyre who is coeternall and consubstantiall with thee which is Iesus Christ our onely Lord and Redeemer our Illuminator Comforter our Aduocat with thee and the light of our eyes who is our life our Sauiour our onely hope who loued vs more then himselfe by whome we haue confidence layd vp for vs with thee a firme hope and accesse in comeing to thee because he gaue power to such as would beleiue in his Name that they might become the sonnes of God Let me giue praise to thy Name O Lord who by creating me according to thine image and likenes haste ordayned me to be capable of soe great glory as that I may be made thy sonne Trees are not capable of this stones are not capable nor in fine any of those things which are moued or growe in the ayre or in the Sea or on the earth because he did not giue them power by the Word to become his sonnes because they are not capable of reason For this power doth consist in reason whereby we knowe God But he gaue this power to men whome he created capable of reason according to his owne image and likenes And I also O Lord am by thy grace a man and by grace I may become thy Sonne which they cannot be From whence came this fauour to me O Lord thou soueraigne truth and thou true souueraignity thou who art the beginning of all thy creatures whence came this blessing to me that I had a capacitie to become the sonne of God which they had not Thou art he who remainest for euer who didest create all things at once At once thou didest create men and beasts and stones and the plants of the earth Noe merits of any of them did preceede noe former priuiledge was due to them For thou didst create them all out of thine owne meere goodnes and all the creatures were equall in merits because none of them had any merits at all And how then grew thy goodnes to bee greater towards this thy creature whome thou haste made rationall then towards all the rest which are not endewed with reason Why am not I as all they are and why are not all they as I am or why at least am not I alone like them What merits were there of myne What fauour was dew to me that thou shouldest create me capable of being thy sonne which yet thou wouldst deny to all them Farr be it from me O Lord to thinke that this proceeded from any merits of mine It was thy onely grace thy onely goodnes which made me partaker of the sweetnes therof Now graunt me therefore O Lord of that grace whereby thou didest create me of nothing grant me I beseeh thee of that grace to the end that I may be gratefull to thee for the same CHAP. IX Of the Omnipotency of God THy Omnipotent hand which is euer one and the same did create the Angells in Heauen and the base wormes on Earth and yet thou wert not greater in the creation of the former and lesse in the creation of the later For as noe other hand but thine was able to create an Angell soe nether could any hand but thyne create the poorest worme As noe hand but thyne had bene able to create the Heauens soe could none els create the lightest leafe of any tree As noe hand but thyne could create any body of ours soe none but thyne could make any one haire of our heads ether black or white Thy onely Omnipotent hand doth all these things to which all things are possible a like For it is not more possible for it to create a miserable worme then an Angell nor more impossible to extend spread abroad the whole heauen then one single leafe nor is it easier to frame one haire of our heads then to make our whole body nor is it harder for it to plant and build the earth vpon the waters then the waters vpon the earth But whatsoeuer he had a mynde to doe he hath done as he was pleased to doe both in heauen and on earth and in all the deepe Abysses so hath he framed things me among them all as he would could and knew them Thy hand O Lord could haue made me a stone a bird or a serpent or any other brute creature and thou knowest how to doe it but thou wouldest not through thy great goodnes to mee Vvhy therefore am I not some
leaue mee in my wicked thoughts and doe not continue me in the pride of myne eyes Take from me all concupiscence and deliuer me not ouer to haue an irreuerent and vnbridled mynde but possesse thou my harte that it may be euer thinkeing vpon thee Illuminate myne eyes that they may see thee and let them not be vanely extolled in thy sight who art eternall glory but let them haue humble thoughts and not be employed vpon certayn wounderfull things which are too high Let them behould those things which are on the right hand and not those which are on the left hand which are misliked by thee and let thyne eyelids point out the steps which I am to make For euen thyne eyelids doe examen the sinnes of men Dispatch away distroy my concupiscence by that sweetnes of thyne which thou hast layd vp for such as feare thee that I may couett thee with an euerlasting desire Lest otherwise the interiour gust of my soule being entyced deceiued by vane obiects may esteeme sweete to be bitter bitter sweete darkenes to be light and light darkenes That I may be deliured out of the middest of so many pitfalls which are spred euery where by the enemy ouer the face of this way wherein we walke for the takeing of sinners soules whereof the whole world is full Which one who sawe would not passe ouer in silence but sayd For whatsoeuer is in the world is ether concupiscence of the eyes concupiscence of the flesh or pride of life Behoulde O Lord my God how all the word is full of the snares of cōcupiscēce which they haue prepared for my feete And who shall be able to escape these snares It must certainly be he from whome thou shalt haue taken the pride of his eyes that the concupiscence thereof may not catch him and from whome thou shalt haue taken the concupiscence of the fleshe lest he be taken by it and from whome thou shalt haue taken an irreuerent and vnbridled minde least pride of life should craftily deceiue him O how happy is he to whome thou voutchsafest these things for he shall passe on in safety And now O my Redeemer I beseeche thee by thy selfe assist me that I may not be cast downe in the sight of myne enemyes being enwrapped in those snares which they haue prepared for my feete that soe they may oppresse my soule But deliuer me O thou strength of my saluation lest els myne enemyes who hate thee may contemne and deride mee Rise vp O Lord my God O thou strong Champion of myne and let myne enemyes be dispersed and let them who hate thee be made to fly from before thy face As wax dissolueth in the presēte of the fyre soe let sinners perish before thy face And as for me let me be hidden vp in that secret of thy countenance and let me reioyce with thy children being satisfyed with all good things And thou O Lord God the Father of orphanes and the mother of thy pupils hearken to the loude and woefull cry of thy children and spred abroade thy winges that we may fly vnder them from the face of the enemy O thou tower of the strength of Israel who doest not slumber nor sleepe whilest thou keepest Israel because the enemy who impugneth Israel doth nether slūber nor sleepe CHAP. XIII Of the misery of man and the benefits of God O Light which noe other light doth see O brightenes which noe other brightnes can discerne O light which obscureth all light O brightenes which blindeth all other brightenes O light from which all light O brightenes from which all other brightenes growes O light in respect of which all light is darkenes and all brightenes blackenes Light in whose presence all obscurity is bright and all darkenes light Soueraigne light which noe cloud can ouershadow and noe darke miste make dull and noe fogg obscure which noe close prison shutteth vp which noe shadow can separate Light which doth illuminate all things all together once and euer O swallow mee vp I beseeche thee into that Abysse of thy clarity that I may on all sides see thee in thee and my selfe in thee and all things vnder thee Doe not forsake mee and let not the shadowes of myne ignorance encrease and my sinnes be multiplyed Without thee all things are darkenes to me all things are euill because there is nothing good without thee who art the true the onely the soueraigne good This I confesse and this I know O Lord my God that wheresoeuer I am without thee it goeth ill with me not onely without me but euen with in me also For all aboundance whatsoeuer which is not my God is but mere beggery to me Then shall I be satisfyed when thy glory shall appeare And thou O Lord who art my very life of beatitude graunt that I may confesse my misery to thee from the tyme that the uariety of temporall things did dissipate and diuide me when I fell through the trechery of my carnall senses from thee who art that vnity of goodnes that one soueraigne good And it diuided me from that one amongst many things and I grew thereby in to a laborious kinde of aboundance and a copious kinde of wante whilest I would be seeking after this and that was satisfyed with nothing soe long as I found not in my self that incommutable and singular and vndeuided one good which haueing once obtayned I neede nothing nor haue greif for nothing and which possessing once the desire of my whole soule is fully satisfyed Woe is mee what misery is this vpon misery when the wretched soule flyes from thee with whome it might euer abound and reioyce and when it followeth the world by meanes whereof it is still in wante and payne The world cals me after it and I faynt in following it Thou callest me O Lord and I am all refreshed by thee And yet I am soe peruersly miserable as to follow that which makes me faynt rather that which refresheth me This is directly the infirmity which I am subiect too O cure it thou Physician of soules that I may confesse to thee O thou saluation of my soule with my whole hart all that aboundance of thy benefits wherewith thou hast fedd me from my very youth and wherewith thou wilt feede me to the extremity of my old age I beseeche thee by thy selfe that thou forsake me not Thou diddest make me when I was not Thou diddest redeeme me when I was lost For lost I was and dead And to him who was dead thou diddest descend thou tookest mortality vpon thee nay thy selfe being a King to thou didest descend to thy slaue and redeeme that slaue thou deliuer ledst thy selfe That I might liue thou vndertookest to dye Thou ouercamest death and by pulling downe thy selfe thou didest rayse mee vp I perished I was sould away thou camest downe to redeeme me thou didest loue me soe much as to buy me vpon the price
labour Giueinge a beginninge to all things thy selfe haueinge noe beginninge makeing all things changeable beinge yet vnchangeable in thy selfe being infinite in thy greatenesse Omnipotent in thy power souuereigne in thy goodnesse inestimable in thy wisdome terrible in thy decrees iust in thy iudgements secret in thy thoughts true in thy wordes holy in thy workes plentifull in thy mercyes Towards sinners thou art most patiēt towards penitents thou art most pittifull Thou art euer the same eternall sempiternall immortall vnchangeable God whome neither space can dilate nor littlenesse of place can streighten nor any receptacle can keepe in or constraine nor the will vary nor partiality corrupt nether doe sad things afflict thee nor ioyfull things transport thee From whome neither forgetfullnes takes any thinge neither doth memory restore any thing neither doe things past passe away nor future things succeed To whome neither the first gaue beginninge nor the continuance of tyme increase nor shall any accident giue it any end But thou liuest for all eternity both before and in and through all aages And lett immortal praise and eternall glory and souuereigne power and supreame honor and a Kingdome Empire for all eternity remaine with thee through those infinite vnwearied and immortall ages of ages Amen CHAP. XIII How God the Father vouchsafed to helpe mankinde and of the Incarnation of the worde HItherto O Omnipotent God the beholder searcher of my hart I haue confessed the Omnipotency of thy Maiesty and the maiesty of thy Omnipotency But now as I beleeue with the hart to Iustice so will I confesse before thee with the mouth to saluation in what sort thou haste beene pleased at the end of many ages to releiue the misery of mankinde Thou O God and our onely Father wert neuer to be sent any whither But of the Sonne the Apostle writeth thus When the fullnes of tyme was come God sent his Sonne When he saith sent he doth sufficiently showe that then he came sent into this world when being borne of the euer B. Virgin Mary he became and appeared true and perfect man in flesh But what is that which that cheife of all the Euangelistes saith He was in the world and the world was made by him He was sent thither in his Humanity who was euer and is there by his Diuinity Now that this Mission is the worke of the whole blessed Trinity I confesse with my whole hart and mouth But how then didst thou loue vs O thou holy and good Father how much didst thou loue vs O most deare Creator who didst not euen spare thyne owne Sonne but didst deliuer him vp for vs wretched Creatures He was subiect to thee euen vnto the death and that the death of the Crosse takeinge the hand-writinge of our sinns and nailinge it to the same Crosse He crucified also sinn it selfe and killed death He who onely is free amongst the dead haueing power both to lay downe his life for vs and afterward to take it vp againe Hence was he both the conquerer and Sacryfice And therfor the Conquerer because the sacryfice for vs To thee he was the Preist and the Sacrifice and therfore the Preist because the Sacrifice Most iustly haue I a strong hope in him that thou for his sake who sitteth at thy right hand and is continually interceedinge for vs wilt cure all our languishing diseases For my infirmityes O Lord are great and many great they are and many The Prince of this world hath much to say against me I knowe and cōfesse it yet deliuer me I beseeche thee by that Redeemer of mine who sitteth at thy right hand in whome he was able to finde none of his malice By him I beseeche thee to iustify me by him who comitted noe sinn nor was there any guile found in his mouth I beseeche thee by that head of ours in whome there is noe one little spott deliuer this member which yet is his how weake and poore soeuer it be Deliuer me I beseeche thee from my sinns my vices my faults and my negligence Fill me with thy holy vertues make me of most innocent conuersation And grant for thy holy names sake that I may continue euen to the very end in those good workes which thou commaundest according to thy holy will CHAP. XIV Of the confidence which a soule ought to haue in our Lord Iesus in his Passion I Could easily haue despaired through the excesse of my greiuous sinns and of my infinite negligences if thy word O God had not become flesh and had not dwelt amongst vs. But now I dare not despaire because when we were enemyes we were reconciled by the death of thy Sonne how much more now we beinge already reconciled shall we be saued by him For all the hope and stay of all my confidence doth consist in that pretious blood of his which was shed for vs and for our saluation In him doe I take breath and hopeing firmely in him I earnestly desire to come to thee not haueinge any iustice of mine owne but that which is in thy Sonne our Lord Iesus-Christe We doe therfore thank thee O most Clement and benigne louer of mankind who when we were not didst powerfully create vs by Iesus-Christe thy Sonne our Lord. And whē we were lost by our owne fault thou didst admirably deliuer and recouer vs. I giue thankes to thy mercy many thanks doe I giue thee with the whole affection of my hart who through that vnspeakable charity wherewith thou didst vouchsafe with strange goodnes to loue vs miserable and vnworthy Creatures didst send thyne onely begotten Sonne from thyne owne bosome for our common good so to saue vs sinners who were then the sonns of wrath I giue thee thanks for his holy Incarnation and Natiuity and for his glorious Mother of whom he vouchsafed to assume flesh for vs and our saluation that as he was true God of God so he might also be true man of man I thanke thee for his Crosse and Passion for his death and Resurrection for his Ascension into heauen and for his seat of Maiesty at thy right hand For vpō the fortieth day after his Resurrection ascendinge aboue all the heauens whilest his Disciples were lookeing on and being seated at thy right hand he did according to his promisse powre forth the Holy Ghoste vpon the Children of adoption I thank thee for that most sacred effusion of his most pretious Blood wherby we are redeemed and withall for that Sacred and Holy and quickninge Mistery of his Body and Blood which dayly we eate and drinke in the Church and wherby we are washed and sanctified and made partakers of that one supreame diuinity I thank thee for this admirable and vnspeakable charity of thine wherby thou hast so loued and saued vs vnworthy creatures by that onely and beloued Sonne of thine For thou didst so loue the world as to giue thy onely begotten Sonne that euery one who beleeued
haste brought me to the vnderstanding of truthe casting away the darknes of ignorance and whereby thou haste drawen me out of the foolish bitternes of this world and so accompanyinge it with the sweetnes of thy charity thou haste made it delightfull and deer to me I doe with a lowde voice inuoke thee O blessed Trinity with that sincere loue which groweth out of Faith which Faith thou haueing nourished euen from my cradle did'dst inspire by the illustration of thy grace and which thou hast encreased and confirmed in me by the documents of my Mother the Church I inuoke thee O holy and blessed and glorious Trinity in Vnity the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghoste our God our Lord and our Paraclete Charity Grace and Communication the Father the Sonne and the Illuminator the Fountayne the Riuer and the Irrigation or wateringe All things by one and all things in one from whome by whome in whome all things The liuing life the life proceeding from the liuing life the life liuing One from himselfe One from one and One from two One being from himselfe One being from another and One being from two other The Father is true the Sonne is Truth and the Holy Ghoste is Truth Therfore the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghoste are one essence one power one goodnes one beatitude from whome by whome and in whome all things are happie what things soeuer are happie CHAP. XXXII That God is the true and souuereigne life O God the true and Souuereigne life from whome by whome and in whome all things doe liue which haue any true and happy life O God who art that goodnesse and that beauty from whome by whome and in whome all things are faire and good which haue any beauty or goodnesse in them O God whose faith doth excite vs whose hope doth erect vs and whose charity doth vnite vs O God who requirest that we seeke thee and who makest vs finde thee and who openest to vs when we knocke O God from whome to be auerted is to faâ—l and to whom to be conuerted is to rise and in whom to remayne is to be immoueable O God whome noe man looseth but he who is deceaued no man seeketh but he who is admonished and noe man findeth but he who is purged O God whome to know is to liue whome to serue is to reigne whome to praise is the ioy and saluation of the soule I praise thee I blesse thee and I adore thee with my lipps with my hart and with all the whole power I haue And I present my humblest thanks to thy mercy and goodnes for all thy benefitts and I sing this Hymn of glory to thee Holy Holy Holy I inuoke thee O blessed Trinity beseechinge that thou wilt come into me and make me worthy to be the Temple of thy glory I begge of the Father by the Sonne I begge of the Sonne by the Father I begge of the Holy Ghoste by the Father and the Sonne that all vice may be farr remoued from me and that all holy vertue may be planted in me O Immense God from whome all things by whome all things in whome all things both visible and inuisible are made Thou who doste inuiron thy workes without and fillest them within who dost couer them from aboue and dost susteyne them from belowe keepe me who am the worke of thy hands and who hope in thee and who onely confide in thy mercy Keepe me I beseech thee here and euery where now and euer within and without before me behinde me aboue and belowe and round about that no place at all may be left for the treacherous attempts of my enemies against me Thou art the Omnipotent God the keeper and the Protector of all such as hope in thee without whome noe man is safe none freed from danger Thou art God and there is noe other God but thou neyther in heauen aboue nor on earth belowe Thou whoe performest workes of prowess and so many wonderfull and vnscrutable things which exceed all number Praise is due to thee honor is due to thee and to thee Hymns of glory are due To thee doe all the Angells the heaueÌ„s all the power therof sing Hymns and praises without ceaseing and all creatures and euery spiritt doth praise thee the holy and indiuiduall Trinity as it becomes the creatures there Creator the slaues their Lord and the souldiers their King CHAP. XXXIII The praises of men and Angells TO thee doe all the Saintes and they who are humble of hart to thee doe the spiritts and soules of iust persons to thee doe all the Cittizens of heauen and all those orders of blessed spiritts sing the hymn of honor and glory adoreinge thee humbly without end All the Cittizens of heauen doe praise thee O Lord after a most honorable and magnificent manner and man who is an eminent parte of thy Creatures doth also praise thee Yea and I wretched sinner and miserable Creature that I am doe yet labour with an extreame desire to praise thee and wish that I could loue thee with excessiue loue O my God my life my strength and my praise vouchsafe to lett me praise thee Grant me light in my hart putt thou the word into my mouth that my hart may thinke vpon thy glory and my toÌ„gue may singe thy praises all the day longe But because it is noe hansome praise which proceeds out of the mouth of a sinner And because I am a man of polluted lipps Clense thou my hart I beseeche thee from all spotts sanctify me O thou Omnipotent sanctifier both within and without and make me worthy to sett forth thy praise Receaue with benignity and acceptation from the hand of my hart which is the affection of my soule receiue I say the sacrifice of my lipps and make it acceptable in thy sight and make it ascend vp to thee in the odour of sweetnes Let thy holy memory and thy most diuine sweetnes possesse my whole soule and draw it vp at full speed to the loue of inuisible things Let it passe from the visible to the inuisible from the earthly to the heauenly from the temporall to the eternall and lett it passe on so farr as to see that admirable vision O eternall Verity O true Charity O deer Eternity thou art my God to thee doe I sigh day and night to thee doe I pant at thee doe I ayme to thee doe I desire to arriue He who knowes thee knowes Truth and he knowes Eternity Thou O Truth dost preside ouer all things We shall see thee as thou art when this blind and mortall life is spent wherein it is said to vs where is now thy God And I also said to thee Where art thou O my God In thee am I refreshed a little when I power out my soule towards thee by the voice of my exultation and confessioÌ„ which is as the sounde of a man who is bankquetting end celebratinge some great festiuity And
ardent desire of our hart ought to be placed in our Lord. BVt thou O Lord the expectation of Israell and that desire to which our harte doth euery day aspire make haste to vs and doe not stay Rise vp make hast and come and bring vs out of this prison to confesse vnto thy Name that wee may glory in thy light Open thyne eares to the cry of the teares of thy forsaken children who thus are calling out to thee Giue vs O thou Father of ours our daylie breard this day in the strength whereof wee may walke day and night till at last wee may arriue to thy Holy Mountaine Horeb. And I also poore little one that I am amongst the poore little ones of thy familly when shall I O my God my Father and my strength come and appeare before thy face that I who confesse vnto thee now for a tyme may doe it there for all eternity Happy shall I be if once I may be admitted to behould thy brightenes Who will graunt mee soe much fauour as that once I may bee admitted to that happines I knowe O Lord I knowe and confesse that I am vnworthy to enter vnder thy roofe Yet doe thou admitt mee for thyne owne honnour 's sake confound not thy slaue who hopes in thee And who shall be able to enter into thy Sanctuary to consider the wonders of thy power vnles thou open him the gate And who can open it if thou shutt it For if thou destroy there is none can build vs vp And if thou shutt a man in there is none who cā putt him out If thou contayne the waters all the world will be dryed vp but if thou let thē loose they will ouerrune the earth If thou haue a mynde to anihilate all that which thou hast created who shall presume to contradict thee Now therefore ô thou eternall goodnes of thy mercy which is that whereby thou madest whatsoeuer thou wouldest thou art the Archytect of the whole world and therefore doe thou also gouerne vs. Thou didest creat vs and therefore doe not thou despise vs for wee are the worke of thy hands And it is playne enough O Lord our God that wee who are but base wormes and durt shall neuer be able to enter into thy eternityes vnles we be introduced by thee who hast created all things of nothing CHAP. XXIV That all our saluation depends vpon God BVt I the worke of thy hands will confesse to thee in thy feare that I will not putt my confidence in my bowe or thinke that my sword can saue me but that must be donne by thy right hand and by thyne arme and by the illumination of thy countenance For otherwise I should despayre But thou who diddest create mee art my hope that thou wilt not forsake such as trust in thee For thou art our Lord God sweete and patient and disposeing of all things in mercy For it we haue sinned wee are thyne and if wee haue not sinned wee are thine because we are numbred among thy creatures Wee are but as a leafe in respect of the world and all mankinde is but vanity and our life is but as a vapour vpon the earth Be not angry if wee thy poore forsaken little children fall because thou O Lord our God knowest the matter whereof wee are made Wilt thou O God of inestimable fortitude shew forth thy power against a leafe which is whipped away by the winde And persecute a withered strawe Wilt thou O Eternell King of Israell damne a dead dogg wilt thou damne a single gnatt Wee haue heard O Lord of thy mercy and thou puttest not to death nor reioycest in the perdition of dying men Therefore doe wee beseeche thee O Lord that thou wilt not permitt that which thou hast not made to haue dominion ouer this creature of thine which thou hast made Nay thou art greiued with our perdition and what then O Lord shall be able to hinder thee who art omnipotent from eternally reioyceing in our saluation If thou wilt thou canst saue mee but I cannot doe it though I would The multitude of the miseries which I carry about mee is very greate It is at hand with mee to will a thing but I cannot finde the way to perfect it Yet I cannot euen will a good thing vnles thou also wi lt nor can I performe that which I haue a will to doe vnles thy power strengtheneth mee Yea and that which I haue power to doe falls out sometymes that I will not doe it vnles thy will may be done in Earth as it is in Heauen And what I will doe can doe I doe not knowe vnles thy wisedome illustrate mee And though also I doe knowe hauing sometymes a will to doe a thing and sometymes also a power to doe it yet my VVisdome passeth away all imperfect and empty as it is vnles thy true VVisdome helpe mee But in thy will all things are placed and there is none who can resist that will of thyne O thou the Lord of all thy Creatu-Creatures who hast supreame dominion ouer all flesh and doest worke whatsoeuer thou wilt in Heauen and in Earth in the Sea and in all the Abysses Let therefore thy will be done in vs vpon whome thy Name hath beene inuoked and let not this noble worke of thyne perish which thou diddest create for thyne owne glory And what man borne of woeman is hee who can liue not see death and deliuer his soule from the hand of hell vnles thou alone doe snatch him thence Thou who art the vitall life of all life whereby all things liue CHAP. XXV That the will of man wanteth efficacy towards good workes without the Grace of God I Haue now confessed to thee O thou prayse of my life O Lord my God and the strength of my Saluation that there was a tyme when I had confidence in myne owne strength which yet was noe strength at all And when I was so resolued to runne on where I thought my selfe to stand fastest there I fell fowlest insteede of aduanceing I retyred and I was more and more estranged from that which I thought to haue apprehended And so being come to know the little proportiō of my strēgth by the many experimēts which I made for the wāt thereof I doe now vnderstand because I haue bene illuminated by thee that whatsoeuer I haue thought my selfe most able to doe that could I euer bring least to passe For I sayd sometimes I will doe this and I will perfect that I did neither the one nor the other If I had the will I wanted the power If I had the power I had not then the will because I trusted in myne owne strength But now I confesse to thee O Lord my God the Father of Heauen and Earth that noe man shall ouercome in his owne strength to giue occasion thereby to the foolish presumption of flesh and blood to glory in thy sight For it is not in
without passion iealous yet without feare Thou repentest yet thou art not sory thou art angry yet thou art not moued thou changest thy workes yet thou dost not change thy decree Thou takest what thou findest yet thou dist neuer loose any thing thou art not poore and yet thou exactest vsury at our hands thou payest them to whom thou owest nothing and we are enabled by thee to pay thee more then we owe thee and yet who hath any thing but of thy guift Thou payest thy debtes and yet thou owest nothing thou releasest our debtes and yet thou loosest nothing thou art euery where and yet altogether thou canst be felt and yet thou canst not be seene thou art no where absent and yet thou art farre from the harts of wicked men For thou art not absent euen when thou art farre off because where thou art not by grace thou art by reuenge thou art present euery where and yet we can hardly find thee out we follow thee who art standing still and yet we are not able to lay hold on thee thou contaynest all things thou fillest all thinges thou imbracest all thinges thou exceedest all thinges and thou sustainest all thinges Thou instructest the hartes of thy faythfull seruants without noyse of wordes thou art not extended in place thou art not varied by time nor hast thou any commings or goinges thou dost inhabite that inaccessible light which no eye of man hath seene or can see Reposing all quiet in thy selfe thou goest euery where about all thinges for thou canst not be deuided or cut because thou art truely one nor dost thou impart thy selfe by parts but all that which thou art holdeth all thinges filleth all things illustrateth possesseth all things CHAP. II. Of the vnspeakable knowledge of God IF the whole world were filled with bookes yet thy vnspeakable knowledge could not be declared thereby For in regard that thou art vnspeakable thou canst not be expressed or declared thou art the fountaine of diuine light and the Sunne of splendour which neuer sets thou art great without quantity and therefore thou art immense thou art good without quality therefore it is indeed that thou art truely supremely Good and there is none Good but thou alone whose will is a worke whose being pleased to doe any thing is to be able to do it For thou who didst create al things of nothing didst create them onely by thy will Thou dost possesse all thy creatures without needing any of them thou gouernest them without labour thou rulest them without wearines nor is there any thing which can disturbe the order of thy dominion from the highest to the lowest thou art in all places without place thou conteynest all things without departing to the outside of them thou art euery where present yet without either situation or motion thou art not the Author of euil for thou canst commit none and yet there is nothing which thou canst not doe nor didst thou euer repent thy self of any worke of thine By thy goodnes we are made by thy iustice we are punished by thy mercy we are freed and thy omnipotency doth gouerne rule and replenish whatsoeuer it did create Neither yet do we say that thou fillest all thinges as if thou wert contained by them but rather they are contayned by thee neither yet dost thou fill them as by partes For we are in no case to thinke as if any thing did receaue thee after the rate of that greatnes more or lesse which it selfe may haue that is the greatest thinges a greater quantity and the lesse a lesser since rather thou art all in all thinges and all things in thee whose omnipotency concludeth all thinges Nor hath any thing any meanes of deliuering it selfe from thy power For whosoeuer he be that finds thee not being pleased will be sure to be found by thee being offended CHAP. III. Of the desire of a soule which thirsteth after God I Therfore inuoke thee O most mercifull God to come into my soule which thou preparest towards the receiuing of thee through that desire wherwith it was inspired by thee Enter into it I beseech thee and make it fit for thy selfe that as thou hast made it and restored it thou maist possesse it also and enable me to place thee as a seale vpon my hart I beseech thee O most holy God do not forsake me who am now inuoking thee since before I inuoked thee thou didst both call me and seeke me to the end that I thy seruant myght seeke thee and by seeking thee might finde thee and that once hauing found thee I might loue thee I haue sought thee and I haue found thee and I desire to loue thee O Lord Increase thou my desire and giue me that which I am desiring For if thou shouldst giue me all the things which thou hast made they will not all be sufficient for thy seruant vnlesse with all thou giue thy selfe Giue thy selfe therfore vnto me O my God restore thy selfe to me Behold I loue thee and if it be too little make me loue the more strongly Behold I am held fast by the loue of thee I am set on fire by the desire of thee and in the sweet memory of thee I am delighted Behold whilst my minde is sending vp sighes to thee and whilst it is meditating vpon thy vnspeakeable pitty the burthen of my flesh doth lesse oppresse me the tempest of my thoughts is laid the weight of my mortality and misery doth not dull my edge as it was wonte All things are in quiet all things are in peace my hart doth burne my mind doth ioy my memory is fresh my vnderstanding is bright and my whole spirit being kindled through a desire of thy vision doth find it selfe to be carried away at full speede by the loue of inuisible things O let this spirit of myne get the wings of an Eagle that it may fly and not faint That it may fly till it arriue to that delightfull beauty of thy house and to the throne of thy glory and that there it may be fed at the plentifull table of those heauenly Cittizens of thine vpon that hidden food in that place of pasture neere those ful riuers of running water Be thou our exultation who art our hope our health and our redemption Be thou our ioy who art to be our reward Let my soule euer seeke thee and grant that whilst it seekes thee it may neuer faint CHAP. IV. Of the misery of a soule which loues not God WOE be to that wretched soule which seekes not nor loues Christ for it remayneth all miserable and dry It is lost labour for him euen to liue who loues not thee O God He who cares to liue O Lord and not to do it for thy respect is nothing and doth serue for nothing He who refuseth to liue to thee is dead he who is not wise to thee hath lost his wits O thou most mercifull God I recommend my selfe I
might be thought fit to be made pertakers of so high a good and so great a glory Let therfore the deuills lye in wayte for vs let them prepare theyr temptations let fasting breake our bodyes let garments loade our flesh let labours weigh heauy vpon vs let watching drye vs let one man cry out vpon vs and let another man disquiet vs let cold contract vs let the conscience repine let heat burne vs let the head ake the breast be inflamed let the stomacke be swolne let the face growe pale and let the whole body be distempered let my yeares be spent in groaning yea let rottennes enter into my bones and multiply therin so that yet I may rest in that day of tribulation and may ascend to our elected people For how great wil that glory of iust persons be how great will be that ioy of the saints when euery one of their faces shal be resplendent like a Sunne When our Lord shall begin to muster vp his people by different ranks in the kingdome of his father shall assigne the promised rewards according to the workes and merit of euery one Celestiall rewards for workes which were performed heere on earth Great rewards for little workes eternall for such as were but temporall That indeed will be a whole huge heape of felicity when our Lord shall bring his Saints into the vision of his Fathers glory and shall place them vpon their seats in heauen that so he may be all in all CHAP. XVI How the kingdome of God may be obteyned O HAPPY sweetnes O delicious happines which it will be for vs to behold the Saints be with Saints and to be Saints to see God and to possesse him for all eternity and euen if it might be beyond eternity Let vs be continually thinking on these things let vs aspire to them with our whole desire that so we may speedily arriue to enioy them If thou aske how this may be done by what merits or by what helpes giue eare and I will tell thee This affaire is put into thine owne power for the kingdome of heauen suffereth violence The kingdome of heauen O man doth exact no price at thy hands but onely thy selfe So much is it worth as thou thy selfe art Giue thy selfe and thou shalt haue it Why art thou troubled about the price Christ our Lord did giue himself away that he might purchase thee to be a kingdome for his father and so do thou also giue thy selfe that thou maist become a kingdome for him that sinne may not raigne in thy mortall body but the Spirit in the renouation of life CHAP. XVII What a happy place Heauen is O My soule returne toward that heauenly Citty wherin we are written and enrold as Cittizens And as Cittizens amongst the Saints the houshold seruants of God and as the heires of God and coheires of Christ our Lord. Let vs consider that excellent felicity of this citty of ours to the very vttermost of what we are able Let vs therefore say with the Prophet O how glorious thinges are sayd of thee thou Citty of God the habitation which is made in thee is of them who are all full of ioy For thou art founded in the exultation of the whole earth No old age is in thee nor any misery which is wont to wayte vpon old age In thee there is no man lame of arme or legg nor crooked nor other wise deformed when once they meet together becoming perfect man in the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ What is more happy then such a life where there is no fear of pouerty nor no incommodity of sicknes where no man is offended no man is angry no man enuious no desire doth solicite vs there is no appetite of meate no man is importuned by thirsting after honour and power there is no feare of the Diuell or the craft of those infernall spirits all terrour of hell is farre off there is no death either of body or soule but a life which is made full of ioy by the guift of immortality In fine there is no kind of ill or discord but all thinges are full of agreement proportion for as much as the concord of all the Saints is intierely one all things are full of peace and ioy all things are quiet and serene An euerlasting splendor there is not like that of this Sunne of ours but another which is so much more bright at it is more blessed For that Citty as we read shall need neither Sūne nor Moone but our Lord omnipotent will illuminate it and the Lambe is the bright lampe therof Where the Saints shall shine like starres and they who instruct many others like the splendour of the firmament No night shal be therefore there no darknes no concourse of clowds no incommodity at all of heat or cold but such a temper of things there wil be as neither the eye hath seene nor the eare hath heard nor can it enter into the hart of any other mē but such as shal be thought worthy to enioy it Whose names are written in the booke of life But it exceedeth all these thinges to be associated to the Quires of Angells and Archangells to behold the Patriarkes and the Prophets to see the Apostles and all the Saints yea to see our owne parents friends These things indeed are glorious but yet still incomparably a more glorious thing it is to behold the present face of God to looke vpon that vnlimitted light of his A superexcellent glory it will be when we shall see God in himselfe we shall see we shall possesse him in our selues and of that sight there wil be no end CHAP. XVIII We cannot make any requitall to Almighty God but only by loue THE soule which is beautifyed by the Image and dignifyed by the ressemblance of God hath groūd inough within it selfe which is also imparted by the same God wherby she may be aduised to remain perpetually within him or at least to return towardes him if she chance to haue beene separated by her affection or rather by her defectes And not only hath she ground of solace in the hope which she may conceaue of pardon and mercy but yet further she may also presume to aspire euen to the marriage of the Word and to contract a league of friendship with God and togeather with that king of the Angells to be drawing in the same sweet yoake of loue Now all this is performed by the same loue if the soule do make it selfe like to God by her will as already she is like him by nature and if she loue him as she is beloued by him For only loue amongst all the motions passions feeling senses of the soule is the thing whereby a creature may answere the benefits of a Creatour and repay after a sort what it oweth though it be not in any equall manner Where loue entreth in it draweth captiueth all other
truth to all such as seeke him but especially to them that loue him A copious redēption is giuen to vs in the wounds of Iesus Christ our Sauiour A great multitude of sweetnes a fullnes of grace the perfection of vertues CHAP. XXII Of the remembrance of the woundes of Iesus Christ our Lord. WHEN I am sollicited by any impure thought I make my recourse vnto the woundes of Christ when my body oppresseth me I recouer strength by calling the wounds of my Lord to mind whē the Diuell is laying some ambush whereby to take me I flye vnto the boweles of my Lords mercy and so the Diuell departeth from me If the ardour of lust make any alteration in my body it is quenched by the memory of the wounds of our Lord the Sonne of God In all the aduersityes which I haue beene subiect to I neuer found so effectuall à remedy as in the wounds of Christ In them do I sleep secure in them do I repose voyd of feare Christ dyed for vs there is nothing so deadly bitter which may not be cured by the death of Christ All the hope I haue is in the death of my Lord. His death is my merit my refuge my sauing health my life and my resurrection My merit is his great mercy I shal neuer be voyd of merit as long as he who is the Lord of mercy shall not be wanting to me And since my merits goe after the rates of his mercyes looke how much more mighty he is towardes the sauing of me so much the more may I be secure CHAP. XXIII The remembrance of the woundes of Christ our Lord is our remedy in all aduersity I Haue committed a grieuous sinne nay I am guilty of many sinnes neither yet wil I despaire because where sinnes haue abounded there hath beene superaboundance of grace He who despaireth of the pardon of his sinnes denieth God to be mercifull He much wrongs God who distrustes in his mercy Such a one doth his best to deny that God hath Charity Verity and Piety wherin all my hope consisteth Namely in the Charity of his adoption in the Verity of his promise in the Piety of his redemption Let therfore my foolish thought be murmuring as much as it will whilest it is saying What a poore thing art thou and what a great glory is that and by what merits dost thou hope to obtaine it For I will confidently answere I know well who it is whome I haue trusted And because he hath adopted me for his sonne with excesse of Charity because he is true in his promises and powerfull in his performances because he may doe what he will I cannot be frighted by the multitude of my sinnes if withall I be able to call the death of my Lord to mind for those sinnes of mine cannot conquerre him Those nayles that launce doe cry out to tell me that in deed I am reconcyled to Christ if I resolue to loue him Longinus opened the side of Christ with his launce there doe I enter in and there I do safely rest He that feares let him loue for charity will put feare away There is not so potent and effectuall a remedy against the ardour of lust as the death of my redeemer He stretcheth forth his armes abroad vpon the Crosse he spreads his handes which are ready to imbrace vs sinners Between those armes of my Sauiour I resolue to liue I desire to dye There will I securely sing I will exalt thee O Lord because thou hast taken me vp hast not giuen myne enemyes their pleasure ouer me Our Sauiour bowed downe his head at his death that he might kisse his beloued so often do we giue à kisse to God as we haue compunction of our sinnes for the loue of him CHAP. XXIIII An exhortation of the soule to the loue of Christ our Lord. O Thou my soule which art dignified with the image of God redeemed by the bloud of Christ espowsed by faith endoweth with a spirit adorned with vertues rancked with Angells be sure thou loue him by whome thou art so much beloued Make him thy busines who hath made thee his Seeke him who seeketh thee loue thy louer by whome thou art beloued by whose loue thou art preuented and who is the cause of thyne He is thy merit thy reward thy fruit thy vse thy end Be thou carefull together with him who is so carefull of thee be attentiue to him who is attentiue to thee be pure with him who is pure be holy with him who is holy Such as thou dost appeare in the sight of God such art thou to expect that he will appeare to thee God who is so sweete so meeke and so full of mercy doth require that thou shouldst be sweet and meeke and gentle humble and full of mercy Loue him who hath drawne thee out of the lake of misery and the filth of durt Choose him for thy friend aboue all thy friends who when all they shall fayle thee will be euer sure to make good thy trust at the day of thy death When all thy friends are departing from thee he will not leaue thee but he will defend thee against those roaring lyons who are sharpe set vpon theyr prey And he will leade thee by a Country wherewith thou art not yet acquainted and he will bring thee to those streets of the celestiall Sion there he will place thee together with his Angels before the face of his owne Maiesty where thou shalt heere that Angellicall Musicke of Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Sabaoth There is the Canticle of ioy the voyce of exultation and saluatiō and thanksgiuing the voyce of prayse and that euerlasting Alleluya There is that high heape of happynes that supereminēt glory that superaboundant gladnes all good thinges put togeather O sigh thou ardently O my soule desire vehemently that thou mayst arriue at that heauenly citty whereof so glorious thinges are sayd where of all the inhabitants are so full of ioy By loue thou mayst ascend Nothing is impossible nothing is hard to one who loues The soule which loues ascendeth often and doth familiarity runne too fro through those streets of the Celestiall Hierusalem Sometimes visiting the Patriarkes the Prophets sometymes admiring those armyes of Martyrs and Confessors contemplating somtymes the Quires of Virgins The heauen and the earth withall which is therein doe neuer cease to let me know that I ought to loue my Lord my God CHAP. XXV That nothing can suffice the soule but the supreme Good THe hart of man which is not fixed in the desire of eternity can neuer be stable and firme but is more wauering then the wind and it passeth from one thing to another seeking reste where it cannot be foūd For in these fraile transitory thinges where the affection thereof is imprisoned it can neuer finde true repose Because our soule is of so great dignity that no