mercys beninge Secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum respice in me According to the multitude of thy commiserations haue respect to me Secuudum misericordiam tuam memento meitu propter bonitatem tuam According to thy mercy rentember thou me for thy goodnes o Lord. Begging all this for his name sake that ys most holy and ineffable Propter nomen tuum domine propitiaberis peccato meo multum est enim For thy name o Lord thou wilt be propitious to my sinne for yt ys much Adiuua nos Deus salutaris noster propter gloriam nominis tui libera nos propitius esto peccatis nostris propter nomen tuum c. Help vs o God our sauiour and for the glory of thy name o Lord deliuer vs aud be propitious to our sinnes for thy name sake c. Also by the most gratefull merits of his most beloued sonne Respice in faciem Christi tui Looke vppon the face of thy Christ. By the purity and sanctity of the most sacred Virgin by other things at the aspect whereof he thinketh God will be moued to graunt him that which he demaundeth The twentith ys of Petition simple indeed but feruent crauing of almighty God those fauours which he desireth for himself and others For example sometymes demaunding to be heard Exaudi orationem meam domine deprecationem meam auribus percipe Heare my prayer o Lord and receaue my petition with thy eares Sometymes to be assisted and holpen by allmighty God Illumina oculos meos ne vnquam obdormiam in morte Emitte lucem tuam veritatem tuam Illuminate myne eyes that I sleep not in death at any tyme send out thy light thy truth Sometyme that he will renew his hart and spirit Cor mundum crea in me Deus spiritum rectum innoua in visceribus meis Create a cleane hart in me o God and renew a right spirit in my bowells Sometymes that he will strenghten his steeps in the way of saluation Dirige in conspectu tuo viam meam Direct my way in thy sight Dirige me in veritate tua doce me Direct me in thy truth and teach me Legem pone mihi domine in via tua dirige me in semitam rectam Set me a law o Lord in thy way and direct me in thy right path Vias tuas domine demonstra mihi semitas tuas edore me Lord shew me thy wayes and teach me thy pathes Sometymes that God will teach him his diuine will and pleasure Doce me facere voluntatem tuam quia Deus meus es tu Teach me to doe thy will because thou art my God Domine quid me vis facere Lord what wilt thou haue me to doe Sometymes that God will keep and guard his toÌ„gue Pone domine custodiam ori meo ostium circumstantiae labiis meis Set o Lord a watch to my mouth a dore rouÌ„d about to my lips Sometymes that he will draw back our eyes from euill Auerte oculos meos ne videant vanitatem Turn away myne eyes that they see not vanity Sometymes that he will giue him vnderstanding to coÌ„ceaue the things that be good Da mihi intellectum vt sciam testimonia tua Giue me vnderstanding that I may know thy testimonyes Sometymes that he will setle confirme him in his good purposes Manda Deus virtuti tuae confirma hoc Deut quod operatusâ—es in me Commaund thy strenght o God coÌ„firme this o God which thou hast wrought in me And sometymes let him demaund other things according to his necessity and desyre c. The twentith one ys of Purpose proposing and resoluing firmely in the sight of the whole celestiall court that he will performe whatsoeuer he hath known or shall know to belong to the glory of God and that he will often praise his diuine goodnes and mercy Consitebor domino secundum justitâ—am eius psallam nomini domini alâ—issimi I will confesse to our Lord according to his justice and will sing to the name of our Lord most high Laudabo nomeÌ„ Dei cum cantico magnificabo eum in laude I will praise the name of God with canticle and I will magnisi him in praise that he will for euer obserue the commaundements of God Custodiam legem tuam semper in saeculum in saeculum saeculi I will keep thy law alwayes for euer euer Iuraui statui custodire judicia justitiaetua I sware and determined to keep the jugdmeÌ„ts of thy justice Also to doe some voluntary acts which are not commaunned Voluntarie sacrificabo tibi confitebor nomini tuo domine quoniam bonum est I will voluntarily sacrifice to thee and will confesse to thy name o Lord because yt ys good Also to persecute vices and to punish his own flesh Persequar inimicos meos comprehendam illos non conuertar donec deficiant I will pursue my enemyes and ouertake them and will not return vntill they fayl Also to offer my prayers in the morning In matutinis meditaber in te In the morning I will meditate on thee Mane astabo tibi quoniam non Deus volens iniquitatem tu es In the morning I will stand by thee and will see because thou art not a God that wilt iniquity Also to sound out and publish the commaundements of God Narrabo omnia mirabilia tua latabor exultabo in te I will tell all thy maruelous things I will be glad and reioyce in thee Confitebor domino nimis in ore meo in medio multorum laudabo in eum I will confesse to our Lord exceedingly with my mouth and in the middest of many I will praise him Narrabo nomen tuum fratribus meis in medio ecclesiae laudabo te I will declare thy name to my brethren in the midst of the church I will praise thee Also to hope in God and there vppon not to feare any thing whatsoeuer Si consistant aduersusme castra non timebit cor meum si exurgat aduersus me praelium in hoc ego sperabo Yf camps stand together against me my hart shall not feare yf battayll rise vp against me in this I will hope Also neuer to depart from the will of God which yt shall please him to make known vnto him Ipse Deus meus saluator meus adiutor meus noÌ„ emigrabo He ys my God and my sauiour my helper I shall not remoue And to perseuer firme and constant to make good the promises made vnto his diuine maiesty Reddam tibi vota mea quae distinxerunt labia mea I will render thee my vowes which my lips haue distinguished Vota mea domino reddam coram omni populo eius c. I will render my rowes to our Lord before all his people And so of other things in like manner appertayning to our spirituall profit c. The twentith two ys of Prosopopeia which ys sometymes to fayn
the Anchorits in comparison of which himself hath not hitherto done any thing worthy of his estate and the grace receaued from God The fifteenth ys of Menaces threatning himself some punishment on the behalf of God or as from himself for that he doth not performe his duty as he ought and will not as yet conuert himself so seriously as he ys bound Nisi conuersus fueris gladium suum vibrabit arcum suum retendit parauit illum Vnlesse thou wilt be coÌ„uerted he shall shake his sword he hath bent his bow and prepared yt c. Also threatning the vnderstanding because yt ys curious the will because yt affecteth to much terrene things the memory because yt doth not remember God so often as yt should Intellige haec qui obliuisceris Deum ne quando rapiat non sit qui eripiat Vnderstand these things thou that forgettest God least he take thee violently there be none to deliuer thee Also the phantasy because yt wandreth so like a vagaboÌ„d the eyes because they are not modest nor composed the tongue because yt ys talkatyue head long and deceitfull Dilexisti omnia verba praecipitationis lingua dolosa propteria Deus destruet te in fineÌ„ euellet te c. Thou hast loued all wordes of precipitation a deceiptfull tongue therefore will God destroy thee for euer he will pluck the out for euer c. Breefly to all the powers senses in like sort because they doe not imploy themselues in the seruice of God as yt were beseeching his diuine maiesty that he will chastice them The sixteenth ys of Narration recouÌ„ting vnto God the things performed by his sacred maiesty Annunciaui iustitiam tuam in ecclesia magna I haue declared thy iustice iu the great congregation Iustitiam tuam non abscondi in corde meo veritatem tuam salutare tuam dixi Thy justice I hane not hid in my hart thy truth and thy saluation I haue spoken Also shewing our constancy perseuerance in diuers probations Dedisti nos tanquam oues escarum Thou hast giuen vs as sheepe that are to be eaten Posuisti nos opprobrium vicinis nostris c. Thou hast made vs a reproach to our neighbours c. Haec omnia venerunt super nos nec obliti sumus te c. All these things haue come vppon vs neither haue we forgotten thee non recessit rotro cor nostrum c. And our hart hath not reuoulted back Also he may recount sometymes the things which almighty God hath performed toward himself Deus docuisti me a juuentuta mea vsque nunc pronunciabo mirabilia tua O God thou hast tought me from my youth and vntill now I will pronounce thy maruelous workes And that which he hath done to others who haue put theyr trust in his diuine help In te sperauerunt patres nostri sperauerunt liberasti eos Ad te clamauerunt salui facti sunt in te sperauerunt non sunt confusi In thee our fathers haue hoped they haue hoped and thou hast deliuered them They haue cryed to thee and were saued they haue hoped and thy truth from the great counsell Also that he doth not put his trust in his own forces or industry Non enim in arcu meo sperabo gladius meus non saluabit me For I will not hope in my bow and my sword will not saue me Or yf his conscience be cleare that he hath not committed any errour for which he should deserue that punishment Neque iniquitas mea neque peccatum meum domine sine iniquitate cucurri direxi Neither ys yt my iniquity nor my sâ—nneâ— Lord without iniquity I haue runne and gone directly Also not to haue any euil intention Non proponebam ante oculos meos rem initstam noÌ„ adhaesit mihi cor prauum c. I did not propose before my eyes any vniust thing a peruerse hart hath not cleaued to me Or els that he hath not beene chastised according to his deserts Non secundum peccata mea fecit mihi neque secundum iniquitates meas retribuit mihi He hath not done vnto me according to my sinnes nor hath rendred vnto me according to my iniquityes Also that he doth not deserue eyther honour or glory in any sort Non mihi domine non mihi sed nomini tuo da gloriam Not to me o Lord not to me but to thy name giue the glory also that he hath not lifted vp his hart with pride nor to haue beene puffed vp with any vanity Domine non est exalcatum cor meum neque elati sunt â—culi mei neque ambulaui in magnis neque in mirabilibus super me Lord my hartys not exalted neither are my eyes lofty nor haue I walked in great thinges nor in marueils aboue my self Also not to haue done his duty as others doe think of him c. The eighteenth ys of Offering offering himself wholy to God for a seruant O domine quia ego seruus tuus ego seruus tuus filius ancillae tuae O Lord because I am thy seruant I am thy seruant and the sonne of thy handmayd Suscipe seruum tuum in bonum Receaue thy seruant vnto good Suscipe me secundum eloquium tuum non consundas me ab expectatatione mea Receaue me according to thy word and confound me not of my expectation And euen for a horse or beast of carriage which will all wayes be ready to the seruice of his diuine maiesty Vt jumentum factus sum apud te ego semper tecum As a beast I am become with thee and I alwayes with thee Offering vp all that he hath the vnderstaÌ„ding the will the memory the hart the tongue the operations c shewing himself to be ready to execute so much as he hath perceiued of Gods will eyther in that meditation or out of yt offering himself prepared to imitate Iesus as much as he can possibly and to suffer whatsoeuer for the loue of his diuine maiesty Quoniam in flagella paratas sum Because I am ready for scourges Domine tecum paratus sum in carccrem in mortem ire Lord I am ready to goe with thee into prison yea to death Also to seeke all meanes to please almighty God and to obserue his holy precepts Paratus sum non sum turbatus vt custodiam mandata â—ua I am prepared and am not troubled to keep thy commaundements The nineteenth ys of Obsecration begging instantly at the hands of God that he will graunt him those affects and those graces which he desireth eyther for his owne good or for the good of others this for his infinit loue and mercyes sake Conuertere domine eripe animam meam saluum me sac propter misericordiam tuam Turne theeâ— Lord and deliuer my soul saue me for thy mercyes sake Exaudi me domine quoniam benigna est misericordia tua Heare me o Lord because thy
make himself more prompt and ready tâ— this most holy exercise let him the euening before read twice or thrice with attention that writing or booke which yealds him matter for meditation theÌ„ let him deuide the history or generall matter in to 3. or 4. â—oynts or considerations more or lesse according to the number of the chiefe heads to which we may reduce the prin â—pall parts of the mistery yf so â—t were not before diuided in his booke or writting then let him propose the end as pre 〈…〉 ntly shal be declared propor 〈…〉 nable to the matter prepa 〈…〉 d to the which he ought to â—ake reflexion when he shall â—editate And this end may be like in all the misteries of one 〈…〉 rt as for example to all such â— appertaine to the life or passion of Christ or yt may be particuler to euery mistery by y self or yet more particulerly to euery point therof and so consequently yt may be one only o â— more according to the matteâ— proposed For example the ordinary end or intention of a 〈…〉 the misteries of the life oâ— Christ shal be the desire to penetrat and throughly to vnderstand what he doth in th 〈…〉 mistery for our good and benefit to loue him more feruent 〈…〉 then before to imitate him more carefully then in tymâ— past The particuler end of thâ— mistery of the incarnation shaâ— be to know the great loue anâ— humility of God the desyre â— loue him againe in the best m 〈…〉 ner we canpossibly and to foâ—low his example in giuing o 〈…〉 selues wholy vnto him and â—uÌ„bling our selues to all other for his loue The speciall end of one point alone shal be to coÌ„sider troughly how almighty God doth presently put in practice his reâ—olutions for our good and on â—ur part what desire we should haue to follow him in performing the good purposes made 〈…〉 his glory and to the honour of his diuine majesty After this â—e must determine which must â—e his preludiums or preamâ—les least he be forced to loose 〈…〉 me in seeking of them when â—e should be at his meditation and lastly let him consider what sort of persons what â—ordes what works are com 〈…〉 ehended in each point all â—is without discourse or at the most passing them ouer lightly so to open the way for the tyme of meditation Let him know moreouer that he must not only find out in euery point the persons wordes and work which are there expressed buâ— those also which the ordinary circuÌ„stances of the matter doâ— admitt especially the person wordes and works of God oâ— the Angels and deuils which may be brought in almost in euery meditatioÌ„ with no sma 〈…〉 fruit and spirituall profit or e 〈…〉 taking the history as it is related by the authour from whoâ— we haue yt withall notinâ— breefely those persons wordâ— and works only which are expresly inserted in the history This done when he shal be iâ—bed before he falls on sleepe for the space of an Aue Mary or litle more let him think on the hower he ys to rise and call to mind breefly the points prepared which likewise he ys to doe in the night as oft as he shall awake Immediate preparations IN the morning when he shall awake immediatly expelling â—ll other thoughts let him â—reefly yet hartely giue God â—ue thanks for his benefits and purpose earnestly to esthew all â—mperfections but especially â—hat which he then seekes with â—iligence to amend by meanes â—f his particuler examine After â—his let him tast a litle of his meâ—itation and stir vp in himself â—ometymes sorow shame and confusion at other tymes a desire to know with some clearenes the mistery of the sonne of God incarnate there by to follow him more perfectly and loue him more feruently sometymes sense of sorrow compassion with Christ who suffred so bitter paynes for him sometymes againe joy comfort to congratulate the same our Lords glory and felicity a other tymes other affections coÌ„forme to the matter of each meditation Which to perform more easely he shal help him self much by oft reuoluing in his mind some similitude agreable vnto that mistery or to saâ— with great affection a verse oâ— some Psalme or other sentence of holy scripture or fathers which may serue fitly for th 〈…〉 his purpose But when he ys to meditate oftentymes in one day at least a quarter of an howre before meditation let him read well the points and commit them to memory and consider well whither he ys to goe and before whom to appeare or at least let him doe some-thing equiualent to that which he did before his morning prayer WHAT YS TO BEDONE IN THE TYME OF MEDITATION CHAP. II. The manner of presenting our selues in the presence of Almighty God WHEN the tyme of meditation ys come he may ys no better cenceit occurr imagine himself to be inuited by his good angell or some other saynt to whom he ys deuoted to appeare before the presence of God Therfore taking holy water and hauing made the signe of the crosse with intention to expell from him the diuell who at that tyme doth cheefly labour to trouble one when a man doth most endeuour to stand vnited with God let him goe preseÌ„tly with a kynd of spirituall egernesse feruour to the place where he meaneth to make his meditation which feruour by how much yt ys greater so much the greater shal be the fruit which his meditation shall produce so much the more recollected deuout he shal be in the course of his meditation 2 Standing in this manner a step or two distant from the place a Pr. Ave. while or litle more let him eleuate his mynd to God thinking him to be there present as one who heedfully behouldeth what he ys to doe which he may doe either imagining himself to be conducted by his giud in to heauen before the high throne of Gods diuine majesty or persuading himself that our most benigne Lord doth shew him in that very place his most amiable countenaÌ„ce most worthy of al respect veneration Fiue wayes how to frame the presence of God THE presence of God may be framed either by the vnderstanding or imagination Yf by the onderstanding yt ys done by acts of faith after two manners First conceiuing that God doth so compasse him about as the water the fishes in yt conteyned Secondly beleeuing God to be within him or in some other thing before his eyes as in deeâ— he ys in all his creatures by hiâ— essence presence and power seing perfectly what any creature doth administring needfull help to performe the same And one of these two wayes iâ— ys good that he doe vse who yâ— eyther weake of imagination or ys in danger to haue wrong apprehensions in doubts or errours in matters of faith and obserue that yt will further devotion to speak these or the like words with the hart and they should be
spoken hartely God is here before me God standeth behoulding what I am to doe God is here present to giue me as gratious audience as if he had nothing els to attend vnto Yf the imagination doe frame this presence of God yt ys to be done by way of apprehension that in diuers manners First by imagining Gods presence in that manner as the paynters vse to paint the blessed Trinity Secondly apprehending a great globe of inaccessable light which may cause in him a certayn pious horrour according to that of S. Iohn God is light in him there is no darknes at all Thirdly representing God vnto himself in that manner as he ys described by the Prophet meditate fruitfully must marwell that yt greatly helpeth attention to conceaue the presence of God in the most liuelâ— manner he can and to procur with the psalmist that his medâ—tation be still fixed as much a humane frailty will suffer in vision or contemplation of hiâ— diuine majesty vsing to th 〈…〉 purpose some especiall diligence vntill such tyme as the good habit thereof procure facillity Yet must not God be alwaye conceiued with the self samâ— forme but according to the variety of the meditations sometymes with a benigne pleasant other tymes with a seuerâ— and terrible countenance noâ— with a gentle and mild then with a hard and stern look that he may talk with Gods divine majesty in such sort as the matter requireth which he ys to meditate and according to the different apprehensions of his diuine presence Actes to be produced after this of the presence of God AFTER that he hath conceiued the majesty of God present in one of the manners afore said he may reflect on his owne basenes and indignity stirr vp in himself a pious reuerent feare reciting to that purpose some senteÌ„ce of holy scripture as Loquar ad Dominum Deum meum cum sim puluis cinis I will speak vnto my Lord though I be dustad ashes or the like TheÌ„ let him setle himself to doe reuerence to God vvith an humble externall gesture together vvith an externall act of adoration and vvith Manasses bovving the knees of his hart before his Lord let him kneele dovvne hereby acknovvledging the presence of the most high and diuine Trinity vvith these or the like vvords Blessed be the holy and vndeuided Trinity c. Or els Glory be to the Father and to the Sonne and to the holy Ghost c. Or els Holy Holy Holy Lord God omnipotent who was ys and euer shal be or Benediction clarity wisedoms and thank giuing honour vertue and power to our God world without end Amen Being on his knees for that the just is the first in accusing himself let him professe himself vvith much invvard remorse to be a sinner let him demaund pardoÌ„ for his defects saying the first foure verses of the Psalme Miserere yf no other more fit occur and at the midst of the fift verse let him add these vvords Confige timore tuo carnes meas à judiciis enim tuis timui Pearse my flesh vvith thy feare for I am afraid of thy judgmeÌ„ts And let yt not seeme from the purpose to stirr vp in himself this reuerentiall child-like feare and the sorrow for his synnes which ys before described not with standing that he framed the presence of God after a pleasant and gratious maÌ„ner for euen the Seraphins although they haue God alwayes most fauourable vnto them yet were they seene for our example to couer theyr faces with theyr wings in the presence of God And besides we for our part ought alwayes to retayn feare and sorrow for the many imperfections wherewith we are replenished And yet for all this we must not forbeare on the contrary side to raise our mind with coÌ„fidence towards God euen at the tyme when we frame him present in a seuere and dreadfull manner remembring as the Prophet saith Non in perpetuum irascetur he wil not perpetually be angry And persuading our selues that God being now present to heare our prayers we may conceue ground hereby to moue vs to confidence But heare we must note that all this ys to be done very briefly that yt may not take away the tyme alotted for meditation therefore yt must be done only in such manner as ys necessary for our better dispositiò to treat with the majesty of God before whom yt ys not fit we appeare rashly or vnprepared Preparatory Prayer AFTER recouering a litle boldnes as one who hath obtayned pardoÌ„ for his synnes let him take hart to lift vp his countenaunce towards the most high majesty of God and acknowledging the obligation he hath to imploy himself wholy in the seruice of God his maker let him with great feeling and deuotion make his preparatory prayer desiring grace of our Lord That all his forces and actions may be incearely directed to the honnour and glory of his divine majesty and this preparatory prayer as yt should be alwayes the same in words so yt should euer be done with the greatest affect that may be The first Preamble HE shall make his first preamble reducing briefly to mynd the history of the mistery proposed and that as though he should recount yâ— only to some other withouâ— making any discourse at all foâ— beginning to dispose his soul to the matter more immediately the better to rest yt self afterward in euery part thereof by pondering yt well and penetrating yt thoroughly in the tyme of his meditation The second Preamble LET him make the second preamble imagining himself to see those places in which all or part of the mystery was wrought but he must endeuour to represent them so liuely as though really he had them these present And here let him mark that â—e ys to frame so many seuerall â—laces for his meditation as were the places in which any art of the mistery did happon which he ys to meditate although yt should be needfull to â—ame 2. or 3. or more in one only myditation As for example in the most â—oly mistery of the incarnation â—e ys to frame the place of heaveÌ„ where as in a kingly palace that highest consistory of thâ— most blessed Trinity was celebrated also the distance betweene heauen and earth bâ— which the Archangel Gabrieâ— did passe likewise the superfices of the whole earth in which diuers sorts of men did dwelâ— diversly busied then also the house of Nazareth in which the B. Virgin remayned and in which the mistery was accomplished Let him also note that whâ— he hath framed a place in aâ— fashion concerning some mâ—stery with happy successe neede not at any tyme chanâ— that imaginary place or compositioÌ„ so well made althou 〈…〉 he should vse to meditate to same mistery oftentymes vâ— lesse perhaps yt shal be to add some circumstance therein to perfit yt the more Two wayes of making the second Preamble THE way of framing such places shal be either imagining that
as though almighty God did lament himself and complayn of vs. Populus quem non cognoui seruiuit mihi in auditu auris obediuit mihi Tu vâ—ro â—epulisti despexistâ— distulisti Christum tuum c. A people which I knew not hath serued me in the hearing of the eare yt hath obeyed me But thou hast repelled and despised thou hast differeed thy Christ Quomodo facta est meretrix ciuitas fidelis plena judâ—cii How ys the faytfull city full of jugdment become an harlot Quomodo obscuratum est aurum mutatus est color optimus How ys the gold obscured the best coulour ys changed Sometymes that he doth vpbraid thee of thy euill customes thy litle correspoÌ„dence to his loue shewed Quare tu enarras justitias meas assumis testamentum meum per os tuum Tu vero odisti disciplinam projecisti sermones meos retrorsum VVhy doest thou declare my iustices and takest my testament by thy mouth But thou hast hated disciplyne and cast my words behind thee Quid est quod vltra debui sacere vineae meae non feci An quod expectaui vt faceret vuas fecit labruscas VVhat ys there that I ought to doe more to my vineard and haue not done to yt whether that I looked yt should yeald grapes and yt hath yeelded wild grapes Sometymes that God doth repreheÌ„d him for following vanityes Fili hominis vt quid diligis vanitatem quieris mendacium O sonne of man why doest thou loue vanity and sollow a lye Sometyme that he doth exhort thee to praise his holy name Immola Deo sacrificium laudis redde altissimo votatua Immolate to God the sacrifice of praise and pay thy vowes to the highest Sometyme that he doth promise thee his diuine help Inuoca me in die tribulationis eruam te honorificabis me Invocat me in the day of tribulation I will deliuer thee and thou thalt honour me c. Sometymes that the diuell doth reioyce that he ys more followed obeyed then God himself and that he can handle the matter so cunningly that he can induce men to synne and some others to wax cold in deuotion c. Sometymes fayning that the vertues themselues yf they could speak would lameÌ„t that they are not prised and esteemed according to theyr merits The twentith three ys of Quarell or Complaynt taking a certayn kynd of boldnes but yet with due reuerence humility to complayn of almighty God for that he permitteth his troubles and temptations vt glutiam saliuam meam How long doest thou not spare me nor permit me to sir allow mâ— spiâ—le And for that yt seemeth God ys becoÌ„e cruell vnto him Clamo ad te non exaudis me sto non respicis me I cry out vnto thee and thou hearest me not I stand and thou doest not respect me Mutatus es mihi in crudelem in duritia manus tuae aduersaris mihi Thou art changed to be cruell towards me in the hardnes of thy hand thou art against me Also for that he doth not deliuer him froÌ„ his synnes Cur non tollis peccatum meum quare non aufers iniquitatem meam VVhy doest thou not take away my sinne and why doest thou not take away my iniquity At other tymes he may lament and complayn of himself for that he doth not stand stedfast in his purposes in resisting tentations in flying occasions of offeÌ„ding God Sometymes also let him complayn of his own flesh for that yt doth often moue him to euill sometymes of the diuill that he ys to importune with his wicked suggestions Sometymes also of men for that they cease not to sollicite him to euill The foure and twentith ys of Rendering thankes yealding thankes to his diuine maiesty for so many benefits bestowed and so many promises made so fauourable audience graÌ„ted for the lights and affects communicated in the tyme of prayer c. stirring vp his soul to blesse prayse almighty God for the pardon obteyned of his synns and the grace receaued Benedic anima mea domino noli obliuisci omnes retributiones ejus Qui somno tuo How long wilt thou sleepâ— sluggard when wilt thou rise out of thy sleepe As one that ys proud Quid â—e eleuat cor tuum Quid tumet coutra Deum spiritus tuus c. VVhy doth thy hart eleuat thee VVhy doth thy spirit swell against God The six and twentith ys of Solliciation solliciting almighty God and instantly beseeching him that he will come spedely to helpe vs. Inclina ad me aurem tuam accelâ—ra vt eruas me Incline thine eare to me make hast to deliuer me Adjutor meus protector meus es tu Deus meus ne tardaueris Thou art my helper and my protectour my God be not slack Exurge quare obdormis domine exurge ne repellas in sinem Arise why sleepest thou o Lord arise and repell vs not to the end Eripe me de inimicis meis Deus meus ab insurgentibus in me libera me Deliuer me from my enemyes o God from them that rise vp against me defend me Eripe me de operantibus iniquitatem de viris sanguinum salua me Deliuer me from them that work iniquity and from bloudy men saue me Sometymes solliciting the blessed Virgin that shee will obtayn grace for vs at the hands of God c. Also the saints that they will releiue our necessityes and that they will assist vs in giuing glory to God Asserte domino gloriam honorem asserte gloriam nomini ejus Bring to our Lord glory and honour bring to our Lord glory to his name Sometymes solliciting his own soul to be diligent about performing the good he hath determined to doe and to eschew with speed all occasions of euill and of his imperfections men And to think vertues much more amiable and deseruing our best loue although yt be hard then vice although yt be neuer so easy c. The eight and twentith ys of Taxing taxing himself with some certayn payn yf he doe not his duty yf he performe not his purposes yf he be not mynfull of God of heauen Si obl 〈…〉 ut fuero tui obliuioni detur dextera meâ— adhaereat lingua mea faucibus meis si non meminero tui si not propositoro Ierusalem in principio laetitiae meae Yf I shall forget thee let my right hand be forgotten let my tougnâ— cleaue to my iures yf I doe not remember thee yf I shall not set Ierusalem in the beginning of my joy In like manner taxing himself with some payn annexed to a tyme as for example Yf to day or within two dayes I doe not this or that thing Yf I doe not ouercome this or that passion Yf I doe not fulfill this or that purpose I will submit my self to this or that punishment Taxing or stinting himself also to a certayu measure of attending to prayer to the
extirpatioÌ„ of vices to the exercise of vertue determining with himself such or such pennance yf he doe not performe such good workes in such or such manner c. The nine and twentith ys of that which in latine ys called Viâ—uperium that ys to say Rebuke or disprais dispraising his owne blindnes in spirituall matters his to much carnall prudence in worldly busines his slouth in executing any good purpose his malice in abusing the mercy and grace of God c. His litle should glory in theyr euill Vsquequo peccatores domine vsquequo peccatores gloriabuntur How long shall the sinners o Lord how long shall the sinners glory Also as being offended with himself disdayning that his soul and powers shall rebell against God Nonne Dâ—o subjecta erit anima mea Shall not my soul be subject to God Desyring that all the traynes and deceits of his spirituall enemyes may be dissolued come to nothing Decidant a cogitationibus suis secundum multitudinem impietatum eorum expelle eos Let them fayl of theyr cogitations according to the multitude of theyr impietyes expell them Also that malediction and all other vices may be banished out of the world Disperdat dominus labia dolosa linguam maguiloquam Our Lord destroy all decei full lips the tongue that speaketh great things Also that the enemyes of God may be rooted out Exurgat Deus dissipentur inimici ejus Let God arise and let his enemyes be dispersed Also that the euills may fall vppon his enemyes that they haue sought to lay vppon him yf yt be to Gods honour Veniat illi laqueus quem ignorat captio quam abscondit apprehendat eum in laqueum cadat in ipsum Let the snare which he knoweth not come on him the net which he hath hidden catch him and let him fall into the very same snare Also that there may be no more memory leaft of vices of imperfections nor of wicked men Dispereat de terra memorta eorum c. Let the memory of them perish out of the earth c. Other manner of amplifications may be vsed for like ends to these as for example of Accusation of Inuocation of Protestation of Representation of our occasions of Resignation of Defiannce to the world the diuell and the flesh which kynd of manners were vsed sometymes as occasion serued by S. Augustine in his meditations soliloquiums and S. Bernard also in his meditations others But because there ys none so hard harted or insensible who hauing vsed one or more of these manners here set down will not be moued yt shal be needlesse to enlarg our selues any further in this matter I am not ignorant that the greater part of these places and sentences of holy scripture alleadged for exaples of the maÌ„ners aboue said may also serue for jaculatory prayers to renew one self often in the day as we are counsayled by the masters of spirituall life according as one would moue himself to this or that affect in what manner he liketh best this with no small profit also towards the help of our best vse of meditation The practicall vse of the foresaid manners of Dilating BVr notwithstanding all that hath beene said I will not omit to set downe for euery one of these manners a practicall example ouer and aboue the aforesaid which are taken out of holy scripture to the end that the person in his meditation may according to these vse to amplify his affects and know how to coÌ„nect one manner with an other that thereby he may the more easely entertayn himself in the exercise of his will as ys conuenient Therefore to continue in the matter which we made choise of before of the most holy Incarnation after he hath represented vnto his will the aforesaid motiues to raise in yt the desyre of lifting vp the eyes of his mynd often to God in imitating of his diuine maiesty who from heauen did looke down vppon men he may theÌ„ endeauour to awake in himself this affect or yf yt be already raised he may continue and amplyfy yt in the manners which follow First by the way of Admiration And yet art thou stell obdurate o my hart not a hart of flesh but rather as hard as the hardest stoe And yet art thou not moued neither in that God without hauing need of thee doth looke vppon thee continually to make thee remember thyne owne necessityes nor for that yt ys one of the least things thou canst doe to behold and consider often the goodnes and charity of God nor for that thou art to reape thereby so much profit so much honour and so much pleasure Nor for that by so doing thou shalt giue so much contentment to his diuiue maiesty and to the Angells and saints in heauen and shall cause so much discontentment to Sathan thy capitall enemy nor finally because in doing this thou shalt become the true disciple of IESVS CHRIST which yet thou hast so often tymes desâ—red And how ys yt possible that I haue remayned euen till this tyme so remisse and carelesse in this act of duty Nay rather houâ— ys yt possible that at this instant I yet remayn so litle resolued that I cannot moue my self effectually to performe my duty therein Quamdiu ponam consilia in anima mea How long shall I put counsells in my soul How long tyme will I yet take to deliberate May yt not be sufficient to make me to resolue that I see any litle signe of Gods will and pleasure in this matter O my God I see well I am not only not moued at a beck as I should be no neyther commaundement nor example doth suffice me And what shall I say Maruell at me o thâ—u earth for that thou seest so much hardnes and obduration I should say malice of the hart of man God doth behould me without regard to his own interest and without any merit on my part and I doe not lift vp my eyes to him although yt would be an vnspeakeable benefit to my soul and of his part ys infinitely deserued But I stand deliberating and debating the matter whether I should doe yt or no. Maruell at me o ye heauens for that he that ys authour of your motions doth in dyne himself to behoâ—ld the durt and man that ys but durt doth not vouchsafe to lift vp his eyes and to raise himself that he may behould his diuine maiesty but standeth prolonging the tyme and disserreth to doe yt vnder pretence of searching out whether he be able to contriue yt that he may not seeme vnconstant Maruell at me o ve Angells for that you find more resistaÌ„ce to moue a hart of earth then you doe in turning about the celestiall sphears Maruell at me o my Lord and God for that at the least signe of loue which a poore vnworthy creature doth shew me I cannot forbeare to see them to mercie Deus meus misericordia mea quid retribuam