and delightes drawe me to thee with a greedy hart The more I consider thee the more doe I languish with thy loue and with a vehement desire of thee and I am extreamely delighted with the sweete remembrance of thee I am therfore resolued I am resolued to cast vp myne eyes to thee to erect the state of my minde and to conforme the affections of my will to thee I am resolued to talke of thee to heare speake of thee to write of thee to conferr with others of thee daily to read somewhat of thy felicity glory when I shall haue redd it to reuolue it very often in my hart that at least by this meanes I may passe on from the burninge heats and dangers toyling labours of this mortall dying life to the sweete refreshing of that vitall aire of thyne and that I may proceede at last when I shall lay my selfe downe to sleepe to repose my head a little in that bosome of thyne To this end I enter now and then into those sweete feilds of thy holy Scriptures and whilest I am turninge ouer those leaues I gather the fresh flowers of sentences from thence By reading them I eate by frequenting them I ruminate and by gathering them vp at last I lodge them in the deepe receptacle of my memory that by this meanes haueing taken a taste of thy sweetnes I may feele the biteernes of this most miserable life so much the lesse O thou most happy life O Kingdome which art truely blessed free from death and farr from haueing an end to which noe tymes shall euer succeede where that day which is still continued without night admitts of noe Tyme where the conquering souldiers being associated to those chantinge quires of Angells sing that Canticle of the Canticles of Syon to Almighty God without ceasinge the garland of triumph imbraceinge their glorious heads that for euer I would to Christe that my sinns beinge once forgiuen me and then this burden beinge layd downe I might be assigned to eternall rest might enter into thy ioyes within those excellent and beautifull walls of thy Citty receiuinge the crowne of glory from the hand of my Lord. That I might be present with those most holy Quires of Angells That together with those blessed Spiritts I might concurre to glorify our Creator that I might veiwe the present face of Christe our Lord that I might for euer behold that supreame vnspeakable vncircumscribed light and that so not being subiect to any feare of death I might for euer reioyce in the euerlastinge endowment of incorruption CHAP. XXIII Of the felicity of that holy soule which departeth hence HAppy is that soule which beinge discharged from this body of earth goes freely vp to heauen and is in peace safetie not fearing either any enemy or death it selfe For it will then haue present and shall for euer behold that most beautifull Lord whom it hath serued and whom it hath loued and to whom at length it arriueth all full of glory and ioy This glory of so great beatitude noe tyme shall diminish nor wicked enemy be able to bereeue vs of The Daughter of Syon saw this soule and did publish it to be most happy The queenes and the concubines sawe it sayinge Who is this which goeth forward like a riseinge morninge faire like the Moone bright like the Sunn and terrible like a pitched feild of armed men How ioyfully doth she goe forth make haste and runn when with astonished eares she hears her spouse say thus Rise vp and make haste O thou my freind and my beautifull creature and come with me for now the Winter is ouer-past the Storme is gone and hath hidd it selfe the flowers haue appeared in our Land the tyme of pruninge is now come the voice of the turtle hath beene heard in our land The figg tree hath brought forth her younge fruite the vines are in flower and send forth theire odour Rise vp maKe haste O thou my freind my faire Creature my doue in the holes of the RocKe in the lowes places of the wall Shew me that face of thyne let thy voice sound forth in my ears for thy uoice is sweete and thy face is full of comlinesse and grace Come my elected and my beautifull Creature my doue my immaculate my Spouse Come and I will place my throne in thee because I haue had a greedy desire of thy beauty Come that thou maist reioyce in my presence with my Angells whose society I haue promissed thee Come after many dangers and labours and enter into the ioy of thy Lord which none shal be able to take from thee CHAP. XXIV A prayer to the sanites to secure vs in our dangers HAppy are all you O Saynts of God who now haue passed through the sea of this mortality and haue obteyned to arriue at the gate of eternall quietnesse security peace your selues beinge peacefull and secure and perpetually full of triumph and ioy I beseeche you by your owne Charity you who are secure concerninge your selues be yet solicitous concerning vs. You are secure concerninge your owne incorruptible glory be you solicitous of our manifold misery By him I beseech you who chused you who made you what you are in the fruition of whose beauty you are satiated by whose immortality you are now immortalized by whose most blessed vision yow are continually in ioy be you also continually mindfull of vs. Helpe vs miserable creatures who in the salt waters of this life are tossed with stormes rounde about vs. You are those most beautifull gates who haue beene erected to a huge altitude O giue some helpe to vs who are noe better then a base pauement lying so farr vnderneath you Stretch forth your hand raise vs vp vpon our feete that we recouering out of our infirmity may become strong and fitt for warr Interceede pray with constancy and perseuerance for vs miserable and most negligent sinners that by your Prayers we maybe ioyned to your holy society for otherwise we shall not be saued For we are extreamely frayle and of no strength or vertue miserable base wretches beasts who care but for the belly the slaues of flesh blood in whome the very shadow of goodnes doth scarce appeare And yet not withstandinge beinge placed vnder the confession of Christe our Lord we are borne vp by the wood of his Crosse whilest we saile through this great and spatious sea where there are creepinge creatures without number where there are wilde beasts great and small where there is á most cruell dragon euer ready to deuour vs where there are places full of dangers as Scylla and Charybdis and innumerable others where carelesse persons and they who are of a waueringe faith suffer shipwracke Pray you to our Lord pray O you who are full of pitty pray all you troopes of Saintes and all you compagnies of blessed Spiritts that beinge assisted by your Prayers and meritts we may with our shipp
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
lipps But my harte hath quaked and sayd Woe be vnto me who am a man of polluted lipps because I haue not held my peace but sayd that I knewe thee And yet O Lord woe be to them who are silent concerning thee For the greatest talkers may be accounted but dumbe if they doe not speake of thee And as for me O Lord my God I will not be silent concerning thee because thou hast made mee and I haue therefore knowne thee because thou hast illuminated me But yet how haue I knowen thee I haue knowen thee in thy selfe Yet I haue no knowen thee in thy selfe as thou art to thy selfe but I haue knowen thee as thou art to mee But yet howsoeuer it is not without thee but in thee because thou art the light which hast illuminated mee For as thou art to thy selfe thou art onely knowen to thy selfe but as thou art to mee by thy mercy and grace thou art knowen to mee But what art thou vnto mee Tel me O mercifull Lord who am thy miserable seruant tell me by thy mercy what thou art to mee Say to my soule I am thy saluation Doe not hide thy face from mee lest if thou doe I dye Suffer me to speake me who am dust and ashes suffer me to speake to thy mercy For thy mercy towards mee is greate and I will presume to speake to thee though I be but dust and ashes Tell mee who am thy supplyant say O mercifull Lord to thy miserable creature say by thy mercyes what thou art to mee And thou hast thundered downe with a mighty voyce vpon the inward eare of my hart and thou hast broken through my deafenes and I haue heard thy voyce And thou hast illuminated my blindenes and I haue seene thy light and haue knowen that thou art my God It is therefore that I sayd that I haue knowen thee For I haue knowen that thou art my God I haue knowen that thou art the onely true God and Iesus Christ whome thou hast sent For thrre wat a time when I knewe thee not bu woe be to that time when I knew not tgee Woe be to that blindenes when I sawe not thee Woe be to that deafnes when a heard not thee For being blinde deafe I did rush with great deformity vpon those things which yet thou had dest made fayre and thou wert still with mee but I was not with thee And those things kept mee farre from being with thee which yet if they had not bene in thee could haue had noe beeing at all Thou diddest illuminat mee O thou light of the world and I saw thee and I loued thee And indeede noe man loueth thee but he who sees thee and noe man sees thee but he who loues thee Too late am I come to loue thee O thou beauty which art so auntient and yet so new Too late am I come to loue thee and woe be to that time when I loued thee not CHAP. XXXII A Confession of true faith I Giue thankes O thou who art my light because thou hast illuminated mee and I haue knowen thee How haue I knowen thee I haue knowen thee to be the onely liueing God and my true creatour I haue knowen thee to bee the Creator of heauen earth of all things visible and inuisible to be the true Omnipotent God immortall inuisible vncircumscribed vnlimited eternall inaccessible incomprehensible inscrutable vnchangeable immense infinite the first beginning of all both visible inuisible creatures by whome all things are made and by whome all the Elements subsist Whose Maiestie as it neuer had any beginning soe neither shall it end for all eternity I haue knowen thee to be one onely true God the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost three Persons indeede but one essence and the same wholly simple and vndiuided nature And that the Father is of none that the Sonne is onely of the Father and that the Holy Ghost is iointly of them both euer without beginning and for euer to be without ending to be Trine and onely One and that the true Omnipotent God That thou art that one beginning of all things and the Creatour of all things both visible and inuisible spirituall and temporall who by thy Omnipotent vertue diddest in the beginning of Tyme create both the spirituall and corporall creature that is to say the Angells in heauen and the fabricke of the world and then thou madest man as being compounded both of body and soule I haue knowen thee and I doe confesse thee O God the Father to be vnbegotten and thee O God the Sonne to be begotten of the Father and thee O holy Ghost the Paraclete to be neither begotten nor vnbegotten And I beleiue with my harte to Iustice and I confesse with my mouth to saluatiō the holy and indiuiduall Trinity in three persons coequall consubstantiall and coeternall Trinity in Vnity and Vnity in Trinity I haue knowen thee the true God and our Lord Iesus Christ to be the onely begotten Sonne of God the Creatour the Sauiour and the Redeemer of mee and all mankinde whome I confesse to haue bene begotten of the Father before all ages God of God light of light true God of true God not made but begotten consubstantiall coeternall with the Father and the Holy Ghost by whome all things were made from the beginning And I beleiue firmely and confesse truely that thou O Iesus Christ the onely begotten God wert incarnate ioyntly by the holy Trinity for the saluation of man and that thou wert conceiued through the cooperation of the Holy Ghost by the perpetuall Vithin Mary and that thou wert made true man consisting of a reasonable soule and humane flesh Who being the onely begotten of God and consequently both impassible and immortall yea for the great loue wherewith thou louest vs thou being still the same sonne of God wert yet according to thy humanity made both passible mortall who being the onely sonne of God diddest voutchafe to suffer Passion and death vpon the tree of the crosse for the saluation of mankinde to the end that thou mightest deliuer vs from eternall death And being the author of light thou diddest descend to Hell where our fore-Fathers satt in darkenes And the third day being a glorious conquerer thou diddest rise vp from the dead resumeing thy sacred body which had lyen dead in the sepulchre for our sinnes and thou diddest quicken it the third day according to the scriptures that thou mightest place it at the right hand of thy Father For haueing ledd with thee out of captiuitie them whom our auntient enemy the enemy of all mankinde had captiued in Hell thou being the true Sonne of God didest ascend aboue all the heauens with the substance of our nature that is to say both with thy soule and that humaine flesh which thou haddest taken of the glorious Virgin And thou diddest surpasse all the quyers of Angels where thou sittest at the right hand of thy Father
and vnconceiuable before whome the Angelicall power of heauen doe euen shiuer whome the Thrones and Dominations doe adore and in whose presence all the Vertues of Heauen doe euen quake of whose power and Wisedome there is noe number who hast layd the foundations of the whole world vpon nothing who hast tyed vp the Sea as if it were in some skinne who art most Omnipotent most Holy and the most powerfull God ouer all the spirits of all mankinde From whose sight the heauen and earth doe fly away to whose becke all the elements are subiect let all thy creatures adore and glorify thy Name And I the Sonne of thy handmayd doe by faith bowe downe the necke of my harte vnder the feete of thy Maiestie presenting thee with thankes for that thou hast voutchsafed to illuminate mee by thy mercy True Light holy Light delightfull Light admirable Light superlaudable Light which illuminateth euery man comeing into this world and the eyes also of the Angels Behold now I see and I thanke thee for it Behold I see the light of heauen there is a beame which striketh brightly downe from the face of thy light vpon the eyes of my mynde and it filleth all the powers of my soule with ioy But O that once it might be perfected in mee Encrease I beseech thee O thou author of light encrease I beseech thee that which soe brightly striketh through vpon mee Let this light be dilated I beseech thee let it be dilated by thee What is this which I feele what fyre is this which heates any harte what fyre is this whereby my harte is stroken through with beames O fyre which euer burnest and art neuer quenched doe thou kindle mee O light which doest euer shine and art neuer darkened doe thou enlighten mee O how very fayne would I been flamed by thee O Holy fyre how sweetely doest thou heate how secretly doest thou shine and how delightfully dost thou burne Woe be to them who doe not burne by thee VVoe be to them which are not illuminated by thee O thou light which teachest truth to men illuminating all the world which is filled by the beames thereof VVoe be to those blinde eyes which see not thee thou being the sunne illuminating both heauen and earth VVoe be to those weake and daseling eyes which cannot looke on thee VVoe be to those eyes which turne themselues away from seeing truth and woe be to those eyes which doe not turne them selues away for feare least they behold vanity For eyes which are acustomed to darkenes haue not strength wherewith to behold the beames of soueraigne truth nor can they make any true iudgment of light whose habitation is wont to be in darkenes They see darkenes they allow of darkenes they loue darkenes and soe goeing from darkenes to darkenes they fall headlong and they knowe not where Miserable creatures they are who knowe not what they loose though yet more miserable are they who knowe what they loose and who yet fall with open eyes and dropp downe quicke into Hell O most blessed light which canst not be beheld but by eyes which are pure and wholly purged Blessed are the pure of harte for they shall see God Doe thou clense mee O thou clensing power cure my sight that I may contemplate thee with strong eyes For they are none but strong eyes which can looke on thee Putt away I beseech thee O thou inaccessible splendour the skales of that auntient mistynes by the beame of thy illumination that soe I may be able to looke on thee with certayne casts of my eye which may not be checked and beaten back and that I may see light in thy light I giue thee thankes O my light for behold now I see I beseech thee O Lord that it may be spred abroade by thee Vnuayle myne eyes that I may consider the wonderfull things of thy lawe thou who art wonderfull in thy Saints I giue thee thankes O my light for behold I see though as yet it be but by a representation as in a glasse But when will it be face to face when will that day of ioy and exultation arryue when I may enter into the place of that admireable Tabernacle the very house of God that so face to face I may see him who seeth mee and so my desire may be fullfilled CHAP. XXXV Of the desire and thirst of a soule towards God AS the harte desireth the fountaynes of water soe doth my soule thirst after thee O God My soule hath thirsted after thee O God who art the liueing fountayne when shall I come and appeare before thy face O thou fountayne of life thou vayne of liueing waters when shall I arriue to those waters of thy sweetnes from this barren vnhaunted and dry earth that I may see thy power and thy glory and that I may appease my thirst by the waters of thy mercy I thirst O Lord O thou fountayne of life satisfy mee for I thirst O Lord I thirst towards thee who art the liueing God When O Lord shall I approache and appeare before that face of thyne doest thou thinke that at length I shall see that day that day I say of delight and ioy that day which our Lord hath made to the end that wee may reioyce and exult therein O sweete and beautifull day which hath noe euening and whose Sunne hath nothing to doe with setting wherein I shall heare the voyce of prayse the voyce of exultation and confession wherein I shall heare this word Enter into the ioy of thy Lord enter into eternall ioy into the house of thy Lord and thy God where there are greate and vnsearcheable and wounderfull things whereof there is noe number Enter into ioy without sorrow which containeth eternall ioy where all good shall be without any kind of euill Where whatsoeuer thou wilt haue shall be and where nothing shall be which thou wilt not haue Where there will be a life which is vitall sweete amiable and eternall Where there will be noe enemy assaulting nor noe false delight allureing but a supreame and certayn security secure tranquillity a quiet ioy a ioyfull felicity a happy eternity and eternall beatitude a blessed Trinity a Trine Vnity a sole Deity a happy vision of that Deity which is the ioy of thy Lord and thy God O ioy vpon ioy ioy which excelleth all ioy without which there is noe ioy when shall I enter into thee that I may see my God who dwelleth in thee that soe I may there partake of this greate vision What is it which deteyneth mee VVoe be vnto mee because my habitation here is perlonged VVoe be vnto mee and how long shall it be sayd to mee where is thy God How long shall it be sayd to me Expect and reexpect But now what shall I expect Is it not thee O Lord my God VVee expect a Sauiour our Lord Iesus Christ who will reforme this poore meane body of ours and conforme it to
in him might not perish but haue eternall life And this is eternall life that we may knowe thee our true God and whome thou hast sent Iesus-Christe by right faith and by works which are worthy and sutable to that faith CHAP. XV. Of the immense charity of the eternall Father towards mankinde O Immense Piety O inestimable Charity that thou might free thy slaue thou haste deliuered vpp thy Sonne God is made man to the end that wretchd man might be drawen out of the prower of the Diuell How inspeakably a benigne louer of man is thy Sonne our God to whose bowels of mercy it seemed not sufficient that he should diminish himselfe so much as to be made man of the true Virgin Mary vnlesse withall he had vndergone the torment of the Crosse shedding so his Blood for vs and for our saluation Our mercyfull God came downe he came through his owne pitty and goodnesse he came to seeke and saue that which was loste He sought his lost sheepe he sought and found it and he brought it home vpon his owne shoulders into his folde Being a mercifull Lord and extreamely deare Pastour O Charity O Piety who euer heard of such things as these who is he that vpon the disclosinge of these bowels of mercy will not be amazed who will not wonder who will not reioyce for that excessiue Charity of thyne wherewith thou louedst vs Thou didst send thy Sonne in the likenesse of the flesh of sinn that by sinn he might condemne sinn and that we might be made thy iustice in him For he is the true vnspotted lambe who hath takē away the sinns of the world who hath distroyed our death by dyinge and restored our life by his Resurrection But what can we returne to thee O our God for the benefitts of thy mercy which are so greate What praises and what thanks can we giue For althouge we did possesse that knoweledge and power which the Angells haue yet should we be vnable to make returne of any thing which might be worthy of thy mercy and goodnes If all the parts of our body were conuerted into tongues this meanesse of ours would neuer yet be able to answeare thee with due praise For that inestimable Charity which thou haste beene pleased to shew to vs vnworthy Creatures through thyne onely pitty and goodnes doth farr transcend all our knoweledge For thy Sōne our God did not assume the Angelicall nature but the seed of Abraham being made like to vs in all things except sinn And so our Lord takeinge the Nature not of Angells but of men vpon him and glorifying it with the Stole of holy Resurrection and immortality he exalted vs aboue all the Heauens aboue all the Quires of Angells and aboue Cherubine and Seraphine placeing it at thy right hand And this Nature doe the Angells praise and the Dominations adore and all the Vertues of Heauen tremble to behold aboue them all God-Man This is all my hope and all my confidence For there is in Iesus-Christe our Lord himselfe a portion of the flesh and blood of euery of vs. Where then any parte of me reignes there I am confident I also reigne Where my flesh is glorified there doe I conceiue my selfe to be glorious Where my blood doth beare Dominion there do I finde my selfe to rule Though I be a sinner yet I cannot diffide not to participate in this grace Though my sinns keepe me back yet my substāce calls me on Though my offences shutt me out yet my communion of nature with him reiects me not For God is not so cruell that he can forgett man and not remember the thinge which he bears about himselfe and which for my sake he tooke vpon him which for my sake he sought No our Lord God is full of meekenesse and benignity and he loues his flesh his body and his bowells in the same God and Lord Iesus-Christe who is most sweete most benigne and most clement in whose person we are already risen and are ascended into heauē and are already seated in those heauenly habitatiōs Our owne flesh loueth vs and we haue the prerogatiue of our blood in him We are his members and his flesh and he in fine is our head and of these parts the whole body is made as it is writen Bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh and they shal be two in one flesh And againe No man did euer hate his owne flesh but he cherisheth and loueth it This is a great mystery I say in Christ in his Church saith the Apostle CHAP. XVI Of the twofolde nature of Christe our Lord who pittieth and prayeth for vs. I Giue thee thankes O Lord our God with my lipps and with my hart and with the whole power I haue for thy infinite goodnesse and for all those mercyes by which thou didst vouchsafe to succour vs poore creatures after an admirable manner by thy Sonne our Sauiour and Redeemer who dyed for our sinns and rose for our iustification and now liueinge in eternity doth sitt at thy right hand and interceedeth for vs. And together with thee he taketh pitty of vs because he is God of thee his Father coeternall and consubstantiall with thee in all things wherby he may for euer saue vs. But for as much as he is man in those respects wherein he is lesse then thou all power is giuen him both in Heauen and in earth that at the name of Iesus euery knee may bowe celestial terrestrial and infernall and euery tongue my confesse that our Lord Iesus Christe is in thy glory Omnipotent God the Father He indeed is appointed by thee to be the Iudge of the quick and the dead but thou iudgest noe man but thou haste giuē all iudgement to thy Sonne in whose brest all the treasures of wisdome and knowledg are layd vp and hidd But he is both the witnes and the Iudge A Iudge and witnes he is from whome noe sinfull conscience can fly for all things lye open and naked to his eyes That very he who was iudged vniustly shall iudge the whole worlde in equity and the people in Iustice I doe therefore blesse thy holy name for all eternity and I glorify thee with my whole hart O mercifull and Omnipotent Lord for that admirable and vnspeakable coniunction of thy diuinity and humanity in the vnity of one person not that God might be one and Man another but that one and the same should be God and Man man and God But although The word was made flesh by a strange graciousnesse and mercy yet nether of those two Natures is changed into another substance There is no fourth person added to the mistery of the Trinity for the substance of the Worde of God and Man was vnited and not confounded that so that might be assumed to God which he had taken from vs and yet that which had beene before might still continue the same it was O wonderfull mistery O vnspeakable kinde of
vp enough Let my life runn on towards thyne imbracements and lett it neuer looke aside till it be all hidden vp in the hidden ioy of seeing thy face In the meane tyme this I know that it goes ill with me when I want thee O Lord. And not onely is it ill with me in respect of the things which are without me but in respect of them also which are within me For whatsoeuer plenty there may be in the world which is not my God is noe better to me then meere beggery For it is thou alone who canst not be changed either into better or worse thou who indeed and simply art alone thou to whom it is not one thing to liue and an other thing to liue happily beccause thou art thyne owne Beatitude But thy creature to nhom it is one thing to liue and another thinge to liue happily must not attribute eyther happy life yea or so much as life to any other thing then thy grace Therefore is it that we stand in need of thee and not thou of vs. For although we had noe beeing at all yet there would be nothing wanting to thee of that compleat good which thou art It is necessarie therfore that we adhear still to thee O Lord that by thy continuall assistance we may be able to liue holyly and vprightly For we are drawē downe fast enough by the waight of our frailty but by thy guifte we are kindled and carried vpward and we are inflamed and we fly on whither we are goeinge which is towards the peace of Ierusalem For I haue reioyced in those things which haue beene said to me let vs goe into the howse of our Lord. There hath a rectifyed and good will placed vs and so as that we can desire noe more but that we may remaine there for euer But because whilest we are in this body we wander as pilgrims from thee therefore we haue not here any permanent Citty but we expect another which is to come for our habitation is in Heauen And therefore by the conduct of thy grace doe I goe into the most retyred corner of my hart and I sing loue songs to thee O my Kinge and my God groaninge out certaine groanes which indeed cannot be described in this place of my pilgrimage where thy lawe is the song in which I delight my selfe And calling Ierusalem to minde I extend and stretch the whole power of my hart towards it Ierusalem which is my Country Ierusalem which is my Mother And towards thee also who art the ruler the illuminator the father the tutor the defendor the pastor the chaste and strong delight therof the solide ioy all wnspekable good things yea all of them together because thou art the onely supreame and true good Nor will I be drawen aside from this exercice till thou O my God and my mercy shalt draw together all that which I am from this despersion and deformity wherein I finde my self and till thou shalt conforme me to thy selfe and confirme me therein for all eternity in the communion of that most deere Mother of mine whither the flower and first fruites of my spiritt are already gone before CHAP. XIX He distinguisheth betweene that wisdome which is called the house of God and that other wisdome which is supremely diuine THis is that howse of thine O God noe earthly howse nor yet built of any corporeal thinge in heauen but I meane that spirituall howse which is partaker of thyne eternity because it is for euer to remaine without spott For thou hast appointed that it should remaine for euer and for euer thou haste imposed a precept and it shall not passe away Yet that creature O God is not eternall as thou art eternall because it was not without beginning for it was made Of all the Creatures this Wisdome is that which was created first I meane not that Wisdome which was absolutely coeternall and coequall with God the Father wherby all things were created and in which Beginninge heauen and earth was made but I meane the Wisdome which is created namely that spirituall nature which by the contemplation of thy light is light for euen this although it be created is called Wisdome But as much difference as there is betweene the light which doth illuminate and that which groweth to be light by being illuminated so much difference also there is betweane thee who art the supreame wisdome creatinge all things and this other which is created as also there is betweene that Iustice which iustifieth which is thy selfe O our God and that Iustice which is produced in vs by our beinge iustified For we also are called the Iustice of God the Father in thee who art his Sonne our Lord by the testimony of the Apostle Though therfore the first of all the creatures was a kinde of Wisdome Which was made to be a rationall intellectuall mind inhabiting thy holy Citty our mother which is aboue and which is free and eternall in the Heauens what Heauens but those Heauens of the Heauens which praise thee because this is that wherof it is said The Heauens of the Heauens to our Lord although we finde no Tyme before that Creature because it was before the creation of Tyme as being the first of all the creatures yet neuerthelesse thou art before it O Eternall God the Creator of all things from whome as soone as it was made it tooke a beginninge though not indeed of Tyme because Tyme was not then created but yet a beginninge of that nature which it was come to haue It came therfore so from thee O Lord our God as that it is cleerly another thing then thou art For although I finde noe Tyme neither before it nor in it it is yet neuertheles fitt to behold thy face neither is it euer diuerted from thence Hence it comes that it is not subiect to any change Yet a kinde of mutabillity is still in it wherby it would growe all darke and cold vnlesse by adhearing to thee with an excessiue loue it did like a sunn which were euer bright as noone day both shine and boile vp with heat towards thee In fine that creature doth so adhear to thee our true God who art truely eternall that although it be not coeternall to thee yet neuerthelesse it is not discharged nor distracted from thee into any variety or vicissitude of tyme. But it reposeth in the most true cōtemplation of thee alone For to such an one ô Lord as loues thee as much as thou commandest thou dost cleerly discouer thy selfe and it sufficeth him And from hence it growes that the Angells doe neuer decline either from thee or from themselues but perpetually they remaine in the same state incessantly beholding thee and incessantly loueinge thee who art the true light and the chaste loue O how blessed and sublyme is this Creature of Creatures most happy in eternally adhearing to thy beatitude happy and excessiuely happy in haueinge thee
that admirable and most goodly house of thine where the voice of ioy and exultation is euer ringing out in those Tabernacles of the Iust Blessed are they who dwell in thy house O Lord for euer and for euer shall they praise thee Blessed are they truely blessed whome thou hast chosen and assumed into that celestiall inheritance Beholde how thy Saints O Lord doe florish like the Lilly they are filled with the euer springinge plenty of thy house thou giuest them to drink of the torrent of thy delights For thou art the fountayne of life and in thy light they shall see light in so high degree as that they who are but a light illuminated by thee ô God who art the illuminateing light doe yet shine in thy sight like the Sunn it selfe O how admirable how pretious and how beautifull be the habitations of thy house O thou God of all strength This sinfull soule of mine is carried with extreame desire to enter thyther O Lord I haue loued the beauty and order of thy house and the place of the habitation of thy glory One thinge I haue begged of our Lord and I will neuer leaue to begg the same that I may dwell in the house of our Lord all the days of my life As the Stagg runns panting towords the fountaines of water so doth my soule runn thirstinge after thee O God When shall I come and once appeare before thy face When shall I see my God after whome my soule is in a deadly thirst When shall I see him in the land of the Liueinge for in this land of the Dyinge he cannot be seene with mortall eyes Vvhat shall I doe miserable creature that I am beinge bound vp hand and foote by these chaynes of my mortality What shall I doe Whilest we remaine in this body we wander from our Lord. Vve haue not here any permanent Citty but we are looking after another which is to come for our habitation is in heauen Vvoe be vnto me for that my abode nere is prolonged I haue dwelt with the inhabitants of Cedar and my soule hath beene too true a dweller there Vvho will helpe me to the winges of a doue that I may fly and rest Nothinge can be so delightfully deare to me as to be with my Lord. It is good for me to adheare to my God Grant to me ô Lord whilest I am confined to this mortall flesh that I may adheare to thee as it is written He who adhears to our Lord becometh one spiritt with him Grant me I beseech thee the wings of Contemplation that beinge indued therewith I may fly vp a pace towards thee And because all that which is sinfull and weake is workeinge downeward ô Lord hold hold thou my hart that it may not rush into the bottomes of this darke valley that by interposition of the shadow of the earth it may not be seuered from thee who art the true Sunn of Iustice and so may be hindred from beholdinge celestiall things by the drawinge of black cloudes ouer it Therefore am I aspireinge to those ioyes of peace and to that most calme and delight-full state of light Hold thou fast my hart in thy hand for vnlesse it be by thee it will neuer be able to rayse it selfe to thinges aboue Thither doe I make all haste where supreame peace doth reigne and where eternall tranquillity is resplendent Hold fast and guide my spiritt and raise it accordinge to thy good will that so thy selfe beinge the guide therof it may ascend into that region where there is an eternal spring and where thou feedest Israel for euer with the food of truthe that there at the least with some swifte and catchinge thought I may now lay hold of thee who art that Souereigne Vvisdome remaineinge ouer all things and gouerninge and conducteinge all things But to the soule which is striuing and struglinge towards thee there are many thinges which call vpon it by way of giueinge it impediment O Lord I beseeche thee that they may all be putt to silence by thy commandement Lett my very soule be silent to it selfe Lett it passe by all things Lett it transcend all thinges created and dispatch them all away from it selfe Lett it arriue to thee and vpon thee who art the onely Creator of all things let it fasten the eyes of Faith let it aspire towards thee let it be wholy attentiue to thee let it meditate vpō thee let it contemplate thee let it place thee euer before her eyes and lock thee vp in her hart thee who art the true and soueraigne good that ioy which must neuer haue an end Many Contemplations there are whereby a soule which is deuoute to thee may be admirably intertayned fedd but in none of them is my soule so delighted and laid to rest as in the thought of thee and when it thinks and contemplates thee alone How great is the multitude of that sweetnes of thine wherewith thou dost admirably inspire the harts of thy louers How admirable is that deernes of thy loue which they enioy who loue nothinge but thee who seeke nothinge nor desire so much as to thinke of any thinge but thee Happy soules are they whose onely hope thou art and whose onely worke is Prayer Happy is that man who sits in solitude and silence and stands still vpon his guard day and night and who whilest he is imprisoned in this poore litte body of his may yet be able in some proportion to haue a taste of thy diuine sweetnes I beseech thee ô Lord by those pretious wounds of thyne which thou wert pleased to beare vpon thy Crosse for our saluation and from whēce that precious Blood did flow whereby we are redeemed be pleased to wounde this sinfull soule of myne for which thou didst also vouchsafed to dye Wound it with the fiery and most puissant dart of thy excessiue charity For the Word of God is full of life and efficacy and it is more penetratiue then any sharp two-edged sword Thou art that choise arrow and that most sharp sword which is able by thy power to pearce through the hard buckler of mans hart Strike through my hart with the dart of thy loue that my soule may say to thee I am wounded with thy loue And doe it in such sort as that out of this very wound of thy loue abundance of tears may streame downe from mine eyes day and night Stricke through O Lord strike through I beseeche thee this most hard hart of mine with the deare strong pointed launce of thy loue and pearce downe yet more deepely into the most interiour parte of my soule by the mighty power of thy hand And so drawe forth out of this head of mine abundāce of water and from these mine eyes a true fountaine of tears which may continually flowe through my excessiue loue and desire of the vision of thy beauty To the end that I may mourne day and night admittinge of
Let mee therefore loue thee O Lord my streÌ„gth let mee loue thee O thou vnspeakeable exultation of my soule And let me liue now not to my self but to thee My whole life which perished by my misery was raised vp by thy mercy thou who art that mercifull God and full of pitty which thou doest extend in thy goodnes to thousands of such as loue thy Name Therefor O Lord my God and my sanctifyer hast thou comaunded in thy Lawe that I should loue thee with my whole harte with my whole soule with my whole minde with my whole strength and with all the powers I haue Yea and with the most internall marrow of all my affections and this in all the houres and moments of my time wherein I am enioying the benediction of thy mercyes For I should euer perish but that thou doest euer gouerne mee I should euer dy but that thou doest euer quicken mee And thou doest oblige mee to thee in euery moment of my life since in euery moment therof thou impartest great benefits to mee As therefore there is noe houer or point of time in my whole life wherein I am not assisted by thy benefits soe also ought there not to be any moment wherein I should not haue thee before the eyes of my mynde and wherein I should not loue thee with my whole strength But euen this I cannot doe saue by thy guift onely to whome euery good guift belongeth and euery excellent grace is descending from thee the Father of Lights with whome there is noe transmutation nor shadow of chaunge For it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of thee taking mercy that wee loue thee Thine O Lord is this guift to whome euery good thing belongeth Thou commaundest that thou be beloued Giue vs that which thou commandest and then commaund vs what thou wilt CHAP. XIX Of the feruour of charity I Loue thee O my God and I am euer desireing to loue thee more For in very deed thou art more sweete then any honny more nutritiue then any milke and more cleere then any light Therefore art thou more deare to me them gold or siluer or pretious stone And whatsoeuer delightfull thing I had in the world was displeasing to mee in comparison of thy sweetenes and the order of thy house which I loued O thou fyre which euer burnest and art neuer quenched O loue which is euer boyling hote and neuer growest luke-warme doe thou inflame mee Let mee I say be wholy inflamed by thee and let me wholy loue thee For he loues thee too little who loues any thing together with thee which he loues not for thy sake Make me loue thee O Lord because thou didst first loue mee And how shall I finde wordes whereby I may vnfold the notions which I haue of thy singular loue to mee testifyed by those innumerable benefits by which thou hast trayned me vp from the beginning For after the benefit of the creation when in the beginninge thou didest make me of nothing after thyne owne Image doeing me honour and exalting me beyond the rest of thy creatures which thou madest and innobling me with the light of thy countenance which thou didest stampe vpon the entrie of my hart whereby thou didest disseuer me both from insensible creatures and from brute beasts which are endewed with sense and thou madst me not much inferiour to the Angels yet euen this seemed not enough in the sight of thy deity For since that time thou hast entertayned and nourished mee with daily and singular and great presents of thy benefits without intermission And thou hast giuen me comfort and made me sucke like somme little tender infant of thine at the breasts of thy consolation For to the end that I might yeild thee my entire seruice thou hast appointed that whatsoeuer thou hast made should serue mee CHAP. XX. That God hath submitied all things to the seruice of man THou hast made all things subiect to the feete of man to the onely end that man might become wholly subiect to thee And to the end that man might be wholly thine hee is entitled to a dominion ouer all thy workes For thou hast created all exteriour things for the body the body for the soule and the soule for thy selfe to the end that man might tend onely to thee might loue onely thee possessing thee by way of comforte to himselfe and thy creatures by way of receiuing seruice from them For whatsoeuer is conteyned vnder this vaute of heauen is inferiour to the soule of man which was created that it might possesse the supernall soueraigne good aboue by the fruition whereof it might be happy and wherevnto when it shall adheare outstripping and ouerlooking all relations and respects to all inferiour things which are subiect to mutation it shall calmely and constantly behold the face of that eternall immortality and the vision of that supreame Majestie to which it hath aspired here Then shall they be in fruition of those most excellent delights in the house of our Lord in comparison whereof all those things which here we see may well goe for nothing Those are they which the eye hath not seene nor the eare heard nor haue they entred into the hart of man which God hath prepared for them who loue him And these things O Lord wilt thou imparte to the soule of man And with the consideration of these things dost thou who louest soules delight the soules of thy seruants But yet why should I wonder at those things O Lord my God therein thou dost but honor thyre owne Image and that similitude of thyne according to which they are created For whilest we are yet in thâ—s corruptible and ignoble body to the end we might see thou hast giuen this light of heauen by the hands of thy vnwearied ministers the Sunne and Moone which doe perpetually obserue thy precept in serueing thy children day and night To the end that we might breath thou hast giuen the purity of the ayre That we might heare the variety of sounds That we might smell the sweetnesse of odours That it might tast the variety and quality of sauoures That it might touch thou hast giuen the bulke of all bodies For the other necessary occasions of man thou hast giuen beasts to carry him And thou hast imparted the birds of the ayre the fish of the sea and the fruites of the earth for his refection Thou hast also created out of the earth seuerall medicines which may be applyed to the seuerall infirmities of men and thou hast prepared particular comforts which are to encounter and reuerse those particular-inconueniences which may occurre And all this thou hast done because thou art full of mercy and pitty thou being our potter dost knowe the matter whereof wee are made For in fine wee are but as soe much durt in thy hand CHAP. XXI That the greatenes of the diuine counsell may be inferred by the consideration of temporall
blessings BEhold mee I beseeche thee let thy great mercy stand open to me Illustrate mee yet more with thy light that soe it may be discouered to me more and more For by these little workes of thyne wee growe to comprehend thy great ones and by thy visible workes we are enabled to take some ayme at thy inuisible workes O Lord our God the holy and good Creatour of vs all For if O my Lord whilest we are in this body which is soe corruptible and ignoble thou dost imparte to vs so great and euen innumerable benefits by meanes of the heauens and of the ayre of the earth and sea of light and darkenes of sunne and shade of dew and gentle rayne of wyndes and stiffe showers of birds and fishes of beasts and trees of the multiplicity of herbes and plants of the earth by meanes of the ministry of all thy creatures which doe successiuely serue vs at due and seuerall times to ease vs thereby of that trouble and fastidiousnes which otherwise wee might be subiect too what kinde of benefits I beseeche thee and how greate and euen innumerable will they be which thou hast prepared for such as loue thee in that celestiall country where we shall behould thee face to face If thou doe vs soe much honour in this prison what wilt thou doe in thy pallace Greate and innumerable are thy workes O Lord thou King of the heauens For since these of the lower rancke which thou hast deliuered ouer to be vsed promiscuously here both by good an badd be all of them very excellently good delightfull what kinde of things shall they proue to be which thou hast onely treasured vp for them alone who are good If thy guifts be soe diuers and euen innumerable which now thou bestowest both vpon thy freinds vpon thyne enemyes how greate how innumerable how dearly sweete and how delightfull are they to be which thou wilt onely bestow vpon thy freinds If the solace be so greate which thou giuest vs in this day of our tears what wilt thou giue in that day of our espousalls If this place of exile and restraint afford such pleasures what I beseeche thee will our Country doe The eye cannot see without thee what thou hast prepared for such as loue thee For according to the greate multitude of thy magnificence soe also the multitude of that sweetenes is great which thou hast hidden vp for them that feare thee For thou O Lord my God art great thou art immense there is noe end of thy greatenes there is noe number of thy Wisedome there is noe measure of thy benignity there is neither end number nor measure of the reward which thou bestowest But as thou art great so are thy rewards great for thou thy selfe art the reward and the guift which thou bestowest vpon all such as shall valiantly haue fought thy battayles CHAP. XXII That the diuine sweetenes taketh away all the present bitternes of the world THese are those great benefits wherewith thou O Lord God the sanctifyer of thy Saints wilt satisfy and remoue the want of thy hungry children For thou art the hope of the desperate the comforte of the desolate thou art that very crowne of hope which is adorned with the glory prepared for such as ouercome Thou art the eternall satiety of such as haue bene allmost starued and thou art to be bestowed vpon such as hunger after thee Thou art that euerlasting consolation who bestoweth thy selfe vpon them alone who despise the comforts of this world for that euerlasting consolation of thyne For they who looke for theyr comfort here are esteemed vnworthy of thy comforts but they who are afflicted here are comforted by thee and they who partake with thee in thy Passion shall partake with thee also in thy consolation Noe man must thinke to be comforted both in this and in the other world nor must he thinke to be in ioy both here and there but he must necessarily loose the one who will possesse the other When I consider these things O Lord my comforter my soule refuseth the comforts of this life that soe it may be held worthy of thy eternall consolations For it is high reason that any man should loose thee if he make choyse to be comforted more in any other then in thee And I beseech thee euen by thy selfe O thou supreme Truth that thou permitt me not to be comforted by any vayne consolation but that it may onely be in thee And I beg that all things may growe bitter to me that thou alone mayest appeare sweete to my soule thou who art that inestimable sweetnes whereby all bitter things are made sweete For thy sweetenes is the thing which made that torrent of stones sweete to Steuen Thy sweetenes made that burneing gridyron sweete to blessed Laurence Through thy sweetenes the Apostles went reioyceing from the Councell because they were held worthy to suffer reproach for thy Names sake Andrew went both with security and ioy to the Crosse because he hastened to taste of thy sweetenes And this sweetenes of thyne did soe fill the two Princes of the Apostles that for it the wood of the Crosse was chosen by one of them and the other was not affrayed to submitt his head to the murtheringe sword For the purchasse of this sweetenes Bartholomew sold away his very skinne And to haue a taste thereof the vndanted Iohn drunke off that poysened cupp And as soone as Peter had tasted of it he forgott all other things and cryed thus out like one who were inebriated saying O Lord it is good for vs to be here Let vs here make three Tabernacles Let vs dwell here let vs contemplate thee For we neede nothing else It is enough for vs O Lord to see thee It is enough saith he to be satiated with soe great delight And the reason was this Because he had tasted some one dropp of diuine sweetenes all other sweetenes was lothed by him What then shall wee thinke that he would haue sayd if he had once tasted of the great multitude of the sweetenes of thy diuinity which thou hast hidden vp for them that feare thee That Virgin had also tasted of this vnspeakeable sweetenes of thyne of whome wee read that she went topp full of ioy and glory to the prison as if she had bene inuited to some marriadge Feast And of this I suppose he also had tasted who sayd That the multitude of that sweetenes of thyne O Lord was great which thou haddest hidden vp for them that feare thee and who also aduised men thus Taste and see how sweete our Lord is For this is that beatitude O Lord our God which wee expect by the guift of thy hand for which wee fight as in a warfare vnder thee O Lord for which wee are mortifyed to thy honour all the day long that at last wee may liue to thee in that life of thine CHAP. XXIII That all our hope and
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
me For thou art as we beleeue thou art that very thing which we beleeue wee beleeue that thou art some what then which nothing greater and nothing better can be conceaued What therfore art thou O Lord God since nothing can be cōceaued either greather or better then thou art but only that soueraigne good which existing by it selfe alone did create al other things of nothing VVhat good can therfore be wanting to that soueraigne good whereby all good thinges are Thou art therefore iust true blessed whatsoeuer els which it is better to be then not to be that thing thou art But yet if thou be all supremely iust how commeth it to passe that thou pardonnest sinners Is it because thy goodnes doth exceed our vnderstanding This mistery lyeth hid in that inaccessible light which thou dost inhabit yea in that most deepe and most secret profoundity of thy Goodnes that fountaine doth lye hid from whence the riuer of thy mercy floweth For although thou be wholy and supremely iust yet therefore art thou mercifull to wicked men because thou art also wholy and supremely Good And thou shouldst be lesse good if thou wert not good to any who is wicked For he is better who is good both to the good to the had then he who is good but to the good And better is he who is good both in pardoning and in punishing wicked men then another who is only good in punishing And therefore art thou also mercifull because thou art wholy and supremely Good CHAP. XXXIII Of the delightfull fruition of God O Thou immense goodnes who exceedest all vnderstanding Let thy mercy which so aboundantly preceedeth from thee descend downe on me let that flow into me which floweth from the. Pardon me by thy mercy least els thy iustice be forced to take reuenge vpon me Styr thy selfe vp now O my soule erect thy whole vnderstanding and consider to the vttermost of all thy power what kind how great a good that is which is God himself For if euery particulier good thing do carry with itsome delight doe but seriously consider how delightful that good must needs be which contayneth the delight of all good thinges that too no such kind of delight as we experience in thinges created but a delight so very different as the Creatour is more excellent then the creature Now if that life which is created be good how good is that other life which created this If this health be delightfull which is made how delightfull must that needs be which made all this health If the VVisedom be amiable which is exercised in the consideration knowledge of created things how amiable must that other VVisedom be which created framed all of nothing And in fine if the delight which is taken in delightfull things be very great and of great variety how various how great is that delight which is taken in him who created all these delightfull thinges O how happie shall he be that shall arriue to ēioy this good Yea how happy shall he not be Infaillibly whatsoeuer he would haue to be shall be and whatsoeuer he would not shall not be He shall there be so endued with such felicity both of body soule as neither the eye hath seene nor the eare hath heard nor hath it entered into the hart of man CHAP. XXXIV That this supreme good is to be desired WHY dost thou therfore wander O thou man in the search of any good concerning either thy body or thy soule Loue thou that one good wherein all good things are it is inough Desire thou that one single good which conteyneth all good and it will suffice For what dost thou O boby of myne desire what dost thou desire O my soule There is in that good whatsoeuer thou canst desire or loue If thou be delighted with beauty the iust shall shin bright like the Sunne If speed or strenght or ability to do what thou wilt with thy body nothing shall be able to resist thee since the. Saints shal be as the Angels of God For a corporall body is sowed but it shall rise vp a spirituall body not that it is so by nature but by participation If thou desire a long healthfull life in heauen there shal be a health full eternity an eternall health for the iust shall liue for euer their saluatio is of our Lord. If thou desire to haue a satiety fullnes of all things Men shal be satisfyed when the glory of our Lord shall appeare If thou desire to be inebriated mē shall there be inebriated by that euer growing plenty of the house of God If musicke the Angells shal be singing there for all eternity If pleasure which is chast pure our Lord shall giue then to drink of the torrent of his pleasure If wisedome the very wisedome of God will to them declare himself who is wisedome If friendship they shall loue God more then themselues God will loue them better them they can loue themselues because they loue him themselues one another in him he loueth himselfe them by himselfe If concord with one another be esteemed they haue all but one will because they haue no other will but the supreme will of God If power they shall haue the same dominion ouer their owne will which God hath ouer his For as God can do what he will by himselfe so shall they be able to do what they will by him And as they cannot will any thing but what he wills so wil he will whatsoeuer they will so what they will cannot chuse but be If wealth honour God doth place his good and faythfull seruants ouer many goods yea they shall be called the sonnes of God and Gods and they shal be his heires the coheirs of Christ If true security they shall be as certainly assured that no good thing shall be euer wanting to them as they shall be sure that neither they wil forgoe it willingly nor that he who loueth them will take it away against their will whome he so loueth nor yet that there is any thing mightier then God which is able to separate him and them from one another Now what kind of ioy and how great must that needs be where such a good as this is to be inioyed CHAP. XXXV Of the mutuall Charity of the Saints in Heauen O Thou hart of man thou poore hart thou hart which knowest what belonges to cares and miseries by experience or rather which art euen ouer-welmed by them how much wouldst thou reioyce if thou didst abound with all those blessings Aske thy most inward powers if they would be able to containe the ioy which would grow to thee by such felicity as that But now if any other whom thou didst absoluty loue as thou didst loue thy selfe should possesse the selfe same beatitude with thee thy ioy would be doubled because thou wouldst