hands for sorrow at the buriall of my sister I cannot but mourne when I follow my friend to his graue my teares doe testifie my loue my voyce doth vtter words of lamentation my heart is sadde with sorrow and all my sences are disordered with griefe But alas how is the moisture of mine eyes consumed that they cannot yeeld one teare How obdurate is my heart that it will not groane when I think on the deadly pangs of my Sauiour and when I meditate on the grieuous passion and bitter death of my Redeemer who hath beene more beneficiall vnto mee then any louing Father and more kinde then any tender-hearted mother what kindnesse of a Brother or milde affection of a Sister can equall his loue What friend can be so glad for my prosperitie who of mine acquaintance can be so sad for my aduersitie Who can be so constant vnto me in affection Who can be so faithfull vnto me in compassion as my mercifull Sauiour My Parents gaue me my flesh polluted with sinne and defiled with vices I receiue from my Sauiour Memory Will Vnderstanding and Reason yea what is there in me which is good but it commeth from my GOD My Parents haue beene an occasion to throw me downe into hell but my Redeemer did shed his pretious bloud to bring mee into the Kingdome of heauen Therefore why doe I not sigh and lament for the death of my Lord my Sauiour my Redeemer who is my solace in time of sorrow my consolation in my misery and my refuge in the houre of my necessity But oh my most bountifull Iesu father of mercies I mourne with sorrow and lament with teares when death doth rob mee of my receiue them to dwell in thy Caelestiall Citie which is stored with all abundance But who can describe the beauty or demonstrate the glory of this heauenly Hierusalem for it is made of pure golde the foundation of pretious stones the walles of Iasper the gates of pearle In needeth no Sunne to giue light vnto it in the day or any Moone by night for the glorious presence of the Lord doth fill euery place with his shining brighssetne Reuel 21.18.19.20.21.23 What eye hath seene one sparke of the glistering cleerenesse what eare hath heard one title of the greatnesse what heart can conceiue so much as a graine of the goodnes of this eternall Citie Oh happy are the people that shall enter into thy beautifull gates Oh happy are the Citizens that shall dwell within thy pretious walles for they shall liue with the Angels in eternall peace and security and see God in his glorious Maiestie Entertaine me oh Lord into thy gratious seruice and graunt me grace that I may serue thee all the dayes of my life in feare and honour thee with my loue that when I haue serued out my time as thy faithfull seruant here on earth I may be incorporated into this heauenly Citie and admitted into the freedome of this blessed societie Come oh my Lord IESV come vnto vs quickly and receiue vs to dwell with thee eternally Amen FINIS Soli Deo gloria MOST DEVOVT and Diuine MEDITATIONS OF Saint BERNARD Concerning the knowledge of humane Condition Seruing as so many Motiues to MORTIFICATION LONDON Printed by T.S. for Francis Burton dwelling in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the greene Dragon 1614. A Table of the Motiues to MORTIFICATION Mo. 1. OF the similitude of man to God page 1. Mo. 2. Of the miserie of man and of the examination of the last iudgement page 10. Mo. 3. Of the dignity of the soule pag. 20 Mo. 4. Of the reward of the heauenly Countrey the which all Christians ought to endeauour to obtaine page 33 Mo. 5. How a man ought to examine himselfe page 44 Mo. 6. That a man ought to bee diligent and deuout in performing of Diuine exercises page 48 Mo. 7. A consideration of death page 59 Mo. 8. In what manner a man ought to pray deuoutly pag. 63 Mo. 9. Of the instabilitie and wandering of the heart page 66 Mo. 10. That Sinne is not to be excused page 74 Mo. 11. What a great euill it is not to correct or reprehend others page 75 Mo. 12. How euery man ought to consider himselfe page 83 Mo. 13. Of the presence of the Conscience euery where page 85 Mo. 14. Of the three Enemies of Man page 87. Mo. 15. From whence the flesh of Man proceedeth and what it bringeth forth page 93 Mo. 16. Of the short life of man pag. 96 Other Additions A Most zealous and deuout lamentation of blessed Anselmus sometime Arch-bishop of Canterbury for the losse of his Soules virginitie appliable vnto the soule of euery mortified Christian page 111 A Meditation of S. Bernard concerning the Passion and sufferings of Iesus Christ diuided into twenty and one Sections page 139 The Authors deprecation or Petition for himselfe page 236 FINIS O my Father if it be possible let this Cup passe from me He kneeled downe and Prayed but beinge in an agonie he prayed more earnestly and his sweat was like droppes of blood trikling downe to the ground Luke 22.44 Sit ye here whil I goe and Pray yonder Of the similitude of Man to GOD. MOTIVE I. MAny knowe many things False knowledge and know not themselues they pry into others and leaue themselues The ready way how to know God They seeke God by those outward things forsaking their inward things to vvhich God is neerer and more inward Therefore I vvill returne from outward things to inward and from the inward I will ascend to the Superiour that I may know from vvhence I come or whither I goe who I am and from whence I am that so by the knowledge of my selfe I may be the better able to attaine to the knowledge of God For by how much more I profit and goe forward in the knowledge of my selfe by so much the neerer I approach to the knowledge of God Concerning the inward man Three things in vs whereby wee remember behold and desire God I finde three things in my soule by which I remember behold and couet God But these three things are the Memory Vnderstanding Will or Loue. By the Memory I remember him by the Vnderstanding I behold him by the Will I imbrace him When I remember God in my Memory I finde him and in him I am delighted because hee vouchsafeth to giue himselfe to mee By the Vnderstanding I view and contemplate what God is in himselfe what hee is in the Angels what he is in the Saints what hee is in Men what he is in the Creatures In himselfe hee is incomprehensible because he is the beginning and end and the beginning without beginning the end without end By my selfe I vnderstand how incomprehensible God is when as I cannot know and vnderstand my selfe whom he hath made In the Angels he is desirable because they desire to behold him In the Saints hee is delectable because being happy
Let vs glory reioyce and triumph in the blessed Name of our mighty Redeemer and giue all honour iurisdiction dominion and maiestie to our mercifull Sauiour vvhich hath done great meruailous and admirable things in vs and for vs exalt extoll and magnifie his glorious Name together with me and let our tongues tuned with one Harmonicall concord like Golden Trumpets sound forth his meritorious immeasurable still encreasing and neuer-diminishing praises saying wee adore and worship thee oh Christ King of Israel and also of all the Nations Prince and Monarch of Kings Lord of the Earth GOD of the Sabaoth the most powerfull power of GOD omnipotent Wee adore thee being the precious price of our Redemption the all-sufficient Sacrifice of our peace attonement and peaceable reconciliation which alone vvith the inestimable most pleasant and fragrant sweetnesse of thy odoriferous sauour hast moued and induced the Father of eternity which dwelleth and resideth in the highest Heauens to turne his eye of prouidence and compassion towards base vile and contemptible things vpon earth and hast reconciled and pacified him towards the sonnes of wrath Hell and damnation to enter a new couenant of grace with them to forgiue and forget all their rebellious trespasses and treacherous transgressions and to extend the tender bowels of his most desired and euer-vndeserued mercie towards them Wee ioyfully proclaime oh Christ the worthinesse of thy merrit the multitude of thy mercies and magnificence of thy commisseration we sound and eccho forth wee record the sacred memorie of thy eare-delighting and heart-pleasing sweetnesse Wee cleerely offer vnto thee oh Christ the Sacrifice of euerlasting praise and heartie thanksgiuing for the innumerable multitude and immeasurable magnitude of thy goodnesse vvhich thou hast vouchsafed shewed manifested and extended to vs as a wicked seede and gracelesse generation sonnes of wickednesse and heires of hell and damnation SECTION III. VVHen as yet oh gratious Lord we were thy cruell enemies by our treasonable practises and monstrous vngratefull vnkindnesse daily kindling thy consuming wrath against vs and when as deuouring death exercised his rage fury and dominion against all mortall flesh and vpon euery miserable creature to which all the seed of Adam was obnoxious and subiect tainted with the leporous infection of his first deadly transgression thou diddest kindly remember the most infallible vvord of thy infinite mercie when we were ready to be drowned and swallowed vp like proud hard-hearted Pharo in the bloody Sea of our swelling and ouer-flowing iniquities Thou diddest looke from thy holy and high habitation and cast downe the pittifull eye of thy sauing tender and mellow-hearted compassion vpon this vally streaming with riuers of teares showers of ceaselesse weeping and deluge of our ouer-flowing misery Thou sawest the heauie affliction afflicted condition imminent danger nay the instant destruction of thy distressed people and touched with a true-delicious sweetnesse of thy inward loue and bountifull charity did thinke ponder to medicine heale recure the deadly-diseased state and desperate condition of thy forlorne and languishing people Mat. 9.13 1 Tim. 15. moued incited towards them with amiable thoughts of a new perpetuall peace eternall redemption And thou being the onely and dearely beloued Son of God the very true God coeternall substantiall to God the Father the Holy-ghost enhabiting the light to vvhich no man may approach dazeling the eyes of euery mortall creature with the super-excellent lusture and gouerning all things vvith the creating vvord of thy omnipotent power thou hast not despised to subiect thy selfe to the close noysome prison of our base estate vvhere thou mightest tast and also swallow vp our miserie and so restore vs to glory It was enough oh sweet Sauiour to demonstrate thy incomprehensible and vnspeakeable mercie it was too little Oh thou mirrour of mercie to coole the ardent heat of thy burning loue It vvas not sufficient for thee our gratious Redeemer to appoint a Cherubin Seraphin or one of the Angels to consummate and finish the worke of our saluation thou thy selfe being king of kings and God of eternall glory hast vouchsafed to come to vs thy poore vassales and captiue creatures by the commandement of thy supernall Father Psal 40.8.9 Acts. 2.23 Whose vnlimited mercie bottomlesse bounty immutable loue wee now plentifully enioy in thee and hereafter shall ioyfully fully and euerlastingly possesse by thee Thou cam'st vnto vs I say not by changing the place but by yeelding thy presence vnto vs by the flesh Thou cam'st from the regall Throne of thy most high Glorie into an humble lowly and abiect Mayden in her owne eyes although indeede she was most honourable for her chast vertues and of the blood Royall by her Noble birth vvhose life vvas adorned with the pretious Iemme of vndefiled virginitie in vvhose sacred wombe the sole wonderfull and vnspeakeable power of the Holy-Ghost caused and effected thy sanctified and blessed conception and that thou shouldst so be borne in the very nature of true humanitie that the occasion and manner of thy pure Natiuitie should neither violate the Maiestie of Diuinitie in thee nor the integritie of vndefiled Virginitie in thy blessed Virgine-Mother Oh amiable Oh admirable fauour Thou being God of immeasurable glorie infinite power and most magnificent Maiestie hast not disdained nor despised to become a contemptible worme and to put vpon thee the ragged garment of our fraile and miserable nature Thou being God of all didst appeare as a fellow-seruant of seruants vnto all It was too little to satisfie thy louing affection and to quench the thirstie desire of thy loue towards vs to be a kinde Father vnto vs and a gratious Lord but thou hast vouchsafed to be our deere and vvelbeloued brother What minde is not ouer-ioyed with the delectable meditation of thy vvonderfull fauour What hart is not rauished with the sweet sent of thy admirable humilitie And what soule can euer be satisfied with the sweetnesse of thy exceeding mercie When all our obedience towards thee be it neuer so great or our praises be they neuer so many cannot paralel and equall the least iot of thy infinite goodnesse towards vs. SECTION IIII. ANd thou Lord of all things possessor of the highest heauens and sole Commander of the whole earth which hast no neede of any thing because the fowles of the ayre fishes of the Sea beasts of the field are all at thy prudent and prouident disposition yea the greatest worldly Monarch is but thy poore slaue and submissiue Vassall at the beginning of thy birth and first entrance into this transitorie world the sweetest ioyes whereof are soone sowred with sodaine misery and the chiefest treasures liable euery moment to wauering mutability thou diddest not abhorre to taste the bitter gall of pinching necessity and to feele the irksome discommodities of beggarly base and abiect pouertie so ill was thy entertainement so bad was thy welcome and vile vvas thy estimation amongst vngratefull men For as the
and sorrowfull Disciples looke vpon them and view what store of teares doe fall from their eyes heare what pittifull sighes and grieuous grones doe come from their hearts while they see their louing Master vexed in his bodie and afflicted in his soule suffering the wrath of his Father for the guilt of our sinnes After my louing IESVS had told his sadfull Disciples the heauinesse of his soule pressed with the ponderous waight of our sinnes he departed from them about a stones cast and kneeling on the earth prayed vnto his heauenly Father saying My Father all things are possible to thee if it be possible remoue this Cup from mee yet not my will but thy will be done Learne here oh my soule of thine afflicted Sauiour where to seeke a salue for thy wounds and from whence thou maist hope for help when any fearefull danger doth hang ouer thy head or any present anguish torment thy hart poure forth thy prayers in his holy Sanctuarie let thy deuotion ascend vp to him that his benediction may descend downe vpon thee learne alwayes to submit thy wish to his will for if it be not his will to deliuer thee it will be his will alwayes to comfort thee if thou continue thy prayers with perseuerance and attend his appointed time with patience Consider how thy Sauiour prayed three times vttering the same words when his pangs in his Agonie were so grieuous and his paines so dolorous that his sweate ranne downe like drops of bloud so heauie was the displeasure of his Father against him for our sinnes so great was the burden of our iniquities imposed vpon his shoulders But in the extremitie of his passions and sorrow of his soule his heauenly father sent downe an Angell from heauen to comfort him for the Lord will neuer leaue them forsaken in their sorrow that call vpon him faithfully he hath commanded vs to call vpon him in our trouble and he will deliuer vs and as he hath commanded the one so will hee neuer faile to performe the other Draw me oh my louing Lord to the Garden where thou wert that I may see thee praying and suffer with thee in thy afflictions call me and say Come into my garden my sister my spouse make hast oh my Soule to come to thy Beloued because thy Beloued is gone vp into his garden to his bed of spices that hee may feede there and gather Lillies Let vs consider oh my Soule and meditate attentiuely vpon all things which our Iesus hath done let vs ruminate his feuerall actions which may afford vs consolation and tend to our instruction For we may take many examples from our louing Master which should euermore be proposed before our eyes that wee might alwayes imitate them in the course of our life Thou seest how our most gentle Master hath commanded his Disciples to lincke their hearts together with the bands of true loue and to arme themselues with patience against the daies of danger when he went to the mount Oliuet to pray Wherefore being about to enter into a fearefull fight to beginne a dangerous battell and to encounter many deadly foes hee animateth his courage and armeth himselfe with prayers Learne thou also by this his example in the day of thy tribulation and houre of thy affliction to haue thy speedy recourse vnto Prayer Wee can finde no better weapon wherewith to offend our foes Wee can vse no better shield wherewith to defend our friends Thou seest also my soule how thy Sauiour Iesus preparing himselfe to Prayer did leaue the companie of his Disciples and he onely selected three out of his number so that they three which before had beene spectators in mount Tabor of his glorious Transfiguration might now be companions and eye-witnesses of his grieuous Passion that in the mouth of two or three euery word might be established Learne thou also to leaue the societie of men when thou doest addresse thy selfe to talke with God When thy Sauiour did pray he ascended vp into a mountaine to teach vs that although our bodies doe remaine vpon earth yet our cogitations should mount and soare vp into heauen by the wings of deuout prayer he poured forth the compassion of his heart he being a good Shepheard doth diligently watch ouer his flocke the extremitie of his owne passions doe not make him forgetfull of his Brethren Oh great loue how constantly euen vnto the end did he tender and loue the little flocke of his faithfull Disciples being indeede their most kinde and louing Pastor when in the most grieuous fits of his heauy Agonie and greatest pangs of his Passion he was carefull to procure their rest in that little time which was limited vnto them Teach me my mercifull Iesu not onely to be tender-hearted towards my poore Brethren in the bright dayes of my flourishing prosperitie but breed also within my bowels such a feeling compassion towards them in the hard time of my clowdie aduersitie that I may not onely wish mine owne ease and labour for mine owne cause but also that I may be mindfull of others afflicted and doe for them what I may which are in the like wofull case Attend also to the lowly demeanour and humble gesture of thy gentle Lord when hee prayeth who kneeling meekely on his knees and falling flat on the earth with his face Luke 22.41 Mark 14.35 doth plainely discouer by the submissiue humiliation of his bodie the sincere humilitie of his minde Oh great worthy and wonderfull humilitie when as he being equall and coeternall with God doth prostrate himselfe to the earth when he prayeth his father as though hee were a most base and wretched creature and submitteth the issue of his Petition to the pleasure and will of his Father Oh how should I learne to humble my soule and prostrate my bodie which am indeed nothing else but a sinke of sinne and an vnsauorie lumpe of iniquitie When I addresse my selfe vnto holy prayer and come to put vp my petition to a God of such infinite glory should I not cast downe my high lookes should I not curbe mine aspiring thoughts should I not lay aside my proud attyre and put on the mourning garment of sorrowfull and true Repentance Oh how should I which am but dust and ashes yea indeede nothing else but a very masse of grieuous misery humble and cast downe my selfe when I approach to speake to such a glorious Maiestie I confesse I must stand aloofe off with the poore publican terrified with the horrour of my sinnes which lye so heauie vpon my head that I cannot lift vp mine eyes vnto heauen Teach me oh Lord for none but thou can teach me to learne this hard lesson of true humilitie This is the Ladder by which my prayers must ascend vp vnto thee and thy Graces descend downe vpon mee I cannot enter into the Palace of thy most ioyfull and glorious Eternitie vnlesse I passe through the straite dore of selfe-debasing humilitie But now oh my
It is true that my conscience doth merit damnation and that my repentance doth not suffice for satisfaction But it is certaine that thy exceeding mercie doth surpasse all my vile iniquitie Therefore good Sauiour spare that of which thou art the Saluation yea thou that desirest not the death of a sinner Spare oh spare my sinfull soule for it being vtterly dismayed flieth from thy terrifying Iustice to thy comforting mercie that because the reward of her virginitie being corrupted oh heart-wounding sorrow is vnrecouerable the punishment of hatefull Fornication to her repenting at least may not be vneuitable because it is not a thing impossible to thy omnipotencie neither vnseemely to thy Iustice nor vnaccustomable to thy mercie Both because thou art good and because thy infinite mercie endureth for euer Which art blessed vvorld without end Amen A Meditation of S. Bernard concerning the Passion of Iesus Christ Diuided into twentie and one Sections SECTION I. LEt vs vvho are true Christians graced with so noble a name so high a stile and so glorious a title honour and celebrate with true sorrowfull relenting repenting harts the Funerall Obsequies of our noble Lord Iesus of Nazareth that meeke spotlesse innocent and harmelesse Lambe who did not so much as open his mouth being vnder the hand of the Shearer malitiously accused odiously reuiled innocently and wrongfully condemned of the furious and bloody Iewes extreamely tortured spitefully disdained shamefully spetted vpon and lastly cruelly crucified by the barbarous and brutish Gentiles It is an exployt full of honour full of renowne it is most healthfull and wholsome for our sickly soules that we Christians dayned worthie of such a gracious and honourable Name should reuerently adore louingly embrace valiantly imitate the weake infirmities scornefull disgraces base pouerty painefull labours sore and sorrowfull agonies the deadly pangs of the bitter Passion of our louing Redeemer and sweet Sauiour Christ Iesus the righteous For these are the powerfull instruments and most strong weapons by which the omnipotent vertue and the infinite inuestigable and vnsearchable wisedome of God hath mightily and wonderfully effected and wrought the restauration and renouation of the decayed World the eternall Saluation of vs men yea of vs most miserable and wretched men and the endlesse and vtter destruction of Hell Death and the Diuell Heb. 2.14 Luke 1.71 And in the working of this great worke and admirable misterie of our Saluation the Lord Christ was made lesser then the Angels that he might make vs equall with the Angels hee descended from his Throne of glory that hee might deliuer vs from ignominie Heb. 2 9. Hee being Lord of Lords tooke vpon him the shape of a seruant that he might make vs honourable hee willingly dispossessed himselfe of all his Royalties that he might eternally possesse vs with the euerlasting treasure and full inheritance of his heauenly Kingdome 2 Cor. 8.9 And who is hee if hee could tast his infinite kindnesse but alas who is able to sound the bottomlesse depth of this more then meruailous yea miraculous loue but vvould willingly forsake his goodly earthly possessions leaue all his worldly honours and dignities subiect euery moment to decay and vanity as soone gone as they are gotten disroabe the stout Bride of her gay and gorgious apparell and strip her naked from all her borrowed feathers cloath himselfe vvith the sackcloath of lowly humility cut off his curled lockes and sprinkle his head with ashes that he might truly humble prostrate and debase himselfe cast downe his high lookes curbe his proud aspiring and vntamed thoughts for Christ Iesus his meeke and mercifull Sauiour vvho came downe from Heauen out of the bosome of his Father being coeternall and coequall with him in euerlasting glorie leauing the ioyfull societie of blessed Angels aboue to conuerse here below amongst cursed men nay to abide and patiently to beare the curses and bitter taunts of blasphemous and fiery-minded men SECTION II. THis Lord Christ was tyrannically tortured cruelly crucified for our yea rather for my sins and hath sweetned his bitter crosse to all that zealously loue him faithfully beleeue in him Hee died a most shamefull cruell cursed death on the Crosse that he might deliuer vs from the curse of the condemning and killing Law and taken vs out of the iawes of the deuouring Lyon redeemed vs from Hell from infernall fire and euerlasting perdition Hee shed yea powred out his most precious blood spouting out the same from all the vaines of his pierced and martyred body that with his precious and soueraigne Balme he might salue all our deadly wounds and saue our dying soules He died and by his death killed death that we might liue eternally in him and by him And who may not amazedly admire the incomparable loue of so milde so mercifull and so potent a Sauiour Who cannot at least who ought not with rauished affections to loue and like ioyfull Simeon with both armes to imbrace so magnificent but for vs sinfull men and for our sakes made so humble and lowly and yet a most powerfull Redeemer The dulcet taste of vvhose loue doth farre exceede the Hony and the Hony-combe in sweetnesse And although the least drop of it be sufficient to fill all and euery part of an hungry soule yet it hath in it such a sauourie relish and an appetite procuring quality that the more the desirous soule eateth the more it coueteth the more it feedeth the more eagerly it longeth and thirsteth after it Why should we not patiently suffer and constantly endure whatsoeuer the inueterate malice of the Diuell can imagine against vs or the furious madnesse of vvicked men his wilfull Ministers can lay or impose vpon vs for Christ Iesus his cause for the honouring of his truly and honourable name and for our constant profession of a true Christian Faith Christ passed through the ignominie shame contempt of the Crosse to supernall dignity infinite Maiestie and endlesse glory all power authority was giuen vnto him for the aduancement of his euerlasting dominion both in heauen aboue and in earth beneath by God his heauenly Father all the Angels Gods heauenly Heraulds with ioyfull humility melodious Harmony and with continuall laud and thankes-giuing doe worship and adore his incomprehensible exceeding-glorious and eternall Maiestie and at the honourable name of Iesus let euerie knee be bowed of things in Heauen aboue and things in the darkest Caues of Hell belowe Where is thy glory oh Christian Where is thy reioycing Where is thy boasting not in Nobilitie honour and riches but in the glorious name of thy crucified Lord thy eternall God and euerlasting Sauiour and in the gratious gracefull and sweet name of Christ which is a name aboue all names farre surpassing all Noble honourable and glorious earthly titles and the highest stile of vvorldly Maiestie And whosoeuer is blessed in this name shall be truly blessed here vpon earth and afterward shall be eternally happy in Heauen
with an honourable triumph hath entred the heauens And behold he being crowned with glory and honour sitteth at the right hand of thy Maiestie who being our Aduocate maketh continuall intercession for vs that we being the children of wrath and disobedience by Nature may bee reconciled vnto thee for euer by the exceeding riches of thy grace For hee is flesh he is our brother Looke oh Lord vpon the amiable face of thy sweet Christ which became obedient vnto thee euen vnto death that thou being well pleased in beholding him mayest send downe the comfortable dewe of thy mercy vpon vs neither let his scarres depart for euer out of thy sight that thou mayest remember what a great satisfaction thou hast receiued of him for our sinnes I wish it might please thee to ballance the sinnes wherewith vvee haue deserued thy wrath and indignation together with the calamitie and sorrow which thy innocent Sonne hath suffered for vs. Certainely the waight of his heauy miserie vvill more then counterpoyse the waight of all our iniquities and it hath rather deserued that thou shouldest raine downe the sweet shewers of thy mercy vpon vs then that our sinnes haue demerited to kindle the fire of thy deuouring vvrath against vs that wee should vtterly be depriued of thy wonted clemency which should slake the fury of thine incensed ire and put out the flame of thy burning indignation But oh gratious and mercifull Father let euery tongue proclaime immortall thankes vnto thee and sound forth aloud thine eternall praises for the exceeding largenesse of thine immeasurable bounty vvhich hast not spared thine onely Sonne which was as deere and neere as thine owne heart vnto thee but hast deliuered him vp vnto death for vs all that we might haue him as a faithfull Aduocate and louing Mediatour before thee in Heauen And to thee oh Lord Iesus a most couragious and constant Louer and my gratious Redeemer what thankes be they neuer so many can I returne or what praises be they neuer so great may I vtter which might counteruaile the least iot of thy vvorthy merit when as I am but a base creature made of dust and shaped out of the clay whose breath is in my Nosthrils and I subiect euery moment to forgoe it although I commonly forget it and to returne againe into the wombe of the Earth from vvhence I vvas taken SECTION XIX FOR what oh sweet Sauiour shouldest thou haue done which thou hast not vvillingly done to finish the great worke of my saluation Thou hast diued and cast thy selfe ouer head and eares into the troublesome Ocean of thy stormy Passions that thou mightest draw mee wholly out aliue from those perillous Waters when the waues haue entered euen into thy Soule For thou diddest willingly subiect thy selfe to the paines of Death that thou mightest restore my soule vnto mee which I had so wilfully lost Luke 1.71 And now behold I am obliged vnto thee by a double debt because thou hast twise giuen mee my soule once by Creation and once by Redemption what haue I that I may more iustly giue thee then my soule But for thy precious soule vexed perplexed and troubled vvith so many and such heauy tribulations I finde not what recompence man can bee able to render vnto thee in any sort to gratifie the worthinesse of thy desert For if I should be able to giue thee Heauen and Earth and all their beautifull furniture and the glorious ornaments of them I could in no wise attaine the measure or discharge the infinite sum of such an euerlasting debt But that I may render both that which I owe and also that which is possible for mee is a matter wholly belonging to thy liberall bountie and must onely flowe from the sweet fountaine of thy beneficiall goodnesse Thou art to be loued oh Lord with all my heart vvith all my strength I must tread in thy path and follow thy steps vvhich hast endured all the extreamities of thy bitter Passions with exceeding patience and being Lord of life hast of thine owne accord vouchsafed to yeeld thy selfe vnto death to redeeme mee and all faithfull repentant sinners to the ioyes of eternall life And how shall that thing bee effected and wrought to mee but onely and wholy by thee through thy mightie power which is able to worke all things in Heauen aboue and in the Earth beneath Let my Soule cleaue vnto thee let it be vnited vnto thee with the bond of euerlasting loue because all the vertue and faculties of it depend onely vpon thee and because it must needs sinke into a bottomlesse pit of endles misery if it bee but a moment debarred from thy louing mercy And now oh Lord my gracious Redeemer I worship thee as true God I trust in thee I hope in thee I couet long to approach so neere vnto thee as the feeble wings of my mounting desires will carry me Let thy strong hand support my weakenesse Let the rich treasure of thy mercy supply the wants of mine infirmity Let the greatnesse of thine vnsearchable goodnesse neuer depart out of my remembrance Let a memoriall of thy bitter passion by which thou hast wrought mine euerlasting Saluation be perfectly written vvithin the palmes of my hands so that mine eyes may still be viewing it and let it be deepely ingrauen in my heart that mine inward thoughts and cogitations may euermore be meditating and musing vpon it Let thy Crowne of Thornes thy redde bloudy nailes thy pierced side thy grieuous vvounds thy precious bloud thy death and buriall bee euermore presented before the eyes of mine vnderstanding that I may vvater my Couch and make my bedde to swimme vvith teares of true sorrowfull repentance that I may duely and truely bewaile the multitude of my haynous sinnes vvhich haue beene like so many Iron-nayles to enter through thy harmelesse hands and innocent feete and like so many sharpe Speares to pierce thy blessed side to make thy wounded heart send forth plentifull streams of thy deere and precious bloud Lastly let the fresh remembrance of thy most glorious and victorious Resurrection and the blessed memory of thy triumphant Ascention comfort the fainting Spirits of my drooping soule with a sweet taste of ioy mittigate the sorrowes of my perplexed minde For in all these the sweet odour of life doth ascend vp into my nosthrils Raise thou oh Lord my spirit with their reuiuing odour from the death of sinne and out of the Graue of perpetuall darkenesse Touch my heart oh Christ that I may touch thee yea although it bee but the hemme of thy Garment that Vertue may come out of thee Matth. 14.32 Marke 6.56 Which may keepe me from the snares of Sathan and comfort me in the houre of tribulation so that the yoake of thy commaundements may be made easie vnto mee and the burthen of the Crosse which thou commandest mee to carry after thee may be light to my soule What am I a silly worme What is