a soft bed a pleasant chamber and delight of the flesh Bee ashamed therefore O my soule when thou beholdest thy Lord hanging upon the Crosse Where imagine him to bee preaching unto thee and rebuking thee after this manner I tooke for thee O man a Crowne of Thornes Thou in contempt of mee wearest a garland made of Flowers I for thee stretched out my hands upon the Crosse wilt thou reach thine forth to pleasures and dalliance I dying could not quench my thirst so much as with water wilt thou seeke after precious Wines and Viands I both on the Crosse as likewise all my life long was full of reproaches and sorrowes wilt thou bestow thy time upon honours and pleasures I suffered my side to bee opened that I might make thee even partaker of my heart wilt thou have thine exposed and opened to vaine and perillous loves A Short and fruitfull Confession of a Sinner unto God for obtaining Contrition O God of inestimable and eternall mercy God of unmeasurable piety God the Creator and Redeemer of mankind who purifiest the hearts of such as confesse their sinnes unto thee who releasest all such from the bond of iniquity as accuse themselves before the sight of thy divine majesty I beseech the power and depth of thy goodnesse with inward groanes that according to the multitude of thy mercies thou wouldst grant mee to make a pure and sincere confession before thee of all my sinnes whereof my guilty conscience doth accuse mee And that thou wouldst give mee true repentance for all such things as I have committed in naughty thoughts depraved cogitations wicked consent unjust counsell in concupiscence and uncleane delights in evill and hatefull words in malicious works in my seeing hearing tasting smelling and touching I truly even in all my members doe conceive my selfe guilty above measure because as the starres of heaven and sands of the Sea so doe I know my sinnes to bee innumerable But to thee Lord who knowest all secrets and who hast said Thou desirest the repentance of a Sinner doe I reveale all the secrets of my heart accusing my naughtinesse and my many and very great sinnes which I have committed before the eyes of thy fearefull Majesty all my wretched life long especially these here for the better increase of thy devotion and spirituall compunction maist thou particularize some of thy grievouser Sinnes with all those my evils which are open and manifest O God of mercy in thy sight And now O most gracious LORD looke upon mee and have mercy on mee and give unto mee a fountaine of teares and remission of all my sinnes through thy free mercie and that with inward confession of heart and affection of desiring remission seconded with so sincere a Confession Rectifie and reforme in mee O most loving Father whatsoever is depraved in mee either in word deed thought through my owne impietie or the Devils subtiltie and by joyning mee a member to the unity of the Church make mee partaker of thy Redemption and admit mee to the Sacrament of blessed reconciliation as one who hath no confidence but in thy mercy and compassion A Confession of Sinnes by Blessed Augustine O Mercifull pitifull great and terrible God I confesse unto thee my sins to thee to thee doe I discover my wounds for thine ineffable goodnesse bestow a Salve on mee Thou O most mild Lord vouchsafedst to say I desire not the death of a sinner but rather that hee may turne from his wickednesse and live I confesse that my life is in thy sight wicked and crooked that my life is falling into the lake of misery and my Soule perishing in my iniquities Lust sinfull delight naughty works wrath pridâ— impatience malice envy gluttony ebriety theft rapine lying perjury scurrility foolish speaking murmuring detraction ignorance infidelity distruct negligence of Gods Commandements as contagious glagues have slaine my Soule Mine heart and lips are polluted My seeing hearing tasting smelling and touching have enfeebled my Soule with sinnes and I am wholly lost as well in my cogitation as action I beseech thee O my Lord God whose mercy hath no end draw mee unto thee as thou drewest that sinfull woman As thou gavest grace unto her not to cease from kissing thy feet washing them with her teares and wiping them with her haires so graciously vouchsafe to grant unto mee that according to the greatnesse of mine iniquities thy great love may bee in mee that for thine unmeasurable piety thou maist forgive mee all my sinnes Bestow on mee pardon for evils past continence for evils present and cautelous prudence for evils to come Grant mee I beseech thee before I dye most fully to obtaine thy mercy and suffer not my dayes to bee ended till my sinnes bee pardoned but as thou willest and knowest have mercy on mee Amen A PRAIER before the holy Communion HAile O most holy flesh and bloud of Christ wherereof I am made partaker in these visible Elements Haile O thou highest sweetnesse who knowest no losing takest away all loathing destroyest death restorest life Haile thou blessed food which leadest thine Elect from the exile of this World to their Country Haile thou happy Sacrifice which art offered upon the Altar of the Crosse to God â—he Father for the whole burden of our sinnes Haile thou Manna more white than snow more sweet than honey more precious than all gold Take from mee I beseech thee O good Shepheard mine iniquities that with a purified heart and spirit I may deserve to taste these Holy of holiest Let this venerable Sacrament bee an impregnable Safeguard to mee against the deceits of the enemy that fed with this wholesome Viand I may passe the slippery wayes of this life in a blamelesse conversation and come unto thee the Bread of life and the true Lord of Angels without any hinderance of the Devils subtilty or malice O Lord heare mee bee pacified with mee attend mee and tarry not from mee O my God for thy goodnesse sake For none can bee worthy of so great a mystery unlesse thou ô Omnipotent God make him worthy Amen A PRAIER OF Th. Aquinas to be said after celebration of the holy Communion I Give thankes to thee O holy Lord OmnipoteÌ„t Father Eternall God who hast vouchsafed to refresh me thy grievous sinner and unworthy servant for no deserts of mine but for thy sole mercy sake with the precious Body and Bloud of thy Sonne our Lord JESUS CHRIST And I beseech thee that this holy Communion may not bee of guilt to mee unto condemnation but a soule-saving intercession of remission and consolation Let it bee unto mee the armour of faith and the shield of good-will Let it bee unto mee a removing of my vices a rooting out of lust and licentiousnesse an increasing of Charity and Patience Humility and Obedience and of all Vertues Let it bee a strong defence against all mine Enemies as well visible as invisible a perfect quieting and composing of my
the most precious bloud of our Lord Jesus Christ and that for his great love towards mee no merit of mine doe confesse and acknowledge publikely or by this hand-writing or in these words before the Omnipotent God and before the whole hoast of Heaven and before you so many as stand here as witnesses about me if necessitie shall so require that I am and desire so to dye a son truly obedient to the holy Catholique Church with that â—inceritie as becommeth a Christian. And I beleeve and confesse generally all and everie part particle portion or article of the Christian faith to the beleefe whereof everie Christian stands bound especially all those particular points whether plainly expressed or necessarily implyed in the twelve articles of Christian faith for as much as they were delivered unto us from the holy Spirit by the twelve Apostles and recommended to us for Evangelicall truth And I farther beleeve and adhere to their inter pretations or expositions yet not to all or everie one but to those onely which were published by the holy Fathers received admitted â—pproved and confirmed by the most sacred Councells and tried by the truest touch-stone of infallible Scripture And to be briefe I beleeve whatsoever a Christian ought truly to beleeve In which faith so immoveable and firme I rejoyce with all mine heart to dye holding and offering this writing in mine hand as a most impregnable and invincible shield against all the insults assaults deceits and subtilties of the Devill And if it so come to passe which God forbid that by instigation of the Devill or violence of sicknesse I should thinke speake or doe any thing contrarie to mine Attestation aforesaid or should fall into any apostacie diffidence or desperation I wholly revoke and reverse that whatsoever or howsoever it shall be here in the presence of you all and make it as voyd and of no effect as if I were distraught of my wits when I did it Wherefore I appeale unto you all that are here present and to thee O holy Angell to whose guard I am committed that yee beare witnesse of this my Protestation before the Omnipotent Judge Now for as much as concerneth my selfe I doe pardon and forgive all injuries of what nature qualitie or condition soever as have beene done mee desiring heartily that the like may bee done to mee by those whom I have at any time offended either in word or deed I doe likewise crave and desire with all mine heart that I may bee made partaker of all good works which either are already done or shall be hereafter done by holy men through the whole Church whensoever or whereinsoever their office or ministerie may be usefull to mee but principally of the most bitter Passion and most innocent death of our Lord Jesus Christ. And may this my naturall voluntarie and desired approch of death stand through his merits and mercies for all my sinnes And I wish to God that I had never at any time sinned either against God or his Lawes or my Superiours or my Neighbours or my selfe Lastly I give thanks to mine Omnipotent God for all his benefits bestowed upon me and I commend my body and soule into his hands and to the bitternesse of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ to whom be praise and honour and dignitie for evermore Amen AN ELEGIE OF St. Dionysius a Carthusian of the judgement of death and the sundrie casualties thereof TO Earth returnes whats'ere from Earth had birth Flower fades shade vades what 's bred is brought to Earth Nought judge I long that doubtfull bound can stay To morrow day may be my onely day Short is that day to day which well may be My day my doome a fearefull day to me A fearefull horrid day when all my store Is clos'd in clay and I can earne no more Who thinks his dayes long 'las he thinks amisse Nor long nor safe is one whole day of his In vaine speake I of dayes dayes not exprest When not one day nor houre can promise rest Thy long liv ' d hopes if so thou like extend Yet nought of nought shall come to nought i'th'end Thouâ—ands ten thousands thousand thousands were On Earth now Earth whose names lye buried here This onely rests that each receive his hire Good works deserve good gifts ungodly fire Behold the fearefull judge thy finall doome Prepare thy selfe this dreadfull day will come Feare then and quake compose direct thy mind Live to dye now and suffer what 's assign'd An Epistle of Ludovicus Blosius written to an especiall friend upon the perfecting and publishing of his worke entituled The Parlour of the Soule BEhold thou hast my dearely beloved in Christ The Parlour of the Soule which thou hast so long time desired Having now lately written The spirituall Glasse both for thy selfe and mee I had purposed to have added nothing thereto howbeit afterwards I could by no meanes satisfie thy desire unlesse I annexed unto it The spirituall Iewell Crowne and Casket all which this our Parlour containeth Which truly came later to the Presse than thou wished but take it in good part being done by the pâ—rpose and ordinance of God Now if thou setting aside sometimes thy more weightie cares and employments become delighted with the reading of such simple bookes as are published by mee as thou seemest to be delighted I doe advise thee that first thou enter into this Parlour and diligently consider and discusse those things which are therein And afterwards that thou take into thy hand that Psychagogia which I have collected some yeares agoe out of Augustine and Gregorie For the doctrine of the Fathers set downe in these two Books shall mightily comfort and confirme thee being of so good disposition and inflame thee to the love of God thy heavenly Countrey Let it not be tedious to thee ofttimes to read over these and such like devout works yea though thy reading afford small or no sweet relish to the palate of thine heart For too delicate is he who casteth aside all such holy and wholesome directions as he had once read or heard and will not read nor heare them any more I give thanks unto my Lord Jesus for that thy Brother after such time as he had read over that Tract of mine entitled Comfort for the weak hearted and now by mee published hee becomes now lesse afflicted with inordinate feare than before Let him ascribe that reliefe as received solely from God and his holy Doctors who speake unto him in that Tract of comfort He does well surely to grieve and sorrow for that hee hath offended God without measure or number all the by-past time of his life neverthelesse hee is to have his affiance and confidence in the boundlesse sweetnesse of Gods mercie Let him thinke how most of those who had slaine Christ afterwards received pardon by beleeving in Christ to the end truly that all men should learne that no crimes or offences are so
A SPIRITVAL SPICERIE Containing Sundrie sweet Tractates of Devotion and Piety By RI. BRATHWAIT Esq. Cant. c. 1. 12. c. 5. 13. My Welbeloved is as a bundle of Myrrhe unto mee he shall lye betweene my brests His cheekes are as a bed of Spices LONDON Printed by I. H. for George Hutton at his shop within Turning stile in Holborne 1638. TO THE TRVLY ENNOBLED THOMAS LORD FAUCONBERGE Baron of YAROM Together With his pious Progeny those succeeding Branches of a prospering Family R. B. Zealously Dedicates this Spirituall Spicerie Vpon the translation of his Divine Dialogue TO you my Lord who knowes th' Originall This may seeme fruitlesse yet these sacred flowres Like a Bride-posie at a Nuptiall May tender choice content to some of yours Which blest effect would crowne this Worke of ours That we should be so happy as to give Where we do love RULES how to dye and live Which for his Sake we aske that is our Saviour That we may live in 's feare dye in his favour A TITLE-TABLE Or Short Summarie of all such Tractates Meditations Prayers Contemplations and Motives to Piety as are comprised within this SPIRITUALL SPICERIE A Divine Dialogue or a comfortable Conference betwixt our Saviour and a Sinner with the Life of GRâ—YTRODIUS the Author Professant of a strict disciplinary Order Page 1. A familiar Expostulation of the Flesh to GOD the Father touching Câ—RIST pag. 53. An Answer of the Father to the Flesh. p. 61. A pithy Meditation upon this Expostulation and Answer to inflame the Soule with a devout fervour p. 65. Generall Rules of living well p. 69. The Sorrowfull Soules Solace p. 82. A Meditation referring to the former Ejaculation p. 93. Mans-Mutability p. 95. Minds-Traâ—quillity pag. 103. A Meâ—itation containing the praise of Peace and her Beautie p. 109. Christian Philosophy p. 113 The Soules Jubilee p. 121. The Christian Store-house p. 144. Man his owne Foe p. 153. Two devout Prayers or Meditations of F. Lewis of Granado p. 164. 167. A short and fruitfull Confession of a Sinner unto God for obtaining Contrition p. 179. A Confession of Sinnes p. 183. A Prayer before the holy Communion p. 187. A Prayer after celebration of the holy Communion p. 190. An other Prayer p. 193. A Prayer for all Judges and Justiciaries p. 196. A Prayer for peace or tranquillity of minde p. 201. Of the presence of the Conscience in every place p. 206. A Pithy Consideration inforcing in us to the former Subject a more serious Meditation p. 209. A Closing Sonnet upon these Miscellane Meditations p. 223. A Reply to a rigid Precisian rendring him in a sententions Sapphicke of the Poet all satisfaction p. 226. A Christian Diall which may serve well to shadow out our houres number our dayes direct our wayes contract our yeares and regulate our desires p. 228. The Life of Ioannes Lanspergius a Carthusian Author of that Christian Diall p. 230. A briefe institution with an Exerâ—ise for an happie deaâ—h expressed in a familiar Conference betwixt God and the Soule Wholesome Admonitions teaching a Christian how to dye well p. 252. An Exercise whereby â—arely or whensoever thou willest thou maist poure out thy heart unto God for a good death p. 257. An Oblation of Christ and his meriâ—s to his Father p. 261. The Dying mans Diary or a Christians Memento mori divided into a five dayes Exercise p. 264. Profitable Counsell for one approaching neare the point of death p. 265. An Exercise wherein the sicke person with sighes and groanes may resigne himselfe unto God and â—ervently desire that he may deserve to be joyned unto him p. 270. A Christians Last-will or Testament containing a Protestation or Testament not unprofitable to be repeated or meditated of every Christian at the point of death p. 281. An Elegie of Saint Dionysius of the judgement of death p. 288. An Epistle of Ludovious Blosius written to an especiall friend upon the perfecting and publishing of his Worke entituled The Parlour of the Soule p. 290. Certaine choice or Select Sayings of D. Henricus Suso of the love of the World and of the love of God p. 304. Of the Passion of our Lord. p. 309. Of the holy Eucharist p. 313. Of resigning denying and mortifying ones selfe p. 316. The Passionateâ— Pilgrim Breathing a Contemplative Mans Exercise offâ—ring a Pâ—nitent Soules Sacrifice p. 325. Deaths Memoriall p. 336. Deaths distinction p. 343. Holy Memorialls or Heavenly Memento's p. 345. Of his Conception Memoriall I. ibid. Of his Birth Memoriall II. p. 352. Of his Childhood Memoriall III. p. 360. Of his Youth Memoriall IV. p. 367. Of his Manhood Memoriall V. p. 375. Of his Age. Memoriall VI. p. 383. His Pleasures Memoriall VII p. 395. His Labours Memoriall VIII p. 406. His Life Memoriall IX p. 417. His Death Memoriall X. p. 443. THE LIFE Of JACOBUS GRUYTRODIUS Author of this Divine Dialogue Or Christian Manuall faithfully rendred according to the Originall IACOBUS GRUYTRODIUS a German a man singularly versed divine and humane Learning And opposite in constancy of opinion and consonancie of doctrine to those surreptitious Errours of the Time who as hee had commendably passed his youth in the Liberall Sciences so hee consecrated and happily bestowed the residue of his time to the honour of God in a devout privacie having his pen ever vers'd in Works of devotion and piety never in arguments of division or controversy He lived in the yeare M. CCCC.LXXII A Divine Dialogue Or A Comfortable Conference betwixt our SAVIOUR and a SINNER Sinner PArdon mee I beseech thee my most gracious Lord Jesu CHRIST thy most unworthy and unhappy Servant desirous to talke a while with thee and of thee Christ. Why Who art thou Sinner A sinfull man who unhappily and rashly have fallen into the misery and filthinesse of sundry sinnes and much more unhappily am ready to fall into eternall misery and calamity after the end of this life Christ. Thou needest not feare this fearfull fall if thou wilt but doe so much as truly repent thee of thy sinnes committed and henceforth abstaine from those sinnes whereof thou hast repented For I most tender in my compassion towards thee out of meere love descended from the royall Throne of mine high glory to unmeasurable dolour and anxiety all which I willingly suffered in my flesh in my mind in my members and senses to the end that I might deliver thee from the eternall torments of hell and bestow on thee the joy of Heaven Doubt nothing therefore touching thine offences I will forget them all so thou forget thine evill affection and depraved custome I will forget I say and blot out thine iniquity and as farre distant as the East is from the West so farre will I divide thee from thy sinne I will cleanse thee Neither will I cease till I
fulfill thee throughout that Where sin hath abounded grace likewise may superabound Yet I would beloved I would be trusted I would with sighs and teares be intreated than which no sweeter melody can unto me be tendred Sinner O my crucified JESU I know I am dearer to thee than I am to my selfe for to thee I am alwayes deare who as it is written Lovest all things that are and hatest nothing of those which thou hast made But man is not alwaies equally deare to himselfe as he is unro thee because hee that loveth iniquity hateth his ownâ— soule Christ. This have I shewn in the continuall sorrowes of my whole cruâ—ified life For I received the Crosse of my Passion in the Womb of my mother and continually bore it in my heart and confirmed it with much austerity in my body So as that I might purposely shew the unmeasurablenesse of the sorrowes of my soule my finall passion then approaching it was my will to sweat blood thorow all my members and that which lay hid as a secret of my crucifying from the wombe of my Mother with sensible signes to reveale to my faithfull ones which seemed fittest to be at my passage and poinâ— of death Sinner I conceive my good JESU how in that bloudy sweat with which thou wert deep-died and engrained in all thy members thy blessed soule wholly suffered because it is whole in every part of the body yea and the very life of the body But tell me what thou requirest of me for so great anguish continually sustained for me Christ. Onely to love me againe For to this end have I suffered my passion that I might purchase thy affection Sinner Surely most worthy art thou to bee loved because thou art good in thy selfe and none good but God alone And because thou art the Lord delivering from the power and slavery of the Devill And because thou art God forgiving sinnes which none forgiveth but God alone And because thou lovest those that love thee Whence it is that thou sayest I love those that love mee And because thou hearest those that begge of thee whence one saith I have loved the Lord because hee will heare mee Thou also as the peace of charity comming into the world to warme and inflame the cold and lukewarme hast said I came that they might have life to wit the life of grace in this life and more abundantly to wit of glory in the life to come Christ. Surely there is nothing which may so inflame the fire of Gods love in thy heart as a continuall consideration and meditation of this speech of mine I came that they might have life and that more abundantly And of that much like unto this So God loved the world as he gave his onely begotten Sonne Sinner Truly wretched and miserable is hee in whose heart the fire of love is not kindled when hee considereth these things wherein the Charity of God hath chiefly appeared But ô thou only begotten of God suffer not my heart to bee so frozen or benummed with this icy congelation but rather through thy mercy in the remembrance of these thy Words like Snow melting by the heat of the Sunne let me say with that princely Prophet My heart is become as melting wax Christ. Humane impiety before the time of my passion tooke occasion of being unthankfull For man being created but not as then redeemed said I am no more bound to God than other creatures be For he spake the word and I was made hee hath bestowed no more labour on me than any other brute creature But now the mouth of these that speak wickedly is stopped and no place now is left for unthankfulnesse For I have laboured more in the sole redemption of man than in the whole frame and fabrick of the World For of a Master I became a servant of Rich poore of Immortall mortall of the Word flesh of the Sonne of God the son of man I suffered reproaches of such as upbraided me I suffered underminers in my Works contradicters in my Words scorners in my Woes necessities of the flesh horrour of death ignominy of the Crosse. Sinner O how admirable was this love What shall I render to my Lord for all his sorrowes Christ. If thou recall to mind how great things the Lord of Majesty the Sonne of God suffered for thee though thou shouldâ—t dye a thousand deaths yet wert thou not equally sufficient to answer me for the estimate of so great a benefit exceedeth all meanes of requitall Sinner As thou best knowest how much I owe unto thee the Lord of glory who subjectedst thy self to death for me that I might enjoy that happinesse which neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard recount unto me I beseech thee the reasons which caused that most dolorous paine in thy most holy soule For thou saidst right now that in the wombe of thy blessed Mother thou receivedst the Crosse of thy Passion and bore it continually to the houre of thy dissolution Christ. To this end that thou mightst by affection compassion become an acceptable sacrifice unto God wholly inflamed with the fire of Charity all the rust and rubbish of sin being consumed and wasted Consider diligently with a lively heart how I suffred a double Martyrdome one in my body another in my soule or Spirit As touching the Martyrdome of my Body consider that there was never the suffering of any martyr so sharp so painfull that it might be compared with my suffering which I will prove unto thee by authority by signe by reason First by authority For I my selfe crying out of the greatnesse of my sorrows said O all yee who passe by this way consider and see if ever there were sorrow like unto my sorrow as if I should have said there was never any Secondly by Signe Forasmuch as there were never so many Signes seene in the Martyrdome of any as at my Passion implying the sharpnesse and painfulnesse of it to wit When the Sunne was darkned the Earth moved c. As if by the dolorous clamours of my passion they had conceived a sense of devout compassion bemoning me the Son of God hanging on the Crosse. For it was not in the creature to indure the injury done to the Creatour Wherein wicked and obdurate hearts are justly reproved who will not be wrought to compassion nor softned with a pious devotion in the remembrance of my death Thirdly I prove unto thee the bitternesse of my passion by reason Forasmuch as my complexion was most excellent both by reason of the incorruption of my flesh as also by reason of the most proportionable union or mixture of the Elementary qualities For I tooke corruptible flesh of the Virgin for the freeing of all Originall sinne that is of inordinate concupiscence Now to such a complexion was required comelinesse of beauty and strength of body Because therefore by how much more proportionable the union is of those Elements and qualities whereof
that it might depart from me And he said unto me my grace is sufficient for thee for my power is made perfect through weaknesse He heard him whom he had disposed to damnation and heard not him whom hee prepared to salvation The sick patient asketh many things of his Physician yet the Physician gives them not hee heares him not after his will but for his health Make God then thy Physician aske of him health and hee will bee thy health not only as outward health but as he himself is all health Love not then any health beside him but as thou hast it in the Psalme Say unto my Soule I am thy Salvation What is it unto thee what hee give thee so he give himselfe unto to thee Now wouldst thou that hee give himselfe unto thee What if that thou wouldst have hee will not give thee that hee may give himselfe unto thee Hee removes impediments from thee that hee may enter in unto thee Brethren observe and consider what God gives here unto Sinners and hence gather what hee keepes in store for his Servants To Sinners that blaspheme him hee gives daily the benefits of Heaven and Earth hee gives fountains fruits health children wealth abundance All these goods things none giveth but God Hee that gives such things to the sinfull what thinkst thou stores hee up for his faithfull Doest thou thinke this of him that hee who gives such things to the evill reserves nothing in store for the good yes truly hee reserves not onely earth but heaven Nay perchance I speake of something too low when I speake of heaven hee reserves himselfe who made Heaven Beautifull is heaven but more beautifull is the Maker of Heaven But saist thou I see Heaven but I see not him Thou hast eyes to see Heaven But thou hast not as yet an heart to see the Maker of Heaven To that end came hee from Heaven to Earth that hee might cleanse thine heart whereby he might bee seene who made Heaven and Earth But freely with patience expect salvation Hee knowes best with what medicines to cure thee Hee knowes best how to cut thee how to seere thee Thou art become sick through sinne hee comes not onely to cheere but to cut and seere Doest thou not see what paine men suffer under the hands of their Physicians who promise unto them an uncertaine hope of life Thou shalt bee cured saies the Physician thou shalt bee cured if I cut thee And this is but the promise of man and promised to man Neither is hee certaine who speakes it nor hee who heares it because hee speakes it unto man who made not man nor perfectly knoweth what may become of man yet gives man credit to these words of man who knowes not what becomes of man hee submits his members unto him hee suffers himselfe to bee bound or sometimes unbound he is cut and seer'd and perchance hee recovers health for a few dayes yet after this short recovery of health hee knows not when hee must dye and perchance hee dyes while he is in cure or perhaps hee cannot bee cured But to whom hath God at any time promised and deceived Iâ—ius Horreo Suâ—â—ma affluentia Cujus cordiâ— Scrinio Sana Conscientia THE Christian Storehouse Rendred from Saint Augustine in his Tract upon the 64. Psalme upon these words Wee shall bee satisfied with the pleasures of thine House even of thine holy Temple WHat are those good things of the house of God Brethren let us suppose to our selves some rich House imagining it to bee stored with all good things how plenteous it may be what store of vessels of gold and silver there may bee how numerous a family what abundance of stock and store in a word how the House it selfe may delight us with pictures and structures of marble arched Roofes curious Columns specious Spaces sumptuous Rooms behold such things are desired but as yet out of the confusion of Babylon Prune all these desires O Citizen of Hierusalem prune all these if thou wilt returne to thine heavenly City let not captivity delight thee But if thou hast already begun to goe out of Babylon doe not looke behind thee doe not loyter in the way There want not yet Enemies to perswade thee to stay still in thy captivity and exile Let not then the speeches of the wicked prevaile with thee Desire the House of God and desire the good things of that house but not such as thou usest to desire either in thine owne House or in thy Neighbours or Patrons House There is goodnesse of another nature in this House What need wee to declare what those good things be of that House Let him expâ—esse them who singeth in his going out of Babylon We shall bee satisfied with the pleasures of thine House What are those pleasures Sometimes perchance wee erected our hearts to gold to silver and other pretious things doe not seeke such these oppresse they doe not refresh Let us here then meditate of those pleasures of Hierusalem those pleasures of the House of the Lord those pleasures of the Temple of the Lord because those pleasures which are of the House of the Lord those are pleasures of the Temple of the Lord. Wee shall bee satisfied with the pleasures of thine House Holy is thy Temple wonderfull in righteousnesse These are the pleasures of that House Hee sayes not thy holy Temple wonderfull in Pillars wonderful in Pictures wonderful in Marbles wonderfull in gilded buildings but wonderfull in righteousnesse Thou hast outward eyes wherewith thou maist see marble structures golden statues but within is the eye wherewith thou maist view the beauty of Righteousnesse within I say is the eye wherewith thou maist view the beauty of Righteousnesse If there bee no beauty in Righteousnesse whence is it that the Righteous old man is loved What may his body present to delight the sight Hee presents crooked lims a rugged forehead an head whitened with hoary haires weaknesse in all parts full of aches and complaints But perchance though this decrepit old man delight not thine eyes hee may delight thine eares With what voyce with what song For though perchance while hee was young hee sung well all those ayres are decayed with age For can the sound of his words possibly delight thine eares seeing he can scarcely pronounce his words through the dropping decay of his teeth Yet if hee bee just if he covet not that which is anothers if hee out of his owne distribute to the necessity of others if he admonish discreetly and understand rightly if hee beleeve sincerely if hee bee ready for the profession of truth to bestow even his decayed lims for many have beene Martyrs when they were old wee are moved to love him But whence is it that wee love him What good thing doe wee see in him with these eyes of our flesh Nothing There is then a certaine beauty of righteousnesse which wee see with the eyes of our heart and which wee
Devout Prayers Or Meditations of F. Lewis of Granado gathered forth of his Meditations in Spanish and heereto annexed God forbid that I should rejoyce but in the Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ whereby the world is crucified to me and I unto the world Gal. 6. 14. To Christ Crucified WEe adore thee O Lord Jesu Christ and blesse thy holy Name for that thou hast redeemed the world by this thy Crosse. Wee give thankes to thee most gracious Saviour for that thou hast so highly loved us and cleansed us by thy bloud from our sinnes as likewise for that thou hast offered thy selfe upon the Crosse for us that with the most sweet smell of this thy most noble Sacrifice inflamed with the fire of thy love thou mightst reconcile GOD to us and procure our peace with him Blessed bee thou for ever O Saviour of the World O Reconciler of men repairer of Angels Restorer of Heaven Triumpher over Hell Conquerour of the Devill Authour of life Destroyer of Death and Redeemer of them who sate in darknesse and shadow of Death To the sacred mystery of the Crosse by JESUS Sanctified And to JESUS who was on it crucified O Crosse thou drawest hearts more powerfully unto thee than the Adamant doth Ironâ— Thou more clearly enlightnest our minds than the Sunne doth mens eyes Thou more vehemently inflamest our soules than fire doth coales Wherefore O most holy Crosse draw mee unto thee powerfully enlighten mee continually inflame mee vehemently and vigorously that my mind and cogitation may never depart from thee Thou also my good JESU illuminate the eyes of my soule that in this Crosse I may understand how to behold thee to wit that I may not onely contemplate those extreme sorrowes which thou sufferedst for my sake and take compassion of them but that I may also know that the examples of those many and excellent Vertues which thou heere exhibitedst were to mee recommended that they might by mee be imitated Wherefore O thou Teacher of the World O thou Physician of our soules here doe I come to the foot of thy Crosse she wing my wounds and sores unto thee heale mee O my God and prescribe mee what I should doe I acknowledge and confesse O Lord that I am vehemently addicted to sensuall affections and too great a Lover of my selfe which selfe-love I perceive hindereth much my spiritual profit and proficience So as being oft-times ensnared either with my pleasures and delights or deterred with the labour of fasting I lose the benefit of pious and devout exercises with the losse whereof my salvation likewise is endangered This sensuality of mine is to mee very tedious very grievous for truly it desires at set houres to feast daintily and delicatly it desires after dinners and suppers to solace it selfe in discourses and delights likewise to take the ayre walke in gardens and arbours alwayes affecting one recreation or other but teach thou mee O Lord by thy example what I ought to doe O with what confusion with what shame doe I conceive my selfe to bee cloathed so often as I behold after what sort thou entertainedst that most delicate and most tender body of thine In the midst of those anguishes and dolours of thy most bitter death thou ministredst to it no other repast nor receit than that which was confectioned of gall and vinegar by those cruell and hatefull Apothecaries And at that time whose tongue I pray thee durst complaine of thy meat that it was eyther cold or raw and ill dressed or too quickly or slowly dished upon sight of that Table spread O Lord for thee in that thy so great necessity In stead of delights and discourses which I seeke in my Suppers and banquets thou hadst the voyces of them who with moving and mowing and wagging their heads derided and blasphemed thee saying Hey thou that destroyest the Temple and buildest it in three dayes This was the musick this the harmony of thy banquet Likewise when thou stuckst nailed hand and foot upon the Crosse this was thy walking into the Garden For albeit thou hadst another garden wherto thou retiredst after supper yet was it not to walke in but to pray in not to refresh thee but to shed thy bloud not to delight thee but to grieve sorrow and bee in the agony of death What shall I say more of the rest of those refreshments of thy blessed flesh My flesh requireth a soft bed a pretious weed spacious and specious houses but tell thou mee O my holy Love what an one might be thy chamber What thy house What thy garment Thy garment is nakednesse and thy purple the habit of derision Thy house is to bee conversant in publike assemblies exposed to the distemperatures of Sunne and ayre and if I seeke for any house of thine besides this it is a stable for beasts Foxes have their holes and the Sparrowes of heaven their nests But thou the Creator and Maker of all things hast not whereon to lay thine head O yee curiosities and superfluities how comes it to passe that there is any place left for you among Christians Either let us cease to be Christians or let us cast from us all these delights and superfluities seeing our Lord and Master hath not only cast from him those things which were superfluous but even those things also which were necessary Now it remaineth Lord that I see what a Chamber thou hast Tell mee O sweet Lord where it is that thou lyest where thou sleepest at noone I lay mee downe here at thy feet teach mee what I ought to doe For this my sensuality will not well relish a Sermon of thy Crosse. I desire a bed soft and sweet and if I awake at Prayer time yet doe I suffer my selfe easily to bee overcome by sloth I expect likewise a morning slumber that I may get rest for my head But tell mee O Lord what rest thou hadst upon that bed of thy Crosse. When as leaning on the one side thou wert wearied how couldst thou rest thee on the other side that thou mightst bee eased May not thine heart here burst May not all thy sensuality here dye O solace to the poore O shame to the rich O strength to the penitent O condemnation to the soft and delicate Neither is JESUS CHRISTS bed for you nor his glory for you O Lord give mee grace that after thy example I may subdue and kill my sensuality but if not I beseech thee that even this very moment thou wouldst take my life from mee For it is not reasonable nor tolerable that thou shouldst bee fed upon the Crosse both with Gall and Vinegar and I seek after delights and most exquisite dainties Nor that thou shouldst â—ee so poore and naked and I with such earnestnes hunt aâ—ter worldly riches and so wretchedly love and affect them Nor that thou shouldst have a Crosse for thy couch and I seeke
motions as well carnall as spirituall a constant cleaving in thee the one and true God and a happy consummation of mine end And I beseech thee that thou wouldst vouchsafe to bring mee thy most unworthy â—inner to thatineffable Banquet where thou with thy Sonne and holy Spirit art true light full satiety sempiternall joy consummate gladnesse and perfect felicity to thy Saints Through the same Christ our Lord Amen Another Praier of S. Bonaventure O Most sweet Lord JESU transpierce the marrow and bowels of my soule with the most sweet and wholesome wound of thy love with cleare sincere and most holy Apostolicall Charity that my soule may languish and melt alwayes with the onely love and desire of thee Let her long and faint afâ—er thy Courts Let her desire to be dissolved and to be with thee Grant that my soule may hunger after thee the bread of Angels the repast of holy soules our dayly bread super-substantiall having all pleasantnesse of taste and all delight of sweetnesse May mine heart alwayes hunger and feed on thee on whom the Angels desire to looke and with the sweetnesse of thy taste let the bowels of my soule be filled May shee alwayes thirst after thee the fountaine of life the fountaine of Wisdome and Knowledge the fountaine of eternall Light the streame of pleasure the fulnesse of the house of God May shee alwayes looke about for thee seeke thee finde thee draw towards thee come to thee meditate of thee converse with thee doe all things to the praise and glory of thy name with humility and discretion with love and delectation with facility and affection with perseverance to my dissolution And bee thou alwayes my onely hope my whole trust my riches my delight my joy my gladnesse my quiet and tranquillity my peace my sweetnesse my perfume my solace my meat my repast my refuge my succour my wisdom my portion my possession my treasure wherin my mind and mine heart may be alwayes fixed grounded and unmoveably rooted Amen A PRAYER for all Judges and Justiciaries O Almighty God who judgest iniquity in equity and doest inscrutable things Thou who weighest the mountaines in a balance and wilt bring the Iudges of the Earth to judgement Direct their understandings to discerne what is right give them courage and resolution to doe what is right Give them wisdome in their waies faithfulnesse in their works uprightnesse in their walkes Remove from them covetousnesse and let it bee their ambition to advance thy glory Let neither rewards bee in their hands nor revenge in their hearts Take from them all drousinesse and dulnesse all security and remisnesse Imprint in their hearts a feare of thy name a reverence to thy throne and in all their judgements a sweet attemprature of meâ—cy and judgement Make them tremble when they call to mind whom they personate and imitate thee in being compassionate Let not the Orphans prayers nor the Widowes teares be unremembred seeing these are bottled up by thee let them not bee despised by them that represent thee O let righteousnesse drop upon the Earth that as dew falleth upon the grasse so every flowry border of this thine inclosed garden may bee watred by the dew of thy grace Suffer not this Iland to mourne nor her People to grone because of injustice oppression and wrong Put an hooke in the nostrils of all such imperious Iudges who take thy Law into their mouth and hate to be reformed As for those who turne Iudgement to wormewood and leave of righteousnes in the Earth These who buy the poore for silver and the needy for shoes These that put farre away the evill day and approch to the seâ—te of iniquity The Lord will be avenged of them Hee will mite the great house with breaches and the little house with clefts But remove these judgements from thine Israel O God May no corruption raigne in her Palaces nor iniquity in her pathes May a Zeale of thine house a feare of thy name a love of piety an hate to partiality seize upon the hearts of all Iudges and Iusticiaries in this Kingdome that they may execute their places without respect of persons and afterwards raigne with those three individuate Persons GOD the Father GOD the Sonne and GOD the holy Ghost Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity to whom bee all Glorie Amen A Prayer for Peace or tranquillity of Mind GRacious God who art a God of peace and hast pronounced a blessing upon those who make peace give mee that which thou blessest that I may enjoy what thou lovest embrace that which thou approvest affect that which thou commendest possesse that wherin thou delightest Thou knowest that debates variance and contention doe distract our devotion distemper the affection disquiet every good motion disturbe every pious intention Grant therfore I beseech thee that these differences to which I am ingaged or may hereafter bee intangled or inthralled be to the glory of thy great name the preservation of mine honest repute and fame and quiet of my affaires peaceably composed Cut out of mee towards my family all severity towards my familiars all disloyalty towards my Neighbours all extremity Grant mee peace of mind in my living peace of conscience at my dying and after death that peace which passeth all understanding Cause all tumults of the flesh to cease in mee all immoderate affections to decrease in mee all inordinate motions to dye in mee Sanctifie my heart purifie my mind direct my spirit erect my faith correct my life Remove from mee all occasions of difference that I may find quietnesse of conscience Grant that I may sow the seed of righteousnesse walke in the wayes of holynesse make profession of my faith with all singlenesse that I may come to the possession of happinesse Let mee seeks peace and ensue it Love thy Law and pursue it reforme thine Image and renue it Suffer not the tempests of this world to dismay mee the errors of this life to perplex mee or the terrors of death to appall mee I know O Lord affliction to bee bitter to him that suffers it impatiently but sweet to him that suffers it constantly Thou provest those thou lovest and afflictest those thou affectest Affliction then cannot be bitter when it maketh us better What though disgrace obscure mee wrongs inure mee reproach impeach mee injuries presse thicke upon mee I am made strong through him to beare them who bore the Crosse for me suffered all dishonour for mee shed his bloud for mee lost himselfe to finde mee became sold to redeeme mee racked upon the Crosse to reach mee a Crowne climing Mount Calvarie to mount mee to glory O make mee then ready in my suffering to imitate thee my Saviour Though warre assaile mee without give mee peace within Humble my Spirit that I may bee of that temper as I may still reflect upon the Image of my Saviour that living in his feare I may dye in his favour
grievous which God most gracious and full of the fatnesse of mercie will not forgive to such as are faithfull Converts and true Penitents before him For it is an especiall propertie â—est becomming our most holy God to have mercie and spare these who humble themselves before him and heartily â—eg pardon of him Rightly doth thy Brother confesse that at all times he is verie imperfect yet let let him remember that the imperfect cost Christ as deare as the most perfect That inconstancie or instability of mind wherewith hee saith that hee is afflicted in his prayer is common to innumerable servants of God There is no cause then that hee should be hereby so much amated For if hee suffer this distraction against his will and strive wirh his best endevour to become attentive his prayer humbly poured forth in this distraction is ofttimes more usefull and fruitfull than if it were performed with great attention of heart For God approveth his desire affection and devout endevour and purgeth the soule with such like griefes as these or else conserveth and adorneth it being purged and purified from these distractions Exhort him alwayes that hee be of good courage If with a patient and resigned heart hee suffer for the love of God his afflictions and want of health whereof almost hee daily laboureth hee need not doubt but so soone as he shall lay off this grievous onerous and bitter load of corruptible flesh hee shall enjoy eternall joy and health Goe to then my Beloved let us observe our selves I pray thee vigilantly and so endevour to live circumspectly as becommeth true Christians who beare both the style and state of Christianitie Let us passe over all the residue of our present life profitably In all things that wee doe let us wirh singâ—enesse of heart principally respect the praise and glorie of God Let us love Iesus who loveth us with a most ardent and unmeasurable love For his honour let us mortifie in us as much as wee may our owne proper and depraved wills and vices Let us subject and conforme us in all things to Gods will Let us beare a mind humble and resigned continually desiring and studying to please God For by this meanes wee shall at last come to that chiefe and most joyfull good which that wee might possesse wee were created to the image of God and redeemed with the pretious bloud of Christ. Wee shall come I say unto God who is the amiable abysse fountaine of all light life beautie excellencie sweetnesse and abundance Then shall wee be truly blessed seeing the vision of all beautie infinitely exceeding and excelling all the sense-attracting objects of this whole world for wee shall behold in the light of glorie the mellifluous countenance of God and in him by a most sweet fruition of him shall wee rest and obtaine imperturbable peace Then shall wee abound with unspeakable joy shall be fully satisfied and shall perfectly love and praise God for evermore O how great felicitie is it to attaine to the cleare vision of God and againe how great infelicitie to be deprived of it and to be drenched in hell and there horribly to be tormented without end Farewell in the Lord and pray for mee That excellent part of the Dialogue composed by D. Henricus Suso wherein the praises and profits of afflictions are expressed and many other precepts usefully delivered some few dayes since I inserted in my Comfort for the weake hearted that I might gratifie thy brother He shall easily procure it so soone as it shall be reprinted As touching the sayings of the aforesaid Suso which thou desirest should be sent unto thee here receive them as I have compiled them for thee and addressed them to thee CERTAINE choyce or select sayings of D. Henricus Suso Of the love of the world And Of the love of God THat most holy and beloved man of God Henricus Suso lamenting the infelicitie of such as intangled in vaine love and wholly given over to this present world doe neglect God and their owne salvation exhibiteth his complaint beâ—ore God after this manner Truly O Lord it is a thing much to bee lamented that so many hearts fit for holy love so many excellent and beautifull soules stamped with Gods image which by a spirituall wedlock with thee contracted might become Qâ—eenes and Empresses and have dominion over heaven and earth should so foolishly and imprudently estrange themselves from thee deject themselves so basely and perish so wittingly Surely I am perswaded that if the inward eyes of all men should so see thee as I see thee all transitorie love would be forthwith extinguished in them I cannot sufficiently admire O Lord albeit I stood sometimes far otherwise affected that any ones soule should possibly rest in any thing but in thee the most vast and unbounded depth O incomprehensible good and inwardly to be embraced O most sweet Lord how well is it with that soule which onely loveth thee and which thou with the divine streames and beames of thy grace excellently enlightenest and to to thy selfe more nearely joynest and couplest What heavenly and mellifluous consolation doth such a soule draw from thee what secret delights of sacred love doth shee conceive in thee Thou art the boundlesse Sea of most pure and inestimable pleasures What amiablenesse comelinesse beauty soever can by any meanes be conceived all that above all measure is to be found in thee plenteously stored Nothing that is pleasant gratefull or plausible can bee found in any creature which is not in a most pure and exquisite manner infinitely more aboundant and excellent in thee So often as I behold the formes of beautifull objects when I take a view by inward contemplation of heaven earth woods and fields and of the whole world all these things seeme to convent and summon my heart in these words Consider how amiable and beautifull he is who hath made us who is the fountaine of all beautie O Lord Jesus what joy doe I receive from thee Surely while I doe thinke how I am beloved of thee the most high God whatsoever is within mee melteth through the joy which I conceive of thee For this therefore doe I rejoyce in my mind for as much as thou art so good as thou vouchsafeâ—t to be my friend as I constantly hope and confidently trust Of the Passion of our Lord. THe same Suso in a Dialogue bringeth in the eternall wisdome that is Christ Jesus talking with his Minister of his Passion after this manner The heart of man is much more gratefull unto me if it be freed of earthly love and by perpetuall diligence intentive to imitate the excellent example of my life than if hee should follow mee with continuall laments and should shed so many teares as there be drops of raine which fall from the aire For in the suffering of my most bitter death this especially have I intended aimed that men shoâ—ld imitate mee albeit pious