it is to see God and to inioy him after a sort and how we are to thinke of God BVt although that supreame and vnchangeable essence that indeficient light that light which is enioyed by the Angells can be seene by noe creature in this life this being the reward which is reserued onely for the Saints who enioy celestiall glory yet to beleeue to conceaue to haue a feelinge and ardently to aspire towards this Glory is to see it after a sort and to possesse it Let our voice therfore extend it selfe beyond the Angells and lett man contemplate God with an carnest minde and lett him with what words he can expresse Gods praises to God himselfe For it is all reason that the Creature should praise his Creator since he vouchsafed to create vs that we might praise him when yet he had noe need of our praises For his vertue is incomprehensible he needeth none but is all sufficient for himselfe Our Lord is great and his vertue is great and of his wisdome there is noe end Our Lord God is great and highly worthy to be praysed Let our soule therfore loue him let our tongues sing of him and our hand write of him and let the faithfull hart imploy it selfe onely in these holy thoughts Let the man of spirituall desires and a contemplator of celestial mysteries be dayly recreated with the most delicious food of this heauenly contemplation that so being fully fed with this heauenly repaste he may cry out with great exclamation he may cry out with the very bowells of his hart cry out with excesse of ioy say as followeth with a most ardent affection of his minde CHAP. XXIX He declareth many propertyes of Almighty God O Thou Supreame most excellent Omnipotent most mercifull most iust most secret most present and most strong most stable and incomprehensible inuisible yet seeinge all things Vnchangeable yet changeing all things Immortall without place without tearme or circumscription Vnlymited inestimable ineffable inscrutable Immoueable yet moueinge all things Vnsearchable vnexpressable terrible to be greatly feared to be honored and trembled at to be worshipped and reuerenced Neuer new and neuer old and yet innouating all things and draweing prowde people into decay though they marke it not Euer in action yet euer quiet gathering together and yet needinge nothinge carryinge all things without feeling any waight fillinge all things without beinge includede creatinge protectinge nourishinge and perfectinge all things Thou seekest and yet thou wantest nothinge Thou art in loue yet without passiō Thou art iealous yet thou art secure Thou repentest yet thou art not sorry Thou art angry yet thou are not moued Thou changest thy workes but thou neuer changest thy decrees Thou takest that which thou findest yet didest thou loose nothing Thou art neuer poore and yet thou art glade of gayne Thou art neuer couetous yet thou exactest vsury at our hands by our saperrogatiō thou becomest our debter and yet who hath any thinge which is not thyne Thou payest debts yet thou owest nothinge Thou forgiuest debts yet thou loosest nothinge Thou alone doste quicken all things thou haste created all things thou art euery where and thou art euery where altogether Thou canst be felt yet thou canst not be seene Thou art not wanting any where yet art thou farre from the thoughtes of wicked men But thou art not wanting euen there although thou be farr of from them because where thou art not presēt by Grace there thou art present by reuenge Thou touchest all things yet thou touchest them not all alike For some thou touchest onely that they may be but not that they may liue and feele and discourse But some thou touchest that they may be and liue but yet not so as that withall they may feele and discourse And some agayne thou dost so touch as that they may be and liue and feele and discourse also And although thou be neuer vnlike thy selfe yet dost thou touch vnlike things after an vnlike manner Thou art euer present yet sometymes thou art hard to be found We follow thee when thou standest still and yet we are not able to lay hold on thee whilest yet thou holdest all things fillest all things comprehendest all things exceedest all things vpholdest all things Neyther dost thou on the one side vndergoe them and art ouercome by them on the other Neyther dost thou fill things on the one side and yet art comprehended by them on the other but by comprehending them thou fillest them and by filling them thou comprehendest them as by sustayning them thou exceedest them and by exceeding them thou sustaynest them Thou teachest the harts of the faithfull yet without the noise of words Thou reachest from one end to the other strongly and thou disposed of all things sweetely Thou art not extended according to the proportion of places nor art thou varied by the vicissitude of tymes Thou haste neyther accesse nor recesse but thou inhabitest that inaccessibile light which no man euer sawe or can see Remaineinge quiet in thy selfe thou doste make thy circuite about all things and thou art euery where expressely and intirely all For thou canst not be deuided or cutt who art truely all nor canst thou be made into partes because thou wholy holdest all fillest all and dost possesse and illustrate all The minde of man cannot conceaue the immense profundity of this mistery nor the tongue of eloquence declare it nor can learned speach nor all the volumes of all Libraryes vnfolde it If there were bookes to fill the whole world yet they could not vnfolde thy admirable knowledge because thou art truely vnspeakable and canst not by any meanes be concluded nor expressed as thou art who art the fountayne of diuine light and the Sonne of euerlastinge charity Thou art great without quantity therfore thou art immense thou art good without quality and therfore thou art truely and supreamely good and there is none good but thou alone whose will is thy worke and whose inclination is thy power who didst create all things of nothinge and thou didst it by the onely act of thy will Thou doste possesse all thy creatures without needing any of them Thou gouuernest them without labour and thou rulest them without trouble and there is nothinge at all either in the highest or lower thinges which can disturbe the order of thy dominion Thou art in all places without being cōteyned in any place Thou conteynest all things without circuite and thou art present euery where without eyther scituation or motion Thou art not the Author of ill nor canst thou doe it yet is there nothing which thou canst not doe nor didst thou euer repent thy self of any thinge which thou hadest done nor art thou troubled with any commotion or tempest of thy minde nor doe the dangers of the whole world drawe any danger vpon thee Thou commandest not nor yet allowest of any wickednes or sinn Thou neuer lyest for thou art eternall Truth By
THE MEDITATIONS SOLILOQVIA AND MANVALL OF THE Glorious Doctour S. Augustine translated into English THE SECONDE EDITION PRINTED AT PARIS By M rs BLAGEART M.DC.LV. THE PREFACE TO THE READER before the Meditations Soliloquia and Manuall of S. Augustine THESE three little treatises of the great S. Augustine might all well haue bene called Manualls in respect that they are of soe smalle bulke as with ease to be portable by euery hand But yet as the are are little Manualls soe with all they may be accounted great Cordialls for the relation vvhich they haue and for the place vvhich they deserue to hold in the hart of man They principally consist of most sweete affections and aspirations which the enamoured soule of our incomparable Saint was euer breathing out to Almighty God beseeching him in most tender manner to be dravving it still neerer to himselfe Wee may see hovv he aspired to perfect vnion vvith that diuine Maiestie but withall vve must knowe that first he had taken paines to purge himselfe entirely from all errour sinne and vanitie and to plant the habits of vertue in his hart by a most attentiue and faithfull imitation of the humilitie and charitie of Christ our Lord. Vade tu fac similiter For vnlesse thou trauaile in that high way thou wilt neuer arriue to that iourneys end Nor art thou to looKe for any experimentall Knowledge of Gods sweetnes till by prayer practise of solid vertue the bitter iuyce of sinne and the offensiue smoake of passion be discharged But that being done roome is made for God and he will maKe thee Knowe and feele how good he is THE TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS contained in the Meditations THE FIRST CHAPTER THE Inuocation of the Omnipotent God for the amendement of his life page 1 Chap. 2. The accusation of man and the commendation and praise of the diuine mercy 4 Chap. 3. The complainte of a man who is not heard by our Lord through his disobedience page 9 Chap. 4. The feare of the Iudge page 12 Chap. 5. The Father is inuoked by the Sonne 16 Chap. 6. Heer man representeth the Passion of the Sonne to the Father page 19 Chap. 7. Heer man acknowledgeth that himselfe by his sinnes is the cause of the Passion of Christ our Lord page 23 Chap. 8. Heer man exposeth the Passion of the Sonne to God the Father for the reconciliation of man page 28 Cap. 9. Of the inuocation of the holy Ghost 35 Chap. 10. The prayer of the seruant of God conccauing humbly of himselfe 37 Chap. 11. A Prayer to the blessed Trinity 38 Chapter 12. A Confession of the Omnipotency and Maiesty of God 39 Chapter 13. How God the Eather vouchsafed to helpe mankinde and of the Incarnation of the worde page 42 Chap. 14. Of the confidence which a soule ought to haue in our Lord Iesus in his Passion 45 Chap. 15. Of the immense charity of the eternall Father towards mankinde page 48 Chap. 16. Of the twofolde nature of Christe our Lord who pittyeth and prayeth for vs. 52 Chap. 17. Of the thanks which a man owes to God for the benefitt of Redemption 56 Chap. 18. A prayer to Christ our Lord page 60 Chap. 19. He distinguisheth betweene that VVisdome which is called the howse of God and that other VVisdome which is supremely diuine page 65 Chap. 20. He prayeth that the spirituall howse of God may pray for him page 70 Chap. 21. How full this life of ours is of bitternesse 73 Chap. 22. Of the felicity of that life which our Lord hath prepared for them that loue him 75 Chap. 23. Of the felicity of that soule which departeth hence 78 Chap. 24. He inuoketh the Saynts 80 Chap. 25. The desire of the soule toward the supernall Citty of Ierusalem page 87 Chap. 26. A Hymne of Paradise page 88 Chap. 27. Of the continuall praise which a soule conceiueth by the contemplation of the Diuinity 93 Chap. 28. VVhat it is to see God and to inioy him after a sort and how we are to thinke of God 98 Chap. 29. He declareth many propertyes of Almighty God 100 Chap. 30. Of the vnity of God and the plurality of Persons in him page 107 Chap. 31. A prayer to the blessed Trinity 112 Chap. 32. That God is the true and souuereigne life 114 Chap. 33. Of the praise which men and Angells giue to God 117 Chap. 34. He complayneth against himselfe for not being moued with the contemplation of God whereat the Angells tremble 124 Chap. 35. A prayer which greatly moueth the hart to Deuotion and to Diuine loue 128 Chap. 36. A most deuoute Prayer by way of thanks-giueing 138 Chap. 37. A most holy most excellent Prayer to almighty God whereby the soule is greatly moued to deuotion page 148 Chap. 38. A Prayer to be made in affliction 161 Chap. 39. Another Prayer to our Lord Iesus Christe 163 Chap. 40. Another Prayer to God 172 Chap. 41. A Prayer vpon the Passion Christe our Lord 180 THE TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS contained in the Soliloquia THE FIRST CHAPTER OF the vnspeakable sweetnes of God pag 192 Chap 2. Of the misery and fragility of man p. 200 Chap. 3 Of the admirable light of God 206 Chap. 4. Of the mortality of Mans nature 208 Chap. 5. VVhat it is to be made nothing 211. Chap. 6 Of the fall of a soule by sinne 215 Chap. 7. Of the manifolde benefits of Almigthy God 216 Chap. 8. Of the future Dignity of Man 221 Chap. 9. Of the Omnipotency of God 226 Chap. 10. Of the incomprehensible prayse of God 228 Chap. 11. Of the hope which is to be erected towards God 231 Chap. 12. Of the snares of concupiscence 234 Chap. 13. Of the misery of man the benefits of God 238 Chap. 14. That God doth consider the workes and purposes of mankinde with a perpetuall attention 243 Chap. 15. That Man of himselfe can doe nothing without diuine grace 248 Chap. 16. Of the temptation of the deuill 255 Chap. 17. That God is the Light of iust Persons 259 Chap. 18 Of the benefits of God 265 Chap. 19. Of the feruour of charity 271 Chap. 20. That God hath submitted all things to the seruice of man 274 Chap. 21. That the greatenes of the diuine counsell may be inferred by the consideration of temporall blessings 277 Chap. 22. That the diuine sweetnes taketh away all the present bitternes of the world 280 Chap. 23. That all our hope ought to be placed in our Lord 284 Chap. 24. That all our saluation depends vpon our God 286 Chap. 25. That the will of man wanteth efficacy towards goods workes without the grace of God 289 Chap. 26. Of the antient benefits of Almighty God 291 Chap. 27. Of the Angels which are deputed to the custody of man 293 Chap. 28. Of the profound predestination and prescience of God 298 Chap. 29. Of them who first were iust and afterwards became wiked 303 Chap. 30. That a faithfull
soule is a Sanctuary of God 306 Chap. 31. That God is not to be found eyther by the exteriour or interiour senses 308 Chap. 32. A Confession of true faith 322. Chap. 33. Of the Confession of our owne basenes 331 Chap. 34. A considerations of the diuine Maiestie 333 Chap. 35. Of the desire thirst of a soule towards God 338 Chap. 36. Of the glory of our celestiall country 346 Chap. 37. A payer to the blessed Trinity 352 THE TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS contained in the Manuall THE FIRST CHAPTER OF the wonderfull essence of God page 355 Chap. 2. Of the unspeakable knowledge of God 357 Chap. 3. Of the desire of à soule which thirsteth after God 360 Chap. 4 Of the misery of a soule which loues not God 362 Chap. 5. Of the desire of a soule 365 Chap. 6. Of the felicity of à soule which is freed from the prison of flesh and bloud 367 Chap. 7. Of the Ioyes of Heauen page 369 Chap. 8. Of the kingdome of Heauen pag 341 Chap. 9. How God doth comfort an afflicted soule 343 Chap. 10. Of the sweetnes of diuine loue 345 Chap. 11. Of the preparation of our Redemption 349 Chap. 12. Of spirituall ioy 378 Chap. 13. That the VVord Incarnate is the cause of our Hope 381 Chap. 14. How sweet a thing is is to thinke of God 382 Chap. 15. How much tribulation endured for Christ our Lord is to be desired 384 Chap 16. How the kingdome of God may be obteyned 386 Chap. 17. VVhat a happy place Heauen is page 387 Chap. 18. VVe cannot make any requitall to Almighty God but only by loue 390 Chap. 19. VVhat it is which God rereth of vs that so we may be like himselfe 392 Chap. 20. Of the confidence of a soule which loueth God 394 Chap. 21. VVhat God did for man 397 Chap. 22. Of the remembrance of the woundes of Iesus Christe our Lord 399 Chap. 23. The remembrance of the woundes of Christ our Lord is our remedy in all aduersity 400 Chap. 24. An exhortation of the soule to the loue of Christ our Lord 402 Chap. 25. That nothing can suffice the soule but the supreme Good page 405 Chap. 26. VVhat the knowledge of Truth is 407 Chap. 27. VVhat at the mission of the holy Ghost doth worke in vs page 448 Chap. 28. Of the working of that soule which loueth God 411 Chap. 29. Of the harts true Repose page 413 Chap. 30. VVatsoeuer doth withdraw the sight of the mind from God is wholly to be auoyded 414 Chap. 31. How the vision of God was lost by sinne that misery came so to be found out 416 Chap. 32. Of the Goodnes of God 419 Chap. 33. Of the delightfull fruition of God 421 Chap. 34. That this supreme Good is to be desired 423 Chap. 36. Of the mutuall Charity of the Saints in Heauen 426 Chap. 36. Of the fulnes of the ioy of Heauen 428 THE MEDITATIONS OF THE GLORIOVS Doctour S. Augustine THE FIRST CHAPTER He inuokes Almightie God for the amendement of his life and manners O LORD my God! bestowe vpon my hart that I may desire thee that by desiringe thee I may seeke thee that by seekinge thee I may finde thee that by findinge thee I may loue thee that by loueing thee I may be freed from all my sinns and that once being freed I may returne to them noe more O Lord my God! grant repentance to my hart contrition to my spirit a fontaine of tears to mine eyes and liberality in giueinge almes to my hands O my King extinguish all desires of sense and kindle the fire of thy loue in me O thou my Redeemer driue away the spirit of pride and grant me through thy mercy the treasure of thy humility O thou my Sauiour remoue from me the fury of anger and vouchsafe me of thy grace the sheild of patience O thou my Creator take all rancor from me and through thy meekenes inrich me with a sweete and gentle minde Bestowe on me ô most mercifull Father a solide faith a conuenient hope and a continuall charity O thou my Directour remoue from me vanity and inconstancy of minde vnsetlednes of body scurrility of speech pride of eyes gluttony of diet the offence of my neighbours the wickednes of detractions the itch of curiosity the desire of riches the oppression which is imposed by the mighty the appetite of vayne glory the mischeife of hipocrisy the poyson of flattery the contempt of the necessitous and poore the oppression of the weake the biteinge of couetousnes the rust of enuy and the death of blasphemy Cutt away from me O thou who art my maker all vngodly temerity pertinacy vnquietnesse idlenes sleepinesse slothe dullnes of minde blindnesse of hart stiffnes of opiniō harshnesse of conuersation disobedience to vertu and opposition to good aduice vnbridlednesse of speech oppression of the poore violence of the riche slaunder of the innocent sharpnesse towards my seruants ill example towards myne acquaintance and hard-hartednes towards my neighbours O my God and my mercy I beseech thee by thy beloued Sonne grant that I may performe the workes of mercy and pitty sufferinge with the afflicted aduising such as erre succourring such as are miserable supplying such as are in want confortinge such as are in sorrow releiuing the oppressed refreshing the poore cherishinge the spirits which are wounded forgiueing those that trespasse against me perdoninge such as doe me wronge loueing them who hate me rendringe good for euell dispiseing none but honouringe all imitating the good takeing heed of the bade imbraceing vertue reiectinge vice haueing patience in aduersity and moderation in prosperity and that keepeing a guard vpon my mouth and shuttinge the doore of my lipps I may despise all earthly and aspire to heauenly things CHAP. II. The accusation of man and the commendation praise of the diuine mercy BEhold O thou who haste framed me how many things I haue desired while yet I deserue not so much as a fewe I confesse woe is me I confesse that not onely these graces which I haue begged are not due to me but rather many most exquisite torments Yet doth the example of the Publicanes and Harlotts murthering theeues giue me harte who beinge suddenly drawne out of the very iawes of the enimy haue beene imbraced in the bosome of the good sheepheard And thou ô God the Creator of all things though in all thy workes thou be admirable yet we beleiue that thou art much more admirable in the workes of mercy Wherupon thou saidst by a certaine seruant of thine His mercyes are ouer all his workes And we doe confidently hope that it was as if thou hadest spoken it of euery one of vs in particuler when thou didst thus expresse thy selfe of the whole people saying But I will not remoue mercy from it For thou despisest noe man thou reiectest noe man thou abhorrest noe man vnlesse perhaps it be some one who is so mad as to
yet agayne it is afflicted because it falls back and returnes to be an Abysse or rather it findes that still it is so My faith which thou hast kindled in this night of myne before my feete doth say Why art thou sad O my soule and why doste thou afflict me Hope thou in God his word is a lanterne to my feete Hope and continue to doe so till the night which is the mother of the wicked doe passe a way till the wrath of our Lord passe away wherof sometymes we were the Children For sometymes we were darknes Till this fury of water pass cleane a way we still dragg on in our body which is dead through sinn the reliques of that darknes Till such tyme as the day shall approach all shadowes may be remoued I will hope in our Lord. In the morrow of the next life I shall assist and contemplate and I will euer confesse to him In that morrow I shall assist and behold the health of my countenance which is my God who will reuiue euen our mortall bodyes for that spiritts sakes which dwelleth in vs that now we may be light euen whilest we are saued here by hope That we may be the Sonns of light and the Sonns of God and not of night and darknes For sometymes we were darknes but now we are light in thee O our God and yet we are so here but by Faith and not face to face Because that hope which is seene is not hope All that immortall people of thy Angells praiseth thee O Lord and those celestiall Powers glorify thy Name They haue no need to read any such writing as this towards the makeinge them knowe the holy indiuiduall Trinity For they see thy Face for euer and there they read without any syllabes of tyme what that eternall will requires They read they choose and they loue They euer read and that neuer passeth which they are readinge By choosing and by loueinge they read the very immutability of thy counsell and their booke is neuer shutt and their scrowle neuer folded vp for thy self is all that to them and so thou art to be for euer O how excessiuely happy are those powers of heauen which are able to praise thee most purely and holyly with excessiue sweetnes and vnspeakable exultation They praise thee for that in which thâ—â— ioy because they euer see reason 〈◊〉 they should reioice and praise them But we being oppressed by this burthen of our flesh and being cast farr of from thy face in this pilgrimage of ours and being so racked by the variety of worldly things are not able worthily to praise thee Yet we praise thee as we can by Faith though not face to face but those Angelicall spiritts praise thee face to face not by Faith For our flesh putteth this vpoÌ„ vs obligeth vs to praise thee farr otherwise then they doe But how soeuer euen we sing praise to thee in a different manner and yet thou art but one O God thou Creator of all things to whome the sacrifice of praise is offered both in heauen and earth And by thy mercy we shall one day arriue to their society with whome we shall for euer see and praise thee Grant O Lord that whilest I am placed in this fraile body of mine my hart may praise thee my tongue may praise thee and all the powers of my soule may say O Lord who is like to thee Thou art that Omnipotent God whome we worshiâ— as Trine in Persons and Onâ—â— the Substance of thy Diety We adore the Father vnbegotten the Sonne the onely begotten of his Father and the Holy Ghoste proceedinge from them both and remaininge in them both We adore thee O Holy and indiuiduall Trinity one Omnipotent God who when we were not did'st most puissantly make vs and when by our owne fault we weare lost by thy pitty and goodnes thou did'st recouer vs after an admirable manner Doe not I beseech thee permitt that we should be vngratefull for so great benefitts and vnworthy of so many mercyes I pray thee I beseech thee I begg of thee that thou wilt increase my faith hope and charity I beseech thee make vs by that grace of thyne to be euer firme in beleiueinge and full of efficacy in working that so by meanes of incorrupted Faith and workes worthy therof we may through thy mercy arriue to euerlastinge life And there beholding thy glory as indeed it is we whome thou haste made worthy to see that glory of thyne may adore thy Maiesty and may say together Glory be to the Father who created vs Glory be to the Sonne who redeemed vs Glory be to the Holy Ghoste who sanctifyed vs Glory be to the supreame indiuiduall Trinity whose workes are inseparable and whose empire is eternall To thee our God praise is due to thee a Hymne of glory to thee all honor benediction clarity thanksgiueing vertue and fortitude for euer and for euer Amen CHAP. XXXIV He complayneth against himselfe for not being moued with the contemplation of God whereat the Angells tremble PArdon me O Lord pardon me through thy mercy pardon and pitty me pardon my great ignorance and imperfections Doe not reiect me as a presumptuous creature in that I aduenture being thy slaue I would I could say a good one and not rather that I am vnprofitable and wicked and therfore very wicked because I take this boldnes to praise and blesse and adore thee who art our Omnipotent God and who art terrible and excessiuely to be feared without contrition of hart without a fountaine of tears and without due reuerence and trembling For if the Angells who adore and praise thee doe tremble whilest they are filled with that admirable exultation how comes it to passe that I a sinfull creature whilest I am present with thee and sing prayses and offer sacrifices to thee am not frighted at the hart that I am not pale in my face that my lipps tremble not and my whole body is not in a shiueringe and that so with a flood of tears I doe not incessantly mourne before thee I would fayne doe it but I am not able because I cannot doe what I desire Herupon I am vehemently wondringe at my selfe when by the eyes of Faith I see how terrible thou art but yet who can doe euen this without thy grace For all our saluation is nothing but thy great mercy Woe be to me how comes my soule to be made so senseles as that it is not frighted with excessiue terrour whilest I am standing before God and singinge forth his praise Woe be to me how comes my hart to be so hardned that myne eyes cannot incessantly bring forth whole floods of tears whilest the slaue is speaking before his Lord Man with God the. Creature with the Creator he who is made of durte with him who made all things of nothing Beholde O Lord how I place my selfe before thee that which I conceiue of
my selfe in the most secret corner of my hart that doe I not conceale from thy paternall eares Thou art rich in thy mercy and liberall in thy rewards grant me some of thy good guifts that therby I may doe seruice to thee For we cannot serue nor please thee by any other meanes then of thy guift Strick through I beseech thee this flesh of mine with thy feare Let my hart reioyce that it may feare thy name O that my sinfull soule might so feare thee as that holy Man did who said I haue allwayes feared God like the waues of a Sea which were flowing ouer me O God thou giuer of all good things grant me whilest I am celebratinge thy praises a fountayne of tears together with purity of hart and ioy of minde that loueing thee perfectly and praiseinge thee worthily I may feele and taste and sauour with the very palate of my soule how sweete delicious thou art O Lord accordinge to that which is written Taste and see how sweete our Lord is Blessed is the man who hopes in him Blessed is the people which vnderstandeth this ioy Blessed is the man whose helpe is from thee He hath disposed of certayne degrees whereby to rise vp in his hart in this valley of tears in the place which he hath appointed Blessed are the cleane of hart for they be the men who shall see God Blessed are they who dwell in thy house O Lord for they shall praise thee for euer for euer CHAP. XXXV A prayer which greatly moueth the hart to Deuotion and to Diuine loue O Iesus our Redemption our Desire and our Loue thou God of God giue helpe to me who am thy seruant I inuoKe thee I call vpon thee with a mighty crye and with my whole hart I inuoke thee into my soule enter into it make it fitt for thy selfe that thou maist possesse it without spott and wrinckle For to a most pure Lord a most pure habitation is due Sanctify me therfore who am the vessell which thou hast made Euacuate me of malice and fill me with grace and still keepe me full that I may be made a Temple worthy to be inhabited by thee both here and in the other euerlasting world O thou most sweete most benigne most loueing most deer most powerfull most desireable most pretious most amiable most beautifull God thou who art more sweete then hony more white then any milk or snow more delicious then Nectar more pretious then gold or jewells and more deere to me then all the riches and honors of the earth But what doe I say O my God O thou my onely hope and my so abundant mercy What doe I say O thou my happy and secure sweetnes What doe I say when I vtter such things as these I say what I can but I doe not say what I should O that I could say such things as those Quires of Angells doe vtter in those celestiall Hymns O how willingly would I euen spend powre out my whole selfe vpon thy praises O how faine would I most deuoutly and most indefatigablie proclaime those Hymns of celestiall melody in the middest of thy Church to the praise and glory of thy Name But because I am not able to doe these things compleatly shall I therefore hold my peace woe be to them who hold their peace of thee who loosest the tongues of dumm persons and makest the tongues of children eloquent Woe woe be to them who hold their peace of thee for euen they who speak most may be accompted to be but dumbe when they doe not speake thy praise But now who shal be able worthily to prayse thee O thou vnspeakable Wisdome of the Father But yet although I finde noe wordes whereby I may sufficiently vnfold thee who art the Omnipotent and Omniscient Word I will yet in thy meane tyme say what I can till thou biddest me come to thee where I may say that of thee which is fitt and which I am bound to say And therefore I humbly pray that thou wilt not haue an eye so much to that which I say now in deed as to that which I say in my desire For I desire and that with a great desire to say that of thee which is fitt and iust because it is fitt that thou be praised and celebrated and all honor is due to thee Thou seest therefore O God thou who knowest of all secrett things that thou art more deer to me not onely then the earth and all that is therein but that thou art more acceptable and amiable to me then heauen it selfe and all that it conteynes For I loue thee more then heauen and earth and all those other things which are in them Nay these transitory things are without doubt not to be beloued at all if it weare not for the loue of thy Name I loue thee O my God with a greate loue and I desire to loue thee yet more Giue me grace that I may euer loue thee as much as I desire and as much as I ought that thou alone maist be all my intention and all my meditation Let me consider thee all the day long without ceasinge let me feele thee euen when I am sleeping by night let my spiritt speake to thee lett my minde conuerse with thee let my hart be illustrated with the light of thy holy vision that thou being my Director and my Captayne I may walke on from vertue to vertue and that at last I may see thee the God of Gods in Syon Now as in a glasse or in a cloude but then face to face where I shall knowe thee as I am knowen Blessed are the cleane of hart for they are the men who shall see God Blessed are they who dwell in thy howse O Lord for euer and for euer shall they praise thee I beseech thee therefore O Lord by all thy mercyes whereby we are freed from eternall death mollyfy my hart which is hard stony and rocky and steely with thy powerfull and most sacred vnction and grant that by the fire of contrition I may become a liueing sacrifice before thee in euery moment of my life Make me euer to haue a contrite and humbled hart in thy presence with abundance of tears Grant that through my great desire of thee I may be vtterly deade to this world and that I may forgett these transitory things through the greatnes of my loue and feare of thee and this so farr forth as that I may neuer reioyce nor mourne nor feare any thinge which is temporall and that I may not loue them least so I be eyther corrupted by prosperity or deiected by aduersity And because the loue of thee is strōg as death I beseech thee that the fiery and mellifluous force of thy loue may suck vp and deuoure my whole minde from all those things which are vnder heauen that I may in heare to thee alone and be fedd with the memory of thy onely sweetnes O Lord
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
is become of thyne ancient mercyes wilt thou be anggry with me for euer Be thou appeased I beseeche thee and haue mercy on me and doe not turne thy face from me thou who for the redeeminge of me didst not turne thy face from such as did reproch and spitt at thee I confesse that I haue sinned and that my conscience calls for nothing but damnation and my pennance wil not serue for satisfaction but yet it is certayne that thy mercy doth surpasse all sinn Doe not I beseeche thee most deer Lord marite vp my wickednes against me to the end that thou maist enter into exact account with thy seruant but blott out my iniquity according to the multitude of thy mercyes woe be vnto me miserable creature when the day of Iugdment shall come and the booke of consciences shall be opened and it shal be said to me Behold the man and his workes what shall I doe then O Lord my God when the heauens will reueale my iniquityes and when the earth will rise vp against me Beholde I shal be able to make noe answeare but my head hanging downe through confusion I shall stand trembling and all confounded before thee Vvoe is me wretched creature what shal I say I will cry out to thee O Lord my God! For why should I consume my selfe with holding my peace and yet if I speake my greife will not be appeased But yet howsoeuer if I hold my peace I am inwardly tormented with extrcame bitternes Lament O my soule as the Widowe vseth to doe ouer the husband of her youth Howle thou miserable creature and cry out because thy spouse who is Christ our Lord hath dismissed thee O thou wrathe of the Omnipotent doe no thou rush downe vpon me for I am notable to receaue thee It is not in all the power I haue to be able to endure thee Haue mercy on me least I despaire and grant that I may repose in hope and if I haue committed that for which thou maiste condemne me yet thou haste not lost that for which thou art wont to saue sinfull men Thou O Lord desirest not the death of a sinner nor dost thou reioyce in the perdition of dyinge soules nay thou dyedst thy selfe to the end that dead men might liue and thy death hath killed the death of sinners And if they liued by thy death I beseech thee O Lord that I by the meanes of thy life may not dy Send forth thy hand from on highe and take me out of the hand of mine enemyes that they may not reioyce ouer me and say We haue deuoured him Who can distrust of thy mercy O deer Iesus since thou didest redeeme vs and reconcile vs to God by thy Blood when we were thine enemies Behold how being protected vnder the shadowe of thy mercy I come runninge to thy Throne of glory askinge pardon of thee and crying out and knocKinge till thou take pitty of me For if thou haste called vs to take the benefit of thy pardon when we sought it not how much more shall we obteyne it when we seeke it Doe not O most swete Iesus remember thy Iustice against this sinner but be mindfull of thy benignity towards thy creature Be not mindfull of thy wrathe against him who is guilty but be mindfull of thy mercy towards him who is in misery Forget the proude wretch who prouoketh thee and take pitty of that miserable man who inuoketh thee For what is Iesus but a Sauiour and therefore O Iesus I beseeche thee by thy selfe rise vp to help me and say vnto my soule I am thy saluation I presume much O Lord vpon thy goodnes because thy selfe teacheth me to aske to seeke and to knocke and therefor being admonished by that voyce of thyne I doe aske seeke and knocke And thou O Lord who biddest me aske make me receaue thou whoe aduisest me to seeke grant that I may finde thou who teachest me to knocke open to me who am knockinge And eonfirme me who am weake reduce me who am lost raise me to life who am dead and vouchsafe in thy good pleasure so to gouerne my sences my thoughts words and deeds that from hence forth I may serue thee and liue to thee and deliuer my selfe wholy vp into thy hand I know O my Lord that for thy onely haueinge made me I owe thee all my selfe and in that thou wert made Man for me and didest redeeme me I should owe so much more to thee then my selfe if I had more as thou art greater then he for whome thou gauest thy selfe But behold I haue no more nor yet can I giue thee what I haue without thee but doe thou take me and drawe me to thy selfe to thy imitation and loue as already I am thyne by creation and condition thou who euer liuest and reignest CHAP. XL. A profitable Prayer O Lord God Omnipotent who art Trine and One who art allwayes in all things who wert before all things and who art euer to be in all things God to whome be praise for euer to thee doe I commend for this day and for all my life herafter my soule my body my sight my hearinge my taste my smell and my touch All my thoughts affections speaches and actions all my exteriors and interiors my sense my vnderstanding and my memory my faith my hope and my perseuerance into the hands of thy power by day and night and in all houers and momenta Hearken to me O Holy Trinity and conserue me from all euill from all scandall and from all mortall sinne from all ambushes and vexation of Deuills and from all our enemyes visible and inuisible by the Prayers of the Patriarches by the Meritts of the Prophets by the suffrages of the Apostles by the constancy of the Martyrs by the Chastity of the Virgins and by the intercession of all the Saints who haue been pleasing to thee since the beginning of the World Expell from me all boasting of minde increase compounction of hart diminish my pride and perfect thou true humility in me Stirr me vp to shed tears mollify my hard and stony hart deliuer my soule O Lord from all the trecheryes of myne enimyes and conserue me in thy will Teach me O Lord to doe thy will for thou art my God Giue me O Lord perfect seesing and vnderstanding that I may be able to comprehend thy profound benignity Giue me grace to aske that which it may delight thee to heare and may be expedient for me to obteyne Giue me tears which may rise from my whole hart wherby the chaynes of my sinns may be dissolued Hearken O my Lord and my God hearken to what I aske and vouchsafe to grant it If thou despise me I perish if thou reguard me I liue if thou looke for innocency at my hands I am dead already and I stinke if thou looke vpon me with mercy though I stinke yet thou raisest me out of the graue Put that farr from me which thou
I was washed in Baptisme hath tolerated nourished and expected me when I was all wrapped vp in the filth of other sinns Thou O my good Lord didst expect my amendement and my soule expecteth the inspiration of thy holy grace that I may come to pennance and goode life O my God my Creator my expecter and my feeder I thirst after thee I sigh towards thee and vehemently desir to attaine to thee And as the poore childe beinge depriued of the presence of his most benigne father doth incessantly weepe and cry out and imbrace by his memory that fathers face with his whole hart so I not so mueh as I should but so much as I can am mindefull of thy Passion mindfull of thy stroakes mindfull of thy stirpes mindfull of thy wounds mindfull how thou wert murthred for me how thou wert embalmed how thou wert buried and mindfull also of thy glorious Resurrection and admirable Ascension These things doe I hold fast with vndoubted faith I lament the miseries of my banishment I hope for the onely consolation of thy coming and I desire the glorious contemplation of thy face Woe be vnto me in that I was not able to behold that Lord of Angells being humbled to the conuersation of men to the end that he might exalt men to the conuersation of Angells when God being offended dyed that man who offended him might liue Vvoe be vnto me that I obteyned not to be amazed in being present at that spectacle of admirable and inestimable piety Vvhy why at least O my soule doth not the sword of most sharp sorrow pearce thy hart since thou wert not able to haue endured that launce which wounded the side of thy Sauiour since thou couldest not behold those hands and feete of thy Creator to be so violated with nayles and the bloode of thy Reddeemer so hydeously to be shedd Vvhy at least art not thou inebriated with the bitternes of tears since he drunck the bitternes of gall Why art thou not in compassion of that most holy Virgin his most worthy Mother my most worthy Lady O my most mercifull Lady what fountaynes shall I say they were which brake out of thy most chaste eyes when thou didest obserue how thy onely innocent Sonne was bound and scourged and slaine in thy presence Vvhat tears shall I beleeue did bedewe and bathe thy most sweet holy Face when thou didest behold that Sonne of thyne who was also thy God thy Lord extended vpon the Crosse without any falt of his and that flesh which was of thyne owne flesh to be so wickedly torne by wretched people wiih what kinde of sobbing sighes shall I conceaue thy most pure hart to haue beene torne when thou heardest those words Woeman beholde thy Sonne and the Disciple Vvoeman beholde thy Mother when thou tookest the Disciple for the Master and the seruant for the Lord. O that I had beene the man who tooke downe my Lord from the Crosse with that happy Ioseph That I had embalmed him with odours That I had Lodged him in the sepulchre or at least that I had followed him and had obteyned so much that to so great a funerall as that some little parte of my obsequiousnesse had not beene wantinge O that with those happy woeman I had beene frighted by that bright vision of those Angells and had heard that message of the Resurrection of our Lord That message of my comfort That message so much expected and desired O that I had heard these words from the mouth of the Angell Doe not feare you seeke Iesus crucifyed but he is risen he is not here O thou most meeke most benigne most sweete and most excellent Lord when wilt thou giue me a sight of thee for yet I neuer sawe thât incorruption of thy blessed body I neuer kissed those places of thy wounds that pearcinge of the nayles I neuer bathed those ouuertures of thy true thy admirable thy inestimable and incomparable Flesh and Blood with the tears of ioy When wilt thou comfort me and when wilt thou giue me cause to conteyne this sorrow of mine For indeed this sorrow will not end in me as long as I shall be in pilgrimage frō my Lord. Vvoe be to me O Lord woe be to my soule for thou who art the comforter therof didest goe thy wayes out of this world without so much as biddeing me farewell When thou didest putt thy selfe vpon those new wayes of thyne thou gauest thy blessing to thy seruants but I was not there Thou wert carried vp to heauen in a cloude but I saw it not The Angells promised that thou wouldest returne but I heard them not Vvhat shall I say what shall I doe whither shall I goe where shall I seeke him when shall I finde him Vvhome shall I aske Vvho will declare to my beloued that I languish for loue The ioy of my hart is gone My mirth is changed into sorrow My very flesh and my hart haue fainted O thou God of my hart and my part God who art my portion for euer My soule hath refused to be comforted vnlesse it be by thee my true sweetenes For what haue I to care for in heauen but thee and what haue I desired on earth but thee It is thou whō I desire for whom I hope and whom I seeke To thee my hart doth say I will seeke thy countenance and I will seeke it yet agayne O turne thou not thy face from me O thou most benigne louer of mankinde to thee the poore creature is lefte thou art the helper of the Orphan O thou my safe Aduocate haue mercy on me who am a forsaken Orphan I am left as a pupill wihout a father my soule is as solitary as a Vvidowe Behold the tears of my desolation and widowehoode which I offer thee till such tyme as thou shalt returne Come therefore Lord come now appeare to me and I shal be comforted Afford me thy presence and I shall haue obteyned my desire Reueale thy glory and I shall be in perfect ioy My soule hath thirsted towards thee O how abundantly doth my very flesh thirst after thee My soule hath thirsted towards God who is the liueinge fountayne When shall I come and appeare before the Face of our Lord When wilt thou come O my comforter whome I will expect O that I might be sure to see that ioy which I desire O that I might be satiated when thy glory shall appeare of which I haue so great hunger O that I might be inebriated by that springinge plenty of thy house towards which I sighe O that thou wouldest giue me to drinke deepely of the torrent of thy pleasure which I thirst after O Lord let my tears in the meane whyle be my bread day and night till such tyme as it may be said to me Behold thy God till my soule may hear this word Beholde thy Spouse Feed me in the meane tyme with my sighes refresh me with my sorrowes Perhapps my Redeemer
will come because he is good and he will not stay long behinde who was here from the beginninge To him be glory for euer and for euer Amen DEO GRATIAS The end of the Meditations of Saint Augustine THE SOLILOQVIA OF THE GLORIOVS Doctour S. Augustine THE FIRST CHAPTER Of the vnspeakable sweetnes of God LET me knowe thee O Lord thou who knowest me Let me knowe the O thou strength of my soute Shew thy selfe to me O thou who art my comforter let me see thee O thou who art the light of myne eyes Come O thou ioy of my spirit let me behold thee O thou solace of my harte Make me loue thee O thou life of my soule Appeare to me O thou who art my great delight my sweete consolation my Lord my God my life and the totall glory of my soule Let me finde thee O thou desire of my harte Let me possesse thee O thou loue of my soule Let me embrace thee O thou celestiall Spouse O thou my soueraigne and both my externall and internall ioy Let me possesse thee O thou eternall beatitude Let me possesse thee in the very center of my hart O thou blessed life and thou soueraigne sweetnes of my soule I wil loue thee O Lord my strength O Lord my foundation and my refuge and my deliuerer Let me loue thee O my God and my helper thou who art a tower of strength to me and my deare hope in all my aduersity Let me embrace thee who art that Good without which nothing is good and let me enioy me thee who are that best without which nothing is best Open the deepe hollowes of myne eares by thy word which is more penetratiue then any two edged sword that soe I may growe to heare thy voyce Thunder O Lord from aboue with that voyce of thyne which is soe loud and strong Let the Sea and the fulnesse therof tunder out let the Earth and all which is therein be moued Illustrate myne eyes O thou incomprehensible light Darte forth that bright lightening and dissipate thē that they may not behold vanity Drawe downe the riuers at full speede put them into commotion that the fountaynes of water may appeare and the foundations of the Earth may be disclosed O thou inuisible light grant to vs such a power of seeing as that wee may be able to behold thee Grante O thou odour of life such a new power of smelling in vs as that wee may runn after thee vpon the odour of thy ointments Cure this taste of ours that it may relish and discerne and knowe how great that multitude of thy sweetenes layd vp for such as feare thee that is of such as are full filled with thy loue Graunt me a hart which may thinke of thee a will which may loue thee a minde which may remember thee an vnderstanding which may conceiue thee and a reason which may adheare close to thee who art the supreame delight and art to be soe for euer Let that loue which is wise be euer loueinge thee O thou Life to which all things liue Life which giuest me life Life which is my very life it selfe whereby I liue and without which I dye Life whereby I am reuiued and without which I perish Life whereby I reioyce and with out which I am in misery Life which art a vitall life a Life which is sweete and amiable and to be remembered for euer where art thou I beseech thee that I may finde thee that I may faynt in my selfe and be refreshed in thee Be thou neer to me in my soule neer in my hart neer in my mouth neer in myne eares neer to giue me helpe because I languish with loue because I dye without thee and I am reuiued by remembring thee Thy odour doth refresh me the memory of thee doth cure me but I shall then onely be satisfyed when thy glory shall appeare O thou life of my soule My soule earnestly desires and doth euen languish through the memory of thee When shall I come and appeare before thee O thou my ioy Why doest thou turne thy face from me O thou my ioy wherein I reioyce where art thou hidden o beautie which I desire I smell the sweete odour of thee I liue and I ioy therein Thy selfe I doe not see but I heare thy voyce and it reuiues me But why doest thou hide thy Face from me Doest thou say perhaps that noe man shall see my Face and liue well then O Lord let me dye that I may see thee and let me see thee that I may dye here below I will not liue but I will dy I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ I desire to dye that I may see Christ I refuse to liue that I may liue with Christ O Lord Iesus receiue my spirit O thou my life receiue my soule O thou my ioy drawe my hart vp to thee O thou my sweete food let me feede on thee O thou my Heade direct me Light of mine eyes illuminate me O thou my true sweetenes temper me thou pretious odour quicken me thou Word of God recreate me O thou my praise delight thou the soule of thy seruant enter into it O thou ioy of myne that it may reioyce in thee Enter into it O thou soueraigne sweetenes that it may relish those things which indeed are sweete O thou eternall light illustrate it that it may vnderstand knowe and loue thee For therefore it is o Lord that he who loues thee not doth not loue thee because he knowes thee not and therfore doth he not knowe thee because he vnderstands thee not and therefore he vnderstands thee not because he comprehends not thy light For the light shined in darkenes and darkenes comprehended it not O thou light of our mindes O bright Truth which illuminatest all men comeing into this world comeing into it indeede but not loueinge it For he who loueth the world is made the enemy of God Driue of all darkenes from the face of the Abysse of my minde that it may see thee by knoweing thee that it may knowe thee by comprehending thee and that by soe knowing thee it may loue thee For whosoeuer knoweth thee forgetts himself that he may loue thee He loues thee more then himselfe he forsakes himself that he may fly to thee and that he may reioyce in thee From hence therefore it growes O Lord that I loue thee not soe much as I ought because I doe not fully knowe thee But because I knowe thee little I loue thee little and because I loue thee little I reioyce little in thee but departing from thee who art the true interiour ioy towards exteriour things whilest I want thee alone I affect to finde impure and false freindships amongst thy creatures And so wretch that I am I haue bestowed this hart of myne vpon vayne things which I ought to haue imployed vpon thee with an entire appetite and affection and so by loueing vanity
my selfe am growen to be wholy vayne And hence also it is O Lord that I reioyce not in thee and that I adheare not to thee For I am in exteriour things thou in interiour I am in temporall things thou in spirituall my minde is scattered spilt my thought is entertayned my speach is imployed vpon transitory obiects but thou O Lord doest dwell in the eternities and art eternity it selfe Thou art in heauen I on earth thou louest high and I lowe things thou celestiall I terrestriall when shall these contrarietyes be euer able to meete CHAP. II. Of the misery and frayletie of Man WRetch that I am when shall this crookednes of mine be straightened according to that rectitude of thyne Thou O Lord louest to be alone and I to be in multituds Thou louest to be in silence and I in noyse Thou louest truth and I loue vanity Thou louest purity and I vncleanenes What should I say more O Lord thou art truely good and I naughty thou art holy and I am wicked thou art happy and I vniust thou art light it selfe and I am truely blinde thou art life it selfe and I am dead thou art Phisicke and I am sicke thou art ioy and I am sorrow thou art soueraigne Truth and I am an vniuersality of vanitie as indeede all men liueinge are Woe be therefore to me O thou Creatour of myne what shall I say Yet hearken thou O my Creatour for I am thy creature and I am euen now vpon perishing I am thy creature and am euen very now vpon dying I am the worke of thy hands and I am euen now reduced to nothing I am the thing which thou haste made Thy hands O Lord haue made me and fashioned me those hands I say which were fastened to the Crosse with nayles for me Doe not O Lord despise the worke of those hands of thine I beseech thee behold the wounds which are in thine owne hands Behold O Lord how thou haste writtē me in thyne owne hāds Reade that wrightinge of thine and saue me Behold I thy creature doe sigh towards thee thou art my Creatour and doe thou refresh me Behold I who am the worke of thy hands cry out to thee thou art life it self doe thou quicken me Behold I whom thou haste framed am lookeing towards thee thou art my maker and therefore doe thou restore me Pardon me O Lord for my dayes are nothing And yet what is any man that he should presume to speake to his Creator who is God Pardon me whilest I am speakeing to thee forgiue thy slaue who presumes to open his mouth to soe great a Lord. But necessity hath noe lawe Greife forces me to speake the calamity which I endure constraynes me to cry out I am sicke and I cry out to my Physician I am blinde and I make haste towards the light I am dead and I aspire towards life Thou O Iesus of Nazareth art the Physician thou art the Light thou art life Haue mercy on me O thou Sonne of Dauid Take pitty on me O thou fountaine of mercy Giue eare ro thy poore creature which cryes out after thee O thou light which art passing by expect this blinde man reach forth thy hand to him that he may come to thee ard may see light in thy light O thou liueing life reuiue thou this dead man But yet who am I that am speakinge to thee Woe be to me O Lord haue mercy on me O Lord on me who am a rotten carkas the food of wormes a stinkeing pott and that matter whereon fyre must feede VVoe be to me O Lord wretched man that I am Man who being borne of a woeman is to liue but a little time and is to be filled with many miseries Man I say who is growen like to vanity it selfe and being cōpared to the foolish beasts is now also become like to them But yet still what am I a darke abysse a wretched peece of earth a childe of wrath a vessell euen made fitt for reproach begotten with impurity liueing in mysery and dying in agony Alas poore wretch what am I and yet againe alas what am I to be A vessell full of dunge a hollow shell full of putrefaction full of stinkeing filth which euen breedeth horrour Blynde poore naked subiect to a world of myseries and wholly ignorant eyther how I came into the world or how I shall gett out Miserable and mortall whose dayes passe away like a shadow whose life doth vanish like awayning Moone like a flower which groweth vpon a stalke and presently decayes Now it florisheth and in the turneing of a hande it withereth This life I say this frayle life of myne this transitory life this life which how muche the more it encreaseth soe much the more it decayes how much the more it proceedes so much the nearer it drawes to death A deceiptfull life and like to a shadow and all besett with the very snares of death Now I reioyce and euen now againe I am sadd now I am strong and now againe I am weake now I liue and now I am about to dye now I laugh and now againe I weepe now I seeme happy whilest yet I am all wayes miserable And soe subiect are all things to change vpon all warninges as that there is scarce any one of them which continueth permanent for the space of an houre Here feare and apprehension and hunger and thirst and heate and cold and sickenes of body and sorrow of mynd is in all aboundance And all these are followed by vntimely death which snatcheth men out of the world by a thousand wayes It kills one man with a feauer another man is oppressed with greife of mynd hunger consumeth one thirst makes an end of another one man is drowned by water another man is strangled by a halter another is destroyed by fyre another is deuowred by wilde beasts One is killed by the sword another is corrupted by poyson and another ends his miserable life by the surprise of some strange and sodayne feare And now besides and beyond all these things a huge misery it is that as nothing is more certayn then death soe of nothing is a man more vncertayn then of the tyme when he shal dy When he thinkes he standeth fastest he is tripped vp and his hope perisheth Noe man can tel eyther when or where or how he shall dye and yet he is sure enough that dye he must Behold O Lord how great this misery of man is wherein I am placed yet I am voyd of feare How great the calamite is which I endure and yet I am farre from greife nor doe I cry out to thee But I will cry out O Lord before I passe away to the end that I may not passe away but remayne in thee I will therfore declare I will declare my misery I will not be ashamed to confesse my basenes before thee Helpe me O thou my strength whereby I am raised succour me
O thou Power whereby I am susteyned Approach to me O thou light whereby I see Appeare to me O glory wherein I ioy disclose thy selfe to me O thou life whereby I liue O thou my Lord and my God CHAP. III. Of the admirable light of God O Thou light which Tobias sawe when he taught his sonne the way of life though himselfe were blinde Thou light which Isaack sawe interiourly when he foretold future things to his sōne though his eyes of flesh and blood were full of darkenes Thou inuisible light I say to which all the abysses of humane harts are visible Thou light which Iacob sawe when thou teaching him interiourly he did exteriourly prophecie to his children Behold whilest thou art light deepe darkenes is spredd ouer the face of the abysse of my minde Behold whilest thou art truth a thicke mist is spredd ouer the wateres of my hart O thou word whereby all things are made and without which nothing is made Thou Vvord which art before all things and nothing was before it Thou VVord which guidest all things and without which all things are nothing thou Vvord which saydest in the beginning Let light be made and light was made say that also to me let light be made and let it then indeede be made And make me also knowe whatsoeuer is not light because without thy helpe I shall mistake light for darkenes and darkents for light And so without thy light there is noe truth but errour and vanity are at hand There is no order but eonfusion noe knowledge but ignorance noe sight but blindenes noe open way but wandering mazes noe life but death CHAP. IV. Of the mortality of Mans nature BEhold O Lord because there is noe light there is death or rather I cannot say that death is there because death indeede is nothing and by that we tend to be nothing whilest we are not affrayd to make our selues nothing by committing sinne And this O Lord happeneth iustly to vs. For we receiue penishement fitt for our demerits whilest we slide away like a little falling water For nothing is made without thee And by doeing and makeing that which is nothing we growe to be nothing because we are nothing without thee by whome all things are made without whome nothing is made O Lord thou who art the Word O God who art the Vvord by whome all things and without whome nothing is made Vvoe be to me miseaable creature who haue beene soe often blynded for thou art light and I haue beene voyd of thee Vvoe be to me miserable creature who haue beene soe often wounded for thou art health it selfe and I am voyd of thee Vvoe be to me miserable creature who haue soe often beene infatuated by errour for thou art Truth and I am voyd of thee Vvoe be to me miserable creature who haue soe often gone astray for thou art the way I haue wandred from thee Vvoe be to me miserable creature who haue beene so often dead for thou art life and I am without thee Vvoe be to me miserable creature who haue beene annihilated soe often for thou art that Vvord by which all things were made and I am without thee without whome nothing is made O Lord who art the word O God the Vvord who art that light whereby light is made who art the way the truth and the life in whome there is noe darkenes nor vanity nor death Light without which all is darkenes Vvay without which all is errour Truth without which all is vanity and life without which all is death O Lord doe but say this word Fiat lux let light be made that soe I may see light and auoyd darkenes that I may see the way and auoyd straying that I may see truth and auoyd vanity that I may see life and auoyd death O Lord my light doe thou illuminate me O thou my illumination and my saluation whome I will praise my God whome I will honour my Father whome I will loue and my spouse for whome I will preserue my selfe Shine forth I say shine forth thou light vpon this blinde creature of thine who is sitting in darkenes and the shadow of death and direct his feete into the way of peace Vvhereby I may enter into the place of thy admirable Tabernacle as farre as the house of God himselfe and the voyce of exultation and confession For a true Confession is the way whereby one may enter into thee who art the way whereby we may departe from all wandring and may returne againe to the same way because thou art that true way of life CHAP. V. VVhat it is to be made nothing I will therfor confesse my misery to thee I will confesse to thee O thou my Father and my Lord that maker of Heauen and Earth that soe I may be admitted to approche thy mercy For I am made wholly miserable and am reduced to nothing and I knew it not For thou art truth and I was not with thee My iniquityes haue wounded me and I was not troubled thereat For thou art life and I was not with thee They brought me to nothing because I was not with thee who art the Word whereby all things were made and without it nothing and therefore did I become nothing without thee For that is nothing which leades to nothing All things are made by him whatsoeuer are made and what kinde of things where they God sawe all those things which he made and they were very good All things which are made were made by the Word and whatsoeuer things were made by that Word are very good Why are they good in regard that all things are made by the Vvord without it nothing is made Because nothing is good withaut a participation of that souueraigne Good But sinne is there where that Good is not and for that cause it is euen nothing For euill is nothing but a priuation of good as blindenes is noe other thing but a priuation of light Sinne therefore is nothing because it is made without the Vvord without which nothing is made and that is sinne or euill which is depriued of that good whereby all things are made which haue any beeing But now those things which are not are not made by him and consequently they are nothing Therefore those things are euill which are not made because all things which are made are made by the Vvord and all things which are made by the Vvord are good Since therefore all things are made by the Vvord sinne is not made by it and therefore it remaynes that all things which are not made be not good for as much as all things which are made be good and therefore those things are euill which are not made and therefore they are nothing because nothing is made without the Vvord Sinne therefore is nothing because it is not made But then how is it euill if it be nothing Because euill is a priuation of that good whereby that which is
made is good To be therefore whithout the Vvord is to be euill which yet is not properly to be because nothing is without it But what is it to be separated from the word If thou desire to knowe this learne first what this Vvord is The Vvord of God sayth I am the Vvay the Truth and the Life To be separated therefore from the Vvord is to be out of the Vvay and without Truth and life and therefore without it is nothing and so it is euill in being separated from the Vvord whereby all things were made very good To be separated then from the Vvord whereby all things were made is noe other thing then to faile and to passe from being a fact to be a defect because nothing truely is without it As often therefore as thou departest from good thou doest separate thy selfe from the Vvord because the Vvord is good and soe thou growest to be nothing because thou art without the Vvord without which nothing is made Now therefore O Lord thou O light hast illuminated me that I might see thee I sawe thee and I knowe my selfe for soe often haue I growen to he nothing as I haue separated my selfe from thee and because I forgett that good which thou art therefore did I growe to be wicked Woe be to me wretched man how came it to passe that I knewe not that by forsakeing thee I grewe to be nothing but why doe I aske how I could be ignorant thereof if I were nothing we knowe what it is to be nothing that it is not which is nothing and that the thing which is not good is not because it is nothing If therefore I were not when I was without thee I was as nothing and as an idoll which is nothing Vvhich hath eares indeede but it heareth not nostrells but it smelleth not eyes but it seeth not a mouth but it speaketh not hands but it feeleth not feete but it walketh not and it hath all the lineaments or parts of a body but yet without that sense which belongeth to them CHAP. VI. Of the fall of a soule by sinne WHen therfore I was without thee I was not any thing but I was nothing therfore I was blinde deafe insensible because I discerned not that which was ill nor felt the afflictioÌ„ of my wounds nor could I discerne myne owne darkenes because I was without thee who art the true light which illuminateth all men comeing into the world Vvoe be to me they haue any other parte thereof but onely soe farre forth as they are conserued by the Word whereby all things are made Let me therefore adheare to thee O Word that thou mayest conserue me For as soone as I departed from thee I had vtterly perished in my self but that thou who haddest made me once didest vouchsafe to make me yet againe I sinned and thou didest visit me I fell thou didest rayse me I was ignorant thou diddest teach me I was blinde and thou diddest illuminate me CHAP. VII Of the manifold benefitts of Almighty God DEclare to me O my God how much I miserable creature am bound to loue thee Declare to mee how much I am obliged to praise thee make me see how much I must procure to please thee Thunder downe O Lord from aboue with a shrill steady voyce into the interiour eare of my harte Teach me saue me and I will prayse thee who didest create me when I was nothing who didest illuminate me when I was in darkenes who didest reuiue me when I was dead and who hast fedd me from my very youth with all thy good blessings Yea and doest now nourish this vnprofitable worme who is stinkeing and rotteing in his sinnâ—s with all thy most excellent guifts Open to me O thou key of Dauid thou who openest and noe man shutteth to whome thou openest and who shuttest and noe man openeth to him to whome thou shuttest Open I say the gate of thy light towards me that I may enter in and see knowe and confesse to thee with my whole hart because thy mercy towards me is greate and thou hast drawen my soule out of that lower hell O Lord my God how admirable and prayseworthy is thy Name throughout the word And what is man that thou shouldest be mindefull of him or the sonne of man that thou shouldest visit him O Lord thou hope of thy Saints and thou tower of theyr strength O God thou life of my soule whereby I liue and without which I dye Thou light of myne eyes by which I see and without which I am blinde thou ioy of my hart and thou delight of my spirit I beseeche thee that I may loue thee with my whole hart and with my whole mynde euen with all the very bowells of my affection since thy selfe didst first loue me And how came I to obteyne this fauour at thy hands O thou Creatour of the Heauens and of the Earth and of that deepe abysse Thou who haste noe neede of any thing which is myne VVhence came I to be soe happy as that thou shouldest carry loue to me O thou VVisdome which openest the mouthes of dumbe men O thou VVord whereby all things were made open thou my mouth endewe me with the voyce of prayse that I may recount all those benefits which thou O Lord hast bestowed on me from the beginning For behold I am because thou hast created me and that thou wouldest create me and number me out in the multitudes of thy other creatures thou diddest preordeyne from all eternity before thou madest any thing in that beginning of the world before thou didest extend and spread the heauens abroade nether yet was there any abysse of the sea nor hadest thou made the Earth nor layd a foundation for the mountaynes nether yet had the fountaynes broken forth Before all these things I say which thou madest by thy Word thou didest foresee by the most certayn prouidence of thy truth that I was to be thy creature thou wert resolued that I should be soe And whence grew this benefit to me O thou most benigne Lord most high God most mercifull Father most puissant withall for euer meeke Creatour VVhat merits were there of myne What meanes was there to make me soe acceptable that it should be pleasing in the sight of thy mighty Maiesty to create me I had noe beeing and thou madest me of nothing But what kinde of thing didest thou make me Not some dropp of water not some sparke of fyre not some birde some fish some serpent or any other vnreasonable creature not some stone or peece of wood Nor any thing of that kinde which onely hath a beeing or of that other kinde which hath not onely a beeing but growth and sense but beyond them all thou wert pleased that I should be of them who haue a beeing because I am and of them who haue a beeing and encreasing because I am and growe and of them
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
innumerable creatures are still creeping creatures greate and small that is to say seuerall kindes of deuills who study nothing els day and night but how they may walke they re round seeking whome they may deuoure vnles thou deliuer them For this is that ancient Dragon who sprung vp first in that paradise of pleasure and who with his tayle drawes the third parte of the starrs of heauen after him and brings them downe to the earth he who is poyson corruptes the waters of the world that soe mē who drinke thereof may dye and who trāples vpon gold like so much durte and into whose mouth the riuer of Iordan flowes and he is growen to that presumption that he feares non at all And who shall be able to defend vs from the crushing of his teeth who shall be able to deliuer vs out of his iawes but thou O Lord who hast broken all the heades of that huge Dragon Helpe vs O Lord and spread thy wings ouer vs that soe wee may flye vnder them from the face of this dragon who persecureth vs. And doe thou defend vs by thy sheild from the push of his hornes For to this doth he direct his continuall study vpon this is his cheife desire imployed that he may deuoure the soules which thou hast created And therefore O my God wee cry out to thee deliuer vs from this daily aduersary of ours who whether wee sleepe or wake or eate or drinke or whatsoeuer els wee doe is pressing vpon vs by all meanes and by many fraudes and tricks he is addressing poysoned arrowes against vs both priuately and publikely that soe he may destroy our soules And yet O Lord soe strangely miserable are wee made as that although we see this Dragon continually comeing towards vs with his mouth wide open ready to deuoure vs yet neuertheles wee sleepe and wee are euē wanton againe in our slouth as if wee were secure before him who yet couets nothing but our destruction Our enemy that he may kill vs is continually awake and wants his sleepe and yet wee will not soe much as wake from sleepe that wee may defend our selues Behould he hath spred infinite snares before our feete and he hath stuffed all our wayes with seuerall kindes of gynnes whereby to catch our soules and who then shall be able to free himselfe He hath layd snares in riches and snares in pouerty snares in meate in drinke in pleasure in sleeping and wakeing he hath spred snares in words and in workes and in all our wayes But thou O Lord deliuer vs from the snares of the hunter and from that bitter word that wee may confesse to thee and say Blessed be our Lord who hath not giuen vs to a pray to their teeth Our soules is deliuered as a sparrow might be out of the hunters snare The snare is broken and wee are deliuered CHAP. XVII That God is the Light of iust Persons ANd thou O Lord who art my Light illuminate myne eyes that I may see and walke in thy light and not stumble vpon the snares of the enemy For who shall be able to auoyd such a multitude of snares vnles he see them and who shall be able to see them vnles he be illuminated by thy light For that father of darkenes hides all those snares in his owne darkenes that all they may be taken by them who are in his darkenes and who are the sonnes of darkenes not discerning thy light wherein whosoeuer walketh needes not feare For he who walkes by day stumbles not but he stumbles who walkes by night for the light is not in him Thou O Lord art Light thou art the light of the sonnes of light thou art the Sunne which knoweth not what belonges to setting that day wherein thy children walke without stumbling and without which all they who walke are in darkenes as being destitute of thee who art the light of the world Behould wee discouer daily that by how much the more any man is estranged from thee who art the true light so much the more intricately is he wrapped vp in the darkenes of sinne And how much the more he is in darkenes so much the lesse can he discerne the snares which are spred for him in his wayes And soe by not discerneing them he falleth often into them and is taken by them which deserues to strike vs full of horrour such a man doth not soe much as knowe that he is fallen Now he who knowes not that he hath taken a fall will care soe much the lesse to rise as he still conceiueth that he stands But thou O Lord my God thou true light of the mynde illuminate now myne eyes that I may see thee and knowe thee and not tumble headlong downe in the sight of myne enemyes For this mayne aduersary of ours doth labour euen to exterminate vs outright whilest wee the whyle begg of thee that thou wilt make him melt before our face as wax doth vpon the approach of fyre For hee O Lord is that cruell theefe first and last who tooke counsell how he might robb thee of thy glory but soe being puffed and swollen vp he burst and fell vpon his face and thou diddest precipitate him downe from that Holy Hill of thyne and from the middest of those bright stones in the middest whereof he had once beene walkeing And now O Lord my God and my life he neuer giueth ouer to persecute thy children euer since he fell And out of his hatred to thee O Mighty King he procureth to destroy thy creature which thy Omnipotent goodnes hath created according to thyne owne Image to the end that he may possesse thy glory which himselfe lost by pride But crush thou him to peeces O strong Champion before he deuoure thy lambes and illuminate vs that wee may discerne the snares which he hath prepared for vs and make vs able to escape and arryue to thee O thou ioy of Israell Thou best knowest all these things thou knowest his contentious spirit and his most stiffe neeke Nor doe I speake of these things as pretending to discouer them to thee who knowest all things and from whom noe little thought can lye hidd But make my iust complaint against this enemy of mine before the feete of thy Maiesty that so thou mayest both condemne him and saue vs thy Children Whose strength thou art This enemy of ours O Lord is full of craft and shifts nor can those intricate wayes of his be easily traced out no nor so much as the ayre of his countenāce be discerned by vs vnles we be illuminated by thee For sometimes he is here sometimes he is there Now he shewes himselfe like a lambe and then like a wolfe now like darkenes and then like light and according to the seuerall qualityes of persons according to the variety of tymes and places and according to the momentary chaunge of things he suggesteth seuerall temptations For to the end that he may deceiue
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
all reuerence and deuotion and which thou O Lord our God our Priest didst immaculately institute and didst commaund to be offered vp in commemoration of thy charity that is of thy death and passion for our saluation and for the dayly reparation of our frailty Let my mind be confirmed whilest I am in the midst of those so great misteryes by the sweetnes of thy presence Let it find that thou art there at hand and let it reioyce before thee O thou fire which euer flamest O thou loue which euer burnest sweet Christ deere Iesus thou eternall and neuer fayling light thou foode of life which dost refresh vs and yet dost neuer diminish in thy selfe who art dayly eaten and yet dost euer remaine entiere shine thou vpon me kindle me illuminate and sanctify this vessell which is thine owne Make it empty of malice replenish it with grace and when it is once full keep it so that I may receaue this food of thy flesh to the saluation of my soule and that by feeding on thee I may liue of thee and by thee that so I may arriue to thee and repose in thee CHAP. XII Of spirituall ioy O Thou sweetnes of loue and thou loue of sweetnes let my stomacke feed on thee let euen my bowels be all filled with the Nectar of thy loue and let my mind vtter that good word O charity O my God thou hunny which is so sweet thou milke which is so white Thou art the food of strong persons make me increase towards thee that so I may feed vpon thee and tast thee withth epalate not of a sick but of a sound person Thou art the life by which I liue the hope to which I doe adhere and the glory which I desire to obtaine Hold thou fast my hart rule my mind direct my vnderstanding erect my loue suspend my thoughts and draw the mouth of this spirit which thirsteth after thee into those liuing streames of celestiall running waters I beseech thee impose silence vpon these tumultuous thoughts of flesh and bloud let these conceits of the earth of the waters and of the ayre and of these heauens which re we see hold their peace Let all visions reuelations which are imprinted vpon the imagination be silent and euery tongue and sensible expression and what soeuer els which hath his complete beeing by passing on Let euen the soule be islent to it self and let it outstrip and exceed it selfe by not thinking of it selfe but only of thee O my God because thou in very deed art all my hope all my confidence For in thee O my God and my Lord in thee O most sweet O most amiable O most mercifull Christ Iesus there is a part of the flesh and bloud of euery one of vs. Now therefore where a part of me doth raigne there do I beleeue my self to raigne Where my bloud hath dominion there do I also confide my selfe to be in dominion where my flesh is glorifyed there doe I know my selfe to be glorious For howsoeuer I am a sinner yet I cannot despaire but that I shal be admitted to this communication of thy grace And although my iniquityes forbid me yet that substance of mine doth inuite me and although my sinnes do exclude me yet that participation of nature doth not suffer me to be reiected CHAP. XIII That the VVord Incarnate is the cause of our Hope FOr our Lord is not so an enemy as that he can forebeare to loue his owne flesh and the parts of his owne body his owne bowells I might iustly haue despayred by reason of my excessiue sinnes vices of those infinite negligences and faults which I haue commited and which I dayly do commit by thought word and deed and by all those meanes wherby the frailty of mans nature may sinne vnlesse the Vvord my God had become flesh and had dwelt amongst vs. But now I dare not despaire because he growing obedient to thee euen to the death and that the very death of the Crosse did take that hand-writing of our sins and nayling it to the same Crosse did crucify both sinne and death In him therefore doe I securely conceaue hope who sitteth at thy right hand and interceedes for vs. And confiding in him I trust I shall arriue to be with thee in whome we are risen and haue liued againe and haue ascēded vp to heauen and are remaining there To thee be praise glory honour thankesgiuing for euer CHAP. XIV How sweet a thing it is to thinke of God O Thou most mercifull Lord who didst so loue and saue vs who didst so quicken and exalt vs O most mercifull Lord how sweet is the memory of thee How much more I meditate on thee so much more art thou sweet amiable to me Therefore doth it delight me extremely to behold thy excellencyes with a pure sight of the mind and with a most sweet affection of pious loue according to the little power I haue in this place of my pilgrimage Where although I be apperrelled with a poore garment of flesh and bloud I do yet continually aspire to the consideration and desire of thy admirable amability and beauty For with the dart of thy charity am I wounded and I am all on a light fire of desire concerning thee I couet to arriue to thee and thee doe I desire to behold Therefore will I euer stand vpon my guard with vigilant eyes I will be singing in spirit and I will also sing with my vnderstanding with all my forces will I prayse thee who art both my Creatour and my Redeemer I will penetrate the heauens with my affectiō and I will so approch to thee with my desire that I may be held but onely in body by this present misery and all my thoughts and the greedines of my desire shal be euer vpon thee that so my hart may be where thou my treasure art who art so desirable so incomparable and so deerely amiable But behold O my most pittifull and most merciful God whilest I am applying my selfe to the consideratiō of thy immense goodnes and pitty my hart is not able to goe through with it For thy grace thy beauty thy vertue thy glory thy magnificence thy Maiesty and thy charity doth exceed all the powers of our mind And as the splendour of thy glory is inestimable so is the benignity of that eternal charity of thyne vnspeakable whereby thou hast adopted them for thy sonnes ioyned them close to thy selfe whom formerly thou hast created of nothing CHAP. XV. How much tribulation endured for Christ our Lord is to be desired O My soule if dayly we were to suffer torments yea and euen to endure the very paines of hell that for a long tyme together to the end that we might arriue to see Christ in his glory to be associated to his Saints would it not be fit for vs to beare all that affliction if therby we