essence one vertuâ— one goodnes one onely happines From whom by whom and in whom all thinges are happie what thinges soâ—uer are happie That God is the true and soueraigne life CHAPT XXXII O God the true and soueraigne lâ—fe from whome by whome and in whome all thinges doe liue what thinges soeuer doe truly and happilie liue O God the true and soueraigne bountiâ— and beautie from whom by whom and in whome all thinges are good and beautifull what thinges soeuer are good and beautifull O God whose faiâ—he dâ—th raise vsâ— whose hope doth releiue vs whose charitie doth vnite vs. O God who commaundest that we shoulde aske thee and openest to him that doth knock and call vnto thee O God from whome to be auerted is to fall to whome to be conuâ—â—ed is to rise in whome to remaine is to be immoueable O God whom noe man looseth vnlesse he be deceaued whioÌ„ noe man seeketh vnlesse he bâ— admonished whom noe man findeth vnlesse he be vndefiled O God to knowe whom is to liue to serue whom is to raigne to praife whom is the â—oules ioy and saluation I praise blâ—sse and adore thee with my lippes and harte and with all the force I haue rendring thankes to thy mercie and bountie for all the benefitts which I haue receiuâ—d from thee and singing vnto thee the hymne of thy glorie holy holy holy To thee I cry o blessed Trinity beseeching thee that thou wilt vouchsafe to come into me and make men temple fitt to receaue thy maiestie I beseech the Father by the Sonne I beseech the Sonne by the Father I beseech the holy Ghost by the Father and the Sonne that all my sinnes and imperfections may be remoued farr from me and all holy vertues may be planted in me O God of infinite power and might of whom by whom and in whom all thinges visible and inuisible were created who dost enuiron thy workes without and replenishe them within who dost couer them aboue and sustaine them beneath protect me the worke of thy handes hoping in thee and hauing my whole coÌ„fidence in thy onely mercy Preserue me I beseeche thee heere and euery where now and euer within and without before and behinde aboue and beneathe and on euery side that noe place in me may be founde open to the assaultes and snares of mine enimies Thou art God almightie the keeper and defender of all those that trust in thee without whom no man is secure no man is free from danger Thou art God and there is noe other God but thee either in heauen aboue or on the earthe beneathe who dost great and maruailous thinges vnknowen and inscrutable in nomber infinite and innumerable To thee therefore doth truly belong all glory power and praise To thee all the holy Angells the heauens and vniuâ—rsall powers doe singe songes of thanksgiuing sounding forth thy prayses without ceasinge as creatures to theire creator as seruants to theire maister as souldiers to theme Prince and gouuernoure Finallie euery creature and eueric spiritt doth magnifie and extoll thee o sacred and inseparable Trinitie The praises of Angells and men CHAPT XXXIII TO thee all holy and humblâ— men of hartie to thee the spiritts and soules of the iust to thee all the celestiall citâ—izeÌ„s and euerie order of the heauenlie hierarchie doe singe and sounde forth praise and honoure euâ—rlastinglie in most humble manner fallinge downe adoring thee Those celestiall cittizens o Lord doe praise thee with much honoure and magnificencie Man likewise doth extâ—ll thy power containinge in himselfe a greate parte of ech other creature I my selfe alsoe albeit a poore and miserable sinner doe desire to praise thee with greate deuotion and doe withe thaâ— I coulde loue thee with most ardent affection O my God my life my strength and my praise giue me graâ—e to praise thee Giue light vnto my harte and worde vnto my mouth that my harte may thinke of thy glorie and my tongue may all the day longe singe and sounde forth thy praises But because thy praise is not seemely in my mouthe that am a sinner and a man of vncleane lipps cleanse my harte I beseâ— che thee from all vncleanlineffe of iniqnitie sanctifie me within and without o sanctifier omnipotent and make me worthy to praise thee Receiue gratiouslie and take in good parte this sacrifice of my lipps which I offer thee with my whole harte and affection and graunt that it may be acceptable in thy sight and ascende vnto thee as an odore of sweetnes Lett thy holie remembrance and thy most blessed sweetnes possesse my whole soule drawinge it vp to the loue of thinges inuisible Lett my soule passe from thinges visible to inuisible from earthly to celestiall from thinges temporall to eternall lett it mount vp by contemplation and beholde thee whose sight is soe full of admiration O eternal truthe true charitie and charitable eternitie thou art my God to thee I sigh day and night thou art my whole studie my desire is how I may come to thee because he that knoweth the truth knoweth eternity Thou o truth art ruler ouer al thinges whom we shal apparantly see after that this blinde and mortal life is ended in which we are demauÌ„ded Wher is thy God yea I my selfe doe demaunde My God where art thou Me thinke I finde my selfe somewhat comforted in thee when with wordes of exultation and confession I doe power forthe my soule vppon thee as one reioyceth at some banquet or vppon a holie day Neuerthelesse my soule is yet pensiue for that it falleth downe and becommeth as an infinite deepe pitt or rather perceiueth it selfe to be such a one as yett To whome my faith which in the night season thou hast kindled before my feete making answere saieth Why art thou sadd o my soule and why doost thou trouble me Put thy trust in God whose worde is a light vnto my feete hope and perseuere in him vntill the night be past the mother of such as sinne vntill Gods anger be past whose children in times past we haue been because we were heeretofore darknes vntill this violent inundation of waters be past vntill the day appeare and the shadowes are departed till then the residue of sinne remaineth in our bodie growen deade through iniquitie Wherefore o my soule put thy trust in our Lord in the morninge I will preisent my selfe before him and meditate vppon him and for euermore will confesse vnto him In the morninge I will present my selfe before him and by contemplation will beholde him who is the health of my countenance and my God who will reuiue our deade bodies by meanes of the holie Ghost dwellinge in vs to the end that from hence forth we may become light and the children of the light and of the day not of the night neither of darknes being as yett saued by hope True it is that heeretofore we were darknesse but now we are become light in thee our God neuertheles as yet by
that are good be fullie contented and satisfied for that there will be noe other externall thinge at that time that may be desired sauing thee o Lord the supreame and chiefest good Who wilt be the rewarde of the blessed the crowne or diademe of theire beautie and the euerlasting ioy which shall enuiron theire heades giuing them peace both without and within by meanes of thy peace which passeth all vnderstanding There we shall see thee loue thee and pray se thee We shall see light in thy light for that with thee is the fountaine of life and in thy light we shall see light But what light Surely surpassing greate light spirituall light inccorruptible and incomprehensible light infaileable and vnquencheable light a light vnto which noe man can approache or attaine light vncreated true and diuine which enlightneth the eies of the Angells which maketh the youth of the Saincts for to reioyce and be gladde which is the light of lights and fountaine of life euen thou thy selfe o Lord my God For thou art the light in whose light we shal see light that is to say we shall see thee in thy selfe in the brightnes of thy countenance when we shall beholde thee face to face Now what other thinge is it to beholde thee face to face but according as the Apostle sayeth to knowe thee euen as I am knowen to knowe thy truthe and thy glorie To knowe thy face therfore is nothinge else but to knowe the power of the Father the wisedome of the Sonne the mercie of the holie Ghost the essence of the most highe Trinitie being vndiuided and one onely Wherfore to beholde the face of the liuing God is the chiefest good the ioy of the Angells and of all the Saincts the recompence of eternall life the glorie of the blessed spirits the euerlastinge gladnes the crowne of comelines the rewarde of happines the richest rest the beautie of peace the internall and externall delectation the paradise of God the celestiall Hierusalem the happie life the fulnes of felicitie the delight of eternitie the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding Mans whole blisse therefore and beatitude doth consist in beholding the face of his God to see him that hath made heauen and earthe to see him that hath made him that hath saued him that hath glorified him He shall see him by knowing him he shall loue him by affectinge him he shall prayse him by possessinge him For he shall be the inheritance of his people of his people the Saincts and blessed of his people whom he hath redeemed He shall be the possession of theire beatitude he shall be the rewarde and recompense of that which they haue soe longe expected Euen as he promised when he saied I will be thy surpassinge great rewarde For that it is meete that soe great a rewarde shoulde be giuen by soe great a Lord. Truly o Lord my God thou art surpassing great aboue all the Gods and thy rewarde likewise is surpassing great Neither art thou great and thy rewarde little but as thou art great soe in like manner is thy recompense for that betwixt thee and it there is noe difference Thou thy selfe art surpassing great indeade thou thy selfe art a rewarde surpassing great thou thy selfe art the crowner and the crowne the promisser and the promise the giuer and the guift the rewarder and the rewarde of eternall happines Thou therfore o my God art the crowner and the crowne the diademe of my hope which is adorned with glorie thou art the light that gladdeth the light that reneweth the brightnes that beautifieth thou art my great hope the internall loue and delight of the blessed euen he whom they haue still soe much desired Thy sight therfore o Lord is our whole rewarde our whole recompense and all the ioy which we expect For this is life euerlasting this I say is thy wisedome This is life euerlasting that we know thee â—â—â—onely true God Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent When therefore we shall beholde thee the onely God the true God the liuing God who art omnipotent simple inuisible infinite and incomprehensible when likewise we shal see our Lord Iesus Christ thy onely begotten sonne being consubstantiall and coeternall with thee whom in the vertue of the holy Ghost thou hast sent into the worlde for our saluation Finallie when we shall contemplate thee the God which art onely holy three in personnes and one in essence besides whom there is noe other then we shall obtaine that which we nowe seeke for to wit eternall life euerlastinge glorie which thou hast prepared for those that loue thee which thou hast reserued for those that feare thee which thou wilt bestowe vppon those that seeke thee vppon those I say which seeke thy face continuallie Wherfore o my Lord God who hast fashioned me within the wombe of my mother who hast recommended me to the protection of thy diuine power permit me not any more to be distracted froÌ„ one thing into many but drawe me from externall thinges vnto my selfe and from my selfe vnto thee to the end that my harte may alwayes say vnto thee My face hath sought thee thy face will I seeke o Lord thy face o Lord of all power and fortitude in whose onely sight doth consist the whole glory and euerlasting beatitude of the blessed Because to see the face of God is life euerlasting and the endlesse glory of the Saints in heauen Let my harte therfore reioyce that it may feare thy name let theire harte reioyce that seeke our Lord but mnch more theires that finde him For if it be a pleasure to seeke him what a ioy will it be to finde him Wherfore I will alwaies seeke thy face with affection and deuotion that by that meanes I may peraduenture at length deserue to haue the dore and gate of righteousnes opened vnto me that I may enter into the ioy of my Lord. This is the dore of our Lord the iust shall euter in thereat A Prayer to the holy Trinitie CHAPT XXXVII O You three coequall and coeternall personnes one onely true God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost who dwellest in eternitie alone in that light vnto which noe man can attaine Who by thy power hast layed the worldâ— foundation and by thy wisedome dost gouerne the same Holy Holy Holy Lord God of hosts Terrible and powerfuli iust and mercifull worthy to be admired praysed and beloued One God three personnes one essence one power our wisedome one goodnes one onely Trinitie voide of separation Open the dores of thy righteousnes vnto me o Lord crying vnto thee to the end that being entred in I may praise thee with wordes of thanksgiuing Beholde o supreame house-holder I stande knockinge at thy dore as a poore begger commaunde that thy dore may be opened vnto me who hast sayed Knock and it shal be opened vnto you The affections of my groaâ—ing harte and the crying of my weeping eies doe knock at thy dore
how to praise him blessed is that man whose helpe is from God who hath soe disposed the ascents of his harte in this dolefull vale of miserie that by them he may ascende vp to the place of eternall felicitie Happie are the cleane in harte for they shall see God happie are they o Lord that dwell in thy house they shall praise thee for euer and euer A Prayer greatly mouinge the harte to deuotion and to the loue of God CHAPT XXXV O Iesu our redemption loue and desire God of God giue â—are to me thy poore vnworthy seruant To thee I câ—ll crie with a loude voyce with my whole harte To thee I call calling thee into my soule enter into the same and make it fitting for thee that thou mayest possesse it without wrinkle or blemishe of iniquitie because reason requireth that a cleane dwellinge shoulde be prepared for soe cleane a Lord to dwell in Sanctifie me therefor I beseech thee thy vessell which thou hast made cleanse me from malice fill me and preserue me full of thy grace that heere and for all eternity I may be made a fitt habitation for thy diuine maiestie O most sweete most powerfull most louing most deare most powerfull most desired most inestimable most amiable most beautifull Lord thou art more sweet then honie more white then either milke or snowe more pleasant to the tast then nectar or delitious wine more pretious then golde or pretious stones and more deare to me then all the riches and honoures of this worlde What doe I say o my God my onely hope and my surpassing great mercie What doe I say my happie and secure sweetnes What doe I say in saying these thinges Verilie I say what I am able not what I ought Woulde to God I were able to singe such hymnes of prayses as doe the quires of blessed Angells O how willinglie woulde I bestowe my selfe wholy in singing and setting forthe thy praises O how deuoutelie in the middest of thy Church would I pronounce those Canticles of celestiall melodie to the praise and glorie of thy holy name But because I cannot doe this shall I therefore holde my peace Woe be to those that haue not thee in theire mouth because thou art he that openest the mouthes of such as are mute and makest the tongues of infants to be eloqueÌ„t Woe be to those whose talke is not of thee because those that are talkatiue and full of wordes are to be esteemed as men speecheles if theire talke doth not tende to the extollinge of thy praises But who is able to praise thee worthily o vnspeakable vertue and wisedome of the Father Seeing therefore I want wordes by which I might be able sufficientlie to expresse thee o diuine worde of all power and knowledge I will in the interim say what I can vntill thou vouchsafe to call me vnto thee where I shal be able to speake what appertaineth both to thee and me Wherfore I humbly beseech thee that thou wilt not soe much consider what I say as what I desire to say Verily I greatlie desire to speake that of thee which is fittinge meete in respect that all praise thankesgiuinge and glorie is due vnto thee Thou knowest therefore o God from whom the very secrets of our hartes cannot be concealed that thou art more deare and acceptable to me then heauen and earthe and all thinges elsâ— that are therein for I loue thee aboue heauen and earthe and all other thinges contained in them yea soe greate loue is due to thy holy name as that in comparison thereof noe transitorie thinge doth deserue the fame I doe loue thee o my God very muche and doe desire to loue thee still more and more Giue me grace that I may alwaies loue thee accordinge to the greatnes of my affection and according to the greatnes of my obligation that thou onely maiest be my whole intention and my whole meditation Lett me thinke of thee in the day time without ceasinge Lett me dreame of thee in the night season Lett my soule talke to thee lett my minde discourse with thee Lett my harte be beautified by the light of thy holy sight that hauinge thee for my conductor and capitaine I may marche forewarde from vertue to venue and at length may beholde thee the God of Gods in Sion During the time of this life I doe see thee obscurelie as it were through a mrtroure or looking glasse but then I shall beholde thee apparentlie face to face where I shall knowe thee like as I am knowen of thee Blessed are the cleane in harte for they shall see God Blessed are they o Lord that dwell in thy house they shall praiâ—e thee worlde without end I beseeche thee therfore o Lord by thy manifolde mercies by which we are deliuered from eternall death mollifie my stonie harde harte harder then either stone or iron with thy most sacred and powerfull vnction and make me at all times to become a liuinge sacrifice in thy sight by the fire of compunctioÌ„ Make me to haue alwaies in thy sight a humble and contrite harte ioyned with aboundance of teares Make me in all my desires as one wholy deade to this wretched world and through the greatnes of the feare and loue of thee to forgett all thinges transitorie in so much as that I may neither greiue nor growe gladd at any temporall thinge being free from the feare loue of whatsoever passeth away with time beinge neither depraued through flattery nor dismaied through aduersitie And for that the loue of thee is forcible like vnto death graunt I beseeche thee that the fierie and sweete force of thy loue may wholy withdrawe my minde from all thinges vnder heauen that I may adhere to thee alone being fedd with the only memorie af thy sweetnes Lett the most odoâ—iferous smell of thee o Lord descende lett it descende I beseech thee lett it descende and with it lett the mellifluous loue of thee enter into my harte Let the admirable and vnspeakable fragrant sauoure of thee come vnto me causinge in me an eternall desire and affection and producinge in my harte fountaines of water flowinge into life euerlastinge Thou o Lord art infinitely good and therefore infinitelie to be loued and praysed of those whom thou hast redeemed with thy pretious bloud O most liberall louer of men most louinge Lord and most iust iudge to whom the Father hath committed all iudgment thou perceiuest in the most wise iudgement of thy righteousnesse whether this be iust and reasonable or noe that the children of this worlde of the night and darkenesse doe loue and seeke after riches and honoures that are transitorie and cannot long continue with a farr greater desire earnestnes and studie then we thy seruants doe loue and seeke after thee our God by whom we haue been made and redeemed For if one man loueth an other with soe greate affection as that the one can scarcely endure the other to
me thy loue which is chast and holie that it may replenishe preserue wholy possesse me Giue me likewise I beseeche thee in token of thy loue a fountaine of teares trickling downe from mine eies that they may beare witnes of thy teÌ„der affection towardes me let them speake and declare how much my soule doth loue thee seing it cannot containe it selfe from teares by reason of the surpassing great sweetnesse surpassinge greate charitie I remember o louing Lord that good woman Anne who came to the tabernacle to desire a sonne of whom the holie scripture relateth that after her teares and prayers to this effect offered shee remained as one assured to obtaine what shee had desired Now when I call to minde this her soe greate vertue and constancie in not doubtinge to receiue what shee demaunded I caÌ„not but be greatelie greiued and ashamed1 For if a woman did thus weepe perseuer in weeping which did onelie seeke to obtaine a sonne in what manner ought my soule to lament and to continue in lamentation which doth seeke and loue God desireth to attaine vnto him how ought that soule to lament and weepe which doth seeke God day and night whâ—ch refuseth to loue any other thinge sauinge Christ alone Verilie we might very well wonder and be astonished if the teares of such a soule were not her continuall foode Wherefore I beseâ—che the take pittiâ— of me and be mercifull vnto me because the sorrowes of my harte are exceeding manie Imparte vnto me thy celestial comforte and despite not my sinfull soule for which thou hast suffered a death soe cruel Bestowe vppon me the guifte of teares proceeding from an internall affection loue towardes thee which may breake the bands of mine iniquities and alwaies fill my soule with celestiall gladnes Although I durst not demauÌ„de to be pertaker of that vnspeakeable rewarde which thou hast ordained for true perfect moÌ„kes and religious men for that I am altogether vnable to followe the footestepps of theire angelicall conuersation yet at least lett me obtaine some place or other in thy kingdome amonge the deuoute blessed woemen The wonderfull deuotion of an other deuoute woman doth likewise come into my minde who with greate loue sought thee lying in thy graue who after thy disciples were gone went not away from thy tombe but â—att still sorrowfull and lamenting and for a long time together very bitterly weeping and rising vp from the place where shee had sitten with watchfull eies and many teares shee diligently sought thee againe and againe in euery corner of thy sepulcher from which thou wert departed being risen to see if peraduenture shee might any where see and finde thee whom shee sought with soe greate affection Doubtles shee had entred and sought thee in the sepulcher diuers times before and yett all was not enoughe in respect of her ardent loue for that perseueraÌ„ce is the perfectioÌ„ of euery good action And because aboue others shee loued thee and with loue lamented thee and with lamentation sought thee and in seeking continued coÌ„stantly for this cause before all others shee deserued to finde thee to see thee and to speake vnto thee Neither was shee onely thought worthy of this one fauour alone but besides this was made the messenger Apostle vnto the Apostles themselues of thy glorious Resurrection thou gently bidding and coÌ„maunding her saying Goe tell my brethren that they goe into Galilee there they shall see me If therefore this woman did in this maner weepe and perseuere in weeping who sought thee as one shee thought to be deade albeit thou wert liuinge who touched thee with the hande of her faith how greately ought that soule to lament and persist in lamentation who beleiueth with the hart and acknowledgeth thee with the mouth to be her Reedemer and to rule and raigne both in heauen and euery where how greately ought that soule to groane and weepe who with the whole harte loueth thee and with the whole harte desireth to see thee O thou-that art the onely hope and succoure of such as are in miserie to whom we neuer pray without hope of mercie for thine owne sake and for thy holy names sake graunt me this grace I beseeche thee that as often as I thinke speake write reade or talke of thee as often as I meditate of thee and as often as I stande before thee to offer prayses prayers and sacrifice vnto thee soe often lett me with teares aboundantly sweerely weepe in thy sight that my teares may be my foode day and night Thou truly o king of glorie and maister of all vertues hast taught vs by thy worde example to lament and weepe saying blessed are they that mourne for they shal be comforted Thou thy selfe didst lament the death of thy disceased freinde and with many teares didst bewaile the cittie that in fewe yeares after was to come to ruine I beseech thee o good Iesu by those most pretious teares of thine and by all thy mercies by which thou hast in that wonderfull manner releiued our miseries graunt me the guift grace of teares which my soule doth much desire and couet because without thy guift I cannot obtaine it it being the Holy Ghost that doth effect the same whose propertie is to mollifie the harde hartes of sinners and to moue them to compunction Graunt me the guift and grace of teares like as in times past thou hast donne to our forefathers whose footestepps I ought to imitate that I may during the whole course of my life lament as they did both day and night By theire meritts and intercession who haue pleased and deuoutely serued thee take compassion of me thy vnworthy seruant being in great miserie graunt me the guift grace of teares I beseeche thee Graunt that the water of teares may flowe from mine eies as from a floude that night and day they may be vnto me in steede of foode O my God let me become as a pleasing and acceptable oblation to be sacrificed in thy sight by the fire of compunction and as a most gratefull sacrifice lett me be accepted of thee in the odoure of sweetneâ— O most louing Lord lett me become as a faire and flowing fountaine in which let this sacrifice be daily washed from the filthe of sinne For albeit by the assistance of thy grace I haue offered my selfe wholy vnto thee yet neuerthelesse I doe dailie offende in many thingeâ— throughe my exceeding greate frailtie Graunt me therefore most blessed and beloued God the guift and grace of teares especiallie through the sweetnes of thy loue and the remembrance of thy manifolde mercies prepare this banquet in thy â—ight for me thy vnworthy seruant and graunt me this prerogatiue that as often as I will I may be fedd and refreshed with it Afforde me this fauour for thy mercy and goodnes sake I beseeche thee that I may soe drinke and become drunke by drinkinge of this most excellent cupp of teares