drincke of wherwith we are washed and sanctified and are made partakers of the only high diuinitie I geue thee thankes for thy marueilous and vnspeakable charitie and loue wherwith thou didst loue vs vnworthy persons didst saue vs by thine onely and beloued Sonne for so thou didâ—â— loue the world that thou gauest thine onely begotten sonne to the entent that none which beleeued in him should perish but haue euerlasting life This thing truly is euerlasting life to know thee also Jesus Christ whome thou sentest to be very God by an vpright fayth and workes worthy for fayth Of the exceeding loue of the euerlasting Father towarde mankinde OH vnmeasurable pitie and fatherly loue oh inestimable charitie that thou shouldest delyuer thy sonne to suffer death to the entent thou mightest redeme and ransome a seruaunte God was made man to the entent that man being lost might be plucked out of that power of deuils How gentle and kinde a louer of man was thy sonne our God who thought it not enough to humble himself to bee made man of the virgiue Mary but also toke vpoÌ„ him the paines of the crosse in shedding his bloud for vs and for our saluation He came a pitifull God he came for his pitie and goodnesses sake he came to search to saue that whiche was lost He sought the straye sheep he sought found and he being a good lord and truely a very good and plentifull shepheard brought him home vpon his shoulders vnto the foldes of the flocke Oh charitie oh pitie who heard any such thinges who is not astonied to consider the bowels of so great mercy who would not marued who would not honour and worship thee for thy great charity wherewith thou louedst vs Thou didst send thy sonne into the similitude of flesh subiect to sinne that we might condemne sinne for sinne that wee might be made thy righteousnes in him For hee was the very lamb without sporte which tooke awaye the sinnes of the worlde whiche destroyed our death by dying himselfe But what may we render vnto thee our God for so great benefites of thy mercie what prayses or what thankes Uerely if wee shoulde haue that same knowledge and power that blessed angels haue yet should we not be able to requiâ—â— thy so great pitie and goodnes with any thing of valure No if all our meÌ„bers were turned into tongues to repay vnto thee due prayses yet were not our fleÌ„dernes sufficient There is one thing that exceedeth all knowledge euen thine inestimable charitie which thou diddest shew vnto vs vnworthy persons for thy goodnes pities sake Thy Sonne our God did take vpon him to be the seede of Abraham not of Angels yea he was made like vnto vs in all thinges sinne onely excepted He therefore taking mans nature not Angels and glorifying it with the stole of holy resurrection and immortalitie caryed it aboue the heauens and aboue all the melodious companies of angels aboue Cherubin and Seraphin placing it vppon thy right hand This humane nature do Angels prayse all the powers of heauen do tremble to see a man to bee God ouer them This truely is all my hope all my trust And this same humaine nature is in Jesu Christ our Lord who is the portion of euery one of vs the flesh bloud Therfore wheras my portion raigneth there do I beleue to raigne whereas my flesh is glorified ther do I beleue to be glorified where my bloud ruleth there do I perceiue me to bear rule although I be a sinner yeâ— doâ— I not inistrust nor dispeire of the communion and partaking of fauour Although my sinnes do hinder me and in a manner forbid me neuertheles my substance requireth it And albeit that mine offences do exclude me yet the communion of our nature doth not expell me for God is not so vngentle as to forget man and not to remember that thing which himself beareth and that which for my sake he toke vpon him and that which for my sake he requireth But truly the Lord our God is lowly and meek and wonderfull gentle and loueth his flesh his members and his bowels In the very same God our Lorde Jesus Christ who is most gentle louing and merciful in whome we are risen from death that is to say from the state of pernition and eternall damnation and euen nowe by him we asccude into the heauens and now sit in the heauens in him I say our flesh loueth vs For we haue in him and by him a prerogatiue as it were a prefermence of our bloud for we are his members and his flesh and he is our head of the which dependeth the whole body as it is written a bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh they shall be two in one flesh and no man at any time hateth his owne fleshe but rather cherisheth and loueth it This is a great mistery I speak in Christ and in the church sayth the Apostle ¶ Of the double nature of Christ which hath mercy vpon vs â–ª and maketh intercession for vs. WHerefore with my lips and hart and with al the might that I may I render thankes vnto thine infinite mercy O Lord our God for all thy mercy wherwith marueilously thou hast vouchsafed to helpe and succour vs that were lost by the same thy sonne our sauiour and recouerer which dyed for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification and liuing without ende sitteth on thy right hande and entreateth for vs together with the taketh pitie mercy vpon vs because he is God thorow thee O father euer lasting and of one substance with thee in all thinges wherby alway he may saue vs but forasmuch as he is man in which thing he is lesse inferiour vnto thee all power both in heauen in earth was geuen vnto him that in the name of Jesu euery knee should bowe both of celestiall and earthlye creatures and also of infernall that all tongues may confesse that oure Lorde Jesus Christ is in thy glory O Father almighty Hee verely was constituted of thee and ordayned to be a iudge of the quicke and dead for thou truely iudgest no man but hast geuen all thy iudgement to thy Sonne in whose brest al treasures of wisdome and knowledge ar hid He truely is both a witnes and a Judge a Judge and a witnesse whome no sinneful conscience can flye or auoyd for all things be they neuer so secret are open euen naked and vncouered vnto him He verily which was vnrighteously iudged himselfe shall iudge the whole worlde in equitie and the people in righteousnes and according to iustice Therfore do I blesse thy name euerlasting and glorifie the same with al my hart O almighty and mercifull Lord for that vnspeakable and maruellous coniunction of Godhead manhood together in the vnitie of a person and not after this sort that y one should be God and the other man but one the same was
¶ Godly Meditations made in the forme of prayers by S. Augustine ¶ A prayer wherein through commemoration of Christes passion we desire pardon of our sinnes and continuance in vertue godlines BEholde O pitifull father thy most pitifull son which suffered for mee beyng so wicked Beholde O most mercifull kyng who suffreth and remember as thou art louyng and kynde for whome he suffred Is not this O my Lorde innocent whoÌ„ although he were thy sonne thou didst deliuer to redeeme and raunsom a seruant Is not this the author and beginner of lyfe which beyng ledde as a sheepe to be killed and beyng made obedient to thee euen vnto death was not afrayde to take vpon him the most cruel sharpe kynde of death Call to remeÌ„braunce O thou distributour of all health that this is he whome although thou didst begette him by thy power yet notwythstanding thou wouldest haue to be made partaker of myne infirmitie and weakenesse Truely thys same is thy Godhead which did take vppon hym my nature which was hanged vppon the gibbet of torment or crosse which in the fleshe which he had taken vpon him did suffer sorrowful punishment Turne the eyes of thy maiestie O lord my God toward the worke of thine vnspeakable pitie Loke vpon thy deare sonne whose whole bodye is stretched forth Marke the harmeles pure handes which do drop distill downe innocent bloud And I beseeche thee be pacified pardon the wicked dedes which my handes haue committed CoÌ„sider his bare and naked side being thrust thorow cruelly with a speare and renue wash me with thy holy fountayne or well which I beleue did flow from thence Marke the vnspotted feete which haue not stand in the way of sinners but alway haue walked in thy law how they ar persed thorow with sharp nailes and make perfecte my steppes in thy pathes and make me of thy louing kindnes to hate all the wayes of iniquitie Remoue froÌ„ me the way of iniquitie make me of thy mercye to chuse the way of truth I besech thee O king of holy men by this holy one of all holy ones and by thys my redemer to make me runne the way of thy coÌ„maundements that I may be vnited knit vnto him in spirit which did not disdayue to be clad in my fleshe Doest thou not looke vpon and marke O pitifull father the head of thy most dearely beloued soune a yong man how it leaned vpon hys shoulder when he was past the most precious death Beholde O my most gentle creator the humanitie gentlenes of thy beloued sonne haue compassion vpon the febleues of me thy weake and feble handy worke Behold O most glorious parent the torne and rent members of thy most kynde and louing chylde and remember gently what substaunce I am of Beholde the paines of God and man and release and loose man which is thy creature out of misery and bondage of sinne Beholde the punishment of hym that did redeme and pardon the offence of them that be redemed This is he O Lord whome thou didst strike for the sinnes of thy people although he be thy welbeloued in whome was founde no guile and yet neuertheles was he reckoned amongst them that were full of iniquitie ¶ A prayer wherein man confesseth himselfe to be the cause of Christes passion WHat hast thou committed O Lorde that thou shouldest be so iudged what hast thou offeded that thou shouldest be so cruelly handled and ordered what was thy faulte what was thyne offeÌ„ce what was the cause of thy death what was the occasion of thy condemnation I Lord I am the cause of thy sorrow the faulte is in me that thou was killed for I haue deserued thy death I committed the offences that were auenged vpon thee Oh merueilous kinde of iudgemeÌ„t and vnspeakable disposition or ordering of misteries The vninst man offendeth and the righteous is punished The giltie doth euill and the innocent is beaten The euill doth trespasse and the good is condemned That which the euill man deserueth the same doth the iust suffer That which the seruaunt doth amisse the maister makes amendes That which man trespasseth God suffereth it O thou which art the sonne of God how low did thine humilitie descend How greatly did thy charitie euen as it were waxe hotte burne towarde vs How farre did thy pitie proceede whither did thy benignitie and gentlenes grow and extend how farre did thy loue stretch how farre came thy compassion for I did wrongfully and thou wast punished I coÌ„mitted the mischieuous deedes and they were auenged vppon thee I did the fault thou submittedst thy self to the tormentes I was proude and thou wast humble meeke I was swelled puft vp thou wast extenuated and appaired I was disobedient neuertheles thou being obedient barest the paines punishmentes of disobedience I obeyed and was as it were a seruaunt to all excesse and gluttony and thou wast punished wyth scarâ—itie and lacke of foode The trâ—e did draw me violeÌ„tly vnto vnlawfull concupiscence and desires but perfect charitie led thee vnto punishmeÌ„t I presumed beyng forbidden but thou didst smart therefore I tooke my pleasure wyth delicatenesse thou wast vexed with the crosse I abouÌ„d and haue plentye of all pleasures thou art all to torne with nayles I do cast the pleasaunt sweetnes of the apple ehou the bitternesse of Baull Behold o king of glory mine iniquitie vngodduies â–ª and thy pietie and goodnes is manifest Be hold mine vnrighteousnes thy iustice is plainly declared What thing O my king and my God shall I render vnto thee for all those thinges which thou hast bestowed vpoÌ„ me for nothyng can be found in that hart of man that may worthely recompence such rewards Can maÌ„s wit excogitate or imagine any thing that is worthy to be coÌ„pared vnto thy diuine mercy Neither is it that office of a creature to goe about to recoÌ„peÌ„ce fully iustly that aide helpe of a Creator There is truly O sonne of God in this thy merueilous dispeÌ„sation and apointmentes somwhat in which my frailenes may helpe a little if so be that my minde once pricked and stirred by thy visitation do punishe the fleshe with the vices also and euill concupiscences thereof and thys thyng if thou wilt graunt and geue me grace to doe then shal it beginne as it were to suffer sustaine sorrowes griefes because that thou also didst vouchesafe to die for my sinne And so by the victory of the inward man it shal be armed thou beyng a Captaine for the externall and outwarde victorye forasmuche as the spirituall persecution once ouercom it shal not bee afrayde for thy sake to be obedient vnto the materiall sword and crosse of this world And so the slendernes of my state and condition if it please thy goodnes shal be able accordyng to the little power thereof to aunswer vnto the greatnes and excellency of my creator And this is the
heauenly medicine O good Jesu this is as it were a preseruatiue of thy loue Thys I beseech thee by thine accustomed auncient mercies to poure into my woundes the soule and filthy matter of the venemous contagion and infection once cast away which may refresh and restore me to my former puritie cleannes that when I haue tasted of the pleasaunt sweetenes which is to abide in thee it may make mee to despise vtterly set nought by the enticementes of this world and to feare for thy sake none aduersities therof that I remeÌ„bring thine euerlasting nobilitie and excellencie may alwayes abhorre and disdaine the troubles of this transitory world Let nothing I beseech thee be delectable vnto me nor please me without thee Let no precious nor beautifull thing be acceptable vnto me but thee Let all thinges I beseech thee be couÌ„ted as vile and of no estimatioÌ„ vnto me without thee That which is against thy nature let it be ircksome and greuous also vnto me and that which pleaseth thee let it be continually desired of me Let it iâ—ke me to reioyce without thee let it delight me to be sad for thy sake Let thy name be an hartening vnto me and the remembrance of thee a consolatioÌ„ comforte Let my teares be made vnto me as bread both day and night searching thy instifications Let the law of thy mouth be better vnto me then thousands of golde siluer Geue me an ardeÌ„t de sire loue to obey thee and an extreme hatred to resist thee I require thee O my hope for all thy pitty goodnes sake to haue mercy vpon my impietye and wickednesse Make open mine eares to thy coÌ„maundements and let not mine hart be inclined I besech thee by thy holy name to any euill thing to be minded as the vngodly or wicked men I require thee also by the merucilous humility that I be not moued with pride nor yet wyth sinners ☞ Here doth man declare vnto God the Father that the Passion of his sonne was for his reconciliation attonement with God. BEholde O almighty God Father of my Lorde I beseech thee of thy benignitie gentlenes to haue mercy vpon me because of the most precious thing that I could find the same haue I offred deuoutly vnto thee the thing of most estimation that I could imagine I haue preseÌ„ted humbly vnto thee I haue left nothing but I haue declared it to thy maiestye There is nothing remayning that I may adde more because I haue coÌ„mitted and betaken my whole hope vnto thee I haue sent vnto thee my aduocatè and spokesman euen thy welbeloned sonne I haue sente thy glorious child to be a mediator betwixt me thee I haue set I say an intercessor by whome I trust to get pardon forgenenesse of my sinnes I haue sente worde vnto worde that is God vnto God according to that which S. John hath in the beginning of his gospell where he calleth God the worde saying In the beginning was the woorde and the worde was with God God was the worde c. which worde as I haue sayd was seÌ„t for my misdeedes And I haue rehersed vnto thee the passion of thy most holy son which passion I beleeue was suffced for me I beleeue that the Godhead which was seate of thee did take vpoÌ„ him my humanitie and nature in y which he thought not scorne to suffer buffertes bonds spittings mocks yea he tooke vppon him to suffer the cros nailes and dart I beleue also that his manhoode being in this my nature during his infaÌ„cy was troubled with creping and scraulings and was wrapt in clothes after the manner of other children was vexed in his youth wyth laboures made leane with waking and fastinges weryed with iorneying afterward whipped and all to torne and rent with diuers kindes of punishments reckoned amoÌ„gst the dead and wheÌ„ it was endued with the glory of resurrection he caryed it into the ioyes of heauen and placed it vppon the righthand of thy maiesty this I say he is my maÌ„hode way and meanes of pacifying appeasing thee and thy way and meanes of hauing mercy vppon me Mercifullye looke vppon heare thy sonne which thou didst beger and the boude seruauÌ„t which he redeemed Behold here a Creator do not despise a creature Receiue the shephearde welcommed with a gentle louing couÌ„tenance and mercifully looke vppon the sheepe which he hath brought home vpon hys owue shoulders This is that most faythfull shepheard which by many diuers labours and trauailcs ouer steepe hilles and through headlong and deepe vallies did search for his owne sheepe that was strayed away which also when he had found it faint and almost dead through loÌ„g wandring gat himselfe vnder it with great reioycing making it fast vnto him with a merueilous bond of charitie lifted it vp out of the depth of confusion brought it home to the ninety and nine Beholde O Lord my king God almightie behold a good sheepheard which rendreth to thee that which thou coÌ„mittedst to his charge He tooke vpon him thorow thine ordinaunce to saue man whom he hath deliuered vnto thee clean and pure from al spottes through the washing in his bloud Loe thy most dearly beloued Sonne hath reconciled vnto thee thy handiworke whiche was gone far out of the way Loe a gentle shepheard bringeth againe to thy flocke him that that violent pirate and robber had driuen away Hee hath broughte vnto thy sight the seruaunt whom his owne conscience had made to run away that he which by himselfe had deserued punishment by thy sonne beyng his solicitour hath deserued forgeuenes vnto whom also for his offences euerlasting fire was due neuertheles being a souldiour vnder such a Captaine he doth hope to be brought home to his owne contrey I was able O holy Father by my selfe to offende thee but I was not able of my self to pacifie and appease thee Thy welbeloued Sonne O my God was made my helper by taking vppon him mine humanitie to the entent he might cure mine infirmitie that whereof the first occasion of thy wrath did spring of the same he might offer vp to thee a sacrifice of prayse that he might render make me also well pleasing to thy goodnes by that thing in the which he sitting now on thy right hande did alwaies shew and declare himselfe to be equal with my substaunce and as it were felow with the same Loe my hope beehold in whome is all my trust If thou despise me as it were right formy iniquitie yet looke vpon me at the least wise mercifully for the charitie of thy beloued Sou. Beue heed to thy sonne wherby thou mayst haue mercy vpon thy boÌ„dseruant Looke vppon the sacrament of fleshe pardon the offences of the fleshe How oft soeuer thou doest remember the woundes of thy blessed sonne so oft I beseech thee let mine iniquities be hid And because fleshe hath stirred thee to
both God and man man and god Neuerthelesse although by thy marueilous will the word was made flesh yet neither of both the natures was chainged into others substance In the misterie of the Trinitie there is not a fourth person added for y substance of the word of God and of man was vnited and knitte together but not confused and mixed that that thing which was taken of vs should be turned into God and that whiche neuer had bene before that time that his flesh manhoode should be the same that had bene euer without any beginning that is his Godhead Oh marueilous mistery Oh vnspekable felowship Oh marueilous meeknes of thy heaueÌ„ly mercifulnes which is euer worthy marueiling and euer to be loued we were but vile seruantes and beholde we are made the sonnes of God yea and heyres of God together with Christ From whence came this goodnes who brought vs vnto this state But I require thee O most mercifull father by thine inestimable pitie goodnes and charity to make vs worthy of these many and great promises of the same thy sonne our Lord Jesu Christ Send forth thy strength O God establish the thing that thou hast wrought in vs Make perfect that which thou hast begun that we may be able to come vnto the fulnesse perfectnes of thy pitie Make vs through y holy ghost to vnderstand and through thy Sonne to deserue with due honor alway to worship this great misterie of thy pitic whiche is manifest in our fleshe iustified in the spirite did appeare vnto Angels was preached vnto nations was beleeued to be in the world was taken vp into heauen Amen ¶ Of the thankes which man ought to geue vnto God for the benefite of his redemption LOoke how much O Lord our God we ar in debt vnto thee euen for so great a price were we redeemed with such a great gift were we saued and with so great a benefite helped Howe much ought we wretehes to loue dread bles praise honour and glorifie thee which hast so loued vs after such fashion saued vs after such a sort sanctified vs to set vs on hie To thee truly do we owe and are bound as much as we are able euen our life and all our study and endeuour But who hath any thing that is not thine But do thou O Lorde our God from whom al goodnes procedeth euen for thy holy names sake geue vs of thy goodnes that we may serue thee of thine owne goodes and giftes and that we may please thee in truth and repay vnto thee daily due prayses for so great benifites of thy mercie For by none other meanes raÌ„ we serue the but by thine owne giftes that thou hast lent vs while we be in this world For euery good gift and euery perfect gift is from aboue commeth down from the father of light with whome there is none alteration or variablenes neyther yet is hee chainged vnto darcknes O Lorde our God and a pitifull god a good God and almighty God an vnspeakable God and incompreÌ„sible of such a nature that can not be contayned as in a place O God which art the beginner of all thinges and the father of our Lord Jesu Christ which diddest send the same thy beloued sonne our Lord foorth of thy bosome to our common profite to take vpon him our life to the entent he might geue vs his life and that hee might be perfect and very God of thee his father and very perfect man of his mother a whole and a perfect God a whole and perfect man and yet but onely Christ both euerlasting and enduring but for a space both immortal and mortall both a creator and a creature strong and weake an ouercommer and one ouercommed a nurse and one that was nursed him selfe a shepheard and a sheepe dead for a time and liuing with the euerlasting promising to theÌ„ that loued him the freedome of life who sayd to his disciples what thing soeuer ye aske the Father in my name he will geue it vnto you For that hie priestes sake which was also a Bishop indeede a good shephearde that offred himselfe in a sacrifice to thee putting his life in ieoperdie for his flock for his sake I say I besech thee which sitteth on thy right hand maketh intercession for vs being our redeemer and our aduocate that thou wouldest graunte vnto me that together with thy Sonne and the holy Ghost I may in all thinges blesse glorifie thee with much contrition of hart and a fountaine of teares with much reuerence and feare For the gift of them that be all of one substance is all one But because a bodie that is corrupted doth aggranate burden the soule stir vp and awake I beseech thee my sluggishnes with thy prickes and prouokinges and make me boldly to perseuer continue in thy coÌ„manndements and lawes day and night Graunt mee that my harte may waxe warme within me and that many meditation prayer I may be feruent And for as much as thy onely sonne sayd No maÌ„ can come to me excepte my Father that sente me shall draw him again No man commeth to the Father but by me I â—â—quire and humbly besech thee drawe me alwayes vnto him that he at the length may bring me to thee thether I meane whereas he is sitting on thy right hand whereas is euerlasting life continuall blessednes wheras is perfect loue without all kinde of feare wheras is one day euerlasting and one spirite of al men whereas is most sure securitie safety sure quietâ—es and quiet plesantnes pleasant felicitie and happines happy eternitie continuall and eternall seeing praising of thee without end wheras thou with him and he with thee in the communion and vnity of the holy Ghost euerlastingly continuallye liuest and raignest throughout all worldes of worldes Amen ¶ A deuout prayer vnto Christ O Christ God which art my hope and the true and gentle louer of mankinde the light the way the life the health the honour and worship of them that be thine I besech thee call to thy remembraunce all thinges that thou willingly didst suffer for theÌ„ both bands crosse woundes death and sepulcher which after three dayes death being ouercommed diddest rise wast seene of thy disciples reforming theyr hartes and establishing them that were almost declining from thee the fortie day after didst ascend vp to heauen which liuest euerlastinly now and raignest throughout worldes Thou art my God both louing true my father and my God both holy and pitiful my mighty king my good shepheard mine onely maister my best helper one whome I am most bound to loue my liuing bread mine euerlasting priest my guide vnto my coutry my true light my holy sweetnes my right and straight way mine excellent wisedome my sure and vnfayned simplicitie my peaceable coÌ„cord my safe garison my good portion mine euer lasting health my great mercy my strongest