lipps But my harte hath quaked and sayd Woe be vnto me who am a man of polluted lipps because I haue not held my peace but sayd that I knewe thee And yet O Lord woe be to them who are silent concerning thee For the greatest talkers may be accounted but dumbe if they doe not speake of thee And as for me O Lord my God I will not be silent concerning thee because thou hast made mee and I haue therefore knowne thee because thou hast illuminated me But yet how haue I knowen thee I haue knowen thee in thy selfe Yet I haue no knowen thee in thy selfe as thou art to thy selfe but I haue knowen thee as thou art to mee But yet howsoeuer it is not without thee but in thee because thou art the light which hast illuminated mee For as thou art to thy selfe thou art onely knowen to thy selfe but as thou art to mee by thy mercy and grace thou art knowen to mee But what art thou vnto mee Tel me O mercifull Lord who am thy miserable seruant tell me by thy mercy what thou art to mee Say to my soule I am thy saluation Doe not hide thy face from mee lest if thou doe I dye Suffer me to speake me who am dust and ashes suffer me to speake to thy mercy For thy mercy towards mee is greate and I will presume to speake to thee though I be but dust and ashes Tell mee who am thy supplyant say O mercifull Lord to thy miserable creature say by thy mercyes what thou art to mee And thou hast thundered downe with a mighty voyce vpon the inward eare of my hart and thou hast broken through my deafenes and I haue heard thy voyce And thou hast illuminated my blindenes and I haue seene thy light and haue knowen that thou art my God It is therefore that I sayd that I haue knowen thee For I haue knowen that thou art my God I haue knowen that thou art the onely true God and Iesus Christ whome thou hast sent For thrre wat a time when I knewe thee not bu woe be to that time when I knew not tgee Woe be to that blindenes when I sawe not thee Woe be to that deafnes when a heard not thee For being blinde deafe I did rush with great deformity vpon those things which yet thou had dest made fayre and thou wert still with mee but I was not with thee And those things kept mee farre from being with thee which yet if they had not bene in thee could haue had noe beeing at all Thou diddest illuminat mee O thou light of the world and I saw thee and I loued thee And indeede noe man loueth thee but he who sees thee and noe man sees thee but he who loues thee Too late am I come to loue thee O thou beauty which art so auntient and yet so new Too late am I come to loue thee and woe be to that time when I loued thee not CHAP. XXXII A Confession of true faith I Giue thankes O thou who art my light because thou hast illuminated mee and I haue knowen thee How haue I knowen thee I haue knowen thee to be the onely liueing God and my true creatour I haue knowen thee to bee the Creator of heauen earth of all things visible and inuisible to be the true Omnipotent God immortall inuisible vncircumscribed vnlimited eternall inaccessible incomprehensible inscrutable vnchangeable immense infinite the first beginning of all both visible inuisible creatures by whome all things are made and by whome all the Elements subsist Whose Maiestie as it neuer had any beginning soe neither shall it end for all eternity I haue knowen thee to be one onely true God the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost three Persons indeede but one essence and the same wholly simple and vndiuided nature And that the Father is of none that the Sonne is onely of the Father and that the Holy Ghost is iointly of them both euer without beginning and for euer to be without ending to be Trine and onely One and that the true Omnipotent God That thou art that one beginning of all things and the Creatour of all things both visible and inuisible spirituall and temporall who by thy Omnipotent vertue diddest in the beginning of Tyme create both the spirituall and corporall creature that is to say the Angells in heauen and the fabricke of the world and then thou madest man as being compounded both of body and soule I haue knowen thee and I doe confesse thee O God the Father to be vnbegotten and thee O God the Sonne to be begotten of the Father and thee O holy Ghost the Paraclete to be neither begotten nor vnbegotten And I beleiue with my harte to Iustice and I confesse with my mouth to saluatiō the holy and indiuiduall Trinity in three persons coequall consubstantiall and coeternall Trinity in Vnity and Vnity in Trinity I haue knowen thee the true God and our Lord Iesus Christ to be the onely begotten Sonne of God the Creatour the Sauiour and the Redeemer of mee and all mankinde whome I confesse to haue bene begotten of the Father before all ages God of God light of light true God of true God not made but begotten consubstantiall coeternall with the Father and the Holy Ghost by whome all things were made from the beginning And I beleiue firmely and confesse truely that thou O Iesus Christ the onely begotten God wert incarnate ioyntly by the holy Trinity for the saluation of man and that thou wert conceiued through the cooperation of the Holy Ghost by the perpetuall Vithin Mary and that thou wert made true man consisting of a reasonable soule and humane flesh Who being the onely begotten of God and consequently both impassible and immortall yea for the great loue wherewith thou louest vs thou being still the same sonne of God wert yet according to thy humanity made both passible mortall who being the onely sonne of God diddest voutchafe to suffer Passion and death vpon the tree of the crosse for the saluation of mankinde to the end that thou mightest deliuer vs from eternall death And being the author of light thou diddest descend to Hell where our fore-Fathers satt in darkenes And the third day being a glorious conquerer thou diddest rise vp from the dead resumeing thy sacred body which had lyen dead in the sepulchre for our sinnes and thou diddest quicken it the third day according to the scriptures that thou mightest place it at the right hand of thy Father For haueing ledd with thee out of captiuitie them whom our auntient enemy the enemy of all mankinde had captiued in Hell thou being the true Sonne of God didest ascend aboue all the heauens with the substance of our nature that is to say both with thy soule and that humaine flesh which thou haddest taken of the glorious Virgin And thou diddest surpasse all the quyers of Angels where thou sittest at the right hand of thy Father
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
I beseech thee I beseech thee and still I beseech thee that the most sweete odour of thee and thy mellifluous loue may descend and enter into my hart Lett that admirable and vnspeakable fragrance of thy sauour come into me which may kindle an euerlastingly a burning desire of thee in my hart and which may draw out from thence those vaynes of water which spring vp to eternall life Thou art immense O Lord and therfore it is but reason that thou be loued and praised beyond all measure by them whome thou hast redeemed with thy pretious Blood O thou most benigne louer of man O thou most mercifull Lord and most vnpartiall Iudge to whome the Father gaue all power of Iudgment Thou seest how vniust a thinge it is that the children of this world the children of night and darknes should with a more ardent desire indeauour and study and seeke perishing riches and transitory honors then we thy seruants doe loue thee our God by whome we are created and redeemed But if on the other side a man will affect some man with so great loue as that one of them will scarce indure the absence of the other if the Spouse be transported with so great ardour of affection to her fellow Spouse that through the greatnes of her loue shee can take noe rest nor beare the absence of that dearest freind without deep sorrowe with what loue with what labour with what feruour ought that soule which thou haste espoused to thy self by Faith and other mercyes loue thee her true God and her most beautifull Spouse who hast so loued and saued her and haste done so many and so great thinges for her good For although this world haue certayne delights and loues belonging to it yet doe they not so delight as thou O God In thee the iust man is indeed delighted because thy loue is sweete and quiet for the harts which thou dost possesse thou fillest with tranquillity sweetnes and delight On the other side the loue of this world and of the flesh breeds anxiety and pertubation and depriues thoses soules of quietnes into which it enters for it doth euer sollicite them with suspitions perturbations and many fears Thou art therefore the delight of iust persons that iustly For the strength of rest and peace is with thee and a life vncapable of perturbation He who enters into thee O deere Lord enters into the ioy of his Lord and shall haue nothing more to feare but shall finde himselfe to be perfectly well in the most excellent place which can be thought and he will say This is my rest for all eternityes this shal be my habitation for I haue chosen it And agayne Our Lord gouernes me and nothing shal be wantinge in that place of full feedinge yea there it is that he hath lodged me Sweete Christ deare Iesus fill my hart for euer I beseech thee with the vnquenchable loue and the continuall memory of thee in such sort as that I may all burn vp like any eager flame in the sweetnes of thy loue which many waters may neuer be able to extinguish in me Grant O most sweete Lord that I may loue thee and that through the desire of the I may discharge my selfe of the waight of all carnall desires and of the most greiuous burthen of all earthly concupiscences which impugne and oppresse my miserable soule that running lightly after thee in the odour of thy pretious oyntements till I be effectually satisfyed with the vision of thy beauty I may with all speed arriue thither by thy cōduct For there are two kindes of loues one good and another badd one sweete and another bitter and they cannot both remayne in one hart And therefore if any man loue any thinge in dishonour of thee thy loue O Lord is not in him That loue of sweetnes and that sweetnes of loue not tormenting but delightinge a loue which remaineth sincerely and chastely for all eternity a loue which euer burnes and is neuer quenched O sweete Christe O deer Iesus O Charity my God inflame me all with thy fire with thy loue with thy sweetnes and delight with thy ioy exultation with thy pleasure and ardent desire which is holy and good chaste and pure secure and serene that being all full of the sweetnes of thy loue and all burnt vp in the flame of thy charity I may loue thee O God with my whole hart and with all the marrow of my affections haueing thee still and euery where in my hart in my mouth and before my eyes so that there may neuer be any place open in me for any adulterine or impure loue Hearken to me O my God hearken to me O thou light of mine eyes Hearken to what I aske and teach me what to aske that thou maist hearken to me O thou pittious and most mercifull Lord doe not become inexorable to me for my sinns but for thyne owne goodnes sake receiue these prayers of thy Sonne and grant me the effect of my petition and desire by the intercession prayer and impetration of the glorious Virgin Mary my Lady and Mother and of all thy other Saints Amen CHAP. XXXVI A most deuoute Prayer by way of thanks-giueing O Christ our Lord the Word of the Father who camest into the world to saue sinners I beseech thee by the most indulgent bowells of thy mercy amend my life better my actions compose my manners take all that from me which hurteth me and displeaseh thee and giue me that which thou knowest to please thy selfe and profitt me Who is he but onely thou O Lord who can make a man cleane he being conceiued of vncleane seed Thou art an Omnipotent God of infinite piety who iustifiest the wicked and reuiuest such as are dead through sinn thou changest sinners and they are so no more Take from me therefore whatsoeuer is displeasing to thee in me For thyne eyes haue seene my many imperfections Send forth I beseeche thee thy hand of piety towards me and take from me whatsoeuer is offensiue in me to thyne eyes Before thee O Lord is my health and sicknes conserue that I beseech thee and cure this Heale me O Lord and I shal be healed doe thou saue me and I shal be saued thou who curest the sick and conseruest the sound thou who with the onely beck of thy will restorest that which is in decay and ruine For if thou vouchsafe to sowe good seede in thy feild which is my hart it will first be necessary that with the hand of thy pitty thou shouldest pluck vp the thornes of my vices O most sweete most benigne most loueing most deer most desirable most amiable and most beautifull God infuse I beseech thee the multitude of thy sweetnes and of thy loue into my hart that I may not so much as desire yea or euen thinke of any carnall thinge but that I may loue onely thee and haue onely thee in my hart and mouth Write