fulfill thee throughout that Where sin hath abounded grace likewise may superabound Yet I would beloved I would be trusted I would with sighs and teares be intreated than which no sweeter melody can unto me be tendred Sinner O my crucified JESU I know I am dearer to thee than I am to my selfe for to thee I am alwayes deare who as it is written Lovest all things that are and hatest nothing of those which thou hast made But man is not alwaies equally deare to himselfe as he is unro thee because hee that loveth iniquity hateth his ownâ— soule Christ. This have I shewn in the continuall sorrowes of my whole cruâ—ified life For I received the Crosse of my Passion in the Womb of my mother and continually bore it in my heart and confirmed it with much austerity in my body So as that I might purposely shew the unmeasurablenesse of the sorrowes of my soule my finall passion then approaching it was my will to sweat blood thorow all my members and that which lay hid as a secret of my crucifying from the wombe of my Mother with sensible signes to reveale to my faithfull ones which seemed fittest to be at my passage and poinâ— of death Sinner I conceive my good JESU how in that bloudy sweat with which thou wert deep-died and engrained in all thy members thy blessed soule wholly suffered because it is whole in every part of the body yea and the very life of the body But tell me what thou requirest of me for so great anguish continually sustained for me Christ. Onely to love me againe For to this end have I suffered my passion that I might purchase thy affection Sinner Surely most worthy art thou to bee loved because thou art good in thy selfe and none good but God alone And because thou art the Lord delivering from the power and slavery of the Devill And because thou art God forgiving sinnes which none forgiveth but God alone And because thou lovest those that love thee Whence it is that thou sayest I love those that love mee And because thou hearest those that begge of thee whence one saith I have loved the Lord because hee will heare mee Thou also as the peace of charity comming into the world to warme and inflame the cold and lukewarme hast said I came that they might have life to wit the life of grace in this life and more abundantly to wit of glory in the life to come Christ. Surely there is nothing which may so inflame the fire of Gods love in thy heart as a continuall consideration and meditation of this speech of mine I came that they might have life and that more abundantly And of that much like unto this So God loved the world as he gave his onely begotten Sonne Sinner Truly wretched and miserable is hee in whose heart the fire of love is not kindled when hee considereth these things wherein the Charity of God hath chiefly appeared But ô thou only begotten of God suffer not my heart to bee so frozen or benummed with this icy congelation but rather through thy mercy in the remembrance of these thy Words like Snow melting by the heat of the Sunne let me say with that princely Prophet My heart is become as melting wax Christ. Humane impiety before the time of my passion tooke occasion of being unthankfull For man being created but not as then redeemed said I am no more bound to God than other creatures be For he spake the word and I was made hee hath bestowed no more labour on me than any other brute creature But now the mouth of these that speak wickedly is stopped and no place now is left for unthankfulnesse For I have laboured more in the sole redemption of man than in the whole frame and fabrick of the World For of a Master I became a servant of Rich poore of Immortall mortall of the Word flesh of the Sonne of God the son of man I suffered reproaches of such as upbraided me I suffered underminers in my Works contradicters in my Words scorners in my Woes necessities of the flesh horrour of death ignominy of the Crosse. Sinner O how admirable was this love What shall I render to my Lord for all his sorrowes Christ. If thou recall to mind how great things the Lord of Majesty the Sonne of God suffered for thee though thou shouldâ—t dye a thousand deaths yet wert thou not equally sufficient to answer me for the estimate of so great a benefit exceedeth all meanes of requitall Sinner As thou best knowest how much I owe unto thee the Lord of glory who subjectedst thy self to death for me that I might enjoy that happinesse which neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard recount unto me I beseech thee the reasons which caused that most dolorous paine in thy most holy soule For thou saidst right now that in the wombe of thy blessed Mother thou receivedst the Crosse of thy Passion and bore it continually to the houre of thy dissolution Christ. To this end that thou mightst by affection compassion become an acceptable sacrifice unto God wholly inflamed with the fire of Charity all the rust and rubbish of sin being consumed and wasted Consider diligently with a lively heart how I suffred a double Martyrdome one in my body another in my soule or Spirit As touching the Martyrdome of my Body consider that there was never the suffering of any martyr so sharp so painfull that it might be compared with my suffering which I will prove unto thee by authority by signe by reason First by authority For I my selfe crying out of the greatnesse of my sorrows said O all yee who passe by this way consider and see if ever there were sorrow like unto my sorrow as if I should have said there was never any Secondly by Signe Forasmuch as there were never so many Signes seene in the Martyrdome of any as at my Passion implying the sharpnesse and painfulnesse of it to wit When the Sunne was darkned the Earth moved c. As if by the dolorous clamours of my passion they had conceived a sense of devout compassion bemoning me the Son of God hanging on the Crosse. For it was not in the creature to indure the injury done to the Creatour Wherein wicked and obdurate hearts are justly reproved who will not be wrought to compassion nor softned with a pious devotion in the remembrance of my death Thirdly I prove unto thee the bitternesse of my passion by reason Forasmuch as my complexion was most excellent both by reason of the incorruption of my flesh as also by reason of the most proportionable union or mixture of the Elementary qualities For I tooke corruptible flesh of the Virgin for the freeing of all Originall sinne that is of inordinate concupiscence Now to such a complexion was required comelinesse of beauty and strength of body Because therefore by how much more proportionable the union is of those Elements and qualities whereof
man is composed and compacted by so much more difficulty and violently is he dissolved hence it appeareth that the separation of my body and soule was more painfull than the death of others Also my blessed flesh by how much more it was freer from all spot or blemish of sin by so much also it became more sensible of torments Now concerning my Spirituall martyrdome which I suffered in my Soule as I said before unto thee it began at such time as I was first conceived in the wombe of my mother or that my Soule was infused into my body and continued without intermission 33. yeeres and a halfe till such time as my Soule was separated from my body upon the Crosse. So as I became a Martyr even in the Wombe of my Mother Wherfore I was not so much as one moment without the most bitter martyrdome of my Spirit Because whatsoever I suffered in the Night when I was taken or the Day following when I was slaine in mocking reviling spitting nayling and stretching upon the Crosse c. This throughly and wholly my most holy Soule long before suffered But thou art especially to consider that those dolorous piercing darts of the Virgin my blessed mother became the excessivest Object of my sorrowes who having a tender and respective eye to all my dolours in perfect Charity as became the condition of her motherly excellency so much grieved for my sorrowes as was sitting for such a woman to grieve And all the sorrowes of my Mother continually wounded my mind So as my Mothers Crosse ministred unto mee a new Crosse. Another Object of my continuall sorrow was all those martyrdomes which were at any time done or to bee done upon any of mine Elect for me So as in very truth I say unto thee that all those paines griefes tribulations persecutions and miseries which any man was to suffer or should suffer aswell in body as in soule from Adam even to the very last man that shall bee borne to the end of the World all these I suffered alwayes in my Soule must fully and through my compassion they did more hurt me and more sharply grieve me than any mans corporall paine which hee actually suffereth ever personally did And there are two causes which give sufficient testimony of the truth hereof One is because I in the glasse or mirrour of my Divinity did behold all things created and to bee created things past present and to come which were to me present And I from the very first instant of the infusion of my Soule into my Body began alwayes to observe till such time as I gave up my Ghost upon the Crosse all the paines which I was to endure and whatsoever all my Elect from the beginning of the world had at any time suffered and such as being not yet borne were to suffer even to the end of the world all this I suffered in the inferiour faculties of my Soule And in each of these was I more inwardly and grievously tormented in my Spirit than any one could be in his owne proper body at such time as hee is to suffer tortures or torments Another cause which procured so great paine in my Spirit was abundant love For love begetteth griefe and heavinesse in the spirit So as by how much thy love towards me was more intensive or greater by so much more is thy soule tormented with my Death and Passion And because I have alwaies and above comparison loved thee and every man more than hee can love himselfe therefore have I suffered greater paine than all that which any one hath ever suffered upon earth or was to suffer or shall suffer to the end of the world Thou knowest that when Paul had consented to the death and stoning of Stephen and did persecute Christians I said unto him Saul Why persecutest thou me And yet he persecuted not me in my owne proper person but in the persons of my beloved friends because what good or evill soever befalleth my friends befalleâ—h me And this proceedeth from the great love which I beare unto men Thus therefore maist thou consider how and by what meanes my Passion exceeded in paine the passions of all that ever suffered or shall suffer because I suffered both in my Body and Soule and that immaculate and by nature delicate and for so long time to wit for thirty foure yeeres did I suffer martyrdom in my Spirit both for my selfe and all my Elect. Laurence in one night was broyled on a gridiron Bartholomew in one day was slaine Katherine in one houre was broken on a Wheele c. All these tortures never hurt any one of them so much in their owne bodies as they tormented me in my Soule for thirty foure yeeres Whence Isay Truly he hath suffered for our infirmities and borne our sorrowes And therefore I could never laugh but often weepe appearing as one of forty yeeres when I was scarce thirty Which came to passe by reason of the continuall Justice which I incessantly bore for my Passion that was to come and the suffering of my Elect which I alwaies clearly beheld and painfully suffered by strength of imagination Whereupon I oftimes said unto my Father Many are my grones and my heart is sorrowfull To thee likewise doe I say that thou maist bee moved with compassion and affection towards mee that my life is waxen old with heavinesse and my yeeres with mourning Sinner Surely O my good Jesu as I have heard and understood no conceit can sufficiently apprehend the depth of those anguishes and sorrowes of thy most holy Soule nor griefes and passions of thy Body But a very deepe question doth trouble my mind to wit how heavinesse paine or anguish could befall thy blessed soule seeing it was alwaies in great joy through Contemplation of thy Divinitie which was so amiable to behold that if the damned in Hell could but behold the amiable countenance of God as the blessed Spirits doe in the Kingdome of Heaven they could bee tormented by no griefe nor heavinesse either by the fire of hell or sight of the Devils in hell Christ. It is true that my pure and blessed soule was glorified albeit my Body was mortall For my Soule from the very instant of her conception and ever after even when I was upon the Crosse was as glorious and in as great joy and delight in respect of her superiour faculties as she is at this day in heaven sitting at the right hand of God my Father But in respect of her inferiour faculties she was in a continuall and incessant heavinesse and sorrow for the causes aforesaid Which could not bee by course or order of Nature that in one and the selfe-same soule together and at once there should be so great joy and so great heavinesse for this was miraculous and supernaturall Because according to the course of nature joy and delight doe expell sorrow and griefe so as they cannot suffer together in one and the
I can by no meanes nor measure compare mine understanding to it yet I desire in some sort to understand thy truth which mine heart beleeveth and loveth Neither doe I beleeve to understand that I may beleeve but I beleeve that I may understand For this likewise I beleeve that unlesse I beleeve I shall not understand Therefore O Lord thou who givest understanding to faith give unto mee that I may understand so much as thou knowest to be expedient for mee for thou art as wee beleeve and this thou art which wee beleeve true God who livest and reignest world without end DEAHTS Memoriall The Child of God thinkes willingly of death To rest with Him who after death gives breath NOw to shut up all with that which closeth all by imposing a Period upon all We are to consider now when the sinfull soule beginneth to be loosened from these bonds of flesh with what bitter terror shee is afflicted with what stings of a biting conscience shee is distracted Shee remembers the things forbidden her which shee hath committed Shee considers the things commanded her which shee hath negligently contemned she bemoanes those opportunate times of repentance offer'd her and which shee so fruitlesly apprehended shee bewailes that immoveable article of strict revenge inevitably approching her She h 'as had sufficient time of sojourning here shee is now compelled to goe hence Shee would regaine that which shee h'as lost but she is not heard Behind her shee beholds the whole course of her forepast life all which shee accounts as one short pace She casts her eyes upon her selfe and collects the space of an infinite perpetuity She laments therefore in that she h'as lost what in so short a space she might have got the joy of all ages She bemoanes her selfe in that for so short a pleasure of fleshly delight she h'as lost the unspeakable sweetnesse of perpetuall solace Shee blusheth in that for this substance which is subject to wormes shee h'as neglected that which was to have beene ranked amongst Quires of Angels Now she lifteth up the beames of her minde and no sooner beholdeth the glory of immortall riches than shee becomes confounded for that she h'as lost them for the poverty of this life Againe when shee casteth her eyes under her in a despicable reflex upon the valley of this world and eying it to be nothing but darknesse but above her wonders at the beautie of that eternall light she clearly sees that it was night and darknesse which shee loved O that shee might but purchase some small remainder of time for repentance what a sharp course of conversation would she take upon her what and how great things would shee promise with what vows of devotioÌ„ would shee enwreath her In the meane time while her divine eyes grow darke while her heart beats while her hoarse throat gaspes her teeth grow by little and little black and draw as it were unto them a certaine rust her countenance becomes pale and all her members stiffe While these then and such like as forerunning offices of approching death attend her all her works and words present themselves before her nay not her very thoughts are absent and all these bring in bitter testimony against their author All these are heaped together before the eyes of her viewing them so as even those things which she shunneth to behold she is inforced though against her will to take notice of Besides all this there is here an horrid troupe of Devils and there a glorious traine of Angels By that which appears betwixt them may be clearly perceived which of them h'as most property in her For if tokens of piety bee discovered in her shee is cheared with the delights of an angelick invitation and allured with the sweetnesse of an harmonious melodie to go forth But if the blacknesse of her merits and the impurity of her foule and filthy life adjudge her to the left hand presently with an intolerable terrour shee becomes surprized with the violence of a sudden force she is disturbed dejected invaded and from the prison of miserable flesh violently haled that to eternall torments with bitternesse shee may be tugged Now after her departure from the body who can utter what armed troopes or Squadrons of wicked Spirits lye in ambush for her what treacherous traines furnished with cruell tortures besiege the way that receives her And lest the soule should escape theÌ„ legions of furies as it were in military rankes or battalions inclose her This and â—uâ—h like frequently to meditate of in thine heart what else is it than to shunne delightfull blandishments to be divorc'd from the world and to shake off unlawfull motions of the flesh and constantly to retaine the sole purpose of attaining perfection Which that wee may doe God for his mercy grant us Amen Sedeo Sileo Signo Deaths distinction O My soule good is the death of the just in respect of tranquillity better in respect of novelty best in respect of security Contrariwise the death of sinners is the worst and rightly the worst evill in losing the world worse in parting from the flesh but worst in that twofold anâ— guish of a worme never dying and a fire ever burning and which is worst of all in being deprived of divine contemplation HOLY MEMORIALS Or Heavenly Memento's Memor fui Domini Delectatus sum A bono die bonum opus suscipiamus ab illo die in quo veluti Christus ascenderit piis desideriis ascendamus Of his Conception MEMORIALL I. I Was not and thou didst make mee I had no being and thou gave it mee I was conceived in sinne before I conceived what was Sin Nature laid on mee a staine before she brought mee to a visible state My bloud was corrupted before ever I entred Tainted it was when Eve was tempted and weakely consented Thus did my parents make mee forlorne before ever I was borne Even then wheÌ„ the second skin was my coat was Sin my Cognizance Seeds of sin sprung in mee before the Light tooke notice of mee And these had their rooting from those that bred mee Long before I had abilitie to sin were all my members made instruments of sinne Before I had the use of any sense sin had made a slave of every sense For mine eyes while they were as yet sealed sights of sin had enter'd theÌ„ For mine eares though they were as then closed ayres of sin had pierced them For my taste before I enjoy'd it an Apple had poyson'd it For my Touch before I employ'd it had Eves pulse soiled it For my Smell before I knew how to use it had the steames of earth choaked it I was shut up as one in darknesse and darke I was within as well as without by means of mine originall uncleanenesse I conversed with none none with mee my mothers wombe was that living tombe which inclosed mee Thus before ever I saw the Sun became I a growing lump of sin
selfe-same soule And to the end thou maist more clearely understand these things I would have thee to know that the Source and Fountaine of all my sorrowes was that high and ineffable divine dispensation whereby it was forbid mee that the influence of my glorie and fruition thereof which were in the superiour faculties of my Soule should redound to the inferiour for otherwise shee had felt no sorrow But because this influence was by the divine dispensation prohibited mee therefore did I at once perfectly enjoy all joy according to the Superiour faculties and perfectly suffer and become most vehemently afflicted according to the Inferiour faculties And thus miraculously hath the power of my Father joyned anguish with greatest sweetnesse and highest power with lowest weaknesse Because that this influence prohibited me was altogether repugnant to the course of Nature For naturall it is and according to the course of Nature that the Superiour powers or faculties redound to the inferiour and the Inferiour have impression in the Superiour And by how much this Dispensation was more wonderfull by so much was my sorrow more sharpe and dolefull Thou art to know also that I kept my naturall strength during my Passion even to the point of death Whereby it followeth that my Passion was more dolorous Sinner Surely hee is worthy of death who refuseth to live to thee my LORD JESU who laidst down thy life for us Yea though alive yet he is dead who in the remembrance of thy most bitter continuall Passion and representation of thy Crucifying beareth not thy pricks in his body by sharpnesse of repentance and upon the altar of his heart crucifieth not himselfe for thee by making a Crosse for himselfe to represse carnall delights Christ. He that will come after mee let him deny himselfe and take up his Crosse dayly and follow me Sinner O Jesu the power of God and the wisdome of God give me the understanding of these words Christ. In these my words I have proposed three things to a reasonable man made to the Image of God to wit Servitude Lowlinesse Sharpnesse Servitude is implyed in denying himselfe Lowlinesse in bearing of my Crosse Sharpnesse in imitation of mee That hee who by disobedience fell from the state of a threefold felicity might rise againe by Obedience being humbled with the affliction of a threefold misery For he had fallen from himselfe from society of the Angels from the sight of God that is from Dignity Liberty Felicity Let him therefore heare my counsell that by denying himselfe that is his owne proper will hee may regaine his owne Liberty by taking up his Crosse that is by chusing to bee contemned and disvalued by others hee may regaine the Angels society By following me that is by imitating the steps of my Passion by chastising of his flesh he may regaine the sight of my glory Sinner Truly it is meet and right yea necessary that they suffer with thee who will reigne with thee that they imitate thee who will enjoy thee Christ. Happy is this sentence of thine owne mouth Happy yea three and fourefold happy is he who alwaies considereth how strait and narrow how bitter and sharpe the way is which leadeth to life when it behoued me to suffer that I might enter into my glory If I bought my owne glory at so high a rate Who shall have it altogether freely and for nothing Therefore there is no other way by which thou canst come to the heavenly reward but by labours and afflictions That Rich man who chastised not himselfe with labours of repentance in this world is now in eternall paine in hell But the Poore man with the dolour and labour of this miserable life hath purchased a crowne of eternall glory Sinner Woe is mee that I am allured with the sweetnesse of carnall delights and deceived with the vanity of secular joyes when as I ought to imitate thee whom I read to have oft sorrowed and lamented but once in Spirit to have rejoyced Mary thy Virgin-Mother once rejoyced in a Soâ—g O how ofâ—en hath the sword of sorrow gone thorow her Soule Iohn thy forerunner Paterne and Preacher of repentance rejoyced once in his mothers wombe but how often may wee well beleeve that hee lamented after his comming from her wombe Christ. When I hung upon the Crosse I promised Paradise to none but one that was upon the Crosse. Such are upon the Crosse who cruciâ—ie their flesh with the vices and concupiscences thereof Upon the Crosse also I prayed onely for such as sinned negligently not for such as sinned wittingly For so long as they are such sinners they are excluded from the embraces of me that was crucified who with hands spred upon the Crosse embraced all for whom I suffered If thou wilt therefore ascend after me and reigne in heaven with mee thou must follow mee by the way of the Crosse by which I have entred into my glory Look for no easier way in the way which I have gone before thee thou must follow For if thou stray from my steps thou shalt perish Attend diligently that thou maist know by what way thou maist ascend into Heaven At such time as I came into the World I descended by a Ladder that had three steps to wit of humility whence it is read of me Thou shalt finde the Babe of Poverty whence it followeth in the same place Wrapped in cloaths And of austerity as ensueth laid in a manger And by these steps I afterwards returned to heaven These steps mine excellent Apostle Paul intimateth writing thus of me He emptied himselfe behold the step of Poverty Taking vpon him the forme of a Servant behold the step of Humility becomming obedient even unto death behold the step of Austerity But whither hath this Ladder of three steps brought mee Heare what followeth For this cause therefore hath the Lord exalted him and given him a name which is above all names Fooles therefore and mad-men are they who would ascend up into heaven after me by a Ladder that hath steps contrary to these to wit by Richesse Delights and Honours Surely this Ladder leadeth to Hell as the first did to Heaven Sinner It is a great shame for the servant to bee feasting and idling while his Master is suffering and labouring Christ. Whosoever devoutly meditateth of this my Passion cannot but bee ashamed to follow the pleasure of the flesh The memory of my crucifying crucifieâ—h all vices In the paines of my Passion all the delights of the flesh and of the world are condemned which if thou wouldest subdue without difficulty thou must devoutly remember my Passion and sweetly delighting thy selfe in it sincerely cleave to my wounds yea if thou wouldst foile and resist the Devill who especially pursueth and persecuteth the religious and restraine him from annoying thee thou oughtest dayly and devoutly to remember my Passion But necessary it is that they imprint the example and fimilitude of
motions as well carnall as spirituall a constant cleaving in thee the one and true God and a happy consummation of mine end And I beseech thee that thou wouldst vouchsafe to bring mee thy most unworthy â—inner to thatineffable Banquet where thou with thy Sonne and holy Spirit art true light full satiety sempiternall joy consummate gladnesse and perfect felicity to thy Saints Through the same Christ our Lord Amen Another Praier of S. Bonaventure O Most sweet Lord JESU transpierce the marrow and bowels of my soule with the most sweet and wholesome wound of thy love with cleare sincere and most holy Apostolicall Charity that my soule may languish and melt alwayes with the onely love and desire of thee Let her long and faint afâ—er thy Courts Let her desire to be dissolved and to be with thee Grant that my soule may hunger after thee the bread of Angels the repast of holy soules our dayly bread super-substantiall having all pleasantnesse of taste and all delight of sweetnesse May mine heart alwayes hunger and feed on thee on whom the Angels desire to looke and with the sweetnesse of thy taste let the bowels of my soule be filled May shee alwayes thirst after thee the fountaine of life the fountaine of Wisdome and Knowledge the fountaine of eternall Light the streame of pleasure the fulnesse of the house of God May shee alwayes looke about for thee seeke thee finde thee draw towards thee come to thee meditate of thee converse with thee doe all things to the praise and glory of thy name with humility and discretion with love and delectation with facility and affection with perseverance to my dissolution And bee thou alwayes my onely hope my whole trust my riches my delight my joy my gladnesse my quiet and tranquillity my peace my sweetnesse my perfume my solace my meat my repast my refuge my succour my wisdom my portion my possession my treasure wherin my mind and mine heart may be alwayes fixed grounded and unmoveably rooted Amen A PRAYER for all Judges and Justiciaries O Almighty God who judgest iniquity in equity and doest inscrutable things Thou who weighest the mountaines in a balance and wilt bring the Iudges of the Earth to judgement Direct their understandings to discerne what is right give them courage and resolution to doe what is right Give them wisdome in their waies faithfulnesse in their works uprightnesse in their walkes Remove from them covetousnesse and let it bee their ambition to advance thy glory Let neither rewards bee in their hands nor revenge in their hearts Take from them all drousinesse and dulnesse all security and remisnesse Imprint in their hearts a feare of thy name a reverence to thy throne and in all their judgements a sweet attemprature of meâ—cy and judgement Make them tremble when they call to mind whom they personate and imitate thee in being compassionate Let not the Orphans prayers nor the Widowes teares be unremembred seeing these are bottled up by thee let them not bee despised by them that represent thee O let righteousnesse drop upon the Earth that as dew falleth upon the grasse so every flowry border of this thine inclosed garden may bee watred by the dew of thy grace Suffer not this Iland to mourne nor her People to grone because of injustice oppression and wrong Put an hooke in the nostrils of all such imperious Iudges who take thy Law into their mouth and hate to be reformed As for those who turne Iudgement to wormewood and leave of righteousnes in the Earth These who buy the poore for silver and the needy for shoes These that put farre away the evill day and approch to the seâ—te of iniquity The Lord will be avenged of them Hee will mite the great house with breaches and the little house with clefts But remove these judgements from thine Israel O God May no corruption raigne in her Palaces nor iniquity in her pathes May a Zeale of thine house a feare of thy name a love of piety an hate to partiality seize upon the hearts of all Iudges and Iusticiaries in this Kingdome that they may execute their places without respect of persons and afterwards raigne with those three individuate Persons GOD the Father GOD the Sonne and GOD the holy Ghost Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity to whom bee all Glorie Amen A Prayer for Peace or tranquillity of Mind GRacious God who art a God of peace and hast pronounced a blessing upon those who make peace give mee that which thou blessest that I may enjoy what thou lovest embrace that which thou approvest affect that which thou commendest possesse that wherin thou delightest Thou knowest that debates variance and contention doe distract our devotion distemper the affection disquiet every good motion disturbe every pious intention Grant therfore I beseech thee that these differences to which I am ingaged or may hereafter bee intangled or inthralled be to the glory of thy great name the preservation of mine honest repute and fame and quiet of my affaires peaceably composed Cut out of mee towards my family all severity towards my familiars all disloyalty towards my Neighbours all extremity Grant mee peace of mind in my living peace of conscience at my dying and after death that peace which passeth all understanding Cause all tumults of the flesh to cease in mee all immoderate affections to decrease in mee all inordinate motions to dye in mee Sanctifie my heart purifie my mind direct my spirit erect my faith correct my life Remove from mee all occasions of difference that I may find quietnesse of conscience Grant that I may sow the seed of righteousnesse walke in the wayes of holynesse make profession of my faith with all singlenesse that I may come to the possession of happinesse Let mee seeks peace and ensue it Love thy Law and pursue it reforme thine Image and renue it Suffer not the tempests of this world to dismay mee the errors of this life to perplex mee or the terrors of death to appall mee I know O Lord affliction to bee bitter to him that suffers it impatiently but sweet to him that suffers it constantly Thou provest those thou lovest and afflictest those thou affectest Affliction then cannot be bitter when it maketh us better What though disgrace obscure mee wrongs inure mee reproach impeach mee injuries presse thicke upon mee I am made strong through him to beare them who bore the Crosse for me suffered all dishonour for mee shed his bloud for mee lost himselfe to finde mee became sold to redeeme mee racked upon the Crosse to reach mee a Crowne climing Mount Calvarie to mount mee to glory O make mee then ready in my suffering to imitate thee my Saviour Though warre assaile mee without give mee peace within Humble my Spirit that I may bee of that temper as I may still reflect upon the Image of my Saviour that living in his feare I may dye in his favour
yee trusted Bee they riches honours friends or any other vaine thing whatsoever they shall availe you nothing at the houre of death but leaving these behind you ye shall goe naked unto the Tribunall of God to receive according to your works What blindnesse nay what madnes is it then to rejoyce here in your journey to love fraile things which profit nothing to neglect the time and occasion of living well and as if without all sense of God through drousinesse and drynesse of mind to rellish those things onely which are of the flesh to have in pursuit those things onely which are outward and not at all to consider the dangerous state of the inward man and so to come unto death Alas how innumerable are those miserably wretched ones who are here deceived with the love of the world ensnared and â—y drawing after them the yoake of the Devill how unhappily slaved And thus unexpectedly they come unto death with hearts both hardned and blinded Alas how unhappy is the end of their life with whom there was never Meditation of death nor preparation for health Such things therefore are to bee rejected as hinder the spirit delight the flesh Such things to bee relinquished as are not expedient In such sort is every one to live every houre as if that were his very last wherein he should dye and goe to judgement This is the most fruitfull profitable soveraigne counsell O Daughter that thou maist live after this manner and that death may be to thee no terrour Now then if not continually yet frequently should that houre bee presented before thee as if it were before thine eyes wherein thy soule going out of thy body shall be judged for all thy workes words and thoughts This therefore oughtst thou even at this present to injoyn thy selfe that thou maist live so even now to the end thou maist be found so prepared is thou wouldst thy selfe to bee prepared whensoever death shall undoubtedly come It is the property of a most sottish and senselesse heart to deferre amendment of life to that time when time expireth when thou canst live no longer when now thou art not to amend thy life but to appeare before God as thou art already amended Surely not sinnes only but even all things doe leave thee going out of this life Thou art not then properly said to leave thy sins when thou canst now sin no more But if whilest thou hast ability to sin thou cease from sin true repentance is never to be called late but this which is deferred to the end of thy life it is to be feared that it is seldome true For if through feare of damnation only being even now to die thou sorrowest and art ready for the avoiding of punishment to performe any taske be it never so extreme to obtaine pardon Thou sorrowest not out of charity in that thou hast offended God but out of selfe-love for that thou wishest to thy selfe good and not evill For thou sorrowest because thou hast brought to thy selfe eternall damnation by thy sinnes Wheras if thou rightly sorrowest for this only wouldst thou sorrow in that thou so disobedient unto me so unthankfull to me so reproachfull to me hast not exhibited due honour and reverence unto me whom thou oughtest with al affection to have honored whatsoever should befall thee Whereas now forasmuch as thou only sorrowest for thy selfe if danger were avoided or no revenge on sinne inflicted thou wouldst never lament though thou hadst offended me a thousand yeares together True Repentance which reconcileth the soule unto me springeth from Charitie and bewaileth this especially that shee hath so greatly and grievously contemned and offended mee her best greatest gracioust and most faithfull LORD GOD her Creator and Redeemer Hence I say is his heart wounded for as much as so unthankfully so disobediently and so proudly being buâ— dust and nothing hee hath lifted up his head against me Whosoever therefore desireth to dye happily let him as mine A postle admonisheth him live soberly justly and holily An evill death followeth not a good and just life but precious in my sight is thâ— death of my Saints yea after what sort of death soever they die that is whether they dye by water or fire or in bed But to prepare thee all the better for death the Meditation whereof is the life of every wise man take here along with thee this short exercise by which every one may instruct and addresse himselfe that he may take a course to be found in that state in which he may not feare to dye Wholesome Admonitions teaching a Christian how to dye well WHATSOEVER dying thou wouldst wish that thou hadst done doe the same even now Whatsoever thou wouldst have done doe not commit this unto others to be done after thy death but doe thou it thy selfe for if thou thy selfe bee negligent of thine owne salvation and a traytour to thy selfe how shall strangers tender thy happinesse Doe not repose trust in uncertaine and vaine promises neither commit thy selfe to doubtfull events So live and so doe that thou maist bee safe in thy conscience and as if thou wert this day to dye Never goe to sleepe till such time as thou hast examined the expence of the day with the conditions and actions of thy life Discusse and call to judgement thine heart and examine all thy senses and whether thou art become better or worse this day Never goe with that conscience to sleepe with which thou darest not dye If thou findest thy selfe in that state wherein thou fearest to dye search out the cause of this feare For peradventure some sins are in thee whereof thou hast not as yet repented or refusest to confesse or else thou forbearest to abstaine from sinne and occasions of sin or thou takest upon thee some profession office or vocation which I admit not of or thou continuest in hatred or in the unjust possession of others goods or too much affected to the desire or delight of temporall affaires or taken with the inordinate love of some creature or drowned with the delight of earthly and visible things as of honour and riches thou canst not turne thy selfe to mee tasting nothing of those things which are of the Spirit but onely let loose to outward things and loathing those which are divine therefore it is that thou fearest death Because thy soule guiltie of evill in her-selfe foretelleth what torments shall befall her after death If any of these shall be in thee thou oughtest to abhorre pursue and with all thine endevour to free thee of them For which purpose and the better effecting of so glorious a designe it may helpe thee much to imitate my steps embrace my crosse and with rigour of mind and with holy hatred commenced against thy selfe to denounce warre upon all thy vices to have a purpose to sinne no more frequently and infatigably to renue the same with no infirmitie or