the most precious bloud of our Lord Jesus Christ and that for his great love towards mee no merit of mine doe confesse and acknowledge publikely or by this hand-writing or in these words before the Omnipotent God and before the whole hoast of Heaven and before you so many as stand here as witnesses about me if necessitie shall so require that I am and desire so to dye a son truly obedient to the holy Catholique Church with that â—inceritie as becommeth a Christian. And I beleeve and confesse generally all and everie part particle portion or article of the Christian faith to the beleefe whereof everie Christian stands bound especially all those particular points whether plainly expressed or necessarily implyed in the twelve articles of Christian faith for as much as they were delivered unto us from the holy Spirit by the twelve Apostles and recommended to us for Evangelicall truth And I farther beleeve and adhere to their inter pretations or expositions yet not to all or everie one but to those onely which were published by the holy Fathers received admitted â—pproved and confirmed by the most sacred Councells and tried by the truest touch-stone of infallible Scripture And to be briefe I beleeve whatsoever a Christian ought truly to beleeve In which faith so immoveable and firme I rejoyce with all mine heart to dye holding and offering this writing in mine hand as a most impregnable and invincible shield against all the insults assaults deceits and subtilties of the Devill And if it so come to passe which God forbid that by instigation of the Devill or violence of sicknesse I should thinke speake or doe any thing contrarie to mine Attestation aforesaid or should fall into any apostacie diffidence or desperation I wholly revoke and reverse that whatsoever or howsoever it shall be here in the presence of you all and make it as voyd and of no effect as if I were distraught of my wits when I did it Wherefore I appeale unto you all that are here present and to thee O holy Angell to whose guard I am committed that yee beare witnesse of this my Protestation before the Omnipotent Judge Now for as much as concerneth my selfe I doe pardon and forgive all injuries of what nature qualitie or condition soever as have beene done mee desiring heartily that the like may bee done to mee by those whom I have at any time offended either in word or deed I doe likewise crave and desire with all mine heart that I may bee made partaker of all good works which either are already done or shall be hereafter done by holy men through the whole Church whensoever or whereinsoever their office or ministerie may be usefull to mee but principally of the most bitter Passion and most innocent death of our Lord Jesus Christ. And may this my naturall voluntarie and desired approch of death stand through his merits and mercies for all my sinnes And I wish to God that I had never at any time sinned either against God or his Lawes or my Superiours or my Neighbours or my selfe Lastly I give thanks to mine Omnipotent God for all his benefits bestowed upon me and I commend my body and soule into his hands and to the bitternesse of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ to whom be praise and honour and dignitie for evermore Amen AN ELEGIE OF St. Dionysius a Carthusian of the judgement of death and the sundrie casualties thereof TO Earth returnes whats'ere from Earth had birth Flower fades shade vades what 's bred is brought to Earth Nought judge I long that doubtfull bound can stay To morrow day may be my onely day Short is that day to day which well may be My day my doome a fearefull day to me A fearefull horrid day when all my store Is clos'd in clay and I can earne no more Who thinks his dayes long 'las he thinks amisse Nor long nor safe is one whole day of his In vaine speake I of dayes dayes not exprest When not one day nor houre can promise rest Thy long liv ' d hopes if so thou like extend Yet nought of nought shall come to nought i'th'end Thouâ—ands ten thousands thousand thousands were On Earth now Earth whose names lye buried here This onely rests that each receive his hire Good works deserve good gifts ungodly fire Behold the fearefull judge thy finall doome Prepare thy selfe this dreadfull day will come Feare then and quake compose direct thy mind Live to dye now and suffer what 's assign'd An Epistle of Ludovicus Blosius written to an especiall friend upon the perfecting and publishing of his worke entituled The Parlour of the Soule BEhold thou hast my dearely beloved in Christ The Parlour of the Soule which thou hast so long time desired Having now lately written The spirituall Glasse both for thy selfe and mee I had purposed to have added nothing thereto howbeit afterwards I could by no meanes satisfie thy desire unlesse I annexed unto it The spirituall Iewell Crowne and Casket all which this our Parlour containeth Which truly came later to the Presse than thou wished but take it in good part being done by the pâ—rpose and ordinance of God Now if thou setting aside sometimes thy more weightie cares and employments become delighted with the reading of such simple bookes as are published by mee as thou seemest to be delighted I doe advise thee that first thou enter into this Parlour and diligently consider and discusse those things which are therein And afterwards that thou take into thy hand that Psychagogia which I have collected some yeares agoe out of Augustine and Gregorie For the doctrine of the Fathers set downe in these two Books shall mightily comfort and confirme thee being of so good disposition and inflame thee to the love of God thy heavenly Countrey Let it not be tedious to thee ofttimes to read over these and such like devout works yea though thy reading afford small or no sweet relish to the palate of thine heart For too delicate is he who casteth aside all such holy and wholesome directions as he had once read or heard and will not read nor heare them any more I give thanks unto my Lord Jesus for that thy Brother after such time as he had read over that Tract of mine entitled Comfort for the weak hearted and now by mee published hee becomes now lesse afflicted with inordinate feare than before Let him ascribe that reliefe as received solely from God and his holy Doctors who speake unto him in that Tract of comfort He does well surely to grieve and sorrow for that hee hath offended God without measure or number all the by-past time of his life neverthelesse hee is to have his affiance and confidence in the boundlesse sweetnesse of Gods mercie Let him thinke how most of those who had slaine Christ afterwards received pardon by beleeving in Christ to the end truly that all men should learne that no crimes or offences are so
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
as they do other most holy things if thou canst have them cause them to be applyed unto thee For even this verie holy persons of both sexes and famous for their miracles have formerly done An Exercise wherein the sick person with sighs and groanes because otherwise it can scarcely be done may resigne himselfe unto God and fervently desire that he may deserve to be joyned unto him O Most faithfull Lover most mercifull Lord Jesu Christ grant unto mee that with heart and mind I may feele what I say As the Hart brayeth for the rivers of water so panteth my Soule after thee ô my God I have chosen to be an Abject in the house of the Lord rather than to dwell in the Tabernacle of sinners Blessed are they that dwell in thy house ô Lord for ever and ever shall they praise thee My Soule hath thirsted after thee ô God when shall I come and appeare before thy face Why art thou sorrowfull ô my Soule and why art thou so disquieted within mee Trust in the Lord therefore will I now confesse my selfe unto him the Salvation of my countenance and my God Shew the light of thy countenance upon thy servant ô Lord save me for thy mercies sake Let me not be confounded for ever for I have called upon thee Be not far from mee ô my God Looke downe upon mee and help mee ô my God The poore is left unto thee Thou wilt be the Orphans helper Thou art my refuge in my tribulation which hath compassed mee O my joy deliver me from these that encompasse mee Make hast to helpe mee ô Lord God of my Salvation For thou art my strength and my refuge my helper and my protector Doe not then leave me nor despise me ô God of my salvation Behold I come unto thee ô my God whom I have despised and offended for the whole earth is full of thy mercie Therefore doe I flie unto thee my most mercifull Father Receive mee according to thy word when thou sayest I WILL NOT THE DEATH OF A SINNER and let mee live and confound mee not in my hope O my God I doe not pray unto thee for a life temporall but I call upon thee for the Salvation of my Soule who art life eternall O my sweet Lover O my Lord God for as much as I have offended thee for that I have neglected thine inspirations and admonitions for that I have at any time loved ought beâ—ide thee or without thee for this O my Lord God for this doe I grieve And I beseech thee that thou wouldest give unto mee so much grace as I may with all mine heart grieve aâ—d lament during everie moment of my life Would to God that I might poure out and offer unto thee everie drop of my bloud with teares for griefe and love into thy most sweet heart O sweet Jesu I neither desire nor expect of thee life nor death but thy good will and pleasure may it be done unto mee according to thy will If it be thy will O my sweet Jesu that I shall dye receive my spirit And although I come in the Evening as the verie last of all grant unto mee that I may receive eternall rest with thee and in thee But if it be thy will that I shall live longer O sweet Jesu I purpose this and I crave the assistance of thy grace for this to amend the rest of my life and to offer my selfe wholly as a burnt Sacrifice unto thee to thy glorie and according to thy good will and pleasure O most desired Jesu for as much as I have consumed my life in sin to the reproch of thy glorious name nor to this day have begun to serve thee grant unto mee that I may now at last perfectly begin and employ all the powers of my Soule anâ— Body and all the remainder of my time given mee by thee to thy glorie and according to thy best and most perfect will O most mercifull Jesu be thou neare mee in these my paines and miseries with which I am straitened and iâ— any more grievous than these shall come upon mee for that I have deserved not onely more grievous but most grievous by reason of my sins grant that I may patiently beare them O sweet Jesu if I had never at any time sinned nor at thine hand evilly deserved notwithstanding to thy glorie and for thy love good will and pleasure I offer and resigne my selfe unto thee either in these or any other punishments to deale with mee according to thy will not my worth but in the multitude of thy mercies on which I relye and on which I call that by thy power thou wouldest raise and rouze up the frailtie of my flesh and strengthen with longanimitie and confirme with patience the pusillanimitie and instabilitie of my Spirit that I may not â—all downe as one either vanquished with tentation or faint through pusillanimitie but swallowed up with the most burning heat of thy love I may onely sigh after thee onely desire thee and leave loath and contemne the world with all that is in it giving thee thanks with all mine heart for all things whether ministring unto me occasion of joy or sorrow O most loving Jesu I chuse thee I wish thee I desire thee I meet thee and I renounce whatsoever thou art not in mee what thou willest I will what thou nillest I nill whatsoever thou abhorrest I abjure And though sometimes that 〈◊〉 is contrarie to this will in mee may be incident unto mee I beseech thee O my God that thou wouldst not impute it unto mee nor judge mee according to that depravednesse of Will in mee but according to this Election of my mind by thy grace wrought in mee Because I contradict all those things which I ought not to will yea though which for thy mercie sake avert I hereafter vanquished should consent unto yet now doe I accurse and abjure them O most loving Jesu if it please thee and redound to thy glorie grant unto mee that I may be preâ—erved in this life from all sins and punishments into which after death I ought otherwiâ—â— to come to which I am subject or may possibly come and that thou wouldst receive my Soule by the hand of thy mercie immediately from this life to eternall joyes O Lord Iesu Christ receive my Spirit c. A CHRISTIANS LAST-WILL OR TESTAMENT Containing A PROTESTATION or Testament not unprofitable to be repeated or meditated of everie Christian at the point of death Composed as may be probably gathered by JOANNES LANSPER GENSIS and faithfully rendred according to the Originall A CHRISTIANS LAST-WILL OR TESTAMENT Containing A Protestation or Testament not unprofitable to be repeated or meditated of everie Christian at the point of death Composed as may be probably gathered by JOANNES LANSPER GENSIS and faithfully rendred according to the Originall IN the name of the Father and the Son and Holy Ghost I. M. an unhappie Sinner redeemed with