come any thing neere the number of them Now what obedience is it that we should yeeld vnto thee how should we ghesse to do that which might please thee who is able to sound the bottome of thy thoughts and who shall be able to vnderstand that which thou wouldest haue I therefore beseech thee only that thy will be done For lâ—…h thou art altogether good thou willest nothing but good things and for thee both to do and to will is all one and in making this prayer vnto thee we wholy submit our selues vnto thee who neuer faylest to will vs well and to performe the fame also For whatsoeuer ô Lord thou hast willed waâ— done and from this thy will as from a liuely and pleasant spring head are deriued all the benefits wherewith the whole face of the earth is couered and wherewith all the heauens are beautified Continue thou the same towards vs and seeing thy loue is as a fire that encreaseth according as it findeth matter to burne let it encrease and enlarge it selfe in doing good vnto vs vnto vs I say poore miserable wretches in whose weakenesse miserie and infirmitie it shall finde it selfe matter enough to exercise and worke vpon When I pray thee ô Lord That thy will be done my meaning is to beseech thee that thou wouldest eftsoones root out of mine heart all these worldly desires and willes which being borne in the corruption of the flesh can not haue any fellow-feeling and agreement with the law of the spirit neyther geue thou me the bridle to liue as I lust and seeing that I am thy child and honorest me with this title let me neuer be bondslaue vnto my affectioÌ„s but keepe me vnder the rod of thy law vnder the tutorship of thy 〈…〉 demeÌ„ts to the end that my 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 many as haue swoâ—…se to 〈…〉 â—…ing framed to serue and 〈◊〉 thee worthely may also be reâ—dy â—…erfull in the ministerie of thy â—eâ—…ce so long as we shall abide here below in this mortall world as thine Angels and other most blessed soules are in that heauenly habitation and so Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen And seeing it is thy will that our frayle and mortall bodies do dayly decay and had need to be repared and strengthned by some new nourishment that wee might haue continually recourse vnto thee Geue vs my God our dayly bread and geue vs therewith the grace so to vse it and all other thy benefits which thou hast bestowed vpon vs that we in some measure nourishing and maintaining our bodies grieue not nor vexe not our soules making them thereby lesse able to come vnto the knowledge of thy truth And in vsing thy liberall dealing with thanksgeuing we tye not for all that our affections vnto earthly and worldly things but make vs so to passe through these temporall benefits as we lose not for the getting of them the eternall blessings Let not the taste of earthly bread wherewith we feed our bodies make vs forget our heauenly bread that bread of life that eternall bread which nourisheth strengthneth our soules keepeth them from death filleth our mouthes with the Deitie and maketh vs the temples of our God to receiue him into our bodies and to be made members of his members Graunt vs my God that by this bread or rather by this flesh we may be incorporated into our Redeemer and as he in taking and putting on of our flesh was partaker of our death euen so we taking and putting on of his flesh may be partakers of his immortalitie And seeing we haue my God bene made vessels and receptacles of his Deitie wash vs and make vs cleane to the end that he comming to dwell in vs thou mayest finde nothing there to geue thee occasion to depart from vs and to make vs voyd of thy grace and of our saluation Now it is impossible for vs to be made cleane without thou forgeue vs our sinnes and remit our debts For we haue bene bondslaues both vnto sinne and vnto death and whatsoeuer we clayme to be ours it belongeth vnto him neither haue we any thing either to pay our raunsome or yet to discharge our debt and therfore ô Lord it is thou that must do it Thou hast once for all redeemed vs and set vs at libertie but yet notwithstanding we dayly fall into the hands of the enemy we daily commit a thousand sinnes which make vs bond vnto sinne cease not for all this my God to opeÌ„ vnto vs this treasure froÌ„ which we may take the price of our libertie Be thou ô Lord more strong stout in pardoning of vs then we are in offending of thee Let thy merciful hand stretch it selfe out continually vnto vs for sin cleaueth fast vnto the marrow of our bones and groweth and waxeth old in vs which maketh vs wheÌ„ we are old to be after a sort more filthy infectious were it not that thou continually applyest vnto our miserie the merit and worthinesse of thy holy passion to the end that we in some measure launching wounding our consciences thou mayest strengthen and heale our wounds and rub out with the oyle of thy mercy the skarres that may of them remayne Otherwise ô Lord I should be afeard that thou in casting thine eyes ordinarily vpon vs wouldest in the end be so angry and grieued as that thou wouldest come very fast vpon vs to be reuenged of the wickednes which we our selues haue coÌ„mitted Forgeue vs therfore our offences that is to say our sins which we coÌ„mit all the time of our life And forgeue vs ô heauenly Father as we from our very harts forgeue theÌ„ that trespasse against vs. Cause vs coÌ„tinually to set before vs this loue by which thou hast not only takeÌ„ vpoÌ„ thee to pay our debts but the punishment for our sins that we may iudge what an vnreasonable thing it should be for vs to looke to haue any fauour at thy hands who wil not agree with our neighbors considering there is no comparison betweene the offences which we commit against thee and the offences wherwith they offend vs. Pluck cleane out of our harts all pride malice for their sakes for whose ayd and succour thou causedst vs to be borne Geue vs gentle and meeke spirits which may keepe vs in vnitie and brotherly loue by patiently meekly bearing the infirmities one of another For we right well know my God how easily we slip yea how easily we stumble and fall in the way of thiâ— slippery and irkesome life We haue too too little force and strength continually to keepe our feet and to resist the winds which driue vs forward into the steepe breake-necks of all wickednes and iniquitie And therfore we pray most earnestly vnto thee Not to leade vs into tentation and to keepe farre froÌ„ vs all occasions which may any way cause vs to offend thee and to arme vs with thy holy spirit against all those
valure But my desire is to follow the discipline of those whose liues and conuersations I would gladly follow Philo the Iewe speaking of the religious men dispersed throughout the deserts of Egipt and who in great perfection of life bestowed their time in contemplation saith That they laid vp in their soules Temperance as a good firme and sure foundation whereon they might afterward settle and establish all manner of vertues and therefore we must begin at that end For if Plato with some reason compareth our soules vnto horses which must be ridden and broken ken by a skilfull rider for a cunning horseman will first of all be sure to haue the Bitte in the horse mouth before he giue him the spurre that he might restraine him from going out of his lists and thereby be able both to manage and turne him euenly and not suffer him to beat himselfe and fling and leape at all aduentures We call this temperance the authoritie and power which â—eason ought to haue vpon the lusts and violent affections which carrie our will vnto pleasures and delights This then must be the reine as it were vnto our soules or rather serue vs as a fit instrument to scum the boiling desires which arise in our soules by reason of the heat of bloud that they might be alwaies ioyned and egalled vnto reason wher vnto they must be proportionable not regarding nor yeelding themselues vnto the sensible obiects which offer themselues vnto them But contrariwise so to yeeld vnto them as that they cause those obiects to serue them and reason whereof they should be altogether in very deed made Now of all the passions ouer which temperance must haue an especiall eye to arrange these vnto reason filthie concupiscence is the most ordinarie which tieth vs vnto the lust of the flesh making vs to seeke out in the coniunction ordeined by God not the blessing of a long and happie posteritie to substitute in our steads seruants vnto our creator but a beastly pleasure and infamous delight which blindeth our soules and maketh our spirites drunke God hauing heaped in man so many sundrie perfections meant yet notwithstanding as it were to finish the same and did communicate with him that which is the most wonderfull in all the deitie which was the making him a creator like vnto himselfe For as he created the world that his power might be seene established before him his wisedom in his works so also would he that maÌ„ should beget another one like vnto himselfe that he might see also himselfe in his owne worke and loue and cherish that which came of himselfe And therefore he gaue him a wife to be a companion with him in this workemanship Nay he did more then this for his meaning was that man who was bond and thrall vnto death looked that there should one day one of his posteritie be borne of a Virgine who should be the Sauiour and redeemer of the world stirring him vp as it were religiouslie to vse an holy vnion which should serue to the ministerie of his redemption Wherefore as the vse of this coniunction at this day is no more necessarie for our saluation which for vs is fully purchased neither left vnto vs but as a lawfull intemperaÌ„ce if so be we are not able to passe it yet let vs vse it at the least as a remedy of infirmity vnder the authority of the law of God for the cooling and mortifying of the lusts of the flesh which bud spring out in vs. And seeing that the desire which casteth vs out of our selues cannot driue vs to loue God as we should let vs yet at the least keep it within the chaste bosom of her whom God hath destined for our wife companion And let vs take great heed thâ—t we make not our members filthy stinking vessels and so defile the Temple of God seeing he vouchsafeth to dwell in vs by the impure dealing with those kind of women who in violating their bodies violate also therewith all maner of lawes For first they breake the law of God who commaundeth chastitie the law of nature which forbiddeth to make that common which is borne for one alone the law of Nations which hath brought in marriages and the law of families vniustly transferring the labour and trauell of another vnto a strange heire Truly from this abhominable and vnbrideled concupiscence come and are deriued aâ— from a liuely and pleasant Fountaine all publike and particular calamities as it were For when this foolish loue is once formed in our soules which being nourished with belly-cheere and idlenesse beginneth there to grow and encrease and hath as heady wine run through our vaines it by and by bringeth our sences a sleepe and benummeth our members bereaueth our reason and so furiously reigning ouer vs carrieth vs away violently into most furious purposes and practises Do we not see at this day the mightiest kingdomes to be by it digged downe as it were with Pickaxes and Empires to stumble and fall downe to ruine And do we not see that it deuoureth in one day the ritches and conquests of infinite worlds That it openeth the gate to all iniustice Hath it not brought ielowsie betweene brethren and quarrels betweene Fathers and their children But the worst and foulest of all the effects that it hath wrought is the vncertaintie that it bringeth into the minds of kinsmen and families For in defiling the mariage bed it taketh froÌ„ the children the loue of their father which cannot be conserued but by the good opinion that the husband hath of the chastitie of his wife it breaketh also the pietie of the children towards their fathers which caÌ„not be founded but vpon the self same consideratioÌ„ Now when these bonds of affection good will are lost amongst meÌ„ how can they conteine themselues within any ciuill amity and society how can they ioyne vnite themselues together to serue God obey his coÌ„mandements This sinne as an ancient father saith is the deuils hauen which floting flowing in vs through voluptuousnes continually rebloweth the bellowes of our sences with new hoat desires which set our soules on fire there nourisheth them with smoake taking from them both sight iudgement which should guide them to euery good thing And therfore how far soeuer we can see this foolish loue we must hunt it away and detest it as the very poison of our souls Howbeit we contrariwise call it vnto vs and make much of it how farre soeuer it be from vs. For we inuite it to giue it reward and the rewards of honor are for none but for his officers all the most fine and rare wits take the greatest delight to impe his feathers that he might the speedelier and more contentedly come flying into the palaces of Princes Now a Christian man especially such a one as would attaine vnto this blessed conteÌ„platioÌ„ whervnto we prepare him will bereaue his soule of all these
the iudgement which therein is denounced and the paines that are prepared for the wicked is it possible that that man will euer haue the heart to deceiue him whome the lawe hath commaunded to loue as him selfe will he by defrauding of his neighbour deceiue his owne soule of that euerlasting blessednesse whereof those men can neuer be partakers who communicate with the father of lying and of lyes For truth commeth from heauen falshood in the daughter of darkenesse All kinds of fiction coulored and counterfeit shewes and all leasings are the craftie deuises of the deuill and he that entertaineth them and vseth them couenanteth with the wicked spirits and maketh himselfe the bondslaue of sin And therefore all our actions should be sincere and faithfull but especially their actions who are in authoritie to gouerne the people and are put in trust to render iustice vnto euery particular man They must not do as the Egiptian Iudges did that ware the image of Iustice about their necks but they must haue it imprinted in the bottome of their hearts and betweene their lips for she alone it is that must direct their iudgements so as neither loue nor hatred must at any hand make the ballance or scales which they hold in their hands leane either one way or other but reason alone must cause the lawe spurne and kick against iniquitie Surely no man can haue a better testimonie vnto his conscience of his election then when as he feeleth himself to take pleasure in dealing iustly and rightuously for whosoeuer he is that loueth iustice is a man of God for the light shineth on the righteous man and vpoÌ„ him that is of an vpright hart The way and path of the iust is like vnto the dawning of the day her light encreaseth by little and little and becommeth like vnto the noonetide The wise man could not more properly compare iustice vnto any thing then vnto the light for as the light shineth not for it selfe but causeth others to see euen so this most excellent sound vertue of it selfe looketh not but vnto the benefit profit of another hauing none other end but by a well willing righteous affection to conioyne entertaine one another of vs. When this vertue is growne vnto a full perfectioÌ„ she straightwayes beginneth to loue may very wel take vnto her that name because that she hauing vnited conioined vs together teacheth vs to accompt our selues to be one anothers flesh as being the members of one body or rather the body of one head leauing in vs a charitable affection which is the souldering sinowing of our bodies together For as we see in the constitution of our persons euery member to be so framed therein as that that which is fardest off moueth it selfe forthwith in affectioÌ„ good liking vnto the rest so as if we haue any paine in our foot by by the eye looketh vnto it straightways we put to the hand in the end bend the whole force of our body to help to do it good Euen so fareth it with the mistical coniunction of the body in the holy coÌ„gregation of the faithfull whereof we are all members and the spirit of God which doth rule and gouerne vs teacheth vs that for our owne conseruation we must needs make one of another and make both our aduersitie and prosperitie common that we might contribute vnto the necessities of one another For our christian righteousnes restraineth not vs only to discharge the ciuile and politick bands which may be amongst vs but also acquiteth this naturall obligation which bindeth one man to another by mutuall good will and loue It remayneth now that this righteousnesse must conioyne vs vnto God and bring forth her most excelleÌ„t effects which kepeth our soule vpright quiet capable of the wil of God and as it were fast tied vnto the loue of euerlasting blisse which is done by the gifts of faith hope For after we haue purged our selues of the peruerse filthy affectioÌ„s which our soul hath gotteÌ„ into her by liuing on erth so blinded our wil as that she caÌ„not returne to ill yet must she go on to her mark guide her self vnto her resting place Now as we are cast downe into the darkenesse of this world into the deserts of sin bottomlesse deapths of perdition we cannot see our end without light nor find our way without a guide ne yet sustaine our selues go forward without stay and our light guide and stay is the reuelation which God hath shewed vnto vs out of his will the knowledge which he hath geuen vnto vs by his grace the spirit by which he communicateth himself with vs and in the end commeth himselfe vnto vs because we are so feeble as that we cannot go vnto him We call faith the sound and right affection whereby wee receiue that which he declareth vnto vs and which we constaÌ„tly beleeue and by which we iudge of him in the goodnes simplicitie of our harts This is it with which we humble our senses and with which we deny our selues to geue credit vnto his truth in acknowledging our infirmitie by which we allow his almightines reuereÌ„ce admire the effects so often reiterated for the reconquering of our saluation deliueraÌ„ce froÌ„ eternall death Now wheÌ„ as our soule hath once found her self disposed to belieue this and receiued this impression froÌ„ the word of God she then cleerly seeth the marke whereat she aimeth knowing thereby the benefit which is set before her she is touched with a certain effectual feeling of pleasure which eggeth her coÌ„tinually forward to wish looke for the saluation which is prepared for her This is that hope by the which she foreseeth the happy hour of her felicitie by which she is kept for the loking for her blessednes vpholden double strengthened against all the griefes and miseries which mâ—ght shake the same and crosse her in the way Here then wee see how we must prepare our soule to make it capable of this felicitie We must now then necessarily see behold by her dealing how she delighteth her self in this most excelleÌ„t pleasure And it is to be considered two maner of wayes the one is that whilst she is clad about with this flesh and detained here in this vile world yet she still ioyneth and vniteth her selfe vnto God her creator by meanes of her pure holy disposition and of her good and charitable works The other is that wheÌ„ she is deliuered despoiled of the earth the world she wholy vniteth her self vnto her first originall being In this first estate we shal see her reioice in such happinesse pleasure contentment as infinitely surpasseth all the other delights which we possibly are able to wish or desire here below And such in very deed as are no way comparable vnto those pleasures which we know to be prepared for vs in the life to
obiects which of them selues offer them vnto vs without the which we shall be alwayes ouercome and by the which we shall continually be vaÌ„quishers in this wrestling against sinne for this prize and garland of victory is for none but for such a one as thou doest second in this fight Graunt vs therefore such grace as that when any extraordinary desire of getting worldly ritches assayle vs that thou wilt strengthen vs with a mind to obtaine heauenly ritches and valiantly contemne and despise the goods of this world and the vncertaine and frayle knowledge of them And let vs remember that they passe away as the cloudes in the ayre from one countrey vnto another and in the end melt and consume away to nothing and that for the most part the gold and siluer which we so greedely gather and heape vp together with so great toyling moyling serue vs to none other â—nd but to bring condemnation on our heads And if so be that thou of thine owne goodnes departest with more vnto vs then we any way deserue graunt vs eftsoones a will to vse them well and charitably communicate them vnto those that haue greater need of them then we haue For the earth is thine and we are but the gardiens and farmers thereof our goods are thine and we are but the dispensers and stewards of them And therefore if we refuse to geue them vnto those which aske them of vs in thy name thou wilt not only take them from vs but wilt also for our vnthankfulnes and infidelitie make vs pay double vsury for theÌ„ And graunt vs also this grace that the gloriousnes of the honors of this world blind not vs and draw vs on to desire more then is expedient for our saluation And let it alwayes be imprinted in our thoughts that there is no true honor in this world but to serue thee worthely and that for the seruing of thee the place of honor is too too base that the greatnes therof coÌ„sisteth in humilitie As for the rest which we so wonder at admire it is but a deceitful light after which we hunt with opeÌ„ mouth is like vnto those little fires which appeare in the night about the riuers They shine and cast light but in the dark and carry them which follow them euen to their drowning if they take not very great heed of them For our worldly pomps secular dignities neuer appeare but in this darke world wheÌ„ we haue winkingly cast our eyes vpon the heauenly light they seeme to vs to shine as bright as the fire their clearenesse is like vnto a basen of gold finely polished but in following of them we fall into the running brooks where we are incontinently lost and vndone We vncertainely flote amiddest the wills of Princes and the opinions of the common people so long as that we stumble at last at some scandale or offence which mightely shaketh and shiuereth vs. And therefore my God geue me coÌ„stancie that I be not shaken with beholding these vanities but make me only ambitious of thy glory and cause that my spirit in lifting vp it selfe towards immortalitie feed not it selfe with the smokes of this world Neyther let me enuy those which possesse all these frayle and transitorie goods and honors but let my desire be to approach as neere as I possibly can the example of good life which thou hast pictured out vnto vs with most liuely coulors in the table of thine owne life And this being done let all the violent passions of ire wrath and rancor be banished from my soule and let my desires be to do good vnto all the world and hurt to none and let my body and soule be euer waking and employed about good and commendable works without euer to be englutted with pale and ill fauoured slouthfulnesse And let this filthie and infamous gluttonie which abuseth thy gifts and which is drowned in wine and buried in superfluous eating and drinking be far away from me Quench also ô my heauenly Father all these shamelesse prickings of the flesh which allure vs to breake the chastitie of our bodies and puritie of our minds Beate backe from vs all obiects which may stirre vp in our soules any slippery and shamelesse affections And to be short Deliuer vs from all euill namely from all euill Angels not giuing them any power ouer vs. And if thou knowest that we are about to cast our selues headlong into euill make speed to pluck vs back and stretch out that fatherly had of thine which is alwayes more ready to shew mercy then iustice Saue vs ô Lord maugre our selues neither let our relaps and peruersenesse so sharpen and quicken thee against vs as that thou remember not thy selfe that thou art not only our God but our Father also MEDITATIONS VPON THE Lamentations of IEREMIAH Translated out of French into English by Tho. Sto. Gent. 1594. Vnto the Kingdome of France Guill du Vair greeting SEing most miserable and wretched Prouince that thy ouer great exceeding in thine auncient and wonted delights pleasures hath brought thee into this outragious fury and that thine ill hap hath caused thee to put to these thy rent and torne hands to plucke out thine owne bowels withall and to disfigure thine own face yet if there he any intermission of this hoâ—e broyling mischiefe see thou employ the same about the beholding and looking vpon thy miserie But if so be thou be too too fearefull of the miseries which thou best brought vpoÌ„ thy selfe or caust not abide the sight of them behold and looks vpoÌ„ the ruine destruction of these miserable Hebrewes because it is the truest glasse that thou canst looke in But whoÌ„ aâ— thine eyes shall haue borrowed their image and face to behold and see thy miseries therein let them also borrow teares of thee to wayle and mourne for them For the chiefest remedy to ease thy sorrow and griefe is for thee to acknowledge the same and then to haue compassion thereof And when will that be forsooth euen then when God who loueth thee more then thou louest thy selfe shall by his owne loue ouercome that desire of thine which thou hast to destroy thy selfe And in waiting for this good and praying for the same I do here prepare and make ready for thee holy teares that thou mightest thereby mollifie thine hard hart and extinguish therein the wrath of God enflamed against thee It may be that they will well like thee as a charitable remedy ought to do and it may be that they will mislike thee and then wilt thou do â—…en do who vtterly râ—iect whatsoeuer is offred them for their good And whether they please or displease thâ—… yet will I neuer cease both to loue and serue thee For what 〈◊〉 it that I should more vâ—…â—…ly and willingly loue and serue then 〈◊〉 â—…are and best beloued Countrey 〈◊〉 deare Countrey I say that maketh some 〈◊〉 of me The Lord my God saue and presence