THE SINNERS GLASSE Containing AVGVSTINES Ladder to Paradise With diuers Meditations and Prayers both for Morning and Euening Collected out of Saint Augustine and other ancient Fathers LONDON Printed by Iohn VVindet for John Budge 1609. To the vertuous and honorable Ladie Anne Windsor wife to the right honorable Lord Henry VVindsor AFter I had collected certaine doctrines and Meditations out of sundrie works of Augustine to mine owne priuate contentment In time following some of my learned friends by chance perusing and liking the order and method of them it put me in comfort to make them more knowne through the Englishing of them And honourable Ladie first out of that Booke vnder the name of Augustine intituled of the Spirit and Soule I had according to mine owne purpose disposed framed 15. portions or particulars out of many Chapters in that booke They are especiall easie teachings to many that yet know not what themselues are that thereby considering and beholding well of what they are made and their substance which is of the Soule and Body vnited and yet falling too often at variance will not be perswaded the one by the other they may feeling their owne miserie by it seek and desire higher after many diuine knowledges which may keepe their soules and bodies in vnitie and to bee at peace with God Then for the Meditations that follow I gathered them out of that blessed man his woorkes euery where when I thought which might mooue a godly minde not setting downe whole Chapters neither except foure or fiue but parcels thereof and contented partly with breuitie as also some time in a chapter meeting with the ignoraunce and corruption of that time in praying to Saints I left that part out which inuocation is a sacriledge not possible to haue any office allowed it in prayer through the whole scripture but by the large authoritie thereof it is most forcibly extruded And no doubt but Augustine in his time found it so lib. contra Parmenid 2. cap 8. For he sayeth Christian men doe togither commend themselues in their prayers but hee for whom none maketh intercession but he himselfe for all Hee is the verie onely and true Mediator And saith Ambrose lib. de Isaac anima He is our mouth by which we speake to the father our eye by which we see the father our right hand by which wee offer vs to the father otherwayes then by whose intercession neither wee nor all the Saintes hath any thing with God And I intend not that these abstracts out of those prayers and meditations vnto part of which I haue after my iudgment applied some verses out of the Psalmes shuld be vsed of any for or as in stead of their prayers for that cannot bee they haue beene long sithence offered vp by that holy man they were his owne But now they are to be taken as moouers stirrers vp of others to heauenly contemplation contrition and holy sorrow Our perfect prayer with the duties thereto belonging riseth of faith and knowledge which commeth by hearing and reading the Scriptures whereby thorough the holy ghost we are made able to seeke Christ and so the inuisible father who is not found elsewhere but in Christ that thus wee are come to haue a certaine communication with God in which entred into the Sanctuarie of heauen wee haue to doe with three persons As Gregorie Nazianzene vpon the Trinitie writeth I cannot sayeth he thinke of one but presently I am compassed round with the brightnesse and glorie of three Neither can I distinguish of three but suddenly I am brought again to one And so in our prayers it is with vs. Paul sayth thus Gal. 4. God hath sent the Spirit of his Sonne into our hearts which crieth Abba father which spirit so sent proceedeth from the Father and the Son and sendeth vs forth-with to call on the Father through his Sonne And also Rom. 8. That spirit in our hearts certifieth our Spirit that wee are the children of God And the same most holy 3. persons one God keepeth such an immediate course in our prayer that no Saint in heauen can come betweene the holy ghost and our redeemer to intreat him to heare vs or to bee ioyned with him or to bee in his stead for an in tercessor his leue and worthinesse maketh vs worthy through his spirit to come to him our selues As also that holy Spirit which is the cause that wee haue knowledge in the Scriptures prompteth vs how to pray how to edifie and how to answere our aduersaries visible inuisible Moreouer most excellent and heauenly knowledge is learned out of the Scripture in praise of which and comparing it aboue all other learnings Augustin saith de doct Christiana lib. 2. Whatsoeuer a man can learne without it if it be faultie or offensiue there it is condemned If it bee profitable there it is found And when whosoeuer hath found all things which elsewhere hee hath profitably learned hee shall finde those things the more abundantly by much which are learned no where else at all but in the admirable highnesse and marueilous humility of the sacred Scriptures Thus Madame signifying vnto you the contents of this briefe Collection I pray to the Almightie to enlighten and direct you alwaies with his Spirit to the increase of true honour through you in this life and to crowne you with glorie in the life euerlasting Your seruant to your honour dutifully affected Timo. Pimm A confession of our Sinnes O Lord my God euerlasting almighty Father I acknowledge and confesse before thy holy and high Maiestie that I was bred and born in sinne and corruption and that since my birth I haue not ceased nor doe cease dayly to transgresse thy commandements In respect wherof I cannot escape ruine and destruction according to thy rightfull iustice Notwithstanding forasmuch as I am sory that I haue offended thée and doe condemne both my â—elfe and my sinne and forasmuch as it hath pleased thée to loue vs euen when wee were thine enemies and for assurance thereof to giue vs thy onely and wel be loued Sonne our Lord Jesus Christ to be a Mediator and aduocate betwéene thée and vs promising that wee shall obtaine whatsoeuer we aske of thée in his name Vouchsafe O most louing God and mercifull Father to pardon and forgiue me in his name and for his sake and not only to clense my heart from all vanity and vncleannes but also to gouerne and guide me by thy holy spirit in all my waies that I may liue according to thy holy and heauenly commandements all the daies of my life to the glory of thy holy name through the same thy welbeloued Sonne So be it Morning Prayer O God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ whom no man knoweth but by thy speciall gift grant that vnto the rest of thine excéeding great benefites towardes mée this which is the greatest that can bee bestowed vpon mankinde may be added also
of thy commandements that I may bee able to come to him in spirit which hath not feared to bee couered with my flesh Merciful father dost thou not beholde the head bowing downe of toy most beloued Sonne resolued to most pretious death Regarde O most fauourable Creator the humanity of thy dearely beloued sonne and haue mercie on the weakenesse of brittle clay Look on O glorious Father the torn lims of thy most acceptable sonne and graciously remember of what I am made See the paines of God and man and release the miserie of mortall man Beholde the punishment of the Redeemer and forgiue the offence of the redeemed My Lord it is hee whome for the sinnes of thy people thou hast stroken although he bee the dearely beloued in whome thou art well pleased the same is hee the innocent in whome no guile is found and yet â—s reputed amongst the wicked Another WHAT hast thou committed most swéet Sonne of God that thou shouldest so be adiudged what hast thou offended most louing Lord that in such sort thou shouldest bee handled What is thy wickednesse what is thy fault what is the cause of thy death what is the occasion of thy coÌ„demnation Doubtlesse I am the wounde of thy griefe the blame of the slaughter done on thee I am the deseruing of thy death the heynous offence of thy punishmeÌ„t I am the print and signe of thy passion the worker of thy torment O marueylous manner of iudgement and vnspeakeable miserie The wicked sinneth and the iust is punished the guiâ—tie offendeth and the innocent is beaten the vngodly doth amisse and the godly is condemned What the euil deserueth the good suffereth what the seruant trespasseth the master dischargeth what man committeth God beareth c. Behold my vnrighteousnes and thy righteousnes is manifest My King and my God what shall I render againe to thee for all that thou hast done for me That the remembrance of the woundes of Christ is a Preuayling remedie against all aduersities I haue committed a grieuous sinne and am guilty of maay offences neither therfore doe I despaire because where sinne hath abounded also grace hath much more abounded He that despaireth of pardon of his sinnes denyeth God to be mercifull Hee doth great wrong to God that is mistrustfull of his mercy for so much as in him is he denieth God to haue loue truth and power in which thinges all my hope consisteth which is in the loue of his adoption in the truth of his promise and in the power of his redemption Now let my foolish imagination murmure how much it will saying What art thou and how great is that glory or with what merâ—is hopest thou to obtaine the same I aswell wil faithfully answere I knowe whome I hâ—ue trusted because in excéeding loue he hath adopted me for a sonne because he is true in his promise able in the performance thereof and hath power to doe what hee will I cannot bee terrified with the great multitude of sins if the death of the Lorde come into my minde because my sinnes cannot ouercome him The nayles and Speare call vnto me that I am truly reconciled vnto Christ if I will loue him Longius opened to mee the side of Christ with his Speare and I haue entred and there safely doe I rest Hee stretcheth out his armes on the crosse and spreadeth out his hands ready for the imbracement of sinners Betweene the armes of my Sauiour both will I liue and desire to die There safe and sure will I sing vnto him high praises I will praise thee O Lord because thou hast receyued mee neyther wouldest thou suffer mine enemies to triumph ouer me Our sauiour in his death bowed downe his head that he might kisse his dearely beloued So often doe we kisse God as often as wee are pricked in heart with the loue of him Prayers before the receyuing the Communion MErciful lord Iesu Christ I sinful soul nothing presuming of mine own merits but only trusting in thy mercy and goodnes am afraid tremble to draw neare to the table of thy most sweete and comfortable feast for I haue a heart and bodie polluted with many grieuous crimes and a minde and a tongue very euilly gouerned Therefore O gracious Deitie O dreadfull Maiesty I miserable wretch apprehended and taken betweene the troubles and griefes of mind and spirit returne to thee the fountaine of mercie I make haste to thee to be healed I flie vnder thy protection And thee whoÌ„ I cannot endure to bee my Iudge I hope to haue my sauiour to thee Lord I shew my wouÌ„ds to thee I vncouer my shame I know my sins to bee many and great for the which I am afrayed yet I trust in thy mercies of which there is no number Lord Iesu Christ eternall King God and man crucified for man look on me with the eyes of thy mercie heare mee putting my trust in thee haue mercy on mee full of miseries and sins thou which euer makest the fountaine of thy compassions to spring Remember Lord thy creature whoÌ„ with thy pretious blood thou hast redeemed I am sorie that I haue sinned I desire amendment of thy gracious fauour help me take froÌ„ me most mercifull Father al my sinnes and iniquities that being cleansed in mind and bodie I may through thee deserue worthily to taste the holy thing of all holiest and graunt that the holy and spirituall receiuing of thy body bloud which I vnworthie intende bee a ful remission of all my sinnes and a perfect purging of all my transgressions a banishing of all euill thoughts and a getting againe of good senses also a most strong defence against all the deceits of the worlde the flesh and the diuell Amen Another ALmighty euerlasting god behold I come to the Sacrament of thine onely Sonne our Lorde Iesus Christ I come as one sicke to the Phisition of life foule to the fountain of mercie blinde to the light of eternall brightnesse poore and needy to the Lord of heauen and earth Therefore I beg of the aboundance of thy exceeding bounty to that end thou wouldst vouchsafe to heale my infirmitie to wash away mine vncleannesse to lighten my blindnesse to enrich my pouertie to cloath my nakednes that I may receiue the bread of Angels the King of Kings the Lord of Lords with so much reuerence and meekenes with so much contrition and deuotion with so much purity and faith with such purpose and intention as is expedient to the health of my soule Graunt mee O Lord I beseech thee not only to take the Sacrament of the body and bloud of the Lord but also the effect and vertue of the Sacrament O most fauourable God grant mee so spiritually to receiue the bodie of thy onelie Sonne our Lord Iesus Christ that I may be worthy to be incorporated in his mysticall bodie and to bee numbred amongest the members of him O louing father grant to me thy dearly beloued Son whom
according to the Image likenes of God that it may know the creator by his Image loue him because of his likenes for according to the image of God it hath reason and according to his likenes it hath loue or charity for as the creator which created mā according to his own Image is charity good and iust pacient méek pure and pitiful with other notable and holy vertues read of him So a man is created that hée should haue charity that hée should bee good and iust patient and méeke pure and pitifull Which vertues any man by how much the more hee hath them in himselfe by so much the nearer he is to God and beareth the greater likenes of him his Creator But if any man by the wrong wayes of vices and the crooked turnings of euils doth out of kinde wander from this most noble likenes of his creator then it shall become of him as it is written A man when hee was in honor did not vnderstand c. for what greater honour may there bee to a man then to bee made according to the likenesse of his creator and to bee adorned with the same robes of vertues that he is of whom it is reade The Lord is King and hath put on glerious apparell c. Which is that he is glorified with al the shining of vertues and garnished with the honour of all goodnesse What greater disgrace may there be to man or vnhappier misery that this glory of his Creator being lost hee should slide and fall into the deformity and vnreasonable similitude of a bruite Beast Wherefore let euery man more diligently haue his minde fixed into the excellencie of his first state and condition and acknowledge in himselfe the most worshippfull Image of the holy Trinity and striue with himselfe to obtaine the true honour of the diuine likenesse by the noblenesse of good conditions and maners and the exercise of vertues that when hee shall appeare what he is then hee may shew himselfe like vnto him that maruailously made him to his likenesse in the first man and more marueilously renued him in the second CHAP. IIII. That the soule is no part of God THe soule is no part of God the mutability into which it runneth proueth that for God is immutable or vnchangeable The soule is often changed by reason of sinne and sometime changed by reason of paine and being damned becomes most miserable Yet nothing may hurt it but when it departeth from God It departeth when it sinneth wherupon the miserable runnagate frō God is tormented Seuered from one it is scattered into many things and by reason of the intemperance of it is made as it were sicke and corrupt and is become discomfited and grieued Therefore the bodily senses the memory béeing distempered or disturbed are disquiet and heauy they are made féeble and dismaide Then the flesh doth suffer then faintings begin and violent death houereth about Surely a man turned from God by sinning is froward and vnfortunate because he disagréeing with God is also at discord and discontent with himselfe and bringeth paine of himselfe into himselfe CHAP. V. That the soule is immortall A Man consisteth of body and soule and whatsoeuer is séene with these bodily eyes is made for the body the body for the soule but the soule for God that when the body returneth to the earth out of which it is taken the spirit may returne to God who gaue it The soule giueth life to the flesh when it commeth no other wayes then the Sunne giueth light to the day and it causeth death when it departeth yet death dooth not consume the body and soule once ioyned togither but parteth them vntill both of them come againe to their first originall or beginning And least any man should thinke the soule to be consumed by the death of the body let him heare what the Lord saith in the Gospell Feare ye not them sayth he which kill the body but the soule they cannot kill CHAP. VI. Of the loue and friendship betweene the body and the soule WOnderfull is the fellowship of the flesh and the soule the breath of life and the clay of the earth for thus it is written God made man of the clay of the earth and breathed into his nostrels the breath of life giuing to him sense and vnderstanding that by sense hée should quicken the clay assotiated to him and by vnderstanding he should rule and gouerne it and by that vnderstanding hée should enter inwardly into himselfe and behold the wisdome of God and that by sense hée should goe forth and behold the workes of his wisedome By vnderstanding hée hath enlightened man inwardly and to sense he hath abroad beautified and made things so faire that man might find delight and recreation in both of them felicity inwardly and outwardly and abroad pleasure and gladnesse But because the outward good things canot indure long man is commanded to returne from them to things inward and from those inward things to ascend to higher matters For of so great a dignity is the state and condition of man that no good thing besides the chiefe good may suffice him It is very miraculous that such diuerse contrary things one frō the other might conioine together in one Neyther lesse maruaylous is it that the euerlasting and liuing God hath ioyned himselfe to our molde and clay that God and clay should bee vnited together so great a highnesse and so much basenesse for nothing is higher then God and nothing more base then slime and clay Maruaylous was the first coniunction and maruailous the second nor lesse maruailous shall the third bée when men Angells and God shall bee one spirit For with the same goodnesse is man good with the which the Angels are good and with that selfe goodnesse both and either of them are blessed If so it bee that both doe desire the same thing with the same will and the same spirite For if God could ioyne such a differing and vnlike in nature as is of the flesh and soule to bée of one league confederacy and friendshippe no doubt it is as possible for him to exalt and extoll a reasonable spirite to the partaking of his glory which is brought lowe euen to the company of an earthly body that the same body being gloryfied it may bee to it a glory which was a burthen yea euen to the fellowship of those blessed spirits which haue continued still in their brightnesse and purity Very certainely the most highest hath created man to that purpose of his onely and méere loue without any necessity that hee might become partner of his happinesse If therfore so much ioy and so great gladnesse is in this temporall life which consisteth by the presence and company of the spirit in a corruptible body then how much more gladnesse and ioy shall there be in the eternall and euerlasting life which consisteth by the presence of the Godhead in a reasonable spirite
Therefore let the body bee subiect to the soule and the soule to GOD and it shall be one spirite with him so that it remaine in humility and acknowledge the grace and fauour of him the Creator of it by whom it is to be exalted and glorified CHAP. VII For what cause the soule is vnited to God IT is his commaundement that wee should abide in his loue Abide you saith hee in my loue For my loue he hath coupled man vnto him that hee should haue him alwaies and should euer remaine in him delighting reioicing and magnifying of him and in him Man is coupled by loue vnto his Creator for it is the onely bond of loue that bindeth them together By the loue of God all of vs cleaue vnto him by the loue of our neighbor we are all one together that the goodes of all should become the goodes of euery one and whatsoeuer any one hath not of himselfe hee should possesse it by another Charity and loue is the way of God to men and the way of men to God for through loue God came to men hée came into men and hee was made man By charity and loue men loue God they chuse him aboue all thinges they flie vnto him and liue to him So familiar is charity with God that hée will haue no abiding place where Charity is not Then if thou hast loue and Charity then hast God because God is charity CHAP. VIII A perswasion to loue God WRetch that I am how much ought I to loue my Lord my God who made mée when I was not redéemed me when else I had béene lost and perished I was not yet hee made me of nothing neither stone nor trée nor birde nor any of the brute creatures But his pleasure was to make me a man he gaue mee life senses and discretion I had perished hee descended to mortality he tooke vpon him mortality hée suffered his passion hee ouercame death and so restored mee I had perished and had béen cast away because I was solde in my sinnes Hée came after mée to redéeme mée hée weighed the price of his precious blood for mee and by that meane brought mee backe from exile and redéemed mée from bondage Also hee called mée by his name that the memoriall of him should alwaies bée with mée He annoynted me with the oyle of gladnesse with the which hée was annointed and that of Christ I should bée called a Christian So his grace and mercy hath alwaies preuented me Hée my God hath often deliuered mée from many perils and dangers When I erred hée led me forth of it When I was ignorant hee taught me When I sinned bee corrected mée When I was sadde hée comforted me When I dispaired be strengthned me againe When I fell he reared me When I stood hée helde mée When I went hée ledde mee When I came hée receiued mee This and many other things my Lord my God did for mée of which his goodnesse swéete it is to mée euer to speak of alwayes to thinke of and alwaies to giue him thanks for And I desire him that for all his benefites I may for euer prayss him and loue him for as he is an aider to euery one filling and satisfying euery one hauing care ouer all and aswell prouident to euery one as to all so I sée him wholy busied for my safety So that if I will regard mine owne safety hée is as though forgetfull of all men and would attende onely on me He sheweth himselfe euer present offereth him selfe euer ready if hée might finde mée ready Whither soeuer I turne my selfe he forsaketh mée not except I first forsake him Whersoeuer I will be hée departeth not because he is euery where So that wheresoeuer I goe I may find him with whom I may be Likewise whatsoeuer I shall doe hee standeth by as if he were a cōtinuall ouerséer of all my thoughts purposes and déedes When I doe diligently consider these thinges I am confounded both with fear great shame because I beholde him euery where present with me séeing into all my secrets for there bee many things in mee before his eyes of which I am ashamed and for which I greatly feare to displease him Neither haue I for al these things anything to render him but onely I will loue him for there is nothing better or more becomming then to render that by loue which was giuen for loue CHAP. IX Of the inward sense and the outward THere are two senses in man one inward and an other outward and eyther of them hath his good in which it is recreated and comforted The inward sense is refreshed comforted in the contemplation of diuinitie the outward sense in beholding of matters belonging to men Wherefore God was made man that hée might make blessed the whole man in himselfe and that the whole conuersion of man might be to him and that all the loue of man should bée in him But this is al the good of man that whether hee should goe in or goe out hee should finde comfort in his maker comfort abroad in the flesh of his Sauiour comfort inwardly in the Godhead and diuinity of his creator But there is an euill following this great good because the good lost that was within the soule is gone forth to straying goodes that are abroade and made a couenant with the delights of the world reposing vpon them not regarding the absence of his inward good in that that hee possesseth his consolations in strang goodes For whilest the outward carnall sense vseth his good the inward sense of the minde lyeth as it were asléepe for he doth not know the goodes of the inward sense which is taken and insnared with the iolity of outward things For he that delighteth in the flesh liueth and abideth therin fléeing the griefes and sorrowes thereof by all possible meanes but of the woundes of the soule hée is vtterly ignorant neyther séeketh hee any remedy for them But here in this world if he be not clensed of that fleshly sense the same flesh being put off the soule shal féele the paines of those wounds it hath receiued by the pleasures of the outward sense in what worldly thinges soeuer CHAP. X. That a man may know how hee is disposed to good or euill THere be two things necessary to vs by which wee should know our selues that is to say how wee are disposed to euill and how to good Prone wee are to euill and if the mercy of God kéepe vs not likely we are of our selues to fall into euery vice nor to rise from them except the mercy of God follow vs at hand to holde vs vp The Prophet well knew this when he said Thy mercy O Lord is before mine eyes which kéepeth mée and let thy mercy follow me that it may sustaine me Weak and vnable wee are to goodnesse neither without the grace of God to doe any good or able to perseuere in any good thing This also the