word O God the word whereby all thinges are made without whom there is not any thing made Wo is me wretch so often blinded for that thou art the light and I am without thée Wo is me wretch so often wounded for that thou art the salue and I am without thée Wo is me wretch so often ouerséene for that thou art the truth I am without thée Wo is me wretch so often straying for that thou art the way I am without thée Wo is me wretch so often dead for that thou art the life and I am without thée Wo is me wretch so oftē brought to nought for that thou art the word by which all thinges were made I am without thée with out whom nothing was made O Lord the worde O God the word who art the light by whō light was made who art the way truth and life in whom there is no darknesse ouersight vanitie nor death O light without whiche all is but darknes O truth with out which all is but leasing O life without whiche all is but death Lord say the word that light may be made so as I may sée the light eschew darknesse sée the way eschew straying sée the truth and eschew leasing sée life and eschew death Shyne forth O Lord my light my inlightening my welfare whom I will reuerēce my Lord whom I will prayse my God whom I will honor my father whom I wil loue my bridegrome to whō I will kéepe my selfe Shyne forth O light shine forth I say to this blind soule of mine which sisteth in darknesse in the shadow of death and guide my féete into the way of peace that I may passe thereby into the place of thy wonderfull Tabernacle euē to the house of God with the voyce of gladnesse and confessiō For true confession is the way whereby I may enter vnto thée which art the way whereby I may returne from bywayes and whereby I come agayne to thée which art the way for thou art the very way of life ¶ Of the fall of the Soule into sinne AS long as I was without thée I was as nothyng And therfore I was blind deafe and senselesse For I did neither discerne the good nor shunne the euill nor féele the grief of my woundes nor sée myne owne darknesse bycause I was without thée the true light which inlightenest euery man that commeth into this world Wo is me they haue wounded me and I was not sorie they haue haled me and I felt it not For I was as nothing bycause I was without life which is the word wherby all things are made And therfore O Lord my light mine enemies haue done what they lifted to me they haue strikē me they haue berayed me they haue marred me they haue wounded me and they haue killed me bycause I shrunke backe from thee and am become as a thing of nothing without thée ▪ Alas Lord my life which madest me my light which hast guided me then defender of my life haue mercie vppon me Rayse me vp againe O Lord my god My hope my power my strength my comfort haue an eye to mine enemies in the day of my trouble and rescue me Let them that hate me flée away from my face and let me liue in thée by thée For they haue lyen in wayt for me O Lord and whē they saw me without thée they despised me They parted amōg them the garmentes of the vertues wherewith thou haddest apparelled me They made their way through me they trampled me vnder their féete they defiled thy holy temple with the filth of their sinnes and they left me desolate forpyned with sorrowe I went after them blind and naked and shackled with the fetters of sinnes They dragged me after them roūd about from vyce to vyce and from myre to myre and I went without strength before the face of him that pursued me I was a bondslaue and yet I loued slauerie I was blind still I longed for blindnesse I was manacled yet I misliked not my manacles I thought bitter to be swéete swéete to be bitter I was a wretch wist it not And all this came to passe bycause I was without the word wherby al things are preserued without which all thinges are worse then nothing For like as al things were made by the word and nothing was made without it euen so by it are all thinges preserued and mainteyned what soeuer they be either in heauen or in earth or in the Sea or in any déepes One péece should not cleaue to another in a stone or in any of the thinges that be created vnlesse they were mainteyned by the worde whereby all thinges were made Therfore will I sticke vnto thée O word that thou mayst preserue me for assoone as I step aside from thée I am vndone in my selfe sauyng that thou which madest me hast also renued me agayne For whē I had sinned thou didst visit me when I was falue thou didst lift me vp agayne when I was ignoraūt thou didst teach me and when I could not sée thou didst inlighten me ¶ Of Gods manifold benefites WRetch that I am my God shew me how much I am bound to loue thée Make it appeare to me how much I ought to prayse thée Make me to know how much I ought to please thée Lord thunder thou downe into the inwarde care of my hart Teach me and saue me and I will prayse thée For thou hast created me when I had no being thou hast inlightened me when I was in darknesse thou hast raysed me whē I was dead thou hast fed me with thy benefites euen from my youth vp This vnprofitable worme which stinketh with sinne thou nourishest with all thy singular good giftes Open vnto me O thou key of Dauid which openest and no man shutteth agaynst him to whom thou openest and shettest and no man openeth vnto him whom thou shettest out Open me the doore of thy light that I may enter in and both know acknowledge vnto thée with my whole hart that thy mercy is great towardes me that thou hast deliuered my soule from the bottom of hel O Lord our God how wonderful and prayse worthy is thy name through all the earth And what is mā that thou art mindfull of him or the sonne of man that thou visitest him O Lord whiche art the hope of the Saintes and the tower of their strength O God the life of my soule wherby I liue and where without I dye O light of myne eyes by which I see and without which I am sightlesse O ioy of my hart and chearer of my spirites let me loue thée with all my hart with all my mind with all my strength and with all intiernesse for thou hast loued me first And why hast thou done so to me O maker of heauen and of earth and of the bottomlesse déepe who hast no néede of me Wherupō commeth it that
without losse health fulnesse without impayring aboundance without want lyfe without death continuance with out corruption blessednesse with out abatement all good things in perfect loue beawtie and beholding face to face full knowledge of all thinges and in all thinges where Gods souereine goodnesse is séene his inlightening light is glorified of the Saints where the present maiesty of God is beheld and the mindes of the beholders satisfied therewithall as with the foode of life The more they sée it the more they desire to sée it yet desire they it without disquietnesse and haue their fill of it without wéerinesse There the daysunne of righteousnesse cheareth all meÌ„ with the wonderous sight of his beawtie and so in lighteneth all the Citizens of the heauenly soyle that they them selues yeld light euen the light that God hath behighted them light more lightsome then all the brightnes of our daysunne theÌ„ the clearenesse of all the starres For they cleaue to the immortal Godhead and thereby are made immortall and incorruptible theÌ„ selues according to this promise of our Lord and Sauiour Father as for those whoÌ„ thou hast giuen me I wil haue them to be where I am that they may sée my glory and that they may be all one as thou father art in me and I in thée and that they also may be one in vs. ¶ Of the kingdome of heauen O Realme of heaueÌ„ O most happy Realme O Realme without death O kingdome without end where is no succession of time by ages where the day lasting continually without night woteth not what time meaneth where the souldier that getteth the vpper haÌ„d is rewarded with vnspeakable gifts for his labour and hath an euerlasting garland set vpon his noble head Would God that Christ of his heauenly pitie hauing released the burthen of my sinnes would commaunde me the basest of his seruaunts to lay aside the fardell of this flesh that I might passe into the endlesse ioyes of his Citie to repose my selfe so as I might keepe coÌ„panie with the holy sort aboue stand before the glorious maiestie of my creator with the blessed spirites behold the present countenaunce of God be touched with no feare of death reioyse in suretie of the incorruptiblenesse of the euerlastyng immortalitie and being linked to him that knoweth all thinges forgoe all blindnes of ignoraunce nothing esteeming all earthly things and not vouchsauyng to looke vppon this vale of teares or to remeÌ„ber it any more whereas our lyfe is a painfull life a corruptible life a lyfe full of all bitternesse a lyfe that is mistresse of mischief and haÌ„dmayd of hell whom humors make to swell whom paynes abate whom heate parcheth whoÌ„ ayres make diseased whom meates puffe vp whom fastings forepyne whom mirth maketh nyce whoÌ„ heauines consumeth whom thought pincheth whom ease dwelleth whoÌ„ riches pranke vp whoÌ„ pouertie pulleth down whoÌ„ youth setteth aloft whoÌ„ age makes to stoope whom sicknesse defaceth whom sorow thrusteth downe whom the deuill layeth wayt for whom the world flattereth whom the flesh delighteth where the soule is blinded where the whole man is put out of order After all which so many and so great mischieues succeedeth cruel death and in such wise maketh an end of all vayne ioyes that wheÌ„ they be once past they may be thought to haue neuer bene In what wise God coÌ„forteth the sorrowfull soule after the loÌ„g mornyng therof BVt what prayses or what thankesgiuinges are we able to render vnto thée O Lorde our God who ceassest not to coÌ„fort vs with the wonderfull visitation of thy grace among the great miseries of our mortalitie Behold while I feare the end of my lyfe whyle I consider my sinnes while I stand in feare of thy Iustice while I thinke vpon the horror of death while I shudder at the punishement of hell whyle I knowe not with what straitnes thou doost boult out and wey my workes while I am vtterly ignoraunt with what end I shall close them vp and while I bethinke me of these and many other thynges to my selfe in my hart thou O Lord God of thine accustomed pitie art ready at haÌ„d to comfort me wretch replenished with many griefes and in the middes of these monynges sore complaints and déepe sighes of my hart thou takest vp my sad and sorrowfull minde to the toppes of the high mountaines eueÌ„ to the beddes of sweete spyces putting me in a place of pasture by the riuers of swéete waters where thou preparest a table diuersly furnished against I come to refresh my appalled sprights and to cheare vp my heauy hart through which deinties I beyng at length refreshed do forget my manifold miseries beyng lifted vp aboue the heigth of the earth do take my rest in thée which art the true peace ¶ Of the sweetnesse of the loue of God. I Loue thee my God I loue thee and more more would I fayne loue thée My Lord God thou rest of all the childreÌ„ of meÌ„ graunt me to long for thee to loue thée as much as I would and as much as I should Thou art vnmeasurable and must be loued without measure specially of vs whom thou hast so loued whom thou hast so saued and for whom thou hast made so great so goodly thinges O loue whiche burnest euer and art neuer quenched O swéete Christ O gracious Iesu O my God which art loue it selfe set me wholly on fire with thy fire with the loue of thée with thy swéetnesse with desirousnesse of thée with likyng of thée with ioying and reioysing in thée with thy pitifulnesse pleasantnesse and with the pleasure and delight of thée which is holy and good chaste and cleane that being throughly full of the swéetnesse of thy loue wholly besmoked with the flame of affection towardes thée I may loue thée my Lord God most swéete and most beawtifull with all my hart with all my soule with all my streÌ„gth with all my power with much sorrow of hart sheading of teares with much reuerence and trembling hauing thée in my hart in my mouth before mine eyes alwayes in all places so as there may be no rowme in me for any counterfet or vncleane loue ¶ Of ioy O Swéete loue O louyng swéetnes let my belly eate thée and let my bowels be filled with the pleasaunt wyne of thy loue let my minde vtter forth good wordes O charity my God swéete honny snowye milke the foode of Aungelles make me to growe in thée that I may eate thée with a sauorie tast Thou art my life whereby I liue the hope that I sticke vnto the glory that I desire Hold thou my hart rule my mynde guide myne vnderstandyng cheare vp my loue lift thou vp my Soule drawe the mouth of my spirite whiche thirsteth after thée vp to the water streames that are aboue I beséech thée let the troubleoâ—â—nesse of the flesh cease Let the fancies of landes waters aire and skye hold their peace Let
¶ CERTAINE select Prayers gathered out of S. Augustines Meditations which he calleth his selfe talke with God. AT LONDON Printed by Iohn Daye dwellyng ouer Aldersgate 1574. ¶ Cum gratia Priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis ¶ Of the vnspeakeable swéetnesse of God. O Lorde which art the searcher of the hart and tryer of the raynes indue me with the knowledge of thée O my comforter and mirth of my mynde shewe the lyght of thy countenaunce vpoÌ„ me and be mercifull to me Appeare vnto me O my soueraigne delight my swéete solace my Lord God my lyfe and the whole glory of my soule Let me imbrace thée thou heauenly brydegrome Let me possesse thée O endlesse blisse let me lodge thée in the bottome of my hart thou art the blessed lyfe and the soueraigne swéetenesse of my soule Graft in me the true loue of thée O my God my helper the tower of my strength my castle deliuerer in all my troubles Open the entries of myne eares thou worde which enterest swifter than any two edged sworde that I may heare thy voyce Thunder downe from aboue O Lord with a lowde and mightie voyce Let the Sea rore and the fulnesse thereof let the earth be moued and all that is in it Lighten myne eye O incomprehensible light that I sléepe not in death flashe out thy lyghteninges and turne them aside that they may not looke vaynely O sauour of lyfe make my taste sound that it may sauour trye and discerne how great the aboundance of thy swéetnesse is which thou hast layd vp for them that put their trust in thée Geue mée a mynde that may euer thinke vppon thée a hart that may loue thée a soule that may honour thée an vnderstandyng that may féele thée and a reason that may alwayes sticke fast to thée my soueraigne delight O lyfe to whom all thinges lyue O lyfe which art my lyfe and without whom I am dead O lyfe wherby I am raysed to lyfe and without which I am forlorne O lyfe whâ—â—by I reioyce and wherwithout I am sorrowfull O lyuely sweete and louely life alwayes worthy to be had in mynde where art thou I pray thée where shall I finde thée that I may geue ouer in my selfe and stay vppon thée Be thou neare me in my minde be neare in my hart be neare me in my mouth be neare me in mine eares be neare me to my helpe for I pine away for loue of thée I die for want of thée As the hart desireth the water brookes so longeth my soule after the O god The sent of thée refresheth me the remembrance of thée healeth me but yet shall I neuer be suffised till thy glorye appeare which is the lyfe of my soule My soule fainteth with longing after thée and with thinking vppon thée when shall I come and shew my selfe in thy presence O my ioy I had rather be a doorekeeper in the house of my God then to dwell in the tentes of vngodlynesse for one day in thy courtes is better then a thousand els where O Lord hide not away thy face from me in the néedefull time of trouble but bow downe thine eare to me and heare me make hast to deliuer me make no long tarying O my god But wherefore hidest thou thy face away perchaunce thou wilt say maÌ„ cannot sée me and liue Behold O Lord I can finde in my hart to dye that I may sée thée let me sée thée that I may dye here I desire not to liue I had leuer dye I would fayne be let loose that I might be with Christ I couet to dye that I might sée Christ I refuse to liue heare so I may liue with Christ O Lord Iesus receiue my spirite My life receiue my soule My ioy draw my hart vnto thée My swéete foode let me féede vpon thée My head direct thou me Thou light of myne eyes inlighten me My melodie delight thou me My swéete sent refresh thou me Thou word of God quickeÌ„ thou me My prayse glad thou the soule of thy seruaunt Thou euerlastyng light shine thou vpon it that it may perceiue thée know thée and loue thée For the cause O Lord why it loueth thée not is for that it knoweth thée not the cause why it knoweth thée not is for that it perceiueth thée not the cause why it perceiueth thée not is for that it comprehendeth not thy light for thy light shineth in darknesse and the darknesse coÌ„prehendeth it not O light of the minde O lightsome truth O true brightnesse which inlightenest euery maÌ„ that commeth into the world I say which commeth into the worlde but not which is in loue with the world for he that loueth the world the thinges of the world the loue of God is not in him Driue away the darknesse from the vpperside of the déepe of my mynde that it may sée thée by vnderstandyng know thée by perceiuyng loue thée by knowyng thée For who soeuer knoweth thée must néedes loue thée Yea he forgetteth him selfe and loueth thée more then him selfe he forsaketh him selfe and coÌ„meth to thée that he may ioy in thée The cause then wherfore I am not so farre in loue with thée as I ought to be is by reason that I do not throughly know thée and bycause I haue but small knowledge of thée I haue also but small loue to thée and bycause I beare but small loue to thée therfore haue I but little ioy in thée By meanes of outward ioyes I raunge froÌ„ thée the true inward ioy and séeke counterfet comfortes in these outward thinges And so like a wretch as I am looke what loue I ought to haue yelded vnto thée alone with my whole hart that haue I set vpon vanities therfore am become vayne by louing vanitie Hereupon also O Lord it is come to passe that I delight not in thée nor sticke not to thee for my mynde is busied about outward thinges thine about inward thinges my thought is occupied in carnall thinges thine in spirituall thinges my talke is intaÌ„gled about traÌ„sitorie things but thou dwellest in euerlastingnesse art the euerlastingnesse it selfe thou in heauen and I in earth thou louest high thinges I low thinges thou heauenly thinges I earthly thinges And how then can these contraries agrée together ¶ Of the wretchednesse and frailtie of man. WRetch that I am when shall my crookednesse be made euen to thy straightnes Lord thou louest solitarinesse and I delight in company thou stilnesse and I noyse thou truth I leasing thou louest clennesse I filthines And what more O Lord Thou art throughly good and I wholly euill thou holie I prophane thou happie I miserable thou righteous I vniust thou lightfull I blind thou liuing I dead thou the salue I the sore thou the ioy I the sorow thou the souerein truth I nothing but vanitie as all men liuing be Alas therfore my maker what shall I say Heare me O my Creator I am thy
other thynges doth the sonne of Beliall euen Sathā him selfe practise agaynst vs O Lord our god He lyeth in wayt to ketch our soules one while as a Lyon and an other while as a draggō openly and priuely within and without day and night But deliuer vs thou O Lord which sauest them that trust in thée that he may be gréeued at vs thou mayst be praysed in vs O Lord our God. Of Gods benefites I The sonne of thy handmayd who haue cōmended my selfe into thy hand by these my poore complaintes will prayse thée my deliuerer with all my hart and cal to my minde all the good that thou hast done me frō my youth vp For I know that vnthankfulnesse doth greatly displease thée which is the roote of all spirituall euill and a wynde that blasteth and burneth vp all good damming vp the foūtaine of thy godly mercy for euer Through it the workes that be dead already reuiue not and the workes that be alyue do dye out of hand and recouer not agayne But I will giue thākes to thée O Lord least I be vnthankfull to thée my deliuerer for thy deliueryng of me How often had that dragon swalowed me vp long ago but that thou O Lord hast plucked me out of his mouth How often haue I sinned and he stode ready to snatch me vp but that thou didst defēd me O Lord my God When I delt wickedly when I brake thy commaundements he stode wayting to cary me away to hell but thou withstodest him I offended thée and thou didst defēd me I feared thée not yet thou didst kéepe me I started away frō thée and yelded my selfe to myne enemy and yet thou didst fray him away that he should not take me These good turnes hast thou done for me O Lord my God I wretch wist it not For so hast thou oftentymes deliuered me out of the deuils chappes plucked me out of the Lyons mouth and many and sundry wayes brought me backe agayne from hell though I wist it not For I haue gone downe to the very gates of hell but thou hast held me frō goyng in I drew neare to deathes doore but thou hast not suffered it to take me in Also thou hast oftentymes preserued me from bodily death O my Sauiour when I haue bene attached with sore sicknesses And when I haue bene in many daungers by Sea and by land thou hast alwayes stode by me deliueryng me from fire and from sword and from all perill and mercyfully preseruyng me Truly Lord thou knowest that if death had dispatched me at that time hell had receiued my soule and I had bene dāned for euer But thy mercy thy grace preuented me rescuyng me from bodily death and also from the death of my soule O my Lord god These and many other good turnes hast thou done for me I was blind and wist it not vntill thou inlightenedst me Now therfore O light of my soule my Lord God my life whereby I liue the sight of mine eyes wherby I sée behold thou hast inlightned me and I perceiue how I liue through thée And I yeld thée thankes though litle worth and slender and farre vnder thy benefites howbeit yet such as my frayltie hath to giue For thou onely art my God and my gracious maker whiche louest our soules and hatest none of the thyngs that thou hast made Behold I am the chief among the sinners whom thou hast saued that I may be an example vnto others of thy most mercyfull louyng kyndnesse I will acknowledge thy great benefites vnto thée for thou hast plucked me out of the bottom of hell once twyse and thrice and a hundred tymes a thousand tymes Yea I alwayes made towardes hell and thou didst alwayes bring me backe againe whē thou mightest iustly haue damned me if thou hadst would But thou wouldest not O Lord my God bycause thou louest mens soules and bearest with mens sinnes that they might repent all thy wayes be full of mercy Now therfore O Lord my God I sée these thynges and discerne them by thy light my hart is astonished at thy great mercy towardes me in that thou hast deliuered my soule from the bottome of hell and brought me backe agayne to lyfe For I was starke dead and thou hast made me throughly aliue again Therfore am I altogether beholden to thee for my life and whole as I am I yeld my selfe wholly vnto thée Let my whole spirite my whole hart my whole body and my whole life liue vnto thée my swéete lyfe for thou hast deliuered me whole that thou mightest possesse me whole thou hast made me whole new agayne that thou mightest haue me whole againe And therfore let me loue thee O Lord my strength let me loue thée O my vnspeakable ioy and let me liue hence forth not to my selfe but vnto thée All my whole life which was perished in myne owne wretchednesse is reuiued agayne in thy mercy for thou art a pitifull and mercyfull God ▪ and many are thy compassions toward thousandes in them that loue thy name And therfore O Lord my God thou my sanctifier hast commaūded me in thy law that I should loue thée with all my hart with all my might yea euē frō the bottom of my hart at all houres tymes wherin I inioy the benefites of thy mercy For I should perish for euer but that thou rulest me euer I should euer dye but that thou euer quickenest me yea euery moment thou byndest me vnto thée in as much as euery momēt thou bestowest thy great benefites vppon me Therefore lyke as there is no houre or instāt of time in all my life that I haue not the vse of thy benefites so ought there to be no moment wherin I should not haue thée in remembraunce before myne eyes and loue thée to thée vttermost of my power But this am I not able to do except thou make me able of whō cōmeth euery good gift euery excellent gift for thou art the father of light in whō there is no chaūge nor intercourse of darknes for to loue thée cōmeth not of our own will or of our own running but of thy mercy Lord it is thy gift whose all good things are Thou commaūdest vs to loue thée giue vs that which thou cōmaundest commaunde what thou wilt Of the feruentnesse of loue or Charitie I Am in loue with thée my God I couet to be alwayes in loue with thée more more For in déede thou art swéeter thē all honye more nourishyng then all milke and brighter then all light And therfore I set more by thée then by all the gold siluer and precious stones in the world For I mislyke all that euer I haue to do within this world in respect of thy swéetnesse and in respect of the beawtie of thy house which I haue loued O fire which euer burnest neuer goest out O loue which euer glowest neuer coolest inflame me I
dreames fantasticall Reuelations let all tounges all signes and what soeuer is able to passe be whist Yea let mine owne soule be still and let it ouerpasse it selfe not by thinking vpon it selfe but by thinking vpon thée my God bycause thou art in very deede my whole hope and trust For in thée O most swéete gracious and mercyfull God O Lorde Iesu Christ is both the portion the bloud and the flesh of euery one of vs Then looke where the portiō or peece of me reigneth there beléeue I my selfe to reigne also Looke where my bloud beareth rule there trust I to beare rule to Looke where my flesh is glorified there know I that I also am glorious and although I be a sinner yet distrust I not this communion of grace For although my sinnes forfend it yet doth my substaunce require it And although myne owne transgressiōs shet me out yet doth the communion of nature take me in ¶ That the word is become fleshe for our hopes sake FOr the Lorde is not so vnkynde as not to loue hys owne flesh his owne members his own bowels Truly I should despayre for my sinnes vyces faultes and negligences without number which I haue committed and dayly do cōmit without ceassing in hart word and déede by all meanes that mans frayltie cā offend in were it not that thy word O my God is become flesh dwelleth in vs But now I dare not despayre bicause that he beyng obedient vnto thée to the death euen to the death of the crosse hath taken away the handwriting of our sinnes and nayling the same to his crosse hath crucified both sinne death Now then I looke backe with a carelesse eye by meanes of him who sitteth at thy right hand seweth for vs I thinke lōg to come vnto thée vpon trust of him in whō we are already risen againe reuiued alredy moūted vp into heauen there do sit among the aūgels To thée be prayse to thée be glorie to thee be honor to thee be thankes Amen ¶ That the more a man museth vpon God the swéeter it is vnto him MOst merciful Lord which hast so loued saued vs so quickened exalted vs Most merciful Lord how swéete is the remembraūce of thée The more I thinke vppon thée the more swéete and amiable art thou vnto me and therfore am I greatly delighted with thy goodes With cleare eyesight of mynd with a most pure affectiō of godly loue accordyng to my small abilitie do I incessantly couet to sue for thy loue and to behold thy wonderfull beawtie in this place of my pilgrimage as long as I abyde in these brittle mēbers For I am woūded with the dart of thy loue I am sore inflamed with desire of thée I would fayne come vnto thée I long to sée thée I will therefore stand vpon my gard and with waking eyes will I sing in my hart yea I wil sing with my minde and with all my strength I will prayse thée my maker renewer I will pearce the skye with my mynde and be with thée in desire so as my body onely shal be held here in this present miserie but in thought in desirousnesse and in longyng I will alwayes be with thée for looke where thou myne incomparable desired and deare beloued treasure art there also is my hart But loe my most gracious and mercyfull Lord whereas I would consider the glory of thine vnmeasurable goodnesse louing kindnesse my hart is not sufficiēt to do it For thyne honor thy beawtie thy power thy glory thy royaltie thy maiesty and thy loue excéede all vnderstanding of mans mynde Like as the brightnesse of thy glorie is inestimable so also is the graciousnesse of thyne euerlastyng loue vnspeakable where through thou adoptest those to be thy sonnes knittest them vnto thée whom thou hast created of nothing ¶ That tribulatiōs for Christes sake are to be desired in this life O My soule if we should be fayne to suffer tormentes euery day if we should be fayne to indure euen hell fire for a long tyme that we might sée Christ in his glory and be in cōpany with his Saintes were it not méete we should abyde all the sorrow that could be that we might be made partakers of so great a benefite and of so great glory Let the deuils thē do their spight let them tempt while they tempt may let fastings forpyne the body let course apparell greue the flesh let labour pinch it let watching dry it vp let this man call vpon me let that man or that mā disquiet me let cold make me curle together let my conscience barke at me let heate scorche me let my head ake let my hart burne let my stomacke be wyndie let my face looke pale let me be wholly diseased let my life cōsume in sorrow let my yeares wast away in sighing sobbyng let rottennesse lodge within my bones let wormes crawle vnder me so I may rest in the day of trouble that we may go vp together to our people that wayt for vs For Lorde what glory shall the righteous haue How great shall the ioy of the Saintes be when euery face shall shyne as the sunne Whē the Lord hauyng sorted his people into degrées shall begin to muster them in the kingdome of his father render the promised rewardes to eche of them accordyng to hys workes and desertes giuyng to them for earthly things heauenly thinges for temporall thinges euerlasting thynges for small thinges great thynges Verely then shall happinesse be heaped vp full to the top when the Lord shall bryng hys Saintes to the sight of eternall glory make thē sit down together in heauen that God may be all in all How the kyngdome of heauen may be gotten O Happy pleasauntnesse O pleasaunt happynesse to sée the Saintes to be with the Saintes and to be a Saint to sée God and to haue God for euer euer Let vs thinke vpon this with diligent mynde let vs long after this with our whole hart that we may soone come vnto them If thou demaunde howe that may be brought to passe or by what deseruynges or by what helpes it may be compassed harken O man The kyngdome of heauen requireth none other price but thy selfe the full valew of it is thy selfe giue thy selfe for it thou shalt haue it Why troublest thou thy selfe about the price of it Christ hath giuen him selfe to purchase thée a kingdome to God the father So then giue thou thy selfe that thou mayst be his kingdome that sinne may not reigne in thy mortall body but that the spirite may reigne to the atteinement of life ¶ What Paradise is and what it hath O My soule let vs returne to the heauēly Citie wherin we be registred and made frée Citizens For like as we be felow Citizens of the Saintes and the household meynie of God like as we be the heyres of God and coheires
of Christ so let vs consider the happy royalty of our Citie so farre forth as it is possile for vs to consider it Let vs say with the Prophet O how glorious thinges are spoken of thée thou Citie of God for thou art the dwellyng place of all them that reioyse the ioy of the whole earth is founded vpoÌ„ thée There is not in thée any age nor miserie of age There is not in thée any maymed person any lame man any crooke backe nor any mishapen body For all be groweÌ„ vp to perfect men after the full measure of the age of Christ What blesseder thyng can there be theÌ„ such a life where there is no feare of pouertie nor weakenesse of disease No man is harmed there no man is displeased there no man enuyeth there There is no burnyng of couetousnesse no desire of meate no ambitious sewing for honor and authoritie there is no dread of deuill no snares of féendes no feare of hell fire There is no death neither of body nor of soule but pleasaunt life assured of immortalitie TheÌ„ shall there be no miseries then shall there be no debates but all things shal be at agréement bycause all the Saints shall agrée in one Peace and mirth hold all thinges together all thinges are calme and quiet There is continuall light not such as is now here but so much the brighter as it is much happyer For as we read that Citie shall néede no Sâ—â—ne nor Moone bycause the Lord almightie shal shine in it and the lambe shal be the light of it Where the Saintes shal shine as the starres for euer without end and such as haue taught many in the way of righteousnesse shal be as the brightnesse of the skye Wherfore there shal be no night no darknesse no méeting of cloudes no painefulnesse of heate or cold but there shal be such a temperatnesse as neuer eye hath séene eare heard nor hart of any man conceiued sauing onely of them that are counted worthy to enioy the same whose names are written in the booke of life But yet it is farre aboue all these thinges to be in felowship with the companies of Aungels Archaungels and all the heauenly powers to behold the patriarkes and Prophetes to sée the Apostles and all the Saints yea and also to sée our owne parentes Glorious are these thinges but much more glorious is it to behold the present countenaunce of God to sée his infinite brightnesse A passing excellent glorie shal it be when we shall sée God in him selfe and when we shall both sée and haue him in our selues of whoÌ„ we shall neuer haue seene inough What thing God requireth like vnto him self in vs. GOd the father is Charitie God the sonne is louyngnesse and God the holy ghost is the loue of the father the sonne This loue this charitie and this louingnesse requireth some like thing in vs that is to wit charitie whereby we be associated knitte vnto God as it were by some alyance of kinred Loue passing not for dignity looketh for no reuerence He that loueth coÌ„meth boldly of him selfe vnto God speaketh familiarly vnto him without any feare or without any stickyng His life is but losse which loueth not But he that loueth hath his eyes euermore to Godward whoÌ„ he loueth whoÌ„ he longeth for whoÌ„ he thinketh of in whoÌ„ he delighteth vpon whoÌ„ he féedeth in whom he battleth Such a one as is thus disposed doth so sing so read is so forecasting and circumspect in all his workes as though God were present before his eyes so is he present in déede He prayeth in such wise as if he were taken vp and presented before the face of Gods maiesty in his high throne where thousandes of thousandes do him seruice and ten hundred thousand are staÌ„dyng about him Looke what soule loue visiteth the same doth it awake out of sléepe It monisheth softeneth wouÌ„deth his hart It inlighteneth the darke places vnlocketh the shet places warmeth the cold places méekeneth the sturdie fumish impacient mynde chaceth away vyce bridleth fleshly affections amendeth maners reformeth reneweth the spirite and restreineth the light motions and actions of slipperie youth All these thinges doth loue when it is present And assoone as loue is gone away by and by the soule beginneth to droope like as a boylyng cawldron cooleth if a man drawe away the fire from vnder it ¶ Of the boldnesse of the soule that loueth God. LOue is a great thing where through the Soule preaceth boldly of it selfe vnto God and sticketh stedfastly vnto god The Soule that loueth God asketh questions of him familiarly and taketh couÌ„sell of him in all cases It can thinke vpon nothing els it can speake of nothing els it despiseth all other thinges and it lotheth all other thinges sauyng god What soeuer it myndeth what soeuer it speaketh it sauoureth of loue and it smelleth of loue so wholly hath the loue of God wonne it vnto him He that will haue knowledge of God let him loue him In vayne commeth he to reading studying preaching or praying which loueth not The loue of God bréedeth the loue of the soule maketh it intentife thereunto God loueth to the intent to be loued againe When he loueth he meaneth nothing els but to be loued for he knoweth that they whiche loue hym are blessed by theyr loue The soule that loueth God renounceth all her owne affections and giueth her selfe wholly to nothyng els but loue to the ende she may aunswere loue for loue And when she hath vtterly spent her selfe in loue how small a thyng is it in respect of that euerlastyng streame of the heauenly loue There is great oddes in the matche betwéene the loue and the louer betwéene the soule and God betwéene the maker and the creature And yet if the soule loue thée whole where the whole is there is no want Let not the soule be afrayde whiche loueth but let the soule be afrayde whiche loueth not The soule that loueth is caried with desirousnesse drawen with longing disclaymeth desertes shetteth the eyes of maiestie openeth the eyes of pleasure setteth her selfe in safetie and dealeth boldly with god Through loue the soule withdraweth and departeth aside from the bodily senses so as it féeleth not it selfe to the ende it may féele god And this is done at such tyme as the mynde beyng allured with the vnspeakable swéetenesse of God doth after a sorte steale awaye from it selfe or rather is rauished and slippeth away from it selfe to the intent to enioy God to her delight Nothing could be so pleasaunt if it were not so gezon Loue procureth familiaritie with God familiaritie procureth boldnesse boldnesse tast and tast continuall hungering The soule that is surprised with the loue of God can thinke of nothing els nor wish nothing els but with often sighes sayth Like as the Hert thirsteth after the water springes so thirsteth my soule after thée my God. ¶ What God hath