done for man. FOr loue to manward God came to man God came into ¶ The remembring of the woundes of our Lorde Iesu Christ WHen any foule thought assaulteth me I runne to the woundes of Christ When my fleshe presseth me downe I rise vp agayne by remembryng the woundes of my lord When the deuill layeth wayt for me I flée to the bowels of the mercy of my Lorde and he departeth away from me If the heate of lecherie prouoke my members it is quēched with callyng to mynde the woundes of our Lord the sonne of god In all aduersities I finde no remedie so effectuall as the woundes of Christ In them I sléepe without care and rest with out feare Christ hath died for vs Now is there nothing so bitter to the death which is not salued by the death of Christ All my whole hope is in the death of my lord His death is my desert my refuge my welfare lyfe and resurrection and the mercyfulnesse of the Lord is my merite I am not poore of merite so long as he the Lord of compassiōs faileth not As long as he is manifold in mercy so long am I also manifold of desertes The mightier that he is to saue the more am I without care ¶ That the remembraunce of Christes woundes is an effectual remedy against all aduersities EXcéedyng greatly haue I sinned and myne owne conscience findeth me giltie of many offences and yet doe I not dispayre bycause that whereas sinne hath abounded there hath grace ouerabounded He that despayreth of the forgiuenesse of his sinnes denyeth God to be mercyfull Great wrong doth he to God whiche distrusteth his mercy For as much as in him lieth he denyeth God to be louyng true and mightie which are the thinges wherein my whole hope consisteth that is to witte in the loue of his adoption in the truth of his promise and in the power of his redéemyng Now let my vnwise imagination murmur as much as it listeth and say Who art thou how great is the glory and by what desertes hopest thou to obteine it and I will aunswere boldly I know whom I haue credited that he of his excéedyng great loue hath adopted me to be his sonne that he is soothfast of promise that he is mighty in performance and that he may do what he listeth I can not be feared with the multitude of my sinnes if I bethinke me of the death of my Lorde bycause my sinnes are not able to ouermatch him His nayles and his speare crye vnto me that I am throughly reconcyled to Christ if I loue him Longiuus hath opened me Christes side with his speare and I am gone into it and there do I rest in safetie He that is afrayd let him loue for loue driueth feare out of doores There is no remedie so mightie and effectuall agaynst the heate of lecherie as the death of my redemer He stretcheth out his armes vpon the Crosse and he holdeth out his handes in a readinesse to imbrace sinners Betwéene the armes of my Sauiour mynde I to lyue and dye There shall I sing safely there will I exalte thée O Lorde bycause thou hast taken me vp and hast not giuen myne enemyes their pleasure ouer me Our Sauiour hath bowed down his head at his death to receiue the kisses of his beloued And so oftē do we kisse God as we be throughly touched with the loue of him The musing of the Soule vpon the loue of God. O My soule whiche art innobled with the Image of God redéemed with Christes bloud betrothed to him by fayth indued with the holy Ghost garnished with vertues and registred among the aungels Loue thou him that hath loued thée so much Serue him that hath serued thée Séeke him that séekes thée Loue him that loues thée which loued thée first and which is the cause of thy loue He is the desert he is the reward he is the frute he is the vse of it he is the ende of it Be carefull for hym that is carefull of thée he at leysure for him that is at leysure for thée be cleane with him that is cleane be holy with him that is holy Looke after what sorte thou shewest thy selfe towardes God after the same sort shall he shew him selfe towardes thée He is swéete méeke and mercyfull and therfore he requireth to haue them that be swéete méeke pleasaunt and mercyfull Loue thou him that hath plucked thée out of the puddle of miserie and out of the myre of filthines Chose him for thy frend aboue all frendes whiche alone will kéepe touche with thée when all thinges fayle thée In the day of thy buryall when all thy frendes shrinke frō thée he will not forsake thée but will defend thée from the roring Lyons that wayt for their pray and will leade thée through an vnknowen countrey and bryng thée to the stréetes of the heauenly Sion and there set thée amōg the Aungels before the face of his owne maiestie where thou shalt heare this Aungelicall ditie holie holie holie Lorde God of hostes There is the song of mirth the voyce of ioy and welfare the voyce of thankesgiuing prayse the voyce of magnifying God for euer There is the full measure of happinesse passing excellent glory superabundant ioy all good thynges O my soule sigh hartely desire earnestly that thou mayst come to that Citie aboue whereof so glorious thinges are spoken and wherein is the habitation of all that reioyse By loue thou mayst get vp thether Nothing is hard nothyng is impossible to him that loueth The soule that loueth goeth vp often to the heauenly Ierusalem and runneth familiarly from stréete to stréete visityng the Patriarkes and Prophetes salutyng the Apostles wondring at the hostes of Martyrs and Confessors and gazing at the companies of the Virgins Heauen and earth and all things that are in them call vppon me without ceassyng to loue my Lord God. ¶ What the knowledge of the truth is WHat is the knowledge of truth first to knowe thy selfe and to indeuor to be that which thou oughtest to be and to amende that whiche ought to be amended And secondly to know and to loue thy maker for that is the whole happines of man Sée then how vnspeakeable the graciousnes of Gods loue towardes vs is He hath created vs of nothing and giuen vs all that we haue But forasmuch as we haue loued the gift more then the giuer and the creature more then the creator we are falne into the deuilles snare and become hys bondslaues Neuerthelesse God beyng moued with compassion sent his sonne to redéeme vs slaues and his holy spirite to make vs his sonnes agayne He hath giuen his sonne to be the pryce of our raunsome the holie Ghost as an assuraunce of his loue and to be short he reserueth him selfe whole for vs to be the heritage of our adoption And so God accordyng to hys excéedyng gracious goodnesse and mercie hath for verie loue and good will to
enemy to assault There shall not be rest at some tymes vnrest at other tymes but there shal be souerein rest assured safety vnimpeached quietnes quiet mirth ioyfull happinesse happy euerlastingnes euerlasting blessednes and blessed Trinitie and vnitie of Trinitie and Godhead of vnitie and blessed beholding of the same Godhead which is the ioy of thy Lord god O ioy ouer ioyful O ioy surmoūting all ioyes without whiche there is no ioy when shall I enter into thée that I may sée my God whiche dwelleth in thée I shal go thether and behold this great sight What is it that holdes me backe Wo is me that my soiornyng is prolonged Wo is me how long shall it be sayd vnto me wayt and wayt agayne And now to what purpose is my wayting My Lord God do we not wayt for the Sauiour our Lord Iesus Christ to repaire our base bodies vnto the likenes of his glorious body We wayt for the Lord whē he should come from the bridhouse to fetch vs into his wedding Come Lord and tary not Come Lord Iesus Christ come visite vs in peace Come leade vs prisoners out of prison that we may reioyse before thée with a perfect hart Come our Sauiour Come thou that art longed for of all natiōs shew thy countenaunce vnto vs and we shal be safe Come my light and my redéemer take my soule out of prison that it may giue prayse vnto thy holy name How long shall I be tossed in the waues of my mortalitie crying vnto thee Lord and thou hearest me not Lord heare me how I cry vnto thée out of this howge sea and bring me to the hauen of endlesse blesse Happy are they O God which are conueyed out of this Sea and haue obteined to arriue at thée the safest harborough of all hauons O happie are they in déede whiche are escaped already from sea to shore from banishmēt home into their owne countrey and from prison into a palace enioying their wished rest Blessed are they that already haue gayned the garlād of endlesse glory which they sought for here by many tribulations and ioy in happy mirth for euer O blessed are they in déede O trebble and foure tymes blessed are they whiche being already quite rid of all miseries haue obteined to come to the kingdome of beawtifulnesse and are assured of their vnapparable glorie O euerlastyng kyngdome O kingdome of all worldes wherin is the light that neuer faileth and the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding wherein the soules of holy folke doe rest where euerlastyng ioye is vpon their heades where they obteine mirth and gladnesse and from whence all sorrow and sighing is fled O Lorde how glorious a kingdome is it wherein all holy folkes reigne with thée clothed with light as with a garmēt hauing crownes of precious stones vpon their heades O kingdome of euerlasting blisfulnesse where thou O Lorde the hope of the Saintes and the garland of their glory art séene of thē face to face gladding them on all sides with thy peace whiche passeth all vnderstanding There is ioy endlesse mirth sorrowlesse health grieflesse way without labour light without darknes life without death all good without any euill where youth neuer waxeth old where life neuer weareth out where beawtie neuer decayeth where loue neuer cooleth where health neuer appayreth where mirth neuer abateth where is neuer felt any payne where is neuer heard any groning where is neuer séene any sadnes where ioy is euer where is no euill to be feared bycause the souerein goodnesse is had there in possession which is to behold alwayes the face of the Lord God of hostes Happie therefore are those that already haue escaped the shypwracke of this present life obteined the grace to come to so great ioyes We are yet still in the waues of the Sea longing for thée the hauen of our Sea. O countrey of ours O quyet countrey we ken thée a farre of we hayle thée from this Sea we sigh vnto thée out of this vale of miserie and labour with teares if we may by any meanes atteine vnto thee O Christ God of God the hope of mankind our refuge and strength whose brightnesse inlighteneth our eyes a farre of as the beames of the Sea starre doth in the mistie darknes of the stormie sea to guide vs vnto thée our hauen Lord gouerne our shyp with thy right hand by the helme of thy crosse that we perishe not in the waues that the tempest of the water drowne vs not and that the déepe swalow vs not vp but with the hooke of thy crosse plucke vs backe out of this vast Sea vnto thée our onely cōfort whom we sée wayting for vs a farre of as the morning starre and as the day sunne of rightuousnesse in maner with wéeping eyes vpon the shore of the heauenly countrey Behold we whom thou hast raunsomed do cry vnto thee yea euen we as yet thy banished mē whom thou hast redemed with thy precious bloud do cry vnto thée Here vs O God our sauiour the hope of all the endes of the earth of all thē that be in the sea a far of We be cōuersant in a troublesome Sea thou standing vpon the shore lookest at our perils saue vs for thy names sake Lord graūt vs so to kéepe our course betwene Scilla Charibdis and to hold so with thée that we may escape the daunger of both come safe to land without lesse of ship or fraught Of the glorie of the heauenly countrey THerefore when we shal be come vnto thée the foūtaine of wisedome vnto thée the vnfaylable light vnto thée the vnappallable brightnes so as we shal behold thée not any more in a riddle or through a glasse but face to face Then shall we haue our fill of all good things For there shal be nothing without vs to be desired but onely thou O Lord the souerein goodnes who shalt be the reward of the blessed the crowne of their glorie euerlasting ioy vpō their heades quietyng them both inwardly outwardly with thy peace which passeth al vnderstāding There we shall see thee loue thée prayse thee By thy light we shall sée thy brightnesse for in thée is the welspring of life thy brightnes shall giue vs light And what maner of light A light vnmeasurable a light bodilesse a light vncorruptible a light incōprehensible a light vnfaylable a light vnquenchable a soothfast light a diuine light whiche inlightneth the eyes of the aūgels which cheareth vp the youth of the saints which is the light of lightes welspring of life which is euē thou O Lord my god For thou art the light in whose light we shall sée light that is to wit thy selfe in thy selfe in the brightnes of thine own coūtenaūce whē we shall sée thée face to face And what is it els to see thée face to face thē as the Apostle sayth to know thée as I am knowē to know thy truth
Creature and without thee am already forlorne I am thy creature and am alreadie dead I am thy workemanship thy handes O Lord haue made me and fashioned me Lorde despise not the worke of thy handes I am by nature the child of wrath a wild oliue trée a vessell of dishonour the vessell of Sathan an enemie to thée O God a louer of my selfe a cage of vncleane birdes all that euer nought is Lord be mercyfull to my sinnes for they are many graft me into the true oliue make me a vessell to honor take from me selfe loue pride and cōtempt of others renue a right spirite within me that I may perfectly loue thée and worthely magnifie thy holy name for euer and euer Behold O Lord thou hast set me downe vpon thy hands Lord God read the writyng and saue me I that am the creature do grone vnto thée that art my creator O refresh me Behold I thy workemanship do cry vnto thée thou that art my life quickē me Behold I thy handiworke looke vp to thée thou that art my maker recomfort me Spare me O Lord for my dayes are nothing What is man which is but dust and ashes that he should talke vnto God his maker Beare with me for my talking to thée Pardon thy seruaunt for presuming to speake to so great a lord Necessitie hath no law Paine compelleth me to speake and the grief that I indure inforceth me to cry out I am sicke I call to the Phisician I am blind and I hye me to the light I haue gone astray and thirst to returne into the way I am dead and I labour for life Thou art the Phisiciā thou art the light the way and the life Iesus of Nazareth haue mercy vppon me O thou sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpō me O welspring of mercy harken to the diseased which crieth vnto thée Thou light which passest by tarie for the blind reach him thy hand that he may come to thée and let him sée light in thy light Thou liuing life raise vp the dead againe What am I that speaketh with thée woe is me Lord O Lord spare me I am but a rotten carcasse wormes meate a stinking coffin and foode for fire What am I that talketh with thée Wo is me Lord O Lord spare me I am an vnhappie mā euen a sory man borne of womā shortliued full fraught with many miseries euen a man that is like vnto vanitie matched with witlesse beastes and already become like vnto them Againe what am I a darke dungeon wretched earth a child of wrath a vessell méete for dishonor begottē with vnclennesse liuing in miserie and dying in distresse Out vpon me wretch what am I Alas what shall become of me I am a sacke of dūg a coffin of rottēnesse full of lothsomnesse and stinch blind poore naked subiect to exceding many necessities woting neither when I came into the world nor when I shall goe out mortall and miserable whose dayes passe away as a shadowe whose life glaunceth away as a shadow by Moonelight growing as a floure vpon a trée and fading out of hād againe now florishing and by and by withering againe My life I say is a fraile life a fléeting life such a life as the more it lengtheneth the shorter it is the further it goeth the néerer it draweth vnto death A deceitfull and shadowish life full of snares of death Now I am merie anone I am sorie Now I am lustie anone I am weake Now I am aliue and by and by I am dead I séeme happie for a while I am alwayes wretched One while I laugh another while I wéepe And all thinges are so subiect to vnstablenesse that nothing continueth at a stay one houres space Here withall commeth feare trembling hunger thirst heate cold faintnesse and grief In the necke of these foloweth importunat death which snatcheth vp wretched men vnwares a thousand wayes euery day He killeth one with diseases and dispatches another with sorrowes He starueth this man for hunger and pyneth that man with thirst He choketh some mē with water and strangleth other some with a halter He makes a hand of some men by fire and deuoureth othersome with the téeth of wild beastes He fleas this mā with the sword destroyes that man with poyson and causeth some other man to finish his miserable life with nothyng but some sodein feare And yet there is one great miserie aboue all these namely that whereas nothing is more certeine thē death yet doth not a man know when he shall dye Yea euen when he thinkes him selfe to haue best footing then is he shaken down his hope perisheth For a man knoweth not whē where or how he shall dye yet is he sure that he must néedes dye Sée Lord how great mans wretchednesse is wherein I am yet mistrust it not how howge the miserie is which I indure yet am not greued nor make any moue to thée Lord I will cry out vnto thée before I passe away if peraduenture I may abyde in thée and not passe away I will tell thée then I will tell thée my miserie I will not be ashamed to acknowledge my vylenesse before thée Helpe me my strength by whom I am vnderpropped succour me my power by whom I am vpheld come my light by whom I sée appeare my glorie through whom I reioyce shewe thy selfe O life wherein I may liue O my Lord God. ¶ Of Gods Wonderfull light O Light which Tobias saw when with his eyes shet he taught his sonne the way of life O light which Isaac saw inwardly when his outward eyes were dim yet he told his sonne what was to come O light inuisible which beholdest all the dūgeons of mans hart O light which Iob saw when he openly foreshewed his sonnes things to come accordyng as thou haddest taught him inwardly Behold how darknesse ouerwhelmeth the dungeon of my minde for thou art light Behold how mistie dimnesse lyeth vpō the waters of my hart for thou art truth O word by which all things were made without whiche nothing was made O word which art before all things before which was nothing O word which createst all thinges without which all thinges are nothyng O worde which rulest all thinges without which all things are nought worth O word which in the begynnyng didst say let light be made light was made say also vnto me let light be made that light may be in déede and I may sée the light know what soeuer is not light For without thée I take darknes for light light for darknesse so without thy light there is no truth Al is errour al is vanity there is no discretiō Al is cōfusiō all is ignoraūce there is no knowledge All is blindnesse and there is no sight all is straying there is no way All is death and there is no life ¶ Of the mortalitie of mans nature O Lord the
and I foūd thée not bycause I sought thee amisse For I sée O my light my God which hast inlightened me I sée I did amisse to séeke thee by thē for thou art within me yet they wist not where thou camest in For myne eyes say if he haue not some colour he came not in by vs Mine eares say if he made no noyse he came not in by vs My nose sayth if he had no sent he came not in by me My tast sayth if he had no sauour he came not in by me And my feelyng sayth if he be not bodily aske not me of any such matter But none of these thinges are in thée my god For it is neither shape of body nor tēporall beawtie nor shéernesse of light nor colour nor the melodie of sweete songes and pleasaunt soundyng tunes nor the sentes of floures perfumes oyntmētes or spyces nor honny or manna delightfull to the tast nor any of the thinges that men loue to touch and imbrace nor any maner of thyng subiect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 senses whiche I séeke when I séeke my god Fye of it that I should take for my God any of these thynges whiche are comprehended euen of the senses of brute beastes Truly when I séeke my God I séeke a certeine light aboue all lightes whiche no eye can comprehend a certeine voyce aboue all voyces which no eare cā conceiue a certeine sent aboue all sentes which no nose can atteine to a certeine swéetnesse aboue all swéetnesse whiche no mouth can tast of and a certein imbracing aboue all imbracing which no bodily féelyng cā take hold of This lyght shyneth where no place is to hold it this voyce soūdeth where no ayre is to carie it this sent yeldeth 〈◊〉 where no blast is to shed it this sauour yeldeth sauourines where as is no féedyng this imbracing is felt where no armes are pluckt a sūder It is euē my God and there shall none other be made account of in comparison of him This is it that I séeke when I séeke my god This is it that I loue whē I loue my god To late haue I loued thée O beawtie so old and so fresh to late haue I loued thée Thou wart within and I without and there I sought thée I ilfauoredly rushed agaynst these goodly thinges whiche thou hast made Thou wart with me and yet I was not with thee These thynges held me farre from thée which could not be without thee For I went all aboutes séekyng thee and forsakyng my selfe for all thinges I asked the earth if it were my God and it told me no and all thinges in it did verifie the same I asked the Sea and the great deepes and all the créepyng thinges in them and they aunswered we be not thy God séeke him aboue vs I asked the wyndie aire and the whole ayre with all the dwellers therin sayd vnto me Anaximenes is deceiued for I am not thy god I asked the skye the Sunne the Moone and the Starres neither are we thy God sayd they Then sayd I to all the thinges that stād about me at the doores of my flesh Tell me what you knowe of my God tell me somewhat of him and they cryed all with a loude voyce it is he that hath made vs Agayne I spake to the masse of the whole world saying Tell me if thou bee my God or no And it aunswered with a mightie voyce I am not he but I am by him he whom thou séekest in me euen he made me aboue me must thou séeke for him that made me and ruleth me The askyng of the creatures is the déepe consideryng of them and their aunsweryng is theyr auouchement concerning God for all thynges cry out it is God that hath made vs And as the Apostle sayd Gods inuisible things are vnderstode by his visible thinges which are beheld from the creatiō of the world Then came I agayne to my selfe entered into my selfe and sayd to my selfe What art thou and I aunswered a man reasonable mortall And I begā to boult out what that should be and I sayd from whence is this maner of wight O Lord my God from whence is it but of thée Thou madest me and not I my selfe Who art thou Thou art he by whom I liue thou art he by whō all thinges liue Who art thou Thou art the Lord my true and onely God almightie euerlasting incomprehensible infinite who liuest euermore nothyng dyeth in thée For thou art immortall dwelling in euer lastingnesse wonderfull to the eyes of the aungels vnutterable vnsearchable and vnable to be named The liuyng true God terrible strong beginnynglesse and endlesse the beginnyng and end of all thinges which art before the foūdations of the world and before the originals of all ages Thou art my God and the Lord of all thy creatures with thée stand the causes of all stable thinges with thée do the originals of all chaungeable thynges abyde vnchaungeable and with thée do the groundes of all reasonable vnreasonable and temporall things continue euerlastingly My God tell me thy humble seruaunt mercifull Lord tell me wretch tell me for thy mercyes sake I beseech thée from whence is this maner of wight but from thée Is any man such a workemaister as to make him selfe Is beyng and life fetched from any where els then from thée Art not thou the souerein beyng from whence commeth all being for what soeuer is it is of thee and without thée is nothyng Art not thou the fountaine of lyfe from whence all life floweth for what soeuer liueth it liueth by thee without thée doth nothyng lyue Then is it thou O Lord whiche hast made all thinges Shall I demaunde who hath made me Thou Lorde hast made me for without thee is nothyng made Thou art my maker and I thy worke I thanke thee my Lord God by whom I liue by whom all thynges lyue for thou hast made me I thanke thée my creator for thy hādes haue made me and fashioned me I thanke thée my light bycause thou hast inlightened me and I haue found both thée and my selfe Assoone as I found my selfe straightwayes I knewe my selfe Assoone as I foūd thée straightwayes I knew thée and assoone as I knew thée forthwith thou didst inlightē me I thanke thée my light for that thou hast inlightened me What sayd I that I knewe thée Art not thou God incomprehensible and infinite the kyng of kynges and Lord of Lordes who onely hast immortalitie and dwellest in vnapprochable light whiche neuer man saw no nor can sée Art not thou the hidden God of vnsearchable maiestie the alonly peruser and wonderful vewer of thy selfe Who then can know that whiche he neuer saw For thou hast sayd in thy truth man shall not sée me liue Thy prophet also hath sayd by thy truth neuer any man saw god Who then hath knowen that which he neuer saw Also thy truth hath sayd no mā knoweth the
sonne but the father neither knoweth any mā the father but the sonne Thyne onely Trinitie whiche surmounteth all knowledge is knowen fully to none but to thy selfe alone What is it then that I vayne man haue sayd that I know thée for who knowes thée els sauyng thy selfe For thou onely O God in thy most holy and heauenly worde art termed almightie passing prayse worthy passing glorious passing exalted passing high and passing substantiall bycause thou art discerned to be aboue all thynges that can be imagined to be whether they be to be conceiued in vnderstandyng or to be perceiued by the senses aboue all names that are named not onely in this world but also in the world to come beyond all that is or can be deuised to be For truly aboue the reach of all reason vnderstādyng and being doost thou by thy substantiall and secret Godhead dwel vnapprochably and vnsearchably in thy selfe whereas is light vnapprochable brightnes vnsearchable incomprehēsible vnspeakable wherūto no brightnesse may come neare bycause it is certeinly vnable to be beheld vnable to be seene aboue reason aboue vnderstandyng aboue acces aboue all chaūge aboue all partnershyp whiche neuer any wight neither man nor aungell hath throughly sene nor can sée This is thy heauen O Lord this is thy heauen so faire ingrauen the light so passing priuie so passing vnderstāding so passing reason so passing all that is wherof it is sayd the heauen of heauens is the Lordes The heauen of heauens in comparison wherof all other heauēs are but earth bycause it is passing wonderfully heaued vp aboue all heauens In comparison wherof euen the very firie heauen it selfe is but earth for this is the heauen of heauens that is reserued to the Lorde bycause it is knowen to none but to the lord Vnto this heauen came neuer none but he that came downe from heauen for no mā knowes the father sauing the sonne and the spirite of them both Neither doth any mā know the sonne sauyng the father the spirite that procéedeth from them both The Trinitie is fully knowē to none but onely to thy selfe O holy Trinitie O passyng wonderfull Trinitie surmountyng all vtterance beyond all searchyng aboue all approchyng ouer incōprehensible ouer vnconceiuable farre aboue all thinges that be far passing all vnderstāding all reasō all reach and all beyng of the mindes that are aboue heauen which it is not possible either to vtter or to conceiue or to vnderstand or to discerne no not euen to the aungels that behold it How then come I by the knowledge of thee which art highest aboue all the earth aboue all heauens whō neither the Cherubins nor the Seraphins do know perfectly but are fayne to shadow their faces with their wynges when they looke vppon him that sittes vpon the high and stately throne crying saying Holy holy holy Lord God of hostes the whole earth is full of thy glorie The prophet was abashed sayd Alas I am toungtyde for I am a man of vncleane lippes My hart was afrayd and sayd wo is me that I held not my toung bycause I am a man of vncleane lippes But I sayd I knew thée Neuerthelesse Lord wo be to them that are toūgtyde when they should speake of thée for there be many that be to full of toung without thée And therfore O Lord my God I will not hold my peace for thou hast made me and inlightened me wherby I haue found my selfe knowen thée bycause thou shynest vppon me But in what wise haue I knowen thée I knew thée in thy selfe I haue knowen thée not as thou art to thy selfe ward but as thou art to me ward and yet not without thy selfe but in thy self for thou art the light that hath inlightened me For no man knowes thee as thou art in thy selfe but as thou art to me ward by thy grace thou art knowen euē vnto me But what art thou to me ward mercyfull Lord tell me thy silie seruaunt for thy mercyes sake tell me what thou art to me warde Say vnto my soule I am thy welfare hyde not thy face from me least I dye Giue me leaue to speake before thy mercy suffer me that am but earth and dust to speake before thy mercy for great is thy mercy towardes me For I that am but dust and ashes will speake to my god Tell me thy sillie seruaūt tell me thy rufull creature tell me for thy mercyes sake what thou art to me ward Thou hast thundered from aboue with a great noyse into the inward eare of my hart and hast broken my deafnes and I haue heard thy voyce and thou hast inlightened my blindnesse and I haue sene thy light and haue knowē that thou art my god And therfore haue I sayd I knew thée bycause I knew that thou art my god Yea I know thée to be the onely true God and thy sonne Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent The tyme hath bene that I haue not knowē thée Wo worth that tyme that I knew thée not wo worth that blindnesse when I saw thée not wo worth that deafnesse when I heard thée not Blind deafe as I was I rā ilfauoredly through the goodly thinges that thou madest And thou wart with me and yet was not I with thée For the thinges held me farre from thée whiche should not haue bene at all if they were not in thée Thou hast inlightened me O light of the world and I haue sene thée and loued thée For no man knoweth thée but he that sées thée and no man sées thée but he that loues thée It was late ere I loued thée thou beawtie so old so fresh it was late ere I loued thée wo worth the tyme that I loued thée not Of the acknowledging of a mās owne vylenes LOrd who is like vnto thée yea euen among the Gods who is like vnto thée which art of excéeding great holines dreadfull prayse worthy and a worker of wonders Long it was ere I knew thée the true light long it was ere I knew thée There was a great darke cloud before my fond eyes so as I could not sée the sonne of righteousnesse the light of truth I like a child of darknesse was wrapped in darknesse and bycause I knew not the light I was in loue with myne owne darknesse For asmuch as I was blind I was in loue with my blindnesse and by darknesse walked into further darknesse still But who brought me out of it when I like a blind wretch sate in darknesse and the shadow of death who tooke me by the hand to leade me out of it Who is he that inlightened me For I sought not him but he sought me I called not him but he called me And who is he It is euen thou my Lord God mercyfull and pitifull the father of compassion and God of all cōfort It is euen thou my holy Lord God whom I acknowledge with my whole hart yeldyng thankes vnto thy
thy glory And to know thy face is to know the power of the father the wisedome of the sonne the mercifulnes of the holy ghost the one vndeuidable being of the thrée persons in one souereine Godhead For the beholding of the face of the liuing God is the souerein good the ioy of the aūgels of all holy mē the reward of endlesse life the glory of all soules the euerlastyng gladnes the crown of honor the obteinemēt of happines the wealthfull rest the beawtiful peace the inward outward ioyfulnesse the paradise of god Here is the heauēly Ierusalē the happy life the fulnesse of blessednes the ioy of euerlastingnesse the peace of God which passeth all vnderstādyng This is the ful blessednes the whole glorification of mā namely to sée God face to face to sée him that made heauen and earth to sée him that made him that saued him that glorified him He shal sée him by knowing him be in loue with hym by liking him prayse him by possessing hym For he shal be the heritage of his people of his people the Saints of his people whō he hath raunsomed He shal be their possession of happinesse he shal be the reward recompēce of their lōgyng I wil be thine excéedyng great reward sayth he For great thinges beséeme great personages Verely my Lord God thou art excéedyng great aboue all Gods excéedyng great also is thy reward But thou thy self art ouer great thou thy selfe art an ouer great reward thou thy selfe art both he that crowneth also the crowne thou thy selfe art both the promiser and the promise thou art the recompēcer the recompēce thou art the rewarder and the reward of euerlastyng happines Thou thē art both the crowner the crowne O my God the diademe of my hope which is garnished with glorie a gladdyng light a renewyng light a glorious ornamēt my chief hope the desire of the hartes of all saintes their deare beloued The seing of thée thē is the whole hyre the whole reward and the whole ioy that we looke for For it is life euerlastyng yea I say it is thy wisedome Life euerlasting is to know thée the onely true God Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent Therfore when we shall sée thée the onely God the true God the liuyng God almightie single inuisible vnboundable vncōprehēsible thine onely begottē sonne God of thine own substaūce euerlastyng as well as thou euē our Lord Iesus Christ whō for our welfare thou hast sent into the world in the power of the holy Ghost thrée in persons one in beyng the onely holy God besides whom there is no God thē shal we hold that which we now séeke namely euerlasting life endlesse glorie which thou hast prepared for them that loue thée whiche thou hast layd vp in store for thē that feare thée and which thou wilt giue to them that séeke thée euen to them that séeke thy face for euer And thou O Lord my God which diddest shape me in my mothers wōbe who hath giuen me vp into thy hād suffer me not any more to be plucked out of one into many but gather me out of these outward thinges into my selfe frō my selfe vnto thée that my hart may alwayes say vnto thée my face hath sought thée out Lord I will séeke after thy face euē after the face of the Lord of all power wherein standeth the whole glorie of the blessed sorte for euer whiche to behold is the endlesse life euerlastyng glorie of the Saintes Let my hart reioyse therfore that it may reuerēce thy name Let the harts of them that séeke God reioyse but much more the hartes of them that finde god For if there be ioy in séekyng what maner of ioy shall there be in findyng Therefore I will alwayes séeke thy face earnestly incessantly if at any tyme the doore and gate of rightuousnesse may be opened vnto me that I may enter into the ioy of my lord This is the Lordes gate the rightuous shall enter in thereat ¶ A prayer to the holie Trinitie THou thrée coequall and coeternal persons one God the very father Sonne holy ghost who dwellest alone in euerlastingnesse and in vnapproachable light which hast foūded the earth by thy mighty power rulest the whole world by thy wisedome Holie holie holie Lord God of hostes dreadfull strong rightuous mercyfull maruelous prayse worthie to be beloued One God thrée persons one being power wisedome goodnes one vnseperable Trinitie I crye vnto thée open me the gates of rightuousnes whē I am come in I will prayse thée O lord Behold I poore begger knocke at thy doore O souerein housholder Commaund the gates to be opened at my knockyng accordyng as thou hast sayd knocke ye it shal be opened For truly O most mercyfull father the desires of my groning hart and the cryes of my wéepyng eyes doe knocke at thy doore All my desire is before thée and my gronyng is not hyd frō thée Lord turne not thy face any more away frō me neither flyng thou away frō thy seruaunt in a sume O father of mercies heare the houling out of thy ward reach hym thy singular good helpyng hād that it may drawe me out of the déepe waters out of the lake of miserie and out of the myre of filthynes that I perishe not thy pitifull eyes seyng it the bowels of thy mercy beholdyng it but that I may wade out vnto thée my Lord God so as I may see the riches of thy kyngdome alwayes behold thy face sing prayse to thy holy name O Lord which workest wonders whiche chearest my hart with remembryng thée which inlightenest my youth despise not myne olde age but make my bones to reioyse my hore heares to waxe fresh againe as the Eagle ¶ FINIS SAINT AVstens Manuell or litle Booke of the Contemplation of Christe or of Gods worde whereby the remembraunce of the heauenly desires which is falne a sleepe may be quickned vp agayne AT LONDON Printed by Iohn Daye dwellyng ouer Aldersgate 1574. ¶ Cum gratia Priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis The Preface FOr asmuch as we be set in the middes of snares we easly become cold in desire of heauenly thynges And therfore we haue neede of continuall defence that when we be shronke awaye we may be wakened to runne backe agayne to our true God the souereine goodnesse In consideration wherof not through rash presumption but for the great loue that I beare to my God I haue vndertaken this worke to his glorie to the intent I might alwayes haue with me a short and handsome abridgement of the chosen sayinges of the holie fathers concernyng my God by the fire of the readyng whereof the loue of him might be kindled in me as oft as it is waxed cold in me Assiste me now I beseech thee my Lord God whom I seeke whom I