Is not he ô my Lord that innocent person who beinge thine onely Sōne was deliuered by thee to the end that he might redeeme thy slaue Is not he the author of life who yet is carried like à sheepe to slaughter and being made obedient to thee did not feare to vndergoe a most outragious kinde of death which was most hydeously greiuous Call to minde ô thou who art the dispenser of all saluation that this is that very he whome although thou didst begett out of thyne owne substance and strength thou didest yet ordeyne to be partaker of my infirmity Yea this indeed is that Deity of thyne which apparelled it selfe with my nature that nature ascended vp to the tree of the Crosse endured bitter torment in the flesh which it assumed Send downe ô Lord my God the eyes of thy Majesty vpon this worke of thy vnspeakable piety Behold thy sweete Sonne beinge stretched out from head to foote Beholde those innocent hands all distillings with his pretious blood and thou beinge once appeased forgiue the wickednes which my hands haue wrought Consider that disarmed side of his which is pearced by the pointe of a cruell Launce and renew me in that most sacred springe which I beleeue flowed downe from thence Cast an eye towards those immaculate feete of his which neuer stood in the way of sinners but did alwayes walke in thy Lawe See how they are fastned with cruell nailes and doe thou perfect my paces in thy pathewayes and mercifully make me hate all wayes of wickednes Remoue the way of iniquity from me and of thy goodnes make me choose the way of truthe I beseech thee ô Kinge of Saynts by this Redeemer of mine that thou wilt make me runn with speed through the way of thy Commandemētes that so I may be vnited to him in spiritt who disdayned not to be vested with my flesh Dost thou not ô holy Father obserue how that most deere head of thy Sonne he being yet but in the flower of his youth is hanging downe vpon that necke which is as white as snowe and doth resolue it selfe into a most pretious death Beholde ô thou most meeke Creator the humanity of thy beloued Sonne and take pitty vpon the weakenes of our fraile nature That bare brest of his is lilly-pale that side is all read and goared with blood those bowells are withered with being stretched out those sweete bright eyes doe languish that imperiall face is all discoloured those long and gracefull armes are growen stiffe those marble thighes are hanging downe and those springs of that pretious blood doe bedew bathe his transperced feete Behold ô glorious Father the torne lymms of thy most beloued Sonne and in thy mercy remember that he carrieth my nature about him Behold the punishment of that man who is God and release the misery of that man who was created by him Behold the punishment of the Redeemer and remitt and pardon his offence who is redeemed This is he ô my Lord whome thou didst strike for the sinns of thy people though he be still that beloued in whome thou art so well pleased This is that innocent person in whome noe guile was found and yet he was esteemed to be one of the wicked CHAP. VII Here man acknowledgeh that himselfe by his sinnes is the cause of the Passion of Christ our Lord. WHAT hast thou committed ô thou most sweete childe that thou shouldest so be iudged what hast thou committed ô most amiable yonge man that thou shouldest be treated so what is thy wickednes what is thy cryme what is the cause of thy death what is the occasion of thy condemnation It is I it is I who am that wound which putts thee to payne and I am the cryme which kills thee and I am the man who deserued that death which thou endurest I am the wickednes wherof reueng is taken vpon thee I am that sornes of thy Passion I am the labour of thy torment O admirable kind of sentence O disposition of an vnspeakable mistery The wicked man sinns and the iust man is punished The guilty person offends and the innocent man bears the blowes the impious man errs and the holy man is condemned That which the wicked man deserues the holy man endures that which the slaue borrowes his Lord pays that which man committs God vndergoes How lowe ô Sonne of God how lowe did thy humility descend how high did thy charity burne vp how farr did thy piety proceed howe wide did thy benignity extend whither did thy loue aspire and where did thy compassiō arriue For it is I who haue done wickedly and thou art punished I who haue committed the cryme and thou art layd vpon the Racke I grewe proude and thou art humbled I was puffed vp and thou art extenuated I haue showed my selfe disobedient and thou being obedient dost answeare for the paine due to that disobedience I haue obeyed the temptation of gluttony and thou art halfe consumed for lacke of meate Distempered affection drewe me on apace to vnlawfull concupiscence and perfect charity was that which led thee on to the Crosse I presumed to doe that which was forbiddē thou didst vndergoe torments I am delighted with meate thou art in labour vpon the Crosse I am fed with delight thou art torne with nailes I tasted the sweetnes of the apple thou the bitternes of gall Eue laughs congratulats my sinn with me but Mary weeps and takes compassion with thee Behold O Kinge of glory behold how my impiety and thy piety are made apparent by one another Beholde how my iniustice thy Iustice are made cleerly manifest What! O my King and my God shall I render for all those things which thou hast bestowed on me For there is nothinge to be found in the hart of man which can beare any portion to thy singular benefites Can the sharpnes of mans conceite thinke of any thinge to which the mercy of God may be cōpared Noe it is not in the power of a creature to performe any seruice that can make full amends to his Creator But yet O Sonne of God there is somewhat in this admirable dispensation of thine there is some what wherein my frailty may answeare in some small proportion to what I owe if by the visitation of thy holy Spiritt my contrite hart may crucify my flesh with the vices and concupiscences therof And when this fauour is granted me by thee I doe already as it were beginn to suffer sweetly with thee because thou didest vouchsafe to dye for my sinns And thus by the victory of the inward man he is prepared through thy help toward an euident triumph so that the spirituall persecution being ouercome he fears not to submitt himselfe for the loue of thee to a materiall sword And in this manner if it be pleasinge to thy mercy the weakenes of our condition wil bee able accordinge to our litle strength to correspond with the greatenesse of our
strong tempest shall compasse thee inn round about when thou shalt call the heauen earth at such tyme as thou wilt iudge thy people And behold all my iniquities shal be discouered then before so many thousands of nations and all my greiuous crimes not onely deeds but euen words and very thoughts themselues shal be manifested to so many legions of Angells Before so many iudges shall I desolate creature stand as there wil be men who haue farr outstripped me in good workes By so many reprouers shall I be confounded as haue giuen me examples of good life And by so many witnesses shall I be conuinced as haue taught me by good speeches and instructed me toward an imitation of them by their good examples O my Lord I can lighte vpon nothinge which I may say nothing doth occurr which I can answere And now whilest I am subiect to this sharp triall my conscience racks me the secrets of my hart torment me couetousnesse streightens me pride accuses me enuy consumes me concupiscence inflames me lust importunes me gluttony dishoners me ebriety ouercomes me detraction tears me ambition supplants me greedinesse disquiets me discorde scatters me anger disturbes me mirth dissolues me heauinesse oppresseth me hypocrisy deceiues me flattery alters me fauour exalts me slaunder wounds me Behold ô thou who art my deliuerer from these feirce nations behold who they be whome I haue liued with all from the very day of my birth whome I haue obserued and to whome I haue dedicated my selfe Those very imployments which I loued condemn me they which I praised dishonored me These are those frends with whome I did so carefully comply those Maisters whose direction I followed those Lords whome I haue serued those Counseillers whome I haue beleeued those citzens with whome I haue dwelt those domesticks whome I haue consented too woe is me ô my King and my God that my habitation here is so much prolonged Woe is me O thou light of mine eyes that I haue dwelt amongst the inhabitants of Cedar And if holy Dauid could say that he had dwelt much with them how much more may I wretched creature say O thou my God and my strong fundation that my soule hath dwelt too much with them for in thy sight noe man liueinge can be iustifyed My hope is not reposed in the sonnes of men for if thou iudge them when thy mercy is laide a side whome wilt thou be able to finde iust And if thou preuent not the wicked man by showeing mercy thou wilt not finde any good man vpon whome to bestowe thy glory For I beleeue O thou who art my saluation that which I haue beene told that it is thy mercy which bringeth me to pennance Those lipps of thy mouth more sweete then Nectar haue sounded forth these words Noe man can come to me vnles my Father who sent me drawe him Because therfor thou haste instructed me because by that instruction thou hast mercifully framed me as now I am I doe with the most inward marrow of my soule and with all possible strife of my hart inuoke thee ô Omnipotent Father with thy most beloued Sonne and thee ô most sweete Sonne with the most excellent souueraigne Holy spirit that thou wilt draw me towards thee that so I may runn after the fragrance of thy pretious odours and that I may doe it most dearely CHAP. V. The Father is inuoked by the Sonne INuoke thee ô my God! I inuoke hee because thou art present to all such as call vpon thee in the way of truth for thou art Truth Teach me ô holy Truth by thy mercy how I may inuoke thee in thee because I know not how that must be done and therefore I doe most humbly begg of thee to be taught by thee For to be wise without thee is to play the foole but to knowe thee is perfectly to be wise Teach me ô diuine Wisdome and instruct me in thy lawe for I beleeue that he whome thou teachest and whome thou instructest in thy lawe shal be happy I desire to inuoke thee and I beseech thee that it may be in all Truth What is it to call vpon Truth in Truth but to call vpon the Father in his Sonnes Thy speach therfore ô holy Father is Truth and Truth is the beginninge of thy words For this is the beginninge of thy words that in the beginning was the word In the very beginning doe I adore thee who art the prime and supreame beginninge In that very worde of Truth doe I also inuoke thee ô perfect Truth in which word I beseech thee who art that very Truth that thou will direct and teach me that Truth For what is more delightfull then to inuoke the Father in the name of his onely begotten Sonne to induce the Father to mercy by the remembrance of his Sonne to mollify the Kings hart by the mention of his dearest Sonne For thus doe prisoners vse to be freed from their restrainte So are slaues freed from their chaines and men who are lyable to the sadd doome of death are not onely absolued but growe intitled sometymes to extraordinary fauour when they putt angry Princes in minde of the loue they beare to theyr progeny And when the intercession of the Sonne is imployed the poore slaue is wonte to auoide the punishment of his Lord. Iust so ô thou Omnipotent Father I begg of thee by thine Omnipotent Sonne that thou wilt drawe my soule out of prison that I may confesse to thy name I beseech thee by that onely begotten Sonne of thine who is coeternall with thee that thou wilt discharge me from these fetters of my sinns and that by the mediation of thy most pretious issue who is sitting at thy right hand thou wilt of thy goodnes restore me to life who for my great demerits am threatned with the sentence of death For I know not what other intercessor I should be able to vse towards thee but him who is propitiation for our sinns and who sitteth at thy right hand pleadinge for vs. Behold ô God the Father him who is my aduocate with thee Behold that supreame Bishop who hath noe need to be expiated by any others blood because he is resplendent by being all bathed in his owne Beholde here the holy Sacrifice which is holy perfect and wel pleasing which is offered in the odour of sweetnes so accepted Behold the lamb without spott who is silent before the shearrer and who being beaten vpon the face with blowes and defiled with spittle and reproached with scorne did not yet so much as open his mouth Behold he who neuer committed sinn hath borne our sinns and by his owne wounds hath cured our diseases CHAP. VI. Here man representeth the Passion of the Sonne to the Father BEholde deare Father thy most holy Sonne who hath suffered such bitter paines for me Behold ô most clement Kinge who it is that suffers and mercifully remember for whome he suffers
haste brought me to the vnderstanding of truthe casting away the darknes of ignorance and whereby thou haste drawen me out of the foolish bitternes of this world and so accompanyinge it with the sweetnes of thy charity thou haste made it delightfull and deer to me I doe with a lowde voice inuoke thee O blessed Trinity with that sincere loue which groweth out of Faith which Faith thou haueing nourished euen from my cradle did'dst inspire by the illustration of thy grace and which thou hast encreased and confirmed in me by the documents of my Mother the Church I inuoke thee O holy and blessed and glorious Trinity in Vnity the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghoste our God our Lord and our Paraclete Charity Grace and Communication the Father the Sonne and the Illuminator the Fountayne the Riuer and the Irrigation or wateringe All things by one and all things in one from whome by whome in whome all things The liuing life the life proceeding from the liuing life the life liuing One from himselfe One from one and One from two One being from himselfe One being from another and One being from two other The Father is true the Sonne is Truth and the Holy Ghoste is Truth Therfore the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghoste are one essence one power one goodnes one beatitude from whome by whome and in whome all things are happie what things soeuer are happie CHAP. XXXII That God is the true and souuereigne life O God the true and Souuereigne life from whome by whome and in whome all things doe liue which haue any true and happy life O God who art that goodnesse and that beauty from whome by whome and in whome all things are faire and good which haue any beauty or goodnesse in them O God whose faith doth excite vs whose hope doth erect vs and whose charity doth vnite vs O God who requirest that we seeke thee and who makest vs finde thee and who openest to vs when we knocke O God from whome to be auerted is to faâ—l and to whom to be conuerted is to rise and in whom to remayne is to be immoueable O God whome noe man looseth but he who is deceaued no man seeketh but he who is admonished and noe man findeth but he who is purged O God whome to know is to liue whome to serue is to reigne whome to praise is the ioy and saluation of the soule I praise thee I blesse thee and I adore thee with my lipps with my hart and with all the whole power I haue And I present my humblest thanks to thy mercy and goodnes for all thy benefitts and I sing this Hymn of glory to thee Holy Holy Holy I inuoke thee O blessed Trinity beseechinge that thou wilt come into me and make me worthy to be the Temple of thy glory I begge of the Father by the Sonne I begge of the Sonne by the Father I begge of the Holy Ghoste by the Father and the Sonne that all vice may be farr remoued from me and that all holy vertue may be planted in me O Immense God from whome all things by whome all things in whome all things both visible and inuisible are made Thou who doste inuiron thy workes without and fillest them within who dost couer them from aboue and dost susteyne them from belowe keepe me who am the worke of thy hands and who hope in thee and who onely confide in thy mercy Keepe me I beseech thee here and euery where now and euer within and without before me behinde me aboue and belowe and round about that no place at all may be left for the treacherous attempts of my enemies against me Thou art the Omnipotent God the keeper and the Protector of all such as hope in thee without whome noe man is safe none freed from danger Thou art God and there is noe other God but thou neyther in heauen aboue nor on earth belowe Thou whoe performest workes of prowess and so many wonderfull and vnscrutable things which exceed all number Praise is due to thee honor is due to thee and to thee Hymns of glory are due To thee doe all the Angells the heaueÌ„s all the power therof sing Hymns and praises without ceaseing and all creatures and euery spiritt doth praise thee the holy and indiuiduall Trinity as it becomes the creatures there Creator the slaues their Lord and the souldiers their King CHAP. XXXIII The praises of men and Angells TO thee doe all the Saintes and they who are humble of hart to thee doe the spiritts and soules of iust persons to thee doe all the Cittizens of heauen and all those orders of blessed spiritts sing the hymn of honor and glory adoreinge thee humbly without end All the Cittizens of heauen doe praise thee O Lord after a most honorable and magnificent manner and man who is an eminent parte of thy Creatures doth also praise thee Yea and I wretched sinner and miserable Creature that I am doe yet labour with an extreame desire to praise thee and wish that I could loue thee with excessiue loue O my God my life my strength and my praise vouchsafe to lett me praise thee Grant me light in my hart putt thou the word into my mouth that my hart may thinke vpon thy glory and my toÌ„gue may singe thy praises all the day longe But because it is noe hansome praise which proceeds out of the mouth of a sinner And because I am a man of polluted lipps Clense thou my hart I beseeche thee from all spotts sanctify me O thou Omnipotent sanctifier both within and without and make me worthy to sett forth thy praise Receaue with benignity and acceptation from the hand of my hart which is the affection of my soule receiue I say the sacrifice of my lipps and make it acceptable in thy sight and make it ascend vp to thee in the odour of sweetnes Let thy holy memory and thy most diuine sweetnes possesse my whole soule and draw it vp at full speed to the loue of inuisible things Let it passe from the visible to the inuisible from the earthly to the heauenly from the temporall to the eternall and lett it passe on so farr as to see that admirable vision O eternall Verity O true Charity O deer Eternity thou art my God to thee doe I sigh day and night to thee doe I pant at thee doe I ayme to thee doe I desire to arriue He who knowes thee knowes Truth and he knowes Eternity Thou O Truth dost preside ouer all things We shall see thee as thou art when this blind and mortall life is spent wherein it is said to vs where is now thy God And I also said to thee Where art thou O my God In thee am I refreshed a little when I power out my soule towards thee by the voice of my exultation and confessioÌ„ which is as the sounde of a man who is bankquetting end celebratinge some great festiuity And
and where that fountayne of life is and that inaccessible light and that peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding There doe wee adore and belieue thee O Iesus Christ to be true God and man confessing that thou hast God for thy Father and that from heauen wee expect thee to come as Iudge in the end of the world to iudge the quicke and the dead that thou mayest render eyther reward or punishment to all men eyther good or badd according to those workes which they shall haue wrought in this life that soe they may be eyther in rest or eternall misery For all those creatures who haue receiued a humane soule into that flesh which here they haue carryed about them shall rise at that day in the voyce of thy strength to the end that the whole man may receyue eyther glory or torments according to his merits Thou art that life and resurrection it selfe whom wee expect to be our Sauiour Iesus Christ our Lord who will reforme this poore meane body of ours by conformeing it to the body of his clarity I haue knowen thee also to be true God O thou one holy Spirit of the Father and the Sonne proceding iointly from them both to be consubstantiall and eternall with the Father and the Sonne to be our Paraclete and Aduocate who diddest also descend in the shape of a doue vpon the same God Iesus Christ our Lord and diddest appeare vpon the Apostles in tongues of fyre who also from the beginning hast taught all the elect Saints of God by the gifte of thy grace and hast opened the mouth of the Prophets that they might relate wounderful things of the Kingdome of God who together with the Father the Sonne art adored and glorifyed by all the Saints of God Amongst whome I also who am the sonne of thy handmayd doe glorify thy name with my whole harte because thou hast illuminated mee For thou art that reall light that light which tells vs truth the fyre of God the Doctour of soules the very Spirit of Truth which teacheth vs all truth by thy vnction without which it is impossible for vs to please God For thou thy self art God of God and light of light proceeding from the Father of lights and from his Sonne our Lord Iesus Christ after an ineffable manner with whome thou being coequall and coeternall art glorifyed and dost raigne ioyntly with them superessentially in the essence of the same Trinity I haue knowen thee my one liueing and true God the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost three in persons but one in essence whome I confesse adore and glorify with my whole harte as my onely true Holy immortall inuisible vnchaungeable and vnscrutable God that one Light one Sunne one bread one Life one Good one Beginning one End one Creatour of heauen and earth by whome all things liue by whome all things subsist by whome all things are gouuerned ordered and quickened which are in heauē on the earth and vnder the earth and besides whome there is noe God either in heauen or in earth I haue knowen thee by thy faith wherewith thou hast inspired mee O thou my light and the sight of myne eyes O Lord my God the hope of all the ends of the earth the Ioy which doth recreat my youth and the good which strēgtheneth my age For in thee O Lord do all my bones excessiuely reioyce and say O Lord who is like to thee Who amongst the Gods is like thee O Lord. Not they who are made by the hands of men but thou by whome the hands of men are made The Idolls of the Gentiles are gold and siluer the worke of mens hands But soe is not the maker of men All the Gods of the nations are Deuills but our Lord made the heauens and this Lord is God As for those Gods who made not heauen and earth let them perish both from heauen and earth But let heauen and earth blesse that God who made heauen and earth CHAP. XXXIII Of the Confession of our owne basenes WHo O Lord is like thee among the Gods Who is like thee O thou who art magnificent in thy sanctity who art terrible laudable and doeing wonderfull things Too late I come to knowe thee O thou true light too late am I come to knowe thee But there was a greate and darke cloude before these vayne eyes of myne soe that I could not see the sunne of Iustice and the light of truth I was wrapped vp in darkenes my selfe being the childe of darkenes and this darkenes of myne I loued because I did not knowe the light I was blinde and I loued blindenes and by darkenes I walked on to further darkenes Who brought me out from thence where I blinde creature was sitting in darkenes and in the shadow of death who tooke mee by the hand and led me out VVho was he that did illuminate mee I sought not him but he sought me I called not vpon him and he cryed out vpon mee But who is he that did all this It is thou O Lord my God the Father of mercyes and the God of all consolations it is thou O holy Lord and my God whome I confesse with my whole harte giueinge thankes to thy Name I sought not thee but I was sought by thee I inuoked not thee and thou calledest mee Thou calledst mee by thine owne Name thou diddest thunder thus downe into the inward eare of my harte with this mighty voyce Let Light be made and light was made and that greate cloud flew away that darke thicke cloud was dissolued which had closed vp myne eyes And I sawe thy light and I knew thy voyce and I sayd O Lord that thou indeed art my God Who hast drawen mee out of darkenes and out of the shadow of death and thou hast called me into thy admireable light and behold I see Thankes be giuē to thee O thou who art the Illuminator of my soule And I looked backe and sawe the darkenes wherein I had bene and that profound blacke pitt wherein I had lyen and I did all quake and shiuer and I said Woe woe be to that darkenes wherein I lay Woe woe be to that blindenes wherin I was not able to see the light of heauen VVoe woe to that former ignorance of myne when I had noe knowldege of thee O Lord. But I giue thee thanks O thou my illuminator and deliuerer because thou hast illuminated mee and I haue knowen thee Yet still I am come too late to knowe thee O thou antient Truth too late I am come to knowe thee O thou eternall Truth Thou wert in the light and I in darkenes and I knew thee not because I could not be illuminated without thee nor indeede without thee is there any light at all CHAP. XXXIV A consideration of the diuine Maiestie O Thou holy of holyes thou God of inestimable Maiestie the God of God and the Lord of Lords who art admirable inexplicable
commerce O admirable and for euer to beloued benignity of the diuine mercy We were not worthy to be seruants and yet behold we are made the Sonnes of God Nay we are the heires of God and coheirs of Christ Whence came this to vs and who brought vs to this But I beseeche thee O thou most mercifull God the Father by this inestimable goodnes and piety and charity of thine make vs worthy of the many and great promisses of thy Sonne our Lord Iesus-Christe imploy thy strength and confirme that in vs which thou hast wrought Perfect that which thou haste begun that we may deserue to attayne to the fulnesse of thy mercy Inable vs by thy Holy Spiritt to vnderstand deserue and reuerence with due honor this great mystery of piety which is manifested in the flesh iustified in the spirit hath appeared to Angells is preached to Gentiles is beleeued in the world and is assumed to glory CHAP. XVII Of the thanks which a man owes to God for the benefitt of Redemption O How deepely are we thy debters O Lord our God being redeemed by so high a price being saued by so rich a guift being assisted by so glorious a benefitt How much art thou to be feared loued blessed praised honored and glorified by vs miserable creatures whom thou haste so loued saued sanctifyed and exalted For to thee doe we owe all our power all our beeing and all our knowledg And who hath any thinge which is not thyne Thou art our Lord and our God from whom all things proceed For thy selfe and for thy holy Name giue vs So me part of thy heauenly riches that by meanes of those blessings and guifts of thyne we may serue please thee in truth and that by way of returne we may dayly render thee all due praise for so many benefits of thy mercy Nor can we serue thee or praise thee by any other meanes then by thy owne guift For euery good grace and euery perfect guift is from aboue descending from thee the Father of lights wiht whom there is noe change nor so much as any shadow of mutability O Lord our God! deare God good God Omnipotent God vnspeakable God whose nature cannot be circumscribed God the ordeyner of all things the Father of our Lord Iesus-Christe who diddest send the same beloued Sonne of thyne our most sweete Lord out of thy bosome for our vniuersall profitt to take our life vpon him that he might bestowe his life vpon vs and that he might be perfect God of thee the Father and perfect Man of his Mother all God and all Man and one and the same Christe eternall and temporall immortall and mortall Creator and creature stronge weake triumphant and yet ouercome the nourse and the creature which is nourished the Pastor the sheepe he that dyed for a tyme and dyed in time and yet is liueinge for all eternity He promiseinge to such as loued him that they should be prouided for said thus to his Disciples What soeuer you shall aske the Father in my name he wil giue it to you By this Supreame Sacrifice and true Preist and good Pastor who offered himselfe in Sacrifice to thee laying downe his life for his flocke by him I beseech thee who sitteth at thy right hand and interceedeth for vt being our Redeemer and Aduocate before thy pitty and goodnesse I beseech thee I say O God the most deere and benigne louer of mankinde that thou wilt giue me grace with the same Sonne of thyne and the Holy Ghoste to praise and glorify thee in all things with great contrition of hart and a fountaine of teares with much reuerence and trembling because theirs whose the substance is theirs also are all the accessaryes therof But because the body which is corrupted doth depresse the soule I beseeche thee to rowse vp my dullnes by thy vertue and make me perseuere with strength in thy Commaundements and praises day and night Grant that my hart may wax warme within me and that whilest I am in meditation the fire may burne And because thy onely Sonne himselfe did say No man cometh to me vnlesse the Father who sent me drawe him and no man cometh to the Father but by me I beseech and humbly pray thee be thou euer draweing me to him that at last he may bring me thither to thee where he is sittinge at thy right hand where there is an eternall life eternally happy where there is perfect loue and noe feare where there is an euerlastinge day and one spirit of them all where there is certaine and supreame security and secure tranquillity and serene alacrity and sweet felicity and happy eternity and eternall beatitude and a blessed praise and vision of thee which neuer ends where thou with him and he with thee and both in the communion of the same Holy Ghoste doe sempiternally liue and being God dost reigne for euer and for euer Amen CHAP. XVIII A Prayer to Christe our Lord. O Christ my God my hope Sweete louer of mankinde Light life way health And beauty most refin'd Behould those things which thou Did'st suffer vs to saue The chaynes the wounds the Crosse The bitter death the graue Riseing within three dayes From conquering death and hell By thy Disciples seene Reforminge mindes so well Vpon the fortieth day Climeing the Heauens soe high Thou liuest now and thou Shalt raigne eternally THou art my liueing and true God my holy Father my deare Lord my greate Kinge my good shepheard my onely instructor my best helper my most beautifull louer my liueinge breade my Eternall Preist my guide into my country my true light my holy sweetnes my right way my excellent wisdome my pure simplicity my peaceable concord my safe custody my good portion my euerlasting saluation my great Mercy my inuincible patience my imaculate Sacrifice my holy Redemption my firme hope my perfect charity my true Resurrection my eternall life my excessiue ioy and most blessed Vision which is for euer to remaine I pray thee I begg of thee I beseech thee that I may walke by thee passe on by thee and repose in thee who art the way the truth and the life without whome no man cometh to the Father For thou art he whome I desire O thou most sweete most beautifull Lord O thou splendor of thy Fathers Glory who sittest aboue the Cherubins and beholdest from thence the most profound Abysses which are belowe thou light which declareth truth illuminateing light light which neuer leaues to shine whome the Angells desire to behold Loe my hart is before thee disperse the darknes therof that by the clearnes of thy loue it may be yet more fully strucken and beaten through with light Giue thy selfe to me O my God restore thy selfe to me Behold I loue thee and if it be to little make me loue thee more I cannot measure out to know how much of my loue is wanting to thee of that which ought to make it
O thou Power whereby I am susteyned Approach to me O thou light whereby I see Appeare to me O glory wherein I ioy disclose thy selfe to me O thou life whereby I liue O thou my Lord and my God CHAP. III. Of the admirable light of God O Thou light which Tobias sawe when he taught his sonne the way of life though himselfe were blinde Thou light which Isaack sawe interiourly when he foretold future things to his sōne though his eyes of flesh and blood were full of darkenes Thou inuisible light I say to which all the abysses of humane harts are visible Thou light which Iacob sawe when thou teaching him interiourly he did exteriourly prophecie to his children Behold whilest thou art light deepe darkenes is spredd ouer the face of the abysse of my minde Behold whilest thou art truth a thicke mist is spredd ouer the wateres of my hart O thou word whereby all things are made and without which nothing is made Thou Vvord which art before all things and nothing was before it Thou VVord which guidest all things and without which all things are nothing thou Vvord which saydest in the beginning Let light be made and light was made say that also to me let light be made and let it then indeede be made And make me also knowe whatsoeuer is not light because without thy helpe I shall mistake light for darkenes and darkents for light And so without thy light there is noe truth but errour and vanity are at hand There is no order but eonfusion noe knowledge but ignorance noe sight but blindenes noe open way but wandering mazes noe life but death CHAP. IV. Of the mortality of Mans nature BEhold O Lord because there is noe light there is death or rather I cannot say that death is there because death indeede is nothing and by that we tend to be nothing whilest we are not affrayd to make our selues nothing by committing sinne And this O Lord happeneth iustly to vs. For we receiue penishement fitt for our demerits whilest we slide away like a little falling water For nothing is made without thee And by doeing and makeing that which is nothing we growe to be nothing because we are nothing without thee by whome all things are made without whome nothing is made O Lord thou who art the Word O God who art the Vvord by whome all things and without whome nothing is made Vvoe be to me miseaable creature who haue beene soe often blynded for thou art light and I haue beene voyd of thee Vvoe be to me miserable creature who haue beene soe often wounded for thou art health it selfe and I am voyd of thee Vvoe be to me miserable creature who haue soe often beene infatuated by errour for thou art Truth and I am voyd of thee Vvoe be to me miserable creature who haue soe often gone astray for thou art the way I haue wandred from thee Vvoe be to me miserable creature who haue beene so often dead for thou art life and I am without thee Vvoe be to me miserable creature who haue beene annihilated soe often for thou art that Vvord by which all things were made and I am without thee without whome nothing is made O Lord who art the word O God the Vvord who art that light whereby light is made who art the way the truth and the life in whome there is noe darkenes nor vanity nor death Light without which all is darkenes Vvay without which all is errour Truth without which all is vanity and life without which all is death O Lord doe but say this word Fiat lux let light be made that soe I may see light and auoyd darkenes that I may see the way and auoyd straying that I may see truth and auoyd vanity that I may see life and auoyd death O Lord my light doe thou illuminate me O thou my illumination and my saluation whome I will praise my God whome I will honour my Father whome I will loue and my spouse for whome I will preserue my selfe Shine forth I say shine forth thou light vpon this blinde creature of thine who is sitting in darkenes and the shadow of death and direct his feete into the way of peace Vvhereby I may enter into the place of thy admirable Tabernacle as farre as the house of God himselfe and the voyce of exultation and confession For a true Confession is the way whereby one may enter into thee who art the way whereby we may departe from all wandring and may returne againe to the same way because thou art that true way of life CHAP. V. VVhat it is to be made nothing I will therfor confesse my misery to thee I will confesse to thee O thou my Father and my Lord that maker of Heauen and Earth that soe I may be admitted to approche thy mercy For I am made wholly miserable and am reduced to nothing and I knew it not For thou art truth and I was not with thee My iniquityes haue wounded me and I was not troubled thereat For thou art life and I was not with thee They brought me to nothing because I was not with thee who art the Word whereby all things were made and without it nothing and therefore did I become nothing without thee For that is nothing which leades to nothing All things are made by him whatsoeuer are made and what kinde of things where they God sawe all those things which he made and they were very good All things which are made were made by the Word and whatsoeuer things were made by that Word are very good Why are they good in regard that all things are made by the Vvord without it nothing is made Because nothing is good withaut a participation of that souueraigne Good But sinne is there where that Good is not and for that cause it is euen nothing For euill is nothing but a priuation of good as blindenes is noe other thing but a priuation of light Sinne therefore is nothing because it is made without the Vvord without which nothing is made and that is sinne or euill which is depriued of that good whereby all things are made which haue any beeing But now those things which are not are not made by him and consequently they are nothing Therefore those things are euill which are not made because all things which are made are made by the Vvord and all things which are made by the Vvord are good Since therefore all things are made by the Vvord sinne is not made by it and therefore it remaynes that all things which are not made be not good for as much as all things which are made be good and therefore those things are euill which are not made and therefore they are nothing because nothing is made without the Vvord Sinne therefore is nothing because it is not made But then how is it euill if it be nothing Because euill is a priuation of that good whereby that which is
of thine owne blood O Lord thou diddest loue me more then thy self since thou didest resolue to dye for me By so costly a bargaine and at soe high a price thou diddest reduce me from banishement thou diddest redeeme mee from seruitude thou didest retyre mee from punishement Thou diddest call mee in thy Name thou diddest marke me out with thy blood that the memory of thee might for euer stand before mee and that my hart might neuer receede from him who did not refuse the Crosse for mee Thou didest annoynt mee with that oyle which belonged in cheyf to thy selfe that as thou art Christ soe from thee I might be called a Christian And in thy hands thou hast written mee that thou mightest haue a continuall memory of mee with thee vpon condition that the continuall memory of thee might be still with mee Thus hath thy grace and mercy euer preuented mee For thou O my deliuerer hast often freed me from many and greate daungers When I wandred thou broughtest me back to the way when I was ignorant thou diddest teach me when I sinned thou diddest reproue mee when I was in sorrow thou diddest releiue me when I was in despayre thou didest comfort me when I fell thou diddest rayse mee when I stood thou heldest mee when I walked thou diddest lead mee when I slept thou diddest guard mee and when I cryed out to thee thou diddest heare me CHAP. XIV That God doth consider the workes and purposes of mankinde with a perpetuall attention O Lord my God and the life of my soule thou hast imparted these and many other benefits to mee whereof it would be a deare thing for mee to be euer speaking euer thinkeing and euer giueing thankes That I might for euer praise and loue thee for all thy good blessings with my whole harte and my whole soule and my whole mynde and my whole strength and with all the very marrow and the most intimate parts of my affection and with all the parts and powers of my whole man O Lord my God who art the happy sweetnes of all them who are delighted in thee But thyne eyes haue seene my imperfections Those eyes I say of thyne which are farre brighter then the Sunne lookeing downe round about at ease vpon the wayes of men and vpon the profound Abysse and they doe euery where contemplate both the good and badd For as thou doest preside ouer all things thou being all for euer present euery where and takeing particular care of all these things which thou hast created because thou hatest none of them which thou hast made so also dost thou consider all my paces and steps and doest euer keepe a watchfull guard ouer mee day and night and like a perpetuall centinell dost diligently note my wayes as if thou haddest forgotten all the whole world of thy other creatures both in heauen and earth didest not care for the rest For nether would the light of thyne owne vnchangeable sight encrease in thee though thou shouldest behould but any one onely thinge nether is it diminished although thou behould diuers and innumerable things For as thou dost perfectly and at once consider any one thinge by one onely acte of seeinge soe doth thy whole sight most perfectly and that at once behould the whole of euery particular thinge how different soeuer they may be among themselues And as it considereth all soe it considereth one and as any one soe euery one and all of them at once doest thou consider without any diuision or mutation or diminution Therefore all thou in all time without time doest consider all mee at once and that cōtinually as exactly as if thou haddest nothinge else to consider And soe therefore doest thou stand in guard of mee as if thou wouldest attend to mee alone diddest forgett all the rest For thou doest euer shew thy selfe to be present and if thou finde me ready thou doest euer offer thy self also ready Whither soeuer I goe O Lord thou forsakest me not vnles I be the first to forsake thee wheresoeuer I be thou departest not away for thou art euery where and wheresoeuer I goe I shall finde thee By what meanes may I be kept from perishing without thee since without thee I cannot be at all I confesse that whatsoeuer I doe whether it be litle or much I doe it all in thy presence and whatsoeuer that be thou seest it better then my selfe For whatsoeuer I doe thou findest thy self present there as a perpetuall spectatour of all my cogitations intentions delectations operations O Lord all my desires thoughts are euer standing before thee Thou discernest O Lord whence the spirit comes where it is whither it goes For thou art the ponderer and waigher out of all spirits and whether that roote be sweete or bitter from which the faire leaues of our actions are sent out thou as an internall Iudge dost know best Yea and thou dost sifte most subtilely into the most secret parts and pith of those very rootes dost not onely obserue number contemplate and keepe accompt of the intention by the most exquisite truth of thy light but also of the most profound and hidden sapp of that roote to the end that thou mayest repay to euery one not onely according to their workes or theyr expresse intention but also according to that interiour and originall spirit of the roote of theyr actions from whence the intention of him that worketh doth proceede To whatsoeuer I tend when I worke whatsoeuer I thinke in whatsoeuer I am delighted thyne eares heare mee thyne eyes see me and consider mee Thou dost marke and iudge and note and write in thy booke whether it be good or badd to the end that afterward thou mayest render eyther rewardes for that which is good or torments for that which is euill When thy bookes shall be opened all soules shall be iudged according to those things which shall be written in those bookes And this perhaps is that which thou didest already say to vs I will consider the last thinges of those men And that also which is sayd of thee O Lord He considereth the end of all men For thou O Lord dost in all those things which we doe more attend to the end of our intention then to the act of our operation And when I consider those things diligently O Lord my God who art soe terrible and full of strength I am alike confounded betweene huge feare and shame For a mighty necessity is imposed vpō vs of liueing with rectitude and iustice who doe all the things which we doe before the eyes of a Iudge who seeth all things CHAP. XV. Tat man of himselfe can doe nothing without diuine Grace O Thou most mighty and Omnipotent God the God of the spirits of all flesh whose eyes are ouer all the wayes of the sonnes of Adam from the day of theyr natiuity to that other of theyr death to the end that thou mayest reward euery