absolute Creature or little world the Compendium and Epitome of the great world yet not properly a world but a man framed by thy hands by the Communion of the Son and the holy Ghost an image enlivened by the breath of thy mouth and a representation of thy selfe Heaven thy habitation is resplendant with shining and sparkling lights the earth thy footstoole doth swell with a thousand sort of fruits and yet none of them is said to be made as man was O God I am thy Image I am thy likenesse therefore I will be thy pleasure thy delight thy content thou wilt take care of me and never forsake me for who will neglect an image and a worke made after his owne likenesse To what end O my God hast thou done all this why didst thou forme and fashion me in so excellent a manner Thou madest man first of al that he might be the stock of us all from which so many branches so many leafes and so many fruits should spring Thou wouldest that all should have one originall and a like beginning that no man should preferre himselfe before another as if he were the seed of a more noble father that none should despise another that one should not hurt another but that we should every one mutually assist each other in his labour that we should be all of one mind will the same thing covet and desire the same thing and that there might not be heard any brawles contentions enviousnesse or deceits amongst us For concord is that most fragrant Balsum that breathes thee that excellent odour Thousand thousands in heaven do serve thee and there is found no discord thousand thousands should also serve thee on earth and there should be found no discord Thou didst make us all that we should be the cleere mirrour of thy Majesty of thy Glory of thy Dignity of thy Power and of thy Wisdome The work commends the workman and the effect shewes the cause O unspeakeable Artist O unvaluable causer of all things Let us take heed that we neither break nor spot that we nor fully nor make dusky this glasse let us beware that we cause not Satans vizard to be seene in this glasse but let wisdome piety goodnesse curtesie chastity and whatsoever is most excellent in thee in part reflect in us Thou madest us all that wee should bee the worlds perfection beauty and ornament The world was a Cage cunningly and wonderfully wrought but it wanted a singing bird by whose warbling notes al things might be expressed let us wordlings beware that we be not to the world like a Crow or dunghill bird or a Jay but a Lark that doth night and day in the evening and at morne celebrate and proclaime his Creatours praise let us not be a disgrace an unprofitable and reproachfull burden that the world may labour to expell with groans and be glad not sorry to be rid of it rather than wish for its returne Thou hast made us all that we should admire and set forth thee and thy works Thou hast endued me with an understanding enlightned with heavenly fire that by thy selfe I might distinguish thee from my selfe and the world Thou hast given me a will that knowing thee I might love thee above all things because thou excellest all things and dost comprehend all good things within thee Thou gavest me a tongue that knowing and loving thee I should lively expresse and redouble thy praises Be present my understanding be present my will be present my tongue know him love him praise him praise the Lord O my soule I will praise the Lord all my life long I will sing unto my God while I have any being Praise ye the Lord for it is good to sing unto our God it is a pleasant and comely thing to be thankfull unto him Thou hast made us all that wee should live with thee and that wee should be made partakers of thy glory and gladnesse The better any thing is the more it communicates its goodnesse to others but thou my God art the best of bests therefore thy goodnesse doth most plentifully flow to all so that they will lay hold and embrace it Vouchsafe safe O Lord that whilst I walke in the way I may dwell and remaine with thee in life Thou ordainest me to life O suffer me not to fall by death death is not of thee but from my selfe life is not from me but from thee take that from me which proceeds from me and give me that which comes from thee and I will praise thee in thine own holinesse I will praise thee in the firmament of thine owne power I will praise thee in thy virtues I will praise thee according to the magnitude of thy greatnesse I will praise thee in the sound of the Trumpet I will praise thee upon the Psaltery and Harpe I will praise thee in the Cymball and Quire I will praise thee upon the stringed instruments and Organs I will praise thee in the well sounding Cymballs I will prayse thee on the loud Cymballs every thing that hath breath shall praise thee Hallelujah My spirit shall leap for joy in God my Saviour for evermore O most blessed God give me a blessed age CONTEMP c. V. Of Paradise and of casting forth of Man from thence OMnipotent Creatour thou didest bestow a threefold grace upon man the grace of the soule originall righteousnesse and the grace of the body immortality and the grace of a most pleasant place to inhabit but what is that place my God wherein thou didest place my first parent and mee in him I read the words of thy penman but what meane those words what is Paradise what is Eden teach me O my God for no man although hee think he hath gotten much knowledg can instruct me sufficiently I collect that thou plantedst a garden and that it looked toward the East I heare of foure rivers Ganges Nile Tigris and Euphrates but yet I am not satisfied for the doubts of Disputants and their wrangling makes the matter very intricate unto me But why doe I seeke for that which is not and neglect that which is give me the heavenly Paradise and the earthly Paradise shall never trouble me I understand it was a most fruitfull Garden and stuffed with joy pleasure and delight in which the eyes did want nothing nor the ears or any other part of that body which it did not enjoy Within thou hadst furnished man with wisdome and understanding without thou sufferedst him not to want any thing All the creatures came about that new king enthroned by the King of kings did tender him homage and did reverence him with humble subjection The tall fertile odoriferous pruned comely and pregnant trees how much did they refresh him the Alder tree Almond tree Cherry tree Fig tree Cidonian Punick aurea and what ever else doe beautifie the fields But above the rest notable are those two which thy booke describes unto me which did most of
what manner to end the strings of my tongue are ready to move something concerning thee but can find neither Prologue nor Epilogue neither exordium nor conclusion of thee O my God guide mee and instruct mee cherish and help mee If I behold thee what is it that in the first second third and last place doth offer it selfe unto me it is love I observe it is love that I see and feele all the objects of my eyes are love the fishes in the Sea are sparkes each pile of grasse in the feild is a spark the trees in the orchards are sparks the leaves upon those trees are sparks the often rising and setting Sun is a spark and his beames enlightning all the world are sparks the Moon 's a spark and her hornes are sparks the glittering Sarrs and all the host of Heaven are sparks of it If all the members which thou hast bestowed upon my body were tongues if I had the understanding of an Angell yet could I not comprehend or set forth the footsteps of thy love O violent love burning love vehement love love that cannot be kept within thee When I was nothing thou wouldest make me something and thou didest not create mee after the likenesse of the Sun or Moon nor yet of the Angells but after thine own likenesse that I might serve thee in this life and after this life changed not by death but by an easie passage that I might reigne with thee and prayse thee for evermore Thou didst place mee in Paradise the garden of pleasure not to warre with beasts or to terrifie me with the Lyons roaring or the grumbling of Beares but that all the beasts should be subject to me and stand in awe at my beck and faune upon me in an humble observance I would O God find out thy works but cannot Moyses writ something but he did but write and straight went hence unto thee nor have J him now here present for if he were I would hold him and beseech him and beg of him for thy sake that hee would freely lay open to mee the wonderfull things of the Creation wherein the fountaine of thy love did flow and bubble up most plentifully and I would fasten my bodily eares to the words that should break from his mouth I would also admit them within the harbour of my breast and hee should make me sensible and even touch my very soule but hee is gone who did but shaddow forth unto me thy wonders and there is not one left that can unfold the whole and surely thou wouldest have mee understand thy works but in part only whilst I am absent from thee with thee I shall be most fully instructed Neither yet doe I O most Mighty enough understand that part which thou hast granted and permitted mee that I may understand spare therefore thou Mercy it selfe thy servant the work of thy hands thy hands have moulded mee thy spirit gave mee a soule and added life to my life it gave mee what I can neither value nor number and such is God and such are Gods gifts alas give mee this also that I may obtaine this neere tye of thy love that as thou art my Creatour thou wilt bee also my father and that thou wilt not refuse or reject or disinherit of thy love a sonne unworthy so great a father CONTEMP c. 2 Of the Originall Nobility of Man and his falling away from it I was in honour O lord and heavenly King even so great that I cannot now set it forth but when I was in honour I understood not what that honour was In what an honoured place did I inhabit in a place of delight My life found neither trouble nor want I was compassed with fragrant apples I was propped up with honours crowned with glory and honour and placed above the works made of clay But I was the more excellent in regard of the badge of thy divine image and my lot and company was the society of Angels and the whole Army of the Host of Heaven but I did change that glory into the similitude of a calfe that eateth hay How many virtues was I cloathed with What did I want whom mercy protected truth instructed justice did governe and peace did cherish But alas what shall I say O my God thou bestowedst that property of reason upon me whereby I might excell all living creatures and didst so sublime it by a peculiar gift that I wanted but little of attaining to those thy most pure Ministers I knew this but did not acknowledge it nor did I weigh for what end thou gavestime this wisdome I call not that a good ship that is painted with gaudy colours nor which hath a guilded or silvered head nor whose hull is inlayed with ivory nor which is fraught with Kingly wares and treasures but that is strong and firme and hath thick ribs to shut out the waters and tough to endure the assaulting Seas that is pliant to her rudder can make good way and fetch all winds I call that a good sword not that hath an embroydered belt or whose scabard is set with pretious stones but that that hath both a keene edge to cut and a point that can pierce any armour Men desire a straight rule and not a faire one wee commend a thing so farre only as it is usefull for that end for which it was made So I who did then know these things better than now ought to have acknowledged that I received all good from thee if I would have ordered my selfe according to the rule of thy heavenly government the obedience only which thou requiredst and which without thy command was due unto thee had made mee blessed and perfect if I would and had not obeyed the detestable suggestions of the old Serpent From my originall I was good but that goodnesse came only from thee none of it was from mee yet thou wouldest have some goodnesse come from mee to the end that thou mightest see I did acknowledge that thy goodnesse but I obeyed that traytour Satan thy enemy more willingly and more readily than thee when I might with more ease have contemned his slights than I can now those foresaid poysons which are mixed in my draughts and that even by my friends I am undone I am undone I have neglected my perfection O sad and mournfull change O man the inhabitant of Paradise the lord of the earth Citizen of Heaven one of the Lord of Saboths family and fellow heire of Heavenly vertues from whence by a sudden change art thou cast headlong by reason of infirmity hee lyes in a stable for his likenesse to beasts hee even needeth hay for his untamed fiercenesse hee is tyed to a manger I am undone I am undone and nothing can repaire mee but thou O most Mercifull CONTEMP c. 3. Of Mans departing from God of the subtilties of Satan the omnipresence and Clemency of God THou art wonderfull O God and very much to bee praised thy
unto us invisible things by things visible thou art the sun O my God but my weake eyes cannot looke stedfastly upon thy most resplendant light except a cloud be interposed if I will try the strength of my eyes farther I may easily be blind if I will soare higher I may be in danger to bee burnt to ashes Let me alwayes beare in mind that which one of thy Saints was wont seriously to ruminate upon I am a man and understand not Gods secrets I dare not search after them and therefore I am affraid even to make an essay upon them because it is a kinde of sacrilegious rashnesse to desire to know more than is permitted unto me In thy Tabernacle I see the Arke of thy Covenant besides the Arke I see the Mercy-seat I see Manna in the Arke and those rocky leafes and Volume of stone wherein the Law was written published amiddest thunders amiddest lightnings amiddest the horrid sounds of heavenly trumpets amiddest the deadly savour of the ambient ayre amiddest the poles of heaven bellowing with these sacred noises amiddest those fires mists and clouds replenished with the holy Deity O my God how many mysteries do here lie hid that I would I might understand mee thinks I see Christ in all these things for hee is the true Mercy-seat who alone hath done away the sinnes of the whole world by the onely sacrifice of his passion and hath made thee a God propitious unto us Hee was represented by that golden peece of workmanship wherein thou diddest promise that thou wouldest dwell and hearken unto those that should call upon thee for thou lovedst us also in him thy beloved one and in him art mercifull unto us Hee defends his Church as that golden tent did cover the Arke and did hide the Law which was laid up in it from the face of God that dwelt above it that hee should not according to the rigour thereof take notice of our sinnes or enter into judgement with us Thou thy selfe my God hast promised him unto mee that he might be a sacrifice for me in his owne blood Thou hast made him a propitiation both for mine and for the sinnes of the whole world O Christ my reconciler my place of refuge O my hope redeeme mee and reconcile mee that I lose thee not and bee forced to beare the wrath of my everlasting Father for ever He is the true Arke for as the Arke was made of pure gold and the neatest wood so my Redeemer God and Man is consubstantiall of the most high Godhead and the most perfect humanity The Tables were put in the Arke because my Redeemer hath in him the perfect fulfilling of the Law by whose benefits apprehended by faith our disobedience becomes unhurtfull unto us What more sweet than Manna And what more wholesome than Christ the bread of heaven which whosoever by faith shall eat shall never bee bitten with hunger but nourished for ever by an unspeakable happinesse I also find Aarons rod sometimes dry sometimes flourishing the rod of Jesse the tree of life Christ my Redeemer with suffring upon the crosse gives up the ghost forthwith returns to life and flourisheth without end O the riches of the wisdome and understanding which thy Book affords them that love and hearken unto thee O Christ be thou my Propitiatory if the infernall tempter shall accuse mee bee thou my Arke where I may bee hid when sinne doth tyranously grow cruel against me be thou my staffe whereon I may leane when I shall enter the vale of death bee thou my Manna wherewith I may bee continually refreshed after death in thine everlasting Kingdome CONTEMP c. 13. Of the Conception of Christ O What humility O what a desire to save me hadst thou O Christ my Saviour there was no truth in my mouth my throat was an open sepulchre I have dealt deceitfully with my tongue and my spirit is not pure and thou that art the very mouth of truth the throat of sweetnesse the tongue of virtue my most unspotted Saviour and free from all contagion of sinne dost kisse mee with the kisses of thy mouth O blessed kisse and to bee wondred at for its admirable value in which one mouth makes not an impression upon another but God and Man are united together With what else shall I compare thy incarnation but to a kisse a kisse a token of peace and reconciliation and by thy incarnation was peace and reconciliation restored to the world O what a blessed day is that when thwarting thy paths I receive a kisse from thy offended mouth in stead of a deserved reproofe as thy Spouse the Church cries out burning with impatient love shee cryes out Let him kisse mee with the kisses of his mouth with a desire kindled from the promises and benefits of Christ she beseeches the Messiah might be sent unto her that she might heare him speaking and behold him instructing her in his flesh shee requires him to descend and to bee united to the humanity Consider the Church O my soule who having of a long time had a promise of her Lords comming from the mouth of the Prophets and having beene a great while in suspence raiseth her selfe from the body abandoning luxury and carnall pleasures and delights and disroabing her selfe of the care of secular vanities doth wish for the infusion of the divine presence and grace of the saving Word and how is shee tortured and afflicted that hee comes so late wounded as it were with love not able longer to endure his delay turning to the Father shee beseecheth him that he will send God the Word unto her I will not have him speak by Moses nor by the Prophets no let him take my body upon him let him kisse me in the flesh Follow my soule thou which art a part of that most happy assembly follow the example of that groaning Church and think on nothing more love cherish vow unto and expect nothing more than thy Messias See I beseech you and consider the familiar and friendly communication of those soules sighing in the flesh with the heavenly powers they rejoyce in those kisses they aske for what they desire yet they name not him they love because they doubt not but that hee knowes them with whom they have been accustomed so often to converse withall therefore they say not let this or that particular kisse me but only let him kisse us as Mary Magdalen did not expresse his name whom she sought but only said to him she thought had been the Gardner Sir if thou hast taken him What him she utters it not because she thought that must needs be manifest to all which could not for one moment depart out of her heart neither doth that betrothed Virgin desire one kisse burning continually with chaste love and impatient of delayes but she askes for many kisses that her desires may bee satiate For she that loves is not content with the parcimony of one kisse but requires
the more ignoble I ought to beare patiently if I understand not the Creator of the Universe who must even in the smallest parcels of his works professe mine owne blindnesse Let me not then proceed farther in other things than my small capacity wil beare not curiously pry into those things which are so high above me I will say with reason and constancie I know not his secrets and I am ignorant of his divine councell the oracle of the heavenly word is enough for me to try all causes God sayes he sees all things governes all things judges all things If thou wilt know what thou art to hold thou hast the holy Scripture it is perfect reason to hold what thou hast read But I will not suffer my selfe to aske for what cause God doth these things in such a manner I am a man I understand not the secrets of God I dare not search after them and therefore I even feare to meddle with them because even this is a kinde of sacrilegious rashnesse to desire to know more than is permitted unto thee Let it suffice thee that God doth testifie that himselfe doth act and dispose of all things leaving therefore these things let us rather seeke like good merchants to gaine the inheritance of heaven and those things that may profit our soules let us learne to get goods which will continue with us let us first seeke to have Gods seale stamped upon us because in the day of judgement when God shal make that separation when all the nations of the whole earth the sonnes of Adam shall be gathered together when the shepherd shall call his flocke whosoever have beene sealed shall know their shepherd and the shepherd shall know those he hath sealed and shall gather them together out of all nations Every man naturally desireth knowledge but what doth knowledge profit without the feare of God certainly an humble rudenesse is better that is employed in Gods service than a proud Prelate or Philosopher who neglects himselfe and is alwayes contemplating upon God or the motion of the heavens How many are there who in this life by many curious enquiries have endevoured to know God who shall never see his face how many in this life doe labour to measure the heavens and to finde out all things belonging to them that shall never enter into them He that doth well know himselfe thinks meanly of himselfe and is not delighted in the praises of men If I did know all things in the world and were not in charity what would this knowledge profit me in the presence of God who then will judge acccording to my works I will therefore at length rest from the too much desire of knowledge because the more I know the more grievously will the most high God judge me except I live the more holily Give mee most blessed and most wise God the highest and most profitable knowledge that I may know thee God the Father Son and Holy Ghost with moderation and may inwardly know my selfe to be miserable and of no account that I may attribute nothing to my selfe and alwayes have a good opinion of others This is great wisdome and some sort of perfection Though I see another sinne openly and even to commit some grievous sinnes let me not think my selfe better because I know not how long I may continue in goodnesse we are all undoubtedly fraile but let me judge none frailer than my selfe that I may obtaine true strength in goodnesse CONTEMP c. 30. Of the Custodie of Angels BLesse the Lord O my soule all my bowels give praise unto his holy Name Praise the Lord O my soule and forget not any of his benefits praise the Lord yee Angels of his yee that excell in strength fulfilling his Word giving eare to the voyce of his Word Praise the Lord all his Hoasts yee servants of his that doe his pleasure Praise the Lord all yee works of the Lord praise the Lord O my soule in all places of his dominion My heart is ready O God my heart is ready He hath commanded his Angels saith thy faithfull servant David speaking of man to preserve thee in all thy wayes they shall hold thee up with their hands that thou strike not thy foot against a stone God hath commanded it God the true and most excellent Life in whom and from whom are all things the Creator Governor of the world the Sweetnesse Beauty of the Angels the Creator and Preserver of men that God who is God of gods so great a God that no tongue can rightly expresse him hee hath commanded and hath commanded his Angels his holy Angels that are instructed of God by the eternall contemplating of which truth they become blessed hee hath commanded them concerning thee O man What is man that thou tookest notice of him or the sonne of man that thou didst esteeme him Thou sentest unto him thy only begotten Son thou sendest into him thy holy Spirit and that there should be no want of thy carefull working for him in the heavens thou dost also for our sakes send forth those blessed Spirits to minister unto us the most mercifull God sendeth forth those Spirits as it were so many bright sparks of his Deity sparkling from the Torches of his everlasting light who are conceived to bee divided into so great hoastes and into so many orders to prompt us not only with matter of prayer to God but of admiration of his greatnesse and goodnesse when I speake thus O my soule phansie not to thy selfe little faire Boyes whose countenances are over-spread with an admirable splendour whose soft dissheveld haire of colour like the finest gold hangs dangling to their shoulders fanned with the gentle breath of the peacefull westerne wind doth kisse the smooth pillars of their milkie necks if thou phansie such Angels thou art utterly ignorant of their power They have a pure nature subtill and aiery not to be represented in the shape of any body no spot of matter doth cloud it no mole of corruption doth sprinkle it and that I may speak briefly our best part is our soule an Angell is nothing but a soule But what soule not relishing of that fire whereby the Starres doe twinkle and the Axeltree of Heaven is moved but a vigour of a most quick moved understanding made so much the nearer to resemble the patterne the eternal Beauty by how much it approacheth nearer to and is the more plentifully sprinkled with that holy Fountaine Hence truely comes that notable comlinesse of all their ornaments and the immortall concurrence of goodnesse which they with a most acceptable ingenuity of will doe yeeld to their Creator they out-strip in speed the swiftest shippe sailing on the maine and driven by force of windane oares they out-fly a bullet in the aire sent from the sulphury mouth of a thundring Cannon these most excellent mentall Intelligences most wisely foresee all things with no trouble or interposition of time