comfort that all thinges vnder heauen do yield me Is it not thou my Lord God whose mercies are without number Where hath it bene well with me without thee Or when could it be ill with me when thou wert present I had rather be poore for thee then rich without thee I rather choose to be a Pilgrime in earth with thee then to possesse heauen without thee Where thou art there is heauen and there is death and hell where thou art not Thou art my desire and therfore it behoueth me to send forth deep sighes from my hart and crie and pray vnto thee For I haue none to trust vnto none that can help me in tyme of necessity but thee alone my God Thou art my hope and my trust thou art my comforter and most faithfull vnto me in all my distresses 2. All men seeke their owne gaine Phil. 2. thou only seekest my saluatiō and my profit and turnest all things to my good Although thou permittest many temptations to assault me many aduersities to befall me yet thou ordainest all this to my good and profit who art wont to proue thy beloued seruants a thousand waies In which proofe thou oughtest no lesse to be loued and praysed then if thou didest replenish me with heauenly comforts 3. In thee therefore my Lord God I put my whole hope and refuge in thee I place my tribulation and anguish for I finde all to be weake and vnconstant whatsoeuer I behould out of thee For neither can many friends auaile nor forcible helpers aid nor wise counsellours giue profitable answere nor the bookes of the learned comfort nor any wealth deliuer nor any secret or pleasant place defend if thou thy selfe doest not assist help comfort instruct and keep vs. 4. For all things that seeme to be ordayned for the rest and solace of man when thou art absent are nothing and do bring indeed no ioy nor comfort at all Thou therefore art the end of all that is good the light of life the depth of wisdome and the most forcible comfort of thy seruants is to trust in thee aboue all things To thee therefore doe I lift vp myne eyes In thee my God the Father of mercies I put my whole trust Blesse and sanctifie my soule with thy heauenly blessings that it may be made thy holy habitation and the seat of thy eternall glory and that nothing may be found in the Temple of thy greatnes that may offend the eyes of thy Maiesty According to the greatnesse of thy goodnesse multitude of thy mercies take pitty vpon me and heare the prayer of thy poore seruant who is farre exiled from thee in the land of the shaddow of death Protect and keep the soule of thy seruant amidst so many dangers of this corruptible life and by the assistance of thy grace direct it in the way of peace to the country of euerlasting light Amen The end of the third Booke OF THE FOLLOVVING OF CHRIST THE FOVRTH BOOKE A deuout Exhortation vnto the blessed Sacrament The voice of Christ COME vnto me all ye that labour are burdened Matt. 11. I will refresh you saith our Lord. The bread which I will giue Ioan. 6. is my flesh for the life of the world Matt. 26. Take yee and eate this is my body that shall be deliuered for you 1. ◠1.11 Doe this for the commemoration of me He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud remaineth in me and I in him Ioan. 6. The words which I haue spoken vnto you are spirit and life CHAP. I. VVith how great reuerence Christ ought to be receaued THESE are thy words o Christ euerlasting Truth though not spoken all at one time nor written in one and the selfe same place Because therefore they are thine and true they are all thankfully faithfully to be receaued by me They are thine and thou hast spoken thē and they are mine also because thou hast spoken them for my saluation I willingly receaue them from thy mouth that they may be the deeper imprinted in my hart These deuout words so full of sweetnesse and loue doe stirre me vp but mine owne offences doe amaze me and my impure conscience driueth me back from the receauing of so great mysteries The sweetnesse of thy words doth encourage me but the multitude of my sinnes do oppresse me 2. Thou commaundest me to come confidently vnto thee if I will haue part with thee and to receaue the food of immortality if I desire to obtaine euerlasting life and glory Come sayst thou vnto me all ye that labour and are burdened Matt. 11. and I will refresh you O sweet and louely word in the eare of a sinner that thou my Lord God shouldest inuite the poore and needy to receaue thy most blessed body But who am I Lord that I may presume to approach vnto thee behould the heauens cannot containe thee and thou sayst Come ye all vnto me Matt. 12. 3. What meaneth this most pious benignity and so louing inuitation How shal I dare to come that know not any good in me wherevpon I may presume How shall I bring thee into my house that haue often offended thy most gracious countenance The Angels and the Archangels honour thee the Saints and iust men do feare thee and thou saist Matt. 11. Come ye all vnto me Vnlesse thou o Lord didst say it who would belieue it to be true And vnlesse thou didst cōmaund it who would dare to come vnto thee Behould Noe a iust man laboured a hundred yeares in the building of the Arke Gen. 6. that he might be saued with a few and how can I in one houres space prepare my selfe to receaue with reuerence the maker of the world 4. Moyses thy great seruant especiall friend made an Arke of incorruptible wood which also he couered with most pure gold to put the Tables of the Law therein and I a rotten creature how shall I so lightly dare to receaue the maker of the Law and the giuer of life Salomon the wisest of the Kings of Israel 3. Reg. 6. bestowed seauen yeares in building a magnificent Temple in praise of thy name celebrated the feast of the Dedication therof eight daies togeather 3. Reg. 8. he offered a thousand peaceable sacrifices and set the Ark in the place prepared for it with the sound of trumpets and ioy and I the most vnhappy and poorest of men how shall I bring thee into my house that can scarce spend one halfe houre deuoutly and I would to God it were once almost one halfe houre in worthy and due māner 5. O my God how much did they endeauour to please thee and alas how little is that which I doe How short time do I spend when I prepare my selfe to receaue I am seldome wholy recollected very seldome altogeather free from distraction and yet surely no vndecent thought should occurre in the presence of thy Deity
and rather frame thy selfe to the profit of others then to thine owne deuotion or desire CHAP. XI That the Body of Christ and the holy Scripture are most necessary vnto a faythfull soule The voice of the Disciple OMOST sweet Lord Iesu how great is the delight of a deuout soule that feasteth with thee in thy banquet where there is no other meate offered to be eaten but thy selfe her only beloued and most to be desired aboue all the desires of her hart And verily it would be a great comfort vnto me to powre out teares from the bottome of my hart in thy presence Luc. 7. and with deuout Magdalen to wash thy feet with the teares of mine eyes But where is this deuotion Where is so plentifull shedding of holy teares Surely in the sight of thee and thy holy Angels my whole hart should be inflamed and dissolue into teares for ioy For I enioy thee in the Sacrament really present although hidden vnder another forme 2. For to behould thee in thine owne diuine brightnesse mine eyes would not be able to endure it neither could the whole world stand in the clearnesse of the glory of thy Maiesty Thou therfore prouidest for my weaknesse in that thou couerest thy selfe vnder the Sacrament I do really enioy and adore him whome the Angels adore in heauen but I as yet for the time in faith they in his proper forme and without shaddow I ought to be contented with the light of true faith and to walke therin vntill the day of euerlasting brightnesse breake forth and the shaddowes of figures passe away But when that shall come which is perfect 1. Cor. 13. the vse of Sacraments shall cease For the blessed in heauenly glory need not the remedy of Sacraments who reioyce without end in the presence of God behoulding his glory face to face and being trāsformed by his brightnesse into the brightnesse of the incomprehensible Deity they tast the word of God made flesh as he was from the beginning and as he remaineth for euer 3. Whilst I remember these thy wonderfull works all spirituall cōfort whatsoeuer becometh very tedious vnto me for that as long as I behould not my Lord openly in his glory I make no accompt of whatsoeuer I see or heare in this life Thou art my witnes o God that nothing can comfort me no creature giue me rest but thou my God whome I desire to behould euerlastingly But this is not possible whilst I remaine in this mortall life Therfore I must frame my selfe to much patience submit my selfe to thee in all my desires Heb 10. 11. For thy Saints also o Lord who now reioyce with thee in the Kingdome of heauen whilest they liued expected in faith and great patience the comming of thy glory What they belieued I belieue what they hoped for I expect whither they are come I trust I shall come by thy grace In the meane time I will goe forward in faith strengthened by the examples of the Saints I haue also deuout bookes for my comfort and for the guide of my life and aboue all these thy most holy Body for a singular remedie and refuge 4. For I perceaue two things to be chiefly necessary for me in this life without which this miserable life would be insupportable vnto me Whilst I am kept in the prison of this bodie I acknowledge my selfe to stand in need of two things to wit food and light Thou hast therfore giuen vnto me Ioan. 6. weake creature thy sacred Bodie for the refection of my soule bodie and hast set thy word as a light vnto my feet Psal 118. without these two I could not well liue For the word of God is the light of the soule thy Sacrament the bread of life Psal 22. Heb. 9. c 13. These also may be called the two tables set on the one side the other in the store-house of the holy Church One is the table of the holy Altar conteyning the sacred bread that is the precious body of Christ the other is of the diuine law conteyning holy doctrine teaching true faith and certainely leading to the part of the Temple within the veile where are the Holy of Holies Thanks be vnto thee Lord Iesu light of euerlasting light for thy table of holy doctrine at which thou seruest vs by thy seruants the Prophets and Apostles other Doctours 5. Thanks be vnto thee Creatour and Redeemer of man who to manifest thy charity to the whole world hast prepared a great supper Luc. 14. wherin thou hast offered to be eaten not the mysticall lambe but thine owne most sacred Body and Bloud Ioan. 6. reioycing all the faithfull with thy holy banquet and replenishing them to the full with thy heauenly Cuppe Psal 22. in which are all the delights of heauen Sap. 16. and the holy Angels do feast with vs but with a more happy sweetnesse 6. O how great and honorable is the office of Priests to whome it is graunted with sacred words to consecrate the Lord of Maiesty with their lips to blesse him with their hands to hould him with their own mouth to receaue him and to administer him to others O how cleane ought to be those hands How pure that mouth How holy the body How vnspotted the hart of the Priest into whome the Author of purity so often entreth Nothing but holy no word but chast and profitable ought to proceed from the mouth of the Priest which so often receaueth the Sacrament of Christ 7. Simple and chast ought to be the eyes that are wont to behould the body of Christ the hands pure and lifted vp to heauen that vse to handle the Creator of heauen and earth Vnto the Priests especially it is said in the Law Be ye holy Leuit. 19. 20. for that I your Lord God am holy 8. Assist vs Almighty God with thy grace that we who haue vndertaken the office of Priesthood may serue thee worthily and deuoutly in all purity and with a sincere conscience And if we cannot liue in so great innocency as we ought to do graunt vs notwithstanding in due manner to bewaile the sinnes which we haue committed and in the spirit of humility and sincere intention to serue thee heerafter with more feruour CHAP. XII That he that is to communicate ought to prepare himselfe with great diligence The voice of the Beloued I AM the louer of purity Psal 23. Matt. 5. and the giuer of all sanctitie I seek a pure hart and there is the place of my rest Marc. 14. Luc. 22. Make ready adorne for me a great chamber and I will make with thee the Pasch with my Disciples If thou wilt haue me come vnto thee and remaine with thee purge the old leauen 1. Cor. 5. and make cleane the dwelling of thy hart shut out the whole world and all tumult of vices sit like a sparrow
nor any creature draw me vnto it for I am not to harbour an Angell but the Lord of Angels 6. And yet there is great difference betweene the Arke the Reliques therof and thy most pure body with his vnspeakable vertues betweene those legall sacrifices figures of future things and the true Sacrifice of thy body the complement of all ancient Sacrifices Why therfore do I not become more feruent in thy venerable presence Wherefore do I not prepare my selfe with greater care to receaue thy sacred gifts sith those holy ancient Patriarches Prophets yea Kings also and Princes with the whole people haue shewed so great zeale of deuotion to thy diuine seruice 7. The most denout King Dauid daunced before the Arke of God with all his force 2. Reg. 6. calling to mind the benefits bestowed in times past vpon his forefathers He made Instruments of sundry kinds he published Psalmes and appointed thē to be sung with ioy himselfe also oftentimes played vpon the harpe Being inspired with the grace of the holy Ghost he taught the people of Israel to praise God with their whole hart and with pleasant voyces euery day to blesse and praise him If so great deuotion was then vsed and such memory of diuine praise before the Arke of the Testament what reuerence and deuotion is now to be performed by me and all Christian people in the presence of this Sacrament in receauing the most precious body of Christ 8. Many go to sundry places to visit the Reliques of Saints and are astonished when they heare of their miraculous works they behould the spacious buildings of their Churches kisse their sacred bones wrapped in silke and gould And behold thou art heere present with me on the altar my God the Holy of Holies the maker of all things Lord of Angels Oftentimes in those deuotions there is but curiosity of men and nouelty of the beholders in the seeing of such sights and little fruite of amendment is gotten thereby especially where there is so vnconstant wandring without true contrition But here in the Sacrament of the altar thou art present my Lord God and Man Christ Iesus where also plentifull fruite of euerlasting saluation is obtained as often as thou art worthily and deuoutly receaued No leuity no curiosity or sensuallity draweth vnto this but firme faith deuout hope and sincere charity 9. O God the inuisible Creatour of the world how wonderfully doest thou deale with vs how sweetly and graciously doest thou dispose of all things with thy elect to whome thou offerest thy selfe to be receaued in the Sacrament O this exceedeth all vnderstanding of man this chiefly draweth the harts of the deuout and inflameth their desire For thy true faithfull seruants that dispose their whole life to amendment by this most worthy Sacrament oftentimes receaue great grace of deuotion and loue of vertue 10. O admirable hidden grace of this Sacrament which only the faithfull of Christ do know but the vnfaithfull and such as are slaues vnto sinne cānot conceaue nor feele In this Sacrament spirituall grace is giuen and lost vertue is restored in the soule and beautie disfigured by sinne returneth againe This grace is sometimes so great that with the fuinesse of deuotion which is here giuen not only the mind but the weake body also feeleth great increase of strength 11. Our coldnesse negligence surely is much to be bewailed pittied that we are not drawne with greater affection to receaue Christ in whome all the hope and merit of those that are to be saued doth cō fist For he is our sanctification and redemption he is the comfort of passengers and the euerlasting fruition of Saints It is much therfore to be lamented that many do so little consider this comfortable mysterie which reioyceth heauen and preserueth the whole world O blindnes and hardnes of mans hart that doth not more deeply weigh the greatnes of so vnspeakable a gift but rather comes by the daily vse therof to regard it little or nothing 12. For if this most holy Sacrament should be celebrated in one place only and consecrated by one only Priest in the world with how great desire doest thou thinke would men be affected to that place and what esteeme would they haue of such a Priest of Almighty God by whome they might enioy the consolation of these diuine mysteries but now there are many Priests Christ is offered vp in many places that so the grace and loue of God to man may appeare so much the greater how much the more this sacred Cōmuniō is cōmon through the world Thāks be vnto thee good Iesu euerlasting Pastour of our souls that hast vouchsafed to refresh vs poore banished men with thy precious Body Bloud to inuite vs to the receauing of these mysteries with the words of thy owne mouth saying Come vnto me all ye that labour and are burdened Matt. 11. and I wil refresh you CHAP. II. That great goodnesse and charity of God is bestowed vpon man in this Sacrament The voice of the Disciple PRESVMING of thy goodnesse and great mercy o Lord being sicke I approach vnto my Sauiour hungry and thirsty to the fountaine of life needy to the King of heauen a seruant vnto my Lord a creature to my Creator desolate to my mer cifull comforter But whence is this to me that thou vouchsafest to come vnto me Who am I that thou shouldest giue thy selfe vnto me Luc. 1. How dare a sinner presume to ap peare before thee And thou how doest thou vouchsafe to come vnto a sinner Thou knowest thy seruant and seest that he hath no good thing in him for which thou shouldest bestow this benefit vpon him I confesse therfore my vnworthinesse I acknowledg thy goodnesse I praise thy mercy and giue thee thanks for this thy vnspeakable charity For thou doest this for thine owne goodnesse not for any merits of mine to the end that thy goodnesse may be better knowne vnto me thy charity more aboundantly shewed and thy humility more highly commended Since therfore it is thy pleasure and hast commanded that it should be so this thy boūty is also pleasing to me and do wish that my offences may be no hinderance 2. O most sweet and bountifull Iesu how great reuerēce thanks with perpetuall praise is due vnto thee for the receauing of thy sacred body whose worth and dignity no man is able to expresse But what shall I thinke of at this time now that I am to receaue this diuine Sacrament and to approach vnto my Lord to whome I am not able to giue due reuerence and yet I desire to receaue him deuoutly What can I thinke better and more profitable then to humble my selfe wholy before thee and to exalt thy infinite goodnesse aboue me I praise thee my God will exalt thee for euer and I do despise and submit my self vnto thee euen into the depth of my vnworthinesse 3.
which surpasse the vnderstanding euen of Angels What therfore shall I vnworthy sinner earth and ashes be able to search and comprehend of so high and sacred a mysterie 2. O Lord in sincerity of hart with a good and firme faith and at thy commaundement I come vnto thee with hope and reuerence and do verily belieue that thou art heere present in the Sacrament God and Man Thy holy pleasure is that I receaue thee and by charity do vnite my selfe vnto thee Wherfore I do recurre vnto thy Clemency and do craue speciall grace that I may wholy melt in thee and abound with loue and heerafter neuer admit any externall comfort For this most high and worthy Sacrament is the health of the soule and body the remedy of all spirituall sicknes by it my vices are cured my passions bridled temptations ouercome or weakened greater grace infused vertue increased faith confirmed hope strengthened and charity inflamed and enlarged 3. For thou hast bestowed still oftentimes doest bestow many benefits in this Sacrament vpon thy beloued that receaue it deuoutly my God the Protectour of my soule the strengthener of humane frailty and the giuer of all in ward comfort Thou impartest vnto them much comfort against sundry tribulations and liftest them vp from the depth of their owne basenes to the hope of thy protection and doest inwardly refresh and illustrate them with a certaine new grace in such sort that they who before Communion felt themselues heauy and indisposed afterwards being strengthened with heauenly meate and drinke do find in themselues a great change to the better Which thou doest so dispose to thy elect that they may truly acknowledge and patiently proue how great their owne infirmity is and what benefit and grace they receaue from thee For they of themselues are cold dull and vndeuout but by thee they are made feruent agile and full of deuotion For who is there that approaching humbly vnto the Fountaine of sweetnesse doth not carry away from thence at least some little sweetnesse Or who standing by a great fire receaueth not some small heate therby Esa 12. Leuit. 6. Thou art a fountaine alwaies full ouerflowing a fire euer burning and neuer decaying 4. Wherfore if I cannot draw at the full out of this fountaine nor drinke my fill I will notwithstanding set my lips to the mouth of this heauenly conduite that I may draw from thence at least some small drop to refresh my thirst to the end I wither not wholy away and perish And though I be not altogeather celestiall nor so inflamed as the Cherubims Seraphims not with standing I will endeauour to apply my selfe to deuotion and dispose my heart to obtaine some small sparke of diuine fire by humble receauing of this life-giuing Sacrament And whatsoeuer is hereunto wanting in me good Iesu most blessed Sauiour do thou supply for me most benigne gratious Lord who hast vouchsafed to call vs vnto thee saying Come vnto me all ye that labour and are burdened Matt. 11. and I will refresh you 5. I labour in the sweate of my browes I am vexed with griefe of hart I am burdened with sins I am troubled with temptations I am intangled and oppressed with many euill passions and there is none to help me none to deliuer and saue me but thou Lord God my Sauiour to whome I commit my selfe and all mine that thou maist keep me and bring me to life euerlasting Receaue me to the honour and glory of thy name who hast prepared thy Body and Bloud to be my meat and my drinke Graunt Lord God my Sauiour that by frequenting thy mysteries my zeale and deuotion may increase CHAP. V. Of the dignity of this Sacrament and Priestly sunction The voice of Christ IF thou hadst angelicall purity the sanctity of S. Iohn Baptist Matt. 11. thou wert not worthy to receaue nor handle this Sacrament For it is not within the compasse of the deserts of men that man should consecrate and handle the Sacrament of Christ and receaue for food the bread of Angells Psal 77. A great mystery and great is the dignity of Priests to whome is graunted that which is not permitted to the Angells For Priests only instituted in the Church haue power to celebrate and consecrate the bodie of Christ The Priest is the Minister of God vsing the wordes of God by Gods commaundement and appointment but God is there the principall actour and inuisible worker to whome is subiect all that he pleaseth Gen. 1. Psal 148. Rom. 9. and all that he commaundeth doth obey 2. Thou oughtest therefore to giue more credit to God Almighty in this most excellent Sacrament then to thine owne sense or to any visible sign And therfore thou art to come vnto this Mystery with feare and reuerence Consider attentiuely with thy self what that is wherof the Ministry is deliuered vnto thee by the imposition of hands of the Bishop Behould thou art made a Priest consecrated to say Masse 1. Tim. ◠see now that in due time thou offer Sacrifice vnto God faithfully deuoutly and carry thy selfe so as thou maist be without reproofe Thou hast not lightned thy burthe but art now bound with a straiter band of discipline and art obliged to a more perfect degree of sanctity A Priest ought to be adorned with all kind of vertues and to giue example of good life to others His conuersation should not be according to the ordinary and common proceedings of men Phil. 3. but like to the Angels in heauen or to perfect men on earth 3. A Priest clothed in sacred garments is the Vicegerēt of Christ to pray humbly Heb. 5. with a prostrate mind vnto God for himselfe the whole people He hath before and behind the signe of the Crosse of our Lord to the end he may euer remember the Passion of Christ he beareth the Crosse before him in the Vestement that he may diligently behould the foot-steps of Christ and feruently endeauour to follow them He is behind marked with the crosse that he may patiently suffer for God whatsoeuer aduersities shall be layd vpon him by others He beareth the crosse before that he may lament his owne sinnes and the same he hath also behind that he may with a compassionate hart bewaile the offences of others and know that he is place as a mediatour betweene God and the sinner Neither ought he to cease frō praier and holy oblation till he deserue to obtaine grace and mercy When a Priest doth celebrate he honoureth God reioyceth the Angels edifieth the Church helpeth the liuing giueth rest to the dead and maketh himselfe partaker of all good deeds CHAP. VI. An Interrogation of the exercise before Communion The voice of the Disciple VVHEN I weigh thy greatnesse o Lord and my vnworthinesse I tremble and am confounded in my selfe For if I come not vnto thee I fly from life if I vnworthily intrude
my selfe I incurre thy displeasure What therfore shall I do my God my helper and my counsellour in necessity 2. Teach me the right way appoint me some brief exercise sutable to this holy mysterv of sacred Communion For it is good for me to know how I should reuerently deuoutly prepare my heart vnto thee for the profitable receauing of thy Sacrament or for the celebrating of so great and diuine a Sacrifice CHAP. VII Of the discussing of our owne conscience and purpose of amendment The voice of the Beloued ABOVE all things the Priest of God ought to come to celebrate handle and receaue this Sacrament with great humility of hart and lowly reuerence with a full faith and a Godly desire of the honour of the diuine Maiesty Examine diligently thy conscience and to thy power purge and clense it with true contrition and humble confession so as there may be nothing in thee that may be burdensome vnto thee or that may breed thee remorse of conscience and hinder thy free accesse to these heauenly mysteries Repent thee of all thy sinnes in generall and in particuler bewaile thy daily offences And if thou hast time confesse vnto God in the secret of thy hart all the myseries of thy disordered passions 2. Lament and grieue that thou art yet so subiect to sensuality and so addicted to the world so vnmortified in thy passions so full of the motions of concupiscence so vnwatchfull ouer thy outward senses so often intangled with many vaine fantasies so vehemently inclined to outwardthings so negligent in the interiour so prone to laughter and immodesty so hard to teares cōpunction so prompt to ease pleasures of the flesh so dull to austerity feruour so curious to heare newes and see vaine sights so slack to imbrace that which tends to thine owne humiliation and contempt so couetous of aboundance so niggardly in giuing so fast in keeping so inconsiderate in speach so vnbridled to silence so loose in manners so outragious in deedes so greedy to meate so deafe to the word of God so hasty to rest so slow to labour so watchful to tales so drowsy to watch in the seruice of God so hasty to the end therof so inconstant in attention so negligent in saying thy office so vndeuout in saying Masse so dry in receauing so quickly distracted so seldome wholy recollected so suddainly moued to anger so apt to take displeasure against another so prone to iudge so seuere to reprehend so ioyfull in prosperity so weake in aduersity so often purposing much good and performing little 3. These and other thy defects confessed bewailed with sorrow and great dislike of thine owne infirmity make a firme purpose alwaies to amend thy selfe and to go forwards in vertue Then with full resignation and with thy whole will offer thy selfe vp to the honour of my name a perpetuall sacrifice in the altar of thy hart faithfully committing thy body soule vnto me that thou maist so also deserue to come worthily to offer sacrifice vnto God and to receaue profitably the Sacrament of my body 4. For there is no oblatiō more worthy nor satisfaction greater for the washing away of sinnes then to offer vp our selues vnto God purely and wholy with the oblation of the Body of Christ in the Masse and in Communion And when a man shal haue done what lyeth in him and shall be truly penitent as I liue Ezec. 18. saith our Lord who will not the death of a sinner but rather that he be conuerted and liue I will not remember his sinnes any more but they shall be all forgiuen him and fully pardoned CHAP. VIII Of the oblation of Christ on the Crosse and resignation of our selues The voice of the Beloued AS I willingly offered vp my selfe vnto God my Father with my hands stretched forth on the Crosse and my body naked for thy sinnes so that nothing remained in me that was not turned into a sacrifice for the appeasing of the diuine wrath so oughtest thou also to offer vp thy selfe willingly vnto me daily in the Masse as a pure and holy oblation with thy whole force and desire in as harty a manner as thou canst What do I require of thee more Prou. 23. then that thou resigne thy selfe wholy vnto me Whatsoeuer thou giuest besides thy selfe is of little accompt in my sight for I seeke not thy gift but thee 2. As it would not suffice thee to haue all things whatsoeuer besides me so neither can it please me whatsoeuer thou giuest if thou offerest not vp thy selfe Offer thy selfe vnto me and giue thy selfe all that thou art for God and thy offering shall be gratefull Behould I offered vp my selfe wholy vnto my Father for thee and gaue my whole body bloud for thy food that I might be wholy thine and thou remaine mine But if thou abidest in thy self and doest not offer thy selfe vp freely vnto my will thy oblation is not entire neither shall the vnion betweene vs be perfect Therfore a free offering vp of thy selfe into the hands of God ought to go before all thy actions if thou wilt obtaine freedome and grace For this cause so few become in wardly illuminated and enioy true liberty of hart for that they do not resolue wholy to deny themselues My saying is vndoubtedly true Ioan. 14. Vnlesse one forsake all he cannot be my Disciple If thou therfore wish to be mine offer vp thy self vnto me with thy whole desires CHAP. IX That we ought to offer vp our selues all that is ours vnto God and to pray for all The voice of the Disciple THINE O Lord are all things that are in heauen and in earth Psal 23. I desire to offer vp my self vnto thee as a free oblation and to remaine alwaies thine O Lord in sincerity of my hart I offer my selfe vnto thee this day in sacrifice of perpetuall praise to be thy seruant for euer Receaue me with this holy oblation of thy precious body which in the presence of the Angells inuisibly attending heere vpon thee I offer vp this day vnto thee that it may be to the health of my soule and the saluation of all thy people 2. I offer vnto thee o Lord all my sinnes offences which I haue committed in the sight of thee and thy holy Angels frō the day wherin I first could sinne to this houre vpon thy holy altar that thou maist consume and burne them al with the fire of thy charity and wash out all the staines of my sinnes and cleanse my conscience from all offence and restore to me againe thy grace which I lost by sinne forgiuing me all my offences and receauing me mercifully in the kisse of peace 3. What can I do for my sinns but humbly confesse and bewaile them Psal 31. and intreat alwaies for mercy without intermission I beseech thee heare me in thy aboundant mercy when I stand before thee my God All my sinnes