the body of his glory wee expect when our Lord returneth from the marriage that he may carry vs in with him Come Lord and doe not stay Come O Lord Iesus Christ come visit vs in peace come and carry vs out who are bound in prison that wee may reioyce before thee with a perfect harte Come O thou Sauiour come thou who art the desired of all nations doe but let vs see thy face and wee are safe Come my Light and my Redeemer lead my soule out of this prison that I may confesse to thy holy Name How long shall I wretched creature be tossed vp and downe in these waues of my mortality cryeing out vpon thee O Lord whilest thou hearest mee not Harken to mee O Lord who am cryeing to thee out of this deepe Sea and waft mee into the Hauen of eternall blisse to theyr society who being conducted out of this dangerous Sea haue obtayned to repose in that most safe harbour which is thy selfe O God O how truely happy are they who be deliuered from that Sea to the shore from banishment to their country and from the prison to the Pallace Happy are they who in theyr desired place of rest are eternally to reioyce for haueing soe with such prosperous ioy obtayned that prize of eternall glory towards which they here made they re course through such a multitude of tribulations O how truely happy are they O thrice and three thousand tymes happy who being freed from all misery and being secure in the possession of that inuiolable glory haue deserued to arryue to that Kingdome of order and delight O Eternall Kingdome Kingdome which out liueth all ages where there is a light which neuer fayleth and a peace which passeth all vnderstanding where the soules of the Saincts repose and eternall ioy hāgeth ouer theyr heads For they shall obtaine delight and exultation and greif and sorrow shall fly away How glorious O Lord is that kingdome wherein all thy Saints shall for euer reigne with thee being cladd with light as with a garment and heauing a crowne of pretious stone vpon theyr heads O kingdome of eternall beatitude where thou O Lord who art the hope of the Saints and the diademe of theyr glory art beheld by them face to face delighting them on all sides with thy peace which passeth all vnderstanding VVhere there is infinite ioy without greif health without payne workeing without labour light without darkenes life without death all good without any ill VVhere youth neuer waxeth old where life neuer cometh to an end where beauty is neuer diminished where loue is neuer weakened where health is neuer blasted where Ioy is neuer impayred where payne is neuer felt where groane is neuer heard where sadnes is neuer seene where ioy is euer had where noe euill is feared because the souueraigne good is possessed there which consists in euer seeing the face of our Lord the God of all strength Happy therefore are they who haue obtayned to come to soe greate ioye out of this life where so many shipwrakes are suffered And O vnhappy and wretched creatures wee who are steereing our ships through the floods of this great sea through these stormy whirlepooles not knoweing whether or no wee shall be able to arryue to the porte of saluation Miserable I say wee are whose life is spent in banishement and whose way in daunger and whose end in doubt for wee knowe not our end because all things are reserued in suspense for the future VVee are still tossed in these sea-waues aspireing to thee who art the hauen O thou country of ours wee see thee though it be from farre of VVee salute thee from this sea wee sigh to thee from this valley and wee striue with teares if perhaps wee may be able to get thither O Christ thou God of Gods thou hope of mankinde thou refuge and strength of ours whose light like some beame of the sea starre doth strike our eyes from farre of amongst the foggy mists and tempests of this sea wherein wee liue that soe our course may be directed to thee who art our hauen gouerne I beseech thee our ship with thy right hand by the instrument of thy Crosse that wee may not perish in these floods that the stormes of water may not drowne vs that the profound pitt may not swallow vs vp but drawe vs out of this sea to thee who art our onely solace whome wee see with our lamenting eyes to be expecting vs though from farre of vpon the shore of that celestiall country as it might be some Sunne of Iustice or morneing starre Behould wee cry out to thee who are redeemed by thee and who are now those exiles of thine whom thou hast redeemed with thy pretious blood Harken to vs O our Sauiour the hope of all the sands of the sea how farre soeuer it be of Wee are tossed in this turbulent sea and thou standing vpon the shore doest see our dangers and saue vs for thy names sake Graunt to vs O Lord that wee may hold soe euen away betweene Sylla and Caribdis that haueing escaped the danger of them both wee may securely arriue in the port with our ship and our aduenture safe CHAP. XXXVI Of the glory of our celestiall country WHen therefore we shall be come to thee O thou foūtaine of wisedome to thee O indeficient light to thee O thou who art the splendour which cannot be defaced that we may then behould thee not by representation as in a glasse but face to face then shall our desire be fully satisfyed with good things because no other thing will remayne to be desired by vs when we shall possesse thee O Lord our soueraigne good who art to be the reward of the blessed and the diademe of they re glorye and the sempiternall Ioy which hangeth ouer theyr heads possessing them both inwardly outwardly in that peace of thyne which passeth all vndestanding There shall wee see and loue and praise Wee shall see light in thy light because with thee is the fountaine of life and in thy light wee shall see light But what kinde of light an immense light an incorporeall incorruptible and incomprehensible light a light indefcient a light which cannot bee put out an inaccessible light an vncreated light a light which sheweth truth a diuine light which illuminateth the eyes of Angells which reioyceth the youth of saints which is a light of lights and the fountaine of life which is thy selfe O Lord my God For thou art that light in whose light wee shall see thy self who art that light hat is to say thee in thee in the splendour of thy countenance when wee shall see thee face to face What is it to see face to face but as the Apostle sayth to knowe thee as I am knowen To knowe thy truth thy glory is to knowe thee face to face To knowe the power of the Father the wisedome of the Sonne the meekenes of the Holy Ghost
iniustice is great I confesse it but farr greater is the Iustice of my Redeemer For as much as God is Superior to man so much is my malice inferior to his goodnes both in quantity and quality For in what hath man sinned wherin the Sonne of God being made Man hath not redeemed him What pride was able to swell so highe as that so great humility would not be able to beate it downe What dominion of death could be so absolute which the torment of the Crosse indured by the Sone of God will not destroy Infaillibly O my God if the faults of a sinfull man and the grace of him who redeemed them be putt into an equall ballance the East will not be found so farr distant from the west nay the lowest parte of hell will not be found so farr distant from the highest pich of heauen as they two will be Now therfore O thou most excellent Creator of light pardon my faults through the immense labours of thy beloued Sonne Lett now I beseech thee his piety propitiate for my impiety his modesty for my peruersity his meekenes for my rudenes his humility for my pride his patience for my impatiēce his benignity for my harshnes his obedience for my disobedience his tranquillity for my vnquietnesse his sweetenes for my bitternesse his mildnesse for my anger and let his charity ouerworke my cruelty CHAP. IX Of the inuocation of the Holy Ghost O Loue of that diuine power the Holy communication of the Omnipotent Father and of the most blessed Sonne O thou Omnipotent Holy Ghoste the most sweete comforter of the afflicted slipp thou downe euen very now by thy puissant vertue into the most secrett corners of my hart and by the splendor of thy cleere light illuminate ô thou deere dweller in our soules these darke retreyts of our neglected habitations and by thy visitation and by the abundance of thy dewe from heauen make my soule growe fruitfull which by reason of so longe a drought is all deformed and decayed Wound thou the most retyred parts of this inward man with the darts of thy loue and inflame and pearce the very marrowe of my dull hart with those healthfull fires of thine And by the flame of thy holy feruour illuminate thou and feed the very interiour both of my whole body and minde Giue me once to drink of the torrent of thy delights that now I may noe more haue a minde so much as euen to taste of the pestiferous sweetnesse of wordly things Iudge me ô Lord and discerne my cause from all wicked people and teach me to doe thy will for thou art my God I beleeue therfore that whomesoeuer thou dost inhabite thou dost build vp a dwellinge place in him both for the Father and the Sonne Blessed is he who shall arriue to intertayne thee because by thee both the Father the Sonne will remaine with him Come come euen now O thou moste benigne Comforter of all woefull soules Thou who protectest them when they haue most need and art their helper in tribulation Come ô thou clenser of sinns and curer of wounds Come ô thou strength of the weake ô thou who stayest such as are falling Come ô thou teacher of the humble and distroyer of the proude Come ô deare Father of Orphants and fauorable Iudge of widowes Come thou hope of the poore thou cherisher of such as fainte Come thou propitious starr of such as sayle thou hauen against the danger of shipwrack Come ô thou excellent ornament of such as liue the onely helpe of such as dye Come ô most holy Spiritt Come and haue mercy on me make me fitt for thy self condiscend to me with pitty that my meanenesse may growe pleasing to thy greatnesse and my weakenes to thy strength Accordinge to the multitude of thy mercyes through Iesus Christe my Sauiour who with the Father doth liue ad reigne in thy vnity for euer and euer Amen CHAP. X. The Prayer of the Seruant of God conceauing humbly of himselfe I Knowe O Lord I knowe and I confesse that I am not worthy that thou shouldest loue me but yet at least it is certaine that thou art not vnworthy to be beloued by me It is true that I am vnworthy to serue thee but it is also true that thou art not vnworthy to be serued by thy Creatures Giue me therfore somewhat O Lord of that which maketh thee so worthy and so I shall growe worthy who am vnworthy Make me cease from sinn by what meanes thou wilt to the end that I may serue thee as I ought Grant that I may so addresse and order and end my life that I may sleepe in peace and repose in thee Grant that in the end the sleepe of death may receiue me with rest rest with securiry and security with eternity Amen CHAP. XI A Prayer to the blessed Trinity WE confesse to thee with our whole hart and with our mouth we praise and blesse thee O God the Father who art vnbegotten and thee O God the Sonne who art the onely begotten and thee O God the holy Ghoste who art the Paraclete To thee O holy and indeuiduall Trinity be glory for all eternityes Amen CHAP. XII A Confession of the Omnipotency and Maiesty of God O Supreame Trinity O thou sole power vndeuided Majesty O God of ours O Omnipotent God I confesse to thee who am the vnworthyest of thy seruāts and the weakest of thy mēbers I cōfesse to thee in thy Church and I giue thee honor by offering thee a due sacrifice of praise according to that little power and skill which thou haste vouchsafed to affoord me thy miserable creature And because I haue no external presents which I can make to thee therfore these desires and vowes of seruice and praise which by the guift of thy mercy are in me behold how with an vnfained faith and with a pure conscience I offer them to thee not onely with a good will but with a hart which is full of triūph and ioy I beleeue therfore with my whole hart and I confesse with my mouth O thou Kinge of heauen ad Lord of earth that thou the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghoste art in Persons three and in Substance one that thou art God Omnipotent of one simple incorporeall inuisible and vncircumscribed nature That there is nothing either aboue thee or belowe thee or greater then thou but that thou art sublymely and absolutely perfect whithout the least deformity Great without quantity good without quality eternall yet wholly without Tyme That thou hast life without death that thou art strong without any weakenesse true without falshoode euery where present without being scituated any where filling all things yet without any extension occurringe euery where yet without any crossinge or contradiction Transcending all things without Motion remaneinge in all things without Station creatinge all things without looseinge or wantinge any thing and ruleinge all things without
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
labour Giueinge a beginninge to all things thy selfe haueinge noe beginninge makeing all things changeable beinge yet vnchangeable in thy selfe being infinite in thy greatenesse Omnipotent in thy power souuereigne in thy goodnesse inestimable in thy wisdome terrible in thy decrees iust in thy iudgements secret in thy thoughts true in thy wordes holy in thy workes plentifull in thy mercyes Towards sinners thou art most patiēt towards penitents thou art most pittifull Thou art euer the same eternall sempiternall immortall vnchangeable God whome neither space can dilate nor littlenesse of place can streighten nor any receptacle can keepe in or constraine nor the will vary nor partiality corrupt nether doe sad things afflict thee nor ioyfull things transport thee From whome neither forgetfullnes takes any thinge neither doth memory restore any thing neither doe things past passe away nor future things succeed To whome neither the first gaue beginninge nor the continuance of tyme increase nor shall any accident giue it any end But thou liuest for all eternity both before and in and through all aages And lett immortal praise and eternall glory and souuereigne power and supreame honor and a Kingdome Empire for all eternity remaine with thee through those infinite vnwearied and immortall ages of ages Amen CHAP. XIII How God the Father vouchsafed to helpe mankinde and of the Incarnation of the worde HItherto O Omnipotent God the beholder searcher of my hart I haue confessed the Omnipotency of thy Maiesty and the maiesty of thy Omnipotency But now as I beleeue with the hart to Iustice so will I confesse before thee with the mouth to saluation in what sort thou haste beene pleased at the end of many ages to releiue the misery of mankinde Thou O God and our onely Father wert neuer to be sent any whither But of the Sonne the Apostle writeth thus When the fullnes of tyme was come God sent his Sonne When he saith sent he doth sufficiently showe that then he came sent into this world when being borne of the euer B. Virgin Mary he became and appeared true and perfect man in flesh But what is that which that cheife of all the Euangelistes saith He was in the world and the world was made by him He was sent thither in his Humanity who was euer and is there by his Diuinity Now that this Mission is the worke of the whole blessed Trinity I confesse with my whole hart and mouth But how then didst thou loue vs O thou holy and good Father how much didst thou loue vs O most deare Creator who didst not euen spare thyne owne Sonne but didst deliuer him vp for vs wretched Creatures He was subiect to thee euen vnto the death and that the death of the Crosse takeinge the hand-writinge of our sinns and nailinge it to the same Crosse He crucified also sinn it selfe and killed death He who onely is free amongst the dead haueing power both to lay downe his life for vs and afterward to take it vp againe Hence was he both the conquerer and Sacryfice And therfor the Conquerer because the sacryfice for vs To thee he was the Preist and the Sacrifice and therfore the Preist because the Sacrifice Most iustly haue I a strong hope in him that thou for his sake who sitteth at thy right hand and is continually interceedinge for vs wilt cure all our languishing diseases For my infirmityes O Lord are great and many great they are and many The Prince of this world hath much to say against me I knowe and cōfesse it yet deliuer me I beseeche thee by that Redeemer of mine who sitteth at thy right hand in whome he was able to finde none of his malice By him I beseeche thee to iustify me by him who comitted noe sinn nor was there any guile found in his mouth I beseeche thee by that head of ours in whome there is noe one little spott deliuer this member which yet is his how weake and poore soeuer it be Deliuer me I beseeche thee from my sinns my vices my faults and my negligence Fill me with thy holy vertues make me of most innocent conuersation And grant for thy holy names sake that I may continue euen to the very end in those good workes which thou commaundest according to thy holy will CHAP. XIV Of the confidence which a soule ought to haue in our Lord Iesus in his Passion I Could easily haue despaired through the excesse of my greiuous sinns and of my infinite negligences if thy word O God had not become flesh and had not dwelt amongst vs. But now I dare not despaire because when we were enemyes we were reconciled by the death of thy Sonne how much more now we beinge already reconciled shall we be saued by him For all the hope and stay of all my confidence doth consist in that pretious blood of his which was shed for vs and for our saluation In him doe I take breath and hopeing firmely in him I earnestly desire to come to thee not haueinge any iustice of mine owne but that which is in thy Sonne our Lord Iesus-Christe We doe therfore thank thee O most Clement and benigne louer of mankind who when we were not didst powerfully create vs by Iesus-Christe thy Sonne our Lord. And whē we were lost by our owne fault thou didst admirably deliuer and recouer vs. I giue thankes to thy mercy many thanks doe I giue thee with the whole affection of my hart who through that vnspeakable charity wherewith thou didst vouchsafe with strange goodnes to loue vs miserable and vnworthy Creatures didst send thyne onely begotten Sonne from thyne owne bosome for our common good so to saue vs sinners who were then the sonns of wrath I giue thee thanks for his holy Incarnation and Natiuity and for his glorious Mother of whom he vouchsafed to assume flesh for vs and our saluation that as he was true God of God so he might also be true man of man I thanke thee for his Crosse and Passion for his death and Resurrection for his Ascension into heauen and for his seat of Maiesty at thy right hand For vpō the fortieth day after his Resurrection ascendinge aboue all the heauens whilest his Disciples were lookeing on and being seated at thy right hand he did according to his promisse powre forth the Holy Ghoste vpon the Children of adoption I thank thee for that most sacred effusion of his most pretious Blood wherby we are redeemed and withall for that Sacred and Holy and quickninge Mistery of his Body and Blood which dayly we eate and drinke in the Church and wherby we are washed and sanctified and made partakers of that one supreame diuinity I thank thee for this admirable and vnspeakable charity of thine wherby thou hast so loued and saued vs vnworthy creatures by that onely and beloued Sonne of thine For thou didst so loue the world as to giue thy onely begotten Sonne that euery one who beleeued
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
the whole Earth For what is Man that thou shouldest magnify him or soe apply thy harte towards the loue of him For thou O auncient Truth hast sayd My delight is to be which the Sonnes of men But yet is not Man rotennes and the Sonne of Man a very Worme Is not euery Man liueing a kinde of vniuersality of vanity And yet dost thou thinke it worthy for thee to cast thyne eyes vpon him and to bring him with thee into Iudgement CHAP. XXVIII Of the profound Predestination and prescience of God TEach mee O thou most profound Abysse O thou Wisedome which art the Creatrix of all things which hast poysed the mountaines in weight and the lesser hills in a ballance and hast hung vp the whole bulke of the Earth in three fingers Suspend thou towards thy selfe the weight of this corporall heauines which I carry about mee in thy three inuisible fingers that I may see and knowe how admirable thy Name is ouer the whole Earth O thou Light most auntient which didest shine before all other light in those holy hills of old Eternity to which all things were open and cleare euen before they were made O thou light which hatest euery litle spott thy selfe being most immaculate and most pure what delight canst thou take in man and what agreement cann there be betweene light and darkenes For where in fine is the ground of those delights which thou takest in man Or how diddest thou prepare in mee a sanctuary worthy of thy Maiestie into which when thou enterest thou mayest take delight and gust For it is fitt that thou who art the very power which cleanseth all things shouldest haue a cleane roome to be in thou who canst not be so much as seene and much lesse possessed but by pure soules But where is this Temple soe pure in any man as that it may be fitt for the reception of thee who rulest the whole world of men Who can make a man cleane he being conceiued of vncleane seede Is it not thou who art onely cleane For who can be cleansed by one who is himselfe vncleane For according to the Lawe which thou gauest to our Fathers in the fyre which burned the hill and in the cloud which couered the darke water we are told that whatsoeuer an vncleane man did touch should be vncleane But all wee are as a menstruous cloath proceeding out of an impure corrupted masse and wee cannot become cleane vnles wee be cleansed by thee who art onely cleane And wee carry the marke of our impurity in our very fore-heads and are farre from being able to conceale it from thee who seest all things Soe that wee can neuer be cleane vnles wee be cleansed by thee who art onely cleane But amongst vs who are the sonnes of men thou cleansest some in whome thou hast bene pleased to dwell Whome out of the inaccessible profound secrets of the incomprehensible iudgements of thy Wisedome which are euer iust though secret thou hast beene pleased to predestinate without any merits of theyrs before the world was made and hast called them out of the world and hast iustefyed them in the world and wilt magnify them after the world But thou dost not this to all which all the wise men of the earth doe wonder at euen to amasement And I also O Lord whilest I consider this doe all tremble and am astonished at the altitude of the riches of thy Wisedome and knowledge and at the incomprehensible iudgements of thy Iustice to the reason whereof I cann noe way arriue Since out of the same clay thou designest some vessells to honour others to eternall reproach Such therefore as thy chusest out of many to be a holy Temple for thy selfe them doest thou clense powreing out pure water vpon them whose names and number thou knowest who alone dost number the multitude of the starres and callest them all by they re names who are also written in the booke of life and cann noe way perish to whome all things yea euen they re very sinnes themselues doe cooperate towards they re good For when they fall they are not bruised because thou doest putt thy hand vnder them keeping all they re bones in such sorte that noe one of them may be broken But the death of sinners is most pernitious of those I meane whome before thou madest heauen and earth thou diddest according to the most profound Abysse of thy iudgements secret indeede but euer iust fore knowe to eternall death The number of whose names as also of they re foule demerits is with thee who hast numbered the sands of the Sea and hast measured the bottome of the Abysse whome thou hast left in they re vncleanenes in whome all things cooperate to theyr ill yea euen they re very prayer is turned into sinne Soe farre forth as that although they should mount vp as high as the skye and they re heades should touch the very clouds and should build theyr nest amongst the Starres of Heauen they yet shall perish in the end like a very dung hill CHAP. XXIX Of them who first were iust and afterwards become wicked GReate are these iudgements of thyne O Lord my God O thou iust and powerfull Iudge who iudgest according to equitie and dost worke and performe inscrutable things Which when I consider all my bones doe euen shiuer with trembling because noe man liueing vpon the earth can be secure But wee must learne hereby to serue thee piously and purely all the dayes of our life exulting to thee with reuerence and that wee may not serue thee without feare nor reioyce without trembling And that neyther he who is girt nor vngirt nor in fine any creature of flesh and blood may glory but may be full of apprehension horrour before thy face since noe man knoweth whether he be worthy of loue or hate but all things are reserued in vncertainty for the future tyme. For we haue seene many O Lord and wee haue also heard it from our elders which certeinly I cannot call to mynde without much trembling nor repeate without much feare who at the first ascended after a sorte vp to heauen and did place they re nest euen amongst the starrs yet afterwards fell downe to the very Abysse and theyr soules grewe to be euen stupifyed in sinne Wee haue seene starres fall downe from heauen through the force of the Dragons tayle who strooke them And others who lay prostrate vpon the dust of the earth haue ascended vp by the helpe of thy hand which raised them after an admirable manner We haue seene liueing men dy dead men raise againe to life and them who walked amongst the sonnes of God in the midest of those shineing stones of his Temple to haue mouldered away into nothing like soe much durt Wee haue seene light growe darke and againe wee haue seene light proceede out of darkenes because the Publicanes and harlots haue precedence of the naturall inhabitants in
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
restore my selfe I make a grant of my selfe to thee through whome I am through whome I liue and through whom I haue the vse of reason I hope I trust and I place all my confidence in thee by whome I may be able to rise againe and to liue and rest It is thou whom I desire whome I loue and whome I adore and with whome I am to remayne raigne and be happie The soule which seekes not thee nor loues not thee doth loue the world and serueth sinne is a slaue to vice and is neuer quiet or secure O thou most holy God let my minde be euer performing seruice to thee let this pilgrimage of mine be euer sighing towards thee let my hart burne through the loue of thee let my soule O my God repose in thee let it contemplate thee in excesse of mind and let it singe prayses to thee in full ioy and let this be my comfort in this banishment of mine Let this minde of mine fly to the shadowe of thy winges from the scorching cogitations of this world Let this hart of mine be at a calme in thee this hart which is such a deepe Sea full of swelling waues O thou who art so rich of heauenly food thou most aboundant imparter of that spirituall celestiall satiety giue nourishment to him who is defeated with hunger gather him vp who is scattered free him who is entrald stitch him together who is torne Behold he standeth at the doore and knocks I beseech thee by those bowells of thy mercy in which thou being the Orient didst visit vs from on hygh commaund that it be opened to this miserable creature who is knocking that so with nimble feete I may enter into thee and repose in thee and be refreshed by that bread of heauen For thou art both the bread and the fountaine of life thou art the splendor of immortall light In fine thou art all those thinges wherby iust persons liue who loue thee CHAP. V. Of the Desire of a soule O God the light of those hartes which see thee and the life of those soules which loue thee the strength or vertue of their thoughts who seeke thee graunt that I may be incorporated into the holy loue of thee Come I beseech thee into my hart and inebriate it with the springing plenty of thy delights that so I may forget all worldly thinges I am ashamed and I am afflicted to find my selfe suffering such thinges as this world is doing All that which I see concerning transitory thinges makes me sorry and all that which I heare makes me sad Help me O Lord my God infuse ioy into my hart and come to me that so I may grow to see thee For this house of my soule is strait till thou come into it and so it be inlarged by the. It is ruinous till it be repaired by thee It hath many things which may offend thyne eyes I know it and confesse it but yet who is he that can cleanse it or to whom but thee shall I cry out Cleanse me O Lord from my hidden sinnes and pardon also thy seruant those sinnes which he hath caused in others Make me sweet Christ O deere Iesus make me I beseech thee lay downe the burden of carnall desires and of the concupiscence which I haue after earthly thinges Giue dominion to my soule ouer my body and to my reason ouer my soule and to thy grace ouer my reason and subdue me both in my outward and inward man to thy will Graunt to me that my hart may praise thee togeather with my tongue and all the strength I haue Dilate my mind and hoyse vp the sight of my hart that at least by some glymse my spirit may with a swift and suddaine thought lay hold vpon that eternall wisedom whach is aboue all thinges and whach lasts beyond them all Discharge me I beseech thee from he chains wherin I am bound by sinnes chat at last I may giue ouer all thinges that I may hasten to thee and behold and adhere to thee alone CHAP. VI. Of the felicity of a soule which is freed from the prison of flesh and bloud HAPPY is that soule which being freed from this earthly prison arriues to heauen and seeth thee her most deere Lord face to face And which is no longer subiect to the least feare of death but doth reioyce in the incorruptibility of eternall glory She is then in peace she is secure doth no longer feare either death or any other enemy For she possesseth her deere Lord whom she hath long sought and whome she hath euer loued and being associated to those Quires of Angels she doth eternally sing those melodious Hymnes of thy euer lasting solemnity O Christ thou King thou deare Iesus to the prayse of thy glory For then she is inebriated by the fresh and springing plenty of thy house and thou giuest her to drinke of thy delights O happy society of those heauenly Cittizens O glorious solemnity of them who returne to thee from the sad labour of this pilgrimage of ours to that sweetnes of beauty to that delightfulnes of all splendour and to that dignity of all pleasing grace where thy Cittizens O Lord do continually behold thy countenance There is no eare in that place which can heare any thing that may offend it What songs what Organs what Hymnes what melodies are sung there without any end Eternally are there sounded forth mellifluous cōcents of Hymns that most sweet melody of the Angells those most admirable canticles of Canticles which are sung forth by those heauenly Cittizens to thy prayse and glory No bitternes nor any kind of vnsauorynes or gall can haue any place in that Countrey of thine for there is no wickednes nor any wicked man There is no aduersary or enemy there is no tempting bayte of sinne there is no want no shame no quarell no reproach no exception taken no feare no vnquietnes no payne no doubt no violence no dissention But there is souueraigne peace pertect charity eternall iubilation and prayse of God secure euerlasting repose and perpetual ioy in the holy Ghost O how happy shall I be if once I may arriue to heare those most sweet songs of thy cittizens those mellifluous Hymns which with due honour shall declare the prayses of the most blessed Trinity But O how happy euen too happy shall I be if my selfe may obtaine to sing to our Lord Iesus Christ some one of those sweet songs of Syon CHAP. VII Of the Ioyes of Heauen O Vitall life O eternall life and eternally happy where there is ioy without griefe rest without labour dignity without feare riches without want life without death perpetuity without corruption and felicity without calamity Where all thinges are good in perfect charity where there is showing seeing face to face where there is complete knowledge in all and by all where the soueraigne goodnes of God is discerned where the illuminating
truth to all such as seeke him but especially to them that loue him A copious redēption is giuen to vs in the wounds of Iesus Christ our Sauiour A great multitude of sweetnes a fullnes of grace the perfection of vertues CHAP. XXII Of the remembrance of the woundes of Iesus Christ our Lord. WHEN I am sollicited by any impure thought I make my recourse vnto the woundes of Christ when my body oppresseth me I recouer strength by calling the wounds of my Lord to mind whē the Diuell is laying some ambush whereby to take me I flye vnto the boweles of my Lords mercy and so the Diuell departeth from me If the ardour of lust make any alteration in my body it is quenched by the memory of the wounds of our Lord the Sonne of God In all the aduersityes which I haue beene subiect to I neuer found so effectuall à remedy as in the wounds of Christ In them do I sleep secure in them do I repose voyd of feare Christ dyed for vs there is nothing so deadly bitter which may not be cured by the death of Christ All the hope I haue is in the death of my Lord. His death is my merit my refuge my sauing health my life and my resurrection My merit is his great mercy I shal neuer be voyd of merit as long as he who is the Lord of mercy shall not be wanting to me And since my merits goe after the rates of his mercyes looke how much more mighty he is towardes the sauing of me so much the more may I be secure CHAP. XXIII The remembrance of the woundes of Christ our Lord is our remedy in all aduersity I Haue committed a grieuous sinne nay I am guilty of many sinnes neither yet wil I despaire because where sinnes haue abounded there hath beene superaboundance of grace He who despaireth of the pardon of his sinnes denieth God to be mercifull He much wrongs God who distrustes in his mercy Such a one doth his best to deny that God hath Charity Verity and Piety wherin all my hope consisteth Namely in the Charity of his adoption in the Verity of his promise in the Piety of his redemption Let therfore my foolish thought be murmuring as much as it will whilest it is saying What a poore thing art thou and what a great glory is that and by what merits dost thou hope to obtaine it For I will confidently answere I know well who it is whome I haue trusted And because he hath adopted me for his sonne with excesse of Charity because he is true in his promises and powerfull in his performances because he may doe what he will I cannot be frighted by the multitude of my sinnes if withall I be able to call the death of my Lord to mind for those sinnes of mine cannot conquerre him Those nayles that launce doe cry out to tell me that in deed I am reconcyled to Christ if I resolue to loue him Longinus opened the side of Christ with his launce there doe I enter in and there I do safely rest He that feares let him loue for charity will put feare away There is not so potent and effectuall a remedy against the ardour of lust as the death of my redeemer He stretcheth forth his armes abroad vpon the Crosse he spreads his handes which are ready to imbrace vs sinners Between those armes of my Sauiour I resolue to liue I desire to dye There will I securely sing I will exalt thee O Lord because thou hast taken me vp hast not giuen myne enemyes their pleasure ouer me Our Sauiour bowed downe his head at his death that he might kisse his beloued so often do we giue à kisse to God as we haue compunction of our sinnes for the loue of him CHAP. XXIIII An exhortation of the soule to the loue of Christ our Lord. O Thou my soule which art dignified with the image of God redeemed by the bloud of Christ espowsed by faith endoweth with a spirit adorned with vertues rancked with Angells be sure thou loue him by whome thou art so much beloued Make him thy busines who hath made thee his Seeke him who seeketh thee loue thy louer by whome thou art beloued by whose loue thou art preuented and who is the cause of thyne He is thy merit thy reward thy fruit thy vse thy end Be thou carefull together with him who is so carefull of thee be attentiue to him who is attentiue to thee be pure with him who is pure be holy with him who is holy Such as thou dost appeare in the sight of God such art thou to expect that he will appeare to thee God who is so sweete so meeke and so full of mercy doth require that thou shouldst be sweet and meeke and gentle humble and full of mercy Loue him who hath drawne thee out of the lake of misery and the filth of durt Choose him for thy friend aboue all thy friends who when all they shall fayle thee will be euer sure to make good thy trust at the day of thy death When all thy friends are departing from thee he will not leaue thee but he will defend thee against those roaring lyons who are sharpe set vpon theyr prey And he will leade thee by a Country wherewith thou art not yet acquainted and he will bring thee to those streets of the celestiall Sion there he will place thee together with his Angels before the face of his owne Maiesty where thou shalt heere that Angellicall Musicke of Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Sabaoth There is the Canticle of ioy the voyce of exultation and saluatiō and thanksgiuing the voyce of prayse and that euerlasting Alleluya There is that high heape of happynes that supereminēt glory that superaboundant gladnes all good thinges put togeather O sigh thou ardently O my soule desire vehemently that thou mayst arriue at that heauenly citty whereof so glorious thinges are sayd where of all the inhabitants are so full of ioy By loue thou mayst ascend Nothing is impossible nothing is hard to one who loues The soule which loues ascendeth often and doth familiarity runne too fro through those streets of the Celestiall Hierusalem Sometimes visiting the Patriarkes the Prophets sometymes admiring those armyes of Martyrs and Confessors contemplating somtymes the Quires of Virgins The heauen and the earth withall which is therein doe neuer cease to let me know that I ought to loue my Lord my God CHAP. XXV That nothing can suffice the soule but the supreme Good THe hart of man which is not fixed in the desire of eternity can neuer be stable and firme but is more wauering then the wind and it passeth from one thing to another seeking reste where it cannot be foūd For in these fraile transitory thinges where the affection thereof is imprisoned it can neuer finde true repose Because our soule is of so great dignity that no
Good but only the supreme Good can satisfy it and withall it is of so great liberty that it cannot be constrained to commit any sinne It is therefore the proper will of euery one which is the cause of his saluation or damnation so that nothing more rich can be giuen to God then a good will A good will draweth God downe to vs it addresseth vs vp to him By a good will we loue God we chuse him we runne to him we arriue to him and we possesse him O how excellent a thing is this good will wherby we are reformed according to the resemblance of God and are made like to him So amiable to God is this good will as that it refuseth to inhabit that hart wherin a good will is not to be found A good will doth make that supreme Maiesty of the Trinity stoop downe to it For wisedome doth illuminate it towards the knowledge of truth Charity doth inflame it towards the loue of goodnes and the Paternity doth preserue that which it did create that it may not perish CHAP. XXVI VVhat the knowledge of truth is WHat is that knowledg of truth It consisteth first in a mans knowing himselfe in being that which a man ought to be and in reforming that which should be amended It doth therefore consist in knowing and louing the Creatour for this is the whole good of man See then how vnspeakable the loue of this diuine loue is It made vs of nothing and it gaue vs whatsoeuer we haue But because we loued the guift more then the giuer we fell into the snare of the diuell and became his slaues Then did God being moued to mercy send his Sonne to redeeme those slaues and he also sent the holy Ghost to the end that he might make those slaues his sonnes He gaue the Sonne as a price of our redemption and the holy Ghost for the priuiledge of his loue and so he imparteth his whole selfe as the inheritance of our adoption So doth God as being most pittifull most mercifull through the desire which he hath of the loue of man not only impart his mercyes but his very selfe that so he might recouer men not so much to him who is God as to themselues That men might be borne of God God was first born of man Who then is he that hath a hart so hard as that it cannot be softned by this loue of God this loue I say of his so preuenting so vehement which made him be content to become man for the loue of man Who now wil be able to hate a man whose nature and resemblance he seeth in the humanity of God Infaillibly whosoeuer hateth him hateth God and so he destroyeth whatsoeuer he doth For God was made man for man that as already he was mans Creatour so also he might be his redeemer and that he might purchase him out of his owne stocke And to the end that God might be beloued by man in a more familiar manner he appeared in the similitude of man that so both his externall and internall senses might be made happy in God the eye of his soule being intertained fed by his diuinity the eye of his body by Gods humanity to the end that whether he should worke inwardly or outwardly this human nature which he created might be able to feed deeply sweetly vpon him CHAP. XXVII VVhat the mission of the holy Ghost doth worke in vs. THis Sauiour of ours was borne for vs he was crucified and he died for vs that so by his death he might destroy ours And because that bunch of grapes of his flesh and bloud was carried to this wine-presse of the Crosse because the expression thereof being made the new winer of his Diuinity began to flow from thence the holy Ghost was sent downe wherby the vessels of our harts were to be prepared and new wine to be put into new skins that first our harts might be cleansed least els the wine powred in should be polluted and that afterward they should be tyed vp least otherwise when it were infused it might be spilt That they might I say be cleansed from all ioy which could be taken in sinne and that they might be fastened against all ioy which could be taken in vanity For that which is good can neuer come vnles first that be sent away which is euill The ioy which is taken in sinne polluteth and the ioy which is taken in vanity scattereth vs. The ioy which is taken in sinne maketh the vessell fowle and the ioy which is taken in vanity maketh it to be full of holes Ioy is taken in sinne when sinne is loued and ioy is taken in vanity when transitorie things are beloued Cast the refore away that which is euill that thou mayst receaue that which is good Powre out all bitternes that thou mayst be filled with sweetnes The holy Ghost is ioy loue Cast out the spirit of the diuell the spirit of the world that thou maist receaue he spirit of God The spirit of the Diuell breedeth a ioy in sinne and the spirit of the world breedeth a ioy in vanity Now both these ioyes are naught for the one of them hath vice in it the other giueth occasion to vice The spirit of God will come when these wicked spirits are cast out and it will enter into the tabernacle of thy hart and will produce a good ioy and a good loue whereby the loue of the world the loue of sinne shall be put to flight The loue of the world doth intice and deceaue the loue of sinne doth pollute and carry on to death But the loue of God doth illuminate the mind it doth purify the conscience it makes the soule reioyce it demonstrates God CHAP. XXVIII Of the working of that soule which loueth God HE in whome the loue of God remaines is euer thinking how he may arriue to God how he may leaue the world how he may decline the corruption of flesh and bloud and to the end that he may find true peace he euer hath his desire his hart erected towards heauenly things When he is sitting when he is walking when he is resting in fine whatsoeuer he be doing his hart departeth not from God He exhorteth all men to the loue of God he recommendeth it to all men he proueth to all the world both by his hart and by his tongue and by his workes how sweet the loue of God is and how bitter that is of the world He despiseth the glory of the world he discouereth it to be full of affliction and he declareth how fond they are who place their confidence therin He wondreth at the blindnes of men for louing such thinges as those he wondreth how it is possible for all men not to forsake these transitory and fraile things of the world He conceaueth that euery one should find tast in that which is so sauoury to himselfe that