in the right way let me not range out of it any more novv that by the same grace I am vvashed from my sinnes let me not defile my selfe againe now that I am by this grace cured of my disease of sinne let me not fall into it againe novv that my mortall wouÌ„des are healed by this grace let me not renew them For vvhat vvould it auaile to be risen vp if I fall againe the after fall vvould make my rising more difficult What to haue vvalked in the vvayes of thy commaundementes if I loose this vvay againe I shall the more hardlie finde it What to haue been vvashed cleane in the lauer of penance and by thy grace if like a swine I vvallovv my selfe againe in the puddle of sinne the stayne vvill more hardlie be gotten out better it is for me to say vvith the Spouse Cant. 5 I haue washed my feete hovv shall I defile them What vvill it auaile to haue beene cured of the ague of sinne if I admitte an other accesse of it Recidiuation is more dangerous then the former sicknes What to haue been healed of so many mortall vvoundes as mortall sinnes if I renevv them againe the renevving makes them harder to be cured then before Wherefore turne not thy face froÌ„ me by vvithdrawing thy grace for then I shall fall againe into all those miseries to haue vvell begun is a small thing how many good beginners are novv in Hell perseuerance is that vvhich maketh vs goe on to the end and the end crowneth the vvorke And therefore ô Lord take not thy holy spirit from me Take not from me the create spirit of grace by vertue of vvhich I may perseuer to the end yea ô Eternall Father ô Eternall Sonne giue me your increate spirit the holy Ghost vvho proceedeth from you both and vvho is equall coequall and consubstantiall to you both and who is your mutuall loue and eternall knotte of freindship take not froÌ„ me this your increate Spirit So long as this Spirit supporteth me I can not fall Heauen vvill sooner fall then I so supported can fall 4. And thou ô penitent Christian desire almightie God to turne his face from thy sinne but not from thee it being thy onelie comfort in this life to haue its benigne aspect and the light of grace which proceedeth from it and vvhich illuminateth thy vvay vvhich thou art to vvalke Desire him also not to take avvay his holy Spirit from thee vvithout vvhich liuing thou art dead liuing in bodie dead in soule vvhich if thou fall will raise thee if thou stand vvill so direct thy steppes as thou shalt neuer fall againe Ioan. 1. This Spirit houered ouer the waters in the first creation gaue them fecunditie to bring forth fish and fowle The same spirit houered ouer the waters of Baptisme when thou vvast regenerated of water and the holy Ghost Ioan. 3. and gaue it force to this day to bring forth Spirituall fishes to vvitt Christâ—ans who are spawnes and young fishes of the great fish CHRIST IESVS Tertul. lib. de Baptismo Aug li de Ciuit ca. 18. stiled by the Sybille in the first letters of her Greeke verses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a fish because in the riuer of Iordan vvhere he was Baptized by S. Iohn Baptist he like a fish did as it vvere swimme and thereby gaue vertue to the water of baptisme to regenerat ChristiaÌ„s whereas ChristiaÌ„s haue their origin froÌ„ the water as fishes haue This Spirit againe houered ouer the vvaters of contritioÌ„ the SacrameÌ„t also of penaÌ„ce wheÌ„ it inspired into me the Spirit of coÌ„punction and contrition by which from my sinnes committed after Baptisme I vvas againe vvashed and rose againe from sinne to iustifying grace Let it giue me also ô most mercifull Lord the grace and guift of perseuerance vvhich is all in all and without vvhich all is nothing Do not take this Holie Spirit from me and I shall perseuer to the end against all tentations maugre all the Deuills in Hell 5. S. Peter before he vvas fortified by this Spirit vvas so frayle fearfull and cowardlie that he denied his Master at the voice of a Maide-seruaunt a woeman dashed him out of countenance but after he vvas armed fortified by this Holy Spirit he feared not the Tyrants of the vvorld nor all the tormentes that cruell heartes could deuise but like a rocke vvithstood the boisterous windes of their persecutions vvhich did but breake wast themselues mooued not him And he the rest of the Apostles vvho fled vvhen their Master vvas taken and vvho eueÌ„ after his death and resurrection assembled themselues together and shutte the doores Propter metum Iudaeorum for feare of the Ievves Ioan. 20. after they had receaued this Holy Spirit they feared not the Tyrants of earth nor all the Deuills in Hell Yea they but twelue set vpon all the vvorld and not iointly neither but singlie and made a conquest of a greater world then euer Alexander the Great did subdued not onelie their bodies as he did but their vvilles and vnderstanding subiected the Empire to the Churche the Scepter to the crosse made philosophie stoupe to Christes doctrine Matth. 10. and Idolatrie to Christian religion And whereas they were sent as sheepe amongest vvolues yet these sheepe strengthened by this Holy Spirit were to hard for the wolues and as fire coÌ„uerteth all into it so they inflamed vvith this HeaueÌ„lie fire consumed sinne and Idolatrie and like so many walking fiers set all the world on fire conuerted all to Christ and made all like themselues that is Christians 6. I ô Lord request at thy bountifull handes with Dauid a guift of this Holy Spirit Act. 20 and this Heauenlie fire which descended on the first Christians in the forme of fierie tongues corroborate and encourage me by this Holy Spirit inflame me with this heauenlie fire and harden me with it that no assaults of the Deuill world or flesh may be able to ouerthrowe me that for feare of persecution I may not deny thee but as now as I hope I am risen by thy Holy Spirit and grace of iustification so by thy guifte and grace of perseuerance the proper effect of it I may neuer fall againe by mortall sinne from thy grace fauour face and eternall vision the blisse of the blessed which is onelie graunted to them who perseuer to the end Redde mihi letitiam salutaris tui Et spiritu principali confirma me Render vnto me the ioy of thy Saluation and confirme me with thy principall Spirit 1. I Remember ô Lord saith Dauid say the same ô penitent soule with him what ioye peace of conscience and comfort I enioyed in thee and in thy seruice before my sinne and when I was enriched with thy grace the fountaine of true peace and ioye Then I tasted and sawe how sweet thou art then I experienced Psal 33 how great is the multitude of thy
reason and sensualitie out of vvhich we his children can not extricate our selues How then ô Lord canst thou expecte of me that am borne lame and crooked to walke so right in the waye of thy cōmandemēts as neuer to halt neuer to stumble neuer to goe awrye neuer to swarue from the rule of reason and thy eternall Lawe Consider ô Lord that this originall sinne by dispoiling me of originall iustice which was the bridle and curbe of sensualitie and which in Adam before his sinne was prepared for me hath caused in me a great pronenesse propension to sensualitie to sinne and vice which being hard to resiste may make some excuse for my manifold sinne 2. And thou ô Christian penitēt sinner alleage also with Dauid thy pronenesse to sinne for thou wast conceiued in sinne as deeplie as he and consequentlie hast contracted thereby the like propēsiō to sinne For this may induce thy mercifull God in that respecte to be the more forward to pardon thee The Angels that fell by sinne could not alleadge this excuse because they had not this pronenesse to sinne so deserued not mercie but seeing thou art conceiued and borne in sinne and hast contracted this propensiō to sinne which is called fomes peccati and which stirreth vp to sinne cry vnto thy Lord Haue mercie on me ô God for behold I am conceiued in sinne and thereby I haue contracted a great pronenesse to sinne which with thy ordinarie grace I can hardlie resiste and without it not at all Haue mercie then vpon me ô mercifull Father excuse thy childes sinne to which he was so much inclined 3. I haue I confesse so much yeelded to this my propension that vvhereas thou hast giuen me reason and grace also sufficient to resiste this propensiō yet I yeelding to it did like the prodigall sonne lauish out prodigally my childs portion both of reason and grace and gaue my selfe to all licentiousnes But thou ô mercifull God art not lesse louing thē vvas that Father I as I hope no lesse penitēt then that his sonne Luc. 15 For as he did so doe I confesse that I haue sinned against heauen and earth and am not vvorthie to be called thy sonne And as he did so doe I return vnto thee againe by sorrow and repentance Embrace me then ô Lord and receaue me in to grace as that Father did his sonne and be not thou ô Eternall Father inferiour to that Temporall Father in mercie and compassion and shew thy selfe as thou art more prone to mercie then I am to sinne more prone to pardon then I vvas to offend Ecce enim veritatem dilexisti incerta occulta sapientiaetuae manifestasti mihi For behold thou hast loued truth the vncertaine and hidden thinges of thy wisdome thou hast made manifest vnto me 1. THou hast ô Lord loued veritie truth and sinceritie of hart in me and that before my falle I was a sincere and true louer of thee and thy lawe no double dealer in any my wordes or actiōs thou hast liked in me and for that cause thou hast reuealed vnto me manie thinges vncertaine to men though not to thee yea altogether hidden to them to witt the mysterie of the Incarnation thy lyfe and death Resurrectiō and Ascension which are the verities of the figures of the old lawe vnder which I liue and which verities thou louest ô Lord before all those shadowes figures for partly by faith partly by spirite of prophecie and reuelation I haue had such knowledge of future thinges that there is almost no mysterie of the new lawe no promise made vnto it vvhich thou hast not reuealed vnto me and which I haue not forseene and fortold also in my psalmes And so thou who hast done me so many fauours vvilt not I hope deny me that grace without vvhich all the reste of thy benefites vvill be cast away and vvill not any vvhitt pleasure me but vvill rather be to my greater damnation And vvhat is that it is remission of my sinnes without the which to haue been good vvill not benefit me without the which the guifte of prophecie and miracles and all other guiftes will not saue me but rather aggrauate my sinnes augment my dānatiō Wherefore ô Lord knowing my selfe to be a great sinner I still crye vnto thee as I did in the beginninge of this my penitentiall psalme Haue mercie on me ô God according to thy great mercie 2. Or saith this Royall Prophet and penitent sinner I might ó Lord in some sorte couer my fault extenuate and excuse my sinnes because as I haue saide in the precedent verse I was conceiued in iniquities and in a greate pronenesse propensiō to sinne but I know thou louest truth that is a sincere harte a true tongue that confesseth the truth And therfore I sincerlye cōfesse that this pronenesse to sinne doth not quite excuse me frō sinne because it could not enforce me against my will I by faith in the Messias who is the waye veritie and lyfe and by his life and death which was reuealed to me and by grace from his death and passion which was not wāting to me hauing had grace sufficiēt by which maugre this pronenesse to sinne I might haue resisted ouercome all tentation to sinne And therefore I will not excuse my selfe by my pronenesse to sinne but ingenuouslie sincerlie and in veritie confessing it I flye onelie to thy goodnes pronenesse to mercie 3. And ó Christian soule say thou also vvith Dauid vnto thy Lord I acknowledge that I haue receaued many benefites and fauours at thy handes Thou hast created me of nothing and made me of nothing something and not what thing soeuer but a reasonable creature resembling thee by the image of thy selfe which thou hast drawne and engraued in me I by sinne as I confesse haue marred what thou hast made and haue blurred slurred blotted and defaced this thy so glorious image But what ô Lord wilt thou therefore abādon thy creature thy owne handworke To haue created me is a great benefit but if thou leaue me to my selfe and in the miserie into which sinne hath plunged me this thy benefite of creation vvill be to me no benefite because better it is not to haue been then to be miserable as sinne maketh me now and vvill make me more miserable herafter in hell into vvhich it will tumbleme vnlesse thou first forgiuest and remittest it Thou then ô Lord who hast done so much for me as to make me vouchsafe to renewe me and to sette a new glosse and hewe on me by thy grace which may vvash avvay my sinne and ridde me of this miserie 4. Thou hast not onelie created me but also conserued me in the being thou gauest me by creation yea thou hast preserued me from manie corporall dangers And great are these benefites in thēselues but vnlesse thou remitte my sinne vvhich maketh me miserable better had it been for me that thou shouldst
not haue conserued me but rather annihilated me and so preuēted this my miserie better had it been for me that thou hadst not preserued me from corporall dangers of fire vvater and the like then to preserue and conserue me so giue me the tyme to fall in to a greater domage to vvitt of sinne vvhich offendeth thee maketh me miserable and exposeth me to hazard of hell it selfe 5. Thou hast heretofore iustified me and cleansed me from originall sinne by Baptisme from Actuall sinne by contrition the Sacrament of penance and other sacramentes Great are these benefites but if thou doe not againe iustifie me by thy grace and remitte these my last sinnes it vvill be little benefite to me rather thy former grace of iustification vvill aggrauate my sinnes committed after it and these my sinnes hauing depriued me of the grace of iustification haue mortified also my former merites done in grace so all will be lost vnlesse thou againe take mercie on me and againe remitte my sinnes 6. Thou hast redeemed me and didst bind thy selfe to thy eternall Father to pay no lesse ó the deare bargaine for my ransom then thy precious bloud and death And wilt thou now cast me of who cost thee so dearlie Trulie all this is lost in me I vvith it vnlesse thou againe forgiue me by thy grace apply this price paid for me vnto me and so againe pardon me 7. Thou hast called me to be a Christian and hast reuealed vnto me as thou didst to Dauid many hidden mysteries as the sacred Trinitie the sōne of God incarnate his life death Resurrection and Ascension and many other mysteries the secrets of thy wisdome vvhich thou didst hide from the Philosophers Sages of the world And hast thou done all this for me and vvilt not doe this one thing for me to vvitt pardon my sinnes without vvhich all the rest vvill not profite me but rather will augmēt my damnation Thou saidst ó Lord Matth. ◠Luc. 5. that thou camst not to call the iuste but sinners to penance And behold I confesse my selfe a greate and grieuous sinner and I harken to thy call desiring thee to harken to my petition vvhich is haue mercie on me according to thy greate mercie which I hope thou vviltt not deny thou hauing bestowed so many other benefites on me vvhich yet are all lost vnlesse thou adde this also vnto them 8. Or else I also ó Lord might aleadge with Dauid that I vvas conceiued borne in sinne thereby contracted a propension to sinne And I might adde therevnto my corrupt nature myne euill complexion and disposition my euill customes and ill companie vvhich haue allured me to sinne but because I know thou louest truth and sinceritie of harte I confesse ingenuouslie and I truly acknovvledge that notwithstanding all this I might with thy grace which is neuer wanting to them that demaunde it or vvill accept and vse it haue resisted all these alluremēts and incitements to sinne therefore I vvill not vse any such excuse for these might excuse as diuines say A tanto non à toto from parte but not from all but plainlie trulie and sincerlie confessing my greeuous sinne I fly onelie to thy mercie and vnder the shadovv or winges of that I desire onelie to shroude my selfe All I haue to say is peccaui as Dauid said and I beseech thee to speake those comfortable words to me which thou vtteredst to him 2. Reg 12. And our Lord hath taken away thy sinne Asperges me Hyssopo mundabor lauabis me super niuem dealbabor Thou shalt sprinckle me with hyssope and I shall be cleansed thou shalt wash me and I shall be whiter then snowe 1. I Cry not saith Dauid to Moyses nor Aaron nor the Preistes of the old lavv vnder vvhich I liue but to thee ô Eternall sonne of God God and man the Messias and Redeemer of the vvorld to sprinkle and washe me and cleanse me from the fylthe of my sinnes They could vvash the bodie from legall immundicities but not from the fylthe of sinne from vvhich I desire to be cleansed nay they could not cure the corporall leprosie but onely could pronoūce a declaratiue sentence Leuit. 14. vvhen it vvas healed but thou canst euen heale and cleanse my soule from the leprosie fylthe of sinne and therefore my hope is that thou vvilst sprinkle me not with the Cedar wood Leuit. 14. scarlet Num. 19. Vide Augu. to 4. q. 33. super Numer and hyssope dipped in the blood of the immolated sparow nor vvith the ashes of the redde cowe but vvith the blood of thy sacred humaine nature ruddie by its passion and prefigured by those figures by this blood shed in thy passion and sprinkled by the meanes of the humble hyssope of the crosse I hope thou shalt sprinkle me and I shall be whiter then the snowe 2. In this bloud is my hope because this onelie can take out the staine of sinne this onelie can wash away the fylthe of sinne wherewith my soule is defiled The blood of goates and oxen and such like sacrifices sprinkled saith Dauid can vvash avvay legall immundicities but it can not vvash avvaye the fylthe of sinnes but thy blood ô Blessed Sauiour can sanctifie and mundifie our soules from all filth of sinne 3. I forsee saith Dauid by faith in Christ that by the Sacraments of Baptisme and penāce in the new lavve and by cōtrition in all lawes soules are vvashed from the filthinesse of sinne but yet by the bloud also of the lambe Christ Iesus from vvhich they take their vertue Thy bloud ô Blessed Sauiour is the generall cause they are particular causes appointed to applie that thy bloud and passion is the principall morall cause of grace and remissiō of sinnes they are but instrumētall causes vvhich vvorke in vertue of that principall 4. And although now by wallovving my selfe in the puddle of sinne I am in soule more foule then the hogge that vvalloweth himselfe in the mire yet this lauer of thy bloud ô Lord vvill vvash me so cleane that I shall be whiter then driuen snowe And although my sinnes vvere as scarlet Isa 1. they shall be made vvhite as snovve And if they be redde as vermilion they shall be white as vvooll and my soule vvatred vvith this bloud and heauenlie rayne vvhich rayned out of the cloude of thy sacred humaine nature shall be made fertile and apte to bring forth the greene plantes sweete hearbes and flovvers of all manner of vertue and bathed in this bathe it shall recouer its former lustre beautie of grace vvhich it had lost by sinne and of a vessel of base seruice which it yelded to the vvorld flesh and Diuell it shall be a vessell of honour Because take avvay the rust from siluer Prou. 25. and there shall come forth a moste pure vessell a goodlie piece of plate fit to be set on thy cup-boord
and wouldst take away the stony heart out of their flesh and giue them a fleshy heart This promise I challenge ô Lord and this heart I desire myne old heart hetherto was by sinne fowle and vncleane giue me a cleane heart It was by sinne become as hard as a stone not apte to receaue thy good inspirations nor plyable to any good giue me for hereafter a fleshie heart a softe heart mollified by thy bloud and by the waters of contrition an heart as softe as waxe easie to be formed and figured by thy Diuine hand and to be framed to what thou wilt apt to receaue thy Diuine inspirations apt to melte in thy loue apt to be mooued passionatlie for myne owne sinnes and compassionatlie for the sinnes miseries of others Giue me a new heart a cleane heart cleane washed from the abominable filth of sinne by the water of grace which floweth from thy holie passio through the channelles of the Sacramentes 5. Demaund thou also with Dauid ô penitent sinner a cleane a new heart Say vnto thy God Thou commandest me ô mercifull God by the vvise Salomon Prou. 4 with all garde to keepe my heart because life proceedeth from it but because I haue not well looked to it nor haue set a watch or garde ouer it by continuall vigilancie I desire thee to take it to thy care Psalm 126. for vnlesse thou keepest this Citie he watcheth in vaine that keepeth it not to permit any vncleane thing to enter into it It hath hetherto lodged the world the flesh and the Deuil by inordinate affection expelle them I beseech thee out of it It is or ought to be thy mansion place thy cabinet thy Temple let none else enter into it Giue me grace to adorne this Temple with chast and holie cogitations that thou onelie in it maist be loued thou onelie worshiped thy prayses onelie may be daylie sung in it to thee onelie the sacrifice of a contrite harte of prayse and thankesgiuing may be offered And seeing my old vncleane heart is not fit for this create in me a cleane and a new heart 6. Thou commandest me to giue my heart vnto thee and thou beggest it of me in those enchanting wordes Praebe filâ—mi Prou. 23. cortuum mihi my sonne giue me thy heart And if thou please to create it new for else it is not worth the giuing nor vvorthie the acceptance I giue it thee frankelie and freelie and in so doeing I shall but giue thee that vvhich is thyne ovvne by creatioÌ„ redemption for to redeeme this heart thou dyedst sanctification I doe not onelie lend it thee for a tyme as I did heretefore when I liued well for a tyme but after by sinne vvrested this my heart out of thy possession and gaue the Deuill the keyes of this Citie but I giue it thee for euer neuer intending by thy grace to take it from thee againe 7. O Eternall Father thou gauest vnto me by Incarnation thy litle one Isaie 9. so stiled by the Prophet Esaie litle in his temporall birth and as litle as a sucking babe but greate in his eternall natiuitie litle in his humane nature greate and immense in his Diuinitie vveake as a child in his litle bodie but omnipotent and of infinite povver in his Diuinitie contained and restrained in a narrovv crib in respecte of his bodie but filling Heauen and earth containing all thinges contained of nothing in regard of his Diuine nature I giue also vnto thee my litle one my heart one of the least members of my bodie in quantitie greatest in vigour force and vertue as vvhich is the fountaine of life imparting motion life ad vitall spirites to the rest of the membres Thou gauest vnto me by Incarnation thy sonne the middle personne in Trinitie I giue vnto thee my heart vvhich is my middle because it is placed in the middest of my bodie that it may the better imparte heate life to all the other partes thereof Thou gauest vnto me by Incarnation thy first and onelie begotten sonne I giue vnto thee my first borne that is my heart which is the first liuing and last dying in me And this I hope vvill be pleasing vnto thee thou like the Eagle desiring to feed on the heart by a complacence vvhich thou takest in it and thou esteeming the heart if it be cleane and Sanctified aboue all the mansion places in earth and desiring rather to dvvell in it by charitie 1. Ioan. 4. for God is charitie he that abydeth in charitie abydeth in God and God in him then in the richest Pallace on earth yea then in Salomons Temple 8. And hauing giuen this my heart vnto thee henceforth it shall not be myne but thine thou shalt possesse it thou shalt gouerne it thou onelie shalt rule it I vvill not meddle with the gouernemeÌ„t of it but vnder thee according to thy commaundements counsell and direction And although this heart heretofore hath beene the rendeuous and Receptacle of the Deuill the world flesh thy svvorn enemies yet if thou please by thy grace to cleanse it and adorne it they shall be sent packing thou onelie shalt be entertained and it shall be at thy disposition readie to beleeue in thee to hope in thee and to loue thee aboue all thinges and to doe thy will and pleasure in all thinges For all this my old harte was altogether vnapt create then in me a new heart by the nevvnes of grace 9. To this nevv heart sayth Dauid giue for hereafter a new spirit renew a right spirit in my bowelles After the earth and vvorld vvas drovvned and ouerflovved vvith that Deluge and generall inundation of Noes fludde Gen. 2. thou broughtst a Spirit or winde vpon the earth to drye it Giue to the litle vvorld and land of my soule and heart a spirit of grace vvhich may dry it from all concupiscence and from the Deluge of sinne for that Osea 4. 5. this is a right Spirit Ridde me of the vvrong spirit of fornication and of all carnall delightes free me from the vncleane spirit of lust from the spirit of lying and dissembling from the Spirit of pride and enuie for that these are not right spirites and renevv in me the right spirit of charitie chastitie humilitie pouertie renevv in me and create a nevv those seuen graces and spirites of the Holie Ghost the spirit of wisedome and vnderstanding the spirit of counsell and strengh Isa 11. the spirit of knovvledge and pietie the spirit of the feare of our Lord of vvhich euerie one is a right Spirit is thy good spirit Psalm 142. which will conduct me into the right vvay to saluation The former spirit wherewith I was lead heretofore was not a right spirit because it ledde me out of the way it was a crooked spirit because though my bodie be made to looke vp to heauen yet the euill spirit vvhich before ruled
sweetnes ô Lord which thou hast hidd for them that feare thee and hast hidden from the worldlings vvho feare thee not Sap. 12. O hovv good and sweet is thy spirit ô Lord in all Math. 11. Thy seruice is à yoke but sweet it is a burden but light And ô my infelicitie who when I sinned left thee and all this true ioye and consolation When by Iustifying grace I liued in thy house I aboūded with this bread of consolation but whē by my sinne I left the house of thee my eternall father followed the seruice of the world vvith the Prodigall sonne Luc. 15 then instead of this bread of true consolation I vvas fedd as he vvas after he left his fathers house with the huskes of worldlie consolation with carnall and brutish pleasures the hoggish fare of sinners vvhich neuer quencheth thirst neuer slaketh or assuageth hunger neuer giueth contentement 2. When I serued thee ô Lord J drank of the fountaine of liuing waters and true pleasures Ioh. 4. whilst I drank those waters I neuer thirsted after any other but vvhen I forsooke thee the Creatour and fountaine of liuing water Hierem 24. and digged to my selfe cisternes broken cisternes which are not able to hold water that is whē I thought to extinguish my thirst by my loue of creatures or create riches or pleasures I found thē to be broken cisternes which doe not containe the water of solid comfort pleasure or contētement When I serued thee I was fedd vvith Manna Num. 21. the bread of Angels which containeth in it selfe all delight but vvhen by sinne I loathed and left this foode of Angels and sought to satisfie myne appetite with worldly and carnall pleasures ô what an ill exchange I made I then sold vvith Esau my spirituall first birth-right Gen. 25 vvhich grace gaue vnto me for a messe of potage Exod. 25. I exchanged Manna for the flesh pottes yea onions and garlick of Egipt I left thee ô Lord the Creatour in whom I had true contentement for thy creatures which by reason of their insufficiencie can not content 3. Thou hast created vs ô Lord to thy selfe and for thy selfe and hast made vs capable of thy selfe by thy cleare vision and fruition and thou being rich eminēt in excellēcie aboue all beautifull most good yea a sea of goodnes hast made vs capable of all these thy Diuine attributes and perfections But because we seeke for these thinges not in thee where they are where onely they content but in thy creatures where is but a shadow of them and vvhere they doe not content we by abuse haue made this our capacitie of fruition of thee thy Diuine perfections which onely can satisfie and fill vs the cause of all our discontentement yea our vices and disorders For whereas thou hast made vs capable of thy Diuine excellencie to vvhich supreame honour is due we by abuse seeke for this excellencie and honour not in thee but in our selues desiring too much to excell others and to be esteemed aboue them this is pride ambition which is neuer satisfied Others giue this excellencie and supreame honour to creatures as to the sunne moone starres and this is Idolatrie vvhereas thou hast made vs capable of thy beautie which is the cause and fountaine of of all beautie we leauing thee doe seeke for it in thy creatures where is but a shadow of that thy beautie and this is carnall concupiscence which is neuer filled Whereas thou hast made vs capable of thy riches and aboundance vvhich comprehendeth all the riches and varieties of Sea and Land that also most eminentlie vve by abuse seeke this aboundance and varietie of all thinges in thy creatures and trouble Sea Land to procure it this is riotte and auarice vvhich is neuer contented whereas thou hast created vs capable of thy bountie liberalitie by vvhich thou shinest raynest by thy guiftes and fauours on the good and badde and castest a largesse of thy infinite guiftes and benefites on all thy creatures euē to the young rauens and crawling wormes we by abuse seeke for this bountie out of thee would be liberall not out of thy aboundance but out of our owne store and this is lauishing prodigalitie vvhich spendeth till it hath ruined the spender and his familie and aftervvard stealeth to spend more more and so findeth no end nor content in spending 4. And the reason vvhy these creatures and create perfections can not content our will or appetite is because thou ô Lord hast giuen to our vvill an infinite capacitie capable of thy selfe who art an infinite sea of all goodnes and perfection whereas thy creatures are finite and limited in perfection an so can not fill a vessell as our vvill is of infinit capacitie and thy creatures are also imperfect so doe not onelie not satisfie and fill vs but doe also by reasō of this imperfection and disproportion cause in vs a spirituall thirst and hungre vvhich vexeth and tormēteth vs. One vvorld was not great enough to content Alexander the Great nor would many worlds haue satisfied him though thy had beene as many as Democritus imagined what rich man was euer satisfied vvith riches vvhat ambitious mā vvith honours what luxurious mā vvith carnall pleasures And no maruayle no create thing is proportionat to mans infinit capacitie All create perfections are defectiue insufficient and vayne like to painted grapes and so can giue no solid satietie or consolation 5. For vvhat are the gold and syluer landes and liuinges and all the riches of the vvorld vvhich are gotten with labour kept with care and lost with sorrow but pelfe and trash and fruites of the earth and so earthlie and consequentlie improportionate to our soules appetite vvhich is spirituall what are the pleasures of the bodie but gay stinking flowers thornie roses sweet poysons delights of brute beastes in vvhich we agree vvith them vvhich so are the pleasures of the bodie that they are the greatest displeasures of the soule what are the honours and estimations of the vvorld which so daste wordlings eyes but blastes of mens mouthes or the transitory conceites of mens mindes which often are erroneous alwaies inconstant and more changable thē the vvinde passing more swiftly them the waues of the running water And as yet the man vvas neuer found which vvas satisfied vvith these painted gugawes 6. Thou onelie ô my Lord and God vvho art infinit in all perfection and goodnes canst fill the infinit capacitie of our soule Thou onelie art the center of our desires in vvhom onelie they rest The stone vvill sooner rest in the ayre before it come to the center then the soule of man in creatures before it come to thee her creatour her first efficient and last end Fecisti nos Domine ad te saith S. Austin inquietum est cor nostrum Aug. lib. 1. Confes cap. 1. donec requiescat in