passe that in the middest of soe many dangers we can esteeme our selues secure and vnder the weight of soe many woundes we doe not feele the paine thereof why seeke we not for some remedy before the night steale vpon vs and before the gates of all succour be shutt vp against vs when those foolish virgins shall cry out Matth 25. 1. Cor. 11. and it shall be answeared thus I know you not Let vs therefore know our selues and we shall be knowne by almighty God Lett vs iudge and condemne our selues and soe we shall be absolued by almighty God Lett vs place our eyes vpon our owne faultes and soe there will be mercy enough for vs to spare Lett vs consider our owne miseries and we shall learne to haue pitty vpon those of others Eccl. 31. For as the scripture saith By that which is in thy selfe thou shalt come to know that which is in thy neighbour If I see my selfe fall sometymes by frailty I shall thinke that it may happen soe to my neighbour and as I shall be gladd to haue my fault pittied soe will I haue pittie vpon other men When my betters doe me a disfauour which I feele much I must thinke that my inferiours will be troubled after the same manner if I disfauour them If I be sadd I desire comfort and my neighbours case is the same I am troubled at an ill word which was spoken to mee and I say That I am made of flesh and not of iron this serues me for a proofe that my neighbour is alsoe made of flesh feeles the like affliction vpon the like occasion The ill coÌ„ditions of some men giue me trouble and I wish that they would mend them that soe they may not occasion mee to sinne and my neighbours desire the same of mee Wee are all made of the same mettall there is noe better rule by which I may liue with my neighbour then to marke attentiuely that which passes within my selfe since hee and I are one He who practises this point of mercy with his neighbour may safely passe on to the knowledge of Christ our Lord to be releiued by him Mat. 5. For the mercifull shall obtaine mercie But otherwise he will heare that which the scripture saith He whoe shutts his eare against the voyce of the poore Pro. 21. that man shall cry out and not bee heard All man kinde is poore nor is there any one of that race whoe is not subiect to some necessitie Lett vs consider well if we be deafe to the miseries of others for soe will God be to ours Mat. 7. Let noe man thinke that Christ our Lord will measure to vs with any other measure men as we measure to others Lett noe man thinke that he shall obtaine pardon if he afford not pardon The vntoward man shall meete with vntowardnes the troublesome man with troubles the offensiue man with iniuries and the charitable man with mercy For to sowe thornes with a man's neighbour to thinke of gathering sigges at the hands of God is wholly impossible Now because we consider not this there are very few whoe finde themselues enterteyned by almighty God with sweetenes and there are many who complaine that God forgetts to releiue their miseries and they maruaile how hee can send them such store of troubles both within and without especially since his very name is Mercifull and the shewer of mercies and since he inuites men to seeke for succour at his hands They beg they seeke and they finde noe remedy and from thence comes their complaint But if they were not deafe to that law which God published in his ghospell saying with the selfe same measure wherewith you measure to others Mat. 7. it shall be measured to you againe they would plainely see that themselues are they whoe are wanting to their neighbours and consequently are wanting to God in their persons and therefore it is that God may seeme to bee wanting to them Let them complaine in themselues in that they haue noe charity with their neighbours For God is full of Charitie for his parte but it is not reason nor will hee exercise it towards such as are wanting in it to their neighbours And if at any tyme he impart temporall blessings to such a one as is vncharitable towards others what good will those blessings doe that wicked man if withall he loose himselfe But God will not giue him any such thing as may make him indeede the better by it but vpon condition that he carry himselfe as he ought towards his neighbours Let vs therefore know our selues and lett vs be towards others as we desire they should be towards vs and soe let vs passe on towards the knowledge of God and from the Sancta to the Sancta Sanctorum And lett vs lift vp our eyes to our Lord whoe was placed vpon the Crosse for our saluation and in him wee shall discerne both more greater blessings then wee discouered miseries in our selues And if by thinking what we are we grow sadd through the consideration of our greiuous sinnes past and through the daungers which are at hand we shall be refreshed by looking vp to him when wee consider both how truly and how superaboundantly he payd that which we owe purchased that streÌ„gth for vs whereby we might subdue our enemyes It is he who secures vs but vpon coÌ„dition that wee relye on him And what O Lord shall hee feare who followes thee At what shall he tremble who loues thee Who shall be able to sett vpon that man whoe takes thee for his defence How shall the deuill be able to carry him away who is incorporated in thee Or how shall the eternall father forbeare to loue that creature whome hee perceiues to be in his soÌ„ne as the bâ—aunch is in the vine Or how shall the sonne faile to loue that man whome he perceiues to loue him Or how shall the Holy ghost forsake that creature whoe is the teÌ„ple which himself inhabits we possesse greater benefits in Christ our lord then wee are full of miseries in our selues and we haue more cause of hope when wee behould him then of distrust when we cast our eyes vpon our selues Nor is there any coÌ„fort or resting place for such a one as is discoÌ„forted in himselfe but to looke vp to this Iesus vpoÌ„ the Crosse whome God ordayned for the remedy of all such as should be wounded with the bitting of spiritual serpeÌ„ts For as anciently God commaunded that they should erect a Serpent of brasse that all such a should behould it might be cured of the wound of those corporall serpeÌ„ts so he who shall behould Christ our lord with faith lone shall liue and he on the other side who behoulds him not shall not faile to dye He who findes himself all afflicted wounded shal be refreshed if he looke vp hither as Dauid did wheÌ„ he said My soule was troubled within mee
O my deere God and when shall we maintaine our soules in perfect faith and puritie towards thee and be sincerely loyall to Iesus Christ our Lord who is the spouse thereof giuing him our loue all intyre and wholly free from mingling itselfe with the basenes of creatures When shall we be able to vnderstand this truth that he who is to owne our soules is Christ our Lord and that he created vs for himselfe and that he onely is fitt for vs Is it not enough that we haue tryed so often by experience how ill the world is wont to serue vs and that our soule could neuer finde any true repose or peace but onely when coming to knowe her owne misery and poorenes it went to God and was imbraced by him Is not one of those short fitts of tyme more worth then their whole life who sacrifice themselues to vanitie and to the confusion of this ignorant world wherein they liue Or shall it not now at length bee tyme to saye to all things created I know you not that soe I may prouide a cleane and ready place for the reception of him who created you all of nothing I am extreamely glad that we haue to doe with a Holy ghost which is soe very holy as that he would not come euen to the disciples them selues of our Lord till euen his owne pretious body were taken out of their sight That so we may know the condition of this holy spirit to be such as that we must prouide a temple for it where noe other thing may dwell or els it will not enter there And I am highly glad that you by the grace of this spirit will haue prepared your selfe and that you will haue receiued him and that you and he are well content with one another Reioyce you with this Holy ghost for he is Ioy it felfe And remember Eph. 4 that the Apostle S. Paule requires vs not to contristate the holy spirit of God whereby wee are marked out for the day of redeÌ„ption which is of the iudgment of the latter day He contristates this Spirit whoe with a dull and deiected hart goes faintly and negligently about his seruice whoe doth things which displease this most soueraigne guest who as himselfe is fire soe will he haue his seruant full of feruour and requires that he goe about his worke with great life And that he euer be casting on the wood of good workes and blowing it with holy thoughts that soe this celestiall fire may not be quenched in vs since our very life consists in keeping it aliue And soe if we maintaine this fire in vs it will maintaine vs in him though yet still it be true that he first giues vs that which afterward we giue to him So that in this respect your ladyship will haue beene fedd at a good table this weeke since you will haue celebrated the Feast of the holy ghost not according to flesh and blood as they doe whoe vse to content themselues â—vith the talke and tumult of great Festiuities but you will haue celebrated it in Spirit according to the aduice of our Lord Iohn 4. who requires to be Spiritually adored Lett vs now consider how it stands with you concerning the sent odour of the Festiuitie of the Body of our Lord which is now neere at hand For it will be an extreame shame for a Christian hart not to hunger and aspire toward this holy bread Matth. 2. before the Festiuitie it selfe arriue since the three kings those wise men of the Ghospell had a sent of it so farre of yea and the Prophetts and Patriarcks had the like a longe tyme before his Incarnation What more happy newes can there be then to see Christ our Lord passe amongst vs in our streetes and through our hands communicating and conuersing with men And to haue him sett before our eyes to finde him whome neither the whole earth nor all the heauens can comprehend shut within the narrow â—urtaine of the accidents of bread and after all â—his to make his entrance into our vnworthy woefull brests Take heede you heare not this newes with deafe eares but awake your hart and require it to be very attentiue to soe great a fauour and worke of God and that it instantly cast vp whatsoeuer other meate it may haue swallowed that soe being full of hunger it may grow all full of this celestiall bread where vpon the Angells feede And bid it be sure to watch now that soe it may not then fall a sleepe And since it is the worke of the holy Ghost you must begg grace whereby you may be able to finde the effect of that Feast of the body of our Lord which was conceiued by the same holy Ghost And soe when that Feast of his most holy body shall be come the Holy Ghost will alsoe come with it because the Holy Ghost descended into the world through the meritts of Christ our Lord. And when his Body shall be giuen vs we shall receiue the holy Ghost together with it according to the rate of that good disposition which we shall haue Soe that one Festiuity must helpe and be a preparation for another and must giue vs hunger to feede vpon the fruite of the other For it is not heere as it happens in the banquets of this world which are made by flesh and bloud Where they whoe haue fedd full at noone haue noe minde at all to their meate at night But the soule goes feeding with afresh appetite from one Festiuitie to another and soe that is accomplished Leuit. 26. which God promised The threashing of your corne shall last till you goe to vintage and till the new time of seede and you shall eate your bread in aboundance The goodnes of God be blessed which soe liberally prouides for vs and that not in any meane fashion but by giuing his very selfe to vs. The sonne is giuen to vs and the Holy Ghost for his sake and these two persons giuing themselues the father cannot choose but be alsoe giuen In fine the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost are ours Wee already begin euen heere that mutuall contract which we are to perfect in heauen Let vs giue him humbly thankes for his mercies Lett vs prepare our selues for the receauing of new fauours and with harts exalted aboue the earth let vs celebrate the Festiuities of heauen to the end that we may passe from these temporall Ioyes to those eternall wherein I humbly beseech our Lord that you may one day see your selfe Amen A letter of the Authour to a virgin lady who asked of him what Charitie was He answeares to her demaunde and shewes her the Loue and Charitie which she is to haue to God and her neighbours heere on earth by that loue and charitie whith the saints haue in heauen DEVOVT spouse of Christ our Lord you aske me in your letter what Charitie is to the end that you may
lord had made in their harts whoe loued him and fills vpp that empty place which was made therein by his departure And now if he were able to comfort and free men from that sorrow which was caused by the absence of Christ our lord himselfe more easily will hee be able to comfort vs in case of the absence of creatures if we be in any paine thereby This is hee who is soe full of care of his orphanes who ouershadowes them with strength from on high and who covers and keepes them warme vnder the mantle of his protection and makes them know that they haue of in heauen whome they may with confidence but without presumption call Father hee repaires that which is ruined he illuminates that which is darke he heates that which is colde he straightens that which is crooked be refreshes that which is ouer wearyed and he is dayly giuing vs new strength which makes vs fly vp toward the mountaine of God Madam it will be reason that such an excellent present as this should put vs into great appetite and that wee sell all the affections of our hart for the purchase of this Iewell which onely is able to make vs happy The newes of it passes before our doores and the noyse sounds in our eares of how he comes downe to men and is glad of a habitation in their hartes Let vs not suffer him to passe by but let vs constraine him to visitt and comfort vs that we may serue him yet more And considering in whose name wee may desire him to stay with vs he will not neede to be much entreated for the Father sends him through Iesus Christ his sonne our Lord. Christ our Lord is he who obtayned the holy ghost for vs. For otherwises what had that most high spirit to doe with coming downe to vs whoe are but soe much flesh which is impure and weake and enclined to all kinde of ill This spiritt exceedes vs incomparably more then the heauens exceede the earth if it were not for that he who is of heauen being engendred by the Father did abase himselfe soe farre as to become man the signification of which word is to be earthly And so God being humaned and tempored with our weakenes did labour and sweate and vpon the cost of his life did obtaine for vs that this spiritt which created the heauens should abase it selfe soe farre as to dwell in those potts of clay Let vs giue thankes to Iesus Christ our Lord and lett vs gather the fruite of his labours And since the holy ghost comes downe willingly to dwell with vs in contemplation of the meritts of Christ our lord let vs not be soe vngratefull for either of these two great fauours as thereby to loose them both The most high will abase himselfe to these meane persons that he may bee their Father and their guide and how then can wee be such woefull sotts as to say Noe to him Let vs goe forth to receiue him with loue whoe comes with loue and lett vs doe it with great desire for where he is desired he is well content to stay Lett vs be like him whoe said say 26 My soule hath desired thee by night and in spiritt and with the very bowells of my sowle I watch towards thee in the morning By night he desires to enioy thy holy Spiritt who findes himselfe to be afflicted and places not his confidence in his owne arme but sends out sighes to this spirit as to the comforter of the sorrowfull and the easer of all such as are in paine And in the morning hee will bee content to watch whoe makes it not one of his last cares how it may be fitt for him to furnish vp that inward howse but the cheefe of them all is to consider how he may be able to obtaine this fauour of our Lord. And being thus desired and inuoked infallibly he will come for soe did Christ our lord himselfe who was called the Desired of all the nations Aggae 2. and he loues all such as desire to possesse him Let vs call vpon this holy Spirit with the speach both of our tongues and of our soules but we must be sure that the howse be not ill furnished and soe without prouision that after hee shall be inuited and satt downe at table we may haue nothing for him to eate Let vs mortify our flesh for that is the foode whereon hee feedes and which he likes soe well For as for the flesh which liues he flyes from it as farre as he can and it stinckes worse to him then a dead dog would to vs. Let vs mortifye our owne opinion and iudgment that soe we may be ruled by his for two heades will neuer gouerne a house well if that which knowes least be not swayed by that which knowes most And let vs renounce all our selfe conceipts for these are the Capitall enemyes of this heauenly spirit which teaches vs to say Matth. 26. Not my will but thy will be done Let vs be diligent to cleanse our conscience by penance and confession from all impurity and euery graine of dust how little soeuer it may bee For this guest is most pure and cleane and it is not fitt to lodge him in such a howse as may disgust him Let vs keepe peace both at home and abroad for euen vnquiet and wrangling folkes are wont to dissemble their little brawles for the honour of some principall guest Hauing lodged him in our howse let vs giue him good attendance since he hath made it a pallace For he is a mighty king and it is against all reason that hauing him with vs at home we should be gadding abroad to see vanities Let vs then shutt vp the doores and cast our selues prostrate at his feete and let vs tell him with truth that there is nothing which shall draw vs from him and that we haue giuen this answeare to all the world that it must leaue vs and him alone together And soe lett vs enioye him for he is able to make vs happy and so as that nothing can depriue vs thereof If you carry the busines thus you shall be comforted in all that wherein yet you haue discomfort and you shall drinke of the Riuer of the delights of God till euen you be inebriated thereby And I shall alsoe be comforted when I shall see you in the hands of him whoe knowes soe well how to keepe you and instruct you and eternally to saue you It is he whome I beseech to be your succour A letter of the Authour to a certaine Preist Hee shewes how he may prepare himselfe and what considerations are most profitable when he goes to celebrate at the Altar REuerend Father I beseech our Lord that the delay which I haue vsed in making my answeare may be recompēced with being true and profitable to you for your demaunde is of great importance and soe would the answeare alsoe bee if it were such
had no taste of spirituall benedictions which last for euer And let him triumph like a sott in the prosperities of this world who hath not felt in his hart how delightfull a thing it is to shed teares for hauing offended God and how happy a man is in relying vpon Christ our Lord and in liuing to him And since our Lord hath called vs to his mercy and hath giuen vs the knowledge of his Sonne Christ Iesus let vs not liue according to the flesh nor allowe of any counsell against this counsell That in a thing so manifest as it is that we ought to seeke and esteeme the contentment of Christ our Lord despising the world and all that is therein there is no neede of taking any man's opinion and we must not be moued by any vanities of the world how many Iohn 2. and how vsuall and how well receaued soeuer they may be The world passes with the delight thereof as S. Iohn saith but he who will doe the will of our Lord shall remaine for euer Who relyes vpon that which is vnstable shall fall downe togeather with it and he who will adore an Idoll shall growe like that very Idoll but he who loues Christ our Lord and that man loues him who hates the world he indeede is wise and worthy and shall be exalted to sitt in that kingdome with the same Iesus Christ our Lord as he sittes at the right hand of his Father It is much more worth to be the least there then to be the greatest heere If therefore it delight vs to raigne let vs desire to doe so in that eternall kingdome I beseech Christ our Lord to bestowe it on you Amen A Letter of the Author to a deuoted religious Friend of his who animates him to seeke God by obedience humility and he teacheth that recollection of minde must not be tyed to any certaine place I Haue receiued your letter and that which I am to answeare is this You must know that there is not any one in this life who can think to liue without troubles that to complaine of them is to complaine of being a man since we were borne to beare them And if it seeme to you that when you were shutt vp you carried your soule more recollected you are to cōsider on the other side that Obediēce in doeing those things which displease ones self and the humility of performing meane offices is noe small fruite to the soule And beleiue you this truth that the man who is carefull to recollect himself and who puttes his confidēce in God doth many tymes finde himself more recollected in streetes and publique places then if he were in his Cell And they who tye their deuotion to any particular kind of place doe instātly loose it when they leaue the place yea and many times in that very place it failes them And this growes in regard they are resolued to haue it there and striue not to finde it in all places and in all those workes to which they attend by theyr Obedience vpon this Obedience you must greatly procure to ground your self without choosing this or that Since Obedience is a thing soe acceptable to God that it exceedes all that which a man may doe vnder the conduct of his owne will how good soeuer it may seeme Father Lewis of Granada will passe shortly by you and I would haue you doe that with great confidence which he shall aduise you The Holy Ghost be euer with you I am such an enemy of these changings of place I hould the very desires thereof soe fitt to be suspected as that I am made slow in giuing answeare to what you write concerning them till by your prayers we may get more light to guide vs. For otherwise we shall goe as bad as blindefould and perhaps you may fall vpon worse encounters then they are which you would auoyd I beseech you sollicite the matter with our Lord when I shall haue satisfied mine owne hart I will impart it vnto you In the meane tyme I recommend to you much that you keepe your soule in peace For it happens to some that they both loose they re tyme and the good opportunity which God giues them by thinking much vpon that other which they desire to obtaine soe they growe to loose both the one and the other Make you accōpt that there is but one day of life left for you and that that day is the morning when you awake And spend you that as if it were your last with all the care that possibly you cā And when the desire of doeing any other thing occurres make this answeare Doe not thinke of to morrow and exercise your self in breaking your will For when a man flyes from the opportunity which he hath to breake it it is like flying out of the feilde And because such a one flyes like a coward and carryes his weakenes in his company therefore when the occasion presents it self afterward he findes that he is as farre from strength as before the reason heereof is because he changed his place but not his minde giue you a good accompt of that house and of the opportunity which there you haue and soe you shall gett a tongue wherewith you may aske a better at the hands of our Lord For otherwise they may say vnto you that he who conducts ill that which he hath already in his care to what end should one trust a greater matter in his hands A Letter of the Author to a deuout Lady animating her to fight against the Deuill and to resist his temptations I Beseech our Lord that you may find your self as I desire for it was not said in vayne that loue is full of a carefull kind of feare But in fine I haue confidence that our Lord as he saith to vs by the Prophet Ieremy will regard that loue wherwith he espoused himself in those beginnings of his and will remember how the people followed him without any high way in the Desart which was full of affliction to them and carryed a kind of resemblance of death God is very thankefull to such as serue him with loue and in the tyme of our weakenesses and when our strength is euen vpon the point to faile then doth he looke backe vpon the time when formerly wee had beene in vigour and to that amorous intention which wee had in former time releiuing our misery with the aboundance of his mercy Continue therefore with a harte full of courage and as S. Paule saith doe not loose your confidence Heb. 10 for there belongs a great reward to it And this is that which the Deuill would faine either take away from vs or weaken in vs so to pull vs downe who pull him downe and much more you being a woeman by whose hand he would esteeme it Iudges 9. more dishonour to be ouercome As Abimelech sayd to his second doe thou kill mee that soe it may not
Thou art the defender of all such as hope in thee And if at any tyme he hide him selfe from vs Cant. 2. it is not because he departs but like a Iealous spouse he stands looking through the cranyes to see what that soule is doeing when he hath absented his imbracements from her Especially he considers if the soule haue lost her confidence which his desire is may remaine soe rooted in our harts that noe winde of teÌ„ptation may pluck it vp but may rather strengthen and settle it beleeuing that how much more we are tempted soe much more we are beloued by him and how much more we are persecuted by our enemies so much more are we cherished by almighty God whose care and vigilancy is imcomparably more for our desence then the subtility of our enemies can be for our preiudice The cause heereof is for that he loues vs more then the deuill abhorres vs and he is more powerfull then our flesh is fraile and he hath a blessed place of retreate wherein as in a most secure haueÌ„ and as in the bosome of a mother he giues harbour to such as being wearyed with the tempest of tribulations endured for his sake haue recourse to him Psal 30. Of this Dauid said Thou shall hid vs in the hidden parte of thy face Doe you not thinke O my beloued brother that you shall be well hidden and secure and ioyfull in the face of God But you wil aske why it is called a hidden part Cerâ—â—nely with great reason For as the face of God is not darke but bright according to his diuinitie so yet the face of Christ our Lord as God and man is said to be darke and hidden according to his humanity But this not when his face shined like the Sonne Matth. 7. in Mount Tabor and his garments like the light Mark 9. but when he was disfigured vpon Mount Caluary when his garments and flesh were dyed redd with the bloud which proceeded from him as the price of our redemption Luke 9 If you well consider his face growne yellow with his long fasting and redd with the buffetts and swelling which their blowes had made full of teares descending from his eyes of blood distilling from his crowne of thornes you will be sure to say that his face was hidden he of whom Dauid saith Psal 44. that he was fayre beyond the sonnes of men and that grace was diffused through his lipps and that therefore our Lord did blesse him for all eternity Certainely the most beautifull of men was hidden and more tormented then man euer was and soe farre disfigured Esay 53. that Esay saith He hath noe beauty nor grace we saw him and he had no figure of a man And againe afterwards he saith That his face was as if it had beene hidden and despised and that therefore they esteemed him not He indeede did suffer our infirmities and our sorrowes and we tooke him for some leprous person who had beene stroocken and abased by our Lord. Well then my deere brother in this face which seemes to be soe deformed but which indeede is rarely beautifull to such as behould it with the eyes of faith and loue considering that it was loue which deformed it to the end that he might beautify our deformity doth God hide them who labour that they may not depart from him And he giues them light wherewith to looke him in the face and to receiue such strength and comfort thence as to make them feele that he said true who said Shew vs thy face and we shall be safe Psal 79. This face is beheld by the eternall father and out of that sight doe result to vs the beames of his bounty and light for by meanes thereof doe all those blessings come to vs which God sends Psal 83. And Dauid knowing this besought God saying Looke vpon the face of thy Christ For by looking vpon that face he layes downe that wrath to which he had been moued by looking vpon our impudent faces and he will remoue the deformity of them by that other beauty And to the end that this face of his might euer stand before his father Hebr. 9 Saint Paule saith that Iesus Christ entred into heauen to appeare before the face of God for vs. And now since the eternall Father lookes into this glasse that he may come to vs let vs alsoe looke into it to the end that we may not depart from him We haue not any other remedy against our weakenes 2. Cor. 13. but the weakenes of Iesus Christ our Lord of which S. Paule said that he dved with infirmity but that be liues by the power of God Consider how great things he endured that soe our soules might be taught to loue that weakenes of his and that we might not giue them away to strangers they hauing been purchased by their proper Lord at such a painefull and precious rate And doe but weigh what weake braines we haue in departing from that ioy which recreates the angells to obtaine this base delight which is possessed by beasts And how inconsiderate that soule is which exchaunges honny for gall and the Creatour for a creature Wretched creatures that we are and whether shall wee goe and what shall wee seeke out of Christ our lord Shall we peraduenture be able to finde out any other Lord like this any other soe deere companion and soe true freind both in prosperity aduersity Where is any other soe milde in pardoning soe beautifull to behould soe wise to consult and soe good to loue where is there any other who can finde in his hart to dye for mee with such teares and with such loue and who still remaines with a disposition to dye yet againe if I could haue neede of his second death O how sincere a truth was that which Saint Peter deliuered when he said Whether shall we goe O Lord Iohn 23. for thon hast the words of eternall life Wee are well my deere brother where Christ our Lord hath by his mercy placed vs. Let vs take heede that wee trye not what kinde of woefull thing it is to be without him A very bitter thing it is and it costs soundly the setting on Lett vs looke vpon the afflictions which he suffered for vs and with them lett vs comfort our selues in ours and by them let vs begg his grace and fauour and he will giue it to vs that we may thereby ouercome the world the flesh and the deuill and soe we shall liue in God since he dyed to kill our death and to giue vs life A Letter of the Authour to the same Lady Whome formerly he had animated to beare her afflictions with patience MY soule loues yours because God loues it and because I am to haue noe little part in your happines S. Paule saith that they to whome he preached were his ioy his honour and his crowne in respect that receiuing the