thou hast created me of nothing I besech thee O Lord to giue me the grace to be thankefull vnto thée ¶ Of Gods almightinesse THy almighty hand kéeping alwayes at one stay created the aungels in heauen the silie wormes vpon earth and yet was neither higher in the one nor lower in the other For like as none other hand could haue created an aungell so could none other hād haue created a worme Like as none other could haue created heauen so could none other haue created a leaf of a trée Like as none other could haue made a body so could none other make a heare white or blacke but onely thine almyghty hand whereunto all thinges are possible alike For it is not more possible with him to create a worme then an aungell nor more impossible to spread out the heauē than a leafe nor easier to fashion a heare then to fashion a body nor vneasier to stablish the earth vpon the water then the waters vppon the earth but all that he listed to do that hath he done According as he listed he hath made all thinges in heauen in earth and in the Sea and in all déepe places among all other things he hath also made me accordyng as hee listed could and knew how to do it Certesse Lord thy hand could haue made me some stone or some bird or some Serpent or some beast and it knew how to haue done it but it would not bycause of thy goodnes Why then am not I some stone some trée or some beast Bycause thy goodnesse hath so ordeined it and that thou shouldest so ordeine it there were no merites of myne goyng afore ¶ Of the incomprehensible prayse of God. HOw shall I doe Lorde whence shal I haue prayse to prayse thée withall for like as thou madest me without myne aduise as it liked thy selfe best so hast thou prayse without me as it liketh thée Thou thy selfe Lord art thine own prayse Thy workes prayse thée accordyng to thy manisolde greatnesse thy prayse O Lord is incomprehensible No hart can comprehend it no toung can measure it no eare can receiue it for these thinges passe awaye but thy prayse O Lord continueth for euer Thoughtes haue a begynning thoughtes haue an end voyces make a sound and forthwith passe away the eare heareth and the hearing ceaseth but thy prayse standeth fast for euer Who is he then that can prayse thée What man is able to vtter forth thy prayse Thy prayse is euerlasting and not transitorie That man prayseth thée whiche beleueth thée to be thyne owne prayse The man prayseth thée whiche acknowledgeth him selfe vnable to atteine to thy prayse O prayse perpetuall whiche neuer fadest in thée is our prayse in thée shall my soule be praysed It is not we that prayse thée but it is thou thy selfe that doest it both thy selfe and in thy selfe we also haue prayse in thée Thē haue we true prayse when we haue prayse of thée when light alloweth light for thou beyng the true prayse yeldest vs true prayse And looke how often we séeke for prayse at any other badies hand then thine so often do we forgo thy prayse bycause the other is shadowish but thine is euerlasting If we hunt after the transitorie prayse we lose the eternall prayse O prayse eternal O my Lord God of whom is all prayse without whō there is no prayse I am not able to prayse thée without thée Let me haue thée and I will prayse thee For what am I of my self Lord that I should prayse thée I am but dust and ashes I am but a dead and stinkyng dogge I am but wormes and rottēnesse I. What am I to praise thée O most mightie Lord God Howe can the breath of no better then fleshe prayse thee which dwellest in euerlastingnesse Can darknesse prayse light or death life Thou art light I darknesse thou life I death Can lying prayse truth Thou art truth and I am a mā no better thē vanitie it self How shall I then prayse thée O Lord Shall my wretchednesse prayse thée Shall stinch prayse swéete sentes Shall mans mortalitie which is here to day and gone to morow prayse thée Shall man whiche is but rottennesse or the sonne of man whiche is but wormes prayse thée O Lord Can hee prayse thée whiche is breed borne and brought vp in sinfulnesse Prayse is not séemely in the mouth of a sinner O Lord my God let thine own incomprehēsible power let thy vnbounded wisedome let thine vnspeakable goodnesse let thine ouer passing mercy let thy superabundant pitie and let thine euerlasting vertue and Godhead prayse thée Praysed be thou by thine owne almightie puissance and also by thy singular gracious goodnesse and louingnesse wherby thou hast created vs O Lord God the life of my soule ¶ Of liftyng a mās hope vp vnto God. ANd I thy creature wil put my trust vnder the shadow of thy winges and in thy goodnesse where thorough thou hast created me Helpe thy creature whō thy gracious goodnesse hath created Let not that perishe through my naughtinesse which thy goodnesse hath wrought Let not that perish through my wretchednesse whiche thy singular mercy hath made For what auayleth it me that thou hast created me if I shall sinke downe into myne owne corruption O God hast thou made all the sonnes of men in vayne Thou hast created me O Lorde rule thou the thing that thou hast created Despise not the worke of thine own handes O god Thou hast made me of nought O Lord if thou gouerne me not I shall returne to nought agayne For lyke as whē I was not thou madest me of nothing so if thou gouerne me not I shal yet againe be brought to nothing in my selfe Helpe me O Lord my life least I perish in mine owne naughtynesse Lord if thou haddest not created me ▪ I should not haue bene at all but bycause thou hast created me I am Now if thou gouerne me not I am vndone For it was not mine owne merites or mine owne deseruings that made thée to create me but thine own most gracious goodnesse and mercifulnesse That louingnesse of thine O Lord my God whiche made thée to create me I besech thée let the same make thée to gouerne me For what booteth it that thy louingnesse caused thée to create me if I must perish in mine own wretchednesse and that thy right hand gouerne me not O Lord my God let this mercyfulnesse whiche caused thée to create the thing that was not created cause thée also to saue that whiche is created Let the louingnesse which wonne thée to create winne thée also to saue sith it is no lesse now than it was then for thou art the very loue it selfe and thou continuest alwayes one Lorde thy hand is not shortened that it should not be able to saue nor thyne eare deafed that it should not be able to heare but my sinnes haue put a partition betwene me and thée betwene
say inflame me wholly that I may be wholly in loue with thée For he loueth thee the lesse which loueth any thyng besides thée except he loue it for thy sake Let me loue thée O Lord bycause thou hast first loued me Where shall I haue wordes to vtter the signes of thy singular great loue towardes me considering thine innumerable benefites wherein thou hast brought me vp from the begynning namely euē from the benefite of the creation when at the first beginnyng thou madest me of nothyng after thine owne Image in honoring and aduauncing me among the creatures whiche thou madest and innoblyng me with the light of thy countenaunce whiche thou imprintedst vpon the lampe of my hart thereby disseueryng me as well from sensible as from senselesse creatures and abasing me but litle beneath the aungelles And yet was all this but a small matter in the sight of thy Godhead For without ceassing thou hast dayly nourished me with the singular and excéeding great store of thy benefites and thou hast as it were suckled strēgthned me thy litle tēder babe with the teates of thy comfort For to the intent that I should wholly serue thée thou hast appointed all thy creatures to serue me That God hath put all thinges vnder the seruice of man. THou hast put all thynges vnder mās féete to the end that man alone should wholly be subiect vnto thée And to the end that mā should be wholly thine thou hast made man Lord of all thy workes For thou hast created all outward thynges for his body his body for his soule and his soule for thée that he might serue thée onely loue thée onely possessing thee to his comfort and all inferiour thynges for his seruauntes For what soeuer is conteined vnder the cope of heauen is inferiour vnto mās soule which was made to inherite the souerein goodnesse aboue and to become happy by possessyng it Whereunto if he sticke fast he shall surmount the néede of all the inferiour thynges which are chaungeable and in euerlastyng immortalitie quietly behold the souerein maiestie wherof he representeth the image Thē shall he enioy those excellent good thinges in the Lordes house in comparison wherof all the thynges that we sée are accounted as nothing Those be the thinges whiche no eye hath sene nor eare heard nor hart of man conceiued whiche God hath prepared for them that loue him And truly Lord these thinges wilt thou giue vnto my soule With these doost thou which louest mens soules dayly glad the harts of thy seruants But why wonder I at these things my Lord God Thou inhonorest thine owne image and thyne owne likenesse wherunto they were created For to the end our body though it be yet corruptible bace might sée thou hast giuē vs the light of the skye by the hand of thine vnwéeriable seruauntes the noone who accordyng to thy commaundement do continuall seruice day and night to thy children To the intent it might breath thou hast graunted vs the pure ayre To the intent it might heare thou hast giuen vs the diuersitie of soundes To the end it might smell thou hast giuen vs the swéetnesse of sentes To the end it might tast thou hast giuen vs the qualities of sauours To the end it might féele thou hast giuen vs the substaunces of all bodily things To helpe him in his necessities thou hast giuen him bearyng beastes To refresh him with all thou hast bestowed vpon him the foules of the ayre and the fishes of the sea the frutes of the earth For euery sore or disease of hys thou hast created medicine and salue out of the earth And for euery seuerall euill thou hast prepared a seuerall remedy to incounter it bycause thou art mercyfull and full of compassion and thou our potter knowest of what metal we be made and how that all of vs are as clay in thy hand That the greatnesse of the heauenly wisedome is coniectured by the consideration of the temporall benefites O Let thy great mercy be opened vnto me shine vpon me yet more with thy light I beseech thée that it may be the more opened vnto me For by these least thyngs we comprehend thy great thynges and by these visible thynges we cōprehend thyne inuisible thynges O holy Lord God our good maker For if thou send so great and so innumerable benefites vnto me for this base corruptible body of myne from the skye and the ayre from the land and the Sea from light and darknesse from heate and shadow from dew and rayne from winde and showres from foules and fishes frō beastes and trées by diuersitie of herbes thinges that grow vpon the earth and by the seruice of all thy creatures seruyng our turnes by course in their seasons to ease vs of our weerinesse Howe excellent I pray thée and how great and innumerable shal these good things be which thou hast prepared for them that loue thée in that heauenly realme where we shall sée thée face to face If thou do so much for vs in prison what wilt thou do in thy palace Great and innumerable are thy workes O Lord thou kyng of heauen For sith that all these thynges be excéedyng good and pleasant which thou hast deliuered to good men and bad men together in cōmon what maner of things shal those be which thou hast layd vp in store for good men onely If the giftes be so sundry and so innumerable which thou dealest now as well to thy foes as thy frendes How great and innumerable how swéete and delightfull shall those be which thou wilt deale onely to thy frendes If thou giue so great solace in this time of mournyng how great ioyes wilt thou giue in the day of weddyng If our prison conteyne so many delectable thinges how much more delectable thyngs conteineth our fathers house O God no eye without thée hath séene the thinges that thou hast prepared for them that loue thée For accordyng to the manifoldnesse of thy mighty workes so also is the great aboūdaunce of thy swéetnesse whiche thou kéepest in store for thē that loue thée For great art thou O Lord my God yea vnmeasurable art thou and there is no end of thy greatnesse nor number of thy wisedome nor measure of thy mercy neither is there end number or measure of thy bounteousnesse But lyke as thou thy selfe art greate so are thy rewardes great For thou thy selfe art both the price and the reward of all thy lawfull combaters That the sweetnesse of God taketh away all the present bitternesse of the world LOrd God which art the sanctifier of thy Saintes these are thy great benefites wherewith thou wilt reléeue the want of thy hungry children For thou art the hope of the hopelesse the comfort of the comfortlesse and the crown of hope bedecked with glory whiche is prepared for thē that get the vpper hand Thou art the euerlastyng suffisance whiche shal be giuen to the hungry Thou art the endlesse
flesh thirst after it let my whole selfe be desirous of it vntill such tyme as I may enter into the ioy of my Lorde there to continue for euer worlde without ende Amen All glorie honor prayse and thankes be giuen to God alone ¶ A TABLE OF the Prayers contained in S. Austens bookes intitled his selfe talke with God and his Manuell OF the vnspeakable sweetnes of God. Of the wretchednes frailtie of man. Of Gods wonderfull light Of the mortalitie of mans nature Of the fall of the soule into sinne Of Gods manifold benefites Of mans dignitie in tyme to come Of Gods omnipotencie Of the incomprehensible prayse of God. Of lifting a mans hope vnto God. Of the snares of concupiscence Of mans miserie and Gods benefites How God doth continually behold marke mens doynges and intentes Of mans imbecillitie without the grace of God. Of the deuill and his manifold temptatiōs That God is the light of the righteous Of Gods benefites Of the feruentnes of loue or charitie That God hath put all thynges vnder the seruice of man. By consideration of earthly benefites we coniecture the greatnes of the heauenly wisedome That the sweetnes of God taketh away all the present bitternes of this world That all our trust and longing of our hart ought to be to Godward That our welfare commeth of God. That mans will is vnable to doe good workes without the grace of God. Of Gods old benefites Of Gods deepe predestination and foreknowledge Of such as be righteous and afterward become wicked and contrariwise That the faithfull mans soule is the Sanctuary of God. That God cannot be found neither by the outward senses nor by the inward wits Of the acknowledgyng of a mans owne vilenesse A consideration of Gods maiestie Of the longing and thirsting of the soule after God. Of the glorie of the heauenly countrey A Prayer to the holy Trinitie The table of prayers in his Manuell OF Gods wonderfull beyng Of the vnspeakable knowledge of God. Of the longing of the soule that feeleth God. Of the wretchednesse of that soule whiche loueth not neither seeketh our Lord Iesus Christ Of the longing of the soule Of the happines of the soule that is let loose from the prison of the body Of the ioyes of paradise Of the kyngdome of heauen Of the comfort of the sorrowfull soule after the long mournyng therof Of ioye That the word is become flesh for our sake That the more a man museth vpon God the sweeter it is to him That tribulations for Christes sake are to be desired in this life Howe the kyngdome of heauen may be gotten What paradise is and what it hath What thyng God requireth lyke vnto him selfe in vs. Of the boldnesse of the soule that loueth God. What God hath done for man. The remembryng of the woundes of our Lord Iesus Christ That the remēbraūce of Christes woūdes is an effectuall remedy agaynst all aduersities The musing of the soule vpon the loue of God. What the knowledge of the truth is What the sendyng of the holy Ghost worketh in vs. Of the workyng of him that loueth God. Of the true rest of the hart Whatsoeuer withdraweth the mynde from God must in any wise be eschewed and abhorred That the seyng of God is lost through sinne and miserie found in stede of it Of Gods goodnes Of the delectable fruition of God. That the souerein good is to be sought Of the mutuall loue betweene the Saintes in heauen Of the full ioy of the eternall life ¶ The end of the Table AT LONDON Printed by Iohn Daye dwellyng ouer Aldersgate ¶ Cum gratia Priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis
beawtie of thy house and to the throne of thy glory there let it be fed at the dyning table of thy heauenly Citizens in the place of fulféedyng by the plentifull runnyng streames Thou that art our hope our welfare our redemption be also our ioy Thou that shalt be our reward be also our reioycing Let my soule séeke thée alwayes graunt that in séeking thée it may neuer faint ¶ Of the wretchednesse of that soule whiche loueth not ne séeketh not our Lord Iesus Christ WO is that wretched soule whiche loueth not Christ nor séeketh him it abydeth dry miserable He loseth his life time whiche loueth not thée O god He that cares not to liue for thée Lorde is nothing and goeth for nought He that refuseth to liue vnto thée is already dead He that is not wise to thée ward is but a foole Most mercifull Lord I yeld graunt betake my selfe vnto thée by whō I haue being life and wit. In thée do I put my whole confidēce trust and hope by whō I shal rise againe liue agayne inioy rest Thée do I couet loue worship with whom I shall dwel reigne be blessed The soule that séeketh not ne loueth not thée séeketh loueth the world serueth sinne is subiect to vyce neuer at rest neuer at ease Let my mind serue thee alwayes O most mercifull Let my way faring be alwayes to trauell vnto théeward let my hart burne in loue of thée My God let my soule rest in thée let it runne out of it selfe to behold thée let it sing thy prayses with ioyfulnes and let this be the cōfort of me in my banishment Let my minde flee vnder the shadow of thy winges from the ragyng heates of the thoughtes of this world Let my hart calme it selfe in thée I say let the great sea of my hart that swelleth with waues calme it selfe in thée O God whiche art riche of all good deinties thou most bountifull bestower of heauenly repast giue meate to me that am faint gather me vp that am scattered deliuer me that am in prison make me new agayne that am heawē in péeces Behold I stand at thy doore and knocke I beséeche thée by the bowels of thy mercy where through thou hast visited vs in rising from aloft bid the doore to be opened for me wretch which do knocke that my soule may haue frée passage to come in vnto thée and to rest in thée and to be refreshed by thée with thy heauenly bread For thou art the bread and fountaine of life thou art the light of euerlasting brightnesse thou art all thinges whereby the righteous liue which loue thée ¶ Of the longing of the soule O God the light of the hartes that sée thee and the life of the soules that loue thée and the strenghthener of the thoughtes that séeke thée graūt that I may sticke to the holie loue of thee Come I pray thée into my hart and make it drunken with the aboundance of thy pleasantnesse so as I may forget these temporall thinges It shameth and irketh me to abyde such thinges as this world doth All that I sée of these transitorie thinges is but a sorrow to me all that I heare of them is but a grief to me Helpe me O Lord my God put gladnesse into my hart come vnto me that I may sée thée But to narrow is the house of my soule for thée vntill thou come vnto me make more rowme in it Repaire it for it is decayed It hath many thinges that will mislike thyne eyes I know it and confesse it but who shall clense it or to whō shall I crye elles but vnto thée Lord clense me from my priuie sinnes beare with thy seruaūt for other folkes faultes Swéete Christ make me I beséech thee good Iesu make me to laye away the burden of fleshly desires and earthly lustes for loue and liking of thée Let my soule ouerrule my flesh let reason ouerrule my soule let thy grace ouerrule my reason and subdue thou me both inwardly and outwardly to thy will. Giue me the grace that my hart my toūg and my bones may prayse thée Inlarge my minde and lift vp the eyesight of my hart that euē with the swift conceyt of my spirite I may atteine to thée the euerlasting wisedome whiche abydest vppon all thinges I beséeche thée loose me from the fetters wherwith I am shackled that I may leaue all these thinges and hye me vnto thee sticke to thee onely and attend vpon thee onely ¶ Of the happines of the soule that is let loose from the prison of the body HAppy is the soule whiche being let loose frō the earthly prisō flyeth vp fréely into heauen and there beholdeth thée her most sweete Lord face to face is no more disquieted with any feare of death but reioyseth in the euerlastingnesse of incorruptible glory For it is safe and out of perill and hence forth feareth neither enemy nor death It possesseth thée her mercifull Lorde whom she hath long sought and euer loued And accōpanying her selfe with the quyres of Psalme singers it singeth continually the sugred songes of euerlasting mirth to the glorie of thee O king Christ O gracious Iesu For she is made dronken with the boūtifulnesse of thy house thou makest her to drinke of the streame of thy pleasures Happy is the felowship of the heauēly Citizens and glorious is the solemnitie of all them that returne frō the sorowful trauell of this our pilgrimage to the pleasauntnesse of beawtie to the beawtie of all brightnes and to the floure of all excellencie where thy Citizens behold thée continually O lord Nothyng that may trouble the minde is offered there to the eare What songes what instrumēts what Carolles what melodie soundeth there without end There sounde alwayes most pleasaunt tunes of Hymnes most swéete melodie of aungels most wonderfull dities of songes whiche are song to thy glorie by the heauenly inhabitantes No harshnesse no gallye bitternesse hath any rowme with in thy realme For there is neither a naughtie persō nor naughtines There is none aduersarie nor impugner neither is there any intycement of sinne There is no nedinesse no shame no brawling no misusage no excusing no feare no vnquietnesse no penaltie no doubtfulnes no violēce no discord but there is perfect peace ful of loue continuall reioysing praysing of God carelesse rest without end and euerlasting gladnesse in the holy Ghost O how lucky should I be if I might heare the most pleasaunt Carols of thy Citizēs and their sugred songes aduauncing the prayses of the souereine Trinitie with due honor But ouer happie should I be might I once atteine to sing a song my selfe I say to sing one of the swéete songes of Sion to our Lord Iesu Christ ¶ Of the ioyes of Paradise O Liuely life O euerlasting and aye blessed life where as is ioye without sorrow rest without trauel dignitie without feare riches