standeth heareth him Ioan. 3. reioyceth with ioy for the voice of the Bridegrome so I also wish to be inflamed with great and holy desires and to offer my selfe vp to thee with my whole hart Wherfore I offer also and present vnto thee the ioyes feruent desires excesses of mind spirituall illuminations heauenly visions of all deuout harts with all the vertues and praises exercised and to be exercised by all creatures in heauen and earth for my selfe and all such as are commended to me in prayer that by all thou maist be worthily praised and glorified for euer 4. Receaue my Lord God the affections of my hart and desires which I haue to giue thee infinite praise and thankes which according to the measure of thy vnspeakable greatnesse are due vnto thee These I yield thee and desire to yield thee euery day and moment and I doe intreate and inuite all the heauenly spirits and all thy deuout seruants to giue thankes and praises togeather with me 5. Let all People Tribes and Tongues praise thee and magnify thy holy and sweet name with great ioy and feruent deuotion and let all that reuerently and deuoutly celebrate thy most high Sacrament and receaue it with full faith deserue to find grace and mercy at thy hands and pray humbly for me sinfull creature And when they shall haue obtained their desired deuotion and ioyfull vnion and depart from thy sacred heauenly table well comforted and meruailously refreshed let them vouchsafe to remember my poore and needy soule CHAP. XVIII That a man be not a curious searcher of this Sacrament but an humble follower of Christ submitting his sense vnto faith The voice of the Beloued THOV oughtest to beware of curious and vnprofitable searching into this most profound Sacrament if thou wilt not sink into the depth of doubt Prou. 25. He that is a searcher of Maiesty◠shal be oppressed by glory God is able to worke more then man can vnderstand A pious and humble inquiry of truth is tolerable so he be alwaies ready to be taught and do endeauour to walke in the sound pathes of the ancient Fathers doctrine 2. Bessed is that simplicity that forsaketh the difficult waies of questions and goeth on in the plaine and assured path of Gods Commandements Many haue lost deuotion whilst they would search after high things Faith and sincere life are exacted at thy hands not height of vnderstanding nor the depth of the mysteries of God If thou doest not vnderstād nor conceaue those things that are vnder thee how shalt thou be able to comprehend those that are aboue thee Submit thy selfe to God and let thy sense be subiect to faith and the light of knowledge shall be giuen thee in that degree as shall be profitable and necessary for thee 3. Some are grieuously tempted about faith and the Sacrament but this is not to be imputed to thē but rather to the enemie Do not regard nor dispute with thy thoughts neither do thou giue answere to the doubts moued by the enemie but belieue the words of God belieue his Saintes and Prophets and the wicked Serpent will fly from thee It is oftentimes very profitable to the seruant of God to suffer such things For he tempteth not Infidels and sinners whome he already securely possesseth but he sundry waies tempteth vexeth the faithfull and deuour 4. Go forward therfore with a sincere and vndoubted faith and come to the Sacrament with vnfaigned reuerence And whatsoeuer thou art not able to vnderstand cōmit fecurely to Almighty God God deceaueth thee not he is deceaued that trusteth too much to himselfe Ps 19. c. 118. God walketh with the simple Matt. 11. reuealeth himselfe to the humble giueth vnderstanding to little ones openeth the senses of pure minds and hideth grace from the curious and proud Humane reason is weake and may be deceaued but true sayth cannot be deceaued 5. All reason naturall search ought to follow faith not to go before it nor impugne it For faith and loue do chiefly excell worke in a hidden manner in this most blessed and excellent Sacrament God who is euerlasting and of infinite power doth great and inscrutable things in heauen and in earth and there is no searching of his wonderfull workes If the workes of God were such as might be easily comprehended by humane reason they were not to be called wonderfull and vnspeakable FINIS
comfort that all thinges vnder heauen do yield me Is it not thou my Lord God whose mercies are without number Where hath it bene well with me without thee Or when could it be ill with me when thou wert present I had rather be poore for thee then rich without thee I rather choose to be a Pilgrime in earth with thee then to possesse heauen without thee Where thou art there is heauen and there is death and hell where thou art not Thou art my desire and therfore it behoueth me to send forth deep sighes from my hart and crie and pray vnto thee For I haue none to trust vnto none that can help me in tyme of necessity but thee alone my God Thou art my hope and my trust thou art my comforter and most faithfull vnto me in all my distresses 2. All men seeke their owne gaine Phil. 2. thou only seekest my saluatiō and my profit and turnest all things to my good Although thou permittest many temptations to assault me many aduersities to befall me yet thou ordainest all this to my good and profit who art wont to proue thy beloued seruants a thousand waies In which proofe thou oughtest no lesse to be loued and praysed then if thou didest replenish me with heauenly comforts 3. In thee therefore my Lord God I put my whole hope and refuge in thee I place my tribulation and anguish for I finde all to be weake and vnconstant whatsoeuer I behould out of thee For neither can many friends auaile nor forcible helpers aid nor wise counsellours giue profitable answere nor the bookes of the learned comfort nor any wealth deliuer nor any secret or pleasant place defend if thou thy selfe doest not assist help comfort instruct and keep vs. 4. For all things that seeme to be ordayned for the rest and solace of man when thou art absent are nothing and do bring indeed no ioy nor comfort at all Thou therefore art the end of all that is good the light of life the depth of wisdome and the most forcible comfort of thy seruants is to trust in thee aboue all things To thee therefore doe I lift vp myne eyes In thee my God the Father of mercies I put my whole trust Blesse and sanctifie my soule with thy heauenly blessings that it may be made thy holy habitation and the seat of thy eternall glory and that nothing may be found in the Temple of thy greatnes that may offend the eyes of thy Maiesty According to the greatnesse of thy goodnesse multitude of thy mercies take pitty vpon me and heare the prayer of thy poore seruant who is farre exiled from thee in the land of the shaddow of death Protect and keep the soule of thy seruant amidst so many dangers of this corruptible life and by the assistance of thy grace direct it in the way of peace to the country of euerlasting light Amen The end of the third Booke OF THE FOLLOVVING OF CHRIST THE FOVRTH BOOKE A deuout Exhortation vnto the blessed Sacrament The voice of Christ COME vnto me all ye that labour are burdened Matt. 11. I will refresh you saith our Lord. The bread which I will giue Ioan. 6. is my flesh for the life of the world Matt. 26. Take yee and eate this is my body that shall be deliuered for you 1. ◠1.11 Doe this for the commemoration of me He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud remaineth in me and I in him Ioan. 6. The words which I haue spoken vnto you are spirit and life CHAP. I. VVith how great reuerence Christ ought to be receaued THESE are thy words o Christ euerlasting Truth though not spoken all at one time nor written in one and the selfe same place Because therefore they are thine and true they are all thankfully faithfully to be receaued by me They are thine and thou hast spoken thē and they are mine also because thou hast spoken them for my saluation I willingly receaue them from thy mouth that they may be the deeper imprinted in my hart These deuout words so full of sweetnesse and loue doe stirre me vp but mine owne offences doe amaze me and my impure conscience driueth me back from the receauing of so great mysteries The sweetnesse of thy words doth encourage me but the multitude of my sinnes do oppresse me 2. Thou commaundest me to come confidently vnto thee if I will haue part with thee and to receaue the food of immortality if I desire to obtaine euerlasting life and glory Come sayst thou vnto me all ye that labour and are burdened Matt. 11. and I will refresh you O sweet and louely word in the eare of a sinner that thou my Lord God shouldest inuite the poore and needy to receaue thy most blessed body But who am I Lord that I may presume to approach vnto thee behould the heauens cannot containe thee and thou sayst Come ye all vnto me Matt. 12. 3. What meaneth this most pious benignity and so louing inuitation How shal I dare to come that know not any good in me wherevpon I may presume How shall I bring thee into my house that haue often offended thy most gracious countenance The Angels and the Archangels honour thee the Saints and iust men do feare thee and thou saist Matt. 11. Come ye all vnto me Vnlesse thou o Lord didst say it who would belieue it to be true And vnlesse thou didst cōmaund it who would dare to come vnto thee Behould Noe a iust man laboured a hundred yeares in the building of the Arke Gen. 6. that he might be saued with a few and how can I in one houres space prepare my selfe to receaue with reuerence the maker of the world 4. Moyses thy great seruant especiall friend made an Arke of incorruptible wood which also he couered with most pure gold to put the Tables of the Law therein and I a rotten creature how shall I so lightly dare to receaue the maker of the Law and the giuer of life Salomon the wisest of the Kings of Israel 3. Reg. 6. bestowed seauen yeares in building a magnificent Temple in praise of thy name celebrated the feast of the Dedication therof eight daies togeather 3. Reg. 8. he offered a thousand peaceable sacrifices and set the Ark in the place prepared for it with the sound of trumpets and ioy and I the most vnhappy and poorest of men how shall I bring thee into my house that can scarce spend one halfe houre deuoutly and I would to God it were once almost one halfe houre in worthy and due māner 5. O my God how much did they endeauour to please thee and alas how little is that which I doe How short time do I spend when I prepare my selfe to receaue I am seldome wholy recollected very seldome altogeather free from distraction and yet surely no vndecent thought should occurre in the presence of thy Deity
light surpassing al created lights cast forth the beams of thy brightnesse from aboue and pierce the most inward corners of my hart purifie reioyce clarifie quicken my spirit with all the powers therof that I may cleaue vnto thee with excesse of vnspeakable ioy O when will that blessed and desired houre come that I may be filled with thy presence and thou maist be vnto me all in all things as long as this is not graunted me I shall not haue full nor perfect ioy Alas my old man yet liueth in me Rom. 7. he is not wholy crucified he is not perfectly dead He doth yet couet stroÌ„gly against the spirit and moueth ciuill warres and suffereth not the kingdome of my soule to be in peace 4. But thou that rulest the powers of the sea Ps 88. and asswagest the motion of the waues Psal 7â— rise and help me dissipate the people that desire war and destroy them in thy might and let thy hand be glorified Ps 30. for there is no hope nor refuge for me but in thee my Lord God CHAP. XXXV That there is no security from temptation in this life SONNE †Our Lord. there is no security in this life as loÌ„g as thou liuest thou shalt alwayes haue need of spirituall armour Thou liuest amoÌ„g enemies Iob. 7. and art assaulted on all sides if therfore thou defendest not thy selfe on euery side with the shield of patieÌ„ce 2. Cor. 6. thou canst not be long vnwounded Moreouer if thou fixe not thy hart on me with a sincere will to suffer all things for me thou canst not sustaine the heate of this battaile nor get that victorious crowne which they haue that are in glory Thou oughtest therefore manfully to goe through all to vse a strong hand against whatsoeuer withstaÌ„deth thee For to him that ouercommeth is giuen Manna Apoc. 2. and to the negligent is left much woe 2. If thou seekest rest in this world how wilt thou then attaine to euerlasting rest Giue not thy selfe to much ease but to much patience Seeke true peace not in earth but in heauen not in men nor in any creature but in God alone Thou oughtest for the loue of God willingly to vndergoe whatsoeuer labours to endure whatsoeuer griefes temptations vexations anxieties necessities infirmities iniuries detractions reprehensions humiliatioÌ„s confusions corrections and contempts these help to the attaining of vertue these trye a Nouice of Christ these make a heaueÌ„ly crown I will giue an euerlasting reward for a short labour and infinite glory for transitory confusion 3. Thinkest thou that thou shalt alwaies haue spirituall consolations at will My Saints had not so but many afflictions and sundry temptations and many discomforts all which they endured patiently and trusted rather in God then in themselues Rom. 8. knowing that the sufferings of this time are not condigne to the deseruing of future glory Wilt thou haue that straight waies which many after teares and great labours haue hardly obteined Expect the comming of thy Lord Ps 26. do manfully be of good courage feare not do not flye but offer both body and soule for the glory of God I will reward thee in most plentifull manner and I will be with thee in all thy tribulations CHAP. XXXVI Against the vaine Iudgments of men SONNE †Our Lord. fixe thy hart stedfastly on God and feare not the iudgments of men when thy conscience giueth testimony of thy iustice and innocency It is a good and a happy thing to suffer in that sort neither will it be burdensome to an humble mind nor to him that trusteth rather in God then in himselfe The most part of men are giuen to talke much and therfore little care is to be had of their words Cor. 9. neyther is it possible to satisfy all Though the Apostle endeauoured to please al in our Lord Cor. 4. and made himselfe all vnto all yet he little regarded that he was iudged by humane day â—ol 1. 2. He did for the edification health of others as much as he could and lay in him yet could he not hinder but that he was sometimes iudged and despised by others Therfore he committed all to God who knew all defended himselfe with patience and humility against euill tongues and such as thought vanities and lyes and spake what they listed Yet sometimes notwithstanding he answered least the weake might haue receaued scandall by his silence 3. Who art thou that fearest a mortall man to day he is and to morrow he is not seene Feare God the terror of men shall not trouble thee 2. Mac. 2. What harme can the wordes or iniuries of any do thee he rather hurteth himselfe then thee Rom. 2. neyther can he auoyd the iudgments of God be he what he will 1. Cor. 11. Haue thou God before thine eyes and contend not with complayning wordes And if for the present thou seemest to be troaden down Heb. 12. and to suffer shame confusion without desert do not repine neyther doe thou lessen thy crowne by thy impatience but rather lift vp thine eyes to me in heauen I am able to deliuer thee from all shame and wrong and to repay euery one according to their works CHAP. XXXVII Of a full and pure resignation of our selues for the obtayning freedome of heart SONNE †Our Lord. leaue thy selfe thou shalt find me Make choice of nothing appropriate nothing to thy selfe and thou shalt euer gaine For greater grace shall alwaies be giuen thee when thou dost perfectly resigne thy selfe and not turne back to take thy selfe againe Lord * The Seruant how often shall I resigne my selfe and wherein shall I forsake my selfe Allwaies †Our Lord. and in euery thing as wel in little as in great I do except nothing but do require that thou be as it were naked and void of all things Otherwise how canst thou be perfectly mine and I thine vnlesse both within and without thou be free froÌ„ all self-wil And how much the sooner thou dost this so much the better shalt thou find thy selfe and how much the more fully and sincerely thou dost it so much the more shalt thou please me and so much the more shalt thou gaine 2. Some there are that resigne themselues but with some exceptioÌ„ For they put not their whole trust in God and therfore do labour to prouide for themselues Some also at the first do offer all but afterwards being assailed with temptations do returne againe to that which they had left and therefore they go not forwards in the way of vertue These shall not attaine to the true liberty of a pure hart nor to the grace of my diuine familiarity vnlesse they first make an entire resignation and offer themselues a daily sacrifice vnto me For without this can neuer be obtained the vnion with me wherewith my Saints enioy me 3. I haue often said vnto
vouchsafe mercifully to pardon me as often as I haue fayled heerin and giue me againe grace of greater sufferance For thy bountifull mercy is more auaylable to me for the obtayning of pardon then my conceaued iustice for the defence of my hidden conscience 1. Cor. 4. Although my conscience accuse me not yet I cannot hereby iustifie my selfe Ps 142. for if thy mercy be away no man liuing shal be iustified in thy sight CHAP. XLVII That all grieuous thinges are to be endured for life euerlasting SONNE †Our Lord. let not the paines dismay thee which thou hast vndertaken for me neither be thou discoÌ„forted for the tribulatioÌ„s which do befall thee but let my promise strengthen and comfort thee in all euents I am able to reward thee aboue all measure Thou shalt not long toile here nor alwayes be oppressed with griefe Attend a while and thou shalt see a speedy end of thy euills There will come an houre when all labour and trouble shall cease Little and short is all that passeth away with time 2. Doe as thou doest labour faithfully in my vineyard I will be thy reward Write read sing Mâ—tt 20. mourne obserue silence pray suffer crosses maÌ„fully life euerlasting is worthy of all these greater coÌ„bats Peace shall come in the day which is knowne vnto our Lord it shall not be day nor night to wit of this time but euerlasting light infinite brightnesse stedfast peace and secure rest Then thou shalt not say Who shall deliuer me from the body of this death Rom. 7. nor cry Wo be vnto me for that my dwelling in a strange countrey is prolonged Psal 119. For death shall be throwne downe and health shall be without decay no anxiety blessed ioy sweet and glorious company 3. O if thou hadst seene the euerlasting crowns of the Saints in heaueÌ„ and with how great glory they now reioyce who in times past were conteÌ„ptible to this world Sap. 3. 5. and esteemed vnworthy of life it selfe truly thou wouldest presently humble thy selfe euen vnto the earth wouldest rather seek to be vnder the feet of all then to haue coÌ„mand so much as ouer one neither wouldest thou desire pleasant daies of this life but rather reioyce to be afflicted for God and esteeme it thy greatest gaine to be reputed as nothing amongst men 4. O if thou hadst a feeling of these things and didst suffer them to enter into the depth of thy hart how durst thou so much as once to complaine Are not al paineful labours to be endured for euerlasting life It is no smal matter to leese or to gain the Kingdome of heauen Lift vp thine eyes therfore vnto heauen behould I and all my Saints with me who in this world had great conflicts do now reioyce now are comforted now are secure now do rest and shall remaine with me euerlastingly in the Kingdome of my Father CHAP. XLVIII Of the euerlasting day and shortnesse of this life O most * The Seruant blessed mansion of the heauenly Citty o most cleare day of eternity which night obscureth not Apoc. 21. but the highest truth euer enlightneth day euer pleasant euer secure and neuer changing into coÌ„trary state O that that day would once appeare and all these temporall things were at an end To the Saints it shineth glistering with euerlasting brightnesse but to those that are Pilgrimes vpon earth it appeareth only a far off and as it were through a glasse 2. The inhabitants of heauen do know how ioyfull that day is but the banished children of Eue be waile the bitternes and tediousnes of this The daies of this life are short and euill Iob. 7. full of sorrow anguish where man is defiled with many sinnes incumbred with many passioÌ„s disquieted with many feares filled with many cares distracted with many curiosities intangled with many vanities compassed about with many errours worne away with many labours vexed with temptatioÌ„s weakned with delights tormented with want 3. O when shall these euills be at an end Rom. 7. When shall I be deliuered from the miserable bondage of sin Ps 70. When shall I thinke o Lord of thee alone When shall I perfectly reioyce in thee When shall I be free from al impediments in true liberty without all griefe of mind body When shal I haue firme peace peace secure and without trouble peace within and without peace euery way assured O good Iesu when shal I stand to behould thee When shall I contemplate the glory of thy Kingdome When wilt thou be vnto me all in all thinges O when shall I be with thee in thy Kingdome which thou hast prepared for thy beloued from before all worldes I am left a poore and banished man in the land of mine enemies where there are daily warres and great misfortunes 4. Comfort my banishment asswage my sorrow for my whole desire sendeth vp sighes vnto thee For all is burdensome to me whatsoeuer this world offereth for my coÌ„fort I desire familiarly to enioy thee but I cannot attaine vnto it I would gladly fixe my hart to the things of heauen but temporall cares and vnmortified passions weigh me down In mind I would be aboue al things Rom. 7. â— but to my flesh I am inforced to be subiect against my will Thus vnhappy man that I am I fight against my selfe and am become grieuous to my selfe whilst my spirit seeketh after the things that are aboue and my flesh that which is below 5. O what do I inwardly suffer when in mind I consider heauenly things and presently in my praiers a multitude of fleshly fantasies present themselues before me Psal 70. My God be not farre from me depart not in thy wrath from thy seruant Cast forth thy lightning and disperse them send out thy darts and breake all the fantasies of my enemie Gather my senses togeather vnto thee make me forget the things of this world grant me grace to cast away speedily the fantasies of vices Succour me o euerlasting truth that no vanity may moue me Come heauenly sweetnesse and let all impurity fly from thy face Pardon me also and mercifully forgiue me as often as I think vpon any thing els besides thee in praier I truely confesse that I am wont to be subiect to many distractions for oftentimes I am not there where I do corporally stand or sit but rather there whither my thoughte do carry me Where my thought is there am I there is oftentimes my thought where my affection is That quickly occurreth vnto me which is naturally delightsome and by custome pleasing 6. And for this cause thou that art truth it selfe hast plainely said Matt. 6. Where thy treasure is there is also thy hart If I loue heauen I willingly think of heauenly things If I loue the world I reioyce at the felicity of the world and grieue for the aduersity therof If I loue the flesh I