and delightes drawe me to thee with a greedy hart The more I consider thee the more doe I languish with thy loue and with a vehement desire of thee and I am extreamely delighted with the sweete remembrance of thee I am therfore resolued I am resolued to cast vp myne eyes to thee to erect the state of my minde and to conforme the affections of my will to thee I am resolued to talke of thee to heare speake of thee to write of thee to conferr with others of thee daily to read somewhat of thy felicity glory when I shall haue redd it to reuolue it very often in my hart that at least by this meanes I may passe on from the burninge heats and dangers toyling labours of this mortall dying life to the sweete refreshing of that vitall aire of thyne and that I may proceede at last when I shall lay my selfe downe to sleepe to repose my head a little in that bosome of thyne To this end I enter now and then into those sweete feilds of thy holy Scriptures and whilest I am turninge ouer those leaues I gather the fresh flowers of sentences from thence By reading them I eate by frequenting them I ruminate and by gathering them vp at last I lodge them in the deepe receptacle of my memory that by this meanes haueing taken a taste of thy sweetnes I may feele the biteernes of this most miserable life so much the lesse O thou most happy life O Kingdome which art truely blessed free from death and farr from haueing an end to which noe tymes shall euer succeede where that day which is still continued without night admitts of noe Tyme where the conquering souldiers being associated to those chantinge quires of Angells sing that Canticle of the Canticles of Syon to Almighty God without ceasinge the garland of triumph imbraceinge their glorious heads that for euer I would to Christe that my sinns beinge once forgiuen me and then this burden beinge layd downe I might be assigned to eternall rest might enter into thy ioyes within those excellent and beautifull walls of thy Citty receiuinge the crowne of glory from the hand of my Lord. That I might be present with those most holy Quires of Angells That together with those blessed Spiritts I might concurre to glorify our Creator that I might veiwe the present face of Christe our Lord that I might for euer behold that supreame vnspeakable vncircumscribed light and that so not being subiect to any feare of death I might for euer reioyce in the euerlastinge endowment of incorruption CHAP. XXIII Of the felicity of that holy soule which departeth hence HAppy is that soule which beinge discharged from this body of earth goes freely vp to heauen and is in peace safetie not fearing either any enemy or death it selfe For it will then haue present and shall for euer behold that most beautifull Lord whom it hath serued and whom it hath loued and to whom at length it arriueth all full of glory and ioy This glory of so great beatitude noe tyme shall diminish nor wicked enemy be able to bereeue vs of The Daughter of Syon saw this soule and did publish it to be most happy The queenes and the concubines sawe it sayinge Who is this which goeth forward like a riseinge morninge faire like the Moone bright like the Sunn and terrible like a pitched feild of armed men How ioyfully doth she goe forth make haste and runn when with astonished eares she hears her spouse say thus Rise vp and make haste O thou my freind and my beautifull creature and come with me for now the Winter is ouer-past the Storme is gone and hath hidd it selfe the flowers haue appeared in our Land the tyme of pruninge is now come the voice of the turtle hath beene heard in our land The figg tree hath brought forth her younge fruite the vines are in flower and send forth theire odour Rise vp maKe haste O thou my freind my faire Creature my doue in the holes of the RocKe in the lowes places of the wall Shew me that face of thyne let thy voice sound forth in my ears for thy uoice is sweete and thy face is full of comlinesse and grace Come my elected and my beautifull Creature my doue my immaculate my Spouse Come and I will place my throne in thee because I haue had a greedy desire of thy beauty Come that thou maist reioyce in my presence with my Angells whose society I haue promissed thee Come after many dangers and labours and enter into the ioy of thy Lord which none shal be able to take from thee CHAP. XXIV A prayer to the sanites to secure vs in our dangers HAppy are all you O Saynts of God who now haue passed through the sea of this mortality and haue obteyned to arriue at the gate of eternall quietnesse security peace your selues beinge peacefull and secure and perpetually full of triumph and ioy I beseeche you by your owne Charity you who are secure concerninge your selues be yet solicitous concerning vs. You are secure concerninge your owne incorruptible glory be you solicitous of our manifold misery By him I beseech you who chused you who made you what you are in the fruition of whose beauty you are satiated by whose immortality you are now immortalized by whose most blessed vision yow are continually in ioy be you also continually mindfull of vs. Helpe vs miserable creatures who in the salt waters of this life are tossed with stormes rounde about vs. You are those most beautifull gates who haue beene erected to a huge altitude O giue some helpe to vs who are noe better then a base pauement lying so farr vnderneath you Stretch forth your hand raise vs vp vpon our feete that we recouering out of our infirmity may become strong and fitt for warr Interceede pray with constancy and perseuerance for vs miserable and most negligent sinners that by your Prayers we maybe ioyned to your holy society for otherwise we shall not be saued For we are extreamely frayle and of no strength or vertue miserable base wretches beasts who care but for the belly the slaues of flesh blood in whome the very shadow of goodnes doth scarce appeare And yet not withstandinge beinge placed vnder the confession of Christe our Lord we are borne vp by the wood of his Crosse whilest we saile through this great and spatious sea where there are creepinge creatures without number where there are wilde beasts great and small where there is á most cruell dragon euer ready to deuour vs where there are places full of dangers as Scylla and Charybdis and innumerable others where carelesse persons and they who are of a waueringe faith suffer shipwracke Pray you to our Lord pray O you who are full of pitty pray all you troopes of Saintes and all you compagnies of blessed Spiritts that beinge assisted by your Prayers and meritts we may with our shipp
all reuerence and deuotion and which thou O Lord our God our Priest didst immaculately institute and didst commaund to be offered vp in commemoration of thy charity that is of thy death and passion for our saluation and for the dayly reparation of our frailty Let my mind be confirmed whilest I am in the midst of those so great misteryes by the sweetnes of thy presence Let it find that thou art there at hand and let it reioyce before thee O thou fire which euer flamest O thou loue which euer burnest sweet Christ deere Iesus thou eternall and neuer fayling light thou foode of life which dost refresh vs and yet dost neuer diminish in thy selfe who art dayly eaten and yet dost euer remaine entiere shine thou vpon me kindle me illuminate and sanctify this vessell which is thine owne Make it empty of malice replenish it with grace and when it is once full keep it so that I may receaue this food of thy flesh to the saluation of my soule and that by feeding on thee I may liue of thee and by thee that so I may arriue to thee and repose in thee CHAP. XII Of spirituall ioy O Thou sweetnes of loue and thou loue of sweetnes let my stomacke feed on thee let euen my bowels be all filled with the Nectar of thy loue and let my mind vtter that good word O charity O my God thou hunny which is so sweet thou milke which is so white Thou art the food of strong persons make me increase towards thee that so I may feed vpon thee and tast thee withth epalate not of a sick but of a sound person Thou art the life by which I liue the hope to which I doe adhere and the glory which I desire to obtaine Hold thou fast my hart rule my mind direct my vnderstanding erect my loue suspend my thoughts and draw the mouth of this spirit which thirsteth after thee into those liuing streames of celestiall running waters I beseech thee impose silence vpon these tumultuous thoughts of flesh and bloud let these conceits of the earth of the waters and of the ayre and of these heauens which re we see hold their peace Let all visions reuelations which are imprinted vpon the imagination be silent and euery tongue and sensible expression and what soeuer els which hath his complete beeing by passing on Let euen the soule be islent to it self and let it outstrip and exceed it selfe by not thinking of it selfe but only of thee O my God because thou in very deed art all my hope all my confidence For in thee O my God and my Lord in thee O most sweet O most amiable O most mercifull Christ Iesus there is a part of the flesh and bloud of euery one of vs. Now therefore where a part of me doth raigne there do I beleeue my self to raigne Where my bloud hath dominion there do I also confide my selfe to be in dominion where my flesh is glorifyed there doe I know my selfe to be glorious For howsoeuer I am a sinner yet I cannot despaire but that I shal be admitted to this communication of thy grace And although my iniquityes forbid me yet that substance of mine doth inuite me and although my sinnes do exclude me yet that participation of nature doth not suffer me to be reiected CHAP. XIII That the VVord Incarnate is the cause of our Hope FOr our Lord is not so an enemy as that he can forebeare to loue his owne flesh and the parts of his owne body his owne bowells I might iustly haue despayred by reason of my excessiue sinnes vices of those infinite negligences and faults which I haue commited and which I dayly do commit by thought word and deed and by all those meanes wherby the frailty of mans nature may sinne vnlesse the Vvord my God had become flesh and had dwelt amongst vs. But now I dare not despaire because he growing obedient to thee euen to the death and that the very death of the Crosse did take that hand-writing of our sins and nayling it to the same Crosse did crucify both sinne and death In him therefore doe I securely conceaue hope who sitteth at thy right hand and interceedes for vs. And confiding in him I trust I shall arriue to be with thee in whome we are risen and haue liued againe and haue ascēded vp to heauen and are remaining there To thee be praise glory honour thankesgiuing for euer CHAP. XIV How sweet a thing it is to thinke of God O Thou most mercifull Lord who didst so loue and saue vs who didst so quicken and exalt vs O most mercifull Lord how sweet is the memory of thee How much more I meditate on thee so much more art thou sweet amiable to me Therefore doth it delight me extremely to behold thy excellencyes with a pure sight of the mind and with a most sweet affection of pious loue according to the little power I haue in this place of my pilgrimage Where although I be apperrelled with a poore garment of flesh and bloud I do yet continually aspire to the consideration and desire of thy admirable amability and beauty For with the dart of thy charity am I wounded and I am all on a light fire of desire concerning thee I couet to arriue to thee and thee doe I desire to behold Therefore will I euer stand vpon my guard with vigilant eyes I will be singing in spirit and I will also sing with my vnderstanding with all my forces will I prayse thee who art both my Creatour and my Redeemer I will penetrate the heauens with my affectiō and I will so approch to thee with my desire that I may be held but onely in body by this present misery and all my thoughts and the greedines of my desire shal be euer vpon thee that so my hart may be where thou my treasure art who art so desirable so incomparable and so deerely amiable But behold O my most pittifull and most merciful God whilest I am applying my selfe to the consideratiō of thy immense goodnes and pitty my hart is not able to goe through with it For thy grace thy beauty thy vertue thy glory thy magnificence thy Maiesty and thy charity doth exceed all the powers of our mind And as the splendour of thy glory is inestimable so is the benignity of that eternal charity of thyne vnspeakable whereby thou hast adopted them for thy sonnes ioyned them close to thy selfe whom formerly thou hast created of nothing CHAP. XV. How much tribulation endured for Christ our Lord is to be desired O My soule if dayly we were to suffer torments yea and euen to endure the very paines of hell that for a long tyme together to the end that we might arriue to see Christ in his glory to be associated to his Saints would it not be fit for vs to beare all that affliction if therby we
might be thought fit to be made pertakers of so high a good and so great a glory Let therfore the deuills lye in wayte for vs let them prepare theyr temptations let fasting breake our bodyes let garments loade our flesh let labours weigh heauy vpon vs let watching drye vs let one man cry out vpon vs and let another man disquiet vs let cold contract vs let the conscience repine let heat burne vs let the head ake the breast be inflamed let the stomacke be swolne let the face growe pale and let the whole body be distempered let my yeares be spent in groaning yea let rottennes enter into my bones and multiply therin so that yet I may rest in that day of tribulation and may ascend to our elected people For how great wil that glory of iust persons be how great will be that ioy of the saints when euery one of their faces shal be resplendent like a Sunne When our Lord shall begin to muster vp his people by different ranks in the kingdome of his father shall assigne the promised rewards according to the workes and merit of euery one Celestiall rewards for workes which were performed heere on earth Great rewards for little workes eternall for such as were but temporall That indeed will be a whole huge heape of felicity when our Lord shall bring his Saints into the vision of his Fathers glory and shall place them vpon their seats in heauen that so he may be all in all CHAP. XVI How the kingdome of God may be obteyned O HAPPY sweetnes O delicious happines which it will be for vs to behold the Saints be with Saints and to be Saints to see God and to possesse him for all eternity and euen if it might be beyond eternity Let vs be continually thinking on these things let vs aspire to them with our whole desire that so we may speedily arriue to enioy them If thou aske how this may be done by what merits or by what helpes giue eare and I will tell thee This affaire is put into thine owne power for the kingdome of heauen suffereth violence The kingdome of heauen O man doth exact no price at thy hands but onely thy selfe So much is it worth as thou thy selfe art Giue thy selfe and thou shalt haue it Why art thou troubled about the price Christ our Lord did giue himself away that he might purchase thee to be a kingdome for his father and so do thou also giue thy selfe that thou maist become a kingdome for him that sinne may not raigne in thy mortall body but the Spirit in the renouation of life CHAP. XVII What a happy place Heauen is O My soule returne toward that heauenly Citty wherin we are written and enrold as Cittizens And as Cittizens amongst the Saints the houshold seruants of God and as the heires of God and coheires of Christ our Lord. Let vs consider that excellent felicity of this citty of ours to the very vttermost of what we are able Let vs therefore say with the Prophet O how glorious thinges are sayd of thee thou Citty of God the habitation which is made in thee is of them who are all full of ioy For thou art founded in the exultation of the whole earth No old age is in thee nor any misery which is wont to wayte vpon old age In thee there is no man lame of arme or legg nor crooked nor other wise deformed when once they meet together becoming perfect man in the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ What is more happy then such a life where there is no fear of pouerty nor no incommodity of sicknes where no man is offended no man is angry no man enuious no desire doth solicite vs there is no appetite of meate no man is importuned by thirsting after honour and power there is no feare of the Diuell or the craft of those infernall spirits all terrour of hell is farre off there is no death either of body or soule but a life which is made full of ioy by the guift of immortality In fine there is no kind of ill or discord but all thinges are full of agreement proportion for as much as the concord of all the Saints is intierely one all things are full of peace and ioy all things are quiet and serene An euerlasting splendor there is not like that of this Sunne of ours but another which is so much more bright at it is more blessed For that Citty as we read shall need neither Sūne nor Moone but our Lord omnipotent will illuminate it and the Lambe is the bright lampe therof Where the Saints shall shine like starres and they who instruct many others like the splendour of the firmament No night shal be therefore there no darknes no concourse of clowds no incommodity at all of heat or cold but such a temper of things there wil be as neither the eye hath seene nor the eare hath heard nor can it enter into the hart of any other mē but such as shal be thought worthy to enioy it Whose names are written in the booke of life But it exceedeth all these thinges to be associated to the Quires of Angells and Archangells to behold the Patriarkes and the Prophets to see the Apostles and all the Saints yea to see our owne parents friends These things indeed are glorious but yet still incomparably a more glorious thing it is to behold the present face of God to looke vpon that vnlimitted light of his A superexcellent glory it will be when we shall see God in himselfe we shall see we shall possesse him in our selues and of that sight there wil be no end CHAP. XVIII We cannot make any requitall to Almighty God but only by loue THE soule which is beautifyed by the Image and dignifyed by the ressemblance of God hath groūd inough within it selfe which is also imparted by the same God wherby she may be aduised to remain perpetually within him or at least to return towardes him if she chance to haue beene separated by her affection or rather by her defectes And not only hath she ground of solace in the hope which she may conceaue of pardon and mercy but yet further she may also presume to aspire euen to the marriage of the Word and to contract a league of friendship with God and togeather with that king of the Angells to be drawing in the same sweet yoake of loue Now all this is performed by the same loue if the soule do make it selfe like to God by her will as already she is like him by nature and if she loue him as she is beloued by him For only loue amongst all the motions passions feeling senses of the soule is the thing whereby a creature may answere the benefits of a Creatour and repay after a sort what it oweth though it be not in any equall manner Where loue entreth in it draweth captiueth all other
truth to all such as seeke him but especially to them that loue him A copious redēption is giuen to vs in the wounds of Iesus Christ our Sauiour A great multitude of sweetnes a fullnes of grace the perfection of vertues CHAP. XXII Of the remembrance of the woundes of Iesus Christ our Lord. WHEN I am sollicited by any impure thought I make my recourse vnto the woundes of Christ when my body oppresseth me I recouer strength by calling the wounds of my Lord to mind whē the Diuell is laying some ambush whereby to take me I flye vnto the boweles of my Lords mercy and so the Diuell departeth from me If the ardour of lust make any alteration in my body it is quenched by the memory of the wounds of our Lord the Sonne of God In all the aduersityes which I haue beene subiect to I neuer found so effectuall à remedy as in the wounds of Christ In them do I sleep secure in them do I repose voyd of feare Christ dyed for vs there is nothing so deadly bitter which may not be cured by the death of Christ All the hope I haue is in the death of my Lord. His death is my merit my refuge my sauing health my life and my resurrection My merit is his great mercy I shal neuer be voyd of merit as long as he who is the Lord of mercy shall not be wanting to me And since my merits goe after the rates of his mercyes looke how much more mighty he is towardes the sauing of me so much the more may I be secure CHAP. XXIII The remembrance of the woundes of Christ our Lord is our remedy in all aduersity I Haue committed a grieuous sinne nay I am guilty of many sinnes neither yet wil I despaire because where sinnes haue abounded there hath beene superaboundance of grace He who despaireth of the pardon of his sinnes denieth God to be mercifull He much wrongs God who distrustes in his mercy Such a one doth his best to deny that God hath Charity Verity and Piety wherin all my hope consisteth Namely in the Charity of his adoption in the Verity of his promise in the Piety of his redemption Let therfore my foolish thought be murmuring as much as it will whilest it is saying What a poore thing art thou and what a great glory is that and by what merits dost thou hope to obtaine it For I will confidently answere I know well who it is whome I haue trusted And because he hath adopted me for his sonne with excesse of Charity because he is true in his promises and powerfull in his performances because he may doe what he will I cannot be frighted by the multitude of my sinnes if withall I be able to call the death of my Lord to mind for those sinnes of mine cannot conquerre him Those nayles that launce doe cry out to tell me that in deed I am reconcyled to Christ if I resolue to loue him Longinus opened the side of Christ with his launce there doe I enter in and there I do safely rest He that feares let him loue for charity will put feare away There is not so potent and effectuall a remedy against the ardour of lust as the death of my redeemer He stretcheth forth his armes abroad vpon the Crosse he spreads his handes which are ready to imbrace vs sinners Between those armes of my Sauiour I resolue to liue I desire to dye There will I securely sing I will exalt thee O Lord because thou hast taken me vp hast not giuen myne enemyes their pleasure ouer me Our Sauiour bowed downe his head at his death that he might kisse his beloued so often do we giue à kisse to God as we haue compunction of our sinnes for the loue of him CHAP. XXIIII An exhortation of the soule to the loue of Christ our Lord. O Thou my soule which art dignified with the image of God redeemed by the bloud of Christ espowsed by faith endoweth with a spirit adorned with vertues rancked with Angells be sure thou loue him by whome thou art so much beloued Make him thy busines who hath made thee his Seeke him who seeketh thee loue thy louer by whome thou art beloued by whose loue thou art preuented and who is the cause of thyne He is thy merit thy reward thy fruit thy vse thy end Be thou carefull together with him who is so carefull of thee be attentiue to him who is attentiue to thee be pure with him who is pure be holy with him who is holy Such as thou dost appeare in the sight of God such art thou to expect that he will appeare to thee God who is so sweete so meeke and so full of mercy doth require that thou shouldst be sweet and meeke and gentle humble and full of mercy Loue him who hath drawne thee out of the lake of misery and the filth of durt Choose him for thy friend aboue all thy friends who when all they shall fayle thee will be euer sure to make good thy trust at the day of thy death When all thy friends are departing from thee he will not leaue thee but he will defend thee against those roaring lyons who are sharpe set vpon theyr prey And he will leade thee by a Country wherewith thou art not yet acquainted and he will bring thee to those streets of the celestiall Sion there he will place thee together with his Angels before the face of his owne Maiesty where thou shalt heere that Angellicall Musicke of Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Sabaoth There is the Canticle of ioy the voyce of exultation and saluatiō and thanksgiuing the voyce of prayse and that euerlasting Alleluya There is that high heape of happynes that supereminēt glory that superaboundant gladnes all good thinges put togeather O sigh thou ardently O my soule desire vehemently that thou mayst arriue at that heauenly citty whereof so glorious thinges are sayd where of all the inhabitants are so full of ioy By loue thou mayst ascend Nothing is impossible nothing is hard to one who loues The soule which loues ascendeth often and doth familiarity runne too fro through those streets of the Celestiall Hierusalem Sometimes visiting the Patriarkes the Prophets sometymes admiring those armyes of Martyrs and Confessors contemplating somtymes the Quires of Virgins The heauen and the earth withall which is therein doe neuer cease to let me know that I ought to loue my Lord my God CHAP. XXV That nothing can suffice the soule but the supreme Good THe hart of man which is not fixed in the desire of eternity can neuer be stable and firme but is more wauering then the wind and it passeth from one thing to another seeking reste where it cannot be foūd For in these fraile transitory thinges where the affection thereof is imprisoned it can neuer finde true repose Because our soule is of so great dignity that no
thou be my God or noe And it answered also thus with a loud voyce I am not thy God but I am by him He made mee whom thou seekest in mee Seeke him aboue mee for he gouerneth mee who made thee By the question which I aske of these inanimate creatures I meane nothing but a profound consideration of them and by my sayeing that they make such or such an answere I meane but the attestation which in in they re seuerall kindes they make of God For they all cry out in this manner it is God who made vs. For as the Apostle saith The inuisible things of God are discerned and vnderstood by considering the creatures of this world Then I returned to my selfe and I entered into my selfe and sayd who art thou And I answered my selfe thus A man rational and mortall And I begun to discusse what this might be and I sayd Whence cometh such a liueing creature O Lord my God VVhence but from thee who madest me not I my selfe VVho art thou then by whome I liue thou by whome all things liue VVho art thou Thou O Lord art my true God and onely Omnipotent and eternall and incomprehensible and immense who euer liuest and nothing dyeth in thee for thou art immortall and dost inhabite eternity Thou art admirable in the eyes of Angells vnspeakable inscrutable and vnnameable thou art the true and liueing God terrible and powerfull admittinge in thy selfe nether beginning nor end but being both the beginning and end of all things who art before the first ages and before the very first beginnings of them all Thou art my God and the Lord of all those good things which thou hast created and with thee doe stand the causes of all things which are stable yea and the beginning of all things which in themselues be mutable are yet and doe remayne immutable with thee And the reasons of all things not onely which are eternall and rationall but euen of such as are temporary and irrationall doe yet liue eternally with thee tell O my God this humble seruant of thyne tell ô mercifull God this miserable creature of thine whence groweth such a creature as man but from thee O God Is man perhaps of skill enough to make himself Is his beeing and liueing deriued from any roore but thee Art not thou the supreme beeing from whome all beeing doth proceede For whatsoeuer is is of thee and nothing is without thee Art not thou that fountayne of life from which all life doth flowe for whatsoeuer liueth liues by thee and without thee nothing liues Therefore thou ô Lord diddest make all things and now do I aske who made mee Thou ô Lord diddest make mee without whome nothing was made Thou art my maker and I am thy worke I giue thee thankes ô Lord my God by whome I liue and by whome all things liue for haueing made mee I giue thee thankes ô thou my framer because thy hands haue made and faschioned mee I giue thee thankes ô thou my light because thou hast illuminated mee and I haue found both thee and my selfe where I found my selfe there I knewe my selfe where I found thee there I knewe thee where I knewe thee there thou didest illuminate mee I giue thee thankes O thou my light because thou hast illuminated mee But what is that which I sayd when I affirmed I knewe thee Art not thou God incomprehensible and immense the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who onely possessest immortality and dost inhabite an inaccessible light whome noe man hath euer seene or can see Art not thou that hidden God of inscrutable Maiesty the onely perfect knower and admirable contemplator of thy selfe who did euer perfectly knowe that which he neuer sawe and thou hast sayd in thy truth Noe man shall see mee and liue Thy Apostle did also say in the Truth Noe man did euer see God VVho hath therefore knowen that which he neuer sawe Thy Truth also it selfe hath sayd Noe man knoweth the Sonne but the Father and noe man knoweth the Father but the Sonne The Holy Trinity is perfectly knowen to it selfe alone and that knowledge farre passeth the vnderstanding of man VVhat is therefore that which I sayd I who am a man made all of vanity in saying I knowe thee For who knoweth thee but thou thy selfe For thou alone art God Omnipotent superlaudable and superglorious and superexalted and supreme and thou art named superessentiall in these most holy and most diuine Scriptures Because thou dost exceede all essence which is intelligibile or intellectuall and sensible And thou art knowen to be aboue all the names which can be named and that not onely in this world but in the future superessentially and superintelligibly Because by this hidden and superessentiall diuinity thou doest dwell within thy selfe inaccessibly and inscrutably beyond all created reasō vnderstanding and essence VVhere there is an inaccessible brightnes an inscrutable vnspeakable and incomprehensible light to which noe other light arryues because it it beleeued to bee incontemplable and inuisible and superrationall and superintelligible and superinaccessible superunchaungeable and superincommunicable which noe Angell euer did see or euer shall be able to see perfectly This is that heauen of thine O Lord that heauen of the heauens that supersecret superintelligibile superrationall and superessentiall light whereof it is sayd the heauen of the heauens to our Lord. The heauen of the heauens in respect whereof these other materiall heauens are but a kinde of earth because that former heauen is superadmireably exalted aboue all materiall heauene and the Empireall heauen it self is but as earth in respect of it For this is that heauen of the heauens to our Lord because it is not knowen by any but by our Lord to which noe men ascendeth but he who descended from heauen because noe man knoweth the Father but the Sonne and the Holy Spirit of them both and noe man knoweth the Sonne but the Father and the Holy Spirit of them both Thou O Trinity art entirely knowen to thy self alone Holy Trinity truly superadmireable superinessable superinscrutable superinaccessible superincomprehensible superintelligible superessentiall and superessentially surpassing all sense and reason all vnderstanding all intelligence all essence euen of the most supercelestiall mindes which it is wholy impossible euen for the Spirit of Angells to speake of or to knowe it or to vnderstand it or euen to thinke perfectly thereof How therefore haue I knowen thee O Lord my God who art most high ouer all the earth and aboue all the heauens whome nether Cherubin nor Seraphin doe exactly knowe but they re faces are vayled with the wings of theyr contemplation before him who sitteth vpon that high Imperiall Throne cryeing out and sayeing Holy Holy Holy Lord God of hoasts The Earth is full of thy glory As for thy Prophet he was all in trembling and he sayd Woe be vnto mee for I haue held my peace because I am a man of polluted
and where that fountayne of life is and that inaccessible light and that peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding There doe wee adore and belieue thee O Iesus Christ to be true God and man confessing that thou hast God for thy Father and that from heauen wee expect thee to come as Iudge in the end of the world to iudge the quicke and the dead that thou mayest render eyther reward or punishment to all men eyther good or badd according to those workes which they shall haue wrought in this life that soe they may be eyther in rest or eternall misery For all those creatures who haue receiued a humane soule into that flesh which here they haue carryed about them shall rise at that day in the voyce of thy strength to the end that the whole man may receyue eyther glory or torments according to his merits Thou art that life and resurrection it selfe whom wee expect to be our Sauiour Iesus Christ our Lord who will reforme this poore meane body of ours by conformeing it to the body of his clarity I haue knowen thee also to be true God O thou one holy Spirit of the Father and the Sonne proceding iointly from them both to be consubstantiall and eternall with the Father and the Sonne to be our Paraclete and Aduocate who diddest also descend in the shape of a doue vpon the same God Iesus Christ our Lord and diddest appeare vpon the Apostles in tongues of fyre who also from the beginning hast taught all the elect Saints of God by the gifte of thy grace and hast opened the mouth of the Prophets that they might relate wounderful things of the Kingdome of God who together with the Father the Sonne art adored and glorifyed by all the Saints of God Amongst whome I also who am the sonne of thy handmayd doe glorify thy name with my whole harte because thou hast illuminated mee For thou art that reall light that light which tells vs truth the fyre of God the Doctour of soules the very Spirit of Truth which teacheth vs all truth by thy vnction without which it is impossible for vs to please God For thou thy self art God of God and light of light proceeding from the Father of lights and from his Sonne our Lord Iesus Christ after an ineffable manner with whome thou being coequall and coeternall art glorifyed and dost raigne ioyntly with them superessentially in the essence of the same Trinity I haue knowen thee my one liueing and true God the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost three in persons but one in essence whome I confesse adore and glorify with my whole harte as my onely true Holy immortall inuisible vnchaungeable and vnscrutable God that one Light one Sunne one bread one Life one Good one Beginning one End one Creatour of heauen and earth by whome all things liue by whome all things subsist by whome all things are gouuerned ordered and quickened which are in heauē on the earth and vnder the earth and besides whome there is noe God either in heauen or in earth I haue knowen thee by thy faith wherewith thou hast inspired mee O thou my light and the sight of myne eyes O Lord my God the hope of all the ends of the earth the Ioy which doth recreat my youth and the good which strēgtheneth my age For in thee O Lord do all my bones excessiuely reioyce and say O Lord who is like to thee Who amongst the Gods is like thee O Lord. Not they who are made by the hands of men but thou by whome the hands of men are made The Idolls of the Gentiles are gold and siluer the worke of mens hands But soe is not the maker of men All the Gods of the nations are Deuills but our Lord made the heauens and this Lord is God As for those Gods who made not heauen and earth let them perish both from heauen and earth But let heauen and earth blesse that God who made heauen and earth CHAP. XXXIII Of the Confession of our owne basenes WHo O Lord is like thee among the Gods Who is like thee O thou who art magnificent in thy sanctity who art terrible laudable and doeing wonderfull things Too late I come to knowe thee O thou true light too late am I come to knowe thee But there was a greate and darke cloude before these vayne eyes of myne soe that I could not see the sunne of Iustice and the light of truth I was wrapped vp in darkenes my selfe being the childe of darkenes and this darkenes of myne I loued because I did not knowe the light I was blinde and I loued blindenes and by darkenes I walked on to further darkenes Who brought me out from thence where I blinde creature was sitting in darkenes and in the shadow of death who tooke mee by the hand and led me out VVho was he that did illuminate mee I sought not him but he sought me I called not vpon him and he cryed out vpon mee But who is he that did all this It is thou O Lord my God the Father of mercyes and the God of all consolations it is thou O holy Lord and my God whome I confesse with my whole harte giueinge thankes to thy Name I sought not thee but I was sought by thee I inuoked not thee and thou calledest mee Thou calledst mee by thine owne Name thou diddest thunder thus downe into the inward eare of my harte with this mighty voyce Let Light be made and light was made and that greate cloud flew away that darke thicke cloud was dissolued which had closed vp myne eyes And I sawe thy light and I knew thy voyce and I sayd O Lord that thou indeed art my God Who hast drawen mee out of darkenes and out of the shadow of death and thou hast called me into thy admireable light and behold I see Thankes be giuē to thee O thou who art the Illuminator of my soule And I looked backe and sawe the darkenes wherein I had bene and that profound blacke pitt wherein I had lyen and I did all quake and shiuer and I said Woe woe be to that darkenes wherein I lay Woe woe be to that blindenes wherin I was not able to see the light of heauen VVoe woe to that former ignorance of myne when I had noe knowldege of thee O Lord. But I giue thee thanks O thou my illuminator and deliuerer because thou hast illuminated mee and I haue knowen thee Yet still I am come too late to knowe thee O thou antient Truth too late I am come to knowe thee O thou eternall Truth Thou wert in the light and I in darkenes and I knew thee not because I could not be illuminated without thee nor indeede without thee is there any light at all CHAP. XXXIV A consideration of the diuine Maiestie O Thou holy of holyes thou God of inestimable Maiestie the God of God and the Lord of Lords who art admirable inexplicable
reioyce no lesse for him then for thy selfe And if two or three or many more were possessors of it thou wouldst reioyce for euery one of them as for thy selfe supposing that thou louedst euery one of them as thy selfe What kinde of thing will therfore that perfect Charity be of innumerable Angels blessed men since no one loueth another lesse then himselfe no otherwise will euery one reioyce for any other then for himselfe If therfore the hart of man will scarce be able to containe it self for the single ioy which himselfe will takes in so great a good how will he be capable of this so great ioy of so many others Againe looke how much more a man loues another and so much more doth he reioyce at his good And now as in that supreme felicity euery one will without comparison loue God better then himselfe and all the rest so also will he without comparison reioyce more in the felicity of God then in that of himselfe of all the rest of his fellow-Saints And if they shal loue God withal their hart all their mind and al their soule in such sort as that yet all their hart all their minde all their soule cannot sufficiently comprehend the dignity of that loue without faile they will also reioyce with all their hart withal their mind withall their soule so that all their hart mind soule shall not be able to containe the fulnes of that ioy CHAP. XXXVI Of the fulnes of the ioy of Heauen O My God and my Lord my hope the ioy of my hart tell my soule if this be that ioy wherof thou hast said by thy sonne Aske you shall receiue that so your ioy may be full For I haue found a certaine ioy which is full and more then full the hart the mind the soule and the whole man being full thereof But yet in heauen there will be another ioy beyond measure greater then this is There they who are to enioy it shall not enter into all that ioy but they being all full of ioy shall enter into that ioy of their Lord. Tell me O Lord tell thy seruant tel it to my hart within if this be that ioy into which those seruants of thine shal enter who are to enter into the ioy of their Lord But euen that ioy wher with thy elect shall reioyce hath neither bene seen with the eye nor heard by the eare nor hath it entred into the hart of man So that yet I haue not bene able to say O Lord how great that ioy is which thy Elect shall enioy It is certaine that they shall ioy as much as they loue they shall loue as much as they shall knowe thee O Lord. But how great shall that loue be It is certaine that neither the eye hath seene nor the eare hath hard nor hath it entred into the hart of man in this life how much they shal knowe loue thee in that other life O my God I beseech thee that I may knowe thee that I may loue thee that I may ioy in thee And if in this life I may not do it to the full yet at least make me profit in it more more that at last I may arriue to that fullnes Let the knowledge which heere I haue of thee proceed further that so it may there be full Let my loue of thee increase heere that so it may be full there that heere my ioy may be great in hope there full in deede O Thou true God I beg that I may receiue what thou hast promised that so my ioy may be fulfilled In the meane tyme let my minde meditate vpon it let my tongue speake of it let my hart loue it let my discourse worke vpon it let my soule be hungry and euen my very flesh thirst after it and let my whole substance desire it till such tyme as I shall enter into the ioy of my Lord where I may remaine for euer Amen FINIS
soule is a Sanctuary of God 306 Chap. 31. That God is not to be found eyther by the exteriour or interiour senses 308 Chap. 32. A Confession of true faith 322. Chap. 33. Of the Confession of our owne basenes 331 Chap. 34. A considerations of the diuine Maiestie 333 Chap. 35. Of the desire thirst of a soule towards God 338 Chap. 36. Of the glory of our celestiall country 346 Chap. 37. A payer to the blessed Trinity 352 THE TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS contained in the Manuall THE FIRST CHAPTER OF the wonderfull essence of God page 355 Chap. 2. Of the unspeakable knowledge of God 357 Chap. 3. Of the desire of à soule which thirsteth after God 360 Chap. 4 Of the misery of a soule which loues not God 362 Chap. 5. Of the desire of a soule 365 Chap. 6. Of the felicity of à soule which is freed from the prison of flesh and bloud 367 Chap. 7. Of the Ioyes of Heauen page 369 Chap. 8. Of the kingdome of Heauen pag 341 Chap. 9. How God doth comfort an afflicted soule 343 Chap. 10. Of the sweetnes of diuine loue 345 Chap. 11. Of the preparation of our Redemption 349 Chap. 12. Of spirituall ioy 378 Chap. 13. That the VVord Incarnate is the cause of our Hope 381 Chap. 14. How sweet a thing is is to thinke of God 382 Chap. 15. How much tribulation endured for Christ our Lord is to be desired 384 Chap 16. How the kingdome of God may be obteyned 386 Chap. 17. VVhat a happy place Heauen is page 387 Chap. 18. VVe cannot make any requitall to Almighty God but only by loue 390 Chap. 19. VVhat it is which God rereth of vs that so we may be like himselfe 392 Chap. 20. Of the confidence of a soule which loueth God 394 Chap. 21. VVhat God did for man 397 Chap. 22. Of the remembrance of the woundes of Iesus Christe our Lord 399 Chap. 23. The remembrance of the woundes of Christ our Lord is our remedy in all aduersity 400 Chap. 24. An exhortation of the soule to the loue of Christ our Lord 402 Chap. 25. That nothing can suffice the soule but the supreme Good page 405 Chap. 26. VVhat the knowledge of Truth is 407 Chap. 27. VVhat at the mission of the holy Ghost doth worke in vs page 448 Chap. 28. Of the working of that soule which loueth God 411 Chap. 29. Of the harts true Repose page 413 Chap. 30. VVatsoeuer doth withdraw the sight of the mind from God is wholly to be auoyded 414 Chap. 31. How the vision of God was lost by sinne that misery came so to be found out 416 Chap. 32. Of the Goodnes of God 419 Chap. 33. Of the delightfull fruition of God 421 Chap. 34. That this supreme Good is to be desired 423 Chap. 36. Of the mutuall Charity of the Saints in Heauen 426 Chap. 36. Of the fulnes of the ioy of Heauen 428 THE MEDITATIONS OF THE GLORIOVS Doctour S. Augustine THE FIRST CHAPTER He inuokes Almightie God for the amendement of his life and manners O LORD my God! bestowe vpon my hart that I may desire thee that by desiringe thee I may seeke thee that by seekinge thee I may finde thee that by findinge thee I may loue thee that by loueing thee I may be freed from all my sinns and that once being freed I may returne to them noe more O Lord my God! grant repentance to my hart contrition to my spirit a fontaine of tears to mine eyes and liberality in giueinge almes to my hands O my King extinguish all desires of sense and kindle the fire of thy loue in me O thou my Redeemer driue away the spirit of pride and grant me through thy mercy the treasure of thy humility O thou my Sauiour remoue from me the fury of anger and vouchsafe me of thy grace the sheild of patience O thou my Creator take all rancor from me and through thy meekenes inrich me with a sweete and gentle minde Bestowe on me ô most mercifull Father a solide faith a conuenient hope and a continuall charity O thou my Directour remoue from me vanity and inconstancy of minde vnsetlednes of body scurrility of speech pride of eyes gluttony of diet the offence of my neighbours the wickednes of detractions the itch of curiosity the desire of riches the oppression which is imposed by the mighty the appetite of vayne glory the mischeife of hipocrisy the poyson of flattery the contempt of the necessitous and poore the oppression of the weake the biteinge of couetousnes the rust of enuy and the death of blasphemy Cutt away from me O thou who art my maker all vngodly temerity pertinacy vnquietnesse idlenes sleepinesse slothe dullnes of minde blindnesse of hart stiffnes of opiniō harshnesse of conuersation disobedience to vertu and opposition to good aduice vnbridlednesse of speech oppression of the poore violence of the riche slaunder of the innocent sharpnesse towards my seruants ill example towards myne acquaintance and hard-hartednes towards my neighbours O my God and my mercy I beseech thee by thy beloued Sonne grant that I may performe the workes of mercy and pitty sufferinge with the afflicted aduising such as erre succourring such as are miserable supplying such as are in want confortinge such as are in sorrow releiuing the oppressed refreshing the poore cherishinge the spirits which are wounded forgiueing those that trespasse against me perdoninge such as doe me wronge loueing them who hate me rendringe good for euell dispiseing none but honouringe all imitating the good takeing heed of the bade imbraceing vertue reiectinge vice haueing patience in aduersity and moderation in prosperity and that keepeing a guard vpon my mouth and shuttinge the doore of my lipps I may despise all earthly and aspire to heauenly things CHAP. II. The accusation of man and the commendation praise of the diuine mercy BEhold O thou who haste framed me how many things I haue desired while yet I deserue not so much as a fewe I confesse woe is me I confesse that not onely these graces which I haue begged are not due to me but rather many most exquisite torments Yet doth the example of the Publicanes and Harlotts murthering theeues giue me harte who beinge suddenly drawne out of the very iawes of the enimy haue beene imbraced in the bosome of the good sheepheard And thou ô God the Creator of all things though in all thy workes thou be admirable yet we beleiue that thou art much more admirable in the workes of mercy Wherupon thou saidst by a certaine seruant of thine His mercyes are ouer all his workes And we doe confidently hope that it was as if thou hadest spoken it of euery one of vs in particuler when thou didst thus expresse thy selfe of the whole people saying But I will not remoue mercy from it For thou despisest noe man thou reiectest noe man thou abhorrest noe man vnlesse perhaps it be some one who is so mad as to
iniustice is great I confesse it but farr greater is the Iustice of my Redeemer For as much as God is Superior to man so much is my malice inferior to his goodnes both in quantity and quality For in what hath man sinned wherin the Sonne of God being made Man hath not redeemed him What pride was able to swell so highe as that so great humility would not be able to beate it downe What dominion of death could be so absolute which the torment of the Crosse indured by the Sone of God will not destroy Infaillibly O my God if the faults of a sinfull man and the grace of him who redeemed them be putt into an equall ballance the East will not be found so farr distant from the west nay the lowest parte of hell will not be found so farr distant from the highest pich of heauen as they two will be Now therfore O thou most excellent Creator of light pardon my faults through the immense labours of thy beloued Sonne Lett now I beseech thee his piety propitiate for my impiety his modesty for my peruersity his meekenes for my rudenes his humility for my pride his patience for my impatiēce his benignity for my harshnes his obedience for my disobedience his tranquillity for my vnquietnesse his sweetenes for my bitternesse his mildnesse for my anger and let his charity ouerworke my cruelty CHAP. IX Of the inuocation of the Holy Ghost O Loue of that diuine power the Holy communication of the Omnipotent Father and of the most blessed Sonne O thou Omnipotent Holy Ghoste the most sweete comforter of the afflicted slipp thou downe euen very now by thy puissant vertue into the most secrett corners of my hart and by the splendor of thy cleere light illuminate ô thou deere dweller in our soules these darke retreyts of our neglected habitations and by thy visitation and by the abundance of thy dewe from heauen make my soule growe fruitfull which by reason of so longe a drought is all deformed and decayed Wound thou the most retyred parts of this inward man with the darts of thy loue and inflame and pearce the very marrowe of my dull hart with those healthfull fires of thine And by the flame of thy holy feruour illuminate thou and feed the very interiour both of my whole body and minde Giue me once to drink of the torrent of thy delights that now I may noe more haue a minde so much as euen to taste of the pestiferous sweetnesse of wordly things Iudge me ô Lord and discerne my cause from all wicked people and teach me to doe thy will for thou art my God I beleeue therfore that whomesoeuer thou dost inhabite thou dost build vp a dwellinge place in him both for the Father and the Sonne Blessed is he who shall arriue to intertayne thee because by thee both the Father the Sonne will remaine with him Come come euen now O thou moste benigne Comforter of all woefull soules Thou who protectest them when they haue most need and art their helper in tribulation Come ô thou clenser of sinns and curer of wounds Come ô thou strength of the weake ô thou who stayest such as are falling Come ô thou teacher of the humble and distroyer of the proude Come ô deare Father of Orphants and fauorable Iudge of widowes Come thou hope of the poore thou cherisher of such as fainte Come thou propitious starr of such as sayle thou hauen against the danger of shipwrack Come ô thou excellent ornament of such as liue the onely helpe of such as dye Come ô most holy Spiritt Come and haue mercy on me make me fitt for thy self condiscend to me with pitty that my meanenesse may growe pleasing to thy greatnesse and my weakenes to thy strength Accordinge to the multitude of thy mercyes through Iesus Christe my Sauiour who with the Father doth liue ad reigne in thy vnity for euer and euer Amen CHAP. X. The Prayer of the Seruant of God conceauing humbly of himselfe I Knowe O Lord I knowe and I confesse that I am not worthy that thou shouldest loue me but yet at least it is certaine that thou art not vnworthy to be beloued by me It is true that I am vnworthy to serue thee but it is also true that thou art not vnworthy to be serued by thy Creatures Giue me therfore somewhat O Lord of that which maketh thee so worthy and so I shall growe worthy who am vnworthy Make me cease from sinn by what meanes thou wilt to the end that I may serue thee as I ought Grant that I may so addresse and order and end my life that I may sleepe in peace and repose in thee Grant that in the end the sleepe of death may receiue me with rest rest with securiry and security with eternity Amen CHAP. XI A Prayer to the blessed Trinity WE confesse to thee with our whole hart and with our mouth we praise and blesse thee O God the Father who art vnbegotten and thee O God the Sonne who art the onely begotten and thee O God the holy Ghoste who art the Paraclete To thee O holy and indeuiduall Trinity be glory for all eternityes Amen CHAP. XII A Confession of the Omnipotency and Maiesty of God O Supreame Trinity O thou sole power vndeuided Majesty O God of ours O Omnipotent God I confesse to thee who am the vnworthyest of thy seruāts and the weakest of thy mēbers I cōfesse to thee in thy Church and I giue thee honor by offering thee a due sacrifice of praise according to that little power and skill which thou haste vouchsafed to affoord me thy miserable creature And because I haue no external presents which I can make to thee therfore these desires and vowes of seruice and praise which by the guift of thy mercy are in me behold how with an vnfained faith and with a pure conscience I offer them to thee not onely with a good will but with a hart which is full of triūph and ioy I beleeue therfore with my whole hart and I confesse with my mouth O thou Kinge of heauen ad Lord of earth that thou the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghoste art in Persons three and in Substance one that thou art God Omnipotent of one simple incorporeall inuisible and vncircumscribed nature That there is nothing either aboue thee or belowe thee or greater then thou but that thou art sublymely and absolutely perfect whithout the least deformity Great without quantity good without quality eternall yet wholly without Tyme That thou hast life without death that thou art strong without any weakenesse true without falshoode euery where present without being scituated any where filling all things yet without any extension occurringe euery where yet without any crossinge or contradiction Transcending all things without Motion remaneinge in all things without Station creatinge all things without looseinge or wantinge any thing and ruleinge all things without
to inhabite and to illuminate it and that for euer Nor can I finde what I may more fittly call this heauen of the heauens to our Lord then that howse of thine which is contemplateinge thy delighte without any defect at all and without the least inclination to departe from that to any other that pure minde most intirely one that establishemēt of those blessed spirits in the foundation of peace in those heauens aboue which are yet aboue these heauens which we see Hereby my soule whose pilgrimage is so far of from thee may vnderstande if now it thirst affer thee if now her teares are not made her bread if now she desire that one thinge and begg it agayne and agayne that she may inhabite thy howse all the days of her life And what is the life of that howse but thou thy selfe and what are the dayes therof but thy eternity as thy years are which neuer faile Let therfore the soule vnderstand here as well as it can how sublymely thou art Eternall before all tymes since that howse of thyne which neuer wandred from thee although it be not coeternall with thee yet by reason that it adheareth to thee without any failing or euer faintinge vndergoeth noe variety of tyme but sucking vp thee her immutability with a perpetuall perseuering purity of minde she doth at no tyme and in noe place depart from thee to whom she cleaues with vnseparable loue to whom thou art euer present And so haueing no future which it may expecte nor any transitory thing passing by which it may remember it is not varied to and fro by turnes nor extended into future tymes CHAP. XX. Here man prayeth that the said spirituall howse of God may pray for him O Thou bright and beautifull howse of God I haue loued thy comelynesse and the place of the habitation of the glory of my Lord God who did both build thee and doth possesse thee Lett this pilgrimage of myne send sighes to thee day and night lett my hart pant towards thee lett my minde thinke on thee and lett my soule desire to attayne to the Society of thy beatitude I say to him who made thee that he would possesse me in thee for it is he who made both thee me Or rather doe thou desire and beseeche of him that he will make me worthy of the participation of thy glory For I doe not challenge thy holy Society nor thy admirable beauty by any meritt of mine but I despaire not to obteine it by the Blood of him who redeemed me Onely let thy meritts help me let thy most holy and most pure Prayers which cannot but be effectuall with Almighty God succour my sinfulnesse I confesse that I haue wandred like a lost sheepe and my habitation here is prolonged and I am cast farr of from the face of my Lord God into this blindenesse of banishment where being driuen from the ioyes of Paradise I am dayly lamentinge with my selfe the miseryes of my captiuity and I singe a mornefull songe and I make huge lamentations when I remember thee O Ierusalem who art my mother whilest I finde my feete standinge in thy outward Courts O thou faire and holy Sion but am not able so much as to looke into those interior parts of that Temple But yet I hope that I shall once be brought into thee vpon his shoulders who is my Pastor and who was thy builder that I may triumphe with thee in that inspeakable ioy wherewith they reioyce who stand with thee before God our Sauiour himselfe who discharged our enmytyes in his flesh and who pacifyed all things which are both in Heauen and in earth by his blood For he is our peace who made both to become one and who ioyned in himselfe those two walls which went by contrary ways Ordeyninge thy permanent felicity and promissing that he would giue himselfe to vs accordinge to the same measure sayinge And they shal be equall to the Angells of God in Heauen O Ierusalem thou eternall house of God be thou after the charity of Christe our Lord my ioy and my comfort and let the sweet memory of thy blessed Name be a solace to my sorowes and heauinesse of hart CHAP. XXI How full of biternesse this life of ours is O Lord I am extreamely weary of this life and of this woefull pilgrimage This life this miserable life fraile life vncertaine life laborious life vncleane life Life which is the lady of wicked men the queene of proude men full of miseryes and errours which deserues not to be call'd a life but a death since we are dying in euery moment by diuers kinds of death through the seuerall miseryes and changes which we are subiect too Doth therfore this which we liue in this world deserue to be called life when humors make vs swell and greife extenuates and vnnaturall heat dryes vp and impressions of the ayre infect Meat maketh fatt fasting maketh leane mirth makes dissolute sorrowes consume care straitneth security makes dull Riches puffs vs vp pouerty casts vs downe youth extolls vs and old age makes vs stoope sicknes breakes sorrow oppresses vs. And to all these miseryes furious death succeeds and at a clapp doth so impose an end vpon this miserable life that as soone as it hath left to be it is scare beleeued that euer it was This vitall death and this mortall life although it be all sprinckled with these and many other bitter miseryes alas alas it doth yet take very many by the inticeinge pleasures therof and it deceiues them by the false promisses which it makes And although of it selfe it be so very biting so bitter as that it cannot be concealed from her blinde louers yet are there an infinite nomber of fooles in the world whome she intertaynes inebriates with the golden chalice which she hath in her hand Happy are they but they are to fewe who refuse her familiarity who dispise her sleight entertaniements and ioys who forsake all society with her lest they be forced to perish together with her who deceiued them CHAP. XXII Of the felicity of that life which our Lord hath prepared for them that loue him O Thou life which our Lord hath prepared for them who loue him O thou vitall life happy life quiett life secure life beautifull life pure life chaste life holie life life which knowes not what belongs to death which knowes not what belongs to sorrow life without spott without greife without anxiety without any perturbation without corruptiō without variety and mutation life toppfull of all excellency and dignity where there is noe aduersary to impugne vs noe inticeinge baite of sinn to allure vs where there is perfect loue noe feare an euerlastinge day and one spiritt of vs all where God is seene face to face where the soule is full fedd with this food of life without all defect I am resolued to looke earnesly towards thy light Thy felicity
haste brought me to the vnderstanding of truthe casting away the darknes of ignorance and whereby thou haste drawen me out of the foolish bitternes of this world and so accompanyinge it with the sweetnes of thy charity thou haste made it delightfull and deer to me I doe with a lowde voice inuoke thee O blessed Trinity with that sincere loue which groweth out of Faith which Faith thou haueing nourished euen from my cradle did'dst inspire by the illustration of thy grace and which thou hast encreased and confirmed in me by the documents of my Mother the Church I inuoke thee O holy and blessed and glorious Trinity in Vnity the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghoste our God our Lord and our Paraclete Charity Grace and Communication the Father the Sonne and the Illuminator the Fountayne the Riuer and the Irrigation or wateringe All things by one and all things in one from whome by whome in whome all things The liuing life the life proceeding from the liuing life the life liuing One from himselfe One from one and One from two One being from himselfe One being from another and One being from two other The Father is true the Sonne is Truth and the Holy Ghoste is Truth Therfore the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghoste are one essence one power one goodnes one beatitude from whome by whome and in whome all things are happie what things soeuer are happie CHAP. XXXII That God is the true and souuereigne life O God the true and Souuereigne life from whome by whome and in whome all things doe liue which haue any true and happy life O God who art that goodnesse and that beauty from whome by whome and in whome all things are faire and good which haue any beauty or goodnesse in them O God whose faith doth excite vs whose hope doth erect vs and whose charity doth vnite vs O God who requirest that we seeke thee and who makest vs finde thee and who openest to vs when we knocke O God from whome to be auerted is to faâ—l and to whom to be conuerted is to rise and in whom to remayne is to be immoueable O God whome noe man looseth but he who is deceaued no man seeketh but he who is admonished and noe man findeth but he who is purged O God whome to know is to liue whome to serue is to reigne whome to praise is the ioy and saluation of the soule I praise thee I blesse thee and I adore thee with my lipps with my hart and with all the whole power I haue And I present my humblest thanks to thy mercy and goodnes for all thy benefitts and I sing this Hymn of glory to thee Holy Holy Holy I inuoke thee O blessed Trinity beseechinge that thou wilt come into me and make me worthy to be the Temple of thy glory I begge of the Father by the Sonne I begge of the Sonne by the Father I begge of the Holy Ghoste by the Father and the Sonne that all vice may be farr remoued from me and that all holy vertue may be planted in me O Immense God from whome all things by whome all things in whome all things both visible and inuisible are made Thou who doste inuiron thy workes without and fillest them within who dost couer them from aboue and dost susteyne them from belowe keepe me who am the worke of thy hands and who hope in thee and who onely confide in thy mercy Keepe me I beseech thee here and euery where now and euer within and without before me behinde me aboue and belowe and round about that no place at all may be left for the treacherous attempts of my enemies against me Thou art the Omnipotent God the keeper and the Protector of all such as hope in thee without whome noe man is safe none freed from danger Thou art God and there is noe other God but thou neyther in heauen aboue nor on earth belowe Thou whoe performest workes of prowess and so many wonderfull and vnscrutable things which exceed all number Praise is due to thee honor is due to thee and to thee Hymns of glory are due To thee doe all the Angells the heaueÌ„s all the power therof sing Hymns and praises without ceaseing and all creatures and euery spiritt doth praise thee the holy and indiuiduall Trinity as it becomes the creatures there Creator the slaues their Lord and the souldiers their King CHAP. XXXIII The praises of men and Angells TO thee doe all the Saintes and they who are humble of hart to thee doe the spiritts and soules of iust persons to thee doe all the Cittizens of heauen and all those orders of blessed spiritts sing the hymn of honor and glory adoreinge thee humbly without end All the Cittizens of heauen doe praise thee O Lord after a most honorable and magnificent manner and man who is an eminent parte of thy Creatures doth also praise thee Yea and I wretched sinner and miserable Creature that I am doe yet labour with an extreame desire to praise thee and wish that I could loue thee with excessiue loue O my God my life my strength and my praise vouchsafe to lett me praise thee Grant me light in my hart putt thou the word into my mouth that my hart may thinke vpon thy glory and my toÌ„gue may singe thy praises all the day longe But because it is noe hansome praise which proceeds out of the mouth of a sinner And because I am a man of polluted lipps Clense thou my hart I beseeche thee from all spotts sanctify me O thou Omnipotent sanctifier both within and without and make me worthy to sett forth thy praise Receaue with benignity and acceptation from the hand of my hart which is the affection of my soule receiue I say the sacrifice of my lipps and make it acceptable in thy sight and make it ascend vp to thee in the odour of sweetnes Let thy holy memory and thy most diuine sweetnes possesse my whole soule and draw it vp at full speed to the loue of inuisible things Let it passe from the visible to the inuisible from the earthly to the heauenly from the temporall to the eternall and lett it passe on so farr as to see that admirable vision O eternall Verity O true Charity O deer Eternity thou art my God to thee doe I sigh day and night to thee doe I pant at thee doe I ayme to thee doe I desire to arriue He who knowes thee knowes Truth and he knowes Eternity Thou O Truth dost preside ouer all things We shall see thee as thou art when this blind and mortall life is spent wherein it is said to vs where is now thy God And I also said to thee Where art thou O my God In thee am I refreshed a little when I power out my soule towards thee by the voice of my exultation and confessioÌ„ which is as the sounde of a man who is bankquetting end celebratinge some great festiuity And
my selfe in the most secret corner of my hart that doe I not conceale from thy paternall eares Thou art rich in thy mercy and liberall in thy rewards grant me some of thy good guifts that therby I may doe seruice to thee For we cannot serue nor please thee by any other meanes then of thy guift Strick through I beseech thee this flesh of mine with thy feare Let my hart reioyce that it may feare thy name O that my sinfull soule might so feare thee as that holy Man did who said I haue allwayes feared God like the waues of a Sea which were flowing ouer me O God thou giuer of all good things grant me whilest I am celebratinge thy praises a fountayne of tears together with purity of hart and ioy of minde that loueing thee perfectly and praiseinge thee worthily I may feele and taste and sauour with the very palate of my soule how sweete delicious thou art O Lord accordinge to that which is written Taste and see how sweete our Lord is Blessed is the man who hopes in him Blessed is the people which vnderstandeth this ioy Blessed is the man whose helpe is from thee He hath disposed of certayne degrees whereby to rise vp in his hart in this valley of tears in the place which he hath appointed Blessed are the cleane of hart for they be the men who shall see God Blessed are they who dwell in thy house O Lord for they shall praise thee for euer for euer CHAP. XXXV A prayer which greatly moueth the hart to Deuotion and to Diuine loue O Iesus our Redemption our Desire and our Loue thou God of God giue helpe to me who am thy seruant I inuoKe thee I call vpon thee with a mighty crye and with my whole hart I inuoke thee into my soule enter into it make it fitt for thy selfe that thou maist possesse it without spott and wrinckle For to a most pure Lord a most pure habitation is due Sanctify me therfore who am the vessell which thou hast made Euacuate me of malice and fill me with grace and still keepe me full that I may be made a Temple worthy to be inhabited by thee both here and in the other euerlasting world O thou most sweete most benigne most loueing most deer most powerfull most desireable most pretious most amiable most beautifull God thou who art more sweete then hony more white then any milk or snow more delicious then Nectar more pretious then gold or jewells and more deere to me then all the riches and honors of the earth But what doe I say O my God O thou my onely hope and my so abundant mercy What doe I say O thou my happy and secure sweetnes What doe I say when I vtter such things as these I say what I can but I doe not say what I should O that I could say such things as those Quires of Angells doe vtter in those celestiall Hymns O how willingly would I euen spend powre out my whole selfe vpon thy praises O how faine would I most deuoutly and most indefatigablie proclaime those Hymns of celestiall melody in the middest of thy Church to the praise and glory of thy Name But because I am not able to doe these things compleatly shall I therefore hold my peace woe be to them who hold their peace of thee who loosest the tongues of dumm persons and makest the tongues of children eloquent Woe woe be to them who hold their peace of thee for euen they who speak most may be accompted to be but dumbe when they doe not speake thy praise But now who shal be able worthily to prayse thee O thou vnspeakable Wisdome of the Father But yet although I finde noe wordes whereby I may sufficiently vnfold thee who art the Omnipotent and Omniscient Word I will yet in thy meane tyme say what I can till thou biddest me come to thee where I may say that of thee which is fitt and which I am bound to say And therefore I humbly pray that thou wilt not haue an eye so much to that which I say now in deed as to that which I say in my desire For I desire and that with a great desire to say that of thee which is fitt and iust because it is fitt that thou be praised and celebrated and all honor is due to thee Thou seest therefore O God thou who knowest of all secrett things that thou art more deer to me not onely then the earth and all that is therein but that thou art more acceptable and amiable to me then heauen it selfe and all that it conteynes For I loue thee more then heauen and earth and all those other things which are in them Nay these transitory things are without doubt not to be beloued at all if it weare not for the loue of thy Name I loue thee O my God with a greate loue and I desire to loue thee yet more Giue me grace that I may euer loue thee as much as I desire and as much as I ought that thou alone maist be all my intention and all my meditation Let me consider thee all the day long without ceasinge let me feele thee euen when I am sleeping by night let my spiritt speake to thee lett my minde conuerse with thee let my hart be illustrated with the light of thy holy vision that thou being my Director and my Captayne I may walke on from vertue to vertue and that at last I may see thee the God of Gods in Syon Now as in a glasse or in a cloude but then face to face where I shall knowe thee as I am knowen Blessed are the cleane of hart for they are the men who shall see God Blessed are they who dwell in thy howse O Lord for euer and for euer shall they praise thee I beseech thee therefore O Lord by all thy mercyes whereby we are freed from eternall death mollyfy my hart which is hard stony and rocky and steely with thy powerfull and most sacred vnction and grant that by the fire of contrition I may become a liueing sacrifice before thee in euery moment of my life Make me euer to haue a contrite and humbled hart in thy presence with abundance of tears Grant that through my great desire of thee I may be vtterly deade to this world and that I may forgett these transitory things through the greatnes of my loue and feare of thee and this so farr forth as that I may neuer reioyce nor mourne nor feare any thinge which is temporall and that I may not loue them least so I be eyther corrupted by prosperity or deiected by aduersity And because the loue of thee is strōg as death I beseech thee that the fiery and mellifluous force of thy loue may suck vp and deuoure my whole minde from all those things which are vnder heauen that I may in heare to thee alone and be fedd with the memory of thy onely sweetnes O Lord
with thy finger in my hart the sweete memory of thy mellifluous Name which may neuer be blotted out againe Write thy will and thy lawe in the tables of my hart that I may haue both thy lawe and thy selfe O Lord of immense sweetnes at all tymes and places before myne eyes Burne vp my mynde with that fire of thyne which thou did'st send into the world and did'st desire that it might be much kindled that I may daily offer to thee abundance of tears the sacrifice of a troubled spirit and contrite hart O sweete Christe O deer Iesus as I desire and as with my whole hart I craue so giue me thy holy and chaste loue which may replenish and take and possesse me wholy And giue me that euident signe of thy loue a springing fountayne of tears which continually may flowe that my tears themselues may witnes thy loue to me and they may discouer and declare how deerly my soule loueth thee whilest through the excessiue sweetnes of that loue it cannot conteyne it selfe from tears I remember deare Lord that good woeman Anna who came to the Tabernacle to begg a sonne of thee of whome the Scripture saith that after her tears and prayers her countenance was cast no longer towardes seuerall things But whilest I call to mind her so great vertue and constancy I am racked with greife and confounded with shame because I finde my selfe too miserablie cast downe towards vanity But if she wept so bitterly and did so perseuer in weepinge who onely desired to haue a sonne how ought my soule to lament and continue in lamentation which seekes and loues God and earnesty desires to get home to him How ought such a soule lament and weepe who seeketh God day and night and is resolued to loue nothinge but Christ our Lord It is no lesse then a wōder if such a persons teares become not his bread day and night Looke back therefore and take pitty on me for the sorrowes of my hart are multiplyed Giue me of thy celestiall contemplation and despise not this sinfull soule for which thou dyedst Giue me I beseeche thee internall teares which may springe from the most secret corner of my hart whereby the chaines of my sinns may be broken and lett them euer fill my soule with celestiall ioy that I may obteyne some little portion in thy Kingdome if not in the Society of those true and perfect Moncks whose stepps I am not able to followe yet at least with deuout woeman I doe also call to minde the admirable deuotion of another woemā who sought thee with tender loue whē thou wert layd in the Sepulcher Who retired not from the sepulcher when the Disciples retired who satt downe there all afflicted and wounded she wept there long and much and riseing vp with many tears she did agayne and agayne play as it were the spy with her watchfull eyes vpon that solitary place to see if perhapps she might be able to finde thee any where whom she sought with such ardour of desire She had already entered into the sepulcher once and agayne but that which in it selfe seemes too much seemes not enough to one that loues The vertue of a good worke is perseuerance and because she loued thee beyond the rest and loueing wept and weeping sought and seeking perseuered therefore did she deserue to be the first of all others to finde the out and to speake with thee And not onely that but she was the first proclamer of thy glorious Resurrection to thy Disciples thy selfe thus directing and sweetly commaunding that it should be so Goe and will my brethren that they pass on into Gallile they shall see me there But now if that woeman wept and continued in weepinge who sought the liueing amongst the dead and who touched thee but with the hand of Faith how ought my soule to lamente and persiste in lamentation which beleeueth with the hart and confesseth with the mouth that thou art her redeemer praesiding now in heauen and regninge euery where How ought such a soule to lament and weepe which loues thee with her whole hart and couetts to see thee with her whole desire Thee who art the sole refuge and the onely hope of miserable creatures to whome one can neuer pray without hope of mercy Afford me this fauour I beseech thee for thyne owne sake for thy holy Name that as often as I thinke of thee speake of thee write of thee read of thee conferr of thee as often as I remember thee and am present with thee and offer praise and prayers and sacrifice to thee so often may I weepe abundantly and sweetely in thy presence that so my tears may be made my bread day and night Thou O King of glory and thou instructer of soules in all vertue haste taught vs both by doctrine and example that we are to lament and weepe sayinge Blessed are they who mourne for they shal be comforted Thou didest weepe ouer thy deceased freind and thou didest shedd abundant tears ouer that miserable Citty which was to perish And now O deare Iesus I beseech thee by those most pretious tears of thyne and by all those mercyes whereby thou didest vouchsafe so admirably to releyue vs wretched Creatures giue me the grace of tears which my soule doth greatly affect and couet For without thy guift I cannot haue it but be thou pleased to impart it to me by that holy Spirit of thyne which mollifyes the hard harts of sinners and giues them compunction to weepe as thou didest giue it to our Fathers whose footesteps I am to imitate that so I may lament my selfe duringe my whole life as they lamented themselues day and night And by theyr merits and prayers who pleased theo and did most deuoutly serue thee I beseeche thee take pitty vpon me thy most miserable and vnworthy seruant and grant me the grace of tears Grant me that superior kinde of irrigation or watering and that inferior also that my tears may be my bread day and night and that by the fire of sorrowe I may be made a fatt and marrowy Holocauste in thy sight O my God let me be all offerred vp vpon the altar of my hart and let me be receyued by thee as a most acceptable sacrifice to thee in the odour of sweetnes Grant me O most sweete Lord both a continuall and a cleere founteyne wherein this vncleane Holocauste may be cleansed For although I haue already offered my selfe to thee by thy fauour and grace yet in many things doe I offend dayly through my excessiue frailty Giue me therefore the grace of tears O blessed and amiable God through the greate sweetnes of thy loue and by the commemoration of thyne owne mercyes Prepare this table for thy seruant in thy sight putt it into my power that as often as I list I may be filled therewith Grant through thy pitty goodnes that this excellent and inebriating chalice may quench my thirste
that admirable and most goodly house of thine where the voice of ioy and exultation is euer ringing out in those Tabernacles of the Iust Blessed are they who dwell in thy house O Lord for euer and for euer shall they praise thee Blessed are they truely blessed whome thou hast chosen and assumed into that celestiall inheritance Beholde how thy Saints O Lord doe florish like the Lilly they are filled with the euer springinge plenty of thy house thou giuest them to drink of the torrent of thy delights For thou art the fountayne of life and in thy light they shall see light in so high degree as that they who are but a light illuminated by thee ô God who art the illuminateing light doe yet shine in thy sight like the Sunn it selfe O how admirable how pretious and how beautifull be the habitations of thy house O thou God of all strength This sinfull soule of mine is carried with extreame desire to enter thyther O Lord I haue loued the beauty and order of thy house and the place of the habitation of thy glory One thinge I haue begged of our Lord and I will neuer leaue to begg the same that I may dwell in the house of our Lord all the days of my life As the Stagg runns panting towords the fountaines of water so doth my soule runn thirstinge after thee O God When shall I come and once appeare before thy face When shall I see my God after whome my soule is in a deadly thirst When shall I see him in the land of the Liueinge for in this land of the Dyinge he cannot be seene with mortall eyes Vvhat shall I doe miserable creature that I am beinge bound vp hand and foote by these chaynes of my mortality What shall I doe Whilest we remaine in this body we wander from our Lord. Vve haue not here any permanent Citty but we are looking after another which is to come for our habitation is in heauen Vvoe be vnto me for that my abode nere is prolonged I haue dwelt with the inhabitants of Cedar and my soule hath beene too true a dweller there Vvho will helpe me to the winges of a doue that I may fly and rest Nothinge can be so delightfully deare to me as to be with my Lord. It is good for me to adheare to my God Grant to me ô Lord whilest I am confined to this mortall flesh that I may adheare to thee as it is written He who adhears to our Lord becometh one spiritt with him Grant me I beseech thee the wings of Contemplation that beinge indued therewith I may fly vp a pace towards thee And because all that which is sinfull and weake is workeinge downeward ô Lord hold hold thou my hart that it may not rush into the bottomes of this darke valley that by interposition of the shadow of the earth it may not be seuered from thee who art the true Sunn of Iustice and so may be hindred from beholdinge celestiall things by the drawinge of black cloudes ouer it Therefore am I aspireinge to those ioyes of peace and to that most calme and delight-full state of light Hold thou fast my hart in thy hand for vnlesse it be by thee it will neuer be able to rayse it selfe to thinges aboue Thither doe I make all haste where supreame peace doth reigne and where eternall tranquillity is resplendent Hold fast and guide my spiritt and raise it accordinge to thy good will that so thy selfe beinge the guide therof it may ascend into that region where there is an eternal spring and where thou feedest Israel for euer with the food of truthe that there at the least with some swifte and catchinge thought I may now lay hold of thee who art that Souereigne Vvisdome remaineinge ouer all things and gouerninge and conducteinge all things But to the soule which is striuing and struglinge towards thee there are many thinges which call vpon it by way of giueinge it impediment O Lord I beseeche thee that they may all be putt to silence by thy commandement Lett my very soule be silent to it selfe Lett it passe by all things Lett it transcend all thinges created and dispatch them all away from it selfe Lett it arriue to thee and vpon thee who art the onely Creator of all things let it fasten the eyes of Faith let it aspire towards thee let it be wholy attentiue to thee let it meditate vpō thee let it contemplate thee let it place thee euer before her eyes and lock thee vp in her hart thee who art the true and soueraigne good that ioy which must neuer haue an end Many Contemplations there are whereby a soule which is deuoute to thee may be admirably intertayned fedd but in none of them is my soule so delighted and laid to rest as in the thought of thee and when it thinks and contemplates thee alone How great is the multitude of that sweetnes of thine wherewith thou dost admirably inspire the harts of thy louers How admirable is that deernes of thy loue which they enioy who loue nothinge but thee who seeke nothinge nor desire so much as to thinke of any thinge but thee Happy soules are they whose onely hope thou art and whose onely worke is Prayer Happy is that man who sits in solitude and silence and stands still vpon his guard day and night and who whilest he is imprisoned in this poore litte body of his may yet be able in some proportion to haue a taste of thy diuine sweetnes I beseech thee ô Lord by those pretious wounds of thyne which thou wert pleased to beare vpon thy Crosse for our saluation and from whēce that precious Blood did flow whereby we are redeemed be pleased to wounde this sinfull soule of myne for which thou didst also vouchsafed to dye Wound it with the fiery and most puissant dart of thy excessiue charity For the Word of God is full of life and efficacy and it is more penetratiue then any sharp two-edged sword Thou art that choise arrow and that most sharp sword which is able by thy power to pearce through the hard buckler of mans hart Strike through my hart with the dart of thy loue that my soule may say to thee I am wounded with thy loue And doe it in such sort as that out of this very wound of thy loue abundance of tears may streame downe from mine eyes day and night Stricke through O Lord strike through I beseeche thee this most hard hart of mine with the deare strong pointed launce of thy loue and pearce downe yet more deepely into the most interiour parte of my soule by the mighty power of thy hand And so drawe forth out of this head of mine abundāce of water and from these mine eyes a true fountaine of tears which may continually flowe through my excessiue loue and desire of the vision of thy beauty To the end that I may mourne day and night admittinge of
which are which growe and which feele because I am I growe and I feele And thou hast created me little inferiour to the Angells because I haue receiued a power of knoweinge thee which is common betweene them ād me But yet I sayd well in saying that it was a little inferiour For they haue that happy knowledg of thee by expresse vision whereas I haue it but by hope they haue it face to face and I but by a glasse as in a cloud they haue it perfectly and I but partly CHAP. VIII Of the future Dignity of Man BVt when that shall come which is perfect that will be euacuated which is imperfect when also we shall see thee clearely face to face what shall now hinder vs to be but little inferiour to the Angells Whom thou O Lord doest vouchsafe to crowne with the crowne of hope which is adorned with honour and glory whome thou doest excessiuely honour as thy friends and as persons who are euery way equalls and Peeres of the Angell Yea and thy truth saith this For they are equall to the Angells and they are the sonnes of God And what are they but sonnes of God if they be equall to Angells They shall indeede be sonnes of God because the sonne of man is made the sonne of God When therefore I consider this I am bould to say that man is not somewhat lesse then the Angells nay he is not onely equall to the Angells but superiour to them because man is God and God is a man not an Angell And therefore I will say that man is the most worthy crsature because the Word which was in the beginning God with God the Word whereby God sayd let light be made and light was made that is the Angelicall nature the Word Whereby God created all things in the beginning the same Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst vs and we haue seene his glory Behoulde the glory wherein I glory when I glory as I ought Behoulde the ioy wherewith I ioy when I ioy as I ought O Lord my God my life and the entire glory of my soule I confesse to thee O Lord my God that when thou didest create me capable of reason thou didest in some respect make me equall to the Angells because I may be perfected by thy word soe farre as that I may arriue to an equality with the Angells and that I may haue the adoption of thy sonnes by thy onely begotten Word O Lord by that beloued Sonne of thyne in whom thou art well pleased by that onely heyre who is coeternall and consubstantiall with thee which is Iesus Christ our onely Lord and Redeemer our Illuminator Comforter our Aduocat with thee and the light of our eyes who is our life our Sauiour our onely hope who loued vs more then himselfe by whome we haue confidence layd vp for vs with thee a firme hope and accesse in comeing to thee because he gaue power to such as would beleiue in his Name that they might become the sonnes of God Let me giue praise to thy Name O Lord who by creating me according to thine image and likenes haste ordayned me to be capable of soe great glory as that I may be made thy sonne Trees are not capable of this stones are not capable nor in fine any of those things which are moued or growe in the ayre or in the Sea or on the earth because he did not giue them power by the Word to become his sonnes because they are not capable of reason For this power doth consist in reason whereby we knowe God But he gaue this power to men whome he created capable of reason according to his owne image and likenes And I also O Lord am by thy grace a man and by grace I may become thy Sonne which they cannot be From whence came this fauour to me O Lord thou soueraigne truth and thou true souueraignity thou who art the beginning of all thy creatures whence came this blessing to me that I had a capacitie to become the sonne of God which they had not Thou art he who remainest for euer who didest create all things at once At once thou didest create men and beasts and stones and the plants of the earth Noe merits of any of them did preceede noe former priuiledge was due to them For thou didst create them all out of thine owne meere goodnes and all the creatures were equall in merits because none of them had any merits at all And how then grew thy goodnes to bee greater towards this thy creature whome thou haste made rationall then towards all the rest which are not endewed with reason Why am not I as all they are and why are not all they as I am or why at least am not I alone like them What merits were there of myne What fauour was dew to me that thou shouldest create me capable of being thy sonne which yet thou wouldst deny to all them Farr be it from me O Lord to thinke that this proceeded from any merits of mine It was thy onely grace thy onely goodnes which made me partaker of the sweetnes therof Now graunt me therefore O Lord of that grace whereby thou didest create me of nothing grant me I beseeh thee of that grace to the end that I may be gratefull to thee for the same CHAP. IX Of the Omnipotency of God THy Omnipotent hand which is euer one and the same did create the Angells in Heauen and the base wormes on Earth and yet thou wert not greater in the creation of the former and lesse in the creation of the later For as noe other hand but thine was able to create an Angell soe nether could any hand but thyne create the poorest worme As noe hand but thyne had bene able to create the Heauens soe could none els create the lightest leafe of any tree As noe hand but thyne could create any body of ours soe none but thyne could make any one haire of our heads ether black or white Thy onely Omnipotent hand doth all these things to which all things are possible a like For it is not more possible for it to create a miserable worme then an Angell nor more impossible to extend spread abroad the whole heauen then one single leafe nor is it easier to frame one haire of our heads then to make our whole body nor is it harder for it to plant and build the earth vpon the waters then the waters vpon the earth But whatsoeuer he had a mynde to doe he hath done as he was pleased to doe both in heauen and on earth and in all the deepe Abysses so hath he framed things me among them all as he would could and knew them Thy hand O Lord could haue made me a stone a bird or a serpent or any other brute creature and thou knowest how to doe it but thou wouldest not through thy great goodnes to mee Vvhy therefore am I not some
Let mee therefore loue thee O Lord my streÌ„gth let mee loue thee O thou vnspeakeable exultation of my soule And let me liue now not to my self but to thee My whole life which perished by my misery was raised vp by thy mercy thou who art that mercifull God and full of pitty which thou doest extend in thy goodnes to thousands of such as loue thy Name Therefor O Lord my God and my sanctifyer hast thou comaunded in thy Lawe that I should loue thee with my whole harte with my whole soule with my whole minde with my whole strength and with all the powers I haue Yea and with the most internall marrow of all my affections and this in all the houres and moments of my time wherein I am enioying the benediction of thy mercyes For I should euer perish but that thou doest euer gouerne mee I should euer dy but that thou doest euer quicken mee And thou doest oblige mee to thee in euery moment of my life since in euery moment therof thou impartest great benefits to mee As therefore there is noe houer or point of time in my whole life wherein I am not assisted by thy benefits soe also ought there not to be any moment wherein I should not haue thee before the eyes of my mynde and wherein I should not loue thee with my whole strength But euen this I cannot doe saue by thy guift onely to whome euery good guift belongeth and euery excellent grace is descending from thee the Father of Lights with whome there is noe transmutation nor shadow of chaunge For it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of thee taking mercy that wee loue thee Thine O Lord is this guift to whome euery good thing belongeth Thou commaundest that thou be beloued Giue vs that which thou commandest and then commaund vs what thou wilt CHAP. XIX Of the feruour of charity I Loue thee O my God and I am euer desireing to loue thee more For in very deed thou art more sweete then any honny more nutritiue then any milke and more cleere then any light Therefore art thou more deare to me them gold or siluer or pretious stone And whatsoeuer delightfull thing I had in the world was displeasing to mee in comparison of thy sweetenes and the order of thy house which I loued O thou fyre which euer burnest and art neuer quenched O loue which is euer boyling hote and neuer growest luke-warme doe thou inflame mee Let mee I say be wholy inflamed by thee and let me wholy loue thee For he loues thee too little who loues any thing together with thee which he loues not for thy sake Make me loue thee O Lord because thou didst first loue mee And how shall I finde wordes whereby I may vnfold the notions which I haue of thy singular loue to mee testifyed by those innumerable benefits by which thou hast trayned me vp from the beginning For after the benefit of the creation when in the beginninge thou didest make me of nothing after thyne owne Image doeing me honour and exalting me beyond the rest of thy creatures which thou madest and innobling me with the light of thy countenance which thou didest stampe vpon the entrie of my hart whereby thou didest disseuer me both from insensible creatures and from brute beasts which are endewed with sense and thou madst me not much inferiour to the Angels yet euen this seemed not enough in the sight of thy deity For since that time thou hast entertayned and nourished mee with daily and singular and great presents of thy benefits without intermission And thou hast giuen me comfort and made me sucke like somme little tender infant of thine at the breasts of thy consolation For to the end that I might yeild thee my entire seruice thou hast appointed that whatsoeuer thou hast made should serue mee CHAP. XX. That God hath submitied all things to the seruice of man THou hast made all things subiect to the feete of man to the onely end that man might become wholly subiect to thee And to the end that man might be wholly thine hee is entitled to a dominion ouer all thy workes For thou hast created all exteriour things for the body the body for the soule and the soule for thy selfe to the end that man might tend onely to thee might loue onely thee possessing thee by way of comforte to himselfe and thy creatures by way of receiuing seruice from them For whatsoeuer is conteyned vnder this vaute of heauen is inferiour to the soule of man which was created that it might possesse the supernall soueraigne good aboue by the fruition whereof it might be happy and wherevnto when it shall adheare outstripping and ouerlooking all relations and respects to all inferiour things which are subiect to mutation it shall calmely and constantly behold the face of that eternall immortality and the vision of that supreame Majestie to which it hath aspired here Then shall they be in fruition of those most excellent delights in the house of our Lord in comparison whereof all those things which here we see may well goe for nothing Those are they which the eye hath not seene nor the eare heard nor haue they entred into the hart of man which God hath prepared for them who loue him And these things O Lord wilt thou imparte to the soule of man And with the consideration of these things dost thou who louest soules delight the soules of thy seruants But yet why should I wonder at those things O Lord my God therein thou dost but honor thyre owne Image and that similitude of thyne according to which they are created For whilest we are yet in thâ—s corruptible and ignoble body to the end we might see thou hast giuen this light of heauen by the hands of thy vnwearied ministers the Sunne and Moone which doe perpetually obserue thy precept in serueing thy children day and night To the end that we might breath thou hast giuen the purity of the ayre That we might heare the variety of sounds That we might smell the sweetnesse of odours That it might tast the variety and quality of sauoures That it might touch thou hast giuen the bulke of all bodies For the other necessary occasions of man thou hast giuen beasts to carry him And thou hast imparted the birds of the ayre the fish of the sea and the fruites of the earth for his refection Thou hast also created out of the earth seuerall medicines which may be applyed to the seuerall infirmities of men and thou hast prepared particular comforts which are to encounter and reuerse those particular-inconueniences which may occurre And all this thou hast done because thou art full of mercy and pitty thou being our potter dost knowe the matter whereof wee are made For in fine wee are but as soe much durt in thy hand CHAP. XXI That the greatenes of the diuine counsell may be inferred by the consideration of temporall
ardent desire of our hart ought to be placed in our Lord. BVt thou O Lord the expectation of Israell and that desire to which our harte doth euery day aspire make haste to vs and doe not stay Rise vp make hast and come and bring vs out of this prison to confesse vnto thy Name that wee may glory in thy light Open thyne eares to the cry of the teares of thy forsaken children who thus are calling out to thee Giue vs O thou Father of ours our daylie breard this day in the strength whereof wee may walke day and night till at last wee may arriue to thy Holy Mountaine Horeb. And I also poore little one that I am amongst the poore little ones of thy familly when shall I O my God my Father and my strength come and appeare before thy face that I who confesse vnto thee now for a tyme may doe it there for all eternity Happy shall I be if once I may be admitted to behould thy brightenes Who will graunt mee soe much fauour as that once I may bee admitted to that happines I knowe O Lord I knowe and confesse that I am vnworthy to enter vnder thy roofe Yet doe thou admitt mee for thyne owne honnour 's sake confound not thy slaue who hopes in thee And who shall be able to enter into thy Sanctuary to consider the wonders of thy power vnles thou open him the gate And who can open it if thou shutt it For if thou destroy there is none can build vs vp And if thou shutt a man in there is none who cā putt him out If thou contayne the waters all the world will be dryed vp but if thou let thē loose they will ouerrune the earth If thou haue a mynde to anihilate all that which thou hast created who shall presume to contradict thee Now therefore ô thou eternall goodnes of thy mercy which is that whereby thou madest whatsoeuer thou wouldest thou art the Archytect of the whole world and therefore doe thou also gouerne vs. Thou didest creat vs and therefore doe not thou despise vs for wee are the worke of thy hands And it is playne enough O Lord our God that wee who are but base wormes and durt shall neuer be able to enter into thy eternityes vnles we be introduced by thee who hast created all things of nothing CHAP. XXIV That all our saluation depends vpon God BVt I the worke of thy hands will confesse to thee in thy feare that I will not putt my confidence in my bowe or thinke that my sword can saue me but that must be donne by thy right hand and by thyne arme and by the illumination of thy countenance For otherwise I should despayre But thou who diddest create mee art my hope that thou wilt not forsake such as trust in thee For thou art our Lord God sweete and patient and disposeing of all things in mercy For it we haue sinned wee are thyne and if wee haue not sinned wee are thine because we are numbred among thy creatures Wee are but as a leafe in respect of the world and all mankinde is but vanity and our life is but as a vapour vpon the earth Be not angry if wee thy poore forsaken little children fall because thou O Lord our God knowest the matter whereof wee are made Wilt thou O God of inestimable fortitude shew forth thy power against a leafe which is whipped away by the winde And persecute a withered strawe Wilt thou O Eternell King of Israell damne a dead dogg wilt thou damne a single gnatt Wee haue heard O Lord of thy mercy and thou puttest not to death nor reioycest in the perdition of dying men Therefore doe wee beseeche thee O Lord that thou wilt not permitt that which thou hast not made to haue dominion ouer this creature of thine which thou hast made Nay thou art greiued with our perdition and what then O Lord shall be able to hinder thee who art omnipotent from eternally reioyceing in our saluation If thou wilt thou canst saue mee but I cannot doe it though I would The multitude of the miseries which I carry about mee is very greate It is at hand with mee to will a thing but I cannot finde the way to perfect it Yet I cannot euen will a good thing vnles thou also wi lt nor can I performe that which I haue a will to doe vnles thy power strengtheneth mee Yea and that which I haue power to doe falls out sometymes that I will not doe it vnles thy will may be done in Earth as it is in Heauen And what I will doe can doe I doe not knowe vnles thy wisedome illustrate mee And though also I doe knowe hauing sometymes a will to doe a thing and sometymes also a power to doe it yet my VVisdome passeth away all imperfect and empty as it is vnles thy true VVisdome helpe mee But in thy will all things are placed and there is none who can resist that will of thyne O thou the Lord of all thy Creatu-Creatures who hast supreame dominion ouer all flesh and doest worke whatsoeuer thou wilt in Heauen and in Earth in the Sea and in all the Abysses Let therefore thy will be done in vs vpon whome thy Name hath beene inuoked and let not this noble worke of thyne perish which thou diddest create for thyne owne glory And what man borne of woeman is hee who can liue not see death and deliuer his soule from the hand of hell vnles thou alone doe snatch him thence Thou who art the vitall life of all life whereby all things liue CHAP. XXV That the will of man wanteth efficacy towards good workes without the Grace of God I Haue now confessed to thee O thou prayse of my life O Lord my God and the strength of my Saluation that there was a tyme when I had confidence in myne owne strength which yet was noe strength at all And when I was so resolued to runne on where I thought my selfe to stand fastest there I fell fowlest insteede of aduanceing I retyred and I was more and more estranged from that which I thought to haue apprehended And so being come to know the little proportiō of my strēgth by the many experimēts which I made for the wāt thereof I doe now vnderstand because I haue bene illuminated by thee that whatsoeuer I haue thought my selfe most able to doe that could I euer bring least to passe For I sayd sometimes I will doe this and I will perfect that I did neither the one nor the other If I had the will I wanted the power If I had the power I had not then the will because I trusted in myne owne strength But now I confesse to thee O Lord my God the Father of Heauen and Earth that noe man shall ouercome in his owne strength to giue occasion thereby to the foolish presumption of flesh and blood to glory in thy sight For it is not in
the whole Earth For what is Man that thou shouldest magnify him or soe apply thy harte towards the loue of him For thou O auncient Truth hast sayd My delight is to be which the Sonnes of men But yet is not Man rotennes and the Sonne of Man a very Worme Is not euery Man liueing a kinde of vniuersality of vanity And yet dost thou thinke it worthy for thee to cast thyne eyes vpon him and to bring him with thee into Iudgement CHAP. XXVIII Of the profound Predestination and prescience of God TEach mee O thou most profound Abysse O thou Wisedome which art the Creatrix of all things which hast poysed the mountaines in weight and the lesser hills in a ballance and hast hung vp the whole bulke of the Earth in three fingers Suspend thou towards thy selfe the weight of this corporall heauines which I carry about mee in thy three inuisible fingers that I may see and knowe how admirable thy Name is ouer the whole Earth O thou Light most auntient which didest shine before all other light in those holy hills of old Eternity to which all things were open and cleare euen before they were made O thou light which hatest euery litle spott thy selfe being most immaculate and most pure what delight canst thou take in man and what agreement cann there be betweene light and darkenes For where in fine is the ground of those delights which thou takest in man Or how diddest thou prepare in mee a sanctuary worthy of thy Maiestie into which when thou enterest thou mayest take delight and gust For it is fitt that thou who art the very power which cleanseth all things shouldest haue a cleane roome to be in thou who canst not be so much as seene and much lesse possessed but by pure soules But where is this Temple soe pure in any man as that it may be fitt for the reception of thee who rulest the whole world of men Who can make a man cleane he being conceiued of vncleane seede Is it not thou who art onely cleane For who can be cleansed by one who is himselfe vncleane For according to the Lawe which thou gauest to our Fathers in the fyre which burned the hill and in the cloud which couered the darke water we are told that whatsoeuer an vncleane man did touch should be vncleane But all wee are as a menstruous cloath proceeding out of an impure corrupted masse and wee cannot become cleane vnles wee be cleansed by thee who art onely cleane And wee carry the marke of our impurity in our very fore-heads and are farre from being able to conceale it from thee who seest all things Soe that wee can neuer be cleane vnles wee be cleansed by thee who art onely cleane But amongst vs who are the sonnes of men thou cleansest some in whome thou hast bene pleased to dwell Whome out of the inaccessible profound secrets of the incomprehensible iudgements of thy Wisedome which are euer iust though secret thou hast beene pleased to predestinate without any merits of theyrs before the world was made and hast called them out of the world and hast iustefyed them in the world and wilt magnify them after the world But thou dost not this to all which all the wise men of the earth doe wonder at euen to amasement And I also O Lord whilest I consider this doe all tremble and am astonished at the altitude of the riches of thy Wisedome and knowledge and at the incomprehensible iudgements of thy Iustice to the reason whereof I cann noe way arriue Since out of the same clay thou designest some vessells to honour others to eternall reproach Such therefore as thy chusest out of many to be a holy Temple for thy selfe them doest thou clense powreing out pure water vpon them whose names and number thou knowest who alone dost number the multitude of the starres and callest them all by they re names who are also written in the booke of life and cann noe way perish to whome all things yea euen they re very sinnes themselues doe cooperate towards they re good For when they fall they are not bruised because thou doest putt thy hand vnder them keeping all they re bones in such sorte that noe one of them may be broken But the death of sinners is most pernitious of those I meane whome before thou madest heauen and earth thou diddest according to the most profound Abysse of thy iudgements secret indeede but euer iust fore knowe to eternall death The number of whose names as also of they re foule demerits is with thee who hast numbered the sands of the Sea and hast measured the bottome of the Abysse whome thou hast left in they re vncleanenes in whome all things cooperate to theyr ill yea euen they re very prayer is turned into sinne Soe farre forth as that although they should mount vp as high as the skye and they re heades should touch the very clouds and should build theyr nest amongst the Starres of Heauen they yet shall perish in the end like a very dung hill CHAP. XXIX Of them who first were iust and afterwards become wicked GReate are these iudgements of thyne O Lord my God O thou iust and powerfull Iudge who iudgest according to equitie and dost worke and performe inscrutable things Which when I consider all my bones doe euen shiuer with trembling because noe man liueing vpon the earth can be secure But wee must learne hereby to serue thee piously and purely all the dayes of our life exulting to thee with reuerence and that wee may not serue thee without feare nor reioyce without trembling And that neyther he who is girt nor vngirt nor in fine any creature of flesh and blood may glory but may be full of apprehension horrour before thy face since noe man knoweth whether he be worthy of loue or hate but all things are reserued in vncertainty for the future tyme. For we haue seene many O Lord and wee haue also heard it from our elders which certeinly I cannot call to mynde without much trembling nor repeate without much feare who at the first ascended after a sorte vp to heauen and did place they re nest euen amongst the starrs yet afterwards fell downe to the very Abysse and theyr soules grewe to be euen stupifyed in sinne Wee haue seene starres fall downe from heauen through the force of the Dragons tayle who strooke them And others who lay prostrate vpon the dust of the earth haue ascended vp by the helpe of thy hand which raised them after an admirable manner We haue seene liueing men dy dead men raise againe to life and them who walked amongst the sonnes of God in the midest of those shineing stones of his Temple to haue mouldered away into nothing like soe much durt Wee haue seene light growe darke and againe wee haue seene light proceede out of darkenes because the Publicanes and harlots haue precedence of the naturall inhabitants in
lipps But my harte hath quaked and sayd Woe be vnto me who am a man of polluted lipps because I haue not held my peace but sayd that I knewe thee And yet O Lord woe be to them who are silent concerning thee For the greatest talkers may be accounted but dumbe if they doe not speake of thee And as for me O Lord my God I will not be silent concerning thee because thou hast made mee and I haue therefore knowne thee because thou hast illuminated me But yet how haue I knowen thee I haue knowen thee in thy selfe Yet I haue no knowen thee in thy selfe as thou art to thy selfe but I haue knowen thee as thou art to mee But yet howsoeuer it is not without thee but in thee because thou art the light which hast illuminated mee For as thou art to thy selfe thou art onely knowen to thy selfe but as thou art to mee by thy mercy and grace thou art knowen to mee But what art thou vnto mee Tel me O mercifull Lord who am thy miserable seruant tell me by thy mercy what thou art to mee Say to my soule I am thy saluation Doe not hide thy face from mee lest if thou doe I dye Suffer me to speake me who am dust and ashes suffer me to speake to thy mercy For thy mercy towards mee is greate and I will presume to speake to thee though I be but dust and ashes Tell mee who am thy supplyant say O mercifull Lord to thy miserable creature say by thy mercyes what thou art to mee And thou hast thundered downe with a mighty voyce vpon the inward eare of my hart and thou hast broken through my deafenes and I haue heard thy voyce And thou hast illuminated my blindenes and I haue seene thy light and haue knowen that thou art my God It is therefore that I sayd that I haue knowen thee For I haue knowen that thou art my God I haue knowen that thou art the onely true God and Iesus Christ whome thou hast sent For thrre wat a time when I knewe thee not bu woe be to that time when I knew not tgee Woe be to that blindenes when I sawe not thee Woe be to that deafnes when a heard not thee For being blinde deafe I did rush with great deformity vpon those things which yet thou had dest made fayre and thou wert still with mee but I was not with thee And those things kept mee farre from being with thee which yet if they had not bene in thee could haue had noe beeing at all Thou diddest illuminat mee O thou light of the world and I saw thee and I loued thee And indeede noe man loueth thee but he who sees thee and noe man sees thee but he who loues thee Too late am I come to loue thee O thou beauty which art so auntient and yet so new Too late am I come to loue thee and woe be to that time when I loued thee not CHAP. XXXII A Confession of true faith I Giue thankes O thou who art my light because thou hast illuminated mee and I haue knowen thee How haue I knowen thee I haue knowen thee to be the onely liueing God and my true creatour I haue knowen thee to bee the Creator of heauen earth of all things visible and inuisible to be the true Omnipotent God immortall inuisible vncircumscribed vnlimited eternall inaccessible incomprehensible inscrutable vnchangeable immense infinite the first beginning of all both visible inuisible creatures by whome all things are made and by whome all the Elements subsist Whose Maiestie as it neuer had any beginning soe neither shall it end for all eternity I haue knowen thee to be one onely true God the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost three Persons indeede but one essence and the same wholly simple and vndiuided nature And that the Father is of none that the Sonne is onely of the Father and that the Holy Ghost is iointly of them both euer without beginning and for euer to be without ending to be Trine and onely One and that the true Omnipotent God That thou art that one beginning of all things and the Creatour of all things both visible and inuisible spirituall and temporall who by thy Omnipotent vertue diddest in the beginning of Tyme create both the spirituall and corporall creature that is to say the Angells in heauen and the fabricke of the world and then thou madest man as being compounded both of body and soule I haue knowen thee and I doe confesse thee O God the Father to be vnbegotten and thee O God the Sonne to be begotten of the Father and thee O holy Ghost the Paraclete to be neither begotten nor vnbegotten And I beleiue with my harte to Iustice and I confesse with my mouth to saluatiō the holy and indiuiduall Trinity in three persons coequall consubstantiall and coeternall Trinity in Vnity and Vnity in Trinity I haue knowen thee the true God and our Lord Iesus Christ to be the onely begotten Sonne of God the Creatour the Sauiour and the Redeemer of mee and all mankinde whome I confesse to haue bene begotten of the Father before all ages God of God light of light true God of true God not made but begotten consubstantiall coeternall with the Father and the Holy Ghost by whome all things were made from the beginning And I beleiue firmely and confesse truely that thou O Iesus Christ the onely begotten God wert incarnate ioyntly by the holy Trinity for the saluation of man and that thou wert conceiued through the cooperation of the Holy Ghost by the perpetuall Vithin Mary and that thou wert made true man consisting of a reasonable soule and humane flesh Who being the onely begotten of God and consequently both impassible and immortall yea for the great loue wherewith thou louest vs thou being still the same sonne of God wert yet according to thy humanity made both passible mortall who being the onely sonne of God diddest voutchafe to suffer Passion and death vpon the tree of the crosse for the saluation of mankinde to the end that thou mightest deliuer vs from eternall death And being the author of light thou diddest descend to Hell where our fore-Fathers satt in darkenes And the third day being a glorious conquerer thou diddest rise vp from the dead resumeing thy sacred body which had lyen dead in the sepulchre for our sinnes and thou diddest quicken it the third day according to the scriptures that thou mightest place it at the right hand of thy Father For haueing ledd with thee out of captiuitie them whom our auntient enemy the enemy of all mankinde had captiued in Hell thou being the true Sonne of God didest ascend aboue all the heauens with the substance of our nature that is to say both with thy soule and that humaine flesh which thou haddest taken of the glorious Virgin And thou diddest surpasse all the quyers of Angels where thou sittest at the right hand of thy Father
and vnconceiuable before whome the Angelicall power of heauen doe euen shiuer whome the Thrones and Dominations doe adore and in whose presence all the Vertues of Heauen doe euen quake of whose power and Wisedome there is noe number who hast layd the foundations of the whole world vpon nothing who hast tyed vp the Sea as if it were in some skinne who art most Omnipotent most Holy and the most powerfull God ouer all the spirits of all mankinde From whose sight the heauen and earth doe fly away to whose becke all the elements are subiect let all thy creatures adore and glorify thy Name And I the Sonne of thy handmayd doe by faith bowe downe the necke of my harte vnder the feete of thy Maiestie presenting thee with thankes for that thou hast voutchsafed to illuminate mee by thy mercy True Light holy Light delightfull Light admirable Light superlaudable Light which illuminateth euery man comeing into this world and the eyes also of the Angels Behold now I see and I thanke thee for it Behold I see the light of heauen there is a beame which striketh brightly downe from the face of thy light vpon the eyes of my mynde and it filleth all the powers of my soule with ioy But O that once it might be perfected in mee Encrease I beseech thee O thou author of light encrease I beseech thee that which soe brightly striketh through vpon mee Let this light be dilated I beseech thee let it be dilated by thee What is this which I feele what fyre is this which heates any harte what fyre is this whereby my harte is stroken through with beames O fyre which euer burnest and art neuer quenched doe thou kindle mee O light which doest euer shine and art neuer darkened doe thou enlighten mee O how very fayne would I been flamed by thee O Holy fyre how sweetely doest thou heate how secretly doest thou shine and how delightfully dost thou burne Woe be to them who doe not burne by thee VVoe be to them which are not illuminated by thee O thou light which teachest truth to men illuminating all the world which is filled by the beames thereof VVoe be to those blinde eyes which see not thee thou being the sunne illuminating both heauen and earth VVoe be to those weake and daseling eyes which cannot looke on thee VVoe be to those eyes which turne themselues away from seeing truth and woe be to those eyes which doe not turne them selues away for feare least they behold vanity For eyes which are acustomed to darkenes haue not strength wherewith to behold the beames of soueraigne truth nor can they make any true iudgment of light whose habitation is wont to be in darkenes They see darkenes they allow of darkenes they loue darkenes and soe goeing from darkenes to darkenes they fall headlong and they knowe not where Miserable creatures they are who knowe not what they loose though yet more miserable are they who knowe what they loose and who yet fall with open eyes and dropp downe quicke into Hell O most blessed light which canst not be beheld but by eyes which are pure and wholly purged Blessed are the pure of harte for they shall see God Doe thou clense mee O thou clensing power cure my sight that I may contemplate thee with strong eyes For they are none but strong eyes which can looke on thee Putt away I beseech thee O thou inaccessible splendour the skales of that auntient mistynes by the beame of thy illumination that soe I may be able to looke on thee with certayne casts of my eye which may not be checked and beaten back and that I may see light in thy light I giue thee thankes O my light for behold now I see I beseech thee O Lord that it may be spred abroade by thee Vnuayle myne eyes that I may consider the wonderfull things of thy lawe thou who art wonderfull in thy Saints I giue thee thankes O my light for behold I see though as yet it be but by a representation as in a glasse But when will it be face to face when will that day of ioy and exultation arryue when I may enter into the place of that admireable Tabernacle the very house of God that so face to face I may see him who seeth mee and so my desire may be fullfilled CHAP. XXXV Of the desire and thirst of a soule towards God AS the harte desireth the fountaynes of water soe doth my soule thirst after thee O God My soule hath thirsted after thee O God who art the liueing fountayne when shall I come and appeare before thy face O thou fountayne of life thou vayne of liueing waters when shall I arriue to those waters of thy sweetnes from this barren vnhaunted and dry earth that I may see thy power and thy glory and that I may appease my thirst by the waters of thy mercy I thirst O Lord O thou fountayne of life satisfy mee for I thirst O Lord I thirst towards thee who art the liueing God When O Lord shall I approache and appeare before that face of thyne doest thou thinke that at length I shall see that day that day I say of delight and ioy that day which our Lord hath made to the end that wee may reioyce and exult therein O sweete and beautifull day which hath noe euening and whose Sunne hath nothing to doe with setting wherein I shall heare the voyce of prayse the voyce of exultation and confession wherein I shall heare this word Enter into the ioy of thy Lord enter into eternall ioy into the house of thy Lord and thy God where there are greate and vnsearcheable and wounderfull things whereof there is noe number Enter into ioy without sorrow which containeth eternall ioy where all good shall be without any kind of euill Where whatsoeuer thou wilt haue shall be and where nothing shall be which thou wilt not haue Where there will be a life which is vitall sweete amiable and eternall Where there will be noe enemy assaulting nor noe false delight allureing but a supreame and certayn security secure tranquillity a quiet ioy a ioyfull felicity a happy eternity and eternall beatitude a blessed Trinity a Trine Vnity a sole Deity a happy vision of that Deity which is the ioy of thy Lord and thy God O ioy vpon ioy ioy which excelleth all ioy without which there is noe ioy when shall I enter into thee that I may see my God who dwelleth in thee that soe I may there partake of this greate vision What is it which deteyneth mee VVoe be vnto mee because my habitation here is perlonged VVoe be vnto mee and how long shall it be sayd to mee where is thy God How long shall it be sayd to me Expect and reexpect But now what shall I expect Is it not thee O Lord my God VVee expect a Sauiour our Lord Iesus Christ who will reforme this poore meane body of ours and conforme it to
restore my selfe I make a grant of my selfe to thee through whome I am through whome I liue and through whom I haue the vse of reason I hope I trust and I place all my confidence in thee by whome I may be able to rise againe and to liue and rest It is thou whom I desire whome I loue and whome I adore and with whome I am to remayne raigne and be happie The soule which seekes not thee nor loues not thee doth loue the world and serueth sinne is a slaue to vice and is neuer quiet or secure O thou most holy God let my minde be euer performing seruice to thee let this pilgrimage of mine be euer sighing towards thee let my hart burne through the loue of thee let my soule O my God repose in thee let it contemplate thee in excesse of mind and let it singe prayses to thee in full ioy and let this be my comfort in this banishment of mine Let this minde of mine fly to the shadowe of thy winges from the scorching cogitations of this world Let this hart of mine be at a calme in thee this hart which is such a deepe Sea full of swelling waues O thou who art so rich of heauenly food thou most aboundant imparter of that spirituall celestiall satiety giue nourishment to him who is defeated with hunger gather him vp who is scattered free him who is entrald stitch him together who is torne Behold he standeth at the doore and knocks I beseech thee by those bowells of thy mercy in which thou being the Orient didst visit vs from on hygh commaund that it be opened to this miserable creature who is knocking that so with nimble feete I may enter into thee and repose in thee and be refreshed by that bread of heauen For thou art both the bread and the fountaine of life thou art the splendor of immortall light In fine thou art all those thinges wherby iust persons liue who loue thee CHAP. V. Of the Desire of a soule O God the light of those hartes which see thee and the life of those soules which loue thee the strength or vertue of their thoughts who seeke thee graunt that I may be incorporated into the holy loue of thee Come I beseech thee into my hart and inebriate it with the springing plenty of thy delights that so I may forget all worldly thinges I am ashamed and I am afflicted to find my selfe suffering such thinges as this world is doing All that which I see concerning transitory thinges makes me sorry and all that which I heare makes me sad Help me O Lord my God infuse ioy into my hart and come to me that so I may grow to see thee For this house of my soule is strait till thou come into it and so it be inlarged by the. It is ruinous till it be repaired by thee It hath many things which may offend thyne eyes I know it and confesse it but yet who is he that can cleanse it or to whom but thee shall I cry out Cleanse me O Lord from my hidden sinnes and pardon also thy seruant those sinnes which he hath caused in others Make me sweet Christ O deere Iesus make me I beseech thee lay downe the burden of carnall desires and of the concupiscence which I haue after earthly thinges Giue dominion to my soule ouer my body and to my reason ouer my soule and to thy grace ouer my reason and subdue me both in my outward and inward man to thy will Graunt to me that my hart may praise thee togeather with my tongue and all the strength I haue Dilate my mind and hoyse vp the sight of my hart that at least by some glymse my spirit may with a swift and suddaine thought lay hold vpon that eternall wisedom whach is aboue all thinges and whach lasts beyond them all Discharge me I beseech thee from he chains wherin I am bound by sinnes chat at last I may giue ouer all thinges that I may hasten to thee and behold and adhere to thee alone CHAP. VI. Of the felicity of a soule which is freed from the prison of flesh and bloud HAPPY is that soule which being freed from this earthly prison arriues to heauen and seeth thee her most deere Lord face to face And which is no longer subiect to the least feare of death but doth reioyce in the incorruptibility of eternall glory She is then in peace she is secure doth no longer feare either death or any other enemy For she possesseth her deere Lord whom she hath long sought and whome she hath euer loued and being associated to those Quires of Angels she doth eternally sing those melodious Hymnes of thy euer lasting solemnity O Christ thou King thou deare Iesus to the prayse of thy glory For then she is inebriated by the fresh and springing plenty of thy house and thou giuest her to drinke of thy delights O happy society of those heauenly Cittizens O glorious solemnity of them who returne to thee from the sad labour of this pilgrimage of ours to that sweetnes of beauty to that delightfulnes of all splendour and to that dignity of all pleasing grace where thy Cittizens O Lord do continually behold thy countenance There is no eare in that place which can heare any thing that may offend it What songs what Organs what Hymnes what melodies are sung there without any end Eternally are there sounded forth mellifluous cōcents of Hymns that most sweet melody of the Angells those most admirable canticles of Canticles which are sung forth by those heauenly Cittizens to thy prayse and glory No bitternes nor any kind of vnsauorynes or gall can haue any place in that Countrey of thine for there is no wickednes nor any wicked man There is no aduersary or enemy there is no tempting bayte of sinne there is no want no shame no quarell no reproach no exception taken no feare no vnquietnes no payne no doubt no violence no dissention But there is souueraigne peace pertect charity eternall iubilation and prayse of God secure euerlasting repose and perpetual ioy in the holy Ghost O how happy shall I be if once I may arriue to heare those most sweet songs of thy cittizens those mellifluous Hymns which with due honour shall declare the prayses of the most blessed Trinity But O how happy euen too happy shall I be if my selfe may obtaine to sing to our Lord Iesus Christ some one of those sweet songs of Syon CHAP. VII Of the Ioyes of Heauen O Vitall life O eternall life and eternally happy where there is ioy without griefe rest without labour dignity without feare riches without want life without death perpetuity without corruption and felicity without calamity Where all thinges are good in perfect charity where there is showing seeing face to face where there is complete knowledge in all and by all where the soueraigne goodnes of God is discerned where the illuminating