infinite love of the eternall Father in that he would deliver his onely begotten Sonne to death for us He loved us when we were his enemies And can he forget us when we are reconciled unto him by the death of his Sonne Can he forget the precious bloud of his Sonne when as he telleth the tears and the steps of the godly Can Christ in his life forget those for whom he was willing to undergo death Can he in the time of his glory forget those for whom he suffered so great torments Consider thou faithfull soul the manifold fruits of the Lords passion Christ poured forth for us a bloudy sweat that in the agonie of death a cold sweat might not oppresse us It was his pleasure to wrestle with death that we might not faint in the agony of death It was his will to suffer most grievous anxietie and sorrow even unto death that he might make us partakers of everlasting joy in the heavens He would be betrayed with a kisse which is a signe of friendship and good will that he might blot out the sinne by the which Satan betrayed our first parents under the colour of friendship He would be apprehended and bound by the Jews that he might set us at liberty which were bound in the chain of our sinnes and subject to be cast into everlasting damnation He would begin his passion in the garden that he might purge away sinne which took its beginning in the garden of paradise He would be comforted by an angel that he might make us angels fellows in the heavens He was forsaken of his own disciples that he might glue unto himself us who had most shamefully revolted from God Before the Councel he was accused by false witnesses that Satan might not accuse us by the law of God He was condemned on earth that we might be absolved in heaven He that committed no sinne was speechlesse that we might not in the day of judgement be strucken dumbe by reason of our sinnes He was willing to be buffeted that we might be freed from the sting of conscience and buffetings of Satan He suffered himself to be mocked that we might insult over Satan the insulter His face was covered that he might remove from us the vail of sinne by which we were hindred that we could not behold the face of God as being involved in damnable ignorance He would be disrobed that he might restore unto us the robe of innocencie which we had lost by sinne He was pricked with thorns that he might cure the compunctions of our hearts He underwent the burden of the crosse that he might take from us the burden of everlasting punishment He crâ—â—d out that he was forsakâ—n of God that he might purchase for us an everlasting habitation with God He thirsted on the crosse that he might merit for us the dew of Gods grace and free us from everlasting thirst He would be scorched in the fire of Gods anger that he might free us from the fire of hell He stood as guiltie that he might absolve us He was condemned that we might be delivered from condemnation He was scourged by the hands of the unrighteous that he might free us from the scourges of the devil He cried out for grief that he might preserve us from everlasting exclamation He poured forth tears that he might wipe away tears from our eyes He died that we might live He felt the pains of hell that we might never feel them He was humbled that so he might cure our sinfull tumour He was crowned with thorns that he might merit for us a celestiall crown He suffered of all that he might save all His eyes were darkened in death that we might live in the light of celestiall glory He suffered ignominie and reproches that we might heare the angels sing chearfully in heaven Despair not then O faithfull soul An infinite good was offâ—nded by thy sinnes and an infinite price is payed for them Thou shouldest have been condemned for thy sinnes But the Sonne of God took upon him the sinnes of the whole world and was condemned for them Thou deservedst to be punished for thy sinnes But God hath punished them alreadie in his Sonne The wounds of thy sinnes are great But the balsam of Christs bloud is more precious and of vertue to cure them Moses pronounceth thee cursed because thou hast not kept all that was wrote in the book of the law But Christ was made the curse for thee In the court of heaven there is an hand-writing against thee But Christ hath cancelled that with his bloud Let thy passion therefore O Christ be my last refuge Meditat. VIII Of the certainty of our salvation My hope shall never be confounded Because my hope on Christ is grounded WHy art thou troubled O my soul and why dâ—st thou still doubt of the mercie of God Remember thy Creatour Who created thee without thee Who formed thy body in secret in the lower parts of the earth Who took care of thee when thou wast not will not he have care of thee now he hath made thee after his own image I am the creature of God to the Creatour do I convert my self Though my nature be infected by the devil though it be wounded by theeves that is by my sinnes yet my Creatour liveth He which made me can also renew me He which created me without any evil can take all evil from me whatsoever hath entred into me by the suggestion of the devil by Adams prevarication by my own action yea though it hath over-run my whole substance Therefore my Creatour can reform me if so be that it stands with his good pleasure and will and certainly he will for who ever hated his own workmanship Are we not before him like clay in the hands of the potter If he had hated me certainly he would never have created me when I was nothing He is the Saviour of all men but especially of them that beleeve He created me wonderfully but he redeemed me more wonderfully It never appeared more plainly that he loved us then in his wounds and passion Surely he is truly beloved for whose sake the onely begotten Sonne of God is sent from the bosome of his Father Iâ— thou didst not desire my salvation Lord Jesus why didst thou descend from heaven But thou didst descend upon earth to die on the crosse God to redeem a servant spared not his own Sonne Therefore assuredly God loveth man with a wonderfull love seeing that he hath delivered up his Sonne to be afflicted slain and crucified for the redemption of man Very deare and very great was the price of our redemption Therefore great and deare is the mercy of our Redeemer It might seem to some that God loves his adopted sonnes as dearly as his onely begotten Sonne For that on which we bestow any thing is dearer then that which we bestow That he might
her prayers may she worship in spirit So shall she be able with Abraham to escape the everlasting fire prepared For the plain of this world Bethanie signifieth a village of humilitie and affliction by which we must passe to the kingdome of heaven even as Christ himself passed from the place of affliction to the joyes of heaven Till this time heaven was shut and paradise which is above was kept by a flaming sword But now Christ being conquerour doth set open heaven unto us to shew us the way into our heavenly countrey from which we had fallen away The disciples stood lifting up their eyes and looking up towards heaven So let the true disciples of Christ lift up the eyes of their heart to behold heavenly things Lord Jesus what a glorious clause followed thy passion How happie and sudden a change is this How did I see thee suffering on mount Calvarie and how do I behold thee now in the mount of Olives There thou wast alone here thou art accompanied with many thousands of angels There thou didst ascend up to the crosse here thou dost ascend up into heaven in a cloud There thou wast crucified between theeves here thou rejoyced among the companies of angelâ— There thou wast nailed to the crosse as a condemned man here thou aâ—â— at libertie and dost deliver those thaâ— were condemned There dying and suffering here rejoycing and triumphing Christ is our head we are his members Rejoyce therefore and be glad thou faithfull soul for the ascension of thy head The glory of the head is the glory also of the members Where our flesh doth reigne there let us beleeve that we shall also reigne Where our bloud doth rule let us hope that we shall also obtain glorie Though our sinnes do hinder us yet the communion of nature doth not repell us Where the head is there shall the other members be also Our head is entred into heaven Therefore the members have just cause to hope for entrance not onely so but that they have possession there already Christ descended from heaven to redeem us and again he ascended up into heaven to glorifie us Unto us was he born for us did he suffer For us therefore did he ascend Our charitie is confirmed by Christs passion our faith by Christs resurrection our hope by Christs ascension We must follow Christ our bridegroom not onely with our ardent desires but also with our good works Into that citie which is above nothing shall enter that is defiled In token of this the angels that came from the heavenly Jerusalem appeared in white apparel by which puritie and innocencie is figured With the Doctour of humilitie there ascended no pride with the Authour of goodnesse there ascended no malice with the Lover of peace there ascended no discord and with the Sonne of the Virgin there ascended no lust After the Parent of vertues there ascend no vices after the Just there ascend no sinnes and after the Physician there can ascend no infirmities He that desires to see God hereafter face to face let him here so live as in his sight He that hopes for celestiall things let him contemn terrestriall O draw our hearts thee good Jesus Meditat. XXII An Homilie of the holy Ghost God sealeth by his holy Spirit As many as shall life inherit OUr Lord ascending up into the heavens and entring into his glory sent the holy Ghost unto the disciples upon the day of Pentecost As in the old Testament God when he proclaimed the law in mount Sinai came down unto Moses So when the gospel was by the apostles to be propagated throughout all the world the holy Ghost came down upon them There was thundering and lightning and the loud sound of the trumpet because the law doth thunder against our disobedience and makes us subject to Gods indignation But here is the sound of a gentle winde for the preaching of the gospel doth lift up the souls that are cast down There was the fear and trembling of all the people because the law worketh wrath But here the whole multitude doth flock together to heare the wonderfull things of God for by the gospel we have accesse unto God There the Lord descended in fire but it was in the fire of his wrath and furie therefore was the mountain moved and did smoke But here the holy Ghost descendeth in the fire of love so that all the house is not shaken by the wrath of God but is rather replenished with the glory of the holy Ghost What wonder is it if the holy Ghost be sent from the court of heaven to sanctifie us seeing that the Sonne was sent to redeem us The passion of Christ had not profited us unlesse by the gospel it had been preached unto us For what use is there of a treasure that is hid Therefore our most mercifull Father did not onely prepare a great benefit by the passion of his Sonne but also would have it offered to all the world by sending the holy Ghost The faithfull mother giveth unto her tender infant both her dugs God who is faithfull doth send unto us both the Sonne and the holy Ghost But the holy Ghost came upon the apostles when they were assembled together at prayer with one accord For he is the Spirit of prayer he iâ— obtained by prayer and he moveth us to pray Wherefore Because he is that bond by which our hearts are united with God as he doth unite the Father with the Sonne and the Sonne with the Father For he is the mutuall substantiall love of the Father and the Sonne This our spirituall conjunction with God is wrought by faith But faith is the gift of the Spirit It is obtained by prayer But true prayer is made in the Spirit In the temple of Solomon when incense was offered unto God the temple was filled with the glory of the Lord So if thou offerest unto God the sweet odours of prayers the holy Ghost shall fill the temple of thy heart with glory Let us here admire the mercy and grace of God The Father promiseth to heare our prayers the Sonne maketh intercession for us and the holy Ghost prayeth in us The angels carrie our prayers unto God and the court of heaven is open to receive our prayers God of his mercie doth give unto us the affect of prayer because he giveth unto us the spirit of grace and prayer He giveth unto us also the effect of prayer because he doth alwayes heare our prayers if not according to our will yet according to that which is most profitable for us The holy Ghost came when they were all met together with one accord in the same place For he is the Spirit of love and concord that joyneth us unto Christ by faith unto God by love and unto our neighbour by charitie The devil is the authour of discord and separation by
must strive to go thither where at length we must remain for all eternitie Into this glorie of the Lord shall no man enter but he that desireth to enter Dost thou hope to appear hereafter before the face of the Lord Studie then after holinesse because he is holy Dost thou look for the fellowship of the heavenly angels Take heed then that thou dost not by thy sinnes deprive thy self of their ministerie Dost thou hope after things eternall Why then dost thou so much desire things temporall Dost thou seek for a citie to come Why then dost thou desire here an abiding place Dost thou desire to come to Christ Why then dost thou fear death It is the propertie of him that would not come to Christ to fear death Dost thou desire to enter into the heavenly Jerusalem Why then dost thou defile thy self with so many and such grievous sinnes Whereas it is written that nothing which is defiled shall enter in there Dost thou desire to enjoy at length the tree of life Lay hold then on Christ the true tree of life by true faith in this life For it is written Blessed are they that have their robes washed in the bloud of the lambe that they may have part in the tree of life and enter into the citie by the gates Without are dogs and sorcerers Beware therefore of the losse of chastitie Without are murtherers Take heed therefore of anger Without are idolaters Beware therefore of covetousnesse Without are lyars Beware therefore of all the malice of sinne If thou desirest to enter in to the marriage of the Lambe desire the bridegrooms coming The Spirit and the Spouse say COME If thou hast not the earnest of the Spirit by which thou mayst cry Come Lord the bridegroom will never leade thee in unto the heavenly marriage Thou art not the spouse if thou desirest not the coming of the bridegroom Wouldest thou have a place in the new heaven and the new earth Why then dost thou so cleave unto the old Wouldest thou be made partaker of the Creatour Wherefore then dost thou so cleave unto the simple creatures Dost thou expect the building of God the house not made with hands eternall in the heavens Why then dost thou not desire that this earthly house of thy dwelling may be dissolved Dost thou desire to be clothed Why then dost thou not provide for thy self that thou beest not found naked If the holy Trinitie dwelleth not in thy heart by grace in this life it shall never dwell in thee by glorie in the life to come If thou hast not a taste of eternall felicitie in this life thou shalt never have a full draught in the life to come Meditat. XLVII Of the beatificall vision of God in heaven The saints are pilgrims here below And tow'rds their countrey heaven go IN my Fathers house are many mansions they are the words of our Saviour Lord I desire to see that place where thou hast prepared for me an everlasting mansion For I am a stranger and a sojourner here as all my fathers were The dayes of my pilgrimage are few and evil Therefore in this life wherein I live in exile I do long after my heavenly countrey My conversation is in heaven I desire to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the living This life passeth away in a shadow my dayes are measured out and my substance is even as nothing in thy sight What then is my hope Is it not the Lord Lord Jesus when will it be that I shall come unto thee When shall I appeare before thy face As the hart panteth after the fountain of waters so doth my soul after thee O God Oh the true perfect and full joy Oh joy of joyes surpassing all joy without which there is no joy When shall I enter into thee that I may see my God that dwelleth in thee Thou shalt fill me O Lord with the joy of thy countenance At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore I shall be abundantly satisfied with the plentifulnesse of thy house and thou shalt give me to drink of the brook of thy pleasures For with thee is the fountain of life Oh life to be desired Oh blessed felicitie in which the most holy Trinitie shall be the perfection of our desires which we shall see without end love without loathing and praise without being weary To see God will surpasse all joyes To see Christ to live with Christ to heare Christ will surpasse all the desires of our hearts O Jesus Christ the most sweet bridegroom of my soul when wilt thou leade thy spouse into thy royall palace What can there be wanting there What to be desired or expected where God shall be all in all He shall be beautie to the eye hony to the taste musick to the eare balsame to the nose and flower to the touch God shall be all in all and shall distribute unto every one good things according to the desires of his own heart If thou desirest life if health if peace if honour God shall be there all in all The mysteries which are now sealed up in the great doctours of the Church shall be then revealed even unto babes The blessed humanitie of Christ shall be there present unto us and shall preach unto us with a most sweet voice concerning the mysterie of our salvation His voice is sweet and his face is comely Full of grace are his lips And he is crowned with glory and honour But if God shall be all in all then shall he be fulnesse of light to the understanding plenty of peace to the will and continuance of eternitie to the memorie The Sonne will satisfie the understanding with perfect knowledge the holy Ghost will satisfie the will with most sweet love and the Father will satisfie the memory with the remembrance of both Thou O God shalt be our light and in thy light shall we see light that is we shall see thee in thy self in the brightnesse of thy countenance when we shall see thee face to face Neither shall we onely see thee but we shall also live with thee neither shall we onely live with thee but we shall also praise thee neither shall we onely praise thee but we shall also rejoyce with thee neither shall we onely rejoyce with thee but we shall also be like unto the angels neither shall we be like unto the angels onely but even unto God himself blessed for ever Let the faithfull soul be here astonished and adore the mercy of her Saviour He doth not onely receive us his enemies into favour but he doth also forgive our sinnes neither doth he forgive our sinnes onely but he doth also bestow righteousnesse upon us neither so onely but he doth leade us also into our heavenly inheritance yea he makes us like
of Galilee to shew that he came into the world to spirituall marriages Rejoyce in the Lord with gladnesse and leap thou faithfull soul for joy in thy God who hath clothed thee with the garments of salvation and compassed thee about with the robes of righteousnesse like a spouse adorned with jewels and bracelets Rejoyce for the honour of the bridegroom Rejoyce for the beauty of the bridegroom Rejoyce for the love of the bridegroom His honour is the greatest that can be For he is true God blessed for ever How great then is the dignity of this creature I mean the faithfull soul seeing the Creatour himself is willing to betroth her unto himself His beautie is the greatest that can be For he is beautifull above the sonnes of men for they saw the glorie of him as the glory of the onely begotten of the Father his face shined like the sunne and his garments were white as snow His lips were full of grace and he was crowned with glory and honour How great then is his mercy that he being the chiefest beautie doth vouchsafe to choose the soul of man to be his spouse whereas it is defiled with the stains of sinne On the bridegrooms part there is the greatest majestie On the spouses part there is the greatest infirmitie On the bridegrooms part there is the greatest beautie On the spouses part there is the greatest deformitie And yet farre greater is the love of the bridegroom towards the spouse then of the spouse towards the bridegroom whose honour and whose beauty doth so farre excell Behold thou faithfull soul behold the infinite love of the bridegroom It was his love that drew him down from heaven unto the earth It was his love that bound him to a pillar It was his love that fastened him to the crosse It was his love that enclosed him up in the grave It was his love that he descended into hell What could make him to do all these things Surely it was his love towards his spouse But our hearts are stony and heavier then lead if the bond of so great love cannot draw us unto God whereas it hath drawn God unto us Naked was his spouse and being naked could not be admitted into the royall palace of the heavenly King And he hath clothed her with the garments of righteousnesse and salvation whereas she lay enwrapped and involved in the foul coat of her sinnes and the most filthy rags of iniquitie He hath granted unto her to be arayed in fine linen clean and white the fine linen is the righteousnesse of Saints That garment is the righteousnesse which was obtained by the death and passion of the bridegroom himself Jacob laboured fourteen yeares to obtain Rachel to be his wife But Christ for thirty foure yeares almost endured hunger thirst cold povertie ignominie reproches bonds whips the bitternesse of gall and death upon the crosse to purchase unto himself the faithfull soul to be his spouse Samson went down and chose out of the Philistines which were adjudged to destruction a wife unto himself The Sonne of God came down and chose unto himself a spouse out of men that were condemned and subject to eternall death The whole stock of the spouse was at enmitie with the heavenly Father and he by his most bitter passion hath reconciled it unto his Father The spouse was prostrate upon the face of the earth and polluted in her own bloud But he hath washed her with the water of baptisme and cleansed her with a most holy laver He hath cleansed the bloud of his spouse with his own bloud For the bloud of the Sonne of God doth cleanse us from all our sinnes The spouse was deformed But he hath anointed her with the oyl of grace and mercy The spouse was not honourably apparelled but he hath put bracelets and eare-rings upon her He hath adorned her with vertues and divers gifts of the holy Spirit The spouse was very poore and had no pledge to give unto him Therefore hath he left unto her the pledge of his Spirit received frō her the pledge of his flesh and hath carried it up into heaven The spouse was hungry But he hath given unto her fine flour◠and hony and oyl to eat He doth feed her with his flesh and bloud unto eternall life The spouse is disobedient and often breaketh her marriage faith she committeth fornication with the world and with the devil and yet the bridegroom out of his infinite love doth receive her again into favour as often as she returneth unto him by true repentance Acknowledge and confesse thou faithfull soul these so many and so great arguments of his infinite love Love thou faithfull soul the love of him that for love of thee descended into the wombe of the virgin We must love him that delivered up himself for us so much more then our selves by how much he is greater then us Let us make our whole life conformable unto him who for the love of us made himself wholly conformable unto us He is justly to be accounted most unthankfull who loveth not again him of whom he was first beloved How greatly therefore ought we to love him who for the love of us did as it were forget his own majestie Happy soul which by the bond of this spirituall marriage is joyned unto Christ She doth safely and confidently apply unto her self all the benefits of Christ even as in another case by wedlock the wife doth shine glorious by the reflexion of the husbands rayes upon her Now by faith alone are we made partakers of this blessed and spirituall marriage as it is written I will betroth thee unto me in faith Faith doth ingraft us into Christ as a branch into the spirituall vine that we may suck our life and nourishment from him And as they which are joyned in marriage are no more two but one flesh So they which by faith are joyned unto the Lord become one spirit with him because Christ by faith dwelleth in our hearts And this faith if it be true it worketh by love As in the old Testament the priests were compelled to marry virgins So the celestiall priest doth spiritually couple unto himself such a virgin as doth keep her self pure and undefiled from the embracements of the devil the world and her own flesh Vouchsafe O Christ at length to admit us unto the marriage of the Lambe Amen Meditat. XIIII Of the mysterie of Christs incarnation Admire my soul the mysterie Of Jesus Christs nativitie LEt us withdraw our mindes a while from these temporall things and let us contemplate the mysterie of the Lords nativitie The Sonne of God came down from heaven unto us that we might obtain the adoption of sonnes God is made man that man may be made partaker of divine grace and nature About the
of the Lambe The church is the throne of the Lambe in which onely the grace of holy baptisme is to be had The prophet Ezekiel saw waters going out of the temple which did quicken and heal all In the spirituall temple of God that is in the church the saving waters of baptisme do yet spring forth into the profunditie whereof our sinnes are thrown Whosoever come unto it shall be healed and live Baptisme is the spirituall floud in which all flesh of sinne is drowned The impure crow goes forth like the Devil But the dove like the holy Ghost flies and brings the olive-branch that is peace and tranquilitie unto our mindes Remember therefore thou faithfull soul the greatnesse of the grace of God conferred upon thee in baptisme and render due thanks unto him The more plentifull grace is conferred upon us in baptisme the more diligent must we be in the custodie of the gifts conferred We are buried with Christ by baptisme Therefore as Christ was raised up from the dead unto the glory of his Father So let us walk in newnesse of life We are made whole let us sinne no more lest a worse thing happen unto us We have put on the most precious robe of Christs righteousnesse Therefore let us not defile it with the stains of sinne Our old man is crucified and dead in baptisme Let the new man therefore live in us We are regenerated and renewed in the spirit of our mindes by baptisme Therefore let not the flesh domineer over the spirit Old things are past Behold aâ— things are become new Let not therefore the oldnesse of the flesh prevail against the newnesse of the spirit We are made the sonnes of God by spirituall regeneration Let us therefore live as it becometh the sonnes of such a Father We are made the temple of the holy Ghost Let us therefore prepare a thankfull seat for such a guest We are received into Gods covenant Let us take heed therefore that we do not serve under the devil and so fall from the covenant of grace Effect in us all these things O blessed Trinity in Unitie Thou that hast given us such grace in baptisme give us also the grace to persevere in it Meditat. XVIII Of the saving participation of the body and bloud of Christ. He that doth eat and drink by faith Christs flesh and bloud salvation hath HE that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud shall live for ever saith Christ. Exceeding great was the bountie and goodnesse of our Saviour in that he did not onely assume our flesh and exalt it to the throne of celestiall glory but also feedeth us with his bodie and bloud unto eternall life Oh the saving delicates of the soul Oh the heavenly and angelicall food to be desired Although the angels did desire to look into this mysterie yet he did not assume the nature of the angels but the seed of Abraham Our Saviour is nearer unto us then unto the angels for we have knowledge of his love by this in that he hath given us of his own Spirit neither of his Spirit onely but of his bodie and bloud For so saith Truth it self of the bread and wine in the Eucharist This is my bodie This is my bloud How can the Lord forget those whom he hath redeemed with his bodie and bloud and whom he hath nourished with his bodie and bloud He that eateth the flesh and drinketh the bloud of Christ remaineth in Christ and Christ in him I do not much marvel therefore that the haires of our head are numbred that our names are registred in heaven that we are described in the hands of the Lord and that we are carried in his bosome seeing that we are fed with the bodie and bloud of Christ. Without doubt great is the dignitie of our souls seeing that they are fed with a price of redemption of such value Great also is the dignitie of our bodies which being redeemed and fed by the bodie of Christ become the habitacles and temples of the holy Ghost and the dwelling places of the whole and most holy Trinitie It cannot be that they should remain in the grave being fed with the bodie and bloud of our Lord. This is meat indeed We eat it But we change it not into the nature of our bodie but are changed into it We are the members of Christ and are animated by his Spirit and fed with his body and bloud This is the bread which came down from heaven and giveth life unto the world He that eateth thereof shall never hunger This is the bread of grace and mercy Of this whosoever eateth he shall taste and see how sweet the Lord is and receive of his fulnesse grace for grace This is the bread of life not onely the living bread but the quickning bread Whosoever eateth thereof he shall live for ever This is the bread which came down from heaven neither is it onely heavenly but it makes those that eat thereof heavenly They which eat it savingly in the spirit shall become heavenly because they shall not die but shall be raised again at the last day They shall be raised again but not to judgement because he that eateth of this bread cometh not into judgement nor into condemnation because there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus but they shall be raised to life and salvation For he that eateth the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinketh his bloud hath life in himself and shall live through Christ. His flesh is meat indeed and his bloud is drink indeed Let us be filled therefore with the meat not of our works but of the Lord. Let us be abundantly satisfied with the fatnesse not of our house but of the Lord. This is the true fountain of life He that shall drink of this water shall never thirst but it shall become in him a fountain of water springing up unto eternall life All ye that thirst come unto these waters and ye that have no silver make haste buy without money Let them that thirst come and come thou my soul that art vexed with the raging heat of sinne But if thou beest destitute of the silver of thy merits make haste the rather If thou hast no merits of thine own make haste the more ardently to the merits of Christ Make haste therefore and buy without silver Here is the chamber of Christ and the soul from which let not thy sinnes deterre thee and into which let not thy merits enter For what can be our merits They lay out their silver and not for bread they labour and not for fulnesse Our labours do not satiate neither is the grace of God bought with the silver of our merits Therefore heare O my soul and eat that which is good and thou shalt be delighted with fatnesse These words are spirit and
shape of man and threatned that he would destroy Sodom Here the Lambe of God is not set before us to look upon but to be tasted and eaten Vzziah coming inconsiderately unto the ark of the covenant was by the Lord suddenly smitten with a leprosie What wonder is it then if he that eats of this bread and drinks of this wine unworthily eateth and drinketh his own condemnation For here is the true ark of the new covenant which was prefigured by the old Now the apostle teacheth true preparation in one word Let a man examine himself and so let him eat of this bread Now as all divine examination is to be squared according to the rule of divine scripture so also is this which Paul requires Let us therefore consider in the first place our own infirmitie For what is man Dust and ashes We were made of the earth we live of the earth and we return to the earth What is man Stinking seed a sack of dung and meat for worms Man was born to labour and not to honour Man is born of a woman and therefore with guiltinesse He liveth but a short time and therefore in fear he is full of many miseries and therefore of weeping many indeed because both of body and soul. Man knoweth neither his beginning nor his end We have our being for a while like a fading flower But this short life hath long sorrows and labours Let us consider in the second place our unworthinesse Verily every creature in respect of the Creatour is a shadow a dream nothing Therefore man also But man is unworthy in a greater and more grievous manner For he offended his Creatour by his sinne God is just by nature and by essence Therefore by his nature and by his essence he is offended and displeased with sinne What are we stubble to that consuming fire How shall our most filthy deeds appear How shall our iniquities which thou settest before thee and our errours which thou placest in the light of thy countenance God is infinite and alwayes like himself of infinite justice and infinite anger And if in all his works then certainly in his anger justice and revenge God is altogether great and wonderfull He that spared not his own Sonne will he spare his own workmanship He that spared not the most holy one will he spare the wicked servant God so hateth sinne that he doth punish it even in the best beloved as it appears by Lucifer the prince of the angels But let not this examination respect us onely but the blessed bread also which is the communication of the Lords bodie Then shall the true fountain of grace and the inexhaustible spring of mercie appear God cannot altogether neglect us seeing that he maketh us partakers of his own flesh For who ever hated his own flesh Therefore this holy banquet shall transform our souls This most divine banquet shall make us divine men untill at length we be made partakers of future happinesse being made capable of God wholly and onely and wholly like unto God What we have here by faith and in a mystery there we shall have in deed and openly Yea our bodies have attained to this dignitie that in them we shall see God face to face I say our bodies which are now the temples of the holy Ghost and are sanctified and quickned by the body and bloud of Christ dwelling in us This most holy medicine cures all the wounds of sinne This quickning flesh overcometh all mortall sinne This is the most holy seal of divine promises which we may shew before Gods judgement Having this pledge we may glory and be secure of eternall life If Christ his bodie and bloud be exhibited unto us assuredly all other benefits by that most holy body and most blessed bloud are prepared for us How can he that hath given us the greater things denie us the lesse He that hath given his Sonne to us how shall he not give all other thingâ— with him Let the spouse therefore be glad and rejoyce for the time is at hand when she shall be called to the marriage of the Lambe Let her put on precious apparel let her put on her wedding garment that she be not found naked This garment is the bridegrooms righteousnes which we put on in baptisme But our righteousnesse is so farre from being a wedding garment that it is as the cloth of a menstruous woman Let us be afraid therefore to bring the most filthy and stinking rags of our works to this nuptiall solemnitie Let the Lord cover us that we be not found naked Meditat. XXI Of Christs ascension Christ is ascended up on high And we must up like eagles flie MEditate upon thy bridegrooms ascension thou faithfull soul For Christ withdrew his visible presence from the faithfull to exercise their faith And blessed are they that see not and yet beleeve Where our treasure is there let our heart be also Christ our treasure is in heaven Let our hearts therefore be set upon those things that are heavenly and meditate upon the things that be above The spouse desires with most earnest sighs the return of her beloved So let the faithfull soul desire the coming of that day when she shall be admitted to the marriage of the Lambe Let her put her confidence in the pledge of the holy Spirit which the Lord left unto her at his departure Let her put her confidence in the bodie and bloud of the Lord which she receives in the mysterie of the supper And let her beleeve that our bodies which are filled with this incorruptible food shall at length be raised up again That which we now beleeve we shall then see Our hope shall then be reall fruition The Lord is present unto us here while we are on the way in a strange shape But in the mansion of our heavenly countrey we shall behold him and know him as he is It was our Saviours will to ascend up from the mount â— Olives The olive is a signe of peacâ— and joy Therefore not withouâ— cause did he ascend up from the mount of Olives because by his passion he hath purchased peace and tranquillitie for terrified and amazed consciences Not without cause did he ascend up from the mount of Olives For the court of heaven did exceedingly joy to receive him The mount doth call and invite us to heavenly things seeing therefore we cannot follow him with our bodily feet let us follow him with the feeâ— of our holy desires Moses also in like manner ascended up unto the Lord in the mount The holy patriarchs worshipped in the mount Abraham made choice of the mount and Lot of the plain Let the faithfull soul leave the plain of this world and by holy devotion go up to the heavenly mount So shall she feel God speaking unto her inwardly and that most sweetly So in
holy-day for all eternity Therefore think not onely upon the time of thy friends forsaking thee that is at their death but think also upon the time when they shall be restored again unto thee that is at the resurrection To them that firmly beleeve the resurrection death seemeth not death but rather a quiet sleep The whole universe seems to be a glasse in which we may behold the resurrection The sunne that sets every night riseth again in the morning The herbs that are dead in the winter shoot up again in the spring The Phenix at her death reneweth her self again When times and seasons are past they return again After fruits are come to maturity still there succeed others Seeds unlesse they die and be corrupted they rise not again with increase All things are preserved by perishing and generated by corrupting Shall we think then that God hath to no end or purpose set before us these types in nature Shall nature be more powerfull then God who hath promised that our bodies shall rise again He that quickneth the grain of the seeds that are dead and rotten that thou mayest live thereby in this world shall not he much more raise up thee and thine that thou mayest live with them for ever God hath called thy loving friends unto their beds And do not thou envie them their quiet rest The resurrection will shortly come It may be thou didst hope that thy friends before their death would have been profitable members of the militant Church But it hath pleased God to make them members of the Church triumphant Seeing it hath so pleased God be thou also well pleased It may be thou thoughtest that thy friends before their death would have attained to the knowledge of divers things But it hath pleased God to take them up into the heavenly Academie there to learn true wisdome Seeing therefore it hath so pleased God be thou also well pleased It may be thou didst hope that thy friends before their death would be raised out of the dust and be set with princes But it hath pleased God to make them the fellows of heavenly princes that is the holy angels Seeing therefore it hath so pleased God be thou also well pleased It may be thou didst hope that thy friends before their death would have gathered together much riches But it hath pleased God to make them partakers of the delights of his heavenly kingdome And therefore seeing that it hath so pleased God be thou also well pleased Holy God thou hast taken away nothing but what thou gavest blessed be thy name for ever and ever Meditat. XLV Of the last judgement Remember that Christ Jesus shall Thoughts words and deeds to judgement call THe Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgement to his Sonne I know Lord Jesus that thou wilt come as the severe Judge of all men to bring their thoughts words and deeds to light though they were done in darknesse Above there shall be a severe judge beneath hell gaping within the conscience gnawing without the fire flaming on the right hand sinnes accusing on the left hand the devils terrifying The good angels keeping out of heaven and the evil angels pulling down to hell Then Lord Jesus to whom shall I betake my self in these my straits I am afraid of all my works knowing that thou sparest not every one that offendeth I shall there be set between time and eternity Time will be past but the infinite space of eternitie will remain behinde The malignant spirits will require their wicked works unto which they have perswaded me and in that severe judgement they will produce all they know against me that they may draw my soul into the fellowship of their torments All the host of heaven shall consume away the heavens shall be rolled together like a scrole all the host of them shall fall even as a leaf falleth from the vine or figge-tree The sunne shall be ashamed and the moon shall be brought to confusion But if these the works of thy hands which never committed any evil against thee if they flee away from thy sight how shall I miserable sinner be able to appear before thy face The heavens of heavens are not clean in thy sight What am I then that drink iniquitie like water But if the righteous shall scarce be saved where shall the sinner appear Whither then shall I fly or to whom shall I go but unto thee O Lord Thou shalt be the Judge of my sinnes who diedst for my sinnes For the Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgement unto his Sonne The Father delivered all judgement to the Sonne but the Son again was delivered for our sinnes For God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne not to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through him How canst thou then condemn me Lord Jesus when as thou wast sent by thy Father to save me Thou â—idst fulfill the will of thy Father in all things How then wilt thou not fulfill it in saving me miserable sinner It is not the will of thy Father that one of the little ones should perish And I am a little one in thy sight and a little one also in mine own sight For what am I but dust and ashes Neither onely dust and ashes but also a very little one and a very dwarf for proficiencie in piety Perfect therefore in me little one the will of thy Father Thou camest O Jesus to save that which was lost How then canst thou condemn him that desires to be saved My sinnes will accuse me and call upon the Judge for severe sentence But thou hast taken my sinnes upon thee Thou takest away the sinnes of the world How then hast thou not taken away mine also How canst thou condemn me for my sins when thou diedst for them Thou diedst for the sinnes of the whole world How then hast thou not died for mine also Certainly Lord Jesus if thou hadst meant to deal with me in thy strict judgement thou wouldest never have descended from heaven to take upon thee my flesh to die and to be crucified The devils will accuse me and require of my soul the works whereunto they have perswaded me But the prince of this world is condemned and hath nothing in thee and if he hath nothing in thee then certainly he hath nothing in me For I beleeve in thee O Lord therefore thou abidest in me and I in thee He will accuse me that am thy friend He will accuse me that am thy brother that am the beloved sonne of the eternall Father How then canst thou deal with me in thy strict judgement seeing that I am thy friend thy brother and thy sonne At that judgement Moses will accuse me and pronounce me accursed for not keeping all that is written in the book of the law
GERARDS Meditations Written originally in the Latine tongue By JOHN GERARD Doctour in Divinitie and Superintendant of Heidelberg Translated and revised By RALPH WINTERTON Fellow of Kings Colledge in CAMBRIDGE The fifth edition Printed by Thomas Buck and Roger Daniel Printers to the Universitie of Cambridge MDCXXXVIII TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE the Reverend Father in God JOHN Lord Bishop of ROCHESTER IT was the answer of Vespasian to Apollonius desiring entrance and accesse for Dion and Euphrates two Philosophers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My gates are alwayes open to Philosophers but my very breast is open unto thee What Vespasian professed in word to Apollonius the late Reverend Dean of SALISBURY hath performed indeed to me The gates of his liberalitie and hospitalitie have never been barred against scholars and strangers but the inward temple of his divine breast was unlocked unto me and through that I saw his heart flaming with affection towards me The experience of that his divine Philanthropie moved me formerly to desire entertainment for a stranger not doubting of his wonted Philoxenie not for Dion or Euphrates the Philosophers but for Gerard the Divine having then new put on an English mans habit I obtained my desire At SALISBURIE he was welcome In citie and countrey afterwards he found good entertainment After three yeares he came again to Cambridge I furnished him with ink and paper Then he resolved to take another progresse On New-yeares day I left him on his way to Rochester He promised not to divert to any place till he had seen your Lordship and presented my most humble service Happy Gerard that may see your Lordship O that I might but see once again those heavenly eyes whose first aspect and influence blessed me O that I might but kisse those saving hands which raised me O that I might but visit that temple and worship that divine breast where my soul found sanctuary If Gerard may in part I shall That which I cannot see with mine eyes my dayly thoughts shall present unto me Him whom I cannot reverence with cap and knee I will alwayes honour in heart and minde whither with the feet of my bodie I cannot walk I will travel with all dutifull affection But what shall I do to expresse my thankfulnesse He that hath scap'd shipwrack will hang up his sails to Neptune for a monument I have none other sails but such as are made of thin paper and those scarce yet drie He that hath passed through the pikes and is come off safe and sound will offer a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto Salus I have no other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but my self and that is but a poore scholars service He that is recovered of a dangerous sicknesse will do his devotions at Aesculapius his temple My prayers shall alwayes be directed to Almighty God who hath the hearts of all men in his hands who opened the good Dean of SALISBURIES heart unto me Unto him shall my prayers early and late be directed to open unto the Bishop of ROCHESTER the treasury of all blessings temporall and eternall And I hope the Reverend Father in God will accept this tribute of a devout soul. Servatus hath nothing else to give But he shall alwayes remain Your Lordships most humbly devoted servant R. Winterton To the ancient religious and learned Lady the Lady COPPEN THe earth is watered with drops from above and in vapours sends them up again The rivers come from the sea and flow back again The aire will cleave the rock to get up to its place again The fire came down from heaven and thither it tends up again From the mixture of these elements all bodies have their temperaments Those have in them a character of naturall gratitude and these should follow them This character an illiterate man may see in creatures without sense and he that is learned may reade to the life in creatures that have sense Man is the Epitome of all perfections in other creatures But without this character he is like to none of them He hath spent his time ill at the Vniversitie that denies the first principles and he would be sent back again to learn the first elements In the soul of man as Galen saith there is an art of arts and in the bodie of man an instrument of instruments Reason is the art and the hand is the instrument I have both and both are the Lady COPPENS I have reason to acknowledge it and an hand to subscribe to it Your Ladiships servant Raâ—â—h Winterton To the Right Worshipfull my most munificent friend and benefactour Sr JOHN HANBURIE Lord of Kelmash in Northamptonshire A Generous benefactour writes what he gives in running water so doth Sr John Hanburie A thankfull receiver writes what he receives in a pillar of marble so would Ralph Winterton The one professeth the art of forgetfulnesse so do you The other practiseth the art of remembrance so will I. Six yeares are passed since the golden streams of your bountie flowed down upon me But the water of Lethe hath not yet washed them out of my memorie I hope I shall never be sick of a lethargie But it is good to use a help for memorie A benefit once received ought alwayes to be remembred Mans alwayes is not alwayes Come death farewell memorie Letters after the death of them to whom they are sent are usually burnt for waste papers Therefore I durst neither trust the one nor the other with keeping the record of your bountie and my thankfulnesse knowing that death for certain will blot out memory and fire may burn up the Registers office It may be your bountie would have been well pleased with a private acknowledgement But my dutie could not be satisfied without a publick monument None more publick then that which hath passed through the presse For that of one can make a thousand so it did formerly But now I have made fifteen hundred witnesses of my thankfull remembrance and more may hereafter Gerard where he is known is in favour every where But he is no where without Sr JOHN HANBURIE At whose service GERARD is and his Translatour RALPH WINTERTON To the Worshipfull my very worthy friends Mr Nathanael Henshaw of Valence in Essex Mr Benjamin Henshaw of Cheap-side in London and Mr Thomas Henshaw of Saffron-Walden in Essex IT is reported by Tacitus that Licinius grew so stupid that if he had not been put in minde by others he had forgot himself to be a Prince If I should forget the HENSHAVVES I should forget my self to be a man For an unthankfull man is no man but an enemie to God and man so the Persians were wont to call him Where bounty hath an hand to give thankfulnesse should have an hand to write received I have formerly recorded with mine own hand your names in the catalogue of my benefactours And that hand should deserve to be cut off if it should now expunge them The old copie may decay I thought good
therefore now to renew it Gerards Meditations had never seen English light for me if yours and others bountie had not set my head on work to finde out some occasion to give publick testimonie of my thankfulnesse If Gerard had not been I might still have been to seek for an occasion As often therefore as Gerard and I live together at every impression you may challenge at my hands a new expression of my service This debt I shall be alwayes readie to pay but not as men pay money for that being once paid can be required no more But this I shall be alwayes paying and still remain your debter Ità testor R. WINTERTON SOme say that plants do better grow When they 're translated to and fro I 'm sure when books translated be They more and more do fructifie Gerard did bring forth fruit before But now it is deriv'd to more What be beyond the sea did sow Now Englishmen at home may mow Come Countreymen take what is yours The crop's brought home unto your doores John Bohâ—am IF pleasure may or profit may thee move Here 's that which may deserve thy chiefest love If thou desirest riches to enjoy The doore is open to the treasurie If beautie please On this glasse cast thine eye Here 's that will soul and bodie beautifie If honour please The way 's prepar'd for thee To honour him whose service honours thee If thou beest hungrie thirstie Taste and see Christs flesh and bloud presented unto thee If thou beest naked To this wardrobe hie Where Christ his robe of righteousnesse doth lie If sick thou art For every maladie Here is a very present remedie If thou thy self defiled hast with sinne Here is a fountain for to bathe thee in If thou delightst in flowers Here do grow Such flowers as Art and Nature ne're could show Choose what thou wilt here 's what thou canst desire Riches and beautie honours and attire Meat drink and med'cine and a living spring A paradise of every pleasant thing Here 's heaven on earth if heaven on earth can be And so I wish thee to go in and see Francis Winterton GErard of late was but in Latine read But now he hath his language altered Behold a change see how Arts pencill can A Latine turn into an English-man Gerard in this ten thousand doth excell In three moneths space to speak our tongue so well Thomas Bonham REader if thou fain wouldst know To whose labours thou dost ow These sacred lines think who't may be Seeks thy souls good and that is he Some say these writings Gerards be He wrote indeed but not to thee He was to those that learned were To thee he was not though be were Before thou couldst not understand He 's now translated to thy hand Reade him and use him as thy friend And hee 'l be thine unto the end William Norrice THou that desir'st on earth a blessed end And seek'st the way to th' heavens to ascend Resort to Gerard hee 'l direct the way Whereby thou mayst ascend and live for ay Thou needst no guide 't is easie to be gone All lets removed are by Winterton The way 's made plain which was before obscure That thou thereby mayst heavenly blisse procure Endeavour then this way to walk aright And it will lead thee to eternall light T. Gore UPon a good the more communicate We alwayes set a better estimate The sunne it self though of it self most bright None would admire did not he see its light Gerard himself though of himself hee 's good Had not been so to us not understood This mov'd my friend this Gerard to translate Gods glory and thy good to propagate Edward Bonham The table for direction to finde out any Meditation contained in this book Meditation 1 OF confession of sinne Page 1 Meditation 2 An exercise of repentance from the crosse of Christ. Page 7 Meditation 3 Of the fruit of true and serious repentance Page 12 Meditation 4 A meditation upon the name of JESVS Page 19 Meditation 5 An exercise of faith from the love of Christ in the agonie of death Page 23 Meditation 6 Consolation for the penitent from the crosse of Christ. Page 28 Meditation 7 Of the fruit of the Lords passion Page 34 Meditation 8 Of the certaintie of our salvation Page 39 Meditation 9 That God alone is to be loved Page 44 Meditation 10 Of our reconciliation with God Page 51 Meditation 11 Of the satisfaction made for our sinnes Page 56 Meditation 12 Of the nature and properties of true faith Page 61 Meditation 13 Of the spirituall marriage of Christ and the soul. Page 68 Meditation 14 Of the mystery of Christs incarnation Page 74 Meditation 15 Of the saving fruit of Christs incarnation Page 80 Meditation 16 Of the spirituall repast of the godly Page 85 Meditation 17 Of the fruits of Baptisme Page 91 Meditation 18 Of the saving communion of the body and bloud of Christ. Page 97 Meditation 19 Of the mystery of the Lords supper Page 102 Meditation 20 Of due preparation before we come to the Lords supper Page 107 Meditation 21 Of Christs ascension Page 112 Meditation 22 An homilie of the holy Ghost Page 118 Meditation 23 Of the Churches dignitie Page 125 Meditation 24 Of predestination Page 132 Meditation 25 Of the saving efficacie of prayer Page 139 Meditation 26 Of the holy angels guarding us Page 146 Meditation 27 Of the devils treacheries Page 153 Meditation 28 Generall rules for the leading of a godly life Page 159 Meditation 29 Of shaking off securitie Page 166 Meditation 30 Of the imitation of the holy life of Christ. Page 174 Meditation 31 Of the denying of a mans self Page 180 Meditation 32 Of the true rest of the soul. Page 187 Meditation 33 Of a pure conscience Page 193 Meditation 34 Of the studie of true humilitie Page 201 Meditation 35 Of fleeing from covetousnesse Page 206 Meditation 36 Of the properties of true love and charitie Page 214 Meditation 37 Of the studie of chastitie Page 222 Meditation 38 Of the flitting swiftnesse of this present life Page 229 Meditation 39 Of the worlds vanitie Page 236 Meditation 40 Of the profit of tentations Page 244 Meditation 41 Foundations of Christian patience Page 250 Meditation 42 How we must overcome tentations by perseverance Page 257 Meditation 43 Of the daily meditation of our death Page 262 Meditation 44 Consolation at the death of friends Page 268 Meditation 45 Of the last judgement Page 277 Meditation 46 Of the desire of eternall life Page 283 Meditation 47 Of the beatificall vision of God in heaven Page 290 Meditation 48 Of our fellowship with the angels in heaven Page 296 Meditation 49 Of the grievousnesse of hell-torments Page 302 Meditation 50 Of the eternitie of hell-torments Page 309 Meditation 51 Of the spirituall resurrection of the godly Page 316 Meditat. I. Of true confession and acknowledâ—ment of sinne Confession is to cure sinne A very present medicine HOly God
were all made for her use How insufficient the creatures are to satiate and fulfill our desires it appeareth at death when all creatures forsake us It is wonderfull that we should so firmly stick unto the creatures when as they stick unto us so weakly and unconstantly Adam when he turned away from the consolation of God and sought delight in the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was driven out of Paradise Our soul if it turn away from God unto the creatures is deprived of celestiall comfort and is quite driven away from the tree of life But what remains unto them that neglect this feast The world passeth away and so do all they that cleave unto it The creatures passe away and all they that put their trust in them Our heavenly Father sweareth that they which preferre oxen fields wives that is any earthly things whatsoever before the sweetnesse of the heavenly feast shall never taste of his supper After supper there is no further provision of meat made and if we neglect Christ there is no other remedy left for us Those contemners shall be punished with eternall famine and live in eternall darknesse They which would not heare Christ thus inviting them Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavie laden shall heare him at length denouncing Go ye cursed into everlasting fire The Sodomites were consumed with fire because being called to this feast by the preaching of Lot they would not come The fire of Gods wrath which lasteth for ever shall consume them who being called by the gospel have despised this feast At the coming of the bridegroom the virgins that had no oyl in their lamps staying too long were shut out So they whose hearts in this world are not filled with the oyl of the holy Spirit shall not be admitted by Christ to the participation of joy but they shall have the gate of indulgence the gate of mercy the gate of consolation the gate of hope the gate of grace the gate of good works shut against them Christ hath yet an inward kinde of calling and happy is he that heares it Christ often knocks â—t the gate of our hearts by holy desires devout sighs and pious cogitations and happy is he that openeth unto him As soon as thou feelest in thy heart any holy desire of heavenly grace assure thy self that Christ knocks at thy heart Let him in lest he passe by and afterwards shut the gate of his mercy against thee As soon as thou feelest in thy heart any spark of godly meditations perswade thy self that it was kindled by the heat of divine love that is of the holy Spirit cherish and nourish it that it may grow to be a fire of love Take heed that thou quench not the Spirit and hinder the work of the Lord. He that destroyeth the temple of the Lord shall feel his severe judgement Our heart is the temple of the Lord And he destroyeth it whosoever refuseth to give place to the holy Spirit inwardly calling by the word In the old Testament the prophets could heare the Lord speaking inwardly In the new Testament all the true godly do feel those inward motions of the holy Spirit drawing them Blessed are they which heare and follow Meditat. XVII Of the fruits of Baptisme If thou polluted art with sin The fountain's open enter in REmember thou faithfull soul the grace of God conferred upon thee in the saving laver of baptisme Baptisme is the laver of regeneration Therefore he that is dipt in the laver of baptisme is no longer altogether carnall as before But because he is born of God by water and the Spirit therefore he is also the sonne of God and because a sonne therefore an heir also of eternall happinesse As the eternall Father at the baptisme of Christ uttered this voice This is my beloved Sonne So all those that beleeve and are baptized he adopteth to be his sonnes As at the baptisme of Christ the holy Ghost appeared in the shape of a dove So also is he present at our baptisme and gives force unto it yea he is conferred by baptisme upon the beleevers and effects in them new motions that they become wise as serpâ—nts and innocent as doves As it was at the creation so is it also at our regeneration At the first creation of things the Spirit of the Lord moved upon the waters and gave a vitall force unto them So also in the water of baptisme the holy Ghost is present and makes it a saving means of our regeneration Christ himself our Saviour would be baptized that he might leave a testimonie that by baptisme we are made his members Oftentimes medicines are applyed to the head to heal some other parts of the bodie Christ is our spirituall head He received the medicine of baptisme for to heal his mysticall bodie God in the old Testament made a covenant with his people by circumcision So by baptisme in the new Testament we are received into the covenant of God Baptisme succeeded in the place of circumcision He therefore that is in the covenant of God need not be afraid of the devils accusation In baptisme we put on Christ And from hence it is that the Saints are said to have made their robes white in the bloud of the Lambe Christs perfect righteousnesse is that beautifull robe whosoever therefore hath put on this robe let him not fear the stains of sinne There was a pool in Jerusalem about the sheep-market into which at a certain time the angel of the Lord descended and troubled it and he that first descended into it after the troubling of the water was cured of what disease soever The water of baptisme is that pool which healeth us of every disease of sinne when the holy Spirit descends into it and troubles it with the bloud of Christ who was made a sacrifice for us In like manner in time past the sacrifices were washed in that pool at Jerusalem As at the baptisme of Christ the heavens were opened So also at our baptisme the gate of heaven is opened unto us At the baptisme of Christ all the holy and sacred Trinitie was present And so likewise at our baptisme And so by the word of promise which is annexed unto the element of water faith receiveth the grace of the Father adopting the merit of the Sonne cleansing and the efficacie of the holy Ghost regenerating Pharaoh and all his host was drowned in the red sea The Israelites passed through safe and sound So in baptisme all the host of vices is drowned and the faithfull safely attain to the inheritance of the kingdome of heaven Therefore also is baptisme that sea of glasse which John saw Through it as through a kinde of glasse the brightnesse of the sunne of righteousnesse enters into our mindes And that sea was before the throne
the night unlesse thou dost first arm thy self by prayer What fruit canst thou expect of thy labours unlesse thou dost first worship him without whose blessing all labour is unprofitable If therefore thou wantest spirituall or temporall blessings ask and receive If thou desirest Christ seek him by prayer and thou shalt finde If thou desirest that the gate of divine grace eternall salvation should be opened unto thee Knock and it shall be opened unto thee If in the desert of this world the thirst of tentations and the penurie of spirituall goods afflict thee Come unto the spirituall rock which is Christ come with devotion and strike it with the rod of prayer thou shalt feel the streams of divine grace cool the thirst of thy penurie Wouldest thou offer an acceptable sacrifice unto God Offer thy prayers so shall God smell a sweet odour and his wrath shall cease Wouldest thou every day converse with God Love prayer which is the spirituall conference between God and the devout soul. Wouldest thou taste how sweet the Lord is Invite the Lord to the house of thy heart by prayer Prayer pleaseth God if it be made in a due manner Whosoever therefore desireth to be heard let him pray with wisdome with fervencie with humilitie with faith with perseverance with confidence Let him pray with wisdome that is for such things as tend to the glory of God and the salvation of his neighbour God is omnipotent Therefore do not thou in thy prayers tie him to means God is most wise Therefore do not thou in thy prayers prescribe him an order Let not thy prayers break forth rashly but let them follow the conduct of faith Now faith hath respect unto the word Therefore such things as God hath promised in his word absolutely pray for absolutely and such things as he hath promised with a condition as temporall things pray for with a condition and such things as he hath in no wise promised in no wise pray for God oftentimes gives in his wrath that which in his mercy he doth denie Therefore follow Christ who resigned his will wholly unto God Pray with fervencie For how canst thou desire that God should heare thee when thou hearest not thy self Wouldest thou have God mindfull of thee when thou art not mindfull of thy self When thou wilt pray go into thy closet and shut thy doore Thy heart is the closet thou must enter into it If thou wilt pray as thou oughtest thou must shut the doore that the cogitations of worldly businesse may not trouble thee Thy words come not unto Gods eares without the affection of the heart The minde must be so inflamed with the heat of cogitation that it may farre surpasse what the tongue expresseth And this is to worship in spirit and in truth as the Lord requireth Christ prayed in the mount and lifted up his eyes unto heaven So we must turn away our mindes from all the creatures and turn them unto God Thou doest injurie unto God if thou prayest unto him to attend unto thee when thou dost not attend unto thy self We may pray without ceasing if we pray in the spirit that is if our mindes do alwayes by holy desires watch unto God There is not alwayes need of clamour because God heareth even the sighs of our hearts seeing that he dwelleth in the hearts of the godly There is not alwayes need of words because he is present even with the thoughts Oftentimes one sigh moved by the holy Ghost and offered to God in the spirit is more acceptable to God then long repetitions of prayers where the tongue prayeth and the heart is plainly dâ—mbe Let him pray with humilitie and place no confidence in his own merit but in the grace of God onely If our prayers relie upon our own worth they are condemned yea though the heart for very devotion should sweat drops of bloud No man pleaseth God but in Christ Therefore no man prayeth aright but through Christ and in Christ. The sacrifices did not please God which were not offered on the onely altar of the tabernacle So prayer pleaseth not God unlesse it be offered upon the onely altar which is Christ. God promised to heare the Israelites prayers if they prayed with their faces turned toward Jerusalem So we in our prayers must convert our selves unto Christ who is the temple of the divinitie Christ at his passion being about to pray cast himself to the ground Behold how that most holy soul humbled it self before the divine majestie Let him pray with faith let him offer himself to want all joy and to suffer all punishment The sooner one prayeth the more profitably the oftner the better the more fervently the more acceptably with God Let him pray with perseverance For if God delay his benefits he commends them and doth not deny them The longer things are desired the sweeter they are being obtained Let him pray with confidence that is ask with faith without doubting O most mercifull God who hast commanded us to pray give us grace to pray aright Meditat. XXVI Of the holy angels appointed by God to be our keepers The angels of the Lord protect All those that are the Lords elect COnsider thou devout soul how great the goodnesse of the Lord is who hath made his angels thy keepers Our heavenly Father sends his own Sonne to redeem us The Sonne of God is made flesh to save us The holy Ghost is sent to sanctifie us The angels are sent to protect us So then all the court of heaven doth as it were serve us convey their benâ—fits unto us I do not wonder now that all the inferiour creatures were made for man seeing that the angels themselves creatures farre more excellent do not deny their ministerie unto us What wonder is it that the heaven ministers light unto us by day that we may labour and darknesse by night that we may rest seeing that those that dwell in heaven do minister unto us What wonder is it that the aire affordeth us vitall breath and all kindes of fowls to our service seeing that the celestiall spirits watch over us for our safety What wonder is it that the water affordeth us drink purgeth away our filth watereth things that are dried and brings forth sundry kindes of fishes when as the angels themselves are present with us and do refresh us when we are weary with the heat of calamities and tentations What wonder that the earth beareth us and nourisheth us with bread and wine and furnisheth our tables with all kindes of fruits and living creatures when as he hath given his angels charge to keep us in all our wayes and to bear us up in their hands that we dash not our foot against a stone The angels were solicitous concerning Christ. For an angel foretells his conception An angel declares
But thou O Christ wast made a curse for me that I might be freed from the curse of the law I shall be cursed by Moses but blessed by thee For I desire to heare that voice Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdome prepared for you Moses will accuse me But thou wilt not accuse me to thy Father yea thou makest intercession for me Therefore I am not afraid of Moses his curse because thou hast blotted out the hand-writing which was against me The damned will accuse me and pronounce me guiltie of the same fault with them I confesse Lord Jesus my guiltinesse doth conjoyn me with them but the acknowledgement of my guiltines and the saving knowledge of thee doth disjoyn me from them He that heareth thy word and beleeveth on him that sent thee hath life everlasting and shall not come into condemnation I heare thy word Lord and in thee I beleeve with weak faith but yet faith Lord I beleeve yet help thou my unbelief Lord I beleeve but yet do thou increase my faith Although I am not free from all the sinnes of the damned yet thou O Lord shalt deliver me from unbelief All my accusers do terrifie me but thou being my Judge dost comfort me To thee hath the Father committed all judgement Into thy hands hath he delivered all things and again thee hath he delivered up for us all and thou hast delivered up thy self for the Church to sanctifie it and cleanse it by the washing of water through the word How canst thou then according to severe judgement judge those for whom thou hast delivered thy self to death even the death of the crosse Thou canst not hate thine own flesh we are members of thy body of thy flesh and of thy bones Meditat. XLVI Of the desire of eternall life All earthly things tread under thee And let thy thoughts in heaven be DEvout soul thou must not love this life which is transitorie but rather that which remaineth for ever Ascend up by thy desires to the place where there is youth without old age life without death joy without sorrow and a kingdome without change If beauty delight thee The righteous shall shine as the sunne If swiftnesse and strength The elect shall be like unto the angels of God If a long and healthfull life There shall be healthfull eternitie and eternall healthfulnesse If fulnesse The elect shall be filled when the glory of the Lord shall appear If melodie There do the quires of angels sing without end If pure pleasure God shall make those that are his drunk in the torrent of pleasure If wisdome The very wisdome of God shall shew it self unto them If love They shall love God more then themselves and one another as themselves and God shall love them more then they themselves If concord delight There they shall be all of one minde If power To the elect shall all things be easie they shall desire nothing but what they shall be able and they shall desire nothing but what God will have them to will and to desire If honour and riches delight God will make his faithfull servants rulers over many things If true securitie They shall be as certain never to want that good as they are certain that they themselves would never lose it willingly and that God that loveth them will never take from them against their wills that which they love and that nothing is more powerfull then God to separate God and them asunder Whatsoever the elect can desire there they shall finde because they shall behold him that is all in all face to face So great are the goods of that life that they cannot be measured so many that they cannot be numbred and so precious that they cannot be valued There shall be eternall health unto our bodies and great puritie unto our souls there shall be glory and fulnesse of divine pleasure there shall we have familiaritie with the saints and angels for ever having our bodies of admirable clearnesse and brightnesse The elect shall rejoyce for the pleasantnesse of the place which they shall possesse for the pleasant societie in which they shall reigne for the glory of their bodies which they shall put on for the world which they have despised and for hell which they have escaped The least crown of eternall life shall be more worth then a thousand worlds because they are all finite but this is infinite Neither is there any fear that they shall envie one anothers brightnesse because there shall reigne in them all unitie of love By reason of that high degree of love whatsoever happeneth to one of the elect the rest shall as much rejoyce at as if it were their own There is no greater good then God in heaven and in earth Therefore there can be no greater perfecter joy then to see possesse God Therefore to see God for one moment shall go beyond all joyes For we shall see God in himself God in us and our selves in God In the way of this life we have Christ with us but hidden under the covering of the word and sacraments We know him not here as he is but in the life to come we shall behold him in presence when he shall distribute unto us the bread that satisfieth for ever As the disciples knew him not upon the way but in the Inne at length when he broke bread unto them The heavenly Jerusalem hath no temple made with hands neither sunne nor moon because the temple thereof is eternall and God is the life thereof Vision succeeds in the place of faith attainment in the place of hope and perfect fruition in the place of love As at the building of Solomons temple there was heard neither the sound of ax nor hammer So in the heavenly Jerusalem there is neither pain nor tribulation felt because the materials of this temple to wit the spirituall stones are prepared by tribulation in the world long before The queen that came to Solomon is the soul travelling to the heavenly Jerusalem unto Christ She entreth in with a great train of the holy angels with gold and precious stones of divers vertues She will wonder at the wisdome of Christ the King the order of his ministers that is the Angels and the Saints the fare of his table that is the fulnesse of eternall repast the price and value of his clothes that is the bodies glorified the beauty of his house that is the greatnesse of the heavenly palace the sacrifices that is the multitude of divine praises She will be turned into astonishment and confesse she could not beleeve what she now seeth with her eyes Therefore let the faithfull soul lift up her self and consider what good things are prepared for her Thither let the spirit be directed whither at length it shall go In time we
hands O God how liberall art thou to mankindeâ— All things thou createdst long ago for the use of man All things thou dost as yet preserve for the good of man Whatsoever thou of thine infinite goodnesse affordest to the other creatures thou affordest also unto me for as much as thou dost wonderfully form furnish and conserve them for my sake Some of the creatures serve to obey me some to nourish me some to clothe me some to cure me some to chastise me But all of them to teach and inform me Who can reckon up those divers kindes of nutriments which thou hast created and dost as yet produce out of the earth unto this day to nourish us Who can enumerate those divers species of herbs which thou dost every yeare cause the earth to bring forth to cure us Who can in words comprehend those sundry kindes of living creatures which were made for mans use and do yet all serve him To thee be praise and honour for ever who art the Creatour and Conserver of all things Without thee the true sunne I should vanish away as doth the shadow Without thee the true life I should presently depart out of this life Without thee the true being I should suddenly fall to nothing To thee onely is due that I live move and have my being Therefore to thee alone will I live and adhere for ever Amen PRAYER III. He renders thanks for our redemption wrought by Christ. I Ow unto thee O eternall and Almighty God most heartie thanks for that thou hast created me when I was nothing But much more for that thou hast redeemed me when I was lost and condemned I did hang in the jaws of hell And thou didst pluck me out by the bloud of thy Sonne I was the slave of Satan but thy grace hath delivered me out of the power of the devil and translated me into the kingdome of Christ. I ow my self wholly unto thee because thou createdst me wholly My tongue ought alwayes to praise thee because thou gavest it unto me My mouth ought alwayes to set forth thy praise because the aire and breath which it drawes is thine My heart ought alwayes to cleave unto thee with perpetuall love because thou didst form it All my members ought to be ready for thy service because thou didst wonderfully frame them how many and how great soever they be But if I ow my self wholly unto thee because thou createdst me What shall I repay unto thee for redeeming me out of slavery and captivity The lost sheep thou hast delivered out of the claws of the infernall wolf The fugitive slave thou hast pluckt out of the prison of the devil The lost groat thou hast sought out with great carefulnesse In Adam I fell and thou hast erected me In Adam I was captivated in the bonds of sinne but thou hast set me at liberty In Adam I was lost and again thou hast saved me What am I worm that thou shouldest be so solicitous for redeeming me What am I worm that thou shouldest be so prodigally bountifull for saving me If thou hadst altogether cast off our first parents after their fall and hadst thrown them with all their posteritie out from the presence of thy glory into the lowest pit of hell there is none of us could justly complain of any wrong done unto him For they had received and we had received for our deeds a just reward What else could we have desired or expected from thee who createdst us after thine own image and furnishedst us with power and sufficiencie to have kept our innocencie But in this thou didst manifest thy incomprehensible and unspeakable love towards us in that thou didst promise unto our first parents after their fall thy Sonne for their Redeemer and in the fulnesse of time didst send him unto us to call us from death to life from sinne to righteousnesse and from the infernall pit unto celestiall glorie O thou lover of man whose delight is with the sonnes of men who can worthily set forth the praise of thy love to man Yea who can in minde conceive the worthines thereof These are the incomprehensible riches of thy goodnesse This is the infinite treasure of thy gifts which the slendernesse of our capacitie and understanding cannot conceive Was a servant so deare unto thee that thy Sonne must be delivered to death for his redemption Was an enemie so much to be beloved that thou shouldest appoint thy most beloved Sonne to be his redeemer My soul is astonisht with the very consideration of this thy goodnesse â—nd doth wholly turn and dissolve it self into the love of thee Amen PRAYER IIII. He rendreth thanks for the incarnation of the Sonne I Render thanks unto thee Jesu Christ thou alone Mediatour and Redeemer of mankinde for that thou hast in the fulnesse of time personally united unto thee the true humane nature and hast vouchsafed to be born of a Virgin How great is thy love to man in that thou didst not assume the nature of angels but the seed of Abraham How great is the mystery of godlinesse that thou being very God wouldest be made manifest in the flesh How great is the inclination of thy pity that descending from heaven for my sake thou hast endured to be born of a Virgin For me most vile creature Creatour Almighty thou art become man For me most abject servant most glorious Lord thou hast put on the shape of a servant that by taking flesh upon thee thou mightest set my flesh at libertie To me thou art born Whatsoever celestiall good therefore thou bringest with thee in thy Nativitie shall be mine To me thou art given And therefore all things with thee My nature in thee is more glorified then it was in Adam dishonoured For thou dost assume it into the Unitie of thy Person whereas it was weakened with accidentall corruption onely by Satan Thou art flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone Thou art my brother And what canst thou deny unto me seeing thou art most nearly joyned unto me in the same flesh and affection of brotherly love Thou art the Bridegroom who according to the good pleasure of thy heavenly Father hast coupled unto thee by a personall league the humane nature as a spouse To the joy of those nuptials I do proclaim and thankfully acknowledge that I my self am invited I wonder now no more that the heaven the earth the sea and all things that are in them were made for man by God seeing that God himself would for man become man Thou canst not utterly divorce me and cast me away from thee seeing that thou canst not deny that thou art a man and therefore my brother Thou canst not altogether forget me because thou hast graven me in thine own hands For the very communion of the flesh doth daily and continually put thee in minde of me Thou canst not altogether forsake me seeing that it