that lay groucling on the grounde to haue beene highlie exalted by meanes of thy helpinge hande We haue beheld the liuing to die the deade raysed to life againe and those that walked amongst the children of God amidst the fierie stones like durte to haue come to nothing We haue seene light changed into darknes and light proceedinge out of darknes because publicans and harlotts goe before the inhabitants in the kingdome of heauen but the children of the kingdome are cast forthe into exteriour darknes But what is the cause of all these thinges vnlesse for that they presume by theire owne endeuoures to ascende vnto that hill vnto which he that first atteÌ„pted to ascende went vp an Angell and came downe a diuell As for those that thou hast predestinated thou hast likewise called them and sanctified them and cleansed them that they may be a habitation fitting for thy maiestie to dwell in with whom and in whom are thy sacred and pure delightes in whom thou dost take pleasure making glad theire young and tender yeares dwelling in theire memorie and soe making theÌ„ thy sanctuarie which is a greate setting forth of our dignitie and a singular commendation of our humanitic That a faithfull soule is the sanctuarie of God CHAPT XXX OVr soule which thou o Lord hast created not of thine owne substaÌ„ce but by thy worde not of any elementarie substance but of nothing which is reasonnable intellectuall spirituall alwaies liuing alwaies in motion whom thou hast signed and marked with the light of thy countenance and consecrated by the vertue of holy baptisme hath been made capable of thy Maiestie in that manner as that it can be satisfied and filled by thee onely and by nothing els whatsoeuer When it hath thee the desire thereof is satisfied soe that there remaineth noe outwarde thinge that may be desired As long therfore as it affecteth any outwarde thing it is a manifest proofe that it hath not thee within who being gotten and obtayned noe other ought to be desired For seeing thou art the supreame and total good there remaineth nothing els that it can desire because it possesseth thee the sole sufficient good But if it desireth not the sâ—le sufficient good it followeth that it desireth something that is not the supreame good and consequently not God but some creature When therefore it desireth some creature it hath continuall hunger for albeit it obtaineth the creature that it desireth yet neuerthelesse it remaineth emptie and voide because there is nothing that can fill it besides thee according to whose image it was created But thou o Lord dost fill those that desire nothing els but thee making them worthy of thee that is making them holy blessed pure and the friends of God who esteeme all thinges as dung that they may gaine thee alone This is that happines which thou hast imparted vnto man this is the honoure with which amongst all other creatures and aboue all other creatures thou hast honoured him to the end that thy name might be admired in the whole worlde Beholde o Lord my God most highe most good and most omnipotent I haue founde the place where thou dost dwell to wit in the soule which thou hast created according to thine owne image and similitude which doth seeke and desire thee only because thou dost not dwell in that soule which doth not seeke and desire thee How God cannot be founde either by the exteriour or interiour senses CHAPT XXXI I Haue wandered to and fro o my God like a lost sheep seeking thee without who art within I haue likewise laboured exceedingly seeking thee without me and thou if I truly desire thee dwellest within me I haue walked about the streetes and highe wayes of the cittie of this worlde seeking thee but coulde not finde thee because I sought thee amisse thinking to finde that outwardly which is within me I seut all my exteriour senses as messengers to seeke thee but coulde not finde thee because I tooke not the true course in seeking thee Now I plainely perceiue o my light my God who hast enlightned me that I sought thee amisse by them for that thou art within and yet they knowe not which way thou hast entred in For mine eies say if he be voide of coloure he hath not entred in by vs. The cares say he made noe noise at his entraunce he hath not entred by vs. The nose sayeth if he gaue noe smell he came not by me The taste sayeth if he haue noe taste he entred not in by me The feeling likewise affirmeth if he be not a solid bodie subiect to touching it is in vaine to demauÌ„de of me any suche question None of these thinges therfore are founde in thee o my God For when I seeke my God I doe not seeke comelines of bodie or seemelines of time or brightnes of light or melodious tunes or sweete sounding Musique or the odoriferous smells of flowers and ointments or of aromaticall spices I doe not sâ—eke honie or manna that are delightfull to the taste nor any other thing that is amiable to be touched or embraced finallie when I seeke my God I doe not seeke any thing subiect to these exteriour senses aforesaide God forbid I shoulde imagine any of those thinges to be my creator which are comprehended after the same manner by the senses of sensles brutishe creatures And yet notwithstanding when I seeke my God Iâ— seeke a certaine light surpassing all other light which the eie cannot see I seeke a certaine voice surmounting an other voices which the care cannot heare I seeke a certaine smell excelling all other smels which the nose cannot smell I seeke a certaine sweetnes more delightfull then any other sweetnes which the taste cannot perceiue I seeke a certaine touching or embracing more pleasing then any other touching or embracing which is altogether vnknowen to the feeling This light shineth where the place doth noâ— containe it this voyce soundeth where the ayre doth not hinder it this sweete sauioure smelleth where the wind doth not disperse it the pleasantnes of this diuine dishe is tasted where there is noe eating this embracing is felt where there is noe separation This is my God neither is there any other like vnto him This is that which I seeke when I seeke my God This is the thinge I loue when I loue my God Too too late haue I loued thee o beautie most old and newe too too late I say haue I loued thee Thou truly didst remaine within me and yet I remained without seeking thee soe that I became deformed by being ouermuch affected to those faire thinges which thou hast created Thou was present with me and I was not present with thee Those thinges debarred me from thee which coulde not subsist but by thee I went to â—uerie thing seeking thee and by meanes of them loosing my selfe I asked the earthe if it were my God and it answered noe the like did all other thinges contained
Trinitie and vnitie of Trinitie and deitie of vnity and the blessed sight of the deitie which is the ioy of thy Lord God O ioy surmounting all ioy o ioy exceeding all ioy besides which there is noe true ioy when shall I enter into thee that I may see my God that dwelleth in thee I will goe thither and see that greate sight What is it that doth detaine me Woe is me for that my abode in this life hath been ouer longe How long alas shall I heare it saied wher is thy God how longe shall I heare it saied stay a while expect yet a while Now therfore what doe I expect doe we not o Lord my God expect our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ who will reforme the body of our humilitie makinge it like to his bright and glorious body We expect our Lord when he will returne from the mariages that he may vouchsafe to admitt vs to his mariage Come o Lord and doe not stay Come o Lord Iesus Christ and â—â—sit vs in peace come and deliuer vs that lye fettered and bounde in the prison of this mortall body that with a perfect hart we may reioyce before thee Come o sweete Sauiour Thoâ— that of the Gentils art soe much desired come and shewe vs thy face and we shal be saued Come o my light my Redeemer deliuer my soule forthe of prison to praise and magnifie thy holy name How longe shall I poore wretched man be tossed to and fro in the floudes of this my mortalitie crying vnto thee o Lord and yet thou dost not heare me Heare me o Lord crying vnto thee out of this greate sea of miserie and bring me to the hauen of heauenlie felicitie happie are they who being deliuered from the danger of this tempestuous sea haue deserued to attaine vnto thee o God the porte of peace and securitie Those trulie are trulie happie who haue arriued from this sorrowfull sea to the shore of saftie from this place of banishment to the heauenly countrie from the prison of this mortalitie to the pallace of perpetuall felicitie who hauing obtained the rewarde of euerlasting glory by meanes of the manifolde miseries which heere they sustained doe now for euermore reioyce with must happy mirth being nowe blessed by enioyeing that rest which they soe much desired Without doubt they are blessed yea more then a thousand times blessed who being now fre froÌ„ al misery haue deserued to attaine to the kingdome of all brightnes and beauty being likewse secure of this theire neuer fading and neuer failing glory O eternall kingdome o kingdome as long to continue as eternitie it selfe where there is light euerlasting and the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding in which kingdome the soules of the Sainâ—s doe repose theire heades being ouershadowed with perpetuall gladnes who shal be euelastinglie replenished with such excessiue ioy and mitth of minde as that neither griefe nor groanes shall eueâ— be hearde in those theire confines O how glorious is that kingdome in which all thy Saints raigne with thee o Lord being cloathed with light as with a garment eache one of them hauing on his heade a crowne adorned with pretious stones O kingdome of euerlasting blisse where thou o Lord being the hope of the Saints and the crowne of theire glory art apparantlie face to face seene of them making them on all parts to reioyce in thy peace which surpasseth all vnderstanding There there is infinite ioy mirthe without sadnes healthe without sicknes way without wearines light without darknes life without deathe all maÌ„ner of goodnes free from all maÌ„ner of wickednes Where youthe neuer groweth old where life knoweth noe end where beauty neuer fadeth where charity neuer faileth where healthe neuer decayeth where ioy neuer decreaseth where griefe is neuer felt where groaning is neuer hearde where sorrowe is neuer seene or perceiued where all manner of mirth is alwaies enioyed where noe euill is feared because the soueraigne supreame good is there possessed which is to contemplate the face of the Lord of all vertues world without end Happy therfore are they who being escaped from the shipwrack of this present life haue deserued to attaine to soe greate gladnes But vnhappie alas vnfortunate we who saile through the teÌ„pestuous stormes and dangerous gulfes of this greate sea being ignorant whether we shall euer be able to arriue at the happie hauen of heauenly felicitie Vnhappie I say are we whose life is in exile whose life is in peril and whose end is doubtfull not knowing what our end will be for that all thinges are helde in suspeÌ„ce vntill our last day We remaine as yet tossed to fro in â—he troublesome floudes of this tempestuous sea sighing and seeking to attaine to thee o Lord the hauen of this sea O our countrie o secure countrie albeit a farre of yet we see thee from this sorrowfull sea we salute thee from this vale of miserie we sighe after thee endeauouring euen with teares that by one meanes or an other we may attaine vnto thee O Christ the hope of all mankinde God of God our defence and safetie whose light like a beame of the starre of the sea doth enlighten our eies amidst the foggie mists of this tempestuous sea that therby we may be guided to thee the hauen of securitie Guide o Lord this our shipp with thy right hande with the sterne of thy crosse that we perish not in the floudes that the tempest of water doe not drowne vs that the deepe gulfes doe not deuour vs but with the crooke of thy crosse drawe vs out of this sea vnto thee our onely comfort and solace whom we beholde a farre off standing on the shore of that heauenly country with teares of tender loue ready to receiue vs shining as the morning starre and as the sunne of iustice Beholde o Christ we call and cry vnto thee from this place of exile as poore captiues by thee redeemed whom thou hast redeemed with thy pretious bloude Heare vs o God our Sauiour the hope of all those that dwell in the vttermost partes of the worlde or farre distant in in the sea where soeuer Beholde we saile in a troublesome and tempestuous sea thou o Lord who standest on the shore seest the manifold dangers in which we are for thy names sake saue vs we beseeche thee Graunt vs grace o Lord soe to saile and in sailing soe to keepe the mid-way betweene Scilla and Charybdis that both those perillous gulfes being auoided we may with safe ship and marchandise securely arriue at the hauen of heauenly happines A further discourse of the country and kingdome of heauen CHAPT XXXVI WHen therfore we shall attaine vnto thee the fountaine of heauenly wisedome to thee the light euerlasting to thee the brightnes which shall euer shine not seeing thee then as we doe now obscurely as it were in a mirroure or looking glasse but apparantly face to face then will our desire in thinges
flowe as water out of my fleshe to the end I may finde rest in the day of aduersitie and ascende to those celestiall souldiers that haue obtained the victorie O how greate wil be the glorie and ioy of the iust and Saincts in heauen sithence the face of eache one of them shall shine as bright as the sunne at such time as our Lord shall beginne to number his chosen people in the kingdome of his Father eache one distinctly in his order and shall render to euerie one the rewardes which he promised according as by theyr actions in this life they haue deserued for â—arthly thinges giuing theÌ„ celestiall for transitory eternall for small and little most ample and immeasurable There shal be without all doubt store of happinesse and felicitie when our Lord shall leade his Saincts to the sight of his Fathers glorie making the to sit on seates celestiall to the end that God may be all in all By what meanes the kingdome of heauen may be purchased and gotten CHAPT XVI O Happie ioy and ioyfull happines to see the Saincts to be with the Saincts and to be a Sainct to see and enioy God worlde without end and longer to if longer coulde be imagined Let vs carefullie consider these thinges and feruently desire them to the end we may speedilie be ioyned to the company of the Saincts in heauen If thou demaunde how this may be donne by what merits or succoure hearken and thou shalt heare This thinge lieth in the power of the doer because the kingdome of heauen suffereth violence The kingdome of heauen o man asketh noe other price but thy selfe it is asmuch worthe as thou art Giue thy selfe therfore and thou shalt haue it Whie art thou troubled and discontent at the price Christ gaue himselfe that he might purchase thee as a kingdome vnto God the Father Giue thou thy selfe in the same manner to the end thou mightst be his kingdome and let not sinne raigne in this thy bodie which is subiect to corruption but rather let the spirit gouerne for the attaining of life euerlastinge What heauen is and what happines is contained therein CHAPT XVII LEt vs returne o my soule to the heauenlie cittie in which we are written and enrolled as cittizens of the same Let vs as cittizens of the sainctes and Gods house-holde seruants yea as Gods heires and coheires of Christ consider the felicitie of this our famous cittie to the vttermost of our possibilitie Let vs crie out with the Prophet O how glorious things are saied of thee o Cittie of God in thee is the dwellinge of all those that are trulie glad Because thou art built as a place to meete and make merrie for suche as God of his infinitie mercie dotâ—â— vouchsafe to take vnto himselfe out of this vale of miserie In thee there is noe old age nor miserie ensuing of the same in thee there is noe one lame or mamed crumpe shouldered or deformed seing all concurre into a perfect man into the measure of the age of the fulnes of Christ What can be imagined more happie then this life where there is noe feare of pouertie nor feeblenes of infirmitie where noe man is wronged noe man is displeased noe maÌ„ doth enuie at an others good Where there is noe greedines of gaine noe appetite of eating or drinking where there is noe inordinate desire of honoure or ambition noe dreade of diuel or of diuellishe temptation noe horroure of hell or of hellishe damnation Where there is noe deathe either of bodie or soule but a delightfull life endles and immortall Noe euill affections or dissentioÌ„s shal be founde there but all thinges shall accorde and agree together because all the Saincts of that heauenly region shal be of one minde and affection Where there is nothing but peace and gladnes repose and quietnes Where there is perpetual brightnes not that which now is but by soe much more bright by how much more blessed because that cittie euen as it is written shall neede neither sunne nor moone but God almighty shall enlighten the same and the lampe thereof is the lambe Where the Saincts shall shine as the starrs for all eternitie and those that teache many shall in brightnes resemble the clearenes of the skie Wherfore in that place there shal be noe night noe darknes noe concourse of cloudes noe austeritie of colde or heate but that temperature of all thinges which neither eie hath seene nor eare hath hearde neither hath it entred into the harte of any man sauing of those who are founde worthy to enioy the same whose names are written in the booke of life But a greater content then this will be to be ioyned in felowship with the quires of Angells and Archangells and of all the heauenlie vertues to beholde the Patriarches and Prophets to see the Apostles and all the other Saincts and amoÌ„ge the rest our parents kinsfolke and acquaintance These thinges without doubte are very glorious but yet it is more glorious to beholde the face of God there present and the brightnes proceeding from the same which is infinitely greate Finally to see God in himselfe to see him enioy him in our selues wil be a prerogatiue of glory surpassing all the rest in excelleÌ„cy because we shall see him euerlastingly How man can make noe other requitall vnto God for the benefits receiued from him but onely by louinge him CHAP. XVIII THe soule of man being famous and renowned by being created according to the image and likenes of God hath in it selfe meanes from God by which it is alwaies admonished either to remaine with him or to returne vnto him if at any time by sinnefull affections or defects it be sperated from him Neither hath it meanes onely by which it may be able to desire and hope for mercie and pardon when it hath offended but likewise by which it may presume to aspire to the mariage of the diuine Worde yea to enter into a league of friendship with God almighty and with the kinge of Angells to drawe the sweete yoke of charity Loue causeth all this if by the will the soule make it selfe like vnto God to whoÌ„ by nature it is alreadie likened that is by louing him like as it beloued For it is loue aloue of all the motions senses and affections of the soule in which a creature may be answearable and make requitall to his creator althoughe in a farre inferior degree and measure Where loue doth arriue it carrieth away with it all the other affections and as a conqueroure maketh them captiue Loue is sufficient of it selfe it is pleasing of it selfe and for it selfe It is the merit the rewarde the cause the fruite and the helpe of it selfe for by loue we are vnited to God Loue causeth two spirits to become one making the same will and the same nill in both of them Loue teacheth vs first of all how to behaue our selues secondly to esteeme of all thinges present as if they were
o Father of mercies Thou knowest my desire and my groaning is not hidden from thee Hide not then thy face from me any longer neither doe thou forsake me in thine anger O Father of mercies heare the lamentable complainte of me thy poore orphāt and stretche forth thy helping hande that it may drawe me out of the deepe waters out of the lake of misery and out of the duste and dreggs of iniquitie that I perish not before the eies of thy mercy and in presence of thy infinite patience but let me escape vnto thee o Lord my God that I may beholde the riches of thy kingedome and alwaies see thy face and singe praises vnto thy holy name Thou o Lord who dost thinges worthy of admiration who through the remembrance of thee makest my harte merry who hast enlightned my youthe despise not nowe my old age I beseech thee but cause my bones and gray haires to become ioyfull and youthfull like vnto the bones and hoary feathers of an Eagle The end of S. Augustins Soliloquies that is of the secret discourses and conferences of his soule with God OF THE SOLILOQVIES OF S. AVGVSTIN BISHOP OF HIPPON OF the vnspeakeable sweetnes of God Chapt. I. Of the misery frailtie of man Chapt. II. Of the admirable light of God Chapt. III. Of the mortalitie of mans nature Chapt. IV. What it is to become nothing Chapt. V. Of the miserable estate of the soule being in sinne Chapt. VI. Of the manifolde benefits of almightie God Chapt. VII Of the future dignity of man Chapt. VIII Of Gods omnipotent power Chapt. IX Of the incomprehensible prayse of God Chapt. X. Of the hope which we ought to haue in God Chapt. XI Of the snares of concupiscences Chapt. XII Of the miseries of man and the manifolde benefits of almightie God Chapt. XIII How God doth continuallie looke into the actions and intentions of men Chapt. XIV That man without the assistance of Gods grace is able to doe nothing of himselfe Chapt. XV. Of the diuell and his manifolde temptatations Chapt XVI That God is the light of the iust Chapt. XVII A further acknowledging of the benefits of God Chapt. XVIII Of the vehemencie of loue or charity Chapt. XIX How God hath made all thinges subiect to the seruice of man Chapt. XX. How by the consideration of benefits temporall we may gather the greatnes of those that are celestiall Chapt. XXI That the sweetnes of God doth take away the present bitternes of the world Chapt. XXII That our whole hope and the desire of our harte ought to be in God Chapt. XXIII That our saluation is from God Chapt. XXIV How without the assistance of Gods grace mans will is vnable to doe well Chapt. XXV Of the ancient benefits of almighty God Chapt. XXVI Of the Angells appointed to be the guardians of men Chapt. XXVII Of the profounde predestination and foreknowledg of almighty God Chapt. XXVIII Of those that at first are good and afterwardes become bad and contrariwise of those that at first are bad and afterwardes become good Chapt. XXIX That a faithfull soule is the sanctuarie of God Chapt. XXX That God cannot be founde either by the exteriour or interiour senses Chapt. XXXI A profession of the true faithe Chapt. XXXII The acknowledging of our owne basenes Chapt. XXXIII A consideration of Gods diuine Maiestie Chapt XXXIV Of the desire and thirst of the soule after God Chap. XXXV A further discouse of the country kingdome of heauen Chapt. XXXVI A Prayer to the holy Trinitie Chapt. XXXVII THE MANVEL OF S. AVGVSTIN BISHOPP OF HYPPON OTHERWISE TEARMED A litle booke treating of the comtemplation of Christ or the worde of God Stirring vpp our weake and drousi◠memorie to the desire of heauenlie felicitie AT S. OMERS For IOHN HEIGHAM Anno 1624. THE MANVEL OF S. AVGVSTIN BISHOPP OF HYPPON OTHERWISE TEARMED A litle booke treating of the contemplation of Christ or the worde of God Stirring vpp our weake and drousie memorie to the desire of heauenlie felicitie THE PREFACE SEing we liue amidst a multitude of snares and ginnes we easily growe colde in the loue of heauenly thinges Wherfore we stande in neede of continuall succoure and ayde that as often as we fall and faile in our dutie towardes God we may as men awakened haue recourse to him the soueraigne and supreame good For this cause I haue compiled and composed this little worke not throughe any presumptious opinion I haue of my selfe but through the great loue of my God and the desire I haue to aduance his praise to the end I might alwaies haue about me some small Manuel of shorte sentences concerning my God drawen out of the worthiest wordes and writinges of holy Fathers by the fire of reading whereof I might as often as I growe cold be inflamed with affection towardes him Now therfore assist me o my God whom I seeke and loue whom likewise with my harte and mouthe and with all my force I prayse and adore My soule which is wholy deuoted to thee and inflamed with thy loue sighing and searching earnestly after thee desiring to see thee onely taketh delight in nothing els but to speake heare write and conferre of thee and frequentlye to meditate of thy glorie to the end that the sweete remembrance of thee may be some mitigation amidst soe many stormes of affliction To thee therfore I call o most desired Lord to thee I crie with a loude voyce euen with my whole harte And when I call vpon thee I call vpon thee remaining within me for that I were meere nothing if thou were not in me neither were thou in me vnlesse I were in thee Doubtles thou art in me because thou remainest in my memorie by which I haue knowen thee and in which I doe finde thee as often as I ame mindfull of thee and ame delighted in thee or frō thee from whom by whom and in whom all thinges haue their beginning conseruation and being Of the wonderfull essence of God CHAPT I THou O Lord dost fill heauen and earthe carying all thinges without burden filling all thinges without inclusion Alwayes doing alwaies resting Gathering thinges together and yet not needie Seeking albeit nothing is wanting vnto thee louing without being afflicted iealous yet resting assured It repenteth thee and yet thou art not grieued thou art angrie and yet art appeased Thou dost alter what thou hast donne without altering thy determination Thou takest what thou dost finde hauinge neuer lost any thinge Thou reioycest in gaine althoughe thou wert neuer needie and albeit thou wert neuer couetous yet thou exactest vsurie Thou giuest more then is demaunded to him that thou act not indebted and yet to make thee indebted more continuallie is giuen thee then by thee is required And yet who is there that hath any thinge not thine Thou payest debtes being indebted to noe man and forgiuest debtes thereby loosing nothing Who art euerie where and wholie euerie where Who maiest be felt