fulfill thee throughout that Where sin hath abounded grace likewise may superabound Yet I would beloved I would be trusted I would with sighs and teares be intreated than which no sweeter melody can unto me be tendred Sinner O my crucified JESU I know I am dearer to thee than I am to my selfe for to thee I am alwayes deare who as it is written Lovest all things that are and hatest nothing of those which thou hast made But man is not alwaies equally deare to himselfe as he is unro thee because hee that loveth iniquity hateth his ownâ— soule Christ. This have I shewn in the continuall sorrowes of my whole cruâ—ified life For I received the Crosse of my Passion in the Womb of my mother and continually bore it in my heart and confirmed it with much austerity in my body So as that I might purposely shew the unmeasurablenesse of the sorrowes of my soule my finall passion then approaching it was my will to sweat blood thorow all my members and that which lay hid as a secret of my crucifying from the wombe of my Mother with sensible signes to reveale to my faithfull ones which seemed fittest to be at my passage and poinâ— of death Sinner I conceive my good JESU how in that bloudy sweat with which thou wert deep-died and engrained in all thy members thy blessed soule wholly suffered because it is whole in every part of the body yea and the very life of the body But tell me what thou requirest of me for so great anguish continually sustained for me Christ. Onely to love me againe For to this end have I suffered my passion that I might purchase thy affection Sinner Surely most worthy art thou to bee loved because thou art good in thy selfe and none good but God alone And because thou art the Lord delivering from the power and slavery of the Devill And because thou art God forgiving sinnes which none forgiveth but God alone And because thou lovest those that love thee Whence it is that thou sayest I love those that love mee And because thou hearest those that begge of thee whence one saith I have loved the Lord because hee will heare mee Thou also as the peace of charity comming into the world to warme and inflame the cold and lukewarme hast said I came that they might have life to wit the life of grace in this life and more abundantly to wit of glory in the life to come Christ. Surely there is nothing which may so inflame the fire of Gods love in thy heart as a continuall consideration and meditation of this speech of mine I came that they might have life and that more abundantly And of that much like unto this So God loved the world as he gave his onely begotten Sonne Sinner Truly wretched and miserable is hee in whose heart the fire of love is not kindled when hee considereth these things wherein the Charity of God hath chiefly appeared But ô thou only begotten of God suffer not my heart to bee so frozen or benummed with this icy congelation but rather through thy mercy in the remembrance of these thy Words like Snow melting by the heat of the Sunne let me say with that princely Prophet My heart is become as melting wax Christ. Humane impiety before the time of my passion tooke occasion of being unthankfull For man being created but not as then redeemed said I am no more bound to God than other creatures be For he spake the word and I was made hee hath bestowed no more labour on me than any other brute creature But now the mouth of these that speak wickedly is stopped and no place now is left for unthankfulnesse For I have laboured more in the sole redemption of man than in the whole frame and fabrick of the World For of a Master I became a servant of Rich poore of Immortall mortall of the Word flesh of the Sonne of God the son of man I suffered reproaches of such as upbraided me I suffered underminers in my Works contradicters in my Words scorners in my Woes necessities of the flesh horrour of death ignominy of the Crosse. Sinner O how admirable was this love What shall I render to my Lord for all his sorrowes Christ. If thou recall to mind how great things the Lord of Majesty the Sonne of God suffered for thee though thou shouldâ—t dye a thousand deaths yet wert thou not equally sufficient to answer me for the estimate of so great a benefit exceedeth all meanes of requitall Sinner As thou best knowest how much I owe unto thee the Lord of glory who subjectedst thy self to death for me that I might enjoy that happinesse which neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard recount unto me I beseech thee the reasons which caused that most dolorous paine in thy most holy soule For thou saidst right now that in the wombe of thy blessed Mother thou receivedst the Crosse of thy Passion and bore it continually to the houre of thy dissolution Christ. To this end that thou mightst by affection compassion become an acceptable sacrifice unto God wholly inflamed with the fire of Charity all the rust and rubbish of sin being consumed and wasted Consider diligently with a lively heart how I suffred a double Martyrdome one in my body another in my soule or Spirit As touching the Martyrdome of my Body consider that there was never the suffering of any martyr so sharp so painfull that it might be compared with my suffering which I will prove unto thee by authority by signe by reason First by authority For I my selfe crying out of the greatnesse of my sorrows said O all yee who passe by this way consider and see if ever there were sorrow like unto my sorrow as if I should have said there was never any Secondly by Signe Forasmuch as there were never so many Signes seene in the Martyrdome of any as at my Passion implying the sharpnesse and painfulnesse of it to wit When the Sunne was darkned the Earth moved c. As if by the dolorous clamours of my passion they had conceived a sense of devout compassion bemoning me the Son of God hanging on the Crosse. For it was not in the creature to indure the injury done to the Creatour Wherein wicked and obdurate hearts are justly reproved who will not be wrought to compassion nor softned with a pious devotion in the remembrance of my death Thirdly I prove unto thee the bitternesse of my passion by reason Forasmuch as my complexion was most excellent both by reason of the incorruption of my flesh as also by reason of the most proportionable union or mixture of the Elementary qualities For I tooke corruptible flesh of the Virgin for the freeing of all Originall sinne that is of inordinate concupiscence Now to such a complexion was required comelinesse of beauty and strength of body Because therefore by how much more proportionable the union is of those Elements and qualities whereof
grievous which God most gracious and full of the fatnesse of mercie will not forgive to such as are faithfull Converts and true Penitents before him For it is an especiall propertie â—est becomming our most holy God to have mercie and spare these who humble themselves before him and heartily â—eg pardon of him Rightly doth thy Brother confesse that at all times he is verie imperfect yet let let him remember that the imperfect cost Christ as deare as the most perfect That inconstancie or instability of mind wherewith hee saith that hee is afflicted in his prayer is common to innumerable servants of God There is no cause then that hee should be hereby so much amated For if hee suffer this distraction against his will and strive wirh his best endevour to become attentive his prayer humbly poured forth in this distraction is ofttimes more usefull and fruitfull than if it were performed with great attention of heart For God approveth his desire affection and devout endevour and purgeth the soule with such like griefes as these or else conserveth and adorneth it being purged and purified from these distractions Exhort him alwayes that hee be of good courage If with a patient and resigned heart hee suffer for the love of God his afflictions and want of health whereof almost hee daily laboureth hee need not doubt but so soone as he shall lay off this grievous onerous and bitter load of corruptible flesh hee shall enjoy eternall joy and health Goe to then my Beloved let us observe our selves I pray thee vigilantly and so endevour to live circumspectly as becommeth true Christians who beare both the style and state of Christianitie Let us passe over all the residue of our present life profitably In all things that wee doe let us wirh singâ—enesse of heart principally respect the praise and glorie of God Let us love Iesus who loveth us with a most ardent and unmeasurable love For his honour let us mortifie in us as much as wee may our owne proper and depraved wills and vices Let us subject and conforme us in all things to Gods will Let us beare a mind humble and resigned continually desiring and studying to please God For by this meanes wee shall at last come to that chiefe and most joyfull good which that wee might possesse wee were created to the image of God and redeemed with the pretious bloud of Christ. Wee shall come I say unto God who is the amiable abysse fountaine of all light life beautie excellencie sweetnesse and abundance Then shall wee be truly blessed seeing the vision of all beautie infinitely exceeding and excelling all the sense-attracting objects of this whole world for wee shall behold in the light of glorie the mellifluous countenance of God and in him by a most sweet fruition of him shall wee rest and obtaine imperturbable peace Then shall wee abound with unspeakable joy shall be fully satisfied and shall perfectly love and praise God for evermore O how great felicitie is it to attaine to the cleare vision of God and againe how great infelicitie to be deprived of it and to be drenched in hell and there horribly to be tormented without end Farewell in the Lord and pray for mee That excellent part of the Dialogue composed by D. Henricus Suso wherein the praises and profits of afflictions are expressed and many other precepts usefully delivered some few dayes since I inserted in my Comfort for the weake hearted that I might gratifie thy brother He shall easily procure it so soone as it shall be reprinted As touching the sayings of the aforesaid Suso which thou desirest should be sent unto thee here receive them as I have compiled them for thee and addressed them to thee CERTAINE choyce or select sayings of D. Henricus Suso Of the love of the world And Of the love of God THat most holy and beloved man of God Henricus Suso lamenting the infelicitie of such as intangled in vaine love and wholly given over to this present world doe neglect God and their owne salvation exhibiteth his complaint beâ—ore God after this manner Truly O Lord it is a thing much to bee lamented that so many hearts fit for holy love so many excellent and beautifull soules stamped with Gods image which by a spirituall wedlock with thee contracted might become Qâ—eenes and Empresses and have dominion over heaven and earth should so foolishly and imprudently estrange themselves from thee deject themselves so basely and perish so wittingly Surely I am perswaded that if the inward eyes of all men should so see thee as I see thee all transitorie love would be forthwith extinguished in them I cannot sufficiently admire O Lord albeit I stood sometimes far otherwise affected that any ones soule should possibly rest in any thing but in thee the most vast and unbounded depth O incomprehensible good and inwardly to be embraced O most sweet Lord how well is it with that soule which onely loveth thee and which thou with the divine streames and beames of thy grace excellently enlightenest and to to thy selfe more nearely joynest and couplest What heavenly and mellifluous consolation doth such a soule draw from thee what secret delights of sacred love doth shee conceive in thee Thou art the boundlesse Sea of most pure and inestimable pleasures What amiablenesse comelinesse beauty soever can by any meanes be conceived all that above all measure is to be found in thee plenteously stored Nothing that is pleasant gratefull or plausible can bee found in any creature which is not in a most pure and exquisite manner infinitely more aboundant and excellent in thee So often as I behold the formes of beautifull objects when I take a view by inward contemplation of heaven earth woods and fields and of the whole world all these things seeme to convent and summon my heart in these words Consider how amiable and beautifull he is who hath made us who is the fountaine of all beautie O Lord Jesus what joy doe I receive from thee Surely while I doe thinke how I am beloved of thee the most high God whatsoever is within mee melteth through the joy which I conceive of thee For this therefore doe I rejoyce in my mind for as much as thou art so good as thou vouchsafeâ—t to be my friend as I constantly hope and confidently trust Of the Passion of our Lord. THe same Suso in a Dialogue bringeth in the eternall wisdome that is Christ Jesus talking with his Minister of his Passion after this manner The heart of man is much more gratefull unto me if it be freed of earthly love and by perpetuall diligence intentive to imitate the excellent example of my life than if hee should follow mee with continuall laments and should shed so many teares as there be drops of raine which fall from the aire For in the suffering of my most bitter death this especially have I intended aimed that men shoâ—ld imitate mee albeit pious
my Crucifying in their manners who imprint the signe of my Crosse for their defence in their foreheads that by his Law they may bee formed by whose Faith they are armed For otherwise he disloyally beareth the stampe of his King whose will he doth not observe Neither doth hee rightly protect himselfe with his signe whose command he doth not obey Sinner O good Jesu vouchsafe to bestow on my hearing a fuller joy by recounting to mee thy most unworthy Sinner the rest of those benefits and fruits arising from the dayly remembrance of thy most holy Passion Christ. The memory of my death by a dayly ruminating thereof ought to burne upon the altar of thy mind for many reasons First because thou canst doe nothing more acceptable unto mee than to exercise thine heart in my most holy Passion with love compassion reverence and imitation Whereof thou canst not doubt being assured thereof by many authorities of holy Scripture Wherefore I doe advise thee to stamp my painfull love and loving paine in thy soule and to be thankfull unto me saying Set me as a signet upon thine heart As if he should say Love mee as I love thee Remember not onely how great things I have done for thee but how sharpe and unworthy things I have suffered for thee and see if thou doest not give mee an ill requitall if thou doest not love mee For tell mee who loves thee as I doe Who desireth to be loved of thee as I doe Set me therefore as a signet upon thine heart that thou maist love me with all thy strength upon thine arme that thou maist performe those things which please mee with all thine affection upon thine heart that whatsoever is deare unto thee thou maist set aside for me and alwaies preferre me and alwaies more and more love me Secondly thou oughtst continually to remember my Passion because by it thou art led by the hand to the love of God For by my Passion I have shewne to thee the quantity of my affection And love deserveth love againe Understand what I say I would not reedeme man with praier for so oft times man freeth man from captivity Nor with the price of gold and silver for so sheep and Oxen are bought but with the price of my bloud that by the price of the thing bought my love might bee weighed Do not therfore dis-esteeme thy worth consider oft times thy price If I had redeemed man with gold or silver it might have beene thought that the soule of man had beene comparable â— to temporall riches That which is redeemed is more precious than that by which it is redeemed Therefore the soule of man is more precious than my bloud Thirdly â—or stirring of devotion Whence it was that Sampson found an Honeycombe in the mouth of a dead Liâ—n I am the Lion of the Tribe of Iudâ— in whose death the honeycombe of devotion is found wherewith the spirit of man is refreshed O that thou wouldst seriously consider how upon the Crosse my mouth appeared like one halfe-alive open and my tongue bloudy surely if thou hadst an heart of iron it would have melted with compassion and devotion The fourth fruit arising from the memory of my Passion is that in it is found a guard of defence against all Enemies Whereupon my Apostle Peter Christ suffered for you arme your selves likewise with the same mind And I say Enter into the rocke As a Souldier who unable to withstand his enemy in the field flyeth to his Tents Briefly the Enemy shall prevaile nothing against him whom the daily exercise of my Passion doth delight The fifth is because with no exercise is man so much enriched as with my merits applied to him and made his by the hand of faith for the foundation of all grace and the root of merit as it hath sole relation to me and derived to man by Faith in me consisteth in the sorrow of heart and body for my Crosse. For this cause mine Elect Apostle said I have esteemed my selfe to know nothing but JESUS CHRIST and him crucified And that devout sonne of my blessed mother Bernard It is my highest philosophy said hee to know CRIST JESUS and him Crucified But thou oughtst to grieve because there are many enemies of my Crosse. For the lovers of pleasures are my persecutours they are guilty of my death not as authors or fautors but as contemners 〈◊〉 my death These are they who make the merit of my Passion in them of no effect who make themselves unworthy of mine heavenly blessing unspeakable glory who living in their delights laugh at the mysterie of my Passion who tread mee the Sonne of God under their feet and lay reproach upon the Spirit of Grace A carnall life is an injury unto God contempt of my Crosse and redoundeth to the contumely of all the blessed Trinitie The sixt is the allaying of the labours and dolours encountring man in his way of repentance and life of Religion For a devout faithfull Souldier hath no feeling of his owne wounds when hee seeth the wounds of his loving Captaine And to this end have I contemned all earthly goods that I might shew how they were to bee contemned and sustained all adverse things that I might teach how they were to bee sustained The seventh is the extinguishing of carnall desires for with the sight of my Passion whatsoever is carnalâ— decreaseth The eighth is the stirring of compunction and repentance for sinues For who is he that grieveth not highly when he recals to mind how his sinnes were so odious to God the Father that for taking them away he would have his beloved Sonne crucified and put to death The ninth is the begetting of good hope and considence For in my Crosse the Sinner hath his Sanctuary as a murderer flying for refuge to the Church-yard Nothing is so bitter even unto death which may not be cured by my death I have changed the sentence of thy eternall punishment into the crucifying of my Body subject to a dolorous languishment For I in that sentence which Pilat pronounced against me taking upon me the person of all Sinners to purge their sins wherein they had long laboured was adjudged to death for all Sinners Sinner I conceive and contemplate by this which thou my good Jesu hast said that albeit this sentence was very unjust and therefore execrable in respect of thee because man had no power over God the wicked over the just yet in respect of us it was manifold common modious and profitable and the reason hereof is amiable and venerable because hee wholly reversed that sentence pronounced upon the first man for sinne For the sentence of a dolefull exclusion was denounced against him Whence it is written The Lord cast out man from the Paradise of pleasure and set an Angell to keepe the way of the tree of life But happy and honourable was thy sentence because 〈◊〉 called back a banish'd man for by this
Saints are onely numbred by an happy arrivall in the land of righteousnesse which hee give thee who gave himselfe for thee ☜ In terris Vita nostra Dies una ☞ In coelis Dies una Lux aeterna Mans Mutability A Meditation extracted out of S. Augustine in his Tract Upon the 121. Psal. Upon these words Ierusalem is builded as a city that is compact together in it selfe Vers. 11. NOw my Brethren whosoever erecteth the light of his mind whosoever laieth aside the darknesse of his flesh whosoever cleareth the eye of his heart let him lift up and see what this It selse is How shall I call it selfe but it selfe O my Brethren if you can understand what is this it selfe For even I my selfe if I should speake any thing else but it selfe doe not speake it selfe Yet doe we labour by some neere affinities of words and significant proprieties to bring the infirmity of the mind to meditate of this It selfe What is this it selfe That which is alwayes one and in the same manner and not now one thing and then another What is then it selfe but that which is And what is this which is That which eternally is For whatsoever is alwaies altering from one to another is not because what it is abides not Yet not so as locally it is not but summarily it is not And what is this which is but hee who when he sent Moses said unto him I AM THAT I AM And who also said Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel I AM hath sent me unto you Behold it selfe I AM THAT I AM He who IS hath sent mee to you But thou canst not conceive it it is farre from thee to understand it far from thee to apprehend it Retaine therefore that which he was made for thee since to conceive him it is farre from thee Retaine the flesh of CHRIST by which raised being sick thou maist bee relieved and left halfe-dead by Theeves wouÌ„ded thou maist be to an Inne conducted and cured Let us then runne to the house of the Lord and come to the City where our feet may stand in the gates that City which is builded as a City that is compact together in it selfe It selfe is this whereof it is said Thou art the same and thy yeares shall not faile Behold it selfe Whose yeares shall not faile Brethren doe not our yeares daily faile and fade in the yeare For those yeares which are come are not now and those which are to come are not yet Now are these failed which are come and those shall faile which are to come Houres past bee already gone and houres to passe are not yet come when they are come they likewise shall passe and faile What be those yeeres which do not faile but those which stand If yeares then doe there stand those yeares which stand is one yeare and that one yeare which stands is one day because that one day hath neither rising nor setting neither begun from yesterday nor excluded from to morrow but standeth alwayes the same day And whatsoever thou wilt thou maist call this day if thou wilt they are yeares if thou wilt it is a day thinke what thou wilt yet it standeth For this City partakes of stability being compact together in it selfe Worthily then because it becomes partaker of this stability doth he say who runneth thither Our feet were standing in thy Courts O Ierusalem For all things doe there stand where nothing passeth Wilt thou then stand there and not passe Runne thither None hath It selfe of himselfe Attend Brethren Hee hath a body but this is not it selfe because it stands not in it selfe It is changed by ages it is changed by removes of places and times it is changed by corporall diseases and defects therefore it stands not in itselfe Heavenly bodies do not stand in themselves for they have their certaine changes though secret certainly are these changed from place to place they ascend from East to West and againe they goe about to the East These then doe not stand these are not It selfe Neither doth Mans Soule stand itselfe For with how many alterations and cogitations is she varied with what pleasures is shee changed and from her selfe estranged with what desires infected and infested The very mind of man which is said to bee reasonable is likewise mutable it is not it selfe Now it will now it will not Now it knowes now it knowes not now it remembers now it forgets None then hath It selfe of himselfe Hee who would have had it selfe of himselfe that hee might bee it selfe to himselfe is falne He is falne from an Angell and become a Devill He drunke a health to man in pride hee threw himselfe downe by envying him who stood He would be it selfe to themselves have principality to themselves dominion in themselves They would not have the â—rue LORD who truly is It selfe to whom it is said Thou shalt change them and â—hey shall be changed but thou art the same Now therefore after â—o long affliction after so many diseases difficulties labours let the humbled soule returne to it selfe and be in that City that is compact together in it selfe ☞ Vera copia Cupiditatis inopia ☜ Vera inopia Cupiditatis copia Minds tranquillity A Meditation gathered out of Saint Angustine in his Tract upon the 147. Psal. upon these words Who hath set peace in thy borders Ver. 14. WHo hath set peace in thy borders How much have yee all rejoyced Love this my Brethren Wee are much delighted when this love of Peace cryeth from your hearts How much hath it delighted us Having as yet said nothing expounded nothing but only pronounced this verse yee have even cryed out And what is it that hath cryed from you the love of peace what doth it present unto your eyes Whence doe yee cry if yee do not love Whence doe yee love it yee doe not see Peace is invisible Where is that Eye by which it is seene that it may be lov'd Neither would it be cryed upon unlesse it were lov'd These are those representments of invisible things which God exhibits unto us With what beautie hath the conceit of Peace seized on your hearts What then shall I now speake of Peace or of the praise of peace Your affection preventeth all my words I shall not performe it I am not able to undergo it I am too weake to doe it Let us deferre all our praises of peace to that Countrey of peace There shall wee more fully praise it where wee shall more fully possesse it If wee thus love peace begun in us how much shall we praise it when perfected in us Behold this I say my beloved Children Children of the Kingdome Citizens of Hierusalem because in Hierusalem is the Vision of peace and all those who enjoy and love peace are made blessed in it This which ye so much love and affect to heare named pursue it desire it love it in your House love
Kingdome to wit when all thy desires shall bee satisfied both in praising and loving mee and when I shall bee all iâ— all Therefore it is that â—hou justly cravest and justly with thy whole heart deâ—irest in that Prayer which I gave â—hee Let thy Kingdome come Wherefore O daughter if thou lovest mee rightly â—aithfully fervently thou wilt desire with all thine heart this Kingdome that is this state or condition for this with sighs thou wilt pray to wit that my Kingdome may come wherein thou maist with most sweet love bee to mee united wholly in mee melted and molded And because as I said before this cannot come to passe but by death therefore this Death which is the gate and passage to life is to my Saints in desire and life in patience Hence thou seest how a soule perfectly loving mee feareth not death For whath hath such a Soule to lose by exchange of this miserable-unhappy life but the staâ—e of sinning snares of offending occasions of ruine deceits of enemies self-frailty feares with other innumerable Occurrents which straiten the Soule either ignorâ—â—t or weake or luke-warme not to speake here of the dangers of the body and therefore alwayes fainting and falling Manythings here would the soule have which shee ought not or which she even knowes nor though shee would have them Many things would shee which she cannot In many things is the soule ignorant blind and walking among Snares or in darknesse whence shee knows not how to free her selfe How then may shee not worthily wish how not rejoyce that shee is delivered from these sorrowes and dangers Why therefore O Soule doest thoâ— feare why dost thou not desire death For tell mee what evill shall death bring unto thee If thou fearest nothing in this world death can take nothing from thee If thou love any thing in this world it is with danger yea thou lovest thine owne danger Cease therefore to love the world before death that thou maist nothing at all feare death Furthermore if thou love me onely in this life joy for that thou shalt dye for that thou shalt never enjoy what thou lovest before thou dye But I know what thou fearest Truly thou lovest nothing in this world thou possessest nothing which thou wouldst not lose or grievest to lose yet feare and terror surprize thee because thou knowest not whether thou beest worthy of love or hate thou knowest not how thou art to bee entertained by mee whether to rest or punishment O daughter thou oughtst not to bee too curious after the knowledge of these things yea it is not expedient for thee to know them Stand constantly although thou feare in hope and affiance both living and dying set thy rest upon mee Thou canst not live well of thy selfe neither canst thou dye well of thy selfe Thou hast both from mee What if I shall give thee grace to live holily shall I not also give thee grace to die happily Seeing thou hast all things from mee expâ—ctâ—â— all things of mee how canâ—â— thou expect the one and despaire of the other Of thy selfe thou canst neither live well nor dye well Put thy trust thâ—reâ—ore in mâ— cast thy thought upon mee ground all thy feare and care upon mee As thou canst resist no tentation avoid no sinne living so neither dying If I forsake thee noâ— living if I faithfully prevent tentation and moderate it in thy life that thou maist beare it I am ready to doe the very same unto thee at thy death that thou maist vanquish it Never goe to fight with thine owne weapons but rely on mee If thou rely on mee I will fight for thee And if thou have mee fighting with thee and for thee what hast thou to feare who art nothing of thy selfe And as concerning the condition or quality of death feare nothing There is no kind of death that can hurt the just for the just man with what death soever hee shall bee surprized shall bee at rest Wherefore let it trouble thee nothing whether thou die at home or abroad in thy bed or in thy field neither art thou to feare whether the death bee naturall or violent which takes thee away For if one kind of death were more unhappy than another all my Saints surely were most unhappy the most part whereof in times past in the judgement of the world and eye of flesh most unhappily ended this life Which of mine holy Martyrs dyed a naturall and timely death Whom hath not the violence of the Crosse racke fire or sword extinguished Nothing therefore shall it hurt thee whether thou dyest of the plague or an apoplexy or any other kind of death in the bed or in the field Onely watch that thou maist bee found in faith hope and charity and no death or kinde of Buriall shall harme thee But forasmuch as speaking to thee I likewise speake to them who are as yet imperfect in my love I advise you all in this that yee love innocence and hate iniquity If thou hast at any time sinned what Soule soever thou bee cease grieve repent that thou hast sinned so long as thou livest Yet so repent if thou wishest to thy selfe a fruitfull repentance that thou returne not againe to thy sins or to thy former state of sinning Alwayes expect death and prepare thy self for it as if thou wert at this very present to dye But lest some devout institution should be waÌ„ting to the weake in spirit by which supported they may learne in some sort how to dye I will adde something more to these First therefore thou oughtest to remember what mine Apostle saith and what Truth it selfe speaketh Yee have not here an abiding City but ye seâ—ke for one that is to come unto which here in this world no otherwise than in a journey yee walke as Pilgrimes Now your Pilgrimage is ended when your life is clozed Death therefore is the very last line running betwixt this exile wherein yee are and the Countrey whereto yee goe so as there is no other gate by which yee may passe from this valley of your Pilgrimage and enter your Countrey your heavenly inheritage but by death Death then most certainly doth wait for you like as a most certaine end is limited to your life But this difference there is betwixt the good and evill that here in your Pilgrimage yee all travaile mixtly all I say albeit not all in a right way yee long after your blessed Countrey all yee so long as yee are in your journey although yee wander may returne unto the true way But when yee shall come to the end of your journey in the gate it selfe that is at the point of death yee are discerned that Some of you may passe from exile unto life others to misery and eternall death It is not then lightly to bee considered nor negligently observed how every one is to bee prepared before death come For there yee leave all things after you in which
as they do other most holy things if thou canst have them cause them to be applyed unto thee For even this verie holy persons of both sexes and famous for their miracles have formerly done An Exercise wherein the sick person with sighs and groanes because otherwise it can scarcely be done may resigne himselfe unto God and fervently desire that he may deserve to be joyned unto him O Most faithfull Lover most mercifull Lord Jesu Christ grant unto mee that with heart and mind I may feele what I say As the Hart brayeth for the rivers of water so panteth my Soule after thee ô my God I have chosen to be an Abject in the house of the Lord rather than to dwell in the Tabernacle of sinners Blessed are they that dwell in thy house ô Lord for ever and ever shall they praise thee My Soule hath thirsted after thee ô God when shall I come and appeare before thy face Why art thou sorrowfull ô my Soule and why art thou so disquieted within mee Trust in the Lord therefore will I now confesse my selfe unto him the Salvation of my countenance and my God Shew the light of thy countenance upon thy servant ô Lord save me for thy mercies sake Let me not be confounded for ever for I have called upon thee Be not far from mee ô my God Looke downe upon mee and help mee ô my God The poore is left unto thee Thou wilt be the Orphans helper Thou art my refuge in my tribulation which hath compassed mee O my joy deliver me from these that encompasse mee Make hast to helpe mee ô Lord God of my Salvation For thou art my strength and my refuge my helper and my protector Doe not then leave me nor despise me ô God of my salvation Behold I come unto thee ô my God whom I have despised and offended for the whole earth is full of thy mercie Therefore doe I flie unto thee my most mercifull Father Receive mee according to thy word when thou sayest I WILL NOT THE DEATH OF A SINNER and let mee live and confound mee not in my hope O my God I doe not pray unto thee for a life temporall but I call upon thee for the Salvation of my Soule who art life eternall O my sweet Lover O my Lord God for as much as I have offended thee for that I have neglected thine inspirations and admonitions for that I have at any time loved ought beâ—ide thee or without thee for this O my Lord God for this doe I grieve And I beseech thee that thou wouldest give unto mee so much grace as I may with all mine heart grieve aâ—d lament during everie moment of my life Would to God that I might poure out and offer unto thee everie drop of my bloud with teares for griefe and love into thy most sweet heart O sweet Jesu I neither desire nor expect of thee life nor death but thy good will and pleasure may it be done unto mee according to thy will If it be thy will O my sweet Jesu that I shall dye receive my spirit And although I come in the Evening as the verie last of all grant unto mee that I may receive eternall rest with thee and in thee But if it be thy will that I shall live longer O sweet Jesu I purpose this and I crave the assistance of thy grace for this to amend the rest of my life and to offer my selfe wholly as a burnt Sacrifice unto thee to thy glorie and according to thy good will and pleasure O most desired Jesu for as much as I have consumed my life in sin to the reproch of thy glorious name nor to this day have begun to serve thee grant unto mee that I may now at last perfectly begin and employ all the powers of my Soule anâ— Body and all the remainder of my time given mee by thee to thy glorie and according to thy best and most perfect will O most mercifull Jesu be thou neare mee in these my paines and miseries with which I am straitened and iâ— any more grievous than these shall come upon mee for that I have deserved not onely more grievous but most grievous by reason of my sins grant that I may patiently beare them O sweet Jesu if I had never at any time sinned nor at thine hand evilly deserved notwithstanding to thy glorie and for thy love good will and pleasure I offer and resigne my selfe unto thee either in these or any other punishments to deale with mee according to thy will not my worth but in the multitude of thy mercies on which I relye and on which I call that by thy power thou wouldest raise and rouze up the frailtie of my flesh and strengthen with longanimitie and confirme with patience the pusillanimitie and instabilitie of my Spirit that I may not â—all downe as one either vanquished with tentation or faint through pusillanimitie but swallowed up with the most burning heat of thy love I may onely sigh after thee onely desire thee and leave loath and contemne the world with all that is in it giving thee thanks with all mine heart for all things whether ministring unto me occasion of joy or sorrow O most loving Jesu I chuse thee I wish thee I desire thee I meet thee and I renounce whatsoever thou art not in mee what thou willest I will what thou nillest I nill whatsoever thou abhorrest I abjure And though sometimes that 〈◊〉 is contrarie to this will in mee may be incident unto mee I beseech thee O my God that thou wouldst not impute it unto mee nor judge mee according to that depravednesse of Will in mee but according to this Election of my mind by thy grace wrought in mee Because I contradict all those things which I ought not to will yea though which for thy mercie sake avert I hereafter vanquished should consent unto yet now doe I accurse and abjure them O most loving Jesu if it please thee and redound to thy glorie grant unto mee that I may be preâ—erved in this life from all sins and punishments into which after death I ought otherwiâ—â— to come to which I am subject or may possibly come and that thou wouldst receive my Soule by the hand of thy mercie immediately from this life to eternall joyes O Lord Iesu Christ receive my Spirit c. A CHRISTIANS LAST-WILL OR TESTAMENT Containing A PROTESTATION or Testament not unprofitable to be repeated or meditated of everie Christian at the point of death Composed as may be probably gathered by JOANNES LANSPER GENSIS and faithfully rendred according to the Originall A CHRISTIANS LAST-WILL OR TESTAMENT Containing A Protestation or Testament not unprofitable to be repeated or meditated of everie Christian at the point of death Composed as may be probably gathered by JOANNES LANSPER GENSIS and faithfully rendred according to the Originall IN the name of the Father and the Son and Holy Ghost I. M. an unhappie Sinner redeemed with
A SPIRITVAL SPICERIE Containing Sundrie sweet Tractates of Devotion and Piety By RI. BRATHWAIT Esq. Cant. c. 1. 12. c. 5. 13. My Welbeloved is as a bundle of Myrrhe unto mee he shall lye betweene my brests His cheekes are as a bed of Spices LONDON Printed by I. H. for George Hutton at his shop within Turning stile in Holborne 1638. TO THE TRVLY ENNOBLED THOMAS LORD FAUCONBERGE Baron of YAROM Together With his pious Progeny those succeeding Branches of a prospering Family R. B. Zealously Dedicates this Spirituall Spicerie Vpon the translation of his Divine Dialogue TO you my Lord who knowes th' Originall This may seeme fruitlesse yet these sacred flowres Like a Bride-posie at a Nuptiall May tender choice content to some of yours Which blest effect would crowne this Worke of ours That we should be so happy as to give Where we do love RULES how to dye and live Which for his Sake we aske that is our Saviour That we may live in 's feare dye in his favour A TITLE-TABLE Or Short Summarie of all such Tractates Meditations Prayers Contemplations and Motives to Piety as are comprised within this SPIRITUALL SPICERIE A Divine Dialogue or a comfortable Conference betwixt our Saviour and a Sinner with the Life of GRâ—YTRODIUS the Author Professant of a strict disciplinary Order Page 1. A familiar Expostulation of the Flesh to GOD the Father touching Câ—RIST pag. 53. An Answer of the Father to the Flesh. p. 61. A pithy Meditation upon this Expostulation and Answer to inflame the Soule with a devout fervour p. 65. Generall Rules of living well p. 69. The Sorrowfull Soules Solace p. 82. A Meditation referring to the former Ejaculation p. 93. Mans-Mutability p. 95. Minds-Traâ—quillity pag. 103. A Meâ—itation containing the praise of Peace and her Beautie p. 109. Christian Philosophy p. 113 The Soules Jubilee p. 121. The Christian Store-house p. 144. Man his owne Foe p. 153. Two devout Prayers or Meditations of F. Lewis of Granado p. 164. 167. A short and fruitfull Confession of a Sinner unto God for obtaining Contrition p. 179. A Confession of Sinnes p. 183. A Prayer before the holy Communion p. 187. A Prayer after celebration of the holy Communion p. 190. An other Prayer p. 193. A Prayer for all Judges and Justiciaries p. 196. A Prayer for peace or tranquillity of minde p. 201. Of the presence of the Conscience in every place p. 206. A Pithy Consideration inforcing in us to the former Subject a more serious Meditation p. 209. A Closing Sonnet upon these Miscellane Meditations p. 223. A Reply to a rigid Precisian rendring him in a sententions Sapphicke of the Poet all satisfaction p. 226. A Christian Diall which may serve well to shadow out our houres number our dayes direct our wayes contract our yeares and regulate our desires p. 228. The Life of Ioannes Lanspergius a Carthusian Author of that Christian Diall p. 230. A briefe institution with an Exerâ—ise for an happie deaâ—h expressed in a familiar Conference betwixt God and the Soule Wholesome Admonitions teaching a Christian how to dye well p. 252. An Exercise whereby â—arely or whensoever thou willest thou maist poure out thy heart unto God for a good death p. 257. An Oblation of Christ and his meriâ—s to his Father p. 261. The Dying mans Diary or a Christians Memento mori divided into a five dayes Exercise p. 264. Profitable Counsell for one approaching neare the point of death p. 265. An Exercise wherein the sicke person with sighes and groanes may resigne himselfe unto God and â—ervently desire that he may deserve to be joyned unto him p. 270. A Christians Last-will or Testament containing a Protestation or Testament not unprofitable to be repeated or meditated of every Christian at the point of death p. 281. An Elegie of Saint Dionysius of the judgement of death p. 288. An Epistle of Ludovious Blosius written to an especiall friend upon the perfecting and publishing of his Worke entituled The Parlour of the Soule p. 290. Certaine choice or Select Sayings of D. Henricus Suso of the love of the World and of the love of God p. 304. Of the Passion of our Lord. p. 309. Of the holy Eucharist p. 313. Of resigning denying and mortifying ones selfe p. 316. The Passionateâ— Pilgrim Breathing a Contemplative Mans Exercise offâ—ring a Pâ—nitent Soules Sacrifice p. 325. Deaths Memoriall p. 336. Deaths distinction p. 343. Holy Memorialls or Heavenly Memento's p. 345. Of his Conception Memoriall I. ibid. Of his Birth Memoriall II. p. 352. Of his Childhood Memoriall III. p. 360. Of his Youth Memoriall IV. p. 367. Of his Manhood Memoriall V. p. 375. Of his Age. Memoriall VI. p. 383. His Pleasures Memoriall VII p. 395. His Labours Memoriall VIII p. 406. His Life Memoriall IX p. 417. His Death Memoriall X. p. 443. THE LIFE Of JACOBUS GRUYTRODIUS Author of this Divine Dialogue Or Christian Manuall faithfully rendred according to the Originall IACOBUS GRUYTRODIUS a German a man singularly versed divine and humane Learning And opposite in constancy of opinion and consonancie of doctrine to those surreptitious Errours of the Time who as hee had commendably passed his youth in the Liberall Sciences so hee consecrated and happily bestowed the residue of his time to the honour of God in a devout privacie having his pen ever vers'd in Works of devotion and piety never in arguments of division or controversy He lived in the yeare M. CCCC.LXXII A Divine Dialogue Or A Comfortable Conference betwixt our SAVIOUR and a SINNER Sinner PArdon mee I beseech thee my most gracious Lord Jesu CHRIST thy most unworthy and unhappy Servant desirous to talke a while with thee and of thee Christ. Why Who art thou Sinner A sinfull man who unhappily and rashly have fallen into the misery and filthinesse of sundry sinnes and much more unhappily am ready to fall into eternall misery and calamity after the end of this life Christ. Thou needest not feare this fearfull fall if thou wilt but doe so much as truly repent thee of thy sinnes committed and henceforth abstaine from those sinnes whereof thou hast repented For I most tender in my compassion towards thee out of meere love descended from the royall Throne of mine high glory to unmeasurable dolour and anxiety all which I willingly suffered in my flesh in my mind in my members and senses to the end that I might deliver thee from the eternall torments of hell and bestow on thee the joy of Heaven Doubt nothing therefore touching thine offences I will forget them all so thou forget thine evill affection and depraved custome I will forget I say and blot out thine iniquity and as farre distant as the East is from the West so farre will I divide thee from thy sinne I will cleanse thee Neither will I cease till I
that it might depart from me And he said unto me my grace is sufficient for thee for my power is made perfect through weaknesse He heard him whom he had disposed to damnation and heard not him whom hee prepared to salvation The sick patient asketh many things of his Physician yet the Physician gives them not hee heares him not after his will but for his health Make God then thy Physician aske of him health and hee will bee thy health not only as outward health but as he himself is all health Love not then any health beside him but as thou hast it in the Psalme Say unto my Soule I am thy Salvation What is it unto thee what hee give thee so he give himselfe unto to thee Now wouldst thou that hee give himselfe unto thee What if that thou wouldst have hee will not give thee that hee may give himselfe unto thee Hee removes impediments from thee that hee may enter in unto thee Brethren observe and consider what God gives here unto Sinners and hence gather what hee keepes in store for his Servants To Sinners that blaspheme him hee gives daily the benefits of Heaven and Earth hee gives fountains fruits health children wealth abundance All these goods things none giveth but God Hee that gives such things to the sinfull what thinkst thou stores hee up for his faithfull Doest thou thinke this of him that hee who gives such things to the evill reserves nothing in store for the good yes truly hee reserves not onely earth but heaven Nay perchance I speake of something too low when I speake of heaven hee reserves himselfe who made Heaven Beautifull is heaven but more beautifull is the Maker of Heaven But saist thou I see Heaven but I see not him Thou hast eyes to see Heaven But thou hast not as yet an heart to see the Maker of Heaven To that end came hee from Heaven to Earth that hee might cleanse thine heart whereby he might bee seene who made Heaven and Earth But freely with patience expect salvation Hee knowes best with what medicines to cure thee Hee knowes best how to cut thee how to seere thee Thou art become sick through sinne hee comes not onely to cheere but to cut and seere Doest thou not see what paine men suffer under the hands of their Physicians who promise unto them an uncertaine hope of life Thou shalt bee cured saies the Physician thou shalt bee cured if I cut thee And this is but the promise of man and promised to man Neither is hee certaine who speakes it nor hee who heares it because hee speakes it unto man who made not man nor perfectly knoweth what may become of man yet gives man credit to these words of man who knowes not what becomes of man hee submits his members unto him hee suffers himselfe to bee bound or sometimes unbound he is cut and seer'd and perchance hee recovers health for a few dayes yet after this short recovery of health hee knows not when hee must dye and perchance hee dyes while he is in cure or perhaps hee cannot bee cured But to whom hath God at any time promised and deceived Iâ—ius Horreo Suâ—â—ma affluentia Cujus cordiâ— Scrinio Sana Conscientia THE Christian Storehouse Rendred from Saint Augustine in his Tract upon the 64. Psalme upon these words Wee shall bee satisfied with the pleasures of thine House even of thine holy Temple WHat are those good things of the house of God Brethren let us suppose to our selves some rich House imagining it to bee stored with all good things how plenteous it may be what store of vessels of gold and silver there may bee how numerous a family what abundance of stock and store in a word how the House it selfe may delight us with pictures and structures of marble arched Roofes curious Columns specious Spaces sumptuous Rooms behold such things are desired but as yet out of the confusion of Babylon Prune all these desires O Citizen of Hierusalem prune all these if thou wilt returne to thine heavenly City let not captivity delight thee But if thou hast already begun to goe out of Babylon doe not looke behind thee doe not loyter in the way There want not yet Enemies to perswade thee to stay still in thy captivity and exile Let not then the speeches of the wicked prevaile with thee Desire the House of God and desire the good things of that house but not such as thou usest to desire either in thine owne House or in thy Neighbours or Patrons House There is goodnesse of another nature in this House What need wee to declare what those good things be of that House Let him expâ—esse them who singeth in his going out of Babylon We shall bee satisfied with the pleasures of thine House What are those pleasures Sometimes perchance wee erected our hearts to gold to silver and other pretious things doe not seeke such these oppresse they doe not refresh Let us here then meditate of those pleasures of Hierusalem those pleasures of the House of the Lord those pleasures of the Temple of the Lord because those pleasures which are of the House of the Lord those are pleasures of the Temple of the Lord. Wee shall bee satisfied with the pleasures of thine House Holy is thy Temple wonderfull in righteousnesse These are the pleasures of that House Hee sayes not thy holy Temple wonderfull in Pillars wonderful in Pictures wonderful in Marbles wonderfull in gilded buildings but wonderfull in righteousnesse Thou hast outward eyes wherewith thou maist see marble structures golden statues but within is the eye wherewith thou maist view the beauty of Righteousnesse within I say is the eye wherewith thou maist view the beauty of Righteousnesse If there bee no beauty in Righteousnesse whence is it that the Righteous old man is loved What may his body present to delight the sight Hee presents crooked lims a rugged forehead an head whitened with hoary haires weaknesse in all parts full of aches and complaints But perchance though this decrepit old man delight not thine eyes hee may delight thine eares With what voyce with what song For though perchance while hee was young hee sung well all those ayres are decayed with age For can the sound of his words possibly delight thine eares seeing he can scarcely pronounce his words through the dropping decay of his teeth Yet if hee bee just if he covet not that which is anothers if hee out of his owne distribute to the necessity of others if he admonish discreetly and understand rightly if hee beleeve sincerely if hee bee ready for the profession of truth to bestow even his decayed lims for many have beene Martyrs when they were old wee are moved to love him But whence is it that wee love him What good thing doe wee see in him with these eyes of our flesh Nothing There is then a certaine beauty of righteousnesse which wee see with the eyes of our heart and which wee
love and wherewith wee burne What was it that begot so much love in men to these Martyrs when their lims were piece-mealâ— torne by beasts When their bloud wherewith their Corps were embathed distained all things when their bowels were rent and shed abroad with the teeth of beasts had the eyes any objects but spectacles of horrouâ— What was there in them that could bee loved but that in such a Shambles of torne members there appeared an unblemished beauty of righteousnesse These are the pleasures of the House of God with these prepare thy self to be satisfied but that thou maist bee herewith satisfied when thou commest thither it behoves thee to hunger and thirst after it while thou art a stranger Thirst after this huger after this for these shall bee the pleasures of God Heare that King to whoÌ„ these things are spoken who came to recall thee and through himselfe hath made a way for thee what sayes hee Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for they shall bee satisfied Holy is thy Temple wonderfull in righteousnesse And doe not thinke Brethren that this same Temple is without you Love righteousnesse and ye are the Temple of God MAN His owne Foe WHat an Enemy is Man to himselfe Hee sees above him Heaven offering it selfe unto him below him Hell threatning perdition to him On Earth hee sees nothing worthy his affecting Friends hee observes and hee finds them Shadowes of time the best of their constancy cloaths it selfe with a seeming mourning and closeth all those glorious protests of Devotion and Service with a teare-sacrifice to his Urne All those faire Monuments of his discerning providence are razed those undeserving Palmes which afforded him applause now closed Those Annals of his care to an unknowne posterity recommended Those precious vading houres which well expended might have gain'd him eternity are so many Heralds to deblazon his vanity Time hee had enough to estate him in immortality but pleasure honour or earthly profit appeared such precious pearls in his bleered eye as hee could reserve few or no minutes for so inestimable a purchase as the permanent possession of a future happinesse Hee eyed that least which would have cleared his eye-sight most making that his Supreme Object which should in Wisdome have beene his lowest Subject He could not possibly affect ought more than what conduced least to his spirituall improvement Were he in company those hee made choice for his consorts whose debauch't course had sprinkled a deepe tincture on their fame and had made them onely exemplary in that which deserved imitation least Did hee walke abroad hee made no use of those various objects which might have diverted his eye from admiring the excellence of the creature to fix and inspheare it in the sole satisfying Contemplation of his Creator Not the least sprig seed or grassepile but reteined in it a mysterious impression of so exquisite an Artist yet with what an easie contempt and perâ—unctory reflex hee lookes on these as if they dictated nothing to him but a vading vanity Yet see poore groundling if some flourishing Meadow faire Pasture fruitfull Farme or any other attractive object of sensuall profit present their sight and site unto him with what a passionate interbreath hee salutes these earthly objects with a servile irregular wish Oh that these were mine Meane time hee h'as more than hee enjoyes and enjoyes lesse peace by ingaging his rough rubbish desires to every place What an angling hee makes to catch that which catcheth him most Hee makes the Day his Purveyor for the world the Night his Remembrancer of his cares So as that very time which was allotted Man for rest becomes his disquiet If hee ayme at Honour hee makes it his flame and never leaves it till his ayry wings be singed by it Secure hee was before hee sought but as one wearied in the haven he commits his unstear'd vessell to the dangers of the Maine where his Competitors bee those Pilots which plash him who never leave him till they cause his Top and Top-galant to yeeld with dishonour which his unbounded spirit unable to brooke becomes his secret Pioner When Pleasure seazeth his Fort how long and tedious are those slow-running houres which divide him from idolatrizing his light-affected Mistresse What numerous fancies his deluded imagination suggests to him presenting to his intranced Conceit more moving Objects of imaginary delight than the loosest Sibarite ever yet enjoyed Hee reteines a constant modell of her favour feature posture but how light shee weighs in the Scale of honour hee never dreames Hee flatters himselfe with the conceit of her reply upon the delivery of a set speech farced with farre more complement than ornament of art Poore foole How much a scattred or ravish'd favour transports him Meane time shee works on his fortune while shee guls his guilded person with a seeming affection Thus splitted in his fortune hee becomes cashiered of his temporary favorite And now Time comes and must needs draw his feature Heavens blesse me how like a fleshlesse Starveling this amorous Skeleton lookes Hee who once fed on fancy longs after a more substantiall food to refresh his appetite Our two late Prophets talkt of Droughts and Plagues and his incessant desire is by a petitionary way for otherwise his exhausted fortunes cannot worke nor project him a course to subsist that they would intercede if their phanatick illumination would give leave that the Drought of his seered liver might bee quenched and the Plague of his purse cured Wee have now Epitomiz'd Man to his full and discovered him to be the only occasion of his owne fall Oh that hee would recollect himselfe and consider from whence hee came what hee is and whereto hee must goe First let him reflect upon the state of his earthly being that weake contexture wherof hee is moulded Next what weake and infirme supports hee stands on and how soone those shaking Bases shall decline when necessitated Fate shall undermine them Lastly those miseries one mispent houre shall make him lyable to when with â—ighes and teares and what not hee shall petition for redemption of time which want of time will not afford him nor all his powerfulst Advocates on Earth procure him nor all his prayers and teares be they never so plentifully effused assure him O Man Seeing then Earthly Honor becomes acorroding Competitor to the Owner ayme at that which shall without corrivalship highly improve and securely confirme the injoyer Seeing Worldly wealth sates not the desire but ministers fresh fuell to the possessor addresse thy more erected thoughts to that solec-sufficing and entirely-enriching treasure which shall cloze thy safely-confined desires for ever Lastly Seeing thou art so much transported with the vading shadow of Worldly Pleasure fix thy sole content on that absolute good which transcends all extent So shalt thou who before wer 't a Foe to thy selfe become a Friend to Him who to redeeme thee ingag'd himselfe TWO
Devout Prayers Or Meditations of F. Lewis of Granado gathered forth of his Meditations in Spanish and heereto annexed God forbid that I should rejoyce but in the Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ whereby the world is crucified to me and I unto the world Gal. 6. 14. To Christ Crucified WEe adore thee O Lord Jesu Christ and blesse thy holy Name for that thou hast redeemed the world by this thy Crosse. Wee give thankes to thee most gracious Saviour for that thou hast so highly loved us and cleansed us by thy bloud from our sinnes as likewise for that thou hast offered thy selfe upon the Crosse for us that with the most sweet smell of this thy most noble Sacrifice inflamed with the fire of thy love thou mightst reconcile GOD to us and procure our peace with him Blessed bee thou for ever O Saviour of the World O Reconciler of men repairer of Angels Restorer of Heaven Triumpher over Hell Conquerour of the Devill Authour of life Destroyer of Death and Redeemer of them who sate in darknesse and shadow of Death To the sacred mystery of the Crosse by JESUS Sanctified And to JESUS who was on it crucified O Crosse thou drawest hearts more powerfully unto thee than the Adamant doth Ironâ— Thou more clearly enlightnest our minds than the Sunne doth mens eyes Thou more vehemently inflamest our soules than fire doth coales Wherefore O most holy Crosse draw mee unto thee powerfully enlighten mee continually inflame mee vehemently and vigorously that my mind and cogitation may never depart from thee Thou also my good JESU illuminate the eyes of my soule that in this Crosse I may understand how to behold thee to wit that I may not onely contemplate those extreme sorrowes which thou sufferedst for my sake and take compassion of them but that I may also know that the examples of those many and excellent Vertues which thou heere exhibitedst were to mee recommended that they might by mee be imitated Wherefore O thou Teacher of the World O thou Physician of our soules here doe I come to the foot of thy Crosse she wing my wounds and sores unto thee heale mee O my God and prescribe mee what I should doe I acknowledge and confesse O Lord that I am vehemently addicted to sensuall affections and too great a Lover of my selfe which selfe-love I perceive hindereth much my spiritual profit and proficience So as being oft-times ensnared either with my pleasures and delights or deterred with the labour of fasting I lose the benefit of pious and devout exercises with the losse whereof my salvation likewise is endangered This sensuality of mine is to mee very tedious very grievous for truly it desires at set houres to feast daintily and delicatly it desires after dinners and suppers to solace it selfe in discourses and delights likewise to take the ayre walke in gardens and arbours alwayes affecting one recreation or other but teach thou mee O Lord by thy example what I ought to doe O with what confusion with what shame doe I conceive my selfe to bee cloathed so often as I behold after what sort thou entertainedst that most delicate and most tender body of thine In the midst of those anguishes and dolours of thy most bitter death thou ministredst to it no other repast nor receit than that which was confectioned of gall and vinegar by those cruell and hatefull Apothecaries And at that time whose tongue I pray thee durst complaine of thy meat that it was eyther cold or raw and ill dressed or too quickly or slowly dished upon sight of that Table spread O Lord for thee in that thy so great necessity In stead of delights and discourses which I seeke in my Suppers and banquets thou hadst the voyces of them who with moving and mowing and wagging their heads derided and blasphemed thee saying Hey thou that destroyest the Temple and buildest it in three dayes This was the musick this the harmony of thy banquet Likewise when thou stuckst nailed hand and foot upon the Crosse this was thy walking into the Garden For albeit thou hadst another garden wherto thou retiredst after supper yet was it not to walke in but to pray in not to refresh thee but to shed thy bloud not to delight thee but to grieve sorrow and bee in the agony of death What shall I say more of the rest of those refreshments of thy blessed flesh My flesh requireth a soft bed a pretious weed spacious and specious houses but tell thou mee O my holy Love what an one might be thy chamber What thy house What thy garment Thy garment is nakednesse and thy purple the habit of derision Thy house is to bee conversant in publike assemblies exposed to the distemperatures of Sunne and ayre and if I seeke for any house of thine besides this it is a stable for beasts Foxes have their holes and the Sparrowes of heaven their nests But thou the Creator and Maker of all things hast not whereon to lay thine head O yee curiosities and superfluities how comes it to passe that there is any place left for you among Christians Either let us cease to be Christians or let us cast from us all these delights and superfluities seeing our Lord and Master hath not only cast from him those things which were superfluous but even those things also which were necessary Now it remaineth Lord that I see what a Chamber thou hast Tell mee O sweet Lord where it is that thou lyest where thou sleepest at noone I lay mee downe here at thy feet teach mee what I ought to doe For this my sensuality will not well relish a Sermon of thy Crosse. I desire a bed soft and sweet and if I awake at Prayer time yet doe I suffer my selfe easily to bee overcome by sloth I expect likewise a morning slumber that I may get rest for my head But tell mee O Lord what rest thou hadst upon that bed of thy Crosse. When as leaning on the one side thou wert wearied how couldst thou rest thee on the other side that thou mightst bee eased May not thine heart here burst May not all thy sensuality here dye O solace to the poore O shame to the rich O strength to the penitent O condemnation to the soft and delicate Neither is JESUS CHRISTS bed for you nor his glory for you O Lord give mee grace that after thy example I may subdue and kill my sensuality but if not I beseech thee that even this very moment thou wouldst take my life from mee For it is not reasonable nor tolerable that thou shouldst bee fed upon the Crosse both with Gall and Vinegar and I seek after delights and most exquisite dainties Nor that thou shouldst â—ee so poore and naked and I with such earnestnes hunt aâ—ter worldly riches and so wretchedly love and affect them Nor that thou shouldst have a Crosse for thy couch and I seeke
a soft bed a pleasant chamber and delight of the flesh Bee ashamed therefore O my soule when thou beholdest thy Lord hanging upon the Crosse Where imagine him to bee preaching unto thee and rebuking thee after this manner I tooke for thee O man a Crowne of Thornes Thou in contempt of mee wearest a garland made of Flowers I for thee stretched out my hands upon the Crosse wilt thou reach thine forth to pleasures and dalliance I dying could not quench my thirst so much as with water wilt thou seeke after precious Wines and Viands I both on the Crosse as likewise all my life long was full of reproaches and sorrowes wilt thou bestow thy time upon honours and pleasures I suffered my side to bee opened that I might make thee even partaker of my heart wilt thou have thine exposed and opened to vaine and perillous loves A Short and fruitfull Confession of a Sinner unto God for obtaining Contrition O God of inestimable and eternall mercy God of unmeasurable piety God the Creator and Redeemer of mankind who purifiest the hearts of such as confesse their sinnes unto thee who releasest all such from the bond of iniquity as accuse themselves before the sight of thy divine majesty I beseech the power and depth of thy goodnesse with inward groanes that according to the multitude of thy mercies thou wouldst grant mee to make a pure and sincere confession before thee of all my sinnes whereof my guilty conscience doth accuse mee And that thou wouldst give mee true repentance for all such things as I have committed in naughty thoughts depraved cogitations wicked consent unjust counsell in concupiscence and uncleane delights in evill and hatefull words in malicious works in my seeing hearing tasting smelling and touching I truly even in all my members doe conceive my selfe guilty above measure because as the starres of heaven and sands of the Sea so doe I know my sinnes to bee innumerable But to thee Lord who knowest all secrets and who hast said Thou desirest the repentance of a Sinner doe I reveale all the secrets of my heart accusing my naughtinesse and my many and very great sinnes which I have committed before the eyes of thy fearefull Majesty all my wretched life long especially these here for the better increase of thy devotion and spirituall compunction maist thou particularize some of thy grievouser Sinnes with all those my evils which are open and manifest O God of mercy in thy sight And now O most gracious LORD looke upon mee and have mercy on mee and give unto mee a fountaine of teares and remission of all my sinnes through thy free mercie and that with inward confession of heart and affection of desiring remission seconded with so sincere a Confession Rectifie and reforme in mee O most loving Father whatsoever is depraved in mee either in word deed thought through my owne impietie or the Devils subtiltie and by joyning mee a member to the unity of the Church make mee partaker of thy Redemption and admit mee to the Sacrament of blessed reconciliation as one who hath no confidence but in thy mercy and compassion A Confession of Sinnes by Blessed Augustine O Mercifull pitifull great and terrible God I confesse unto thee my sins to thee to thee doe I discover my wounds for thine ineffable goodnesse bestow a Salve on mee Thou O most mild Lord vouchsafedst to say I desire not the death of a sinner but rather that hee may turne from his wickednesse and live I confesse that my life is in thy sight wicked and crooked that my life is falling into the lake of misery and my Soule perishing in my iniquities Lust sinfull delight naughty works wrath pridâ— impatience malice envy gluttony ebriety theft rapine lying perjury scurrility foolish speaking murmuring detraction ignorance infidelity distruct negligence of Gods Commandements as contagious glagues have slaine my Soule Mine heart and lips are polluted My seeing hearing tasting smelling and touching have enfeebled my Soule with sinnes and I am wholly lost as well in my cogitation as action I beseech thee O my Lord God whose mercy hath no end draw mee unto thee as thou drewest that sinfull woman As thou gavest grace unto her not to cease from kissing thy feet washing them with her teares and wiping them with her haires so graciously vouchsafe to grant unto mee that according to the greatnesse of mine iniquities thy great love may bee in mee that for thine unmeasurable piety thou maist forgive mee all my sinnes Bestow on mee pardon for evils past continence for evils present and cautelous prudence for evils to come Grant mee I beseech thee before I dye most fully to obtaine thy mercy and suffer not my dayes to bee ended till my sinnes bee pardoned but as thou willest and knowest have mercy on mee Amen A PRAIER before the holy Communion HAile O most holy flesh and bloud of Christ wherereof I am made partaker in these visible Elements Haile O thou highest sweetnesse who knowest no losing takest away all loathing destroyest death restorest life Haile thou blessed food which leadest thine Elect from the exile of this World to their Country Haile thou happy Sacrifice which art offered upon the Altar of the Crosse to God â—he Father for the whole burden of our sinnes Haile thou Manna more white than snow more sweet than honey more precious than all gold Take from mee I beseech thee O good Shepheard mine iniquities that with a purified heart and spirit I may deserve to taste these Holy of holiest Let this venerable Sacrament bee an impregnable Safeguard to mee against the deceits of the enemy that fed with this wholesome Viand I may passe the slippery wayes of this life in a blamelesse conversation and come unto thee the Bread of life and the true Lord of Angels without any hinderance of the Devils subtilty or malice O Lord heare mee bee pacified with mee attend mee and tarry not from mee O my God for thy goodnesse sake For none can bee worthy of so great a mystery unlesse thou ô Omnipotent God make him worthy Amen A PRAIER OF Th. Aquinas to be said after celebration of the holy Communion I Give thankes to thee O holy Lord OmnipoteÌ„t Father Eternall God who hast vouchsafed to refresh me thy grievous sinner and unworthy servant for no deserts of mine but for thy sole mercy sake with the precious Body and Bloud of thy Sonne our Lord JESUS CHRIST And I beseech thee that this holy Communion may not bee of guilt to mee unto condemnation but a soule-saving intercession of remission and consolation Let it bee unto mee the armour of faith and the shield of good-will Let it bee unto mee a removing of my vices a rooting out of lust and licentiousnesse an increasing of Charity and Patience Humility and Obedience and of all Vertues Let it bee a strong defence against all mine Enemies as well visible as invisible a perfect quieting and composing of my
Amen Of the presence of the Conscience in every place Gathered out of Saint Bernards Meditations Cap. XIII I Cannot conceale my sinnes because whither soever I goe my Conscience is with mee carrying with her whatsoever I have laid up in her bee it good or evill Shee keepes for mee living shee renders to mee dying whatsoever shee hath received from mee to bee laid up in her or kept by her If I doe well shee is present or if I seeme to doe well and thence become proud shee is present likewise Shee is present with mee living shee followes mee dying every where is there inseparable confusion for mee according to the quality of that which is laid up in my Conscience by me Thus thus in mine owne house and from mine owne family have I accusers witnesses Judges and tormentors My Conscience doth accuse mee my memory is a witnesse against mee Reason is my Judge Will my Prison Feare my Tormentor delight my torment For so many as there have beene of evill delights so many there shall bee of sharpe and painfull torments for thence are wee punished whence wee are delighted A consideration right pithy profitable and proper to inforce in us a more serious Meditation of the former WHither then wilt thou fly O miserable soule or where wilt thou make thy retire Neither to the East nor to the West nor to the desart Mountaines Fly thou maist but escape thou canst not Woe is mee what a day of terror will that bee when thou shalt finde no place to secure thee no friend to speake for thee no meanes to reprive thee all to reprove thee none to relieve thee When Adam must bee brought from his bushes and Sarah from behind the doore and man shall say to his Conscience â—s Ahab said to Elias Hast thou found mee O mine Enemyâ— Poore guilty soule though â—hou shouldst fly from the Field to the City from the â—ity to thy House from thy House to thy Chamber yet wouldst thou finde no rest For there even there where â—he wals inclose thee privacie seemes to secure thee the Curtaines of the Night to obscure thee yet there will thy surcharged Conscience accuse thee thy Memory witnesse against thee the rule of Reason judge thee thy Will imprison thee Feare torture thee Delight torment thee Miserable Creature where pleasure becomes a torture delight a torment Alas if thou hadst none without thee to hunt thee thou hast one within thee will haunt thee afflict thee affright thee though none should pursue thee The wicked flee when none pursueth O cast thine eye upon thy selfe and see if thou bee not one of this number What hast thou done during thy wayâ—aring in this vale of misery that might deserve the least drop of Gods mercy What sinnefull motion hast thou not admitted what sensuall action not committed what spirituall direction not omitted Behold thy state in sin conceived by sinne deceived and into Satans family received Thou hast surâ—eted in the delights of sinne and estranged thy thoughts from the joyes of Sion Thou hadst rather enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season and to the slavery of sense subject the Principality of reason than by contempt of Earth lay thee a sure foundation in heaven Miserable soule what will become of thee when these earthly joyes shall bee taken from thee when these time-suting friends which seeme to love thee shall leave thee and by reason of that corrupt shell wherein thou sojournest shall loath thee When left to thy selfe and through anguish of spirit well neare bereft thy selfe thou shâ—lt call for comfort but none will come neare thee for one of thy many friâ—nds but none will heare thee for one minutes rest but none will ease thee for the least hope of comfort but none will cheere thee Where canst thou looke and not finde new objects of grieâ—e If to Heaven see how thy sinnes have incensed it if to Earth see how thy example hath defil'd it if to Hell see how thy sinnes purchase hath deserved it What hast thou to plead for thee What succour what shelter to secure thee Alas now thou art to bee presented before a Judge who is upright and will not bee bribed who is all-seeing and will not bee blinded who is equally minded and will not be bended Forged oathes cannot delude him personall respect deprave him hireling Advocates by perswasion draw him or powerfull Potentates by countenance ore-awe him The Judges of the Earth shall bee judged by him and the Kings of the Earth shall tremble before him O what will become of thee sinne-soiled soule in these straits of extremity these intricate mazes of misery Poore thou art and who will enrich thee naked of good workes and who will cloath thee Hungring after this world which cannot feed thee thirsting after honours which cannot fill thee O how long hast thou preferred the prodigals huskes of vanity before the delitious viands of eternity How long hast thou turned in thy bed like a doore on the hinges promising thy selfe security when nothing was farther from thee O reflect upon thy misery and implore gods mercy Even that God in whose sight the very Heavens are uncleane such is his purity That God which came not to call the righteous but the sinner to repentance such is his piety Art thou sick Yea sin-sick soule-sick Teares are the best Electuary to cure this desperate malady The penitents brine is the Angeâ—s wine When Sinners weepe Angels rejoyce for right well they know that they which Sow in teares shall reape in joy Bee a Turtle then in thine heart passionatly throbbing a Pelicane in thy brest compassionately piercing an Hart in thine eyes incessantly weeping a Swan in thy voyce deaths Elegy singing a Philomel in thy note for thy lost chastity â—ighing a Crane in thy life circumspectly watching O shut yea speedily shut I say thine eyes from vanity that the Objects of Heaven may onely delight thee shut thine eares from levity that the subject of vertue may invite thee shut all thy senses from the deluding motives of sensuality that reason may bee thy guide the love of God thy goad Heaven thy goale peace of conscience thy crowne of glory Shut the doore of thine inner Chamber and there poure out thine heart to Gods honour where reposing and from the world retyring thou maist thus invoke him thus invite him Let nothing bee unto mee I beseech thee pleasant without thee nothing sweet nothing specious nothing appeare unto mee without thee precious Let all things appeare vile unto mee without thee Whatsoever is contrary to thee let it bee displeasing to mee and let thy good-will and pleasure be my indeficient desire and endevour Let it irke mee to rejoyce without thee let it delight mee to rejoyce with thee and weep with thee O good JESU if it bee so sweet to weep for thee how sweet is it to rejoyce for thee Thus to meditate is to recreaâ—e
thy wearied soule in the greene pastures of spirituall comfort to bath thy panting soule in the pure chrystalline streames of eternall solace to refresh thine hungry spirit with Heavenly Manna to tune thy voyce to an holy Hosanna Oh then leave to love the world before thou leave the world Redeeme the time because the dayes are evill Avoid the occasion lest thou become void of reason Examine thy wayes thy words thy works Subtract an houre from thy sleeping to adde to thy praying Mans security is the Devils opportunity Watch therfore for thou knowst not when the Theefe will come The holy Hermit S. Antâ—onie who became first professor of an Eremiticall or solitary life when he had read that divine sentence of holy Scripture Goe and sell all that thou â—â—st presently conceiving it to be meant by him hee did so Goe and doe thou likewise Follow thy sweet Saviour in a devout contempt of the world from the Cribbe to the Crosse from mount Olivet to mount Calvary and from the tree of his Crosse hee will reach thee a Crowne of glory Follow I say with fervour the steps of thy Saviour Say with holy Hierom It my mother should hang about mee my father lye in my way to stop mee my wife and children weep about mee I would throw off my mother neglect my father contemne the lamentation of my wife and children to meet my Saviour Christ Jesus My heart is ready my heart is ready doe what thou biddâ—st and bid what thou wilt But above all things that thou maist bee at peace with thy Maker and more gracious in the sight of thy Saviour make the Evening the dayes Calendar Say to thy selfe O my soule what hast thou done to day What sinne hast thou healed in thee wherein was God honoured by thee How hast thou increased or decreased profited or failed Doing thus thy Conscience shall not accuse thee but defend thee thy Memory shall not witnesse against thee but for thee thy Reason shall bee a Judge to acquit thee not condemne thee thy Will shall not restraine thee but free thee no Feare shall affright or come nye thee no Delight shall torment thee but as thy delight was in the Law of the Lord â—o thy delight shall bee in the House of the Lord for ever Even so come Lord Iesus come quickly Upon these Miscellane Meditations with other mixt Subjects conteined in this precedent Tract A clozing Sonnet MOrall mixtures or Divine Aptly cull'd and coucâ—â—d in order Are like colours in a shrine Or choice flow'rs set in a border Or like dishes at a Feast Each attended with his sallet To delight the curious Guest And give relish to his palat Store of colours they are meet When wee should ones picture take One choice flow'r bee 't neere so sweet Would no pleasing posie make One Dish be it neere so precious To the Sent or to the Tast Though at first it seeme delicious It will cloy the Sense at last Here are Colours permanent Objects which will cheere the eye Here are Flowers redolent Which will bloome and never dye Here are Dishes of delight Such delights can never cloy To renew the appetite And to new-revive your joy Muse not then if here you see In this various Worke of mine Such a mixt variety Sorting with this hum'rous time Though the Sunne shine in our Sphere Cloud or Night invelop it But the Sunne shines ever here Darting forth pure rayes of wit Now the frâ—uit I wish to gaine Is your profit for my paine FINIS A reply to a rigid Precisian objecting that flowers from Romish Authors extracted became lesse wholesome and divinely redolent SIr it was your pleasure positively to conclude touching Flowers of this nature that they lost much of their native beauty vigour and verdure because called from a Roman border wherein I referre you to that sententious Poet to returne you answer Flores qui lambunt terrae vapores Non magis tetros referunt odores Nec minus suaves redoleâ—e Flores TIBRIDIS oris Which I have thus rendred in true currant English fearing lest that Latine metall might disrelish your more queasy palate Flow'rs which doe lick up from the Earth a vapour Yeeld to the nosthrils ne're the w rser savour Nor bee those Sooâ—s lesse redolent in odour Which groâ— by TIBER A Christian Diall By which hee is directed how to dispose of his houres while he is living how to addresse himselfe for the houre of his dying and how to close his dayes with a comfortable ending Faithfully rendred according to the Originall To the Generous Ingenious and Judicious Sir WALTER VAVASOR Knight and Baronet together with his Vettuously accomplished Lady R. B. Zealously consecrates this Christian Diall To your Grand-father have I welcom bin Receive this Gage in memory of him Whil'st no Sun-Diall may more truly give The houre o th' day than this the way to live THE LIFE of JOHANNES JUSTUS LANSPERGIUS a Carihusian Authour of these Meditations entitled A Christian Diall IOHANNES JUSTUS LANSPERGIUS borne of honest parents at Lansperge a Towne in Bavaria after such time as hee had finished his course in the study of Philosophy at Cullen hee gave there the name to the Order of the Carthusians wherein being growne Famous for the space of 30. yeares both by example of manners and piety as also by writing Books of Devotion and Sanctity he slept in the Lord the 4. of the Ides of August in the yeare of Christs Nativity M.D.XXXIX A Christian Diall By which he is directed how to dispose of his houres while he is living how to addresse himself for the houre of his dying and how to close his daies with a comfortable endâ—ng Faithfully rendred â—cording to the Originall A briefe Institution with an Exercise for an happy death expressed in a familiar Conference betwixt God and the Soule AS there is nothing O Soule which may make the love of the world more distastfull â—nto thee or that may bring thee to so great contempt of it and of all creatures in it as the consideration of the shortnesse of this life and certainty of death whereby all thy endevours all thine honours all thy pleasures thoughts desires and all thy joyes shall perish So is there nothing that may solace or refresh the loving Soule with greater joy than the beleefe and hope she hath to become associated to mee united to me and swallowed up in mee where there is hereafter no offence no sinne no separation no danger no feare no sorrow Where the Soule full of charity may alwaies praise mee alwayes magnifie me become most perfectly obedient most perfectly pleasant unto mee and that shee may bee with mee where shee may desire nothing love nothing feele nothing else beside me where she may wholly possesse me be wholly possessed by me These things forasmuch as they cannot firmly nor â—ully befall thee in this life but then onely when thou shalt bee with mee in my
yee trusted Bee they riches honours friends or any other vaine thing whatsoever they shall availe you nothing at the houre of death but leaving these behind you ye shall goe naked unto the Tribunall of God to receive according to your works What blindnesse nay what madnes is it then to rejoyce here in your journey to love fraile things which profit nothing to neglect the time and occasion of living well and as if without all sense of God through drousinesse and drynesse of mind to rellish those things onely which are of the flesh to have in pursuit those things onely which are outward and not at all to consider the dangerous state of the inward man and so to come unto death Alas how innumerable are those miserably wretched ones who are here deceived with the love of the world ensnared and â—y drawing after them the yoake of the Devill how unhappily slaved And thus unexpectedly they come unto death with hearts both hardned and blinded Alas how unhappy is the end of their life with whom there was never Meditation of death nor preparation for health Such things therefore are to bee rejected as hinder the spirit delight the flesh Such things to bee relinquished as are not expedient In such sort is every one to live every houre as if that were his very last wherein he should dye and goe to judgement This is the most fruitfull profitable soveraigne counsell O Daughter that thou maist live after this manner and that death may be to thee no terrour Now then if not continually yet frequently should that houre bee presented before thee as if it were before thine eyes wherein thy soule going out of thy body shall be judged for all thy workes words and thoughts This therefore oughtst thou even at this present to injoyn thy selfe that thou maist live so even now to the end thou maist be found so prepared is thou wouldst thy selfe to bee prepared whensoever death shall undoubtedly come It is the property of a most sottish and senselesse heart to deferre amendment of life to that time when time expireth when thou canst live no longer when now thou art not to amend thy life but to appeare before God as thou art already amended Surely not sinnes only but even all things doe leave thee going out of this life Thou art not then properly said to leave thy sins when thou canst now sin no more But if whilest thou hast ability to sin thou cease from sin true repentance is never to be called late but this which is deferred to the end of thy life it is to be feared that it is seldome true For if through feare of damnation only being even now to die thou sorrowest and art ready for the avoiding of punishment to performe any taske be it never so extreme to obtaine pardon Thou sorrowest not out of charity in that thou hast offended God but out of selfe-love for that thou wishest to thy selfe good and not evill For thou sorrowest because thou hast brought to thy selfe eternall damnation by thy sinnes Wheras if thou rightly sorrowest for this only wouldst thou sorrow in that thou so disobedient unto me so unthankfull to me so reproachfull to me hast not exhibited due honour and reverence unto me whom thou oughtest with al affection to have honored whatsoever should befall thee Whereas now forasmuch as thou only sorrowest for thy selfe if danger were avoided or no revenge on sinne inflicted thou wouldst never lament though thou hadst offended me a thousand yeares together True Repentance which reconcileth the soule unto me springeth from Charitie and bewaileth this especially that shee hath so greatly and grievously contemned and offended mee her best greatest gracioust and most faithfull LORD GOD her Creator and Redeemer Hence I say is his heart wounded for as much as so unthankfully so disobediently and so proudly being buâ— dust and nothing hee hath lifted up his head against me Whosoever therefore desireth to dye happily let him as mine A postle admonisheth him live soberly justly and holily An evill death followeth not a good and just life but precious in my sight is thâ— death of my Saints yea after what sort of death soever they die that is whether they dye by water or fire or in bed But to prepare thee all the better for death the Meditation whereof is the life of every wise man take here along with thee this short exercise by which every one may instruct and addresse himselfe that he may take a course to be found in that state in which he may not feare to dye Wholesome Admonitions teaching a Christian how to dye well WHATSOEVER dying thou wouldst wish that thou hadst done doe the same even now Whatsoever thou wouldst have done doe not commit this unto others to be done after thy death but doe thou it thy selfe for if thou thy selfe bee negligent of thine owne salvation and a traytour to thy selfe how shall strangers tender thy happinesse Doe not repose trust in uncertaine and vaine promises neither commit thy selfe to doubtfull events So live and so doe that thou maist bee safe in thy conscience and as if thou wert this day to dye Never goe to sleepe till such time as thou hast examined the expence of the day with the conditions and actions of thy life Discusse and call to judgement thine heart and examine all thy senses and whether thou art become better or worse this day Never goe with that conscience to sleepe with which thou darest not dye If thou findest thy selfe in that state wherein thou fearest to dye search out the cause of this feare For peradventure some sins are in thee whereof thou hast not as yet repented or refusest to confesse or else thou forbearest to abstaine from sinne and occasions of sin or thou takest upon thee some profession office or vocation which I admit not of or thou continuest in hatred or in the unjust possession of others goods or too much affected to the desire or delight of temporall affaires or taken with the inordinate love of some creature or drowned with the delight of earthly and visible things as of honour and riches thou canst not turne thy selfe to mee tasting nothing of those things which are of the Spirit but onely let loose to outward things and loathing those which are divine therefore it is that thou fearest death Because thy soule guiltie of evill in her-selfe foretelleth what torments shall befall her after death If any of these shall be in thee thou oughtest to abhorre pursue and with all thine endevour to free thee of them For which purpose and the better effecting of so glorious a designe it may helpe thee much to imitate my steps embrace my crosse and with rigour of mind and with holy hatred commenced against thy selfe to denounce warre upon all thy vices to have a purpose to sinne no more frequently and infatigably to renue the same with no infirmitie or
and devout teares bee likewise verie acceptable unto me If thou canst not remember my most bitter Passion with watrie eyes doe it notwithstanding with a cheerefull mind for these unmeasurable good things which thou derivest from it But if neither joyfully nor dolefully thou canst meditate of it yet with a drie heart to my praise trace cursorily over it For so shalt thou performe an office of observance no lesse gratefull to me than if with teares of compassion and sweetnesse of affection thou shouldst wholly melt into a floud of devotion For by this means shouldst thou effect a work through love without respect unto thy selfe But to the end that this my Passion may pierce nearer thine heart and thou become more affected to it heare what I shall speake unto thee The soule which hath bound her selfe in many sins may with the treasure of my Passion so much enrich her and apply it to her that though she deserved a thousand yeares to be punished and with a thousand kinds of exquisite tortures to be afflicted in a short time both the sin and punishment due for the same may sue release and in her passage hence comfortably depart in peace and bee translated to heaven as her true resting place But this must be done by this meanes by weighing and discussing with a contrite heart frequently and fervently the greatnesse and multitude of those odious sins wherewith so irreverently shee â—aâ—h offended the eyes of her heavenly Father afterwards for works of Satisfaction as hee is not to omit them so is hee to disvalue them as such that if compared with his sins they are no more than one drop of water in comparison of the maine sea but hee is to advance and extoll wonderfully the greatnesse of my Satisfaction seeing the verie least drop of my pretious bloud which everie where streamed from my whole body had beene sufficient for taking away the sins of a thousand worlds of which Satisfaction of mine neverthelesse so much everie one applyeth to himselfe as hee conformeth himselfe to mee in suffering with mee and as hee humbly and seriously crowneth the smalnesse of his satisfaction in the infinitenesse of my Expiation Of the holy Eucharist IN that selfe-same Dialogue of Suso the wisdome incarnate discoursing of the holy Eucharist saith to his Minister The least gift that proceedeth from mee in the venerable Sacrament shineth and beameth much more gloriously unto all eternitie than any splendour of this visible Sun and is much more brighter and clearer than the verie bright Day-star it selfe Briefly it adorneth thee much more excellently by a certaine eternall comelinesse beautie than at any time any Summer be it never so pleasant beautifieth the earth But dost thou not perhaps doubt whether this most illustrious Divinitie of mine be more bright than any Sun and my most excellent soule more sparkling than any Star and my glorious body more delightfull than the pleasantnesse of any Summer All which in verie truth thou conceivest in the Eucharist Where I am the Bread of life to the devout and well-prepared but to the unworthy who continue by affection or action in mortall sins I am a temporarie Plague here and an eternal curse hereafter for on these waiteth certaine damnation unlesse they be reconciled to mee by true repentance Surely if any one were endued with the naturall puritie of all the Angels renowmed with the the integritie and sanctitie of all the Saints and adorned with the good works of all mortall men yet though thus accomplished were not hee worthy to receive mee in the Sacrament But when man doth all that hee can nothing more is required at his hands seeing whaâ—soever is wanting through him I supply in him But far better it is to come to this venerable Sacrament in love than to abstaine from it through feare Of resigning denying and mortifying himselfe SVso likewise wrote these singular sentences touching resigning and denying ones selfe A perfect life consists not especially in this that thou abound in comfort but that thou submit and resigne thy will to the divine will That thou humbly obey his will in the bitter sop of affliction and the sweet syrupe of consolation and that thou place and debase thy selfe under the feet of all men For nothing is more pleasing to the supreme Angelicall spirit himselfe than in all things to satisfie the divine will In so much as if hee knew that it would redound to the praise of God to pull up nettles or other weeds by the root he would most desiredly performe this taske before all others There is no Resignation more perfect or excellent than to be resigned wholly in the forsaking of himselfe neither ought any one to bee too much grieved in mind if he have small experience of spirituall sweetnesse Let him rather think how hee is unworthy of it A true Resignation of himselfe to the will of God both in affaires certaine and uncertaine without all doubt freeth and secureth man from all perils and occurrents causing him to rejoyce with true peace in all things So great is the pietie and benignitie of God that hee can by no meanes at any time forsake him who with a confident heart relyeth on his goodnesse and recommendeth and resigneth himselfe wholly to his Divine Providence True submission depression and abnegation of ones selfe is the root of all verâ—ues of all health and happinesse It grieveth one surely to bee wise and eloquent and notwithstanding to be enjoyned silence to be by others disesteemed derided iujuried to heare himselfe calumniated and traduced and not to defend revenge his cause or for a wise and honourable man to give place to a naughtie wretch and one of no reckoning aâ—d not to withstand it and yet all this is nothing else surely than by deniall of himselfe to become conformable to the excellent patterne of Christ. Now albeit in suffering affliction wee be not alwayes of a mind equally resigned yet are wee not to conclude therefore that â—ope of salvation is taken away or the grace of God lost so that wee doe not kick and rebell against God with a stubborne mind Works exercises and instructions whether performed with our owne proper will or affection derived from it although they may seeme joyes yet are they of small consequence so long as denying and resigning of our selves bee not joyned with them It becommeth a man that is partaker of reason to doe these works not out of a naturall propension or appetite like bruit beasts following the instinct of nature but with reason to the praise of God and for the love of God so as hee in no place seek his owne private gaine delight praise reward but onely God So to deny morâ—ifie and relinquish our selves ought wee that wee may in no case refuse to bee disvalued or suffer adversitie for God that wee may diligently refraine both our tongue and senses suffering no inordinate delight to possesse us or the desire thereof