heauenly kingdom whereof you shall neuer bee disposseâ—sed Reioice I say in him who is the very Ocean of ioy from whom all ioyes of the soule are deriued who onely giueth true ioy and full ioy and perfect ioy and ioy which shall neither end nor abate Of which ioy the onely hope is sufficient both to refresh and sustaine vs in all the trauerses of this life which incomparably exceedeth not onely all humane ioy that can be found but whatsoeuer can be either guessed or imagined And therefore I will not prescribe any limits to your ioy because it must not be moderate it cannot bee contained in any meane compasse If worldly ioy exceede golden meane then is it vicious but it is not so in spiritual ioy no more then it is in loue from whence it proceedes All morall vertues consist in a mediocritie which is limited by prudence But it is not so in loue or in any other diuine vertue As there is no mediocritie or meane in louing of GOD so is there not in reioicing in him The more we loue the more we reioyce and the more excessiue our loue and ioy is the more doe they draw to their perfection Wherefore then doe wee not with a holy scorne cast behinde vs the base vanishing pleasures of this world and bend all our endeauours after these heauenly felicities Or rather wherefore doe we with a sleepie sensualitie cast behind vs these heauenly felicities and bend all our endeuours after the base vanishing pleasures of this world Alasse Wherefore doe wee forsake the liuing springs and digge broken pits that will hold no water Is it out of opinion of safetie or is it for idle ease Goe wee then to the dead sea of this world let vs draw of their muddie waters of honour riches authoritie or any other witcherie of the world Certainely it will bee with great paine with great care and many times with great danger And then what followeth the atteining of them is not so laboursome as they are loathsome many times when they are atchieued Onely out of these liuing springs out of these sauing waters wee may alwaies draw both with safetie and with ioy Away then yee painted pleasures of this world mine eyes are dazeled with the blaze of too bright a Sunne to admit the beames of your pale light I am wholly inherited by a higher ioy which hath taken so absolute a conquest ouer all my powers that neither my sence can discerne nor my minde conceiue any other obiect As a man cannot looke with one eye vpon heauen and another vpon the earth so can hee not diuide his minde to ioy both in earthly and in heauenly things at once hee must die to the one if he intend to liue in the other Lord take from me all pleasure take away all patience in the flashie felicities of this life Let nothing stoppe let nothing hinder me from entring into thy house to behold thy bright and pure beautie to bewaile the deformitie of my sinnes which haue banished mee so farre from thy fauour to deplore my weakenesse and to implore thy grace to compose my behauiour and dâ—spose all my abilities to doe thee seruice O my GOD marshall my vnruly appetites traine them in thy discipline binde them vnder the commaund of reason and grace Let not my soule be chained in me but let it aspire to thee For in mee it is but in a prison in thee it is in paradise Reconcile and combine in mee two contrary affections feare and ioy That as a tired trauailer ranging in a wilde desert reioyceth to see the first cracke of day and yet is not altogether free from feare of the darkenesse and dangers of the night so albeit my errours past bee fearefull to mee yet let me entertaine a sweete hope to enioy those approaching ioyes whereof there is neither saciety nor end Thus cleansed by thy mercy and furnished with thy grace I renounce my will I offer it a sacrifice to thee I yeeld my selfe wholly to thy obedience O my GOD doe not refuse mee Prayse and Glory and Wisedome and Strength Dominion Riches and Power bee vnto our GOD for euermore A SVMMARY PRAIER O Omnipotent GOD most manifest and yet most secret and hid O bountifull Giuer and yet seuere exacter Thou O LORD who sitting aboue the Seraphims seest all things and in all things mayest bee seene Thou who art most powerfull and yet so pitifull that thou releeuest miserable and vile sinners O most glorious incomprehensible GOD encline thine eye fauourably to my distresse fauourably regard my poore petition which breaking from a broken soule must needs make an vntunable sound There is nothing O LORD which my soule more desires nothing is more due and delightfull to thee then that I should Loue thee Thou hast created mee to loue thee thou hast commanded mee to loue thee in this loue thou hast placed my felicity and my peace In this loue consist all good things which we enioy vpon earth and the greatest part of those which we hope for in heauen But no man can loue thee vnlesse hee know thee the knowledge of thee is necessary to beget this loue because wee cannot truely loue thee vnlesse wee vnderstand that all causes of loue are perfectly in thee O true delight of our hearts I cannot liue vnlesse I loue thee and I cannot loue thee vnlesse I know thee What then shall I do to atteine this knowledge The knowledge that wee haue comes by our sences which are as gates through which the representation of things sensible enter into our vnderstanding But neither can thy greatnesse enter through so narrow passages neither can wee imagine any representation whereby our vnderstanding may apprehend thee Thou hast formed all creatures in number weight and measure their nature and vertues are limited thou hast giuen them their bounds which they cannot exceed and therefore our vnderstanding is able to embrace them But thou art infinite thy being is boundlesse Nothing is aboue thee nothing beyond thee nothing wide of thee nothing without thee our vnderstanding cannot comprehend the confines of thy being As thou art infinite in power so art thou in nature thy nature is no lesse infinite in extent then eternall in continuance No man hath hitherto beene able to vnderstand the essence and nature of his owne soule whose offices and operations hee dayly discernes and this is because it beareth thy Image And how then shall I be able to vnderstand thee If my ignorance bee so dull and heauy in my selfe how shall I be of capacity to know thee O noble nature O infinite essence O incomprehensible Maiesty How shal I know thee For I cannot see thee My sight is dimme and thou art a light which canst not be approached Thou art most high and so must hee be whosoeuer shall attaine thee Who then will giue me the eyes of an Eagle that I may beholde this Sunne Who will giue mee wings
melted with this heat of loue For as water taken from pits and welles vpon the earth is not so fruitfull to make hearbes thriue as raine water which falleth from heauen Insomuch as some plants growing in the middest of waters will wither and die for want of raine so teares which proceede from terrene respects make not the soule so flourishing and fruitfull in grace as teares which fall for the loue of GOD. Such were the teares of the sinfull woman who watered her masters feet with her teares who with the teares of her body cleansed her soule For to her many sinnes were forgiuen not principally in regard of her teares but because shee loued much VERS IX The LORD hath heard my petition the LORD will receiue my prayer 1 HOW easie GOD is to heare and to pardon 2. No sooner can wee dispose our selues to aske but wee receiue from GOD some taste of his fauour 3. Wherefore sometimes GOD deferreth for a time 4. Inequality betweene GODS disposition and ours 6. The trophee of repentant Teares 7. Our miseries turned to medicines 8. The world how to be esteemed 9. The experience of GODS liberality and loue what it worketh 10. Experience surmounteth reason 11 The condition of our assurance 12. When GOD cannot be intreated 13. What giueth wings to our prayers what weigheth them downe O Incredible clemency and mercy How commeth it O LORD that thou art so ready to heare vs so easie to pardon vs did my sorrow sit so neere thy heart wert thou so stricken with the wounds of my soule by seeing them bleed so fast at mine eyes Thou hast now finished my feares assured my hopes perfected my ioyes satisfied my desires Oh! how good is the LORD Is any like vnto the most high who comforteth the afflicted healeth the wounded reuiueth the dead Is any other like vnto him Learne O ye feeble soules how amiable the LORD is how mercifull how mild how hee visiteth his seruants how hee neuer disdayneth to impart himselfe to them Scarce O LORD can we dispose our selues to craue forgiuenesse scarce open our lips scarse addresse our selues to sue to thee for mercy but we receiue some taste of thy fauour When we are comming to thee slowly and farre off thou runnest to meete vs thou embracest vs in the armes of thy loue thou giuest vs the comfortable kisses of peace Or if thou doest deferre thy comfort and consolations for a time it is to send them in greater abuÌ„dance it is that the long absence thereof with little hope and great desire should make thy presence the more esteemed O infinite inequality betweene my disposition and thine I am rash in offending thee and thou art ready to remit mine offences I runne apace to dishonour thee and thou hastest more fast to receiue me to grace I haue searched all places euen the bottome of the sea euen the bowels of the earth to minister foment and food to my sensuall desires And when these pleasures had poysoned my soule when I was in a maze of troubles vnder a Masse of dangers when I was at the very point to perish in a moment thou diddest pierce the heauens and come downe for my deliuerance Thou diddest not only deliuer me and set me free but thou diddest comfort and reuiue my languishing soule euen as a hot Bath refresheth the limbs of a poore tired traueller Behold now the Trophee of my repentant teares see how my sorrow triumpheth ouer my sinnes My hope which was weighed downe with the leaden plumets of sinne is now at liberty now full of liuely courage and ioy The LORD hath heard my petition I haue not sorrowed and prayed in vaine I haue obtained pardon I haue receiued grace he hath not been strange of his fauour he hath not been sparing of his mercy towards me All my former discomforts and miseries are turned to the nature of medicines They haue been like bitter Pils to purge superfluous and corrupt humors they haue been like Aloes and VVormewood to weane me from the teaâ—es of this world O world which hast bewitched so many blinded so many Thou wert nothing at thy beginning thy light is but a shadow thou art but a smoke in thy greatest height in shew somewhat but in substance nothing Thou art sweet to fooles thou art either bitter or without rellish to wise men VVhosoeuer loueth thee neuer knew thee whosoeuer knoweth thee doth either loath or contemne thee And because now I haue large experience both of the liberality and loue of GOD I will not hereafter be dismayed I will not be discouraged I will assume assurance that whensoeuer I call vpon him the LORD will receiue my prayer Albeit I see nothing but punishments and the worst of punishments feares albeit I finde no comfort yet will I hope I will rather thinke that all my sences are mistaken then faile in hope I will first let goe my life before I will let goe my hope My reason may be vanquished but by experience is stronger then reason my experience cannot be ouercome Approued experience will not be encountered by reason it prescribeth rules and limits to reason it is guided by no Law but by it selfe It hath armed me against all despaires discouragements or distrusts Albeit reason may discourse that I haue so often prouoked the wrath of GOD and wearied his patience that he cannot but now reiect my prayer yet experience doth warrant mine infirmity that the goodnesse of GOD is such that whatsoeuer petitions and importunities I offer he will neuer be weary to heare them neuer vnwilling to grant them that the more we draw of this fountaine the fuller are the waters and the sweeter their taste All this is vnder one condition if wee abandon our sinne For onely our sinne onely our perseuerance in sinne doeth hinder the approach of our prayers to GOD. GOD is neuer inexorable but when man is incorrigible when man will not be amended then cannot GOD bee entreated Wee haue sinned and prouoked thee to wrath therefore thou hast couered thy selfe with a cloud that our prayers should not passe through Lam. 3. For when we come to entreate him armed with those weapons wherewith wee did offend him when our hearts are bathed in vncleannesse when our hands smoke with the blood of our sinnes how should he heare our prayers how should he not abhorre them So long as the broken Iron remaineth in a wound it is but a vaine labour to applie plaisters to cure it Of no greater force aâ—e our prayers and all other religious actions or endeauours so long as sinne remaineth in the wounds of our will so long as the pleasure of sinne sticketh fast in our purposes and desires For as we can neuer qualifie our thirst with drinke whilest our stomacke is stuffed with such bilious humours as by drinking enflame the greater thirst so our soules shall neuer bee refreshed with the goodnesse and mercie of GOD whilest it is full of the poysonous purpose
wickednesse shall haue no opportunitie to vndermine my weakenes If a building be weak and the walls decline a smal force is suâ—ficient to prostrate it to the ground But our weake nature detorted from originall Iustice and much empaired by frequencie of sinne is alwaies prone and enclinable to euill the Imagination of mans heart is euill euen from his youth And therefore I will auoid all outward occasions that may attract me to euill among which familiar conuersing with euill men is the chiefe For if two contraries be applied together the stronger must necessarilie destroy the weaker But as we are more enclinable to vice then to vertue so vice is more strong in the wicked then vertue in the good whereby it followeth that the societie of euill men is most dangerous to the good and that as an hundred sound men shall sooner take the plague from one infected person then he recouer his health by them so the good are more often peruerted by the wicked then the wicked conuerted by the good For this cause GOD loueth nor to see his children among the wicked For this cause hee commanded his people that they should not ioyne in marriage with the Gentiles Exo. 34. For this cause also he commaunded them to destroy the inhabitants of the countrey which they were to possesse lest by societie in their conuersation they should be drawne into societie of their sinnes as afterwards they were indeed Elihu marueiled at Iob and the Apostle at the Philippians that among the wicked they could liue well Lot who liued in Sodome needed the hand of an Angel to draw him foorth Saint Peter being in the company of the other Apostles confessed the LORD to be the Sonne of GOD but denied him in Caiphas house when he stood among the wicked by the fire GOD commanded that no man should touch any creature that was vncleane and that whosoeuer touched a dead body he shoud be vncleane But no creature is so vncleane as a sinner no death is like to the death of sinne And therefore I will auoid wicked men as the most vncleane of liuing creatures and the most loathsome of those that are dead I will not regard either kindred or kind acquaintance I will esteeme all the wicked alike I will cast off my neere friends I will pull out my eyes I will cut off my hands rather then they shall draw me to euill I will rather liue in desarts and caues rather with dragons and vipers then in the society of those that are euill I will not touch these pitchy companions I will not in the least matters haue to deale with them If a small rupture in a bancke be not timelie stopped it will weare greater and all the valley will be surrownded thereby Of the seede of a serpent commeth the cockatrice and of small beginnings dangerous effects may ensue I will not therefore bee negligent in smallest matters I will not contemne any enemy He that despiseth small things by lâ—ttle and little shall decay The wine saith the Prophet is mixed with water Verely as wine mingled with water looseth both sweetnes strength so the good loose credit vertue by society with the euill But as a man who standeth vpon firme ground will cast foorth boords and lines to saue such as are in danger of drowning and yet will not approach so neere as to be drowned with them so I will affoord the wicked what helpes I can for their safety but will haue an eie that they fasten not vpon mee that they draw me not into their destruction Away from me also all yee mine enemies who intend any wickednesse against mee take away your malice for your mischiefe is at an end The LORD is now at peace with me hee hath put vp the sword of his iustice he hath giuen to me his mercifull hand In vaine shall you now either attempt against mee or insult ouer me It is not onely vanity but iniquity which now you shall contriue against me You shall neuer effect your euill intentions Hate me you may but harme me you cannot You shall neuer preuaile against him who hath preuailed against the Almighty My teares haue ouercome the Omnipotent the voice of my teares hath vanquished the inuincible These luke-warme droppes haue quenched GODS anger qualified his iustice recouered his mercy won his loue True teares are the language of heauen they speake strongly to GOD he heareth them well No voice hath more free and familiar accesse to him none is more acceptable none better vnderstood Hee who often regardeth not the voice of the tongue will alwaies heare the voice of our teares The voice of the tongue is framed in the mouth but the voice of teares proceeds from a heart surprised either with ioy or with griefe Hee who regardeth onely the heart doth much regard this language of the heart Therefore in all the anguishes of my soule I will vse few words heereafter but powre forth my sorrow in silent teares whensoeuer I sin I will write my supplication for pardon with teares whensoeuer I would obtaine any curtesie or fauour from GOD I will addresse my desire with teares Teares are too mighty Orators to let any suit fall When teares crie vnto GOD when hee is importuned by teares he will presently grow familiar with vs. They haue so perswading a silence so conquering a complaint that by entreating they command by yeelding they ouercome When they seeme most pitifull then are they most powerfull when they seeme most forsaken then are they most victorious This dew of deuotion neuer falleth but it is an assured signe of a beautifull day euen of GODS fauour to cleere vpon vs. Vpon what face soeuer it droppeth it maketh the same amiable in the eies of GOD. I will not therefore giue ouer my weeping my face must bee still adorned with these liquid pearles the Angels shall still bathe themselues in these streames of my eies vntill death damme vp the springs they shall not cease running But heerein vse some caution O my soule for that thy teares may be profitable that they may be more acceptable to GOD they must not proceede from a softnesse and tendernesse of nature but thou must powre foorth thy very heart in teares They must not proceed from any worldly respect not from feare of death or of hell not absolutely from loue of thy selfe but from loue towards GOD and from griefe for offending so good a Father so great a Lord so pure a perfection and glorie This loue is the fire wherwith these siluer drops are melted in the furnace wherewith the flowers of deuotion and grace are distilled into teares This loue is the sun which resolueth dark pitchie clouds into raine which resolueth thicke foggie mists into dew and maketh the ayre pleasant and cleere Without this loue teares are nothing but excrementall water they are nothing worth if they be not warmed and
liberality towards me Let others blesse the time of their birth the time wherein some prosperous aduenture did befall the time wherein either they atchieued some great aduantage or else escaped some disastrous euill But I will blesse this happie houre the most happy that possiblie could happen to mee O my GOD encrease the pleasure which I haue conceiued in being displeased with my selfe for displeasing thee Let mee take so great contentment and delight in repentance as euer I did in committing sinne So shall my felicitie approach if not equall the felicitie of thine Angels So shall I bee aduanced from the low condition of my griefe to the high and glorious state of thy grace O eternall GOD O true light of our eies If this be the effect of troubles and griefe if this be the worst of them I will bow my backe and set my shoulder to the load I will not onely endure calamities but I will reioyce in them I will humbly intreate GOD that I may neuer want these assurances both of his loue and of his care I will earnestly inuite them to come vpon me to affoord me their help either in returning or retaining me to GOD. Assuredly a life without aduersities is like a standing puddle a dead sea as tempests preserue water and aire from putrefaction so doe troubles the mind He that neuer tasted of troubles knoweth not himselfe and seemeth to be little regarded of GOD. He knoweth not himselfe because he neuer made proofe what he is able to doe he seemeth little regarded of GOD as a person without courage aud heart vnworthy of combate vnfit for triall He that neuer knew aduersitie is ignorant of the greatest part of the affaires of this life He is exceeding miserable in this that hee neuer knew what misery meant Great vertues delight in trouble as valiant souldiers doe in warre O most louing most rich most liberall LORD How can we be able I will not say to expresse but to vnderstand to imagine thy sweet gentlenesse and loue I did no sooner thinke to returne vnto thee but thou were vpon the way to meet me I did no sooner say that I would confesse my offences but thou diddest open thine armes to receiue mee to mercie I did no sooner call to mind the paines which my sinnes did merit but thou diddest accord to remit the same I expected thy rebukes and thy roddes but I receiued thy kisses I looked that thou wouldest haue thundered foorth thy threats that thy angrie arme would haue dashed mee to dust but thou diddest encounter mee with thy embracements thou diddest entertaine mee with a sumptuous feast Thou diddest more reioice to doe mee good then I heauie beast did to receiue it O fauourable LORD How much more ready art thou to pardon then to punish How much more ready to grant thy pardon then wee to desire it Verelie no louing father can so graciously receiue his childe cast downe at his feet and in the lowest descent of submission crauing his fauor as thou hast graciously receiued me VERS VII For this shall euery one that is godly make his prayer vnto thee in a time when thou mayest bee found but in the great water floodes they shall not come nigh him 1 THE effect of Repentance in regard of the godly 2 All creatures to be entreated to ayde vs in praysing GOD. 3 Especially all the Saints in heauen who haue beene sinners vpon earth 4 Also all the godly vpon earth 5 Who by examples of Mercy shall bee encouraged to resort to GOD. 6 Remission of sinnes is a case reserued onely to GOD. 7 Remission of the least sinne requires no lesse vertue then the creation of the world 8 Resort to GOD must bee in a seasonable time 9 The seasonable time in regard of GOD. 10 The great difference betweene the seasonable time and the time ensuing 11 The seasonable time in regard of our selues 12 The dangers which wee incurre by deferring repentance 13 The doubtfull estate of those who repent very late 14 Late repentance little auailable not by any change in GOD but by defects in our selues 15 It is little better then desperation to sinne vpon confidence of repentance FOR this cause my heart hoppeth with in mee for ioy my spirit is enflamed and my blood boileth with a holy heat both to extoll and extend thy praise My soule glorieth onely in thy goodnes and grace It blameth it accuseth nothing but it selfe It complaineth it crieth out against none but it selfe It is my will it is my actions it is my selfe that I haue lamented But GOD hath beene gracious to mee it is in his grace that I will reioyce Hee hath opened mine eyes to see my owne deformities and defects he hath touched my heart with shame and with griefe hee hath vnlocked my lippes both to confesse my faults and to craue compassion if not so soone as it was requisite yet before it was altogether too late Although I haue lost much time yet hath he not suffered me to lose all although I did not apprehend the first offers of occasion yet did not hee permit it wholly to slip away Praise the LORD O â—y soule whilest I liue will I praise the LORD yea so long as I haue any being will I sing praises to my God c. But because I am not able sufficiently to praise thee I will intreat the ayd of all thy creatures let them all ioine with mee in the sweet harmonie of thy praise Let all thy wind instruments tune to this consort Let euery thing that hath breath praise the LORD Especially I incite to this holy office all thy blessed Saints in heauen who did heeretofore in like sort participate of thy grace and now participate of thy glorie For so many Saints as are now in heauen so many sinners haue beene vpon earth there neuer was nor shall be any but one who may say which of you can reprooue me of sin They all needed thy grace to repent they all receiued thy gift to be forgiuen Let them all bee examined Let them answere freely by whose power they are saued they will all acknowledge It was not our sword and our bow but thy hand and the strength of thy arme that hath gotten vs the victory Also all the godly vpon earth shall praise thee for this example of thy compassion and loue For that thou hast declared thy selfe so prone to pardon so readie to releeue so rich and plentifull in thy reliefe For that thou art not onely easilie entreated to remit our sinnes but prone and bountifull in heaping thy graces and fauours vpon vs. They shall also be encouraged heereby to flie vnto thee to pray vnto thee When their sinnes and offences lie heauie vpon them when they are enuironed and oppressed with distresse they shall neuer despaire neuer distrust to bee both released and releeued by thee Yea euen the most righteous and iust shall for this cause addresse their prayers to thee
vertues and faculties of the soule are capable of greater pleasure then the outward partly because they are more noble and diuine and partly because their obiect is more excellent which is GOD himselfe and all goodnesse So the more perfect those powers and faculties are the more perfect pleasure they apprehend in their proper obiects which is euident by all outward and bodily sences But penitent persons whose sinnes are forgiuen haue the inward capacitie of their soules more perfect and cleere then other men Because nothing either defileth or defaceth the inward vertues of the soule but onely sinne neither is there any meanes to purge the one or repayre the other but by repentance Heerehence it followeth that penitents only enioy pure pleasure in this life as proceeding from the purest and highest faculties of the soule much cleansed by repentance from corruptions of sinne But the pleasures of the wicked proceede onely from the outward sences common to them with bruit beasts and so much inferiour to the pleasure of beasts by how much they participate of sinne It is true indeed that their sensuall appetites present to them a thousand pleasures but the reckoning being cast what pleasures are they pleasures tempered with vice which hold them still in a restlesse feauer pleasures sweet for a moment but leauing a long and loathsome taste behinde them pleasures onely to couer dangerous hookes pleasures which carry their punishments with them As for their inward vertues and powers they are so dulled and dimmed and sometimes stupefied and benummed with custome of sinne that they affoord no pleasure at all But either lie as sottishlie sencelesse or else expresâ—â— life only by vpbrayding the polluted pleasures of the flesh It cannot bee denied that many penitents are almost alwaies vnder correction that the scourge is almost alwaies vpon their backes but heerein also I esteeme them blessed For Blessed is the man who is chasticed of the LORD The reasons whereof are mainelie two First for that this correction proceedeth from the loue of GOD either as a gentle bridle to restraine them from licentiousnesse of sinne or as a forge hammer and file to consume the consuming rust of sin For as a man will file and scoure that instrument or vessell which he regardeth to make it bright as beat and brush that garment which he affecteth to make it cleane So GOD chastiseth that person whom he loueth either to purge or to preserue him from the soile of sin If GOD scourgeth the iust if hee debarreth if hee depriueth them of health riches honour or any other fauour of the world it is onely for loue vnto them It is to make them onely to loue him For GOD is a iealous GOD so loueth those that are his that he will not endure them to loue any thing but himselfe vnlesse it be for his sake GOD esteemeth not himselfe loued enough if the loue of any other thing be ioyned with the loue of him The sence of this loue of GOD doth so inflame their loue towards him as they become sencelesse of any worldly accidents or affaires The second reason is for that albeit they bee neuer so much chastised yet are they neuer forsaken but in the middest of their miseries mercy shall encompasse them They are neuer cast off neuer cast away but are alwayes guarded by the mercies of GOD the mercies of GOD wil defend them for the present and deliuer them in very good time For the present it doth enable them not onely willingly but ioifully and desirously to suffer the momentany afflictions of this life For the future it prepareth for them an eternall crowne of glory to which the short afflictions of this life are an ordinary and almost necessary passage The afflictions of this life are both naturally momentany and by grace light but the glory whereto they lead is both eternall and of exceeding weight As the grace of GOD maketh the afflictions of this life light so without that speciall grace the nature of man is altogether vnable either to beare or to behold the weight of glory which shall succeed We haue a naturall inclination to it but all our naturall abilities forces are insufficient either to attaine or to sustaine it O LORD of this eternall weight of glory Let me suffer corosiues cauterizes cuttings lancings and burnings in this life so that I be both comforted and defended by thy mercy so that I may bee prepared and guided to thy glory so that I may bee deliuered from the great plagues which the wicked shall endure The more bitter the potion is the more medicinable and healthfull will it be the more sharpe the file is the lesse rust will it leaue behind The more a garment be brushed and beaten with roddes the lesse it remaines defiled with dust VERS XII Be glad O ye righteous and reioyce in the LORD and be ioyfull all ye that are true of heart 1. TO whom it is proper to iudge of the pleasure of the righteous 2 A true Iudgement touching worldly pleasures 3 Pleasures of the soule dilated often to the body 4 They who haue the fauour of GOD haue GOD himselfe 5 Who are inuited to reioyce 6 For what causes 7 How gloriously the soules of them who loue GOD sort out of the miseries of this world 8 Who are forbidden to reioyce 9 The ioy of the wicked no true ioy and wherefore 10 The ioy of the righteous must not be placed in worldly matters and wherfore 11 But it must be lodged onely in GOD. 12 No limits to be prescribed to this ioy 13 Theologicall vertues consist not in a mediocritie like Morall vertues 14 The attaining worldly felicities is laboursome the enioying often loathsome 15 We cannot ioy in earthly and in heauenly things together 16 A short prayer 17 Feare and ioy how combined I Suppose there are not manie who haue not often tasted the ioy and pleasure of the soule after some measure of repentance but happily not sufficient to arrest a iust Iudgement of them For when two things are compared together the difference is best vnderstood by the iudgement of those who haue had best experience of both For as a sicke man whose palate is affected with vicious humours cannot well iudge of the taste and rellish of meates so wicked men whose mindes are infected with the poison of sinne cannot rightly iudge of the pleasure of the righteous This is proper to them whose soules haue a true taste not any wayes depraued Now many haue had good experience of the disposition and state of the soule both in fruition of the world and in a penitent life But let them say in which they tooke the greatest pleasure The first is tearmed by some a meere Vanitie by others no better then dunge All esteeme the felicities of this world not onely vaine but exceeding vile and base in regard of the ioyes which succeed and proceed from true repentance
that as a Doue I may approach this height But yet will I not thus giue ouer the chase the more hard it is the more hardly will I pursue it There is no wisedome but in knowledge of thee there is no rest but in louing thee there is no ioy but from beholding thy beauty I will not liue without this knowledge which is the originall both of loue and of ioy My eyes are dimme yea darke and blinde but grace will enlighten me Grace will effect that which Nature cannot And albeit I know thee very little and obscurely at the first yet is it better so to know thee then perfectly to know all things besides Albeit I cannot fully know thee yet will I aspire to such measure as I may and this will I loue and heerewith my soule shall rest content euen as a bird is content with the water which she taketh in her bill albeit shee bee not able to take the whole fountaine Yea thy grace will assist mee that if I shall but begin to loue thee a little thou wilt discouer thy selfe more plainly to my knowledge euen as thou hast sayd He that loueth me shall bee loued of the Father and I will loue him and manifest my selfe vnto him And to this end thou hast opened two bookes to the two eyes of my vnderstanding Faith and Reason To the eye of my Faith thou hast opened the booke of the sacred Scriptures wherein thou doest manifest thy merueiles and vnfold thy mysteries to beget in vs a loue and reuerence of thy Maiestie To the eye of my Reason thou hast opened the booke of thy creatures which in their perfections manifest thy beauty and thy goodnesse in their vse For this visible world this fabricature of creatures is a faire Booke wherein all men may read and thereby learne what thou art euery creature being so many letters to declare the excellencie of their maker Some declare thy beauty some thy greatnes some thy power some thy wisedome some thy prouidence all with different sweet sounds in a well tuned harmony set foorth thy goodnes and glory They are as a bright glasse wherein wee may behold thee that as thou art a glasse in heauen wherin all thy creatures are seene so are thy creatures a glasse vpon earth wherein we may behold and know thee They are trumpets of thy honor witnesses of thy worth bellowes of our loue spurres to our dulnes and Iudges of our vnthankefulnes They alwayes beat at our vnderstanding to instruct vs some part of thy perfections and shall we be so senceles that we cannot behold in them the Maiesty of their Creatour Shall we be like witlesse children who turne ouer bookes to please their phantasie in viewing pictures and colours but neither can read one letter nor vnderstand what the pictures represent O wasters of time we take pleasure onely in beholding thy signes but nothing regard what is signified and taught Assuredly we haue good cause to feare that which the Wise man threatneth that all creatures shall rise in armes against them who will not vnderstand O Father of light suffer not I beseech thee such an Aegyptian mist to enwrap my head that in neither of these bookes that neither by Faith nor by Reason I can discerne thee Enlighten my eyes that I may see thee enlarge my heart that I may know thee loue thee and adore thee not onely by Faith as thou hast reuealed thy â—elfe in thy word but by euidence of nature by plaine inuincible demonstration of Reason as thou art declared by thy workes That I may praise thee not only for the vse of thy creatures but for attayning by them to some knowledge of thee We cannot now see thee but couered with the veile of thy greatnes The dampie fogges of my sinnes wherein hitherto I haue liued doe altogether obscure thee No lesse then it hapneth vpon the first eruptions of fire from the mountaine Aetna the smoake whereof so darkeneth the confining countries that one man cannot see another But O fountaine of light dispell these filthy fumes with a gracious cast of thy countenance and then I shall be both able and desirous to beholde thee Make mee blessed by forgiuenes of my offences Couer my â—innes O LORD and thereby thou shalt Discouer thy selfe To this end remooue both from my tongue and from the most secret retreates of my soule all odious hypocrisie that by thy grace I may sincerely without faining or fainting in spirit repent my sinnes that I may applie my selfe to thy worship and seruice not in outward shew of pietie onely but with all the most inward sences and forces of my soule that I may not wilfully endeuour either to couer my sinnes by dissimulation or to extenuate them by excuse whence intolerable anguishes tortures gripes of conscience will certainely ensue But that casting away both vnseasoned pride and vnseasonable shame two great impediments to repentance I may freely lay open the very bowels of my soule and truely touch euery vntuned string of my heart before thee knowing right well that the more ready we are to confesse our offences the more ready thou wilt bee to forgiue them and the more diligent we are to conceale our sinnes the more powerfull thou wilt declare thy selfe both openly to publish and sharply to punish them In all temptations inward or outward wherewith my soule is dayly trauayled defend mee with thy inuincible ayd especially when furiously they assaile me when tempestuously they breake vpon mee Then O LORD stand firmely by me then couer me with thy mighty arme lest ouerflowing the bankes of thy protection they ragingly oppresse me and driue me like water-floods from all sight and sence of thee For thou LORD art my reliefe in all my necessities in all my dangers thou onely art able both powerfully to deliuer and safely to place me And therefore so season my soule with thy heauenly Grace that it settle neither confidence nor delight in any of thy creatures but that it be fixed onely vpon thee in whom it shall perpetually find both secure rest and perfect ioy Informe my vnderstanding to know thee Conforme my wil to obey thee Confirme my steps in the way of thy Commandements which will lead me to eternall blessednesse Set thy eye of fauour vpon me that by the gracious influence thereof I may be both directed strengthened in that way and neither turne aside nor make stay vpon any desires or delights of the world like bruit beasts empty of vnderstanding Haue mercy vpon all miserable men who stiffely sticke in the mire either of ignorance or of false opinions or else of worldly pleasures or cares thinking very seldome and little either of thee or of their own deplorable estate and stopping their eares to all aduice which soundeth against their sensuality If they will not be guided by thy gentle hand If thy fatherly benefits or promises can nothing auaile vse some seuerity vpon them Put a sharpe