then our harte searching our entralls prouing our reynes to thee we refer this iudgment and fearing our selues to bee far the worse we humbly sincerely craue more penitence more pity O IESV giue me strength in satisfaction to beare what thou wilte impose and then impose coorrectioÌ„ what our wilte O sweet Sauiour thou knowest how absolutely herein I doo resigne my will O continue me this grace and teach me more in true penaÌ„ce still to begge for more mercy I haue dishonored thee scandalized men for I was a publique preacher of the protestantes false Doctrine wherin peraduenture by my meanes some haue bene seduced many hardened others offended I haue profaned thy sacred churches somtime dedicated to thy catholique seruice and for mine owne body soule which should haue bene thy spirituall temples o how haue they bene polluted by errors which I supposed to be truthes by presumption of knowledge when I was in ignorance by some vices which I reputed vertues by many faultes which I neglected 4. If to affirme this as I doo penitently be my shame let it be O God as I desire thy glory If the worlde the diuells mine owne conscience doo accuse me O Father of mercy I confesse all wherof any of these can justly impeache me and allso whatsoeuer else thou doost know more in me then I haue coÌ„fessed or can call to minde in transgressions against thy deuine majesty in offences against my neighbors in many sinnes against my selfe O wretched and vile sinner that I am what should such a sinner doo whither shall I go shoulde I despayre No for that one sinne were greater then all these What though my sinnes haue bene many bad according to my religion my profession worse wherby like the prodigall sonne I was a Swynehearde a protestante minister feeding my selfe others with the huskes of heresy Et non satiabar in which I coulde neuer taste of true comforte nor obteyne peace vnto my conscience therfore with him I will Arise go to my heauenly Father I am resolued To arise from sinne Sectaryes To go vnto God our Father by meanes of the Catholique churche our mother and with this perpetuall purpose I doo say vnto him Father I haue sinned against heauen before thee I am not worthy to be called thy sonne make me as one of thy hired seruantes 5. Amongest Protestantes against malice I might wel plead ciuill honesty morall integrity wherin I liued among them without reprehension but in comparison of thy Catholique seruantes Sayntes O God before thy heauenly purest eyes I dare not present my former best innocence here I renounce any plea of passed integrity I disclayme my wonted profession I lament detest my errors my sinnes Thou knowest O lord I haue acknowledged them vnto my Ghostly Father in confession I beseech thee to confirme his absolution and as I doo entreate so I doo truste that thou wilte vnbinde in heauen what he hath vnbound on earthe O forgiue them for Iesus sake and so keepe me euer hereafter in thy loue grace that I may rather chuse miseryes disgraces reproches tormentes ten thousand deathes then at my time to retourne to the like sinnes errors or to my former estate And thou o blessed Virgin the mother of our only Sauiour and all the Angells and Sayntes of heauen O praye for me that during my life I may say this psalme with Dauid in true contrition And so throughe our Lord Iesus obteyning mercy at laste I may with him and all you be admitted into glory MEDIT. II. Miserere mei Deus secundum magnam misericordiam tuam Et secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum dele iniquitatem meam Amplius laua me ab iniquitate mea à peccato meo munda me Haue mercy on me O God according to thy great mercy and according to the multitude of thy miserations blotte out mine iniquity Washe me yet more from my iniquity cleanse me from my Sinne. A SHORTE DIVISION AND EXPLIcation of all these wordes Sect. 1. S. Ambrose saith Dauid sinned which Kinges are wonte but he performed penance he wepte he mourned which Kinges are not wonte he confessed his faulte he craued pardon prâ—strate on the ground he bewayled his wretchednes he fasted he prayed he hath published for euer a testimony of his confession priuate men are ashamed to doo this a King is not ashamed to confesse c O come my soule let not Dauid thus condemne vs nor S. Ambrose thus accuse vs rather because we haue ouertaken ouergone Dauid in sinning let vs be stayed by S. Ambrose to followe such a king in repenting Let vs consider our owne misery and our Lordes mercy not mercy without misery least we presume nor misery without mercy least we despayre Many thinke not how wretched they are by sinne in their hartes and therfore they sighe not with miserere in their mouthes but we are readyer to talke or thinke of our worthynes theÌ„ of our sinfulnes especially we will sooner compare our selues with other men in wisedome in knowledge in authority riches or such like with the proude pharisy then with the huÌ„ble publican acknowledge our ignoraÌ„ce our faultes and our infirmityes but what auayle such comparisons we shall be judged by that which we are in our selues not by what we seeme to be in respecte of others a dwarfe is not à gyante thoughe he stande on the toppe of a steeple or on a mounteyn a stately towre is not a lowe Cottage thoughe it be placed in the bottome of a valley consider o my soule what thou arte in the vale of misery not what thou maist seeme on a mounte of vanity let one depthe call vpon another out of the depthe of our sinfull misery o God we call vpon the depthe of profounde mercy 2. A deepe wounde must haue a large tente abondance of soares must haue many playsters o graunte vs great mercy for our deepe woundes and multitude of miserations for our innumerable botches let them seeke for smaller mercy whose faultes procede of meaner ignorance but my sinnes o lord haue neede of a strong warriour to redeeme me and of a skilfull phisition to heale me All sinners descend from IerusaleÌ„ to Ierico from the highest vertues to the basest vices they fall among theeues divells tentations delightes I allso among these was dangerously wounded in naturall facultyes spoyled generally of spirituall graces o gracious Samaritan miserere take pity on me passe not by me vnregarded O let the greatnes of thy mercy heale my naturall woundes and by the multitude of thy miserations repayre my spirituall losses come nere me come to me o compassionate Samaritan powre in wyne of compunction to cleanse my filthynes make me feele my misery powre in oyle of absolution to heale my soarenes by thy mercy o great phisitian here shew the
inwarde man much more vnsetled 4. Therfore I will teach the wicked presumer thy wayes in thy footesteps of feare and the vngodly mistruster shall be conuerted vnto thee in thy harbour of hope and so we will sing of mercie together and of iudgement vnto thee O lorde And so likewise let the iuste man reprehend me in mercy and chyde me The vines are made fruitfull both by cutting of their superfluous branches and by adding to their rootes necessary norishing dunge Profitable reprehension is a proyning knife of vnprofitable imperfections for necessary vertues a milde admonition is a manuring of mercy Wherfore woe vnto them said the Wiseman who turne the dunge of oxen into stones nor let me euer be made fatte with the oyle of sinners Let me neuer growe abundante in vice by the softe oyley flattery of worldly freindes nor at any time turne the fruitfull dunge of good counselors into harde stones of obstinacy Rather let them teach me me thy wayes firste by sharpe reprehension when I wander from thy footesteps of feare and next by cherfull encoragement when I faynte in following the footesteps of hope 5. Yea o Father of mercy iudgement I desire the to be angry with me according to thy mercy and to teach me thy wayes according to thy iustice Correcte me in that anger by which thou â—oost reclayme a wanderer not wherby thou doost exclude a runneagate Say not thou hast taken away thy zeale from me as from one who is vncurable and so because I am desperate thou wilte no more be angrie with me for whoÌ„ thou doost loue thou doost chasten If therfore thou wilte not chasten me going amisse thou doost not loue me to teach me thy wayes It is said thou werte mercifull vnto the Israelites taking vengeance vpon all their fond inuentions O gracious Father whensoeuer I followe inuentions of mine owne appetite teach me to come home to to thy wayes by the vengeance of thy mercy For it is thy peculier condition to remember mercy when thou arte angry and therfore hauing offended I shall then haue confidence in thy fauour not when in pleasure I feele no smarte of punishmeÌ„t but when in affliction I feele thine anger for amendement SOME DEVOVTE DESIRES AND THANKSgiuinges of the Author vnto Almighty God Sect. 8. 1. THus o lorde I desire to be taughte By thy selfe and By others By encoraging exhortation or By seuere admonition By feare or By hope By iudgement or By mercy To auoide all desperate feare to beware any careles securitâ— To amend faultes and to profite in goodnes and with these to be instructed in thy wayes of true faith and conuerted vnto thee in workes of good life that so in some poore sorte like S. Peter being conuerted in my selfe I may better confirme others and allso being confirmed with thy principall spirite like Dauid I will be bolde to teach thy wayes vnto the wicked the vngodly shall be conuerted vnto the. 2. As I am mightily obliged to endeuour this satisfaction as thou haste giuen me o lord an earnest desire to performe this obligation so I beseech the giue force vnto my endeuours and let me see some effectes of these desires I desire to teach them not the secrets of Philosophie nor the pollicyes of statesmen but thy waies For there be two kinde of scieÌ„ces one of holy meÌ„ another of wise men one of iust meÌ„ another of learned meÌ„ if both be ioyned both are good but if wisdome or sort of our coÌ„mo learning be without holynes we may wel cal theÌ„ as Erasmus termed the coÌ„moÌ„ lawyners in England Indoctum genus doctissimorum hominum an vnlearned kinde of moste learned men 1. subtile and acute in their quirkes of lawe but ignorante or vnskillfull in other true learning so all knowledge without skill in Christes way is to be a speedy post maister out of the waye 3. Allso I will endeuour to teach not as a maister in Israel but as a scholler at the feete of Gamaliel I will helpe my fellowes in the same lesson which I haue learned not to seeke vaynglory by teaching nor by setting out my selfe vnto the worlde to ayme at the worlde But I beseech thee o Inspirer of all good teachers herein euer to directe my purposes sincerely by conuerting or teaching of soules to seeke them not theirs nor any thinge else of this worlde Rather in this and all other thinges to intend aboue all thy heauenly Glory their spirituall God and my bounden duty 4. And were it not vanity to ascribe much to our selues about the conuersion of soules we can but teach thy waies by our outwarde voyce and so they shall be conuerted vnto thee by thy inwarde grace as Dauid heer promiseth to teach them but their conuersion he leaueth vnto thee Paul may plante Apollos may water but thou o lorde must giue the encrease men may remooue the stone from Lazarus graue and some haue authority to loozen vntye his handes and his feete but our Sauiour himselfe must rayse Lazarus to life we will teach o lorde but thou must conuerte 5. And verily neither are any so ready to learne nor we so willing to teach nor yet so desirous that our dearest freindes shoulde be conuerted as thou who diddest thirste vpon the crosse that all should be saued so that we are farre inferior vnto thee o Iesu in our charitable desires and they who will not be taughte thy wayes nor be conuerted vnto thee such are still worthy to wander out of thy waye and continuing such are for euer vnworthy to come vnto thee For as thou haste appoynted the End so thou doost declare the waye 6. O sweete Iesu if we be taughte thy way outwardly as Catholiques it is thy mercy it is greater mercy inwardly if we be conuerted vnto thee O what recoÌ„pence should we make nay what thankes can we returne Our thankes cannot expresse what we owe much lesse will our recoÌ„pence discharge our debte If thy wayes be thy lawe thy lawe be immaculate conuerting soules o how excellent a priuiledge is this to be taughte such awaie such a lawe a lawe of grace and a way of life which is immaculate both because it makes vs immaculate and allso in comparison of the lawe of Moyses which was maculated with many shadowes spotted with much difficulty did discouer our blemishes sinnes For Moyses lawe did commande to obey but not as the lawe of Christe giue grace to fullfill it that turned awaye from euill the hande or the eye by feare this conuerteth vnto good the harte and soule by loue that was a lawe for seruantes this for sonnes O let Dauid teach vs thy waye in this lawe and hereby let our soules be conuerted vnto thee from captiuity vnto liberty not pressing vs by terror but drawing vs by swetenes from thinges temporall vnto thinges eternall from the hope of rewarde to the charity
he not worthy to perish in his wickednes who will neither admit good desires nor be mooued vnto harty prayers O what will mooue vs if consideration of eternall perdition cannot stirre vs Or if we doo not pray for mercy because we doo not consider our misery Agayne and agayne I beseech you to examine your Religion to try your faithe and to take an vnpartiall view of your whole life that seing your danger you may seeke for fauour for as in the Spanish Prouerb it is truly said of our corporall eyes Quienbien vee bien llora He that sees clearely weepes easily so in the eye sight of our soule he that clearely beholdes his faultes will more easily shed teares for his pardon 15. Let vs examine our selues by the 10. Commandements of God by the 5. Preceptes of his Church by the 7. workes of mercy corporall and 7. spirituall by the 7. deadly sinnes or by some or by all of these according to our abilitye particuler obligations or other degrees which doo bind vs often not to omit that which is Good and doo forbid vs neuer to commit that which is ill Let vs consider by what meanes our Lord hath sought to bring vs to the knowledge of his truth and to become members of his Catholique Church infusing good illuminations into our vnderstanding or good desires into our will inuiting vs to vertue or truthe disswading vs from vice or error eyther by good examples by vertuous bookes by holy preistes or by our friendes yea sometime by our enemyes whom we hate or by them whom we doo persecute for either all or some of these shal be witnesses against vs if we rejecte their meanes or doo willfully loose the time of fauour Or if we doo admit these good beginninges yet we must proceed with care and cherfullnes to imploy our time meritoriously andto reape benefite by the exercise of our Religion by the sacramentes of the Catholique Churche and by all the Goodnes of God directed to his greater glory and our saluation eyther in his giftes of grace arte or nature whether it be in diuine contemplation or in lawfull Action spirituall meditating of his diuine mysteryes or vsing of his creatures orderly for his seruice and for our necessitye O admirable happynes of religious or discreet holy men who doo thus order theyr liues O lamentable wilfullnes of obstinate or proud people who doo refuse to saue their soules O detestable vnthankefullnes of wicked or careles creatures who doo neglecte or abuse so many helpes The tractable diligent and humble seruant shal be exalted vnto eternall glory when the peruerse carelesse and high-minded Despiser shall be throwne downe into euerlasting torment 16. And therfore to auoyde the one and obtayne the other let vs betake our selues to penitent Prayer with humility on our partes considering our vncertaine faith and our certayn faultes and yet in regard of our most gracious God with comfort and confidence respecting his great mercy and infinite kindnes to hope trust in him as a pittifull louing Father and yet to be humble and reuerent towardes him as a King of high Majesty For so our Sauiour taught vs to prepare our thoughtes to the petitions of his prayer by saying for an introduction Our father which art in heauen that because he is Our father therfore we should be assured to find fauour and yet not to be presumptuous or heedles because he sittes on a high throne of justice in heauen 17. Thus let vs pray with Dauid in repeating or perusing this psalme of Miserere not alone because the exercise of prayer is both meritorious as a good worke and allso impetratorious as a deuout petition but furthermore because it is an Acte of Gods worship expressely commaunded in those wordes Petite accipietis quaerite c Aske and you shall receiue Seeke and you shall finde knock and it shall be opened vnto you Which wordes S. Thomas and other Doctors do affirme to haue the nature of Preceptes binding vs to pray and annexeth promises assuring vs to preuayle for we shall receiue finde and haue it opened if we aske in hart and thought seeke with our mouth and wordes and knocke with our hands and workes eyther by all these or at least by the first when we cannot performe the rest 18. Or if Prayer were not absolutely commaunded yet our necessityes danger do require it as S. Gregory said The euills which do heere oppresse vs do compell vs to flye vnto God as the prodigall sonne feeling famine he desired to satisfye his hunger Et nemo illi dabat and no body gaue him where withall For nothing in this worlde can affoarde vs full content Therfore in se reuersus returning into himselfe and into his wittes out of which we may say he had bene wandring vntill now he considered his misery then He returned to his father humbly confessing his folly and intreating pitty And lastly he flyeh to this submission of prayer as to his cheife refuge Dicam Patri I will say vnto my Father I will make my moane vnto him he is my Father and therfore I will declare my want and supplication vnto him Quid enim nisi vota supersunt For a sinfull wretch hath no better meanes left then by prayer to beginne his conuersion and to begge his reconciliation according to that of Iob Pâ—lli meae consumptis carnibus adhaesit os meum dâ—relicta sunt tantummodo labia circa dentes meos My bones cleaâ—ed vnto my skin the flesh being consumed and only were my lippes remayning round about my teeth As if when all the body is consumed in payne weakenes wretchednes and deformitye yet whiles our lippes are able to vtter our greifes we haue hope of ease so whiles our soule continueth in the body howsoeuer deformed by sinne yet we haue possibility by opening our lippes in prayer and confession to obteyne mercy and absolution But whereas many differre these vnto the laste by negligence or presumption so by the iust iudgement of God many are cut off without these Wherfore with Dauid in another psalme let vs praye vnto our Lord whiles we haue opportunity But in the floudde of many waters they shall not come nigh him For he that is drowned vnawares cannot speake and therfore cannot be heard but taking opportunity although like Iob we haue nothing left beside our lippes or though like Ezechias we be as yonge swallowes in the fowle blacke sooty chimneys and filthy nestes of our sinnes as amiddes our owne dunge yet Sicut pullus hirundinis sic clamabo like the yonge swallowe so I will crye thoughe I be not able to helpe my selfe no more then a yonge swallowe new come out of the shell though I be vnfethered naked of Good workes though I am blind in right knowledge nay because I am so blinde and naked like a yong swallowe I will crye amiddes mine owne dunge in the blacke fiery fowle sooty chimney of
efficacy of thy generall medicin which is great mercy declare the variety of thy manifolde skill in multitude of miserations Thou arte miserator misericors pitifull in great mercy mercifull in multitude of pity in great mercy hauing the inwarde bowells of compassion and in multitude of pity shewing the outward actions fruites of commiseration I crye with that distressed man in the gospell if thou wilte thou canst make me whole thou canste by the greatnes of thy mercy thou wilte for the multitude of thy miserations Haue mercy on me O God according to thy great mercy and according to thy miserations blotte out my iniquity wash me yet more from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sinne 3. Miserere Shew mercy on me by blotting out the iniquity of my harte miserere by washing away the wickednes of my lippes miserere by cleansing all the sinnes of my handes By desire of blotting of washing of clensing I acknowledge my sinnes to be vgly and ill fauored to the eye to be filthy in the touche to be lothsome to the smel o cleanse this lothsomenes washe this filthynes blotte out this vglynes Beside these my sinnes are great in quantity many in number and diuerse in kinde o therfore let my great sinnes finde great mercy let my many sinnes haue multitude of miserations and being of sundry sortes I haue neede to be seuerally washed from my iniquity and clensed from my sinne from iniquity of commission and from sinnes of omission THE MISERABLE EFFECTS OF SINNE are declared according to the Scholmen and some shorte petitions for mercy are made against their misery Sect. 2. 1. THe misery of sinne in generall is lamentable therfore let vs all cry miserere but my sinnes in particuler are abominable wherfore I must say miserere mei haue mercye on mee He must be allmighty who can be able to helpe our generall and lamentable misery and to succour me from my abhominable sinnes he must be one most merrcifull but who is so mighty in power and so mercifull in fauor excepte it be only thou O Lorde who arte the Creator of the worlde and the Redeemer of mankinde wherfore vnto thee I directe my prayer haue mercy vpon mee O God 2. All sinne is a separation of the soule from God as therfore the soule being separated from our body we are corporally dead so when by sinne we are separated from God then we are dead in soule Mortall sinne consistes in auersion from God doth separate vs totally veniall sinne doth also separate thoughe but in parte yet by remissenes it loseneth the feruor of our affection In mortall sinne we are dead therfore miserere haue mercye on a dead man in venial sinne we are as in a sound or a sicke fleepe therfore miserere haue mercy on a weake faynte man In mortall sinne we receiue a wounde which doth kill vs therfore miserere as on a man mortally wounded in veniall sinne we receiue a wounde which doth blemish vs therefore miserere as on a man with many spottes deformed yea so diuerse are the spottes of veniall sinnes that thoughe by Gods grace we can euer avoyde any one or all at someteine yet not euer at all times all veniall faultes and of this kinde it is said the iust man offendeth seauen times a day naming a certeyn number for an vncerteyne because more or lesse in many thinges we offend all therfore in our penance for them we must purpose in generall to diminishe them all to absteyne as much as we can from euery one in particuler thoughe we cannot from all in vniuersall and in our prayers against them we haue neede to say miserere o be mercifull to theses frailtyes blemishes of our life that in the merites bloud of our Lord Iesus we may haue all spottes at our death washed of our faces all teares wiped from our eyes 3. Whersoeuer there is misery there is neede of mercy but there is misery in all sinne 1. by Corruption of nature 2. by Deformity of the soule 3. by Guiltynes of punishment In nature we had 1. the essence or substance of our Being 2. An Inclination to vertue 3. the gifte of originall iuctice Our substance indeede and our Being is not corrupted nor diminished but our vertuous disposition is by sinne diminished and we haue quite loste our Originall justice And thoughe all our Vertuous inclination be not so quite rooted out but that there remayne in vs certyen seedes of morality yet according to our custome practise of sinne more or lesse we doo lay caste so many impedimentes as great stones vpon this roote that thoughe it retayne his nature hidden in the grounde yet as ouerburdened with sinne his sprowtes are so suppressed that seldome hardely it can bringe forthe true fruite of vertue vntill throughe Gods grace we remoue these hinderances The deformity of the soule is caused by the blottes spottes of sinne as spottes are blemishes of some comelynes so in the soule there is a double beauty blemished by sinne One is the clearenes of naturall reasō another is the brightnes of supernaturall light of wisdome grace but euer by sinne we doo blemish eyther one or both of these which spotte as the shadowe of a body keepeth off the lighte and as seuerall bodyes giue seuerall shadowes so seuerall blottes procede of seuerall sinnes as long as any body of sinne is betwene vs these lightes so long we shall be folowed with these shadowes spottes vntill we be illuminated by the brightenes of Gods mercy grace for thoughe the action of sinne cease wherby we did separate our selues from Gods lighte yet the blemish doth remayne which maketh the shadowe And as he who is departed into darkenes from a brighte place is not presently in lighte agayne so soone as he ceaseth to go but he must come backe or else remayne in the darke so before we can returne to the lighte which we loste it is not enoughe to cease from sinne so stand still but we must haue in our Will a contrary motion to that which before we had to come into the lighte of grace to proceede in the pathe of goodnes And these are our miserable deformityes 4. The misery of our guiltynes vnto punishment must needes folowe where the faulte is gone before for as when nature findes his contrary it labors to suppresse it so because sinne is opposite to order it should not be suffered Wherfore our will being subject to three orderly gouernors when it transgresseth against any of them it may be punished by them It is firste subject to our owne reason secondly to humane gouernement and thirdly to the order of Gods authority and accordingly when we offend against these orders of our reason of humane or of deuine lawes we are to be punished by the remorse and byting of our owne conscience
O God who canst not be deceiued for thou arte wisedome nor corrupted for thou arte justice nor ouercome for thou arte allmighty nor escaped for thou arte euery where present O God who by thy omnipotence as thou arte able to punish the careles with terror so thou arte able to cure the sorowfull with fauor O God whose property is to haue mercy in whom there is no difference betwene thy mercy thy essence and as the Churche prayeth who doost manifest thy omnipotency in pity aboue all and in showing mercy Miserere mei Deus O God shew towardes mee thy omnipotent mercy O God whose name is shorte but thy majesty is great not like men who haue an ell of great names not an inche of good nature or a vayne preface of Titles longer then the whole booke of their true vertues But thy excellent goodnes is vespeakable O God and we name thee to signifye whom we meane in our shallowe capacity not to expresse what thou arte in thy infinite majesty Wherfore thoughe I be miserable yet thou arte powerfull pitifull to releiue me for thou arte God and thoughe I be wicked yet thou as God art infinitely gracious abundantly mercifull to forgiue me 2. Miserere mei haue mercy on mee not haue mercy on Dauid as in another psalme O Lord remember Dauid nor dare I say haue mercy on thy seruante for I haue broken thy commandements nor haue mercy on the king for as my name and person is now odious so to mention my dignity were to aggrauate my offence O foule sinne which makes me ashamed of mine owne name yet I will pointe to my wretched substance thoughe I dare not declare my guilty person for the respecte of the partye doth often much encrease the offence Haue mercy on mee I acknowledge my faulte I denye it not with Cayn I caste it not vpon another as Eue I excuse it not as Saul nor with Iudas do I confesse and yet despayre but as I condemne my selfe for my sinnes so I trust in thy goodnes for thy mercy miserere mei haue mercy on mee On mee who ioyned and coupled so many sinnes in one fardell about fullfilling my desire and pleasure On mee who consented to the motions of luste who corrupted messengers to further it who abused another mans wife to fullfill it who deuised practises to conceale it and would haue had my bastarde misbegotten to be reputed as another mans heyre legitimate On mee who added murder to adultery who repayed iniuryes for requitall of seruice On mee who thus wronged a man altogether innocent with him procured diuerse others to be slayne who were allso harmeles On mee who caused him by fraude to cary letters like Bellerophon contriuing the manner of his owne death On mee who receiued the tydinges of his murder with gladnes and presently with delighte maryed his widowe On mee who long lay sleeping in these sinnes without remorse and if I had not bene rebuked by thy prophet paraduenture of my selfe I had neuer repented On mee whom thou diddest deliuer from the malice of Saul and yet I my selfe wroughte mischeife against Vrias On mee who was aduanced from a shepheard to a kinge yet towardes mee Nabal was not so vnthankefull as by this offence I haue bene against thee ingratefull Finally thou werte wonte to powre thy spiritte of prophecy on mee in which I vsed to sing psalmes vnto thee but beholde I haue expelled thy spirite which was my trusty comforter and I haue enterteyned the spirite of luste a trecherous stranger I haue changed the ioye of the spirite into the delighte of the flesh I haue forsaken my psalmes and prayers of deuotion I haue lefte my good-workes and carefull exercise of religion O haue mercy On mee who began with much feruor to sequester all my thoughtes from the worlde like a religious man but since I haue giuen place to some coldenes of desires and bene content to passe along like another worldly man On mee therfore O God miserere mei haue mercy on mee 3. According to thy great mercy according to the multitude of thy miserations Thou O God diddest so loue the worlde that thou gauest thy only sonne being God equall to thy selfe to take our flesh and to taste of our misery for the redemption of vs men O great mercy O multitude of miserations we of our selues are thy desperate enemyes yet as S. Peter said According to thy great mercy thou haste regenerated vs vnto the hope throughe Christe of an inheritance incorruptible In thee therfore O blessed Iesus is conteyned this great mercy by thee we receiue this multitude of miserations It were not so much for a man to abase himselfe to become a toade as it was for thee being God to become man this was great mercy but it was a multitude of miserations to endure our miseryes to suffer tormentes and to vndergoe death for distressed enimies herein saith S. Paul God doth commend his charity vnto vs seeing when we were yet sinners Christ dyed for vs. 4. It is mercy to giue vs food rayment it is more mercy to continue vs life it was yet more to create vs being nothing and it was greater mercy to affoarde vs the vse of all his creatures both in necessity for which we owe him thankes and in delighte which requireth prayse Before we were we merited nothing but if now God still shew mercy after we haue shewed our selues vnthankfull to such a Lord is not this great mercy to giue his soone to redeeme a rebellious seruant nay to redeeme his enemye out of bondage is it not a multitude of miserations To see water run downe the hill it is no marueill nor being powred on euen playne grounde to see it run on euery side euery way but it were a wonder to see a riuer run vp a monteyn So to giue rewarde vnto deserte it is our Lordes naturall iustice to bestowe benefites on them who haue neither done good nor hurte it is his euerflowing goodnes but to doo so well vnto vs who haue demerited so ill against him what can I call it but his miraculous great mercy nay that is not enoughe it hath in it an infinite multitude of miserations It was admirable humility for God to become man it was patience without a paterne being man to suffer so much of men for men but to performe all this for men who worse then beastes were become his reuolted enemyes this was great mercie in this was multitude of miserations 5. It is mercie to forgiue our offences they are miserations to releiue our necessityes both great and with multitudes in all kind of continued and discreet quantityes vnmeasurable mercyes because so great and innumerable miserations because so many And not alone seuerally a magnitude of great mercie and a multitude of many miserations but allso intermiâ—te great multitudes of many mercyes and many magnitudes of great miserations
SVNDRY EXCELLENT OBSERVATIONS of S. Bernarde applyed to this meditation of our Lordes great mercyes and multitude of miserations Sect. 4. SAynt Bernard in seuerall places describeth the greatnes multitude of these mercies and miserations As there be sinnes so there be mercies some small some great and some in a meane betwene both The firste mercy expecteth a sinner not punishhing presently the second giueth a penitent harte which freeth vs from smaller sinnes paste by our daily compunction deliuereth vs from present veniall trangressions But thirdly for great crimes paste we haue neede of great contrition and against mortall sinnes which may followe we haue neede of great caution these are harde matters wherfore this thirde great mercy is necessary for all great sinners to lament faultes passed to preuent followable offences 2. The multitude of his miserations are 1. somtimes in bitternes of any sorte of greife which withdraweth our minde from our vsuall delightes of ordinary sinne 2. somtimes by remouing the occasions of our wonted sinnes 3. somtime by giuing vs grace of resistance that thoughe we be tempted yet we withstand our motions ouercome our affections 4. somtimes not so much taking away the outward occasions as alltogether healing our inwarde affection and herin consisted the absolute perfection of our blessed Lady and S. Ihon Baptiste preserued from all sinne and in one particuler S. Thomas of Aquine had his loynes so girded by an Angell that there neuer after came into his desire any fleshly thoughte and so somtimes some other haue one or other affection so mortifyed by meanes of Gods especiall grace that not only they doo not followe them no nor so much as any wit feel them 3. O blessed IESV in the goodnes of thy great mercy thou haste preserued me from many sinnes into which of my selfe I woulde haue fallen o continue the multitude of thy miserations sending any greife of harte which may holde me from any delighte of sinne O take away occasions of sinnes giue me power to resiste tentations or so heale my affections that neither in euill they doo molest me nor in good become weary eyther driue away my buffeter or giue me thy sufficient grace to be a conqueror O gracious God in thy great mercy thou diddest a long time expect my repeÌ„tance o continue the multitude of thy miserations in thy long sufferance to permitte me time and grace of satisfaction and amendement O holy Iesu in thy great mercy thou diddest touche my harte with some sorowe for my great sinne O continue the multitude of thy miserations against all my faultes to shew me their lothsomnes as soares to make me some what feele their smarte as woundes and both to desire to obteyne hope that they shall be cured 4. O swete Iesu in thy great mercy thou hast giuen me strength to arise from sinne and error to come vnto thy truthe and Catholique Churche and hitherto to continue in thy seruice quia fecit magna qui potens est thou hast done great thinges for me who arte mighty and abounding in great mercy o continue the multitude of thy miserations against the multitude of myne enimyes which daily seeke my downefall and destruction 1. against myne owne flesh from whom I can neither flye nor put him to flyghte neither may I kill this foe but rather norishe him to liue thoughe not to reigne nor to rule in me 2. against this alluring worlde flattering with pleasures entising with honors and deceiuing with riches Our flesh is an enemye within vs the worlde is an enemye round about vs these twoo are to many but alas I see a vehement winde blustring from the northe o lorde helpe me in thy multitude of miserations or I shall perish in the great danger of this storme beholde it is Satan the hammer of the worlde a serpent more subtile then all beastes a dragon more cruell insatiable then any monster he is an enemy whom we cannot easily discerne how then shall wee certeinly avoyde him his arrowes are shotte closely and his snares hidde secrettly how shall we escape them somtime he assaltes openly with violence somtime priuily with fraudes allwayes cruelly with malice of our selues we are not able to resiste him much lesse to ouercome but thankes be to God who giueth vs victory throughe Christe our lorde faciens potentiam in brachio suo strenghthening vs with power in his arme 5. O bountifull God in thy great mercy thou hast enabled vs to performe good workes which may merite heauen o continue the multitude of thy miserations enduing me with grace still to abhorre the wickednes of my sinne which is paste to despise the present vanity of this worlde and earnestly to desire the futuâ—e happynes of heauen O comfortable Iesu in thy great mercy thou haste quieted my harte with a good hope of eternall life o continue the multitude of thy miserations that neither the scarsity of my owne merites nor the vnworthynes of my selfe nor the estimation of heauens inestimable valew may caste me downe from the heighte of my hope because it is huÌ„bly and firmely rooted in the charity of thy adoption in the verity of thy promise and in the ability of thy performance I knowe in whom I haue beleeued and I am sure that in his exceeding great charity there shal be no defecte and as he did promise it in his great mercy so in the multitude of his miserations he will performe it O God we haue neede of thy great mercy to supply the defectes of our great necessityes and we desire the multitude of thy miserations for our defence against the multitudes of our mighty enemyes and therfore I will euer repeate this effectuall prayer Haue mercy on mee O God according to thy great mercy according to the multitude of thy miserations WHAT MERCY IS AND OF THE EFfects Also how sinnes are blotted out by multitudes Sect. 5. 1. MErcy in latin is called misericordia which according to S. Augustin is a compassion in our harte of another creatures misery so it is misericordia quasi miserans Cor. Somtime it is a foolish womanish pity then it is only a passion in the sensitiue parte but being grounded on reason it is a vertue in the will in which laste sorte it is in God but no way as a passion And it is in him as in a Superior to an inferior either as munificence to releiue our wantes or as clemencie to forgiue our faultes not as among men by affection feeling our freindes misery as if it were our owne for how can any misery touch him who is all happy hauing all which he willeth willes nothing which is euill Nor can he haue any feeling of our misery by occasion of feare as olde men wise men who consider the dangers incertainties of all euentes nor as timorous feeble minded people who doubte in pusillanimity least vpon any occasion they shoulde fall
into like misery no such mercy is in our Lorde vpon any of these considerations for he is neither subiect to humane affection nor to feare nor any way in hazarde of changeable infelicity 2. And among men thoughe charity be the greatest of all vertues because it vnites ioynes vs as inferiors to God our beste highest Superior yet in God who is aboue all creatures vpon which he powreth out all the godnes they haue receiues nothing from any other to himselfe in him mercy is the greatest of all vertues to him therfore the Churche saith it is proper more then to any herein his omnipotency most to be manifested For thoughe the vertues attributes of God be in himselfe equall yet in their effectes operations towardes his creatures one may appeare more or lesse then another so here S. Augustin saith that mercy miserations be all one S. Bernarde calls miserations the daughters of mercy which are diuerse in sundry streames yet all one water of the same founteyn as in a garden-water potte the water within is all one in substance with those many spinning streames yssuing out of those seuerall holes 3. Aristotle said that no place of the worlde is alltogether empty eyther of ayre or some what else yet he could not tell wherof it was full so well as Dauid who said All the worlde is full of the mercy of our Lord. Another philosopher being asked what was greatest of all answered Locus place is greatest for place which conteyneth all is greater then those thinges which are conteyned but Dauid would haue said it is our Lordes mercy which is aboue all his workes so all places giues place as inferior to his mercy takes place within it as lesser then his mercy In heauen his mercye shynes in glory on earthe he raynes mercy both on the iuste iniuste his mercy is in purgatory where sowles are purifyed prepared for heauen yea euen in hell there is some parte of his mercy for as he rewardes his Angells Sayntes much aboue their merites so punisheth the diuells the damned both lesse then their demerites and not so much as he is able 4. These are thy mercyes O God which none can deny but we humbly desire releife pardon according to thy great mercy to blotte out our iniquity in the multitude of thy miserations thy justice o lord reacheth vnto the heighte of mounteynes thy truthe vnto the clowdes thy great mercye to the heauens and the multitude of thy miserations is aboue all thy workes O let vs taste of these mercyes sent downe from thee to vs and deriued by vs to others that we may learne to be mercifull as thou arte mercifull And so in thy day of iustice iudgment if we haue bene mercifull we shall obteyne mercy when it shall not be so much recounted that Abel was murdred for his good sacrifice that Noah tooke care to saue the olde world that Abrahā was faithfull that Moses deliuered the lawe that Elias went vp to heauē in a charyot that S. Peter was crucified with his head downeward that S. Paul was beheaded that S. Laurence was broyled or S. Edmonde our English king a martyr shotte full of arrowes as it shall be there demāded what workes of mercy euery one hath performed especially in feeding the hungry clothing the naked or visiting the sicke imprisoned O teach vs to be mercifull in such smal matters that we may find great mercy at thy handes and in euery one of thy fingers multitude of miserations Great mercy o God because thou arte great and it fittes thee not to giue little great mercy because our necessityes haue neede of great supplyes our offences are great our punishments deserue to be great therfore what can we aske lesse then great mercy 5. And according to the multitude of thy miserations blotte out my iniquity O thou who doost forgiue very often euen seauenty times seuen times we are many offenders and are guilty of exceeding many sinnes in many thinges offending all euery day many times a day o shew the multitude of thy miserations vpon such multitudes of offences of times of persons pardoning so many sinners for so many crimes so many times repeated O blotte them out as thou hast said by the Prophet Esay that thou arte he who blotteth out our iniquityes for thine owne sake And Ieremy saith our sinnes are grauen in a harde Adamante stone with an yron pen who can blotte out such a recorde euen thou only o mighty redeemer who by thy handes nayled to the crosse wert blotting out all handewrytinges against vs O raze and blotte out we entreate thee all the sinnes accusations which Satan writes against vs O blotte them out not to be read and scrape them out as blottes not to be seene for otherwise they will blotte our names out of thé booke of the liuing Del◠put out or take away from thy sighte or vewe all spottes from our soule all memory from thy booke all byting wormes from our conscience all sinnefull appetites from our affections all vnlawfull consent from our desires O blotte out all malice or frailty from our will and out of our vnderstanding all error blindnes In the vertue of thy precious bloud and by the sacramēt of extreme Vnctiō we beseech thee blotte out at our death all the sinnefull delightes of our eyes all the follyes of our eares all vanityes of our smelling all the iniquityes of our tōgue all the voluptuousnes of our touche or of our taste all vnserchable or secret sinne of our hartes all the idlenes or wickednes of our handes all the forwardnes of our feete to committe euill all the slackenes or crookednes of our wayes vnto good O Iesu helpe vs by wyping out our blottes now to cleāse our soules euer by great mercy to forgiue our sinnes OF THE GREAT CARE VVE MVST VSE to purge all sinne and that we our selues must doo herin some diligence not standing idle to leaue all vnto Christe Sect. 6. 1. WAsh me yet more from mine iniquity cleanse me from my sinne O lorde I haue so much offended that me thinkes I cannot well enoughe expresse my guiltynes nor enoughe begge remedye nor can I tell when I haue enoughe repented Amplius laua me wash me yet more both from the filthynes and allso the stinkingnes of all wickednes wash me from iniquity which is filthy and cleanse me from sinne which stinketh from sinne against God from iniquity eyther against my neighbor or against my selfe yet more both from the heynousnes of that which is paste that I be perfectly cured and least I should fall agayne from the dangerousnes of that which may come Let not the prophet complayne against me saying O how vile arte thou become iterating thy wayes all sinne in my soule is like lothsome stinking durte on my
of is aucthority Especially when we go about any parte of his religious seruice let vs seriously suppose we come more particulerly into his presence then let vs consider him present as one of greatest maiesty and then let vs consider him present as one of the Best goodnes on the other side then let vs acknowledge our selues before him as exceeding vnworthy creatures and allso then let vs acknowledge our selues before him as maruelous wicked and malicious enemyes that so we may reuerencâ— and feare his majesty as Greatest and with hope and loue praye vnto his Goodnes as Best especially humbling and confounding our selues before him as wonderfull lewde enemyes and vnworthy base creatures 4. Yet herein let vs take comforte o my soule as well as feare for as he is the Greatest to be feared so he is the Best to be loued And as he seeth all so he seeth not as man seeth his giftes of nature are admirable but any one gifte of his grace as S. Thomas saith is of more value then all his giftes of nature in the whole worlde therfore we will doo reuerence before thy majesty and before thy Goodnes we will sing prayses o lordè thou seest not as man seeth neither imperfectly to be deceiued taking good for euill nor partially to be corrupted by fauor or affection thine eye is not cruell in malice but mercifull euen in justice if we seeke to hide our faultes thou seest and doost punish if we humble our selues as Dauid here before thee then thou beholdest vs with pity 5. If we sinne before men many wil say why doth not fire come downe from heauen to chastize such wickednes But as Calicratidas hauing a prisoner whom his enemyes hated and a great summe of mony desidered to be deliuered vnto them to the end they mighte torment and kill him as they desidered thoughe Calicratidas wanted mony to pay his army yet he would not sell his captiue to their malice wherupon saith Cleander who was a Capteyn of his counsell surely if I were Calicratidas I woulde sell this prisoner for this mony the other wittily replyed In sooth so woulde I if I were Cleand insinuating the difference betweene a base couetous minde and a noble generous spirite In the same maner because our lorde is not of ignoble disposition like Cleander but much morâ— heroycall then Calicratidas therfore with a munificent kingly minde he suffers our faultes rewardes vs with benefites when men would haue deliuered vs to the diuell he granteth pardon to much euill committed before him where men woulde take sharp vengeance for one worde of reproche thoughe spoken behinde their backes And in this sense Iob pleadeth vnto his pitifull eye saying Are thine eyes of fleth or dâ—ost thou see as a man seeth that thou shouldest seeke my iniquity and searche out my sinne so let vs say o lord we hope well to finde fauour in thy face for thine eyes are not vnmercifull nor doo they exaggerate our faultes as men being offended rather thoughe it doo aggrauate my sinne to haue bene committed before thee yet this doth coÌ„forte my soule because I doo knowe thee a most heroycall lorde and a gracious God full of pity not like malicious men reuengefull in cruelty OF DIVERSE WAYES BY WHICH OVR lorde is justifyed and may be said to ouercome when he is judged Sect. 6. 1. VT iustificeris in sermonibus tuis vincas cum iudicaris That thou maist be iustfyed in thy wordes maist ouercome when thou arte iudged They that desire any benefite of kinges vse to alledge their passed merites or future ability in his seruice but of thee O God I aske mercy without merite only for mercy sake I suffer misery I abhorre my iniquity I see confesse my sinnes therfore haue mercy I haue principally-offended thee and thou hast promised pardon and passed thy worde to forgiue euery penitent therfore haue mercy that so thou maict be iustifyed in thy wordes and if any woulde doubte of the truthe of these promises that allso thou mayst ouercome such when thou arte iudged in their mistrustfull discourses 2. If directly thou shalte auouch that I all men are sinners absolutely thou shalte ouercome in this plea all meÌ„ who dare trauerse their enditemeÌ„t shal be found lyers thou shalte be iustifyed Or thus my sinne may be an occasion of thy greater bounty and iustification not causally but consequently thy iustification reckoned for an effecte not my sinne accompted for a cause so here is placed this coniunction vt that which is allso vsed by our Sauiour in the same sense saying sitt downe in the laste place that he coming who inuited thee may say freind sitte vp higher where he meaneth not to teach fayned humility to sit lowest to the end to be aduaÌ„ced for such counterfet humility were indeede worse then ordinary pride but our Sauior foretelleth that so it will folowe succede that if we be sincerely humble we shall certeinly be exalted not to be so intended by vs but it will be so órdeyned of God And so S. Paul alledgeth these wordes concluding that our wickednes doth more manifest commend the iustice of God And so we may say I haue sinned o lorde before thee vnto thee and by how much more my sinnes are greater by so much the more thou haste occasion to magnifie thy mercy in my pardon to testifye to all the worlde the truthe of thy promises and against any mistrustfull or murmuring censurer to prooue thy selfe an vndoubted a gracious Iudge 3. O lorde thou haste sworne vnto thy seruante Dauid that of the fruite of his loynes thou wouldest set the Messias on his throne althoughe I haue sinned greiuously because I haue hartily repented yet let it appeare that thou hast forgiuen my sinnes and wilte still accomplishe thy former promises that so in respecte of doubtefull weakelinges thou maist be iustifyed in the assurance of thy worde and maist ouercome all misdeeming enemyes in their enuious imaginations who otherwise will iudge me as a reprobate or blaspheme thee as a promise breaker 4. Or else we may construe it thus o lorde thou haste threatned temporall publique punishment against me some paraduenture knowing me to be great in thy fauor yet ignorante of my great sinnes if they should see me so afflicted not knowe howe I haue offended it may be they woulde wonder or murmure or take some other scandall wherfore be it knowne to all the worlde that I haue sinned and hauing demerited all those punishments which shall come vpon me let it appeare that I am faulty and thou arte iuste both iustifyed in thy wordes accomplishing what thou haste threatned and allso maist ouercome in proofe that thou haste threatned punished me duely if any shoulde judge or censure thee rashly Thus o my soule let vs humble our selues for our sinnes and giue glory to God in his iustice thus said
fauour and for vs so looke vp to thy Sonne in prayer that we may be always vertuously sober in our actions religiously ciuill in our speeches in our very thoughtes pure and chaste in all our conuersation All which we earnestly entreate for the all sufficient merites mercyes of our Sauiour thy Sonne and by the immaculate purity of thy conception THE MOST GRACIOVS AND WONDERfull remedyes of our originall sinne Sect. 7. 1. THus was our blessed Lady preuented with grace But how shall we be made cleane who are conceiued by such vncleane seede excepte only as Iob answered By thee alone o Lorde whose grace saith S. Paul doth superabounde our sinne For sinne came by man but grace is of more power as proceeding from God Sinne did not take away from vs all good nor bring vpon vs all euill But grace doth deliuer vs from all the euill wherinto we mighte fall and is sufficient to giue vs all the good we can desire Adams sinne brought a curse only to his descendentes and to the earthe But by the merites of Christe all creatures except the diuells who hate him eyther haue or may haue parte of his blessing For by him not only all mankind is redeemed but the good Angells are confirmed in their grace and euen these senceles creatures shal be renued in their nature 2. And in the saluation of our soule there is more force in Gods grace then in mans sinne for it is easie and we are prone to fall or to dye in sinne but we are lumpish heauie and it is exceeding harde to be raysed vp to life of grace wherfore grace is the stronger and the more worthy and therfore we are the more indebted considering how weake we are and how vnworthy And it is maruelous to consider the proportion betwene our sinfull misery and our gracious remedie As against originall sinne is appointed Baptisme to regenerate vs in grace from that wherin we were generated by nature that as infantes are defyled by meanes of Adams corruption without their owne facte so they are washed by meanes of Christes redemption without their owne helpe Children are spotted before they be aware of it and they are cleansed before they knowe of it In their conception vnwitting and in their baptisme ignorante We are raysed by others before we haue reason to aske helpe as by others we were caste downe before we had sense of our fall Or if some be of yeares of discretion before they be baptyzed as infidels conuerted or if christians after Baptisme become sinners and come agayne to repentance in the firste sorte the grace of baptisme takes away all sinne originall and actuall and all punishment eternall and temporall in both sortes there is first a iustification without foregoing merites quae fit in hominâ— which of God alone is effected in man and then a second iustification quam facit homo in which man doth his parte and hath following good workes In wâ—ich second iustice it is reason we follow Gods grace to performe some satisfaction and to obteynes merites as we had runne after our concupiscence to incurre guiltynes and suffer punishments 3. All our merites and all our good are deriued from God but our first iustice in our first conuersion doth so come from him alone that we are not so much guilty by Adam of originall sinne without our owne faulte as Christ alone doth iustifye vs from all sinne without our owne merite O greatnes O goodnes of grace more powerfull and more abundant then sinne O swete IESVS who doost in wisdome so answer iustice with mercy that neither doo we wante any fauour nor is the lawe vnsatisfyed in all rigor and euery pointe balanced with conuenient counterpeyse Sinners in Adam iuste in Châ—iste In our selues actually and really wicked throughe Christe truly and inherently iuste We were inthralled by our sinfull liues he redeemed vs by his holy death By his passion and sufferinges he satisfyed for our punishments and our good workes haue merite by the vertue of his actions 4. But to insiâ—te especially in his comparison with Adam His crosse stood vpon Adams graue there beginning life where death began By a tree we perished and we were ransomed on a tree He repayred his churche his beloued spouse by the water and bloud which issued out of his side dying as Eua the wife of Adam was taken out of his side sleeping and by that water he clenseth our spottes of sinne and by that bloud he purchased to vs the beauty of grace By occasion of a woman came a generall curse and a greater blessing by meanes of a woman wherfore Adam called the firste Eua. and we salute the second quite turning the same letters into Aue. The first man Adam loste all by ambitions pride because being but a man he aspired to be as God and the second man IESVS restored all by obedient humility who being in deed God yet descended to become a man ALL THE GVILTE OF ORIGINALL SINNE is quite forgiuen in Baptisme and the first motions of concupiscence are not sinne vntill we delighte or consent vnto them Sect. 8. 1. ANd althoughe our Sauiour in Baptisme haue cleared vs from all Guilte of originall sinne yet not during this life from all temporall punishment therof as not from Death hunger sicknes nor from all ignorance or motions of concupiscence And althoughe he hath freed vs from all punishment destroying our soule yet not from all punishment which may encrease our merite as they say sustulit omnem paenam destruentem non omnem paenam promonentem and so he hath lefte in vs these infirmityes of our motions in concupiscence of hunger sicknes and death to be as skarres and markes of our soare and woundes which are healed 1. to the intent that seing and remembring our hurte our helpe we should remayne thankefull and not forgetfull 2. to humble vs by consideration of these infirmityes who else would be proud 3. to exercise vs in diligence of mortification and in vigilance of prayers lest we should be negligent and careles 4. to affoard vs occasion of more merite and so to crowne vs with more glory 2. Or we may lay that he hath freede vs from all effectes and personall punishmetns of originall sinne which so perteyned to our persons that they would condemne our particuler soules but not from all naturall defectes which necessarily belong to our generall nature wherby we remayne in the estate of all mankinde for as a wise phisicyan he hath sufficiently cured euery mans particuler soule not quite changing his generall nature abundantly prouiding and in better sorte for our corrupte nature to be helped and preserued by grace rather then to extinguish this nature and to create another For he will saue the same which had offended which is greater mercy to vs and more power wisdome in himselfe And is it not more to preserue a vessell of glasse then of yron 3. I said he hath lefte vs
fall they may be raysed and they who are admitted into secret grace ought allso to praye that from so dangerous a fall they may be preserued And in particuler thou o my soule must acknowledge thy selfe vnworthy of those graces which thou haste receiued which if they be small in comparison of those which our lord can giue or others doo receiue yet are they many and great and more then any way thou diddest deserue Or how can the sunne send much lighte or plenty of beames into a howse which hath but small windowes O my soule if thou desire more lighte set open all thy windowes O holy spirite of truthâ— and secret wisdome shyne yet more into my harte to shew me all necessary truthe which thou doost loue and still to manifest vnto me the secret doubtfull thinges of thy wisdome 8. O let me see and consider how great mercyes I haue receiued that I may be thaÌ„kfull how I did merite nothing or rather how much I did demerite that I may be humble and how vnprofitably I doo vse them that I may be ashamed I fled from catholique truthe which thou louest and yet thou diddest so loue me that thou diddest make me loue thy catholique truth which I declined now I loue this truthe which hath giuen me knowledge of thee and how am I bound to loue thee who diddest bring me to this knowledge of truthe O what sweete secrets be in this loue they are doubtfull to such as neuer tasted them because secret and to such they are secret because they loue not thee who doost manifest the secrets of they wisdome to none but such as doo embrace the truthe which thou doost loue This is thy wisdome not to caste spirituall pearles before eaâ—thly swyne nor to hide thy heauenty treasures from weake sucklinges or simple harted soules 9. But how shall I prayse thy goodnes o lord and in particuler to my selfe In the gospell it is said thou wouldest not suffer diuells to enter into swyne but with me thou haste cast diuells out of a swyne Doo I debase my selfe to say so Beholde o lorde thou louest truthe I knowe no swyne so filthy and so degenerate from his kinde as I was being a Protestante from they truthe If S. Mary Magdalene had seauen diuells of vices how many had I of heresyes Vnto her many sinnes were forgiuen because she loued much O lord I haue loued but a little how many sinnes hast thou forgiuen me thy wisdome hath reuealed my doubtes and manifested vnto me thy secrets I fondly doubted where was no cause of doubte but I am resolued by thy wisdome I was compassed with lighte and yet I did not discerne lighte because I wanted harty loue vnto thy catholique truthe For I firste loued not thee but thou diddest preuent me with thy loue prosecute me with thy grace and so finally diddest imparte vnto me the secrets of thy wisdome which are the mysteryes of thy catholique faith which now I doo beleeue thou haste not dealte thus with euery sinner nor vnto thousandes better then my selfe hast thou manifested as vnto me the secret and doubtfull thinges of thy wisdome 10. O infinite incomprehensible bounty what did thy majesty beholde in my basenes nothing verely but thine owne loue wherwith thou haddest disposed prepared my harte to be vnpartiallie desirous of truthe this desire and this loue thou diddest first giue me afterwarde by these thou diddest draw me nearer vnto thee O swete Iesu who doost neither accepte nor rewarde any thing which thy selfe haste not first giuen thou haste giuen me loue of truthe and manifested vnto me the doubtfull secret thinges of thy wisdome I doe enterteyne them as pledges earnest pence of mâ— hope election o let me so keepe and euer reteyne them that I may neuer be ashamed nor confounded in them Let them be meanes of thy better seruice and no way occasions of my greater condemnacion I haue tasted of thy loue I am acquaynted with thy secrets I am partaker of thy mysteryes let me rather dye then fayle or be faynte-harted and sooner torne in peices then become ingratefull I was most vnworthy to receiue them and seing of meere mercy thou hast bestowed these talentes vpon me I desire to retaine them with much thankefullnes and throughe thy grace with some gaynes of merite O blessed Sauiour accepte what thou haste giuen O holy virgin and all the Angells and Sayntes of heauen giue continuall thankes prayse vnto our lord God for me who am not able to thinke much lesse to declare how I owe my selfe MEDITATâ—ON VI. Asperges me Domine hysopo mundabor lauabis me super niuem dealbabor Auditui meo dabis gaudium laetitiam exultabunt ossa humiliata Thou shalte sprinkle me with hysope o lord and I shal be cleansed thou shalte washe me I shal be made white aboue snowe Vnto my hearing thou wilte giue ioye gladnes and my humbled bones shall reioyce THE VSE OF CEREMONYES DECLARED by a picture and the propertyes of hysope whervnto they maybe alluded Sect. 1. 1. THe priestes of Moyses lawe doo purifye by sprinkling of bloud with hysope and so they cleansed in a type or figure 1. such as must eat the paschall lambe 2. such as were defiled by touching the dead 3 such as were infected with leprosy 4. or those who being penitent did offer sacrifice for their sinnes O Lorde as one who haue neede of all these I looke not so much to the outwarde Ceremonyes as I hope to be partaker of thy inwarde grace by the bloud of that paschal lambe who is allso a sacrifice for the pollution sinne of all the worlde 2. In this actuall sprinkling of hysope and clensing application of our Sauiours merites and of his death and passion we doo liue we doo bleeue we doo hope we doo merite we doo labor worke our saluation with feare trembling and not as Protestantes teâ—ch by only faith and so with presumptuous beleeuing 3. Let others therfore be content alone with colors of imputation our soules desire to be allso innocent in substance We respecte not so much the outward figure of hysope as the inward vertue of our deare Sauiours deare bloud Types and ceremonyes are excellent ordinances yet we doo lifte vp our mindes higheâ— and by occasion of these we doo more often remember more deuoutly apprehend the truthes which they doo signifye Some paynted Tables are so cutte paynted that one way they resemble a beautifull face another way a deathes head and a certeyn artificiall workeman made such a like picture of Moyses brasen serpent hauing vndeâ— it a multitude of Israelites looking vpwarde to be cured of the stinging of fiery serpentes and aboue it he placed a looking glasse in such a situation that when he opened or drew a curtayne hanging before the said picture which thoughe whiles it was couered you saw nothing in the glasse and thoughe
a person whose life doth much importe the publique good of the common wealthe or of diuerse others beside himselfe But in no case may we aduenture the death of our soule rather saith our Sauiour if it coste vs our hande or our foote or the very eyes of our head we must sooner pull them out or cutte them of then loose our soule to saue them all or to gayne all the worlde So let vs say and performe it with Dauid If a million of sacrifices or millions of millions were requisite O God if they were in our power we would yeild them all most willingly not alone for some recompence of our sinnes but allso to testifye our willing loue and our bounden obedience vnto so gracious a lorde vnto whom we doo owe our selues our soules our bodyes and that we haue or can haue so that if occasion be we may say with S. Peter and the Apostles Ecce nos reliquimus omnia Beholde we haue forsaken all to yeild our selues vnto thy good pleasure for allbeit we haue no kingdomes no lordships no landes nor other great riches or dignityes to forsake no more then had those poore Fishermen yet as they did if we willingly parte from all we haue in present possession or in future possibility and no lesse from the loue affection desire of this worlde then from the honors wealthe and pleasures themselues in this case we may wel say reliquimus omnia we haue lefte all thoughe we enjoyed neuer so little for herein to subdue our will and to yeild our Desire is as much as to giue him all the worlde if it were ours to giue and he that so resignes his Desire and his will vnto all doubtles he resignes All and so much more then All. 5. Thus therfore let vs offer him All with Dauid that whensoeuer it shall please him to take all we haue or any parte we doo gladly giue him All euery parte and in this kinde althoughe we doo not in facte render vnto God a thousand sacrifices not whole barnte offeringes because we vnderstand that he doth not absolutely exacte them yet should we alwayes be such poore men in spirite that in our hartes we be prepared to yeild him all we haue whensoeuer we perceiue that he doth necessarily require them And so let vs say Quoniam si voluisses sacrificium dedissem vtique Holocaustis non delectaberis O lorde I giue thee no whole burnt offeringes because I doo suppose thou doost not require them But if it were thy will to exacte a million of sacrifices Dedissem vtique verily I am ready to obey thy will and if it were in my power I woulde willingly giue thee all the worlde WE HAVE NEEDE TO BE PENITENT and how acceptable vnto our Sauiour is any soule contrite for sinne Sect. 4. 1. ALL this is moste due vnto our lord who neuertheles is so gracious that An afflicted spirite is a sacrifice vnto God A contrite harâ—e humbled O God thou wilte not despise For my sinnes I will afflicte my minde my spirite with dolor and sorowe and I will humble my harte my senses my body with mortifications labor These sacrifices O God I knowe thou wilte neuer refuse For thou hast said that it is alwayes an heathfull sacrifice To attend vnto thy commandements and to departe from iniquity And that thou wilte soonest regarde the poore contrite in spirite such as feare thy wordes 2. And these sacrifices are most acceptable because in euery outward sacrifice there being 3. things 1. deuotion 2. oblation 3. signification somtime the last is impertinent or expired the second somtime is not necessary nor required but the firste is euer requisite gratefull profitable of which kinde are an afflicted spirite a contrite harte The spirite vnderstanding is afflicted by knowledge consideration of our sinnes of their enormityes our will our harte is humbled greiued by acknowledgement of our base guiltynes and with a detestation of our lothsome faultes 3. O my soule if we consider the seuere iustice of allmighty God who for sinne threwe downe Lucifer and those arrogant Angells out of heauen expelled disobedieÌ„t Adam his posterity out of Paradise drowned all the worlde except eight persons and except his seruante Lot some with him burned all the fiue cityes of Sodome so often punished Pharaoh all the Egiptians with such strange terrible plagues caused the earthe to open to swallowe Corah Dathan Abiram quicke into hell euer since in all ages places hath sundry times manifested his dreadfull iudgements against careles sinners O how oughte we to feare to afflicte our spirite that we afflicting our selues he may spare vs that beginning by peircing feare as by a sharpe needle to drawe into vs the thred of loue we may come to be sowed vnited vnto him in attonement reconciliation Thus O lorde we praye with Dauid in another psalme Confige timore tuo carnes meas O wound peirce my flesh with thy feare it will be like the â—urgeons wounde which letteth out corrupted bloud or putrefyed matter There shalle dolores parturientis the sorowes of a woman in child-birthe that as our sinnes were conceiued in voluptuous pleasure so we cannot be deliuered of them without afflicting payne 4. Nay we are happy that sinne by nature bringing vs sorowe we may if we will so vse this sorowe that it shall extinguish sinne as the wood breedes a worme the yron a rust the garment a mothe which consume the substances wherof they were engendred Nay much more happy that so easy so small a meanes as an humbled a contrite harte may change the iustice of God into mercy According to that vision shewed to a holy woman wherin she sawe our Sauiour as it were sitting on a throne with great maiesty attended on by all the Angells Sayntes holy hoste of heauen yet very often to ryse of from his seate to go to euery pitifull voyce which called vpon him she asked what voyces those were and why he himselfe so often mooued from his throne did not rather send vnto them some one or more of his heauenly attendantes which mighte well seeme more then sufficient He answered that those voyces were the sorowfull sighes of any sinners contrite harte who if they could not so much as name Iesus yet if they did in true humility sighe and with an afflicted spirite syncerily greiue for their sinnes he did so much loue rather to shew mercy then to obserue maiesty and did so much delighte in the contrite conuersion of any sinner that he did most willingly rise vp himselfe and withall in ioye to mooue the whole courte of heauen to giue comforte wellcome to euery such soule 5. Wherfore let vs be of good comforte o penitent soules for thoughe we be destitute of all worldly wealthe hauing nothing to giue
by mans penaltyes and by our Lordes chastisements yea such is the misery of sinne that one sinne is the punishment of another and many times of it selfe though not directly by it selfe yet by accident indirectly first because when by former sinne we caste from vs Gods grace giuen or offred he then leaueth vs to our owne corrupte weakenes to Sathan the worldes forcible tentations whose continual batteryes whiles without grace we cannot resiste we doo afterwardes justly fall captiues vnto many sinnes who by some former faulte did rejecte his grace so vnkindly 2. there are some sinnes which are punishments both offormer faultes of themselues not only in their effectes as prodigality hath for his followers wante and robberye but allso in their very actions some are a payne vnto themselues eyther inwardely as enuy anger doo vexe their owne maysters or outwardly when men doo passe much labor perill or coste to effecte some sinnes As Plutarche saith men adjudged to be crucifyed or to other tormentes were forced first to beare their owne crosses or such other instruments of theyr owne execution so sinners by sinne it selfe doo here begin their owne payne damnation and so they confessed who the wiseman saith were in hell lassati sumus in via iniquitatis we were tyred wearyed in our way of iniquity 5. Wherfore among so many miseryes should we not often crye miserere haue mercy in respecte of sinnes punishing themselues one another by outward toyle danger losse by inward feare remorse vexation by depriuing vs of Gods grace leauing vs to our owne concupiscence miserere for we are guilty out of order against God against men against our owne conscience miserere to bring backe our Will eâ—ring in darkenes to cleare our Vnderstanding shadowed with blemishes to repayre our giftes of grace decayed by frailtyes miserere haue mercy by reuiuing the seedes of vertue remoouing the hindrances customes of Vice miserere restoring vs to justice which we lost forfeyted inclyning encreasing vs in holynes which we forsooke diminished and finally miserere preseruing vs in substance of soule body from sufferance of payne vnto fruition of glory for in all these viz by corruption of nature by deformity of soule by guyltines of punishment we are all miserable therfore in all these o blessed Iesu miserere haue mercy OTHER WRETCHED EFFECTES OF sinne are declared out of the Scriptures Doctors by which we are warned from them Sect. 3. SAlomon saith that sinne maketh people to be miserable and S. Augustin defyneth sinne to be Deedes wordes or desires which be against the eternall lawe of God which are made mortall sinne when we adde vnto any of these a full consent of our will with auersion or forsaking of God Consider then o my soule in what estate thou arte when thou abydest in sinne If in our lorde be all happynes and to be in fauour with him be our felicity o how great wretchednes is it to forâ—ake his loue to fall into his hate But Esay said our sinnes deuide betwene him vs and both Salomon Dauid affirme that he hateth all who worke iniquity wherfore S. Chrysostome said I judge it to be harder more intolerable then a thousand hell fyres to be hated of Christe to heare him say I knowe you not it were better to endure a thousand thumderboltes then to see his face of mildenes to be turned from vs or enraged against vs for the eye which vseth to be fauorable when it becometh fierce is most terrible 2. Alas o lorde we haue forsaken thy infinite goodnes we haue loste thy inestimable fauour wherfore to free vs from thy hate restore vs to thy happynes miserere haue mercy Haue mercy not only for the good which by sinne we doo loose but allso in respecte of the euill which for it we doo suffer because many are the whippes of a sinner for sinne the earthe was cursed to bring forthe thornes the woman cursed to beare children in payne and man was cursed to eate his bread with labour Vpon sinners our lorde rayneth snares fire brimstone and the spirites of tempestet are in the portion of his cuppe his very prayers are turned into sinne and his table is a snare vnto him all wickednes is as a sharpe two edged sworde 3. But if we be neither mooued with loue of goodnes nor with feare of wrathe I knowe not whither we be more miserable who must suffer the punishment or blockish who will not see to auoyde the faulte yet let vs consider the nature of sinne which is contrary to our nature we were created doo desire to enioy liberty but sinne maketh vs slaues and the wiseman saith Euery sinner is bounde in the fetters of his owne sinnes We naturally abhorre hell the diuell deathe but sinne caused the very angells offending to be throwne downe from heauen to be reserued in the chaynes of hell S. Augustin saith that euery sinner selles his â—oule to the diuel taking for his price the sweetnes of some temporall delighte nay S. Chrysostome calleth euery sinner a certeyn willing diuell a self-willed madnes And as for death which we so much feare the scripture saith that they which committe sinne doo kill theyr owne soules we knowe it were horrible to murder our Father but to murder thy selfe it is more damnable wherfore as the wiseman sayd take mercy on thine owne soule pleasing God which then we doo when penitently we say vnto him miserere haue mercy 4. What shoulde I say of sinne tormenting the conscience offending the communion of Sayntes among men it is a discredite among Christians it causeth excoÌ„munication and S. Basil doth write that as smoke driueth bees from their hiues and loth some smells driue pigeons from their houses so from the custody of our persons â—l sauoring sinnes driue away our holy Angells And is not euery inordinate minde a penalty to it selfe as S. Augustin auoucheth for couetousnes gripes pride swells enuy consumes concupiscence inflames luxury stingeth gluttony stinketh dronkennes besotteth sclander scratcheth ambition vndermyneth it selfe iniuryes gette hatred discorde teareth anger burneth lighte heades are neuer quiet idlenes is wearisome lazynes combreth hipocrysie deceiueth his owne harte flatterye giues himselfe the lye in his owne throate O miserable sinnes which make men so wretched which seldome come alone without seauen worse diuells folowing them which make our present prayers not purposing amendment to be rejected which cause all our good deedes paste not to be regarded which are so hardly cured because they are not so easily as we thinke repented In time therfore o lord with the first worde of this psalme against all these for-meÌ„tioned miseryes we humbly hartily crye miserere haue mercy OF THE NAME AND NATVRE OF GOD who he his vvhat we are and how vnspeakably we are beholding vnto his great goodnes Sect. 4. 1.
owner it is mine as receiuer and giuer it is mine by open bargayne by secret conueyance it is mine it is mine by practise by application by coniunction by participation by infection by defection by custome by counsell commaunde consent prouoking praysing by not discouering not hindring not punishing or by not reprehending when I mighte and oughte By all or by some of these titles propertyes euery one must knowe his owne faulte set theÌ„ against himselfe saying it is mine 4. In a common assembly of a city said Socrates if the cryer shoulde will all the merchantes to stande vp so they would and no other if all the goldesmithes all the mercers grocers drapers taÌ„ners taylers c. were seuerally required to staÌ„de a parte euery trade by it selfe they would doo it orderly but if the cozening vnconscionable sellers shoulde be commanded by the Mayor himselfe to come stand by him no man woulde stirre yet contrarily if the basest sergeant should in the Mayors name will all the honest iuste dealing men to remooue all to one side it is like that all would go apace thruste harde not to stande nere the middest least he should be thoughte to remayne nere the dishonest side Thus men are not so vnwilling to shew their trades how meane soeuer as to acknowledge their faultes how small soeuer because all men would seme innocent or iuste no man will talke with Dauid of my iniquity my sinne But as in worldly matters we gladly talke of my ancestors my landes my Lordships my houses my tenantes my dignityes my credite my authority or of any thing wherof we can vante all that is mine so also in spirituall thinges or matters perteyning to the minde vnderstanding we are willing to speake of anything wherof we may somewhat glory either openly with a full mouthe or with halfe a mouthe nicely or at least in thoughte secretly call it mine as my deuotion my fasting my losses or constancy for religion my knowledge my discretion c. of these or other such like we doo willingly talke somtime to the end we may insinuate how or which of them is mine yea somtime we doo them because afterwarde we may boast such a good deede was mine like the gleade or kyte which mountes vpwarde to heauen but alwayes his eye is looking downewarde to the earthe where to espye some cary on or garbage on the grounde and so we doo often seeme to flie vpward to heauen in our intentions whiles we fixe our eye much more vpon the action to call it mine In fine thus any good we doo readily call it mine thoughe it be as Batillus chalenged Virgillis verses for his owne but we disclayme all euill thoughe it be like him who talking much yet denyed stoutly that he had any tongue IT IS NECESSARY TO REMEMber harmes of sinne therby learning to amend and take heede Sect. 3. 1. THis is our corrupte inclination to deny our faultes and to boaste of our worthynes neuertheles o my soule be thou carefull to knowe my iniquity be diligent to haue my sinne alwayes against me that so it may moderate thy mirthe diminish thy delightes in thy meditations often to thinke of it with inwarde greife in time of tribulation to suffer chastizement for it with outward sorowe alwayes to keepe it in thine eye to humble thee or to warne theâ— let him euer plucke thee by the sleeue As Abimelech hauing taken Sara being warned in a vision not to touche her for she was â—brahams wife he set her free and giuing her a 1000. peeces of syluer to buy vayles for herselfe her women to couer their faces he saith remember whithersoeuer thou go that thou werte taken as if he meante being fayre going with thy face open men are more easily entangled in thy beauty wherfore buy vayles to couer thine eyes remember thou werte taken broughte in danger of sinne by this faulte of open shewing thy face So likewise with vs by what occasion soeuer we haue bene taken or put in hazarde of any sinne let vs remember and set our former occasions faultes alwayes against vs that wee may against another time beware to be taken by any such like occasion in any such sinne 2. Thus S. Gregory vseth a strange petition but in this sense a very good speache prosit mihi Domine quod peccaui according to our english phrase after our meate much good may it doo me o Lorde that I haue sinned as if he should say out of the euill which I haue committed by my faulte let me drawe good by thy mercy let it make me more humble gentle towardes others lesse trusting to my selfe most dutifull towardes thee both to prayse thy mercy which pardoneth me and to desire thy grace to vpholde me Neuertheles these seme strange speeches to be against me yet to doo me good as also that speech of Origen seemes strange who calleth Dauid a very good sinner a sinner yet very good to doo vs good yet to be against vs how can this be surely in this pointe we must imitate our lordes goodnes who drawes good out of euill causeth the most wicked men vilest diuells to serue his purpose for good so we must make mithridate or trâ—aclâ— against poysoÌ„ euen of most poysonous vipers the more we haue bene sinners by consideration therof to mooue our selues to be so much more good such a one is a good sinner such a good sinner was the good theefe on the crosse whom we therfore call the good theefe many ancyent Fathers call him Sanctum latronem holie theefe not holie because he had bene a wicked theefe but because he beâ—ame so zealous a penitent Such good sinners were Zacheus S Mary Magdalen S. Mathew S. Peter S. Paul S. Augustin S. Mary of Egipte S. Anastase the Necromancer diuerse others such a good sinner was Dauid in this place who therfore sette his sinne alwayes against himselfe to the end it might doo him much good so may we by considering often the greatnes of our sinne how they haue bene much euill 3. And as Agesilaus being resolued to passe with an army throughe his neighbors cuntry sent not to aske leaue for passage but only to demande how they would haue him to passe whither with his pike trayled along or set on end that is whither peceably or by force for passe he woulde muste So our sinnes must be set against vs either to condemne vs being not amended or being repented to admonish vs since therfore we must passe their pikes is it not better to make our selues free from vnauoidable aduersaryes then to adde rancor to cruell hostility And as an olde shippe which lyes wracked on some shelfe remaynes for a sea marke that no more shoulde folowe her in that course so the danger horror misery of our passed sinnes set against vs or
S Augustin A penitent must not only feare our lord as a Iudge but allso loue him for being iustice And thus if we be truly contrite which is a sorowe because we haue offended God whom we doo loue aboue all then will we in this sorowe of loue neither refuse our punishment nor excuse our faultes nor complayne of our lordes seuerity rather with Dauid here we will publish our sinnes and be iealous of Gods honor least any shoulde thinke that he vseth against vs too much rigor this is to loue our lorde with all our harte and all our soule to prefer his loue before our owne affections and to neglect our owne reputacion for aduancement of his name by this we shall heale in our selues the enormityes of our sinnes and make some small recompence vnto God as much as we can for all those iniuryes 5. If we giue any disgrace or reproche to our neighbor or lifte vp our hande or a weapon as if we woulde strike a magistrate thoughe we doo not hereby hurte their persons really yet in respecte of their dignity credite we are said by these to offer iniuryes so say deuines Deus non leditur in externis bonis To God himselfe all our sinnes can doo no harme and yet by euery least sinne we committe an indignity against his maiesty for we on our partes doo diminish his honor eyther neglecting or reiecting his aucthority whensoeuer we trangresse what soeuer he hath commanded Wherfore thoughe wee doo not harme his person yet for his diminished honor we are bound to our possible best restitution But what better restitution and for vs what more possible recompence then playnly to accuse our selues as most worthy of his punishment and clearly to iustifye him in all his procedinges For to yeild him these dutyes Iob inquired saying I haue sinned what shall I doo vnto thee O keeper of men In my sinnes o lord I beholde twoo enormityes the woundes which they haue giuen mee and the dishonor they haue done vnto thee o let vs be more carefull to repayre thy honor then to cure our owne payne firste what shall I doo vnto thee and so nexte I will haue care of my selfe for if our lord be once satisfyed I am sure we shall presenly be discharged O let our repentance by helpe of thy grace contrition come once to his perfection for such penitence is complete but vntill this althoughe it may be very good yet it is imperfecte this is an heroycall acte of contrition more to desire the exaltation of Gods honor then the release of our punishments and when in zeale of his honor we confesse confound our selues sincerely with sorowe of our harte rootes or with willing shame of our faces acknowledging or otherwise chastizing our offences then is our gracious lorde much more enclined to pardon all our guilte then we can be ready so to confesse our faulte 6. O come let vs say with Dauid and say it like Dauid with an entire harte we haue sinned O God to thee alone who arte aboue all And we haue committed euill before thee whose maiesty is greatest whose Goodnes is infinite and whose presence is most holy We doo confesse to haue deserued all these punishments which it shall please thee to lay vpon vs that thou maist be iustifyed in thy wordes if any shoulde suppose our offences smaller then our chastizements And so that thou maist ouercome when thou arte iudged if any shoulde deeme thy corrections greater then our faultes MEDITATION IIII. Ecce enim in iniquitatibus conceptus sum in peccatis concepit me mater mea For beholde I was conceiued in iniquityes and in sinnes my mother conceiued me A PARAPHASTICALL EXPOSITION OF the former wordes Sect. 1. 1. O Lorde I began to request thy great mercy and therfore I procede to recounte my manifolde misery for frō a good nature the bare sighte of misery craueth bountifull effectes of pity Haue pity therfore o most bountifull gracious God of all good nature haue pity on a wretche who hath bene miserable from his very inance and who euen in his cradle was wrapte in the bandes of wretchednes woe 2. Myne actuall sinnes are as thornes thistles but their roote is in my originall corruption o roote out this roote as well as cutte of those branches And as whe◠there falls much rayne the plenty of water floudes caryeth away abundance of filthe therfore whiles the multitude of thy mercyes are flowing I desire thee to washe me yet more from all my offences Beholde allso my originall sinne which as the secret filthe of my hidden sluttish corners I doo now bring forthe to be caste into these water floudes of great mercy that all may be made cleane whiles there is water for all And since I am lamenting the faultes of my life why shoulde I not bewayle the guiltynes of my birthe one griefe calls another to memory and so whiles I consider how vile I am in my selfe I cannot but remembrer how base I came from my parentes for originall sinne is a portion of myne inheritance which as it must iustly serue to hūble my pride bewayle my wretchednes so may it therfore allso please thee o lord to pardon my actuall faultes considering my naturall weakenes 3. For in such a sorte the same speche in a different sense may be an accusation an excusation a prayse and disprayse as Caius Laelius being reproched as one degnerate and vnworthy of his noble ancestors replyed to the reuyler being a base person But thou arte neither vnworthy nor degnerate frō thy ignominious predecessors So we must all confesse our corrupte Pedigree from Adam and also these wordes here which doo serue further to accuse our selues of sinne may likewise be alledged to mooue pity because in some sorte it proceedeth from our naturall infirmity Is it any marueil if he somtime sinke vnder water who alwayes in his swimming hath a great bagge of garbage or some other heauy filthe by his owne faulte euer tyed or cleauing to his body It is true o lorde thy grace and other helpes are more then sufficient to holde vs vp if we will fasten and keepe on our holde but seing we haue such a lothsome burden of originall corruption continually drawing vs downewarde as we oughte to be humble ashamed because it is lothsome so because it is a burden if it doo not diminishe the faulte yet it doth intreate pardon 4. Ecce in iniquitatibus conceptus sum O lorde I am so very a wretche that I am vncleane and polluted in sinne euen from my mothers wombe yet herein o lorde haue mercy vpon me because it was bred and borne with me I confesse thy sufficient meanes proffered to deliuer me from this thraldome yet spare me I beseech thee for being borne with much sinnefull frailty I haue too much inclined to my naturall weakenes my desires and lustes of nature haue often caryed my consent
Let vs vs◠〈…〉 and prayer to enlighten our dimmed knowledge let vs vse patience 〈…〉 to humble to quench our strong enflamed affections let vs vse mortificatâ—â—◠〈◊〉 abstinence to restreyne refreyne our sottish vncleâ—â—â—leasures O swete 〈…〉 vs these graces o most pure immaculate and blessed 〈◊〉 Mary pray for vs o most feruorous penitent Saynt Marie Magdalen be thou 〈…〉 Aduocate that our regeneration may be more perfect then our generation was 〈…〉 that whatsoeuer poore integrity we haue it may he continued and how great 〈◊〉 our vncleannes hath bene that with contrite teares it may be washsd O we coâ—â—esse our base birthe conceiued in sinne to remember vs to be humble and because wâ— were conceiued in iniquities we doo entreat compassion on our naturall frailtyes for thou arte most graciously pitifull MEDITATION V. Ecce enim veritatem dilexisti incerta oculta sapientiae tuae manifestasti mihi For beholde thou hast loued truthe and thou hast manifested vnto me the doubtfull and secret thinges of thy wisdome DIVERSE DEVOVTE INTERPRETATlONS of these wordes And an humble thankesgiuing of the Author for his vndeserued conuersion Sect. 1. THere is a threefolde Truthe 1. of life against hypocrisie in which they are faulty who are clad in the wolle of sheepe whiles they dissemble the malice of wolues 2. in Truthe of doctrine against heresie which sercheth out false and foolish deuices 3. In Truthe of justice against partiall accepting of persons which is an abomination vnto God O founteyn and author of Truthe deliuer my soule from all these lyes of partialitie of heresie and of hipocrisie let my life be true in deuotion of harty actions rather then in any ostentation of wordes or seming labor of lippes let my doctrine be true guided by thy holy spirite and in euery title submitted to thy Catholique churche rather then in trusting to myne owne witte or relying on any others priuate conceyte let my vprighte dealing be true respecting others as I would be vsed my selfe neither bending for feare nor leaning for affection for beholde o lord it is euident in all thinges thou louest truthe 2. Wherfore in my particuler Cases of conscience in my priuate sinnes and other doubtes what should I doo some men are ignorant some men are negligent some excuse all and some doo much extenuate their faultes but I knowe my iniquities against ignorance I haue my sinne alwaies against me and I will set my selfe alwayes against sinne without negligence I may not defend my faulte but I doo accuse my selfe to haue sinned aboue all vnto thee and before thee to haue committed euill Nor woulde I extenuate but aggrauate my offences fearing least they be worse then I suppose for I knowe thou shal be be iustified in thy wordes and wilte ouercome when thou arte iudged Beholde therfore I spare not to discouer eueÌ„ my natural infirmityes I was conceiued in iniquityes And all this playnnes I vse in confession with sincerity for thou louest truthe 3. Allso thou louest truth not alone in confession but as well in satisfaction for so thou giuest prerogatiue to mercie that yet thou wouldest kepe truth thou doost pardon him that confesseth yet if he punish himselfe So is obserued both mercie truthe mercie because the man is freed truth because the sinne is punished O blessed S. Augustin it appeareth thou werte a Catholique penitent somtime punishing thy body not a carnall protestante euer pampering thy fleshe thou doost require some sharpe satisfaction after an entire confession but these will not vndergoe the blushing of confession much lesse endure the rigor of satisfaction they are content with the liberty of their ghospell and an easy faithe and therfore they refuse the necessity of satisfaction and all harde truthe But thoughe our Lordes truthe haue harde sayinges yet we must repent O let vs not abhorre these truthes which to flesh and bloud doo breede hatred for thou o lord louest truth 4. Thy prophet Nathan promised my sinnes should be translated from me wherfore I haue great hope of pardon and doo relye on all thy promises for thou louest truth and doubtles wilte performe I allso haue some comforte in this respecte because thoughe I committed a fowle faulte in matter of vice yet in poyntes of faith I haue not swarued from that Truthe which thou doost loue I haue caste thy grace and loue out of my will but yet in my vnderstanding I haue reteyned thy truthe It is naughte and too bad to haue one dore barred against thee as a vicious Israelite but it is worâ—e like a heatheÌ„ or an hetetique to shutte thee out with a doble barre or with two gates vidz neither to beleeue righte nor to liue well 5. Or peraduenture thoughe the wicked Beleeuer be somewhat easier to be conuerteâ— yet remayning obstinate he is in danger to be worse punished Wherfore Euthymius supposeth Dauid to say thus In my former wordes lamenting my naturall frailty I mighte seeme to extenuate my faulte ô no I reuoke any excuse rather o lord I accuse my selfe according to truthe I was great in thy fauor or as thy Secâ—etary thou diddest manifest vnto me the secret and doubtfull thinges of thy wisdome O how many hidden prophecyes hast thou reuealed to me which I haue published to others but the more I consider these fauors the greater I acknowledge my offences more abhominable is the treason of a Secretary then any falsehood of an enemy 6. Thus I doo deeply sincerely in all truthe accuse my selfe yet I cannot tell whether herin it were presumption for me to intreate thy reconciliation mercy because I was once thy inward freind fauorite To remember passed iniuryes doth prouoke a malicious minde to reuenge and contrarily why should it not mooue thy mercifull nature to pity him sooner whom thou diddest once loue I will plead earnestly yet with humility I will acknowledge my faultes to be so much more detestable because being once so gracious in thy secret and especiall loue I was so graceles as to deserue thy iuste open hate Among men great loue is often changed into great hate as the best wyne into the sharpest vineger but thou o lord seest not as men see neither so variable to be soone changed nor so inflexible to be hardly reconciled As it increaseth my faulte to haue abused such gracious fauor so the remembrance of this fauor loste by my faulte doth so much more afflicte my harte as my sinne is greater so my losse is greater my payne is greater and my sorowe is greatâ—r O let these entreate by the greatnes of thy loue that hauing bene a secret freind of thy priuy chamber thou wouldest not leaue me as a base sclaue to the despite of the publique worlde I hope thy honor will not permitte it and that thy great fauor will not be so much diminished 7. Thus may they pray who haue fallen from especiall fauors that from their depe
hath it had and hath stil euery day wonderfull effectes froÌ„ the vertue of our Lordes death and the effusion of his bloud shed thervpon Euen the wood of the yong mans Coffen said S. Ambrose after Iesus had touched it began to avayle vnto raysing him to life much more the wood of his crosse it selfe which when it was found by S. Helena both reuiued the sicke raysed the dead And only the signe of the crosse somtime without faith and deuotion yet hath wroughte maruelous effectes which doth shew the dignity that our lorde giueth vnto the signe for the excellency of the thing it selfe which he sanctifyed by his death As that christian who wickedly purposing to poyson himselfe came to Iew a Doctor of physicke for some strong poyson the Iew glad to kill a Christian gaue him a violent poysonous potion Before he dronke it he made the signe of the crosse ouer it as he vsed to doo commonly before he did eat or drinke It did him no harme he complaynes to the Iew that his poyson was not strong enoughe The Iew coulde giue him none stronger but the encreaseth the quantity of the same As before he takes it making the signe of the crosse The poyson preuayles not He is angry at the Iew and the Iew is madde to see him still aliue he doubtes the Christian had not taken it or had mixte or done somewhat else to it The Christian sweares he had done nothing to it only he remembers he had made the signe of the crosse as alwayes he vsed The Iew giues a little to a dogge which presently burste The Christian signing it with the crosse agayne takes a great deale more of the same poyson in the sighte of the Iew and yet feeles no harme whervpon he repentes the Iew is conuerted both of them aske God mercy and become honest deuout men 5. A blessed signe made holy and most glorious by touching the body and being sprinkled with the bloud of our Sauiour who was God and man he hallowed it with his death sanctifyed it by his merites honored it with his person and as it representeth his passion so it deriueth vertue from his merites The â—resâ—e before times was a detestable torment for malefectors now it is a royall ornament in the crownes of Kinges and Emperors honored of all Catholique Christians scorned or abhorred of none but Pagans Iewes Heretiques and Diuells And as the wonted shame therof is turned into honor so the former curse therof is changed into blessing O sacred signe which as the Royall standarde of the lambe shall come before him to iudgment A terror to the diuels and such as shalle damned a conforte to all Angells Sayntes and such as are to be saued thou arte the key of Dauid vnlocking Limbo and Purgatory to let out soules vnto liberty and opening heauen and Paradise to giue them entrance into rest and glory Thou arte the hysope of Dauid which helpeth to sprinkle sinners with the bloud of our Sauiour to be cleansed washed made white aboue snow Or as Origen said thou arte Tendiculum magni Fullonis the Tenter of our great Fuller who clenseth vs with his owne bloud instead of soape and in place of our weake rotten clothe suffered his diuine body to be stretched for vs vpon this Tenter of the crosse THERE ARE SVNDRY DEGREES OF WAShing cleansing and whyting of sinne Sect. 4. 1. O Blessed Sauiour washe me from the filthynes of vice and in the beauty of vertue make me white aboue snowe By thy mercie cleanse me and make me white by thy grace If I be white as snowe in inwarde deuotion for my selfe make me more white aboue snowe in externall exercise of good workes towardes others 2. Or thou o my soule take comforte from hence that not only an innocent but euen a penitent may attayne to estate of most perfect purity As S. Peter S. Paul S. Mary Magdalene and holy Dauid in this place by vertue of Christes merites hoped after repentance to be restored to perfection and purity aboue snowe Wherfore if we haue bene great sinners let vs labour so much more to become great Sayntes that as the prophet saith In the caues where dwelte dragoÌ„s there may spring vp greene rushes which as Eusebius expoundes it is instead of venimous filthy sinne to haue pleasant florishing vertue Neither let it seeme strange that as a notable saynte may become a notorious sinner so a lothsome sinner may become a glorious saynte for a garment which hath bene torne did you neuer see it drawne vp with such skill that no rent could be discerned and if vpon this occasion the same garment were all embrodered and the rent place couered with golde lace or set with pearle would it not be both a necessary mending of the rent and a better decking of the garment much better can our Lord Iesus repayre adorne the deformed beauty of a polluted soule he can sprinkle it cleanse it wash it and white it aboue snowe 3. O sprinkle me with hysope as a Begimner in goodnes to haue at firste some dewe droppes of grace O washe me next with some more plenty of this water that I may proceede from grace to grace And to the end I may be perfecte make me white aboue snowe Among earthly creatures there is nothing whyter then snowe but aboue this doo the Sayntes in heauen shyne as the â—unne I beseech thee O Sauiour sprinkle me with thy hysope and wash me with thy bloud that when this corruption shall put on incorruption and when this mortall shal be cloathed with immortality then I may be made white aboue snowe and shyne as the Sunne in eternall glory IT IS BETTER TO CONFESSE THEN to excuse to heare then to speake and of sundry kindes of ioye and gladnes Sect. 5. AFter my pardon I will rejoyce But a soule that is in sinne how should it haue mirth I will reioyce o lorde by hearing thy comfortes not in pleading for my selfe excuses Rather let me heare thy ioye speaking absolution to mine eares then any way delighte in my tongue pleasantly extenuating or wittily auoyding my faultes Wouldest thou after sinne fayne plead for thy reputation rather heare thy conscience and listen to repentance Be sorye for it confesse it then shalte thou heare ioye in thy harte and no terror at thyne eare 2. In generall we knowe it is better to heare then to speake And in spirituall contemplation excepte we first heare what God saith to our harte how can we hartily speake to him with our mouthe according as in nature wee see him that is borne deafe to be euer dumbe Allso among men he that heares as a good scholler practiseth Silence Beleefe Humilitie and obedience but he that is speaking as a paynful Teacher must labor with his voyce he must be carefull that he speake to good purpose for others without falsehood or flattery and he must be heedfull to himselfe
least his speach fauour of pride or vaynglorie Wherfore in S. Ihon it is said The freind of the spouse doth stande heare him and S. Augustin there notes that if we heare dutifully we are freinds of Christe and by hearing we stande more stedfast wheras he that is speaking is alwayes in danger by his wordes to fall into some folly 3. Wherfore o lord doo thou speake vnto my soule the wisdome of thy misteryes the comforte of thy promises and the desires of thy loue o let me heare the musique of thy voyce in all these harmonyes and last of all let me heare that swete close of happynes venite benedicti come you blessed There is ioye gladnes In the soules felicity is ioye in the bodyes immortality is gladnes as the propet said in their owne country they shall possesse double benefites Then our bones that is our vertues shall reioyce now they may be despised of worldlinges or of Diuels assaulted but if now they so humbled then they shal be crowned 4. Thy prophet NathaÌ„ hath let me heare the pardoÌ„ of my guilt so the release of eternal paynes but he hath left a teÌ„poral puÌ„ishmeÌ„t stil vpoÌ„ me that the sword shal not depart my house c. o let me heare allso the relaxation of these temporall calamityes For as in euery sinne there is auersion from God Conuersion to some creature so it hath a double punishment first because so we forsake him who is infinitely Good and for our conuersion to creatures sensible punishments are due because we were too much delighted in transitory vanityes O mercifull Iesu let me haue ioye for the remission of eternall payne and gladnes for the pardon of temporall punishments Or ioye for sinne pardoned and gladnes for grace restored In euery sorte for all my sinnes let my conscience be fully pacifyed which till I was conuerted would neuer suffer me to liue without feare or disquiet THE IOYES AND GLADNES OF GOOD men different from those of sinners with a harty reioycing of the Author for his Coâ—uersion Sect. 6. 1. THere is a hearing of faithe which bringes vs to giue obedience prayses and there is a hearing of wordes by reading or preaching the firste is inward leading to ioye the second is outward directing to gladnes Or the outwarde bringes vs to the inwarde and after both we come to ioye gladnes Wherfore o my soule seeke to encrease faith by hearing outwardly and allso doo thou heare what our lord speaketh within thee o seeke ioye in the pardon of thy sinnes desire gladnes in the promise of rewarde A wicked man can haue no true ioye but they may reioyce whose reward is plenteous in heauen such a harte may haue ioye and such a bodie may haue gladnes as Dauid saith elsewhere my harte my flesh haue reioyced in our liuing God the harte hath ioye beleuing it selfe purged from â—â—irituall pollution and the body hath gladnes feeling it selfe cleansed from carnall coâ—â—uption 2. In these shall our humbled bones reioyce not so much of the body as of the minde yet alas how few reioyce spiritually and how many are full of mirthe carnally but the end of such mirthe is sorowe because they are glad when they haue done ill and they recoyce in the worste thinges wheras to the other it is said Aske you shall receiue that your ioye may be full and your ioye shall none take from you It is exceeding hard to order and subordinate any ioye of this life to that ioye which is in our lorde the one doth diminish or endanger the other but carnall and spirituall ioyes can neuer dwell together and of these S. Ierome said that neuer any passed from delightes on earthe to ioyes in heauen Sara broughte not forthe Isaac which signifyes mirthe till she was olde that is till carnall pleasures be mortifyed we cannot conceiue any spirituall ioyes nor can this spirituall Isaac agree with fleshly Ismael who instead of mirthe is but a mocker wherfore let vs banish this sonne of the bondwoman for wheras the ioye of wordlinges is said in the scriptures to haue a crowne of roses which are but flowres that will fade the crowne of Gods seruantes is said to be of precious stones which are euer of value and cannot wither 3. How should we expresse o my soule the ioye and gladnes which we haue inwardly tasted since we were reconciled to God we are neither able worthely to giue thankes for it nor sufficiently to expresse it only let vs most humbly beseech our gracious lorde to continue vs this mercy which verily is alone more worthe then all the kingdomes riches delightes of the whole worlde And I dare vpon my soule assure any sinner or misbeleeuer who shall with contrition make a sincere confession reconciling himselfe to God his Churche that presently he shall find himselfe so disburdened and so comforted that he woulde not at that instante for all the worlde retourne agayne to his former estate 4. O how proper is that speach of holy S. Bernard to our heauenly father Quando câ—r nostrum visitas tunc ei lucet veritas vilescit mundi vanitas intus feruet charitas O my harte when God doth visite thee then shines to thee his veritie the worlde appeares base vanitie and in thee boiles heauens charitie I can wish my best freindes no better then to taste and see how sweete our lorde is whersoeuer I may find a Nathanael I cannot chuse but tell him I haue found the Messias let him come and see vnto his hearing and to his harte he shall receiue ioye gladnes And if his bones that is the best facultyes of his minde be humbled sincerely they shal be wonderfully reioyced This hast thou experienced o my soule for whiles thy bones would mooue and stand vpon their owne strenghte and still trust to their owne skill I could find no ease nor any rest for alwayes I felte somewhat was out of ioynte but since they were humbled to obedience of faith and submitted to the instruction and direction of the Catholique churche O what rest what ease what reioycing of bones for here be the best bâ—nesetters of a contrite soule now I feele no former doubtes nor wonted feares I haue all quiet and all assurance the truthe shynes cleare the worlde seemes base the charity and loue of God shed abroad in our hartes is so confortable that it is vnspeakable O what inwarde ioye what true gladnes O swete Iesu when thou entrest into a penitent publicanes house thy father comes with thee and thy holy spiritie comes with thee O blessed Trinity come daily into my poore harte with the riches of thy grace and ioyne me vnto thee that as our Sauiour prayed vs all so I allso may be one with you not one in substance but one in humble obedient vnitie of will and one in deuout feruent vnitie of
our spirite is olde or loste therfore must be renued And all these defectes are in our bowells euen in the principall inward partes of our nature if our eye be blind how great is our darkenes and when our bowells our cheife nature is faulty how great is our wickednes O God! create renue a harte a spirite cleane harte a righte spirite a cleane spirite a righte harte we haue neede of all in all our nature euen in our very bowells O furnish all our defectes Deus meus in quem deficio vt fortis sim as said S. Augustin O mie Iesu vpon whom I doo desire to relye and fainte that so fainting vpon him I maie be reuiued more strong 9. By cleansing my harte from all worldly filthynes thou shalte cheere it lighten it in thy loue and so I shall liue more cherfully for as no creature say philosophers can long liue without some sorte of loue so such as our loue is such is our life If we woulde haue our life pure at liberty glorious let not our loue be slauish corrupte or base O swete Iesu create in me a cleane harte of loue and because our soule is not mooued by paces of the feete but by affections of the harte therfore vnto this loue adde a righte spirite not to be as wicked men who walke in a circle but like Ezechiels beast which went righte onward turned not Allso a righte spirite euen in the bowells of our syncere intentions which as a direct winde at sterne may further and order all our actions holde all our courses streight for heauen TO BE CASTE OVT FROM THE FACE of God is to be caste into all misery Sect. 3. 1. NE proijcias me c. Doo not cast me out from thy face thy holie spirite doo not take from me Dionysius Areopagita vsed to say that our Lord Iesus comes to vs firste goes from vs laste for till we forsake him he doth neuer forsake vs. And as Innocentius tertius saith The holy Ghoste is taken from vs not so much when he ceaseth to be possessed as when he beginneth not to be possessed for he of himselfe ceaseth not to remayne with vs but we firste begin to dispossesse our selues of him for in the day time if any be blind the defecte is in the eye not in the sunne and lighte departeth not till darkenes come 2. Let vs consider o my soule with Ieremy how euill how bitter a thinge it is to haue forsaken our Lord God the faulte is euill the punishment is bitter It is euill because it is sinne which is the worste euill It is bitter in diuersity of the payne which in his sensible parte hath exterior fyre and an interiour worme which allso in his losse is worthely depriued of the presence of God whom we did forsake vnworthely O Iesu let vs neuer forsake thee of our owne frailty nor suffer our selues to be plucked from thee by any tentation least we deserue for euer to be caste out from thee whensoeuer we yeild or loue any thing else more then thee If thou turne awaie thy face of mercy all will be in confusion and from thy face of iustice whither shall we flye O illuminate thy countenance vpon vs and shew vs thy mercie thou arte our lighte our saluation 3. Dauid releasing Absoloms banishment gaue leaue he mighte returne to his owne house but with this commandement my face he shall not see Afterward Absolom complaynes to Ioab saying If my Father be still offended against me let him rather take my life then forbid me his face for it is a matter full of disgrace empty of comforte and wantes a cheife meanes to worke reconciliation because we are sooner mooued in fauour or in pity towardes those whom we haue much conuersante in our eye Wherfore o gracious Lorde caste vs not out from thy face thrust vs not out of thy fauor reiect vs not from thy mercy exclude vs not from thy sighte or knowledge exempte vs not from thy care or prouidence nor let vs be estranged from thy loue or contemplation O let vs neuer heare it said against vs Take awaie the wicked so that he neuer see the glorie of my face for so was Lucifer cast headlong out of thy presence as lightening from heauen and so shall all they be caste with violence from thy face to whom thou shalt say Go you cursed into eternall fire 4. It is miserable to be cast into captiuity bondage as our lord threatned the Iewes I will cast you from my face vidz into Babylon It is terrible to be throwne from an highe Clyffe or a steep mounteyn downe vpon rockes or stones as were those in the chronicles of whom the scripture saith crepuerunt they burste and cracked in peices with their fall It is most horrible intollerable to be reprobate from Gods presence and caste into hell and of such the scripture saith The soule of thine enimyes shal be tumbled as in a wheele or in a whirlewinde or as in the violence or circle of a slinge We beseech thee caste vs not into the miserable bondage of concupiscence or slauish passions nor into the terrible downefall of pride or ambition nor into the vnsufferable torments of future perdition or of present desperation for he sinnes against the holy ghoste who supposeth his sinnes to be greater then thy mercie which applyeth forgiuenes by meanes of the holie ghost and therfore from him who casteth himselfe into such finall desperation thou doost take awaie thy holie spirite O cast me not out by any of these from thy face and thy holie spirite in any sorte doo not take awaie from me 5. Origen saith that when our lord promiseth to looke vpon vs he promiseth all that is good for all our wellfare comes from his fauorable countenance O let vs not be Runnegates like Cayn from the face of God vpon the face of the earthe 1. to forsake God for the worlde But let vs beseech him to looke vpon vs like as he looked vpon S Peter and vpon that yong man in the Gospell whom when he saw he loued him to giue vs lookes of admonition that we may repent and lookes of fauour that we may reioyce To turne away his face of indignation from our sinnes whose faultes doo vrge him to iustice and yet not to caste our persons out of his presence because our misery may mooue him to compassion 6. To be caste out of our owne country by banishment is a ciuil death and it is an ecclesiasticall death to be caste out of the churche by excoÌ„muncation The first is next neighbor to death of body and the other to death of soule But to be caste out from the presence of God is more then both theâ—e for it is indeede the death it selfe both of body and soule It is irckesome to be debarred our owne natiue country and it
is greiuous to be depriued the communion of Sayntes But to be caste out from the fruition ioye of Gods presence is most lamentable The Mary-golde flower another which may be called Follow-suÌ„ne whiles the cherfull sunne shynes vpon them doo alwayes turne themselues towardes his beames moouing their heades after his course from East to west and whiles they feele his comfortable heate they remayne open beautifull fresh but so soone as the sunne is downe or couered with a sharpe storme or great thicke clowde they close shut vp their stowers they hang downe their heades or altogeather wither if they long wante his presence as in winter O Iesu thou arte my eternall sunne I am this fading flower yet if I will followe the as thou wilte neuer go downe so I shall neuer dâ—caye o let me euer be turned toward thy face 7 Pliny writes of a birde named Coladion which brought to a sicke body if she willingly looke directly vpon him there is much hope of life but if she turne away her eye and would not see him it is a signe of death O Iesu beholde me for my soule is sicke if thou turne away thy face from me I must needes dye for only in thy presence is true life Iob was an eye to the blinde as that sea fish Squilla doth serue for eyes vnto another shellfish called Pina O Iesu kepe me in thy presence and fixe thy face vpon me according as thy prophet Zachary said Our lord is the eye of man and of all the tribes of Israel As Ester with Assuerus let me find grace in thyne eyes O lord cast me not out from thy face least so I should wante thy fauour thy guydance and thy defence for euen among men we fasten our eyes vpon another either for loue or for gouernement or for protection O Iesu cast me not out from thy face of fauorable loue O Iesu cast me not out from thy face of directing gouernement O Iesu cast me not out from thy face of protecting defence so shall I reioyce in thee as my kind Patron I will obey thee as my prudent Tutor and I shal be safe with thee as my allmighty Capteyn AMONG SVNDRY OTHER GIFTES OF the holy Ghoste let vs inparticuler labour to be thankefull and to be constante Sect. 4. 1. ANd thy holie spirite doo not take from me I am a penitent and yet I presume to suppose I haue thy holy spirite whose effectes I desire may be encreased not diminished It is an effecte of thy holy spirite to be displeased with sinne for wickednes is a delighte to an vncleane spirite As therfore by this gifte of thy spirite I am come thus farre forwarde to dislike my former sinnes and to seeke pardon so I beseech the not to take froÌ„ me because of my vnworthynes that little which I haue but rather in thy goodnes to giue me yet more whatsoeuer I wante No man can call our lorde Iesus but in the holie ghoste To name him in worde they may but not to beleue in him loue him with their harte aboue any thinge in this worlde this none can doo without the holy spirite which is a spirite or inward breath of holynes no more then any can vocally speake without the breath of ayre O Iesu I beleue helpe my fainte beleefe O Iesu I loue increase my colde charity The small loue poore faith which I haue doo come from thy holy spirite O take not this holie spirite from me thou hast giuen it freely o encrease it graciously 2. In vertue memory of our deare Sauiours fiue woundes some vse to pray to the holy ghoste in fiue wordes 1. Veni come 2. purga cleanse 3. Reple fill 4. Accende inflame 5. Perseuera Continue Come with thy inspirations Cleanse by expulsion of sinne Fillfull with abundance of grace inflame with heat of thy loue and continue all these vnto the end all are necessary good but without perseuerance no vertue is crowned I haue begun in the spirite let me not end in the fleh O take not thy holie spirite from â—e 3. It is a question among schoolmen which is most bound to allmighty God One who was euer innocent or one truly penitent Some doo resolue it thus Innocens maiora debet sed poenitens magis debet Innocency is a greater benefite and so he is in debted for a better gifte But penitence is more difficulte and allso a demerited or disdeserued vertue for which therfore such a one is indebted so much more To preserue one alwayes innocent is to doo good vnto a man not ill To drawe a sinner to repentance is to doo good to an ill man The first did neuer merite his innocence but the other had demerited his penitence Allso it is easyer for him to go forward who is sounde standing on foote then for him who is sicke fallen vnder foote And finally Innocence is a Iewell of more price in the substance and penitence of more value for the workemanship wherfore the one owes more vnto God for being reserued in excellency and the other because he is deliue red with such difficulty 4. And as both procede of mercy vndeserued so if they doo not continue in perseuerance neither of them shal be crowned The fayre blade of corne must come to a good eare to a full kernell to a seasonable haruest to yeildable flowre The beautifull blossome must growe to a welâ— set budde and continue to a kind ripe fruite Saint Paul saying There is reserued for me a crowne of iustice Saint Bernard enquireth what proportion betwene our eternall reward our merites of a few yeares and allso what iustice of rewarde can be due to vs who receiue all of mercy Doubtles becauses our merites procede of his mercy and so doth not mercy exclude merite or iustice but rather vpholde them And as sinners are eternally punished for offending an infinite maiesty so iust men thirsting after righteousnes do merite an eternall crowne of iustice for if they were immortall on earthe they would perpetually serue God And being once sincerely penitent with S. Augustin they would so abandon all their sinfull pleasures that from the instante of their repentance they shoulde no more returne vnto them for euer euer such must be the purpose of a true conuerte for euer to caste of sinne least at any time he be caste out from the face of God and for euer to take care of perseueranae least at any time he loose the holy spirite which he hath receiued for so eternall iustice will giue him an eternall rewarde herin proportionable to his eternall purpose and care to serue God 5. Not like those peicemeale penitentes who still reserue some sinne nor those changeable conuertes who are weary euery moone or such as for a time cease to sinne for a lent for a sicknes for a good sermon or by any such present admonition but
we may be free from all these neither partaking in passion nor for opinion consulting with flesh and bloudde but hauing power giuen to be made sonnes so be borne of God let vs proceede with Dauid earnestly to repeate the name which we loue and to shew the strong desire of our petition by a zealous and vehement repetition Deus Deus salutis meae O God O God of my saluation SOME SHORTE PETITIONS DIRECTED vnto the name Goodnes of God Sect. 2. 1. O God O God of my saluation Some interprete this worde God in greeke to signifye one who beholdeth or one who runneth He seeth our saluation in his foreknowledge and in his exceding loue he runneth spedily to performe all our redemption O God looke vpon vs O God runne vnto vs. Beholde vs for our saluation and hasten vnto vs in our redemption See vs allso in thy foreknowledge of our redemption o God O God come running vnto vs in thy loue of our saluation Furthermore because we hauâ— neede to be saued and sanctifyed in the knowledge of our vnderstanding and in the affections of our will therfore allso bring vs saluation of vnderstanding to see thee and knowe thee O God· O God hasten vs by willing affection to runne vnto the and to loue thy saluation as in another pâ—alme it is said Thou arte my illumination and my saluation viz vnto my will saluation and illumination to my vnderstanding Therfore o God so looke vpon me that I may allso see thee being rightly illuminated O God so runne vnto me that I may come vnto thee being deuoutly affected 2. O God the Author o God mediator of my saluation O infinite Deity O mercifull humanity of my Redeemer O Iesus who arte God! O Christe who arte man O Emmanuel who arte God with vs men O soÌ„ne of man because thou tookest maÌ„hood of a blessed pure Virgin O sonne of God! because thou arte God of God and the eternall substance of the eternall Father O God which arte man O man who arte God! Thou hast auowed of thy selfe I am the saluation of the people working our saluation by suffring as man and accomplishing our saluation by ouercoming as God o deliuer vs from blouddes by the bloud of thy saluation It is a worke of great power to deliuer me from my sinfull corruption of blouddes O God O God it is a fauour of much mercy to shed thine owne bloud for my saluation O God deliuer me from those blouddes for only the power of God can worke it O God grante me saluation in thy bloud for only the mercy of God will accomplish it deliuer and cleanse me from my abhominable corruption of humane bloud by the inestimable preciousnes of diuine bloud this I doo accompte desire as a mysterye of God and a mercy of God for my admirable saluation Deliuer me from blouddes O God O God of my saluation WE DOO REIOYCE OVR LORDES iustice by trusting in his promises or by acknowledging of his mercy which forgiueth the offendour and yet fullfilleth iustice Sect. 3. 1. ANd my tongue shall rejoyce thy iustice O lorde thou wilte open my lippes and my mouthe shall declare thy prayse Saint Gregory saith that the iustice of God is faith in his true religion and we doo reioyce his iustice when we resiste or forsake heresy for Gods cause neither coueting the aduancements or aboundances of this worlde nor fearing his disgustes or pouerity for it is better to liue depending vpon the worde and promises of God in a patient firme hope then to relye vpon the best vncerteintyes of all this worlde in any present possession For without true catholique faith it is impossible to please God and by this faith a iuste man shall liue First spiritually reioycing more that he is a poore member of the Catholique Churche then if he were a mighty riche Prince in heresye and secondly for his body and for his necessityes praying trusting vnto him whose most fatherly prouidence feedeth the Birdes of the ayre and clotheth the lillyes of the feilde and with whom if there be prouision for sparrowes there is more for men and as he hath done good to our soules so he will not neglecte our bodyes 2. O my soule for thy life kepe euer this confidence on him and so reioyce on his fatherly iustice for if we aske him bread he will not giue vs a stone But especially let vs reioyce in his iustice for hauing deliuered vs from the lothsome blouddes of our sinne and broughte vs to the knowledge of his truthe into the estate of iustice of iustification by his grace Allso with men it semes iustice to reuenge an iniury and to free a malefactor is accounted iniustice neither will the rigor of mans sentence be satifyed thoughe an hundred others woulde giue their liues for one offendor coÌ„demned but the party who is guilty must be executed therfore o lord we will reiâ—yce in thy iustice which is appeased by the death of thy only sonne to make him a Sauiour of life for millions of slaues this thy iustice doth both free and aduance heynous offendors this thy iustice doth release any iniury and pardon any penitent malefactor Thy mercy hath propounded promised all this and this thy iustice doth performe ALL THE WORDES OF OVR MOVTH should proceede from God and agayne be referred vnto God Sect. 4. 1. O Lord thou wilte open my lippes and my mouthe shallâ— declare thy prayse Excepte thou O Lorde doo open my lippes excepte thou doo giue me this grace neither can my tongue reioyce nor my mouthe declare thy prayse It is not you which speake said our Sauiour but the spirite of â—y father which is in you therfore with Dauid I will harken what our Lorde speaketh within me andso by his assistance in mine owne comforte for his honor I will exercise all the instrumentes of my voyce my tongue my lippes and my mouthe My tongue shall frame wordes my lippes shall grace their soundes and my mouthe shall pronounce their full sense to reioyce in his iustice to declare his prayse 2. The wise man said It is thou o lord who doost shut vp the mouthes of the proud and makest the tongues of infantes to become eloquent If we open our mouthes of our selues we eyther speake vainly or falsely and sometime we ioyne theÌ„ both together speaking falsely to obteyne vainglory wheras if thou O God diddest open our lippes If we did directe our speeche to thy honor we shoulde euer haue truthe in our tongue and thy prayse in our harte It is conuenient alwayes to remeÌ„ber that saying Quis Cui Quid Quare tu dicas fac saepe requiras Who to whom what wherfore thou arte about to speake firste doo thou examine thy selfe If I be to teach O Lord open my lippes that it may be to profite soules not to set out my selfe not insisting in persuasible wordes of humane wisedome
is dronkard a glutton or a luxurious person for whiles they pronounce that with their mouthes wherof they haue no sauour or delighte in their hartes they doo but counterfeyte or borrowe the mouthe of other true religious men who vtter with deuotion what these doo but pronounce for fashion like puppeets which speake by arte not by nature Rather excepte they woulde amend their liues it were better for themselues they should holde their tongues as Bias sayling in a shippe with certeyn maryners and passengers whose conditions he noted to be very vicious therfore in a storme which presently folowed when they all began to lifte vp their voyces crye vnto their Gods he earnestly desired them to holde their peace Silâ—te ne voshic nauigare Dij sentiant be silent least the Gods perceiue that you sayle here Meaning that the prayers of such companions woulde rather prouoke then appeaâ—e the wrathe of heauen 3. And so Dauid here desires firste to be freed from blouddes or sinnes and afterwarde he entreats for grace to haue his lippes opened for as it is in another psalme If I haue respecte to iniquity our lorde will not harken for how should I obteyne remission of sinne if yet I haue any intention still to sinne O lorde open my lippes o lord doo thou make me worthy doo thou make me able to pray vnto the and to prayse thee My tongue of it selfe is of no value it is only a small peice of flesh which yet according to his vse may worke great effectes maruelous good or extreme bad as Anacarsis being asked what was the best of man he answered the tongue And agayne being asked what was the worste he answered the tongue and therfore nature hath placed it in the close vaulte of our mouthe besette it with teeth as a percullice and our lippes are as the gates to the end that with such Guardes it should be warily kepte in for it must be carefully gouerned as the Rudder or sterne of a shippe the minute wheele of a clocke the trice or pully of a Crane And one compares it to a mattocke or pickaxe which may serue to dig a dungill or to worke in a myne of golde because our tongue may be an instrument to blaspheme sweare reuile sclander c. or to defend Righte to teach truthe to perswade vertue to pray vnto God for his mercy or to prayse him for his goodnes And so I desire o lorde thou wilte open my lippes my mouthe shall declare thy prayse ALL CREATVRES DOO PRAYSE OVR LORD by declaring his goodnes of necessity let vs yeild him all honor for loue and dutye Sect. 7. 1. WHat prayse shall we giue thee o God who diddest make man of the slyme of the earthe what honor shall we ackwoledge to be due vnto thee who hast redeemed vs being loste by the death of thy sonne in the firste we confesse thy gracious power inthe second we doo admire thy powerfull grace All the honor and prayse glory which possibly we can giue vnto thee is not to adde any thing to thy prayse or honor which thou haste in thy selfe infinite without our commendation But to declare some parte of thy glory and prayse which from all creatures is due vnto the. And hence it is that the heauens are said to declare thy glory and hence it is that vsually in thy honor we doo inuite all thy workes euen dumbe creatures to manifest thy prayses 2. All creatures O God doo declare thy prayse euen wicked men diuells whither they will or no they doo affoarde matter occasions to shew forthe thy iustice prouidence wisedome power goodnes long sufferance But betwixte these prayses of thy freindes and enimyes there is much difference for the one is willing the other vnwilling or the one is giuen of purpose the other drawne from them without their purpose or the one procedeth from the nature of their substances or order of their actions but the other especially from the loue of their will from the lighte of their vnderstanding and from the grace goodnes which is in them both O lorde giue my soule such grace and let this grace be diffused in my lippes to loue the honor thee in my harte and so with my mouthe to declare thy prayse O thus let me desire euer that my whole life and all my actions passions may be directed intended by thy loue vnto thine honor O let my harte burne in this loue and let the flames of thy prayse procede out of my mouthe to giue heate vnto others as well as feel warmthe in my selfe 3. And as it is the nature of great heate not so suffer our mouthe to be close shutte nor will we cease to prayse what we loue so contrarily the dead coldnes of sinne doth both quenche this heate and stoppe our mouthes and so will not suffer vs to prayse our lorde Thus S. Basil noteth that it is the nature of sinne to make vs tongue-tyed and to shutte vp our mouthes least we should be able to pray vnto God or to prayse him and else where Dauid saith obstructum est os loquentium iniqua they that speake wickednes their mouthes are euen stopped whiles they speake ALL OVR CONSIDERATIONS AND actions shoulde haue some relation vnto the prayse of God Sect. 8. 1. O Lorde open my lippes to take in breath of thy grace and my mouthe shall set forth thy prayse in wordes of thankesgiuing Thy honor glory O God shall be the scope and end of all my life my soule shall serue for thy prayse and my body shall herin helpe to serue my soule Because as Seneca said I am more noble and borne allso to a more noble end then to serue my bodie as a bruite beast But in my soules contemplation I will consider for thy greater honor thy omnipotency in creating thy prouidence in disposing thy vertue in finishing in preseruation of what is finished thy power in gouernement of what is preserued thy wisedome thy mercy in dooing good to all and thy iustice in punishing the bad These thinges I will consider in mine vnderstanding in my senses I will admire them reioyce for them in my will and with my voyce I will declare thy prayse 2. Saint Peter said this is one end why our lorde redeemed vs that we shoulde shew forthe his vertue And so a philosopher being asked why man was created he answeree to contemplate and beholde the heauens the deuine powers O my soule let vs endeuour thus to meditate on God by contemplation to knowe him by knowing to loue him by louing to possesse him by possessing to enioye him and in this ioye to prayse him O how wonderfull great are thy workes o lorde thy cogitations are exceding deepe an vnwiâ—e man will not knowe and a foole will not vnderstand these thinges If I be not able or not worthy to fasten mine eyes vpon thy selfe I will
bound of necessity to iterate or repeate my repentance for the same sinnes And wise men doo giue it for good counsell not to recall to our minde such passed sinnes as perteyning to delightes of our flesh or to the honors or Riches of the worlde were so pleasing vnto vs that their remembrance thoughe with pretence of remorse may mooue vs in thoughte agayne to delighte somewhat in them as soone as in deede to be contrite for them Except it be at such times when either we feele our selues in feruent deuotion or finde in our selues such abundant mortification that we neede not feare their enticement Other wise that which is delectable to our nature without speciall grace will easily drawe vs to encline to his desire 11. I said we are not bound of necessity to repeate our Contrition for the same sinnes yet when without the said danger we haue opportunity doubtles it is very conuenient somtimes to renew to repeate our contrition and so to endeauour to make it sure good least peraduenture before times it haue bene insufficient Especially at the time of our death we haue neede to repeate it and as much as we can to make all sure yea S. Augustin vsed to say thoughe his conscience accused him of no crime vnrepented yet it is very conuenient at our death to haue CoÌ„trition for whatsoeuer offences of our life and accordingly that holy Father in his sicknes before his death caused the 7. penitentiall psalmes to be set by his Bed-side in great letters that he mighte often repeate them as he did with many teares And in this I speake of generall Contrition actually to be repeated as often as conueniently we can doo it I doo not speake of the often repetition of the selfe same generall confessions which hauing bene made with diligence deuotion once twice or thrice at most in our life time as graue learned discrete men doo auouche it is abundantly sufficient for as it is requisite on our partes to vse our true diligence so it is as necessary in regarde of God allmightyes great goodnes to haue good trust much confidence in his loue mercy fatherly affection towardes vs beleeuing credibly that all is forgiuen vs most fauorably for our gracious God is not like a crafty copesman or a cauilling lawyer ready to spye euery friuolous nullity to take aduantage vpon the smallest ouersighte no no we may oughte to be assured that our Lorde is more ready to forgiue then we to aske pardon wherfore hauing done our endeuour we may comfortably relye vpon his gracious fauour 12. Yet our repentance thoughe Actually it neede not be outwardly repeated more thou once neuertheles it must euer habitually be continued inwardly during our life that is we must neuer committe any thing contrary to the inwarde habite of repentance nor may our sinnes passed at any time afterwarde agayne please vs rather they must alwayes greiue displease vs at least habitually inwardly And these are the propertyes of true contrition THE EXCELLENCYES OF CONTRITION and how in some sorte it may be compared with martyrdome Sect. 7. 1. IT is good to knowe what be the qualityes of contrition but the practise of them is much better It is true the greife sorowe of a contrite harte is vnpleasing bitter in the taste but it will be afterwarde holsome comfortable as wormewood is to the stomacke for sweete meates doo sooner cause corruption obstructions when medicines which are bitter doo open purge the body And of sinnes in the soule Dauid saith There are the dolors of a woman in childebirthe which haue payne in their trauell as they had pleasure in their conception so for the delighte of our sinnes committed we must feele some greife when they are repented and this greife thoughe it be bitter as Aloes yet it is the best medicine against the gnawing wormes of our conscience and as of yron is bred a ruste of clothe a mothe of timber a worme which consume the substances wherof they were engendred and as against poyson are made tryacles and Antidotaryes of other poysons so is sinne consumed by sorowe for sinne and against the punishment of wickednes the punishment of penance is a soueraigne remedye 2. Only hereof we must haue a care that our sorowe for sinne be sincere If thou tell me thy body is wounded shew me thy flesh bleeding or bruised if thou tell me thy harte is contrite let me see thy teares or thoughe men preceiue it not yet at least God allmighty must see thy sorowe In proyning of the vine if it distill any droppes it is a signe it will be fruitfull but if thy repentance be without teares at least of contrition surely thy amendement will be very barren 3. Wherfore Ieremy said be thou gyrded with hayrecloth that is mortifye the appetites of thy flesh and be thou sprinkled with ashes that is refrayne the motions of â—â—y proud mind And cause vnto thy selfe a bitter playnte as the lamentation of an only â—hilde not of an eldest or dearest childe for so is insinuated that more children remayne but eyther as a parent lamenting his only childe or as an only childe mouring for his parents whose greifes must be greatest because they alone must take all the greife And so not much vnlike when by our sinne we loose the fauour of good because we can haue no more Gods we must lament our losse of him as the losse of all for without him we are nothing nor can haue any thinge And eyther we must by our sorowfull repentance regayne his fauour or for euer perish in his displeasure 4. But moste happy we are if we neglecte not our possibility because as Solinus writeth of a founteyn in Epyrus which not only quencheth a burning torche but kindleth it agayne being quenched so by our teares of contrition we may at one instante both quenche the flames of hellfyre due vnto vs and inflame our selues agayne in the fauour and loue of God which we had loste and was justly taken from vs. For the exercise of contrition and daily mortification are so notable in their efficacye and in their dignitye that Dauid here calleth such an afflicted spirite a sacrifice to God and our holy mother the Churche in the hymne of Virgins being allso martyrs hath these wordes Haec tua virge duplici beata sorte dum gestit fragilem domare corporis sexuÌ„ domuit cruentum corpore saeclum Vnde nec mortem nec amica mortis saeua poenarum genera pauescens c. This thy virgin bessed in a double sorte whiles she endeuours to mortifie the frayle sexe of her body she ouercame the cruel worlde together with her body wherfore neither fearing deathe nor any sauage kindes of tortures which are the freindes of death c. Beholde here twoo causes why she is blessed 1. for mortification of her flesh 2. for conquering of the worlde And
proper sacrifices which only these preistes may offer vp which therfore must be somewhat else beside prayers and meere spirituall sacrifices for the offering of these perteyneth vnto others as well as vnto preistes therfore are no proper reall sacrifices 17. As for those places of S. Paul to the Hebrewes that Christe was offered once for all and needeth no more to be offered It is most true in the maner of a bloudye sacrifice but the masse is called by the olde Doctors as you see aboue a sacrifice vnbloudye And allso he speaketh of the sacrifice of the crosse as primary independing and therfore most sufficient neuer to be iterated but this sacrifice of the masse is depending thereon secondary wherfore as representing that former sacrifice deriuing vertue from thence it is but a continuance application of the same And so S. Ambrose answereth in effecte saying What doo we doo we not offer euery day verily we doo offer but dooing it for remembrance of his death And this sacrifice is but one not many for that was once offered in sancto sanctorum but this sacrifice is a representation of that we doo alwayes offer the same sacrifice not now verily one lambe to morowe another but awayes the same sacrifice Therfore the sacrifice is one otherwise because it is offered in many places there shoulde be many Christes Not so but Christe is one euery where our Highpreist he offered a sacrifice cleansing vs we doo now allso offer the same But that which now we sacrifice it is done in commemoration of that which was sacrificed not another sacrifice as the highe preist but we doo alwayes sacrifice the same Thus farre S. Ambrose teaching that we now doo not offer a sacrifice alltogether different from the firste but the selfe same in respecte of the thing offered thoughe diuerse in regarde of the maner which in the Masse is done vnbloudily and was bloudily done vpon the crosse Neither is the Masse altogether of the same efficacye with that of the crosse for now we doo not sacrifice to reconcile mankinde vnto God anewe agayne as by another new firste Acte of reconciliation but only to deriue to applye vnto our selues the fruite of that primary principall firste infinite sacrifice on the crosse 18. The sacrifice of the crosse firste merited and the sacrifice of the Altar deriues that merite By that firste the remedye is sufficient by this second it is effectuall That had merite of infinite measures but the measure of merite in this is finite proportionable vnto vs. according as we in our deuotion doo applye it and therfore that sacrifice being infinite was but once offered wheras this is offered euery daye being proportionate finite to the end that we may daily haue more merite hereby applyed Neither doo we any more iniury to that infinite sacrifice by deriuing applying the merites therof euery day in the repetitioÌ„ of the masse then if one should say that we derogate from the merites vertue of his passion when we frequent repeate the vse of the holy communion or some other repeatable sacrament or deâ—otion whose vertue dependeth on the passion for by repeating these we doo not crucyfye him agayne nor thinke that is was not sufficient he was once crucifyed but we desire continually to profitâ— more more and to applye the merites of his crosse both by those deuotions frequented and by the daily sacrifice of the Masse THE NOTABLE PROPITIATORY VERTVES of the sacred Masse which ought to mooue vs to the frequenting applying of the benefites therof Sect. 5. 1. FVRTHER more the Masse is not only a sacrifice in generall or of comemoration only or of thankesgiuing alone but likewise it is a sacrifice propitiatory to obteyne forgiuens of our sinnes and all other thinges necessary for our soules and our bodyes for the liuing for the dead Saint Cyril Ierosolymitanus writeth thus After that same spirituall sacrifice is made and that same vnbloudy worship we doo beseech allmighty God by that same sacrifice of Propitiation for the generall peace of the church for the tranquillity of the worlde for kinges for souldyers for our fellowes for the sicke for all afflicted and in summe for all them who doo neede releife wherof indeed we haue all need Afterwarde we make mention allso of them who are dead before vs firste of Patriarkes Prophets Apostles and martyrs that almighty God by their prayers and intreates would receiue our petitions Then for the holy fathers Bishops deceased and finally we doo praye for all them who from among vs haue departed this life beleeuing it to be the greatest releife of soules for whom is offered the intreaty of that holy and reuerent sacrifice which is layd vpon the Altar 2. Hereof allso saith S. Chrysostome we doo sacrifice for the fruites of the earthe of the sea and of all the whole worlde And S. Augustine reporteth That one Hesperius a man of worship and principall credite among them in the Territory of Fussal had a Manour or Grange called Cubbedi where together with the afflâ—ction of his cattell and of his seruantes he found that his house was hanted with the violence of malignant spirites he entreated our preistes in my absence saith S. Augustine that some of them would go thither by whole prayers they mighte giue place One went he there did offer the sacrifice of the body of Christe praying as earnestly as he coulde that that vexation mighte cease And almighty God presently shewing mercy it ceased 3. Saint Athanasius auoucheth plainly wee doo vnderstand that the soules of sinners doo participate some beneficence from that same vâ—bloudy offering and gratification made for them And S. Chrysostome These thinges were not rashly ordeyned of the Apostles that in the reuerend mysteryes there should be made a commemoration of the dead for they knowe that from thence may succede vnto them much gayne and much profite 4. Saint Ambrose telleth Faustinus that he must not so much bewayle his sister with teares as rather commend her soule vnto God with oblations As for S. Augustine he is plentifull in diuerse places mentioning both suffrages and sacrifices for the dead and vsed them in particuler for his owne mother deceased not only to giue thanks for their deliuerance out of â—his worlde and in their honor who were certeinly reputed to be in glory but allso for pardon and propitiation of their soules who they were not sure had escaped purgatory 5. O most swete Iesu our blessed Sauior as thou hast giuen vs thy selfe vpon the crosse so we most humbly beseech the to grante vs in our countrye the full free vse of this sacrifice of Iustice for the religious application of all thy merites vnto the liuing and to the dead by the mysteryes and vertue of the holy masse O giue vs grace daily so to be present at those miraculous and sacred solemnityes of thy
perseuerance and glorification what can we render for so great goodnes Let vs agayne agayne euery day receiue this cuppe of saluation call vpon the name of our Lorde First after some conuenient preparation for so great a sacrifice let vs beginne with Confiteor and kyrie eleyson c. to acknowledge our fall in Adam and to accuse our owne sinnes 2. to laude prayse our Sauiors Goodnes redemption with Gloria in excelsis or Sanctus Sanctus c. 3. To professe our constant Catholique faith by the Gospell Creede 4. At the Consecration eleuation by adoring remembring our Sauior his passion to offer sacrifice homage 5. in the Collectes mementos to make our petitions prayers for our selues others according to our necessityes deuoute desires 6. with the Pâ—ter noster to beginne with the Pax Agnus Dei to prodeed and with Domine non sum dignus to accomplish the communion 7. lastly with the laste Collectes and Ite Missa est to giue all thankes in gratitude and to receiue the preistes Blessing with hope that what we haue offred prayed at the Altar shal be admitted granted in heauen throughe the mercy merites mediation passion of our swete Sauior Iesus who is our cheife preist our best Aduocate and our dearest sacrifice abundantly to procure vnto vs by his goodnes whatsoeuer he shall see to be necessary for vs in his wisedome 4. Thus O my soule let vs euery day consider reioyce beleeue obey worship wonder praye or giue thankes during all the time of the Masse Let vs consider the holy action we are about and our owne wretched vnworthy estate Let vs reioyes with the Angells all the hoste of heauen for our gracious deliuerance Let vs Beleeue what our lorde teacheth by his Churche and euer obey whatsoeuer he coÌ„mandeth Let vs worship him as Really Royally preseÌ„t and wonder at his infinite wisedome power goodnes who hath vouchsafed to leaue vs such a sacrament Let vs praye for his mercyes and supplyes to all our wantes and giue him most harty thankes for his admirable loue all his benefites O my harte canst thou holde in my body wheÌ„ thy Sauiour comes downe froÌ„ heauen vnto the Altar shouldest thou be wandring or dull whiles such a sacrifice is in the preistes handes or before thine eyes O sacrifice of iustice which as S. Augustin said significando causat gratiam O gracious Sauiour let it signifye and imprinte in our hartes the memory fruite of thy death passion therby in patience to order our life to prepare vs for death with ioyfullnes 5. Then wilte thou accepte oblations of secular people according to their deuotion and the whole burnte offringes of religious persons who renounce themselues and all they haue into thy peculiar obedience Then shall both these sortes be willing ready to lay calues vpon thine Altar that is saith Innocentius to suffer martyrdome for the Catholique faithe for which in this worlde we may be tormented sacrificed as vpon thy crosse or vpon thine Altar of payne or disgrace but Then in the next worlde we shall assuredly remayne with those martyred soules which S. Ihon saw in his reuelation to rest vnder thine Altar of quiet glory O gracious Sauiour I am of my selfe most vnworthy in any of these sortes to serue at thine Altar O sweete Iesu thou haste begonne among lay people to make me a little worthy If it be thy blessed will I humbly doo beseeche thee among religious persons or martyrs to make me more blessed O giue me this strenghte confirme me in this will Then if I willingly forsake the earthe for thee I shall in heauen â—â—ore speedily more certeinly for euer raigne with thee where with all Angells â—yntes o Lord let vs all offer the sacrifice of iust prayse yeilding the celestiall oblations of our bodyes incorruptible and the glorious immortality of our soules transported into an holocauste of heauenly zeale louing praysing and reioycing with all our harte with all our minde with all our soule that is in all our vnderstanding without any error in all our memory without any forgetfullnes and in all our will without any contrariety Thus euer let vs offer eternall sacrifice and alwayes enioye thy happy presence O blessed Sauiour this we beseech thee for thine owne precious merites and by the prayers of thy most deare Mother and all Saynts Amen Omnia Sanctae Romanae Catholicae Apostolicae Ecclesiae submissa sunto FINIS A TABLE OF THE MEDITATIONS AND SECTIONS CONTEYNED IN THIS BOOKE MEDITATION I. Psalmus Dauid cùm venit ad eum Nathan Propheta quando intrauit ad Bersabee OF the occasion and number of this Psalme by Dauids example to beware of Lust. Sect. 1. OF witty plaine reprehensions and of the Authors lamentation of his former life Sect. 2. MEDITATION II. Miserere mei Deus secundum magnam misericordiam tuam Et secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum dele iniquitatem meam Ampliùs laua me ab iniquitate mea à peccato meo munda me A Short Diuision explication of all these words Sect. 1. The miserable effects of sinne are declared according to the Schoolmen And some short petitions for mercy are made against their misery Sect. 2. Other wretched effects of sinne are declared out of the Scriptures Doctors by which we are warned from them Sect. 3. Of the Name Nature of God Who he is what we are and how vnspeakably we are beholding vnto his great goodnes Sect. 4. Sundry excellent obseruations of S. Bernard applyed to this Meditation of our Lords great Mercies multitude of Miserations Sect. 5. What mercy is of the effects Also how synnes are blotted out by multitudes Sect. 6. Of the great care we must vse to purge all sinne that we our selues must do heerin some diligence not standing idle to leaue all vnto Christ. Sect. 7. We must dayly proceede in zeale against all sinne in particuler against the sensualities of the flesh Sect. 8. MEDITATION III. Quoniam iniquitatem meam ego cognosco peccatum meum contra me est semper Tibi soli peccaui malum coram to feci vt iustificeris in fermonibus tuis vincas cum iudicaris HOw we must marke abhorre beware sinne as a trecherous and dangerous enemy Sect. 1. That euery one must acknowledge his owne faultes laying his hand on his own harte rather accuse himself then censure any other Sect. 2. It is necessary to remember harmes of sinne therby learning to amend take-heede of sinne Sect. 3. Diuers interpretations of these wordes Tibi soli Vnto thee alone c. Sect. 4. When we comitte sinne before our Lord And that he seeth not as man seeth Sect. 5. Of Diuers wayes by which our Lord is iustifyed and may be said to ouercome when he is iudged Sect. 6. MEDITATION
remayned blind in respect of Ananias practicall experience For speculatiue knowledge alone is but as the lighte of the moone which shyneth feebly but this knowledge made practicall is glorious as the sunne which hath both heate and brightnes by heate to giue vs motion with his brightnes to shew vs light how to walke and to lead a good christian life and vnto both these together we may referre that of Dauid Lux orta est iusto rectis corde laetitia a light is arisen vnto the just and vnto the righte in harte ioyfullnes for speculation giueth lighte practise causeth joyfullnes whereof we must make one coniunction both to be just in speculatiue brightnes of lighte and to be righte in harte by practicall heate of ioyfullnes 9. And further more this practicall knowledge must be exercised in our selues for wante of which practise S. Augustin complayned thus I haue wandred O God seeking thee without who wert within And so doo all men wander out of themselues when euery one particulerly doth not consider his owne inwarde estate of soule what and who he is by whom created and to what end for want of which serious considerations not marking our sinnes nor our misery we seeke not our remedy but as S. Gregory said like foolish trauellers passing through a short pleasing meddowe we doo so much fasten our eyes vpon some fayre seeming flowres that we fall into some ditch or take some wrong way leading to destruction 10. For as the cause of all the prodigall childes misery came by departing out of his Fathers house and then out of himselfe into a farre country so his remedy beganne as the gospell saith In se autem reuersus when he returned into himselfe and to the knowledge of his miserable estate and of his vile courses wherfore meditating on the End wherto he was like to come by sinne he said Ego autem hic fame pereo reuertar in domum patris mei here I doo perish by famine I will returne into the house of my Father And so must we all reflecte vpon our selues learning to knowe who God is and what we are pondering the abhomination of our sinnes passed the dread and feare of our conscience present and the horrible terror of iudgement and punishment to come O thus let vs often imitate Dauid saying Meditatus sum nocte cum corde meo exercitabar scopebam spiritum meum I haue meditated in the night with mine owne harte I was exercised and I did sweepe my spirite O thus let vs sweepe and clense our soules by meditation and practicall knowledge of our owne hartes in examining our religioÌ„ trying our faith heedfull looking to our workes then shall we see our Errors and our faultes then will we chuse a better course for our saluation then shall we exercise our selues in deedes of penance in Actes of contrition in syncere confessions in due satisfactions and in diuerse kinds of voluntary and deuout mortifications 11. O that we would consider how we are corrupted in all our partes 1. In our fleshe and body 2. In our Animall parte and lâ—fe 3. In our spirituall parte and reason In our corporall partes and outward senses In our inward senses and appetites irascible concupiscible imagination and selfe will In our reasonable vnderstanding memory and free will In all these we haue rendred our selues as slaues into the Diuells bondage whiles we suffer sinne to reigne and haue dominion in vs so that our vnderstanding is obscured our will is depraued and our memory is blotted with much euill we haue our irascible power full of impatience and anger and the concupiscible inflamed with brutish affections and carnall delightes our Imagination is turmoyled with worldly desires and vayne suspitions our selfewill is crookened hardened by obstinacy all the partes and outward senses of our bodyes are become the members and instrumentes of sinne and so we passe from vice to vice and euery day we intangle our selues in new iniquityes and in more chaynes by which the Diuell leades vs along to his eternall prison of tormentes whiles we yeild our selues to committe or to continue any mortall sinne without contrition and true care of amendment 12. It is true we are not able by our selues alone to get out of the Diuells slauery to forsake sinne nor to alter and amend entirely the course of our liues for hauing once yeilded and liued in the custome and subiection of sinne and Satan we haue need of Allmighty Gods helpe and grace to deliuer vs first preuenting and stirring vs vp to haue a good will and afterward allso working with our will to bringe our conuersion and repentance vnto a full worke for euery good desire which we haue doth proceed from Gods grace offered and although our will be free to admit or refuse the accomplishment of those good desires as neither compelled vnto them by outwarde violence nor necessitated by inward qualitye neither as a stone naturally necessarily falling downeward nor forced vpward violently but differing herein from senseles brutish creatures freely consenting or dissenting to all good motions yet as allmighty God doth first inspire them so further without his grace we are no way able to effect them for in religious spirituall good thinges without him we can do nothing 13. But on the other side we haue greater and assured comfortes First because our Lorde doth offer grace vnto all men at one time or other by giuing theÌ„ good desires of a better life by which he would haue all men to be saued If they euer refuse these good morioÌ„s then are they iustly forsaken left in a reprobate sense If we doo at any time admitte these good desires so do but as much as lyes in our power then most infallibly our Lord doth giue vs further grace meanes wherby to come to the knowledge of his truth Of the first preuenting inspirations Gods wisdome saith Beholde I stande at the dore knocke if we open not but keepe him out it is our fault if on our partes we yeild him entrance then alltogeather with the Father and the Sonne they will come vnto vs by operating grace effecting our full resolution and by further grace still cooperating they will dwell with vs in practise continuance of a vertuous holy life till the accomplishment of our saluation if we of our selues doo neuer driue him from vs agayne by committing some mortall sinne 14. Our second comforte is that as if we let him into vs when he knocketh by preuenting grace admonishing our hartes so by his operating following grace when we are resolued if we do but knocke by prayer at his doore of mercy he doth euer most vndoubtedly receiue vs into fauour O most gracious God full of mercy who doth call vnto vs by grace that we should call vnto him for mercy can any creature wish for greater clemency then to haue forgiuenes for the asking And is