THE FIRST CHAPTER. Of the vnſpeakable ſweetnes of God.

LET me knowe thee, O Lord, thou who knoweſt me. Let me knowe the, O thou ſtrength of my ſoute. Shew thy ſelfe to me, O thou who art my comforter: let me ſee thee, O thou, who art the light of myne eyes. Come, O thou ioy of my ſpirit, let me behold thee, O thou ſolace of my harte. Make me loue thee, O thou life of my ſoule. Appeare to me, O thou who art my great delight, my ſweete conſolation, my Lord, my God, my life, and the totall glory of my ſoule. Let me finde thee, O thou deſire of my harte: Let me poſſeſſe thee, O thou loue of my ſoule. Let me embrace thee, O thou celeſtiall Spouſe! O thou my ſoueraigne, and both my externall, and internall ioy. Let me poſſeſſe thee, O thou eternall beatitude. Let me poſſeſſe thee in the very center of my hart, O thou bleſſed life, and thou ſoueraigne ſweetnes of my ſoule.

I wil loue thee, O Lord, my ſtrength, O Lord, my foundation, and my refuge, and my deliuerer, Let me loue thee, O my God, and my helper; thou who art a tower of ſtrength to me, and my deare hope in all my aduerſity. Let me embrace thee, who art that Good, without which nothing is good, and let me enioy me thee, who are that beſt, without which nothing is beſt. Open the deepe hollowes of myne eares, by thy word, which is more penetratiue then any two edged ſword, that ſoe I may growe to heare thy voyce. Thunder, O Lord, from aboue, with that voyce of thyne, which is ſoe loud and ſtrong Let the Sea, and the fulneſſe therof tunder out: let & the Earth, and all which is therein, be moued. Illuſtrate myne eyes, O thou incomprehenſible light: Darte forth that bright lightening, and diſſipate thē, that they may not behold vanity. Drawe downe the riuers at full ſpeede, put them into commotion, that the fountaynes of water may appeare, and the foundations of the Earth may be diſcloſed.

O thou inuiſible light, grant to vs ſuch a power of ſeeing, as that wee may be able to behold thee. Grante, O thou odour of life, ſuch a new power of ſmelling in vs, as that wee may runn after thee, vpon the odour of thy ointments. Cure this taſte of ours, that it may relish, and diſcerne, and knowe, how great that multitude of thy ſweetenes layd vp, for ſuch as feare thee: that is, of ſuch as are full filled with thy loue. Graunt me a hart which may thinke of thee, a will, which may loue thee, a minde, which may remember thee; an vnderſtanding, which may conceiue thee; and a reaſon, which may adheare cloſe to thee, who art the ſupreame delight, and art to be ſoe for euer. Let that loue which is wiſe, be euer loueinge thee.

O thou Life, to which all things liue; Life which giueſt me life: Life which is my very life it ſelfe, whereby I liue, and without which I dye: Life, whereby I am reuiued, and without which I perish: Life whereby I reioyce; and with out which I am in miſery: Life, which art a vitall life, a Life which is ſweete and amiable, and to be remembered for euer, where art thou? I beſeech thee, that I may finde thee, that I may faynt in my ſelfe, and be refreshed in thee? Be thou neer to me in my ſoule, neer in my hart: neer, in my mouth: neer in myne eares: neer, to giue me helpe, becauſe I languish with loue; becauſe I dye without thee, and I am reuiued by remembring thee. Thy odour doth refresh me: the memory of thee doth cure me, but I shall then onely be ſatisfyed when thy glory shall appeare, O thou life of my ſoule.

My ſoule earneſtly deſires, and doth euen languish through the memory of thee. When shall I come, and appeare before thee, O thou my ioy? Why doeſt thou turne thy face from me, O thou my ioy, wherein I reioyce? where art thou hidden o beautie, which I deſire? I ſmell the ſweete odour of thee: I liue, and I ioy therein. Thy ſelfe I doe not ſee, but I heare thy voyce, and it reuiues me. But why doeſt thou hide thy Face from me? Doeſt thou ſay perhaps, that noe man shall ſee my Face, and liue? well then, O Lord, let me dye, that I may ſee thee, and let me ſee thee, that I may dye here below.

I will not liue, but I will dy. I deſire to be diſſolued, and to be with Chriſt. I deſire to dye that I may ſee Chriſt, I refuſe to liue, that I may liue with Chriſt.

O Lord Ieſus, receiue my ſpirit! O thou my life, receiue my ſoule. O thou my ioy, drawe my hart vp to thee; O thou my ſweete food, let me feede on thee. O thou my Heade, direct me: Light of mine eyes, illuminate me: O thou my true ſweetenes, temper me; thou pretious odour quicken me; thou Word of God, recreate me. O thou my praiſe, delight thou the ſoule of thy ſeruant; enter into it, O thou ioy of myne, that it may reioyce in thee. Enter into it, O thou ſoueraigne ſweetenes, that it may relish thoſe things which indeed are ſweete. O thou eternall light, illuſtrate it, that it may vnderſtand, & knowe, and loue thee. For therefore it is, o Lord, that he who loues thee not, doth not loue thee, becauſe he knowes thee not: and therfore doth he not knowe thee, becauſe he vnderſtands thee not, and therefore he vnderſtands thee not, becauſe he comprehends not thy light: For the light shined in darkenes, and darkenes comprehended it not.

O thou light of our mindes, O bright Truth, which illuminateſt all men comeing into this world: comeing into it indeede, but not loueinge it. For he who loueth the world is made the enemy of God.) Driue of all darkenes, from the face of the Abyſſe of my minde; that it may ſee thee, by knoweing thee; that it may knowe thee, by comprehending thee; and that by ſoe knowing thee, it may loue thee. For whoſoeuer knoweth thee, forgetts himſelf, that he may loue thee. He loues thee more then himſelfe; he forſakes himſelf, that he may fly to thee, and that he may reioyce in thee. From hence therefore it growes, O Lord, that I loue thee not ſoe much as I ought, becauſe I doe not fully knowe thee. But becauſe I knowe thee little, I loue thee little; and becauſe I loue thee little, I reioyce little in thee; but departing from thee, (who art the true interiour ioy) towards exteriour things, whileſt I want thee alone. I affect to finde impure, and falſe freindships, amongſt thy creatures. And ſo (wretch that I am) I haue beſtowed this hart of myne, vpon vayne things, which I ought to haue imployed vpon thee with an entire appetite, and affection; and ſo, by loueing vanity, my ſelfe am growen to be wholy vayne. And hence alſo it is, O Lord, that I reioyce not in thee, and that I adheare not to thee. For I, am in exteriour things, thou in interiour: I am in temporall things, thou in ſpirituall: my minde is ſcattered & ſpilt, my thought is entertayned, my ſpeach is imployed vpon tranſitory obiects: but thou, O Lord, doeſt dwell in the eternities, and art eternity it ſelfe. Thou art in heauen, I on earth: thou loueſt high, and I lowe things; thou celeſtiall, I terreſtriall: & when shall theſe contrarietyes, be euer able to meete?

CHAP. II. Of the miſery and frayletie of Man.

WRetch that I am, when shall this crookednes of mine be ſtraightened, according to that rectitude of thyne. Thou, O Lord, loueſt to be alone, and I to be in multituds: Thou loueſt to be in ſilence, and I in noyſe: Thou loueſt truth, and I loue vanity: Thou loueſt purity, and I vncleanenes. What should I ſay more, O Lord: thou art truely good, and I naughty: thou art holy, and I am wicked; thou art happy, and I vniuſt: thou art light it ſelfe, and I am truely blinde: thou art life it ſelfe, and I am dead: thou art Phiſicke, and I am ſicke: thou art ioy, and I am ſorrow, thou art ſoueraigne Truth, and I am an vniuerſality of vanitie, as indeede all men liueinge are Woe be therefore to me, O thou Creatour of myne, what shall I ſay? Yet hearken thou, O my Creatour, for I am thy creature, and I am euen now vpon perishing; I am thy creature, and am euen very now, vpon dying. I am the worke of thy hands, and I am, euen now, reduced to nothing. I am the thing which thou haſte made. Thy hands▪ O Lord, haue made me, and fashioned me; thoſe hands I ſay, which were faſtened to the Croſſe, with nayles, for me. Doe not, O Lord, deſpiſe the worke of thoſe hands of thine I beſeech thee, behold the wounds which are in thine owne hands. Behold, O Lord, how thou haſte writtē me, in thyne owne hāds. Reade that wrightinge of thine, and ſaue me. Behold I thy creature doe ſigh towards thee, thou art my Creatour, and doe thou refresh me. Behold I, who am the worke of thy hands, cry out to thee; thou art life it ſelf, doe thou quicken me. Behold I, whom thou haſte framed, am lookeing towards thee; thou art my maker, and therefore doe thou reſtore me. Pardon me, O Lord, for my dayes are nothing.

And yet, what is any man, that he should preſume to ſpeake to his Creator, who is God? Pardon me whileſt I am ſpeakeing to thee; forgiue thy ſlaue, who preſumes to open his mouth, to ſoe great a Lord. But neceſſity hath noe lawe. Greife forces me to ſpeake; the calamity which I endure, conſtraynes me to cry out. I am ſicke, and I cry out to my Phyſician. I am blinde and I make haſte towards the light. I am dead, and I aſpire towards life. Thou, O Ieſus of Nazareth, art the Phyſician, thou art the Light, & thou art life

Haue mercy on me, O thou Sonne of Dauid: Take pitty on me, O thou fountaine of mercy. Giue eare ro thy poore creature which cryes out after thee. O thou light, which art paſſing by, expect this blinde man, reach forth thy hand to him, that he may come to thee, ard may ſee light in thy light. O thou liueing life reuiue thou this dead man. But yet, who am I, that am ſpeakinge to thee? Woe be to me, O Lord, haue mercy on me, O Lord: on me, who am a rotten carkas, the food of wormes, a ſtinkeing pott, and that matter, whereon fyre muſt feede: VVoe be to me, O Lord, wretched man that I am: Man, who being borne of a woeman, is to liue but a little time, and is to be filled with many miſeries: Man, I ſay, who is growen like to vanity it ſelfe, and being cōpared to the foolish beaſts, is now alſo become like to them.

But yet ſtill what am I? a darke abyſſe, a wretched peece of earth, a childe of wrath, a veſſell euen made fitt for reproach; begotten with impurity, liueing in myſery, and dying in agony. Alas poore wretch, what am I? and yet againe, alas, what am I to be? A veſſell full of dunge, a hollow shell full of putrefaction, full of ſtinkeing filth, which euen breedeth horrour. Blynde, poore, naked, ſubiect to a world of myſeries, and, wholly ignorant, eyther how I came into the world, or how I shall gett out. Miſerable, and mortall, whoſe dayes paſſe away like a shadow, whoſe life doth vanish, like awayning Moone, like a flower which groweth vpon a ſtalke, and preſently decayes. Now it florisheth, and in the turneing of a hande, it withereth.

This life, I ſay, this frayle life of myne, this tranſitory life, this life, which how muche the more it encreaſeth, ſoe much the more it decayes: how much the more it proceedes, ſo much the nearer it drawes to death. A deceiptfull life, and like to a shadow, and all beſett, with the very ſnares of death. Now I reioyce, and euen now againe I am ſadd; now I am ſtrong, and now againe I am weake; now I liue, and now I am about to dye; now I laugh, and now againe I weepe, now I ſeeme happy, whileſt yet I am all wayes miſerable. And ſoe ſubiect are all things to change, vpon all warninges, as that there is ſcarce any one of them, which continueth permanent for the ſpace of an houre. Here feare and apprehenſion, and hunger, and thirſt, and heate, and cold, and ſickenes of body, and ſorrow of mynd is in all aboundance. And all theſe are followed by vntimely death, which ſnatcheth men out of the world by a thouſand wayes. It kills one man with a feauer, another man is oppreſſed with greife of mynd; hunger conſumeth one, thirſt makes an end of another; one man is drowned by water, another man is ſtrangled by a halter; another is deſtroyed by fyre, another is deuowred by wilde beaſts. One is killed by the ſword, another is corrupted by poyſon; and another ends his miſerable life, by the ſurpriſe of ſome ſtrange and ſodayne feare, And now beſides, and beyond all theſe things, a huge miſery it is, that as nothing is more certayn then death, ſoe of nothing is a man more vncertayn, then of the tyme when he shal dy. When he thinkes he ſtandeth faſteſt, he is tripped vp, and his hope perisheth. Noe man can tel, eyther when or where, or how he shall dye; and yet he is ſure enough, that dye he muſt.

Behold, O Lord, how great this miſery of man is, wherein I am placed, & yet I am voyd of feare. How great the calamite is which I endure, and yet I am farre from greife, nor doe I cry out to thee. But I will cry out O Lord, before I paſſe away, to the end that I may not paſſe away, but remayne in thee. I will therfore declare, I will declare my miſery. & I will not be ashamed to confeſſe my baſenes before thee. Helpe me, O thou my ſtrength, whereby I am raiſed; ſuccour me, O thou Power whereby I am ſuſteyned. Approach to me, O thou light, whereby I ſee; Appeare to me, O glory, wherein I ioy; diſcloſe thy ſelfe to me, O thou life, whereby I liue, O thou my Lord and my God.

CHAP. III. Of the admirable light of God

O Thou light, which Tobias ſawe, when he taught his ſonne the way, of life, though himſelfe were blinde. Thou light which Iſaack ſawe interiourly, when he foretold future things to his sōne, though his eyes of flesh and blood, were full of darkenes. Thou inuiſible light I ſay to which all the abyſſes of humane harts are viſible. Thou light which Iacob ſawe, when thou teaching him interiourly, he did exteriourly prophecie to his children. Behold, whileſt thou art light, deepe darkenes is ſpredd ouer the face of the abyſſe of my minde. Behold, whileſt thou art truth, a thicke miſt, is ſpredd ouer the wateres of my hart. O thou word, whereby all things are made, and without which nothing is made: Thou Vvord, which art before all things, and nothing was before it: Thou VVord, which guideſt all things, and without which all things are nothing; thou Vvord which ſaydeſt in the beginning, Let light be made, and light was made; ſay that alſo to me; let light be made, and let it then indeede be made. And make me alſo knowe whatſoeuer is not light, becauſe, without thy helpe, I shall miſtake light for darkenes, and darkents for light, And ſo without thy light, there is noe truth; but errour and vanity are at hand; There is no order, but eonfuſion; noe knowledge, but ignorance; noe ſight but blindenes; noe open way, but wandering mazes; noe life, but death.

CHAP. IV. Of the mortality of Mans nature.

BEhold, O Lord, becauſe there is noe light, there is death; or rather, I cannot ſay, that death is there; becauſe death indeede is nothing? and by that we tend to be nothing; whileſt we are not affrayd to make our ſelues nothing, by committing ſinne. And this, O Lord happeneth iuſtly to vs. For we receiue penishement, fitt for our demerits, whileſt we ſlide away, like a little falling water. For nothing is made without thee. And by doeing, and makeing that which is nothing, we growe to be nothing, becauſe we are nothing without thee, by whome all things are made, & without whome nothing is made. O Lord, (thou who art the Word; O God, who art the Vvord, by whome all things, and without whome nothing is made) Vvoe be to me miſeaable creature, who haue beene ſoe often blynded, for thou art light, and I haue beene voyd of thee. Vvoe be to me miſerable creature, who haue beene ſoe often wounded; for thou art health it ſelfe; and I am voyd of thee. Vvoe be to me miſerable creature, who haue ſoe often beene infatuated by errour; for thou art Truth, and I am voyd of thee. Vvoe be to me miſerable creature, who haue ſoe often gone aſtray; for thou art the way, & I haue wandred from thee. Vvoe be to me miſerable creature, who haue beene ſo often dead, for thou art life, and I am without thee, Vvoe be to me miſerable creature, who haue beene annihilated ſoe often; for thou art that Vvord, by which all things were made, and I am without thee, without whome nothing is made.

O Lord who art the word. O God the Vvord, who art that light, whereby light is made; who art the way, the truth, and the life, in whome, there is noe darkenes, nor vanity, nor death. Light, without 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 which all is darkenes; Vvay without which all is errour; Truth, without which, all is vanity; and life, without which, all is death. O Lord, doe but ſay this word, Fiat lux: let light be made, that ſoe I may ſee light, and auoyd darkenes; that I may ſee the way, and auoyd ſtraying; that I may ſee truth, and auoyd vanity: that I may ſee life, and auoyd death.

O Lord, my light, doe thou illuminate me: O thou, my illumination, and my ſaluation, whome I will praiſe: my God, whome I will honour; my Father whome I will loue; and my ſpouſe, for whome I will preſerue my ſelfe. Shine forth, I ſay, shine forth, thou light, vpon this blinde creature of thine, who is ſitting in darkenes, and the shadow of death; and direct his feete into the way of peace; Vvhereby I may enter into the place of thy admirable Tabernacle, as farre as the houſe of God himſelfe, and the voyce of exultation, and confeſſion. For a true Confeſſion, is the way whereby one may enter into thee, who art the way; whereby we may departe from all wandring, and may returne againe, to the ſame way; becauſe thou art that true way of life.

CHAP. V. VVhat it is, to be made nothing.

I will therfor confeſſe my miſery to thee; I will confeſſe to thee, O thou my Father, and my Lord, that maker of Heauen and Earth, that ſoe I may be admitted, to approche thy mercy. For I am made wholly miſerable, and am reduced to nothing, and I knew it not. For thou art truth and I was not with thee. My iniquityes haue wounded me, and I was not troubled thereat. For thou art life, and I was not with thee.

They brought me to nothing, becauſe I was not with thee, who art the Word, whereby all things were made, and without it nothing, and therefore did I become nothing without thee. For that is nothing which leades to nothing. All things are made by him; whatſoeuer are made; and what kinde of things where they? God ſawe all thoſe things which he made, and they were very good. All things which are made, were made by the Word, and whatſoeuer things were made by that Word, are very good. Why are they good, in regard that all things are made by the Vvord, & without it nothing is made? Becauſe nothing is good withaut a participation of that ſouueraigne Good But ſinne is there, where that Good is not: and for that cauſe, it is euen nothing. For euill is nothing, but a priuation of good; as blindenes is noe other thing but a priuation of light. Sinne therefore is nothing becauſe it is made without the Vvord, without which nothing is made; and that is ſinne or euill which is depriued of that good, whereby all things are made, which haue any beeing. But now thoſe things which are not, are not made by him; and conſequently they are nothing. Therefore thoſe things are euill, which are not made, becauſe all things which are made, are made by the Vvord, and all things which are made by the Vvord are good. Since therefore all things are made by the Vvord, ſinne is not made by it; and therefore it remaynes that all things, which are not made, be not good, for as much as all things which are made, be good, and therefore thoſe things are euill, which are not made: and therefore they are nothing, becauſe nothing is made, without the Vvord. Sinne therefore is nothing, becauſe it is not made. But then how is it euill, if it be nothing? Becauſe euill is a priuation of that good, whereby that which is made is good.

To be therefore whithout the Vvord, is to be euill, which yet is not properly to be; becauſe nothing is without it. But what is it to be ſeparated from the word? If thou deſire to knowe this, learne firſt what this Vvord is. The Vvord of God ſayth, I am the Vvay, the Truth, and the Life. To be ſeparated therefore from the Vvord, is to be out of the Vvay, and without Truth, and life; and therefore without it, is nothing, and ſo it is euill, in being ſeparated from the Vvord, whereby all things were made very good. To be ſeparated then from the Vvord, whereby all things were made, is noe other thing, then to faile, and to paſſe from being a fact, to be a defect; becauſe nothing truely is without it. As often therefore as thou departeſt from good, thou doeſt ſeparate thy ſelfe from the Vvord, becauſe the Vvord is good; and ſoe thou groweſt to be nothing, becauſe thou art without the Vvord, without which nothing is made.

Now therefore O Lord, thou O light, haſt illuminated me, that I might ſee thee: I ſawe thee, and I knowe my ſelfe; for ſoe often haue I growen to he nothing, as I haue ſeparated my ſelfe from thee; and becauſe I forgett that good which thou art, therefore did I growe to be wicked. Woe be to me, wretched man, how came it to paſſe, that I knewe not that by forſakeing thee, I grewe to be nothing? but why doe I aske, how I could be ignorant thereof, if I were nothing? we knowe what it is to be nothing, that it is not, which is nothing; and that the thing which is not good, is not, becauſe it is nothing. If therefore I were not, when I was without thee, I was as nothing; and as an idoll, which is nothing. Vvhich hath eares indeede, but it heareth not; noſtrells, but it ſmelleth not; eyes, but it ſeeth not; a mouth, but it ſpeaketh not; hands, but it feeleth not; feete, but it walketh not; and it hath all the lineaments or parts of a body, but yet without that ſenſe, which, belongeth to them.

CHAP. VI. Of the fall of a ſoule, by ſinne.

WHen therfore I was without thee, I was not any thing, but I was nothing; & therfore I was blinde, deafe, & inſenſible, becauſe I diſcerned not that which was ill, nor felt the afflictiō of my wounds, nor could I diſcerne myne owne darkenes, becauſe I was without thee, who art the true light, which illuminateth all men comeing into the world. Vvoe be to me, they haue any other parte thereof; but onely ſoe farre forth, as they are conſerued by the Word, whereby all things are made. Let me therefore adheare to thee, O Word, that thou mayeſt conſerue me. For as ſoone as I departed from thee, I had vtterly perished in my ſelf, but that thou, who haddeſt made me once, dideſt vouchſafe to make me yet againe. I ſinned, and thou dideſt viſit me. I fell, & thou dideſt rayſe me. I was ignorant, & thou diddeſt teach me. I was blinde, and thou diddeſt illuminate me.

CHAP. VII. Of the manifold benefitts of Almighty God.

DEclare to me, O my God, how much, I, miſerable creature, am bound to loue thee. Declare to mee, how much I am obliged to praiſe thee; & make me ſee, how much I muſt procure to pleaſe thee. Thunder downe O Lord, from aboue, with a shrill, & ſteady voyce, into the interiour eare of my harte. Teach me, & ſaue me, and I will prayſe thee, who dideſt create me, when I was nothing, who dideſt illuminate me, when I was in darkenes; who dideſt reuiue me, when I was dead; and who haſt fedd me, from my very youth, with all thy good bleſſings. Yea and doeſt now nourish this vnprofitable worme who is ſtinkeing, and rotteing in his ſinn • s, with all thy moſt excellent guifts.

Open to me O thou key of Dauid thou who openeſt, and noe man shutteth, to whome thou openeſt: and who shutteſt, and noe man openeth to him, to whome thou shutteſt. Open, I ſay, the gate of thy light towards me, that I may enter in, and ſee, & knowe and confeſſe to thee, with my whole hart, becauſe thy mercy towards me is greate, and thou haſt drawen my ſoule, out of that lower hell. O Lord, my God, how admirable and prayſeworthy is thy Name, throughout the word? And what is man that thou shouldeſt be mindefull of him, or the ſonne of man, that thou shouldeſt viſit him? O Lord thou hope of thy Saints, and thou tower of theyr ſtrength: O God, thou life of my ſoule, whereby I liue, and without which I dye. Thou light of myne eyes, by which I ſee, and without which I am blinde; thou ioy of my hart, and thou delight of my ſpirit; I beſeeche thee that I may loue thee, with my whole hart, and with my whole mynde, & euen with all the very bowells of my affection, ſince thy ſelfe didſt firſt loue me.

And how came I to obteyne this fauour at thy hands, O thou Creatour of the Heauens, and of the Earth, and of that deepe abyſſe: Thou who haſte noe neede of any thing, which is myne? VVhence came I to be ſoe happy, as that thou shouldeſt carry loue to me? O thou VViſdome, which openeſt the mouthes of dumbe men: O thou VVord whereby all things were made; open thou my mouth, endewe me with the voyce of prayſe, that I may recount all thoſe benefits, which thou O Lord, haſt beſtowed on me, from the beginning.

For behold, I am, becauſe thou haſt created me, and that thou wouldeſt create me, and number me out, in the multitudes of thy other creatures, thou diddeſt preordeyne from all eternity, before thou madeſt any thing; in that beginning of the world, before thou dideſt extend, and ſpread the heauens abroade, nether yet, was there any abyſſe of the ſea, nor hadeſt thou made the Earth, nor layd a foundation for the mountaynes nether yet had the fountaynes broken forth. Before all theſe things, I ſay, which thou madeſt by thy Word, thou dideſt foreſee by the moſt certayn prouidence of thy truth that I was to be thy creature, & thou wert reſolued, that I should be ſoe. And whence grew this benefit to me, O thou moſt benigne Lord, moſt high God, moſt mercifull Father, moſt puiſſant, & withall for euer meeke Creatour? VVhat merits were there of myne? What meanes was there to make me ſoe acceptable, that it should be pleaſing in the ſight of thy mighty Maieſty, to create me? I had noe beeing, and thou madeſt me of nothing.

But what kinde of thing dideſt thou make me? Not ſome dropp of water: not ſome ſparke of fyre? not ſome birde, ſome fish, ſome ſerpent, or any other vnreaſonable creature, not ſome ſtone, or peece of wood: Nor any thing of that kinde, which onely hath a beeing, or of that other kinde, which hath not onely a beeing, but growth, and ſenſe; but beyond them all, thou wert pleaſed, that I should be of them, who haue a beeing becauſe I am; and of them who haue a beeing, and encreaſing, becauſe I am and growe; and of them which are, which growe, and which feele, becauſe I am, I growe, and I feele. And thou haſt created me, little inferiour to the Angells; becauſe I haue receiued a power of knoweinge thee, which is common betweene them, ād me. But yet I ſayd well, in ſaying, that it was a little inferiour. For they haue that happy knowledg of thee, by expreſſe viſion; whereas I haue it but by hope; they haue it face to face, and I, but by a glaſſe as in a cloud: they haue it perfectly, and I, but partly.

CHAP. VIII. Of the future Dignity of Man.

BVt when that shall come which is perfect, that will be euacuated which is imperfect: when alſo we shall ſee thee clearely, face to face, what shall now hinder vs, to be but little inferiour to the Angells, Whom thou, O Lord, doeſt vouchſafe to crowne with the crowne of hope, which is adorned with honour and glory; whome thou doeſt exceſſiuely honour, as thy friends; and as perſons who are euery way equalls, and Peeres of the Angell. Yea and thy truth ſaith this. For they are equall to the Angells and they are the ſonnes of God. And what are they but ſonnes of God, if they be equall to Angells. They shall indeede be ſonnes of God, becauſe the ſonne of man, is made the ſonne of God. When therefore I conſider this, I am bould to ſay, that man is not ſomewhat leſſe then the Angells: nay, he is not onely equall to the Angells, but ſuperiour to them, becauſe man is God, and God is a man, & not an Angell. And therefore I will ſay, that man is the moſt worthy crsature, becauſe the Word which was in the beginning God, with God; the Word, whereby God ſayd, let light be made, and light was made (that is the Angelicall nature) the Word, Whereby God created all things, in the beginning: the ſame Word was made flesh, and dwelt amongſt vs, and we haue ſeene his glory.

Behoulde the glory, wherein I glory, when I glory as I ought. Behoulde the ioy, wherewith I ioy, when I ioy as I ought. O Lord my God, my life, and the entire glory of my ſoule; I confeſſe to thee O Lord, my God, that when thou dideſt create me capable of reaſon, thou dideſt, in ſome reſpect, make me equall to the Angells, becauſe I may be perfected by thy word, ſoe farre, as that I may arriue to an equality with the Angells: and that I may haue the adoption of thy ſonnes, by thy onely begotten Word▪ O Lord, by that beloued Sonne of thyne in whom thou art well pleaſed; by that onely heyre, who is coeternall and conſubſtantiall with thee, which is Ieſus Chriſt, our onely Lord, and Redeemer, our Illuminator, & Comforter, our Aduocat with thee, and the light of our eyes; who is our life, our Sauiour, & our onely hope, who loued vs more then himſelfe; by whome we haue confidence, layd vp for vs with thee, & a firme hope, and acceſſe in comeing to thee, becauſe he gaue power to ſuch as would beleiue in his Name, that they might become the ſonnes of God.

Let me giue praiſe to thy Name, O Lord, who by creating me, according to thine image, and likenes, haſte ordayned me to be capable of ſoe great glory, as that I may be made thy ſonne. Trees are not capable of this; ſtones are not capable; nor in fine, any of thoſe things, which are moued, or growe in the ayre, or in the Sea, or on the earth, becauſe he did not giue them power, by the Word, to become his ſonnes; becauſe they are not capable of reaſon. For this power doth conſiſt in reaſon, whereby we knowe God. But he gaue this power to men, whome he created capable of reaſon, according to his owne image, and likenes. And I alſo, O Lord, am, by thy grace, a man, and by grace, I may become thy Sonne, which they cannot be.

From whence came this fauour to me, O Lord, thou ſoueraigne truth, and thou true ſouueraignity, & thou who art the beginning of all thy creatures? whence came this bleſſing to me, that I had a capacitie to become the ſonne of God, which they had not? Thou art he, who remaineſt for euer, who dideſt create all things at once. At once thou dideſt create men, and beaſts, and ſtones, and the plants of the earth. Noe merits, of any of them, did preceede, noe former priuiledge was due to them. For thou didſt create them all, out of thine owne meere goodnes; and all the creatures were equall in merits, becauſe none of them had any merits at all.

And how then grew thy goodnes, to bee greater towards this thy creature, whome thou haſte made rationall, then towards all the reſt, which are not endewed with reaſon? Why am not I as all they are; and why are not all they as I am? or why at leaſt am not I alone like them? What merits were there of myne? What fauour was dew to me, that thou shouldeſt create me capable of being thy ſonne, which yet thou wouldſt deny to all them? Farr be it from me, O Lord, to thinke that this proceeded from any merits of mine. It was thy onely grace, thy onely goodnes which made me partaker of the ſweetnes therof. Now graunt me therefore, O Lord, of that grace, whereby thou dideſt create me of nothing; grant me, I beſeeh thee of that grace, to the end that I may be gratefull to thee, for the ſame.

CHAP. IX. Of the Omnipotency of God.

THy Omnipotent hand, which is euer one, and the ſame, did create the Angells in Heauen, and the baſe wormes on Earth; and yet thou wert not greater in the creation of the former, and leſſe in the creation of the later. For as noe other hand but thine was able to create an Angell; ſoe nether could any hand but thyne, create the pooreſt worme. As noe hand but thyne, had bene able to create the Heauens; ſoe could none els, create the lighteſt leafe of any tree. As noe hand but thyne, could create any body of ours; ſoe none but thyne, could make any one haire of our heads, ether black or white,

Thy onely Omnipotent hand, doth all theſe things; to which all things, are poſſible, a like. For it is not more poſſible for it, to create a miſerable worme then an Angell; nor more impoſſible to extend, & ſpread abroad the whole heauen, then one ſingle leafe; nor is it eaſier to frame one haire of our heads, then to make our whole body; nor is it harder for it, to plant and build the earth vpon the waters, then the waters vpon the earth. But whatſoeuer he had a mynde to doe, he hath done as he was pleaſed to doe both in heauen and on earth, and in all the deepe Abyſſes, ſo hath he framed things, & me among them all; as he would, & could, and knew them. Thy hand, O Lord, could haue made me a ſtone, a bird; or a ſerpent, or any other brute creature; and thou knoweſt how to doe it, but thou wouldeſt not, through thy great goodnes to mee. Vvhy therefore am I not ſome ſtone, or ſome tree, or ſome brute beaſt; but becauſe thy goodnes hath ordeyned otherwiſe concerning me; and that thou shouldeſt ſo ordeyne; was not cauſed by any precedent merits of myne.

CHAP. X, Of the incomprehenſible prayſe of God.

WHence came this mercy to me O Lord, and whence shall I be able to gett power, wherewith I may be able to prayſe thee. For as thou madeſt me without me, according to thyne owne good pleaſure, ſo art thou prayſed in thy ſelf, as thou art beſt pleaſed, without mee. Thy prayſe O Lord, is thy very ſelfe. Lett all thy workes prayſe thee, according to the multitude of thy greatenes: Thy prayſe, O Lord, is incomprehenſible. It is not comprehended by the hart, nor to be meaſured by the mouth, nor receiued by the eare; For theſe things paſſe on away, but thy prayſe, O Lord, remaynes for euer. The cogitation of man begins, and his cogitation ends; the voyce ſounds and the voyce is blowen ouer; the eare heares, and it leaues of to heare; but thy prayſe endures for euer. Vvho is therefore he, that shall prayſe thee? Vvhat man shall be able to announce thy prayſe? Thy prayſe is not tranſitory, it is eternall.

He prayſeth thee, who beleiues thee to be thyne owne prayſe. He prayſeth thee, who knoweth, that he cann neuer arriue to prayſe thee, enough. Thy prayſe is euerlaſting, & doth neuer paſſe. In thee is our prayſe, and in thee shall my ſoule, be prayſed. It is not wee who prayſe thee but it is thou who prayſeth thy ſelfe; and in thy ſelfe and by thy ſelfe, and wee alſo haue our prayſe in thee. Then haue wee true prayſe when wee haue prayſe from thee: when light approueth light. For thou O true Prayſe, doeſt imparte true prayſe; but as often as we ſeeke prayſe, from any other but thee, ſoe often doe wee looſe thy prayſe, becauſe that other is tranſitory, but thyne, eternall. If wee ſeeke that prayſe which is tranſitory, wee shall looſe the prayſe which is eternall. If wee deſire that which is eternall, let vs not loue that, which is tranſitory.

O thou eternall Prayſe, O thou my Lord, and my God, from whome all prayſe proceedeth, and without whom, there is no prayſe I am not able to prayſe thee without thee: but let me poſſeſſe thee, and I shall prayſe thee. For who, O Lord am I, that, of my ſelfe, I should be able to prayſe thee? duſt, and ashes I am; a dead and ſtinkeing dog I am. I am a very worme, and putrefactiō it ſelfe. Vvho am I, that I should prayſe thee, O thou moſt Mighty Lord, and thou God of the ſpirits of all flesh; who inhabiteſt Eternity? Shall darkenes be able to praiſe light or death, life? Thou art light, and I am darkenes; thou art life, and I am death. Shall vanity be able to prayſe truth? Thou art truth, but I am a man, as vane, as vanity it ſelfe. How then O Lord, shall I be able to praiſe thee? Shall my miſery be able to prayſe thee? Shall ſtinkes be able to prayſe pretious odours? Shall the mortality of a man, who is here to day, and will be gone to morrowe, be able to prayſe thee? Shall man who is rottennes it ſelfe, be able to prayſe thee? and the ſonne of man, who is noe better, then a baſe worme? Shall he be able to prayſe thee, O Lord, who is conceyued, and borne, and bredd vp in ſinne? verily thy prayſes cannot be gratefull in the mouth of a ſinner.

O Lord my God, let thy incomprehenſible power; thy wiſdome which cannot be circumſcribed, and thy goodnes which cannot be declared, prayſe thee. Let thy ſupereminent clemency, thy ſuperabondant mercy, & thy ſempiternall vertue, and diuinity praiſe thee. Let thy moſt Omnipotent fortitude, thy ſupreme benignity, and charity, whereby thou dideſt create vs, O Lord thou God of my ſoule, prayſe thee.

CHAP. IX. Of the hope, which is to be erected towards God.

BVt I, who am thy creature, repoſing vnder the shadow of thy Vvings, will hope in thy goodnes, whereby thou dideſt create me. Aſſiſte thy creature, who was created by thy benignity; let not that perish through my malice, which hath bene wrought by thy goodnes. Let not that perish by my miſery, which hath bene framed by thy mercy. For what doth it profit thee, to haue created me, if I shall deſcend to hell, through myne owne corruption? For haſt thou, ô Lord, in vaine made all the ſonnes of men? Thou haſt created mee O Lord, and therefore gouerne that which thou haſt created. Doe not, O Lord, deſpiſe the the worke of thine owne hands. Thou madeſt mee of nothing, and if thou doe not gouerne me, O Lord, I shall againe retourne into my nothing. For as once I was not, O Lord & then thou madeſt me of nothing; ſoe if thou doe not gouerne me, yet once againe I shall of my ſelfe, be reduced to nothing.

Helpe me; O Lord my life, and let me not perish in my wickednes. If thou haddeſt not created mee, O Lord, I had not beene; and becauſe thou dideſt create me, Behold I am. But if now thou doe not gouerne me, behold I am noe more. For neither my merits, nor any priuiledge of myne: compelled thee to create me, but thyne owne, moſt benigne bounty & clemency. Let that charity of thyne, O Lord my God, which compelled thee to create me, I beſeech thee, oblige thee to gouerne mee. For what doth it profit me, that thy charity conſtrayned thee to create me, if now I perish in my miſery: and if thy right hand doe not perfect me. Let that mercy compell thee, O Lord my God, to ſaue that which thou haſt created, which compelled thee to create that which thou haddeſt not created. Let charity ouercome thee to make thee ſaue, which ouercame thee, to make thee create: becauſe now that charity, is not leſſe then it was. For that very charity, is thy very ſelfe, who art the ſame for euer. Thy hand O Lord is not ſo abbreuiated, as that it cannot ſaue vs; nor is thine eare out of tune, that it cannot heare vs; but my ſinnes haue made a diuiſion betwixt thee and me, betweene light, and darkenes; betweene the image of death, and life: betweene vanity, and verity, betweene this lunatike inconſtant life of myne, & thyne, which is capable of noe change, or end·

CHAP. XII. Of the ſnares of Concupiſcence.

THeſe are thoſe shadowes of darkenes, wherewith I am couered, in the Abyſſe of this darke priſon, where I lye proſtrate, till ſuch tyme as the day may dawne, and the black shadowes be remoued; and the light may be made, in the firmament of thy power. Let the voyce of our Lord in power. The voyce of our Lord in magnificence, ſay thus. Let light be made, and let darkenes be driuen away, & let the earth appeare dry, & ſprout forth fresh, and greene plants. which may bring forth ſeede and the good fruite of the Iuſtice of thy Kingdome.

O Lord, our Father, and our God, thou light, whereby all things liue, and without which all things are accounted for dead, doe not leaue mee in my wicked thoughts, and, doe not continue me, in the pride of myne eyes. Take from me all concupiſcence, and deliuer me not ouer to haue an irreuerent, and vnbridled mynde: but poſſeſſe thou my harte, that it may be euer thinkeing vpon thee. Illuminate myne eyes, that they may ſee thee, and let them not be vanely extolled in thy ſight, who art eternall glory, but let them haue humble thoughts, and not be employed vpon certayn wounderfull things, which are too high. Let them behould thoſe things, which are on the right hand, and not thoſe which are on the left hand, which are misliked by thee; and let thyne eyelids point out the ſteps, which I am to make. For euen thyne eyelids, doe examen the ſinnes of men.

Diſpatch away, & diſtroy my concupiſcence, by that ſweetnes of thyne which thou haſt layd vp, for ſuch as feare thee, that I may couett thee, with an euerlaſting deſire. Leſt otherwiſe, the interiour guſt of my ſoule being entyced, & deceiued by vane obiects, may eſteeme ſweete to be 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 bitter, & bitter, ſweete; darkenes to be light, and light, darkenes. That I may be deliured, out of the middeſt of ſo many pitfalls, which are ſpred euery where, by the enemy, ouer the face of this way, wherein we walke, for the takeing of ſinners ſoules, whereof the whole world is full. Which one, who ſawe would not paſſe ouer in ſilence, but ſayd, For whatſoeuer is in the world, is ether concupiſcence of the eyes, concupiſcence of the flesh, or pride of life. Behoulde, O Lord my God, how all the word is full of the ſnares of cōcupiſcēce, which they haue prepared for my feete. And who shall be able to eſcape theſe ſnares? It muſt certainly be he, from whome thou shalt haue taken the pride of his eyes that the concupiſcence thereof, may not catch him; and from whome thou shalt haue taken the concupiſcence of the fleshe, leſt he be taken by it; and from whome thou shalt haue taken an irreuerent, and vnbridled minde; leaſt pride of life should craftily deceiue him. O how happy is he, to whome thou voutchſafeſt theſe things: for he shall paſſe on in ſafety.

And now, O my Redeemer, I beſeeche thee by thy ſelfe, aſſiſt me, that I may not be caſt downe, in the ſight of myne enemyes, being enwrapped in thoſe ſnares, which they haue prepared for my feete, that ſoe they may oppreſſe my ſoule. But deliuer me, O thou ſtrength of my ſaluation, leſt els myne enemyes, who hate thee, may contemne, and deride mee. Riſe vp, O Lord my God, O thou ſtrong Champion of myne, and let myne enemyes be diſperſed, and let them, who hate thee, be made to fly, from before thy face. As wax diſſolueth in the presēte of the fyre, ſoe let ſinners perish, before thy face And as for me, let me be hidden vp, in that ſecret of thy countenance, and let me reioyce with thy children being ſatisfyed with all good things. And thou, O Lord God, the Father of orphanes, and the mother of thy pupils, hearken to the loude and woefull cry of thy children; and ſpred abroade thy winges, that we may fly vnder them, from the face of the enemy, O thou tower of the ſtrength of Iſrael, who doeſt not ſlumber, nor ſleepe, whileſt thou keepeſt Iſrael; becauſe the enemy who impugneth Iſrael, doth nether ſlūber, nor ſleepe.

CHAP. XIII. Of the miſery of man, and the benefits of God.

O Light. which noe other light doth ſee. O brightenes, which noe other brightnes can diſcerne. O light, which obſcureth all light. O brightenes, which blindeth all other brightenes. O light, from which all light, O brightenes, from which all other brightenes growes. O light, in reſpect of which all light is darkenes and all brightenes, blackenes; Light in whoſe preſence, all obſcurity is bright, and all darkenes light. Soueraigne light, which noe cloud can ouershadow, and noe darke miſte, make dull; and noe fogg obſcure, which noe cloſe priſon shutteth vp, & which noe shadow can ſeparate. Light, which doth illuminate all things: all together, once and euer, O ſwallow mee vp, I beſeeche thee; into that Abyſſe of thy clarity; that I may on all ſides ſee thee, in thee; and my ſelfe in thee; and all things vnder thee.

Doe not forſake mee, and let not the shadowes of myne ignorance encreaſe, and my ſinnes be multiplyed. Without thee, all things are darkenes; to me all things are euill, becauſe there is nothing good without thee, who art the true, the onely. & the ſoueraigne good. This I confeſſe, and this I know, O Lord my God, that whereſoeuer I am without thee, it goeth ill with me; not onely without me; but euen with in me alſo. For all aboundance whatſoeuer, which is not my God, is but mere beggery to me. Then shall I be ſatisfyed, when thy glory shall appeare. And thou, O Lord, who art my very life of beatitude; graunt that I may confeſſe my miſery to thee, from the tyme that the uariety of temporall things, did diſſipate and diuide me, when I fell, through the trechery of my carnall ſenſes, from thee, who art that vnity of goodnes, that one ſoueraigne good. And it diuided me from that one, amongſt many things: and I grew thereby, in to a laborious kinde of aboundance, and a copious kinde of wante; whileſt I would be ſeeking after this, and that; & was ſatisfyed with nothing, ſoe long as I found not in my ſelf, that incommutable, and ſingular, and vndeuided one good; which haueing once obtayned, I neede nothing, nor haue greif for nothing; and which poſſeſſing once, the deſire of my whole ſoule is fully ſatisfyed.

Woe is mee, what miſery is this vpon miſery, when the wretched ſoule flyes from thee; with whome it might euer abound, and reioyce; and when it followeth the world, by meanes whereof, it is ſtill in wante, and payne? The world cals me after it, and I faynt in following it. Thou calleſt me, O Lord, and I am all refreshed by thee. And yet I am ſoe peruersly miſerable, as to follow that, which makes me faynt, rather that, which refresheth me.

This is directly the infirmity, which I am ſubiect too, O cure it, thou Phyſician of ſoules, that I may confeſſe to thee, (O thou ſaluation of my ſoule, with my whole hart) all that aboundance of thy benefits, wherewith thou haſt fedd me from my very youth; and wherewith thou wilt feede me to the extremity of my old age. I beſeeche thee by thy ſelfe, that thou forſake me not. Thou diddeſt make me, when I was not: Thou diddeſt redeeme me, when I was loſt: For loſt I was, and dead. And to him who was dead, thou diddeſt deſcend, thou tookeſt mortality vpon thee; nay thy ſelfe being a King, to thou dideſt deſcend to thy ſlaue; and redeeme that ſlaue thou deliuer ledſt thy ſelfe. That I might liue, thou vndertookeſt to dye: Thou ouercameſt death, and by pulling downe thy ſelfe thou dideſt rayſe mee vp. I perished, I was ſould away, & thou cameſt downe to redeeme me; & thou dideſt loue me ſoe much; as to buy me, vpon the price of thine owne blood.

O Lord, thou diddeſt loue me more then thy ſelf; ſince thou dideſt reſolue to dye for me. By ſo coſtly a bargaine, and at ſoe high a price, thou diddeſt reduce me from banishement; thou diddeſt redeeme mee from ſeruitude, thou dideſt retyre mee from punishement. Thou diddeſt call mee in thy Name; thou diddeſt marke me out with thy blood, that the memory of thee, might for euer ſtand before mee, and that my hart might neuer receede from him, who did not refuſe the Croſſe for mee. Thou dideſt annoynt mee with that oyle, which belonged in cheyf, to thy ſelfe; that as thou art Chriſt, ſoe from thee, I might be called a Chriſtian. And in thy hands thou haſt written mee; that thou mighteſt haue a continuall memory of mee, with thee; vpon condition that the continuall memory of thee, might be ſtill with mee.

Thus hath thy grace and mercy, euer preuented mee. For thou, O my deliuerer, haſt often freed me, from many, and greate daungers. When I wandred, thou broughteſt me back to the way, when I was ignorant, thou diddeſt teach me; when I ſinned, thou diddeſt reproue mee; when I was in ſorrow, thou diddeſt releiue me; when I was in deſpayre, thou dideſt comfort me; when I fell, thou diddeſt rayſe mee: when I ſtood, thou heldeſt mee: when I walked thou diddeſt lead mee; when I ſlept, thou diddeſt guard mee; and when I cryed out to thee, thou diddeſt heare me,

CHAP. XIV. That God doth conſider the workes, and purpoſes of mankinde, with a perpetuall attention.

O Lord my God, and the life of my ſoule, thou haſt imparted theſe, and many other benefits to mee, whereof it would be a deare thing for mee, to be euer ſpeaking, euer thinkeing, and euer giueing thankes. That I might for euer praiſe, and loue thee for all thy good bleſſings with my whole harte, and my whole ſoule, and my whole mynde, and my whole ſtrength, and with all the very marrow, and the moſt intimate parts of my affection. and with all the parts and powers of my whole man, O Lord my God, who art the happy ſweetnes of all them, who are delighted in thee. But thyne eyes, haue ſeene my imperfections: Thoſe eyes, I ſay, of thyne, which are farre brighter then the Sunne, lookeing downe round about, at eaſe, vpon the wayes of men, and vpon the profound Abyſſe, and they doe euery where contemplate, both the good and badd. For as thou doeſt preſide ouer all things (thou being all, for euer, preſent euery where, and takeing particular care, of all theſe things, which thou haſt created, becauſe thou hateſt none of them, which thou haſt made) ſo alſo doſt thou conſider all my paces, and ſteps, and doeſt euer keepe a watchfull guard ouer mee, day and night; and like a perpetuall centinell, doſt diligently note my wayes; as if thou haddeſt forgotten all the whole world of thy other creatures, both in heauen and earth, & dideſt not care for the reſt.

For nether would the light of thyne owne vnchangeable ſight, encreaſe in thee, though thou shouldeſt behould, but any one onely thinge; nether is it diminished, although thou behould diuers, and innumerable things. For as thou doſt perfectly, and at once conſider any one thinge by one onely acte of ſeeinge, ſoe doth thy whole ſight, moſt perfectly, and that at once behould the whole of euery particular thinge, how different ſoeuer they may be among themſelues. And as it conſidereth all, ſoe it conſidereth one, and as any one, ſoe euery one, and all of them at once, doeſt thou conſider, without any diuiſion, or mutation, or diminution. Therefore all thou, in all time, without time, doeſt conſider all mee, at once, and that cōtinually, as exactly, as if thou haddeſt nothinge elſe to conſider. And ſoe therefore, doeſt thou ſtand in guard of mee, as if thou wouldeſt attend to mee alone, & diddeſt forgett all the reſt. For thou doeſt euer shew thy ſelfe to be preſent, and if thou finde me ready, thou doeſt euer offer thy ſelf alſo ready. Whither ſoeuer I goe, O Lord, thou forſakeſt me not, vnles I be the firſt to forſake thee, whereſoeuer I be, thou departeſt not away, for thou art euery where; and whereſoeuer I goe I shall finde thee. By what meanes may I be kept from perishing, without thee, ſince without thee, I cannot be at all.

I confeſſe that whatſoeuer I doe, whether it be litle, or much, I doe it all, in thy preſence; and whatſoeuer that be, thou ſeeſt it better then my ſelfe. For whatſoeuer I doe, thou findeſt thy ſelf preſent there, as a perpetuall ſpectatour of all my cogitations, intentions, delectations, & operations. O Lord, all my deſires, & thoughts, are euer ſtanding before thee. Thou diſcerneſt, O Lord, whence the ſpirit comes, where it is, & whither it goes. For thou art the ponderer, and waigher out of all ſpirits; and whether that roote be ſweete or bitter, from which the faire leaues of our actions are ſent out, thou, as an internall Iudge, doſt know beſt. Yea and thou doſt ſifte moſt ſubtilely, into the moſt ſecret parts and pith of thoſe very rootes; & doſt not onely obſerue & number, & contemplate, and keepe accompt of the intention, by the moſt exquiſite truth of thy light: but alſo of the moſt profound, and hidden ſapp of that roote; to the end that thou mayeſt repay to euery one, not onely according to their workes, or theyr expreſſe intention, but alſo according to that interiour and originall ſpirit of the roote of theyr actions, from whence the intention of him that worketh, doth proceede.

To whatſoeuer I tend; when I worke; whatſoeuer I thinke, in whatſoeuer I am delighted; thyne eares heare mee, thyne eyes ſee me, and conſider mee. Thou doſt marke, and iudge, and note, and write in thy booke, whether it be good, or badd: to the end, that afterward, thou mayeſt render eyther rewardes for that which is good; or torments for that which is euill: When thy bookes shall be opened, all ſoules shall be iudged, according to thoſe things which shall be written in thoſe bookes. And this perhaps is that, which thou dideſt already ſay to vs: I will conſider the laſt thinges of thoſe men. And that alſo, which is ſayd of thee. O Lord, He conſidereth the end of all men, For thou O Lord doſt in all thoſe things, which we doe, more attend to the end of our intention, then to the act of our operation.

And when I conſider thoſe things diligently, O Lord my God, who art ſoe terrible, and full of ſtrength, I am alike confounded betweene huge feare, and shame. For a mighty neceſſity is impoſed vpō vs, of liueing with rectitude and iuſtice, who doe all the things which we doe before the eyes of a Iudge, who ſeeth all things.

CHAP. XV. Tat man of himſelfe can doe nothing without diuine Grace.

O Thou moſt mighty, and Omnipotent God, the God of the ſpirits of all flesh; whoſe eyes are ouer all the wayes of the ſonnes of Adam, from the day of theyr natiuity, to that other of theyr death, to the end that thou mayeſt reward euery one of them, according to theyr workes, whether they be good or bad: Teach me, how I may confeſſe my pouerty to thee. For once I ſaid that I was rich, and that I wanted nothing, & I did not know the while that indeede I was poore, and naked, and a miſerable wretch. I beleiued that I was ſome-what, when yet indeede, I was nothing. I told my ſelfe that I would become wiſe, and I turned a ſtarke foole. I thought my ſelf to be prudent, but I was deceiued. And now I ſee that all is thy guift, without whom wee can doe nothing. For vnles thou, O Lord, keepe the Citty, he watcheth but in vaine, who pretends to keepe it.

Thou haſt taught me thus, to knowe thee, whileſt thou diddeſt leaue mee, for a while, and proue mee; not that thou mighteſt knowe mee thereby, but for my ſake, that ſo I might come to knowe my ſelfe. For (as I was ſaying, ô Lord) I thought once that I was ſome-what of my ſelf; I conceiued, that I was ſufficient by my ſelf; nor did I diſcerne, that thou wert he that gouerned mee, till thou diddeſt a little withdrawe thy ſelfe from me. And then preſently I fell, and ſoe I ſawe, and knew, that thou dideſt gouerne mee; and that it was of my ſelf, that I fell; and that it was of thee, that I roſe againe.

Thou, O Light, diddeſt open myne eyes, and diddeſt rowſe mee vp, and illuminate mee; and I ſawe, that the life of man vpon earth, is all temptation; and that noe flesh muſt preſume to glory before thee, for ſoe noe man liueing can be iuſtifyed. For if there be any good in him, whether it be great, or little, thy guift it is, and nothing is ours, but that which is naught. Of what therfore shall any flesh be able to vant? Shall he glory in ſinne. This is not glory but miſery. May he glory in that which is good? Noe: For he may not glory in that which belongeth to another. Thine O Lord, is the Good, annd thyne muſt be the Glory. For hee who ſeeketh glory to himſelfe, and not to thee, out of the good he doth, that man is noe better, then a theefe, and robber, who had a minde to bereaue thee of thy glory. For he who will be prayſed for any guift of thyne, and ſeeketh not thy glory, but his owne therein, although he be prayſed by men, for that guift of thyne, yet he is diſprayſed by thee; in regard that he ſought not ſoe much thy glory by it, as his owne. And now he who is prayſed by men, whileſt thou diſprayſeſt him, shall not be defended by men, when thou iudgeſt him, nor deliuered by them, when thou condemneſt him.

But thou, O Lord, who diddeſt frame me in my mothers wombe, do not ſuffer me to fall vnder ſo greate a reproofe, as that I should be charged with procureing to robb thee, of thy glory. To thee be glory, of whome all good things are; and to vs, confuſion of face, and miſery, vnles thou vouchſafe to haue mercy on vs. But thou haſt mercy, O Lord, thou haſt mercy vpon vs all, who hateſt none of thoſe things which thou haſt made; and who beſtoweſt of thy good guifts, vpon vs; & doſt enrich vs, O Lord our God, with thy moſt excellent graces. For thou loueſt poore creatures, and thou enricheſt them with thy aboundance. And now behould, O Lord, we are thy poore children, and thy little, little flocke; open thy gates to vs, and thy poore shall eate, and be ſatisfyed, & they who ſeeke thee, and prayſe thee. I doe alſo knowe, O Lord, and I confeſſe, (for I am taught to doe it by thee) that they onely who knowe they are poore, and confeſſe theyr pouertie to thee, shall be enriched by thee; and they who conceiue themſelues to be rich, whereas indeede they are poore; will be found excluded from thy riches. For my parte therefore, I confeſſ my pouerty to thee, O Lord my God, and let all glory remayne to thee. For all that, which hath bene well done by mee, is thyne.

O Lord, I confeſſe to thee, as thou haſt taught me, that I am nothing, but an vniuerſality of vanity, & a shadow of death, and a blacke kinde of Abyſſe, and a plott of earth, which is all empty, and vnfruitefull, and which shootes not vp one leafe without thy bleſſing; and of it ſelfe, it yeilds no other fruite, then confuſion, ſinne and death. If euer I had any good thinge, I receiued it of thee; Whatſoeuer good I haue now is thine, and of thee I haue it. If euer I ſtood faſt, I ſtood by thee; but whenſoeuer I fell, of my ſelfe I fell; and for euer had I weltered in that myre, if thou haddeſt not raiſed mee. And for euer had I continued blinde, vnles thou haddeſt illuminated mee. When I fell, I had neuer riſen, vnles thou haddeſt reached forth thine hand. And when afterward thou diddeſt raiſe mee, I had inſtantly retournend to fall, vnles thou haddeſt ſuſteyned mee: and I had perished very often, vnles thou haddeſt gouerned mee. So perpetually, O Lord, ſoe perpetually was I preuented by thy mercy, and grace; deliuering me from all my ſinnes, ſaueing me from all ſuch as are paſt; ſolliciteing me againſt ſuch as were preſent, and fortifying me, againſt ſuch as might be future; Cutting of, before my face, thoſe ſnares of ſinnes, by preuenting the occaſions, and cauſes thereof. For, vnles thou haddeſt alſo done this fauour to me, I might haue committed any ſinne in the whole world. And I know, O Lord, that there is noe kinde of ſinne, which any one man did euer committ, which another man may not alſo committ, if the helpe of the Creatour, whereby man is made, be wanting. But thou art the cauſe why I committed them not: Thou diddeſt commaund that I should abſtayne from them, & thou dideſt infuſe thy grace, that I might beleiue in thee. For thou, O Lord diddeſt gouerne mee for thy ſelfe; and thou diddeſt keepe me both for thy ſelfe, and for my ſelfe: and thou diddeſt giue me light & grace to the end that I might not commit adultery and euery other ſinne.

CHAP. XVI. Of the manifold temptations of the deuill.

THe Tempter was abſent, and thou wert the cauſe that he was absēt. Fitt time, and place for ſinne were wanting; and thou wert the cauſe that they were wanting. The Tempter was preſent, and nether time, nor place, were wanting; but thou diddeſt keepe me from conſenting. The Tempter came to mee, all vgly and frightfull as he is; and thou diddeſt comfort mee ſoe farre, as to make me deſpiſe him. The Tempter came to mee all ſtrong, and armed; and to the end that he might not conquer mee; thou reſtraynedſt him, & dideſt ſtrengthen me. The Tempter came transfigured into an Angell of light; and to the end that he might not deceiue mee, thou rebukedeſt him, and thou diddeſt illuminate mee, that I might knowe him. For he is that great, and redd dragon, that ancient ſerpent, and he is called the Deuill, and Satā, haueing ſeauen heads, and tenn hornes. Whoſe imployment is, to inueigle this greate huge Sea, wherein innumerable creatures are ſtill creeping, creatures; greate, and ſmall; that is to ſay, ſeuerall kindes of deuills, who ſtudy nothing els, day and night, but how they may walke theyre round, ſeeking whome they may deuoure, vnles thou deliuer them. For this is that ancient Dragon, who ſprung vp firſt, in that paradiſe of pleaſure, and who with his tayle, drawes the third parte of the ſtarrs of heauen after him, and brings them downe to the earth; he who is poyſon, corruptes the waters of the world, that ſoe mē who drinke thereof, may dye, and who trāples vpon gold, like ſo much durte; and into whoſe mouth, the riuer of Iordan flowes; and he is growen to that preſumption, that he feares non at all. And who shall be able to defend vs from the crushing of his teeth? who shall be able to deliuer vs out of his iawes, but thou, O Lord, who haſt broken all the heades of that huge Dragon.

Helpe vs, O Lord, and ſpread thy wings ouer vs, that ſoe wee may flye vnder them, from the face of this dragon, who perſecureth vs. And doe thou defend vs by thy sheild, from the push of his hornes. For to this, doth he direct his continuall ſtudy: vpon this is his cheife deſire imployed, that he may deuoure the ſoules which thou haſt created. And therefore, O my God, wee cry out to thee; deliuer vs from this daily aduerſary of ours, who whether wee ſleepe, or wake, or eate, or drinke, or whatſoeuer els wee doe, is preſſing vpon vs, by all meanes, and by many fraudes, and tricks, he is addreſſing poyſoned arrowes againſt vs, both priuately and publikely, that ſoe he may deſtroy our ſoules. And yet O Lord, ſoe ſtrangely miſerable are wee made, as that although we ſee this Dragon continually comeing towards vs, with his mouth wide open, ready to deuoure vs; yet neuertheles, wee ſleepe, and wee are euē wanton againe in our ſlouth as if wee were ſecure before him, who yet couets nothing but our deſtruction.

Our enemy, that he may kill vs, is continually awake, and wants his ſleepe; and yet wee, will not ſoe much as wake from ſleepe, that wee may defend our ſelues.

Behould, he hath ſpred infinite ſnares before our feete; and he hath ſtuffed all our wayes with ſeuerall kindes of gynnes, whereby to catch our ſoules; and who then shall be able to free himſelfe? He hath layd ſnares in riches, and ſnares in pouerty; ſnares in meate, in drinke, in pleaſure, in ſleeping, and wakeing; he hath ſpred ſnares in words and in workes, and in all our wayes. But thou, O Lord, deliuer vs from the ſnares of the hunter, and from that bitter word; that wee may confeſſe to thee, and ſay: Bleſſed be our Lord who hath not giuen vs to a pray to their teeth. Our ſoules is deliuered as a ſparrow might be, out of the hunters ſnare; The ſnare is broken, and wee are deliuered.

CHAP. XVII. That God is the Light of iuſt Perſons.

ANd thou, O Lord, who art my Light, illuminate myne eyes, that I may ſee and walke in thy light, and not ſtumble vpon the ſnares of the enemy. For who shall be able to auoyd ſuch a multitude of ſnares, vnles he ſee them; and who shall be able to ſee them, vnles he be illuminated by thy light? For that father of darkenes, hides all thoſe ſnares, in his owne darkenes; that all they may be taken by them, who are in his darkenes; and who are the ſonnes of darkenes; not diſcerning thy light, wherein, whoſoeuer walketh needes not feare. For he who walkes by day, ſtumbles not; but he ſtumbles who walkes by night: for the light is not in him.

Thou O Lord art Light, thou art the light of the ſonnes of light; thou art the Sunne, which knoweth not what belonges to ſetting; that day wherein thy children walke without ſtumbling; and without which, all they who walke are in darkenes, as being deſtitute of thee, who art the light of the world. Behould wee diſcouer daily, that by how much the more, any man is eſtranged from thee, who art the true light, ſo much the more intricately is he wrapped vp in the darkenes of ſinne. And how much the more he is in darkenes, ſo much the leſſe can he diſcerne the ſnares, which are ſpred for him, in his wayes. And ſoe by not diſcerneing them, he falleth often into them, and is taken by them; & which deſerues to ſtrike vs full of horrour, ſuch a man, doth not ſoe much as knowe, that he is fallen: Now he, who knowes not that he hath taken a fall; will care ſoe much the leſſe to riſe, as he ſtill conceiueth, that he ſtands.

But thou, O Lord, my God, thou true light of the mynde, illuminate now myne eyes that I may ſee thee, and knowe thee, and not tumble headlong downe, in the ſight of myne enemyes. For this mayne aduerſary of ours, doth labour euen to exterminate vs outright; whileſt wee, the whyle, begg of thee, that thou wilt make him melt before our face, as wax doth, vpon the approach of fyre. For hee, O Lord, is that cruell theefe, firſt, and laſt, who tooke counſell, how he might robb thee of thy glory, but ſoe, being puffed and ſwollen vp, he burſt, and fell vpon his face, and thou diddeſt precipitate him downe from that Holy Hill of thyne; and from the middeſt of thoſe bright ſtones, in the middeſt, whereof he had once beene walkeing. And now, O Lord my God, and my life, he neuer giueth ouer to perſecute thy children, euer ſince he fell.

And out of his hatred to thee, O Mighty King, he procureth to deſtroy thy creature, which thy Omnipotent goodnes hath created, according to thyne owne Image; to the end that he may poſſeſſe thy glory, which himſelfe loſt, by pride. But crush thou him to peeces, O ſtrong Champion, before he deuoure thy lambes; and illuminate vs, that wee may diſcerne the ſnares, which he hath prepared for vs; and make vs able to eſcape, and arryue to thee, O thou ioy of Iſraell.

Thou beſt knoweſt all theſe things thou knoweſt his contentious ſpirit, and his moſt ſtiffe neeke. Nor doe I ſpeake of theſe things, as pretending to diſcouer them to thee, who knoweſt all things, and from whom noe little thought can lye hidd. But make my iuſt complaint againſt this enemy of mine, before the feete of thy Maieſty; that ſo thou mayeſt both condemne him, and ſaue vs, thy Children, Whoſe ſtrength thou art.

This enemy of ours, O Lord, is full of craft, and shifts, nor can thoſe intricate wayes of his, be eaſily traced out, no nor ſo much as the ayre of his countenāce be diſcerned by vs, vnles we be illuminated by thee. For ſometimes he is here, & ſometimes he is there. Now he shewes himſelfe like a lambe, and then like a wolfe; now like darkenes, and then like light; and according to the ſeuerall qualityes of perſons, according to the variety of tymes, and places; and according to the momentary chaunge of things, he ſuggeſteth ſeuerall temptations. For to the end that he may deceiue ſad people, he pretends himſelfe to be ſad for company. To the end that he may delude, ſuch as are in ioy, he faynes himſelfe alſo to reioyce. That he may beguile ſuch as are ſpirituall, he transformeth himſelfe, into an Angell of light. That he may inſinuate himſelfe, and by that meanes crush ſuch as are ſtrong, he takes the ſemblance of a lambe, that he may deuoure ſuch as are meeke, he borrowes the face of a Wolfe. All theſe things he takes vpon him, according to the ſimilitude and proportion of the temptations, which he meanes to vſe. As ſome, he frights with a nocturnall feare, others, by the arrow which flyes by day, others, by the buſines which walkes by night; others, by expreſſe aſſault, and others by that deuill of high noone.

Now, who is he that can thinke himſelfe a match for this enemy ſo farr, as that he may ſo much as know him; and who did euer reach to the bottome of his craft? Who shall reueale the makeing of his garment to vs, and who shall make vs knowe the walke of his teeth? Behould he hideth his arrowes in his quiuer, and he couers his ſnares, vnder a shew of light; & ſoe he is leſſe ſubiect to be vnderſtood, vnleſſe O Lord, O thou hope of ours, we beg light from thee, whereby we may diſcerne all things. For not onely doth he ſtriue to deceiue vs in the ſenſuall workes of flesh and blood; nor onely in the exerciſe of vice, which is eaſily diſcerned; but euen amongſt our moſt ſpirituall actions, he hideth certain ſubtile ſnares; & vnder the colour of vertue, he puts on vice, & transformes himſelfe into an Angell of light. theſe, and many other things, O Lord our God, doth this very ſonne of Beliall, this Satan, endeauour to bring againſt vs. And now as a Lyon, then as a Dragon, both manifeſtly and ſecretly, interiourly, and exteriourly, both by day and night, he is laying traynes for vs, that ſoe he may deſtroy our ſoules. But thou, O Lord, deliuer vs, thou who ſaueſt ſuch as hope in thee, that our enemy may haue cauſe to be ſorry for as much as may concerne vs; but that thou O Lord our God, maiſt be praiſed in vs.

CHAP. XVIII. Of the benefits of God.

BVt let mee the ſonne of thy handmayd, who haue commended my ſelfe into thy hands, confeſſe to thee, O my deliuerer, with my whole harte in theſe little poore confeſſions of myne, and let me call to minde, all thoſe good bleſſings, which thou haſt voutchſafed to beſtow on mee, from my youth, and in my whole life. For I well know that ingratitude doth much offend thee, which is the roote of all ſpirituall miſcheife; and a kinde of dry and parching wynde, which blaſteth all goodnes; and it shutteth vp the fountayns of diuine mercy towards man; and by this meanes, both our ill deedes which were dead gett life againe; & our good deedes which liue, doe quickly growe to dy, and haue noe more life afterward.

But as for mee, O Lord, I will giue thankes to thee. Let not mee, O thou my deliuerer, be vngratefull to thee, ſince thou haſt freede mee.

How often had that Dragon euen ſwallowed mee vp, and thou O Lord diddeſt drawe mee out of his mouth? How often haue I ſinned, when he was ready to haue deuoured mee, but thou O Lord my God diddeſt defend mee? When I did wickedly againſt thee, when I tranſgreſſed thy commaundements, he ſtood ready to ſnatch mee away into hell, but thou forbadeſt him. I offended thee, and the while, thou defendedeſt mee. I did not feare him, and yet thou diddeſt preſerue mee. I departed from thee, & made offer of my ſelfe to myne enemy; but thou diddeſt fright him ſo, as that he should not dare to carry me away.

Theſe benefits diddeſt thou beſtowe vpon me, O Lord my God; and I wretched creature knew it not. Full often haſt thou freed mee, from the uery iawes of the Deuill, and ſnatched me out of the mouth of the Lyon; and full often haſt thou brought me back againe from hell, though I was ignorant thereof. For I deſcended euen towards the very gates of hell, and thou heldeſt me back from goeing in. I drewe neare the gates of death, and thou wert the cauſe why they opened not themſelues to receiue mee. Thou alſo, O my Sauiour, haſt often deliuered me from corporall death, when I was ſubiect to great ſickenes. And when I found my ſelf in many daungers, by ſea, by land, by fyre, by ſword, and many other wayes; thou wert euer deliuering mee, euer preſent to mee, and euer ſaueing mee with great mercy. For thou, O Lord, diddeſt well knowe, that if death had then ſeiſed vpon mee, hell had poſſeſſed my ſoule, and I had bene damned for euer. But thy mercy and thy grace, O Lord my God, preuented mee, and gaue mee deliuerance from that death of my body, and conſequently from the death of my ſoule.

Theſe and many other benefits diddeſt thou imparte to mee, but I was blinde, and knew them not, till I was illuminated by thee. But now, O thou light of my ſoule, O Lord my God, my life, by which I liue, and the light of mynes eyes, by which I ſee; Behould, thou haſt illuminated mee, and now I knowe thee, and cōfeſſe my ſelfe to liue by the guift of thy hand; and I giue thankes to thee Which though they be meane, and poore, & full of diſproportion to thy benefits, yet they are the beſt, which my frailty can affoord. For thou alone, art my God, my benigne Creatour, who doeſt loue our ſoules, and hateſt none of thoſe things, which thou haſt made.

Behold, I who am the greateſt of thoſe ſinners, whom thou haſt ſaued (to the end that I may giue an example to others, of thy moſt benigne piety) will confeſſe thy great benefits to me: For thou haſt ſnatched me out of that lower hell, once, twice, and thrice, and a hundered, and a thouſand times. And indeede, I was euer tending towards Hell, and thou wert euer drawing mee back. And thou mighteſt iuſtly haue damned me a thouſand times, if thou haddeſt beene ſoe diſpoſed. But thou wouldeſt not, becauſe thou loueſt ſoules, O Lord my God, and thou diſſembleſt the ſinnes of men, that ſoe they may come to pennance, and there is much mercy in all thy wayes

Now therefore I ſee theſe things, O Lord my God, and I knowe them, by thy light; and my ſoule doth euen faynt, and is ſicke with loue, vpon the conſideration of thy great mercy towards mee; ſince thou haſt ſnatched my ſoule, out of that lower Hell, and haſt brought mee back againe, to life. For I was all plunged in death, and thou haſt wholy reuiued mee. Be therefore all my life and beeing thyne; and I doe wholly offer my whole ſelfe vp to thee. Let my whole ſpirit, my whole harte, my whole body, and my whole life, liue to thee, O thou my ſweete life; for thou haſt deliuered me wholly, that thou mighteſt poſſeſſe me wholy, thou haſt intirely repaired me, that ſo againe thou mayeſt haue mee intirely. Let mee therefore loue thee, O Lord, my ſtrēgth; let mee loue thee, O thou vnſpeakeable exultation of my ſoule. And let me liue now not to my ſelf but to thee. My whole life which perished by my miſery, was raiſed vp by thy mercy, thou who art that mercifull God, and full of pitty, which thou doeſt extend, in thy goodnes, to thouſands of ſuch as loue thy Name. Therefor O Lord my God, and my ſanctifyer, haſt thou comaunded in thy Lawe, that I should loue thee with my whole harte, with my whole ſoule, with my whole minde, with my whole ſtrength, and with all the powers I haue. Yea and with the moſt internall marrow of all my affections and this, in all the houres, and moments of my time, wherein I am enioying the benediction of thy mercyes. For I should euer perish, but that thou doeſt euer gouerne mee. I should euer dy; but that thou doeſt euer quicken mee. And thou doeſt oblige mee to thee, in euery moment of my life; ſince in euery moment therof, thou imparteſt great benefits to mee.

As therefore, there is noe houer or point of time in my whole life, wherein I am not aſſiſted by thy benefits; ſoe alſo ought there not to be any moment, wherein I should not haue thee before the eyes of my mynde; and wherein I should not loue thee with my whole ſtrength. But euen this I cannot doe, ſaue by thy guift onely to whome euery good guift belongeth, and euery excellent grace is deſcending from thee the Father of Lights, with whome there is noe tranſmutation, nor shadow of chaunge. For it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of thee, taking mercy that wee loue thee. Thine, O Lord is this guift to whome euery good thing belongeth. Thou commaundeſt that thou be beloued: Giue vs that which thou commandeſt, and then, commaund vs what thou wilt.

CHAP. XIX. Of the feruour of charity.

I Loue thee, O my God, and I am euer deſireing to loue thee more. For in very deed, thou art more ſweete, then any honny; more nutritiue then any milke; and more cleere then any light. Therefore art thou more deare to me, them gold, or ſiluer, or pretious ſtone. And whatſoeuer delightfull thing I had in the world, was diſpleaſing to mee, in compariſon of thy ſweetenes, and the order of thy houſe which I loued. O thou fyre which euer burneſt, and art neuer quenched; O loue, which is euer boyling hote and neuer groweſt luke-warme; doe thou inflame mee. Let mee, I ſay, be wholy inflamed by thee; and let me wholy loue thee. For he loues thee too little, who loues any thing together with thee, which he loues not for thy ſake. Make me loue thee, O Lord, becauſe thou didſt firſt loue mee.

And how shall I finde wordes, whereby I may vnfold the notions which I haue of thy ſingular loue to mee, teſtifyed by thoſe innumerable benefits, by which thou haſt trayned me vp, from the beginning? For after the benefit of the creation, when in the beginninge thou dideſt make me of nothing, after thyne owne Image, doeing me honour, and exalting me beyond the reſt of thy creatures, which thou madeſt; and innobling me with the light of thy countenance, which thou dideſt ſtampe vpon the entrie of my hart; whereby thou dideſt diſſeuer me, both from inſenſible creatures, and from brute beaſts, which are endewed with ſenſe, and thou madſt me, not much inferiour to the Angels; yet euen this, ſeemed not enough, in the ſight of thy deity. For ſince that time, thou haſt entertayned, and nourished mee, with daily and ſingular, and great preſents of thy benefits, without intermiſſion. And thou haſt giuen me comfort, and made me ſucke, like ſomme little tender infant of thine, at the breaſts of thy conſolation. For to the end that I might yeild thee my entire ſeruice, thou haſt appointed, that whatſoeuer thou haſt made should ſerue mee.

CHAP. XX. That God hath ſubmitied all things to the ſeruice of man.

THou haſt made all things ſubiect to the feete of man, to the onely end, that man might become wholly ſubiect to thee. And to the end that man might be wholly thine hee is entitled to a dominion ouer all thy workes. For thou haſt created all exteriour things, for the body; the body for the ſoule; and the ſoule for thy ſelfe; to the end that man might tend onely to thee, & might loue onely thee, poſſeſſing thee, by way of comforte to himſelfe; and thy creatures, by way of receiuing ſeruice from them. For whatſoeuer is conteyned vnder this vaute of heauen, is inferiour to the ſoule of man; which was created, that it might poſſeſſe the ſupernall, ſoueraigne good aboue; by the fruition whereof, it might be happy: and wherevnto when it shall adheare, outſtripping and ouerlooking all relations and reſpects to all inferiour things, which are ſubiect to mutation, it shall calmely and conſtantly behold the face of that eternall immortality, and the viſion of that ſupreame Majeſtie, to which it hath aſpired here. Then shall they be in fruition, of thoſe moſt excellent delights in the houſe of our Lord; in compariſon whereof all thoſe things which here we ſee, may well goe for nothing. Thoſe are they, which the eye hath not ſeene, nor the eare heard, nor haue they entred into the hart of man, which God hath prepared for them who loue him. And theſe things O Lord, wilt thou imparte to the ſoule of man. And with the conſideration of theſe things, doſt thou who loueſt ſoules, delight the ſoules of thy ſeruants.

But yet, why should I wonder at thoſe things, O Lord my God, therein thou doſt but honor thyre owne Image, and that ſimilitude of thyne, according to which they are created. For whileſt we are yet in th • s corruptible and ignoble body, to the end we might ſee thou haſt giuen this light of heauen, by the hands of thy vnwearied miniſters the Sunne and Moone, which doe perpetually obſerue thy precept, in ſerueing thy children day and night. To the end that we might breath, thou haſt giuen the purity of the ayre. That we might heare; the variety of ſounds. That we might ſmell; the ſweetneſſe of odours. That it might taſt, the variety and quality of ſauoures. That it might touch, thou haſt giuen the bulke of all bodies. For the other neceſſary occaſions of man, thou haſt giuen beaſts to carry him. And thou haſt imparted the birds of the ayre, the fish of the ſea, and the fruites of the earth for his refection. Thou haſt alſo created out of the earth ſeuerall medicines, which may be applyed to the ſeuerall infirmities of men; and thou haſt prepared particular comforts, which are to encounter and reuerſe thoſe particular-inconueniences which may occurre. And all this thou haſt done becauſe thou art full of mercy, and pitty; & thou being our potter, doſt knowe the matter whereof wee are made. For, in fine, wee are but as ſoe much durt in thy hand.

CHAP. XXI. That the greatenes of the diuine counſell may be inferred by the conſideration of temporall bleſſings.

BEhold mee, I beſeeche thee; let thy great mercy ſtand open to me. Illuſtrate mee yet more with thy light; that ſoe it may be diſcouered to me, more and more. For by theſe little workes of thyne, wee growe to comprehend thy great ones; and by thy viſible workes, we are enabled to take ſome ayme at thy inuiſible workes, O Lord our God, the holy, and good Creatour of vs all. For if, O my Lord; whileſt we are in this body, which is ſoe corruptible and ignoble, thou doſt imparte to vs ſo great, and euen innumerable benefits, by meanes of the heauens, and of the ayre; of the earth and ſea; of light and darkenes; of ſunne and shade, of dew and gentle rayne; of wyndes and ſtiffe showers; of birds, and fishes; of beaſts and trees; of the multiplicity of herbes and plants of the earth; & by meanes of the miniſtry of all thy creatures, which doe ſucceſſiuely ſerue vs at due and ſeuerall times; to eaſe vs thereby, of that trouble, and faſtidiouſnes, which otherwiſe wee might be ſubiect too; what kinde of benefits, I beſeeche thee, and how greate, and euen innumerable will they be, which thou haſt prepared for ſuch as loue thee, in that celeſtiall country, where we shall behould thee face to face. If thou doe vs ſoe much honour in this priſon, what wilt thou doe in thy pallace?

Greate, and innumerable are thy workes, O Lord, thou King of the heauens. For ſince theſe of the lower rancke, which thou haſt deliuered ouer, to be vſed promiſcuouſly here, both by good an badd; be all of them very excellently good & delightfull; what kinde of things shall they proue to be, which thou haſt onely treaſured vp for them alone who are good? If thy guifts be ſoe diuers, and euen innumerable, which now thou beſtoweſt both vpon thy freinds, & vpon thyne enemyes; how greate, how innumerable, how dearly ſweete, and how delightfull, are they to be, which thou wilt onely beſtow vpon thy freinds? If the ſolace be ſo greate, which thou giueſt vs in this day of our tears, what wilt thou giue, in that day of our eſpouſalls? If this place of exile, and reſtraint afford ſuch pleaſures, what I beſeeche thee will our Country doe?

The eye cannot ſee, without thee, what thou haſt prepared for ſuch as loue thee. For according to the greate multitude of thy magnificence, ſoe alſo the multitude of that ſweetenes is great, which thou haſt hidden vp for them that feare thee. For thou, O Lord, my God, art great, thou art immenſe, there is noe end of thy greatenes, there is noe number of thy Wiſedome; & there is noe meaſure of thy benignity; & there is neither end, number, nor meaſure of the reward, which thou beſtoweſt. But as thou art great, ſo are thy rewards great; for thou thy ſelfe art the reward, and the guift, which thou beſtoweſt vpon all ſuch as shall valiantly haue fought thy battayles.

CHAP. XXII. That the diuine ſweetenes taketh away all the preſent bitternes of the world.

THeſe are thoſe great benefits wherewith thou, O Lord God, the ſanctifyer of thy Saints, wilt ſatisfy, and remoue the want of thy hungry children. For thou art the hope of the deſperate; the comforte of the deſolate; thou art that very crowne of hope, which is adorned with the glory prepared for ſuch as ouercome. Thou art the eternall ſatiety, of ſuch as haue bene allmoſt ſtarued; and thou art to be beſtowed vpon ſuch as hunger after thee. Thou art that euerlaſting conſolation, who beſtoweth thy ſelfe, vpon them alone, who deſpiſe the comforts of this world, for that euerlaſting conſolation of thyne. For they who looke for theyr comfort here, are eſteemed vnworthy of thy comforts; but they who are afflicted here are comforted by thee; and they who partake with thee in thy Paſſion, shall partake with thee alſo, in thy conſolation. Noe man muſt thinke to be comforted, both in this, and in the other world; nor muſt he thinke to be in ioy, both here and there; but he muſt neceſſarily looſe the one, who will poſſeſſe the other.

When I conſider theſe things, O Lord my comforter, my ſoule refuſeth the comforts of this life, that ſoe it may be held worthy of thy eternall conſolations. For it is high reaſon, that any man should looſe thee, if he make choyſe to be comforted, more in any other, then in thee. And I beſeech thee euen by thy ſelfe, O thou ſupreme Truth, that thou permitt me not to be comforted by any vayne conſolation; but that it may onely be in thee. And I beg, that all things may growe bitter to me, that thou alone mayeſt appeare ſweete to my ſoule, thou who art that ineſtimable ſweetnes, whereby all bitter things are made ſweete. For thy ſweetenes is the thing which made that torrent of ſtones, ſweete to Steuen. Thy ſweetenes made that burneing gridyron, ſweete to bleſſed Laurence. Through thy ſweetenes, the Apoſtles went reioyceing, from the Councell, becauſe they were held worthy, to ſuffer reproach for thy Names ſake. Andrew went both with ſecurity and ioy to the Croſſe, becauſe he haſtened to taſte of thy ſweetenes. And this ſweetenes of thyne did ſoe fill the two Princes of the Apoſtles, that for it, the wood of the Croſſe, was choſen by one of them; and the other was not affrayed, to ſubmitt his head to the murtheringe ſword. For the purchaſſe of this ſweetenes Bartholomew ſold away his very skinne. And to haue a taſte thereof, the vndanted Iohn, drunke off that poyſened cupp. And as ſoone as Peter had taſted of it, he forgott all other things, and cryed thus out, like one who were inebriated, ſaying, O Lord, it is good for vs to be here. Let vs here make three Tabernacles. Let vs dwell here; let vs contemplate thee; For we neede nothing elſe. It is enough for vs, O Lord, to ſee thee. It is enough, ſaith he to be ſatiated with ſoe great delight. And the reaſon was this; Becauſe he had taſted ſome one dropp of diuine ſweetenes, all other ſweetenes was lothed by him. What then shall wee thinke, that he would haue ſayd, if he had once taſted, of the great multitude of the ſweetenes of thy diuinity, which thou haſt hidden vp for them that feare thee.

That Virgin had alſo taſted of this vnſpeakeable ſweetenes of thyne, of whome wee read, that she went topp full of ioy, and glory to the priſon, as if she had bene inuited to ſome marriadge Feaſt. And of this, I ſuppoſe, he alſo had taſted who ſayd, That the multitude of that ſweetenes of thyne, O Lord, was great which thou haddeſt hidden vp for them that feare thee, and who alſo aduiſed men thus, Taſte, and ſee, how ſweete our Lord is. For this is that beatitude, O Lord our God, which wee expect, by the guift of thy hand, for which wee fight as in a warfare vnder thee, O Lord; for which wee are mortifyed to thy honour, all the day long; that at laſt wee may liue to thee, in that life of thine.

CHAP. XXIII. That all our hope and ardent deſire of our hart ought to be placed in our Lord.

BVt thou O Lord, the expectation of Iſraell, and that deſire, to which our harte doth euery day aſpire, make haſte to vs, and doe not ſtay. Riſe vp, make haſt, and come; and bring vs out of this priſon to confeſſe vnto thy Name, that wee may glory in thy light. Open thyne eares, to the cry of the teares of thy forſaken children, who thus are calling out to thee. Giue vs, O thou Father of ours, our daylie breard this day, in the ſtrength whereof wee may walke day and night; till at laſt wee may arriue to thy Holy Mountaine Horeb. And I alſo, poore little one that I am, amongſt the poore little ones of thy familly, when shall I, O my God, my Father, and my ſtrength, come, and appeare before thy face; that I, who confeſſe vnto thee now for a tyme, may doe it there, for all eternity. Happy shall I be, if once I may be admitted to behould thy brightenes.

Who will graunt mee ſoe much fauour, as that once I may bee admitted to that happines. I knowe, O Lord, I knowe, and confeſſe, that I am vnworthy to enter vnder thy roofe. Yet doe thou admitt mee for thyne owne honnours ſake; & confound not thy ſlaue, who hopes in thee. And who shall be able to enter into thy Sanctuary, to conſider the wonders of thy power, vnles thou open him the gate? And who can open it, if thou shutt it? For if thou deſtroy, there is none can build vs vp. And if thou shutt a man in, there is none, who cā putt him out. If thou contayne the waters, all the world will be dryed vp, but if thou let thē looſe, they will ouerrune the earth. If thou haue a mynde to anihilate all that which thou haſt created, who shall preſume to contradict thee? Now therefore, ô thou eternall goodnes of thy mercy (which is that whereby thou madeſt whatſoeuer thou wouldeſt) thou art the Archytect of the whole world: and therefore doe thou alſo gouerne vs. Thou dideſt creat vs, and therefore doe not thou deſpiſe vs; for wee are the worke of thy hands. And it is playne enough, O Lord our God, that wee, who are but baſe wormes, and durt shall neuer be able to enter into thy eternityes, vnles we be introduced by thee, who haſt created all things of nothing.

CHAP. XXIV. That all our ſaluation depends vpon God.

BVt I, the worke of thy hands, will confeſſe to thee, in thy feare, that I will not putt my confidence in my bowe, or thinke that my ſword can ſaue me, but that muſt be donne, by thy right hand, and by thyne arme, and by the illumination of thy countenance. For otherwiſe I should deſpayre. But thou, who diddeſt create mee, art my hope, that thou wilt not forſake ſuch as truſt in thee. For thou art our Lord God, ſweete and patient, and diſpoſeing of all things, in mercy. For it we haue ſinned, wee are thyne; and if wee haue not ſinned, wee are thine, becauſe we are numbred among thy creatures.

Wee are but as a leafe, in reſpect of the world, and all mankinde is but vanity; and our life is but as a vapour vpon the earth. Be not angry, if wee thy poore, forſaken little children fall, becauſe thou, O Lord our God, knoweſt the matter whereof wee are made. Wilt thou, O God of ineſtimable fortitude, shew forth thy power, againſt a leafe which is whipped away by the winde? And perſecute a withered ſtrawe. Wilt thou, O Eternell King of Iſraell, damne a dead dogg? wilt thou damne a ſingle gnatt, Wee haue heard O Lord, of thy mercy, and thou putteſt not to death, nor reioyceſt in the perdition of dying men.

Therefore doe wee beſeeche thee, O Lord, that thou wilt not permitt that, which thou haſt not made, to haue dominion ouer this creature of thine, which thou haſt made. Nay thou art greiued with our perdition; and what then O Lord shall be able to hinder thee, who art omnipotent, from eternally reioyceing in our ſaluation? If thou wilt, thou canſt ſaue mee; but I cannot doe it, though I would. The multitude of the miſeries which I carry about mee, is very greate. It is at hand with mee, to will a thing, but I cannot finde the way to perfect it. Yet I cannot euen will a good thing, vnles thou alſo wilt; nor can I performe that which I haue a will to doe, vnles thy power ſtrengtheneth mee. Yea, and that which I haue power to doe, falls out ſometymes, that I will not doe it, vnles thy will may be done in Earth as it is in Heauen. And what I will doe, & can doe, I doe not knowe, vnles thy wiſedome illuſtrate mee. And though alſo I doe knowe, hauing ſometymes a will to doe a thing, and ſometymes alſo a power to doe it, yet my VViſdome paſſeth away, all imperfect and empty as it is, vnles thy true VViſdome helpe mee.

But in thy will, all things are placed; and there is none who can reſiſt that will of thyne, O thou the Lord of all thy Creatu-Creatures, who haſt ſupreame dominion ouer all flesh; and doeſt worke whatſoeuer thou wilt, in Heauen, and in Earth, in the Sea, and in all the Abyſſes.

Let therefore thy will be done in vs, vpon whome thy Name hath beene inuoked; and let not this noble worke of thyne perish, which thou diddeſt create for thyne owne glory. And what man borne of woeman is hee, who can liue, & not ſee death, and deliuer his ſoule from the hand of hell, vnles thou alone doe ſnatch him thence; Thou who art the vitall life of all life, whereby all things liue.

CHAP. XXV. That the will of man, wanteth efficacy towards good workes without the Grace of God.

I Haue now confeſſed to thee, O thou prayſe of my life, O Lord, my God, and the ſtrength of my Saluation, that there was a tyme, when I had confidence in myne owne ſtrength, which yet was noe ſtrength at all. And when I was ſo reſolued to runne on, where I thought my ſelfe to ſtand faſteſt, there I fell fowleſt; & inſteede of aduanceing, I retyred; and I was more and more eſtranged, from that which I thought to haue apprehended. And ſo being come to know the little proportiō of my ſtrēgth by the many experimēts which I made for the wāt thereof; I doe now vnderſtand, (becauſe I haue bene illuminated by thee) that whatſoeuer I haue thought my ſelfe moſt able to doe that could I euer bring leaſt to paſſe. For I ſayd ſometimes, I will doe this, and I will perfect that, & I did neither the one, nor the other. If I had the will, I wanted the power. If I had the power I had not then the will; becauſe I truſted in myne owne ſtrength.

But now, I confeſſe to thee, O Lord, my God, the Father of Heauen and Earth, that noe man shall ouercome in his owne ſtrength, to giue occaſion thereby to the foolish preſumption of flesh and blood, to glory in thy ſight. For it is not in the power of a man, to will that which he hath power to doe; or to doe that which he cann will, or to knowe what he cann will, and doe; but rather the paces of men are directed by thee: the paces of them, I meane, who confeſſe themſelues to be directed by thee, and not by themſelues. Wee beſeech thee therefore, O Lord, by the bowells of thy mercy be pleaſed to ſaue that which thou haſt created. For if thou wilt, thou canſt ſaue vs; and the ſtrength of our ſaluation conſiſteth in the pleaſure of thy will.

CHAP. XXVI. Of the auncient benefits of Almighty God.

CAll to mynde thy auncient mercy, whereby thou diddeſt preuent vs, from the beginning, in thoſe benedictions of thy ſweetenes. For before I was borne, (I who am the ſonne of thy handmayde, O Lord, who haſt bene my hope, euen from the breſts of my mother) thou diddeſt preuent mee, by preparing thoſe wayes for mee, wherein I might walke, and whereby I was to arriue to the glory of thy houſe. Before thou framedſt mee in my mothers wombe, thou kneweſt mee; and before I parted from her wombe thou diddeſt praeordayne concerning mee, whatſoeuer was pleaſing to thy ſelfe. What things are contayned and written in thy booke, concerning mee, in that ſecret of thy Conſiſtory, I, for my parte, doe not knowe, and there vpon I am in extreme feare, but it is well knowen to thee. For that which I might expect to happen in ſucceſſe of dayes and tymes betweene this, and a thouſand yeares hence; all that is already done, in the ſight of thy eternity; and that which is future, is finished already there.

Now therefore whileſt I liue in this darke night; and whileſt I am ignorant of theſe things, feare, and trembling come vpon mee, ſince I ſee, on all ſides, that many dangers doe ſett vpon mee cloſe at hand; and that I am hunted by many enemyes, and hemmed in, by innumerable miſeryes in this life. And vnles I had thy helpe, in the middeſt of ſo great calamityes, I should deſpaire. But ſtill I haue a ſtrong hope in thee, O thou moſt meeke Prince, and my God. And the conſideration of the multitude of thoſe mercy which thou haſt shewed to mee, doth eaſe my minde; & the fore-running ſignes of thy mercyes which preuented mee before I was borne, and doe now shine particularly towards mee, doe ſollicite me to haue good hope, concerning thoſe future, better, & more perfect guifts of thy benignity, which thou reſerueſt for thy freinds. That ſoe I may reioyce, O Lord my God, with that liuely, and holy ioy, whereby thou doſt euer recreate my youth.

CHAP. XXVII. Of the Angels which are deputed to the cuſtody of man.

FOr thou haſt loued me, O thou onely Loue of myne, before I loued thee; and thou haſt created mee after thine owne Image, and thou haſt preferred me, before all thy creatures. Which dignity, I keepe now alſo hauing knowen thee, for whome thou haſt made mee. Thou haſt alſo made thy Spirits, Angels, for my benefitt, and thou haſt commaunded them to keepe me in all my wayes, leſt els perhaps I might hurte my foote againſt a ſtone. For theſe are the Guard which ſtands vpon the walls of the Citty of thy new Ieruſalem; and theſe are thoſe Mountaynes, which are ſayd to ſtand in the circuit thereof, keeping watch by night, ouer thy flocke; leaſt, at any time, the Lyon should ſnatch away our ſoules, whileſt none were by, to deliuer them, that auncient ſerpent I ſay, our aduerſary, the deuill, who is euer walkeing the round, ſeekeing whom he may deuowre.

Theſe are thoſe happy Citizens, of Ieruſalem, that ſupernall Citty, that mother of ours, which is aboue, and they are ſent in miniſtery, to them, who are to take hold of the inheritance of ſaluation; that they may deliuer them from theyr enemyes, and guard them in all theyr wayes; that they may comfort and admonish thy children, and offer vp theyr prayers in the ſight of the glory of thy Maieſtie. For they loue theyr fellow-Cittizens, by whoſe ſociety they expect that the ruine of the Schiſme which was made by the rebellious Angells may be repayred.

They doe therefore aſſiſt vs, with greate care, and watchfull endeauour at all tymes, and in all places ſuccouring vs, and making prouiſion againſt our neceſſityes; and paſſeing with great ſollicitude, betweene vs and thee, O Lord; preſenting our ſighes, and ſobs to thee, that they may obtayne for vs, an eaſy pardon, from thy mercy; and may bring downe from thee, the deſired benediction of thy grace. For they walke with vs, in all our wayes; they goe in, and out with vs; conſidering with greate attention, how vertuouſly, and piouſly wee conuerſe in the middeſt of a wicked nation; with great endeauour, and deſire, we ſeeke the Kingdome of God, and the iuſtice thereof; with how greate feare and trembling wee ſerue thee; and how alſo wee exult towards thee; in the ioy of our harts.

They helpe ſuch as are takeing paynes; they protect ſuch as are at reſt; they encourage ſuch as fight; they crowne ſuch as conquer; they reioyce with ſuch as ioy, (I meane ſuch as ioy in thee) and they ſuffer with ſuch as ſuffer, I meane ſuch as are in ſufferance for thee.

They haue a mighty care of vs. Great is the ardour of theyr affection towards vs; and all this for the honour they beare to that ineſtimable charity, where-with thou loueſt vs, For they loue them, whom thou loueſt; they keepe them whom thou keepeſt, and they forſake them whom thou forſakeſt. Nor doe they loue the workers of wickednes, becauſe thou hateſt all the workers of iniquity; and deſtroys all them who ſpeake lyes. As often as wee doe well, the Angels ioy, and the Deuills grieue. But as often as wee ſwarue from vertue, wee make the Deuill glad, and wee depriue the Angels of theyr ioy. For they haue ioy by one ſinner, doeing pennance; but the Deuill hath ioy, when pennance is giuen ouer, by a good man.

Graunt them therefore, O Father, graunt that they may euer reioyce concerning vs; and that thou mayeſt euer be prayſed by them, in vs; and that both they, and wee, may be brought into one, & the ſame sheepfoulde; that together wee may confeſſe to thy Holy Name, O thou Creatour, both of men, and Angels.

Whileſt I am calling theſe things to minde before thee, I confeſſe to thee with prayſe, that theſe are greate benefits, whereby thou haſt honoured vs, whileſt thou giueſt thy Spirits for Angels, to aſſiſt vs. Thou haddeſt already beſtowed, whatſoeuer was contayned vnder the vaut of heauen, yea and thou reputeſt that as but little, which is contayned vnder heauen, vnles thou mayeſt alſo, add thoſe things, which are aboue the heauens.

Lett all thy Angels prayſe thee alſo, for this, O Lord; Let all thy workes alſo, confeſſe to thee; and let all thy Saints themſelues bleſſe thee for it. O thou our Supreame honour, thou haſt too highly honored vs; and thou haſt beautifyed, and enriched vs with many guifts.

Thy Name, O Lord, is admireable ouer the whole Earth. For what is Man, that thou shouldeſt magnify him, or ſoe apply thy harte towards the loue of him. For thou, O auncient Truth, haſt ſayd, My delight is to be which the Sonnes of men. But yet, is not Man rotennes, and the Sonne of Man a very Worme? Is not euery Man liueing, a kinde of vniuerſality of vanity? And yet doſt thou thinke it worthy for thee, to caſt thyne eyes vpon him, and to bring him with thee into Iudgement?

CHAP. XXVIII Of the profound Predeſtination, and preſcience of God.

TEach mee, O thou moſt profound Abyſſe, O thou Wiſedome, which art the Creatrix of all things, which haſt poyſed the mountaines in weight, and the leſſer hills in a ballance, and haſt hung vp the whole bulke of the Earth in three fingers. Suſpend thou towards thy ſelfe the weight of this corporall heauines which I carry about mee, in thy three inuiſible fingers, that I may ſee and knowe, how admirable thy Name is, ouer the whole Earth.

O thou Light moſt auntient, which dideſt shine before all other light, in thoſe holy hills of old Eternity, to which all things were open and cleare, euen before they were made. O thou light, which hateſt euery litle ſpott, thy ſelfe being moſt immaculate, and moſt pure, what delight canſt thou take in man, and what agreement cann there be, betweene light and darkenes? For where in fine is the ground of thoſe delights which thou takeſt in man? Or how diddeſt thou prepare in mee, a ſanctuary worthy of thy Maieſtie, into which when thou entereſt, thou mayeſt take delight and guſt? For it is fitt, that thou, who art the very power which cleanſeth all things, shouldeſt haue a cleane roome to be in; thou who canſt not be ſo much as ſeene, and much leſſe poſſeſſed but by pure ſoules? But where is this Temple ſoe pure in any man, as that it may be fitt for the reception of thee, who ruleſt the whole world of men?

Who can make a man cleane, he being conceiued of vncleane ſeede? Is it not thou who art onely cleane? For who can be cleanſed, by one who is himſelfe vncleane? For according to the Lawe, which thou gaueſt to our Fathers, in the fyre which burned the hill; and in the cloud which couered the darke water, we are told, that whatſoeuer an vncleane man did touch, should be vncleane. But all wee, are as a menſtruous cloath, proceeding out of an impure, & corrupted maſſe; and wee cannot become cleane, vnles wee be cleanſed by thee, who art onely cleane. And wee carry the marke of our impurity in our very fore-heads, and are farre from being able to conceale it from thee, who ſeeſt all things. Soe that wee can neuer be cleane, vnles wee be cleanſed by thee who art onely cleane.

But amongſt vs, who are the ſonnes of men, thou cleanſeſt ſome, in whome thou haſt bene pleaſed to dwell. Whome out of the inacceſſible profound ſecrets of the incomprehenſible iudgements of thy Wiſedome, (which are euer iuſt, though ſecret) thou haſt beene pleaſed to predeſtinate without any merits of theyrs, before the world was made, and haſt called them out of the world and haſt iuſtefyed them in the world, and wilt magnify them after the world. But thou doſt not this to all, which all the wiſe men of the earth doe wonder at, euen to amaſement.

And I alſo, O Lord, whileſt I conſider this, doe all tremble, and am aſtonished, at the altitude of the riches of thy Wiſedome, and knowledge, and at the incomprehenſible iudgements of thy Iuſtice, to the reaſon whereof I cann noe way arriue. Since out of the ſame clay thou deſigneſt ſome veſſells to honour, & others to eternall reproach.

Such therefore as thy chuſeſt out of many, to be a holy Temple for thy ſelfe, them doeſt thou clenſe, powreing out pure water vpon them; whoſe names and number thou knoweſt, who alone, doſt number the multitude of the ſtarres, and calleſt them all by theyre names; who are alſo written in the booke of life, and cann noe way perish; to whome all things, yea euen theyre very ſinnes themſelues, doe cooperate towards theyre good. For when they fall, they are not bruiſed, becauſe thou doeſt putt thy hand vnder them keeping all theyre bones in ſuch ſorte, that noe one of them may be broken.

But the death of ſinners is moſt pernitious, of thoſe I meane, whome before thou madeſt heauen and earth, thou diddeſt, according to the moſt profound Abyſſe of thy iudgements, (ſecret indeede but euer iuſt) fore knowe, to eternall death. The number of whoſe names, as alſo of theyre foule demerits, is with thee; who haſt numbered the ſands of the Sea, and haſt meaſured the bottome of the Abyſſe; whome thou haſt left in theyre vncleanenes; & in whome all things cooperate to theyr ill, yea euen theyre very prayer is turned into ſinne. Soe farre forth as that although they should mount vp, as high as the skye, and theyre heades should touch the very clouds, and should build theyr neſt amongſt the Starres of Heauen, they yet shall perish in the end, like a very dung hill.

CHAP. XXIX. Of them who firſt were iuſt, and afterwards become wicked.

GReate are theſe iudgements of thyne, O Lord my God, O thou iuſt and powerfull Iudge, who iudgeſt according to equitie, and doſt worke, and performe inſcrutable things. Which when I conſider, all my bones doe euen shiuer with trembling, becauſe noe man liueing vpon the earth can be ſecure. But wee muſt learne hereby, to ſerue thee piouſly, and purely all the dayes of our life; exulting to thee with reuerence; and that wee may not ſerue thee, without feare; nor reioyce without trembling. And that neyther he, who is girt, nor vngirt, nor in fine, any creature of flesh and blood, may glory, but may be full of apprehenſion & horrour before thy face; ſince noe man knoweth, whether he be worthy of loue, or hate, but all things are reſerued in vncertainty for the future tyme.

For we haue ſeene many, O Lord, and wee haue alſo heard it from our elders, (which certeinly I cannot call to mynde without much trembling, nor repeate without much feare) who at the firſt, aſcended after a ſorte, vp to heauen, and did place theyre neſt, euen amongſt the ſtarrs; & yet afterwards fell downe, to the very Abyſſe; and theyr ſoules grewe to be euen ſtupifyed in ſinne. Wee haue ſeene ſtarres, fall downe from heauen, through the force of the Dragons tayle, who ſtrooke them: And others who lay proſtrate vpon the duſt of the earth, haue aſcended vp by the helpe of thy hand, which raiſed them, after an admirable manner. We haue ſeene liueing men dy, & dead men raiſe againe to life; and them, who walked amongſt the ſonnes of God, in the mideſt of thoſe shineing ſtones of his Temple, to haue mouldered away into nothing, like ſoe much durt. Wee haue ſeene light, growe darke; and againe, wee haue ſeene light proceede out of darkenes; becauſe the Publicanes and harlots haue precedence of the naturall inhabitants in the Kingdome of heauen, whileſt the children of the ſame Kingdome are caſt out into exteriour darkenes.

But how come all theſe things to paſſe, but onely, becauſe they would needes aſcend, into that mountayne, into which that firſt Angel did goe vp, and came downe a deuill. But whom thou haſt predeſtinated, them thou haſt called, and ſanctifyed, and clenſed, that they may be a fitt habitation for thy Maieſtie, in whom, & with whom thou takeſt holy and pure delight, & in whom thou art pleaſed, and thou doſt recreate theyre youth. Dwelling ſo with them in theyr memory, that they proue a holy Temple for thee, which is a matter of much dignity and honour to our humanity.

CHAP. XXX. That a faithfull ſoule is a Sanctuary of God.

THe ſoule which thou haſt created, not of thy ſelf, but by thy Word; not of any elementary matter, but of nothing; this ſoule which is rationall, intellectuall, ſpirituall, euer liueing, euer in motion, which thou haſt ſtamped, with the light of thy countenance, and conſecrated, by the vertue of thy Baptiſme, is made ſo capable of thy Majeſty, that it can onely be filled by thee, and by noe other. When it poſſeſſeth thee, the deſire therof is fully ſatisfied: and there reſteth then, noe more exteriourly which it can deſire. But when it is found to deſire any thing exteriourly, it is cleere, that it poſſeſſeth not thee interiourly; vpon the haueing of whome, there remayneth nothing more to be deſired. For ſince thou art the ſoueraigne and totall Good, the ſoule which poſſeſſeth that totall Good, can aske noe more. But if it deſire not that totall Good, it remaineth that it muſt deſire ſome-what which is not that totall Good, and which therefore cannot be that ſoueraigne Good; and conſequently not God, but a Creature.

Now, as long as it deſires a Creature, it is ſubiect to continuall hunger. For although it obtayne that of the Creature, to which it pretendeth; yet ſtill it is not full, becauſe nothing can fill it, but thou, according to whoſe Image it is made.

But thou doeſt onely fill them, who deſire nothing els but thee; and thou, O God makeſt ſuch to be worthy of thee, and holy, bleſſed, immaculate, and in fine, thy freinds, as repute all things but dunge that they may gaine thee alone. For this is that Beatitude, which thou haſt beſtowed on man. This is that honour, where-with thou haſt honoured him, both amongſt, and aboue all thy other Creatures; that thy Name may be admirable, ouer all the earth.

Behold, O Lord my God, Supreame, moſt Excellent, and Omnipotent, I haue found that the place wherein thou dwelleſt, is the ſoule which thou created, after thyne owne Image, and likenes, and which ſeeketh & deſireth thee alone. For in that ſoule which ſeeketh or deſireth thee not, thou doeſt not dwell.

CHAP. XXXI. That God is not to be found, eyther by the exteriour or interiour ſenſes.

I Haue wandred like a loſt sheepe in exteriour thinges, ſeekeing thee who art interiour; and I did putt my ſelfe vpon much labour, by ſeekeing thee without my ſelfe, who dwelleſt in mee, if indeede it be true, that I deſire thee. I haue walked round about the ſtreetes, and open places of the citty, of this world, in ſearch of thee; but I found thee not, becauſe I did foolishly looke that abroade, which was within. I ſent all my exteriour ſenſes, as my Ambaſſadours abroad, that ſoe I might ſeeke thee; but I found thee not, becauſe I ſought thee ill. For I ſee, O my light, and my God, who haſt illuminated mee, that I ſought thee ill, by theyr meanes, becauſe thou art within, and yet they ſcarce can tell how thou diddeſt enter. For the eyes will ſay, if he were not of ſome colour, he came not in, by vs. The eares ſay thus, if he made noe noiſe, he did not paſſe by vs. The noſe ſaith, if he had no ſmell, I know nothing of him. The taſte ſaith, if he had noe ſauour, he entred not in by mee. The ſenſe of touching alſo addeth, if it haue noe corpulency, there is noe cauſe, why you should interrogate mee.

Theſe kind of things, O my God, are not in thee; and therefore the beauty of bodyes, or the order of tyme, or candour of light, or colour, or the concerts of ſweete muſicke, or whatſoeuer other thing of delightfull ſound; or the odour of flowers, & pretious oyntments, or other aromaticall odours: or hony, or Manna, which is ſoe delightfull to the taſte, or other things, which is ſoe amiable to be embraced, or touched; or in fine any other obiect which are ſubiect to theſe ſenſes of ours, are the things which I ſeeke, when I ſeeke my God.

Farre be it from mee, that I should beleiue theſe thing • to be my God, which are comprehended, by the ſenſe of brute beaſts. And yet neuertheles, when I ſeeke my God, I ſeeke a certayne light aboue all other light, which the eye doth not receaue; and a certaine voyce beyond all voyces, which the eare doth not contayne; a certayne odour, beyond odours, which the noſe doth not apprehend; a certain ſweetenes, beyond all ſweetenes, to which the taſte doth not reach; and a certain imbracement, beyond all imbracements, whereof the touch cannot iudge. For this light shineth where place doth not contayne; this voyce ſoundeth, where the ayre doth not carry away, this odour giueth ſmell, where it is not ſcattered by any wynde; this ſauour giueth taſt, where it is not diminished by being eaten; this embracement is touched, where it cannot be diuorced. This is my God, and noe other can be compared to him. This doe I ſeeke, when I ſeeke my God; and when I loue my God, I loue this.

Too late am I come to loue thee, O thou beauty which art ſoe auncient, and I ſo new; too late am I come to loue thee. Thou wert within, and I without; & without I ſought thee, and I rushed with deformity, vpon thoſe things which thou madeſt fayre. Thou wert with me, but I was not with thee. Thoſe things did keepe mee farre from thee, which yet had noe being at all, but onely in thee. For I raunged ouer all things in ſeekeing thee; and for the loue of them, I loſt my ſelfe.

I asked the earth, if it were my God, and it told mee, noe; and all things which are vpon the earth made the ſame confeſſion. I asked the Sea, and thoſe Abyſſes, and the creeping creatures which are therein & they anſwered, Wee are not thy God, thou muſt looke him aboue vs. I asked the ſtable ayre, and the whole ayre, with all the inhabitants thereof, ſayd, Anaxinenes is deceyued, I am not thy God. I asked the heauen, the Sunne and Moone, and the Starres; and they ſayd, Neither are wee thy God. Then I ſayd to all them who ſtand about the doores of my flesh and blood, tell me ſomewhat of my God, which you knowe; tell me ſome-what, I ſay, of him. And they all cryed out, with a loude voyce, He made vs.

Then I ſayd thus to the whole bulke of the World, Tell mee whether thou be my God, or noe: And it anſwered alſo thus, with a loud voyce: I am not thy God, but I am by him. He made mee, whom thou ſeekeſt in mee. Seeke him aboue mee, for he gouerneth mee, who made thee.

By the queſtion which I aske of theſe inanimate creatures, I meane nothing, but a profound conſideration of them; and by my ſayeing that they make ſuch or ſuch an anſwere I meane, but the atteſtation which in in theyre ſeuerall kindes they make of God. For they all cry out in this manner, it is God who made vs. For as the Apoſtle ſaith, The inuiſible things of God are diſcerned and vnderſtood, by conſidering the creatures of this world.

Then I returned to my ſelfe, and I entered into my ſelfe, and ſayd, who art thou? And I anſwered my ſelfe thus. A man rational and mortall. And I begun to diſcuſſe, what this might be, and I ſayd; Whence cometh ſuch a liueing creature, O Lord my God? VVhence, but from thee, who madeſt me, & not I my ſelfe. VVho art thou then by whome I liue; thou by whome all things liue. VVho art thou? Thou O Lord art my true God, and onely Omnipotent, and eternall, and incomprehenſible, and immenſe, who euer liueſt, and nothing dyeth in thee, for thou art immortall, and doſt inhabite eternity. Thou art admirable in the eyes of Angells, vnſpeakable, inſcrutable, and vnnameable; thou art the true, and liueing God, terrible, and powerfull, admittinge in thy ſelfe, nether beginning, nor end, but being both the beginning, and end of all things, who art before the firſt ages, and before the very firſt beginnings of them all.

Thou art my God, and the Lord of all thoſe good things, which thou haſt created, and with thee doe ſtand the cauſes of all things which are ſtable; yea and the beginning of all things, which in themſelues be mutable, are yet, and doe remayne immutable with thee; And the reaſons of all things, not onely which are eternall, and rationall, but euen of ſuch as are temporary and irrationall, doe yet liue eternally with thee: tell O my God, this humble ſeruant of thyne; tell, ô mercifull God, this miſerable creature of thine whence groweth ſuch a creature as man, but from thee? O God Is man perhaps of skill enough to make himſelf? Is his beeing, and liueing, deriued from any roore but thee? Art not thou, the ſupreme beeing, from whome all beeing doth proceede? For whatſoeuer is, is of thee, and nothing is without thee? Art not thou that fountayne of life, from which all life doth flowe; for whatſoeuer liueth, liues by thee, and without thee nothing liues?

Therefore thou, ô Lord, diddeſt make all things, and now do I aske, who made mee? Thou ô Lord diddeſt make mee, without whome nothing was made. Thou art my maker, and I am thy worke. I giue thee thankes, ô Lord my God, by whome I liue, and by whome all things liue, for haueing made mee. I giue thee thankes, ô thou my framer, becauſe thy hands haue made, and faſchioned mee. I giue thee thankes, ô thou my light, becauſe thou haſt illuminated mee, and I haue found both thee, and my ſelfe. where I found my ſelfe, there I knewe my ſelfe; where I found thee there I knewe thee; & where I knewe thee, there thou dideſt illuminate mee.

I giue thee thankes, O thou my light; becauſe thou haſt illuminated mee. But what is that, which I ſayd, when I affirmed I knewe thee. Art not thou God incomprehenſible, and immenſe, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, who onely poſſeſſeſt immortality, and doſt inhabite an inacceſſible light, whome, noe man hath euer ſeene or can ſee. Art not thou that hidden God of inſcrutable Maieſty, the onely perfect knower, and admirable contemplator of thy ſelfe? who did euer perfectly knowe that, which he neuer ſawe, and thou haſt ſayd in thy truth, Noe man shall ſee mee and liue. Thy Apoſtle did alſo ſay, in the Truth, Noe man did euer ſee God. VVho hath therefore knowen, that which he neuer ſawe? Thy Truth alſo it ſelfe hath ſayd, Noe man knoweth the Sonne, but the Father; and noe man knoweth the Father, but the Sonne.

The Holy Trinity, is perfectly knowen to it ſelfe alone; and that knowledge farre paſſeth the vnderſtanding of man. VVhat is therefore that, which I ſayd, I who am a man made all of vanity, in ſaying I knowe thee. For who knoweth thee, but thou thy ſelfe? For thou alone, art God Omnipotent, ſuperlaudable, and ſuperglorious, and ſuperexalted, and ſupreme; and thou art named ſupereſſentiall, in theſe moſt holy, and moſt diuine Scriptures. Becauſe thou doſt exceede all eſſence, which is intelligibile, or intellectuall, and ſenſible. And thou art knowen to be aboue all the names, which can be named; and that not onely in this world, but in the future, ſupereſſentially, and ſuperintelligibly. Becauſe, by this hidden and ſupereſſentiall diuinity, thou doeſt dwell within thy ſelfe, inacceſſibly, and inſcrutably beyond all created reasō vnderſtanding, and eſſence. VVhere there is an inacceſſible brightnes, & an inſcrutable, vnſpeakable, and incomprehenſible light, to which noe other light arryues; becauſe it it beleeued to bee incontemplable, and inuiſible, and ſuperrationall, and ſuperintelligible, and ſuperinacceſſible, & ſuperunchaungeable, and ſuperincommunicable; which noe Angell euer did ſee, or euer shall be able to ſee perfectly.

This is that heauen of thine, O Lord, that heauen of the heauens, that ſuperſecret, ſuperintelligibile, ſuperrationall, and ſupereſſentiall light, whereof it is ſayd, the heauen of the heauens to our Lord. The heauen of the heauens; in reſpect whereof, theſe other materiall heauens, are but a kinde of earth, becauſe that former heauen is ſuperadmireably exalted, aboue all materiall heauene, and the Empireall heauen it ſelf, is but as earth in reſpect of it. For this is that heauen of the heauens to our Lord; becauſe it is not knowen by any but by our Lord, to which noe men aſcendeth, but he who deſcended from heauen; becauſe noe man knoweth the Father, but the Sonne, and the Holy Spirit of them both; and noe man knoweth the Sonne, but the Father, and the Holy Spirit of them both. Thou, O Trinity, art entirely knowen to thy ſelf alone. Holy Trinity, truly ſuperadmireable, ſuperineſſable, ſuperinſcrutable, ſuperinacceſſible, ſuperincomprehenſible, ſuperintelligible, ſupereſſentiall; and ſupereſſentially ſurpaſſing all ſenſe, and reaſon, all vnderſtanding, all intelligence, all eſſence, euen of the moſt ſuperceleſtiall mindes; which it is wholy impoſſible, euen for the Spirit of Angells to ſpeake of, or to knowe it, or to vnderſtand it, or euen to thinke perfectly thereof.

How therefore haue I knowen thee, O Lord my God, who art moſt high, ouer all the earth, and aboue all the heauens; whome nether Cherubin, nor Seraphin, doe exactly knowe, but theyre faces are vayled with the wings of theyr contemplation, before him, who ſitteth vpon that high Imperiall Throne; cryeing out, and ſayeing, Holy; Holy, Holy Lord God of hoaſts, The Earth is full of thy glory As for thy Prophet, he was all in trembling, and he ſayd, Woe be vnto mee, for I haue held my peace; becauſe I am a man of polluted lipps. But my harte hath quaked, and ſayd Woe be vnto me, who am a man of polluted lipps; becauſe I haue not held my peace, but ſayd, that I knewe thee. And yet O Lord, woe be to them who are ſilent concerning thee. For the greateſt talkers may be accounted but dumbe, if they doe not ſpeake of thee.

And as for me O Lord my God, I will not be ſilent concerning thee, becauſe thou haſt made mee, and I haue therefore knowne thee, becauſe thou haſt illuminated me. But yet how haue I knowen thee? I haue knowen thee in thy ſelfe. Yet I haue no knowen thee in thy ſelfe, as thou art to thy ſelfe; but I haue knowen thee, as thou art to mee. But yet howſoeuer, it is not without thee, but in thee; becauſe thou art the light which haſt illuminated mee. For as thou art to thy ſelfe, thou art onely knowen to thy ſelfe; but as thou art to mee by thy mercy and grace, thou art knowen to mee.

But what art thou vnto mee? Tel me O mercifull Lord, who am thy miſerable ſeruant; tell me by thy mercy, what thou art to mee. Say to my ſoule, I am thy ſaluation. Doe not hide thy face from mee; leſt if thou doe, I dye. Suffer me to ſpeake; me; who am duſt, and ashes; ſuffer me to ſpeake to thy mercy. For thy mercy towards mee is greate, and I will preſume to ſpeake to thee, though I be but duſt and ashes. Tell mee who am thy ſupplyant; ſay O mercifull Lord to thy miſerable creature; ſay, by thy mercyes, what thou art to mee. And thou haſt thundered downe, with a mighty voyce, vpon the inward eare of my hart, and thou haſt broken through my deafenes, and I haue heard thy voyce. And thou haſt illuminated my blindenes, and I haue ſeene thy light, and haue knowen that thou art my God. It is therefore that I ſayd, that I haue knowen thee. For I haue knowen, that thou art my God. I haue knowen that thou art the onely true God, and Ieſus Chriſt whome thou haſt ſent. For thrre wat a time, when I knewe thee not, bu, woe be to that time, when I knew not tgee. Woe be to that blindenes, when I ſawe not thee. Woe be to that deafnes, when a heard not thee. For being blinde, & deafe, I did rush, with great deformity, vpon thoſe things, which yet thou had deſt made fayre; and thou wert ſtill with mee but I was not with thee. And thoſe things kept mee farre from being with thee, which yet, if they had not bene in thee, could haue had noe beeing at all. Thou diddeſt illuminat mee, O thou light of the world, and I ſaw thee, and I loued thee. And indeede, noe man loueth thee, but he who ſees thee; and noe man ſees thee, but he who loues thee, Too late am I come to loue thee, O thou beauty, which art ſo auntient, and yet ſo new. Too late am I come to loue thee; and woe be to that time, when I loued thee not.

CHAP. XXXII. A Confeſſion of true faith.

I Giue thankes, O thou who art my light, becauſe thou haſt illuminated mee, and I haue knowen thee. How haue I knowen thee? I haue knowen thee to be the onely liueing God, and my true creatour. I haue knowen thee to bee the Creator of heauen, & earth, of all things viſible, and inuiſible; to be the true, Omnipotent God, immortall, inuiſible, vncircumſcribed, vnlimited, eternall, inacceſſible, incomprehenſible; inſcrutable; vnchangeable, immenſe, infinite, the firſt beginning of all, both viſible, & inuiſible creatures by whome all things are made, and by whome all the Elements ſubſiſt. Whoſe Maieſtie, as it neuer had any beginning, ſoe neither shall it end, for all eternity.

I haue knowen thee to be one onely true God, the Father, the Sonne, and the Holy Ghoſt; three Perſons indeede, but one eſſence, and the ſame, wholly, ſimple, and vndiuided nature. And that the Father is of none; that the Sonne is onely of the Father; and that the Holy Ghoſt, is iointly of them both; euer without beginning, and for euer to be without ending, to be Trine, and onely One; and that, the true Omnipotent God. That thou art that one beginning of all things, and the Creatour of all things, both viſible and inuiſible, ſpirituall and temporall; who by thy Omnipotent vertue, diddeſt, in the beginning of Tyme, create both the ſpirituall and corporall creature; that is to ſay the Angells in heauen, and the fabricke of the world, and then thou madeſt man, as being compounded both of body and ſoule.

I haue knowen thee, and I doe confeſſe thee, O God the Father, to be vnbegotten; and thee O God the Sonne, to be begotten of the Father, and thee O holy Ghoſt, the Paraclete to be neither begotten, nor vnbegotten, And I beleiue with my harte to Iuſtice, and I confeſſe with my mouth to ſaluatiō, the holy and indiuiduall Trinity, in three perſons, coequall, conſubſtantiall, and coeternall, Trinity in Vnity, and Vnity in Trinity.

I haue knowen thee the true God and our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, to be the onely begotten Sonne of God, the Creatour, the Sauiour and the Redeemer of mee. and all mankinde, whome I confeſſe to haue bene begotten of the Father, before all ages God of God, light of light, true God of true God, not made but begotten, conſubſtantiall, & coeternall with the Father, and the Holy Ghoſt by whome all things were made, from the beginning. And I beleiue firmely, and confeſſe truely. that thou O Ieſus Chriſt, the onely begotten God, wert incarnate, ioyntly by the holy Trinity for the ſaluation of man; and that thou wert conceiued, through the cooperation of the Holy Ghoſt, by the perpetuall Vithin Mary, and that thou wert made true man, conſiſting of a reaſonable ſoule and humane flesh. Who being the onely begotten of God, and conſequently both impaſſible, and immortall, yea for the great loue, wherewith thou loueſt vs, thou being ſtill the ſame ſonne of God, wert yet, according to thy humanity, made both paſſible, & mortall; who being the onely ſonne of God, diddeſt voutchafe to ſuffer Paſſion, and death, vpon the tree of the croſſe, for the ſaluation of mankinde, to the end that thou mighteſt deliuer vs from eternall death. And being the author of light, thou diddeſt deſcend to Hell, where our fore-Fathers ſatt in darkenes. And the third day, being a glorious conquerer, thou diddeſt riſe vp, from the dead, reſumeing thy ſacred body, which had lyen dead in the ſepulchre; for our ſinnes; and thou diddeſt quicken it, the third day, according to the ſcriptures; that thou mighteſt place it, at the right hand of thy Father.

For haueing ledd with thee, out of captiuitie, them whom our auntient enemy, the enemy, of all mankinde, had captiued in Hell, thou being the true Sonne of God, dideſt aſcend aboue all the heauens, with the ſubſtance of our nature; that is to ſay both with thy ſoule, and that humaine flesh, which thou haddeſt taken, of the glorious Virgin. And thou diddeſt ſurpaſſe all the quyers of Angels, where thou ſitteſt at the right hand of thy Father; and where that fountayne of life is, and that inacceſſible light, and that peace of God, which paſſeth all vnderſtanding. There doe wee adore, and belieue thee, O Ieſus Chriſt to be true God and man; confeſſing, that thou haſt God for thy Father, and that from heauen wee expect thee, to come as Iudge in the end of the world, to iudge the quicke and the dead; that thou mayeſt render eyther reward or punishment to all men, eyther good or badd, according to thoſe workes, which they shall haue wrought in this life, that ſoe they may be eyther in reſt, or eternall miſery. For all thoſe creatures who haue receiued a humane ſoule into that flesh, which here they haue carryed about them, shall riſe at that day, in the voyce of thy ſtrength, to the end that the whole man may receyue, eyther glory or torments, according to his merits. Thou art that life and reſurrection it ſelfe, whom wee expect to be our Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt our Lord, who will reforme this poore meane body of ours, by conformeing it to the body of his clarity.

I haue knowen thee alſo to be true God, O thou one holy Spirit of the Father and the Sonne, proceding iointly from them both, to be conſubſtantiall and eternall with the Father and the Sonne, to be our Paraclete and Aduocate, who diddeſt alſo deſcend in the shape of a doue, vpon the ſame God Ieſus Chriſt our Lord, and diddeſt appeare vpon the Apoſtles in tongues of fyre. who alſo from the beginning, haſt taught all the elect & Saints of God, by the gifte of thy grace; and haſt opened the mouth of the Prophets, that they might relate wounderful things of the Kingdome of God; & who. together with the Father & the Sonne, art adored, and glorifyed by all the Saints of God. Amongſt whome I alſo, who am the ſonne of thy handmayd, doe glorify thy name, with my whole harte, becauſe thou haſt illuminated mee. For thou art that reall light, that light which tells vs truth, the fyre of God, the Doctour of ſoules; the very Spirit of Truth, which teacheth vs all truth, by thy vnction; without which, it is impoſſible for vs to pleaſe God. For thou thy ſelf, art God of God, and light of light, proceeding from the Father of lights, and from his Sonne our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, after an ineffable manner; with whome thou, being coequall, and coeternall, art glorifyed, and doſt raigne ioyntly with them ſupereſſentially, in the eſſence of the ſame Trinity.

I haue knowen thee, my one, liueing, and true God, the Father, the Sonne, and the Holy Ghoſt, three in perſons, but one in eſſence; whome I confeſſe, adore, and glorify with my whole harte, as my onely true, Holy, immortall, inuiſible, vnchaungeable, and vnſcrutable God; that one Light, one Sunne, one bread, one Life, one Good, one Beginning, one End, one Creatour of heauen and earth, by whome all things liue, by whome all things ſubſiſt, by whome all things are gouuerned, ordered, and quickened which are in heauē, on the earth, and vnder the earth; and beſides whome, there is noe God, either in heauen, or in earth▪

I haue knowen thee, by thy faith, wherewith thou haſt inſpired mee, O thou my light, and the ſight of myne eyes, O Lord my God, the hope of all the ends of the earth; the Ioy which doth recreat my youth, and the good which ſtrēgtheneth my age. For in thee O Lord, do all my bones exceſſiuely reioyce, and ſay, O Lord who is like to thee. Who amongſt the Gods is like thee, O Lord. Not they who are made by the hands of men but thou by whome the hands of men are made. The Idolls of the Gentiles are gold, and ſiluer, the worke of mens hands. But ſoe is not the maker of men. All the Gods of the nations, are Deuills; but our Lord made the heauens; and this Lord is God. As for thoſe Gods, who made not heauen, and earth, let them perish, both from heauen and earth But let heauen and earth, bleſſe that God, who made heauen and earth.

CHAP. XXXIII Of the Confeſſion of our owne baſenes.

WHo, O Lord, is like thee among the Gods? Who is like thee, O thou who art magnificent in thy ſanctity, who art terrible & laudable, and doeing wonderfull things? Too late I come to knowe thee, O thou true light; too late am I come to knowe thee. But there was a greate and darke cloude before theſe vayne, eyes of myne; ſoe that I could not ſee the ſunne of Iuſtice, and the light of truth. I was wrapped vp in darkenes, my ſelfe being the childe of darkenes, and this darkenes of myne, I loued, becauſe I did not knowe the light. I was blinde, and I loued blindenes, and by darkenes I walked on, to further darkenes. Who brought me out from thence, where I, blinde creature, was ſitting in darkenes, and in the shadow of death; who tooke mee by the hand, and led me out; VVho was he, that did illuminate mee? I ſought not him, but he ſought me? I called not vpon him, and he cryed out vpon mee? But who is he that did all this It is thou O Lord my God, the Father of mercyes, and the God of all conſolations; it is thou O holy Lord and my God, whome I confeſſe with my whole harte, giueinge thankes to thy Name. I ſought not thee, but I was ſought by thee. I inuoked not thee, and thou calledeſt mee. Thou calledſt mee by thine owne Name; thou diddeſt thunder thus downe into the inward eare of my harte, with this mighty voyce, Let Light be made, and light was made, and that greate cloud flew away; that darke thicke cloud, was diſſolued which had cloſed vp myne eyes And I ſawe thy light, and I knew thy voyce, and I ſayd O Lord that thou indeed art my God, Who haſt drawen mee out of darkenes, and out of the shadow of death; and thou haſt called me into thy admireable light, and behold I ſee. Thankes be giuē to thee O thou who art the Illuminator of my ſoule. And I looked backe, and ſawe the darkenes wherein I had bene, and that profound blacke pitt wherein I had lyen; and I did all quake, and shiuer, and I ſaid, Woe woe be to that darkenes, wherein I lay. Woe, woe be to that blindenes, wherin I was not able to ſee the light of heauen. VVoe, woe to that former ignorance of myne, when I had noe knowldege of thee O Lord. But I giue thee thanks, O thou my illuminator, and deliuerer, becauſe thou haſt illuminated mee, and I haue knowen thee. Yet ſtill I am come too late, to knowe thee, O thou antient Truth; too late I am come to knowe thee, O thou eternall Truth. Thou wert in the light, and I in darkenes and I knew thee not becauſe I could not be illuminated, without thee; nor indeede without thee, is there any light at all.

CHAP. XXXIV. A conſideration of the diuine Maieſtie.

O Thou holy of holyes thou God of ineſtimable Maieſtie, the God of God, and the Lord of Lords. who art admirable, inexplicable, and vnconceiuable; before whome the Angelicall power of heauen, doe euen shiuer, whome the Thrones, and Dominations doe adore, and in whoſe preſence all the Vertues of Heauen doe euen quake; of whoſe power and Wiſedome there is noe number, who haſt layd the foundations of the whole world vpon nothing, who haſt tyed vp the Sea, as if it were in ſome skinne, who art moſt Omnipotent, moſt Holy, and the moſt powerfull God ouer all the ſpirits of all mankinde. From whoſe ſight the heauen and earth doe fly away; to whoſe becke all the elements are ſubiect, let all thy creatures adore and glorify thy Name.

And I, the Sonne of thy handmayd, doe by faith bowe downe the necke of my harte, vnder the feete of thy Maieſtie, preſenting thee with thankes, for that thou haſt voutchſafed to illuminate mee by thy mercy. True Light, holy Light, delightfull Light, admirable Light, ſuperlaudable Light, which illuminateth euery man comeing into this world, and the eyes alſo of the Angels.

Behold, now I ſee, and I thanke thee for it. Behold I ſee the light of heauen; there is a beame which ſtriketh brightly downe, from the face of thy light, vpon the eyes of my mynde, and it filleth all the powers of my ſoule, with ioy. But O, that once it might be perfected in mee.

Encreaſe I beſeech thee, O thou author of light, encreaſe I beſeech thee, that which ſoe brightly ſtriketh through, vpon mee. Let this light be dilated, I beſeech thee, let it be dilated by thee. What is this, which I feele: what fyre is this which heates any harte; what fyre is this whereby my harte is ſtroken through with beames? O fyre which euer burneſt, and art neuer quenched, doe thou kindle mee. O light, which doeſt euer shine, and art neuer darkened, doe thou enlighten mee. O how very fayne, would I been flamed by thee? O Holy fyre, how ſweetely doeſt thou heate, how ſecretly doeſt thou shine, and how delightfully doſt thou burne? Woe be to them who doe not burne by thee. VVoe be to them which are not illuminated by thee.

O thou light which teacheſt truth to men, illuminating all the world, which is filled by the beames thereof. VVoe be to thoſe blinde eyes, which ſee not thee, thou being the ſunne, illuminating both heauen and earth. VVoe be to thoſe weake, and daſeling eyes, which cannot looke on thee. VVoe be to thoſe eyes, which turne themſelues away from ſeeing truth; and woe be to thoſe eyes, which doe not turne them ſelues away, for feare leaſt they behold vanity. For eyes, which are acuſtomed to darkenes, haue not ſtrength wherewith to behold the beames of ſoueraigne truth; nor can they make any true iudgment of light, whoſe habitation is wont to be in darkenes. They ſee darkenes, they allow of darkenes, they loue darkenes; and ſoe, goeing from darkenes to darkenes, they fall headlong, and they knowe not where. Miſerable creatures they are, who knowe not what they looſe; though yet more miſerable are they, who knowe what they looſe, and who yet fall with open eyes, and dropp downe quicke, into Hell.

O moſt bleſſed light, which canſt not be beheld, but by eyes, which are pure, and wholly purged, Bleſſed are the pure of harte for they shall ſee God. Doe thou clenſe mee, O thou clenſing power; cure my ſight, that I may contemplate thee, with ſtrong eyes. For they are none but ſtrong eyes, which can looke on thee: Putt away I beſeech thee, O thou inacceſſible ſplendour, the skales of that auntient miſtynes, by the beame of thy illumination, that ſoe I may be able to looke on thee, with certayne caſts of my eye, which may not be checked, and beaten back, and that I may ſee light in thy light

I giue thee thankes, O my light, for behold now I ſee. I beſeech thee O Lord, that it may be ſpred abroade by thee. Vnuayle myne eyes, that I may conſider the wonderfull things of thy lawe, thou who art wonderfull in thy Saints. I giue thee thankes, O my light, for behold I ſee; though as yet it be but by a repreſentation, as in a glaſſe: But when will it be face to face? when will that day of ioy, and exultation arryue, when I may enter into the place of that admireable Tabernacle, the very houſe of God, that ſo face to face, I may ſee him, who ſeeth mee, and ſo my deſire may be fullfilled.

CHAP. XXXV. Of the deſire and thirſt of a ſoule towards God.

AS the harte deſireth the fountaynes of water, ſoe doth my ſoule thirſt after thee, O God. My ſoule hath thirſted after thee O God, who art the liueing fountayne; when shall I come and appeare before thy face? O thou fountayne of life, thou vayne of liueing waters, when shall I arriue to thoſe waters of thy ſweetnes, from this barren vnhaunted, and dry earth, that I may ſee thy power, and thy glory, and that I may appeaſe my thirſt, by the waters of thy mercy. I thirſt O Lord, O thou fountayne of life, ſatisfy mee, for I thirſt: O Lord, I thirſt towards thee, who art the liueing God. When O Lord shall I approache, and appeare before that face of thyne? doeſt thou thinke that at length, I shall ſee that day; that day I ſay of delight and ioy; that day which our Lord hath made, to the end that wee may reioyce, and exult therein?

O ſweete, and beautifull day, which hath noe euening, and whoſe Sunne hath nothing to doe with ſetting; wherein I shall heare the voyce of prayſe, the voyce of exultation and confeſſion, wherein I shall heare this word, Enter into the ioy of thy Lord; enter into eternall ioy, into the houſe of thy Lord, and thy God, where there are greate, and vnſearcheable, and wounderfull things, whereof there is noe number.

Enter into ioy, without ſorrow, which containeth eternall ioy: where all good shall be, without any kind of euill. Where whatſoeuer thou wilt haue, shall be, and where nothing shall be which thou wilt not haue. Where there will be a life, which is vitall, ſweete, amiable, and eternall: Where there will be noe enemy aſſaulting, nor noe falſe delight allureing; but a ſupreame, and certayn ſecurity, ſecure tranquillity, a quiet ioy, a ioyfull felicity, a happy eternity, and eternall beatitude; a bleſſed Trinity, a Trine Vnity, a ſole Deity, & a happy viſion of that Deity, which is the ioy of thy Lord and thy God.

O ioy vpon ioy, ioy which excelleth all ioy; & without which there is noe ioy; when shall I enter into thee, that I may ſee my God, who dwelleth in thee, that ſoe I may there partake of this greate viſion. What is it which deteyneth mee? VVoe be vnto mee, becauſe my habitation here is perlonged. VVoe be vnto mee, and how long shall it be ſayd to mee, where is thy God? How long shall it be ſayd to me, Expect, and reexpect. But now what shall I expect? Is it not thee, O Lord my God? VVee expect a Sauiour, our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, who will reforme this poore meane body of ours, and conforme it to the body of his glory: wee expect when our Lord returneth from the marriage, that he may carry vs in, with him.

Come Lord, and doe not ſtay. Come O Lord Ieſus Chriſt; come viſit vs in peace; come, and carry vs out, who are bound in priſon, that wee may reioyce before thee with a perfect harte. Come, O thou Sauiour, come thou who art the deſired of all nations; doe but let vs ſee thy face, and wee are ſafe. Come my Light, and my Redeemer, lead my ſoule out of this priſon, that I may confeſſe to thy holy Name.

How long shall I, wretched creature, be toſſed vp and downe, in theſe waues of my mortality, cryeing out vpon thee, O Lord, whileſt thou heareſt mee not.

Harken to mee, O Lord, who am cryeing to thee out of this deepe Sea, and waft mee into the Hauen of eternall bliſſe, to theyr ſociety, who being conducted out of this dangerous Sea, haue obtayned to repoſe in that moſt ſafe harbour, which is thy ſelfe, O God. O how truely happy are they, who be deliuered from that Sea to the shore, from banishment to their country, and from the priſon to the Pallace. Happy are they, who in theyr deſired place of reſt, are eternally to reioyce, for haueing ſoe with ſuch proſperous ioy obtayned that prize of eternall glory, towards which they here made theyre courſe, through ſuch a multitude of tribulations. O how truely happy are they, O thrice, and three thouſand tymes happy, who being freed from all miſery, and being ſecure in the poſſeſſion of that inuiolable glory, haue deſerued to arryue to that Kingdome of order and delight.

O Eternall Kingdome, Kingdome which out liueth all ages; where there is a light which neuer fayleth, and a peace which paſſeth all vnderſtanding; where the ſoules of the Saincts repoſe; and eternall ioy hāgeth ouer theyr heads. For they shall obtaine delight, and exultation: and greif, and ſorrow, shall fly away. How glorious, O Lord, is that kingdome, wherein all thy Saints shall for euer reigne with thee, being cladd with light, as with a garment; and heauing a crowne of pretious ſtone, vpon theyr heads. O kingdome of eternall beatitude, where thou O Lord, who art the hope of the Saints, and the diademe of theyr glory, art beheld by them, face to face; delighting them on all ſides, with thy peace, which paſſeth all vnderſtanding. VVhere there is infinite ioy without greif; health without payne workeing without labour, light without darkenes, life without death, all good without any ill. VVhere youth neuer waxeth old; where life neuer cometh to an end; where beauty is neuer diminished; where loue is neuer weakened; where health is neuer blaſted, where Ioy is neuer impayred, where payne is neuer felt, where groane is neuer heard; where ſadnes is neuer ſeene; where ioy is euer had; where noe euill is feared, becauſe the ſouueraigne good is poſſeſſed there, which conſiſts in euer ſeeing the face of our Lord the God of all ſtrength.

Happy therefore are they, who haue obtayned to come to ſoe greate ioye, out of this life, where ſo many shipwrakes are ſuffered. And O, vnhappy and wretched creatures wee, who are ſteereing our ships, through the floods of this great ſea, & through theſe ſtormy whirlepooles, not knoweing whether or no wee shall be able to arryue, to the porte of ſaluation. Miſerable, I ſay, wee are, whoſe life is ſpent in banishement, and whoſe way in daunger, and whoſe end in doubt, for wee knowe not our end, becauſe all things are reſerued in ſuſpenſe, for the future.

VVee are ſtill toſſed, in theſe ſea-waues aſpireing to thee, who art the hauen. O thou country of ours, wee ſee thee, though it be from farre of, VVee ſalute thee from this ſea; wee ſigh to thee, from this valley, and wee ſtriue with teares, if perhaps wee may be able to get thither.

O Chriſt, thou God of Gods, thou hope of mankinde, thou refuge and ſtrength of ours, whoſe light, like ſome beame of the ſea ſtarre, doth ſtrike our eyes, from farre of, amongſt the foggy miſts and tempeſts of this ſea, wherein wee liue; that ſoe our courſe may be directed to thee, who art our hauen; gouerne, I beſeech thee, our ship, with thy right hand, by the inſtrument of thy Croſſe; that wee may not perish in theſe floods, that the ſtormes of water, may not drowne vs; that the profound pitt may not ſwallow vs vp; but drawe vs out of this ſea, to thee, who art our onely ſolace, whome wee ſee with our lamenting eyes, to be expecting vs, though from farre of, vpon the shore of that celeſtiall country, as it might be ſome Sunne of Iuſtice, or morneing ſtarre.

Behould wee cry out to thee, who are redeemed by thee, and who are now thoſe exiles of thine, whom thou haſt redeemed, with thy pretious blood. Harken to vs, O our Sauiour, the hope of all the ſands of the ſea, how farre ſoeuer it be of. Wee are toſſed in this turbulent ſea, and thou ſtanding vpon the shore, doeſt ſee our dangers, and ſaue vs for thy names ſake. Graunt to vs O Lord, that wee may hold ſoe euen away, betweene Sylla, and Caribdis, that haueing eſcaped the danger of them both, wee may ſecurely, arriue in the port, with our ship, and our aduenture ſafe.

CHAP. XXXVI. Of the glory of our celeſtiall country

WHen therefore we shall be come to thee, O thou foū taine of wiſedome, to thee O indeficient light, to thee, O thou who art the ſplendour, which cannot be defaced, that we may then behould thee, not by repreſentation, as in a glaſſe, but face to face: then shall our deſire be fully ſatisfyed with good things; becauſe no other thing will remayne to be deſired by vs, when we shall poſſeſſe thee, O Lord our ſoueraigne good, who art to be the reward of the bleſſed, and the diademe of theyre glorye, and the ſempiternall Ioy, which hangeth ouer theyr heads; poſſeſſing them, both inwardly, & outwardly in that peace of thyne, which paſſeth all vndeſtanding. There shall wee ſee, and loue, and praiſe. Wee shall ſee light, in thy light, becauſe with thee is the fountaine of life, and in thy light, wee shall ſee light. But what kinde of light? an immenſe light, an incorporeall, incorruptible, and incomprehenſible light; a light indefcient, a light which cannot bee put out, an inacceſſible light, an vncreated light, a light which sheweth truth▪ a diuine light, which illuminateth the eyes of Angells, which reioyceth the youth of ſaints, which is a light of lights, and the fountaine of life, which is thy ſelfe, O Lord my God. For thou art that light, in whoſe light wee shall ſee thy ſelf, who art that light; hat is to ſay, thee, in thee; in the ſplendour of thy countenance, when wee shall ſee thee, face to face.

What is it to ſee face to face, but as the Apoſtle ſayth, to knowe thee, as I am knowen, To knowe thy truth, & thy glory, is to knowe thee face to face. To knowe the power of the Father the, wiſedome of the Sonne, the meekenes, of the Holy Ghoſt; the one and indiuiduall eſſence, of the ſupreme Trinity. For to ſee the face of the liueing God, is to poſſeſſe the ſoueraigne good. It is the ioy of the Angells, and of all the Saints; the reward of eternall life, the glory of ſpirites, the eternall Ioy, the crowne of beauty, the prize of felicity, the rich repoſe, the beauty of peace, the internall, and externall Ioy; the celeſtiall Ieruſalem, the Paradiſe of God, the happy life, the fullnes of felicity, the delight of eternity, the peace of God which paſſeth all vnderſtanding.

This is that full beatitude, and that totall glorification of man, to ſee the face of his God; to ſee him who made heauen and earth, to ſee God who made him, who ſaued him, and who glorifyed him. He shall ſee him by knoweing him, he shall apply himſelfe to him, by loueing hym; and he shall praiſe him, by poſſeſſing him. For he is the inheritance of his people, of the people of Saints, of the people which he redeemed. He is the poſſeſſion of theyre felicity, he is the reward, & recompence of theyre expectation. I will, ſayth he, be a great, and exceſſiue reward to thee. For great things become great perſons.

Indeed O Lord my God, thou art exceſſiuely great, beyond all Gods, and thy reward is exceſſiuely greate. For it cannot be true, that thy ſelf should be great, and thy reward litle: but as thou art great ſo thy reward is great for thy reward, and thy ſelf, are not two ſeuerall things. But thou thy ſelfartexceſſiuely great, and thou thy ſelf, art that reward, which is ſoe exceſſiuely great, Thou thy ſelf, art he, who crowneth vs, & who art the crowne; thou thy ſelf art he, who maketh the promiſe, and who art that very promiſe it ſelfe; Thou art he who beſtoweſt the guift, and who art the guift it ſelf; Thou thy ſelf art the rewarder, and thou art the reward of eternall felicity. Thou art therefore he, who crowneth, and thou, O my God, art the crowne, and diademe of my hope which is ad orned with glory. Thou art that recreatiue brightnes, that reuiuing light, that gracefull beauty, thou art my great hope, the deſire of the harte of thy Saints, and deſired by them. Thy viſion therefore is the totall pay, the totall reward, & the totall Ioy, which wee expect. For this is eternall life; this I ſay, is thy wiſedome, This is eternall life, that wee may knowe thee, onely true God. and Ieſus Chriſt, whome thou haſt ſent. VVhen therefore wee shall ſee thee, the only God, the true God, the God liuing, Omnipotent, ſimple, inuiſible, incomprehenſible, not to be circumcribed, and thy onely begotten Sonne Ieſus Chriſt our Lord who is conſubſtantiall, and coeternall, with thee, whome thou haſt ſent into the world for our ſaluation, in the vertue, and power of the Holy Ghoſt, they being Trine in perſons, and one in eſſence; one onely Holy God, beſides whome there is noe God, Then, wee shall enioy, what now wee ſeeke, which is eternall life, and euerlaſting glory, which thou prepareſt for them, who loue thee, and hideſt vp for them who feare thee, and wilt impart to them who ſeeke thee, them who ſeeke thy face for euer.

And thou O Lord my God, who framedſt mee, in the wombe of my mother, who recommended mee ouer to thy hand, do not permit mee any longer to be diſtracted into many thinges, from thee, who art one. But gather mee vp from exteriour obiects into my ſelf, and then take mee from my ſelf into thee; that my hart may be euer ſaying to thee, my face hath ſougt thee O Lord, & I will ſeeke thy face; The face of our Lord power wherein alone of the totall eternall glory of bleſſed ſoules, doth conſiſt; & the viſion whereof is the eternall life & euerlaſting glory of the SSts, Let therefore my hart reioyce, that it may feare thy name; let the hart of ſuch as doe but euen ſeeke our Lord, reioyce; but much more let them reioyce, who finde him. For if Ioy be taken in the ſearch of him, what ioy will that be, which is felt in findeing him. Therfore I will be euer ſeeking thy face ardently. and without giueing ouer; to ſee if once at length that doore and gate of Iuſtice, may perhaps bee opened vnto mee, that I may enter into the Ioy of my Lord. This is the gate of our Lord, and the Iuſt shall enter into it.

CHAP. XXXVII. A prayer to the bleſſed Trinity.

O You three, coequall, and coeternall perſons, who are one true God, the Father, the Sonne and the Holy Ghoſt; thou who alone, dwelleſt in eternity, and inacceſſible light. Who haſt layd the foundations of the earth with thy power; and who gouerneſt the world with thy wiſedome, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth, terrible and powerfull, Iuſt and mercifull, admireable, laudable. and amiable. One God three perſons, one eſſence, power, wiſedome; one onely vndeuided Trinity; Open thou the gates of Iuſtice to mee who am crying out after them; and being once entered by them, I will confeſſe to thee O Lord. Behold, I, who am a poore begger, doe knocke at thy doore. O thou who art the ſoueraigne Maſter of the houſe, command that it may be opened to me thou who ſay deſt, knocke, and it shall be opened to you. For the deſires of my bowells which do euen roare againe; and the cryes of the teares of myne eyes, are they, who knocke at thy gate, O moſt mercifull Father. Before thee, is my whole deſire, and my groanes are not hidden from thee. And thou O Lord, turne thy face noe longer away from mee; and decline not in thy wrath, from thy ſeruaunt. O thou Father of mercyes, hearken to the loud crye of thy poore childe, and reach forth thy beſt helping hand; that it may drawe me out of the profound pitts of water, and out of the lake of miſery, and out of the durt, and dregs; that I may not perish, whileſt the mercy of thyne eyes, is beholding mee; and the charity of thy bowells is lookeing on. But enable mee, to eſcape to thee, who art my Lord, and my God, that I may ſee the riches of thy kingdome; and may behold thy face for euer, and may ſing prayſe to thy holy name. O Lord thou who workeſt wonderfull things, thou who makeſt my hart ioyfull by the memory of thee, and who illuminateſt my youth, doe not deſpiſe my old age; but fill my bones full of ioy, and renew my grey heires, as that of an eagle is renued. All glory, all prayſe, all ſtrength, all power, all magnificence; all beatitude, all mercy, be aſcribed to God the Father, and the Sonne, and the Holy Ghoſt. Amen.

THE FIRST CHAPTER. Of the wonderfull eſſence of God.

THov O Lord, doſt fill heauen & earth; carrying all things, and yet they are no burthen to thee. Thou filleſt all thinges, without being shut vp by them. Thou art euer working, yet euer quiet; gathering togeather, yet thou needeſt nothing; ſeeking, yet wanting nothing; louing, yet without paſſion; iealous, yet without feare. Thou repenteſt, yet thou art not ſory; thou art angry, yet thou art not moued; thou changeſt thy workes, yet thou doſt not change thy decree. Thou takeſt what thou findeſt, yet thou diſt neuer looſe any thing; thou art not poore, and yet thou exacteſt vſury at our hands; thou payeſt them, to whom thou oweſt nothing; and we are enabled by thee, to pay thee more then we owe thee, and yet who hath any thing, but of thy guift? Thou payeſt thy debtes, and yet thou oweſt nothing; thou releaſeſt our debtes, and yet thou looſeſt nothing; thou art euery where, and yet altogether; thou canſt be felt, and yet thou canſt not be ſeene; thou art no where abſent, and yet thou art farre from the harts of wicked men. For thou art not abſent euen when thou art farre off, becauſe where thou art not by grace, thou art by reuenge; thou art preſent euery where, and yet we can hardly find thee out; we follow thee who art ſtanding ſtill, and yet we are not able to lay hold on thee; thou contayneſt all things, thou filleſt all thinges, thou imbraceſt all thinges, thou exceedeſt all thinges, and thou ſuſtaineſt all thinges. Thou inſtructeſt the hartes of thy faythfull ſeruants, without noyſe of wordes, thou art not extended in place, thou art not varied by time, nor haſt thou any commings, or goinges; thou doſt inhabite that inacceſſible light which no eye of man hath ſeene, or can ſee. Repoſing all quiet in thy ſelfe, thou goeſt euery where about all thinges; for thou canſt not be deuided, or cut, becauſe thou art truely one, nor doſt thou impart thy ſelfe by parts, but all that which thou art, holdeth all thinges, filleth all things, illuſtrateth & poſſeſſeth all things.

CHAP. II. Of the vnſpeakable knowledge of God.

IF the whole world were filled with bookes, yet thy vnſpeakable knowledge could not be declared thereby. For in regard that thou art vnſpeakable, thou canſt not be expreſſed or declared; thou art the fountaine of diuine light, and the Sunne of ſplendour, which neuer ſets; thou art great without quantity, and therefore thou art immenſe; thou art good without quality, & therefore it is indeed, that thou art truely & ſupremely Good, and there is none Good but thou alone, whoſe will is a worke, whoſe being pleaſed to doe any thing, is to be able to do it. For thou who didſt create al things of nothing, didſt create them onely by thy will. Thou doſt poſſeſſe all thy creatures, without needing any of them; thou gouerneſt them without labour, thou ruleſt them without wearines; nor is there any thing which can diſturbe the order of thy dominion, from the higheſt to the loweſt; thou art in all places without place; thou conteyneſt all things without departing to the outſide of them; thou art euery where preſent, yet without either ſituation, or motion; thou art not the Author of euil, for thou canſt commit none; and yet there is nothing which thou canſt not doe; nor didſt thou euer repent thy ſelf of any worke of thine. By thy goodnes we are made, by thy iuſtice we are punished, by thy mercy we are freed, and thy omnipotency doth gouerne, rule, and replenish whatſoeuer it did create. Neither yet do we ſay, that thou filleſt all thinges, as if thou wert contained by them; but rather they are contayned by thee, neither yet doſt thou fill them, as by partes. For we are in no caſe to thinke, as if any thing did receaue thee, after the rate of that greatnes, more or leſſe, which it ſelfe may haue (that is the greateſt thinges a greater quantity, and the leſſe a leſſer) ſince rather thou art all, in all thinges; and all things in thee; whoſe omnipotency concludeth all thinges. Nor hath any thing, any meanes of deliuering it ſelfe from thy power. For whoſoeuer he be that finds thee not being pleaſed, will be ſure to be found by thee, being offended.

CHAP. III. Of the deſire of a ſoule which thirſteth after God.

I Therfore inuoke thee, O moſt mercifull God, to come into my ſoule, which thou prepareſt towards the receiuing of thee, through that deſire wherwith it was inſpired by thee. Enter into it, I beſeech thee, and make it fit for thy ſelfe; that as thou haſt made it, and reſtored it, thou maiſt poſſeſſe it alſo: and enable me to place thee as a ſeale vpon my hart. I beſeech thee, O moſt holy God, do not forſake me, who am now inuoking thee; ſince, before I inuoked thee, thou didſt both call me, and ſeeke me, to the end that I thy ſeruant, myght ſeeke thee; and by ſeeking thee, might finde thee, and that once hauing found thee, I might loue thee. I haue ſought thee, and I haue found thee, and I deſire to loue thee, O Lord Increaſe thou my deſire, and giue me that which I am deſiring. For if thou shouldſt giue me all the things which thou haſt made, they will not all be ſufficient for thy ſeruant, vnleſſe with all thou giue thy ſelfe. Giue thy ſelfe therfore vnto me O my God, reſtore thy ſelfe to me, Behold I loue thee, and if it be too little, make me loue the more ſtrongly. Behold, I am held faſt by the loue of thee; I am ſet on fire by the deſire of thee, and in the ſweet memory of thee I am delighted.

Behold, whilſt my minde is ſending vp ſighes to thee; and whilſt it is meditating vpon thy vnſpeakeable pitty, the burthen of my flesh doth leſſe oppreſſe me; the tempeſt of my thoughts is laid; the weight of my mortality and miſery doth not dull my edge as it was wonte. All things are in quiet, all things are in peace▪ my hart doth burne, my mind doth ioy, my memory is fresh, my vnderſtanding is bright, and my whole ſpirit, being kindled through a deſire of thy viſion, doth find it ſelfe to be carried away, at full ſpeede, by the loue of inuiſible things. O let this ſpirit of myne get the wings of an Eagle, that it may fly and not faint. That it may fly till it arriue to that delightfull beauty of thy houſe, and to the throne of thy glory; and that there it may be fed, at the plentifull table of thoſe heauenly Cittizens of thine; vpon that hidden food, in that place of paſture, neere thoſe ful riuers of running water. Be thou our exultation, who art our hope, our health and our redemption. Be thou our ioy, who art to be our reward. Let my ſoule euer ſeeke thee, and grant that whilſt it ſeekes thee, it may neuer faint.

CHAP. IV. Of the miſery of a ſoule which loues not God.

WOE be to that wretched ſoule, which ſeekes not nor loues Chriſt; for it remayneth all miſerable and dry. It is loſt labour, for him euen to liue, who loues not thee, O God. He who cares to liue, O Lord, and not to do it for thy reſpect, is nothing; and doth ſerue for nothing. He who refuſeth to liue to thee, is dead; he who is not wiſe to thee hath loſt his wits. O thou moſt mercifull God, I recommend my ſelfe, I reſtore my ſelfe, & I make a grant of my ſelfe to thee; through whome I am, through whome I liue, and through whom I haue the vſe of reaſon. I hope, I truſt, and I place all my confidence in thee, by whome I may be able to riſe againe, and to liue, and reſt. It is thou whom I deſire, whome I loue, and whome I adore; and with whome I am to remayne & raigne, and be happie.

The ſoule which ſeekes not thee nor loues not thee, doth loue the world, and ſerueth ſinne, & is a ſlaue to vice, and is neuer quiet or ſecure. O thou moſt holy God, let my minde be euer performing ſeruice to thee; let this pilgrimage of mine, be euer ſighing towards thee: let my hart burne through the loue of thee, let my ſoule, O my God, repoſe in thee: let it contemplate thee, in exceſſe of mind; and let it ſinge prayſes to thee in full ioy, and let this be my comfort, in this banishment of mine.

Let this minde of mine, fly to the shadowe of thy winges, from the ſcorching cogitations of this world. Let this hart of mine be at a calme in thee; this hart, which is ſuch a deepe Sea full of ſwelling waues. O thou, who art ſo rich of heauenly food, thou moſt aboundant imparter of that ſpirituall celeſtiall ſatiety, giue nourishment to him, who is defeated with hunger; gather him vp, who is ſcattered; free him who is entrald, & ſtitch him together who is torne. Behold he ſtandeth at the doore and knocks. I beſeech thee by thoſe bowells of thy mercy, in which thou, being the Orient, didſt viſit vs from on hygh; commaund that it be opened to this miſerable creature who is knocking: that ſo, with nimble feete, I may enter into thee, and repoſe in thee, and be refreshed by that bread of heauen. For thou art both the bread and the fountaine of life; thou art the ſplendor of immortall light. In fine, thou art all thoſe thinges, wherby iuſt perſons liue, who loue thee.

CHAP. V. Of the Deſire of a ſoule.

O God the light of thoſe hartes which ſee thee; and the life of thoſe ſoules which loue thee, & the ſtrength or vertue, of their thoughts who ſeeke thee, graunt that I may be incorporated into the holy loue of thee. Come, I beſeech thee, into my hart, and inebriate it, with the ſpringing plenty of thy delights; that ſo I may forget all worldly thinges. I am ashamed; and I am afflicted to find my ſelfe ſuffering ſuch thinges, as this world is doing. All that which I ſee concerning tranſitory thinges, makes me ſorry, and all that which I heare, makes me ſad. Help me, O Lord my God, infuſe ioy into my hart; and come to me that ſo I may grow to ſee thee. For this houſe of my ſoule, is ſtrait, till thou come into it, and ſo it be inlarged by the. It is ruinous, till it be repaired by thee, It hath many things, which may offend thyne eyes, I know it and confeſſe it; but yet who is he, that can cleanſe it, or to whom but thee, shall I cry out: Cleanſe me, O Lord, from my hidden ſinnes, and pardon alſo thy ſeruant, thoſe ſinnes, which he hath cauſed in others,

Make me, ſweet Chriſt, O deere Ieſus, make me I beſeech thee, lay downe the burden of carnall deſires, and of the concupiſcence which I haue after earthly thinges. Giue dominion to my ſoule ouer my body, and to my reaſon, ouer my ſoule, and to thy grace, ouer my reaſon; and ſubdue me, both in my outward and inward man, to thy will. Graunt to me that my hart may praiſe thee, togeather with my tongue, and all the ſtrength I haue. Dilate my mind, and hoyſe vp the ſight of my hart, that at leaſt by ſome glymſe, my ſpirit may with a ſwift and ſuddaine thought, lay hold vpon that eternall wiſedom, whach is aboue all thinges, and whach laſts beyond them all. Diſcharge me I beſeech thee from he chains wherin I am bound by ſinnes; chat at laſt I may giue ouer all thinges, & that I may haſten to thee, and behold, and adhere to thee alone.

CHAP. VI. Of the felicity of a ſoule which is freed from the priſon of flesh and bloud

HAPPY is that ſoule, which being freed from this earthly priſon arriues to heauen; and ſeeth thee her moſt deere Lord, face to face. And which is no longer ſubiect to the leaſt feare of death; but doth reioyce in the incorruptibility of eternall glory. She is then in peace, she is ſecure & doth no longer feare either death, or any other enemy. For she poſſeſſeth her deere Lord whom she hath long ſought, and whome she hath euer loued; and being aſſociated to thoſe Quires of Angels, she doth eternally ſing thoſe melodious Hymnes of thy euer laſting ſolemnity. O Chriſt thou King, thou deare Ieſus, to the prayſe of thy glory. For then she is inebriated by the fresh and ſpringing plenty of thy houſe, and thou giueſt her to drinke of thy delights. O happy ſociety of thoſe heauenly Cittizens? O glorious ſolemnity of them who returne to thee, from the ſad labour of this pilgrimage of ours, to that ſweetnes of beauty, to that delightfulnes of all ſplendour, and to that dignity of all pleaſing grace, where thy Cittizens, O Lord, do continually behold thy countenance. There is no eare in that place which can heare any thing that may offend it. What ſongs, what Organs, what Hymnes, what melodies are ſung there without any end? Eternally are there ſounded forth mellifluous cōcents of Hymns; that moſt ſweet melody of the Angells; thoſe moſt admirable canticles of Canticles which are ſung forth by thoſe heauenly Cittizens, to thy prayſe and glory. No bitternes, nor any kind of vnſauorynes or gall, can haue any place in that Countrey of thine; for there is no wickednes, nor any wicked man: There is no aduerſary or enemy; there is no tempting bayte of ſinne, there is no want, no shame, no quarell, no reproach, no exception taken; no feare, no vnquietnes, no payne, no doubt, no violence, no diſſention. But there is ſouueraigne peace, pertect charity, eternall iubilation, and prayſe of God, ſecure & euerlaſting repoſe, and perpetual ioy in the holy Ghoſt. O how happy shall I be if once I may arriue to heare thoſe moſt ſweet ſongs of thy cittizens, thoſe mellifluous Hymns, which with due honour, shall declare the prayſes of the moſt bleſſed Trinity. But O how happy, euen too happy shall I be, if my ſelfe may obtaine to ſing to our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, ſome one of thoſe ſweet ſongs of Syon.

CHAP. VII. Of the Ioyes of Heauen.

O Vitall life, O eternall life, and eternally happy; where there is ioy without griefe, reſt without labour, dignity without feare, riches without want, life without death, perpetuity without corruption, and felicity without calamity. Where all thinges are good, in perfect charity; where there is showing, & ſeeing face to face; where there is complete knowledge in all, and by all; where the ſoueraigne goodnes of God is diſcerned; where the illuminating light is glorifyed by the Saints; wher the Maieſty of God is beheld preſent, and the mind of the beholders is ſatiated by this food of life, without all defect. They euer ſee, and yet they euer deſire to ſee; but they deſire without anxiety, and they are not glutted by their ſatiety. Where the true Sonne of Iuſtice doth recreate them all, by the admirable ſight of his beauty; and ſo doth illuminate all the inhabitants of that heauenly Countrey. Where the light of them who are illuminated by that other ſuperiour illuminating light, doth shine farre beyond the ſplendor of our Sun, and beyond the clarity of al the Startes; adhering to that immortall Deity, them ſelues being made thereby incorruptible and immortal, according to this promiſe of our Lord and Sauiour: Father, they whome thou gaueſt me I will, that where I am, they may be alſo there; that they may ſee my brightnes; and that they all may be one, as thou O Father art in me, & I in thee, ſo they alſo may be one in vs.

CHAP. VIII. Of the kingdome of Heauen.

THE kingdome of heauen, is a moſt happy kingdome; a kingdome which hath no death nor end; where there shal be no ſucceſſion of tymes, nor no interruption of the day by any night. Where the victorious ſouldier is euen laden with vnſpeakeable treaſures; an immortal crowne being placed vpon his triumphant head. O that the diuine mercy (hauing firſt diſcharged the weight of my ſins) would commaund me (who am the leaſt amongſt the ſeruants of Chriſt) to lay downe this burthen of flesh and bloud, that ſo I might paſſe on towards my true repoſe, in thoſe eternall ioyes of his Citty; that I might beare my part, among th'inhabitants of thoſe heauē ly Quires; that I might aſſiſt in glorifying our Creatour with thoſe bleſſed ſpirits; that I might behold the face of God there preſent; that I might not be ſo much as touched with the leaſt feare of death; but that I might ſecurely reioyce, through the incorruptibility of immortall glory; that being conioyned to him who knoweth all things, I might looſe all blindnes of ignorance; that I might eſteem meanely of all earthly thinges; that I might no longer vouchſafe to behold, or euen ſo much as to remember this valley of teares, the life whereof is laborious and corruptible; a life which is full of all bitternes; a life which is the miſtreſſe of ſinne, and the ſlaue of Hell. The humours of our body doe puffe it vp, paynes put it downe; intemperate heats dry it; the ill affections of the ayre, indiſpoſe it; meate makes it fat; faſting makes it shrinke; looſe myrth diſſolueth it; afflictions conſume it; ſolicitude ſtraitens it; ſecurity makes it ſottish, riches make it vane; pouerty makes it baſe, youth extolleth it; age makes it ſtoope; ſicknes breaks it; ſorrow deiects it; the Diuell lyes in wayte for it; the world flatters it; the flesh is delighted; the ſoule is blinded; and the whole man is diſioynted. And to all theſe, ſo many and great miſchiefes, death doth furiouſſy ſucceed; & doth ſo impoſe an end vpon theſe vayne ioyes, that when once they leaue to be, it is ſcarce ſo much as beleeued that they euer were.

CHAP. IX. How God doth comfort an afflicted ſoule after too great lamentations.

BVT what prayſe, what thakes shal we be able to giue thee, O our God, who euen in the midſt of theſe great miſeries of our mortality, doſt not faile to comfort vs with the admirable viſitation of thy Grace. For Behold, when I am full of many ſorrowes; whilſt I am fearing the end of my life; whilſt I am conſidering my ſinns; whilſt I am meditating vpon death; whilſt I am frighted with thinking on thy iudgement? whilſt I tremble at the torments of hell; whilſt I am ignorant with what ſcales my works are to be wayghed by thee; whilſt I cannot knowe by what kind of end shal be able to shut them vp, whilſt I am ruminating vpon theſe & many other things in my hart; thou O my Lord and my God, according to thy wonted pitty, art preſent with a reſolution to comfort me wretched creature. And when I am in the midſt of theſe complaints, and exceſſiue lamentations, and in the profoundeſt ſighings of my hart, thou takeſt vp this afflicted and perplexed minde, aboue thoſe high topps of the mountaines, euen to thoſe odoriferous ſpicy beds of thine; and thou doſt place me, in that deepe paſture, neere thoſe brookes of ſweet waters; where thou prepareſt, in my ſight, a table full of choice & curious meats, which may refresh my wearied ſpirit; and may giue ioy to my afflicted hart, And ſo at laſt, being all reſtored by thoſe delights, and forgetting mine owne many miſeries, and being exalted aboue the higheſt partes of the earth and earthly thinges, I repoſe in thee, who art true peace.

CHAP. X. Of the ſweetnes of diuine loue.

O My God I loue thee, I loue thee, and faine would I loue thee yet more, and more. Grant to me, O Lord my God, O thou beautifull beyond the ſonnes of men, that I may deſire thee and that I may loue thee, as much as I liſt, and as much as I ought. Thou art immenſe; and without meaſure, thou oughteſt to be beloued; eſpecially by vs, whom thou ſo haſt loued, and ſo haſt ſaued, and for whom thou haſt done ſo many, and ſo mighty things. O loue, which euer burneſt, and art neuer quenched; ſweet Chriſt, deere Ieſus, O charity, my God, kindle me, with all that fire of thine; with thy loue, with thy lyking, with thy ſweetnes, with thy deſire, with thy Charity, with thy ioy and exultation, with thy piety and ſuauity, with thy pleaſure, & with that ardent deſire of thee, which is holy, and good, & chaſt, & cleane, That ſo being all full with the ſweetnes of thy loue, and all perfumde & ſweetened by the flame of thy Charity, I may loue thee, my moſt ſweet, and moſt beautifull Lord, with my whole hart, with my whole ſoule, with my whole ſtrength, & with all the application of my mind, with much contrition, & euen with a very fountaine of teares; with much reuerence and trembling loue, carrying thee in my hart, and in my mouth, & before mine eyes, at all tymes, & in all places; that ſo there may neuer be found any roome in me, for any diſloyall and impure loue.

CHAP. XI. Of the preparation of our Redemption.

O Moſt beautifull Chriſt Ieſus, I beſeech thee by that moſt ſacred effuſion of thy moſt pretious bloud, whereby we are redeemed graunt me contrition of hart, and a very fountaine of teares, eſpecially whileſt I am offering vp, both my vocall, and mentall prayers to thee. Whileſt I am ſinging the Office of thy prayſe to thee; whileſt I do either declare with my mouth; or conſider in my mind the myſtery of our redemption, that expreſſe teſtimony of thy mercy: Whileſt I (though vnworthy) am aſſiſting at thy ſacred Altar, intending to offer vp to thee, that admirable & celeſtiall ſacrifice, which is ſo worthy of all reuerence and deuotion; and which thou, O Lord, our God, & our Prieſt, didſt immaculately inſtitute, and didſt commaund to be offered vp, in commemoration of thy charity (that is, of thy death and paſſion) for our ſaluation, and for the dayly reparation of our frailty. Let my mind be confirmed whileſt I am in the midſt of thoſe ſo great miſteryes, by the ſweetnes of thy preſence. Let it find, that thou art there at hand; and let it reioyce before thee. O thou fire which euer flameſt, O thou loue which euer burneſt, ſweet Chriſt, deere Ieſus, thou eternall and neuer fayling light; thou foode of life, which doſt refresh vs and yet doſt neuer diminish in thy ſelfe; who art dayly eaten, and yet doſt euer remaine entiere, shine thou vpon me, kindle me, illuminate and ſanctify this veſſell which is thine owne. Make it empty of malice, replenish it with grace; and when it is once full, keep it ſo that I may receaue this food of thy flesh, to the ſaluation of my ſoule; and that by feeding on thee, I may liue of thee, and by thee; that ſo I may arriue to thee, and repoſe in thee.

CHAP. XII. Of ſpirituall ioy.

O Thou ſweetnes of loue, and thou loue of ſweetnes, let my ſtomacke feed on thee; & let euen my bowels be all filled with the Nectar of thy loue, and let my mind vtter that good word. O charity, O my God, thou hunny which is ſo ſweet, thou milke which is ſo white. Thou art the food of ſtrong perſons, make me increaſe towards thee, that ſo I may feed vpon thee, and taſt thee withth epalate, not of a ſick, but of a ſound perſon. Thou art the life by which I liue, the hope to which I doe adhere, and the glory which I deſire to obtaine. Hold thou faſt my hart, rule my mind, direct my vnderſtanding, erect my loue, ſuſpend my thoughts, and draw the mouth of this ſpirit, which thirſteth after thee, into thoſe liuing ſtreames of celeſtiall running waters. I beſeech thee impoſe ſilence vpon theſe tumultuous thoughts of flesh and bloud; let theſe conceits of the earth, & of the waters, and of the ayre, and of theſe heauens which re we ſee, hold their peace. Let all viſions, & reuelations which are imprinted vpon the imagination be ſilent, and euery tongue and ſenſible expreſſion, and what ſoeuer els, which hath his complete beeing by paſſing on. Let euen the ſoule be iſlent to it ſelf, and let it outſtrip and exceed it ſelfe, by not thinking of it ſelfe, but only of thee, O my God; becauſe thou, in very deed, art all my hope, & all my confidence. For in thee, O my God, and my Lord, in thee, O moſt ſweet, O moſt amiable, O moſt mercifull Chriſt Ieſus, there is a part of the flesh and bloud of euery one of vs. Now therefore where a part of me doth raigne, there do I beleeue my ſelf to raigne. Where my bloud hath dominion, there do I alſo confide my ſelfe to be in dominion; where my flesh is glorifyed, there doe I know my ſelfe to be glorious. For howſoeuer I am a ſinner, yet I cannot deſpaire, but that I shalbe admitted to this communication of thy grace. And although my iniquityes forbid me, yet that ſubſtance of mine doth inuite me; and although my ſinnes do exclude me, yet that participation of nature doth not ſuffer me to be reiected.

CHAP. XIII. That the VVord Incarnate is the cauſe of our Hope.

FOr our Lord is not ſo an enemy as that he can forebeare to loue his owne flesh, and the parts of his owne body, & his owne bowells. I might iuſtly haue deſpayred, by reaſon of my exceſſiue ſinnes, & vices & of thoſe infinite negligences and faults which I haue commited, and which I dayly do commit, by thought word and deed, and by all thoſe meanes, wherby the frailty of mans nature may ſinne, vnleſſe the Vvord my God, had become flesh; and had dwelt amongſt vs. But now I dare not deſpaire; becauſe he growing obedient to thee, euen to the death, and that the very death of the Croſſe, did take that hand-writing of our ſins, and nayling it to the ſame Croſſe did crucify both ſinne and death. In him therefore, doe I ſecurely conceaue hope, who ſitteth at thy right hand and interceedes for vs. And confiding in him, I truſt I shall arriue to be with thee, in whome we are riſen, and haue liued againe, and haue aſcēded vp to heauen, and are remaining there. To thee be praiſe, glory, honour, & thankeſgiuing for euer.

CHAP. XIV. How ſweet a thing it is to thinke of God.

O Thou moſt mercifull Lord, who didſt ſo loue, and ſaue vs, who didſt ſo quicken and exalt vs; O moſt mercifull Lord, how ſweet is the memory of thee; How much more I meditate on thee, ſo much more art thou ſweet & amiable to me. Therefore doth it delight me extremely, to behold thy excellencyes with a pure ſight of the mind, and with a moſt ſweet affection of pious loue, according to the little power I haue, in this place of my pilgrimage. Where although I be apperrelled with a poore garment of flesh and bloud, I do yet continually aſpire to the conſideration and deſire of thy admirable amability and beauty. For with the dart of thy charity am I wounded, and I am all on a light fire of deſire concerning thee. I couet to arriue to thee, and thee doe I deſire to behold. Therefore will I euer ſtand vpon my guard, & with vigilant eyes I will be ſinging in ſpirit; and I will alſo ſing with my vnderſtanding, & with all my forces will I prayſe thee; who art both my Creatour and my Redeemer I will penetrate the heauens with my affectiō, and I will ſo approch to thee with my deſire, that I may be held but onely in body, by this preſent miſery; and all my thoughts, and the greedines of my deſire shalbe euer vpon thee; that ſo my hart may be where thou my treaſure art, who art ſo deſirable, ſo incomparable, and ſo deerely amiable.

But behold, O my moſt pittifull and moſt merciful God, whileſt I am applying my ſelfe to the conſideratiō of thy immenſe goodnes and pitty, my hart is not able to goe through with it. For thy grace, thy beauty, thy vertue, thy glory, thy magnificence, thy Maieſty, and thy charity, doth exceed all the powers of our mind. And as the ſplendour of thy glory is ineſtimable, ſo is the benignity of that eternal charity of thyne vnſpeakable; whereby thou haſt adopted them for thy ſonnes, & ioyned them cloſe to thy ſelfe, whom formerly thou haſt created of nothing.

CHAP. XV. How much tribulation endured for Chriſt our Lord, is to be deſired.

O My ſoule, if dayly we were to ſuffer torments, yea and euen to endure the very paines of hell, & that for a long tyme together; to the end that we might arriue to ſee Chriſt in his glory, & to be aſſociated to his Saints, would it not be fit for vs to beare all that affliction, if therby we might be thought fit to be made pertakers of ſo high a good, and ſo great a glory? Let therfore the deuills lye in wayte for vs; let them prepare theyr temptations; let faſting breake our bodyes; let garments loade our flesh; let labours weigh heauy vpon vs; let watching drye vs; let one man cry out vpon vs, and let another man diſquiet vs; let cold contract vs; let the conſcience repine; let heat burne vs; let the head ake, the breaſt be inflamed, let the ſtomacke be ſwolne, let the face growe pale, and let the whole body be diſtempered; let my yeares be ſpent in groaning, yea let rottennes enter into my bones, and multiply therin, ſo that yet I may reſt in that day of tribulation, and may aſcend to our elected people. For how great wil that glory of iuſt perſons be; how great will be that ioy of the ſaints, when euery one of their faces, shal be reſplendent, like a Sunne? When our Lord shall begin to muſter vp his people by different ranks in the kingdome of his father; & ſhall aſſigne the promiſed rewards according to the workes and merit of euery one. Celeſtiall rewards, for workes which were performed heere on earth. Great rewards for little workes & eternall, for ſuch as were but temporall. That, indeed, will be a whole huge heape of felicity, when our Lord shall bring his Saints into the viſion of his Fathers glory, and shall place them vpon their ſeats in heauen, that ſo he may be all in all.

CHAP. XVI. How the kingdome of God may be obteyned.

O HAPPY ſweetnes, O delicious happines, which it will be for vs, to behold the Saints, be with Saints, and to be Saints, to ſee God, and to poſſeſſe him, for all eternity, and euen if it might be, beyond eternity. Let vs be continually thinking on theſe things; let vs aſpire to them with our whole deſire, that ſo we may ſpeedily arriue to enioy them. If thou aske how this may be done; by what merits, or by what helpes; giue eare and I will tell thee, This affaire is put into thine owne power; for the kingdome of heauen ſuffereth violence. The kingdome of heauen, O man, doth exact no price at thy hands but onely thy ſelfe. So much is it worth, as thou thy ſelfe art. Giue thy ſelfe, and thou shalt haue it. Why art thou troubled about the price? Chriſt our Lord did giue himſelf away that he might purchaſe thee, to be a kingdome for his father; and ſo do thou alſo, giue thy ſelfe, that thou maiſt become a kingdome for him, & that ſinne may not raigne in thy mortall body, but the Spirit in the renouation of life.

CHAP. XVII. What a happy place Heauen is.

O My ſoule, returne toward that heauenly Citty wherin we are written, and enrold as Cittizens. And as Cittizens amongſt the Saints, & the houshold ſeruants of God, and as the heires of God and coheires of Chriſt our Lord. Let vs conſider that excellent felicity of this citty of ours, to the very vttermoſt of what we are able. Let vs therefore ſay with the Prophet: O how glorious thinges are ſayd of thee, thou Citty of God, the habitation which is made in thee, is, of them who are all full of ioy. For thou art founded in the exultation of the whole earth. No old age is in thee, nor any miſery which is wont to wayte vpon old age. In thee, there is no man lame, of arme or legg, nor crooked nor other wiſe deformed; when once they meet together, becoming perfect man, in the meaſure of the age, of the fulneſſe of Chriſt. What is more happy then ſuch a life where there is no fear of pouerty, nor no incommodity of ſicknes; where no man is offended, no man is angry, no man enuious, no deſire doth ſolicite vs; there is no appetite of meate, no man is importuned by thirſting after honour and power; there is no feare of the Diuell, or the craft of thoſe infernall ſpirits; all terrour of hell is farre off, there is no death either of body or ſoule, but a life which is made full of ioy by the guift of immortality. In fine, there is no kind of ill, or diſcord, but all thinges are full of agreement & proportion, for as much as the concord of all the Saints is intierely one; all things are full of peace and ioy; all things are quiet, and ſerene. An euerlaſting ſplendor there, is not like that of this Sunne of ours, but another, which is ſo much more bright, at it is more bleſſed. For that Citty (as we read) shall need neither Sūne, nor Moone; but our Lord omnipotent, will illuminate it, and the Lambe is the bright lampe therof. Where the Saints shall shine like ſtarres, and they who inſtruct many others, like the ſplendour of the firmament. No night shalbe therefore there, no darknes, no concourſe of clowds, no incommodity at all of heat or cold; but ſuch a temper of things there wil be, as neither the eye hath ſeene, nor the eare hath heard, nor can it enter into the hart of any other mē, but ſuch as shalbe thought worthy to enioy it; Whoſe names are written in the booke of life. But it exceedeth all theſe thinges to be aſſociated to the Quires of Angells and Archangells; to behold the Patriarkes and the Prophets, to ſee the Apoſtles, and all the Saints; yea to ſee our owne parents & friends. Theſe things indeed are glorious, but yet ſtill incomparably a more glorious thing it is to behold the preſent face of God; & to looke vpon that vnlimitted light of his. A ſuperexcellent glory it will be, when we shall ſee God in himſelfe: we shall ſee, & we shall poſſeſſe him in our ſelues, and of that ſight, there wil be no end.

CHAP. XVIII. We cannot make any requitall to Almighty God, but only by loue.

THE ſoule which is beautifyed by the Image, and dignifyed by the reſſemblance of God, hath groūd inough within it ſelfe (which is alſo imparted by the ſame God) wherby she may be aduiſed to remain perpetually within him; or at leaſt to return towardes him, if she chance to haue beene ſeparated by her affection, or rather by her defectes. And not only hath she ground of ſolace in the hope which she may conceaue of pardon and mercy; but yet further, she may alſo preſume to aſpire, euen to the marriage of the Word, and to contract a league of friendship with God; and togeather with that king of the Angells, to be drawing in the ſame ſweet yoake of loue. Now all this is performed by the ſame loue, if the ſoule do make it ſelfe like to God by her will, as already she is like him by nature; and if she loue him, as she is beloued by him. For only loue, amongſt all the motions, paſſions & feeling ſenſes of the ſoule, is the thing whereby a creature may anſwere the benefits of a Creatour; and repay, after a ſort, what it oweth, though it be not in any equall manner.

Where loue entreth in, it draweth & captiueth all other affections of the mind, to the dominion therof. Loue alone, is ſufficient, & is pleaſing of it ſelfe, and for it ſelfe. Loue is the merit, it is the reward, it is the cauſe, it is the fruit, it is alſo the vſe of the fruit; for by loue, we are conioyned to God. Loue maketh that two ſpirits grow to be one. Loue maketh that the ſame thinges, be willed, and not willed by them. Loue maketh vs firſt to order and compoſe our liues; afterward it enableth vs to conſider of all thinges which are preſent, as if they where abſent; and, in the third place, it enableth vs to behold internall, and ſupernall thinges, with a cleane and pure eye of the hart. By loue we are firſt taught how to vſe thoſe contentements well, which may be taken in the world, afterward thoſe worldly contentements grow to be deſpiſed; and at the laſt euen the ſecretes of God come to be diſcloſed.

CHAP. XIX. What it is which God requireth of vs, that ſo we may be like him ſelfe.

GOD the Father is loue, God the Sonne is loue, God the holy Ghoſt, is the loue of the Father, and the Sonne. This charity, this loue, doth require ſomewhat of vs which is like that; that is to ſay, it requireth charity, whereby (as by a kind of coniunctiō in bloud) we may be aſſociated, and ioyned to him▪ Loue forgets that ſupreme dignity, it conſiders not the reuerence which it is bound to beare. He that loues, doth of himſelfe draw confidently neere to God, and expreſſeth himſelfe in a familiar manner, without perturbation or feare: He looſeth his labour and liues in vane, who loues not. But he that loueth, doth ſtill carry his eyes erected towardes God, whome he loueth, whom he deſireth, vpon whom he meditateth, in whome he delighteth, by whome he is fedd, and euen made fat. Such a louing and deuout perſon, doth ſo ſing, and ſo he reades, and in all his actions he is ſo ful of circumſpection, and care, as if God were euer preſent before his eyes, and ſo indeed he is. He doth ſo pray, as if he were taken, and preſented before the face of that Maieſty, in his ſoueraigne Thron, Where thouſands of thouſands are ſeruing him, and a million of thouſands are preſent with him. When loue viſiteth a ſoule, it awaketh her, if she be aſleep; it counſelleth, & ſoftneth, and doth wound the hart. It illuminateth thoſe thinges which are darke; it vnlocketh thoſe thinges which are shut vp; it inflameth thoſe things which are cold; it mitigateth a harsh, vntoward, & impatient minde; it puts ſinne to flight; it repreſſeth all carnall affection, it amendeth manners, it reformeth and reneweth the ſpirit, and it bridleth the light acts, and euill motions of ſlippery youth. All theſe thinges are done by loue, when it is preſent, but vpon the departure thereof, the ſoule begins already to be faint, & weake, as if the fire were withdrawne from vnderneath a pot which had beene ſeething.

CHAP. XX. Of the confidence of a ſoule which loueth God.

A Great thing is loue, wherby the ſoule, of her ſelfe, doth confidently approach to God, doth conſtantly inheare to God, doth familiarly aske queſtions of God, and conſulteth with him, vpon all occaſions. The ſoule which loueth God can neither thinke, or ſpeake any other thing, she contemneth all thinges elſe, she loatheth all. Whatſoeuer she conſidereth, whatſoeuer she ſaith, it ſmells of loue, it ſauours of loue; ſo truly doth the loue of God, make her all, his owne. Whoſo euer deſires to haue the knowledge of God, let him loue. In vaine doth any man giue himſelfe to reading, to meditating, to preaching, to praying, if he do not loue. The loue of God, begetteth loue in a ſoule, & makes her bend her ſelfe towards him. God loueth, to the end that he may be loued againe. When he loueth, he deſireth no other thing, but to be beloued; as knowing that they who loue him, are to be made happy by that loue. The ſoule which loues, doth renounce al her owne particular affections, and doth wholy apply her ſelf to loue; that ſo she may be able to pay loue, with loue. And yet when she shall haue ſpent whatſoeuer she either hath, or is, vpon the loue of that torrent which flowes out, from that ouer tunning fontaine of loue; we muſt take heed of thinking, that there is any equality of ſpringing plenty afforded betweene that loue, and this loue: betweene God, and the ſoule; betweene the creatour, and the creature. And yet, on the other ſide, if the ſoule do loue, as much as it can; there can be nothing ſaid to be wanting, where al is giuen. Let not that ſoule feare, which loues; but let that other tremble, which loueth not. The ſoule which loues, is caried on by praiers, she is drawn by her deſirs, she diſſembleth her merits, she shuts her eyes againſt his Maieſty, she opens them to delight in his beauty: she lodgeth her ſelf in him, who is her ſauing health, and she treateth with him after a confident manner. By loue the ſoule doth ſtep aſide, and doth grow into exceſſe, beyond the ſenſes of the body; ſo that she which feeleth God, doth no longer feele her ſelfe. This is done, when the ſoule (being allured by the vnſpeakeable ſweetnes of God) doth ſteale her ſelfe, as it were, from her ſelfe; or rather when she is forcibly carried, and ſo doth ſlip from her ſelfe, that she may inioy God with ſupreme delight. Nothing were ſo highly ſweet, if withal it were not extremely shorte. Loue giueth familiarity with God; familiarity giues a daring to aoproach; that daring giueth guſt; that guſt giueth hunger. The ſoule which is touched with the loue of God, can think of nothing els, can deſire nothing els; but doth often ſigh and ſay, As the Hart deſireth the fountains of water, ſo doth my ſoule deſire thee, O my God.

CHAP. XXI. What God did for man.

GOD for the loue of men came downe to men; he came into men, and he was made man. The inuiſible God, was drawne by loue, to become like his ſlaues, Through loue, he was wounded for our ſinnes. Weake and wicked men, may finde a ſafe & ſtrong retreate in the woūds of our Sauiour. There do I ſecurely dwelle; for I ſee his very bowells through his wounds. VVhatſoeuer is wanting to me, I fetch from thoſe wounds of my Lord, which flow with mercy; nor want they holes, through which it may be able to flow. By thoſe holes which were made in his body we may diſcerne the very ſecrets of his hart; we may diſcerne a great myſtery of goodnes; we may diſcerne the bowells of the mercy of our God where with that Orient from on high hath viſited us. The wounds of Ieſus Chriſt are full of mercy, full of pitty, full of ſuauity, and full of charity. Men digged through his handes and feet, & they tranſpierced his ſide with a launce. By theſe ouertures, I haue meanes to taſt how ſweet my Lord God is; for indeed he is meeke, and ſweet, & of aboundant mercy, to all ſuch as call vpon him in truth; to all ſuch as ſeeke him, but eſpecially to them that loue him. A copious redēption is giuen to vs in the wounds of Ieſus Chriſt our Sauiour. A great multitude of ſweetnes, a fullnes of grace, & the perfection of vertues,

CHAP. XXII. Of the remembrance of the woundes of Ieſus Chriſt our Lord.

WHEN I am ſollicited by any impure thought, I make my recourſe vnto the woundes of Chriſt; when my body oppreſſeth me, I recouer ſtrength by calling the wounds of my Lord to mind; whē the Diuell is laying ſome ambush whereby to take me, I flye vnto the boweles of my Lords mercy, and ſo the Diuell departeth from me. If the ardour of luſt make any alteration in my body, it is quenched by the memory of the wounds of our Lord, the Sonne of God. In all the aduerſityes which I haue beene ſubiect to, I neuer found ſo effectuall à remedy, as in the wounds of Chriſt. In them do I ſleep ſecure, in them do I repoſe voyd of feare. Chriſt dyed for vs; there is nothing ſo deadly bitter, which may not be cured by the death of Chriſt. All the hope I haue, is in the death of my Lord. His death is my merit, my refuge, my ſauing health, my life, and my reſurrection. My merit is his great mercy. I shal neuer be voyd of merit as long as he who is the Lord of mercy, shall not be wanting to me. And ſince my merits goe after the rates of his mercyes, looke how much more mighty he is towardes the ſauing of me, ſo much the more may I be ſecure.

CHAP. XXIII. The remembrance of the woundes of Chriſt our Lord, is our remedy in all aduerſity.

I Haue committed a grieuous ſinne, nay I am guilty of many ſinnes; neither yet wil I deſpaire, becauſe where ſinnes haue abounded, there hath beene ſuperaboundance of grace. He who deſpaireth of the pardon of his ſinnes, denieth God to be mercifull. He much wrongs God, who diſtruſtes in his mercy Such a one doth his beſt, to deny that God hath Charity, Verity, and Piety, wherin all my hope conſiſteth. Namely in the Charity, of his adoption, in the Verity of his promiſe, & in the Piety of his redemption. Let therfore my foolish thought be murmuring as much as it will, whileſt it is ſaying: What a poore thing art thou; and what a great glory is that, and by what merits doſt thou hope to obtaine it? For I will confidently anſwere: I know well who it is, whome I haue truſted. And becauſe he hath adopted me for his ſonne, with exceſſe of Charity, becauſe he is true in his promiſes, and powerfull in his performances; & becauſe he may doe what he will, I cannot be frighted by the multitude of my ſinnes, if withall I be able, to call the death of my Lord to mind; for thoſe ſinnes of mine cannot conquerre him. Thoſe nayles, & that launce, doe cry out to tell me, that in deed I am reconcyled to Chriſt, if I reſolue to loue him. Longinus opened the ſide of Chriſt with his launce, there doe I enter in, and there I do ſafely reſt. He that feares, let him loue; for charity will put feare away. There is not ſo potent and effectuall a remedy againſt the ardour of luſt, as the death of my redeemer. He ſtretcheth forth his armes abroad vpon the Croſſe; & he ſpreads his handes which are ready to imbrace vs ſinners. Between thoſe armes of my Sauiour, I reſolue to liue, & I deſire to dye. There will I ſecurely ſing, I will exalt thee O Lord, becauſe thou haſt taken me vp, & haſt not giuen myne enemyes their pleaſure ouer me. Our Sauiour bowed downe his head, at his death, that he might kiſſe his beloued, & ſo often do we giue à kiſſe to God, as we haue compunction of our ſinnes, for the loue of him.

CHAP. XXIIII. An exhortation of the ſoule to the loue of Chriſt our Lord.

O Thou my ſoule, which art dignified with the image of God, redeemed by the bloud of Chriſt, eſpowſed by faith, endoweth with a ſpirit, adorned with vertues, rancked with Angells, be ſure thou loue him, by whome thou art ſo much beloued. Make him thy buſines, who hath made thee his. Seeke him who ſeeketh thee, loue thy louer, by whome thou art beloued; by whoſe loue thou art preuented, and who is the cauſe of thyne. He is thy merit, thy reward, thy fruit, thy vſe, & thy end. Be thou carefull together with him, who is ſo carefull of thee; be attentiue to him, who is attentiue to thee, be pure with him who is pure; be holy with him, who is holy. Such as thou doſt appeare in the ſight of God, ſuch art thou to expect that he will appeare to thee. God who is ſo ſweete, ſo meeke, and ſo full of mercy, doth require that thou shouldſt be ſweet, and meeke, and gentle, & humble, and full of mercy. Loue him who hath drawne thee out of the lake of miſery, and the filth of durt. Chooſe him for thy friend, aboue all thy friends; who when all they shall fayle thee, will be euer ſure to make good thy truſt, at the day of thy death. When all thy friends are departing from thee, he will not leaue thee, but he will defend thee, againſt thoſe roaring lyons, who are sharpe ſet vpon theyr prey. And he will leade thee by a Country, wherewith thou art not yet acquainted, and he will bring thee to thoſe ſtreets of the celeſtiall Sion; & there he will place thee, together with his Angels, before the face of his owne Maieſty, where thou shalt heere that Angellicall Muſicke of., Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth. There is the Canticle of ioy, the voyce of exultation, and ſaluatiō, and thankſgiuing; the voyce of prayſe, and that euerlaſting Alleluya. There is that high heape of happynes, that ſupereminēt glory, that ſuperaboundant gladnes, & all good thinges put togeather. O ſigh thou ardently, O my ſoule; & deſire vehemently that thou mayſt arriue at that heauenly citty, whereof ſo glorious thinges are ſayd, & where of all the inhabitants, are ſo full of ioy. By loue thou mayſt aſcend. Nothing is impoſſible, nothing is hard to one who loues. The ſoule which loues aſcendeth often; and doth familiarity runne too & fro, through thoſe ſtreets of the Celeſtiall Hieruſalem. Sometimes viſiting the Patriarkes & the Prophets; ſometymes admiring thoſe armyes of Martyrs, and Confeſſors; & contemplating ſomtymes the Quires of Virgins. The heauen and the earth, withall which is therein, doe neuer ceaſe to let me know, that I ought to loue my Lord my God.

CHAP. XXV. That nothing can ſuffice the ſoule, but the ſupreme Good.

THe hart of man which is not fixed in the deſire of eternity, can neuer be ſtable and firme, but is more wauering then the wind; and it paſſeth from one thing to another, ſeeking reſte where it cannot be foūd. For in theſe fraile & tranſitory thinges, where the affection thereof is impriſoned, it can neuer finde true repoſe. Becauſe our ſoule is of ſo great dignity, that no Good, but only the ſupreme Good can ſatisfy it; and withall it is of ſo great liberty, that it cannot be conſtrained to commit any ſinne. It is therefore the proper will of euery one, which is the cauſe of his ſaluation or damnation; ſo that nothing more rich, can be giuen to God, then a good will. A good will draweth God downe to vs, & it addreſſeth vs vp to him. By a good will we loue God, we chuſe him we runne to him, we arriue to him, and we poſſeſſe him. O how excellent a thing is this good will, wherby we are reformed, according to the reſemblance of God, and are made like to him. So amiable to God is this good will, as that it refuſeth to inhabit that hart wherin a good will is not to be found. A good will doth make that ſupreme Maieſty of the Trinity ſtoop downe to it For, wiſedome doth illuminate it towards the knowledge of truth; Charity doth inflame it towards the loue of goodnes, and the Paternity doth preſerue, that which it did create, that it may not perish.

CHAP. XXVI. VVhat the knowledge of truth is.

WHat is that knowledg of truth? It conſiſteth firſt in a mans knowing himſelfe, & in being that which a man ought to be, and in reforming that which should be amended. It doth therefore conſiſt in knowing and louing the Creatour, for this is the whole good of man. See then how vnſpeakable the loue of this diuine loue is. It made vs of nothing; and it gaue vs whatſoeuer we haue. But becauſe we loued the guift, more then the giuer, we fell into the ſnare of the diuell, and became his ſlaues. Then did God, being moued to mercy, ſend his Sonne to redeeme thoſe ſlaues, and he alſo ſent the holy Ghoſt, to the end, that he might make thoſe ſlaues his ſonnes. He gaue the Sonne as a price of our redemption, and the holy Ghoſt, for the priuiledge of his loue; and ſo he imparteth his whole ſelfe, as the inheritance of our adoption. So doth God, as being moſt pittifull, & moſt mercifull, through the deſire which he hath of the loue of man, not only impart his mercyes, but his very ſelfe, that ſo he might recouer men; not ſo much to him, who is God, as to themſelues. That men might be borne of God, God was firſt born of man.

Who then is he that hath a hart ſo hard, as that it cannot be ſoftned by this loue of God? this loue I ſay of his ſo preuenting, & ſo vehement which made him be content to become man for the loue of man? Who now wilbe able to hate a man, whoſe nature and reſemblance he ſeeth in the humanity of God? Infaillibly whoſoeuer hateth him, hateth God, and ſo he deſtroyeth whatſoeuer he doth. For God was made man for man; that as already he was mans Creatour, ſo alſo he might be his redeemer, and that he might purchaſe him, out of his owne ſtocke. And to the end that God might be beloued by man, in a more familiar manner, he appeared in the ſimilitude of man; that ſo both his externall and internall ſenſes, might be made happy in God; the eye of his ſoule being intertained, & fed by his diuinity, & the eye of his body by Gods humanity; to the end, that whether he should worke inwardly or outwardly, this human nature which he created, might be able to feed deeply, & ſweetly vpon him.

CHAP. XXVII. VVhat the miſsion of the holy Ghoſt doth worke in vs.

THis Sauiour of ours, was borne for vs, he was crucified and he died for vs, that ſo by his death he might deſtroy ours. And becauſe that bunch of grapes of his flesh and bloud, was carried to this wine-preſſe of the Croſſe, & becauſe the expreſſion thereof being made, the new winer of his Diuinity began to flow from thence, the holy Ghoſt was ſent downe, wherby the veſſels of our harts were to be prepared, and new wine to be put into new skins; that firſt our harts might be cleanſed, leaſt els the wine powred in, should be polluted; and that afterward, they should be tyed vp, leaſt otherwiſe when it were infuſed, it might be ſpilt. That they might (I ſay) be cleanſed from all ioy, which could be taken in ſinne; and that they might be faſtened againſt all ioy which could be taken in vanity. For that which is good, can neuer come, vnles firſt that be ſent away, which is euill. The ioy which is taken in ſinne, polluteth; and the ioy which is taken in vanity, ſcattereth vs. The ioy which is taken in ſinne, maketh the veſſell fowle, and the ioy which is taken in vanity, maketh it to be full of holes. Ioy is taken in ſinne, when ſinne is loued, and ioy is taken in vanity, when tranſitorie things are beloued. Caſt the refore away, that which is euill, that thou mayſt receaue that which is good. Powre out all bitternes, that thou mayſt be filled with ſweetnes. The holy Ghoſt is ioy & loue. Caſt out the ſpirit of the diuell, & the ſpirit of the world, that thou maiſt receaue he ſpirit of God. The ſpirit of the Diuell, breedeth a ioy in ſinne; and the ſpirit of the world, breedeth a ioy in vanity. Now both theſe ioyes are naught; for the one of them hath vice in it, the other giueth occaſion to vice. The ſpirit of God will come when theſe wicked ſpirits are caſt out; and it will enter into the tabernacle of thy hart, and will produce a good ioy, and a good loue, whereby the loue of the world, & the loue of ſinne, shall be put to flight. The loue of the world, doth intice and deceaue; the loue of ſinne, doth pollute, and carry on to death. But the loue of God doth illuminate the mind, it doth purify the conſcience, it makes the ſoule reioyce, & it demonſtrates God.

CHAP. XXVIII. Of the working of that ſoule which loueth God.

HE, in whome the loue of God remaines, is euer thinking how he may arriue to God; how he may leaue the world; how he may decline the corruption of flesh and bloud: and to the end, that he may find true peace, he euer hath his deſire, & his hart erected towards heauenly things. When he is ſitting, when he is walking, when he is reſting, & in fine whatſoeuer he be doing, his hart departeth not from God. He exhorteth all men to the loue of God, he recommendeth it to all men, & he proueth to all the world, both by his hart, and by his tongue, and by his workes, how ſweet the loue of God is, and how bitter that is of the world. He deſpiſeth the glory of the world, he diſcouereth it to be full of affliction; and he declareth how fond they are, who place their confidence therin. He wondreth at the blindnes of men, for louing ſuch thinges as thoſe; he wondreth, how it is poſſible for all men not to forſake theſe tranſitory, and fraile things of the world. He conceaueth that euery one should find taſt in that which is ſo ſauoury to himſelfe, that euery one should loue that which he likes ſo well; that euery one should deſire that which is ſo plainely diſcerned by him. He doth frequently contemplate his God, and by that contemplation he is ſweetly fed; ſo much more happily, as more frequently. For that is moſt delightfully conſidered, the louing and prayſing wherof, is ſo full of delight.

CHAP. XXIX. Of the Harts true Repoſe.

THen indeed is the hart in true repoſe, when it is all fixed by deſire in the loue of God; & when it couets nothing els, but in him, in whom it delighteth with ſweetnes, and whom it enioyeth with delight. And if perhaps it be a little diuerted from him, eyther by any vaine thought, or els by buſines, it returneth inſtantly againe at full ſpeede; eſteeming it for no better them banishement, during the tyme that it remaineth any where but in him. For as there is no moment of tyme, wherin a man hath not experience of the diuine goodnes, ſo ought there not to be any moment, wherin it should not be preſent to our memory. He is not lyable to a little fault, who in prayer, whilſt he is conuerſing with God, doth eaſely wander out of his ſight, as if God did nether heare, nor ſee him. Yet this is done, when he followeth his owne importunate and euill thoughts, and when he preferreth any poore and baſe creature (towards whome the ſight of minde is eaſely withdrawne) before God. Reflecting & rowling, as it were, that creature vp and downe in his minde, by oftner thinking on it, then vpon God, whome continually he ought to remember, as his redeemer; to expect as his Sauiour; & to feare as his iudge.

CHAP. XXX. VVhatſoeuer doth withdrav the ſight of the mind from God, is wholly to be auoyded.

WHoſoeuer thou be, that loueſt the world, conſider well, whither, it hath a meaninge to carry thee. That way whereby thou goeſt, is a moſt wicked way, and full of miſery. Fly therfore for a while, O man, from all worldly buſines, and hide thy ſelfe from thoſe tumultuous thoughts of thine. Now caſt away thy weighty cares, diſmiſſe thoſe laborious imployments; be a little at leaſure for God, and repoſe with him a little, in the cloſet of thy hart. Exclude all but God, and thoſe things which may helpe towards the finding of him. Let all thy hart now ſay to God, I ſeeke thy countenance, and yet agayne I ſeeke it O my God. Come therfore O Lord my God; teach my hart, both where, and how it may ſeeke thee, and where and how it may finde thee. O Lord, if thou be not heere, where shall I finde thee being abſent; and if thou be heere, why do I not ſee thee, being preſent. But thou indeed doſt inhabite inacceſſible light, yet how shall I then approach to that light, if it be inacceſſible; or who shall lead me, & admit me to it, that I may ſee thee in it? And againe, by what ſignes, or by what addreſſe shal I ſeeke thee? I neuer ſaw thee, O Lord my God; nor was I euer acquainted with thy countenāce, What thou moſt high God, shal this creature who hath bee exiled ſo farr off from thee, what I ſay, shall he be able to do? VVhat shall thy ſlaue be able to do; who on the one ſide, is ſo deadly taken with the loue of thee, and yet on the other, doth find himſelfe to be caſt ſo farre off from thy face? Behold how he doth euen pant to ſee thee, whileſt yet thy face is ſo farr remote? It deſireth to draw neere to thee; but thy habitation cannot be approached vnto; It deſires to find thee, but it knows not where; it ſtriues to ſeeke thee, but it is a ſtranger to thy preſence.

CHAP. XXXI. How the viſion of God was loſt by ſinne, and that miſery came ſo to be found out.

O Lord, thou art my God, and my Lord. I neuer ſaw thee & yet thou didſt create me, & redeeme me, and thou haſt giuen me all good things; but yet ſtill I neuer ſaw thee nor doe I know thee. And though it be true that I was made of purpoſe, for the ſeeing of thee, yet hitherto, I neuer did that for which I was made. O miſerable condition of man, who loſt the thing to which he was ordained. O woefull heauy chance! Alas what is it, that he loſt; & what is it that he found? What departed, & what remayned. He loſt felicity, to which he was ordayned; and he met with miſery, to which he was not ordayned. That departed, without which nothing can be happy; and that remayned, which of it ſelfe is nothing but pure miſery. Then did man feed vpon the bread of Angells, after which now he hath ſuch hunger; and now he feeds vpon the bread of ſorrow, to which then he was a ſtranger. O thou my Lord, how long wilt thou forget vs? How long wilt thou turne thy face from vs? When wilt thou regard, and heare vs? VVhen wilt thou illuminate theſe eyes of ours, and shew vs that face of thyne? When wilt thou reſtore thy ſelfe to vs, and heare vs? Behold vs, O Lord, and hearken to vs, and enlighten vs, and shew thy ſelfe to vs, and reſtore thy ſelfe to vs; that once we may be happy in thee, without whome we are ſo truly vnhappy. O Lord, I beſeech thee, inuite and help vs. My ſoule is all made bitter, by her deſolation; ſweeten it by thy conſolation. I beſeech thee, O Lord, ſince I haue been hungry in ſearch of thee, let me not be forſaken in being vnfed by thee. I come faynt with hungar towardes thee, let me not depart empty from thee. I come poore to thee who art rich; miſerable to thee who art mercifull. Do not ſend me away needy, and diſgraced. O my Lord, I am all bent downeward, nor can I looke but downeward, doe thou erect me that I may looke vpward, and that with great attention. My iniquityes haue ouergrowne my head; they haue ouerwhelmed me; and they hang vpon me like a huge weight. Vnfold me, & empty me, and let not that VVell ſtretch out his mouth to ſwallow me. Teach me to ſeeke thee; and when I ſeeke thee let me ſee thee; for neither can I ſeeke thee, if thou doſt not teach me, nor can I find thee, if thou doſt not manifeſt thy ſelfe to me. Let me ſeeke thee by deſiring thee; let me deſire thee by ſeeking thee. Let me find thee by louing thee; & let me loue thee, by finding thee.

CHAP. XXXII. Of the Goodnes of God,.

I Confeſſe to thee, O Lord, and I giue thee thankes, in that thou haſt created me after this thyne Image, that ſo being mindfull of thee, I may conſider, and loue thee. But ſo is my ſoule defaced, with the corruption of vice; and it is ſo obſcured with the ſmoke of ſinne, that it cannot performe that for which it was made, vnleſſe it be renewed & reformed by thee. O Lord, thou who imparteſt the guift of ſpiritual vnderſtanding, I beſeech thee grant that I may vnderſtand as much as thou knoweſt to be expedient for me. For thou art as we beleeue, & thou art that very thing which we beleeue & wee beleeue that thou art ſome what, then which nothing greater, and nothing better can be conceaued. What therfore art thou, O Lord God (ſince nothing can be cōceaued either greather or better then thou art) but only that ſoueraigne good, which exiſting by it ſelfe alone, did create al other things of nothing? VVhat good can therfore be wanting, to that ſoueraigne good, whereby all good thinges are. Thou art therefore iuſt, & true, & bleſſed; & whatſoeuer els, which it is better to be then not to be, that thing thou art. But yet if thou be all ſupremely iuſt, how commeth it to paſſe, that thou pardonneſt ſinners? Is it becauſe thy goodnes doth exceed our vnderſtanding? This miſtery lyeth hid in that inacceſſible light, which thou doſt inhabit, yea in that moſt deepe, and moſt ſecret profoundity of thy Goodnes, that fountaine doth lye hid, from whence the riuer of thy mercy floweth. For although thou be wholy, and ſupremely iuſt; yet therefore art thou mercifull to wicked men, becauſe thou art alſo wholy and ſupremely Good. And thou shouldſt be leſſe good, if thou wert not good to any who is wicked. For he is better, who is, good both to the good & to the had, then he who is good, but to the good. And better is he who is good both in pardoning, and in punishing wicked men, then another who is only good in punishing. And therefore art thou alſo mercifull, becauſe thou art wholy and ſupremely Good.

CHAP. XXXIII. Of the delightfull fruition of God.

O Thou immenſe goodnes, who exceedeſt all vnderſtanding. Let thy mercy, which ſo aboundantly preceedeth from thee, deſcend downe on me, let that flow into me, which floweth from the. Pardon me by thy mercy, leaſt els thy iuſtice be forced to take reuenge vpon me. Styr thy ſelfe vp, now, O my ſoule, & erect thy whole vnderſtanding, and conſider (to the vttermoſt of all thy power) what kind, & how great a good that is, which is God himſelf. For if euery particulier good thing do carry with itſome delight doe but ſeriouſly conſider how delightful that good muſt needs be, which contayneth the delight of all good thinges; & that too, no ſuch kind of delight, as we experience in thinges created, but a delight ſo very different, as the Creatour, is more excellent then the creature. Now if that life which is created be good, how good is that other life, which created this? If this health be delightfull, which is made; how delightfull muſt that needs be, which made all this health? If the VViſedom be amiable, which is exerciſed in the conſideration & knowledge of created things; how amiable muſt that other VViſedom be, which created & framed all of nothing? And in fine, if the delight which is taken in delightfull things be very great, and of great variety; how various, & how great is that delight, which is taken in him, who created all theſe delightfull thinges? O how happie shall he be, that shall arriue to, & ēioy this good; Yea how happy shall he not be? Infaillibly whatſoeuer he would haue to be, shall be; and whatſoeuer he would not, shall not be. He shall there, be ſo endued with ſuch felicity, both of body & ſoule, as neither the eye hath ſeene, nor the eare hath heard, nor hath it entered into the hart of man.

CHAP. XXXIV. That this ſupreme good is to be deſired.

WHY doſt thou therfore wander, O thou man, in the ſearch of any good, concerning either thy body or thy ſoule? Loue thou that one good, wherein all good things are, & it is inough. Deſire thou that one ſingle good, which conteyneth all good, and it will ſuffice. For what doſt thou, O boby of myne, deſire, what doſt thou deſire, O my ſoule? There is in that good, whatſoeuer thou canſt deſire or loue. If thou be delighted with beauty, the iuſt shall shin bright like the Sunne. If ſpeed or ſtrenght, or ability to do what thou wilt with thy body; nothing shall be able to reſiſt thee, ſince the. Saints shal be as the Angels of God: For a corporall body is ſowed, but it shall riſe vp a ſpirituall body; not that it is ſo by nature, but by participation. If thou deſire a long & healthfull life, in heauen there shalbe a health full eternity, & an eternall health for the iuſt shall liue for euer; & their ſaluatio is of our Lord. If thou deſire to haue a ſatiety, & fullnes of all things; Men shalbe ſatisfyed when the glory of our Lord shall appeare. If thou deſire to be inebriated, mē shall there be inebriated, by that euer growing plenty of the houſe of God. If muſicke; the Angells shalbe ſinging there, for all eternity. If pleaſure which is chaſt & pure, our Lord shall giue then to drink of the torrent of his pleaſure. If wiſedome, the very wiſedome of God will to them declare himſelf who is wiſedome. If friendship they shall loue God more then themſelues, & God will loue them better them they can loue themſelues; becauſe they loue him, & themſelues & one another, in him; & he loueth himſelfe, & them, by himſelfe. If concord with one another be eſteemed; they haue all but one will, becauſe they haue no other will, but the ſupreme will of God. If power, they shall haue the ſame dominion ouer their owne will which God hath ouer his. For as God can do what he will by himſelfe, ſo shall they be able to do what they will by him. And as they cannot will any thing but what he wills; ſo wil he will, whatſoeuer they will; & ſo what they will cannot chuſe but be. If wealth & honour, God doth place his good and faythfull ſeruants ouer many goods; yea they shall be called the ſonnes of God, and Gods; and they shalbe his heires, & the coheirs of Chriſt. If true ſecurity, they shall be as certainly aſſured, that no good thing shall be euer wanting to them, as they shall be ſure that neither they wil forgoe it willingly, nor that he who loueth them, will take it away againſt their will, whome he ſo loueth; nor yet that there is any thing mightier then God, which is able to ſeparate him and them from one another. Now what kind of ioy, and how great muſt that needs be, where ſuch a good as this, is to be inioyed.

CHAP. XXXV. Of the mutuall Charity of the Saints in Heauen.

O Thou hart of man, thou poore hart, thou hart which knoweſt what belonges to cares and miſeries, by experience; or rather which art euen ouer-welmed by them, how much wouldſt thou reioyce, if thou didſt abound with all thoſe bleſſings. Aske thy moſt inward powers if they would be able to containe the ioy, which would grow to thee, by ſuch felicity as that. But now if any other, whom thou didſt abſoluty loue, as thou didſt loue thy ſelfe, should poſſeſſe the ſelfe ſame beatitude, with thee; thy ioy would be doubled, becauſe thou wouldſt reioyce no leſſe for him, then for thy ſelfe. And if two or three, or many more were poſſeſſors of it, thou wouldſt reioyce for euery one of them, as for thy ſelfe; ſuppoſing that thou louedſt euery one of them as thy ſelfe. What kinde of thing, will therfore, that perfect Charity be, of innumerable Angels, & bleſſed men, ſince no one loueth another leſſe then himſelfe; & no otherwiſe will euery one reioyce, for any other then for himſelfe. If therfore the hart of man will ſcarce be able to containe it ſelf for the ſingle ioy, which himſelfe will takes in ſo great a good; how will he be capable of this ſo great ioy, of ſo many others?

Againe, looke how much more a man loues another, and ſo much more doth he reioyce at his good. And now, as in that ſupreme felicity, euery one will, without compariſon, loue God better then himſelfe, and all the reſt; ſo alſo will he, without compariſon, reioyce more in the felicity of God then in that of himſelfe, & of all the reſt of his fellow-Saints. And if they shal loue God withal their hart, all their mind, and al their ſoule, in ſuch ſort as that yet all their hart, & all their minde, & all their ſoule cannot ſufficiently comprehend the dignity of that loue; without faile they will alſo reioyce with all their hart, withal their mind, & withall their ſoule, ſo that all their hart, mind, & ſoule, shall not be able to containe the fulnes of that ioy.

CHAP. XXXVI. Of the fulnes of the ioy of Heauen.

O My God, and my Lord, my hope, & the ioy of my hart; tell my ſoule, if this be that ioy, wherof thou haſt ſaid by thy ſonne, Aske, & you shall receiue, that ſo your ioy may be full. For I haue found a certaine ioy, which is full, and more then full; the hart, the mind, the ſoule, and the whole man being full thereof: But yet in heauen there will be another ioy beyond meaſure, greater then this is. There, they who are to enioy it, shall not enter into all that ioy; but they, being all full of ioy, shall enter into that ioy of their Lord. Tell me O Lord, tell thy ſeruant, & tel it to my hart within, if this be that ioy, into which thoſe ſeruants of thine shal enter; who are to enter into the ioy of their Lord? But euen that ioy wher with thy elect shall reioyce, hath neither bene ſeen with the eye, nor heard by the eare, nor hath it entred into the hart of man. So that yet, I haue not bene able to ſay, O Lord, how great that ioy is, which thy Elect shall enioy. It is certaine, that they shall ioy as much as they loue, & they shall loue as much, as they shall knowe thee O Lord. But how great shall that loue be? It is certaine that neither the eye hath ſeene, nor the eare hath hard, nor hath it entred into the hart of man, in this life, how much they shal knowe & loue thee, in that other life, O my God, I beſeech thee that I may knowe thee; that I may loue thee, that I may ioy in thee. And if, in this life, I may not do it to the full, yet at leaſt make me profit in it more, & more, that at laſt I may arriue to that fullnes. Let the knowledge which heere I haue of thee, proceed further that ſo it may there, be full. Let my loue of thee increaſe heere, that ſo it may be full there; & that heere, my ioy, may be great in hope, & there, full, in deede. O Thou true God, I beg, that I may receiue what thou haſt promiſed, that ſo my ioy may be fulfilled. In the meane tyme, let my minde meditate vpon it; let my tongue ſpeake of it; let my hart loue it; let my diſcourſe worke vpon it; let my ſoule be hungry and euen my very flesh thirſt after it; and let my whole ſubſtance deſire it; till ſuch tyme as I shall enter into the ioy of my Lord, where I may remaine for euer. Amen.