The Prologue, and a Brief Manner of Meditation
ALl thinges passe away, except the loue of GOD. Whē as the wise man had contemplated, and by long experience learned the mutabilitie of all things, neither had found any constancie, or certainelie very little, in any thing created in this world, but many desires, & an vnsatiable thirst of men, which violently forced them, to hunt after these transitorie things; at length he cryeth out. Vanity of vanities,1 all is vanity & affliction of spirit. And when he had runne thorow, and experimēted all things in the world, with a most wholesome councell he concludeth his disputation, 2 saying; Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth, whiles the euill dayes come not, nor the yeeres approch, wherein thou shalt say, I haue no pleasure in them: whiles the Sun is not dark, nor the light, nor the Moone, nor the starres, nor the clowdes returne after the raine. Feare God and keepe his commaundements: for this is the whole dutie of man. And because the whole safety of our soules, and all our blessednes dependeth of this councell, it is most aptly and fitlie spoken of S. Gregory; That there is no such sacrifice offered to the Almightie, as the zeale of the soule is: which sheweth by wholesome doctrines the way vnto celestiall glory. I beeing therefore moued by this zeale, although vnworthy to teach, haue gathered this short tractate out of diuers authorities of holy doctors, that a soule drowned in the pollution of sinne, beeing conuicted by these instructions & authorities of holy men, and enlightned of the holie Ghost, might bee reduced to her Creator and Redeemer, as a straying and lost sheepe, or at the length might know her estate, and the errors and daungers, which she in this world is in, whilst shee continueth in sinne, and being touched with the sorrow of contrition, might returne vnto God, and returning, might bring forth repentance, and repenting, might possesse with al the Saints, glorie and celestiall beatitude, to the which shee was made and created. But to this there is no other way, then that, of which the Prophet speaketh: This is the way,3 walke yee in it, neyther shall yee decline to the right hand, nor to the left.
Therefore it is needfull for a Christian man, that is willing after thys wretched life to goe to his desired home, besides prayers and common exercises, to vse also diligēce, that his hart may bee lifted vp vnto God, not onely in euery place, but also that at all times, and in all businesses, hee may carrie about with him cogitations, seriously imployed about religious & godly contemplations. As a Bee delighted with the beautie of colours,4 and sweetnes of odours, doth take somewhat from euery flower, and dooth carry it to her hiue, to make honey of it: so it is requisite that the seruant of God should take of all things created, which are presented vnto his minde, as it were certaine spurrs pricking forwards vnto deuotion, and to the loue of God, meditating on them in his hart, with great delight with out intermission.
By this endeuour, at the length wee shall bring it to passe, that vppon the alter of our harts there shall alwayes burne, the fire of diuine loue, wee beeing alwayes busied in godly prayers, and deuout meditations.
Therefore in the morning,5 as soone as wee awake, let vs shut our gates against al earthlie and worldly thoughts, that so before all things, our Lorde may enter in and haue admittance; let vs offer vnto him the […] […] first fruites of that day, & conferring with him, let vs doe three things.
First, giue him thanks for the rest hee hath giuen thee that night, and that he hath deliuered thee from al perrillous and feareful fantasies, and from the snares of thine enemy; and for all other benefites, of creation, preseruation, vocation, and redemption: that he hath called thee to his fayth, that hee hath infused into thee good inspyrations, that he hath freed thee from all danger, that so long a time, with so great patience & mercy hee hath waited for thy repentance. And to be briefe, yeelde vnto him most hartie thanks for all blessings whatsoeuer.
Then offer vnto him whatsoeuer that day thou shalt eyther doe or suffer; all thy lalabours, all thy stepps, all thine exercises, and briefely, all that which thou art to doe, or to be imployed in that day. Offer vnto him in like manner, thy selfe, with all thine, that al may redound to his glorie, that hee may haue a hand in all, and dispose of all, as it shall please his most holy, will, none otherwise then if they were his owne businesses.
Thirdly, desire his fauour & grace, that thou mayst not cō mitt any thing that day, that shall be contrarie to his diuine maiestie. Beseech him that he woulde ayde thee against all sinnes, and especially against those, which customarily thou art most inclined to, as are anger, vaine glory, dissolutnes in wordes, and such like: arming thy selfe with a firme resolution against all kind of vices.
At night,6 before thou goest to bed, examine thy selfe with iudgement, and call to minde, whatsoeuer thou hast that day either done, spoken, or thought against the diuine will: and recall all thy negligences, idlenes, & slothfull heauines, about the diuine seruice & worship, and that so wickedly thou hast forgotten thy Lord God.
Desire God, that hee would pardon all thine errors, & forgiue all the sinnes which thou hast committed, and that hee would bestowe his grace vpon thee, that thou mayst correct and amend thy life. And when thou layest thy selfe downe in thy bed, thinke how thou shalt lie in thy graue; & cōsider with thy selfe how small a coffin wil cōtaine thy body, & end all thy meditations with that prayer, which Christ himselfe taught his disciples.
As often as thou awakest in the night,7 say, Glory be to the Father, and to the Sonne, &c. Or some such like thing, & as often as thou hearest the sound of the howre, say; Blessed be the howre in which our Lorde Iesus Christ was borne and died for vs; ô Lorde remember mee in the howre of my death. And consider howe thy life is shorter by an hower then it was before, and howe by little and little, thy web is wouen-vp and ended.
When thou sittest downe to eate,8 or risest vp from the table, alwayes remember the example of our Lorde; lift-vp thine hart vnto thy GOD, & cōsider that it is he, that giueth thee meate and drinke, who hath created all things for thy vse: render vnto him thankes for the foode hee sendeth thee, and ponder with thy selfe how many men almost perrishe through hunger and want, then which thine estate is farre happier; remember with what ease and safety thou possessest those things, which others can hardly compasse with great danger and labour.
When thou art impugned or molested of the deuill that auntient Tempter, the best remedie is, if thou runnest vnto the Crosse, and beholde hanging vpon it Iesus Christ, cruellie scourged, crowned with thornes, racked vpō the crosse, hauing neyther beauty nor cō linesse, riuolets of precious bloode gushing out of his bodie. Rembember that the chiefest cause, why thy Lord hangeth there, is none other, then that hee might destroy the kingdome of sinne. Beseech and intreate him with great deuotion, that hee would not suffer a thing so odious to raigne in thine heart, or in thine eyes, which he with so great cost & labour banished & destroyed; and say, ô my Lord, thou hangest heere vpon the crosse, that I might not sinne: and shall not this be sufficient for mee, that I may flie from sinne?9 I beseech thee, ô lorde, by those thy most holy wounds, suffer me not at any time to bee forsaken of thee, when I come vnto thee; yea ô lord, shew vnto, mee the best hauen, where I may be in most safetie.
If thou shalt reiect & refuse me, whether shall I goe? what shall I doe? what will become of me? who shall defend mee? ô my lorde, helpe mee, & defend me from that dragon, seeing that without thee I can doe nothing.
If thou shalt feruently thus persist in heartie and earnest prayer, the temptations shalbe an occasion of a nobler crown, and they shall bring it to passe, that thy minde shall bee oftner lifted vp to God, and the deuil who came with hope of victorie, shall beeing vanquished, most shamefully flie away. Among all these exercises, the sighes and gronings of the spirite are most commendable, which are tokens of vehement desires, by the which the soule beeing preuented of the holie Ghost, and wounded with the loue of God, sigheth, & groneth, and with great feruencie laboureth for the loue of God, and so desireth this loue, both with great instancie, and without intermission.
This meditation, & this holy exercise is so profitable, that if it be daily done, or be vsed at meale times, at drinking times, in going, or labouring, oftentimes is of greater dignity and efficacy, then other prolixe exercises, or copious prayers.
This exercise is more profitably done by desires and inward sighings and mournings, then by words: albeit wordes helpe at al times; which a man may now and then vtter after this, or such like manner.
O blessed Iesu, ô the sweetnes and delight of my hart:10 ô the life of my soule, when shall I please thee in all things and at all times? When shall I perfectly dye vnto my selfe? Whē shall I preferre thee before all creatures? When shall there not liue any other thing in mee besides thy selfe ô Lord? Haue mercy vpon me ô Lord, and helpe me. I salute thy wounds ô Lord, as it were fresh flourishing roses, hide me ô lord in them, and wash mee in them, that I may be throghly cleane, and inflamed with thy loue. O Lord God, ô admirable beginning, ô the piety of amiable charity; ô the dearest light of my vnderstanding; ô the rest of my will, when shall I feruently and ardently loue thee? Vouchsafe ô lord to shoote through my soule with the dart of thy loue, vouchsafe to associate and vnite mee vnto thee, that I may bee one with thee. O my desire: ô my hope: ô my refreshing and comfort. O that my soule were worthy thyne embraces, that all the drowsines and luke-warmnes of my soule, might be consumed with the fire of thy loue. O the soule of my soule: ô the life of my life, I wholy desire thee, and offer my selfe wholy vnto thee, wholy to thee that art all in all, one to one, and only to thee alone. O that it had place in me, that thou spakest to thy Father; O holy Father, let them be one, as wee are one.11 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one.
I neyther will nor wish any other thing, I desire none other thing, I entreate none other thing of thee; for thou alone art sufficient for me. Thou art my father, thou art my mother, thou art my defender, my leader, and all my good. Thou art wholy louely, wholy delightfull, wholy faithfull. Who was euer so liberall that would giue him selfe? who euer loued so tenderly, that would deliuer himselfe vnto death for a vile creature? Who was euer so humble, that hath so debased and ecclipsed his Maiesty? O Lorde, thou despisest no man, disdaynest no man, reiectest no man, that sueth vnto thee: yea, thou callest and prouokest them to come & meete thee; for it is thy delight to conuerse with the children of men.
O Lorde, the Angells doe blesse and prayse thee, what other thing hast thou found in vs, but pollutions and blemishes of sin? Wherefore wouldest thou be with vs to the end of the world? Was it not enough for thee, that thou sufferedst for vs, but that thou must leaue thy Sacraments for a medicine vnto vs, and thy Angells for our companions and protectours? And albeit we be vnthankfull for so great benefites, yet thou wouldest dwell among vs, for thou art so good and gracious, that thou canst not deny thy selfe.
Therfore ô Lord let vs make (if so it please thee) a league & couenant: take thou charge of me, and I will take charge of thee. Doe with me ô Lord, as it pleaseth thee: for thou knowest what I want, and what is meete for mee: I will be thine, and no others. Giue me grace ô Lord, that I may not seeke nor desire any thing, but thee: and that I may wholy offer & yeeld vp my selfe vnto thee.
O sire, that enlightenest me: ô charity, that inflamest me: ô light illuminating me: ô my rest: ô my life: ô my loue, who alwayes burnest, and neuer art extinguished: when shall I perfectly loue thee? When shall I embrace thee with the naked arms of my soule? Whē shall I despise my selfe and the whole world, for the loue of thee? When shall my soule with al her powers & strength bee vnited vnto thee? When shall I be swallowed vp in the bottomles depth of thy loue? O thou most sweete, most louing, most beautifull, most wise, most rich, most noble, most precious, and most worthy to be loued and worshipped, when shall I so loue thee, that I may lie drowned wholy in thy loue? O the life of my soule, who didst vndergoe the burthen of death, that thou mightest reuiue me, and dying didst kill death: kill ô Lord me also, that is, slay all my peruerse inclinations to euill; my will also, and whatsoeuer hindereth, whereby thou mayst not liue with mee. But after that thou hast thus killed me, make me to liue with thee, by loue, and a true faith: that I may faithfully obserue all thy commaundements, and the precepts of my superiours, and that I may only prosecute & follow those things, that are of the spirit.
O most bountifull and gracious Iesu, giue me a perfect hatred and loathing of sinne; and a perfect cōuersion of hart vnto thee, that all my thoughts, and all my desires may be busied and conuersant in thee alone, and about thee alone. O life. without which I dye; ô truth, without which I am deceaued: ô way, without which I goe astray: ô saluation, without which I perrish: ô light, without which I walk in darknes. Doe not ô Lord, doe not suffer, that at any time I should be plucked away from thee: for in thee alone I liue, & without thee I dye: in thee I am safe, and without thee I perish: in thee I am some body, but without thee I am no body. As I shall more manifestly declare in the sequent considerations, which shall be vnto mee as a most cleare glasse, which I looking into with open, stedfast, and constant eies, shall see both the magnitude and multitude of my miseries.
Footnotes
Chapter 2 of 12