A paradise of prayers containing the purity of deuotion and meditation / gathered out of all the spirituall exercises of Levves of Granado ; and Englished for the benefit of the Christian reader.

The second praier to the holy Tri∣nitie, of the greatnesse of the diuine Maiestie.

OMnipotent & eternall God, three in persons, one in sub∣stance, iust and meet it is, & agree∣able with reason, that I should im∣ploy all my whole life in the exer∣cise of repentance & feare: when as I haue so iust causes of lament & feare. Tuen as therfore the great∣nesse of thy glory impelleth mee to honour and praise thee: so also commandeth it mee to praise and

glorifie thee: For a Hymne becom∣meth thee in •…•…ion, and a vow shall be made to thee in Ierusalem, be∣cause thou art the Ocean of all perfections, the Sea of wisedome, the Abysse of power, beauty, great∣nesse, riches, sweetnesse and ma∣iestie: in which are all perfections and beauties of creatures, which are in heauen, or on earth; and all these perfections are found in thee, in the highest perfection & degree. All beauty compared to thee, is deformitie: all riches, po∣uerty: all strength, weakenesse: all wisedome, ignorance: all sweete∣nesse, bitternesse: and to conclude many things in a few, all things that are in heauen and on earth, make lesse appearance in thy sight than a little candle before the sun∣shine.

Thou art perfect in all things, without any deformity: great w^t∣out quantity, good without quali∣ty, strong without infirmitie, true without falsitie, alwaies present without place, in all places, with∣out diuision. In magnitude y^u art infinite, in vertue omnipotent, in

goodnesse chiefe, in wisedome in∣estimable, in counsels terrible, in iudgements iust, in thoughts se∣cret, in words true, in works holy, in mercy copious, towards sin∣ners patient, toward penitents, compassionate.

But what in especiall should I speake of thy wisedome, but that which earst the Prophet▪ aid: O Lord, thou knowest my thoughts afar off, thou hast searcht my com∣mings in and goings out, and all my waies hast thou foreknowne, because there is no speech in my tongue which thou knowest not. Behold, O Lord, thou knowest al things, both the first and the last: Thou hast made mee, and laid the hand vpon me: Such knowledge is too wonderfull & excellent for me, I cānot attaine vnto it. Whi∣ther shall I goe from thy spirit, or whither shal I fly frō thy presence: if I climbe vp to heauen, thou a•…•… there: if I goe downe to hell, thou art there also: if I take the wings of the morning, and remaine in the vtmost parts of the sea, euen there also shall thy hand leade mee, and

thy right hand shall hold me. If I say y^e darkenes shall couer me, then shall thy right hand bee turned to day: yea, the darkenes is no dark∣nesse with thee, but the night is as cleare as day, the darkenesse and light to thee are both alike. For his eies, saith another, are vpon the waies of men, & hee considereth all their steps: there is no darknes nor shadow of death to hide them that work iniquity. But what shal I say of y^e greatnes of thy power? I wil say that in times past which y^e Prophet said, saying: For God is my king of old, the helpe that is done vpon earth, hee doth it him∣selfe: Thou diddest deuide the sea through thy power, thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters. Thou smotest the heads of the dragons, and gauest them for meate to thy people, in the wilder∣nesse: thou broughtest out foun∣taines and waters out of the hard rockes, thou driedst vp many wa∣ters. The day is thine, & the night is thine, thou hast prepared the light and the sun: thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast

made sommer and winter. And in another place the same Prophet saith: O Lord God of hoasts, who is like vnto thee? thy truth, most mighty Lord, is on euery side. Thou rulest y^e raging of the sea: y^u stillest the waues therof when they arise: thou hast subdued Egypt, & destroied it: thou hast scattered thine enemies abroad with thy mighty arme. The heauens are thine, and the earth is thine: thou hast laid the foundation of the round world, and all y^t therein is. Thou hast made the North & the South: •…•…abor and Herm•…•… shall re∣ioyce in thy name. Thou hast a mighty arme, strong is thy hand, & high is thy right hand. Blessed Iob knew this thy power, when he said. With him is counsel, & strength, wisedome, & vnderstanding. Be∣hold, if he breake downe a thing, who can set it vp again? If he shut a thing, who will open it? Behold, if he withhold the waters, they •…•…ry vp: if he let them goe, they destroy the earth: with him is strength & wisedome, both the deceiuer, and •…•…ee that is deceiued are his: hee

carrieth away the wise men as it were a spoile, and maketh y^t Iud∣ges fooles: hee looseth the rule of Kings, & guirdeth their loines w^t a band: he leadeth away the great men into captiuity, and turneth the mightie vpside downe: he stop∣peth the mouth of them that speake truth, and disappointeth y^e aged of their vnderstanding: hec poureth contempt vpon Princes, and maketh the strength of the mightie weake. Looke what lieth hid in darkenesse, hee declareth it openly, and the verie shadow of death bringeth he to light: he in∣creaseth the people, and destroieth them: he maketh them to multiply, and diminisheth them.

These o Lord, are testimonies of thy mightines: but what shal I say of the riches of thy glory, and the veine of thy felicitie? If thou hast sinned, saith y^e scripture, what hast y^u done against him? if thy offen∣ces be many, what hast thou done vnto him? if thou bee righteous, what giuest thou him, or what wil he receiue at thy hands? Thy wic∣kednesse may hurt a man as thou

art, and thy righteousnes may pro∣fit the sonne of man. But thou (O Lord) art such, and so blessed, as thou needest not another mans goods: I confesse thee to be such a one, for such a one I praise thee, and glorifie thy most holy name. Infuse thy light into my heart, & giue me words in my mouth, that my heart may alwaies think of thy mightines, and let thy praise be in my mouth for euer. But for that thy laud is not seemely in y^• mouth of a sinner, I therefore require all the Angels of heauen, and all the creatures of the world that they together with me, may praise thee, and may supply my defect, inuiting them thereunto with that glorious song which the three children sung in the midst of the fierie furnace in Babylon, saying: Blessed bee the Lord God of our fathers, bee hee praised & magnified for euer. And blessed be the name of his glorie, holy and laudable, and magnified for euer and euer. Blessed art thou in the throne of thy maiestie, to bee praised and magnified for euer. Blessed art thou that beholdest the

depths, and sittest vpon y^e Cheru∣bins, to be praised and magnified for euer. Blessed art thou in the firmament of heauen, and praised and glorified, world without end.

Amen.

Notes

• Psal. 74.
• Psal. 89.
• Iob 35.
• Daniel 3,