The monument of matrones conteining seuen seuerall lamps of virginitie, or distinct treatises; whereof the first fiue concerne praier and meditation: the other two last, precepts and examples, as the woorthie works partlie of men, partlie of women; compiled for the necessarie vse of both sexes out of the sacred Scriptures, and other approoued authors, by Thomas Bentley of Graies Inne student.

When you see the wine, behold it with your corporall eies. For as Christ saith, it is wine: but lift vp your soule vnto Christ in heauen, whose bloud is there alwaie fresh and liuelie before the Father, to sprinkle and quicken thee; and praie, saieng:

O Lord Iesu Christ, Sonne of the li∣uing GOD, which being vpon the crosse, with thy hands spred abroad for the redemption of all mankind, diddest drinke the most bitter cup of thy passion: I beseech thee, vouch∣safe now to drawe the mouth of the soule that thirsteth after thee, vnto the high flouds and flowing streames of thine eternall

abundance and satietie: yea drawe me wholie vnto thy selfe, which art the liuing well, to the intent I may ac∣cording to my capacitie drinke of that wherevpon I doo liue.

O my God, my life, thou didst saie with thy holie and blessed mouth; If anie man thirst, let him come vnto me and drinke. O well of life, grant vnto my thirstie soule alwaie to drinke of thee, that according to thy ho∣lie and true promise, waters of life may flowe out of my bellie. O well of life, replenish and fill my mind full of the riuer of thy pleasures; make my hart to be drun∣ken as it were in thy loue: that after the maner of them that be drunken with wine, which forget all things saue the cup; so I may forget all vaine and earthlie things, and continuallie haue nothing else in my remembrance, but thee onelie; thy bitter death, thy painfull passion, and pretious bloud-shedding. Come I praie thee, into my hart, and make it drunken with the abundance of thy plentifulnesse, so that I may forget all temporall things; make me, I saie, throughlie drun∣ken with thy cup, that I may forget euen my selfe, and vtterlie renounce all mine owne vngodlinesse & sinne.

O Christ, which art the euerlasting suffisance that shalt be giuen to the hungrie and thirstie: refresh vs continuallie with the most exquisite and well furnish∣ed banket of thy blessed Sacraments, and make vs drinke plentiouslie of the holie cup of thy blessed spirit and grace. Let the inspiration of thy most sweet spirit succeed like springs of water; and let not perpetuall food be wanting to our weakenesse, wherewith to feed and replenish vs. Let me taste of the pleasant riuers of the holie Ghost, that I may be refreshed, and that my soule may be cooled with the sweet liquors thereof; so that I burne hencefoorth with no iniquitie or lust to sinne. Make me to quaffe hartilie the cup of thankes-giuing: yea let my bowels be filled with the pleasant

wine of thy loue, and refresh me continuallie with the most sweet riuers of thy heauenlie consolation.

Thou art my life, whereby I liue; the hope that I sticke vnto; the glorie that I desire. O giue me vnder∣standing, cheere vp my loue. Lift thou vp my soule, and drawe the mouth of my spirit, which thirsteth after thee, vp to the water streames that are aboue. Uouch∣safe, sweet Iesu, in the midst of my monings, sore com∣plaints, and deepe sighs of my hart, to take vp my sad and sorowfull mind to the top of the high mountains, euen to the beds of sweet spices, putting me in a place of pasture by the riuers of sweet waters, where thou preparest a table, diuerselie furnished for thy friends against they come: to refresh mine appalled spirits; to cheere vp my heauie hart, & make it merie. Through the which deinties, I being at the length well refresh∣ed, may forget my manifold miseries, and the vanities of this life; and rest in thee, which art the true peace euerlasting, passing all vnderstanding.

Lord God, which art the sanctifier of the Saints, I beseech thee, consecrate and make me meete for thy dwelling, and continue thou euer with me: vouchsafe all to besprinkle me with the bloud of thy onlie begot∣ten sonne, by which one souereigne thing both in bodie and soule, I may be reuiued with a maruellous com∣fortable ioie. O Lord, these are thy great benefits, wherewith thou wilt releeue the want of thy thirstie children: grant, I beseech thee, that I may drinke on thy cup with a glad mind, willing hart, pure consci∣ence, and clensed spirit: and bring to passe by thy mer∣cie, that this drinke, which I shall now drinke, may be to my health and saluation. Finallie grant, O good God, that I may, through thy most rich spirit, and his eternall deinties, enioie the princelie palace of hea∣uen, and quaffing verie abundantlie of the well-spring of life, which is with thee, I may by the excellent be∣nefit

of thy glorious passion, death, resurrection and light, behold the brightnesse of perpetuall felicitie, and see thee face to face, where my mind may be fed and full satiate with the meate and drinke of life without end. For like as the hart thirsteth after the water springs: so thirsteth my soule after thee, O Lord my GOD and King,

Amen.