A heavenly treasure of confortable meditations and prayers written by S. Augustin, Bishop of Hyppon in three seuerall treatises of his meditations, soliloquies, and manual. Faithfully translated into English by the R. F. Antony Batt monke, of the holy order of S Bennet of the Congregation of England

Of the desire of the soule. CHAPT. V.

O God the light of those harts that see thee, the life of those soules that loue thee, & the strength of those though∣tes that seeke thee, graunt me grace, that by loue I may alwaies▪ adhere vnto thee. Come I beseech thee into my harte, and make it drunke with the plentie of thy pleasure, to the end, I may forget all tem∣porall thinges whatsoeuer.

Verilie I am ashamed and grieued to endure such thinges as are donne in the worlde▪ Whatsoeuer I see in this vale of miserie is displeasing vnto me, whatsoeuer I heare of thinges transitorie, is burden∣some vnto me. Helpe me (o Lord my God) and make my harte glad, come vnto me,

that I may see thee.

But (alas) the house of my soule is ouer little to entertaine thee, vntill thou enter into it and enlarge it: It is ruinous and ready to fall, wherfore I beseech thee to repaire it. It hath many thinges (I con∣fesse and knowe) contained in it, which are displeasing in thy sight, but who will cleanse it, or to whom besides thee, shall I crie to doe it? Cleanse me (o Lord) from my secret sinnes, and be mercifull vnto thy seruaunt in respect of other mens sin∣nes committed by my meanes.

Graunt me grace (o sweete Christ, o good Iesu) graunt me grace I beseech thee, to lay aside the burden of all carnall loue, and worldly desires through the loue and desire of thee. Let my soule haue domi∣nion ouer my body, reason ouer my sou∣le, thy grace ouer reason, and make me in all thinges subiect to thy most holy will both without and within.

Afforde me this fauoure I beseech thee, that my harte, and tongue, and all my bo∣nes may praise and magnifie thee. Dilate my mind, and lift vp the eies of my harte, that (albeit for neuer soe shorte a time) my soule may attaine vnto thee the eter∣nall wisedome, abiding aboue all thinges. Free me (I beseech thee) from the bandes, with which I am bounde, that forsaking

all thinges transitorie, I may adhere and attende vnto thee onely.