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 soules felicitie, being deliuered out of the prison of this earthly body. CHAPT. VI.

HAppy is that soule, which beinge freed from this earthlie prison, doth freely mounte vp into heauen, which be∣holdeth thee (o sweete Lord) apparantlie face to face, being now noe more affraied of deathe or of any worldlie miserie, but reioycinge throughe the immortalitie of euerlasting glory. It liueth in repose and securitie, fearing now neither deathe no•• ennimie. It enioyeth thee being a merci∣full Lord, whom it hath long sought, and alwaies loued, and being ioyned in felow∣ship with the quires of Angells, it singeth for euer mellifluous sonnets of perpetuall gladnes, in praise and commendation of thy glory, o Christ our King, o good Iesu. Verilie it becommeth as it were drunke throughe the aboundance of thy heauen∣lie habitation, because thou dost cause it to drinke of the riuer of thy vnspeakeable delectation.

O howe happy is the heauenlie com∣pany

of celestiall cittizens, how glorious is the solemni••ie of all those that returne vnto thee (o Lord) from the toiles and trauailes of this our pilgrimage, to the pleasantnes of all beauty, to the beauty of all brightnes, and to the dignitie of all excellencie, where thy cittizens, o Lord doe continuallie see thee? Nothing at all is there hearde, that may molest the min∣de; What sacred Canticles? what diuer∣sitie of instruments? what delightfull dit∣ties? what sweete sounds of heauenlie harmonie are there hearde incessantlie? There the mellifluous organ, there the most sweete melodie of Angels, doe sounde forth Hymnes, and admirable Canticles of Canticles euelastingly, which are songe by the celestiall cittizens to thy praise and glory.

Noe spitefulnes or bitternes of affe∣ction, is founde in that heauenly region; for that neither malice nor malitious men, haue there any abiding. Noe aduer∣sarie is there to impugne vs, nor occasion of sinne to entice vs. There is noe want or pouertie in that place, noe shame or disgrace, noe brawling, noe vp braiding, noe blaming, noe fearefullnes, noe dis∣quietnes, noe paine, noe doubtfullnes, noe violence, noe variance: but contrari∣wise surpassing greate peace, perfect cha∣ritie,

singing and praising of God euerla∣stinglie, perpetuall repose ioined with se∣curitie, and ioy in the holy Ghost during all eternitie.

O how fortunate shall I be, if after this life, I shalbe admitted to heare the most pleasant and sweete songes of those hea∣uenlie cittizens; if I shalbe admitted (I say) to heare those mellifluous meeters of poetrie, made to expresse the praises, and honoure due to the most sacred Trinitie. O how much more happy shall I be, then I can imagine, if I my selfe likewise shalbe thought worthy to sing a songe to our Lord Iesus Christ, euen one of the sweete songes of Syon.