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

A verie deuoute Prayer to God the Sonne. CHAPT. XXXIX.

O Lord Iesu Christ, the sonne of the living God, who with thy handes stretched forth on the Crosse, hast drunke the cupp of thy passion for the redemp∣tion of all mankinde, succou••e me this day I beseeche thee. Beholde, o Lord, I that am needie doe come to thee that art wealthie. I that am full of miserie doe ap∣proache to thee replenished with mercie, suffer m•• not therfore to departe voide, or as one worthie to be despised. I be∣ginne hungrie, let me not end emptie. I approache as one hunger-starued, let me not departe vnfed. And if I sighe before I eate, graunt that I may eate at least

after I haue sighed

First therfor•• most sweete Iesu, before the magnificence of thy sweetnes, I con∣fesse against me myne iniustice. Beholde o Lord, for that I was conceiued and borne in sinne, and thou hast washed and sanctified me from the same, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 this, haue defiled my selfe with greater offences: because those sinnes wherin I was borne, were of necessitie, but those in which I afterwardes lay wallowing were voluntarie. This notwithstanding, thou being not vnmindfull of thy mercie and goodnes, hast drawne me from my fathers house, and from the tabernacles of sinner, inspiring me with thy grace, to fol∣lowe thee in the companie of those that seeke thy face, who walk the direct way that leadeth to felic••tie, liuinge amiddst the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of cha••itie, and sitting at table with thee in the parloure of most pro∣founde pouertie.

But I ingratefull and forgetfull of soe many benefits receiued haue after my en∣trance into Religion, committed many sin∣nes and abominations, and where I ought to haue corrected my faultes by doing sa∣tisfaction, there haue I added sinne vpon sinne. These therfore (o Lord) are the faultes, by which I haue dishonoured thee, and defiled my selfe, who thou hast

created according to thine owne image & similitude) to wit, pride, vaine glorie, and many other sinnes almost infinite, by which my vnhappy soule is troubled and afflicted, rent and destroyed.

Beholde, o Lord, mine iniquities haue ouerwhelmed mine heade, being vnto me as a greiuous burden vnsupportable to be endured: in soe much, that if thou (whose propertie is to pardonne, and to shewe mercie) doe not lift me vp with the right hande of thy maiestie, I shall woefullie sinke downe into the gulfe of eternall mi∣serie. Beholde o Lord God, & see because thou art holy; beholde I say how my gho∣stlie ennimie doth insulte ouer me, saying: God hath forsaken him, I will pursue and take him, because there is none that can deliuer him.

Howe longe (o Lord) wilt thou thus leaue me: Tu••ne backe and deliuer my sou∣le, o sau•• me for thy mercies sake. Take pittie of me thy sonne, whom thou hast begotten in the greate greife of thy pas∣sion, and doe not soe attende to my wickednes, that thou forgett thy good∣nes. What Father is there, who seeing his sonne in danger, doth not ende∣uoure to sett him free? or what sonne is there, whom his Father doth refuse to cor∣rect with the staffe of his pittie?

Wherefore o Lord and Father, albeit I am a sinner, yet I doe not cease to be thy sonne, because thou hast made me, and newe made me againe, like as I haue sin∣ned, soe correct and amend me, and being by the staffe of thy fatherlie pittie correc∣ted and amended, commit me to the care and custodie of thy onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ our Lord. Is it possible for a woman to forget the childe of her owne wombe? And albeit shee shoulde forget it, yet thou (o most louinge Father) hast promised not to forget the same.

Beholde I cry, and thou dost not heare me, I am afflicted with greife, and thou dost not comfort me. What shall I say, or doe, being in this extreame miserie? Alas I am altogether comfortles, and which is worse, am chased forth of thy presence. Wretche that I am, from howe greate good into howe greate euill am I fallen? Whither did I attempt to goe, and whi∣ther am I come? Where am I, and where am I not? howe is it, that I that did sighe after heauen, doe nowe sighe through soe great tribulation? I haue sought com∣forte, and haue founde affliction. And truly it is better for me, not to be, then to be without thee, o sweete Iesu. It is better not to liue, then to liue without thee, the onely true life.

Where are nowe (o Lord Iesu) thine accustomed mercies? Wilt thou be dis∣pleased with me alwaies? Be appeased I beseeche thee, and take pittie of me, and turne not away thy louinge face from me, who to redeeme me, hast not turned away thy face from those that did ••••ocke and spit vpon thee. I confesse that I haue sinned, and my conscience doth adiudge me worthy of damnation, neither is my pennance sufficient to make satisfaction, neuerthelesse it is a thinge infallible, that thy mercie doth surmount all offence whatsoeuer, be it neuer soe abominable.

Wherefore (o most mercifull Lord) I beseeche thee doe not write any malitious bitternes against me, neither enter into iudgment with thy seruant, but according to the multitude of thy mercies, blot out mine iniquities. Woe be to me at the day of iudgment, when the bookes of our consciences shalbe opened (wherein our actions are registred) when of me it shall openly be proclaimed: See heere the man, and his deedes committed. What shall I doe, o Lord my God, at that dread∣full day, when the heauens shall reueale mine iniquitie, and the earthe shall beare witnes against me? Verilie I shall be mute and able to say nothinge, but holding downe mine head through shame and

confusion, I shall stande before thee sha∣king and blushing.

Alas what shall I say? I will call and crie vnto thee o Lord my God. Why am I consumed being silent? Neuerthelesse if I speake, my greife will not cease: and if I holde my peace, I shall inwardlie be tor∣mented with vnspeakeable bitternes. Weepe o my soule, and make lamentation as a younge married woman for the dea∣the of her newe married husbande, weepe and bewaile thy miserie, for that thy bridegroome (which is Christ) hath forsaken thee.

O anger of the almightie, rushe not vpon me, because thou canst not be contained in me; verily there is nothing in me, that is able to sustaine thee. Take pittie of me, loast I despaire of thy mercie, that by des∣pairing of my selfe, I may finde comforte in thee. And albeit I haue donne that, for which thou maiest iustly condemne me, yet thou hast not lost thy accustomed pro∣pertie of shewing mercie and pittie. Thou o Lord, dost not desire the death of sin∣ners, neither dost thou take pleasure in the perdition of those that die▪ nay rather that those that were deade might 〈◊〉〈◊〉, thou thy selfe hast died, and thy death hath beene the death of that death that was due to sinners. And if thou dying, they haue ••iued,

gra••nt o Lord (I beseeche thee) that thou living, I may not die Let thy heauenly hande help me, and deliuer me from the handes of those that hate me, l••ast they insult, & reioyce ouer me, saying, we haue deuouted him.

Howe is it possible (o good Iesu) that euer any one can despai••e of thy mercie, who when we were thine enimies, hast redeemed vs with thy pretious blood, and hast reconciled vs to God? Beholde o Lord, protected with the shadowe of thy mer∣cie. I runne (crauing pardon) to the throne of thy glorie, calling and knocking, vntill thou take pittie of me. For if thou hast called vs to pardon, euen when we did not seeke it, by how much more shall we ob∣taine pardon, if we aske it? Remember not thy iustice (o most sweete Iesu) towardes me a sinner but be mindeful of thy meek∣nes towards me thy creature. Remem∣ber not thine anger towardes me guilty, but be mindefull of thy mercie, towar∣des me in miserie. Forgett my pride, pro∣uoking thee to displeasure, and weigh my wretchednes, imploring thy fauoure. For what doth thy sacred name Iesu signifie, sauing onely a Sauiour? Wher∣fore, o Sauioure Iesu, be thou my suc∣coure and protection, & say vnto my soule, I am thy saluation.

I doe presume very muche of thy diuine bountie, because thou thy selfe dost teache vs to aske, seeke, and knocke at the dore of thy mercie. Wherfore I doe aske, seeke and knocke at thy dore, as by thy wordes thou hast admonished me to doe. Thou therfore, o Lord, that willest me to aske, graunt that I may receiue. Thou that dost coūsell me to seeke, graunt me likewise to finde Thou that dost teach me to knock, open vnto me knockinge at the dore of thy mercie. Recouer me being diseased, repaire me being crased, raise me being deade.

Vouchsafe likewise soe to direct and gouerne all my senses, thoughtes, and actions in that which is pleasing vnto thee, that from hence forth I may faithfullie serue thee, I may liue and giue my selfe wholy vnto thee. I knowe, o Lord, that by reason thou hast made me, I doe owe my selfe vnto thee, and by reason thou hast redeemed me, and hast been made man for me, I doe owe (if I had it to giue thee) much more then my self vnto thee, by how much greater then me thou art, who hast giuen thy selfe for me. Beholde I hau nothing els to giue thee, neither can I giue thee this without thee: take me therefore and drawe me vnto thee, that I may be thine by imitation and af∣fection,

like as I am by condition, and creation. Who liuest and raignest world without end. Amen.