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 snares of concupiscence. CHAPT. XII.

THese are the shadowes of darknes, with which I am ouerwhelmed in the bottomeles dongeon of this obscure prison, in which I lie prostrate groueling

on the grounde, vntill the day appeare, and the shadowes be departed, and light be made in the firmament of thy vertue.

Let the voyce of our Lord with power and magnificence pronounce saying: Let light be made, and let the darknes be dis∣persed, let the drie lande likewise appeare, and let the earthe bring forth greene hear∣bes, producing the seede and good fruite of the iustice of thy kingdome.

O Lord my father and God, the life, by which all thinges liue; and without which all thinges are to be accompted as deade, permit me not to linger in lewde though∣tes, and deliuer me from proude and loftie lookes, Take from me all carnall cōcupis∣cence, and suffer me not to be of a bold & boasting minde, but possesse my harte, that it may alwaies thinke of thee.

Enlighten the eies of mine vnderstan∣ding that they may see thee, & not be ex∣alted in thy presence o glorie euerlasting) but let them thinke humbly, not looking ouer curiously on those wonderfull thin∣ges, that are aboue them. Let them looke vppon those thinges, that are on the right hande, and not vpon those on the left, that are displeasing vnto thee. Let thy eie-lidds likewise guide my footestepps, for that thy eie-lidds looke into the actions and thoughtes of the sonnes of men.

Breake and bruise my vnlawefull luste with thy sweetenes, which thou hast re∣serued for those that feare thee, to the end I may with an eternall desire couet thee; least my internall taste (being through vanities entseed and deceaued) esteeme bitter to be sweete, and sweete to be bit∣ter, darkenes, to be light, and light to be darkenes, that I may escape free from such a multitude of snares (wherewith all the worlde is replenished) which our ghostly ennimic hath placed in the way of this life that we are to walke in, therby to en∣snare the soules of such as sinne. Which he that saw it, omitted not to tell vs of, saying: Whatsoeuer is in the worlde, is either the concupiscence of the eies, con∣cupiscence of the flesh, or pride of life.

Beholde o Lord my God, the whole worlde is full of the snares of concupis∣cences, which my ghostly ennimies haue prepared to intrappe me in, and who shall be able to auoide them? Verily he, from whom thou shalt take away the concu∣piscence of the eies, least the concupis∣cence of the eies doe entrappe him, from whom thou shalt take away the concupis∣cence of the flesh, least the concupiscence of the fleshe entice him, and from whom thou shalt take away a bolde and boa∣sting minde, least pride of life, doe craftely

deceaue him. O how happie is he, to whō thou shalt afforde this ••auoure, because such a one shall passe without danger!

Wherfore I beseeche thee for thine owne sake (o my Redeemer) that thou wilt helpe me, that I may not fall in the sight of mine aduersaries, being taken in the snares, which they haue prepared to entrap my feete, therby to ouerthrowe my soule: but deliuer me (o strength of my saluation) least thine ennimies, which hate thee, haue me in derision.

Arise o Lord my God (thou that art my fortitude) and let thine ennimies be dis∣persed, let those that hate thee, fly before thee: yea like as waxe melteth away be∣fore the face of the fire, euen soe let sin∣ners consume in thy sight: But let me re∣maine safe, being hidden in the secret place of thy presence, where abounding with all good thinges, I may reioyce in the companie of thy children.

Listen o Lord God vnto the crie of thy children (who art a father to the father∣lesse, and a mother to such as are in di∣stresse) and stretch for the thy winges, that we may flie vnder them from the face of our aduersarie. O tower of the fortresse of Israel, who wilt neither slumber nor sleepe garding and defending Israel, for that the ennimie doth neither slumber not sleepe,

that opposeth Israel.