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

How by the consideration of benefits temporall, we may gather the greatnes of those that are celestiall. CHAPT. XXI.

GIue me grace (o Lord to see the greatnes of thy mercy, giue me yet greater light and vnderstanding I beseech thee, that I may perceiue it more plainely. For by the lesser benefits (o holy Lord God, our good Creator) we growe to vn∣derstande thy greater; and by those which we visibly see heer, we come to the know∣ledg of those that are inuisible in heauen.

For if thou (o God dost bestowe vpon our base and corruptible body, soe greate and innumerable benefits, from the fir∣mament and ayre, from the earthe & sea, from the light and darknes, from heate and shadowe, from dewe and raine, from windes and shewers, from foules & fishes, from beastes and trees, from variety of hearbes and plantes, and of al other of thy earthely creatures, seruing vs successi∣uely in their turnes, that by them tho•• maiest solace the sorowes of this our wea∣risome life; what manner of benefits are

those (I pray thee) how greate (I say) and innumerable shall those comfortes and commodities be, which thou hast prepa∣red for those that loue thee in that hea∣uenly country, where apparantly face to face we shall see and beholde thee? If thou dost soe much for vs now in this earthly prison, what wilt thou doe for vs heer∣after in the palace, of thy heauenly habi∣tation?

Greate certainely and innumerable are these thy workes (o Lord and kinge of heauen.) For seing all these thinges are exceeding good and delightfull, which thou hast imparted to good and bad men in common, what manner of thinges wil those be, which thou hast reserued for the good alone? If the guifts, which thou dost now giue vnto thy freindes and foes together, be soe innumerable and many: how greate & innumerable, how sweete and delightfull will those be, which thou wilt bestowe heereafter vpon thy freinds onely? If thou dost giue vs soe greate com∣fortes on this sorrowfull day of weepings how greate wilt thou giue vs on the festi∣uall day of the wedding? If soe greate de∣lightes are contained in this earthly pri∣son, how greate are contayned in the countrie of heauen?

There was neuer yet any eye (o God)

without thee, that hath seene the pleasu∣res, which thou hast prepared for those that loue thee. Because the immensitie of thy sweetnes (which thou hast reseru•••• for those that feare thee) is answerable vnto the immensitie of thy magnificence.

Wherfore (o Lord my God) like as thou art greate and immense, there being neither end of thy greatnes, or number of thy wisedome, or measure of thy bo∣unteousnes: soe likewise, there is neither end or number, nor measure of thy re∣compence, but like as thou art greate, soe is likewise thy rewarde and recompence: because thou thy selfe art their rewarde and recompence, that fight for thee accor∣ding to thy holy ordinance.