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 manifolde benefits of al∣mightie God. CHAPT. VII.

O My God, graunt that I vnworthy wretch may see, how much I am bounde to loue thee. Graunt that I may see, how I am bounde to praise thee Graūt that I may see, how much I am bounde to please thee.

Thunder (o Lord) from aboue with a greate and stronge voice, into the internall care of my harte; teache me and saue me, and I will praise thee: who when I was nothing, hast created me; who, when I I was in darknes, hast enlightned me; who, when I was deade, hast raised me; who with all manner of good thinges from my very youthe, hast fed and refreshed me; nourishing me with thy greatest guiftes and graces, being a poore vnprofitable worme stinking through the abomina∣tion of mine iniquities.

Open vnto me (o key of Dauid) who ope∣nest, and noe man shutteth against him, to whom thou openest: who shutteth, and noe man openeth to him, against whom thou shuttest: open vnto me, the doore of thy light, that I may enter in and see, and knowe, and with my whole hart con∣fesse vnto thee, for that thy mercy towar∣des me is greate, and thou hast deliuered my soule from the lowest hell.

O Lord our God, how wonderfull and worthy to be praised is thy name in the whole worlde! What is man (o Lord) that thou art mindfull of him, or the sonne of man, that thou visitest him? O Lord the hope of good men, and theire towne of defense. O God the life of my soule, by which I liue, without which I dy. O light of mine eies, by which I see, without which I am blinde. O ioy of mine harte, and comfort of my soule, graunt that I may loue thee with all my harte, and with all my minde, and with all the force and strenght that I haue, because thou hast loued me first.

And whence hapneth this vnto me, o Creator of heau••n, earthe and of the bot∣tomlesse depthe, who needest not my goodes? Whence hapneth this vnto me, that thou shouldest in this sorte loue me? O diuine wisedome, who openest the

mouthes of those that are dumbe. O di∣uine Worde, by which all thinges were made. Open my mouth, giue me wordes of thanksgiuinge, that I may rehearse all the benefitts, which thou hast bestowed vpon me from the beginning.

Beholde I confesse therefore, to haue receiued my being from thee; because thou hast created me, and hast preordained to create me, and to nomber me amonge thy creatures from all eternitie, yea from the beginning, and before thou madest any thinge, before thou didst extende the heauens, before the bottomeles dep∣thes had theire being, before the worlde was fram d, before the mountaines or hills were founded, before riuers flowed: before thou didst make any of those thin∣ges, which thou hast made by thy worde, thou didst foresee by the infallible proui∣dence of thy truth, that I should be thy creature, preordaining soe of me by thy diuine pleasure.

What hath caused thee to doe this for me (o most louing Lord) most glorious God, most mercifull Father, most power∣full and for euer most pittifull creator? What meritts of mine, what grace did deserue the same? that it should please thy diuine maiesty soe gratiously to create me?

Thou hast created me, when I had noe

being, and of nothing thou hast made me something: But what something? Surely not water, nor fire, not a foule, or a fish, not a serpent, or any bruite beaste, not a stone, or a peace of timber, not of those kinde of creatures, which haue nothing els but theire being, no•• of those, which be, and growe onely. Not of that sorte which be, growe, and haue feeling onely; but surpas∣sing all these, it hath pleased thee to make me of the nomber of those, which be one∣ly, for that I am; and of the nomber of those, which be, and growe onely, for that I am, and doe growe; and of the nomber of those, which be, doe growe, and haue feeling, because I am▪ doe growe, and haue feeling, yea thou hast created me almost equall to the Angells, because I haue recei∣ued from thee common with them, the guift of reason, wherby to knowe thee.

Neuerthelesse I haue saied (almost equall) for that they alreadie haue the hap∣pie knowledge of thee, by seeing thee as thou art, but I by hope onely. They, by be∣holding thee apparantlie face to face. I ob••curelie as it were in a looking glasse: They plainelie and perfectlie, but I partlie onely.