The sinners glasse containing Augustines Ladder to paradise : with diuers meditations and prayers, both for morning and euening / collected out of Saint Augustine and other ancient fathers.

To the vertuous and ho∣norable Ladie, Anne Wind∣sor, wife to the right hono∣rable Lord Henry VVindsor.

AFter I had col∣lected certaine doctrines and Meditations, out of sundrie works of Augustine, to mine owne priuate contentment: In time following, some of my learned friends, by chance perusing and liking the order and method of them, it put me in com∣fort, to make them more knowne through the Engli∣shing of them. And honou∣rable Ladie, first out of that Booke (vnder the name of Augustine) intituled of the

Spirit and Soule, I had ac∣cording to mine owne pur∣pose, disposed & framed 15. portions, or particulars out of many Chapters in that booke. They are especiall & easie teachings to many, that yet know not what them∣selues are, that thereby (considering and beholding well of what they are made, and their substance, which is of the Soule and Body v∣nited, and yet falling too often at variance, will not be perswaded the one by the other) they may, feeling their owne miserie by it, seek and desire higher after many di∣uine knowledges, which may keepe their soules and bodies in vnitie, and to bee at peace with God. Then

for the Meditations, that follow, I gathered them out of that blessed man his woorkes, euery where when I thought which might mooue a godly minde: not setting downe whole Chap∣ters neither, except foure or fiue, but parcels thereof: and contented partly with bre∣uitie, as also some time in a chapter, meeting with the ignoraunce and corruption of that time, in praying to Saints: I left that part out, which inuocation is a sacri∣ledge, not possible to haue any office allowed it in pra∣yer through the whole scrip¦ture: but by the large au∣thoritie thereof it is most forcibly extruded. And no doubt, but Augustine in his

time found it so, lib. contra Parmenid. 2. cap 8. For he say∣eth Christian men doe togi∣ther commend themselues in their prayers, but hee for whom none maketh inter∣cession, but he himselfe for all: Hee is the verie, onely and true Mediator. And saith Ambrose, lib. de Isaac & anima, He is our mouth by which we speake to the fa∣ther: our eye by which we see the father: our right hand by which wee of∣fer vs to the father: other∣wayes then by whose inter∣cession, neither wee nor all the Saintes hath any thing with God. And I intend not, that these abstracts out of those prayers and meditations, vnto part

of which I haue after my iudgment, applied some ver∣ses out of the Psalmes, shuld be vsed of any, for, or as in stead of their prayers, for that cannot bee, they haue beene long sithence offered vp by that holy man, they were his owne. But now they are to be taken as moo∣uers & stirrers vp of others, to heauenly contemplation, contrition, and holy sorrow. Our perfect prayer with the duties thereto belonging, riseth of faith and know∣ledge which commeth by hearing and reading the Scriptures, whereby tho∣rough the holy ghost, we are made able to seeke Christ, and so the inuisible father, who is not found elsewhere,

but in Christ, that thus wee are come to haue a certaine communication with God, in which (entred into the Sanctuarie of heauen) wee haue to doe with three per¦sons, As Gregorie Nazian∣zene vpon the Trinitie wri∣teth. I cannot (sayeth he) thinke of one, but presently I am compassed round, with the brightnesse and glorie of three: Neither can I di∣stinguish of three, but sud∣denly I am brought again to one. And so in our prayers it is with vs. Paul sayth thus Gal. 4. God hath sent the Spirit of his Sonne into our hearts, which crieth Abba father, which spirit so sent, proceedeth from the Father and the Son, and sendeth vs

forth-with to call on the Father, through his Sonne. And also Rom. 8. That spirit in our hearts certifieth our Spirit, that wee are the chil∣dren of God. And the same most holy 3. persons & one God, keepeth such an im∣mediate course in our pray∣er, that no Saint in heauen can come betweene the ho∣ly ghost and our redeemer, to intreat him to heare vs, or to bee ioyned with him, or to bee in his stead for an in tercessor: his leue and wor∣thinesse maketh vs worthy through his spirit to come to him our selues. As also that holy Spirit which is the cause that wee haue know∣ledge in the Scriptures, prompteth vs how to pray

how to edifie, and how to answere our aduersaries, vi∣sible & inuisible. Moreouer most excellent and heauen∣ly knowledge is learned out of the Scripture, in praise of which, and comparing it a¦boue all other learnings. Augustin saith, de doct. Chri¦stiana lib. 2. Whatsoeuer a man can learne without it if it be faultie, or offensiue, there it is condemned. If it bee profitable, there it is found. And when whosoe¦uer hath found, all things which elsewhere hee hath profitably learned, hee shall finde those things the more abundantly by much, which are learned no where else at all, but in the admirable highnesse and marueilous

humility of the sacred Scrip¦tures. Thus (Madame) signi∣fying vnto you the contents of this briefe Collection, I pray to the Almightie to enlighten and direct you al¦waies with his Spirit, to the increase of true honour through you in this life, and to crowne you with glo∣rie in the life e∣uerlasting.

Your seruant to your honour du∣tifully affected. Timo. Pimm.