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.

The office of Medi∣tation.

THEN com∣meth Dili∣gent and ear∣nest Medita∣tion, it farieth not behinde, it hath not any thing in the superficie or outside of ano∣ther, it pitcheth foote, it pierceth the inward parts, it seeketh euery corner, it considereth beedely, that he hath not sayde, Blessed be the cleane in body but in minde: because it suffi∣ceth not to haue harmeles hands from euill worke,

but that also we should bée ••lensed in mind from wic∣ked thoughts. Which is confirmed by the authori∣ty of the Prophet saying. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord, or who shall rise vp. in his holy place: euen he that hath cleane hands and a pure heart. Also this Me∣ditation, it considereth this cleannesse of heart which the same Prophet would Thinke also how carefull blessed Iob was in keep∣ing this, who said, I haue made a couenant with mine eyes that I would ••ot thinke any thing of

the Virgin. See how much the holy man stray∣ned himselfe, who shut his eyes least hee should be∣hold vanitie, lest by chance vnawares hee should re∣spect that, which after∣wards inwardly he might desire. Afterward and after such sort that the prophet hath entreated of the clean∣nesse of the heart, he begin¦neth to speake of the re∣ward thereof. How glori∣ous and delectable a thing it would bee to see the face of the Lord so long wished for, beautifull in fairenesse aboue the Sonnes of men. Now not abiect and base

not hauing a hope with which his mother cloathed him, but arayed with a robe of immortality, and Crowned with a dia∣deme, with which his fa∣ther hath crowned him in the day of resurrecti∣on and glory, the day which the Lord hath made. Meditation think∣eth, that in that vision, there shall bee that fulnes of which the prophet spea∣keth. We shall be satisfied when thy glory shall ap∣peare. Doe you not per∣cerue how much lie our hath flowed out of a little grape, how great a fler is

risen out of this sparke, and how much this little text is extended in the same Meditation. Blessed bee the cleane in heart, for they shall see God. But how much yet might bee exten¦ded or enlarged, if any one should come that hath pro∣ued such things? For I feele that the well is déepe and I in these things vn∣skilfull, I haue scantly sound a vessel, in which I might draw vp few things The soule inflamed with these lights, sacrificed with these desires, the Alablast∣er box of sweete oyntment broken, beginneth to sa∣uor,

not of tast, but as it were of an odoriferous sent. Of this the soule doth gather, how swéet a thing it is, to féele the experience, whereof it hath knowne Meditatiō to be so pleasant. But what shall the soule doe, it burneth with desire to haue it, but it doth not find in it selfe, how it may haue it, and in how much more it searcheth, the more greatly it desireth, whilst it setteth before it medita∣tion, it setteth before it al∣so sorrow, because it vnder∣standeth not the sweetnes which Meditation shew∣eth to be in the cleanesse of

heart. For it commeth not of reading and meditating to vnderstand this, sweet∣nesse, except it bee giuen from aboue, for to reade and meditate, is as com∣mon to the euill as to the good. And those Philoso∣phers of the Gentiles by the leading of reason found out in what the ch••efe of true goodnesse consisted. But because when they had known God, they glo∣rified him not as God (but presuming on their ••wne power, they sayde bee will magnifie our owne tongues, our lipps 〈◊〉〈◊〉 our owne) they deser∣ued

not to vnderstād what they might see. They va∣nished in their owne thoughts, and their wise∣dome is devoured, which humane study of discipline had bestowed vpon them, not the spirit of wisedome, which onely giueth true wisedome, which is to say, sauory knowledge, which when it is, in whomsoeuer that inestimable sauor gladdeth and comforteth. And of that it is said, wise¦dome doth not enter into a malicious soule. For this is of God alone, and as God had giuen the office of baptizing to many, yet

in baptisme he hath retay¦ned to himselfe onely, the power and authority of forgiunesse of sins Wher vpon John hath sayde of him distinctly▪ this is hee which baptiseth in the holy Ghost. And of him we may say, this is he which giueth the tast or sauor of wise¦dome, hee maketh know¦ledge sauory to the Soule.

For truely speech is giuen to many: Wisedome to a fewe, the which the LORD distributeth to whom hée will and how he will.