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

The distinction and difference betweene that wisedome which is Gods house, and that which is diuine. CHAPT. XIX.

THis (o God) is that house of thine, which is not built of any earthly or heauenly substance that is corporall, but is altogether spirituall, and by participation eternall: for that it shall neuer growe to ruine or decay, in respect that thou hast ere∣cted it for all eternitie, thou hast giuen a commaundement, and it shall not passe a∣way, howbeit it is not coeternall to thee o God, seing that by creation it hath taken ••s beginning.

The first thing therefore created is wise∣dome:

yett not that wisedome, which is altogether coeternal and coequall to God the Father, by which at first all thinges were made, and in whom at the begin∣ning, heauen and earth were made: but that wisedome, which was created spiri∣tuall (to witt Nature) by contemplation of the light, is become light. For that wisedome likewise (albeit created) is termed wisedome. Neuertheles there is as great difference betweene that supreme wisedome, which is the creator, and that, which is created, as is betweene the light, which doth enlighten, and that which is enlightned, or as is betweene iustice iu∣stifying (which thou o God art) and iu∣stice, which ariseth from our iustification. For we likewise (accordinge to the te∣stimonie of the Apostle) are termed the iustice of God the Father, in thee his sonne our Lord.

Sithence therefore a certaine kinde of wisedome was created before all other thinges, to witt, that of thy chaste cittie (Hierusalē) our mother, which is aboue, and is free, and to endure for euer in the heauens; for this reason it hath beene created a reasonable and vnderstandinge soule: But in what heauens? cuen in those which doe prayse thee, which are the hea∣uens of heauens, because this is the heauen

of heauen prepared for our Lord, And al∣beit we doe not find any time before this wisedome, which was before the creation of time (being indeede the first of al other creatures) yett thou, o eternall God the creator of all thinges, art before it, from whom it hath taken its beginning, though not beginning of time (because as yet time was not begun) yett of his condition and being: whereupon it hath its being and be∣ginning: in that sorte frō thee, o Lord our God, as that it is plainely an other thinge and altogether different from thee, albert we finde not any time either in it, or be∣fore it. Verilye it is able at all times to see and contemplate thy face, neither doth it at anye time looke aside from the same. Whence it proceedeth that it remaineth stedfast without either chaunce or change. Neuerthelesse it is of it selfe subiect to mutabilitie, by which it woulde become darke and colde, were it not that beinge by greate loue vnited to thee, it did shine, and growe hote by thee, as it were by the sunne at midde-day.

Finally it is conioyned to thee the true, & truly eternal God with that chaste loue, as that, albeit it be not coeternall with thee, yett it cannot be seuered and sepe∣rated from thee by anie variation and

mutation of time, but doth rest in the most true contemplation of thee alone. For that thou (o Lord) dost shew thy selfe to this thy house louing thee, (like as thou hast commaunded) neither doth it neede any thing els. Hence it is, that it doth not swar∣ue, or goe aside either from thee, or from it self, but remaineth alwaies stable in the same state, by perpetually seinge thee, the true light, by continually louing thee, the chaste loue thereof.

O high and happy creature, most happy of all others, by being allwaies adherent to thy happines! O happy and excessiuely happy house, who hath thee, for her euer∣lasting Lord, and light. Neither doe I finde any thing, which I thinke I may more fit∣ly, call caelum caeli Domino, the heauen of heauen prepared for our Lord, then this thy cōtemplatiue house, being thy delight without defect, and without affection of departing vnto any other thing, being a pure minde most concordantly one, the established peace of the blessed Spiritts.

But these celestiall thinges are aboue in heauen, hence lett that soule (whose pil∣grimage seemeth ouer long in this life) try and see, if now it thirsteth or noe to come to thee, if now her teares are her foode, if now or noe shee demande and desire this one onely thing, that shee may

dwell in thine house all the daies of her life. And who, but thou (o Lord) art her life? And what are her daies, but thine eter∣nitie? Like as thy yeares which shall neuer haue end.

Heere therefore lett that soule which is able, consider, and comprehende, how much thine eternitie doth exceede all ti∣mes, seeing thy house, which hath neuer been estranged and seperated from thee, albeit it be not coeternall to thee, yett by adhering perpetuallie, and continuallie to thee, it is free from all mutation of time, and being from time to time absorpt with the most chaste delight of thy loue, it hath neuer made shew of mutabilitie, by reasō of thee whose presence it hath enioyed perpetuallie, to whom it is conioyned in all affection, and amity. To conclude it is free from all variation, and ampliation of time, hauing neither time to come, which it may expect, nor time past, which it can remember.