And these are they (O Lord) who first in the time of the Patriarchs, then under the law, and lastly, under the gospel, believed thy word, worshipping thee according to the same, in certain mysteries of religion, ⟨image 66⟩in all places, whither it pleased thee to call, gather and sanctify them, by the remission of their sins, in the blood of thy son, regenerating them to every good work, by thy holy spirit, & of the same grace, giving them from age to age diverse visible signs for sacraments in thy Church; so indeed she is thy house, and the palace of thy glory, where thy truth is lodged, which she upholdeth and advanceth by her ⟨image 67⟩holy ministry; preserving it also that it should not fall into decay, and that the remembrance thereof should not be lost from among men. Whereof likewise proceedeth the stability of the Church, which the endeavours of satan cannot shake, because the foundation of her faith & doctrine is grounded upon the true, and immovable rock, even the pure confession of the name of Christ. I do therefore beseech thee, ⟨image 67⟩my God, inasmuch as thy mercy and goodness hath brought me in, and hitherto held me up, in this mansion house of thy graces, that thou wilt vouchsafe more & more to illuminate my hart & mind, to make me see and meditate upon the spiritual magnificence of this thy habitation, to the end that the sacred porches thereof may be all my love, and the only delight of my eyes, & her canticles the sole harmony of my ears: and ⟨image 68⟩that I may so affectionate my self to her celestial beauty and riches, that I may hold one day in thy Church more deer, then a thousand elsewhere. That this so sweet company, I say, of thee (O our Father) of thy Son our redeemer, of the holy-ghost our comforter, of so many thousands of Angels, & of elect, which lived here beneath in the visible kingdom of thy glory, and by infinite wonders in the Communion of ⟨image 68⟩saints, may be my whole desire, and the sole subject of my delights, that I may never depart therefrom, notwithstanding whatsoever assaults and temptations I am to endure according to the condition of the militant Church, and under this her gallant poesy (To believe, to do well, and to suffer affliction) sith that namely there is not any such mishap, or so much to be feared, as to be out of this holy Temple, wherein only abideth ⟨image 69⟩all light, truth, salvation, and life:
And these are they (O Lord) who first in the time of the Patriarks, then vnder the law, and lastly, vnder the gospel, beleeued thy word, worshipping thee according to the same, in certaine mysteries of religion, ⟨image 66⟩in all places, whither it pleased thee to call, gather and sanctifie them, by the remission of their sinnes, in the blood of thy sonne, regenerating them to euery good worke, by thy holy spirit, & of the same grace, giuing them from age to age diuerse visible signes for sacraments in thy Church; so indeede she is thy house, and the pallace of thy glory, where thy truth is lodged, which shee vpholdeth and aduaunceth by her ⟨image 67⟩holy ministery; preseruing it also that it should not fall into decay, and that the remembrance thereof should not bee lost from among men. Whereof likewise proceedeth the stabilitie of the Church, which the endeuours of sathan cannot shake, because the foundation of her faith & doctrine is grounded vpon the true, and immooueable rocke, euen the pure confession of the name of Christ. I do therefore beseech thee, ⟨image 67⟩my God, inasmuch as thy mercy and goodnes hath brought me in, and hetherto held me vp, in this mansion house of thy graces, that thou wilt vouchsafe more & more to illuminate my hart & minde, to make me see and meditate vpon the spirituall magnificence of this thy habitation, to the end that the sacred porches thereof may bee all my loue, and the only delight of my eyes, & her canticles the sole harmony of my eares: and ⟨image 68⟩that I may so affectionate my selfe to her celestiall beauty and riches, that I may hold one day in thy Church more deere, then a thousand elsewhere. That this so sweet company, I say, of thee (O our Father) of thy Sonne our redeemer, of the holy-ghost our comforter, of so many thousands of Angels, & of elect, which liuedhere beneath in the visible kingdome of thy glory, and by infinite wonders in the Communion of ⟨image 68⟩saints, may be my whole desire, and the sole subiect of my delights, that I may neuer depart therfrom, notwithstanding whatsoeuer assaults and temptations I am to endure according to the condition of the militant Church, and vnder this her gallant poesie (To beleeue, to doe well, and to suffer affliction) sith that namely there is not any such mishap, or so much to be feared, as to be out of this holie Temple, wherein onely abideth ⟨image 69⟩
