The Pomander of Prayer, Prayers of Augustine
¶ Certain Godly Meditations made in the forme of prayers. by S. Augustine whiche if thou wilt rede them quietly with a feruent spirit, they will stir thee muche to deuocion.
¶ A prayer wherin, through cō memoration of Christes passion, we desire pardon of oure sinnes and continuaunce in vertue and godlines.
BEholde (O pitiful father) thy most pitifull sōne, which suffred for me being so wicked. Be hold (o most merciful king) who suffreth, and remember (as thou art louing and kinde) for whom he suffred. Is not this (O my Lorde) that innocent whom allthough he were thy sonne, thou didst deliuer to redeme & raunsō a seruant? Is not this the author and beginner of life, whiche being led as a sheep to bee killed, & beeing made obediēt to thee, euen vntounto death, was not afraid to take vpō him the moste cruell and sharp kinde of death? Cal to remembraunce (O thou distributor of all helth) that this is he whom (althoughe thou diddest beget him by thy power, yet not withstanding) thou wouldest hauehave to bee made partaker of mine infirmitie and weaknes. Truly this same is thy Godhed whiche did take vpō him my nature, whiche was hanged vppō the gibbet of tourment or cros, whiche in the fleshe whiche he had taken vponupon him, did suffer sorowful punishment. Turn the eyes of thy maiestie (O Lord my God) toward the wurk of thine vnspekeable pitie. Look vpō thy deere sonne, whose whole body is stretched forth. Mark ye harmles and pure hands whiche doo drop and distill down innocent bloud. And I beseeche thee, bee pacified and pardon the wicked dedes whiche my hands hauehave cō mitted. Consider his bare & naked side, being thrust thorow cruelly with a spear, and renue and wash me with the holy fountain or well which I beleeue did flow from thens. Mark the vnspotted feet which hauehave not stand in the way of sinners, but alway hauehave walked in thy law, how thei are perced thorow wt sharp nailes, & make perfect my steps in thy paths, and make me (of thy louing kindnes) to hate all wayes of iniquitie. Remoue from me the way of iniquitie, and make me (of thy mercy) to chuse ye way of truth. I beseeche thee (o king of holy men) by this holy one of all holy ones, & by this my redemer: to make me run the way of thy commaundements, that I may be vnited & knit vntounto him in spirit, whiche did not disdain to be clad in my flesh. Dost thou not look vponupon and mark (o pitifull father) the head of thy moste deerly beloued sōne, a yungmā, how it leaned vpō his shoulder whē he was past the moste precious death? Beholde (o my most gentle creator) the humanitie & gentlenes of thy beloued sonne, and hauehave compassiō vponupon the feblenes of me thy weak & feeble handy wurk. Behold O moste glorious parent) the torne & rent membres of thy most kinde & louing child, & remember gently what substance I am of. Behold the paines of God and man, and release and louse man (which is thy creature) out of miserye and bondage of sin. Behold the punishmēt of him that did redeem and pardon the offence of them that be redemed. This is he (O Lorde) whome thou didst strike for the sinnes of thy people although he be thy welbeloued, in whom was found no gile, & yet neuertheles was he rekened amongest them that were full of iniquitie.
¶ A prayer wherin man confesseth him self to be the cause of Christs passion.
WHat hast thou committed (O Lorde) that thou shouldest be so iudged? What hast thou offeded that thou shouldest be so cru elli handled and ordered? What was thy fault? what was thine offence? what was the cause of thy death? what was thoccasion of thy condemnation? I (Lorde) I am the cause of thy sorow, the fault is in me that thou wast kil led for. I hauehave deserued thy death I committed the offences that were auenged vppon thee. Oh meruelous kinde of iudgment, and vnspekeable disposition or ordering of misteries. The vn iust man offēdeth: and the rightwise is punished. The gilti doth euill and the innocent is beaten. The euill dooth trespas and the good is condemned. That which the euil man deserueth: the same doth the iust suffre. That which the seruāt doth amis the master maketh amends. That which mā trespasseth: God suffereth it. O (thou whiche art ye sone of god) how low did thine humilitie des cend? How greatly did thy charitie (euen as it wer) wax hote & burn towarde vsus. How farr did thy pitie procede? Whither did thy beningnitie, and gentelnes grow & extend? How far did thy louelove stretche? How far came thy cōpassion? for I did wrongfully: and thou wast punished. I cōmit ted the mischeuous dedes: and they were auenged vponupon thee. I did the faut: and thou submitted thy self to the torments. I was proud, and thou wast humble & meeke, I was swelled and pufte vp, thou wast extenuated and ap paired. I was disobediēt, neuertheles thou being obedient, bare the paines and punishments of disobediēce. I obeyed and was, as it were a seruaunt to al exces and glotony, and thou wast punished with scarsitie and lack of food. The tree did draw me violentli vntounto vnlawfull concupiscence & desires, but perfit charitie led thee vntounto punishment. I presumed being forbidden: but thou didst smart therfore. I toke my pleasure, with delicatenes: thou wast vexed with the cros. I abound and hauehave plenty of al pleasures: thou art all to torne with naites. I doo fast the plesaunt sweetnes of the apple: & thou the bitternes of gall. Beholde (O king of glory) mine iniquitie and vngodlines: and thy pitie & goodnes is manifest. Beholde mine vnrightwisnes: and thy iustice is plainly declared. What thing (O my king & my God) shall I rēdre vntounto thee, for all those things which thou hast bestowed vponupon me? for nothing can be found in the hart of man, that may wurthely recompence suche rewardes. Can māns wit excogitate or imagin any thing that is wurthy to bee compared vntounto thy deuine merciemercy▪ Nether is it the office of a creature to go about to recompence fully and iustly the aid and help of a creator. There is truly (O sonne of God in this thy merueilous dispensation and appointments) somewhat in whiche my frailnes may help a litle, if so be that my minde once pricked and stirred by thy visitacion doo punish the flesh, with the vices also and euill concupiscences therof: and this thing, if thou wilt graunt & geue me grace to doo, then shall it begin as it were to suffre and sustein sorowes and greefs, because ytthou also diddest vouchsafe to die for my sin. And so by the victori of the inward man, it shalbe armed (thou beeing a captain) for thexternall & outward victory, forasmuche as (the spiritual persecucion once ouercom) it shal not be afraid, for thy sake to be obedient vntounto the material sword and cros of this world. And so the slēdernes of my state & condition (if it please thy good nes) shalbe able according to the little power therof, to answer vntounto the greatnes & excellencie of my creator. And this is the heauenly medicine (O good Iesu) this is (as it were a preseruatiue of thy louelove. This I beseeche thee, by thine accustomed & ancient mercies, to poure into my wounds, (the foul & filthy matter of the venemous contagion & infectiō once cast away, which may refresh & restore me to my former puritie and clennes, that when I hauehave fasted of the plesāt sweetnes whiche is to abide in thee) it may make me to despise & vtterly set nought by the enticements of this world, and to fear (for thy sake) none aduersities therof, and that I (remembring thine euerlasting nobilitie and excellencie) may alwayes abhor and disdain the troubles of this transitory world. Let no thing (I beseeche thee) be delectable vntounto me, nor plese me wtout thee. Let no precious nor beutiful thing be acceptable vntounto me but thee. Let all thīgs (I beseche thee) be counted as vile, & of no estimatiō vntounto me, without the. That whiche is against thy nature: let it be irksō and greuous also vntounto me, and that whiche pleaseth thee, let it be continually desired of me. Let it irk me to reioice without thee, and let it delite me to be sad for thy sake Let thy name bee an hartning vntounto me, and the remembrance of thee, a consolacion and confort. Let my teares be made vntounto me as bread both day & night, serching thy iustificacions. Let the law of thy mouth bee better vntounto me, thē thousands of gold and siluer. Geue me an ardent desire and louelove to obey thee & an extreme hatred to resist thee. I require thee (O my hope) for all thy pity and goodnesses sake to hauehave mercy vponupon mine impitie & wickednes. Make open mine eares to thy cōmaūdemēts, & let not mine hart be enclined (I beseeche thee by thy holy name) to any euill thing, to be minded as the vngodly or wicked men. I re quire the also by thy merueilous humilitie, that I bee not moued with pride, nor yet with sinners.
☞ Here dooth man declare vntounto God the father, that the Passiō of his sōne, was for his reconciliation and attonement with God.
BEhold (O almighty God, father of my Lorde I beseeche thee of thy beningnitie and gentlenes to hauehave mercy vponupon me, because of ye moste precious thīg that I could finde, the same I hauehave offred deuoutly vntounto thee, the thing of moste estemacion, ytI could imagin, I hauehave presented it humbly vntounto thee. I hauehave left nothyng, but I hauehave declared it to thy maiestie. There is nothing remaining that I may ad more, because I hauehave cōmitted and be taken my whole hope vntounto thee. I hauehave sent vntounto thee my aduocate and spokes man, euen thy well beloued sonne. I hauehave sent thy glorious childe to be a mediator betwix me & thee. I hauehave set (I say) an intercessour by whome I trust to get pardon and forgeuenes of my sinns. I hauehave sent wurd vntounto wurd (that is) God vntounto God, according to that whiche saint Ihon hathe in ye beginning of his gospel, wher he calleth God the wurd, saying in the beginning, was the wurd and the wurd was with God, & God was the wurd. &c. whiche wurd (as I hauehave said) was sent for my misdedes. And I hauehave rehersed vntounto thee the passion of thy moste holy sonne, which passiō I beleue was suffred for me. I beleeue that the godhed which was sent of thee did take vponupon him, mine humanitie & nature, in the whiche he thought not scorn to suffre buffets, bendes, spittings, mocks, yea, he took vponupon him to suffer ye cros, nailes and dart. I beleeue also that his māhod being in this my nature during his infancie was trobled with creeping and scraulings, & was wrapt in clothes after the maner of other childrē, was vexed in his youth, with labours made lene, with waking & fastings, weried with iourneying, afterward whipped & all to torn and rent with diuers kindes of punishments, rekened amongst the dead, and whan it was endued with the glory of resurrectiō, he caried it into the ioyes of heauen, & placed it vponupon the righthād of thy maiestie. (This I say) he is my manhod, wai & meanes of pacifying and appeasing thee and thy way and meanes of hauing mercy vponupon me. Mercifully look vponupon, hear the sōne whiche thou didst beget & the bond seruāt whiche he redemed. Beholde here a creator, and doo not despise a creature. Receiue the shepherd welcomed with a gentle & louing countenance, and mercifully looke vpō the sheep whiche he hathe brought home vppon his owne shoulders. This is that moste faithfull shepherd whiche by mani and diuers labours and trauailes ouer steep hilles and thorow hedlong and deepe valies did serche for his owne sheep that was straide away, whiche also when he had founde it faint and allmoste dead thorow long wanderyng, gat him self vnderunder it with greate reioising, and making it faste vntounto him with a merueilous bonde of charitie, lifted it vp out of the depth of confusion and brought it home to the nintie and nine. Behold (O Lorde) my king and God almighty, beholde a good shepherd, whiche rēdreth to thee, that whiche thou committed to his charge. He tooke vponupon him thorow thine ordinaūce to saue man, whō he hath deliuered vntounto the cleane and pure from all spots thorow the washing in his bloud. Loe thy most deerly beloued sonne hathe reconciled vntounto thee thy hādy wurk, whiche was gon astray far out of the way. Lo a gentle shepherd bringeth again to thy flock, him that the violent pirate & robber had driuen away. He hath brought vntounto thy sight, ye seruaunt whō his owne conscience had made to rū away, that he which by him self had deserued punishmēt, by thy sonne being his sollicitour hath deserued forgeuenes, vntounto whō also for his offences euerlasting fier was due: neuertheles being a souldiour vnderunder suche a captain, he doth hope to be brought home to his owne countrey. I was able (O holy Father) by my self to offēd thee, but I was not able of my self to pacify and appese thee. Thy welbeloued sōne (O my God) was made my helper, by taking vponupon him mine humanitie, to ye intent he might cure mine infirmitie, that wherof the first occasion of thy wrath did spring: of the same, he might offer vp to thee a Sacrifice of praise. And that he might rēdre & make me also well pleasing to to thy goodnes by that thing, in the which he sitting now on thy right hand, did alwayes shew & declare him self to be equal with my substance, & as it wer felow with the same. Lo my hope, behold, in whom is all my trust. If thou despise me (as it wer right) for mine iniquitie: yet look vpō me (at the least wise) mercifully for the charitie of thy beloued sonne. Geue heed to thy sonne, wherby thou maist hauehave mercy vpō thy bond seruant. Look vppon the sacrament of flesh: & pardon the offences of flesh. How oft so euer thou doost remember the woundes of thy blessed sōne: so oft (I beseche thee) let mine in iquities be hid. And because flesh hath stirred thee to angre: let fleshe (I beseech thee) moue thee to mercy, that like as fleshe hath seduced & led me to sin: so fleshe may get & obtein for me remissiō For certainly it is muche ytmine iniquitie hath deserued, but much more is it, that the goodnes of my redemer may euen of right require. Mine vnrightousnes is great, but his righteousnes is bigger. For loke how much god is superior vntounto man: euen so muche is my malice and euil inferior vntounto his goodnes bothe in qualitie and quātitie. For what hauehave I sinned being a man: that the sonne of God beeing made man hath not redeemed? what pride could be in me so exceding hie: but suche humilitie as was in him, shuld bring it downe? what power of deathe was there in me so great, but the punishment whiche the Sonne of God suffred vponupon the cros migght de face it & vtterly destroy it? Truly my God, if the sinnes of sinfull man should be wayed in a iust & equall balance with the louelove & fauor that was in oure redemer toward vsus: the East is not so far distant from the West, nor the innermost parte of the earth so muche separated from the vpper most parte of the heauē: as they should be vnlike, so muche les should mine iniquitie be, then is his goodnes. Now (O moste noble creator of light) now pardē mine offences for the vnmeasurable trauailes and paines that thy beloued sonne did sustein.
Now (I beseeche thee) let his goodnes bee set against my wickednes, his modesty and temperaūce: against mine vngracious frowardnes, and his meeknes against my ferse crueltie. Let his humilitie: recompence my pride, his pacience: mine impacience, his gentlenes: mine vnkinde churlishnes, his obedience: my disobedience, his quyetnes: mine vnquietnes, his plesaūt towardnes: my bitter frowardnes, his sweet facilitie and gentlenes: mine anger and freating fumes, to cōclude let his charitie: make amendes for my hemous and dedetestable crueltie.
Amen.
¶ A deuout Prayer to the holy Ghost.
NOw (O almighty and holy Ghost) whiche art the louelove of the deuine power, the holy participator & partner with the almighty father, and his moste blessed sōne, the moste mercifull comforter of the sorowful, I beseeche thee to slide by thy mighty power into thinward partes of mine hart, that thou dwelling there, maist make glad, and as it were lighten eueryevery dark corner of the neglect and forletten cōtage, wt the bright shining of thy lyght, & that in visiting ye same, yu wouldest ornate & deck with ye plenteousnes of thy dew ye lothsome places therof, whiche be corrupted with filthines. Kin del the preuy wounded partes of the inner man, with thy holsom flames and with pearcing the in ward partes of my soul entrails with the dart of thy louelove. Feed all the inner partes bo the of my minde & body by the illuminating and lightening with ye fire of thy holy & feruent louelove. Geue me to drink of thy most pleasaūt riuer, to thintent I may hauehave no lust to taste any worldly things whiche be mixed with poyson. Geue sentēce with me (o lorde) and defend my cause against the vngodly nation. Teache me to doo thy wil because thou art my God. For I beleue that in whō so euer thou doost dwell: thou buildest an hous in him for the Father also & the Sonne. Blessed is that man that getteth such a gest, because that by thee, ye father and the sōne also will dwel and abide with him. Come now (O moste louing cōforter of my sorowful soule) whiche art a pro tector in all necessities and an help in troubles and aduersities Como purger of sinnes, healer and curer of woūdes. Come the strength of the fraill and feeble, the releeuer and raiser vp of thē that slide. Come the instructer & reacher of the humble and meek, the destroyer and plucker down of the proud and stubbern. Com the good and kinde father of the fatherles, the gētle iudge of widowes. Come thou whiche art a gide vntounto them that ar tossed in the waues of this tempestuous world, like as a bright and notable star is to them that sail on the sea, an hauen vntounto thē that are afraid of shipwrak. Com the wurship & honor of all them that liue, the only health of the dead. Come most holi ghost, come and hauehave mercy on me, make me meete for thee, and mercifully graunt vntounto me according to ye multitud of thy great mercies ytmy basenes may please thy maiestie, and my weaknes thy allmighty power, for Iesu Christe my sauioures sake, which with the fathers and thine vnitie liueth and reigneth worlde without end.
Amen.
☞ A prayer to the holi Trinitie.
WIth all my hart and mouthe doo I confesse, praise & blesse thee, O God the father vnbegot ten, and thee, O God the sonne only begotten, also thee, O holy ghost and comfortour, to thee be glory in the world of worldes.
Amen.
An acknowledging of almighty God and his Maiesty.
O Most high Trinitie one only power and vndeuided Ma iesty, our God; God almighty I the abiect and hin moste of al thy seruaunts, confes and acknowledge thee, and beeing the least mēbre of thy church, I wurship thee wt a due sacrifice of praise, for as much as I am able & can, according to that whiche thou hast vouchsafed to endue me wt al. And for as muche as I am destitute of outward gifts to offer vntounto the. Those vowes of praise whiche I hauehave of the gift of thy mercy: behold, willingly & gladly I offer them to thee, which be an vnfained faith and a pure cō sciece. I beleue therfore with all my hart (O king of heauen) and Lorde of the earth, and with my mouthe doo I confes thee, the father, the sonne and holy ghost, to bee three in persons, and one in substaunce, the true and very God almighty, of one simple, in corporal and inuinsible nature, incomprehensible and of suche a nature as is not in a place, as other natures bee, and that thou hast nothing superiour or aboue thy selfe. or lower, or any thing bigger then thy self. But in all maner of meanes perfect with out all spot of deformitie, & that thou art great without quantitie, good without qualitie, euer lasting without time, life without death, strong without infirmity or wekenes, true without lying, presēt in eueryevery place with out any situatiō or being placed in any place, to be al eueri where wtout place, fulfilling all things without stretchīg forth thy hād: going eueryevery where without any contradiction or gaine saying, passing ouer al thinges without mouing, abiding win all things without ani kinde of proportiō, making al thinges, hauing need of nothing, gouerning al things without labor, geuing all thinges their beginning, hauing no beginning thy selfe. Making all thinges mutable and variable, thy self being without all kinde of mutabilitie, in greatnes with oute measure in power almighty, in goodnes the cheef & best, in wisdome inestimable, in counsels, intentes & purposes: terrible and fearfull. In iudgmentes most vpright & iust, in cogitations & thoughtes most secret, in wurdes true, in wurkes holy, in mercies abundant & plentiful, toward offenders most patiēt, to ward the penitēt and those that be sory for their sinnes most gen tle & louing. Alwayes the same euerlasting and continually cō tinuing immortall, and in commutable impossible to be chaū ged or altered, whom nether the amplitude or largenes of places doth make bigger, nor the short nes or littlenes of places lesser, nor any places or corners, can cō teine or pres together, neyther dooth thy will or intent vary or alter, nor familiaritie or acquaī tance corrupte thee, nor sorowful things trouble or amase the: nor glad thinges make thee plesaunt or frolike (as a man wold say) from thee can forgetfulnes take nothing, nor mindfulnes, or remembraunce geue any thing, nether are things passed vntounto vsus passed also vntounto thee, nor things whiche to vsus are to come, come toward thee, for nether beeginning dooth geue any beginning to thee, nor time any increase, nor yet chaunce geueth thee any end. But before all worldes and in worldes and by worldes into euerlasting, thou doost liue and thou hast continual praise & perpetuall glory, moste hie power & singuler honor, euerlasting king dom and rule and imperie without end, thorow the infinit and vnwery and immortall world of worlds.
¶ After what sorte God the father vouchedsafe to helpe mankind, and of the incarnation of the wurd, whiche is Christe, and of the geuing of thanks.
HItherto (O almighty God the beholder and sercher of mine hart) hauehave I acknowledged thal mightifulnes of thy maiesty, & maiesty of thine almightifulnes. But now, like as with hart I beleue (whiche is counted righteousnes vntounto me) so with mouth doo I confes before thee (whiche is to my saluation) after what sort and maner thou didst vouchsafe in the end of the world, to succour and aid mankinde. Thou (in deed) only (O God the father) art not red at any time, or in any place to be sēt. But of thy sonne: the Apostle writeth. When that ye time was fulfilled: God sent his sonne. In that he saith (he sent) he doth sufficiently declare that he, being sent, came into this world, when as he (being borne a very & perfect man of blessed Mary a pure Uirgin) did apeer and shew him self in ye flesh. But what is that, whiche he that is the cheef of the Euangelists dooth say? He was in the world and the world was made my him. Thither, truely, was he sent by his humanitie, where he allway is and alway hath bene by his diuinitie. The whiche sending or embassage, I beleeue withall my hart and confes with my mouth to be the consent and wurk of al the whole Trinitie. Oh holy & good father, how didst thou louelove vsus? How great fauour didst thou bear toward vsus moste mercifull creator? whiche haste not spared thine owne sonne, but for vsus wretched sinners hast deliuered him. He was obedient vntounto thee vntill death, yea death vponupon a cros, taking ye obligation or hād writing of our sinnes, whiche was his fleshe & fastening it vntounto the cros, he crucified sin and kild death. He a lone, is amongst the dead, free from death, hauing power to put his soule for vsus, & to take it again for vsus. Therfore was he bothe a vanquisher and a sacrifice, and therfore was he an ouercommer, because he was a sacrifice for vsus. He was bothe ye preest & sacrifice, vntounto thee, and therfore was he apreest, because he was a sacrifice. Not without a cause hauehave I great hope in him. Forasmuche as thou wilt make whole all my diseases, for his sake that sitteth on thy right hād and dothe continually make intercession for vsus. For my diseases (O Lorde) are great and many: oh they are many in number & great. For the Prince of this world (as I very well knowe & confes) hath mani things in me. But I beseche thee deliuer me, through our redeemer whiche sitteth on thy righthand, in whō ye said Prince of this world could finde none euill, that was his, of his owne committing. By him doo thou iustify me whome his self did not sin, nether was there any deceit or gile found in hys mouth. By him whiche is oure head, in whom there is not one spot of euill, deliuer me, whiche am one of his members, though I be but a little membre and feble and weake. Deliuer me (I be sech thee) from my sinnes, offences, faults, & ignoraunces. Fulfill me with thy holy vertues & make me to shine in good maners, make me (I besech the) for thy holy names sake, to cōtinue in holi wurks vntill thend, accor ding to thy will and pleasure.
¶ Of the trust whiche a soule ought to hauehave in our Lorde Iesu and in his Passion.
I Might dispaire verely because of my manifolde sinnes & negli gences without nūber, if it were not that thy wurd (O God) was made fleshe, and dwelt amongst vsus. But I can not now dispaire because that seeing (when we were enemies) we were reconciled by the death of thy sonne: how muche more, are we (now reconciled) saued by him. For all the hope and the certitude & sure nes of all my trust, is in his precius blud whiche was shed for vsus & for our saluation. In him doo I take hartening: and trusting in him: I hauehave a desire to come vntounto the, not hauing mine owne righteousnes, but that whiche I hauehave through thy sōne our lorde Iesu Christe. For the whiche (O moste mercifull God and moste gentle louer of mankinde) we geue thee thāks, which through Iesus Christe thy sōne our lord, when we were not, didst mighte ly make vsus, and when we were lost through our sinnes: moste merucilously didst deliuer & recouer vsus again. To thy goodnes (I say) doo I geue thanks, & manifold praises doo I shew for the to the withall my hart & minde, whiche (through the vnspeakable louelove) wherwith thou hast vouchesafed of thy meruelous goodnes to louelove vsus wretches & (vnwurthy to be loued) didst sēd that same thine only begotten sōne from thy bosome vntounto our cōmon weal, to saue vsus sinners whiche were at that time ye children of perdition and damnaciō. I rendre vntounto thee thāks for his holy incarnation and natiuitie and for his blessed mother vponupon whom he did vouchesafe to take fleshe for vsus and for our saluation, to thintent that like as he is very God of God: so he might be very man of man. I geue thee thanks for his passion and cros, for his death and resurrection, for his ascention into heauen & his seat of his maiestie on thy right hand. For he the fortie day after his resurrection, ascending aboue all the heauens (his disciples seeing it) and sitting on thy right hand, did pour out his holy spirite abundantly according to his promis, vppon them whom he had chosen to be his children. I geue thee thāks for that moste sacred sheding foorth of his precious bloud, wherwith we ar re deemed, & also for the moste holy and quickning sacrifice of his body and bloud, whiche daily in thy churche we feed of & drink of, wherwith we are washed & sanctified, and are made partakers of the only high diuinitie. I geue thee thanks for thy merueilous & vnspekeable charitie & louelove wherwith thou didst louelove vsus vnwurthi persones, and didst saue vsus by thine only and be loued sōne, for so thou didst louelove ye world, that thou gauest thine only begotten sonne to thintent that none which beleued in him should perish, but hauehave euerlasting life. This thing truly is euerlasting life, to knowe thee & also Iesus Christe, whom thou sent to be very God, by an vpright faith and wurkes wurthy for faith.
¶ Of thexceding louelove of the euer lasting father toward mankind.
OH vnmesurable pitie and fatherly louelove, oh inestimable charitie, that thou shouldest deliuer thy sonne to suffre death to thintent thou mightest redeem and raunsom a seruaunt. God was made mā, to the intent that man, being lost, might-be plucked out of the powre of deuels. How gētle and kinde a louer of man was thy sōne our God who thought it not enough to humble him self to be made man of the very virgin Mary: but also took vponupon him the paines of the cros in sheding his bloud for vsus and for our saluation. He came a pitifull God, he came for his pitie & goodnesses sake, he came to serche and to saue that which was lost. He sought the straied sheep, he sought and found, and he being a good Lorde and truly a very good & pitifull shepherd, brought him home vpō his shulders vntounto the foldes of the flock. Oh charitie, oh pitie, who hathe heard any suche things? who is not astonied to cōsider the bowels of so great mercy? who wold not meruail? who would not ho nor & wurship thee for thy great charitie wherwith thou louedst vsus? Thou didst send thy sōne into the similitude of fleshe, subiect to sin, that he might condemn sin for sin, that we might be made thy righteousnes in him.
For he was the very lamb with out spot, whiche took away the sinnes of the world, whiche destroyed our death by diyng him self. But what may we render, vntounto thee (our God) for so great benefites of thy mercy? What praises or what thancks? Uerily, if we should hauehave that same knowledg and power that blessed Angels hauehave: yet should we not be able to requite thy so great pitie and goodnes with any thing of valure. No if all our mēbres were turned into tungs to repay vntounto thee due praises: yet were not our slendernes sufficient. There is one thing that excedeth all knowledge, euen thine inestimable charitie, whiche thou didst shew vntounto vsus vnwurthi persons for thy goodnes & pities sake. Thy sonne (O our God) did take vpō him to be the seed of Abraham not of Angels, yea and he was made like vntounto vsus in all things sin onli excepted. He therfore taking mand nature not angels, and glorifying it with the stole of holi resur rection and immortalitie: caried it aboue the he auens and aboue all the melodious companies of Angels, aboue Cherubin & Seraphin, placing it vpō thy right hand. This humain nature doo Angels praise, all the powers of heauen doo tremble, to see a mā, to be God ouer thē. This truly is all my hope, all my trust. And this same humain nature is in Iesu Christe our Lorde, who is the porcion of eueryevery one of vsus, ye flesh & bloud. Therfore whereas my portion reigneth: there doo I beleue to reign. Wheras my fleshe is glorified: there doo I beleue to be glorified. Where my bloude ruleth: there do I per ceiueme to beare rule. Although I be a sinner, yet I doo not mistrust nor dispair of the communion and partaking of fauour. Although my sinnes doo hinder me & in a maner forbid me: neuertheles my substaunce requireth it. And al be it that mine offences doo exclude me: yet the cō manion of our nature dothe not expell me. For God is not so vngentle as to forget man, and not to remembre that thing whiche him self beareth, & that whiche for my sake he took vponupon him, & that which for my sake he requireth. But truely the Lorde our God is lowly and meek, & wunderfull gentle, and loueth his fleshe, his membres and his bow els. In the very same God our lord Iesus Christe, who is moste gentle, louing and mercifull, in whom we are risen from death, (that is to say) from the state of perdition and eternall damnation, & euen now by him we ascend into the heauens, & now sit in the heauēs (in him I say) our flesh loueth vsus. For we hauehave in him, & by him a prerogatiue and as it were a preferment of our bloud. For we are his mēbres & his flesh. And he is oure head, of the whiche dependeth the whole body (as it is written) a bone of my bones & flesh of my flesh & thei shalbe two, in one flesh, & no mā at ani time hateth his owne flesh but rather cherisheth and loueth it. This is a great mistery, I speak in Christe, & in the churche saith the apostle.
Of the double nature of Christ, whiche hath mercy vponupon vsus, and maketh intercession for vsus.
WHerfore with my lips & hart, and with all the might that I may, I rendre thankes vntounto thine infinit mercy. o Lorde our god) for all thy mercy, wherwith merueilously thou vouchsafed to help & succour vsus that were lost, by the same thy sonne our sauior and recouerer, whiche died for our sinnes, & rose again for our iustification, and liuing, without end sitteth on thy right hand and entreateth for vsus, and together with thee, taketh pitie and mercy vpō vsus, because he is God thorow thee (O father) euerlasting and of one substance with thee in all things. Wherby alway he may saue vsus, but for as muche as he is man in whichething he is les and inferiour vntounto thee, all power bothe in heauen and in earth, was geuen vntounto him, that in the name of Iesu eueryevery knee should bow bothe of celestiall, earthly creatures, and also of infernall, that all tūgs may confes that our lorde Iesus Christe is in thy glory (O father almightie He verily was constituted of thee and ordeined to be aiudge of the quick and dead, for thou truly iudgest no man, but all thy iudgement hast geuen to thy sonne, in whose brest all trea sures of wisedom & knowledge are hid. He truly is bothe a witnes and a iudge, a iudge & a wit nes, whom no sinfull conscience can flee or auoid for al things be thei neuer so secret, are open and euen naked and vncouered vntounto him. He verely whiche was vnrighteously iudged himself: shall iudge the whole world in equitie, and the people in rightousnes, and according to iustice. Therfore doo I bles thy name e uerlasting and glorify the same with all my hart (O almighty & mercifull Lorde) for ytvnspeakable and merueilous coniuntiō of godhed and manhod together in the vnitie of a person, & not after this sort, yt thone should be God, and thother man: but one and the same was bothe God & man, man and God. Neuertheles although by thy merueilous will, the wurd was made fleshe, yet nether of bothe the natures was chaunged into others substaunce. In the mistery of ye Trinitie, there is not afourth persō added. For the substaunce of the wurd of god and of man was vnited and knit together, but not cōfused & mixed, that that thing whiche was taken of vsus: should be turned into god, & that which neuer had ben before that time, that is his flesh & manhod shuld be the same that had ben euer without any beginning, that is, his godhed. Oh meruellous mistery. Oh vnspeakeable felowship. Oh merueilous meeknes of the heauenli mercifulnes, which is euer wurthy merueiling and euer to be loued. We were but vile seruants & beholde we are made the sōnes of god. Yea, and heires of god together wt christe. From whence came this goodnes? and who broughte vsus vntounto this state? But I require the (O moste mercifull father (by thine inestimable pitie, goodnes & charitie: to make vsus wurthy of these many and great promisses of the same, thy Sonne our Lord Iesu Christe. Send forth thy strength (O God) and establish the thing that thou hast wrought in vsus.
Make perfect that whiche thou hast begun, that we may be able to come vntounto the fulnes and per fectnes of thy pity. Make vsus tho row the holy ghost to vnderstād and thorow thy sōne to deserue, and with due honor allway to wurship this great mistery of thy pitie, whiche is manifest in our fleshe. Iustified in the spirit, did appeere vntounto Angels, was preched vntounto nations, was bele ued to be in the world, was takē vp into heauen.
Amen.
¶ Of the thankes whiche man ought to geue vntounto God for the benefite of his redemption.
LOok how muche (O Lorde our God) we are in det vntounto thee euē for so great a price wer we redeemed, with suche a great gift were we saued, and with so great abenefit helped. How muche ought we wretches to louelove, dread, bles, praise, honoure and glorify thee whiche hast so loued vsus, after suche facion saued vsus, after suche a sorte sanctified vsus, so set vsus on high. To the truly doo we owe, & are bound, in as muche as we are able, euē our life and all our study or endeuour. But who hath ani thing that is not thine? But doo thou (O Lorde our God) from whom all goodnes procedeth, euen for thy holy names sake) geue vsus of thy goodnes, that we may serue thee of thine owne goods and gifts & that we may please thee in truthe, & repay vntounto the daily due praises for so great benefites of thy mercy. For by none other meanes can we serue or please thee, but by thine owne gifts, ytthou hast lent vsus, while we be in this world. For eueryevery good gift and eueryevery perfect gift is from aboue, & commeth down from the father of light, with whō there is none alteration or variablenes neither yet is he changed vn to darknes. O Lorde our God, & a pitifull God, a good God, and almighty God, an vnspekeable God, and incomprehensible, of suche a nature that can not be cō teined as in a place, o god which art the beginner of all things & the father of our Lorde Iesus Christe, whiche diddest send the same thy beloued sōne our lorde, foorth of thy bosome to oure cō mon profite, to take vponupon him our life, to thintent he might geue vsus his life, & that he might be perfect and very God of thee his father, and very and perfect man of his mother, a whole and a perfect God, and a whole and perfect man: and yet but one on ly Christe, bothe euerlasting: & enduring but for a space, bothe immortall and mortall, bothe a creator: and a creature, strong: & weke, an ouercommer: and one ouercomed, a nurs: and one that was nurced him self, a shepherd: and a sheep, dead for a time: and liuing with the euerlasting, pro mising to them that loued him the fredom of life. Who said to his disciples, what thing so euer ye ask the father in my name: he will geue it vntounto you. For that hie Priestes sake, whiche was al so a bishop in deed, & a god shepherd, that offred him self in a sacrifice to thee, putting his life in ieoperdi for his flock: for his sake I say (I beseche thee) whiche sitteth on thy right hand & maketh intercession for vsus, being our redemer & our aduocate, that thou woldest graunt vntounto me that to gether with thy sonne & the holy ghost I may in al things bles and glorify thee with muche cō triciō of hart, and a fountain of teares, with muche reuerence & fear: For the gift of them that be all of one substaunce: is all one. But because abody that is corrupted doth aggrauate & burden the soule: stir vp and awake I be seche thee) my sluggishnes, with thy pricks and prouokings, and make me boldly to perseuer and continue in thy commaundements and lawes day and night Graunt me that my hart may waxe warme within me, and that in my meditation and praier I may be feruent. And for as muche as thy only sonne said.
No man can come to me except my Father that sent me, shall draw him: & again no man cometh to the father but by me, I re quire and humbly beseche thee, draw me alwaies vntounto him, that he at the lēgth may bring me to thee: thether (I mean) wheras he is sitting on thyrighthand, wher as is euerlastīg life, and continu al blessednes, whereas is perfect louelove, without all kinde of fear, where as is one day euerlasting, and one spirit of all men, where as is moste sure securitie & safty, secure quietnes, and quiet plesantnes, pleasaunt felicitie and happines, happy eternitie, continuall and eternall seeing and praising of thee without ende, where as thou with him, and he with thee in the communiō and vnitie of the holy ghost euerlastingly and continually liuest & reignest thorow out all worldes of worldes.
Amen.
¶ A deuout prayer vntounto Christe
O Christe and God, whiche art my hope, and the true & gentle louer of mankinde, the light, the way, the life, the health, the honor and wurship of them that be thine: I beseche thee call to thy remembraunce all things that thou willingly didst suffre for thē, bothe bōds, cros, woūds, death and sepulchre, whiche after thre dayes, death being ouer comed, didst rise, wast seen of thi Disciples, reforming their harts and establishing them that were almoste enclining from thee: the forty day after didst ascend vp to heauen, which liuest euerlasting ly now, and raignest thorow out worldes, thou art my God bothe liuing and true, my father, & my God bothe holy and pitifull, my mighty king, my good shepherd, mine only Master, my best helper, one, whō I am moste bound to louelove, my liuing bread, mine euerlasting preest, my guide vntounto my conntrey, my true light, my holy sweetnes, my right & streight way. Mine excellent wisdō, my pure and vnfained simplicitie, my peasible cōcorde, my safe garrison, my good portiō, mine euerlasting helth, my great mercy, my strōgest patiēce, mine vnspotted sacrifice, my holy redēption, my sure & stedfast hope, my perfit charitie, my very and true resurrection, mine euerlasting life, my ioy and moste blessed vision, & continuall without ende: I humbly beseche thee, I desire and pray thee, that I may walk by thee, that I may come to the, that I may rest in thee, whiche art the way, the truthe & the life without the whiche no man can come vntounto the father. Thee doo I desire & couet (O good Lorde) whiche art the brightnes of thy fathers glori, which sittest aboue the Angell called Cherubin, and doost beholde, the lowe and deep places, whiche art the true light the light ye lightneth all things, the light that neuer faileth nor goeth out, whiche the Angels hauehave desire to beholde. Loe my hart is before thee in thy sight, put away the darknes from it, that it may fully be replenished with the clearnes of thy louelove.
Geue vntounto me Lorde thy self, beholde I doo louelove thee, & if that be but a thing of small valure: make me to louelove the more strōgly and earnestly. I can not mesure to know how muche I lack of thy louelove, nether cā I tell, how muche shoulde be sufficient for me, that my life may fulfill his course in thy louelove, and not turn back vntil it be hid in the secrets of thy coūtenance. Neuertheles, this I knowe that it were euell with me, if it were not for thee (O Lorde) and that not only we thoutward things that belong vntounto me, but also with the inward things. For all my riches (God except) is but meere pouer tie: but thou only art a tresure & a parcell of riches that canst nether be chaūged into better nor wurs. Thou art he, to whom it is not one thing to liue, and an other thing to liue happely, because thou art thy blessednes, thi happines, and thou art all one.
But I whiche am thy creature, to whom it is not one thing to liue, and an other to liue blessedly and happily: all, bothe in that I liue, and in that I liue happely, I ought not to at tribute nor refer it to be receiued of any body, but of thy fauour. And therfore hauehave we need of thee but not yu of vsus, because if we were not at al, yet shouldest thou lack nothing of thy goodnes. Therfore (O lorde) it is necessary for vsus to stick and cleaue vntounto thee, that by thy continuall help we may be able to liue holily, vertuously, and as we ought to liue For with ye waight of our frailnes we are drawn euer downward, but by thy gift we are stir red & caried vpward: we feruent ly desire to ascend, we make certain ascensions in our harts, lifting thē vpward, & sing ye sōgs of stars, we ye fire of thy louelove (I say) are we kindled & moued to go we thee. Whether go we now vpward, vntounto ye peace of Ierusalē? because I was glad & did reioice in those things whice were spoken vntounto me: we wil go into the hous of our Lorde: there hath he placed vsus, we will hauehave good things, ytwe may wil or dsire no thing els, but to tari and remain ther for euer. But for as much as whiles we be clad with this bo, dy, we do as it were go a stray & are straungers vntounto thee: we hauehave not heer an abiding place for euer but we seek for one yt is to come. Our abiding place is in heauen. Therfore thy fauor and grace being my guide, I enter in to the chamber of my hart, and sing vntounto thee songs of louelove (my king & my God) mourning with merueilous sighīgs in this place of my peregrinatiō, wheras thy iustices are made my songs. And when I remember Ierusalem, I extend and stretch forth toward it the sences of my hart: Ierusalem (I say whiche is my coūtrey Ierusalem which is my mother: and toward thee whiche art a king ouer her, her light, her father, her defender, her patrone, her gouernour, her keeper, her chaste and strong delite, her only and whole pleasure, & all her goodnes comes of thee, because thou art ye cheef good & the true good, & I will neuer turn back, vntil thou bring me home from this Pilgrimage (in whiche I am deformedlt scattered abrode) vntounto the peace of my deerely beloued mother, wheras be ye first frutes of my spirite, and vntill thou (O God which art my mer cy) fashiō me and confirm me for euer
¶ A prayer declaring with how great miseries this life is replenished.
I Am wunderfull wery (O lord) of this life and of this careful & painfull pilgrimage. This life is a wretched life, a life that will soon fade awai, an vncertain life a painfull life, an vnclean life, a life that wurthely may be called the maistres of all euils, ye queen of pride, full of miseries and errours whiche is not wurthy to be called a life, but rather a death, in the whiche euerihoure, we die by diuers defects & failings of nature, by mutabilities, alteratiōs & diuers kindes of deaths. How can we therfore, call this that we liue in this world, a life whiche is puffed vp and swollen often with humours, made lene and feble with sorowes, dried with angres and hot hasty furies of the minde, the air filleth it full of diseases, metes doo infect it, fasting doo extenuat and make it lean, pastimes maketh it to dissolute and rechles, pensiuenes doth consume and waste it, trouble and vexation dooth shorten and lessen it, securitie and to much ease: maketh it dul and nothing lusty, riches setteth it a flote and puffeth it vp into pride, pouertie dismayeth and discourageth it, youth dooth extoll it, age lameth it. Infirmitie breaketh it, sorow oppresseth it. And immediatly after these euils as though it were by succession, commeth death, and maketh an end of all ye ioyes of this miserable life, after suche a sorte that a man wold not think (whē he leaueth this life) to hauehave liued at all. This liuing death, & dying life, although it be sprinkled and mixt with these and other so rows & miseries: yet (Oh good Lorde) how many men dooth it catche and entangle with her en tising snares? & how many dothe she deceiue with her deceitfull & fals promises? And for all that she of her self is so fals & bitter, that her blinde louers can not be kept long secret nor close vnknown: yet doth she daily cause an infinite numbre of fooles to drink of the golden cup, whiche she beareth in her hand, yea and maketh them vtterly drunken with the louelove of her. Happy are they, but very few of them is there that refuse her acquaintance and familiaritie or that dispise to vse her ioyes, or that neglect her frendship and felowship, least when theyr deceiuer perisheth, that they should perish also.
¶ Of the blessednes of that life whiche God hath prepared for them that louelove him.
BUt thou heauenly life, thou art she whom God hath ordeined & prepared for them that louelove him, thou art the heauenly life, the blessed life, the sure life, the quyet life, the fair life, the clean life, the chastelife, the holy life, the life that knowest no death, knowest no sadnes or pen siuens, a life without spot, with out dolor, without vexatiō, with out corruption, without trouble without varietie or mutabilitie, a life moste full of plesure & dignitie, wher as is none aduersary to striue against a man, no intice ments of sinnes, where as is per fect louelove without all maner of feare, wher as is day continually an done spirit of all men.
Wheras God is seen face to face and the minde is fed with this meat of life without end, I hauehave a very good minde and desire to mark and geue heed to thy clear nes, with thy goods, the desire and appetite of my hart is delited. Look how muche I am able to considre with my self, in musing and thinking of thy com modities: euen somuche am I rauished and rapt with thy louelove with the ardaunt desire of thee, and with the sweet and comfortable remēbrace of thee, am I wunderfully delited. I hauehave a plesure therfore, surely to lift vp the eyes of my hart vntounto thee, to erect the state of my minde, and conform or fashion the affects of my minde vntounto thee: It pleaseth me to talke of thee, to hear of thee, to write of thee, to confer & meditate of thee, to rede eueryevery day of thy blessednes and glory, and to muse often times in my minde of the things I hauehave red concerning thee, that at the least by suche meanes, I being vnderunder the sweet refreshing and comfor ting of thy liuely air, may pas from the vexations, ieoperdies, labours, & traueils of this mortall life that will soon perish, & ytin passing I may lay my weary head in thy bosom to slepe or to rest a little, for this cause doo I enter into the plesaūt medow of the holy scriptures, & in plow ing, I pluck the goodliest green herbes of sentences, and in reading I doo eat them, and in frequenting I doo meditate, and as it were cud them, and in gathering them together, at the last I lay them vp in my memory, that by suche meanes when I hauehave tasted of thy sweetnes, I may sumwhat les feel the bitternes of this moste wretched life. O thou moste happy life, oh kingdom whiche art blessed in deed, whiche lackest death, whiche art without ende, no time doth successifly pas at any time to thee. Wheras continual day without night knoweth no time, wheras that capitain and conquerour is accōpanied with those queres of angels, singing of himnes & songs, they sing vntounto God with out ceassing, the balet of Balets of Sion. Oh moste noble head which art compassed about with a perpetuall crown, oh that par dō and forgeuenes of my sinnes were graunted vntounto me, and thē immediatly, this burden of my flesh laid awai, that I might enter into thy ioyes to hauehave true rest, and that I might get within the goodly & beutifull walles of thy citie to receiue a crown of life at the hand of our Lord, that I might be amongst those moste holy queres, that I might stand with the moste blessed Spirites of the creator of glory, that I might see presently the countenaunce of Christe, that I might behold alwaies ye moste his & vnspekeable light, incōprehensible which cā not be cōteined as in a place. And so I should not onli be out of al feare of death: but also I might reioyse alwayes at the gifte of euerlastyng incorruption.
Amen.
¶ Heare doo wee complain that we be not moued nor pricked in our contem plation and prayer like as the angels be which tremble at the sight of God.
PArdon me (O Lorde) pardon me, mercifully forgeue me & hauehave mercyvpō me, spare mine ignoraunce and my great vnper fectnes, doo not reproue me as a rash felow, because I dare be so bolde which am but thy seruaūt but would to God I were ether a good seruaunt, or none vnprofitable nor euill seruaunte. And therfore am I an euill man because I prayse, blesse & wurship thee which art our God almighty, terrible and very much to be feared, I wurship thee (I saye) without contricion of hart and without a well of teares. For if so be that the angels when they wurship and praise thee, doo trē ble being fulfilled with marueilous gladnes: I whiche am a sin ner, whiles I stande before thee saying praises and offeringe sacrifice, why am I not afraid in my harte? why am I not pale in my countenaunce? why doo not my lippes quake and tremble? why is not all my body afraide? and why doo I not mourne and bewaile before thee after suche▪ a sorte that teares might springe out of mine eyes: I wolde fayne but I am not able, because I can not doo that whiche I desire to doo. This maketh me truly, wō derfully to maruell, that I am no more moued when I see with the eyes of my faith, thee which art so fearfull But who can doo any thing without the helpe of thy Grace? Except thou make our stony hartes to relent: we of oure selfs ar not able to mollifie them, but all our healthe dependeth vponupon thy great mercye. O wretche that I am, how is my soule made without any feeling or perseueraunce? that it is not afrayde with ouer muche feare whiles it standeth before God & sīgeth to him his owne praises? Alas how is my hart so hardned, that myn eyes doo not gush out great fluddes of teares without ceassing, when I whiche am but a seruaunte or bondman, doo cō mon and talke in my Lorde and masters presēce? Yea a mā, with God, a creature with a creatour. I that am made of the slime of the earthe, doo speake with him that made al things of nothing? Put me before thee▪ (O Lorde) and what so euer I perceyue of my self in the secrets of my hart, I doo not keep it close from thy brotherly eares. Thou art riche in mercy & liberall in rewards, geue mè of thy goods, that with them I may serue the. For with nothīg els cā we serue or please thee, but with thin owne giftes whiche thou hast vouchsaued to bestow vponupon vsus. Fasten I beseche thee thy feare in myfleshe. Let my hart reioice and be glad to feare thy name. Would God my sinfull soule feared thee so muche, as that holy man the whiche saide, I alwayes: feared God as though it were greate swellīg fluddes should come and tumble vponupon me. O God the geuer of all good thinges, geue me emongst thy praises, a well of teares, with the purenes of hart and reioising of mind, that I loving thee perfetly and wurthily praising thee may feel, taste and sauour, in the palace of myhart, how swet and pleasaūt thou art (O Lorde) as it is written. Doo ye tast and see how sweet & delectable the Lorde is. Blessed is the man that putteth his trustin him. Blessed is yt people whiche knoweth glad and ioifull praising. Blessed is the man whose stregth is in thee, in whose hart ar thy wayes, which going thorow the vale of misery, vse it for a well. Blessed ar the cleane in hart because they shall see God. Blessed are thay that dwell in the house of the Lorde, they shal praise thee worlde without end.
¶ A veri deuoute prayer for the geuing of thankes.
O Lorde Christe which art the wurd of the father, whiche came into this world to saue sin ners. I beseche thee by the most louing bowels of thy mercy, to amend & repaire my lyfe, make better my dedes, take thou thorderyng of my maners, take from me that whiche noyeth and hurteth me, and displeaseth the: and geue me that which thou knowest will please thee & proffit me. Who can make clean yt which is cōceiued of an vncleane sead but thou alone? Thou art the god almighty, of infinite pietie, which dost iustifie and make righteous euen those that were wicked mē and raisest again to life thē that were dead in sin, thou chaungest sinners and they are no sinners. Take away therfore from me, what so euer is in me that pleaseth not thee, for thine eyes doo see muche vnperfectnes in me. Lay thy hand I besech the of thy pitie on me, & whatsoeuer offendeth ye eyes of thy pitie, remoue it from me. In thy sight is bothe my health and my disease.
The one I beseche thee to preserue the other to cure: doo thou heale me (O Lorde) and I shal be healed: doo thou make me safe & I shal be saued. Thou I meane which dost make hole them that be diseased, & dost preserue them that be cured, which onelyonly with a beck dost restore and repaire thinges that be decayed & fallen into ruī. For if thou wilt vouch safe to sow any good seed in the feld of my hart, of necessitie thou must pluck vp first with the hād of thy pitie, the thornes a fvices whiche be in it. Put in my harte I beseche thee, so great plentie of delectacion in the, that I may desire no earthly or carnal thing nor yet thīk vponupon them, but that I may louelove thee alone, yt I may hauehave thee only in my hart and in my mouth. Write with thy fingar in my brest, the delectable re membraunce of thy sweet name & soo that it may be blotted oute with no forgetfullnes. Write thy wil in ye tables of mine hart, and also thy iustifications, that I may alwayes & in eueryevery place hauehave thee (O Lorde) before min eyes in my sight. Enflame my mind with that fire, which thou diddest send into the earth, and willedst it to be kindled, that I might offre vntounto the daily with teares, a sacrifice of a troubled spirit and a repentaunt hart. O swete Christ, O good Iesu, euē according vntounto my desire and euen as I hartely require thee with my whole minde, geue me thy holy and chast louelove, whiche may replenish and kepe me & also fully posses me. Geue me an euident signe and token of thy louelove, a flowing well of teares whiche will cōtinually run, that those teares may somwhat testifie thy louelove in me, yt they may shew forth, that thei may declare how much my soule loueth thee, whiles for the great delectacion it hath in ye swetnes of thy louelove: it may not refreine from teares. I call to my remembraunce fom times good lorde, that vertuous womā Ann, which came to ye tabernacle to pray ye thou woldest send her a sonne, of whō the scrip ture maketh mencion yther coū tenaunce (after her teares and prayers) was not again chaunged or altered. But whē I think apon so great vertue, cōstance & stedfastnes: I am vexed with sorow and cōfounded with shame, because I a wretchedoo perceiue my self to be fallen ouer muche from thee. For if a woman did weep after suche a sorte and continued so in weeping, which did serche for nothing els but a sonne: how ought my soule to mourne and to persist and abide in weping, that seeketh & loueth God, and hathe a desire to cum vntounto him? how ought suche a soule to mourne & weep, whiche seeketh God day & night, which will louelove nothing but Christ?
My teares now truly should be made vntounto me, meat day & night Looke vppō me therfore (o lord) and take pitie on me because the dolours and sorowes of my hart are many in numbre. Geue me thy heauenly consolation & doo not despise nor cast away a sinfull soule for the whiche thou didst die. Geue me inward teares I beseche thee from the botome of min hart, which may wash away the spottes of my sinnes.
Replenish my soule alwayes wt heauenli delectacion and heauely mirth, yt I may obteine some litle porcion or part in thy kingdome, although not emongst the perfect men whose stepes I cannot folow: yet at the least wise emongst the inferiour sorie. The marueilous deuotiō of an other woman cumeth now vntounto my minde, whiche with a vertuous louelove did seek thee lying in the sepulchre, whiche when thy discipies went away and departed from thee, did remain with thee her self, whiche sat there sad and sorowfull weping long and very muche, and when she did arise she serched with a diligent eye and with many teares the corners of the sepulchre whiche was left emptie, if the might espie thee out in any place, whom she with a feruent desire sought. Yea and more ouer she went again and again to the sepulchre, but that was not ynough vntounto her, nether did it satisfie her desire. For ye grace of a good wurk is to perseuer and continue in the same. And because she did louelove more then other, and that in louing she wept and in weping she serched, & in searching she continued, therfore was it thy pleasure that she should first finde thee, see thee, and talke with thee before all other.
And not only this, but also she was a tidinges berer of thy glorious resurreccion vntounto thy disciples, when thou didst commaund her and bid her, goo and tell my brethern that they goo vntounto Galile, there they shall see me. &c. Seyng therfore that a woman did weep after suche a sorte and continued in weeping, whiche did seeke him that was aliue among the dead: whiche touched thee wt the hand of her faith: how ought a soule to mourne and to cōtinue in mourning, which beleueth in the, and with his mouth dooth acknowlege thee to be his redemer that sittest now in heauen & reignest eueryevery where? How muche therfore ought such a soule to mourn & wepe, which loueth thee with all his hart, and with his whole desire doth couet to see thee? Oh onelyonly refuge, the only hope of wretches, vntounto whom no man nedeth at any time to pray with out hope of mercy, graunt vntounto me this grace for thy sake, and for thy holy names sake, that as oft as I think vponupon thee as oft as I speake of thee, write of the, rede of thee, cōfer of thee, as oft as euer I remembre thee, stand before thee, offre vp prayses, prayers and sacrifice vntounto thee: so oft I may wepe aboundauntly with teares in thy sight, so yt my teares may be to me in stead of bread day and night. Thou tru ly king of Glory and master of all vertu, hast taught vsus with thy wurd and with thin exsample to mourne and wepe, wher as thou saist. Blessed be they ytmourne, for they shalbe conforted. Thou didst weep for thy frende that was dead, and didst let teares fall downe plenteously for the citie whiche shulde perish. I beseche thee (O good Iesu) by those most precious teares and by all thy mercies and pieties, wherwith thou didst vouch safe meruelously to helpe & succour vsus that were lost: geue me the grace to weep and to be earnestli repentaunt for my sinnes, whiche grace my soule desireth and coueteth very muche, and except it cum of thy gift: I can not hauehave it, but by the holy ghost whiche dooth mollify the hard harts of sinners, and prouoketh them to weping.
Geue me the grace of teares, like as thou gauest to our forfathers, whose exāples we ought to follow, that I may bewayle my self in all my life, like as thei did bewaile them selues day and night. Geue me the dew of thy grace from aboue, and also a dew of teares benethe, that my teares may be vntounto me in stead of bread day and night: and that I may be made in thy sight (O Lorde my God) by the fier of thy prouocation, a fat and acceptable sacrifice. Make me to be mor tified & killed vpō thaltar of min hart, & that I may be receiued of thee as a fat and a swete smel ling sacrifice. Geue vntounto me (O good Lorde) a plentefull flowing and cleare well of teares, in the whiche I may wash continu ally this foule and spotted sacrifice. For although I hauehave offred vp my selfe, wholy vntounto thee, by the help of thy grace. Yet neuertheles in many thinges I offend thee dailly, because of my great fragilitie and weaknesse. Eeue me therfore the grace of teares (O blessed God) and most especially thorow the great swetnes of thy louelove & the remembraunce of thy mercies, prepare this table for thy seruaunt in thy sight, and geue me power that as oft as I list I may be satisfied of it. Graunt vntounto me for thy goodnes and pitie, that this thy cup replenished and filled full, may satisfie my thirst, that my spirit may couet thee, & that my mind may burne in thy louelove, forgetting all vanitie and misery.
Heare (my God) heare, thou that art the sturrer vp, and quickner of my dull eares, heare what I desire & aske: and geue me grace to ask that which thou hearest.
O pitifull Lorde, which art wōt to be easyly entreated, be not hard to be entreated of me because of my sinnes, but for thy goodnes receiue the prayers of thy seruaunt: and graunt me theffect of my peticion & desire.
¶ In this prayer mans minde is very muche and plenteously stirred & moued, if it be said in quietnes.
O Lord Iesu, o gentle and louīg Iesu, o good Iesu which didst vouchsafe to dye for oure sinnes, & didst rise again for our iustificacion, I beseche thee by thy glorious resurrectiō, to raise me vp oute of the sepulchre of vices and all my sinnes, & geue me dayly parte in thy first resurreccion to thintēt I may receiue some part in the latter resurreccion. O most mighty king which didst ascend into heauē, with the triumphe of thy glory, and sittest on the right hand of thy father, draw me vpward towards thee, that I may run after thee in the swete sauour of thine anoyntments. Let me run & not faint when thou drawest me and leadest me running: draw the mouth of the soule that thirsteth after thee, vntounto the high fluddes and streames of thine eternall a bundaunce & sacietie, yea draw me holly vntounto thy self which art the liuing well, to thintent I may according to my capacitie, drinck of that wherupon I doo liue.
O my God my life, thou didst say wt thy holy & blessed mouth, If any man thirst, let him cum vntounto me and drincke. O well of life, graūt vntounto my thirstie soule alway to drink of thee, that according to thy holy and true pro mise, waters of life mai flow out of my belly. O well of life replenish and fill my minde full of the riuer of thy pleasure. Make my hart to be drunken as it were in thy louelove, that after the maner of the that be drunken with wine, whiche forget all thinges saue ye cup: so I may forget al vain and earthly things, and continually hauehave nothing els in my remembraūce but the only, according as it is written, I remembred God and was delited. Geue me the holy Ghost whom those waters did signifie, whiche yu didst promise to geue to thē that thirsted after thee. Graunt I beseche thee) that I may assay to goo wt my hole desire and all my study toward yt place vntounto the whiche, we beleue thon didst ascend the forty day after thy resurreccion, that in this presēt misery I may be onelyonly in body: but in thought and desire, alwayes with thee: ytmy hart may be there where as thou art whiche art my treasure wurthy to be coueted, and much to be loued, wherwith no treasure is wurthy to be compared. In this greate flud of this life, where as wee are tossed with stormes on eueryevery side, there is no stedfast standing or place high inough aboue the waters, no not for the foote of a doue to rest vponupon in this (I say) there is no safe or quiet peace: nowhere any sure rest: eueryevery wher battail and strife: eueryevery where enemies and fightings without dores, & feare at home within dores. And for asmuch as the one part of vsus is heauenly, and the other earthly: our bodi whiche is corrupted, doth loden and is burdenous vn to the soule. Therfore my mind whiche is my felow and frend, being weri with wādering forth of the way, is sick and lieth all to torne andrent of those things whiche it hathe passed by. It hongreth and thirsteth greatly after vanities, & I hauehave nothing to set afore it, because I am poor and a begger. Thou (O Lorde) my God, art riche in all good thinges, and the most plenteous geuer of the dainties of heauenly sacietie: geue meat vntounto the wery, not suche as it lusteth after, but suche as is conuenient for it: gather together the disper sed: renew and refresh the corne, Loo he standeth at the dore and knocketh. I beseche thee by the bowels of thy mercy, wherwith thou being the day spring from an high hast visited vsus, open the hande of thy pitie to a wretche that knocketh, & vouchsafe mercifully to bid him entre in to the, and that he may rest with thee, & be refreshed of thee, whiche art the liuing and heanenly breade, wherwith when he is once fed, and that his strength is cummed to him again: he may ascend vntounto more high thinges. And being lifted vp out of this vale of misery & teares, with the wings of his godly desire, he may flye vntounto the heauenly kingdome.
Let my spirit (O Lord I beseche thee) take winges as an Egle, & fly without fainting, let it flye and come to beautifulnes of thy house and to the place where thy glory dwelleth, wher as vponupon ye meat tables of thy supernal citizens, it may be fed of thy secrets, in the place of thy pasture, by the most plentifull riuers sides. Let my hart rest in thee my God, my hart I say, whiche is as thoughe it were a great sea swellīg with waues. Thou which didst rebuke the winds and the sea, and there was made streight way a great calme: cum and walke vponupon the fluddes of min hart, yt all things whiche belonge vntounto me may be made calme & clere, that I may embrace thee whiche art mine onli God, and that I may behold thee whiche art the swete light of mine eyes, without any blind darknes of troublesom cogitacions & thoughtes. Let my minde flie (O Lorde) vndre the shadow of thy wings from heat that it being couered with the tamperatnes of thy pleasaunt colenes, may sing ioifully and say. I will lay me doune and rest in peace.
Let my memory sleep (O my God I beseeche thee) from all euils, make it to hate iniquitie & to louelove righteousnes. For what cā be better or more delectable, then in the middest of the darknes of this life, and emongst the manifold and bitter miseries of the same, to desire feruentli hea uenly swetenes? to couet euerlasting blessednes? a mans mind to be holde euer there, where as he may be moste sure to hauehave infallible and true ioyes. O Lorde whiche for thy louing kindnes art moste wurthy to be desired and coueted of al thinges: when shall I see thee? When shall I appeare before thy face? when shall I be satisfied of thy glory? when wilt thou bring me forthe of this darke prison, that I may confesse thy name, so that afterward I be no more pricked? whē shall I passe & goo to that marueilous and beautifull house of thine, wheras the voice of gladnes and reioising doth sound in the tabernacles of iust men?
Blessed are they that dwell in thy house (O Lorde) they shall praise thee euer worlde without ende. Blessed ar they, yea blessed in dede, whom thou hast chosen, and taken into that heauenly in heritaunce. Behold (O Lord thy sainctes florish before thee like vntounto lilies, for they are replenished with the plēteousnes of thy house, and thou doost geue them to drink of the flowing riuer of thy pleasure, because thou art ye well of life, and in thy light and brightnes they doo see light, soo greatly that they them selues, whiche are a light, whiche was made bright by the, o god which doost geue them light, doo shine like vntounto the sonne in thy sight. O how marueilous how faire & beautifull, how acceptable are thy mancions & dwelling places of thy house, O Lord of powers. My sinfull soule doth couit to en tre into them. O Lorde I hauehave loued the comlynes of thy house and the place where thy glory dwelleth I asked one peticion of the Lorde, and the same will I require: that I may dwell in the house of the Lorde all the dayes of my life. Like as the hart coueteth to goo vntounto ye water brooks euen so dooth my soule desire to come vntounto thee. O God. When shall I come and appeare before the face of my Lord? When shal I see God after whom my soule longeth very sore? whē shal I see him in the land of ye liuing? For in this land of the dead, he can not be seen we mortal eies: what shal I doo wretch yt I am, which am fettred wt the heaui giues of mortalitie? What shall I doo? whiles we cōtinue in this body, we go astray frō ye lordé, we hauehave here no abidīg place for euer but we labour for one yt is to come. Our free citie is in heauē. Wo is me, me think I dwel emongst ye barbarous nations & infidels, & not emongst the faithfull Israelites, I led my life in ye tentes of Cedar. My soule hath dwelt too long with them that hate peace and quietnes. Who will geue me wings as a doue that I may flye & rest me. There is nothing that I desire or delite so muche in, as to be in my Lords cōpany, it is good for me to cleaue vntounto God. Oh graunt me, (O lorde) whiles I am in this fratle membres, to stick vntounto thee, as it is written, he that cleaueth vntounto the Lorde is all one spirit with him. Geue me therfore I beseche thee, the winges of contempla cion, wherwith when I am appareled, I may flye vpward, and for asmuche as eueryevery vnlucky & infortunate thing lyeth beneth: doo thou, O Lorde, holde vp my minde, lest it fall headlong, into the lowest botomes of the dark valley, and lest the shadow of the earth shulde come betwene and seperate it from thee, that art the bright sonne of rightwisnes: & lest it, once hid with the cloudes of darknes: should not hauehave libertie, but be letted to looke for heauēli thinges which be aboue. Therfore I doo assay to goo vpward vntounto the ioyes of quietnes and peace, and vntounto the delectable and pleasaunt state of light. O hold my hart with thy hand, because it can not be draw en vntounto high things withoute thee. Thither doo I make haste where as moste cheef and principall peace reigneth and continu all quietnes shineth forth. Hold and gouern my spirit, and take it according to thy will, that thou beīg a guide vntounto it: it mai ascend into the region and contrey of plentifulnes, whereas thou feedest Israell euerlastingly, with the food of truthe, to thintent that there, at the least wise with my swift cogitacion & thought, I may com nie thy wis dom, which remaineth aboue al things: ouer passeth all thinges and gouerneth all thinges. But alas there be many thīgs, which when my soule would fly vntounto thee, doo cry oute vppō it. Commaund thē all, O lorde to holde their peace, & speak not vntounto me As for my soule it self, let it geue neuer a wurd to answer. Let it pas by all thinges. Let it clime aboue al thinges that be created and come vntounto thee, and that it may fasten the eyes of faith vppon thee, which art the only creator of all things. Let it couit vntounto thee, and be bent towards thee, Let it think vppon thee by meditacion and contemplacion. Let it lay thee before his eyes for it self, let it rolle and tos thee in his hart: thee I say whiche art the true and cheef goodnes, and the ioy that will remayne euer without ending. Ther is surely mani cōtēplacions, in the which mans soule is marueylously fed of thee. But in none of them is my soule so much delited, nor yet ha the so good rest in, as in thee: and when as it thinketh vponupon thee, and hathe thee onelyonly in cō templatiō. Oh how much is thy swetnes, O Lorde, how meruei lousli dost thou enspire the harts of them that louelove thee? How delectable is thy louelove, the fruicion wherof they hauehave that louelove nothing but thee: they seek for no thing els, they couet to think of nothing els. Happy are they whose only hope thou art, which hauehave no trust but in thee only & all their whole wurk is prayer. Blessed is he that sitteth solitarili alone and holdeth his peace, & standeth vponupon his warde that he is set to kepe, continualli day and night, that yet whiles he is in this fratle body, he may be able to taste somewhat thy pleasaūtnes. I require thee by those thy woundes whiche bringe health vntounto vsus, whiche wounds thou suffredst vppon the crosse for our health, out of the which thy precious bloud wherewith thou redemed vsus, did distill and drop downe: wounde this my sinfull soule, for the whiche also thou didst vouchesafe to dye.
Wounde it (I say) with the firy and mighty darte of thy greate charitie. For the wurde of God is liuely and effectuous: & more pearcing & sharp then any two edged sworde. Thou, O chosen dart & most sharp sword, whiche arte able by thy power to perce thorow the hard sheeld or buckler of mans hart, fasten & stick the shaft of thy louelove in my hart, that my soule may say vntounto thee, I am wounded with thy charitie, so that forth of that same woūd of thy louelove, teares may flowe most plenteously bothe day and night. Strike O Lord, strike I beseech thee, this most indurated and hardened mind of mine with the sharp dart of thy louelove, & perce it deper & deper into the inermost partes therof by thy mightie power, & so bring oute of my head, abundaunce of water, and out of mine eyes a very well of teares continually running thorow the great affect & maruelous desire to see thy glory, ytI may mourn day & night without taking any comfort in this life, vntill in thy heauenly wedding chambre, I may se thee my welbeloued and beautifull spouse, my god & my Lord. And that there when I see thy glorious, marueilous and beautifull face, ful of all swetnes, togither with them whiche thou haste chosen: then I say, I may wurship humbly thy maiesty: & there at the laste beeing replenished with heauenly and vnspeekable reioising of euerlasting gladnes I may euen cry out with them that louelove thee (saying) Beholde that whiche I hauehave long desired now I hauehave obteined. For I am ioyned in heauen vntounto him, whō when I was in earth, I loued with all my strength, with all my charitie I embrased him, vntounto whom with all my louelove I did stick & cleaue. Him doo I praise, blesse and wurship that liueth & reigneth God worlde without ende.
Amen.
A prayer in time of tribulation.
HAueHave merciemercy on me (o Lorde) hauehave merciemercy on me a moste wretched sinner, whiche doo cō mit wickedli, and doo suffre ther fore worthely, whiche doo sin cō tinualli, & suffre thy scourge ther fore daily. If thou take my daily tribulacion as a recompence for the euils whiche I hauehave cōmitted: then it is not somuch that I suffre. For it is a great deale more greuous which I hauehave tres passed, then yt whiche I doo suffer. Thou art iust, O Lord, & thy iudgemēt is according to right. Yea all thy iudgmentes ar iust & true, and thou, O lorde our god, art iust and righteous: for there is none iniquitie in thee. Thou dost not vniustli, nor yet cruelly scourge and punish sinners, O all mighty and mercifull God, whiche when we had no beyng at all didst mightily create and make vsus. And when we were lost by oure owne faulte, thou by thy pitie and goodnes, marueilously didst recouer vsus.
I know and am very certayn & sure, that our life is not led by so den motions, but it is disposed and gouerned of thee, O Lorde our god. Wherby I know thou takest care for all men, and most chiefly for thy seruaunts, whiche hauehave put theyr whole hope in thine oneli merci. Therfore doo I beseche & humbli require the, that thou woldst not deale with me accordīg to my sinnes, wherwith I hauehave deserued thine angre: but according to thy great mercifulnes, whiche exceadeth, yeathe sinnes of the hole world. Thou, O Lorde which outward ly doost punish & scourge, graunt me in wardli a pacience that wil neuer faile, so that thy praise ne uer depart away frō my mouth. HaueHave merci on me, o lorde, hauehave mercy on me & help me, as thou thinkest best to be most necessary for my body and soule. Thou knowest all thinges: thou canst doo all thinges, whiche liuest for euer and euer.
¶ A very deuout prayer to the sonne.
O Lorde Iesu Christe sonne of the liuing God, which being vponupon the cros with thy handes spred abroade for the redemptiō of all mankinde didst drinke the most bitter cup of thy passion I beseche thee that thou woldest vouchsafe to geue me help this day & euer. Lo, I a poore wretch cum vntounto thee, whiche art riche, a sinner vntounto thee that art mercifull. Let me not retourn home contemned and dispised with no thing. I begin a hungred, let me not leaue of fasting I cum vntounto thee as though. I wer famished, let me not go away vnfed. Althoughe before I eate, I sigh & sorow: yet after my sorow, geue me somwhat to eate. First of all good Iesu, I acknowledg before thy maiestie mine vnrighteousnes towards thee. Beholde, O Lorde, I was conceyued in sin & borne in the same: & thou didst wash them of from me, & sanctified me: but I afterward defiled my selfe with bigger and more greuous sinnes. For I was born in sin of necessitie, because I could be borne none otherwise. But afterward I rolled my self willingly in sinnes. Neuertheles thou, O Lorde being mindful of thy pitie, didst take me out of the house of my carnall father & out of the tents of the vngodli and hast enspired me & put me in mind to folow thee, with the ge neration of them that seeke thy face, of thē that walke in ye right pathe, of them that abide & continew emongst the lillies of chastitie: & of them that sit downe together wt the at supper of most scarcitie & least exces. But I an vnkinde person, forgetting soo many great benefites, after that I was entred into religion & holines did cōmit many vnlawful things. I did offend wunderfull vngraciously: & where I shuld of right, hauehave amended min euill life, and lest my sinnes: I heaped sīns vpō sinnes, & these be the euils, o Lorde wherwith I hauehave dishonored the, & hauehave spotted & defiled my self (whom thou didst creat after the similitude and lik nes of thine own self) with pride vaine glory and other many euills wherwith mine vnlucky soule is vexed, punished, torne & destroyed. Beholde, o lord mine vnrighteousnes is gon ouer my head and ar like a sore burden, ouer heauy for me to beare. And except thou, whose propertie is euer to hauehave mercy & to forgeue, doo lay vnderunder me ye right hand of thy maiesty: I shalbe cōstrained miserably to sink in to the deep and be drouned.
Geue heed, o Lord god & behold, because thou art hooly, Looke how mine enemie assaulteth me saying, God hath forsaken him, I will persecute him and catche him, because there is no mā that will deliuer him. But thou lord how long? Turne again & delyuer my soule, saue me for thy mercies sake. HaueHave mercy vponupon thy sōne, whō thou hast brought forth with no small sorow and paine: & be not so ententife vntounto mine euilnes, that thou forget thine owne goodnes: what father is there but he will deliuer his sonne? yea & what fathers is there that will not correcte his sonne and chasten him? but with the rod of pity. Therefore, O father and Lorde, although I be a sinner yet can I not chuse but be thy son, because thou hast made me, and made me again when I was mard with sinne. Repaire & amend me now, o Lord, but first of all, I being mended & chastised with thy scourge, deliuer me to thy sonne. Can a mother forget the child she bare of her wōb and sureli, although she sōtimes be forgetful: yet thou (O father, hast promised not to forget vsus. Behold I cry and thou dost not heare me▪ I am vexed with sorow and thou confortest me not. What shall I say? or what shall I doo, most wretched caitife that I am? I beīg desolate of so great comforte, am cast out from the sight of thine eyes. Wo be vntounto me: from how great goodnes, into how great a mischefe am I fallen? whether purposed I to go, and whether am I comen? Where am I? and where am I not? whom did I study to attein▪ vntounto? and what euils hauehave I obteyned? I sought for good thīgs, and beholde I hauehave found trouble & care. Behold now I am in the state of deathe, and Iesus is not with me. And surely it were better for me to hauehave nothing at all, yea no beyng at all: thē to be without Iesu. It is better not to liue then to liue without life. And thou O Lorde Iesu, where be thine olde mercies? wilt thou be angry towardes me for euer? Be pacified I beseche thee, and hauehave mercy vponupon me, and turne not thy face away frō me, which to thintēt thou mightest redeme me, didst not turne a way thy face from thē that rebuked thee and spitted vponupon thee. I confes and acknowledge that I hauehave sinned and my conscience deserueth damnacion and the penaunce that I am able to doo is not sufficient to make amēds for mine iniquities. But sure & certain I am that thy mercy exceadeth all offences that a man can doo. Oh doo not (I beseche thee most pitifull Lorde) write my heynous sinnes against me, yt thou shuldest entre into iudgement with thy seruaunt. But ac cording to the multitude of thy mercies, cros & blot out mine in iquities. Wo be vntounto me wretch that I am, when the day of iudg ment commeth, and the bookes of consciences shalbe layd wide open: when it shalbe said of me Lo, looke vponupon this felow & his wurkes: What shall I doo then, O Lorde my God, when the hea uens shall reuele and shew forth mine iniquitie, & the earth shall arise vp and testifie mine iniquitie, against me? Beholde I shalbe able to geue neuer one wurd to answer. but to stande in thy presence trimbling, quaking, vtterly confounded and holding downe my head for shame. Alas wretch that I am, what shall I say? I will cry vntounto thee, o lorde my God. Why am I consumed & fretted with holdīg my peace? But if I should speak: my greef would not cease. And if I hold my peace: I shalbe most bitterly vexed within me. Mourne o my soule, & lament as a widow for her first husbande, that she had in her yong age. Houle wretche & cry out with weping because thy spouse Christ hathe forsaken thee, O God almightie let not thine angre fall vpō me: because that if thou lay somuche to my charge as is dew for my sinnes: it is so muche that I can not receiue it. Sureli my power is not able for to suffre or beare it.
HaueHave merci vponupon me least I dispeire. But in despeiring I will take hart to me and be sōwhat cōforted. For all though I hauehave committed so muche that thou mayst condemne me wurthely: yet thou hast not lost that wherwith thou wast wont to saue sin ners, nether dost thou reioise at the destructiō & los of them that dye, yea to thintente that dead men might liue, thou thy felf didst die: and thy deathe did kill the deathe of sinnes. And if they were reuiued again and did liue by thy deathe: I besech thee, let not me die, now ytthou liuest Send downe thy hand & power from hie, and deliuer me out of the hands of mine enemies, that they reioyse not ouer me and say, let vsus deuoure him. Who euer (O good Ie su) needed to mistrust of thimerci? which whē we were thine enemies didstredeme vsus with thy blud, and reconciled vsus vntounto God? Beholde, I being hid vnderunder the shadow of thy mer cy, doo come vntounto the throne of thy glory requiring, & I doo rū crying and knocking vntil thou take pitie vppon me. For if thou didst call vsus to pardon & forgeuenes before we laboured for pardon: how soone shall we obtein forgeuenes when we aske it? Doo not remembre, omost boū tefull Iesu, thy iustice toward a sinner? but think vponupon thy liberalitie & gentlenes towarde thy creature. Doo not remēbre thine angre toward the giltie, but remembre thy pity and mercy toward a wretche. Forget me in yt I proudly did prouoke & moue thee to wrath: and look vppon a wretche that calleth vponupon thee. For what is Iesus but a sauior? Therfore, good Iesu, for thine owne sake, arise and helpe me: and say vntounto my soule. I am thy health and thy safegarde. I presume muche and am very bolde of thy goodnes (O Lord) because thou doost teache vsus to aske, to seek and to knocke, wherfore I being admonished by thy wurd doo aske, seek and knock. And thou, O Lorde that commaundest vsus to aske, make me able to receiue. Thou that geuest councell to seeke, graunte that I may finde. Thou that teachest vsus to knock, opē to me when I knock, and confirme me whiche am vnstable and wauering, restore me that am lost, raise me yt am dead: and vouchsafe to direct & gouern in thy fauoure all my sences, my thoughts and dooings, that frō hensfoorth I may serue thee, I may liue toward thee and that I may commit my self vntounto thee I knowe (O my Lord) that thorow this that thou hast made me, I owe and am in det vntounto thee euen mine owne selfe: & because thou hast redemed me and wast made man for my sake: for this (I say I owe vntounto thee more thē my selfe. Lo I hauehave no more: nether can I geue that whiche I hauehave vntounto thee, without thee. But doo thou take me and draw me vntounto thee, yt I may be thine in folowing & louing thee: like as I am thine in condicion &, creation, whiche liuest and reignest world without ende.
Amen.
FINIS.