¶ 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 [Page 54] vnto 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 haue 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 vpon him, did suffer sorowful punishment. Turn the eyes of thy maiestie (O Lord my [Page] God) toward the wurk of thine vnspekeable pitie. Look vpō thy deere sonne, whose whole body is stretched forth. Mark y ^e 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 haue 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 haue not stand in the way of sinners, but alway haue walked in thy law, how thei are [Page 55] perced thorow w ^t 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 y ^e 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 vnto him in spirit, whiche did not disdain to be clad in my flesh. Dost thou not look vpon and mark (o piti­full father) the head of thy moste deerly beloued sōne, a yungmā, [Page] 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 haue compassiō vpon 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 [Page 56] 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 [Page] of thy condemnation? I (Lorde) I am the cause of thy sorow, the fault is in me that thou wast kil led for. I haue 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 [Page 57] trespasseth: God suffereth it. O (thou whiche art y ^e sone of god) how low did thine humilitie des cend? How greatly did thy cha­ritie (euen as it wer) wax hote & burn towarde vs. How farr did thy pitie procede? Whither did thy beningnitie, and gentelnes grow & extend? How far did thy loue stretche? How far came thy cōpassion? for I did wrongfully: and thou wast punished. I cōmit ted the mischeuous dedes: and they were auenged vpon 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 [Page] 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 vnto vnlawfull concupis­cence & desires, but perfit chari­tie led thee vnto 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 haue plenty of al pleasures: thou art all to torne [Page 58] 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 vnto thee, for all those things which thou hast bestowed vpon 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 vnto thy deuine mercie▪ Nether [Page] 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 y ^tthou also diddest vouch­safe to die for my sin. And so by [Page 59] 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 vnto 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 vnto the greatnes & excellencie of my creator. And this is the heauenly medicine (O good Ie­su) this is (as it were a preserua­tiue of thy loue. This I beseeche thee, by thine accustomed & an­cient [Page] 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 haue 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 [Page 60] vnto me, nor plese me w ^tout thee. Let no precious nor beuti­ful thing be acceptable vnto me but thee. Let all thīgs (I beseche thee) be counted as vile, & of no estimatiō vnto me, without the. That whiche is against thy na­ture: let it be irksō and greuous also vnto 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 vnto me, and the remembrance of thee, a consolacion and con­fort. Let my teares be made vn­to me as bread both day & night, [Page] serching thy iustificacions. Let the law of thy mouth bee better vnto me, thē thousands of gold and siluer. Geue me an ardent desire and loue to obey thee & an extreme hatred to resist thee. I require thee (O my hope) for all thy pity and goodnesses sake to haue mercy vpon 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 vnto 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 haue mercy vpon me, because of y ^e moste precious thīg that I could finde, the same I haue offred deuoutly vnto thee, the thing of moste estemacion, y ^tI could imagin, I haue presen­ted it humbly vnto thee. I haue left nothyng, but I haue decla­red it to thy maiestie. There is nothing remaining that I may ad more, because I haue cōmit­ted [Page] and be taken my whole hope vnto thee. I haue sent vnto thee my aduocate and spokes man, e­uen thy well beloued sonne. I haue sent thy glorious childe to be a mediator betwix me & thee. I haue set (I say) an intercessour by whome I trust to get pardon and forgeuenes of my sinns. I haue sent wurd vnto wurd (that is) God vnto God, according to that whiche saint Ihon hathe in y ^e 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 haue said) was sent [Page 62] for my misdedes. And I haue re­hersed vnto 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 vpon him, mine humanitie & nature, in the whiche he thought not scorn to suffre buffets, bendes, spittings, mocks, yea, he took vpon him to suffer y ^e 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 [Page] 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 vpon 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 vpon me. Mercifully look vpon, hear the sōne whiche thou didst beget & the bond ser­uāt whiche he redemed. Beholde here a creator, and doo not des­pise [Page 63] 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 vn­der it with greate reioising, and making it faste vnto him with a merueilous bonde of [Page] 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 vpon him thorow thine ordinaūce to saue man, whō he hath deliuered vn­to the cleane and pure from all spots thorow the washing in his bloud. Loe thy most deerly belo­ued sonne hathe reconciled vnto 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 [Page 64] violent pirate & robber had dri­uen away. He hath brought vn­to thy sight, y ^e 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, vnto whō also for his offences euerlasting fier was due: neuertheles being a souldiour vnder 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, [Page] by taking vpon him mine humanitie, to y ^e 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 [Page 65] for the charitie of thy beloued sonne. Geue heed to thy sonne, wherby thou maist haue 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 y ^tmine iniquitie hath deserued, but much [Page] 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 vnto man: euen so muche is my malice and euil in­ferior vnto his goodnes bothe in qualitie and quātitie. For what haue 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 [Page 66] suffred vpon 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 loue & fauor that was in oure redemer toward vs: 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.

[Page]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 loue 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 euery dark corner of the neglect and forlet­ten cōtage, w ^t the bright shining of thy lyght, & that in visiting y ^e same, y ^u wouldest ornate & deck [Page] with y ^e plenteousnes of thy dew y ^e 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 loue. Feed all the inner partes bo the of my minde & body by the illumina­ting and lightening with y ^e fire of thy holy & feruent loue. Geue me to drink of thy most pleasaūt riuer, to thintent I may haue no lust to taste any worldly things whiche be mixed with poyson. Geue sentēce with me (o lorde) and defend my cause against the [Page 68] 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, y ^e 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 [Page] 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 vnto 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 vnto 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 haue mercy on me, make me meete for thee, and mercifully [Page 69] graunt vnto me according to y ^e multitud of thy great mercies y ^tmy 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 w ^t a due sacrifice of praise, for as much as I am able & can, according to that whiche thou hast vouchsafed to endue me w ^t ­al. And for as muche as I am de­stitute of outward gifts to offer vnto the. Those vowes of praise whiche I haue of the gift of thy mercy: behold, willingly & glad­ly [Page 70] 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 [Page] 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 euery place with out any situatiō or being placed in any place, to be al eueri where w ^tout place, fulfilling all things without stretchīg forth thy hād: going euery 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 [Page 71] 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 [Page] 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 [Page 72] take nothing, nor mindfulnes, or remembraunce geue any thing, nether are things passed vnto vs passed also vnto thee, nor things whiche to vs 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) haue I acknowled­ged thal mightifulnes of thy ma­iesty, & maiesty of thine almigh­tifulnes. But now, like as with hart I beleue (whiche is counted righteousnes vnto 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 [Page 73] 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 y ^e 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 y ^e 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 [Page] 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 loue vs? How great fauour didst thou bear toward vs moste mercifull creator? whiche haste not spared thine owne sonne, but for vs wretched sinners hast deliuered him. He was obedient vnto thee vntill death, yea death vpon a cros, taking y ^e obligation or hād writing of our sinnes, whiche was his fleshe & fastening it vn­to the cros, he crucified sin and [Page 74] kild death. He a lone, is amongst the dead, free from death, hauing power to put his soule for vs, & to take it again for vs. Therfore was he bothe a vanquisher and a sacrifice, and therfore was he an ouercommer, because he was a sacrifice for vs. He was bothe y ^e preest & sacrifice, vnto thee, and therfore was he apreest, because he was a sacrifice. Not without a cause haue 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 vs. For my disea­ses (O Lorde) are great and ma­ny: [Page] 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 y ^e 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 [Page 75] 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 haue 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 vs. But I can not now dispaire [Page] 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 vs & for our saluation. In him doo I take hartening: and trusting in him: I haue a desire to come vnto the, not hauing mine owne righteousnes, but that whiche I haue 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 [Page 76] Iesus Christe thy sōne our lord, when we were not, didst mighte ly make vs, and when we were lost through our sinnes: moste merucilously didst deliuer & re­couer vs 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 loue) wherwith thou hast vouchesafed of thy meruelous goodnes to loue vs wretches & (vnwurthy to be loued) didst sēd that same thine only begotten sōne from thy bosome vnto our cōmon weal, to saue vs sinners whiche were at that time y ^e chil­dren [Page] of perdition and damnaciō. I rendre vnto thee thāks for his holy incarnation and natiuitie and for his blessed mother vpon whom he did vouchesafe to take fleshe for vs 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 [Page 77] 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 & loue wherwith thou didst loue vs vnwurthi persones, and didst saue vs by thine only and be [Page] loued sōne, for so thou didst loue y ^e world, that thou gauest thine only begotten sonne to thintent that none which beleued in him should perish, but haue 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 loue of the euer lasting father toward mankind.

OH vnmesurable pitie and fa­therly loue, oh inestimable charitie, that thou shouldest de­liuer thy sonne to suffre death to thintent thou mightest redeem [Page 78] 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 vpon him the paines of the cros in sheding his bloud for vs 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 [Page] a very good & pitifull shepherd, brought him home vpō his shul­ders vnto 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 vs? 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 [Page 79] our death by diyng him self. But what may we render, vnto thee (our God) for so great benefites of thy mercy? What praises or what thancks? Ueri­ly, if we should haue that same knowledg and power that bles­sed Angels haue: 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 vnto 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 vnto vs [Page] 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 vnto vs 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 [Page 80] is all my hope, all my trust. And this same humain nature is in Iesu Christe our Lorde, who is the porcion of euery one of vs, y ^e 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 [Page] 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 vpon 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 [Page 81] into the heauens, & now sit in the heauēs (in him I say) our flesh loueth vs. For we haue 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 vpon vs, and maketh inter­cession for vs.

[Page]WHerfore with my lips & hart, and with all the might that I may, I rendre thankes vnto thine infinit mercy. o Lorde our god) for all thy mercy, wherwith merueilously thou vouchsafed to help & succour vs 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 vs, and toge­ther with thee, taketh pitie and mercy vpō vs, because he is God thorow thee (O father) euerla­sting and of one substance with thee in all things. Wherby al­way [Page 82] he may saue vs, but for as muche as he is man in whiche­thing he is les and inferiour vn­to thee, all power bothe in hea­uen and in earth, was geuen vn­to him, that in the name of Iesu euery 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 [Page] 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 vnto 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 y ^tvnspeak­able and merueilous coniuntiō of godhed and manhod together in the vnitie of a person, & not [Page 83] after this sort, y ^t 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 y ^e 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 vs: should be turned into god, & that which neuer had ben before that time, that is his flesh & manhod shuld [Page] 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 w ^t christe. From whence came this good­nes? and who broughte vs vnto this state? But I require the (O moste mercifull father (by thine inestimable pitie, goodnes & cha­ritie: to make vs wurthy of these many and great promisses of the [Page 84] same, thy Sonne our Lord Iesu Christe. Send forth thy strength (O God) and establish the thing that thou hast wrought in vs.

Make perfect that whiche thou hast begun, that we may be able to come vnto the fulnes and per fectnes of thy pity. Make vs 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 vnto Angels, was preched vnto nations, was bele ued to be in the world, was takē vp into heauen.

Amen.

¶ Of the thankes whiche man ought to geue vnto God for the benefite of his redemption.

LOok how muche (O Lorde our God) we are in det vnto 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 loue, dread, bles, praise, honoure and glorify thee whiche hast so loued vs, after suche facion sa­ued vs, after suche a sorte sancti­fied vs, so set vs 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. [Page 85] 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 vs of thy goodnes, that we may serue thee of thine owne goods and gifts & that we may please thee in truthe, & repay vnto 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, y ^tthou hast lent vs, while we be in this world. For euery good gift and euery perfect gift is from a­boue, & commeth down from the father of light, with whō there [Page] 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 vpon him our life, to thintent he might geue vs his life, & that he might be perfect and very God of thee his father, and very and perfect [Page 86] 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 vnto you. For that hie Priestes sake, whiche was al [Page] 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 vs, being our re­demer & our aduocate, that thou woldest graunt vnto 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 [Page 87] 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 vnto him, that he at the lēgth may bring me to [Page] thee: thether (I mean) wheras he is sitting on thyrighthand, wher as is euerlastīg life, and continu al blessednes, whereas is perfect loue, 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 [Page 88] of worldes.

Amen.

¶ A deuout prayer vnto 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 [Page] 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 loue, my liuing bread, mine e­uerlasting preest, my guide vnto 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 [Page 89] 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 vnto 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 [Page] places, whiche art the true light the light y ^e lightneth all things, the light that neuer faileth nor goeth out, whiche the Angels haue 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 loue.

Geue vnto me Lorde thy self, be­holde I doo loue thee, & if that be but a thing of small valure: make me to loue the more strōg­ly and earnestly. I can not me­sure to know how muche I lack of thy loue, nether cā I tell, how muche shoulde be sufficient for me, that my life may fulfill his [Page 90] course in thy loue, 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 w ^e thoutward things that belong vnto 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.

[Page]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 haue we need of thee but not y ^u of vs, because if we were not at al, yet shouldest thou lack nothing of thy goodnes. Ther­fore (O lorde) it is necessary for vs to stick and cleaue vnto thee, that by thy continuall help we may be able to liue holily, ver­tuously, and as we ought to liue For with y ^e waight of our frail­nes [Page 91] 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 y ^e sōgs of stars, w ^e y ^e fire of thy loue (I say) are we kindled & moued to go w ^e thee. Whether go we now vp­ward, vnto y ^e peace of Ierusalē? because I was glad & did reioice in those things whice were spo­ken vnto me: we wil go into the hous of our Lorde: there hath he placed vs, we will haue good things, y ^twe may wil or dsire no thing els, but to tari and remain ther for euer. But for as much as [Page] whiles we be clad with this bo, dy, we do as it were go a stray & are straungers vnto thee: we haue not heer an abiding place for euer but we seek for one y ^t 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 vnto thee songs of loue (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 [Page 92] 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 y ^e 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) vnto the peace of my deerely be­loued mother, wheras be y ^e 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, y ^e 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 [Page 93] 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 [Page] 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 y ^e ioyes of this miserable life, after suche a sorte that a man wold not think (whē he leaueth this life) to haue 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 [Page 94] 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 loue 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 loue him.

BUt thou heauenly life, thou art she whom God hath or­deined & prepared for them that loue 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 [Page 95] ments of sinnes, where as is per fect loue 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 haue 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 loue with the ardaunt desire of thee, and with the sweet and com­fortable [Page] remēbrace of thee, am I wunderfully delited. I haue a plesure therfore, surely to lift vp the eyes of my hart vnto thee, to erect the state of my minde, and conform or fashion the affects of my minde vnto thee: It pleaseth me to talke of thee, to hear of thee, to write of thee, to confer & meditate of thee, to rede euery day of thy blessednes and glory, and to muse often times in my minde of the things I haue red concerning thee, that at the least by suche meanes, I being vnder the sweet refreshing and comfor ting of thy liuely air, may pas from the vexations, ieoperdies, [Page 95] labours, & traueils of this mor­tall life that will soon perish, & y ^tin 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 haue tasted of thy sweetnes, I may sumwhat les feel the bitternes of this moste wretched life. O [Page] 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 vnto 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 vnto me, and thē immediatly, this burden of my [Page 96] flesh laid awai, that I might en­ter into thy ioyes to haue 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 y ^e 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 [Page] 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 & haue 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 [Page 97] 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 [Page] 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 vpon thy great mercye. O wretche that I am, how is my soule made without any feeling or perseueraunce? that it is not [Page 98] 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, [Page] 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 vpon vs. 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 vpon me. O God the ge­uer [Page 99] 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 y ^t 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 [Page] 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 [Page 100] will please thee & proffit me. Who can make clean y ^t 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 y ^e eyes of thy pitie, remoue it from me. In thy sight is bothe my health and my disease.

[Page]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 onely 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 [Page 100] desire no earthly or carnal thing nor yet thīk vpon them, but that I may loue thee alone, y ^t I may haue 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 y ^e tables of mine hart, and also thy iustifications, that I may alwayes & in euery place haue 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 vnto the daily with [Page] teares, a sacrifice of a troubled spirit and a repentaunt hart. O swete Christ, O good Iesu, euē according vnto my desire and e­uen as I hartely require thee with my whole minde, geue me thy holy and chast loue, whiche may replenish and kepe me & al­so fully posses me. Geue me an euident signe and token of thy loue, a flowing well of teares whiche will cōtinually run, that those teares may somwhat te­stifie thy loue in me, y ^t they may shew forth, that thei may declare how much my soule loueth thee, whiles for the great delectacion it hath in y ^e swetnes of thy loue: [Page 102] it may not refreine from teares. I call to my remembraunce fom times good lorde, that vertuous womā Ann, which came to y ^e ta­bernacle to pray y ^e thou woldest send her a sonne, of whō the scrip ture maketh mencion y ^ther 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 [Page] 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 vnto him? how ought suche a soule to mourne & weep, whiche seeketh God day & night, which will loue nothing but Christ?

My teares now truly should be made vnto 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 [Page 103] 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 w ^t heauenli delectacion and heaue­ly mirth, y ^t 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 vnto my minde, whiche with a vertuous loue did seek thee lying in the se­pulchre, whiche when thy disci­pies went away and departed [Page] 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 vnto her, nether did it satisfie her de­sire. For y ^e grace of a good wurk is to perseuer and continue in the same. And because she did loue more then other, and that [Page 104] 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 vnto thy dis­ciples, when thou didst com­maund her and bid her, goo and tell my brethern that they goo vnto 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 [Page] that was aliue among the dead: whiche touched thee w ^t 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 euery 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 onely refuge, the only hope of wretches, vnto whom no man nedeth at any time to pray with out hope of mercy, graunt vnto me this grace for thy sake, and [Page 105] for thy holy names sake, that as oft as I think vpon 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 vnto thee: so oft I may wepe aboundaunt­ly with teares in thy sight, so y ^t 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 vs with thy wurd and with thin exsam­ple to mourne and wepe, wher as thou saist. Blessed be they y ^tmourne, for they shalbe confor­ted. Thou didst weep for thy [Page] 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 vs 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 haue it, but by the holy ghost whiche dooth mollify the hard harts of sinners, and pro­uoketh them to weping.

[Page 106]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 vnto 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 [Page] of thee as a fat and a swete smel ling sacrifice. Geue vnto 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 haue offred vp my selfe, wholy vnto 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 loue & the remembraunce of thy mercies, prepare this ta­ble for thy seruaunt in thy sight, [Page 107] and geue me power that as oft as I list I may be satisfied of it. Graunt vnto 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 loue, 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 [Page] 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 [Page 108] 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, vnto the high fluddes and streames of thine eternall a bundaunce & sacietie, yea draw me holly vnto thy self which art the liuing well, to thintent I may according to my capacitie, drinck of that wherupon I doo liue.

[Page]O my God my life, thou didst say w ^t thy holy & blessed mouth, If any man thirst, let him cum vnto me and drincke. O well of life, graūt vnto 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 loue, that after the maner of the that be drunken with wine, whiche forget all thinges saue y ^e cup: so I may forget al vain and earthly things, and continually haue nothing els in my remem­braūce [Page 109] 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 y ^u didst promise to geue to thē that thir­sted after thee. Graunt I beseche thee) that I may assay to goo w ^t my hole desire and all my study toward y ^t place vnto the whiche, we beleue thon didst ascend the forty day after thy resurreccion, that in this presēt misery I may be onely in body: but in thought and desire, alwayes with thee: y ^tmy hart may be there where as thou art whiche art my treasure wurthy to be coueted, and much [Page] 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 euery side, there is no stedfast standing or place high inough aboue the waters, no not for the foote of a doue to rest vpon in this (I say) there is no safe or quiet peace: nowhere any sure rest: euery wher battail and strife: euery where enemies and fightings without dores, & feare at home within dores. And for asmuch as the one part of vs is heauenly, and the other earth­ly: our bodi whiche is corrupted, doth loden and is burdenous vn [Page 110] 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 haue 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 vnto 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, [Page] 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 vs, 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 vn­to more high thinges. And be­ing lifted vp out of this vale of misery & teares, with the wings [Page 111] of his godly desire, he may flye vnto 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 vpon y ^e 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 [Page] calme: cum and walke vpon the fluddes of min hart, y ^t all things whiche belonge vnto 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 [Page 112] God I beseeche thee) from all e­uils, make it to hate iniquitie & to loue 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 haue 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 [Page] 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 [Page 113] sainctes florish before thee like vnto 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 y ^e 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 vnto 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 [Page] tre into them. O Lorde I haue 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 vnto y ^e water brooks euen so dooth my soule desire to come vnto 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 y ^e liuing? For in this land of the dead, he can not be seen w ^e mortal eies: what shal I doo wretch y ^t I am, which [Page 114] am fettred w ^t the heaui giues of mortalitie? What shall I doo? whiles we cōtinue in this body, we go astray frō y ^e lordé, we haue here no abidīg place for euer but we labour for one y ^t is to come. Our free citie is in heauē. Wo is me, me think I dwel emongst y ^e barbarous nations & infidels, & not emongst the faithfull Israe­lites, I led my life in y ^e 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, [Page] it is good for me to cleaue vnto God. Oh graunt me, (O lorde) whiles I am in this fratle mem­bres, to stick vnto thee, as it is written, he that cleaueth vnto 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 euery 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 [Page 115] art the bright sonne of rightwis­nes: & lest it, once hid with the cloudes of darknes: should not haue libertie, but be letted to looke for heauēli thinges which be aboue. Therfore I doo assay to goo vpward vnto the ioyes of quietnes and peace, and vnto the delectable and pleasaunt state of light. O hold my hart with thy hand, because it can not be draw en vnto 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 [Page] thou beīg a guide vnto 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 vnto thee, doo cry oute vppō it. Com­maund thē all, O lorde to holde their peace, & speak not vnto me As for my soule it self, let it geue neuer a wurd to answer. Let it [Page 116] pas by all thinges. Let it clime aboue al thinges that be created and come vnto thee, and that it may fasten the eyes of faith vp­pon thee, which art the only cre­ator of all things. Let it couit vnto 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 [Page] ha the so good rest in, as in thee: and when as it thinketh vpon thee, and hathe thee onely in cō ­templatiō. Oh how much is thy swetnes, O Lorde, how meruei lousli dost thou enspire the harts of them that loue thee? How de­lectable is thy loue, the fruicion wherof they haue that loue 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 haue no trust but in thee only & all their whole wurk is prayer. Blessed is he that sitteth solita­rili alone and holdeth his peace, & standeth vpon his warde that [Page 117] 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 vnto vs, whiche wounds thou suffredst vppon the crosse for our health, out of the which thy precious bloud wherewith thou redemed vs, 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 [Page] 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 loue in my hart, that my soule may say vnto thee, I am wounded with thy charitie, so that forth of that same woūd of thy loue, 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 loue, & perce it deper & deper into the inermost partes therof by thy mightie power, & so bring oute [Page 118] 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, y ^tI 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 [Page] reioising of euerlasting gladnes I may euen cry out with them that loue thee (saying) Beholde that whiche I haue long desired now I haue obteined. For I am ioyned in heauen vnto him, whō when I was in earth, I loued with all my strength, with all my charitie I embrased him, vn­to whom with all my loue 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.

HAue mercie on me (o Lorde) haue mercie on me a moste wretched sinner, whiche doo cō ­mit [Page 119] 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 haue cōmit­ted: then it is not somuch that I suffre. For it is a great deale more greuous which I haue tres passed, then y ^t 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 [Page] all mighty and mercifull God, whiche when we had no beyng at all didst mightily create and make vs. And when we were lost by oure owne faulte, thou by thy pitie and goodnes, mar­ueilously didst recouer vs.

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 haue put theyr whole hope in thine oneli merci. Therfore doo I beseche & humbli require the, that thou woldst not deale with [Page 120] me accordīg to my sinnes, wher­with I haue 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. Haue merci on me, o lorde, haue 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.

[Page]O Lorde Iesu Christe sonne of the liuing God, which being vpon 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 vnto thee, whiche art riche, a sinner vnto 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 vnto thee as though. I wer famished, let me not go away vnfed. Al­thoughe before I eate, I sigh & [Page 121] 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 [Page] & 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 y ^e right pathe, of them that abide & con­tinew emongst the lillies of cha­stitie: & of them that sit downe together w ^t 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, haue amended min euill life, and lest my sinnes: I heaped [Page 122] sīns vpō sinnes, & these be the e­uils, o Lorde wherwith I haue dishonored the, & haue 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 haue mercy & to forgeue, doo lay vnder me y ^e right hand of thy maiesty: I shalbe cōstrained miserably to sink in to the deep and be drouned.

[Page]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. Haue mercy vpon thy sōne, whō thou hast brought forth with no small sorow and paine: & be not so ententife vnto 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 [Page 123] 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 vs. Behold I cry and thou dost not heare me▪ I am vexed with so­row and thou confortest me not. [Page] 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 vnto 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▪ vnto? and what euils haue I ob­teyned? I sought for good thīgs, and beholde I haue 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 haue nothing at [Page 124] 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 haue mercy vpon 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 vpon thee. I confes and acknowledge that I haue sinned and my conscience deser­ueth damnacion and the pe­naunce that I am able to doo is not sufficient to make amēds [Page] 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, y ^t 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 vnto 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 vpon this felow & his wurkes: What shall I doo then, O Lorde my God, when the hea [Page 125] 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 vnto 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 [Page] 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.

Haue merci vpon me least I dis­peire. But in despeiring I will take hart to me and be sōwhat cōforted. For all though I haue committed so muche that thou mayst condemne me wurthely: yet thou hast not lost that wher­with [Page 126] 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 y ^tthou 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 vs deuoure him. Who e­uer (O good Ie su) needed to mi­strust of thimerci? which whē we were thine enemies didstredeme [Page] vs with thy blud, and reconciled vs vnto God? Beholde, I being hid vnder the shadow of thy mer cy, doo come vnto the throne of thy glory requiring, & I doo rū crying and knocking vntil thou take pitie vppon me. For if thou didst call vs 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 vpon thy libe­ralitie & gentlenes towarde thy creature. Doo not remēbre thine angre toward the giltie, but re­membre thy pity and mercy to­ward [Page 127] a wretche. Forget me in y ^t I proudly did prouoke & moue thee to wrath: and look vppon a wretche that calleth vpon thee. For what is Iesus but a sauior? Therfore, good Iesu, for thine owne sake, arise and helpe me: and say vnto 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 vs 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 vs to aske, make me able to receiue. Thou that geuest coun­cell [Page] to seeke, graunte that I may finde. Thou that teachest vs to knock, opē to me when I knock, and confirme me whiche am vn­stable and wauering, restore me that am lost, raise me y ^t 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 vnto thee I knowe (O my Lord) that tho­row this that thou hast made me, I owe and am in det vnto thee euen mine owne selfe: & because thou hast redemed me and wast made man for my sake: for this [Page 128] (I say I owe vnto thee more thē my selfe. Lo I haue no more: nether can I geue that whiche I haue vnto thee, without thee. But doo thou take me and draw me vnto thee, y ^t I may be thine in folowing & louing thee: like as I am thine in condicion &, creation, whiche liuest and reignest world without ende.

Amen.