vnapprochable and secret depth of the incōprehensible iudgemētes of thy wisedome alwayes rightful though vnespiable thou hast without any desert of theirs predestinated before the world called out of the world iustified in the world and wilt glorifie thē after the world But thou doest not this vnto all men wherat all the wise mē of the earth 〈◊〉 maruell and are abashed Yea and euen I O Lord when I bethinke me of it am afrayde and amazed at the depth of the riches of thy wisedome and knowledge wherunto I cannot reach and at the incomprehensible iudgements of thy Iustice for that of one selfe same péece of clay thou makest some vessels vnto euerlasting honor and othersome vnto euerlastyng shame Therfore whō thou hast chosen to thy selfe out of the multitude to be thy holy temple thē doost thou make cleane pouryng out cleane water vpon thē the names and number of whom thou knowest who onely tellest the nūber of the starres and callest thē all by their names Who also are written in the booke of lyfe who cannot in any wise perish and vnto whom all thinges worke to the best yea euen their sinnes For when they fall they be not broosed bycause thou puttest thy hād vnder them and kéepest all the bones of them so as not one of them is broken But most miserable is the death of sinners I meane of those sinners whom thou hast foreknowē vnto eternall death before thou madest heauen and earth accordyng to the great depth of thy secret howbeit alwayes rightfull iudgementes the number of whose names and of their lewd deseruinges is with thée which reckenest the nūber of the sand of the Sea and hast measured the bottom of the bottomles pit whom thou hast left vp to their owne vncleanesse and vnto whom all thinges worke to the worst and euen their prayer is turned into sinne so that if they should clymbe vp into the ayre and aduaunce their head aboue the cloudes yea and build their nest among the starres of the skye yet shall they bee destroyed in the ende as a dunghill Of such as first are righteous and afterward become wicked and contrariwyse GReat are these thy iudgementes O Lord God thou righteous mighty iudge which iudgest vprightly doost things that are déepe vnsearchable Which when I consider all my bones quake for of all men liuing vpō the earth there is none of vs sure to serue thee deuoutly purely in feare all the dayes of our lyfe nor to ioy in the with reuerence so as our seruice may bee without dread our ioy without trembling He that putteth on armour may not glory as he that putteth it of for before thee may no flesh glory but must quake tremble at thy presēce For we haue séene O Lord we haue heard of our fathers which thing I cānot thinke vpō without great dread nor speake of without great shudderyng that many haue heretofore clymbed after a sort vp to the skyes built their nest among the starres yet haue afterward falne downe euē into hell and their soules haue bene forehardened with euilles We haue sene starres fall from heauen by force of the stroke of the dragons tayle and them that lay in the dust of the earth wonderfully mounted vp at the present helpe of thy hand O lord We haue sene the liuyng dye and the dead rise from death them that walked among Gods children in the middes of firie stones wash away to nothyng like a péece of clay We haue séene darknesse quēch light light procede out of darknesse For publicanes harlots go before the natiue people into the kyngdome of heauen the childrē of the kingdome are cast out into vtter darknes And why commeth all this to passe but bycause they be mounted vp into that hill whereinto the first of their race went vp an Aungell and came downe a deuill Now thē looke whom thou hast predestinated them hast thou also called sanctified and clensed that they may bee a méete dwellyng place for thy maiestie with whō and in whō is thy holy cleane delight in whom thou hast pleasure makest their youth chéerefull dwelling with them in their remembraunce so as they be thy holy tēple which is a great dignitie and commendation of our manhode That the faythfull mās soule is Gods sanctuarie THe soule whiche thou hast created not of thyne owne substaunce but by thy word nor of the substaunce of any of the foure elementes but of nothing which truly is reasonable vnderstandyng spirituall euerlyuing and euer mouyng whiche thou hast sealed marked with the light of thy countenaūce and halowed by the power of thy washyng is so made capable of thy maiestie as it may be filled by thée onely and by none other And when it hath thée thē hath it the full lust there remaineth not any thyng els that it can desire outwardly But as long as it desireth any thyng outwardly it is manifest that it hath not thée inwardly for be thou once had there is not any thing more to be wished for For sith thou art the souereine good yea and all the good that may be there is no more for it to desire bycause he possesseth thée which art all the good Now if he desire not the whole good it resteth that he desireth somewhat which is not the whole good and therfore also not the souerein good so consequently not God but rather a creature But if he long after a creature he must néedes be euer hungry still bycause that although he atteine his desire of the creatures yet it abydeth vnsatisfied still in asmuch as there is nothyng that cā fill it but thou vnto whose image it is created And thou fillest them that desire nothyng but thée thou makest them worthy of thee holy blessed vndefiled and Gods frendes who count all thinges as dung that they may winne thée onely For this is the blessednes which thou hast bestowed vppon man this is the honor wherwith thou hast innobled him among all thy creatures and aboue them that thy name might be wonderfull ouer all the earth Beholde O most high souereine good and almighty Lorde my God I haue foūd the place where thou dwellest euen in the soule which thou hast created after thyne owne image and likenesse whiche séeketh and desireth none but thée alone and not in the soule that séeketh and desireth thée not That God cānot be founde neither by the outward senses nor by the inward wittes I Haue straied like a lost shepe séekyng thée outward whiche art inward And I haue taken much paine to séeke thée without me thou dwellest within me at leastwise if I haue a desire to thée I haue gone about the lanes and stréetes of the Citie of this world séekyng thée and haue not foūd thée bycause I did amisse to séeke that thing without whiche is as within I sent abroad all myne outward senses as messengers to séeke thée
thée to dye and ouercamest death Thou diddest set me vp agayne by abasing thy selfe low I was vndone I was gone away in my sinnes I was sold to sinne theÌ„ camest thou for me to buy me out agayne and thou didst loue me so well that thou gauest thine own bloud for my raunsome Lord thou hast loued me more then thy selfe for thou didst finde in thy hart to dye for me Vpon this condition hast thou with so deare a price brought me backe from banishment rauÌ„somed me out of boÌ„dage rescued me from punishment called me by thyne owne name and sealed me with thy bloud that the remembraunce of thée should be euermore with me and that he should neuer departe from my hart who for my sake shunned not the crosse Thou hast anoynted me with the oyle wherewith thou thy selfe wart annoynted that I might be called a ChristiaÌ„ after thy name Christ Behold thou hast registred me vpoÌ„ thine handes to the end that the remeÌ„braunce of me might be alwayes present with thée yet notwithstandyng so as if the remembraunce of thée be alwayes preseÌ„t with me Thus theÌ„ haue thy grace mercy alwayes preuented me For thou hast ofteÌ„tymes deliuered me from many great perils O my deliuerer When I went astray thou broughtest me backe agayne wheÌ„ I was ignoraunt thou taughtest me wheÌ„ I sinned thou didst chastise me when I haue bene in heauinesse thou hast cheared me when I haue bene in dispayre thou hast recoÌ„forted me wheÌ„ I haue â—ene falne thou hast lifted me vp when I haue stode thou hast vphild me wheÌ„ I haue gone thou hast guided me when I haue come thou hast receiued me wheÌ„ I haue slept thou hast watched me and when I haue cryed vnto thée thou hast heard me ¶ That God doth continually behold and marke mens doynges intentes THese and many other good turnes hast thou done vnto me O Lord my God the lyfe of my soule and it were a pleasure to me to be alwayes talkyng of them alwayes thinkyng vppon them and alwayes giuyng thée thankes for them so as I might euer prayse thée for all thy good giftes and loue thée with all my hart and with all my soule and with all my minde and with all my streÌ„gth yea and with the very bowelles and intrayles of my hart and of all my sinewes O Lord my God the blessed swéetenesse of all that delight in thée But thine eyes haue sene myne imperfection Thine eyes I say are much clearer then the sunne vewyng throughly all the wayes of men and the bottome of the déepe and in all places alwayes beholdyng both the good and bad For in asmuch as thou ouerrulest all thynges fillyng euery thing and art wholly present at all times in all places hauyng regard of all thinges which thou hast created for thou hatest not any of the thinges that thou hast made thou takest such heede to my steppes and my pathes and kéepest such watch and ward ouer me day and night diligently markyng all my walkes lyke a continuall ouerséer as though thou hadst forgotten heauen and earth all the creatures in them and haddest regard of me alone without caryng for any of the rest For the vnchauÌ„geable light of thine eye sight increaseth not to thy selfe ward though thou looke but vpon one thing neither is it diminished though thou looke vppon sundry and innumerable thinges For like as thou coÌ„siderest the whole perfectly at once so thy whole sight beholdeth euery seuerall thynge perfectly at once and whole together be they neuer so diuers Neuerthelesse thou viewest all thinges as one and ech one thing as all thy selfe beyng whole together without diuision or chaunge or abatemeÌ„t Thou therfore being whole at all times beholdest me whole at once and alwayes without tyme as if thou haddest nothyng els to thinke vppon Yea and thou standest in such wyse my gard as if thou haddest forgotten all other thynges and wouldest taske thy selfe to me alone For thou euer shewest thy selfe present thou euer offerest thy selfe ready if thou finde me ready Whether soeuer I go thou forsakest me not except I forsake thée first Where soeuer I be thou departest not from me For thou art euery where so as whiche way soeuer I go I may finde thée by whom I may be that I perish not without thee sith I cannot be without thée I coÌ„fesse in déede that what soeuer I do and where soeuer I do it I do it before thée what soeuer I do thou séest it better then I that do it For what soeuer I am workyng thou art euer standyng at myne elbow a continuall beholder of all my thoughtes intentes delightes doinges Lord all my desire is euer before thée al my thoughts are before thée Lord thou knowest froÌ„ whence my spirite commeth where it resteth and whether it departeth for thou art the weyer of all spirites Thou knowest right well whether the roote that seÌ„deth forth faire leaues abroad be swéete or bitter yea thou searchest narrowly eueÌ„ the very pith of the rootes within as a iudge and by the discussing light of thy truth thou considerest numbrest vewest and perusest not onely the intent but also the very innermost pith of the roote of it that thou mayst render vnto euery man not onely accordyng to hys worke or intent but also euen accordyng to the very inward hidden pith of the roote of them out of which the intent of the worker procéedeth What soeuer I purpose when I worke what soeuer I thinke and wherein soeuer I delight thou séest it thyne eares heare it thyne eyes behold it and coÌ„sider it thou markest it thou takest heede of it thou notest it and thou writest it in thy booke be it good or euill that afterward thou mayst render for the good reward for the euill punishment at such tyme as thy bookes shal be opened and men shal be iudged accordyng to the thinges that be written in thy bookes And peraduenture this is it that thou mentest when thou saydest vnto vs I will consider the last of them which is ment when it is sayd of thée O Lord hee considereth the ende of all thinges For in all thinges that we do thou vndoutedly regardest more the end of the intent then the act of the deede Now when I consider this O Lord my God which art terrible and mightie I am abashed with feare of thine excéeding strength bycause it staÌ„deth vs greatly on hand to lyue iustly and vprightly for asmuch as we do all thinges in the presence of the iudge that séeth all thynges ¶ That man can do nothing of him selfe without Gods grace MOst puissant and mighty-workyng God the creator of the spirites of all flesh whose eyes are vppon all the wayes of Adams children from the day of their birth to the day of their departure to giue vnto euery of theÌ„ accordyng to his workes either good or euil shew me how I may confesse myne owne pouertie For I sayd I
my selfe would I neuer so fayne Great is the multitude of my miseries within me For why to will is present with me but I finde not how to bring to passe To will the thyng that is good I am not able except thou will it neither cā I do that I would do except thy power do strengthen me Agayne that which I cā do of tymes I haue no will to do vnlesse thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen And though I both wil and can yet wote I not how to do vnlesse thy wisedome inlighten me Yea and although sometymes I haue knowledge ioyned both with will and with abilitie yet doth my wisedome passe away imperfect emptie vnlesse I be helped by thy true wisedome All thinges are in thy will and there is none that can resiste thy will O Lorde of all thinges which hast the souereintie ouer all flesh and doost what thou listest in heauen in earth in the Sea and in all déepe places Therfore let thy wil be done in vs vpon whē thy name is called so as this noble handiworke of thine perish not whiche thou hast created to shine own honor And what man is he if he were borne of a womā that liueth and shall not sée death or can deliuer his owne soule from the hand of hell except thou onely which art the liuely way of all life wherby all things liue do rescue him ¶ That mās will is vnable to doe good workes without the grace of God. I Haue euen now confessed vnto thée that thou art the stay of my lyfe O Lord my God the strēgth of my welfare The time hath bene that I haue trusted in myne owne strength which notwithstandyng was no strength And so whē I wold haue runne where I thought my selfe to stād fastest there did I most fall and was rather cast behynde then set foreward and the thyng that I thought to catch was further and further of frō me So tryest thou my strēgth by many like things Now know I that thou hast inlightened me For looke what I thought my selfe best able to do that was I euer least able to do of my selfe For I sayd I will do this and I will go through with that but whē it came to the point I could doe none of them both When I had a will to doe it I wanted ablenesse and when I was able I wanted will bycause I trusted to myne own strength But now I acknowledge vnto thee O Lord my God the father of heauen and earth that it is not in mans power to strengthē him selfe least the foolish presumptuousnesse of any flesh should boast it selfe before thée For man is not able to be willing to do that he can nor to can the thyng that he is willing to do or to know the thing that he both would and could do but rather thou art he that guidest mens steppes I say the steppes of them whiche acknowledge thē selues to be guided not by them selues but by thée We beséech thée therfore O Lord by the bowels of thy mercy that thou wilt saue that which thou hast created for if thou wilt thou cāst saue vs and in thy will resteth the power of our saluation ¶ Of Gods olde benefites LOrd remember thyne olde mercyfulnesse wherby thou hast preuented vs with thy swéet blessinges euen from the begynning For before that I the sonne of thy hādmayd was borne thou O Lord my hope while I hāged yet vppon my mothers brestes didst preuent me making my way for me wherein to walke that I might come to the glory of thy house Before thou didst shape me in my mothers wōbe thou knewest me and before I was borne thou didst foreordeine of me what soeuer pleased thée How and what things are written of me in the secret booke of thy Consistorie truly I know not and therefore I am sore afrayde But thou knowest it for what soeuer I looke for by succession of dayes and tymes a thousand yeare hence in this mortall world that is already done in the sight of thy euerlastingnesse and the thing that is to come is already in doyng Now then for asmuch as I stand in this night of darknesse and know not these thinges feare and trembling are come vpon me bycause I sée that many daungers preace vpon me on all sides and many enemyes hunt after me and I am beset round about with an innumerable multitude of miseries in this life And if thy helpe were not presēt with me in these so great miseries I should despaire But I haue a great hope of thée O most méeke prince my God and the considering of the multitude of thy compassions chéereth my hart The former signes of thy mercy whiche preuented me before I was borne and haue now specially shyned out vpon me do assure my hope of the better and perfecter rewardes of thy goodnesse whiche thou reseruest for thy frendes that I may reioyse in thée O Lorde my God with the holy and liuely ioye wherewith thou alwayes chéerest vp my youth Of Gods predestination and foreknowledge TEache me O bottomlesse déepe O wisedome the creator whiche hast counterpeysed the moūtaines hils by weight and hāged the masse of the earth by thrée fingers in the balance hale vp the lumpe of this grossenesse whiche I beare about me vnto thée by thy thrée vnsene fingers that I may sée and know how wonderful thou art ouer all the earth O most auncient light which shonest before all light in the hill of thy tymelesse eternitie vnto whom all thinges lay bare and open before they were made O light whiche hatest all spottinesse in asmuch as thou art most cleane and spottelesse what delight canst thou haue in man What agréemēt is there betwen light and darknesse For what is there in man that may delight thée Where canst thou make thée a méete sanctuarie for thy maiestie that thou mayst enter into it and take thy delight and pleasure in the same A cleane parlour becommeth thée O clensing vertue whiche canst not be sene and much lesse possessed but of cleane hartes But where is there in man so cleane a temple as may receiue thée the ruler of the world Who can make that cleane which is conceiued of vncleane séede Truly none but thou who onely art cleane For who cā be made cleane by that which is vncleane For accordyng to the law which thou gauest to our fathers vpō the mountaine burning with fire and in the cloud that couered the darksome water what soeuer an vncleane persō toucheth becōmeth vncleane But all of vs are as a defileth cloth comming of a corrupt and vncleane masse and we beare in our foreheades the spottes of our vncleannesse which we be not able to hide specially from thée who séest all thinges Wherfore we cannot be cleane except thou make vs cleane who onely art cleane And of vs sonnes of men thou makest those cleane whom it pleaseth thée to dwell in whō by the