he that in creating thee seemed so excellent high that in repayring thee semed so lowly is no lesse wonderful in the latter worke then hee was in the former In the former he mightely gaue great thinges vnto thee and in the latter hee mercifullye suststeyned sharpe thinges for thee For to the ende that he myght aduance thee again to that from the which thon wast fallen he disdained not to descend hither where thou art and that it myght fullye be restored to thee which thon hadst lost hee was willinge to suffer that whiche thou didst deserue He descended therefore vndertooke suffered ouercame and restored He descended to mortallitye he toke vpon him freylty he suffered paine ouercame death and restored man Behould these thinges O thou my Soule and be astonished at these so great wonders and at these benefits exhibited for thy sake Consider how much he loued thee that vouched safe to doo so much so manye thinges for thee Thou wast beutyfull by his gyfte and thou became foule through thyne own iniquitie Againe thou were clensed and purified by his mercy his loue yet working on euerye syde to helpe thee In tymes past when thou were not he loued to create thee when thou were foule and yl fauored he loued to beutyfie thee And finally to shew thee of his loue the feruency hee woulde delyuer thee from death by none other meanes then by dying for thee And all to vtter therin not so much the benefit of his mercy as the great vehemency of his charity and loue With great bounty therfore hath this louing Creator poured the breath of life into the first Man his creature but with muche more loue hath hee for that selfe Man and creature geuen and bestowed not his goodes but him selfe Greatly then doth this set forth Gods goodnes towardes me that I am his workmanship but much more doth this cōmende it that he made hym selfe the price of my redemption The rather bicause that my redemption was wyth so royall a price performed that man therein might seme a prisoner not vnfyt by God to be raūsomed O happy fault of myne for the purging of the which while my Soueraigne Lord is drawen with that loue affection his loue is opened and reuealed vnto me greatly longing and coueting to peruse the same For I should neuer haue knowen hys loue so fullye had not my great peryls proportioned myne experience accordingly O how happelye therefore fell I that after my fall was raysed againe more happelye Ther is no loue greater no zeale purer no charitie hollyer no affection feruenter then that an Innocent vouched safe to dye for me finding in me no cause to loue or to fauour me Tell me therefore O Lord what it is that thou hast so loued in me and so dearelye loued that thou wouldest needes dye for me what hast thou found in me of that qualitie or nature that might make thee to be wylling to suffer for me such crueltie ¶ The seuenth Chapter ¶ Of the benefite of God in callyng vs to the fayth ANd thou my Soule to th end thou mayest behold thys loue more perfectlye and ioy in it more aboundantlye ponder with thy selfe how many and how worthy in comparison of thee are left forlorne refused and vtterlye cast awaye that coulde neuer attayne to the grace which thou hast geuen vnto thee Surely thou hast heard say that from the beginning of the world to this day many generations haue passed all the which without the knowledge of God and the price of their redemption are fallen into the lappes of euerlastyng destruction And hereby appeareth that thy redemer preferred thee before them all when hee gaue thee his grace so frankly and freelye which none of them all could get or come by and yet why thou were taken and chosen before them or why he dealt with thee more louingly then wyth thē thou canst finde in thy selfe no cause but onely the mere loue of thy merciful Sauiour Thy Spouse therefore thy Louer thy God and thy Redeemer hath both chosen forechosen thee He hath chosen thee I say in all ▪ and hath taken thee from among all and hath loued thee in all and called thee also by hys owne name that the remembraunce and memoriall of him might remaine with thee for euer He woold haue thee partaker of his name and partaker of the truth of his name bycause hee hath annoynted thee with that selfe oyle of gladnes with the which him selfe was annointed that of the anointed thou mightest be anointed bycause that of Christ thou art called a Christian But were thou stronger were thou wyser were thou nobler or were thou ritcher then they all in that thou hast atchiued this speciall grace ouer aboue before them all How manye strong how many wyse how many noble how manye ritch were there in those dayes and yet all they forsaken haue perished euery one highly therfore hast thou stād in his fauoure and greate I confesse is the bonntye which he hath extended towardes thee For when thou wast foule and polluted deformed also and miserably defiled ragged and torne ougsome and grysely and as one that was fulfylled of lothsomnes and enormity so God thy Lord loued thee that with all the giftes of his grace hee vouched safe to enritche thee Take this therefore for an absolute resolution that excepte thou endeuour with great and earnest study to adorne and decke thy selfe to recouer thy first comelines and decency thou shalt neuer be thought meete to be brought into the Bride chamber of thy spouse that is glorious celestial and heauenly Now therfore while thou hast tyme opportunity trym and dresse thy selfe O my Soule sleeke vp thy foreheade facion thy face frame thine attyre fret of thy freckles rub of thy warts wash away thy spots smoth thy wrinkles be all hansome and cleanlye amend thy behauiour and with all thy might and mayne set all thinges in good order that thou maist be accepted of so louinge a Spouse Prepare thy selfe I say as becommeth the Bryde of him that is immortall and as besemeth the Spouses of a Kyng celestial ¶ The eyght Chapter ¶ Of the gift of vertues KNow this also O my Soule that thou haste wherewith to decke and adorne thy selfe yet that thou shouldeste not haue of thy selfe if God did not geeue it thee For of him thou haste receiued the vesture and garment of good workes with the fruict of almes fasting and praier besides diuers other vertues wherewith thou maist be garnished trymd and made gorgious as with a robe of variable freshe and sundrye colours And leaste thou shouldest fayle in any poynt he hath bountefully bestowed vpon thee what so euer is knowen partinent to health or refection And what so euer maye repayre comelines or increase thy beuty From the which how plenteous store and distribution presenteth it selfe vnto thee on al sydes I pray thee be aduised diligently to thinke on Thou haddest nothing
thee in as muche as thou hast not bene afearde to fall from my Creator and to ioyne with his aduersary the Deuil the authour of disobedience synne and iniquity The Sunne also might vse this language I ought not to shine nor geue light to thy health safety or saluation but in reuenge of my Lordes quarell who is both light it selfe and of light the fountaine vtterlye to hyde from thee the beames of my beuty And thus might euery creature els controle and taunt me thus might they wreake thier Creators iniury if he who created them did not also restraine them as not willing the death of a synner but that he should turne repent him and lyue It behoueth me therefore O Lord to be the more humbled vnder thy mighty hand and to shew my selfe vnto thee so much the more thankfull obedient and loyall as thy great benefites exact and require I should bee least that differring the punishment of my transgression thou chasten me at thy dreadful comming so much the more greuouslye as thou hast awaited my dutye with patience And thou my Soule perswade thy selfe I pray thee that the long suffering of God hath now long time expected the effect of the election of his predestination which he wyl haue fulfilled in vs through the excessiue loue which hee hath borne and doth beare vs For this is the cause why the Lord hath paciently waited and enclined vnto mee and that he hath turned his eyes from my sinnes as vnwilling to see howe often I haue offended him This is the cause I saye why hee hath dissembled that he myght commend his patience and confirme his loue For this cause as I well remember me he stroke my hart and stirred it vp to beholde the scarres of myne owne synnes and to feele the great griefe and sorenes of the same And for this cause he lead and conueyed me to the gates of hell and to the paynes and tormentes prouided for the wicked And to the end that no hurtful consideration of my sins might remaine within me he enspired into me a better comfort and gaue not only hope of remission but also a full and perfect pardon And so fully did he pardon mee that neither reuenge can condemne me nor vpbraiding confouÌ„d me nor imputing diminish his zeale or loue towardes me Yet there be some in the world and those no small many that in such sort pardon iniurie as though they reuenged it not yet they cast it in the teeth And other ther be also that albeit they be silent hold their tounges and say nought yet they reserue the malice in the bottom of their stomake and vnder the cloke of silence hide spite and rancour But neither of these sortes pardoneth according to the rules of Gods loue and charitye And therefore very farre from these differeth the most mercyfull nature of God which alwaies dealeth plainly and pardoneth and forgeueth so fully and freely that the constant fayth of the synners that do repent their sins and forethinke their offences may wyth Paules wordes be comforted that wher aboundance of synne was there grace is more plentifull Witnes saint Peter who after he had thrise denied his Maister by a tripple commaundement was of Christ his Church made a Shepheard and Pastor Saint Paule also of an enemie and persecutor of the Gospell was made a vessel of election and a teacher of the Heathen Euen as Mathew of a tole gatherer was made an Apostle and the first in the new testament that wrote any Gospell ¶ The .xiii. Chapter ¶ Of the gift of continencie BVt after all theese thynges which are right many as you see God also gaue mee the gift of continencie Continencie I meane not onely from carnalitie but also from all other vices whatsoeuer they be called So that I who in former tyme coulde scantlye forbeare a thyng three dayes together can nowe through Gods helpe forbeare it for euer And thereby finde occasion right iustlye to say that he that is mighty hath done great thinges for mee But some man perhaps thinketh that continencie is a matter of ease and light of importance But so thinke not I I wyll ensure you for I knowe what enemies it hath and of what might they be and therfore how needeful it is for it to be sturdy strong to resist and withstand suche a broode of impiety The first and chiefe enemy that continency hath is our owne flesh whilest it lusteth and coueteth agaynst the spirite And what a familiar enemy is this trow you Or how perilous is the conflict that groweth hereby Or how secrete how sore is the fiâ—ht like to be wher the enemy hath such might and oportunitye to hurt Truly my Soule this foe is most dauÌ„gerous most sterne most cruel most vnnaturall and tirannous Neither is ther any way to flee or to escape her nor any meanes or policy to put her to flight but maugre our heades we must beare her about vs because she is euer lynked and tyed vnto vs And therefore what is more perilous wretched or miserable then to be not onelye forced to feede and sustaine her but also to be prohibited to do her hurt or harme Thou seest then what neede thou hast carefullye to beware and to kepe thy selfe from that foe whom thou sufferest to sleepe in thyne own lappe and bosome But well were thee my Soule hadst thou none other enemie or if this one were al thou were thrise happy and fortunate But alas the while ther is one other as stout sturdy cruel daungerous hurtful as she as hard also to be escaped whersoeuer thou doest bestow thy selfe For he doth enuiron and compasse thee round about And which way soeuer thou conuert or turne thee he is ready and at hand to assault encounter thee This enemy is this present wicked world which by fiue gates which are thy fyue senses wouÌ„deth thee with his dartes and shifteth in death at thine own wyndowes The third is that common aduersarye sworne deadlye foe to all Adams posteritie that old subtile Serpent I meane which is more crafty and wylye then all other creatures either ar or can be This enemy is he whom no eye can discerne therefore to auoyde him passeth mans abilitie For sometime he assaulteth vs openly and violently sometime he stealeth on vs secretlye and guilefullye and alwaies continueth his crueltie and malice seekyng to oppresse vs by myght sleight or pollicie And who is able to endure all this Or who is fyt to encouÌ„ter this Champion Verely no man but hee that hath loued vs and that by hys triumphaÌ„t death hath atchiued this victorie for vs Thou maiest therfore know O my Soule howe hard difficult it is to be continent and what God geueth to make it easy for vs And therby the more entirely to loue him for assisting vs with his grace when we shoulde otherwyse faynt through our own frailty weakenes For onely in
and much was geuen thee that was geuen thou hadst lost it was restored vnto thee whereby thou art assured that thou shalt neuer be left destitute but in such sort rather as thou shalt haue many folde occasion to know and to see how entirely he loueth thee that is thy Paramour He is loth my Soule to lose thee and that is the cause why he awayteth thy loyalty with such patience and long sufferaunce geuing thee leaue and liberty accordinge to the multitude of his mercye so often to repent thee as thou cōmittest any folly And now recorde call to memory how many maye be foūd which with thee haue receued al that I haue recited and yet haue not with thee obtained that fauour in thē to haue renued what soeuer they haue impaire◠which beinge considered thou haste iust cause to thinke that thou art yet loued more then they al for that the things by thee lost are so beningly restored which to them by thē lost are so strictly denied For thou by his grace bounty wer neuer denied to worke wel wisely Therfore if thou redely do great things thou art mercyfullye aduaunced and if thou hardly do small thinges thou art worthely humbled For he knoweth what is good for thee better then thy selfe doest and therefore if thou wylt haue a good dutyfull opinion of him vnderstand and conceiue that whatsoeuer he doth to thee is both good and well done Such is the loue of God towardes vs that the infirmitie of man endureth nothing but that by his goodnes is disposed to our profit Perhaps thou hast not the grace of strength to do vertues but whilest thou art shaken with the suggestion of vyces thou art made more strong in thyne humilitie For weakenes with humilitye hath a better sauour in the presence of God then pride of mynde hath with the strength of vertue Be not therefore so bold or malapert as any wai to presume to preiudice Goddes disposition but alwaies with feare and reuerence addresse thy praiers to God that he may vouchsafe to helpe thee as he knoweth it most fyt and expedient for thee And that if as yet any euyl remain in thee he may mercifully redresse it and that if anye goodnes begun in thee be not yet finished he may bountifully accomplish it and finally conduct and bring thee to him selfe by such way as he him selfe best lyketh ¶ The .ix. Chapter ¶ Of the gyft of vnderstanding and knowledge NOw tel me O my soule what recompence shall we make to the Lord for all the goodnes that we haue receiued of him For hee hath not contented hym selfe to geue vs onely those good things which he hath geuen to others the residue of his creatures but he hath also prouided that in our afflictions we may feele and taste of his loue towardes vs and therby take occasion singularly and that as well in all our aduersities as prosperities to embrace his kyndnes in the armes of our loue Saye we therefore in our selues vse we this meditacion Lord thou hast geuen vs the grace to knowe thee and more then to other creatures thou haste disclosed and opened thy secretes vnto vs by framing our vnderstandyng to conceaue thy hydden misteries Other our Equals Mates and companions as well in age as dignitye thou hast left lyinge in ignoraunce and the darknes of infidelity but to vs thou haste showen the lyght of thy grace veritie and truth more then to other of Adams children For vnto vs thou haste geuen capable sence easy vnderstanding fast memory strength in working grace in conuersion mayntenaunce in prosperity profit in study wyt in conceyts cōfort in aduersity and which way souer we tourne thy grace and thy mercy doth preuēt and go before vs For right often my Soule when as to oure selues we semed vtterly wast and consumed he did sodainly relieue vs when we wandred and went astray he brought vs into the way when we were ignorant he taught vs when we were sad he did comfort vs when we were fallen he did reare vs vp and when we stoode he did hold and stay vs from falling Finally he gaue vs the grace more verelye to knowe hym more purely to loue him more sincerely to beleue in him and more feruently to follow him then he gaue it to any other of his creatures Therefore O Lord my God the swetenes of my lyfe the lyght of myne eyes what recompence shall I make thee for all that thou hast done for me wilt thou that I shal loue thee then teach me how and how greatly I shall do it For who am I that I may loue thee my strength my Lord my stedfastnes my refuge and my deliuerance my God my helper my defender the horne of my saluation and my maintainer what shall I say more but my Lord and my God. ¶ The .x. Chapter ¶ Of God his prouident care ouer vs. FOr manifolde innumerable are the good thynges which thou hast done for me O lord my God and of them to think and to speake shall it alwaies be sweete and pleasant vnto me the rather if thou Lord shalt make me thankfull that I may praise and loue thee for all thy benefites Loe my Soule thou hast nowe thy pledge and thy pledge doth manifest shew forth thy Spouse Keepe it therfore vntouched keepe it vndefiled keepe it vnpolluted kepe it safe kepe it whole keepe it cleane keepe it sounde For albeit thou were sometime defiled thou art nowe made honest and a Virgin againe according to the naturall operatiō of his loue which wonteth to restore puritie to the corrupted and in them that ar pure to kepe chastity vnspotted Occupy therefore thy cogitacion alwaies busy thy self in thinking how mercifully he hath dealt with thee therin ponder how greatlye hee loueth thee in that hee neither suffereth his benefit to be wanting vnto thee nor thee to be ignoraunt how diuersly thou enioyest it And this say I to thee because that so often as I note or marke the course of his mercy it seemeth to mee that God doth nothyng els if I may so saye but onely prouide for my saluation For I see him so wholy occupied and busyed in keping of me as if he had forgotten all other thynges onely to attende me so continuallye is God present with mee so continuallye doth he offer him selfe ready for me that which way soeuer I turne me he neuer forsaketh me wheresoeuer I become he neuer goeth from me whatsoeuer I do he doth still assist me Finally he is the perpetuall beholder of all my doinges and so much as may beseeme or become his goodnes as an vnseperable workeman together with me he stādeth by me and doth not onely help and set forward what wanteth in me but also pacientlye perfiteth theffect of his workemanship And hereby it appeareth that albeit hys face cannot yet be sene of vs his presēce notwithstandinge is euermore with vs But what is the
iustice I am called by Gods mercy and grace I wyll yet nowe proceede and go somewhat further namely in the contemplation of his further benignitie in that my Parentes haue brought me vp in suche state and safetye that the fire hath not burnt mee nor the water drowned mee nor the Deuil possessed me nor Beastes deuoured me nor any fall or mischaunce hath caught or destroyed me but that I am growen vp to competent age to professe my faith in Gods loue and fauour ¶ The .xii. Chapter ¶ Of the pacience and long suffering of God. GReat therefore is the pity and infinite is the mercy O Lord my God which thou hast vsed towardes me And albeit that thou art in all thy workes wonderfull yet art thou thought most marueylous in the bowels of thy loue For thou despisest no man thou reiectest no man thou abhorrest no man but onelye suche but as madly abhorreth witlesly lotheth or dreadfully doth forsake thee These are therefore thy giftes O Lorde these are thy ritches these are thy treasures with the which thou hast endued me in the multitude of thy mercy namely that thou hast sundry and often times deliuered me when I was in daunger that in my synnes thou hast neyther left nor forsaken me but that when I was vnmyndfull thou dydst put me in remembraunce of thee when I was turned froÌ„ thee thou diddest call me back vnto theer when I came to thee thou didst gently receue me and when I repented thou didst mercifully pardon me For not onlye the synnes which I committed but those also which by thy protection I eschewed and escaped within compasse of thy pardon are benignly conteyned And as I fel into many synnes and offences so if thou hadst not saued me into farre many moe had I fallen and runne head-long But I well remember me that by three special meanes thou didst preserue me from doing the wickednes which otherwise I had done that is by withdrawing the occasion in strengthenyng me in resisting and by keeping and continuing me in the foundnes of affection For if occasion had bene left at libertye manifold are the offences which I shuld haue incurred But so great was the mercye of my Lord and God towardes me that no such oportunitie could arrest or hold me And with much ado had I bene stayed from the doubling of myne iniquity the violence of temptation ther to so greuouslye vrging as euerye man hath feeling in his owne frailtie hadst not thou my Lord with strength assisted me not onelye to vanquish my lust and appetite to treade vnder my feete my fleshly desire but also to withdrawe my consent from the concupiscence whych would haue forced me to fulfyl the longing and liking which I felt in my members But from certain synnes O Lord thy fauour and indulgence stirred with pity dyd so far estraunge me that I vtterlye abhorred them in my hart and so hated and loathed the fylth of their iniquitie that no suggestion of the same had might or power to touch me Neyther is this O Lord the least point of thy pity nor the meanest token of thy goodnes bounty that notwithstanding the hugenes of mine iniquity wretch that I am and notwythstandyng that I haue vnkindly kindled thee and by doing euyll in thy sight prouoked thy furye stirred vp thy mood and deserued thy wrath against me notwithstanding I saye that I haue greuouslye synned thou of thy mercy hast paciently suffered euen yet doest forbeare to punish my wyckednes For if I repent thou pardonest me if I retourne thou receiuest mee And while I differre to repent by presumption or securitye thou doest pawse in thy patience and gently tariest for me When I wander thou doest waifte me into the way of thy verity againe when I striue or resist thou doest vanquish conqner me When I loyter or linger in the leases of fantasy thou doest either prick me forward or louingly stay for me WheÌ„ I reuert to thy wayes to walke in thy pathes and to trace thy foote steppes thou doest forth with receaue and courteously embrace me When I am ignorant thou doest teache and instructe me when I mourn or lament thou doest calme coÌ„fort me when I fall or stumble thou doest stay and reare me vp when I am in decaye thou doest repayre me When I craue or aske thou geuest largely wheÌ„ I seke thee I fynde thee when I knock thou openest vnto me Finally thou art my loadsman to good lyfe my staffe and staye to walke by so as I neither want wyll nor cunning through thy gyfts and grace to walke directly in thy way And this also O Lord is worthy of admiration that not onely in my youth before I was able to aske or had discretion to desire or know but also in myne age when I was able throughe thee to aske and â—â—aue of thee when I coulde seeke thee when I could desire thee when I could rest in thy mercye and cleaue faste vnto thee of thy free grace and bountye thou gauest me many gifts then also when I neither craued nor sought nor desired them but retchlesly and carelesly set all at naught But yet I esteme this as the greatest benefite which thou haste bestowed vpoÌ„ me that thou gaue to me thine Angels to garde and to keepe me from the daye of my birth tyll the day of my death The contemplation wherof constrained not onely a certaine holy father to say That great is the dignitie of the Elect whych haue for their Gardians God his holy Angels but the wyse man also to confesse that the Soules of the righteous are in the hand of God Neither cease I here to commend thy pity sithens with such patience thou hast borne mine offences For I rather think my selfe bound to double thy prayse and to geue thee thankes with all my might For as muche as thou hast not required me according to my synfulnes nor suffered the earth to swallow me nor fire froÌ„ heauen to touche me nor lyghtening to burne me nor the riuers to drenche me nor any other paine perill death or destruction as I haue well deserued to trouble or afflict me For when by synne I went away from thee I not onely deserued thine anger and indignation but iustlye also prouoked eche creature of thine to maligne me And no maruayle for if any mans thrall or seruant do run from his Maister he doth not onelye exasperate his Maister against him bnt also all his seruantes friendes and familye Therfore when I displeased thee O Lord my God Creatour of me and of al thinges being I iustly for myne offence moued euery creature to bee offended at me So that if the whole world should for thy sake conspire to fight against me or any way els to molest or trouble me I haue no cause to complaine that I suffered wrong or iniurye For the earth might say vnto me I ought not to beare thee but rather to swallowe