Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	bear_v	die_v	live_v	5,060	5	5.3319	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13678	The following of Christ translated out of Latin into Englishe, newlie corrected and amended. VVherento also is added the golden epistle of Sainct Bernarde. And nowe lastelie the rules of a Christian lyfe, made by Iohn Picus the elder earle of Mirandula.; Imitatio Christi. English.	Cyprian, Saint, d. 304. [Swete and devoute sermon of mortalitie of man]. aut; Whitford, Richard, fl. 1495-1555?; Elyot, Thomas, Sir, 1490?-1546.; Bernard, of Clairvaux, Saint, 1090 or 91-1153. Epistola de perfectione vitae. English. aut; Pico della Mirandola, Giovanni, 1463-1494. Regulae duodecim portim excitantes portim dirigentes hominem in pugna spirituali. English.; Thomas, à Kempis, 1380-1471, attributed name.	1585 (1585)	STC 23968; ESTC S103013	152,704	352

let him be kinde and thankefull for such grace as he hath receaued patient when it is withdrawen and praye deuoutlie that it may shortlie come againe Let him be meeke and lowa in spirite that he lose it not agayne through his presumption and pride of hart Of the small number of the louers of the Crosse The .11 Chapter IEsus hath many louers of his kingdome of heauen but he hath fewe bearers of his crosse Manie desire his consolation but fewe desire his tribulation He findeth many felowes at eatinge and drinkinge but he findeth fewe that will be with him in his abstinēce and fastinge All men would ioye with Christ but fewe would any thinge suffer for Christe Many folowe him to the breakinge of his breade for their bodilye refection but few will folowe him to drinke a draught of the Chalice of his passion Manie maruayle and honour his miracles but fewe will folowe the shame of his crosse of his other vilanies Manie loue Iesu so longe as no aduersitie foloweth to them and can prayse him and blesse him when they receyue any benefit of him but if Iesu a litle withdraw him selfe from them and a litle forsake them anone they fall to some great grudginge or to ouergreat defection or into open desperation But they that loue Iesu purelie for him selfe and not for their owne profite and commoditie they blesse him as hartilie in temptation and tribulatiō and in all other aduersities as they doe in tyme of consolation And yf he neuer sent them consolation yet woulde they alway laude him and prayse him O how may the loue of Iesu doe to the helpe of a soule if it be pure and cleane not mixt with any inordinate lone to him selfe truelie nothing more May not they then that euer looke for worldlie comfortes and for worldlie consolations be called worldly inarchants and worldly louers rather then louers of God do they not openlye shewe by their dedes that they rather loue them selfe than God yes truelye O where maye be founde anye that will serue God freely and purelye without looking for some rewarde for it agayne And where may be founde any so spirituall that he is cleerelye deliuered and bereft from loue of him selfe and that is truely poore in spirite and is whollye auoyded from loue of creatures I trowe noue suche can be found but it be far hence and in far countryes If a man geue all his substaunce for God yet he is naught and if he doe great penaunce for his sinnes yet he is but litle and if he haue great cunning and knowledge yet he is far from vertue and if he haue greate vertue and brenninge deuotion yet much wanteth in him And that is specially one thing which is moste necessarye to him what is that that all thinges forsaken and him selfe also forsaken he go cleerely from him selfe and keepe nothinge to him selfe of anye priuate loue and whē he hath done all that he ought to doe that he feele in him selfe as he had nothinge done nor that he thinke it great that some other might thinke great but that he thinke him selfe truely as he is an vnprofitable feruant for the authour of truth our Sauiour Christe saith when ye haue done all that is commaunded you to doe yet saye that ye be but vnprofitable seruauntes Then he that can thus doe may well be called poore in spirite and naked of priuate loue and he may well say with the prophete Dauid I am vnited in God and am poore and meeke in heart There is none more riche none more free nor any of more power then he that can forsake him selfe and all passinge thinges and that truelye can holde him selfe to be lowest and vilest of all other Of the vvay of the Crosse and bovve profitable patience is in aduersitie The 12. Chapter THe wordes of our Sauiour ●e thought very harde and greeuous whē he saith thus Forsake your leife take the Crosse and folowe me But much more greeuous shall it be to heare these wordes at the last daye of iudgement Go ye from me ye cursed people into the fire that euer shall last But those that nowe gladlie heare and folowe the wordes of Christ whereby he counsaileth them to folowe him shall not then neede to dreade for hearinge those wordes of euerlastinge damnation The signe of the Crosse shall appere in heauē when our Lorde shall come to iudge the worlde and the seruantes of the Crosse who conformed them selues here in this life to Christe crucified on the Crosse shal go to Christe their Iudge with greate fayth and trust in him VVhy doest thou then dreade to take this Crosse sith it is the verye waye to the kingdome of heauen and none but that In the Crosse is health in the Crosse is life in the Crosse is defense from our enemies in the crosse is infusion of heauenlie sweetnes in the Crosse is the strength of minde the ioye of spirite the highnes of vertue and the full perfection of all holines and there is no health of soule nor hope of euerlasting life but through vertue of the crosse Take therefore the Crosse and folowe Iesus and thou shalt goe into the lyfe euerlastinge He hath gone before thee bearinge his Crosse and died for thee vpon the Crosse that thou shouldest in like wise beare with him the Crosse of penance and tribulation and that thou shouldest be readie likewise for his loue to suffer death if neede require as he hath done for thee If thou die with him thou shalt liue with him and if thou be felowe with him in paine thou shalt be with him in glorie Beholde then how in the Crosse standeth all howe in dyinge to the worlde lieth all our health that there is no other waye to true and inward peace but the waye of the Crosse and of deadlie mortifyinge of the bodie to the spirite So whether thou wilt and seeke what thou list and thou shalt neuer finde aboue thee nor beneath thee within thee nor without thee more high more excellent nor more sure waye to Christ then the waye of the holy crosse Dispose euery thinge after thy will and thou shalt neuer finde but that thou must of necessitie somewhat suffer eyther with thy will or against thy will and so shalt thou alwaye finde the Crosse for either thou shalt feele paine in thy bodie or in thy soule thou shalt haue trouble of spirit Thou shalt be sometime as thou were forsaken of God Sometime thou shalt be vexed with thy neighbour and that is yet more painefull thou shalt sometime be greeuous to thy selfe and thou shalt find no meane to be deliuered but that it behoueth thee to suffer til it shall please almightie god of his goodnes otherwise to dispose for thee for he will that thou shalt learne to suffer tribulation without cōsolatiō that thou mayest therby learne whollie to submit thy selfe to him and by tribulation to be made more meeke then thou were

at the first No man feeleth the passion of Christe so effectuouslie as he that feeleth like paine as Christe did This Crosse is alway readie and euery where it abideth thee and thou mayest not flee nor fullie escape it whersoeuer thou become for in what place soeuer thou art thou shalt beare thy selfe about with thee and so alwaye shalt thou finde thy selfe Turne thee where thou wilt aboue thee beneath thee within thee and without thee and thou shalt finde this crosse on euery side so that it shall be necessarie for thee that thou alwaye keepe thee in patience and that it behoueth thee to doe if thou wilt haue inwarde peace and deserue the perpetuall crowne in heauen If thou wilt gladlie beare this Crosse it shall beare thee and bringe thee to the ende that thou desirest where thou shalt neuer after haue any thinge to suffer And if thou beare this Crosse against thy will thou makest a great burden to thy selfe and it will be the more greeuous to thee and yet it behoueth thee to beare it And if it happen thee to put away one crosse that is to saye one tribulatiō yet surely another will come and happlie more greeuous then the first was Trowest thou to escape that neuer yet any mortal man might escaped VVhat Saint in this world hath beene without this Crosse without some trouble Trulie our Lorde Iesu was not one houre without some sorowe and payne as longe as he liued here for it behoued him to suffer death and to rise againe and so to enter into his glorie and how is it then that thou seekest any other waye to heauen then this plaine high waye of the Crosse All the life of Christ was Crosse and martyrdome and thou seekest pleasure and ioy Thou errest greatlie if thou seeke anye other thinge then to suffer For all this mortall life is full of miseries and is all beset about and marked with Crosses the more highlie that a man profiteth in soi●ite the more painfull Crosses shall he finde For by the sooth fastnes of Christes loue wherein he daylie increaseth daylie appeareth vnto him more and more the paine of this exile But neuerthelesse a man thus vexed with paine is not left whollie without all comfort for he seeth well that great fruite and high rewarde shall growe vnto him by the bearinge of his Crosse And when a man freelie submitteth him selfe to such tribulatiō then all the burden of tribulation is sodenlie turned into a great trust of heauenlye consolation And the more the fleshe is punished with tribulation the more is the soule strengthned daylie by inwarde consolation And sometime the soule shall feele such comfort in aduersities that for the loue and desire that it hath to be conformed to Christe crucified it woulde not be without sorowe and trouble for it considereth well that the more that it may suffer for his loue here the more acceptable shall he be to him in the life to come But this workinge is not in the power of man but through the grace of God that is to saye that a frayle man should take and loue that which his bodilie kinde so much abhorreth and flieth for it is not in the power of man gladlie to beare the Crosse to loue the Crosse to chastise the bodie and to make it obediēt to the will of the spirite to flee honours gladlie to sustayne reproufes to despise him selfe and to couet to be despised patientlie to suffer aduersities with al displeasures thereof and not to desire any maner of profite in this worlde If thou trust in thy selfe thou shaltneuer bringe this matter about but yf thou trust in God he shall send thee strength from heauen and the worlde and the fleshe shalbe made subiect to thee yea and if thou be strongly armed with faith and be marked with the Crosse of Christ as his housholde seruant thou shalt not neede to feare thy ghostlie enemie for he shall also be made subiect to thee so that he shall haue no power against thee Purpose thy selfe therefore as a true faythfull seruant of God manfullye to beare the Crosse of thy Lorde Iesu that for thy loue was crucified on the Crosse prepare thy selfe to suffer all maner of aduersities and discommodities in this wretched life for so shall it be with thee whersoeuer thou hide thee and there is no remedie to escape but that thou must keepe thy selfe alwaye in patience If thou desire to be a deare and well beloued frende of Christ drinke effectuouslie with him a draught of the chalice of his tribulation As for consolations commit them to his will that he order them as he knoweth most expediēt for thee but as for thy selfe for as much as in thee is dispose thee to suffer when tribulatiōs come take them as speciall consolations sayinge with the Apostle thus The passiōs of this world be not worthy of them selues to bringe vs to the glorye that is ordeined for vs in the life to come yea though thou thy selfe mightest suffer asmuch as all men do VVhē thou cōmest to that degree of patience that tribulatiō is sweete to thee for the loue of God is sauoury pleasaūt in thy sight then maiest thou trust that it is wel with thee that thou art in good estate for thou haste founde paradise in earth But as long as it is greeuous to thee to suffer and thou seekest to flee so long it is not well with thee neither art thou in the perfect way of patiēce but if thou couldest bringe thy selfe to that estate that thou shouldest be at that is to suffer gladly for God and to dye fully to the worlde then shoulde it shortlye be better with thee and thou shouldest finde great peace but yet although thou were rapt with Paule into the third heauē thou shouldest not therefore be sure without all aduersitie for our Sauiour speaking of S. Paul after he had bene rapt into heauen sayd thus of him I shall shewe him howe many thinges he shall suffer for me To suffer therefore to thee remayneth if thou wilt loue thy Lorde Iesu and serue him perpetually VVould to god that thou wexe worthy to suffer somewhat for his loue O howe great ioye shoulde it be to thee to suffer for him what gladnes to all the Saintes of heauen and howe great edifying to thy neighbour All men cōmend patience and yet fewe men will suffer Righteously thou oughtest to suffer some litle thing for God that sufferest much more for the worlde And knowe this for certaine that after this bodily death thou shalte yet lyue the more that thou canst dye to thy selfe here the more thou beginnest to liue to God No man is apt to receyue the heauenlie rewarde but he haue first learned to beare aduersities for the loue of Christe for nothinge is more acceptable to God nor more profitable to man in this worlde then to be glad to suffer for Christ in somuch that if

Soone may it be lost through negligence that with much labour and speciall grace was hardlie gotten But what shall become of vs in the ende whē we so soone waxe dull and slow Sothlie sorowe and woe shall be to vs if we fail to bodilie rest nowe as though we were in ghostly sikernes whē there appeareth not as yet neither signe nor token of vertue nor of good liuing in our conuersation VVherefore it were expedient to vs that we were yet againe instructed as Nouices to learne good maners it happly there might by that meanes be founde hereafter any trust of amendment and spirituall profite in our conuersation Of the remembraunce of death The .23 Chapter THe hour of death wil shortly come therefore take heede how thou orderest thy selfe for the common prouerbe is true To daye a man to morowe none And when thou arte out of sight thou arte anone out of minde and soone shalt thou be forgottē O the great dulnes and hardnes of mans heart that only thinketh on thinges present litle prouideth for the life to come If thou diddest well thou shouldest so behaue thy selfe in euery deede and in euery thought as thou shouldest in this instant dye If thou haddest a good conscience thou shouldest not muche feare death It were better for thee to leaue sinne then feare death O my deere brother if thou be not readie this daye how shalt thou be readie to morow To morow is a daye vncertaine and thou canste not tel whether thou shalt liue so longe VVhat profite is it to vs to liue longe when we therby so litle amende our life Longe life doth not alwaye bringe vs to amendment but ofte times increaseth more sinne VVoulde to God that we might be one daye well cōuersant in this world Manie recken their yeares of conuersion and yet there is but litle fruite of amendment nor of any good example seene in their conuersation If it be fearefull to die peraduenture it is more perillous to liue long Blessed be those persons that euer haue the houre of death before their eyes and that euerie daye dispose themselues to die If thou euer sawest anye man die remember that thou must needelie goe the same waye In the morninge doubt whether thou shalt liue to night at night thinke not thy selfe sure to liue till to morowe Be alwaye readie and liue in such maner that death finde thee not vnprouided Remember howe many haue died sodenlie and vnprouided for our Lorde hath called them in such an houre as they leaste thought And when that last hour shall come thou shalt begin to feele all otherwise of thy life passed then thou haste done before and thou shalt then sorowe greatlie that thou hast beene so slowe and negligent in the seruice of God as thou haste beene O how happie and wise is he therfore that laboreth nowe to stand in such state in this lyfe as he would be founde in at his death Truely a perfect despising of the worlde and a feruent desire to profite in vertue a loue to be taught a fruitfull labour in workes of penaunce a readie will to obey a forsaking of our selfe and a willing suffering of all aduersities for the loue of God shall geue vs a great truste that we shall die wel Now whilest thou art in health thou mayest doo many good deedes but if thou be sicke I can not tell what thou mayest doe For why fewe be amended through sicknes And likewise they that go muche on pilgrimage be seldome thereby made perfect holye Put not thy trust in thy frendes and thy neighbours neither deferre thy good deedes till after thy death for thou shalt soonet be forgotten then thou weenest Better it is to prouide for thy selfe betime and to send some good deedes before thee then to trust to other who peraduēture will lightly forget thee if thou be not nowe busie for thy selfe for thine owne soule health who shall be busie for thee after thy death Nowe is the time very precious but alas for sorowe that thou spēdest the time so vnprofitablie in the which thou shouldest winne the life euerlasting The time shal come whē thou shalt desire one daye or one houre to amende thee but I wot not whether it shalbe graunted vnto thee O my deere brother from how great perill dreade mightest thou now deliuer thy selfe yf thou wouldest alwaye in this lyfe dreade to offend God and alwaye haue the comminge of death suspect Therefore studye nowe to liue so that at the houre of death thou mayest rather ioye then dreade Learue nowe to dye to the worlde that thou mayest then liue with Christ Learnt also to despise all worldlie thinges that thou mayest then freelye go to Christe Chastise nowe thy bodye with penance that thou mayest then haue a sure and a stedfast hope of saluatiō Thou art a fosle if thou thinke to liue longe sith thou art not sure to lyue one daye to the ende Now many haue beene deceaued through trust of longe life sodenlie haue beene taken out of this worlde or they had thought Nowe ofte hast thou heard say that suche a man was slayne and suche a man was drowned and suche a man fell and brake his necke This man as he eate his meat was strangled and this man as he played tooke his death one with fyre another with yron another with sicknes and some by theft haue sodenly perished And so the ende of all men is death for the life of man as a shadowe sodenly slideth and passeth away Thinke ofte who shall remember thee after thy death and who shall praye for thee Doe nowe forthy selfe all that thou canst for thou wottest not when thou shalt dye nor what shall folowe after thy death VVhilest thou hast time gather thee riches immortall thinke nothing abidingly but on thy ghostly health Set thy study onely on thinges that be of God and that belonge to his honor Make thee frendes against that time worship his Saintes and folowe their steppes that when thou shalt go out of this worlde they may receaue thee into the euerlasting tabernacles Keepe thee as a pilgrime as a strāger here in this world to whom nothing belongeth of worldlye busines Keepe thy hearte alwaye free and lifted vp to God for thou hast no cittie here long abiding Sende thy desires and thy daylie prayers alwaye vpwarde to God and praye perseuerantly that thy soule at the houre of death may blessedly depart out of this world and goe to Christe Of the last iudgement and of the payne that is ordeyned for sinne The 24. Chapter IN all thinges beholde the ende and ofte remember howe thou shalt stande before the high Iudge to whom nothing is hidde who will not be pleased with rew ardes nor receaue any maner excuses but in all thinges wil iudge that is righteous and true O moste vnwise moste wretched sinner what shalt thou then answere to God who knoweth all thy

and commen together sith we so seldome depart without some hurt of conscience This is the cause By our comminge together we thinke to comforte eche other and to refreshe our hearts when we be troubled with vaine imaginations and we speake moste gladly of such thinges as we moste loue or els of thinges that be moste contracious vnto vs. But alas for sorowe all is vaine that we doo for this outward comfort is no litle hinderance of the true inward comfort that commeth of God Therfore it is necessarie that we watche and pray that the time passe not away from vs in ydlenes If it be lawfull and expedient to speake speake then of God and of suche thinges as are to the edifyinge of thy soule or of thy neighbours An euill vse and a uegligence of our ghostly profite maketh vs oftē times to take litle heede how we should speake Neuerthlesse sometime it helpeth right much to the health of the soule a deuout commoning of spirituall thinges specially when men of one minde and spirite in God doo meete and speake and common together The meanes to get peace and of desire to profite in vertues The 11. Chapter VVe might haue much peace if we would not meddle with other mens sayinges and doeinges that belong not vnto vs. How may he longe liue in peace that willfully will medle with other mens busines and that seeketh occasions abroade in the worlde and seldome or neuer gathereth him selfe together in God Blessed be the true simple and meeke persons for they shal haue great plentie of peace VVhy haue many saintes bene so perfectly contemplatiue for they alway studied to mortifie thē selues fro worldly desires that they might freely with al the power of their hart tend to our lord But we be occupied with our passions and be muche busied with transitory thinges it is very seldome that we may fully ouercome any one vice And we be nothing quicke to our dueties wherfore we remayne colde slowe to deuotion If we were perfectly mortifyed to the world and to the fleshe and were inwardly purifyed in soule we shoulde anone sauour heauēly thinges and somewhat shoulde we haue experience of heauenly contemplation The greatest hinderance of the heauenly cōtemplation is for we are not yet cleerly deliuered from al passions and concupiscence ne we enforce not our self to folowe the way that holy Saints haue gone before vs but when any litle aduersitie commeth to vs we be anone cast downe therin and turne vs ouer soone to seeke mans cōfort But if we woulde as strong men and as mightie champiōs fight strongly in this ghostlye battayle we shoulde vndoubtedlye see the helpe of God come in our neede for he is alway redy to helpe al them that trust in him and he procureth occasions of suche battayle to thende we should ouercome and haue the victorye and in the ende to haue the greater reward therfore If we set the ende and perfection of our religion in these outward obseruaunces our deuotiō shal soone be ended VVherfore we must set our axe depe to the roote of the tree that we purged frō al passiōs may haue a quiet minde If we wold euery yeare ouercome one vice we should anone come to perfection But I feare rather that contrariwise we were better and more pure in the beginning of our conuersiō then we be many yeres after we were cōuerted Our feruor and desire to vertue should dayly increase in vs as we increase in age But it is now thought a great thing if we may holde a litle sparcle of the feruor that we had fyrst but if we would at the beginning break the euil inclination that we haue to our selfe and to our owne wil we should after doo vertuous workes easily and with great gladnes of heart It is an harde thing to leaue euil customes but it is more hard to breake our owne wil but it is most harde euermore to lye in payne and endiessye to lose the ioyes of heauen If thou ouercome not small thinges and light howe shalt thou then ouercome the greater Refist therefore quickelie in the beginninge thy euill inclinations and leaue of whollie all thine euill customes least happlie by litle and litle they bringe the after to greater difficultie O if thou wouldest consider how great inwarde peace thou shouldest haue thy selfe and how great gladnes thou shouldest cause in other in behauinge of thy selfe well I suppose verilye thou wouldest be much more diligent to profite in vertue then thou haste bene before this time Of the profite of aduersitie The .12 Chapter IT is good that we haue sometime griefes and aduersities for they driue a man to beholde him selfe and to see that he is here but as in an exile and be learned therby to know that he ought not to put his trust in any worldly thing It is good also that we suffer sometime contradiction and that we be holden of other as euill and wretched and sinfull though we doo well and intend well far such thinges helpe vs to meekenes and mightilye defende vs from vayne glorie pride VVe take God the better to be our iudge and witnes when we be outwardlie despised in the worlde and that the worlde iudgeth not well of vs. Therefore a man ought to settle him selfe so fullie in God that what aduersitie so euer befall vnto him he shall not nede to seke any outward cōfort VVhen a good mā is troubled or tēpted or is inquieted with euill thoughtes then he vnderstādeth knoweth that God is most necessarie to him that he may nothinge doo that is good without him Then he soroweth waileth prayeth for the miseries that he rightfully suffereth Thē it yrketh him also the wretchednes of this life he coueteth to be dissolued frō this bodie of death to be with Christ And thē also he seeth well that there may be no ful peace nor perfect quietnes here in this world Of temptations to be resisted The 13. Chapter AS longe as we liue ī this world we may not be fully without temptation For as Iob sayth temptation is the life of man vpon earth therefore euery man should beware well against his tēptations and watche in prayers that the ghostly enemy finde not time place to deceiue him which neuer sleepeth but alwaye goeth about seekinge whom he may deuoure There is no man so perfect nor so holye in this worlde that he sometime hath not temptations And we may not fully be without thē for though they be for the time verye greeuous and painfull yet if they be resisted they be verye profitable for a man by experiēce of such temptations is made more meeke and is also purged informed in diuers maner which he should neuer haue knowen but by experience of suche temptations All blessed Sainctes that nowe be crowned in heauē grewe and profited by temptations and tribulations and those that coulde not well beare temptations but were finallye ouercome be taken

my selfe but to thee VVoulde to God it might be worthilye and profitablye and to thy honoure Amen A prayer that the vvill of God be alvvaye fulfilled The 17. Chapter MOst benigne Lorde Iesu graunt me thy grace that it maye be alway with me and worke with me and perseuer with me vnto the end And that I may euer desire and wil that is most pleasaunt and acceptable to thee Thy will be my will and my will alwaye to folowe thy will best accord therewith Be there alwaye in me one will and one desire with thee and that I may haue no power to will or to not will but as thou wilt or wilt not And graunt me that I maye dye to all thinges that be in the world and for thee to loue to be despised and to be as a man vnknowen in this world Graunt me also aboue all thinges that can be desired that I may rest me in thee and fullye in thee pacifye my heart for thou Lord art the very true peace of heart and the perfect rest of bodye and soule and without thee all thinges be greeuous and vnquiet VVherefore in that peace that is in thee one high one blessed and one endlesse goodnes shall I alwaye rest me so may it be Amen That the verye true solace comfort is in god The .18 Chapter VVhat at soeuer I may desire or thinke to my cōfort I abide it not here but I trust to haue it hereafter for if I alone might haue all the solace and comfort of this worlde might vse the delites thereof after mine owne desire without sinne it is certaine that they might not long endure wherefore my soule may not fully be comforted nor perfectly refreshed but in God onely who is the comfort of the poore in spirite and the embracer of the meeke and lowly in heart Abide my soule abide the promise of god thou shalt haue aboundance of all goodnes in heauen If thou inordinatelye couete these goodnes present thou shalt lose the goodnes eternal Haue therfore goods present in vse and eternall in desire Thou mayest in no maner be satiate with temporal goodes for thou art not created so to vse thē as to rest thee in them for if thou alone haddest all the goodes that euer were created made thou mightest not theefore be happy and blessed but thy blessedfulnes and full felicitie standeth only in God that hath made all thinges of nought And that is not such felicitie as is commended of the foolishe louers of the worlde but such as good christen men women hope to haue in the blisse of heauen and as some ghostlye persons cleane and pure in heart sometime doe taste here in this present life whose conuersation is in heauen All worldly solace and all mans comfort is vaine and short but that comfort is blessed and soothfast that is perceaued by truth inwardly in the hart A deuout folower of God beareth alway about with him his comforter that is Iesu and sayeth thus vnto him My Lord Iesu I beseech thee that thou be with me in euery place and euerye time and that it be to me a special solace gladly for thy loue to want all mans solace And if thy solace want also that thy will and thy righteous prouing and assaying of me may be to me a singuler comfort and a high solace Thou shalt not alwaye be angrie with me neither shalt thou alwaye threate me So may it be Amen That all our study and busines of minde ought to be put in God The .19 Chapter My sonne saith our Lorde to his seruant suffer me to doe with thee what I will for I knowe what is best and most expedient for thee Thou workest in many thinges after thy kindlie reason and after as thy affection and thy worldlie pollicie stirreth thee and so thou mayest lightlie erre and be deceued O Lorde it is true all that thou sayest thy prouidēce is much more better for me then all that I can doe or say of my selfe VVherfore it may well be sayde and verified that he standeth very casuallye that setteth not his wholle trust in thee Therefore Lorde while my witte abideth stedfast stable doe with me in all thinges as it pleaseth thee for it may not be but well all that thou doest If thou wilt that I be in light be thou blessed and if thou wilt that I be in darkenes be thou also blessed If thou vouchsafe to comfort me be thou highly blessed And if thou wilt that I shall liue in trouble and without all cōfort be thou in likewise muche blessed My sonne so it behoueth to be with thee if thou wilt walke with me as readye must thou be to suffer as to ioye and as gladlie be needye and poore as wealthy and riche Lorde I will gladlie suffer for thee whatsoeuer thou wilt shall fal vpon me Indifferētly will I take of thy hande good and bad bitter and sweete gladnes and sorowe and for all thinges that shall befal vnto me hartily wil I thanke thee Keepe me Lorde from sinne and I shall neither dreade death nor hel Put not my name out of the booke of life and it shall not greeue me what trouble soeuer befal vpon me That all temporall miseries are gladly to be borne through the example of Christe The 20. Chapter My sonne sayth our Lorde I descended from heauen and for thy health haue I takē thy miseries not compelled therto of necessitie but of my charitie that thou shouldest learne to haue patiēce with me not to disdayne to beare the miseries wretchednes of this life as I haue done for thee for from the first houre of my birth vnto my death vpō the crosse I was neuer without some sorowe or paine I had great lacke of temporall thinges I heard great cōplaintes made on me I suffered beningely many shames rebukes for my benefites I receaued vnkindnes for my miracles blasphemies for my true doctrine many reproufes O Lorde forasmuche as thou wert founde patient in thy life fulfilling in that moste specially the will of thy father it is seeming that I moste wretched sinner beare me patiently after thy will in all thinges and as long as thou wilt that I for mine owne health beare the burden of this corruptible life for though this life be tedious and as an heauy burden to the soule yet neuerthelesse it is nowe through thy grace made very meritorious and by exāple of thee of thy holie saints it is now made to weak persons more sufferable cleere and also muche more comfortable then it was in the olde lawe when the gates of heauen were shet and the waye thitherwarde was darke and so fewe did couet to seeke it And yet they that were then righteous and were ordeined to be saued before thy blessed passion and death might neuer haue come thither O what thankes am I bounde therfore to yeelde to thee that so louingly haste vouchedsafe to

thy mercie from all perils and daungers O righteous father euer to be praysed the time is come that thou wilte thy seruaunt be proued And righteouslie is it done that I now shall suffer somewhat for thee now is the hour come that thou hast knowen from the beginninge that thy seruant for a time should outwardlie be set at naught and inwardlie to liue to thee and that he shoulde a litle be despised in the sight of the world and be broken with passions and sickenes that he might after rise with thee into a newe light and be clarified and made glorious in the kingdome of heauen O holie father thou haste ordeyned it so to be and it is done as thou hast commaunded this is thy grace to thy freende to suffer and to be troubled in this worlde for thy loue howe ofte so euer it be of what person soeuer it be in what maner soeuer thou suffer it to fall vnto him without thy counsayle prouidence nor without cause nothinge is done vpon earth Oh it is good to me Lorde that thou hast meekened me that I may therby learne to knowe thy righteous iudgementes and put from me all maner of presumption and highnes of minde And it is verie profitable to me that cōfusion hath couered my face that I maye learne thereby to seeke for helpe and succour to thee rather thē to man And I haue therby learned to dreade thy secrete terrible iudgementes which scourgest the righteous mā with the sinner but not without equitie and iustice I yeelde thankes to thee that thou haste not spared my sins but haste punished me with scourges of loue and hast sent me sorowes and anguishes within and without so that there is no creature vnder heauen that may comfort me but thou Lorde God the heauenlie leach of mans soule which strikest and healest and bringest a man nigh vnto bodilie death and after restorest him to health againe that he maye thereby learne to knowe the littlenes of his owne power the more fullie to trust in thee Thy discipline is fallen vpon me and thy rod of correctiō hath taught me vnder that rodde I whollie submit me strike my backe and bones as it shall please thee make me to bowe my croked will vnto thy will make me a meeke an humble disciple as thou hast sometime done with me that I may walke all after thy wil. To thee I commit my selfe and all mine to be corrected for better it is to be corrected by thee here then in time to come Thou knowest all thinges nothinge is hidde from thee that is in mans cōsciēce Thou knowest thinges to come before they fall it is not nedefull that any man teache thee or warne thee of any thinge that is done vpō the earth Thou knowest what is speedefull for me and howe much tribulation helpeth to purge the rest of sinne in me do with me after thy pleasure and disdayne not my sinfull life to none so well knowen as it is to thee Graunt me Lorde that to knowe that is necessarie to be knowen that to loue that is to be loued that to prayse that highlie pleaseth thee that to regarde that appeareth precious in thy sight and that to refuse that is vile before thee Suffer me not to iudge after my outwarde wits nor to geue sentēce after the hearinge of vncunninge men but in a true iudgement to discerne thinges visible and inuisible and aboue all thinges alway to searche and folowe thy will and pleasure The outwarde witnes of men be ofte deceyued in their iudgementes And in likewise the louers of the worlde be deceyued through louinge onelie of visible thinges VVhat is a man the better for that he is taken better truelie nothinge For a deceitfull man deceyueth an other a vayne mā deceyueth an other and a blinde feeble creature deceyueth an other when he exalteth him and rather confoundeth him then prayseth him For why howe muche soeuer a man be in light of God so much he is and no more sayth the meeke Saint Fraunces howe holye and howe vertuous soeuer he be taken in sight of the people That it is good that a man geue hym selfe to meeke bodilye laboures vvhen he feeleth not hym selfe disposed to high vvorkes of deuotion The 56. Chapter My sonne thou mayest not alwaye stande in the high feruēt desire of vertue ne in the highest degree of contemplatiō but thou muste of necessitie through the corruption of the first sinne sometime descende to lower thinges and against thy will and with great tediousnes to beare the burden of this corruptible body for as longe as thou bearest this bodie of death thou must neede feele some tediousnes and griefe of heart and thou shalt ofte times beweepe mourne the burden of thy fleshlie feelinges and the contradictiō of thy body to thy soule for thou mayest not for the corruption thereof perseuer in spirituall studies and in heauenlye contemplation as thou wouldest doe and then it is good to thee to flie to meeke bodilie laboures and to exercise thy selfe in good outwarde workes and in a stedfast hope and trust to abide my comminge and my newe heauenlie visitations and to beare thy exile and the drines of thy hart patientlie till thou shalt be visited by me agayne and be deliuered from all tediousnes and vnquietnes of minde VVhen I shall come I shall make thee forget all thy former laboures and to haue inwarde rest and quietnes of soule I shall also laye before thee the florishing medowe of holy scripture and thou shalte with great gladnes of heart in a newe blessed feeling fele the very true vnderstāding thereof and then quickly shalt thou runne the waye of my commaundementes and then shalt thou saye in great spirituall gladnes The passions of this world be not woorthy of thē selues to bring vs to the ioy that shall be shewed vs in the blisse of heauen To the which bring vs our Lorde Iesus Amen That a man shall not thinke him selfe vvorthy to haue comfort but rather to haue sorovve and payne and of the profite of contrition The 57. Chapter LOrde I am not woorthy to haue thy consolation nor any spirituall visitatiō and therefore thou doest righteously to me when thou leauest me needy and desolate for though I might weepe water of teares like to the Sea yet were I not woorthy to haue thy con●olatiō for I am worthy to haue nothing but sorowe and paine for I haue so greeuouslye and so ofte offended thee and in so many things greatly trespassed against thee Therefore I may well saye and confesse for truth that I am not woorthy to haue thy leste cōsolation But thou Lord benigne and mercifull that wilt not thy workes doe perish to shewe the greatnes of thy goodnes in the vessels of thy mercy aboue all my merites or desert doest vouchsafe sometime to comforte me thy seruaunt more then I can thinke or deuise Thy cōsolations be not

through weakenes of it selfe it is not able to fulfill all that it approueth nor hath not sith the firste sinne of Adam the full light of truth nor the sweetnes of affections to God as it had firste Of this it commeth most mercifull Lorde that in my inwarde man that is in the reason of my soule I delite me in thy lawes and in thy teachinges knowinge that they are good and righteous and holie and that all sinne is euill and to be fled and eschewed and yet in my outwarde man that is to saye in my fleshelie felinge I serue the lawe of sinne when I obeye rather to sensualitie then to reason And of this it foloweth also that I will good but to perfourme it without thy grace I maye not for weakenes of my selfe And sometime I purpose to doe many good deedes but for that grace wanteth that shoulde helpe me I goe backeward and fayle in my doinge I knowe the waye to perfection and howe I shoulde do I see it euidentlye but for that I am so oppressed with the heauye burden of this corrupt bodye of synne I lye still and ryse not to perfection O Lorde howe necessarye therefore is thy grace to me to beginne well to continue well and to ende well for without thee I maye nothinge doe that good is O heauenlye grace without whom our merites are nought woorth nor the giftes of nature nothinge to be pondred neither craftes or riches any thinge to be regarded nor beautie strength wit nor eloquence nothinge maye auayle come thou shortlye and helpe me The gyftes of nature be common to good men and bad but grace and loue are the giftes of electe and chosen people whereby they be marked and made able and worthy to haue the kingedome of heauen This grace is of suche worthynes that ●eyther the gyfte of prophecie nor the workinge of miracles nor yet the gyfte of cunninge and knowledge maye nothinge auayle wihout it ne yet fayth hope or other vertues be not acceptable to thee without grace and charitie O blessed grace that maketh the poore in spirite to be ryche in vertue and hym that is ryche in worldlye goodes maketh meeke and lowe in heart come and descende into my soule and fulfill me with thy ghostlie comfortes that it fayle not nor faynt for werines drynes of it selfe I beseeche thee Lord that I may finde grace in thy sight for thy grace shal suffice to me though I doe wante that nature desireth For although I be tempted and vexed with troubles on euery side yet shall I not neede to drede whiles thy grace is with me for she is my strength she is my comfort and she is my counsayle and helpe she is stronger then all mine enemies and wiser then all the wisest of this worlde She is the maystres of truth the teacher in discpline the light of the hart the comfort of trouble the driuer awaye of heauines the auoyder of dreade the nourisher of deuotion and the bringer of sweete teares and deuoute weepinges VVhat am I thē without grace but a drie stocke to caste awaye Graunt me therefore that thy grace maye preuent me and folowe me and that It may make me euer busie and diligent in good workes vnto my death So may it be Amen That vve ought to forsake our selfe and to folovv Christe by bearinge of hys Crosse The 61. Chapter My sonne as much as thou canst go out fro thy selfe and frothine owne will so much as thou mayest enter into me and as to desire nothing outwardlie bringeth peace inwardlie into mans soule so a man by an inwarde forsakinge of him selfe ioyneth him to God I will therefore that thou learne to haue a perfect forsaking and a full resigning of thy selfe into my hands without withsaying and complayninge and that thou folowe me for I am the waye I am the truth and I am the life VVithout a waye no man maye go and without truth no man maye knowe and without life no man maye lyue I am the waye which thou oughtest to goe the truth which thou oughtest to beleue the life which thou shalt hope to haue I am the waye that can not be defyled the truth which can not be deceyued and the life that neuer shall haue ende I am the waye moste straite the truth most perfect and the life most soothfast A blessed life and a life vnmade that made all things If thou dwell and abide in my waye thou shalt knowe the truth and truth shal deliuer thee and thou shalt come to euerlastinge life If thou wilte come to that lyfe kepe my cōmaundementes If thou wilt knowe the truth beleeue my teachinges If thou wilt be perfect sell all that thou haste If thou wilt be my Disciple forsake thy selfe If thou wilt haue the blessed lyfe despise this present life If thou wilt be exalted in heauen meeke thee here in earth And if thou wilt reigne with me beare the Crosse with me for truely only the seruauntes of the Crosse shall finde the life of blessednes and of euerlastinge light O Lorde Iesu forasmuche as thy waye is narowe and straite and is also muche despised in the worlde geue me grace to beare gladlye the despisinges of the worlde There is no seruaunt greater then his Lorde nor any Disciple aboue his master Let thy seruaunt therefore be exercised in thy wayes for therein is the health and the very perfection of lyfe whatsoeuer I reade or heare beside that way it refresheth me not nor delighteth me not fullye My sonne forasmnche as thou knowest these thinges hast reade them all thou shalt be blessed if thou fulfil them He that hath my commaundementes and keepeth them he it is that loueth me and I shall loue him I shall shewe my selfe vnto him and shall make him sitte with me in the kingdome of my father Lorde as thou hast sayde and promised so be it done to me I haue taken the Crosse of penaunce at thy hand and I shall beare it vnto my death as thou haste put it to me to doe For the lyfe of euery good man is the Crosse and it is also the way and leader to Paradise and nowe it is begonne it is not lawfull for me to go backe fro it ne it is not behouefull for me to leaue it Haue done therefore my welbeloued brethren go we forth together Iesu shall be with vs for Iesu we haue taken this Crosse for Iesu let vs perseuer and he shal be our helpe that is our guyde and leader ●● our kinge goeth before vs that shall fyght for vs folowe we hym stronglye dreade we no perils but be we readye to dye stronglye with hym in battayle that we put no blot into our glorye nor minishe not our rewarde by flyinge cowardlye awaye from the Crosse That a man shall not be ouermuche cast into heauynes though he happen to fall into some defaul●es The .62 Chapter My sonne patience and mekenes in aduersitie please me more then

reproue so glad in prosperitie so feeble in aduersitie so ofte purposinge many good thinges and so seldome bringinge them to effecte And when thou haste thus confessed and be wept all these defaults and such other like in thee with great sorowe and displeasure of thine owne fraylenes set thee then in a full purpose to amende thy life and to profite alwaye from better to better and then with a full resigninge and a wholle will offer thy selfe into the honour of my name in the Aulter of thy hart as sacrifice to me that is to saye faythfullie committinge to me both thy bodie and soule so that thou mayest be worthye to offer to me this high sacrifice and to receyue healthfullie the Sacrament of my holie bodie for there is no oblation more worthie nor satisfaction greater to put awaye sinne then a man to offer him selfe purelie and whollie to God with the offeringe of the bodie of Christ in masse and in holie communion If a man doe that in him is and is truelie penitent as ofte as he commeth to me for grace and forgiuenes I am the Lorde that sayth I will not the death of a sinner but rather that he be conuerted to liue and I shall no more remember his sinnes but they all shall be forgeuen and pardoned vnto hym Of the oblation of Christe on the Crosse and of a full forsakinge of our selfe The 8. Chapter OVr Lorde Iesus sayth to his seruant thus As I hanginge all naked with mine armes spread abroad vpon the crosse offered my selfe to God the father for thy sinnes so that nothinge remayned in me but that all went in sacrifice to please my Father and to appease his wrath agaynst mankinde so thou oughtest to offer thy selfe freelie to God as muche as thou mayest in a pure and holie oblation daylie in the Masse with all thy power and affection VVhat require I more of thee then that thou shouldest studie whollie to resigne thy selfe vnto me for whatsoeuer thou geuest beside thy selfe I regarde it not for I looke not for thy giftes but for thee For as it shoulde not suffise to thee to haue all thinges beside me so it maye not please me whatsoeuer thou geue beside thy selfe Offer thy selfe to me and geue thy selfe all to God and thy oblation shall be acceptable Lo I offered my selfe whollye to my father for thee and I gaue my bodye and bloude to thy meate that I shoulde be all whollie thine and thou mine But if thou haue a trust in thy selfe and doest not freelye offer thee to my will thy oblation is not pleasaunt and there shall be betwene vs no perfect vnitie Therefore a free offeringe of thy selfe into the handes of God must go before all thy workes if thou wilte obteine grace and the true libertie Therefore it is that so fewe be inwardlie illuminate and free because they can not whollye forsake them selfe for my words be true but a man renounce him selfe he may not be my disciple Offer thy selfe fullie to me with all thine affection and loue Amen That vve ought to offer our selfe and all ours to God and to praye for all people The 9. Chapter LOrde all thinges be thine that be in heauen earth I desire to offer my selfe to thee in a free and perpetual oblation so that I may perpetuallie be with thee Lord in simplenes of hart I offer me this daye to thee to be thy seruant in the seruice sacrifice of laude perpetuall accept me with this oblation of thy precious bodye which I this daye offer to thee in the presence of thy holie Angels that be here present inuisible that it maye be to my health and to the health of all the people And Lorde I offer to thee all my sinnes and offences that I haue committed before thee and thy holie Angels fro the daye that I might first offende vnto this daye that thou vouchesafe through thy great charitie to put away all my sinnes to clense my cōscience of all mine offences and restore to me agayne the grace that I through sinne haue lost and that thou forgeue me all thinges past and receyue me mercifullie into a blessed kissing of peace and forgeuenes VVhat may I do then but meekelie cōfesse and bewaile my sinnes and continuallie aske mercye of thee forgeue me mercifull Lorde I beseeche thee for all my sinnes displease me muche and I will neuer commit them againe but sorow for them readie to doe penance and satisfactiō after my power Forgeue me Lorde forgeue me my sinnes for thy holie name saue my soule that thou hast redeemed with thy precious bloode I commit my selfe whollie vnto thy mercie I resigne me whollie into thy handes doe with me after thy goodnes and not after my malice and wretchednes I offer also to thee all my good deedes though they be verie fewe and imperfect that thou amende them and sanctifie them and make them likinge and acceptable to thee and alwaye make them better and better and that thou bringe me though I be a slowe and an vuprofitable person to a blessed and a laudable ende I offer also to thee all the desires of deuout persons the necessitie of mine auncesters freendes brother sister and of all my louers and of all them that for thy loue haue done good to me or to any other that haue desired asked me to praye or to doe sacrifice for them or for their freendes whether they be aliue or deade that they maye the rather feele the helpe of thy grace and the gifte of thy heauenlie consolation thy protection from all perils and the deliuerance from all payne and that they so beinge deliuered from all euils may in spirituall gladnes yeelde to thee high laude and praysinges I offer to thee also my prayer and my peaceable offeringe for all them that haue in any thinge hindred me or made me heauy or that haue done me any hurt or greeue and for all them also whom I haue at anye time made heauy troubled greued or slaundered in worde or deede wittinglye or ignorantlye that thou forgeue vs altogether our sinnes and offences against thee and of eche of vs against other and that thou Lorde take fro our heartes all suspition and indignation wrath variance and whatsoeuer may let charitie or diminish fraternall loue that eche of vs shoulde haue to other haue mercie Lorde haue mercie on all them that aske thee mercie and geue grace to them that haue neede and make vs to stande in suche case that we be worthye to haue thy grace and finallye to come to the lyfe euerlastinge Amen That the holye Communion is not lightlye to be forborne The .10 Chapter IT behoueth thee to runne ofte to the fountayne of grace and mercye and to the fountaine of all goodnes and puritie that thou mayest be healed from thy passiōs and vices and be made more stronge against all the temptations and deceytfull crafte of our enemie The fiende knowinge the greatest