persecute him and catch hym because there is no man that wyll deliuer hym But thou Lorde how longe Turne agayne deliuer my soule saue me for thy mercies sake Haue mercy vpon thy sonne whom thou hast brought forth wyth no small sorrow and payne and be not so ententife vnto myne euilnes that thou forget thyne owne goodnes what father is there but he will deliuer his sonne yea and what father is there that will not correct hys sonne and chasten hym but with the rod of pitie Therefore O father and Lord although I be a sinner yet can I not chuse but be thy sonne because thou hast made me and made me againe wheÌ„ I was marde with sinne Repayre and ameÌ„de me now O Lord but fyrst of all I being mended chastised wyth thy scourge deliuer me to thy sonne Can a mother forget the childe she bare of her wombe and surelye although shee sometymes be sorowful yet thou O father hast promised not to forgette vs Beholde I crye and thou doost not heare me I am vexed with sorrow and thou comfortest me not What shall I say or what shall I do most wretched caitife that I am I beyng desolate of so great comfort and cast out from the sight of thyne eyes Wo be vnto me froÌ„ how great goodnes into how great a mischiefe am I fallen whether purposed I to goe and whether am I come where am I and where am I not whom did I study to attayne vnto and what euils haue I obteined I sought for good thinges and beholde I haue found trouble and care Behold now I am in the state of death Jesus is not with me And surely it were better for me to haue nothing at al yea no being at all theÌ„ to be without Jesu It is better not to liue theÌ„ to liue without life And thou O Lord Jesu where be thine old mercies wilt thou be angry towardes me for euer Be pacified I beseche thee and haue mercy vpon me turne not thy face away from me which to the entent thou mightest redeeme me didst not turne away thy face from them that rebuked thee and spitted vpoÌ„ thee I confesse and acknowledge that I haue sinned and my conscience deserueth damnation and the penaunce that I am able to do is not sufficient to make amendes for mine iniquities But sure and certayne I am that thy mercy excedeth all offences that a man can do Oh do not I besech thee most pitifull Lord write my haynous sinnes agaynst me that thou shouldest enter into iudgemeÌ„t with thy seruaunt But according to the multitude of thy mercies crosse blot out mine iniquities woe be vnto me wretch that I am when the day of iudgement commeth the bokes of coÌ„sciences shall be layd wide open wheÌ„ it shal be sayd of me Lo loke vpoÌ„ this felow and his workes what shall I do then O Lord my God when the heauens shall reuele shew forth myne iniquitie and the earth shall arise vp restifie myne iniquitie against me Beholde I shall be able to geue neuer one worde to aunswer but to stande in thy presence trembling quaking vtterly confounded and holding downe my head for shame Alas wretch that I am what shall I say I cry vnto thee O Lord my god Why am I consumed fretted with holding my peace But if I shoulde speake my griefe would not cease And if I holde my peace I shall be most bitterly vexed within me Mourn O my soule and lament as a widowe for her first husband that she had in her young age Houle wretch and crye out with weping because thy spouse Christ hath forsaken thee O God almighty let not thine anger fall vpon me because that if thou lay so much to my charge as is due for my sins it is so much that I can not receaue it Surely my power is not able for to suffer or beare it Haue mercy vpon me least I dispaire but in dispairing I will take hart to me and be somewhat comforted For although I haue committed so much that thou mayst coÌ„demne me worthely yet thou hast not lost that wherwyth thou wast wont to saue sinners neyther doost thou reioyce at the destruction and losse of theÌ„ that die yea to the entent the dead men might line thou thy selfe didst die and thy death did kill the death of sinnes And if they were reuiued agayne did liue by thy death I beseche thee let not me die now that thou linest Sende downe thy hand and power from hye and deliuer me out of the handes of myne enemyes that they reioyce not ouer me and say let vs deuour hym who euer O good Jesu needed to mistrust of thy mercy which when wee were thine enemies diddest redems vs with thy bloud and reconciled vs vnto god Beholde I being hid vnder the shadowe of thy mercy do come vnto the throne of thine glory requiring and I do runne crying and knocking vntil thou take pitie vpon me For if thou diddest call vs to pardon and forgeuenes before wee laboured for pardon how soone shall we obtayne forgeuenes when we aske it Do not remember O most bountifull Jesu thy iustice toward a sinner but thinke vpon thy liberalitie and gentlenes towarde thy creature Do not remember thine anger towarde the giltie but remember thy pitie mercy toward a wretch Forget me in that I proudly did prouoke and moue thee to wrath and looke vpon a wretch that calleth vpon thee For what is Jesus but a sauiour Therefore good Jesu for thine own sake arise and helpe me and say vnto my soule I am thy health thy safegarde I presume mutch and am very bolde of thy goodnes O Lorde because thou doest teach vs to aske to seeke and to knocke wherfore I being admonished by thy word do aske seeke and knocke And thou O Lord that commaundest vs to aske make me able to receiue thou that geuest counsel to seek grauÌ„t that I may finde thou that teachest vs to knock open to mee when I knocke and confirme me which am vnstable and wanering restore mee that am lost rayse me vp that am dead and vouch safe to direct and gouern in thy fauour all my senses my thoughtes and doings that from hencefoorth I may serue thee I may liue toward thee and that I may commit my selfe vnto thee I know O my Lord that through this that thou hast made me I owe and am in debt vnto thee eueÌ„ mine owne selfe and because thou hast redeemed me and wast made man for my sake for this I say I owe vnto thee more then my self Lo I haue no more neyther can I geue that which I haue vnto thee without thee But do thou take me and drawe me vnto thee that I may be thine in following and louing thee like as I am thine in condition creation which liuest and raignest world without ende Amen FINIS IMPRINTED at London by Iohn Daye dwelling ouer Aldersgate beneath S. Martyne Cum priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis per decennium â€
workes holy in mercies aboundant plentifull towarde offenders most patient toward the penitent and those that be sorye for their sinnes most gentle and louing alwayes the same euerlasting and continually continuing immortall incommutable impossible to be changed or altered whome neither the amplitude or largenes of places doth make bigger nor the shortnesse or litlenesse of places lesser nor any places or corners cā cōtem or pres together neither doth thy wil or entent vary or alter nor familiaritie or acquaintance corrupt thee nor sorowfull thinges trouble or amaze the nor glad thinges make thee pleasant or frolike as a man woulde say from thee cā forgetfulnes take norbing nor mindefulnes or remembrāce geue any thing neyther are thinges passed vnto vs passed also vnto thee nor thinges which to vs are come come toward thee for neyther beginning doth geue any beginning to thee nor time any encrease nor yet chaunce geueth thee any ende but before all worldes and in worldes by worlds into euerlasting thou doest liue and thou hast continuall prayse perpetuall glory most high power and singuler honour euerlasting kingdome and rule and imperie without ende thorow the infinite and vnweery and immortall world of worldes ¶ After what sort God the father vouchsafed to helpe mankinde of the incarnation of the word which is Christ and of the geuing of thanks HItherto O almighty God the beholder and sercher of mine hart haue I acknowledged the almightifulnes of thy maiestie and the maiestie of thine almightifulnes But now like as with hart I beleue which is counted righteousnes vnto me so with mouth do I coufes before thee which is to my saluation after what sorte and manner thou diddest vouchsafe in the ende of the worlde to succour ayd mankinde Thou indeede onely O God the father art not redy at any time or in any place to be sente But of thy Sonne the Apostle writeth when that the time was fulfilled God sent his Sonne In that he sayth he sent hee doth sufficiently declare that he being sente came into this world when as he being borne a very and perfect man of blessed Mary a pure virgin did appeare and shew himselfe in the flesh But what is that which he that is the chiefe of the euangelistes doth say He was in the worlde and the worlde was made by him Thether truly was he sent by his humanitie where he alway is and alway hath bene by his diuinitie The which sending or embassage I beleeue with all my hart confesse with my mouth to be the consent worke of al the whole Trinitie Oh holy and good Father how didst thou loue vs How great fauour didst thou beare toward vs most mercifull creator which hast not spared thine owne sonne but for vs wretched sinners hast deliuered him He was obediente vnto thee vntill death yea death vpon a crosse taking the obligation or handwriting of our sins which was his flesh and fastning it vnto the cros he crucified sinne and led death He alone is amongst the dead fre from death hauing power to lay downe his soule for vs and to take it againe for vs Therfore was he both a vanquisher and a sacrifice and therefore was he an ouercommer because he was a sacrifice for vs He was both the priest and sacrifice vnto thee and therefore was he a Priest because hee was a sacrifice Notw tout a cause haue I great hope in him for asmuch as thou wilt make whole all my diseases for his sake that sitteth on thy right hand and doth continually make intercession for vs for my diseases O Lord are great and many oh they are many in number and great for the prince of this worlde as I very well knowe and confesse hath many thinges in me But I besech thee deliuer me thorow our redemer which sitteth on thy right hand in whome the said prince of this world could finde none euill that was his of his owne commiting By him do thou iustifie me whome his selfe did not sinne neyther was there any deceit or guile found in his mouth By him which is our head in whome there is not one spot of euill deliuer me which am one of his mēbers though I be but a litle member and feeble and weake Deliuer me I beseech thee from my sinnes offences faultes and ignorances Fulfill mee with thy holy vertues and make me to shine in good manners make me I beseech thee for thy holy names sake to continue in holy workes vntill the ende according to thy will and pleasure ¶ Of the trust which a soule ought to haue in our Lord Jesu and in his passion I Might dispaire verely because of my manifold sinnes and negligences without number if it were not that thy word O God was made flesh and dwelt amongst vs But I can not now dispayre because that seeing when we were enemies we were reconciled by the death of thy sonne how much more are we now reconciled saued by him for all the hope and the certitude surenes of all my trust is in his precious bloud which was shed for vs for our saluation In him do I take hartening trusting in him I haue a desire to com vnto the. not hauing mine owne righteousnes but that whiche I haue throughe thy sonne our Lorde Jesu Christ for the whiche O most mercifull God and most gentle louer of mankinde we geue thee thankes which through Jesus Christ thy sonne our Lord when we were not didst mightely make vs and when we were lost through our sinnes most marueilously didst deliuer and recouer vs againe To thy goodnes I say do I geue thankes and manifold prayses do I shew forth vnto thee with all my hart mind which through the vnspeakable loue wherwith thou hast vouchsafed of thy maruuylous goodnes to loue vs wretches and vnworthy to be loued diddest sende that same thiue onely begotten sonne from thy bosome vnto our common weale to saue vs sinners which were at that time the children of perdition and damnation I render vnto thee thanks for his holy incarnation and natiuitie and for his blessed mother vpon whom he did vouchsafe to take fleshe for vs and for our saluation to the entent that like as he is very God of God so he might be very man of man I geue thee thankes for his passion and crosse for his death and resurrection for his ascension into heauen and his seate of his maiesty on thy right hād For he the forty day after his resurrection asceuding vp aboue al the heauens his disciples seing it sitting on thy right hande did poure out his holy spirite aboundantly according to his promise vpon them whom he had chosen to be his children I geue thee thanckes for that most sacred sheding foorth of his precious bloud wherwith we are redemed and also for the most holy and quickning sacrifice of his body and bloud which daily in thy churche wee feede of and
anger let flesh I besech thee moue thee to mercy that like as flesh hath seduced and led me to sinne so fleshe may get and obtaine for me remission For certaynly it is muche that mine iniquitie hath deserued but much more it is that the goodnes of my redemer may euen of right require Mine vnrighteousnes is great but his righteousnes is bigger For looke howe much God is superiour vnto man euen so much is my malice and euil inferior vnto his goodnes both in qualitie quantitie For what haue I sinned being a man that the sonne of God being man hath not redeemed what pride coulde be in me so exceeding hie but such humilitie as was in him shoulde bring it downe what power of death was there in me so great but the punishmēt which the sonne of God suffred vppon the crosse might deface it and vtter ly destroy it Trueiy my God if the sinnes of sinfull man should be wayed in a iust and equall balance with the loue fauour that was in our redeemer towarde vs the East is not so far distant from the west nor the in nermost part of the earth so much seperated from the vppermost part of y heauen as they shoulde be vnlike so muche lesse should mine iniquitie be then is his goodnesse Now O mostnoble creator of light now pardō mine offences for the vnmesurable trauailes and paynes that thy beloued sonne did sustaine Now I beseech thee let his goodnes be sette against my wickednes his modesty and temperance against mine vngracious frowardnes his mecknes against my fierce crueltie Let his humilitie recompence my pride his patience mine impatiēce his gentlenes mine vnkinde churlishnes his obedience my disobediēce his quietnes mine vnquietnes his pleasant to wardnes my bitter frowardnes his sweet facilitie and gentlenes mine anger fretting fumes to conclude let his charitie make amends for my haynous detestable crueltie Amen ¶ A deuout prayer to the Holy Ghost NOw O ahmighty and holy Ghost which art the loue of the diuine power the holy participator partener with the almighty Father his most blessed sonne the most mercifull comforter of the sorrowfull I beseech thee to slide by thy mighty power into the inwarde partes of mine hart y thou dwelling there mayst make glad and as it were lighten euery darcke corner of the neglect and forletten cottage with the bright shining of thy light and that in visiting the same thou wouldst ornate and deck with the plenteousnes of thy dew the lothsom places therof which be corrupted with filthines Kindle the priuye wounded parts of the inner man with thy holesome flames and with pearsing y inward parts of my foul entrailes with the dart of thy loue Feed all the inner partes both of my minde and bodie by the illuminating and lightening with the fire of thy holy and feruente loue Geue me to driuke of thy most pleasaunt riuer to the entent I may haue no lust to taste any worldly things which be mixed with poisor Geue sentence with me O Lord and defende my cause against the vngodly nation Teach me to do thy will because thou art my god For I beleue that in whome so euer thou doest dwell thou buildest an house in him for the father also and the sonne Blessed is that man that getteth such a ghest because that by thee the father and the Sonne also will dwell abide with him Come now o most louing conforter of my so rowfull soule which art a protector in all necessities and an helpe in troubles aduersities Come O purger of sinnes healer curer of woundes Come the strength of the frayle and feble the relieuer and raiser vp of them that slide Come the instructer teacher of the humble and make the destroyer plucker downe of the proud stubberne Come the good and kind Father of the fatherles the gentle Judge of widowes Com thou which art a guide vnto them that are tossed in the waues of this tēpestions world like as a bright and notable starre is to them that sayle on the sea an hauen vnto thē that are affrayd of shipwracke Come the worship and honor of all them that liue the onely health of the dead Come most holy Ghost come haue mercy on me make me meet for thee mercifully graunte vnto me according to the multitude of thy great mercies that my basenes may please thy maiesty my weaknes thy almighty power for Jesu Christ my sauiors sake which with the Father and thine vnitie liueth raigneth worlde without end Amen ¶ A prayer to the holy Trinitie WIth all my harte and mouth do I confesse praise and blesse thee O God the father vnbegotten and thee O God the Sonne onely begotten also thee O holy ghost comforter to thee be glory in the worlde of worldes Amen ¶ An acknowledging of almightis God in his Maiestie O Most high Trinitie one onely power and vndefiled maiestie our God God almightie I the abiect and hinmost of all thy seruantes confesse and acknowledge thee and being the least member of the church I worship thee with a due sacrifice of prayse as much as I am able and according to that which thou hast vouchsafed to endue me withall And for asmuch as I am destitute of outward giftes to offer vnto thee Those vowes of prayse which I haue of the gift of thy mercy behold willingly and gladlie I offer them to thee whiche bee an vnfayned fayth and a pure conscience I beleue therefore with all my hart O king of heauen and Lorde of the earth and with my mouth do I confesse thee the Father the Sonne and the holy ghost to be three persons and one in substance the true and very God almighty of one simple incorporall and inuincible nature incomprehensible and of such a nature as is not in a place as other natures be that thou hast nothing superiour or aboue thy selfe or lower or any thing bigger thē thy self But in all manner of meanes perfect without all spot of deformitie and that thou art great without quantity good without qualitie euerlasting without time life without death strong without infirmity or weaknes true without lying present in euery place without any situation or being placed in any place to be alleuery where without place fulfilling all things with out stretching foorth thy hand going euery where without any contradiction or gainesaying passing ouer all things with out mouing abiding within all things without any kinde of proportion making all thinges hauing need of nothing gouerning all thinges without labour geuing all thinges their beginning hauing no beginning thy self making all thinges mutable and variable thy selfe being without all kinde of mutabilitie in greatnes without measure in power almighty in goodnes the chief best in wisedom inestimable in counsels ententes and purposes terrible and fearfull in iudgementes most vpright and iust in cogitations thoughtes most secret in wordes true in
life the clean life the chast life the holy life the life that knowest no death knowest no sadnes or pensiuenes a life without spot without do lour without vexation without corruptiō without trouble without variety or mutabilitie a life most full of pleasure and dignitie wheras is none aduersarie to striue against a man no inticements of sinnes wheras is perfect loue without all maner of feare wheras is day continually one spirite of all men wheras God is sene face to face and the minde is fed with this meat of life without ende I haue a very good minde and desire to marke and geue heed to thy clearnesse with thy goods the desire and appetite of my hart is delighted Loke how much I am able to consider with my selfe in musing and thinking of thy commodities euen so much am I rauished rapte with thy loue with the ardent desire of thee the sweet and comfortable remembrance of thee am I wōderfully delited I haue a pleasure therefore surely to lift vp the eyes of my harte vnto thee to erecte the state of my mind and conforme or fashion the affects of my minde vnto thee It pleaseth me to talke of thee to heare of thee to write of thee to conferre and meditate of thee to read euery day of thy blessednes and glory and to muse oftentimes in my minde of that things I haue read concerning thee that at the least by such meanes I being vnder the sweet refresshing comforting of thy liuely ayre may passe from the vexatiōs ieoperdies laboures and trauels of this mortall life that wil soone perish and that in passing I may lay my wery head in thy bosome to sleepe or to rest a litle For this cause do I enter into the pleasant medow of the holy scriptures and in plowing I pluck the goodliest greene herbes of sentences and in reading I do eate them and in frequenting I do meditate and as it were cut them in gathering them together at the last I last them vp in my memory that by such meanes whē I haue tasted of thy sweetnes I may somewhat lesse feel the bitternes of this most wretched life O thou most happy life oh kingdome which art blessed in deed which lackest deth which art without end no time doth successiuely passe at any time to thee wheras continuall day without night knoweth no time whereas that capitaine conqueror is accompanied with those quires of Angels singing of himnes songes they sing vnto God without ceasing the ballet of ballets of Sion Oh most noble head which art cōpassed about with a perpetuall crowne oh that pardon and forgeuenes of my sinnes were graunted vnto me then immediatly this burden of my fleshe layde away that I might enter into thy ioy to haue true rest that I might get with in the goodly and beutifull walles of thy citie to receiue a crown of life at the hand of our lord that I might bee amongest those most holy quires that I mighte stand with the most blessed spirites of the creator of glory that I might see presently the coūtenance of Christ that I might beholde alwayes that most hie vnspeakable light incomprehensible which can not be cōtayned as in a place And so I should not only be out of al feare of death but also I might reioyce alwayes at the gift of the euerlasting incorruption Amen ¶ Here do we complaine that wee be not moued nor pricked in our contēplation prayer like as the Angels be which tremble at the sight of God. PArdon me O Lorde pardon me mercifully forgeue me and haue mercy vppon me spare mine ignoraunce and my great vnperfectnes do not reproue me as a rash fellow because I dare be be so bolde which am but thy seruaunt but would to God I were eyther a good seruant or none vn profitable nor euill seruant And therfore am I an euill man because I prayse blesse worship thee which art our God almighty terrible very much to be feared I worship thee I say with out contritiō of hart and without a well of teares For if so be that the Angels when they worship and prayse thee do tremble being fulfilled with merueilous gladnes I which am a sinner whilest I stande before thee saying prayses offring sacrifice why am I not afrayd in my hart why am I not pale in my coūtenance why do not my lips quake and tremble why is not all my body afrayd why do I not mourne and bewayle before thee after such a sort that teares might spring out of mine eies I wold faine but I am not able because I can not do that whiche I desire to doo This maketh me truely wonderfully to marueill that I am no more moued when I see with the eyes of my fayth thee which art so fearful But who can do any thing without the help of thy grace except thou make our stony hartes to relent wee of our selues are not able to mollifie them but all our health dependeth vpon thy great mercy O wretch that I am how is my soule made without any feeling or perseuerance that it is not afraid with ouermuche feare whilest it standeth before God and singeth to him his owne prayses Alas how is my hart so hardened that mine eyes do not gush out gret flouds of teares without ceasing when I which am but a seruaunt or bondman do common and talke in my Lorde and maisters presence Yea a man with God a creature with a creator I that am made of the shine of the earth do speake with him that made all thinges of nothing Put me before thee O Lord whatsoeuer I perceiue of my selfe in the secrets of my hart I do not keep it close from thy brotherly ears Thou art rich in mercy liberal in rewards geue me of thy goods that with them I may serue thee For with nothing els can we serue or please thee but with thine owne giftes which thou hast vouchsafed to bestow vpon vs Fasten I beseech thee thy feare in my flesh let my harte reioyce be glad to feare thy name Woulde God my sinfull soule feared thee so much as that holy man which sayd I alwayes feared God as though it wer great swelling floudes should come and tumble vpon me O God the geuer of all good things geue me amongst thy praises a wel of teres with the purenes of hart and reioyeing of minde that I louing thee perfitly and worthely praising thee may feele taste and sauour in the pallace of my hart how sweet and pleasant thou art O lord as it is written Do ye tast and see how sweet delectable the Lorde is Blessed is the man that putteth his trust in him Blessed is that people which knoweth glad and ioyful praysing Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee in whose harte are thy wayes which going through the vale of misery vse it for a well Blessed are the