beawtie of thy house and to the throne of thy glory there let it be fed at the dyning table of thy heauenly Citizens in the place of fulféedyng by the plentifull runnyng streames Thou that art our hope our welfare our redemption be also our ioy Thou that shalt be our reward be also our reioycing Let my soule séeke thée alwayes graunt that in séeking thée it may neuer faint ¶ Of the wretchednesse of that soule whiche loueth not ne séeketh not our Lord Iesus Christ WO is that wretched soule whiche loueth not Christ nor séeketh him it abydeth dry miserable He loseth his life time whiche loueth not thée O god He that cares not to liue for thée Lorde is nothing and goeth for nought He that refuseth to liue vnto thée is already dead He that is not wise to thée ward is but a foole Most mercifull Lord I yeld graunt betake my selfe vnto thée by whō I haue being life and wit. In thée do I put my whole confidēce trust and hope by whō I shal rise againe liue agayne inioy rest Thée do I couet loue worship with whom I shall dwel reigne be blessed The soule that séeketh not ne loueth not thée séeketh loueth the world serueth sinne is subiect to vyce neuer at rest neuer at ease Let my mind serue thee alwayes O most mercifull Let my way faring be alwayes to trauell vnto théeward let my hart burne in loue of thée My God let my soule rest in thée let it runne out of it selfe to behold thée let it sing thy prayses with ioyfulnes and let this be the cōfort of me in my banishment Let my minde flee vnder the shadow of thy winges from the ragyng heates of the thoughtes of this world Let my hart calme it selfe in thée I say let the great sea of my hart that swelleth with waues calme it selfe in thée O God whiche art riche of all good deinties thou most bountifull bestower of heauenly repast giue meate to me that am faint gather me vp that am scattered deliuer me that am in prison make me new agayne that am heawē in péeces Behold I stand at thy doore and knocke I beséeche thée by the bowels of thy mercy where through thou hast visited vs in rising from aloft bid the doore to be opened for me wretch which do knocke that my soule may haue frée passage to come in vnto thée and to rest in thée and to be refreshed by thée with thy heauenly bread For thou art the bread and fountaine of life thou art the light of euerlasting brightnesse thou art all thinges whereby the righteous liue which loue thée ¶ Of the longing of the soule O God the light of the hartes that sée thee and the life of the soules that loue thée and the strenghthener of the thoughtes that séeke thée graūt that I may sticke to the holie loue of thee Come I pray thée into my hart and make it drunken with the aboundance of thy pleasantnesse so as I may forget these temporall thinges It shameth and irketh me to abyde such thinges as this world doth All that I sée of these transitorie thinges is but a sorrow to me all that I heare of them is but a grief to me Helpe me O Lord my God put gladnesse into my hart come vnto me that I may sée thée But to narrow is the house of my soule for thée vntill thou come vnto me make more rowme in it Repaire it for it is decayed It hath many thinges that will mislike thyne eyes I know it and confesse it but who shall clense it or to whō shall I crye elles but vnto thée Lord clense me from my priuie sinnes beare with thy seruaūt for other folkes faultes Swéete Christ make me I beséech thee good Iesu make me to laye away the burden of fleshly desires and earthly lustes for loue and liking of thée Let my soule ouerrule my flesh let reason ouerrule my soule let thy grace ouerrule my reason and subdue thou me both inwardly and outwardly to thy will. Giue me the grace that my hart my toūg and my bones may prayse thée Inlarge my minde and lift vp the eyesight of my hart that euē with the swift conceyt of my spirite I may atteine to thée the euerlasting wisedome whiche abydest vppon all thinges I beséeche thée loose me from the fetters wherwith I am shackled that I may leaue all these thinges and hye me vnto thee sticke to thee onely and attend vpon thee onely ¶ Of the happines of the soule that is let loose from the prison of the body HAppy is the soule whiche being let loose frō the earthly prisō flyeth vp fréely into heauen and there beholdeth thée her most sweete Lord face to face is no more disquieted with any feare of death but reioyseth in the euerlastingnesse of incorruptible glory For it is safe and out of perill and hence forth feareth neither enemy nor death It possesseth thée her mercifull Lorde whom she hath long sought and euer loued And accōpanying her selfe with the quyres of Psalme singers it singeth continually the sugred songes of euerlasting mirth to the glorie of thee O king Christ O gracious Iesu For she is made dronken with the boūtifulnesse of thy house thou makest her to drinke of the streame of thy pleasures Happy is the felowship of the heauēly Citizens and glorious is the solemnitie of all them that returne frō the sorowful trauell of this our pilgrimage to the pleasauntnesse of beawtie to the beawtie of all brightnes and to the floure of all excellencie where thy Citizens behold thée continually O lord Nothyng that may trouble the minde is offered there to the eare What songes what instrumēts what Carolles what melodie soundeth there without end There sounde alwayes most pleasaunt tunes of Hymnes most swéete melodie of aungels most wonderfull dities of songes whiche are song to thy glorie by the heauenly inhabitantes No harshnesse no gallye bitternesse hath any rowme with in thy realme For there is neither a naughtie persō nor naughtines There is none aduersarie nor impugner neither is there any intycement of sinne There is no nedinesse no shame no brawling no misusage no excusing no feare no vnquietnesse no penaltie no doubtfulnes no violēce no discord but there is perfect peace ful of loue continuall reioysing praysing of God carelesse rest without end and euerlasting gladnesse in the holy Ghost O how lucky should I be if I might heare the most pleasaunt Carols of thy Citizēs and their sugred songes aduauncing the prayses of the souereine Trinitie with due honor But ouer happie should I be might I once atteine to sing a song my selfe I say to sing one of the swéete songes of Sion to our Lord Iesu Christ ¶ Of the ioyes of Paradise O Liuely life O euerlasting and aye blessed life where as is ioye without sorrow rest without trauel dignitie without feare riches
word O God the word whereby all thinges are made without whom there is not any thing made Wo is me wretch so often blinded for that thou art the light and I am without thée Wo is me wretch so often wounded for that thou art the salue and I am without thée Wo is me wretch so often ouerséene for that thou art the truth I am without thée Wo is me wretch so often straying for that thou art the way I am without thée Wo is me wretch so often dead for that thou art the life and I am without thée Wo is me wretch so oftē brought to nought for that thou art the word by which all thinges were made I am without thée with out whom nothing was made O Lord the worde O God the word who art the light by whō light was made who art the way truth and life in whom there is no darknesse ouersight vanitie nor death O light without whiche all is but darknes O truth with out which all is but leasing O life without whiche all is but death Lord say the word that light may be made so as I may sée the light eschew darknesse sée the way eschew straying sée the truth and eschew leasing sée life and eschew death Shyne forth O Lord my light my inlightening my welfare whom I will reuerēce my Lord whom I will prayse my God whom I will honor my father whom I wil loue my bridegrome to whō I will kéepe my selfe Shyne forth O light shine forth I say to this blind soule of mine which sisteth in darknesse in the shadow of death and guide my féete into the way of peace that I may passe thereby into the place of thy wonderfull Tabernacle euē to the house of God with the voyce of gladnesse and confessiō For true confession is the way whereby I may enter vnto thée which art the way whereby I may returne from bywayes and whereby I come agayne to thée which art the way for thou art the very way of life ¶ Of the fall of the Soule into sinne AS long as I was without thée I was as nothyng And therfore I was blind deafe and senselesse For I did neither discerne the good nor shunne the euill nor féele the grief of my woundes nor sée myne owne darknesse bycause I was without thée the true light which inlightenest euery man that commeth into this world Wo is me they haue wounded me and I was not sorie they haue haled me and I felt it not For I was as nothing bycause I was without life which is the word wherby all things are made And therfore O Lord my light mine enemies haue done what they lifted to me they haue strikē me they haue berayed me they haue marred me they haue wounded me and they haue killed me bycause I shrunke backe from thee and am become as a thing of nothing without thée ▪ Alas Lord my life which madest me my light which hast guided me then defender of my life haue mercie vppon me Rayse me vp againe O Lord my god My hope my power my strength my comfort haue an eye to mine enemies in the day of my trouble and rescue me Let them that hate me flée away from my face and let me liue in thée by thée For they haue lyen in wayt for me O Lord and whē they saw me without thée they despised me They parted amōg them the garmentes of the vertues wherewith thou haddest apparelled me They made their way through me they trampled me vnder their féete they defiled thy holy temple with the filth of their sinnes and they left me desolate forpyned with sorrowe I went after them blind and naked and shackled with the fetters of sinnes They dragged me after them roūd about from vyce to vyce and from myre to myre and I went without strength before the face of him that pursued me I was a bondslaue and yet I loued slauerie I was blind still I longed for blindnesse I was manacled yet I misliked not my manacles I thought bitter to be swéete swéete to be bitter I was a wretch wist it not And all this came to passe bycause I was without the word wherby al things are preserued without which all thinges are worse then nothing For like as al things were made by the word and nothing was made without it euen so by it are all thinges preserued and mainteyned what soeuer they be either in heauen or in earth or in the Sea or in any déepes One péece should not cleaue to another in a stone or in any of the thinges that be created vnlesse they were mainteyned by the worde whereby all thinges were made Therfore will I sticke vnto thée O word that thou mayst preserue me for assoone as I step aside from thée I am vndone in my selfe sauyng that thou which madest me hast also renued me agayne For whē I had sinned thou didst visit me when I was falue thou didst lift me vp agayne when I was ignoraūt thou didst teach me and when I could not sée thou didst inlighten me ¶ Of Gods manifold benefites WRetch that I am my God shew me how much I am bound to loue thée Make it appeare to me how much I ought to prayse thée Make me to know how much I ought to please thée Lord thunder thou downe into the inwarde care of my hart Teach me and saue me and I will prayse thée For thou hast created me when I had no being thou hast inlightened me when I was in darknesse thou hast raysed me whē I was dead thou hast fed me with thy benefites euen from my youth vp This vnprofitable worme which stinketh with sinne thou nourishest with all thy singular good giftes Open vnto me O thou key of Dauid which openest and no man shutteth agaynst him to whom thou openest and shettest and no man openeth vnto him whom thou shettest out Open me the doore of thy light that I may enter in and both know acknowledge vnto thée with my whole hart that thy mercy is great towardes me that thou hast deliuered my soule from the bottom of hel O Lord our God how wonderful and prayse worthy is thy name through all the earth And what is mā that thou art mindfull of him or the sonne of man that thou visitest him O Lord whiche art the hope of the Saintes and the tower of their strength O God the life of my soule wherby I liue and where without I dye O light of myne eyes by which I see and without which I am sightlesse O ioy of my hart and chearer of my spirites let me loue thée with all my hart with all my mind with all my strength and with all intiernesse for thou hast loued me first And why hast thou done so to me O maker of heauen and of earth and of the bottomlesse déepe who hast no néede of me Wherupō commeth it that
other thynges doth the sonne of Beliall euen Sathā him selfe practise agaynst vs O Lord our god He lyeth in wayt to ketch our soules one while as a Lyon and an other while as a draggō openly and priuely within and without day and night But deliuer vs thou O Lord which sauest them that trust in thée that he may be gréeued at vs thou mayst be praysed in vs O Lord our God. Of Gods benefites I The sonne of thy handmayd who haue cōmended my selfe into thy hand by these my poore complaintes will prayse thée my deliuerer with all my hart and cal to my minde all the good that thou hast done me frō my youth vp For I know that vnthankfulnesse doth greatly displease thée which is the roote of all spirituall euill and a wynde that blasteth and burneth vp all good damming vp the foūtaine of thy godly mercy for euer Through it the workes that be dead already reuiue not and the workes that be alyue do dye out of hand and recouer not agayne But I will giue thākes to thée O Lord least I be vnthankfull to thée my deliuerer for thy deliueryng of me How often had that dragon swalowed me vp long ago but that thou O Lord hast plucked me out of his mouth How often haue I sinned and he stode ready to snatch me vp but that thou didst defēd me O Lord my God When I delt wickedly when I brake thy commaundements he stode wayting to cary me away to hell but thou withstodest him I offended thée and thou didst defēd me I feared thée not yet thou didst kéepe me I started away frō thée and yelded my selfe to myne enemy and yet thou didst fray him away that he should not take me These good turnes hast thou done for me O Lord my God I wretch wist it not For so hast thou oftentymes deliuered me out of the deuils chappes plucked me out of the Lyons mouth and many and sundry wayes brought me backe agayne from hell though I wist it not For I haue gone downe to the very gates of hell but thou hast held me frō goyng in I drew neare to deathes doore but thou hast not suffered it to take me in Also thou hast oftentymes preserued me from bodily death O my Sauiour when I haue bene attached with sore sicknesses And when I haue bene in many daungers by Sea and by land thou hast alwayes stode by me deliueryng me from fire and from sword and from all perill and mercyfully preseruyng me Truly Lord thou knowest that if death had dispatched me at that time hell had receiued my soule and I had bene dāned for euer But thy mercy thy grace preuented me rescuyng me from bodily death and also from the death of my soule O my Lord god These and many other good turnes hast thou done for me I was blind and wist it not vntill thou inlightenedst me Now therfore O light of my soule my Lord God my life whereby I liue the sight of mine eyes wherby I sée behold thou hast inlightned me and I perceiue how I liue through thée And I yeld thée thankes though litle worth and slender and farre vnder thy benefites howbeit yet such as my frayltie hath to giue For thou onely art my God and my gracious maker whiche louest our soules and hatest none of the thyngs that thou hast made Behold I am the chief among the sinners whom thou hast saued that I may be an example vnto others of thy most mercyfull louyng kyndnesse I will acknowledge thy great benefites vnto thée for thou hast plucked me out of the bottom of hell once twyse and thrice and a hundred tymes a thousand tymes Yea I alwayes made towardes hell and thou didst alwayes bring me backe againe whē thou mightest iustly haue damned me if thou hadst would But thou wouldest not O Lord my God bycause thou louest mens soules and bearest with mens sinnes that they might repent all thy wayes be full of mercy Now therfore O Lord my God I sée these thynges and discerne them by thy light my hart is astonished at thy great mercy towardes me in that thou hast deliuered my soule from the bottome of hell and brought me backe agayne to lyfe For I was starke dead and thou hast made me throughly aliue again Therfore am I altogether beholden to thee for my life and whole as I am I yeld my selfe wholly vnto thée Let my whole spirite my whole hart my whole body and my whole life liue vnto thée my swéete lyfe for thou hast deliuered me whole that thou mightest possesse me whole thou hast made me whole new agayne that thou mightest haue me whole againe And therfore let me loue thee O Lord my strength let me loue thée O my vnspeakable ioy and let me liue hence forth not to my selfe but vnto thée All my whole life which was perished in myne owne wretchednesse is reuiued agayne in thy mercy for thou art a pitifull and mercyfull God ▪ and many are thy compassions toward thousandes in them that loue thy name And therfore O Lord my God thou my sanctifier hast commaūded me in thy law that I should loue thée with all my hart with all my might yea euē frō the bottom of my hart at all houres tymes wherin I inioy the benefites of thy mercy For I should perish for euer but that thou rulest me euer I should euer dye but that thou euer quickenest me yea euery moment thou byndest me vnto thée in as much as euery momēt thou bestowest thy great benefites vppon me Therefore lyke as there is no houre or instāt of time in all my life that I haue not the vse of thy benefites so ought there to be no moment wherin I should not haue thée in remembraunce before myne eyes and loue thée to thée vttermost of my power But this am I not able to do except thou make me able of whō cōmeth euery good gift euery excellent gift for thou art the father of light in whō there is no chaūge nor intercourse of darknes for to loue thée cōmeth not of our own will or of our own running but of thy mercy Lord it is thy gift whose all good things are Thou commaūdest vs to loue thée giue vs that which thou cōmaundest commaunde what thou wilt Of the feruentnesse of loue or Charitie I Am in loue with thée my God I couet to be alwayes in loue with thée more more For in déede thou art swéeter thē all honye more nourishyng then all milke and brighter then all light And therfore I set more by thée then by all the gold siluer and precious stones in the world For I mislyke all that euer I haue to do within this world in respect of thy swéetnesse and in respect of the beawtie of thy house which I haue loued O fire which euer burnest neuer goest out O loue which euer glowest neuer coolest inflame me I
without losse health fulnesse without impayring aboundance without want lyfe without death continuance with out corruption blessednesse with out abatement all good things in perfect loue beawtie and beholding face to face full knowledge of all thinges and in all thinges where Gods souereine goodnesse is séene his inlightening light is glorified of the Saints where the present maiesty of God is beheld and the mindes of the beholders satisfied therewithall as with the foode of life The more they sée it the more they desire to sée it yet desire they it without disquietnesse and haue their fill of it without wéerinesse There the daysunne of righteousnesse cheareth all meÌ„ with the wonderous sight of his beawtie and so in lighteneth all the Citizens of the heauenly soyle that they them selues yeld light euen the light that God hath behighted them light more lightsome then all the brightnes of our daysunne theÌ„ the clearenesse of all the starres For they cleaue to the immortal Godhead and thereby are made immortall and incorruptible theÌ„ selues according to this promise of our Lord and Sauiour Father as for those whoÌ„ thou hast giuen me I wil haue them to be where I am that they may sée my glory and that they may be all one as thou father art in me and I in thée and that they also may be one in vs. ¶ Of the kingdome of heauen O Realme of heaueÌ„ O most happy Realme O Realme without death O kingdome without end where is no succession of time by ages where the day lasting continually without night woteth not what time meaneth where the souldier that getteth the vpper haÌ„d is rewarded with vnspeakable gifts for his labour and hath an euerlasting garland set vpon his noble head Would God that Christ of his heauenly pitie hauing released the burthen of my sinnes would commaunde me the basest of his seruaunts to lay aside the fardell of this flesh that I might passe into the endlesse ioyes of his Citie to repose my selfe so as I might keepe coÌ„panie with the holy sort aboue stand before the glorious maiestie of my creator with the blessed spirites behold the present countenaunce of God be touched with no feare of death reioyse in suretie of the incorruptiblenesse of the euerlastyng immortalitie and being linked to him that knoweth all thinges forgoe all blindnes of ignoraunce nothing esteeming all earthly things and not vouchsauyng to looke vppon this vale of teares or to remeÌ„ber it any more whereas our lyfe is a painfull life a corruptible life a lyfe full of all bitternesse a lyfe that is mistresse of mischief and haÌ„dmayd of hell whom humors make to swell whom paynes abate whom heate parcheth whoÌ„ ayres make diseased whom meates puffe vp whom fastings forepyne whom mirth maketh nyce whoÌ„ heauines consumeth whom thought pincheth whom ease dwelleth whoÌ„ riches pranke vp whoÌ„ pouertie pulleth down whoÌ„ youth setteth aloft whoÌ„ age makes to stoope whom sicknesse defaceth whom sorow thrusteth downe whom the deuill layeth wayt for whom the world flattereth whom the flesh delighteth where the soule is blinded where the whole man is put out of order After all which so many and so great mischieues succeedeth cruel death and in such wise maketh an end of all vayne ioyes that wheÌ„ they be once past they may be thought to haue neuer bene In what wise God coÌ„forteth the sorrowfull soule after the loÌ„g mornyng therof BVt what prayses or what thankesgiuinges are we able to render vnto thée O Lorde our God who ceassest not to coÌ„fort vs with the wonderfull visitation of thy grace among the great miseries of our mortalitie Behold while I feare the end of my lyfe whyle I consider my sinnes while I stand in feare of thy Iustice while I thinke vpon the horror of death while I shudder at the punishement of hell whyle I knowe not with what straitnes thou doost boult out and wey my workes while I am vtterly ignoraunt with what end I shall close them vp and while I bethinke me of these and many other thynges to my selfe in my hart thou O Lord God of thine accustomed pitie art ready at haÌ„d to comfort me wretch replenished with many griefes and in the middes of these monynges sore complaints and déepe sighes of my hart thou takest vp my sad and sorrowfull minde to the toppes of the high mountaines eueÌ„ to the beddes of sweete spyces putting me in a place of pasture by the riuers of swéete waters where thou preparest a table diuersly furnished against I come to refresh my appalled sprights and to cheare vp my heauy hart through which deinties I beyng at length refreshed do forget my manifold miseries beyng lifted vp aboue the heigth of the earth do take my rest in thée which art the true peace ¶ Of the sweetnesse of the loue of God. I Loue thee my God I loue thee and more more would I fayne loue thée My Lord God thou rest of all the childreÌ„ of meÌ„ graunt me to long for thee to loue thée as much as I would and as much as I should Thou art vnmeasurable and must be loued without measure specially of vs whom thou hast so loued whom thou hast so saued and for whom thou hast made so great so goodly thinges O loue whiche burnest euer and art neuer quenched O swéete Christ O gracious Iesu O my God which art loue it selfe set me wholly on fire with thy fire with the loue of thée with thy swéetnesse with desirousnesse of thée with likyng of thée with ioying and reioysing in thée with thy pitifulnesse pleasantnesse and with the pleasure and delight of thée which is holy and good chaste and cleane that being throughly full of the swéetnesse of thy loue wholly besmoked with the flame of affection towardes thée I may loue thée my Lord God most swéete and most beawtifull with all my hart with all my soule with all my streÌ„gth with all my power with much sorrow of hart sheading of teares with much reuerence and trembling hauing thée in my hart in my mouth before mine eyes alwayes in all places so as there may be no rowme in me for any counterfet or vncleane loue ¶ Of ioy O Swéete loue O louyng swéetnes let my belly eate thée and let my bowels be filled with the pleasaunt wyne of thy loue let my minde vtter forth good wordes O charity my God swéete honny snowye milke the foode of Aungelles make me to growe in thée that I may eate thée with a sauorie tast Thou art my life whereby I liue the hope that I sticke vnto the glory that I desire Hold thou my hart rule my mynde guide myne vnderstandyng cheare vp my loue lift thou vp my Soule drawe the mouth of my spirite whiche thirsteth after thée vp to the water streames that are aboue I beséech thée let the troubleoâ—â—nesse of the flesh cease Let the fancies of landes waters aire and skye hold their peace Let
my selfe would I neuer so fayne Great is the multitude of my miseries within me For why to will is present with me but I finde not how to bring to passe To will the thyng that is good I am not able except thou will it neither cā I do that I would do except thy power do strengthen me Agayne that which I cā do of tymes I haue no will to do vnlesse thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen And though I both wil and can yet wote I not how to do vnlesse thy wisedome inlighten me Yea and although sometymes I haue knowledge ioyned both with will and with abilitie yet doth my wisedome passe away imperfect emptie vnlesse I be helped by thy true wisedome All thinges are in thy will and there is none that can resiste thy will O Lorde of all thinges which hast the souereintie ouer all flesh and doost what thou listest in heauen in earth in the Sea and in all déepe places Therfore let thy wil be done in vs vpon whē thy name is called so as this noble handiworke of thine perish not whiche thou hast created to shine own honor And what man is he if he were borne of a womā that liueth and shall not sée death or can deliuer his owne soule from the hand of hell except thou onely which art the liuely way of all life wherby all things liue do rescue him ¶ That mās will is vnable to doe good workes without the grace of God. I Haue euen now confessed vnto thée that thou art the stay of my lyfe O Lord my God the strēgth of my welfare The time hath bene that I haue trusted in myne owne strength which notwithstandyng was no strength And so whē I wold haue runne where I thought my selfe to stād fastest there did I most fall and was rather cast behynde then set foreward and the thyng that I thought to catch was further and further of frō me So tryest thou my strēgth by many like things Now know I that thou hast inlightened me For looke what I thought my selfe best able to do that was I euer least able to do of my selfe For I sayd I will do this and I will go through with that but whē it came to the point I could doe none of them both When I had a will to doe it I wanted ablenesse and when I was able I wanted will bycause I trusted to myne own strength But now I acknowledge vnto thee O Lord my God the father of heauen and earth that it is not in mans power to strengthē him selfe least the foolish presumptuousnesse of any flesh should boast it selfe before thée For man is not able to be willing to do that he can nor to can the thyng that he is willing to do or to know the thing that he both would and could do but rather thou art he that guidest mens steppes I say the steppes of them whiche acknowledge thē selues to be guided not by them selues but by thée We beséech thée therfore O Lord by the bowels of thy mercy that thou wilt saue that which thou hast created for if thou wilt thou cāst saue vs and in thy will resteth the power of our saluation ¶ Of Gods olde benefites LOrd remember thyne olde mercyfulnesse wherby thou hast preuented vs with thy swéet blessinges euen from the begynning For before that I the sonne of thy hādmayd was borne thou O Lord my hope while I hāged yet vppon my mothers brestes didst preuent me making my way for me wherein to walke that I might come to the glory of thy house Before thou didst shape me in my mothers wōbe thou knewest me and before I was borne thou didst foreordeine of me what soeuer pleased thée How and what things are written of me in the secret booke of thy Consistorie truly I know not and therefore I am sore afrayde But thou knowest it for what soeuer I looke for by succession of dayes and tymes a thousand yeare hence in this mortall world that is already done in the sight of thy euerlastingnesse and the thing that is to come is already in doyng Now then for asmuch as I stand in this night of darknesse and know not these thinges feare and trembling are come vpon me bycause I sée that many daungers preace vpon me on all sides and many enemyes hunt after me and I am beset round about with an innumerable multitude of miseries in this life And if thy helpe were not presēt with me in these so great miseries I should despaire But I haue a great hope of thée O most méeke prince my God and the considering of the multitude of thy compassions chéereth my hart The former signes of thy mercy whiche preuented me before I was borne and haue now specially shyned out vpon me do assure my hope of the better and perfecter rewardes of thy goodnesse whiche thou reseruest for thy frendes that I may reioyse in thée O Lorde my God with the holy and liuely ioye wherewith thou alwayes chéerest vp my youth Of Gods predestination and foreknowledge TEache me O bottomlesse déepe O wisedome the creator whiche hast counterpeysed the moūtaines hils by weight and hāged the masse of the earth by thrée fingers in the balance hale vp the lumpe of this grossenesse whiche I beare about me vnto thée by thy thrée vnsene fingers that I may sée and know how wonderful thou art ouer all the earth O most auncient light which shonest before all light in the hill of thy tymelesse eternitie vnto whom all thinges lay bare and open before they were made O light whiche hatest all spottinesse in asmuch as thou art most cleane and spottelesse what delight canst thou haue in man What agréemēt is there betwen light and darknesse For what is there in man that may delight thée Where canst thou make thée a méete sanctuarie for thy maiestie that thou mayst enter into it and take thy delight and pleasure in the same A cleane parlour becommeth thée O clensing vertue whiche canst not be sene and much lesse possessed but of cleane hartes But where is there in man so cleane a temple as may receiue thée the ruler of the world Who can make that cleane which is conceiued of vncleane séede Truly none but thou who onely art cleane For who cā be made cleane by that which is vncleane For accordyng to the law which thou gauest to our fathers vpō the mountaine burning with fire and in the cloud that couered the darksome water what soeuer an vncleane persō toucheth becōmeth vncleane But all of vs are as a defileth cloth comming of a corrupt and vncleane masse and we beare in our foreheades the spottes of our vncleannesse which we be not able to hide specially from thée who séest all thinges Wherfore we cannot be cleane except thou make vs cleane who onely art cleane And of vs sonnes of men thou makest those cleane whom it pleaseth thée to dwell in whō by the
of Christ so let vs consider the happy royalty of our Citie so farre forth as it is possile for vs to consider it Let vs say with the Prophet O how glorious thinges are spoken of thée thou Citie of God for thou art the dwellyng place of all them that reioyse the ioy of the whole earth is founded vpoÌ„ thée There is not in thée any age nor miserie of age There is not in thée any maymed person any lame man any crooke backe nor any mishapen body For all be groweÌ„ vp to perfect men after the full measure of the age of Christ What blesseder thyng can there be theÌ„ such a life where there is no feare of pouertie nor weakenesse of disease No man is harmed there no man is displeased there no man enuyeth there There is no burnyng of couetousnesse no desire of meate no ambitious sewing for honor and authoritie there is no dread of deuill no snares of féendes no feare of hell fire There is no death neither of body nor of soule but pleasaunt life assured of immortalitie TheÌ„ shall there be no miseries then shall there be no debates but all things shal be at agréement bycause all the Saints shall agrée in one Peace and mirth hold all thinges together all thinges are calme and quiet There is continuall light not such as is now here but so much the brighter as it is much happyer For as we read that Citie shall néede no Sâ—â—ne nor Moone bycause the Lord almightie shal shine in it and the lambe shal be the light of it Where the Saintes shal shine as the starres for euer without end and such as haue taught many in the way of righteousnesse shal be as the brightnesse of the skye Wherfore there shal be no night no darknesse no méeting of cloudes no painefulnesse of heate or cold but there shal be such a temperatnesse as neuer eye hath séene eare heard nor hart of any man conceiued sauing onely of them that are counted worthy to enioy the same whose names are written in the booke of life But yet it is farre aboue all these thinges to be in felowship with the companies of Aungels Archaungels and all the heauenly powers to behold the patriarkes and Prophetes to sée the Apostles and all the Saints yea and also to sée our owne parentes Glorious are these thinges but much more glorious is it to behold the present countenaunce of God to sée his infinite brightnesse A passing excellent glorie shal it be when we shall sée God in him selfe and when we shall both sée and haue him in our selues of whoÌ„ we shall neuer haue seene inough What thing God requireth like vnto him self in vs. GOd the father is Charitie God the sonne is louyngnesse and God the holy ghost is the loue of the father the sonne This loue this charitie and this louingnesse requireth some like thing in vs that is to wit charitie whereby we be associated knitte vnto God as it were by some alyance of kinred Loue passing not for dignity looketh for no reuerence He that loueth coÌ„meth boldly of him selfe vnto God speaketh familiarly vnto him without any feare or without any stickyng His life is but losse which loueth not But he that loueth hath his eyes euermore to Godward whoÌ„ he loueth whoÌ„ he longeth for whoÌ„ he thinketh of in whoÌ„ he delighteth vpon whoÌ„ he féedeth in whom he battleth Such a one as is thus disposed doth so sing so read is so forecasting and circumspect in all his workes as though God were present before his eyes so is he present in déede He prayeth in such wise as if he were taken vp and presented before the face of Gods maiesty in his high throne where thousandes of thousandes do him seruice and ten hundred thousand are staÌ„dyng about him Looke what soule loue visiteth the same doth it awake out of sléepe It monisheth softeneth wouÌ„deth his hart It inlighteneth the darke places vnlocketh the shet places warmeth the cold places méekeneth the sturdie fumish impacient mynde chaceth away vyce bridleth fleshly affections amendeth maners reformeth reneweth the spirite and restreineth the light motions and actions of slipperie youth All these thinges doth loue when it is present And assoone as loue is gone away by and by the soule beginneth to droope like as a boylyng cawldron cooleth if a man drawe away the fire from vnder it ¶ Of the boldnesse of the soule that loueth God. LOue is a great thing where through the Soule preaceth boldly of it selfe vnto God and sticketh stedfastly vnto god The Soule that loueth God asketh questions of him familiarly and taketh couÌ„sell of him in all cases It can thinke vpon nothing els it can speake of nothing els it despiseth all other thinges and it lotheth all other thinges sauyng god What soeuer it myndeth what soeuer it speaketh it sauoureth of loue and it smelleth of loue so wholly hath the loue of God wonne it vnto him He that will haue knowledge of God let him loue him In vayne commeth he to reading studying preaching or praying which loueth not The loue of God bréedeth the loue of the soule maketh it intentife thereunto God loueth to the intent to be loued againe When he loueth he meaneth nothing els but to be loued for he knoweth that they whiche loue hym are blessed by theyr loue The soule that loueth God renounceth all her owne affections and giueth her selfe wholly to nothyng els but loue to the ende she may aunswere loue for loue And when she hath vtterly spent her selfe in loue how small a thyng is it in respect of that euerlastyng streame of the heauenly loue There is great oddes in the matche betwéene the loue and the louer betwéene the soule and God betwéene the maker and the creature And yet if the soule loue thée whole where the whole is there is no want Let not the soule be afrayde whiche loueth but let the soule be afrayde whiche loueth not The soule that loueth is caried with desirousnesse drawen with longing disclaymeth desertes shetteth the eyes of maiestie openeth the eyes of pleasure setteth her selfe in safetie and dealeth boldly with god Through loue the soule withdraweth and departeth aside from the bodily senses so as it féeleth not it selfe to the ende it may féele god And this is done at such tyme as the mynde beyng allured with the vnspeakable swéetenesse of God doth after a sorte steale awaye from it selfe or rather is rauished and slippeth away from it selfe to the intent to enioy God to her delight Nothing could be so pleasaunt if it were not so gezon Loue procureth familiaritie with God familiaritie procureth boldnesse boldnesse tast and tast continuall hungering The soule that is surprised with the loue of God can thinke of nothing els nor wish nothing els but with often sighes sayth Like as the Hert thirsteth after the water springes so thirsteth my soule after thée my God. ¶ What God hath
done for man. FOr loue to manward God came to man God came into ¶ The remembring of the woundes of our Lorde Iesu Christ WHen any foule thought assaulteth me I runne to the woundes of Christ When my fleshe presseth me downe I rise vp agayne by remembryng the woundes of my lord When the deuill layeth wayt for me I flée to the bowels of the mercy of my Lorde and he departeth away from me If the heate of lecherie prouoke my members it is quēched with callyng to mynde the woundes of our Lord the sonne of god In all aduersities I finde no remedie so effectuall as the woundes of Christ In them I sléepe without care and rest with out feare Christ hath died for vs Now is there nothing so bitter to the death which is not salued by the death of Christ All my whole hope is in the death of my lord His death is my desert my refuge my welfare lyfe and resurrection and the mercyfulnesse of the Lord is my merite I am not poore of merite so long as he the Lord of compassiōs faileth not As long as he is manifold in mercy so long am I also manifold of desertes The mightier that he is to saue the more am I without care ¶ That the remembraunce of Christes woundes is an effectual remedy against all aduersities EXcéedyng greatly haue I sinned and myne owne conscience findeth me giltie of many offences and yet doe I not dispayre bycause that whereas sinne hath abounded there hath grace ouerabounded He that despayreth of the forgiuenesse of his sinnes denyeth God to be mercyfull Great wrong doth he to God whiche distrusteth his mercy For as much as in him lieth he denyeth God to be louyng true and mightie which are the thinges wherein my whole hope consisteth that is to witte in the loue of his adoption in the truth of his promise and in the power of his redéemyng Now let my vnwise imagination murmur as much as it listeth and say Who art thou how great is the glory and by what desertes hopest thou to obteine it and I will aunswere boldly I know whom I haue credited that he of his excéedyng great loue hath adopted me to be his sonne that he is soothfast of promise that he is mighty in performance and that he may do what he listeth I can not be feared with the multitude of my sinnes if I bethinke me of the death of my Lorde bycause my sinnes are not able to ouermatch him His nayles and his speare crye vnto me that I am throughly reconcyled to Christ if I loue him Longiuus hath opened me Christes side with his speare and I am gone into it and there do I rest in safetie He that is afrayd let him loue for loue driueth feare out of doores There is no remedie so mightie and effectuall agaynst the heate of lecherie as the death of my redemer He stretcheth out his armes vpon the Crosse and he holdeth out his handes in a readinesse to imbrace sinners Betwéene the armes of my Sauiour mynde I to lyue and dye There shall I sing safely there will I exalte thée O Lorde bycause thou hast taken me vp and hast not giuen myne enemyes their pleasure ouer me Our Sauiour hath bowed down his head at his death to receiue the kisses of his beloued And so oftē do we kisse God as we be throughly touched with the loue of him The musing of the Soule vpon the loue of God. O My soule whiche art innobled with the Image of God redéemed with Christes bloud betrothed to him by fayth indued with the holy Ghost garnished with vertues and registred among the aungels Loue thou him that hath loued thée so much Serue him that hath serued thée Séeke him that séekes thée Loue him that loues thée which loued thée first and which is the cause of thy loue He is the desert he is the reward he is the frute he is the vse of it he is the ende of it Be carefull for hym that is carefull of thée he at leysure for him that is at leysure for thée be cleane with him that is cleane be holy with him that is holy Looke after what sorte thou shewest thy selfe towardes God after the same sort shall he shew him selfe towardes thée He is swéete méeke and mercyfull and therfore he requireth to haue them that be swéete méeke pleasaunt and mercyfull Loue thou him that hath plucked thée out of the puddle of miserie and out of the myre of filthines Chose him for thy frend aboue all frendes whiche alone will kéepe touche with thée when all thinges fayle thée In the day of thy buryall when all thy frendes shrinke frō thée he will not forsake thée but will defend thée from the roring Lyons that wayt for their pray and will leade thée through an vnknowen countrey and bryng thée to the stréetes of the heauenly Sion and there set thée amōg the Aungels before the face of his owne maiestie where thou shalt heare this Aungelicall ditie holie holie holie Lorde God of hostes There is the song of mirth the voyce of ioy and welfare the voyce of thankesgiuing prayse the voyce of magnifying God for euer There is the full measure of happinesse passing excellent glory superabundant ioy all good thynges O my soule sigh hartely desire earnestly that thou mayst come to that Citie aboue whereof so glorious thinges are spoken and wherein is the habitation of all that reioyse By loue thou mayst get vp thether Nothing is hard nothyng is impossible to him that loueth The soule that loueth goeth vp often to the heauenly Ierusalem and runneth familiarly from stréete to stréete visityng the Patriarkes and Prophetes salutyng the Apostles wondring at the hostes of Martyrs and Confessors and gazing at the companies of the Virgins Heauen and earth and all things that are in them call vppon me without ceassyng to loue my Lord God. ¶ What the knowledge of the truth is WHat is the knowledge of truth first to knowe thy selfe and to indeuor to be that which thou oughtest to be and to amende that whiche ought to be amended And secondly to know and to loue thy maker for that is the whole happines of man Sée then how vnspeakeable the graciousnes of Gods loue towardes vs is He hath created vs of nothing and giuen vs all that we haue But forasmuch as we haue loued the gift more then the giuer and the creature more then the creator we are falne into the deuilles snare and become hys bondslaues Neuerthelesse God beyng moued with compassion sent his sonne to redéeme vs slaues and his holy spirite to make vs his sonnes agayne He hath giuen his sonne to be the pryce of our raunsome the holie Ghost as an assuraunce of his loue and to be short he reserueth him selfe whole for vs to be the heritage of our adoption And so God accordyng to hys excéedyng gracious goodnesse and mercie hath for verie loue and good will to
manward bestowed not onely hys benefites but also him selfe vpon him to recouer him agayne not so much to him selfe as to him To the intent that men might be borne of God God was first borne of them Who is so hard harted that he will not be softened by the loue of God preuenting man with so hartie good wil that he vouchsaued to become man for mans sake who can finde in his hart to hate a man whose nature and lykenesse he séeth in the manhode of GOD Doubtlesse he that hateth a man hateth God and so loseth all his labour For God became man for mans sake that he might be a redeemer as well as a creator and that man might be raunsomed with his owne goodes and that one man might loue an other the more hartely God appeared in the shape of man to the end that both body and soule might be made blessed by renewyng the eye of the mynde in his Godhead and the eye of the bodie in hys manhoode so that whether man went in or out he might finde foode in him layde vp in store by hym in hys humane nature ¶ What the sending of the holie Ghost worketh in vs. FOr our Sauiour was borne for vs and crucified and put to death for vs to destroye our death by hys owne death And bycause the grape of hys fleshe was caryed to the wynepresse of the Crosse and there beyng pressed yelded forth the swéete wyne of his Godhead The holy ghost was sent to make ready the vessels of mens harts that the new wyne might be put into newe vessels first to season their harts for marryng of the wyne that should be put into them and afterward to hoope them well for leakyng when the wyne was poured into them that is to wit to clense them from delightyng in sinne and to bynde them from delightyng in vanitie For that which is good could not come in till that whiche is ill was first rid out The delighting in wickednesse defileth and the delighting in vanitie sheadeth out The delighting in wickednesse maketh the vessell foule and the delighting in vanitie maketh it full of cranies To delight in wickednesse is to loue sinne and to delight in vanitie is to be in loue with transitorie thinges Therfore cast out the thyng that is euill that thou mayest receiue the thyng that is good Poure out sowrenesse that thou mayest be filled with swéetenesse Cast out the spirite of the deuill and the spirite of this worlde that thou mayst take in the spirite of god The spirite of the deuil worketh delight in wickednesse and the spirite of the world worketh delight in vanitie And these delightes are euill for the one is a fault of it selfe and the other is the occasion of faultes When the euill spirites be cast out then will the spirite of God come and enter into the tabernacle of thy hart and worke good delightes and good loue wherby the loue of the worlde and the loue of sinne is driuen away The loue of the worlde intyceth men to deceyue them and the loue of sinne defileth and leadeth to death But the loue of God inlighteneth the mynde clenseth the conscience gladdeth the hart and sheweth a man God. ¶ Of the workyng of him that loueth God. HE in whoÌ„ the loue of God dwelleth is alwayes deuising when he shall come vnto God when he shall leaue the world and when he shall scape the corruption of his fleshe And to the intent he may finde true peace he hath his hart and desire alwayes lifted vp aboue When he sitteth when he goeth when he resteth or what soeuer he do his hart is euermore with god He exhorteth all men to the loue of God he commendeth the loue of God vnto all meÌ„ and in hart word and worke he sheweth vnto all men both how swéete the loue of God is and also how euil and bitter the loue of this world is He laugheth at the glorie of this world findeth fault with the care of it shewyng how fond a folye it is to put a mans trust in thinges that be transitorie He marueleth at the blindnes of the men that loue such thinges And he wondereth that all men forsake not all these transitorie and flightfull thinges He thinketh that all men shoulde déeme the thinges swéete wherein he him selfe findeth so good tast that all men should loue that whiche he loueth and that all men should be priuie to that which he knoweth OfteÌ„times doth he behold God and is swéetely refreshed at the contemplation of him so much the more happely as he doth it more ofteÌ„ly For swéete alwayes is that thing to be thought vpon whiche is alwayes swéete to be loued and praysed ¶ Of the true rest of the hart IN déede the true rest of the hart is wheÌ„ the hart is wholly settled in desire vpon the loue of God coueteth nothing els but hath a certeine happy delight in the thing that he holdes him to ioyeth in the same delight And if it be neuer so little withdrawen from him by any vayne thought or businesse of other matters he hyeth him as fast as he caÌ„ to returne to him agayne with all spéede accountyng it but a banishment to abyde any where els then there For like as there is no moment wherin man doth not inioye or vse the gracious goodnesse of God so ought there to be no moment wherein he should not haue him present in remembraunce And therfore no small fault doth that man commit who when he talketh with God in prayer is sodenly pluckt awaye from his presence as it were from the eyes of one that neither saw him nor heard him And that is done when he foloweth his owne naughtie and vnruly thoughtes and preferreth before God some creature that is for his own profite or pleasure whereunto the contemplation of his mynd is easly drawen away by bethinkyng reuoluyng or mynding the same oftener thâ—n God whom he must continually remember as his creator honor as his redéemer attend vppon as his Sauiour and feare as hys iudge ¶ What soeuer withdraweth the sight of the mind from God must in any wise be eschewed and abhorred WHo soeuer thou art that louest the world looke before thée whither thou goest The way that thou walkest is an euil way and full of sorrow Therefore O man leaue of thyne owne businesses for a while and with draw thy selfe from thy trouble some thoughtes Cast away thy burdensome cares lay aside thy paynefull turmoyles bestowe some tyme vpon God and rest thy selfe a while in him Get thée into the chamber of thy mynde shet out all thinges sauyng God and such thinges as further the findyng of hym and séeke hym with thy doore fast shet to thée Let thy whole hart saye vnto God I séeke thy countenaunce it is thy countenaunce that I séeke O Lorde Now then my Lord God go to teache thou my hart where and how it may séeke thée and where and how it may