I wishe and loke for thee I runne to meete thee and I doe renounce all things that are not of thee Whatsoeuer thou wilt I wyll and whatsoeuer thou wylt not the same I wyl forsake Whatsoeuer thou doest detest I doe refuse it and whatsoeuer shal hereafter happen vnto me coÌ„trarie to this my present minde I beseeche thee my God not to impute the same vnto me neither according vnto that but accordyng to this present choyse of my soule iudge me For al thinges whiche I ought not to doe I doe here vtterly forsake them And if at anye time hereafter I shall chaunce by any sinister occasion to agree to any thing that may be a cause to withdraw thy nâ—â— dyd from me I do 〈◊〉 this 〈◊〉 vtterly 〈◊〉 and dâ—tâ—â—â—tlys satile O Lorde Iâ—â—â— if it please thre or if if maye stande 〈◊〉 thy glâ—â—y â—â—auÌ„t I beâ—â—eche thee in this my present lyfe â—hat I 〈…〉 and 〈…〉 wherein I haâ—e oâ—â—â—nded â—â—om al the pâ—ines 〈…〉 â—â—â—â—â—uedlie I â—â—ght to 〈…〉 And that thâ—◠〈…〉 of thy 〈◊〉 â—â—â—ned farry afte◠〈…〉 〈…〉 Lorde Iesu 〈◊〉 my 〈…〉 ¶ 〈…〉 or lâ—st 〈…〉 therto be saye 〈◊〉 to be â—â—ought 〈…〉 vp on at the howre 〈…〉 〈…〉 seath 〈…〉 IN the name of the Father and of the Some and of the holie Ghost I Hâ— a wretched synner â—â—deemed with the precious bloud of our Lord Iesus Christe through his greate merry and loue not by my merites do confesse and â—â—knowledge openly eyther by this wryting or by these my wordes before God omnipotent and before you that are here as witnesses if there needeth any that I aâ—â—â—â—â—d doo dyethe true serâ—â—unt of our Lorde Iesus Christe as it becomâ—eth a true Christian I do beleeue and confesse generallie all and euerie parte and Article of the Christian fayth wherein euery Christian beleeuer is â—â—â—â—â—de is beleeueâ— And chiâ—sâ—ie the vâ—iuersall 〈…〉 â—oâ—teyned in the twelue Articles of the Christian faith either openly expressed or by reason excluded According as through the holye Ghoste by the twelue Apostles and by the true gospel they were delyuered vnto vs And to be shorte I beleeue so muche as a true Christian ought And I do with all my harte reioyce to dye in this immoueable and fyrme Fayth holding this scripture in my handes and offering it vp as a most defensible and inuinsible shield against all the inuasions and deceiptes of the diuell And if which God forbyd it come to passe that by the temptation of the diuell or by the violence of my disease I shall happen to thinke speake or do any thing contrarie to this pretestation Or that I shall fal into any error misbelefe or dispaire Yf any of these doo chaunce vnto me I do here in the presence of you al reuobe vtterly renounce the same in such sorte as I woulde do if I had my perfect sences For this I cal you al which are here present thee my good Angell vnto whose custodie I am coÌ„mitted that you as witnesses may testifie this my protestation and confession before the omnipotent and righteous Iudge As muche as in me lyeth I doo here clearely forgeue and remit al iniuries iuries whatsoeuer haue beene done vnto me And the lyke I do aske 〈◊〉 theyr handes whoâ—â—eit her by word or dee de I haue at any time â—â—leÌ„ded And cheessie I do request to bee partaker of the bytter PassioÌ„ and innocent death of our Lord Iesus Christ and that my natural and voluntarie death may through thy grace stande for al my sinnes I do also intitely requeâ—â— and desire you al that be here present to say the Lordes prayer with me and for me Our Father which arte in Heauen hâ—â—o 〈◊〉 be thy 〈◊〉 Thy kingdom thing Thy wyl be done in earth as it is in heauen â—eue vs this day out â—â—ylâ—e breade And forgeue vs our trespasses as we forgeue them that trespasse against vs And leade vs not into temptation But deliuer vs from al euyl For thine is the kingdome the power and the glorie for euer and euer Amen Would to God I had neuer sinned nor offeÌ„ded against my God nor my 〈◊〉 periors 〈◊〉 against my neighbours nor my selfe Lastlie I geâ—â—â— thâ—â—bes 〈◊〉 thaâ—â—â—â—ghty God for al his 〈…〉 â—â—sâ—â—wed vpon west And I commâ—â—de my body and soule into thy 〈…〉 that my soule may he saued through the bitter passion of our Lord 〈◊〉 Christ to whom be prayse 〈◊〉 glory for euer and euer Amen ¶ Howe feareful and bytter corporal death is of it selfe and the muâ—â—â— causes thereof AS man naturallie desyreth to be in this worlde to lyue and to reioyce So is it also natural for him to feare death and the paines presydents thereof Vertuous and perfect men not withstanding are accustomed to wysh for death wrâ—oâ—â—â—ch as it is the ende of the myseties and offences of this present lyfe the entry like wise into the felicitie and ioye to come They do therfore couet death whiche loue no vnâ—â—wâ—all thing in this lyfe and despiseth and settethat nought al the vanities pleasutes tiches homours prosperities of this world with a most â—â—dent affection aspyring to the most blessed syght of theyr God whome aboue al other thinges they do with al their hartes entirely loue and inwardlie burne with the hartie desyre of heauenlie pleasures eternall wealth saying with the prophet Dauid As the Hart desireth to come to the fountaines of fresh waters so doth my soule desire thee O lord My soule hath thirsted to come vnto God the lyuing fountaine When shal I come appeare before the face of God And to the same effect sayth Paule I vnhappie man who wyll deliuer me from the body of this death That is to saye from this mortal miserable body Also I desyre to be dissolued to be with Christ Neuerthelesse though the consideration of death of it self be a most bytter paine and that the losse of lyfe to a humaine 〈…〉 is naturaâ—le fearfull and horâ—â—â—â— insomuch that our Lord Iesus Christ death approchâ—ig by natural â—eaâ—e of death whiche he tooke willingly vpon him began to feare to ware weerie and to be heauy Such wâ—â—eâ—aâ—e 〈◊〉 of death is proâ—â—â—able for it withdraweth man from cauâ—â— detectatioÌ„ and from the vanities of this worlde He that wyl wisely consider howe pawful an ende howe bytter a death and howe greeuous a sorow doth dayly approche vnto him and peradueÌ„ture is presentlie at hande hee wyll refrayne him selfe from dyssolute and vaine secutitie from sportes games and laughters Saying with Salomon I haue accompted laughing for errour And to myrthe I haue sayde Why doest thou deceyne in vayne And that they be so in deede the wyse Salomon doth in another place witnesse the same Better it is sayeth he to gâ—e into a sorrowfull house then into a hoÌ„â—ueting house Iâ—â—thoue that is the sorowful house man is admonished of theâ—de of all men lyuing he thinketh vpon that which shall happen and is
Death at the gates of olde men is and prest to youth also But neither knoweth the certen howre when they away must go Let vs therfore not knowing when God shall vpon vs call Prepare our selues in readinesse both soule minde harte and all Yeelding our selues vnto the Lorde whylst we our health enioy Not wasting time by posting off least we our selues annoy Euen like as death doth finde the man so man the death shal finde For perfect men in safetie do dye with ioyfull minde With hope of blysse the iust doth ende their lyfe in quiet rest And wicked men full desperate doo ende in cares opprest Therefore to auoide these dangers all keepe thou these verses in minde Which I amongst the learned workes of godlie men doo finde ¶ Of Death Iudgement Hell and Heauen EChe thing returnes to massie earth and endes where it begunne Fresh flowres and all that beareth breath as shades away doth runne Nothing for long accompted is that must in time decay To morrowe next perhaps shal be my death and dying day This present day may likewise be the last day of my dayes Wherein appoynted is that I. must dye without delayes No hope of dooing wel is left after that deadful day That day in ioy without al greefe To passe God sende I may It is great folly to accompt long time here to endure Séeing that none one day to liue himselfe can wel assure Oft to accompt or mencion make of dayes it is but vayne Since restful day or quiet houre none hath without great paine Haue thou as long a time and race as thou doth lust to runne As ought of nought was made in fine so ought to nought must turne A thousand thousand men haue bene and thousand of thousands eke VVhose bones in earth consumed are whose fame is nowe to seeke A iust rewarde for their desertes doth onely nowe remayne And for their déedes by iudgment iust they suffer ioy or payne Beholde that feareful iudgement iust for one shal geue the dome VVho doth appoynte that trembling day when he thereto wyl come Dread feare and cast thy count therfore prepare thy harte I say Liue thou as though death present were thy due preparde to pay ¶ Of the houre of death worthye of often repetition REmember oft O mortal man consider in thy minde VVhat soden feare and terror great thy soule is like to fynde VVhat pinching wormes begin to fret the hart on euery side VVhen soule from flesh life from man begins away to slide Ten thousand griefs begins to paine the wicked soule with woe VVhen from the prison of the fleshe away it needes must goe It doth bewayle with streames of teares the vayne bestowed time VVherein it might ful leasurely repent eche sinful crime And bitterlie with scryching cryes it makes a rufull mone To see the time of strict reuenge that drawes so hardlie on It seekes a whyle then to remaine in hope some mendes to make No sute maye then preuayle but that the fleshe it must forsake Full fayne it would recouer againe the ioye which it hath lost All is in vaine it wyll not be away the soule must post But looking backe it séeth againe when it was wald with bones The whole full course of passed lyfe all presentlie at once And taking yet more earnest viewe it séeth not farre beside The infinite Eternitie that neuer away wyl slide Then trikling teares by watred leares in floudes for gréefe doth runne For losing al the heauenly ioyes that easly mought bene wonne Intisementes fowle of filthy fleshe iust cause of greefe then brings For that by them the swéete delight of heauen and heauenlie thinges From sinfull soule for euer alas remediles is reft And endles paines by iust desart by God to it is left It blusheth for that the sinfull flesh it dyd so much set by The foode of gréedie scrauling wormes in graue when it doth lye Forgetting quite it selfe alas which if it had done wel To Angels might compared be that in the heauens doo dwel O howe the soule confounded is when it doth sée with eyes The perfect glée that was and is aboue the starrie Skies With fléeting stoudes of cares I saye the doleful soule is tost When it doth see the heauenly health that it hath vainely lost For vading glorie of the worlde in this poore mortall lyfe Wherein we see nothing is had without debate and strife When the blacke vale of miserie it doth from farre beholde It wondreth at the shyning light of heauen more pure then golde It doth then sée the wauering worlde that séemde to it most bright To be none other but a clowde more darke then drowpy night How godly harde and strict a life the soule woulde vndertake What fastings great what promise large what holy vowes would make To get by grace some space of tyme wherein it might repent The vaine surpassed course of life that earst in sinne was spent But when the dasled eyes begins to loose their wonted sight And holo we chest yet feble pants and loosing neare his might The ratling throte doth faintly breath the téeth waxe blacke and rust The lippes becommeth pale and wan the toung is thicke and thurst And euerie lym neare styffe and colde when these doo play their parte As verie signes and tokens true of Death his pearsing darte Then al his wicked works and thoughts as witnesse forth are brought And strongest euidence they geue gainst him that them haue wrought He no where then can fire his eyes but there they present are And as his strongest enimies they worke his greatest care Huge routes of vgly dreadfull douyls on thoâ—e side standeth nâ—â—re The vertues all on thother side with Angels passing cleare And in the midst betwixt them both by iust and vpright dome It s clearely iudged to whether side the wandâ—ing soule shall come If in the pathe of vertue true the soule did runne her race Then do the Angels euery one craue that it maye haue grace With pleasaunt heauenly harmonie full sweete they do allure The soule with them in heauen to go they earnestly procure But if the soule all blurred be with blottes of filthy sinne Then war like troupes of hateful deuils agaynst the soule doo â—iune And sodenly in boyâ—â—rous wise alheadlong downe doth cast The guyltie soule eternally to heâ— they pul at last In ambushe they in priuie wise the waye doo al beset Thereby the soule to stop and stay and it from heauen to let By calling these and such like thinges to minde with inwarde thought Al raging fleshlie lust we shal despise and set at nought And weigh as thinges of litle weight al worldlie pleasures vaine Forsaking quite thentisements sweete of hoores and hoorishe traine Applying our studies by stedfast faith to God in godlinesse VVe shal I trust by Christ at last be plast with Saintes in bliffe Praise be to God our Sauiour and to his name also VVho graunt that to his glory we all thinges
be repie at with peace and gladnes traÌ„quilitie rest and a continual excellent brightnes farre vnlike to this whiche nowe we see Adn by howe much the better ech one liued in this world he shal in that world be by so much the more the cleerer For it is read that that Citie needeth not the light of the Sun nor of the Moone for there the Lambe is their lampe and the omnipotent Lorde geueth them light There Saintes dosh me like Starres in perpetual eternitie as the purenesse of the heauens that geueth light to many Wherfore ther is no night nor darknes there is no contracy meeting of clowdes no extremity of coulde nor heat but a wonderful temperatenes of al things which no eie can see no eare caÌ„ heare nor heart imagine sauing only those who enioy the same whose names are writteÌ„ in the booke of life And that which excelleth this is the felowship of Angels ArchaÌ„gels and al the vertues of heauen To behold the Apostles Martirs and prophetes and to see our forefathers al these are glorious But to behold the perfect countenaunce of God and to see his incomprehensible lighte is a far excellenter glorie For when we shall see God in himself then shal we see haue in our selues that which continuallye without ende we shall contemplate and beholde ¶ A supposed description of the heauenly Hierusalem O Beloued countrey O heuenly citie what can be sufficiently writteÌ„ or beleued of thee for that in theÌ„e is that goodnes ioy and solace that eyes see not that eares here not nor minde of man can so-muche as once coniecture for which so many Legions of Martirs haue moste willingly suffered death Thy gates do glister with choseÌ„ stones most precious thy streetes are paued with burnished golde thy walles are made of most precious stones in thee are inestimable pleasaÌ„t gardens alwaies greener then the fields of Thessalie wherin fresh flowres dainty violetâ— do continually bud grow In thee vnspeakeable sweete odours of Cinamon Balme do alwaies plesantly breath and smel The beautie of althings do increase in thee without laâ—ke remaine without fading abide without corruptioÌ„ without chaunge do eternally continue In thee is al temperatenes purenes of ayre farre exceeding the capacitie of maÌ„ In thee â—â—peace rest surpassâ—ng measure In thee is euerlasting day one spirit of althings In thee is certain assurance assured eternity eternal quietnes quiet happines happy pleasure pleasaunt mirth Iust men do shine in thee as the sun Nothing can be wished loued or sought for but it is in thee to be founde in thee one lye is conteined that which no wher els can be had O what gladnes without offence what flouds of sincere plesure with bottomles plesure of sweete delectatioÌ„ is it to behold the God of Gods in Sion to looke vpon the incoÌ„prehensible glory of the holy trinity to taste of the perfect sweecenes from which coÌ„meth al goodnes to humaine kinde What a pleasure is it to behold the maiestly of God to be in the perpetual company of the blessed troupes of Angels with the sanctified Apostles and Martirs with holy and blessed virgins to know al the Citizens of heauen and alwaye to reioyce in eternal felicitie O my soule loue this blessed palace and inwardly affect the same which with fleshly eyes cannot be seene but onely with the eies of thy faith Beleeue that which thou seest not to the ende that thou maiest sometime obteine that which thou beleeuest ⧠Of the perfect and absolute ioy of eternall lyfe MY God my Lord my heartes delyght tel vnto my soule if this be the ioy that thou hast spoken of vnto vs by thy sonne For thou saidest Aske you shal haue to the ende that your ioies may be perfect I haue found a certaine kinde of ioy yea more then perfect yet although man hath a perfect hart a perfect mind a perfect soule and that man is al replenished with ioy There resteth yet another ioy that aboue measure passeth this for al ioyes cannot be contemed in him that reioyseth but al those that reioyce shal emer in the ioye of our lord But truely that ioy wherein thine elect reioyce cannot bee seene heard nor be coÌ„passed within the capacity of man Therfore O Lord in al these my sayinges I haue not so much as once thought vpoÌ„ any part of the ioyes of thine elect They shal in al places so much reioyce as they loued thee and so much loue thee as they acknowledge thee their Lorde No eie caÌ„ see no toung caÌ„ tel no eare can heare nor hart can think in this life how much they acknowledge loue thee in the life to come I besech thee O Lord that I may loue thee reioyce in thee And though I cannot come to that perfectneâ— in this lyfe yet graunt that I may from day to day so increase therein that I maye after this life come to the ful perfectnes thereof Let me so profite in this knowledge that in time to come I maye be perfectly instructed therin Let thy loue good Lord so increase grow in me that I may be therin perfectly grouÌ„ded in the life to come Graunt I beseech thee that I maye so reioyce in hope as that I maye perfectly reioice in ioy after this world O true euerliuing God graunt I beseeche thee that I may receaue that which thou hast promise dme that is that my ioye maye be perfecte in the world of worlds that in the meane time my minde may remeÌ„ber the same my tongue may speak therof my hart may loue it that my mouth may talk thereof Let my soule hunger for it my flesh desyre it and all my bodilye substaunce feruentlye require it tyl such time as I do enter into the ioies of my Lord my God where I shal remaine for euer A prayer whereby thou maiest be stirred vp vnto the desire of heauenly thinges O My God O the sweete life of my soule O my true health O my saluation O my onely eternal vnchangeable and chiefest goodnes what other thing besydes thee ought I to looke or aske fore What haue I not al thinges if I do possesse thee who hast created al things There is nothing of anye estimation but onelye such thinges as thou hast made Beholde the bewty of the Aungels of blessed soules of mortal bodies of brutish beastes the brightnes of the heauens Statees Sunne Fyre and Ayre the Sea Earth Planets the flowers precious stones metals and colours sweetenes of al soundes and odours and the delicate taste of al sweete thinges proceedeth onely froÌ„ thee O lord Whatsoeuer grace of comlines plesaÌ„tnes sinenes sweetnes vertue dignity or ritches consisteth in any creature the same proceedeth from thee O God and al thinges aboundantly flowe in thee without any lacke Thou art the chiefest bewty the chiefest pleasure chiefest desyre Thou most abuÌ„dantly dost conteine in thee al bewty goodnesse
it shal please them Yet continuallye nothing shall please mee but thou my Lorde and GOD my hope and eternal health Blessed he thou O Lords which haste done this goodnesse vnto thy seruaunt according to the multitude of thy mercye What can thy seruant saye more vnto thee O Lord but humble himselfe in thy sight be alwayes mindful of his iniquitye and vnwoorthynes For in al the wonderful thinges of heauen and earth there is none like vnto thee Thy workes are excellent thy iudgementes are vpright by thy prouidence al thinges are gouerned O father of wisedome laude and praise be vnto thee My mouth my soule and al my powers shall prayse thee without ceassing ¶ The soule feruently wisheth to be in the house of the Lorde O Moste bright and bewtifull house of the Lord I am delyghted with thy comelinesse the habitation of the glory of my Lord the owner and builder of thee Al my wandring perigrination tendeth towardes thee both night and daye my heart coueteth to come vnto thee my mynde is fullye bent towardes thee my soule doeth feruently desire to come into thy blessed company I speake this vnto him who made mee and possesseth me in thee for he created both thee and me I do not aske thy companye and the syght of thy wonderful purenesse through mine own merites but thorough the bloud of him that hath redeemed mee whereof I doe not dispayre I haue erred I confesse like a straied sheepe and my dwelling is prolonged I am caste from the face of thee O Lorde in blyndnes of exile wherin I am expulsed from the ioies of Paradise I doo with sorrowfull verse and vnmesurable lamentations daily bewaile the miseries of â—y captiuitie when I doo call thee to remembraunce O spirituall Hierusalem and whilest my feete stande in the excellent and beautiful Sion not yet able openlye to see the innermost partes of thee but yet I hope to be caried into thee vpoÌ„ the shoulders of my Redeemer the verye builder of thee that I maye reioyce with thee in that venerable glory wherin they delight that are with thee in the presence of God him selfe our redeemer who hath dissolued al enmitye that was betweene God and man with his owne fleshe and hath with his precious bloud pacifyed al thinges in heauen and earth He is our peace who hath made al things alone who ioyning two walles in one in him selfe which before were disagreeing euerlastingly to continue in the felicitie of his blessednesse The same thinge hath hee promised vnto vs saying They shall be equall with the Angels of God in Heauen Let me reioyce and be glad in thee Let the sweete memorye of thy blessed name be a releeuing of my sorow and weerinesse ¶ An earnest prayer that thou being assisted by the grace of God maiest be alwaies bent to heauenly thinges I Would to God that that daye might once shine in the which I might see my redeemer and al these temporal daies would ende In thee O heauenly kingdome the saintes doo shine in perpetual and cleere charitie which we can not see whilst we wander here on earth The heauenlye Citizens knowe how muche they them selues reioice and the banished sonnes of the Eua lament feele how bitter werie and tedious this worlde is The dayes of this worlde are few shorte ful of euill and sorow where maÌ„ is defiled with many sins oppressed with grefes troubled with cares disturbed with thoughtes wrapt in vanities compassed with erroures molested with temptation drowned in sensualitie and crucified with pouertie O when shal there be an ende of these manifolde and miserable labours when shal I be deliuered froÌ„ the miserable bondage of wickednes When shall I onelye remember thee O Lorde When shal I fullye and perfectly reioyce in thee When shal I be out of al danger deliuered from al griefe of bodye and soule and come to true libertye When shal I rest in that quiete secure and vndisturbed peace When shal I come thyther where peace is both within without in althinges O Lorde Iesus when shal I stande vp to see thee when shal I behold the glorye of thy kingdome which thou hast prepared for thine elect froÌ„ the beginning Aâ— poore wretche I am left banished in the lande of mine enemies where there is dayly warres and continual misfortune Comfort me in my banishment mitigate my sorowes I do moste feruentlye with all my heart require to come vnto thee For whersoeuer pleasure is offered vnto me in this worlde I thinke it noysome I doo inwardly require thy companie but I cannot obteine it I doo wishe to be ioyned to heauenly thinges but temporal pleasures and mortal passions keepeth me backe from them In minde I woulde faine vanquishe al wickednes and vice but yet I am constrained to be subiecte to the frowarde fleshe And I vnhappye man am at controuersy with my selfe and am become odious vnto my selfe for whilest my soule aspireth vpwarde my fleshe draweth downe warde O what passions doo I inwardlye suffer For when my soule beginneth to contemplate of heauenly things theÌ„ presently heapes of carnall thoughts withdraweth me from prayers O my God doo not linger from me depart not in anger from thy seruaunt Thunder forth thy lightning bolts â—isperse my worldly thoughts abrod shoote thine arowes amongest them driue away all the temptations of mine enemies Turne my senses vnto the make me forget al earthly things graunt I beseeche thee that I may caste off all sinfull thoughtes and phantasies O eternall veritie succor me to th end that no vanity do tempt or remoue me from thee O heauenly father helpe me for al vanitie and impurenes melteth before thy face An ardent desire of the soule to the blessed and immortal life AS the Hart desireth to come to the fountaines of freshe waters so doth my soule desire to come to thee O Lorde When shal I come and appere before thy face O wel spryng of louing water When shal I come to the water of thy sweetenes froÌ„ this desert pathlesse and barraine lande that I may see thy vertue and glory and coole my thirst with the water of thy mercye O Lorde the wel of lyfe satisfye me I thirste for thee O Lord God of life When shal I come O Lorde and appeare before thy face O moste cleere and excellent daye without night without ende wherin I shal heare these wordes Enter into the ioyes of the Lorde thy God. Enter in eternal glory into the house of thomnipotent God where there is great and wonderful ioyes without number Enter into the glory which is without sorrowe conteyning eternal gladnesse where all goodnesse and no euyl is where the sweete amiable way of life is where is no controuersy neyther flickering intisements where there is a perfect and certaine assuraunce an assured quietnes a quiet pleasantnes a plesaunt happines a happy eternity an eternal blessednes the blessed Trinitie and vnity of Trinitie deitie of vnitie