of nothing els Happy are they whose onely hope thou art which haue no trust but in thee onely all theyr whole worke is prayer Blessed is he that sitteth solitarely alone holdeth his peace standeth vpon his ward that he is set to keep continually day and night that yet while he is in this fraile body he may be able to taste somwhat thy pleasantnes I require thee by those thy wounds which bring health vnto vs which wounds thou suffredst vpon the crosse for our health out of the which thy precious bloud wherewith thou redeemedst vs did distill and drop downe wound this my sinnefull soule for the whiche also thou diddest vouchsafe to die Wound it I say with the fiery mighty dart of thy great charitie for the worde of God is liuely and effectuous and more pearcing and sharpe then any two edged sworde Thou O chosen dart most sharp sword which art able by thy power to pearce thorough the hard shielde or buckler of mans hart fasten and stick the shaft of thy loue in my hart that my soule may say vnto thee I am wounded with thy charitie so that forth of that same woūd of thy loue teares may flowe most plēteously both day night Strike o Lord strike I befech thee this most indurated and hardened mynde of myne with the sharpe dart of thy loue and pearce it deper and deper into the innermost partes thereof by thy mightie power and so bring out of my head aboundance of water and out of myne eyes a very well of teares continually running thorowe the great affect merueilous desire to see thy glory that I may mourne day and night without taking any comfort in this lyfe vntill in thy heauenly weddyng chamber I may see thee my weldeloued beutifull spouse my God and my Lorde And that there when I see thy glorious merueilous and beutifull face full of all swetenes together with them which thou hast chosen then I say I may worshippe humbly thy maiesty and there at the last being replenished with heauenly and vnspeakable reioysing of euerlasting gladnes I may euen cry out with them that loue thee saying Beholde that which I haue long desired now I haue obteined For I am ioyned in heauen vnto hym whom when I was in earth I loued with all my strength with all my charitie I embraced him vnto whom with all my loue I did stick cleaue Him do I praise blesse worship that liueth and raigneth GOD world without end Amen ☞ A prayer in tyme of tribulation HAue mercy on me o lord haue mercy on me a most wretched sinner which do commit wickedly and do suffer therfore worthely which do sinne continually and suffer thy scourge therefore dayly If thou take my dayly tribulation as a recompēce for the euils which I haue committed thē it is not so much that I suffer For it is a great deale more grieuous which I haue trespassed then that which I do suffer Thou art iust O Lord and thy iudgement is according to right Yea all thy iudgements are iust and true and thou O Lord our God art iust righteous for there is no iniquitie in thee Thou doost not vniustly nor yet cruelly scourge and punishe sinners O almightye and mercyfull God which when we had no being at all didst mightily create make vs And when we were lost by our owne faulte thou by thy pitie goodnes marueilously did dest recouer vs I know and am very certain and sure that our life is not led by sodeine motions but it is disposed and gouerned of thee O Lord our god Whereby I knowe thou takest care for all men most chieflye for thy seruauntes which haue put their whole hope in thine onely mercy Therefore do I besech and humbly require thee that thou wouldest not deale with me according to my sins wherwith I haue deserued thine anger but according to thy great mercifulnes which exceedeth the sinnes of the whole worlde Thou O Lorde which outwardly doest punish scourge graunt me inwardly a patience that will neuer fayle so that thy prayse neuer departe away from my mouth Haue mercy on me O Lord haue mercy on me and helpe me as thou thinckest best to be most necessary for my body and soule Thou knowest all things thou caust doo all thinges which liuest for euer and euer ¶ A very deuout prayer to the Sonne O Lord Jesu Christ son of the liuing God whiche being vppon the crosse with thy handes spread abroad for the redemption of all mankind didst drinke the most bitter cup of thy passion I besech thee that thou wouldest vouchsafe to geue me helpe this day and euer Lo I a poore wretch come vnto thee which art ritch a sinner vnto thee that art mercifull Let me not returne home contēned and despised with nothing I begin an hungred Let me not leaue of fasting I come vnto thee as though I were famished let me not go away vnfed Although before I eat I sigh and sorow yet after my sorow gene me somwhat to eat First of all good Jesu I acknowledge before thy maiestie mine vnrighteousnes toward thee Beholde O Lorde I was conceiued in sinne and borne in the same thou didst wash them of from mee and sanctified mee but I afterwarde defiled my selfe with bigger and more greeuous sinnes For I was born in sinne of necessitie because I coulde bee borne none otherwise but afterward I rolled my self willingly in sinnes Neuertheles thou O Lord being mindful of thy pitie didst take me out of the house of my carnall father and out of the tentes of the vngodly and hast enspired me put me in mind to follow thee with the generation of them that seeke thy face of thē that walke in the right path of them that abide and continue amongst the lilies of chastetie and of them that sit downe together with thee at supper of most scarcitie and lesse excesse But I an vnkind person forgetting so many great benefites after that I was entred into religion and holines did commit many vnlawfull thinges I did offend wonderfull vngraciously and where I should of right haue amended mine euill life left my sinnes I heaped sinnes vpon sinnes and these be the euils O Lord wherwith I haue dishonoured thee and haue spotted and defiled my selfe whom thou didst create after the similitude likenes of thine owne selfe with pride vaine-glory and other many euils wherewith myne vnlucky soule is vexed punished torne and destroyed Beholde O Lorde myne vnrighteousnes is gone ouer my heade and are lyke a sore burthen ouer heauy for me to beare And except thou whose propertie is euer to haue mercy and to forgeue doe lay vnder me the right hand of thy maiestye I shall be constrayned miserablye to sinke into the deepe and be drowned Geue heede O Lord God and behold because thou art holy loke how myne enemy assaulteth me saying God hath forsaken him I will
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
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€
drincke of wherwith we are washed and sanctified and are made partakers of the only high diuinitie I geue thee thankes for thy marueilous and vnspeakable charitie and loue wherwith thou didst loue vs vnworthy persons didst saue vs by thine onely and beloued Sonne for so thou didâ—â— loue the world that thou gauest thine onely begotten sonne to the entent that none which beleeued in him should perish but haue euerlasting life This thing truly is euerlasting life to know thee also Jesus Christ whome thou sentest to be very God by an vpright fayth and workes worthy for fayth Of the exceeding loue of the euerlasting Father towarde mankinde OH vnmeasurable pitie and fatherly loue oh inestimable charitie that thou shouldest delyuer thy sonne to suffer death to the entent thou mightest redeme and ransome a seruaunte God was made man to the entent that man being lost might be plucked out of that power of deuils How gentle and kinde a louer of man was thy sonne our God who thought it not enough to humble himself to bee made man of the virgiue Mary but also toke vpoÌ„ him the paines of the crosse in shedding his bloud for vs and for our saluation He came a pitifull God he came for his pitie and goodnesses sake he came to search to saue that whiche was lost He sought the straye sheep he sought found and he being a good lord and truely a very good and plentifull shepheard brought him home vpon his shoulders vnto the foldes of the flocke Oh charitie oh pitie who heard any such thinges who is not astonied to consider the bowels of so great mercy who would not marued who would not honour and worship thee for thy great charity wherewith thou louedst vs Thou didst send thy sonne into the similitude of flesh subiect to sinne that we might condemne sinne for sinne that wee might be made thy righteousnes in him For hee was the very lamb without sporte which tooke awaye the sinnes of the worlde whiche destroyed our death by dying himselfe But what may we render vnto thee our God for so great benefites of thy mercie what prayses or what thankes Uerely if wee shoulde haue that same knowledge and power that blessed angels haue yet should we not be able to requiâ—â— thy so great pitie and goodnes with any thing of valure No if all our meÌ„bers were turned into tongues to repay vnto thee due prayses yet were not our fleÌ„dernes sufficient There is one thing that exceedeth all knowledge euen thine inestimable charitie which thou diddest shew vnto vs vnworthy persons for thy goodnes pities sake Thy Sonne our God did take vpon him to be the seede of Abraham not of Angels yea he was made like vnto vs in all thinges sinne onely excepted He therefore taking mans nature not Angels and glorifying it with the stole of holy resurrection and immortalitie caryed it aboue the heauens and aboue all the melodious companies of angels aboue Cherubin and Seraphin placing it vppon thy right hand This humane nature do Angels prayse all the powers of heauen do tremble to see a man to bee God ouer them This truely is all my hope all my trust And this same humaine nature is in Jesu Christ our Lord who is the portion of euery one of vs the flesh bloud Therfore wheras my portion raigneth there do I beleue to raigne whereas my flesh is glorified ther do I beleue to be glorified where my bloud ruleth there do I perceiue me to bear rule although I be a sinner yeâ— doâ— I not inistrust nor dispeire of the communion and partaking of fauour Although my sinnes do hinder me and in a manner forbid me neuertheles my substance requireth it And albeit that mine offences do exclude me yet the communion of our nature doth not expell me for God is not so vngentle as to forget man and not to remember that thing which himself beareth and that which for my sake he toke vpon him and that which for my sake he requireth But truly the Lord our God is lowly and meek and wonderfull gentle and loueth his flesh his members and his bowels In the very same God our Lorde Jesus Christ who is most gentle louing and merciful in whome we are risen from death that is to say from the state of pernition and eternall damnation and euen nowe by him we asccude into the heauens and now sit in the heauens in him I say our flesh loueth vs For we haue in him and by him a prerogatiue as it were a prefermence of our bloud for we are his members and his flesh and he is our head of the which dependeth the whole body as it is written a bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh they shall be two in one flesh and no man at any time hateth his owne fleshe but rather cherisheth and loueth it This is a great mistery I speak in Christ and in the church sayth the Apostle ¶ Of the double nature of Christ which hath mercy vpon vs â–ª and maketh intercession for vs. WHerefore with my lips and hart and with al the might that I may I render thankes vnto thine infinite mercy O Lord our God for all thy mercy wherwith marueilously thou hast vouchsafed to helpe and succour vs that were lost by the same thy sonne our sauiour and recouerer which dyed for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification and liuing without ende sitteth on thy right hande and entreateth for vs together with the taketh pitie mercy vpon vs because he is God thorow thee O father euer lasting and of one substance with thee in all thinges wherby alway he may saue vs but forasmuch as he is man in which thing he is lesse inferiour vnto thee all power both in heauen in earth was geuen vnto him that in the name of Jesu euery knee should bowe both of celestiall and earthlye creatures and also of infernall that all tongues may confesse that oure Lorde Jesus Christ is in thy glory O Father almighty Hee verely was constituted of thee and ordayned to be a iudge of the quicke and dead for thou truely iudgest no man but hast geuen all thy iudgement to thy Sonne in whose brest al treasures of wisdome and knowledge ar hid He truely is both a witnes and a Judge a Judge and a witnesse whome no sinneful conscience can flye or auoyd for all things be they neuer so secret are open euen naked and vncouered vnto him He verily which was vnrighteously iudged himselfe shall iudge the whole worlde in equitie and the people in righteousnes and according to iustice Therfore do I blesse thy name euerlasting and glorifie the same with al my hart O almighty and mercifull Lord for that vnspeakable and maruellous coniunction of Godhead manhood together in the vnitie of a person and not after this sort that y one should be God and the other man but one the same was