Selected quad for the lemma: glory_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
glory_n	full_a	joy_n	unspeakable_a	3,596	5	10.3032	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

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

tuam a me factus sum conturbatus That is O Lord thou hast withdrawen thy ghostlye comfortes from me and I am lefte in great trouble and heauines and yet neuertheles he dispaired not therfore but prayed hartily vnto our Lorde and sayd Ad to domine clamabo ad deum meum deprecabor That is to saye I shall busilye crye to thee O Lorde and I shall meekelye praye to thee for grace and comfort And anone he had the effecte of his prayer as he witnesseth him selfe saying thus Audiuit dominus misertus est mei dominus factus est adiutor meus That is to say Our Lorde hath heard my prayer and hath had mercy on me and hath nowe agayne sent me his helpe and ghostlye comforte And therefore he sayth afterward Lord thou hast turned my sorow into ioye and thou haste belapped me with heauenlye gladnes And if almightie God hath thus done with holy Saintes it is not for vs weake and feeble persons to dispayre though we sometime haue feruour of spirite and be sometime left colde and voyd of deuotion The holy ghoste goeth and commeth after his pleasure and therefore the holy man Iob sayth Lorde thou graciously visitest thy louer in the morning tyde that is to saye in the time of comfort and sodenlye thou prouest him that is to say in withdrawing such comfortes from him VVherein then may I trust or in whom may I haue any confidēce but onelye in the great endlesse grace and mercy of God for why the company of good men nor the felowship of deuout brethrē and faithfull frendes neither the hauing of holy bookes or deuout treatises ne yet the hearing of sweete songes or of deuout hymnes may litle auayle and bring forth but litle comfort to the soule when we are left to our owne frailtie and pouertie And when we be so left there is no better remedie but patience with a whole resigning of our owne will to the will of God I neuer yet founde any religious person so perfect but that he had sometime absentinge of grace or some minishinge of feruour and there was neuer yet anye Saint so highlie rauished but that he firste or last had some temptation He is not worthy to haue the high gift of contemplation that hath not suffred for God some tribulation The temptations goinge before were wont to be a soothfast token of heauenlie comfort shortly comminge after And to them that be founde stable in their temptatiōs is promised by our Lorde great consolation And therfore he sayth thus He that ouercommeth I shall geue him to eate of the tree of life Heauenlie comfort is somtime geuen to a man that he may after be more stronge to suffer aduersities but after followeth temptation that he be not lifte vp into pride and thinke hym selfe worthie of such consolation The ghostlie enemie sleepeth not neither is the fleshe yet fullie mortified and therefore thou shalte neuer ceasse to prepare thy selfe to ghostlye battayle for thou haste enemyes on euerie side that euer will be readie to assaile thee and hinder thy good purpose all that they can Of yeeldinge thankes to God for his manifolde graces The .10 Chapter VVhy seekest thou rest heere syth thou arte borne to laboure dispose thy selfe to patience rather then to cōfortes to beare the Crosse of penaunce rather then to haue gladnes VVhat temporall man would not gladly haue spirituall comfortes if he might alwaye keepe them for spirituall comfortes excede far all worldlie delites and all bodelie pleasures for all worldlye delites be eyther foule or vayne but ghostlie delites are onelie iocunde and honest brought forth by vertues and sent of God into a cleane soule But such comfortes no man may haue when he woulde for the time of temptation tarieth not longe The false libertie of will and the ouermuch trust that we haue in our selfe be much contrary to the heauenlie visitations Our Lorde doeth well in sendinge such comfortes but we doe not well when we yeelde no thankes therefore to him againe The greatest cause why the giftes of grace maye not lightlie come to vs is for that we be vnkind to the gyuer and yelde not thankes to him from whom all goodnes commeth Grace is alway geuen to thē that be ready to yelde thākes therfore againe And therefore it shalbe taken from the proud man that is wont to be geuen to the meke man I wold none of that consolation that should take from me compunction nor any of that contemplatiō that should lift my soule into presūption Euery high thing in sight of man is not holy nor euery desire cleane and pure euery sweet thinge is not good nor euery deere thinge to man is alwaye pleasant to God VVe shall therefore gladlie take such giftes whereby we shall be the more readie to forsake our selfe and our owne will He that knoweth the comforts that come through the gifts of grace and knoweth also how sharpe and painefull the absentinge of grace is shall not dare to thinke that any goodnes commeth of him selfe but he shall openlye confesse that of him selfe he is right poore and naked of all vertue yeelde therefore to God that is his and to thy selfe that is thine that is to say thanke God for his manifolde graces and blame thy selfe for thine offences Holde in thee alwaye â sure grounde and a sure fouudation of meekenes and then the highnes of vertue shall shortlie be geuen vnto thee for the high tower of vertue may not longe stand but if it be borne vp with the lowe foundation of meekes They that be most great in heauen be least in their owne sight and the more glorious they be the meeker they are in them selues full of truth and heauenlie ioy not desirous of any vaine glory or praisinge of man Also they that be fullie stabled and confirmed iu God maye in no wise be lifte vp into pride and they that ascribe all goodnes to God seeke no vaine glorie nor vayne praysinges in the world but they desire onlie to ioye and to be glorified in God and desire in heart that he maye be honoured lauded and praysed aboue all thinges both in him selfe and in all his Saintes and that is alwaye the thinge that perfect men moste couet and moste desire to bringe about Be thou louinge and thankfull to God for the least benefite that he geueth thee and then shalt thou be the more apte and worthie to receaue of hym more greater benefites Thinke the least gift that he geueth is great the most despisable thinges accepte as speciall giftes and as great tokens of loue for if the dignitie of the geuer be well considered no gifte that he geueth shall seeme litle It is no litle thinge that is geuen of God for though he sende paine and sorowe we shoulde take them gladlie and thankefullie for it is for our ghostlie health all that he suffereth to come vnto vs. If a man desire to holde the grace of God

it were put in thy election thou shouldest rather chose aduersitie then prosperitie for then by the pacient sufferinge thereof thou shouldest be more like to Christe and the more confirmed to all his saintes Our merite and our perfectiō of life standeth not in consolations and sweetnes but rather in sufferinge of great greeuous aduersities and tribulations For if there had bene any nearer or better waye for the health of mans soule then to suffer our Lorde Iesu would haue shewed it by wordes or by examples But for there was not therefore he openlie exhorted his disciples that folowed him and all other that desired to folowe him to forsake their owne will and to take the Crosse of penance and folowe him saying thus VVho so will come after me forsake he his owne will take he the Croue and folowe he me Therefore all thinges searched and redde be this the finall conclusion that by many tribulations it behoueth vs to enter into the kingdome of heauen To the which bring vs our Lorde Iesus Amen Here beginneth the third Booke Of the invvarde speakinge of Christ to a faythfull soule The firste Chapter I Shall take heede saith a deuout soule and I shall heare what my Lorde Iesu shall speake in me Blessed is that man whiche heareth Iesu speaking in his soule and that taketh of his mouth some worde of comforte and blessed be the eares that heare the secret rowninges of Iesu and heede not the deceytfull rowninges of this world And blessed be the good playne eares that heede not the outwarde speache but rather take heede what God speaketh and teacheth inwardlye in the soule Blessed be the eyes also that be shutte from sight of outwarde vanities that take hede to the inwarde mouinges of God Blessed be they also that get them vertues and prepare them by good bodily and ghostly workes to receyue dayly more and more the secrete inspirations and inward teachinges of God Also blessed be they that set them selues wholly to serue God and for his seruice set apart all lettinges of the world O thou my soule take heede to that is sayde before and shet the dores of thy sensualities that are thy fyue wittes that thou mayest heare inwardlye what our Lord Iesu speketh in thy soule Thus saith thy beloued I am thy health I am thy peace I am thy lyfe keepe thee with me and thou shalt finde peace in me Forsake the loue of transitorie thinges and seeke thinges that be euerlasting VVhat be all temporall thinges but deceauable and what may any creature helpe thee if thy Lord Iesu forsake thee Therefore all creatures and all worldlye thinges forsaken lefte 〈◊〉 that in thee is to make thee pleasaunt in his syght that after this lyfe thou mayst come to the life euerlasting in the kingdome of heauen Amē Hovve allmightie God speaketh invvardlye to mans soule vvithout sounde of vvordes The .2 Chapter SPeke Lord for I thy seruāt am readie to heare thee I am thy seruant geue me wisedome vnderstanding to knowe thy commaundements Bowe my heart to folowe the wordes of thy holy teachings that they may distil into my soule as dewe into the grasse The children of Israel sayde to Moyses Speake thou to vs and we shall heare thee but let not our Lorde speake to vs least haply we dye for dreade Not so Lord not so I beseeche thee but rather I aske meekelye with Samuel the prophete that thou vouchsafe to speake to me thy selfe and I shall gladlye heare thee Let not Moyses nor any other of the prophets speake to me but rather thou Lorde who art the inward inspirour and geuen of light to all prophets for thou alone without them mayest fully informe and instruct me They without thee maye litle profite me They speake thy wordes but they geue not the spirite to vnderstand the wordes They speake fayre but if thou be still they kindle not the heart They shewe faire letters but thou declarest the sentence They bring forth great high misteries but thou openest therof the true vnderstanding they declare thy commaundements but thou helpest to performe them They shew the way but thou geuest comfort to walke therein They doe all outwardly but thou illuminest and infourmest the heart within They water onely outwardly but it is thou that geuest the inwarde growing They crye all in wordes but thou geuest to the hearers vnderstanding of the wordes that be hard Let not Moyses therfore speake to me but thou my Lorde Iesu who art the euerlasting truth least happely I dye and be made as a man without fruit warmed outwardly and not inflamed inwardly and so to haue the harder iudgement for that I haue hearde thy word not done it knowen it and not loued it beleeued it and not fulfilled it Speake therefore to me thy selfe for I thy seruaunt am readye to heare thee Thou hast the wordes of eternall life speake them to me to the full comfort of my soule and geue me amendement of all my life past to thy ioy honor and glory euerlastingly Amen That the vvordes of God are to be hearde vvith great meekenes and that there be but fevve that ponder them as they ought to doe The .3 Chapter MY sonne sayth our Lord heare my wordes and folow them for they be moste sweet farre passing the wisedome cunning of all philosophets and wise men of the worlde My words be spirituall and ghostly and can not be fully comprehended by mans wit neither are they to be turned or applyed to the vayne pleasure of the hearer but are to be heard in silēce with great meeknes and reuerence and with great inward affection of the heart and also in great rest and quietnes of body and soule O blessed is he lord whom thou infourmest teachest so that thou mayest be meelie and mercifull Lorde vnto him in the euil day that is to say in the day of the most dreadful iudgement that he be not then left desolate comfortlesse in the land of dānation Then sayth our Lord againe I haue taught prophetes from the beginning and yet cealse I not to speake to euery creature but many be deafe will not heare many heare the worlde more gladly then me and more lightly folowe the appetite of the fleshe thē the pleasure of God The worlde promiseth temporall thinges of small value yet is he serued with great affectiō but God promiseth high thinges and thinges eternall and the hearts of the people be slowe dul Oh who serueth obeyeth God in all thinges with so great desire as he doth the worlde and as worldly princes be serued obeyed I trow none for why for a litle prebend great iourneyes be taken but for the life euerlas●ing the people wyll scarsely lift their feete once from the grounde A thing that is of small price many times is busily sought and for a penie is sometime great strife and for the promise of a litle worldlye profite men eschewe not to

thereby in meekenes and vertue and that thou shouldest also prepare thee to be readye against another time for battels that are to come and the more surely to cleaue to God with all the desire and affection of thy hart and to studie with all thy power how thou mayest most purelie and moste deuoutlie serue him and take heede of this common prouerbe The fire doth oft burne but the flame doth not ascende without some smoke So likewise the desire of some men draweth to heauenlie thinges and yet they be not all free from the smoke of carnall affections and therfore they doe it not alwaye purelie for the honour and loue of God that they aske so desirouslie of him Suche ofte tymes is thy desire that thou shewest to be so importune for that desire is not cleane and perfect that is mixte with thine owne commoditie Aske therefore not that is delectable and profitable to thee but that is acceptable and honour to me for if thou do well and iudge aright thou shalt preferre my ordinaunce my will before all thy desires before all thinges that may be desired beside me I knowe well thy desire Thou wouldest nowe be in libertie of the glorie of the sonnes of God nowe the euerlastinge house the heauenlie countrey full of ioye and glory delighteth thee muche but that time cōmeth not yet for there is yet another time to come that is to saye a time of labour and of proufe Thou desirest to be fulfilled with the high goodnes in heauē but thou mayst not yet come therto I am the full rewarde of man abide me till I shall come and thou shalt haue me to thy rewarde Thou art yet to be proued here vpon earth and more throughlye to be assayed in many thinges some comfort shall be geuen to thee but the fulnes thereof shal not yet be graunted Be thou therefore comforted in me and be thou strong as well in doeing as in sufferinge thinges contrary to thy wil. It behoueth thee to be clothed in thy blood and to be chaunged into a newe man and thou must ofte times doe that thou wouldest not doe and that thou wouldest doe thou must forsake leaue vndone That shall please other shall goe well forwarde and that shall please thee shal haue no speede that other men saye shall be well heard and that thou shalt saye shall be set at nought Other shall aske and haue their askinge thou shalte aske and be denied Other shal be great and haue great lande and prayse of the people and of thee no worde shall be spoken To other this office or that shall be committed and thou shalte be iudged vnprofitable in euery thinge for these thinges and other lyke nature will murmure and grudge thou shalt haue a great battaile in thy selfe if thou beare them secrete in thy hart without complayning missaying Neuerthelesse in suche thinges and other like my faithfull seruauntes are wont to be proued howe they can denie them selues and howe they can in all thinges breake their owne wylles and there is nothinge that thou shalt neede so muche to ouercome thy selfe in as to learne to be contented not to be set anye price by in the worlde and to suffer suche thinges as be moste contrarye to thy will especiallye when suche thinges as in thy sight seeme vnprofitable be commaunded to be done But my sonne consider well the profite and fruite of all these laboures the shorte ende and the great rewarde and then thou shalt feele not greefe nor paine in all thy laboures but the most sweetest comfort of the holye ghost through thy good will and for that litle wil that thou forsakest here thou shalt alwaye haue thy will in heauen where thou shalt haue all that thou canst or mayest desire There shalte thou haue full possession of all goodnes without dread to lose it There thy will shall be euer one with my will and it shall couete no straunge nor priuate thinges There no man shall resiste thee no man shall complayne on thee no man shall let thee nor no man shall wythstande thee but all thinges that thou canst desyre shall be there present and shall fulfill all the powers of thy soule vnto the full There shall I yeelde glorye for reprofes and a palle of laude for thy heauines and for the lowest place here a seate in heauen for euer There shall appeare the fruite of obedience the labour of penaunce shall ioy and the humble subiection shall be crowned gloriously Bowe thee therefore meekelye nowe vnder euery mans hande and force litle who saith this or who commaundeth this to be done But with all thy studie take heede that whether thy prelate or thy felowe or anye other lower than thou aske any thing of thee or will any thing to be done by thee that thou take it alwaye to the best and with a glad will studie to fulfill it Let this man seeke this thing and another that and let this man ioy in this thing another in that whatsoeuer it be and let them be lauded and praysed a thousande times but ioye thou neither in this thinge nor in that but onelye in thine owne contempt and despising and in my will to be fulfilled and whether it be by life or death that I may alway be lauded and honoured in thee and by thee Amen Hovve a man that is desolate ought to offer hym selfe vvhollye to God The .55 Chapter LOrde holy father be thou blessed now and euer for as thou wilt so it is done and that thou doest is alwaye well let me thy poorest seruaunt and most vnworthy ioye in thee and not in my selfe nor in nothinge els beside the● for thou Lorde art my gladnes thou art my hope my crowne my ioye and all my honor VVhat hath thy seruant but that he hath of thee and that without his desert All things be thine and I am poore and haue bene in trouble in paine euer from my youth and my soule hath beene in great heauines with weeping and teares and sometime it hath bene troubled in it selfe through manifolde passions that come of the world and of the fleshe VVherefore Lorde I desire that I maye haue of thee the ioye of inwarde peace and I aske the rest of thy chosen children that be fedde and nourished of thee in the light of heauenly comforts but without thy helpe I can not come therto If thou Lorde geue peace or if thou geue inward ioye my soule shall be anone full of heauenlye melodie and be deuoute and feruent in thy laudes and praysings but if thou withdrawe thy selfe from me as thou haste sometime done then may not thy seruant runne the waye of thy commaundementes as he did first but then he is compelled to bowe his knees and knocke his brest for it is not with him as it was before when the lanterne of thy ghostlie presence shone vpon his heade and that he was defended vnder the shadowe of

generall And that you may be the more apte to praye call three thinges ofte times to remembrance that is to saye what you haue bene what you be and what you shall be First by reason of your bodie you were conceaued of the moste filthie abhominable matter of man shameful to be spoken farre more vile then the slutche or slime of the earth and after borne in a sinfull soule purged onely by grace And nowe as vnto the bodie you be a muckheape or dunghill of filth more vyle then any vpon earth if you remember what doth issue daylie and come forth out of the meates of your bodie And your soule is daylie in some sinne or at the least full like to be VVhat you shall be as vnto your bodie you maye see in experience wormes meate and earth againe And what shall become of your soule no man in this world can assure you To remember then the ioyes of heauen and paines of hell and that both be infinite endles and without rebate but both euer encresinge and neuer ceasing neuer haue ease nor test but euer continue euerlastinge To remember then I saye these thinges may greatly moue you to haue your selfe in a good awayte and to studie howe you may auoyd the one obteyne the other Remember specially howe great a losse it is to loose heauen and howe vncomfortable gaines to winne helle and howe soone and howe lightlie either of them may be gotten or lost VVhen any thinge then of aduersitie hurt or displeasure happen vnto you thinke thē or imagine that if you were in hell you should haue the same displeasure and manye worse And so to auoyde those you shall here the better suffer and for our Lorde the more patientlie beare all these that nowe be present or any that may come hereafter And in like maner if any good prosperitie or pleasure happen vnto you thinke then that if you were in heauen you should haue that pleasure and many m● excellent ioyes And so for the feruent desire of those ioyes you shall set litle by any worldlie comfort or pleasure A good contemplation therefore may it be vnto you in feastes of holie Saintes to thinke and record howe great paines they suffered here for the loue of our Lorde and howe short these were and howe soone passed and then againe how marueylous reward they had therefore in ioye and blisse euerlastinge So the troubles and tormentes of good persons be soone and shortlie gone and ended and the ioyes and pleasures of sinful persons doe soone fade and f●●e for euer The good persons for their troubles suffered here vppon earth doe get and win eternall and euerlasting glorie which the euill persons doe lose And contrarie these euill and sinfull persons for their ioy and pleasures here do receiue by exchaunge eternall and euerlastinge shame rebuke with paine and wo vnspeakeable VVhen soeuer thē you be disposed to sluggishnesse or to be drowsie remisse in prayers or dull in deuotion then take this litle worke or els some other good Treatise and read therin and euer note well the contentes thereof and what is meant thereby And if you be not thereby deliuered or eased thereof then shift vnto some other worke or occupation so that euer you auoyde ydlenes and all vaine pastimes which in dede is losse of time And then remember that those that nowe bide in paine either in hell or yet in purgatorie for suche times so passed or lost had rather then all the world haue such time to redeme their paines by as you maye haue if you will Time then vnto al persons wel occupied is verie precious and deare Beware well therefore howe you spend it or passe it for you can neuer reuoke it nor call it backe If the time passe you by trouble vexation thinke they be happie and gracious that be past this wretched life and nowe in blisse for they shall neuer haue any suche miserie And when you feele a comfort or consolation spirituall thanke God thereof thinke the damned soules shall neuer haue any suche pleasure And thus let this be for your exercise in the datiue At night when you go to rest first make accompt with your selfe and remember howe you haue spent or passed the daye and time that was geuen you tobe vsed in vertue and howe you haue bestowed your thoughtes your wordes your workes And if you finde no great thing amisse geue the whole laude and praise vnto our Lorde God And if you perceaue cōtrarie that you haue mispent any part thereof be sorie therefore and beseech our Lorde of mercy forgeuenes and promise and verilie purpose to make amendes the next daye And if you haue oportunitie thervpon it shall be full conuenient for you to be cōfessed on the next morow and specially if the matter done saide or thought by deliberate consent do greuouslie weigh worke with a grudge in your conscience then woulde I aduise you neuer to eate nor drinke till ye be discharged thereof if you maye conuenientlie get a gostlie father Nowe for a conclusion of this worke put before you as by case or ymagination two large Cities one full of trouble turmoyle and miserie let that be hel The other Citie ful of ioy gladnes comfort and pleasure and let that be heauen Loke wel on them both for in both be many dwellers and great companye Then cast and thinke within your selfe what thing here might so please you that you shoulde chose the worse citie or what thing should displease you on the other part whereby you shoulde withdrawe your selfe from that vertue that might conuey and bring you vnto the other citie And when you haue satudied well here vpon and can nothinge finde I dare well assure you if you keepe well the precepts and counsailes of this litle lesson you shall find the right way for the holie ghoste will instruct teache you where you be not sufficient of your selues so you indeuor and geue diligence to beare awaye and folowe that here is taught Reade it euerie weake once or twise or oftener if you will And where you profite geue the thankes laude and prayse vnto our Lorde God and moste sweete Sauiour Iesu Christe who sende you his mercie and grace that alwaye liueth God worlde without ende Amen This lesson was brought vnto me in Englishe of an olde translation rough and rude with request to amende it I thought lesse labour to write new the whole which I haue done accordinge to the meaning of the authour though not worde for worde and in diuers places added some thinges folowinge vpon the same to make the matter more sentētious and full I beseeche you take all vnto the best and praye for the olde wretched brother of Sion Richard VVhitforde A spirituall glasse REade distinctlie praye deuoutlie sigh deepelie suffer paciētly meeke you lowlye geue no sentence hastelie speake but rathe and that truelie preuēt your speache discretly do

men despisable in the worlde thou shouldest anone meken thy selfe lowe to the grounde and shouldest rather couete to be subiect to all men then to haue soueraintie ouer anye one person and thou shouldest not desire to haue mirth and solace in this worlde but rather tribulation and paine and thou shouldest thē accompt it as a great winning to be despised and taken as naught amonge the people O if these thinges sauoured well to thee and deepely pearced into thy hearte thou shouldest not once dare complaine for anye maner of trouble that shoulde befall vnto thee Are not all painefull thinges and moste greeuous laboures gladlye to be suffered for the ioyes euerlasting yes verilye for it is no litle thinge to win or lose the kingdome of heauen Lifte vp thy face therefore into heauen and beholde howe I and all my Saintes that be with me in heauē hadde in this worlde great battall and conflict and nowe they ioye with me and be comforted in me and be sure to abide with me and to dwel with me in the kingdome of my father without ending Amen Of the daye of eternitie and of the miseries of this lyfe The 53. Chapter O Blessed mansion of the heauenlie Citie O moste cleerest daye of eternitie whom the night maye not darken but the high truth that God is illumineth and cleereth the daye alwaye merie alwaye sure and neuer chaunging his state into the contrarie VVoulde to God that this daye might once appere and shine vpon vs and that these temporall thinges were at an end This blessed daye shineth to Saintes in heauen with euerlastinge brightnes and claritie but to vs pilgrimes in earth it shineth not but a farre of as through a mirroure or glasse The heauenlye Citizens knowe well howe ioyous this daye is But we outlawes the childrē of Eue doe weepe and wayle the bitternes and tediousnes of this daye that is of this present lyfe short and euill full of sorowes and anguishes where man is often times defiled with sinne encōbred with passions inquieted with dreades bounden with charges busied with vanities blinded with errours ouercharged with labours vexed with temptations ouercome with delightes vaine pleasures of the world and greeuouslie tormented sometyme with penurie and neede O Lorde when shall the ende come of all these miseries and when shall I be cleerelie deliuered from the bondage of sinne when shall I onely Lord haue minde on thee and fully be made glad and mery in thee whē shall I be free without letting and in perfect libertie without griefe of bodie soule VVhen shal I haue sadde peace without trouble peace within and without and on euery side stedfast and sure O Lorde Iesu when shall I stande and behoulde thee and haue full sight and contemplation of thy glorie And when shalt thou be to me all in all and when shall I be with thee in thy kingdome that thou haste ordeyned to thy elect people from the beginning I am lefte here poore and as an outlawe in the lande of mine enemies where daylie be battailes great misfortunes Comfort my exile asswage my sorow for all my desire crieth to thee It is to me a greeuous burden whatsoeuer the worlde offereth me here to my so lace I desire to haue inwarde fruition in thee but I can not attayne therto I couet to cleue fast to heauenlie thinges but temporall thinges and passions vnmortified pull me awaye downward In minde I woulde be aboue all temporall thinges but whether I will or not I am compelled through myne owne default to be subiect to my fleshe Thus I moste wretched man fight in my selfe and am made greeuous to my selfe whiles my spirits desireth to be vpwarde and my fleshe downewarde O what suffer I inwardlie when in my minde I beholde heauenly things and anone a great multitude of carnall thoughtes enter into my soule Therefore Lorde be not longe frō me neither depart in thy wrath from me thy seruant Send to me the lightnes of thy grace and breake downe in me all carnall thoughts Sende forth the dartes of thy loue breake therewith all phantasies of the enemy Gather the wits and powers of my soule together in thee Make me forget all worldlie thinges graūt me to cast awaye and whollie to despise all phantasies of sinne Helpe me thou euerlastinge truth that no worldlie vanitie hereafter haue power in me Come also thou heauenlie sweetnes and let all bitternes of sinne flie farre frō me Pardon me and mercifully forgeue me when I thinke in my prayer of any thinge but of thee for I confesse for truth that in time past I haue vsed my selfe verie vnstable therein for many times I am not there where I stande or sit but rather I am there where my thoughtes leade me for there am I where my thought is and there as my thought is accustomed to be there is that that I loue and that ofte times commeth into my minde that by custome pleaseth me best and that most desireth me to thinke vpon VVherefore thou that art euerlastinge truth sayest VVhere as thy treasure is there is thy heart VVherefore if I loue heauen I speake gladlie of heauenlie thinges and of such thinges as be of God and that pertaine most to his honoure and to the glorifyinge and worshippinge of his holy name And if I loue the worlde I ioye anone at worldlie felicitie and sorowe anone at his aduersitie If I loue the fleshe I ymagine ofte times that pleaseth the fleshe and if I loue my soule I delight muche to speake and to heare of thinges that be to my soule health And so whatsoeuer I loue of them I gladlye heare and speake and beare the images of them ofte in my minde Blessed is that man that for thee Lorde forgetteth all creatures learneth truelie to ouercome him selfe and with the feruour of spirite crucifieth his fleshe so that in a cleane and a pure conscience he maye offer his prayers to thee and be worthy to haue companye of blessed Angels all earthlie thinges excluded from him and fullye set apart Amen Of the desire of euerlastinge life and of the great revvarde that is promised to them that stronglye fight agaynst sinne The 54. Chapter My sonne when thou feelest that a desire of euerlastinge blisse is giuen vnto thee thou couetest to go out of the tabernacle of thy mortal bodie that thou might clearelie without shadowe beholde my clearenes Open thine harte and with al the desires of thy soule take that holie inspiration and yeelding most large thankes to the high goodnes of God that so worthilie doth to thee so beninglie visiteth thee so brenninglie stirreth thee and so mightelie beareth thee vp that through thine owne burden thou fall not downe to earthilie likings and thinke not that that desire commeth of thy selfe or of thine owne workinge but rather that it commeth of the gifte of grace and of a louelie beholdinge of God vpon thee that thou shouldest profite