my Lorde god perfectly and profoundlye is the synguler gyfte of thee whiche I cannot come vnto without thy speciall grace which I most hertely and most mekely beseche thee to graunt me that therby I may perfectly know thee and thy holy wyl and moost blessed and acceptable pleasure ¶ Graunt me good lorde now at thys present and oftentymes to consider profoundly perfectly to knowe that thou my lorde god art moste higheste and moost excellent aboue al thynges moost blessed wysedom euerlasting and vnchaungeable goodnes A very incomprehensible and sempiternal substaunce an infinite and mooste blessed bryghtnes and an euerlasting and incomparable lyghte of blysse whiche in thy selfe arte so myghtye so gloryous so good and so perfecte that there canne nothynge be thought so good so perfecte so worthye so excellent so gloryous but thy goodnes thy perfeccion thy wysedome thy power and thy incomprehensible loue surmounteth and excelleth it infinitely and incomparably For if al power vertue goodnes wysedome the perfeccions of all the creatures in heauen and in earth and in al the whole worlde were knytte in one it weere not so muche in comparison of thy blessed and most excellent maiestie as is one lytle drop of water in cōparison of the vnmesurable maine sea Yea what soeuer the thoughtes of al men the vnderstandyng of al aungels good and bad be able to thynke or vnderstande of anye goodnesse or perfection thy blessed goodnes vnmeasurable might and infinite perfeccion passeth it without comparison ¶ O moost blessed holy and glorious trinitie most myghtyful father euerlastyng ineffable incomprehensible goodnes which of thyne owne substance sēpiternally doest brynge forth an euerlastyng ineffable and incomprehensible goodnes coequal consubstanciall wyth thy selfe which is thy sēpiternal onely son And both you father sonne equally the one louyng the other infinitely in a charitie delighte infinite are knyt together in one holy gost the third persō For this infinyte charytye is none other then the holy goost proceding incogitably of the father and of the sonne ¶ Thus art thou my Lorde God thre dystincte persons in one very God thre persons in one godhede and one very godhed in thre persones ¶ Most dredfull mayestye I moste lowlye and most deuoutly as I can I adore the worshype the with all myght and powers of my body and my soule moste swete and blissed vnite most blessed holy Trynitye ¶ Oh my deare and mercyfull lorde and my god shew thy selfe vnto me and I aske no more ¶ Oh most myghty maker and most swete Lorde God infunde powre into my hart and my vnderstanding thy heauenly light and blessed charitie that I may know and loue the aboue al thynge comforte the wekenes and infyrmytie of my frayle nature wyth thy blessed presence fyll my harte my delyght with the loue of the and wyth the goostly influēce of thy synguler grace that I maye knowe how louyng how gracious how good howe mercifull a Lorde God thou arte and hast bene vnto me specially and vnto all creatures ¶ Graunte me grace most mercyfull lorde ofte tymes louyngly and verye delectably to remembre how so myghtyful so dredfull a lorde god hast created and made my soule most nobly vnto thyne owne likenes and ymage and hast geuen vnto my soule thre excellent powers or myghtes that I myght and should not only in the worlde to come but also in this presente lyfe by wit and vnderstandinge in constant fayth knowe the by wyll I myght and ought to chose and loue the aboue all thinge and by memorye I myght rest in the and beyng knytte fast vnto the I myght so faythfully remayne and cleue vnto the that for the pure delyght and loue of the I myght contempne and forget all thynge ¶ Graunte me good Lorde that I may be so rauyshed in the loue and the delyght of thy blessed essence goodhed that for Ioy gladnes and admyracion I may forgette my selfe I maye feele nether prosperytie neyther aduersite of this worlde and that I maye not feare to suffer all the payne in this world rather then to be pullyd or parted away from the whiche arte of infinite power wysedome Iustice goodnes charytie swetnes lyberalitie and of infynite pytie clemencye and mercy whose perfeccions excedyth infinitely all thought and vnderstandynge ¶ Graunte me most mercifull and louing Lorde grace to perceaue and remember alwaye wyth gostly Ioy and thankefulnes that thou so gloryous and gracious lorde god of Infinite charitie of godly myght mercy doest offer thy selfe vnto me euery where specially in my soule more verylye present then I am with my selfe beyng alwaye and euery where redye to conserue to gouerne to saue me and to brynge me to thy blysse ¶ Wherfore most dredfull Lorde I haue a great cause yf I wyll do my dewty to be circumspecte and take greate hede how I do vse my selfe in the presēce of the my lord whiche seist and lokest vpon al my wordes dedes and thoughtes ¶ Graunte me therfore moost mercyfull Lorde grace to walke and conuersant my selfe before thy blessed presens like a chaist and an holy spouse with al reuerēce feare shamfastnes mekenes obedyence and pacience contynually preparing my selfe with al dilygence to please the sight of thy dredfull maiestie and wyth al my hearte and wyl to loue the aboue al thyng wherby al grace and vertu may encrease in me ¶ Graunt me o merciful sauiour alwaye in euery place to remember that thou so myghty a Lorde God berest towarde me vyle wretched worme of the erthe an euer lastinge vnmesurable most constant fre loue and charitie which passeth al thoughtes and desire so greate is thy goodnes towarde me moost vyle wretche whiche am but sinne and claye that thou doest vouchsafe to tende and to take so great hede and care vpon me as though thou haddest no mo creatures in heauen or earth and hast and doest deliuer me and defend me from innumerable perels dedly dangers bothe of body and soule and hast and doest frely adorne me indewe me and multyplye in me most vnthankeful and vnworthy with so many gyftes and benefytes at al tymes that I am not able to reken the least parte of them and of thy Infinite loue and charyte moost lyberally I maye at all tyme yea euery minute of an houre come vnto the in so muche that with one godly thought and desyre I maye optayne and haue the whiche art euerlastyng felicitie and to the as vnto my most nearest derest most faithfull and trusty frende in heuen or earth I maye safely open all my griefes necessytyes and be certayne and sure to haue such help of the as shal be most for my soule helth Wherfore most merciful lord god which arte the sempyternal lyght of heauen vochsafe for thy mercy sake to lyghten the darkenes of my synfull soule and the blindnes of my harte with the blessed beme of grace that I may come to the perfecte
shouldest alwaie loue him to haue cōtēplacion fruiciō of him shuldest euer possesse him And that thou arte set here that thou shuldest faithfully serue hym thanke hym laud prayse and honour hym and to knowe and fulfyl his moost blessyd wyll and pleasure in thy self and in al creatures Consider also that thou art here in thys world as concernyng thy soule in a straunge contrey as an outlaw and a stranger beset round about with many grynnes and ennemyes in danger of innumerable peryls But yet yf thou remayne in god there can no man hart nor harme the. Consyder how noble how fayre how wyse thy soule is creatyd of god to hys owne lykenesse and ymage and yet neuerthelesse thou arte created as concernyng thy bodie of the slyme of the earth weake myserable vyle nedy redy and prone to all sinnes and vyce in goyng styll toward distruccyon Wherefore take good hede dylygently thou compel not thy soule to serue thy vyle fleshe for the moost filthi and most vile pleasures and delightes whiche soone passeth awaye of thy stynking fleshe and caren and so cast both body and soule into euerlastyng paynes and turmentes of hell and dampnacion Consyder diligently all thy cogytacyons thy workes and dedes whether the end and purpose in the vse of all thy powers and sensies be alway towarde god eyther toward thy selfe or toward creatures And thou shalt perceyue that thou canst neuer marke nor amend thy selfe suffyciently Consyder also how thou of thy self art nought thou hast naught canst naught do but syn Where fore I say consider oft tymes frō whens thou camst wher thou art what thou art whither thou shalt Thou maist see in thy selfe thre sorts of naught The first by innumerable deadely synnes thou art come to naught but to be turmentyd yf it please god perpetually in the deapth of hel like a stinking vessel and fier meate Secōdly by the great corrupcyon of al thy powers and senses of thy bodye and soule thou canst do naught but syn and sholdest fall in to innumerable enormyties yf god dyd not preserue the. And thus art thou become a botomles deapth of darkenes a vessell worthy of all contumelye and reproche be gotten by vnclennes and syn lyuyng in concupiscence and shalte die in anguyshe and agonye Thyrdly in comparyson vnto thy lord and sauyor Chryst thou and all creatures are naught and creatyd of nought and should in a moment come to naught yf thou and they were not contynually conseruyd of almighty god Wherefore thou shuldest desyre to be contempned dispised to be vnknowen of all men yet without thy faulte and deseruyng it For thou must not do any thynge synfull to be dispysed but if the worlde dyspise the god permittyng it thou must be glad and thinke thy selfe very worthy therof Thou must also punishe thy self wyth thy lorde Iesu but yet wyth discrecion Feare god euery where alway with chyldely or louely feare Speke fewe meke and lowely wordes Thynke and remēber alway beleuing that the commynge of thy heauenly brydegrome spouse is at hand alway callyng and saying to the Ecce spōsus venit exite obuiam ei And thus alway returninge thy thought and consideracion vpon thy naughtynes thou shalt merueyle greatly that god doth suffer the so foule filthy and vnthankefull a creature to abyde one moment before his eies or sight Thou shalte wyth all meekenes cry vnto thy lord god from the botomles deapth of thy mysery deuoutelye callynge for the botomlesse deapth of hys mercye with the ofte searche of thy conscience wherby he of his mercy by his grace synguler for of it thou haste nede wyl vouchesafe to geue thee the clere sight and knowledge of al thy vices imperfections passions and synful inclinacions to syn and all thy sinnes which cleaue and lye hidde within and withoute thy powers and sences and do miserablye blynde thy soule and drawe the continualy to perdiciō and destruction And thus must thou lerne to know thy selfe and that very dilygently For thoughe thou profite very much continually yet art thou not able to penetrate and perse to the botome of thy naughtynes the herte of man as Esay sayeth is so wycked and vnsearchable yet by grace thou mayst come to a great knowledge therof Where fore to optayne thys specyall grace thou shalt make deuoutely vnto god in thy herte and most herty desire and not with voyce thys prayer which is the practyse of this exercyse that folowe these fewe aspyracions ¶ These briefe short prayers be called aspyracions for they be as it were syghings and longinges to obtaine of almighty god that which we aske in them and they must be vsed and sayd in hert and desyre as often in the daye as they come to mynde what euer we do or where euer we be euery daye so longe as we do vse thys present exercise ¶ Oh most mercifull Lorde whose loue is the lyfe of my soule lyghten my soule with thy grace to knowe thee ¶ Oh mooste swete Iesu to knowe all the worlde and not to know the is but darkenes and foly graunte me grace therfore mercifull lorde to knowe the. ¶ Oh most mercifull Lorde make me Ignorant and a foole in all thynge so I maye knowe the whiche is the hyghest wisdome of all ¶ Oh Gracius Iesu whiche arte not knowen but of clene heartes purge my harte that I maye see the. ¶ My Lorde Iesu whiche doest reuele thy secretes vnto the litle babes make me perfecte meke and a babe in euyll that I may knowe the. ¶ Oh mercifull Lorde graūte me to come to the knowlege of my selfe the ground of all mekenes ¶ Graunt me grace good Lord perfectly to contempne my selfe and to se the botom lesse pytte of all my myseries ¶ Mercyfull sauiour graunt me an holye hate of my selfe for the verye pure loue of the and thy honour ¶ The practise of the exercise to come to some knowledge of god of thy self O Moost myghtyful maker swete sauiour Iesu whiche taughtest saydest Thys is the lyfe euerlastinge the very hygh waye to the blysse of heauen that we maye knowe the very god thy father thee his sonne whom he hath sente to redeme the worlde There can none come to the knowledge of the father but such to whom thou wylte vouchsafe of thy gracious mercy to reuele hym For it is thy gyfte onely and we must receyue it only at thy hand Wherfore most mercifull mediator Iesu by whose onely mercyfull meanes and the blessed merites of thy holy manhead all grace is geuen to vs wretched sinners of thy father celestial and thou also as very god doste geue with thy father al mercy and grace I most humbly beseche thee graunte me thy heauenlye lyght and the blessed knowledge of thy blessed godhead Manifest and open to me thy blessed father and thine owne selfe whych arte one god with hym and the holy goost I knowledge good lorde that to know the
vnperfect fulfyllinge that whiche thou art bonde to do by the order or state of thy lyfe yf god wolde iudge accordynge vnto his Iustice yea though thou haddest commyttyd nothyng that were sininful deede but onely in omission vnperfecte doynge thy true duetye Wherefore now while he abydeth the most mercifully preuente hys face in humble confession washyng the bed of thy conscynce with teares euery night of thy sinnes that is to saye lament euery sinne wyth teares that comyth to thy remēbraunce and humbly desyre thy Lord that he wyll not enter into iudgement with the hys seruaunt for there can no man that lyueth be Iustifyed in hys presence syghte At the least consyder and waie depely how vnspekeably thou hast offēded in these two cōmaundemēts Thou shalte loue thy lord god wyth all thy harte c. And thyne euen chrysten as thy selfe And so more specially in the rest synnes as thou shalt fynd rehersyd in the prayer and practyse of this exercyse I wold thou shuldest waye and consyder well there how and after what maner thou hast offended specially when thou shalte haue that prayer meditaciō thou shalte lament weepe and bewayle thy sinnes earnestly vntyll that the blessed spirite of adopcion of the chyldren of God vouche safe to descend into thy harte berynge wytnes vnto thy spirite and soule that thou art the son of god and doest heare that meruelus swete voyce of hym That verely God the father hath pleasure in the that is to saye vntyll thou fealest in thy hart a perswasiō that god hath moost mercyfully forgeuen the thy sinnes and hath chosen the to be his seruaunt and that thy state of thy lyfe doth please hym It is but vayne to take vnto the any thynge of consolacyon spirituall or tēporall or to prese vnto contemplacyon excepte thou do ernestly and deuoutly eate feade of this breade of penance and sorow for thy sinnes and dost receyue the blessyd spiritual adopcion which vndoutly he wyl most hartely graunt to suche that deuoutly aske hym to hys glory and honour Amen ¶ Aspyracyons for this exercyse ¶ Oh my most gracius lord god graūt me the perfect knowlege of my synful lyfe and to come to perfect contricyon and hate of my synnes ¶ Oh moost mercyful sauyor Iesu lighten my hart and mynd wyth thy grace that I may perfectly see how enormously I haue dyshonored and offendyd thee ¶ Dere sauyor and louyng lord Iesu open the inner eye of my soule to see clearely my noughtynes ¶ Most swet and kind lord Iesu open to me my great vnkyndnes that I do and haue shewyd vnto the that louest me so tenderly ¶ Oh my deare loue my swete lord Iesu for your mercy shewe me my vylenes and great wyckednes the great redynes to al kynde of synnes ¶ When shal it plase thy great goodnes to geue me the spyryt of true and lowely contrycyon ¶ Grant me good lord Iesu the swet teares of thy trew louer mary Magdalene for my synnes that I may optayne of thy swete mercy forgeuenes and remyssyon ¶ These or other like vse al the tymes that thou doest vse thys exercyse not all at ons but one or other that which thou canst beer beste away felest most deuocyon in but if any other lyke come in to thy mynd folow that for that is lyke to be of the holy goost ¶ The practyse of the second exercyse for remyssyon of synnes O Moost bonteful and most louing lorde god my mooste mercyfull sauyor Iesu the creatour and redemer of my pore synful soule and redemer of al mankynde I am moost mercyfull maker that moost vile and most wyckyd wretch and vnkynd synner that so enormously so bodly so abhomynably and so often tymes haue dyshonored thy highenes and godly maiestye and presence I haue offendid thy blessid holynes thy gracyus goodnes thy great charytie And thy louing mercy and long suffering I haue contempned and disspysyd There is no creature lyuyng that hath done so great iniury and dishonor or hath shewed vnto thee so great vnkyndnes so great contempte as I haue ¶ O mercyful lord how oft haue I prouokyd thee with my mooste detestable synnes and with my moost fowle and fylthy lyfe vnto the moost iust and ryghteous dampnacyon of soule and bodye I haue prouoked moued and irritid thee whyche art moste myghtyful mooste iust dreadfull lord god which art the most iust righteous and terrible iuge of me and of al the world I haue most vnkindly contempned the and turned my hart and loue from the my dere and louyng sauyor Iesu in my shamefull and fylthye synne for the whiche thou dydest suffer so paynefull passion so cruell shameful death and most louyngly most mercyfully shedest thy precious harte blod and for my sake only and for thy charitie that thou bearest towardes me moost vnkinde wretche Yea most louingly only to perdō my sinfull life and to saue me from the most dredfull wrath and vengance of thy ryghteousnes and from the most horryble paynes and tormentes of the perpetuall and euerlasting fire of hell thou leddest a moost poore and painefull lyfe full of muche labour and trauell in moche sorowe and heuines of harte sufferinge many and innumerable rebukes cōfusions wronges and iniuryes At the length after thy most holy and blessed conuersacion thou sufferyd moost mortall heauynes sorowe and most dredful enuy the whiche was so sore and so vehement that for very sorowful payne and oppression of thy blessed harte thy whole body brasted out in wonderfull blody swet sone after betrayed and taken and mooste vilany and vyolently bonde lyke a thief with moost shame and confusiō thou wast brought into Ierusalem where after moost false accusacions most dysspitefull and cruell iniuries mockings scorninges spiteful and vile wordes spittinges sore strokes and stripes thou wast moost strongly stoutly bounde vnto a pyller Thy blessed moost virginal and moost chaste and pure fleshe was cruely torne with scurges and rente wyth roddes thy gloryous and holy heed moost painfully pricked and pressed with a crowne of sharp thorne After this mortal cruelnesse and deadelye paines thy torne shoulders and weke body was laden wyth an inportable crosse haled and driuē forth with bylles and battes lyke a beaste vnto the slaughterhouse with all confusion shame worldely wonder that the wicked malyce of the most crewell Iewes cold deuyse Then most violently stryped cast downe vpon the crosse most rashely with ropes thou waste straitly strongly stretched and rackyd til thy blessed vaynes so sore strained synewes that whē thou wast heuyd vpon the crosse after thy most cruel crucifixion they were vyolently brokē then out of thy blessed handes fete heed thy precious bloud moost plentefully yssewed as it had bene out of a lyuely fountayne Thus thre long howers moost desolate most painefully most myserably thou suffredst most spytefull blasphemyes reproche reuyles and scornes when thou shoulde haue had compassion and consolacion At
together in all the whoole world can thinke or speake it is lesse in comparison of hys hyghe worthines and perfeccion then one lytle droppe of water in comparyson of the whoole mayne sea And yet marke well he so myghty so great so hyghe and so wonderfull a lorde god hath creatyd thy soule moost nobly vnto hys owne lykenes and made it able and mete to be pertaker and to receaue his hygh maiestie and goodnes by loue of hym For he hathe knytte vnto thy soule three excellent myghtes or powers that not only in the lyfe to come in heauen but also in this present life and world thou myghtest know hym by thy vnderstanding in fayth and goostly contemplacyon And by thy wyll thou myghteste choose and loue hym And by thy memorie thou mightest reste in him and be knyt vnto him thou myghtest remayne and dwell euer in hym And playnely yf thou weere not blyndyd by the deuell the world and the fleshe and the loue of thes thou woldest be so rauished in the pleasure and loue of hym that for Ioye and wonder thou shuldest not be able to stand but faynt and synke The Ioyes and sorows of this world thou shludest not marke nor take any heede to them nor passe for them any thyng at all For thou woldest not suffer thy selfe in any wyse to be seperatyd not one momente from the consyderacyon and loue of that hyghe and infinite goodnes ¶ Secondlye consyder and beholde with greate Ioye gladnesse and thankefulnesse how so hyghe excellent wonderfull a lord of his euerlastynge loue and charytie offreth hym self euery where in euery place specyally in thy soule very presently vnto the. Yea more nearer the then thou arte to thyne owne self to vpholde thy lyfe and being to conserue to gouerne the and to saue the and to bring the to eternal blisse Wherfore thou haste more neade to be ware and charie of thy honestie of verteous couersacyon yf thou wylt not dissemble for as muche as thou dost all thynges yea al that thou thynkest and spekest is openly done spoken and thought in his very presence whiche seeth all thynges Take heede therfore and consyder thy moste deare louyng lord god thy creator thy very hartes loue alway before the present and walke in thy conuersacion lyke a chaiste spouse with reuerent feare louely shamefastnes mekenes obedyence and pacyence before the eies of so highe a maiestie of god preparing thy selfe alway without ceassyng to please him syghyng and desyryng in the botome of thy hart to haue hys loue in thy hart and moost louyngly to enbrase hym ¶ Oh what abūdance of grace wold grow in thee yf thou coldest thus do At the leaste do as thou maist vntyll more grace come ¶ Thyrdely consyder that the same so myghty and omnipotent lord of his vnmesurable charytie and of moost constant and free loue turneth hym selfe and hath speciall regarde to the so specyally and syngularly that it passeth the vnderstanding desire of the aungels So great is his dignacion and goodnes toward the an vncleane and vyle worme that he intendyth and taketh soo great hede and care for the as though ther were no mo creatures left hym neyther in heauen nor in earth but thou alone He also hath deliuered the and defendid the from many periles and dangers both of body and of soule and dothe styll euery moment kepe the. He also vnaskyd doth geue thee allure the and intyse the wyth so many benyfytes gyftes and graces thoughe thou be very vnkynd and most vnworthy vnto hym agayne that thou canst not number the least part of them And of the same hys charitie he geuyth the most free lybertie to come to hym euery momente so that with onely a good thoughte and a louely desire thou maist obtaine and possesse infinite and euerlastynge goodnes whiche he his hym selfe In so muche that thou mayst safely surely and most profitably open vnto hym as vnto thy moost faithful louing and trustye frynde all thy necessyties Wherefore for a special laude and praise vnto so louing and so good a lord god among the infynite number of these thinges that myght be spoken or written to hys honor it shal help the greatly to come to hys loue contynually to remember and to haue meditacyon of his infynite and perpetuall goodnes wysedome mercy swetnes lowelynes and charitie That by this as by smal coles of fyre thy hart may be kindled to rēder some loue for loue agayne And that thou mayest be transformed and made lyke hym in lyke vertues and graces Oh wolde God thou couldest and woldest exercise thy selfe contynually in these thre how wold it delyght the to aryse earely and to watche wyth thy lorde god How sone sholdest thou be delyuered from thy vices and passions from al betternes and from all temptacions beynge in maner dronken in the loue of thy sauyour Yea thou shuldest be turned into a newe man and be transformed in maner into almyghty god For there is no exercise more holyer and more fruteful thē this whiche perced the harte of holye saint Augustine and other fryndes of god with the darte of loue when they wyth their inner eyes lyghtened of god did depely consyder the wonderfull tokens of the loue of God towardes them specially in this incarnacion lyfe and passion wyth other innumerable benefites of so greate and myghtye a lorde god geuen vnto them specyally whē they consydered earnestly the wonderfull charyte of god wherby he hath geuen him selfe vnto vs by his birth as a felow in our nature in the sacrament as our foode In hys death as the pryce of our redempcion and reigninge in heauē as our euerlasting rewarde whiche he graunt vs of hys mercy and charitie Amen ¶ Of the consyderacyon of thy selfe AFter this done then turne thy thought vnto the profunde and depe consideracion of thy selfe earnestly behold how noblye thy soule was created of God and made by his power of nought to his ymage and likenes Then consyder also how miserable fylthy and abhomynable it was made by orygynall syne in Adam and howe mercyfully thou arte redemed throwe the vnspekable loue and moost harde and paynefull satysfaction of thy lord Iesu Yet after thy baptisme thou hast innumerable tyme defyled thy selfe agayne by thy actual synnes turnynge thy loue and obedience from the sēpiternall goodnes which is god hym selfe by thy frowarde cursed and noughty wyl and arte become now more filthye more vyle than is the vnresonable beast Consyder well and marke into how manye euyls thou arte fallen by thy owne sinnes from the whiche euylles thou arte neuer able to aryse by thy selfe but only by the helpe of almyghte god by whom thou arte able to do all thynge that thou can do For by the true turninge or conuersion of thy loue to god and to all vertue thou mayst come agayne vnto the vnion wyth god Attende consyder earnestly that thou arte created therfore of god bycause that thou
god to be redy to abyde and suffer al iniures shame mockage reuyle and contempte that all creatures in the worlde be able or wyl lay vpon the yea thou shalte offer thy selfe with a redy wyl to suffer al the paines of hel for thy enormytes and sinnes And that thou mayst come to the pure and perfect sorow for thy synnes thou shalt twyse in the day yf thou be not letted by obedience or charitie set thy selfe in a corner conueniente as it were before the Iudgement seat syght of god and adiuge thy selfe and thynke in thy mynd and conscience that thou haste deseruid euerlasting death and the sentence of god shal be pronunced agaynst the thou canst not tel how sone Not withstanding thou shalt yet hope stedfastly that by prayer and penance with teares and contricion thou shalt optayne both mercy and grace at the hand of thy moost mercyful lord god Thou mayst sorow lamentably that thou hast done so greate inuiry and dishonor vnto the hyghe maiestie wysedom and infynite goodnes of thy lorde god who is moost worthy of al laude and prayse saing in thy hart and mynd wyth as harty deuocyon as grace wyll serue thys prayer folowyng whych is the very practyse of this present exercyse But beware that thou be not to ferefull but take comfort and haue fyrme consydence and trust in the infinite merytes of god whiche is euer redy to take the to grace and mercy and to restore the agayne vnto thy originall purenes yf thou be redy to satisfye as wel as thou canst for thy synnes Then shalt thou offer vp to god thy soule and bodye and what so euer thou hast in thys world for thy synnes desyreynge and wyshyng in thy hart to consume and spend them all vnto nought for hys honor And that thou maist more effecteousely offer vp in sacrifice thy soule wyth al the powers myghtes thereof vnto god thou shalt pray or thinke thus in thy harte O My most dere and moost louyng lord god I wyll haue nothynge in my memorie here after but the my lord god my very orygynal in whome I was from the begynning and from whome I came Nether wyll I haue in my mynde vnderstanding or knowlege any thinge but the onlye my lorde god all creatures in the. Neyther wyll I haue any other thynge in my wyll and desyre but the execucion and doyng of thy moost pleasant and most blessyd wyll ¶ Thou shalt also make a sacryfyce and a lyuely hoost vnto god of thy bodye as they did in the old testament layng wood vpon the aulter and put there on the sacrifice or hooste so wyth fyre put there vnder they brent it vppon the aulter In lyke maner must thou gather to gether by contrite remembraunce thy sinnes vppon the aulter of thy harte and thy bodye must be the sacryfice for it must be mortyfied specially from all vyces and synful worke and pleasure and be slayne wyth discrete penaunce and wyth the fyre of charytye For thou must lamente thy sinnes for the very loue of god thou must do penaunce and punyshe thy bodye and mortifye it for the pure loue of god And yf it be thus consumed and offered vnto god wyth this fier thē shal it be a swete a sauery sacryfice in the syght of god and thus intending to do in ful mynde and purpose thou shalte deuoutely hartely pray in thy harte to god in this maner ¶ Oh most mercyful gracious Lord set on fyer this my sacrifice of my bodye and soule that all may be brente and consumed in thy loue that it maye be acceptablye and thankfullye taken of the to thy euerlasting honour and glory Amē ¶ Thou shalte also offer to god thy sustentacyon temporall desirynge in thy hart so to be mayntained to vse thy necessaryes as it maye be to his eternal honour and thy soule helth and no otherwise lacking or hauyng no regard to thy commoditie or any pleasure of thy selfe in them but thou shalt rather desyre yf yt please god to be spoiled and to lacke al necessaries to be very pore and nedy as he hym selfe was poore nedy in this worlde for thy loue Thou shalte also take vppon the by the discreate iugement of thy father and goostly guide some bodely penaūce wyth descrecion and that for the great loue of god accordyng vnto the great enormytie of thy sinnes Then shalt thou turne thy harte and thought vnto thy Lord Iesu as thoughe thou dydest stand or knele before his most blissed body hanging vpon the crosse wyth his precious woūdes flowing out the most precious bloud freshly full of woūdes on euery syde and full of al payne and sorowe for thy sinnes sake And in thy hart and wyth all thy harte yf thou can or as well as thou can saye thus ¶ Oh moost mercyful Lorde swete sauyor Iesu yf it myght please thy moost blyssed wyll and be thy pleasure I wold suffer my body an hundred tymes to be crucyfied for my sinnes I am redy most mercyful lord to suffer in euery ioynt and lyme of my bodye some syngulare payne and penaunce for the honor of thy blessed name ¶ Then shalt thou purpose fully in thy mynde to vse and to bestow euery member of thy bodye whych thou haste vsyd to sinne here after to the hygh honour of god to force and to compel thy selfe to the same though it be neuer so harde and paynefull for the that thou mayest make some amendes in afflicciō and penance vnto thy Lord God the whiche labour and penaunce wyth the labours and paynes of thy state thou shalt offer to God euery daye wyth teares yf thou can haue them in the vnyon of the most holy deathe and passion of thy sauyour Iesu Thou shalt be very sory in thy hart that thou canst not be so sory and so heuy for thy sinnes as thou oughtest to be And thynke thy selfe for thy great offences worst of all creatures and worthy the deapest pyt of hell bycause thou hast crucyfyed as moche as in the laye agayne the son of God and hast troden vnder thy feate the precious bloude of eternall testament wyth whiche thou were redemed and hast dishonored it and haste done contumelye and reproche vnto the spyrite of grace And to come to a more cleare knowlege of thy sinfull lyfe thou must cōsyder and waye wel how often how much and after what sorte how greuouslye thou hast offended thy lorde god in all the tyme of thy whole lyfe yea euery moment so the ther is not one minute of thy tyme nether any good worke in whome thou hast purely and sincerely sought the honour of God as thou oughtest to haue done but haste with a certayne and secret preuy venome of the loue of thy selfe or thy commoditie delectacion or wyl thou hast defiled it And hast in maner contynually sinned all thy lyfe tyme at the least eyther in omission or in the
the length thou most paynefully most miserably yet most louynglye and willinglye sufferest moost crewel moost bytter and moost shamefull deathe for me specially and for all mākynd and so well thou yet louyst me that if nede were thou art redy to suffer the lyke yea more paynfull passion more cruel death rather then I should perysh if I wold faithfully loue and serue the. ¶ O Most louing and mercyfull sauyoure Iesu I moost vnkind sinner haue neglected and set at nought the that haue done so muche for me and I haue offended as vnkyndly and as greuously as though thou haddest done nothing at all for me For I haue contynually offendyd and synned all my life but specially ī these N. Thou most here remember thy special dedly sinnes one after another and be speciallye sorye yf tyme wyll serue And generally I confesse my innumerable enormytes wherin I haue contēpned and offendyd the. Fyrst in breking of thy holy .x. commaundementes In the .xii. Artycles of the catholyque fayth The statutes and commaundementes of holy churche In the .xii. coūsels of the gospell In breking such priuate vowes as I haue promised In the .vii. mortal sinnes ¶ Omytting the .vii. workes of meryc gostly and in not doing the .vii. gyftes of the holy inspiracions I haue misused the gyftes of grace lent vnto me I haue mysused my v. vyttes or senses outwarde and my senses inward I haue misspent al the powers members and myghtes of my body and of my soule I haue mysspent the gyftes of nature the gyftes of fortune the giftes of the holy goost I haue not desposyd me to haue constante fayth perfect hope and burning charitie which are the thre theological vertewes I haue not had in me the foure cardinall vertues Prudence Iustice Fortytude and Temperaunce I haue not labored to haue in me the .xii. frutes of the holy gost I haue not labored so ernestly to com to perfection of lyfe and to the perfect loue of the as I wolde haue done to come vnto hyghe dignitie and honour of the worlde I haue sinned and lyued sinfully in euerye place in euery state in euery office that I haue lyued in by word by dede thought in omission in losse of my tyme and in vnkyndnes and vnthankfulnes towardes the my Lorde God towardes thy blessed mother and all thy blessed angels and saintes And agaynst all myne neighbors against the good folkes the blessed frindes of god agaynst the weake and sinners agaynste my benefactours and frendes agaynste my superiors my egalles my inferiours agaynste the quicke and the deade against the sowles in purgatory againste all creatures against my owne selfe agaynste both my body and my soule for I haue misvsed these creatures to the great dyshonor of the my lord god to the iniurye of myne neghbours and to the condemnacion of myne owne soule So that ther is no gyfte nor benefyt that thou haste geuen me nor no good thing in the whiche I haue sought the sincerely and purelye For I haue lesse or more sought myne owne commodytie myne owne wyll or pleasure Thus in all my hole lyfe I haue ether done commytted sinne eyther omyttyd and not done my dewty or els doing my dewty or any good woorke I haue not done it so syncerelye purely as I ought to haue done Wherfor I forsake here al kynde of sinne and al my dedes good and bad and I runne only vnto thy greate mercy and infinyte merytes ¶ O most mercyfull petyfull and most louyng lorde Iesu I moost humbly lowly beseke thy mercyful goodnes for thy most holy concepcion and natiuitye For thy blessed conuersacion and moost holy lyfe For thy moost harde and sore laboure and trauel for the great sorow and heuynes of thy blessed harte for thy most payneful agonye and bloudy sweat for al thy bytter and most paynfull passion for al the cruell effucion of thy moost precious bloud for thy most painful most cruel moost bytter and shamefull death graunt me mercy and forgeuenes of all my vnkindnes and sinne mortyfye in me al that offendeth the worke in me suche vertues as moost maye please thy blessed wyll in me to thy honour my saluacion Amen O Moste gloryus mother of mercy and ladye of grace my syngular help and comfort in heauen and in earth nexte vnto my lord god and sauyor Iesu I humbly beseke the for that holy passyon death and al the paines that thy deare sonne Iesu sufferyd in thy sorowfull syght For al the sorow heuines and most bytter compassion that thou sufferedst for him and me optain for me cleane remyssyon of al my synnes and all the paines that I haue deserued for them and increase of al vertue perfeccion Here praye to thy specyall aduowryes O Mooste blessyd and holy N N. N. N. and al ye moost holy and blessed company of heauen for al the paynes and labours that ye suffered here by the grace of the holy goost and for the very loue and honoure of god I humbly beseche your blessyd charyte pray for me vnto my lord and swet sauyour Iesu that he vochesaf to remyt my wickednes and synnes and so to confyrme me in his grace and loue that I neuer returne to syn agayne Here turne thy heart agayne vnto thy Lorde Iesu saynge ¶ And were I dayly fall and am redy to syn vochesafe to graūt me oh Lorde grace euer moore as ofte as I fal to arise againe with perfect sorow hate of syn and with most lowely cōfidēce trust of his blessed swet mercy That the multytude of my syn and mi great frailtie driue me not to disperate sorowe and inordynatte heuynes Nether let me mistrust the great and most gracius redynes of thy moost louyng mercy that is euer redye to forgyue as ofte as we do repent be yt neuer so ofte Draw me not to presūpcyon but that I how so euer whan so euer and how often soeuer I offend the I may moost lowly and mekely acknowelege my wretchydnes and frayltie and repente myne offences and synnes wyth a fyrme purpose to amend and with an vnfayned trust of remyssyon and forgeuenes in the infynyte merytes of thy most blessed blood payneful passyon and most precyus death to the glory honoure of thy mercy ful charytie most myghty maiestie Amē ¶ The Thyrd exercyse of reformacyon of the soul in the fyue wyttes sences COnsider how thy fyue wittes are wonderful wekened and dysorderid by the fall of our forefather and parent Adam But a greate deale more infected and disorderyd by thy owne actual synnes the great abuse of thē Wherefore that they may be redyer brought againe vnto ther former and original purenes wherin they were before the fall of adam thou must nedes shut vppe and refrayne from all misuse of all thy senses as thy syghte hearing taisting with thy tong smellyng and fealyng in the crucyfied humanitie of Chryst accordyng to hys exāple wyth so
greatte vyolence and laboure thou shalt haue somewhat to do ther in as thoughe thou were playnly dead and all mortyfyed vnto the world Thou muste lerne to haue a contynualle eye inwardely vnto thy soule spiritual lyfe as thou hast vsed here tofore to haue all thy mynd and regard to owtward pleasure and worldly thynges Thou must submyt and giue thy self vnto the disciplyne of swete Iesu and become hys scoler choisinge hym vnto thy Lorde and maister resynyng compelling thy self al together to obey hym in all thynges so that thy wyllynge and nyllyng thou vtterly and parfectely do caste away frō the indeuoringe thy selfe most straightly to please to obey thy most deare god most louing master in all thynges Wherfore here after thou must do nothyng be it neuer so lytle without his lycens For at euery word that thou wilt speake at euery morsel that thou wilte eate at euery styrīg or mouyng of euery artycle or member of of thy body thou must aske leaue of him in thy harte that is to saye thou muste examyne in thy conscience euery word dede that thou shalt speake or doo whether it be to the honour of god or no to what ende thou wylt speake or do it yf thy consience sincerely not sekinge it selfe do answere that it is to the glorye of god then hast thou lycence to speke or to do or els not The necessarye thynges that must needes be done or spoken thoughe it be certayne that they please god yet shalt thou do euery one of them and offer them vp wyth a newe intencion vnto god in the vnion of the most holy workes and blessed merites of chryst for the soule helthe of al men And as thou arte doing or sayeng any thing outwardely haue alway one eye inwardly towarde thy selfe and thy conscience And take hede and remember well when it is tyme for that to cease and leue of and then inmediatlye leaue of thy talke or doing And to optaine this grace thou must accostome thy selfe from thy very harte feruently to pray and to intreate thy lorde god euerye howre in maner what euer thou doist with this maner of aspiracion or lyke ¶ Oh Most swete sauiour Christ for thyne owne selfe sake by al thy blessyd perfections and mercyes by thy holye and moost blessyd manhed and thy holye fiue senses whiche so perfectly obeyed reasō that they semed swalowed vp of thy soule which also were so sore pained and afflicted with most sorowful paynes in thy blessed passion for my saluacion as though thou hadest had no senses or fealyng at al I moost humbly besech the that thou vochesafe to swalowe vp in the merytes of thy blessed senses al the fealyng and sensacion that I euer had haue nowe or euer may haue and so knyt and sanctyfie in thy moost blessed and holy soule al my wittes and senses that I neuer vse them here after to any sensualytie Yf thou can not bere this prayer in thy mynd take the affecte and make desyre or peticiō in thy harte as wel as thou canste Thou must labour to come vnto this vnyon and knitting vp of thy senses in god thy lorde Iesu and ther into remayne so fast vnto the crosse that thou neuer starte from it walkyng reuerently wyth moost honest mature or comely maners behauoure of thy bodye and all thy senses and euery where in the presence of thy lorde god And thou must so obserue and kepe thy lord god that he parte not from the and thy fyue wyttes and senses wyth thy whole soule so vse thy selfe that thou mayst thynke that thou seist nothing thou hearest fealest smellest tastest touchest thou eatest nor drynkeste nothing but in all thinges thou seakest purely not thy selfe but only thy Lord God and dost vse the creatures in god and for god wyth feare and reuerence to thy bare nede Thou must also in al thy necessites perels commyte the care of thy selfe and of al thyne yea of al thinges with moost ful cōfidence and trust into the most trustie prouidence of thy louing lord whych wyl order al thinges swetely and delectably and wyl defēd the and fyght for the. Reken also al thynges besyde hym for righte nought and thus mayst thou come vnto wonderfull illuminacions and gostly influēce frō thy lorde god yf thou for hys loue canste crucyfie renounce and forsake perfectlye thy selfe and al thinge This exercyse is the grounde of al gostly life and therfore thou must vse it and practyse it very long vntyl thou canst lerne and acostome to master to forsake thy selfe in al thynges waite and kepe wel thy selfe and thy lorde god this blessed loue for as moch as ther is no greater labour then to obserue kepe wel contynually thy lorde god and hys acceptable wyl and pleasure Thou shalt alway labour to come to the depe and exact circūsicion formacyon and mortifycation of the inner powers of thy soule as thy vnderstāding wyl and memorie The which as thy sensies wer so are these greatly corrupted and infected by the fal of our fyrst parent But a great deale worse we haue corrupted them and alienatyd them from god by oure owne sinnes That these also maye be brought restored vnto their former state and perfeccion vnto the whiche our Lord Iesus by his death restored them and to the end and purpose that they were creatyd geuen vnto thy soule thou must nedes continually desyre and intreate thy lorde god and neuer cease knockyng and callyng with most firme trust confidence that he can wyl helpe the. And that he vochsafe for the moost blessed merytes of the moost holye myghtes and powers of his most gloryus crucified humanyty to purifie reforme to gouerne and to light the powers of thy soule with stable knowlege loue and continual mynde and memorye that thou maist flow and tende toward and into almyghty god in hym to know and to vse al other thynges That thou maist come to that gyfte thou must exercyse and quyken wyth diligente labour thy vnderstandinge to knowe and vnderstand hyghly and deapely what god almyghty is and what he hath And when thou after this maner doist once knowe that he is the most best most noblest and most holyest of al then shall thy wyl perseauing that indeuer and desire to loue him whom he perceauyth to be so excellent and moost best But thou must circumcise pul away and crucifye thy wil frō al thynges that thou maist loue and desire god alonly wyth thy bare and whole harte and loue all other thinges for hym and in hym Then must thou also confirme thy wyll in most stedefast stronge knotte and vnyon vnto the wyll of god That if he wolde create hel in the and put the therin thou must offer thy selfe to be redy for his eternall glorie and honor and for thy sinnes to suffer it by his grace Thou shalt also ryd and make redy apte
thy memorye to haue the fruiciō of thi lord god for euer without any impedyment or meane These meanes or impedimētes ar the fancies and the imagynacions of other thinges besyde god or for god Thou must kepe thy memorye cleane and pure as it wer an wedloke chamber from al strange thoughtes phantasies ymaginacions And it must be trymmed and adorned with holy meditacions and vertues of chrystes holy crucified lyfe and passion that god may continually and for euer rest there in how often whē and how long it shal please him Wherfore thou must vse it with often louely and continuall desyres and holy afeccions to god warde thy louyng and moste kynde lorde and sauiour that he only may cōtinually be shutt vp in the that is to saye Thou must haue continuallye God in thy mynde and memorye and that thy mynde and memorye may runne only vpon hym what euer thou dost or wher euer thou be Thou must vse this exercise sōwhat lōg as I sayde before and thou must crye praye moost hartely and continually for the specyall helpe of god and that by hsi mightes powers by the praiers blessyd merytes of the gloryus virgyn Mary his mother the blyssed saintes in heuen thou shalt aske it The wiche thing yf thou do not optaine at the fyrst but abydest longe for some are of a clammye nature and muche geuen to phantasies they be therfore the lōger in labour be not discoraged nor ouerthrowē with tediousnes Cease not only perseuer haue a stronge and a firme confidence and trust in our lorde whiche neuer leaueth those that putteth ther trust in him and he wyl geue it the. For he is infinitly good and gracyous whiche in the simplenes of harte is sone founde for he is wonne by loue and with louely and holy desires and affeccions he wyl be optayned and sone gotten For god is infinite loue it selfe vse therefore often these aspiracions al the time that thou laborest in this exercyse or such as these be that foloweth ¶ Oh swet sauyour lyghten the blyndnes of my soule that I may know the and thy most blessed wyl ¶ Oh mightiful lord Iesu take fro me my vnkind hart geue me for it ether thi swet harte or an hart lyke vnto thy louyng hart that euer may loue laude and prayse the. ¶ Mortify ī me good lord my wycked wil graūt me to haue no other wil thē thine ¶ Oh most louing lorde fyxe my mynde so stedfastly vpon the that I may mynd nothing but the or nothing so ofte as the. ¶ My deare and swet sauiour graunte me grace to come to the perfecte knowledge of the thoughe I be ingnoraunte in all other knowelege ¶ The practyse of the Exercyse for reformaciō of the soule in the wyt senses MOst merciful sauyor Iesu which art that petiful samarytan which by thy holy incarnacion descendidst in to thys world wher thou foundest al the nature of man being in the state of dampnacion robbid in Adā by the serpent that gostly thief which spoilid our nature of the blessed gyfte and garment of innocencye and oryginall iustice and wounded our naturales that is to say all the sensies and powers of oure soule and maymed our frewyl blyndyd and darkned our vnderstanding crasyd our memorye and set out of order and made rebel al our fyue wyttes and sensualytie And thou moost pityful Lord taking compassyon vpon thys miserable and mortal plyght of our sore woūded and maimed nature thou with the bond of thy moost louely passyon and charytable death dydst bynd vpp our woūdes powryng in to them the wyne of thy precyus blood and the oyle of thy most heauenlye grace mooste myghtyful and blessyd physicyon and heauenly surgyon of my pore and sycke soul take compassion on my sore and deepe and innumerable woūdes For mercyful sauyor al the sensies wyttes and powers of my soule and bodie be very sore and deadly woūdyd not only by the first fal of Adam in to oryginal syn but I also my self haue more greuusly woūdyd them by innumerable actual synnes by the longe and contynual mysuse of them dayly Wherefore I moost humbly beseche the moost merciful Iesu graūt me the syngular helpe of thy grace that I may bryng them to that purenes and blessyd order that they hadde before the fal of adam by dew and dayly refraynyg and brideling them from al misuse and vse them only for bare necessitie accordyng to thy most holy example and so soberly to lyue as though I were dead vtterly and had no senses That I may lerne now to turne inwardly al my thought and pleasure as I haue hetherto set my pleasure and delyght in owtwarde and sensuall vanytie ¶ Graūt me grace most blessyd master to geue my self whooly to lerne at the and to take the for my example and to my mooste gracyus Lord and master resynyng and yeldyng my self fully and whooly to obey the so that I may caste vtterly awaye my owne wyl and in my self al together most streyghtly to obey and please the only that here after I may do no thing be it neuer so lytle without as it were thy loue ¶ Graūt me grace most gracius Iesu that at euery word that I intende to speke at euery loke of myne eye at euery morsell that I shall eate at the mouyng of euery ioynt or member of my bodie that I shall styre I may inwardly in my hart aske leue of the the whych leue yf good conscience do wytnes that I haue optayned than I may do it or els not ¶ Graunt me swete Iesu that I may do and offer al and euery one of my necessarie workes and deedes all and euery one of my good workes and dedes with an actual and a new intent to the laude and praise of the my lorde god in the vnion of thy moste holy workes blessid merites to the soule helth of al men And whyle I am seking or doyng any thinge outwardly graunte me grace to remember my selfe inwardly whē I ought to leaue of suche talking or doing and so to cease ¶ Moost deare sauiour and moost gracius good lorde I most hartely and humbly beseeke the for thy mercy and merytes sake and by al thy holy perfeccyons and myseracions whych are in the yea whiche thou arte thy selfe and by thy moost blessid and holy humanitie and by thy most holy fiue sensies whiche so myghtely obeyed reason and were swalowed vp of thy sowle the whiche also were most paynefully and so cruelly afflicted for my saluaciō as though thou hadist had no sensies at al. Good lord vochsafe in the merites of thy most blessid sensies soo to swalowe vp to knyte and to sanctify all my sensies in thy moost holye soule as thoughe I hade no sensies at all whiche myght at any tyme geue place to sensualytie Merciful Iesu for thy payneful wondes of thy blessed handes kepe my feelyng from al vncleane and vnnecessary feelyng and touching
as it shal plese thy goodnes ¶ Graunt me grace therfore good Lorde to accustome my selfe to haue in my memory louely and contynually desyres and swete and holy affeccyons to the my lorde god that thou mayst dwel in my soule a sone and my soule maye haue the inclosyd in my wyl and memorye euermore and so I maye cary the wyth me wher euer I bee come And though I by frayletye do sometyme lose the good Lorde Iesu yet graunt me sone to seke the and to fynde the to thy honour and my saluacion Amen ¶ The fourthe ys the exercyse for mortyfycacyon THou must exercyse thy self very earnestlye in mortyficacion and abnegacion of al thinges whych may in any maner of wyse let the to draw nere louingli to be ioined and knyt to thy Lord god that is to say thou must mortyfie in the al thyng that is not god or for god or the thing which god wyl not or loueth not They are suffyciētly declarid by the godly father henry harp in his .xii. mortifycacyons whych are these that shal folow here In the whych thou shalt dilygently exercyse thy self by goostly and holy medytacyon wyth oft and deuout prayer markyng well in euery one of them the moost holy exemplar of thy lorde Iesu crucyfyed pryntyng that deapely in thy hart vntyll that the nether powers of the soule that is to say sensies and sensuallytie put no impediment or let here after to the hygher powers of thy soule as are reason wyl and vnderstandyng where by they myght not flowe and tend truly toward god in god THe fyrst of thes is perfect mortyfycacyon of al loue and affeccyon and carefulnes for transytorie worldly thinges This thou must mortyfie so perfectly that thou canst fynd in thy hart to resygyne and yelde them vp vnto the hyghe pleasure of God wyth a quyete mynde wythout secreat murmur or grudge whether it shal plese him to geue them or to take them so that thou doist not desyre nether to haue nether hold them nether to bestow them or gyue them but only for the pure loue honour of god Yea thou shalt desyre and wyshe to leaue them that thou mighteste alwaye offer vp thy whole hart bare and pure vnto god amonge al casualties and mysfortunes At the laste that thou maist make thes oblacions of thy hart vnto god in thy wyl and reason and that thou mayste remayne resteful For thys cause thou muste put awaye and vtterlye forsake not onlye superfluouse and vnnecessary thynges but also such thinges as thou haste onlye for thy pleasure and of curyositie Yea thou maiste not reste by anye loue or affeccion in these thynges that are thy necessaryes yf thou wylt not be a proprietarie before god and shalt vse and take at the least thou shalte learne to take and vse thy natural necessaryes wyth tedyousenes and lothsomnes that thou mayst so muche the better conforme thy self vnto Chryst and mayst bare poore flye as it were in to his bare and nakyd armes THe second is the mortyfycacion of al affeccion in seking thy self By which seking of thy self many louith them selues to wel for in al the good dedes that euer they doo and in al the euyl that they suffer of a certayne seruyle feare they haue an eie regard seke busely their owne profit cōsolacyon and honour as wel in the outward as in the inward giftes and goodnes of god and do seke to exchewe and escape their owne hurt or hynderance their confusyon punishement as wel in thys present as in the world to come And oftētimes whyle they repute and esteme theire dedes exercyses great and holy they fall by the gyftes of god in to goostly pryde gostlye gluttonye gredynes Wherefore against these most dangerus and very great perels thou must dyligently labour and studie in al thynges of a fylyall loue and of a ryght and holy intent to seeke purely the honor the grace and pleasure of god And wyth a syngle intent ordaine dyrect and refer al thy workes to please and haue the fruicion of god and to rest in him alway with al thy myghtes and powers without muche trouble or busynes with a certayne louely flowing and a louing inclynacion or bending of thy inward spirite to godwarde hauing thys thy inclynacion lyghtened with the knowlege of god by faith hope charytie Thys is one fundacion and ground of gostly lyfe Thou must labor wyth intencyon godly not to seke the secreate consolacyon of soul but rather to desyre al derelyctyon barrennes aduersitie that thou mightest be come one with god and to haue fruicion of god with god THe thirde is the mortificacyon of al the affeccion of thyne owne sensualitie aboue or beside reasonable necessitie in the delight delectacion and plesure of meat and drynke of apparell and other temporall thinges also in the pleasure and delyght in vayne vnnecessary cogitacyons wordes gestures and talke with men or famylyars and fryendes for sensual loue only Also in delectable appetytes to haue or to see fayre pleasant thynges to heare newes and to occupye the sensies in vaine without resonable cause as to se that and heare this These and al the solacyes and delightes of nature thou shal mortyfie and by full and perfect turnyg thy self from all such thynges as sensualytie is wont doth delight to rest in for thes make al deuocion and goostly exercyses both vnsauery and also more hard Thou shalt also take great heede and be well ware that thou haue nor bere none affectyon in thy harte to any solace or syn be it neuer so lytle whō thou doiste not labour to pulle vp by the roote Thus must thou nedes do that al sensualitie may vtterly be mortyfied least the whol heape of thy good workes come to nought THE fourth is the mortificacion of the affection of seculare and wordlye loue the whiche causeth a mā to do many dedes of vertew that he myght come to some commoditie or honour by those wordly persōs to whom he is so affectionat ether fearing to displease them ether to sustayne any dāmage or discōmodytie or harme This affeccyonate loue thou must vtterly mortifie and also the carnal loue towarde thy kinsefolkes and the loue that thou haist goten amonge thy fryndes and that whiche thou berest to them for their benefytes so that wythout all accepcyon of any person thou do loue purely god and goddes Image in them grace and vertew not flatteryng or vpholdinge louinge or dissemblinge anye mans vyce or sinne but thyrst and desyre wyth all thy hearte the soule healthe of all menne Thou muste mortyfie also the inordynate loue and affeccion that mouyth to anye vnquietnes distraccion or desyre to haue the frendship or bodely presence of anye person and paynteth thy fansye and mynd wyth ymaygynacions of them specyally in tyme of prayer or els when thou woldest turne thy selfe vnto god defylinge and infectyng thy harte as it were a
spede hilarite The second the obedience of conformitie and thys consistyth in the prompt and redye wyl inwardly not only in cōmaundements preceptes but in any other thyng leful wythout commadement and that purely for the loue of god wtout al respect of any fauor of man so that thou wolddest rather be contempned and dispysed of man for such obedience then to be praysyd or to haue any rewarde for it The third is the obedience of vniō with god which knittith so the wyl of man vnto the wyl of god that it is become but owne wyl with it so that what so euer god doth permyt and suffer to come vpon hym yea in al inward pressure heauynes and agonye of spyryt desolacyon and dereliccyon he is fully perswadyd be leuith al together to come by the ordinaūce of apoyntmēt of the vnmesurable loue and mercy of god and therefore he receauyth it with al affeccyon be it neuer so hard paineful shameful or greuus for thys time and for euerlastyng accordyng to the example of his deare louyng lord and sauyor Iesu whych from the most payneful agony and bloody swet in the garden vntil the crewell death vpon the crosse he was destitute of al sensyble grace consolacyon as thoughe he had byn the extreme enemye of god abydyng most crewell and most intollerable payne and tormetes only beyng resignyd moost perfectly of loue into the handes and wyl of his father When thou hast once optayned thes .xii. mortifycacyons then shall thou wyth the powers of thy soule be redy and able to flow and to haue recourse to god and in hym to rest cōtynualy wyth out any let or impediment Not withstandynge thou must lerne to come to more cleare playne knowelege how thou maist optaine and possesse the very trew loue and stable sure vnyon betwene god and the myghtes and powers of thy soule firste in the ornament of actyue lyfe by perfect mekenes obedyence other morall vertues and by the increase of them also by faythe hope and charytie Secondly in lyfe contemplatyue spyrytual by burnyng and ardent aspiracions and the gyftes of the holy goost and also other godly and gostly exercyes Therfor thou shalt marke obserue dylygently those thynges that thou shalt fynd declaryd brefely ī thes exercyses folowing next after this practyse that folowythe ¶ Ther are no aspiraciōs for this exercise but take some of the sentencies of the practyse as shall lyke you ¶ The practise of this exercise for mortyficacion MOst almighty and immortal God my moost mercyfull sauyoure Iesu whiche of most tender loue and pytyfull mercy that thou beare vnto me and to all mankynde dydest suffer most cruel most painefull and shamefull death for me al mankynde I most mekely and most hartely beseke thy mercyful goodnes for the innumerable merytes of thy most precyous death graunte me grace and power vtterly to renounce and to forsake all thinges that might let me from the synceare loue of the and fully to mortyfie in me al suche thynges that is not good ether that which thou woldest not ether that whiche thou louyst not For these do presse downe and drawe backe my soule when it wolde and myght wholye aryse vnto the perfecte and pure loue of the by gostly vnyon and spirituall knote to be knyte vnto thy blessed godhede Fyrst I humbly beseke the swet Iesu for thy pouertie and nedines that thou tokest vppon the and sufferedst in this world for me graunt me by the myght of thy specyall grace to mortyfie most perfectly all care al loue al affection be it neuer so lytle vnto anye worldly or transytory thyng that I may alway wyth most quyet mynde resygne and offer vp all thinges wordly vnto thy most hyghe wyll and pleasure wether thou wyl gyue them or take thē that I neuer desyre any thinge be it neuer so small nether to holde it nether to geue it nether to saue it nether to bestowe it nether to kepe it nether to forsake it but only for thy honour ¶ Graunte me god lorde by perfect pouertye of spirite to forsake al thing in my hart what so euer chanceth in al fortunes good or bad that I may euer offer my bare hart and loue restfully vnto the. ¶ Graunte me gracyous Iesu to forsake and do away al superfluus thynges al curyous thinges and in thynges that seme necessary neuer to rest wyth any affeccion to them but that I may wyth yrkesomnes and werines vse such thinges that I must nedes haue to satisfie naturall necessytye where by I may the better folow thy holy pouertie and be more lyke vnto the moost meke Iesu beseke the for thy obediens that thou shewyst vnto god almighty thy glorious father for that most blessyd and moost tender loue that thou dydest beare vnto vs myserable sinners vnto the death soughtest of pure loue towarde vs and the glory of thy father celestyal not thine owne glorie and honor but the heuenly fathers not thyne owne comoditie and comforte but ours Thou forsakyst no paine nor punishmente nor labor nor trauell no shame nor confusyon to set forth the glory of thy gloryous father and to procure our saluacion our redempcion oure felycitie ¶ Good lorde graunte me grace to distroy and mortifye in me the seking of my selfe and the inordynate loue whyche I bare to my selfe For in euery thing that I do wel and in all euyll that I forsake I haue by reason of my corrupte nature euer an eye and respecte vnto mine owne commoditie myne owne consolacion and myne owne honor glorye and prayse and in al the gyftes of god that I haue or do vse and exercyse or do aske whether they be outwarde or inward my corrupte and crafty nature euer seketh craftely some commoditie and honoure and seketh euer moore to escape and auoyde hurt dammage shame confusyon payne and punishment as wel in this worlde as in the worlde to come more thē for pure loue Of this inordinat loue of my selfe I do counte al thinges that I do wel of muche reputacion I esteme myne exercyses to hyghly and thus I fal into gostly pryde in this gyftes Wherfore moost mercyfull lorde Iesu helpe me by the power of thy specyall grace and graunt that I may begyn and procede in al thinges and do al thinges of moost pure and fylyal loue and pure intente for thy only fauer honor sekyng purely and sincerely to please the with an amorous and louely affectiō of my inwarde spirite being lyghtened wyth a dyuyne and a godly vnderstanding by faythe hope and charite not seking any maner of gostly comforte of the soule but rather to desire if it please the al derelicciō al aduersitie for thy sake that I maye be lyke vnto thy afflicted humanytie in this world and in the worlde to come I maye by thy grace and mercy haue the fruicion of thy godhed ¶ Most mercyful sauioure Iesu for the bitter payne thou suffdrest in thy
worthy of them and moch greter and greuos desiringe euermore to suffer more payneful and more harder paynes wyth long sufferynge for very desyre to be lyke in sufferyng and pacyence vnto the my Lord Iesu crucified for me and for thy sake I may wyllyngly ioyfully and thankefully suffer at al tyme al thinges ¶ Graunte me also according to thy example meke silence and taciturnitie wherby I maye the more diligently harkē inwardly thy talke louely wordes in my harte outwardly I maie vtterly and strongly abstaine both from speach and heringe of al ydle wordes lyes and harmful wordes that I may speake only very profitable needefull and that wyth all meekenes I maye desyre to edyfie more in good lyfe thē with many workes and all my life time specially at the oure of death maye haue a sure and a certaine refuge and comforte in these thy precious woūdes of thy most holy feate ¶ Vnto the blessed heade of oure sauioure Iesu I Laude and praise the and geue vnto the most hartie thankes most merciful Iesu for thy great wisdome and for the great loue and sorowe of thy moost holy heade whiche was most painefully most cruelly prickid and crowned with thornes and sore beten for my sake I most humbly and lowly commend and commite my weake head with al my senses and wyttes into the innumerable woundes that thou suferidst in thy blessed heade for al my sinnes and offēces but specially the pertinaci and proude stubburnes of mine owne wit and wisdō The misuse of al my sences and wittes in warde and outwarde The negligences of the feare of the. The inordinate feare the flatteringe of men The lacke of discrecion and my greate intemperaūce my vnpure intente in my doing and the sekinge my selfe And the vices and sinnes that appertaine to these or any of them that they may be forgeuen me in the merites of thy precious bloude I moost humbly beseke the most gracious good lorde for the most bytter payne of thy woūded heade and for that charitie and loue that mouyd the to suffer that most bytter cruelnes for me and by thy inestimable wisdome thy most holy feare thy blessed dyscrecion moost meke simplicitie adorne my weake heade with thy godly and gostly wysedome as moche as is expedient for me to thy glory and my saluacion And vochesafe moost mercyfull lorde with the same to gouerne me so with in and without that I nether thinke speke do or suffer any thinge be it neuer so lytle excepte I knowe that it maye please the and that by wainge duely the cyrcumstance the ende hereof and in my reasō lyghtened with thy grace I may perceaue as it were a certaine leaue geuen vnto me of the to do that I intend Lyghten also good lorde my vnderstanding with the cleare perfecte knowlege of thy greate goodnes holy wyll and of the vilenes and noughtynes both of my selfe and of all transitorye thinges Replete fulfyll and make dronkē myne affection with the swete taste of thy loue and wyth the infaciable desyre to honoure the and to dysspise my selfe Turne al temporal thinges in me vnto bytternes Make me deaffe dome and blynde by thy myghtie power vnto all thinges whiche thou arte not or besydes the. ¶ Graunte me also good lorde the lowlye feare of the and the perpetual hate of al sin be it neuer so lytle and a strayght costodye and kepyng of bothe my inwarde and outwarde man that I may alwaye remember and thynke on before hand al my wordes and workes hauing an eye alwaie inwardly vnto my consciens that I may deuoutly call vpon thy diuyne and godly helpe before that I speake or do any thynge that as sone as I perceaue any thynge agaynst the order of reason or thy lawe I maye by and by leaue of least I shulde lose thy grace and offend thy blessed maiestie ¶ Graunte me also mercyfull sauiour perfecte and cleare discression wherby I may both knowe and also auoyde al snares of the deuyll and al the naturall seakynge of my selfe and that I maye wysely take heade ryghtly decerne also execute euery thing that appertaineth to me in their dewe maner order and tyme that I maye come to the meane of vertue whiche is betwene to muche and to lytle ¶ Graunte me also moost swete Iesu the symplicitie of babes wherby my vnderstādinge may be voyde and bare of all doublenes and combernes of many thinges and of muche curyose and vnprofitable knowlege My wyll maye be voyde and cleane of al the sekinge and loue of my selfe My memory may be cleane cleare from all cares cogitacions and imaginaciōs My wittes powers may be as they wer shut vp and turned inward that I may become a dweller inwardly wythin my selfe cōtinually thus forgettyng al wordly thinges I may in the pure cogitacion desyre of my harte cleaue and rest in the one pure lorde god And walkinge continually with all reuerens in thy godly presens I mai be careful and busy to kepe the vnitie of my sprite vnto the in the bond of goostly peace ¶ Graunte gracious lorde that I may dylygently take great heade of al my thoughtes my wordes and dedes of pure symple obedience vnder the and other mē in the by the I may do thē without scrupulus bād or cleauing to thē Graunt me grace good Lord that I may take as at thy hand prouidens al thinges that euer come vnto me good or bad and that I may remembring my noughtines for euery one of thē first geue harty thankes to the and then take good hede marke to what end they may serue me or what they do warne me of as whether thy goodnes by thys gyft doth warne me to geue the thankes for the euel or aduersyties which thou hast suffered to come to me or to them or hast taken away from me or thē Or that I shuld be more feruent in prayer Or I should wexe more meke in my selfe Or that I shulde take better hede to my selfe Or that I shuld yeld resygne my selfe vnto thy wyl Or that I shuld acknowlege and amende my fawte my infirmytie or neglygence Or to do any other thynge For thou doiste neuer sende anye thinge to any creature but it is for some good purpose Teache me therfore good Lord to know thy pleasure in al thinges of al thinges to take encrease of vertue and purely wysely to fulfil thy holy wyll in al things vtterly forsaking mine owne wil and the seking of my selfe And graunte me moost mercyful Iesu al the dayes of my lyfe but specially in the agony of death a sure and a certaine succur in the precyus woundes of thi moost blessed head Amen ¶ Vnto the swete harte of Iesu I Laud and prayse the and geue vnto the moost louynge Lord and sauyor Iesu for the infinite loue and charitie for the great sorow and heuines of thy most swete
louyng and moost godly hart laūcyd with a knightes spere in the sight and presnes of thy most sorowful mother mary I cōmend resigne and commit most lowly humbly al my whole harte with al my affeccyons and desires hereof into thy precyus wond of thy most dyuyne hart the wel of al goodnes And also all my synnes and offences but specyally al my priuate loue to my self and al vycyus loue that euer I bare vnto any creature The abuse and neglygens of thy blessed sacramentes of thy gyftes of graces My mystrust my infidelytie my heresies and errors my inordynate feare pusylanimitie and desperacyon All the neglyence and lytle care that I haue taken in the thinges pertaining vnto my callinge and state with al my instabilitie and the vyces and synnes appertanynynge to thes or any of them that they may be forgeuen me be purged in thy moost precyus blod I moost humbly besech the moost gracius Lord Iesu for the moost burnynge loue and charytie of thy godly harte and for the precyus wond hereof and for al sorow agonye and heuynes that thou sufferedest in it and by the ineffable charytie cōstance and all the vertues of thy blessed hart fulfil my hart with moost perfect loue charytie which may sley in me al loue to my self and vnto creatures that it mai woūd and set on fyre my harte with the dart of thy fyry loue that I may moost hartely and moost perfectly loue the with al my whoole harte wyth all my mynd wyth al my strength and power puerly without any respect of any reward saue only for thy goodnes ¶ Graunt good Lord that I may for thy sake and loue forgo al thynges be they neuer so greate I may do al good thinges be thei neuer so hard I may suffer al paines be they neuer so paynful that for thy only loue and for thy sake to perseuer herein vn tyll the ende ¶ Graunte me most merciful lorde grace that I may sighe cal and knocke cōtinually vnto the wyth burninge desyres and cōtynuall prayer for the perfecte forsakynge of my selfe and for the louely and godly vnion of my soule vnto ye. That I may euer thinke on the. I maye alway talke of the I may thurst hunger the that I may seke fynde the vntyll that I be fully trāsformid and changed al together into the made one spirite wyth the euer remaynynge in the and thou in me ¶ Graunte also that I may in the same charitie loue euery mā sor thy sake as my self ¶ Graunte me most faythful Iesu a lyuely and a stronge faith that workyth great meruelus workes for thy honoure Iesu ¶ Graunte me also a ryght and a godly intente lyghtenid with the lyght of fayth which maye dyrecte my wyth the symple eye of my pure mynde to thy glory and most acceptable wyl in all thinges that I do or that I suffer and that it maye cut of cast away al the sekinge of my selfe whervnto my corupte nature alwaye craftely drawith me ¶ Graunte vnto me also good lorde stedfast hope and stronge trust and confidence in the where by my soule may be lyfted vp vnto the aboue al changable and transitory thynges that it maye execute al workes mocyons so purely wythout al carefulnes and imaginacions of outwarde thynges that it neuer let nor lose the louely rest and influence in the but amonge al perels and aduersities wyth a ful hope and trust in the it maye abyde wyth longe sufferaunce thy hyghe pleasure and prouydence and with al mekenes it may stedfastli hope that my prayers to be graciously harde of the for thy greate goodnes wythout any doute abidinge in the helpe and protection of the hyeste ¶ Graunte most louynge lorde Iesu stabilytye and constance in all godlye purpose proceding from a stronge and trewe loue wherby I maie loking often vpon the blessed example of thy moost holy lyfe go forwarde in perfection wyth a continual and a feruente desyre and laboure to growe in vertue forgetting al thinges past ¶ Graunte me grace swete sauyour Iesu ofte to examyne my selfe and to remember what I do what I thinke and as sone as I perceaue my selfe distracted from the thē with a new feruour and desyre I maye returne againe vnto the. And that I may not feare nether fiere nor water but constanly to runne thorow al thinges for thy sake loue and therin to perseuer vnto the ende ¶ Graunte me most mercifull Iesu all the dayes of my lyfe but specially at the houre of death a stronge and sure refuge and cōforte in the precyous wonde of thy moost blessed louynge most trusty harte Amē ¶ Vnto the ryghte hande of Iesu I Laude and prayse the and geue most harty thākes vnto the most ryghteus lorde Iesu for thy most omnipotente rightousenes and thy vnspekable loue and greuous paine that thou suffurest in the woūde of thy holy and myghtie ryght hande And into the same most blessed wounde I caste commytte and commende my selfe wholy and my synnes and offences but specyally all my vnryghteousnes and wronges that I haue done to the and to thy creatures Al the bytternes of my harte all my dyspleasure angrines and enuy Al my falshed my vntruth and hypocrysie Al my vnthankefulnes to the for thy benefites and to thine for theyr benefytes That all these my sinnes myght be forgeuen me and be purged in thy precious bloude I most humbly beseke the most meke sauior Iesu for the most bytter and sorowful paine of that precious wonde of thy ryght hand and for the great charitie that moued the to suffer so greuos payne for me to Iustifie me and by thy in estimable ryghtwysenes thy great mercy thy godly treuth most louely thākfulnes graunte me pecfecte rightwysenes where by I maye render my duetie to the my lord specyally and for thy honoure vnto al creatures that which belongeth vnto thē First graunt gracious good lorde that I may of pure loue geue euermore vnto the my lorde god al honoure and glory reuerence and feare all laude prayse thankes and obedyence in al my thoughtes wordes and dedes Secondely I maye also geue vnto my superyors vnto my eguals vnto my inferiours yea vnto my soule and body I may alwaye geue eche of these that whiche belongeth vnto euery one of them ¶ Grant me good lord grace to do al these thinges whiche I am bounde to do by my callynge and profession in due tyme and order wyth moost meke deuocion That I may also flye that which is forbyden me that I may sley and make a sacrifice of my selfe dayly for my sinnes and neglygens wyth the swete teares of loue and repentāce And thus by the merytes of thy bytter holy passion I may be purged here in thys world and walke worthely al the dayes of my lyfe in the callyng and state that thou hast mercifully called me ¶ Graunt me also most meke and pytifull Iesu
blessyd Iesu whiche art al only ynoughe for my soule make me to forget al creatures to know loue and se the only ¶ The practise of the eight exercise to come to a lyfe wythout any creature delectacion or synne O Most blessid god mi most swetest fauyoure Iesu sōne sempiternall of the heuēly father one god one substance one blessed essence with the same father and holy gost which by thy most holy Incarnacion tokest oure frayle nature vpon the in one personage of god man that thou myghtest brynge vs the blessyd vnion in thy gloryous godhed here by grace in heauen by glorye and blysse And amonge al thy most feruent affectuous prayers that thou madest for thy blessed appostels and for all thy electe the nyght that thou were betrayed thou moste hartely most deuoutely most feruently desyredst of thy celestyall father that they all myght be one as thou and thy father are one I most humbly and most hartely beseke the my moost deare sauioure Iesu graunte me grace to come to the perfecte oning and vnion with the my lorde god the whiche vnion requyreth most perfect barenes and forsakyngein my soule of all maner of sinne of all delyght and of al creatures And vnto thys blessed and necessarye barenes I can not come wythoute thy singuler grace and speciall healpe For the purenes in the soule from the thre makyng a man very goostly heauenly and angelical and is the syngulare and only gyft of the. Wherefore of that infynyte and mercyful charyti that caused the to hang al nakid barē and bare of al cōfort and consolacion vpon the crosse for me graunt me grace to lyue as nyghe as it is possyble without al syn mortal and venyal that I may strongely withal might turne my hart and set all my minde vpon the goodnes and the vehemēt desire of the. For the lest venyal that is doth let that my soule can not be knyt and vnytyd vnto the. Graunt me therfore grace good Lord that I may so obserue and kepe bothe my soule and bodye that I maye not moue one ioynte or finger but only for the and in the no sin venyal may please me at any tyme for it selfe that mi soul mai be as bare and as cleane from al syn as it was creatyd of the. Most mercyful sauyor Iesu graunt me grace to lyue withoute al delyght or pleasure And where that is very harde and almost impossyble graunt me grace to haue the desyre vnfayned affeccyon to wante all delyght For good lord when I seke or take any delight in my selfe then dost thou most Iustly take from me the delight the pleasure swetnes that I shoulde haue in ye. ¶ Graunt me grace therfore good lord with al my harte and myght to desyre the lacke and wante of all delyght in any thynge sauyng in the only That I may wysh and desyre the breade that I must nedes take for necessite myght sauour no more to me thē doth a stone for my pleasure but onlye for thy glory and worship whych diddest create breade wyth swetnes sauoure bicause thou wilte haue it so Therfore lord grant me grace to tayst swetnes in it but not to remayne therein but immediatly to turne my harte and thought vnto thy prayse and honour and sauour and tayst how swete delectable thou art whiche hast spread as it were partes and porcyons of thy blessed swetnes and admyrable delyght amonge thy creatures Thus make me to vse al creatures whiche haue any delyght or swetnes in them voide of sinne ¶ Graunt me grace vtterly to exchewe all sinful pleasure and all delyght that hath anexed vnto it any synne ¶ Graunte me also moost mercyfull Iesu to make bare my soule and to auoyde vtterly out of mynde al the memory and phansies and the desyres of all creatures that my whole mynd and desyre wyth my whole hart may approch and draw neare and be Ioyned and vnyted into the hauyng no inpedement by the memorie or desyre of any creature ¶ Graūt me that my whole hart thought be al together occupyed wyth the contēplacyon of thy blssyd godhed that I may perfectly se and perceaue howe thou workyst al goodnes in al thinges be it neuer so lytle and smal as the waggyng of one fynger for that mocion commyth of the soule and thou geuyst al lyfe and al power vnto the soule for only thou art the lyfe of the soule Thy myghtful grace graūt me moste gracyus Lord Iesu to labor wyth al dylygence to come to the perfect puryficacyon and purgacyon of my vnderstandyng and my memory from the phantasies and memorie of al creatures according to thy holy example whiche hangedst on the crosse al nakid and bare of al comfort or consolacion that I maye rather desyre for the loue of the to suffer payne then pleasure sorowe then delyght sowre thē swete rebuke then honor disprayse thē prayse lacke want then habundance plentye That thus cleauyng vnto the in a pure hart I may be made one spyryte with the. And for as much as thes two most noble and excellent vertues loue and mekenes do syngularly and specyally helpe me to this goostlye vnyon I mooste humbly beseke the mi most deare and most louyng Lorde Iesu graunte me thy grace that I maye by dayly and dylygent labour and gostly trauell come to and attaine perfecte charitie and perfecte mekenes ¶ Graunt me thy grace that these most gostly and most true wordes may be depely prynted in my hart and belefe that I may euermore where euer I be remember thē often tyme recorde them wher euer I goo wyth most perfect knowlege and belefe of them These wordes I saye good lorde I may alwaye beleue them and mynd them that is to saye I am nought I haue nought I knowe nought I can nought I desyre nought but one These holy wordes often mynded truly thought vpon and faithfully beleued bryngeth a man vnto these two moost worthy vertues mekenes and loue For trewe and perfecte mekenes beleuith and saith I am nought I haue nought nor I can nought And this is very true For of my selfe I am nought For all that I haue or that I cane thou hast created and made of nought both in bodie and in soul and wyth a thought canst bryng me and al that thou hast wrought in me to noughte Ther is nothing in me that is not thine only worke saue only sinne And what soeuer I haue of thy creatures of thy giftes that is not of my selfe and excepte I haue the wtal it is all to gether nought worth to me shal come to nought And verely of my self I am impotente wythoute all wysedome and knowlege ful of misery and sinne not able to styre one fynger to do any good thyng but only sinne without thy helpe Trewe loue and charytie sayth alwaye I seke and desyre nought but only one That is the only good lorde Iesu whiche art only ynough for
our feruent desyre of his moost blessyd loue wyth swet and louely syghes harty deuoute desyres where euer we mete hym that is as oft as he commyth to oure mynd where euer we be or what euer we do And the vse of suche blessid aspiracions who cold get acustome in thē is a wonderful redy way to gostly profyt ¶ Aspyracyons for this exercyse ¶ O most louyng louer and dere spowse of mi soule swet Iesu I beseke the for thi moste louing hart that was pearsed with a spear and woūdyd for my loue woūde my harte and inflame my mynd so flagrantly with the fyer of thi loue that I mai comtempne al the world for thy sake ¶ O most amyable Iesu wolde god that I myght so hartely and so hard imbrace the with the gostly armes of my hart that I myght neuer let the go out of my hart and mynde ¶ O moste deare loue and swet Lorde Iesu why do I not loue the. Canst thou suffer that any creature shulde not loue the. Thoughe thou do suffer other yet I beseche the suffer not that in me but breke into mi hart come in to mi mind with al thy might violence most mighty lord Oh most swete violence when shall I suffer thys thy blessyde and swete vyolence ¶ Oh swete Iesu howe wel were I yf I myghte loue the. Oh wolde to god I could perfectly set nought by my selfe and by al the world for thy deare loues sake ¶ Oh deare loue of my soule styrre my hart to seke the lyghten mi hart that I mai fynd the possesse thou my whole hart that I may rest in the only forget al thyng beside the. ¶ O the swete treasure of mi hart the only ioy and lyfe of my soule howe fayer howe bewtiful art thou blessid be al that loue the Oh when shal I loue the also ¶ O most swete Iesu the very true loue of my harte make me sycke for thy loue yea make me dye for thy swet louessake ¶ O moost deare Lorde howe fayne wold I loue the and that I thus wold thou hast geuen it me geue me grace also that I mai loue the wyth al mi whoole hart For with out the I can do nothyng ¶ Mooste amyable mooste louesome and gentyl Iesu the comforte and hope of my hart graunte me to loue the moost purely most faythfully most derely most chastly ¶ Most swetest delight and pleasure of my soule the consolacion and ioye of my harte whiche louest me eare I was hast made and created me such a one that I may loue the and haue the graunte me grace to seke the to runne after the and that I may not reste tyl I haue found the and for the great desyre and loue of the swete Iesu I maye loth al thyng beside the. SVche swete sentences or like thou must alway haue in thy mynde and harte force thy selfe to saye them in thy mynd as swetly and as deuoutly as thou canst Though perhaps at the fyrste thou shalte feele lytle swetnes yet do as well as thou maist and in long custome grace wyl take pyty on thy trauel Thou shalte not bynde thy selfe exactly to these thynges but only if thou haue not of thy selfe such lyke then mayst thou vse any of these or as many as thou wylt Yet thou shalt not nede scrupulusly to folow al the wordes but folowe as well as thou canst and take them as god puttith in thy mynd Thou maist perhapes some tyme haue as good or better come to thy mynde as these be And suche as the holy gost puttith into thy mind they are best AFter thou hast had the medytacion of the benefytes of god in this prayer that went immediatly before these aspyraciōs if thou feale thy harte styrryd with loue towardes thy lord then loke what swete desyres or prayer or meditacion delyghteth the that followe vntyl thou feale deuocion decaye But eare thou canst come to the swet loue that knyttith thy soule vnto god thou must take some trauel and stand as it wer wythout the dore abyding the pleasure of thy lord and louer when he wyl let the in Therefore when thou canste not feale the loue of thy harte styrred nor kyndelyd by the meditacion of his benefittes thou shalt swetly dyscretly deuoutly and dylygently knocke as it were at the gate of hys pyteful goodnes wyth these foure goostly hammers that is to saye Oblacion Petycion Conformacion or likenes and vnion or knot With these thou shalte awake thy beloued to opē the dore of hys blessyd loue vnto the that thou myghtest enter in by aburning charitie be made one with hym Yet if thou feale thy harte drawne goostly towardes the swete loue of god any other wayes thē by these meanes thē leaue these and folowe the trayne of the holy goost ¶ The fyrst goostly hammer whiche is oblacion or offering thou shalt thus vse wyth as deuoute harte as thou canst saye in thy mynde wyth harty meditacion and wyth an vnfayned harte if thou can or as well as grace shal assyst for the tyme. ¶ An oblacion goostly MOOST myghtyfull lorde god very true loue of my soule in my harte and whole desyre I offer vnto the and resygne into thy blessed wyll handes as a sacrifice my selfe to al that thynges that thy blessed spirite shal by inspiracion wyl and moue me to do And specyally to the vtter contempt and forsaking of my selfe and myne owne wyl to the vtter cutting of and forsaking al delyght and pleasure of sensualytie and of all my sēces though they be neuer so lytle things as an ydel worde vayne company lyghtnes c. whereby my hart maye be by any meanes moued or defyled Also I offer vnto the my selfe to the perfecte mortificacion of al natural passions as heuynes ioye sorowe anger hate hope feare or shame Also I offer to the my selfe to the volūtarie lacke and wante of al sensyble grace deuocion other gyftes of thyne that ar not necessary for my saluaciō In like maner I offer mi selfe to suffer willingly with most prompt and redy wil for thy sake al aduersitie and harme in fame in goodes and fryndes all syckenes disease paine pressure and heuines of hart And generally I offer me most gladly and wyllyngly to al chaunces and misfortune that can happē to any creature in this worlde be it neuer so euyll sauyng sinne yea if it be thy blessyd wyl and pleasure to put me in hel that I myght suffer al the paynes of all the dampned excepte the hate of the and seperacion or losse of the loue of the. And though it be impossible for me thus to do or suffer yet good lorde my wyl and harte ought to be redy at al times if thou wilte it should be so And wher mercyful lorde Iesu I can not be so wyllyng redy vnto al these thinges and make so perfecte oblacion frō the bottome of my harte as I
shoulde do bycause I se not my great enormytes and detestable wyckednes of my former lyfe I beseke thy moste blessed mercy in the mercyes of thy moost obedyente death helpe my imperfection that I may make ful resignaciō vnto thy only wil in al thinges to thy honour glory Amen THough thou can not at the fyrst fully make vnfained oblaciō to al these so faythfully that thou wolde not feare by by to abide and suffer any or al of these for gods sake for perhappes thou shalt fele in thy selfe feare or gruge yf thou shuldest be put to any of these yet be of good cōfort and haue trust that god wyl worke it in the in tyme at his blessed wyl and pleasure so thou do acknowlege thy infyrmytes and cry mercy and continew thy good purpose that thou hast begone and this offerynge shal be very acceptable vnto god vntil thou canst do better And when thou fealest thy selfe somewhat resygned vnto the wyll of god in all these thynges then maist thou with ful confydence and trust enter to the other membre of this exercyse whiche is peticiō or postulacion and knocke wyth the second hammer notwithstāding wether thou fele thy selfe fully resigned or not yf thou haue a desyre to be resygned perfectly to god in al these forsaid thinges feare not nor faile not but in the name of god wyth a humble hope and a meke confidence in the greate mercies of god make this peticion knock thus wyth thys hāmer as deuoutly as thou can in thy mynde vnto almyghty God as our sauiour chryst teacheth vs saing Seke ye shal haue or it shal be geuen vnto you MOOST gloryous god almyghty and moost lyberal lorde god which for thy infinitie goodnes art redye to geue vnto all that faythfully mekely do aske of the that which maye bee to thy glory and honour and theire soules helth And specyally the blessed fruycion of thy selfe in perfecte loue I moost mekely most lowly and deuoutly beseke thy vnmesurable goodnes and most lyberal mercy in the blessed and infynitie merites of my sauiour Iesu for thy mercyful charytie that thou bearest towardes my poore soule for his sake graunt me good lorde the moost blessed fruicion of thy only godhede That my whole affection loue and desire may be satisfyed fully fixed and altogether restyd in the only by the bare pure sincere loue of the and in no other vertue giftes or graces be it neuer so excellent but in the only my most blessed lorde god and moost deare loue of my soule ¶ Graunte me not withstādyng god lord al such special graces and thy gyftes whiche may helpe and bring me vnto the more perfection of lyfe in the trewe loue of the not to rest in them but by them to come to the least restynge in them I myght highly offend the and wexe colde in the desyre of spirituall profyte And in special graunte me gracious good lord most pure perfect clere lyghtenyng of my vnderstandynge that I maye moost fully and perfectly knowe vnderstand in al thynges thy most blessyd wyl and godly pleasure and to folowe fulfyl and execute the same as promptely spedely and perfectly without any retracciō or gruge of harte as the shadowe mouyth at the mocion of the body according to the moost blessid example of my sauyour Iesu And thus for to doo I here offer my selfe most redy with al the mightes and powers of my bodye and soule ¶ Graunt also good lorde the lyght of thy grace to knowe fully my selfe my incomprehensyble vylenes my vnthanfulnes towards the my vnworthines and wretchidnes my mysery and sinfulnes wherby I may come to most perfect contēpt gostly hate of my self perfect profund mekenes ¶ Graunte me perfecte knowlege of all very true vertues and to obtayne so many of them as most shal plese thy blessed goodnes in me to my saluacion But syngulerly and aboue al other things in this world graunte nowe and euermore the contynuall increase of the moost pure true and sincere loue of the. That al my delyght ful fruycion the rest of my soule maye be in the. And that my hart may by so incensed in flamid so whote and set on fyre with the loue of the that the memory of the may be so frequente and ofte in my harte and mynd as is my breath that I contynually do take to lyue wyth all For lyke as yf I lacke thys bodely breath then departith lyfe from my body euen so the very lyfe of my pore soule is the very loue of the is contynued by often continual turning with burning desyre to the which art the orygynal of my soule vnto whom my soule shuld cleaue vnto as the sonne beames do byde wyth the sonne As for other thy graces and gyftes moost gracious lord that ar not necessary for my soule helth as to be delyuered from temtacion perels and pressures the gyftes of reuelacion of secreates deuocion and sensyble grace I aske not most mercyfull lorde god But as it may moost please thy infynite goodnes to thy glorye and my saluacion Wherfore I most humbly beseke thy greate goodnes and mercy graunt me this my meke postulacion peticion and grace that I may wyth al my myght and power laboure and trauel dayly and hourly to optayne it and neuer to cease from most feruente prayer and knockyng vntyl thou most petyful lorde dost open vnto me thy moost lyberal goodnes vnto thy great glory and honoure and my saluacyon ANother parte of thys exercyse after that thou hast vsyd this one day the next day vse this folowyng one day one an other dai an other After this maner first thou must styre thy harte to the loue of god with the same prayer callid an oblaicō gostly which is in the exercise next a fore apointed of the benefites of god yf thou fele thy selfe disposed in harte to the earneste desyre of the loue of god and thy harte be inkyndelyd with the swet memorie of his kindnes towardes the Then shalt thou as it wer burne al vnlikenes toward god in thy selfe that is to say al thy synnes and vycyousenes al thy fautes and imperfeccyons al thy passions and immortificacion thy vnruled sences and theire in ordinate inclynacyō al thi vicius affeccion and thy impaciences but thou shalt not reken and remember them one by one but generally gether them together in thy hart and mynd and caste them as it were in to the infynite fyer of godes loue there to be consumyd and burnyd vp by his mercye with most ardent desyre and deuout mynd saing in thy hart and desyre thus MOst myghtyful god and mercyful Lord whiche dydyst create make me to thy blessyd lykenes and thy owne ymage after that it was disfigured and blemyshyd by the syn of adam thou moost mercyfully hayst reformed it in thy deathe and blod of my lord Iesu by baptisme And now I wretchyd caytyfe synful wretche haue
dysfygured and fully defaced it in me wyth innumerable synnes dailye fautes vyces and imperfeccyoÌ„s and haue brought and made my soule farre vnlyke that my lord god Wherefore now I moost humbly beseke the in that the moost blessed and burning loue which mouid thi mercy to make me lyke the to redeeme me with so cruel payneful and shameful death and passyon of my lord and sauyor Iesu thi only most dear sonne consume burne vp vtterly destroy in me al my vnlykenes toward the in me al mi sinfulnes mi vices al mi fauts and my imperfeccyons al my inordynate passyons and redynes to syn al the mysorder and abuse of my sences inward and outward al noughty and inordynate affeccyons to any creature al my impacyens and scrupulusenes And grauÌ„te me most deare Lord and most mercyful father with most burnyng desyre at this tyme and euermore to aske and most vehemently to craue of the my most gracyoê° lord the perfect lykenes in me of thy most gloryus and blessid soÌ„ne my Lorde Iesu ¶ Oh mercyful Lorde and most gracyous god wochsafe to adorne and decke my bare soule withal those moste holy vertues and graces that he was adorned bothe in his blessyd dyuynitie and his holye humanitie most specyally with those vertues whyche apeared in hym in the tyme of hys mooste shameful death and payneful passion ¶ Graunt me the perfect affeccioÌ„ and most harty desire of most lowe mekenes by most perfect abyection and contempt of my selfe desyryng from the botome of mi harte now and euer to be abiect and vyle ¶ Graunt me most perfect desyre and affeccyon of most perfect pouertie pacyencie and charytie and in thes vertues mooste busely dyligently and affectuuslie to trauel and exercise my selfe in them Specyally by moost ardente and burnyng desyres and most deuout and coÌ„tinual prayers vnto the vntyl that I may feale in on selfe in al dammage wrongs rebukes sclanders pains yea in the time when grace is subtracted taken away from me then to haue a most harti desyre to suffer most hartly al greues for the loue of the and so perseuer vnto the end that I myght herein be conformable and lyke vnto my Lorde Iesu that suffered of pure charitie so moch so many greuus paynes to thy honoure and glory and for my saluacyon Amen THat day that thou doyst vse this exercise thou shalt haue oft in thy mynd such desyres shorte prayers euery where where euer thou be and lerne to force thy hart with most harty affeccion and earnest desyre to remember them and wishe for the in thy mind and to desyre the crying most hartely earnestly and deuoutly in this maner or lyke ¶ Aspyracyon for thys exercyse ¶ Oh mooste blessyd sauyor Iesu howe vnlyke am I vnto the which art so gracyous so good so ful of grace and vertue And I wretchyd synner am ful of al vyces wyckednes dystroy good Lord al my sinneful deformyties and restore in me thy blessyd image to thy honor and glorye ¶ Oh merciful Iesu that died for my loue make me to dye to al the world for the true loue of the. Mortifie in me al impacyence al inordynate passyons and affeccyons to any creature that thou myghtest haue al my loue and whoole hart ¶ My most gracyous Lorde and sauyoure Iesu put in my soule and hart most perfect pacyence obedience most perfect charytie with all other of thy blessyd vertues that it may be lyke thy blessed humanytie ¶ Oh blessyd loue of my soule set me so on fyre in thy loue that I may thinke that all payne shame confusion and turment that is possible to be suffered is to lytle to be sufferyd for the that al my delyght and desyre may be in the myddes of al my prayer to suffer for thy loue al thing swete Iesu ¶ Swete sauyour Iesu whiche dyddest suffer moost payneful death for my sin mortyfie in me by thy specyall grace the great redines vnto sin in me al my viciousnes fautes al my negligences and imperfections that I may come to the goostly vnion in the by moost burnyng loue and ardente charytie THou must moost feruently desyre aske in thy harte and deuoute mynd contynually of god that thou maist be made lyke conformable vnto his blessyd crucified humanitie specially in this point that thou in al thynges neuer seke nor desyre any thyng that partayninge to thyne owne selfe or thy owne commodytie but only that whiche belongyth to thy lord Iesu how thou mayst moost feruently perfectly honour serue and please and be lyke hym euermore And how thou mayst most exactly forsake thyne owne wyll and contempne thy selfe and loue hym forgettyng in maner thy selfe and al thynges And for the vehemente burnynge loue of hym thy mynde may runne so muche vpon hym that thou dost take no hede nor consyderest not what is bytter what is swete nether hour time nor space nor place nor markest not one persoÌ„ from another but in al thynges thou must seke consider and remember thi lorde god and hys blessid wil pleasure and honour seing verely thy sauioure christ in his members And thus doyng thou doyst lyue a contemplatiue lyfe in an actiue life For in thy outwarde doynges thou hayst contemplacion goostly of god and fyndest hym euery where and in euery thynge specially thou do recollect thy selfe wholy and dost enter into thy hart and serchynge the bottome therof resoluyng and resigninge thy selfe dost put thy selfe wholy in the handes of god For then thou arte in maner transformed into god or deifyed And vnto what thynge soeuer thou turne thy selfe to and what good worke soeuer thou doyst thou shalte thinke that god doth it and not thou And to forder the in this goostly exercyse thou must indeuer thy self as nere as thou canst in al thinges euer more choose that whiche is most to goddes honour or most lyke vnto chryst and his example or most profytable to thyne euen chrysten or most against thine proper wyl or most grefe and payneful to thy body wyth dyscrecion or moost rebukeful worldy whereof thou arte wordly ashamed so it be not sinful Euer thou must crye out vnto thy lord god in thy hart vnfainedly I am nought I haue nought I can do nought but sin only I seke nought I desyre nought but Iesu a lonly Yf thou do this truly contynewe faithfully in thys spyritual worke and trauel god at length wyl without dout here thy dyligent knockyng and delyuer the from al the trouble goostly from al the tumulte noyse and coÌ„beraunce of cogitacions and fansies and from al earthly affeccyons which thou canste by no better meane put away then by the contynual and feruent desire of the loue of Iesu the whiche desyre he muste nedes in spyre in the and geue it and worke it in the whiche he wil very wyllyngly and redily do so thou in the meane time do feruently aske by mooste deuout prayer yf thou wylt
receiue it and not let his workyng by folowyng to moche thyne owne wyl For loke how muche more perfectly thou doyste for sake thine owne wil and the loue of thi self and of the worldly thinges so muche more depely and fastly thou shalt be knyte vnto god and mcrease in his true and pure loue And bycause that these are optayned pryncypaly of god who only can dothe worke al perfeccion in vs by hys spcial grace thou shalt therefore say thys prayer in thy hart with desyre and moste deuoute minde vnto god O Gracyous good Lorde whiche art the geuer of al grace and godnes and dost gyue vnto them that feruently faythfully do aske of the nothynge so sone and more gladly theÌ„ the very tru vertues wherby we may faythfully and deuoutly serue loue and honor the in al perfeccyon of lyfe I most humbly and most harteli beseke the of thy tender mercye and moost louinge and infinyte goodnes in the most blessed mighty merites of my sauyour Iesu grant me grace that I may come to perfecte lykenes and conformytie in al vertewe and grace of the most holy manhed of my deare and most louyng Lorde Iesu crucyfied for my sake and my sinne specyally in moost perfecte forsakyng of myne owne wyl and sekyng of my selfe that in al thiÌ„ges I may seke purely only that sinceare honor the pleasure the seruice wyl of that my lord howe I may most ferueÌ„tly faithfully honor serue and please the only in nothiÌ„g sekyng mine owne wyll or myne owne coÌ„modytie but vtterly to forsake and renouÌ„ce mine owne wyll in al thinges And so to fixe mi minde and my most harty loue and delyght in the that I may forget my selfe and al thynges yea not remembryng nor markynge what is bitter what swet minding no paâ—son no place no tyme nor tyde but as I were rauyshid in the I may seke and marke in all creatures the only thy pleasure and moste blessid wyl and honour And so to rest in the loue and beholding of the that I may consyder the in euery thyng to what so euer I turne me to and what god worke so euer I do I may vnfaynedly and verely thynke that thou doyst it and not I. That I may being turnyd and transformed as it were all into the se the fynd the in al thyng euery where ¶ Graunt me also most mercyful lord god grace in al thynge to chose euermore that whiche may be most to thy honour or conformable to the exemple of my lord Iesu or mooste agaynste my owne wyl or mooste profytable to myne euen chrysten or most paynefull and greuous vnto my body or moost shameful to the worlde That I euer more may haue euer in mynde harte and thought vnfaynedly these wordes I am nought I haue nought I can do nought but sinne I seke nought I desyre nought but only my deare and blessid sauiour Iesu ¶ Oh mercyful lorde god suffer me neuer to ceasse syghyng and sekyng knockyng and prayeng vntyll thy most gracious mercy and moost mercyfull goodnes vochsafe to heare and to graunt me my humble peticyon as may be most to thy honoure and my saluacion Amen THe forth haÌ„mer that thou must knocke wyth al is vnyon This vnion or onyng is when thou doist transfund or powre thy hole wyl into the hyghe pleasure and wyl of god Wherfore thou must yf thou wylte knocke truly with thys exercyse laboure wyth all thy myght with moost vehemente burnyng desyres and endeuer thy selfe to leaue and to offer vp moost fully into the pleasure of god al thy wyl to knyt and make one thy wyl wyth hys wyl so that what soeuer may chaunce the thy wyl be euer wythout al murmure or retraction of harte or mynd redy to except it most ioyfully and for the very pure loue of god Yea that thy Ioye solace and conforte be euermore to haue his moost pleasure done in the whether it be aduersities outwarde syckenes payne persecutions oppressions ether inwarde grefes and pressures of hart subtractioÌ„ of grace coldnes or barreÌ„nes of mynde derkenyng of the wittes or senses or any goostly or bodyly temtacion And at suche tyme when thou sufferest any of these thou must be wel warre that thou seke no synful consolacion specyally nor any other sensual pleasure but by couÌ„sel of thy gostly father Nor set not thy harte vpon vaine thinges sekyng comfort therby nor in no wyse be not ydle But alwaye as nyghe as thou canst compel strayne and force thy selfe to some good exercyse or to some good bodyly worke The which good exercise or good workes though they be vnsauery vnto the yet they are neuerthelesse most acceptable if thou do faythfully that whiche in the lyeth Wherfore thou shalt beleue fyrmelye in thy harte that all suche aduersities therfore chaÌ„ceth to the by goddes prouision and sufferauÌ„ce to proue thy faythfulnes and trew loue towardes hym and to take occasion to inryche the and increase more plentifullye in thee his blessid gyftes and al his spyritual graces if thou perseuer faythfully vnto the ende not leauyng the vehement desyre of his loue and perfection And when thou hayst made thy moost harty peticion wyth most burnynge desyre to haue thy wil to be made one with the blessid wyll of god offeringe it frelye vp into hys handes wyth this prayer that shal here after folowe then must thou lyft vp thy harte wyth al loue and knyte and fyxe the poynte of thy loue vpon the moste blessyd loue increate of god and therin let thy soule and harte rest and delyght and so be as it were resolued and meltyd moost happely into the blessid godhed That wheÌ„ the soule fealeth it selfe to rest and delyght swetely in god which is an vncreatid loue thou mayst take it for a token that god of his mercy wyl graunte the thy lowly and holy desire And planely who soeuer do vse these exercises oft time perseuer in them knocking deuoutly and mekely it is impossible but he shall come to perfection of life And bycause the loue of thy selfe is one of the greatest lettes impedimeÌ„tes to come to the pure loue of god that thou canste haue Therefore thou muste labour by deuoute prayer of holy vehemente desyres of thy harte to come to the perfect and holy hate of thy selfe So that thou canste wyth thy hole harte wishe to be despised and set at nought to be euer trodden to be beten and boffetyd of al men to be rebuked and reputed moost vylest and to be brought in maner to nought wyth al men Thou shalte not thynke it inoughe for thee to be glade when thou doyst suffer wronge and to be ioyful and to take comforte when thou sufferest much sorow for gods sake but thou must also wyshe that al men myght thinke that thou art most worthy to suffer al these and al coÌ„tumelye shame And thou must also so abhor thy selfe that thou woldeste dydest
be created moost frely and franckely for this tyme for euermore to abyde at thy pleasure all aduersytie goostly and bodely al payne grefe of harte and of bodye and vnto all thynges whatsoeuer thou wylle sende or suffer to come vnto me Yea moost mercyful lorde Iesu for thy loue I offer my selfe redie to suffer yf it be thy blessyd wyl the bitter paines of hel And I desire that thou might so haue me at thy pleasure as thou hadste me before thou creatydst me to thy honour and glory SEcondly thou shalt aske of thy lord Iesu not only all the graces and gyftes that he hath which thou nedest but also al that god him selfe is that thou myghtest haue the fruycyon of hym reste in hym and in his only and infynyte loue Thou shalte aske also a bare and a perfecte spirit the open and cleare knowlege of his dyuine goodnes and wyl and of thine own vnworthynes the knowlege and perfectiō of al vertues and most strong perseuerāce in godlynes and vertue Thou shalte aske al necessaries for thy soule helth and for al thy special frendes and for the whole world and the holy churche of chryst and for the soules in purgatorye in this maner or other lyke MOst blessyd and glorious lord and swete sauyoure Iesu for the tender loue of thy moost swete harte graunte me in al those gyftes and graces that thou hayste and be necessarye for me to my soule healthe and saluacion but specially graunte me aboue and afore all thynges thyne owne selfe thy incomprehēsyble and moost blessyd godhede that my soule maye haue the fruicion hereof and that I maye rest only in it and in the sinceare and infynite loue of it ¶ Graunte me swete sauioure also a bare senceare and a perfecte spirite wyth moost perfect and clear knowledge of thy dyuine goodnes the knowlege of thy wyl and plesurs and perfecte syght and knowlege of my noughtines and greate vnworthynes the knowlege and perfection of al vertew and perfecte and stronge perseueraunce in the same ¶ Graunt me al thinges necessary for my soules helth and for the comforte soules helth of al my specyal frendes and louers And graunte peace and thy protection to al holy churches and mercy to the soules in purgatory to thy honor glory Amen ANd for as much as god hath louyd that from the begynnyng with an infinite charytie and for that charitie thy lord and sauiour Iesu suffered his cruel deathe and passion thou shalt confyrme thy selfe vnto his charitie desyryng moost hartely yf it shoulde please hym that thou myghtest lyue in this worlde in as greate derelyction and desolacion in as greate sorowe and shame in as greate pouertie and myserye as thy sauioure Iesu dyd And that thy bare soule myghte be adornyd and indued wyth the same vertewes wherwyth hys blessid soule was indued And bycause that he ys the very euerlastyng charitie it selfe and thou canst not come into hym but if thou be trāsformed and turned al together into loue Therfore thou shalte aske wyth moost feruente desyre to be indued wyth the charytie and loue that thy sauyoure Iesu was indued That thus thou mayste become formyd and made lyke vnto hym both in hys manhed and hys godhed makyng this peticion wyth harty desyre GRaunte me also moost merciful and moost myghtyful sauioure Iesu as shal please the that I maye for thy honoure and loue lyue in this worlde in as greate desolacion and as comfortles in as great sorow shame in as great labor and trouble in as greate myserye and pouertie as thou dydest for me And most gracyous lord adorne indue my soul wyth al those blessid and holy vertues that thy blessyd soule and humanitie was indued wtal And specyally I most hartely and with most ardent desyre beseke the my most gracius lord god transforme me altogether in to the perfecte loue of the. And specially my soule into that charitie whych thy moost blessyd soule had and hath euermore to thy moost honoure and glory Amen FOurthlye thou shalte vehementlye and hartely desyre that thou maist be knyte and made one wyth hym moost blessedly and happely wythout any meane immediatly Thē if thou feale thine harte and mynd knit in most feruente and burning desyre and loue of hym thou shalt approche vnto the blessyd dyuinitie eleuatynge and lyftynge vp thy whole thoughte vnto the blessyd godhed of chryst forgetting cleane and leauing out of thy mind and for gettyng al thyng creatyd Yea not fealyng nor thynking vpon thy selfe Thus shalte thou depely drowne hide transforme or turne thy selfe wholy into the moost delectable moost swetest and most blessyd loue of thy lorde god yea thy very euerlastynge loue ful of moost ardent charytie So that thou myghtest neuer here after be found or knowen of any creature Here also thou shalte moost hartely desyre to be swalowed vp to be cleane consumed of that infynit goodnes and also to swalow vp and consume in to thy selfe that blessyd goodnes saynge in thy harte OH moost blessid goodnes and most holy and gloryous godhed of my sauior Iesu I humbly beseke the rauyshe me and hyde me wythin thy blessid goodnes infynite charytie that I neuer be founde lyke other frayle creatures that I may forget al thinges and also forget and lose my selfe that I may both be consumyd swalowid of the and into the and thou into me for ther only is the true loue rest and felicyte of my soule there is my begynning my most blessyd rest and ending in that infynyte goodnes whiche is none other then an vnmesurable bottomeles depth of eternal infinite loue ¶ Thus in suche contēplacion in the harte of Iesu thou mayst be al moolten in the admyrable loue and superadmyrable goodnes of thy lorde god the spouse the most swetest loue of thy soule Moost humbly then thou shalte desyre him to open vnto the that moost fayrest most lyghtsome and pleasante kyngdome of his holy dyuinitie and that he vochesafe to trāslate and vtterly drowne the whooly in it sayenge in this maner wyth harty deuocion or lyke O Superadmyrable power vnmesurable wysedome and infinitie goodnes of my lorde God O superadmyrable wonder and ouer wonderful goodnes whē wylte thou transforme and hyde me al to gether in thyne owne selfe and thy selfe in me O myghtyful lord it is as lytle leasse for the thus to swalow vp and deuour me in the as it is to the vnmesurable mayne sea to deuoure one lytle drop of water O my lorde god creatoure and confirmer of al thyng wold to god I could make of euery creature in the world a resonable soule and of euery soule specially of myne owne soule the kyngdome of heauē wher thou myghtest haue al peace and al ioye swete Iesu for al the sorowe and heuynes thou sufferedst for me I wold most hartely and gladly geue al these vnto the. Most louyng lorde yf it may please the let me suffer
For thy sorowfull naylyng of thy blessed feet hold fastē my feate frome all steppes to euyll from al vnprofytable gaddyng make them quicke and spedye to do all deedes of charytie and obedyence to thy only honour ¶ Gracyus Iesu in whose mouth was neuer found disceat nor nothing but al godly and heauenly wysdome and gauest vnto vs moost perfecte example of scilence when thou most mildly and wysely didist hold thy peace when thou waste falsely accused bycause thou by thy answere colde not profite them and specially when thou shouldeste aunswere for lyfe and deathe Then lyke an innocent lambe thou hyldyst thy peace And all the tyme of thy moost bytter passion thou didest speke syldom for thou spakest but onely seuen wordes vpon the crosse which wordes were spoken of most excellent charitie Graunt me good lorde the grace of sylence that I neuer open my mouth to any euyl or ydel wordes that I may speake only thy wordes Shut vp also good lord mine eares with thy grace frō al heryng of euell and vayne wordes for thy merytes of the payne that thou sufferedst whē thou hardest the greate blasphemyes rebukes reuyles of the Iewes ¶ Gracious Iesu for thy tēder teares that thy most gracyous eyes shed oft tymes for me kepe myne eyes and syght frō al syghtes of euyll and of al vnnecessary thynges in this worlde And for the horible sauour that thou feltest in that stynkinge place of caluarye when thou wast crucified kepe my smellyng from al mysuse and for the mooste bytter and sowre drynke of gall and vyneger that thou drankest for me ¶ Good Lorde graunt me grace to exchew all kynd of glotonye and excesse and graūt me perfect temperaunce to eate for onlye necessarye and bare neede Most merciful sauiour Iesu for thy moost crewell schurgyng and all the payne and woūdes that thou suffredst in all members and partes of thy most precious and blessed bodye mortyfie in me by the power of thy mightiful grace all the mysuse of al the sensies and powers of my soule and of all the lymmes members of my bodie that by thy grace I may neyther feele see heare taste smel eate drynke nether moue no member of my bodye nor vse no sense of my soule but in the and for thy honoure not sekynge my pleasure or my selfe here in but puerly and only the. ¶ Gracious God and moost mercyfull redemer of my soule Iesu I moost humblye beseke the for al thy sorowes and paynes that thou sufferedst in the inner powers of thy most blessid and holy soul in the merites and for the merytes of thy most blessed crucified humanytie puryfye reforme rule lyghten the inner myghtes and powers of my synful sowle speciallye my vnderstandyng my wyll and my memorye where in apearyd in my creacyō the holy ymage of the moost blessed trinitye but by my most sinful corrupt lyfe I haue all most clene blotted and put oute the ymage of the my lorde god and I haue fowlye defaced my soule wyth the horyble ymage of sin For wher I should haue in my vnderstanding the knowlege of the wythout ignoraunce and error I haue sought to knowe wyckednes and syn and so haue lost the gostly knowlege of the. And wher my wyl and desyre was creatyd to desyre and loue the aboue al thyng I haue lost that loue in louyng and desyreng inordynatly creatures Where my memory ought to be occupyed only wyth the my most deare Lorde God I haue paynted it wyth the memories and innumerable fanses not only of creatures but of horryble detestable sinne and wickednes Wherfore most merciful Iesu I mekely beseke the for the merytes of thy most rufully and cruelly deformed face for the wofully woūdyd and sorowful coūtenaunce restore and reforme agayne in me the blessed ymage of thy moost blessed diuynite in my soule that I may with moost stable and constante knowlege loue and thought of the desyre contynually to increase more more in the true knowlege the feruent loue and most blessed remembraunce of the that I maie knowe al thinges loue al thynges remember al thinges and vse al thynges only in the and for the. And I beseke thee my sauyour Iesu in the most tender loue that mouyd the most blessyd lorde to suffer so paynefull passiō and death for me and for the precious hart bloud and water that yssewed out of thy most louyng harte when thou hangist bare and al naked vppon the crosse graunte me grace that I may abstracte and pull awaye my harte from the loue of all creatures and to put vtterly out of it the loue of al creatures and specyally of my selfe that thy bare pure loue may fyl occupye al my whole harte desyre and wyll And that al that I shall loue desyre or wyl I may loue desire and wyshe in the and for the only ¶ Graunte me grace also so to confirme so to knytt my whole wyll vnto thy moost blessed and godly wyl that I may haue no other wyl then thyne And the I may be most hartely and fully contente wyth what soeuer thou wylt do wyth me in thys worlde and for euer yea if thou wylte put me into hell and to suffer al the paines there so that I hate not the but retayne thy loue I may be hartely wel contented wyth my whole hart without any be it neuer so litle gruge inwardely Also most mercyfull redemer I beseke the in the merytes of the innumerable woūds of thy blessyd head lightē my vnderstanding wyth perfecte and syncere knowlege of thy blessed god hed that I maye verely and truly know what thynge thou my lorde god art and haste that hyghly profundly knowyng the that thou arte infynite in goodnes moost noble dredfull maiesty most blessed and moost holy lorde god my wyl by thy grace most hartelye earnestly may desyre to be in loue wyth the so gracious so good so louing so kynde mercyfull a father and lorde god ¶ Graunte therfore most gracious Iesu thy grace to me to quycken and to sharpen my wyt and vnderstanding that I may come to the gostly and godly knowlege of the by knowlege to come to the perfecte and pure loue of the. Helpe also most mercyful sauyoure my busye and incomberyd memorye and fansye that by thy merciful grace I maye cast out and purge it of al euyl yea and vnnecessary fansies and imaginaciōs and from strange cogytacions that be not of the that I maye kepe my memory clene and pure as a wedlocke chamber from al worldly and vnprofytable thoughtes and to decke and tryme it wyth all kynd of heuenly thoughtes and gostly ymaginaciōs wyth al holy medytacions of thy holy humanite crucified for me minding alwaies some poynte of thy passion of thy vertue or some other holye medytacyon or good thoughtes That thou my lord god may delyght take pleasur to dwel rest in me as oftē as long