kyndes of humylytie The one is that aryseth of the trew acknowlege of thy sinnes thyne owne vilenes by the iudgemeÌ„t of reasoÌ„ And this humilitie thou oughtest to exercyse towarde thyne euen chrysten In comparison of whom thou oughtest to brynge thy selfe to nought in thyne owne estymacion and to esteme thy selfe more vyle then anye other and inferioure to al men and that from the botome of thy hart And thou shalt therfore aske mercy of thy lorde god that is present wyth the both for thyne owne sinnes and al others and shalt excuse them in thine owne conscience and Iugement beleauing that ther are no synners so far gonne from god but that they may and do ofteÌ„ times though not alway turne them selfes vnto god and do loue honour hym wyth a more synceare affection and more faythfully they do sorowe their sinnes and do purpose to amende theÌ„ selfes according to the grace geuen to theÌ„ of god then thou Thou shalte beleue that ther can not be found any man which if he had commytted so many and so greate synnes as thou and had receaued so many graces and gyftes of god as thou but he wolde serue god more feruently then thou dost if thou can not perswade this and beleaue this with al thy harte thou shalt for this same cause repute thy selfe most proud wretch that lyueth and more vyle then any man that lyueth For this thy ipocrisy and pryde in excusable most odyous to god hath verylye blyndyd the that thou canst not know thy selfe nor se how that the mo benefites and graces thou hast receauid of god the more greuus and greater are thy sinnes and neglygences and therfore there shal be required of the a more strayghter rekeninge for euery one of theÌ„ And this mekenes as I haue sayd loue doth worke by reasoÌ„ wherby a man estemyth hym selfe vyler then any other creature and most worthy of all turment and contumely of all rebuke and paine And this is the mekenes of such that are begynners and profyters and must go before and that after it may be confirmed wyth this mekenes that foloweth ¶ The other mekenes is the mekenes of the perfecte and the mekenes whiche loue alone by her selfe dothe worke whome the soule fealeth in her selfe by goostly syghte and knowlege of Iesu For whom the holy goost doth lyghten the reason in the syght of Iesu Chryst to consider clearly the holy humylytie charitie of his blessyd manhed to tayst both of them by the goodnes of hys diuinitie and by by the soule perceauyth so great loue ioy in that sight the whiche is very true holy and delectable that it for gettith her selfe and al thinges els and leanith cleuith holy to her moost swettest spowse and Lorde Iesu Chryst by reason that she is caryed or borne with al her whole loue to consyder and to beholde him She for that tyme considerith not her synnes done in tymes past nor her vnworthynes but estemyth her selfe with all her synnes and good workes that euer she did as right nought and nothing as though ther were nothing in al the world but only her Lorde Iesu Cryst Labor therefore dylygently by the consyderacyon of the mekenes and charytie of Iesu to iuge thy selfe with full beleue eyther els fealyng thy selfe not only to be most wretch in the world but also as very right nought And labor to bring to nought in thyne owne estymacyon and iudgement thy self with al thy exercyse good workes done in tyme paste and to make thy selfe nakyd froÌ„ al thyngê Thus in the pouertie of spirite loue to feale thi selfe to be nought or nothyng that thou maist ascrybe al thy goodnes only vnto thy Lord Iesu Chryst that thy substaÌ„ce as the prophet saith may be as a thing of nought before him not estemyng thy selfe here after to be any thynge syth thou arte nothing For without doute in comparyson of the increate and vnchaÌ„geable godly substance of thy Lorde Iesu which only hath very essence or being and is al thinges in al thing thou al thinges els are nothyng For al peple and nacions in the world they are before him as thoughe they were not at al. And thus shalt thou not iudge thy eueÌ„ christen nether good nether bad but thou shalte perceyue theÌ„ al equally with al other creatures to be nothynge as thou art in regard of thy Lord Iesu and in respect of his mekenes loue mercy glorie For as muche as they are made of nought and should comme to nought if they were not kept and conseruyd by him Therefore wheÌ„ loue by the gift of the holy gost openith the inner eye to se and perceiue this verytie wyth the other cyrcumstances the soule is made veryly meeke for then she seyth her selfe euen as she is indede And then she considereth not her selfe nor doth not truste or leane to her selfe but she tendith bendyth her selfe al together in to the knowlege and loue of Iesu with stable medytacion and desyre beholdyng him continually And then doth she worke more perfectly great workes both inward outwarde then she was wont before This sight of Iesu coÌ„forteth and liftith vp the soule so meruelously and swetli that she can not ioy or be glad of any ioye or comforte of his world nether can she be heauy or sory for any aduersitie of the same For she remaynith vnmouable and vnsensible vnto al suche worldly thinges couiting to rest in Iesu only hauynge euer her eyes on him for he pullith out her feate from out of al the grynnes of sinne and of temtacioÌ„s distraineth in her al the sterings and mocions of pryde and all vyces wonderful secreatlye defendinge her from the myghty feare from the arowe or dart that flyeth in the day from the trouble that walkyth or commyth in the darkenes from incursyon or inuadyng from the mydday fynde and leadyth her by holy simplycytie whiche is a secrete by pathe vnto a stable and a sure vnyon with her selfe wherby she shal remayne and dwel in god god in her ¶ How thou shuldest labour contynually couyting but only one whiche is only necessary to come to this blessid vnyoÌ„ by ardent or fyerie aspyracyons wyth mooste deape resignacyon of thy selfe it shal be declaryd here after ¶ Aspyracyons for this exercise ¶ Mooste merciful sauyour for thy greate pouertie that thou suffredst here for me being most rychest graunt me perfecte barenes pouertie in al creatures in my affeccyon and memorie ¶ Swet sauyor Iesu which were borne of immaculate mayde and without syn to dye and redeme me froÌ„ synne delyuer me from the affeccyon vnto any syn be it neuer so smally ¶ Moost swete sauoyour Iesu the delighte of my soule take from me the delyght of al creatures ¶ Oh mooste gracyus Iesu lyghten the inward eye of my soule that I may veryly se and know my vyletie that I am nought and nothyng of my selfe ¶ Mooste
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
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
forsakynge in all thinge thyne owne proper wyl And for as muche as thou and all creatures be in the power and regymente of god therfore ther can no creature harme nor yet touche the but it must fyrst touche god wythin whom thou hayst in closyd thy selfe and transposyd and turned thy selfe al wholy into him and hys godly wyl and pleasure And for this cause must thou nedes harkeÌ„ more to god and here hym rather se hym touche hym and tayst hym moche more then any other thing When thou perceauyst thy selfe thus knyte vnto god that thou perceuyst thy soule to be more fast and ioyned more nerer vnto god then to thyne owne body and by the same loue whiche hathe thus knyt the vnto god dost perceaue that he is the very euerlastynge the incompreheÌ„sible ineffable and only goodnes out of whose power and might thy soule came by creacion and is so lyke vnto god that ther is no creature that can knowe and perceaue throughly the dyngnitie nobilytie of thy soule Then I say thou with this coÌ„syderacion kindelid and styrred with the loue of god thou mayst felyng this loue in thy harte at mydnight or in the morninge dayly if thou wilte exercyse thy selfe whensoeuer thou desyrest to enter by oure sauioure Iesu and to knit thy selfe secretly vnto god inwardely in spirite in this maner folowing Thou shalt knele deuoutly only prostrate before the crucifixe if thou may conueniently or in a secreate place where thou canst not lyghtly be distracted fyrst saye this prayer that thou mayst come vnto this knowlege and maist perceaue thy selfe to dwel in god and god in the. For it is an excelleÌ„t gifte of god and he only can and wyl redely geue it to the faithful and deuoute peticionars thou shalte therfore I saye make frome the bottome of thy hart this humble peticion in thy mynde harty desyre vnto god saying O Gloryous maiestie of infinite mercy and goodnes ineffable which fulfillist al the whole world art euery where in euery thing bi thi might thi essence and presence but specially in the soule of man and singularli in the soule of them that are thi chosen suche as desirethe sekythe and longyth after the I moost humbly hartely beseke the of thy infynitie goodnes and mercy lyghten wyth thi speciall grace mi vnderstandinge and knowlege that I may playnely and clerely parceaue and vnderstand thy blessid presens in me and howe I am in the. And when I feale and perceaue thy holy presence graunt me grace mooste mercyfull Lorde to holde the and kepe the wyth much reuerence and with a reuerent feare to walke and conuersant my selfe before the kepyng al the powers of my soule and my senses chaystly and clerely from al worldly vaynities that they al way may tende vpon the and in al thing I may find and remember the And what so euer I se here towche feale or tayst I may in them se heare towche feale and tayst the more then them And that I mai receaue al thing what euer commyth vpon me immediatly as at thy hand and sendyng and seke there in to fulfily ioyful thi blessid wil pleasure or my nighbors profyt and soule helth or the ameÌ„dement of my lyfe and the meking of my selfe and to obey the and al creatures for thy loue and honor for sakyng vtterly mine owne wyl By cause thou art in me and in al thinges therefore I shoulde obey the in euery creature to thy glory honour and my soule helth THou shalt say this forsayd prayer deuoutly kneling before the imayge of Christ crucyfed or crucyfyxe yf thou can conuenyently as I sayde before or in suche place where thou shalt not be distractyd Then after this prayer thou shalt recollect thy selfe fully beleuynge that thou verely syttest before thi bare nakid and crucified lord Iesu euen as he was veryly crucified and hange vpon the Crosse al nakyd and defaced with most cruel and blody woundes And thoughe thou se hym not with thy bodely eyes thou oughtest yet to se him faythfully and inwardly with thy goostly eyes For playnely for as muche as thou doyste hartely desire to loue hym aboue al thinge and by harti loue doist moost hartely desire to be knyt vnto hym by grace in spyryt vndoughtidly he is as verili present as he did hang vpon the crosse and is now in the bosome of the father And bicause that the infinite dygnitie worthynes and nobylytie-of god canne not suffer the leaste sinne in hym that wold be knyt vnto hym and thou commenly fallest vnto some sin daily after thou haist parhaps byn knit vnto thi Lord god Thou muste therefore ascende and come vp vnto thi lord god vnto the godhed or dyuinitie of thy Lord Iesu by the moost precyous woundes of his blessid humanitie which he therfore sufferyd them and arose agayne from death with them and kepyth them styl in his blessid and holy bodye that we may clyme vp as it were by them vnto the blessyd godhed therfore he sayth There can none come vnto my father but only by me I am the dore who that commith in by me they shal find pasture Thou shalt therefore fyrst with most profunde mekenes fal down yf place as I haue sayd wyl serue or bowe very lowe downe at his most graciê° fete with the holy penitent Mary magdalene and there thou must do two thynges as she dyd Fyrst thou must with teares outward or inward as grace wyl serue for thy sinnes swetly louyngly wet his fete lamenting of very loue thy fawtes and synnes commytting theÌ„ with most harty confidence in his mercy and drowning them as it were in the most precious wounds of his blessid fete Thou shalt offer thi self to his merci al thy sinnes fawtes and imperfeccyons great and smal wherewith thou haist euer offendyd so louyng a father specially sythe thou were last knyt vnto him For his most excelleÌ„t noble maiesty can byde no meane nor let be it neuer so lytle no not one vaine thought or one litle morsel eateÌ„ otherwise then it ought except the same be purgid and cleansed by penaunce When thou hayste washed and weat the feate of thy sauyour Iesu after this sorte The second thing that thou must do is thou muste wype the same blessyd feat with the lockes of thi head that is to say Thou must with mooste perfect wyl and purpose so forsake al syn be they neuer so lytle that thou woldest rather suffer deathe then commit any sin Then thou shalt with mooste ardent desyre wyshe and longe to optaine al vertues and to die perfectli vnto al vyce and imperfeccyons And make this humble petycyon with harty deuocyon in thy affeccyon and mynde not in voyce MOst dear sauyor Iesu the longyng and desire of my soul I humbly beseke the by the most blessid wouÌ„des that thou sufferedst vpon the crosse for me make me to sucke drawe effecteously out of thy precious wouÌ„des al