Be it knowen to al◠〈…〉 â—â—â—â—entes that it is prohibited by oâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 the kynge by his letters p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 â—â—â—â—ers boke sellers and 〈…〉 â—thers that with 〈…〉 â—ym that at 〈…〉 â—es printe◠〈…〉 no 〈…〉 〈…〉 â—â—â—â—uer◠〈…〉 â—â—â—nions 〈…〉 callâ—◠〈…〉 â—â—â—er 〈…〉 nexte th 〈…〉 priâ—◠〈…〉 â—â—ey wyll answere at the 〈…〉 â—yde the penalties mentioned 〈…〉 unto graunted ¶ Imprynted 〈…〉 â—letestrete by IohnÌ„ Byddâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 â—t the signe of the Sorâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 â—â—cundite for wyâ—◠〈…〉 the yere 〈…〉 ¶ A goodly exposition vpon the .xxx. psalme In te domine spetaui HEuynes hath beseged me with a greate and stronge hooste she hath enclosed me she hath oppressed my hert with clamours and ceasseth not with weapons nyghte and day to fyghte agaynst me My frendes be in her tentes and are become myn enemyes what soeuer I se what soeuer I heare brynge the banners of heuines the memorie of my frendê maketh me sadde the recordynge of my chyldren greueth me the consyderyng of my cloyster and cell vexeth me the reuoluynge of my studies maketh me pensyfe the thynkyng of my synnes oppresseth me For lyke as to them whiche be sycke of the axesse all swete thynges seme bytter so to me all thynges be turned in to sorowe and heuynes Vndoubtedly a great burthen vpon the herte is this heuynes The venyme of a deadly pestilence grudgeth agaynste god seaseth not to blaspheme and exhorteth to desperation Oh vnhappy man that I am who shall delyuer me from her cursed handes If all that I se and heare folowe her banners and fyghte agaynst me who shal be my ê“tectour who shall helpe me whyther shall I go whyther shall I flee I wote what I shall do I wyll turne me to thynges inuisible brynge them agaynst the visible And who shall be the guyde of so hyghe and terrible an hooste Hope whiche is of thiÌ„ges inuisible Hope I say shall come agaynst heuines and vaynquyshe her who can stande agaynst hope Heare what the prophete sayth Thou arte lorde my hope thou haste set thy refuge moste hygh who shall stande agaynst the lorde who can wynne his towre of refuge whiche is most hygh wherfore I wyll call her doubtles she wyll come nor she wyll not confoundeme Lo nowe she commeth she hath broughte gladnes she hath taughte me to fyghte she sayd to me Crye cease not And I sayde what shall I crye Crye quod she boldely and with all thy whole herte say In te domine speraui non coÌ„funder in eternum et in iustitia tua libera me ¶ That is to saye In the oh lorde I haue trusted I shall not be confounded for euermore and in thy iustice delyuer me ¶ Oh the wonderful power of hope whose face heuines can not abyde Nowe coÌ„meth conforte Let heuynes cry nowe and struggle agayÌ„st me with her armie Let the worlde thrust downe let the enemies make insurrection I feare nothynge for I trust lorde in the for thou arte my hope for thou haste put my refuge moste hygh I haue alredy entered it hope hath led me in I my selfe entered not vnshamefastly she shall excuse me before the. Beholde ê™ hope o man the moste hygh refuge of god open thyn iyes and se it is god alone it is onely he an infinite see of substaunce Other thinges so be as though they were not For all thingê depende of hym and onelesse he sustayned them they shulde sodeynly retourne to noughte for of noughte were they made Consydre the power of hym whiche in the begynnyng created heuen earthe Doth not he worke all in all thynges who can moue his hande without hym who can thynke any thynge of hym selfe Ponder his wysedome whiche in tranquilitie gouerneth all for he seeth all and to his iyes all thynges be naked and open This is he whiche onely knowethe howe to delyuer the and onely can conforte saue the. Put not thy truste in the chyldren of men in whom is no saluation The herte of men is in his power whyther soeuer he lusteth he wyll turne it This is he whiche may can helpe the. Doest thou suspecte his wyll Ponder his goodnes consydre his tender loue Is not he the louer of men which for men became man and for synners was crucified This is thy trewe father whiche created the whiche redemed the which alwayes hath done good vnto the. Can the father forsake his sonne Caste thy selfe on hym he wyll take the vp and saue the. Serche the scriptures and thou shalte fynde howe busely his great tender loue moueth the to truste in hym And why dothe he that 〈◊〉 bicause he coueteth to saue For what saythe 〈◊〉 ê“phete Bicause he trusted in me I wyl deliuer 〈◊〉 Lo for none other cause he wyll delyuer hym but bicause he trusted in hym And what other thyng hath the prophetes the apostles yea he hym selfe the lorde of the apostles preached but that men shulde truste in the lorde Sacrifice therfore ye men the sacrifice of iustice and truste in the lorde and he shall delyuer you and plucke you out of all tribulation Oh the greate vertue of hope truely she is spred abrode For grace is spred abrode in her lyppes Oh this is truely thy refuge so hygh good lorde to whiche the euyll of heuynes can not approche This I knewe and vnderstode therfore I trusted lorde in the. For though the weight of syn dothe greuously presse me yet I can not despaire for thy goodnes so gently prouoked me to hope that I can not be confouÌ„ded for euermore For a tyme I may well be confouÌ„ded but for euermore surely I can not For hope whiche hath ledde me in to thy moste hyghe refuge hath taught me to hope not temporall thyngê but euerlastynge For hope is of thynges inuisible But tho thynges that be sene are temporall And the thyÌ„ges that be not sene are euerlastyng wherfore I hearyng the wordes of hope whiche coÌ„meth to plucke me out from the handes of heuines haue trusted lorde in the couetyng before all thyngê to be delyuered from my synnes and thrugh thy mercy and grace to come to thynges euerlastynge whiche be inuisible This is my fyrste and chiefe desyre for my synnes be a greate tribulation vnto me For from this all other tribulation issueth Take awaye lorde my synnes and I am free from all tribulation For tribulation pensyâ—nes of mynde procede from the fountayn of the herte For euery heuynes coÌ„meth of loue If I loue my sonne and he dyeth I am troubled bicause I haue loste that I loued If I loue not my seruaunt and he dyeth I am not heuy bycause I haue loste that I loued not Take away therfore lord my sinnes thrugh thy grace what remayneth but that I shall loue the with al my whole herte despise all temporal thynges as vayne If than I haue the by fayth of whom also I hope to haue that whiche neither iye hath sene nor eare hath herde nor hath not ascended in
the lorde thou hast synned be sory for it be content that thrugh his grace thy synnes is forgyuen the. My sonne despise not the correction of the lorde neyther faynt thou whan thou arte checked of hym for whom the lorde loueth he chastiseth he scourgeth euery chylde that he receyueth Continue than in affliction god shewethe hym selfe to the as vnto his sonne And though there be fewe chosen chyldren of god hauynge regarde to the disalowed yet there be innumerable that shal be saued Nor there is not only one Mary Magdalen one thefe one Peter one Paule for innumerable haue folowed theyr steppes doinge penauÌ„ce and are receyued of the lorde rewarded with many and great gyftes of grace nor mercye is no lesse in her workes than iustice For mercy gyueth so great good thyngê to rightwyse men that her workes do farre excede the workes of iustice Knowest not that the earthe is ful of the mercy of god what creature can glorie that he hath receiued any thyÌ„g whiche hath not taken it of the mercy of god And yf thou haste greuouslye offended god yet his mercye is greater than all the sinnes of the worlde Trouble not thy selfe for the multitude greuousnes of thy sinnes Hath not mercy now come reÌ„nyng met the Hath she not taken the vp and kyssed the Lo thou dydest falle and thou werte not hurte And why so Arte thou not afrayle vessell whiche yf it fall muste nedes be broused onles some body put vnder his hande why than whan thou fellest werte thou not hurte who dyd put vnder his hande who but the lorde This is a great signe that thou arte electe for the electe whan he falleth shall not be broused for the lorde wyll put vnder his hande Dothe not the apostle write that to them that loue god all thynges worke to good In so moche that the very synne worketh them to good Dothe not that falle worke them to good wherby they be made bothe humbler and warer Doth not the lorde receiue hym whiche is receyued of humilitie Thou hast loued the lorde many yeres for his loue thou haste laboured After thou dydest lyfte vp thy herte and walke in the vanite of thy wytte the lorde withdrewe his hande and thou fell and in to the depnes of the see thou dydest desceÌ„de Howe be it the goodnes of the lorde forthwith put vnder his haÌ„de and thou werte not broused Say than whan I was violently shoued forthe I was ouerturned that I mought fall and the lorde toke me vp Not so the wycked not so whom god hath reiected whan they falle they ryse not agayne but eyther with greate shame they excuse theyr synnes or elles they haue the boldenes of an harlot and after they neyther feare god nor man Aryse than be of a stronge herte be myghttie and valiaunt abyde the lorde and do manfully and let thy herte be enstreÌ„gthed and suffre the lorde Thou hast proued thyn owne prowesse howe it is of no force Than humble nowe thy selfe vnder the puissauÌ„t hande of god and henseforth be more ware Pacience is necessarie to the wtout ceassynge pray and the lorde shall heare the in due tyme. Aryse than and lay away al heuines from thy selfe embrace the feete of the lorde and he shall saue and delyuer the. These wordes sayd she was rauyshed in to heuen leauynge me enstrengthed and wonderfully conforted whom forthwith with all my herte ensuenge I stode before god fallyng downe before my sauiours feete I sayd with a bolde confidence ¶ â—to mihi in deum ê“tectorem in domuni retugii vt saluum me facias ¶ That is to say Be vnto me a god protectour and an house of refuge that thou mayst saue me ¶ For thou god arte of all the greatest and the strongest thou the redemer sauiour of all thou the ê“tectour of the faythfull to the I flee boldely Hope hath brought me in hope whiche thou so dearely doste loue whom thou haste alwayes coÌ„mended vnto vs with her haue I not feared to come before thy face I graunte I am vnworthy but she drew me I feared to approche nere for my manyfolde sinnes but she hath encouraged me Lo she standethe before the she beareth wytnesse I speake to my lorde being my selfe flesshe and a synner hope taughte me and sayd to me that boldely I shuld open my mouthe Swete and gentle ê™ she is the lord he wyll not dryue the away he wyll not be angrye he wyl gladly heare what soeuer thou desirest he wyl gyue I beleued for whiche cause I spake But coÌ„syderyng thy maiestie I was greately humbled and I sayd in my traunce euery man is a lyar I wyll neuer more truste in man but in the onely thou onely arte faythefull in all thy wordes and euery man is a lyar what shall I yelde the oh lorde for all that thou hast gyuen vnto me The cuppe of saluatioÌ„ I wyll take for from henseforthe I wyll lyue not vnto me but vnto the doinge good for thy loue I wyll suffre all euyls I wyll not do this thrugh myn owne myghte but I wyll call on the name of the lorde My vowes I wyll yelde to all thy people For in the syght of god the deathe of his sayntes is precious Be than vnto me a god ê“tectour defende me from myn enemies Myn enemies are my synnes whiche ê“uoke thy ryghtwysenes agaynst me I shall not be able to stande agaynst them yf thou dost not protecte me Let thy mercy be my shylde lorde with the shylde of thy good wyll crowne me I haue nothing to offre vnto him wherw t I may teÌ„pre his furour al that I bryng with me accuse me wherfore I wyl offre thy passion lorde Be not displeased lord god but rather be vnto me god ê“tectour vnder thy wyngê ê“tecte me with thy shulders shadow me vnder thy fethers I wyl trust what shal iustice do to me if thou kepest me vnder thy protection She wyll holde her peace lorde and put vp the swerde of her furie she shall be made tame and gentle seinge the goodnes of thy incarnation beholdyng the woundes of thy passion consyderyng the bloude of thy charitie she wyll departe fro me say Be mery sonne thou haste founde me eate in peace slepe reste together with me Be therfore lorde to me a god protectour an house of refuge that in the tyme of rayne and storme in tyme of teÌ„ptations I may flee vnto the for in the onely is my helth be thou vnto me a house of refuge open vnto me thy syde persed with the speare that I may entre the breste of so tender loue in whiche I may be safe from the feblenes of spirite from teÌ„pest hyde me in thy tabernacle in the day of euyls protecte me in an angle of thy tabernacle let it be the house of my refuge that thou mayste make me safe for I can not be but safe in the house of thy refuge for thou hast put thy
power I plucked vp my selfe and stode vpon my feete lyftynge vp myn iyes to heuen from whens I hoped for helpe And lo hope with a cherefull countenaunce furnyshed with diuine beames desceÌ„dyng from aboue sayde who is that that enuolueth sentences with vnlerned wordê which setteth bouÌ„des to infinite mercy whiche folyshe persone thinkest to beare the waters of the see in her handê Hast thou not herde the lorde sayeng In what houre soeuer the sinner bewayleth his sinnes none of all his inquities I wyll recorde what man is he that synneth not who can saye my herte is clene The Pater noster belongeth to all in whiche all men are coÌ„pelled to say Dimitte nobis debita nostra Forgyue vs our sinnes Our lorde taught the apostles thus to praye Dothe not than this prayer beloÌ„ge to other Thapostles receyued fyrste the holy ghoste And why taughte he them thus to praye yf they had no synne and yf they had who can glorifie that he is no synner Heare the beloued disciple of the lord Yf we say ê™ he that we haue no sinnes we begyle our selues trouth is not in vs. Iames the apostle In many thiÌ„gê ê™ he we all offende wherfore all haue synned and nede the mercy of god yea the holy men of god For it is writen Seuen tymes a day fall the iuste man and he shal ryse agayne wherfore mercy hath no limittes nor bouÌ„des But so ofte as the synner lameÌ„teth his gylte so ofte he obteyneth mercye Nor it skillethe not whether we speake of greate or of lytle offences Thou hast fallen aryse and mercye shall take the vp Thou shrynkest calle and mercy shall come vnto the. Agayne thou falleste agayne thou shrynkeste turne the to the lorde and the bowelles of his pitie shall open to the. Thou falleste the thyrde tyme and the fourthe Knocke crye and mercye wyll not forsake the. As ofte as thou synnest so ofte ryse agayne mercy shall haue none ende why dost thou vpbrayde the benefites that thou haste taken o thou wretched woman heuynes Dyd not Dauid the greate prophete receyue many greate benefites Of whom the lorde sayde I haue founde a man accordynge to my herte and yet he synned that greuously as well in aduoutrie as in the murderyng of a good and innocent persone and yet the lorde ended not his mercy in hym what bryngest thou the synne of pryde Dyd not Dauid lyfte vp his herte caused to nuÌ„bre the people of Israel For he gloried as though he had ben a greate kynge and a myghtye in his owne strengthe and puissauÌ„ce and yet he was not reiecte for this why For he dyd not hyde his syn he dyd not bost it as Sodoma dyd but he sayd I wyll coÌ„fesse agayÌ„st my selfe myn iniustice to the lorde wherfore mercye hath set no limites nor boundes vnto her selfe but the wicked dampned ê‘sones do set endes to them selues that they may not passe vnto it for she coÌ„meth to them but they dryue her away wherfore it is writen Thy perdition Israel is of thy selfe of me only is thy helpe Open thy mouthe saythe mercy and I wyll fylle it Holde out thy bosome I wyll gyue the a good measure and heaped full and flowynge ouer Continue in prayers and wepynge For he that hath begon to loue the and prouoke the with benefites and graces to his loue wyl not leaue the but gyue the encreast and perfourme rather his worke what naturall cause begynneth a worke leaueth in the myd way The vertue of sede ceasseth not vntyll it hath broughte the frute to perfection what byrde leaueth her yonge before they be able to rule them selues why do they this what profite coÌ„meth vnto them of this None truelye but onely labour Loue than coÌ„pelleth the natural causes to brynge theyr effectes to ê‘fection goodnes coÌ„pelleth them whiche they couet to poure out for goodnes alwayes diffundeth it selfe If than the creatures do this what shall the creator do for he is the selfe loue he is infinite goodnes Shall not he make ê‘fecte his worke Heare the lorde Iesus It is my worke ê™ he to do the wyll of hym the sente me that I shulde make perfecte his worke He than that began to loue the with his giftes and free benefites to allure the vnto hym to â—â—ense the and also to pourge the from synne without doubte he wyll make perfecte his worke for these be the preparations of euerlastynge lyfe why therfore nowe whan thou fellest werte thou not broused was it not bicause the lorde dyd put vnder his hande And why dyd he put vnder his hande why dyd he turne to the thy herte why dyd he prouoke the to repentauÌ„ce why dyd he conforte the was it not bicause he wolde make the cleaue sticke vnto hym and make the worthy his grace brynge the to euerlastyng lyfe These be not illusions and thy imaginations but diuine inspirations But be it let them be imaginatioÌ„s be they not good Do they not come from the vertue of fayth wherfore syth all good issueth from god vndoubtedly these imaginations are diuine illuminations Reioyse therfore in these wordes At these wordes my herte was so coÌ„forted that for ioye I began to syng sayeng Dominus illuminatio mea et salus mea quem timebo DnÌ„s protector vite mee a quo trepidabo ¶ That is to say The lorde is myn enlyghtnyng and my helthe whom shall I feare ¶ The lorde is the ê“tectour of my lyfe of whom shall I be abashed ¶ At the feete of the lorde prostrate with wepynge I sayd Lorde though a felde be pytched agaynst me my herte shall not feare for my fortitude my refuge arte thou and for thy names sake thou shalte bryng me out and nouryshe me ¶ An ende of the exsposition of Hierome of Ferrarie vpon the psalme of In te domine speraui whiche preuented by deathe he coulde not fynyshe Mens cujusque is est Quisque SP