thy presence but my sweet Lord how sweetly didst thou reproue hir folly and reueale hir fault in these few words Martha Martha thou carest art troubled about many things but one thing is needfull Mary hath chosen the good part which shal neuer be taken awaie frō hir oh deere Maister now that by the secret light of thy gratious loue I behold thy entrance into the hart of my soule though I am not worthie thou shouldst come vnder the roofe of my house yet since it hath pleased thy holie maiestie in the infinit goodnesse of thy incomparable kindnesse to comfort my hart with the gratious hearing of thy glorius mercy giue me leaue not with Martha to complaine of a sister but to accuse my selfe of to much euill in so long combring my hart with the wretched cares of this wicked world that I haue had almost no care to humble my soule to the happie hearing of thy holie word let mee therfore beeseech thee of the abundant grace of thy glorious goodnes by the mighty power of thy eternall mercy to draw mee to thee by the heauenly vertue of thy hollie Spirit that casting of all the combersome cares of this vncomfortable worlde I maie not onelie serue thee in bodie on the knees of my heart worshipping thy diuine will but in the humilitie of my soule sit with MARY on the ground with the tears of true repentaunce to wash the feete of thy mercie that being both vnable vnworthie to behold the glory of thy presence I maie yet ioye in my soule to heare the sweetnes of thy preching that beeing cleerely healed of the euill part of sinne I maie receiue that good part of thy grace that maie neuer bee taken from mee but one thing is needfull and that one thing art thou it is thee sweet LORD that I haue need of needful is thy grace vngratious that I am full of need am I of thy mercie mercy my sweet Iesu Oh let my pensiue hart heere the preaching of thy mercie that beeing with LAZARVS reuiued and with MARTHA rebuked with Mary I may bee so comforted that with the teares of my hart washing the feete of thy pittie I may reioice in my soule to bee admitted into thy presence wherein the obedience of my Loue shewing the Ioye of my life I may feede of thy mercy and singe to thy glory Blessed is the house that dooth receiue thee happy the hart that dooth attend thee but most ioyfull the Soule that leauing the cares of the world hath all hir comfort but in thee in thee I say sweet LORD the lyght of the eternall wisdome the lyfe of the dead the only comfort of the liuing whose preaching most gratious and whose presence most glorious happye are they that heare but most blessed that enioy emong whome alas of the world most vnworthy so blesse the sicke Soule of thy sinfull wounded seruant that ouercome with the comfort of thy vnspeakable kindenes in the swounding traunce of the treasure of thy Loue I may rather dye at thy feete then part a foote from thy fauoure where with the teares of faithes thanckfulnesse I may encrease the Glorie of thy Mercie Amen An other vppon the same History chapter and place the fruite therof The blessing of humilitie REmember sweet Lord Iesu thy Mercies that haue been euer of old forgiue and forget the sinnes of thy humble repentaunt though vnworthie seruants think on thy poore Mary with the teares of hir heart humbling hir soule at thy feete thincke I saye my sweet lord a little vpon my great misery that confesse my selfe vnworthie of the least looke of thy Mercie Lord it pleased thee to saie Marie Magdaline loued much but surelie thou louedst more that so great and vnmeasurable a sinner woldst vouchsafe so great a measure of thy Grace beeing vnworthie thy thought to presume into thy presence sweet IESVS art not thou the same CHRIST who camest not to iustifie the righteous but to call sinners to repentaunce is thy mercie anye thing diminished or shall not thy Glorie euer encrease it cannot bee but thou art thy selfe the Sunne of GOD the Redeemer of the worlde the Lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the world and God alone that hast the gouernement of the whole worlde what thou hast bought then who can take from thee wher thou hast Mercie who canne diswade thee and hauing all thinges vnder thy feete who can resist thee Thou Createdst man for thy selfe thou Redeemedst him by thy selfe dost comfort him but with thy selfe wilt thou then forget the worke of thine owne hands wilt thou loose that thou hast bought with thine owne blood or suffer it to be blasted that y ◠hast blessed with thine owne Spirit no sweet God thy goodnesse is to great to loose any parte of thy Glorie though wee forget thy loue thou canst not forget thy Mercie though wee loose our selues in this wildernesse thou wilt bring vs home to thy folde though sinne seeke to driue vs to despaire yet doth thy Grace assure vs of comfort for thou art kinde though wee are vnthanckfull thou art mercifull though wee are vnfaithful yea thou art comfortable when wee are most miserable and why is all this beecause thou art God whose goodnesse hath no limit whose mercies are infinit and whose glorie shall haue no ende why then oh Lord is my Soule so full of heauinesse and my heart so disquieted within mee can the world so werie mee that Heauen cannot reuiue mee or can sinne so infect mee that thy mercie can not heale mee or the diuell so terifie mee that thou my God canst not comfort mee no my deere god thou art able to forgiue more then I am able to offend one drop of thy mercie will heale all the woundes of my sinne and where thou entrest with thy holly spirit there is no place for the wicked fiende what then can hurt mee if thou help mee can sinne set a wal beetwixt thy mercie and my comfort whē thou hast troden downe the diuell with all the power of his malice can death afright mee that see my life in thy loue or can sorrow dismaie mee that haue thee for my comfort no my sweet sauioure let not my teares be onely witnesse of my sorrow for my sinnes but of my ioie in thy mercie that from the greatnesse of sin hast called mee to thy grace and liuing long from the shadow of thy blessing hast admitted mee into the Ioie of thy presence Oh blessed Lord how admirable dooe I feele thy goodnesse in the inward works of thy grace faith a fruict of thy mercy repentaunce a fruict of faith teares a fruict of repentance Ioie a fruict of teares thou only the fruict of all thou art oh Lord y e summe of all sweetnesse the substaunce of all goodnesse in thy selfe to thy selfe the only height of all glorie Thou art the ioie of the heart the comfort of the minde the life
satisfied with any thing till I be filled with thy loue let mee weepe at thy graue that I may ioy in thy grace so mourne for thy absence that I may reioice in thy presence let mee not depart with thy disciples but abide with thine angells till in the pitie of my sorrow thou wilt shew me thy self when hearing from thee but Mary I may aunswere but master wherin my soule rauished with thy loue may deuote the seruice of my life but oh Lord how should I most wofull wretched wicked creature liueing in this vale of sorrow misery come to the comfortable hope to clime the hil of thi mercy a polluted vessell of the earth to behold the pure and bright Glory of the heauens but oh LORD doe I aske thee how haue thy holy word so cleere a lanthorne to my loue forgiue my sweet Christ my forgetfulnes of thy care and giue me grace to remember the rules of my comfort wherein I finde after storms faire weather is sweetest after troubles peace is most comfortable after death life is most ioy full sweet Iesu therefore that hast mortified mee with the stormes of this world comfort mee with the Sunne shine of thy Grace after the troublesome temptations of euill spirits giue mee peace in thy holy spirit and after the death of this my carnall Absence giue my soule life in the beeholding of thy presence giue mee patience to seeke thee in thy passion that I may reioyce to see thy Resurrection and that in the Merit of thy mercy receiuing the Comfort of my saluation I may with the tears of my hart witnesse the loue of my soule not desiring to liue but to Glorify thy holy name Amen A prayer vpon Magnificate not applying the history The fruict therof The ioy of the soule that is rauished with the loue of CHRIST ESscence of eternity in y e holy Maiesty of the Trinall vnity in the heauenly DEITY light of the Heauens day of the world beawty of vertue Glory of wisdome sweet IESV the true and only beegotten and beeloued sonne of the true and only incomprehensible euerliuing and euerlouing GOD my Creator in thy power my Redeemer in thy merite my Sanctifier in thy loue and my Sauiour in thy mercy how shall I clodde of claye slime of the earth dust and Ashes wretched worme wicked creature presume to the happinesse to haue a thought of such holinesse as to aspire so high a blessing as to touch the smallest tittle of the due title of thy glory yet sweet IESV seeing that y e dead Earth in hir Fruictes dooth praise thee shall my soule liue and in no seruice honor thee and since the liuing doe adore thee shall I dye and not praise thee God forbid but alas shall darcknesse speake of light Error of truth basenesse of Glory or a sinner of God when the Earth quakes the Sea Roares the Heauens shake and the Aungells tremble at thy presence and yet I see the Elements giue theyr natures The Sunne his heate the water hir coolenesse the Aire hir moisture and the Earth hir drinesse The trees theyr fruicts the flowers their sweets the Sea hir fishes the Earth hir gemmes the Ayre hir comfort the Fyre hir light the world hir welth in the seruice of hir Creatures in obedience to thy holy will to Glorify thy holy name and shall I of all the world most bound to thee in the whole world that haue tasted so much of thy goodnesse so much forget thy Greatnesse as in no work of thy Grace to humble my soule to thy Glory God forbid no my sweet God I humbly beeseech thee giue mee the patience of thy saincts the faith of thy Martiers the ioy of thine Angells and the wisedome of thy holy Spirit that I may suffer all things for thy loue I may die in thy seruice and so sing of thy goodnesse that in ringing out thy praises the heuens may reioyce to heere thy glory in the world oh my sweet CHRIST help mee to honour thee Inspire my heart with thy Loue tell mee what to thincke of thee teach mee what I shall say of thee learne mee how I shall praie vnto thee that in my Soule I may neuer cease to prayse thee O glory in the highest heauens highest glory of the heauens onely glory beefore the heauens bee thou glorified aboue the heuens oh that my hrat could dissolue into teares to wash the feete of thy fauour or that my soule in sighes could ascend a Sacrifice to thy mercy that in Soule and body I might shew some seruice of my loue which am worse then nothing till I bee something in thee but thou hast made mee as it hath pleased thee and canst make mee what it pleaseth thee let it therefore please thee I beeseech thee to make mee onely to please thee I am a creature of thy will worke mee onely to thy will draw mee to thee by thy holy spirit hold mee to thee by thy holy Loue and inspire mee with thy holy wisedome that loathing the worlde with the vanities thereof in thy onely mercy I may see the paradise of my soule that hauing with patience passed my purgatory in this life in the merit of thy mercy receiuing the comfort of my Saluation where the Angells of thy loue doe sing in Glory of thy grace my poore humble Soule may sing Amen to their Musique Gloria in excelcis Deo LONDON ¶ Printed by Thomas Este dwelling in Aldersgate streete 1597.
Auspicante Iehoua MARIES Exercise AT LONDON Printed by Thomas Este. 1597. TO THE RIGHT Honorable and vertuous Lady the Lady MARY Countesse of Penbrooke Health Happinesse and Heauen RIght Honorable my bounden Seruice in all duety remembred I haue often red and heard which I verelye beeleeue that in the Nature of Man there is no greater blot of disgrace then the vile note of ingratitude with which wicked humor fearing my long forgetfullnesse of your fauoure may make my heart in some suspition vnhappily to bee touched I haue presumed humbly to present vnto the faire eye of your discreete vertue a little fruite of my late and best labours VVherein your Ladyship may vouchsafe to see that although I cannot as I would finde meanes to discharge the care of my duty yet in my best thoughts I haue not forgotten you when in my daiely praiers vnto God I doe remember you and as I daiely and hourelye doe hartely pray vnto his holy Maiesty for his blessings to light vpon you so haue I set downe a few historicall prayers for you VVhich I hope you will so finde applyed to your comfort as shall giue you no discontentment in the presumption of my paines and so though I haue soncke my fortune in the worlde hauing only the light of vertue to leade my hope vnto Heauen with humble thancks for your as yet vndeserued fauour in continuall prayers to the God of all comfort for his prosperous preseruation of my good L. your Ladyship all yours with increase of honour on earth and eternall happinesse in Heauen I humbly take my leaue in bounden duty Your La sometime vnworthy Poet and now and euer poore Beadman Nich. Breton TO THE LADIES and Gentlewomen Reeders LAdies and Gentlewomen so it is that hauing passed some partes of the world beholding the stately pallaces of diuers princes after my returne into my natiue country finding the contemplatiue life the most neere vnto Angelicall nature and no contemplatiō so comfortable as the mercies of god the first fruicts whereof and the neuer ending Glory of the same are no where so apparant as in the historie of the holy scriptures where looking into the court of heauen I finde the world but a base corner when the King of Kinges with the brightnesse of his glorie doth rauish the soules of his beeloued and reading in this diuine historie of the excellencie of Gods loue and emong many of his elected of some women in his especiall fauour I could not but acquaint your good mindes with the memory of their names such matter touching them as you may and will I hope applie to your comfort I finde them blessed for their faith and beeloued for their humility two Iewels of the soule not cōmon to our humaine nature but as it is incorporated to christ but I will leaue the imperfect to Gods amendment the faithfull to his blessing and the elected to his loue beeseeching him so to blesse you with his grace in the feeling of his loue that in praier to his mercy yee may all liue to his glory that hauing Christ for your loue ye may liue in ioy for euer and so wishing you happinesse on earth heauen hereafter I rest in praier for yee all faithfull in Christ Iesu as I finde cause Your poore friend or seruant N. B. Maries Exercise A praier vpon the historie of Christ his comming vnto the house of Mary and Martha to raise Lazerus frō death Iohn 11. The fruict thereof The life of the dead the glorie of God MOst mercifull Lord my louing king euerliuing god sweet Iesu Christ my heauenly maister redeemer and Sauiour vouchsafe mee leaue poore and vnworthy vessell of thy mercy on the knees of my soule in the humilitie of my hart to trouble thy patience with the lowly petition of my afflicted spirit Lord whē to make knowen thy glory to the world y ◠camest to Bethania vnto the house of Mary Martha to raise vp thy beloued lazarus frō death what was the speech of the poore women thy poore creatures vnto thy gratious holy Glorious maiestie but onely this Lord if thou hadst ben heere my brother Lazarus had not ben dead but now whatsoeuer thou askest of God he will giue it thee so my deere Lord let mee I besech thee saie vnto thee now that by the gratious mercifull comfortable operation of thy holy Spirit I feele see thee comming to the vnworthie house of my wounded soule LORD if thou hadst beene heere not my brother but my self had not so long beene dead dead I say in my sinnes though onely liue in thy mercy but oh Lord thy father hath giuen all power into thy hands therefore if it please thee thou canst raise me from this sorrowfull death of iniquity vnto the ioyfull life of thy grace but as Martha saide by hir brother Lazarus he had ben dead foure daies therefore did so stinck that he was vnfit to bee taken vp so Lord let mee saie of my selfe I haue beene dead not foure daies but many yeeres yea all the daies of my life and therefore feele my self so vnsauory and vnfit to presume beefore thy presence that I can rather say with Peter come not neere mee Lord for I am a polluted creature then thincke that euer thou didst loue mee and therefore art come to raise mee from this death yet sweet lord when I remember withall thy blessed aunswere and kinde chiding of the vnbeleeuing soule in these wordes said I not vnto thee if thou didst beleeue thou shouldst see the glorie of God it giueth me comfort in my feare to come humbly to thy mercy beseching thee so to strengthen my faith in thy incōprehencible power that I may rather reioice in feeling thy goodnes and seeing thy glorie then distrust in thy power or dispaire in thy mercie that by the vertue of thy power from the death of sinne being reuiued vnto grace in the true fruicts of repentaunce I may glorifie thy holy name Amen An other praier vpon the same historie Chapter and place the fruict therof Christ his cōmendation of the hearers of his word ALmightie God and most mercifull Lord my best maister and onely sweet Sauiour Iesus Christ when it pleased thee of thy mercy to enter into the house of Martha and Mary thy beloued vnworthy seruāts whiles Mary by the blessed inspiration of thy holy spirit was happely called and wholy enclined to the attentiue hearing ioyfull receiuing of thy comfortable preaching MARTHA not so filled in hart or rather rauished in soule with the vnspeakable sweetnes of thy holy spitit rather troubling hir head with an earnest care of worldly busines then bending hir hart with any zealous desire to the inward seeking of thy heauenly treasure complained to thee of hir sisters mistakē mistermed idlenes that sitting still at thy feete she had no more care to helpe her in hir work to prouide for thy welcom nor to attend
whom all things are nothing let hir then bee commended of thee who sawest hir hart for thy bounty to the whol world be thou glorified aboue the world shee was called a poore widdow beecause shee wanted both the wealth of the world and the comfort of hir kind husband but how much might shee bee comforted to be coÌ„mended by thy mercy all comforts faile wher thou art wanting and all ioies abound wher thy comfott is comming O comfort of comforts when wilt thou come vnto mee LORD thou art the husband of my soule the onely comfort of my hart whole substance of my felicity a poore widow am I that wanting the comfort of thy loue haue no ioy in my life I haue not a mite to present vnto thy mercy had I a whole world I would giue it for thy grace but alas I am poore and hast thou any nede of welth that hast the whole world at commaundement doest thou care for drosse that art the LORD of heuen earth no LORD thou wantest nothing therefore what though I haue nothing thou hast giuen mee thy selfe and can any thing take thee from mee no sweet LORD thou hast saide thou wilt haue mercy not Sacrifice a burnt offering I know thou wouldest not accept if I should giue it thee but if any Sacrifice will please thee a contrite hart and a troubled spirit is that which thou wilt not despise with this sacrifice therefore sweet Iesu I come to thee beseeching thee into the treasury of thy mercy with the teares of my hart to receiue me body soule which though lesse worth then one mite is all that I haue to giue thee and well is mee if thou wilt take them to cure them of sin to ease them of sorrow to bring them to ioie but alas I giue thee but thine owne which thou hast bought with thy selfe therefore I beeseech thee refuse not thine owne that belongeth to none but thy selâ—e therefore since I haue nothing to giue thee take thine owne vnto thee commend whom it pleaseth thee and be thou commended of all of all I say for all aboue all since that for all in all thou deseruest all commendation to thee sweet Iesus Christ the husband of my soule the substance of my wealth the ioy of my life and assured hope of my saluation that by the bitter death of thy body precious bloud of thy hart hast deerely bought the loue of thy seruants who by thy onely merit being redeemed from hell by the sauing faith of thy mercy are assured of heauen to thee I saie deere CHRIST my deere loue my best husband my heauenly father my gratious LORD onely glorious King with thy heauenly father thy holy spirit he eternal trinity in vnity one onely almighrie and incomprehensible good god for the infinit comforts of thy infinit mercies bee all infinit glory honor Praise world without end Amen A prayer vpon the request that the mother of Iames Iohn made vnto Chrïst Math Chap 20 The fruict thereof Knowledge what to aske of God BLessed LORD and Lord of all blessing bountiful GOD and GOD of all bounty King of heauen and earth to whom all the worlde are but beggers emong the infinit number of thy incessaunt sutors y â— neuer leaue to importunate thy mercy vouchsafe sweet IESV I beseech thee to heere an humble petition of thy poore wretched and vnworthy creature The Mother of Iames and Iohn made a suite vnto thee for hir two sonnes that the one might sit at thy right hand and the other at thy left little was hir discretioÌ„ to moue so presumptuous a petition little I say shee considered thy greatnesse or lookt into hir owne smalnesse that deseruing nothing but thy Wrath woulde craue such a blessing of thy Grace who beeing aunswered with deniall escaped wel without thy further displeasure oh my GOD I come not to thee with a spirit of such boldnesse but in the humility of fayth with the teares of sorrow my wounded hart beecommeth a sutor to thy mercy an humble sutor I am oh heauenly King to thy holy Maiesty not for my two sonnes but the two parts of my selfe my soule my body y â— it will please thy gratious goodnesse so farre to take them to thy mercy as not to set them either at thy right hand or thy left but in one looke of thy comfort to make theÌ„ but cushins for thy feet where more ioyfull shall bee my teares to wash the feete of thy fauoure then all the plesures of the world to bee away from thy mercy this oh LORD is all my sute which in thy gratious pitty I beeseech thee to graunt me that from this vale of misery thou wilt take mee to thy mercy that in the ioye of thy loue I may euer sing or thy glory Amen A prayer vpon the deuotion of Anna Luke 2. Chap. The fruict thereof The comfort of prayer RIghteous LORD holy KING and euerliuing GOD who hast not to doe with the stoole of iniquitie but with thy Countenaunce doest beehold the iust forgiuest the sinnes of the Repentaunt and takest the faithfull vnto mercy Enter not I beeseech thee into iudgement with thy sinfull and vnworthy seruant for no flesh is righteous in thy sight I most vnrighteous am ashamed to appeere beefore thy presence with hope of comfort or almost without despaire of mercy but y â— in the greatnesse or thy goodnesse seeing thee offer thy selfe vnto mee with all thy Graces with a blushing feare I fall at the feete of thy mercy beeseeching thee so to blesse mee with thy grace that my wickednes may not destroy that which thy goodnesse hath builded Oh deere LORD thy seruaunt ANNA putting of the world and putting on thee shaking of all vanities and clothing hir self with thy comfort leauing the world beetooke hir selfe to thy Temple where continuing manye yeeres in fasting and praier shee receiued at last the ioyefull fruict of hir hope in the gratious beeholding of thy Glorious comming but oh Lord wo is me that haue so long looked after the world that I haue so little looked after thee that I haue rather lost my selfe in a wildernesse then once set a steppe into thy Temple I haue feasted my flesh with the pleasures of the world almost famished my soule with the lack of thy holy word haue beene rather lost many yeeres in vanity then employed almost any houre in deuout prayer as one rather fearing thy wrath then wishing thy presence but sweet Lord thou art the God of Eternity who hauing all time at thy commaundement dost appoynt euery houre at thy plesure to call thy seruants vnto mercy and to comfort them in thy blessing to thee therefore my deere Lord though long first yet at last I hope neuer to late on the knees of my heart with the tears of my loue I come vnto thy mercy beseeching thee most humbly in the spirit of
thy grace so to instruct mee to pray and continue mee in praier vnto the presence of thy pitty that putting of the delights of the vanitie of this world I may put on the ioy of the vertue of thy loue beetaking my selfe to the Temple of thy Truth and only long in my soule to beehold the blessing of thy coÌ„ming come I say sweet Iesu come downe into my heart heale my wounded soule quiet my troubled spirit deliuer mee from this sinfull prison lighten my darckned eies take me out of this deadly sorrow into the ioy of thy eternall mercy where feeding on the fruict of my faith in the fauour of thy grace at the feet of thy presence I may see the paradise of my soule in a new song of thanckes giuing I may glorify thy holy name Amen A prayer vpon the queene of sheba hir comming to Solomon The fruict thereof The treasure of true wisedome which is onely in the word of GOD. O Infinitte and eternall God the ground of all vertue and giuer of all goodnesse the fountayn of vnsearchable deepe wisedome of the incomprehensyble Deity looke I humblye beeseech thee vpon the simple soule of thy silly creature The Queene of Sheba came to thy seruaunt Solomon to heere the woÌ„der of his wit which compared to thy wisedome is as nothing and shall not I come to thee for the knowledge of my coÌ„sort yes my deere LORD let thy mercy be my tutor thy wisdome my lesson thy comfort my lyfe Teach me euer how to pray what to hope for in my prayer and how to bee thanckfull or thy blessings teach me wisdome to know thee knowledge to serue thee Grace so to loue thee that I may neuer liue to leaue thee bee thou the coÌ„templatioÌ„ of my study the letters of my reading the woord of my continuall remembrance the note of my Comfort the white of my loue and â—he light of my lyfe Inspire my hart with thy holy spirit leade mee in the way of thy truth and blesse mee with the ioy of thy peace that leauing this desart where fooles loose their wittes emong the followers of thy will I may heere the wonders of thy wisdome where the saith of the sâ—mple finde the summe of their felycity that beeing pardoned my faults healed of my folly in the seruice of my faith I mai glorify thy holy Maiestie but oh Lord shee brought gifts of great value which she presented vnto thy seruaunt I haue nothing to giue thee but my selfe vnworthy present for thy presence but sweet Lord I beeseech thee refuse not thy seruant though vnworthy thy fauour and instruct me in thy law though vnworthy thy loue that hauing thy lesson in my heart I may teach thy wil vnto the world graunt this oh deere God for thy deere beloued Sonne IESVS CHRIST his onely sake to whome with thee and the holy Ghost three persons but one GOD bee all Honour and Glory humbly ascribed of mee and all thy poore vnworthy seruants in all things for all things and aboue all things world without ende Amen A praier vpon the words of Peter vnto Christ in the time of his transfiguration Luke ix verse 33. The fruict therof the ioy of the faithfull O How amiable are thy dwellings my deer Lord Iesu how pleasant are thy graces how comfortable are thy mercies more sweet are they to my hart then hony vnto my mouth yea sweeter then hony and the hony combe when thy holy Apostle Peter beeheld thee transfigured beeing rauished in soule with the sweet of thy countenance then could he say heere is good beeing LORD so my sweet sauiour when in my soule I behold but one beame of thy bright loue I can say to my self it is good being with thee LORD for better is it not to be at all then to be without the comfort of thy blessing blesse mee therfore sweet IESV I beeseech thee with the feeling of thy goodnes the comfort of thy mercy the ioy of thi loue and let mee saie to my selfe whiles I am in this body of sinne in this wretched world heere is ill being LORD wher I am so much without thee and onely their is good beeing where I might neuer bee from thee that being rauished with the sweetnes of thy brightnes I might make my poore soule a tabernacle for thy dwelling that beeing clensed from my sinne by the onely merite of thy mercy sweeted in my soule by the oile of thy grace in the fruicts of thancks giueing I may Glorifye thy holly name Amen A praier vpon Mary Magdalens weeping at the Sepulcher Iohn xvi The fruict thereof the vertue of constancy in the loue of the faithfull KNock saiest thou sweet Iesus it shall bee opened vnto vs seeke we shall finde aske wee shall haue oh my deer God long haue I sought thee with the zealous loue of my hart knocking at the gates of thy grace with the sighes of vnfained sorrow beging with bitter tears but one drop of thy mercy but my deere God sinne did so blind mee that I went still out of the way that doth lead mee to thy will sin did so oppresse me I could not come at thy grace yea sinne did so dismaie mee that I was afraide of thy mercy but now sweet Lord being cleered of my blindnes by the light of thy holy word and seeing the gates of thy grace open to the passage of the Repentaunt emong the hopes of the faithfull I beg an almes of thy mecry I reed oh Lord of Mary Magdalens great grace who being a great sinner yet by a great repentance receiued a great measure of thy mercy in sorrow she sought thee in humility she loued thee in loue shee found thee yea aliue shee loued thee dead shee mourned for thee buried she sought thee and risen she found thee sweetly was shee blessed that hauing once beegon to seeke thee could neuer leaue till she found thee hauing once found thee did so deerely loue thee that in the depth of hir loue shee had no ioie to liue from thee sweet Iesu so giue me grace to seeke thee that in thy grace I may finde thee by thy grace I may loue thee in thy gratious loue I may liue to beehold thee open mine eares that I may heare thee call and open mine eies that I may see thy goodnesse open my hart that I may with teares attend thee and open thy handes to take mee wholy vnto thee mortify my flesh that my soule may liue shut me not from the gates of thy grace but keep mee vnder the shadow of thy wings lead mee through the darknes of sinne into the day light of thy loue the first day in the weeke and earely in the morning let mee seeke thee let the prime of my youth and the whole time of my pilgrimage bee onely emploied to the finding out of thy fauour let mee feare nothing while thou art my hope nor bee