sonne but the father neither knoweth any mā the father but the sonne Thyne onely Trinitie whiche surmounteth all knowledge is knowen fully to none but to thy selfe alone What is it then that I vayne man haue sayd that I know thée for who knowes thée els sauyng thy selfe For thou onely O God in thy most holy and heauenly worde art termed almightie passing prayse worthy passing glorious passing exalted passing high and passing substantiall bycause thou art discerned to be aboue all thynges that can be imagined to be whether they be to be conceiued in vnderstandyng or to be perceiued by the senses aboue all names that are named not onely in this world but also in the world to come beyond all that is or can be deuised to be For truly aboue the reach of all reason vnderstādyng and being doost thou by thy substantiall and secret Godhead dwel vnapprochably and vnsearchably in thy selfe whereas is light vnapprochable brightnes vnsearchable incomprehēsible vnspeakable wherūto no brightnesse may come neare bycause it is certeinly vnable to be beheld vnable to be seene aboue reason aboue vnderstandyng aboue acces aboue all chaūge aboue all partnershyp whiche neuer any wight neither man nor aungell hath throughly sene nor can sée This is thy heauen O Lord this is thy heauen so faire ingrauen the light so passing priuie so passing vnderstāding so passing reason so passing all that is wherof it is sayd the heauen of heauens is the Lordes The heauen of heauens in comparison wherof all other heauēs are but earth bycause it is passing wonderfully heaued vp aboue all heauens In comparison wherof euen the very firie heauen it selfe is but earth for this is the heauen of heauens that is reserued to the Lorde bycause it is knowen to none but to the lord Vnto this heauen came neuer none but he that came downe from heauen for no mā knowes the father sauing the sonne and the spirite of them both Neither doth any mā know the sonne sauyng the father the spirite that procéedeth from them both The Trinitie is fully knowē to none but onely to thy selfe O holy Trinitie O passyng wonderfull Trinitie surmountyng all vtterance beyond all searchyng aboue all approchyng ouer incōprehensible ouer vnconceiuable farre aboue all thinges that be far passing all vnderstāding all reasō all reach and all beyng of the mindes that are aboue heauen which it is not possible either to vtter or to conceiue or to vnderstand or to discerne no not euen to the aungels that behold it How then come I by the knowledge of thee which art highest aboue all the earth aboue all heauens whō neither the Cherubins nor the Seraphins do know perfectly but are fayne to shadow their faces with their wynges when they looke vppon him that sittes vpon the high and stately throne crying saying Holy holy holy Lord God of hostes the whole earth is full of thy glorie The prophet was abashed sayd Alas I am toungtyde for I am a man of vncleane lippes My hart was afrayd and sayd wo is me that I held not my toung bycause I am a man of vncleane lippes But I sayd I knew thée Neuerthelesse Lord wo be to them that are toūgtyde when they should speake of thée for there be many that be to full of toung without thée And therfore O Lord my God I will not hold my peace for thou hast made me and inlightened me wherby I haue found my selfe knowen thée bycause thou shynest vppon me But in what wise haue I knowen thée I knew thée in thy selfe I haue knowen thée not as thou art to thy selfe ward but as thou art to me ward and yet not without thy selfe but in thy self for thou art the light that hath inlightened me For no man knowes thee as thou art in thy selfe but as thou art to me ward by thy grace thou art knowen euē vnto me But what art thou to me ward mercyfull Lord tell me thy silie seruaunt for thy mercyes sake tell me what thou art to me warde Say vnto my soule I am thy welfare hyde not thy face from me least I dye Giue me leaue to speake before thy mercy suffer me that am but earth and dust to speake before thy mercy for great is thy mercy towardes me For I that am but dust and ashes will speake to my god Tell me thy sillie seruaūt tell me thy rufull creature tell me for thy mercyes sake what thou art to me ward Thou hast thundered from aboue with a great noyse into the inward eare of my hart and hast broken my deafnes and I haue heard thy voyce and thou hast inlightened my blindnesse and I haue sene thy light and haue knowē that thou art my god And therfore haue I sayd I knew thée bycause I knew that thou art my god Yea I know thée to be the onely true God and thy sonne Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent The tyme hath bene that I haue not knowē thée Wo worth that tyme that I knew thée not wo worth that blindnesse when I saw thée not wo worth that deafnesse when I heard thée not Blind deafe as I was I rā ilfauoredly through the goodly thinges that thou madest And thou wart with me and yet was not I with thée For the thinges held me farre from thée whiche should not haue bene at all if they were not in thée Thou hast inlightened me O light of the world and I haue sene thée and loued thée For no man knoweth thée but he that sées thée and no man sées thée but he that loues thée It was late ere I loued thée thou beawtie so old so fresh it was late ere I loued thée wo worth the tyme that I loued thée not Of the acknowledging of a mās owne vylenes LOrd who is like vnto thée yea euen among the Gods who is like vnto thée which art of excéeding great holines dreadfull prayse worthy and a worker of wonders Long it was ere I knew thée the true light long it was ere I knew thée There was a great darke cloud before my fond eyes so as I could not sée the sonne of righteousnesse the light of truth I like a child of darknesse was wrapped in darknesse and bycause I knew not the light I was in loue with myne owne darknesse For asmuch as I was blind I was in loue with my blindnesse and by darknesse walked into further darknesse still But who brought me out of it when I like a blind wretch sate in darknesse and the shadow of death who tooke me by the hand to leade me out of it Who is he that inlightened me For I sought not him but he sought me I called not him but he called me And who is he It is euen thou my Lord God mercyfull and pitifull the father of compassion and God of all cōfort It is euen thou my holy Lord God whom I acknowledge with my whole hart yeldyng thankes vnto thy
thée to dye and ouercamest death Thou diddest set me vp agayne by abasing thy selfe low I was vndone I was gone away in my sinnes I was sold to sinne theÌ„ camest thou for me to buy me out agayne and thou didst loue me so well that thou gauest thine own bloud for my raunsome Lord thou hast loued me more then thy selfe for thou didst finde in thy hart to dye for me Vpon this condition hast thou with so deare a price brought me backe from banishment rauÌ„somed me out of boÌ„dage rescued me from punishment called me by thyne owne name and sealed me with thy bloud that the remembraunce of thée should be euermore with me and that he should neuer departe from my hart who for my sake shunned not the crosse Thou hast anoynted me with the oyle wherewith thou thy selfe wart annoynted that I might be called a ChristiaÌ„ after thy name Christ Behold thou hast registred me vpoÌ„ thine handes to the end that the remeÌ„braunce of me might be alwayes present with thée yet notwithstandyng so as if the remembraunce of thée be alwayes preseÌ„t with me Thus theÌ„ haue thy grace mercy alwayes preuented me For thou hast ofteÌ„tymes deliuered me from many great perils O my deliuerer When I went astray thou broughtest me backe agayne wheÌ„ I was ignoraunt thou taughtest me wheÌ„ I sinned thou didst chastise me when I haue bene in heauinesse thou hast cheared me when I haue bene in dispayre thou hast recoÌ„forted me wheÌ„ I haue â—ene falne thou hast lifted me vp when I haue stode thou hast vphild me wheÌ„ I haue gone thou hast guided me when I haue come thou hast receiued me wheÌ„ I haue slept thou hast watched me and when I haue cryed vnto thée thou hast heard me ¶ That God doth continually behold and marke mens doynges intentes THese and many other good turnes hast thou done vnto me O Lord my God the lyfe of my soule and it were a pleasure to me to be alwayes talkyng of them alwayes thinkyng vppon them and alwayes giuyng thée thankes for them so as I might euer prayse thée for all thy good giftes and loue thée with all my hart and with all my soule and with all my minde and with all my streÌ„gth yea and with the very bowelles and intrayles of my hart and of all my sinewes O Lord my God the blessed swéetenesse of all that delight in thée But thine eyes haue sene myne imperfection Thine eyes I say are much clearer then the sunne vewyng throughly all the wayes of men and the bottome of the déepe and in all places alwayes beholdyng both the good and bad For in asmuch as thou ouerrulest all thynges fillyng euery thing and art wholly present at all times in all places hauyng regard of all thinges which thou hast created for thou hatest not any of the thinges that thou hast made thou takest such heede to my steppes and my pathes and kéepest such watch and ward ouer me day and night diligently markyng all my walkes lyke a continuall ouerséer as though thou hadst forgotten heauen and earth all the creatures in them and haddest regard of me alone without caryng for any of the rest For the vnchauÌ„geable light of thine eye sight increaseth not to thy selfe ward though thou looke but vpon one thing neither is it diminished though thou looke vppon sundry and innumerable thinges For like as thou coÌ„siderest the whole perfectly at once so thy whole sight beholdeth euery seuerall thynge perfectly at once and whole together be they neuer so diuers Neuerthelesse thou viewest all thinges as one and ech one thing as all thy selfe beyng whole together without diuision or chaunge or abatemeÌ„t Thou therfore being whole at all times beholdest me whole at once and alwayes without tyme as if thou haddest nothyng els to thinke vppon Yea and thou standest in such wyse my gard as if thou haddest forgotten all other thynges and wouldest taske thy selfe to me alone For thou euer shewest thy selfe present thou euer offerest thy selfe ready if thou finde me ready Whether soeuer I go thou forsakest me not except I forsake thée first Where soeuer I be thou departest not from me For thou art euery where so as whiche way soeuer I go I may finde thée by whom I may be that I perish not without thee sith I cannot be without thée I coÌ„fesse in déede that what soeuer I do and where soeuer I do it I do it before thée what soeuer I do thou séest it better then I that do it For what soeuer I am workyng thou art euer standyng at myne elbow a continuall beholder of all my thoughtes intentes delightes doinges Lord all my desire is euer before thée al my thoughts are before thée Lord thou knowest froÌ„ whence my spirite commeth where it resteth and whether it departeth for thou art the weyer of all spirites Thou knowest right well whether the roote that seÌ„deth forth faire leaues abroad be swéete or bitter yea thou searchest narrowly eueÌ„ the very pith of the rootes within as a iudge and by the discussing light of thy truth thou considerest numbrest vewest and perusest not onely the intent but also the very innermost pith of the roote of it that thou mayst render vnto euery man not onely accordyng to hys worke or intent but also euen accordyng to the very inward hidden pith of the roote of them out of which the intent of the worker procéedeth What soeuer I purpose when I worke what soeuer I thinke and wherein soeuer I delight thou séest it thyne eares heare it thyne eyes behold it and coÌ„sider it thou markest it thou takest heede of it thou notest it and thou writest it in thy booke be it good or euill that afterward thou mayst render for the good reward for the euill punishment at such tyme as thy bookes shal be opened and men shal be iudged accordyng to the thinges that be written in thy bookes And peraduenture this is it that thou mentest when thou saydest vnto vs I will consider the last of them which is ment when it is sayd of thée O Lord hee considereth the ende of all thinges For in all thinges that we do thou vndoutedly regardest more the end of the intent then the act of the deede Now when I consider this O Lord my God which art terrible and mightie I am abashed with feare of thine excéeding strength bycause it staÌ„deth vs greatly on hand to lyue iustly and vprightly for asmuch as we do all thinges in the presence of the iudge that séeth all thynges ¶ That man can do nothing of him selfe without Gods grace MOst puissant and mighty-workyng God the creator of the spirites of all flesh whose eyes are vppon all the wayes of Adams children from the day of their birth to the day of their departure to giue vnto euery of theÌ„ accordyng to his workes either good or euil shew me how I may confesse myne owne pouertie For I sayd I
dreames fantasticall Reuelations let all tounges all signes and what soeuer is able to passe be whist Yea let mine owne soule be still and let it ouerpasse it selfe not by thinking vpon it selfe but by thinking vpon thée my God bycause thou art in very deede my whole hope and trust For in thée O most swéete gracious and mercyfull God O Lorde Iesu Christ is both the portion the bloud and the flesh of euery one of vs Then looke where the portiō or peece of me reigneth there beléeue I my selfe to reigne also Looke where my bloud beareth rule there trust I to beare rule to Looke where my flesh is glorified there know I that I also am glorious and although I be a sinner yet distrust I not this communion of grace For although my sinnes forfend it yet doth my substaunce require it And although myne owne transgressiōs shet me out yet doth the communion of nature take me in ¶ That the word is become fleshe for our hopes sake FOr the Lorde is not so vnkynde as not to loue hys owne flesh his owne members his own bowels Truly I should despayre for my sinnes vyces faultes and negligences without number which I haue committed and dayly do cōmit without ceassing in hart word and déede by all meanes that mans frayltie cā offend in were it not that thy word O my God is become flesh dwelleth in vs But now I dare not despayre bicause that he beyng obedient vnto thée to the death euen to the death of the crosse hath taken away the handwriting of our sinnes and nayling the same to his crosse hath crucified both sinne death Now then I looke backe with a carelesse eye by meanes of him who sitteth at thy right hand seweth for vs I thinke lōg to come vnto thée vpon trust of him in whō we are already risen againe reuiued alredy moūted vp into heauen there do sit among the aūgels To thée be prayse to thée be glorie to thee be honor to thee be thankes Amen ¶ That the more a man museth vpon God the swéeter it is vnto him MOst merciful Lord which hast so loued saued vs so quickened exalted vs Most merciful Lord how swéete is the remembraūce of thée The more I thinke vppon thée the more swéete and amiable art thou vnto me and therfore am I greatly delighted with thy goodes With cleare eyesight of mynd with a most pure affectiō of godly loue accordyng to my small abilitie do I incessantly couet to sue for thy loue and to behold thy wonderfull beawtie in this place of my pilgrimage as long as I abyde in these brittle mēbers For I am woūded with the dart of thy loue I am sore inflamed with desire of thée I would fayne come vnto thée I long to sée thée I will therefore stand vpon my gard and with waking eyes will I sing in my hart yea I wil sing with my minde and with all my strength I will prayse thée my maker renewer I will pearce the skye with my mynde and be with thée in desire so as my body onely shal be held here in this present miserie but in thought in desirousnesse and in longyng I will alwayes be with thée for looke where thou myne incomparable desired and deare beloued treasure art there also is my hart But loe my most gracious and mercyfull Lord whereas I would consider the glory of thine vnmeasurable goodnesse louing kindnesse my hart is not sufficiēt to do it For thyne honor thy beawtie thy power thy glory thy royaltie thy maiesty and thy loue excéede all vnderstanding of mans mynde Like as the brightnesse of thy glorie is inestimable so also is the graciousnesse of thyne euerlastyng loue vnspeakable where through thou adoptest those to be thy sonnes knittest them vnto thée whom thou hast created of nothing ¶ That tribulatiōs for Christes sake are to be desired in this life O My soule if we should be fayne to suffer tormentes euery day if we should be fayne to indure euen hell fire for a long tyme that we might sée Christ in his glory and be in cōpany with his Saintes were it not méete we should abyde all the sorrow that could be that we might be made partakers of so great a benefite and of so great glory Let the deuils thē do their spight let them tempt while they tempt may let fastings forpyne the body let course apparell greue the flesh let labour pinch it let watching dry it vp let this man call vpon me let that man or that mā disquiet me let cold make me curle together let my conscience barke at me let heate scorche me let my head ake let my hart burne let my stomacke be wyndie let my face looke pale let me be wholly diseased let my life cōsume in sorrow let my yeares wast away in sighing sobbyng let rottennesse lodge within my bones let wormes crawle vnder me so I may rest in the day of trouble that we may go vp together to our people that wayt for vs For Lorde what glory shall the righteous haue How great shall the ioy of the Saintes be when euery face shall shyne as the sunne Whē the Lord hauyng sorted his people into degrées shall begin to muster them in the kingdome of his father render the promised rewardes to eche of them accordyng to hys workes and desertes giuyng to them for earthly things heauenly thinges for temporall thinges euerlasting thynges for small thinges great thynges Verely then shall happinesse be heaped vp full to the top when the Lord shall bryng hys Saintes to the sight of eternall glory make thē sit down together in heauen that God may be all in all How the kyngdome of heauen may be gotten O Happy pleasauntnesse O pleasaunt happynesse to sée the Saintes to be with the Saintes and to be a Saint to sée God and to haue God for euer euer Let vs thinke vpon this with diligent mynde let vs long after this with our whole hart that we may soone come vnto them If thou demaunde howe that may be brought to passe or by what deseruynges or by what helpes it may be compassed harken O man The kyngdome of heauen requireth none other price but thy selfe the full valew of it is thy selfe giue thy selfe for it thou shalt haue it Why troublest thou thy selfe about the price of it Christ hath giuen him selfe to purchase thée a kingdome to God the father So then giue thou thy selfe that thou mayst be his kingdome that sinne may not reigne in thy mortall body but that the spirite may reigne to the atteinement of life ¶ What Paradise is and what it hath O My soule let vs returne to the heauēly Citie wherin we be registred and made frée Citizens For like as we be felow Citizens of the Saintes and the household meynie of God like as we be the heyres of God and coheires