frendes and I trowe amonge all these thou shalt haue cōpunccōn plente of teres Whan there cometh suche deuocyon than is tyme that thou speke for thyn owne nede for all other quycke or deed that trusten to thy prayer Caste downe thy body to the groūde lyfte vp thy herte on hye with dreedfull there than make thy mone yf thou wylt thou mayst thynke thus saye A lord god almyghty blessyd mote thou be thou madest me thou boughtest me thy suffraūce is full grete in me thou woldest not take me in to dampnacyon that often I haue deserued but thou hast kepte saued me tyll I wolde forsake synne and torne hole to the. Now lorde with sorowfull herte I knowleche to thy godhede that falsely I haue spended and without proufyte all my wyttes and vertues whiche thou hast gyuē me in helpynge of my soule all the tyme of my lyfe in dyuerse vanytees all the lȳmes of my body in synne superfluytees the grace of my crystendom in pryde other wretchydnesse And sothly good lorde I haue loued other thynges moche more than the not withstandynge my grete vnkyndenes euer thou hast nourysshed me and tenderly kepte me Of thy grete suffraūce I had full lytell knowynge of thy grete ryght wysnes I had but lytell drede I toke no hede to thanke that for thy grete goodnes but al my lyfe frō daye to daye grete mater of wrath I haue shewed to the thrugh mȳ owne wyckednes herfore lorde I wote not what I shall saye to the but onely this worde in whiche I trust God of thy grete mercy haue mercy on me I wote well lorde all that I haue cometh onely of the I wote well without the no thynge may be but my synne wretchydnes cometh all of me wherfore lorde with meke herte I beseche thy grace do not to me as I haue deserued but after thy grete mercy and sende me grace of thyn holy ghoost to lyghten myn herte to cōforte my spyryte to stable me in the ryght waye to performe thy cōmaundementes that I may haue perseueraūce in that I haue begonne that I be nomore departed frō the by my vnstablenes or by temptacyons of myn enemye It is lorde yet ful worthy that I be chastysed for my wycked lyuȳge with what rodde thy wyll is welcome be thy sendynge Pacyētly good lorde sende me grace gladly to suffre thy chastysynge cōfort me amōge for thy grete grace whan thy wyll is withdrawe thy rodde take me to thy mercy Full bytter be these temptacyons full greuous to suffre though they be dredefull I wote well here after they shall be medefull to my soule but good lorde thou knowest well myn herte is ryght feble moche is mȳ vnstablenes my connynge is but lytell therfore good lorde strength me stable me teche me as thou madest me bought me so kepe defende me body soule I take to the no thynge after my wyll but as thou wylt lorde so mote it be And now good Ihesu goddes sone knower of all thȳge helpe me in wycked thoughtes that I dysplease the not in lyuynge ne in assentynge full often I haue dyspleased the in dyuerse thoughtes all ayenst thy wyll moche to my lykynge therfore it is thy ryghtwysnes that I be trauayled with other thoughtes at thyn ordynaūce greuous to me but curteys Ihesu whan thy wyl is put them awaye take me in to thy grace Iesu cryst goddes sone whiche stode styll before the Iuge no thȳge to hȳ answerynge withdrawe my tongue tyll I thynke what how I shall speke that may be to thy worshyp Ihesu goddes sone whose hondes were boūde full sore for my loue gouerne wysshe mȳ hondes al myn other lȳmes that all my werkes may begynne gracyously ende to thy moost pleasure Also lorde thou seest well that many ther be that trust to my prayer for grace that ye shewe to me more thā I am worthy ye wote well lorde I am not suche as they wene but though me prayer be vnworthy take hede to theyr lownes to theyr deuocōn what they desyre to your worshyp graūte it them for your goodnes Graūte them me to all other for whom we be bounde to praye grace to loue all that is to your lykynge and you to loue to your moost pleasynge no thynge to desyre that sholde dysplease you All maner temptacyons myghtely to withstande all other vanytees for your loue to despyse you good lorde euer to haue in mynde and in your seruyce for to abyde to our lyues ende And yf ye graūte vs ony thynge to doo that shall be to vs medefull graunte prate to the soules whiche be departed from the body in the paynes of purgatorye abydynge your mercy Amen ¶ In suche maner thou mayst praye in the begȳnynge whan thou art well entred in to deuocyon thou shalt perauenture haue better felynge in prayers and in holy medytacyons otherwyse than I can saye or shewe Good broder or syster praye thā for me whiche by the techynge of almyghty god haue wryten to the these fewe wordes in helpynge of thy soule A Good curteys aungell ordeyned to my gouernale I knowe well my feblenes my vnconnynge also well I wote that strength haue I none to do goddes seruyce but onely of his gyfte of your besy kepynge The connynge that I haue cometh no thȳge of me but what god wyll sende me by your good entysynge Now good gracyous aūgel I aske you lowely mercy for lytell hede I haue taken of your good besynes but now I thāke you as I can with full herte besechynge you that ye kepe me truely this daye euermore slepynge wakynge with syker defendynge your holy techȳge Defende me kepe me from bodely harmes defende me kepe me from ghoostly peryles to goddes worshyp sauȳge of my soule Teche me wysshe me my wyttes for to dyspende moost to goddes worshyp pleasynge Fede me with deuocyon sauour of ghoostly swetnes conforte me whā nede is ayenst my ghoostly enemyes suffre me not to lese y◠grace that is graūted me but of your worthy offyce kepe me in goddes seruyce to my lyues ende And after the passynge of the body presente my soule vnto the mercyfull god For though I fall aldaye by mȳ owne freelte you I take in wytnes that euer I hope in mercy Gladly wolde I worshyp the I myght to your lykynge therfore god to worshyp for you you also in hym after his holy techynge I thanke hym with this holy prayer ¶ Pater noster Et ne nos Sed libera nos a malo Amen Deo gratias ¶ Enprynted at London in Fletestrete in the sygne of the sonne By Wynkyn de Worde Anno dn̄i MCCCCC vi
our myndes diuerse ymagynacyons as worldely flesshely thoughtes and somtyme other thoughtes whiche be full greuous peryllous eyther to make vs haue a grete lust lykynge in thē that be worldely or flesshely or ellys to brynge vs in grete heuynes or drede thrugh tho thoughtes whiche be greuous peryllous ¶ As to the worldely or flesshely thoughtes yf we suttre theym to abyde in oure herte so longe wylfully tyll we haue lykynge in them than hath the deuyll wonne a grete stronge warde of vs purfyeweth ferthermore with all his besynes to make vs assente to hym as in wyll to performe it in dede By that dede thou mayst vnderstande euery dedely synne after the suggestyon is in the begynnynge To some he begynneth with a fals suggestyon of pryde or ellys of couetyse to some with a suggestyon of glotonye or lecherye and so of all other synnes wherin he supposeth soonest to haue maystrye ouer man for euery man is enclyned more to one maner synne than to an other And where he hath maystrye that is to say where that synne is performed in dede he besyeth hȳ sore to brynge it in to custome so thorugh the custome to haue vs hole vnder his power Go fle withstāde all these perylles the prophete Dauyd sayth in the sawter Go away warde or bowe awaye from euyll do good that is to saye after the exposycyon of doctours Go from the euyll of suggestyon from the suggestyon of entysynge from the euyl of delytynge from the euyll of assentynge from the euyl of dede from the euyll of custome Withstande than all suche worldely or flesshely thoughtes as moche as god wyll gyue the grace that thou fal in none of these euylles whiche as I haue sayd be full peryllous Ferthermore as to the greuous thoughtes peryllous perauenture thou wylt aske whiche be tho thoughtes that be so greuous peryllous All tho thoughtes that thou hast ayenst thy wyl whiche make the heuy or sory be greuous And for to shewe the more openly what man that ymagyeth vpon hyghe maters that be ghoostly whiche passe all erthely mennes wytte As vpon the fayth of holy chyrche or suche other that neden not to be specyfed at this tyme for that man hath greuous thoughtes peryllous yf we suffre suche ymagynacyous abyde take none hede in the begynnȳge to the fals suggestyon of the fende wtin short tyme or euer we be ware eyther he wyll make vs lese our kyndely wytte reason or ellys he wyl brynge vs to vnreasonable drede Of suche temptacyons it is nedefull to be ware put theym awaye yf thou may with dououte prayers other occupacyons yf thou may not voyde them suffre them than esely For thou shalt vnderstande that they be ryght nedeful medefull for thy soule for but it were so that suche thoughtes come somtyme in to thy mynde thou sholdest seme in thy selfe that thou were an aungell no man therfore it is nedefull that thou be tempted otherwyle with euyll thoughtes that thou mayst se knowe thyn owne feblenes vnstablenes whiche cometh of thy selfe and that thou mayst fele the strength whiche thou hast onely of god Also thou shalt suffre suche thoughtes esely but thou mayst voyde them for all suche thoughtes so that thou delyte the not in them they ben a grete purgȳge for thy soule a grete strength to kepe within the vertues all be it that they be sharpe bytter for the tyme thynke well that they shal make thy soule clene that was ryght foule make it hole that was ryght syke and brynge it in to euerlastynge lyfe helth without ende to the whiche lyfe helth may no man come withoute grete sharpenes bytternes ¶ Also whan thou art trauayled with thoughtes whiche thou mayst not put away thynke wel that it is a grete ryght wysnes of god that thou haue suche thoughtes For ryght as thou hast had full often thy wyl lykynge in worldely and flesshely thoughtes ayenst the wyll of god ryght so it is the wyl of god that thou haue other thoughtes ayenst thy wyl But yet it is good that thou beware of them that thou drede them dyscretly and truste stedfastly in god For whan the soule hath no delyte in suche thoughtes but hateth lotheth them thaā they be a clensynge a grete mede to the soule but yf it so be that there come somtyme onyly kynge of synne or of ony vanyte thorugh suche thoughtes than withstande thynke that it is a fals suggestyon of the deuyll therwith be dredful and sory that thou hast offended god in lykynge of suche fals ymagynacyons ¶ I rede that for suche thoughtes onely thou shalt not be dampned though they be come in to thy mynde for it is not in thy power to let them to come But yf it be so that thou assente or delyte in them than beware for there thou dyspleasest god Also it is good that thou drede god though thou assente not to euyll thoughtes that thou fall not for pryde For eche man that standeth in vertues standeth onely by the vertue grace of almyghty god Thus than beware of thoughtes for here thou mayst se that all temptacyons begynne with fals suggestyons of the wycked spyryte And yf thou haue grace to withstande suche thoughtes thou shalt ouercome all suche temptacōns And for the moost souerayn remedy ayenst all maner temptacōns it is good that thou shewe thy disease to thy ghoostly fader as oft as it nedeth els to some other good man of ghoostly lyuynge as I sayd before in the fyfth poynt of the thyrde degree of loue ¶ Ferthermore to speke of temptacyons I rede that whan the wycked fende may not ouercome a man wakynge than is his besynes to trauayle to taryenge hym slepynge And that is to dysceyue hym yf he may in thre maners One is to begyle hym thrugh glad confortable dremes The seconde is to greue to lette hȳ thrugh sorowfull dredefull dremes And the thyrde is to make hym the rather assente to synne wakynge thrugh foule syghtes or other dyuerse vanytees whiche he suffreth slepynge therfore it is good to beware of dremes for in some thou mayst wel byleue some it is good to sette at nought for somtyme god sheweth cōfort to wycked men slepynge that they sholde the rather leue theyr synne somtyme he comforted good men slepȳge to make them more feruent in his loue but for as moche as thou myghtest lyghtly be disceyued thrugh suche illusyons I coūseyll the to put them all out frō thy herte or els to shewe thē to thy ghostly frendes For oftymes he that hath moche lykynge in dremes is moost taryed and out of reste Also thou shalt not drede suche dremes what soeuer they be For as I rede yf thou be stable in the fayth of holy chyrche yf thou loue god with all thy herte yf thou be obedyent
I counseyll the in herte and in wyll that thou flee all suche vanytees For though thou be lorde or lady husbonde man or wyfe thou mayst haue as stable an herte wyll as some relygyous that sytte in the cloystres But so the it is that the moost sykerest waye is to fle as relygyous do but for all may not be men or women of relygyon therfore of euery degre in the worlde god hath chosen his seruauntes What euer than thou be that wyt come to the loue of god begynne fyrst to do good dedes with a good wyll and a contynuell desyre After that desyre fulfyl thy wyll in dede with dyscrecyon that thou mayst contynue to thy lyues ende Whā thou hast begonne thynke in thyn herte that god hath gyue the suche grace to begynne that thynge to his worshyp thou mayst well do it yf thou wylt performe it in dede with the helpe of god After this poynte stande stably in wyll aske grace of perseueraunce and performe it in dede with a feruent spyryte And whan thou hast begonne dyscretly though it be trauaylous in the begynnynge all that trauayle be it in fastynges wakynges prayers or ony other ghoostly trauayle all shall be lyght to the shall torne the in so grete myrthe and ghoostly conforte that thou shalt sette lytell by the passynge Ioye and the vanytees of the worlde Stande than stably in wyll and in dede and god almyghty that hath begonne good werkes in the wyll norysshe the forth in all vertues defende the from thyn enemyes teche the to loue hym and kepe the in to his loue to thy lyues ende after this deth thou shalt not drede for thou shalt euer abyde in his kyngdome where that is no care ne drede but all Ioye conforte for euermore lastynge ¶ Now I haue shewed to the foure degrees of loue declared here fyue specyall vertues whiche as me thynketh be moost nedeful euery man for to haue that wyl trauayle in ghoostly werkes to al other maner men and women they be full spedefull to knowe whether they be relygyous or seculer And for as moche as many in the begynnynge haue full lytell sauour in deuoute prayers or in holy medytacōns some perauenture for tender age some for vnconnynge therfore to suche symple folke I wyll shewe a maner forme how by medytacyon they may be styred to deuocyon and what maner prayer shall be to theym nede full AB ¶ By what prayer or thought thou mayst be styred to deuocyon THan thou ordeynest the to praye or haue ony deuocyon founde to haue a preuy place from all maner noyse tyme of reste wtout ony lettynge Syt there or knele there as is moost to thyn ease Than be thou lorde or lady thynke wel thou hast a god that made the of nought whiche hath gyue to the thy ryght wyttes ryght lȳmes other worldely ease more than to some other as thou mayst se aldaye that lyue in grete dysease moche bodely myschyef Thynke also how synful thou art were not the kepynge of that good god thou sholdest fall in to all maner of synne by thȳ owne wretchednes than thou mayst thynke sothly as of thy self that there is none so synful as thou art Also yf thou haue ony vertue or grace of good lyuynge thynke it cometh of goddes sendynge nothynge of thy selfe Thynke also how longe how often god hath suffred the in synne he wolde not take the in to dampnacyon whan thou haddest deserued it but goodly hath abyden the tyll thou woldest leue synne torne to goodnes for loth hȳ were to forsake that he bought so dere with bytter paynes Also thou mayst thynke for he wolde not lese the he became man was borne of a mayde in pouerte trybulacyons all his lyfe he lyued after for thy loue deth he wolde suffre to saue the by his mercy ¶ In suche maner thou mayst thynke of his grete benefytes and for the more grace to gete to the compūccyon beholde with thy ghoostly eye his pyteous passyon ¶ A short medytacōn of the passyon of our lorde Ihesu cryste THou mayst here ymagyne in thy herte as yf thou sawe thy lorde take of his enemyes with many repreues despytes brought before a Iuge falsely there accused of many wycked men he answered ryght nought but mekely suffred theyr wordes They wolde nedes haue hȳ deed but fyrst to suffre paynes Beholde thā that good lorde cheuerynge quakynge all his body naked bounde to a pyler about hym standynge wicked men wtout ony reason sore scorgynge that blessyd body without ony pyte Se how they cesse not from theyr angry strokes tyll they se hym stande in his blood vp to his ancles from the toppe of his heed to the sole of his foot hole skynne they lefte none his flesshe they rased to the bones for werynes of them selfe they lefte hym almoost dede Loke than asyde vp on his blessyd moder se what sorow she made for her dere sone haue compassyon of her payne that laye there aswowne Torne agayne to thy lorde se howe they vnbynde hym how hastly they drawe hym forth to do hȳ more dysease A garlonde of thornes they put vpon his heed tyll the blood ran downe in to his eyen nose mouth eeres Than they kneled downe with scornes arose vp with repreue spette in his face See than how the blessyd lady beteth her breste draweth her clothes wryngeth her hondes I trowe thou wylt wepe for that pyteful syght ¶ Loke yet agayn to thy lorde se how they hurle hym forth to an hyghe hylle there to nayle hym hande foot vpon the rode tree Se than fyrst how fyersly they drawe of his clothes how mekely that he than wente to the crosse he spredeth his armes abrode but strayter with cordes they drewe forth his armes tyl the synewes the Ioyntes be all to broke than with full grete nayles they nayled his precyous hondes to the crosse In the same maner thou mayst se how greuously they drawe his dere worthy legges and nayled his feet downe to the tree Se than how they profered hym for to drynke bytter galle eysyll and kneled agayn before hym with many despytes Than herken to that good lorde how mekely he taketh leue of his gracyous moder and of his dere apostles betaketh them eyther to other as dere moder and sone Than with a grete voyce he cōmended his spyryte to his father in heuen and hanged downe that blessyd heed ryght forth vpon his brest Se also how soone after they perced his herte thrugh with a spere with full grete anger and ranne downe by his body medled blood water Than mayst thou haue full grete pyte beholdynge that good lady how for sorowe she synketh downe in her systers armes Take hede to the chere of his apostle saynt Iohan to the teres of Marye magdalene and of his other