word O God the word whereby all thinges are made without whom there is not any thing made Wo is me wretch so often blinded for that thou art the light and I am without thée Wo is me wretch so often wounded for that thou art the salue and I am without thée Wo is me wretch so often ouerséene for that thou art the truth I am without thée Wo is me wretch so often straying for that thou art the way I am without thée Wo is me wretch so often dead for that thou art the life and I am without thée Wo is me wretch so oftē brought to nought for that thou art the word by which all thinges were made I am without thée with out whom nothing was made O Lord the worde O God the word who art the light by whō light was made who art the way truth and life in whom there is no darknesse ouersight vanitie nor death O light without whiche all is but darknes O truth with out which all is but leasing O life without whiche all is but death Lord say the word that light may be made so as I may sée the light eschew darknesse sée the way eschew straying sée the truth and eschew leasing sée life and eschew death Shyne forth O Lord my light my inlightening my welfare whom I will reuerēce my Lord whom I will prayse my God whom I will honor my father whom I wil loue my bridegrome to whō I will kéepe my selfe Shyne forth O light shine forth I say to this blind soule of mine which sisteth in darknesse in the shadow of death and guide my féete into the way of peace that I may passe thereby into the place of thy wonderfull Tabernacle euē to the house of God with the voyce of gladnesse and confessiō For true confession is the way whereby I may enter vnto thée which art the way whereby I may returne from bywayes and whereby I come agayne to thée which art the way for thou art the very way of life ¶ Of the fall of the Soule into sinne AS long as I was without thée I was as nothyng And therfore I was blind deafe and senselesse For I did neither discerne the good nor shunne the euill nor féele the grief of my woundes nor sée myne owne darknesse bycause I was without thée the true light which inlightenest euery man that commeth into this world Wo is me they haue wounded me and I was not sorie they haue haled me and I felt it not For I was as nothing bycause I was without life which is the word wherby all things are made And therfore O Lord my light mine enemies haue done what they lifted to me they haue strikē me they haue berayed me they haue marred me they haue wounded me and they haue killed me bycause I shrunke backe from thee and am become as a thing of nothing without thée ▪ Alas Lord my life which madest me my light which hast guided me then defender of my life haue mercie vppon me Rayse me vp againe O Lord my god My hope my power my strength my comfort haue an eye to mine enemies in the day of my trouble and rescue me Let them that hate me flée away from my face and let me liue in thée by thée For they haue lyen in wayt for me O Lord and whē they saw me without thée they despised me They parted amōg them the garmentes of the vertues wherewith thou haddest apparelled me They made their way through me they trampled me vnder their féete they defiled thy holy temple with the filth of their sinnes and they left me desolate forpyned with sorrowe I went after them blind and naked and shackled with the fetters of sinnes They dragged me after them roūd about from vyce to vyce and from myre to myre and I went without strength before the face of him that pursued me I was a bondslaue and yet I loued slauerie I was blind still I longed for blindnesse I was manacled yet I misliked not my manacles I thought bitter to be swéete swéete to be bitter I was a wretch wist it not And all this came to passe bycause I was without the word wherby al things are preserued without which all thinges are worse then nothing For like as al things were made by the word and nothing was made without it euen so by it are all thinges preserued and mainteyned what soeuer they be either in heauen or in earth or in the Sea or in any déepes One péece should not cleaue to another in a stone or in any of the thinges that be created vnlesse they were mainteyned by the worde whereby all thinges were made Therfore will I sticke vnto thée O word that thou mayst preserue me for assoone as I step aside from thée I am vndone in my selfe sauyng that thou which madest me hast also renued me agayne For whē I had sinned thou didst visit me when I was falue thou didst lift me vp agayne when I was ignoraūt thou didst teach me and when I could not sée thou didst inlighten me ¶ Of Gods manifold benefites WRetch that I am my God shew me how much I am bound to loue thée Make it appeare to me how much I ought to prayse thée Make me to know how much I ought to please thée Lord thunder thou downe into the inwarde care of my hart Teach me and saue me and I will prayse thée For thou hast created me when I had no being thou hast inlightened me when I was in darknesse thou hast raysed me whē I was dead thou hast fed me with thy benefites euen from my youth vp This vnprofitable worme which stinketh with sinne thou nourishest with all thy singular good giftes Open vnto me O thou key of Dauid which openest and no man shutteth agaynst him to whom thou openest and shettest and no man openeth vnto him whom thou shettest out Open me the doore of thy light that I may enter in and both know acknowledge vnto thée with my whole hart that thy mercy is great towardes me that thou hast deliuered my soule from the bottom of hel O Lord our God how wonderful and prayse worthy is thy name through all the earth And what is mā that thou art mindfull of him or the sonne of man that thou visitest him O Lord whiche art the hope of the Saintes and the tower of their strength O God the life of my soule wherby I liue and where without I dye O light of myne eyes by which I see and without which I am sightlesse O ioy of my hart and chearer of my spirites let me loue thée with all my hart with all my mind with all my strength and with all intiernesse for thou hast loued me first And why hast thou done so to me O maker of heauen and of earth and of the bottomlesse déepe who hast no néede of me Wherupō commeth it that
without losse health fulnesse without impayring aboundance without want lyfe without death continuance with out corruption blessednesse with out abatement all good things in perfect loue beawtie and beholding face to face full knowledge of all thinges and in all thinges where Gods souereine goodnesse is séene his inlightening light is glorified of the Saints where the present maiesty of God is beheld and the mindes of the beholders satisfied therewithall as with the foode of life The more they sée it the more they desire to sée it yet desire they it without disquietnesse and haue their fill of it without wéerinesse There the daysunne of righteousnesse cheareth all meÌ„ with the wonderous sight of his beawtie and so in lighteneth all the Citizens of the heauenly soyle that they them selues yeld light euen the light that God hath behighted them light more lightsome then all the brightnes of our daysunne theÌ„ the clearenesse of all the starres For they cleaue to the immortal Godhead and thereby are made immortall and incorruptible theÌ„ selues according to this promise of our Lord and Sauiour Father as for those whoÌ„ thou hast giuen me I wil haue them to be where I am that they may sée my glory and that they may be all one as thou father art in me and I in thée and that they also may be one in vs. ¶ Of the kingdome of heauen O Realme of heaueÌ„ O most happy Realme O Realme without death O kingdome without end where is no succession of time by ages where the day lasting continually without night woteth not what time meaneth where the souldier that getteth the vpper haÌ„d is rewarded with vnspeakable gifts for his labour and hath an euerlasting garland set vpon his noble head Would God that Christ of his heauenly pitie hauing released the burthen of my sinnes would commaunde me the basest of his seruaunts to lay aside the fardell of this flesh that I might passe into the endlesse ioyes of his Citie to repose my selfe so as I might keepe coÌ„panie with the holy sort aboue stand before the glorious maiestie of my creator with the blessed spirites behold the present countenaunce of God be touched with no feare of death reioyse in suretie of the incorruptiblenesse of the euerlastyng immortalitie and being linked to him that knoweth all thinges forgoe all blindnes of ignoraunce nothing esteeming all earthly things and not vouchsauyng to looke vppon this vale of teares or to remeÌ„ber it any more whereas our lyfe is a painfull life a corruptible life a lyfe full of all bitternesse a lyfe that is mistresse of mischief and haÌ„dmayd of hell whom humors make to swell whom paynes abate whom heate parcheth whoÌ„ ayres make diseased whom meates puffe vp whom fastings forepyne whom mirth maketh nyce whoÌ„ heauines consumeth whom thought pincheth whom ease dwelleth whoÌ„ riches pranke vp whoÌ„ pouertie pulleth down whoÌ„ youth setteth aloft whoÌ„ age makes to stoope whom sicknesse defaceth whom sorow thrusteth downe whom the deuill layeth wayt for whom the world flattereth whom the flesh delighteth where the soule is blinded where the whole man is put out of order After all which so many and so great mischieues succeedeth cruel death and in such wise maketh an end of all vayne ioyes that wheÌ„ they be once past they may be thought to haue neuer bene In what wise God coÌ„forteth the sorrowfull soule after the loÌ„g mornyng therof BVt what prayses or what thankesgiuinges are we able to render vnto thée O Lorde our God who ceassest not to coÌ„fort vs with the wonderfull visitation of thy grace among the great miseries of our mortalitie Behold while I feare the end of my lyfe whyle I consider my sinnes while I stand in feare of thy Iustice while I thinke vpon the horror of death while I shudder at the punishement of hell whyle I knowe not with what straitnes thou doost boult out and wey my workes while I am vtterly ignoraunt with what end I shall close them vp and while I bethinke me of these and many other thynges to my selfe in my hart thou O Lord God of thine accustomed pitie art ready at haÌ„d to comfort me wretch replenished with many griefes and in the middes of these monynges sore complaints and déepe sighes of my hart thou takest vp my sad and sorrowfull minde to the toppes of the high mountaines eueÌ„ to the beddes of sweete spyces putting me in a place of pasture by the riuers of swéete waters where thou preparest a table diuersly furnished against I come to refresh my appalled sprights and to cheare vp my heauy hart through which deinties I beyng at length refreshed do forget my manifold miseries beyng lifted vp aboue the heigth of the earth do take my rest in thée which art the true peace ¶ Of the sweetnesse of the loue of God. I Loue thee my God I loue thee and more more would I fayne loue thée My Lord God thou rest of all the childreÌ„ of meÌ„ graunt me to long for thee to loue thée as much as I would and as much as I should Thou art vnmeasurable and must be loued without measure specially of vs whom thou hast so loued whom thou hast so saued and for whom thou hast made so great so goodly thinges O loue whiche burnest euer and art neuer quenched O swéete Christ O gracious Iesu O my God which art loue it selfe set me wholly on fire with thy fire with the loue of thée with thy swéetnesse with desirousnesse of thée with likyng of thée with ioying and reioysing in thée with thy pitifulnesse pleasantnesse and with the pleasure and delight of thée which is holy and good chaste and cleane that being throughly full of the swéetnesse of thy loue wholly besmoked with the flame of affection towardes thée I may loue thée my Lord God most swéete and most beawtifull with all my hart with all my soule with all my streÌ„gth with all my power with much sorrow of hart sheading of teares with much reuerence and trembling hauing thée in my hart in my mouth before mine eyes alwayes in all places so as there may be no rowme in me for any counterfet or vncleane loue ¶ Of ioy O Swéete loue O louyng swéetnes let my belly eate thée and let my bowels be filled with the pleasaunt wyne of thy loue let my minde vtter forth good wordes O charity my God swéete honny snowye milke the foode of Aungelles make me to growe in thée that I may eate thée with a sauorie tast Thou art my life whereby I liue the hope that I sticke vnto the glory that I desire Hold thou my hart rule my mynde guide myne vnderstandyng cheare vp my loue lift thou vp my Soule drawe the mouth of my spirite whiche thirsteth after thée vp to the water streames that are aboue I beséech thée let the troubleoâ—â—nesse of the flesh cease Let the fancies of landes waters aire and skye hold their peace Let
of Christ so let vs consider the happy royalty of our Citie so farre forth as it is possile for vs to consider it Let vs say with the Prophet O how glorious thinges are spoken of thée thou Citie of God for thou art the dwellyng place of all them that reioyse the ioy of the whole earth is founded vpoÌ„ thée There is not in thée any age nor miserie of age There is not in thée any maymed person any lame man any crooke backe nor any mishapen body For all be groweÌ„ vp to perfect men after the full measure of the age of Christ What blesseder thyng can there be theÌ„ such a life where there is no feare of pouertie nor weakenesse of disease No man is harmed there no man is displeased there no man enuyeth there There is no burnyng of couetousnesse no desire of meate no ambitious sewing for honor and authoritie there is no dread of deuill no snares of féendes no feare of hell fire There is no death neither of body nor of soule but pleasaunt life assured of immortalitie TheÌ„ shall there be no miseries then shall there be no debates but all things shal be at agréement bycause all the Saints shall agrée in one Peace and mirth hold all thinges together all thinges are calme and quiet There is continuall light not such as is now here but so much the brighter as it is much happyer For as we read that Citie shall néede no Sâ—â—ne nor Moone bycause the Lord almightie shal shine in it and the lambe shal be the light of it Where the Saintes shal shine as the starres for euer without end and such as haue taught many in the way of righteousnesse shal be as the brightnesse of the skye Wherfore there shal be no night no darknesse no méeting of cloudes no painefulnesse of heate or cold but there shal be such a temperatnesse as neuer eye hath séene eare heard nor hart of any man conceiued sauing onely of them that are counted worthy to enioy the same whose names are written in the booke of life But yet it is farre aboue all these thinges to be in felowship with the companies of Aungels Archaungels and all the heauenly powers to behold the patriarkes and Prophetes to sée the Apostles and all the Saints yea and also to sée our owne parentes Glorious are these thinges but much more glorious is it to behold the present countenaunce of God to sée his infinite brightnesse A passing excellent glorie shal it be when we shall sée God in him selfe and when we shall both sée and haue him in our selues of whoÌ„ we shall neuer haue seene inough What thing God requireth like vnto him self in vs. GOd the father is Charitie God the sonne is louyngnesse and God the holy ghost is the loue of the father the sonne This loue this charitie and this louingnesse requireth some like thing in vs that is to wit charitie whereby we be associated knitte vnto God as it were by some alyance of kinred Loue passing not for dignity looketh for no reuerence He that loueth coÌ„meth boldly of him selfe vnto God speaketh familiarly vnto him without any feare or without any stickyng His life is but losse which loueth not But he that loueth hath his eyes euermore to Godward whoÌ„ he loueth whoÌ„ he longeth for whoÌ„ he thinketh of in whoÌ„ he delighteth vpon whoÌ„ he féedeth in whom he battleth Such a one as is thus disposed doth so sing so read is so forecasting and circumspect in all his workes as though God were present before his eyes so is he present in déede He prayeth in such wise as if he were taken vp and presented before the face of Gods maiesty in his high throne where thousandes of thousandes do him seruice and ten hundred thousand are staÌ„dyng about him Looke what soule loue visiteth the same doth it awake out of sléepe It monisheth softeneth wouÌ„deth his hart It inlighteneth the darke places vnlocketh the shet places warmeth the cold places méekeneth the sturdie fumish impacient mynde chaceth away vyce bridleth fleshly affections amendeth maners reformeth reneweth the spirite and restreineth the light motions and actions of slipperie youth All these thinges doth loue when it is present And assoone as loue is gone away by and by the soule beginneth to droope like as a boylyng cawldron cooleth if a man drawe away the fire from vnder it ¶ Of the boldnesse of the soule that loueth God. LOue is a great thing where through the Soule preaceth boldly of it selfe vnto God and sticketh stedfastly vnto god The Soule that loueth God asketh questions of him familiarly and taketh couÌ„sell of him in all cases It can thinke vpon nothing els it can speake of nothing els it despiseth all other thinges and it lotheth all other thinges sauyng god What soeuer it myndeth what soeuer it speaketh it sauoureth of loue and it smelleth of loue so wholly hath the loue of God wonne it vnto him He that will haue knowledge of God let him loue him In vayne commeth he to reading studying preaching or praying which loueth not The loue of God bréedeth the loue of the soule maketh it intentife thereunto God loueth to the intent to be loued againe When he loueth he meaneth nothing els but to be loued for he knoweth that they whiche loue hym are blessed by theyr loue The soule that loueth God renounceth all her owne affections and giueth her selfe wholly to nothyng els but loue to the ende she may aunswere loue for loue And when she hath vtterly spent her selfe in loue how small a thyng is it in respect of that euerlastyng streame of the heauenly loue There is great oddes in the matche betwéene the loue and the louer betwéene the soule and God betwéene the maker and the creature And yet if the soule loue thée whole where the whole is there is no want Let not the soule be afrayde whiche loueth but let the soule be afrayde whiche loueth not The soule that loueth is caried with desirousnesse drawen with longing disclaymeth desertes shetteth the eyes of maiestie openeth the eyes of pleasure setteth her selfe in safetie and dealeth boldly with god Through loue the soule withdraweth and departeth aside from the bodily senses so as it féeleth not it selfe to the ende it may féele god And this is done at such tyme as the mynde beyng allured with the vnspeakable swéetenesse of God doth after a sorte steale awaye from it selfe or rather is rauished and slippeth away from it selfe to the intent to enioy God to her delight Nothing could be so pleasaunt if it were not so gezon Loue procureth familiaritie with God familiaritie procureth boldnesse boldnesse tast and tast continuall hungering The soule that is surprised with the loue of God can thinke of nothing els nor wish nothing els but with often sighes sayth Like as the Hert thirsteth after the water springes so thirsteth my soule after thée my God. ¶ What God hath
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
loue whom I prayse and worship both with mynde and mouth and with all the power that I am able My mynde beyng vowed vnto thee and inflamed with loue of thée sighyng for want of thee gapyng after thee and longyng onely to see thee hath no pleasure in any thyng but to speake of thee to heare of thee to write of thee to conferre of thee and to bethinke it selfe oftentymes of thy glorie so as the remembraunce of thee may be some refreshyng to me among the stormes of this worlde Thee therefore do I call vpon most earnestly vnto theee do I crye with a loude noyse euen from the bottome of my hart And when I call vpon thee verely I call vpon thee in my selfe for I should not be at all except thou wart in me and except I were in thee thou wouldest not be in me Thou art in me bycause thou abydest in my mynde thereby doe I know thee and therin doe I finde thee When I remember thee I am also delighted in thee and by thee of whom by whom and in whom all thynges be ¶ Of Gods Wonderfull being THou Lord fillest heauen earth bearyng vp all thinges without being burthened filling all thyngs without being inclosed alwayes doing and yet alwayes at rest alwayes gathering but not for any néede alwayes séeking and yet thou missest nothing louing yet not doting being ielous and yet still in quyet It repenteth thée and yet thou art not gréeued thou art angrie and yet not out of patience Thou chaungest thy workes but thou chaungest not thy purpose Thou receiuest that which thou hast sought out and yet thou haddest neuer lost it Thou art neuer néedy yet thou delightest to gaine Thou art neuer couetous yet thou demaūdest vsurie Thou lashest out where thou owest not or rather there is alwayes cōming into thée that thou mayst owe. But who hath aught that is not thine Thou payest dets yet art in no mans dets Thou forgiuest dets yet forgoest nothing Thou art euery where euery where thou art whole perceiued thou mayst be séene thou cāst not be Thou art no where absēt and yet art thou far of from the thoughtes of the wicked nay looke where thou art far of there art thou not away for where thou art absent by grace there art thou presēt by vēgeance So art thou present in all places and yet canst scarsly be found Thou standest still when we folow thée and yet we cannot ouertake thée Thou holdest all thinges fillest all thinges inuironest all things surmoūtest all things and susteinest all things Thou teachest the hartes of the faithfull without noyse of wordes thou art not disseuered by places nor altered by times nor subiect vnto to and fro Thou dwellest in vnapprochable light whiche neuer man saw nor can sée Abyding quietly in thy selfe thou goest euerywhere about the whole for thou canst not be cut or deuided bycause thou art but one in very déede art not made out into partes or péeces but being whole thou mainteinest the whole thou fillest the whole thou inlightenest the whole and thou possessest the whole ¶ Of the vnspeakable knowledge of God. ALthough the whole world were full of bookes yet could not thyne vnspeakable knowledge be vttered For in asmuch as thou art vnspeakable thou cāst in no wise be put in writing or comprehended Thou art the fountaine of godly light and the sunne of euerlasting brightnesse Thou art great without quantifie and therfore vnmeasurable Thou art good without qualitie therfore very good souereinly good and no man is good but thou alone Whose will is a worke for thou cāst do what thou listest Thou hast created all thinges of nothing and by thine onely will hast thou made them Thou possessest all thy creatures without any want of them thou gouernest them without payne thou rulest them without wéerines there is nothing that may trouble the order of thy gouernemēt from the highest thinges to the lowest Thou art in all places without place confeynyng all thinges without inclosure and being present euery where without setting or remouing Thou art not the author of any euill for thou canst do none euill Wheras thou canst do all thinges thou hast not done any thing wherof it can forthinke thée It is of thy goodnesse that we be made of thy iustice that we be punished and of thy mercy that we be deliuered Whose almightinesse gouerneth ruleth filleth all thinges which it hath made Yet meane I not by thy filling of all things that they conteine thée but rather that thou conteinest them Neither fillest thou all things by parcel meale neither is it in any wise to be thought that ech thing receiueth thée accordyng to the proportion of it owne bignesse that is to wit the greatest things more and the smallest thinges lesse but rather that thou thy selfe art whole in all things and all things in thée whose almightinesse incloseth all thinges and no man cā finde any shift to scape frō thy power For he that hath not thy fauour shal neuer escape thy displeasure ¶ Of the longing of the soule that féeleth God. THerfore O most mercyfull God I call vpō thée for my soule whiche thou preparest to receiue thée through the desire which thou breathest into it Enter into it I beséech thée make it fit for thée that thou mayst possesse that whiche thou hast both made and renewed that I may haue thée as a seale vpō my hart O most pitifull Lord I beséech thée forsake not him that calleth vpon thee for ere I could call vppon thée thou diddest both cal me and séeke me to the intent that I thy seruaunt should séeke thée by séeking thée finde thée when I had found thée loue thée Lord I haue sought thée found thée and I desire also to loue thée Increase my desirousnesse graunt the thyng I craue for if thou shouldest giue me all that euer thou madest it would not suffice thy seruaūt except thou giue him thy selfe to Giue me thy selfe therfore O my God restore thy selfe vnto me Behold I am in loue with thée and if that be to litle let me be yet more in loue I am bound with the loue of thée I burne in desire of thée I am delighted with the swéete remembraunce of thée Behold when my mynde styeth vpward vnto thée busieth it selfe with thinking vpon thyne vnspeakable louing kindnesse the fardell of my fleshe is the lesse burdensome vnto me the turmoyling of my thoughtes ceasseth the weight of my mortalitie miseries maketh me not dull as they are wōt to do all thinges are still and all things are calme My hart gloweth my minde reioyceth my memorie is fresh mine vnderstanding is cleare and my whole spirite being kindled with desire to sée thee findeth it selfe rauished with the loue of things inuisible Let my spirite take the winges of an Eagle flye without ceassing Let it flye euen till it come to the
beawtie of thy house and to the throne of thy glory there let it be fed at the dyning table of thy heauenly Citizens in the place of fulféedyng by the plentifull runnyng streames Thou that art our hope our welfare our redemption be also our ioy Thou that shalt be our reward be also our reioycing Let my soule séeke thée alwayes graunt that in séeking thée it may neuer faint ¶ Of the wretchednesse of that soule whiche loueth not ne séeketh not our Lord Iesus Christ WO is that wretched soule whiche loueth not Christ nor séeketh him it abydeth dry miserable He loseth his life time whiche loueth not thée O god He that cares not to liue for thée Lorde is nothing and goeth for nought He that refuseth to liue vnto thée is already dead He that is not wise to thée ward is but a foole Most mercifull Lord I yeld graunt betake my selfe vnto thée by whō I haue being life and wit. In thée do I put my whole confidēce trust and hope by whō I shal rise againe liue agayne inioy rest Thée do I couet loue worship with whom I shall dwel reigne be blessed The soule that séeketh not ne loueth not thée séeketh loueth the world serueth sinne is subiect to vyce neuer at rest neuer at ease Let my mind serue thee alwayes O most mercifull Let my way faring be alwayes to trauell vnto théeward let my hart burne in loue of thée My God let my soule rest in thée let it runne out of it selfe to behold thée let it sing thy prayses with ioyfulnes and let this be the cōfort of me in my banishment Let my minde flee vnder the shadow of thy winges from the ragyng heates of the thoughtes of this world Let my hart calme it selfe in thée I say let the great sea of my hart that swelleth with waues calme it selfe in thée O God whiche art riche of all good deinties thou most bountifull bestower of heauenly repast giue meate to me that am faint gather me vp that am scattered deliuer me that am in prison make me new agayne that am heawē in péeces Behold I stand at thy doore and knocke I beséeche thée by the bowels of thy mercy where through thou hast visited vs in rising from aloft bid the doore to be opened for me wretch which do knocke that my soule may haue frée passage to come in vnto thée and to rest in thée and to be refreshed by thée with thy heauenly bread For thou art the bread and fountaine of life thou art the light of euerlasting brightnesse thou art all thinges whereby the righteous liue which loue thée ¶ Of the longing of the soule O God the light of the hartes that sée thee and the life of the soules that loue thée and the strenghthener of the thoughtes that séeke thée graūt that I may sticke to the holie loue of thee Come I pray thée into my hart and make it drunken with the aboundance of thy pleasantnesse so as I may forget these temporall thinges It shameth and irketh me to abyde such thinges as this world doth All that I sée of these transitorie thinges is but a sorrow to me all that I heare of them is but a grief to me Helpe me O Lord my God put gladnesse into my hart come vnto me that I may sée thée But to narrow is the house of my soule for thée vntill thou come vnto me make more rowme in it Repaire it for it is decayed It hath many thinges that will mislike thyne eyes I know it and confesse it but who shall clense it or to whō shall I crye elles but vnto thée Lord clense me from my priuie sinnes beare with thy seruaūt for other folkes faultes Swéete Christ make me I beséech thee good Iesu make me to laye away the burden of fleshly desires and earthly lustes for loue and liking of thée Let my soule ouerrule my flesh let reason ouerrule my soule let thy grace ouerrule my reason and subdue thou me both inwardly and outwardly to thy will. Giue me the grace that my hart my toūg and my bones may prayse thée Inlarge my minde and lift vp the eyesight of my hart that euē with the swift conceyt of my spirite I may atteine to thée the euerlasting wisedome whiche abydest vppon all thinges I beséeche thée loose me from the fetters wherwith I am shackled that I may leaue all these thinges and hye me vnto thee sticke to thee onely and attend vpon thee onely ¶ Of the happines of the soule that is let loose from the prison of the body HAppy is the soule whiche being let loose frō the earthly prisō flyeth vp fréely into heauen and there beholdeth thée her most sweete Lord face to face is no more disquieted with any feare of death but reioyseth in the euerlastingnesse of incorruptible glory For it is safe and out of perill and hence forth feareth neither enemy nor death It possesseth thée her mercifull Lorde whom she hath long sought and euer loued And accōpanying her selfe with the quyres of Psalme singers it singeth continually the sugred songes of euerlasting mirth to the glorie of thee O king Christ O gracious Iesu For she is made dronken with the boūtifulnesse of thy house thou makest her to drinke of the streame of thy pleasures Happy is the felowship of the heauēly Citizens and glorious is the solemnitie of all them that returne frō the sorowful trauell of this our pilgrimage to the pleasauntnesse of beawtie to the beawtie of all brightnes and to the floure of all excellencie where thy Citizens behold thée continually O lord Nothyng that may trouble the minde is offered there to the eare What songes what instrumēts what Carolles what melodie soundeth there without end There sounde alwayes most pleasaunt tunes of Hymnes most swéete melodie of aungels most wonderfull dities of songes whiche are song to thy glorie by the heauenly inhabitantes No harshnesse no gallye bitternesse hath any rowme with in thy realme For there is neither a naughtie persō nor naughtines There is none aduersarie nor impugner neither is there any intycement of sinne There is no nedinesse no shame no brawling no misusage no excusing no feare no vnquietnesse no penaltie no doubtfulnes no violēce no discord but there is perfect peace ful of loue continuall reioysing praysing of God carelesse rest without end and euerlasting gladnesse in the holy Ghost O how lucky should I be if I might heare the most pleasaunt Carols of thy Citizēs and their sugred songes aduauncing the prayses of the souereine Trinitie with due honor But ouer happie should I be might I once atteine to sing a song my selfe I say to sing one of the swéete songes of Sion to our Lord Iesu Christ ¶ Of the ioyes of Paradise O Liuely life O euerlasting and aye blessed life where as is ioye without sorrow rest without trauel dignitie without feare riches
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