anger let flesh I besech thee moue thee to mercy that like as flesh hath seduced and led me to sinne so fleshe may get and obtaine for me remission For certaynly it is muche that mine iniquitie hath deserued but much more it is that the goodnes of my redemer may euen of right require Mine vnrighteousnes is great but his righteousnes is bigger For looke howe much God is superiour vnto man euen so much is my malice and euil inferior vnto his goodnes both in qualitie quantitie For what haue I sinned being a man that the sonne of God being man hath not redeemed what pride coulde be in me so exceeding hie but such humilitie as was in him shoulde bring it downe what power of death was there in me so great but the punishmēt which the sonne of God suffred vppon the crosse might deface it and vtter ly destroy it Trueiy my God if the sinnes of sinfull man should be wayed in a iust and equall balance with the loue fauour that was in our redeemer towarde vs the East is not so far distant from the west nor the in nermost part of the earth so much seperated from the vppermost part of y heauen as they shoulde be vnlike so muche lesse should mine iniquitie be then is his goodnesse Now O mostnoble creator of light now pardō mine offences for the vnmesurable trauailes and paynes that thy beloued sonne did sustaine Now I beseech thee let his goodnes be sette against my wickednes his modesty and temperance against mine vngracious frowardnes his mecknes against my fierce crueltie Let his humilitie recompence my pride his patience mine impatiēce his gentlenes mine vnkinde churlishnes his obedience my disobediēce his quietnes mine vnquietnes his pleasant to wardnes my bitter frowardnes his sweet facilitie and gentlenes mine anger fretting fumes to conclude let his charitie make amends for my haynous detestable crueltie Amen ¶ A deuout prayer to the Holy Ghost NOw O ahmighty and holy Ghost which art the loue of the diuine power the holy participator partener with the almighty Father his most blessed sonne the most mercifull comforter of the sorrowfull I beseech thee to slide by thy mighty power into the inwarde partes of mine hart y thou dwelling there mayst make glad and as it were lighten euery darcke corner of the neglect and forletten cottage with the bright shining of thy light and that in visiting the same thou wouldst ornate and deck with the plenteousnes of thy dew the lothsom places therof which be corrupted with filthines Kindle the priuye wounded parts of the inner man with thy holesome flames and with pearsing y inward parts of my foul entrailes with the dart of thy loue Feed all the inner partes both of my minde and bodie by the illuminating and lightening with the fire of thy holy and feruente loue Geue me to driuke of thy most pleasaunt riuer to the entent I may haue no lust to taste any worldly things which be mixed with poisor Geue sentence with me O Lord and defende my cause against the vngodly nation Teach me to do thy will because thou art my god For I beleue that in whome so euer thou doest dwell thou buildest an house in him for the father also and the sonne Blessed is that man that getteth such a ghest because that by thee the father and the Sonne also will dwell abide with him Come now o most louing conforter of my so rowfull soule which art a protector in all necessities and an helpe in troubles aduersities Come O purger of sinnes healer curer of woundes Come the strength of the frayle and feble the relieuer and raiser vp of them that slide Come the instructer teacher of the humble and make the destroyer plucker downe of the proud stubberne Come the good and kind Father of the fatherles the gentle Judge of widowes Com thou which art a guide vnto them that are tossed in the waues of this tēpestions world like as a bright and notable starre is to them that sayle on the sea an hauen vnto thē that are affrayd of shipwracke Come the worship and honor of all them that liue the onely health of the dead Come most holy Ghost come haue mercy on me make me meet for thee mercifully graunte vnto me according to the multitude of thy great mercies that my basenes may please thy maiesty my weaknes thy almighty power for Jesu Christ my sauiors sake which with the Father and thine vnitie liueth raigneth worlde without end Amen ¶ A prayer to the holy Trinitie WIth all my harte and mouth do I confesse praise and blesse thee O God the father vnbegotten and thee O God the Sonne onely begotten also thee O holy ghost comforter to thee be glory in the worlde of worldes Amen ¶ An acknowledging of almightis God in his Maiestie O Most high Trinitie one onely power and vndefiled maiestie our God God almightie I the abiect and hinmost of all thy seruantes confesse and acknowledge thee and being the least member of the church I worship thee with a due sacrifice of prayse as much as I am able and according to that which thou hast vouchsafed to endue me withall And for asmuch as I am destitute of outward giftes to offer vnto thee Those vowes of prayse which I haue of the gift of thy mercy behold willingly and gladlie I offer them to thee whiche bee an vnfayned fayth and a pure conscience I beleue therefore with all my hart O king of heauen and Lorde of the earth and with my mouth do I confesse thee the Father the Sonne and the holy ghost to be three persons and one in substance the true and very God almighty of one simple incorporall and inuincible nature incomprehensible and of such a nature as is not in a place as other natures be that thou hast nothing superiour or aboue thy selfe or lower or any thing bigger thē thy self But in all manner of meanes perfect without all spot of deformitie and that thou art great without quantity good without qualitie euerlasting without time life without death strong without infirmity or weaknes true without lying present in euery place without any situation or being placed in any place to be alleuery where without place fulfilling all things with out stretching foorth thy hand going euery where without any contradiction or gainesaying passing ouer all things with out mouing abiding within all things without any kinde of proportion making all thinges hauing need of nothing gouerning all thinges without labour geuing all thinges their beginning hauing no beginning thy self making all thinges mutable and variable thy selfe being without all kinde of mutabilitie in greatnes without measure in power almighty in goodnes the chief best in wisedom inestimable in counsels ententes and purposes terrible and fearfull in iudgementes most vpright and iust in cogitations thoughtes most secret in wordes true in
workes holy in mercies aboundant plentifull towarde offenders most patient toward the penitent and those that be sorye for their sinnes most gentle and louing alwayes the same euerlasting and continually continuing immortall incommutable impossible to be changed or altered whome neither the amplitude or largenes of places doth make bigger nor the shortnesse or litlenesse of places lesser nor any places or corners cā cōtem or pres together neither doth thy wil or entent vary or alter nor familiaritie or acquaintance corrupt thee nor sorowfull thinges trouble or amaze the nor glad thinges make thee pleasant or frolike as a man woulde say from thee cā forgetfulnes take norbing nor mindefulnes or remembrāce geue any thing neyther are thinges passed vnto vs passed also vnto thee nor thinges which to vs are come come toward thee for neyther beginning doth geue any beginning to thee nor time any encrease nor yet chaunce geueth thee any ende but before all worldes and in worldes by worlds into euerlasting thou doest liue and thou hast continuall prayse perpetuall glory most high power and singuler honour euerlasting kingdome and rule and imperie without ende thorow the infinite and vnweery and immortall world of worldes ¶ After what sort God the father vouchsafed to helpe mankinde of the incarnation of the word which is Christ and of the geuing of thanks HItherto O almighty God the beholder and sercher of mine hart haue I acknowledged the almightifulnes of thy maiestie and the maiestie of thine almightifulnes But now like as with hart I beleue which is counted righteousnes vnto me so with mouth do I coufes before thee which is to my saluation after what sorte and manner thou diddest vouchsafe in the ende of the worlde to succour ayd mankinde Thou indeede onely O God the father art not redy at any time or in any place to be sente But of thy Sonne the Apostle writeth when that the time was fulfilled God sent his Sonne In that he sayth he sent hee doth sufficiently declare that he being sente came into this world when as he being borne a very and perfect man of blessed Mary a pure virgin did appeare and shew himselfe in the flesh But what is that which he that is the chiefe of the euangelistes doth say He was in the worlde and the worlde was made by him Thether truly was he sent by his humanitie where he alway is and alway hath bene by his diuinitie The which sending or embassage I beleeue with all my hart confesse with my mouth to be the consent worke of al the whole Trinitie Oh holy and good Father how didst thou loue vs How great fauour didst thou beare toward vs most mercifull creator which hast not spared thine owne sonne but for vs wretched sinners hast deliuered him He was obediente vnto thee vntill death yea death vpon a crosse taking the obligation or handwriting of our sins which was his flesh and fastning it vnto the cros he crucified sinne and led death He alone is amongst the dead fre from death hauing power to lay downe his soule for vs and to take it againe for vs Therfore was he both a vanquisher and a sacrifice and therefore was he an ouercommer because he was a sacrifice for vs He was both the priest and sacrifice vnto thee and therefore was he a Priest because hee was a sacrifice Notw tout a cause haue I great hope in him for asmuch as thou wilt make whole all my diseases for his sake that sitteth on thy right hand and doth continually make intercession for vs for my diseases O Lord are great and many oh they are many in number and great for the prince of this worlde as I very well knowe and confesse hath many thinges in me But I besech thee deliuer me thorow our redemer which sitteth on thy right hand in whome the said prince of this world could finde none euill that was his of his owne commiting By him do thou iustifie me whome his selfe did not sinne neyther was there any deceit or guile found in his mouth By him which is our head in whome there is not one spot of euill deliuer me which am one of his mēbers though I be but a litle member and feeble and weake Deliuer me I beseech thee from my sinnes offences faultes and ignorances Fulfill mee with thy holy vertues and make me to shine in good manners make me I beseech thee for thy holy names sake to continue in holy workes vntill the ende according to thy will and pleasure ¶ Of the trust which a soule ought to haue in our Lord Jesu and in his passion I Might dispaire verely because of my manifold sinnes and negligences without number if it were not that thy word O God was made flesh and dwelt amongst vs But I can not now dispayre because that seeing when we were enemies we were reconciled by the death of thy sonne how much more are we now reconciled saued by him for all the hope and the certitude surenes of all my trust is in his precious bloud which was shed for vs for our saluation In him do I take hartening trusting in him I haue a desire to com vnto the. not hauing mine owne righteousnes but that whiche I haue throughe thy sonne our Lorde Jesu Christ for the whiche O most mercifull God and most gentle louer of mankinde we geue thee thankes which through Jesus Christ thy sonne our Lord when we were not didst mightely make vs and when we were lost through our sinnes most marueilously didst deliuer and recouer vs againe To thy goodnes I say do I geue thankes and manifold prayses do I shew forth vnto thee with all my hart mind which through the vnspeakable loue wherwith thou hast vouchsafed of thy maruuylous goodnes to loue vs wretches and vnworthy to be loued diddest sende that same thiue onely begotten sonne from thy bosome vnto our common weale to saue vs sinners which were at that time the children of perdition and damnation I render vnto thee thanks for his holy incarnation and natiuitie and for his blessed mother vpon whom he did vouchsafe to take fleshe for vs and for our saluation to the entent that like as he is very God of God so he might be very man of man I geue thee thankes for his passion and crosse for his death and resurrection for his ascension into heauen and his seate of his maiesty on thy right hād For he the forty day after his resurrection asceuding vp aboue al the heauens his disciples seing it sitting on thy right hande did poure out his holy spirite aboundantly according to his promise vpon them whom he had chosen to be his children I geue thee thanckes for that most sacred sheding foorth of his precious bloud wherwith we are redemed and also for the most holy and quickning sacrifice of his body and bloud which daily in thy churche wee feede of and
cleane in hart because they shall see God. Blessed ar they that dwel in the house of the Lord they shall prayse thee world without end ¶ A very deuout prayer for the geuing of thanks O Lorde Christ whiche art the worde of the Father which came into this worlde to saue sinners I besech thee by the most louing bowels of thy mercy to amend and repayre my life make better my deedes take thou the ordering of my manners take from me that which noyeth hurteth me and displeaseth thee and geue me that whiche thou knowest will please thee and profit me who can make cleane y which is conceyued of an vncleane seede but thou alone Thou art the God almighty of infinite pietie which doest iustifie make righteous euen those that were wicked men and raysest again to life them that were dead in sinne thou chaingest sinners and they are no sinners Take away therefore from me whatsoeuer is in me that pleaseth not thee for thine eyes do see much vnperfectnes in me Lay thy hand I besech thee of thy pitie on me and whatsoeuer offendeth the eyes of thy pitie remoue it froÌ„ me In thy sight is both my health my disease the one I beseech thee to preserue thother to cure do thou heal me O Lord and I shall be healed do thou make me safe and I shall be saued Thou I meane which doest make whole them that be disesed doest preserue them that be cured which only with a becke doest restore and repayre thinges that be decayd and fallen into ruine For if thou wilte vouchsafe to sowe any good seed in the fielde of my hart of necessitie thou must plucke vp first with the hande of thy pitie the thornes of vices whiche be in it Put in my hart I besech thee so great plenty of delectation in thee that I may desire no earthly or carnal thing nor yet thincke vpon them but that I may loue thee alone that I may haue thee only in my hart and in my mouth Write with thy finger in my brest the delectable remembrance of thy sweet name so that it may be blotted out with no forgetfulnes Write thy will in the tables of mine hart and also thy iustifications that I may alwaies in euery place haue thee o Lord before mine eyes in my sighte Enflame my minde with that fire which thou didst send into the earth and willedst it to be kindled that I mighte offer vnto thee daily with teares a sacrifice of a troubled spirite a repentant harte O sweet Christ O good Jesu eueÌ„ according vnto my desire and euen as I hartely require thee with my whole minde geue me thy holy chast loue which may replenish and keepe me and also fully posseÌ„sse me Geue me an euident signe and token of thy loue a flowing well of teares which wil continually runne that those teares may somewhat testifie thy loue in me that they may shewe foorth that they may declare how much my soule loueth thee whilest for that great delectation it hath in the sweetnesse of thy loue it may not refraine from teares I call to my remembrance sometimes good Lord that vertuous woman Anne which came to the tabernacle to pray that thou wouldest send her a son of whome the scripture maketh meÌ„that her countenance after her teares and prayers was not againe chainged or altered But when I thinke vpon so great vertue constante stedfastnes I am vexed with sorrow and confounded with shame because I a wretch do perceiue my selfe to be fallen ouermuch from thee For if a woman did weep after such a sort and continued so in weping which did search for nothing els but a sonne how ought my soule to mourne and to persist and abide in weping that seeketh and loueth God and hath a desire to come vnto him how ought such a soule to mourne weep which seeketh God day night which will loue nothing but Christ My teares now truely shoulde bee made vnto me meat day and night Looke vpon me therfore O Lord and take pitie on me because the dolours and sorowes of my harte are many in number Geue me thy heauenly consolatioÌ„ and do not despise nor cast away a sinful soule for the which thou diddest die Geue me inward teares I beseech thee from the bottome of mine harte which may washe away the spottes of my sinnes Replenish my soule alwayes with heauenly delectation and heauenlye mirth that I may obtain some litle portion or part in thy kingdom althogh not amongest the perfect men whose steps I can not folow yet at the least wise amongst the inferior sort The marueilous deuotion of another woman commeth now vnto my minde which with a vertuous loue did seeke thee lying in the sepulchre which when thy disciples went away departed from thee did remaine with thee her selfe which sate there sad and sorowfully weeping long and very much and when she did arise she serched with a diligent eye and with many teares the corners of the sepulcher whiche was lefte emptye if shee might espy thee out in any place whom she with a feruent desire soughte yea and moreouer shee went againe and againe to the sepulchre but that was not enoughe vnto her neither did it satisfie her desire for the grace of a good worke is to perseuer and continue in the same and because she did loue more then other and that in louing she wept and in weeping she searched and in seaching she continued therfore was it thy pleasure that shee should first finde thee see thee and talke with thee before all other and not onely this but also she was a â—â—dinges bearer of thy glorious resurection vnto thy disciples when thou diddest commaunde her and bid her goe and tell my brethren that they goe vnto Galilie there they shall see me c. Seing therefore that a woman did weep after such a sorte and continued in weping which did seeke him that was aliue among the dead which touched thee with the hand other fayth how ought a soule to mourne and to continue in mourning which beleeueth in thee with his mouth doth acknow ledge thee to be his redemer that sittest now in heauen and raignest euery where how muche therefore ought suche a soule to mourne weep whiche loueth thee with all his hart and with his whole desire doth couet to see thee Oh onely refuge the onely hope of wretches vnto whome no man needeth at any time to pray without hope of mercy graunte vnto me this grace for thy sake and for thy holy names sake that as ofte as I think vpon thee as oft as I speake of thee write of thee read of thee confer of thee as oft as euer I remember thee stand before thee offer vp prayses prayers and sacrifice vnto thee so oft I may weep aboundantly with teares in thy sight so that my teares may be to me in steade of bread day and night Thou