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
both God and man man and god Neuerthelesse although by thy marueilous will the word was made flesh yet neither of both the natures was chainged into others substance In the misterie of the Trinitie there is not a fourth person added for y substance of the word of God and of man was vnited and knitte together but not confused and mixed that that thing which was taken of vs should be turned into God and that whiche neuer had bene before that time that his flesh manhoode should be the same that had bene euer without any beginning that is his Godhead Oh marueilous mistery Oh vnspekable felowship Oh marueilous meeknes of thy heaueÌ„ly mercifulnes which is euer worthy marueiling and euer to be loued we were but vile seruantes and beholde we are made the sonnes of God yea and heyres of God together with Christ From whence came this goodnes who brought vs vnto this state But I require thee O most mercifull father by thine inestimable pitie goodnes and charity to make vs worthy of these many and great promises of the same thy sonne our Lord Jesu Christ Send forth thy strength O God establish the thing that thou hast wrought in vs Make perfect that which thou hast begun that we may be able to come vnto the fulnesse perfectnes of thy pitie Make vs through y holy ghost to vnderstand and through thy Sonne to deserue with due honor alway to worship this great misterie of thy pitic whiche is manifest in our fleshe iustified in the spirite did appeare vnto Angels was preached vnto nations was beleeued to be in the world was taken vp into heauen Amen ¶ Of the thankes which man ought to geue vnto God for the benefite of his redemption LOoke how much O Lord our God we ar in debt vnto thee euen for so great a price were we redeemed with such a great gift were we saued and with so great a benefite helped Howe much ought we wretehes to loue dread bles praise honour and glorifie thee which hast so loued vs after such fashion saued vs after such a sort sanctified vs to set vs on hie To thee truly do we owe and are bound as much as we are able euen our life and all our study and endeuour But who hath any thing that is not thine But do thou O Lorde our God from whom al goodnes procedeth euen for thy holy names sake geue vs of thy goodnes that we may serue thee of thine owne goodes and giftes and that we may please thee in truth and repay vnto thee daily due prayses for so great benifites of thy mercie For by none other meanes raÌ„ we serue the but by thine owne giftes that thou hast lent vs while we be in this world For euery good gift and euery perfect gift is from aboue commeth down from the father of light with whome there is none alteration or variablenes neyther yet is hee chainged vnto darcknes O Lorde our God and a pitifull god a good God and almighty God an vnspeakable God and incompreÌ„sible of such a nature that can not be contayned as in a place O God which art the beginner of all thinges and the father of our Lord Jesu Christ which diddest send the same thy beloued sonne our Lord foorth of thy bosome to our common profite to take vpon him our life to the entent he might geue vs his life and that hee might be perfect and very God of thee his father and very perfect man of his mother a whole and a perfect God a whole and perfect man and yet but onely Christ both euerlasting and enduring but for a space both immortal and mortall both a creator and a creature strong and weake an ouercommer and one ouercommed a nurse and one that was nursed him selfe a shepheard and a sheepe dead for a time and liuing with the euerlasting promising to theÌ„ that loued him the freedome of life who sayd to his disciples what thing soeuer ye aske the Father in my name he will geue it vnto you For that hie priestes sake which was also a Bishop indeede a good shephearde that offred himselfe in a sacrifice to thee putting his life in ieoperdie for his flock for his sake I say I besech thee which sitteth on thy right hand maketh intercession for vs being our redeemer and our aduocate that thou wouldest graunte vnto me that together with thy Sonne and the holy Ghost I may in all thinges blesse glorifie thee with much contrition of hart and a fountaine of teares with much reuerence and feare For the gift of them that be all of one substance is all one But because a bodie that is corrupted doth aggranate burden the soule stir vp and awake I beseech thee my sluggishnes with thy prickes and prouokinges and make me boldly to perseuer continue in thy coÌ„manndements and lawes day and night Graunt mee that my harte may waxe warme within me and that many meditation prayer I may be feruent And for as much as thy onely sonne sayd No maÌ„ can come to me excepte my Father that sente me shall draw him again No man commeth to the Father but by me I â—â—quire and humbly besech thee drawe me alwayes vnto him that he at the length may bring me to thee thether I meane whereas he is sitting on thy right hand whereas is euerlasting life continuall blessednes wheras is perfect loue without all kinde of feare wheras is one day euerlasting and one spirite of al men whereas is most sure securitie safety sure quietâ—es and quiet plesantnes pleasant felicitie and happines happy eternitie continuall and eternall seeing praising of thee without end wheras thou with him and he with thee in the communion and vnity of the holy Ghost euerlastingly continuallye liuest and raignest throughout all worldes of worldes Amen ¶ A deuout prayer vnto Christ O Christ God which art my hope and the true and gentle louer of mankinde the light the way the life the health the honour and worship of them that be thine I besech thee call to thy remembraunce all thinges that thou willingly didst suffer for theÌ„ both bands crosse woundes death and sepulcher which after three dayes death being ouercommed diddest rise wast seene of thy disciples reforming theyr hartes and establishing them that were almost declining from thee the fortie day after didst ascend vp to heauen which liuest euerlastinly now and raignest throughout worldes Thou art my God both louing true my father and my God both holy and pitiful my mighty king my good shepheard mine onely maister my best helper one whome I am most bound to loue my liuing bread mine euerlasting priest my guide vnto my coutry my true light my holy sweetnes my right and straight way mine excellent wisedome my sure and vnfayned simplicitie my peaceable coÌ„cord my safe garison my good portion mine euer lasting health my great mercy my strongest
drincke of wherwith we are washed and sanctified and are made partakers of the only high diuinitie I geue thee thankes for thy marueilous and vnspeakable charitie and loue wherwith thou didst loue vs vnworthy persons didst saue vs by thine onely and beloued Sonne for so thou didâ—â— loue the world that thou gauest thine onely begotten sonne to the entent that none which beleeued in him should perish but haue euerlasting life This thing truly is euerlasting life to know thee also Jesus Christ whome thou sentest to be very God by an vpright fayth and workes worthy for fayth Of the exceeding loue of the euerlasting Father towarde mankinde OH vnmeasurable pitie and fatherly loue oh inestimable charitie that thou shouldest delyuer thy sonne to suffer death to the entent thou mightest redeme and ransome a seruaunte God was made man to the entent that man being lost might be plucked out of that power of deuils How gentle and kinde a louer of man was thy sonne our God who thought it not enough to humble himself to bee made man of the virgiue Mary but also toke vpoÌ„ him the paines of the crosse in shedding his bloud for vs and for our saluation He came a pitifull God he came for his pitie and goodnesses sake he came to search to saue that whiche was lost He sought the straye sheep he sought found and he being a good lord and truely a very good and plentifull shepheard brought him home vpon his shoulders vnto the foldes of the flocke Oh charitie oh pitie who heard any such thinges who is not astonied to consider the bowels of so great mercy who would not marued who would not honour and worship thee for thy great charity wherewith thou louedst vs Thou didst send thy sonne into the similitude of flesh subiect to sinne that we might condemne sinne for sinne that wee might be made thy righteousnes in him For hee was the very lamb without sporte which tooke awaye the sinnes of the worlde whiche destroyed our death by dying himselfe But what may we render vnto thee our God for so great benefites of thy mercie what prayses or what thankes Uerely if wee shoulde haue that same knowledge and power that blessed angels haue yet should we not be able to requiâ—â— thy so great pitie and goodnes with any thing of valure No if all our meÌ„bers were turned into tongues to repay vnto thee due prayses yet were not our fleÌ„dernes sufficient There is one thing that exceedeth all knowledge euen thine inestimable charitie which thou diddest shew vnto vs vnworthy persons for thy goodnes pities sake Thy Sonne our God did take vpon him to be the seede of Abraham not of Angels yea he was made like vnto vs in all thinges sinne onely excepted He therefore taking mans nature not Angels and glorifying it with the stole of holy resurrection and immortalitie caryed it aboue the heauens and aboue all the melodious companies of angels aboue Cherubin and Seraphin placing it vppon thy right hand This humane nature do Angels prayse all the powers of heauen do tremble to see a man to bee God ouer them This truely is all my hope all my trust And this same humaine nature is in Jesu Christ our Lord who is the portion of euery one of vs the flesh bloud Therfore wheras my portion raigneth there do I beleue to raigne whereas my flesh is glorified ther do I beleue to be glorified where my bloud ruleth there do I perceiue me to bear rule although I be a sinner yeâ— doâ— I not inistrust nor dispeire of the communion and partaking of fauour Although my sinnes do hinder me and in a manner forbid me neuertheles my substance requireth it And albeit that mine offences do exclude me yet the communion of our nature doth not expell me for God is not so vngentle as to forget man and not to remember that thing which himself beareth and that which for my sake he toke vpon him and that which for my sake he requireth But truly the Lord our God is lowly and meek and wonderfull gentle and loueth his flesh his members and his bowels In the very same God our Lorde Jesus Christ who is most gentle louing and merciful in whome we are risen from death that is to say from the state of pernition and eternall damnation and euen nowe by him we asccude into the heauens and now sit in the heauens in him I say our flesh loueth vs For we haue in him and by him a prerogatiue as it were a prefermence of our bloud for we are his members and his flesh and he is our head of the which dependeth the whole body as it is written a bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh they shall be two in one flesh and no man at any time hateth his owne fleshe but rather cherisheth and loueth it This is a great mistery I speak in Christ and in the church sayth the Apostle ¶ Of the double nature of Christ which hath mercy vpon vs â–ª and maketh intercession for vs. WHerefore with my lips and hart and with al the might that I may I render thankes vnto thine infinite mercy O Lord our God for all thy mercy wherwith marueilously thou hast vouchsafed to helpe and succour vs that were lost by the same thy sonne our sauiour and recouerer which dyed for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification and liuing without ende sitteth on thy right hande and entreateth for vs together with the taketh pitie mercy vpon vs because he is God thorow thee O father euer lasting and of one substance with thee in all thinges wherby alway he may saue vs but forasmuch as he is man in which thing he is lesse inferiour vnto thee all power both in heauen in earth was geuen vnto him that in the name of Jesu euery knee should bowe both of celestiall and earthlye creatures and also of infernall that all tongues may confesse that oure Lorde Jesus Christ is in thy glory O Father almighty Hee verely was constituted of thee and ordayned to be a iudge of the quicke and dead for thou truely iudgest no man but hast geuen all thy iudgement to thy Sonne in whose brest al treasures of wisdome and knowledge ar hid He truely is both a witnes and a Judge a Judge and a witnesse whome no sinneful conscience can flye or auoyd for all things be they neuer so secret are open euen naked and vncouered vnto him He verily which was vnrighteously iudged himselfe shall iudge the whole worlde in equitie and the people in righteousnes and according to iustice Therfore do I blesse thy name euerlasting and glorifie the same with al my hart O almighty and mercifull Lord for that vnspeakable and maruellous coniunction of Godhead manhood together in the vnitie of a person and not after this sort that y one should be God and the other man but one the same was