Selected quad for the lemma: world_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	love_n	love_v	worldly_a	3,021	5	9.1436	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A06890	A godly medytacyon of the christen sowle, concerninge a loue towardes God and hys Christe, compyled in frenche by lady Margarete quene of Nauerre, and aptely translated into Englysh by the ryght vertuouse lady Elyzabeth doughter to our late souerayne Kynge Henri the. viij; Miroir de lâme pécherresse. English	Marguerite, Queen, consort of Henry II, King of Navarre, 1492-1549.; Bale, John, 1495-1563.; Elizabeth I, Queen of England, 1533-1603.	1548 (1548)	STC 17320; ESTC S111990	38,308	98

remorse of my synnes Thu hast not put me backe with thy hāde but with both thy armes and with a swete and māly harte thu dedyst mete with me by the waye and not ones reprouynge my faultes enbrasydest me I coulde not se in beholdynge thy coūtenaunce that euer thu dedyst ones perceyue myne offence For thu hast done as moche for me as though I had beue good and honest For thu dedyst hyde my faulte from euery body in geuynge me agayne the parte of thy bedde and also in shewynge that the multitude of my synnes are so hyddē ouercome by thy great vyctorye that thu wylte neuer remembre thē So that now thu seyst nothynge in me but the graces gyftes and vertues whych it hath pleased thy fre goodnesse to gyue m● O charyte most precyouse I do se wele that thy goodnesse doth consume my lewdenesse maketh me a newe godly and bewtyfull creature The euyll that was myne thu hast destroyed and made me so perfyght a creature that all the good whych a husbande can do vnto hys wyfe thu hast done it to me in geuynge me a faythfull Hope in thy promyses Now haue I through thy good grace recouered the place of thy wyfe O happye desyered place gracyouse bedde trone ryght honourable s●ate of peace rest from all warre hygh steppe of honoure separate from the earthe So●st thu receyue thys vnworthy creature geuynge her the scepture and crowne of thy empyre and gloryouse realme who ded euer heare speake of suche a storye as to rayse vp one so hygh whych of her selfe was nothynge maketh of great value that of it selfe was naught Alas what is thys for I castynge myne eyes on hygh ded se thy goodnesse so vnknowne grace loue so incomprehēsyble that my syght is wonderfull Than am I constrayned to loke downe in so lokynge downewarde I do se what I am and what I was wyllynge to be Alas I do se in it the lewdenesse darkenesse and extreme depenesse of my euyll My deathe whych by hāblenesse closeth myne eye The admyrable goodnesse of the the vnspeakcable euyll whych is in me Thy ryght hyghnes pure maiestie my ryght fragyle and mortall nature Thy gyftes goodes beatytude my malyce great vnkyndnesse O how good thu arte vnto me and how vnkynde am I to the Thys that thu wylte and thys that I pursue Whych thynges consydered causeth me to maruele how it pleasyth the to ioyne thy selfe to me seynge there is no comparyson betwene vs both Thu arte my God and I am thy worke thu my creator and I thy creature Now to speake breuely though I can not defyne what it is to be of the yet knowe I my selfe to be the least thynge that may be compared vnto the. O loue thu madyst thys agrement● whan thu dedyst ioyne lyfe aud deathe togyther But the vnyon hath made alyue deathe Lyfe dyenge and lyfe without ende haue made one deathe a lyfe Deathe hath geuen vnto lyfe a guyckenesse Through suche deathe I beynge dead receyued lyfe and by deathe I am ranyshed with hym whych is alyue I lyue in the and as for me of my selfe I am dead And as cōcernynge the bodyly deathe it is nothynge els vnto me but a cōmynge out of pryson Deathe is lyfe vnto me For through deathe I am alyue Thys mortall lyfe fylleth me full of care and sorowe and deathe yeldeth me content O what a goodly thynge it is to dye whych causeth my sowle to lyue In delyuerynge her frō thys mortall deathe it exēpteth her frō the deathe myserable matcheth her with a most myghty louer vnlesse she thus dyeth she lāguyssheth alwayes Is not thā the sowle blameles whych wolde fayne dye for to haue suche lyfe Yes trulye she ought to call deathe her wel beloued frynde O swete deathe plesaunt sorowe myghty keye delyuerynge from all wyckednesse Those whych trusted in the o lorde and in thy deathe were mortyfyed because they ded trust in the and in thy passyon For with a swete slepe thu dedyst put them oute of that deathe whych causeth manye to lamente O how happye is the same slepe vnto hym whych whan he awaketh doth fynde through thy deathe the lyfe euerlastynge For the deathe is no other thynge to a christen man but a lyberte or delyueraunce from hys mortall bande And the deathe whych is fearfull to the wycked is plesaunt and acceptable to them that are good Than is deathe through thy deathe destroyed Therfor my God if I were ryghtly taught I shulde call the deathe lyfe and thys lyfe deathe ende of laboure and begynnynge of euerlastynge ioye For I knowe that the lōge lyfe doth lett me from thy syght O deathe come and breake the same obstacle of lyfe Or els loue do a myracle now syth that I can not yet se my spouse Transfourme me with hym both bodye sowle and than shall I the better tarry for the cummynge of deathe Lete me dye that I maye lyue with hym For there is nō that can helpe me onles it be thu only O my sauer through faythe I am planted and ioyned with the. O what vnyon is thys syth that through faythe I am sure of the. And I maye call the father brother sonne and husbande O what giftes thu dost gyue by the goodenesse of those names O my father what paternyte O my brother what fraternyte O my chylde what dylectyon O my spouse what coniunctyon is thys Father full of humylyte Brother hauynge our symylytude Sōne engendered through faythe loue Husbande louynge and releuynge in allextr●myte But whom doist thu loue Alas is is she whom thu hast with drawen from the snare wherin through malyce she was bounde and put her in place name and offyce of a doughter syster mother and wyfe O my sauer the same is a great sauoure of swetnesse ryght plesaūt and dylectable whan a man after the hearynge of thy worde shall call the without feare hys father brother chylde spouse I in hearynge that worde do perceyue my selfe to be called there thy mother syster doughter spouse Alas the sowle whych doth fynde suche swetnesse maye consume and burne for loue Is there any loue onles it be thys bnt it hath some euyll condycyon Is there anye pleasure to be herto estemed Is there any honoure bu● maye be accompted shame to thys compared Yea is there any profyte equall to thys More ouer to conclude it breuely Is there any thynge that I coulde more ernestly loue Alas no. For he that vnfaynedly loueth God reputeth all these thynges worldly of lesse value than the d●̄ge hylle Pleasure profyte honoure of thys worlde are all but vayne tryfles vnto hym whych hath founde God Suche loue is so profytable honourable abundaunt that I dare saye she only suffyseth the harte of a godly man and yeldeth hym so content that he neuer desyreth or

and loued of the as thyne owne sowle Shall I tell the truthe Yea. I haue lefte the forgoten the ranne awaye from the. I ded leaue the forto go at my vayne pleasure I forsoke the and chose other Yea I refused the the welsprynge of all goodnesse and faythfull promyse I ded leaue the. But whyther went I Into a place where nothynge was but cursednesse I haue lefte the my trusty frynde and louer worthy to be loued aboue all other I haue put the asyde o welsprynge of all helthe somnesse by myne owne wretched wyll Yea I haue forsaken the full of bewtie goodnesse wysdom and power sought to withdrawe me from thy loue I haue accepted thy great enemyes that is the deuyll the worlde and the fleshe agaynst whōe thu faughtest so sore on the crosse to ouercome for my sake to set me at lyberte whych was by thē of lōge tyme a prysoner slaue And so bounde that no man coulde cause me to humble my felfe And as for the loue charyte that I shulde haue had towardes the they ded quēche it so that the name of Iesus my husbāde whych before I had founde so swete was to me tedyouse hatefull So that often tymes I ded iest at it And if any man I hearynge a sermon had sayd vnto me the preacher sayth wele I wolde afferme it but the worde went awaye from me as a fether doth in the wynde I went neuer yet to the preachynge but for maner only All my dedes were playne hypocresye for my mynde was in other places I was anoyed whan I hearde speake of the for I was more wyllynge to go at my pleasure Now breuely to conclude All that thu dedyst forbyd me I fulfylled all that thu cōmaūdedyst me to do I ded eschewe And thys was the cause my God I ded not loue the. But yet lorde for all thys that I ded hate the and forsake the ranne awaye from the betrayed the shulde I geue thy place to an other Or hast thu suffered that I shulde be mocked eyther yet beatē or kylled Hast thu put me in darke pryson or bannyshed me for euer settynge nought by me Hast thu taken awaye thy gyftes agayne from me and precyouse iewels to ponnysh me for my vnfaythfull frutes Haue I lost my ioynter whych thu promysedyst me through my offēce agaynst the Am I accused by the afore the eternall father for a naughty woman Yea hast thu forbyd me thy presēce as I deserued that I shulde neuer apere in thy howse O most true husbāde pure perfyght frynde the most louynge yet amonge all good louers Alas thu hast done otherwyse For thu soughtest for me dylygenly whan I was goynge into the most depe place of helle where all the euyls are done Whan I was fardest from the both in harte and mynde clerlye out of the true waye Than dedyst thu louynglye call me backe saynge My dere doughter harken and se and bowe thy hearynge towardes me Forget that straunge nacyon to whom thu dedyst ronne awaye and also the house of thyne olde father where thu hast dwelled so longe Than shall the kynge full of all faythfulnesse desyre thy bewtie But whan thu sawest that thy swete gracyouse callynge ded not profyteme than be gannyst thu to crye lowder Come vnto me all yow whych are wearyly loaden with laboure for I am he that shall plenteously refreshe yow and feade yow with my breade of lyfe Alas vnto all these swete wordes wolde I not harken For I doubted whether it were thu or els a fabyllouse writynge that so sayde For I was so folyshe that without loue I ded reade thy worde I consydered not wele the comparyson of the vyneyearde whych brought fourth thornes bryers in stede of good frute that it sygnyfyed me whych had so done I knowe it wele ynough th●t whan thu dedyst call the baren wyfe saynge Returne Sulamyte All thys dedyst thu speake that I. shulde forsake my synne And of all these wordes ded I as though I had vnderstande neuer a whytt But whan I ded peruse Hieremy the prophete I confesse that I had in there adynge therof feare in my harte and bashefulnesse in my face I wyll tell it yea with teares in myne eyes and all for thy honoure and to suppresse my pryde Thu hast sayde by that holy prophete if a woman hath offended her husbande and is so left of hym for goynge a straye with other Namely if he therupō refuseth her for euer is she not to be estemed poluted and of no value The lawe doth consente to put her in the hādes of iustyce or to dryue her awaye so neuer to se her or to take her agayne Thu hast made the sepracyon from my bedde sayth he vnto me placed foren louers in my roume commyttynge with them fornycacyon Yet for all thys thu maystreturne vnto me agayne For I wyll not alwayes be āgrye agaynst the. Lyfte vp thyne eyes loke aboute the on euery syde Thā shalte thu we le se i●to what place thy synne hath led the how thou lyest downe in the earthe O poore sowle loke where thy synne hath put the. Euen vpon the hygh wayes where thu dedyst wayte and tarrye for to begyle thē that came by euen as a these doth whych is hydden in the wyldernesse Therfor thu in fulfyllynge thy wicked pleasure hast with fornycacyon infected all the earthe whych was aboute the. Thyne eye thy fore heade and thy face haue loste all their honest good maner For they were suche as an harlot hath and yet thu haddest no shame of thy synne And the surplus that Hieremy sayth constrayneth me to knowe my wretched lyfe to wyshe with sorowfull syghes the houre the daye the moneth the tyme and the yeare that I ded leaue it yeldynge my selfe condempned and worthy to be for euer in the euerlastynge fyre The same feare whych doth not of me but of the procede and ex●●adeth many of thy other gyftes put me rather in hope than dyspayre as often as I ded remembre my synne For as sone as thu knewest my wyll bowynge vndre thy obedyence than puttynge in me a lyuely fayth thu dedyst vse great clemencye So that after I knewe the to be that lorde master and kynge whom I ought to haue feared Than foūde I my feare not quenched but mixed with loue beleuynge that thu wert so gracyouse gentyll and swete so pytiefull an husbande that I whych shulde rather haue hydde me than to haue shewed my selfe was not than in feare to go fourth and to loke for the. And in so sekynge I founde the. But what dedyst thu than Hast thu refused me Alas my God no but rather hast excused me Hast thu turned thy face from me No for thyne eye so swete ded penetrate my harte woūdynge it almost to the deathe and geuynge me

of christyanyte bewtyfyeth hym most of all By nō other wayes haue the Apostles and Martyrs obtayned a noble report than by the valeaunt force of pure doctryne and fayth A gētyll hart sayth Seneca or a stomake that ys noble moueth prouoketh and sturreth only to thynges honest No man whych hath a noble wytte delyteth in thynges of small value moch lesse in matters of fylthynesse or supperstycyon Chefely apperteyneth it to men and women of syncere Nobylyte to regarde the pure doctryne and faythe vnto soch hath God promysed in the scriptures habundaunce of tēporall thynges longe lyfe fortunate chyldren a kyngedome durable with soch other Deut. 28. A most worthy conquerour is Gedeon noted in the scriptures for destroyenge false relygyō rennynge the kyngedome of faythe Iudi. vj. So is kynge Asa for remouynge the male stues from the prelates abhorrynge marryage for puttynge downe ydolles whych hys forefathers maynteyned 3. Reg. 15 So is kynge Iosaphat for beynge couragyouse in the wayes of God and for puttynge downe the hyll aulters their sacrifices .2 parali 17. So is kynge Iehu for sleynge the ydolatrouse Prestes and for breakynge and burnynge their great God Baal and for makynge a Iakes of their holy churche 4. Reg. 10 So is kynge Ezechias for clēsynge the house of the lorde from all fylthynesse afore hys tyme therin occupyed 2. Parali 29. and for breakynge downe the brasen serpent and ydolatrouse ymages with their aulters and sanctuaryes 4. Reg. 18 So is kynge Iosias for suppressynge relygyouse persones and aulterprestes for cōsumynge their iewels ornamētes for ouerthrowynge their buggery chambers in the howse of the lorde 4. Reg. 23. Thys noble kīge also destroyed all theyr carued ymages he strewed the dust of thē vpon their graues that had offered to them and brent the prestes bones vpō their aulters restorynge agayne the lawes of the lorde .2 parali 34. Iesus Syrach reporteth of hym fynally that he whollye dyrected hys hart to the lorde toke awaye all abhomynacyons of the vngodly Eccle. 49 Besydes that is spoken of kynge Dauid and kynge Salemon Not I only but many thousandes more whych wyll not from hens fourth bowe any more to Baal are in full perfyght hope that all these most hyghly notable and pryncely actes wyll reuyue lyuely florysh in your most noble and worthy brother kynge Edwarde the sixt Most excellent godly are hys begynnynges reported of the very foren nacyōs callynge hym for hys vertuouse lerned and godly prudent youthes sake the seconde Iosias Those hys wonderfull pryncyples in the eyes of the worlde and no lesse gloryouse afore God thus beynge to hys honoure that eternall lyuynge God contynue and prospere to the ende that he maye haue of them as had these vorthy kinges afore rehearced a ryght noble and famouse report Nobylyte sought by wycked enterpryses and obtayned by the same as in many afore our dayes and in some now of late is not els but a publyque and notable infamye and in the ende eternall dāpnacyon Nobylyte wonne by the ernest sekynge of Gods hygh honour is soch a precyouse crowne of glory as wyll neuer perysh here nor yet in the worlde to come Cam after a worldly maner or amōge the 〈…〉 sort is holden noble for slayinge his brother Iudas of the prelates for he receyued of thē a noble rewarde for betrayenge Christ Herode of the Iewes for murtherynge the innocētes And what is there more worthy reproche dyshonour and shame than are these execrable factes The nature of true Nobylyte as I haue sayd afore is not to ryse of vyce but of vertu though many men there seke it Of the most excellēt kinde of Nobylyte is he sure most vertuouse and lerned lady whych truly beleueth and seketh to do the wyll of the eternall father for therby is he brought forewarde and promoted into that heauenly kyndred Ioā 1. By that meanes becometh he the deare brother syster mother of Christ Math. 12. a cytizen of heauen with the Apostles and Prophetes Ephe. 2. yea the chylde of adopcyon and heyre togyther with Christ in the heauēly inherytaunce Roma 8. No soch chyldren left Socrates behynde hym neyther yet Demosthenes Plato nor Cicero with all their plesaūt wysdome and eloquēce No soch heretage coulde great Alexander the Macedoneane byqueth to hys posteryte neyther yet noble Charles Artoure nor Dauid Of thys Nobylyte haue I no doubt lady most faythfully studyouse but that yow are with many other noble women maydēs more in thys blessed age If questyon were axtme how I knowe it my answere wolde be thys By your godly frute as the fertyle tre is non other wyse than therby knowne luce vi I receyued your noble boke ryght frutefully of yow translated out of the frenche tunge into Englysh I receyued also your golden sentences out of the sacred scriptures with no lesse grace than lernynge in foure noble lāguages Latyne Greke Frenche Italyane most ornately fynely purely writtē with your owne hande Wonderfully ioyouse were the lerned men of our cytie Murseus Buscoducius Bomelius Lithodius Imānus as I shewed vnto them the seyd sentences in beholdynge as they than reported so moch vertu faythe scyence experyēce of lāguages letters specyally in noble youth femynyte Through whych occasyon there be of thē I knowe that cannot witholde their lerned handes frō the publyshynge therof to the hygh prayse of God the geuer neyther yet from wrytynge to your worthy grace for studyouse contynuaunce in the same Your seyd sētēces they saye farre passeth the Apohthegmes of Plutarchus the Aphorismes of Theognis the Stratagemes of Isocrates the graue golden coūsels of Cato the manyfolde morals of Iohan Goldeston the great allegoryser with soche other lyke Your first written clauses in .iiij. speches latyne frenche Italyane out of the xiij Psalme of noble Dauid mēcyoneth that the vnfaythfull reckeneth folyshly in their hartes there is no God Wherupō so corrupt they are in their vayne coniectures and so abhomynable in their dayly doynges that not one of their generacyō is godly By thys do your grace vnto vs sygnyfye that the baren doctryne good workes without fayth of the hypocrytes whych in their vncōmaunded latyne ceremonyes serue their ●ellyes not Christ in gredyly deuourynge the patrymony of poor wydowes orphanes are both execrable in themselues and abhomynable afore God for though those paynted sepulchres haue the name of the lorde in their mouthes greatly boast the good workes of the lawe yet knowe they not what belongeth to hys true honoure but hate in their wycked hartes both hys gloryouse name and worde The true doctryne of faythe and the feare of God wyll that wycked sort whome thys psalme wryngeth not heare but styll tormēt the conscyences of myserable wretched ydyotes for aduauntage of Masses

wolde haue other For who so euer hath God as we ought to haue hym accounteth all other thynges superfluouse or vayne Now thanked by the lorde through faythe haue I gotē the same loue wherfor I ought to be satysfyed and content Now haue I the my father for defence of my longe youth from wanton folyshnesse Now haue I the my brother for to socoure my sorowes wherin I fynde non ende Now haue I the my fonne for my feble age as an only staye Now haue I the a true faythfull husbande for the satisfyenge of my whole harte Now syth that I haue the I do forsake all them that are in the worlde Syth I holde the thu shalte escape me nomore Seynge that I se the I wyllloke vpon non other thynge that myght kepe me backe from the beholdynge of thy dyuynyte Seynge that I do heare the I wyll heare nothynge that letteth me frō the fruycyō of thy voyce Syth that I maye frely talke with the I wyll cōmen with non other Seynge it pleaseth the to put me so nere the I wyll rather dye than to touche any other Seynge that I serue the I wyll serue non other master Seynge that thu hast ioyned thy hart● with myne if he depart from thyne lete hym be ponnyshed for euer For the departynge from thy loue is harder than is any dampnacyon I do not feare the payne of ten thousande helles so moche as I do feare the ones losynge of the. Alas my God my father and creator do not fuffer that the enemy inuentor of all synne ha●e suche power that he make me to lese thy presence For who so euer hath ones felte the losse of thy loue he shall saye that he wolde rather be bounde for euer in helle than to feale the payne that one shall haue by the losse of the same thy loue one momente of tyme. O my sauer do not permytt that euer I departe from the. But if it please the put me in suche a place that my sowle through wantonnesse of synne be neuer separated from thy loue In thys worlde I can not haue perfyghtly thys my desyre Whych thynge consydered maketh me feruently with all my harte to desyre the departynge from thys bodye of synne not fearynge the deathe nor yet any of her instrumentes For what feare ought I to haue of my God whych through loue offered hymselfe and suffered deathe not of dett or dewtye bur because he wolde for my only sake vndo the power that mortall deathe had Nowis Iesus dead in whom we are all dead and through hys deathe he causeth euery man to lyue agayne I meane those whych through faythe are partakers of hys Passyon For euen as the deathe before the great mystery of the crosse was harde to euery bodye and there was no mā but was feared therwith consyderynge the copulacyon of the bodye the sowle their order loue and agrement so were their sorowes extreme in the departynge of the one from the other But sens it hath pleased the swete la●●ded offer hymselfe vpon the crosse hys great loue hath kyndeled a fyre within the harte so vehement that euery true beleuer estemeth the passage of deathe but a playe or pastyme and so prouoketh other constauntly in hys truthe to dye And euē as the feare of deathe ded retarde vs so ought loue to gyue vs a desyre to dye For if true loue be vnfaynedly within the harte of a man he can fele non other thynge because that loue is so stronge of it selfe that she kepith all the roume and putteth out all other desyres not sufferynge any thynge there but God only For whersoeuer true and perfyght loue is we do neyther remēbre feare nor yet sorowe If our owne pryde for to attayne honoure maketh vs to seke deathe so manye straunge wayes As if for to haue a folysh pleasure a man putteth hym felfe in ieopardye of lyfe If a merchaūte to obtayne ryches doth daunger hymselfe sometyme for the value of a shyllynge If the first cōceyuynge of robery or murther crueltie or deceyte doth so blynde a man that he doubteth nothynge the daunger of deathe neyther yet mysfortune whan he seketh to auēge hymselfe or doth any other ●uyll If the fury of sykenesse or the rankenesse of Mel●ncholy causeth a creature fearcely to wyshe for deathe oft tymes to drowne hāge or kylle thēselues For suche euyls are somtymes so great that they cause their payned pacyentes to chose deathe for lyberte If it so be than that these paynes full of euyll and imperfectyons causeth them not to feare the hasarde of deathe but rather to thynke that deathe tarryeth to longe Alas what ought true and laudable loue to do What ought the loue of the eternall creatour to wyshe Shulde she sturre a harte suche wyse that he beynge transported with suche affectyon shulde fele non other thynge in hym Alas yea For deathe is a plesaunt thynge to the sowle whych is in loue with God and estemeth the passage easye through the whych she commyth out of pryson For the harde waye wherthrough she commeth can not wearye her for to enbrace her husbande O my sauer how good is the same deathe through whom we shall haue the ende of all sorowes By whom I shall enioye thy syght without impedyment and be transfourmed into the lykenesse of thy maieste O deathe through thy dede I trust to haue suche honour as vpon my knees with cryenge and wepynge I do dayly desyre Therfor come quyckely a●d make an ende of my sorowes O happy doughters ryght holy sowles ioyned to the cytie hierusalem open your eyes and with pytye loke vpon my desolacyon I beseche yow that in my name ye do shewe vnto my best beloue my God frynde kynge how at euerye houre of the daye I do languysh for hys loue O swete deathe through suche loue come vnto me and with loue brynge me vnto my lorde God O deathe where is thy stynge and darte Alas they are bannyshed from myne eyes for rygour is changed into swetnesse seynge that my frynde ded suffre deathe vpon the crosse for my sake Hys deathe doth so incourage my harte that thu wert wonders gentyll to me if I myght folowe hym O deathe I beseche the come to put the frynde with hys loue Now syth that deathe is so plesaunt a lyfe that she pleasith me more than feareth me than ought I to feare nothynge but the ryght iudgement of God All my synnes with hys iust balaūce shall be wayed shewed opēly Thys that I haue done also my thought and worde shall be better knowne than if they were written in a rolle And we maye not thynke that charyte wolde offēde iustyce truthe For whoso euer doth lyue vnfaythfully shall be ponnyshed in euerlastynge payne God is iust and hys iudgemēt is ryghteouse All that he doth is perfyght in all thynges Alas

I meane suche faythe as we must nedes haue to obtayne the hygh graces from aboue also suche faythe as through charyte doth ioyne the humble seruaunt to hys maker I beynge ioyned vnto hym ought to haue no feare of trauayle payne nor sorowe For who so euer doth wyllyngly suffer anye maner of deathe or sorowe for the truthe as ded Christ he doth feale in suche torment great consolacyon for hys sowle knowynge that as for my selfe I am weake and with God I am rygh● stronge Through hys confort I maye do all thynges For hys loue is so cōstaūt permanēt that it varyeth not for anye worldly thynge Who can th●̄ withdrawe me from hys grace Surely the great heyth of heauen nor the deapenesse of helle nor the breadeth of the whole earthe neyther deathe nor synne whych doth warie euery daye agaynst me can separate me one mynute from the great loue charyte that my heauenly father through Iesus Christ hath vnto me Hys goodnesse is suche that he loueth me whych haue not at all tymes loued hym And if I now loue hym than shall I feale hys loue to increase in me But bycause that my loue is not worthy to loue hym I desyre hys loue to be myne the whych I feale suche as though it were myne owne Hys desyre is to loue and through hys loue he causith my harte to be inflamyd with loue And through suche loue he fyndeth hym selfe so welbeloued that hys owne dede yeldeth hym wele content not my loue or strengthe Contentynge hys selfe hys loue doth increase more in me than I can of hym desyre O true louer fountayne or welsprynge of all charyte and only purse of the heauēly treasure Ought I to thynke or dare I saye what thu art Maye I write it or can anye mortall man comprehende thys goodnesse loue And if thu prēte in anye mānys harte cā he expresse it No surely For the capacyte of no man can comprehende the vnmesurable goodnesses whych are in the for naturall reasō doth shewe vs how there is no cōparyson betwyne an eternall a mortall thynge But whan through loue the mortall is ioyned with the eternall the mortall thynge is so fulfylled with the eternall that it can not fynde the ende therof For it hath in it more good therby than it can contayne or holde Therfor doth a man thynke whych hath the loue of God that he hath all the goodes in the worlde therwith Euen as we se the sūne with one only sparcle of hys lyght doth blynde the eye and yet doth she witholde her great lyghte But aske the eye what he hath seane and he wyll saye that he hath beholden the whole bryghtnesse of the sunne But that is a great lye For he beynge dymmed with a lytle sparcle coulde not se the whole cleartye therof And neuertheles he is so contente that it semith vnto hym as though he had so moche lyght as the sunne contayneth Yet if he had more than the seyde sparcle he were not able to suffer it Euen so the sowle whych through faythe doth fele one sparcle of the lo●e of God doth fynde therwith the heate so great and maruelouse so swete and delycyouse that it is impossyble to her to declare what thynge the same loue is For a lytle threof that she hath felte doth yelde her mynde satisfyed desyerynge of more wherof she hath ynough So doth she lyue languyshynge syghynge The harte doth felewele that he hath receyued to moche but he hath cōceyued suche desyre in thys to moche that he alwayes desyerith to receyue the thynge whych he can not haue neyther is he worthye to receyue it He knoweth the good that he hath alredy to be vnspeakeable and yet wolde he haue more of that wherof he can not skylle Truly he can not fele or thynke the good whych is in hym Then lyeth it not in my power to tell what thynge the loue of God is sith that I haue no knowlege of the feruentnesse therof He that thynketh to haue all thys loue withyn hys harte can not truly declare what thynge it is Happye is he wych hath suche abundaūce of thys loue that he maye saye My God I haue ynough of it He whych hath thys loue within hym dare no● moche boaste therof least in moche speakynge he lose it vnles it be to edyfye hys neybour vnto saluacyon The impossybylyte than of the declaracyon of thys loue shall make me to holde my peace● For th●re is no Saynte so perfyght if he wyll speake of the loue of the hygh God of hys goodnesse swetnesse graces and of all thynges els whych pertayneth to hym but lokynge a lowe shall fynde hymselfe vnworthye and so stoppe hys mouthe I than a worme of the earthe lesse than nothynge ought to cease and not to speake of the incomparable hyghnesse of thys loue Yet were it to moch vnkyndenesse to be noted in me if I had writen nothynge hauynge that done vnto me whych wolde satisfye a moche better wytte than myne is For he that wolde hyde the goodnesse of God so good a mastre shulde commytt a synne worthye to be ponnyshed with the euerlastynge payne Therfor come O happye Paule whych hast ●asted so moche of the same swete honye beynge blynded for the space of thre dayes rapte vp vnto the thirde hauē Now I besech the satisfye my ignoraūce faulte tel me what in suche vysyon thu hast seane Harkē thā what he sayth O the vnspeakeable hyghnesse of the abūdaunt ryches or treasure both of the wysdome knowledge of God How incomprehēsyble are hys iudgemētes how vnsearchable hys wayes vnto our weake wittes O holye Paule thy wordes causeth vs moche to maruayle that thu hauynge knowledge of so heauēly secretes woldest speake no further in them At the least yet tell vs what thynge we maye hope to haue one daye through suche godly loue Geue eare and ponder the wordes that he sayth Neyther hath the eye seane nor yet the eare hearde neyther yet hath it euer entred into the harte of anye man what God hath prepared for them that loue hym Aud wolde he sp●ake it no farther No truly Yet all thys that he sayeth here is for non other purpose but to prouoke vs ernestly to loue He wylleth vs also therin to esteme that he neyther can declare nor yet name it so to geue forth our hartes to pacyēce hope of that thynge whych neuer mā yet coulde se neyther yet dyscerne what though many through loue for it hath dyed O excellent gyfte of faythe wherof so moche good cōmyth that it can sith man to possede the thynge whych he can n●t cōprehende Faythe ioyned with the truthe bryngeth fourth hope wherby perfyght charyte is engēdered● And charyte is God as thu knowist If we haue charyte thā we haue also God therwith Than is God in