BEholde (O pitifull father) thy most piti­full son, which suffered for mee beyng so wicked. Beholde (O most mercifull kyng) who suffreth, and re­member (as thou art louyng and kynde) for [Page] whome he suffred. Is not this (O my Lorde) innocent, whō although he were thy sonne, thou didst deliuer to redeeme and raunsom a seruant? Is not this the author and beginner of lyfe, which beyng ledde as a sheepe to be killed, and beyng made obedient to thee, euen vnto death, was not afrayde to take vpon him y^e most cruel & sharpe kynde of death? Call to remēbraunce (O [Page] thou distributour of all health) that this is he whome (although thou didst begette him by thy power, yet notwyth­standing) thou wouldest haue to be made parta­ker of myne infirmitie and weakenesse.

Truely thys same is thy Godhead which did take vppon hym my nature, which was han­ged vppon the gibbet of torment or crosse, which in the fleshe which he [Page] had taken vpon him, did suffer sorrowful punish­ment. Turne the eyes of thy maiestie (O lord my God) toward the worke of thine vnspeakable pi­tie. Loke vpon thy deare sonne, whose whole bo­dye is stretched forth. Marke the harmeles & pure handes, which do drop, & distill downe in­nocent bloud. And I be­seeche thee, be pacified & pardon y^e wicked dedes which my handes haue [Page] committed. Cōsider his bare and naked side, be­ing thrust thorow cruel­ly with a speare, and re­nue & wash me with thy holy fountayne or well, which I beleue did flow from thence. Marke the vnspotted feete which haue not stand in y^e way of sinners, but alway haue walked in thy law, how they ar persed tho­row with sharp nailes, and make perfecte my steppes in thy pathes, [Page] and make me (of thy lo­uing kindnes) to hate all the wayes of iniquitie. Remoue frō me the way of iniquitie, & make me of thy mercye) to chuse the way of truth. I be­sech thee (O king of ho­ly men) by this holy one of all holy ones, and by thys my redemer: to make me runne the way of thy cōmaundements, that I may be vnited & knit vnto him in spirit, which did not disdayue [Page] to be clad in my fleshe. Doest thou not looke vpon and marke (O pi­tifull father) the head of thy most dearely belo­ued soune, a yong man, how it leaned vpon hys shoulder when he was past the most precious death? Beholde (O my most gentle creator) the humanitie, & gentlenes of thy beloued sonne, & haue compassion vpon the febleues of me thy weake and feble handy [Page] worke. Behold (O most glorious parent) y^e torne and rent members of thy most kynde and lo­uing chylde, and re­member gently what substaunce I am of. Be­holde the paines of God and man, and release and loose man (which is thy creature) out of misery and bondage of sinne. Beholde the pu­nishment of hym, that did redeme and pardon, the offence of them that [Page] be redemed. This is he O Lord, whome thou didst strike for the sinnes of thy people, although he be thy welbeloued, in whome was founde no guile, and yet neuerthe­les was he reckoned a­mongst them that were full of iniquitie.

WHat hast thou com­mitted (O Lorde) [Page] that thou shouldest be so iudged? what hast thou offeded that thou shoul­dest be so cruelly hand­led and ordered? what was thy faulte? what was thyne offēce? what was the cause of thy death? what was the occasion of thy condem­nation? I (Lord) I am the cause of thy sorrow, the faulte is in me, that thou was killed for, I haue deserued thy death, I committed the offen­ces [Page] that were auenged vpon thee. Oh meruei­lous kinde of iudgemēt, and vnspeakable dispo­sition or ordering of mi­steries. The vninst man offendeth: and y^e righte­ous is punished. The giltie doth euill, and the innocent is beaten. The euill doth trespasse, and the good is condemned. That which the euill man deserueth, the same doth y^e iust suffer. That which the seruaunt doth [Page] amisse, y^e maister makes amendes. That which man trespasseth, God suffereth it. O (thou which art the sonne of God) how low did thine humilitie descend? How greatly did thy charitie euen as it were waxe hotte & burne towarde vs. How farre did thy pitie proceede? whither did thy benignitie and gentlenes grow and ex­tend? how farre did thy loue stretch? how farre [Page] came thy compassion? for I did wrongfully, and thou wast punished. I cōmitted y^e mischieuous deedes, and they were auenged vppon thee. I did the fault, & thou sub­mittedst thy self to y^e tor­mentes. I was proude and thou wast humble & meeke, I was swelled & puft vp, thou wast exte­nuated, and appaired. I was disobedient, neuer­theles thou being obedi­ent, barest the paines & [Page] punishmentes of disobe­dience. I obeyed and was as it were a ser­uaunt to all excesse and gluttony, and thou wast punished wyth scar [...]itie and lacke of foode. The tr [...]e did draw me violēt­ly vnto vnlawfull con­cupiscence and desires, but perfect charitie led thee vnto punishmēt. I presumed beyng forbid­den: but thou didst smart therefore, I tooke my pleasure wyth delicate­nesse: [Page] thou wast vexed with the crosse. I aboūd and haue plentye of all pleasures, thou art all to torne with nayles. I do cast the pleasaunt sweet­nes of the apple: & ehou the bitternesse of Baull. Behold (o king of glory) mine iniquitie & vngod­duies▪ and thy pietie, and goodnes is manifest. Be hold mine vnrighteous­nes; & thy iustice is plainly declared.

What thing (O my [Page] king and my God) shall I render vnto thee, for all those thinges which thou hast bestowed vpō me? for nothyng can be found in y^t hart of man, that may worthely re­compence such, rewards. Can mās wit excogitate or imagine any thing y^t is worthy to be cōpared vnto thy diuine mercy? Neither is it y^t office of a creature to goe about to recōpēce fully & iustly y^t aide & helpe of a Creator. [Page] There is truly O sonne of God in this thy mer­ueilous dispēsation, and apointmentes somwhat in which my frailenes may helpe a little, if so be that my minde once pric­ked and stirred by thy vi­sitation do punishe the fleshe, with the vices also and euill concupiscences thereof: and thys thyng if thou wilt graunt, and geue me grace to doe, then shal it beginne as it were to suffer & sustaine [Page] sorrowes & griefes, be­cause that thou also didst vouchesafe to die for my sinne. And so by the vic­tory of the inward man, it shalbe armed (thou be­yng a Captaine) for the externall and outwarde victorye, forasmuche as (the spirituall persecuti­on once ouercom) it shal not bee afrayde, for thy sake to be obedient vnto the materiall sword, and crosse of this world. And so the slendernes of my [Page] state and condition (if it please thy goodnes) shal be able accordyng to the little power thereof, to aunswer vnto the great­nes, and excellency of my creator. And this is the heauenly medicine (O good Jesu) this is (as it were a preseruatiue of thy loue. Thys I be­seech thee, by thine accu­stomed & auncient mer­cies, to poure into my woundes, (the soule and filthy matter of the ve­nemous [Page] contagion, and infection once cast away, which may refresh, and restore me to my former puritie & cleannes, that when I haue tasted of the pleasaunt sweetenes which is to abide in thee it may make mee to de­spise, & vtterly set nought by the enticementes of this world, and to feare (for thy sake) none ad­uersities therof, & that I (remēbring thine euer­lasting nobilitie and ex­cellencie) [Page] may alwayes abhorre, and disdaine the troubles of this transi­tory world. Let nothing (I beseech thee) be delec­table vnto me, nor please me without thee. Let no precious, nor beautifull thing be acceptable vnto me but thee: Let all thin­ges (I beseech thee) be coūted as vile, and of no estimatiō vnto me, with­out thee. That which is against thy nature, let it be ircksome, and greuous [Page] also vnto me, and that which pleaseth thee, let it be continually desired of me. Let it i [...]ke me to re­ioyce without thee, & let it delight me to be sad for thy sake. Let thy name be an hartening vnto me, and the remembrance of thee, a consolatiō & com­forte. Let my teares be made vnto me as bread both day and night, sear­ching thy instifications. Let y^e law of thy mouth be better vnto me, then [Page] thousands of golde & sil­uer. Geue me an ardēt de sire & loue to obey thee, and an extreme hatred to resist thee. I require thee (O my hope) for all thy pitty & goodnes sake to haue mercy vpon my im­pietye and wickednesse. Make open mine eares to thy cōmaundements, and let not mine hart be inclined (I besech thee by thy holy name) to any e­uill thing, to be minded as y^e vngodly or wicked [Page] men. I require thee also by the merucilous humi­lity, that I be not moued with pride, nor yet wyth sinners.

BEholde O almighty God, Father of my Lorde, I beseech thee of thy benignitie & gentle­nes to haue mercy vpon [Page] me, because of the most precious thing y^t I could find, the same haue I of­fred deuoutly vnto thee, the thing of most estima­tion, y^t I could imagine, I haue presēted humbly vnto thee: I haue left no­thing, but I haue decla­red it to thy maiestye. There is nothing remayning y^t I may adde more because I haue cōmitted and betaken my whole hope vnto thee. I haue sent vnto thee my aduo­catè [Page] and spokesman, euen thy welbeloned sonne. I haue sente thy glorious child to be a mediator be­twixt me & thee. I haue set (I say) an intercessor, by whome I trust to get pardon & forgenenesse of my sinnes. I haue sente worde vnto worde, that is, God vnto God, according to y^t which S. John hath in the beginning of his gospell, where he cal­leth God the worde, say­ing: In the beginning [Page] was the woorde, and the worde was with God, & God was the worde. &c. which worde (as I haue sayd) was sēt for my mis­deedes. And I haue re­hersed vnto thee the pas­sion of thy most holy son, which passion I beleeue was suffced for me. I be­leeue, that the Godhead which was seate of thee did take vpō him my hu­manitie, and nature, in y^• which he thought not scorne to suffer buffertes, [Page] bonds, spittings, mocks, yea, he tooke vppon him to suffer the cros, nailes, and dart. I beleue also, y^t his manhoode being in this my nature, during his infācy was troubled with creping and scrau­lings, and was wrapt in clothes after the manner of other children, was vexed in his youth wyth laboures, made leane w^t waking and fastinges, weryed with iorneying, afterward whipped, and [Page] all to torne and rent with diuers kindes of punish­ments, reckoned amōgst the dead, and whē it was endued with the glory of resurrection, he caryed it into the ioyes of heauen, and placed it vppon the righthand of thy maiesty, (this I say) he is my mā ­hode, way, and meanes of pacifying & appeasing thee, and thy way and meanes of hauing mercy vppon me. Mercifullye looke vppon, heare thy [Page] sonne which thou didst beger, and the boude ser­uaūt which he redeemed. Behold here a Creator, & do not despise a creature. Receiue the shephearde welcommed with a gen­tle & louing coūtenance, and mercifully looke vp­pon the sheepe which he hath brought home vpon hys owue shoulders. This is that most fayth­full shepheard, which by many & diuers labours, and trauailcs ouer steepe [Page] hilles, and through head­long and deepe vallies, did search for his owne sheepe that was strayed away, which also when he had found it faint, and almost dead through lōg wandring, gat himselfe vnder it with great re­ioycing, & making it fast vnto him with a meruei­lous bond of charitie, lif­ted it vp out of the depth of confusion, & brought it home to the ninety and nine. Beholde (O Lord) [Page] my king & God almigh­tie, behold a good sheep­heard, which rendreth to thee, that which thou cō ­mittedst to his charge. He tooke vpon him tho­row thine ordinaunce to saue man, whom he hath deliuered vnto thee clean and pure from al spottes through the washing in his bloud. Loe, thy most dearly beloued Sonne hath reconciled vnto thee thy handiworke, whiche was gone far out of the [Page] way. Loe, a gentle shep­heard bringeth againe to thy flocke, him that y^t vi­olent pirate, and robber had driuen away. Hee hath broughte vnto thy sight the seruaunt whom his owne conscience had made to run away: that he which by himselfe had deserued punishment, by thy sonne beyng his soli­citour, hath deserued for­geuenes, vnto whom al­so for his offences euerlasting fire was due: ne­uertheles [Page] being a souldi­our vnder such a Cap­taine, he doth hope to be brought home to his owne contrey. I was a­ble (O holy Father) by my selfe to offende thee, but I was not able of my self to pacifie and ap­pease thee. Thy welbelo­ued Sonne (O my God) was made my helper, by taking vppon him mine humanitie, to the entent he might cure mine infir­mitie, that whereof the [Page] first occasion of thy wrath did spring of the same, he might offer vp to thee a sacrifice of prayse, & that he might render, & make me also well pleasing to thy goodnes by y^t thing, in the which he sitting now on thy right hande, did alwaies shew and declare himselfe to be equal with my substaunce, and as it were felow with the same. Loe, my hope, bee­hold in whome is all my trust. If thou despise me [Page] (as it were right) formy iniquitie: yet looke vpon me (at the least wise) mercifully for the charitie of thy beloued Sou. Beue heed to thy sonne wher­by thou mayst haue mer­cy vpon thy bōdseruant. Looke vppon the sacra­ment of fleshe, & pardon the offences of the fleshe. How oft soeuer thou do­est remember the woun­des of thy blessed sonne: so oft I beseech thee let mine iniquities be hid. [Page] And because fleshe hath stirred thee to 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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^• [Page] 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, [Page] 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.

NOw (O ahmighty, and holy Ghost) which art the loue of the diuine power, the holy participator & partener, with y^e 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 [Page] there, mayst make glad, and as it were lighten euery darcke corner of the neglect and forlet­ten cottage, w^t 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 [Page] 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 w^t me (O Lord) and defende my cause a­gainst [Page] 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 [Page] 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. [Page] Com thou which art a guide vnto them y^t 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 [Page] according to the multi­tude of thy great mercies y^t 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.

WIth all my harte and mouth do I confesse, praise, and blesse thee, O [Page] 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.

O Most high Trinitie, one onely power and vndefiled maiestie, our God, God almightie, I the abiect, and hinmost of [Page] 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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 w^tout time, life without death, strong without in­firmity or weaknes, true without lying, present in [Page] 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, [Page] without labour: geuing all thinges their begin­ning, hauing no begin­ning thy self: making all thinges mutable and va­riable, thy selfe being w^t ­out 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 [Page] & 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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.

HItherto (O almigh­ty God, the beholder [Page] and sercher of mine hart) haue I acknowledged the almightifulnes of thy maiestie, and the maiestie of thine almightifulnes. But now like as w^t 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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, [Page] 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 [Page] 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^t ­out a cause haue I great [Page] 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 [Page] 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 mē ­bers, though I be but a litle member, and feeble, [Page] 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.

[Page] 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, [Page] & 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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 drincke of, wherwith we are washed, and sanctifi­ed, and are made parta­kers [Page] 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 did [...] 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 [Page] euerlasting life, to know thee, & also Jesus Christ, whome thou sentest to be very God, by an vpright fayth, and workes wor­thy for fayth.

OH vnmeasurable pitie and fatherly loue, oh inestimable charitie, that thou shouldest delyuer thy sonne to suffer death, to the entent thou migh­test [Page] redeme and ransome a seruaunte: God was made man, to the entent y^t man, being lost might be plucked out of y^t 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 vpō him the paines of the crosse, in shedding his bloud for vs, and for our saluation. He came a [Page] 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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 requi [...] thy so great pitie and goodnes, with a­ny thing of valure. No if all our mēbers were tur­ned into tongues, to re­pay [Page] vnto thee due pray­ses: yet were not our flē ­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 [Page] therefore taking mans nature not Angels, and glorifying it w^t 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 [Page] 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, ye [...] do [...] I not inistrust, nor dispeire [Page] 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 y^t which for my sake he toke vpon [Page] 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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.)

WHerefore with my lips and hart, and with al the might that I may, I render thankes [Page] 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, [Page] 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 y^e name of Jesu, euery knee should bowe, both of celestiall, and earthlye creatures, and also of infernall, that [Page] 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, [Page] 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 [Page] Lord) for y^t 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 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 [Page] 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. [Page] Oh marueilous mistery. Oh vnspekable felowship. Oh maruei­lous meeknes of thy heauēly 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 w^t Christ. From whence came this goodnes? & who brought vs vnto this state? But I require thee (O most [Page] 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 [Page] 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.

[Page] 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 [Page] and are bound, as much as we are able, euen our life, and all our study and endeuour. But who hath any thing y^t 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 [Page] of thy mercie. For by none other meanes rā 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, w^t 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 [Page] God, an vnspeakable God, and incomprēsible, 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 [Page] 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, [Page] and liuing with the euer­lasting, promising to thē 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 [Page] on thy right hand, & maketh intercession for vs, being our redeemer, and our aduocate, that thou wouldest graunte vnto me, that together w^t 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 [Page] 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 cōmann­dements 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 mā [Page] can come to me, excepte my Father that sente me, shall draw him: & again, No man commeth to the Father but by me. I [...] ­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, w^tout all kinde of feare: wher­as [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] is one day euerlasting and one spirite of al men: whereas is most sure se­curitie & safety, sure qui­et [...]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 [Page] worldes of worldes.

A­men.

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 thē, both bands [Page] 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, [Page] 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 cō ­cord, my safe garison, my good portion, mine euer [Page] lasting health, my great mercy, my strongest pa­tience, mine vnspotted sacrifice, my holy redemp­tion, my sure and stedfast hope, my perfect charitie, my very and true resur­rection, mine euerlasting life, my ioy, & most blessed vision, and continual w^t ­out ende: I humbly be­seech thee, I desire and pray thee, y^t I may walke by thee, that I may come to thee, that I may rest in thee, which art the way, [Page] the truth, and the life, w^t ­out the which no man cā come vnto the Father. Thee do I desire and co­uet (O good Lord) which art the brightnesse of thy Fathers glory, which sit­test aboue the angell cal­led Cherubin, and doest behold the low and deep places, which art the true light, the light that ligh­teneth all things, y^e light that neuer falleth, nor goeth out, which the angels haue desire to beholde. [Page] Loe, my harte is before thee in thy sight, put a­way the darcknes from it, that it may fully be re­plenished with the clear­nes of thy loue. Geue vnto me Lord thy selfe, be­holde I do loue thee, and if that be but a thing of small valure, make me to loue thee more strongly, and earnestly. I can not measure to knowe how much I lacke of thy loue, neyther can I tell, howe much should be sufficient [Page] for me, that my life may fulfill, his course in thy loue, and not turne backe vntill it be hid in the se­crets of thy countenance. Neuerthelesse, this I know, that it were euell with me, if it were not for thee (O Lord) & that not onely with the out­ward things that belong vnto me: but also with the inward thinges. For all my riches (God ex­cept) is but mere pouer­tie: but thou onely art a [Page] treasure and a parcell of riches, that canst neither be chainged into better nor worse. Thou art he to whome it is not one thing to liue, and an o­ther thing to liue happe­ly, because thou are thy blessedues, thy happines and thou art all one. But I which am thy creature to whome it is not one thing to liue, & an other thing to liue blessedly & happely: all, both in that I liue, and in that I liue [Page] happely, I ought not to attribute nor referre it, to be receiued of any body, but of thy fauour: & ther­fore haue we need of the, but not y^u of vs, because if were not at al, yet shoul­dest thou lack nothing of thy goodnes. Therefore (O Lord) it is necessary for vs to sticke and cleane vnto thee, that by thy continuall helpe we may be able to liue holily, vertu­ously, and as we ought to liue: for w^t the waight [Page] of our frailuesse, we are drawn euen downward, but by thy gift we are stirred & caried vpward: we seruētly desire to ascend, we make certain ascensi­ōs in our harts lifting thē vpward, & sing the song of starres, with the fire of thy loue (I say) are wee kindled, & moued to goe with thee. Whether goe we now vpwarde, vnto the peace of Jerusalem? because I was glad, and did reioyee in those thin­ges [Page] which were spoken vnto me: we will go in­to the house of our Lord, there hath he placed vs: we will haue good thin­that we may will or de­sire nothing els, but to tary, and remaine there for euer. But for asmuch as whilest we be clad with this body, wer do (as it were goe astray, and are straingers vnto thee: we haue not here an abiding place for euer, but wee seek for one y^t is to come. [Page] Our abiding place is in heauen: therefore thy fa­uour and grace being my guide, I enter into the chamber of my hart, and sing vnto thee songes of loue my king & my God, mourning with meruei­lous sighinges in this place of my peregrinati­on, whereas thy iustices are made my songes, and when. I remember Jeru salem, I extende & strerch forth toward it the senses of my hart: Jerusalem, I [Page] say, which is my contrey, Jerusalem, which is my mother, and toward thee whiche art a king ouer her, her light, her father, her defender, her patron, her gouernor, her keper, her chast and strong de­light, her only and whole pleasure, & all her good­nes come of thee, because thou art the chiefe good, and the true good, and I will neuer turne backe, vntill y^u bring me home from this pilgrimage (in [Page] whiche I am deformedly scattred abroad) vnto the peace of my dearely belo­ued mother, whereas be the first fruits of my spi­rite; and vntill thou (O God) which art my mer­cy, fasion me, and con­firme me for euer.

I Am wonderful wery (O Lord) of this life; [Page] & of this carefull, & pain­ful pilgrimage. This life is a wretched life, a life that will sonefade away, an vncertain life, a pain­full life, an vncleane life, a life that worthely may be called the maistres of all euilles, the queene of pride, full of miseries and errors, which is not wor thy to be called a life, but rather a deathe, in the which euery houre, wee dye by diuers defectes, & failinges of nature by [Page] mutabilities, alterations & diuers kinds of deaths How can we therfore cal this that wee liue in this world, a life which is puf fed vp, and swollen often with humoures, made leane and feeble with for rowes, dried w^t angers, and whot hasty furies of the minde, the ayre filleth it full of diseases, meates do infect it, fasting doth extenuate, and make it leane, pastimes make it to dissolute and rechles, [Page] pensiuenes doth shorten and lessen it, securitie and too much case maketh it dull and nothing lustie, riches setteth it a flote, & puffeth it vp into pride, pouertie dismayeth and discourageth it, youth ex­tolleth it, age lameth it, infirmitie breaketh it, for rowe oppresseth it. And immediatly after these e­uils, as though it were by succession, commeth death & maketh an ende of al the ioyes of this mi­serable [Page] life, after suche a sort, that a man woulde not thinke (when he lea­ueth this life) to haue li­ued at all. This liuing death, and dying life, al­though it be sprinckled & mixte with these, & other sorrowes and miseries, yet (oh good Lord) how many men doe it catch, & entangle with her enti­sing snares? and how ma ny doth she deceiue with her deceitfull, & false pro­mises? and al for that she [Page] of her selfe is so false and bitter that her blinde lo­uers can not bee kepte long secret, nor close vn­known, yet doth she dai­ly cause an infinite num­ber of fooles to drinke of the goldē cup, which she beareth in her hand: yea, and maketh them vtterly drunken with the loue of her. Happy are they, but very few of them is there that refuse her acquain­tance and familiaritie, or y^t dispise to vse her ioyes, [Page] or that neglect her frend­ship, and felowship, least when their deceiuer peri­sheth, that they shoulde perish also.

BUt thou heauenly life thou art she whome God hath ordayned, and prepared for them that loue him, thou art the he­uenly life, the blessed life, [Page] the sure life, the quiet life, the fayre life, the clean life the chast life, the holy life, the life that knowest no death, knowest no sad­nes or pensiuenes, a life without spot, without do lour, without vexation, without corruptiō, with­out trouble, without va­riety or mutabilitie, a life most full of pleasure, and dignitie, wheras is none aduersarie, to striue a­gainst a man, no intice­ments of sinnes, wheras [Page] is perfect loue, without all maner of feare, wher­as is day continually, & one spirite of all men: wheras God is sene face to face, and the minde is fed with this meat of life without ende. I haue a very good minde and de­sire to marke and geue heed to thy clearnesse, w^t thy goods the desire and appetite of my hart is delighted. Loke how much I am able to consider w^t my selfe in musing, and [Page] thinking of thy commo­dities: euen so much am I rauished, & rapte with thy loue, with the ardent desire of thee, & the sweet and comfortable remem­brance of thee, am I wō ­derfully delited. I haue a pleasure therefore surely, to lift vp the eyes of my harte vnto thee, to erecte the state of my mind, and conforme or fashion the affects of my minde vnto thee. It pleaseth me to talke of thee, to heare of [Page] thee, to write of thee, to conferre and meditate of thee, to read euery day of thy blessednes and glory, and to muse oftentimes in my minde of y^t things I haue read concerning thee, that at the least by such meanes I being vnder the sweet refresshing & comforting of thy liue­ly ayre, may passe from the vexatiōs, ieoperdies, laboures, and trauels of this mortall life that wil soone perish, and that in [Page] passing I may lay my wery head in thy bosome to sleepe, or to rest a litle. For this cause do I en­ter into the pleasant me­dow of y^e holy scriptures, and in plowing. I pluck the goodliest greene her­bes of sentences, and in reading I do eate them, and in frequenting I do meditate, and as it were, cut them, & in gathering them together, at the last I last them vp in my me­mory, y^t by such meanes [Page] whē I haue tasted of thy sweetnes, I may some­what lesse feel the bitter­nes of this most wret­ched life. O thou most happy life, oh kingdome which art blessed in deed, which lackest deth, which art without end, no time doth successiuely passe at any time to thee, wheras continuall day without night knoweth no time, whereas that capitaine & conqueror is accompani­ed with those quires of [Page] Angels, singing of him­nes, & songes, they sing vnto God without cea­sing, the ballet of ballets of Sion. Oh most noble head which art cōpassed about with a perpetuall crowne, oh that pardon, and forgeuenes of my sinnes were graunted vnto me, & then imme­diatly this burden of my fleshe layde away, that I might enter into thy ioy, to haue true rest, & that I might get w^t in the good­ly [Page] and beutifull walles of thy citie to receiue a crown of life at the hand of our lord, that I might bee amongest those most holy quires, y^t I mighte stand with the most bles­sed spirites of the creator of glory, that I might see presently the coūtenance of Christ, that I might beholde alwayes y^t most hie & vnspeakable light, incomprehensible, which can not be cōtayned as in a place. And so I should [Page] not only be out of al feare of death: but also I might reioyce alwayes at the gift of the euerlasting in­corruption.

Amen.

PArdon me O Lorde, pardon me, merciful­ly forgeue me, and haue mercy vppon me, spare [Page] mine ignoraunce and my great vnperfectnes, do not reproue me as a rash fellow, because I dare be be so bolde which am but thy seruaunt, but would to God I were eyther a good seruant, or none vn profitable, nor euill ser­uant. And therfore am I an euill man, because I prayse, blesse, & worship thee, which art our God almighty, terrible, & ve­ry much to be feared. I worship thee, I say, with [Page] out contritiō of hart, and without a well of teares. For if so be that the An­gels when they worship, and prayse thee, do trem­ble, being fulfilled with merueilous gladnes: I which am a sinner, whi­lest I stande before thee, saying prayses, & offring sacrifice, why am I not afrayd in my hart? why am I not pale in my coū ­tenance? why do not my lips quake and tremble? why is not all my body [Page] afrayd? & why do I not mourne and bewayle be­fore thee after such a sort, that teares might spring out of mine eies? I wold faine, but I am not able, because I can not do that whiche I desire to doo. This maketh me truely wonderfully to marueill that I am no more mo­ued when I see with the eyes of my fayth, thee which art so fearful. But who can do any thing w^t ­out the help of thy grace, [Page] except thou make our stony hartes to relent, wee of our selues are not able to mollifie them, but all our health dependeth v­pon thy great mercy. O wretch that I am, how is my soule made without any feeling or perseue­rance? that it is not afraid with ouermuche feare, whilest it standeth before God, and singeth to him his owne prayses? Alas how is my hart so har­dened, that mine eyes do [Page] not gush out gret flouds of teares without ceasing when I which am but a seruaunt or bondman do common and talke in my Lorde, and maisters pre­sence? Yea, a man with God, a creature w^t a crea­tor. I that am made of the shine of the earth do speake with him y^t made all thinges of nothing? Put me before thee (O Lord) & whatsoeuer I perceiue of my selfe in y^e secrets of my hart, I do [Page] not keep it close from thy brotherly ears. Thou art rich in mercy, & liberal in rewards, geue me of thy goods that with them I may serue thee. For with nothing els can we serue or please thee, but with thine owne giftes which thou hast vouchsafed to bestow vpon vs. Fasten I beseech thee thy feare in my flesh: let my harte reioyce, & be glad to feare thy name. Woulde God my sinfull soule feared [Page] thee so much, as that holy man which sayd: I al­wayes feared God, as though it wer great swelling floudes should come and tumble vpon me. O God y^e geuer of all good things geue me amongst thy praises a wel of teres with the purenes of hart, and reioyeing of minde, that I louing thee perfitly and worthely praising thee, may feele, taste, and sauour, in the pallace of my hart, how sweet, and [Page] pleasant thou art O lord, as it is written: Do ye tast and see how sweet, & delectable the Lorde is. Blessed is the man that putteth his trust in him. Blessed is y^t people which knoweth glad and ioyful praysing. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee, in whose harte are thy wayes, which going through y^e vale of misery, vse it for a well. Blessed are the cleane in hart, be­cause they shall see God. [Page] Blessed ar they that dwel in the house of the Lord, they shall prayse thee, world without end.

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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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 frō me. In thy sight is both my health & my disease: the one I beseech thee to [Page] 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 [Page] 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, y^t I may desire no earth­ly or carnal thing, nor yet thincke vpon them, but y^t 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 [Page] 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. [Page] O sweet Christ, O good Jesu, euē 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 possēsse 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 [Page] foorth, that they may de­clare how much my soule loueth thee, whilest for y^t 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 mē ­that her countenance af­ter her teares and pray­ers) [Page] 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 [Page] 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 [Page] number. Geue me thy heauenly consolatiō 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 [Page] 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 y^e 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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 [...]dinges bearer of thy glorious resurection vnto thy disciples, when thou diddest commaunde [Page] 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 y^t 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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 truly king of glory, & mai­ster [Page] of all vertue, hast taught vs with thy word and with thine ensample to mourne and weepe, wheras thou saiest: Bles­sed be they that mourne, for they shall be comfor­ted. Thou didst weep for thy frend that was dead, and didst let teares fall down plenteously for the city which should perish. I beseech thee (O good Jesu) by those most pre­cious teares, and by all thy inercies and pities, [Page] wherewith thou diddest vouchsafe marueilouslie to helpe and succour vs that were lost: gene mee the grace to weep, and to be earnestly repentant for my sinnes, which grace my soule desireth, & coue­teth very mutch, and ex­cept it come of thy gift, I can not haue it, but by the holy ghost, which doth molifie the hard harts of sinners, and prouoketh them to weeping. Geue me the grace of teares, [Page] like as thou gauest to our forefathers, whose exam­ples we ought to folow, that I may bewayle my selfe in all my life, like as they did bewayle them­selues day & night: geue me the dew of thy grace from abone, and also a dew of teares beneath, y^t my teares may bee vnto me in stead of bread day and night, & that I may be made in thy sight (O Lord my God) by the fire of thy prouocation, a far [Page] and acceptable sacrifice. Make me to be mortified and killed vpon the aul­tar of mine hart, and that I may be receiued of thee as a fat and a sweet smel­ling sacrifice. Geue vnto me (O good Lord) a plentifull flowing and cleare well of teares, in y^t which I may wash continually this foule and spotted sa­crifice: for although I haue offered vp my selfe wholy vnto thee, by the help of thy grace. Yet ne­uertheles, [Page] in many thin­ges I offende thee daily, because of my great fra­gilitie & weaknes. Geue me therefore the grace of teares (O blessed God) & most especially through the great sweetnes of thy loue, & the remembrance of thy great mercies, pre­pare this table for thy seruaunt in thy sight, and geue me power that as oft as I list, I may be sa­tisfied of it. Graunt vnto me for thy goodnes and [Page] pitie, y^t this thy cup replenished & filled full, may satisfie my thirst, that my spirite may couet the, and that my minde may burn in thy loue, forgetting all vanitie & misery. Heare (my God) heare, thou that art the sturrer vp & quickner of my dul cares heare what I desire and aske: and geue me grace to aske that which thou hearest. O pitifull Lord which art woute to bee easily entreated, be not [Page] hard to bee entreated of me, because of my sinnes, but for thy goodnes re­ceiue the prayers of thy seruant, and graunt me the effect of my petition and desire.

O Lord Jesu, O gentle and louing Jesu, O good Jesu which didst vouchsafe to dye for our [Page] sinnes, and didst rysea­gayne for our iustificati­on, I beseche thee by thy glorious resurrection, to raise me vp out of the se­pulcher of vices and all my sinnes, and geue me dayly part in thy first re­surrection, to the entent I may receiue some part in the latter resurrecti­on. O most mighty king which didst ascend into heauen, wyth y^e triumph of thy glory, and sittest on the right hand of thy [Page] father, draw me vpward towardes thee, that I may runne after thee in the swete sauour of thine anointmentes. Let me runne and not faint whē thou drawest me & lea­dest me running: drawe the mouth of the soule that thirsteth after thee, vnto the high floudes and streames of thine e­ternall aboundance and societie, ye draw me wholy vnto thy selfe, which art the liuing well, to the [Page] intent I may according to my capacitie, drinke of that wherupon I do liue. O my God, my life thou didst say wyth thy holy, and blessed mouth. If any man thirst, let him come vnto me and drinke. O well of lyfe, graunt vnto my thirstie soule alway to drinke of thee, that according to thy holy & true promise, waters of life may flow out of my belly. O well of life replenishe and fill [Page] my minde full of y^e riuer of thy plesure. Make my hart to be druncken, as it were in thy loue, that af­ter the manner of them y^t be druncken with wine, which forget all thinges saue that cup, so I may forget all vaine & earthly thinges, and continually haue nothing els in my cemembraunce, but thee onely, according as it is written: I remembred God, and was delighted. Geue me the holy ghost, [Page] whome those waters did signifie, which thou didst promise to geue to them that thyrsted after thee. Graunt (I beseech thee) that I may assay to goe with my whole desire, & all my study toward that place, vnto the which we beleue thou didst ascende the forty day after thy re­surrection, that in this present misery, I may be onelye in bodye: but in thought & desire alwaies with thee, that my harte [Page] may be there, whereas y^u art which art my trea­sure worthy to be coue­ted, & much to be loued, wherwith no treasure is worthy to be compared. In this great floud of this life, whereas we are tossed with stormes on e­uery side, there is no sted fast standing, or place hie enough aboue y^t waters, no not for the foot of a doue to rest vpon, in this (I say) there is no safe or quiet peace, no where a­ny [Page] sure rest, euery where battayle and strife, euery where enemies and figh­tings without dores and feare at home within dores. And forasmuch as the one part of vs is hea­uenly, & the other earth­ly: our body which is corrupted, doth loden and is burdenous vnto y^e soule: therfore my mind which is my fellow, and frende, being weery with wan­dring forth of the way, is sicke, & lyeth all to torne, [Page] and rent, of those things which it hath passed by. It hungreth & thirsteth greatly after vanities, & I haue nothing to set a­fore it, because I am pore and a begger. Thou (O Lord my God) art rich in all good thinges, and the most plenteous geuer of the daiuties of heauenly societie, geue meate vnto the weery: not such as it lusteth after, but suche as is conueient for it. Ga­ther together the disper­sed, [Page] renue and refresh the corne, loe, he standeth at the dore and knocketh. I beseech thee by the bow­els of thy mercy, where­with thou being the day­spring from an high hast visited vs, open the hand of thy pitie to a wretche that knocketh, & vouch­safe mercifully to bid him enter into thee, and that he may rest with thee, & be refreshed of the, which art the liuing and heauē ­ly bread, wherwith whē [Page] he is once fedde, and that his strength is come to him againe: he may ascēd vnto more high thinges. And being lifted vp out of this vale of misery & teares, with the winges of his godly desire, he may flie vnto the heauē ­ly kingdom. Let my spi­rite (O Lorde I beseech thee) take winges as an Egle, and flye without fainting, let it flye, and come to y^e beutifulnes of thy house, & to the place [Page] where thy glory dwel­leth, where as vpon the meat tables of thy super­nall citezens, it may bee fed of thy secretes, in the place of thy pasture, by the most pleutifull riuers sides. Let my hart rest in thee my God, my hart I say, which is as though it were a great sea swel­ling with waues. Thou which diddest rebuke the windes and the sea, and there was made straight way a great calme: come [Page] & walke vpon the flouds of mine hart, that all thinges which belong vnto me, may be made calme and cleare, that I may embrace thee which art mine only God, and that I may behold the which art y^e sweet light of mine eyes, without any blinde darknes of troublesome cogitations & thoughts. Let my minde flye (O Lord) vnder the shadow of thy winges from heat, that it being concred w^t [Page] the temperatnes of thy pleasant coolnes, may sing ioyfully, and say: I will lay me downe, and rest in peace. Let my me­mory sleepe (O my God I beseech thee) from all euils, make it to hate ini­quitie, and to loue righte­ousnes. For what can be better or more delectable, then in the middest of the darkuesse of this life and amongest the manifolde and bitter miseries of the same, to desire feruently [Page] heauenly sweetnes? to co uet euerlasting blessed­nes? a mans mind to be­hold euer there, whereas he may be most sure to haue infallible, and true ioyes. O Lord which for thy louing kindnesse art most worthy to be desie­red & coueted of all thin­ges, whē shal I see thee? when shall I appeare before thy face? when shal I be satisfied of thy glo­ry? whē wilt thou bring me foorth of this darcke [Page] prison, that I may con­fesse thy name, so that af­terwarde I bee no more pricked? when shall I passe and goe to that mer­ueilous & beutifull house of thine, whereas y^e voyce of gladnes and reioysing doth sound in the taber­nacles of iust men. Bles­sed are they that dwell in thy house (O Lord) they shall prayse thee euer, world w^tout ende. Bles­sed are they, yea, blessed in deed, whom thou hast [Page] chosen, & taken into that heauenlye inheritaunce. Beholde (O Lorde) thy saints florish before thee, like vnto lillies, for they are replenished with the plēteousnes of thy house and thou doest geue them to drinke of the flowing riuer of thy pleasure, be­cause thou art the well of life, and in thy light and brightnesse they do see light, so greatly that they them selues which are a light, which was made [Page] brighte by thee O God, which doest geue them light, do shine like vnto the sunne in thy sight. O how marueilous, how fayre and beutifull, howe acceptable ar thy mansi­ons and dwelling places of thy house, O Lorde of powers. My sinfull soule doth couet to enter into them. O Lord I haue loued the comlinesse of thy house, & the place where thy glory dwelleth, I as­ked one petition of thee, [Page] (Lord,) and the same wil I require, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life. Like as the hart co­ueteth to go vnto the water brookes, euen so doth my soule desire to come vnto thee. O God when shall I come and appear before y^t face of my Lord? when shall I see God, after whome my soule longeth very sore? when shal I see him in the land of the liuing? For in this [Page] land of the dead, he cānot bee seene with mortall eyes: what shall I do wretch that I am, which am fettered with the hea­uy giues of mortalitie? what shall I do? Whilest we continue in this body we goe astray from the Lord: wee haue here no abiding place for euer, but we labor for one that is to come. Our free citie is in heauen. Woe is me, mee thincke I dwell a­mongest the barbarous [Page] nations and infidels: & not amongst the faithfull Israelites, I led my life in the tentes of Cedar. My soule hath dwelt too long with them that hare peace and quietnes. Who will geue me winges as a doue, that I may flye, and rest me. There is no thing that I desire or de­light so much in, as is to be in my Lords cōpany: it is good for me to clene vnto God. Oh graunte me (O Lord,) whilest I [Page] am in this frayle mem­bers, to sticke vnto thee, as it is written: He that cleaueth vnto the Lorde, is all one spirite with him. Geue me therefore I besech thee, the wings of contemplation, wher­with when I am appare led, I may flye vpward. And forasmuch as euery vnlucky and infortunate thing lyeth beneath: do thou O Lord hold vp my mind, lest it fal headlong into the lowest bottoms [Page] of the darke valley: & lest the shadow of the earthe should come betwene, & seperate it from thee, that art y^e bright sonne of righteousnes: and lest it once hid with the cloudes of darknes should not haue libertie, but be letted to loke for heauenly things which be aboue. There­fore I do assay to go vp­warde vnto the ioyes of quietnes and peace, and vnto the delectable and pleasant state of light. O [Page] holde my hart with thy hande, because it cānot be drawn vnto high things without thee. Thether do I make hast, whereas most chief and principall peace raigneth, and con­tinuall quiemes shineth forth. Hold and gouerne my spirite, and take it ac­cording to thy will, that thou being a guide vnto it, it may ascende into the region & contrey of plen­tifulnes, whereas thou feedest Israell euerla­stingly, [Page] with the food of truth, to the entent that there at y^e least wise with my swift cogitation and thought, I may come nie thy wisedome, which re­maineth aboue al things ouerpasseth all thinges, & gouerneth all thinges. But alas there be many thinges, which when my soule woulde flye vnto thee, do cry out vpon it. Commaund them all (O Lord) to hold their peace and speake not vnto me: [Page] as for my soule it selfe, let it gene neuer a worde to aunswer: let it passe by all things: let it clune aboue al things that be created, and come vnto thee, and that it may fastē the eyes of fayth vpon thee which art the onely creator of al thinges: let it couet vnto thee, & be bent towardes thee: let it thinke vpon thee by meditation and contēplatiō: let it lay thee before his eyes for it self: let it role and tosse thee [Page] in his hart: thee (I say) which art the true & chief goodnes, & the ioy that will remaine euer with­out ending. There is surely many contempla­tions, in the which mans soule is marueilously [...] of thee, but in none of them my soule is so much delighted, nor yet hath so good rest in, as in thee: And when as it thinketh vpon thee, and hath thee onely in contemplation: Oh howe mutch is thy [Page] sweetnes, O Lord? how marueilously doest thou enspire the harts of them that loue thee? how dele­ctable is thy loue? the fru­ition whereof they haue y^t loue nothing but thee: they seek for nothing els: they couete to thincke of nothing els. Happy are they whose onely hope thou art, which haue no trust but in thee onely, & all theyr whole worke is prayer. Blessed is he that sitteth solitarely alone, & [Page] holdeth his peace, & stan­deth vpon his ward that he is set to keep continu­ally day and night, that yet while he is in this fraile body, he may be a­ble to taste somwhat thy pleasantnes. I require thee by those thy wounds which bring health vnto vs, which wounds thou suffredst vpon the crosse, for our health, out of the which thy precious bloud wherewith thou redee­medst vs, did distill and [Page] drop downe: wound this my sinnefull soule, for the whiche also thou diddest vouchsafe to die. Wound it (I say) with the fiery & mighty dart of thy great charitie: for the worde of God is liuely and effectuous, and more pearcing, and sharpe, then any two edged sworde. Thou O chosen dart & most sharp sword, which art able by thy power to pearce tho­rough the hard shielde or buckler of mans hart, fa­sten [Page] and stick the shaft of thy loue in my hart, that my soule may say vnto thee. I am wounded w^t thy charitie, so that forth of that same woūd of thy loue, teares may flowe most plēteously both day & night. Strike (o Lord) strike I befech thee, this most indurated and har­dened mynde of myne, with the sharpe dart of thy loue, and pearce it deper and deper, into the innermost partes there­of, [Page] by thy mightie pow­er, and so bring out of my head, aboundance of water, and out of myne eyes, a very well of teares, continually run­ning thorowe the great affect & merueilous de­sire to see thy glory, that I may mourne day and night, without taking any comfort in this lyfe, vntill (in thy heauenly weddyng chamber) I may see thee my welde­loued & beutifull spouse, [Page] my God and my Lorde. And that there when I see thy glorious, meruei­lous, and beutifull face, full of all swetenes, to­gether with them which thou hast chosen: then I say, I may worshippe humbly thy maiesty, and there at the last being re­plenished with heauenly and vnspeakable reioy­sing of euerlasting glad­nes, I may euen cry out with them that loue thee (saying). Beholde that [Page] which I haue long desi­red, now I haue obtei­ned. For I am ioyned in heauen vnto hym, whom, when I was in earth, I loued with all my strength: with all my charitie I embraced him vnto whom with all my loue I did stick & cleaue. Him do I praise, blesse, & worship, that liueth and raigneth GOD world without end.

Amen.

[Page] HAue mercy on me (o lord) haue mercy on me a most wretched sin­ner, which do commit wickedly, and do suffer therfore worthely, which do sinne continually, and suffer thy scourge there­fore dayly. If thou take my dayly tribulation as a recompēce for the euils which I haue commit­ted: thē it is not so much that I suffer. For it is a great deale more grie­uous which I haue tres­passed, [Page] then that which I do suffer. Thou art iust, O Lord, and thy iudgement is according to right. Yea, all thy iudgements are iust and true, and thou (O Lord our God) art iust & righ­teous: for there is no iniquitie in thee. Thou doost not vniustly, nor yet cruelly scourge and punishe sinners. O al­mightye and mercyfull God, which when we had no being at all, didst [Page] mightily create & make vs. And when we were lost by our owne faulte, thou by thy pitie & good­nes marueilously did dest recouer vs. I know and am very certain and sure that our life is not led by sodeine motions, but it is disposed and gouerned of thee O Lord our God. Whereby I knowe thou takest care for all men, & most chieflye for thy ser­uauntes which haue put their whole hope in thine [Page] onely mercy: Therefore do I besech and humbly require thee, that thou wouldest not deale with me according to my sins, wherwith I haue deser­ued thine anger, but ac­cording to thy great mercifulnes, which exceedeth the sinnes of the whole worlde. Thou O Lorde, which outwardly doest punish & scourge, graunt me inwardly a patience, that will neuer fayle, so that thy prayse neuer de­parte [Page] away from my mouth. Haue mercy on me (O Lord,) haue mer­cy on me, and helpe me, as thou thinckest best to be most necessary for my body and soule. Thou knowest all things, thou caust doo all thinges, which liuest for euer and euer.

O Lord Jesu Christ son of the liuing God, [Page] whiche being vppon the crosse, with thy handes spread abroad, for the re­demption of all mankind didst drinke the most bit­ter cup of thy passion: I besech thee y^t thou woul­dest vouchsafe, to geue me helpe this day and e­uer. Lo, I a poore wretch come vnto thee which art ritch: a sinner, vnto thee that art mercifull. Let me not returne home contē ­ned and despised with nothing. I begin an hun­gred [Page] Let me not leaue of fasting: I come vnto thee as though I were fami­shed, let me not go away vnfed. Although before I eat, I sigh and sorow: yet after my sorow gene me somwhat to eat. First of all good Jesu, I ac­knowledge before thy maiestie mine vnrighte­ousnes toward thee. Be­holde (O Lorde) I was conceiued in sinne, and borne in the same: & thou didst wash them of from [Page] mee, and sanctified mee: but I afterwarde defiled my selfe with bigger and more greeuous sinnes. For I was born in sinne of necessitie, because I coulde bee borne none o­therwise: but afterward I rolled my self willing­ly in sinnes. Neuerthe­les thou (O Lord) being mindful of thy pitie, didst take me out of the house of my carnall father, and out of the tentes of the vngodly, and hast enspi­red [Page] me & put me in mind, to follow thee, with the generation of them that seeke thy face, of thē that walke in the right path of them that abide and continue amongst the li­lies of chastetie, and of them that sit downe together with thee at supper of most scarcitie, and lesse excesse. But I an vnkind person, forgetting so many great benefites, after that I was entred into religion and holines, did [Page] commit many vnlawfull thinges. I did offend wonderfull vngracious­ly: and where I should of right haue amended mine euill life, & left my sinnes: I heaped sinnes vpon sinnes, and these be the euils (O Lord) wherwith I haue disho­noured thee, and haue spotted and defiled my selfe (whom thou didst create after the similitude & likenes of thine owne selfe) with pride, vaine­glory, [Page] and other many euils, wherewith myne vnlucky soule is vexed, punished, torne, and de­stroyed. Beholde (O Lorde) myne vnrighte­ousnes is gone ouer my heade, and are lyke a sore burthen, ouer heauy for me to beare. And except thou whose propertie is euer to haue mercy and to forgeue, doe lay vnder me the right hand of thy maiestye: I shall be con­strayned miserablye to [Page] sinke into the deepe, and be drowned.

Geue heede O Lord God and behold, because thou art holy, loke how myne enemy assaulteth me saying, God hath for­saken him, I will perse­cute him and catch hym, because there is no man that wyll deliuer hym. But thou Lorde how longe? Turne agayne & deliuer my soule, saue me for thy mercies sake. Haue mercy vpon thy [Page] sonne, whom thou hast brought forth wyth no small sorrow and payne: and be not so ententife vnto myne euilnes, that thou forget thyne owne goodnes: what father is there but he will deli­uer his sonne? yea, and what father is there that will not correct hys sonne and chasten hym? but with the rod of pitie. Therefore, O father and Lord, although I be a sinner, yet can I not [Page] chuse but be thy sonne, because thou hast made me, and made me againe whē I was marde with sinne. Repayre and a­mēde me now (O Lord) but fyrst of all, I being mended & chastised wyth thy scourge, deliuer me to thy sonne. Can a mo­ther forget the childe she bare of her wombe: and surelye, although shee sometymes be sorowful, yet thou (O father) hast promised not to forgette [Page] vs. Beholde I crye, and thou doost not heare me, I am vexed with sor­row, and thou comfor­test me not. What shall I say? or what shall I do, most wretched caitife that I am? I beyng de­solate of so great com­fort, and cast out from the sight of thyne eyes. Wo be vnto me, frō how great goodnes into how great a mischiefe am I fallen? whether purpo­sed I to goe, and whe­ther [Page] am I come? where am I? and where am I not? whom did I study to attayne vnto? and what euils haue I obtei­ned? I sought for good thinges, and beholde I haue found trouble and care. Behold now I am in y^e state of death, & Je­sus is not with me. And surely it were better for me to haue nothing at al, yea no being at all, thē to be w^tout Jesu. It is bet­ter not to liue, thē to liue [Page] without life. And thou O Lord Jesu, where be thine old mercies? wilt thou be angry towardes me for euer? Be pacified I beseche thee, and haue mercy vpon me, & turne not thy face away from me, which to the entent thou mightest redeeme me, didst not turne a­way thy face from them that rebuked thee, and spitted vpō thee. I con­fesse and acknowledge that I haue sinned, and [Page] my conscience deserueth damnation, and the pe­naunce that I am able to do, is not sufficient to make amendes for mine iniquities. But sure and certayne I am that thy mercy excedeth all offen­ces that a man can do. Oh do not (I besech thee most pitifull Lord) write my haynous sinnes a­gaynst me, that y^u shoul­dest enter into iudgemēt with thy seruaunt. But according to y^e multitude [Page] of thy mercies, crosse & blot out mine iniquities. woe be vnto me wretch that I am, when the day of iudgement commeth, & the bokes of cōsciences shall be layd wide open, whē it shalbe sayd of me: Lo, loke vpō this felow, and his workes: what shall I do then, O Lord my God, when the hea­uens shall reuele & shew forth myne iniquitie, and the earth shall arise vp & restifie myne iniquitie, [Page] against me? Beholde I shall be able to geue neuer one worde to aun­swer, but to stande in thy presence trembling, qua­king, vtterly confounded and holding downe my head for shame. Alas wretch that I am, what shall I say? I cry vnto thee O Lord my God. Why am I consumed & fretted with holding my peace? But if I shoulde speake, my griefe would not cease: And if I holde [Page] my peace, I shall be most bitterly vexed within me Mourn O my soule, and lament as a widowe for her first husband that she had in her young age. Houle wretch, and crye out w^t weping, because thy spouse Christ hath forsaken thee. O God al­mighty, let not thine an­ger fall vpon me: because that if thou lay so much to my charge, as is due for my sins, it is so much that I can not receaue it. [Page] Surely my power is not able for to suffer or beare it. Haue mercy vpon me, least I dispaire: but in dispairing I will take hart to me, and be some­what comforted. For al­though I haue commit­ted so much that thou mayst cōdemne me wor­thely: yet thou hast not lost that wherwyth thou wast wont to saue sin­ners, neyther doost thou reioyce at the destruction and losse of thē that die: [Page] yea, to the entent y^e dead men might line, thou thy selfe didst die, and thy death did kill the death of sinnes. And if they were reuiued agayne, & did liue by thy death: I beseche thee, let not me die, now that thou li­nest. Sende downe thy hand and power from hye, and deliuer me out of the handes of myne enemyes, that they re­ioyce not ouer me, and say: let vs deuour hym. [Page] who euer (O good Jesu) needed to mistrust of thy mercy? which when wee were thine enemies, did­dest redems vs with thy bloud, and reconciled vs vnto God. Beholde, I being hid vnder the sha­dowe of thy mercy, do come vnto the throne of thine glory, requiring, and I do runne crying, and knocking, vntil thou take pitie vpon me. For if thou diddest call vs to pardon and forgeuenes. [Page] before wee laboured for pardon, how soone shall we obtayne forgeuenes, when we aske it? Do not remember (O most bountifull Jesu) thy iustice to­ward a sinner? but thinke vpon thy liberalitie and gentlenes towarde thy creature. Do not remember thine anger towarde the giltie, but remember thy pitie & mercy toward a wretch. Forget me in that I proudly did pro­uoke and moue thee to [Page] wrath, and looke vpon a wretch that calleth vpon thee. For what is Jesus but a sauiour? Therefore good Jesu, for thine own sake, arise, and helpe me, and say vnto my soule: I am thy health, & thy safe­garde. I presume mutch and am very bolde of thy goodnes (O Lorde,) be­cause thou doest teach vs to aske, to seeke, and to knocke: wherfore, I be­ing admonished by thy word, do aske, seeke, and [Page] knocke. And thou (O Lord) that commaundest vs to aske, make me able to receiue: thou that ge­uest counsel to seek, graūt that I may finde: thou that teachest vs to knock, open to mee when I knocke, and confirme me which am vnstable and wanering: restore mee that am lost: rayse me vp that am dead: and vouch safe to direct and gouern in thy fauour all my sen­ses, my thoughtes, and [Page] doings, that from hence­foorth I may serue thee, I may liue toward thee, and that I may commit my selfe vnto thee. I know (O my Lord) that through this that thou hast made me, I owe and am in debt vnto thee, euē mine owne selfe: and be­cause thou hast redeemed me, and wast made man for my sake: for this (I say) I owe vnto thee more then my self. Lo, I haue no more: neyther [Page] can I geue that which I haue vnto thee, without thee. But do thou take me, and drawe me vnto thee, that I may be thine in following and louing thee: like as I am thine in condition & creation: which liuest and raig­nest world without ende.

Amen.