without confortable vysitacyon it sholde cause the to be the more quycker deuouter For afore feruent syngers with glad hertes praysyng and louyng theyr maker Iesu her blyssed sone with deuocyon she standeth long styll and beholdeth them face to face And so gladly to the mayde to al thy maydenly systers wyll offre her blyssed sone that ye may ioyfully clyppe the chylde kysse that chylde enbrace that chylde to your clene brestes O now is this a mery medytacyon for maydens whan thou hast long had this holy chylde in thyn armes beholde now and se how deuoutly the moder receyueth her blyssed sone agayne Knele doune in thy soule sister I pray the than delyuer the blyssed chylde to his blyssed moder for she must now goo for to chere other of thy systers Be not sory though other be gladded as well as thou Se now how she gooth full maydenly for to vysite other of thy systers And this is not ones but oftentymes whyles ye be at matyns and at all other tymes and houres And whan she hath so done se now how the chylde by the prayers of his blyssed moder lyfteth vp his holy hande and blysseth you all namely suche as singen with a corage sauourly deuoutly ☞ Lo syster I trowe veryly that suche medytacyons yf they be deuoutly coÌ„ceyued in thy soule shold put away dulnes in psalmody / euagacyons and dystractions / slepynesse / slouth / suche other temptacions indyuyne seruyce Al so whan ony maner of carnall thoughtes crepe in to thyn herte in tyme of gods seruyce anone crye in thyn hert knockyng and crossyng pryuely thy brest and say thus Cor munduÌ„ crea in me deus Lorde I praye the forme in me a clene herte I doubt not syster yf it be a fleshly thought with suche grete cryeng and crossyng it wyll ryght soone auoyde Also yf thou wylt eschue laughyng in dyuine seruyce I pray the kepe well thy syght And yf it happe somtyme that thou be wery by long abydynge in gods seruyce thynke that for euery verse our lorde wyll rewarde the in heuen a thousand yere and mâ—o ¶ Myghtyly therfore and dyligently laboure in the seruyce of almighty god after thy might and saye to our lorde in thyn herte thus If I more might more I wolde That I haue lord I gyue the. Beleue veryly sister our blissed lorde Iesu crist thy chosen spouse acceptyth thys gyfte for a worthy gyfte and a greate In this wyse syster thou maist ascende vp vnto god by deuocion in vocall prayers and also in mentall prayers that is by suche holy meditacion in tyme of diuyne saruice bothe in redyng and syngyng I mene not to be an hygh synger but for to be a deuout synger and a herty synger For in our lordes care sowneth not the crye but the loue not the voyce but the hert and wyl for to labour in his seruyce for his loue Lo sister thus mayst thou be a good singer though thou be no high synger He syngeth high whome our lorde hereth ¶ Also sister whan thou arte at our lady masse there behaue the deuoutly and reuerently And thynke how somtyme whan thou were in the worlde with what reuerence and what dyligence thou seruedest an erthly lorde or an erthly lady onely for to eschue theyr dyspleasure and for to wynne theyr benyuolence So now do thy dylygeÌ„ce or indeuour with moche more reuerence and more dylygence for to serue our heuenly lorde and our heuenly lady in heryÌ„g of her holy masse and of all other masses For to such holy seruyce thou hast now fully commytted the wherfore thou shalt haue a grete rewarde what rewarde is that wenest thou Truely Iesu hymself shall be thy mede and thy rewarde ☞ O now is this a grete rewarde for so lytell a labour Aboue all thynges therfore I praye the in tyme of herynge of thy masses refreyne the from all maner vnreuerence and dissolucion For be ryght sure yf thou haue more deuocyon in heryng of that masse than the preste hath that singeth or sayth the masse thou shalt receyue more grace of that blyssed sacrament than he ¶ On saterdayes or on other solempne dayes whan thou shalt be coÌ„muned than do all thyn inwarde outwarde dylygeÌ„ce goostly and bodily to receyue that blyssed sacrament with all maner sadnesse and deuocioÌ„ But aboue all thynges make fyrst a clene conscience by confessyon Be often coÌ„fessyd and mekely in suche wyse that thy coÌ„fessour may moost clerely vnderstande the. So that by oft vsynge of bothe these sacramentes of penaunce and howselyng purete clennes and deuocion may euer encrease and be kept in the ¶ In what wyse thou mayst best moost deuoutly dispose the to that moost holy sacrament after pure confessyon I wolde thou axed it of our lorde god and than the holy goost shal teache the. But yet soÌ„what shall I say to styre the for to receyue that blyssed sacrament deuoutly and it shall be but a short lesson ¶ Fyrst thynke how lytell thou art in his syght whiche holdeth vp bothe the and all the worlde In this thought as moche as thou mayst set thy self at nought Haue in mynde also how euery day thou synnest therfore thynke thy selfe ryght vyle and wretched and all vnworthy for to receyue that blyssed sacrament And in this thought thynke that though thou haddest be about to make the redy a thousand yere afore it had ben lytel ynough as for so worthy a sacrameÌ„t Thynke also that thou art vnworthy for to loke vp into heuen and to them that lyue in heuen or heuenly Therfore coÌ„sydering thy vnworthynesse long afore or thou receyue that blyssed sacrament caste doune thyn eye in to purgatory where paynes be ordeyned for to purge synners Among all thynke on some payne there ordeyned for thy synÌ„es and for thy trespaces / where peraduenture thou art worthy to lye vnto the day of dome / were not the grete mercy of our lorde god Therfore thynke thus and say alway in thyn hert before thou go to receyue that holy sacrament O lorde yf a thousand yere suffyse not a soule to be worthyly redy to receyue this blyssed body and blode good lorde haue mercy on me that soo vnworthily vnredyly come therto which am a ryght wretched creature dayly synnyng not ameÌ„dyng O. good lorde Iesu there is no stynkyng fylthe fouler than my soule is for to receyue thy blyssed body and blode I beseche the lord make some ryuer of compunction fyrst to renue by that foule stynking pyt of my soule to wasshe away the fylth or that thou entre O lorde I dare not els put the there Now blyssed be thou good lorde I fynde grete confort in thy mercy I wote well now without ony comparyson thyn infynyte mercy is more than all my wyckednesse And therfore through the felyng of that heuenly grace which thou hast now indued my soule trustyng onely vpon thy benygne mercy I go to receyue it as a
seke body to a leache that thy blyssed goostly medycin may make my seke soule hole The seker that I am lorde the more nede haue I to come to the that thy greate pyte mercy may be shewed in me by delyueraunce of my synnes Vpon this trust lorde I come to the. for thy mercyes I wote well be infynite There lorde I shal fynde heuenly delycates in the whiche delycates I purpose euer to dwell in the lorde and in none other Soo feruently I wyll set my hert as I wyll of the euer for to haue ioy with the withouten ende ☞ Lo syster by suche short meditacions and other lyke these thou mayst clense thy herte and thy soule with rennyng ryuers of very compunction Before thou go to receyue that blyssed sacrament say also in thy herte yf thou haue leyser in thy goyng thus O I that am powdre and asshes shall I now go to my lorde Than answere agayne and say with a reuereÌ„t mekenesse yea that shall I as an vnprofitable seruaunt gooth to his benygne mayster And as an hongry soule gooth to his meate And as a seke man gooth to his leache Say also as saynt Austyn sayth My lorde my mercy my refuge my desire to the I come for I may not helpe my selfe with myn own werkes And therfore lorde releue me / socour me / haue mercy on me I mystrust of my merytes / but I trust in thy grete mercyes more than I mystrust of myn euyl dedes Lord thou art my hope To the alone I haue synÌ„ed mercy lorde ☞ Many folke vse to saye longe afore they be houseled the .vij. psalmes of penaunce with a â—etany Prayeng to all those sayntes for helpe which psalmes saynt Austyn toke out of the psalter and set them togyder And named theÌ„ psalmes of penauÌ„ce It is a good deuocioÌ„ for to say I wyll not charge the withall considering the contynual labour that thou hast in thyn ordre ¶ Thynke also on the grete charite whiche he sheweth to synners / in gyuyng his blyssed body to them for theyr goostly helthe and goostly meate And that it is very goostly meate he proueth it well hymselfe where he sayth thus Caromea vere est cibus et sanguis meus vere est potê° Â¶ My flesshe sayth he is very meate / my blode is very drynk ☞ This is the meate whiche is fygured by that manna in the old testament which had all maner of delyce all maner sauour of swetenesse that at the last shal be gyuen to thy grete mede and rewarde of euerlastyng blysse as he sayth hymselfe thus Qui manducat meam caruem bibit meum sanguinem habet vitam eternam That is He that receyueth my flesshe dryÌ„keth my blode shal haue for his hye rewarde euerlastyng lyfe here by grace after this lyfe by ioye ¶ Now syster after the gracious receyuynge of his blyssed sacrameÌ„t / thanke our lorde for the grete benefite say thus in thy herte Inuem queÌ„ diligit aia mea tenebo euÌ„ et noÌ„ dimittaÌ„ the is I haue found whome my soule loueth now shal I kepe him neuer shall I leue hym And for bycause it is called a sacrament of loue I wold thou prouydysted some maner of prayers of loue whiche might styre the poynt of thy loue as is this orysoÌ„ Duleê iesus memoria or such other than I drede not but thou shalt fele grete deuocyon ¶ O good syster somtyme my goostly doughter I pray the than for to desyre of thy spouse for me one drop of that deuocion I wolde also thou sholde desyre of him suche deuocion for all my goostly frendes Among all other of thy deuocion and vocall prayers it were a medefull sayeng for to saye Placebo Dirige at leest with thre psalmes thre lessons and laudes thynkyng that thou hast thy lyuelode of them that peraduenture lyen in paynes of purgatory which paynes as some doctours done say passeth all the paynes of the world and is more greuous ¶ This thou myghtest vse well at after none whan thou walkest in the gardyn And thynke that he were an vnkynde frende a ryght cruell whiche myght se the in a brennynge fyre were in his power for to delyuer the and wyll not Truly ryght soo our lorde hath graunted the one frende in erth may delyuer his freÌ„de in purgatory by deuout prayers other goostly meanes / If suche one be neclygeÌ„t his frende in purgatory may well thynke that suche one is rather a cruell enmy than a frende Sende therfore in spare tymes thy prayers to our lorde for them that ben in purgatory / recommendyng to hym thy kynne thy founders benefactours of thy monastery and all other which ben passed out of this worlde Lo sister all this before is sayd moche of bocall prayer lytell of mentall prayers For euer amonges all goostly exercyses prayer is a holy meane Vocall prayer mentall prayer they two ben so nygh of kynne that the one is neuer founde without the other If vocall prayer haue chefe occupacion medytacion medleth somwhat with hym And yf medytacion haue chefe occupacion than prayer breketh out among And therfore in as moch as it is longyng to prayer somwhat shall I say of mentall prayer whiche is called medytacion And also for to styre the whan thou arte alone how thou shalte be occupyed in medytacion ¶ Syster suche mentall prayer by medytacion is ryght swete merytorious and precyous to a deuout soule / but right few vse it and that is pyte And as saynt Hue sayth in a boke whiche he maketh of the maner of suche medytatyue prayer that such prayers is called deuocioÌ„ purely of the soule which is a very tornyng in to god by meke and mylde affection By this thou mayst knowe that medytacion sholde be meke by consyderacyon of hym that so prayeth Of this we fynd a good example by the publycane in the gospell whiche in his herte prayed submyttyng thy self mekely to god a very synÌ„er sayeng outward by right fewe wordes as for vocal prayers whan he sayd thus Deus propicius esto michi peccatori For all his prayers were inward for the moste parte All suche that praye by medytacion they speake fewe wordes In other properte meditatiue prayer hathe yt is shorte as short wordes of loue or of mercy and sendith out his flames and beames Such a short medytatyf prayer sister perceth heuen For all suche soules that so ben occupyed in meditacions done rest in god as in the begynnyng endyng of his medytacyon And thus suche medytatife prayer is short Not for the shortnesse of deuocion but for the shortnesse of the length in wordes Another properte that longeth vnto medytatyue prayer that is desyrous by waylyng sobbyng and syghing to be with our lorde So that suche one may say with the ê“phete Dauyd thus Sitiuit anima mea ad deum fontem viuum quaÌ„do veniam et apparabo ante faciem det fueruÌ„t
micht lactime mee paries die ac nocte That is my soule thursteth to our lord which is the quicke gracious welle the refressheth euery mournynge sowle O. whan shal I come and appere before thy gloryous face blissed lorde Euery day my soule is fed with teares as my bodi is with breades for they be the loues of my soule vnto the tyme that I maye se the face to face ⧠Syster is not this avery good mournynge myrthe If thou wylt come come to suche mery mournynge of medytacion thou must as moch as thou maist sequester thi selfe from all maner outwarde noyses distractions and soo entre into the pryue chambre of thyn hert and there exclude all thynges vnder god and than assende vp vnto him by suche deuout medytacions ¶ In the whiche medytacions fyrst thou shalt bethynk the of thyn owne fraylte How redy thou art to euyll how dull and slowe to good After this thynke vpon the grete cruelte of thy goostly enmies How day and night they lye in awayte by many wicked suggestions fals subtyltees how they might deceyue thy soule and drawe it to synue And after this thynke vpon the grete goodnesse of god how moch grace he hath wrought for that Fyrst in makyng the of nought And than how he with his precyous blode bought the. Departynge disceueryng the from all mysbeleuyng people paynyms and heretykes Gyuyng the a chrysten name by receyuyng of the sacrameÌ„t of baptysme And also abyding mercy ably and beny gnely thy tornyng out of synne Delyuerynge the out from the fendes mouth and from the vanyte of this fals worlde by entryng into relygion And so gyuynge the many other vertues and graces without nombre ⧠The first me dytacion wyll styre the to compuÌ„ction sorow The seconde to drede And the thyrde to loue ¶ Of this me semeth saynt Hue in a boke that he made De arra amme sayth a right swete worde and it is this I am sayeth he hyghly bounde to loue my lorde Iesu of whome I haue receyued many benefytes of loue For fyrst he sayth hath gyuen me my essensiall beynge in hym not onely with all vnseÌ„sible creatures but effectuall beyng of fayrnesse aboue essensyble creatures But effectual beyng of fayrnesse he hath gyuen me also lyfe in hym not onely with beestes beestly / but for to lyue by grace heuenly He hath gyuen me a body with wyttes A soule with strengthes Erth with that which is conteyned therin for my sustenauÌ„ce Gyftes of grace with holy sacramentes of the chyrche And hymselfe with his tormeÌ„tes which he suffred in his passion ☞ After these thre maner medycacions ascende vp with an hye trust to our lorâ—e Iesu And yf thou mayst with habundaunce of teares say with meke boldnes as saynt Austyn sayth thus ⧠I shall now surely go to my lorde Iesu and crye vpon hym mekely to moue hym for to helpe me / consyderyng by his mercy full goodnesse bothe my fraylte and the grete cruelte of my goostly eÌ„myes ¶ Than after this rest a whyle by medytacyon / and be ryght sure he wyll fulfyll thy desyre graunt the thyn askyng And though thou fynd no swetenesse anone leaue not therfore / but cry vnto hyÌ„mekely importunely sayng thus in thy soule Non dimittam te donec benedixeris michi Lorde I shall not leaue the vnto the tyme thou hast gyue me thy blissynge yea though he put the to scylence Or put the from hym with his haÌ„de Or shoue the away with his fote yet leaue not but crye vpon hym mekely alway And I tell the for a trouthe yf thou contynue thus in such importunyte it shall encrease thy deuocyon ryght moche And yet therto thou shalt haue thyn askyng and be sped of thy desyre Whiche I fynde well proued by example of the holy writynge of Thoby to whome the aungell sayd thus Quando orabas cum lacrimis ego optuli orationem tuam deo ☞ whan thou dydest praye with wepynge than I offered thy prayers to god ⧠Lo syster set neuer lytell by prayers whiche holy auugels don offre to oure lorde god and namely there as it is contynued with Christ ☞ In all such medytatyue prayers I wolde thou had a specyall insyght vnto our blyssed lady moder of mercy and pray her to be a tender meane to her dere sone for the. namely at her masse other tymes also And grete her with Auees and other specyall deuocyons made of her ⧠And I praye the yf thou mayst vse often for to say that blyssed swete worde of saynt Anselme in the ende of thy medyta tyue prayer to our blyssed lady which is this ¶ Gloryous vyrgin gods moder / as thou verily louedest thy sone and verily woldest that he were loued â–ª gete me that grace of thy sone that I may veryly loue hym ⧠Truely I hope that thou sholdest fynde grete confort in such deuout wordes And yf thou may I wolde thou saydest to her among her psalters of Auees called our ladyes psalter Also I wolde thou were occupyed namely on holy dayes with redyng of deuout bokes as is Stimulis amoris or such other In the which specially I recommend to thy medytacyon the holy passyon of our lorde Iesu and namely after complyn after matins And beleue it ryght well it shal inflame thy soule ferueÌ„tly in his loue / and teche the for to dispyse this wretched worlde And also it wyll teche the for to wynne grete pacyence in al maner aduersiters And it wyll arme the agaynst thy gostly enmyes and gyue the myght strength to ouercome theÌ„ worthyly For as saynt Bernard sayth Be a man neuer so delycate yf he consyder inwardly the bytter passyon of Chryst / he must nedes absteyn hym be he neuer so wrath full he must nedes forgyue be he neuer so malycious he must be bothe ful of pyte compassioÌ„ Say therfore with the same holy Bernarde say it inwardly intentyfly thus ☞ O good Iesu how myghtyly hast thou called me enbraced me to the with thyn holy armes of thy holy passyon where thy soule passed out of thy body and water out of thy syde blode out of thy herte O mercyful Iesu thou louedest me thaÌ„ full hote / ful feruently good lorde forsake me not now Thus mayst thou growe on hygh by deuocion bothe in vocall prayers and in mentall prayers ¶ It is necessary for the also syster yf thou wylt encrease and grow deuoutly incongregacion for to eschue syngularite in all thin own outward obseruaunces myngle or tempre dyscrecyon with all thy dedes lest it be sayd of the as our lord sayd in his gospell Ecce homo q cepit edificare et non potuit consummare Lo sayth our lorde this man hath begon to buyld but he can make no ende Therfore do so discretly as thou mayst coÌ„tinue Take no specialites on the wtout leue / but kepe a comyn forme of lyuing For by dyscretion and