¶ A full deuoute and gostely treatyse of the Imytacyon and folowynge the blessed lyfe of our moste mercyfull Sauyour cryste compyled in Laten by the right worshypful Doctor Mayster IohnÌ„ Gerson and translate into Englisshe The yere of owre Lorde M. d. ii By maister William Atkynson Doctor of diuinite at the speciall request coÌ„maundemeÌ„t of the full excellent Pryncesse Margarete moder to oure souerayne lorde Kynge Henry the .vii. and Countesse of Rychemount and Derby ¶ Here begynneth the boke of IohnÌ„ GersoÌ„ chauÌ„celer of Paris ê¯teyniÌ„g yâ— holy doctrine of crist how â—e shulde folowe hym ê¯teÌ„pne all wordly vanites ¶ The first Chaptre WHo so folo with me saith crist our sauiour walketh nat iÌ„ derkenes These be the wordes of iesucrist wherby we be exorted to folow his lore doctrine if we will truely be lightned auoided from all bliÌ„nes of ignorauÌ„ce of mynde Let our full affeccion be to haue our study meditacion iÌ„ yâ— doctrine lyfe of iesucrist whiche excelleth the doctrine of all seyntes And who so may haue the iey of theyr soule sequestrate in wordly thynges in this scripture of our lorde may fynde swere manna spiritual fode of the soule But there be many oft tymes heriÌ„ge the worde of god that hath litell swetnes or deuocion therin for their inwarde affeccyons desyres be rather of bodyly thynges than of gostly Therfore if we wyll haue true perfyte vnderstandynge of yâ— wordes of god we must dylygently studye to conforme our lyfe to hys preceptis what auaylethe a man to haue subtyll reasons or argumentys of the Trinite curious subtyll reasons garnissed with elygance maketh nat a man holy but obedyence and vertuous lyfe maketh a man dere to god It is more expedyent to fele the inly compunccion of here than to know the diffinycion therof If a man haue the knowledge of all scripture also the seyiges of all philosophers withoute grace and charite auayleth nat For all thynge that is in thys worlde is vanyte excepte the loue of god his seruyce or to this ende ordred The moste excellent wysdome in any creature is by comtempte of this mutable transetorye worlde to promote them selfe to the worlde ê‘durable it is vanite to labour inordinatly for coruptible cyches transetorious honours false flesshely delites or to desire any inordinate plesure temporall that shall brynge a man to perpetuall pryne Howe vaine thynge is it to desire longe lyfe lytell to fo rs of a good lyfe to gyue hede to thynges present to coÌ„tempne thynges that be to come Also to fixe our loue on that whiche shortly vanessheth away to do no diligence to come thider where be innumerable perpetuall ioyes Haue mynde howe in this worlde nother our iye is sufficyently satisfyed with seiÌ„ge ne our eris with herynge therfore studie we to wtdrawe our herte fro the loue of thynges visible fadynge to applie it to the desires of goodes iÌ„uisible perpetuall for them that folowe senssuall pleasure without restraynynge of reason theyspot their coÌ„science lese the grace of god ¶ The seconde Chaptre of the humble knowelege of mannesselfe EVery man naturally desireth to haue knowlege But what auaileth science withoute the drede of god a pore homely laborynge man drediÌ„ge god is more acceptable in his feythe than a curyous Philosopher that labore the more to knowe the moâ—â—ge of heuen than to order the mocioÌ„s of his body and soule to the plesure of god He that surely knoweth coÌ„sidereth himselfe vnderstaÌ„deth his owne wisdome hath lytell delite in the vayne laude of the worlde If man had knowlege of all thynges in the worlde without charite what shulde it auayle hym in the syght of god that iugeth man after his dedes Refrayne thyn appetite of iÌ„ordinate desire of curyous knowlege of those thynges that rather shal disease thy soule withdrawe it from the vnyte charyte of god than excyte it therto As wese many of this maner of lerned men desire to be reputed and holden wyse in multiplyinge wordes which if they delyte the herynge they refresshe fede nat the soule but litell But a good life pure coÌ„scieÌ„ce refressheth the mynde enduceth man to haue ferme coÌ„fidence in god The more knowlege that man hath worketh nat conformable the more shal be his peyne at the day of dome therfore exalte nat thy self of any craft or cunnynge but rather fere that thou displease nat god iÌ„ abusion therof RemeÌ„bre if thou knowe many thynges excedest other in cunniÌ„ge yet consider that there be many mothynges that thou arte ignoraunt of many that be more wytty excelleÌ„t cunniÌ„ge than thou If thou wylt ê“fitably knowe lerne desire to be vnknowen of smale reputacion This is the moste expedient and profitable lesson the very knowlege coÌ„tempte of thyn owne selfe It is a greate wisdome ê‘feccion to haue of thy selfe lytell confideÌ„ce and estymate well of other If thou seyst any persons openly synne or commytt any greate cryme yet thou shuldest nat iuge thyselfe better than them for thou knowest nat howe longe thou shalt ê‘seuer in goodnes or fro the same crime we be all fraile and thou shulde Iuge no man more frayle than thy selfe ¶ The .iii. Chaptre of the doctryne of truthe THat persone is happy whome truthe diligeÌ„tly informeth nat by fygures or voyces faylynge but by inwarde inspiracion Oure opinion vnderstandynge many tymes dsceyueth vs. what auayleth it vs for to labour bysely for the knowlege of those thynges whyche shall nouther helpe vs yf we knowe theym ne disauauntage vs if we therin be ignoraunt at the day of iugement It ys greate foly to dispice thynges profytable and necessary to labour for those thynges that be curious dampnable Blessed ys that persone whome god techeth for in hym be all good thynges that man may wyll or desyre A good lorde in thy gracious presencelet other doctours and all other creatures kepe silence thou only speke to my soule for the more man ys iÌ„oyned to hym in inwarde mekenes the more he receyueth of spirituall lyght of grace wherby he knowethe many secrete mysteries hyd from other people The pure simple stable mynde is nat ouer come or febled for it referreth euery labour to the honour of god iÌ„forceth it selfe to cesse fro al other thiÌ„ges that be nat in the syght of god acceptable who resisteth and letteth a man more than his owne sensuall affeccion we rede of many Emperours coÌ„querours that conquered kyndoms and empyres and yet neuer ouercame ne subdued theymselfe for that is one of the moste victorious conquestâ— where man perfytely ouercometh hymselfe Thys shulde be our daylye datayle to stryue with oure selfe and the more vyctoryes the soule hath of the bodye the more stronge it ys and more apte to encrese and to growe in grace Euery perfeccyon in thys lyfe hath some perfeccion annxid to it And
the as an outlawe a pylgrym vpon erthe repute thy selfe vile for the loue of criste if thou wylt be his disciple folow hym who so euer sekith in this worlde any thynge but god the helthe of their soules they shal fynde nothiÌ„ge but tribulacion sorow that ê‘sone can nat longe stande iÌ„â—etnes that laboreth nat to meke hym selfe iÌ„ his ê“pre reputacion to be subiecte to other remeÌ„bre that thou camist to this worlde to serue nat to rule aft thy ê“pre plesure know thou that god of hys goodnes hath called the to the relygion of cristis feythe that by pacieÌ„ce vertuê° labour thou maist be made apte to reigne in ioy rest For as golde is ê“ued in the fournes so man by tribulacion iÌ„ the whiche no man may longe ê¯tinue without he meke hymselfe with all his herte by the example of our sauy our rote of all mekenes ¶ The .xviii. chaptre of the examples of holy seitis Thou dulle soule beholde the quike examples of the holy seyntes that haue beÌ„ afore vs in whome florysshed the perfeccyon of relygyon and fey the and consyder nowe lytell thou â—oeste in the respecte of theym and thou maye repute â–ª thy lyfe in vayne ¶ These sayntes and louers of our lorde haue serued god in great abstineÌ„ce huÌ„ger thyrst colde in pore aray in labour fatigacioÌ„ in watchinge restinge holy medytacion persecucion great oppression many repreues O how gret greuous tribulacions suffred the holy appostyls martyrs coÌ„fessours virgyns all other holy soules that haue folowed the stepis of our sauiour they haue hated the impedimentes of the lyfe of grace this worlde that they myght possesse the frute of euerlastynge lyfe for to come O how straite abiecte lyfe ledde the holy faders in wyldernes how loÌ„ge greuous temptacions suffred they And how fersly haue they be assayled with the gostly ennemye how many continued ferueÌ„t praier haue they offred to our lorde O to consider the great rigours abstynence that they haue takeÌ„ what zele feruour they had to spirituall ê“fite how great continuall batel they had to ouercome vice in all theyr lyfe and labour how pure rightwis was theyr entent euer to god On the day they laboured iÌ„ the night they rested in praier yf they in the day ladoured bodyly yet they praied in theyr mynde deuoutly so spent they al theyr tyme ê“fitably had so great pleasure in the seruice of god that they thought euery howre was shorte hade litell mynde or none oftymes of theyr bodily reffeccion ¶ The .xix. Chaptre of the good relygious exercyse of a religiou soule LIke as a ê‘sone of honour is more preciusly besene in bodely vesturs that apereth to maÌ„ outwardly so they shulde ideuour them selfe accordynge to excede other with vertue in theyr soules conscience wherin almighty god lokethe deliteth whan it is endued with faire vertues specially spyrituall men women whiche shulde studye to endeuoure theyr selse to appere in the sight of oure lorde pure as aungels And euery daye we shulde inforse our selfe to deuocion feruoure of feith as if we were newly conuerted to the law feithe of iesu crist for as moche as we of our selfe may nother do well ne yet begynne to do well than lete vs euerye daye with all oure inly strength and myght beseche oure lorde that we may so deuoutly begynne the seruice of hym that therby we may continue to hys plesure and our perpetuall saluacion we be many tymes in mynde to do well and by a lytell occasion we be letted The purpose of rightwismen dependeth more of the grace and dyreccyon of god than in they re â—â—ne prouydence For man entendeth but god disposethe Lette vs inforse owre selfe in that we may to the contynuaunce of our good purpose and yet we be lyghtly lettyde therof And though we maye nat contynually be in the feruent loue and medytacyon of god yet lette vs determe owre selfe to vse it at the leste ones or twyse in the daye and applie vs to vertue And annexe to this pourpose a feruent in â—ocacion praier to god for his natural pite fader ly compacion to gyue vs grace to coÌ„plenisshe fulfyll this purpose And at night goinge to rest than let vs discusse the dedis that we haue done that dai in wordes workes thought wherin we comonly offende god if we fynde that we haue made traÌ„sgression in any offence aske we mercy with all our herte As it is great ieoperdy an enemy or traitour to a prynce or to a kynge that knoweth the cryme for yf that man shulde slepe in the kynges palayes amonge the true seruauntes of the kynge he shulde rest in great ieopardye So that ê‘sone that in thys worlde resteth in siÌ„ne amonge the seruauÌ„tes of god of the which if some be charitably disposed as good auÌ„gels vertuous men yet there be many euyll as fédes euyll people that euer be redy to do veÌ„geauÌ„ce euyl therfore ageynst these we must coÌ„tynually be armed with vertue meke restreyninge ageynst glotony thou shalt ouercome all other vices and in any wyse beware of ouer moche ocyosyte but other be exercysed with rediÌ„ge wryttynge praiynge or amendynge some ê“fitable thynge for the comone well And spirituall labours be more surely done in secrete place than in comon be we nat slowe iÌ„ those thiÌ„ges that shulde redonde to the houour of god comon ê“fite of man redy to those thiÌ„ges that retorne to our siÌ„guler ê“pre auaÌ„tage And it is nat expedient to continue alwey in one labour but in one maner on the holy day another on the feriall day one the tyme of tribulacion and teÌ„ptacion another iÌ„ the tyme of pease And of the festyual day we ought to soleÌ„pnyse it accordynge to the soleÌ„pnite so that the more highe fest solempne the more inly deuocyon by ryght shulde we haue And whan one feeste ys â—â—ne we shulde order our selfe to another feeste as the fygure of the euerlastynge feest of heuen which as for a time is delaide till we be more redy anourned with charite other vertues our merites complenisshed for the whiche our lorde hath pÌ„fixed a tyme in the whiche we ought to be cyrcuÌ„specte watchynge iÌ„ vertuous labour of yâ— which speketh our sauyour iÌ„ the gospell of Luke Blessed be yâ— seruaunt that is fouÌ„de wakiÌ„ge in the comiÌ„ge of our lorde I say surely to you saith the euangelyst that our lorde shall promote hym to the place of eternalle felycite where he shall haue all pleasure goodnes that ani creature may of reason desire ¶ The .xxi. Chaptre is moche coÌ„uenieÌ„t for religious people how thei shulde kepe theyr solytary lyfe syleÌ„ce ANd thou wilt withdrawe thyselfe from curyous super fluous wordes from ociosite vnprofitable langage than thou shalt fynde tyme
conuersaunt with company of honest name and fame feythfull and ferueâ— in the loue of god And contrarye wyse it is grâ—â—oê° to be accompanyed with tho that be disordered bothe to god and man that nouther as louerâ—â—â— feithfull subiectes haue complenisshed those 〈◊〉 that thei be called to Howe inconuenient 〈◊〉 is a ê‘sone to be neclygent in those thynges that he is called to of our lorde and to gyue hede to those thynges that he is nat bounde to Reduce to thy remembraunce the state of thy perfeccion that thou â—â—t called to the ymitacion of iesu criste or seruice CoÌ„sider well his life how ferre thy life discordeth therfro thou shalt fide thy selfe no good dyscyple nor scoler hut rather a â—â—uynde or a postata That relygious soule that deuoutly exercyseth it selfe iÌ„ the lyse and passioÌ„ of oure lorde shall fynde therin all thynges ê‘fitable necessarie for it habundauntly shall nat nede to seche any better thinge than in thys lyfe is conteined O that soule that myght alweye haue the remembraÌ„ce of Iesu crucifyed how sone sufficiently shulde yt be enfourmed with knowlege necessarie A feruent rely gius soule paciently suffreth obserueth those thynges that be coÌ„maunded to it And a necligente a remysse religious soule hath tribulacy on vpon trybulacion and suffreth anguy sshe tribulacy on on euery party that is for it lacketh inly coÌ„solvcyon and is cestrayned from ourwarde coÌ„fort That relyyious persone that lyuethe without discyplene is redy to fall to ruyne And that man that euer seketh more large maner ane liberte in his lyfe shall be alwey in anguyss he trouble and euershal dysplese hym outher that lyfe that he hath begonne or elles for he hath lefte a better Take hede howe many religious people for the loue of god euerlastiÌ„ge ioye liberte nowe obediently lyueth vnder the rule of strayte religion They be withdrawen from the worlde and desyre nat to be greatly conuersaunte with the worlde they be porely fedde content wyth vyle grosse clochynge they labour moche speke but lytell superfluously they watche longe and sone ryse longe in prayer and holy redynge of frutfull doctrine and that they may come to euerlastynge liberte They kepe theyr selfe fro the space of thys shorte lyfe vnder obedience and in pryson CoÌ„syder the holy orders of relygyon bothe of men women as those of the charterhouse obseruauntis minors â—â—minores holy ankours ankeres how besily thei â—bouâ— nyght day to plese serue our lorde These quicke examples of so great multitude shulde induce the to be a shamed to be so indeuoute remysse in the seruyce of god O howe iocunde plesaunt a lyfe shulde it be to a soule that had no wordly thiÌ„ge to do but loue god contynually with all hys herte in warkes and wordes O if we myghte contynue in this lyfe without bodely refeccion as etynge drin â—yngeslepynge or any other bodely necessires and gyue hede only to holy medytacion gostly fediÌ„ge ceâ—eccion of oâ—re soule than we shulde be moche happy than we be nowe in seruynge attendynge more for bodely thynges than gostly ê“â—ite whann man cometh ones to that perfeccion that he secheth consolacion of no creature than begineth he to haue a spirituall tallage in god and whan he is conteÌ„t with euery fortune as well with aduersite as ê“speryte conformynge and referrynge al his warkis to god to serue obey to his will Euer remembre the ende of euery thynge that thou begynnest and also that tyme loste can nat be recouered and thou shalt neuer obteyne vertue without labour diligence whan thou begynnest to be remysse in spirituall labours than thou begynneste to waxe euyll If thou applye thy selfe spiritually to more vertu thou shalt fynde greate pease and than by grace of god loue that thou hast to vertue thou shalt fiÌ„de the spiritual exercyse in vertue euermore delectable lyghter A feruent louynge soule is euer redy to all thynges that be expedient to the plesure of god spiritual ê“fite of it selfe It is more labour to resist vyce and iordinate passions than to be occupied in bobely labours if thou wilt nat gyue hede to auoide the lesse synne thou shalte sone be enduced to the more And whan thou hast brought the day to the euyntyde in vertuous occupacion without any gret displesure to to our lorde than thou maiste be glad suerlyetake thy rest in hym And euer before all other soules giue hede to thyn owue soule excite moue thy self to vertue what so euer thou doest be neruer neclygeÌ„ti those thynges that be necessary for thy soule loke howe moche thou desirest to ê“fite so moche aplie thy selfe vyolently to gostly spiritual labours and thus endeth the first boke of IohnÌ„ Gerson of the Imytacion of Criste ¶ Here begynneth the .ii. boke of IohnÌ„ Gerson of the inwarde deuoute conuersacion of the soule of man AFter the sentence of our sauyour Iesu crist the inwarde regne of god is in the soule of man Returne thy self with all thy hert to our lorde forsake the inordi nat loue of the worlde thy soule shall fynde rest lerne to ê¯teÌ„pne outward thiÌ„gâ— aplie thy miÌ„de to inwarde thiÌ„ges thou shalt ê‘ceiue that the kyngdome of god shall come to the wherwithe comith peas ioye in the holy goost that is nat grauÌ„ted to no wicked man If yâ— wylte prepare iÌ„ thy soule a condynge mansion criste shall come and abyde there to thy inly consolacyon All the pryncipall ioy and delite that god hath in man is in the obedyence and vertue of the sowle there he is customeably with merueylous swetnesse and great famyliaryte comfortably fedynge it with goostely speche doctryne O thou feythefull sowle prepare thy herte to Criste thy spouse that he may come therto and by his goodnes make therin a mansyon For he sayth in the gospell of IohnÌ„ who so loueth me he shall obserue my coÌ„maundementes and my fader I with the holy gost shall come to hym and make with him inhabitacioÌ„ by grace vntyll we briÌ„ge hym to yâ— celestiall habitacion of glorye Make redy a place iÌ„ thy soule to hym that create it andlette nothynge haue interesse therin that maye offende hym If he abide with the that is lorde of all rychesse how maist thou â—e poore he shal be a sufficient and a feythefull prouysoure for the in all thynge expedient for the iÌ„ who me thou muste more constauntly hope and byleue than in euery creature for all creatures mortall be mutable for thoughe they promise neuer so suerlye â—et they may besone chaunged But crist that is the â—â—ete firmament euer in one abydynge may uat of â—â—y wyse breke hys absolute promyse Be a frende that is mortall neuer so feythefull or beloued yet in â—â—at that he is mortall frayle he may be chauÌ„ged They that this day be thy frendes
with the prophete Samuel that thou vouchesaue to speke to me thy selfe I shall here the. Let nother Moises ne none other ê“phet but thou good lorde the inwarde inspirour of al ê“phetes speke to me in me For thou only without them maist ê‘fitly teche me They withoute thy goodnes can nat profyte me They may well ê“fer vtter thi wordes but they can nat gyue the spirite of vnderstandynge they ê“fer fayre wordes but if thou worke nat with them they make none ardour inwarde they shewe fayre letters writtiges but thou alone openest theyr sense they profer great misteries but thou alone openest the clere vnderstandige of them They shewe thy coÌ„maundementes to be fulfylled but thou alon helpest vs by thy grace to perfourme them They shewe vs the way that we shulde walke i but thou alone doest coÌ„fort vs to go theri They worke only without forth but thou only illumynest within forth They onlye water outwardely but thou gyuest vs the frute of grace good workes They crie speke to ys in outwarde wordes but thou giuest vnderstandinge of that we here wherfore I besech the that I may here the speke to me nat moyses lyst I die be voyde of the frute of good lyuynge if I be only outwarly monisshed nat iflamed iÌ„wardly that nat thy worde be only herde nat fulfylled in dede knowyn nat loued byleued nat kepte so be to me daÌ„pnacioÌ„ speke thou good lorde to me thy seruaunte shal be redy to here the for thou haste the wordes of eternall life shyt in the Speke to me I beseche the yâ— wordes of rsolacion coÌ„forte to my soule to the amendement of my lyfe to thy euerlastinge laude praysinge in heuen ¶ The .iii. chaptre howe the wordes of god shulde be wekely herde howe many ponder them nat in theyr conscience OUr lorde spketh to his deuoute seruaunt saiynge thous My sone gyue hede to my wordes they be full swete pcellige alwisdome cuÌ„nige of philosophers wise men of this worlde Mi wordes be spuÌ„al gostly lyfe nat paisible in mannes mynde they be nat to be applyed ne drawed as vaine complacens but to be herde stydfastly in sylence and peas of soule and to be taken with al humslyte desire of the soule The deuoute seruaunt of god answereth his lorde god thus sayinge to hym Blessed is that man that thou doest enfourme and teche good lorde to vnderstande thy lawes coÌ„maundementis that thou maist so spare hym in the day of thy wrathe fro thy indignacion that he be nat loste wythout coÌ„forte in the lande of dampnacion Oure lorde say the agayne I haue taught ê“phetes with other fro the begynnige of the worlde hytherto and yet I cesse nat to enforme men but many there be that be harde defete to here my wordes Many here more gladly the wordly spekynge than godly or gostly spekynge Many folow gladly theyr flesshely appetites of theyr body than the pleasure or coÌ„mauÌ„d ment of god The worlde ê“mitteth somtyme gyueth vs temporall thynges lytell of valure for the whyche we serue it with greate desire But god almyghty ê“mytteth gyueth vs hye thynges eternal yet men be dulle lowe to his seruice and to at tayne suche rewardes as he ê“mytteth Who so serueth obeyeth god almyghty in obseruynge his coÌ„maundmentis as it is obeyed to wordly princes maysters Almoste none for a lytell fee or prebende greate iourneys harde labours be take an hande for suche wordly lordes for yâ— etnallyfe skarsly we may any labour or any hardnes suffre So a vyle price is besily sought an excellent rewarde is put vnder For a peny to be gotten or won we wyl lightly put our body soule iÌ„ ieoâ—dy aueÌ„ture for a vaine thynge and a lytell ê“myse we gyue oft our selfe day and nyght to great fatygacyon but alas for god almyghty that is euerlastynge goodnes rewarde of ryght wyse people for the vnspectable iestymable Ioy in heueÌ„ or for the hye honour glory intermynable for to be had in rewarde in heueÌ„ we dysdeyne be slowe to suffer a lytell faty gacioÌ„ Be thou ashamed sayth our lorde god to slowe folke repreuyth them with theyr seruyce that worldly folke be fouÌ„de more dylygeÌ„t to theyr ê‘dycioÌ„ thaÌ„ be to euerlastyng lyfe they ioy more in vanyte than other in trothe or stedfast thynges yet they be ofte frustrate of that that they truste vpon but the promyse of our Lorde god deceyueth no man for he is true faythfull all his wordes behestys to suche folke specyallye that serue hym vnto theyr ende I am sayth he the rewarder of all good folke and the prouer helper of all deuoute men wryte my wordes sayth he in thy herte thynke vpon them they shall be to the right necessary in tyme of trybulacyon Thou shalt vnderstaÌ„de iÌ„ tyme of my vysytacyon these thynges that thou redyst before vnderstaÌ„de nat I am wonte to vysyt sayth our lorde my seruauntis in two maner wyse that is to saye by probacyon and coÌ„solacyon I proue them dayly by rebukynke theyr vyces defautes and I coÌ„forte them agayne by exortacyon to vertu and to the encrese of grace He that hereth my wordes and dispyseth them hath that shall iuge hym iÌ„ the last day ¶ The .iiii. chapter how by prayer we may opteyn to deuocyon THou good lorde arte all goodnes I am nat worthy to speke to the thy excellence is suche I am thy moost poore seruauÌ„t moost abiecte worme moost poore coÌ„temptyble of all other for I am very noughte nothynge hauynge ne nothynge of valoure thou alone good lorde arte god ryghtwyse and holy thou arte almyghty thou geuest all thyng thou fulfyllest all thynges leuynge all onely the synfull voyde of grace haue mynde good Lorde of thy merytes fulfyll my hert with thy grace for thy workynge is neuer voyde Howe may I lyue withoute great anguysshe perplyxyte in this wretchyd lyfe but if thy grace mercy coÌ„forte me wherefore I beseche the that thou turne nat thy gracious face of helpe from me tary nat thy vysytacioÌ„ from me with draw nat thy swete consolacioÌ„ fro me that nat my soule be aryfyed be made as drye erthe withoute the moystoure of grace good lorde teche me to knowe fulfyll thy wyll teche me to lyue humbly and worthely in thy pleasure for thou arte all wysdom iÌ„ the which thou knewe me before the worlde was and before I was brought into this lyfe by naturall byrthe ¶ The .v. chapter how we ought to beleue truthe huÌ„ilite before god here SOn sayth our lorde walke before me alway iÌ„ truth symplicite of herte all doublenes auoyde from the in suche wyse do alway seke me He that walketh before me and alwey in trouth shal be safe from all perellys Ieo berdyes trouth shall delyuer hym froÌ„ deceyuours
that thou my Lorde god very god and man art holy conteyned vnder a lytell lykenesse of bred and wyne and thou art hole receyued withoute consumynge of hym that so receyueth the. ¶ Thou Lorde of all that haste no nede of any thynge yet thou haste wyllede to inhabyte within vs by thys thy hooly sacrament Lorde kepe my herte and my body vndefyled to the ende that with a pure and a Ioyous conscience I may often receyue the to my euerlastynge helthe ¶ Thise holy mysteryes whiche be institute and ordeyned chyefly vnto thy honour and perpetuall remembraunce ¶ O my soule reioyse the and gyue thankynges vnto thy god for his noble gyfte and synguler comforth that it lyste hym here in thys vale of teres thus to cōforte the. For as often tymes as thou remembrest thys mystery and receyueste thys blessed body of our lorde so often thou receiuest the werke of thy redempcyon and arte made partener of all the merytes of our lorde Iesu cryst For his charyte is neuer mynisshed the greatnesse of his mercy is neuer consumed wherfore thou oughtest to dispose the alwaye with a newe reuoluynge of thy thought oughtest to consider this great mysterye of thy helthe by attentyue reysynge of thy soule ¶ And this werke ought to be vnto the as greatly newe and ioyous whan thou receyuest it as if that same day our lorde had first descended in to the wombe of the virgyn mari to be made man orelles he that daye had suffred dethe for the helthe of man vpon the crosse ¶ What greate profyte it is often to receyue the body of our lorde Iesu cryst C iii.a LOrde I come vnto the to th ende that welthe may come vnto me of thy gyfte and that I may Ioye at the holy feest that thou hast made redy vnto me pore wretche by thy swete benygnyte in the whiche my sauyoure is all that I may or ought to desyre for thou art my helthe my redempcion my strength honour and ioy Alas my lorde god make me thy dayly seruaunt Ioyous For my lorde Iesus I haue reysed my soule vnto the and nowe desyrethe deuowtly reuerently to receyue the in to my how 's to th ende I may deserue with zachee to be blessid of the and to be accompted amonge the children af Abraham ¶ My soule desireth thy body my herte desyrethe to be vnyght wyth the. Gyue thy selfe vnto me good lorde than I suffised for withoute the no consolacyon nor comforte ys good withoute the I may nat be and withoute thy vysytacyon I may nat lyue wherfore it be houeth me often tymes to come and approch to thy hyghe p̄sence to receyue the for the remedy of my helth to the entente I fayle nat in the waye of this mortall lyfe if I were defrauded from thy sprytuall noryshynge ¶ Also my ryght mercy full lorde Iesu whan thou hast preched vnto the people and heled them of diuers sykenes thou hast sayde I wyll nat leue theym fastynge and without refeccion lest peranenture they myght fayle in theyr way Do wyth me than good lorde in that maner syth thou hast lefte thys holy sacrament for the comforte offeythfull people for thou arte the swete refeccion of the sowles of theym that haworthely receyued and eten the and they shall be perteners and inherytours of the eternall ioye Certeyne ytys vnto me necessary that so often synnes and so sone keles and at euery houre fayles to come vnto the to th ende that by contynuall orysons and confessions and by the receyuynge of thy holy body I may puryfye and renewe the heete of my refeccyon For perauenture in absteynonge me to longe to receyue the I may leue forgete and renne from my good purpos For the wytte of man and woman from theyr chyldhod be inclyned vnto euyll And if thys dyuyne and godly medycyne helpe vs nat incontynent we fall vnto worse Than thys holy cōmunyon draweth men from euyll and comforteth theym ageyne in goodnesse for I am many tymes neclygent and often keled whanne I commune or worshyp my god what shulde I thanne do if I toke nat that medecyne and aske of hym grace and helpe And albe it I am nat alwaye well disposed to receyue my creature yet shall I put me vnto peyne to receyue these sacrede mysteryes in tyme conuenable so y◠I maye be made a partener of so greate grace ¶ For ytys one of the mooste pryncypall consolacyons vnto a feythefull sowle for the tyme they shall make theyr pylgrimage towardes in this mortall body and to the entent we may haue the more mynde of thy benefytes ¶ My lorde god I shall more often receyue y◠my louige Lorde wyth a deuout thought O merueylous gentylnesse of thyne vnspekeable pytye towardys vs that thou lorde god creatour and gyuer of lyfe vnto all spirytes hathe wylled to come to one so pore asoule with the deite and humanyte and my pore lene dryesoule hath lysted to be made fatte with thy grace and thy holy vnccyon of thy swete spiryte O happy thought and well happy soule that deserueth deuoutely to receyue hys god hys lorde and creature and in that receyuynge to be fulfylled with ioy and spirytuall gladnesse O what great lorde receyuest thou O what and howe great and host enterteynest thou into thy lodgynge Howe ioyous a felowe takest thou into thy how 's Howe feythefull a frende thou admyttest vnto the. O howe good noble and swete espouse enbraceste thou which ought to be byloued and desyred aboue all thynges O ryght swete beloued lorde the heuen and erthe and all the ornamentis of theym holdeth scylence in the presence of thy face For what praysynge honour and beautye they haue it ys of thy mercy and largenes and can not be lyke vnto thonour and beaute of thy holy name of thy sapience wherof there ys no noumbre nother ende ¶ Howe many cōmodities be gyuen vnto them that deuoutly receyueth this holy sacrament C iiii ◠I lorde god I humbly beseche the to preuent me thy seruaunt in the blessynges of thy swete mekenes So that I may deserue to cum worthely deuoutly to the holy sacrament mooste to be magnyfied Stere my herte lose it frome the dull heuynes of my mortall body Uysite me wyth the messāger of helth and gyue me to tast thy swetnes spirituall whiche is hydde fully in the sacrament as in a foūtayne of all swetnesse Illmyne myne iyen to beholde thys greate mysterye strongly conferme me to beleue the feithe vndoutable for it ys thy werke nat the power of man it ys thy holy ordynaunce and not by mannys deuyse For there is no mā foundeable of hym selfe to conceyue vnderstande these holy mysteryes whiche passeth the subtylte of aungels ¶ Than Howe may I pore vnworthy synner which am but erthe and asshes serche conceyue so hygh holy secrysye lorde I come vnto the in symplenes of herte in ferme feythe and by
wyll be withe the. And I shall answere hym blessed lorde I beseche the dwelle with me for all the desyre of my herte ys to be with the inseê‘able without departynge ¶ Of the breÌ„nynge desire that some creatures haue in yâ— blessed body of our lorde iesu crist Ca .xiiii. O Lorde howe great is the multytude of thy swetnesse whiche thou hast hyd for them that drede the. whan I remeÌ„bre me of many deuoute ê‘sones that haue come to this thy holy sacrameÌ„t with so great ferueÌ„t affeccoÌ„n deuocyon I am than many tymes iÌ„ myselfe coÌ„fused a haue great shame that I go vnto the aulter table of that holy communyon so rudely with so colde deuocion am so drye without affeccion of hert I am abasshed that I am nat all hole iÌ„flamed iÌ„ thy pÌ„seÌ„ce so stroÌ„gly draweÌ„ establesshed as many good deuoute persones haue ben whyche by the greate desyre of thys holy sacrament sensible loue of hert myght nat coÌ„teyne ne witholde them from wepynge But effectuously wyth mouthe hert body came vnto that good lorde as to the lyuynge fountayne of all bountye may nat attayne to fulfyll theyr hungre but if they take thy holy body whiche they so de siorously affeccoÌ„nally spiritually may receyue O true benygne feythe of theym that pÌ„uably sheweth the ornament of thy holy pÌ„sence To them ys verely kno wen theyr god in brekynge of brede whiche brenneth and broileth so strongly the herter of them in the loue of Iesu Crist Certeynly suche affeccion deuocoÌ„n vehement brennynge loue is farâ— from me O good swete benygne Iesu be vnto me pyteous and redy to gyue and graunt to thy pore begger somtyme to fele a lytell of that hertely loue and affeccion in the receyuinge of thy holy body to the ende that my feythe may be more ferme my hope more ê‘fight in thy bountye and my charite somtyme so ê‘fightly inflamed that I maye experiently haue the heuenly mannat hat neuer may fayle I knowe certeinly the myght of thy mercy may leÌ„de me thy grace so moche desired and vysete me benygly with a brennynge spyryte whan the day of thy good pleasure shall come And â–ª though I be nat iÌ„flamed with so great desyre of thy specy all deuout thynges yet haue I desyre by thy grace to be iÌ„flamed with that brennynge loue Prayinge the good lorde that I may be made â— tyner with all suche thy feruent louers that I may be nouÌ„bred in theyr deuout company Amen ¶ Howe mekely thou oughtest to beseche the grace of deuocion and to renounce thy selfe Cap .xv. IT behoueth the instauntly to seche the grace of deuocyon to aske incessauÌ„tly to abyde it paciently feithfully ioyously to receiue it mekely to conserue with that studiously to remytt vnto god the tyme the maner of his so uerayne vysitacoÌ„n vnto the tyme his pleasure be to come vnto the. priÌ„cipally thou oughtest to meke the wheÌ„ thou felyst but litell deuocion within the. for all that thou oughtest nat to late thy selfe to fall or sorowe to moche iÌ„ordinatly For full often our blessed lorde in a short momeÌ„t gyueth the which be fore he hath longe tyme denyed Also somtyme he gyuethe at the ende of praiours that he dyd deferre at yâ— begynniÌ„ge of yâ— same If alwey grace were so sone gyuen yâ— a maÌ„ might haue it at his wyll or wysche it shulde nat be easely borne of a weyk inê‘fect soule And therfore in good hope meke pacience the grace of deuocion ought to be abyden thou oughteste to iÌ„pute it vnto thy selfe to thy sinnes when it is nat gyuen vnto the or when it is secretly take awey frome the somtyme a litell thynge it is that may let or hyde thy grace if that may be called litell that letteth so great a vaile But be it litel or great if thou take that same awey ê‘fectly ouercome it thou shalt obteyne that thou desyrest or incoÌ„tyneÌ„t that thou with all thy herte hast geuen thy selfe to god And therfore seche nat this nor yâ— at thy pleasure but put the hole in the handes of god Thou shalt certenly fynde thy selfe vnyght vnto hym and in great peas of thy soule For ther is no thynge yâ— ought to be so sauery pleasauÌ„t as is the pleasure deuyne wyll of god Than who someuer lyft vp his intent vnto god with a symple perfecte herte so voyde hym make hym naked from all disordinat loue or pleasure to any creat thynges of al yâ— worlde he is most mete to receyue the gyft of deuocion Forowre lorde gaue his blessynge there where he fouÌ„de the vessels clene voide And the more perfectly that any renouÌ„ce mortifie despise contempne theymselfe all the lowe thynges the soner grace shall entre copiously abouÌ„d so that he shall fele his hert lyfte vp as though it were set in a fredom and theÌ„ he shall se his hert largely habounde meruelously Ioy wyth in hym selfe for that the hand of god shal be ouer wym and he shall submytte hym perpetually into hys holy handes And so shall the man be blessed that secheth god with all his herte his soule shall be taken in vayne werkes But suche one certeynly in the receyuynge the holy body of Iesu Criste meryteth and deserueth the grace of deuyne vnyon vnto god ¶ For he beholdeth nat only hys propre deuocion coÌ„solacyon but the great honoure glory of god ¶ Howe we ought to she we our necessites vnto iesu crist and aske hym benygne grace Cap .xvi. O Ryght swete most beloued lorde whiche I nowe desire to receyue Thou good lorde knowest the sikenes of soule and necessyte that I suffre In what euylles and vices I slepynge am put Howe often greued temptyd troubled and dyssolute I come vnto the lorde to haue consolacyon and comfort I speke to the lorde thou knowest all my secrete and inwarde thoughtes whiche be â–ª manyfeste open vnto the. It is thou only that perfectly mayeste helpe me for thou knoweste what vnto me necessarye and of what goodes aboue all other I haue moostenede ¶ Albeit I am poore in vertue alas yet mercyfull lorde beholde me beynge here before the pore and naked demaundynge pyteously thy swete grace mercy And geue thy pore begger that dyeth for hunger some of thy heueÌ„ly refeccoÌ„n and chafe my colde herte wyth the brenninge flame of thy loue And illumyne me that amblyndede and maye nat see with that clerenes of thy presence ¶ Take awaye from my thought al the erthely and inwardelye thynges and turne theym vnto me and make me thynke theym foule and bytter and all greuous and contrarye thynges vnto me ¶ And they that maye please the I maye take also in pleasure And all erthely creat thynges to haue in oblyuyon and redresse my herte toward is the into heuen And late me nat wauer nor erre vpon erthe but thou only
laÌ„gage of the people man beholdeth yâ— outwarde ê‘te of the but god beholdeth the hert man coÌ„sidereth the warkes but god the enteÌ„t of euery dede It is a good signe of a meke soule that euer dothe yet extemeth it self to do but litel or nought That soule that inquireth nat nor desireth nat outwarde testymony for it selfe it is a sigue that it hath coÌ„mit it selfe holy to god the probacioÌ„ of a vertuous soule standeth nat in the coÌ„mendacion of their selfe but of god The state of the inly vertuous man is princypally to order his myude to god by obedience loue be at liberte from all outwarde iÌ„ordinate affeccions and desires ¶ The .vii. chapt of yâ— loue of Iesu aboue al thiÌ„ges BLessed is that soule that perfitly knowinge Iesu crist loueth hym aboue all thynge and for his loue contempneth itselfe as it is syttiÌ„ge that a kynge be most princypall in his owne reame So it is according that Iesu be ordred as princypall in the soule of man the whiche is his reame as he saith hym selfe in the gospell of Luke The kyngdome of god is within you that is to saye in the sowle of a feythfull louer of Iesu The loue of a creature ys vayne and vnstable but the loue of iesu is feythfull and perseueraunt That ê‘sone that wyll rest or be supported of a disceyuable or roton staffe muste of necessite fall therwith and coÌ„trary wise be a sowle neuer so feble or frayle if it wyll rest or applie it self with all spirituall strengthe therof to Iesu criste yt shal be ê‘fitly stablisshed made stroÌ„ge in him Loue hym kepe hym before all other For if al other freÌ„des forsake the he wyll nat leue the ne suffre the fynally to perisshe And thou must somtyme of necessyte be departed from all thy frendes of this world But indeuour thy selfe to kepe this great trend iesu thou shalt nat be seperated frome hym neyther lyuynge nor diynge thou shalt fynde hym so feithful to the that whan all other fayle ofsocour helpe towarde the he shall neuer fayle And if thou wylt auoyde all iordinate loue of creatures Iesu wil gladly iÌ„habite abyde with the. What so euer thou do to man or receyue of hym nat ordred to icsus is asvaine loste Be nat adherent ne put nat thy coÌ„fidence in that thynge that is as an holowe stocke or a rede hauynge no substaunce to susteyne the euery man lyuynge in a mortall body sayth our lorde is resembled to hay And all his bodely pleasure shall sone fade fall as doth the flowres in the medowe â–ª If thou attende gyue hede to outwarde apparance of maÌ„ thou shalt sone be disceyued If thou wylt besily seche solace lucre thou shalt fynde many tymes displeasure detryment If thou seche thy lorde iesu iÌ„ euery thynge thou shalt truly fynde hym And i like wise if thou seche thy selfe thou shalt fynde thyselfe but to thy distruccyon For he that laboreth to haue all other thinges iesu coÌ„teÌ„pne is more ennemye to hiÌ„selfe than al his aduersaries ouer al the worlde mai ¶ The .viii. chaptre of the famylyer amyte be and loue of Iesu criste WHat soule that hath the gracious preseÌ„ce of iesus hath all thiÌ„ge that is good without any difficultes ê“ne redy to euery vertuous operacion where iesus is nat present by his grace there is euery dede of vertue i maner peynfull There is no perfite inly and goostely consolacyon but whan iesu speketh in the religius soule Did nat mary Mawdeleyne arise sone whan Martha had shewed hir that hir mayster cryste iesu was nyghe and cleped hir That may be called an happy houre whan criste calleth a soule from lamentacyon and wepynge and specially of minde O thou soule how harde vndeuoute arte thou whan iesu is nat with the by assistence of his grace It is nat more domage to lese his grace than all the worlde what maye the worlde auayle the without the grace of the maker therof It is in maner a peyne of helle to be seperate fro iesu it is a plesaunt paradise to be vnytte and knitte with hym by grace And there shal none aduersite neo ther enemye ouercome the as longe as Iesu is with the and that soule that syketh hym and fyndeth hym hath founde the tresour of all tresoures and if thou lese hym thou haste more domage than thoughe thon shuldeste lese all the worlde That persone may be called moste poore that hath nat iesus and he is mooste ryche that hath hym by grace it is great wisdome and cunnynge to be conuersaunt with iesus to kepe hym with the. Labour to haue ê‘fite mekenes and to be quiet deuoute iesu shall abide with the. If thou applie thy desires inordinatly to outwarde thynges thou reiectis the inwarde grace of iesus and than thou shalte be full disolate of true amite and frenhshyp for wythoute his grace gostely conforte thou shalte neuer haue ê‘fytly gostely gladnes in hym afore all other And also we shulde rather wyll to haue all the worlde coÌ„trarie to vs than to offende hym AmoÌ„ge all thy de re speciall frendes chese iesu as most dere feithful speciall whome thou shuldest loue for hym selfe all other in ordre to hym For ther is none other but he that hath all degrees of goodes amyte but he alone therfore in hym for hym loue both thy frendes also thyn enemyes praie for them that they may knowe god ê‘fitly loue hym Neuer coueit to be coÌ„mended loued singulerly For that of ryghte belongeth to our lorde to whome none maye be coÌ„pared Mixe neuer thy loue with any inordinat loue of creatures if thou wilt know how swete Iesus is But none maye taste of his swetenes without he be pÌ„uente with grace specially called of our lorde all other callynges sett aparte so that thou siÌ„glerly abyde with hym alone Whan the grace of our lord cometh to a soule than it is made stronge to euerye thinge that vertue reqreth whan grace deê‘teth fro the soule it is faint frayle vnapte to do or to suffre that vertue coÌ„mauÌ„deth but it be with great difficulte peyne but yet leue nat those dedâ— of vertue dispaire nat but coÌ„forme thy wyll to the pleasure of Iesu criste For after wynter folowethe somer after the night the day after the tempest the fayre wether ¶ The .ix. Chaptre of the dysolacyon of wordly coÌ„solacyon IT is no great maistry to contempne the coÌ„solacyon of man whan that the soule is preuent with heuenly comforte but sothely that soule is ful herde bested that is disolate of conforte both of god and man and yet yf it can pacyently suffre this for the loue of our lorde it deseruethe to be conforted of hym what great mysterye is it to be mery and deuoute Whan thou perceyueste the grace of god in thy soule
thou shalt wel perceyue that if thou haue those thiÌ„ges aforsaid thou hast nat them of thy selfe but if thou wylt applie thy selfe haue coÌ„fidence in god he shall sende the fro heuen that thou shalt haue these vertues also thy sensuall part â–ª with the worlde shal be made subiectes to the yf thou wylt arme thy selfe with yâ— quycke feith the crosse of iesu cryst thou shalt nat nede to fere the enuious subtylte of the fyende than prepare thy selfe as a feithfull seruaunt of iesu criste to bere his crosse coÌ„staÌ„tly coÌ„sideringe howe he thy lorde dyd bere it for the peinfully mercifully order thy selfe to suffre mani aduersitees iÌ„iuries wroÌ„ges iÌ„ this miserable life so thou shalt haue hym with the where so euer thou be also thou shalt fynbe hym where so euer thou hide yâ— Than if thou desire to be dere a frende to thy redemer haue ê‘te of his coÌ„solacion desire affectually to driÌ„ke with hym of his chalys of trybulacion desire no coÌ„solacion ne ê“sperite but at the wyll of god order thy self to suffre tribulacions repute them as the moste speciall consolacyons for they be yâ— redy meanes to come tho the heuenly ê‘petuall coÌ„solacions whan thou comest to that degre of pacyeÌ„ce that tribulacion is swete pleasaunt to the for yâ— loue of god than exteme thy selfe in goode state and that thou hast founde paradise in erthe And as loÌ„ge as it is greuous to the to suffre enforceth thy selse to fle tribulacion so longe thou arte nat in the ê‘fite state of pacience whersoeuer thou fleest thou shalt fynde trybulacion nere folowethe If thou order thy selfe euer to suffre paciently to haue remeÌ„braÌ„ce of thy dethe than thou shalt ê‘ceyue thy selfe iÌ„ good state also in qÌ„etnes reste If thou were so ê‘fite that thou were rauysshed spiritually with Paule into yâ— thyrde heuen thou shuldeste nat be sure therbye to be without aduersyte For owre sauy our spekyng of Paule saythe I shall shewe hym howe manye thynges he shall suffre for my name Than if thou wilt serue and loue thy lorde perpetually thou must nowe suffre saye manye tymes to thy selfe wolde to god I were able for to suffre for the name of my swâ—te lorde Iesu For therby thou shuldest gyue occasion of specyall edificacion of thy neyghbour great glory to thy selfe exaltacion of gladnes to the holy aungels All people in maner recoÌ„mende pacience but there be fewe that wyll vse it Thou that takest great labours suffereste moche for the loue of the worlde and wordly thinges by greate reason thou shuldeste be glad to suffre a lytell for the loue of the moste true louer criste And euer the more thou mortifie discretly thy selfe the more thou begiÌ„nest to lyue in the sighte of god There is no ê‘sone apt to coÌ„prehende heuenly thiÌ„ges withuot they submit their selfe to suffre aduersite for the loue of criste There is no thinge more ê“fitable for thy selfe acceptable to god thaÌ„ to be pacient glad to suffre for the loue of hym And if ê“sperite aduersite were put in thy eleccion thou shuldest rather chese aduersite than desire to be recreate with many coÌ„solacions For bi aduersite thou arte made conformable vnto cryste all his seyntes Our meryte ê‘feccion of state staÌ„deth nat in great plesaunt delectable coÌ„solacions but rather iÌ„ greuous teÌ„ptacions tribulacions and penalyte of life If there had be any more expedient meane to the helthe of man than to suffre peyne tribulacion our lorde criste wolde haue shewed it bi wordes examples But he exorted hys disciples all other that wolde folowe hym to heuen to take yâ— crosse as the moste mediate meane to folowe hym sayinge who that will folow me to heuen thei must denye theyr owne selfe forsakiÌ„ge theyr ê“pre wyll take the crosse of peuaunce folow me Afâ— all these thiÌ„ges redde perfitly serched it foloweth as a fynall coÌ„clusion that it is behouable to vs ta entre into the kyngdome of heuen by wany tribulacions ¶ Here begynneth the .iii. boke ¶ The fyrste chaptre coÌ„teyneth the inward spekeynge of our lorde Iesu criste to maÌ„nis soule that he hath specially chosen _â—Oo saith suche a feithful soule I shall atteÌ„de here what our lorde shal speke iÌ„ me blessed is yâ— soule which herith our lorde god speke iÌ„ it that conceyueth of his mouth a worde of rsolacioÌ„ Blessed be the eris that here the styll spekynge or rownynge of almyghty god and pondereth nat yâ— disceytefull callynge or priue mouynge of the worlde blessed be the ere 's that rest nat in the flaterynge or wordly voyce outwarde flowynge But rather heringe trouthe that speketh enformeth maÌ„nis soule in wardlye Blessed be the iyen that be shytt to the delectable syght of outwarde or wordly thynges that gyue hede deuoutly to gostely thynges Blessed be they that by grace by the lyght of soule perceyue the true inly entent of scripture that â—pare them dayly by exercise os soule to conceyue the celestiall priuetees Blessed be they that labour besilye iÌ„ soule to beholde loue god almyghty his plesure iÌ„ all thynges for that auoyde frome them al wordly besines or desires that let suche deuocioÌ„ O thou my soule attende gyue hede to the premysses and shyt thy senses or sensuall partes that thou mayste here gostely what thy lorde speketh in the in warde inspiracion The lorde louer saith to the I am thi helthe peas lyfe euerlastynge Ioyne and knytte the suerly to me thou shalt fynde rest and peas of conscience and after this euerlassynge peas lyfe Forsake the loue of foule transetory erthly thinges and dilygently seche euerlastiÌ„ge thiÌ„ges what be all temporall thynges but disceiuable and what may any creature helpe the if thy lorde god that made the forsake the wharfore refusest thou al wordli thynges ioyne and cleue by clene and stidfast loue and seruice to almighty god thy redemer that thou maist hereafter attayne the eternall felicite i heueÌ„ ¶ The seconde chaptre howe treuthe spekerhe inwardly to mannes soule without noyse A Deuoute soule after that it hathe herde the swete instyllaunt spekynge of his lorde god as a man inflamed with loue desireth more longer speche with our lorde sayinge withe the Prophete Samuel thus Speke good lorde for thy seruauÌ„t is redy to here the I am thy seruaunt gyue me vuderstandynge to knowe thy coÌ„maundmeÌ„tes sayinges Bowe make my hert soule to fele folow thy wordes instyll in to my soule thy holy techige wordes as the dewe droppethe vpon the grasse I say nat as the chyldren of Israell sayd to Moyses Speke thou to vs we shall here the gladly let nat our lorde speke to vs lyste we dye for drede So be it nat with me good lorde But rather I besech the humbly desirously
may shortly iÌ„ all such offer my selfe to thy pleasure sone sayth god maÌ„ often prosecuteth the thynge that he desyreth whan he cometh therto he begynneth otherwyse to fele therin for maÌ„nys affeccyons desyres about one thyng be nat durable abydynge but now vppon this thynge sette and now vpon that the very ê“fite of man is to forsake hym selfe to coÌ„myt hym holy to God for suche a man is very fre and syker But our enemy coÌ„trary to all goodnes cesseth nat of his teÌ„ptacyons but day nyght he maketh greuous sautes to vs to catche vs at vnwares by his deceytfull snares wake therfore pray dylygently that thou enter nat into teÌ„ptacioÌ„ ¶ The .xlv. chaptÌ„ man hath no goodnes of hym selfe ne any thyng that he may haue any glory or pryde of but all of the goodnes of god LOrde what is man that thou hast suche mynde of or the sone of man whoÌ„ doest vysyte with thy grace what meryte was or is in man yâ— to gyuest thy grace to what may I complayne if thou forsake me or what may I ryghtwysly saye agayne the if thou grauÌ„t me nat that I aske of the seth thou gyuest all goodnes of thy owne goodnes lyberalyte without the deseruynge of man Surely this I may thynke say of my selfe that I am nothynge of valoure that I haue no goodnesse of my selfe but that I am in suffycyeÌ„t and frayle in all thyngê and go to nought euer and but I be holpen of the good lorde and infourmed within iÌ„ soule by the I shal be made all dyssolute thou good lorde abydest alwey one beynge and euery where good rightwys holy werkynge all thynges we le right wysly holyly dysposynge all thy werkys iÌ„ wisdoÌ„ but I wretche that am alwey more prone and redy to fayle than to ê“fyte in vertue and goodnesse am nat abydynge euer in one state for seuen tymes in the day the rightwis man is troubled of synne Ne the lesse it shal be sone wele with me agayn if it please thy goodnes to helpe me for thou alone good lorde mayste without man helpe in all nedys make meso ferine stable that I shal nat be chauÌ„ged hyder thyder or fro this thynge to that but yâ— my herte maye be turned rest in the alonly if I wolde caste away all maÌ„nes ê¯solacion eyther for deuocioÌ„ for to be had or ellys to seke thy socoure goodnes for such nedes as fall to me that I am coÌ„pellyd by to seke the for no man may helpe or comfort me as thou mayst than I myghte well truste to thy grace to ioye of the gyfte of thy newe consolacyoÌ„ I thaÌ„ke yâ— good lorde the auctour and grouÌ„de of all goodnes as ofte as any good chaunce happeth towarde me I am but vanyte and nothynge in thy syght an vnstable man seke wherof may I than be proude or shulde repute me any thynge ê“fytable wheder nat of nought the whiche is moost vanyte truly vayne glory is an ifectyue pestyleÌ„s and moost vanyte for it draweth a man fro very glory remeueth grace spyrytall whyles a man hath a complacens in hym selfe he dyspleaseth god and whan he desyreth maÌ„nys laude vayne praysynge he forgoth very vertues very glory holy ioy to man is to ioy I god nat in hym selfe to ioy in the name of god almyghty nat in his ê“per vertue or strength nor to haue delectacyon in any creature but for God thy holy name good lord be praysed blessid nat myne thy werk be magnyfyed nat myne no laude ne praysynge be gyuen to me by mannes mouthe for any thynge that I do but all be vnto thy pleasure thou arte my glorye the inwarde ioye of my hert I shall by thy grace euer ioye in the and in nothynge perteynyng to me but in my infyrmytes let Iewes with other vayne louers of the worlde seke glorye of themselfe in other I shall only seke the glory and praysyng of god for all maÌ„nes glory praysynge with worshyp teÌ„porall also worldly hyght ê“mocyoÌ„ coÌ„paryd to thy eternall glorye good lorde is but vanyte foly o thou blessyd trynyte my god my mercy and very truthe to the alone be laude vertue honour glory for euer Amen ¶ The .xlvi. chapter how all teÌ„porall honour is to be dyspysed SOne sayth our lorde to his louer be thou nat confouÌ„ded ne heuy whan thou seest other honoured and auauÌ„ced and thy selfe despysed and humyled rayse vp thyn herte to me in to heuen thou shalte nat be heuy though thou be despysed of man here in erth Lorde sayth the dyscyple we be here in darke blyndenes lackynge the very lyght and therfore we be soone deceyued by vanytes as farre as I can vnderstande I neuer yet suffred any iniurye of any creature wherfore I can nat rightwysely complayne agayne the but for as moche as I haue oftesynÌ„ed agayn the therfore euery creature is worthyly armed ayeÌ„st me i punysshemeÌ„t of my synÌ„es wherfore ê¯fusyon shame to me is dewe with coÌ„teÌ„pte to the good lorde be laude honoure glory and but if I prepare my wyll to be dyspysed forsake gladly of euery man and vtterlye to be reputed noughte I can nat be stablysshed ne pacyfyed wtinforth nor spuÌ„ally to be illumyned ne may nat be fully knytte ioyned to thy goodnes ¶ The .xlvii. chapt how no man ought to put his peas fynally in man SOne if thou put thy peas with any ê‘sone for thy felynge for that they accorde with the yâ— shalt be vnstable vnpeased but if thou haue thy recours to god that is ê‘manent euerlastyng truthe thy frende goynge awey or decessynge fro the shall nat make the inordynatly heuy thou oughtest to loue all thy frendes in me and for me to loue euery ê‘sone that thou accomptyst with good dere to the in this lyfe for I am the begynner the ende of all goodnes without me all freÌ„shyp is nat valent or durable nor no worldly frendshyppe may endure where I ioy nat thou oughtest to be mortyfyed to such carnall affeccyoÌ„s of thy louers that as moche as thou mayst thou shuldest desyre to be without al maÌ„nes coÌ„pany for the more a man wtdraweth hym fro all worldly solace the more he draweth nere to god almyghty the more hye that he ascendeth in loue spuÌ„all ê¯teÌ„placioÌ„ the more ê“fouÌ„dly iwardly he desceÌ„deth in huÌ„ble ê¯syderacioÌ„ of hymselfe vyly peÌ„dynge hym selfe he that ascrybeth or gyueth any goodnes to hym selfe he gaynstaÌ„deth the grace of god letteth it to enter into hym for the grace of god alwey requyreth an huÌ„ble herte if thou man saythe our lorde wolde ê‘fytelye dysprase thy selfe wolde empte clene thy hert fro all erthely loue thaÌ„ wolde I sayth he dystyll entre into the with abuÌ„dauÌ„t grace but the more atteÌ„dauÌ„ce affeccyon thou hast to my creatures the more is
sake for he shall be our helper that is our leder beholde our kynge goth before vs he shall feyghte for vs folow we hym strongely drede we no parels be we redy to dye with hym goostly iÌ„ the batayle of vyces hardnes ne let vs nat fle from suche exercyse that we confounde nat our selfe ¶ The .lxii. capter a man shuld nat be dyscomforted whan he falleth in any aduersyte or defaute SOne paciens humylyte in aduersytes doth please me more than moch consolacyon and deuocion in prosperyte had why art thou heuy at a lytell worde or dede done or sayd agyne the if more had be sayd or don to the thou oughtest nat to haue be moued at it But lette it nowe ouer passe This thynge that thou haste suffred is nat the fyrste nor shall be the laste trouble or euyll that thou shalte suffer if thou lyue Thou arte stronge and manfull Inoughe where none aduersyte is resystynge agayn the thou dost wele counceyll can well strengthe other with thy wordes But whan sodeyn trybulacy on cometh to thy dore thou faylest than both in couÌ„ceyll and streÌ„gth gyue hede to thy great fraylte the which thou hast experyence of in lytell thynges obiecte agaynste the And for thy helth whaÌ„ such thynges fall lyfte vp thy herte to our Lorde as thou best can and if it touche the yet let it nat throwe the downe ne longe vnbelappe the Suffer such thynges pacyently if thou can nat gladlye and if thon here nat gladly such but thou felest parauenture indygnacy on in the represse the within thy selfe suffer none inordinate worde passe from that wherby other shuld be sclaundered A passyon areysed in a man shall soone be apesyd and inwarde sorowe shal be made swete if grace returne to man ayen yet I lyue sayth our Lorde I am redye to helpe the and to comforte the more than I dyd before if thou wylt truste vnto me and deuoutly callvpoÌ„ me Be thou more quyete and pacyent thaÌ„ thou hast ben It is nat for nought thou art often tymes troubled and teÌ„pted greuousely thou arte a man and nat God thou arte a flasshely creature and none aungell howe mayst thou thaÌ„ thynke alway to abyde in one state of vertue whan that was nat graunted to Aungell in heuen ne vnto the fyrste man in paradyse the whiche bothe felle and stode nat longe in the state of theyr creacyon yâ— they were create and sette in I am he that arayses theym that sorowe for theyr Synnes or that otherwyse suffreth with pacyence aduersyte I auaunce them that knowe theyr infyrmyte into my dyuynyte Lorde God thy holy worde be blessyd it is swetter to me thaÌ„ the hony come what shuld I do in many and great trybulacyons and anguysshes were nat that thou coÌ„forted me with thy holy and swete wordes whyles I shall come to the porte of helthe euer lastynge by pacient suffraunce of aduersytes what nedeth me force what and howe great or many trybulacyons I suffer grauÌ„t me good lorde I beseche the good ende and an happye passynge frome this worlde haue mynde of me good Lorde and dyrecte my lyfe me in the waye of ryght wysenesse to come to thy kyngedome ¶ The .lxiii. chapiter how a man shulde nat serche hye thynges ne seke auentures the which God worketh here in his hyd Iugement SOne beware that thou dispute nat of hye maters or of the hyd iugemeÌ„tes of God as why this man is damned or forsake and he lyfte vp to so great and hye grace Also why this man is so great lye punysshed with Syckenesse pouerte and such other And this other man so greatlye auaunsyd to rychesse and dygnytees Theyse thynges with such other excodeth all mannes consyderacyon or knowlege for no mannys reason or dysputacy on may serche or compasse the Iugementys of God Therfore whan thyn ennemye suffreth temptacyon to the in any suche thyngê or if other curyous ê‘sones enquyreth suche knowelege of the answere agayne vnto them this sayinge of the prophete thou alway blessyd lorde arte euer rightwyse and thy domys are alwaye true rightwyse And also this sayinge of the same prophete the iugemeÌ„tis of our lorde are trewe and iustyfyed in them selfe My iugementes sayth our Lorde are to be dred and nat to be dyscussed by mannes reason for no mannes reason may coÌ„pryse them also thou shalt nat enquyre and despute of the merytes of sayntes whiche are hyer in merytes or blysse Suche vayne busynes gendreth debates stryfes they also norysshe pryde and vaynglory also enuy aryseth of the same whyles he his saynt and another his laboureth to pÌ„ferre to desyre to know or to serche such thynges is but vanyte without all frute and it dyspleaseth the sayntes suche opynyon For I am nat God of dyscencyon but of vnyte and peace the whiche peace is founde more in trewe hu mylyacyon of man than in his exaltacyon Some man hathe more deuocyon to this saynte and some to other Sayntes but that is more of deuocyon of mannes affeccyon than of godlye or gostelye zele or loue I am he that made all sayntes I gaue theym grace and I haue receyued theym to my glorye I euer knewe any mannys merytes preueÌ„tynge them with my swete blessynges I haue knowen before my louers chosen seruauÌ„tes from the begynnyng whom I haue electe callyd by my grace frome the reprobate and damnable coÌ„uersacyon of the worldly people I haue chosen them nat they me and I haue draweÌ„ them to me by my mercy I haue ledde them in temptacyons and safely brought them out therof I haue vysyted them with many and great consolacions I haue gyuen them perseuerauÌ„ce in goodnes and I haue crowned theyr pacyence I knowe the fyrst man and the last that shal be and so of euery other thynge I halse all my chosen seruauÌ„ rys with mestymable loue I am to be loued in all my sayntes to be honoured and blessyd ouer all in eche of them the which I haue so gloriously magny fyed and predestynde without any merytes goynge afore of theyr partye He therfore that despyseth one of my leest sayntis or electe ê‘sones he worshyppeth nat the moost for I made both smal and great and he that blasphemeth detracteth or desprayseth any saynt detracteth me and all my sayntes in heueÌ„ all they be one by the bande of charyte all they coÌ„syder and fele one thynge they woll one thynge and eche of them loueth other and that is more they loue me aboue them selfe and theyr owne merytes for they be rapte often aboue them selfe and drawen oute of theyr proper loue and gyueth theym hooly vnto my loue in the which loue they rest by entyer fruycyon gladnesse nothyng may chauÌ„ge or depresse them For they be full of eternall truth and they brenne in soule with the ardoure of inextynguyble charyte such folke as be carnall cesse to speke or tell of the state glorye of sayntes for they can nat but
thy holy tabernacle and dwellynge place and the sâ—te of thy eternall glorye No thynge be fouÌ„de in me at any tyme that shulde offende thy hye maieste after the greatnes of thy goodnes and thy manyfolde mercyes beholde me and here gracyosly the prayer of me thy poore seruauÌ„t beynge farre exyled iÌ„ the regyon of the shadowe of deth defende and conserue the soule of me thy seruaunt good lorde whyle I laboure amonge the manyfolde perels of this corruptyble lyfe and dyrecte it by thy grace coÌ„tynuallye in this lyfe vnto yâ— fynall couÌ„trey of euerlastyng peace and claryte Amen ¶ Here endeth the thyrde booke of IhonÌ„ Gerson Emprynted in London by Rycharde Pynson in Flete strete at the Sygne of the george at the commaundement and instaunce of the right noble excelleÌ„t princes Margarete moder to our soueraygne lorde Kyng Henry the. vii couÌ„tesse of RychmouÌ„t Derby the yere of our lorde god M. CCCCC and xvii The .vii. day of October ¶ Here beginethe the forthe boke of the folowynge Iesu cryst of the conteÌ„pniÌ„ge of the world In prynted at the coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t of the most excelleÌ„t prices Margarete moder vnto our souereine lorde kinge HeÌ„ry the .vii. Countes of RychemouÌ„t Derby And by the same Prynces it was traÌ„slated out of freÌ„che into Englysshe in fourme maner ensuynge The yere of our lorde god M. D. iiii ¶ Prologus COme to me saythe our mercyfull lorde all that laboreth and be charged and I shall gyue vnto you refeccyon And the bredde that I shall gyue vnto you shal be my flesshe for the lyfe of yâ— worlde Take ete it for it is my body that for you shal be gyuen â— sacryfice Do ye this in remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of me For who soeteth my flesse drynketh my blode he shall dwell in me â— in hym ¶ These wordes that I haue sayde vnto you belyfeâ— and spiryte of helthe ¶ In what great reuerence and feruent desyre we ought to receyue our lorde Iesu crist Capitulo primo O My lorde Iesu crist eternall trouthe these wordes beforesayde be thy wordes Albeit they haue nat ben sayde in one selfe tyme nor wrytten i one selfe place yet for that they be thy wordes I ought feythefully agreably to vnderstande theym They be thy wordes and thou hast ê“ferred them And they be now myn for thou hast sayde theym for my helthe I wyll gladly receythem of thy mouthe to th ende they may be the better so wen planted in my herte Thy wordes of so great pyte full of loue swetnes dileccion greatly excyteth me but lorde my ê“per synes fereth draweth backe my conscience nat pure to receyue so great a mystery The swetnes of thy wordes inciteth ê“uokethe me but the multytude of my synnes charge the sore greueth me Thou coÌ„mauÌ„dest that I shal come vn to the feythfully if I wyll haue parte with the to the ende I may receyue the norysshynge of imortalyte if I desyre to opteyne the Ioy and lyfe eternall Thou sayst lorde come ye to me that labour be charged I shall refresshe you O how swete amyable a worde is that in the Gre of a synner that thou my lorde my god lysleth of thy benygne grace to byd me that am so pore haue so moche nede of the holy coÌ„muny on of thy precyous body O good lorde what am I to presume to desyre yâ— that the heuen erthe may nat coÌ„prehende thou saist com ye all to me who asketh wylleth this right meke worthynesse and amyable byddynge Howe shall I dare come vnto the whiche feele nat that I haue done any good How shall I enterteine yâ— into my how 's whiche so often haue offended before thy glorious ryght benygne face The auÌ„gels arkasâ—gels honour the the holy iuste creatures drede the. thou sayst good lorde yet come ye allvnto me Lorde who shulde byleue thys thynge to be true if thy selfe sayd it nat And who is he that durste approche there vnto If thou dydest not coÌ„maunde it Noe that iust man labored by an hundreth yere to make the arke to the ende be myght be saued with a fewe of his people Howe may I preprayre me than in an howre to receyne the withe due reuerence coÌ„posour and creatour of all thys worlde Moyses thy greate famylier and speciall frende made tharke of tymber nat corruptyble whiche he couered with right pure gold put in the tables of the lawe I a corrupt creature howe shall I nowe dare receyue the that arte conditour of the Lawe and gyuer of grace and lyfe vnto all creatures The right wyse Salamankynge of Israeledifyed a ryche Temple to the praysig of thy name by the space of .vii. yere and by .viii. dayes halowed the feest of the dedicacoÌ„n of the same he offred a thousande hostys to pacifye thy goodnes with and put the arke of alyaunce in the place made redy for the same with the souÌ„ de of claryons and trumpettys Howe dare I than cursed and right pore amonge other creatures receyue the into my howse whiche vnnethe can knowe that I haue well passed and enployed one howre of tyme nouther to my knowelege that I haue deuoutely passed one halfe howre Do my god howe many haue there ben before me that haue studyede to do any thynge that myght please the. Alas howe lytell thing ys that I do albe it the tyme ys shorte Aud yet whan I despose me to receyue thy holy coÌ„munyon I am but losely gadred to gether and full coldly purged from all distraccioÌ„s of mynde And certeinly no cogitacions vnprofitable ought to come into the holy presence of thy deyte Also I ought nat to occupye me with any creature for I shall nat receyue an auÌ„gel but the lorde of aungels in to the secrete of my herte ¶ For there is a greate dyfference betwene the Arke of alyaunce with his relyques and the ryght pure and precious body with hys vertues nat faylynge but euermore duryng ¶ And betwene yâ— sacryfyce of the prefyguratyue lawe that was to come and the true hostye of thy precyous body that ys thaccomplesshement of all the olde sacryfyce ¶ Wherfore than shulde nat I be more inflamed in thy venerable presence and by more solycytude prepayre me to receyue the sacred and holy gyftes and benyfyttes of the. In so moche the holy auncyent patryarkes and prophettes kinges and prynces with all the people hath shewedeso greate affeccion towardes thyne honoure and dyuyne seruyce ityme passed ¶ The ryght deuout kynge Dauid inclyned to the arke of god with all his strengthe knowlegeynge remeÌ„berynge yâ— benefytes don vnto his faders he made orgayns of dyuers maners he composed psalmes instytute that they shulde be songen and he hym selfe sange theym with gladnes of ten tymes with the harpe of the holy goost Thys kynge inspired with the grace of hod hath taught the people of Israel to prayse god with all theyr hertes blessynge
thy coÌ„maundement withe meke hope an reuerence And truely I belyue that thou arte here presente in thys holy sacramente very god and man And thou wylte I shall receyue the and Ioyne me vnto the by charyte wherfore I humbly pray and requyre that it may plese the to gyuevnto me thy specy all grace so that I may be all relented and flowe in thy loue in suche wyse that I shall not desyre any other consolacyon For thys hygh worthye sacrament ys the helthe of soule and body It ys the medycyne of all spyrytuall sekenes in the whyche my synnes be heyleed passyons be refrayned temptacioÌ„s be ouercome and mynysshed more greate graces be gyuyn the vertue begonne increased faythe ys enestabysshed hope ys made stronge and fortyfyed charyte ys brannynge spred abrode ¶ O my god the defender of my soule and the repayrer of the weykenesse of man and the sender of all Inwarde comforte Thou hast gyuen and dayly gyueth vnto thy well beloued frendes in thys holy sacrament deuoutly receyuynge it many commodites For thou infusest into theyr soules grete comfort agaynst dyuers trybulacions and frome the depnesse of theyr owne ouerthrowynge thou areysyst them to the hope of thy dyuyne helpe And with a newe grace thou inwardely renewest and lyghtnest theym in suche wyse as they that fele theym before the receyuynge of the Sacrament heuy and dull and ouerthrowen and without affeccyon and moyster of deuocyon ¶ After that they haue ben fedde wythe thys heuenly mete and brynke they haue founde them selfe chauÌ„ged into a merueylous Ioye whiche thynges thou doest vnto thy chosen people by dispensacion of thy pure bounte so that they mayeveryly knowe by open experyence that nothynge they haue nor may haue of them selfe and what grace or goodnes they haue it cometh of the. For of theym selfe they be colde harde vndeuoute but of the they be made feruent Ioyous deuoute For who ys he that cometh mykely vnto the fountâ—yne of swetnes and shall not brynge some litell quantite of swetnes therfrom I shall alwey put my mouthe vnto the hole of the heuenly pype of that founteyne that I maye at the lest take a lytell droppe to satysfie my thyrste so that I be nat all drye And though I may nat be heuenly enflamed as yâ— cherubiÌ„s ceraphyns yet wyll I enforce me to deuocioÌ„ and prepare my herte mykely to receyue thys holy louynge sacrament shall desyre to be enbraced with a lytell flame of that goodly loue O good Iesu holy right pyteous sauior what so euer vertue or goodnes yâ— fayleth in me I benigly beseche the graciously of thy pyte to supplye it by thy greate mercy Thou that hast called all feithfull creatures iÌ„sayiÌ„ge vnto theym â–ª come ye all vnto me that labour be charged I shall refresshe you But alas good lorde I pore synnerlabour in theswette of my vysage am tormented with sorow of my hert I am charged with siÌ„nes and trauailed with teÌ„p tacyons entryked and oppressed with many yuell passions And lorde there is none that may delyuer me or make me safe but thou my only god and sauyour to whome I commytt me and all my causes to th ende thou kepe me and lede me to the lyfe eternall Receyue me vnto the praisynges of thy name that hast made redy vnto me thy precyous body blode to mete and drynke My lorde god and sauyour grauÌ„te vnto me by thy greate bounte that in customable receyuynge of thy holy mysterye the affetcyon and desyre of my deuocyon may be encreased ¶ Of the dygnite of the sacrament of the aulter of thordre of presthod CapÌ„ .v. IF thou haddest the puryte of aungels and the holines ofsaynt IohnÌ„ Baptyst thou shuldest nat be worthye to receyue or trete of that holy sacrament for that is nat due to the merites of men that a man shulde consecrate treate of the sacrament of thys blessed body of Iesu crist aud take in mete the brede of aungels O great mysterye and the meruelous dignyte of prestys vnto whome is gyuen that that is nat graunted vnto the aungels For the prestis only duely ordred in the churche of crist haue power to do and to consecrate the holy dody of Iesu criste Certeynly the preest is the mynyster of god vsynge the worde of god by the coÌ„maundement and ordynaunce of god But god is the pryncipall iÌ„uysible werker to whome be submytted all creatures to be ordred after his wyll and all to obey vnto hys coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t Than thou oughtest more to beleue in almyghty god i yâ— right excellent sacrameÌ„t than to thy ê“pre will or any othervisible tokeÌ„ And therfore to thys holy werke thou oughtest to come with great drede and reuerence Take hede than and se from whome thys mysterye is gyuenvnto the and that is by the puttynge to of the handes of the Bysshoppe thou arte admyttede vnto that hye cometh Beholde nowe thou arte made a preste and sacreyd to do this holy mistery Se than that feithfully and deuoutly and in due tyme thou offre thy sacryfice vnto god and shewe thy selfe irreprouable wyth oute defaute Thou hast nat loused thy charge of lyuynge but hast bounde the wyth a more strayte bonde of discyplyne and arte holden to a more great parfeccyon of holynes The preeste ought to be adnowrded wyth all vertues and gyue all theyr example of good and holy lyfe Hys conuersacyon ought nat to be wyth comon people or the weyes of comon men but with the aungelles in heuen or wyth the perfight men in the erthe ¶ The preeste clothede wythe holy vestymentes occupyeth the cometh of Iesu criste to th ende that he may humbly praye vnto god for hym selfe for all other For he hath bothe before hym and behynde hym the sygne of the crosse that he may contynually remembre the passion of our lorde iesu crist Before hym he bereth the crosse to the ende that he dilygently beholde the traces and the examples of our lorde Iesu criste and that he feruently studye to folow theym Behynde hym also is signed with the crosse to the entent he shuldesuffre for the honoure of god all aduersytyes Iniuries done vnto hym of other Before hym he bereth the crosse for that he shulde be wayle ê“pre hys sines And behiÌ„de hym lyke wyse by great compassyon to sorowe the sinnes of other and to knowe hymselfe that he is a man betwene god and the synner And that he depart nat from oryson and froÌ„ yâ— holy oblacion to the tyme the he deserue to purchase the grace of god whan the preste sayth masse he honoureth god he gyueth ioy vnto the aungels he edyfieth the churche he hel peth the louiÌ„ge people he gyueth rest to them chat be passed and maketh hym selfe partyner of all good werkes ¶ A inwarde remembraunce and excercyse that a man ought to haue afore the receyuiÌ„ge of the body of our lorde Iesu crist CapÌ„ .vi. LOrde whan I thynke
of thy worthynesse and of my great fylthynes I tremble strongly am confounded in my selfe For if I receyue the nat I fle the eternall lyfe yf I vnworthyly receiue the I renne in to thy wrath what shall I thanne do my good lorde my helper ptectour comforter and ryghtsure counceller in all myne infyrmytes and necessities Teche me good lorde thy right weye and purpose vnto me some excercyse coÌ„uenable to the receyuynge of thys holy mystery For it ys necessarye vnto me and greatly profytable to knowe howe deuoutly and reuerently I ought to prepayre my herte to receyue thys holy sacrameÌ„t or to make so goodly sacryfyce ¶ The remeÌ„brynge of his ê“pre conscience with pourpose of amendment CapÌ„ .vii. THe preste aboue al thynges ought to desyre with souerayne reuerence and profounde mykenesse of hert full and ferme fey the humble hoope and pyteous entente to the honour af god to celebrate take and receyue this worthy sacament examyne dylygently and make clere open the conscience by true contrycion and meke coÌ„fession as far as he hath power so that thou knowe no thiÌ„ge that greuethe or byte thy sayde conscience orlete the frely to come vnto the same daily To haue displeasure of all thy synnes in generall and for thy excesses and synnes thou oughtest to haue syghinge and sorowe more speciull And if the tyme suffre it confesse vnto god in secrete of thy herte the myseryes of all thy passyons wepe and haue sorowe that thou art yet so carnall and worldely and so euyll mortyfyede frome thy passyons so full of mocyons and concupiscences so euyll composed ordred in thy outwarde wittes so often appliede vnto vayne fantasies so moch enclyned vnto outwarde thinges so necligent in the in warde spirituall thinges so redy to laugh and to all dissolucion so harde to wepe to coÌ„punccyon so redy to folowe the lose mauer and the pleasures of the flesshe and so slowe and dull to the feruour of vertue so curious to behol de and to here newe fayre thynges so neclygent and lothe to lerne and desyre thynges that be meke and abiecte So couetous to receyue and possed many goodis so scarse to gyue theym and glad to holde and reteyne theym so euyl auy sed in spekynge so incontynent to be styll So vnordred in maners so inportune in thy dedes so gredy and so quycke in thy mete so deffe vnto the worde of god so redy to rest so vnlusty to labour so wakynge to fables so slepy to holy vygillys so neclygent vnto the seruyce of god so spedy to then de therof so wauerynge to take hede so colde in deuocion in the tyme of the massâ— so drye in receyuynge of the sacrameÌ„t so soone withdrawen so seldome well gadred vnto thyselfe so sodeynly moued vnto wrath so easely stired to the disple asure of other so hasty to iuge so roughe in repÌ„uynge so ioy ous in ê“sperite so weyke in aduersite so often pourposynge many good thynges and lytell bryngeth to good effecte These and other thy defautes with sorowe great dyspleasure of thy ê“pre fragylyte confessed and sorowfully be wept Set the than with full purpose alweyes to amende thy selfe and to ê“fyte from better vnto better and after offre thy selfe with playne resignacion entyer wyll to the hononre of my name perpetuall sacryfyce withyn the aulter of thyne herte Teat is to knowe thy soule and body coÌ„myttynge feythfully vnto me that thon so may deserue worthely to come and offre thy sacryfyce to god and to receyue the sacrament of my body helthefully For no oblacion is more worthy nor no satysfaccion can be so great for to deface the synnes of man as to offre hym selfe to god purely and entyerly with the oblacyon of the holy body of Cryst Iesu in the masse and the holy communyon And they who someuer shall do as moche as lieth in theim and haue very repentaunce of thyr offences passed as oft as they shall come vnto me they shall recouer pardon and grace I am lyfe and wyll nat the deith of a synner but rather wyll that he retourne and lyue agayne And than wyll I nomore remembre his synnes tresspaces but all shal be forgyuen pardoned vnto hym ¶ Of the oblacion of Iesu Crist in the crosse of the ê“pre resignacoÌ„n that man shulde make of hymselfe Ca .viii. OMan as I dyd offre my selfe and my free wyll vnto god my fader my handes sprede on the crosse and my naked body forthy synnes In somoche that no thynge remayned in me but all passed in sacryfyce to apease his wrathe in lyke wyse thou oughtest to offre vnto me wyllyngly thy selfe in pure oblacion dayly in the masse wythe all thy affecâ—yons and strengthes as profoundely and feruently as thou mayst what aske I of the more but that thou study to resygne thy selfe vnto me enterely what thynge so euer elles thou gyuest vnto me I haue no cure For I demaunde nat thy gyftes but only thy selfe As no thynge shulde suffyce vnto the wythoute me Lyke wyse no thynge maye please vnto me what so euer thou shalte gyue thou offre nat thy selfe vnto me Offre the than gyue the holly vnto me that oblacyon shal be acceptable Beholde I dyd offre my selfe holy vnto my fader for the and for the I dyd gyue all my body blode to the ende that I shulde be all hole thyne thou myne also But and thou rest in thy selfe and with good wyll preseÌ„t the nought vnto me thane there is no full oblacy on nouther entyer parfyte vnyon betwene vs. For the fre oblacyoÌ„ of thy selfe in to the handes of almyghty god ought to go before al thy werkes if thou wylte opteyne lybertye grace And the lacke of thys is the cause that so fewe folke be illumyned and haue inwarly lybertye For they can nat renounce them selfe My sentence is ferme stable that none may be my disciple without he renounceth all that he hath Than yf thou desyre to be my dysyple offre thy selfe vnto me with all thyne affeccyon ¶ That we ought to offre vnto god all that we haue to praye for all people CapÌ„ .ix. LOrde all thynges that be in heueÌ„ and in erthe be thyne and my wyllynge desyre ys to offre me vnto the perpetually in oblacyon So that I maye be thyne euerlastyngly And thys daye good lorde I offre vnto the my selfe perpetually to be thy seruaunt wyth my herte and soule fully to contynue I beseche the receyue thys holy oblacyon of me that am vnworthye to offre me vnto thy precyous bodye in the presence of aungels assystynge inuysyble to the ende that it may be to the helthe of me and all thy people Lorde I also offre vnto the all my synnes whyche I haue coÌ„mitted before the and thy holy aungels syth the fyrst day that I beganne or in any wyse myght synne vnto thys presente daye And I beseche the to inflame me with the brennynge fyre of
charyte and to deface and put awey all the condysyons of my synnes Clense my conscyence from all synne and restore it vnto thy grace that by synne I haue loste And perfectly pardone me of all myne offences that I may receyue perfightly the swete kyssynge of peas what may I do more for me synne but mekely confesse theym with sorowfull wepig and incessauntly prayinge the of thy pyte ous mercy ¶ I beseche the lorde exalte me and be vnto me redy whan I am before the. O my good lorde soueraynly all my synnes dyspleasith me and by thy grace I wyll neuer begiÌ„ne them agayne but euer shall haue sorowe for theym as longe as I shall lyue and shal be redy to do penaunce make satisfaccyon of the best of my lytell power ¶ Wherfore nowe good lorde pardon me of my great and abhomynable synnes and for honour of thy holy name saue my soule whiche thou hast derely bought with thy moost precyous blode And I commytte me good lorde vnto thy great mercy and resigne me hooly vnto thy handes Do with me Lorde after thy bouÌ„te and nat after my malyce and iniquite ¶ Also I offre vnto the all my dedes that I haue done albe it they be full fewe and vnperfight that thou maist sanctyfye amende theym as they be agreable acceptable vnto the. And alweyes good lorde drawe me from better to better and conduyte and lede me slouthfull and vnworthy synner vnto good and laufull ende ¶ In lyke wyse I offre vnto the the desyres of all deuowte persones the necessytes of all good dedes of my kynsefolke and frendes and of all theym that haue done me goode or be dere vnto me and all other for thy loue and they that haue desyred or requyred me to make sacryfyce for theyr frendes lyuynge or passed the worlde So as they may sele helpe Consolacyon Defence And Preseruacyon frome all parels by thy grace delyuerauÌ„ce of peynes so as they may yelde vnto the Ioy gladnes with magnyfyinge praisiÌ„ge of theyr delyueraunce ¶ I offre vnto the also prayers holy oblacions for al them specyally that hath caused vnto me heuyues hurte or any maner of damage ¶ And lyke wyse for theym that I haue troubled greued vexed or sclaundred in wordes or dedes knowyngly ignorauÌ„tly to the ende blessed lorde that we all may be pardoned of our offeÌ„sis don the one agaynst yâ— other And good lorde Iesu take from our hertis all suspecioÌ„ wrathe indignacion and all that may breke or let charyte or dimynysshe vs from thy eternall loue O lorde haue pyte blessed Iesu haue pyte gyue thy mercy vnto all theym that asketh it and thy grace vnto theym that haue nede And make vs so worthy to haue that grace that we may go vnto the lyfe eternall Amen ¶ That the holy sacrament ought nat lyghtely to be forborne CapÌ„ .x. IT behoueth the often to tetourne vnto the fountayne of grace mercy bountye pyte and puryte that thou mayst be clensed from thy vices passions so as thou maist be made more stronge and wakynge agaynst all temptacions and subtyll craftes of the fende For thy ennemye knowynge the greate frute and remedye of receuiÌ„ge of this holy sacrament enforcethe hym by allmaner of accasyons that he may to drawe the vnto hym agayne and letteth the feythfull and deuout people whan any dysposethe theym to the receyuynge of thys holy coÌ„munyon The ennemye Sathan putteth vnto theym the moost greuous temptacions that he may Also it ys wrytten in the hystorye of Iob. thys yuell spiryte cometh amoÌ„ge the chyldren of god to th ende that by his cursed custome he perturbeth ê‘plexeth and maketh theym dredfull dymynysshynge theyr affeccyon and inpugnynge theym of theyr feythe so that ê‘auenture they leue their good purpose of that holy body that they at that tyme come for to receyue but we shulde take no thought nor feare of the crafty cautiellesof that false enemye yâ— be so foule horryble but all suche fantesyes we saulde cast agayne at the hede of that wicked spirite it is a pore myschyuous spirite that so letteth mockety vs. And for any assaultes or coÌ„mocoÌ„ns that he excyteth thys holy sacrament ought nat to be lefte Also often tymes to great solicytude for deuocion to be had letteth and somtyme ceryousnes of confessyon to be made But do after the councell of the wyse and take away this anxietye stryple for it letteth the grace of god and destroyeth deuocyon And leue not the holy receyuynge of Iesu cryst for lytell tribulacoÌ„n or deieccion pusyllanymyte but wyth good wyll go vnto the coÌ„fessour and pardon all other that haue offended the and if thou yaue offended any other mekely aske for gyuenesse And thanne drede not but god wyll pardon the. what ê“fiteth it longe to tary frome confession or to deferre the receyuynge of thy blessed sauyour First pourge the and cast out the venym and than haste the to take the remedye And thou shalte fele the moche better thann yf tyou haddest deferred it For if thou thys day lyue the holy receyuiÌ„ge for coldnes of deuocion feblenes of mynde parauenture to morowe thou shalte fynde thy selfe more slacke and so loÌ„ge wythdrawe that thou shalt fynde thy selfe moche worse more vnable Than as soone as thou maist take awey this feblenesse of mynde and the spyce of slowth For alwey only to be in anguysshe and heuynesse of thy synne passynge the tyme in trybulacyon and for dayly obstacles iÌ„perfeccions to with drawe the from these dyuyne mysteryes wythout tourniÌ„ge vnto the pytyous meryte of our sauyour cryste Iesu it helpeth the nought But greatly the longe taryinge to receyue thy saueour anoeyth and taryethe the shall brynge dayly vnto the a more slouthfulnesse ¶ But alas for sorowe some colde and desolate persones gladely seke causes of taryinge from confession and from the receyuynge of this holy sacra ment and for that they couete many delayes leste they shall be bounde to gyue theym selfe to a straytter maner in the ordre of theyr lyfe Alas howe lytel charyte howe sklender deuocyon haue they that putteth aweye so easely the receyuinge of thys holy sacrament O howe happy be they and agreable vnto almyghty god that ledeth so holy a lyfe that they may kepe their conscience in clene and pure drede so as they may dayly dispose and make theym redy and wyth greate affeccion desyre to receyue that holy sacrament if it were lefull at all tymes Neuertheles somtyme by mekenes to absteyne or for other lefull causes that may lett with reuerence is to be praysed But if slouthe or neclygence holde hym he ought to endeuour hym as far as in hym ys our lorde shall be pÌ„sent at his desyre which wyll specially beholde his good wyll but whan he is lawfully let if ye haue a good wyll pyteous mynde to receyue his maker yet he shall not fayle to haue the frute of
that blessed sacrament For euery ê‘sone wyth perfite deuocyon may euery day receyue that holy sacrament spuÌ„ally to his helthe without denyinge in certeine tymes dayes establyssed he ought to receyue the body of his saueour with effectuall reuerence sacramentally And that to seche to do it more to the praisynge the honoure of god almyghty than to his owne consolacoÌ„n For as often as he spuÌ„ally is comuned refressed iÌ„uysibly so often he remeÌ„breth deuoutly the mysterye of the iÌ„carnacoÌ„n of criste hys peinfull passion is kindled in the loue of hym he that otherwyse nat pÌ„payreth hym selfe but at the tyme of a greate feest or ellys by custome he is coÌ„pelled he shall often tymes be ful vnredy Blessed is he that offres hym selfe vnto almyghty god as oft as he doth masse or ellis receyueth this honorable sacrament And in doynge this mysterye nat taryiÌ„ge nor to hasty but kepe the comoÌ„ maner with suche as thou leuest amoÌ„ge Thou oughtest nat to do that the herers therof take greue or Irksomnes but kepe the comon way after thordynauÌ„ces of the holy faders And do rather coÌ„ferme the to the profyte of other than to thyne owne deuocyon or pryuate pleasure ¶ Howe the blessed body of our lorde Iesu criste is greatly necessarye for the helth of mannys soule Ca .xi. O Ryghtswete Iesu howe great consolacyon swetnes ys it to a deuoute Soule to ete withe the at thy dyner where none other mete is gyuen but thy selfe whiche art the only louer oughtest to be desyred aboue all desyres of mannys herte howeswete a thynge shulde it be in thy presence from the bottom of the herte to sende oute teris to dewe and wesshe thy pÌ„cyous fete with the pyteous Mowdeleyne But where is that deuocyon or the plenteous effusion of holy terys certenly in beholdynge the wythe thy holy aungels All my herte ought to brenne wepe with ioye for I haue veryly the pÌ„seÌ„t be though thou hyd vnder a strauÌ„ge lykenes for myne iyen myght notsuffice to beholde the in thipropre and godly clernes nor all the worlde might nat abide to beholde the clerens of thy ioy and maieste wherfore good lorde thou helpest my weykenes in that it pleaseth the to couer thyselfe vnder the fourme of yâ— holy sacrament I verily worship the whome the aungels worshyp in heuen but in me it is as yet but iÌ„ feith the auÌ„gels worship the there iÌ„ thin owne likenes without couerture I must be content with true feythe so walke tyll the day come of eternall clernes whan the shadow of fygures shall fynysshe For whan that ê‘fecte day shall come the vsage of this holy sacrament shall ceas For they that be blessed in the heueÌ„ly ioye shall haue no nede of any sacrameÌ„tall medycyne for they shall ioye withoute ende iÌ„ the presence of god seynge hym iÌ„ his glory face to face shal be traÌ„sfourmed from clernes vnto clernes with the godhed iÌ„compÌ„hensible they shall tast the sone of god made man as he was fro the begynnynge shal be euerlastyngly I than remembrynge me of the great meruels solace thou ghit be spuÌ„all it is to me greuous whanne I remembre those meruels For all thynges that I here or see in this worlde I compte as no thynge so longe as I se nat my lorde god in hys glory Lorde god thou arte my wytnes that no thynge can gyue vnto me comforte nor no creature may gyue vnto me rest but thou my lorde god whome I desyre eternally to beholde ¶ But that is a thynge to me nat possible whyle I am in this mortall lyfe wherfore it behoueth me with great pacyence to ordre my selfe and mykely to submytte me to the in all my desires ¶ Good Lorde thy sayntes that nowe ioye wyth the in the kyngdome of heuen abode the comynge of thy ioy with great feythe and pacyence as longe as they lyued I beleue the same that they beleued hope as they haue hoped and trust by the meane of thy grace to come theder as they nowe be In the meane whyle I shall in good fast feythe be comforted by examples of holy sayntes Also I haue full vertuous holy bokes for the consolacion and myrrour of my life and aboue all these thynges thy right sacred body for my singuler refuge remedye I fele that two thynges be vnto me ryght necessarye without whome this miserable lyfe shuld be vnto me inportable For as longe as I shall be holden in thys present body I coÌ„fesse me to haue nede of two thynges that ys to knowe of mete and lyght But therfore thou hast gyuen vnto me whyche am pore syke thy holy body to the refresshinge of my soule bodl Also thou hast put before my feythe the light of thy holy worde And wythoute these two thynges I myght nat well lyue spuÌ„tually For thy word my lorde and god is the light of my soule and the holy sacrameÌ„t is the brede of my lyfe These two thynges so necessary may also be called the tables sette on eyther syde in the tresorye of holy churche the one table is of the holy aulter hauynge this louely brede that is to say the precyous body of Iesu cryste the other ys the lawe of god â—onteynynge the holy doctryne and sheweth the ryght feyth and surely gydynge vnto the in warde secrysies where as the holy iuelys called SctaÌ„ scoÌ„rum I yelde vnto the thankes lorde Iesu cryste whyche arte the clernes of eternall lyght ¶ For thys table of holy doctryne whiche thou hast mynystred vnto vs by thy seruauÌ„tes prophetes aposteles and other doctours And I yeldâ— vnto the thankynges ageyne creatour redemer of mankynde which hast declared thy greate charyte vnto all the worlde hasâ—e prepared thys royalsouê‘ in the whiche thou hast nat purposed to be eten the fyguratyue lambe but thy most holy body and precious blode reioisynge all thy creatures by that hoolest and swetly fulfyllynge theym with that helthfull chaleys wherin behyd all the delytes and ioyes of paradyse and the holy anuÌ„gels be fedde with vs with swetnesse moche plentuous O howe greate and honorable ys the offyce of prestes to whome is gyuen power to consecrate by dyuyne wordes to blesse with theyr lyppes to holde with their handes receyue with theyr mouthes to mynyster vnto other the lorde god of all maieste O howe elene ought to be the haÌ„des how pure the mouthe howe holy the body and howe vndefylede the herte or a prest vnto whome so often entreth the auctour of all puryte Certeinly from the mouthe of a prest ought no worde to procede but that that were honest aud profytable that so often receyueth the sacrament of the holy dody of iesu crist hys iyen ought to be symple shamefast that so customably beholdeth the holy body The handes pure to lifte vp vnto heuen whiche handeleth the creature of heuen erthe For specyally a prest it ys
sayde in the lawe be ye holy for I your lorde god am holy O god omnipotent thy grace be vn to vs helpynge so that we whiche haue taken the office of pÌ„st hode may reuerently deuoutly serue the with all puryte good ê¯scieÌ„ce if we may not lyue iÌ„ so great innocency of life as we ought to do giue vs grace at the leest that we may we pe sorowe the euylles that we haue commytted and don so that in spirituall mekenes purpose of good wyll we maye from hensforth strongly serue the with feruent corage ¶ With howe great diligence he ought to prepayre hym selfe that shulde receiue the sacrameÌ„t of iesu crist Ca .xii. OVre lorde sayth I the louer of puryte the liberal gyuer of all holynes I serche the pure clene herte there wyll I rest Make redy than for me thy herte I shal be with the than as I was with my discyples At Ester I shall come dwell with the if thou wylte but thanne it behouethe the to muÌ„difye clense the habitacoÌ„n of thy herte fro all synnes leue all brute noyse of the worlde with all thy vyces inclose and shet the in thy chambre as dooth a solytary byrde vnder the euesynges of an hous remembre all the excesses all thi defauttes commytted with all thy soule bitternes of herte For a good frende wyll make redy to his welbeloued frende a good and a plesauÌ„t place to dwell in in that doynge is well knowen with what good affeccion he receyuethe his sayde frende It is for trouthe that thou oughteste to vnderstande that thou mayste nat satyfye by any meryte or labour of thy selfe nat and thou dydest labour with the beste of thy power by a hole yere thought thou hadest none other thynge to do But thou shalt vnderstande that by my only power and grace is ê‘mytted grauÌ„ted vnto the to come vnto my table if a pore man were called vnto the table of a ryche lorde and the pore man had none other thynge to gyue ageyne for the benefytes of that ryche man but swetely mekely to thanke hym he wolde do it so oughtest thou to do diligently as moche as is in the nat by custome or necestite But wyth all drede reuerence affeccyon Thou oughtest to take the blessyd body of our lorde god sythe that it lyste the hym to come vnto the. Certeynly I am he that callethe the I haue commauÌ„ded it so to be done I shall supplye that faylethe in the wherfore come and receyue me whan in that doiÌ„ge I giue vnto the the grace of deuocoÌ„n yeld thou thankes vnto me thiÌ„god Nat thynkynge that thou art worthy therof of thyselfe but that I haue had mercy of the. and yf thou haue nat that grace whan thou woldest but fele thy selfe drye vnlusty yet contynue thy orysou with sorowfull wepynge and smyte at my dore wythoute ceasynge vnto the tyme thou maye receyue alytell crome or drope of helthefull grace know it of trouth thou hast moche nede of me and I haue none of the. Thou comest nat to sanctifye me but I am he that shall santyfye the make the better to the ende that thou mayste be vnight with me to receyue newe grace purpose ameÌ„demeÌ„t Be nat in wyll to deferre me grace but with all dilygence pÌ„prayre thy herte to receyue withiÌ„ the thy louynge lorde nat only thys prepayre the before thy coÌ„munyon but also maynteyne kepe the after the receyuynge of thy said holy sacrament iÌ„ that same deuocioÌ„ iÌ„ as moche as thou maist For thou oughtest to haue no lesse dylygeÌ„ce than thou haddest afore For the good dilygent kepynge of thy soule after the receiuynge of the blessed sacrameÌ„t is a good pÌ„paracoÌ„n to obteine the more great grace And they that so donat shewe theÌ„ selfe greatly euyll disposed whan they habandowne them selfe so soone so largely to outwarde solace in warde pleasures wherfore kepe the from great brute spekinge abyde in the secrete graces frutes of thy god for thou hast hym that all the worlde may nat take awey I am he to whome thou oughtest to gyue the by suche maner that from hensforth thou liue nomore in thy selfe but in me only ¶ Howe the deuout soule ought effectuously with al his herte to be vnight vnto Iesu crist Ca .xiii. O Lorde who shall yelde vnto me that I may fynde the sole that I may open to the all my hert ioy with yâ— as my pore soule desyreth that here be no creature to beholde me but thou alone to speke to me I to the goode lord as of custome one frende speketh to a nother secretly here of I desire praie yâ— lorde iesu to th ende that I may fully be vnyght vnto yâ— withdraw my hert fro all other creat thiÌ„ges that I may the soner lerne the etÌ„nall heueÌ„ly thiÌ„ges by yâ— meane of the receiuiÌ„ge of this holy sacrameÌ„t Alas my good lord whaÌ„ shal I be vnight gadred all hole iÌ„ yâ— vtterly forgete my selfe thou art iÌ„ me I with the. thus assembled make vs dwell togeder I prai the truly thou arte my chosen beloued lorde and it hath pleased thy benygne grace to be inhabited in my soule all the dayes of my lyfe Thou arte my peseable well in whome ys souereyne peas and true rest without the there ys no thinge but labour sorow infinyte mysery Thou my god art closed hyd in councel of thy famyliars whiche be nat comune to the euyll folkes ¶ But thy familiar speakynge is with the meke symple folkes O lorde howe goode benygne swete ys thy spirite whiche to the ende thou maiste she we vnto yâ— sonnes chyldren thy swetnes hast vouchedsaue to refressh theym agayne gyues to theym refeccion of thy ryght swete brede descended from heuen Certeynly there ys none other so great a nacion lackynge cristis feithe that hath their goddis so nere vnto them as thou arte our god lorde to all thy feithfull crysten people to whome thou gyuest thy blesed body to ete for theyr dayly coÌ„forte and to reyse theyr hertes to hyghe celestiall thynges O what other folkes be there so noble as be the cristen people or what creature is there so stroÌ„gly beloued vnder heuen as is the deuoute soule iÌ„ whom god entreth and gyueth fedynge with his owne glorious flesshe and blode O grace inestymable merueylous worthynesse O loue without mesure syngulerly shewede vnto man But what shall I yelde vnto god wherwith shall I recoÌ„pence thys so great grace charite Truely there is no thiÌ„ge I mai gyue more agreable to his mercy than to ioyne my hert perfytely vnto hym And whan my soule shal be perfitely vnight with hym Thanshall my inwarde parties ioy And thanne my lorde wyll say vnto me If thou wylt be with me I
to be my swetnesse consolacoÌ„n my mete drynke my loue and all my ioye so that my wyll be chaunged enflamed and brenne allvnto the So that I may be made a spirite inwardly vnight vnto yâ— by grace brennynge loue and suffre me nat blessed sauyour to deê‘te from the fastynge drye with hunger thurst but do with me mercyfully as often as thou hast done meruelously in thy holy seruauntes what meruele is it vnto me that am nat all enflamed in the seynge that thou arte the breÌ„nynge fyre alwey illumynynge and lyghtnynge the vnderstandynge of thy creatures ¶ Of the breÌ„nynge loue great affeccion that we shulde haue to receyue our sauyour crist iesu CapÌ„ .xvii. O Lorde god iÌ„ soueraine deuocoÌ„n brennynge loue and all feruent offeccion of herte I desyre as many other holy deuoute ê‘sones haue desyred to receyue which hath ben greatly pleasauÌ„t vnto the holynes of their lyfe by great deuocyon O my god and eternall loue my eternall felicyte I by ryght greate desire wysshe to receiue the as worthely and as reuerently as euer dyd any of thy holy seruauÌ„tes All be it that I am nat worthy to haue so greate felynges of deuocion yet offre I vnto the thaffeccions of my hert asverely as though I had all the brennynge flamynge desyres that they had Also I gyue and offre vnto the insoueraine reuerence veneracoÌ„n all that a good debonayer herte maye conteyne And wyll nat nor couete to reserue any thynge to myselfe but offre and make sacryfice vnto the with fre and ê‘fyght wyll myselfe with all my good is Lorde god my cre +ature redemer thys day I desire to receyue the with suche affeccion reuereÌ„ce praisynge honour worthynes and loue suche feith hope puryte as thy right holy moder glorious virgyn Marye conceyued the whanne she answerede mekely deuoutly vnto thauÌ„gell yâ— shewede vnto hir the holy mystery of the incarnacion of the the sonne of god ¶ Se here the hande mayde of god so be it done as thou hast said And the right excellent precursor saynt IohnÌ„ Baptyste that wyth great Ioy sprange in thy presence by inspiracion of yâ— holy goost thanne beynge wythin the wombe of his moder And afterwarde beholdynge the Iesu walkynge mekely amonge men he greatly mekinge hymselfe to the same wyth a deuout mynde sayde The freÌ„de of the spouse standeth and harkeneth wyth coÌ„forte Ioyes for to here the voyce of the spouce And so I wische to be enflamed with great holy desyre with all my herte present me vnto the for that I gyue offre vnto the for me for all theim that be recoÌ„mended vnto my prayers all the IubylacoÌ„ns of deuout hertis wyth brennynge affeccions that excessyue thoughtis the hye and spuÌ„all illumynacoÌ„ns the heuenly vicoÌ„ns wyth all the vertues praisynges as well celebrate as to be celebrate of all yâ— creatures of heuen erthe to th ende that thou lorde be worthely praysed ê‘petually gloryfyed of all creatures besecheynge the lorde to receyue my praiers desyres of thy infinite benediccions praysynges without ende which right wisly be due vnto the after the greate habuÌ„daunce multytude of thy inestymable magnyficence And so my desyre is to yelde vnto the at all houres all momentis of tyme so I desyre beseche all the heuenly spirites with all feithfull cristen creatures for to yelde vnto the praisynges with effectuous prayers all the vniuersall people prayse the. All generacyons kyndes magnyfie the holy and swete name in great Ioye brennynge deuocion that they that celebratys that ryght hye and holy sacrament receyueth it in playne feythe and great reuerence deuocyon may merite towardis the and fynde grace mercy And for me wretchede synner I mekely beseche the whan I shall haue a tast of that swete vnyon deuocoÌ„n so moch wysshed desired that I may be fulfylled fed so meruelously at that heuenly holy table that at my deê‘tinge from thens thou good lorde wyll haue me pore siner in thy pyteous remembraunce ¶ That a man shulde nat be to curious a iÌ„quisitor of yâ— holy sacrameÌ„t but a meke folower of crist iesu in submittynge his reason felynge to the holy feyth Ca .xviii. IT behoues the to kepe the from to curyous iÌ„quysicyon of the ryght profounde sacrameÌ„t if thou wilte nat be coÌ„fouÌ„ded in thy proprevyce and drowned in the deppeth of opinyons For he that wyll inquire of the hye maiestye of god he shall anone be oppressed thrust downe from the glory of the same God may open more than man maye vnderstande The deuoute meke inquisicyon of truthe ys alwey redy to be doctryned and taught And yf thou studye to god by the holy true and entyer seÌ„tences of holy faders it ys nat reprouable but well to be praysed And that symplenesse ys well to be praysed that leuethe the wayes of dyfficultyes question 's and goeth by the playne and ferme pathe of the coÌ„maundementes of god Many haue lost theyr deuocyon in sechynge so besily the hye inspekeable thynges ¶ It ys ynoughe to demaunde of the fast feythe pure and clene lyfe and nat the hye and subtyll profounde mysteryes of god for yf thou may nat comprehende and vnderstande that that is within the howe mayste thou thanne vnderstande thynges that be aboue the. Submytte the thanne mekely vnto god all thy vnderstandynge to the feythe of holy churche and the lyght of true science shall be gyuen vnto the as shal be to the moost necessarie and profytable Some be greatly tempted wyth the feythe of that holy sacrament but that is not to be reputede vnto theym but rather vnto that cursed ennemye the fende And for that lette not thy good wyll nor dyspute nat in thy thowghtes nor answere nat to the doubtes that the ennemye of helle bryngeth before the but fermely trust in the wordes of god and beleue in sayntes and holy prophettes and than shall that cursed ennemye soone â—â—e frome the. It is often ê“fytable that the seruauntes of god suffre susteyne suche assaultes For the ennemy tenpteth nat the mys creauntes vnfeythfull people nor also the greate synners that he surely holdeth possedeth but he tempteth trayuaileth and tormenteth in dyuers maners the good feythefull and crysten creatures And therfore kepe the alweyes wyth meke true feythe doubte the nought but come vnto thys holy sacrament with lowly reuerence And that thou mayst nat vnderstande coÌ„mytte it vnto almighty god for he shal nat disceyue the But he shall be dysceyued that to moche trusteth in hym selfe God walked wythe the symple people and shewed hym selfe openly vnto the meke He gaue vnderstandynge vnto theym that were pore in spyrite And he hyd his grace and secretes from theym that were proude high curious For the humayne reason may lyghtly erre be disceyued but the true feyth may neuer dysceyue nor fayle All reason and naturail inquysicion ought to folowe feythe wtout farther reasonynge ¶ Fast feyth and true loue surmoÌ„teth all curious inquysicion pryncypally in thys mater and meruelously openeth to vnderstandynge in secrete maner of thys holy and ryght excellent sacrament ¶ O eterdall god and withoute mesure of myght and bounte which hast made the infinite greate and wounderfull thinges in the heuen and erthe whiche none ys sufficyent to enquyre vnderstand or fynde the secretes of thy so meruelous werkes and therfore they be called in estymable for mannis reason no wther may nor can comprehende thy werkes To whome god lorde almyghty be gyuen laude and praysynge wytheouten ende Amen ¶ Thus endethe the forthe boke folowinge Iesu Cryst the coÌ„tempnynge of yâ— worlde ¶ This boke Inprinted at londoÌ„ in Fletestrete at the signe of the George by Richard Pynson Prynter vnto the Kynges noble grace Richard Pynson Deo gracias
departe and thynke that lyke wyse thou must nedes departe Whan thou rysest in the mornynge doute whether thou shalte contynue in bodely helthe vnto nyghte And therfore euer dispose thy selfe to be redye that dethe neuer may fynde the vnredy ne a slepar and remembre howe many do departe sodaynlye and whan they leest haue beleued they haue gone The sonne of man both god and man our Iuge shal come that tyme whan we leest wene as he saythe hym selfe Whan thy last houre comethe than shalte thou repent full sore of thy remysse and neclygente lyfe Howe gracyous and happy is that soule that now in his lyfe laboreth to be in that state that it desireth to be founde in hys dethe To contempne the worlde ê‘fytely ys a greate desyre to profyttein vertue loâ—e of dysciplene labour in penaunce a prompte wyll to obedience redy to forsake theyr owne wyll the supportacion of euery trybulacyon for the loue of oure lorde these shall enduce vs to haue a greate confydence to departe happyly out of thys worlde It ys moche better by tyme to prouyde for thy selfe and fynde thy goodes before the than to truste to other that perauenture shall uought or lytell ê“uyde for the. And thou labour nat nowe besily for thy selfe who shal be besy for the in tyme to come Now the tyme is very precious But it is lamentable to spende that tyme vnprofitably where we myght de serue goodes of the whiche we shulde lyue and ioy eternally the tyme shall come that thou woldeste be gladde to haue one day or houre to amende thyselfe in but I knowe nat whether thou shalt obteyne yt ornaye O thou vncircuÌ„specte soule of howe greate ê‘yll fere myghtest thou delyuer thyselfe of now yf thou woldest nowe fere to offende god suspecte that comynge of deth Study nowe to lyue so that iÌ„ the houre of thy dethe thou mayste rather ioye than fere Lerne nowe to dye frome the worlde that thann thou maist begynne to lyue with criste Lerne now to contempne all wordly thynges that than â— u maist frely without any impediment goo to criste Chasti sâ—thy body nowe by penaunce than thou maist haue certen confidence of reward O thou vnwise maÌ„â—â—hy makist thou so great and sure prouysioÌ„ for the â—â—me to come whanne thou arte nat sure that thou â—â—alte nat lyue o one daye to the ende Howe manye haue be deceyued thinkynge to lyue longe sodenly haue decessed Howe of tymes hast thou herde of those that be departed howe some haue be slaine with swerde some drowned some fallynge fro hie place haue broken theyr necke some etynge haue be straÌ„gled some with fire some with yron some with the ues haue be distroyed so the ende of euery man in thys worlde ys dethe the lyfe of man in this worlde as a shadowe vanisshe aweye Who shall remeÌ„bre or praie for the after thy dethe thou knowest nat Therfore nowe instore thy selfe of ryches iÌ„mortall that shall continue after thy dethe Euer laboure for that thynge that may honour god helpe thy sowle attende therto studye to make the sayntes of heueÌ„ the frendes of god thy frendes they shall receyue the into euerlastynge tabernacles Thou religious soule behaue thy selfe vpon erthe as a pylgrim a straunger For it perteyneth no thynge to the to intermyt of the besines of this worlde Preserue thi herte fre directe it to our lorde for thou hast no cite here abidynge therfore directe thy dayly mournynge prayer vpwarde that after thy spirite deê‘te fro thy bodye it may be worthy to be graciously translated into that celestiall perpetuall Cyte ¶ The .xxiiii. Chaptre is of the last iugenent peynes deputed for synne IN all thy labours beholde the ende howe thou shalt stande before yâ— iuge to whome no thiÌ„ge can be hyd he that day shall nother be moued with rewardes nor praier nor any other cause that may be alegid but he shall iuge that is rightwis O thou myeserable vnwyse synner what shalt thou answere that day to that lorde knowiÌ„ge all that euer thou haste done If thou fere somtyme in this worlde the face of a mortall man whiche thou haste dyspleased howe moche more shuldeste thou feere the face of thys thy eternall Iuge why prouydest thou nat forthe daye of iugement whan there maye no man be accepted or defended by another But euery man shall answere for hys owne selfe Nowe thy welle ordered laboure is frutefull thy wepynge acceptable thy mornynge worthye to be herde thy sorowe purgethe is satisfactorye The pacyent man that more lamentethe for the malyce of synners Than for hys owne iniurye hath an holsome pourgatory And lykewyse they that praye fore theyr ennemyes and in theyr herte forgiue their offences they that tarye nat to aske forgyuenes of other for they re offences And be more redye to remytte thanne to be wrothe And they that by vyolence restrayne theyr selfe fro synne and euer be besy to make the bodye obedyent to the soule All those haue an holsomme pourgatory in thys lyfe It is moche more profitable nowe to pourge oure synne and kytte it awaye than to abyde the pourgacion therof with the fyre of Pourgatory Verely we deceyue our selfe by inordynat loue that we haue to owre selfe what shall the fyre come to deuoure but thy siÌ„ne Euer the moâ—â—e thou sparyste thy selfe nowe And so folowyste the sensuall appetite more greuouse shal be thy peyne afterwarde and more greuouse the fyre And therfore loke what thynge man more greuously offendeth in and therin shal be his more peyne ¶ The flouthfull persone shal be punysshed with brenniÌ„ge broundes The glottone that hathe consumed metys and drynkes superfluously to the detryment of theyr body and the iniurie of the pore that famysshed for hunger than shall they famysshe for hunger in so moche that yf they wolde desire a drope of water to mytage that excedynge ardore that they shall suffre than it shall nat be possyble to theym to obteyne it ¶ The lecherous people and the inordynat louers of theyr lustys shal be coÌ„pelled to drinke the stynkynge and abhomynable inflamed pyche and brymstone And the enuyous people shall wayle and howle as wode hundes And so euery sine shall haue his propre torment peyne corespondynge to hym And the obstinate prowde couetife persons shal be replenysshed with al confusion penury There shal be one houre more peynful and greuous than here a hundred yere in bitter penauÌ„ce There shall neuer be consolacion ne rest to those that be dampned or shal be dampned but here the troubled persons haue somtyme aleuiaunce of their peynes and consolacion of their frendes Be nowe besie sorye for thy synne that in yâ— day of iugement thou maiste haue suerty with holy sayntes wheche than shall stande in great constaunce ageynst those that haue vnryghtously vexed theym And loke as they be nowe iuged of other men so than
redy to helpe the. That soule rydeth full pleasauntly whome the grace of oure lorde supportethe and bereth vp What meruayle is yf that soule be nat ouer charged with trybulacyon that is supported of hym that is omnypotente and ys conueyed by hys infynyte wysdome we be gladde to haue consolacion and supportacion in all our lyfe and labours and sory to be without them or to forsake our owne ê“pre appetyte and pleasure The holy martyr seynt Laurens was so feruent in the loue of our lorde that he gladly forsoke nat alonly the worlde his speciall beloued frende and preste Sixtus but also his mortall lyfe by passion moste terryble and ferefull he ouer came the loue of man by the loue of his maker he made coÌ„mutacion of transetory consolacion lyfe for euerlastiÌ„ge solacyous life Here we may lerne to coÌ„fourme our will to the wyl pleasure of god whan he of his grace taketh to his mercy any of our frendes be they neuer so dere specyal to vs. For lyke as we come to the worlde by hys will coÌ„mandement so we must deê‘te fro this mortall lyfe teÌ„porall cohabitacioÌ„ It is no lytell ne shorte batayle a man to ouercome him selfe and to ordre all his affeccions to the pleasure of god The veray true louer of god studyê° desire of vertue is nat besy to acquyre wordly consolacion or sensuall pleasurs ne bodely delectacions but rather glad for the loue of god to exercise theyr selfe in harde and payntfull labours whan the spirituall deuyne consolacioÌ„ is grauÌ„ted to yâ— for a tyme repute that of his goodnes nat of thy deseruynge be nat therof ioyfull to moche ne pÌ„sume therof vaynly but be therof meke and circuÌ„specte timerous iÌ„ all thy actis for that houre shall passe teÌ„ptacion tribulacion shal come And whan they come take nat iÌ„moderate thought or sorow ne in no wise dispeyre nat but mekely pacieÌ„tly abide the deuine coÌ„solacion for he ys of power to graunt to the more habuÌ„dauÌ„ce coÌ„tynuauÌ„ce of spirituall consolacion swetnes than thou hadest before And merueyle nat of suche altercacion in thy mide for thou art nat the first that hath had experiens of these for the holy seyntes ê“phetes prÌ„iarkes and appostels haue had like altercacions of minde somtyme mery by deuyne consolacions somtymes ê“ued by withdrawiÌ„ge of coÌ„solacion belapped with tribulacion vexacion The ê“phete Dauid hauig yâ— coÌ„solacious â—sence of the deuyne grace sayde he shulde neuer be remoued therfro without ende anone whan he had experieÌ„ce of yâ— abseÌ„ce of this grace he saide to our lorde thou hast withdrawen thy delectable chere of thy presence I am made disolate troabled betwene those .ii. extremites of ioy trybulacion take we no defeÌ„ce but rather prai we with Dauid sayiÌ„ge I shalnat cesse to crye to yâ— formÌ„ey I shall mekeli pray to yâ— my lord god so finally he ê“curid â— frute effecte of his prayer as he testifieth sayinge Our lorde hath harde me hath mercy of me ys made my helper after saith Good lorde thou hast tourned my sorowe iÌ„to ioy thou hast belapped me with ioye If almyghty god hath in this wise delt with the great excellent seyntes we that be of smale reputacion may take therof confidence in god thoughe we haue somtime feruour of spirite somtyme lacke of deuocion spirituall coÌ„solacion for his spirite of holy coÌ„solacion cometh deê‘teth at his pleasure as yâ— holy man Iob sayth Thou graciously visetest him in the morowtyde and shortlye afterwarde thou ê“uydest hym by mater of pacieÌ„ce And therfore wher in shall I truste or in whome shall I haue coÌ„fidence but in the great mercy of god hope of the heuenly helpe If I myghte haue the assistence of good deuoute men the helpe of holy bokes and the roiall noble processe of scrypture also incited to deuocion by the meane of swete melodyous soÌ„ge all those thiÌ„ges may lytell auayle whan I am lafte to my frailte and pouerte without grace than there is no betâ— remedye but by pacience to remoue owre owne wil conforme vs to the wyll of god IohnÌ„ Gerson the auctour of this treatese sayth he neuer had knoweâ—ege of religious persone but he had at somtime subtraccion demynucion of gostly swetnes feruoure deuocion There was neuer religious soule so ilumined orso rauisshed in yâ— visioÌ„ of our lorde but it was ê“ued by teÌ„ptacioÌ„ other afore or afterward For ther be none worthy to haue yâ— hye deuine ê¯teÌ„placioÌ„ but if be they be exercised firste with some tribulacion for the loue god it is ê“uyded by the greate wysdome of god to the electe soules to haue temptacioÌ„s as a signe or token of coÌ„solacion to come For to those that be prouyded pacyently by tribulacions be ê“mysed of our lorde heuenly rewarde coÌ„solacoÌ„n as it appereth by the seÌ„tence of the holy gost shewed bi the mouthe of the holy euangeliste IohnÌ„ seyiÌ„ge who souer ouercometh tribulacioÌ„ by pacieÌ„ce vice sinne by resisteÌ„ce shal be fed with the frute of yâ— tree of lyfe yâ— is with the clere deuine vision vnspekable fruicion of yâ— blessed godhed also the deuine ê¯solacion is grauÌ„ted vnto man for to make hym more stroÌ„ge to suffre aduersite And anone folo with teÌ„ptacioÌ„ list that maÌ„ take any elacion of yâ— gostly ê¯solacioÌ„ The deuil slepith nat ne yâ— flesshely appetitis be nat yet morfied therfore pÌ„pare thyselfe to batell for thou hast ennemies on euery side he that neuer sesith to assaile y◠¶ The .x. chaptre of yeldiÌ„ge thaÌ„kes to god for hys graces wHy secheste thou reste whan thou arte ordeined in thys lyfe to labour Applye thyselfe more to pacience than to consolacyon or pleasure to the crosse of penaunce rather than to temporall ioye pleasure There ys none so seculer or wordly but if they might haue coÌ„tinuaunce of spirituall coÌ„solacoÌ„n they wolde gladly accepte yt For the spyrytuall ioyes excede all other wordly coÌ„solacioos bodely pleasures All wordly bobely plesurs be transetori mixte with somdele of vnclenes But the spitritual plesurs desyres be pure honest ioyfull ê“cedynge of vertues grauÌ„ted of our lorde alonlye to pure and clene myndes But this tranquylyte of gostely coÌ„solacions is many tymes ouerflowen by the outragious teÌ„pestis of teÌ„ptacion The false lyberte of lyuynge greate coÌ„fidence in our owneselfe be two thinges moche coÌ„trary to heuenly visitacion consolacion Our lord shewith his goodnes to man grauntinge to hym yâ— grace of gostely consolacion But man sheweth his vnwise neclygence whan he withdraweth coÌ„digne thanke ne iÌ„puteth nat this grace only to oure lorde and therfore we be nat worthye to haue his mercyfull grace to abyde with vs. Grace is euer grauÌ„ted to the meke soules that euer be rede to yelde thaÌ„kes to god for his mercyfull benefaites and coÌ„trariwise grace is withdrawen fro the
the profyte or encrease of spuÌ„al lyfe is nat only whan thou hast the coÌ„solacion of grace but whan thou with humylyte sufferest the subtraccion of the same so that thou leue nat thy prayer ne other good dedes but wyth al thy vnderstandynge dylygeÌ„ce do thy best whaÌ„ thou felest suche subtraccion or dulnes in the to recouer the consolacion of grace Many there be that be very dulle iÌ„pacient whan aduersyte fallethe to them the way lyfe of fortune of man is nat euer in his power eleccion but of the goodnes of god ys al that we haue the whiche doth conforte whan we wyll asmoche as he wyll and whom he wil as his plesure is no more somê‘sons haue distroyed theÌ„selfe by indiscrete desire of grace of deuocioÌ„ for they haue disordred theyr strengthe of soule ouer moche nat ponderinge theyr exyle pore lymytes of reson but rather folowed the desire of herte therfore for asmoche as they presumed higher thinges thaÌ„ goddes pleasure was that they shulde attayne to therfore they lost theyr grace before had And so they be made lefte nedy vyle that presumed to entre the secretes of heuen that they may lerne nat to presume vpon themselfe but alweye with true humylyte to trust to god almyghty Suche ê‘sones as be beginners be nat yet ê‘fite in the way of vertue in our lorde god may lightly erre be deceyued but if they folowe the counsell of discrescion or discrete persones Suche ê‘sones as lene to theyr owne wytt so folowe it refuse the discrete wayes of suche as haue longe exersised the wayes of vertue fall into greate iÌ„coÌ„uenientis fynally Such ê‘sons as be wise iÌ„ their owne sight wyl seldome be ruled humbly by other Better it is to a man to haue lytell wisdome or cunnynge with humylyte than to haue great cuÌ„nynge with pryd or vaine glory Better it is to the to haue lytell than to haue moche with pryde daÌ„pnacyon He lyueth nat discretly that gyueth hym al to lightnes vayne gladnes forgetynge hym selfe yâ— dred of god nat dredynge to lese grace Also he is nat wise ne vertuous that in tyme of aduersyte or other hardnes dispayreth trusteth nat stidfastly in god He that in tyme of pease wyll lyue to sykerlye withoute drede of all paryles he shal be founde to dredfull and vnredy in tyme of batayle man wolde alway abyde humble lytell in his owne syght dyly geÌ„tly a wayte on hymselfe he shuld nat so soone fall to synne offence of god good holsom couÌ„ceyll is a man after that he hath rceyued the spyryt of deuocioÌ„ and charyte to thynke howe shulde he do what shulde falle to hym in the absens of suche deuocyon whan such a case happeth let a man gader that such grace and lyght may returne agayne to hym by the honour of god whiche withdre we fro his coÌ„solacyoÌ„ a season to shew his power for mannes we le it is more profytable to man somtyme to be lefte to hym selfe and to lacke suche grace coÌ„forte than alwaye to haue such prosperous thynges at his wyll For a man is nat reputed to be of more meryte or vertu in they syght of god if he haue many vysyons or consolacions gyueÌ„ hym or if he haue clere vnderstaÌ„dyng of scrypture or if he be auauÌ„sed by great hye ê“mocyon but than he is of great meryte greatly in the fauoure of god almyghty if he be perfyte iÌ„ mekenes fylled with charyte alway sekynge the honoure of god in his dedes with coÌ„teÌ„pte despysynge of hymselfe as well iÌ„ the syghte of other men as in his owne couetynge more in humyliacioÌ„ thaÌ„ to be honoured ¶ The .ix. chapter how a maÌ„ shuld nat repute hymselfe of any valour but vylypende hym GOod lorde I speke to the of my pressipcioÌ„ nat withstaÌ„dynge that I am but puluer asshes if I repute my selfe any better thou thy wordes a gaynstaÌ„de me Also my synnes bere true testymony agayne me ne I can nat agayn say theym and if I wyll vylypende despyse my selfe nat repute me any thynge worthe as trouth apereth in me thaÌ„ the grace of my lorde god shal be to me mercyfull his lyght nere me and my humyly acyon and obedyeÌ„ce shal be turned after this lyfe into euerlastynge exaltacyon and auauncement There good lorde thou shalt shewe me to my selfe verely what I am what I was and wherof I came For I was I am noughte and know it nat if I be lefte to my selfe without thy helpe good lorde thaÌ„ I know my selfe to be nought and full of infyrmyte and if thou good lorde wylte beholde me with thy grace and consolacyoÌ„ anon I shal be made stronge be fulfyllyd with a newe Ioy great marueyle it is that I a wretche that alwaye of my selfe fall downe warde may nat ryse agayne by thy grace so sodaynly araysed agayne and so be nygnely lyfte vp and halsed of the This is thy charyte grace which pÌ„uenteth helpeth me iÌ„ many ne cessytes kepeth me busyly from greuous peryls many euyllys I lost my selfe by inordynate loue of my selfe in sekynge the agayne in louynge the agayne I haue bothe founde the me and of thy clene profounde depe loue I am lyquyfyed knowe verely my selfe nought For thou swete lorde doest to me ouer my merytê ouer all that I coulde hope to haue of the blessed be thou good lorde for though I be vnworthy to any goodes yet thy iÌ„fynyte goodnes cesseth neuer of well doynge ye to suche persons as be vnkynge and farre fro the make vs to be holy conuerted to the good lorde that we may be kynde humble meke and deuout to the for thou alone art our helthe vertu and strengthe ¶ The .x. chapter all that we haue or do is to be referred to god as to the ende of euery thynge SOne sayth our lorde to vs I ought to be thy last souerayn ende if thou desyre to be blessyd and by this intencyon shal be purged thyn affeccion that is ofte tymes euyll bowed downe to it selfe to other creatures if thou seke thy selfe iÌ„ any thynge anon thou faylest iÌ„ thy selfe waxest drye where fore to me refarre all thynges for I am he that haue gyueÌ„ all thyngê coÌ„syder all thingê as wellyng sprigynge out of the hyest moost souerayne god therfore they to be reduced to me as to theyr orygynall begynnynge of me lytell great pore ryche draw quycke water as of the well of lyfe who seruith me wellynglye shall receyue grace for grace But who that hath glory without me or hath delectacyon in any pryuate good shall neuer be stablysshid invery Ioy ne delyted in hert but shal be lette in many maner of wyse anguysshed wherfore thou oughtist to ascryue to thy selfe no waner of good Thou shulde nat
coÌ„mende nor more repute thy selfe for any goodnes that thou hast who euer thou be but refarre all goodnes that thou hast to god almyghty withoute whome we haue nothynge god of his goodenes gaue vs what we haue therefore he requyreth the same to be consydered of vs with thankes to be gyuen agayne vnto hym This is the very way to exchew from vs the synne of vaynglorye if so be that trewe charyte and heuenly grace enter into man no enuyne dysdayne of any person nor pryuate of mannes selfe shall haue place iÌ„ hym For grace and very charyte ouercometh all suche byces and it dylateth enflameth mannes soule to god to our neyghbour if we perceyue and vnderstaÌ„de well we shuld only ioy hope in our lorde god and in no wyse in our selfe for no maÌ„ is good of hym selfe but god alone which is to be loued and blessyd ouer all ¶ The .xi. chapter how it is full swete to serue god to hym that forsaketh the worlde truly NOwe good lorde I shall repete my speche to the and nat cesse I shall speke in the erys of my lorde god and kynge that is in heueÌ„ how great is the multytude of thy swetnes whiche thou haste hyd and hydest good lorde for the tyme from them that lyueth here vnder thy drede and to thy perfyte louers and seruauntes thou shewest the Ineffable coÌ„templatyue swetnes of thy godhede in this thou good lorde hast shewed thy great charyte that whaÌ„ I was nat thou madest me and whan I erryd and went out of the waye thou broughtest me agayn coÌ„maundynge me to serue and to loue the O welle of perpetuall loue what shall I say of the howe may I forgette the whiche so louyngely doste remember me and where I haue perysshed thou good Lorde hast shewed thy mercye to me ouer my hope and rewarded me aboue my meryte what thankes shall I gyue to the for this grace gyuen me It is nat gyueÌ„ to all men to forsake the worlde to take vpon them a solytary lyfe It is no great thynge me to serue yâ— good lorde to whome al thy creatures be bound to serue plese But rather thys is to me a great thiÌ„g meruelous that it pleseth thy goodnes to receiue me to thy seruice to ioyne so pore vnworthye as I am to thy welbeloued seruauÌ„tes Lo all thynge that I haue that I may do the seruice of is thyn therfore I can gyue the nothiÌ„ge but thyn owne HeueÌ„ erthe with theyr coÌ„tentes that thou hast ordeyned to helpe man doeth dayly fulfyl thy coÌ„maundment after the ordre forme that thou hast ordeined them to Also thou hast ordeyned angels to helpe confort man But aboue al this thy selfe hast vouchesaue to serue man ê“mittynge to gyue the to man What shall I gyue agayne to the for those for a thousandefolde benefaites that thou of thy grace goodnes hast giueÌ„ to me GrauÌ„t me helpe grace to serue the good lorde al the dayes of my life at the leste that I may one daye serue the worthyly Thou arte worthy to haue all seruice all honour eternall laude praysige Thou art my very lorde god I am vnworthy and pore seruaunt I am bouÌ„de to serue the with all my strengthes neuer to be wery of thy seruyce praysynge so I desire wolde it shulde be Thou good lorde fulfyll that I want of my partye Great honoure glory is to serue the to forsake al erthli thynges for the. They that gladlye wyllyngly do submytte theÌ„ to thy seruice shall haue greate grace and they that forsake all wordly besynes do chese the harde strayte waye for thy loue shal be refresshed with the swete coÌ„solacion of the holy goste shal haue great liberte of soule O thou thankfull ioyfull subieccion seruice of god wherby man is made fre from synne holy in the sight of god O thou holy hye state of religion whiche maketh a man egall to angels pleasaunt to almyghty god dredfull to dyuels honourable to all feytheful folke O thou seruice worthye alwaye to be desired halsed wherby almighty god is gotten euerlastinge ioy gladnes gotteÌ„ ¶ The .xii. chaptre The desire of herte is to be examined modered SOnne saith our lorde to his louer thou must yet lerne many thynges yâ— thou hast nat yet well lerued that is to say that thou order thy desyre affeccion alway after my pleasure so that thou loue nat thyn owne desire or ê“fite but that thou iÌ„ al thiÌ„ges a couetous louer a folower of my wyll thou haste many desirous risinge mouynge the but coÌ„sider well whither thou art moued in them for myn honour only or more for thy owne auaile or ê“fite if I be the cause of thy mouinge thou shalt be well coÌ„tent what so euer I sende vnto the. if any thiÌ„ge be hyd in thy desire of thyn owne will or sechynge so that thynge is it that anoyeth and greueth the outwardely and within forth both beware therof that thou lene nat to moche to thyne owne desire me nat counseled yâ— same thiÌ„ge that before pleased the displeseth the afterwarde Euery thinge that man desireth is nat to be folowed shortly ne euery coÌ„trarious affeccion yâ— man lotheth or hateth is to be fled at the firste It is expedient somtyme to vse a bridell restraynynge in good affeccions cuÌ„nynge or other besinesses of idiscrete behauiour folowe the distraccioÌ„ or brekiÌ„ge of maÌ„nis mynde that thou by thy iÌ„discrecioÌ„ be nat an occasion or sklaunder to other Also that thou be nat sodaynly troubled or inquyete by other meÌ„nes resistence It is somtyme behofull to a man that he vse violeÌ„ce resist his sensual appetite nat to giue he de what it desireth what nat but rather iÌ„deuor hym that it be subiecte by vyolence to the soule this sensuall appetite is to be subdued by disciplene to yâ— soule vnto it be made redy to obeye in all thiÌ„ges to reason vnto it haue lerned to be content with fewe thynges necessarye without al grutchiÌ„ge ageiÌ„ste any incoÌ„uenyent thynge ¶ The .xiii. chapâ— of the informacion of pacience of stryfe ageynst sensualite LOrde god sayth the deuoute soule vnto god as I fele vnderstande pacience is full necessary vnto me for many coÌ„trarious chauÌ„ces fall iÌ„ this lyfe howe soeuer I order my selfe for pease to be hadde I can nat haue it withoute batayle ne my lyfe can nat be without sorowe and trouble wherto our lorde sayth SoÌ„ne thou sayest truely I wil nat that thou seke suche peas as wanteth teÌ„ptacion and trowble or coÌ„tradiccion but couÌ„te the than to haue fouÌ„de peas whaÌ„ yâ— art exercised with diuers trowbles ê“ued with diuers aduersitees if thou saye that thou maist nat suffre such peynes How maist thou suffre the fell peynes of Purgatory of .ii. euils the lesse is alweye to
be moued by any flaterynge that putteth his hole hope in god they that vse suche flaterynge be nought euanissheth at the last with the sounde of worbes but yâ— truthe of our lorde shall alwey abyde and also they with hym that cleueth to hym ¶ The .xvi. chaptre howe a man shulde make hys peticion to god GOod lorde say euery man in peticion makiÌ„g if thys thynge that I aske be to thy pleasure if it bd to thy honoure and if it be to me expedient profitable than graunt me it and to vse it to thy honoure and if thou goode lorde knowe it noyous to me vn ê“fitable to my soule than take fro me suche desire I besyke the euerye desire comethe nat of the holy gost though it seme to man good rightwise yet it is harde to Iuge trewlye in suche thynges whether good spyryt or euyll or elles mannes owne soule moue hym to desyre this thiÌ„ge or yâ— for many be dysceyuyd in the later ende that semed to be induced and led by a good spyryt into such desyres wherfore we ought to desyre euery thyng that we aske or desyre with drede of god humblenes of herte and that for man in all workes desyres shuld coÌ„mytte hym holly to god with resygnacyon of his proper wyll saynge Good lorde thou knowest what thynge is to me moost profytable do with me in euery thyng after thy pleasure moost honoure gyue me what thou wylt and whan thou wylte put me good lorde where thou wylte and do with me thynges as thou wylt I am thy creature alway in thy handes thy seruaut redy to thy behest I desyre nat to lyue to my selfe but to the good lorde my god lyfe I beseke yâ— that I may lyue worthely to the. ¶ The .xvii. chapter A prayer desyre alway to lyue and do the pleasour of god O Thou moost benygne Iesu graunt me I beseke the of thy grace that it euer be with me worke with me vnto my ende gyue me grace euer to desyre that thyng that is moost accepte to the thy wyll be my wyll my wylle alwaye folowe thy wyll and euer acorde therwith and neuer discorde fro it so that I may euer afferme me to thy wyll gyue me grace to dye to the worlde and to all thyng that be in the worlde to loue to be vnknoweÌ„ in the worlde for thy sake GrauÌ„t me aboue all desyres to rest iÌ„ the by holy peace of herte For thou good lorde arte the very peace rest of mannes herte and withoute the all thynges be harde inquyete wherefore I beseke the that I may euer rest in the. Amen ¶ The .xviii. chapter very solace conforte is alonly to be sought in god WHat so euer thyng I may thynke or desyre to my solace coÌ„forte I loke nat for it here but I hope to haue it here after For if I alone had all the goodes and solaces of the worlde myght Ioy in all delytes and pleasours worldly I am ascertayned that they may nat loÌ„ge endure ne I with them wherefore I knowe that my soule may nat fullye be reconforted ne perfytely satysfyed but alonly iÌ„ god almyghty the whiche is the conforter of poore men and the embraser of meke persones Abyde therfore thou my soule abyde the promes of god almyghtye by good lyuynge and heueÌ„ly desyre and thou shalte haue the abuÌ„dace of all goodnes in heueÌ„ for if thou to inordynatly desyre or loue the goodes of this present lyfe thou shalte lese the heueÌ„ly thynges eternall Temporall thynges be to the in vsage and heueÌ„ly in desyre thou mayst nat be sacyat with thynges teÌ„porall for thou arte nat ordeyned to ioye and rest in them fynally if thou hadest in possessyon all thyngê create in erth thou canste nat be blessyd in them but alonlye in god almyghtye the maker of all thynges standeth thy felycite and beatytude nat suche blysse which is sene coÌ„meÌ„dyd of the louers of the worlde but suche ioy and felycyte that good crysten folke a byde hope to haue which spuÌ„all persones they the be clene iÌ„ herte some tyme tasteth whose ê¯uersacioÌ„ is heuenly and nat erthely all worldly solace coÌ„forte of man is vayne and short but that confort that is perceyued iÌ„wardly in mannes soule truly is blessyd here in hope A deuout persone bereth alway about with hym iÌ„ mynde his coÌ„forte Iesu sayinge to hym busyly by inwarde spekynge My lorde Iesu assyst and be nere me in euery place tyme I beseke the that I may be content ê¯forted in the absens waÌ„tynge of all maÌ„nes solace for ioy of thyne and if thy coÌ„solacyoÌ„ be abseÌ„t fro me for any tyme thy wyll thaÌ„ and ryghtwyse probacyon be to me a hole solace be thou nat alway wrothe with me I pray the. ¶ The .xix. chapter howe all busynes of our soule is to be put in God SOne sayth our lorde to his louer suffer me to do with the what pleaseth me For I knowe what thynge is expedyent to the Thou thynkest as a man thou felest in many thynges after maÌ„nes desyre and affeccyon Good lorde saythe the louynge soule to god it is trouthe that thou hast sayde Thy busynesse for me is more than all my charge may be for my selfe He stondeth casually and vnstably that castith nat all his busynes in the whyles my wyll is stable and ryght wyse do with me as it pleaseth the It may nat be yll that thou doste or wyll haue done about me if thou wylt that I be iÌ„ derkenes or lyght blessyd be thou or if thou wylt haue me to be iÌ„ welth or ellys in trybulacyon thy wyll be done blessyd be thou Sone saythe our lorde so thou must stande if thou wylt walke with me thou must be as redy to suffer as to ioy thou must as gladly suffer pouerte and aduersyte as prosperyte and to haue ryches welthe Lorde sayth the louer of God I am redy to take of thy hande what so euer thou sendest me and as gladly shall I take by thy grace yll as good bytter thynges as swete heuy thyngê as glad to thaÌ„ke thy goodnes for euery chauÌ„ce that thou shalt seÌ„de me kepe me I beseke the from all synne and than I shall neyther drede dethe ne hell And cast me nat fynallye out of the bowels of thy mercy ne do me nat out of the booke of lyfe and nothynge shall noy me what so euer hardenes or trouble fall to me ¶ The .xx. chapter temporall myseryes we oughte to suffer with Cryste SOne sayth our lorde to his louer I desceÌ„ded fro heuen for thy helthe and saluacyon I toke vpon me thy myseryes of my faderly loue charyte and nat of necessyte that thou myght lerne paciens at me and nat grutche ne bere heuely temporall myseryes For from the houre of my byrthe vnto my deth vpoÌ„ yâ— crosse I neuer cessed of suffrauÌ„ce of peynes
I suffred great penury and defaute of teÌ„porall thynges I herde great grutchynge and complayntes made of me suffred benygnely confusyoÌ„s and repreues I receyued for my bnÌ„faytis vnkyndenes agayne for my myracles showed I receyued blasphemes for my doctryne I had repreues good lorde sayth the deuout soule to God For as moche as thou waste founde so pacyent in all thy lyfe fullfylliÌ„ge in yâ— vertu with other the coÌ„maundement of thy fader it is worthy that I vnworthy wretch bere me paciently after thy wyll in all thynges I shal bere the burden of this corruptible life as longe as thou wylt for the helthe of my soule for tough this present lyfe be tedious yet it is made meritorious and easy by the grace and the more tollerable and dere by thy blessed exaumple of holy lyuynge and of thy holy saltes Also this present lyfe is more lyghtsome coÌ„fortable than it was to the faders of yâ— olde lawe to whome the gate of heuen was shitte so so that none myght entre were they nuer so ryghte wise vnto the sufferaunce of thy holy passion and dethe wherby thou madest man fre fro euerlastiÌ„ge dethe gaue them that they serued truly here iÌ„ this mortall lyfe fre entre in to the kyngedome of heuen O good lorde what thankes and grace am I bouÌ„de to giue the whiche hast shewed vnto to me andê to all feythefull peple the veray good and rightwis way to thy euerlastynge kyngdome of heuen For thy holy lyfe that thou lede is a way to vs to folow And by holy pacience we walke to the that art our crowne For if thou hadest nat gone afore vs had shewed vnto vs the wayes of pacience and vertue who shulde haue folowed the Alasse howe many shulde haue stande abacke farre fro suche vertues if they had nat sene beholde thy vertuous exauÌ„ples we be yet slowe nat withstandynge that we here thy great techinges meruels And what shuldê we do if suche light of exaumple were nat ¶ The .xxi. chaptre of suffraunce of iniuries who GOd almyghty sayth is ê“ued very pacient to his seruaunt tedious wery of teÌ„ptacyon what spekest thou sone Cesse of thy complaynt coÌ„sider myne with other sayntes greuous passyon Thou hast nat yet resisted in sufferauÌ„ce of thy troubles to the effusion of thy blod as we dyd thou hast litel suffred in coÌ„parison of them that suffred so many thynges for me some in warre stroÌ„ge teÌ„ptacoÌ„ns some in greuous tribulacions with other thynges wherby they haue be ê“ued examyned thou must therfore remembre the great thynges that other haue suffred before that thou maist bere thy lytell grefes more esely yf thy troubles other greues seme to that right great beware that thy iÌ„pacience mary it nat whether they be lytel or great se thou bere all pacyently without any gurtchinge for the more thou disposest the to suffre the more wisely thou doest the esylier thou shalt suffre the more meryte shal be to that say nat in thy excuse I may nat suffre this thiÌ„ge of suche a persone he hath done me great harme he disclauÌ„dreth me with such thiÌ„ges as I neuÌ„ thought But I may well suffre other persons other thynges as I ought to do suche thoughtes obstacles that coÌ„sidereth nat the vertue of pacience ne the reward therof but more the ê‘sons offences done to hym He is nat very pacient that wyll nothing suffre but as farre as it is saien to hym and of suche as he call suffre A very pacyente parsone ponderethe nat of whome or of what persone good nor euyll prelate or felowe he be ê“ued to suffre any hardnes or iniurie but whansoeuer aduersyte or wronge fallethe to hym howesoeuer and of whome it cometh a true pacyent persone taketh it pacyently with thankes as of the hande of god so doinge he winneth to him great merite for no thinge be it neuer so lytel that maÌ„ suffreth for god can nat passe without great merit be thou therfore redy to suffre paciently aduersites to fight ageynst thy impacieÌ„t proude hert if thou wylt haue victorie Thou maist nat gete the well of pacience without fight yf thou wylt nat suffre aduersitees thou refusist to be crowned wherfore if thou wilte be crowned thou muste fight striue with thy selfe stroÌ„gly suffre paciently suche euyls For wythout labour no man may come to rest ne withoute fight no man may haue victory wherfore good lorde I besike the to make possible by thy grace to me in me that that is seene iÌ„possible to me by nature thou knoweste that I am euyl to suffre that I am sone caste down by litel aduÌ„site araised againe me I besike the good lorde that al maner of trowble or aduersite that thou shalt sende me may be coÌ„mendable desyred for thy holy name for to suffre aduersytees for the is very helthfull merite to mysoule ¶ The .xxii. chapt of the coÌ„fessyon of maÌ„nes infyrmitees and of wordly myseries I Knowlege myne iniquite ageynste me I am ryght feble and vnstydfaste good lorde thou knowest the thynge the I am discharged cast douÌ„e by ofteÌ„ ys but of lytell valure or weight I purpose me strongly to stande in well doynge But whan a litell teÌ„ptacion assayleth me I am greatly anguysshed the thynge that I am moued teÌ„pted by greuoussly is but vyle whan I thynke my selfe a lytell siker of lytel rest that I somtyme haue I fynde me soone after ouercome of a lytel blaste of teÌ„ptacyon Beholde therfore good lorde my fraylte knoweÌ„ to the in all thynges that I am ê“ued by haue mercy of me I besyke the delyuer me from the filth of synne that I be nat fastined theriÌ„ ne ouecrom therby I haue great remorse often I am confounded before the that I am so vnstydfaste and frayle to gaynstande my passions And though they drawe me nat to the consent of synne yet theyr ê‘secucyon contynual insuynge is to me ryght greuous and heuy and it is to me right tideous to lyue in batayle stryfe Therby I knowe the better myn infyrmyte For wicked abhomynable fantasies do rise in me to my trouble soner than they go or passe from me Wherfore I besike the god almyghty louer of feithefull soules to beholde with thy gracious coÌ„syderacion the labour affliccioÌ„ of me thy seruauÌ„t asiste me with thy mercifull helpe in all nedes strengthe me with heuenly streÌ„gthe that the teÌ„ptar of maÌ„ or my wretched flesshe nat yet fully subdued to my spirite haue nat dominacoÌ„n vpoÌ„ my spirite ageiÌ„st whom I must figh coÌ„tynually whiles that I liue iÌ„ this miserable life Alas what maner a life is this where trybulacions miseries habouÌ„deth where al places be full of enemyes and snares to ouercome cache maÌ„ For whan one teÌ„ptacion or trouble cesseth â–ª another cometh Also the fyrste conflycte or trouble yet durynge many
prouydent wakynge in prayers humblynge the iÌ„ all thynges ¶ The .xxix. chapiter In what thynges standeth very peace and profyte of man SOne I sayde ones to my dyscyples I leue peace with you gyue you my pease I gyue you my peace nat as the worlde doth that nowe gyueth peace now troubles warre all folke desyre peace but all doth nat seke the very thynges yâ— ê‘â—ayne to peace My peace is with huÌ„ble ê‘sones innocent thy peace shall be iÌ„ moche pacieÌ„s if thou wylt here me folowemy worde thou shalt haue moche peace iÌ„ all thy werkes take hede what thou dost say or intâ—dâ—g alwey to please me only nothynge without me to desyre or seke also be thou nat curioê° or besy to discerue or iuge other meÌ„nys wordes or dedes ne mell nat of thynges that be nat perteynynge to the and thus doynge thou shalt lytle or seldome be troubled neuer to suffer any heuynes or perturbacyon of body or soule longeth nat to this lyfe but to the estate of the lyfe to come where euer quyetnes peace is suppose nat therefore yâ— thou hast fouÌ„de very peace for yâ— thou felest no heuynes ne grauyte ne thynke nat that all is well about the if thou haue no aduersary ne suffer coÌ„tradyccyon nor repute nat the therfore ê‘fyte for yâ— all thynges be done after thy mynde desyre nor thou shalt nat repute the to be beloued or to be in the fauour or grace with almyghty God if thou haue any gyfte of swetnes or deuocion for a true louer of vertue is nat knoweÌ„ in such thynges nor the profyte or ê‘feccion of man standeth nat in suche but in that rather that thou offredest thy selfe with all thyn hert vnto the wyll of god nat sekynge thy goodys or thyne owne wyll to be done in lytle or moche so that thou take euenly with thaÌ„kes prosperous thynges and aduersytees weyinge all in a lyke balaunce if thou be so stronge in hope that when thou lackest in warde consolacyon than thou prepayrest thy herte to suffer gretter thynges than before nat reputynge thy selfe rightwyse or holy theÌ„ thou walkest in the true and right way of peace without doubte then thou shalte se my face in euer lastynge ioy and if thou come to the full contempte of thy selfe then thou shalte haue the habuÌ„daunce oâ— pese after thy possybâ—lyte as a â—ayâ—erer may haue ¶ The .xxx. Chapiter of the preemynence of a fre mynde and howe prayers precellyth lesson LOrde this is the warke of a perfyte man neuer to lose his soule from the speculacyon or of the syght of heueÌ„ly thynges to go amonge many busynesses as wtout all busynes nat as an ydell man but by a preâ—ogatyue offre mynde nat lyuynge by iÌ„ordynate affeccyoÌ„ to any creature I beseke the moost good almyghty god pÌ„serue me froÌ„ the busynes of this lyfe yâ— I be nat wrapt ouermoche by the manyfolde necessaryes of my body that I be nat caught by lust of body delyuer me I beseke the froÌ„ all maner of iÌ„pedymeÌ„tes enemyes to my soule to saue me that I be nat cast downe broke by outragyous heuynes nat by such vanites as the worlde busyly desyreth but by such myseries as of yâ— comoÌ„ male diccioÌ„ of maÌ„kynde doth greue peynfully thy â—uauÌ„tes that they may nat haue lyberte of soule to be ioyned to yâ— as they wolde good lorde turne all carnall â—solacioÌ„ iÌ„ me into bytternes that shuld entyse drawe me by fals pÌ„tens of goodnes froÌ„ yâ— coÌ„teÌ„placioÌ„ loue of euerlastynge thynges let me nat be ouercome of flesshly luste Let me nat be dysceyued by the worlde or by the shorte glory pompe therof nor let me be supplanted or be bygyled by the cawtels deceytes of the deuyll gyue me I beseke the streÌ„gth to resyst all euyll pacyeÌ„s to suffer aduersytes stablenes of ê‘seuerauÌ„ce grauÌ„t me for all worldly consolacyons the swete gracyous vnccyon of the holy goost for all carnall loue yet into my soule the loue of thyne holy name Mete drynke and clothe other necessaries to the body be peynfull onerous to a ferueÌ„t spyryte grauÌ„t me good lorde to vse suche bodely coÌ„fortes teÌ„peratly so that I be nat wrapped in outragyous desyre of such thynges to forsake all such bodely necessytes I may nat lefully for nature must be sustayned but to seke suche thynges in suê‘fluyte or such thynges as be more delectable thaÌ„ ê“fytable the holy lawe forbedeth it for elles the flesshe of man shuld rebell ayenst the soule amonge all such thynges good lorde I beseke the that thy haÌ„de of grace may teche and gouerne me euer that I admyt no suche thynges in superfluyte ¶ The .xxxi. chapiter the loue of pryuat thynges of mannys selfe letteth the perfyte goodnes of mannys soule SOne if thou wylt possesse god almyghtye to dwell iÌ„ thy soule thou must eschew forsake all thy wyll for hym so yâ— onely thou gyue thy wyll holy vnto his wyll for the propre loue of thy selfe is more dysauauÌ„tage to yâ— than any erthly thynge after thyne affeccioÌ„ loue yâ— enclynest to euery thyng more or lesse if thy loue be pure symple and well ordered thou shalte nat be ouercomen by inordynate desyre of such erthely thynges Couet nat such thynges as it is vnlefull the to haue Nor yet haue thou nat indede nor in desyre that thynge that shall lette the or thy inwardly lyberte of thy soule I haue meruayle sayeth God to his louer that man gyueth nat hymselfe to me with all his herte to gether withall other thynges that he hath or desyreth to haue why art thou fatygate with superfluous busynes or desyer why is man wasted by vayne heuynes Lette hym stande to my pleasure and wyll and than he shall fele no heuynes ne harme if thou seke this thiÌ„ge or that or to be here or there for thy profyte or coÌ„modyte thou shalt neuer be quyte ne fre from busynes of mynde For in euery thynge besyde me is some defaute of goodnes and no place is voyde of all aduersyte wherefore seth transytory and worldlye thynges rychesses or worshyppes multiplyed in dede or in desyre doth nat helpe mannes soule but rather the contempte and hate of suche thynges profyteth in the acceptacion ayenst god for all suche shall passe with the worlde The place that a man desyreth shall lytell helpe hym if the spyryte of charite grace be nat with hym such peace as man seketh without forthe shall nat longe stande if it lacke the very foundament of stabylnes that is to say if man stande nat in god almyghty which is grouÌ„de of all stablenes he may well chauÌ„ge his place but he shal nat be auauÌ„taged iÌ„ soule for whyther so euer a man fleyth he shall fynde suche occasyon as he fleyth ¶ The .xxxii. chapyter an oreson for the pourgynge of mannes soule and for grace COnferme me good lorde by thy grace make me sad in
with tyme is both lytell short do therfore as thou doste and labour feythfully iÌ„ my vyneyarde that is to say in my church after the degre that thou art called to and I shal be thy rewarde wryte thou rede synge sorow for thy synnes kepe thy mouth fro yll veyne wordis pray thou be pacient iÌ„ aduersites such exercyses with such other vertuoê° labours be the very wey merytes of euerlastyge lyfe peace shall come one day that is knoweÌ„ to our lorde hyd fro man that daye shal nat be as the day or nyght of this lyfe but it shal be lyght euer endurynge clerenes stedfast peace and infynnyte rest infallyble sure Thou shalt nat than say with the apostle who shall delyuer me fro the ê‘ellys the ieoê‘dy of my mortall body ne thou shalt nat than crye with the ê“phet with desyre to be desolued say these wordes wo is me that myne abydyng here in this mortall body is ê“loÌ„ged why for than shall deth that before had dnÌ„acion in man be ouerthrowen destroyed helth of body soule shall thaÌ„ euer be without ende none anoye shall thaÌ„ be to man but a blessyd ioy myrth a swete and fayre coÌ„pany O if thou sawe the ê‘petuell crownes of sayntes in heuen in what maner of glorye they lyue ioy in now that were before despysed iÌ„ theyr lyuynge reputed vnworthy to lyue sothely thou wolde humble the in the moost lowlye wyse thou wolde soner desyre to be subiecte to euery man thaÌ„ to haue gouernauÌ„ce of any man nor thou wold nat desyre the glad dayes of this worlde but thou wold rather desyre to be in trybulacion for god and thou wolde desyre also to be vylypendyd set at nought amonge men for cryst with cryst thy saueour o if these thynges were sauery to the shuld profoundely ê‘se thy herte thou weldest nat ones coÌ„playne the at such troubles aduersytees why for we ought eche of vs to suffer all labours hardnesse for the lyfe eternall that is so precyous it is no lytell thyng to wynne or to lese the kyngedome of heuen lyft vp thy soule into heuen beholde me my sayntes all that hath had and suffred great conflyctes and batayles with me in this worlde nowe they ioye with me nowe they be coÌ„forted nowe they surely rest after theyr labours shall euerlastynglye abyde and reygne with me iÌ„ the euerlastyng reygne of my fader ¶ The .liii. chapiter of the day of eternyte of the anguysshe of this present lyfe THe mansyon of the hygh cyte of heuen is all full of blysse ioy infynyte o thou day eternall moost clere yâ— which art nat made derke by any nyghte but it shyneth euer by the hye trouthe of almyghty god this day is euer ioyful and moost mery euer sure and stedfast neuer chauÌ„gynge his state into coÌ„modyousnes wolde god that daye shulde shyne to vs all teÌ„porall thynges were endyd this day of eternyte gyueth lyght to the sayntes in heueÌ„ with perpetuall clerte and shynynge but to trauaylers here in erthe it is farre as by the mene of a myrrour the Cytezins of heuen knowe how ioyfull that daye is and we whiche be the chyldren of Eue and outlawes from heuen sorowe for tedyousnes bytternes of this our temporall day the days of this tyme beshorte euyll full of sorowes and anguysshes where man is defoyled with many synnes and is feblysshed and destroyed often by passyons he is contracte and dystrayned with many dredes and with many busynesses is he occupyed he is wrappyd in many vanytes with many errours he is intriked and broke with many laboures he is moued with many temptacyons he is ouercome with delytes he is crucyate turmentyd with penury and nede o whan shall all these labours be ended and whan shall I be delyuered fro the mysery and thraldome of vyces whan shall I thynke of the alone good lorde all other thynges lefte and whaÌ„ shall I ioy in the fully whan shall I be without all Impedyment or lettynge in very lyberte without all greuaunce of body and mynde whaÌ„ shall I possesse sadde peace without trouble sure peace within and without sure on euery syde o good iesu whan shall I stande to beholde the whan shall I haue syght and coÌ„templacyoÌ„ of the eternall glory of thy kyngedome whaÌ„ shalt thou be to me all in all o whan shall I be with the in thy kyngedome the whiche thou hast of thy goodnes preparate to thy louers at the begynnyng lo I am lefte here a poore outlawe in the Lande of myne ennemyes where dayly batayles and in fortunes be full great comforte me good lorde in my exyle mytygate my sorowe for I syghe vnto the with all desyre for all that the worlde offreth vnto me for my solace is but a burden to me I desyre inwardely to be knytte cleue to the good lorde but I may nat come therto I desyre to be coÌ„uerted and atteyn the heuenly thynges but worldly thynges and possessyons vnmortyfyed in me let me where in my mynde I wolde and desyre to be aboue all teÌ„porall thynge I am coÌ„pellyd ageynst my wyll by my dull body to be vnder all so I vnhappy man am â— ê¯tynuall fight with my selfe I am made greuous to my selfe whyles my spyryte desyreth to be aboue my flessh to be downe o what is my suffrauÌ„ce with inforthe that whan I treate of heuenly thynges by dylygence of my mynde anone a multytude of carnall thoughtê mette letted me good lorde be thounat by thy grace far fro me nor declyne thou nat in wrath fro thy seruauÌ„t sende downe the lyghtnynge of thy grace ê¯sume such vayne troblous thoughtes sende downe thy arowes of drede chase away all the fantasyes of the ennemy gather together all my sensys to the make me forget all worldly thynges gyue me grace soone to auoyde fro me to despyse the fantasmes or Images of synne Socoure thou me eternall truthe that no vanytes meue me O thou heuenly swetnes come and enter into me chase fro me all vnclennes forgyue me I beseke the mercyfully ê‘don as ofte as I ê¯syder â— my mynde any thynge in tyme of prayer excepte thy goodnes I knowlege the good lorde that I haue be wont to behaue me very distractely iÌ„ prayer other thyngê for I am nat often there but absent where I stande or sytte bodyly but I am more there whether I am borne by suche thoughtis for I am there where my desyres be and there my thought desyre is where that thyng is that I loue for that thyng doth mete me anoÌ„ in thought that naturally pleaseth or delyteth wherfore thou truthe hast openlye sayde where thy treasour is there is thy herte if I loue heuen I thynke gladly on heuenly thynges If I loue the worlde I ioy of hit
that but alonly to be vylypeÌ„ded or despysed iÌ„ my pleasure honour ouer all desyre that whether thou lyue or dye god alwey be gloryfyed iÌ„ the or by the. ¶ The .lv. chapt a man beynge in heuynes desolacioÌ„ shulde coÌ„mytte hym into the handes of god to his grace sayinge LOrde god holy fader blessyd be thou now euer for after thy holy pleasure so thou hast done to me and all that thou dost is good I besech the good lorde that thy seruauÌ„t may ioy in the and nat in my selfe ne in none other thynge but in the or ordred to the for thou alone art verye gladnesse thou art my hope my crowne of reward thou good lorde arte my ioy honoure what haue I or any of thy seruauÌ„tis that we haue nat receyued of thy goodnes ye without our meryte all be thyne that thou haste gyuen and made I am but pore haue be in trauayle fro my youth often my soule is heuy vn to wepyng some tyme it is troubled agayn it selfe for passyoÌ„s fersly inrysynge I desyre good lorde the ioy of peace I aske yâ— peace of thy chosen chyldreÌ„ the which be norysshed fed of the iÌ„ the lyght of iÌ„ warde eternall ê¯solacyoÌ„ if thou good lorde grauÌ„t me peace if thou graunt me in wardly holy ioy than shall the soule of thy seruauÌ„t be full of louynge and deuoute praysynge of thy infynyte goodnes if thou withdrawe the fro me as thou haste often wonte to doo than I may nat ren the way of thy commaundemeÌ„tys that is to say fulfyll them but more thy seruauÌ„t is then arted to knocke his breste to knele for grace and consolacyon afore had for that it is nat with hym nowe as yesterday the daye before whan thy lanterne of lyghte shone vpon hym illumyned his soule and was defended fro the inwarde temptacyons vnder the shadowe shylde of thy wynges right wyse fader euer worthy to be most loued the hour is come that thy seruaunt shulde be proued in it is worthy father that thy seruauÌ„t suffer this hour som what for the Thou knew in thy eternall presens an houre for to come in the whiche for a lytell tyme thy seruauÌ„t shuld outwardly be ouercome yet withinforth be euer lyuynge ayenst the that he shuld be vy lypended centeÌ„pned and despysed for a tyme in the syght of men by sorys peynes passyon that he a ryse agayne with the in the morne of a new lyght of grace after that be gloryfyed in heuen for allsuch humylyacions holy father thou haste so ordeyned wylled after thy coÌ„maundement so be it fulfylled iÌ„ me This is thy grace yâ— thou good lorde shewest to thy frende to suffer troubles here in this worlde for thy loue as ofte whaÌ„ so euer in what so euer wyse thou dysposest or suffrest it to fall without thy counceyle and prouydence And also without cause nothynge is done here in erthe It is good to me good lorde that thou hast humbled me that I maye thex by lerne the ryghtwyse iugementes and therby caste fro me all pryde and presumpcyon of hert It is very ê“fitable to me that I haue suffred or had such coÌ„fusyon that I by the erudycyon of it shuld rather seke thy consolacyon than mannes in such aduersy te I haue lerned also therby to drede thy inscrutable iugemeÌ„tes whereby thou prouest scourgest the ryght wyse man and the wycked and that nat with out equyte and rightwysnes I thaÌ„ke the that thou haste nat spared my synnes but punysshed me with scourges of loue ye bothe within and without with sores and anguysshes no creature vnder heueÌ„ may coÌ„forte me in myne aduersytes but thou good lorde the very and heueÌ„ly leche of mannes soule that smytest and helyst agayne Thou ledest vs into sharpe peynes of body suffrest vs to be ledde into dedely synne sometyme and thou bryngest vs out therof agayne by thy great grace Thy dyscyplyne be vpoÌ„ me and thy scourge shall teche me the wayes of vertue and mekenes Lo fader I am here in and vnder thy handes I enclyne me vnder thy rodde of correccyon smyte my backe and my necke that I may bowe and refourme my crokydnes vnto thy wyll Make me meke and lowly that I may lyue alway at thy wyll I commyt me to the good lorde with all myne for to be correcte For better it is to be punysshed and correcte here than after this lyfe thou knowest all thynges and nothynge is hydde in mannes soule or concyens fro the afore any thynges be made thy wysdome knoweth theym for to be it is nat nedefull that any man teche or warne the of any thyng that is done here in erthe Thou knowest what profyte or peyne is expedyent to me and moche trybula cyon auayleth to pourge the fylthe and ruste of my horryble Synne and vyces therefore do thou with me after thy pleasure and despyse nat I beseke thy grace my synfull lyfe for thou knowest it best grauÌ„t me good lorde grace to knowe that I am bounde to knowe and to loue that I ought to loue to prayse yâ— thou wolde I shulde prayse and to repute that is pÌ„ cyous iÌ„ thy syght and to refuse all that is vyle afore the gyue me grace good lorde nat to Iuge thynges after myne outwarde syghte ne after the herynge or the relacyon of vncunnynge folke but truly to dyscerne of vysyble thynges spyrituall and aboue all thynges to enquyre and folowe thy wyll pleasure mannes wyttes be often dysceyued in iugement also the louers of the worlde be often dysceyued in louynge all onely thynges vysyble what is a man the better that men repute hym more or better thaÌ„ he is iÌ„ dede a deceyuer deceyueth another one vayne maÌ„ another one blynde man another one sycke persone another whyle he so exalteth hym And yet in trouthe he more confoundeth hym than auaunceth whyles he so vaynly dothe laude or prayse hym for howe great coÌ„mendable holy euery man is in thy syght so worthy great he is and no more ¶ The .lvi. chapter A man shulde gyue hym to huÌ„ble warkes whan he is nat inclyned or dysposed to hye warkes SOne thou mayst nat alway stande in feruent desyre of vertue nor in the hyghe degre of coÌ„temptacion but it is nedefull to the sometyme for the fyrst corrupcion of mankynde to descende to lower thynges and to bere the burden of this corruptyble lyfe with tedyousnes agaynst thy wyll for as loÌ„ge as thou berest thy mortall body thou shalt fele werynes heuynes of thy herte thou must therfore whyles thou lyuest in this mortall lyfe ofte mourne and sorowe of the burden and contradyccyon of thy bodye to thy soule for that thou mayst nat contynually and without cessynge gyue hede and cleue to spuÌ„all studyes and to godly coÌ„teÌ„placyon then it is expedyent to the to fle to lowe and outwarde
was good and rightwys whan it was made of the good lorde is nowe for the vylyte infyrmyte therofso corrupt maÌ„ that the mouynge of it lefte to man draweth euer to yll lowe thynges hye heuenly thynges lefte For the lytell vertue strength of that nature the whiche remayneth there is as who sayth a lytell sparke of fyre wrapped and hyd in asshes This is the naturall reason of maÌ„ belapped with great darkenes yet hauynge discrecion of good yll of truthe falsenesse thoughe it be vnable to fulfyll all that he approueth nor may nat vse yet the full lyghte of truthe nor his affeccyoÌ„s helthfully wherfore it foloweth good lorde that I delyte iÌ„ thy lawe after myne inwarde maÌ„ knowynge thy commaundement to be good ryght wyse and holy arguynge also and fyndynge all yll and Synne to be exchued fledde and yet in myne outwarde man that is to saye my body I do serue to the lawe of synne whyles I obey more to sensualyte than to reason in his mocyons wherof cometh that I woll that which is good but I am of vnpower to ê‘fourme it I purpose iÌ„ my mynde oft tymes many good dedys or werkis but for that grace waÌ„teth that shuld helpe my infyrmyte febylnes therfore I go asyde cesse of good doynge for a lytell resystens Therof cometh that thoughe I knowe the wey of perfeccyon and howe I ought to do yet I aryse nat by deuocyoÌ„ of soule to suche ê‘fytenes I am so oppressyd and lettyd by my dull corrupte body thy grace good lorde is to me theragayne full necessary to begynne goodnes and to profyte therin to fynysshe the same iÌ„ ê‘fytenes for without that grace I can nothynge do and with the helpe of it I maye do all thynges necessary to me o thou heuenly grace without the which no man may be of any meryte or valour before God nor any naturall gyfte is profytable neyther craftes ne rychesse neyther beautye ne strength wytte or eloqueÌ„ce be any thynge worth before the good lorde and grace wante For gyftes of nature be gyuen Indyfferentlye to good folke euyll But the gyfte of electe and good persones is grace and loue of charite wherby they be noble and made worthye euerlastynge lyfe that Grace is of such worthynes that without it neyther the gyfte of prophesy ne the workynge of myracles and sygnes nor hye speculacion or cuÌ„nynge auayleth any thyng Also neyther feyth ne hope nor other vertues be accepte of God without grace and charyte o thou blessyd grace that makest hym that is poore in Soule ryche in vertues and hym that is meke abundaunt of goodes spyrytuall come and dyscende in me replenysshe me soone with thy consalacyon that my soule fayle nat for werynes and drynes of mynde I beseche the good lorde that I may fynde grace and mercy iÌ„ thy syght for thy grace is Inough to me if other thynges wante that nature asketh if I be vexed or troubled with many trybulacyons I shall drede none euyll whyle thy grace is with me that grace is my strength for it gyueth couceyll and helpe to hym that hath it It hath power vpon all iugementes wysedome vpon all wyse men It is the maistres of trouth and the techar of dyscyplyne the lyght of the soule the confort of pressures the chaser away of heuynes the auoyder of drede the norys of deuocyon the brynger forthe of terys what am I wtout grace but as a drye tree without moysture and an vnprofytable stocke to spyrytuall beleuynge wherefore I pray the good lorde that thy grace may euer pÌ„uent me and make me busyly gyuen to good workes by the helpe of Cryste Iesu ¶ The .lxi. chapiter we ought to forsake our selfe folowe Cryste with our crosse SOne as farre as thou mayste forsake loue thy selfe so moche more thou shalt passe into me for lyke as the inwarde peace of mannes soule is to desyre nothynge without forth so a man forsakynge hym selfe inwadly conioyneth hym to God I wyll that thou lerne to forsake or deny thy selfe perfytely in my wyll with all contradyccyon or complaynt folowe thou me for I am the way I am trouth and lyfe without way no man may go and wtout trouthe there is no knowlege And without lyfe no maÌ„ may lyue I am the waye that thou oughtest to folowe trouth to whom thou oughtest to gyue credeÌ„s and am lyfe that thou oughtest to hope in to haue I am the way vnmeuable moost right I am trouthe infallyble moost hye am lyfe withoute ende increat in the which stondeth the very lyfe blysse of spyrytes blessyd soules If thou abyde in my way thou shalt knowe the very trouth and trouthe shall delyuer the and thou shalt fynally come to euerlastyng lyfe If thou wylte come to that lyfe as it is wryten thou must obserue my commaundementes If thou haue knowlege of trouth trust to me and to my wordes If thou wylt be my dyscyple denye and forsake thy selfe and folow me if thou wylt be perfyte sell all that thou hast and gyue it to the poore folke if thou wylt possesse euerlastynge lyfe despyse this present lyfe If thou wylt be auauÌ„ced in heueÌ„ huÌ„ble the here in this worlde If thou wylt reygne with me in heueÌ„ bere thy crosse here with me in erthe For onely the seruauÌ„tes of the crosse fyndeth verely yâ— way of lyght eternall blysse lorde Ihesu for asmoch as thy way is the way of straytnes of hardenes the whiche is odious to worldly folke therfore I beseke the to gyue me with the contempte of the worlde that I may hate it verely as thou dyd It is nat acordyng that a seruaunt be preferred afore his lorde ne a discyple aboue his mayster Thy seruaunt therefore oughte to be exercysed in thy wayes for therin is helth very holynes what euer I rede or here besyde it I am nat refresshed ne I take nat full delectacy on therby sone for that thou haste red knowest these thynges happy art thou and thou shalt be blessyd if thou fulfyll them it is wryten he that hath my coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes in mynde and executeth theym in his conuersacion he is he that loueth me and I shall loue hym I shall shewe open my selfe to hym and I shall do hym to syt with me in the kyngedome of my father good lorde as thou hast sayd and promysed so be it done to me I haue take the crosse of thy haÌ„de I shal bere it by thy helpe grace as thou layde it vpon me whyles I lyue for trulye the lyfe of a good man is the crosse of penaunce the whiche is the verye wey to paradyse the whiche wey I with other haue begonÌ„e it is nat lefull to go backe to leue it haue do bretherne go we together the wey begon Iesus be with vs For his loue we take vpon vs this crosse of hardenesse and therfore let vs abyde therin for his
honourynge prechynge dayly his holy name If so greate deuocoÌ„n remembrauÌ„ce was done with dyuyne seruice and praysynges before tharke of his testament howe great reuerence and deuocion ought we thanne to haue in the presence of the sacrament and en the sumpcoÌ„n of the ryght excellent body of â–ª our lorde Iesucrist Also all cristen people vse for to renne to dyuers places for to vysyte the relyques of sayntes and merueyleth to here the merueylous dedes and werkes of theym They beholde the great edyfyces or byldynges of temples and kesses the sacrefyed bones ofsayntes wrapped â— clothes ofsylke and golde and thou my lorde god saynt of all sayntes creature of all thynges lorde of all auÌ„gels thou arte here present on thys aulter before me Often tymes the curyosyte of men and noueltyes of thynges nat sene be of lytell â–ª frute and lesse to be setby pryncypally where there ys so light recours and great wauerynge wythoute ony contricyon â–ª but my god thou arte all present in thys blessed sacrament of the aulter very god and man iesus cryste in the whiche the frute eternall of helthe aboundethe and is perceyued all the tymes that thou art worthely receyued And to thys here draweth nat any lyghtnes of sensuall cuâ—yosyte but ferme feith deuoute hope and pure charyte O god inuysyble creatour of all the worlde Howe merueylously doeste thou wyth vs howe feythfull doest thou with theym that purposeth to receyue thy selfe in thys blessed sacrament ¶ Certeynly it suâ— mounteth all vnderstandynge draweth specyally the hertes of deuoute people to dyuocion and enbraceth their affeccion For thy true and feythfull freÌ„des that disposeth al their lyfe to amende theym receyueth often great grace of deuocyon and vertue of that moost worthyest sacrament O maruelous hidde grace whych the feythfull crysten people of our lorde only knoweth But the infideles and subgettes vnto synne may therof haue no experyence In that sacrament yâ— spirytuall graces be confermed and the vertue that was lost in the soule ys repayred and beautye by synne wasted is recouered Somtyme thys grace that often wyth the pleny tude of deuocyon gyuen nat only vnto the thought but also vnto the feble body the myght and strengthe is augmented wherfore it behoueth vs to haue sorowe and pyte of our slouthe and neâ—lygence that we be nat drawen with so great desyre and affeccyon to receyue our lorde iesu crist in whome is all hope and the meryte of theym that ought to be sauede For he is our helthe and redempcyoÌ„ and the consolacion of vyatours and the eternall fruycyon of sayntes ¶ Also we ought to haue sorowe of that so many vnderstandeth sauereth reuerenceth so lytell this holy sacrament which Ioyeth the heuen and kepethe all the worlde Alas thys blyndnes and hardnes of mennes hertes that wyll nat consydre so synguleâ— and inestymable a gyft as is giuen vnto vs but falleth inaduertence by dayly vsage For if the sacryfyce of thys holy sacrament were done only but in one place but of one preest in all the worlde wyth howe great desyre weneye the people wolde go to that plase and to that prrest to here the godly mysteryes done of hym But no we be made many preestys and in many places this holy sacrament â–ª ys ofofred to th ende that the grace and loue of god to man may the more appere and for so moche as thys holy communion ys sprede thorough oute the worlde Thankynges be vnto the good pastour eternall that hast vouchedsaue to refressh fede vs pore banysshed creatures wyth thy ryght precious body blode and also by thy wordes of thy ê“pre mouthe hast desyred vs to receyue thys holy mysterye sayinge com ye all vnto me that be charged and I shall refressh you ¶ Howe the great charyte bounte of god is shewede vnto man in the holy sacrament CapÌ„ .ii. OMy god I come vnto the puttynge my confidence in thy mercy and bountye I syke and. come vnto my sauyour I hungry and thursty vnto the fountayne of lyfe pore and nedy vnto the kynge of heuen the seruaunt vnto hys lorde the creature vnto his maker a persone desolate vnto hys pyteous comforter But wherof is thys that thou thus comest vnto me who am I that thou wylte gyue thus thyne owne selfe to Howe dare I a synner beholde to appere before the. And howe may it please the to come vnto suche a wretche Thou knowest thy seruaunt and well vnderstandeste that no thynge good ys in hym wherfore thou shuldeste do thys grace vnto me ¶ Than I confesse myne vnworthynesse and knowlege thy bountye and prayseth thy pyte and gyue vnto the thankes for thyne so moche great charyte Thou doest thys for thy â–ª selfe good lorde and nat for my me ryte to the ende that thy bountye may the more be knowen vnto me Thy charyte is more largely verifyed thy mekenesse commended more perfetely sythen that it thus pleaseth the and so thou hast commaunded it to be done this thy pleasure contenteth me and wyth my wyll my wyckednes shall nat resyste the. ¶ O swete and benyâ—â—e Ihesu howe great reuerence and gynynge thankes with perpetuall praysynges be due vnto the my goode Lorde Iesu Crist that by thy pleasure and wyll I may receyue thy blessed body whose worthynes no man is founde able to declare or expÌ„sse But what shall I thynke of this communion whane I shall come vnto the my lorde god whiche I can not duly honoure and yet I desyre deuoutly to receyue the. what maye I thynke better and more profytable for me thane to meke my selfe holy before the and to prayse thyne infynyte bounte aboue all thynge I prayse the me lorde god euerlastingly and dysprayse my selfe and submytte me vnto the depnesse of my wretchydnes ¶ O my god thou arte saynt of all sayntes and I the fylthe of all synners yet thou inclynest thy selfe vnto me that am nat worthy to beholde the. ¶ Alas my swete creature that so mekely comest vnto me and wylleth to be wyth me and desyrest me vnto thy dyner and gyueth vnto me the mete of heuen and the brede of aungels which is brede of lyfe and no lesse thynge than thyselfe whych is descended from heuen and gyue lyfe vnto yâ— worlde Lete vs se here what great loue procedeth frome the and what gentylnes doth shyne â–ª vpon vs. ¶ Howe great yeldynges of thankes and louynges be due vnto the of vs synners O howe profytable and howe helthe full was thy councell whanne thou instytute and ordeyned thys gracious gyfte ¶ O howe swete and Ioyous ys that feste wherin thou haste gynen vnto vs the fedynge of thy pÌ„cyons body ¶ O good lorde howe merueylous be thy operacyons and howe myghty is thy vertue and thy trouthe vnable be tolde Thou hast sayde and all thynges were don and all that thou haste commaunded hathe taken effecte A merueylous thynge to be beleued and ferre aboue yâ— understandynge of maÌ„
loue pryuate Ioye They do away and put to as they fauoure nat after the pleasure of the hye truthe of our Lorde cryste iesu In many folke is IgnorauÌ„ce but moost in theym that haue but lytell vnderstandynge and therfore they but seldome loue any persone perfytly or ghostly many men be drawen by naturell affeccion loue nowe to this saynt or man nowe to that some to this some to that and as they behaue them in these erthely thynges here so they Imagen to be of heuenly thynges But great dyffereÌ„ce is betwyxt the thynges that Imperfyte folke do Imagyn or coÌ„syder and these thyngê that deuout and illumynyd persones seeth by heueÌ„ly illustracyon therfore sone be ware to treate vpon suche thynges curiously that excedeth thy knowlege but labour thou rather and indeuour thy selfe that thou may be sorted with the leest or lowest that is in heuen thorowe the merytes of good lyfe what auayleth it a maÌ„ to knowe which Saynt is more worthye in heuen than other but if he wolde humble hym selfe the more or wolde gyue more laude and praysynge vnto God therefore He pleasyth god more that thynketh busyly with repentaunce of the greatnesse and grefe of his synnes of the want of vertue that he hath wherby he dyffereth from the holynesse of sayntes than he that dysputeth of theyr degre in heuen more or lesse Better it is a man with deuoute prayers and wepynges to praye to sayntes and with humylyte of soule to adquyre and purchas theyr helpe than to enquyre by vayne inquysycyon theyr secretes They be well coÌ„tent euery chone with hys ioy If men here lyuynge were content and wolde refrayne theyr vayne spekynge and conteucyon a boute theym They haue no glorye or exaltacyon in theyr owne merytes for they assygne no maner of goodnesse vnto theyr owne selfe but to God all onely the whiche hath gyuen theym all thynges of his infynyte grace and charyte they be replenysshed with so great loue of God and with so abundaunt and folowynge Ioye there vpon that no glorye norfelycyte maye decreace or fayle them All the Sayntes in heuen the hyer they be in glorye the more humble and lowe they be in theyr owne syght and more nere and dere to me in loue It is wryten in the apocalyps that the Sayntys in heueÌ„ of humblenes dyd submytte theyr crownes before God and they fell on theyr faces before the humble lambe Cryste Ihesu adhowrynge and worshyppynge hym as theyr lorde God euermore lyuynge withouten ende Many folke enquyre busylye whiche Saynt is more preferred in the kyngedome of almyghtye God that knowe nat yf theyr selfe shall be worthye to be accompted with the leest Saynt in that kyngedome It is not a lytell but a great thynge and grace to be in the leest sorte in heuen where all that be there are greatlye magnyfyed of God For all that be there be called and are the chyldren of god almyghtye whan the apostellys of God questyoned amonge theym whiche of theym shulde be more preferryd in the kyngedome of Heuen They herde agayne the answere of our Lorde But if ye be conuertyd and made meke pure and withoute malyce as chyldren be ye shall nat enter the kyngedome of euerlastynge lyfe and he that huÌ„ bleth hym as this chylde he is more worthy iÌ„ yâ— kyngedome of heueÌ„ wo be to them that dysdayne to huÌ„ble themselfe with chyldreÌ„ for they for theyr presuÌ„pcioÌ„ pryde shall nat be suffred to enter the humble yate of heueÌ„ the which admyttyth none but humble and meke folke wo also be to ryche folke the which be ouercomen by Inordynate loue of theyr ryches For suche ryche folke haue here theyr consolacyons and Ioye And therfore at the last poore folke that be here humble of herte and content with theyr poore degre shall enter into the glorye of God for suche penury and hardenes wronges and other ylles as they haue suffred here lyuynge in this vale of myserye where ryche folke lyuynge here in welthe and pleasoure shal be shyt out with great sorowe and lamencion for that they haue loste so Inestymable a Ioy for a short worldly delectacyon that they had here lyuynge ioy therefore ye humble folke and also poore for ye shall enheryte the euerlastynge ioy and kyng dome of God if ye lyue well here in this mortall lyfe with perseueraunce ¶ The .lxiiii. chapiter All hope and truste that maÌ„ hath is to be fyxed in God all onely LOrde god what is my truste yâ— I haue iÌ„ this lyfe and what is my moost solace coÌ„forte of all thynges vysyble yâ— I se vnder heueÌ„ Is it nat thou whose mercy is iÌ„numerable yes sothely whaÌ„ hath it be well with me at any tyme without the or whan myght any yll happe or come to me thou beynge present Sothely neuer I had leuer be poore with the than to be ryche without thy presens I had leuer be a pylgryme here in erth with thy presens thaÌ„ to possesse heuen without the For where thou arte there is heueÌ„ and where thou arte nat there is dethe and also hell Thou arte all my desyre and therfore I haue nede to lament to pray and crye contynually after the I may trust fully in none but in the for there may be no helpe in cases of nede but in the only my lorde god thou arte my hope my trust my moost faythfull conforte and helpe in all thyngâ— all other persones seke theyr owne profyte and auayle but thou alonly pÌ„tendest and sekest my profyte and helthe eternall also thou turnest all thynges to my well ye whan thou sendest me troubles afflyccioÌ„s and temptacyoÌ„s all such thou good lorde ordeynest for my wele and profyte that by a thousande wayes arte wont to proue thy chosen and beloued seruauntes in which probacioÌ„s thou art nat lesse to be pray sed than if thou had replenysshed vs with heueÌ„ly coÌ„solacions In the good lorde I put all my hope so cour I sette all my trybulacyons and anguysshe in the for all that I beholde se without the I haue ê“ued it infyrme and vnstable The multytude of carnall frendys auayleth nat nor stronge helpers shall nat may helpe ne wyse couÌ„ceylers may gyue any ê“fytable answer or counceyll ne the bokes of doctoures may confort ne any pÌ„cyous substauÌ„ce may delyuer fro thy hande ne any secrete place may defende man but if thou lorde god wyll assyst helpe coÌ„forte couÌ„ceyl instructe kepe hym all thynges that â—eme for to be ordeyned to mannes pease and felycyte If thou be absent they be nat worthye ne they haue or gyue any true felycyte to any crature thou my lorde god therfore arte the ende of all goodnes the hye lyfe of all the profouÌ„de spekyng of all eloqueÌ„ce the moost stronge hope solace of thy seruauÌ„tes Myniyen intendynge into the I truste fullye in the my lorde god father of mercyes Blesse and saÌ„ctyfy my soule with heuenlye blessynge that it may be made