very venome of the loue of god Thou must therfore sley thys inordinate loue and loue god only renouncing al creatures that thou maist be drawen vp wyth hys loue and mayst be swallowed vp all together in hym THe fyfte is the mortyficacyon of all affecciō in Idle thoughts which are wont to come in the mynd to trouble vs diuerse and sundry wayes by insurges greate flowynges as it were a great mayne sea causeth the feruour of goddes loue vertue to decaye in vs though they abide not in the affectiō thei must yet be mortified al other noughty cogitacions whiche we do suffer somtime by neglygence to enter into vs with sensuall pleasur These though they come not to deadly consente yet do they defile the soule they make heuy the holy goost and do great dammage vnto the soule Bothe these noughtye thoughtes and cogytacions and also the other ydle thoughtes and cogytacyons aryseth commeth of our owne negligēce vnmortificaciō bycause we do not labour indeuour ourselfe to compel with violēce our hart to holy thoughtes but do suffer it to wander vpō superfluous and euyl thynges not to spend frutefully our tyme. And therfore when we returne our selfe inwardlye we fynd our harte burdened and comberid with innumerable distraccions whyche dothe hynder and distroye our gostly profet Not these only therfore thou shalte cut of from thy harte but also thou must vtterly put awaye some lefull thoughtes whether they be of lawful charge temporal of scruples of consience or of secreate or curius search of thynges and thou must busely prynte into thy hearte the Image and memorye of thy lorde Iesu crucifyed for the and of hys moost profund humlytie pouertie mildnes of al his holy vertues in thy outward mā also printe in thy hart the image memory of his infynite charitie wherby he created the al thynges and redemed the so preciously in thy inner manne that thy thoughtes maye turne into affection and thy knowlege into loue For the loue of god doth worke the mortyfycacion of nature the lyfe of the spyrite the worke and operacion gostly of the hier powers of the soule the influence or flowyng into god and the solytarynes and departure from al creatures Thou shalt also turne thy affectyon whol desyre to come to perfect solitary very lonnes departure frō al creatures not only ī body but moch more in thy hart affections that thou maist attayne the pure syngle rest quietnes of harte This rest dothe norysh very greatly the louely influence and tendyng in to god for solytarines silence and the strayt keping of thy hart are as fundamentes and groundes of gostly lyfe THe syxte is the mortifycacyon of all care thought which is not of iust necessytie profyt or obedyence and also of al passyons vnmesurable myrth heauines hope fear loue hate anger as shamfastnes these muste be mortifed that nothing maye rest in thy hart but god or for god Wherefore thou must mortyfie all suche carefulnes vnnecessarie al such passions natural And al thy outward workes and occupacyons that necessytie do requyre iustly of the thou must do them wythout much trouble or carefulnes of thy mynd hauing thy whole hart affeccion eleuatid and resygned in to the handes and wyll of god For trewly by suche occupacyon thoughe it be laufull that distracteth thy hart derkenneth thy wyt and vnderstandynge thy affeccyon waxeth cold to god warde al goostly exercise wil be vnsauerie to the and thou shalte scante be able wyth great labor to recollect thy nether powers of thi soule in the time of praier Wherfore yf thou wylt easely ouercome al temtacyons labor busyly to beare alway thy mind and desire inwardly lyftyd vp and eleuatid vnto god folowynge alwaye more the inwardly exercyse of loue then the outward workes of vertue Vnto the whych poynt there can no man come except hee fyrst be rydd and delyuered from all thynge vnder god and be so rapt in god that he canne contēpne and dispice him self in al thinges for the pure loue of god For pure loue of god makyth the spyryt pure symple and so free that without any payne or labour it can at al tymes turne and recolect it self in to god THe seuenth is the mortyfycacyon of al bitternes of hart toward our euen Chrystē whych arisith originally of dyuerse causes Fyrst of presūpcyon of our owne merytes where by we be redy and prone to iuge rashely other and to dispyse them we beyng ful of vnryghtwysenes oure selfes For thys vnryghteousenes genderyth in vs indignacyon and not compassyon Secondly it arysyth of immortifycacyō bycause we haue not mortified those thynges and the desyres of them wych inflamith vs to murmur against our prelates and superiors and other that wyll not agre vnto our naughtynes or vycyousenes but resist them Thirdly is aryseth of rancore and enuy or hate for some offences passed for the whych we desyre to preuente and to take amysse the dedes of them whom we hate and fynde in them somewhat that we myght rekuke Fourthly it ariseth of enuy against for the vertues of other which we lacke and haue not and therfore we seke al meanes to extinct to hyde them that wee might be preferred or takē as wel as they or leaste they shoulde be more sete by or as muche as we Fyftly it aryseth of a nawghty and exasperate and froward conscience by the whiche lyke a cockatryse we desyre and wolde fayne hurte other and to bring them vnto sinne wyth vs for we enuy the grace of the holy gost and of malyce wherwyth we are full oure selfe we take vnto the worst al thynges so sinne we against the holy goost These and other bytternes and melancoly of harte thou must distroy and consume in swetnes of the loue of god that thou mayst loue thy very enimeis and persecutours wyth as ful affection of thy harte as though they were thy moost dere frendes as in very dede they be for they do bryng promote the vnto greate merytes ¶ The eyght is the mortifycacion of al afection vnto vayne glorye and lykynge of thy selfe honoure to all pride of thy selfe in thy wordes and dedes of thy graces and gyftes To this thou shalte come by clere and perfecte consyderacion and knowlege of thy owne vylenes and by perfect desire of the contempte of thy selfe that thou myghtest please honour and worship god onely Wherfore thou shalt ascribe vnto goddes only grace wyth chyldlyke faythfulnes fydelyte al the goodnes gyftes and graces of thy selfe and of all other reputynge thy selfe mooste vnworthy of any of them and more vyle and wretched then al mē liuing fyrst by reasō of the great greuousenes the fylthynes or enormitie and the innumerable multytude of thy sinne great vnkyndnes to god Secondly by reasō of Infinite sinnes whiche thou shouldest haue fall in yf the only mercy of god had not preserued the.
Thirdly by reason that ther is no synner in this worlde but yf he had receaued so many gyftes and graces of god as thou hast done and had had so many occasyons to haue done wel as thou hast had he wold haue seruyd god more faithfully then thou doyst And thus shalt thou on the one party be thankeful vnto god and on the other syde thou shalt humble thy selfe very greatly These well wayed thou shalt desyre with all thy harte to be contempned mocked ouer trodden of al men and that for the very loue of god and this is a very compendyous and a ryght waye to come to greate meryte ¶ The nynth is the mortificacion of all affection in inwarde and sensible gostly delyght in grace deuocion loue and sensible swetnes in the nether myghtes and powers of the soule The whiche swetnes delyght and deuocion sensyble be not very sanctymonye or very charitie in dede but they be certayne gyftes of god whiche are geuen to vs not that we shoulde rest or contente our selues with them only but for an helpe of oure infyrmytie that we myght moore earnestly mortyfie our selues Wherfore if thou wylte knowe how much trew loue thou hast loke howe moch thou art mortifyed in these .xii. poyntes for so moch very loue and sanctymonye thou haste and no more yea al that thou canste aske of God what euer it be yf thou do not referre and ordeyne them to the mortification of thy selfe all are myxte wyth nature whiche sekyth her selfe al moost in all thynge yea in god and in godly thynges so subtylly that beyng stayed in one syde she crepyth in on the other eare we can wel deprehende her Therfore ther are very fewe that come to the very knowlege of them selfe or do perfectly mayster them selfe in al thynges Moreouer thou shalt mortyfie in thy selfe all curyous inuestygacion or serche all curyous speculacion knowlege and vnderstādyng vnnecessary of things or sciences as wel diuine as humane in that which many do wast miserably their time labor euer lernyng as the appostle saith and neuer attaynyng or comyng to the knowlege of the trewth For as muche as the perfecte lyfe of a christiane mā is not groūded in highe knowlege but in profunde mekenes in holy symplycitie and in the ardente loue of god wherein we ought to desyre to dye to al affection to dye to oure selues to sustayne payne and derelyctyon that we myght bee perfectly knyte and vnyted vnto god to be swallowed vp all together in hym ¶ The tenthe is mortification of all scrupulousnes of conscience by ful confydence and trust in the goodnes of god This scrupulousnes vexeth troubleth very many by reason of the inordinate loue that they haue to them selfes by the which loue they feare more the vengeance of god hell and hys ryghtwysenes thē they loue hys goodnes his honoure and prayse And therfore of a seruyle feare they do all there good workes and do auoyde and eschewe all syn and euyll that they shonne And therfore they do not amend faythfully their fautes whose pryckinges and remorse troubleth them nether can they haue ful confydence in god For bycause that their loue to godward is but slender and smal it gendereth in them but slender and smal confidence trust in hym where contrary wyse if they had a greate and an ardente loue it wolde gender in them a greate confydence and a ful trust in god O blessed hope and trust in god so longe as a man do not wexe the colder in godlines but is sturyd more earnestly to mortyfication to the more pacyence in all aduersytie and to the more thankfulnes blessed I saye is that hope and trust in God THe eleuenth is mortification of all inpaciēcie of hart for any outward aduersitie infamy derision rebuke or cōtumely losse of goodes sycknes paine in bodye persecution and desolacion and derelyction of the mynde the whiche may chance and fortune vnto a man by goddes permyssion wyth the whiche he is wont to trye hys dere frendes and that of moost excellente charytie to the euerlasting helth of them in the whiche our lorde Iesu hym selfe was many wayes tryed and for oure example and loue wyth moost mylde and meke harte sufferyd contumely shame sore strokes scorgīges spettyng thornes whippynges confucion wyth the intollerable tormentes of his crosse and passion and he not withstāding prayed for his ennemies Nether coulde they laye vppon him so many and so paynefull tormentes but he euer desyred to suffer many mo and moch greatter for the honoure of god his father the saluacion of oure sowles Therefore shouldest thou also suffer the lyke pacyently yf god suffer them to come vppon the. Fyrst that thou pretende neyther in harte worde nether dede any rancor nether vengaunce Secondly that thou beare no bytternes or heuynes in thy harte which bytternes ryseth of the in ordynate loue to thy selfe but thinkinge thy selfe worthy to suffer moch worse and more greuous euilles suffer thou al thinges mekely and offer thy selfe redie to suffer all aduersytie that may chaunce vpon the for euer here after And thirdly thou shalte suffer all thynges by affection of perfect paciente wherby thou maist be conformed made like to the blessed life of thy dere lord Iesu that is thou shalt not only suffer what commyth but thou shalt long in maner and loke wyth greate desyre and receaue with greate gladnes and Ioy all aduersitie and be euer redie to suffer more greuous greater Here of shalte thou optayne greate aboundaunce plentye of the loue of god that shall so penetrat and purifie al the powers of thy soule that thou shalte not in maner feale any paine but shalte loue thy persecutors with as harty loue as though they were thy neare and specyall frendes and louers ¶ The twelffe is the mortificacyon of al thyne owne wyl with ful perfect resignacion of thy selfe to suffer al derelicciō inward outward paine pressure or harts griefe and desolacyon for the pure loue of god And bycause that a mā hath nothyng that he settyth more by then by his owne free wil of whose abuse al vyce syn springeth therefore if thou resignest perfectlye thine owne wyl vnto god inmedyatly this fundacyon once ouerthrowen al vyce and syn spryngyng here of comyth to nowght Wherefore it is very profytable to such as are imperfect to make obedyence to some discrete person and to geue them selfes vp to the wyll of another To suche as be perfect it is necessary to haue a wyl to submyt thē selfes to other when so euer it pleaseth god It is expedyent for euery mā to marke wel and to execute in them selfes the wyll and pleasure of almyghty god Thou shalt marke thre kyndes of obedyence and thou shalt labour to come to the highest which is the obedience of vnion The fyrst is of vow This ought to be outwardly in al commādementes preceptes of thy prelate with al
together in all the whoole world can thinke or speake it is lesse in comparison of hys hyghe worthines and perfeccion then one lytle droppe of water in comparyson of the whoole mayne sea And yet marke well he so myghty so great so hyghe and so wonderfull a lorde god hath creatyd thy soule moost nobly vnto hys owne lykenes and made it able and mete to be pertaker and to receaue his hygh maiestie and goodnes by loue of hym For he hathe knytte vnto thy soule three excellent myghtes or powers that not only in the lyfe to come in heauen but also in this present life and world thou myghtest know hym by thy vnderstanding in fayth and goostly contemplacyon And by thy wyll thou myghteste choose and loue hym And by thy memorie thou mightest reste in him and be knyt vnto him thou myghtest remayne and dwell euer in hym And playnely yf thou weere not blyndyd by the deuell the world and the fleshe and the loue of thes thou woldest be so rauished in the pleasure and loue of hym that for Ioye and wonder thou shuldest not be able to stand but faynt and synke The Ioyes and sorows of this world thou shludest not marke nor take any heede to them nor passe for them any thyng at all For thou woldest not suffer thy selfe in any wyse to be seperatyd not one momente from the consyderacyon and loue of that hyghe and infinite goodnes ¶ Secondlye consyder and beholde with greate Ioye gladnesse and thankefulnesse how so hyghe excellent wonderfull a lord of his euerlastynge loue and charytie offreth hym self euery where in euery place specyally in thy soule very presently vnto the. Yea more nearer the then thou arte to thyne owne self to vpholde thy lyfe and being to conserue to gouerne the and to saue the and to bring the to eternal blisse Wherfore thou haste more neade to be ware and charie of thy honestie of verteous couersacyon yf thou wylt not dissemble for as muche as thou dost all thynges yea al that thou thynkest and spekest is openly done spoken and thought in his very presence whiche seeth all thynges Take heede therfore and consyder thy moste deare louyng lord god thy creator thy very hartes loue alway before the present and walke in thy conuersacion lyke a chaiste spouse with reuerent feare louely shamefastnes mekenes obedyence and pacyence before the eies of so highe a maiestie of god preparing thy selfe alway without ceassyng to please him syghyng and desyryng in the botome of thy hart to haue hys loue in thy hart and moost louyngly to enbrase hym ¶ Oh what abūdance of grace wold grow in thee yf thou coldest thus do At the leaste do as thou maist vntyll more grace come ¶ Thyrdely consyder that the same so myghty and omnipotent lord of his vnmesurable charytie and of moost constant and free loue turneth hym selfe and hath speciall regarde to the so specyally and syngularly that it passeth the vnderstanding desire of the aungels So great is his dignacion and goodnes toward the an vncleane and vyle worme that he intendyth and taketh soo great hede and care for the as though ther were no mo creatures left hym neyther in heauen nor in earth but thou alone He also hath deliuered the and defendid the from many periles and dangers both of body and of soule and dothe styll euery moment kepe the. He also vnaskyd doth geue thee allure the and intyse the wyth so many benyfytes gyftes and graces thoughe thou be very vnkynd and most vnworthy vnto hym agayne that thou canst not number the least part of them And of the same hys charitie he geuyth the most free lybertie to come to hym euery momente so that with onely a good thoughte and a louely desire thou maist obtaine and possesse infinite and euerlastynge goodnes whiche he his hym selfe In so muche that thou mayst safely surely and most profitably open vnto hym as vnto thy moost faithful louing and trustye frynde all thy necessyties Wherefore for a special laude and praise vnto so louing and so good a lord god among the infynite number of these thinges that myght be spoken or written to hys honor it shal help the greatly to come to hys loue contynually to remember and to haue meditacyon of his infynite and perpetuall goodnes wysedome mercy swetnes lowelynes and charitie That by this as by smal coles of fyre thy hart may be kindled to rēder some loue for loue agayne And that thou mayest be transformed and made lyke hym in lyke vertues and graces Oh wolde God thou couldest and woldest exercise thy selfe contynually in these thre how wold it delyght the to aryse earely and to watche wyth thy lorde god How sone sholdest thou be delyuered from thy vices and passions from al betternes and from all temptacions beynge in maner dronken in the loue of thy sauyour Yea thou shuldest be turned into a newe man and be transformed in maner into almyghty god For there is no exercise more holyer and more fruteful thē this whiche perced the harte of holye saint Augustine and other fryndes of god with the darte of loue when they wyth their inner eyes lyghtened of god did depely consyder the wonderfull tokens of the loue of God towardes them specially in this incarnacion lyfe and passion wyth other innumerable benefites of so greate and myghtye a lorde god geuen vnto them specyally whē they consydered earnestly the wonderfull charyte of god wherby he hath geuen him selfe vnto vs by his birth as a felow in our nature in the sacrament as our foode In hys death as the pryce of our redempcion and reigninge in heauē as our euerlasting rewarde whiche he graunt vs of hys mercy and charitie Amen ¶ Of the consyderacyon of thy selfe AFter this done then turne thy thought vnto the profunde and depe consideracion of thy selfe earnestly behold how noblye thy soule was created of God and made by his power of nought to his ymage and likenes Then consyder also how miserable fylthy and abhomynable it was made by orygynall syne in Adam and howe mercyfully thou arte redemed throwe the vnspekable loue and moost harde and paynefull satysfaction of thy lord Iesu Yet after thy baptisme thou hast innumerable tyme defyled thy selfe agayne by thy actual synnes turnynge thy loue and obedience from the sēpiternall goodnes which is god hym selfe by thy frowarde cursed and noughty wyl and arte become now more filthye more vyle than is the vnresonable beast Consyder well and marke into how manye euyls thou arte fallen by thy owne sinnes from the whiche euylles thou arte neuer able to aryse by thy selfe but only by the helpe of almyghte god by whom thou arte able to do all thynge that thou can do For by the true turninge or conuersion of thy loue to god and to all vertue thou mayst come agayne vnto the vnion wyth god Attende consyder earnestly that thou arte created therfore of god bycause that thou
greatte vyolence and laboure thou shalt haue somewhat to do ther in as thoughe thou were playnly dead and all mortyfyed vnto the world Thou muste lerne to haue a contynualle eye inwardely vnto thy soule spiritual lyfe as thou hast vsed here tofore to haue all thy mynd and regard to owtward pleasure and worldly thynges Thou must submyt and giue thy self vnto the disciplyne of swete Iesu and become hys scoler choisinge hym vnto thy Lorde and maister resynyng compelling thy self al together to obey hym in all thynges so that thy wyllynge and nyllyng thou vtterly and parfectely do caste away frō the indeuoringe thy selfe most straightly to please to obey thy most deare god most louing master in all thynges Wherfore here after thou must do nothyng be it neuer so lytle without his lycens For at euery word that thou wilt speake at euery morsel that thou wilte eate at euery styrīg or mouyng of euery artycle or member of of thy body thou must aske leaue of him in thy harte that is to saye thou muste examyne in thy conscience euery word dede that thou shalt speake or doo whether it be to the honour of god or no to what ende thou wylt speake or do it yf thy consience sincerely not sekinge it selfe do answere that it is to the glorye of god then hast thou lycence to speke or to do or els not The necessarye thynges that must needes be done or spoken thoughe it be certayne that they please god yet shalt thou do euery one of them and offer them vp wyth a newe intencion vnto god in the vnion of the most holy workes and blessed merites of chryst for the soule helthe of al men And as thou arte doing or sayeng any thing outwardely haue alway one eye inwardly towarde thy selfe and thy conscience And take hede and remember well when it is tyme for that to cease and leue of and then inmediatlye leaue of thy talke or doing And to optaine this grace thou must accostome thy selfe from thy very harte feruently to pray and to intreate thy lorde god euerye howre in maner what euer thou doist with this maner of aspiracion or lyke ¶ Oh Most swete sauiour Christ for thyne owne selfe sake by al thy blessyd perfections and mercyes by thy holye and moost blessyd manhed and thy holye fiue senses whiche so perfectly obeyed reasō that they semed swalowed vp of thy soule which also were so sore pained and afflicted with most sorowful paynes in thy blessed passion for my saluacion as though thou hadest had no senses or fealyng at al I moost humbly besech the that thou vochesafe to swalowe vp in the merytes of thy blessed senses al the fealyng and sensacion that I euer had haue nowe or euer may haue and so knyt and sanctyfie in thy moost blessed and holy soule al my wittes and senses that I neuer vse them here after to any sensualytie Yf thou can not bere this prayer in thy mynd take the affecte and make desyre or peticiō in thy harte as wel as thou canste Thou must labour to come vnto this vnyon and knitting vp of thy senses in god thy lorde Iesu and ther into remayne so fast vnto the crosse that thou neuer starte from it walkyng reuerently wyth moost honest mature or comely maners behauoure of thy bodye and all thy senses and euery where in the presence of thy lorde god And thou must so obserue and kepe thy lord god that he parte not from the and thy fyue wyttes and senses wyth thy whole soule so vse thy selfe that thou mayst thynke that thou seist nothing thou hearest fealest smellest tastest touchest thou eatest nor drynkeste nothing but in all thinges thou seakest purely not thy selfe but only thy Lord God and dost vse the creatures in god and for god wyth feare and reuerence to thy bare nede Thou must also in al thy necessites perels commyte the care of thy selfe and of al thyne yea of al thinges with moost ful cōfidence and trust into the most trustie prouidence of thy louing lord whych wyl order al thinges swetely and delectably and wyl defēd the and fyght for the. Reken also al thynges besyde hym for righte nought and thus mayst thou come vnto wonderfull illuminacions and gostly influēce frō thy lorde god yf thou for hys loue canste crucyfie renounce and forsake perfectlye thy selfe and al thinge This exercyse is the grounde of al gostly life and therfore thou must vse it and practyse it very long vntyl thou canst lerne and acostome to master to forsake thy selfe in al thynges waite and kepe wel thy selfe and thy lorde god this blessed loue for as moch as ther is no greater labour then to obserue kepe wel contynually thy lorde god and hys acceptable wyl and pleasure Thou shalt alway labour to come to the depe and exact circūsicion formacyon and mortifycation of the inner powers of thy soule as thy vnderstāding wyl and memorie The which as thy sensies wer so are these greatly corrupted and infected by the fal of our fyrst parent But a great deale worse we haue corrupted them and alienatyd them from god by oure owne sinnes That these also maye be brought restored vnto their former state and perfeccion vnto the whiche our Lord Iesus by his death restored them and to the end and purpose that they were creatyd geuen vnto thy soule thou must nedes continually desyre and intreate thy lorde god and neuer cease knockyng and callyng with most firme trust confidence that he can wyl helpe the. And that he vochsafe for the moost blessed merytes of the moost holye myghtes and powers of his most gloryus crucified humanyty to purifie reforme to gouerne and to light the powers of thy soule with stable knowlege loue and continual mynde and memorye that thou maist flow and tende toward and into almyghty god in hym to know and to vse al other thynges That thou maist come to that gyfte thou must exercyse and quyken wyth diligente labour thy vnderstandinge to knowe and vnderstand hyghly and deapely what god almyghty is and what he hath And when thou after this maner doist once knowe that he is the most best most noblest and most holyest of al then shall thy wyl perseauing that indeuer and desire to loue him whom he perceauyth to be so excellent and moost best But thou must circumcise pul away and crucifye thy wil frō al thynges that thou maist loue and desire god alonly wyth thy bare and whole harte and loue all other thinges for hym and in hym Then must thou also confirme thy wyll in most stedefast stronge knotte and vnyon vnto the wyll of god That if he wolde create hel in the and put the therin thou must offer thy selfe to be redy for his eternall glorie and honor and for thy sinnes to suffer it by his grace Thou shalt also ryd and make redy apte
thy memorye to haue the fruiciō of thi lord god for euer without any impedyment or meane These meanes or impedimētes ar the fancies and the imagynacions of other thinges besyde god or for god Thou must kepe thy memorye cleane and pure as it wer an wedloke chamber from al strange thoughtes phantasies ymaginacions And it must be trymmed and adorned with holy meditacions and vertues of chrystes holy crucified lyfe and passion that god may continually and for euer rest there in how often whē and how long it shal please him Wherfore thou must vse it with often louely and continuall desyres and holy afeccions to god warde thy louyng and moste kynde lorde and sauiour that he only may cōtinually be shutt vp in the that is to saye Thou must haue continuallye God in thy mynde and memorye and that thy mynde and memorye may runne only vpon hym what euer thou dost or wher euer thou be Thou must vse this exercise sōwhat lōg as I sayde before and thou must crye praye moost hartely and continually for the specyall helpe of god and that by hsi mightes powers by the praiers blessyd merytes of the gloryus virgyn Mary his mother the blyssed saintes in heuen thou shalt aske it The wiche thing yf thou do not optaine at the fyrst but abydest longe for some are of a clammye nature and muche geuen to phantasies they be therfore the lōger in labour be not discoraged nor ouerthrowē with tediousnes Cease not only perseuer haue a stronge and a firme confidence and trust in our lorde whiche neuer leaueth those that putteth ther trust in him and he wyl geue it the. For he is infinitly good and gracyous whiche in the simplenes of harte is sone founde for he is wonne by loue and with louely and holy desires and affeccions he wyl be optayned and sone gotten For god is infinite loue it selfe vse therefore often these aspiracions al the time that thou laborest in this exercyse or such as these be that foloweth ¶ Oh swet sauyour lyghten the blyndnes of my soule that I may know the and thy most blessed wyl ¶ Oh mightiful lord Iesu take fro me my vnkind hart geue me for it ether thi swet harte or an hart lyke vnto thy louyng hart that euer may loue laude and prayse the. ¶ Mortify ī me good lord my wycked wil graūt me to haue no other wil thē thine ¶ Oh most louing lorde fyxe my mynde so stedfastly vpon the that I may mynd nothing but the or nothing so ofte as the. ¶ My deare and swet sauiour graunte me grace to come to the perfecte knowledge of the thoughe I be ingnoraunte in all other knowelege ¶ The practyse of the Exercyse for reformaciō of the soule in the wyt senses MOst merciful sauyor Iesu which art that petiful samarytan which by thy holy incarnacion descendidst in to thys world wher thou foundest al the nature of man being in the state of dampnacion robbid in Adā by the serpent that gostly thief which spoilid our nature of the blessed gyfte and garment of innocencye and oryginall iustice and wounded our naturales that is to say all the sensies and powers of oure soule and maymed our frewyl blyndyd and darkned our vnderstanding crasyd our memorye and set out of order and made rebel al our fyue wyttes and sensualytie And thou moost pityful Lord taking compassyon vpon thys miserable and mortal plyght of our sore woūded and maimed nature thou with the bond of thy moost louely passyon and charytable death dydst bynd vpp our woūdes powryng in to them the wyne of thy precyus blood and the oyle of thy most heauenlye grace mooste myghtyful and blessyd physicyon and heauenly surgyon of my pore and sycke soul take compassion on my sore and deepe and innumerable woūdes For mercyful sauyor al the sensies wyttes and powers of my soule and bodie be very sore and deadly woūdyd not only by the first fal of Adam in to oryginal syn but I also my self haue more greuusly woūdyd them by innumerable actual synnes by the longe and contynual mysuse of them dayly Wherefore I moost humbly beseche the moost merciful Iesu graūt me the syngular helpe of thy grace that I may bryng them to that purenes and blessyd order that they hadde before the fal of adam by dew and dayly refraynyg and brideling them from al misuse and vse them only for bare necessitie accordyng to thy most holy example and so soberly to lyue as though I were dead vtterly and had no senses That I may lerne now to turne inwardly al my thought and pleasure as I haue hetherto set my pleasure and delyght in owtwarde and sensuall vanytie ¶ Graūt me grace most blessyd master to geue my self whooly to lerne at the and to take the for my example and to my mooste gracyus Lord and master resynyng and yeldyng my self fully and whooly to obey the so that I may caste vtterly awaye my owne wyl and in my self al together most streyghtly to obey and please the only that here after I may do no thing be it neuer so lytle without as it were thy loue ¶ Graūt me grace most gracius Iesu that at euery word that I intende to speke at euery loke of myne eye at euery morsell that I shall eate at the mouyng of euery ioynt or member of my bodie that I shall styre I may inwardly in my hart aske leue of the the whych leue yf good conscience do wytnes that I haue optayned than I may do it or els not ¶ Graunt me swete Iesu that I may do and offer al and euery one of my necessarie workes and deedes all and euery one of my good workes and dedes with an actual and a new intent to the laude and praise of the my lorde god in the vnion of thy moste holy workes blessid merites to the soule helth of al men And whyle I am seking or doyng any thinge outwardly graunte me grace to remember my selfe inwardly whē I ought to leaue of suche talking or doing and so to cease ¶ Moost deare sauiour and moost gracius good lorde I most hartely and humbly beseeke the for thy mercy and merytes sake and by al thy holy perfeccyons and myseracions whych are in the yea whiche thou arte thy selfe and by thy moost blessid and holy humanitie and by thy most holy fiue sensies whiche so myghtely obeyed reason and were swalowed vp of thy sowle the whiche also were most paynefully and so cruelly afflicted for my saluaciō as though thou hadist had no sensies at al. Good lord vochsafe in the merites of thy most blessid sensies soo to swalowe vp to knyte and to sanctify all my sensies in thy moost holye soule as thoughe I hade no sensies at all whiche myght at any tyme geue place to sensualytie Merciful Iesu for thy payneful wondes of thy blessed handes kepe my feelyng from al vncleane and vnnecessary feelyng and touching
fyue sensies and in al thy most innocent body and blessyd soule graunte me grace vtterly to extynguyshe and to mortyfie in my selfe all sensualytie and sensual delectacyon as in meate and drynke in worde talke in gesture or behauoure in seynge curyouse thynges to haue gaye and pleasaunte thynges to here newes and in vsynge my fyue sensies vaynely euery where wythout reasonable necessytye graunte me moost gracyous Iesu grace to mortyfye perfectly in my selfe all suche naturall and vnnessesarye comforte and solace by moost perfecte turnynge of my harte from all thyng wherein sensualytie wolde reaste and to lyfte vp of my harty loue and desyre to the for suche sensualyte delectacion naturall comfort makyth goostly exercyse vnsauery and more harder ¶ Good lorde graunte me therfore grace wyth all my power to auoyde out of my harte all affeccyon to any solas or comfort or to any sinne be it neuer so lytle whiche synne I woulde not vtterly leaue that all sensuallytie maye be mortyfied in me and so shal al goostly affeccion the better incresed to thy honour and glory ¶ Gracyous Iesu whiche waste forsaken of all thy frendes worldly sauynge only of thy blessyd mother whiche also dydest not regarde the pleasure or dyspleasure of any person and fleddyst al worldlye worshyp and honour graūte me grace for thy pure loue and honor vtterly to mortyfie in me all loue and worldly affeccion to any persō in this worlde For oft tyme the loue and feare of creatures wordly causeth me oftin to be redy ether to do that I shoulde not do ether to omyt that whiche I ought to do desirynge ether to please them ether fearing their dyspleasure And for this cause I do many of my good workes I feare me to receaue some honor or comoditie of them ether to exchewe some damage or confusiō at their handes Wherefore moost blessyd sauiour mortyfie in me by thy grace all the carnal affeccyon loue vnto my kynsfolke and to my frendes for theire benefytes so that wythout all accepcyon of person and pryuate loue I may syncearly loue in all men ye in myne ennimyes only the my lord god and thy blessyd Image graces vertews that I neuer flatter loue nor dessemble wyth any mans vyces but that I may indifferently and moost hartely wyshe and desyre the soule helthe of euery man Mortyfye in me good lorde al suche fauoure in ordynate whyche myght ingender in me any dysquietnes dystraccyon or desyre of person to haue hys fauoure fryndeshype or presence and thus paynte my harte and mynd wyth many fansies in the tyme of praier And when I shuld turne my hart vnto the it infectyth it and defyleth it as it were a very poyson of the loue of god ¶ Grant me good lord to loue the only and for thy sake to renūce and for sake the loue of al creatures that the ymage and memorye of the only maye remayne onlye in my mynde at al tyme and season ¶ O most blessed Iesu whose blessed soule was euer occupied and ful of heauenly cōtemplacion I moost humbly beseke the in the merytes of that precyous woūd of thy godly and most louinge harte graunte me grace by thy mightiful helpe most perfectly to mortifie in me the intolerable combreaunce of vayne and vnprofytable yea and vycious phancies whiche wonderfully do occupie my mynde moost commenly in the tyme of prayer though I do not consente vnto them yet they do defyle some what the soule and harte and makyth heuy the holy goost and do muche hurte and damage vnto the profyte in spirituall lyfe I knowelege most merciful lorde that all these cogitacions do aryse and growe by reson of my neglygens and vnmortifycacion bycause I do not dylygently laboure and wyth vyolence compel my harte to be occupied in good thoughtes but suffer it to wander both vicyusly and ydelly wasting my tyme and therfore when I wold turne in my hart and recolect my spyryte whooly vnto goostly thoughtes I fynd my harte laden wyth innumerable dystraccyons whiche greatly do hynder my profyt and encreace in perfeccyon Wherefore most louynge Lorde graunte me grace so deapely and perfectly to prynte in my hart and memorie thy blessid image the louely remembrance of thy moost bytter and blessyd passyon and death of thy moost ardent vnmesurable charyte of thy most low and profund humylyte of thy moost blessyd pouertie thy myldnes thy obedyens wyth all thy holy vertues with the memorie of al thy moost mercyfull benefites giftes graces geuen vnto me and all mankynd that the earnest oft memory of thes may occupie my hart alway and put out of place al the remembrance of other transytory thynges good or bad And the oft cogytacyon and memory of the may turne into a pure affeccion And the knowlege of the may also be turned into moost perfect loue And wyth my outewarde sylence I may haue holde also moost perfect sylence from the Iangelyng of al vayne fansies in my hart that thou only mayst rest ther in ¶ Most mercyful redemer Iesu whych sufferedst moost cruell kynd of passyon and death graunt me in the merytes of all thy paynes and passyons grace most perfectly to mortyfie in me al care natural passions as ioy and sorow hope and dread loue and hate and shamfastnes that nothyng may rest in my hart but thou only Lord. For when any of thes occupie my hart yea thoughe it be a thyng lauful yet the care the loue feare or hope sorow or hate of the thyng do greatly dystracte the mynd darkenyth the hart it mynyshyth deuocyon and make all goostly exercyse vnsauery and yrkesome Wherefore moost merciful Lorde ryd my my affeccyon desyre from al thynges vnder the that I may also dyspyse contēpne my self for the pure loue of the then shal no thyng make me glade nor sory but thou only So shall my hart be frea from al thing and from the care loue feare hope Ioy. Then shal I wyth ease by thy grace at all tymes recollect my whole spyryte inwardly vnto the and so in the and with the to rest to thy honour and glorie ¶ O moste meke Iesu whose pacyens and swettnes of hart was so great that thou wast not discontentyd wyth them that cruelly and paynefullye put the to deathe but of burnig excellent charitie thou praidist moost charytablely for them as thoughe they had ben thy deare frendes in merites of the whych thy moost pacyent passyon and thy most meke death whych thou sufferedst for me graunt me grace fully to mortyfie in my selfe al bytternes of hart angrines agaynst myne euen christen specyally that dothe aryse of a wyckyd or a cankeryd conscience and secreat enuy towardes myne euen chrysten for the grace which he hathe more then I whereby I should desyre him to fal to syn and to be as wyckyd as I or els should wyshe and goo about to obscure and hyde his vertue and grace lest he shuld be preferred and
worthy of them and moch greter and greuos desiringe euermore to suffer more payneful and more harder paynes wyth long sufferynge for very desyre to be lyke in sufferyng and pacyence vnto the my Lord Iesu crucified for me and for thy sake I may wyllyngly ioyfully and thankefully suffer at al tyme al thinges ¶ Graunte me also according to thy example meke silence and taciturnitie wherby I maye the more diligently harkē inwardly thy talke louely wordes in my harte outwardly I maie vtterly and strongly abstaine both from speach and heringe of al ydle wordes lyes and harmful wordes that I may speake only very profitable needefull and that wyth all meekenes I maye desyre to edyfie more in good lyfe thē with many workes and all my life time specially at the oure of death maye haue a sure and a certaine refuge and comforte in these thy precious woūdes of thy most holy feate ¶ Vnto the blessed heade of oure sauioure Iesu I Laude and praise the and geue vnto the most hartie thankes most merciful Iesu for thy great wisdome and for the great loue and sorowe of thy moost holy heade whiche was most painefully most cruelly prickid and crowned with thornes and sore beten for my sake I most humbly and lowly commend and commite my weake head with al my senses and wyttes into the innumerable woundes that thou suferidst in thy blessed heade for al my sinnes and offēces but specially the pertinaci and proude stubburnes of mine owne wit and wisdō The misuse of al my sences and wittes in warde and outwarde The negligences of the feare of the. The inordinate feare the flatteringe of men The lacke of discrecion and my greate intemperaūce my vnpure intente in my doing and the sekinge my selfe And the vices and sinnes that appertaine to these or any of them that they may be forgeuen me in the merites of thy precious bloude I moost humbly beseke the most gracious good lorde for the most bytter payne of thy woūded heade and for that charitie and loue that mouyd the to suffer that most bytter cruelnes for me and by thy inestimable wisdome thy most holy feare thy blessed dyscrecion moost meke simplicitie adorne my weake heade with thy godly and gostly wysedome as moche as is expedient for me to thy glory and my saluacion And vochesafe moost mercyfull lorde with the same to gouerne me so with in and without that I nether thinke speke do or suffer any thinge be it neuer so lytle excepte I knowe that it maye please the and that by wainge duely the cyrcumstance the ende hereof and in my reasō lyghtened with thy grace I may perceaue as it were a certaine leaue geuen vnto me of the to do that I intend Lyghten also good lorde my vnderstanding with the cleare perfecte knowlege of thy greate goodnes holy wyll and of the vilenes and noughtynes both of my selfe and of all transitorye thinges Replete fulfyll and make dronkē myne affection with the swete taste of thy loue and wyth the infaciable desyre to honoure the and to dysspise my selfe Turne al temporal thinges in me vnto bytternes Make me deaffe dome and blynde by thy myghtie power vnto all thinges whiche thou arte not or besydes the. ¶ Graunte me also good lorde the lowlye feare of the and the perpetual hate of al sin be it neuer so lytle and a strayght costodye and kepyng of bothe my inwarde and outwarde man that I may alwaye remember and thynke on before hand al my wordes and workes hauing an eye alwaie inwardly vnto my consciens that I may deuoutly call vpon thy diuyne and godly helpe before that I speake or do any thynge that as sone as I perceaue any thynge agaynst the order of reason or thy lawe I maye by and by leaue of least I shulde lose thy grace and offend thy blessed maiestie ¶ Graunte me also mercyfull sauiour perfecte and cleare discression wherby I may both knowe and also auoyde al snares of the deuyll and al the naturall seakynge of my selfe and that I maye wysely take heade ryghtly decerne also execute euery thing that appertaineth to me in their dewe maner order and tyme that I maye come to the meane of vertue whiche is betwene to muche and to lytle ¶ Graunte me also moost swete Iesu the symplicitie of babes wherby my vnderstādinge may be voyde and bare of all doublenes and combernes of many thinges and of muche curyose and vnprofitable knowlege My wyll maye be voyde and cleane of al the sekinge and loue of my selfe My memory may be cleane cleare from all cares cogitacions and imaginaciōs My wittes powers may be as they wer shut vp and turned inward that I may become a dweller inwardly wythin my selfe cōtinually thus forgettyng al wordly thinges I may in the pure cogitacion desyre of my harte cleaue and rest in the one pure lorde god And walkinge continually with all reuerens in thy godly presens I mai be careful and busy to kepe the vnitie of my sprite vnto the in the bond of goostly peace ¶ Graunte gracious lorde that I may dylygently take great heade of al my thoughtes my wordes and dedes of pure symple obedience vnder the and other mē in the by the I may do thē without scrupulus bād or cleauing to thē Graunt me grace good Lord that I may take as at thy hand prouidens al thinges that euer come vnto me good or bad and that I may remembring my noughtines for euery one of thē first geue harty thankes to the and then take good hede marke to what end they may serue me or what they do warne me of as whether thy goodnes by thys gyft doth warne me to geue the thankes for the euel or aduersyties which thou hast suffered to come to me or to them or hast taken away from me or thē Or that I shuld be more feruent in prayer Or I should wexe more meke in my selfe Or that I shulde take better hede to my selfe Or that I shuld yeld resygne my selfe vnto thy wyl Or that I shuld acknowlege and amende my fawte my infirmytie or neglygence Or to do any other thynge For thou doiste neuer sende anye thinge to any creature but it is for some good purpose Teache me therfore good Lord to know thy pleasure in al thinges of al thinges to take encrease of vertue and purely wysely to fulfil thy holy wyll in al things vtterly forsaking mine owne wil and the seking of my selfe And graunte me moost mercyful Iesu al the dayes of my lyfe but specially in the agony of death a sure and a certaine succur in the precyus woundes of thi moost blessed head Amen ¶ Vnto the swete harte of Iesu I Laud and prayse the and geue vnto the moost louynge Lord and sauyor Iesu for the infinite loue and charitie for the great sorow and heuines of thy most swete
and deare spowse beholdyng hym suffer so greate and intollerable paynes for thy sake Yf thou weere well and faste knytte vnto hym in perfecte charitie thou woldest take excedyng great compassion vpon hym Yf thou feale nothing the payne of thy heade thou arte not a member and one wyth hym Playnely lyke as we shoulde take more compassion and pyty vpon the heade then on the other members euen so oughtest thou in comparably to take more compassion vpō thy lorde Iesu then thou woldest or shouldest do vpon ether father or mother chylde kynsman or most deare frend yea then vppon thyne owne selfe if thou shouldest suffer all these forsayde paynes that thy lorde suffered for ye. Therfore now good doughter let vs drynke oure selfe dronke with gall wormwode and myrre Let vs feale and thinke on hys precius and payneful woundes let his rebukes scourges woundes pearce through the bottome of oure harte let ther remayne nothing in vs that is not all drowned in sorowe and vehemently afflyctyd and troubled ¶ Thyrdly thou must beholde the passyon of oure sauioure Iesu to wonder and with admyracyon consyderyng who it is howe moche he sufferyd and for whome he suffered Who suffred plainly the very sonne of god most myghtest moost wysesest and the very goodnes it selfe And so good that howe muche so euer goodnes and nobylite thou ascrybest to hym it is nothinge in respecte of hys greatnes and excellence All thinges be they neuer so good and neuer so greate and excellent they are but one aske yea they are but very vanytie and ryght nought in comparison of hym How great are they that he sufferyth certaynely trauel in a strainge contrey banishement flyght hunger thurst colde heat temtacions horyble feares persequucyons wayte of his ennymies to be taken traytory spyttynges reuyles and rekubes bondes scorginges stormes sorowes plages and sores strypes woundes and death For the very glory it selfe was spyghtfully spit on right wysenes it selfe was condempned The Iudge of the worlde was iuged and arayned he that toke wrong was blamed The innocente was defamyd god was blasphemed chryst was trodden vnder foote lyfe it selfe was slayne the sonne was derkenyd the moone wexed blacke the starres were scatered abrode and al these thinges did he suffer paciētly as it had ben a lambe which with one only becke was able to haue drownid into the bottome of hel al these vnkind and wycked people that so handled hym But for whom suffered he for moost vyle mancyples for most synfull ennymyes of hys yea for very deuilishe persons and the chyldren by imitacion of the deuyll for the contempners of the maiestie of god vnkynd and vnthankefull seruauntes to the greate goodnesse of god Wonder therefore that suche and so greate a lorde wolde suffer suche and so greate paynes for most vyle and moost abiecte sinners and wretches But now of whome suffered he Of his owne chosen and specially chosē vnto whom he shewed al goodnes and bountefulnes of the most vylest the most excellēt of the vnwyse and fooles the most wysest the whiche is the sempyternall worde and wysedome of God The moost godlyst of most vngodly wycked The euerlasting bryghtnes of the moost filthiest mater and corrupcion In al these lyfte vp thy harte mynde and maruayle at the infynite goodnes and lyberalytie of almyghty god that bought the wyth so great a price Fourthly prynte the passion of thy lorde in thy harte to reioyse thereof for thou oughtest to be glad and ioye in it with moste harty thankes geuyng for the redemcion of the nature of mā for the restoring of angels and of the greate clemencye and mercye of allmyghty god And as for the redemcion of mankynde thou oughtest to be wonderfully glad accomplyshed by chrystes most bytter passion and precyous death Who is he I praye the that wolde not reioyse and be glad perceuinge hym selfe delyuered by this moost blessed passion frō euerlastinge death from the shame of synne frome the power of the deuyll Who wolde not vnmesurably excedyngly reioyse beholding and consydering that the hygh and most al mighty lord god so wel doth loue him that he wolde submyt and subiecte hym selfe vnto so greate vyces and affliction to redeme hym not that he shoulde reioyse at the abiection and passion of oure lorde but of the most gracious affect hereof of the tender affection and loue that he declaryd in hys passion and afflyction what prynce in the kyngdome or empyre of an emperour or kyng perceuing hym selfe so greatly to be in fauoure and loue wyth his lord that his lorde master wold be redy to suffer death for hys sake wolde he not very greatly reioyse and be glad in his whole hart Howe moch more then ought we most vyle wretches wycked synners and noughty seruātes to reioyce and be glad perceauing that the king of al kynges and lorde of all lorddes oure creatour Iesus chryst doth loue vs so feruently that he wolde offer vp in sacryfice hym selfe vnto most foule and most vyle death Let vs therefore be glad wyth ioye vnmeasurable that our lorde Iesu louyth better eache one of vs than any man dothe loue hym selfe Let vs be gladde and reioyse that by the blessed passion of Iesu the ruyne and breche of the angels is restored Ther ought to be in vs greate Ioye gladnes syth we se that by the passion of chryste so noble and blessed a colege of the Angels is repayred that there myght be one fold and one shepehard and al to be one in one god In this ought we and haue we good cause bothe wyth the heuenly courte and the mylytante churche of chryst here to ioye and to be glade O moost amyable and verely moost venerable passion of oure sauioure whiche ioynyth to gether thynges the were so farre a sonder and knyttyth together thynges so farre sequestrated and moost strongly and most fyrmely vnytith byndyth them fast together wyth the bonde of moost perfecte loue in the felycitie of ioye sempiternall But we ought to reioyse and to be glad specially perceauing in al these foresade thynges the hyghe wonderfull clemencye and mercy of god and of oure lorde Iesu christ I thynke the cheafest and hygh glory and ioye of the goodnes of the good angels is perfectly to consider the clemency mercy and benefites of god also his vnmesurable goodnes And this ought to be the syngulare inwarde ioye of hym that is contemplatyue that in the very marye of hys soule For where I pray the dothe more apere the powryng vpō vs the most bontefull mercy clemencye and goodnes of the most swettest most louing heuēly father of our lord Iesu christ thē in his passion wherin he suffered such sort so greate so fowle so shameful so greuous paynes turmentes al to deliuer to gloryfie hys wicked enmie for the redempciō of a very vanitie worthy of euerlasting death Let the deuoute persons enter with al deuocion
kyndes of humylytie The one is that aryseth of the trew acknowlege of thy sinnes thyne owne vilenes by the iudgemeÌ„t of reasoÌ„ And this humilitie thou oughtest to exercyse towarde thyne euen chrysten In comparison of whom thou oughtest to brynge thy selfe to nought in thyne owne estymacion and to esteme thy selfe more vyle then anye other and inferioure to al men and that from the botome of thy hart And thou shalt therfore aske mercy of thy lorde god that is present wyth the both for thyne owne sinnes and al others and shalt excuse them in thine owne conscience and Iugement beleauing that ther are no synners so far gonne from god but that they may and do ofteÌ„ times though not alway turne them selfes vnto god and do loue honour hym wyth a more synceare affection and more faythfully they do sorowe their sinnes and do purpose to amende theÌ„ selfes according to the grace geuen to theÌ„ of god then thou Thou shalte beleue that ther can not be found any man which if he had commytted so many and so greate synnes as thou and had receaued so many graces and gyftes of god as thou but he wolde serue god more feruently then thou dost if thou can not perswade this and beleaue this with al thy harte thou shalt for this same cause repute thy selfe most proud wretch that lyueth and more vyle then any man that lyueth For this thy ipocrisy and pryde in excusable most odyous to god hath verylye blyndyd the that thou canst not know thy selfe nor se how that the mo benefites and graces thou hast receauid of god the more greuus and greater are thy sinnes and neglygences and therfore there shal be required of the a more strayghter rekeninge for euery one of theÌ„ And this mekenes as I haue sayd loue doth worke by reasoÌ„ wherby a man estemyth hym selfe vyler then any other creature and most worthy of all turment and contumely of all rebuke and paine And this is the mekenes of such that are begynners and profyters and must go before and that after it may be confirmed wyth this mekenes that foloweth ¶ The other mekenes is the mekenes of the perfecte and the mekenes whiche loue alone by her selfe dothe worke whome the soule fealeth in her selfe by goostly syghte and knowlege of Iesu For whom the holy goost doth lyghten the reason in the syght of Iesu Chryst to consider clearly the holy humylytie charitie of his blessyd manhed to tayst both of them by the goodnes of hys diuinitie and by by the soule perceauyth so great loue ioy in that sight the whiche is very true holy and delectable that it for gettith her selfe and al thinges els and leanith cleuith holy to her moost swettest spowse and Lorde Iesu Chryst by reason that she is caryed or borne with al her whole loue to consyder and to beholde him She for that tyme considerith not her synnes done in tymes past nor her vnworthynes but estemyth her selfe with all her synnes and good workes that euer she did as right nought and nothing as though ther were nothing in al the world but only her Lorde Iesu Cryst Labor therefore dylygently by the consyderacyon of the mekenes and charytie of Iesu to iuge thy selfe with full beleue eyther els fealyng thy selfe not only to be most wretch in the world but also as very right nought And labor to bring to nought in thyne owne estymacyon and iudgement thy self with al thy exercyse good workes done in tyme paste and to make thy selfe nakyd froÌ„ al thyngê Thus in the pouertie of spirite loue to feale thi selfe to be nought or nothyng that thou maist ascrybe al thy goodnes only vnto thy Lord Iesu Chryst that thy substaÌ„ce as the prophet saith may be as a thing of nought before him not estemyng thy selfe here after to be any thynge syth thou arte nothing For without doute in comparyson of the increate and vnchaÌ„geable godly substance of thy Lorde Iesu which only hath very essence or being and is al thinges in al thing thou al thinges els are nothyng For al peple and nacions in the world they are before him as thoughe they were not at al. And thus shalt thou not iudge thy eueÌ„ christen nether good nether bad but thou shalte perceyue theÌ„ al equally with al other creatures to be nothynge as thou art in regard of thy Lord Iesu and in respect of his mekenes loue mercy glorie For as muche as they are made of nought and should comme to nought if they were not kept and conseruyd by him Therefore wheÌ„ loue by the gift of the holy gost openith the inner eye to se and perceiue this verytie wyth the other cyrcumstances the soule is made veryly meeke for then she seyth her selfe euen as she is indede And then she considereth not her selfe nor doth not truste or leane to her selfe but she tendith bendyth her selfe al together in to the knowlege and loue of Iesu with stable medytacion and desyre beholdyng him continually And then doth she worke more perfectly great workes both inward outwarde then she was wont before This sight of Iesu coÌ„forteth and liftith vp the soule so meruelously and swetli that she can not ioy or be glad of any ioye or comforte of his world nether can she be heauy or sory for any aduersitie of the same For she remaynith vnmouable and vnsensible vnto al suche worldly thinges couiting to rest in Iesu only hauynge euer her eyes on him for he pullith out her feate from out of al the grynnes of sinne and of temtacioÌ„s distraineth in her al the sterings and mocions of pryde and all vyces wonderful secreatlye defendinge her from the myghty feare from the arowe or dart that flyeth in the day from the trouble that walkyth or commyth in the darkenes from incursyon or inuadyng from the mydday fynde and leadyth her by holy simplycytie whiche is a secrete by pathe vnto a stable and a sure vnyon with her selfe wherby she shal remayne and dwel in god god in her ¶ How thou shuldest labour contynually couyting but only one whiche is only necessary to come to this blessid vnyoÌ„ by ardent or fyerie aspyracyons wyth mooste deape resignacyon of thy selfe it shal be declaryd here after ¶ Aspyracyons for this exercise ¶ Mooste merciful sauyour for thy greate pouertie that thou suffredst here for me being most rychest graunt me perfecte barenes pouertie in al creatures in my affeccyon and memorie ¶ Swet sauyor Iesu which were borne of immaculate mayde and without syn to dye and redeme me froÌ„ synne delyuer me from the affeccyon vnto any syn be it neuer so smally ¶ Moost swete sauoyour Iesu the delighte of my soule take from me the delyght of al creatures ¶ Oh mooste gracyus Iesu lyghten the inward eye of my soule that I may veryly se and know my vyletie that I am nought and nothyng of my selfe ¶ Mooste
shoulde do bycause I se not my great enormytes and detestable wyckednes of my former lyfe I beseke thy moste blessed mercy in the mercyes of thy moost obedyente death helpe my imperfection that I may make ful resignaciō vnto thy only wil in al thinges to thy honour glory Amen THough thou can not at the fyrst fully make vnfained oblaciō to al these so faythfully that thou wolde not feare by by to abide and suffer any or al of these for gods sake for perhappes thou shalt fele in thy selfe feare or gruge yf thou shuldest be put to any of these yet be of good cōfort and haue trust that god wyl worke it in the in tyme at his blessed wyl and pleasure so thou do acknowlege thy infyrmytes and cry mercy and continew thy good purpose that thou hast begone and this offerynge shal be very acceptable vnto god vntil thou canst do better And when thou fealest thy selfe somewhat resygned vnto the wyll of god in all these thynges then maist thou with ful confydence and trust enter to the other membre of this exercyse whiche is peticiō or postulacion and knocke wyth the second hammer notwithstāding wether thou fele thy selfe fully resigned or not yf thou haue a desyre to be resygned perfectly to god in al these forsaid thinges feare not nor faile not but in the name of god wyth a humble hope and a meke confidence in the greate mercies of god make this peticion knock thus wyth thys hāmer as deuoutly as thou can in thy mynde vnto almyghty God as our sauiour chryst teacheth vs saing Seke ye shal haue or it shal be geuen vnto you MOOST gloryous god almyghty and moost lyberal lorde god which for thy infinitie goodnes art redye to geue vnto all that faythfully mekely do aske of the that which maye bee to thy glory and honour and theire soules helth And specyally the blessed fruycion of thy selfe in perfecte loue I moost mekely most lowly and deuoutly beseke thy vnmesurable goodnes and most lyberal mercy in the blessed and infynitie merites of my sauiour Iesu for thy mercyful charytie that thou bearest towardes my poore soule for his sake graunt me good lorde the moost blessed fruicion of thy only godhede That my whole affection loue and desire may be satisfyed fully fixed and altogether restyd in the only by the bare pure sincere loue of the and in no other vertue giftes or graces be it neuer so excellent but in the only my most blessed lorde god and moost deare loue of my soule ¶ Graunte me not withstādyng god lord al such special graces and thy gyftes whiche may helpe and bring me vnto the more perfection of lyfe in the trewe loue of the not to rest in them but by them to come to the least restynge in them I myght highly offend the and wexe colde in the desyre of spirituall profyte And in special graunte me gracious good lord most pure perfect clere lyghtenyng of my vnderstandynge that I maye moost fully and perfectly knowe vnderstand in al thynges thy most blessyd wyl and godly pleasure and to folowe fulfyl and execute the same as promptely spedely and perfectly without any retracciō or gruge of harte as the shadowe mouyth at the mocion of the body according to the moost blessid example of my sauyour Iesu And thus for to doo I here offer my selfe most redy with al the mightes and powers of my bodye and soule ¶ Graunt also good lorde the lyght of thy grace to knowe fully my selfe my incomprehensyble vylenes my vnthanfulnes towards the my vnworthines and wretchidnes my mysery and sinfulnes wherby I may come to most perfect contēpt gostly hate of my self perfect profund mekenes ¶ Graunte me perfecte knowlege of all very true vertues and to obtayne so many of them as most shal plese thy blessed goodnes in me to my saluacion But syngulerly and aboue al other things in this world graunte nowe and euermore the contynuall increase of the moost pure true and sincere loue of the. That al my delyght ful fruycion the rest of my soule maye be in the. And that my hart may by so incensed in flamid so whote and set on fyre with the loue of the that the memory of the may be so frequente and ofte in my harte and mynd as is my breath that I contynually do take to lyue wyth all For lyke as yf I lacke thys bodely breath then departith lyfe from my body euen so the very lyfe of my pore soule is the very loue of the is contynued by often continual turning with burning desyre to the which art the orygynal of my soule vnto whom my soule shuld cleaue vnto as the sonne beames do byde wyth the sonne As for other thy graces and gyftes moost gracious lord that ar not necessary for my soule helth as to be delyuered from temtacion perels and pressures the gyftes of reuelacion of secreates deuocion and sensyble grace I aske not most mercyfull lorde god But as it may moost please thy infynite goodnes to thy glorye and my saluacion Wherfore I most humbly beseke thy greate goodnes and mercy graunt me this my meke postulacion peticion and grace that I may wyth al my myght and power laboure and trauel dayly and hourly to optayne it and neuer to cease from most feruente prayer and knockyng vntyl thou most petyful lorde dost open vnto me thy moost lyberal goodnes vnto thy great glory and honoure and my saluacyon ANother parte of thys exercyse after that thou hast vsyd this one day the next day vse this folowyng one day one an other dai an other After this maner first thou must styre thy harte to the loue of god with the same prayer callid an oblaicō gostly which is in the exercise next a fore apointed of the benefites of god yf thou fele thy selfe disposed in harte to the earneste desyre of the loue of god and thy harte be inkyndelyd with the swet memorie of his kindnes towardes the Then shalt thou as it wer burne al vnlikenes toward god in thy selfe that is to say al thy synnes and vycyousenes al thy fautes and imperfeccyons al thy passions and immortificacion thy vnruled sences and theire in ordinate inclynacyō al thi vicius affeccion and thy impaciences but thou shalt not reken and remember them one by one but generally gether them together in thy hart and mynd and caste them as it were in to the infynite fyer of godes loue there to be consumyd and burnyd vp by his mercye with most ardent desyre and deuout mynd saing in thy hart and desyre thus MOst myghtyful god and mercyful Lord whiche dydyst create make me to thy blessyd lykenes and thy owne ymage after that it was disfigured and blemyshyd by the syn of adam thou moost mercyfully hayst reformed it in thy deathe and blod of my lord Iesu by baptisme And now I wretchyd caytyfe synful wretche haue
therfore greate cause to loue hym agayne and to shew louyng kindnes vnto so curtyse and kynde louer and lorde god Nowe if thou canst feele thy harte mouyd vnto loue towardes thy lorde Iesu by thys or lyke comtemplacyon of hys benefites and of his infinite goodnes that hath loued the from the beginning of the world wyth an euerlastyng charyte then shalte thou procede and force thy wyl and affection to these thre sortes or degrees of loue The fyrst is bare loue that is to saye thou must moue thy selfe to loue hym only and forsake al loue that thou berest to thy frendes kynsfolkes apparel bokes and of any other thing in thys world For thou canst not loue these and loue god only For he wil haue al thy loue as he is most worthy and must be louyd barely alone wythoute any thing wyth hym For so dyd oure lord Iesu hang al bare and nakid of al frindes conforte and of al thynges vpon the crosse Yf thou can fynde and feale this pointe of loue in thy harte then must thou procede laboure to haue loue Thou must haue no desyre to any thyng created and specyally this pure loue is when thou hayst ful mortyfied in the al natural passions and vyces as angrynes melancolly inordinate Ioy lyghtnes suche other so that the powers of thy soule be pure and cleane from al sinful inclynacions and dysorder cleane delyuered from al imaginacions or any lettes or impedymentes of the pure and synceare loue of god that they may imbrace their lord god with most pure clene loue Thurdly thou must procede to come to the thurde poynte of loue that is thou must loue thy lorde god with vehemēte strong and affectuous loue And this loue compriseth the other two aforsayd loues makyth the one wyth god and makyth the towardes al other thynges as it were insensyble and feltyst nothing els but only thy owne moost swetest loue Iesu Heare of commyth it that thou canst and shalte remayne styl in god wher euer thou becomyst and wyth whom soeuer thou be For thys loue wyl neuer suffer the to cesse from louyng of thy deare Lorde Iesu nor wil not suffer the to rest but make the bestowe al that thou arte to the glory and honoure of thy lorde god And of this loue it is that thou woldest if thou coldyst make of euery lytle grasse thou seist some excellēt creature that it myght loue and laude the lorde thy god wyth the. Yea if it were possible thou woldest make of euery mā an whole heuē and so many heauens as ther are men and offer them vp to god wyth al thy harte and moost pure and louely desyre to hys glory laude prayse and honoure Now whē thou fealyst this threfolde loue in thy hart kindlyd and thou altogether incensid and set on fyre wyth the loue of thy lorde thou muste recolecte and gether to gether with force al thy wyttes sencies and powers of thy body and soule as it were wyth in thy self as though thou were deade from al other thinges in the worlde And so as one ful of loue thou shalt approche vnto the most gracious most louinge and most swete hart of thy Lord Iesu Thou shalt enter therin as into an infinite sea of goodnes botomlesse depeth of vnmesurable loue and charitie wyth these foure exercyses But yet whether thou feale in thy hart these pointes of loue or no thou shalte procede neuerthelesse and folowe wyth these foure exercises and haue a good wyl and desyre to haue these pointes of loue and this shal suffice I trust in god for a beginner vntyll god geue to the grace of this loue for it is a syngulare gyfte But thou must eare thou enter these four exercises in the hart of Iesu make this peticion vnto that moost blessyd and mercyfull harte saynge O Most dearest louer of my soule my moost swete sauiour Iesu whiche of thy infynite charytie and most tender loue that thou baryst vnto my pore synfull soule sufferdst moost payneful passiō and and moost cruell and dreadful death in the same charytie and loue in the most blessid merites of the same passion and death grant I beseke the that moost excellente gyfte of loue and charitie that I may be set on fyre and so incensed wyth the moost feruente and syngulare loue of the that I may loue nothing but the alone that neather frynde nether louer nether anye thynge in this world be it neuer so pleasant or profytable may haue any parte of my loue but thou only ¶ Graunte me also cleane and pure loue in al the powers and sences of my soule body that they may be pure from al passiōs and inclynatiōs to sin disorder of sinfull corruption that my soule in al her myghtes powers may wtout let or impedimente frely wholy loue that her creatoure redemer herswete spouse most faithful louer Graūt me also most mercyful lord to loue the vehemētly affectuously that I maye be towardes al other thinges dead as it were insensyble wythout any fealyng That I may not feale nor perceaue any thynge but the only my dere lorde and louer Iesu that where euer I be wyth whome euer I be I may neuer forget quayle or slake in thy burning loue that I may neuer stynte nor cesse to bestowe al that I am and can to thy glory and honour and worshyp and neuer to be satysfyed in wel doynge to thy sempyternal honour and my soule helthe THen shalt thou approch with moste harty affeccyon and deuocyon vnto the blessed hart of Iesu recollectyd as is aboue saide in al thy powers sensies of body and soule and shalt enter in as it were in to that most blessed tresure howse of grace and bottomlesse fountayne of al goodnes with these fowre exercyses folowynge Fyrst thou shalte make from the bottome of thy harte or as wel as grace shal helpe the resingnacion offerynge thy selfe bodye and soule whooly with al that thou art and haist and al creatures moost frealy vnto hys moost louely wyl and blessyd pleasure in thys world to the end here of for euer to abyde al aduersytie pressure or sorow of hart al payne of bodie vnto al thynges that is possyble to come vnto the at his wyl Yea to abyde the paynes of hel yf it shulde be his pleasure for hys loue thou must be redye that he may haue and vse the as hym pleasyth euen as he hadde the at his pleasure ear thou wer creatid Thou muste make this oblacyon thus in thy hart and desyre MOOst mightiful and most louing lord Iesu al thing that I haue and that I am and al thynges in this worlde in heauen and in earth are thyne Wherfore moost gracious good lorde I here offer yelde vp to thy blessyd wyl and pleasure my soule my body wyth all my substance that I am or that I haue and al creatures that euer were or shal
be created moost frely and franckely for this tyme for euermore to abyde at thy pleasure all aduersytie goostly and bodely al payne grefe of harte and of bodye and vnto all thynges whatsoeuer thou wylle sende or suffer to come vnto me Yea moost mercyful lorde Iesu for thy loue I offer my selfe redie to suffer yf it be thy blessyd wyl the bitter paines of hel And I desire that thou might so haue me at thy pleasure as thou hadste me before thou creatydst me to thy honour and glory SEcondly thou shalt aske of thy lord Iesu not only all the graces and gyftes that he hath which thou nedest but also al that god him selfe is that thou myghtest haue the fruycyon of hym reste in hym and in his only and infynyte loue Thou shalte aske also a bare and a perfecte spirit the open and cleare knowlege of his dyuine goodnes and wyl and of thine own vnworthynes the knowlege and perfectiō of al vertues and most strong perseuerāce in godlynes and vertue Thou shalte aske al necessaries for thy soule helth and for al thy special frendes and for the whole world and the holy churche of chryst and for the soules in purgatorye in this maner or other lyke MOst blessyd and glorious lord and swete sauyoure Iesu for the tender loue of thy moost swete harte graunte me in al those gyftes and graces that thou hayste and be necessarye for me to my soule healthe and saluacion but specially graunte me aboue and afore all thynges thyne owne selfe thy incomprehēsyble and moost blessyd godhede that my soule maye haue the fruicion hereof and that I maye rest only in it and in the sinceare and infynite loue of it ¶ Graunte me swete sauioure also a bare senceare and a perfecte spirite wyth moost perfect and clear knowledge of thy dyuine goodnes the knowlege of thy wyl and plesurs and perfecte syght and knowlege of my noughtines and greate vnworthynes the knowlege and perfection of al vertew and perfecte and stronge perseueraunce in the same ¶ Graunt me al thinges necessary for my soules helth and for the comforte soules helth of al my specyal frendes and louers And graunte peace and thy protection to al holy churches and mercy to the soules in purgatory to thy honor glory Amen ANd for as much as god hath louyd that from the begynnyng with an infinite charytie and for that charitie thy lord and sauiour Iesu suffered his cruel deathe and passion thou shalt confyrme thy selfe vnto his charitie desyryng moost hartely yf it shoulde please hym that thou myghtest lyue in this worlde in as greate derelyction and desolacion in as greate sorowe and shame in as greate pouertie and myserye as thy sauioure Iesu dyd And that thy bare soule myghte be adornyd and indued wyth the same vertewes wherwyth hys blessid soule was indued And bycause that he ys the very euerlastyng charitie it selfe and thou canst not come into hym but if thou be trāsformed and turned al together into loue Therfore thou shalte aske wyth moost feruente desyre to be indued wyth the charytie and loue that thy sauyoure Iesu was indued That thus thou mayste become formyd and made lyke vnto hym both in hys manhed and hys godhed makyng this peticion wyth harty desyre GRaunte me also moost merciful and moost myghtyful sauioure Iesu as shal please the that I maye for thy honoure and loue lyue in this worlde in as greate desolacion and as comfortles in as great sorow shame in as great labor and trouble in as greate myserye and pouertie as thou dydest for me And most gracyous lord adorne indue my soul wyth al those blessid and holy vertues that thy blessyd soule and humanitie was indued wtal And specyally I most hartely and with most ardent desyre beseke the my most gracius lord god transforme me altogether in to the perfecte loue of the. And specially my soule into that charitie whych thy moost blessyd soule had and hath euermore to thy moost honoure and glory Amen FOurthlye thou shalte vehementlye and hartely desyre that thou maist be knyte and made one wyth hym moost blessedly and happely wythout any meane immediatly Thē if thou feale thine harte and mynd knit in most feruente and burning desyre and loue of hym thou shalt approche vnto the blessyd dyuinitie eleuatynge and lyftynge vp thy whole thoughte vnto the blessyd godhed of chryst forgetting cleane and leauing out of thy mind and for gettyng al thyng creatyd Yea not fealyng nor thynking vpon thy selfe Thus shalte thou depely drowne hide transforme or turne thy selfe wholy into the moost delectable moost swetest and most blessyd loue of thy lorde god yea thy very euerlastynge loue ful of moost ardent charytie So that thou myghtest neuer here after be found or knowen of any creature Here also thou shalte moost hartely desyre to be swalowed vp to be cleane consumed of that infynit goodnes and also to swalow vp and consume in to thy selfe that blessyd goodnes saynge in thy harte OH moost blessid goodnes and most holy and gloryous godhed of my sauior Iesu I humbly beseke the rauyshe me and hyde me wythin thy blessid goodnes infynite charytie that I neuer be founde lyke other frayle creatures that I may forget al thinges and also forget and lose my selfe that I may both be consumyd swalowid of the and into the and thou into me for ther only is the true loue rest and felicyte of my soule there is my begynning my most blessyd rest and ending in that infynyte goodnes whiche is none other then an vnmesurable bottomeles depth of eternal infinite loue ¶ Thus in suche contēplacion in the harte of Iesu thou mayst be al moolten in the admyrable loue and superadmyrable goodnes of thy lorde god the spouse the most swetest loue of thy soule Moost humbly then thou shalte desyre him to open vnto the that moost fayrest most lyghtsome and pleasante kyngdome of his holy dyuinitie and that he vochesafe to trāslate and vtterly drowne the whooly in it sayenge in this maner wyth harty deuocion or lyke O Superadmyrable power vnmesurable wysedome and infinitie goodnes of my lorde God O superadmyrable wonder and ouer wonderful goodnes whē wylte thou transforme and hyde me al to gether in thyne owne selfe and thy selfe in me O myghtyful lord it is as lytle leasse for the thus to swalow vp and deuour me in the as it is to the vnmesurable mayne sea to deuoure one lytle drop of water O my lorde god creatoure and confirmer of al thyng wold to god I could make of euery creature in the world a resonable soule and of euery soule specially of myne owne soule the kyngdome of heauē wher thou myghtest haue al peace and al ioye swete Iesu for al the sorowe and heuynes thou sufferedst for me I wold most hartely and gladly geue al these vnto the. Most louyng lorde yf it may please the let me suffer
the blessyd sacryfyce of masse wyth harty deuocioÌ„ callynge to god most hartely to renew and encrease his loue in the. Fourthly thou must receaue as often as thou mayst conueniently the blessed sacramente or at the least receaue the bodye of our sauioure Iesu spiritually Fyftly thou must reade once in the days and haue medytacion of some good vertuous and holy lesson that thou mayst be the better therby Syxtly thou must exchew and auoyde as neare as thou canst the company and famyliaritie of al persons of what estates soeuer they be yf they may be occasion to the to omyt any good exercyse or to do any sinne be it neuer so lytle ¶ The fyftene impedimentes THe fyrst impediment whiche is in maner the grounde of al sinne as saynt Augustyne sayth is the loue of thy selfe and of thy owne commodytie and profyte the subtyle nature of manne sekyth the owne commodytie in al thinges and is not perceiuyd excepte thou take very greate hede and serch depely the very ende and trewe purpose in al good thinges that thou doist or euylles that thou doyst exchew For in al thy good dedes thou doyst and in al sinne that thou flyest yf thou loke wysely and depely dost searche the cause hereof thou shalte fynde that thou doyst oftentyme seke more thyne owne commodytie then the synceare and pure loue and wyl of god For sometyme thou shalt fynde that thou desyrest and laborest for vertew and doyst praye and vse good exercyse bycause thou wold come to the blysse of heueÌ„ and flyest sinne to escape the paynes of hell and purgatory in thys sekest thou not purely the wil of god but the commoditie of heuen and the exchewynge of payne Trye thys and aske thy selfe yf thou were sure that thou shouldest neuer come in heauen nor neuer haue rewarde for this good deedes and verteous life but neuer the lesse yf it were the pleasure of god that thou shouldest suffer hel paynes for euer whether thou woldest neuer the lesse do as wyllyngly as gladly as many good workes as dylygently flye sinne for the onely wyl and honoure of god as thou woldest do for feare of payne and for loue of heauen Yf thou feele thy selfe in thys mynde and good wil in al thy dedes plainly then doyst thou not seke thyne owne coÌ„moditie but purely goddes wyl and honor For this woldest thou do whether god wil rewarde or regard it or not so it be his plesure and honoure In lyke maner in oure dedes we seke ofte tymes oure commdytie before man We oftetime exchewe euyl bycause we wolde be ether praysed honored ether we wold not be rebuked or punished Some time we esteeme oure exercises and doynges streyte Thus we fal into goostly pryde or els we delight in our swet thoughtes and sencyble deuocion or in our swete teares and set so much by them that if we feale them not or if they be subtractid and be taken frome vs then we waxe dull heauye and sorye and vndeuoute and haue no corage to go forward in good lyfe thus we fal into goostly glottony or auaryce whiche is wery perylus A gaynste those greate dangers goostly we must study to do goostly and bodely for the pure and only loue of god without al respect or regard of reward only bicause that the dede prayer or exercyse doth please god and bycause that I am bounde to do al that I can wyth al the myght and powers of my bodye and soule of very pure loue to honoure him selfe and to rest in hym wythout scruple of bond or custome wyth a certeine inclinacion of inward loue as my hart wer taught inwardly by god that suche good dedes and vertue shoulde please hym and in no wyse to seke any secreate comfort commodytie or consolacyon of the spyryte or soule but rather for goddes sake to desyre al desolacyon aduersytie and derelyccion at the pleasure of god The second impedyment THe second impediment is affeccion loue and care of temporal and corruptyble thinges of this worlde What is thi inordinate loue towards creatures Playnely al that loue which infectith dystractyth or troublyth the mynd of man or caussyth a man to desyre to haue thys or that to hear or se this thyng or that except it be only for the pure and only honoure of god And chiefely the couetousnes or loue of certeine or peculiar thingê as of money of housyng of garmentes or ornaments of napkyns of bokes of exquisite and fyne housholde stouffe of other commodities apperteining vnto their daily vse whether they be necessary or superfluê° in the which thynges they rest with a certayne sensual pleasure and delyght vnto the whych they are so affeccionate and al together geuen yf that thes thinges should be taken from them they wolde be euyl contented Thes maner of parsons be very proprietaries before god For the pouerty of the spirite that the gospel teachyth consistyth pryncipally in this pointe That a man shulde possesse these transitorye thinges that he shulde remayne lose from al loue of them from all affeccioÌ„ toward them froÌ„ al rest in them as thoughe he had them not So that at the pleasure and wyl of hys prelate he shulde be euer redy to forgo them gladly wold find in his whole hart without any gruge wyth quyetnes and gladnes to forsake theÌ„ vtterly and suffer them to be taken frome hym And that he do nether desyre to haue nor to holde theÌ„ neather to forsake or geue them but only as it may moost please god for his moost honour And thoughe carnal affection do gruge and murmure that maketh no greate matter so he vtterly in hys harte and wyl wolde be ryd of such noughty grugyng for in tyme by grace he shall ouer come it For his mynde ought to be so fre and nakyd from them that he may at al tyme offer vp hys harte frely to god what euer chanceth or fortunyth to hym wythout trouble at the lest in hys wyll inner desyre he may be at quyet rest He must therefore not only ryd hym selfe and do away the thynges that he hath superfluus vnnecessary and al such as he hath only for pleasure and curyositye but also in suche thynges as ar very necessary he must take no delight nor pleasur At the least he must not rest in the pleasure whiche he fealyth in them Ye rather let hym learne to be wery of such burden of necessitie and be euer desyrous of moost extreme pouertye and barenes that he may be more conformable and lyke vnto his master and sauior christ whiche honge al nakyd on the crosse not only of fryndes and of bodely comfort but also of al delyght and pleasure ful of bytter sorow and payne ¶ The thirde impedyment THe thirde impediment is the vnmortyfied sensualite by the whiche men be very ready to gadde abrode in their affection mynd and turne them selues to the pleasure and delyght that we haue to se fayre thynges
lackyd thys inordynate loue feare The affection of natural loue vnto their kinred The affection of the loue that they beare for the greate benefytes of fryndes do ingender in them moch vagacyon of mynd and causyth them ofte tyme be dystracted dysquyetyd when they feare the losse of their fauour or desyreth to please and to contynew or increase their loue towardes them Ye some tyme yt makith thē to dyssemble and to flatter their friendes and suche as they loue or fear in their vicyous condycious and dedes Ye to fauoure that in them that they shoulde hate and ought wythout respect or accepcion of person purely and only to loue in them god hys Image grace vertew so that they shoulde not supporte dissemble flatter nor wynke at any mans faute or mysdoynge sinne but they shoulde desyre with al their harte the soule helth of euery man Wherfore thou must abolysh from thy harte all inordinate loue affection whiche might cause in the any vnquietnes distraction or occupie thy fansye wyth imagynacions specyally of the desyre that thou hayst ether of frendshype or cōpany if thou wylt come to the pure loue of god For this is a very poyson and venome of the loue of god infectyng and poysoning thy harte Thou shalte therfore vtterly sley it and mortifie it in thy selfe al that thou can ¶ The syxt impedyment THe sixt impediment are the passions sensual as loue hate with othere the naturaly floweth oute of these passyons as immoderat myrth or gladnes sorow or heuynes hope feare loue hate shamefastnes To say the trewthe inordinate loue is mother and parent of al thes and of al other natural passyons Thes passions are redy at euery chance good or bad to dysqueet and moue the hart and mynde of man And when the inner eye is troblyd or dymmed with thes and suche lyke then can yt not iudge nor dyscerne nether him self nether what is right nether resonable Wherefore yf thou desyre to haue peace of hart thou must kepe thine hart clene pure free from the loue of creatures and from al suche passions Thou must also commit vnto the hyghe wyl and prouidence of god al thinges that shal fortune vpon the good or bad castynge al thy thoughtes and care vpon hym takynge alway good hede that ther nothynge reste in the nothynge enter thy hart saue only god Al thynges in the earth be but vyle yea and to vyle that thou shuldest so loue or set by thē that thou take any care haue any desyre inordynately to haue them or to be sory heauy or a shamed to lacke them or to trouble thy noble harte thy immortal and heauenly minde for any such vyle drosse Let them loke for these temporal thynges loue and take care ioy and be merie glad to haue these thynges of this worlde that are al worldly and of the world for whom Christ wold not pray Thou canst not please nor serue two masters at on s Thou canst not loue .ij. diuers and contrary thynges Yf thou wilt know what thou louyst Marke well what thing thou thynkyst moost on Leaue thou the world and the earth vnto the worldly and the earthly and thou shalt find heuen Leaue the world and haue god Geue vp the earth with al his pleasure and treasure and thou shalt haue god and fynde heauen and the blysse euerlastyng ¶ The seuenth Impedyment THE seuenth Impedymente is the bytternes of hart of melancoly and as it were a testines or frowardnes whereby many be very and ofte prone and redie vnto impacience angrines melancoly hatred and to reuenge Ye and to dispise other and take al thynge to the worst very vneasy to cōtent or please redy to murmur and gruge Suche commenly do murmur agaynst their superiors and prelates they iudge and cōdempne their neighbors they report euyl and slander with venomous eyes of malicie with which they thē selues are infectyd beholdynge al thynges they iudge al thing peruersly to the worst This arysyth in some of nature and sometyme or much studie and then it is so muche the lesse fawte But it muste be mortyfied by grace And in some it arysyth of a certeyne secreate presūpcyon and consyderacion of theire owne merytes and dedes grace or estymacion whereby many are very redy to iudge rashely other and to dispise them preferryng them selfes and their lyfe and their false ryghtwysenes gettyng indygnacyon and not compassyon Some tyme this bytternes arysyth of in mortyfyed desyres Whan they may not haue that they wold then thes passyons inflamyth them to murmure and grudge agaynste theire superiors and those that wyl not folow or graunt thier vnresonable desyres or do resyste them Sometyme it arysith of hate or rancor for offences and greffes past for the whiche cause the desyre to peruerte and mistake the deedes of thē that they thus hate and sekes in theire dedes somewhat to put them to rebuke Some tyme it arysyth of Enuy wherby they desyre to obscure or to hyde the vertues of other bycause they thēselfes lacke them lest that the other should be lyke estemyd before them Some tyme it arisith of a wickidnes bycause they enuy the vertues and graces that they se in another Therfore they of mere malyce wherof they are full repleate interprete and take al thynge to the worst and so offende they the holy gost But this bytternes of hart and al other thou must ful mortyfie consume and ouercome with the swetnes of godly loue and charytie that thou maist fynde in thy harte as hartely to loue thy very ennimes and persecutors as thoughe they wher thi dere fryndes as in very dede they be for they bryng the and promote the vnto greate merytes Wherefore yf thou wylt euer profyt in perfeccyon thou must nedes loue thyne euen chrysten in god Thou must honour the ymage of god in euery parsō thou must suffer no bitternes nor dyspleasure to rest in thy hart agaynst any man but thou muste beare a mery cheare and countynance swete charytie mekenes of hart gentilnes in speach vnto al persōs redy to beare the burdens and infyrmities of al men to helpe the nede of euery man to suffer and forgeue the offences of al to take interpret all thynges to the best to iudge no parsō to greue no mā but glad to do good to al persons to cōfort al generally wtout acceptiō of persons indifferētly to shew vnto al euery one pytie compassiō ¶ The .viii. Impedimente THe Eyght impedimente is impacience and as it were a grudge or secreate murmurynge agaynst god a discontentacion of mind in outward aduersite infamy scorne rebuke cōtumely losse of thinges sicknes payne of the body persecuciō dereliccion and desolaciō of mynde which may fortune vnto a mā by the permissiō of god with the which god almighty is wont to trye proue his dere belouid chosen and that of most exceding charitie for ther euerlasting saluacion Such
god to abyde in there to talke vnto thy soule ¶ The thurtenth impedyment THat is studie vnmesurable where in the vnderstandyng is al together occupyed wyth bare speculacion of suche thynges wherin is nether deuocyon nether incensyng or kyndlyng of the minde nor vertuous affeccyon is sought for but the bare redynge for it selfe bycause it delyghtyth or pleasythe the reder or els it is taken for some vayne knowledge Suche maner of parsons become vayne and puffyd vp in their great lernyng and of suche knowledge presūptuous yet very baren in the affeccyō of that wherof they cā so wel talke For they can bable and say much of spyritual lyfe and goostly fealing but they neuer tast it but be for from the fealynge here of Thou shalt not rede and study therfore that thou mayst be countyd learned but that thou mayste be the more deuoute and godlie Alway thinke rather that thou art ignorant and canst nothing And desire to know nothing with the holy apostle paul but thy Lorde Iesu Chryste and the same crucyfied For if thou canst and knoweste Chryst it is ynowghe thoughe thou know nothing els Exercyse thy selfe in his lyfe and passyon cōtynually beholdyng deuoutlye in medytacyon what he suffered that thou mayste haue compassyon and sorowe wyth him and how he sufferyd with what Obedyence mekenes pacyence with al other vertues that thou thereby mayste be prouokyd to folow lyke vertues and wherfore or why he sufferyd that thou mayst be thankeful vnto him in louyng hym againe as he louyd the syth he suffered passion and death for the. Let there grow and encrease in the contynually desyre to be lyke vnto thy louyng Lord and sauyor Iesu Chryste in sufferyng that as he sufferyd most cruel passyon and payneful death for the so thou must be wylyng to suffer al aduersitie and griefe for his loue and honor that he shal lay and suffer to com vpon the. ¶ The .xiiij. Impediment THat is the inordinate delectacion and as it were a rest in gostly spiritual swetenes as when we do rest in the delight in grace in deuociō in loue in sensible or felyng deuocion which be al the giftes of god lent vs. We must not rest in them or set to muche delyght in thē but vse them as meanes to leade to lyfte our hart and ful affection to god for him selfe They are not the very sanctimony charitie but certeyne gyftes of god geuen to vs for a helpe to our infirmitie that we shuld mortifie more diligentlye the inordinate loue and affecciō to our selfe and not that we shuld rest in them The more then that a man is mortified to hym selfe in al these poyntes that are here spoken of the more charitie true loue he hath and no more Yea whatsoeuer he askith of god if he doth not vse it to the mortifiyng of hym selfe it is impure and myxte wyth nature whiche sekes it selfe in all thynges so subtylly yea in godly thynges that if it be stayed or letted on the one syde it wyl craftelye apeare and crepe in at another hole before we can well perceiue it The .xv. Impediment 〈…〉 THat is the coldnes in deuocion and in the desyre of perfeccion whereby many be led by costume do many good workes thynkinge that perfeccion lyeth more in the multytude of good workes then in the feruour and increase of charitie therfore they folowe not the tracte and monicion of the holy gost in forsaking them selfe But thou shalt take and holde thys rule as the summe of gostly profite At al tyme as nyghe as thou canst kepe thy hart mynd eleuated vnto god with louely turnynge memory of him with feruent desire to please hym most perfectly sighing crying with out ceasyng with some brief burning aspyracions louely sentences as for example ¶ Oh my lord god the only lyfe of my soul Oh the whole desire of my hart whē shall most hertely loue the when shall I perfectly and vtterly forsake all the world contemne my owne selfe for thy pure loue ¶ Oh that I could depart wholy from my selfe and be wholy turned to the my lord that I myght wyth most burnyng loue be transformed and altered into the. ¶ Oh the swete thought of my hart graūt me grace to loue the with al my hole hart with al my hole soule and mynde with all the myghtes and powers of my body and soule And thus dyuers wayes as the holy gost shal put in thy mynd at al tymes thou muste desyre loue sighe for thy loue thy lorde Iesu Thou must also laude prayse and geue thankes often tymes vnto hym Thys is most worthy and most noble exercyse whereby thou mayst optaine infinite thynges of the infinite goodnes of thy lord god for the desire of charitie shuld extende it selfe infinitely God hym selfe cōmaundeth vs to aske and he hym selfe also hath promised to heare vs which of his infinite liberalite suffreth no sygh nor mone made to him to passe voyd or without frute For either he infūdeth grace either increaseth the same either draweth the harte to hym more effecteousely either he refresheth it swetely either geueth it some gostly light or els cōfirmith it more stedfastly Do not therfore loose by negligence nor neglecte suche noble gyftes which thou mayst optayne euery hour Cease not flye not from the face of thy louyng lord but folow pursue thy dere loue and lord thorow fyre and water And when thou art distracted frō him whē thou art temptid or ouerthrowen thereby be it neuer so often or neuer so foule a fal returne agayne I say vnto the lorde of all mercy and pytie he wyl not forsake the. Begyn againe boldly intend māfully and most hertely desyre to cōsume and bestowe al that thou arte al thyne in his loue and laude in his honor seruice For vnthākefulnes causeth the wel of hys mercy to dry vp the spirite within vs cryeth withoute ceaseing in our soule that we shuld be thankeful vnto god for hys giftes lauding praysyng hym in hart worde and dede which is blessed and praise worthye worlde withoute ende Amen Certaine steppes of stayres general to know how much thou doest profite and grow in the loue of god forsaking of thy selfe And as ofte as thou shalt loke hereon lament be sory that thou arte no farther forward and force thy selfe with a good hope corage in god to increase and growe better THey stand on the fyrste stayre or step which are wel groūded in catholike faith and the feare of god and for gods sake exchew al deadly syn But yet they are but colde in charitie and neglygent and slowe in the gostlye lyfe For they seke al together natural cōmodities and sensual cōfortes and solace whose gostly lyght is but dym obscure theyr liuyng is daungerus not withoute peryll and theyr saluacion is but doutful Bycause that whyle they thynke it inough for saluaciō to
exchew mortal syn yet they can not wel discerne nor iudge nor wel exchew and escape al mortal sin The conuersacyon of suche is in as much parel as are they that daunce or walke vpon the brinke of the pyt of hel which with alytle tryp fall flat down hedlong For thes are in maner in the affect desyre of fyn Not wythstandyng yf suche exchew deadly syn departe so out of this lyfe they shal be sauid but as saynt paule saythe as it were by thorow fyer for they shal passe hardly thorow that hot and horryble fyer of purgatory where their venial sinnes shal be ful sharpely and sore syngid and purgyd bycause they were neglygent and wold not cut away the affeccion of sin and auoyde and purge with penaunce their venyal synnes whyle they were here And then their good dedes shal fynd but smal frute by reson they wer not done of and with pure affeccion but were in maner stayned with some wordly impuritie as with vaynglory or other worldly naturall respecte ¶ The seconde step or stayre THey stand on the second stayr that folowing the holy gosts inspiracions holy callyng of god do auoyd and kepe thē selfe from the vanitie vaine pleasure commodyties of the world and from the occasiōs of sinne and seke god and gostly counsel and famyliaritie of good godly persōs They frequente the church the seruyce of god deuoutly hearyth the word of god taught doing many good workes Thes thoughe they voyde diligently the greate euyls yet they flye not the other secret snares in the leasser synnes imperfeccyons and fawtes as in soden passyons of wrathe of vayne glorie vaine words of lyght iugement c. But thes are slacke and neglygent to take vpon them hard exercyses and passe not to grow vnto more hyer perfeccyon for they thynke it suffycient a greate perfecciō to auoyde the greatter venyals to haue forsaken the world and thus thinking that they are somewhat and in very truthe they are ryght nought stāding in their owne conceite thinking they nede nor more vertue or better lyfe trustyng in the great goodnes of god or rather yf they serche and ransacke depely trustyng in their owne good dedes they content them selfe with that state and care for no other nor furder encrease Thoughe this estate be not euyl but better the the other yet it is very far frō perfecciō ¶ The thyrde steap or stayre IN the thyrd stayre stande they that haue more perfectlye vanquyshyde and ouer throwne the world the fleshe sensualytie also their owne wyl slouth neglygens and geueyth them selfes vnto harde bodely exercyses as vnto faste watche to weare vyle hard straynge clothinge as wollen sacke hear are geuen vnto much vocall prayer whiche thinge without dout are no smal helpe furderance vnto perfecciō yet bycause suche sort do al thes good dedes godly thinges not for pure syncere only honour of god but to auoyd the payne of hel and of purgatory and to come to the ioy of heauē thes seke more their owne cōmodite then the wyl glory of god So whyle thus of impure intent they do thes thinges they are dysceauyd by the subtyltie of the deuyll with this impure desyre of heauen And vsing impurely thes good dedes do content them self herin Thus labor not thei to know the nobylytie of the inward exercyse to come to the very ground of true vertues whiche are perfect mortificacion pefect mekens charytie and other vertues And besyde they folowe the inclynacyon and tracte of nature by loue naturall toward creatures which they bare toward persons temporal to worldly thynges sondry occupacions supposynge this loue as in dede it is to be lawful but lytle they knowe howe greate a let is vnto the diuine grace of very perfeccyon And by these they are dayelye dystract with innumerable impure and vnquyet affeccions cares carkes thoughts that springith commith of this natural loue ¶ The fourthe steap or staier THey stande vppon the fourthe steap or stayre which not only with dayly doth bodyly and goostly exercise as in mental prayers and medytacyons in syghynges compassyons and holy desires do dylygently labour in their inner man Yet thes as the othere sekyth as muche or more theire owne wyl sensible deuocion thē the pleasure of god and lacke the true forsakyng of thē selfe For they glory ioy in thes their exercyses and swet deuocyon supposyng it to passe the trade exercise of other with their wyl wold neuer change it Wherin apereth a point of the propriete of their vnmortyfied wil which they haue not forsaken in this poynt And al thoughe for the tyme that they feale this sensyble deuocyon they offer them selfe vnto goddes wyl and pleasure to suffer and abyde al aduersitie at his pleasure Yet whē got takith away this deuocyon from them then were they heauy and are dyscoragyd Yf they betowchyd with any aduersytie rebuke or shame or be byd to do any thing that is agaynst their mynd and wyl by and by they shew what they be and howe vnmortified their wil is then they gruge and murmur for they haue styl lying burnynge wythin them the loue of thē selfe wherby the deuill craftely retractyth and withdrawyth their wil which they semed to offer wholy vnto god and so kepyth he them in porpryetie of their wyl which they parceaue not for they desyre their owne proper wyl be done rather thē the plesure of other But if these could ons geue vp and commyt them selfe and al other vnto the hygh prouydens and pleasure of god only without am withstanding or retract of their hart thē shuld they grow to muche perfeccyon in a lytle tyme ¶ The fyfte steap or stayre VPon the fyft stayre stand thei whiche in all their good workes and exercyses in al ther conuersacion do resygne and renounce their owne wyl into the hyghe pleasure and wyl of god They be obedient not only vnto al holy inspyracyons and vnto their superiors but also vnto al men wherin so euer it semyth that it may stād with good reason and that for the honour of god and their owne mortificacyon They labor and indeuor themselfe al together vnto cleanes of harte and purenes of consciens to louely and fyrely desyres of god to deuout prayers and vnto al other holy workes both goostly and bodily with the which they desyre to please god and to be vnytyd and knyt vnto him But bycause that thes are but yonge beginners and haue not byn but a whyle trauelid and cōuersant with in this state and stayre and bycause as yet al therie affeccyons are not fully pullid vp by the rote and mortified by oft trauel in thes exercyses therfore some time the wynd of in constance causyth thē to stagger ye and to slyp from thys stayre and to fal agayne into some poynt of properte But thes perceiue their fal and arise agayne
fautes and venials that ye dayly do cōmit neyther for that ye can not do as ye reade that other holy persons hath done neyther for that ye are weake or sycke in bodye Ye shall take no discorage nor feare for anye of thes whiche the deuyll oft tyme is wont to suggeste and to put in to the mynde and the memorye of the simple yong begynner eyther to discorage them either to trouble thē with fearful scrupulousnes or to wery them wyth tediousenes and al to hinder or to let theire gostly and holy purpose Only haue and hold stedfastly a good wyll and a ful and ferent desyre to haue such perfecciō in vertue as it might please the goodnes of god of his mercyful lyberalite to geue you Yet shal ye hope euermore the best and aske the best but commyt it to the high pleasure of god to geue what he wyl And yf ye hold this good wyll and do labour and do what your weke frayltie wyll suffer beyng sory that ye can do no better thoughe you feale no deuocion no comfort in thes your goostly trauel and exercyses yet are they a most acceptable sacryfice in the sight of god for whose only sake and desyre you do paynefully occupie your selfe without any goostlye comforte Obserue these instruccions as muche and as nyghe as ye can but not to scrupulously thynkyng your labour lost yf ye do not kepe them exactly and streytely but kepe them as well as ye may And when ye forget any of them intend to kepe it better here after and purpose euermore by godes grace and blessyd helpe to better your selfe and all shall be well And with peace and quietnes do as god shall geue you grace Vnto hym be geuen al honour and glorye Amē ¶ The firste exercise to come to knoweledge of almyghty god FYrste thou shalt exercyse thy selfe in the perfect and deepe knowlege of our lorde thy god callynge humbly to remembraunce how excellent and incomprehensyble he is as well as the grace that thou canst optayne of god shal assist the this knowlege thou shalt indeuer thy self to optayne rather by feruent desire and deuoute prayer then with highe studye and outeward laboure It is the syngular gyfte of god and very precyus Wherfore thou shalte wyth most humble and lowly hart very oftentyme desyre the same lorde god that thou myghtest possesse him most deuoutly praynge that he vochsafe to manifest and shew hym selfe vnto the that thou mayst know him and hys hygh pleasure and perfect wyl saying in this maner or lyke in thy hert secrete mynd with all desire and gostly affeccyon MOst gloryous maiestie of my lord god whom to knowe is the very blysse and felicitie of mans soule and there can no manne knowe thee as thou art without thou wylt open and shew thy selfe vnto hym Moost humbly I be seke the moost gracyus god and moste mercyful lorde vouchesafe of thy infynite mercy and goodnes to lyghten at thys present and euer my hart my mynd and knowelege with the very true and perfect knowelege of thyne owne selfe and of thy moost holy and perfect wyll and godly pleasure to thy moost honor and glory Amen ¶ Then shalt thou lyfte vppe thy heart and thoughte and consyder not with to greate vyolence but soberly the eternall euerlastynge and the infynite power and myght of god whiche hath creatyd al thynge consyder hys moost excellent wysedome hys vnmeasurable goodnes and his incomprehensible loue Consyder what thy lord god is who he is what maner and how great he is not in body but in might power goodnes wisedome mercy For he is very and only god most gloryus most blessed moost excellent and mooste hyghest aboue all thyng the excellent and hyghe verytie and truthe it self the euerlastyng and vnchangable goodnes a very and sempyternall substance a charytie infynite whiche is so great so excellent and ineffable in hym self that all dignitie perfeccyon and goodnes that is possible to be spoken by word can not suffycyently expresse any parte of hys moost inconprehensible nobilytie dignitie perfecciō and goodnes Way and consider well also that god is the very true propre and natural place rest and centre of thy sole in whom thi soule from the beginning fyrst restyd by the perfect resemblance and symilitude of hyr in the blessyd mynd of god from whens in the time of her creacion she came in to the bodie whyther shee must returne agayne and in whome she must by hym rest or els she shall perishe for euer and looseth that blysse that she was creatyde to and Iustly shall be caste in to the vnrestefull myserie and turmente of hell After thys thought then turne thy thought vnto the mooste holy and blessyd trinitie Not musing to much theron with most deuout and obedient faith most mekely and lowly adoure and worshyppe laude and prayse it with all the myghtes of bodie and soule saing in thy hert thus or lyke O Moost blessyd and moost holy trynitie of persons and moost swete and most gloryus vnitie in one godhed I most humbly beseche thy myghtyfull and moost mercyfull maiestie that the blessyd vnitie which thou art in godhed may flowe and runne by most feruent loue in to my soule and in to all creatures that be able to laude and prayse the. Amen THen consyder the blessed parsonage of god the father howe he is the euerlasting ineffable and incomprehensible goodnes which bryngyth forth incogytably of him self and substance an euerlasting goodnes coequall and of one godhead and substance with hym selfe which is his only son Whych two that is to say god the father with hys sempeternall son loue together the one the other in a charytie infinite and with an vnmeasurable and euerlastynge delight and this charitie or delight is god the holy goost ¶ Aspyracions to come to the blessed knowlege of god the holy trinitie thou shalt fynd at the end of these excersies Thou shalte also consider in this meditacion how al thynges are of thys blessed trinitie thy lord god and remayne and abyde by hym thorowe hys myght that vpholdeth them and are in hym more perfectly thē in their owne nature therfore to hym be all honoure and glorye of creatures worldes without end ¶ Of the knowlege of god commeth and groweth in the soule of manne all vertue and goodnes And of the ignorance of god aryseth all temptacyon all bytternes and dampnacion therefore thou owghteste to geue the more dylygence and to trauel the more earnestly to haue alway in thy memorie swetely louyngly delectably these thre if thou canst that is to say His essence or goodnes His presence and his loue ¶ Fyrst attendynge and consyderyng his infynite nobilytie his hyghnes his rightwisenes his swetenes liberalitie and mercy and other his innumerable perfeccions the whiche verely so farre passe and excede so incomparably al wyt and vnderstāding of any creature that what so euer of any of all these perfeccyons all the creatures
shouldest alwaie loue him to haue cōtēplacion fruiciō of him shuldest euer possesse him And that thou arte set here that thou shuldest faithfully serue hym thanke hym laud prayse and honour hym and to knowe and fulfyl his moost blessyd wyll and pleasure in thy self and in al creatures Consider also that thou art here in thys world as concernyng thy soule in a straunge contrey as an outlaw and a stranger beset round about with many grynnes and ennemyes in danger of innumerable peryls But yet yf thou remayne in god there can no man hart nor harme the. Consyder how noble how fayre how wyse thy soule is creatyd of god to hys owne lykenesse and ymage and yet neuerthelesse thou arte created as concernyng thy bodie of the slyme of the earth weake myserable vyle nedy redy and prone to all sinnes and vyce in goyng styll toward distruccyon Wherefore take good hede dylygently thou compel not thy soule to serue thy vyle fleshe for the moost filthi and most vile pleasures and delightes whiche soone passeth awaye of thy stynking fleshe and caren and so cast both body and soule into euerlastyng paynes and turmentes of hell and dampnacion Consyder diligently all thy cogytacyons thy workes and dedes whether the end and purpose in the vse of all thy powers and sensies be alway towarde god eyther toward thy selfe or toward creatures And thou shalt perceyue that thou canst neuer marke nor amend thy selfe suffyciently Consyder also how thou of thy self art nought thou hast naught canst naught do but syn Where fore I say consider oft tymes frō whens thou camst wher thou art what thou art whither thou shalt Thou maist see in thy selfe thre sorts of naught The first by innumerable deadely synnes thou art come to naught but to be turmentyd yf it please god perpetually in the deapth of hel like a stinking vessel and fier meate Secōdly by the great corrupcyon of al thy powers and senses of thy bodye and soule thou canst do naught but syn and sholdest fall in to innumerable enormyties yf god dyd not preserue the. And thus art thou become a botomles deapth of darkenes a vessell worthy of all contumelye and reproche be gotten by vnclennes and syn lyuyng in concupiscence and shalte die in anguyshe and agonye Thyrdly in comparyson vnto thy lord and sauyor Chryst thou and all creatures are naught and creatyd of nought and should in a moment come to naught yf thou and they were not contynually conseruyd of almighty god Wherefore thou shuldest desyre to be contempned dispised to be vnknowen of all men yet without thy faulte and deseruyng it For thou must not do any thynge synfull to be dispysed but if the worlde dyspise the god permittyng it thou must be glad and thinke thy selfe very worthy therof Thou must also punishe thy self wyth thy lorde Iesu but yet wyth discrecion Feare god euery where alway with chyldely or louely feare Speke fewe meke and lowely wordes Thynke and remēber alway beleuing that the commynge of thy heauenly brydegrome spouse is at hand alway callyng and saying to the Ecce spōsus venit exite obuiam ei And thus alway returninge thy thought and consideracion vpon thy naughtynes thou shalt merueyle greatly that god doth suffer the so foule filthy and vnthankefull a creature to abyde one moment before his eies or sight Thou shalte wyth all meekenes cry vnto thy lord god from the botomles deapth of thy mysery deuoutelye callynge for the botomlesse deapth of hys mercye with the ofte searche of thy conscience wherby he of his mercy by his grace synguler for of it thou haste nede wyl vouchesafe to geue thee the clere sight and knowledge of al thy vices imperfections passions and synful inclinacions to syn and all thy sinnes which cleaue and lye hidde within and withoute thy powers and sences and do miserablye blynde thy soule and drawe the continualy to perdiciō and destruction And thus must thou lerne to know thy selfe and that very dilygently For thoughe thou profite very much continually yet art thou not able to penetrate and perse to the botome of thy naughtynes the herte of man as Esay sayeth is so wycked and vnsearchable yet by grace thou mayst come to a great knowledge therof Where fore to optayne thys specyall grace thou shalt make deuoutely vnto god in thy herte and most herty desire and not with voyce thys prayer which is the practyse of this exercyse that folowe these fewe aspyracions ¶ These briefe short prayers be called aspyracions for they be as it were syghings and longinges to obtaine of almighty god that which we aske in them and they must be vsed and sayd in hert and desyre as often in the daye as they come to mynde what euer we do or where euer we be euery daye so longe as we do vse thys present exercise ¶ Oh most mercifull Lorde whose loue is the lyfe of my soule lyghten my soule with thy grace to knowe thee ¶ Oh mooste swete Iesu to knowe all the worlde and not to know the is but darkenes and foly graunte me grace therfore mercifull lorde to knowe the. ¶ Oh most mercifull Lorde make me Ignorant and a foole in all thynge so I maye knowe the whiche is the hyghest wisdome of all ¶ Oh Gracius Iesu whiche arte not knowen but of clene heartes purge my harte that I maye see the. ¶ My Lorde Iesu whiche doest reuele thy secretes vnto the litle babes make me perfecte meke and a babe in euyll that I may knowe the. ¶ Oh mercifull Lorde graūte me to come to the knowlege of my selfe the ground of all mekenes ¶ Graunt me grace good Lord perfectly to contempne my selfe and to se the botom lesse pytte of all my myseries ¶ Mercyfull sauiour graunt me an holye hate of my selfe for the verye pure loue of the and thy honour ¶ The practise of the exercise to come to some knowledge of god of thy self O Moost myghtyful maker swete sauiour Iesu whiche taughtest saydest Thys is the lyfe euerlastinge the very hygh waye to the blysse of heauen that we maye knowe the very god thy father thee his sonne whom he hath sente to redeme the worlde There can none come to the knowledge of the father but such to whom thou wylte vouchsafe of thy gracious mercy to reuele hym For it is thy gyfte onely and we must receyue it only at thy hand Wherfore most mercifull mediator Iesu by whose onely mercyfull meanes and the blessed merites of thy holy manhead all grace is geuen to vs wretched sinners of thy father celestial and thou also as very god doste geue with thy father al mercy and grace I most humbly beseche thee graunte me thy heauenlye lyght and the blessed knowledge of thy blessed godhead Manifest and open to me thy blessed father and thine owne selfe whych arte one god with hym and the holy goost I knowledge good lorde that to know the
knowlege of thy blessyd godhed of thy infinite charite towarwe me And that I maye contynaally remember thy blessed presens in euery place Lyghten myne inward and goostly eyes to se consyder effectuously the wonderfull tokens of thy infinyte loue kindnes to me and the innumerable benefites geuen vnto me and all mankynd specially by thy most holy Incarnaciō thy life deth and passion and that I maye the better perceyue what thou hast done for me graunt me most mercyful good lord grace to com to the perfecte and exacte knowlege of my selfe Fyrste to consider and acknowlege howe noble thou haste creatyd my soule vnto thyne owne similitude and ymage of nought And howe myserable how foule fylthy and abhomynable it was made by oryginall sinne as sone as euer it entred the synfull bodye and fleshe And how thorow thy infinite mercy and tender charytye it was redemed by thy precious deathe purged by vertewe of thy bloud and passion in baptysme and so restoryd vnto grace and mercy agayne Yet afterward syth that tyme I haue innumerable tymes most fylthyly defyled my selfe wyth many a deadly synne forsakyng thee my lorde god turnynge awaye my loue frome the and from thy holy commaundementes folowynge myne owne corrupte wyl and beastly lust and desyre and haue made my soule more filthy feble and more vyle in thy syght thē any vnresonable beast And thus in the foule puddell and durtie dongiō of sinne I must nedes haue sunke in vnto the bottome of dānacion yf thy mercy had not or wolde not yet helpe me vp agayne by thy Infynite mercy and blessed grace For of my selfe of myne owne power I am not able to arise by trewe and perfecte repentaunce with out thy mercyfull grace do helpe me And yet thou arte so good and gracious that I may yf I wyll euery daye houre and mynet recouer thy gracius fauer for thou art euer redie knockīg at my harte cōtinually ¶ Oh merciful Iesu how moch nede haue I of thy mercy and grace ¶ Graunt me good Lorde grace earnestly to consyder oft tyme from whens I came what I am wher I am and whether I go Fyrst frō whens I came playnely I came frome vyle and synfull fleshe begotten in fylthy concupysence and beastly lust in the stinkyng vylenes of oryginal sinne fed in my mothers womb with foule menstruus vilitie And where thou moost mercifull lorde god creatyd the planettes the starres of the fyer the fyshes and foules of the water thou haste created me and all other beastes of the foule and vyle earth so that as touchyng my bodye I am no better thē a beaste created of the earth vnto the earth I shall agayne What I am I maye sone perceaue I am nought els but drosse and durte rotten earth wormes meate much lesse perceuing how I shal depart subiecte vnto many necessities ful of misery borne in sinne liuing in wretchidnes and labour and must dye in payne and agonye And yf I shuld earnestly depely consyder I may perceiue and se that the trees herbes bring for the leaues swete flouers frutes my bodye bryngeth nothing els the foule wormes stynking sweat and corrupcion Yf I wolde wel consider and marke what commeth out of the nose the eares of other yssues of the bodye I shall perceaue that ther can be no fowler and more horible or more stynking dunge hyll in the worlde Nowe wher I am plainly ī this wretched worlde the vale of mysery as an out lawe stranger and in a foren contrey beset wyth many galthroppes and grinnes on euery side in the myddes of innumerable dangers perels among my most mortal ennymies against whome I must fyght bothe nyght and daye for they lye in wayte for my dysstruction contynually whose mortall malyce I can not escape wythout thy moost mercyfull helpe And whither I go lorde whyther els but from whens I toke myne orygynal that is vnto earth dunge claie Of earth asshes my wretched fleshe was created and to the earth it must go fyrst or last But when and howe sone thou only knowest most myghtyfull lord but sure I am that thyther I go contynually where euer I be what euer I do wherfore moost mercyfull lorde graunt me grace that the perfect knowlege and consideracion of my wretched estate neuer go from my memorye Wherby wyth the helpe of thy grace I may seke earnestly and contynually the amendemente of my selfe wyth thy mercyfull help and fauour ¶ Oh merciful lord were not thy exceding greate mercy my soule throwe the innumerable and most greuous sinnes where nought els but a brand of hel fyre a foule stynking vessell full of abhomynaciō of sin apte to be caste into hell and euerlastynge damnacion Moreouer yf thy grace were not I colde do nothing els but synne and increase my damnacion yea ther were no kynde of synne so abominable the which I should not commyt yf thy grace dyd not preserue me yea my soule shoulde returne to ryght nought yf thy myght and godlye power dyd not vpholde it conserue it ¶ Oh mercyful Lord howe many euyl affectyons croked inclynacions synfull passions noughty dysposicions and redynes to all kynde of synne and myschefe are in the senses wit and power of my soule both inwardly and outwardly Whome I can neuer wythout thy specyall grace helpe know nor perceaue and much lesse amend reforme mortyfie wherfore myghtyfull gracious and moost pytyfull sauiour In the blessed merytes of thy most bytter paynfull passion whiche thou sufferest in euery member parte power and myght of thy blessed bodye and soule lyghten my sinfull blyndnes that I maye come to the perfect knowlege of my selfe and therby to come vnto that most acceptable the grounde of all vertue and grace blessed mekenes and contempte of my selfe and to the very and most perfecte loue of the my lorde God vnto whome only belongeth and euer myght be all glory honour of al creatures nowe and for euer Amen ¶ The seconde exercyse to optaine remyssion of sinnes THou must haue a generall cōtricyon and hate of all thy sinnes yf thou haste not made a general confessyon all redy then I wolde coūsel the to make one intendynge wyth most ful and constante mynde to forsake detest al kynde of synne and for the verye pure loue of God and deape hate of thy self and of al sinne to bewayle them as hartely as god shal gyue the grace And that thou mayst come to the perfect hate of thy selfe thou must beleue that ther is no creature ī the worlde that hath done so greate iniury and shewed so great contempte to God as thou And therfore thou shalte Iudge thy selfe worthy of al the payne of hel and al the shame of the worlde for thy manyfold and great synnes for thy great neglygence thy wonderfull vnkyndnes shewed vnto God for the whiche cause thou shall haue moost fyrme and perfecte wyl in
god to be redy to abyde and suffer al iniures shame mockage reuyle and contempte that all creatures in the worlde be able or wyl lay vpon the yea thou shalte offer thy selfe with a redy wyl to suffer al the paines of hel for thy enormytes and sinnes And that thou mayst come to the pure and perfect sorow for thy synnes thou shalt twyse in the day yf thou be not letted by obedience or charitie set thy selfe in a corner conueniente as it were before the Iudgement seat syght of god and adiuge thy selfe and thynke in thy mynd and conscience that thou haste deseruid euerlasting death and the sentence of god shal be pronunced agaynst the thou canst not tel how sone Not withstanding thou shalt yet hope stedfastly that by prayer and penance with teares and contricion thou shalt optayne both mercy and grace at the hand of thy moost mercyful lord god Thou mayst sorow lamentably that thou hast done so greate inuiry and dishonor vnto the hyghe maiestie wysedom and infynite goodnes of thy lorde god who is moost worthy of al laude and prayse saing in thy hart and mynd wyth as harty deuocyon as grace wyll serue thys prayer folowyng whych is the very practyse of this present exercyse But beware that thou be not to ferefull but take comfort and haue fyrme consydence and trust in the infinite merytes of god whiche is euer redy to take the to grace and mercy and to restore the agayne vnto thy originall purenes yf thou be redy to satisfye as wel as thou canst for thy synnes Then shalt thou offer vp to god thy soule and bodye and what so euer thou hast in thys world for thy synnes desyreynge and wyshyng in thy hart to consume and spend them all vnto nought for hys honor And that thou maist more effecteousely offer vp in sacrifice thy soule wyth al the powers myghtes thereof vnto god thou shalt pray or thinke thus in thy harte O My most dere and moost louyng lord god I wyll haue nothynge in my memorie here after but the my lord god my very orygynal in whome I was from the begynning and from whome I came Nether wyll I haue in my mynde vnderstanding or knowlege any thinge but the onlye my lorde god all creatures in the. Neyther wyll I haue any other thynge in my wyll and desyre but the execucion and doyng of thy moost pleasant and most blessyd wyll ¶ Thou shalt also make a sacryfyce and a lyuely hoost vnto god of thy bodye as they did in the old testament layng wood vpon the aulter and put there on the sacrifice or hooste so wyth fyre put there vnder they brent it vppon the aulter In lyke maner must thou gather to gether by contrite remembraunce thy sinnes vppon the aulter of thy harte and thy bodye must be the sacryfice for it must be mortyfied specially from all vyces and synful worke and pleasure and be slayne wyth discrete penaunce and wyth the fyre of charytye For thou must lamente thy sinnes for the very loue of god thou must do penaunce and punyshe thy bodye and mortifye it for the pure loue of god And yf it be thus consumed and offered vnto god wyth this fier thē shal it be a swete a sauery sacryfice in the syght of god and thus intending to do in ful mynde and purpose thou shalte deuoutely hartely pray in thy harte to god in this maner ¶ Oh most mercyful gracious Lord set on fyer this my sacrifice of my bodye and soule that all may be brente and consumed in thy loue that it maye be acceptablye and thankfullye taken of the to thy euerlasting honour and glory Amē ¶ Thou shalte also offer to god thy sustentacyon temporall desirynge in thy hart so to be mayntained to vse thy necessaryes as it maye be to his eternal honour and thy soule helth and no otherwise lacking or hauyng no regard to thy commoditie or any pleasure of thy selfe in them but thou shalt rather desyre yf yt please god to be spoiled and to lacke al necessaries to be very pore and nedy as he hym selfe was poore nedy in this worlde for thy loue Thou shalte also take vppon the by the discreate iugement of thy father and goostly guide some bodely penaūce wyth descrecion and that for the great loue of god accordyng vnto the great enormytie of thy sinnes Then shalt thou turne thy harte and thought vnto thy Lord Iesu as thoughe thou dydest stand or knele before his most blissed body hanging vpon the crosse wyth his precious woūdes flowing out the most precious bloud freshly full of woūdes on euery syde and full of al payne and sorowe for thy sinnes sake And in thy hart and wyth all thy harte yf thou can or as well as thou can saye thus ¶ Oh moost mercyful Lorde swete sauyor Iesu yf it myght please thy moost blyssed wyll and be thy pleasure I wold suffer my body an hundred tymes to be crucyfied for my sinnes I am redy most mercyful lord to suffer in euery ioynt and lyme of my bodye some syngulare payne and penaunce for the honor of thy blessed name ¶ Then shalt thou purpose fully in thy mynde to vse and to bestow euery member of thy bodye whych thou haste vsyd to sinne here after to the hygh honour of god to force and to compel thy selfe to the same though it be neuer so harde and paynefull for the that thou mayest make some amendes in afflicciō and penance vnto thy Lord God the whiche labour and penaunce wyth the labours and paynes of thy state thou shalt offer to God euery daye wyth teares yf thou can haue them in the vnyon of the most holy deathe and passion of thy sauyour Iesu Thou shalt be very sory in thy hart that thou canst not be so sory and so heuy for thy sinnes as thou oughtest to be And thynke thy selfe for thy great offences worst of all creatures and worthy the deapest pyt of hell bycause thou hast crucyfyed as moche as in the laye agayne the son of God and hast troden vnder thy feate the precious bloude of eternall testament wyth whiche thou were redemed and hast dishonored it and haste done contumelye and reproche vnto the spyrite of grace And to come to a more cleare knowlege of thy sinfull lyfe thou must cōsyder and waye wel how often how much and after what sorte how greuouslye thou hast offended thy lorde god in all the tyme of thy whole lyfe yea euery moment so the ther is not one minute of thy tyme nether any good worke in whome thou hast purely and sincerely sought the honour of God as thou oughtest to haue done but haste with a certayne and secret preuy venome of the loue of thy selfe or thy commoditie delectacion or wyl thou hast defiled it And hast in maner contynually sinned all thy lyfe tyme at the least eyther in omission or in the
as it shal plese thy goodnes ¶ Graunt me grace therfore good Lorde to accustome my selfe to haue in my memory louely and contynually desyres and swete and holy affeccyons to the my lorde god that thou mayst dwel in my soule a sone and my soule maye haue the inclosyd in my wyl and memorye euermore and so I maye cary the wyth me wher euer I bee come And though I by frayletye do sometyme lose the good Lorde Iesu yet graunt me sone to seke the and to fynde the to thy honour and my saluacion Amen ¶ The fourthe ys the exercyse for mortyfycacyon THou must exercyse thy self very earnestlye in mortyficacion and abnegacion of al thinges whych may in any maner of wyse let the to draw nere louingli to be ioined and knyt to thy Lord god that is to say thou must mortyfie in the al thyng that is not god or for god or the thing which god wyl not or loueth not They are suffyciētly declarid by the godly father henry harp in his .xii. mortifycacyons whych are these that shal folow here In the whych thou shalt dilygently exercyse thy self by goostly and holy medytacyon wyth oft and deuout prayer markyng well in euery one of them the moost holy exemplar of thy lorde Iesu crucyfyed pryntyng that deapely in thy hart vntyll that the nether powers of the soule that is to say sensies and sensuallytie put no impediment or let here after to the hygher powers of thy soule as are reason wyl and vnderstandyng where by they myght not flowe and tend truly toward god in god THe fyrst of thes is perfect mortyfycacyon of al loue and affeccyon and carefulnes for transytorie worldly thinges This thou must mortyfie so perfectly that thou canst fynd in thy hart to resygyne and yelde them vp vnto the hyghe pleasure of God wyth a quyete mynde wythout secreat murmur or grudge whether it shal plese him to geue them or to take them so that thou doist not desyre nether to haue nether hold them nether to bestow them or gyue them but only for the pure loue honour of god Yea thou shalt desyre and wyshe to leaue them that thou mighteste alwaye offer vp thy whole hart bare and pure vnto god amonge al casualties and mysfortunes At the laste that thou maist make thes oblacions of thy hart vnto god in thy wyl and reason and that thou mayste remayne resteful For thys cause thou muste put awaye and vtterlye forsake not onlye superfluouse and vnnecessary thynges but also such thinges as thou haste onlye for thy pleasure and of curyositie Yea thou maiste not reste by anye loue or affeccion in these thynges that are thy necessaryes yf thou wylt not be a proprietarie before god and shalt vse and take at the least thou shalte learne to take and vse thy natural necessaryes wyth tedyousenes and lothsomnes that thou mayst so muche the better conforme thy self vnto Chryst and mayst bare poore flye as it were in to his bare and nakyd armes THe second is the mortyfycacion of al affeccion in seking thy self By which seking of thy self many louith them selues to wel for in al the good dedes that euer they doo and in al the euyl that they suffer of a certayne seruyle feare they haue an eie regard seke busely their owne profit cōsolacyon and honour as wel in the outward as in the inward giftes and goodnes of god and do seke to exchewe and escape their owne hurt or hynderance their confusyon punishement as wel in thys present as in the world to come And oftētimes whyle they repute and esteme theire dedes exercyses great and holy they fall by the gyftes of god in to goostly pryde gostlye gluttonye gredynes Wherefore against these most dangerus and very great perels thou must dyligently labour and studie in al thynges of a fylyall loue and of a ryght and holy intent to seeke purely the honor the grace and pleasure of god And wyth a syngle intent ordaine dyrect and refer al thy workes to please and haue the fruicion of god and to rest in him alway with al thy myghtes and powers without muche trouble or busynes with a certayne louely flowing and a louing inclynacion or bending of thy inward spirite to godwarde hauing thys thy inclynacion lyghtened with the knowlege of god by faith hope charytie Thys is one fundacion and ground of gostly lyfe Thou must labor wyth intencyon godly not to seke the secreate consolacyon of soul but rather to desyre al derelyctyon barrennes aduersitie that thou mightest be come one with god and to haue fruicion of god with god THe thirde is the mortificacyon of al the affeccion of thyne owne sensualitie aboue or beside reasonable necessitie in the delight delectacion and plesure of meat and drynke of apparell and other temporall thinges also in the pleasure and delyght in vayne vnnecessary cogitacyons wordes gestures and talke with men or famylyars and fryendes for sensual loue only Also in delectable appetytes to haue or to see fayre pleasant thynges to heare newes and to occupye the sensies in vaine without resonable cause as to se that and heare this These and al the solacyes and delightes of nature thou shal mortyfie and by full and perfect turnyg thy self from all such thynges as sensualytie is wont doth delight to rest in for thes make al deuocion and goostly exercyses both vnsauery and also more hard Thou shalt also take great heede and be well ware that thou haue nor bere none affectyon in thy harte to any solace or syn be it neuer so lytle whō thou doiste not labour to pulle vp by the roote Thus must thou nedes do that al sensualitie may vtterly be mortyfied least the whol heape of thy good workes come to nought THE fourth is the mortificacion of the affection of seculare and wordlye loue the whiche causeth a mā to do many dedes of vertew that he myght come to some commoditie or honour by those wordly persōs to whom he is so affectionat ether fearing to displease them ether to sustayne any dāmage or discōmodytie or harme This affeccyonate loue thou must vtterly mortifie and also the carnal loue towarde thy kinsefolkes and the loue that thou haist goten amonge thy fryndes and that whiche thou berest to them for their benefytes so that wythout all accepcyon of any person thou do loue purely god and goddes Image in them grace and vertew not flatteryng or vpholdinge louinge or dissemblinge anye mans vyce or sinne but thyrst and desyre wyth all thy hearte the soule healthe of all menne Thou muste mortyfie also the inordynate loue and affeccion that mouyth to anye vnquietnes distraccion or desyre to haue the frendship or bodely presence of anye person and paynteth thy fansye and mynd wyth ymaygynacions of them specyally in tyme of prayer or els when thou woldest turne thy selfe vnto god defylinge and infectyng thy harte as it were a
spede hilarite The second the obedience of conformitie and thys consistyth in the prompt and redye wyl inwardly not only in cōmaundements preceptes but in any other thyng leful wythout commadement and that purely for the loue of god wtout al respect of any fauor of man so that thou wolddest rather be contempned and dispysed of man for such obedience then to be praysyd or to haue any rewarde for it The third is the obedience of vniō with god which knittith so the wyl of man vnto the wyl of god that it is become but owne wyl with it so that what so euer god doth permyt and suffer to come vpon hym yea in al inward pressure heauynes and agonye of spyryt desolacyon and dereliccyon he is fully perswadyd be leuith al together to come by the ordinaūce of apoyntmēt of the vnmesurable loue and mercy of god and therefore he receauyth it with al affeccyon be it neuer so hard paineful shameful or greuus for thys time and for euerlastyng accordyng to the example of his deare louyng lord and sauyor Iesu whych from the most payneful agony and bloody swet in the garden vntil the crewell death vpon the crosse he was destitute of al sensyble grace consolacyon as thoughe he had byn the extreme enemye of god abydyng most crewell and most intollerable payne and tormetes only beyng resignyd moost perfectly of loue into the handes and wyl of his father When thou hast once optayned thes .xii. mortifycacyons then shall thou wyth the powers of thy soule be redy and able to flow and to haue recourse to god and in hym to rest cōtynualy wyth out any let or impediment Not withstandynge thou must lerne to come to more cleare playne knowelege how thou maist optaine and possesse the very trew loue and stable sure vnyon betwene god and the myghtes and powers of thy soule firste in the ornament of actyue lyfe by perfect mekenes obedyence other morall vertues and by the increase of them also by faythe hope and charytie Secondly in lyfe contemplatyue spyrytual by burnyng and ardent aspiracions and the gyftes of the holy goost and also other godly and gostly exercyes Therfor thou shalt marke obserue dylygently those thynges that thou shalt fynd declaryd brefely ī thes exercyses folowing next after this practyse that folowythe ¶ Ther are no aspiraciōs for this exercise but take some of the sentencies of the practyse as shall lyke you ¶ The practise of this exercise for mortyficacion MOst almighty and immortal God my moost mercyfull sauyoure Iesu whiche of most tender loue and pytyfull mercy that thou beare vnto me and to all mankynde dydest suffer most cruel most painefull and shamefull death for me al mankynde I most mekely and most hartely beseke thy mercyful goodnes for the innumerable merytes of thy most precyous death graunte me grace and power vtterly to renounce and to forsake all thinges that might let me from the synceare loue of the and fully to mortyfie in me al suche thynges that is not good ether that which thou woldest not ether that whiche thou louyst not For these do presse downe and drawe backe my soule when it wolde and myght wholye aryse vnto the perfecte and pure loue of the by gostly vnyon and spirituall knote to be knyte vnto thy blessed godhede Fyrst I humbly beseke the swet Iesu for thy pouertie and nedines that thou tokest vppon the and sufferedst in this world for me graunt me by the myght of thy specyall grace to mortyfie most perfectly all care al loue al affection be it neuer so lytle vnto anye worldly or transytory thyng that I may alway wyth most quyet mynde resygne and offer vp all thinges wordly vnto thy most hyghe wyll and pleasure wether thou wyl gyue them or take thē that I neuer desyre any thinge be it neuer so small nether to holde it nether to geue it nether to saue it nether to bestowe it nether to kepe it nether to forsake it but only for thy honour ¶ Graunte me god lorde by perfect pouertye of spirite to forsake al thing in my hart what so euer chanceth in al fortunes good or bad that I may euer offer my bare hart and loue restfully vnto the. ¶ Graunte me gracyous Iesu to forsake and do away al superfluus thynges al curyous thinges and in thynges that seme necessary neuer to rest wyth any affeccion to them but that I may wyth yrkesomnes and werines vse such thinges that I must nedes haue to satisfie naturall necessytye where by I may the better folow thy holy pouertie and be more lyke vnto the moost meke Iesu beseke the for thy obediens that thou shewyst vnto god almighty thy glorious father for that most blessyd and moost tender loue that thou dydest beare vnto vs myserable sinners vnto the death soughtest of pure loue towarde vs and the glory of thy father celestyal not thine owne glorie and honor but the heuenly fathers not thyne owne comoditie and comforte but ours Thou forsakyst no paine nor punishmente nor labor nor trauell no shame nor confusyon to set forth the glory of thy gloryous father and to procure our saluacion our redempcion oure felycitie ¶ Good lorde graunte me grace to distroy and mortifye in me the seking of my selfe and the inordynate loue whyche I bare to my selfe For in euery thing that I do wel and in all euyll that I forsake I haue by reason of my corrupte nature euer an eye and respecte vnto mine owne commoditie myne owne consolacion and myne owne honor glorye and prayse and in al the gyftes of god that I haue or do vse and exercyse or do aske whether they be outwarde or inward my corrupte and crafty nature euer seketh craftely some commoditie and honoure and seketh euer moore to escape and auoyde hurt dammage shame confusyon payne and punishment as wel in this worlde as in the worlde to come more thē for pure loue Of this inordinat loue of my selfe I do counte al thinges that I do wel of muche reputacion I esteme myne exercyses to hyghly and thus I fal into gostly pryde in this gyftes Wherfore moost mercyfull lorde Iesu helpe me by the power of thy specyall grace and graunt that I may begyn and procede in al thinges and do al thinges of moost pure and fylyal loue and pure intente for thy only fauer honor sekyng purely and sincerely to please the with an amorous and louely affectiō of my inwarde spirite being lyghtened wyth a dyuyne and a godly vnderstanding by faythe hope and charite not seking any maner of gostly comforte of the soule but rather to desire if it please the al derelicciō al aduersitie for thy sake that I maye be lyke vnto thy afflicted humanytie in this world and in the worlde to come I maye by thy grace and mercy haue the fruicion of thy godhed ¶ Most mercyful sauioure Iesu for the bitter payne thou suffdrest in thy
in me and I feare more thy Iustice and the payne of hell then I do loue beleue thy infynitie goodnes blessed mercy and therfore I am disquietid wyth this scrupulous feare whiche letteth me greatly from many good dedes and increace of thy loue and holy perfectiō Therfore most mercyful lorde for thy mercy sake graunt me the pure loue of the most fyrme hope and trust of thy mercy that al scrupulous feare may vtterly be mortified in me to thy honoure and glory ¶ O moost meke sauiour Iesu whiche cāmest into this wrecchyd worlde not to do thyne owne wyll but the wyl of thy heauēly father and in the tyme of thy moost soroufull heauy and deadly agony and intolerable heuynes of thy godly and most innocente harte didest forsake thy owne wyl and dydest resigne thy selfe wholy vnto the wyl of god thy father In the gracius merites of thy most painful agonie sorouful blody swete graunte me I humbly beseke the swete Iesu the grace vtterly in me to mortifye the propryetie of my owne wyll and perfectly to yelde and resygne my selfe wholy into thy most blessed pleasure handes to abide whatsoeuer thou shalt in time or for euer suffer to come vpon me be it solas or sorow payne or plesure hel or heauē so it be thy blessed wil wtout any gain sayng murmur or gruge of hart that ioifulli I may for thy loue suffer al paine gostly bodely ¶ Graunt me good lorde moost perfecte obedience not only vnto my superiours but also to al others in thynges lawefull ¶ Graunte me obedyence vnto my superiours not only in outwarde dedes but also inwardly in redines of my wyl to cōforme my wyll vnto the wyll of my Prelate in al thinges and that for no regarde of any fauer laude or prayse therfore but that I maye rather desyre to be dispised therfore ¶ Graunte me most gracious Iesu so exacte and perfecte obediens vnto the my lord god that I may neuer haue any other desyre or wyl in me sauing only thyne That thyne and myne by singular grace maye be made one wyl one harte one desyre ¶ Take frome me oh mercifull maker my wicked will the ground of al sinne and geue me thy blessid wyl ground of al grace and goodnes Take from me my proud harte take from me my vnpure and vnclene desyre put into my soule the insaciable desire of thy honoure and to do thy only will to thy honor and glorye Amen ¶ The Fyfte exercyse to come to the conformytie in vertue of Chryst crucyfyed in the desyre of al vertue and hate of al synne THou must exercyse thy self in the cōstante very trew hate of al syn so that thou woldest neuer comytte any wer it neuer so lytle for the fear of no dammage sclaunder or torment in this world were it neuer so greate and dredeful Al sinne muste neades be pullyd out of thy harte before any perfect vertue cane growe there and eare thou canste be permyttyd to enter in to the harte of Iesu to be knyt and made one spiritually wyth hym Thou shalt therefore hate nothynge so euyll as syn yea the least that can be for it dyuydythe and sondryth thy soule from god and god from thy soul In lyke maner thou shalt exercyse the in the dylygent and contynual serche loue and geuynge of all and euery vertue be they neuer so wonderful or neuer so many yea if thou wyst that euery drop of water in the sea were a vertue thou shouldest labour for thē al for the very honor of god Thou oughtest as muche as is possyble for the to adorne to crucyfie thy bodie wyth vertues alway and euery where cōformyng it vnto Chryst crucyfied for the accordynge to the example of hys most blessyd bodie which lyued alwaye crucyfied and crucyfied he dyed and departyd this world and that of hys infynite loue which was as freshe new in hym toward vs as it had ben the loue of a new maryed bryde gromme Our loue therfore ought to be euer freshe and new towarde him lyke the loue of a new maryd bryde that a faithful and trew spouse dothe beare towardes her moste louynge housebande THus by thys trewe perfecte loue towarde oure swete loue Iesu we shuld in maner sucke and draw in to vs oute of hys sacrate bodye thes fyue pryncypal vertues that folowe with theyr daughters and prynte thē very strongly perfectly in our soule and bodie that they myght shyne therein lyke as they were sterres in the firmamente The first vertue is very true mekenes This thou shalt carye in thy feate and shalt desyre thy Lord Iesu by the precyus woundes of his moost holy feate and hys infynite humilitie whiche he shewed alway but specyally in takynge vppon him manhed that he wyl vochsafe to grant the to be so meke in al thyngs as his moost pleasant wyl wyl requyre of the. Thys humylitie then thou haist perfectly optayned when thou sorowest lamentest art vnfaynedly sory as oft as any benefyte or honor is geuen or shewid vnto the wher of thou verely thynkest thy selfe very vnworthy and also when the perfecte desyre of al contempte perseueryth and abydethe in the in the myddest of al sclanders iniuries rebukes paynes sorowes that are layde vppon the and thou thynkest thy selfe most worthy of them and of much worsse Thys humilitie bryngeth forthe thre daughters obedyens pacyens and sylens or kepynge of the tonge The true and very obedyent doth nat only obey his prelate for his promyses and hys vowes but also he obeyeth al creatures The very patiēt sufferith and beryth al thynges for the honor and loue of god be they neuer so paynful sharpe that god permyttyth to com vppon hym for he beholdyth and consyderyth how pacyenly our Lord Iesu sufferid his crosse and al his paynes passyon for our helth The meke person thoughe he be very wyse and ryght wel learnyd yet he speakyth fewe for all thinges are not gotten by muche talke and sayng many For it wer better to lyue well and in fewe wordes to shewe that which thou canst say when nede is and art demaūdyd And the very meke spekith lytle for he is obedyent patient kepeth wel his tonge The seconde pryncypal vertue is true wisdome or sapience in the exercyse and vse of all thy thoughtes workes and dedes This wysdome wyll gouerne the strōgly and resonabli that thou shalt nether thinke speke nether do any thinge be it neuer so litle as is the styrryng of any ioynte of thy bodye but only of very reason and the permyssyō and pleasure of God This wisedome thou shalte carye in thy head pryntyng thy head into the pearsed head of Iesu chryste most humbly besekynge him for the sorowe and payne that he suffered in his most holy head that he wyll vochsafe to adorne thy head with hys godly wysdome as moche as it shall please hym and he shall know
louyng and moost godly hart laūcyd with a knightes spere in the sight and presnes of thy most sorowful mother mary I cōmend resigne and commit most lowly humbly al my whole harte with al my affeccyons and desires hereof into thy precyus wond of thy most dyuyne hart the wel of al goodnes And also all my synnes and offences but specyally al my priuate loue to my self and al vycyus loue that euer I bare vnto any creature The abuse and neglygens of thy blessed sacramentes of thy gyftes of graces My mystrust my infidelytie my heresies and errors my inordynate feare pusylanimitie and desperacyon All the neglyence and lytle care that I haue taken in the thinges pertaining vnto my callinge and state with al my instabilitie and the vyces and synnes appertanynynge to thes or any of them that they may be forgeuen me be purged in thy moost precyus blod I moost humbly besech the moost gracius Lord Iesu for the moost burnynge loue and charytie of thy godly harte and for the precyus wond hereof and for al sorow agonye and heuynes that thou sufferedest in it and by the ineffable charytie cōstance and all the vertues of thy blessed hart fulfil my hart with moost perfect loue charytie which may sley in me al loue to my self and vnto creatures that it mai woūd and set on fyre my harte with the dart of thy fyry loue that I may moost hartely and moost perfectly loue the with al my whoole harte wyth all my mynd wyth al my strength and power puerly without any respect of any reward saue only for thy goodnes ¶ Graunt good Lord that I may for thy sake and loue forgo al thynges be they neuer so greate I may do al good thinges be thei neuer so hard I may suffer al paines be they neuer so paynful that for thy only loue and for thy sake to perseuer herein vn tyll the ende ¶ Graunte me most merciful lorde grace that I may sighe cal and knocke cōtinually vnto the wyth burninge desyres and cōtynuall prayer for the perfecte forsakynge of my selfe and for the louely and godly vnion of my soule vnto ye. That I may euer thinke on the. I maye alway talke of the I may thurst hunger the that I may seke fynde the vntyll that I be fully trāsformid and changed al together into the made one spirite wyth the euer remaynynge in the and thou in me ¶ Graunte also that I may in the same charitie loue euery mā sor thy sake as my self ¶ Graunte me most faythful Iesu a lyuely and a stronge faith that workyth great meruelus workes for thy honoure Iesu ¶ Graunte me also a ryght and a godly intente lyghtenid with the lyght of fayth which maye dyrecte my wyth the symple eye of my pure mynde to thy glory and most acceptable wyl in all thinges that I do or that I suffer and that it maye cut of cast away al the sekinge of my selfe whervnto my corupte nature alwaye craftely drawith me ¶ Graunte vnto me also good lorde stedfast hope and stronge trust and confidence in the where by my soule may be lyfted vp vnto the aboue al changable and transitory thynges that it maye execute al workes mocyons so purely wythout al carefulnes and imaginacions of outwarde thynges that it neuer let nor lose the louely rest and influence in the but amonge al perels and aduersities wyth a ful hope and trust in the it maye abyde wyth longe sufferaunce thy hyghe pleasure and prouydence and with al mekenes it may stedfastli hope that my prayers to be graciously harde of the for thy greate goodnes wythout any doute abidinge in the helpe and protection of the hyeste ¶ Graunte most louynge lorde Iesu stabilytye and constance in all godlye purpose proceding from a stronge and trewe loue wherby I maie loking often vpon the blessed example of thy moost holy lyfe go forwarde in perfection wyth a continual and a feruente desyre and laboure to growe in vertue forgetting al thinges past ¶ Graunte me grace swete sauyour Iesu ofte to examyne my selfe and to remember what I do what I thinke and as sone as I perceaue my selfe distracted from the thē with a new feruour and desyre I maye returne againe vnto the. And that I may not feare nether fiere nor water but constanly to runne thorow al thinges for thy sake loue and therin to perseuer vnto the ende ¶ Graunte me most mercifull Iesu all the dayes of my lyfe but specially at the houre of death a stronge and sure refuge and cōforte in the precyous wonde of thy moost blessed louynge most trusty harte Amē ¶ Vnto the ryghte hande of Iesu I Laude and prayse the and geue most harty thākes vnto the most ryghteus lorde Iesu for thy most omnipotente rightousenes and thy vnspekable loue and greuous paine that thou suffurest in the woūde of thy holy and myghtie ryght hande And into the same most blessed wounde I caste commytte and commende my selfe wholy and my synnes and offences but specyally all my vnryghteousnes and wronges that I haue done to the and to thy creatures Al the bytternes of my harte all my dyspleasure angrines and enuy Al my falshed my vntruth and hypocrysie Al my vnthankefulnes to the for thy benefites and to thine for theyr benefytes That all these my sinnes myght be forgeuen me and be purged in thy precious bloude I most humbly beseke the most meke sauior Iesu for the most bytter and sorowful paine of that precious wonde of thy ryght hand and for the great charitie that moued the to suffer so greuos payne for me to Iustifie me and by thy in estimable ryghtwysenes thy great mercy thy godly treuth most louely thākfulnes graunte me pecfecte rightwysenes where by I maye render my duetie to the my lord specyally and for thy honoure vnto al creatures that which belongeth vnto thē First graunt gracious good lorde that I may of pure loue geue euermore vnto the my lorde god al honoure and glory reuerence and feare all laude prayse thankes and obedyence in al my thoughtes wordes and dedes Secondely I maye also geue vnto my superyors vnto my eguals vnto my inferiours yea vnto my soule and body I may alwaye geue eche of these that whiche belongeth vnto euery one of them ¶ Grant me good lord grace to do al these thinges whiche I am bounde to do by my callynge and profession in due tyme and order wyth moost meke deuocion That I may also flye that which is forbyden me that I may sley and make a sacrifice of my selfe dayly for my sinnes and neglygens wyth the swete teares of loue and repentāce And thus by the merytes of thy bytter holy passion I may be purged here in thys world and walke worthely al the dayes of my lyfe in the callyng and state that thou hast mercifully called me ¶ Graunt me also most meke and pytifull Iesu
to folowe thy most redye mercye cōpassion and pitie thy bontefullnes and lyberalytie toward me yea to mine enemies aduersaries that I be neuer dyspleased nor angry wyth any mā that I neuer hate iudge or contēpne any man but that without accepcion of persō I may with a fatherly affeccion loue and honoure for thy sake al persons specyally such as be disesed or afflycted tempted or greued thoughe they be myne enemyes I may faithfuly and louīgly serue them and do them good also with my prayer and my helpe to the vttermoste of my power I may succour them in al necessites but chiefely I may seke and desyre their soules helth that I may sorow their sinnes hartely pray for thē And for the vertuous the good I may geue thankes to the as I woulde for my selfe ¶ Graunte me most swete sauyour grace to folow thy holy verytie truthe to flee and exchewe all kynde of vntreuth ¶ Graunte me to folowe also godlye zeale against myne owne vyces specyally al other mennes the which holy zeale may deuoure me all to gether for the helthe of chrysten soules ¶ Graunte also good lorde that my lyfe al my dedes maye euermore agre with my harte and godly wordes that they maye be conformable also vnto the verteus of thy most holy lyfe ¶ Graūt me also most gracius Iesu most hartye and inwarde thankefulnes whereby I may with al mekenes most lowly acknowlege all thy benifites geuen vnto me by the and by thy creaturs and that I may esteme them and regarde them worthely laudyng and praysyng the wyth all deuocion and geue vnto the moost humble and hartie thankes ascribyng them wholy and purely wythout subtraccion of any parte of them only to thy infinitie goodnes thinking my selfe most vnworthy of them yea I may thinke my selfe one that dothe mysuse al thy gyftes that I may neuer delyghte in them nor rest in none of them be it neuer so lytle but rest and delyght only in the fynally whiche art the geuer of al and wyth out the all they can nothinge profyte me ¶ Vnto the lefte hand of Iesu I Laud and prayse the geue most humble thankes vnto the most mightie Iesu for thy almightie fortitude and strength and for the incomprehensible loue and payne of the precius wound of thy lefte hand in the whiche moste blessed wound I mooste lowly and mekely commend and commit me whooly with al my sinnes offences but speciallye all my cowardenes and wekenes against temtacion and sinne Al my neglygence and slowthfullnes Al the losse of my time and idelnes Al the impuritie and sinful filthines of my bodie and soule And my intemperance excesse in meat drinke and of other bodily necessaries Al my coueties gredines and inordinate loue and pleasure that I haue had in vse or keping of any thinge withal vices that appertaine to thes or any of them that they may be forgeuen and be purged in thy precyus bloud and merites And most merciful sauyor Iesu I humbly beseke thi infinite goodnes for thy most crewel payne and sorow that thou suffredst in the precyus wound of thy lefte hand and for that great charitie that causyd the to suffer and abide the same for my sinnes I beseke the in the honor of thy most almightye strenghth thy moost holy purytie thy moost wonderful temperance and thy most blessed pouertie graūt me so much strenghth as is necessary for me to thy glory and honor and my soule helth by the whiche goostly strength I may be able to rule my wyt and soule with al my senses and powers so that nether ferynge man nether the world nor my owne fleshe I may strongly boldely for thy sake whiche gauest me strēgth passe thorow and dispise al thinge as thoughe they pertaynyd nothynge vnto me and that I may not stay nor stycke at nothyng vntyl I come vnto and optayne that which I most desyre that is to say to be one spryte and remayne one in one spyryte wyth the my Lord god ¶ Graunt me also most blessed Iesu grace to folow thy moost louely chastitie of bodie puryte of hart wherby I may vehemētly detest vtterly abhorre al fylthy vnclēnes And that I may contynually kepe chaistly al my cogytacyons and my senses from al syn occasyon thereof from al impuritie and cleauynge vnto any creature And in al vncleane temtacions as oft as they shal chance vpon me graunt me grace spedely without any taryance alway to renounce them and to rūne vnto the with a myghty turninge of my hart that with my whole mind and desire And so with a pure mynd and affeccyon I may cleaue and stycke fast to the only ¶ Graunt me grace mooste myld sauyor Iesu to folow thy moost holy sobryetie temperance wherby I may restrayne and mortifye al the powers and affeccyons of my soule and the senses of my body from al inordynate delectacyon and pleasure and from superfluitie excesse in meates drinkes that I may moderatly vse only necessaryes without delyght in them with thy feare not turnynge my affeccion from the but that the vppermost powers of my soule may remayne strongely in the louely knot and burnyng desire of the. ¶ Graunt me also most blessed Iesu grace to folowe thy mooste blessed voluntarye pouerte The which who might come to it bringyth a man by a merueilus neare way spedely vnto god ¶ Graunte me therfore good Lord by that pouertie to be and to abide euer losid bare and verely poore in spyryte outwardlye from al affeccyon and tēporal thinges and inwardly from al loue and rest in any of thy gyftes sperytual that I may vse with sorow and yrkesomenes yea my veri necessaryes that I may neuer desyre to kepe or possesse any thinge but al naked and bare I maye reste betwene thy naked and bare armes not kepynge nor reseruynge any thyng in my hart or desyre but only a pure intente to please the and to seke how I may do it and that moost perfectly by thy grace and merciful helpe And al the daies of my wretchyd lyfe but specyally at the dredful howre of my death graunt me moost merciful Iesu to haue a suer and trustie refuge and succure in the precius woūd of thi blessed lefte hand Moste swete sauyor Iesu I humblye beseke the that where I wretche by reason of my great enormities and syn am vnworthy to be hard or to optayne thes petycyons of the thy moost blessed and inmaculat mother marie mai optaine thē for me to whose blessed prayer intercessions merites I commend them that by her they may be admittid into thy most godly gracius presēs bring to me of thy mercy forgeuenes grace to thi glory honor Amē ¶ The sixte Exercyse to optayne a conformitie folowyng of christes lyfe passion THou must also exercyse thy selfe in the whoole shape and prefyte medytacyon of the lyfe
into this stable sure ioye that he maye he refresshed with the magnificētie of the goodnes of god Let him approche and ascend vnhye in harte by contemplacion of these and let the most excellente and inenarrable clemēcye of Iesu be exalted in his harte Fyftly thou must haue medytacion of the moost blessed passion of oure sauyoure Iesu to reuolue thy harte and to transforme it into him the whiche thou doyst when thou doyst not only folowe and haist compassion thou merualyst and reioysest but thou art wholy cōuerted and turned into thy lord Iesu christ crucyfied so that in maner euery where and alwaye the lorde Iesu chryst crucyfied metyth wyth the yea then arte thou veryly and trewly resolued into hym when thou leauyng thy selfe and going out of thy selfe and surmountynge and transsendynge all thing yea aboue thy selfe abstracryd from all thynge thou arte all together turned into thy lorde Iesu crucified so that thou canst se nothinge thou canst feale nothynge with in thy self but only christ crucified scornid reuyled and put to payne of pure loue for ye. ¶ Syxtly thou must consyder behold that most blessed passiō of thy lord to come to rest of inward swetnes the which thing thou dost whē thou being resolued as I sayd dost not cesse with a thursty hart or or feruent desyre to reuolue tosse in thy mind the most blessed passiō And enteryng as far as thou arte able into that infynite treasure of that blessyd passiō mekely and deuoutly thou doist melt for pure and deuoute loue and wyth feruent deuocyon and burninge loue thou falleste from thy selfe and doeste reste all together in chryste crucified But the more that thou doste cleue leane vnto him onlye so moch the more thou fallest decaiest from thy self dost relent by most deuout loue and how moch the more that thou dost decay leaue thy self by loue and deuocion so moch the more thou dost cleaue art knyt vnto thy loue that dyed for the and doyst rest in hym And so doth the cleauinge vnto chryst by loue and louely deuocion increase one the other vntyll the spouse of chryst that is to saye thy soule be all to gether swallowyed vp and deuoured of that moost burning hoote furnes of loue of the passiō of thy spouse most dere beloued in whose blessed armes thy soule restyth a slepe haue therfore medytacion of the moost blessed passion of thy lord Iesu in folowyng it to purge thy mynde hart By compassiō to get loue and vnion wonderyng at it to eleuate lyfte vp thy harte reioysing therin do delyte and conforte thy hart resoluing to come to parfect conformacion and lykenes resting therin kepe thy deuocyon ¶ Aspyracions ¶ Gracious lorde and swet sauiour which sufferidst most paineful passiō for my loue graunte me grace in the merytes of the same passion most faithfully to folow it ¶ Mercyfull and most petyfull lorde Iesu which art full of pytye graunt me grace to take compassion and to lamente thy moost Innocente and wrongfull death and most paynefull and gracious passion ¶ Graunte me good lord I humbly beseke the that I maye so ernestly mynde thy bytter passion that I may sorow it as tenderly as though I sufferyd it my selfe ¶ Oh deare lord sauiour prynt thy most bitter death blessed passion in my harte that I maie neuer feale nether any thing dysire saue the my louyng lorde crucified for me ¶ My most gracious sauyour Iesu make my stubburne and sturdy harte melte and be resolued of very pure and deuoute loue in the meditacion of thy moost precious death painefull passion ¶ The practise of the syxte exercise MOOST mercyfull sauioure Iesu I wretched siner do knowlege that I am infinitly bounde vnto the for the innumerable most singular benefites which thou moste louingly and lyberally hast bestowyd vppon me and al mankynd but specyaly for the ineffable benefit of my redemcyon by thy mooste crewel death and passion from the thraldom of the deuyl sin and hel And for that thou hast franchessid and made vs the children and heyres of heauen For the which benefyt specially we remaine and are become bond detters vnto the and thoughe we can neuer make a iuste recōpense for it yet of thy gracyus goodnes thou wylt mercyfully accepte that whiche we are able to make be it neuer so simple And bycause that amonge all that wee can do there is nothyng more acceptable to the than with thankeful and oft medytacyon to folow thy most blessid lyfe and passyon pryntyng and perfectly expressing it in the powers of our soule in al sensies of oure bodye therfore I moost humbly beseke the moost gracyus Lord Iesu graunt me the grace so perfectly to conforme me in my whole lyfe vnto thy blessid life and passion that al my cogitaciōs my words midedes and maners may be so lyke vnto thy holy thoughtes wordes dedes and blessyd maners that wher euer I be sean harde or felte ther mai nothing be found in me but that which was foūd in the my lord Iesu And lyke as thou were crucyfyed in thy blessyd humanytie so graunt me grace by the merytes of thy crucifyxion to crucyfie nature and sensualytie by the acquyringe of al true vertue ¶ Graunt me grace also to consider and to conforme my soule vnto thy mooste heuy and sorowful soul that I may continually lament thy great dishonour the losse of soules my sinnes and the sinnes of all men ¶ Good lord graunt me grace so depely to print in my hart thy bitter paineful passiō very loue that I may feale more the paine that thou suffred for me then any payne that I haue or should haue if I where woūdid in myne owne bodie ¶ Graunt me good Lord Iesu that my spirite may euer burne in thy loue be eleuat and minde euer more the vtterly resignid into thy blessid pleasure ¶ Graunt that my soule also may be contryte compassyonate with the mortified vnto al creatures ¶ Graunte that my bodie also to be ful of trauel payne and afflyccyon for thy honor and thus I may be conformable and lyke vnto thy blessid humanyte ¶ Graunte me moost louyng Lord Iesu thy grace to exercyse moost effectuusly thy holy and mooste blessid passyon by perfect ymitacion by perfect cōpassion by perfect admyracyon by exultacyon and ioy by perfect resolucion by perfect rest ¶ Graunte me grace wyth often memory of thy blessid lyfe and passion to folow thy blessid example in suche vertues as aperith in thy holy passion and lyfe For thy blessid passion and lyfe is the mooste holyest and hyest relygion and the rule and example of al vertue and perfectyon ¶ Graunt therefore moost merciful Lord Iesu that thy passion may be the very rule of al my lyfe ¶ Graunt me grace that I may wyshe and desyre from the bottome of my hart wyth al delyght of my soule for thy loue to be contempned set at nowght
specially me by thy moost blessyd passion and death remembryng howe willingly how gladly how deuoutly thou offredst thy selfe to most cruel death for my sake There is no creature that euer louyd hym selfe so well as thou dydest and dost loue me ¶ Great cause haue I to reioyse in the swete Iesu For by thy death and passion thou haste restored agayne the blessed gloryus quieers of angelles not creatyng new angels but mercyfully placing penytent soules in the hygh orders of the blessed angelles and so hayst made by thy most precyous death one hygh heuenly colege and one blessed flocke of angelles and men Whereof thou arte the very trew shepeherd Thou arte the glorius and most royal kyng vpon whō al we that be of that blessed heuenly courte shall perpetually wayte and serue in ioye euerlastyng thorough the merites of thy precious death and most blessed passion ¶ Graunt me grace moost gracious sauioure Iesu not only faythfully to folow thy passion to haue compassion thereof reuerētly to maruel and to reioyce goostly therein but also that I al together maye be resolued into the that I maye alway whereuer I be so earnestly mynde thy passion that I may departe from the memorye of myne owne selfe and of all thynges yea abstracted from al the world I may be wholy turned into the my lorde Iesu crucyfied And that of very mindful loue of thy blessed passion I may feale nothing wythin my selfe nor se nothing outwardly but the my lorde in payne and passion for me ¶ Graunt me grace most gracious lorde Iesu wyth moost vehemente desyre of my harte to enter into the ineffable treasure of thy blessed passion And therin moost mekely moost deuoutly wyth moost feruente and burnyng loue forgettynge vtterly my selfe to rest by inward swetnes That the more I loue that tender death and payne the more perfectly I may rest therin and the more that I rest therin the more I may loue the whyche suffered so great payne for me to the be therfore al glory and honour now and euer Amen ¶ The seuenth exercise to come to the pure pouertie and loue of thyne euen chrysten THou must circumcyse and purge thy soule very ernestly from all knowlege loue and remembraūce of all creatures excepte them only whome thou must neades haue vse in god and for god and kepe thy sensies wyttes at all tymes streghtly from all superfluitie vanytie and ydelnes And kepe also thy bodye alwaye in symple homlynes in sobryetie and pouertye And cast frome the ac on s all thinges that myght let the or be any impedyment at any tyme betwene thy soule and god yea if it were but a momente of time And that thou myghtest fulfyl this the better thou shalt marke well and dylygently all the meanes and lettes vysyble and inuisyble al creatures sensible and insensyble that euer dyd let the or were any impedymente or meanes betwene the god or yet may be hereafter And turne thi whole harte verely and perfectly from thē so cut them of from thy soule and turne thy whole harte to god Thou shalt also cōsyder wether thou be in suche place state wherein thou maiste come to perfeccyon yf thou be not thou must then seke suche a place and state Al exteryal and outwarde thinges must be cut of and resigned which thou vsest aboue more then very and iust necessitie with the which bare necessitye only for the loue of the pouertie of chryst thou must be contented That is to saye wyth two cotes or habytes to change and in like sorte of other necessarye apparell wyth a fewe bokes wyth one or two sober meales in the daie according to the time chosinge alwaye in all thynges the vyler or more homlier that meke symplycitie may euery where shine apere in the in thy desires For outward pouertie wyshed for and desyred in harte doth helpe wonderly moch to come to the verye profite and peace of the harte And specially when thou arte very wel cōtent to lacke thy necessaries or whē necessite compellyth thou dost vse necessaries in symplycite wyth tedyousnes yerkesōnes Moreouer a great forderaunce to perfection are these thynges To forsake vtterly al exquisite delectacion wilful fansy to any thinge to loue pouertie Yf it seme expedient for the person it is good also to make a vow to flye the vnnecessarye company of all creatures A stronge and stedfast cleauyng vnto god Symple and pure obedyence a worde both to god and to thy superiours A dylygent keping of thy hart mouth and of al thy dedes and such other These thou must exercise folowe and take as the very oportune and conuenyent meanes to perfectiō Thou must also exchew and a voyde all impedymentes as thy conscience or thy coūseller shal teache ye. Thou must therfore make a diligent serch of thy cōscience least any vice or faute be it neuer so lytle do sticke or cleaue inwardly or outwardly fast vnto the. Loke ther do remayne not wyth the curious superflus or any vnnecessarye thyng For so longe as it is so wyth the the holy gooste can neuer worke perfectly in thee For the greate synnes in to the which we fal vnwares or of frayltie bewayle them god forgeuyth them sooner then the leaste faut that dothe cleane and remayne in vs specially when we wil not acknowlege or wyl not or care not to amende it ¶ Thou shalt after thes exercyse thy selfe in very true loue of al men accordynge to the example and the charytie of thy sauyor Iesu Chryst whiche with moost burninge loue and desyre spent or bestowid him selfe al together for al men he also taught and shewid the way of saluacion and of perfeccyon with moost holy godly doctryne he gaue hym selfe also mooste wyllyngly and louinglye vnto al payne contumely and confusyon that myght chance vnto hym for their saluacion Wherfore yf thou wilt take vpon the his lyfe vnfaynedly thou must folow him in this point of loue Thou must also leade alway an holy a godlyke lyfe before al men that by thi lyfe they may be drawne and prouokyd to folow the lyfe of Iesu Chryst thi Lord. Thou shalt teache wyth some good exhortacyon thyne euen chrysten yf it may stand with thy state and vocayon at tyme conuenyent the way to euerlastyng lyfe Wherefore when thou cōmest to thy euen christen thou shalte leaue vaine talke except thou haue any necessite or necessary matter and shalte talke with hym of vertue and of grace such things wherby he may be the better exhortyng him to the loue of god to folow the holy lyfe loue of Iesu chryst and that he wyl consyder the nobilitie worthynes of hys soule howe in his soule god prynted his owne ymage lykenes hathe redemed the same his owne selfe and howe the loue of god is the very lyfe of the soule euen as the soule is the lyfe of the bodye as
the body dyeth when the soul departeth frō the body euen so doth the soule dye whē the loue of god is absent gone frō it These wyth such lyke as the holy goost shall teach the thou shalt put thy euen chrystē in mind of if it may stand with thy state calling specially such as thou hast charge of thy next neighbours or such that wyl and be able to take thyne instruction exortaciō perswading thy self that god wil require at thy hande the soules of them whome thou arte able and canste saue as though they were thy owne members Therfore thou shalt not Iudge nor conempnt any man Thou shalte not make sory nor harme any man but loue euery mā as thy selfe yea more in maner then thy selfe bycause he is better then thou arte The whiche thinge that thou mayst the soner optaine perswade to thy selfe that euery man is thy selfe For in dede we be one the member of the other as saynt paule sayth and therfore thou shalte be glad wyth and and of euery man be sory wyth and for euery man serue and do good to euery man that nedeth Do the workes of mercy bodely and gostly vnto euery man that nedeth wyth all thy harte as vnto thy selfe Wherfore accostome thy selfe that as sone as thou perceauyst any mocyon of dyspleasure or anger agaynst any other mā what euer he be or that any other vyce chance to come vpon the or into thy mynde lyfting vp thy hart swetly vnto god to put it away as the poyson of the deuyll wherewyth he goeth aboute to kyll or to mynishe thy charytye in the or to make the lumpish and vnlusty and so to staye the from profiting in gostly lyfe For somtyme it comyth of our owne tepyditie or coldnes that noughty and harmefull cogytacions put once from vs do returne agayne and are a greate inpedymente and let vnto goostly lucre or gayne yea thoughe we consente not to them specyally when we do not extend and stretch forth oure selfe wyth all oure powers and myghtes to thinges before vs that is to saye to go forwarde and increase in vertue and perfection nether wyth heuenly godly desyres continually as moch as we can to ocupie our hartes therfore the enmyes of our soule by our slacknes and tepidite fynde easely a way to returne agayne vnto vs al though some tyme such cogitaciōs do trouble wery vs not by our faute but by the only permyssiō of god for our exercise ¶ Aspyracions for this exercyse MOOST louing and most gracious lorde Iesu which being most rychest for my sake tokest vpō the most extreme pouertie grant me the grace of perfecte pouertie of spyrite ¶ Oh most swetest Iesu rauysh my whole harte loue vpon the which art only sufficient for the trew louers of the take from me the loue and affectyon of all creatures that I loue the only and purely ¶ Oh blessed sauiour which art the only ful rewarde that al thy louers aske seake and loke for content my hart my whole desire with the alone make me for thy sake to contempne al other thynges ¶ The practise of the seuēth exercyse to come to pure pouerte the loue of thy euē christē O Moost blessid Iesu whiche for mi sake and saluacion forsokiste all worldly loue and pleasure and honour and lyuidst and dyedst in moost perfect pouertie ¶ Graunte me grace to purge clense my affeccyon and soule not only from al temporal thinges but also from the knowlege the loue and remembrance of al creatures sauyng only them whome I can not lacke whiche I must neades vse for thy sake and in the only For moost mercyful Iesu whē I shuld lyft vp my whoole soule thought and desire to the then doth the knowledge or remembraunce or the loue of creatures pulle downe my desyre loue of my hart mynd vnto the memorie desyre loue of thē ¶ Graunte me gracyus good Lorde also grace now and for euer more to leaue vtterly the affeccyon and wyl vnto any venyal synne be it neuer so lytle which I wold not gladly amende that I may turne my whoole harte from al syn for Lorde Iesu thy mercyful goodnes soone forgeuythe venyal syn Yet sooner thou doyst forgeue a mortal synne that sodeynlye of frayltye we do cōmyt and do faythfully repent and forsake then a venyal that we wyllyngly do not vtterly abhorre and forsake in oure desyre And such smale synnes and fawtes yf they be not put away by repentance do let the holy goost to worke in me In lyke sort yf I retayne any thyng superfluus or for curiositie thy holy spirit can not worke thy true perfect loue in me Graunte therfore grace gracyus Lord to me nowe at thys present euer more to cast out of my hart al loue desyre of al temporal thinges what euer they be that be aboue bare necessytie And in my necessaryes to chose al way pore symplycytie and the more rude homely as becommyth true and vnfayned pouertie And also in the vsyng of my very necessaries suffer me not to haue any affeccion in thē but I may redely by contentyd for thy sake to lacke them and euer more symply and without al affeccyon and pleasure to vse them ¶ Graunt me grace mercyful Iesu at all tymes most straygthtly to kepe my sensies inward and outward from al superfluytie and vnnecessary vse from all vanytie and ydelnes and to kepe also my bodye in homlye symplycytie in al sobryetie and all povertie that nether the desyre loue affeccyon or memorie of any thyng that longyth to my bodie may at any time let my whole hart desyre loue and thought to tend and turne vnto the the moost louyng and blessyd delyght of my soule ¶ Graunt me most gracius sauior Christ grace not only from the botom of my hart to abhorre and detest al syn and vyce but al so to desyre and to be so enamoryd with the loue of al vertue be they neuer so excellent and many that for thy loue and honour I wold labour and trauell for to haue them al yea yf they were as many in number as are dropes of water in the mayne sea that I myght for the vehement loue of the crucyfie my bodie from vyce and adorne my soule wythal vertue and so to become lyke vnto thy most gracyus humanytie whose bodie was paynefully crucyfied soule adornyd wyth al vertue But specyally graūt me grace to haue mooste ardent desyre of perfect and profunde humylitie and grace most earnestly to labour for yt euer more desyryng to be contempnyd dyspysed rebuked and shamed wyth confusyon and from my hart to iuge my selfe very worthy of al contempt shame rebuke confusion Make me sory good Lord whā any honor benyfite laude or prayse be geuen to me ¶ Graunte me also merciful Iesu the thre doughters of perfect mekenes Moost redy obedyens both vnto my superiors and vnto al creatures in al
not able to wtstande but shal fal at euery blast of small temtacyon Helpe me therefore good Lorde with goostly fortytude that I may myghtely by thy grace good Lorde passe and runne throwe all perels impedymentes and al enmyes gostly and bodely and attaine the perfecte loue of the in trew perfection Assyste me wyth thy grace and thy gostly strenght o gracious Iesu now and euer to thy glorye and honour Amen ¶ Of the waye to come to vnion with god ¶ The eyght exercise is an exercise to come to a lyfe without any creature syn or delectaciō THou shalte exercyse thy selfe to obtayne the perfecte onynge or vnyon wyth god ¶ This vnion requireth a perfect expoliacion and denudaciō or bare nakednes or vtter forsakyng of all creatures of al sinne and of all delyght or pleasure Fyrst thou must deligently and busely laboure to lyue as much as is possible for the naked and bare both in affection also in vnderstanding or mind frō al creatures so that thou shouldest feruentlye desyre to be made naked and bare yea from thyne owne selfe and from all other thinges And so to remayne as thou shalte stād bare before the iudgemente seate of chryst and as bare as barely as thy soule came out by creacyon from god that thus thou mayst wythout any let or meane be knyte vnto god ¶ Thou must lyue also without sinne and bycause that is scante possyble thou shalte desyre to lyue wyth a strong and a stedfast turnynge of thy mynde from al sinne and wyth a feruent conuersacion and desyre of thy harte of al goodnes which is god For all sinne be it neuer so small lettyth this vnion or knote Wherfore thou shalt so obserue and kepe thy soule and bodye that thou shalt not moue nor sterre one member but only in god ¶ Thou must nedes lyue also wythout all delight pleasure This thing because it is almost impossible thou shalt supply it in al affection and desyre where thou canst not lyue so in dede For when thou hast any delyght or pleasure in thy selfe god wil deny the the delyght and swetnes whiche is in him Wherfore suche lyfe let it alway at the least be in the desyre of thy harte bestow the vttermost of thy power vpon this way And then by this exercyse thou shalte find thy selfe stayed lettyd in many thinges wherof thou thoughtest thy selfe clene rid Wherfore endeuer thy self to be wel ware that no sinne be it neuer so lytle do plese the for it selfe As for thy self thou shalte desire that the bread that thou eatest myght sauoure or tayst no more to the then a stone yet for his honour and glory that created breade it shall please the that the breade sauoure well But as sone as thou dost trust and feale delectaciō therin thou shalt turne thy harte vnto the laud and thākes of god the creatour of breade and so is then the breade vnsauery vnto the. And in like sort must thou do in all delectacion vnto whō is not annexed any sinne For the admyrable suauitie delyght and swetnes of the creatoure of all thynges doth sprede it selfe in al thinges created beyng not sinfull ¶ Thou shalt not suffer therfore any meane or let of creatures to remayne in the but turned out and made bare and naked of al thinges thou shalte approch vnto the bare and pure godhed or diuinitie wythout any meane or staie of creature for god desireth to haue the wythout any meane Nether shalt thou thynke that hereby the holy inuocacion and prayers to the saintes are taken from the or shulde let the which is for god and in god for they are one spirite with hym Not wythstanding thy chefe contemplacion and laboure shal be in the contemplacion of thy lord god whom thou shalte perceaue workyng and doing all goodnes and good workes be they neuer so lytel in al men yea and it be but the mouing of thy fynger vnto a good dede For that mocion is of god and goddes for he is the lyfe of the soule Wherfore laboure and indeuer thy selfe wyth continuall in turnyng as moch as thou canst do lyue in the very and perfecte abstraction or departure and barenes of thy mynde and affection from all creatures from sinne and al delectacion For these three faythfully and long vsed exercised makes a man very heauenlyke angelycal that he may moost frealy haue the fruycion of thy lord god as only experience shal teach And therfore laboure to purifye euermore more more both thy mynd and also thyne affection from al phanthasies and imaginations by the example of Iesu crucified choysinge alway rather the bytter and vnpleasant then the swet pleasāt rebuke rather then honour wante rather then plentye That thus cleuyng with a pure and cleane harte vnto god thou mayst be come one spirite wyth him Yet shall the superiour vse this exercise other wyse then the subiecte The innocent otherwyse then the wycked otherwyse the begynners otherwyse the perfecte That thou mayst the soner optayne and come vnto the abnegaciō and forsakyng of all thinges to the knowlege of the deuyne goodnes and of thyne owne vylytie and vnworthynes and also that thou maist come to the swetnes of brotherly loue and that within short tyme the whiche thing the proprietoris or such that retayne in ther kepyng and affection anye thyng agaynst the professiō of pouertie for such be called propryetories can not come to in many yeres yea not al theyr life time wyth greate labours can neuer obtayne reuolue and tosse in thy mynde and memory wythout ceasing and wyth greate laboure or at the leaste cary aboute in thy desyre intencyon and wyll these two most noble excellent vertues that is to saye humylitie and charitie very long and often chawing or remembring and printing into thy hart these wordes I am nought I cā do nought I knowe nought I haue nought I desyre or couyt nought but one Trewe mekenes sayth I am nought of my selfe but viciousnes nor I can do nought of myne owne myght but syn I haue nought For whatsoeuer I haue or can haue of the creatures in this worlde or of the gyftes of god with out god what soeuer I see I heare or perceaue it is vtterly nothyng in me Weake I am wythout myght ignorant I am with out knowlege or wyt I am nought I am nothing nor nothyng am I able to do ful of sinne and misery am I and therfore I do vtterly dyspayre of my selfe my confydēce is only the mercy of my lorde Iesu Nowe charitie and loue sayth I couyte I seke I desyre nothing but only my lorde god put thy trust and confydence oh my soule in Iesu chryst his goodnes fyxe thy thought and desyre in the consideracion of hym for loke how moch lesse thou thinkest thy self so moche the more thou wylt couet to haue the loue of thy lorde Iesu chryst ¶ Thou shalte vnderstande that there are two
blessyd Iesu whiche art al only ynoughe for my soule make me to forget al creatures to know loue and se the only ¶ The practise of the eight exercise to come to a lyfe wythout any creature delectacion or synne O Most blessid god mi most swetest fauyoure Iesu sōne sempiternall of the heuēly father one god one substance one blessed essence with the same father and holy gost which by thy most holy Incarnacion tokest oure frayle nature vpon the in one personage of god man that thou myghtest brynge vs the blessyd vnion in thy gloryous godhed here by grace in heauen by glorye and blysse And amonge al thy most feruent affectuous prayers that thou madest for thy blessed appostels and for all thy electe the nyght that thou were betrayed thou moste hartely most deuoutely most feruently desyredst of thy celestyall father that they all myght be one as thou and thy father are one I most humbly and most hartely beseke the my moost deare sauioure Iesu graunte me grace to come to the perfecte oning and vnion with the my lorde god the whiche vnion requyreth most perfect barenes and forsakyngein my soule of all maner of sinne of all delyght and of al creatures And vnto thys blessed and necessarye barenes I can not come wythoute thy singuler grace and speciall healpe For the purenes in the soule from the thre makyng a man very goostly heauenly and angelical and is the syngulare and only gyft of the. Wherefore of that infynyte and mercyful charyti that caused the to hang al nakid barē and bare of al cōfort and consolacion vpon the crosse for me graunt me grace to lyue as nyghe as it is possyble without al syn mortal and venyal that I may strongely withal might turne my hart and set all my minde vpon the goodnes and the vehemēt desire of the. For the lest venyal that is doth let that my soule can not be knyt and vnytyd vnto the. Graunt me therfore grace good Lord that I may so obserue and kepe bothe my soule and bodye that I maye not moue one ioynte or finger but only for the and in the no sin venyal may please me at any tyme for it selfe that mi soul mai be as bare and as cleane from al syn as it was creatyd of the. Most mercyful sauyor Iesu graunt me grace to lyue withoute al delyght or pleasure And where that is very harde and almost impossyble graunt me grace to haue the desyre vnfayned affeccyon to wante all delyght For good lord when I seke or take any delight in my selfe then dost thou most Iustly take from me the delight the pleasure swetnes that I shoulde haue in ye. ¶ Graunt me grace therfore good lord with al my harte and myght to desyre the lacke and wante of all delyght in any thynge sauyng in the only That I may wysh and desyre the breade that I must nedes take for necessite myght sauour no more to me thē doth a stone for my pleasure but onlye for thy glory and worship whych diddest create breade wyth swetnes sauoure bicause thou wilte haue it so Therfore lord grant me grace to tayst swetnes in it but not to remayne therein but immediatly to turne my harte and thought vnto thy prayse and honour and sauour and tayst how swete delectable thou art whiche hast spread as it were partes and porcyons of thy blessed swetnes and admyrable delyght amonge thy creatures Thus make me to vse al creatures whiche haue any delyght or swetnes in them voide of sinne ¶ Graunt me grace vtterly to exchewe all sinful pleasure and all delyght that hath anexed vnto it any synne ¶ Graunte me also moost mercyfull Iesu to make bare my soule and to auoyde vtterly out of mynde al the memory and phansies and the desyres of all creatures that my whole mynd and desyre wyth my whole hart may approch and draw neare and be Ioyned and vnyted into the hauyng no inpedement by the memorie or desyre of any creature ¶ Graūt me that my whole hart thought be al together occupyed wyth the contēplacyon of thy blssyd godhed that I may perfectly se and perceaue howe thou workyst al goodnes in al thinges be it neuer so lytle and smal as the waggyng of one fynger for that mocion commyth of the soule and thou geuyst al lyfe and al power vnto the soule for only thou art the lyfe of the soule Thy myghtful grace graūt me moste gracyus Lord Iesu to labor wyth al dylygence to come to the perfect puryficacyon and purgacyon of my vnderstandyng and my memory from the phantasies and memorie of al creatures according to thy holy example whiche hangedst on the crosse al nakid and bare of al comfort or consolacion that I maye rather desyre for the loue of the to suffer payne then pleasure sorowe then delyght sowre thē swete rebuke then honor disprayse thē prayse lacke want then habundance plentye That thus cleauyng vnto the in a pure hart I may be made one spyryte with the. And for as much as thes two most noble and excellent vertues loue and mekenes do syngularly and specyally helpe me to this goostlye vnyon I mooste humbly beseke the mi most deare and most louyng Lorde Iesu graunte me thy grace that I maye by dayly and dylygent labour and gostly trauell come to and attaine perfecte charitie and perfecte mekenes ¶ Graunt me thy grace that these most gostly and most true wordes may be depely prynted in my hart and belefe that I may euermore where euer I be remember thē often tyme recorde them wher euer I goo wyth most perfect knowlege and belefe of them These wordes I saye good lorde I may alwaye beleue them and mynd them that is to saye I am nought I haue nought I knowe nought I can nought I desyre nought but one These holy wordes often mynded truly thought vpon and faithfully beleued bryngeth a man vnto these two moost worthy vertues mekenes and loue For trewe and perfecte mekenes beleuith and saith I am nought I haue nought nor I can nought And this is very true For of my selfe I am nought For all that I haue or that I cane thou hast created and made of nought both in bodie and in soul and wyth a thought canst bryng me and al that thou hast wrought in me to noughte Ther is nothing in me that is not thine only worke saue only sinne And what soeuer I haue of thy creatures of thy giftes that is not of my selfe and excepte I haue the wtal it is all to gether nought worth to me shal come to nought And verely of my self I am impotente wythoute all wysedome and knowlege ful of misery and sinne not able to styre one fynger to do any good thyng but only sinne without thy helpe Trewe loue and charytie sayth alwaye I seke and desyre nought but only one That is the only good lorde Iesu whiche art only ynough for
me If I haue the I haue al that good is that pleasant that delectable is that is Ioyfull and blessed yea very heuen it selfe For where thou arte ther is heuen and blysse And wher thou art not ther is very hell ¶ Graūt me therfore good lord Iesu most hartely to loue to wyshe to desyre wyth all the powers of my harte the only to mynd the only to contempne al things for the to suffice my desyre with the to content my loue wyth the to delight my selfe with the only ¶ Oh moste meke sauyour Iesu dystroye in my harte all kynd of pestlylent estymacion of my selfe Lighten my vnderstanding to se my owne vylenes that I may euermore perfectly beleue and vnfaynedly thynke from the bottome of my harte that I am more vyler more sinfull more vnkynd vnto the and inferyor and worse then anye man Ther is none other sinner good lord Iesu that hath runne so farre from the in sinne but they haue very ofte time though not alway turned their hart by contricion vnto the and they do oft tyme loue the and honor the with more pure affection then I do They do sorow more hartely their sinnes and purpose more earnestly to amend then I do accordyng to the grace that thou hast geuen them Ther is no man but yf that he had commyttid so many sinnes and so cowardly fallen to synne as I haue and had had so many graces and benefites of the as I haue had but he wolde more feruently and deuoutlye serue the then I do And bycause that I can not thynke from the bottome of my harte thus of my selfe therfore I aske mercy most humbly of this most detestable pryde besekyng the moost mercyfull Iesu be mercyfull to all sinners and specyally vnto me most wretchedst and vnkynd of al pardō our sinne most gracious good lorde And as I haue here lorde accusyd my selfe in worde as the most sinner of all other so most mercyfull Iesu graunte me grace to come to that poynt of humylitie that I may verely beleue and vnfainedly esteme my self so in dede that I am most vylest of all creatures moost worthy of all shame punyshment and confusion al turmente and payne And by this poynte of mekenes which is the mekenes only of begynners graunt good lorde that I maye come to the mekenes whiche is of those that are perfecte For this blessed and excellent mekenes of the perfect very loue and charitie workyth it in the soule by the gostlye syght and knowlege of the swete sauyoure Iesu Wherfore most mercyful Iesu lighten by the speciall grace of the holy goost my reason and vnderstanding in the syght of the to beholde and consyder perfectly plainely the ineffable mekenes of thy blessyd humanytie and to tayst goostly of the infynite goodnes of thy blessed deuinitie that my soule may take by that goostly syght so greate loue and pleasure in the that it may vtterly forget it selfe and al the world and so to be wholy rauyshed in the holye loue desyre styl to behold the and to forgette my sinnes my vnworthines and to set litle by and lytle to esteme all the good dedes that euer I dyd yea and to set lytle by al thinges as though there wer nothyng in the world but thou alone wyth me moost swete sauioure Iesu ¶ Most merciful and louing lorde Iesu I moost humbly beske the open my goostly eyes by the grace of the holy goost to see and perfectly to beleue wyth whole fayth my selfe to be most miserable wretched sinfull and wycked And vnfaynedly to iudge and esteme my selfe and all my good workes and exercyses to be nought worth and so to come to the very pouertie of the spirite thynking my selfe and all that I haue ryght nought And to ascrybe al my goodnes vnto the only as in very dede yf thou dydest not vphold me and the whole world both I and all the worlde shoulde come to nought in a moment as we were made of nought And I am not able to thynke one good thought by myne owne power o myght but al good thoughtes and dedes al that good is is only of the merciful lord Iesu When the holy goost doth open mine inwarde eye to beholde and beleue this verytie of my selfe then shal I be very meke then shall I not consyder my selfe but forget my selfe as a thyng of nought and set all my mynde my desyre all my knowlege and al my loue wyth moost stable meditacyon vpon the my swete sauiour Iesu For this syght and beholdyng of the comforteth and lyftyth vp so meruelusly and delectably the soule that it can take no Ioye in any pleasure of this worlde nor take no heuines nor sorowe for any aduersitie or grieffe that can chance or hap for it remaynyth very stable and vnmouable in the and insencyble towardes al worldly thynges euer desyryng to rest in the swete Iesu hauing euer the eys of the soule vnto the. And then thou dost delyuer it from the gynnes of temptacyons and dost dystroy in it all the mocyons of the strength of pryde and of al vices meruelus secretly And bi holy simplicite whiche is a secreat by path thou doest leade it vnto a stable and a blessyd vnion in the where by thou dost remayne and dwel in it and it in the to thy honoure and glory for euer more Amen ¶ The practise the holy exercise to come vnto the holy vnyon wyth god by aspyracyon resygnacyon and postulacion In the whiche thou must more vse the affectyon hartye desyre thē vnderstandyng And feruente aspyracion and vehement wyshyng more then only meditacion And fyrst thou shalte haue thys or like medytacion to stire and in flame thy desyre and to kyndel thy loue vnto god Most deuoutly in thy mynd and in thy harte saye vnto god the father MOOST almyghty Lorde God father celestyal dredful mayesty the very and only life of my soule and myne only trew blysse and felycitie I most myserable sinner and sinful wretche do syt here in thy godly presence desyryng wyth al my harte to enkindle my harte in the most holy and blessed loue of the my lorde by burning charitie to be made and knyt vnto the my creatour and maker and vnto this moost blessed loue I can not come but only by thy mercyfull helpe and grace Wherfore I most humbly beseke the moost mercyful father in the most blessyd merytes of my lorde and sauyour Iesu thy only sonne graunte me grace most deuoutly most hartely and most louyngly to cal to remembraunce the inestimable benefittes gyftes and graces whiche thou onlye of thy infynite goodnes charytie and loue towarde me hast and dost geue vnto me And by this holye and louely memorye my harte and mynde maye be in kindelyd and set on fyrre in the very loue of the of pure loue to laude and prayse the. And first howe much am I bounde to loue the my dere lorde whiche hast created and made
me of nought not a stone but like vnto thy most blessed and godly ymage and lykenes and hayst created all the worlde to do me seruice Thou hast preseruid me in the womb of my mother where I myght haue peryshed as many doth that neuer commyth to byrth From my byrth thou hast perseruyd my lyfe both in bodye and soule and broughtest me to holy baptyme where I myght haue dyed wythout it as many do and do therby loose the blysse of heuen for oryginal sinne And from that tyme hether to thou hast prouyded for my necessaryes Fyrst by my parentes and frendes and afterwardes by other meanes So that I haue had alwaye succoure at thy mercyful hand whyche contynually hast and dost prouide for me wyth muche more louely care then euer dyd my natural mother and hast cheryshed me both in body and soule And like a most carefull and louynge parente father thou hast dost deliuer me daily from innumerable perels and daungers both of body and soule whiche innumerable tymes syth I was borne I might and should haue fal in if thou haddest not most mercyfully delyuered and defendyd me How long hast thou lyke a mercyful pityful parent borne wyth my great enormytes and innumerable deadly sinnes mortal wher thou myghtest Iustly haue dampned me both body soule yet of thy infinite mercyful goodnes thou hast taryed and abydē my conuersion because thou woldest not dampne me though I dyd deserue a thousand thousād tymes And whyle thou haist so paciently suffered me so detestable and contumelius towardes the my lorde god sclanderous vnto the world ther hath many that were ferre better then I for lesse syn then myne bene vtterly dampned for mysse lyfe Moreouer though I were am neuer so destable and greuous a synner in thy syght yet thou of thy infynite mercy hast neuer lefte me vtterly but hast by dyuers meanes and many holy mocions and inspiracyons called and prouokyd me to repentaunce And though I gaue no eare to the but in maner contempnyd and set the at nought yet thou ceased not vntyl at the length wyth thy myghtyful power grace thou broughtest me agayne to grace and repentaunce and of thy ineffable goodnes hayst brought me to this most blessed state of relygion and yet doyst not mysse but fatherly dost prouid daily for my necessaries though I be neuer so vnkind and vnthākeful to the. And by cause no synne be it neuer so greate and enormious should dameme yf I wyl repent thou hast geuē to most cruell death and passion thine owne sonne and by his merites and for hys sake thou arte redy to in due me wyth al kynd of vertue and grace And specyally blessyd be thy in effable goodnes and mercy For thou hayst indued me wyth N.N.N. ¶ In this place remember thy speciall benefittes that thou thynkest thy selfe specially bounde to thanke almyghty God for Turne thy thought and meditaciō here vn thy sauyour Iesu deuoutly saying O Most louing Lord and deare sauyour Iesu now I turne my harte vnto the. O most swet Iesu most faythful frind and true louer of my pore soule for whose sake and saluacion thou wast incarnatyd and came in to this wretchid mysery and suffered innumerable labors fatigacyons sorows and incōmodyties much wronge and heuines great pouertye paines thou sufferedst for me many a teare thou shedest wyth many a sore syghe many afore rebuke reuyle blasphemie great shame and much worldly confucyon thou sufferedest Many a sore stroke and sharpe strype thou haddest for my sin And of most tender true loue and most burnyng charytie that thou barist to me thou sufferedest most paineful passion and creuel death ¶ Thou swetest and shedest al thy precyus blod not leuyng one drop within thi blessid bodye And after moste deadly and mooste mortal panges and pynchynges of deathe iii. longe howres hangyng moost paineful vppon the crosse at the lengthe with the moste cruel bitter and paynefull stynge of dredful death thou yeldest vp thy blessid soule for to saue and redeme my synful soule ¶ What poynte of loue coldeste thou haue shewed more Yet besyde al thes thou hayst most louyngly left to my weake and wretchyd soule for my gostly comforte and strengthe the very same bodie and bloode wherwith thou boughtest me and al the world in the most blessid sacrament of the aulter that I might often se the often receaue the remember that great loue thou beredyst towardes vs and so to lerne as to loue the agayne and of very loue to delyght in the medytacion of thy moste bitter and blessyd passyon with harty desyre to folowe the in it And specyally to lerne and affectuusly to consider that great loue and charytie thou shewdest to me here in that mi hart might be inflamed and set on fyer with the loue of the. Wherefore most mercyful sauyor and most louynge and louesome lord Iesu of that great charytie and burnyng loue which causyd and mouyd the to suffer al thy bytter paynes and passyon and in the merytes of thy most precyous blood and blessyd death kyndel now in my cold harte the blessid fyer of thy moost deare loue and make me to loue and to delyght in the to set al my ioy felycitie plesure in the loue and desyre of the my lord that by perfecte loue and blessyd charytie my soule may be knyt and made one with the. The whiche vnyon wyth the in loue is the beginnyge the perfeccion and end of al cōtemplacion here in earth and of the blessyd fruycion of thy godhead in heauen Where thou art all in al thynges to thy glory and honour sempyternal without end Amen ¶ This foresaid praier vse daily by inward desire and harty deuocyon that by costome thou maiste when thou wylt set thy harte on fyer with the loue of thy Lord with a litle laboure and thoughte of his passion other benefytes Yf thou canst come to thys redines of loue then haist thou the very instrument and redy way to contemplacyon for yt is the rote beginnynge of lyfe contēplatiue Thou shalt also that daye that thou haiste this exercise in custome vse and accostome thy selfe euery where where euer thou be what euer thou doo to haue in thy mynde and wyth hartye and burninge desyre to say not in voyce but in hart and mind one of thes louely swete sentences which may be callid dartes of gostly loue And lyke as the worldly or fleshely louer hath styl his burnyng desyre to his paramour and is redy in euery place corner wher he metith with his loue to expres by louely and swete wordes his feruent and hote desyre that he beryth vnto her loue with depe sighes and most harty lamentable cōplaynt with such meane to set his loue on fyre and to wound as it wer her hart with loue towards him agayne euer so with thes or such lyke louely and swete sentences we do open vnto our louer Iesu
our feruent desyre of his moost blessyd loue wyth swet and louely syghes harty deuoute desyres where euer we mete hym that is as oft as he commyth to oure mynd where euer we be or what euer we do And the vse of suche blessid aspiracions who cold get acustome in thē is a wonderful redy way to gostly profyt ¶ Aspyracyons for this exercyse ¶ O most louyng louer and dere spowse of mi soule swet Iesu I beseke the for thi moste louing hart that was pearsed with a spear and woūdyd for my loue woūde my harte and inflame my mynd so flagrantly with the fyer of thi loue that I mai comtempne al the world for thy sake ¶ O most amyable Iesu wolde god that I myght so hartely and so hard imbrace the with the gostly armes of my hart that I myght neuer let the go out of my hart and mynde ¶ O moste deare loue and swet Lorde Iesu why do I not loue the. Canst thou suffer that any creature shulde not loue the. Thoughe thou do suffer other yet I beseche the suffer not that in me but breke into mi hart come in to mi mind with al thy might violence most mighty lord Oh most swete violence when shall I suffer thys thy blessyde and swete vyolence ¶ Oh swete Iesu howe wel were I yf I myghte loue the. Oh wolde to god I could perfectly set nought by my selfe and by al the world for thy deare loues sake ¶ Oh deare loue of my soule styrre my hart to seke the lyghten mi hart that I mai fynd the possesse thou my whole hart that I may rest in the only forget al thyng beside the. ¶ O the swete treasure of mi hart the only ioy and lyfe of my soule howe fayer howe bewtiful art thou blessid be al that loue the Oh when shal I loue the also ¶ O most swete Iesu the very true loue of my harte make me sycke for thy loue yea make me dye for thy swet louessake ¶ O moost deare Lorde howe fayne wold I loue the and that I thus wold thou hast geuen it me geue me grace also that I mai loue the wyth al mi whoole hart For with out the I can do nothyng ¶ Mooste amyable mooste louesome and gentyl Iesu the comforte and hope of my hart graunte me to loue the moost purely most faythfully most derely most chastly ¶ Most swetest delight and pleasure of my soule the consolacion and ioye of my harte whiche louest me eare I was hast made and created me such a one that I may loue the and haue the graunte me grace to seke the to runne after the and that I may not reste tyl I haue found the and for the great desyre and loue of the swete Iesu I maye loth al thyng beside the. SVche swete sentences or like thou must alway haue in thy mynde and harte force thy selfe to saye them in thy mynd as swetly and as deuoutly as thou canst Though perhaps at the fyrste thou shalte feele lytle swetnes yet do as well as thou maist and in long custome grace wyl take pyty on thy trauel Thou shalte not bynde thy selfe exactly to these thynges but only if thou haue not of thy selfe such lyke then mayst thou vse any of these or as many as thou wylt Yet thou shalt not nede scrupulusly to folow al the wordes but folowe as well as thou canst and take them as god puttith in thy mynd Thou maist perhapes some tyme haue as good or better come to thy mynde as these be And suche as the holy gost puttith into thy mind they are best AFter thou hast had the medytacion of the benefytes of god in this prayer that went immediatly before these aspyraciōs if thou feale thy harte styrryd with loue towardes thy lord then loke what swete desyres or prayer or meditacion delyghteth the that followe vntyl thou feale deuocion decaye But eare thou canst come to the swet loue that knyttith thy soule vnto god thou must take some trauel and stand as it wer wythout the dore abyding the pleasure of thy lord and louer when he wyl let the in Therefore when thou canste not feale the loue of thy harte styrred nor kyndelyd by the meditacion of his benefittes thou shalt swetly dyscretly deuoutly and dylygently knocke as it were at the gate of hys pyteful goodnes wyth these foure goostly hammers that is to saye Oblacion Petycion Conformacion or likenes and vnion or knot With these thou shalte awake thy beloued to opē the dore of hys blessyd loue vnto the that thou myghtest enter in by aburning charitie be made one with hym Yet if thou feale thy harte drawne goostly towardes the swete loue of god any other wayes thē by these meanes thē leaue these and folowe the trayne of the holy goost ¶ The fyrst goostly hammer whiche is oblacion or offering thou shalt thus vse wyth as deuoute harte as thou canst saye in thy mynde wyth harty meditacion and wyth an vnfayned harte if thou can or as well as grace shal assyst for the tyme. ¶ An oblacion goostly MOOST myghtyfull lorde god very true loue of my soule in my harte and whole desyre I offer vnto the and resygne into thy blessed wyll handes as a sacrifice my selfe to al that thynges that thy blessed spirite shal by inspiracion wyl and moue me to do And specyally to the vtter contempt and forsaking of my selfe and myne owne wyl to the vtter cutting of and forsaking al delyght and pleasure of sensualytie and of all my sēces though they be neuer so lytle things as an ydel worde vayne company lyghtnes c. whereby my hart maye be by any meanes moued or defyled Also I offer vnto the my selfe to the perfecte mortificacion of al natural passions as heuynes ioye sorowe anger hate hope feare or shame Also I offer to the my selfe to the volūtarie lacke and wante of al sensyble grace deuocion other gyftes of thyne that ar not necessary for my saluaciō In like maner I offer mi selfe to suffer willingly with most prompt and redy wil for thy sake al aduersitie and harme in fame in goodes and fryndes all syckenes disease paine pressure and heuines of hart And generally I offer me most gladly and wyllyngly to al chaunces and misfortune that can happē to any creature in this worlde be it neuer so euyll sauyng sinne yea if it be thy blessyd wyl and pleasure to put me in hel that I myght suffer al the paynes of all the dampned excepte the hate of the and seperacion or losse of the loue of the. And though it be impossible for me thus to do or suffer yet good lorde my wyl and harte ought to be redy at al times if thou wilte it should be so And wher mercyful lorde Iesu I can not be so wyllyng redy vnto al these thinges and make so perfecte oblacion frō the bottome of my harte as I
dysfygured and fully defaced it in me wyth innumerable synnes dailye fautes vyces and imperfeccyoÌ„s and haue brought and made my soule farre vnlyke that my lord god Wherefore now I moost humbly beseke the in that the moost blessed and burning loue which mouid thi mercy to make me lyke the to redeeme me with so cruel payneful and shameful death and passyon of my lord and sauyor Iesu thi only most dear sonne consume burne vp vtterly destroy in me al my vnlykenes toward the in me al mi sinfulnes mi vices al mi fauts and my imperfeccyons al my inordynate passyons and redynes to syn al the mysorder and abuse of my sences inward and outward al noughty and inordynate affeccyons to any creature al my impacyens and scrupulusenes And grauÌ„te me most deare Lord and most mercyful father with most burnyng desyre at this tyme and euermore to aske and most vehemently to craue of the my most gracyoê° lord the perfect lykenes in me of thy most gloryus and blessid soÌ„ne my Lorde Iesu ¶ Oh mercyful Lorde and most gracyous god wochsafe to adorne and decke my bare soule withal those moste holy vertues and graces that he was adorned bothe in his blessyd dyuynitie and his holye humanitie most specyally with those vertues whyche apeared in hym in the tyme of hys mooste shameful death and payneful passion ¶ Graunt me the perfect affeccioÌ„ and most harty desire of most lowe mekenes by most perfect abyection and contempt of my selfe desyryng from the botome of mi harte now and euer to be abiect and vyle ¶ Graunt me most perfect desyre and affeccyon of most perfect pouertie pacyencie and charytie and in thes vertues mooste busely dyligently and affectuuslie to trauel and exercise my selfe in them Specyally by moost ardente and burnyng desyres and most deuout and coÌ„tinual prayers vnto the vntyl that I may feale in on selfe in al dammage wrongs rebukes sclanders pains yea in the time when grace is subtracted taken away from me then to haue a most harti desyre to suffer most hartly al greues for the loue of the and so perseuer vnto the end that I myght herein be conformable and lyke vnto my Lorde Iesu that suffered of pure charitie so moch so many greuus paynes to thy honoure and glory and for my saluacyon Amen THat day that thou doyst vse this exercise thou shalt haue oft in thy mynd such desyres shorte prayers euery where where euer thou be and lerne to force thy hart with most harty affeccion and earnest desyre to remember them and wishe for the in thy mind and to desyre the crying most hartely earnestly and deuoutly in this maner or lyke ¶ Aspyracyon for thys exercyse ¶ Oh mooste blessyd sauyor Iesu howe vnlyke am I vnto the which art so gracyous so good so ful of grace and vertue And I wretchyd synner am ful of al vyces wyckednes dystroy good Lord al my sinneful deformyties and restore in me thy blessyd image to thy honor and glorye ¶ Oh merciful Iesu that died for my loue make me to dye to al the world for the true loue of the. Mortifie in me al impacyence al inordynate passyons and affeccyons to any creature that thou myghtest haue al my loue and whoole hart ¶ My most gracyous Lorde and sauyoure Iesu put in my soule and hart most perfect pacyence obedience most perfect charytie with all other of thy blessyd vertues that it may be lyke thy blessed humanytie ¶ Oh blessyd loue of my soule set me so on fyre in thy loue that I may thinke that all payne shame confusion and turment that is possible to be suffered is to lytle to be sufferyd for the that al my delyght and desyre may be in the myddes of al my prayer to suffer for thy loue al thing swete Iesu ¶ Swete sauyour Iesu whiche dyddest suffer moost payneful death for my sin mortyfie in me by thy specyall grace the great redines vnto sin in me al my viciousnes fautes al my negligences and imperfections that I may come to the goostly vnion in the by moost burnyng loue and ardente charytie THou must moost feruently desyre aske in thy harte and deuoute mynd contynually of god that thou maist be made lyke conformable vnto his blessyd crucified humanitie specially in this point that thou in al thynges neuer seke nor desyre any thyng that partayninge to thyne owne selfe or thy owne commodytie but only that whiche belongyth to thy lord Iesu how thou mayst moost feruently perfectly honour serue and please and be lyke hym euermore And how thou mayst most exactly forsake thyne owne wyll and contempne thy selfe and loue hym forgettyng in maner thy selfe and al thynges And for the vehemente burnynge loue of hym thy mynde may runne so muche vpon hym that thou dost take no hede nor consyderest not what is bytter what is swete nether hour time nor space nor place nor markest not one persoÌ„ from another but in al thynges thou must seke consider and remember thi lorde god and hys blessid wil pleasure and honour seing verely thy sauioure christ in his members And thus doyng thou doyst lyue a contemplatiue lyfe in an actiue life For in thy outwarde doynges thou hayst contemplacion goostly of god and fyndest hym euery where and in euery thynge specially thou do recollect thy selfe wholy and dost enter into thy hart and serchynge the bottome therof resoluyng and resigninge thy selfe dost put thy selfe wholy in the handes of god For then thou arte in maner transformed into god or deifyed And vnto what thynge soeuer thou turne thy selfe to and what good worke soeuer thou doyst thou shalte thinke that god doth it and not thou And to forder the in this goostly exercyse thou must indeuer thy self as nere as thou canst in al thinges euer more choose that whiche is most to goddes honour or most lyke vnto chryst and his example or most profytable to thyne euen chrysten or most against thine proper wyl or most grefe and payneful to thy body wyth dyscrecion or moost rebukeful worldy whereof thou arte wordly ashamed so it be not sinful Euer thou must crye out vnto thy lord god in thy hart vnfainedly I am nought I haue nought I can do nought but sin only I seke nought I desyre nought but Iesu a lonly Yf thou do this truly contynewe faithfully in thys spyritual worke and trauel god at length wyl without dout here thy dyligent knockyng and delyuer the from al the trouble goostly from al the tumulte noyse and coÌ„beraunce of cogitacions and fansies and from al earthly affeccyons which thou canste by no better meane put away then by the contynual and feruent desire of the loue of Iesu the whiche desyre he muste nedes in spyre in the and geue it and worke it in the whiche he wil very wyllyngly and redily do so thou in the meane time do feruently aske by mooste deuout prayer yf thou wylt
receiue it and not let his workyng by folowyng to moche thyne owne wyl For loke how muche more perfectly thou doyste for sake thine owne wil and the loue of thi self and of the worldly thinges so muche more depely and fastly thou shalt be knyte vnto god and mcrease in his true and pure loue And bycause that these are optayned pryncypaly of god who only can dothe worke al perfeccion in vs by hys spcial grace thou shalt therefore say thys prayer in thy hart with desyre and moste deuoute minde vnto god O Gracyous good Lorde whiche art the geuer of al grace and godnes and dost gyue vnto them that feruently faythfully do aske of the nothynge so sone and more gladly theÌ„ the very tru vertues wherby we may faythfully and deuoutly serue loue and honor the in al perfeccyon of lyfe I most humbly and most harteli beseke the of thy tender mercye and moost louinge and infinyte goodnes in the most blessed mighty merites of my sauyour Iesu grant me grace that I may come to perfecte lykenes and conformytie in al vertewe and grace of the most holy manhed of my deare and most louyng Lorde Iesu crucyfied for my sake and my sinne specyally in moost perfecte forsakyng of myne owne wyl and sekyng of my selfe that in al thiÌ„ges I may seke purely only that sinceare honor the pleasure the seruice wyl of that my lord howe I may most ferueÌ„tly faithfully honor serue and please the only in nothiÌ„g sekyng mine owne wyll or myne owne coÌ„modytie but vtterly to forsake and renouÌ„ce mine owne wyll in al thinges And so to fixe mi minde and my most harty loue and delyght in the that I may forget my selfe and al thynges yea not remembryng nor markynge what is bitter what swet minding no paâ—son no place no tyme nor tyde but as I were rauyshid in the I may seke and marke in all creatures the only thy pleasure and moste blessid wyl and honour And so to rest in the loue and beholding of the that I may consyder the in euery thyng to what so euer I turne me to and what god worke so euer I do I may vnfaynedly and verely thynke that thou doyst it and not I. That I may being turnyd and transformed as it were all into the se the fynd the in al thyng euery where ¶ Graunt me also most mercyful lord god grace in al thynge to chose euermore that whiche may be most to thy honour or conformable to the exemple of my lord Iesu or mooste agaynste my owne wyl or mooste profytable to myne euen chrysten or most paynefull and greuous vnto my body or moost shameful to the worlde That I euer more may haue euer in mynde harte and thought vnfaynedly these wordes I am nought I haue nought I can do nought but sinne I seke nought I desyre nought but only my deare and blessid sauiour Iesu ¶ Oh mercyful lorde god suffer me neuer to ceasse syghyng and sekyng knockyng and prayeng vntyll thy most gracious mercy and moost mercyfull goodnes vochsafe to heare and to graunt me my humble peticyon as may be most to thy honoure and my saluacion Amen THe forth haÌ„mer that thou must knocke wyth al is vnyon This vnion or onyng is when thou doist transfund or powre thy hole wyl into the hyghe pleasure and wyl of god Wherfore thou must yf thou wylte knocke truly with thys exercyse laboure wyth all thy myght with moost vehemente burnyng desyres and endeuer thy selfe to leaue and to offer vp moost fully into the pleasure of god al thy wyl to knyt and make one thy wyl wyth hys wyl so that what soeuer may chaunce the thy wyl be euer wythout al murmure or retraction of harte or mynd redy to except it most ioyfully and for the very pure loue of god Yea that thy Ioye solace and conforte be euermore to haue his moost pleasure done in the whether it be aduersities outwarde syckenes payne persecutions oppressions ether inwarde grefes and pressures of hart subtractioÌ„ of grace coldnes or barreÌ„nes of mynde derkenyng of the wittes or senses or any goostly or bodyly temtacion And at suche tyme when thou sufferest any of these thou must be wel warre that thou seke no synful consolacion specyally nor any other sensual pleasure but by couÌ„sel of thy gostly father Nor set not thy harte vpon vaine thinges sekyng comfort therby nor in no wyse be not ydle But alwaye as nyghe as thou canst compel strayne and force thy selfe to some good exercyse or to some good bodyly worke The which good exercise or good workes though they be vnsauery vnto the yet they are neuerthelesse most acceptable if thou do faythfully that whiche in the lyeth Wherfore thou shalt beleue fyrmelye in thy harte that all suche aduersities therfore chaÌ„ceth to the by goddes prouision and sufferauÌ„ce to proue thy faythfulnes and trew loue towardes hym and to take occasion to inryche the and increase more plentifullye in thee his blessid gyftes and al his spyritual graces if thou perseuer faythfully vnto the ende not leauyng the vehement desyre of his loue and perfection And when thou hayst made thy moost harty peticion wyth most burnynge desyre to haue thy wil to be made one with the blessid wyll of god offeringe it frelye vp into hys handes wyth this prayer that shal here after folowe then must thou lyft vp thy harte wyth al loue and knyte and fyxe the poynte of thy loue vpon the moste blessyd loue increate of god and therin let thy soule and harte rest and delyght and so be as it were resolued and meltyd moost happely into the blessid godhed That wheÌ„ the soule fealeth it selfe to rest and delyght swetely in god which is an vncreatid loue thou mayst take it for a token that god of his mercy wyl graunte the thy lowly and holy desire And planely who soeuer do vse these exercises oft time perseuer in them knocking deuoutly and mekely it is impossible but he shall come to perfection of life And bycause the loue of thy selfe is one of the greatest lettes impedimeÌ„tes to come to the pure loue of god that thou canste haue Therefore thou muste labour by deuoute prayer of holy vehemente desyres of thy harte to come to the perfect and holy hate of thy selfe So that thou canste wyth thy hole harte wishe to be despised and set at nought to be euer trodden to be beten and boffetyd of al men to be rebuked and reputed moost vylest and to be brought in maner to nought wyth al men Thou shalte not thynke it inoughe for thee to be glade when thou doyst suffer wronge and to be ioyful and to take comforte when thou sufferest much sorow for gods sake but thou must also wyshe that al men myght thinke that thou art most worthy to suffer al these and al coÌ„tumelye shame And thou must also so abhor thy selfe that thou woldeste dydest
forsakynge in all thinge thyne owne proper wyl And for as muche as thou and all creatures be in the power and regymente of god therfore ther can no creature harme nor yet touche the but it must fyrst touche god wythin whom thou hayst in closyd thy selfe and transposyd and turned thy selfe al wholy into him and hys godly wyl and pleasure And for this cause must thou nedes harkeÌ„ more to god and here hym rather se hym touche hym and tayst hym moche more then any other thing When thou perceauyst thy selfe thus knyte vnto god that thou perceuyst thy soule to be more fast and ioyned more nerer vnto god then to thyne owne body and by the same loue whiche hathe thus knyt the vnto god dost perceaue that he is the very euerlastynge the incompreheÌ„sible ineffable and only goodnes out of whose power and might thy soule came by creacion and is so lyke vnto god that ther is no creature that can knowe and perceaue throughly the dyngnitie nobilytie of thy soule Then I say thou with this coÌ„syderacion kindelid and styrred with the loue of god thou mayst felyng this loue in thy harte at mydnight or in the morninge dayly if thou wilte exercyse thy selfe whensoeuer thou desyrest to enter by oure sauioure Iesu and to knit thy selfe secretly vnto god inwardely in spirite in this maner folowing Thou shalt knele deuoutly only prostrate before the crucifixe if thou may conueniently or in a secreate place where thou canst not lyghtly be distracted fyrst saye this prayer that thou mayst come vnto this knowlege and maist perceaue thy selfe to dwel in god and god in the. For it is an excelleÌ„t gifte of god and he only can and wyl redely geue it to the faithful and deuoute peticionars thou shalte therfore I saye make frome the bottome of thy hart this humble peticion in thy mynde harty desyre vnto god saying O Gloryous maiestie of infinite mercy and goodnes ineffable which fulfillist al the whole world art euery where in euery thing bi thi might thi essence and presence but specially in the soule of man and singularli in the soule of them that are thi chosen suche as desirethe sekythe and longyth after the I moost humbly hartely beseke the of thy infynitie goodnes and mercy lyghten wyth thi speciall grace mi vnderstandinge and knowlege that I may playnely and clerely parceaue and vnderstand thy blessid presens in me and howe I am in the. And when I feale and perceaue thy holy presence graunt me grace mooste mercyfull Lorde to holde the and kepe the wyth much reuerence and with a reuerent feare to walke and conuersant my selfe before the kepyng al the powers of my soule and my senses chaystly and clerely from al worldly vaynities that they al way may tende vpon the and in al thing I may find and remember the And what so euer I se here towche feale or tayst I may in them se heare towche feale and tayst the more then them And that I mai receaue al thing what euer commyth vpon me immediatly as at thy hand and sendyng and seke there in to fulfily ioyful thi blessid wil pleasure or my nighbors profyt and soule helth or the ameÌ„dement of my lyfe and the meking of my selfe and to obey the and al creatures for thy loue and honor for sakyng vtterly mine owne wyl By cause thou art in me and in al thinges therefore I shoulde obey the in euery creature to thy glory honour and my soule helth THou shalt say this forsayd prayer deuoutly kneling before the imayge of Christ crucyfed or crucyfyxe yf thou can conuenyently as I sayde before or in suche place where thou shalt not be distractyd Then after this prayer thou shalt recollect thy selfe fully beleuynge that thou verely syttest before thi bare nakid and crucified lord Iesu euen as he was veryly crucified and hange vpon the Crosse al nakyd and defaced with most cruel and blody woundes And thoughe thou se hym not with thy bodely eyes thou oughtest yet to se him faythfully and inwardly with thy goostly eyes For playnely for as muche as thou doyste hartely desire to loue hym aboue al thinge and by harti loue doist moost hartely desire to be knyt vnto hym by grace in spyryt vndoughtidly he is as verili present as he did hang vpon the crosse and is now in the bosome of the father And bicause that the infinite dygnitie worthynes and nobylytie-of god canne not suffer the leaste sinne in hym that wold be knyt vnto hym and thou commenly fallest vnto some sin daily after thou haist parhaps byn knit vnto thi Lord god Thou muste therefore ascende and come vp vnto thi lord god vnto the godhed or dyuinitie of thy Lord Iesu by the moost precyous woundes of his blessid humanitie which he therfore sufferyd them and arose agayne from death with them and kepyth them styl in his blessid and holy bodye that we may clyme vp as it were by them vnto the blessyd godhed therfore he sayth There can none come vnto my father but only by me I am the dore who that commith in by me they shal find pasture Thou shalt therefore fyrst with most profunde mekenes fal down yf place as I haue sayd wyl serue or bowe very lowe downe at his most graciê° fete with the holy penitent Mary magdalene and there thou must do two thynges as she dyd Fyrst thou must with teares outward or inward as grace wyl serue for thy sinnes swetly louyngly wet his fete lamenting of very loue thy fawtes and synnes commytting theÌ„ with most harty confidence in his mercy and drowning them as it were in the most precious wounds of his blessid fete Thou shalt offer thi self to his merci al thy sinnes fawtes and imperfeccyons great and smal wherewith thou haist euer offendyd so louyng a father specially sythe thou were last knyt vnto him For his most excelleÌ„t noble maiesty can byde no meane nor let be it neuer so lytle no not one vaine thought or one litle morsel eateÌ„ otherwise then it ought except the same be purgid and cleansed by penaunce When thou hayste washed and weat the feate of thy sauyour Iesu after this sorte The second thing that thou must do is thou muste wype the same blessyd feat with the lockes of thi head that is to say Thou must with mooste perfect wyl and purpose so forsake al syn be they neuer so lytle that thou woldest rather suffer deathe then commit any sin Then thou shalt with mooste ardent desyre wyshe and longe to optaine al vertues and to die perfectli vnto al vyce and imperfeccyons And make this humble petycyon with harty deuocyon in thy affeccyon and mynde not in voyce MOst dear sauyor Iesu the longyng and desire of my soul I humbly beseke the by the most blessid wouÌ„des that thou sufferedst vpon the crosse for me make me to sucke drawe effecteously out of thy precious wouÌ„des al
kind of vertues And make me to abhorre al sinne aboue al hateful thynges in this worlde specyally pryde and vainglory arrogācy mine owne wyl in obedience irreuerencie towarde the and thy substitutes al impacience wrath rancor muche talke detraction and al vices that commeth of them And graunte me grace to drawe and sucke frome the precious woundes of thy most blessid fete mooste profunde and lowe humylytie perfecte pacience obedience and perfecte sylence wyth all the kyndes that procedyth of these And from thy blessyd head crouned with thornes graunt me grace to detest and forsake al pertynacie stubburnes in my owne opinion and wysedome al abuse of my sences and disolucion all the neglectyng of the holy feare of the al flattery and feare of man al indiscrection and my greate intēperaunce my impure intencion and sekyng of my selfe and al other vyces belongyng here vnto ¶ Most mercyful sauiour Iesu I humbly beseke the for the most bitter payne that thou sufferest in thy heade crowned wyth thornes prynte into my head and adorne it with thy godly wysedome so much as maye be moost to thy honour and my saluacyon That I may vnderstand thy infinite goodnes my vnmesurable vyle wretchednes ¶ Graunte me also thy holye and filyall feare and hate of sin be it neuer so small ¶ Graunte me cleare and perfect discrecion that I may se al the grinnes of sathan and seking of my self my errors excesses ¶ Graunte me the holy simplicitie of thy lytle ones that I may purely take al thynges to the best and obey the and all men in the and for the and wyth al symplycytie do what euer be commaundyd me except sin wythout gruging resysting or seking why or wherfore And for thy most louing and swete harte launced with a knyghtes speare for my loue and saluacion graunte me grace to deteste and abhor al the pryuate and inordynate loue of my selfe and of any creature the abuse the yrreuerence and neglygence of thy blessid sacramentes and gyftes all mystruste infydelytie and errors al feare inordynate wekenes of spyryte and disperacion my greate negligēce and vnstedfastnes in those thinges that belongeth to my estate and callyng and all other vyces that belongyth to any of these and al kyndes and cyrcumstances that cōmyth of any of these Besekyng the moost louynge lorde Iesu of thy moost ardente burninge charytie and loue of thy deuyne harte and for that precyous wound and al the heuynes whiche thou sufferest therein for my sake and loue and saluacion graue and prynte into my hart thy woūdid hart and fulfyl my harte with the most perfecte loue of the and charytie whiche may sleye and mortifie in me al pryuate and inordynate loue vnto my self and to al creatures and make me to loue the only wyth al my harte al my soule with al my mynde and al my strenght and to loue al men in the for the as my selfe ¶ Grant me perfecte cōstance catholyque fayth to auoyde al errors ¶ Graunt me perfect hope and trust in the that I may in al trouble gostly and bodely auoyde al desparacion and euermore mekely trust in thy mercyful helpe protectiō and comforte ¶ Graunte me stabylitie perseueraunce that I may procede and encrease dayly frō vertue to vertue and grow in al perfectiō ¶ Moost mercyful sauyour Iesu for the incōprehencible loue and sorow of thy woūded and blessid right hand graunt me grace to detest abhorre al vnryghteousenes wronge al bytter melacolynes of hart al displeasure and enuy al falsed vntruthe and ypocrisie al vnkyndnes and vnthankfulnes towardes the and thyne besekynge the moost mercyful lord Iesu for the most bytter payne and grefe of thy wounde in thy ryght hande to graunt me perfecte iustice and ryghtwysenes that I may geue vnto the my lorde al honor and glory thākes prayse and obedyence in al my cogitacyons wordes and dedes And to gyue to my superiors my eguals and inferyors vnto my bodye and soul al thynge that belong vnto them doing and performyng al thynges truly that is my duety vnto them accordyng vnto my state and callyng ¶ Graunte me grace also to folow thy blessyd example in al mercy pytie compassiō and boūtyfulnes both to my frendes and foes Graunt me to folowe thy holy truth and godly zeale agaynst al vyce and sinne both of myne owne and of other men for thy honoures sake and theire soules helth ¶ Graunte me also the grace of thankefulnes that I may be thankeful and kynd alwaye vnto the my louyng lorde Iesu for thy innumerable benefites and vnto euery man for there kyndnes and benefytes shewed vnto me ¶ Moost myghtyful maker and swete sauioure Iesu for the incomprehensyble loue and payne of the blessid wound in thy lefte hande I humbly beseke the graunt me vtterly to deteste and abhor cowardnes sluggysnes and slouth al ydelnes and losse of tyme al vnclēnes of bodye and soule al intemperaunce and excesse in meate drynke and al other necessaryes al gredynes couetise and al vyces and sinnes that commyth of any of these humbly beseking the my lorde Iesu for the intollerable payne sorow that thou sufferedst in the wound of thy lefte hande powre into my sinful soule so muche fortytude as is necessarie for me to thy honoure and my souls helth Wherby I may rule and gouerne my wyl the powers and sences of my bodye and soule so that nether fearyng the deuyl the world nor men nether yet mine owne wil or flesh life nor death I may māfully passe thorow and contemne al thinges for thy loue ¶ Graunt me grace to folow thy amyable chastytie of bodye and purytie of harte that I may vehemently detest al vnclēnes and that I may contynually kepe al my cogytacions and my senses from all sinne and occacyons thereof and from al inpuritie cleuynge vnto any creature ¶ Graunt me the grace to folowe also thy moost holy sobryetie whereby I maye refrayne and mortyfie al my sensies and powers of my body from al inordinate delectacion pleasure and superfluitie and that I maye vse bare necessaries wyth the grace of the wythout any lust or pleasure inordynate in them ¶ Graunte me grace also to folowe thy moost blessed voluntarye pouertye which ledyth a man maruelous spedely vnto god whereby I maye by thy grace be made remayne so bare so poore in spirite so lose from al loue and delyght in any creature frō cleuyng to thy gostly giftes inwardly and from al affection of temporal thinges outwardly that I may vse and take my very necessaries wyth lothesomenes paine that I may neuer desire to possesse any thing but that I bare and nakyd from al creatures may fyxe my delyght ioye and ful rest betwene thy blessyd bare armes being crucyfied thus wyth the and so to render and make amendes wyth my verteus lyfe in some parte that whyche wyth my former synful lyfe I toke from the
sekyng purely thy only glory and honoure here in nowe and euer Amen AFter thou haiste made this deuoute petycion in thi harte then must thou fully hope and trust that thy louynge Lord Iesu hathe in the vnmesurable sea of his infynitie merites consumed al thes thy fawtes and vtterly forgeuen them the. Then al thy sinnes are lefte as it were beneth thou must ascende vp vnto his blessed handes whiche are alway stretchyd out vnto his deare fryndes in token of singulare frindship thou shalt then in this place approche in thy hart and desyre vnto god askyng of hym and desyryng that thou maiste be knyt vnto hym and made one with him in true loue and charytie And firste thou mast put out of thy hart al carefulnes al thy dystraccyon casting and committing them in to the handes and pleasure of almyghty god by whom there can nothing be lost nor peryshe Then thou must set thy ful mind and behold thy Lord god that is veryly present with the ther which louith the most hartely which also tarith for the yea he knockyth and callyth the louingly And so muste thou knyt thi mind so earnestly vpon god that thou maist be as it were inclosed within thy lord god thy selfe with in him gatheryng and recolectinge al the powers of thy soule and bodyly sensies in the blessed woūdes of his most holy handes And whyle thou art thus recollectyd thou shalt make these thre prayers in thy hart mynd vnto god the thre persons in trinite And first to the father say this prayer O Most omipotent god father celestial in the mooste blessyde merytes of my sauyor Iesu take away and put out of my memorye phansie by thy infinite power and myght al the imagynacyons and outward affeccyons and fulfyl my memorie wyth thyne owne selfe and with al godly imagynacyons and desyres ¶ Secondly vnto the Some O Moost al myghty sonne sempyternall of god I humbly beseke the of thy infynitie mercy by thy eternal and euer lastynge wysedome mooste gracyously vochsafe to lyghten my wyt and vnderstandyng with the most blessed knowledge of thy goodnes increate and īfinitie which thou art and to know thy blessed benefites and mooste holy wyl and pleasure and myne owne noughtynes ¶ Thurdly thou must make petycyon vnto the holy goost after this maner O Gloryous Lord god holy gost moste humbly I beseke the of thy infinitie mercy and charytie whiche thou arte thy selfe vochesafe with thy in comprehēsyble goodnes to raiushe and swalowe me vp all together in to the with my will and al myne affeccyons and set them on fyere with most ardent loue and charytie ¶ The fourth is vnto Christ Crucified O Moost louing sauior and most derest loue of my soul my swete Lord Iesu I humbly beseke the for thi crosse and passyon and for thy most payneful deathe that thou of most perfect loue towardes me dydest suffer vpon the crosse vochsafe by thi most holy powers of thi blessid soul and the senses of thy moost holye bodye to make bare and nakyd all my wytes and powers of my boodie and soule frome al phansyes vyces imperfeccions and inordynacyons and restore them to their fyrst perfeccyon and order vochsafe to knyte and to inclose them within thy selfe and thy selfe al together within them Amen MORE ouer as often as thou wilt knyt thy wil and vnderstandynge vnto thy Lord god thou must stirere vp and not without some labor these two that is to say thy vnderstandyng and wyl towardes thy Lord. First thou must force thy vnderstandyng earnestly to consyder and faithfuly to behold the highe goodnes of god and his infinyte hys moost super-excellent and incomprehensible nobylytie and holines and therwtal consider and fele also the innumerable tormentes paynes sorowes and passyons that he so hyghe so noble so excellente and so infinite maiestie suffered of most ineffable loue and charitie for vs most vile wreched and most vnkind synners And with greate wonder thou muste meruayl at the moste wonderful loue that god almyghtye hath shewyd towardes the by his owne moost deare sone whome for thy loue only saluacion he gaue to suffer al kynd of myserye saue syn of trauel labour fatigaciō care honger thirst watch trouble sorow shame reuyle rebuke cōfusyon sclander blasphemye persecucyon false trateri heuines dread feare and deadly agony vntyl blody swete wrongful cōprehencyon and captyuitie lyke a thief in bondes most cruelty most vyle entreatyd halyd pullyd and led from poste to pillar moost worngeful accusacion and mooste vniuste condempnacyon spyttynge and conspurcacion yllusions mockes and skornes forsworne forsaken of his owne apostles mooste cruell flagellacyon and beatynges fore strypes and buffets most payneful coronacyons with thornes hys tender limmes body and fleshe rent torne moost cruelly And in al these plages and woful aray made a gasyng stocke to al hys most cruel enemies At the length cōptyd moost abhomynable more vyle and more worthy of deathe then a stronge thiefe and cruell murderer he was condemnyd the other delyuered and so ladē wyth his most cruel and heuy crosse vpon his torne shoulders and weake body vnto his paine and al wordly wonder confusion and shame he was lad vnto the most fylthy and horyble place of his moost cruell shameful death moost bytter drynke offered hym and violently spoyled naked of al his garmentes rackid to the lengh and bredth of his crosse most paynefully nayled with sturdy blunte nayles eleuated on hygh vpon the crosse hys mēbers most cruelly torne rent his vaynes and synowes violently broken his precyous bloude moost paynefully shed trayled downe vpon the earth in greate aboundaunce in suche paynfull plyghte he honge thre long houres vpon the crosse in moost wooful panges and paynes of death sustayning moost deadly burnyng thurst blasphemye reproche and reprofe mooste payneful derelection wythout al comforte or consolacion And thus he most wofully yeldyd vp his blessid soule by moost bytter cruel paineful and shameful death And al only for the mere and most burnynge loue and charitie that he bare vnto the hys enymye that thou myght be delyuered from the wrath of God and sentence of damnacion that thou haddest deseruyd by the sinne oryginal and innumerable other in normytes deadly and dayly offēces which thou hayst done myghtest haue done and mayste do yf he reserued thee not by hys grace And yet requyreth he nothynge in this worlde of the for al these that he hathe sufferid and done for the but only thy trew harte and loue And for this cause he suffered his moost dyuine and louely hart to be opened wyth a speare that thou myghtest yf thou woldest in maner crepe into hys most blessid syde and swete harte the treasure house of al grace and mercy of al vertrue and perfection where thou mayst optayne what thou wylt aske And all for the moost tender loue that the swete louynge hart of thy deare lorde Iesu berith to the. Thou hayst
to heare straynge or newe thynges and to to vse wyth pleasure any of oure fyue senses wythout necessitie These are the solaces and comfortes of nature in the whych oure sensualytie hath delyght to rest in aboue or wythout necessytie or reasonable cause and dyscression as in meate drynke in talke in persons or company in worldly thinges in bodely occupacions in familyaryties in lyghtnes pastime in fables in heryng newes and rumors and many other vanytes both vayne curyous wherby the inner peace deuocion sencible and the grace of god eather is letted ether lost These sowe their tyme in fleshly delyghts wherof they shal repe corrupcyō By such vnnecessary vagacions of sensies whiche are sought only of a certayne sensual pleasure and of no resonable occasion al deuocyon and spiritual swetnes and swete tast in goostlye exercyse is loste at once For the beastly man sayth saynte paule sauoryth not the spiritual thinges those thinges that be of the spirite of god nether is the wysedome of god found in the land of such that lyueth at ther pleasure This pleasure concupisence and delyght of the sensies or fyue wittes draweth the hart of mā downe from the hyghe goodnes and felycitie and makyth it to rest in the huskes and drosse of the sensies they trouble the mynde and do quench the charite of god in a good mā For the pleasure of these do abate deuociō makyth goostly exercyses vnsauery vnpleasante and hard where a man the dredith god ought to vse these thynges with great dyscrecion accordynge vnto the necessitye of his frayle nature not leuyng any thyng that nature requiryth of necessytie but vtterly mortyfie the pleasure and delight specyally that is vnnecessary in them by turning his mynde and harte fully from them and the pleasure in them that he in no wise rest in them He must eate drynke slepe talke loke here for no pleasure nor sensualitie but for necessitie For al these he shal some tyme nede then is he bounde to take them wyth dyscrecion And though he can not vse them or do them without some pleasure in them yet he must dylygently take very great hede and be wel ware in al that he can that he retayne not in hys hart any pryuye affectiō vnto any solace or comfort bodyly in them whyle he felyth this sensual pleasure but let it goo and passe as it cōmyth and feade and cheryshe thy bodye to do god seruyce wyth al necessaryes in dyscrecion and thou shalt not offend god in so doyng but please hym greately Therfore thou must wyth al dyscretion and indeuer go about busely to plucke it vp by the rote and thus vtterly mortyfie sensualytie in thy self or els al that thou doist build gostly wyl come to nought As when sensualytie moutth the to talke to gase and loke about or to harken where thou hayst not resonable cause nor necessytie then wyth al dyligence thou shalte kepe and brydel wel thy sensies resyst manfully and busyly the desyres and concupysence therof flyeng also the occasyons and prouocations here vnto strayne and draw them vyolently with the myght and the grace of god vnto the contrary vertues vntyl that thy sensuality al passyons and vyces be mortyfyed in the do frely obey the sprite ¶ The fourth impedimente THe fourthe impedimēt is pryde and vayne glorye estymacyon and well pleasyng delyght of him selfe of honour prayse of his workes his dedes hys graces and gyftes the desyre ioye wherin many do rest in the fauoure laude and estymacion of men For these vyces many are left of god For why whyle they think them selfe hoole and in helth they neather seke nether take remedy Wherfore for as muche as humylytie and mekenes is very necessary to mortyfie this affection thou must laboure to come vnto perfecte mekenes Thou must seke for this mekenes and praie continually and hartely for it to god of whom spryngyth al that good is Thys is the moost surest waye More ouer thou must also haue before thy eies in thy mind alwaye the infynyte mayestye of god the wysedome and the goodnesse of god thou muste ascrybe all thy gyftes and graces vnto god only On the other syde thou must consider earnestlye the bottomelesse pyt of thy vylenes and noughtynes thynkynge styl that thou arte the most proudest vylest in the worlde by reson the greate multytude of sinnes and thy vnthankefulnes by reason also that thou shuld haue fallen into innumerable and more detestable sinnes then thou dydest yf god of hys goodnes had not preseruyd the. By reason also that ther is not in the whole world one sinner but that if he had receauid such and so many graces and occasions to do wel as thou hayst but he wolde haue seruyd god more faythfully than thou dost Inwardly think also from thy harte thy selfe to be the most wyckyd synner in the world bycause of the great multitude of thy vnkindnes shewed vnto god and most vnworthy thou arte of al hys gyftes and benefytes and of all that thou hayst receauyd of any creatures or euer shalte receaue therefore thynke thy selfe worthy of al rebuke payne trouble sorowe shame And thus shalte thou cast downe thy selfe vnder al men chosyng to thy selfe the lowest place in earth cryinge out vnto thy lorde god as a pore myserable wretche Mercyful god be mercyfull vnto me wretched sinner desiring wyth all thy whoole harte and wyshe thy selfe to be cōdempned dispysed set at nought and mockyd of al men to be ouer troden of all to suffer wyllyngly shame and confusyon for the loue of god Thus shalt thou on the one syde ascrybe to god that whiche is his that is al goodnes and on the other syde thou shalte shew herein thy selfe shalt humble thy selfe greatly This mekenes and humylitie ouercommyth and wynnyth god almyghty and makith the apte and meete to receaue al hys graces and gyftes Thys is a brefe waie to get merites but few takith it A lac who can arrogate and take vppon hym selfe that he hath thy blessid mekenes syth it is so harde a thyng so vncertayne so secreate and vnknowne a thyng to forsake and mortifye perfectlye and exactly sēsualytie and that mooste venome worme of al good dedes vayne glory ¶ The .v. Impedymente THe fyfte Impediment is seculare or wordly affection or that we haue loue to holde the fauoure or retayne loue of worldly persons For this affection causyth a man to be very redie to do not only many good verteous workes and dedes but also to admyte and to do many vicious dedes and sinnes eather to please men to haue at their handes honor or commodyte eather fearyng theire dyspleasure least he should suffer shame confusiō or dammage This inordinate loue and feare maketh thē to do and speke many thynges whiche they shuld not nor wold not do nor speake and to leaue vndone and vnspokē which they shuld not nor wolde not leaue vndone nor vnspoken yf they