¶ An exposition after the maner of a cōtemplacyon vpon the .li. psalme called Miserere mei Deus ALas wretche the I am / confortlesse forsaken of all men / which haue offended both heuen earth Whether shall I go or whether shall I turne me To who shall I flye for socoure Who shall haue pytye or cōpassion on me vnto heuē dare I not lifte vp myne eyes / for I haue greuously synned agaynst it And in the earthe can I fynde no place of defence / for I haue bene noysom vnto it What shall I nowe do shall I despayre God forbyd full mercyfull is god / and my sauiour is meke and louyng / therfore only god is my refuge he wyll not despyse his creature neither forsake his owne ymage Vnto the therfore most meke and merciful god come I all sad and sorowfull for thou onely art my hope / and thou art onely the toure of my defence But what shall I say vnto the / syth I dare not lyft vp myne eyes I wyll poure oute the wordes of sorowe / I wyll hartelye beseche the for mercye and wyll saye Haue mercy vpon me oh god accordynge to thy greate mercye ¶ God whiche dwellest in lyghte that no man can attayne / God whiche art hid and canst not be sene with bodely eyes / nor cōprehended with ony vnderstondynge that euer was made / nether expressed with the tongues of men or angels My god the / which art incomprehensible do I seke the which canst not be expressed do I cal vpon what thinge so euer thou art which art in euery place I knowe that thou art the most hye excellent thyng yf thou be a thynge / and not rather the cause of all thynge yf I may so call the for I fynde no name by the whiche I maye name or expresse thyne in enarrable maiesty God I saye whiche art all thynges that are in the for thou art euen thyne owne wysdom thy power and thy moste gloriouse felycyte Seynge therfore that thou art mercyful what art thou but euen the very mercy it selfe And what am I / but very myserye Beholde therfore a god whiche art mercye beholde myserye is before the what shalt thou do mercye truely thy worke canst thou do otherwyse then thy nature is And what is thy worke verely to take awaye mysery and to lyfte vp them that are in wretched condicyon therfore haue mercy on me oh god God I saie whiche art mercye take awaye my misery / take awaye my synnes for they are myne extreme miserye Lyfte vp me which am so miserable / shew thy worke in me and exersyse thy power vpon me One depth requireth another the depthe of myserye requireth the depthe of mercye The depthe of synne axeth the depthe of grace fauoure Greater is the depthe of mercy then the depth of mserye Let therfore the one depth swalow vp the other Let the botomlesse depthe of mercye swalow vp the profounde depth of myserye ¶ Haue mercy on me oh god according to thy greate mercye Not after the mercye of men whiche is but small but after thyne owne mercy whiche is greate which is vnmesurable which is incōprehēsible which passeth all synnes without comparison Accordynge to that thy greate mercy with the whiche thou hast so loued the world that thou woldest geue thyne only sonne What mercye can be greater What loue can be more Who can despayre Who shulde not haue good confidence God was made mā and crucyfied for men Therfore haue mercye on me oh God accordynge to this thy greate mercye by the whiche thou hast geuen thy sonne for vs by whiche throughe hym thou haste taken awaye the synne of the worlde by whiche through his crosse thou haste lyghtened all men by whiche through hym thou hast redressed all thynges in heuen and erth Wash me oh lorde in his bloude lyghten me in his humilite / redresse me in his resurreccion Haue mercye on me oh god not after thy smal mercy for that is but thy small mercy in comparison when thou helpest men of theyr bodely euylles but it is greate when thou forgeuest synnes and dost eleuate men by thy fauoure aboue the toppe of the erth Euen so Lorde haue mercye on me accordinge to this thy greate mercye that thou turne me vnto the that thou put out my synnes that thou iustefie me by thy grace fauoure And accordinge to the multitude of thy compassions wype awaye myne iniquite ¶ Thy mercy lorde is the habundaunce of thy pytye by the whiche thou lokest gentely on the poore and wretched Thy compassions are the workes and processes of thy mercy Marie Magdalene came vnto thy fete good Iesu she wasshed thē with her teares wyped thē with her here thou forgauest her and sentest her awaye in peace this was Lorde one of thy compassions Petre denyed the and forsoke the with an othe / thou lokedste vpō hym and he wepte bitterly / thou forgaueste hym and madeste hym one of the chyef amonge thyne Apostles this was lorde a nother of thy cōpassions The these on the crosse was saued with one worde Paule in the furious wodnes of his persecution was called and by by fulfylled with the holy ghoste these are lorde thy compassions The tyme shulde fayle me yf I sholde numbre all thy merciable cōpassions for loke how many ryghtwyse men there be so many at thy godly compassions There is none that can glorye in hym selfe Let them all come that at ryghtwyse other in erth or in heauen and let vs axe them before the whether they be saued by theyr owne power and vertue And surely all they wyll answere with one herte and one mouthe sayenge Not vnto vs Lorde not vnto vs but vnto thy name geue all the prayse / for thy mercye and for thy truthes sake For they in theyr owne swerde possessed not the lande theyr owne arme or power saued thē not but thy right hande thyne arme the lyghtēing of thy coūtenaūce for thou delytedste in thē that is they are not saued for theyr owne deseruynges lest ony man shold boste him selfe / but because it pleased the so to be whiche thynge the prophet doth also more expreslye witnesse of the when he sayth he saued me because he wolde haue me Sith therfore that thou art the same god with whō is no alteration or variablenesse neyther art thou chaūged vnto darknesse and we thy creatures as well as our fathers whiche were borne vnder cōcupiscence synners as well as we / and syth there is but one mediator atonemente betwene god and man that is Christ Iesus which endureth for euer / why doste thou not poure on thy plentuous compassyons vpon vs / as well as thou didest vpon our fathers hast thou forgoten vs or are we only synners dyd not Christe dye for vs Are all thy mercies spent and none lefte ¶ Lorde our god I desyre and hertely beseche the / to put out myne iniquite accordyng
vnto the multitude of thy compassions For many ye and infinite ar thy compassions / that accordynge I saye to the multytude of thy coÌ„passions thou vouchsafe to quench my synne that as thou hast drawen and receyued iÌ„numerable synners and haste made them ryghtuous / euen so that thou wylte drawe and take me and make me ryghtwyse throughe thy grace and fauour / therfore accordyng to the multitude of thy coÌ„passions wype away myne iniquite Clense and puritie myne herte that after all myne iniquite is put out all my vnclennesse clensed it maye be as a clene table in the whiche the fynger of god may wryte the lawe of his loue and charite with the whiche can none iniquite continue Yet washe me more from myne iniquite and clense me from my synne ¶ I graunte and knowlege oh lorde thou hast ones put out myne iniquite thou hast put it out agayne and haste washed me a thousande tymes / how be it yet washe me froÌ„ myne iniquite / for I am fallen agayne Doste thou vse to spare a synfull man vntyll a certeyne numbre of his synne / whiche when Peter enquyred / how often shal my brother offende agaynst me / and I shal forgeue hym / whether seuen tymes thou answeredste I saye not seuen tymes but seuentye tymes seuen tymes takynge that certeyne nuÌ„bre / for an infinite nuÌ„bre Sith then that a man must forgeue so ofte shalt thou in pardonyng forgeuenes be passed of a man is not God more then man is he not better then man ye rather God is the great lorde euery man lyuyng is nothynge thing but all vanite And only god is good and euery man a lyar hast thou not sayed In what houre so euer the synner doth repent I wyll not remeÌ„bre any of his iniquities Beholde I a synner do repête morne for myne olde preuy sores festred within now at they broken forth for myne owne folyshnesse I am depressed and sore broken I walke in continuall morninge / I am feble and very weake / I roored for the sorowe of myne herte Lorde all my desyres are before the and my sorowfull syghes at not vnknowne vnto the. Myne herte treÌ„bleth and panteth for sorow / my streÌ„gth sayleth me and euen the very syghte of myne tyes cease from theyr office Wherfore then oh lorde doste thou not put awaye myne iniquity And yf thou put it out accordinge to the multytude of thy mercyes / yet washe me from myne iniquite For yet am I not perfeytly purefyed funished thy worke take awaye the hole offence and also the payne that is due vnto the crune encreate thy lyght with in me Kendle myne herte with thy loue cherite put out al feare / for perfayte loue sendeth awaye feare Let the loue of the worlde the loue of the flesshe the loue of vayne glorye the loue of my selfe vtterly departe fro me / yet fryll more more wash me from myne iniquite by the which I haue offended agaynst my neighbour and clense me from my synne that I haue committed agaynste god I wolde haue the put away not only the faute payne that foloweth it but also the occasion and nouryshment of synne Washe me I saye with the water of thy gracyous fauoure with water of which he that drinketh shall not thyrst for euer but it shall be made in hym a fontayne of lyuynge water runnynge in to euer lastynge lyfe Washe me with the comfortable waters of thy holye scriptures that I maye be nuÌ„bred among them vnto whom thou saydest Now are ye clene for my wordes which I haue spokeÌ„ vnto you Io. xiij For I knowlege myne inyquyte and my synne is euer before myne iyes ¶ Although through the beholding of thy mercy and compassions I may be bolde to flye vnto the oh lorde yet wyl I not come as the Pharise whiche prayed not but rather ther praysed hym selfe despised his neigh boure but I come vnto the as the publican Lu. xviij which durst not lyfte vp his iyes vnto Heauen For I also do knowlege myne inyquyte / and whyles I pondre my synnes I dare not lyfte vp myne tyes / but humbelynge my selfe with the Publicane I saye God be mercyfull to me a synner My soule wauereth betwene hope feare and somtyme for the feare of my synnes whiche I feale and knowlege to be in me I am ready to despayre / somtyme throughe the hope of thy mercy / I am lyfted vp and conforted Neuerthelesse because that thy mercy is greater theÌ„ my misery I wyl euer lorde truste in the and wyll synge oute thy plentuous compassyons for euer For I knowe that thou desyrest not the deathe of a synner / but rather that he were conuerted and that he wolde knowlege his iniquite and forsake his synne / and so come to the that he maye lyue ¶ My god graunte me that I maye lyue in the / for I knowlege my wyckednesse / I knowe what a greuous burthen it is how copious / how ieoperdious I am not ignoraunt of it / I hide it not but set it eueÌ„ before myne eies / that I maye washe it with my teares and knowlege vnto the Lorde myne vnryghtwysnesse agaynste my selfe And also my synne which I haue proudly done agaynste the / is euer agaynst me / and therfore it is agaynste me / because I haue sinned agaynst the it is truly against me / for it is eueÌ„ against my soule / accuseth me euer before the my iudge condeÌ„pneth me euer in euery place and it is so agaynste me that it is euer before my face and stondeth but agaynst me that my prayer maye not perce through vnto the / that it myght take thy mercy fro me hynder thy mercye that it can not come at me therfore do I treÌ„ble and therfore do I morne besechyng thy mercy Therfore oh lorde as thou hast gyuen this grace vnto me to knowe my wickednesse and to bewayle my synne eueÌ„ so accomplysh this thy beneuolence gyuynge me a ê‘fayte fayth / drawyng me vnto thy sonne which hath made a ful satisfactioÌ„ for all my sinnes Geue me lorde this precious gyfte for euery good gyfte and euery parfeyte gyfte is from aboue comyng from the father of lyght Agaynst the only haue I synned haue done that which is euyll in thy sight that thou maist be iustified in thy wordê mayst haue the victorie when thou art iudged ¶ I haue ouermoch sinned vnto the alone / for thou coÌ„maundedst me the I sholde loue the for thy selfe / shold loue al creatures for thy sake But I haue loued a creature more then the / louynge it euen for it selfe What is synne but to loue a creature for it selfe and what is that / but to do agaynst the Surely he the loueth a creature for it selfe maketh that creature his God And therfore haue I synned agaynste the onely / for I haue made a creature my god So haue I caste the awaye /
and haue ben miurious only to the / for I haue not offen ded agaynste ony creature in that I haue set my truste or confidence in it For it was not coÌ„maunded me that I sholde loue ony creature for it selfe Yf thou haddest coÌ„mauÌ„ded me that I sholde haue loued an aungell onely for hym selfe / and I had loued mony for it selfe / then no doubte I had offended agaynst the angell But sith that thou only art to be loued for thy selfe that is to say without ony respecte other of good or euyll and euery creature is to be loued in the for thy sake Therfore haue I surely offended onely agaynst the / for I haue loued a creature for it selfe ¶ But yet haue I worse done / for I haue synned euen iÌ„ thy syght I was nothig asshamed to synne before thy face Oh merciful god / how many synnes haue I done in thy syght which I wolde in no wyse haue done before mortal meÌ„ / yea that I wolde not in ony case the men sholde knowe I feared men more then the / for I was blinde loued blyndnes / so did I nether se nor ones coÌ„sidre the. I had only fleshly eyes / therfore did I only feare and loke on men whiche ar flesh But thou lokedst on al my synnes and numbred them / therfore I can nether hyde them froÌ„ the / nether turne my backe and flye from thy face ¶ Whether shall I go from thy spirite and whether shall I flye from thy face What shall I then do whether shall I turne me whome shall I fynde to be my defender whom I praye you but the my god who is so good who is so geÌ„tle who is so mercyfull for thou passest without comparisoÌ„ al creatures in gentlenesse It is one of thy chyefest propertyes to forgeue and be mercifull / for throughe mercy and forgeuenesse thou dost most declare thy almyhgtynesse I graunt lorde that I haue offended only agaynst the / and haue done that whiche is euyll in thy syght Haue mercy therfore on me expresse thy puysaunce in me / that thou mayst be iustified iÌ„ thy wordê / for thou hast sayde that thou camest not to cal the rightwise / but fynners vnto repentaunce Justefie me lorde accordyng to thy wordes call me / receyue me / and gyue me grace to do true workes of repentauÌ„ce For this cause wast thou crucyfied / deade and buryed Thou saydest also JohnÌ„ iij. wheÌ„ I am lyfted vp from of the earth / I wyl drawe al vnto my selfe / verefie thy wordê draw me after that let vs ruÌ„ne to gether in the swetenesse of thyne oyntmentes Besydes that thou saydeste Math. xi Lome vnto me all ye that laboure / and are laden and I wyll case you Loo I come vnto the laden with synnes / laboryng day and nyght in the sorow of myne harte refresh and ease me lorde that thou mayste be iustefied and proued true in thy wordes / and mayste ouercome when thou art iudged / for there are manye that saye he shall haue no so coure of his god God hath forsaken hym Ouercome lorde these parsones when thou arte thus iudged of them forsake me not at any tyme. Gyue me thy mercye and holesome socoure / and then are they vaynqueshed ¶ They saye / that thou wylt haue no mercye on me / that thou wylte cast me clene out of thy fanoure no more receyue me thus art thou iudged of men / and thus do men speake of the / and these are theyr determynacyons / but thou whiche arte meke merciful haue mercy on me and ouercome theyr iudgemeÌ„tes / shewe thy mercy on me and let thy godlye pytye be praysed in me Make me a vessell of thy mercye / that thou mayste be iustefied in thy wordes haue the vyctorye when men do iudge the / for men do iudge the to be firce and inflexible Ouercome theyr iudgemeÌ„t with mekenes beneuolence / so that men may lerne to haue compassion on synners / and that malefatours may be enflamed vnto repentaunce seynge in me / thy pytye and mercye To I was fasshoned iÌ„ wyckednes my mother coÌ„ceyued me poluted with synne ¶ Beholde not lorde the greuousnes of my synnes / coÌ„sidre not the multitude / but loke mercifully on me whiche am thy creature RemeÌ„bre that I am dust / that al fleshe is as wytherd hay / for lo I am fasshoned in wickednes in sinne hath my mother coÌ„ceiued me My naturall mother I say hath conceiued me of coÌ„cupisceÌ„ce / in hit am I volluted with originall synne What is originall synne / but the lacke of originall iustice of the ryght pure innoceÌ„cy which maÌ„ had at his creacyon therfore a man coÌ„ceiued borne in suche synne is hole croked out of frame The fleshe coueteth against the spirit Reason is slender / the wyl is weake / man is fraile like vanitie / his sences deceiue him his ymagynacyon fayleth hym his ignoraunce leadeth him out of the ryght way / he hath infinite iÌ„pedimentê which plucke hym frome goodnes and dryue hym in to euyll Therfore oryginall synne is the rote of all synnes the nurse of all wickednesse for all be it the in euery man of sheyr owue nature it is but one synne yet in powet it is all synnes Thou seiste therfore Lorde what I am and of whence I am for in orgynall synne which conteyneth al synnes and iniquites in it am I fashoned / and in it hath my mother coÌ„ceaued me syth then I am hole in synnes and enuyroned with snares on euery side howe shall I escape for what I wolde that do I not / but the euyll that I wolde not that do I. For I finde a nother lawe in my membres rebellynge agayneste the lawe of my mynde / and subduynge me vnto the lawe of synne and deth Therfore the more frayle and entang led thy godly beneuolêce seeth me so much the more let it lyft vp and confort me who wolde not pytye one the is syke who wolde not haue compassion on hym that is dysea sed Come come swete Samaritane take vp the wounded and halfe deade / cure my woundes / poure in wyne and oyle set me vpon thy beest bringe me into the houry / coÌ„mytte me vnto the hoste take out two pence saye vnto hym what so euer thou spendest aboue this when I come agayne I wyll recoÌ„pence ye. To thou hast loued truth / the vnknowne secrete tgyngs of thy wysdome haste thou vttered vnto me ¶ Come most swete Samaritane / for beholde thou haste loued truthe / the truthe I saye of thy promyses whiche thou hast made vnto mankynde / theym haste thou truly loued for thou haste made and kepte them / so that thy loue is nothynge els but euen to do good for in thy selfe thou art inuartable immutable / thou vseste not now to loue anon not to loue as meÌ„ do neyther doth thy loue
so come go But thou art suche a louer as do the neuer chaunge for thy loue is very god Thy loue therfore wherwith thou louest a creature / is to do it good and whom thou most truest / to them art thou moste beneficyall Therfore what meaneth / that thou louest truthe / but that of thy gracious mercy thou makest vs promyses / and fulfyllest them for thy truthes sake Thou dydest promyse vnto Abraham a sonne when he was aged / thou fulfilledst thy promyse in olde and baÌ„reyn Sara / because thou louedst truth Thou promisedst vnto the chyldren of Israell a lande that flowed with milke and honye / and at the last didest geue it theÌ„ / for thy truthes sake ¶ Thou madest a promyse to Dauid sayenge I shall set vp thy seate regall one of the frute of thy bodye and it came euen to passe / because thou woldest be founde true There are other iunumerable promystes in which thou hast euer bene faithful because thou louedst truthe Thou haste promysed to synners which wyll come vnto the / forgyuenesse and fauour / and thou hast neues defrauded man for thou hast loued truthe That vnthryftye Sonne Luce. xv that toke his iourney in to a farte countre and wasted all his goodes with royatous lyuynge / when he came to hym selfe / he retourned vnto the sayenge father I haue synned agaynst heuen and before the / now am I not worthye to be called thy sonne / make me as one of thy hyred seruauntes When he was yet a greate waye of / thou sawest hym and haddest coÌ„passion on him / and rannest vnto hym / fallynge vpon his necke and kyssynge hym / thou broughtest forth the best garment and puttest a rynge on his finger and showes on his fete / thou kylledst that fatted calfe and madest all the house mery saieng let vs eate and be mery / for this my sonne was deade and is alyue agayne / he was lost and is now founde ¶ Why didest thou al this lorde god surelye because thou louedst truth Loue therfore o father of mercies this truthe in me / which returne vnto the froÌ„ a far cuÌ„tre runne 〈◊〉 wardê me geue me a kys of thi mouth / geue me those chefe garmeÌ„tê / draw me iÌ„ to thy house / kyll the fatted calfe that all which truste in the maye reioyce in me / and lette vs eate together in spyrytuall feastes On lorde wylte thou exclude me alone wylte thou not kepe this truth vnto me yf thou shuldest loke narowly on our wickednesse a lorde Lorde who myght abyde the But lorde thou wylte not be soo strayte vnto vs / for thou louest truth ye and that with a feruent and incomprehensyble loue ¶ Whiche is the truth that thou so louest is it not thy sonne that sayde Iohan .xiiij. I am the waye / truth / and lyfe he is the very truthe of whom all truthe is named in heuen and in earthe / this is it that thou haste loued and in it only haste thou delyted for thou dydeste fynde it pure and with out spotte and woldeste that it shulde dye for synners Kepe therfore Oh god this truthe / beholde I am a greate synner in whome thou mayste kepe it / to whome thou mayst forgeue many synnes / whome thou mayste purifye in the bloude of thy Chryste / and whome thou mayste redeme through his passion why Oh Lorde hast thou geueÌ„ me this knowlege of thi sonne / and this sayth of hym Because I sholde se my redempcyon and not to attayne it that I myght by that meanes be the more vexed with sorowe God forbyd But rather that I maye perceyue the remission of my synnes purchased by Christes bloude / and so by his grace maye obteyne it Purge me therefore redeme me oh lorde for thou hast vttered vnto me the vnknowne and secret poyntes of thy wysdome that this knowlege maye helpe me and brynge me vnto health / for truely the Phylosophers neuer knewe these thyngê they were vnknowne vnto them / yea and vtterly hyd froÌ„ them And no man knewe these thynges excepte a fewe whom thou louedste entyrelye before thy sonnes incarnacyon ¶ The moste curious serchers of the worlde I meanet the wyse men of this worlde lifted vp theyr eyes aboue heuen yet coulde not fynde this thy wysdom / for thou haste hyd these thynges from the wyse and prudente / and haste opened them vnto babes / that is / to huÌ„ble fysshers and thy holy propehtes which also haue vittered them vnto vs. And so hast thou vttered the vnknowne and secrete thynges of thy wysdom and of thy scryptures vnto me / why do I knowe them in vayne I knowe theym surelye in vayne if they profyt me not vnto my helth and saluacion For the philosophers when they knewe god by his meruelous creatures they gloryfied hym not as god neyther were thankefull / but vexed full of vanities in theyr imaginacyons and theyr folysshe hertes were blynded When they counted them selues wyse / they became toles Wylt thou suffer me lorde to be or theyr numbre God forbyd For thou arte euen mercye it selfe which doth neuer vtterly forsake any man Fauoure therefore lorde / fauour and spare thy seruaunt / and coÌ„maunde hym to be of the numbre of thy babes / that the vnknowne secretes of thy wysdome whiche is an hye / that thou mayste be praysed in the worke of thy mercye whiche thou doste exercyse towardes thy seruante Lorde whiche neuer forsakest them that truste in the. Sprynkle me Lorde with ysope and so shall I be clene / thou shalt washe me / and then shall I be whytter then snowe ¶ Because lorde that thou haste loued the truthe and haste opened vnto me the vnknowne secretes of thy wisdom / I am wel counforted and I trust that thou wylt not cast me out of thy fauoure / but thou wylte sprynkle me with ysope and so shall I be etensed Ysope is a lowe herbe / it is hore and of a good sauour / whiche sygnyfyeth nothynge els / but thy onely sone our lord Iesu chryst / which humbled hym self vnto deth euen vnto the deth of the crosse Which with the hete of his feruent charyte loued vs / and washed vs from our synnes in his bloude Which with the redolent sauoure of his beneuolence and ryghtuousnes replenyshed the hole worlde Therfore with this ysope shalte thou spryncle me / when thou poureste vpon me the vertue of his bloude when Chryste thrughe fayth shall dwell in me when thrughe loue I am ioyned with hym when I shall countrefayte his humylyte and passyon / then shall I be clensed frome all myne vnclennes Then shalte thou washe me with myne owne teares which flowe out of the loue of christ / then shall I syghe vntyll I be weeye / I shall water my bed euery nyght with my teares / so that it shall swymme in them / then shalte thou wasshe me and I shall be whytter then snowe Snowe is whyte and
colde / but lorde yf thou spryncle me with ysope I shall be more whyter then snowe / for I shall be thrughly endued with thy splendent light whiche passeth all bodelye wytnesse And when I am enflamed with the lyght I shall forsake all my carnall coÌ„cupiscences / colde vnto worldly thiÌ„gê / eÌ„flamed vnto heueÌ„ly Unto my hearynge shalte thou geue ioye and gladnes my brosed bones shall be refreshed ¶ Then lorde shall I pray vnto the / erly that is in the begynnyge of thy lyght shalt thou heare my voyce and I shal heare what the lorde god shall speake in me for he shall speake peace for his people and shall geue me peace Lorde thou shalte geue me peace for I haue trusted in the / vnto my hearyng shalt thou geue ioy and glagdnesse / When I shall heare that confortable wordes that marie herde And what herde marie I speake of that marye which sate at the fere of Jesus mat .xxvj. what herde she Thy fayth hath saued the to thy wayes in peace Let me also heare that the these herde this daye shalte thou be with me in paradyse / then shall I haue ioye for the remyssyon of my synnes / and gladnesse for thy bounteous and lyberall promyses / shall I not reioyce and be glad / when thou shalt gyue me two folde for all my synnes then shall I begynne to taste how swete the lorde is / then shall I lerne to be coÌ„uersant in heuenly thigê and shall saye with the prophete how great and copious is that swetenesse lorde which thom haste layde vppe for they in that feare the Then shall I reioyse and be glad and my brosed bones shall be refresshed What are the bones whiche sustayne the flesshe but the powers of oure soule and reason that bere vp the fraylte of oure flesshe that he runne not hedlonge in to all vyces / that a man fall not hole in to vanite and so consume awaye These bones I saye are sore brosed / for the reason is very weake / and the wyll is prone ready to all myschyef / for euen nowe the fleshe obeyeth not reason / but reason muste obaye the flesshe / so that I can not resist vyce / for my bones at brosed And why are they brosed for they haue forsaken the / the fountaine of liuyng water / and haue dygged for them selues cesterns full of chynnes whiche can holde no waters / for they are not filled with thy grace withoute whiche no man can lyue well / for without the we can do nothyng They trusted in theyr owne power which is no power and therfore decayed they in theyr owne folysshnesses Therfore let thy power come oh lorde and then shal these brosed bones be refresshed / let thy grace come that faith which worketh through loue Let thy powers and giftes assist me / and then my brosed bones shall be refreshed / for my reason shall be mercy / my memorye glad and my wyll full of ioye And thus shall they all reioyse / for aboue theyr owne naturall strenghte / when they goo aboute ony good worke they shall procede and prospere well / neither shall they leaue it vnperfeyte but through thy helpe shall they brynge it to good passe and effecte Turne thy face from of my synnes and wype awaye all my wyckednes ¶ Why lokest thou lorde vpon my sinnes why nuÌ„brest thou them why considerest them so dilygeÌ„tlye doste thou not knowe that man is euen as a floure of the felde why doste thou not rather loke in the face of thy Christe Alas wretche that I am why se I the angry agaynst me I graunt I haue synned / howe be it for thy gentlenesse haue mercye on me Turne thy face from of my synnes Thy face is nothynge but thy knowlege / turne awaye therfore thy knowlege wherwith thou scest perceyuest all thynges / but that wherby thou approuest and disalowest al thinges / wherbye thou alowest the workes of the ryghtwyse and condempâ—â—st the reprouable synnes of the wycked / knowe not my synnes on that maner that thou woldest impute them vnto me and laye theym to my charge But rather turne awaye thy face frome my synnes that throughe thy mercy they may be quenched / loke lord on the creature whom thou haste wroughte / loke vpon thine owne ymage / for I poore wrethe haue put vpon me the ymage or the deuyll that is synne turne away thy face from the ymage of the deuyll and be not angry with me / and beholde thyne owne image that thou maist haue mercy on me ¶ O mercyfull lorde / remembre that thou lokedste vpon Zacheum whiche dyd clym vp in to a wylde figge tre to se the. Lu .xix. And thou entredst in to his house whiche thou woldest neuer haue done if thou haddest loked on the ymage of the deuyll whiche he had put on hym / but because thou sawest thyne owne ymage on hym / thou haddest compassion on hym heledst him He promysed to geue that halfe of his goodê to the poore / and yf he had falsly deceyued ony man to restore it foure folde he obtayned mercy and healthe And I bequeth my selfe euen hole vnto the nothynge reserued And promyse to serue the for euer with a pure herte wil fulfil my ê“myse al daies of my lyfe wherfore then Lorde dost thou not loke in thyne ymage in me also Why dost thou yet consâ—dâ—â— my synnes Turne I beseche the thy face froÌ„ my synnes and wipe away al my wickednes / wype away a I praye the that none remayne For it is wryten he the kepeth the hole lawe offendeth in one poynte is gyltye in the hole / that is to say hath desetued damonatioÌ„ / which is the payne of all synnes that leade vnto deathe Put out therfore all my wyckednesse / that none offende the / whiche sholde brynge me to condempnacyon A pure herre create in me oh god an vpryghte spiryte make a newe within me ¶ For my herte hath forsaken me goeth astraye vtterly forgettyng his owe helthe it is wandred in to strauÌ„ge cuntres ensueth vanities / his eies / are in the vtmust costes of the worlde I called it againe / but it aswerd me not It is gone / lost / solde vnder sinne what now lord what shal I say A pure hert create iÌ„ me go / an huÌ„ble herte / a curteous herte / a peaceable herte / a geÌ„rie herte / a deuout herte / such an herte as wyl nether do an other maÌ„ hurte / nether yet auenge him selfe wheÌ„ he is offended / but rather do good agaynst euyl suche an hert as wyll loue that aboue all thyng / which wil thinke of that speke of the thanke yt. which wyll delyte in hymynes spiritual songes and be hole conuersaunt in heueÌ„ly thyngê Treate this herte in me oh God create is of nothyng / that it may be of suche effecacite throughe grace / as nature is neuer
that worketh in you both the wil and also the dede / euen at his owne pleasure And se that with all mekenes ye submyt your selues vnto the vocacion of god / not seking the lyberty of the fleshe / nether yet despysyng good workes / for faith doth mortefye the fleshe and her workes / the spirite of god whiche resteth in a faythfull man helpeth our insurmitie and fyghteth without intermission agaynste synne / the deuyll and the worlde ¶ The power of faythe THe power of fayth is to iustefye vs that is / to dispoyle vs frome all our vices and laye them on Christê backe whiche hathe pacefyed the fathers wrathe towardes vs and to endue vs with an others ryhtwysnes / that is Christê / so that I and all my synnes are Christes / Christ with all his vertues are myne / for he was borne for vs and geuen vnto vs. Esaye ix Roma .viii. To obteyne this ryghtwisnes god the father requireth nothing of vs but that we beleue in hym and make hym no lyar He that beleueth that god of his mercye hath made vs these promises that for his truthes sake he wil fulfyl them / he setteth to his seale the god is true But he that beleueth not or doubteth of this as much as in him is he maketh him a liar .i. IohnÌ„ v. for why sholdest thou doubte in hym excepte thou thoughtest that he were a lyar wold not kepe his pro messe which he made Now yf thou counte God whiche is the verye truthe to be a lyar / arte thou not worthye a thousande dampnacyones ¶ The worke of faythe FAyth worketh by charite / for when my ragyng conscience which fealeth her synÌ„e is pacefied set at one with God thrughe fayth / then remembrynge the feruent loue of god towardes me I can not but loue my neyghboure agayne / for there is no man that hertelye loueth the father and can hate the sone / and althoughe the sonne be naught and vnthriftye yet for his fathers sake he wyll helpe to better hym and euen lament and be sorye for the sonnes wyckednesse Lykewyse yf we hertely loue god for his infinyte benefytes done vnto vs / then can we not hate that creature which he hath made after his own lykenes / whoÌ„ god the father loueth so tenderly that he gaue his owne sonne vnto the death to redeme him / yea whom he hath adopted thrugh Christe to be his sonne and heyre Nowe all be it we se no kyndenes in this man for whiche we sholde loue hym yet hath god shewed vs kyndnes ynough for the which we ought to loue hym so coure hym at al tymes Let vs therfore loue hym for the loue that god his creatoure hathe shewed vs / beare his infyrmitye / yf he faule let vs lyft hym vp agayne / and endue hym with our mysdome all our workes euen as Christ hath done with vs / and this is an euydent token that thou louest god / when thou louest thy brother .i. IohnÌ„ .iiij. and seakest al meanes to helpe hym / these are the good workes that folow fayth / and are euydent tokens that thy faythe is ryght and pure Thus seest thou how good workes / flowe out of faythe through charite / charite or loue is the fulfilling of that hole lawe Ro .xiij. ¶ Good workes AMonge good workes the chyef are to be obedyente in all thynges vnto kynges / prynces / Iudges / and suche other offycers as farre as they coÌ„maunde ciuyle thynges that is to say such thynges as are indyfferente / and not contrarye vnto the coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes of god / for then must we rather obaye God then men / actes in the fyrst chapitre although we shold lese both our substauÌ„ce and lyfe therto To honour rulers To promote peace To praye for all comynaltyes And to applye al our studyes to profyte them ¶ The nexte are to be obedyent vnto father mother To prouyde for our householde both nouryshyng our famylye with bodelye sustenaunce / and also to enstructe them with the worde of god / and so to be theyr gouernour carnall and spirituall ¶ Then muste we loke howe we oughte to behaue our selues towardes our neygh boures knowlegynge that al the gyftê which are geuen vs of god / are not geuen vs for our owne selfe but for the edefyenge of the coÌ„gregacyoÌ„ .j. Corynth .xij. yf we bestow them not on that maner we shall surelye geue a rekenyng for them before the lorde Emonge these ought we to haue respecte vnto the preachers and mynesters of the worde / that they maye be had in honoure and well prouyded for And aboue all thinges good bretherne addresse your selues vnto that necessary worke prayer Remembre to praye for all estates / for that is a worke that Chryst his apostles full dylygently exhorted all men vnto / promysynge them that they sholde obtayne theyr perycyons IohnÌ„ .xvj. also .j. IohnÌ„ .iij. yf they be accordynge to the wyll of god and for his glorye .j. IohnÌ„ .v. ¶ Here endeth the exposition vpon the lj Psalme called Miserece meidens Imprented at LondoÌ„ in Flete strete by IohnÌ„ Byddeii / dwellynge next to Flete brydge at the sygne of our lady of pytye / for wyllyam Marshall Cum priuilegio Regali