done for man. FOr loue to manward God came to man God came into ¶ The remembring of the woundes of our Lorde Iesu Christ WHen any foule thought assaulteth me I runne to the woundes of Christ When my fleshe presseth me downe I rise vp agayne by remembryng the woundes of my lord When the deuill layeth wayt for me I flée to the bowels of the mercy of my Lorde and he departeth away from me If the heate of lecherie prouoke my members it is quēched with callyng to mynde the woundes of our Lord the sonne of god In all aduersities I finde no remedie so effectuall as the woundes of Christ In them I sléepe without care and rest with out feare Christ hath died for vs Now is there nothing so bitter to the death which is not salued by the death of Christ All my whole hope is in the death of my lord His death is my desert my refuge my welfare lyfe and resurrection and the mercyfulnesse of the Lord is my merite I am not poore of merite so long as he the Lord of compassiōs faileth not As long as he is manifold in mercy so long am I also manifold of desertes The mightier that he is to saue the more am I without care ¶ That the remembraunce of Christes woundes is an effectual remedy against all aduersities EXcéedyng greatly haue I sinned and myne owne conscience findeth me giltie of many offences and yet doe I not dispayre bycause that whereas sinne hath abounded there hath grace ouerabounded He that despayreth of the forgiuenesse of his sinnes denyeth God to be mercyfull Great wrong doth he to God whiche distrusteth his mercy For as much as in him lieth he denyeth God to be louyng true and mightie which are the thinges wherein my whole hope consisteth that is to witte in the loue of his adoption in the truth of his promise and in the power of his redéemyng Now let my vnwise imagination murmur as much as it listeth and say Who art thou how great is the glory and by what desertes hopest thou to obteine it and I will aunswere boldly I know whom I haue credited that he of his excéedyng great loue hath adopted me to be his sonne that he is soothfast of promise that he is mighty in performance and that he may do what he listeth I can not be feared with the multitude of my sinnes if I bethinke me of the death of my Lorde bycause my sinnes are not able to ouermatch him His nayles and his speare crye vnto me that I am throughly reconcyled to Christ if I loue him Longiuus hath opened me Christes side with his speare and I am gone into it and there do I rest in safetie He that is afrayd let him loue for loue driueth feare out of doores There is no remedie so mightie and effectuall agaynst the heate of lecherie as the death of my redemer He stretcheth out his armes vpon the Crosse and he holdeth out his handes in a readinesse to imbrace sinners Betwéene the armes of my Sauiour mynde I to lyue and dye There shall I sing safely there will I exalte thée O Lorde bycause thou hast taken me vp and hast not giuen myne enemyes their pleasure ouer me Our Sauiour hath bowed down his head at his death to receiue the kisses of his beloued And so oftē do we kisse God as we be throughly touched with the loue of him The musing of the Soule vpon the loue of God. O My soule whiche art innobled with the Image of God redéemed with Christes bloud betrothed to him by fayth indued with the holy Ghost garnished with vertues and registred among the aungels Loue thou him that hath loued thée so much Serue him that hath serued thée Séeke him that séekes thée Loue him that loues thée which loued thée first and which is the cause of thy loue He is the desert he is the reward he is the frute he is the vse of it he is the ende of it Be carefull for hym that is carefull of thée he at leysure for him that is at leysure for thée be cleane with him that is cleane be holy with him that is holy Looke after what sorte thou shewest thy selfe towardes God after the same sort shall he shew him selfe towardes thée He is swéete méeke and mercyfull and therfore he requireth to haue them that be swéete méeke pleasaunt and mercyfull Loue thou him that hath plucked thée out of the puddle of miserie and out of the myre of filthines Chose him for thy frend aboue all frendes whiche alone will kéepe touche with thée when all thinges fayle thée In the day of thy buryall when all thy frendes shrinke frō thée he will not forsake thée but will defend thée from the roring Lyons that wayt for their pray and will leade thée through an vnknowen countrey and bryng thée to the stréetes of the heauenly Sion and there set thée amōg the Aungels before the face of his owne maiestie where thou shalt heare this Aungelicall ditie holie holie holie Lorde God of hostes There is the song of mirth the voyce of ioy and welfare the voyce of thankesgiuing prayse the voyce of magnifying God for euer There is the full measure of happinesse passing excellent glory superabundant ioy all good thynges O my soule sigh hartely desire earnestly that thou mayst come to that Citie aboue whereof so glorious thinges are spoken and wherein is the habitation of all that reioyse By loue thou mayst get vp thether Nothing is hard nothyng is impossible to him that loueth The soule that loueth goeth vp often to the heauenly Ierusalem and runneth familiarly from stréete to stréete visityng the Patriarkes and Prophetes salutyng the Apostles wondring at the hostes of Martyrs and Confessors and gazing at the companies of the Virgins Heauen and earth and all things that are in them call vppon me without ceassyng to loue my Lord God. ¶ What the knowledge of the truth is WHat is the knowledge of truth first to knowe thy selfe and to indeuor to be that which thou oughtest to be and to amende that whiche ought to be amended And secondly to know and to loue thy maker for that is the whole happines of man Sée then how vnspeakeable the graciousnes of Gods loue towardes vs is He hath created vs of nothing and giuen vs all that we haue But forasmuch as we haue loued the gift more then the giuer and the creature more then the creator we are falne into the deuilles snare and become hys bondslaues Neuerthelesse God beyng moued with compassion sent his sonne to redéeme vs slaues and his holy spirite to make vs his sonnes agayne He hath giuen his sonne to be the pryce of our raunsome the holie Ghost as an assuraunce of his loue and to be short he reserueth him selfe whole for vs to be the heritage of our adoption And so God accordyng to hys excéedyng gracious goodnesse and mercie hath for verie loue and good will to
thée to dye and ouercamest death Thou diddest set me vp agayne by abasing thy selfe low I was vndone I was gone away in my sinnes I was sold to sinne theÌ„ camest thou for me to buy me out agayne and thou didst loue me so well that thou gauest thine own bloud for my raunsome Lord thou hast loued me more then thy selfe for thou didst finde in thy hart to dye for me Vpon this condition hast thou with so deare a price brought me backe from banishment rauÌ„somed me out of boÌ„dage rescued me from punishment called me by thyne owne name and sealed me with thy bloud that the remembraunce of thée should be euermore with me and that he should neuer departe from my hart who for my sake shunned not the crosse Thou hast anoynted me with the oyle wherewith thou thy selfe wart annoynted that I might be called a ChristiaÌ„ after thy name Christ Behold thou hast registred me vpoÌ„ thine handes to the end that the remeÌ„braunce of me might be alwayes present with thée yet notwithstandyng so as if the remembraunce of thée be alwayes preseÌ„t with me Thus theÌ„ haue thy grace mercy alwayes preuented me For thou hast ofteÌ„tymes deliuered me from many great perils O my deliuerer When I went astray thou broughtest me backe agayne wheÌ„ I was ignoraunt thou taughtest me wheÌ„ I sinned thou didst chastise me when I haue bene in heauinesse thou hast cheared me when I haue bene in dispayre thou hast recoÌ„forted me wheÌ„ I haue â—ene falne thou hast lifted me vp when I haue stode thou hast vphild me wheÌ„ I haue gone thou hast guided me when I haue come thou hast receiued me wheÌ„ I haue slept thou hast watched me and when I haue cryed vnto thée thou hast heard me ¶ That God doth continually behold and marke mens doynges intentes THese and many other good turnes hast thou done vnto me O Lord my God the lyfe of my soule and it were a pleasure to me to be alwayes talkyng of them alwayes thinkyng vppon them and alwayes giuyng thée thankes for them so as I might euer prayse thée for all thy good giftes and loue thée with all my hart and with all my soule and with all my minde and with all my streÌ„gth yea and with the very bowelles and intrayles of my hart and of all my sinewes O Lord my God the blessed swéetenesse of all that delight in thée But thine eyes haue sene myne imperfection Thine eyes I say are much clearer then the sunne vewyng throughly all the wayes of men and the bottome of the déepe and in all places alwayes beholdyng both the good and bad For in asmuch as thou ouerrulest all thynges fillyng euery thing and art wholly present at all times in all places hauyng regard of all thinges which thou hast created for thou hatest not any of the thinges that thou hast made thou takest such heede to my steppes and my pathes and kéepest such watch and ward ouer me day and night diligently markyng all my walkes lyke a continuall ouerséer as though thou hadst forgotten heauen and earth all the creatures in them and haddest regard of me alone without caryng for any of the rest For the vnchauÌ„geable light of thine eye sight increaseth not to thy selfe ward though thou looke but vpon one thing neither is it diminished though thou looke vppon sundry and innumerable thinges For like as thou coÌ„siderest the whole perfectly at once so thy whole sight beholdeth euery seuerall thynge perfectly at once and whole together be they neuer so diuers Neuerthelesse thou viewest all thinges as one and ech one thing as all thy selfe beyng whole together without diuision or chaunge or abatemeÌ„t Thou therfore being whole at all times beholdest me whole at once and alwayes without tyme as if thou haddest nothyng els to thinke vppon Yea and thou standest in such wyse my gard as if thou haddest forgotten all other thynges and wouldest taske thy selfe to me alone For thou euer shewest thy selfe present thou euer offerest thy selfe ready if thou finde me ready Whether soeuer I go thou forsakest me not except I forsake thée first Where soeuer I be thou departest not from me For thou art euery where so as whiche way soeuer I go I may finde thée by whom I may be that I perish not without thee sith I cannot be without thée I coÌ„fesse in déede that what soeuer I do and where soeuer I do it I do it before thée what soeuer I do thou séest it better then I that do it For what soeuer I am workyng thou art euer standyng at myne elbow a continuall beholder of all my thoughtes intentes delightes doinges Lord all my desire is euer before thée al my thoughts are before thée Lord thou knowest froÌ„ whence my spirite commeth where it resteth and whether it departeth for thou art the weyer of all spirites Thou knowest right well whether the roote that seÌ„deth forth faire leaues abroad be swéete or bitter yea thou searchest narrowly eueÌ„ the very pith of the rootes within as a iudge and by the discussing light of thy truth thou considerest numbrest vewest and perusest not onely the intent but also the very innermost pith of the roote of it that thou mayst render vnto euery man not onely accordyng to hys worke or intent but also euen accordyng to the very inward hidden pith of the roote of them out of which the intent of the worker procéedeth What soeuer I purpose when I worke what soeuer I thinke and wherein soeuer I delight thou séest it thyne eares heare it thyne eyes behold it and coÌ„sider it thou markest it thou takest heede of it thou notest it and thou writest it in thy booke be it good or euill that afterward thou mayst render for the good reward for the euill punishment at such tyme as thy bookes shal be opened and men shal be iudged accordyng to the thinges that be written in thy bookes And peraduenture this is it that thou mentest when thou saydest vnto vs I will consider the last of them which is ment when it is sayd of thée O Lord hee considereth the ende of all thinges For in all thinges that we do thou vndoutedly regardest more the end of the intent then the act of the deede Now when I consider this O Lord my God which art terrible and mightie I am abashed with feare of thine excéeding strength bycause it staÌ„deth vs greatly on hand to lyue iustly and vprightly for asmuch as we do all thinges in the presence of the iudge that séeth all thynges ¶ That man can do nothing of him selfe without Gods grace MOst puissant and mighty-workyng God the creator of the spirites of all flesh whose eyes are vppon all the wayes of Adams children from the day of their birth to the day of their departure to giue vnto euery of theÌ„ accordyng to his workes either good or euil shew me how I may confesse myne owne pouertie For I sayd I
was rich and wanted nothyng and I wist not that I was poore blind naked wretched and miserable For I beleued I had bene somewhat when as I was nothyng I sayd I will become wise and I became a foole I thought my selfe skilfull but I was deceiued for now I sée it is thy gift without whom we can do nothyng bycause that except thou kéepe the Citie in vayne doth he watch which kéepeth it So hast thou taught me to know my selfe for thou hast forsaken me to trye me not for thy selfe that thou mightest know me but for me that I might know my selfe For as I sayd Lord I beleued I should haue bene somwhat of my selfe I thought I had bene a man able inough of my selfe I perceiued not how thou diddest gouerne me vntill thou haddest withdrawen thée a while from me and then by and by I fell to myne owne byas wherby I saw and knew how it was thou that haddest ruled me and that my fallyng was of my selfe and my rising agayne was of thée O light thou hast opened myne eyes and waked me and inlightened me I sée that mans life vpon earth is but a temptation and that no flesh can glorie before thée nor any liuing wight be iustified bycause that if there be any good in them be it much or litle it is thy gift and we haue nothyng of our owne but euill Whereof then shall any fleshe make his boast Of euill That is no glorie but miserie But what shall he boast of goodnesse Then shal he boast of that which is none of his own For goodnesse is thyne O Lord and thyne is the glorie For he that séeketh his owne glorie by thy goodes and séekes not thy glory he is a théefe and a robber and he is like the deuill who would haue stolne away thy glory For he that wil be praysed for thy gift séeketh not to glorifie thée in the same but to glorifie himselfe although men prayse him for thy gift yet doest thou dispraise him bycause that by thy gift he hath not sought thy glory but his owne As for him that is praysed of men when thou mislikest him men shal not defend hym when thou iudgest hym neither shall they deliuer him when thou cōdemnest him Wherfore O Lord which didst shape me in my mothers wōbe suffer me not to fall into that reproch that it might be cast in my teeth how I would haue stolne away thy glorie For all glorie be vnto thée who art the owner of all goodnesse but shame and miserie be vnto vs who are owners of all euill except it please thée to shew mercy For thou O Lord hast pitie yea thou hast pitie on all thinges for thou hatest not any thyng whiche thou hast made but giuest vs of thy goodes and inrichest vs beggers with thy singular good giftes O Lord god Yea thou louest the poore and inrichest them with thyne owne riches Behold now O Lord we thy childrē and thy litle flocke are poore opē vs thy gates that the poore may eate and be satisfied they that séeke thee shall prayse thée Also Lord I know by thy teachyng and I confesse that none shal be inriched by thée but such as féele thē selues poore and acknowledge their poorenes vnto thée For they that take thē selues to be rich whereas they be poore shall finde them selues shet out from thy richesse I therfore confesse my poorenesse vnto thée my Lord God and thyne be the whole glorie bycause the good that hath bene done by me is thyne Lord I acknowledge accordyng as thou hast taught me that I am nothing els but all together vanitie a shadow of death a dungeon of darknesse a barrein and wast ground whiche without thy blessing beareth not any thyng ne yeldeth any frute but confusion sinne and death If euer I haue had any good in me I haue had it of thée what soeuer I haue it is thyne or I haue it of thée If euer I haue stode I stode by thée but when I haue falne I haue falne of my selfe and I should haue lyen in the myre for euer haddest not thou drawen me out I had bene euer blind haddest not thou inlightened me Whē I was falne I had neuer risen agayn haddest not thou reached me thy hand Yea I had continually falne after thou haddest lifted me vp haddest not thou hild me vp still finally I had oftētimes perished but that thou didst gouerne me Thus alwayes Lord thus alwayes haue thy grace and mercy preuented me deliuering me frō all euils sauyng me from that was past lifting me vp frō that was present and garding me frō that which was to come and also rippyng a sunder the snares afore me and takyng away all causes of annoyance For vnlesse thou haddest done so for me I should haue committed all the sinnes of the world Doutlesse Lord I know there is no sinne which euer any man hath committed but that an other man may do the same if he want his creator by whom he was made man But looke what I my selfe could not do that hast thou done That I forbare it was thy commaundement that I beleued thée it was of thy grace whiche thou didst shed into me For it was thou Lorde that didst rule me both to thée and to my selfe and it was thou that gauest me grace and light that I should not commit aduoutrie or any other kinde of sinne ¶ Of the deuill and of his manifold temptations THere wanted a tempter thou wart the cause that he was wantyng there wanted tyme and place and thou wart the cause that they wanted The tempter was present and there wanted neither place nor tyme but thou hildest me backe that I should not consent The tempter came full of darknesse as he is thou diddest harten me that I might despise him The tempter came armed and strongly but to the intent he should not ouercome me thou didst restreine him and strengthen me The tēpter came transformed into an aungell of light and to the intent he should not deceiue me thou didst rebuke him and to the intent I should know him thou didst inlighten me For he is that great red dragon and that old serpent called the deuill and Sathan which hath seuen heades and ten hornes whō thou hast created to take his pleasure in this howge broad sea wherin there créepe liuyng wightes innumerable beastes greate and small that is to say diuers sortes of féendes whiche practise nothing els day nor night but to go about séekyng whom they may deuour except thou rescue him For it is that old dragon which was bréed in the paradise of pleasure which draweth downe the third part of the Starres of heauen with his tayle castes them to the groūd which with his venim poysoneth the waters of the earth that as many men as drinke of thē may dye which trampleth vpon gold as if it were myre and is of opinion that Iordan shall runne
other thynges doth the sonne of Beliall euen Sathā him selfe practise agaynst vs O Lord our god He lyeth in wayt to ketch our soules one while as a Lyon and an other while as a draggō openly and priuely within and without day and night But deliuer vs thou O Lord which sauest them that trust in thée that he may be gréeued at vs thou mayst be praysed in vs O Lord our God. Of Gods benefites I The sonne of thy handmayd who haue cōmended my selfe into thy hand by these my poore complaintes will prayse thée my deliuerer with all my hart and cal to my minde all the good that thou hast done me frō my youth vp For I know that vnthankfulnesse doth greatly displease thée which is the roote of all spirituall euill and a wynde that blasteth and burneth vp all good damming vp the foūtaine of thy godly mercy for euer Through it the workes that be dead already reuiue not and the workes that be alyue do dye out of hand and recouer not agayne But I will giue thākes to thée O Lord least I be vnthankfull to thée my deliuerer for thy deliueryng of me How often had that dragon swalowed me vp long ago but that thou O Lord hast plucked me out of his mouth How often haue I sinned and he stode ready to snatch me vp but that thou didst defēd me O Lord my God When I delt wickedly when I brake thy commaundements he stode wayting to cary me away to hell but thou withstodest him I offended thée and thou didst defēd me I feared thée not yet thou didst kéepe me I started away frō thée and yelded my selfe to myne enemy and yet thou didst fray him away that he should not take me These good turnes hast thou done for me O Lord my God I wretch wist it not For so hast thou oftentymes deliuered me out of the deuils chappes plucked me out of the Lyons mouth and many and sundry wayes brought me backe agayne from hell though I wist it not For I haue gone downe to the very gates of hell but thou hast held me frō goyng in I drew neare to deathes doore but thou hast not suffered it to take me in Also thou hast oftentymes preserued me from bodily death O my Sauiour when I haue bene attached with sore sicknesses And when I haue bene in many daungers by Sea and by land thou hast alwayes stode by me deliueryng me from fire and from sword and from all perill and mercyfully preseruyng me Truly Lord thou knowest that if death had dispatched me at that time hell had receiued my soule and I had bene dāned for euer But thy mercy thy grace preuented me rescuyng me from bodily death and also from the death of my soule O my Lord god These and many other good turnes hast thou done for me I was blind and wist it not vntill thou inlightenedst me Now therfore O light of my soule my Lord God my life whereby I liue the sight of mine eyes wherby I sée behold thou hast inlightned me and I perceiue how I liue through thée And I yeld thée thankes though litle worth and slender and farre vnder thy benefites howbeit yet such as my frayltie hath to giue For thou onely art my God and my gracious maker whiche louest our soules and hatest none of the thyngs that thou hast made Behold I am the chief among the sinners whom thou hast saued that I may be an example vnto others of thy most mercyfull louyng kyndnesse I will acknowledge thy great benefites vnto thée for thou hast plucked me out of the bottom of hell once twyse and thrice and a hundred tymes a thousand tymes Yea I alwayes made towardes hell and thou didst alwayes bring me backe againe whē thou mightest iustly haue damned me if thou hadst would But thou wouldest not O Lord my God bycause thou louest mens soules and bearest with mens sinnes that they might repent all thy wayes be full of mercy Now therfore O Lord my God I sée these thynges and discerne them by thy light my hart is astonished at thy great mercy towardes me in that thou hast deliuered my soule from the bottome of hell and brought me backe agayne to lyfe For I was starke dead and thou hast made me throughly aliue again Therfore am I altogether beholden to thee for my life and whole as I am I yeld my selfe wholly vnto thée Let my whole spirite my whole hart my whole body and my whole life liue vnto thée my swéete lyfe for thou hast deliuered me whole that thou mightest possesse me whole thou hast made me whole new agayne that thou mightest haue me whole againe And therfore let me loue thee O Lord my strength let me loue thée O my vnspeakable ioy and let me liue hence forth not to my selfe but vnto thée All my whole life which was perished in myne owne wretchednesse is reuiued agayne in thy mercy for thou art a pitifull and mercyfull God ▪ and many are thy compassions toward thousandes in them that loue thy name And therfore O Lord my God thou my sanctifier hast commaūded me in thy law that I should loue thée with all my hart with all my might yea euē frō the bottom of my hart at all houres tymes wherin I inioy the benefites of thy mercy For I should perish for euer but that thou rulest me euer I should euer dye but that thou euer quickenest me yea euery moment thou byndest me vnto thée in as much as euery momēt thou bestowest thy great benefites vppon me Therefore lyke as there is no houre or instāt of time in all my life that I haue not the vse of thy benefites so ought there to be no moment wherin I should not haue thée in remembraunce before myne eyes and loue thée to thée vttermost of my power But this am I not able to do except thou make me able of whō cōmeth euery good gift euery excellent gift for thou art the father of light in whō there is no chaūge nor intercourse of darknes for to loue thée cōmeth not of our own will or of our own running but of thy mercy Lord it is thy gift whose all good things are Thou commaūdest vs to loue thée giue vs that which thou cōmaundest commaunde what thou wilt Of the feruentnesse of loue or Charitie I Am in loue with thée my God I couet to be alwayes in loue with thée more more For in déede thou art swéeter thē all honye more nourishyng then all milke and brighter then all light And therfore I set more by thée then by all the gold siluer and precious stones in the world For I mislyke all that euer I haue to do within this world in respect of thy swéetnesse and in respect of the beawtie of thy house which I haue loued O fire which euer burnest neuer goest out O loue which euer glowest neuer coolest inflame me I
sonne but the father neither knoweth any mā the father but the sonne Thyne onely Trinitie whiche surmounteth all knowledge is knowen fully to none but to thy selfe alone What is it then that I vayne man haue sayd that I know thée for who knowes thée els sauyng thy selfe For thou onely O God in thy most holy and heauenly worde art termed almightie passing prayse worthy passing glorious passing exalted passing high and passing substantiall bycause thou art discerned to be aboue all thynges that can be imagined to be whether they be to be conceiued in vnderstandyng or to be perceiued by the senses aboue all names that are named not onely in this world but also in the world to come beyond all that is or can be deuised to be For truly aboue the reach of all reason vnderstādyng and being doost thou by thy substantiall and secret Godhead dwel vnapprochably and vnsearchably in thy selfe whereas is light vnapprochable brightnes vnsearchable incomprehēsible vnspeakable wherūto no brightnesse may come neare bycause it is certeinly vnable to be beheld vnable to be seene aboue reason aboue vnderstandyng aboue acces aboue all chaūge aboue all partnershyp whiche neuer any wight neither man nor aungell hath throughly sene nor can sée This is thy heauen O Lord this is thy heauen so faire ingrauen the light so passing priuie so passing vnderstāding so passing reason so passing all that is wherof it is sayd the heauen of heauens is the Lordes The heauen of heauens in comparison wherof all other heauēs are but earth bycause it is passing wonderfully heaued vp aboue all heauens In comparison wherof euen the very firie heauen it selfe is but earth for this is the heauen of heauens that is reserued to the Lorde bycause it is knowen to none but to the lord Vnto this heauen came neuer none but he that came downe from heauen for no mā knowes the father sauing the sonne and the spirite of them both Neither doth any mā know the sonne sauyng the father the spirite that procéedeth from them both The Trinitie is fully knowē to none but onely to thy selfe O holy Trinitie O passyng wonderfull Trinitie surmountyng all vtterance beyond all searchyng aboue all approchyng ouer incōprehensible ouer vnconceiuable farre aboue all thinges that be far passing all vnderstāding all reasō all reach and all beyng of the mindes that are aboue heauen which it is not possible either to vtter or to conceiue or to vnderstand or to discerne no not euen to the aungels that behold it How then come I by the knowledge of thee which art highest aboue all the earth aboue all heauens whō neither the Cherubins nor the Seraphins do know perfectly but are fayne to shadow their faces with their wynges when they looke vppon him that sittes vpon the high and stately throne crying saying Holy holy holy Lord God of hostes the whole earth is full of thy glorie The prophet was abashed sayd Alas I am toungtyde for I am a man of vncleane lippes My hart was afrayd and sayd wo is me that I held not my toung bycause I am a man of vncleane lippes But I sayd I knew thée Neuerthelesse Lord wo be to them that are toūgtyde when they should speake of thée for there be many that be to full of toung without thée And therfore O Lord my God I will not hold my peace for thou hast made me and inlightened me wherby I haue found my selfe knowen thée bycause thou shynest vppon me But in what wise haue I knowen thée I knew thée in thy selfe I haue knowen thée not as thou art to thy selfe ward but as thou art to me ward and yet not without thy selfe but in thy self for thou art the light that hath inlightened me For no man knowes thee as thou art in thy selfe but as thou art to me ward by thy grace thou art knowen euē vnto me But what art thou to me ward mercyfull Lord tell me thy silie seruaunt for thy mercyes sake tell me what thou art to me warde Say vnto my soule I am thy welfare hyde not thy face from me least I dye Giue me leaue to speake before thy mercy suffer me that am but earth and dust to speake before thy mercy for great is thy mercy towardes me For I that am but dust and ashes will speake to my god Tell me thy sillie seruaūt tell me thy rufull creature tell me for thy mercyes sake what thou art to me ward Thou hast thundered from aboue with a great noyse into the inward eare of my hart and hast broken my deafnes and I haue heard thy voyce and thou hast inlightened my blindnesse and I haue sene thy light and haue knowē that thou art my god And therfore haue I sayd I knew thée bycause I knew that thou art my god Yea I know thée to be the onely true God and thy sonne Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent The tyme hath bene that I haue not knowē thée Wo worth that tyme that I knew thée not wo worth that blindnesse when I saw thée not wo worth that deafnesse when I heard thée not Blind deafe as I was I rā ilfauoredly through the goodly thinges that thou madest And thou wart with me and yet was not I with thée For the thinges held me farre from thée whiche should not haue bene at all if they were not in thée Thou hast inlightened me O light of the world and I haue sene thée and loued thée For no man knoweth thée but he that sées thée and no man sées thée but he that loues thée It was late ere I loued thée thou beawtie so old so fresh it was late ere I loued thée wo worth the tyme that I loued thée not Of the acknowledging of a mās owne vylenes LOrd who is like vnto thée yea euen among the Gods who is like vnto thée which art of excéeding great holines dreadfull prayse worthy and a worker of wonders Long it was ere I knew thée the true light long it was ere I knew thée There was a great darke cloud before my fond eyes so as I could not sée the sonne of righteousnesse the light of truth I like a child of darknesse was wrapped in darknesse and bycause I knew not the light I was in loue with myne owne darknesse For asmuch as I was blind I was in loue with my blindnesse and by darknesse walked into further darknesse still But who brought me out of it when I like a blind wretch sate in darknesse and the shadow of death who tooke me by the hand to leade me out of it Who is he that inlightened me For I sought not him but he sought me I called not him but he called me And who is he It is euen thou my Lord God mercyfull and pitifull the father of compassion and God of all cōfort It is euen thou my holy Lord God whom I acknowledge with my whole hart yeldyng thankes vnto thy