cleane in hart because they shall see God. Blessed ar they that dwel in the house of the Lord they shall prayse thee world without end ¶ A very deuout prayer for the geuing of thanks O Lorde Christ whiche art the worde of the Father which came into this worlde to saue sinners I besech thee by the most louing bowels of thy mercy to amend and repayre my life make better my deedes take thou the ordering of my manners take from me that which noyeth hurteth me and displeaseth thee and geue me that whiche thou knowest will please thee and profit me who can make cleane y which is conceyued of an vncleane seede but thou alone Thou art the God almighty of infinite pietie which doest iustifie make righteous euen those that were wicked men and raysest again to life them that were dead in sinne thou chaingest sinners and they are no sinners Take away therefore from me whatsoeuer is in me that pleaseth not thee for thine eyes do see much vnperfectnes in me Lay thy hand I besech thee of thy pitie on me and whatsoeuer offendeth the eyes of thy pitie remoue it froÌ„ me In thy sight is both my health my disease the one I beseech thee to preserue thother to cure do thou heal me O Lord and I shall be healed do thou make me safe and I shall be saued Thou I meane which doest make whole them that be disesed doest preserue them that be cured which only with a becke doest restore and repayre thinges that be decayd and fallen into ruine For if thou wilte vouchsafe to sowe any good seed in the fielde of my hart of necessitie thou must plucke vp first with the hande of thy pitie the thornes of vices whiche be in it Put in my hart I besech thee so great plenty of delectation in thee that I may desire no earthly or carnal thing nor yet thincke vpon them but that I may loue thee alone that I may haue thee only in my hart and in my mouth Write with thy finger in my brest the delectable remembrance of thy sweet name so that it may be blotted out with no forgetfulnes Write thy will in the tables of mine hart and also thy iustifications that I may alwaies in euery place haue thee o Lord before mine eyes in my sighte Enflame my minde with that fire which thou didst send into the earth and willedst it to be kindled that I mighte offer vnto thee daily with teares a sacrifice of a troubled spirite a repentant harte O sweet Christ O good Jesu eueÌ„ according vnto my desire and euen as I hartely require thee with my whole minde geue me thy holy chast loue which may replenish and keepe me and also fully posseÌ„sse me Geue me an euident signe and token of thy loue a flowing well of teares which wil continually runne that those teares may somewhat testifie thy loue in me that they may shewe foorth that they may declare how much my soule loueth thee whilest for that great delectation it hath in the sweetnesse of thy loue it may not refraine from teares I call to my remembrance sometimes good Lord that vertuous woman Anne which came to the tabernacle to pray that thou wouldest send her a son of whome the scripture maketh meÌ„that her countenance after her teares and prayers was not againe chainged or altered But when I thinke vpon so great vertue constante stedfastnes I am vexed with sorrow and confounded with shame because I a wretch do perceiue my selfe to be fallen ouermuch from thee For if a woman did weep after such a sort and continued so in weping which did search for nothing els but a sonne how ought my soule to mourne and to persist and abide in weping that seeketh and loueth God and hath a desire to come vnto him how ought such a soule to mourne weep which seeketh God day night which will loue nothing but Christ My teares now truely shoulde bee made vnto me meat day and night Looke vpon me therfore O Lord and take pitie on me because the dolours and sorowes of my harte are many in number Geue me thy heauenly consolatioÌ„ and do not despise nor cast away a sinful soule for the which thou diddest die Geue me inward teares I beseech thee from the bottome of mine harte which may washe away the spottes of my sinnes Replenish my soule alwayes with heauenly delectation and heauenlye mirth that I may obtain some litle portion or part in thy kingdom althogh not amongest the perfect men whose steps I can not folow yet at the least wise amongst the inferior sort The marueilous deuotion of another woman commeth now vnto my minde which with a vertuous loue did seeke thee lying in the sepulchre which when thy disciples went away departed from thee did remaine with thee her selfe which sate there sad and sorowfully weeping long and very much and when she did arise she serched with a diligent eye and with many teares the corners of the sepulcher whiche was lefte emptye if shee might espy thee out in any place whom she with a feruent desire soughte yea and moreouer shee went againe and againe to the sepulchre but that was not enoughe vnto her neither did it satisfie her desire for the grace of a good worke is to perseuer and continue in the same and because she did loue more then other and that in louing she wept and in weeping she searched and in seaching she continued therfore was it thy pleasure that shee should first finde thee see thee and talke with thee before all other and not onely this but also she was a â—â—dinges bearer of thy glorious resurection vnto thy disciples when thou diddest commaunde her and bid her goe and tell my brethren that they goe vnto Galilie there they shall see me c. Seing therefore that a woman did weep after such a sorte and continued in weping which did seeke him that was aliue among the dead which touched thee with the hand other fayth how ought a soule to mourne and to continue in mourning which beleeueth in thee with his mouth doth acknow ledge thee to be his redemer that sittest now in heauen and raignest euery where how muche therefore ought suche a soule to mourne weep whiche loueth thee with all his hart and with his whole desire doth couet to see thee Oh onely refuge the onely hope of wretches vnto whome no man needeth at any time to pray without hope of mercy graunte vnto me this grace for thy sake and for thy holy names sake that as ofte as I think vpon thee as oft as I speake of thee write of thee read of thee confer of thee as oft as euer I remember thee stand before thee offer vp prayses prayers and sacrifice vnto thee so oft I may weep aboundantly with teares in thy sight so that my teares may be to me in steade of bread day and night Thou
drincke of wherwith we are washed and sanctified and are made partakers of the only high diuinitie I geue thee thankes for thy marueilous and vnspeakable charitie and loue wherwith thou didst loue vs vnworthy persons didst saue vs by thine onely and beloued Sonne for so thou didâ—â— loue the world that thou gauest thine onely begotten sonne to the entent that none which beleeued in him should perish but haue euerlasting life This thing truly is euerlasting life to know thee also Jesus Christ whome thou sentest to be very God by an vpright fayth and workes worthy for fayth Of the exceeding loue of the euerlasting Father towarde mankinde OH vnmeasurable pitie and fatherly loue oh inestimable charitie that thou shouldest delyuer thy sonne to suffer death to the entent thou mightest redeme and ransome a seruaunte God was made man to the entent that man being lost might be plucked out of that power of deuils How gentle and kinde a louer of man was thy sonne our God who thought it not enough to humble himself to bee made man of the virgiue Mary but also toke vpoÌ„ him the paines of the crosse in shedding his bloud for vs and for our saluation He came a pitifull God he came for his pitie and goodnesses sake he came to search to saue that whiche was lost He sought the straye sheep he sought found and he being a good lord and truely a very good and plentifull shepheard brought him home vpon his shoulders vnto the foldes of the flocke Oh charitie oh pitie who heard any such thinges who is not astonied to consider the bowels of so great mercy who would not marued who would not honour and worship thee for thy great charity wherewith thou louedst vs Thou didst send thy sonne into the similitude of flesh subiect to sinne that we might condemne sinne for sinne that wee might be made thy righteousnes in him For hee was the very lamb without sporte which tooke awaye the sinnes of the worlde whiche destroyed our death by dying himselfe But what may we render vnto thee our God for so great benefites of thy mercie what prayses or what thankes Uerely if wee shoulde haue that same knowledge and power that blessed angels haue yet should we not be able to requiâ—â— thy so great pitie and goodnes with any thing of valure No if all our meÌ„bers were turned into tongues to repay vnto thee due prayses yet were not our fleÌ„dernes sufficient There is one thing that exceedeth all knowledge euen thine inestimable charitie which thou diddest shew vnto vs vnworthy persons for thy goodnes pities sake Thy Sonne our God did take vpon him to be the seede of Abraham not of Angels yea he was made like vnto vs in all thinges sinne onely excepted He therefore taking mans nature not Angels and glorifying it with the stole of holy resurrection and immortalitie caryed it aboue the heauens and aboue all the melodious companies of angels aboue Cherubin and Seraphin placing it vppon thy right hand This humane nature do Angels prayse all the powers of heauen do tremble to see a man to bee God ouer them This truely is all my hope all my trust And this same humaine nature is in Jesu Christ our Lord who is the portion of euery one of vs the flesh bloud Therfore wheras my portion raigneth there do I beleue to raigne whereas my flesh is glorified ther do I beleue to be glorified where my bloud ruleth there do I perceiue me to bear rule although I be a sinner yeâ— doâ— I not inistrust nor dispeire of the communion and partaking of fauour Although my sinnes do hinder me and in a manner forbid me neuertheles my substance requireth it And albeit that mine offences do exclude me yet the communion of our nature doth not expell me for God is not so vngentle as to forget man and not to remember that thing which himself beareth and that which for my sake he toke vpon him and that which for my sake he requireth But truly the Lord our God is lowly and meek and wonderfull gentle and loueth his flesh his members and his bowels In the very same God our Lorde Jesus Christ who is most gentle louing and merciful in whome we are risen from death that is to say from the state of pernition and eternall damnation and euen nowe by him we asccude into the heauens and now sit in the heauens in him I say our flesh loueth vs For we haue in him and by him a prerogatiue as it were a prefermence of our bloud for we are his members and his flesh and he is our head of the which dependeth the whole body as it is written a bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh they shall be two in one flesh and no man at any time hateth his owne fleshe but rather cherisheth and loueth it This is a great mistery I speak in Christ and in the church sayth the Apostle ¶ Of the double nature of Christ which hath mercy vpon vs â–ª and maketh intercession for vs. WHerefore with my lips and hart and with al the might that I may I render thankes vnto thine infinite mercy O Lord our God for all thy mercy wherwith marueilously thou hast vouchsafed to helpe and succour vs that were lost by the same thy sonne our sauiour and recouerer which dyed for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification and liuing without ende sitteth on thy right hande and entreateth for vs together with the taketh pitie mercy vpon vs because he is God thorow thee O father euer lasting and of one substance with thee in all thinges wherby alway he may saue vs but forasmuch as he is man in which thing he is lesse inferiour vnto thee all power both in heauen in earth was geuen vnto him that in the name of Jesu euery knee should bowe both of celestiall and earthlye creatures and also of infernall that all tongues may confesse that oure Lorde Jesus Christ is in thy glory O Father almighty Hee verely was constituted of thee and ordayned to be a iudge of the quicke and dead for thou truely iudgest no man but hast geuen all thy iudgement to thy Sonne in whose brest al treasures of wisdome and knowledge ar hid He truely is both a witnes and a Judge a Judge and a witnesse whome no sinneful conscience can flye or auoyd for all things be they neuer so secret are open euen naked and vncouered vnto him He verily which was vnrighteously iudged himselfe shall iudge the whole worlde in equitie and the people in righteousnes and according to iustice Therfore do I blesse thy name euerlasting and glorifie the same with al my hart O almighty and mercifull Lord for that vnspeakable and maruellous coniunction of Godhead manhood together in the vnitie of a person and not after this sort that y one should be God and the other man but one the same was
truly king of glory maister of all vertue hast taught vs with thy word and with thine ensample to mourne and weepe wheras thou saiest Blessed be they that mourne for they shall be comforted Thou didst weep for thy frend that was dead and didst let teares fall down plenteously for the city which should perish I beseech thee O good Jesu by those most precious teares and by all thy inercies and pities wherewith thou diddest vouchsafe marueilouslie to helpe and succour vs that were lost gene mee the grace to weep and to be earnestly repentant for my sinnes which grace my soule desireth coueteth very mutch and except it come of thy gift I can not haue it but by the holy ghost which doth molifie the hard harts of sinners and prouoketh them to weeping Geue me the grace of teares like as thou gauest to our forefathers whose examples we ought to folow that I may bewayle my selfe in all my life like as they did bewayle themselues day night geue me the dew of thy grace from abone and also a dew of teares beneath that my teares may bee vnto me in stead of bread day and night that I may be made in thy sight O Lord my God by the fire of thy prouocation a far and acceptable sacrifice Make me to be mortified and killed vpon the aultar of mine hart and that I may be receiued of thee as a fat and a sweet smelling sacrifice Geue vnto me O good Lord a plentifull flowing and cleare well of teares in that which I may wash continually this foule and spotted sacrifice for although I haue offered vp my selfe wholy vnto thee by the help of thy grace Yet neuertheles in many thinges I offende thee daily because of my great fragilitie weaknes Geue me therefore the grace of teares O blessed God most especially through the great sweetnes of thy loue the remembrance of thy great mercies prepare this table for thy seruaunt in thy sight and geue me power that as oft as I list I may be satisfied of it Graunt vnto me for thy goodnes and pitie that this thy cup replenished filled full may satisfie my thirst that my spirite may couet the and that my minde may burn in thy loue forgetting all vanitie misery Heare my God heare thou that art the sturrer vp quickner of my dul cares heare what I desire and aske and geue me grace to aske that which thou hearest O pitifull Lord which art woute to bee easily entreated be not hard to bee entreated of me because of my sinnes but for thy goodnes receiue the prayers of thy seruant and graunt me the effect of my petition and desire ¶ In this prayer mans mynde is very much and plenteously stirred and moued if it be sayd in quietnes O Lord Jesu O gentle and louing Jesu O good Jesu which didst vouchsafe to dye for our sinnes and didst ryseagayne for our iustification I beseche thee by thy glorious resurrection to raise me vp out of the sepulcher of vices and all my sinnes and geue me dayly part in thy first resurrection to the entent I may receiue some part in the latter resurrection O most mighty king which didst ascend into heauen wyth the triumph of thy glory and sittest on the right hand of thy father draw me vpward towardes thee that I may runne after thee in the swete sauour of thine anointmentes Let me runne and not faint whē thou drawest me leadest me running drawe the mouth of the soule that thirsteth after thee vnto the high floudes and streames of thine eternall aboundance and societie ye draw me wholy vnto thy selfe which art the liuing well to the intent I may according to my capacitie drinke of that wherupon I do liue O my God my life thou didst say wyth thy holy and blessed mouth If any man thirst let him come vnto me and drinke O well of lyfe graunt vnto my thirstie soule alway to drinke of thee that according to thy holy true promise waters of life may flow out of my belly O well of life replenishe and fill my minde full of the riuer of thy plesure Make my hart to be druncken as it were in thy loue that after the manner of them that be druncken with wine which forget all thinges saue that cup so I may forget all vaine earthly thinges and continually haue nothing els in my cemembraunce but thee onely according as it is written I remembred God and was delighted Geue me the holy ghost whome those waters did signifie which thou didst promise to geue to them that thyrsted after thee Graunt I beseech thee that I may assay to goe with my whole desire all my study toward that place vnto the which we beleue thou didst ascende the forty day after thy resurrection that in this present misery I may be onelye in bodye but in thought desire alwaies with thee that my harte may be there whereas thou art which art my treasure worthy to be coueted much to be loued wherwith no treasure is worthy to be compared In this great floud of this life whereas we are tossed with stormes on euery side there is no sted fast standing or place hie enough aboue that waters no not for the foot of a doue to rest vpon in this I say there is no safe or quiet peace no where any sure rest euery where battayle and strife euery where enemies and fightings without dores and feare at home within dores And forasmuch as the one part of vs is heauenly the other earthly our body which is corrupted doth loden and is burdenous vnto the soule therfore my mind which is my fellow and frende being weery with wandring forth of the way is sicke lyeth all to torne and rent of those things which it hath passed by It hungreth thirsteth greatly after vanities I haue nothing to set afore it because I am pore and a begger Thou O Lord my God art rich in all good thinges and the most plenteous geuer of the daiuties of heauenly societie geue meate vnto the weery not such as it lusteth after but suche as is conueient for it Gather together the dispersed renue and refresh the corne loe he standeth at the dore and knocketh I beseech thee by the bowels of thy mercy wherewith thou being the day-spring from an high hast visited vs open the hand of thy pitie to a wretche that knocketh vouchsafe mercifully to bid him enter into thee and that he may rest with thee be refreshed of the which art the liuing and heauēly bread wherwith whē he is once fedde and that his strength is come to him againe he may ascēd vnto more high thinges And being lifted vp out of this vale of misery teares with the winges of his godly desire he may flie vnto the heauēly kingdom Let my spirite O Lorde I beseech thee take winges as an Egle and flye without fainting