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
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
the length thou most paynefully most miserably yet most louynglye and willinglye sufferest moost crewel moost bytter and moost shamefull deathe for me specially and for all mākynd and so well thou yet louyst me that if nede were thou art redy to suffer the lyke yea more paynfull passion more cruel death rather then I should perysh if I wold faithfully loue and serue the. ¶ O Most louing and mercyfull sauyoure Iesu I moost vnkind sinner haue neglected and set at nought the that haue done so muche for me and I haue offended as vnkyndly and as greuously as though thou haddest done nothing at all for me For I haue contynually offendyd and synned all my life but specially ī these N. Thou most here remember thy special dedly sinnes one after another and be speciallye sorye yf tyme wyll serue And generally I confesse my innumerable enormytes wherin I haue contēpned and offendyd the. Fyrst in breking of thy holy .x. commaundementes In the .xii. Artycles of the catholyque fayth The statutes and commaundementes of holy churche In the .xii. coūsels of the gospell In breking such priuate vowes as I haue promised In the .vii. mortal sinnes ¶ Omytting the .vii. workes of meryc gostly and in not doing the .vii. gyftes of the holy inspiracions I haue misused the gyftes of grace lent vnto me I haue mysused my v. vyttes or senses outwarde and my senses inward I haue misspent al the powers members and myghtes of my body and of my soule I haue mysspent the gyftes of nature the gyftes of fortune the giftes of the holy goost I haue not desposyd me to haue constante fayth perfect hope and burning charitie which are the thre theological vertewes I haue not had in me the foure cardinall vertues Prudence Iustice Fortytude and Temperaunce I haue not labored to haue in me the .xii. frutes of the holy gost I haue not labored so ernestly to com to perfection of lyfe and to the perfect loue of the as I wolde haue done to come vnto hyghe dignitie and honour of the worlde I haue sinned and lyued sinfully in euerye place in euery state in euery office that I haue lyued in by word by dede thought in omission in losse of my tyme and in vnkyndnes and vnthankfulnes towardes the my Lorde God towardes thy blessed mother and all thy blessed angels and saintes And agaynst all myne neighbors against the good folkes the blessed frindes of god agaynst the weake and sinners agaynste my benefactours and frendes agaynste my superiors my egalles my inferiours agaynste the quicke and the deade against the sowles in purgatory againste all creatures against my owne selfe agaynste both my body and my soule for I haue misvsed these creatures to the great dyshonor of the my lord god to the iniurye of myne neghbours and to the condemnacion of myne owne soule So that ther is no gyfte nor benefyt that thou haste geuen me nor no good thing in the whiche I haue sought the sincerely and purelye For I haue lesse or more sought myne owne commodytie myne owne wyll or pleasure Thus in all my hole lyfe I haue ether done commytted sinne eyther omyttyd and not done my dewty or els doing my dewty or any good woorke I haue not done it so syncerelye purely as I ought to haue done Wherfor I forsake here al kynde of sinne and al my dedes good and bad and I runne only vnto thy greate mercy and infinyte merytes ¶ O most mercyfull petyfull and most louyng lorde Iesu I moost humbly lowly beseke thy mercyful goodnes for thy most holy concepcion and natiuitye For thy blessed conuersacion and moost holy lyfe For thy moost harde and sore laboure and trauel for the great sorow and heuynes of thy blessed harte for thy most payneful agonye and bloudy sweat for al thy bytter and most paynfull passion for al the cruell effucion of thy moost precious bloud for thy most painful most cruel moost bytter and shamefull death graunt me mercy and forgeuenes of all my vnkindnes and sinne mortyfye in me al that offendeth the worke in me suche vertues as moost maye please thy blessed wyll in me to thy honour my saluacion Amen O Moste gloryus mother of mercy and ladye of grace my syngular help and comfort in heauen and in earth nexte vnto my lord god and sauyor Iesu I humbly beseke the for that holy passyon death and al the paines that thy deare sonne Iesu sufferyd in thy sorowfull syght For al the sorow heuines and most bytter compassion that thou sufferedst for him and me optain for me cleane remyssyon of al my synnes and all the paines that I haue deserued for them and increase of al vertue perfeccion Here praye to thy specyall aduowryes O Mooste blessyd and holy N N. N. N. and al ye moost holy and blessed company of heauen for al the paynes and labours that ye suffered here by the grace of the holy goost and for the very loue and honoure of god I humbly beseche your blessyd charyte pray for me vnto my lord and swet sauyour Iesu that he vochesaf to remyt my wickednes and synnes and so to confyrme me in his grace and loue that I neuer returne to syn agayne Here turne thy heart agayne vnto thy Lorde Iesu saynge ¶ And were I dayly fall and am redy to syn vochesafe to graūt me oh Lorde grace euer moore as ofte as I fal to arise againe with perfect sorow hate of syn and with most lowely cōfidēce trust of his blessed swet mercy That the multytude of my syn and mi great frailtie driue me not to disperate sorowe and inordynatte heuynes Nether let me mistrust the great and most gracius redynes of thy moost louyng mercy that is euer redye to forgyue as ofte as we do repent be yt neuer so ofte Draw me not to presūpcyon but that I how so euer whan so euer and how often soeuer I offend the I may moost lowly and mekely acknowelege my wretchydnes and frayltie and repente myne offences and synnes wyth a fyrme purpose to amend and with an vnfayned trust of remyssyon and forgeuenes in the infynyte merytes of thy most blessed blood payneful passyon and most precyus death to the glory honoure of thy mercy ful charytie most myghty maiestie Amē ¶ The Thyrd exercyse of reformacyon of the soul in the fyue wyttes sences COnsider how thy fyue wittes are wonderful wekened and dysorderid by the fall of our forefather and parent Adam But a greate deale more infected and disorderyd by thy owne actual synnes the great abuse of thē Wherefore that they may be redyer brought againe vnto ther former and original purenes wherin they were before the fall of adam thou must nedes shut vppe and refrayne from all misuse of all thy senses as thy syghte hearing taisting with thy tong smellyng and fealyng in the crucyfied humanitie of Chryst accordyng to hys exāple wyth so
and passion of Chryst prynting deapely in to thy soule fleshe his passion deathe that they shyne out of the like a lanterne so that thou alwaye thinke and talke of them For Chryste oure sauyor by the same redemed vs when the deuyl possessed vs as his slaues and bond men that now we are the fathers of heuē which by his only begottē sonne hath bought vs paying by hym our dettes wherein we were bound vnto him And for thys greate benefit we remayne detters vnto him for euer Wherefore yf we wil repaye this det vnto him godly and thankefuly we must prynt hys lyfe passyō and death ī to the powers of our soule and in to the sensies of our bodie and in to al our fleshe we must beare this his crosse vppon vs and folowe effecteously as thoughe we were become one with him in his lyfe and passion And thus the dette that he paied for vs we do some what recompence That thou mayst perfectly fulfyl the same thou must neades conforme or make lyke all thy thoughtes thy wordes dedes thy maners so lyke vnto the thoughtes the wordes the dedes and maners of thy lorde Iesu chryst that wheresoeuer thou be seene harde or touched there be nothinge found in the but that which was in Iesu chryst then shal be sene in that that thou art a very christiā a seruante louer of Chryste And bycause that we are lyke hym in the nature of hys manhed we must according to this example crucify oure nature in vs bycause our nature dyd wyllynglye synne as he exhorteth vs in the holye gospell sayenge deny and forsake thy selfe and take vp thy crosse vpon thy backe folowe me In this he commaundeth that we shoulde crucifye oure bodely nature and sensualytie wyth very true vertues Our soule also we must confirme and make lyke vnto the most heuye and sorowfull soule of our lorde Iesu so shall we do yf we sorow and lamente al waye the greate dishonour of god the losse of soules and our owne sinnes and the sinnes of all men And loke howe muche we wante in this conformytie and folowing of christes passion in oure bodye and soule so moche more we remayne in debte vnto oure lorde god Certaynely a faythfull louer of Iesu ought to drowne in maner so prynte hym selfe into the lyfe and passyon of hym that he shoulde feale that passion lyfe more presente and more fastened into hym selfe then hys owne payne or crosse that he suferith yea yf he had any specyal paine or gryef in any member of his body were sore vexed therewyth yet shoulde he feele more the payne and passion of hys Lorde Iesu then the sorowe that payneth hym in the member of hys owne bodie Wherfore thou oughtes wyth greate desyre and deuoute harte contynually to pray intrete thy most gracious lorde Iesu that he vochsafe to confyrme the most perfectly vnto hys mortifyed holy and crucyfyed humanytye by an ardent an eleuate and a ful resygned spirite and by a mortifyed an heuy and a compassionate soule and also by an aflyctyd a laborsome a tormented and a pained bodye or at the least thou shalte praye hym to sende the some bodely and contynuall payne or grefe to put the in mynde alwaye of hys bytter passion that thou forgette it not also that he vochesafe to rest in the and to take pleasure to worke in the wythout any inpedimente We ought therfore to exercyse our selfes in the most blessid passion of oure lorde .vi. maners of wayes Fyrste thou shalte exercise thy selfe in the passion of Iesu by imitacion or to folowe it Secōdly by cōpassion or to haue cōpassiō therin Thirdly by admyracion to haue wonder Fourthly by ioy or to reioyse therin Fiftly by resoluciō or to be resoluid therī Syxtly by deuocion to rest therin Fyrste thou oughtest to haue meditacion in this blessid passion that thou mightest folowe the same for it is the hyghe most perfectest imytacion that a man can haue this is the hygh and most holyest relygion and most relygius perfecciō To folow Christ in his death and passion is the rule and the example of oure sauiour the rule of our lyfe in whō we may haue so moche the more confort consolaciō as we herein be the more conformable and lyke oure lorde Iesu And let vs thinke oure selfes so moche the more desolate as we fynd oure selfes farre from this example rule Let vs therfore wyshe and desire as moch as lieth in vs to be cast downe to be set at nought to be scornyd afflycted scorged of all persons and in the seruice that we do to God to be rebuked of all men Let vs be poore and barewyth poore and bare Iesu let vs desyre to haue nothing Yea let it be most payneful payne and vnmesurable sorow to haue any thīg and to haue nothinge let it be perfecte Ioy gladnes let vs abhorre al to tast swete delectable thinges let vs rather desire to be refreshed with vyle homely bytter thynges and let vs desyre that al fode or mete may tast to vs rather galle then hony bicause that Iesus dranke vineger gal And as I may saie breuely let vs cōsider how he vsed him selfe in his passiō and let vs conforme our selfe for our litle power vnto him as much as we can keping and obseruyng alway the meane and moderacion that we excede not the measure of oure infyrmytie Secondly thou must exercise thy selfe in the blessyd passion of thy Lord Iesu that thou mayste take compassyon on hym moost innocent cōsideryng his cruel scorging his scornes his reuyles and rebukes reuoluyng in thy hart howe greatly our Lord Iesu was dyiectid cōtempnyd in his most bitter passion how great afflicciō paine he suffered ī his hart body both by reason of his owne payne and passyon also by reason of hys compassyon towarde vs for our synnes Let vs consider with howe muche bytter sorow the very swet angells where repleanisshed with al how moch greuyd our Lorde Iesu not only the payne layd vppon hym and our vnthankefullnes but also the sore afflyccyon of hys deare mother that stode by whome he louyd moost dearely and fre he rredy to swone for sorow Certaynly by reason of the excedyng grate and moost ardent burning loue that the one bare to the other they suffered most payneful compassion and the affliction of bothe partes was exceding greate For the one sufferyd for the other sake For the mother knew wel that her dere sonne suffered for her specyally as wel as for to redeme other The sonne also knewe full well that the swerde of sorowe of hys passion perced the soule and harte of his his mother And therfore was the passion of the sonne the passion also of the mother Goo to thē good doughter the seruāt of god and the spowse of chryst to se and turne these in thy harte wyth the rebukes and paynes of thy lorde
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
my Lorde god perfectly and profoundlye is the synguler gyfte of thee whiche I cannot come vnto without thy speciall grace which I most hertely and most mekely beseche thee to graunt me that therby I may perfectly know thee and thy holy wyl and moost blessed and acceptable pleasure ¶ Graunt me good lorde now at thys present and oftentymes to consider profoundly perfectly to knowe that thou my lorde god art moste higheste and moost excellent aboue al thynges moost blessed wysedom euerlasting and vnchaungeable goodnes A very incomprehensible and sempiternal substaunce an infinite and mooste blessed bryghtnes and an euerlasting and incomparable lyghte of blysse whiche in thy selfe arte so myghtye so gloryous so good and so perfecte that there canne nothynge be thought so good so perfecte so worthye so excellent so gloryous but thy goodnes thy perfeccion thy wysedome thy power and thy incomprehensible loue surmounteth and excelleth it infinitely and incomparably For if al power vertue goodnes wysedome the perfeccions of all the creatures in heauen and in earth and in al the whole worlde were knytte in one it weere not so muche in comparison of thy blessed and most excellent maiestie as is one lytle drop of water in cōparison of the vnmesurable maine sea Yea what soeuer the thoughtes of al men the vnderstandyng of al aungels good and bad be able to thynke or vnderstande of anye goodnesse or perfection thy blessed goodnes vnmeasurable might and infinite perfeccion passeth it without comparison ¶ O moost blessed holy and glorious trinitie most myghtyful father euerlastyng ineffable incomprehensible goodnes which of thyne owne substance sēpiternally doest brynge forth an euerlastyng ineffable and incomprehensible goodnes coequal consubstanciall wyth thy selfe which is thy sēpiternal onely son And both you father sonne equally the one louyng the other infinitely in a charitie delighte infinite are knyt together in one holy gost the third persō For this infinyte charytye is none other then the holy goost proceding incogitably of the father and of the sonne ¶ Thus art thou my Lorde God thre dystincte persons in one very God thre persons in one godhede and one very godhed in thre persones ¶ Most dredfull mayestye I moste lowlye and most deuoutly as I can I adore the worshype the with all myght and powers of my body and my soule moste swete and blissed vnite most blessed holy Trynitye ¶ Oh my deare and mercyfull lorde and my god shew thy selfe vnto me and I aske no more ¶ Oh most myghty maker and most swete Lorde God infunde powre into my hart and my vnderstanding thy heauenly light and blessed charitie that I may know and loue the aboue al thynge comforte the wekenes and infyrmytie of my frayle nature wyth thy blessed presence fyll my harte my delyght with the loue of the and wyth the goostly influēce of thy synguler grace that I maye knowe how louyng how gracious how good howe mercifull a Lorde God thou arte and hast bene vnto me specially and vnto all creatures ¶ Graunte me grace most mercyfull lorde ofte tymes louyngly and verye delectably to remembre how so myghtyful so dredfull a lorde god hast created and made my soule most nobly vnto thyne owne likenes and ymage and hast geuen vnto my soule thre excellent powers or myghtes that I myght and should not only in the worlde to come but also in this presente lyfe by wit and vnderstandinge in constant fayth knowe the by wyll I myght and ought to chose and loue the aboue all thinge and by memorye I myght rest in the and beyng knytte fast vnto the I myght so faythfully remayne and cleue vnto the that for the pure delyght and loue of the I myght contempne and forget all thynge ¶ Graunte me good Lorde that I may be so rauyshed in the loue and the delyght of thy blessed essence goodhed that for Ioy gladnes and admyracion I may forgette my selfe I maye feele nether prosperytie neyther aduersite of this worlde and that I maye not feare to suffer all the payne in this world rather then to be pullyd or parted away from the whiche arte of infinite power wysedome Iustice goodnes charytie swetnes lyberalitie and of infynite pytie clemencye and mercy whose perfeccions excedyth infinitely all thought and vnderstandynge ¶ Graunte me most mercifull and louing Lorde grace to perceaue and remember alwaye wyth gostly Ioy and thankefulnes that thou so gloryous and gracious lorde god of Infinite charitie of godly myght mercy doest offer thy selfe vnto me euery where specially in my soule more verylye present then I am with my selfe beyng alwaye and euery where redye to conserue to gouerne to saue me and to brynge me to thy blysse ¶ Wherfore most dredfull Lorde I haue a great cause yf I wyll do my dewty to be circumspecte and take greate hede how I do vse my selfe in the presēce of the my lord whiche seist and lokest vpon al my wordes dedes and thoughtes ¶ Graunte me therfore moost mercyfull Lorde grace to walke and conuersant my selfe before thy blessed presens like a chaist and an holy spouse with al reuerēce feare shamfastnes mekenes obedyence and pacience contynually preparing my selfe with al dilygence to please the sight of thy dredfull maiestie and wyth al my hearte and wyl to loue the aboue al thyng wherby al grace and vertu may encrease in me ¶ Graunt me o merciful sauiour alwaye in euery place to remember that thou so myghty a Lorde God berest towarde me vyle wretched worme of the erthe an euer lastinge vnmesurable most constant fre loue and charitie which passeth al thoughtes and desire so greate is thy goodnes towarde me moost vyle wretche whiche am but sinne and claye that thou doest vouchsafe to tende and to take so great hede and care vpon me as though thou haddest no mo creatures in heauen or earth and hast and doest deliuer me and defend me from innumerable perels dedly dangers bothe of body and soule and hast and doest frely adorne me indewe me and multyplye in me most vnthankeful and vnworthy with so many gyftes and benefytes at al tymes that I am not able to reken the least parte of them and of thy Infinite loue and charyte moost lyberally I maye at all tyme yea euery minute of an houre come vnto the in so muche that with one godly thought and desyre I maye optayne and haue the whiche art euerlastyng felicitie and to the as vnto my most nearest derest most faithfull and trusty frende in heuen or earth I maye safely open all my griefes necessytyes and be certayne and sure to haue such help of the as shal be most for my soule helth Wherfore most merciful lord god which arte the sempyternal lyght of heauen vochsafe for thy mercy sake to lyghten the darkenes of my synfull soule and the blindnes of my harte with the blessed beme of grace that I may come to the perfecte
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
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
For thy sorowfull naylyng of thy blessed feet hold fastē my feate frome all steppes to euyll from al vnprofytable gaddyng make them quicke and spedye to do all deedes of charytie and obedyence to thy only honour ¶ Gracyus Iesu in whose mouth was neuer found disceat nor nothing but al godly and heauenly wysdome and gauest vnto vs moost perfecte example of scilence when thou most mildly and wysely didist hold thy peace when thou waste falsely accused bycause thou by thy answere colde not profite them and specially when thou shouldeste aunswere for lyfe and deathe Then lyke an innocent lambe thou hyldyst thy peace And all the tyme of thy moost bytter passion thou didest speke syldom for thou spakest but onely seuen wordes vpon the crosse which wordes were spoken of most excellent charitie Graunt me good lorde the grace of sylence that I neuer open my mouth to any euyl or ydel wordes that I may speake only thy wordes Shut vp also good lord mine eares with thy grace frō al heryng of euell and vayne wordes for thy merytes of the payne that thou sufferedst whē thou hardest the greate blasphemyes rebukes reuyles of the Iewes ¶ Gracious Iesu for thy tēder teares that thy most gracyous eyes shed oft tymes for me kepe myne eyes and syght frō al syghtes of euyll and of al vnnecessary thynges in this worlde And for the horible sauour that thou feltest in that stynkinge place of caluarye when thou wast crucified kepe my smellyng from al mysuse and for the mooste bytter and sowre drynke of gall and vyneger that thou drankest for me ¶ Good Lorde graunt me grace to exchew all kynd of glotonye and excesse and graūt me perfect temperaunce to eate for onlye necessarye and bare neede Most merciful sauiour Iesu for thy moost crewell schurgyng and all the payne and woūdes that thou suffredst in all members and partes of thy most precious and blessed bodye mortyfie in me by the power of thy mightiful grace all the mysuse of al the sensies and powers of my soule and of all the lymmes members of my bodie that by thy grace I may neyther feele see heare taste smel eate drynke nether moue no member of my bodye nor vse no sense of my soule but in the and for thy honoure not sekynge my pleasure or my selfe here in but puerly and only the. ¶ Gracious God and moost mercyfull redemer of my soule Iesu I moost humblye beseke the for al thy sorowes and paynes that thou sufferedst in the inner powers of thy most blessid and holy soul in the merites and for the merytes of thy most blessed crucified humanytie puryfye reforme rule lyghten the inner myghtes and powers of my synful sowle speciallye my vnderstandyng my wyll and my memorye where in apearyd in my creacyō the holy ymage of the moost blessed trinitye but by my most sinful corrupt lyfe I haue all most clene blotted and put oute the ymage of the my lorde god and I haue fowlye defaced my soule wyth the horyble ymage of sin For wher I should haue in my vnderstanding the knowlege of the wythout ignoraunce and error I haue sought to knowe wyckednes and syn and so haue lost the gostly knowlege of the. And wher my wyl and desyre was creatyd to desyre and loue the aboue al thyng I haue lost that loue in louyng and desyreng inordynatly creatures Where my memory ought to be occupyed only wyth the my most deare Lorde God I haue paynted it wyth the memories and innumerable fanses not only of creatures but of horryble detestable sinne and wickednes Wherfore most merciful Iesu I mekely beseke the for the merytes of thy most rufully and cruelly deformed face for the wofully woūdyd and sorowful coūtenaunce restore and reforme agayne in me the blessed ymage of thy moost blessed diuynite in my soule that I may with moost stable and constante knowlege loue and thought of the desyre contynually to increase more more in the true knowlege the feruent loue and most blessed remembraunce of the that I maie knowe al thinges loue al thynges remember al thinges and vse al thynges only in the and for the. And I beseke thee my sauyour Iesu in the most tender loue that mouyd the most blessyd lorde to suffer so paynefull passiō and death for me and for the precious hart bloud and water that yssewed out of thy most louyng harte when thou hangist bare and al naked vppon the crosse graunte me grace that I may abstracte and pull awaye my harte from the loue of all creatures and to put vtterly out of it the loue of al creatures and specyally of my selfe that thy bare pure loue may fyl occupye al my whole harte desyre and wyll And that al that I shall loue desyre or wyl I may loue desire and wyshe in the and for the only ¶ Graunte me grace also so to confirme so to knytt my whole wyll vnto thy moost blessed and godly wyl that I may haue no other wyl then thyne And the I may be most hartely and fully contente wyth what soeuer thou wylt do wyth me in thys worlde and for euer yea if thou wylte put me into hell and to suffer al the paines there so that I hate not the but retayne thy loue I may be hartely wel contented wyth my whole hart without any be it neuer so litle gruge inwardely Also most mercyfull redemer I beseke the in the merytes of the innumerable woūds of thy blessyd head lightē my vnderstanding wyth perfecte and syncere knowlege of thy blessed god hed that I maye verely and truly know what thynge thou my lorde god art and haste that hyghly profundly knowyng the that thou arte infynite in goodnes moost noble dredfull maiesty most blessed and moost holy lorde god my wyl by thy grace most hartelye earnestly may desyre to be in loue wyth the so gracious so good so louing so kynde mercyfull a father and lorde god ¶ Graunte therfore most gracious Iesu thy grace to me to quycken and to sharpen my wyt and vnderstanding that I may come to the gostly and godly knowlege of the by knowlege to come to the perfecte and pure loue of the. Helpe also most mercyful sauyoure my busye and incomberyd memorye and fansye that by thy merciful grace I maye cast out and purge it of al euyl yea and vnnecessary fansies and imaginaciōs and from strange cogytacions that be not of the that I maye kepe my memory clene and pure as a wedlocke chamber from al worldly and vnprofytable thoughtes and to decke and tryme it wyth all kynd of heuenly thoughtes and gostly ymaginaciōs wyth al holy medytacions of thy holy humanite crucified for me minding alwaies some poynte of thy passion of thy vertue or some other holye medytacyon or good thoughtes That thou my lord god may delyght take pleasur to dwel rest in me as oftē as long
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
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
for wyttyngely if wyl not admyt nor suffer anye ercesse or superfluitie It bryngyth forth also pouertie for it possesseth nothyng in this world nor of thys world verely pouertie volūtarie is a meruelus yea an excellent mean to possesse god Thes foresayd vertues of our Lorde Iesu Christ thou muste aske of him and labor to prynt them in to thy body and soule as muche as in the lyeth all thy lyfe tyme conformynge thy selfe in thes holy vertues to thy lord Iesu as muche as is possible for the alway eueriwher beholding by deuoute contemplacyon the image and memory of his crucyfied lyfe and death and folowynge the same in thes vertues that we haue spoken of or at the least in the fyue pryncypal stretchynge and naylynge thy self in thes vertues vnto hys cros so that what so euer thou turnest thy selfe ether on the ryght hande ether on the lefte hande thou mayst beholde on the parte of thy body and on that syde one of these vertues of Iesu set before thyne eyes to be holde and to folowe For oure Lorde Iesu wyl make none partakers of his death the refuseth to crucifye for his sake his owne fleshe with vyces and lustes and to mortyfye the same More ouer al be it that the mortification and crucyfieng of our most vyle fleshe be nothing in comparisō of the crosse and death of oure lorde god Yet that most myldest and mercyfull lorde of his endles pitie and goodnes dothe vochesafe to take thankefully the small crosses and paynes that we for hys loue do wyllingly bere and suffer whether by his permission and sufferaunce they be inwarde derelictyon and gostly tentaciō ether outward iniures oppressions and sorowes layde vpon vs. For how euer suche crosses come vpon vs he taketh them thankefully so that we bere them for hys sake and dye to our owne wil and desyre ¶ This exercise after thou haste well sucked and dygested it into thy hart thou shalt not forsake all dayes of thy lyfe ¶ Aspiracions for this exercyse ¶ Oh my deare redemer Iesu in the merytes of thy most bitter death mortifie in me all sinne and vyciosnes and plante in me all verteus ¶ Oh moost meke sauioure Iesu for thy meke death sake make me perfectly meke and sley in me all pryde ¶ Moost blessed and sempiternall wysedō of the father for thy cruel coronacion with thornes lyghten my wyts wyth thy holye wysedome and take from me all sinful ignoraunce ¶ My most dere and louynge Lorde Iesu for the precious woūde of thy swete harte woūde and perse my hart with thy perfect loue and burning charytie ¶ Moost ryghtfull Iuge of quicke deade my lorde Iesu graunte me perfecte ryghtwysenes that I maye geue vnto the vnto all creatures that I owe them ¶ Moste myghti lorde god my sauiour Iesu for all thy blessed payne passion grant me gostly fortytude and strēgth against al the assaltes and temtacions of the deuyll the worlde and my fleshe ¶ The practyse of this exercise to the feate of Iesu I Laude and prayse and geue most humble thankes vnto the meke and most mercyfull sauyour Iesu for the example of thy greate meekenes and for thy vnmeasurable loue and payne of the mooste blessyd woūdes that thou sufferydest in thy swete feate and in to this thy blessed woundes the merytes of thē I comyte my selfe wholy and all my wyckednes and sinnes of all my former lyfe specially all my detestable pryde vaine glorye and arrogancy Al my selfe wyl my desobediens my irreuerency and dyshonoure that I haue done to the thy mynisters and seruauntes All my impacyency my angrynes my rancore and malyce my vnprofitable ydell euyl talke detraccion and all kynde of sinne that appertayne vnto any of these besekynge the that they may be forgeuen and purged in thy precyous bloude and by the payne and sorowe of the same I most humble beseke moost mercyful Iesu for thy greate mercy In the merites of thys thy blessed woūdes of thy most holy feate by the payne and sorowe of the same by thy ineffable most profunde mekenes that thou shewed in taking on the our nature and for the loue and charytie that compelled that to suffer this payne and passion ¶ Graunte me most inwarde perfecte and deape mekenes of harte before thy deuine presence by the whiche I maye perfytely and clearely se the dignitie of thy infynite maiestye and the greate mekenes of the same And one the other syde I maye perfectly and clearely se and perceaue the bottomeles pyt of my vyces and naughtines I maye also at al tyme submite my selfe most lowly in harte and mynde and as oft as it shall be expediente in dede also vnto vnder al creatures I may wholy hate esteme my selfe as a thīg of nought I may desire and wyshe my selfe to be cōtempned dyspised and ouer trodden as the most vylest durte of the streetes of all men that I maye also be sory and refuse to haue anye benefyte or honoure of any creature That I maye also speake alway most mekely most gladly euer more acknowlege wyth out all excuse my greate faut and offence And vtterly dispeiring of my owne power and myght I may thynke retaine euermore frome the bottome of my harte these wordes vnfanyedly I am nought I haue nought I am able to do nought I desyre nought but one I maye also in mine own Iugemente for my greate wrechydnes vylenes place my selfe moost iustlye and worthelye in the loweste and depest place in hell ¶ Graunte me also gracious sauioure in the merytes of thy obediente death and passyon grace to folowe thy moost pure perfecte obedyence by most flexible and redye submission of most prompte wyl so that I may neuer be wery in forsakinge and denyeng myne owne proper wyl and fansyin al thynge subduinge my fleshe vnto the spirite both in kepinge and fulfylling most mekely thy will and pleasure inwardlye also outwardly in obeying not only my superiors but also al creatures as far as it maye be lauful Graunte good lord grace that I neuer do any thinge with proprietie or affection singular being to ernest or to moche geuen vnto it but with a continual mekenes of my harte and mynde vnto thy wyl I may as it were lye at thy foote I maye desyre nothinge neyther in my selfe netyher in any creature while the worlde standith saue only to knowe execute thy blessed wyll saynge alwaye in my harte with the desyre of my mynd Lord what wilt thou that I shall do And so euermore I maye transforme and conforme my wyll into thyne or vtterly forsake my wyll and turne it to nothinge ¶ Graunt me also most gracious lorde to folowe thy most wonderfull pacience and myldnes where in I may with most quiet and thankefull harte receaue at the hande of thy hyghe prouydence all pouertye all rebuke and shame al payne grefe and sorowe acknowleginge my selfe moost
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
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
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
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
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
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
we must suffer so paciently that nether in word dede nether in oure harte thou bare nor shewe no rancore euyl wyl or grefe Secondly that we be not sad sory or heuy in oure mynde whyche commenly commyth of our owne loue toward our selfe But we must beare al thinge mekely wyth pacyens thynking that we be worthy not only of this but of muche more We must therfore offer oure selfe vnto the pleasure of god in a perfecte redines of wyl to al aduersitie that mai come possyble euer here after vnto vs. Thirdly by paciens in affection we ought to desyre and wyshe wyth al oure harte aduersitie that we may be the more conformable and lyke to oure sauiour chryst whiche for our sinnes suffered wyth moost meke mynde and paciente harte all worldlye confusyon and shame all payne and aduersitie all mockes and scornes strypes beatinges scorginges thornes nayled vpon the crosse wyth cruel passyon most payneful death We ought herein as muche as we can to folow the paciences of our sauiour christ That pacience may worke so strongly that though we feale paine yet it shal not greue vs or vexe vs for we so hartely loue them that thus dothe afflyct vs as thoughe they were our nyghe and specyal fryndes ¶ The ninthe impedyment THE nynthe Impedymente is the propryetie of oure owne wyl Vnto the which wyckyd and shrewd selfe wyl our owne proper wyl fansye or wyt many truste stycke so sore that they dare not almost put al their trust in god neither resygne and commyt them selfe vnto hym But their owne wyl and propertie of their fansy is as it were foundacion ground wheron they buylde together what euer they Iuge chose do or exercyse From the whiche thynges and exercyses if they be lettyd eather by obedyens eather by charytie eather by misfortune or other chance anon they wexe melancoly angry and vexe them selfes inwardly and thinke they tyme al lost or that they shal spede the worse or that they haue offended or that they haue ben greatly hyndered in theire spyrytual profyt bycause they haue left of or haue by lettyd by resonable cause and consideracion from their wilful costumes This wycked wyl causyth them to gruge and murmure when theire wyl is broken specialye in their holy woorkes exercises that they haue chosē of their owne wil and brayne Yet are suche exercises vnpleasant in the syghte of god seme they vttwardely neuer so goodly and godly Therefore yf thou wylt profyt in goostly lyfe and haue thy dedes acceptable before god thou must lay another ye a contrary fundacyon That is to say A ful a perfect forsakinge and renouncynge of thyne owne wyl and of thy selfe Whereby thou muste vtterlye leaue and cast of thy owne selfe and selfe wyl And wythout gaynesayng murmur or grug of thy harte or mynde resygne and commit the wholy vnto the wil pleasure of god Embrasynge from the bottome of thy whole hart with ful delyght of mynde hys blessyd wyl Thou shalt also obey all men in al thynges lawful for the honoure of god hauyng moost perfect confydence and trust in his goodnes Whiche ys redy euery where and present withal them that yeldyth vp and commyt them selfe in body and soule vnto him Which also prouideth and seyth better to them in prosperitie and in aduersytye yea in the lest thyng that is then they them selfes can do yea or can wyshe There is nothyng in man that he is more lothe to departe wythall then his owne frewyll wherof issueth all euyll if he mysusyth it Therefore if he yeld resygne the same fully and whooly vnto the onely wil of god that fundacion once so ouerthrow en al the rotes and grounde of vyces and synne wil fal Then al murmur grudge in aduersytie al disobediens wholy commith vp by the rote Then spryngyth pacyens in aduersytie obediens without gaynsaying Then greate peace in conscyens and hope in god growyth and spryngythe Then al wexeth as redy to folow the wyl of god as the shadow folowythe the bodye Then al thynges what euer come vpon hym they trouble him not Thē melancoly heuines and scrupulousenes are vtterly dystroyed Fynaly as al syn and vyces spryngyth of the propertie of our owne wyl euen so all vertew perfeccyon commyth growith in the forsakynge and mortyfyinge of the same in resigninge of it to the handes and pleasure of god and folowyng the wyl of hym That thou mayst come to the mortyfycacyon and to thys resygnacyon it is good for beginngers vnperfecte to make obedyens vnto some other and to folowe nothinge their owne wil but the wil of him vnto whō they haue made their obedience The perfect muste nedes obey or be euer redy to the wyl and desyre to obey vnto al other where euer they perceyue the wyll of god continualy they oughte to obserue and marke wel inwardly and to execute in al thynges the pleasure of god Ther are three maners of obedyence The one is obedyence of vowe made And thys must he obseruyd outwartly in thinges lawfull this is of necessitie For yf we knowing the commandemente and precept of oure rule or of our prelate do not obey folowe hys wyl leauyng our owne we sin deadly But the other .ij. are of more perfeccyon make more for the mortyfycacyon of oure owne wyl Ther seconde is called obedience of conformytie and it is the prompt and redynes of the wyl inwardly to folowe euer more the wyl of their superior and that for pure charytie and loue of god without all regarde and respect to any thanke of man so that he wold rather be set at nought and contemned thē to be lauded or to haue any reward therefore The third obedyence is the obedyence of vnyon with god whiche so perfectly knyttyth our wyl vnto the wil of god that they be become but one wyl So that what soeuer god permmyttyth to be done with vs to come vpon vs good or bad Ioy or sorow comforte or desolacyon myrth or heauynes in soule or body we be fully perswadid that al together commyth of the vnmesurable mercy of god and of hys goodnes Wherefore thou shalte not receaue it as at the hande of man or any other creature but immedyatly thynke that it dothe come of god as from the hande of his goodnes and hygh prouydence Therefore thou must take it with an vntroubled and pacyent mynd eleuatyng and littyng vp thy hart aboue the consyderacion of the worldly course change of worldly things fyxing often thy hart and thought by pure loue vpon god almyghty beyng alway redye and in maner desyrus to suffer all inwarde payne desolacyon derelyccion pressure agony heuynes of hart for very loue of god And whē such thing commith receaue it with moost hartie affeccion and Ioy of mynd be it neuer so paynful neuer so reprocheful and be fully contentyd to abyde the same for euer yf it so please god