The Pomander of Prayer

A prayer wherein, through commemoration of Christ's passion, we desire pardon of our sins and continuance in virtue and godliness.

BEholde (O pitiful father) thy most pitiful sonne, which suffered for me being so wicked. Be hold (o most merciful king) who suffereth, and remember (as thou art loving and kind) for whom he suffered. Is not this (O my Lord) that innocent whom although he were thy son, thou didst deliver to redeem & raunsō a servant? Is not this the author and beginner of life, which being led as a sheep to be killed, & being made obedient to thee, even unto death, was not afraid to take vpō him the moste cruel and sharp kind of death? Cal to remembrance (O thou distributor of all health) that this is he whom (although thou diddest beget him by thy power, yet not withstanding) thou wouldest have to be made partaker of mine infirmity and weakness. Truly this same is thy Godhead which did take vpō him my nature, which was hanged vppō the gibbet of tourment or cross, which in the flesh which he had taken upon him, did suffer sorrowful punishment. Turn the eyes of thy majesty (O Lord my God) toward the wurk of thine unspeakable pity. Look vpō thy deer son, whose whole body is stretched forth. Mark y ^e harmless and pure hands which do drop and distill down innocent blood. And I beseech thee, be pacified and pardon the wicked deeds which my hands have committed. Consider his bare & naked side, being thrust thorough cruelly with a spear, and renew and wash me with the holy fountain or well which I believe did flow from thens. Mark the unspotted feet which have not stand in the way of sinners, but always have walked in thy law, how thei are perced thorough w ^t sharp nails, & make perfect my steps in thy paths, and make me (of thy loving kindness) to hate all ways of iniquity. Remoue from me the way of iniquity, and make me (of thy mercy) to choose y ^e way of truth. I beseech thee (o king of holy men) by this holy one of all holy ones, & by this my redeemer: to make me run the way of thy commandments, that I may be united & knit unto him in spirit, which did not disdain to be clad in my flesh. Dost thou not look upon and mark (o pitiful father) the head of thy moste dearly beloved sonne, a yungmā, how it leaned vpō his shoulder whē he was past the moste precious death? Behold (o my most gentle creator) the humanity & gentleness of thy beloved son, and have compassiō upon the feblenes of me thy weak & feeble handy wurk. Behold O moste glorious parent) the torn & rent members of thy most kind & loving child, & remember gently what substance I am of. Behold the pains of God and man, and release and louse man (which is thy creature) out of misery and bondage of sin. Behold the punishment of him that did redeem and pardon the offense of them that be redeemed. This is he (O Lord) whom thou didst strike for the sins of thy people although he be thy well-beloved, in whom was found no gile, & yet nevertheless was he rekened amongst them that were full of iniquity.

A prayer wherein man confesseth himself to be the cause of Christ's passion.

WHat hast thou committed (O Lord) that thou shouldest be so judged? What hast thou offeded that thou shouldest be so cru elli handled and ordered? What was thy fault? what was thine offense? what was the cause of thy death? what was thoccasion of thy condemnation? I (Lord) I am the cause of thy sorrow, the fault is in me that thou wast kill led for. I have deserved thy death I committed the offenses that were avenged upon thee. Oh meruelous kind of judgment, and unspeakable disposition or ordering of mysteries. The vn just man offēdeath: and the rightwise is punished. The gilti doth evil and the innocent is beaten. The evil doth trespass and the good is condemned. That which the evil man deserveth: the same doth the just suffer. That which the servant doth amis the master maketh amends. That which mā trespasseth: God suffereth it. O (thou which art y ^e sone of god) how low did thine humility des cend? How greatly did thy charity (even as it wer) wax hot & burn toward us. How far did thy pity proceed? Whither did thy beningnitie, and gentelnes grow & extend? How far did thy love stretch? How far came thy compassion? for I did wrongfully: and thou wast punished. I commit ted the mischievous deeds: and they were avenged upon thee. I did the faut: and thou submitted thyself to the torments. I was proud, and thou wast humble & meek, I was swelled and pufte up, thou wast extenuated and ap paired. I was disobedient, nevertheless thou being obedient, bare the pains and punishments of disobedience. I obeyed and was, as it were a servant to all exces and glotony, and thou wast punished with scarcity and lack of food. The tree did draw me violentli unto unlawful concupiscence & desires, but perfect charity led thee unto punishment. I presumed being forbidden: but thou didst smart therefore. I toke my pleasure, with delicatenes: thou wast vexed with the cross. I abound and have plenty of all pleasures: thou art all to torn with naites. I do fast the pleasant sweetness of the apple: & thou the bitterness of gall. Behold (O king of glory) mine iniquity and ungodliness: and thy pity & goodness is manifest. Behold mine vnrightwisnes: and thy justice is plainly declared. What thing (O my king & my God) shall I rēdre unto thee, for all those things which thou hast bestowed upon me? for nothing can be found in the heart of man, that may wurthely recompense such rewards. Can manns wit excogitate or imagine anything that is wurthy to be compared unto thy divine mercy▪ Nether is it the office of a creature to go about to recompense fully and justly the aid and help of a creator. There is truly (O son of God in this thy marvelous dispensation and appointments) somewhat in which my frailnes may help a little, if so be that my mind once pricked and stirred by thy visitacion do punish the flesh, with the vices also and evil concupiscences thereof: and this thing, if thou wilt grant & give me grace to do, then shall it begin as it were to suffer and sustain sorrows and greefs, because y ^t thou also diddest vouchsafe to die for my sin. And so by the victori of the inward man, it shall be armed (thou being a captain) for thexternall & outward victory, forasmuch as (the spiritual persecucion once overcome) it shall not be afraid, for thy sake to be obedient unto the material sword and cross of this world. And so the slēdernes of my state & condition (if it please thy good nes) shall be able according to the little power thereof, to answer unto the greatness & excellency of my creator. And this is the heavenly medicine (O good Jesus) this is (as it were a preservative of thy love. This I beseech thee, by thine accustomed & ancient mercies, to pour into my wounds, (the foul & filthy matter of the venomous contagion & infectiō once cast away, which may refresh & restore me to my former purity and clennes, that when I have fasted of the plesāt sweetness which is to abide in thee) it may make me to despise & utterly set naught by the enticements of this world, and to fear (for thy sake) none adversities thereof, and that I (remembering thine everlasting nobility and excellency) may always abhor and disdain the troubles of this transitory world. Let nothing (I beseech thee) be delectable unto me, nor plese me w ^t out thee. Let no precious nor beutiful thing be acceptable unto me but thee. Let all things (I beseech thee) be counted as vile, & of no estimatiō unto me, without the. That which is against thy nature: let it be irksō and grievous also unto me, and that which pleaseth thee, let it be continually desired of me. Let it irk me to rejoice without thee, and let it delight me to be sad for thy sake Let thy name be an hartning unto me, and the remembrance of thee, a consolacion and confort. Let my tears be made unto me as bread both day & night, serching thy iustificacions. Let the law of thy mouth be better unto me, thē thousands of gold and silver. Geue me an ardent desire and love to obey thee & an extreme hatred to resist thee. I require thee (O my hope) for all thy pity and goodnesses sake to have mercy upon mine impitie & wickedness. Make open mine ears to thy cōmaūdemēts, & let not mine heart be inclined (I beseech thee by thy holy name) to any evil thing, to be minded as the ungodly or wicked men. I re quire the also by thy marvelous humility, that I be not moved with pride, nor yet with sinners.

Here doth man declare unto God the father, that the Passiō of his sonne, was for his reconciliation and atonement with God.

BEhold (O almighty God, father of my Lord I beseech thee of thy beningnitie and gentleness to have mercy upon me, because of y ^e moste precious thing that I could find, the same I have offered devoutly unto thee, the thing of moste estemacion, y ^t I could imagine, I have presented it humbly unto thee. I have left nothing, but I have declared it to thy majesty. There is nothing remaining that I may ad more, because I have committed and be taken my whole hope unto thee. I have sent unto thee my advocate and spokes man, even thy well beloved son. I have sent thy glorious child to be a mediator betwix me & thee. I have set (I say) an intercessor by whom I trust to get pardon and forgiveness of my sins. I have sent word unto word (that is) God unto God, according to that which saint John hath in y ^e beginning of his gospel, where he calleth God the word, saying in the beginning, was the word and the word was with God, & God was the word. &c. which word (as I have said) was sent for my misdedes. And I have rehearsed unto thee the passion of thy moste holy son, which passiō I believe was suffered for me. I believe that the godhead which was sent of thee did take upon him, mine humanity & nature, in the which he thought not scorn to suffer buffets, bends, spittings, mocks, yea, he took upon him to suffer y ^e cross, nails and dart. I believe also that his manhod being in this my nature during his infancy was troubled with creeping and scraulings, & was wrapped in clothes after the manner of other childrē, was vexed in his youth, with labors made lene, with waking & fastings, weried with journeying, afterward whipped & all to torn and rent with diverse kinds of punishments, rekened amongst the dead, and whan it was endued with the glory of resurrectiō, he carried it into the joys of heaven, & placed it upon the righthād of thy majesty. (This I say) he is my manhod, wai & means of pacifying and appeasing thee and thy way and means of having mercy upon me. Mercifully look upon, hear the sonne which thou didst beget & the bond servant which he redeemed. Behold here a creator, and do not despise a creature. Receive the shepherd welcomed with a gentle & loving countenance, and mercifully look vpō the sheep which he hath brought home upon his own shoulders. This is that moste faithful shepherd which by mani and diverse labors and travails over steep hills and thorough hedlong and deep valies did serche for his own sheep that was straide away, which also when he had found it faint and allmoste dead thorough long wanderyng, gat himself under it with great reioising, and making it fast unto him with a marvelous bond of charity, lifted it up out of the depth of confusion and brought it home to the nintie and nine. Behold (O Lord) my king and God almighty, behold a good shepherd, which rēdreth to thee, that which thou committed to his charge. He took upon him thorough thine ordinance to save man, whō he hath delivered unto the clean and pure from all spots thorough the washing in his blood. Loe thy most dearly beloved son hath reconciled unto thee thy hādy wurk, which was gone astray far out of the way. Lo a gentle shepherd bringeth again to thy flock, him that the violent pirate & robber had driven away. He hath brought unto thy sight, y ^e servant whō his own conscience had made to rū away, that he which by himself had deserved punishment, by thy son being his solicitor hath deserved forgiveness, unto whō also for his offenses everlasting fire was due: nevertheless being a soldier under such a captain, he doth hope to be brought home to his own country. I was able (O holy Father) by myself to offend thee, but I was not able of myself to pacify and appese thee. Thy well-beloved sonne (O my God) was made my helper, by taking upon him mine humanity, to y ^e intent he might cure mine infirmity, that whereof the first occasion of thy wrath did spring: of the same, he might offer up to thee a Sacrifice of praise. And that he might rēdre & make me also well pleasing to to thy goodness by that thing, in the which he sitting now on thy right hand, did always show & declare himself to be equal with my substance, & as it wer fellow with the same. Lo my hope, behold, in whom is all my trust. If thou despise me (as it wer right) for mine iniquity: yet look vpō me (at the least wise) mercifully for the charity of thy beloved son. Geue heed to thy son, whereby thou mayest have mercy vpō thy bond servant. Look upon the sacrament of flesh: & pardon the offenses of flesh. How oft so ever thou dost remember the wounds of thy blessed sonne: so oft (I beseech thee) let mine in iquities be hid. And because flesh hath stirred thee to angre: let flesh (I beseech thee) move thee to mercy, that like as flesh hath seduced & led me to sin: so flesh may get & obtain for me remissiō For certainly it is much y ^t mine iniquity hath deserved, but much more is it, that the goodness of my redeemer may even of right require. Mine vnrightousnes is great, but his righteousness is bigger. For loke how much god is superior unto man: even so much is my malice and evil inferior unto his goodness both in quality and quātitle. For what have I sinned being a man: that the son of God being made man hath not redeemed? what pride could be in me so exceeding hie: but such humility as was in him, should bring it down? what power of death was there in me so great, but the punishment which the Son of God suffered upon the cross migght de face it & utterly destroy it? Truly my God, if the sins of sinful man should be weighed in a just & equal balance with the love & favor that was in our redeemer toward us: the East is not so far distant from the West, nor the innermost parte of the earth so much separated from the upper most parte of the heavē: as they should be unlike, so much les should mine iniquity be, then is his goodness. Now (O moste noble creator of light) now pardē mine offenses for the immeasurable travails and pains that thy beloved son did sustain.

Now (I beseech thee) let his goodness be set against my wickedness, his modesty and temperaūce: against mine ungracious frowardness, and his meekness against my ferse cruelty. Let his humility: recompense my pride, his patience: mine impacience, his gentleness: mine unkind churlishnes, his obedience: my disobedience, his quyetnes: mine unquietness, his plesaūt towardness: my bitter frowardness, his sweet facility and gentleness: mine anger and freating fumes, to conclude let his charity: make amends for my hemous and dedetestable cruelty.

A devout Prayer to the holy Ghost.

NOw (O almighty and holy Ghost) which art the love of the divine power, the holy participator & partner with the almighty father, and his moste blessed sonne, the moste merciful comforter of the sorrowful, I beseech thee to slide by thy mighty power into thinward partes of mine heart, that thou dwelling there, mayest make glad, and as it were lighten every dark corner of the neglect and forletten cōtage, w ^t the bright shining of thy light, & that in visiting y ^e same, y ^u wouldest ornate & deck with y ^e plenteousnes of thy dew y ^e loathsome places thereof, which be corrupted with filthiness. Kin del the preuy wounded partes of the inner man, with thy holsom flames and with piercing the in ward partes of my soul entrails with the dart of thy love. Feed all the inner partes bo the of my mind & body by the illuminating and lightening with y ^e fire of thy holy & fervent love. Geue me to drink of thy most pleasant river, to thintent I may have no lust to taste any worldly things which be mixed with poison. Geue sentence with me (o lord) and defend my cause against the ungodly nation. Teache me to do thy will because thou art my God. For I believe that in whō so ever thou dost dwell: thou buildest an house in him for the Father also & the Son. Blessed is that man that getteth such a gest, because that by thee, y ^e father and the sonne also will dwell and abide with him. Come now (O moste loving comforter of my sorrowful soul) which art a pro tector in all necessities and an help in troubles and adversities Como purger of sins, healer and curer of woūdes. Come the strength of the fraill and feeble, the releeuer and raiser up of thē that slide. Come the instructer & reacher of the humble and meek, the destroyer and plucker down of the proud and stubbern. Com the good and kind father of the fatherless, the gentle judge of widows. Come thou which art a gide unto them that ar tossed in the waves of this tempestuous world, like as a bright and notable star is to them that sail on the sea, an haven unto thē that are afraid of shipwrak. Com the wurship & honor of all them that live, the only health of the dead. Come most holy ghost, come and have mercy on me, make me meet for thee, and mercifully grant unto me according to y ^e multitude of thy great mercies y ^t my baseness may please thy majesty, and my weakness thy almighty power, for Jesus Christ my sauioures sake, which with the fathers and thine unity liveth and reigneth world without end.

A prayer to the holy Trinity.

WIth all my heart and mouthe do I confess, praise & bless thee, O God the father vnbegot ten, and thee, O God the son only begotten, also thee, O holy ghost and comfortour, to thee be glory in the world of worlds.

An acknowledging of almighty God and his Majesty.

O Most high Trinity one only power and undivided Ma iesty, our God; God almighty I the abject and hin moste of all thy servants, confess and acknowledge thee, and being the least menbre of thy church, I wurship thee w ^t a due sacrifice of praise, for as much as I am able & can, according to that which thou hast vouchsafed to endue me w ^t all. And for as much as I am destitute of outward gifts to offer unto the. Those vows of praise which I have of the gift of thy mercy: behold, willingly & gladly I offer them to thee, which be an unfeigned faith and a pure cōsciece. I believe therefore with all my heart (O king of heaven) and Lord of the earth, and with my mouthe do I confess thee, the father, the son and holy ghost, to be three in persons, and one in substance, the true and very God almighty, of one simple, in corporal and inuinsible nature, incomprehensible and of such a nature as is not in a place, as other natures be, and that thou hast nothing superior or above thyself. or lower, or anything bigger then thyself. But in all manner of means perfect with out all spot of deformity, & that thou art great without quantity, good without quality, ever lasting without time, life without death, strong without infirmity or wekenes, true without lying, present in every place without any situatiō or being placed in any place, to be all eueri where w ^t out place, fulfilling all things without stretchīg forth thy hand: going everywhere without any contradiction or gain saying, passing over all things without moving, abiding win all things without ani kind of proportiō, making all things, having need of nothing, governing all things without labor, giving all things their beginning, having no beginning thyself. Making all things mutable and variable, thyself being without all kind of mutability, in greatness without measure in power almighty, in goodness the chief & best, in wisdom inestimable, in counsels, intents & purposes: terrible and fearful. In judgments most upright & just, in cogitations & thoughts most secret, in wurdes true, in wurkes holy, in mercies abundant & plentiful, toward offenders most patiēt, to ward the penitent and those that be sory for their sins most gen tle & loving. Always the same everlasting and continually continuing immortal, and in commutable impossible to be changed or altered, whom nether the amplitude or largeness of places doth make bigger, nor the short nes or littlenes of places lesser, nor any places or corners, can cō teine or pres together, neither doth thy will or intent vary or alter, nor familiarity or acquaītance corrupt thee, nor sorrowful things trouble or amaze the: nor glad things make thee pleasant or frolike (as a man would say) from thee can forgetfulness take nothing, nor mindfulnes, or remembrance give anything, nether are things passed unto us passed also unto thee, nor things which to us are to come, come toward thee, for nether beeginning doth give any beginning to thee, nor time any increase, nor yet chance giveth thee any end. But before all worlds and in worlds and by worlds into everlasting, thou dost live and thou hast continual praise & perpetual glory, moste hie power & singular honor, everlasting king dom and rule and imperie without end, thorough the infinite and vnwery and immortal world of worlds.

After what sort God the father vouchedsafe to help mankind, and of the incarnation of the word, which is Christ, and of the giving of thanks.

HItherto (O almighty God the beholder and sercher of mine heart) have I acknowledged thal mightifulnes of thy majesty, & majesty of thine almightifulnes. But now, like as with heart I believe (which is counted righteousness unto me) so with mouth do I confess before thee (which is to my salvation) after what sort and manner thou didst vouchsafe in the end of the world, to succor and aid mankind. Thou (in deed) only (O God the father) art not red at any time, or in any place to be sent. But of thy son: the Apostle writeth. When that y ^e time was fulfilled: God sent his son. In that he saith (he sent) he doth sufficiently declare that he, being sent, came into this world, when as he (being borne a very & perfect man of blessed Mary a pure Virgin) did apeer and show himself in y ^e flesh. But what is that, which he that is the chief of the Evangelists doth say? He was in the world and the world was made my him. Thither, truly, was he sent by his humanity, where he allway is and always hath been by his divinity. The which sending or embassage, I believe withal my heart and confess with my mouth to be the consent and wurk of all the whole Trinity. Oh holy & good father, how didst thou love us? How great favor didst thou bear toward us moste merciful creator? which haste not spared thine own son, but for us wretched sinners hast delivered him. He was obedient unto thee until death, yea death upon a cross, taking y ^e obligation or hand writing of our sins, which was his flesh & fastening it unto the cross, he crucified sin and killed death. He a lone, is amongst the dead, free from death, having power to put his soul for us, & to take it again for us. Therefore was he both a vanquisher and a sacrifice, and therefore was he an ouercommer, because he was a sacrifice for us. He was both y ^e priest & sacrifice, unto thee, and therefore was he apreest, because he was a sacrifice. Not without a cause have I great hope in him. Forasmuche as thou wilt make whole all my diseases, for his sake that sitteth on thy right hand and doth continually make intercession for us. For my diseases (O Lord) are great and many: oh they are many in number & great. For the Prince of this world (as I very well know & confess) hath mani things in me. But I beseech thee deliver me, through our redeemer which sitteth on thy righthand, in whō y ^e said Prince of this world could find none evil, that was his, of his own committing. By him do thou justify me whom his self did not sin, nether was there any deceit or gile found in his mouth. By him which is our head, in whom there is not one spot of evil, deliver me, which am one of his members, though I be but a little member and feeble and weak. Deliver me (I be sech thee) from my sins, offenses, faults, & ignoraunces. Fulfill me with thy holy virtues & make me to shine in good manners, make me (I beseech the) for thy holy names sake, to continue in holy wurks until the end, accor ding to thy will and pleasure.

Of the trust which a soul ought to have in our Lord Jesus and in his Passion.

I Might despair verily because of my manifold sins & negli gences without mumber, if it were not that thy word (O God) was made flesh, and dwelt amongst us. But I cannot now despair because that seeing (when we were enemies) we were reconciled by the death of thy son: how much more, are we (now reconciled) saved by him. For all the hope and the certitude & sure nes of all my trust, is in his precius blood which was shed for us & for our salvation. In him do I take hartening: and trusting in him: I have a desire to come unto the, not having mine own righteousness, but that which I have through thy sonne our lord Jesus Christ. For the which (O moste merciful God and moste gentle lover of mankind) we give thee thanks, which through Jesus Christ thy sonne our lord, when we were not, didst might lie make us, and when we were lost through our sins: moste merucilously didst deliver & recover us again. To thy goodness (I say) do I give thanks, & manifold praises do I show for the to the withal my heart & mind, which (through the unspeakable love) wherewith thou hast vouchsafed of thy meruelous goodness to love us wretches & (vnwurthy to be loved) didst send that same thine only begotten sonne from thy bosom unto our common weal, to save us sinners which were at that time y ^e children of perdition and damnaciō. I render unto thee thanks for his holy incarnation and nativity and for his blessed mother upon whom he did vouchsafe to take flesh for us and for our salvation, to thintent that like as he is very God of God: so he might be very man of man. I give thee thanks for his passion and cross, for his death and resurrection, for his ascension into heaven & his seat of his majesty on thy right hand. For he the forty day after his resurrection, ascending above all the heavens (his disciples seeing it) and sitting on thy right hand, did pour out his holy spirit abundantly according to his promise, upon them whom he had chosen to be his children. I give thee thanks for that moste sacred shedding forth of his precious blood, wherewith we ar re deemed, & also for the moste holy and quickening sacrifice of his body and blood, which daily in thy church we feed of & drink of, wherewith we are washed & sanctified, and are made partakers of the only high divinity. I give thee thanks for thy marvelous & unspeakable charity & love wherewith thou didst love us vnwurthi persons, and didst save us by thine only and be loved sonne, for so thou didst love y ^e world, that thou gavest thine only begotten son to thintent that none which believed in him should perish, but have everlasting life. This thing truly is everlasting life, to know thee & also Jesus Christ, whom thou sent to be very God, by an upright faith and wurkes wurthy for faith.

Of thexceding love of the ever lasting father toward mankind.

OH immeasurable pity and fatherly love, oh inestimable charity, that thou shouldest deliver thy son to suffer death to thintent thou mightest redeem and raunsom a servant. God was made mā, to the intent that man, being lost, might-be plucked out of the pour of deuels. How gentle and kind a lover of man was thy sonne our God who thought it not enough to humble himself to be made man of the very virgin Mary: but also took upon him the pains of the cross in shedding his blood for us and for our salvation. He came a pitiful God, he came for his pity & goodnesses sake, he came to serche and to save that which was lost. He sought the straied sheep, he sought and found, and he being a good Lord and truly a very good & pitiful shepherd, brought him home vpō his shulders unto the folds of the flock. Oh charity, oh pity, who hath heard any such things? who is not astonied to consider the bowels of so great mercy? who would not meruail? who would not ho nor & wurship thee for thy great charity wherewith thou louedst us? Thou didst send thy sonne into the similitude of flesh, subject to sin, that he might condemn sin for sin, that we might be made thy righteousness in him.

For he was the very lamb without spot, which took away the sins of the world, which destroyed our death by diyng himself. But what may we render, unto thee (our God) for so great benefits of thy mercy? What praises or what thancks? Verily, if we should have that same knowledge and power that blessed Angels have: yet should we not be able to requite thy so great pity and goodness with anything of valure. No if all our menbres were turned into tungs to repay unto thee due praises: yet were not our slendernes sufficient. There is one thing that excedeth all knowledge, even thine inestimable charity, which thou didst show unto us vnwurthi persons for thy goodness & pities sake. Thy son (O our God) did take vpō him to be the seed of Abraham not of Angels, yea and he was made like unto us in all things sin onli excepted. He therefore taking mand nature not angels, and glorifying it with the stole of holy resur rection and immortality: carried it above the he auens and above all the melodious companies of Angels, above Cherubin & Seraphin, placing it vpō thy right hand. This human nature do Angels praise, all the powers of heaven do tremble, to see a mā, to be God over thē. This truly is all my hope, all my trust. And this same human nature is in Jesus Christ our Lord, who is the portion of everyone of us, y ^e flesh & blood. Therefore whereas my portion reigneth: there do I believe to reign. Whereas my flesh is glorified: there do I believe to be glorified. Where my blood ruleth: there do I per ceiueme to bear rule. Although I be a sinner, yet I do not mistrust nor dispair of the communion and partaking of favor. Although my sins do hinder me & in a manner forbid me: nevertheless my substance requireth it. And all be it that mine offenses do exclude me: yet the cō manion of our nature doth not expel me. For God is not so ungentle as to forget man, and not to remember that thing which himself beareth, & that which for my sake he took upon him, & that which for my sake he requireth. But truly the Lord our God is lowly and meek, & wunderfull gentle, and loveth his flesh, his members and his bow else. In the very same God our lord Jesus Christ, who is moste gentle, loving and merciful, in whom we are risen from death, (that is to say) from the state of perdition and eternal damnation, & even now by him we ascend into the heavens, & now sit in the heavens (in him I say) our flesh loveth us. For we have in him, & by him a prerogative and as it were a preferment of our blood. For we are his menbres & his flesh. And he is our head, of the which dependeth the whole body (as it is written) a bone of my bones & flesh of my flesh & thei shall be two, in one flesh, & no mā at ani time hateth his own flesh but rather cherisheth and loveth it. This is a great mistery, I speak in Christ, & in the church saith the apostle.

Of the double nature of Christ, which hath mercy upon us, and maketh intercession for us.

WHerfore with my lips & heart, and with all the might that I may, I render thanks unto thine infinite mercy. o Lord our god) for all thy mercy, wherewith merueilously thou vouchsafed to help & succor us that were lost, by the same thy son our savior and recouerer, which died for our sins, & rose again for our justification, and living, without end sitteth on thy right hand and entreateth for us, and together with thee, taketh pity and mercy vpō us, because he is God thorough thee (O father) everlasting and of one substance with thee in all things. Whereby always he may save us, but for as much as he is man in whichething he is les and inferior unto thee, all power both in heaven and in earth, was given unto him, that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow both of celestial, earthly creatures, and also of infernal, that all tūgs may confess that our lord Jesus Christ is in thy glory (O father almighty He verily was constituted of thee and ordained to be aiudge of the quick and dead, for thou truly judgest no man, but all thy judgment hast given to thy son, in whose breast all trea sures of wisdom & knowledge are hid. He truly is both a witness and a judge, a judge & a wit nes, whom no sinful conscience can flee or avoid for all things be thei never so secret, are open and even naked and uncovered unto him. He verily which was unrighteously judged himself: shall judge the whole world in equity, and the people in righteousness, and according to justice. Therefore do I bless thy name e uerlasting and glorify the same with all my heart (O almighty & merciful Lord) for y ^t unspeakable and marvelous coniuntiō of godhead and manhod together in the unity of a person, & not after this sort, y ^t thone should be God, and the other man: but one and the same was both God & man, man and God. Neuertheles although by thy marvelous will, the word was made flesh, yet nether of both the natures was changed into others substance. In the mistery of y ^e Trinity, there is not afourth persō added. For the substance of the word of god and of man was united and knit together, but not cōfused & mixed, that that thing which was taken of us: should be turned into god, & that which never had ben before that time, that is his flesh & manhod should be the same that had ben ever without any beginning, that is, his godhead. Oh meruellous mistery. Oh unspeakable fellowship. Oh marvelous meekness of the heauenli mercifulnes, which is ever wurthy merueiling and ever to be loved. We were but vile servants & behold we are made the sonnes of god. Yea, and heirs of god together w ^t christe. From whence came this goodness? and who brought us unto this state? But I require the (O moste merciful father (by thine inestimable pity, goodness & charity: to make us wurthy of these many and great promises of the same, thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ. Send forth thy strength (O God) and establish the thing that thou hast wrought in us.

Make perfect that which thou hast begun, that we may be able to come unto the fullness and per fectnes of thy pity. Make us though row the holy ghost to understand and thorough thy sonne to deserve, and with due honor allway to wurship this great mistery of thy pity, which is manifest in our flesh. Justified in the spirit, did appear unto Angels, was preched unto nations, was bele ued to be in the world, was takē up into heaven.

Of the thanks which man ought to give unto God for the benefit of his redemption.

LOok how much (O Lord our God) we are in det unto thee evē for so great a price wer we redeemed, with such a great gift were we saved, and with so great abenefit helped. How much ought we wretches to love, dread, bless, praise, honor and glorify thee which hast so loved us, after such facion saved us, after such a sort sanctified us, so set us on high. To the truly do we owe, & are bound, in as much as we are able, evē our life and all our study or endeavor. But who hath ani thing that is not thine? But do thou (O Lord our God) from whom all goodness proceedeth, even for thy holy names sake) give us of thy goodness, that we may serve thee of thine own goods and gifts & that we may please thee in truth, & repay unto the daily due praises for so great benefits of thy mercy. For by none other means can we serve or please thee, but by thine own gifts, y ^t thou hast lent us, while we be in this world. For every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, & cometh down from the father of light, with whō there is none alteration or variableness neither yet is he changed vn to darkness. O Lord our God, & a pitiful God, a good God, and almighty God, an unspeakable God, and incomprehensible, of such a nature that cannot be cō teined as in a place, o god which art the beginner of all things & the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which diddest send the same thy beloved sonne our lord, forth of thy bosom to our common profit, to take upon him our life, to thintent he might give us his life, & that he might be perfect and very God of thee his father, and very and perfect man of his mother, a whole and a perfect God, and a whole and perfect man: and yet but one on lie Christ, both everlasting: & enduring but for a space, both immortal and mortal, both a creator: and a creature, strong: & week, an ouercommer: and one ouercomed, a nurs: and one that was nurced himself, a shepherd: and a sheep, dead for a time: and living with the everlasting, pro missing to them that loved him the freedom of life. Who said to his disciples, what thing so ever ye ask the father in my name: he will give it unto you. For that hie Priests sake, which was all so a bishop in deed, & a god shepherd, that offered himself in a sacrifice to thee, putting his life in ieoperdi for his flock: for his sake I say (I beseech thee) which sitteth on thy right hand & maketh intercession for us, being our redeemer & our advocate, that thou wouldest grant unto me that to gether with thy son & the holy ghost I may in all things bless and glorify thee with much cōtriciō of heart, and a fountain of tears, with much reverence & fear: For the gift of them that be all of one substance: is all one. But because abody that is corrupted doth aggravate & burden the soul: stir up and awake I be seche thee) my sluggishness, with thy pricks and provokings, and make me boldly to persevere and continue in thy commandments and laws day and night Grant me that my heart may wax warm within me, and that in my meditation and prayer I may be fervent. And for as much as thy only son said.

No man can come to me except my Father that sent me, shall draw him: & again no man cometh to the father but by me, I re quire and humbly beseech thee, draw me always unto him, that he at the length may bring me to thee: thither (I mean) whereas he is sitting on thyrighthand, where as is everlasting life, and continue all blessedness, whereas is perfect love, without all kind of fear, where as is one day everlasting, and one spirit of all men, where as is moste sure security & safety, secure quietness, and quiet plesantnes, pleasant felicity and happiness, happy eternity, continual and eternal seeing and praising of thee without ende, where as thou with him, and he with thee in the communiō and unity of the holy ghost everlastingly and continually livest & reignest thorough out all worlds of worlds.

A devout prayer unto Christ

O Christ and God, which art my hope, and the true & gentle lover of mankind, the light, the way, the life, the health, the honor and wurship of them that be thine: I beseech thee call to thy remembrance all things that thou willingly didst suffer for thē, both bōds, cross, wounds, death and sepulcher, which after three days, death being over comed, didst rise, wast seen of thi Disciples, reforming their harts and establishing them that were almost inclining from thee: the forty day after didst ascend up to heaven, which livest everlasting lie now, and raignest thorough out worlds, thou art my God both living and true, my father, & my God both holy and pitiful, my mighty king, my good shepherd, mine only Master, my best helper, one, whō I am moste bound to love, my living bread, mine everlasting priest, my guide unto my conntrey, my true light, my holy sweetness, my right & straight way. Mine excellent wisdō, my pure and unfeigned simplicity, my peasible concord, my safe garrison, my good portiō, mine everlasting health, my great mercy, my strōgest patience, mine unspotted sacrifice, my holy redemption, my sure & steadfast hope, my perfect charity, my very and true resurrection, mine everlasting life, my joy and moste blessed vision, & continual without ende: I humbly beseech thee, I desire and pray thee, that I may walk by thee, that I may come to the, that I may rest in thee, which art the way, the truth & the life without the which no man can come unto the father. Thee do I desire & covet (O good Lord) which art the brightness of thy fathers glory, which sittest above the Angel called Cherubin, and dost behold, the low and deep places, which art the true light the light y ^e lighteneth all things, the light that never faileth nor goeth out, which the Angels have desire to behold. Loe my heart is before thee in thy sight, put away the darkness from it, that it may fully be replenished with the clearness of thy love.

Geue unto me Lord thyself, behold I do love thee, & if that be but a thing of small valure: make me to love the more strongly and earnestly. I cannot measure to know how much I lack of thy love, nether cā I tell, how much should be sufficient for me, that my life may fulfill his course in thy love, and not turn back until it be hid in the secrets of thy countenance. Neuertheles, this I know that it were evil with me, if it were not for thee (O Lord) and that not only w ^e thoutward things that belong unto me, but also with the inward things. For all my riches (God except) is but mere pouer tie: but thou only art a treasure & a parcel of riches that canst nether be changed into better nor wurs. Thou art he, to whom it is not one thing to live, and another thing to live happily, because thou art thy blessedness, thi happiness, and thou art all one.

But I which am thy creature, to whom it is not one thing to live, and another to live blessedly and happily: all, both in that I live, and in that I live happily, I ought not to at tribute nor refer it to be received of anybody, but of thy favor. And therefore have we need of thee but not y ^u of us, because if we were not at all, yet shouldest thou lack nothing of thy goodness. Therefore (O lord) it is necessary for us to stick and cleave unto thee, that by thy continual help we may be able to live holily, virtuously, and as we ought to live For with y ^e weight of our frailnes we are drawn ever downward, but by thy gift we are stir red & carried upward: we fervent lie desire to ascend, we make certain ascensions in our harts, lifting thē upward, & sing y ^e songs of stars, w ^e y ^e fire of thy love (I say) are we kindled & moved to go w ^e thee. Whether go we now upward, unto y ^e peace of Ierusalē? because I was glad & did rejoice in those things whice were spoken unto me: we will go into the house of our Lord: there hath he placed us, we will have good things, y ^t we may will or dsire nothing else, but to tari and remain there forever. But for as much as whiles we be clad with this bo, dy, we do as it were go a stray & are strangers unto thee: we have not here an abiding place forever but we seek for one y ^t is to come. Our abiding place is in heaven. Therefore thy favor and grace being my guide, I enter in to the chamber of my heart, and sing unto thee songs of love (my king & my God) mourning with marvelous sighīgs in this place of my peregrinatiō, whereas thy iustices are made my songs. And when I remember Jerusalem, I extend and stretch forth toward it the senses of my heart: Jerusalem (I say which is my country Jerusalem which is my mother: and toward thee which art a king over her, her light, her father, her defender, her patron, her governor, her keeper, her chaste and strong delight, her only and whole pleasure, & all her goodness comes of thee, because thou art y ^e chief good & the true good, & I will never turn back, until thou bring me home from this Pilgrimage (in which I am deformedlt scattered abroad) unto the peace of my dearly beloved mother, whereas be y ^e first fruits of my spirit, and until thou (O God which art my mer cy) fashiō me and confirm me forever

A prayer declaring with how great miseries this life is replenished.

I Am wunderfull weary (O lord) of this life and of this careful & painful pilgrimage. This life is a wretched life, a life that will soon fade awai, an uncertain life a painful life, an unclean life, a life that wurthely may be called the maistres of all evils, y ^e queen of pride, full of miseries and errors which is not wurthy to be called a life, but rather a death, in the which euerihoure, we die by diverse defects & failings of nature, by mutabilities, alterations & diverse kinds of deaths. How can we therefore, call this that we live in this world, a life which is puffed up and swollen often with humors, made lene and feeble with sorrows, dried with angres and hot hasty furies of the mind, the air filleth it full of diseases, metes do infect it, fasting do extenuat and make it lean, pastimes maketh it to dissolute and rechles, pensiuenes doth consume and waste it, trouble and vexation doth shorten and lessen it, security and to much ease: maketh it dull and nothing lusty, riches setteth it a flote and puffeth it up into pride, poverty dismayeth and discourageth it, youth doth extol it, age lameth it. Infirmitie breaketh it, sorrow oppresseth it. And immediately after these evils as though it were by succession, cometh death, and maketh an end of all y ^e joys of this miserable life, after such a sort that a man would not think (whē he leaveth this life) to have lived at all. This living death, & dying life, although it be sprinkled and mixed with these and other so rows & miseries: yet (Oh good Lord) how many men doth it catch and entangle with her en tising snares? & how many doth she deceive with her deceitful & falls promises? And for all that she of herself is so falls & bitter, that her blind lovers cannot be kept long secret nor close unknown: yet doth she daily cause an infinite number of fools to drink of the golden cup, which she beareth in her hand, yea and maketh them utterly drunken with the love of her. Happy are they, but very few of them is there that refuse her acquaintance and familiarity or that despise to use her joys, or that neglect her friendship and fellowship, least when their deceiver perisheth, that they should perish also.

Of the blessedness of that life which God hath prepared for them that love him.

BUt thou heavenly life, thou art she whom God hath ordained & prepared for them that love him, thou art the heavenly life, the blessed life, the sure life, the quiet life, the fair life, the clean life, the chastelife, the holy life, the life that knowest no death, knowest no sadness or pen siuens, a life without spot, without dolor, without vexatiō, without corruption, without trouble without variety or mutability, a life moste full of pleasure & dignity, where as is none adversary to strive against a man, no entice ments of sins, where as is per fect love without all manner of fear, where as is day continually an done spirit of all men.

Whereas God is seen face to face and the mind is fed with this meat of life without end, I have a very good mind and desire to mark and give heed to thy clear nes, with thy goods, the desire and appetite of my heart is delited. Look how much I am able to considre with myself, in musing and thinking of thy come modities: even so much am I ravished and wrapped with thy love with the ardaunt desire of thee, and with the sweet and comfortable remēbrace of thee, am I wunderfully delited. I have a pleasure therefore, surely to lift up the eyes of my heart unto thee, to erect the state of my mind, and conform or fashion the affects of my mind unto thee: It pleaseth me to talk of thee, to hear of thee, to write of thee, to confer & meditate of thee, to rede every day of thy blessedness and glory, and to muse often times in my mind of the things I have red concerning thee, that at the least by such means, I being under the sweet refreshing and comfor ting of thy lively air, may pas from the vexations, ieoperdies, labors, & traueils of this mortal life that will soon perish, & y ^t in passing I may lay my weary head in thy bosom to sleep or to rest a little, for this cause do I enter into the plesaūt meadow of the holy scriptures, & in plow ing, I pluck the goodliest green herbs of sentences, and in reading I do eat them, and in frequenting I do meditate, and as it were cud them, and in gathering them together, at the last I lay them up in my memory, that by such means when I have tasted of thy sweetness, I may somewhat les feel the bitterness of this moste wretched life. O thou moste happy life, oh kingdom which art blessed in deed, which lackest death, which art without ende, no time doth successifly pas at any time to thee. Whereas continual day without night knoweth no time, whereas that capitain and conqueror is accompanied with those queres of angels, singing of himnes & songs, they sing unto God without ceasing, the balet of Balets of Zion. Oh moste noble head which art compassed about with a perpetual crown, oh that par dō and forgiveness of my sins were granted unto me, and thē immediately, this burden of my flesh laid awai, that I might enter into thy joys to have true rest, and that I might get within the goodly & beautiful walls of thy city to receive a crown of life at the hand of our Lord, that I might be amongst those moste holy queres, that I might stand with the moste blessed Spirites of the creator of glory, that I might see presently the countenance of Christ, that I might behold always y ^e moste his & unspeakable light, incomprehensible which cā not be contained as in a place. And so I should not onli be out of all fear of death: but also I might rejoice always at the gift of everlasting incorruption.

Hear do we complain that we be not moved nor pricked in our contem plation and prayer like as the angels be which tremble at the sight of God.

PArdon me (O Lord) pardon me, mercifully forgive me & have mercyvpō me, spare mine ignorance and my great vnper fectnes, do not reprove me as a rash fellow, because I dare be so bold which am but thy servant but would to God I were ether a good servant, or none unprofitable nor evil servant. And therefore am I an evil man because I praise, bless & wurship thee which art our God almighty, terrible and very much to be feared, I wurship thee (I say) without contricion of heart and without a well of tears. For if so be that the angels when they wurship and praise thee, do treē ble being fulfilled with marvelous gladness: I which am a sin ner, whiles I stand before thee saying praises and offering sacrifice, why am I not afraid in my heart? why am I not pale in my countenance? why do not my lips quake and tremble? why is not all my body afraid? and why do I not mourn and bewail before thee after such▪ a sort that tears might springe out of mine eyes: I would fain but I am not able, because I cannot do that which I desire to do. This maketh me truly, wonderfully to marvel, that I am no more moved when I see with the eyes of my faith, thee which art so fearful But who can do anything without the help of thy Grace? Except thou make our stony hearts to relent: we of our selfs ar not able to mollify them, but all our health dependeth upon thy great mercy. O wretch that I am, how is my soul made without any feeling or perseueraunce? that it is not afraid with over much fear whiles it standeth before God & sīgeth to him his own praises? Alas how is my heart so hardened, that myn eyes do not gush out great fluddes of tears without ceasing, when I which am but a servant or bondman, do cō mon and talk in my Lord and masters presence? Yea a mā, with God, a creature with a creator. I that am made of the slime of the earth, do speak with him that made all things of nothing? Put me before thee▪ (O Lord) and what so ever I perceive of myself in the secrets of my heart, I do not keep it close from thy brotherly ears. Thou art riche in mercy & liberal in rewards, give me of thy goods, that with them I may serve the. For with nothing else cā we serve or please thee, but with thin own gifts which thou hast vouchsaved to bestow upon us. Fasten I beseech thee thy fear in myfleshe. Let my heart rejoice and be glad to fear thy name. Would God my sinful soul feared thee so much, as that holy man the which said, I always: feared God as though it were great swellīg fluddes should come and tumble upon me. O God the giver of all good things, give me emongst thy praises, a well of tears, with the pureness of heart and reioising of mind, that I loving thee perfetly and wurthily praising thee may feel, taste and savor, in the palace of myhart, how sweet and pleasant thou art (O Lord) as it is written. Doo ye taste and see how sweet & delectable the Lord is. Blessed is the man that putteth his trustin him. Blessed is y ^t people which knoweth glad and joyful praising. Blessed is the man whose stregth is in thee, in whose heart ar thy ways, which going thorough the vale of misery, use it for a well. Blessed ar the clean in heart because they shall see God. Blessed are they that dwell in the house of the Lord, they shall praise thee world without end.

A veri devout prayer for the giving of thanks.

O Lord Christ which art the word of the father, which came into this world to save sin ners. I beseech thee by the most loving bowels of thy mercy, to amend & repair my life, make better my deeds, take thou thorderyng of my manners, take from me that which noyeth and hurteth me, and displeaseth the: and give me that which thou knowest will please thee & profit me. Who can make clean y ^t which is conceived of an unclean seed but thou alone? Thou art the god almighty, of infinite piety, which dost justify and make righteous even those that were wicked mē and raisest again to life thē that were dead in sin, thou chaungest sinners and they are no sinners. Take away therefore from me, what so ever is in me that pleaseth not thee, for thine eyes do see much vnperfectnes in me. Lay thy hand I beseech the of thy pity on me, & whatsoever offendeth y ^e eyes of thy pity, remove it from me. In thy sight is both my health and my disease.

The one I beseech thee to preserve the other to cure: do thou heal me (O Lord) and I shall be healed: do thou make me safe & I shall be saved. Thou I mean which dost make hole them that be diseased, & dost preserve them that be cured, which only with a beck dost restore and repair things that be decayed & fallen into ruī. For if thou wilt vouch safe to sow any good seed in the feld of my heart, of necessity thou must pluck up first with the hand of thy pity, the thorns a fvices which be in it. Put in my heart I beseech thee, so great plenty of delectacion in the, that I may desire no earthly or carnal thing nor yet think upon them, but that I may love thee alone, y ^t I may have thee only in my heart and in my mouth. Write with thy fingar in my breast, the delectable re membraunce of thy sweet name & so that it may be blotted out with no forgetfulness. Write thy will in y ^e tables of mine heart, and also thy justifications, that I may always & in every place have thee (O Lord) before min eyes in my sight. Enflame my mind with that fire, which thou diddest send into the earth, and willedst it to be kindled, that I might offer unto the daily with tears, a sacrifice of a troubled spirit and a repentant heart. O sweet Christ, O good Jesus, evē according unto my desire and even as I heartily require thee with my whole mind, give me thy holy and chaste love, which may replenish and keep me & also fully posses me. Geue me an evident sign and token of thy love, a flowing well of tears which will continually run, that those tears may somewhat testify thy love in me, y ^t they may show forth, that thei may declare how much my soul loveth thee, whiles for the great delectacion it hath in y ^e swetnes of thy love: it may not refreine from tears. I call to my remembrance from times good lord, that virtuous womā Ann, which came to y ^e tabernacle to pray y ^e thou wouldest send her a son, of whō the scrip ture maketh mention y ^t her coūtenaunce (after her tears and prayers) was not again changed or altered. But whē I think apon so great virtue, cōstance & steadfastness: I am vexed with sorrow and confounded with shame, because I a wretchedoo perceive myself to be fallen over much from thee. For if a woman did weep after such a sort and continued so in weeping, which did serche for nothing else but a son: how ought my soul to mourn and to persist and abide in weeping, that seeketh & loveth God, and hath a desire to cum unto him? how ought such a soul to mourn & weep, which seeketh God day & night, which will love nothing but Christ?

My tears now truly should be made unto me, meat day & night Look vppō me therefore (o lord) and take pity on me because the dolours and sorrows of my heart are many in number. Geue me thy heavenly consolation & do not despise nor cast away a sinful soul for the which thou didst die. Geue me inward tears I beseech thee from the botome of min heart, which may wash away the spots of my sins.

Replenish my soul always w ^t heauenli delectacion and heauely mirth, y ^t I may obtain some little portion or part in thy kingdom, although not emongst the perfect men whose stepes I cannot follow: yet at the least wise emongst the inferior sorry. The marvelous deuotiō of another woman cumeth now unto my mind, which with a virtuous love did seek thee lying in the sepulcher, which when thy discipies went away and departed from thee, did remain with thee herself, which sat there sad and sorrowful weeping long and very much, and when she did arise she searched with a diligent eye and with many tears the corners of the sepulcher which was left empty, if the might espy thee out in any place, whom she with a fervent desire sought. Yea and more over she went again and again to the sepulcher, but that was not enough unto her, nether did it satisfy her desire. For y ^e grace of a good wurk is to persevere and continue in the same. And because she did love more then other, and that in loving she wept and in weeping she searched, & in searching she continued, therefore was it thy pleasure that she should first find thee, see thee, and talk with thee before all other.

And not only this, but also she was a tidings berer of thy glorious resurrection unto thy disciples, when thou didst command her and bid her, goo and tell my brethren that they goo unto Galilee, there they shall see me. &c. Seyng therefore that a woman did weep after such a sort and continued in weeping, which did seek him that was alive among the dead: which touched thee w ^t the hand of her faith: how ought a soul to mourn and to continue in mourning, which believeth in the, and with his mouth doth acknowledge thee to be his redeemer that sittest now in heaven & reignest everywhere? How much therefore ought such a soul to mourn & weep, which loveth thee with all his heart, and with his whole desire doth covet to see thee? Oh only refuge, the only hope of wretches, unto whom no man needeth at any time to pray without hope of mercy, grant unto me this grace for thy sake, and for thy holy names sake, that as oft as I think upon thee as oft as I speak of thee, write of the, rede of thee, cōfer of thee, as oft as ever I remember thee, stand before thee, offer up praises, prayers and sacrifice unto thee: so oft I may weep aboundauntly with tears in thy sight, so y ^t my tears may be to me instead of bread day and night. Thou true lie king of Glory and master of all vertu, hast taught us with thy word and with thin exsample to mourn and weep, where as thou sayest. Blessed be they y ^t mourn, for they shall be conforted. Thou didst weep for thy friend that was dead, and didst let tears fall down plenteously for the city which should perish. I beseech thee (O good Jesus) by those most precious tears and by all thy mercies and pieties, wherewith thou didst vouch safe meruelously to help & succor us that were lost: give me the grace to weep and to be earnestli repentant for my sins, which grace my soul desireth and coveteth very much, and except it cum of thy gift: I cannot have it, but by the holy ghost which doth mollify the hard harts of sinners, and provoketh them to weeping.

Geue me the grace of tears, like as thou gavest to our forefathers, whose examples we ought to follow, that I may bewail myself in all my life, like as thei did bewail them selves day and night. Geue me the dew of thy grace from above, and also a dew of tears benethe, that my tears may be unto me instead of bread day and night: and that I may be made in thy sight (O Lord my God) by the fire of thy provocation, a fat and acceptable sacrifice. Make me to be mor tified & killed vpō thaltar of min heart, & that I may be received of thee as a fat and a sweet smell ling sacrifice. Geue unto me (O good Lord) a plentefull flowing and clear well of tears, in the which I may wash continue ally this foul and spotted sacrifice. For although I have offered up myself, wholly unto thee, by the help of thy grace. Yet nevertheless in many things I offend thee dailly, because of my great fragility and weakness. Eeue me therefore the grace of tears (O blessed God) and most especially thorough the great swetnes of thy love & the remembrance of thy mercies, prepare this table for thy servant in thy sight, and give me power that as oft as I list I may be satisfied of it. Grant unto me for thy goodness and pity, that this thy cup replenished and filled full, may satisfy my thirst, that my spirit may covet thee, & that my mind may burn in thy love, forgetting all vanity and misery.

Hear (my God) hear, thou that art the sturrer up, and quickener of my dull ears, hear what I desire & ask: and give me grace to ask that which thou hearest.

O pitiful Lord, which art wont to be easyly entreated, be not hard to be entreated of me because of my sins, but for thy goodness receive the prayers of thy servant: and grant me theffect of my petition & desire.

In this prayer man's mind is very much and plenteously stirred & moved, if it be said in quietness.

O Lord Jesus, o gentle and louīg Jesus, o good Jesus which didst vouchsafe to die for our sins, & didst rise again for our justification, I beseech thee by thy glorious resurrectiō, to raise me up out of the sepulcher of vices and all my sins, & give me daily parte in thy first resurrection to thintēt I may receive some part in the latter resurrection. O most mighty king which didst ascend into heavē, with the triumph of thy glory, and sittest on the right hand of thy father, draw me upward towards thee, that I may run after thee in the sweet savor of thine anoyntments. Let me run & not faint when thou drawest me and leadest me running: draw the mouth of the soul that thirsteth after thee, unto the high fluddes and streams of thine eternal a bundaunce & sacietie, yea draw me holly unto thyself which art the living well, to thintent I may according to my capacity, drink of that whereupon I do live.

O my God my life, thou didst say w ^t thy holy & blessed mouth, If any man thirst, let him cum unto me and drink. O well of life, grant unto my thirsty soul always to drink of thee, that according to thy holy and true pro mise, waters of life may flow out of my belly. O well of life replenish and fill my mind full of the river of thy pleasure. Make my heart to be drunken as it were in thy love, that after the manner of the that be drunken with wine, which forget all things save y ^e cup: so I may forget all vain and earthly things, and continually have nothing else in my remembrance but the only, according as it is written, I remembered God and was delited. Geue me the holy Ghost whom those waters did signify, which y ^u didst promise to give to thē that thirsted after thee. Grant I beseech thee) that I may assay to goo w ^t my hole desire and all my study toward y ^t place unto the which, we believe thon didst ascend the forty day after thy resurrection, that in this present misery I may be only in body: but in thought and desire, always with thee: y ^t my heart may be there where as thou art which art my treasure wurthy to be coveted, and much to be loved, wherewith no treasure is wurthy to be compared. In this great flud of this life, where as we are tossed with storms on every side, there is no steadfast standing or place high enough above the waters, no not for the foot of a dove to rest upon in this (I say) there is no safe or quiet peace: nowhere any sure rest: every where battle and strife: everywhere enemies and fightings without doors, & fear at home within doors. And for as much as the one part of us is heavenly, and the other earthly: our body which is corrupted, doth loden and is burdenous vn to the soul. Therefore my mind which is my fellow and friend, being weri with wādering forth of the way, is sick and lieth all to torn andrent of those things which it hath passed by. It hongreth and thirsteth greatly after vanities, & I have nothing to set afore it, because I am poor and a beggar. Thou (O Lord) my God, art riche in all good things, and the most plenteous giver of the dainties of heavenly sacietie: give meat unto the weary, not such as it lusteth after, but such as is convenient for it: gather together the disper sed: renew and refresh the corn, Loo he standeth at the door and knocketh. I beseech thee by the bowels of thy mercy, wherewith thou being the day spring from an high hast visited us, open the hand of thy pity to a wretch that knocketh, & vouchsafe mercifully to bid him entre in to the, and that he may rest with thee, & be refreshed of thee, which art the living and heanenly bread, wherewith when he is once fed, and that his strength is cummed to him again: he may ascend unto more high things. And being lifted up out of this vale of misery & tears, with the wings of his godly desire, he may fly unto the heavenly kingdom.

Let my spirit (O Lord I beseech thee) take wings as an Egle, & fly without fainting, let it fly and come to beautifulnes of thy house and to the place where thy glory dwelleth, where as upon y ^e meat tables of thy supernal citizens, it may be fed of thy secrets, in the place of thy pasture, by the most plentiful rivers sides. Let my heart rest in thee my God, my heart I say, which is as though it were a great sea swellīg with waves. Thou which didst rebuke the winds and the sea, and there was made straight way a great calm: cum and walk upon the fluddes of min heart, y ^t all things which belong unto me may be made calm & clear, that I may embrace thee which art mine onli God, and that I may behold thee which art the sweet light of mine eyes, without any blind darkness of troublesome cogitacions & thoughts. Let my mind fly (O Lord) under the shadow of thy wings from heat that it being covered with the tamperatnes of thy pleasant colenes, may sing ioifully and say. I will lay me down and rest in peace.

Let my memory sleep (O my God I beseech thee) from all evils, make it to hate iniquity & to love righteousness. For what cā be better or more delectable, then in the midst of the darkness of this life, and emongst the manifold and bitter miseries of the same, to desire feruentli he uenly swetenes? to covet everlasting blessedness? a man's mind to be hold ever there, where as he may be moste sure to have infallible and true joys. O Lord which for thy loving kindness art moste wurthy to be desired and coveted of all things: when shall I see thee? When shall I appear before thy face? when shall I be satisfied of thy glory? when wilt thou bring me forth of this dark prison, that I may confess thy name, so that afterward I be no more pricked? whē shall I pass & goo to that marvelous and beautiful house of thine, whereas the voice of gladness and reioising doth sound in the tabernacles of just men?

Blessed are they that dwell in thy house (O Lord) they shall praise thee ever world without ende. Blessed ar they, yea blessed in deed, whom thou hast chosen, and taken into that heavenly in heritaunce. Behold (O Lord thy saints flourish before thee like unto lilies, for they are replenished with the plēteousnes of thy house, and thou dost give them to drink of the flowing river of thy pleasure, because thou art y ^e well of life, and in thy light and brightness they do see light, so greatly that they them selves, which are a light, which was made bright by the, o god which dost give them light, do shine like unto the son in thy sight. O how marvelous how fair & beautiful, how acceptable are thy mancions & dwelling places of thy house, O Lord of powers. My sinful soul doth couit to en tree into them. O Lord I have loved the comlynes of thy house and the place where thy glory dwelleth I asked one petition of the Lord, and the same will I require: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. Like as the heart coveteth to goo unto y ^e water brooks even so doth my soul desire to come unto thee. O God. When shall I come and appear before the face of my Lord? When shall I see God after whom my soul longeth very sore? whē shall I see him in the land of y ^e living? For in this land of the dead, he cannot be seen w ^e mortal eyes: what shall I do wretch y ^t I am, which am fettred w ^t the heaui gives of mortality? What shall I do? whiles we continue in this body, we go astray frō y ^e lord, we have here no abidīg place forever but we labor for one y ^t is to come. Our free city is in heavē. Woe is me, me think I dwell emongst y ^e barbarous nations & infidels, & not emongst the faithful Israelites, I led my life in y ^e tents of Cedar. My soul hath dwelt too long with them that hate peace and quietness. Who will give me wings as a dove that I may fly & rest me. There is nothing that I desire or delight so much in, as to be in my Lord's company, it is good for me to cleave unto God. Oh grant me, (O lord) whiles I am in this fratle members, to stick unto thee, as it is written, he that cleaveth unto the Lord is all one spirit with him. Geue me therefore I beseech thee, the wings of contempla cion, wherewith when I am appareled, I may fly upward, and for as much as every unlucky & infortunate thing lieth beneth: do thou, O Lord, hold up my mind, lest it fall headlong, into the lowest botomes of the dark valley, and lest the shadow of the earth should come between and separate it from thee, that art the bright son of rightwisnes: & lest it, once hid with the clouds of darkness: should not have liberty, but be letted to look for heavenli things which be above. Therefore I do assay to goo upward unto the joys of quietness and peace, and unto the delectable and pleasant state of light. O hold my heart with thy hand, because it cannot be draw en unto high things without thee. Thither do I make haste where as moste chief and principal peace reigneth and continue all quietness shineth forth. Hold and govern my spirit, and take it according to thy will, that thou being a guide unto it: it may ascend into the region and country of plentifulnes, whereas thou feedest Israel everlastingly, with the food of truth, to thintent that there, at the least wise with my swift cogitacion & thought, I may come nigh thy wis dom, which remaineth above all things: over passeth all things and governeth all things. But alas there be many things, which when my soul would fly unto thee, do cry out vppō it. Commaund thē all, O lord to hold their peace, & speak not unto me As for my soul itself, let it give never a word to answer. Let it pas by all things. Let it clime above all things that be created and come unto thee, and that it may fasten the eyes of faith upon thee, which art the only creator of all things. Let it couit unto thee, and be bent towards thee, Let it think upon thee by meditacion and contemplacion. Let it lay thee before his eyes for itself, let it rolle and tos thee in his heart: thee I say which art the true and chief goodness, and the joy that will remain ever without ending. Ther is surely mani cōtēplacions, in the which man's soul is marueylously fed of thee. But in none of them is my soul so much delited, nor yet ha the so good rest in, as in thee: and when as it thinketh upon thee, and hath thee only in cōtemplatiō. Oh how much is thy swetnes, O Lord, how meruei lousli dost thou enspire the harts of them that love thee? How delectable is thy love, the fruicion whereof they have that love nothing but thee: they seek for nothing else, they covet to think of nothing else. Happy are they whose only hope thou art, which have no trust but in thee only & all their whole wurk is prayer. Blessed is he that sitteth solitarili alone and holdeth his peace, & standeth upon his ward that he is set to keep, continualli day and night, that yet whiles he is in this fratle body, he may be able to taste somewhat thy pleasaūtnes. I require thee by those thy wounds which bring health unto us, which wounds thou suffredst upon the cross for our health, out of the which thy precious blood wherewith thou redeemed us, did distill and drop down: wound this my sinful soul, for the which also thou didst vouchsafe to die.

Wounde it (I say) with the firy and mighty darte of thy great charity. For the word of God is lively and effectuous: & more piercing & sharp then any two edged sword. Thou, O chosen dart & most sharp sword, which art able by thy power to perce thorough the hard sheeld or buckler of man's heart, fasten & stick the shaft of thy love in my heart, that my soul may say unto thee, I am wounded with thy charity, so that forth of that same wound of thy love, tears may flowe most plenteously both day and night. Strike O Lord, strike I beseech thee, this most indurated and hardened mind of mine with the sharp dart of thy love, & perce it deper & deper into the inermost partes thereof by thy mighty power, & so bring out of my head, abundance of water, and out of mine eyes a very well of tears continually running thorough the great affect & marvelous desire to see thy glory, y ^t I may mourn day & night without taking any comfort in this life, until in thy heavenly wedding chambre, I may se thee my well-beloved and beautiful spouse, my god & my Lord. And that there when I see thy glorious, marvelous and beautiful face, full of all swetnes, together with them which thou haste chosen: then I say, I may wurship humbly thy majesty: & there at the last being replenished with heavenly and vnspeekable reioising of everlasting gladness I may even cry out with them that love thee (saying) Behold that which I have long desired now I have obtained. For I am joined in heaven unto him, whō when I was in earth, I loved with all my strength, with all my charity I embrased him, unto whom with all my love I did stick & cleave. Him do I praise, bless and wurship that liveth & reigneth God world without ende.

A prayer in time of tribulation.

HAue mercy on me (o Lord) have mercy on me a moste wretched sinner, which do commit wickedli, and do suffer there fore worthily, which do sin cō tinualli, & suffer thy scourge there fore daily. If thou take my daily tribulacion as a recompense for the evils which I have committed: then it is not so much that I suffer. For it is a great deal more grievous which I have tres passed, then y ^t which I do suffer. Thou art just, O Lord, & thy judgment is according to right. Yea all thy judgments ar just & true, and thou, O lord our god, art just and righteous: for there is none iniquity in thee. Thou dost not vniustli, nor yet cruelly scourge and punish sinners, O all mighty and merciful God, which when we had no being at all didst mightily create and make us. And when we were lost by our own fault, thou by thy pity and goodness, marvelously didst recover us.

I know and am very certain & sure, that our life is not led by so den motions, but it is disposed and governed of thee, O Lord our god. Whereby I know thou takest care for all men, and most chiefly for thy servants, which have put their whole hope in thine oneli merci. Therefore do I beseech & humbli require the, that thou wouldst not deal with me according to my sins, wherewith I have deserved thine angre: but according to thy great mercifulnes, which exceadeth, yeathe sins of the hole world. Thou, O Lord which outward lie dost punish & scourge, grant me in wardli a patience that will never fail, so that thy praise ne uer depart away frō my mouth. Have merci on me, o lord, have mercy on me & help me, as thou thinkest best to be most necessary for my body and soul. Thou knowest all things: thou canst do all things, which livest forever and ever.

A very devout prayer to the son.

O Lord Jesus Christ son of the living God, which being upon the cross with thy hands spread abroad for the redemptiō of all mankind didst drink the most bitter cup of thy passion I beseech thee that thou wouldest vouchsafe to give me help this day & ever. Lo, I a poor wretch cum unto thee, which art riche, a sinner unto thee that art merciful. Let me not retourn home contemned and despised with nothing. I begin a hungered, let me not leave of fasting I cum unto thee as though. I wer famished, let me not go away vnfed. Althoughe before I eat, I sigh & sorrow: yet after my sorrow, give me somewhat to eat. First of all good Jesus, I acknowledge before thy majesty mine unrighteousness towards thee. Behold, O Lord, I was conceived in sin & borne in the same: & thou didst wash them of from me, & sanctified me: but I afterward defiled myself with bigger and more grievous sins. For I was born in sin of necessity, because I could be borne none otherwise. But afterward I rolled myself willingly in sins. Neuertheles thou, O Lord being mindful of thy pity, didst take me out of the house of my carnal father & out of the tents of the vngodli and hast enspired me & put me in mind to follow thee, with the ge neration of them that seek thy face, of thē that walk in y ^e right pathe, of them that abide & continue emongst the lilies of chastity: & of them that sit down together w ^t the at supper of most scarcity & least exces. But I an unkind person, forgetting so many great benefits, after that I was entered into religion & holiness did commit many unlawful things. I did offend wunderfull vngraciously: & where I should of right, have amended min evil life, and lest my sins: I heaped sīns vpō sins, & these be the evils, o Lord wherewith I have dishonored the, & have spotted & defiled myself (whom thou didst creat after the similitude and lik nes of thine own self) with pride vain glory and other many evils wherewith mine unlucky soul is vexed, punished, torn & destroyed. Behold, o lord mine unrighteousness is gone over my head and ar like a sore burden, over heavy for me to bear. And except thou, whose property is ever to have mercy & to forgive, do lay under me y ^e right hand of thy majesty: I shall be constrained miserably to sink in to the deep and be drouned.

Geue heed, o Lord god & behold, because thou art hooly, Look how mine enemy assaulteth me saying, God hath forsaken him, I will persecute him and catch him, because there is no mā that will deliver him. But thou lord how long? Turn again & deliver my soul, save me for thy mercies sake. Have mercy upon thy sonne, whō thou hast brought forth with no small sorrow and pain: & be not so ententife unto mine euilnes, that thou forget thine own goodness: what father is there but he will deliver his son? yea & what fathers is there that will not correct his son and chasten him? but with the rod of pity. Therefore, O father and Lord, although I be a sinner yet can I not choose but be thy son, because thou hast made me, and made me again when I was mard with sin. Repaire & amend me now, o Lord, but first of all, I being mended & chastised with thy scourge, deliver me to thy son. Can a mother forget the child she bare of her woēb and sureli, although she sontimes be forgetful: yet thou (O father, hast promised not to forget us. Behold I cry and thou dost not hear me▪ I am vexed with sorrow and thou confortest me not. What shall I say? or what shall I do, most wretched caitiff that I am? I being desolate of so great comfort, am cast out from the sight of thine eyes. Woe be unto me: from how great goodness, into how great a mischefe am I fallen? whether purposed I to go, and whether am I come? Where am I? and where am I not? whom did I study to attain▪ unto? and what evils have I obtained? I sought for good things, and behold I have found trouble & care. Behold now I am in the state of death, and Jesus is not with me. And surely it were better for me to have nothing at all, yea no being at all: thē to be without Jesus. It is better not to live then to live without life. And thou O Lord Jesus, where be thine old mercies? wilt thou be angry towards me forever? Be pacified I beseech thee, and have mercy upon me, and turn not thy face away frō me, which to thintēt thou mightest redeem me, didst not turn a way thy face from thē that rebuked thee and spitted upon thee. I confess and acknowledge that I have sinned and my conscience deserveth damnation and the penance that I am able to do is not sufficient to make amēds for mine iniquities. But sure & certain I am that thy mercy exceadeth all offenses that a man can do. Oh do not (I beseech thee most pitiful Lord) write my heinous sins against me, y ^t thou shuldest entre into judgment with thy servant. But ac cording to the multitude of thy mercies, cross & blot out mine in iquities. Woe be unto me wretch that I am, when the day of judge meant cometh, and the books of consciences shall be laid wide open: when it shall be said of me Lo, look upon this fellow & his wurkes: What shall I do then, O Lord my God, when the he uens shall reuele and show forth mine iniquity, & the earth shall arise up and testify mine iniquity, against me? Behold I shall be able to give never one word to answer. but to stand in thy presence trimbling, quaking, utterly confounded and holding down my head for shame. Alas wretch that I am, what shall I say? I will cry unto thee, o lord my God. Why am I consumed & fretted with holdīg my peace? But if I should speak: my greef would not cease. And if I hold my peace: I shall be most bitterly vexed within me. Mourne o my soul, & lament as a widow for her first husband, that she had in her young age. Houle wretch & cry out with weeping because thy spouse Christ hath forsaken thee, O God almighty let not thine angre fall vpō me: because that if thou lay so much to my charge as is dew for my sins: it is so much that I cannot receive it. Sureli my power is not able for to suffer or bear it.

Have merci upon me least I dispeire. But in despeiring I will take heart to me and be sonwhat comforted. For all though I have committed so much that thou mayst condemn me wurthely: yet thou hast not lost that wherewith thou wast wont to save sin ners, nether dost thou reioise at the destructiō & loss of them that die, yea to thintente that dead men might live, thou thyself didst die: and thy death did kill the death of sins. And if they were revived again and did live by thy death: I beseech thee, let not me die, now y ^t thou livest Send down thy hand & power from hie, and deliver me out of the hands of mine enemies, that they rejoice not over me and say, let us devour him. Who ever (O good Ie su) needed to mistrust of thimerci? which whē we were thine enemies didstredeme us with thy blood, and reconciled us unto God? Behold, I being hid under the shadow of thy mer cy, do come unto the throne of thy glory requiring, & I do rū crying and knocking until thou take pity upon me. For if thou didst call us to pardon & forgiveness before we labored for pardon: how soon shall we obtain forgiveness when we ask it? Doo not remember, omost boūtefull Jesus, thy justice toward a sinner? but think upon thy liberality & gentleness toward thy creature. Doo not remember thine angre toward the guilty, but remember thy pity and mercy toward a wretch. Forget me in y ^t I proudly did provoke & move thee to wrath: and look upon a wretch that calleth upon thee. For what is Jesus but a savior? Therefore, good Jesus, for thine own sake, arise and help me: and say unto my soul. I am thy health and thy safeguard. I presume much and am very bold of thy goodness (O Lord) because thou dost teache us to ask, to seek and to knock, wherefor I being admonished by thy word do ask, seek and knock. And thou, O Lord that commaundest us to ask, make me able to receive. Thou that givest council to seek, grant that I may find. Thou that teachest us to knock, opē to me when I knock, and confirm me which am unstable and wavering, restore me that am lost, raise me y ^t am dead: and vouchsafe to direct & govern in thy favor all my senses, my thoughts and doings, that frō hensfoorth I may serve thee, I may live toward thee and that I may commit myself unto thee I know (O my Lord) that thorough this that thou hast made me, I owe and am in det unto thee even mine own self: & because thou hast redeemed me and wast made man for my sake: for this (I say I owe unto thee more thē myself. Lo I have no more: nether can I give that which I have unto thee, without thee. But do thou take me and draw me unto thee, y ^t I may be thine in following & loving thee: like as I am thine in condition &, creation, which livest and reignest world without ende.

Sōne of God: we beseech thee to hear us.
Sōne of God we beseech thee to. &c.

O Lamb of God that takest a way the sins of the world:
Grant us thy peace

O Lamb of God that takest a way the sins of the world.
Have mercy upon us.

O Christ hear us.
O Christ hear us.

Lord have mercy upon us.
Lord have mercy upon us.

Christ have mercy upon us.
Christ have mercy upon us.

Lord have mercy upon us.
Lord have mercy upon us.

Oure father which art in heaven. &c.

And lead us not into temptaciō.

But deliver us from evil.