Spiritual exercises and ghostly meditations, and a near way to come to perfection and life contemplative, very profitable for religious, and generally for all other that desire to come to the perfect love of god, and to the contempt of the world. Collected and set forth by the help of of god, and diligent labour of F. William Peryn bachelor of divinity and Prior of the friars preachers of great saint Bartholomes' in Smythfyelde.  
Imprinted at London in Foster lane by John Waley. Anno Domini. M. D.L.vij.   

¶ Unto the devout and very religious Sister Katherine Palmer of the order of saint Brigit in Dermount, and Sister Dorothy Clement of the order of saint Clare in Louvain F. William Peryn wisheth all grace and mercy in christ jesus our saviour.  
AFter long & much strife within myself between dread and desire, dread of presumption in so hard an enterprise, and desire to satisfy your most earnest & most importune desire (dear beloved sisters in Christ our saviour) I have now at the length set forth here in writing certain spiritual meditations or exercises (if I be not disceavyd) very ghostly and godly, wherein as ye desire ye may be right well & very godly exercised & occupied in the vacant times from your divine service and just obediens. Thes I have gathered and collectyd of divers, but specially of the devout father Nycholas Eschius who set forth in latin xiiii exercises (as he namyth thee) which are very godly & ghostly meditations, the which I have not only translated in to english, but I have also contracted them in to fewer in number, of xiiii making ten, and have moreover turned the same into the form and manner of petitions and prayers whom I have named the practises of these same exercises, so that to every of the ten exercises is added one practise correspondent and agreeable to the exercise. I have also joined unto every exercise certain aspirations or brief and burning desires according unto the exercise. That after the devout meditations of the ghostly exercise, ye might most earnestly ask the grace of almighty god to come to such points of virtue and perfection as are taught you in the present exercise. For (as the judgement is of all holy and ghostly writers) there are three special means to obtain of almighty god the grace of perfection. That is to say. Holy meditation, devout prayer, & fervent desire. For the first I have set forth thes exercises. For the second, are the practices. And for the thurd I have appointed the brief aspyracious. There is no mean that doth so soon opteine grace of almighty god as doth thes lovely, devout, and fervent aspirations. And like as it is very necessary for him that purposyth and would fain speedily and affectuously achieve or win any thing by mastery and labour, to know what are the things that might hinder or let his purpose or procedings, that he might remove them and put them out of his way, even so, that ye might speedily and and affectuously attain perfection by ghostly travel & spiritual industry I have discrybid unto you the most special and greatest impediments unto perfection, about the remotion and taking away of the which, shallbe the greatest (yea in manner) all the business and labour that ye shall have, ere ye can attain and achieve that heavenly and most blessed state of perfection. And that ye might all so see and know what speed ye make and how near, ye draw unto that which ye seek & travel to (for that often times helpyth much) for if we perceive ourselves to be behind, then we take occasion to make the more haste, if we go forward, it encoragith us lustily to proceed. Therefore I have describyd here also certain steps, by the which we ascend unto perfection. Thes are the chief things that I have set forth here for to satisfy somewhat your very godly and importune desire. Other compendius I have put unto thes, not that I thought thes not to suffice, but that those that can not carry away the longer rules, they may bear away these shorter. notwithstanding these exercises are so profitable to such that desire to come unto perfection and life contemplative, that they only might so suffice you (if they be earnestly and diligently used and practised) that you shall not need any other rules or instructions. For these contain the absolute doctrine, the whole sum and trade unto perfection. Wherefore I most humbly desire you, if ye have not as good or better, ye may thankfully take these, giving all thanks unto almighty god, who hath of his mercy put into my heart a desire and good will to help and further you and all other that mindeth perfection in all that I can, because I can not, or am not worthy to attain unto it myself. Thus I commend you both to almighty god, and me unto your daily devout prayers. The last of December. Anno. Do. M. D.L.iiiij.   

Exercises. ¶ Twelve instructions very necessary for them that will take fruit in the use of these exercises.  

THe first is, ye must put all your trust in the special and singular mercy of god, that he, for his mercy's sake & of his only goodness, will help & bring you to perfection, if you with hearty and fervent desire do continually wish and long for it, & with most humble devotion do daily pray unto god and call for it, and with all diligence do busily labour and travel to come to it, undoubtedly it shall be given to you. For ye may not think it sufficient to use the exercises as though they had such virtue in them, that they could make of themself alone such that do use them perfect. For neither these, neither any other (what soever they be) can of themselves with the only use bring you to perfection.  
But our merciful Lord God, of his merciful goodness, when you do seek with hearty desire, and fervent sighings, maketh you to find it. When you do ask daily with devout prayer, than he giveth it to you. And when ye do continually with infatigable labour and travel knock perseverantly, than he doth mercifully open it unto you. And because that these exercises do teach you to seek, ask, and to knock, yea they are none other than very devote petitions, seekynges and ghostly pulsations for the merciful help of god: therefore they are very profitable, and a very great help to come to perfection by god's grace.  
The second. ¶ Every day when ye intend to use your exercise for that day, before you begin, ye shall devoutly call unto almighty god for the grace of the holy ghost, most heartily desiring that ye may so use that exercise, and take such ghostly fruit thereof, as it may be most to his honour, and for your salvation, and say as devoutly as ye can the Anthem of the holy ghost. Veni sancte spiritus. With the collect. Deus qui cor da. And an Anthem of our blessed Lady, what ye will. And an Anthem of the patron of your religion. Most devoutly desiring them of their prayers and help in your holy purpose and ghostly travel.  
The third. ¶ Ye shall read or sing your divine service with all the diligence and devotion that ye can at the tides and times appointed, or at any other convenient season, so that ye be in no wise in any thing the slacker, or more undevout therein for these exercises. For it can not be acceptable to god that which we offer unto him, our duty undone, no more than if you should steal, thereof to do alms.  
The fourth. ¶ Ye shall not be the slacker unto the common works and deeds of obedience where soever ye be called, by custom or by word, neither to help your even christian when he shall desire your help: but gladly and speedily do that ye be desired, yea if ye be in your most devout contemplation, ye shall leave it of to do the deeds of charity for your even christian, and to follow obedience. And when ye have done that which is required, than return again to your exercise as soon as the time will serve, and go forth where ye left. If the time will not serve, then let it pass for that day. For your obedience or charity shall stand you in steed of your exercise, and shall nothing hinder you at all, but greatly further you.  
The fift. ¶ If in the time of your exercise you feel yourself drawn by the holy ghost to any better or to as good contemplation as your exercise is, than ye shall leave of your exercise, and follow the tract of that good motion so long as it shall last. And then return again unto that where ye left. If it occupy all the time of your exercise, then let it stand in stead of it for that time.  
The sixth. ¶ Ye shall take to you some ghostly and discrete person to be your guide in these exercises, to whom ye shall from time to time reveal and open how ye do feel yourself in these exercises, and what stirring or motions ye do feel in them, that he may lead you by his discretion. Unto whom also ye shall declare what time ye have, and how ye bestow it. Ye shall also simply and steadfastly give credence and follow (as nigh as ye can) such godly counsel and lessons that he shall minister unto you.  
The seventh. ¶ Ye shall leave all your former voluntary exercises what soever they be, except that your ghostly guide counsel you the contrary. Therefore ye shall declare to him what were your former exercises, that he may the better judge which be to be left, which be to be kept still.  
The eight. ¶ Ye shall not say these exercises vocall-wyth mouth, but you shall use them with a ghostly meditation, reading them in your mind, with deep and earnest consideration, and in your heart with a fervent desire. That ye may both understand very well, and print earnestly in your mind what they do teach you. And also ye may most earnestly long and desire to come to such points of perfection and virtue as they teach you.  
The ninth. ¶ Ye must have discretion in the use of these exercises, that ye over labour not your LABELe and wits: for so may ye have harm in your LABELe with to much vehement and violent meditation, and specially when ye feel yourself undevout and dry of devotion. For though ye may move sometime yourself to tears or devotion, yet you may not force yourself to vehemently, but mildly and gently do what ye may without great violence.  
The tenth. ¶ If you can conveniently and easily you shall perform your exercise for that day all together at one time, if ye can not, then do it by portions as your time will suffer, so ye do it all in one day, except (as I have said) you be letted by obedience or charity.  
The eleventh. ¶ These exercises must be used two hours of the day. The exercise one hour in the morning before noon, and their practise one hour after evensong or toward night. Such that have not so much time, they may use the exercises one day, and practise another day. The aspirations ye must have in your mind alway: that is to say, oft times in that day that ye use the exercise, so long as ye use the exercise. Not all at once, but one or other of them. And not continually, nor by mouth saying it, but as oft as ye can call them to remembrance, then devoutly in your heart with very hearty affection and desire. Ye may learn first to remember and have your aspyrations thrice a day, & then four times and until that ye (by custom) can bear them very often in mind. But how many days ye shall use every exercise, herein you must counsel with your ghostly guide. For at the least ye must use every one of them seven or eight days, and the last exercise ye shall use xxxiij days, so long our saviour Christ was here in flesh & suffered great pain for our redemption. And when ye have gone over them once, if ye feel not so much fruit in them as ye would, or thought to have done, then may ye by the counsel of your ghostly guide begin them all again, or so many of them as ye shall think best.  
The twelve. ¶ Ye shall put in execution and practise in your deeds these exercises and such lessons as are taught you in them as nigh and as well as your frailty will suffer. At the least you must have a very good will and an unfeigned desire to follow and to express them in your life and deeds to your power by god's assistance.  
The Thurtenth ¶ Thouhg at the first ye feal no swettnes in these exercises, or perceive no fruit to grow in you by the use of them, yet shall ye in no wise be discouraged, or leave them, but hold them steadfastly and continue them faithfully what temptation so ever or ghostly trouble ye feel, for if you use them only for the honour of god and take none other fruit of them yet you shall have great merit and an excellent reward of god for your diligent labour and travel. But plainly it is impossible that a soul traveling (as diligently and devoutly as it can) in such excellent devout and most godly meditations, holy petitions and daily prayers should not be heard of almighty god, and take wondered fruit and increase in virtue and perfection yet more one than another, and some in shorter time than other as it shall please the unsearchable wisdom and great mercy of god which giveth freely unto whom he will, how he will, and how much he will. Ye shall not be discouraged in no wise, neither by cause that ye feel yourself very far from such perfection as ye perceive and read in these exercises, neither for that ye perceive in yourself so wonderful untowardness of your corrupt nature to such things, neither for your quotydiane and manifold imperfections faults and venials that ye daily do commit, neither for that ye can not do as ye read that other holy persons hath done, neither for that ye are weak or sick in body. Ye shall take no discourage nor fear for any of thes which the devil oft time is wont to suggest and to put in to the mind and the memory of the simple young beginner either to discourage them, either to trouble them with fearful scrupulousness or to weary them with tediousenes and all to hinder or to let their ghostly and holy purpose. Only have and hold steadfastly a good will and a full and ferent desire to have such perfection in virtue as it might please the goodness of god of his merciful liberality to give you. Yet shall ye hope evermore the best and ask the best, but commit it to the high pleasure of god to give what he will. And if ye hold this good will, and do labour and do what your week frailty will suffer, being sorry that ye can do no better, though you feal no devotion, no comfort in thes your ghostly travel and exercises, yet are they a most acceptable sacrifice in the sight of god, for whose only sake and desire, you do painfully occupy yourself without any ghostly comfort. Observe these instructions as much and as nigh as ye can, but not to scrupulously thinking your labour lost if ye do not keep them exactly and straightly, but keep them as well as ye may. And when ye forget any of them, intent to keep it better here after, and purpose evermore (by gods grace and blessed help) to better yourself, and all shall be well. And with peace and quietness do as god shall give you grace. Unto him be given all honour and glory. Amen.   

¶ The first exercise to come to knowledge of almighty god.  

first thou shalt exercise thyself in the perfect and deep knowledge of our lord thy god calling humbly to remembrance how excellent and incomprehensible he is, as well as the grace (that thou canst obtain of god) shall assist thee, this knowledge thou shalt endeavour thyself to obtain rather by fervent desire and devout prayer, than with high study and ouward labour. It is the singular gift of god and very precious. Wherefore thou shalt with most humble and lowly heart very oftentime desire the same lord god, that thou mightest possess him, most devoutly praying that he vouchsafe to manifest and show himself unto thee, that thou mayst know him, and his high pleasure and perfect will, saying in this manner (or like) in thy heart & secret mind with all desire and ghostly affection.  
MOst glorious majesty of my lord god, whom to know is the very bliss and felicity of man's soul, and there can no man know thee as thou art without thou wilt open and show thyself unto him. most humbly I be seek thee (most gracious god and most merciful lord) vouchsafe, of thy infinite mercy and goodness, to lighten at this present, and ever, my heart, my mind, and knowledge with the very true and perfect knowledge of thine own self, and of thy most holy and perfect will, and godly pleasure to thy most honour and glory. Amen.  
¶ Then shalt thou lift up thy heart and thought and consider: not (with to great violence but soberly,) the eternal everlasting and the infinite power and might of god which hath created all thing, consider his most excellent wisdom, his unmeasurable goodness, and his incomprehensible love. Consider what thy lord god is, who he is, what manner and how great he is, not in body, but in might power goodness, wisdom & mercy. For he is very and only god most glorious, most blessed, most excellent, and most highest, above all thing, the excellent and high verity and truth itself, the everlasting and unchangeable goodness, a very and sempiternal substance, a charity infinite, which is so great, so excellent and ineffable in himself that all dignity, perfection, and goodness that is possible to be spoken, by word, can not sufficiently express any part of his most inconprehensible nobility, dignity, perfection, and goodness. Way and consider well also that god is the very true, proper and natural place, rest, and centre of thy sole, in whom thy soul from the beginning first rested, by the perfect resemblance and similitude of her, in the blessed mind of god, from whence (in the time of her creation) she came in to the body, whither she must return again, and in whom she must (by him) rest, or else she shall perish for ever, and looseth that bliss that she was creatyde to, and justly shall be cast in to the unrestefull misery and torment of hell. After this thought then turn thy thought unto the most holy and blessed trinity. (Not musing to much thereon) with most devout and obedient faith most meekly and lowly adore and worship, laud and praise it with all the mights of body and soul: saying in thy heart thus or like.  
O most blessed and most holy trinity of persons and most sweet and most glorious unity in one godhead. I most humbly beseech thy mightiful and most merciful majesty, that the blessed unity (which thou art in godhead) may flow and run, by most fervent love, in to my soul and in to all creatures that be able to laud and praise the. Amen.  
THen consider the blessed parsonage of god the father, how he is the everlasting ineffable and incomprehensible goodness which bringeth forth incogytably of himself and substance, an everlasting goodness coequal and of one godhead, and substance with himself, which is his only son. Which two (that is to say) god the father with his sempeternall son, love together the one the other in a charity infinite, and with an unmeasurable and everlasting delight, and this charity or delight is god the holy ghost. ¶ Aspyrations, to come to the blessed knowledge of god the holy trinity thou shalt find at the end of these excersies. Thou shalt also consider in this meditation how all things are of this blessed trinity thy lord god, and remain and abide by him thorough his might, that upholdeth them, and are in him more perfectly than in their own nature, therefore to him be all honour and glory of creatures worlds without end.  
¶ Of the knowledge of god cometh and groweth in the soul of man all virtue and goodness. And of the ignorance of god ariseth all temptation all bitterness and damnation therefore thou owghteste to give the more diligence and to travel the more earnestly to have always in thy memory sweetly, lovingly & delectably, these three (if thou canst) that is to say. His essence or goodness, His presence, and his love.  
¶ first attending and considering his infinite nobility, his highness, his rightwiseness, his sweetness, liberality and mercy, and other his innumerable perfections the which verily so far pass, and exceed so incomparably all wit and understanding of any creature, that what so ever of any of all these perfections, all the creatures together, in all the whole world can think or speak, it is less in comparison of his high worthiness and perfection, than one little drop of water in comparison of the whole main sea. And yet (mark well) he so mighty so great, so high, and so wonderful a lord god, hath created thy soul most nobly unto his own likeness, and made it able and meet to be partaker and to receive his high majesty and goodness by love of him. For he hath knit unto thy soul three excellent mights or powers, that not only in the life to come in heaven, but also in this present life and world, thou mightest know him by thy understanding in faith, and ghostly contemplation. And by thy will thou mightst choose and love him. And by thy memory thou mightest rest in him and be knit unto him, thou mightest remain and dwell ever in him. And plainly (if thou were not blinded by the devil, the world and the flesh, and the love of thes) thou wouldest be so ravished in the pleasure and love of him, that for joy and wonder thou shouldest not be able to stand, but faint and sink. The joys and sorrows of this world thou shludest not mark, nor take any heed to them, nor pass for them any thing at all. For thou wouldest not suffer thyself in any wise to be seperatyd not one moment, from the consideration and love of that high and infinite goodness.  
¶ secondly consider and behold with great joy, gladness and thankfulness how so high, excellent, wonderful a lord of his everlasting love and charity, offereth himself every where, in every place, specially in thy soul, very presently unto the. Yea more nearer the than thou art to thine own self, to uphold thy life and being, to conserve, to govern the and to save the and to bring the to eternal bliss. Wherefore thou hast more need to be ware and chary of thy honesty & of virtuous coversacyon (if thou wilt not dissemble) for as much as thou dost all things, yea all that thou thinkest and speakest is openly done, spoken, and thought in his very presence, which seeth all things. Take heed therefore and consider thy most dear loving lord god, thy creator & thy very hearts love always before the present, and walk in thy conversation) like a chaste spouse with reverent fear, & lovely shamefastness meekness obedience and patience, before the eyes of so high a majesty of god, preparing thyself always without ceasing to please him, sighing and desiring in the bottom of thy heart, to have his love in thy heart and most lovingly to enbrase him.  
¶ Oh what abundance of grace would grow in thee if thou coldest thus do. At the least do as thou mayst until more grace come. ¶ thirdly consider that the same so mighty and omnipotent lord of his unmeasurable charity and of most constant and free love turneth himself and hath special regard to thee, so specially and singularly, that it passeth the understanding & desire of the angels. So great is his dignation and goodness toward the an unclean and vile worm, that he intendyth and taketh so great heed and care for thee, as though there were no more creatures left him, neither in heaven nor in earth but thou alone. He also hath delivered thee, and defended the from many periles and dangers both of body and of soul, and doth still every moment keep the. He also unaskyd, doth give thee, allure thee, and entice the with so many benefits, gifts and graces (though thou be very unkind and most unworthy unto him again) that thou canst not number the least part of them. And of the same his charity he giveth the most free liberty to come to him every moment, so that with only a good thought and a lovely desire thou mayst obtain and possess infinite and everlasting goodness which he his himself. In so much that thou mayst safely, surely, and most profitably open unto him (as unto thy most faithful loving and trusty friend) all thy necessities. Wherefore for a special laud and praise unto so loving and so good a lord god (among the infinite number of these things that might be spoken or written to his honour) it shall help the greatly, to come to his love, continually to remember and to have meditation of his infinite and perpetual goodness, wisdom, mercy, sweetness, lowelynes and charity. That by this as by small coals of fire, thy heart may be kindled to tender some love for love again. And that thou mayest be transformed and made like him in like virtues and graces. Oh would God thou couldst and wouldest exercise thyself continually in these three, how would it delight the to arise early and to watch with thy lord god. How soon shouldest thou be delivered from thy vices and passions from all betternes, and from all temptations being in manner drunken in the love of thy saviour. Yea thou shouldest be turned into a new man, and be transformed in manner into almighty god. For there is no exercise more holier, and more fruitful than this, which pierced the heart of holy saint Augustine and other friends of god, with the dart of love, when they with their inner eyes (lightened of god) did deeply consider the wonderful tokens of the love of God towards them, specially in this incarnation, life, and passion, with other innumerable benefits of so great and mighty a lord god given unto them, specially when they considered earnestly the wonderful charity of god, whereby he hath given himself unto us, by his birth, as a fellow in our nature, in the sacrament, as our food. In his death, as the price of our redemption, and reigning in heaven, as our everlasting reward which he grant us of his mercy and charity Amen.   

¶ Of the consideration of thyself.  
AFter this done, then turn thy thought unto the profunde and deep consideration of thyself, & earnestly behold how nobly thy soul was created of God, and made by his power of nought to his image and likeness. Then consider also how miserable, filthy and abominable it was made by original sign in Adam, and how mercifully thou art redeemed throw the unspeakable love and most hard and painful satisfaction of thy lord jesus. Yet after thy baptism thou hast innumerable time defiled thyself again, by thy actual sins, turning thy love and obedience from the sempiternal goodness, which is god himself by thy froward, cursed, and naughty will and art become now more filthy, & more vile than is the unreasonable beast. Consider well and mark into how many evils thou art fallen by thy own sins, from the which evils thou art never able to arise by thyself, but only by the help of almyghte god, by whom thou art able to do all thing that thou can do. For by the true turning or conversion of thy love to god, and to all virtue, thou mayst come again unto the union with god. Attend & consider earnestly, that thou art created therefore of god, because that thou shouldest alway love him to have contemplation & fruition of him, & shouldest ever possess him. And that thou art set here, that thou shouldest faithfully serve him, thank him, laud praise and honour him, and to know and fulfil his most blessed will and pleasure in thyself and in all creatures. Consider also that thou art here in this world (as concerning thy soul) in a strange country as an outlaw and a stranger, beset round about with many grins and enemies in danger of innumerable perils. But yet if thou remain in god, there can no man heart nor harm the. Consider how noble, how fair, how wise thy soul is created of god to his own likeness and image, and yet nevertheless thou art created (as concerning thy body) of the slime of the earth, weak, miserable, vile, needy, ready and prone to all sins and vice, in going still toward destruction. Wherefore take good heed diligently, thou compel not thy soul to serve thy vile flesh for the most filthi and most vile pleasures and delights (which soon passeth away) of thy stinking flesh and caren, and so cast both body and soul into everlasting pains and torments of hell and damnation. Consider diligently all thy cogitations, thy works and deeds whether the end and purpose, in the use of all thy powers and sensies be always toward god, either toward thyself or toward creatures. And thou shalt perceive that thou canst never mark nor amend thyself sufficiently. Consider also how thou of thyself art nought, thou hast nought & canst nought do, but sin. Where fore (I say) consider oft times, from whence thou camest, where thou art, what thou art, & whither thou shalt. Thou mayst see in thyself three sorts of nought. The first, by innumerable deadly sins thou art come to nought but to be tormented (if it please god) perpetually in the depth of hell like a stinking vessel and fire meat. Secondly, by the great corruption of all thy powers and senses of thy body and soul, thou canst do nought but sin and shouldest fall in to innumerable enormities if god did not preserve the.  
And thus art thou become a bottomless depth of darkness a vessel worthy of all contumely and reproach, be gotten by uncleanness and sin, living in concupiscence, and shalt die in anguish and agony.  
Thirdly, in comparison unto thy lord and saviour christ, thou and all creatures, are nought, and created of nought, and should in a moment come to nought, if thou and they were not continually conserved of almighty god. Wherefore thou shouldest desire to be contemned, despised, & to be unknown of all men, yet without thy fault and deserving it. For thou must not do any thing sinful to be despised, but if the world despise thee (god permitting it) thou must be glad, and think thyself very worthy thereof. Thou must also punish thyself with thy lord jesus (but yet with discretion.) Fear god every where, & always with chyldely or lovely fear. Speke few, meek and lowly words. Think and remember always believing that the coming of thy heavenly bridegroom & spouse is at hand, always calling and saying to thee: Ecce sponsus venit, exite obuiam ei. And thus always returning thy thought and consideration upon thy naughtiness, thou shalt marvel greatly that god doth suffer thee, so foul, filthy, and unthankful a creature to abide one moment before his eyes or sight. Thou shalt with all meekness cry unto thy lord god from the bottomless depth of thy misery, devoutly calling for the bottomless depth of his mercy with the oft search of thy conscience, whereby he of his mercy, by his grace singular (for of it thou haste need) will vouchsafe to give thee the clear sight and knowledge of all thy vices, imperfections, passions, and sinful inclinations to sin, and all thy sins which cleave and lie hid within and without thy powers and senses, and do miserably blind thy soul, and draw the continually to perdition and destruction. And thus must thou learn to know thyself, and that very diligently. For though thou profit very much continually, yet art thou not able to penetrate and pierce to the bottom of thy naughtiness, the heart of man (as Esay sayeth) is so wicked and unsearchable: yet by grace thou mayst come to a great knowledge thereof. wherefore to obtain this special grace, thou shalt make devoutly unto god in thy heart and most hearty desire, and not with voice, this prayer which is the practise of this exercise that follow these few aspyrations. ¶ These brief & short prayers be called aspyrations: for they be (as it were) syghing and longings to obtain of almighty god that which we ask in them: and they must be used and said in heart and desire as often in the day as they come to mind, what ever we do, or where ever we be every day so long as we do use this present exercise. ¶ Oh most merciful Lord whose love is the life of my soul, lighten my soul with thy grace to know thee.  
¶ Oh most sweet jesus, to know all the world, and not to know thee, is but darkness and folly, grant me grace therefore merciful lord to know the.  
¶ Oh most merciful Lord make me Ignorant and a fool in all thing so I may know thee, which is the highest wisdom of all.  
¶ Oh Gracius jesus which art not known but of clean hearts, purge my heart that I may see the.  
¶ My Lord jesus which dost reveal thy secrets unto the little babes, make me perfect, meek and a babe in evil that I may know the.  
¶ Oh merciful Lord grant me to come to the knowledge of myself the ground of all meekness.  
¶ Grant me grace (good Lord) perfectly to contemn myself and to see the bottom less pit of all my miseries.  
¶ Merciful saviour grant me an holy hate of myself for the very pure love of the and thy honour.   

¶ The practice of the exercise to come to some knowledge of god & of thyself.  
O most myghtyful maker & sweet saviour jesus which taughtest & saidest: This is the life everlasting, the very high way to the bliss of heaven, that we may know the very god thy father, & thee his son whom he hath sent to redeem the world. There can none come to the knowledge of the father, but such to whom thou wilt vouchsafe of thy gracious mercy to reveal him, For it is thy gift only, and we must receive it only at thy hand. Wherefore most merciful mediator jesus, by whose only merciful means, and the blessed merits of thy holy manhood all grace is given to us wretched sinners of thy father celestial, and thou also, as very god, dost give with thy father all mercy and grace. I most humbly beseech thee grant me thy heavenly light and the blessed knowledge of thy blessed godhead. Manifest and open to me thy blessed father and thine own self, which art one god with him and the holy ghost. I knowledge, good lord, that to know the my Lord god perfectly and profoundly, is the singular gift of thee, which I cannot come unto without thy special grace, which I most heartily and most meekly beseech thee to grant me that thereby I may perfectly know thee and thy holy will, and most blessed and acceptable pleasure.  
¶ Grant me good lord, now at this present and oftentimes to consider profoundly, & perfectly to know that thou my lord god art most highest and most excellent above all things, most blessed wisdom, everlasting and unchangeable goodness. A very incomprehensible and sempiternal substance, an infinite and most blessed brightness, and an everlasting and incomparable light of bliss, which in thyself art so mighty, so glorious, so good, and so perfect, that there can nothing be thought so good, so perfect, so worthy, so excellent, & so glorious, but thy goodness, thy perfection, thy wisdom, thy power, and thy incomprehensible love surmounteth and excelleth it infinitely and incomparably. For if all power, virtue, goodness, wisdom, & the perfections of all the creatures in heaven and in earth, and in all the whole world were knit in one, it were not so much in comparison of thy blessed and most excellent majesty, as is one little drop of water in comparison of the unmeasurable main sea. Yea what soever the thoughts of all men, the understanding of all angels good and bad, be able to think or understand of any goodness or perfection, thy blessed goodness, unmeasurable might, and infinite perfection passeth it without comparison.  
¶ O most blessed, holy and glorious trinity, most myghtyful father everlasting, ineffable, incomprehensible goodness, which of thine own substance sempiternally dost bring forth an everlasting, ineffable, and incomprehensible goodness, coequal, & consubstantial with thyself, which is thy sempiternal & only son. And both you father & son equally the one loving the other infinitely, in a charity & delight infinite, are knit together in one holy ghost the third person For this infinite charity, is none other than the holy ghost, proceeding incogitably of the father and of the son.  
¶ Thus art thou my (Lord God) three dystincte persons in one very God, three persons in one godhead, and one very godhead in three persons.  
¶ Most dreadful majesty I most lowly and most devoutly as I can I adore thee, & worship thee, with all might and pours of my body and my soul, most sweet and blessed unite, most blessed & holy Trynitye. ¶ Oh my dear and merciful lord and my god, show thyself unto me, and I ask no more.  
¶ Oh most mighty maker and most sweet Lord God, infunde & power into my heart and my understanding, thy heavenly light and blessed charity, that I may know and love the above all thing, comfort the weakness and infirmity of my frail nature with thy blessed presence, fill my heart & my delight with the love of the and with the ghostly influence of thy singular grace, that I may know how loving, how gracious, how good, how merciful a Lord God thou art, and hast been unto me specially, and unto all creatures.  
¶ Grant me grace most merciful lord oft times lovingly and very delectably to remember, how so myghtyful & so dreadful a lord god, hast created and made my soul most nobly unto thine own likeness and image, and hast given unto my soul three excellent powers or mights, that I might and should, not only in the world to come, but also in this present life by wit and understanding, in constant faith know thee, by will I might and ought to choose and love the above all thing, and by memory, I might rest in thee, and being knit fast unto thee, I might so faithfully remain and cleave unto thee, that for the pure delight and love of thee, I might contemn and forget all thing.  
¶ Grant me good Lord that I may be so ravished in the love, and the delight of thy blessed essence, & goodhed, that for joy, gladness, and admiration I may forget myself, I may feel neither prosperity, neither adversity of this world, and that I may not fear to suffer all the pain in this world, rather than to be pulled or parted away from thee, which art of infinite power, wisdom, justice, goodness, charity, sweetness, liberality, and of infinite pity, clemency and mercy, whose perfections excedyth infinitely all thought and understanding.  
¶ Grant me most merciful and loving Lord, grace to perceive and remember alway with ghostly joy and thankfulness that thou so glorious, and gracious lord god, of Infinite charity, of godly might & mercy dost offer thyself unto me every where, specially in my soul, more verily present, than I am with myself, being alway and every where, ready to conserve, to govern, to save me, and to bring me to thy bliss.  
¶ Wherefore (most dreadful Lord) I have a great cause if I will do my duty, to be circumspect and take great heed, how I do use myself in the presence of the my lord which seist and lookest upon all my words deeds and thoughts.  
¶ Grant me therefore (most merciful Lord) grace to walk and conversant myself before thy blessed presence, like a chaste and an holy spouse, with all reverence, fear, shamefastness meekness, obedience, and patience, continually preparing myself with all diligence to please the sight of thy dreadful majesty, and with all my heart and will, to love the above all thing, whereby all grace and virtue may increase in me.  
¶ Grant me, o merciful saviour, alway in every place to remember that thou, so mighty a Lord God bearest toward me vile wretched worm of the earth, an ever lasting, unmeasurable, most constant & free love and charity, which passeth all thoughts and desire, so great is thy goodness toward me most vile wretch, which am but sin and clay, that thou dost vouchsafe to tend and to take so great heed, and care upon me, as though thou hadst no more creatures in heaven or earth, and hast, and dost deliver me, and defend me from innumerable perils & deadly dangers both of body and soul, and hast, and dost freely adorn me, endue me, and multiply in me most unthankful and unworthy, with so many gifts and benefits at all times, that I am not able to reckon the least part of them, and of thy Infinite love and charity most liberally, I may at all time, (yea every minute of an hour) come unto thee, in so much that with one godly thought and desire I may obtain and have the which art everlasting felicity, and to the as unto my most nearest, dearest, most faithful and trusty friend in heaven or earth, I may safely open all my griefs & necessities, and be certain and sure to have such help of thee, as shall be most for my soul health. Wherefore, most merciful lord god, which art the sempyternal light of heaven vouchsafe for thy mercy sake to lighten the darkness of my sinful soul and the blindness of my heart, with the blessed beme of grace that I may come to the perfect knowledge of thy blessed godhead, of thy infinite charity towarwe me. And that I may contynaally remember thy blessed presence in every place. lighten mine inward and ghostly eyes to see & consider effectuously the wonderful tokens of thy infinite love & kindness to me, and the innumerable benefits given unto me and all mankind, specially by thy most holy Incarnation, thy life, death and passion, and that I may the better perceive what thou hast done for me: grant me most merciful good lord, grace to come to the perfect and exact knowledge of myself. first to consider and acknowledge how noble thou haste created my soul, unto thine own similitude and image of nought. And how miserable, how foul, filthy and abominable it was made by original sin as soon as ever it entered the sinful body and flesh. And how thorough thy infinite mercy, and tender charity it was redeemed by thy precious death & purged by virtue of thy blood and passion in baptism and so restored unto grace and mercy again. Yet afterward, & sith that time I have innumerable times most filthily defiled myself with many a deadly sin forsaking thee my lord god, & turning away my love from thee, and from thy holy commandments, following mine own corrupt will, and beastly lust and desire, and have made my soul more filthy feeble, and more vile in thy sight, than any unreasonable beast. And thus in the foul puddle and dirty dongion of sin, I must needs have sunk in unto the bottom of damnation, if thy mercy had not or would not yet help me up again by thy infinite mercy and blessed grace. For of myself & of mine own power I am not able to arise by true and perfect repentance with out thy merciful grace do help me. And yet thou art so good and gracious, that I may (if I will) every, day hour and mynet, recover thy gracius faver, for thou art ever ready knocking at my heart continually. ¶ Oh merciful jesus, how much need have I of thy mercy and grace.  
¶ Grant me good Lord, grace earnestly to consider oft time from whence I came, what I am, where I am, and whether I go. first from whence I came, plainly I came from vile and sinful flesh, begotten in filthy concupysence and beastly lust, in the stinking vileness of original sin, fed in my mother's womb with foul menstruus vility. And where thou (most merciful lord god) created the planets & the stars of the fire, the fishes and fowls of the water, thou haste created me and all other beasts of the foul and vile earth, so that as touching my body I am no better than a beast, created of the earth & unto the earth I shall again. What I am I may soon perceive, I am nought else but dross and dirt, rotten earth worms meat, & much less perceiving how I shall departed, subject unto many necessities, full of misery, borne in sin, living in wretchedness and labour and must die in pain and agony. And if I should earnestly & deeply consider I may perceive and see, that the trees herbs bring for the leaves, sweet flowers & fruits, & my body bringeth nothing else, the foul worms, stinking sweat and corruption. If I would well consider and mark what cometh out of the nose, the ears, & of other issues of the body, I shall perceive that theridamas can be no fouler and more horrible or more stinking dung hill in the world. Now where I am, plainly in this wretched world the vale of misery, as an out law & stranger and in a foreign country, beset with many galthrops, and grins on every side in the mids of innumerable dangers & perils, among my most mortal enemies against whom, I must fight both night and day, for they lie in wait for my dysstruction continually, whose mortal malice. I can not escape without thy most merciful help. And whither I go lord, whither else, but from whence I took mine original, that is unto earth dung & clay. Of earth & ashes my wretched flesh was created, and to the earth it must go first or last. But when and how soon, thou only knowest most mightiful lord, but sure I am that thither I go continually where ever I be, what ever I do, wherefore (most merciful lord) grant me grace, that the perfect knowledge and consideration of my wretched estate, never go from my memory. Whereby (with the help of thy grace) I may seek earnestly and continually the amendment of myself with thy merciful help and favour.  
¶ Oh merciful lord were not thy exceeding great mercy, my soul (throw the innumerable and most grievous sins) where nought else but a brand of hell fire & a foul stinking vessel full of abomination of sin apt to be cast into hell and everlasting damnation. Moreover (if thy grace were not) I cold do nothing else but sin, and increase my damnation, yea there were no kind of sin so abominable, the which I should not commit, if thy grace did not preserve me, yea my soul should return to right nought, if thy might and godly power did not uphold it & conserve it.  
¶ Oh merciful Lord how many evil affections, crooked inclinations, sinful passions: naughty dyspositions and readiness to all kind of sin and mischief, are in the senses, wit, and power of my soul both inwardly and outwardly. Whom I can never without thy special grace & help know nor perceive, and much less amend reform & mortify: wherefore (mightiful gracious and most pitiful saviour) In the blessed merits of thy most bitter & painful passion, which thou sufferest in every member part, power and might of thy blessed body and soul, lighten my sinful blindness, that I may come to the perfect knowledge of myself, and thereby to come unto that most acceptable (the ground of all virtue and grace) blessed meekness, and contempt of myself and to the very and most perfect love of the my lord God, unto whom only belongeth and ever might be all glory & honour of all creatures now and for ever. Amen.    

¶ The second exercise to obtain remission of sins.  

THou must have a general contrition and hate of all thy sins & if thou haste not made a general confession all ready than I would counsel the to make one, intending with most full and constant mind to forsake & detest all kind of sin and for the very pure love of God and deep hate of thyself and of all sin to bewail them as heartily as god shall give the grace. And that thou mayst come to the perfect hate of thyself, thou must believe that there is no creature in the world that hath done so great injury and showed so great contempt to God as thou. And therefore thou shalt judge thyself worthy of all the pain of hell and all the shame of the world, for thy manifold and great sins, for thy great negligence, & thy wonderful unkindness showed unto God, for the which cause thou shall have most firm and perfect will in god, to be ready to abide and suffer all injures, shame, mockage, revile, and contempt, that all creatures in the world be able or will lay upon thee, yea thou shalt offer thyself with a ready will to suffer all the pains of hell for thy enormities and sins, And that thou mayst come to the pure and perfect sorrow for thy sins, thou shalt twice in the day if thou be not letted by obedience or charity, set thyself in a corner convenient, as it were before the judgement seat & sight of god, and adiuge thyself and think in thy mind and conscience that thou haste deserved everlasting death and the sentence of god shallbe pronounced against the thou canst not tell how soon. Not withstanding thou shalt yet hope steadfastly, that by prayer and penance with tears and contrition thou shalt obtain both mercy and grace at the hand of thy most merciful lord god Thou mayst sorrow lamentably that thou hast done so great inviry and dishonour unto the high majesty, wisdom, and infinite goodness of thy lord god, who is most worthy of all laud and praise, saying in thy heart and mind with as hearty devotion as grace will serve, this prayer following which is the very practise of this present exercise. But beware that thou be not to fearful but take comfort and have firm consydence and trust in the infinite merits of god, which is ever ready to take the to grace and mercy and to restore the again unto thy original pureness, if thou be ready to satisfy (as well as thou canst) for thy sins. Then shalt thou offer up to god thy soul and body and what so ever thou hast in this world for thy sins, desyreing and wishing in thy heart to consume and spend them all unto nought for his honour. And that thou mayst more effecteousely offer up in sacrifice thy soul with all the powers & mights thereof unto god, thou shalt pray or think thus in thy heart.  
O My most dear and most loving lord god I will have nothing in my memory here after but the my lord god, my very original, in whom I was from the beginning and from whom I came. Nether will I have in my mind & understanding or knowledge any thing but the only my lord god, & all creatures in the. Neither will I have any other thing in my will and desire but the execution and doing of thy most pleasant and most blessed will.  
¶ Thou shalt also make a sacrifice and a lively host unto god of thy body, as they did in the old testament laying wood upon the altar and put there on the sacrifice or host & so with fire put there under they brent it upon the altar. In like manner must thou gather together by contrite remembrance, thy sins upon the altar of thy heart and thy body must be the sacrifice, for it must be mortified specially from all vices and sinful work and pleasure, and be slain with discrete penance and with the fire of charity. For thou must lament thy sins, for the very love of god, & thou must do penance, and punish thy body and mortify it for the pure love of god. And if it be thus consumed and offered unto god with this fire then shall it be a sweet & a savoury sacrifice in the sight of god, and thus intending to do in full mind and purpose, thou shalt devoutly & heartily pray in thy heart to god in this manner.  ¶ Oh most merciful & gracious Lord set on fire this my sacrifice of my body and soul that all may be brent and consumed in thy love, that it may be acceptablye and thankfully taken of the to thy everlasting honour and glory Amen. 
¶ Thou shalt also offer to god thy sustentation temporal, desiring in thy heart so to be maintained & to use thy necessaries as it may be to his eternal honour and thy soul health and no otherwise, lacking or having no regard to thy commodity or any pleasure of thyself in them, but thou shalt rather desire (if it please god) to be spoiled and to lack all necessaries & to be very poor and needy, as he himself was poor & needy in this world for thy love. Thou shalt also take upon thee (by the discreet judgement of thy father and ghostly guide) some bodily penance with discretion, and that for the great love of god according unto the great enormity of thy sins. Then shalt thou turn thy heart and thought unto thy Lord jesus as though thou didst stand or kneel before his most blessed body hanging upon the cross with his precious wounds flowing out the most precious blood freshly full of wounds on every side, and full of all pain and sorrow for thy sins sake. And in thy heart and with all thy heart, if thou can, or as well as thou can, say thus.  
¶ Oh most merciful Lord sweet saviour jesus, if it might please thy most blessed, will and be thy pleasure I would suffer my body an hundred times to be crucified for my sins, I am ready (most merciful lord) to suffer in every joint and lime of my body some singular pain and penance, for the honour of thy blessed name.  
¶ Then shalt thou purpose fully in thy mind to use and to bestow, every member of thy body, which thou haste used to sin here after to the high honour of god, & to force and to compel thyself to the same, though it be never so hard and painful for thee, that thou mayest make some amends in affliction and penance unto thy Lord God, the which labour and penance with the labours and pains of thy state, thou shalt offer to God every day with tears (if thou can have them) in the union of the most holy death and passion of thy saviour jesus. Thou shalt be very sorry in thy heart, that thou canst not be so sorry and so heavy for thy sins as thou oughtest to be. And think thyself for thy great offences worst of all creatures and worthy the deapest pit of hell, because thou hast crucified as much as in the lay, again the son of God and hast trodden under thy feat the precious blood of eternal testament (with which thou were redeemed) and hast dishonoured it and haste done contumely and reproach unto the spirit of grace. And to come to a more clear knowledge of thy sinful life thou must consider and way well how often, how much and after what sort, how grievously thou hast offended thy lord god in all the time of thy whole life, yea every moment, so the there is not one minute of thy time, neither any good work in whom thou hast purely and sincerely sought the honour of God as thou oughtest to have done, but haste with a certain and secret privy venom of the love of thyself or thy commodity, delectation or will, thou hast defiled it. And haste (in manner continually sinned, all thy life time) at the least either in omission, or in the unperfect fulfilling that which thou art bond to do by the order or state of thy life, if god would judge according unto his justice, yea though thou hadst committed nothing that were sininful deed, but only in omission & unperfect doing thy true duty. Wherefore now while he abideth the most mercifully, prevent his face in humble confession washing the bed of thy conscynce with tears every night of thy sins, that is to say, lament every sin with tears that cometh to thy remembrance and humbly desire thy Lord that he will not enter into judgement with the his servant, for there can no man that liveth be justified in his presence & sight. At the least consider and way deeply how unspekeably thou hast offended in these two commandments. Thou shalt love thy lord god with all thy heart. etc. And thine even christian as thyself. And so more specially in the rest sins, as thou shalt find rehearsed in the prayer and practise of this exercise. I would thou shouldest way and consider well there, how and after what manner thou hast offended specially when thou shalt have that prayer & meditation, & thou shalt lament weep and bewail thy sins earnestly, until that the blessed spirit of adoption of the children of God vouch safe to descend into thy heart bearing witness unto thy spirit and soul that thou art the son of god and dost hear that marvelous & sweet voice of him. That verily God the father hath pleasure in thee, that is to say, until thou feelest in thy heart a persuasion that god hath most mercifully forgiven the thy sins and hath chosen the to be his servant, and that thy state of thy life doth please him. It is but vain to take unto the any thing of consolation spiritual or temporal, or to press unto contemplation except thou do earnestly and devoutly eat & feed of this bread of penance and sorrow for thy sins and dost receive the blessed spiritual adoption, which undoubtedly he will most heartily grant to such that devoutly ask him to his glory and honour. Amen.   

¶ Aspirations for this exercise.  
¶ Oh my most gracius lord god grant me the perfect knowledge of my sinful life and to come to perfect contrition and hate of my sins.  
¶ Oh most merciful saviour jesus lighten my heart and mind with thy grace that I may perfectly see how enormously I have dishonoured and offended thee.  
¶ Dear saviour and loving lord jesus open the inner eye of my soul to see clearly my naughtiness.  
¶ Most sweat and kind lord jesus open to me my great unkindness that I do and have showed unto thee, that lovest me so tenderly ¶ Oh my dear love my sweet lord jesus, for your mercy show me my vileness and great wickedness, the great readiness to all kind of sins.  
¶ When shall it please thy great goodness to give me the spirit of true and lowly contrition?  
¶ Grant me good lord jesus the sweat tears of thy true lover marry Magdalene for my sins, that I may obtain of thy sweet mercy forgiveness and remission.  
¶ These or other like, use all the times that thou dost use this exercise not all at once, but one or other, that which thou canst beer best away & feelest most devotion in, but if any other like come in to thy mind follow that, for that is like to be of the holy ghost.   

¶ The practise of the second exercise for remission of sins.  
O most bonteful and most loving lord god, my most merciful saviour jesus the creator and redeemer, of my poor sinful soul and redeemer of all mankind. I am (most merciful maker) that most vile and most wicked wretch and unkind sinner that so enormously, so bodily, so abominably and so often times, have dishonoured thy highness and, godly majesty and presence. I have offended thy blessed holiness thy gracious goodness, thy great charity. And thy loving mercy and long suffering I have contemned and disspysyd. There is no creature living, that hath done so great injury and dishonour or hath showed unto thee so great unkindness so great contempt as I have. ¶ O merciful lord, how oft have I provoked thee, with my most detestable sins and with my most fowl and filthy life unto the most just and righteous damnation of soul and body. I have provoked, moved, and irritid thee which art moste myghtyful, most just dreadful lord god, which art the most just righteous and terrible judge, of me and of all the world I have most unkindly contemned the and turned my heart and love from the my dear and loving saviour jesus, in my shameful and filthy sin for the which, thou didst suffer so painful passion, so cruel & shameful death, and most lovingly & most mercifully shedest thy precious heart blood and for my sake only and for thy charity that thou bearest towards me most unkind wretch. Yea most lovingly, only to pardon my sinful life, and to save me from the most dreadful wrath and vengeance of thy righteousness, and from the most horrible pains and torments of the perpetual and everlasting fire of hell, thou leddest a most poor and painful life, full of much labour and travel, in moche sorrow and heaviness of heart, suffering many and innumerable rebukes, confusions, wrongs and injuries. At the length after thy most holy and blessed conversation, thou suffered most mortal heaviness, sorrow, and most dreadful envy, the which was so sore and so vehement, that for very sorrowful pain and oppression of thy blessed heart, thy whole body brasted out in wonderful bloody sweat soon after betrayed and taken and most villainy and violently bond like a thief, with most shame and confusion, thou waste brought into jerusalem where after most false accusations most dysspitefull and cruel injuries, mockings, scornings, spiteful and vile words, spittings, sore strokes, and stripes thou wast most strongly & stoutly bound unto a pillar. Thy blessed & most virginal and most chaste and pure flesh was cruelly torn with scourges, and rent with rods, thy glorious and holy heed, most painfully pricked and pressed with a crown of sharp thorn. After this mortal cruelness, and deadly pains, thy torn shoulders and week body was laden with an inportable cross, haled, and driven forth with bills and bats like a beast unto the slaughter-house with all confusion, shame & worldly wonder, that the wicked malice of the most cruel jews' cold devise.  
Then most violently striped & cast down upon the cross, most rashly with ropes, thou waste straightly & strongly stretched and rackyd till thy blessed veins so sore strained & sinews that when thou wast hevyd upon the cross after thy most cruel crucifixion, they were violently broken, then out of thy blessed hands, feet, & heed, thy precious blood most plentifully yssewed, as it had been out of a lively fountain. Thus three long hours, most desolate, most painfully, & most miserably, thou suffered'st most spiteful blasphemies reproach, revyles, and scorns when thou should have had compassion, and consolation. At the length thou most painfully, most miserably, yet most lovingly and willingly sufferest most crewel, most bitter and most shameful death for me specially and for all mankind and so well, thou yet lovyst me, that if need were, thou art ready to suffer the like, yea more painful passion, & more cruel death rather than I should perish, if I would faithfully love and serve the.  
¶ O Most loving and merciful saviour jesus, I most unkind sinner have neglected and set at nought thee, that have done so much for me, and I have offended as unkindly and as grievously, as though thou hadst done nothing at all for me. For I have continually offended and sinned all my life, but specially in these. N. Thou most here remember thy special deadly sins, & one after another and be specially sorry if time will serve. And generally I confess my innumerable enormities, wherein I have contemned and offended the. first in breaking of thy holy ten commandments. In the xii articles of the catholic faith. The statutes and commandments of holy church. In the xii counsels of the gospel. In breaking such private vows as I have promised. In the vii mortal sins ¶ Omytting the vii works of meryc ghostly, and in not doing the vii gifts of the holy inspirations I have misused the gifts of grace lent unto me, I have misused my v. vyttes or senses outward, and my senses inward, I have misspent all the powers members, and mights of my body and of my soul, I have misspent the gifts of nature, the gifts of fortune, the gifts of the holy ghost, I have not desposyd me to have constant faith, perfect hope and burning charity which are the three theological virtues, I have not had in me the four cardinal virtues, Prudence, justice, fortitude, and Temperance, I have not laboured to have in me the xii fruits of the holy ghost, I have not laboured so earnestly to come to perfection of life and to the perfect love of thee, as I would have done, to come unto high dignity and honour of the world. I have sinned and lived sinfully in every place, in every state, in every office, that I have lived in, by word, by deed, & thought in omission, in loss of my time, and in unkindness, and unthankfulness towards thee, my Lord God, towards thy blessed mother and all thy blessed angels and saints. And against all mine neighbours, against the good folks the blessed friends of god, against the weak and sinners, against my benefactors and friends, against my superiors my egals, & my inferiors against the quick and the dead, against the souls in purgatory, against all creatures, against my own self, against both my body and my soul, for I have misused these creatures to the great dyshonor of thee (my lord god) to the injury of mine neighbours, and to the condemnation of mine own soul, So that there is no gift nor benefit that thou haste given me, nor no good thing in the which I have sought the sincerely and purely. For I have less or more, sought mine own commodity, mine own will or pleasure. Thus in all my hole life I have either done & committed sin, either omitted and not done my duty, or else doing my duty or any good work I have not done it so sincerely & purely, as I ought to have done. Wherefore I forsake here all kind of sin, and all my deeds good and bad, and I run only unto thy great mercy and infinite merits. ¶ O most merciful pitiful and most loving lord jesus, I most humbly & lowly beseek thy merciful goodness, for thy most holy conception and nativity, For thy blessed conversation and most holy life. For thy most hard and sore labour and travel, for the great sorrow and heaviness of thy blessed heart for thy most painful agony and bloody sweat, for all thy bitter and most painful passion, for all the cruel effution of thy most precious blood, for thy most painful, most cruel, most bitter and shameful death, grant me mercy and forgiveness of all my unkindness and sin, & mortify in me all that offendeth the: work in me such virtues as most may please thy blessed will in me, to thy honour & my salvation. Amen.  
O Most glorious mother of mercy and lady of grace, my singular help and comfort in heaven and in earth next unto my lord god and saviour jesus. I humbly beseek the for that holy passion & death and all the pains that thy dear son jesus suffered in thy sorrowful sight. For all the sorrow heaviness and most bitter compassion that thou suffered'st for him and me obtain for me, clean remission of all my sins, and all the pains that I have deserved for them, and increase of all virtue & perfection  
Here pray to thy special advowryes.  
O most blessed and holy. N N. N. N. and all ye most holy and blessed company of heaven, for all the pains and labours that ye suffered here, by the grace of the holy ghost and for the very love and honour of god. I humbly beseech your blessed charity, pray for me unto my lord and sweat saviour jesus, that he vochesaf to remit my wickedness and sins and so to confirm me in his grace and love that I never return to sin again.  
Here turn thy heart again unto thy Lord jesus, saying.  
¶ And were I daily fall and am ready to sin vochesafe to grant me (oh Lord) grace ever moor (as oft as I fall) to arise again with perfect sorrow & hate of sin, and with most lowly confidence & trust of his blessed & sweat mercy. That the multitude of my sin, and mi great frailty drive me not to desperate sorrow and inordynatte heaviness. Nether let me mistrust the great and most gracius readiness of thy most loving mercy, that is ever ready to forgive, as oft as we do repent, be it never so oft. Draw me not to presumption but that I, how so ever, when so ever, and how often soever I offend thee, I may most lowly and meekly acknowledge my wretchedness and frailty, and repent mine offences and sins with a firm purpose to amend, and with an unfeigned trust of remission and forgiveness in the infinite merits of thy most blessed blood, painful passion, and most precious death, to the glory & honour of thy mercy full charity & most mighty majesty. Amen    

¶ The third exercise of reformation of the soul in the five wits & senses.  

COnsider how thy five wits are wonderful weakened and dysorderid by the fall of our forefather and parent Adam. But a great deal more infected and disorderyd, by thy own actual sins, the great abuse of them. Wherefore that they may be readier brought again unto their former and original pureness, wherein they were before the fall of adam, thou must needs shut up and refrain from all misuse of all thy senses, as thy sight, hearing, taisting with thy tongue, smelling, and feeling, in the crucified humanity of christ, according to his example with so great violence and labour (thou shalt have somewhat to do there in) as though thou were plainly dead, and all mortified unto the world. Thou must learn to have a contynualle, eye inwardly unto thy soul & spiritual life, as thou hast used here tofore to have all thy mind and regard to outward pleasure and worldly things. Thou must submit and give thyself unto the discipline of sweet jesus and become his scholar, choisinge him unto thy Lord and master, resyning & compelling thyself all together, to obey him in all things, so that thy willing and nylling, thou utterly and parfectely do cast away from thee, indevoringe thyself most straightly to please & to obey thy most dear god & most loving master in all things, Wherefore here after thou must do nothing, be it never so little without his lycens. For at every word that thou wilt speak, at every morsel that thou wilt eat, at every styring or moving of every article or member of of thy body, thou must ask leave of him in thy heart, that is to say, thou must examine in thy conscience every word & deed that thou shalt speak or do whether it be to the honour of god or no, & to what end thou wilt speak or do it, if thy conscience sincerely (not seeking itself) do answer that it is to the glory of god, than hast thou licence to speak or to do, or else not. The necessary things that must needs be done or spoken though it be certain that they please god, yet shalt thou do every one of them, and offer them up with a new intention unto god, in the union of the most holy works and blessed merits of christ, for the soul health of all men. And as thou art doing or saying any thing outwardly, have always one eye inwardly toward thyself and thy conscience. And take heed and remember well when it is time for that to cease and leave of, and then inmediatlye leave of thy talk or doing. And to obtain this grace, thou must accostome thyself, from thy very heart, fervently to pray and to entreat thy lord god, every hour in manner what ever thou dost with this manner of aspiration, or like.  
¶ Oh Most sweet saviour Christ for thine own self sake & by all thy blessed perfections and mercies, by thy holy and most blessed manhood and thy holy five senses, which so perfectly obeyed reason, that they seemed swallowed up of thy soul, which also were so sore pained and afflicted with most sorrowful pains in thy blessed passion for my salvation, as though thou haddest had no senses or feeling at all, I most humbly beseech the that thou vochesafe to swallow up in the merits of thy blessed senses, all the feeling and sensation that I ever had, have now, or ever may have, and so knit and sanctyfie in thy most blessed and holy soul all my wits and senses, that I never use them here after to any sensuality. If thou can not bear this prayer in thy mind take the affect and make desire or petition in thy heart as well as thou canst. Thou must labour to come unto this union and knitting up of thy senses in god & thy lord jesus, and there into remain so fast unto the cross, that thou never start from it, walking reverently with most honest & mature or comely manners & behaviour of thy body and all thy senses, and every where in the presence of thy lord god. And thou must so observe and keep thy lord god, that he part not from thee, and thy five wits and senses with thy whole soul, & so use thyself, that thou mayst think that thou seist nothing, thou hearest, feelest, smellest tastest, touchest, thou eatest, nor drynkeste nothing, but in all things thou seekest purely, not thyself, but only thy Lord God, and dost use the creatures, in god, and for god, with fear and reverence to thy bare need. Thou must also in all thy necessities & perels commit the care of thyself and of all thine (yea of all things) with most full confidence and trust, into the most trusty providence of thy loving lord, which will order all things sweetly and delectably and will defend the and fight for the. reckon also all things beside him, for right nought, and thus mayst thou come unto wonderful illuminations and ghostly influence from thy lord god, if thou for his love, canst crucify, renounce and forsake perfectly thyself and all thing. This exercise is the ground of all ghostly life, and therefore thou must use it and practise it very long until thou canst learn and acostome to master & to forsake thyself in all things, & wait and keep well thyself and thy lord god, & this blessed love, for as much as there is no greater labour, then to observe & keep well continually thy lord god and his acceptable will and pleasure. Thou shalt always labour to come to the deep and exact circumcision, formation, and mortification of the inner powers of thy soul, as thy understanding, will and memory. The which (as thy sensies were, so are these greatly corrupted and infected, by the fall of our first parent. But a great deal worse we have corrupted them, and alienatyd them from god by our own sins. That these also may be brought, & restored unto their former state and perfection, unto the which our Lord jesus by his death restored them, and to the end and purpose, that they were created & given unto thy soul, thou must needs continually desire and entreat thy lord god and never cease knocking and calling with most firm trust & confidence that he can & will help the. And that he vouchsafe, for the most blessed merits of the most holy mights and powers of his most glorious crucified humanyty, to purify, reform, to govern and to light the powers of thy soul with stable knowledge, love, and continual mind and memory that thou mayst flow and tend toward, and into almighty god & in him to know and to use all other things. That thou mayst come to that gift thou must exercise and quyken with diligent labour, thy understanding, to know and understand highly and deeply what god almighty is and what he hath. And when thou (after this manner) dost once know that he is the most best, most noblest, and most holiest of all, then shall thy will (perseaving that) endeavour and desire to love him whom he perceavyth to be so excellent and most best. But thou must circumcise, pull away and crucify thy will from all things that thou mayst love and desire god alonely with thy bare and whole heart, and love all other things for him and in him. Then must thou also confirm thy will in most steadfast & strong knot and union unto the will of god. That if he would create hell in thee, and put the therein thou must offer thyself to be ready for his eternal glory and honour and for thy sins to suffer it by his grace. Thou shalt also rid and make ready & apt thy memory to have the fruition of thy lord god for ever, without any impediment or mean. These means or impediments are the fancies and the imagynations of other things beside god or for god. Thou must keep thy memory clean and pure (as it were an wedlock chamber, from all strange thoughts, fantasies & imaginations. And it must be trimmed and adorned with holy meditations and virtues of Christ's holy crucified life, and passion, that god may continually and for ever rest there in, how often, when, and how long it shall please him Wherefore thou must use it with often lovely and continual desires and holy afections to god ward, thy loving and most kind lord and saviour, that he only may continually be shut up in thee, that is to say Thou must have continually God in thy mind and memory, and that thy mind and memory may run only upon him what ever thou dost or where ever thou be. Thou must use this exercise somewhat long, as I said before, and thou must cry & pray most heartily and continually for the special help of god, and that by hsi mights & powers, & by the prayers & blessed merits, of the glorious virgin Mary his mother, & the blessed saints in heaven thou shalt ask it. The which thing if thou do not obtain at the first, but abidest long, for some are of a clammy nature, and much given to fantasies, they be therefore the longer in labour, be not discouraged nor overthrown with tediousness. Cease not, only persever & have a strong and a firm confidence and trust in our lord which never leaveth those that putteth their trust in him, and he will give it the. For he is infinitely good and gracious which in the simpleness of heart is soon found, for he is won by love and with lovely and holy desires and affections, he will be obtained and soon gotten. For god is infinite love itself, use therefore often these aspirations all the time that thou labourest in this exercise or such as these be that followeth.  
¶ Oh sweat saviour lighten the blindness of my soul that I may know the and thy most blessed will.  
¶ Oh mightiful lord jesus take fro me my unkind heart & give me for it either thy sweat heart or an heart like unto thy loving heart that ever may love laud and praise the.  
¶ Mortify in me, good lord, my wicked will & grant me to have no other will than thine.  
¶ Oh most loving lord fix my mind so steadfastly upon the that I may mind nothing but thee, or nothing so oft as the.  
¶ My dear and sweat saviour grant me grace to come to the perfect knowledge of the though I be ingnoraunte in all other knowledge.   

¶ The practise of the Exercise for reformation of the soul in the wit & senses.  
MOst merciful saviour jesus which art that petiful samarytan which (by thy holy incarnation) descendidst in to this world, where thou foundest all the nature of man being in the state of damnation, robbed in Adam by the serpent (that ghostly thief) which spoilid our nature of the blessed gift and garment of innocency and original justice, and wounded our naturales (that is to say) all the sensies and powers of our soul, and maimed our free-will, blinded and darkened our understanding, crasyd our memory and set out of order and made rebel all our five wits and sensuality. And thou (most pitiful Lord) taking compassion upon this miserable and mortal plight of our sore wounded and maimed nature, thou (with the bond of thy most lovely passion and chartable death) didst bind up our wounds, pouring in to them the wine of thy precious blood, and the oil of thy most heavenly grace, most myghtyful and blessed physician and heavenly surgeon of my poor and sick soul, take compassion on my sore and deep and innumerable wounds. For (merciful saviour) all the sensies wits and powers of my soul and body, be very sore and deadly wounded, not only by the first fall of Adam in to original sin, but I also myself have more grewsly wounded them by innumerable actual sins by the long and continual misuse of them daily. Wherefore I most humbly beseech thee (most merciful jesus) grant me the singular help of thy grace, that I may bring them to that pureness and blessed order that they had before the fall of adam by dew and daily refraynyg and bridling them from all misuse, and use them only for bare necessity, according to thy most holy example, and so soberly to live, as though I were dead utterly, and had no senses.  
That I may learn now to turn inwardly all my thought and pleasure, as I have hitherto set my pleasure and delight in outward and sensual vanity.  
¶ Grant me grace (most blessed master) to give myself whooly to learn at thee, and to take the for my example and to my most gracious Lord and master, resyning and yielding myself fully and wholly to obey thee, so that I may cast utterly away my own will, and in myself all together most straightly to obey and please the only, that here after I may do no thing, be it never so little, without (as it were) thy love.  
¶ Grant me grace (most gracius jesus that at every word that I intend to speak, at every look of mine eye, at every morsel that I shall eat, at the moving of every joint or member of my body, that I shall stir, I may inwardly in my heart ask leave of thee, the which leave, if good conscience do witness that I have obtained, than I may do it, or else not.  
¶ Grant me, sweet jesus, that I may do and offer, all and every one of my necessary works and deeds, all and every one of my good works and deeds with an actual and a new intent to the laud and praise of the my lord god, in the union of thy most holy works & blessed merits, to the soul health of all men. And while I am seeking or doing any thing outwardly, grant me grace to remember myself inwardly when I ought to leave of such talking or doing and so to cease.  
¶ most dear saviour and most gracius good lord I most heartily and humbly beseek thee, for thy mercy and merits sake and by all thy holy perfections and myserations which are in thee, yea which thou art thyself, and by thy most blessed and holy humanity, and by thy most holy five sensies which so mightily obeyed reason and were swallowed up of thy soul, the which also were most painfully and so cruelly afflicted for my salvation, as though thou hadist had no sensies at al. Good lord vouchsafe, in the merits of thy most blessed sensies, so to swallow up to knit and to sanctify all my sensies in thy most holy soul, as though I had no sensies at all which might at any time give place to sensuality. Merciful jesus for thy painful wounds of thy blessed hands, keep my feeling from all unclean and unnecessary feeling and touching. For thy sorrowful nailing of thy blessed feet, hold & fasten my feat from all steps to evil, from all unprofitable gadding, & make them quick and speedy to do all deeds of charity and obedience to thy only honour.  
¶ gracious jesu in whose mouth was never found disceat, nor nothing but all godly and heavenly wisdom, and gavest unto us most perfect example of silence when thou most mildly and wisely didist hold thy peace when thou waste falsely accused because thou by thy answer cold not profit them, and specially, when thou shouldst answer for life and death. Then (like an innocent lamb) thou hyldyst thy peace. And all the time of thy most bitter passion, thou diddest speak syldom, for thou spakest but only seven words upon the cross which, words were spoken of most excellent charity. Grant me (good lord) the grace of silence, that I never open my mouth to any evil or idle words, that I may speak only thy words. Shut up also (good lord) mine ears with thy grace, from all hearing of evil and vain words, for thy merits of the pain that thou suffered'st, when thou hardest the great blasphemies, rebukes & revyles of the jews.  
¶ Gracious jesus for thy tender tears that thy most gracious eyes shed oft times for me, keep mine eyes and sight from all sights of evil, and of all unnecessary things in this world. And for the horrible savour, that thou feltest in that stinking place of caluarye, when thou wast crucified, keep my smelling from all misuse, and for the most bitter and sour drink of gall and vinegar that thou drankest for me.  
¶ Good Lord grant me grace to eschew all kind of gluttony and excess and grant me perfect temperance, to eat for only necessary and bare need. Most merciful saviour jesus, for thy most cruel schurging and all the pain and wounds, that thou suffered'st in all members and parts of thy most precious and blessed body mortify in me by the power of thy mightiful grace, all the misuse of all the sensies and powers of my soul, and of all the limbs & members of my body, that (by thy grace) I may neither feel, see, hear, taste, smell, eat, drink, neither move no member of my body, nor use no sense of my soul but in the and for thy honour, not seeking my pleasure or myself here in, but poorly and only the.  
¶ Gracious God and most merciful redeemer of my soul jesus, I most humbly beseek the for all thy sorrows and pains, that thou suffered'st in the inner powers of thy most blessed and holy soul, & in the merits, and for the merits of thy most blessed crucified humanity, purify, reform, rule, & lighten the inner mights and powers of my sinful soul, specially my understanding, my will, and my memory, where in apearyd in my creation, the holy image of the most blessed trinity, but by my most sinful & corrupt life, I have all most, clean blotted and put out the image of the my lord god, and I have foully defaced my soul, with the horrible image of sin. For where I should have in my understanding the knowledge of the without ignorance and error, I have sought to know wickedness and sin, and so have lost the ghostly knowledge of the. And where my will and desire was created to desire and love the above all thing, I have lost that love, in loving and desyreng inordinately creatures. Where my memory ought to be occupied only with thee, my most dear Lord God, I have painted it with the memories and innumerable fanses, not only of creatures but of horrible & detestable sin and wickedness. Wherefore, most merciful jesus, I meekly beseek thee, for the merits of thy most ruefully and cruelly deformed face, & for the woefully wounded and sorrowful countenance, restore and reform again in me, the blessed image of thy most blessed divinity in my soul, that I may with most stable and constant knowledge, love, and thought of thee, desire continually to increase more & more in the true knowledge, the fervent love, and most blessed remembrance of thee, that I may know all things, love all things, remember all things and use all things, only in the and for the. And I beseek thee my saviour jesus, in the most tender love, that moved thee (most blessed lord) to suffer so painful passion, and death for me and for the precious heart blood and water that yssewed out of thy most loving heart when thou hangist bare and all naked upon the cross, grant me grace that, I may abstract and pull away my heart from the love of all creatures and to put utterly out of it the love of all creatures and specially of myself, that thy bare & pure love may fill & occupy all my whole heart, desire and will. And that all that I shall love desire or will I may love, desire and wish in thee, and for the only.  
¶ Grant me grace also, so to confirm & so to knit my whole will unto thy most blessed and godly will, that I may have no other will than thine. And the I may be most heartily and fully content with what soever thou wilt do with me in this world, and for ever, yea if thou wilt put me into hell, and to suffer all the pains there so that I hate not thee, but retain thy love, I may be heartily well contented, with my whole heart without any (be it never so little) grudge inwardly. Also most merciful redeemer I beseek the in the merits of the innumerable wounds of thy blessed head, lighten my understanding with perfect and sincere knowledge of thy blessed god head, that I may verily and truly know, what thing thou my lord god art, and haste, that highly & profundly knowing thee, that thou art infinite in goodness, most noble & dreadful majesty, most blessed and most holy lord god, my will (by thy grace) most heartily & earnestly may desire to be in love with the so gracious, so good, so loving, so kind, & merciful a father and lord god.  
¶ Grant therefore, most gracious jesus, thy grace to me to quicken and to sharpen my wit and understanding, that I may come to the ghostly and godly knowledge of thee, & by knowledge to come to the perfect and pure love of the. Help also most merciful saviour my busy and incomberyd memory and fancy, that by thy merciful grace I may cast out and purge it of all evil yea and unnecessary fancies and imaginations and from strange cogitations, that be not of thee, that I may keep my memory clean and pure, as a wedlock chamber, from all worldly and unprofitable thoughts and to deck and trime it with all kind of heavenly thoughts and ghostly imaginations, with all holy meditations of thy holy humanity crucified for me, minding always some point of thy passion, of thy virtue or some other holy meditation or good thoughts. That thou my lord god may delight, & take pleasure to dwell & rest in me as often, & as long as it shall please thy goodness. ¶ Grant me grace therefore good Lord, to accustom myself to have in my memory lovely and continually desires, and sweet and holy affections to the my lord god, that thou mayst dwell in my soul a son, and my soul may have the enclosed in my will and memory evermore, and so I may carry the with me where ever I be come. And though I by frayletye do sometime lose the good Lord jesus, yet grant me soon to seek thee, and to find thee, to thy honour and my salvation Amen.    

¶ The fourth is the exercise for mortification.  

THou must exercise thyself very earnestly in mortyfication and abnegation of all things which may (in any manner of wise) let the to draw near & lovingli to be joined and knit to thy Lord god: that is to say thou must mortify in the all thing that is not god, or for god, or the thing which god will not or loveth not. They are sufficiently declared by the godly father henry harp in his xii mortifications, which are these, that shall follow here: In the which thou shalt diligently exercise thyself by ghostly and holy meditation, with oft and devout prayer, marking well in every one of them, the most holy exemplar of thy lord jesus crucified printing that deeply in thy heart, until that the neither powers of the soul (that is to say) sensies and sensuallytie put no impediment or let here after to the higher powers of thy soul, as are reason, will and understanding, where by they might not flow and tend truly toward god & in god.  
THe first of thes is perfect mortification of all love and affection and carefulness for transitory & worldly things. This thou must mortify so perfectly, that thou canst find in thy heart to resygyne and yield them up unto the high pleasure of God, with a quiet mind, without secret murmur or grudge, whether it shall please him to give them or to take them, so that thou dost not desire neither to have neither hold them, neither to bestow them or give them but only for the pure love & honour of god. Yea thou shalt desire and wish to leave them, that thou mightest alway offer up thy whole heart bare and pure unto god among all casualties and misfortunes. At the last that thou mayst make thes oblations of thy heart unto god in thy will and reason, and that thou mayst remain resteful. For this cause thou must put away and utterly forsake not only superfluous and unnecessary things, but also such things as thou haste only for thy pleasure and of curyositie. Yea, thou mayst not rest by- any love or affection in these things that are thy necessaries, if thou wilt not be a proprietary before god, and shalt use and take (at the least) thou shalt learn to take and use thy natural necessaries with tedyousenes and loathsomeness, that thou mayst so much the better conform thyself unto christ, and mayst bare & poor fly (as it were) in to his bare and naked arms.  
THe second is the mortification of all affection in seeking thyself. By which seeking of thyself many loveth themselves to well, for in all the good deeds that ever they do, and in all the evil that they suffer of a certain servile fear, they have an eye & regard & seek busily their own profit consolation and honour, as well in the outward as in the inward gifts and goodness of god, and do seek to eschew and escape their own hurt or hindrance, their confusion, & punishment, as well in this present as in the world to come. And oftentimes while they repute and esteem their deeds exercises great and holy they fall, by the gifts of god, in to ghostly pride, ghostly gluttony & greediness. Wherefore against these most dangerous and very great perils thou must diligently labour and study, in all things of a fylyall love and of a right and holy intent, to seek purely the honour the grace and pleasure of god. And with a single intent ordain, direct and refer all thy works to please and have the fruition of god and to rest in him always, with all thy mights and powers without much trouble or business with a certain lovely flowing and a loving inclination or bending of thy inward spirit to godward having this thy inclination lightened with the knowledge of god by, faith, hope, & charity. This is one foundation and ground of ghostly life. Thou must labour with intention godly not to seek the secret consolation of soul but rather to desire all derelyctyon barrenness & adversity, that thou mightest be come one with god, and to have fruition of god with god.  
THe third is the mortification of all the affection of thine own sensuality above or beside reasonable necessity in the delight delectation and pleasure of meat and drink of apparel and other temporal things, also in the pleasure and delight in vain & unnecessary cogitations, words, gestures and talk with men or famylyars and friends for sensual love only. Also in delectable appetites, to have or to see fair & pleasant things, to hear news and to occupy the sensies in vain without reasonable cause, as to see that, and hear this. These and all the solacyes and delights of nature thou shall mortify and by full and perfect turnyg thyself from all such things as sensuality is wont & doth delight to rest in: for thes make all devotion and ghostly exercises both unsavoury and also more hard. Thou shalt also take great heed and be well aware that thou have nor bear none affection in thy heart to any solace or sin be it never so little whom thou dost not labour to pull up by the root. Thus must thou needs do, that all sensuality may utterly be mortified, lest the whole, heap of thy good works come to nought.  
THE fourth is the mortification of the affection of seculare and wordly love, the which causeth a man to do many deeds of virtue, that he might come to some commodity or honour by those worldly people to whom he is so affectionate either fearing to displease them either to sustain any damage or discommodytie or harm. This affectionate love thou must utterly mortify and also the carnal love toward, thy kinsfolks, and the love that thou haist gotten among thy friends and that which thou bearest to them for their benefits, so that without all acception of any person thou do love purely god and god's Image in them, grace and virtue, not flattering or upholding, loving, or dissembling any man's vice or sin, but thirst and desire with all thy heart the soul health of all men. Thou must mortify also the inordynate love and affection that moveth to any unquietness, distraction or desire to have the friendship or bodily presence of any person, and painteth thy fancy and mind with ymaygynations of them, specially in time of prayer, or else when thou wouldest turn thyself unto god, defylinge and infecting thy heart as it were a very venom of the love of god. Thou must therefore slay this inordinate love, and love god only renouncing all creatures, that thou mayst be drawn up with his love and mayst be swallowed up all together in him.  
THe fift is the mortification of all affection in Idle thoughts which are wont to come in the mind, & to trouble us diverse and sundry ways, by insurges & great flowings (as it were a great main sea) & causeth the fervour of god's love & virtue to decay in us, though they abide not in the affection, they must yet be mortified & all other naughty cogitations which we do suffer sometime by negligence to enter into us, with sensual pleasure. These though they come not to deadly consent, yet do they defile the soul, they make heavy the holy ghost, and do great damage unto the soul. Both these naughty thoughts and cogitations and also the other idle thoughts and cogitations, ariseth & cometh of our own negligence & unmortification because we do not labour & endeavour ourself to compel with violence our heart to holy thoughts, but do suffer it to wander upon superfluous and evil things not to spend fruitfully our time. And therefore when we return ourself inwardly, we find our heart burdened and comberid with innumerable distractions, which doth hinder and destroy our ghostly profit. Not these only therefore thou shalt cut of from thy heart, but also thou must utterly put away some leeful thoughts, whether they be of lawful charge temporal of scruples of conscience or of secret or curius search of things, and thou must busily print into thy heart the Image and memory of thy lord jesus crucified for thee, and of his most profund humlytie, poverty, mildness & of all his holy virtues, in thy outward man, & also print in thy heart the image & memory of his infinite charity (whereby he created the & all things, and redeemed the so preciously) in thy inner man, that thy thoughts may turn into affection, and thy knowledge into love. For the love of god doth work the mortification of nature, the life of the spirit, the work and operation ghostly of the higher powers of the soul, the influence or flowing into god and the solytarynes and departure from all creatures. Thou shalt also turn thy affection & whole desire to come to perfect solitary & very lonnes & departure from all creatures, not only in body, but much more in thy heart & affections that thou mayst attain the pure & single rest & quietness of heart. This rest doth nourish very greatly the lovely influence and tending in to god: for solitariness, silence, and the straight keeping of thy heart, are as fundamentes and grounds of ghostly life.  
THe sixth, is the mortification of all care & thought, which is not of just necessity, profit, or obedience, and also of all passions unmeasurable mirth, heaviness, hope, fear, love, hate, anger, as shamefastness, these must be mortifed that nothing may rest in thy heart but god or for god.  
Wherefore thou must mortify all such carefulness unnecessary & all such passions natural. And all thy outward works and occupations, that necessity do require justly of the thou must do them without much trouble or carefulness of thy mind, having thy whole heart & affection elevatid and resigned in to the hands and will of god. For truly by such occupation though it be lawful that distracteth thy heart, derkenneth thy wit and understanding, thy affection waxeth cold to god ward, all ghostly exercise will be unsavoury to thee, and thou shalt scant be able with great labour to recollect thy neither powers of thy soul in the time of prayer. Wherefore if thou wilt easily overcome all temptations, labour busyly to bear always thy mind and desire inwardly lyftyd up and elevatid unto god, following alway more the inwardly exercise of love, than the outward works of virtue. Unto the which point there can no man come except he first be rydd and delivered from all thing under god, and be so rapt in god, that he can contemn and despise himself in all things for the pure love of god. For pure love of god maketh the spirit pure simple and so free, that, without any pain or labour it can at all times turn and recollect itself in to god.  
THe seventh is the mortification of all bitterness of heart toward our even christian which arisith originally of diverse causes. first of presumption of our own merits, where by we be ready and prone to judge rashly other, and to despise them, we being full of unrightwiseness ourselves. For this unryghteousenes genderyth in us indignation, and not compassion. Secondly it arysyth of immortifycacyon, because we have not mortified those things and the desires of them who inflamith us to murmur against our prelate's and superiors and other that will not agree unto our naughtiness or vycyousenes, but resist them. Thirdly, is ariseth of rancore and envy or hate for some offences passed, for the which we desire to prevent and to take amiss the deeds of them whom we hate, and find in them somewhat that we might rekuke. Fourthly it ariseth of envy against & for the virtues of other which we lack and have not, and therefore we seek all means to extinct & to hide them that we might be preferred or taken as well as they, or least they should be more seat by or as much as we. fifthly it ariseth of a naughty and exasperated and froward conscience, by the which (like a cockatryse) we desire and would fain hurt other, and to bring them unto sin with us, for we envy the grace of the holy ghost, and of malice (wherewith we are full ourself) we take unto the worst all things, & so sin we against the holy ghost. These and other bitterness and melancholy of heart, thou must destroy and consume in sweetness of the love of god that thou mayst love thy very enimeiss and persecutors with as full affection of thy heart as though they were thy most dear friends, as in very deed they be, for they do bring & promote the unto great merits. ¶ The eight is the mortification of all afection unto vain glory and liking of thyself, honour, & to all pride of thyself in thy words and deeds, of thy graces and gifts. To this thou shalt come, by clear and perfect consideration and knowledge of thy own vileness, and by perfect desire of the contempt of thyself, that thou mightest please, honour and worship god only. Wherefore thou shalt ascribe unto gods only grace with chyldlyke faithfulness & fidelity, all the goodness gifts and graces of thyself and of all other, reputing thyself most unworthy of any of them and more vile and wretched than all men living, first by reason of the great grievousness, the filthiness or enormity and the innumerable multitude of thy sin & great unkindness to god. Secondly, by reason of Infinite sins which thou shouldest have fall in, if the only mercy of god had not preserved the. Thirdly by reason that there is no sinner in this world, but if he had received so many gifts and graces of god as thou hast done, and had had so many occasions to have done well as thou hast had, he would have served god more faithfully than thou doyst. And thus shalt thou on the one party be thankful unto god, and on the other side thou shalt humble thyself very greatly. These well weighed, thou shalt desire with all thy heart to be contemned, mocked, & over trodden of all men, and that for the very love of god, and this is a very compendious and a right way to come to great merit.  
¶ The ninth is the mortification of all affection in inward and sensible ghostly delight, in grace, devotion, love and sensible sweetness in the neither mights and powers of the soul. The which sweetness, delight, and devotion sensible be not very sanctymonye or very charity in deed, but they be certain gifts of god, which are given to us, not that we should rest or content ourselves with them only, but for an help of our infirmity that we might more earnestly mortify ourselves. Wherefore if thou wilt know how much true love thou hast, look how much thou art mortified in these xii points, for so much very love and sanctymonye thou haste and no more, yea all that thou canst ask of God what ever it be, if thou do not refer and ordain them to the mortification of thyself, all are mixed with nature, which seeketh herself all most in all thing, yea in god and in godly things, so subtilely that being stayed in one side, she crepyth in on the other, ere we can well deprehend her. Therefore there are very few that come to the very knowledge of themself or do perfectly master themself in all things.  
Moreover thou shalt mortify in thyself, all curious investygation or search, all curious speculation, knowledge and understanding unnecessary, of things or sciences as well divine as human, in that which many do waste miserably their time & labour, ever learning (as the apostle saith) and never attaining or coming to the knowledge of the truth. For as much as the perfect life of a Christian man, is not grounded in high knowledge but in profunde meekness in holy simplicity and in the ardente love of god wherein we ought to desire to die to all affection, to die to ourselves, to sustain pain and derelyctyon, that we might be perfectly knit and united unto god & to be swallowed up all together in him.  
¶ The tenth is mortification of all scrupulousness of conscience by full confidence and trust in the goodness of god. This scrupulousness vexeth & troubleth very many, by reason of the inordinate love that they have to themselves, by the which love they fear more the vengeance of god, hell and his rightwiseness, them they love his goodness, his honour and praise. And therefore of a servile fear they do all there good works and do avoid and eschew all sin and evil that they shun. And therefore they do not amend faithfully their faults, whose pryckinges and remorse troubleth them, neither can they have full confidence in god. For because that their love to godward is but slender and small, it gendereth in them but slender and small confidence & trust in him, where contrary wise, if they had a great and an ardent love, it would gender in them a great confidence and a full trust in god. O blessed hope and trust in god, so long as a man do not wax the colder in godliness, but is sturyd more earnestly to mortyfication & to the more patience in all adversity and to the more thankfulness, blessed (I say) is that hope and trust in God.  
THe eleventh is mortification of all inpaciencie of heart for any outward adversity, infamy, derision, rebuke or contumely loss of goods, sickness, pain in body, persecution, and desolation and derelyction of the mind, the which may chance and fortune unto a man by god's permission, with the which he is wont to try, his dear friends, and that of most excellent charity, to the everlasting health of them, in the which our lord jesus himself was many ways tried, and for our example and love with most mild and meek heart suffered contumely shame sore strokes scorginges, spitting, thorns whippynges confusion with the intolerable torments of his cross and passion, and he not withstanding, prayed for his enemies. Nether could they lay upon him so many and so painful torments, but he ever desired to suffer many more and much greater for the honour of god his father & the salvation of our souls. Therefore shouldest thou also suffer the like patiently, if god suffer them to come upon the.  
first that thou pretend neither in heart, word, neither deed any rancour neither vengeance. Secondly, that thou bear no bitterness, or heaviness in thy heart, which bitterness riseth of the in ordinate love to thyself, but thinking thyself worthy to suffer much worse and more grievous evils: suffer thou all things meekly and offer thyself ready to suffer all adversity that may chance upon the for ever here after. And thirdly thou shalt suffer all things by affection of perfect patient whereby thou mayst be conformed & made like to the blessed life of thy dear lord jesus, that is thou shalt not only suffer what cometh, but thou shalt long, in manner, and look with great, desire, and receive with great gladness, and joy, all adversity, and be ever ready to suffer more grievous & greater. Here of shalt thou obtain great abundance & plenty of the love of god, that shall so penetrate and purify all the powers of thy soul, that thou shalt not (in manner) feal any pain, but shalt love thy persecutors with as hearty love, as though they were thy near and special friends and lovers.  
¶ The twelffe is the mortification of all thine own will with full perfect resignation of thyself to suffer all dereliction inward & outward pain & pressure or heart's grief and desolation, for the pure love of god.  
And because that a man hath nothing that he setteth more by then by his own free will (of whose abuse all vice & sin springeth) therefore if thou resignest perfectly thine own will unto god, inmedyatly (this foundation once overthrown) all vice and sin springing here of, cometh to nowght.  
Wherefore it is very profitable to such as are imperfect to make obedience to some discrete person, and to give themselves up to the will of another. To such as be perfect it is necessary to have a will to submit themselves to other, when so ever it pleaseth god. It is expedient for every man to mark well and to execute in themselves the will and pleasure of almighty god. Thou shalt mark three kinds of obedience, and thou shalt labour to come to the highest which is the obedience of union. The first is of vow This aught to be outwardly in all commandements & precepts of thy prelate with all speed & hilarite. The second the obedience of conformity: and this consistyth in the prompt and ready will inwardly, not only in commandments & precepts, but in any other thing leeful without commadement, and that purely for the love of god without all respect of any favour of man, so that thou wolddest rather be contemned and despised of man for such obedience, then to be praised or to have any reward for it. The third is the obedience of union with god which knittith so the will of man unto the will of god, that it is become but own will with it, so that what so ever god doth permit and suffer to come upon him, yea in all inward pressure heaviness and agony of spyryt desolation and dereliction, he is fully persuaded & be leaveth all together to come by the ordinance of appointment of the unmeasurable love and mercy of god, and therefore he receavyth it with all affection, be it never so hard, painful, shameful or grievous, for this time and for everlasting, according to the example of his dear loving lord and saviour. jesus which from the most painful agony and bloody sweat in the garden until the cruel death upon the cross, he was destitute of all sensible grace & consolation (as though he had been the extreme enemy of god) abiding most cruel and most intolerable pain and tormetes, only being resignyd most perfectly of love into the hands and will of his father. When thou hast once obtained thes xii mortifications, then shall thou with the powers of thy soul, be ready and able to flow and to have recourse to god, and in him to rest contynualy with out any let or impediment. Not withstanding, thou must learn to come to more clear & plain knowledge how thou mayst obtain and possess the very true love and stable & sure union between god and the mights and powers of thy soul, first, in the ornament of active life, by perfect meekness, obedience, & other moral virtues and by the increase of them, also by faith, hope, and charity. Secondly in life contemplative spiritual, by burning and ardent aspirations and the gifts of the holy ghost, and also other godly and ghostly exercyes. Therefore thou shalt mark & observe diligently those things that thou shalt find declared briefly in thes exercises following next after this practise that folowythe  
¶ There are no aspirations for this exercise, but take some of the sentences of the practise as shall like you.   

¶ The practice of this exercise for mortyfication.  
MOst almighty and immortal God my most merciful saviour jesus which of most tender love and pitiful mercy, that thou bear unto me and to all mankind, didst suffer most cruel, most painful, and shameful death for me & all mankind, I most meekly and most heartily beseek thy merciful goodness, for the innumerable merits of thy most precious death, grant me grace and power, utterly to renounce and to forsake all things that might let me from the synceare love of thee, and fully to mortify in me all such things that is not good, either that which thou wouldest not, either that which thou lovyst not. For these do press down and draw back my soul, when it would and might wholly arise unto the perfect and pure love of the by ghostly union and spiritual knot, to be knit unto thy blessed godhead. first I humbly beseek the sweat jesus for thy poverty and neediness that thou tookest upon the and suffered'st in this world for me, grant me (by the might of thy special grace) to mortify most perfectly all care, all love, & all affection, be it never so little, unto any worldly or transitory thing that I may always with most quiet mind resign and offer up, all things worldly, unto thy most high will and pleasure, weather thou will give them or take them, that I never desire any thing (be it never so small) neither to hold it neither to give it, neither to save it, neither to bestow it, neither to keep it, neither to forsake it, but only for thy honour. ¶ Grant me (god lord) by perfect poverty of spirit, to forsake all thing in my heart what so ever chanceth in all fortunes good or bad, that I may ever offer my bare heart and love restfully unto the.  
¶ Grant me gracious jesus, to forsake and do away, all superfluus things, all curious things, and in things, that seem necessary, never to rest with any affection to them, but that I may with irksomeness and weariness, use such things that I must needs have to satisfy natural necessity, where by I may the better follow thy holy poverty, and be more like unto the most meek jesus beseek the for thy obediens that thou shewyst unto god almighty thy glorious father, for that most blessed and most tender love that thou didst bear unto us miserable sinners unto the death, & soughtest of pure love toward us and the glory of thy father celestial, not thine own glory and honour, but the heavenly fathers, not thine own commodity and comfort, but ours. Thou forsakyst no pain nor punishment, nor labour nor travel, no shame nor confusion, to set forth the glory of thy glorious father and to procure our salvation our redemption, our felicity.  
¶ Good lord grant me grace to destroy and mortify in me the seeking of myself & and the inordynate love which I bore to myself. For in every thing that I do well and in all evil that I forsake, I have (by reason of my corrupt nature) ever an eye and respect unto mine own commodity mine own consolation and mine own honour glory and praise, and in all the gifts of god that I have or do use and exercise, or do ask, whether they be outward or inward, my corrupt and crafty nature ever seeketh craftily some commodity and honour and seeketh ever more to escape and avoid hurt, damage, shame confusion, pain and punishment as well in this world as in the world to come, more than for pure love. Of this inordinate love of myself, I do count all things that I do well of much reputation I esteem mine exercises to highly, and thus I fall into ghostly pride in this gifts. Wherefore most merciful lord jesus, help me by the power of thy special grace, and grant that I may begin and proceed in all things, and do all things of most pure and fylyal love and pure intent, for thy only favour & honour, seeking purely and sincerely to please thee, with an amorous and lovely affection of my inward spirit, being lightened with a divine and a godly understanding by faith hope and charity, not seeking any manner of ghostly comfort of the soul, but rather to desire (if it please thee) all dereliction all adversity for thy sake, that I may be like unto thy afflicted humanity in this world and in the world to come I may by thy grace and mercy have the fruition of thy godhead ¶ Most merciful saviour jesus for the bitter pain thou suffdrest in thy five sensies and in all thy most innocent body and blessed soul, grant me grace utterly to extynguyshe, and to mortify in myself all sensuality and sensual delectation, as in meat and drink, in word, talk, in gesture or behaviour, in saying curious things to have gay and pleasant things, to here news, and in using my five sensies vainly every where without reasonable necessity, grant me most gracious jesus, grace to mortify perfectly in myself, all such natural and unnessesarye comfort and solace, by most perfect turning of my heart from all thing wherein sensuality would reaste, and to lift up of my hearty love and desire to the for such sensuality delectation, natural comfort, maketh ghostly exercise unsavoury and more harder.  
¶ Good lord grant me therefore grace with all my power, to avoid out of my heart all affection to any solas or comfort or to any sin, be it never so little which sin I would not utterly leave, that all sensuallytie may be mortified in me and so shall all ghostly affection the better increased to thy honour and glory.  
¶ Gracious jesus which waste forsaken of all thy friends worldly saving only of thy blessed mother which also didst not regard the pleasure or displeasure of any person, and fleddyst all worldly worship and honour, grant me grace for thy pure love and honour, utterly to mortify in me all love and worldly affection to any person in this world. For oft time the love and fear of creatures worldly causeth me oftin to be ready either to do that I should not do either to omit that which I ought to do, desiring either to please them, either fearing their displeasure. And for this cause I do many of my good works (I fear me) to receive some honour or commodity of them, either to eschew some damage or confusion at their hands. Wherefore, most blessed saviour mortify in me, by thy grace, all the carnal affection & love unto my kinsfolk and to my friends for their benefits, so that without all acception of person and private love, I may syncearly love, in all men (ye in mine enemies) only the my lord god and thy blessed Image, graces & virtues, that I never flatter, love nor dissemble with any man's vices, but that I may indifferently and most heartily wish and desire the soul health of every man. mortify in me, good lord all such favour in ordinate, which might engender in me any dysquietnes, distraction, or desire of person to have his favour fryndeshype or presence, and thus paint my heart and mind with many fancies in the time of prayer. And when I should turn my heart unto thee, it infectyth it and defileth it as it were a very poison of the love of god.  
¶ Grant me (good lord) to love the only, and for thy sake to renunce and for sake the love of all creatures that the image and memory of the only may remain only in my mind at all time and season.  
¶ O most blessed jesus whose blessed soul was ever occupied and full of heavenly contemplation I most humbly beseek the in the merits of that precious wound of thy godly and most loving heart grant me grace by thy mightiful help, most perfectly to mortify in me the intolerable combreaunce of vain and unprofitable, yea and vicious, fancies, which wonderfully do occupy my mind most commonly in the time of prayer though I do not consent unto them, yet they do defile some what the soul and heart and maketh heavy the holy ghost, and do much hurt and damage unto the profit in spiritual life. I knowledge, most merciful lord, that all these cogitations do arise and grow by reason of my neglygens and unmortifycation, because I do not diligently labour and with violence compel my heart to be occupied in good thoughts, but suffer it to wander both vicyusly and idly, wasting my time, and therefore when I would turn in my heart and recollect my spirit wholly unto ghostly thoughts, I find my heart laden with innumerable distractions, which greatly do hinder my profit and increase in perfection. Wherefore (most loving Lord) grant me grace so deeply and perfectly to print in my heart and memory thy blessed image & the lovely remembrance of thy most bitter and blessed passion and death of thy most ardent unmeasurable charity, of thy most low and profund humility, of thy most blessed poverty, thy mildness, thy obedience with all thy holy virtues with the memory of all thy most merciful benefits, gifts & graces given unto me and all mankind, that the earnest & oft memory of thes, may occupy my heart always, and put out of place all the remembrance of other transitory things good or bad. And the oft cogitation and memory of thee, may turn into a pure affection. And the knowledge of thee, may also be turned into most perfect love. And with my outward silence I may have & hold also most perfect silence from the jangeling of all vain fancies in my heart, that thou only mayst rest there in.  
¶ Most merciful redeemer jesus, which suffered'st most cruel kind of passion and death, grant me (in the merits of all thy pains and passions) grace most perfectly to mortify in me all care, natural passions as joy, and sorrow, hope and dread, love and hate and shamefastness, that nothing may rest in my heart but thou only Lord. For when any of thes occupy my heart (yea though it be a thing lawful) yet the care, the love, fear or hope sorrow or hate of the thing, do greatly dystracte the mind, darkenyth the heart, it mynyshyth devotion, and make all ghostly exercise unsavoury and irksome. Wherefore most merciful Lord rid my my affection & desire, from all things under the that I may also despise & contemn myself for the pure love of thee, then shall no thing make me glade nor sorry, but thou only. So shall my heart be frea from all thing, and from the care, love, fear hope & joy.. Then shall I, with ease (by thy grace) at all times recollect my whole spirit inwardly unto thee, and so in thee, and with thee, to rest to thy honour and glory.  
¶ O moste meek jesus whose patience and swettnes of heart was so great, that thou wast not discontentyd with them that cruelly and painfully put the to death, but of burnig & excellent charity, thou praidist most charytablely for them as though they had been thy dear friends, in merits of the which, thy most patient passion and thy most meek death (which thou suffered'st for me) grant me grace, fully to mortify in myself, all bitterness of heart & angrines against mine even christian, specially that doth arise of a wicked or a cankeryd conscience, and secret envy towards mine even christian, for the grace which he hath more than I, whereby I should desire him to fall to sin, and to be as wicked as I, or else should wish and go about to obscure and hide his virtue and grace, lest he should be preferred and better set by then I.  
¶ Grant also (good Lord) thal I may utterly mortify in myself, all that anger, bitterness that may arise in me of any rancour or hate for any displeasure done in time past, to seek where & what I might find in mine even christian to his dispraise or rebuke. Also, all that anger that arysyth in me oft time, when I have not that which my unmortyfyed desire would have, and causeth me some time to murmur in my heart against them that letteth me from such things, that I would have, as my prelate's or any other.  
¶ Good lord (of thy great mercy) grant me help to mortify in me, the angrines of my heart which I have many times against the vices of other, or rather against them where I ought to have compassion & pity. But merciful Lord this arysyth of presumption of mine own life and merits while I think myself righteous or better than other. And thus do I rashly judge them & their deeds, and wax wrathful against them and their deeds. Wherefore merciful lord, grant me grace with the sweetness of meek patience, and of perfect charity utterly to mortify all bitterness of stomach and angrynes that I may love most heartily all me, yea my most ennimes and such as seeketh my death, and as heartily to pray and to do for them, as though they were my entire friends, and in very deed so they are, for they bring us unto great merits.  
¶ most merciful saviour most worthy of all worship, honour and praise, which for my sake diddyst suffer the greatest shame and most worldy confusion that the spiteful malice of the most envious jews could devise, I most humbly beseek the for all the rebukes sorrowful shames and confusions that thou suffered'st grant me grace to mortify in myself, all my affection and appetite of vain glory, vain praise and pride, the delight and vain  king of myself, of my words, deeds, & of thy gracyes and gifts, by most clear knowledge and seeing of mine own vile wretchedness, and wretched vileness, and by unfeigned desire of all contempt, that I may ever more ascribe all my goodness & goods ghostly and bodily unto the my lord god only, reckoning myself most unworthy of the least of them, both for the enormity, the filthiness, and the multitude of my sins, and unthankfulness and for that, that I had fallen unto innumerable more and more enormius sins, if thy grace only had not preserved me, and also because that there is not so wretched a sinner in the world, but if he had the graces that I have, he would serve and honour and love the more faithfully and truly than I do.  
Wherefore most merciful jesus grant me grace from my very heart to desire unfeignedly to be contemned, despised, mocked and over trodden of all the world, and to suffer all worldly shame and confusion, that when any of these come, I may with a glad and joyful heart receive them, as at thy hand my lord god to thy glory & honour ¶ most merciful saviour jesus, which hangest most painfully upon the holy cross, three long hours for me destitute of all comfort and consolation inward and outward, as though thou hadst been the very enemy of god, grant me grace and power to mortify in myself all desire of all delight and sweetness sensible in grace, devotion, love sensible, which is only in the neither powers of the soul, which sweetness sensible though it be in grace, in love, devotion and prayer, yet it is not very sanctimony or charity, but good lord, certain gifts of thy goodness sent unto us week sinners to comfort our weakness, not to rest in them, but that we comforted with them, should labour more earnestly to mortify ourselves and the seeking of ourself. For Lord God, look how much I am mortified to all creatures, and to myself, so much I have of true sanctimony and very charity. Wherefore, most gracious jesus grant me grace, to die perfectly unto the desire of all comfort, doth bodily and ghostly. And to be fully constant with all dereliction and desolation. That for thy sake and will, forsaking here all comfort and abiding all desolation, I may, of thy mercy, have the celesteal consolation, which thou dydyst promise saying, blessed be ye that sorrow for ye shall have consolation to thy glory and honour.  
¶ O most merciful redeemer of my sinful soul, which suffered'st so sorrowful, so painful, so bitter and cruel pain and passion, that there was never no pain nor passion like unto thine, & that, with such meekness, such obedience, longanymitie and patience, as never was seen nor hard of, grant me (most wrathful wretch grace perfectly to mortify all Inpacyens, in all bodily adversity, infamy, rebuke, mocks, contumely, sickness, trouble, pain persecution, and desolation, and in loss damage, or hurt, which may chance or come upon me, by thy sufferance good lord, with the which, thou art wont to try thy most dear beloved and elected, as gold in the furnes. In the which also thou thyself, my most dear Lord jesus, was greatly tried, which sufferydst with most mild mind and patient heart, all contumely, all scorn, sore stripes, spyteting, scourges, the torment upon the cross and so many pains, as thy enemies could devise. And yet was thou ready to suffer moche more, for the honour of god the father, & for our soul health.  
¶ most gracious jesus, therefore grant me grace, with most meek and perfect patience, all outward and inward adversity, hurt, or grief, to suffer and bear it so long, as it shall please thee, that I never in heart, word, neither deed, do show any point of rancore or grudge, that I may bear no sorrow norbytternes in my heart, but I may ever reckon myself worthy, of much worse and more pain, offering myself to suffer what ever thou shalt send me. And that I may (of most lovely affection to be like & conformable in suffering unto thee) with great desire abide and look for, all adversity and pain, whereby I may obtain the abundance of grace to thy glory.  
¶ O most loving lord jesus, whose property is to have mercy, and of thy in effable mercy didst suffer most cruel death & passion, that true repentant sinners, were they never so abominable and enormius should obtain, full remission of there enormities, grant me most wretched sinner I humble beseek the grace to mortify in myself, all scrupulosnes of consiencie, by most full confidence, trust and hope of thy unmeasurable mercy, and by thy most sweat goodness. I knowledge (most merciful saviour) that this ariseth in me for lack of confidence in thee, and this lack of confidence springeth of the slender love that I have toward the. For they that have a fervent and a great love, they have a great hope, but I wretched sinner, have a little & slender charity: therefore I have not such confidence as I ought to have in thy mercy, but by reason that the love of myself is unmortyfied in me, and I fear more thy justice and the pain of hell, than I do love & believe thy infynitie goodness & blessed mercy, and therefore I am disquietid with this scrupulous fear, which letteth me greatly from many good deeds, and increase of thy love and holy perfection. Therefore most merciful lord, for thy mercy sake, grant me the pure love of thee, & most firm hope and trust of thy mercy, that all scrupulous fear may utterly be mortified in me to thy honour and glory.  
¶ O most meek saviour jesus which camest into this wrecchyd world, not to do thine own will, but the will of thy heavenvly father, and in the time of thy most sorrowful, heavy and deadly agony and intolerable heaviness of thy godly and most innocent heart diddest forsake thy own will and didst resign thyself wholly unto the will of god thy father. In the gracius merits of thy most painful agony & sorrowful bloody sweet, grant me I humbly beseek thee (sweet jesus) the grace utterly in me to mortify the propriety of my own will, and perfectly to yield and resign myself wholly into thy most blessed pleasure & hands, to abide, whatsoever thou shalt, in time or for ever, suffer to come upon me be it solas or sorrow, pain or pleasure, hell or heaven so it be thy blessed will, without any gain saying, murmur or grudge of heart, that ioifulli I may for thy love, suffer all pain ghostly & bodily ¶ Grant me good lord most perfect obedience not only unto my superiors but also to all others in things lawful.  
¶ Grant me obedience unto my superiors, not only in outward deeds but also inwardly in readiness of my will to conform my will unto the will of my Prelate in all things, and that for no regard of any favour, laud or praise therefore, but that I may rather desire to be despised therefore. ¶ Grant me (most gracious jesus) so exact and perfect obediens unto the my lord god that I may never have any other desire or will in me saving only thine. That thine and mine (by singular grace) may be made one will, one heart, one desire. ¶ Take from me (oh merciful maker) my wicked will the ground of all sin, and give me thy blessed will ground of all grace and goodness.  
Take from me my proud heart, take from me my unpure and unclean desire & put into my soul the insatiable desire of thy honour, and to do thy only will to thy honour and glory. Amen.    

¶ The fift exercise to come to the conformytie in virtue of christ crucified in the desire of all virtue and hate of all sin.  

THou must exercise thyself in the constant very true hate of all sin so that thou wouldest never comytte any (were it never so little) for the fear of no damage, slander or torment in this world were it never so great and dreadful. All sin must needs be pulled out of thy heart before any perfect virtue can grow there, and ear thou canst be permitted to enter in to the heart of jesus to be knit and made one spiritually with him. Thou shalt therefore hate nothing so evil as sin, yea the least that can be, for it dyvydythe and sondryth thy soul from god, and god from thy soul. In like manner thou shalt exercise the in the diligent and continual search, love and giving of all and every virtue be they never so wonderful or never so many, yea if thou wist that every drop of water in the sea were a virtue, thou shouldest labour for them all, for the very honour of god. Thou oughtest (as much as is possible for thee) to adorn & to crucify thy body with virtues, always and every where comforming it unto christ crucified for thee, according to the example of his most blessed body which lived alway crucified, and crucified he died and departed this world, and that of his infinite love which was as fresh & new in him toward us, as it had been the love of a new married bride gromme. Our love therefore aught to be ever fresh and new toward him, like the love of a new married bride that a faithful and true spouse doth bear towards her most loving husband.  
THus by this true & perfect love toward our sweet love jesus, we should (in manner) suck and draw in to us out of his sacrate body thes five pryncypal virtues that follow, with their daughters, and print them very strongly & perfectly in our soul and body, that they might shine therein like as they were stars in the firmament. The first virtue is very true meekness. This thou shalt carry in thy feat, and shalt desire thy Lord jesus, by the precious wounds of his most holy feat and his infinite humility which he showed always, but specially in taking upon him manhood, that he will vouchsafe to grant the to be so meek in all things as his most pleasant will, will require of the.  
This humility, than thou haist perfectly obtained, when thou sorrowest, lamentest & art unfeignedly sorry, as oft as any benefit or honour is given or showed unto thee, where of thou verily thinkest thyself very unworthy and also when the perfect desire of all contempt perseveryth and abideth in the in the midst of all slanders injuries rebukes, pains & sorrows that are laid upon thee, and thou thinkest thyself most worthy of them and of much worse. This humility bringeth forth three daughters, obedyens, pacyens, and silence, or keeping of the tongue. The true and very obedient doth not only obey his prelate for his promises and his vows, but also he obeyeth all creatures. The very patiented sufferith and beareth all things for the honour and love of god be they never so painful & sharp that god permyttyth to come upon him, for he beholdyth and consyderyth how pacyenly our Lord jesus suffered his cross and all his pains & passion for our health. The meek person though he be very wise and right well learned, yet he speaketh few, for all things are not gotten by much talk and saying many. For it were better to live well and in few words to show that which thou canst say when need is, and art demaundyd And the very meek speaketh little, for he is obedient, & patiented & keepeth well his tongue. The second pryncypal virtue is true wisdom or sapience in the exercise and use of all thy thoughts works and deeds. This wisdom will govern the strongly and resonabli that thou shalt neither think, speak neither do any thing (be it never so little) as is the stirring of any joint of thy body) but only of very reason, and the permyssyon and pleasure of God. This wisdom thou shalt carry in thy head printing thy head into the pierced head of jesus christ, most humbly beseeking him for the sorrow and pain that he suffered in his most holy head, that he will vouchsafe to adorn thy head with his godly wisdom as much as it shall please him, and he shall know to be necessary for thee, to his high honour, and the soul health of thine even christian. For certain this wisdom is very necessary for all ghostly life, which ought to be instituted, begun and fully ended in an order & according unto reason. wisdom bringeth three daughters, the fear of god, discretion, and simplicity. The godly wise offendyth god never for he that sinneth, he is not godly wise in that point, for all sin is folly and foolishness, and where ever abideth wisdom godly, there is found also the fear of god which is the beginning of all wisdom. And with this fear we ought to be adorned always like & after the manner of children and not like servile servants. And then of his own nature will discretion follow, the which laboryth to keep a mean and a measure in all virtue, least doing any thing more or less than reason doth require or right is, god might be offended. Holy simplicity is to avoid doubleness all troublesomeness and all curiousness, to cleave unto the high goodness of god only, and to take all things good or bad immediately as at the hand of god, and not of any creature, and render and refer them again unto god, wisely to observe and mark the will and ordination of god in all things to obey god and all creatures for god, doing all things in god simply and perfectly with a resigned mind a sweet mildness & not with rashness, for god worketh all thynthinges in us if we give place to him with out simplicity wisdom would be curius & prod Where so ever the very fear of god and wise descrestion are possessed, error or sin can not lightly creep in.  
¶ The third principal virtue is the true charity of god. This virtue thou shalt here in thy heart, looking well upon and marking the throw pierced heart of jesus christ printing thy heart into it. Thou shalt most humbly and devoutly desire thy lord jesus by the love of his godly and wounded heart that he will vouchsafe to grant thee (in the merits of the same) the perfect love of of himself. The charity of god begettith three daughters, faith, hope, and perseverance. For hereof cometh all our faintness and decay, that we do not persever, for because our charity is little, & is not great enough which might beget perseverance for he that attempteth & entereth any thing of very true charity (be it never so hard & meruelus) he will not cease until he hath obtained it, for charity begetteth faith, by which we may do and work wonders as also by firm and sure hope and trust in god, abiding with confidens in his help and not in our own power.  
¶ The fourth principal virtue is justice or rightwiseness whom thou shalt bear in thy right hand, and thou must mark well and take good heed unto the right hand of jesus christ how for rightwiseness sake it was fastened unto the cross with a gros and sturdy nail, beseeching him most humbly by the most bitter pain that he suffered in the precious wound of his right hand, for rightwiseness by the love that forced him to suffer the pain, that he will vochesafe to grant unto the very true rightwiseness in all thy deeds, that thou mayst render to god almighty that, which belongeth unto him: as all honour and glory, all love and thanks giving in all thy cogitations, words, and deeds, in like sort unto thy superior, to thy equal, & unto thy inferior, such things as belong unto them, as is thy duty to render unto them, and also unto thy body that thou mayst give unto it those things which belong unto it, as in meat, drink sleep, cloth & in other necessaries no more nor no less than thou art bond. This right wiseness begettyth three daughters. Mercy, truth or verity, and thankfulness.  
rightwiseness is a meruelus virtue, the which gevithe to every one that belongeth and is dew to them and bryngith forth mercy. Very & true mercy first taketh compassion upon the soul of the even christian as, for example. If a poor man should ask an alms: first of all (if it be expedient and opportunity do serve) and thou doist hope of fruit & ghostly profit in him, and perceivest that he is diseased ghostly and is in danger of sin, thou art bond to give him, a ghostly alms for the comfort of the soul, which ought first to be fed for it is much better than the body, and then feed his body if he need and thou be able. Rightousenes' begettith verity or truth which seeketh god in all things, it begettyh also thankfulness. For it is not possible that a right wise man should not be thankful unto god, and unto all such as hath showed him the way to come to god & have helped him toward his soul health. The fift principal virtue is very and godly fortitude or strength ghostly in fulfyling and doing all vertwe and in eradycating and dystroing all vice.  
True fortitude careth for no creature nor fearyth neither the devil, neither men neither the whole world, neither the own flesh, but boldly and manfully going forward and passing thorough all things, he can contepme easeli all things for gods love of whom he hath received that fortitude. When any temptation cometh upon a man where by he is forced to fall, them doth this godly fortitude succure him and putteth him in mind saying. What wilt thou do, wilt thou offend god thy maker? why there wilt thou. Abide still steadfastly where thou art now ryhtwel, lest more mischief come to the. This virtue of true fortitude thou shalt bear in thy left hand, beholding and marking well the left hand of thy saviour jesus christ, & most humbly beseek him by the sorrow & pain of the precious wound of his left hand, and by the wonderful fortitude that he showed in all his works that he will vochesafe to power in to thy soul and body very & true fortitude as much as is necessary for his high honour and thy salvation. This godly and ghostly fortitude begettyth three daughters: Chastity, sobriety, and poverty. A strong man in god he sticks not neither tarrieth not any where, but strongly and stoutly passeth thorough all that ever is in the whole world, as though they appertaynyd nothing at all unto him, neither feareth to pass thorough fire or water (trusting in the help of god) until he hath obtained that which he desireth. A strong man in god is easily pleased and soon contented in all things yea with a piece of brown bread, with an homily apparel, with poor and vile household stuf, he sekith not curius paint hangings, images, and such other in his chamber: lest such should pull any portion of his love from god, and stay & let his heart that would to god, for he would perpetually without impediment cleave unto god. And therefore it begettyth chastity, for this fortitude detestith & abhorrith all uncleanness that displeasyth and is hateful to god: it begettyth also sobriety, for wyttyngely if will not admit nor suffer any ercesse or superfluity. It bringeth forth also poverty, for it possesseth nothing in this world, nor of this world, & verily poverty voluntary, is a marvelous, yea & an excellent mean to possess god. Thes foresaid virtues of our Lord jesus Christ thou must ask of him and labour to print them in to thy body and soul (as much as in the lieth) all thy life time, conforming thyself in thes holy virtues, to thy lord jesus, as much as is possible for the always & everiwher, beholding by devout contemplation, the image and memory of his crucified life and death, and following the same in thes virtues (that we have spoken of) or at the least in the five pryncypal, stretching and nailing thyself (in thes virtues) unto his cross, so that what so ever thou turnest thy self, either on the right hand, either on the left hand thou mayst behold, on the part of thy body and on that side, one of these virtues of jesus set before thine eyes to be hold and to follow. For our Lord jesus will make none partakers of his death the refuseth to crucify for his sake, his own flesh with vices and lusts, and to mortify the same. More over all be it that the mortification and crucyfieng of our most vile flesh be nothing in comparison of the cross and death of our lord god. Yet that most mildest and merciful lord, of his endless pity and goodness, doth vochesafe to take thankfully the small crosses and pains that we for his love do willingly bear and suffer, whether (by his permission and sufferance) they be inward derelictyon and ghostly tentation, either outward injures oppressions and sorrows laid upon us. For how ever such crosses come upon us, he taketh them thankfully, so that we bear them for his sake and die to our own will and desire.  
¶ This exercise after thou haste well sucked and digested it into thy heart thou shalt not forsake all days of thy life.   

¶ Aspirations for this exercise  
¶ Oh my dear redeemer jesus in the merits of thy most bitter death, mortify in me all sin and vyciosnes and plant in me all verteus.  
¶ Oh most meek saviour jesus for thy meek death sake, make me perfectly meek and slay in me all pride.  
¶ most blessed and sempiternal wisdom of the father, for thy cruel coronation with thorns, lighten my wits with thy holy wisdom, and take from me all sinful ignorance.  
¶ My most dear and loving Lord jesus for the precious wound of thy sweet heart, wound and pierce my heart with thy perfect love and burning charity.  
¶ most rightful judge of quick & dead my lord jesus grant me perfect rightwiseness that I may give unto the & unto all creatures, that I own them.  
¶ Most myghtis lord god my saviour jesus, for all thy blessed pain & passion grant me ghostly fortitude and strength against all the assaults and temptations of the devil, the world and my flesh.   

¶ The practise of this exercise to the feat of jesus.  
I Laude and praise and give most humble thanks unto thee (meek and most merciful saviour jesus for the example of thy great meekness, and for thy unmeasurable love and pain of the most blessed wounds that thou sufferydest in thy sweet feat, and in to this thy blessed wounds, & the merits of them. I comyte myself wholly and all my wickedness and sins of all my former life, specially all my detestable pride, vain glory, and arrogancy. Al myself will my desobediens, my irreverency and dishonour, that I have done to the & thy ministers and servants. All my impatiency my angrynes, my rancore and malice, my unprofitable idle & evil talk detraction and all kind of sin that appertain unto any of these, beseeking the that they may be forgiven and purged in thy precious blood, and by the pain and sorrow of the same. I most humble beseke (most merciful jesus) for thy great mercy, In the merits of this thy blessed wounds, of thy most holy feat, & by the pain and sorrow of the same, by thy ineffable & most profunde meekness, that thou showed in taking on the our nature, and for the love and charity that compelled that to suffer this pain and passion,  
¶ Grant me most inward perfect and deep meekness of heart before thy divine presence, by the which, I may perfitly and clearly see the dignity of thy infinite majesty, and the great meekness of the same. And one the other side I may perfectly and clearly see and perceive, the bottomless pit of my vices and naughtiness, I may also at all time, submit myself most lowly in heart and mind (and as oft as it shall be expedient in deed also) unto, & under all creatures. I may wholly hate & esteem myself, as a thing of nought, I may desire and wish myself to be contemned despised and over trodden, as the most vilest dirt of the streets of all men, that I may also be sorry and refuse, to have any benefit or honour of any creature. That I may also speak always most meekly, & most gladly ever more acknowledge, with out all excuse, my great fault and offence. And utterly dispeiring of my own power and might, I may think & retain evermore from the bottom of my heart these words unfanyedly. I am nought, I have nought, I am able to do nought, I desire nought but one. I may also (in mine own judgement) for my great wretchedness & vileness, place myself, most justly and worthily in the lowest and deepest place in hell.  
¶ Grant me also (gracious saviour) in the merits of thy obedient death and passion, grace to follow thy most pure & perfect obedience, by most flexible and ready submission of most prompt will, so that I may never be weary, in forsaking and denying mine own proper will and fansyin all thing subduing my flesh unto the spirit both in keeping and fulfilling most meekly thy will and pleasure inwardly & also outwardly in obeying not only my superiors, but also all creatures, as far as it may be lawful. Grant (good lord) grace that I never do any thing with propriety or affection singular, being to earnest, or to much given unto it, but with a continual meekness of my heart and mind unto thy will, I may, as it were, lie at thy foot, I may desire nothing, neither in myself netyher in any creature while the world standeth save only to know & execute thy blessed will, saying alway in my heart & with the desire of my mind, Lord what wilt thou that I shall do. And so evermore I may transform and conform my will into thine, or utterly forsake my will and turn it to nothing.  
¶ Grant me also, most gracious lord, to follow thy most wonderful patience and mildness, where in I may (with most quiet and thankful heart) receive at the hand of thy high providence, all poverty, all rebuke and shame, all pain, grief, and sorrow, acknowledging myself most worthy of them and much greater and grievous, desiring evermore to suffer more painful and more harder pains with long suffering, for very desire to be like, in suffering and patience, unto the my Lord jesus crucified for me, and for thy sake, I may willingly joyfully and thankfully suffer at all time all things.  
¶ Grant me also (according to thy example) meek silence and taciturnity whereby I may the more diligently hearken inwardly thy talk & lovely words in my heart, & outwardly I may utterly and strongly abstain, both from speech, and hearing of all idle words, lies and harmful words, & that I may speak only, very profitable & needful, and that with all meekness I may desire to edify more in good life than with many works, and all my life time, & specially at the our of death, may have a sure and a certain refuge and comfort in these thy precious wounds of thy most holy feat.   

¶ Unto the blessed head of our saviour jesus.  
I Laude and praise the and give unto the most hearty thanks, most merciful jesus for thy great wisdom and for the great love and sorrow of thy most holy head, which was most painfully & most cruelly prickid and crowned with thorns, and sore beaten for my sake, I most humbly and lowly commend and commit my weak head with all my senses and wits, into the innumerable wounds that thou suferidst in thy blessed head for all my sins and offences but specially the pertinaci and proud stubborns of mine own wit and wisdom. The misuse of all my senses and wits in ward, and outward. The negligences of the fear of the. The inordinate fear & the flattering of men. The lack of discretion, and my great intemperance, my unpure intent in my doing and, the seeking myself. And the vices and sins that appertain to these or any of them, that they may be forgiven me in the merits of thy precious blood, I most humbly beseek thee (most gracious good lord) for the most bitter pain of thy wounded head, and for that charity and love that moved the to suffer that most bitter cruelness for me, and by thy inestimable wisdom, thy most holy fear, thy blessed discretion, & most meek simplicity adorn my weak head with thy godly and ghostly wisdom, as much as is expedient for me to thy glory and my salvation. And vochesafe, most merciful lord with the same to govern me so with in and without, that I neither think, speak do or suffer any thing, be it never so little, except I know that it may please thee, and that by wainge duly the cyrcumstance & the end hereof, and in my reason, lightened with thy grace, I may perceive as it were, a certain leave given unto me of the to do that I intent. lighten also good lord, my understanding with the clear & perfect knowledge of thy great goodness & holy will, and of the vileness and naughtiness both of myself and of all transitory things. Replete, fulfil and make drunken mine affection with the sweet taste of thy love, and with the infaciable desire to honour thee, and to dysspise myself. Turn all temporal things in me unto bitterness. Make me deaf, doom, and blind, by thy mighty power, unto all things which thou art not or besides the.  
¶ Grant me also, good lord, the lowly fear of thee, and the perpetual hate of all sin be it never so little, and a straight costodye and keeping of both my inward and outward man that I may alway remember and think on before hand, all my words and works having an eye alway inwardly unto my consciens that I may devoutly call upon thy divine and godly help, before that I speak or do any thing, & that as soon as I perceive any thing against the order of reason or thy law, I may by and by leave of, lest I should lose thy grace, and offend thy blessed majesty.  
¶ Grant me also, merciful saviour perfect and clear discretion, whereby I may both know and also avoid, all snares of the devil and all the natural seaking of myself, and that I may wisely take head & rightly decern, & also execute every thing that appertaineth to me in their dew manner, order, and time, that I may come to the mean of virtue which is between to much and to little.  
¶ Grant me also, most sweet jesus, the simplicity of babes whereby my understanding may be void and bare of all doubleness and combernes of many things, and of much curyose and unprofitable knowledge. My will may be void and clean of all the seeking and love of myself. My memory may be clean clear from all cares, cogitations and imaginations. My wits & powers may be, as they were shut up and turned inward, that I may become a dweller inwardly within myself continually, & thus forgetting all worldly things, I may in the pure cogitation & desire of my heart cleave and rest in the one pure lord god. And walking continually with all reverens in thy godly presence I may be careful and busy to keep the unity of my spirit unto thee, in the bond of ghostly peace.  
¶ Grant, gracious lord that I may diligently take great head of all my thoughts, my words, and deeds & of pure & simple obedience under thee, and other men in the & by the I may do them without scrupulus band or cleaving to them. Grant me grace, good Lord, that I may take, as at thy hand & providens all things that ever come unto me good or bad, and that I may, remembering my naughtiness, for every one of them, first give hearty thanks to thee, and then take good heed & mark, to what end they may serve me, or what they do warn me of, as whether thy goodness, by this gift doth warn me to give the thanks, for the evil or adversities which thou hast suffered to come to me or to them, or hast taken away, from me or them. Or that I should be more fervent in prayer. Or I should wax more meek in myself. Or that I should take better heed to myself. Or that I should yield & resign myself unto thy will. Or that I should acknowledge and amend my fault, my infirmity or negligence. Or to do any other thing. For thou dost never send any thing to any creature, but it is for some good purpose. Teach me therefore (good Lord) to know thy pleasure in all things, & of all things to take increase of virtue, and purely & wisely to fulfil thy holy will in all things, utterly forsaking mine own will, and the seeking of myself. And grant me (most merciful jesus) all the days of my life, but specially in the agony of death a sure and a certain succour, in the precious wounds of thy most blessed head. Amen.   

¶ Unto the sweet heart of jesus.  
I Laud and praise the and give unto the most loving Lord and saviour jesus for the infinite love and charity, for the great sorrow and heaviness of thy most sweet loving and most godly heart launcyd with a knights spear in the sight and presnes of thy most sorrowful mother marry. I commend resign and commit most lowly & humbly, all my whole heart with all my affections and desires hereof, into thy precious word of thy most divine heart, the well of all goodness. And also all my sins and offences, but specially all my private love to myself and all vycyus love that ever I bore unto any creature. The abuse and neglygens of thy blessed sacraments, of thy gifts of graces. My mistrust, my infidelity my heresies and errors, my inordynate fear, pusylanimitie, and desperation. All the neglyence and little care that I have taken in the things pertaining unto my calling and state, with all my instability and the vices and sins appertanyning to thes or any of them that they may be forgiven me & be purged in thy most precious blood I most humbly beseech thee, most gracius Lord jesus, for the most burning love and charity of thy godly heart, and for the precious word hereof, and for all sorrow, agony and heaviness, that thou sufferedest in it, and by the ineffable charity, constancy and all the virtues of thy blessed heart, fulfil my heart with most perfect love & charity which may slay in me, all love to myself and unto creatures that it may wound and set on fire my heart, with the dart of thy fiery love, that I may most heartily and most perfectly love thee, with all my whole heart, with all my mind, with all my strength and power, poorly, without any respect of any reward save only for thy goodness.  
¶ Grant, good Lord, that I may, for thy sake and love, forego all things, be they never so great, I may do all good things be they never so hard, I may suffer all pains be they never so painful, & that for thy only love and for thy sake, & to persever herein until the end.  
¶ Grant me most merciful lord grace that I may sigh, call, and knock, continually unto the with burning desires and continual prayer, for the perfect forsaking of myself, and for the lovely and godly union of my soul unto thee. That I may ever think on the. I may always talk of thee, I may thirst & hunger thee, that I may seek & find thee, until that I be fully transformid and changed all together into thee, & made one spirit with thee, ever remaining in the and thou in me.  
¶ Grant also that I may (in the same charity) love every man,  thy sake, as myself. ¶ Grant me (most faithful jesus) a lively and a strong faith that worketh great & meruelus works for thy honour jesus.  
¶ Grant me also a right and a godly intent lyghtenid with the light of faith which may direct my with, the simple eye of my pure mind, to thy glory and most acceptable will in all things that I do or that I suffer, and that it may cut of & cast away all the seeking of myself, whereunto my corrupt nature alway craftily draweth me. ¶ Grant unto me also, good lord steadfast hope and strong trust and confidence in thee, where by my soul may be lifted up unto the above all changeable and transitory things, that it may execute all works & motions so purely (without all carefulness and imaginations of outward things, that it never let, nor lose the lovely rest and influence in thee, but among all perils and adversities with a full hope and trust in thee, it may abide with long sufferance, thy high pleasure and providence, and with all meekness it may stedfastli hope that my prayers to be graciously hard of thee, for thy great goodness, without any doubt, abiding in the help and protection of the highest.  
¶ Grant most loving lord jesus, stabilytye and constance in all godly purpose, proceeding from a strong and true love whereby I may, looking often upon the blessed example of thy most holy life, go forward in perfection, with a continual and a fervent desire and labour to grow in virtue forgetting all things past.  
¶ Grant me grace sweet saviour jesus, oft to examine myself and to remember what I do, what I think, and as soon as I perceive myself distracted from thee, them with a new fervour and desire, I may return again unto the. And that I may not fear neither fiere nor water, but constanly to run thorough all things for thy sake & love, and therein to persever unto the end. ¶ Grant me most merciful jesus all the days of my life, but specially at the hour of death, a strong and sure refuge and comfort in the precious wonde of thy most blessed, loving, & most trusty heart. Amen.   

¶ Unto the right hand of jesus  
I Laud and praise the and give most hearty thanks unto the most ryghteus lord jesus, for thy most omnipotent rightousenes and thy unspeakable love and grievous pain that thou suffurest in the wound of thy holy and mighty right hand. And into the same most blessed wound, I cast commit, and commend myself wholly and my sins and offences, but specially all my unrighteousness and wrongs that I have done, to the and to thy creatures. All the bitterness of my heart, all my displeasure angrines and envy. Al my falsehood my untruth and hypocrisy. Al my unthankfulness to thee, for thy benefits and to thine for their benefits. That all these my sins might be forgiven me and be purged in thy precious blood: I most humbly beseek thee (most meek saviour jesus) for the most bitter and sorrowful pain of that precious wonde of thy right hand, and for the great charity that moved the to suffer so grievous pain for me to justify me, and by thy in estimable rightwiseness, thy great mercy, thy godly truth & most lovely thankfulness: grant me pecfecte rightwiseness where by I may render my duty to the my lord specially, and for thy honour unto all creatures that which belongeth unto them. First grant gracious good lord, that I may of pure love give evermore unto the my lord god, all honour and glory, reverence and fear, all laud praise, thanks and obedience, in all my thoughts, words and deeds. secondly I may also give unto my superyors, unto my eguals, unto my inferiors (yea unto my soul and body) I may alway give each of these that which belongeth unto every one of them.  
¶ Grant me, good lord, grace to do all these things which I am bound to do by my calling, and profession in due time and order with most meek devotion. That I may also fly that which is forbyden me, & that I may slay and make a sacrifice of myself daily, for my sins and neglygens, with the sweet tears of love and repentance. And thus by the merits of thy bitter & holy passion, I may be purged here in this world, and walk worthily all the days of my life, in the calling and state that thou hast mercifully called me.  
¶ Grant me also, most meek and pitiful jesus to follow thy most ready mercy, compassion and pity, thy bontefullnes and liberality toward me, yea to mine enemies & adversaries that I be never disposed, nor angry with any man, that I never hate, judge or contemn any man, but that without acception of person, I may with a fatherly affection love and honour, for thy sake, all persons, specially such as be diseased or afflicted, tempted or grieved (though they be mine enemies) I may faithfuly and lovingly serve them, and do them good, also with my prayer and my help, to the uttermost of my power, I may secure them in all necessities, but chiefly I may seek and desire their soul's health, & that I may sorrow their sins, & heartily pray for them. And for the virtuous & the good, I may give thanks to the as I would for myself.  
¶ Grant me most sweet saviour, grace to follow thy holy verity, & truth, & to flee and eschew all kind of untruth.  
¶ Grant me to follow also, godly zeal against mine own vices specially, & all other men's the which holy zeal may devour me all together for the health of christian souls.  
¶ Grant also good lord, that my life & all my deeds may evermore agree with my heart and godly words, & that they may be conformable, also unto the verteus of thy most holy life.  
¶ Grant me also, most gracius jesu, most hearty and inward thankfulness, whereby I may, with all meekness, most lowly acknowledge, all thy benefits given unto me by the and by thy creatures, and that I may esteem them and regard them worthily, lauding, and praising the with all devotion, and give unto the most humble and hearty thanks, ascribing them wholly and purely (without subtraction of any part of them) only to thy infinity goodness thinking myself most unworthy of them, yea I may think myself one that doth misuse all thy gifts, that I may never delight in them, nor rest in none of them, be it never so little, but rest and delight only in the finally which art the giver of all, and with out thee, all they can nothing profit me.   

¶ Unto the left hand of jesus  
I Laud and praise the & give most humble thanks unto thee (most mighty jesus) for thy almighty fortitude and strength, and for the incomprehensible love and pain of the precius wound of thy left hand, in the which most blessed wound I most lowly and meekly commend and commit me wholly with all my sins & offences but specially all my cowardness and weakness against temptation and sin. Al my negligence and slowthfullnes. All the loss of my time and idleness. All the impurity and sinful filthiness of my body and soul And my intemperance & excess in meat & drink, and of other bodily necessaries. Al my coveties greediness, and inordinate love and pleasure that I have had in use or keeping of any thing, withal vices that appertain to thes or any of them that they may be forgiven and be purged in thy precious blood and merits. And (most merciful saviour jesus) I humbly beseek thy infinite goodness for thy most crewel pain and sorrow, that thou suffered'st in the precious wound of thy left hand, and for that great charity, that caused the to suffer and abide the same for my sins. I beseek the in the honour of thy most almighty strength, thy most holy purity, thy most wonderful temperance and thy most blessed poverty, grant me so much strength as is necessary for me to thy glory and honour and my soul health, by the which ghostly strength. I may be able to rule my wit and soul with all my senses and powers, so that (neither fearing man, neither the world, nor my own flesh) I may strongly & boldly (for thy sake which gavest me strength) pass thorough and despise all thing, as though they pertaynyd nothing unto me, and that I may not stay nor stick at nothing until I come unto, and obtain that, which I most desire (that is to say) to be one sprite and remain one (in one spirit) with the my Lord god.  
¶ Grant me also (most blessed jesus grace to follow thy most lovely chastity of body & purity of heart, whereby I may vehemently detest & utterly abhor, all filthy uncleanness And that I may continually keep chaistly all my cogitations and my senses, from all sin & occasion thereof, from all impurity and cleaving unto any creature. And in all unclean temptations, as oft as they shall chance upon me, grant me grace speedily without any tarriance, always to renounce them and to run unto the with a mighty turning of my heart & that with my whole mind and desire. And so with a pure mind and affection I may cleave and stick fast to the only.  
¶ Grant me grace, most mild saviour jesus, to follow thy most holy sobriety & temperance, whereby I may restrain and mortify all the powers and affections of my soul, and the senses of my body, from all inordynate delectation and pleasure, and from superfluity & excess in meats & drinks, that I may moderately use only necessaries, without delight in them, with thy fear, not turning my affection from thee, but that the uppermost powers of my soul may remain strongly in the lovely knot and burning desire of the.  
¶ Grant me also (most blessed jesus) grace to follow thy most blessed voluntary poverty. The which (who might come to it) bringyth a man by a merueilus near way speedily unto god.  
¶ Grant me therefore (good Lord) by that poverty, to be and to abide ever, losid, bare and verily poor in spirit, outwardly from all affection and temporal things, and inwardly from all love and rest in any of thy gifts sperytual, that I may use (with sorrow and yrkesomenes) yea my veri necessaries: that I may never desire to keep or possess any thing but (all naked and bare) I may rest between thy naked and bare arms, not keeping nor reserving any thing in my heart or desire, but only a pure intent to please thee, and to seek how I may do it, and that most perfectly by thy grace and merciful help. And all the days of my wretched life (but specially at the dreadful hour of my death) grant me (most merciful jesus) to have a sure and trusty refuge and succure, in the precius wound of thy blessed left hand. Most sweet saviour jesus I humbly beseek the that where I wretch by reason of my great enormities and sin am unworthy to be hard, or to obtain thes petitions of thee, thy most blessed and inmaculat mother marry may obtain than for me, to whose blessed prayer, intercessions & merits, I commend them, that by her they may be admitted into thy most godly & gracius presence & bring to me (of thy mercy) forgiveness & grace to thy glory & honour. Amen.    

¶ The sixth Exercise to obtain a conformity & following of Christ's life & passion.  

THou must also exercise thyself in the whole shape and prefyte meditation of the life and passion of christ prynting deeply in to thy soul & flesh his passion & death, that they shine out of the like a lantern, so that thou alway think and talk of them. For christ our saviour by the same redeemed us, when the devil possessed us as his slaves and bond men, that now we are the fathers of heaven, which by his only begotten son hath bought us, paying by him our debts wherein we were bound unto him. And for this great benefit we remain debtors unto him for ever. Wherefore if we will repay this det unto him godly and thankefuly, we must print his life, passion and death in to the powers of our soul, and in to the sensies of our body, and in to all our flesh, we must bear this his cross upon us and follow effecteously as though we were become one with him in his life and passion. And thus the debt that he paid for us, we do some what recompense.  
That thou mayst perfectly fulfil the same thou must needs conform or make like all thy thoughts thy words deeds & thy manners, so like unto the thoughts, the words, the deeds and manners of thy lord jesus christ, that wheresoever thou be seen, hard or touched, there be nothing found in thee, but that which was in jesus christ & then shall be seen in that, that thou art a very christian, a servant & lover of christ. And because that we are like him in the nature of his manhood, we must, according to this example, crucify our nature in us, because our nature did willingly sin, as he exhorteth us in the holy gospel saying, deny and forsake thyself and take up thy cross upon thy back & follow me. In this he commandeth that we should crucify our bodily nature and sensuality with very true virtues. Our soul also we must confirm and make like unto the most heavy and sorrowful soul of our lord jesus, so shall we do, if we sorrow and lament all way the great dishonour of god, the loss of souls, and our own sins and the sins of all men. And look how much we want in this conformytie, and following of Christ's passion in our body and soul, so moche more we remain in debt unto our lord god. Certainly a faithful lover of jesus ought to drown (in manner) & so print himself into the life and passion of him that he should feal that passion & life more present and more fastened into himself, than his own pain or cross that he suferith, yea if he had any special pain or grief in any member of his body & were sore vexed therewith, yet should he feel more the pain and passion of his Lord jesus, than the sorrow that paineth him in the member of his own body. Wherefore thou oughtes with great desire, and devout heart, continually to pray & entreat thy most gracious lord jesus, that he vouchsafe to confirm the most perfectly unto his mortified holy and crucified humanity by an ardent, an elevate and a full resigned spirit, and by a mortified, an heavy, and a compassionate soul, and also by an aflyctyd, a laboursome, a tormented and a pained body, or at the least thou shalt pray him to send the some bodily and continual pain or grief to put the in mind alway of his bitter passion, that thou forget it not, also that he vochesafe to rest in the and to take pleasure to work in the without any inpediment. We ought therefore to exercise ourselves in the most blessed passion of our lord vi manners of ways. first thou shalt exercise thyself in the passion of jesus by imitation or to follow it. Secondly by compassion or to have compassion therein. Thirdly by admiration to have wonder. Fourthly, by joy, or to rejoice therein. Fiftly by resolution or to be resoluid therein. sixthly by devotion to rest therein. first thou oughtest to have meditation in this blessed passion that thou mightest follow the same, for it is the high & most perfectest imitation that a man can have, this is the high and most holiest religion and most relygius perfection. To follow Christ in his death and passion is the rule and the example of our saviour, the rule of our life in whom we may have so much the more comfort & consolation, as we herein be the more conformable and like our lord jesus. And let us think ourselves so much the more desolate, as we find ourselves far from this example & rule. Let us therefore wish and desire as much as lieth in us, to be cast down, to be set at nought, to be scorned, afflicted scourged of all persons, and in the service that we do to God, to be rebuked of all men. Let us be poor and barewyth poor and bare jesus, let us desire to have nothing. Yea let it be most painful pain and unmeasurable sorrow to have any thing, and to have nothing let it be perfect joy & gladness, let us abhor all, to taste sweet & delectable things, & let us rather desire to be refreshed with vile homely & bitter things, and let us desire, that all food or meet may taste to us rather gall than honey, because that jesus drank vinegar & gall. And as I may say briefly, let us consider how he used himself in his passion, and let us conform ourself for our little power unto him as much as we can, keeping and observing always the mean and moderation that we exceed not the measure of our infirmity. Secondly thou must exercise thyself in the blessed passion of thy Lord jesus; that thou mayst take compassion on him most innocent, considering his cruel, scorging, his scorns, his revyles and rebukes revolving in thy heart, how greatly our Lord jesus was dyiectid & contempnyd in his most bitter passion, how great affliction & pain he suffered in his heart & body, both by reason of his own pain and passion, & also by reason of his compassion toward us for our sins.  
Let us consider with how much bitter sorrow the very sweat angels where repleanisshed with all, how much grieved our Lord jesus, not only the pain laid upon him, and our unthankfulness, but also the sore affliction of his dear mother, that stood by, whom he loved most dearly and free he rredy to swoon for sorrow. Certainly by reason of the exceeding grate and most ardent burning love that the one bare to the other, they suffered most painful compassion, and the affliction of both parts was exceeding great. For the one suffered for the other sake. For the mother knew well that her dear son suffered for her specially as well as for to redeem other. The son also knew full well that the sword of sorrow of his passion pierced the soul and heart of his his mother. And therefore was the passion of the son, the passion also of the mother. Go to them good daughter the servant of god and the spouse of christ, to see and turn these in thy heart with the rebukes and pains of thy lord and dear spouse, beholding him suffer so great and intolerable pains for thy sake. If thou were well and fast knit unto him in perfect charity, thou wouldest take exceeding great compassion upon him. If thou feal nothing the pain of thy head, thou art not a member and one with him. Plainly like as we should take more compassion and pity upon the head then on the other members, even so oughtest thou in comparably, to take more compassion upon thy lord jesus, than thou wouldest or shouldest do, upon either father or mother, child, kinsman, or most dear friend, yea then upon thine own self, if thou shouldest suffer all these foresaid pains that thy lord suffered for thee. Therefore now good daughter let us drink ourself drunk with gall, wormwood and myrrh. Let us feal and think on his precius and painful wounds, let his rebukes, scourges & wounds pierce through the bottom of our heart, let there remain nothing in us, that is not all drowned in sorrow and vehemently afflyctyd and troubled.  
¶ Thirdly thou must behold the passion of our saviour jesus to wonder and with admiration, considering who it is, how moche he suffered, and for whom he suffered. Who suffered? plainly the very son of god most mightest, most wysesest, and the very goodness itself. And so good that how much so ever goodness and nobylite thou ascrybest to him, it is nothing in respect of his greatness and excellence. All things be they never so good and never so great and excellent, they are but one ask, yea they are but very vanity and right nought, in comparison of him. How great are they that he suffereth certainly travel in a straying country, banishment, flight hunger, thirst, cold, heat, temptations, horyble, fears, persecutions, wait of his enemies to be taken, traytory, spittings, revyles and rekubes, bonds, scorginges, storms, sorrows, plagues and sores, stripes, wounds and death. For the very glory itself was spitefully spit on, right wiseness itself, was condemned. The judge of the world was judged and arraigned, he that took wrong was blamed. The innocent was defamed, god was blasphemed, christ was trodden under foot, life itself was slain, the son was derkenyd the moon waxed black, the stars were, scattered abroad, and all these things did he suffer patiently, as it had been a lamb which with one only beck, was able to have drownid into the bottom of hell, all these unkind and wicked people that so handled him. But for whom suffered he? for most vile manciples, for most sinful enemies of his, yea for very devilish persons, and the children (by imitation) of the devil, for the contemners of the majesty of god, & unkind and unthankful servants to the great goodness of god. Wonder therefore that such and so great a lord would suffer such and so great pains, for most vile and most abject sinners and wretches. But now of whom suffered he? Of his own chosen, and specially choose, unto whom he showed all goodness and bountifulness, of the most vilest, the most excellent of the unwise and fools, the most wisest, the which is the sempiternal word and wisdom of God. The most godlyst, of most ungodly & wicked. The everlasting brightness of the most filthiest matter and corruption. In all these lift up thy heart & mind, and marvel at the infinite goodness and liberality of almighty god, that bought the with so great a price. Fourthly print the passion of thy lord in thy heart to rejoice thereof, for thou oughtest to be glad and joy in it with most hearty thanks giving, for the redemption of the nature of man, for the restoring of angels, and of the great clemency and mercy of allmyghty god, And as for the redemption of mankind, thou oughtest to be wonderfully glad accomplished by Christ's most bitter passion and precious death. Who is he I pray thee, that would not rejoice and be glad, percevinge himself delivered, by this most blessed passion, from everlasting death, from the shame of sin, from the power of the devil? Who would not unmeasurably exceedingly rejoice & beholding and considering that the high and most all mighty lord god so well doth love him, that he would submit and subject himself unto so great vices and affliction to redeem him, not that he should rejoice at the abjection and passion of our lord, but of the most gracious affect hereof, & of the tender affection and love, that he declared in his passion and affliction, what prince in the kingdom or empire of an emperor or king, perceiving himself so greatly to be in favour and love with his lord, that his lord & master would be ready to suffer death for his sake, would he not very greatly rejoice and be glad in his whole heart. How much more than ought we most vile wretches, wicked sinners, and naughty servants, to rejoice and be glad perceiving that the king of all kings and lord of all lorddes our creator jesus christ, doth love us so fervently, that he would offer up in sacrifice himself unto most foul and most vile death. Let us therefore be glad with joy unmeasurable that our lord jesus loveth better each one of us, than any man doth love himself. Let us be glad and rejoice, that by the blessed passion of jesus the ruin and breach of the angels is restored. There ought to be in us great joy & gladness, sith we see that by the passion of christ so noble and blessed a college of the Angels is repaired, that there might be one fold and one shepherd, and all to be one in one god. In this ought we and have we good cause both with the heavenly court and the mylytante church of christ here, to joy and to be glade. O most amiable, and verily most venerable passion of our saviour which joinyth together things, the were so far a sunder, and knyttyth together things so far sequestrated, and most strongly and most firmly unytith & byndyth them fast together with the bond of most perfect love in the felicity of joy sempiternal. But we ought to rejoice and to be glad specially perceiving in all these foresade things, the high & wonderful clemency and mercy of god and of our lord jesus christ. I think the cheafest and high glory and joy of the goodness of the good angels is perfectly to consider the clemency, mercy and benefits of god, & also his unmeasurable goodness. And this aught to be the singular inward joy of him, that is contemplative, & that in the very mary of his soul. For where, I pray thee, doth more apere the pouring upon us the most bontefull mercy, clemency and goodness, of the most sweetest & most loving heavenly father & of our lord jesus christ them in his passion, wherein he suffered such sort & so great, so fowl, so shameful & so grievous pains & torments, & all to deliver & to glorify his wicked enemy for the redemption of a very vanity, worthy of everlasting death. Let the devout persons enter with all devotion into this stable & sure joy, that he may he refreshed with the magnificentie of the goodness of god. Let him approach and ascend unhye in heart, by contemplation of these, and let the most excellent and inenarrable clemency of jesus be exalted in his heart. fifthly thou must have meditation of the most blessed passion of our saviour jesus to revolve thy heart and to transform it into him, the which thou doyst when thou doyst not only follow, and haist compassion, thou merualyst and rejoicest, but thou art wholly converted and turned into thy lord jesus christ crucified, so that in manner every where & and alway the lord jesus christ crucified metyth with thee, yea than art thou verily and truly resolved into him, when thou leaving thyself and going out of thyself and surmounting and transsending all thing, yea above thyself abstracryd from all thing, thou art all together turned, into thy lord jesus crucified, so that thou canst see nothing, thou canst feel nothing with in thyself, but only christ crucified, scornid reviled and put to pain of pure love for the. ¶ Syxtly thou must consider & behold that most blessed passion of thy lord to come to rest of inward sweetness, the which thing thou dost, when thou being resolved (as I said) dost not cease with a thirsty heart or or fervent desire, to revolve & toss in thy mind the most blessed passion And entering as far as thou art able) into that infinite treasure of that blessed passion, meekly and devoutly thou dost melt for pure and devout love, and with fervent devotion and burning love thou falleste from thyself, and dost rest all together in christ crucified. But the more that thou dost cleave & lean unto him only, so much the more thou fallest & decaiest from thyself & dost relent by most devout love: and how much the more that thou dost decay & leave thyself by love and devotion, so much the more thou dost cleave & art knit unto thy love that died for thee, and doyst rest in him. And so doth the cleaving unto christ by love and lovely devotion, increase one the other until the spouse of christ, that is to say, thy soul, be all together swallowyed up and devoured of that most burning hoot furnes of love, of the passion of thy spouse most dear beloved, in whose blessed arms thy soul resteth a sleep, have therefore meditation of the most blessed passion of thy lord jesus in following it, to purge thy mind & heart. By compassion to get love and union, wondering at it, to elevate & lift up thy heart rejoicing therein, do delight and comfort thy heart, resolving to come to perfect conformation and likeness: resting therein keep thy devotion.   

¶ Aspyrations.  
¶ Gracious lord and sweat saviour which sufferidst most painful passion for my love, grant me grace in the merits of the same passion, most faithfully to follow it.  
¶ Merciful and most pitiful lord jesus which art full of pity grant me grace to take compassion and to lament thy most Innocent and wrongful death and most painful and gracious passion.  
¶ Grant me good lord I humbly beseek thee, that I may so earnestly mind thy bitter passion that I may sorrow it as tenderly as though I suffered it myself.  
¶ Oh dear lord & saviour print thy most bitter death & blessed passion in my heart that I may never feal neither any thing dysire save the my loving lord crucified for me. ¶ My most gracious saviour jesus, make my stubborn and sturdy heart melt and be resolved of very pure and devout love in the meditation of thy most precious death & painful passion.   

¶ The practice of the sixth exercise.  
most merciful saviour jesus I wretched sinner do knowledge that I am infinitely bound unto the for the innumerable & most singular benefits which thou most lovingly and liberally hast bestowed upon me and all mankind, but specially for the ineffable benefit of my redemption by thy most crewel death and passion from the thraldom of the devil, sin, and hell. And for that thou hast franchessid, and made us the children and heirs of heaven.  
For the which benefit specially, we remain and are become bond debtors unto thee, and though we can never make a just recompense for it, yet of thy gracious goodness thou wilt mercifully accept that which we are able to make, be it never so simple. And because that among all that we can do there is nothing more acceptable to thee, than (with thankful and oft meditation to follow thy most blessed life and passion, printing and perfectly expressing it in the powers of our soul, & in all sensies of our body, therefore I most humbly beseek thee (most gracious Lord jesus) grant me the grace, so perfectly to conform me in my whole life, unto thy blessed life and passion that all my cogitations, my words, midedes and manners may be so like unto thy holy thoughts words, deeds, and blessed manners, that where ever I be seen, hard or felt, there may nothing be found in me, but that, which was found in the my lord jesus. And like as thou were crucified in thy blessed humanity, so grant me grace (by the merits of thy crucifyxion) to crucify nature, and sensuality, by the acquyringe of all true virtue.  
¶ Grant me grace also to consider and to conform my soul unto thy most heavy and sorrowful soul, that I may continually lament thy great dishonour the loss of souls & my sins, and the sins of all men. ¶ Good lord grant me grace so deeply to print in my heart, thy bitter & painful passion very love, that I may feal more the pain that thou suffered for me, than any pain that I have, or should have, if I where wounded in mine own body.  
¶ Grant me good Lord jesus that my spirit may ever burn in thy love, be elevat, and mind ever more thee, utterly resignid into thy blessed pleasure.  
¶ Grant that my soul also may be contrite, compassyonate with the & mortified unto all creatures.  
¶ Grant that my body also to be full of travel pain and affliction, for thy honour and thus I may be conformable and like unto thy blessed humanity.  
¶ Grant me (most loving Lord jesus) thy grace to exercise most effectuusly thy holy and most blessed passion by perfect imitation, by perfect compassion, by perfect admiration, by exultation and joy, by perfect resolution & by perfect rest  
¶ Grant me grace with often memory of thy blessed life and passion, to follow thy blessed example in such virtues as aperith in thy holy passion and life. For thy blessed passion and life is the most holiest and highest religion and the rule and example of all virtue and perfection.  
¶ Grant therefore (most merciful Lord jesus) that thy passion may be the very rule of all my life.  
¶ Grant me grace that I may wish and desire from the bottom of my heart with all delight of my soul, for thy love to be contemned, set at nowght, to be an outcast, to be scorned, to be afflictid, beaten & to be rebuked of all parsons when I do the most service, for so were thou handled when thou didst most good and greatest miracles.  
¶ Grant me grace (most gracius saviour) that I may be so bare & poor in sprite that I may wish or desire nothing but rather I may think it a grievous pain and unmeasurable sorrow to have any thing, and that it may be my singular pleasure & joy to have nothing and to want my necessaries for thy sake.  
¶ Grant me grace good Lord to abhor all delight and pleasure and swettnes in all thing, save in the only that I may desire in all thing rudeness homlines, and bitterness, & in meat and drink I may desire that thing should rather be bitter then sweet, remembering thou my dear redeemer drankyst (for my sake) sour vinegar & gall. And generally in all labour travel & sorrow, shame, pain and grease, grant me grace to conform myself in all thing to thy blessed example with discretion as my wretched nature is able to suffer to thy honour and glory.  
¶ gracious good Lord jesus grant me thy special grace that I may oft time have sweat meditation of thy bitter passion with most true and earnest compassion and sorrow for the pure love of thee, when I consider what great pain, sorrow and affliction thou didst suffer for my sins, what deadly and painful agony & sorrowful heaviness thou suffered'st in thy most loving sweet and tender heart, when thou swettist both water and blood, & thou weptest upon the cross for our sin and unkindness. And that I may sorrow the great dishonour of thy blessed celestial father and namely for the intolerable pain and torments that thou were in, but in special that thou tookest for thy sorrowful and most lamentable mother (whom thou lovydst most tenderly, when thou dydyst behold her ready to die for very sorrow and heaviness. For thy passion was a passion most painful unto thy most blessed and tender mother, more grievous & more bitter than ever was torment or martyrdom to any saint that ever suffered for the. ¶ Grant me most sweat jesus oft time to revolve in my heart, thes two sorrowful and painful passions of the and of thy mother and to lament, morn, & sorrow in my heart with, the my most loving Lord jesus and with that blessed maid thy sweet mother. Make me one, good Lord, with that, by most entire love that I may sorrow and lament as much, yea and more, thy pains then if I suffered them myself.  
¶ Good lord never let thy rebuke, shame, & revilings depart out of my mind nor out of the very bottom of my heart, nor thy bitter scorgyngs thy, thorns thy wounds, & precious death never be out of my mind, that what so ever is in me may be full of thy pains & passion, that I may continually sorrow therefore to thy honour & my soul health. ¶ Gracius good lord and dear saviour jesus grant me grace to mind oft time thy bitter pain and passion with most reverent and lovely admiration deeply and amiably to consider. first what thou art that suffered'st so lovingly & kindly for me, that I may reverently see and perceive, that it was no small parsonage, that was so cruelly put to death for my sake, but it was the very son of all mighty god the second parson in trinity very god and man, most mightest, most excellent, infinitely good, most noblest, in comparison of whom, all the goodness, all excellency, all wisdom all nobility that is in all creatures, or can be thought of all understanding or wit, is nothing. For this mighty majesty, and most unmeasurable excellency incomparably transendyth & surmounteth all things in heaven or earth. ¶ Grant me grace also good Lord, to consider how grievous and cruel pains so noble and excellent majesty suffered for me, how great travel, and labour, how great hunger, & thirst, cold, heat, watch, temptations, fear, persecution, agony, bloody sweet, most crewel comprehension, spyttinge, reviles, sore bonds, scorginges, mocks, scorns, sorrow, shame, confusyons beatings, grievous strokes, innumerable plagues and wounds and most crewel and painful death. For in thy passion, very honour and glory itself, was dispisid and dishonoured, righteousness was condemned the judge of all the world was judged, the harmless was rebuked and accused, and the innocent was defamed, god himself was blasphemed, god & man over trodden, life itself was slain, the sun was eclipsid, the moon was darkenid, the stars were sparkelyd. Yet all those pains, and passion diddest thou (most innocent lamb) suffer and bare most patiently for mi sake, which were able and couldst, if it had pleased the have drowned in the bottomless pit of hell all those unkind and cruel creatures and wicked people  
¶ Grant me grace to consider of whom (my gracious good Lord jesus) thou sufferedist so cruelly. For if thou hadst suffered of them whom thou hadst harmed or hated, it had not been so wonderful. But thou sufferedest of them, whom thou didist specially chose, and singularly loved, unto whom thou showedst special goodness and all kind of benignity. And for thy great goodness and benyfittes, for thy great virtues and miracles, for thy most holy conversation and doctrine, thou were cruelly tormented and put to death, of most vylaines, being most excellent and valiant prince. The most wisest (ye the eternal wisdom of the father) of most ignorant. Most holiest of most sinful. Most godlyest, of most ungodliest. most righteus, of most wicked. The everlasting and eternal brightness of god, of the most and foul and filthy dross and dirt of the world. The Lord of his own servants. The king of his own subjects. The saviour and benefactoure of them that he hath saved & done most for. ¶ God almighty of his unkind and wretched creature. It may make me (most gracious lord) jesus more to wonder and marvel, when I consider and way deapelye with myself, for whom thou suffered'st. For (most loving lord) and merciful saviour thou suffered'st for most vile slaves, most sinful enemies, most wretched caitiffs, ye very devils and diabolical persons, and the very children of the devil by imitation, for the contemners and dyspycers of the majesty of god, and most unkind and unthankful to the infinite goodness of their lord and maker: of the which number (oh merciful saviour jesus) I am one. I have great cause therefore, with lovely admiration to laud and praise thy merciful goodness toward me and all mankind and with most lowly thanks to joy in thy most blessed mercy.  
¶ Grant me therefore, most gracious jesus, to have oft in the meditation of thy passion ghostly joy and gladness with thanks giving unto thee, for the redemption of man kind for the restoring of the quieres of angels, and for thy divine clemency and godly mercy.  
¶ Grant me grace most merciful jesus with ghostly gladness to remember how merciful, how lovingly thou hast redeemed all mankind & specially me, by thy most blessed passion and death, remembering how willingly, how gladly, how devoutly thou offeredst thyself to most cruel death for my sake. There is no creature that ever loved himself so well as thou didst, and dost love me.  
¶ Great cause have I to rejoice in thee (sweet jesus) For by thy death and passion thou haste restored again the blessed & glorious quieers of angels, not creating new angels, but mercifully placing penitent souls in the high orders of the blessed angels, and so hast made by thy most precious death one high & heavenly college, and one blessed flock of angels and men. Whereof thou art the very true shepherd. Thou art the glorius and most royal king, upon whom all we that be of that blessed & heavenly court shall perpetually wait and serve in joy everlasting through the merits of thy precious death and most blessed passion.  
¶ Grant me grace, most gracious saviour jesus, not only faithfully to follow thy passion, to have compassion thereof reverently, to marvel, and to rejoice ghostly therein, but also that I all together, may be resolved into thee, that I may always & wherever I be so earnestly mind thy passion that I may depart from the memory of mine own self, and of all things yea, abstracted from all the world, I may be wholly turned into the my lord jesus crucified. And that of very mindful love of thy blessed passion I may feal nothing within myself, nor see nothing outwardly but the my lord in pain and passion for me.  
¶ Grant me grace, most gracious lord jesus, with most vehement desire of my heart to enter into the ineffable treasure of thy blessed passion. And therein most meekly, most devoutly, with most fervent and burning love, forgetting utterly myself, to rest, by inward sweetness. That the more I love that tender death and pain, the more perfectly I may rest therein, and the more that I rest therein the more I may love thee, which suffered so great pain for me, to the be therefore all glory and honour now and ever. Amen.    

¶ The seventh exercise to come to the pure poverty and love of thine even christian.  

THou must circumcise and purge thy soul very earnestly from all knowledge, love, and remembrance of all creatures except them only whom thou must needs have & use in god and for god, and keep thy sensies & wits at all times streghtly from all superfluity vanity and idleness. And keep also thy body alway in simple homlynes in sobriety and poverty. And cast from the ac on's all things that might let the or be any impediment at any time between thy soul and god, yea if it were but a moment of time. And that thou mightest fulfil this the better, thou shalt mark well and diligently all the means and lets visible and invisible, all creatures sensible and insensible, that ever did let thee, or were any impediment or means between the & god, or yet may be hereafter. And turn thy whole heart, verily and perfectly from them & so cut them of from thy soul and turn thy whole heart to god. Thou shalt also consider weather thou be in such place & state wherein thou mayst come to perfection, if thou be not thou must then seek such a place and state. All exteryal and outward things must be cut of and resigned, which thou usest above & more than very and just necessity, with the which bare necessity only for the love of the poverty of christ thou must be contented. That is to say, with two coats or habits to change and in like sort of other necessary apparel, with a few books, with one or two sober meals in the day according to the time, choosing alway in all things, the viler or more homlier, that meek simplicity may every where shine & apere in the & in thy desires. For outward poverty wished for and desired in heart, doth help wonderly much to come to the very profit and peace of the heart. And specially when thou art very well content to lack thy necessaries, or when necessity compellyth, thou dost use necessaries in simplicity, & with tediousness & yerkesonnes'. Moreover a great forderaunce to perfection are these things. To forsake utterly all exquisite delectation & wilful fancy to any thing, & to love poverty. If it seem expedient for the person, it is good also to make a vow to fly the unnecessary company of all creatures. A strong and steadfast cleaving unto god. simple and pure obedience, a word both to god and to thy superiors. A diligent keeping of thy heart mouth, and of all thy deeds, and such other. These thou must exercise, follow and take as the very opportune and convenient means to perfection. Thou must also eschew and a void all impediments, as thy conscience or thy counsellor shall teach thee. Thou must therefore make a diligent search of thy conscience, lest any vice or fault be it never so little, do stick or cleave inwardly or outwardly fast unto the. Look there do remain not with thee, curious superflus, or any unnecessary thing. For so long as it is so with thee, the holy ghost can never work perfectly in thee. For the great sins, in to the which we fall unwares or of frailty, & bewail them, god forgiveth them sooner, than the least fault that doth clean and remain in us, specially when we will not acknowledge, or will not or care not to amend it.  
¶ Thou shalt, after thes, exercise thyself in very true love of all men, according to the example and the charity of thy saviour jesus christ, which with most burning love and desire, spent or bestowid himself all together, for all men, he also taught and showed the way of salvation and of perfection with most holy godly doctrine, he gave himself also most willingly and lovingly unto all pain, contumely and confusion, that might chance unto him, for their salvation. Wherefore, if thou wilt take upon the his life unfeignedly, thou must follow him in this point of love. Thou must also lead always an holy & a godlyke life before all men, that by thy life they may be drawn and provoked to follow the life of jesus christ thy Lord. Thou shalt teach with some good exhortation, thine even christian, if it may stand with thy state and vocayon, at time convenient, the way to everlasting life. Wherefore when thou comest to thy even christian, thou shalt leave vain talk, except thou have any necessity or necessary matter, and shalt talk with him of virtue and of grace & such things, whereby he may be the better, exhorting him to the love of god, & to follow the holy life & love of jesus christ, and that he will consider the nobility & worthiness of his soul, how in his soul god printed his own image & likeness, & hath redeemed the same his own self, and how the love of god is the very life of the soul, even as the soul is the life of the body, & as the body dieth when the soul departeth from the body, even so doth the soul die, when the love of god is absent & gone from it. These with such like as the holy ghost shall teach the thou shalt put thy even christian in mind of, if it may stand with thy state & calling, specially such as thou hast charge of thy next neighbours or such that will and be able to take thine instruction & exortation, persuading thyself that god will require at thy hand, the souls of them whom thou art able and canst save, as though they were thy own members. Therefore thou shalt not judge nor conempnt any man. Thou shalt not make sorry nor harm any man, but love every man as thyself, yea more in manner then thyself because he is better than thou art. The which thing that thou mayst the sooner obtain persuade to thyself, that every man is thyself. For in deed, we be one the member of the other, as saint paul saith, and therefore thou shalt, be glad with, and and of every man, be sorry with and for every man, serve and do good to every man that needeth. Do the works of mercy bodily and ghostly unto every man, that needeth with all thy heart as unto thyself. Wherefore accostome thyself, that as soon as thou perceavyst any motion of displeasure or anger against any other man, what ever he be, or that any other vice chance to come upon thee, or into thy mind, lifting up thy heart sweetly unto god, to put it away as the poison of the devil wherewith he goeth about to kill or to minish thy charity in thee, or to make the lumpish and unlusty, and so to stay the from profiting in ghostly life. For sometime it cometh of our own tepyditie or coldness, that naughty and harmful cogitations, put once from us do return again, and are a great inpedyment and let unto ghostly lucre or gain, yea though we consent not to them, specially, when we do not extend and stretch forth ourself, with all our powers and mights, to things before us, that is to say, to go forward and increase in virtue and perfection, neither with heavenly & godly desires continually, as much as we can to ocupie our hearts, therefore the enemies of our soul, by our slackness and tepidite, find easily a way to return again unto us, all though some time such cogitations do trouble & weary us not by our fault but by the only permyssion of god for our exercise.   

¶ Aspyrations for this exercise.  
most loving and most gracious lord jesus, which being most richest for my sake tookest upon the most extreme poverty grant me the grace of perfect poverty of spirit.  
¶ Oh most sweetest jesus ravish my whole heart & love upon the which art only sufficient for the true lovers of thee, take from me the love and affection of all creatures that I love the only and purely.  
¶ Oh blessed saviour which art the only & full reward that all thy lovers ask, seek and look for content my heart & my whole desire with the alone, & make me for thy sake to contemn all other things.   

¶ The practice of the seventh exercise to come to pure poverty & the love of thy even christian  
O most blessed jesus which for mi sake and salvation forsokiste all worldly love and pleasure, and honour, and lyvidst and diedst in most perfect poverty.  
¶ Grant me grace to purge & cleanse my affection and soul, not only from all temporal things, but also from the knowledge the love, and remembrance of all creatures saving only them whom I can not lack, which I must needs use for thy sake and in the only. For (most merciful jesus) when I should life up my whole soul, thought, and desire to thee, then doth the knowledge or remembrance or the love of creatures pull down my desire & love of my heart & mind unto the memory desire & love of them. ¶ Grant me (gracious good Lord) also grace now and for ever more, to leave utterly the affection and will unto any venial sin, be it never so little which I would not gladly amend, that I may turn my whole heart from all sin, for (Lord jesus) thy merciful goodness soon forgevythe venial sin. Yet sooner thou doyst forgive a mortal sin that suddenly & of frailty we do commit, and do faithfully repent and forsake, than a venial, that we willingly do not utterly abhor and forsake in our desire. And such small sins and faults (if they be not put away by repentance) do let the holy ghost to work in me. In like sort if I retain any thing superfluus or for curiosity, thy holy spirit can not work thy true perfect love in me. Grant therefore grace (gracious Lord) to me now at this present & ever more to cast out of my heart all love & desire of all temporal things what ever they be, that be above bare necessity. And in my necessaries, to choose all way poor simplicity and the more rude & homely, as becommyth true and unfeigned poverty. And also in the using of my very necessaries suffer me not to have any affection in them but I may readily by contented (for thy sake) to lack them, and ever more simply and without all affection and pleasure, to use them.  
¶ Grant me grace (merciful jesus) at all times most straygthtly to keep my sensies inward and outward, from all superfluity and unnecessary use, from all vanity and idleness and to keep also my body in homlye simplicity, in all sobriety, and all poverty, that neither the desire, love, affection, or memory of any thing that longeth to my body, may at any time let my whole heart, desire, love, and thought, to tend and turn unto thee, the most loving and blessed delight of my soul.  
¶ Grant me (most gracius saviour Christ) grace not only, from the bottom of my heart to abhor and detest all sin and vice but all so to desire and to be so enamoryd with the love of all virtue (be they never so excellent and many) that for thy love and honour I would labour and travel for to have them all, yea if they were as many in number as are drops of water in the main sea, that I might (for the vehement love of thee) crucify my body from vice, and adorn my soul withal virtue, and so to become like unto thy most gracious humanity, whose body was painfully crucified, & soul adornyd with all virtue. But specially grant me grace to have most ardent desire of perfect and profunde humility, and grace most earnestly to labour for it, ever more desiring to be contempnyd, despised, rebuked and shamed with confusion, and from my heart to judge myself very worthy of all contempt, shame, rebuke & confusion Make me sorry (good Lord) when any honour benyfite, laud, or praise be given to me. ¶ Grant me also (merciful jesus) the three daughters of perfect meekness. most ready obedyens, both unto my superiors and unto all creatures in all things lawful. most perfect patience that I may most quietli and with rest of mind suffer all things, that thy blessed will shall suffer to come upon me be they never so painful and hard, remembering how patiently thou sufferedest for me. most discreet silence, that though I were never so wise & well learned, yet I may speak very few words, and those only profitable and necessary. A very meek parson (sweet saviour) speaketh few words, readily obeith, & sufferith all thing for thy love and pleasure. most gracius jesus grant me grace most earnestly to desire and labour for the virtue of wisdom, which may teach & govern me in all my thoughts, words and deeds that I have to think, to speak, or to do, that I may do nothing (be it never so little) no, not the wagging of my finger but only as reason and wisdom shall lead to thy honour for necessity, and soul health of mine even christian.  
¶ Grant me also (good Lord) to attain godly fear, discretion, & simplicity, which are the daughters of thy godly wisdom. For where soever is this wisdom, there must be the fear of thee (Lord) for the beginning of wisdom is to fear all mighty god. discretion putteth a mean in all thing without the which, there is no virtue. For either we shall do to much or to little. Holy simplicity, taketh no care, for no curiosytie in things. It taketh all things as at the hands of god, and in good part & thinkith it good enough, be it never so homely, or rude, so it will serve bare need. merciful Lord, to have wisdom and virtue with out thy fear is occasion of pride, and with out simplicity it would be to curyus, without dyscresion, it would be to straight & hard. ¶ Grant me therefore (good Lord) the grace to be godly wise, lovely fearful, simple with discretion. most loving saviour jesus grant me most ardent desire of true and burning charity and most infatygably to seek & sigh, unto the most devoutly for to obtain it. For this virtue (Lord, is so necessary for me, that all other virtues are nothing worth without I have perfect charity. This most perfect virtue workith in us lively faith, and strong believe, it bringeth hope and turste in the. For look how great our charity is, so great is our trust & hope in the. Yea, if charity be great it begettyth in us perseverance. For love will not suffer us unkindly to lead and for sake our lover, nor to leave undone that we begun of love. This charity maketh us to abide in great confidence and hope of the mercy of god, and not to trust in our own power. And therefore (good lord) what so ever charity asketh (which can ask no evil) with full confidence and believe in thy mercy, it optaynyth easily.  
¶ Grant me, most gracious jesus, to desire thy love most heartily, to believe in the most constantly, to trust in the most undoubtedly, & to persever in thy love most faithfully unto the end. most merciful saviour jesus grant me most fervent desire of true justice, very rightwiseness in all my deeds. First that I may give unto thee, in all my words deeds and thoughts all honour, glory, all obedience & thanks. Likewise that I may give unto my superiors, to my equales, and to my inferiors, and to every creature that which to every man belongeth. And also that I may give that which belongeth unto my body, as in meat, drink, cloth, sleep, and in other necessaries, neither more, neither less than my dew is to give. This rightwiseness is a blessed and perfect virtue & bringeth forth three other virtues, mercy verity, and thankfulness. The which I humbly beseek thee (most merciful jesus) grant me grace to desire & to labour diligently for true mercy. For very true mercy taketh first pity upon the soul of our even christian, and if he need any ghostly alms, he giveth that first, if he be able and then the temporal alms. verity sufferith no falsehood, neither in deed, neither dissimulation in word, nor yet hypocrisy nor any untruth, be it never so profitable or never so little. For it is unmeet that the servant of god (who is verity itself) should show any untruth in word or deed. Thankfulness think it right & reason, that every man do render thanks for the benefits which he hath received, specially unto god the giver of all gifts and graces, and to all such that hath, or doth help to further them in their soul health, and all that maintaineth them in their bodily necessities. These virtues grant me (most merciful jesus) that by rightwiseness I may do my duty to thee, my lord god, & to my even christian, specially in deeds of mercy ghostly and bodily to my power. By verity I may eschew all dissimulation, hypocrisy, and all untruth. And thankfully I may ever more render unto the all laud, praise and thanks, for thy innumerable benyfites.  
And unto such as helpeth me ghostly or bodily, I may duly give them thanks & pray for them. most myghtyful maker jesus grant me grace most affectuusly to desire and obtain, the holy virtue of fortitude and ghostly strength, that thereby I may mightily and strongly exercise and practise all virtue, and do all kind of good works and manfully resist all trouble and temptation both ghostly and bodily, that I never care for, neither the world, man, neither the devil, but with ghostly boldness mightily pass thorough all worldly things as though I had nothing to do with them, contemn and bare patiently all adversity, and temptation, and go thorough, and increasing in all perfection for thy love and honour, that no trouble nor temptation never let me or overthrow me in the way toward thy perfect love and true service that I never fear to pass through fire and water to come unto the.  
¶ Grant me also good lord jesus, pure chastity, mean and sobriety, and perfect poverty which springeth out of this fortitude.  
¶ ghostly fortitude thinketh it a great villainy and shame to be overthrown, ru●●d or mastered of the vile flesh, the peevish pleasure and filthy lusts there of: & therefore strongly resisting them, it keepeth him chayste and pure in soul and body. Ghostly strength will not be in bondage unto the vile belly, neither unto the sinful body. But like the valiant soldier of christ can be contented to far hard & to ware vile and homely garments, and hath all his mind to do his duty unto his great captain and lord christ, to follow him. And therefore he contemnyth all beastly lust of the flesh, all unreasonable pampering of his belly, and the superfluus & unnedeful decking of his wretched carcase, and when any such temptations or lusts do arise in him, he manfully and mightily resystyth, and labouryth to mortify them utterly. Wherefore most merciful jesus grant me this so necessary a virtue, which am assaultid with divers and many kinds of temptations whom, without thy special gift of this ghostly fortitude, I am not able to withstand, but shall fall at every blast of small temptation. Help me therefore good Lord with ghostly fortitude, that I may mightily by thy grace (good Lord) pass and run throw all perils, impediments, and all enemies ghostly and bodily, and attain the perfect love of the in true perfection. Assist me with thy grace and thy ghostly strength (o gracious jesus) now and ever to thy glory and honour. Amen. ¶ Of the way to come to union with god.    

¶ The eight exercise is an exercise to come to a life without any creature, sin, or delectation.  

THou shalt exercise thyself to obtain the perfect oning or union with god.  
¶ This union requireth a perfect expoliation and denudation or bare nakedness, or utter forsaking of all creatures, of all sin, and of all delight or pleasure. first thou must diligently and busily labour to live, as much as is possible for thee, naked and bare, both in affection & also in understanding or mind, from all creatures, so that thou shouldest fervently desire to be made naked and bare, yea from thine own self, and from all other things. And so to remain, as thou shalt stand bare before the judgement seat of christ and as bare & as barely as thy soul came out, by creation, from god, that thus thou mayst without any let or mean be knit unto god.  
¶ Thou must live also without sin, and because that is scant possible, thou shalt desire to live with a strong and a steadfast turning of thy mind from all sin and with a fervent conversation and desire of thy heart of all goodness, which is god. For all sin, be it never so small, letteth this union or knot. Wherefore thou shalt so observe and keep thy soul and body that thou shalt not move nor star one member, but only in god.  
¶ Thou must needs live also without all delight & pleasure. This thing because it is almost impossible, thou shalt supply it in all affection and desire, where thou canst not live so in deed. For when thou hast any delight or pleasure in thyself, god will deny thee, the delight and sweetness which is in him. Wherefore such life let it always at the least be in the desire of thy heart, & bestow the uttermost of thy power upon this way. And then, by this exercise, thou shalt find thyself stayed & letted in many things, whereof thou thoughtest thyself clean rid. Wherefore endeavour thyself to be well aware that no sin be it never so little, do please the for itself. As for thyself thou shalt desire that the bread that thou eatest might savour or tayst no more to the then a stone, yet for his honour and glory that created bread, it shall please the that the bread savour well. But as soon as thou dost trust and feal delectation therein thou shalt turn thy heart unto the laud and thanks of god the creator of bread, and so is then the bread, unsavoury unto the. And in like sort must thou do in all delectation, unto whom is not annexed any sin. For the admirable suavity delight and sweetness of the creature of all things, doth spread itself in all things created, being not sinful.  
¶ Thou shalt not suffer therefore any mean or let of creatures to remain in thee, but turned out and made bare and naked of all things, thou shalt approach unto the bare and pure godhead or divinity without any mean or stay of creature, for god desireth to have the without any mean. Nether shalt thou think that hereby the holy invocation and prayers to the saints are taken from the or should let thee, which is for god and in god, for they are one spirit with him. Not withstanding thy chief contemplation and labour shallbe in the contemplation of thy lord god, whom thou shalt perceive working and doing all goodness and good works, be they never so little, in all men, yea and it be but the moving of thy finger unto a good deed. For that motion is of god and gods, for he is the life of the soul. Wherefore labour and endeavour thyself with continual in turning (as much as thou canst) do live in the very and perfect abstraction or departure and bareness of thy mind and affection from all creatures, from sin, and all delectation. For these three (faithfully and long used & exercised) makes a man very heavenlyke & angelycal that he may most frealy have the fruition of thy lord god as only experience shall teach. And therefore labour to purify evermore, more & more, both thy mind and also thine affection from all phanthasies and imaginations, by the example of jesus crucified, choysinge always rather the bitter and unpleasant, than the sweat & pleasant, rebuke rather than honour, want rather than plenty. That thus cleaving with a pure and clean heart unto god, thou mayst be come one spirit with him. Yet shall the superior use this exercise other wise then the subject. The innocent, otherwise then the wicked, otherwise the beginner's, & otherwise the perfect. That thou mayst the sooner obtain and come unto the abnegation and forsaking of all things, to the knowledge of the divine goodness, and of thine own vylytie and unworthiness, and also that thou mayst come to the sweetness of brotherly love, and that within short time, the which thing, the proprietoris or such that retain in their keeping and affection any thing against the profession of poverty, for such be called propryetories can not come to in many years, yea not all their life time with great labours can never obtain revolve and toss in thy mind and memory without ceasing and with great labour or at the least carry about in thy desire intention and will, these two most noble & excellent virtues that is to say, humility and charity, very long and often chawing or remembering and printing into thy heart these words, I am nought, I can do nought I know nought, I have nought, I desire or covet nought but one. True meekness saith, I am nought of myself but viciousness, nor I can do nought of mine own might but sin, I have nought. For whatsoever I have or can have of the creatures in this world, or of the gifts of god with out god, what soever I see, I hear, or perceive, it is utterly nothing in me. Weak I am without might, ignorant I am with out knowledge or wit. I am nought, I am nothing, nor nothing am I able to do, full of sin and misery am I and therefore I do utterly despair of myself, my confidence is only the mercy of my lord jesus. Now charity and love saith, I covet, I seek, I desire nothing, but only my lord god, put thy trust and confidence (oh my soul) in jesus christ & his goodness, fix thy thought and desire in the consideration of him, for look how much less thou thinkest thyself, so much the more thou wilt covet to have the love of thy lord jesus christ.  
¶ Thou shalt understand that there are two kinds of humility. The one is that ariseth of the true acknowledge of thy sins & thine own vileness, by the judgement of reason. And this humility thou oughtest to exercise toward thine even christian, In comparison of whom, thou oughtest to bring thyself to nought in thine own estimation, and to esteem thyself, more vile than any other, and inferior to all men, and that from the bottom of thy heart. And thou shalt therefore ask mercy of thy lord god, that is present with thee, both for thine own sins and all others, and shalt excuse them in thine own conscience and judgement, believing that there are no sinners so far gone from god, but that they may and do often times, though not always, turn themselves unto god and do love & honour him with a more synceare affection, and more faithfully they do sorrow their sins and do purpose to amend themselves according to the grace given to them of god than thou. Thou shalt believe that there can not be found any man, which if he had committed so many and so great sins as thou, and had received so many graces and gifts of god as thou, but he would serve god more fervently than thou dost, if thou can not persuade this and believe this with all thy heart thou shalt, for this same cause repute thyself most proud wretch that liveth, and more vile than any man that liveth. For this thy hypocrisy and pride in excusable most odious to god, hath verily blinded the that thou canst not know thyself, nor see how that, the more benefits and graces thou hast received of god, the more grews and greater are thy sins and negligences, and therefore there shall be required of the a more straighter reckoning for every one of them. And this meekness, as I have said, love, doth work by reason whereby a man estemyth himself viler than any other creature, and most worthy of all torment and contumely, of all rebuke and pain. And this is the meekness of such that are beginner's and profyters and must go before, and that after it may be confirmed with this meekness that followeth.  
¶ The other meekness, is, the meekness of the perfect and the meekness which love alone by herself doth work, whom the soul fealeth in herself by ghostly sight and knowledge of jesus. For whom the holy ghost doth lighten the reason in the sight of jesus christ, to consider clearly the holy humility, & charity of his blessed manhood & to tayst both of them by the goodness of his divinity, and by & by the soul perceavyth so great love & joy, in that sight (the which is very true holy and delectable) that it for gettith herself, and all things else, and leanith & cleaveth holy to her most sweetest spouse and Lord jesus christ, by reason that she is carried or borne, with all her whole love, to consider and to behold him. She for that time, considereth not her sins done in times past, nor her unworthiness, but estemyth herself with all her sins and good works that ever she did as right nought, and nothing, as though there were nothing in all the world but only her Lord jesus christ. Labour therefore diligently by the consideration of the meekness and charity of jesus to judge thyself with full believe either else feeling thyself, not only to be most wretch in the world, but also as very right nought. And labour to bring to nought in thine own estimation and judgement thyself with all thy exercise & good works done in time paste, and to make thyself naked from all things. Thus in the poverty of spirit love to feal thy self to be nought or nothing, that thou mayst ascribe all thy goodness only unto thy Lord jesus christ, that thy substance (as the prophet saith) may be as a thing of nought before him not, esteeming thyself here after to be any thing sith thou art nothing. For without doubt in comparison of the increate and unchangeable godly substance of thy Lord jesus which only hath very essence or being, and is all things in all thing, thou & all things else, are nothing. For all people and nations in the world, they are before him, as though they were not at al. And thus shalt thou not judge thy even christian neither good neither bad but thou shalt perceive them all equally with all other creatures to be nothing as thou art in regard of thy Lord jesus, and in respect of his meekness love, mercy & glory. For as much as they are made of nought and should come to nought, if they were not kept and conserved by him. Therefore when love, by the gift of the holy ghost openeth the inner eye to see and perceive this verity with the other circumstances, the soul is made verily meek, for than she saith herself even as she is indeed. And then she considereth not herself, nor doth not trust or lean to herself, but she tendith & bendyth herself all together in to the knowledge and love of jesus with stable meditation and desire beholding him continually. And then doth she work more perfectly great works both inward & outward, than she was wont before. This sight of jesus, comforteth and liftith up the soul so marvelously and swetli that she can not joy or be glad of any joy or comfort of his world, neither can she be heavy or sorry for any adversity of the same. For she remaineth unmovable and unsensible unto all such worldly things, coviting to rest in jesus only, having ever her eyes on him, for he pullith out her feat from out of all the grins of sin and of temptations, & distraineth in her all the sterings and motions of pride and all vices wonderful secretly, defending her from the mighty fear, from the arrow or dart that flieth in the day, from the trouble that walkyth or cometh in the darkness, from incursyon or invading, & from the midday find, and leadyth her by holy simplycytie (which is a secret by path) unto a stable and a sure union with herself whereby she shall remain and dwell in god & god in her ¶ How thou shouldest labour continually, covyting but only one which is only necessary, to come to this blessed union by ardent or fiery aspirations with most deep resignation of thyself it shall be declared here after.   

¶ Aspirations for this exercise.  
¶ most merciful saviour, for thy great poverty, that thou suffered'st here for me being most richest, grant me perfect bareness & poverty in all creatures, in my affection and memory.  
¶ Sweat saviour jesus, which were borne of immaculate maid and without sin to die and redeem me from sin, deliver me from the affection unto any sin be it never so smally.  
¶ most sweet savoyour jesus the delight of my soul, take from me the delight of all creatures.  
¶ Oh most gracious jesus lighten the inward eye of my soul that I may verily see and know my vyletie & that I am nought and nothing of myself.  
¶ most blessed jesus which art all only enough for my soul, make me to forget all creatures, & to know, love and see the only. ¶ The practice of the eight exercise to come to a life without any creature, delectation or sin.  
O Most blessed god, mi most sweetest saviour jesus son sempiternal of the heavenly father, one god, one substance, one blessed essence with the same father and holy ghost, which by thy most holy Incarnation, tookest our frail nature upon the in one parsonage of god & man that thou mightest bring us the blessed union in thy glorious godhead here by grace, in heaven by glory and bliss. And among all thy most fervent affectuous prayers, that thou madest for thy blessed appostels and for all thy elect, the night that thou were betrayed, thou most heartily, most devoutly, most fervently desired'st of thy celestial father, that they all might be one, as thou and thy father are one. I most humbly and most heartily beseek thee, my most dear saviour jesus, grant me grace to come to the perfect oning and union with the my lord god, the which union requireth most perfect bareness and forsakyngein my soul, of all manner of sin of all delight and of all creatures. And unto this blessed and necessary bareness I can not come without thy singular grace and special help. For the pureness in the soul from the three, making a man very ghostly, heavenly and angelical and is the singular and only gift of the. Wherefore of that infinite and merciful charytis, that caused the to hang all nakid, barren and bare of all comfort, and consolation, upon the cross for me, grant me grace to live (as nigh as it is possible) without all sin mortal and venial that I may strongly withal might turn my heart and set all my mind upon the goodness and the vehement desire of the. For the lest venial that is doth let that my soul can not be knit and unytyd unto the. Grant me therefore grace (good Lord) that I may so observe and keep, both my soul and body that I may not move one joint or finger, but only for the and in the & no sin venial may please me at any time for itself, that mi soul may be as bare and as clean from all sin, as it was created of the. Most merciful saviour jesus grant me grace to live without all delight, or pleasure. And where that is very hard, and almost impossible, grant me grace to have the desire & unfeigned affection to want all delight. For (good lord) when I seek or take any delight in myself, than dost thou most justly take from me, the delight, the pleasure & sweetness, that I should have in thee. ¶ Grant me grace therefore, good lord, with all my heart and might to desire the lack and want of all delight in any thing saving in the only. That I may wish and desire the bread (that I must needs take for necessity) might savour no more to me than doth a stone for my pleasure, but only for thy glory and worship, which didst create bread with sweetness & savour, because thou wilt have it so. Therefore, lord, grant me grace, to tayst sweetness in it, but not to remain therein, but immediately to turn my heart and thought unto thy praise and honour, and savour and tayst how sweet & delectable thou art, which hast spread (as it were parts and portions) of thy blessed sweetness and admirable delight, among thy creatures. Thus make me to use all creatures which have any delight or sweetness in them void of sin.  
¶ Grant me grace utterly to eschew all sinful pleasure, and all delight that hath annexed unto it any sin.  
¶ Grant me also (most merciful jesus) to make bare my soul and to avoid utterly out of mind all the memory and fancies and the desires of all creatures, that my whole mind and desire, with my whole heart, may approach and draw near, and be joined and united into thee, having no inpedement by the memory or desire of any creature.  
¶ Grant me that my whole heart & thought be all together occupied with the contemplation of thy blssyd godhead, that I may perfectly see and perceive how thou workyst all goodness in all things, be it never so little and small, as the wagging of one finger, for that motion cometh of the soul, and thou gevyst all life and all power unto the soul, for only thou art the life of the soul. Thy myghtful grace grant me (moste gracious Lord jesus) to labour with all diligence to come to the perfect purification and purgation of my understanding and my memory from the fantasies and memory of all creatures according to thy holy example which hangedst on the cross all nakid and bare of all comfort or consolation, that I may rather desire for the love of the to suffer pain then pleasure, sorrow then delight, sour them sweet, rebuke then honour, dispraise them praise, lack & want then abundance & plenty. That thus cleaving unto the in a pure heart, I may be made one spirit with the. And for as much as thes two most noble and excellent virtues: love and meekness, do singularly and specially help me to this ghostly union, I most humbly beseek thee (mi most dear and most loving Lord jesus) grant me thy grace that I may by daily and diligent labour and ghostly travel, come to and attain perfect charity and perfect meekness.  
¶ Grant me thy grace that these most ghostly and most true words may be deeply printed in my heart and belief, that I may evermore where ever I be, remember than, often time record them where ever I go with most perfect knowledge and belief of them. These words I say good lord, I may alway believe them and mind them, that is to say: I am nought, I have nought, I know nought, I can nought, I desire nought but one. These holy words often minded, truly thought upon, and faithfully believed, bringeth a man unto these two most worthy virtues meekness and love. For true and perfect meekness believeth and saith I am nought, I have nought nor I can nought. And this is very true. For of myself, I am nought. For all that I have or that I cane, thou hast created and made of nought, both in body and in soul, and with a thought canst bring me and all that thou hast wrought in me, to nought. There is nothing in me that is not thine only work, save only sin. And what soever I have of thy creatures, of thy gifts, that is not of myself, and except I have the withal it is all together nought worth to me, & shall come to nought. And verily of myself I am impotent, without all wisdom and knowledge, full of misery and sin, not able to stir one finger to do any good, thing (but only sin) without thy help. True love and charity saith alway I seek and desire nought but only one. That is the only (good lord jesus) which art only enough for me. If I have thee, I have all that good is, that pleasant, that delectable is, that is joyful and blessed, yea very heaven itself. For where thou art, there is heaven and bliss. And where thou art not, there is very hell.  
¶ Grant me therefore, good lord jesus, most heartily to love to wish, to desire with all the powers of my heart the only, to mind the only, to contemn all things for thee, to suffice my desire with thee, to content my love with thee, to delight myself with the only. ¶ Oh most meek saviour jesus, destroy in my heart all kind of pestlylent estimation of myself. Lighten my understanding to see my own vileness, that I may evermore perfectly believe and unfeignedly think from the bottom of my heart that I am more viler, more sinful, more unkind unto thee, and inferior, and worse than any man. There is none other sinner (good lord jesus) that hath run so far from the in sin, but they have very oft time, though not always, turned their heart by contrition unto the and they do oft time love thee, and honour the with more pure affection than I do. They do sorrow more heartily their sins, and purpose more earnestly to amend than I do, according to the grace that thou hast given them. There is no man but if that he had commyttid so many sins, and so cowardly fallen to sin, as I have, and had had so many graces, and benefits of thee, as I have had, but he would more fervently and devoutly serve the then I do. And because that I can not think from the bottom of my heart thus of myself therefore I ask mercy most humbly of this most detestable pride, beseeking thee (most merciful jesus) be merciful to all sinners, and specially unto me most wretchedst and unkind of all, pardon our sin most gracious good lord. And as I have here, lord accused myself, in word as the most sinner of all other, so most merciful jesus, grant me grace to come to that point of humility, that I may verily believe, and unfeignedly esteem myself so in deed that I am most vilest of all creatures, most worthy of all shame, punishment and confusion, all torment, and pain. And by this point of meekness, which is the meekness only of beginner's, grant, good lord, that I may come to the meekness, which is of those that are perfect. For this blessed and excellent meekness of the perfect, very love and charity worketh it in the soul by the ghostly sight and knowledge of the sweet saviour jesus. Wherefore, most merciful jesus, lighten, by the special grace of the holy ghost, my reason and understanding in the sight of thee, to behold and consider perfectly & plainly, the ineffable meekness of thy blessed humanity, and to tayst ghostly of the infinite goodness of thy blessed divinity that my soul may take by that ghostly sight so great love and pleasure in thee, that it may utterly forget itself and all the world, and so to be wholly ravished in the holy love & desire still to behold the and to forget my sins, my unworthiness, and to set little by and little to esteem all the good deeds that ever I did, yea and to set little by all things as though there were nothing in the world but thou alone with me, most sweet saviour jesus.  
¶ Most merciful and loving lord jesus, I most humbly beske the open my ghostly eyes by the grace of the holy ghost, to see, and perfectly to believe (with whole faith) myself to be most miserable, wretched, sinful and wicked. And unfeignedly to judge and esteem myself and all my good works and exercises to be nought worth and so to come to the very poverty of the spirit, thinking myself, and all that I have, right nought. And to ascribe all my goodness unto the only, as in very deed, if thou didst not uphold me and the whole world both I and all the world should come to nought in a moment, as we were made of nought. And I am not able to think one good thought by mine own power o might, but all good thoughts and deeds, & all that good is, is only of the merciful lord jesus. When the holy ghost doth open mine inward eye, to behold and believe this verity of myself, then shall I be very meek, then shall I not consider myself, but forget myself, as a thing of nought, and set all my mind my desire, all my knowledge and all my love with most stable meditation, upon the my sweet saviour jesus.  
For this sight and beholding of thee, comforteth and lyftyth up so meruelusly and delectably the soul, that it can take no joy in any pleasure of this world, nor take no heaviness nor sorrow, for any adversity or grief that can chance or hap, for it remaineth very stable and unmovable in the and insencyble towards all worldly things, ever desiring to rest in the sweet jesus, having ever the eyes of the soul unto the. And then thou dost deliver it from the gins of temptations and dost destroy in it all the motions of the strength of pride, and of all vices marvelous secretly. And by holy simplicity which is a secret by path, thou dost lead it unto a stable and a blessed union in thee, where by thou dost remain and dwell in it, and it in the to thy honour and glory for ever more. Amen.  
¶ The practice & the holy exercise to come unto the holy union with god, by aspiration, resignation and postulation. In the which thou must more use the affection & hearty desire than understanding. And fervent aspyration and vehement wishing, more than only meditation. And first thou shalt have this or like meditation to stir and in flame thy desire and to kindle thy love unto god, Most devoutly in thy mind and in thy heart say unto god the father.  
most almighty Lord God father celestial, dreadful majesty, the very and only life of my soul and mine only true bliss and felicity, I most miserable sinner and sinful wretch do sit here in thy godly presence, desiring with all my heart to enkindle my heart in the most holy and blessed love of the my lord, & by burning charity to be made and knit unto the my creator and maker and unto this most blessed love I can not come but only by thy merciful help and grace. Wherefore I most humbly beseek thee (most merciful father) in the most blessed merits of my lord and saviour jesus thy only son, grant me grace most devoutly, most heartily, and most lovingly, to call to remembrance the inestimable benefits, gifts, and graces, which thou only of thy infinite goodness charity and love toward me, hast and dost give unto me. And by this holy and lovely memory, my heart and mind may be in kindelyd, and set on fir in the very love of thee, of pure love to laud and praise the. And first how much am I bound to love the my dear lord, which hast created and made me of nought, not a stone, but like unto thy most blessed and godly image and likeness and hast created all the world to do me service. Thou hast preseruid me in the womb of my mother, where I might have perished (as many doth) that never cometh to birth. From my birth, thou hast perseruyd my life both in body and soul, and broughtest me to holy baptism, where I might have died without it, as many do, and do thereby lose the bliss of heaven for original sin. And from that time hither to, thou hast provided for my necessaries. first by my parents and friends, and afterwards by other means. So that I have had alway succour at thy merciful hand which continually hast and dost provide for me with much more lovely care, than ever did my natural mother, and hast cherished me both in body and soul. And like a most careful and loving parent & father thou hast & dost deliver me daily from innumerable perils and dangers both of body and soul, which innumerable times, sith I was borne, I might and should have fall in if thou hadst not, most mercifully delivered and defended me. How long hast thou, like a merciful, pitiful parent, borne with my great enormities and innumerable deadly sins & mortal, where thou mightest justly have dampened me both body & soul, yet of thy infinite merciful goodness thou hast tarried, and abiden my conversion, because thou wouldest not damn me, though I did deserve a thousand thousand times. And while thou haist so patiently suffered me so detestable, and contumelious towards the my lord god, & slanderoous unto the world, there hath many, that were far better than I, for less sin then mine, been utterly dampened, for miss life. Moreover though I were & am never so detestable and grievous a sinner in thy sight, yet thou (of thy infinite mercy) hast never left me utterly, but hast by divers means and many holy motions and inspirations called and provoked me to repentance. And though I gave no ear to, the but in manner contempnyd and set the at nought, yet thou ceased not until at the length with thy myghtyful power & grace thou broughtest me again to grace and repentance, and of thy ineffable goodness hast brought me to this most blessed state of religion, and yet doyst not miss but fatherly dost provid daily for my necessaries though I be never so unkind and unthankful to the. And by cause no sin, be it never so great and enormous, should dameme if I will repent, thou hast given to most cruel death and passion thine own son and by his merits and for his sake, thou art ready to in due me with all kind of virtue and grace. And specially blessed be thy in effable goodness and mercy. For thou hayst endued me with. N.N.N.  
¶ In this place remember thy special benefits that thou thinkest thyself specially bound to thank almighty God for. Turn thy thought and meditation here un thy saviour jesus devoutly saying.  
O Most loving Lord and dear saviour jesu now I turn my heart unto the. O most sweat jesus, most faithful friend and true lover of my poor soul, for whose sake and salvation thou wast incarnatyd, and came in to this wretched misery, and suffered innumerable labours, fatigations, sorrows and incommodyties, much wrong and heaviness, great poverty & pains thou suffered'st for me, many a tear thou shedest, with many a sore sigh, many afore rebuke, revile blasphemy, great shame, and much worldly confusion thou sufferedest. Many a sore stroke and sharp stripe, thou hadst for my sin. And of most tender true love, and most burning charity that thou barist to me, thou sufferedest most painful passion and crevel death.  
¶ Thou sweetest and shedest all thy precious blood, not leaving one drop within thy blessed body. And after most deadly and most mortal pangs and pynchynges of death iii. long hours hanging most painful upon the cross, at the length, with the most cruel bitter and painful sting of dreadful death, thou yeldest up thy blessed soul for to save and redeem my sinful soul. ¶ What point of love coldest thou have showed more. Yet beside all thes thou hast most lovingly left to my weak and wretched soul, for my ghostly comfort and strength, the very same body and blood wherewith thou boughtest me and all the world in the most blessed sacrament of the altar, that I might often see thee, often receive thee, & remember that great love thou beredyst towards us, and so to learn as to love the again, and of very love, to delight in the meditation of thy most bitter and blessed passion, with hearty desire to follow the in it. And specially to learn and affectuusly to consider that great love, and charity, thou showdest to me here in, that mi heart might be inflamed and set on fire with the love of the. Wherefore (most merciful saviour) and most loving and lovesome lord jesus of that great charity and burning love, which caused and moved the to suffer all thy bitter pains and passion, and in the merits of thy most precious blood, and blessed death, kindle now in my cold heart the blessed fire of thy most dear love, and make me to love and to delight in thee, to set all my joy, felicity & pleasure in the love and desire of the my lord, that by perfect love and blessed charity, my soul may be knit and made one with the. The which union, with the in love is the beginnyge, the perfection and end of all contemplation here in earth, and of the blessed fruition of thy godhead in heaven. Where thou art all in all things, to thy glory and honour sempyternal without end. Amen.  
¶ This foresaid prayer use daily by inward desire and hearty devotion that by custom thou mayst when thou wilt, set thy heart on fire with the love of thy Lord, with a little labour and thought of his passion & other benefits. If thou canst come to this readiness of love, then haist thou the very instrument and ready way to contemplation, for it is the rote & beginning of life contemplative. Thou shalt also that day that thou haiste this exercise in custom, use and accostome thyself every where, where ever thou be, what ever thou do, to have in thy mind and with hearty and burning desire to say, not in voice, but in heart and mind, one of thes lovely sweet sentences which may be called darts of ghostly love. And like as the worldly or fleshly lover hath still his burning desire to his paramour, and is ready in every place & corner where he metith with his love to express by lovely and sweet words his fervent and hot desire that he beareth unto her love, with deep sighs and most hearty lamentable complaint with such mean to set his love on fire and to wound (as it were) her heart with love towards him again, ever so with thes or such like lovely and sweet sentences, we do open unto our lover jesus, our fervent desire of his most blessed love with sweat and lovely sighs, hearty devout desires where ever we meet him, that is, as oft as he cometh to our mind, where ever we be, or what ever we do. And the use of such blessed aspirations who cold get acustome in them, is a wonderful ready way to ghostly profit.   

¶ Aspirations for this exercise.  
¶ O most loving lover and dear spouse of mi soul sweat jesus, I beseek the for thy most loving heart, that was pierced with a spear and wounded for my love, wound my heart and inflame my mind so flagrantly with the fire of thy love, that I may comtempne all the world for thy sake.  
¶ O most amiable jesus, would god that I might so heartily, and so hard embrace thee, with the ghostly arms of my heart that I might never let the go out of my heart and mind. ¶ O moste dear love and sweat Lord jesus why do I not love the. Canst thou suffer, that any creature should not love the. Though thou do suffer other, yet I beseech the suffer not that in me but break into mi heart, come in to mi mind with all thy might & violence most mighty lord. Oh most sweet violence when shall I suffer this thy blessyde and sweet violence.  
¶ Oh sweet jesus how well were I, if I might love the. Oh would to god I could perfectly set nought by myself and by all the world for thy dear loves sake.  
¶ Oh dear love of my soul, stir my heart to seek thee, lighten mi heart that I may find thee, possess thou my whole heart that I may rest in the only & forget all thing beside the. ¶ O the sweet treasure of mi heart, the only joy and life of my soul, how fair, how beautiful art thou, blessed be all that love the Oh when shall I love the also,  
¶ O most sweet jesus the very true love of my heart make me sick for thy love, yea make me die for thy sweat lovessake.  
¶ O most dear Lord, how fain would I love thee, and that I thus would, thou hast given it me: give me grace also that I may love the with all mi whole heart. For with out the I can do nothing.  
¶ most amiable, most lovesome, and gentle jesus, the comfort and hope of my heart, grant me to love the most purely, most faithfully, most dearly & most chastened ¶ Most sweetest delight, and pleasure of my soul, the consolation and joy of my heart which lovest me ear I was, & hast made and created me such a one that I may love thee, and have thee, grant me grace to seek thee, to run after thee, and that I may not rest till I have found thee, and for the great desire, and love of the sweet jesus, I may loath all thing beside the.  
such sweet sentences or like, thou must always have in thy mind and heart, & force thyself to say them in thy mind as sweetly and as devoutly, as thou canst. Though perhaps at the first thou shalt feel little sweetness, yet do as well as thou mayst, and in long custom grace will take pity on thy travel. Thou shalt not bind thyself exactly to these things, but only if thou have not of thyself such like, then mayst thou use any of these or as many as thou wilt. Yet thou shalt not need scrupulusly to follow all the words, but follow as well as thou canst, and take them as god putteth in thy mind. Thou mayst perhaps some time have as good or better come to thy mind, as these be. And such as the holy ghost putteth into thy mind, they are best.  
AFter thou hast had the meditation of the benefits of god in this prayer, that went immediately before these aspyrations, if thou feal thy heart styrryd with love towards thy lord, then look what sweet desires or prayer or meditation delighteth thee, that follow until thou feal devotion decay. But ear thou canst come to the sweat love that knyttith thy soul unto god, thou must take some travel, and stand, as it were without the door, abiding the pleasure of thy lord and lover, when he will let the in.  
Therefore (when thou canst not feal the love of thy heart stirred nor kindled by the meditation of his benefits) thou shalt sweetly discreetly, devoutly, and diligently knock, as it were at the gate of his pitiful goodness, with these four ghostly hammers, that is to say: Oblation, petition, Conformation, or likeness and union or knot. With these thou shalt awake thy beloved, to open the door of his blessed love unto the that thou mightest enter in by aburning charity, & be made one with him. Yet if thou feal thy heart drawn ghostly towards the sweet love of god any other ways than by these means, than leave these and follow the train of the holy ghost.  
¶ The first ghostly hammer, which is oblation or offering thou shalt thus use with as devout heart as thou canst say in thy mind with hearty meditation and with an unfeigned heart, if thou can, or as well as grace shall assist for the time.   

¶ An oblation ghostly.  
most mightiful lord god & very true love of my soul in my heart and whole desire I offer unto thee, and resign into thy blessed will & hands as a sacrifice, myself, to all that things, that thy blessed spirit shall (by inspiration) will and move me to do. And specially to the utter contempt and forsaking of myself, and mine own will, to the utter cutting of, and forsaking all delight, & and pleasure of sensuality, and of all my senses though they be never so little things, as an idle word, vain company, lightness. etc. whereby my heart may be, by any means, moved or defiled. Also I offer unto the myself, to the perfect mortification of all natural passions, as heaviness, joy sorrow, anger, hate, hope, fear, or shame. Also I offer to the myself, to the voluntary lack and want of all sensible grace, devotion, & other gifts of thine, that are not necessary for my salvation. In like manner I offer myself to suffer willingly, with most prompt and ready will, for thy sake, all adversity and harm, in fame, in goods and friends, all sickness, disease pain, pressure and heaviness of heart. And generally I offer me most gladly and willingly, to all chances and misfortune, that can hap to any creature in this world, be it never so evil saving sin, yea, if it be thy blessed will and pleasure, to put me in hell, that I might suffer all the pains of all the dampened except the hate of the and separation or loss of the love of the. And though it be impossible for me thus to do or suffer, yet good lord, my will and heart ought to be ready at all times if thou wilt it should be so. And where, merciful lord jesus, I can not be so willing & ready unto all these things, and make so perfect oblation, from the bottom of my heart as I should do, because I see not my great enormities and detestable wickedness of my former life, I beseek thy most blessed mercy in the mercies of thy most obedient death, help my imperfection that I may make full resignation unto thy only will in all things to thy honour & glory. Amen.  
THough thou can not at the first fully make unfeigned oblation to all these so faithfully, that thou would not fear by & by to abide and suffer any, or all of these for god's sake, for perhaps thou shalt feel in thyself fear, or grudge, if thou shouldest be put to any of these, yet be of good comfort and have trust that god will work it in the in time at his blessed will and pleasure, so thou do acknowledge thy infirmities and cry mercy and continue thy good purpose that thou hast begun, and this offering shallbe very acceptable unto god until thou canst do better. And when thou feelest thyself somewhat resigned unto the will of god in all these things then mayst thou with full confidence and trust enter to the other member of this exercise which is petition or postulation and knock with the second hammer notwithstanding wether thou feel thyself fully resigned or not, if thou have a desire to be resigned perfectly to god in all these foresaid things, fear not, nor fail not, but in the name of god with a humble hope and a meek confidence in the great mercies of god, make this petition & knock thus with this hammer as devoutly as thou can in thy mind unto almighty God, as our saviour christ teacheth us saying. Seek & ye shall have, or it shallbe given unto you.  
most glorious god almighty, and most liberal lord god, which for thy infinity goodness art ready to give unto all that faithfully & meekly do ask of the that which may be to thy glory and honour, and their soul's health. And specially the blessed fruition of thyself in perfect love I most meekly, most lowly, and devoutly beseek thy unmeasurable goodness, and most liberal mercy, in the blessed and infynitie merits of my saviour jesus, for thy merciful charity, that thou bearest towards my poor soul, for his sake, grant me good lord, the most blessed fruition of thy only godhead. That my whole affection love and desire may be satisfied, fully fixed, and altogether rested in the only, by the bare, pure & sincere love of thee, and in no other virtue gifts or graces, be it never so excellent, but in the only my most blessed lord god and most dear love of my soul.  
¶ Grant me not withstanding god lord, all such special graces, and thy gifts which may help and bring me unto the more perfection of life in the true love of thee, & not to rest in them, but by them, to come to thee, least resting in them I might highly offend thee, and wax cold in the desire of spiritual profit. And in special, grant me (gracious good lord) most pure, perfect, clear lightening of my understanding, that I may most fully and perfectly know & understand in all things, thy most blessed will, and godly pleasure, and to follow, fulfil, and execute the same as promptly, speedily, and perfectly, without any retraction or grudge of heart, as the shadow moveth at the motion of the body, according to the most blessed example of my saviour jesus. And thus for to do I here offer myself most ready with all the mights and powers of my body and soul.  
¶ Grant also, good lord, the light of thy grace, to know fully myself my incomprehensible vileness, my unthanfulnes towards thee, my unworthiness and wretchedness, my misery and sinfulness, whereby I may come to most perfect contempt, & ghostly hate of myself & perfect profund meekness. ¶ Grant me perfect knowledge of all & very true virtues, and to obtain so many of them, as most shall please thy blessed goodness in me, to my salvation. But singularly and above all other things in this world: grant now and evermore the continual increase of the most pure, true and sincere love of the. That all my delight, full fruition, & the rest of my soul may be in the. And that my heart may by so incensed & in flamid so hot and set on fire with the love of the that the memory of thee, may be so frequent and oft in my heart and mind, as is my breath, that I continually do take to live with all. For like as if I lack this bodily breath than departith life from my body, even so the very life of my poor soul is the very love of thee, & is continued by often & continual turning with burning desire to the which art the original of my soul, unto whom my soul should cleave unto as the son beams do bide with the son. As for other thy graces and gifts, most gracious lord, that are not necessary for my soul health, as to be delivered from temptation, perils, and pressures, the gifts of revelation of secrets, devotion, and sensible grace I ask not, most merciful lord god. But as it may most please thy infinite goodness, to thy glory and my salvation. Wherefore I most humbly beseek thy great goodness and mercy grant me this my meek postulation, petition and grace, that I may, with all my might and power labour and travel daily and hourly to obtain it, and never to cease from most fervent prayer and knocking, until thou (most petyful lord) dost open unto me thy most liberal goodness, unto thy great glory and honour and my salvation.  
ANother part of this exercise after that thou hast used this one day, the next day use this following: one day one, an other day an other. After this manner first thou must stir thy heart to the love of god with the same prayer called an oblaicon ghostly, which is in the exercise next afore appointed, of the benefits of god, if thou feel thyself disposed in heart to the earnest desire of the love of god, and thy heart be inkyndelyd with the sweat memory of his kindness towards the Then shalt thou (as it were) burn all unlikeness toward, god in thyself (that is to say) all thy sins and vycyousenes, all thy faults and imperfections, all thy passions and immortification, thy unruled senses and their in ordinate inclination, all thy vicius affection and thy impaciences, but thou shalt not reckon and remember them one by one, but generally gether them together in thy heart and mind and cast them (as it were in to the infinite fire of gods love, there to be consumed and burned up by his mercy with most ardent desire and devout mind saying in thy heart and desire thus.  
MOst myghtyful god and merciful Lord which dydyst create & make me to thy blessed likeness and thy own image, after that it was disfigured and blemyshyd by the sin of adam thou most mercifully hast reform it, in thy death and blood of my lord jesus by baptism. And now I wretched caitiff, & sinful wretch have disfigured and fully defaced it in me with innumerable sins & daily faults, vices and imperfections and have brought and made my soul far unlike that my lord god. Wherefore now I most humbly beseek thee, in that the most blessed and burning love which moved thy mercy to make me like thee, & to redeem me with so cruel painful, and shameful death and passion of my lord and saviour jesus thy only & most dear son, consume & burn up, & utterly destroy in me all my unlikeness toward the in me all mi sinfulness, mi vices, all mi fauts and my imperfections, all my inordynate passions and readiness to sin, all the misorder and abuse of my senses inward and outward, all naughty and inordynate affections to any creature all my impacyens and scrupulusenes. And grant me most dear Lord and most merciful father with most burning desire at this time and evermore to ask and most vehemently to crave of thee (my most gracious lord) the perfect likeness in me, of thy most glorious and blessed son my Lord jesus.  
¶ Oh merciful Lord and most gracious god wochsafe to adorn and deck my bare soul withal those most holy virtues and graces that he was adorned, both in his blessed divinity, and his holy humanity most specially with those virtues which appeared in him in the time of his most shameful death and painful passion  
¶ Grant me the perfect affection and most hearty desire of most low meekness by most perfect abyection and contempt of myself desiring from the bottom of mi heart now and ever, to be abject and vile.  
¶ Grant me most perfect desire and affection, of most perfect poverty, pacyencie, and charity, and in thes virtues most busily, diligently and affectuuslie to travel and exercise myself in them. specially by most ardent and burning desires, and most devout and continual prayers unto the until that I may feal in on self in all damage, wrongs, rebukes, slanders & pains (yea in the time when grace is subtracted & taken away from me) then to have a most harti desire to suffer most heartily all griefs for the love of thee, and so persever unto the end, that I might, herein, be conformable and like unto my Lord jesus that suffered of pure charity so much, & so many grievous pains to thy honour and glory, and for my salvation. Amen.  
THat day that thou doyst use this exercise thou shalt have oft in thy mind such desires short prayers every where, where ever thou be, and learn to force thy heart with most hearty affection and earnest desire to remember them and wish for the in thy mind, and to desire the crying most heartily, earnestly, and devoutly in this manner or like.   

¶ aspiration for this exercise.  
¶ Oh most blessed saviour jesus how unlike am I unto thee, which art so gracious, so good, so full of grace and virtue. And I wretched sinner am full of all vices & wickedness, dystroy (good Lord) all my sinful deformyties, and restore in me thy blessed image to thy honour and glory.  
¶ Oh merciful jesus that died for my love, make me to die to all the world for the true love of the. Mortify in me all impatience, all inordynate passions and affections to any creature, that thou mightest have all my love and whoole heart.  
¶ My most gracious Lord and saviour jesus put in my soul and heart most perfect patience, obedience, most perfect charity with all other of thy blessed virtues, that it may be like thy blessed humanity.  
¶ Oh blessed love of my soul, set me so on fire in thy love, that I may think that all pain, shame, confusion, and torment that is possible to be suffered, is to little to be suffered for thee, that all my delight and desire may be in the mids of all my prayer, to suffer for thy love all thing sweet jesus.  
¶ Sweet saviour jesus which didst suffer most painful death for my sin mortify in me by thy special grace, the great readiness unto sin in me, all my viciousness & faults, all my negligences and imperfections, that I may come to the ghostly union in the by most burning love and ardent charity.  
THou must most fervently desire & ask in thy heart and devout mind continually of god, that thou mayst be made like conformable unto his blessed crucified humanity, specially in this point that thou (in all things) never seek nor desire any thing, that pertaining to thine own self or thy own commodity, but only that which belongeth to thy lord jesus, how thou mayst most fervently & perfectly honour serve and please and be like him evermore. And how thou mayst most exactly forsake thine own will and contemn thyself, and love him, forgetting in manner, thyself and all things. And for the vehement burning love of him, thy mind may run so much upon him that thou dost take no heed, nor considerest not what is bitter, what is sweet, neither hour time, nor space, nor place, nor markest not one person from another, but in all things, thou must seek, consider and remember thy lord god, and his blessed will, pleasure and honour, seeing verily thy saviour christ in his members. And thus doing thou doyst live a contemplative life in an active life. For in thy outward doings thou hayst contemplation ghostly of god, and findest him every where, and in every thing specially thou do recollect thyself wholly and dost enter into thy heart, and searching the bottom thereof, resolving and resigning thyself dost put thyself wholly in the hands of god. For than thou art, in manner, transformed into god or deified. And unto what thing soever thou turn thyself to, and what good work soever thou doyst, thou shalt think that god doth it and not thou. And to further thee in this ghostly exercise thou must endeavour thyself as near as thou canst in all things ever more choose that which is most to god's honour, or most like unto christ and his example, or most profitable to thine even christian, or most against thine proper will, or most grief and painful to thy body, with discretion, or most rebukeful worldy, whereof thou art worldly ashamed, so it be not sinful. Ever thou must cry out unto thy lord god in thy heart unfeignedly. I am nought, I have nought, I can do nought but sin only. I seek nought I desire nought but jesus a lonly. If thou do this truly continue faithfully in this spiritual work and travel, god, at length, will without doubt, here thy diligent knocking and deliver the from all the trouble ghostly, from all the tumult, noise and comberaunce of cogitations and fancies and from all earthly affections, which thou canst by no better mean put away, then by the continual and fervent desire of the love of jesus, the which desire he must needs in spire in the and give it and work it in thee, which he will very willingly and readily do, so thou (in the mean time) do fervently ask by most devout prayer if thou wilt receive it, and not let his working, by following to much thine own will. For look how much more perfectly thou doyste for sake thine own will, and the love of thy self and of the worldly things, so much more deeply, and fastly, thou shalt be knit unto god, and mcrease in his true and pure love. And because that these are obtained principally of god, who only can & doth work all perfection in us by his spcial grace: thou shalt therefore say this prayer in thy heart with desire and most devout mind unto god.  
O Gracious good Lord, which art the giver of all grace and goodness and, dost give unto them that fervently & faithfully do ask of the nothing so soon and more gladly than the very true virtues whereby we may faithfully and devoutly serve, love and honour the in all perfection of life: I most humbly and most harteli beseek the of thy tender mercy and most loving and infinite goodness, in the most blessed & mighty merits of my saviour jesus grant me grace that I may come to perfect likeness and conformytie, in all virtue and grace of the most holy manhood of my dear and most loving Lord jesus crucified for my sake and my sin, specially in most perfect forsaking of mine own will and seeking of myself, that in all things I may seek purely, & only that sincere honour, the pleasure, the service & will of that my lord: how I may most fervently & faithfully honour, serve and please the only, in nothing seeking mine own will or mine own commodity, but utterly to forsake and renounce mine own will in all things. And so to fix mi mind and my most hearty love, and delight in the that I may forget myself and all things, yea not remembering nor marking what is bitter what sweat, minding no pa●son no, place, no time nor tide, but as I were ravyshid in the I may seek and mark in all creatures the only, thy pleasure and most blessed will and honour. And so to rest in the love and beholding of thee, that I may consider the in every thing, to what so ever I turn me to, and what god work so ever I do I may unfeignedly and verily think, that thou doyst it, and not I. That I may (being turned and transformed as it were all into thee) see the & find thee, in all thing every where. ¶ Grant me also most merciful lord god grace in all thing to choose evermore, that which may be most to thy honour, or conformable to the example of my lord jesus, or most against my own will, or most profitable to mine even christian, or most painful and grievous unto my body, or most shameful to the world. That I ever more may have ever in mind, heart, and thought, unfeignedly these words. I am nought, I have nought, I can do nought, but sin. I seek nought, I desire nought, but only my dear and blessed saviour jesus. ¶ Oh merciful lord god suffer me never to cease sighing, and seeking, knocking, and praying until thy most gracious mercy and most merciful goodness, vouchsafe to hear and to grant me my humble petition, as may be most to thy honour and my salvation. Amen.  
THe forth hammer that thou must knock with all, is union. This union, or oning is when thou dost transfund or power thy hole will into the high pleasure and will of god. Wherefore thou must if thou wilt knock truly with this exercise, labour with all thy might with most vehement & burning desires, and endeavour thyself to leave and to offer up most fully into the pleasure of god all thy will, & to knit and make one thy will with his will, so that what soever may chance the thy will be ever without all murmur or retraction of heart or mind, ready to except it most joyfully, and for the very pure love of god. Yea that thy joy, solace, and comfort be evermore to have his most pleasure done in thee, whether it be adversities, outward sickness, pain, persecutions, oppressions either inward griefs and pressures of heart, subtraction of grace, coldness or barrenness of mind, derkening of the wits or senses, or any ghostly or bodily temptation. And at such time when thou sufferest any of these thou must be well war that thou seek no sinful consolation specially, nor any other sensual pleasure, but by counsel of thy ghostly father. Nor set not thy heart upon vain things, seeking comfort thereby, nor in no wise be not idle. But alway as nigh as thou canst, compel, strain and force thyself, to some good exercise, or to some good bodily work. The which good exercise, or good works, though they be unsavoury unto thee, yet they are nevertheless, most acceptable if thou do faithfully that which in the lieth. Wherefore thou shalt believe firmly in thy heart, that all such adversities therefore chanceth to thee, by god's provision and sufferance, to prove thy faithfulness and true love towards him, and to take occasion to inryche the and increase more plentifully in thee his blessed gifts and all his spiritual graces, if thou persever faithfully unto the end, not leaving the vehement desire of his love and perfection. And when thou hast made thy most hearty petition with most burning desire to have thy will to be made one with the blessed will of god, offering it freely up into his hands with this prayer that shall here after follow, then must thou life up thy heart with all love, and knit and fix the point of thy love upon the most blessed love increate of god, and therein let thy soul and heart rest and delight, and so be as it were resolved and meltyd most happily into the blessed godhead. That when the soul fealeth itself to rest and delight sweetly in god which is an uncreatid love, thou mayst take it for a token, that god of his mercy will grant the thy lowly and holy desire. And plainly who soever do use these exercises oft time, & persever in them knocking devoutly and meekly, it is impossible but he shall come to perfection of life. And because the love of thyself is one of the greatest lets & impediments to come to the pure love of god, that thou canst have. Therefore thou must labour by devout prayer & of holy vehement desires of thy heart, to come to the perfect and holy hate of thyself. So that thou canst with thy hole heart wish to be despised and set at nought, to be ever trodden, to be beaten and boffetyd of all men, to be rebuked and reputed most vilest, and to be brought in manner to nought with all men. Thou shalt not think it enough for thee to be glade when thou doyst suffer wrong, and to be joyful and to take comfort when thou sufferest much sorrow for gods sake, but thou must also wish that all men might think that thou art most worthy to suffer all these and all contumely & shame. And thou must also so abhor thyself, that thou wouldst & didst wish to be despised, contraryed, ye and punished of the very beasts unreasonable. And when thou must needs, for thy bodily necessity, take any delectable thing, thou must take it with great fear, dread and lothsomnens of thyself. Yet thou must not undyscretly forsake and leave thy bodily necessaries, to destroy vice and sin in it, and not to destroy it, killing the true man with the thief. Nature is good and of god's creation. Vice and sin is the thief. If thou can come to this perfect hate of thyself, thou shalt then come shortly unto the perfect love of god, & shalt begin then so earnestly to seek the honour of god in all things, and utterly forsaking and forgetting thyself, that thou shalt not pass to put thyself in a thousand dangers for his sake, thou shalt not in manner feal any difference between thy honour & thy shame, between joy and sorrow, but whatsoever thou perceivest to be appertaining to the honour of god, be it never so hard, thou shalt most earnestly and speedily with all thy might and inward strength follow and desire the same. Yet when thou hast done all that is possible for thee, thou shalt think thou hast done nothing at al. Yea, thou shalt be ashamed and detest thyself with perfect hate that thou hast so wretchedly and imperfectly served so gracious so noble, and so myghtiful a Lord. And therefore thou shalt desire, and endeavour thyself every hour to do, and to suffer more greater and perfecter things than thou hast done hitherto. Yet remember that this perfect and holy hate of thyself, & the love of god, specially this union and turning of thy will wholly unto god's will and pleasure, and the singular gifts of god, therefore thou shalt with most hearty and ardent desire and fervent devotion make this, or like petition to almighty god for them, with hearty desire say this prayer following.  
most myghtyful and magnyficente lord god, at whose only will and pleasure all things are revealed and remain, whom all things obeyeth and serveth, & there is none that can resist thy mighty pleasure. Yet to obey & serve that is most blessed freedom, and a plain kingdom, I most meekly, and most heartily beseek thee, in the most holy merits of the most obedient passion and death of my Lord jesus knit my whole desire and will unto thy most blessed will and pleasure in all things.  
¶ Grant me, most merciful lord, now and from henceforth, fully and unfeignedly to render and to yield up into thy hands & will, without any retraction or grudge in heart, my will, so that for the pure love of thee, thy most blessed pleasure and will may be all my desire, my comfort, delight & joy in all things that may chance unto me whether it be bodily adversity, sickness, persecutions, shame, confusion, oppression, pains, grief, or inward pressures, and agonies, as subtraction of grace, dullness of spirit, lack of sensible devotion, darkness of sensies or any other ghostly temptarion, what ever it be grant me, for that synceare love and honour of thee, most meekly and joyfully to abide them to the end, & to seek no worldly comfort or consolation, and yet not to be dyscoraged from well doing. But to force myself in such time of trouble, to do some good works ghostly or bodily, evermore perfectly remembering that thou of thy ineffable love towards me, doyst send me such temporal trouble, for my great ghostly profit, & everlasting meed if I do meekly receive it, & abide it so long as thou wilt, yielding most obediently myself unto thy most blessed will, wishing not to be delivered, but when thou wilt, remembering that I have deserved it a thousand fold more, most heartily thanking the that thou dost so mercifully punish my sin here, because thou wouldest not torment me for them perpetually. But purify my sinful soul here, that after this life and small purgatory, I may everlastingly abide with the in thy bliss to thy honour & glory. Amen.    

¶ The last exercise is, both the practice and the exercise itself.  

LAST of all is this exercise wherein thou must labour to dwell & live in god. And that must thou obtain by these two virtues by true and lively faith, by pure and ardent love of god. For it is but a small matter, & availeth little, to have god within thee, if thou lease him lightly again. But thou must be also altogether hidden and swallowed up in him. first thou must constantly believe that thou art in god, and god in the so long as thou remainest in charity, as. S. john saith, God is charity and he that dwelleth in charity he dwelleth in god, & god in him. christ our master monysshyth us saying, dwell and abide in me and I will abide in you. He that remaineth in me and I in him, he bringeth forth much fruit, for without me ye can do nought, he prayeth also to his father that we might be made one as he and the father is one. He that eateth my flesh, & drynkyth my blood the same dwelleth in me and I in him. But to perceive and understand that thing, clearly and plainly, it is the great gift of god, and therefore thou must ask it earnestly of him, and when thou perceavyst clearly, and plainly fealist thyself to be in God then must thou learn to abide & remain in him. The which is the most blessed treasure in this world, or in this life. For when thou lyvyst and abidest in god, thou must keep the powers of thy soul, and thy senses, as it were shut up in god, from gadding upon any worldy thing or vanity, as much and as nigh as is possible, wher-they have a joyful security and safeness. For like as if thou wouldest shoot up thyself in a very close chamber, where thou shouldest see nothing, neither hear, taste, nor touch any thing, but only that which were within the closet, & whatsoever were without, they could by no means neither harm thee, nor touch the. Even so when thou doyst live and abide in god, whatsoever thou touchest, thou seist, thou hearest, or taistest it presentyth to the and declaryth to the gods presence which is now become unto that all thing in all things. For thou sekyst and desirest to find and to have him only in all thing, and in every thing thou sayst his blessed presence. And therefore all things both good and bad, that cometh upon the thou receivest them, not of any creature, but only immediately at the hand of god with out all curious search from whence, wherefore or by what chance or how they come, without all trouble, fear or perplexity, and with all meekness suffer them. And doyst render them again unto god, seeking in all things ever more the honour and the holy pleasure of god, the meekness and subduing of thyself, the amendment of thine own life, thy true obedience unto god and unto all creatures for his honour, not against his honour, but specially to obey thy supery ours with all humility, forsaking in all thing thine own proper will. And for as much as thou and all creatures be in the power and regiment of god, therefore there can no creature harm nor yet touch thee, but it must first touch god within whom thou hast in closed thyself, and transposyd and turned thyself all wholly into him and his godly will and pleasure. And for this cause must thou needs hearken more to god, and here him, rather see him, touch him, and tayst him much more than any other thing. When thou perceavyst thyself thus knit unto god, that thou percevyst thy soul to be more fast, and joined more nearer unto god then to thine own body, and by the same love which hath thus knit the unto god, dost perceive that he is the very everlasting, the incomprehensible, ineffable and only goodness out of whose power and might thy soul came by creation, and is so like unto god that there is no creature that can know and perceive thoroughly the dyngnitie & nobility of thy soul. Then I say, thou with this consideration, kindelid, and stirred with the love of god, thou mayst feeling this love in thy heart at midnight or in the morning daily if thou wilt exercise thyself whensoever thou desirest to enter, by our saviour jesus, and to knit thyself secretly unto god inwardly in spirit, in this manner following. Thou shalt kneel devoutly only prostrate before the crucifix, if thou may conveniently or in a secret place, where thou canst not lightly be distracted, & first say this prayer that thou mayst come unto this knowledge, and mayst perceive thyself to dwell in god and god in the. For it is an excellent gift of god, and he only can and will readily give it to the faithful and devout peticionars, thou shalt therefore, I say, make from the bottom of thy heart, this humble petition in thy mind & hearty desire unto god saying.  
O Glorious majesty of infinite mercy and goodness ineffable which fulfillist all the whole world & art every where in every thing by thy might, thy essence, and presence, but specially in the soul of man, and singularli in the soul of them that are thy chosen such as desirethe, sekythe and longeth after thee, I most humbly & heartily beseek the of thy infynitie goodness and mercy, lighten (with thy special grace) misvnderstandinge and knowledge, that I may plainly and clearly perceive and understand thy blessed presence in me and how I am in the. And when I feal and perceive thy holy presence, grant me grace most merciful Lord to hold the and keep the with much reverence, and with a reverent fear, to walk and conversant myself before thee, keeping all the powers of my soul and my senses chaystly and clearly from all worldly vaynities, that they all way may tend upon thee, and in all thing I may find and remember thee, And what so ever I see, here, touch, feal, or tayst I may in them, see, hear, touch, feal and tayst thee, more than them. And that I may receive all thing (what ever cometh upon me) immediately as at thy hand and sending, and seek there in to fulfily joyful thy blessed will & pleasure or my nighbors' profit and soul health, or the amendment of my life and the meking of myself, and to obey the and all creatures for thy love and honour, for saking utterly mine own will. By cause thou art in me and in all things, therefore I should obey the in every creature to thy glory & honour and my soul health.  
THou shalt say this foresaid prayer devoutly kneeling before the imayge of Christ crucyfed or crucifix if thou can conveniently as I said before, or in such place where thou shalt not be distractyd. Then after this prayer thou shalt recollect thyself, fully believing that thou verily sittest before thy bare, nakid and crucified lord jesus, even as he was verily crucified and hang upon the Cross all naked and defaced with most cruel and bloody wounds. And though thou see him not with thy bodily eyes thou oughtest yet to see him faithfully and inwardly with thy ghostly eyes. For plainly (for as much as thou doyste heartily desire to love him above all thing and by harti love doist most heartily desire to be knit unto him by grace in spirit, undoughtidly he is as verili present as he did hang upon the cross, and is now in the bosom of the father. And because that the infinite dignity worthiness and nobylytie-of god can not suffer the least sin in him that would be knit unto him and thou commonly fallest unto some sin daily after thou haist perhaps been knit unto thy Lord god. Thou must therefore ascend and come up unto thy lord god, unto the godhead or divinity of thy Lord jesus by the most precious wounds of his blessed humanity which he therefore suffered them, and arose again from death with them, and keepeth them still in his blessed and holy body that we may climb up (as it were) by them unto the blessed godhead, therefore he saith. There can none come unto my father but only by me. I am the door, who that cometh in by me, they shall find pasture. Thou shalt therefore first with most profunde meekness fall down (if place as I have said will serve) or bow very low down at his most gracius feet with the holy penitent Mary magdalene and there thou must do two things as she did. first thou must with tears outward, or inward (as grace will serve) for thy sins sweetly, & lovingly wet his feet, lamenting (of very love) thy faults and sins, committing them with most hearty confidence in his mercy, and drowning them (as it were) in the most precious wounds of his blessed feet. Thou shalt offer thy self to his merci & all thy sins, faults and imperfections great and small, wherewith thou haist ever offended so loving a father, specially sith thou were last knit unto him For his most excellent & noble majesty can bide no mean nor let be it never so little, no not one vain thought, or one little morsel, eaten otherwise then it ought except the same be purged and cleansed by penance. When thou hayste washed and wet the feat of thy saviour jesus after this sort. The second thing that thou must do is thou must wipe the same blessed feat with the locks of thy head, that is to say. Thou must with most perfect will and purpose so forsake all sin, be they never so little that thou wouldest rather suffer death then commit any sin. Then thou shalt with most ardent desire wish and long to obtain all virtues and to die perfectli unto all vice and imperfections. And make this humble petition with hearty devotion in thy affection and mind & not in voice.  
MOst dear saviour jesus the longing" and desire of my soul, I humbly beseek the by the most blessed wounds that thou suffered'st upon the cross for me, make me to suck & draw effecteously out of thy precious wounds all kind of virtues. And make me to abhor all sin above all hateful things in this world, specially pride and vainglory, arrogancy mine own will in obedience, irreverency toward the and thy substitutes, all impatience, wrath, rancour, much talk, detraction, and all vices that cometh of them. And grant me grace to draw and suck from the precious wounds of thy most blessed feet, most profunde and low humility, perfect patience, obedience, and perfect silence, with all the kinds that procedyth of these. And from thy blessed head, crowned with thorns, grant me grace to detest and forsake all pertynacie & stubbornness in my own opinion and wisdom all abuse of my senses and dissolution, all the neglecting of the holy fear of thee, all flattery and fear of man, all indiscrection and my great intemperance, my impure intention, and seeking of myself, and all other vices belonging here unto.  
¶ Most merciful saviour jesus I humbly beseek the for the most bitter pain, that thou sufferest in thy head crowned with thorns, print into my head, and adorn it with thy godly wisdom so much as may be most to thy honour and my salvation.  
That I may understand thy infinite goodness, & my unmeasurable vile wretchedness.  
¶ Grant me also thy holy and filyall fear, and hate of sin, be it never so small.  
¶ Grant me clear and perfect discretion, that I may see all the grins of sathan, and seeking of myself, my errors & excesses. ¶ Grant me the holy simplicity of thy little ones that I may purely take all things to the best, and obey the and all men in the and for thee, and with all simplicity do, what ever be commanded me except sin, without gruging, resysting, or seeking why or wherefore. And for thy most loving and sweet heart, lanced with a knights spear for my love and salvation, grant me grace to detest and abhor all the private and inordynate love of myself and of any creature, the abuse, the yrreverence and negligence of thy blessed sacraments and gifts, all mistrust, infidelity and errors, all fear inordynate, weakness of spirit, and desperation, my great negligence and unsteadfastness in those things that belongeth to my estate and calling, and all other vices that belongeth to any of these, and all kinds and circumstances that cometh of any of these. beseeking thee (most loving lord jesus) of thy most ardent & burning charity and love of thy divine heart, and for that precious wound and all the heaviness which thou sufferest therein, for my sake and love and salvation, grave and print into my heart thy wounded heart, and fulfil my heart with the most perfect love of the and charity, which may slay and mortify in me, all private and inordynate love unto myself and to all creatures, and make me to love the only, with all my heart, all my soul, with all my mind, and all my strength, and to love all men in the & for the as myself.  
¶ Grant me perfect constancy catholic faith to avoid all errors.  
¶ Grant me perfect hope and trust in the that I may in all trouble ghostly and bodily, avoid all desperation, and evermore meekly trust in thy merciful help, protection and comfort.  
¶ Grant me stabylitie & perseverance, that I may proceed and increase daily from virtue to virtue, and grow in all perfection.  
¶ most merciful saviour jesus for the incomprehencible love and sorrow of thy wounded and blessed right hand, grant me grace, to detest & abhor all unryghteousenes & wrong, & all bitter melacolynes of heart, all displeasure and envy, all falsed, untruth and hypocrisy, all unkindness and unthankfulness towards the and thine, beseeking the most merciful lord jesus, for the most bitter pain and grief of thy wound in thy right hand to grant me perfect justice and rightwiseness, that I may give unto the my lord all honour and glory, thanks, praise, and obedience in all my cogitations, words and deeds. And to give to my superiors, my eguals and inferyors, & unto my body and soul all thing that belong unto them, doing and performing all things truly, that is my duty unto them according unto my state and calling.  
¶ Grant me grace also to follow thy blessed example in all mercy, pity, compassion, and bountyfulnes both to my friends and foes. Grant me to follow thy holy truth and godly zeal against all vice and sin, both of mine own and of other men, for thy honours sake and their soul's health. ¶ Grant me also the grace of thankfulness that I may be thankful and kind alway unto the my loving lord jesus, for thy innumerable benefits and unto every man, for there kindness and benefits showed unto me.  
¶ most myghtyful maker and sweet saviour jesus for the incomprehensible love and pain of the blessed wound in thy left hand I humbly beseek the grant me utterly to detest and abhor cowardness, sluggysnes and sloth, all idleness and loss of time all uncleanness of body and soul, all intemperance and excess in meat & drink and all other necessaries, all greediness & covetise, and all vices and sins that cometh of any of these: humbly beseking the my lord jesus for the intolerable pain & sorrow that thou suffered'st in the wound of thy left hand, power into my sinful soul so much fortitude, as is necessary for me to thy honour and my souls health. Whereby I may rule and govern my will & the powers and senses of my body and soul, so that neither fearing the devil, the world nor men, neither yet mine own will or flesh life nor death I may manfully pass thorough and contemn all things for thy love.  
¶ Grant me grace to follow thy amiable chastity of body and purity of heart, that I may vehemently detest all uncleanness, and that I may continually keep all my cogitations and my senses from all sin and occasions thereof, and from all inpuritie & cleaving unto any creature.  
¶ Grant me the grace to follow also thy most holy sobriety, whereby I may refrain and mortify all my sensies and powers of my body, from all inordinate delectation, pleasure and superfluity, and that I may use bare necessaries with the grace of thee, without any lust or pleasure inordynate in them.  
¶ Grant me grace also to follow thy most blessed voluntary poverty, which leadeth a man marvelous speedily unto god whereby I may, by thy grace be made & remain so bare, so poor in spirit & so lose from all love and delight in any creature, & from cleaving to thy ghostly gifts inwardly, and from all affection of temporal things outwardly, that I may use and take my very necessaries, with lothesomenes & pain & that I may never desire to possess any thing but that I bore and naked from all creatures, may fix my delight, joy and full rest between thy blessed bare arms, being crucified thus with thee, and so to render and make amends with my verteus life, in some part, that which with my former sinful life I took from thee, seeking purely thy only glory and honour here in now and ever. Amen.  
AFter thou haiste made this devout petition in thy heart, then must thou fully hope and trust that thy loving Lord jesus hath in the unmeasurable sea of his infynitie merits consumed all thes thy faults and utterly forgiven them the.  
Then all thy sins are left (as it were) beneath, thou must ascend up unto his blessed hands which are always stretched out unto his dear friends in token of singular friendship thou shalt then in this place approach, in thy heart and desire, unto god asking of him and desiring that thou mayst be knit unto him and made one with him in true love and charity. And first thou must put out of thy heart all carefulness, all thy distraction, casting and committing them in to the hands and pleasure of almighty god, by whom there can nothing be lost nor perish. Then thou must set thy full mind and behold thy Lord god, that is verily present with the there, which loveth the most heartily, which also tarith for thee: yea he knockyth and calleth the lovingly. And so must thou knit thy mind so earnestly upon god that thou mayst be as it were enclosed within thy lord god & thyself with in him, gathering and recolectinge all the powers of thy soul and bodily sensies in the blessed wounds of his most holy hands. And while thou art thus recollectyd thou shalt make these three prayers in thy heart & mind unto god the three persons in trinity.    

And first to the father say this prayer.  
O Most omipotent god father celestial, in the most blessyde merits of my saviour jesus take away and put out of my memory & fancy (by thy infinite power and might) all the imaginations and outward affections, and fulfil my memory with thine own self, and with all godly imaginations and desires.   

¶ Secondly unto the Some.  
O most all mighty son sempiternal of god I humbly beseek the of thy infynitie mercy by thy eternal and ever lasting wisdom, most graciously vouchsafe, to lighten my wit and understanding with the most blessed knowledge of thy goodness increate and infinity which thou art, and to know thy blessed benefits and most holy will and pleasure, and mine own naughtiness.   

¶ Thurdly thou must make petition unto the holy ghost after this manner.  
O Glorious Lord god holy ghost most humbly I beseek the of thy infinity mercy and charity which thou art thyself, vochesafe with thy in comprehensyble goodness to raiushe and swallow me up all together in to the with my will and all mine affections, and set them on fyere with most ardent love and charity.   

¶ The fourth is unto Christ Crucified.  
O most loving saviour and most dearest love of my soul my sweet Lord jesus, I humbly beseek the for thy cross and passion, and for thy most painful death that thou (of most perfect love towards me) didst suffer upon the cross vouchsafe by thy most holy powers of thy blessed soul, and the senses of thy most holy body to make bare and naked all my wytes and powers of my boodie and soul from all phansyes, vices, imperfections and inordinations, and restore them to their first perfection and order, & vouchsafe to knit and to enclose them within thyself, and thyself all together within them. Amen.  
MORE over as often as thou wilt knit thy will and understanding unto thy Lord god, thou must stirere up and not without some labour, these two, that is to say, thy understanding and will towards thy Lord. First thou must force thy understanding earnestly to consider, and faithfuly to behold the high goodness of god and his infinite, his most superexcellent, and incomprehensible nobility and holiness and therewithal consider and feel also the innumerable torments, pains, sorrows and passions, that he so high, so noble, so excellent and so infinite majesty suffered of most ineffable love and charity for us most vile, wretched and most unkind sinners. And with great wonder thou must marvel at the most wonderful love that god almighty hath showed towards the by his own most dear son, whom for thy love only & salvation he gave to suffer all kind of misery (save sin) of travel, labour, fatigation, care, hunger, thirst, watch trouble, sorrow, shame revile, rebuke, confusion, slander, blasphemy, persecution, false trateri, heaviness, dread fear, and deadly agony, until bloody sweet, wrongful comprehension and captivity, like a thief in bonds most cruelty, most vile entreated, halyd, pulled and led from post to pillar, most worngeful accusation, and most unjust condemnation, spitting and conspurcation, yllusions mocks, and scorns forsworn & forsaken of his own apostles, most cruel flagellation and beatings, fore stripes and buffets, most painful coronations, with thorns his tender limbs body and flesh rend & torn most cruelly. And in all these plagues and woeful array made a gazing stock to all his most cruel enemies. At the length comptyd most abominable, more vile and more worthy of death than a strong thief and cruel murderer he was condemned, the other delivered and so laden with his most cruel and heavy cross upon his torn shoulders and weak body unto his pain and all worldly wonder, confusion, and shame, he was lad unto the most filthy and horrible place of his most cruel & shameful death most bitter drink offered him, and violently spoiled naked of all his garments, rackid to the length and breadth of his cross most painfully nailed with sturdy & blunt nails, elevated on high upon the cross his members most cruelly torn & rend, his veins and sinews violently broken, his precious blood most painfully shed, trailed down upon the earth in great abundance, in such painful plight he hung three long hours upon the cross in most woeful pangs and pains of death sustaining most deadly burning thirst, blasphemy, reproach and reproof, most painful derelection without all comfort or consolation. And thus he most woefully yielded up his blessed soul by most bitter, cruel painful, and shameful death. And all only for the mere and most burning love and charity, that he bore unto the his enemy, that thou might be delivered from the wrath of God, and sentence of damnation that thou hadst deserved by the sin original and innumerable other in normytes deadly and daily offences which thou hast done, mightest have done, and mayst do, if he reserved thee not by his grace. And yet requireth he nothing in this world of thee, for all these that he hath suffered and done for thee, but only thy true heart and love. And for this cause he suffered his most divine and lovely heart to be opened with a spear, that thou mightest if thou wouldest, in manner, creep into his most blessed side and sweet heart, the treasure house of all grace and mercy, of all virtue and perfection, where thou mayst obtain what thou wilt ask. And all for the most tender love, that the sweet loving heart of thy dear lord jesus beareth to the. Thou hast therefore great cause to love him again, and to show loving kindness unto so curtyse and kind lover and lord god. Now if thou canst feel thy heart moved unto love towards thy lord jesus by this or like contemplation of his benefits and of his infinite goodness, that hath loved the from the beginning of the world with an everlasting charity, then shalt thou proceed and force thy will and affection to these three sorts or degrees of love. The first is bare love, that is to say, thou must move thyself to love him only, and forsake all love, that thou bearest to thy friends kinsfolks, apparel, books, and of any other thing in this world. For thou canst not love these and love god only. For he will have all thy love, as he is most worthy, and must be loved barely alone without any thing with him. For so did our lord jesus hang all bare and nakid of all friends, comfort and of all things upon the cross If thou can find and feal this point of love in thy heart then must thou proceed & labour to have love. Thou must have no desire to any thing created, and specially this pure love is when thou hayst full mortified in the all natural passions and vices as angrynes, melancholy, inordinate joy, lightness & such other, so that the powers of thy soul be pure and clean from all sinful inclinations and disorder, clean delivered from all imaginations or any lets or impediments of the pure and synceare love of god, that they may embrace their lord god with most pure & clean love. Thurdly thou must proceed to come to the thurde point of love, that is thou must love thy lord god with vehement & strong and affectuous love. And this love compriseth the other two aforesaid loves, & maketh the one with god, and maketh the towards all other things, as it were insensible and feltyst nothing else but only thy own most sweetest love jesus. Hear of cometh it that thou canst, and shalt remain still in god where ever thou becomyst, and with whom soever thou be. For this love will never suffer the to cease from loving of thy dear Lord jesus, nor will not suffer the to rest, but make the bestow all that thou art to the glory and honour of thy lord god. And of this love it is, that thou wouldest, if thou coldyst, make of every little grass thou seist, some excellent creature that it might love and laud the lord thy god with the. Yea if it were possible, thou wouldest make of every man an whole heaven, and so many heavens as there are men, and offer them up to god with all thy heart and most pure and lovely desire, to his glory laud, praise and honour. Now when thou fealyst this threefold love in thy heart kindlyd, and thou altogether incensid and set on fire with the love of thy lord, thou must recolecte and gather together with force, all thy wits, sencies and powers of thy body and soul, as it were, with in thyself as though thou were dead from all other, things in the world. And so as one full of love, thou shalt approach unto the most gracious, most loving, and most sweet heart of thy Lord jesus. Thou shalt enter therein as into an infinite sea of goodness, & bottomless depeth of unmeasurable love and charity, with these four exercises. But yet whether thou feal in thy heart, these points of love or no thou shalt proceed, nevertheless and follow with these four exercises, and have a good will and desire to have these points of love, and this shall suffice I trust in god, for a beginner, until god give to the grace of this love, for it is a singular gift. But thou must eare thou enter these four exercises in the heart of jesus make this petition unto that most blessed and merciful heart saying,  
O Most dearest lover of my soul, my most sweet saviour jesus which of thy infinite charity and most tender love that thou baryst unto my poor sinful soul, sufferdst most painful passion and and most cruel and dreadful death in the same charity and love & in the most blessed merits of the same passion and death, grant I beseek the that most excellent gift of love and charity, that I may be set on fire and so incensed with the most fervent and singular love of thee, that I may love nothing but the alone, that neither friend neither lover, neither any thing in this world be it never so pleasant or profitable may have any part of my love but thou only. ¶ Grant me also clean and pure love in all the powers and senses of my soul & body that they may be pure from all passions and inclinations to sin & disorder of sinful corruption, that my soul in all her mights & powers may, without let or impediment, freely & wholly love that her creature & redeemer herswete spouse & most faithful lover. Grant me also, most merciful lord to love the vehemently & affectuously that I may be towards all other things dead, & as it were insensible without any feeling. That I may not feal nor perceive any thing, but the only my dear lord and lover jesus, that where ever I be, with whom ever I be, I may never forget, quail or slake in thy burning love, that I may never stint nor cease to bestow all that I am and can to thy glory and honour and worship and never to be satisfied in well doing, to thy sempyternal honour and my soul health.  
THen shalt thou approach with most hearty affection and devotion unto the blessed heart of jesus recollectyd as is above said in all thy powers & sensies of body and soul, and shalt enter in (as it were) in to that most blessed treasure house of grace and bottomless fountain of all goodness with these four exercises following. first thou shalt make from the bottom of thy heart (or as well as grace shall help thee) resingnation, offering thyself body and soul wholly with all that thou art and haist, and all creatures most frealy unto his most lovely will and blessed pleasure in this world to the end here of, & for ever to abide all adversity pressure or sorrow of heart, all pain of body unto all things that is possible to come unto the at his will. Yea to abide the pains of hell if it should be his pleasure for his love thou must be ready, that he may have and use the as him pleaseth even as he had the at his pleasure, & ear thou were creatid. Thou must make this oblation thus in thy heart and desire.  
most mightiful and most loving lord jesus all thing that I have and that I am, and all things in this world, in heaven and in earth are thine. Wherefore, most gracious good lord, I here offer & yield up to thy blessed will and pleasure, my soul & my body with all my substance that I am or that I have, and all creatures that ever were or shallbe created most freely and frankly for this time & for evermore to abide at thy pleasure, all adversity ghostly and bodily, all pain & grief of heart and of body, and unto all things whatsoever thou will send or suffer to come unto me. Yea most merciful lord jesus, for thy love I offer myself ready to suffer if it be thy blessed will the bitter pains of hell. And I desire that thou might so have me at thy pleasure as thou hadst me before thou creatydst me to thy honour and glory.  
SEcondly thou shalt ask of thy lord jesus not only all the graces and gifts that he hath, which thou needest, but also all that god himself is, that thou mightest have the fruition of him & rest in him, and in his only and infinite love. Thou shalt ask also a bare and a perfect spirit, the open and clear knowledge of his divine goodness and will and of thine own unworthiness, the knowledge and perfection of all virtues and most strong perseverance in godliness and virtue. Thou shalt ask all necessaries for thy soul health and for all thy special friends and for the whole world, and the holy church of christ, and for the souls in purgatory, in this manner or other like.  
MOst blessed and glorious lord and sweet saviour jesus, for the tender love of thy most sweet heart, grant me in all those gifts and graces that thou hayste, and be necessary for me to my soul health and salvation, but specially grant me above and afore all things thine own self, thy incomprehensible and most blessed godhead, that my soul may have the fruition hereof, and that I may rest only in it and in the sincere and infinite love of it.  
¶ Grant me sweet saviour also a bare senceare and a perfect spirit, with most perfect and clear knowledge of thy divine goodness, the knowledge of thy will and pleasures, and perfect sight and knowledge of my naughtiness and great unworthiness, the knowledge and perfection of all virtue and perfect and strong perseverance in the same.  
¶ Grant me all things necessary for my soul's health, and for the comfort & soul's health of all my special friends and lovers. And grant peace and thy protection to all holy churches, and mercy to the souls in purgatory to thy honour & glory. Amen.  
ANd for as much as god hath loved that from the beginning with an infinite charity, and for that charity thy lord and saviour jesus suffered his cruel death and passion, thou shalt confirm thyself unto his charity desiring most heartily, if it should please him that thou mightest live in this world in as great derelyction and desolation, in as great sorrow and shame, in as great poverty and misery as thy saviour jesus did. And that thy bare soul might be adornyd and endued with the same virtues wherewith his blessed soul was endued. And because that he is the very everlasting charity itself, and thou canst not come into him but if thou be transformed and turned all together into love. Therefore thou shalt ask with most fervent desire, to be endued with the charity and love that thy saviour jesus was endued. That thus thou mayst become formed and made like unto him both in his manhood and his godhead, making this petition with hearty desire.  
Grant me also most merciful and most myghtyful saviour jesus, as shall please thee, that I may for thy honour and love, live in this world, in as great desolation and as comfortless, in as great sorrow & shame, in as great labour and trouble, in as great misery and poverty as thou didst for me. And most gracious lord, adorn & endue my soul with all those blessed and holy virtues that thy blessed soul and humanity was endued withal. And specially I most heartily and with most ardent desire beseek thee, my most gracius lord god, transform me altogether in to the perfect love of the. And specially my soul into that charity which thy most blessed soul had and hath evermore to thy most honour and glory. Amen.  
fourthly thou shalt vehemently and heartily, desire that thou mayst be knit and made one with him most blessedly and happily without any mean immediately. Then if thou feal thine heart and mind knit in most fervent and burning desire and love of him, thou shalt approach unto the blessed divinity elevating and lifting up thy whole thought unto the blessed godhead of christ, forgetting clean and leaving out of thy mind and for getting all thing created. Yea not feeling nor thinking upon thyself. Thus shalt thou deeply drown, hide & transform or turn thyself wholly into the most delectable, most sweetest and most blessed love of thy lord god, yea thy very everlasting love, full of most ardent charity. So that thou mightest never here after be found or known of any creature. Here also thou shalt most heartily desire to be swallowed up & to be clean consumed of that infinite goodness and also to swallow up and consume in to thyself that blessed goodness saying in thy heart.  
OH most blessed goodness and most holy and glorious godhead of my saviour jesus I humbly beseek the ravish me and hide me within thy blessed goodness, & infinite charity, that I never be found like other frail creatures that I may forget all things, and also forget and lose myself, that I may both be consumed & swalowid of the and into thee, and thou into me for there only is the true love, rest, and felicyte of my soul, there is my beginning, & my most blessed rest and ending, in that infinite goodness which is none other than an unmeasurable bottomless, depth of eternal & infinite love. ¶ Thus in such contemplation in the heart of jesus, thou mayst be all moolten in the admirable love and superadmyrable goodness of thy lord god the spouse, the most sweetest love of thy soul. most humbly then thou shalt desire him to open unto the that most fairest, most lightsome and pleasant kingdom of his holy divinity, and that he vochesafe to translate and utterly drown the whooly in it, saying in this manner with, hearty devotion or like.  
O Superadmyrable power, unmeasurable wisdom and infinity goodness of my lord God.  
O superadmyrable wonder, and over wonderful goodness, when wilt thou transform and hide me all together in thine own self, and thyself in me.  
O myghtyful lord, it is as little & lease for thee, thus to swallow up and devour me in thee, as it is to the unmeasurable main sea, to devour one little drop of water.  
O my lord god creature and confirmer of all thing, would to god I could make of every creature in the world a reasonable soul, and of every soul (specially of mine own soul) the kingdom of heaven, where thou mightest have all peace, and all joy sweet jesus, for all the sorrow and heaviness thou suffered'st for me. I would most heartily and gladly give all these unto the.  
Most loving lord, if it may please the let me suffer the pains of all the dampened for thy love and honour, and let me laud and honour thee, with the laud & praise of all the blessed compayny of heaven.  
O most sweet and dear love my lord, god open to me (I beseek thee) the most delectable and joyful riches of thy most ardent and most blessed divinity, and hide me all together in thee, that I may never be found of any creature, to thy most high honour and glory, which art the only most blestyd felicity of my soul. Amen.  
Now if thou canst yet a little higher lift up thy heart and thought of thy mind, thou mayst more ghostly consider the eternal power & wisdom of almighty god, until thou with the thought, be in manner ravished in a trance, and art thinking without thought, & knowing with out knowledge, loving ardently without love. And so thou mayst be made (by grace) that which god is by nature. To conclude if thou canst thus shoot up and conversant thyself in the heart of jesus, thereto be swallowed up and consumed in the holy divinity and blessed godhead, then shalt that be most fortunate and blessed. For there shalt thou feal and know such things, which can never be told with tongue, neither written with pen, neither thought with any man's heart which he only knoweth right well, that hath had the experience hereof, by the grace of god, to whom be all praise & thanks world without end. Amen.   

¶ Ten ghostly lets and losses in the way of perfection.  
TO much and to many worldly thoughts and gaddings of the mind and affection to outward things, therefore such losyth the inward consolation ¶ To much and to great familiarytie and desire to please, man therefore such pleaseth the less god.  
¶ To much and to great boldness and rashness, therefore such losyth ghostly shamefastness.  
¶ To vehement earnestness and to greedy delight in bodily work and doings, therefore such loseth the tranquillity and peace of mind and memory.  
¶ To much and to great standing in their own conceit & rejoicing in themselves of their virtue which in very deed is only gods and not theirs, therefore they lose the very true meekness.  
¶ To rash and hasty judgement of their even christian, therefore they lose oft their charity.  
¶ To much love of temporal things, therefore the ghostly love of god is subtractyd from them.  
¶ To great negligence & coldness in prayer, therefore such lose all ghostly savour & sweetness. ¶ To slowthful or fearful to take pain and labour in mortifying their vices and faults, therefore such loseth the furtherance and increase of perfection.  
¶ To much and to oft given to bodily works and exercise without necessity of obedience or charity, such while they labour not also, by oft consideration to know themself (which is a great furtherance in contemplation) it must needs be long ere they be perfect.   

¶ Ten points of a perfect person to remember and have them always in mind.  
THe first is to think and to remember alway where ever thou be, that thou art in the presence of god.  
¶ second is, to way well and exactly all thy words, deeds, and thoughts, and to direct them always actually to the honour and glory of god.  
¶ Thurd is to receive and to be glad with all patience, and to take (as at the hand of god) all things good or bad that ever shall chance or come upon him.  
¶ Fourth is to forget all other men's deeds and faults, and to have a diligent eye upon his own, and with all meekness be glad to acknowledge them.  
¶ fift is to forsake and sequestrate from himself, both bodily and also in love and affection, all temporal things in the world saving his very necessaries, whom he must not have in love or affection, but for necessity with yrkesomenes.  
¶ sixth is to knit thy whole heart and love with most burning desire and hearty affection, unto god.  
¶ Seventh is to remember very oft and devoutly the blessed life & passion of our saviour christ, and to follow it to his power ¶ The Eight is to forsake his own proper will, and to knit his will unto the will of god in all things either adversity or prosperity, in sweet or sour, to have, or to want, to live or to die.  
¶ ninth is to cast all his care and cark and all his business upon god, & to commit all to his blessed pleasure.  
¶ The tenth is to laud and praise and to give most hearty thanks unto almighty god for all things, and in all things good or bad, small or great.  
¶ Eight other good points which are a good foundation to profit in perfect life ¶ first keep thyself alone in thy cell or other place apt for contemplation or good work, from all saving only when obediens or charity compellyth the contrary.  
¶ Second, keep well thy silence every where and speak not without necessity, and then take good heed what, how and to whom thou shalt speak.  
¶ Thurd, keep well thy heart and thought, that no vain, specially no evil cogitation abide therein, occupy thy mind with some good thought always, as nigh as thy frailty will suffer the.  
¶ Fourth, in all things seek purely the pleasure of god, and intend only his honour, contemning, leaveing and forsaking always thine own wil  
¶ fift is in all things that thou haste to do, way well and search duly, what it is that moveth the to do that which thou entendyst, wait well upon thyself, what thou doyste and consider how little thou art able to do of thyself.  
sixth is, occupy not thy thought or mind with any thing that thou hayst not to do, judge it not, discuss it not, but let it pass as it is, if good, good be it, if bad, bad let it remain and judge it not.  
Seventh be ever in thine own sight vile and of no estimation, whether thou consider the inward gifts of God in thy soul, or outward gifts of body, esteem no whit thyself the more for them but labour to come to a very contempt of thyself which hayst nought of thyself but sin  
Eight is labour to have pure & sincere charity and love, not only that sensible love toward god and thine neighbour where by thou feelest affection towards thine even christian, but also the ghostly love which is in the bottom of thy heart and mind, wherein thou seekest purely and syncearly and only god alone.   

¶ Syxe points to be observed if thou wilt continue and persever in thy good and godly purpose.  
first thou must lift up thy heart and mind to god often time, most heartily entreating & desiring him of his gracious assistance and help for, without his help thou canst do nothing.  
second, when thou hast offended with all speed thou must call thyself home again with contrition, and reconcile thyself by confession and penance if it be mortal or deadly sin. And steadfastly purpose to avoid that with all other, and the occasions of sin.  
Thurdly thou must hear daily the blessed sacrifice of mass with hearty devotion calling to god most heartily to renew and increase his love in the.  
Fourthly thou must receive, as often as thou mayst conveniently the blessed sacrament, or at the least receive the body of our saviour jesus spiritually.  
fifthly, thou must read once in the days and have meditation of some good virtuous and holy lesson, that thou mayst be the better thereby.  
sixthly thou must eschew and avoid, as near as thou canst, the company and familiarity of all persons of what estates soever they be, if they may be occasion to the to omit any good exercise, or to do any sin be it never so little.   

¶ The fifteen impediments  

THe first impediment, which is in manner the ground of all sin as saint augustine saith is the love of thyself and of thy own commodity and profit, the subtile nature of man seeketh the own commodity in all things, and is not perceived, except thou take very great heed and search deeply the very end and true purpose in all good things that thou dost or evils that thou doyst eschew. For in all thy good deeds thou doyst and in all sin that thou fliest, if thou look wisely, and deeply dost search the cause hereof, thou shalt find that thou doyst oftentime seek more thine own commodity, than the synceare and pure love and will of god. For sometime thou shalt find that thou desirest and labourest for virtue, and doyst pray and use good exercise because thou would come to the bliss of heaven and fliest sin to escape the pains of hell and purgatory, in this seekest thou not purely the will of god, but the commodity of heaven and the exchewing of pain. Try this, and ask thyself, if thou were sure that thou shouldest never come in heaven, nor never have reward for this good deeds and virtuous life, but never the less, if it were the pleasure of god that thou shouldest suffer hell pains for ever, whether thou wouldest, never the less, do as willingly as gladly, as many good works, as diligently, fly sin, for the only will and honour of god, as thou wouldest do for fear of pain, and for love of heaven. If thou feel thyself in this mind and good will in all thy deeds, plainly then doyst thou not seek thine own commodity, but purely god's will and honour For this wouldest thou do whether god will reward or regard it or not, so it be his pleasure and honour. In like manner in our deeds we seek oft times our commdytie before man. We oftetime eschew evil because we would be either praised, honoured, either we would not be rebuked or punished Some time we esteem our exercises and doings strait. Thus we fall into ghostly pride or else we delight in our sweat thoughts and sensible devotion, or in our sweet tears and set so much by them, that if we feal them not, or if they be subtractid and be taken from us, than we wax dull, heavy and sorry, and undevout, and have no courage to go forward in good life, thus we fall into ghostly gluttony or avarice, which is weary perylus. A against those great dangers ghostly, we must study to do ghostly and bodily, for the pure and only love of god, without all respect or regard of reward, only because that the deed, prayer or exercise doth please god, and because that I am bound to do all that I can, with all the might and powers of my body and soul of very pure love to honour himself and to rest in him, without scruple of bond or custom, with a certain inclination of inward love, as my heart were taught inwardly by god that such good deeds and virtue should please him and in no wise to seek any secret comfort, commodity or consolation of the spirit or soul, but rather for god's sake to desire all desolation, adversity and dereliction at the pleasure of god.   

The second impediment.  
THe second impediment is affection, love and care of temporal and corruptible things of this world.  
What is thy inordinate love towards creatures? Plainly all that love which infectith, dystractyth or troublyth the mind of man or caussyth a man to desire to have this or that, to hear or see this thing or that, except it be only for the pure and only honour of god. And chiefly the covetousness or love of certain or peculiar things as of money, of housing, of garments or ornaments, of napkins, of books, of exquisite and fine household stouffe, & of other commodities appertaining unto their daily use, whether they be necessary or superfluus, in the which things they rest with a certain sensual pleasure and delight, unto the which they are so affectionate and all together given, if that thes things should be taken from them, they would be evil contented. Thes manner of parsons be very proprietaries before god. For the poverty of the spirit that the gospel teacheth, consistyth principally in this point. That a man should possess these transitory things that he should remain lose from all love of them, from all affection toward them, & from all rest in them, as though he had them not. So that at the pleasure and will of his prelate, he should be ever ready to forego them gladly, & would find in his whole heart, without any grudge with quietness and gladness to forsake them utterly, and suffer them to be taken from him. And that he do neither desire to have nor to hold them, neither to forsake or give them, but only as it may most please god for his most honour. And though carnal affection do grudge and murmur, that maketh no great matter, so he utterly in his heart and will, would be rid of such naughty gruging, for in time, by grace, he shall over come it. For his mind ought to be so free and naked from them, that he may at all time offer up his heart freely to god, what ever chanceth or fortunyth to him without trouble, at the jest, in his will & inner desire, he may be at quiet & rest. He must therefore not only rid himself and do away the things that he hath superfluus & unnecessary and all such as he hath only for pleasure and curyositye, but also in such things as are very necessary he must take no delight nor pleasure. At the least he must not rest in the pleasure, which he fealyth in them. Ye rather let him learn to be weary of such burden of necessity, and be ever desirous of most extreme poverty and bareness that he may be more conformable and like unto his master and saviour christ which hung all naked on the cross, not only of friends and of bodily comfort, but also of all delight and pleasure, full of bitter sorrow and pain.   

¶ The third impediment.  
THe third impediment is the unmortyfied sensuality, by the which men be very ready to gad abroad in their affection & mind and turn themselves to the pleasure and delight that we have to see fair things & to hear straying or new things, and to to use with pleasure, any of our five senses without necessity. These are the solaces and comforts of nature, in the which our sensuality hath delight to rest in above or without necessity or reasonable cause and discretion, as in meat, drink in talk, in persons or company, in worldly things, in bodily occupations, in familyaryties, in lightness, pastime, in fables, in hearing news and rumours, and many other vanities both vain & curious, whereby the inner peace, devotion sensible, and the grace of god, either is letted, either lost. These sow their time in fleshly delights, whereof they shall reap corruption. By such unnecessary vagations of sensies which are sought only of a certain sensual pleasure and of no reasonable occasion, all devotion and spiritual sweetness and sweet taste in ghostly exercise is lost at once.  
For the beastly man saith saint paul savoryth not the spiritual things those things that be of the spirit of god, neither is the wisdom of god found in the land of such that liveth at their pleasure. This pleasure concupiscence and delight of the sensies or five wits draweth the heart of man down from the high goodness and felicity, and maketh it to rest in the husks and dross of the sensies, they trouble the mind, and do quench the charity of god in a good man. For the pleasure of these do abate devotion, maketh ghostly exercises unsavoury & unpleasant and hard, where a man, the dreadeth god, aught to use these things with great discretion, according unto the necessity of his frail nature, not leaving any thing that nature requireth of necessity, but utterly mortify the pleasure and delight (specially that is unnecessary) in them, by turning his mind and heart fully from them and the pleasure in them, that he in no wise rest in them. He must eat, drink, sleep, talk, look, here, for no pleasure nor sensuality, but for necessity. For all these he shall some time need, then is he bound to take them with discretion. And though he can not use them or do them without some pleasure in them, yet he must diligently take very great heed and be well aware in all that he can, that he retain not in his heart any privy affection unto any solace or comfort bodily in them, while he feeleth this sensual pleasure, but let it go and pass as it cometh, and feed and cherish thy body to do god service, with all necessaries in discretion, and thou shalt not offend god in so doing, but please him greatly. Therefore thou must with all discretion and endeavour go about busily to pluck it up by the rote, and thus utterly mortify sensuality in thyself or else all that thou dost build ghostly will come to nought. As when sensuality moutth the to talk, to gaze and look about or to hearken, where thou hayst not reasonable cause, nor necessity, then with all diligence thou shalt keep and bridal well thy sensies, resist manfully and busyly the desires and concupysence thereof, flying also the occasions and provocations here unto, & strain and draw them violently with the might and the grace of god, unto the contrary virtues, until that thy sensuality, all passions and vices be mortified in the & do freely obey the spirit.   

¶ The fourth impediment.  
THe fourth impediment is pride and vain glory, estimation and well pleasing, delight of himself, of honour, praise of his works, his deeds, his graces and gifts, the desire & joy (wherein many do rest) in the favour, laud, and estimation of men. For these vices many are left of god. For why? while they think themself hole and in health, they neither seek neither take remedy. Wherefore, for as much as humility and meekness is very necessary to mortify this affection, thou must labour to come unto perfect meekness. Thou must seek for this meekness and pray continually and heartily for it to god of whom spryngyth all that good is. This is the most surest way. More over thou must also have before thy eyes, in thy mind alway, the infinite majesty of god, the wisdom and the goodness of god, thou must ascribe all thy gifts and graces unto god only. On the other side, thou must consider earnestly the bottomless pit of thy vileness and naughtiness, thinking still that thou art the most proudest & vilest in the world, by reason the great multitude of sins and thy unthankfulness, by reason also that thou should have fallen into innumerable and more detestable sins than thou didst, if god of his goodness had not preserved the. By reason also that there is not in the whole world one sinner, but that if he had received such and so many graces and occasions to do well as thou hayst, but he would have served god more faithfully than thou dost. Inwardly think also from thy heart, thyself to be the most wicked sinner in the world because of the great multitude of thy unkindness showed unto god, and most unworthy thou art of all his gifts and benefits, and of all that thou hast received of any creatures, or ever shalt receive, & therefore think thyself worthy of all rebuke, pain, trouble, sorrow & shame. And thus shalt thou cast down thyself under all men, choosing to thyself the lowest place in earth, crying out unto thy lord god as a poor miserable wretch. merciful god be merciful unto me wretched sinner, desiring with all thy whole heart and wish thyself to be condemned, despised, set at nought, and mocked of all men, to be over trodden of all, to suffer willingly shame and confusion for the love of god. Thus shalt thou on the one side ascribe to god that which is his, that is, all goodness, and on the other side thou shalt show herein thyself, & shalt humble thyself greatly. This meekness and humility overcometh and wynnyth god almighty, and maketh the apt and meet to receive all his graces and gifts. This is a brief way to get merits, but few taketh it. A lac who can arrogate and take upon himself that he hath thy blessed meekness, sith it is so hard a thing, so uncertain & so secret and unknown a thing, to forsake and mortify perfectly and exactly sensualytie, and that most venom worm of all good deeds, vain glory.   

¶ The .v. impediment.  
THe fift Impediment is seculare or worldly affection, or that we have love to hold the favour or retain love of worldly persons. For this affection causeth a man to be very ready to do, not only many good virtuous works and deeds but also to admyte and to do many vicious deeds and sins, either to please men, to have at their hands honour or commodity, either fearing their displeasure lest he should suffer shame confusion or damage. This inordinate love and fear maketh them to do and speak many things which they should not nor would not do nor speak, and to leave undone and unspoken, which they should not, nor would not leave undone nor unspoken, if they lacked this inordynate love & fear. The affection of natural love unto their kindred. The affection of the love that they bear for the great benefits of friends, do engender in them much vagation of mind, and causeth them oft time be dystracted, dysquyetyd when they fear the loss of their favour, or desireth to please and to continue or increase their love towards them. Ye some time it maketh them to dissemble and to flatter their friends, and such as they love or fear in their vicious condycious and deeds. Ye to favour that in them, that they should hate, and aught (without respect or acception of person) purely and only to love in them god, & his Image, grace, & virtue, so that they should not support, dissemble, flatter nor wink at any man's fault or misdoing & sin, but they should desire with all their heart the soul health of every man. Wherefore thou must abolish from thy heart all inordinate love & affection, which might cause in the any unquietness, distraction or occupy thy fancy with imagynations, specially of the desire that thou hayst, either of friendship or company, if thou wilt come to the pure love of god. For this is a very poison and venom of the love of god, infecting and poisoning thy heart. Thou shalt therefore utterly slay it and mortify it in thyself all that thou can.   

¶ The sixth impediment.  
THe sixth impediment are the passions sensual, as love, & hate, with other the naturally floweth out of these passions, as immoderate mirth, or gladness, sorrow, or heaviness, hope, fear love hate & shamefastness. To say the truth, inordinate love is mother and parent of all thes and of all other natural passions. Thes passions are ready at every chance good or bad to dysqueet and move the heart and mind of man. And when the inner eye is troubled or dimmed with thes and such like, then can it not judge nor discern, neither himself, neither what is right, neither reasonable Wherefore if thou desire to have peace of heart, thou must keep thine heart clean, pure free from the love of creatures, and from all such passions. Thou must also commit unto the high will and providence of god all things, that shall fortune upon the good or bad, casting all thy thoughts and care upon him, taking always good heed, that there nothing rest in thee, nothing enter thy heart, save only god. All things in the earth be but vile yea and to vile that thou shouldest so love or set by them that thou take any care, have any desire inordynately to have them, or to be sorry heavy or a shamed to lack them, or to trouble thy noble heart thy immortal and heavenly mind for any such vile dross. Let them look for these temporal things, love and take care, joy and be merry & glad to have these things of this world, that are all worldly and of the world, for whom Christ would not pray Thou canst not please nor serve two masters at on's. Thou canst not love two divers and contrary things. If thou wilt know what thou lovyst. Mark well what thing thou thynkyst most on. Leave thou the world and the earth unto the worldly and the earthly and thou shalt find heaven. Leave the world and have god. give up the earth with all his pleasure and treasure and thou shalt have god and find heaven and the bliss everlasting.   

¶ The seventh impediment.  
THE seventh impediment is the bitterness of heart of melancholy, and as it were a testiness or frowardness whereby many be very and oft prone and ready unto impatience, angrines, melancholy, hatred and to revenge. Ye and to despise other and take all thing to the worst, very uneasy to content or please, ready to murmur and grudge. Such commonly do murmur against their superiors and prelate's, they judge and condemn their neighbours, they report evil and slander & with venomous eyes of malicie (with which they themselves are infected) beholding all things, they judge all thing perversely to the worst. This arysyth in some of nature, and sometime or much study and then it is so much the less fault. But it must be mortified by grace. And in some it arysyth of a certain secret presumption and consideration of their own merits and deeds, grace or estimation, whereby many are very ready to judge rashly other, and to despise them preferring themselves and their life, and their false rightwiseness, getting indignation, and not compassion. Some time this bitterness arysyth of in mortyfyed desires. When they may not have that they would then thes passions inflamyth them to murmur and grudge against their superiors, and those that will not follow or grant their unreasonable desires or do resist them. Sometime it arysith of hate or rancour for offences and griefs passed for the which cause, the desire to pervert and mistake the deeds of them that they thus hate, and seeks in their deeds somewhat to put them to rebuke. Some time it arysyth of Envy whereby they desire to obscure or to hide the virtues of other (because they themselves lack them) lest that the other should be like esteemed before them. Some time it arisith of a wickedness, because they envy the virtues and graces that they see in another. Therefore they of mere malice whereof they are full replete, interpret and take all thing to the worst, and so offend they the holy ghost. But this bitterness of heart and all other thou must full mortify, consume and overcome with the sweetness of godly love and charity, that thou mayst find in thy heart as heartily to love thy very ennimes and persecutors as though they where thy dear friends as in very deed they be, for they bring the and promote the unto great merits. Wherefore if thou wilt ever profit in perfection, thou must needs love thine even christian in god.  
Thou must honour the image of god in every parson, thou must suffer no bitterness nor displeasure to rest in thy heart against any man but thou must bear a merry cheer and countynance, sweet charity, meekness of heart, gentleness in speech unto all people, ready to bear the burdens and infirmities of all men, to help the need of every man, to suffer and forgive the offences of all, to take & interpret all things to the best, to judge no parson, to grieve no man, but glad to do good to all persons & to comfort all generally without acception of persons indifferently to show unto all & every one pity & compassion.   

¶ The viii Impediment.  
THe Eight impediment is impatience and as it were a grudge or secret murmuring against god a discontentation of mind in outward adversity, infamy, scorn, rebuke, contumely, loss of things, sickness, & pain of the body, persecution, dereliction, and desolation of mind, which may fortune unto a man by the permission of god with the which god almighty is wont to try & prove his dear beloved & chosen and that of most exceeding charity for their everlasting salvation. Such we must suffer so patiently that neither in word deed, neither in our heart, thou bore nor show no rancore, evil will, or grief. Secondly that we be not sad, sorry or heavy in our mind which commonly cometh of our own love toward ourself. But we must bear all thing meekly with patience, thinking that we be worthy, not only of this, but of much more. We must therefore offer ourself unto the pleasure of god, in a perfect readiness of will, to all adversity that may come possible ever here after unto us. Thirdly by paciens in affection we ought to desire and wish with all our heart adversity, that we may be the more conformable and like to our saviour christ which for our sins suffered with most meek mind and patient heart all worldly confusion and shame, all pain and adversity, all mocks and scorns, stripes, beatings, scorginge, thorns, nailed upon the cross, with cruel passion & most painful death. We ought herein (as much as we can to follow the paciences of our saviour christ. That patience may work so strongly, that though we feal pain, yet it shall not grieve us or vex us, for we so heartily love them that thus doth afflyct us as though they were our nigh and special friends.   

¶ The ninth impediment.  
THE ninth impediment is the propriety of our own will. Unto the which wicked and shrewd self will, our own proper will, fancy or wit, many trust & stick so sore, that they dare not almost put all their trust in god, neither resygne and commit themself unto him. But their own will and property of their fancy, is (as it were) foundation & ground whereon they build together, what ever they judge, chose, do, or exercise.  
From the which things and exercises, if they be letted either by obedience either by charity, either by misfortune or other chance, anon they wax melancholy, angry and vex themselves inwardly, and think they time all lost, or that they shall speed the worse, or that they have offended or that they have been greatly hindered in their spiritual profit because they have left of, or have by letted by reasonable cause and consideration, from their wilful costumes This wicked will causeth them to grudge and murmur when their will is broken, specialye in their holy works & exercises that they have choose of their own will and brain. Yet are such exercises unpleasant in the sight of god, seem they uttwardely never so goodly and godly. Therefore if thou wilt profit in ghostly life, and have thy deeds acceptable before god, thou must lay another (ye a contrary) foundation.  
That is to say. A full & a perfect forsaking and renouncing of thine own will and of thyself. Whereby thou must utterly leave and cast of thy own self, and self will. And without gaynesaing murmur, or grug of thy heart or mind resign and commit the wholly unto the will & pleasure of god Embrasing (from the bottom of thy whole heart with full delight of mind his blessed will. Thou shalt also obey all men in all things lawful for the honour of god, having most perfect confidence and trust in his goodness. Which is ready every where and present withal them that yeldyth up and commit themself in body and soul unto him. Which also provideth and saith better to them in prosperity and in adversity yea in the  thing that is, than they themselves can do, yea or can wish. There is nothing in man that he is more loath to depart withal then his own free-will whereof issueth all evil if he mysusyth it. Therefore if he yield & resign the same fully and wholly unto the only will of god, that foundation once so overthrow en, all the roots and ground of vices and sin, will fall. Then all murmur grudge in adversity, all disobediences wholly cometh up by the rote. Then spryngyth patience in adversity, obediens without gainsaying. Then great peace in conscience and hope in god groweth and spryngythe. Then all waxeth as ready to follow the will of god as the shadow folowythe the body. Then all things what ever come upon him they trouble him not. Then melancholy, heaviness and scrupulousenes are utterly destroyed. Fynaly as all sin and vices spryngyth of the property of our own will, even so all virtue & perfection cometh & groweth in the forsaking and mortyfyinge of the same, in resigning of it to the hands and pleasure of god, and following the will of him. That thou mayst come to the mortification, and to this resignation it is good for beginngers & unperfect to make obedience unto some other and to follow nothing their own will, but the will of him unto whom they have made their obedience The perfect must needs obey or be ever ready to the will and desire to obey unto all other where ever they perceive the will of god & continually they ought to observe and mark well inwardly, and to execute in all things the pleasure of god. There are three manners of obedience. The one is, obedience of vow made. And this must he observed outwartly in things lawful & this is of necessity. For if we knowing the commandment and precept of our rule or of our prelate do not obey & follow his will leaving our own, we sin deadly. But the other two are of more perfection, & make more for the mortification of our own will. There second is called obedience of conformytie and it is the prompt and readiness of the will inwardly, to follow ever more the will of their superior, and that for pure charity and love of god without all regard and respect to any thank of man, so that he would rather be set at nought and contemned, them to be lauded or to have any reward therefore. The third obedience is the obedience of union with god, which so perfectly knyttyth our will unto the will of god that they be become but one will.  
So that what soever god permmyttyth to be done with us to come upon us, good or bad, joy or sorrow, comfort or desolation mirth or heaviness in soul or body, we be fully persuaded, that all together cometh of the unmeasurable mercy of god and of his goodness. Wherefore thou shalt not receive it as at the hand of man or any other creature, but immediately think that it doth come of god, as from the hand of his goodness and high providence. Therefore thou must take it with an untroubled and patient mind, elevating and litting up thy heart above the consideration of the worldly course, change of worldly things, fyxing often thy heart and thought (by pure love) upon god almighty, being always ready, and in manner desirous to suffer all inward pain, desolation, dereliction, pressure, agony & heaviness of heart for very love of god. And when such thing cometh, receive it with most hearty affection and joy of mind be it never so painful, never so reproachful, and be fully contented to abide the same for ever (if it so please god) accordydg to the example of our saviour jesus who in most pain and sorrow (which began in the garden upon thursday at night abiding therein unto the most painful death upon the cross) clean destitute of all comfort & sensible consolation as though he had been the very enemy of god, only having the essential love and charity of god, but in all other consolation, he was most perfectly resigned to the will of his heavenly father.   

¶ The tenth impediment.  
THAT is an inordynate earnestness and cleaving to, whereby many be addicted and so earnestly set upon the works that they have to do, either of obedience, or necessity, of charity that (while they do them) their heart and mind is all occupied in them and for the time they seem to rest in them. And though this delight in such good and necessary works, be not notable sinful, yet is it a great let and impediment to ghostly profit. Wherefore all thy outward works that obedience or necessity requireth, thou must do them without to much care or cumbrance, or to much earnest mind or delight upon them. And have thy affection resigned and thy mind liftid up unto god. For when thy mind & heart is set to earnestly upon such lawful business, it is distractyd & by that distraction thy mind is the more darkened and thy ghostly affection decayth and thy ghostly exercise loseth his sweetness, and it will be the harder for the to recollect thy wits conveniently to prayer. Learn therefore what ever thou doyste, to have thine heart and mind more upon god, by inward exercise of love, and use also more often such ghostly and inward exercise, than the outward works of virtue. But yet to have thy mind and heart as it were rapt upon god while thou doyst outward business, that is not easy, but only unto such whose love and affection is free and rid clean, of all things under god, such one can (without great labour) when him listith call in his whole mind and memory upon god only. But if thy mind be comberyd, either with carefulness, either with any passion, either to earnestly set to do any outward thing, then shalt thou feal it very hard for the to recollect thyself when thou wouldest. Therefore such distraction is a great hindrance in the pure & restful love of god.   

The eleventh impediment.  
THat is scrupulosytie of the mind for lack of a full confidence in the infinite goodness of god. This scrupulosytie vereth and troublyth very many by reason of the inordynate love that they have towards themselves. Whereby they fear more the wrath and the vengeance of god, hell & his justice or rightwiseness, than they do love his mercy and goodness. And therefore they do all good works, & avoid all evil that they do avoid, only of servile fear. Therefore they do not faythfuly and earnestly amend their faults, with whose sharp stings and remorse, they be often time pained and grieved and they can not put their whole trust & confidence in god The cause is. For such is their trust in god as is their love. little love little trust. But a great love, bringeth a great confidence. ¶ O blessed hope. For so long as thou dost not slack or decay thy duty there by but doyste endeavour thyself to more earnest mortification and to more patience in adversity and to more thankfulness in prosperity, that hope is a very blessed hope.   

¶ The twelfth impediment.  
THat is to much liberty of the fancy in wanderynges in vain and unprofitable thoughts which is an unstableness of heart and negligence of the inner man, and thereof cometh it that the heart and mind is contynualy occupied and full of imaginations and thoughts of other things and can not take heed nor perceive the inspyrations of god. For the mind of man can not be unoccupied. Therefore when we do not occupy it with good thoughts than doth other thoughts take place sometime idle, sometime evil.  
Both these and all other must be utterly put out of mind & specially such thoughts as are evil. For though thes grow not to consent of sin, yet they do defile the soul and make heavy the holy ghost, and do much ghostly hurt unto the soul. Thes therefore and all other imaginations and thoughts must be utterly cast away and mortified For they arise of our own negligence because we do not labour to occupy our mind with holy and ghostly thoughts, but suffer it to wander, and pass not to waste unprofitably our precious time. Therefore when we would turn our heart and mind unto god inwardly we find our heart and mind cumbered with innumerable distractions which do let greatly our ghostly profit. Thou shalt therefore lay a part all occasions of vagations of mind, and as much as is possible all imaginations, thoughts, fancies & memories of all things of all men's sainges and doings, or of that, that shall come upon the hereafter, and all other fancies, thou shalt, I say, put them utterly out of thy mind. And recolectinge together all the mights of thy soul inwardly in thyself, thou shalt abide and learn to dwell, in ghostly rest and silence of thy heart, that thy mind and heart being purified and cleansed from the memory & imaginations of all creatures, & thy memory lyftyd up to god what ever thou doyst thou mayst tend and draw towards him and cleave fast unto him only. What needest thou, or why travelist thou about so many things? Think upon one. Desire and love one, and thou shalt find great rest. Therefore where ever thou be, let this voice of god be at thine ear. My son return inwardly unto thy heart, abstract thyself from all things and mind me only. Thus with a pure mind in god clean and bare from the memory of all things, remaining unmovable in him, thinking & desiring nothing else but him only, as though there were nothing else in the world, but he and thou alone together.  
And with all meekness most fervently labour and covet to come to this one point, that thy whole soul with all thy mights & powers hereof colectid in god, may become one spirit with him And that thou mayst the sooner come hereto, thou shalt therefore fix in thy mind always the memory of thy saviour christ crucified. And remember continally his great meekness, his love, obedience, his pure chaistiti his inestimable petty and mercy, his unspeakable patience, and all his holy virtues in his humanity. And remember also his mighty mercy, how he created thee, how he redeemed, the how he justifieth the and workyth in the all virtue graces and goodness. Thou must so heartily remember him that thy memory may turn in to love and affection. Thou shalt also use oft to draw thy mind from the remembrance of all creatures and bring thy heart as it were unto a certain silence, and rest from the jangling and company of all things under god. And when thou canst come here unto them is thy heart a place meet and ready for the Lord god to abide in, there to talk unto thy soul.   

¶ The thurtenth impediment.  
THat is study unmeasurable, where in the understanding is all together occupied with bare speculation of such things wherein is neither devotion neither incensing or kindling of the mind, nor virtuous affection is sought for, but the bare reading for itself, because it delyghtyth or pleasythe the reder, or else it is taken for some vain knowledge. Such manner of parsons become vain and puffyd up in their great learning, and of such knowledge presumptuous yet very barren in the affection of that whereof they can so well talk. For they can babble and say much of spiritual life and ghostly feeling but they never taste it but be for from the feeling here of. Thou shalt not read and study therefore that thou mayst be counted learned, but that thou mayst be the more devout and godly. Always think rather that thou art ignorant and canst nothing. And desire to know nothing with the holy apostle paul, but thy Lord jesus christ and the same crucified. For if thou canst and knowest christ, it is ynowghe though thou know nothing else. Exercise thyself in his life and passion continually beholding devoutly in meditation, what he suffered, that thou mayst have compassion and sorrow with him, and how he suffered, with what Obedience, meekness, patience, with all other virtues, that thou thereby mayst be provoked to follow like virtues and wherefore or why he suffered, that thou mayst be thankful unto him in loving him again as he loved the sith he suffered passion and death for the. Let there grow and increase in the continually desire to be like unto thy loving Lord and saviour jesus christ in suffering, that as he suffered most cruel passion and painful death for thee, so thou must be wyling to suffer all adversity and grief for his love and honour, that he shall lay and suffer to come upon the.   

¶ The xiiij Impediment.  
THat is the inordinate delectation, and as it were a rest in ghostly & spiritual sweetness, as when we do rest in the delight in grace, in devotion, in love, in sensible or feeling devotion, which be all the gifts of god lent us. We must not rest in them, or set to much delight in them, but use them as means to lead & to lift our heart and full affection to god for himself. They are not the very sanctimony & charity, but certain gifts of god given to us for a help to our infirmity, that we should mortify more diligently the inordinate love and affection to ourself, and not that we should rest in them. The more than that a man is mortified to himself in all these points that are here spoken of, the more charity & true love he hath, and no more. Yea whatsoever he askith of god (if he doth not use it to the mortifying of himself) it is impure and mixed with nature, which seeks itself in all things so subtilely (yea in godly things) that if it be stayed or letted on the one side, it will craftily appear and creep in at another hole before we can well perceive it.   

The xu Impediment.  〈…〉 
THat is the coldness in devotion and in the desire of perfection, whereby many be led by costume, do many good works, thinking that perfection lieth more in the multitude of good works, then in the fervour and increase of charity, & therefore they follow not the tract and monition of the holy ghost in forsaking themself. But thou shalt take and hold this rule as the sum of ghostly profit. At all time as nigh as thou canst, keep thy heart & mind elevated unto god with lovely turning & memory of him, with fervent desire to please him most perfectly, sighing & crying with out ceasing with some brief burning aspyrations & lovely sentences: as for example.  
¶ Oh my lord god, the only life of my soul. Oh the whole desire of my heart, when shall most heartily love thee, when shall I perfectly and utterly forsake all the world, & contemn my own self for thy pure love.  
¶ Oh that I could departed wholly from myself, and be wholly turned to the my lord, that I might with most burning love be transformed and altered into the.  
¶ Oh the sweet thought of my heart, grant me grace to love the with all my hole heart, with all my hole soul and mind, with all the mights and powers of my body and soul. And thus divers ways as the holy ghost shall put in thy mind at all times thou must desire, love, sigh for thy love & thy lord jesus. Thou must also laud, & praise and give thanks often times unto him. This is most worthy and most noble exercise, whereby thou mayst optaine infinite things of the infinite goodness of thy lord god, for the desire of charity should extend itself infinitely. God himself commandeth us to ask, and he himself also hath promised to hear us, which of his infinite liberality suffereth no sigh nor moon made to him, to pass void or without fruit. For either he infundeth grace, either increaseth the same, either draweth the heart to him more effecteousely, either he refresheth it sweetly, either giveth it some ghostly light, or else confirmith it more steadfastly. Do not therefore lose by negligence, nor neglect such noble gifts which thou mayst obtain every hour. Cease not, fly not from the face of thy loving lord, but follow & pursue thy dear love and lord thorough fire and water. And when thou art distracted from him, when thou art tempted or overthrown thereby, be it never so often, or never so foul a fall, return again I say unto the lord of all mercy and pity, & he will not forsake the. Begin again boldly, intent manfully, and most heartily desire to consume and bestow all that thou art & all thine in his love and laud, in his honour & service. For unthankfulness causeth the well of his mercy to dry up, & the spirit within us crieth without ceaseing in our soul that we should be thankful unto god for his gifts, lauding & praising him in heart, word, and deed, which is blessed and praise worthy world without end. Amen.    

& Certain steps of stairs general to know how much thou dost profit and grow in the love of god, & forsaking of thyself. And as oft as thou shalt look hereon, lament & be sorry that thou art no farther forward, and force thyself with a good hope & courage in god to increase and grow better.  
THey stand on the first stair or step which are well grounded in catholic faith and the fear of god, and for god's sake eschew all deadly sin. But yet they are but cold in charity, and negligent and slow in the ghostly life. For they seek all together natural commodities, and sensual comforts and solace, whose ghostly light is but dim & obscure, their living is daungerus & not without peril, and their salvation is but doubtful. Because that while they think it enough for salvation to eschew mortal sin, yet they can not well discern nor judge, nor well eschew and escape all mortal sin. The conversation of such is in as much parel as are they that dance or walk upon the brink of the pit of hell which with a little trip fall flat down headlong. For thes are in manner in the affect & desire of fin. Not withstanding if such exchew deadly sin & depart so out of this life, they shall be saved but as saint paul saith, as it were by & thorough fire for they shall pass hardly thorough that hot and horrible fire of purgatory, where their venial sins shall be full sharply and sore syngid and purged because they were negligent, and would not cut away the affection of sin, and avoid and purge with penance their venial sins while they were here. And then their good deeds shall find but small fruit, by reason they were not done of, and with, pure affection but were in manner stained with some worldly impurity as with vainglory or other worldly natural respect.  

¶ The second step or stair.  
THey stand on the second stayr that following the holy ghosts inspirations & holy calling of god do avoid and keep themself from the vanity & vain pleasure & commodities of the world, and from the occasions of sin, and seek god and ghostly counsel, and familiarity of good & godly people. They frequent the church & the service of god & devoutly heareth the word of god taught, doing many good works. Thes though they void diligently the great evils, yet they fly not the other secret snares, in the leasser sins, imperfections and faults as in sudden passions of wrath, of vain glory, vain words, of light judgement etc. But thes are slack and negligent to take upon them hard exercises, and pass not to grow unto more higher perfection, for they think it sufficient & a great perfection, to avoid the greater venyals, & to have forsaken the world, and thus thinking that they are somewhat, and in very truth they are right nought & standing in their own conceit thinking they need nor more virtue or better life, trusting in the great goodness of god, or rather (if they search and ransack deeply) trusting in their own good deeds, they content themself with that state and care for no other nor further increase.  
Though this estate be not evil but better the the other, yet it is very far from perfection.   

¶ The third steap or stair.  
IN the third stair stand they, that have more perfectly vanquyshyde and over thrown the world, the flesh sensuality, & also their own will, sloth & neglygens, and geveyth themselves unto hard bodily exercises, as unto fast watch, to wear vile, hard, & straying clothing as  sack, hear, & are given unto much vocal prayer which thing without doubt are no small help & furtherance unto perfection, yet because such sort do all thes good deeds & godly things not for pure sincere, & only honour of, god but to avoid the pain of hell and of purgatory, and to come to the joy of heaven, thes seek more their own commodity then the will & glory of god. So while thus of impure intent they do thes things, they are dysceavyd by the subtlety of the devil, with this impure desire of heaven. And using impurely thes good deeds do content themself herein. Thus labour not they to know the nobility of the inward exercise & to come to the very ground of true virtues, which are perfect mortification, perfect mekens, charity, and other virtues. And beside, they follow the inclination and tract of nature by love natural toward creatures which they bore toward persons temporal to worldly things, & sundry occupations supposing this love, as in deed it is, to be lawful, but little they know how great a let is unto the divine grace of very perfection. And by these, they are daily dystract, with innumerable, impure and unquiet affections, cares, carks & thoughts that springith & cometh of this natural love.   

¶ The fourth steap or staier.  
THey stand upon the fourth steap or stair which not only with daily doth bodily and ghostly exercise, as in mental prayers, and meditations, in sighings, compassions and holy desires do diligently labour in their inner man.  
Yet thes as the other seeketh as much or more their own will & sensible devotion, them the pleasure of god, and lack the true forsaking of themself. For they glory & joy in thes their exercises and sweat devotion, supposing it to pass the trade & exercise of other & with their will would never change it. Wherein appeareth a point of the propriety of their unmortyfied will, which they have not forsaken in this point. And all though for the time that they feal this sensible devotion, they offer themself unto god's will and pleasure, to suffer and abide all adversity at his pleasure. Yet when got takith away this devotion from them then were they heavy and are dyscoragyd. If they betowchyd with any adversity, rebuke or shame, or be bid to do any thing that is against their mind and will, by and by they show what they be, and how unmortified their will is, than they grudge and murmur, for they have still lying burning within them the love of themself whereby the devil craftily retractyth and withdrawyth their will, which they seemed to offer wholly unto god, and so keepeth he them in porpryetie of their will, which they parceave not, for they desire their own proper will be done, rather, than the pleasure of other. But if these could once, give up and commit themself and all other unto the high provydens and pleasure of god only without am withstanding or retract of their heart, them should they grow to much perfection in a little time   

¶ The fift steap or stair.  
Upon the fift stair stand they, which in all their good works and exercises, in all their conversation do resygne and renounce their own will into the high pleasure and will of god.  
They be obedient, not only unto all holy inspirations and unto their superiors, but also unto all men, wherein so ever it seemeth that it may stand with good reason and that for the honour of god, and their own mortification. They labour and endeavour themself all together unto cleans of heart and pureness of consciens, to lovely and fyrely desires of god, to devout prayers and unto all other holy works both ghostly and bodily with the which they desire to please god and to be unytyd and knit unto him. But because that thes are but young beginners and have not been but a while traveled and conversant with in this state and stair, and because as yet all therie affections are not fully pullid up by the rote and mortified by oft travel in thes exercises, therefore some time the wind of in constance causeth them to stagger, ye and to slip from this stair, and to fall again into some point of property. But thes perceive their fall, and arise again by repentance, and returning again unto god, do climb up again upon this stair by full resignation of themself unto the blessed will of god.   

¶ The sixth steap or stair.  
THey stand upon the sixth stair which with many and oft desires, and devout exercises do resign perfectly all property, without all retraction or repyninge of heart, with perfect and full constance to persever, in to the high will and pleasure of god, knowledging certainly that all things both prosperites and adversities that come over such as loveth affecteously god, maketh for them, and turneth unto their profit and furderith their ghostly commodity. And these exercise themself very busily, in the very love of god. But thes of a certain secret and crafty natural inclination towards themselves, do seek to greedily with a certain propriety, at the hand of god goestly or spiritual comfort or consolation, whereby they might the easilier bear all adversities, whose intent plainly is not all perfectly pure therefore they let greatly the works of the holy ghost in themselves. What gifts soever that we receive of god whether they be ouward or inward, bodily or ghostly, & do not use them unto our mortification, and the pure honour of god we do abuse them unto our own condemnation.   

¶ The seventh steap of stair  
Upon the seventh steap stand they, that can helthesomely and well use doth their hands alike, that is to say, the right hand of prosperity, and the life hand of adversity at all times very ready to follow the high pleasure and the will of god as well in the inward contemplation or introvercyon, also in the outward working, as well in the inward ghostly intent as in outward and sensible love. They do desire to be made perfectly like unto the holy life and passion of our saviour Christ in all adversity & dereliction or desolation finding ghostly rest, for they are grounded steadfastly in bare love, in whom they have learned, not only to do great things, but also to suffer very hard things. And therefore they are endued of god with many great & secret graces. They be lightenyd in their understanding, they are insensyd in their affection with most burning charity, but because that thes (being ignorant and not well remembered) that plenty is perilous, some time they are blinded with Ignorance and do misuse the gifts of god that they oft do receive, & do rest to much in the sensible love of god all though they do not perceive the same, but this must they mortify also if they will be perfect.   

¶ The eight steap or stair.  
THey stand upon the eight stair which have resigned themself and all theirs purely in to the hands & pleasure of almighty god, being fully contented with all things, what ever he shall send them or do with them in this world, and for ever reserving no kind of propriety nor no point of any love unto any creature, but purely and only in him, yea cleaving only to him and not cleavyg unto the gifts of god in themself. These above other are visited with great gifts of god, and with secret revelations the which gifts and secret revelation, by reason of a certain secret propriety they be not so glad to want as to have, for this cause they have yet a point of secret propriety which god knoweth right well, and is a fault and an-imperfeccyon before him. For they ought to be so free in their heart from all the gifts of god as though they had received none, and when they receive, they should only praise the great and merciful liberality of god, toward so unworthy wretched sinners, and turn all to the honour & praise of god and to resign themself unto his will and pleasure to be destitute, to lack, and want all his gifts, and to remain ready to all dereliction and desolation ghostly and bodily. For in such gifts and revelations standeth not perfection, but by thes gifts god almighty doth declare his great goodness, to allure and entice, to animate and encourage us to follow and to seek affectuously perfection.   

¶ The ninth steap or stair  
Upon the ninth stand they, which with strong and hard exercise, and earnest and holy desires, for the pure love of god they have in manner almost consumed their flesh and blood and the marry of their body and bones that they might seem to have no more strength than the life and quyckening of the holy ghost doth minister unto them. For their blood seemeth to be sod up and wasted with the hot fervour of god's love which challenges in them perfect lordship rule, & domination maketh and causeth them to suffer and to do above nature. They are the dear darlynges and beloved children of god, though they are (for the most part) hidden and unknown unto the world, in to whom he infundith the plenty of his gifts and graces, & some time he lyftith them up to have a ceartaine sight & contemplation of his blessed essence or being. Yet are they so mortified, that they will not rest in thes gifts and graces for they have utterly trodden under their feat all regard of their own commodity & pleasure, and have laid their foundation in only bare faith formed with perfect charity whereby they desire to suffer all adversity for the honour of god and the health of souls with out all stay or help of any divine consolation or comfort, for they reckon and count themselves worthy of all abjection & desolation Also they think without all feigning themselves under and worse than all creatures, and wissyth nothing more than to be set at nought, to be despised and over trodden of all creatures, & to be put to most grievous misery and most bitter and crewel death. And though they are very well taught to have all their joy only in the cross of their Lord jesus, yet for all that they do never let (by their negligence) the manifold heavenvly iluminations, visitations, and ghostly influence, but they offer themselves always (as much as in them lieth) like ready willing and as lively instruments of the holy ghost unto all things that the holy ghost shall vouchsafe to work in them lest they should be unthankful unto the grace of god. They give light in good example and they burn in the charity of god, and their neighbours. At any other time when they be not vysitid, them as concerning the outward man they seek most abyectest and vyleste things, & to be without all mean, comfort and consolation. And concerning the inward man, they seek bare love and charity without all sensible comfort & consolation grief and heaviness of heart in so much that they can never suffer somuch but they ever desire to suffer & abide more sorrow wherbi they might be more conformable or like unto our Lord and master Christ, which in the time of his bitter pain and passion wrestlelyd against sensuality with bare love destitute of all comfort and consolation ghostly or bodily, that he might redeem and also teach us the same lesson, for this is the very way of abnegation or forsaking of ourselves. By the which way we must follow him thorough the narrow gate of salvation where unto he bring us safely by his grace, which liveth there and raignith everlasting lord god jesus Christ our saviour for ever & ever. Amen.    

¶ A good token and argument of a well forsaken and well resigned will.  
IF thou have a firm confidence and perfect trust in the goodness of god in all chances.  
If thou dost take all thing what ever chanceth good or bad as at the hand of god, and think it to come of his sending, and dost think and unfeignedly believe that such things are chosen as the best for the by the high providence of god, and therefore doyste commit thyself and all thine wholly unto god's will and pleasure.  
If in all kind of adversity and misery thou makest no complaint to no parson, nor seekest no comfort nor consolation, but humbly and pacyentelye doyste abide the uttermost of the high pleasure of almighty god, offering thyself ready, unfeignedly to abide all that thou suffered'st (if it so please god) worlds without end.  
If thou doyste think thyself worthy of all that which thou sufferedst, and much more and worse, and therefore thou art ready to suffer much more harder, more grievous, and more painful things than thou doyste suffer. If thou be lean and think unfeignedly thou art unworthy that the earth should bare thee, and therefore thou thinkest thyself unworthy of any goodness and most worthy of all pain & grief.   
FINIS.   

❧ Imprinted at London by John Waley dwelling in Foster lane.