Be it known to al● 〈…〉 ●●●●entes, that it is prohibited by o●●●● 〈…〉 the king, by his letters p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 ●●●●ers, book sellers, and 〈…〉 uther's that (with 〈…〉 ●ym, that at 〈…〉 ●es printe● 〈…〉 no 〈…〉  
〈…〉 ●●●●uer● 〈…〉 ●●●nions 〈…〉 call●● 〈…〉 ●●●er, 〈…〉 nexte th' 〈…〉 pri●● 〈…〉 ●●ey will answer at the 〈…〉 side the penalties mentioned 〈…〉 unto granted.  
¶ Imprinted 〈…〉 fleetstreet by Iohn Bydd●●●● 〈…〉 ●t the sign of the Sor●●●● 〈…〉 ●●cundite/ for wy●● 〈…〉/ the year 〈…〉   

¶ A goodly exposition upon the xxx psalm In te domine spetavi.  
HEuynes hath besieged me with a great and strong host she hath enclosed me, she hath oppressed my heart with clamours and ceaseth not with weapons night and day to fight against me.  
My friends be in her tents, and are become mine enemies. what soever I see, what soever I hear, bring the banners of heaviness, the memory of my frendis maketh me sad, the recording of my children grieveth me, the considering of my cloister and cell vexeth me, the revolving of my studies maketh me pensive, the thinking of my sins oppresseth me. For like as to them, which be sick of the axesse, all sweet things seem bitter, so to me all things be turned in to sorrow and heavens. Undoubtedly a great burden upon the heart is this heavens. The venom of a deadly pestilence grudgeth against god, seizeth not to blaspheme and exhorteth to desperation. Oh unhappy man that I am, who shall delyver me from her cursed hands? If all that I see and hear follow her banners and fight against me, who shallbe my protector? who shall help me? whither shall I go? whither shall I flee? I wot what I shall do, I will turn me to things invisible, & bring them against the visible. And who shall be the guide of so high and terrible an host? Hope, which is of thinges invisible. Hope, I say, shall come against heaviness, and vaynquyshe her. who can stand against hope? Hear what the prophet saith: Thou art (lord) my hope, thou haste set thy refuge most high. who shall stand against the lord? who can win his tower of refuge, which is most high? wherefore I will call her, doubtless she will come, nor she will not confoundeme. Lo now she cometh, she hath brought gladness, she hath taught me to fight. & she said to me, Cry, cease not. And I said, what shall I cry? Cry, quoth she, boldly and with all thy whole heart, say: In te domine speravi non confunder in eternum/ et in iustitia tua libera me.  
¶ That is to say: In the oh lord, I have trusted, I shall not be confounded for evermore, and in thy justice delyver me.  
¶ Oh the wonderful power of hope, whose face heaviness can not abide. Now comes comfort. Let heavens cry now and struggle against me with her army. Let the world thrust down, let the enemies make insurrection, I fear nothing, for I trust (lord) in the, for thou art my hope, for thou haste put my refuge most high. I have already entered it, hope hath led me in, I myself entered not unshamefastly, she shall excuse me before the. Behold, qd hope, o man the most high refuge of god, open thine eyes, and see, it is god alone, it is only he, an infinite see of substance. Other things so be, as though they were not. For all thingꝭ depend of him, and unless he sustained them, they should suddenly return to nought, for of nought were they made. Consydre the power of him, which in the beginning created heaven & earth. Doth not he work all in all things? who can move his hand without him? who can think any thing of himself?  
Ponder his wisdom, which in tranquillity governeth all, for he seethe all, and to his eyes all things be naked and open. This is he, which only knoweth how to delyver the, and only can comfort & save the. Put not thy trust in the children of men, in whom is no salvation. The heart of men is in his power, whither soever he lusteth, he will turn it. This is he, which may & can help the. Dost thou suspect his will? Ponder his goodness, consider his tender love. Is not he the lover of men, which for men became man, and for sinner's was crucified? This is thy true father, which created the, which redeemed the, which always hath done good unto the. Can the father forsake his son? Cast thyself on him, & he will take the up and save the. Serche the scriptures, and thou shalt found how busily his great tender love moveth the to trust in him. And why doth he that? 〈◊〉 because he coveteth to save. For what say 〈◊〉 prophet. Because he trusted in me, I will deliver 〈◊〉 Lo, for none other cause he will delyver him, but because he trusted in him. And what other thing hath the prophets, the apostles, yea he himself, the lord of the apostles preached, but that men should trust in the lord? Sacrifice therefore (ye men) the sacrifice of justice, and trust in the lord, and he shall delyver you, and pluck you out of all tribulation. Oh the great virtue of hope, truly she is spread abroad. For grace is spread abroad in her lips. Oh this is truly thy refuge, so high (good lord) to which the evil of heavens can not approach. This I known and understood, therefore I trusted lord in the. For though the weight of sin doth grievously press me, yet I can not despair/ for thy goodness so gently provoked me to hope, that I can not be confounded for evermore. For a time I may well be confounded, but for evermore surely I can not. For hope, which hath led me in to thy most high refuge hath taught me to hope, not temporal things, but everlasting. For hope is of things invisible.  
But though things that be seen, are temporal. And the thynges that be not seen, are everlasting. wherefore I hearing the words of hope, which comes to pluck me out from the hands of heaviness, have trusted lord in the, coveting before all things to be delivered from my sins, and through thy mercy and grace to come to things everlasting, which be invisible. This is my fyrste and chief desire, for my sins be a great tribulation unto me. For from this all other tribulation issueth. Take away lord my sins, and I am free from all tribulation. For tribulation & pensy●nes of mind, proceed from the fountain of the heart. For every heavens comes of love. If I love my son, and he dyeth, I am troubled because I have lost that I loved. If I love not my servant, and he dyeth, I am not heavy, because I have lost that I loved not.  
Take away therefore lord my sins through thy grace, what remaineth, but that I shall love the with all my whole heart, & despise all temporal things as vain? If than I have the by faith, of whom also I hope to have, that, which neither eye hath seen, nor ear hath heard/ nor hath not ascended in to the heart of man.  
what thing can trouble me? That, which I have lost beside god, I have lost that I love not. In the oh lord I have trusted, like as my hope hath taught me to trust/ therefore I shall not be confounded for ever, for thou shalt give me everlasting things. who trusteth not in the, but in his own vanity, shallbe confounded for evermore. For he shall descend to eternal confusion. I may be confounded temporally, both of the, & of all men, but I shall not be confounded for evermore. For of the I may be confounded, while I desire to be delivered from temporal vexation, and peraventure thou wilt not hear me. Truly than I am confounded temporally. For it is not expedient for me, sith that virtue is made perfect in infirmity. And of men I am temporally confounded, & they prevail against me, when they pursue me. But this also thou sufferest them to do, that I should not be confounded for evermore. wherefore, if before that a thousande years be but as yesterday, which is passed away, I will gladly suffer temporal confusions, that I be not confounded for evermore. I will trust in the lord, for hope hath taught me to trust, and shortly I shallbe delivered from all tribulation. By what merits shall I be delivered? Not by mine, lord but by thy justice deliver me. By thy justice I say not by min. I seek mercy, I offer not my justice. But if by thy grace thou wilt make me rightwise, now I have thy justice. For thy grace in us is thy justice. The pharisees trusted in works of justice, they trusted in their own justice/ and therefore they were not subject to the justice of god. For of the works of the law shall no creature be justified with the. But the justice of god appeared by the grace of jesus Christ, yea without the works of the law. The philosophers gloried in their justice, and therefore they found not thy justice, because they entered not in at the door. They were thiefs and robbers, which came not to save, but to destroy and slay the sheep. wherefore thy grace is thy justice lord, & it were no longer grace, if it were given of the merits. wherefore not in my justice, but in thy justice delyver me from my sins, Or surely delyver me in thy justice, that is to wit, in thy son, which only amongst men is found just. what is thy son, but the very justice, in which men be justified? wherefore in thy justice justify me and delyver me from my sins, that I may be also delivered from other afflictions, which I suffer therefore, so that the cause taken away, the effect might also be taken away.  
Lo, the, oh lord, have I besought, & I am comforted, hope hath so taught me, I am replenished with joy, because I trust in the, therefore I shall not be confounded for evermore. Hevynes comes again with great purveyance, she is returned with swerdis and spears on every side, she is defended with great violence, she walketh, she hath besieged our city. The cry of her horsemen hath feared me. Standing without, she commanded silence, and a farreof, she spoke, saying: Oh, qd she, lo, yonder is he the trusted in the lord, which said, I shall not be confounded for evermore, which hath followed hope, his confortatrice. And when she perceived me at these words to wax ashamed, approaching me nigh, she said, where be the promises of thy hope? where is the comfort? where is the deliverance? what have thy tears ꝓfited the? what have thy prayers brought that from heaven? Thou hast cried, and no man hath answered the, thou haste wept, and no man hath been moved with pity upon that, thou haste called upon thy god, & he holdeth his peace, thou haste desired the help of the saints, and none of them hath regarded the. Lo, what profit have the words of hope brought the? Thou haste laboured, and thou findest nothing in thy hands. thinkest thou the god regardeth the inhabitants of the earth? Nay he walketh about the limits of heaven, and considereth not our matters. Thus she blaspheming spoke. And when I shaken for fear at her words, approaching, she spoke in mine ear, saying: Trowest thou though things be true that faith showeth? wilt thou see that they be but men's fantasies? Thou shalt know hereby.  
For if god became man (as they say) and was crucified for men, it could not be, but that so great love should comfort a man, never so much oppressed with heaviness, weeping & crying unto him, if (as they say) infinite goodness caused him to come down from heaven to take upon him the cross, how should he not now come down to miserable men, that he might comfort them? Surely this is more easy, and with like love ought to be helped. why do not the angels and saints, if they be so pitiful, come to comfort the? How many men trowest thou, would, if they might, come to the? and with their words and workis (as much as they might) would comfort the, which would also delyver the from all vexation? why do not the saints this, which are thought to be fare better than men?  
Believe me, all thingꝭ are governed by casualte. There be no things, but though that be seen, your spirit shall vanish away like smoke. who ever came again from hell or heaven and told us such things as they say do chance to souls after this life? These are but fables of foolish women. Arise therefore and flee to the man's help, that thou mayst be losened from prison, and live in pleasure, and not be deceyved falsely of this thy hope, and always be in pain and trouble.  
These things said, so great cry was herd in her tents, so great din of the harness, and noise of the trumpets, that uneatheth I could stand on my feet. And if my well-beloved hope had not the sooner helped, heaviness had led me bound with chains to her region. wherefore hope came shining with a certain divine brightness, and smiling, said: O soldier of Christ, what heart, what mind hast thou in this battle? which I hearing, forthwith was ashamed. And she said, fear thou not, this evil shall not take the, thou shalt not perish, lo, I am with the to delyver the.  
Knowest thou not that it is written, The unwise man said in his heart, there is no god. This heaviness hath spoken like one of the foolish women. Can she persuade the that there is no god, or that god hath not the providence of all things? Canst thou doubt of faith, which with so many arguments and reasons hast confirmed it? I wonder that thou art so felled to the ground at her words. Tell me, I pray the, begannest thou to doubt in thy heart of faith? O my sweet mother, the living god is my witness and also my conscience, that I felt no manner prick of infidelity, for by the grace of Christ, I believe no less though thinges to be true, which be appertaining to faith, than though things, which I behold with my bodily eyes. But heaviness so pressed me, that rather I should have been brought to desperation than to infidelity. Son, thou knowest that this is a great gift of god, and comes not of workis, that no man should glory. Wherefore arise and fear not, but rather know hereby that the lord hath not forsaken the, which although he heareth not forth with, ye ought not despair. If he make tarriance, abide him, for he will surely come, and not carry.  
The ploughman abideth patiently the fruit in the due tyme. Nature not forthwith giveth the perfect shape when she bringeth forth a thing, but fyrste she prepareth the matter, and disposeth it by little and little, until she maketh it apt to receive the shape. Yet know thou that the lord always heareth him that prayeth devoutly & meekly, for they never depart void from him. Nor I will not labour to prove this with reasons, because thou feelest it in thyself. Tell me, who lifted up thy heart to god? who induced the to pray? who made the to sorrow for thy sins, and to weep? who gave the hope? who made the cheerful in thy prayer, and after thy prayer? And also what is he that daily confirmed the in thy holy purpose? Is it not the lord, which worketh all in all things? If he than giveth the continually these gifts, why doth that cursed woman say, where be thy prayers? where be thy tears, & the other words of blasphemy? Knowest thou not that the heavenly Jerusalem is distincted from this terrestral? Knowest thou not that it is not convenient nor necessary, nor profitable, that god or his angels should descend visibly to men, and speak familiarly to them. Fyrst it is not convenient, so unworthy be our merits. For how can light and darkness agree?  
Divers cities have citizens of contrary and diverse natures. How be it to some for their excellent holiness, for asmuch as their life was heavenly, it was granted to see angels, and to speak with them. But a special privilege belongeth not to all. It is not necessary, because that sith blessed angels invisibly govern us, illuminate & comfort us. It needeth not to show visible apparancies. How be it our lord is so good, that also visible visions, when he seethe need, he doth not omit. For what thing might he have done for our salvation, and hath not done it? Finally it is not profitable, for overmuch familiarity engendereth contempt. For to the jues' miracles both great and many, nothing availed. For rare be precious. wherefore let the invisible visitation suffice the/ for the lord knoweth what thou hast need of. Hath not he comforted the? I know what thou thinkest in thy heart. Arise than and return to prayer. Cry, ask, seek, ꝑsever/ for if he will not give because thou art his friend, yet for thy importunity he will give all that be necessary. with these words comforted, I arose, and prostrate before god, I proceeded in my prayer, saying: Inclina ad me aucem tuam acceleta ut eruas me.  
¶ That is to say. Bow down thine ear unto me, hasten the to pluck me out.  
¶ Oh lord my god, to the I return, hope hath sent me unto the, I do not come by mine own presumption.  
Thy goodness provoketh me, thy mercy draweth me.  
Oh how great a gentleness is this? Surely I joy in my heart/ nor I desire none other consolation. Happy truly is this necessity, which compelleth me to come unto the, which constraineth me to speak with the, which forceth me to pray. wherefore I speak to my god, though I be myself but dust and ashes. Bow to me thine ear. what sayest thou my soul? Hath god ears? thinkest thou that he is a bodily thing? No certainly. For sith the spirit is fare better than the body, who would say that god were a body, unless he be mad? But stammering (as well as we may lord) we sown thy celestial and most high things. we know the by thy creatures/ we speak to the/ & of the by the similitudes of them. Thy ear than what is it lord? Is it thy knowledge? For by the ears we understand though things, which be spoken unto us. Thou knewest from the beginning all things that men speak and think. May we than understand by thine ear thy knowledge? Truly thine ear doth insinuate some what unto us, which is not comprehended in the name of thy simple knowledge. For unto some thou boweste thine ear/ unto other thou turnest it away. But thy knowledge always abideth one. what other thing than is thine ear/ but the notice of thy allowance & disalowaunce. Thou bowest thine ear, & hearest the words of good men, because they please the, and thou allowest them. contrariwise thou turnest away thine ear from the words of the wicked/ because they will not depart from their wickedness/ therefore the words please the not/ but thou disalowest them. what is than to incline thine ear to them, which speak unto the/ but to alow their prayers, and to behold them with the countenance of pity and mercy, to enlyghten and kindle them, that with a trust & a fervent charity they may pray & desire the. For thou wilt give them that they ask humbly. For if the king showeth to a poor man, which comes to speak with him, a merry countenance and turneth his eyes unto him, showing himself ready to hear the poor man's cause/ will not the poor man be glad? Doth not the countenance & the attentifenes of the king cause the poor man the more boldly to speak his matter, and minister words & eloquence unto him? yes undoubtedly? So likewise (lord) we perceive the, than to bow thine ear to our prayers, when thou grantest us in our prayers, to be fervent in spirit. I beseech the therefore (o merciful lord and father) bow unto me thine ear, allow (I beseech the) my prayer, enlighten me, kindle me, and teach me that I ought to axe and desire, illuminate and lift up my heart, that at laste also thou mayst hear my prayer. Haste the (o merciful lord) to pluck me out, shorten the days, cut of the tyme. So bow unto me (oh lord) thine ear, that shortly I may be herd of the. For unto the, which abidest for ever, every time is short. For eternity comprehendeth all, and exceedeth every tyme. But unto me, every day is long, for time is a numbering of the moving, so that he, which feeleth no motion, feeleth no time, but he that feeleth moving, feeleth time/ and he most of all feeleth moving, which numbereth the parts thereof.  
I therefore, which numbered the days and the hours do most of all feel the tyme. And therefore like as unto the a thousande years are but as yesterday, that is past, so unto me one day is a thousand years, which are to come. wherefore hasten the lord to pluck me out from sins, & mine adversaries. For death hasteneth and in every place awaiteth for me. Hie the lord, lest perchance I prevented of it, have no space of repentance. Pluck me out lord from the hand of the malicious, delyver me from the bonds of sun, take me from the snare of death, lead me out of the deepness of hell, save me from oppression, and the hard bondage of heavens, that my mind may rise up and joy in the/ and that I may bliss the all the days of my life. I thank the lord in jesus my saviour, for according to the multitude of my sorrows in my heart, thy comforts have rejoiced my soul. wherefore I will always trust in the/ and I will for my part add unto all thy praise. Thou lord bow thin ear unto me, hasten that to pluck me out. Alas wretch that I am, lo, again heavens comes instructed with terrible armours. The banner of justice goeth before her/ a innumerable host followeth her feet/ each hath a spear in his hand. I behold on every side instruments of death. woe be to me, I am undone/ with an high and horrible voice she cryeth, O wretch, that same thy hope hath deceyved the.  
Lo, thou haste laboured in vain, for thou saidst. Bow thine ear to me, hasten the to pluck me out. Hath god bowed his ear unto the? Is thy prayer herd? where is the deliverance? where is the comfort? Hath god hastened to pluck the out? Yet art thou bound and a prisoner, nothing is altered. If thou believest faith to be true, why dost only enbrace hope? knowest thou not that god is just? Knowest not his justice?  
He spared not his angels/ he pitied not them/ nor will pity them/ but for one only sin they be condemned for evermore. Adam sinned, and the justice of god punished the whole mankind with death. thinkest that god doth not as well love rightwiseness as mercy? Children deꝑting in original sin, shall never see the face of god/ so rigorous is the justice of god, that for the sin, which they did not, but received by nature, they shall be punished with everlasting pain. For in hell is no redemption. Knowest not that god spareth not the offender? Did he not destroy in the time of No, almost all mankind? Did he not consume with fire Sodoma, and the other cities adjoining unto it?  
Nor the divine justice hath not so much as taken compassion of infants and innocentes. How oft punished he the jews' offending? was not Jerusalem utterly destroyed by the hands of Nabugodonosor?  
Neither spared he his own temple/ for it was also destroyed of Titus th'emperor of Rome/ where the jues were so cruelly punished/ that there is no man that heareth of it, but quaketh for fear. But see how sharp the justice of god is/ the children for the fathers are punished euyn to this day. Behold, the jews be slaves and captives in every place/ and dying in their blindness, are punished with everlasting pains. Troweste thou the mercy of god is greater than his justice?  
Truly in god it is neither greater nor less. For what soever is in god is his substance. But let us consider the works of justice & mercy/ and we shall evidently espy, that the works of justice do exceed the works of mercy. God himself is witness, saying: Many be called, few elected. Mark how many infidels be dampened/ how many evil christian men there be/ how few live christianly/ and thou shalt perceive anon, that there be fare more vessels of justice than of mercy. The elect are the vessels of mercy/ the refuse the vessels of justice. Let not Mary Magdalen make the trust/ nor the thief/ nor Peter/ nor Paul/ for there was but one Mary/ one thief/ one Peter/ one Paul. Trowest thou to be accounted amongst so few? which hast committed so many and so huge sins/ which hast been a slander in the church/ which hast offended heaven and earth? Lo, thine eyes hath wept/ thy heart hath besought mercy/ and as yet thou haste obtained none. So many prayers of them that loved the/ be they heard? no, and why so? Surely because thou art reputed among the vessels of ire. Thy hope hath made the to labour in vain. Follow my counsel, heaven hath cast the up, the earth receive the not. who can suffer this great confusion? Better it is for the to dye, than to live/ chose death, which, if no man will bring upon the, lay hands upon thyself, slay thyself.  
These words she with wonderful importunity laid on/ and all the whole host with loud voices did rehearse the same, saying: Death only is thy refuge. But I hearing this was sore afraid, and suddenly fall down upon my face, crying out, and saying: Lord help me, lord forsake me not, come my hope, come my hope. Lo, suddenly hope glistering from heaven came down, and touched my side, and lifted me up, and did set me on my feet, and said: How long yet shalt thou be a babe? How long wilt thou be anovice, and a young soldier? So oft thou hast been in battle, and haste walked in the mids of the darkness of death, and hast not yet learned to fight? Be thou not dismayed of the great justice of god/ be thou comforted thou fayntherted fellow. Let them fear, which be not converted to the lord, which walk in their own ways, which follow vanities, which know not the way of peace. Let the wicked tremble, which do grievously sin and say, what have I done? which be not converted to the heart, which be called and refuse to come/ they know not god, and will not understand that they may do well. Let these fear. what say the apostle? It is a dreadful thing to fall in to the handis of the living god. such, doubtless the justice of god punisheth/ such men perteyne to her. But sinner's, which returning again to themselves do rise again, and run to the father of mercies, saying: Father, 
Luc. xv.  I have sinned against heaven & towards the, but be thou merciful unto me sinner. Let such have trust in the lord, for he that hath drawn them, undoubtedly will receive them & justify them. Let heavens bring forth, if she can, one sinner, were he never so great, which converted to the lord, was not received of him, & justified. For although it be written of Esau, that he found no place of repentance, though he sought it with tears. This maketh nothing against us/ for Esau did not weep for his sins that he had committed/ but for his temporal goods that he had lost, which he could not recover. Nor think not that justice doth so pertain to the wicked, that it is clean separate from mercy. Nor again that mercy doth so belong to rightwise men, that it is clean severed from justice. For all the ways of the lord is mercy and verity. For he showeth mercy also to sinners in giving them for the good deeds that they do temporally, temporal rewards/ and after this life in punishing them not so much as they deserved. Like wise his elect he pursueth with his justice in punishing them temporally for their sins, that they be not punished everlastingly. Thou therefore suffer patiently the lord, thou hast sinned, be sorry for it/ be content that through his grace thy sins is forgiven the. My son despise not the correction of the lord/ neither faint thou when thou art checked of him/ for whom the lord loveth, he chastiseth/ he scourgeth every child that he receiveth. Continue than in affliction/ god showeth himself to the, as unto his son. And though there be few chosen children of god, having regard to the disalowed, yet there be innumerable that shallbe saved. Nor there is not only one Mary Magdalen/ one thief/ one Peter/ one Paul/ for innumerable have followed their steps, doing penance/ and are received of the lord, rewarded with many and great gifts of grace/ nor mercy is no less in her works, than justice. For mercy giveth so great good things to rightwise men, that her works do fare exceed the works of justice. Knowest not that the earth is full of the mercy of god? what creature can glory that he hath received any thyng, which hath not taken it of the mercy of god? And if thou haste grievously offended god, yet his mercy is greater than all the sins of the world. Trouble not thyself for the multitude & grievousness of thy sins. Hath not mercy now come renning & met the? Hath she not taken the up and kissed the? Lo, thou didst fall, and thou wert not hurt. And why so? Art thou not afrayle vessel, which, if it fall must needs be broused, unless some body put under his hand? why than when thou fellest, wert thou not hurt? who did put under his hand? who? but the lord. This is a great sign that thou art elect/ for the elect when he falleth, shall not be broused/ for the lord will put under his hand. Doth not the apostle write, that to them that love god, all things work to good? In so much that the very sin worketh them to good. Doth not that fall work them to good, whereby they be made both humbler, and warer. Doth not the lord receive him, which is received of humility? Thou hast loved the lord many years/ for his love thou haste laboured. After thou didst lift up thy heart, and walk in the vanity of thy wit/ the lord withdrew his hand, and thou fell/ and in to the deepness of the see thou didst descend. How be it the goodness of the lord forthwith put under his hand/ and thou wert not broused. Say than, when I was violently shoved forth, I was overturned that I might fall, and the lord took me up. Not so the wicked not so/ whom god hath rejected. when they fall they rise not again/ but either with great shame they excuse their sins/ or else they have the boldness of an harlot/ and after they neither fear god nor man. Arise than & be of a strong heart/ be myghttie and valiant/ abide the lord and do manfully/ and let thy heart be enstrengthed, and suffer the lord. Thou hast proved thine own prowess how it is of no force. Than humble now thyself under the puissant hand of god/ and henseforth be more ware. Patience is necessary to the/ without ceasing pray/ and the lord shall hear the in due tyme. Arise than and lay away all heaviness from thyself/ embrace the feet of the lord, and he shall save and delyver the. These words said, she was ravished in to heaven/ leaving me enstrengthed and wonderfully comforted/ whom forthwith with all my heart ensuenge, I stood before god. & falling down before my saviours feet, I said with a bold confidence, ¶ ●to mihi in deum ꝓtectorem & in domuni retugii ut saluum me facias.  
¶ That is to say. Be unto me a god protector, and an house of refuge, that thou mayst save me.  
¶ For thou god art of all the greatest and the strongest, thou the redeemer, & saviour of all/ thou the protector of the faithful/ to the I flee boldly. Hope hath brought me in/ hope, which thou so dear dost love/ whom thou hast always commended unto us/ with her have I not feared to come before thy face. I grant I am unworthy/ but she drew me. I feared to approach ne'er for my manifold sins, but she hath encouraged me. Lo, she standeth before the/ she beareth witness/ I speak to my lord, being myself flesh, and a sinner/ hope taught me, and said to me, that boldly I should open my mouth. Sweet and gentle, qd she, is the lord, he will not drive the away/ he will not be angry/ he will gladly hear/ what soever thou desirest he will give. I believed/ for which cause I spoke. But considering thy majesty, I was greatly humbled/ and I said in my trance/ every man is a liar/ I will never more trust in man, but in the only/ thou only art faithful in all thy words/ and every man is a liar. what shall I yield the, oh lord, for all that thou hast given unto me? The cup of salvation I will take/ for from henseforthe I will live not unto me, but unto the/ doing good for thy love/ I will suffer all evils/ I will not do this through mine own might/ but I will call on the name of the lord. My vows I will yield to all thy people. For in the sight of god the death of his saints is precious. Be than unto me a god protector, defend me from mine enemies. Mine enemies are my sins, which ꝓuoke thy rightwiseness against me. I shall not be able to stand against them/ if thou dost not protect me. Let thy mercy be my shield lord, & with the shield of thy good will crown me. I have nothing to offer unto him, wherwith I may tempre his furor, all that I bring with me accuse me. wherefore I will offer thy passion lord. Be not displeased lord god, but rather be unto me god protector, under thy wyngis ꝓtecte me, with thy shoulders shadow me/ & under thy feathers I will trust. what shall justice do to me, if thou keepest me under thy protection? She will hold her peace lord, and put up the sword of her fury/ she shall be made tame and gentle, seeing the goodness of thy incarnation/ beholding the wounds of thy passion/ considering the blood of thy charity/ she will depart fro me, & say: Be merry son thou hast found me/ eat in peace/ sleep & rest together with me. Be therefore lord to me a god, protector, an house of refuge, that in the time of rain and storm, in time of temptations, I may flee unto the/ for in the only is my health/ be thou unto me a house of refuge/ open unto me thy side pierced with the spear, that I may entre the breast of so tender love/ in which I may be safe from the feebleness of spirit, & from tempest/ hide me in thy tabernacle/ in the day of evils protect me in an angle of thy tabernacle/ let it be the house of my refuge, that thou mayst make me safe/ for I can not be but safe in the house of thy refuge/ for thou hast put thy refuge most high/ this place is well fenced/ no enemy's is there feared/ would god I might always abide in it/ who dwelleth in it can not be wounded. wherefore at all temptations, at all tribulations, at all necessities, open lord unto me the house of thy refuge/ spread abroad the bosom of thy tender love/ show forth the bowels of thy mercy/ that thou mayst make me safe/ let not the tempter come thither/ let not the slanderer climb up/ let not that naughty accuser of his brethren approach/ I shallbe then sure without cure/ yea already me thynketh I am exceedingly well and quiet. I thank the good jesus, that thou hast sent thy hope unto me/ which hath raised me of dust and of dung, lift me up, and set me before the, that thou shouldst be god, my protector, and the house of my refuge, to th'intent thou shouldst save me. My mind is troubled: Lo, heavens is at hand, she comes with the banner of justice/ from yesterday conflict/ she departeth not/ but she is defended with other weapons/ for this night she hath stolen away my weapons/ and with my swerdis she hath girded her soldiers. wherefore unweapened & weak, what shall I do? Lo how bitterly she crieth/ with what assault she setteth upon me/ what a trust she hath of the victory. where, qd she, is thy protector? where is thy house of refuge? where is thy health? Continuest still in thy vain hope? Thy comforts proceed but of imagination. Thou ymagynest god merciful/ and thy protector/ and the house of thy refuge/ and thou thinkest thou clymmest up to heaven. Surely thou art illuded of thy fantasy/ and comforted with vain hope. thinkest that thou wert ravished up to the thyrd heaven? These are but dreams, Recount with thyself how grevous an offence is ingratitude. Doth not this dry up the fountain of mercy? Remember, Christ wept for the city of Jerusalem/ and told afore the evils that should fall upon it, saying: The days shall come upon the/ and thine enemies shall besiege the, and compass the about/ and drive the in to streytes'/ and beat the down to the ground/ and thy children that be in the/ and they shall not leave in the a stone upon a stone. Nor the cause of so great vengeance he kept not close, but added it, saying: Because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. Lo, ingratitude deserveth not only to be deprived of benefitis, but also grievously to be punished. Doth not this belong to the soul? Doth not Jerusalem often times in scripture signifieth the soul? which when it will not know the visitation of the lord, is besieged with dyvels, and with sundry temptations, wherewith it is afflict, falleth down to earthly thingꝭ, is ꝓstrate, nor no good virtue, nor no good deed is left in it, which is not destroyed, for it is spoilt of all grace/ neither is it builded again, she knoweth not the time of her visitation. Thou, truly, thou, I say, art this city, enriched of god with many & great benefits, and thou acknowlegest it not, but wert unkind/ he created the to his own lykelynes/ in mids of his church, not among the infidels he made the to be borne/ he did set the in a floryshing city/ with the water of baptism he sanctified the/ in a religious house he brought the up. But thou runnest after thy lusts, in the vanity of thy brain thou walkedest/ thou runnest down in to deep sins/ the lord called the, and thou answeredest not. He oft advertised the, and thou regardedst not his counsel. How oft did he lighten the? How oft did he turn the to thy heart? How oft did he awake the fro sleep? He invited the, and thou excusedest thyself/ he plucked, and thou didst resist him. At last his ineffable goodness overcome the. Thou didst offend, and he visited the/ thou fellest, and he plucte the up/ thou wert ignorant, and he taught the/ thou wert blind, and he lightened the/ from the rumble of the world/ from the tempest of the see, he brought the to quietness, and to the port of religion/ he gave the the habit of holy conversation/ he made the his priest/ he brought that to the schools of his wisdom/ and yet thou haste always been unkind/ and negligently thou hast done the will of the lord/ when yet thou knewest it written. Cursed is he that doth the work of the lord negligently. Nor thus the goodness of god did not leave the, but alway brought the gently to better/ and which is most of all, garnished that with knowledge of scripture, the word of preaching he put in thy mouth/ and did set the in the mids of his people, as one of the great & famous men. Thou, this notwithstanding, taughteste other, and regardest not thyself/ other thou healedest, & thyself thou savedeste not/ thou lyftedest up thy heart in thy worship/ and therefore thou hast lost thy wisdom in thy worship. Nought wert thou made, and nought shalt thou be for evermore. knowest thou not that the servant knowing the will of the lord, and doing it not, shallbe beaten with many stripes? Dost not know that god resisteth the proud? How fellest thou Lucifer/ which didst spring up in the morning/ which didst wound the gentiles/ which saydeste in thy heart, I will climb up to heaven. But thou wert plucked down, to hell in to the deep of the lake/ under the lieth the mottes/ and thy hylling is worms. thinkest thou now to found mercy, which haste offended many/ which so oft called and monished of god, wouldst not answer? where were than the justice of god? where were than the equity of judgement? Mercy doth not always follow sinner's/ she hath set her bounds. Is it not written: I have called, and ye have becked away/ I have spread abroad my hands, and there was none that would look upon me/ ye have despised my counsel, and neglected my increpations: I also in your decay will laugh and jest, when that thing that ye feared come unto you?  
Lo, not always mercy giveth pardon to the sinner. Dost not consider the degrees of mercy to have an end/ in the which, being adjourned with so many benefits of god, didst fall into the deep see/ which garnished with so many graces/ for thy pride and vainglory wert a slander to the world? Let not than vain hope deceive the, whom thou followest/ live henseforth after thy lust & appetite/ be not punished both in this life and in the other with eternal pains. Chose to dwell with them, which lead their days in pleasure, and in a moment go down to hell. Nor let not shame hold the back. Take the foreheaded of an harlot/ let us eat and drink for to morrow shall we dye. Thy wound is despaired on, it is made incurable. when she had said these words, all the host cried out with horrible voices, and repeated her words, saying: Thy wound is despaired on, and made uncurable.  
¶ I remembering the aduertisementes of my mother, though I was somewhat deject in mind, yet to my power I plucked up myself, and stood upon my feet, lifting up mine eyes to heaven, from whence I hoped for help. And lo, hope with a cheerful countenance furnished with divine beams, descending from above said, who is that that enuolueth sentences with unlerned words, which setteth bounds to infinite mercy? which foolish person thinkest to bear the waters of the see in her handis. Hast thou not herd the lord, saying: In what hour soever the sinner bewaileth his sins, none of all his inquities I will record? what man is he that sineth not? who can say my heart is clean? The Pater noster belongeth to all, in which all men are compelled to say: Dimitte nobis debita nostra. Forgyve us our sins. Our lord taught the apostles thus to pray. Doth not than this prayer belong to other? th'apostles received fyrste the holy ghost. And why taught he them thus to pray, if they had no sin/ and if they had, who can glorify that he is no sinner? Hear the beloved disciple of the lord. If we say, qd he, that we have no sins, we beguile ourselves, & troth is not in us. james the apostle. In many things, qd he, we all offend. wherefore all have sinned, and need the mercy of god, yea the holy men of god. For it is written, Seven times a day fall the just man, and he shall rise again. wherefore mercy hath no limits nor bounds. But so oft as the sinner lamenteth his guilt, so oft he obtaineth mercy. Nor it skillethe not whether we speak of great or of little offences. Thou hast fallen, arise, and mercy shall take the up. Thou shrynkest, call, and mercy shall come unto the. Again thou falleste, again thou shrynkeste/ turn the to the lord, and the bowels of his pity shall open to the. Thou falleste the thyrde time, and the fourth. Knock, cry, and mercy will not forsake the. As oft as thou sinnest, so oft rise again, & mercy shall have none end. why dost thou upbraid the benefits that thou haste taken, o thou wretched woman, heavens? Did not David the great prophet receive many & great benefits? Of whom the lord said, I have found a man according to my heart: and yet he sinned, & that grievously, as well in adultery, as in the murdering of a good and innocent person/ and yet the lord ended not his mercy in him. what bringest thou the sin of pride? Did not David lift up his heart, & caused to numbered the people of Israel? For he gloried as though he had been a great king and a mighty in his own strength and puissance/ and yet he was not reject for this. why? For he did not hide his sin, he did not boast it as Sodoma did, but he said: I will confess against myself, mine injustice to the lord. wherefore mercy hath set no limits nor bounds unto herself/ but the wicked & dampened persons do set ends to themselves, that they may not pass unto it, for she comes to them but they drive her away. wherefore it is written: Thy perdition Israel is of thyself/ of me only is thy help. Open thy mouth, say mercy, and I will fill it. Hold out thy bosom, & I will give the a good measure, and heaped full, and flowing over. Continue in prayers and weeping. For he that hath begun to love the, and provoke the with benefits and graces to his love, will not leave the, but give the increased and perform rather his work. what natural cause begineth a work, & leaveth in the mid way? The virtue of seed ceaseth not until it hath brought the fruit to perfection. what bird leaveth her young, before they be able to rule themselves? why do they this? what profit comes unto them of this? None truely but only labour. Love than compelleth the natural causes to bring their effects to perfection/ goodness compelleth them, which they covet to pour out/ for goodness always diffundeth itself. If than the creatures do this, what shall the creator do? for he is the self love, he is infinite goodness. Shall not he make perfect his work? Hear the lord jesus, It is my work, qd he, to do the will of him the sent me, that I should make perfect his work. He than that began to love the, with his gifts and free benefits to allure the unto him, to ●●ense the, and also to pourge the from sin. without doubt he will make perfect his work/ for these be the preparations of everlasting life. why therefore now when thou fellest, wert thou not broused? was it not because the lord did put under his hand? And why did he put under his hand? why did he turn to the thy heart? why did he provoke the to repentance? why did he comfort the? was it not because he would make the cleave & stick unto him, and make the worthy his grace, & bring the to everlasting life? These be not illusions, and thy imaginations/ but divine inspirations. But be it, let them be imaginations, be they not good? Do they not come from the virtue of faith? wherefore sith all good issueth from god, undoubtedly these imaginations are divine illuminations. Rejoice therefore in these words. At these words my heart was so comforted, that for joy I began to sing, saying.  
Dominus illuminatio mea: et salus mea/ quem timebo?  
Dns protector vite me: a quo trepidabo?  
¶ That is to say: The lord is mine enlyghtning and my health, whom shall I fear?  
¶ The lord is the protector of my life, of whom shall I be abashed?  
¶ At the feet of the lord prostrate with weeping I said, Lord, though a field be pitched against me, my heart shall not fear/ for my fortitude, & my refuge art thou/ and for thy name's sake thou shalt bring me out and nourish me.  
¶ An end of the exsposition of Hierome of Ferrarie upon the psalm of In te domine speravi, which prevented by death he could not finish.   

 

Mens cujusque is est Quisque  
SPARKE