state & honoure. For what greatter honoure maye one haue, than to be in
the place of thy wyfe, whych swetely taketh her rest so nere the. Of
all thy goodes quene, mastres, and lady, and also in suretie both of
body and sowle. Of great fauoure is it, that I so vyle a creature, am so
ennoblyshed by the. Now to speake it breuely, I haue more, & better than
any man mortall can desyre. Wherfor my harte hath cause to sygh alwayes,
and with habundaunce of teares, myne eyes to come out of my heade. My
mouthe can not make to many exclamacyons. For there is neyther newe nor
auncyent writynges, that can shewe so pytiefull a case, as the same is
whych I wyll tell now. Shall, or dare I tell it? Maye I pronounce it
without shame? Alas yea. For my confusyon is it not to shewe the great
loue of my husbāde. Therfor I care not, if for hys worshyp I do declare
my faulte.
[Sidenote: Esa. 5.]
[Sidenote: Iob. 10.]
O my sauer, whych dyed & was crucyfyed on the crosse for my synnes.
Thys dede is not suche, as a father to leaue hys sonne, or as a chylde
to offēde hys mother or els as a syster to grudge & chyde. Alas thys is
worse. For the offence is greatter where more loue & knowledge is. For
the more famylyaryte we haue with God & the more benefytes we receyue of
hym the greatter is our offēce whan we with hym dyssemble. Specyally that
I shuld so do, whych am called hys spouse, and loued of the as thyne owne
sowle. Shall I tell the truthe? Yea. I haue lefte the, forgoten the, &
ranne awaye from the. I ded leaue the for to go at my vayne pleasure. I
forsoke the and chose other. Yea, I refused the, the welsprynge of all
goodnesse and faythfull promyse. I ded leaue the. But whyther went I?
Into a place where nothynge was but cursednesse.
[Sidenote: Hebre. 12.]
[Sidenote: Luce. 8.]
I haue lefte the my trusty frynde and louer, worthy to be loued aboue
all other. I haue put the asyde, o welsprynge of all helthesomnesse,
by myne owne wretched wyll. Yea, I haue forsaken the, full of bewtie,
goodnesse, wysdom, and power, & sought to withdrawe me from thy loue. I
haue accepted thy great enemyes, that is the deuyll, the worlde, and the
fleshe, agaynst whōe thu faughtest so sore on the crosse, to ouercome for
my sake, to set me at lyberte, whych was by thē of lōge tyme a prysoner
slaue. And so bounde, that no man coulde cause me to humble my selfe.
And as for the loue & charyte that I shulde haue had towardes the, they
ded quēche it so that the name of Iesus my husbāde, whych before I had
founde so swete, was to me tedyouse & hatefull. So that often tymes I ded
iest at it. And if any man (I hearynge a sermon) had sayd vnto me, the
preacher sayth wele. I wolde afferme it but the worde went awaye from me,
as a fether doth in the wynde.
[Sidenote: Hiere. 2.]
[Sidenote: Math. 25[unclear].]
I went neuer yet to the preachynge, but for maner only. All my dedes were
playne hypocresye, for my mynde was in other places. I was anoyed whan I
hearde speake of the, for I was more wyllynge to go at my pleasure. Now
breuely to conclude, All that thu dedyst forbyd me, I fulfylled & all
that thu cōmaūdedyst me to do, I ded eschewe. And thys was the cause (my
God) I ded not loue the. But yet lorde, for all thys that I ded hate the
and forsake the, ranne awaye from the, & betrayed the, shulde I geue thy
place to an other? Or hast thu suffered that I shulde be mocked, eyther
yet beatē or kylled? Hast thu put me in darke pryson, or bannyshed me for
euer, settynge nought by me? Hast thu taken awaye thy gyftes agayne from
me, and precyouse iewels, to ponnysh me for my vnfaythfull frutes? Haue
I lost my ioynter whych thu promysedyst me, through my offēce agaynst
the? Am I accused by the afore the eternall father, for a naughty woman?
Yea, hast thu forbyd me thy presēce (as I deserued) & that I shulde neuer
apere in thy howse?
[Sidenote: Luce. 15.]
[Sidenote: Psal. 4.]
[Sidenote: Math. 11.]
O most true husbāde, & pure perfyght frynde, the most louynge yet amonge
all good louers. Alas thu hast done otherwyse. For thu soughtest for me
dylygenly, whan I was goynge into the most depe place of helle, where all
the euyls are done. Whan I was fardest from the both in harte and mynde,
& clerlye out of the true waye. Than dedyst thu louynglye call me backe,
saynge, My dere doughter harken, and se, and bowe thy hearynge towardes
me. Forget that straunge nacyon to whom thu dedyst ronne awaye and also
the house of thyne olde father, where thu hast dwelled so longe. Than
shall the kynge full of all faythfulnesse, desyre thy bewtie. But whan
thu sawest that thy swete & gracyouse callynge, ded not profyte me, than
begannyst thu to crye lowder. Come vnto me all yow whych are wearyly
loaden with laboure, for I am he that shall plenteously refreshe yow and
feade yow with my breade of lyfe. Alas vnto all these swete wordes wolde
I not harken.
[Sidenote: Esa. 5.]
[Sidenote: Canti. 6.]
[Sidenote: Hiere. 3.]
For I doubted whether it were thu, or els a fabyllouse writynge that so
sayde. For I was so folyshe, that without loue I ded reade thy worde.
I consydered not wele the comparyson of the vyneyearde whych brought
fourth thornes & bryers in stede of good frute, that it sygnyfyed me
whych had so done. I knowe it wele ynough, that whan thu dedyst call the
baren wyfe, saynge, Returne Sulamyte. All thys dedyst thu speake that I,
shulde forsake my synne. And of all these wordes ded I, as though I had
vnderstande neuer a whytt. But whan I ded peruse Hieremy the prophete,
I confesse that I had in the readynge therof, feare in my harte and
bashefulnesse in my face. I wyll tell it, yea with teares in myne eyes,
and all for thy honoure, and to suppresse my pryde. Thu hast sayde by
that holy prophete, if a woman hath offended her husbande, and is so left
of hym for goynge astraye with other. Namely if he therupō refuseth her
for euer, is she not to be estemed poluted and of no value?
[Sidenote: Ezech. 18.]
[Sidenote: Hiere. 3.]
The lawe doth consente to put her in the hādes of iustyce, or to dryue
her awaye & so neuer to se her or to take her agayne. Thu hast made the
sepracyon from my bedde (sayth he vnto me) & placed foren louers in my
roume, commyttynge with them fornycacyon. Yet for all thys thu mayst
returne vnto me agayne. For I wyll not alwayes be āgrye agaynst the.
Lyfte vp thyne eyes, & loke aboute the on euery syde. Thā shalte thu wele
se, into what place thy synne hath led the, & how thou lyest downe in the
earthe. O poore sowle, loke where thy synne hath put the. Euen vpon the
hygh wayes, where thu dedyst wayte, and tarrye for to begyle thē that
came by, euen as a thefe doth whych is hydden in the wyldernesse. Therfor
thu in fulfyllynge thy wicked pleasure, hast with fornycacyon infected
all the earthe whych was aboute the. Thyne eye, thy foreheade, and thy
face haue loste all their honest good maner. For they were suche as an
harlot hath, and yet thu haddest no shame of thy synne.
[Sidenote: Iob. 10.]
[Sidenote: Hebre. 11.]
And the surplus that Hieremy sayth, constrayneth me to knowe my
wretched lyfe, & to wyshe with sorowfull syghes, the houre, the daye,
the moneth, the tyme and the yeare, that I ded leaue it, yeldynge my
selfe condempned, and worthy to be for euer in the euerlastynge fyre.
The same feare whych doth not of me but of the procede, and exceadeth
many of thy other gyftes, put me rather in hope than dyspayre, as often
as I ded remembre my synne. For as sone as thu knewest my wyll bowynge
vndre thy obedyence, than puttynge in me a lyuely fayth, thu dedyst vse
great clemencye. So that after I knewe the to be that lorde, master, and
kynge whom I ought to haue feared. Than foūde I my feare not quenched,
but mixed with loue, beleuynge that thu wert so gracyouse, gentyll, and
swete, & so pytiefull an husbande, that I whych shulde rather haue hydde
me, than to haue shewed my selfe, was not than in feare to go fourth and
to loke for the. And in so sekynge I founde the.
[Sidenote: Psal. [unreadable].]
[Sidenote: Canti. 4.]
[Sidenote: Roma. 8.]
But what dedyst thu than? Hast thu refused me? Alas my God, no, but
rather hast excused me. Hast thu turned thy face from me? No, for thyne
eye so swete ded penetrate my harte, woūdynge it almost to the deathe,
and geuynge me remorse of my synnes. Thu hast not put me backe with thy
hande, but with both thy armes and with a swete, and māly harte thu
dedyst mete with me by the waye, and not ones reprouynge my faultes,
enbrasydest me. I coulde not se in beholdynge thy coūtenaunce, that euer
thu dedyst ones perceyue myne offence. For thu hast done as moche for
me, as though I had bene good and honest. For thu dedyst hyde my faulte
from euery body, in geuynge me agayne the parte of thy bedde, and also in
shewynge that the multitude of my synnes are so hyddē & ouercome by thy
great vyctorye that thu wylte neuer remembre thē. So that now thu seyst
nothynge in me, but the graces, gyftes and vertues whych it hath pleased
thy fre goodnesse to gyue me.
[Sidenote: Esa. 43[unclear].]
[Sidenote: Math. 11.]
O charyte most precyouse. I do se wele that thy goodnesse doth consume
my lewdenesse, & maketh me a newe godly and bewtyfull creature. The euyll
that was myne, thu hast destroyed, and made me so perfyght a creature,
that all the good whych a husbande can do vnto hys wyfe thu hast done
it to me, in geuynge me, a faythfull Hope in thy promyses. Now haue
I through thy good grace recouered the place of thy wyfe. O happye &
desyered place, gracyuse bedde, trone ryght honourable, seate of peace,
rest from all warre, hygh steppe of honoure, separate from the earthe.
Dost thu receyue thys vnworthy creature, geuynge her the scepture and
crowne of thy empyre and gloryouse realme? who ded euer heare speake
of suche a storye? as to rayse vp one so hygh, whych of her selfe was
nothynge & maketh of great value, that of it selfe was naught.
[Sidenote: Ioan. 3.]
[Sidenote: Sapi. 14.]
Alas what is thys? for I castynge myne eyes on hygh, ded se thy
goodnesse, so vnknowne grace, & loue so incomprehēsyble that my syght
is wonderfull. Than am I constrayned to loke downe, & in so lokynge
downewarde, I do se what I am, and what I was wyllynge to be. Alas I do
se in it, the lewdenesse, darkenesse, and extreme depenesse of my euyll.
My deathe whych by hūblenesse closeth myne eye. The admyrable goodnesse
of the, & the vnspeakeable euyll whych is in me, Thy ryght hyghnes &
pure maiestie, my ryght fragyle and mortall nature, Thy gyftes, goodes,
& beatytude, my malyce & great vnkyndnesse. O how good thu arte vnto me,
and how vnkynde am I to the? Thys that thu wylte, and thys that I pursue.
Whych thynges consydered, causeth me to maruele, how it pleasyth the to
ioyne thy selfe to me, seynge there is no comparyson betwene vs both.
[Sidenote: Esa. 64.]
[Sidenote: Colos. 2.]
Thu arte my God, and I am thy worke, thu my creator, and I thy creature.
Now to speake breuely, though I can not defyne what it is to be of the,
yet knowe I my selfe to be the least thynge that maye be compared vnto
the, O loue, thu madyst thys agrement whan thu dedyst ioyne lyfe, and
deathe togyther. But the vnyon hath made alyue deathe. Lyfe dyenge, and
lyfe without ende, haue made our deathe a lyfe. Deathe hath geuen vnto
lyfe a quyckenesse. Through suche deathe I beynge dead, receyued lyfe,
and by deathe I am rauyshed with hym whych is alyue. I lyue in the, and
as for me, of my selfe I am dead. And as cōcernynge the bodyly deathe, it
is nothynge els vnto me, but a cōmynge out of pryson. Deathe is lyfe vnto
me. For through deathe, I am alyue. Thys mortall lyfe fylleth me full of
care, and sorowe, and deathe yeldeth me content.
[Sidenote: Apoca. 14.]
[Sidenote: Roma. 8.]
O what a goodly thynge it is to dye, whych causeth my sowle to lyue. In
delyuerynge her frō thys mortall deathe, it exēpteth her frō the deathe
myserable, & matcheth her with a most myghty louer, & vnlesse she thus
dyeth, she lāguyssheth alwayes. Is not thā the sowle blameles, whych
wolde fayne dye for to haue suche lyfe? Yes trulye, & she ought to call
deathe her welbeloued, frynde O swete deathe, plesaunt sorowe, myghty
keye delyuerynge from all wyckednesse. Those whych trusted in the (o
lorde) and in thy deathe, were mortyfyed, because they ded trust in the,
and in thy passyon. For with a swete slepe thu dedyst put them oute of
that deathe whych causeth manye to lamente. O how happye is the same
slepe vnto hym, whych whan he awaketh, doth fynde through thy deathe, the
lyfe euerlastynge. For the deathe is nō other thynge to a christen man,
but a lyberte or delyueraunce from hys mortall bande.
[Sidenote: Roma. 7.]
[Sidenote: Psal. 35.]
[Sidenote: Ioan. 15.]
And the deathe whych is fearfull to the wycked, is plesaunt and
acceptable to them that are good. Than is deathe through thy deathe
destroyed. Therfor my God, if I were ryghtly taught, I shulde call the
deathe lyfe, and thys lyfe deathe, ende of laboure, and begynnynge of
euerlastynge ioye. For I knowe that the lōge lyfe doth lett me from thy
syght. O deathe, come, and breake the same obstacle of lyfe. Or els loue,
do a myracle now, syth that I can not yet se my spouse. Transfourme me
with hym both bodye & sowle, and than shall I the better tarry for the
cummynge of deathe. Lete me dye that I maye lyue with hym. For there is
nō that can helpe me, onles it be thu only. O my sauer through. Faythe I
am planted, and ioyned with the. O what vnyon is thys, syth that through
faythe I am sure of the. And I maye call the, father, brother, sonne, and
husbande. O what giftes thu dost gyue, by the goodenesse of those names.
[Sidenote: Apoca. 12.]
[Sidenote: Luce. 8.]
O my father, what paternyte, O my brother what fraternyte, O my chylde,
what dylectyon, O my spouse, what coniunctyon is thys? Father full of
humylyte, Brother hauynge our symylytude, Sōne engendered through faythe,
& loue, Husbande louynge, and releuynge in all extremyte. But whom doist
thu loue? Alas it is she whom thu hast withdrawen from the snare, wherin,
through malyce she was bounde, and put her in place, name and offyce of
a doughter, syster, mother, and wyfe. O my sauer, the same is a great
sauoure of swetnesse, ryght plesaūt, and dylectable, whan a man, after
the hearynge of thy worde, shall call the without feare, hys father,
brother, chylde, & spouse. I in hearynge that worde, do perceyue my selfe
to be called there thy mother, syster, doughter, & spouse. Alas the sowle
whych doth fynde suche swetnesse, maye consume, and burne for loue.
[Sidenote: Ioan. 14.]
[Sidenote: 2. Cor. 3.]
Is there any loue, onles it be thys, but it hath some euyll condycyon? Is
there anye pleasure to be herto estemed? Is there any honoure, but maye
be accompted shame, to thys compared? Yea, is there any profyte equall
to thys? More ouer to conclude it breuely. Is there any thynge that I
coulde more ernestly loue? Alas no. For he that vnfaynedly loueth God,
reputeth all these thynges worldly, of lesse value than the dūge hylle.
Pleasure profyte, honoure of thys worlde, are all but vayne tryfles vnto
hym whych hath founde God. Suche loue is so profytable, honourable, &
abundaunt, that (I dare saye) she only suffyseth the harte of a godly
man, and yeldeth hym so content, that he neuer desyreth or wolde haue
other. For who so euer hath God, as we ought to haue hym, accounteth all
other thynges superfluouse or vayne.
[Sidenote: Phil. 2.]
[Sidenote: Esa. 55.]
[Sidenote: Ioā. 10.]
Now thanked by the lorde, through faythe haue I gotē the same loue,
wherfor I ought to be satysfyed and content. Now haue I the my father,
for defence of my longe youth from wanton folyshnesse. Now haue I the my
brother, for to socoure my sorowes wherin I fynde non ende. Now haue I
the my sonne, for my feble age as an only staye. Now haue I the a true, &
faythfull husbande, for the satisfyenge of my whole harte. Now syth that
I haue the, I do forsake all them that are in the worlde. Syth I holde
the, thu shalte escape me nomore. Seynge that I se the, I wyll loke,
vpon non other thynge that myght kepe me backe from the beholdynge of thy
dyuynyte. Seynge that I do heare the, I wyll heare nothynge that letteth
me frō the fruycyō of thy voyce. Syth that I maye frely talke with the, I
wyll cōmen with non other. Seynge it pleaseth the to put me so nere the,
I wyll rather dye than to touche any other. Seynge that I serue the, I
wyll serue non other master.
[Sidenote: 2[unclear]. Thes. 2.]
[Sidenote: Exo. 15.]
Seynge that thu hast ioyned thy harte with myne, if he depart from thyne,
lete hym be ponnyshed for euer. For the departynge from thy loue is
harder than is any dampnacyon. I do not feare the payne of ten thousande
helles, so moche as I do feare the ones losynge of the. Alas my God, my
father, and creator, do not suffer that the enemy, inuentor of all synne,
haue suche power, that he make me to lese thy presence. For who so euer
hath once felte the losse of thy loue, he shall saye that he wolde rather
be bounde for euer in helle, than to feale the payne that one shall haue
by the losse of the same thy loue one momente of tyme. O my sauer, do
not permytt that euer I departe from the. But if it please the, put me
in suche a place, that my sowle through wantonnesse of synne be, neuer
separated from thy loue.
[Sidenote: Roma. 7.]
[Sidenote: Hebre. 9.]
[Sidenote: Eccle. 4[unclear].]
In thys worlde I can not haue perfyghtly thys my dsyre. Whych thynge
consydered maketh me feruently & with all my harte, to desyre the
departynge from thys bodye of synne, not fearynge the deathe nor yet any
of her instrumentes. For what feare ought I to haue of my God, whych
through loue offered hymselfe and suffered deathe, not of dett or dewtye,
but because he wolde for my only sake vndo the power that mortall deathe
had. Now is Iesus dead, in whom we are all dead, and through hys deathe
he causeth euery man to lyue agayne. I meane those whych through faythe
are partakers of hys Passyon. For euen as the deathe before the great
mystery of the crosse, was harde to euery bodye, and there was no mā
but was feared therwith, consyderynge the copulacyon of the bodye & the
sowle, their order, loue, and agrement, so were their sorowes extreme in
the departynge of the one from the other.
[Sidenote: Sapi. 3.]
[Sidenote: 1. Ioā. 4.]
But sens it hath pleased the swete lambe to offer hymselfe vpon the
crosse, hys great loue hath kyndeled a fyre within the harte so
vehement, that euery true beleuer estemeth the passage of deathe but a
playe or pastyme, and so preuoketh other constauntly in hys truthe to
dye. And euē as the feare of deathe ded retarde vs, so ought loue to
gyue vs a desyre to dye. For if true loue be vnfaynedly within the harte
of a man, he can fele non other thynge, because that loue is so stronge
of itselfe, that she kepith all the roume, and putteth out all other
desyres, not sufferynge any thynge there but God only. For whersoeuer
true and perfyght loue is, we do neyther remēbre feare nor yet sorowe.
[Sidenote: Deute. 16.]
[Sidenote: Eccle. 1.]
If our owne pryde for to attayne honoure, maketh vs to seke deathe so
manye straunge wayes. As if for to haue a folysh pleasure, a man putteth
hym selfe in ieopardye of lyfe. If a merchaūte to obtayne ryches, doth
daunger hymselfe, somtyme for the value of a shyllynge. If the first
cōceyuynge of robery or murther, crueltie or deceyte, doth so blynde
a man, that he doubteth nothynge the daunger of deathe, neyther yet
mysfortune whan he seketh to auēge hymselfe or doth any other euyll.
If the fury of syckenesse or the rankenesse of Melancholy causeth a
creature fearcely to wyshe for deathe, & oft tymes to drowne, hāge, or
kylle thēselues. For suche euyls are somtymes so great that they cause
their payned pacyentes to chose deathe for lyberte. If it so be than that
these paynes full of euyll, and imperfectyons, causeth them not to feare
the hasarde of deathe, but rather to thynke that deathe tarryeth to longe.
[Sidenote: Roma. 8[unclear].]
[Sidenote: 2. Cor. 3.]
Alas what ought true and laudable loue to do? What ought the loue of the
eternall creatour to wyshe? Shulde she sturre a harte suche wyse, that
he beynge transported with suche affectyon, shulde fele non other thynge
in hym? Alas yea. For deathe is a plesaunt thynge to the sowle, whych is
in loue with God, and estemeth the passage easye, through the whych she
commyth out of pryson. For the harde waye, wherthrough she commeth, can
not wearye her for to enbrace her husbande. O my sauer, how good is the
same deathe, through whom we shall haue the ende of all sorowes? By whom
I shall enioye thy syght without impedyment, and be transfourmed into the
lykenesse of thy maieste?
[Sidenote: Canti. 5.]
[Sidenote: 1. Cor. 15.]
O deathe, through thy dede I trust to haue suche honour, as vpon my knees
with cryenge and wepynge I do dayly desyre. Therfor come quyckely, and
make an ende of my sorowes. O happy doughters, ryght holy sowles ioyned
to the cytie hierusalem, open your eyes and with pytie loke vpon my
desolacyon. I beseche yow that in my name ye do shewe vnto me bestbeloue,
my God, frynde & kynge, how at euerye houre of the daye, I do languysh
for hys loue. O swete deathe, through suche loue come vnto me, and with
loue brynge me vnto my lorde God. O deathe where is thy stynge and darte?
Alas they are bannyshed from myne eyes, for rygour is changed into
swetnesse seynge that my frynde ded suffre deathe vpon the crosse for
my sake. Hys deathe doth so incourage my harte, that thu wert wonders
gentyll to me, if I myght folowe hym.
[Sidenote: Ioā[unclear]. 9.]
[Sidenote: Apoca. 20.]
[Sidenote: Psal. 11.]
O deathe, I beseche the come to put the frynde with hys loue. Now syth
that deathe is so plesaunt a lyfe, that she pleasith me more than feareth
me, than ought I to feare nothynge but the ryght iudgement of God. All my
synnes with hys iust balaūce shall be wayed & shewed opēly. Thys that
I haue done, also my thought and worde shall be better knowne, than if
they were written in a rolle. And we maye not thynke that charyte wolde
offēde iustyce & truthe. For whoso euer doth lyue vnfaythfully, shall
be ponnyshed in euerlastynge payne. God is iust and hys iudgemēt is
ryghteouse. All that he doth is perfyght in all thynges. Alas what am I
consyderynge my ryghtousnesse, I wretched and poore creature?
[Sidenote: Esa. 64.]
[Sidenote: Hebre. 18[unclear].]
[Sidenote: Luce. 18[unclear].]
[Sidenote: Ioan. 6[unclear].]
I knowe that all the workes of iust mē are so full of imperfectyon, that
afore God they are more fylthye than myer or any other vylenesse. What
wyll it be than cōcernynge the synnes whych I do cōmyt, wherof I feale
the burden importable? I can saye nothynge els but that I haue wonne by
them dampnacyon. Is thys the ende? Shall dyspayre than be the conforte
of my greate ignoraūce? Alas my God no. For the inuysyble faythe causeth
me to beleue, that all thynges whych are impossyble to men, are possyble
vnto the. So that thu do conuerte my worke, whych is nothynge, into some
good worke of thyne in me, whych is specyally faythe. Than my lorde,
who shall condempne me, & what iudge wyll dāpne me, syth that he whych
is geuen me for a iudge, is my spouse, my father, and refuge? Alas what
father? Suche as doth neuer condempne hys chyelde, but alwayes doth
excuse and defende hym.
[Sidenote: 1. Ioā. 2.]
[Sidenote: Math. 18.]
[Sidenote: Colo. 2.]
Than I perceyue to haue non other accuser but Iesus Christ, whych is my
redemer, whose deathe hath restored vs our lost inherytaunce. For he made
hym selfe our man of lawe, shewynge hys so worthye merytes afore God,
wherwith my great debte is so habundauntly recōpenced, that in iudgement
it is accompted for nothynge. O redemer, here is a great loue? We fynde
but fewe suche mē of lawe. Swete Iesus Christ, it is vnto the that I am a
detter, yet dost thu both praye, and speake for me. And moreouer whan thu
dost se that I am poore, with the abūdaūce of thy goodes thu dost paye
my debte. O incomprehensyble see of all goodnesse. O my father, dost thu
vouchesaue to be my iudge, not wyllynge the deathe of a synner? O Iesus
Christ, true fysher, and sauer of the sowle, frynde aboue all fryndes.
For thu beynge my man of lawe dedyst excuse and speake for me, where thu
couldest iustly haue accused me.
[Sidenote: Esa. 53.]
[Sidenote: 1. Pet. 2.]
[Sidenote: 1. Ioā. 4.]