"O Father of heaven," he prayed, "O Son of God, Redeemer of the world,
O Holy Ghost, three Persons and one God, have mercy upon me, most
wretched caitiff and miserable sinner. I have offended both heaven and
earth more than my tongue can express; whither then may I go, or
whither should I flee for succour? To heaven I am ashamed to lift up
mine eyes, and in earth I find no succour nor refuge. What shall I do?
Shall I despair? God forbid! Oh, good God, thou art merciful, and
refusest none that come to thee for succour. To thee, therefore, do I
come; to thee do I humble myself, saying, O Lord, my sins be great,
yet have mercy on me for thy great mercy. The mystery was not wrought
that God became man, for few or little offences. Thou didst not give
thy Son, O Father, for small sins only, but for all and the greatest
in the world, so that the sinner return to thee with a penitent heart,
as I do at this present. Wherefore have mercy upon me, O Lord, whose
property is always to have mercy; although my sins be great, yet is
thy mercy greater; wherefore have mercy upon me, O Lord, for thy great
mercy. I crave nothing, O Lord, for mine own merits, but for thy
Name's sake, and, therefore, O Father of heaven, hallowed be thy
Name."