Scala perfecc[i]onis

¶A cōmendacōn of prayer offred to Ihū of a soule contem¦platyfe / And how stablynes in prayer is a syker werke to stō¦de in / And how euery felinge of grace in a chosen soule maye be sayd Ihū: but the more clenner the soule is y^e worthyer is the grace / Caplm xlii. (Book 42)

THe soule of a man whyle it is not towched wyth specy¦all grace is blunte & boystous to ghostly werke & can no¦ughte theron / It maye not therof for weyknes of itself / It is bothe olde & drye. vndeuoute & vnsauery in itselfe / But then̄e comyth the lyghte of grace· and thrugh towchyng makyth it sharpe & subtyl redy & able to ghosty werke: and yeueth it a gre¦te fredom & an hole redynes in wyll for to be buxom to al the stirynge of grace redy for to worche after that grace styreth y^e soule / For by openynge of the ghostly eye it is applied all ful¦ly to grace redy to pray / And how the soule prayeth then̄e shal I telle the / The moost specyall prayer that the soule vseth & hath moost cōforte in I hope is the Pater noster· or elles psal¦mes of the sawter / The pater noster for lewde men. and psa¦lmes & ympnes and other seruyce of holy chyrche for lettred / The soule prayeth then̄e not in maner as it dyde befor̄ in co¦myn maner of mē by hyghnes of voys: or by renable spekyn¦ge oute. but in full grete stylnesse of voys & softnesse of herte For why. his mynde is not trowbled ne taryed wyth outwar¦de thynges but hole gadred togider in itselfe / And the soule is sette as it were in a ghostly presence of Ihū and therfore eue¦ry worde & euery syllable is sowned sauerly swete & delectably wyth full accorde of mouthe & of herte? For why the sowle is torned then̄e all in to fyre of loue / And therfore euery worde that it pryuely prayeth is lyke to a spercle spryngyng out of a fyre bronde y^t chaffith all y^e myghtes of the soule & torneth hē

in to loue· and lyghtneth hem soo comfortably that the soule lyste euer for to praye & doo none other thynge / The more it prayeth the better it may the myghtyer it is. for grace helpeth the soule well. and makyth all thynge lyghte & easy. that it lys¦te right wel to psalme & synge the louynges of god wyth go¦ostly myrthe in heuenly delyte / This ghostly werke is fode of the soule. and this prayer is of moche vertue / For it wasteth & bryngeth to nought al temptacōns of the fende preuy & aper¦te. it sleeth al the mynde & the likyng of the worlde. and of fles¦shly synnes. It bereth vp the body & the soule fro paynfull te∣lynge of wretchydnesse of this lyfe / It kepyth the soule in fe∣lynge of grace & worchynge of loue: and nourysshe it euer yly¦ke hote & fresshe as styckes norissheth fyre / It puttyth awaye all yrkynge and heuynesse of herte▪ and holdeth it in mighte & in ghostly gladnesse / Of this prayer spekyth dauyd thus / Dirigatur oracio mea sicut incensū in conspectu tuo / That is: Dressed be my prayer lorde as encense in thy syghte / For ryght as encense that is cast in the fyre makyth swete smelle by the reke styghyng vp to the ayre / ryght soo a psalme sauo∣urly and softly songe of sayd in a bren̄ynge herte yeuyth vp a swete smelle to the face of our lorde Ihū: and to al the cour¦te of heuen / There dare noo flesshe flye rest vpon the pottes brynke boylynge on the fyre / Right soo may ther noo flessh¦ly delyte reste vpon a clene soule that is happed & warmed al in the fyre of loue boylynge and blowynge psalmes & louyn¦ges to Ihesu / This prayer is euer herde of Ihesu / It yeldyth grace to Ihesu / And receyueth grace agayn / It makyth a sou¦le homely and felowly wyth Ihesu· and wyth alle the angels of heuen / Vse it who soo maye / The werke is good and gra¦cious in itselfe / And though it be not al fully contemplacōn. in itselfe ne the werkynge of loue by itselfe. Neuertheles it is a partie of contemplacyon? For why: It maye not be done on this manere wyse but in plentee

of grace thrugh openynge of the ghostly eye / And therfore a soule that hath this fredom & this gracyous felynge in prayen¦ge wyth ghostly sauour & heuenly delyte hath the grace of con¦tēplacyon in maner as it is / This prayer is a ryche offrynge fylled all in fatnes of deuocyon: receyued by angels & presēted to the face of Ihū / The prayer of other men that are besy in actyf werkes is made of two wordes. for they oft tymes four¦meth in her hertes one worde thrugh thynkyng of worldly be synes. and sownen in her mouth a nother worde of the psal∣me songe or sayd / And not for that. yf her entente be true yet is her prayer good & medefull though it lacke sauoure & swet¦nes / But this manere of a man contēplatyfe is made but of one worde. for as it is fourmed in the herte right soo hooly it sowneth in the mouth. as it were noughte but one thynge y^t fourmyth & sowneth / And sothly nomore it is / For the soule thrugh grace is made hole in itselfe soo ferre departed fro the flesshlyhede that it is mayster of the body· & then̄e is the body noughte elles but as an Instrumente & a trompe of the soule in the whiche the soule blowith swete notes of ghostly loui••¦ges to Ihū / This is the trompe that Dauyd spoke of thus▪ Buccinate in neomenia tuba in insigni die solēpnitatis ••••¦stre / Blowe ye wyth a trompe in the newe mone / That is ye soules that are refourmed in ghostly lyfe thrugh openyng of the Inner eye. blowe ye deuoutly sownynge psalmes with y^e trompe of your bodily tonge / And therfore for this pray•••• is plesaūte to Ihū & soo profytable to the soule: then̄e it is go¦od to hym that is newe torned to god what that he be y^t w••••¦de pleyse hym. and coueyteth to haue some queynt felynge of grace for to coueyte this felynge· that he myght thrugh grace come to this lyberte of spiryte. and offre his prayers & his psa¦lmes to Ihū cōtynuelly: & stably & deuoutly wyth hole mynde & brennynge affeccōn in hym to haue it nere honde in custome whan grace woll styre hym therto / This is a syker felynge &

a sothast / If thou maye come therto and holde it the dare not renne abowte here & there: and axe questyons of euery ghostly mā what thou sholde doo how thou shalt loue god: and how y^u shalte serue god and speke of ghostly maters that passē thy knowynge as perchaūce some done / That maner of dooyng is not full profytable but yf more nede make it / ••repe the to thy prayers stylly fyrste with traueyle y^t thou myghte come af¦terwarde to this restfull felynge of ghostly prayer: and y^t shall teche the wysdome ynough sothfastly wythoute feynynge or fantasye. and kepe it fourthe yf thou haue it & leue it not: but yf grace come otherwyse & woll remeue it fro the for a tyme and make the for to worche on a nother manere. then̄e maye thou leue it for a tyme & after torne ayen therto / And he that hath this grace in prayer asketh not wherupon he shall sette the poynt of his thought in his prayer. whether vpon y^e wor¦des that he sayth or elles on god or on the name of Ihū as so¦me aske. for the felynge of grace techith hym well ynough? For why the soule is torned in to the eye and sharply behol¦deth y^e face of Ihū. & is made syker that it is Ihū that it felyth & seeth / I meane not Ihū as he is in hymself in fulnes of his blessed godhede. but I meane Ihū as he woll shewe hym to a clene sowle holden in body after the clen̄esse that it hath / For wyte thou well that euryche a felynge of grace is Ihū & maye be called Ihū / And after that the grace is more or lesse soo fe¦lyth the soule more or lesse Ihū / ye the fyste felynge of specy¦all grace in a begyn̄er that is called grace of compūccōn and contriciō for his syn̄es is verily Ihū? for why: he maketh that contricyon in a sowle by his presence / But Ihū is then̄e full boystously & rudely felte. full ferre fro his ghostly subtylte: for the soule can noo better ne may noo better for vnclen̄esse of itself then̄e Neuertheles afterwarde yf the soule profite & encre¦ase in vertues & in clen̄es the same Ihū & none other is seen & felt of the same soule whā it is towched wyth grace. but y^t is

more ghostly nere to the godly kynde of Ihū / And sothly y^t is the moost thynge that Ihū loueth in a soule that it myght be made godly & ghostly in syghte & in loue lyke to hym in grace to that y^t he is by kynde. for that shall be the ende of all louers Thenne mayste y^u be syker that what tyme y^t thou felyste thy soule styred by grace specyally in that maner as it is befor̄ sa¦yd by openynge of thy ghostly eye thou seest & feleste Ihū / Hol¦de him faste whyle thou may & kepe the in grace: and lete him noughte lyghtly fro the / Loke after none other Ihū but that same by felynge of that selfe grace more godly y^t it myghte wexe in the more & more / And drede the nought thouʒ Ihū y^t thou felyst be not Ihū as he is in his full godhede that y^u shol∣dest therfore mowe be deceyued yf thou lened to thy felynge. but trust y^u well yf thou be a louer of Ihū y^• thy felyng is true & that Ihū is truly felte & seen of the thrugh his grace as thou may see him here / And therfore lene fully to thy felynge wh•• it is gracyous & ghostly: and kepe it tendly. & haue grete 〈◊〉〈◊〉 not of thyselfe but of it. that thou myghte see: & fele Ihū 〈◊〉〈◊〉 better & better / For grace shal euen teche the by itselfe yf tho•• wol falle therto tyll y^u come to thende / But perchaūce y^u beg•••• neste to wonder why I saye one tyme that grace worchyth 〈◊〉〈◊〉 this: and on a nother tyme y^t loue worcheth or god worchy•••• Vnto this I saye thus: that whan I saye that grace worch•••••• I meane loue: Ihū: and god. for all is one. & noughte but 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Ihū is loue: Ihū is grace: Ihū is god / And for he worcheth 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in vs by his grace for loue as god· therfore maye I vse wh•••• worde of thise iiii. y^t me lyst after my stiryng in this writyng