¶ Howe mekely thou oughtest to beseche the grace of de∣uocion and to renounce thy selfe. Cap .xv.

IT behoueth the instauntly to seche the grace of deuo∣cyon / & to aske incessaūtly to abyde it paciently feith∣fully / ioyously to receiue it / & mekely to conserue. & with that studiously to remytt vnto god the tyme & the maner of his so uerayne vysitacōn / vnto the tyme his pleasure be to come vn¦to the. & prīcipally thou oughtest to meke the / whē thou felyst but litell deuocion within the. & for all that thou oughtest nat to late thy selfe to fall / or sorowe to moche īordinatly. For full often our blessed lorde in a short momēt gyueth the which be fore he hath longe tyme denyed. Also somtyme he gyuethe at the ende of praiours that he dyd deferre at y^• begynnīge of y^• same. If alwey grace were so sone gyuen y^• a mā might ha∣ue it at his wyll or wysche / it shulde nat be easely borne of a weyk & in{per}fect soule. And therfore in good hope & meke paci¦ence the grace of deuocion ought to be abyden & y^u oughteste to īpute it vnto thy selfe & to thy sinnes when it is nat gyuen vnto the or when it is secretly take awey frome the somtyme a litell thynge it is that may let or hyde thy grace if that may be called litell y^t letteth so great a vaile. But be it litel or great if thou take that same awey & {per}fectly ouercome it thou shalt obteyne that thou desyrest or incōtynēt that thou with all thy herte hast geuen thy selfe to god. And therfore seche nat this nor y^• at thy pleasure: but put the hole in the handes of god Thou shalt certenly fynde thy selfe vnyght vnto hym / and in great peas of thy soule. For ther is no thynge / y^• ought to be so sauery & pleasaūt / as is the pleasure & deuyne wyll of god Than who someuer lyft vp his intent vnto god with a sym∣ple perfecte herte / so voyde hym & make hym naked from all disordinat loue or pleasure to any creat thynges of al y^• worl∣de he is most mete to receyue the gyft of deuocion. Forowre lorde gaue his blessynge there where he foūde the vessels cle∣ne & voide. And the more perfectly that any renoūce mortifie despise / & contempne theymselfe & all the lowe thynges / the Page  [unnumbered] soner grace shall entre & copiously aboūd so that he shall fele his hert lyfte vp as though it were set in a fredom and thē he shall se his hert largely habounde / & meruelously Ioy wyth in hym selfe for that the hand of god shalbe ouer wym and he shall submytte hym perpetually into hys holy handes. And so shall the man be blessed that secheth god with all his herte & his soule shall be taken in vayne werkes. But suche one cer∣teynly in the receyuynge the holy body of Iesu Criste mery∣teth and deserueth the grace of deuyne vnyon vnto god.

¶ For he beholdeth nat only hys propre deuocion / & cōsola∣cyon: but the great honoure & glory of god.