O my God, in stede of lendynge, he is ready to geue hym selfe wholly vnto the. Receyue hym than, & do not permyt that any creature put hym from the, so that for euer with faythfull stedefastnesse he maye loue the with a daughterly loue. Now my lorde if thu be my father, maye I thynke that I can be thy mother? Indede I can not wele preceyue, how I shulde conceyue the that createdyst me. But thu dedyst in thys matter satisfye my doubte, whan in preachynge and in streatchynge fourth thy hādes dedyst saye Those that shall do the wyll of my father they are my bretherne, also my syster and mother. I beleue than, that hearynge & readynge the wordes whych thu hast taught & vttered by thy holy prophetes, the same also whych through thy true preachers, thu dost dayly declare vnto mē in beleuynge it and stedefastly desyerynge to fulfyll, I cōceyue the & beare the by loue. [Sidenote: Math. 1.] [Sidenote: 1. Cor. 15.] Therfor without āye feare, wyll I take vpō me the name of a mother. What mother of God? O swete vyrgyne Marye, I besyche the, be not angry that I take vp suche a tytle. I do neyther stele, nor vsurpe any thynge vpon thy pryuylege. For thu only hast aboue all womē receyued of hym so great honoure, that nomā can in hymselfe comprehende how he hath bene wyllynge to take in the our fleshe. For thu arte mother and perfyght vyrgyne before and after, and in hys holy byrth. In thy blessyd wombe thu dedyst beare hym and norysh hym. Thu dedyst folowe hym in hys trybulacyons, and also in hys teachynges. Now breuely to conclude. Thu hast with God founde suche grace, as the enemye through malyce and deceyte, had caused Adam & hys posteryte to lose. By Eue and hym we had lost it, & by thy sonne hath it bene yelded vnto vs agayne. [Sidenote: Luce. 1.] [Sidenote: Acto. 12.] Therfor hast thu bene ryghteously called full of grace. For thu lackedyst neyther grace nor vertu, sith that he whych is the best amonge them that be good, also the sprynge of all goodnesse and power whych hath created in the so pure innocēcye that thu arte the example of all uertues, hath buylded in the hys dwellynge & temple. He through loue ded conforme hymselfe with the, and thu arte transfourmed in hym. Therfor if any man shulde thynke to geue the greatter prayse than God hymselfe hath done, it were a fule blasphemye. For there is no suche prayse, as is the same whych commeth from God. Thu also hast had faythe so fyrme and cōstaunt, that (by grace) she had the power to make the godly. Wherfor I wyll not take vpon me, to geue the greatter prayse than the honoure whych thy souerayne lorde hath geuen vnto the. For thu arte hys corporall mother, and also through fayth hys spyrytuall mother. [Sidenote: Roma. 8[unclear].] [Sidenote: Canti. 4.]