The interpretacion of Iohan Picꝰ vpon this psalme Conserua me domine

COnserua me dn̄e qm̄ speraui in te. Dixi domino deus meꝰ es tu qm̄ bonorum meo rum nō eges Sāctis q̄ sunt in terra mirificauit voluntates suas. Multiplicate sūt infirmitates postea accelerauerūt. Non cōgregabo cōuenticula eo rum de sanguinibus: nec memor ero noīm eorū per labia mea. Dn̄s pars hereditatis mee & calicis mei: tu es qui restitues hereditatem meam mihi. Funes ceciderunt mihi in preclaris etenī hereditas mea […]clara est mihi. Ben̄dicam dūm qui tribuit mihi intelleccū insuꝑ et vs que ad noctem increpuerunt me renes met. Prouidebā dnm in conspectu meo semper qm̄ a dextris est mihi ne commouca[…] Propter hoc letatum est cor meum et exultauit lingua mea insuper et caro mea requiescet in spe. Quoniam non derelinques animam meam in inferno nec dabis sanctū tuum videre corruptionem. Notas mihi fecisti vias vite adunplebis me leticia cum vultu tuo. Delectationes in dextera tua vs que in finem. Conserua me domine. Kepe me good lorde. If ony perfyte man loke vpon his owne estate there is one parell therin yt is to wyte lest he wax proude of his vertue and therfore Dauyd spekyng in ye person of a ryghteous man of his estate begynneth with these wordes. Conserua me domine. That is to saye kepe me good lorde whiche worde kepe me: yf it be well consydered taketh awaye all occasyon of pryde. For he that is able of hym self ony thynge to gete: is able of him self that same thynge to kepe. He that asketh then of god to be kepte in the state of vertue signifyeth in that askynge that from the begynnynge he gote not that vertue by hym selfe. He then whiche remembreth yt he attayned his vertue: nor by his owne power but by the power of god may not be proude therof but rather humbled before god after those wordes of thapostle.

Quid habes quod nō accepisti. What hast thou that thou hast not receyued and yf thou hast not receyued hit: why arte thou proude therof as though thou had dest not receyued it. Two wordes thē be there which we sholde euer haue in our mouthe: y• one. Miserere mei deus. Haue mercy on me lorde whan we remembre our vyce: that other. Conserua me deus. Kepe me good lorde when we remembre our vertue.

Quoniā speraui in te. For I haue trusted in ye. This one thynge is it that maketh vs obtayne of god oure petyciō y• is to wyte whan we haue a full hope & trust that we shall spede. Yf we obserue these two thynges in our req[…]estes y• is to wyte y• we requyre nothynge but that whiche is good for vs and y• we requyre hit ardently with a sure hope that god shall here vs / our prayers shall neuer be voide wherfore whan we misse the effecte of our petycyon eyther hit is for y• we aske such thȳge as is noyous vnto vs (for as christ sayth) we wot neuer what we aske and Iesus sayd what so euer ye shall aske in my name hit shall be gyuen you. This name Iesus signifyeth a sauyour and therfore there is nothynge asked in y• name of Iesus but that is holsome and helpyng to the saluacion of the asker) or elles god hereth not oure prayoure bycause that thoughe y• thynge y• we requyre be good yet we aske hit not well / for we aske hit with lytle hope. And he y• asketh doubtyngely asketh coldely & therfore saynt Iames biddeth vs aske in fayth nothyng doubtyng. Dixi dnō deus meus es tu. I haue sayd to our lorde my god arte thou. After that he hath warded & fenced him selfe agaynst pryd he descrybeth in these wordes his estate. All the estate of a ryghteous man standeth in these wordes. Dixi domino deus meꝰ es tu. I haue sayd to oure lorde my god arte thou. whiche wordes though they seme comune to all folke yet are there very few y• maye saye them truely / that thyng a man taketh for his god that he taketh for his chyefe good. And that thynge taketh he for his chyefe good which onely had thought all other thȳges […]ak he thȳ keth hym selfe happy & whiche onely lakyng though he haue al other thynges he thinketh him self vnhappy. The negard then seyth to his money. Deus meꝰ es tu. My god art thou. For though honour fayle & helth and strenghte and frendes so he haue money he thynketh him selfe well. And yf he haue al those thinges y• we haue spoken of yf money fayle. he thinketh him selfe vnhappy. The gloton seyth vnto his flesshly lust y• ambyciouse man leyth to his vaynglory my god art thou. Se than how few may trewly sey these wordes I haue sayde to oure lorde my god arte thou. For onely he maye trewly saye it whiche is cōtent wt god alone: so y• yf there were offred hym all the kyngdomes of the worlde and all the good that is in erth and all the good that is in heuen he wolde not ones offende god to haue them all. In these wordes than / I haue seyd to our lord my god art thou / standeth all the state of a ryght wyse man. Quoniā bono rum meo rum non eges. For thou hast no nede of my good in these wordes he sheweth y• cause why he sayth onely to our lorde. Deꝰ meus es tu. My god art thou the cause is for that onely oure lorde hath no nede of oure good. There is no creature but y• it nedeth other creatures and though they be of lesse perfeccyon than hit selfe as phylosophers and diuynes ꝓuen: for yf these more imperfyte creatures were not / y• other that are more parfyte coude not be. For yf ony parte of y• hole vnyuersyte of creatures were distroyed & fallen to nought all the hole were subuerted. For certaynly one part of that vniuersyte perisshyng all parties perissh and all creatures be partis to y• vniuersyte of which vniuersite god is no parte but he is the begynnyng nothyng there vpon dependynge. For nothynge truely wanne he by y• creacyon of this worlde nor nothynge sholde he lese yf the worlde were adnychylate and turned to nought agayn. Than onely god is he whiche hath no nede of oure good / well ought we certaynly to be a shamed to take suche thynge for god as hath nede of vs / & suche is euery creature. Moreouer we shold not accept for god y• is to saye for the chyefe goodnes but onely y• thynge whiche is the moost souerayne goodnes of all thynges and that is not the goodnes of ony creature / onely therfor to our lorde ought we to saye my god art thou. Sanctis qui sunt in terra eius mirificauit voluntares suas. To his sayntes that are in y• londe of hym he hath made meruelous his willes. After god sholde we specially loue them which are nerest ioyned vnto god as be the holy aungelles & blyssed sayntes that are in theyr coūtree of heuen therfore after that he had sayd to oure lorde my god arte thou he addeth therunto that oure lorde hathe made meruelous his wylles y• is to saye he hathe made meruelous his loues and his desyres towarde his seyntes that are in the londe of hym that is to wyte in the coū tree of heuen whiche is called y• londe of god and the londe of lyuynge people. And veryly yf we inwardly cōsydre how grete is the felicite of that coūtree & how moche is y• misery of this worlde how grete is y• goodnes and charyte of those blessed citezyns: we shall cō tinually desyre to be hens that we were there. These thynges & such other whā we remēbre we shold euer more take hede y• our meditacions be not vnfruytfull but that of euery meditacyon we shold alwayes purchase one vertue or other / as for ensample by this meditacyon of the goodnes of that heuenly countree we sholde wynne this vertue that we sholde not onely strongly suffre deth and pacyently whan our tyme cometh or yf hit were put vnto vs for y• faith of chryst: vut also we sholde wyllyngely and gladly longe therfore desyrynge to be departed out of this vale of wretchydnes y• we may reygne in y• heuenly coūtree with god & his holy sayntes. Multiplicate sunt infirmitates eorum postea accelerauerūt. Theyr infyrmytees be multyplyed and after they hasted. These wordes the ꝓphete speketh of wycked men. By infyrmytees he vnderstondeth Idoles & so hit is in y• hebriew text. For as good folke haue but one god whom they worshyp so euyll folke haue many goddes and Idoles for they haue many voluptuouse pleasurs many vayne desyres many dyuers passyons whiche they serue / & wherfore seke they many sondry pleasures? certainly for by cause they can fynde none y• can set theyr herte at rest & for y• (as y• prophete sayth) wycked men walk about in a circuet or cōpace wherof there is none ende Now after these wordes: theyr Idoles be multiplied hit foloweth. After they hasted y• is to say: after theyr Idoles after theyr passyons and beestly desyres they rō […]e forth hedlynge vnaduysedly wtout ony consideracyon. And in this be we taught that we sholde as spedely ronne to vertue as they rōne to vyce & y• we shold with no lesse dylygence serue our lorde god than they serue theyr lorde y• deuyll. The iuste man cōsyderyng y• estate of euyll folke determineth fermly wt hym selfe (as we sholde also) that vtterly he wyll in no wyse folowe them & therfore he saith. Non congregabo conuenticulā eorum de sanguinibꝰ nec memor nominum. I shall not gather the cōgregacyon of them frome the blode nor I shall not remembre theyr names he sayth from the blode both bycause Idolatres were wont to gather the blode of theyr sacrefyce togyther and theraboute to do theyr serymonyes. And also for that all the lyfe of euyll men forsaken reason whiche stondeth all in the soule and folowen sensualyte that stondeth all in y• blode / the ꝓphete saith not ouely that he wyll not gather theyr cōgregacyon togyther from ye blode that is to say y• he wolde do no sacrefyce to those Idoles but also that he wolde not remembre theyr names that is to say that he wolde not talke nor speake of y• voluptuouse delytes whiche are euyll peoples goddes which we myght yet lawfully do: shewynge vs by y•: that a parfyte man sholde abstayne not onley from vnlawfull pleasures but also frome lawfull / to thende y• he may all togyther hole haue his mynde in to heuen warde and the more purely entende vnto the contemplacion of heuēly thynges. And for as moche as some man wolde peraduenture thynke y• hit were foly for a man vtterly to depryue him selfe from all pleasures therfor y• ꝓphete addeth. Dn̄s pars hereditatꝭ mee. Our lorde is ye part of myn enheretaunce / as though he wolde saye meruayle the not though I forsake all thynge to thentent y• I may haue y• possessyon of god in whom al other thȳges also be possessed. This shold be the voyce of euery good chrysten man. Dn̄s pars hereditatis mee. God is the parte of myne enheretaūce. For certaynly we chrysten people to whom god is promysed for an enheretaūce ought to be a shamed to desyre ony thyng besyde hym. But for y• some man myght happely repute hit for a grete […]sumpcion y• a man sholde ꝓmyse hymselfe god for his enherytaunce therfore y• prophete putteth therto. Tu es qui restitues hereditatem meam michi. Thou good lorde arte he that shall restore myne enherytaunce vnto me. As though he wolde saye. O good lorde my god I know well that I am nothynge in respect of y• I wote well I am vnable to assende by myne owne strength / so hyghe / to haue y• in possessyon but thou arte he y• shalt drawe me to the by thy grace thou arte he that shalte gyue thy selfe in possession vnto me. Let a ryghteous man then consydre how grete a felicite hit is to haue god fall vnto hym as his enherytaunce hit foloweth in the psalme. Eunes ceciderunt michi in preclaris. The cordes haue fall to me nobly. The partes and lottes of enherytaunces were of olde tyme met out and dyuyded by cordes or ropes. These wordes then the ropes or cordes haue fallen to me nobly be asmoche to say as the parte of lot of myne enherytaū ce is noble. But for as moche as there be many men which though they be called to this grete felycite (as in dede all christen people are) yet they set lytel therby and often tymes chaunge hit for a small symple delyte therfore y• prophete saith suyngly. Hereditas me[…] […]clara est michi. Myn enheritaūce is noble to me. As though he wolde say that as hit is noble in hit selfe so hit is noble to me that is to saye I reputed hit noble. And all other thynges in respecte of hit / I repute (as saynt Paule sayth / for donge / but for as moche as to haue this lyght of vnderstandynge whereby a man may know this gyft that is gyuen hym of god to be the gyft of god / therfore the prophete suyngely sayth. Būdicam dn̄m qui tribuit intellectū. That is to saye I shall blysse our lorde whiche hath gyuen me vnder stondinge but in so moche as a man oftētymes entendeth after reason to serue god and y• notwithstondyng yet sensualite and the flessh repugneth: than is a man perfyte whan y• not his soule onely but also his flessh drawe forthe to godwarde after those wordes of the ꝓphete in an other psalme. Cor meū & caro mea exultauerūt ī deū viuū. That is to saye my mynde & my flesshe both haue ioyed in to liuynge god & for this the prophete sayth here suyngely. […]t vs que ad noctē mere puerūt me renes mei. My reynes or kidney hath chyden me vnto the nyght: that is to saye my reynes in which is wont to be the gretest inclinacyon to cōcupiscence not onely nowe enclyne me not to synne but also chydeth me that is to say withdrawe me fro synne vnto the nyght that is to saye they so fersorth withdraw me from syn̄e that wyllyngly that afflyet and payne my body. Afflyccyō is in scrypture oftentymes signified by the nyght bycause hit is the moost dyscōfortable season. Then suyngly the prophete sheweth what is y• rote of this priuacion or takynge awaye of flesshly cōcupiscence in a mā sayenge. Prouidebā deū sem per in […]spectu meo. I prouyded god alway before me sight / for yf a man had god alwaye before this eyen as a ruler of all his werkes & in all his werkes he sholde neyther seke his owne lucre his glorye nor his owne pleasure but onely to y• pleasure of god he shold shortly be perfyte. And for as moche as he y• so dooth prospereth in al thynge therfore it foloweth. Ipse a dextris est mihi ne cōmouear. He is on my ryght hand that I be not moued or troubled. Then the ꝓphete declareth how grete is ye felycite of a iuste man whiche shall be euerlastyngly blyssed bothe in body and in soule and therfore he sayth. Letatum est cor meum. My soule is glad knowyng yt after deth heuen is made redy for hym. […]t caro mea requiescet in spe & my flesshe shall rest in hope that is to saye that thoughe it ioye not by and by as in receyuynge his gloryous estate medyatly after the dethe yet hit resteth in the sepulcre with this hope that hit shall aryse in the daye of Iudgemente unmortall and shynynge with his soule. And also the ꝓphete more expressely declareth in the verse folowing. For where he sayd thus my soule is glad he addeth the cause sayenge. Quoniam non derelinques animam in inferno. For thou shalt not leue my soule in hell. Also where the prophete sayd that his flessh sholde rest in hope he sheweth the cause sayeng. Q[…] dabis sanctum tuum videre corruptionem.

Nor thou shalte not suffre thy saynt to se corrupcyon that is to saye thou shalte not suffre y• flesshe of a good man to be corrupted. For that that was corruptyble shall aryse incorruptible. And for as moche as chryst was the fyrst whiche entred paradise and opened the lyfe vnto vs and was the fyrst that rose agayne and the cause of our resurreccyon: therfore these wordes that we haue spoken of the resurreccyon ben pryncipally vnderstonden of christ as saynt peter y• apostle hath declared / & secondaryly they may be vnderstonden of vs in y• we be the mēbres of christ which onely neuer sawe corrupcyon for his holy body was in his sepulcre nothyng putrified / for asmoche thē as y• way of good lyuyng bryngeth vs to a ꝑpetuall lyfe of soule & body therfore y• ꝓphete sayth. Qotas michi fecisti vias vite. Thou hast made the wayes of lyfe knowen vnto me and bycause that all the felycyte of that stondeth in the clere beholdynge and ftuycion of god / therfore hit foloweth. Adimplebis meleticus cum vultu tuo. Thou shalt fyll me full of gladnes with the chere & for that our felicite shall be euerlastynge therfore he sayth. Delectationes in dextra tua vs que in finē. Delectacion & Ioy shall be on thy ryght hande for euer: he sayth on thy ryght hand bycause y• our felycite is fulfylled in the bysyon and fruytion of the humanyte of chryst which sytteth in heuen on ye ryght hande of his fathers maieste / after y• wordes of saint Iohan. Hee est tota merces vt videamꝰ deū quem misisti Iesum christum. That is all oure rewarde that we maye be holde god and Iesus chryst whome thou hast sent: to whiche rewarde he brynge vs that sytteth there and prayeth for vs. Amen.