force and desire vvhich I haue of my not hauing power and of my willingnes to be recoÌ„cilled to thee are full of vaine empty idle phantasies doe dote like one who is besides himselfe become such by the great affliction occasioned by his feauer in so much as he is one while hot not vnlike to fire another while cold as ice and the same heate which dryeth yea parcheth his lips is found in me who onelie desire to drinke of the fountaine of thy mercy which doth more comfort him who drinketh thereof then doth water prejudice the sick Alas my good Lord grant vnto me that I may moisten my mouth from thy grace and goodnes for that elswhere is not health for me I doubt Lord lest I heape offence on offences by my importunity being vnworthy to craue thy mercy but my sinne which pierceth me quite though in such sort that it hath seated it selfe in my bones and marrow maketh me ouerbold and indeed as it were impatient my bones troubled notably disquieted yea wasted through my insupportable griefe are vnknit their sinnewes are vntyed but peradueÌ„ture the danger is more greiueous theÌ„ the sicknes for that I being composed of flesh and sensible of it's suffering doe feare lest I proue not valiant in the combate in which if I faile my eternall losse of soule might follow and vndoubtedly I shall yeild to the force of it's assaults if so be thou defeÌ„d me not vnder the buckler of thy mercy Lord my soule is beyond measure troubled so many and such like are the temptations which asseige it It hath for a receptacle yea and castle weake human flesh the hostile armes of wordly vanities haue conspired vsed stratagems against it and the senses which reanswere to their flatteries corrupted by stately and most magnificent sights by hearing the harmony of flattery and selfepraise by sweet and most odoriferous smellings by tasting the delicacie of meates and by feeling sensibly voluptuousnes endeauour to render it a prey to the pleasure of the world Hence the miserable soule flyeth for refuge to and vnder the shade of the hope which it hath in thee euen as a child vnder the skirt of his mothers garment The Hart so much feareth not the cruell and mortall bitings of doggs vvho is euen then ready to be sharply nipt as my soule feareth my aduersaries vvho inveigle it Since so it is with me support it with thy mercy if not I shall faile yea euen fall into my irrecouerable and vtter destruction and though it vvere so that I cannot at present merit so farre that thou grant me my petition how long wilt thou please to deferre thy such gratious aspect with which thou doest fill with joy and blisle the Angells Thou moouest the Heauens assignest bounds to the ElemeÌ„ts giuest motion to the Planets makest the Sunne to shine giuest light to the Moone brightnes to the Starres Alas yea and alas ô Lord take in thy attentiue consideration the misery into which the not hauing known as I might haue donne through thee to bridle my proud will hath brought me to I say and the not hauing hetherto reflected on my selfe knowingly vvho being composed of earth must necessarily returne againe to my mother earth and hence restored to my flesh and bones for my greater confusion must appeare before thy IudgmeÌ„t in the presence of all such who haue been vvho are and vvho as yet not in being shall hereafter be Grant vnto me Lord that I may imagin but not see that thou forgettest me for by meanes of such imaginatioÌ„ I shall learne to put thee in minde of my exigents my great wants extreame necessities as well by fasting as prayer in seeing here of I might not vnlikely despaire of pardon mercy vvhich they finde vvho though they haue disobayed thee yet chastise theÌ„selues vvith the scourge working to amendment of life Looke againe on my soule my Lord vvith the selfe same benigne countenance vvith vvhich thou fauourably dost behold him vvho by long penitence is more worthy then am I poore wretch and consider it to haue more shame and confusion in it's trangresse of thy coÌ„mandements then in it's feare of eternall banishment and vtter losse vvhich attend's it for it's foule sinnes My hearts quelling heauines vvould bee singularly cheered if so be that thou wouldst with thy fauorable aspect appease the contestation afflicting it vvhich presents to my Phantasie to my minde thoughts raised from the day-booke of my sinnes Surely I shall henceforth be more solicitous to serue thee then heretofore I haue been as hauing been slow carelesse and altogether dully sottish O my Lord if without all feare and trembling I might call vpon thee vvould'st thou not vouchsafe an answere to me at least should my dayes proue long vvhich thou lendest me to liue I should truely hope that sack cloath teares sorrow vvatching fasting would obtaine yea vvinneso much in my behalfe that thy grace vvould shower on me in such manner that I should be receiued no otherwile then as they are vvho through their truely humbling themselues haue returned into thy grace their peace so made My sinnes indeed deserue any whatsoeuer paine may be inuented yea but it would not be conuenient it alas would be my vtter vndoing that thy benignity should retard it selfe be slow ought remisse to shew it selfe vnto me and that with plentifull mercy on my greiuous offences which I deny not I hide not but if sinne were not thy clemeÌ„cy would not appeare what it is admitt that there is no clemency by which way should sinners acknowledge their good God in his mercy Euen now Lord giue quiet to the soule which vvith an adueâ—…se eye of enemity troubledly gazeth on the body not vvithout iust cause of offence for that through it's inordinate appetites the soule is euâ—…n condeÌ„ned to the euerlasting punishments of Hell as for my body which dayly nightly incessantly is gnawne and worne by its consciences affliction soone vvill fall soone become ashes if thou be not to it it 's sustentacle it 's strength it 's full vigour alas my my soule dying in such state vvill goe to a place which I haue horror to name yea to thinke of But if I dy my Lord not being among the dead vvho can call thee to minde how shall I make mentioÌ„ of thee how shall I call on thy name on vvhose name neuer any called in vaine vnprofitably and most true it is that there is no comfort so fully consoling the heart so restoratiue to it as is the hearing voiced the harmonious sound thereof Thy name appeaseth the afflictedst vexations greifes and addeth increase of ioy yea euen to those vvho vvere before in state of comfort Hence let me not periâ—…h vntill I write of the great vertue the swetnes the ioy the povver the health vvhich is in it Let the world heare and vnderstand by my vvords vvith what coÌ„fident security vvith vvhat grace and vvith vvhat abundant felicitie
of it's birdlime in vvhich ensnaring labyrinths confounded is hee for euer vvho acnovvledgeth no other God then vvordlie pleasures hence reallie is it that such an one may most vndoubtedlie be called miserable for that hope doth blaze nay tvvinckle any ray beame of it's safety on him euen so much as hee is punished by the selfe fame his sinne as are the envious by their selfe same rancour their selfe same envie But I my good and gratious Lord vvill neuer staunch my eyes weepings nor vvill euer impose stilnes or silence to this my tongue nor euer will take to me a minute of repose from my greife and heauy heart's throbbs vntill that euen here vvhere I breath forth and that earnestlie my lamentations thy mercy shew some signe at least that thou hast pardoned me All they vvho vniustlie returne euill for good vvho are most lâ—…ke to the keepers the watchers of bees vvho vvhen so that they haue had from them tribute of hony vaxe they chasse them from their hiues their houses vvith fire and smoke haue torne me in the sight of the people with the tallones of their wickednes and for that I follovved not the vvaies which their crooked steeps had made they would praise the semblance of my iust workes with the spittings of iniquitie in publique asâ—…euering baselie esteeming my feare of God prouoking me to shew my dislike of the stings of their falâ—…nesses their vvaies I decline bending my body and fixing mine eyes on the ground my head downeward and altogether contracted with in my selfe bearing with the stings vvhich sometimes haue notably hurt me with the sâ—…lfe-same patience where with wisemen suffer the boldnes and want of vvitt of fooles it sufficing me to be iustified in the iudgment of our Lord vpon which piller doth all my hope rest for I am most assured that hee vvill alwais be such and the same to me Abandon me not my Lord my God who am vvithout thee as is a horse vvithout a courbe yea euen without a bridle a ship vvithout a rudder and as that moued by the fiercenes of his nature is wont to be resty to runne away vvith his rider and this made ouer-swifâ—…ly glideing through the impetuous windes often abutteth striketh against the rocks Euen so I prouoked enforced by the perfidiousnes vexation which my persecutors impose on me shall likelie fall head ong into my precipice be broken in pieces and vtterlie ruined if thou hide thy face subtract but thy fauorable assistaÌ„ce from me vvith the twinckling of vvhose eye-brow thou gouernest the gouernors and the celestiall and terrestrial regiments O Lord for pittie-sake deigne to be my Leader vvho am blinde vouchsafe not to seperate thy selfe from me vvho beseech thee by the teares and the deepe sighes vvhich my sorrow powreth forth and frameth for no other cause but to seperate my selfe from sinne vvhich hath brought me to such miserie that I am vnworthy to loâ—…ke thee in the face vvhose splendor oâ—…lie is consolation to the distressed afflicted as am I. Encline then to help me as charitie doth assist the needie the mothers milke the child's hunger Haue reguard my Lord to my health to my safety for it is all in thee onelie who art my vvay my trueth and my life and likevvise of all those vvho apprehend the vvay of conseruing themselues from the snares of sin as from sword and fire and although they sin they know vvith more affect to lameÌ„t their defects theÌ„ can the good soule rejoyce in their perfections I beseech thee vvith my heart euen come vp to this my tongue vvhich deliuereth vvhat it dictateth in such sort that it is not in thee to denie that pittie that mercie neuer denyed by thee to any who craues it in such sort as doe I. For otherwise I should be a prey to the fraudulencies of my enimies greedy of my losse yea of my vtter destruction were it not that I had reacknowledged my selfe were it not for the hope vvhich I haue had in thy infinite goodnes The end of the third Psalme THE FOVRTH PROLOGVE ASSOONE as David ended his third song hee seemd not vnlike a Pilgrim vvho calculating vvithin himselfe measuring in his minde and silently cast ng vp the length of the way hee is to walke and hauing ouercome a great part thereof already reposeth himselfe vnder the shade to whose coolâ—…es the pleasant gently whisking winde invited him there somewhat taking his breath which the toile of painefull trauaile had partly bereft him of And as a Pilgrim's minde is all bent all taken vp meditating on the iourney which hee is to make so was hee all converted to God his thoughts wâ—…re onely entertained and intensiuely on God and neuertheles playing or rather carelesly dallying with the strings moving his fingers here and there on them without any whit reflecting on their sound which hee hearing yet well might I say heard not resting his chin on his breast the hottest and bitterest teares that euer issued eued rained or vvere euer povvred forth from the eyes of any one that neuer so deeply greiued hee let fall One might take notice so farre of his distilling his melting in teares as of waâ—… me water in a large bason which receiueth the blood of a veine opened may be taken notice of as water all ouer bloody and to this his plentifully powring forth of teares were interchangably mingled some sighs deeply fetched so greiuous that if the fall of such floods of teares and the sound of such sighs had been heard by any man breathing hee would euen haue sworne that in the Cauerne or grott there was a windy raine a sharpe and bitter tempest and vndoâ—…edly if the windes could haue had ingresse they would haue made fly would haue scattered and made knowne the complaints deliuered by his eyes his tongue and his breast and carrying them to the eares of all the people of Israël each one of the vvould haue made all hast to comfort their poore King vvho some grosse and heauy teares svvallovved vp blubbering yexing throbbing in an instant turned his eyes as a man affrighted extreamelie possessed with feare and terror of vvbat came then to his minde vvhat then vvas presented as object to his phantasie or rather impressed and it seeming to him that the horrible and obscure shadow of his transgressions vvould hastilie and most violently snatch him avvay hee with feruency equivalent to his conceiued misery cryed out aloud in an high straine singing thus THE FOVRTH PSALME OF THE PENITENCY OF DAVID Mâ—…serere mei Deus sâ—…cundum Psalme 50. HAVE mercie on me God not according to the propoâ—…tion of my litle my poore my alas poore my feeble merit yea alas I may say euen my scarce no desert either through my fasts or prayers or vvearing sack cloath signes though of denying my lelfe or for my bitter teares but according to that thy great mercie vvherevvith thou dost surpasle in height of magnificencie and in vvhat
he loueth vs each one eqnally and if so that yet not withstanding the desert of our vvicked wretched trespasses transgressions greiuous sinnes shall condemne vs to the pitt of Hell yea euen that is agreable conformable to his glory for herein shall his power be demonstrated cleerlie shewen to all and each one of those who would that so farre as concerne them his blood should be lost be of no worth spi◅t in vaine and remaining alwayes in perfidiousnes in peruersnes in wretchednes are neuer consoled comforted vvith liuelie hope of sauing themselues hence is it that God doth neuer turne the such eye of his mercie vvith which he looketh on them who are humble Hee hath respected the prayers of the humble and so hath hee donne for that the irrecouerable cause of losse is not the burthen the weight the greiuousnes nor the number of sinnes but the danger is placed hath his being and seate in the hardnes of minde hardnes of heart in that iniquitie that wretchednes of not being of good will to be conuerted and to remaine in such pride as not to haue recourse to God from hence ariseth it that they who liue in such like obstinacie are necessarilie damned for they lying dovvne wallowing in the dreggs the mire of sinne without euer turning themselues either with heart eyes or vvorkes to God it is all to nothing it is impossible to be otherwise thē that they dye in Gods disgrace as perfidious wretches and enimies of their ovvne safety and of their soules But they who looke not on the vveight the burthen nor on the number of their trespasses but rather rectifie and turne aright their mindes to his immense and inexhaustible mercie imploring humbly crauing pardon of their transgressiōs cōmitted against him procure vnto thēselues through teares through penitēt hearts-griefe that God neither will nor can refuse them deny them the grace of his mercie and be their sinnes as heauy burthesome greate as imagination can cōceiue as much as fully as farre as can be passibly he hath not onely not despi◅ed their prayers though coming from sinners voices but not hiding his face from them hath giuen full hearing full audience to them and fauorably hee heareth them he inclineth his gratious attentiue eare as hee doth to the benedictions and prayses vvhich those vvho are perfect in heart and spirit giue to his blessed name And such bounty of God shal be known to such an one vvho shal be vvorthy to know it These deliuered shall be written in another generation hereafter for the Ievves through their most vvicked and perfidious pertinacie obstinacie shall know them as the day is discouered by the Moles and the Sun by the ovvles and the wilfullie blind not seeing the lights of the new Testament shall not receiue the trueth preached by the word the Sonne to the justice of the first shall God's mercie assist nor hence can it be otherwise but that by the lewes hee suffer death whence the knowledg of this new law is taken away from them But the Gentiles which shall be certainlie thine faithfully thine on vvhom shall be transferred translated turned ouer this thy trueth vvill praise thee their Lord receiuing each part each parcell of it obseruing it as the lawes of diuine mercie ought to be obserued vvhich vvill neuer despise the prayers of what sinner soeuer who is contrite humbled euen as a people so farre as concernes the light of trueth new he created vvho heretofore were possessed altogether in beliefe of false Gods hence they vvill giue praise and thanks to thee Lord for that thou hast been to them boūtifull of those thy graces through which thy bounty man is made secure from death and from Hell and all this vvill come to passe wil be in it's time for that God hath vouchsafed to looke on them For our Lord hath looked downeward from on high for that he hath looked from Heauen on Earth ou◅ soules are made inhabitāts Citizens of his kingdome and this guift hath his goodnes bestowed on vs vvh◅ looking on the world foreseeth th◅ eternall danger on vs the woorkes o◅ his hands for that hee reguardet◅ those his workes loueth them with that affectiō vvith which God loueth him who alwaies loued him moued tenderlie to pitty commiseration of human kinde made his Sonne man and dying as man taking man out of the deepes hath receiued him in the bosome of his great mercie But I feare I tremble to thinke on vvhat vvill become of vs if God did not looke on vs from his residence on high if hee did not seriously affixe his eyes on the necessities of human kinde or if hee looked on vs vvith lesse affection then hee hath heretofore donne wo yea wo indeed to our soules nothing but los◅e vtter perdition for that vvould haue been another greife and torment another inexpressible-lamentable calamitie vvhich Hell vvould haue made for them then is that vvhich time vvorketh and the bringing to nothing these tresses this flesh and bones But in considering what thou hast donne from Heauen on Earth thou compleatlie finishedst gauest full effect to that vvhich thou thoughtest on decreedst on the day in vvhich thou createdst the vvorld and the miserable lamentations of human kinde vvho seemed with loud voices to call out vpon thy Sonne to their helpe as it vvere enforced thee The hearing of the pittifull moanes of bondmen occasioned in thee caused in thee bred in thee the effect the issue of thy most sublime and most profound care hence thou vouch◅afedst to send thy sonne for our Redemption O my good and gratious Lord it being that all things that euer shal be are present to thee thou didst heare the vvaylings the moanes the compassionable outcryes and teares of Limbus vvhich shovvred like a tempest from their eyes vvho confined in darkenes vvere fauoured assisted by the goodnes of their workes vvhich they had donne in their liues time and deseruing pardon for the trespasses made by Eve's husband by Adam thou determinest thou decreest that they should taste of the fruite of ◅hy mercie as the sonnes of them vvho vvere dead likewise haue tasted I meane Christians whose ancestors dyed before that attonement v◅as made fully established betweene God and man vvho liued in thy disfauour in thy disgrace through the sinne of him vvho vvas the first who disobeyed thee and were it not that thou did'st humble thy selfe to incarnate thy diuinitie with thy humanitie neither from Limbus nor from Hell vvere they to be vntyed nor euer vvere they to be freed discharged no not thy friendes nor the sonnes of them that haue not known Christ. Thou shalt illuminate vvith thy grace the sonnes of them vvho are dead vvithout thy light to the end that they declare in Sion the name of thee our Lord and thy praises in Hierusalem vndoubtedlie these selfe same vvill preach thy name to the bene◅it to the safetie of soules for that from fruite of preaching
and to ouerjoy 〈◊〉 such like as are they who are ascended to the height to the compleate fulnes of Beatitude vvhich they desired And in this his suddaine surprise of hearts salaâ—…e hearts inexpressible comfort his spirit attentiue nay fixed on diuine â—…ontemplations hee savv as it vvere in a vision the vvord of God to come dovvne from Heauen and to proceed from the mouth of the Angell incarnating it selfe in the blessed Virgin hee savv Christ borne hee savv him adored by the Magj The three Kings he savv him dispute in the Temple hee savv him fly vvith his Mother into Egipt hee savv him baptized in IordaÌ„ he savv him with his Apostles he saw him hâ—…ale the â—…ick raise the dead and cast out Dewills and traunced extased in a Propheticall vision he savv him anointed by Magdalen savv him at his last supper vvâ—…h his Disciples savv him pray in the gardeâ—… savv him betrayed savv him scourged savv him crowned with thornes savv him adjuged to death saw him nayled on the Crosse and in seeing him breake the gates of Limbus hee vvas taken and fully possessed with that joy that vnspeakabls hearts-comfort which hee was to feele a sâ—…oone as Christ should redeeme him out of the darkenes together vvith his ancestors his forefathers and hee being sanctified in his merits hee savv him rise againe and in seeing him ascend to Heauen and to sit at the right hand of his father anevv breake forth into these vvords THE SEAVENTH PSALME OF THE PENITENCY OF DAVID Domine exaudi orationem meam auribus c. Psalme 142. LORD fauorably heare my suppliant petitions my humble prayer stitre vp thy selfe awakeÌ„ be thou moued to looke vvith the gratious eyes of thy mercie on my heart's sincere repentance which through the desert of prayers vvhich is tendred vnto thee is not vnworthy of thy gratious and fauorable audience thy trueth and thy iustice vvell weighed not according to the trueth iustice of thy Lawes vvhich condemne and inflict sharpe punishments sodainelie on sinne according to the qualitie the greatnes the hainousnes of the demerit but according to thy trueth and â—…ustice with which is ioyned that thy mercy vvhich is absolutelie and â—…olely in thee for thou being the author of the Law thou onelie through the height of thy bounâ—…ie caâ—…st forgiue the traÌ„sgressors acquit them of it There are many valued by thee iust vvho are accounted by the iudges of the world delinquents but the coÌ„trary seemeth to be in me for by the people I am deemed iust and in thy sight I know my selfe so burthened vvith trespâ—…sses that vntill I perceiue thou hast forgâ—…en me acquitted me of them I will neuer dry mine eyes they shall alwaies vvepe and I vvill neuer close vp my month I vvill alvvaies call on thee and I vvill neuer be at repose of heart vvhich imploreth it's Lord that hee Enter not into Iudgement on his seruant for to take notice of each fault trespasâ—…e on a seruant is not a vvorke vvorthy of a maister and to take animaduersion strict accounâ—…e of each our trippings our stumblings vvould be to make vs all despaire for if thou weigh the multitude of the fault we commit the vveight of them vvould be such that nothing would be found so burâ—…nsome hence vvee should be all lost and therefore forgâ—…t patcell of our trespasses let them not be brought and laid open before the Tribunall of thy most iust iudgment for that all those vvho hold themselues iust in the other life vvhen all human generation shall bee iudged thy shall not be iustified by thee Enlarge me be bountifull vnto me and make me vvorthy of the guâ—…fts of thy grace whereof by thy goodnes and thy bountie euerie man is made worthie vvho offereth the purenes and innocencie of his soule by tâ—…e meanes of a contrite heaâ—…t so shalt thou our God as it were substitute thy goodnes to my correction in reguard that it maketh for my saluation and thy glorie Nor for this cause shall thy iustice be impaired or lessened which were it not in so gâ—…eat a Majestie so greate is the presumption of mankinde that they vvould receiue as from a firme deed that the infinite benefits which they receiued of thee were due to theÌ„ by obligation whence it would follow that there were no way whereby those that are vvicked might come to amendment of themselues to correct themselues and those vvho are incorrigible vvho neuer wil be good but are peruerse and refractory who liuing haue not beleeued in thee shall in nothing be difâ—…erent from the good and those who haue recouered goodnes for as much as workes are not paid according to deserts herein it is necessary that thy justice faile not but whilst wee are in this life which is the place of our race which we must runne ouer to come to thee for this cause ought wee each one the reward being certaine and eternall extending it selfe beyond the bonds of sinne alwaies to determime time to abtaine the sett downe price which is not allotted to one onelie but to all those who shall come the goale to the bounds of the race Let damnation fall on them vvho haue depised so great a gaine so great a reward which thou hâ—…st published to be run for and to be revvarded though yet for their so small so slender desert when the time coÌ„meth of each one's receiuing râ—…vvard they doe not onelie finde themselues farreâ—… of from receiuing ought of valuation ought of price ought of reward but euidentlie they perceiue that they haue â—…rayed yea that they are altogether out of their way and hence so it happeneth for that they pursued lesse worthie ends and lesie honorable O Lord and my God the effects the fruits of sinne haue reduced me haue plunged me in obscuritie in darke places euen as are they vvho are dead for time and ages My sinne Lord hath seated me in darkenes for there is no greater obscurity then that vvhich is interposed betvvâ—…ene the vvay of good and the eye of our perceiuance Hence strayed vve and lost the light which directeth vs shevveth vs the vvay the meanes to come to our true end And certaine it is that a maâ—… blinded in the night the obscuritie the darkenes of sinne parteth not yet from day from light of vertue and trueth but hauing coÌ„tracted custome and habit in the clouds the mists and foggs of vice he is best and onelie pleased vvith them and onelie hateth the Sonne the light vvhich ariseth from the bosome of vertue and liuing well on vvhich if I had contemplated my spirit had neuer proued anxious full of greiuous care and my heart would neuer haue so much alas for me been troubled coÌ„tribulated Truely if I had opened mine eyes to the light of trueth â—…hutting them from the obscurities the darkenesses of falsenes of lyes contribulations and those anxious rising taking grouÌ„d from feare of damnation had not moued my spirit to reflect on it selfe