put of the old man and put on the new it regenerateth vs and maketh vs new creatures and after vve are dead in soule by sinne it restoreth vs to the life of grace yea glorie also if vve perseuer in grace For these causes I haue made these Paraphrasticall Discourses to allure sinners to repentance knowing hovv miserable a thing it is to liue in sinne hovv dangerous to deferre repentance and hovv hopelesse to dye in sinne without it And if by these my small labours I shall be so happie as to conuert any sinners yea but one sinner I shall esteeme it no small benefite not onely to the sinner conuerted but also to myselfe because S. Iames assureth me that he that maketh a sinner to be conuerted from the errour of his wayes Iacobi 5. shall saue his soule from death and couer a multitude of sinnes not onelie of the sinner vvhom he conuerteth but also of his ovvne because the conuersion of a sinners soule is a sacrifice for the conuerters soule more pleasing to God then if he had offered an hecatombe yea a world to God for his owne sinnes For as S. Chrysostome saith Chrysost ho 3. in 1. ad Corinth nullius rei pretiū est cū anima conferendū ne totus quidem mundus quare etiamsi diuitias innumeras dederis pauperibus nihil tale efficies quale is qui conuertit animam The price of nothing no not of the vvhole vvorld is to be cōpared to a soule Wherefore although thou shalt giue innumerable riches to the poore thou shalt not doe so great a worke as he that conuerteth a soule But of penance and the effectes of it I shall not need in this Epistle to vse moe words it being the principall subiect of my ensuing Paraphrasticall Discourses and therefore here I shall take my leaue of my Reader and desire him vvhether he be Catholicque or not Catholicque to take in good parte this my litle labour intended and taken for th' one as vvell as for the other and if he take profit by it let him thanke God th' Authour of all that is good if through my default it moue him not to that repentance and amendement of life vvhich I entended I must desire him to pardon me I vvas not so able as vvilling APPROBATIO POEnitentiae coronam hanc in qu◠nihil quod fidei Catholicae splendori morumue sanctorum integritati non sit consentaneum de speciosissimis Psalmi quinquagefimi floribus Poenitentium Principis memoriae scitè contexuit pius hic Paraphrastes Ita sentio Ed. St. S. T. D. APPROBATIO NIhil est in hac Paraphrasi Psalmi quinquagesimi fidei Catholicae aut bonis moribus contrarium sed plurima ad poenitentiam excitandam iuuandam conducēntia qua propter vtiliter excudi poterit Actum Duaci die 30. Martij 1635. Georgius Colvenerius Sacrae Theol. Doctor Regius ordinariusque Professor Duacensis Academiae Cancellarius librorum Censor PARAPHRASTICAL AND DEVOVT DISCOVRSES VPON THE FIFTITH PSALME MISERERE Miserere mei Deus Haue mercie on me ô God THE Royal Prophet Dauid hauing through humaine frayltie cōmitted twoe greate offences against the diuine Maiestie 2 Reg. 1◠12. no lesse then adalterie vvith BERSABEE and murder of her husband Vrias and beeing reprooued thereof by the Prophet Nathan accused by his own conscience and mooued by the diuine grace hee conceiueth such a detestation and horrour of those his sinnes and is so ashamed and confounded with the horride aspect of them that he falleth down prostrate at the feete of his GOD whom he had thus offended And at the first sorrow hindred his tongue from crauing pardon but his eyes vndertook the office of the mouth and tongue and pleaded better for the delinquent by teares then the mouth could haue donne by tongue and wordes teares being the best oratours At length his speeche comming to him he singeth or rather sobbeth forth this his dolefull Psalme and sonnette and peraduenture he playeth to it with his harpe but assuredlie with his harte and so maketh a sweete consort of his harte by sorrow of his eyes by teares of his voice by a lamentable tune And fearing God his Iustice he flyeth to his mercie and beginneth with that dolefull note miserere haue mereie As if he had sayd 1. THOV art iust ô Lord Psal 118. and thy Iudgement is right Ioel 2. but thou art also benigne and mercifull patient and of much mercie and readie to be gracious vpon the malice If thou wert iust onelie I should despaire knowing my two so great offences which now especiallie I lament If thou wert mercifull onelie I should presume but because thou art iust and mercifull my feare is mixt with hope and my hope with feare and I so feare thy iustice as I hope in thy mercie Thou art ô Lord I confesse so iust that thou art iustice it self and this maketh me feare but thou art also so mercifull that thou art mercie it selfe and this maketh me hope that discourageth me verie much this as much encourageth and giueth me the hart to saye Miserere mei Deus Haue mercie on me ô God If I were ô Lord as iuste and holy as a Sainte yet durst I not appeare before the eyes of thy iustice Iob 4. Iob 25. which in the Angelles found wickednes and in whose sight the moone doth not shine and the starres are not cleane but seeing that I am noe Sainte but a wretched sinner conceiued in sinne borne in sinne brought vp in sinne and guiltie of the twoe mentioned and many other sinnes how shall I dare to appeare before thy iustice For if the iust man trembleth before the Tribunal of thy Iustice how shall the sinner stand before it 2. But I appeale ô Lord sayth Dauid from thy iustice to thy mercie not as to an higher Tribunal for thy iustice and mercie are both infinite and so equall but as to a Tribunal more benigne more clement and gentle And although I be guiltie of greeuous and enormous sinnes and those so greate that if I regard them only and their ill disertes Gen. 4. I may say with Cain myne iniquitie is greater then that I may deserue pardon Yet they are not so greate but thy mercie is infinitelie greater soe compared to it they are not so greate but they may deserue pardon for if thou please ô Lord to put not only my sinnes but also all the sinnes of all men in one scale of thy diuine balance and thy mercie in the other thy mercie wold out waye and ouersway them and as the sands of the sea Iob 6. thy mercie wold appeare heauier 3. Wherfore ô mercifull Lord not daring to appeare before thee as a iust Iudge I present my selfe before thee as a mercifull and louing Father He that is presented as guiltie before a Iudge vseth to deny or diminish or excuse the fault but I presēting my selfe before thee ô Lord as
not haue conserued me but rather annihilated me and so preuēted this my miserie better had it been for me that thou hadst not preserued me from corporall dangers of fire vvater and the like then to preserue and conserue me so giue me the tyme to fall in to a greater domage to vvitt of sinne vvhich offendeth thee maketh me miserable and exposeth me to hazard of hell it selfe 5. Thou hast heretofore iustified me and cleansed me from originall sinne by Baptisme from Actuall sinne by contrition the Sacrament of penance and other sacramentes Great are these benefites but if thou doe not againe iustifie me by thy grace and remitte these my last sinnes it vvill be little benefite to me rather thy former grace of iustification vvill aggrauate my sinnes committed after it and these my sinnes hauing depriued me of the grace of iustification haue mortified also my former merites done in grace so all will be lost vnlesse thou againe take mercie on me and againe remitte my sinnes 6. Thou hast redeemed me and didst bind thy selfe to thy eternall Father to pay no lesse ó the deare bargaine for my ransom then thy precious bloud and death And wilt thou now cast me of who cost thee so dearlie Trulie all this is lost in me I vvith it vnlesse thou againe forgiue me by thy grace apply this price paid for me vnto me and so againe pardon me 7. Thou hast called me to be a Christian and hast reuealed vnto me as thou didst to Dauid many hidden mysteries as the sacred Trinitie the sōne of God incarnate his life death Resurrection and Ascension and many other mysteries the secrets of thy wisdome vvhich thou didst hide from the Philosophers Sages of the world And hast thou done all this for me and vvilt not doe this one thing for me to vvitt pardon my sinnes without vvhich all the rest vvill not profite me but rather will augmēt my damnation Thou saidst ó Lord Matth. ◠Luc. 5. that thou camst not to call the iuste but sinners to penance And behold I confesse my selfe a greate and grieuous sinner and I harken to thy call desiring thee to harken to my petition vvhich is haue mercie on me according to thy greate mercie which I hope thou vviltt not deny thou hauing bestowed so many other benefites on me vvhich yet are all lost vnlesse thou adde this also vnto them 8. Or else I also ó Lord might aleadge with Dauid that I vvas conceiued borne in sinne thereby contracted a propension to sinne And I might adde therevnto my corrupt nature myne euill complexion and disposition my euill customes and ill companie vvhich haue allured me to sinne but because I know thou louest truth and sinceritie of harte I confesse ingenuouslie and I truly acknovvledge that notwithstanding all this I might with thy grace which is neuer wanting to them that demaunde it or vvill accept and vse it haue resisted all these alluremēts and incitements to sinne therefore I vvill not vse any such excuse for these might excuse as diuines say A tanto non à toto from parte but not from all but plainlie trulie and sincerlie confessing my greeuous sinne I fly onelie to thy mercie and vnder the shadovv or winges of that I desire onelie to shroude my selfe All I haue to say is peccaui as Dauid said and I beseech thee to speake those comfortable words to me which thou vtteredst to him 2. Reg 12. And our Lord hath taken away thy sinne Asperges me Hyssopo mundabor lauabis me super niuem dealbabor Thou shalt sprinckle me with hyssope and I shall be cleansed thou shalt wash me and I shall be whiter then snowe 1. I Cry not saith Dauid to Moyses nor Aaron nor the Preistes of the old lavv vnder vvhich I liue but to thee ô Eternall sonne of God God and man the Messias and Redeemer of the vvorld to sprinkle and washe me and cleanse me from the fylthe of my sinnes They could vvash the bodie from legall immundicities but not from the fylthe of sinne from vvhich I desire to be cleansed nay they could not cure the corporall leprosie but onely could pronoūce a declaratiue sentence Leuit. 14. vvhen it vvas healed but thou canst euen heale and cleanse my soule from the leprosie fylthe of sinne and therefore my hope is that thou vvilst sprinkle me not with the Cedar wood Leuit. 14. scarlet Num. 19. Vide Augu. to 4. q. 33. super Numer and hyssope dipped in the blood of the immolated sparow nor vvith the ashes of the redde cowe but vvith the blood of thy sacred humaine nature ruddie by its passion and prefigured by those figures by this blood shed in thy passion and sprinkled by the meanes of the humble hyssope of the crosse I hope thou shalt sprinkle me and I shall be whiter then the snowe 2. In this bloud is my hope because this onelie can take out the staine of sinne this onelie can wash away the fylthe of sinne wherewith my soule is defiled The blood of goates and oxen and such like sacrifices sprinkled saith Dauid can vvash avvay legall immundicities but it can not vvash avvaye the fylthe of sinnes but thy blood ô Blessed Sauiour can sanctifie and mundifie our soules from all filth of sinne 3. I forsee saith Dauid by faith in Christ that by the Sacraments of Baptisme and penāce in the new lavve and by cōtrition in all lawes soules are vvashed from the filthinesse of sinne but yet by the bloud also of the lambe Christ Iesus from vvhich they take their vertue Thy bloud ô Blessed Sauiour is the generall cause they are particular causes appointed to applie that thy bloud and passion is the principall morall cause of grace and remissiō of sinnes they are but instrumētall causes vvhich vvorke in vertue of that principall 4. And although now by wallovving my selfe in the puddle of sinne I am in soule more foule then the hogge that vvalloweth himselfe in the mire yet this lauer of thy bloud ô Lord vvill vvash me so cleane that I shall be whiter then driuen snowe And although my sinnes vvere as scarlet Isa 1. they shall be made vvhite as snovve And if they be redde as vermilion they shall be white as vvooll and my soule vvatred vvith this bloud and heauenlie rayne vvhich rayned out of the cloude of thy sacred humaine nature shall be made fertile and apte to bring forth the greene plantes sweete hearbes and flovvers of all manner of vertue and bathed in this bathe it shall recouer its former lustre beautie of grace vvhich it had lost by sinne and of a vessel of base seruice which it yelded to the vvorld flesh and Diuell it shall be a vessell of honour Because take avvay the rust from siluer Prou. 25. and there shall come forth a moste pure vessell a goodlie piece of plate fit to be set on thy cup-boord
Church of Christ more then of the first 10. Dauid therefore fore-seeing by faith the glorie of this temple Hierusalem and Church of Christ desireth almightie God that it may be built And why Dauid ô saith he then and not before thou shalt accept the sacrifice of iustice And what is that the sacrifice of the Crosse to wit of Christ Iesus offered by death on the crosse This sacrifice is the fountaine of all grace receiued euer since Adams fall this sacrifice appeaseth God his wrath and satisfieth his iustice in paying the great price of our Redemption by this sacrifice God vvas more honoured then by all the sacrifices that euer before were offered by this sacrifice vve were reconciled to God and his Angels By this sinne vvas cancelled the Deuill vanquished Hell that is limhus Patrum was ransacked and all those prisonners enioyed a iayle deliuerie death vvas despoiled of his sting yea vvas put to death finallie by which onelie hoste once onelie offered our redemption was consummated Hebr. 9 10. for as S. Paul saith by one oblation hath he consummated for euer them that are sanctifyed 11. And peraduenture Dauid beeing a Prophet and hauing a more explicite faith then the other Ievves had Matth. 26. alludeth also to the sacrifice which Christ instituted and offered at his last supper which is repeated by the Priest daylie in the Church And this in respect of the thing offered which is Christ differeth not from the sacrifice of the crosse because in both sacrifices the same Christ the same bodie and blood of his is offered though in other respectes they differ because that of the crosse was a bloodie sacrifice this vnbloodie that was offered in it's owne forme this in the likenes of bread wine that was a reall mactation and killing of Christ this mysticall onelie that was our Redemption this an application onelie of it that was an vniuersall cause of all grace and remissiō of sinnes this is a particular cause as Baptisme is vvhich determineth the vniuersall cause to determinate effectes that impetrated grace by its ovvne vertue this by vertue from that that because it vvas a bloodie sacrifice and contained the full price of our Redemption vvas offered but once because a bloodie sacrifice is but once killed a ransome or Redemption is but once payed this because it is a mysticall mactation and an application onelie of that price of our Redemption is oftentimes offered That vvas offered immediatlie by Christ this novv immediatlie by his Priest at the holy Altar 12. This veritie of the vnbloodie sacrifice Catholique vvriters doe prooue by all those kind of arguments as I my selfe haue in some bookes of myne by vvhich the greatest mysteries and articles of our faith are prooued as by Scriptures Councels fathers and practice of the Church but because I intend in this my Paraphrase to abstaine from controuersies and onelie to stirre vp sinners to repentance I vvill omit all such argumentes and vvill returne to our penitent king and Prophet And vvhy Dauid doest thou so much desire that the vvalles of this Hierusalem and the temple of the Church of Christ should be built out of my zeale saith he of God his greater glorie and saluation of others for then saith he shalt thou accept sacrifice of iustice then and not before shalt thou accept the bloodie and vnbloodie sacrifices of the sonne of God the true sacrifices of iustice because the bloodie sacrifice satisfied thy iustice in paying the price of our redēption the vnbloodie applieth the price then by these sacrifices thou shalt be infinitlie more honoured then by all the sacrifices of the old lawe then thousands more both of Ievves and Gētils shall be saued then vvere in the old lavv then shall be layd on thy Altar not calues and oxen but the sacrifices of thy sacred bodie and blood the verities of those figures 13. In a tropicall or morall sēse Hierusalem the temple doe signifie the soule of man and in this sence Dauid desireth that the walles of his Hierusalem the forces of his soule lost by sinne may by grace be repaired Desire thou also ô penitent sinner vvith this penitent king and Prophet that the forces of thy ruinous Hierusalem of thy soule cast downe by sinne may be repayred that faith the foundatiō of this spirituall temple may be renewed if it be lost or strengthned if it be not lost that the walles of thy hopes by which this Hierusalem and tēple riseth and is raised may be erected fortified that Charitie the toppe and roofe may couer it that this temple may be cleansed from all sinne and that by all Christian vertues it may be adorned by God his grace and guiftes of the holie Ghost embellished and that in it daylie spirituall sacrifices of prayer praise thankesgiuing of a contrite heart of all good workes may be offered to God his honour glorie 14. Lastlie in the Anagogicall sense Dauid desireth that the walles of the celestiall Hierusalem may be built that is that the Heauēlie Hierusalē ruined in part by the falle of Lucifer and his rebellious followers may be repayred and their seates filled For he knew by faith that there vvas a Hierusalem in Heauen farre more glorious then that in earth Apoc. 21. and vvhich by S Iohn his description is built of no vvorse materialls then pearles gold and pretious stones thereby signifying the splendour riches and maiestie of it S. Paul calleth it a mount Sion Heb. 12. the Citie of the liuing God Heauenlie Hierusalem and the assemblie of many thousand Angels the Church of the first borne vvhich are vvritten in the Heauēs This is the true Hierusalem that is the true vision of peace vvhere all seeing God face to face doe all peaceablie aggre in louing praising honouring and seruing him 15. In this Hierusalem euerie Saint and Angell is a liuing stone which cōposeth buildeth vp this Citie euerie Saint and Angell is a courtier of this Court euerie Saint and Angell is a miniō and fauorit of the Heauenlie king euerie Saint and Angell is a Quirester of God his Chappell euerie Saint Angell is a king of a kingdome of no lesse extent then the Kingdome of Heauen 16. In this Heauenlie Hierusalem there is peace vvithout vvarre securitie vvithout feare contentement vvithout disgust satietie without glutting ioy vvithout sorrow rest with without labour light vvithout darkenes morning without euening day vvithout night spring without the falle of the leafe summer vvithout vvinter youth vvithout old age health vvithout sicknes life without death happines vvithout miserie and one happier then an other vvithout all enuie because euery one reioyceth in an others happines as if it vvere his ovvne no sinne against God all iointlie louing him no falling out vvith one an other because all in God doe loue one another and no end of this felicitie but a perseuerance in all this for all eternitie O vvorld
diuine sight 8. But although this sacred bloud and passion of Christ be the generall cause of all remission of sinnes yet there are many other particular causes which in vertue of that doe also remitte sinnes as Baptisme and other Sacraments in the new Lawe and the water of contrition in all Lawes And this lauer of Christs bloud Dauid by faith forsawe and desired to be washed and bathed in it and to be cleansed frō the filth of sinne by it 9. We are defyled in generall by twoe sinnes to witt originall and Actuall or personall sinne and because originall sinne is contracted not by our owne personall acte or will but by the will of our first parent Adam Rom. 5. in whome as S. Paule saith All haue sinned therefore to wash out the fylth of this sinne no personall acte of ours is required as children are not capable of any such acte but in the Lawe of nature the faith of the parents manifested by some externall signe was sufficient in the Lawe of Moyses circumcision and in the new Lawe Baptisme doth suffice But because our actuall sinnes are committed by our owne proper Willes a lauer and Baptisme of contrition called by the Diuines Baptismus flaminis baptisme of the Spirit was euer in all Lawes necessarie And for this water Dauid cryed when he sayd Wash me more amply from myne iniquitie 10. And almightie God out of compassion of the thirst Dauid suffered in this kind stroke the rocke of his stony hart hardened by sinne and made the waters of contrition to gush forth in that aboundance and with that impetuositie that he saith in an other place Psal 118. myne eyes haue gushed forth issues of waters and he will not weepe once onelie for his sinnes he will weepe day night and this lauer of teares where in he desireth to wash his soule shall not be a torrent which runneth impetuously but for a tyme it shall be an euer running fountaine Psal 6. for saith he I will euery night wash my bed I will water my couche with teares See Genebrard on this Psalme And the Hebrew text by an hyperboly explicateth yet more the aboundance of his teares for whereas our vulgar Latin text hath Lauabo per singulas noctes lectū meū I will euery night wash my bed The Hebrew hath natare faciam I vvill make my bed swimme with the floudes of my teares S. Marie Magdalen though beautifull in body by sinne vvas become so lothsome a creature in soule and in the sight of God that she durst not looke Christ in the face but Standing behind besides his feete Luc. 7. began to vvater his feete vvith teares yet being bathed in this water she became as white as driuen snowe S. Peter what a sinne did he wash away by this lauer He had denied his master Christ Iesus three tymes and not at the threatning of a Tyrant but at the voice of a wooman and she a wench an hand-maid and he had also abiured him Mat. 26 Mar. 14 Luc. 2. with oathes curses most vnworthely and vngratfully considering his masters loue vnto him and yet goeing forth and weeping bitterly this great sinne vvas vvashed so cleane avvay as if it had neuer been 11. Say then ô sinfull Wighte vnto thy mercifull God If Dauid Manasses Marie Magdalene other great sinners haue been vvashed cleane frō their sinnes why should I dispare to be vvashed from the filth of my sinnes I Confesse that I am a great sinner and cōsequently defiled and polluted from top to toe but I desire thee ô Lord to vvash me in the vvater of contrition vvhich hath vertue from thy bloud for then I make no doubt to be cleansed I cry ô Lord vvith Hieremie the Prophete Who vvill giue vvater to my heade Hier. 9 and to myne eyes a fountaine of this vvater that I may vveepe day and night For lesse vvill not serue to vvash my defiled soule 1. Par. 11. I cry vvith Dauid ô that some man Christ Iesus God and man vvould giue me vvater of this cisterne of Bethleem Gen. 6. This vvater of contrition is an other Noes floud vvhich drowneth sinnes and saueth soules to vvhich vvater if the sinners of the world at that tyme had had recourse they had neuer beene drowned in the deluge It is an other redde sea Exod. 14. redde vvith the bloud of Christ from vvhich it hath its vertue which drowneth the Egyptiās the deuill all his hellish troupes of sinnes but saues soules and the true Israëlites by vvhich out of Egipte that is out of the state of sinne vve passe to the land of promise heauen the home of our soule and the land of the liuing and blessed This vvater is distilled in the limbecke of our hart by the Holy Ghost the fyer of charitie vvhich maketh it to ascende to the eyes and thence to Heauen because it is Ioan. 4. Aqua saliens in vitam aeternam vvater vvhich stringeth to life euerlasting 12. O Lord I demaund not vvith thy blessed virgin-mother for wine for the Bride I cry onelie for this vvater that vvasheth away the fylthe of sinne cooleth the heate of concupiscence mollifieth our stony hartes and like an heauenly raine maketh fertille the soyle of our soule and causeth it to bring forth the florishing plantes and sweete herbes and flowers of all māner of vertues which setteth a new glosse on our soule and maketh the Image of God therein engrauen to appeare most amiable to God and his Angels and Saintes asswageth God his ire indignation and extinguisheth the fyre of hell Giue me this vvater ô Lord and I shall esteeme it aboue the most precious vvines It shall be meate and drinke vnto me and I shall say vvith our Royall Prophet Fuerunt mibi lacrymae mea panes die ac nocte Psal 41. my teares haue been breads vnto me day and night the gratefull refection of my soule 13. And giue me ô sweete God a vvaterie ground aboue and a vvaterie beneath Iudie 1 as Axa asked of Caleb Water I beseech thee vvith this water of contrition not onelie the eyes of my bodie but also the eyes of my foule and not onelie the inferiour parte of my soule but also the superiour If the eyes of my soule superiour part be vvatered vvith this heauenlie vvater it is sufficiēt although the eyes of my body should be drye but I desier thee to vvater both that not onelie my hart and eyes of my soule may weepe but that also the eyes of my bodie may gush forth vvith teares for that one helpeth the other many tymes the sorrovv of the superiour part redounds to the inferiour and vvhen the hart sorroweth the eyes shed forth teares I desier not teares for temporall losses I defier to behold them vvith drye eyes and if I should vveepe neuer so much for such losses vveeping would not helpe me giue me grace to weepe
me did crooken my soule made it looke dovvne to the earthlie pleasurs not vpward to thee and to the blisse of Heauen Giue me therefore ô Lord the former seuen Spirites and guiftes of the Holie Ghost vvhich are right Spirites and vvhich doe put my soule in a right posture tovvards thee Heauen and doe make my soule in all her actions to ayme principallie at thee and thy honour and doe eleuate her to Heauen by contemplation by which shee conuerseth in Heauen with thee and thy-Angelles and Saints Engraft this Spirit in me ô Lord and then as the graft of a peare tree grafted on a thorne tree beareth not thornes but peares so this spirit grafted on the thorne of my carnall and corrupte nature vvill make me henceforth to beare not the fruites of the flesh but of the spirit This is the right spirit I desire to haue for my guide and conductour and directour in all my actions In this thy spirit now is all my delight not in the spirit of the vvord or flesh and how good and sweete is this thy spirit Sap. 12. ô Lord in all 10. And I beseech thee sweet Lord to renew and innouate this spirit this right spirit in my bowels Permit not the spirit of Hypocrisie to dominere in me because that spirit doth all to the outward shewe and hath a faire outside but a fowle and filthie inside That spirit mooueth to fast to seeme holy to pray to seeme deuout to giue almes to seeme charitable but I desire a spirit which may worke inwardlie vvhat it sheweth outwardlie and therefore I desire it maybe innouated in my entralls in my heart that vvhen I pray it may not be with lippes onelie but vvith heart also vvhē I giue almes it may not be out of a desire to please men but out of charitie and compassion to please God O Lord giue me this right heart this right and invvard spirit for if the spirit of my heart be right all my actions vvill be vpright not crooked nor bēding to the world If my heart be cleane all my cogitations purposes and euen my outvvard actiōs will be cleane but if the hearte be crooked or vncleane all my actions vvill be crooked and vncleane because if the fountayne be muddie the riuer can not runne cleare if the roote be poysoned the bowes and fruites vvill be infected will infect If my heart be dead all my actions euen the best vvill be dead and not meritorious of life euerlasting but if my heart be liuing by the life of grace all my good vvorkes vvill be liuing and meritorious And seeing my former heart ô Lord was vncleane by sinne crooked by a crooked spirit tending to earthlie thinges yea vvas dead by mortall sinne which depriued it of the life of grace giue me a cleane heart fit for thee to dvvell in giue me a right heart vvhich may allvvaies ayme at thy glorie giue me a liuing heart vvhich liuing here by grace may liue in Heauen by glorie the fruite and haruest of the seed of grace Ne proijcias me à facie tua Spiritum Sanctum tuum ne auferas à me Cast me not avvay from thy face and thy holy Spirit take not from me Aug. l. 1. de libero ar cap. 16. lib. 2. c. 19. lib. contra Socundinum Manich c. 15. 1. SInne if it be mortall is an auersion of our vvill from God the Creatour and an inordnate conuersion of the same to the Creature it is a scornefull turning of the backe to God and a loving turning of the face to the creature it is a disdainfull farewell to the creatour a freindlie vvellcome to the creature And this vvere enough to cause God to turne his face from vs because vve by sinne doe turne our faces from him and our backes to him I ô Lord saith Dauid in a former verse desired thee to turne thy face from my sinnes that is so as not to be displeased with them novv I desire thee not to turne thy face from my selfe my person My sinnes are no creatures of thine but vglie monsters of my peruerse vvill and therefore thou hast cause to turne thy face from them and not to daine these viperous broods thy good looke or fauorable countenance but I my selfe though I be a sinner by myne owne malice yet I am thy creature by thy goodnes and seeing Thou louest all thinges that are Sap. 11. hatest nothing of those thinges which thou hast made yea thou sparest all because they are thine And especially thou louest soules reasonable creatures I hope thou vvilt not turne thy face from me but looke on me vvith a louinge aspect Thou hatest not the Diuell but for his sinne and vvere it not for that thou vvouldst loue him Hate then ô Lord my sinnes for I also doe hate and detest them with thee auert thy fauorable countenāce from them for I also through thy grace can not afford them a good looke But hate not me I am thy handworke and thy master-peece after the Angells hate not me I beare thy liuelie image which thou canst not hate it so liuelie representing thy selfe Hate then my creature my sinne but not thy creature auert thy face from my sinnes but cast me not from thy face conuert thy selfe to me that I may be conuerted to thee I could of my selfe auert my selfe from thee but I can not conuert my selfe to thee vnlesse thou by thy grace conuert me 2. Heretofore it vvas a pleasure to me but ô the novv displeasing pleasure to be auerted from thee and conuerted to thy creatures vvhich I loued in ordinatlie because aboue thee aboue thee because against thy commaundements but novv thy grace hath made a great mutatiō in me Psa 76 this is mutatio dexterae excelsi the change of the right hand of the Highest novv it is the greatest corrosiue to my heart to be auerted from thy face in vvhich the Angells take delight and it will be my greatest comfort if thou vouchsafe to turne thy benigne countenance to me and not to cast me away from thy face The aspect of thy countenance the verie turning and cōuersion of thy glorious face to me is a torch and light vvhich illuminateth my way and keepeth me from stumbling and falling it is the sea starre which directeth my nauigation it is the piller of fire vvhich leadeth me by night the cloud vvhich guideth me by day through the desertes of this life Gen. 13 to Heauen the land of promise 3. I heretofore vvhich now I rue tooke a fall by sinne from thee ô God from thy grace fauour frō Heauen into the depth of sinne and if thy mercifull hand had not holden me into the pit of Hell but now that by thy grace the effect of thy benigne coūtenance I am risen let me not fall againe now that by the light of thy face which is thy grace I am directed
hatred vvhich he committeth him selfe but also to carnall sinnes vvhich he can not coÌ„mitt though he be guiltie of them in inticing vs. And I ô Lord doe ingeniouslie confesse that I haue beene the Deuills Agent in prouoking others to sinne either by persuasion or euill example by vvhich I haue offended thee ruined them and by the same sinne haue runne myne ovvne soule through to vvound them In this Kind preachers of false doctrine and Princes and superiours vvho coÌ„mand or persuade their subiectes to sinne doe offend and vvho not by euill example 5. Wherefore I ô Lord as heretofore I haue cooperated vvith thy professed enemie the Deuill to peruert others thereby to ruine their soules so hereafter I will serue no such master I will be no instrumeÌ„t nor AgeÌ„t nor factour for him but as I am sorrie for the sinnes past by which I haue offeÌ„ded thee and cooperated with him to the spirituall ruine of my neighbours soule so hereafter if it may please thee to giue me the grace I will be thy instrument thy factour and coadiutour will labour with thee and vnder thee for the conuersion of soules 1. Cor. 3 6. It is a greate sinne by persuasion or ill example to peruert others it is to cooperate vvith the Deuill it is worse then Dauids murder of Vrias because that killed the body this the soule And contrariewise to cooperate vvith God as his instrument and Minister to the conuersioÌ„ of sinners is the noblest office imploiment that can be It is the verie office of CHRIST IESVS the sonne of God who came not to call the Iuste but sinners to penance Mat. 9. Luc. 5. 1. Tim. 1. and as S Paule saith came into this world to saue sinners and therefore he was Incarnate borne liued 33. yeares amongest vs taught vs exhorted vs by wordes and deedes wrought miracles to confirme what he sayd and at length suffered and dyed for sinners and had not beene man S. Tho. 3 pâ—â— 4.1 art 3. nor had desceÌ„ded from Heauen to earth but to saue sinners For as S. Augustin saith nulla fuit causa veniendi Christo Domino Aug. 〈◊〉 9. de verbis Apost nisi peccatores saluos facere tolle morbos tolle vulnera nulla est causa medicinae There was no cause of Christ his comming but to saue sinners take away diseases take away wounds of sinne and there will be no cause of a medicine In this we doe Gods will and pleasure who of him selfe will all men to be saued 1. Tim. 2. and to come to the knowledge of the truth For saith he by his Prophet Ezechiel why is the death of a sinner my will Ezech. 18. and not that he conuert from his wayes and liue 7. This worke of the conuersion and Iustification of a sinner Aug. tract 72. in Ioan. to 9. S. Th. 1. 2. q. 113 art 9. is greater then the creation of the world because creation had for its effect this world which is a thing naturall Iustification of a Sinner hath for its effect grace which is a thing supernaturall that is nature this aboue nature that is temporall for Heauen and Earth shall passe in respect of their state qualitie Matth. 24. this of it selfe eternall because it is the seede of glorie which is eternall that is a participatioÌ„ of God as he is Authour of nature this as he is Authour of grace that ordaineth vs to God as he is our naturall end this as he is our supernaturall end and as creatioÌ„ is of nothing so the iustification of a sinner is of no merit of his And although glorie glorification be absolutlie greater theÌ„ the IustificatioÌ„ of a sinner because glorie is greater then grace yet glorie is giuen to the iust vho deserue it by their merites the grace of iustification of a sinner is giueÌ„ to him that deserueth it not and so is a greater guifte fauour because not deserued And although creation iustification glorification be all great workes and doe argue Gods infinite power yet the Iustification of a sinner is a worke of greater yea greatest mercie It is a greater worke to coÌ„uert a sinner theÌ„ to raise a dead man to life because by that miracle a dead body is raised to a teÌ„porall life onely by the conuersion of a sinner the soule is raised from the death of sinne to the life of grace which causeth life euerlasting if by our fault we doe not loose it 8. Seeing then ô God thou hast wrought so great a worke as is the conuersion of a sinner not onely in Dauid but as I hope in me also I will hereafter say so ô penitent sinner to shew my selfe gratefull for so greate a benefite teach with Dauid the vniust thy wayes and I will endeauour to conuert the impious vnto thee They that haue liued in captiuitie doe most coÌ„miserat captiues and prisoners they that haue liued long in banishement take greatest compassion on the banished they that haue beene greeueouslie sicke doe take most pittie on the sicke And I who haue beene a great sinner who haue experieÌ„ced the miserie and dauÌ„ger sinne bringeth with it will hereafter take compassion on sinners I will enflame my selfe with Dauids zeale of soules Ps 68. 3. Reg. 19. This zeale of soules did eate Dauid and coÌ„sumed Elias it shall consume me for I will employ my selfe my taleÌ„tes my labours my endeauours and all I am and haue for the conuersion of sinners 9. This zeale of soules Greg. Hom. 12. super Ezech. as S. Gregorie saith is a most pleasing sacrifice to God it is an holocaust because it consumeth all we are and haue to gaine soules It is Dionys lib. de Eccles Hier. as S. Dionysius the Areopagite saith Diuinorum operum diuinissimum of all the Diuine workes the most Diuine The coÌ„uersion of soules was the office of the sonne of God of his Apostles and all Apostolicall men who haue consecrated themselues to the conuersion of Countries it shall be my office whilst I liue for if I can not cooperate to the conuersion of sinners vvith CHRIST IESVS the principall Sauiour and conuertour of them by preaching teaching or writing of bookes as the Apostles did and as Doctours Pastours the learned ought to doe I will at least doe my indeauour herein by my couÌ„sell good examples knovving that he which maketh a sinner to be conuerted from the errour of his waye Iacobi 5. shall saue his soule from death and couereth a multitude ofo his owne sinnes Dan. 12. Knowing that they who instruct others to iustice shall shine as starres vnto perpetuall eternities This is now my mynd this mind by Gods grace I will carrie to my dying day Libera me de sanguinibus Deus Deus salutis meae exultabit lingua mea iustitiam tuam Deliuer me from bloodes ô God the God of my saluation and my tongue shall