thee 17 O what an acceptable sacrifice before thee is a broken and contrite heartâ— and an humble heart that acknowledged his sinne thou wilt neuer reiect for if it will come vp vnto thee it must first come downe and if it will touch the heauen it must first crawle vppon the ground if it will haue thee to heare it it must fyrst be silent and if it will be crowned in thy kingdome it must fyrst be beaten and scourged in the world These are the Sacrifices O Lord wherewith wee must be reconciled vnto thee and enter into couenant as thou hast set it downe vnto vs. 18 But if it be thy pleasure ô Lord that we shall offer bulls and bullocks vnto thee and perfume thine Aulters with the bloud of beasts if thou wilt that we by the death of an innocent burnt offering should represent vnto thee the death and innocencie of him whome thou hast destined to redeeme our soules If the figure of that which should come in the person of the vnspotted lambe doth please thee by the killing of Weathen and Sheepe looke then with pitie vppon thy poore people comfort thoâ— desolate Syon and encourage her poore enhabitants to the end they may set vp againe the walls of thine holie Citie and reedifie thy Temple not according to that equall proportion O Lord which thou deseruest but according to the wealth and industrie that the poore world can possibly affoord 19 Thither shall come from alâ— parts thy faithfull in great multitudesâ— to offer vp sacrifice vnto thee and there shall the expiation and purging of their sinnes be acceptable vnto thee But it shall neither be the death of beasts that shall wash away their spots for the cleansing of their disobedience and preuarication was prepared from all eternitie This is an inestimable sacrifice a burnt offering without spot which shall drawe away the curtayne disperse and destroy the darkenesses breake downe the wall or hedge that we may see the truth of our saluation face to face make the beames of his diuine mercie shine vpon vs and reassociate vs vnto the communion of that euerlasting blisse which we willingly haue renounced O most mercifull God which hast vnseeled the eyes of mine vnderstanding to see the misterie of my saluation make me O Lord to taste the excellent fruite which flourishing vppon the tree of the Crosse shall with the iuice thereof quicken and gene life vnto our dead souses preserue and warrant vs for euer from that ruine and calamitie which hath so miserably brought together the race of mankinde and ouerflowed them through their disobedience Lord heare my Prayer Psalme 102. I Haue ô Lord cryed and called vppon thee a long time for thy mercie and do yet looke for ayd and help from thee The ayte is filled with my cryes The winds haue carried the voyce of my dolor and griefe euen vnto the vttermost parts of the world and thine eaâ—e which heareth and vnderstandeth whatsoeuer is done in the bottomlesse pit of hell doth not yet heare and vnderstand my prayer which reacheth and beateth the very heauens Wilt thou therefore be deafe only vnto meâ— and shall all the world heare me saue thy selfe alone No no my God thou hast ouer-long stretched out thine armes now to reiect mee when as I come vnto thee for refuge 2 And now that I feele a thousand and a thousand sorrowes and that miseries assayle me on euery side do not turne thy backe vpon me ô Lord. Alas haue I setled my whole power and strength vpon the sweet countenance of thy face Haue I diuorced my selfe from the world to the end I might drawe neere vnto thee and haue I forsaken the children of the world that I might ioyne my self vnto the master of the heauens and wouldest thou now forsake me O Lord deale not so with me but assist mine infirmitie all the dayes of my life 3 Let my voyce no sooner cry and call vnto thee my God but that I may also soone feele thee and let thy grace descend as speedely vppon me as an Eagle hasteth her selfe to ayd her yong on s For if thou assist me not what maner of sight shall I be able to make against the enemies of my soule 4 My strength and life would dayly vanish away as the light smoke doth in flying in the ayre for the eye which seeth it goe out of the fire seeth it also forthwith consumed and in a moment accompanied both with his originall and his end and if any should aske what is become of it there is not one that can so much as tell where â—he trace only of it is to be found He that hath seene the loppings of wood wither in the sunne and loose their strength and verdure hath also seene my poore bones become both drye and consumed meete for none other thing but for the graue The graue yea surely the graue which is the happiest thing that can betide me if so be so small a pit may be able to stay the violent course of mine extreame misery 5 Who soeuer he be that hath seene grasse cut downe and tanned with the Sunne in the field and lose the coulor and wither and looke vppon my gastly and deadly face he would thinke that I were able to make death afeard Mine hart is parched within mine entrailes and my bloud drieth vp within my vaines for I remember not to put bread into my mouth and do still forget to eate my meales 6 My mouth serueth me for none other purpose but to cry out lament and the ordinary voice of my griefe is so strong as that it draweth after it all the rest of my strength Now if so be that my body being so extreamely full of heauinesse consume it selfe by little and little and my bones horribly sticke through my skinne what cause haue I to take care for the sustayning of this miserable body of mine which is the matter and substance of all my miseries Wherefore should I be watchfull for the conseruing of this life of mine which wrestleth against so many enemies and is cast downe with so many afflictions Were it not much better for me in ending my life to make also therewith an end of all miseries 7 Is the Pellican more full of greefe then I who liuing in the most solitary deserts of Egipt tormenteth her selfe for the killing of her yong ones and washeth them in her owne bloud to restore them to life which she had taken from them Is her sorrow greater than mine Hath nor my sinne procured the death of the child whome I more dearly loued then my selfe And now that I haue dried vp all my teares the bloud will gush out of mine eyes for feare I should be voide of teares in so lamentable and cursed a case But the Pellican hath redeemed with her own bloud the price of her yong ones and I most miserable wretch that I am shall be depriued for euer of the child which I so
life hath ouercome death and hath freed and cleared them quite from thence 21 To the end O Lord that they might set foorth thy praise in Sion and preach thy louing kindnesse in Ierusalem And although euery one of them had an hundreth mouthes and their voices as lowd as thy thunder yet should they neuer be able to attaine and reach vnto the greatnesse of thy glory All the parts of the world conspire not nor ioyne not themselues together saue onely to represent in their motions a part of thine infinite power and goodnesse howbeit they neuer looke to come neere thereunto for they are more then bottomlesse depths which haue neither bottom nor yet brinke and therfore they must onely behold them a farre of 22 And therefore I most humbly beseech thee my God to be contented that thy people assemble and reunite themselues both in bodies and minds deuoutly to offer vp vnto thee that holy will which they haue to honour thee for the effect can in no wise other wise be able to come neare that which thou deseruest Accept therefore O Lord the humble submission of the kings of the earth which come before thee to yeeld vnto thee their homage and seruice due vnto thee as vnto their soueraigne chiefe Lord. They shall cast their scepters vnto the earth and their crownes at their feete and present for a sacrifice vnto thy maiesty their humble praiers and innocent consciences And I will be the first my God which will cast downe my selfe before thee to worship and serue thee with all mine heart to thee alone will I consecrate my spirit Quicken it therefore O Lord that being purified by the holy zeale of thy loue it may receiue in it selfe as it were in a cleare looking Glasse the image of thine incomprehensible excellency perfections feele in it self the reflexion of thy sincere amitie aswel as thine infinite goodnesse accompanied with the number of thine elect to be an inheritor with them in euerlasting life 23 Now I haue already felt my good God that thou hast enlightened my soule with thy grace and haue presented the fauour which thou wouldest shew vnto all the children of the earth Heretofore hath my spirit a far of takeÌ„ a note how thou proceedest for the deliuerance of the world but it hath beene afraid to die before such time as thou wert come and that is because thou hast heard it call vpon thee saying Tell me Lard how long the course of mine age shall be and when thou wilt end my dayes 24 Go not about O Lord to cut of the thred of my life the first or second winding vp of the spindle neither stay it ouer short in the middest of the course Attend my God vntill the time be come when thou must set open the treasure of thy graces to make an entrance for men vnto the largenesse of saluation or if thou hast at least appointed mine end and that my life cannot stretch so farre yet remember my posteritie and let him be borne of my race that must sanctifie the world by his comming 25 I right well know O Lord that at the first thou madest heauen and earth and whatsoeuer excellent thing we see here in this world to be the worke of thine owne hands 26 But all this shall come to an end euen as an old worne garment a man shall enquire what is become of it and there shal be no mention made thereof at all It was made and it shall be vnmade it had a beginnings it must haue an end But thou alone O Lord which hast beene from all eternitie shalt be alwaies one and the same For age time which consume all things serue for none other purpose but to confirme thine euerlastingnesse and to set foorth thy Deitie men see me to remaine heere vpon the earth for none other cause but to behold round about them thine incomprehenâ—…ble greatnesse on the one side and their infirmitie on the other side 27 A man changeth not his shire so often but the earth oftner changeth her inhabitants one putteth forth another and all is renued euen in a moment But thou my God art euen the same at this day that thou wast at the beginning Euery prouince of the earth hath a great catalogue of kings who haue there commaunded one successiuely after another but the heauens and the earth continually sing vnto vs that thou hast alwaies beene alone euer like vnto thy selfe and that neither the time past ne yet the time to come can any wayes alter nor change thee 28 Now my Lord although we must depart from hence yet do I not doubt but that I shall one day taste of that sweet fruite which shall heale this contagious disease of ours which our fathers transferred ouer vnto vs hauing eaten the fruite of death and of sinne For our children shall come after vs and therefore O Lord shew vs this fauour as to continue our posteritie from age to age vntill such time as we altogether shall appeare before thy face not to receiue sharpe and seuere iudgement but to enter by the merite and intercession of thy deare beloued sonne into the enheritance of the eternall blessednesse which shall be purchased for all thy faithfull by the adoption of thy sonne in the house of thy seruant Dauid From the depth of depths Psalm 129. FRom the depth of depths haue I cryed vnto thee my God being lost and buried in the most fearefull caues of the earth I â—aue called vpon thy name hearken â—nto my voice and heare my praier For all hope of succour is taken from â—e and I see nothing about me but â—orror and trembling and yet haue I â—ot beene discouraged and do waite â—or at thy hands that which thou hast â—romised to all such as shall liue in the â—eare of thy name and in the obediâ—nce of thy commaundements 2 Giue thou therefore O Lord a fauourable eare vnto mine heartiâ— praier If my sinne stand betweene thee and me to whet thee againâ—… mine iniquitie and to make thee contrarie vnto the praiers which I maâ—… vnto thee beate back the same wiâ—… the looke of thy mercifull eye or 〈◊〉 O Lord shut vp for a time the eyes 〈◊〉 thy iustice vntill such time as the eaâ—… of thy louing kindnesse hath receiueâ— my confession and the humble requeâ—… which I make vnto thee for grace Foâ— I come not before thee to braggeâ— mine owne iustification but of 〈◊〉 great louing kindnesse and benigniâ—… 3 If thou shouldest keepe a registâ—… of our sinnes and we come to an â—…dite before thee who were able 〈◊〉 God to abide thy seuere iudgementâ— For what day of life is there that haâ— not deserued a world of tormentâ—… Thou mightest draw out O Lord 〈◊〉 the paines of hell and yet the greateâ— part of my sins should go vnpunished 4 But although we haue mightâ— offended yet for all that thou ceasâ— not to receiue any sinner that commeâ— vnto
hart stirreth it selfe like vnto one walking with his nose lifted vp into the weather who through his retchlesnesse falleth into the botrome of a well hauing forthwith thereby beene amazed is incontinent void of iudgement falleth out with himselfe and tormenteth himselfe vntill such time as being come againe to his wits he knoweth both the place wherein he is and vnderstandeth the maner how he fell in and then beginneth by little and little to get vp againe vnto the top thereof and yet is scarslie able to note and marke the place whence he so easily fell 5 And so hauing called to minde as farre as I possibly could the memorie of things past hauing set before me in a deepe meditation the workes of thine hands and hauing exactly considered the perfection thereof yea and remembring the estate wherein thou hast created vs and besides setting before me him by whome I feele my selfe now as it were oppressed vnder the destruction of sinne I cursed in my self the houre wherein my mother conceiued me I abhorred the day which first opened vnto me mine eye lids whereby I might see heauen and earth witnesses of mine infirmitie and in the end finding nothing in the world that in this distresse might comfort and helpe me I at last addressed my selfe vnto thy most excellent maiestie 6 I fell on both my knees before thee I stretched out mine armes and hands vnto thee and my soule thirsting for thy grace waited with a great desire for the same as the chapping ground through heat looketh for a gratious and sweet showre in the hoatest daies of sommer 7 Make hast therefore vnto me O my God for I am already out of breath for loe mine heart fainteth and I am at the point of swound wilt thou stay vntill I be dead I am already so if thou make not hast for my sences do by little and little faile me my soule glideth gentlie out of me leauing my body without moouing and I am like vnto him who letting his foote bleede in the water looseth his life with his bloud without feeling the occasion or cause of his death 8 If thou O Lord holdest thy selfe aloofe from me and turnest thy face away I shall become like vnto those that go downe into the bottom of hell pale death will make my face looke wanne and my feeling to sleepe nay a worse thing then this will betide me my God for spirituall death will kill my soule make it horribly a feard and take from her the acknowledgement of thy singular goodnesse and the hope of grace which shineth in thy miracles as a bright shining starre in a duke night 9 Make me therefore O Lord in thy good time to vnderstand and feele the effect of thy mercy and when the sunne riseth in the morning vpon the face of the earth let then thy louing kindnesse rise vpon me for the enlightening of mine ignorance and leade me in the way of thy wyll But let it not deale with me O Lord as the sunne dooth who at his fall plungeth him selfe into the sea keeping away his light for a time from poore wretched and distressed men But let thy fauour and grace continually assist and defend mee and neuer depart more from me then my soule doth from my body for thy mercy is farre away more the soule of my soule then my soule is the life of my bodie 10 And therefore let thy mercie neuer forsake me but let her light direct my footsteps alwayes in thy wayes and leade me continually in the way which must bring me vnto thee For my spirit which hath run it self through the strange queaches of this world and strayed into the broad and thicke bushes thereof can neuer find out her tract againe but rusheth out at all aduentures and loseth both her path and also her payne going alwayes back from the abiding place whither she was determined to goe But I my God do alwayes attend thine ayd for it is from aboue that I looke for help 11 I am a captiue in the hands of the most cruell enemies of my life and therefore I most humbly beseech thee ô Lord to make haste to deliuer me I flye vnto thee for refuge receiue mee into thy protection Teach mee what thou wouldest haue me to do for thou art my God whome alone I am resolued now to serue And now away away from me deceitfull pleasure which heretofore hast bewitched my poore soule and poysoned my spirit thou hast with thy sweet delights fed me and made me with a little bait of hony to swallow a deadly potion which running through my members hath so astonished and mortified me as that there is no differēce betweene me and a dead man nay worse then that for it is not my body that is thus mortified but it is my soule wherin cōsisteth the principall matter both of this present life and also of the life to come 12 And therfore thy holy spirit must light vpon me to rewarme and fetch againe my dying soule and take it by the hand to quicken and set it in a safe place imprinting therein the image of thy righeuousnesse to serue her as a sauegard against all tentations which besiege her on euery side and threaten her destruction 13 Thou shalt come therefore and at thy comming shalt draw back my soule from tribulation and in shewing of me mercy shalt destroy all those that haue coniured against me And then shall my sorrow haue an end and theirs shall begin and the beginning of their sorrow shall neuer cease But as the streames comming out of the spring heads do still growe larger and larger vntill such time as they enter into the deepe Seas where is neyther brinke nor bottome euen so shall theyr miserie day by day encrease and in the end will heape vppon them extreame dolour and infinite distresse 14 And so shall all they perish which shall vexe my soule for I ô God am thy faithfull seruant whome thou hast remembred and wilt remember all those who in disdayne of my Lord haue thus shamelesly troubled mee They laughed at my miseries but now behold the season wherein they shall bewayle theirs Thy vengeance beginneth to waxe hoat against them and a man shall see them fall like vnto the leaues of trees in the beginning of winter O God what glorie shall I render vnto thy name and at what end shall I begin to set foorth thy prayse Shall I publish thy goodnesse in creating so many wonderfull works which are vnder the Sunne Thy wisdome in the conseruing of them Shall I preach abroad thy iustice in the condemnation and vengeance of the pride of the Angels the disobedience of men Shall I sing foorth thy mercy in the redeeming of those who by transgressing thy lawes haue cast them-selues downe headlong into the bondage of eternall death vnto what part of thy prayses may the sound tune of my voyce attaine reach Yea put the case that my voyce were
horror and astonishment in their countenances For extreame famine hath dried vp their flesh cold hath bereaued them their ruddy and smooth checkes sorrow and griefe hath wrinkeled their faces and the flower of their chastitie by the souldier insolently defaced hath couered all their faces with shame and dishonor And these are now no more but euen so many dead liuing For they liue altogether in sorrow and griefe Neither is there any thing that encourageth them more to liue then the same dolor which killeth them with very heauinesse and awakeneth them out of their bitternesse He. A dolor truly too too bitter and in very deede more bitter then soote to see them-selues carried in triumph by their greatest enemies to see them braue by our spoyles ritch by our great pouertie and mightie by our ouerthrow Thou hast ô Lord poured out thy heauie wrath vppon vs and madest vs feele how heauie thy reuengefull hand is Thou hast I beleeue gathered together all our faults into a bundell once for all because that when thou sawest them to be so infinite and worthie the like payne and punishment thou awakenedst thy selfe and hast discharged the arrowes of thy seuere iustice against vs. But ô Lord oughtest not thou to stay the course of our punishment in our owne persons and consume all thy torments vpon vs but must we also be tormented in the persons of our children and for the making of our miserie the greater to cause vs also to see theirs For wee were spoyled of our goods put out of our houses and led away captiue Wee thought that there was nothing as it were to bee feared more then death and yet now wee feare it not for it is sweet to those that are in miserie But our speedie and quicke calamitie to our great payne and griefe hath now ouertaken vs with newe miseries For wee haue seene goe before vs whole bands of our children fettered and carried captiue into Babylon there to serue our enemyes as bond-slaues Vau. Euen so hath Syon lost the flower of her youth and all the honor of her City is cleane gone She hath bene miserably torne all to rags and there is no whole thing left in her but sorrow griefe For the greatest and ritchest of her inhabitants were caried away by troupes and led into strange Prouinces as flocks of sheepe are driuen by dayes iourneys from market to market without geuing them any leaue to feed as they go They go with their heads and their eyes looking downe to the ground sighing most piteously And the conqueror followeth them scourging them with rods and they which dwell by the hye wayes sides as they passe laugh at their affliction and most iniuriously cry out vpon them Zain And as a fresh wound openeth againe the old ones euen so were their harts throughly pierced whereby they remembred their old sinnes and the punishment which their fathers suffered because they had forsaken the true seruice of God and geuen them selues ouer vnto their foolish passions They called also to mind how often they were fallen into their enemies â—ands when as God had left them O â—hou too too ouer late remembrance â—hou shouldest haue come a great deale sooner to haue turned them from their wicked and abhominable â—ayes and if they would not haue done it for Gods sake yet they should â—aue done it at least for feare of his fury which they had so often felt O late repentance which commeth after punishment suffred They were very poreblind that could not foresee this great trayne of miseries which followed their offences But alasse ô blind sinne thou doest thus bleare the eyes of thy friends and wilt not put them in mind of their repentance but â—hen it is all past time For Ierusalem hath turned her back vpon God and followed her owne concupiscences she hath made her a God of her owne pleasure and worshipped her owne delights She neuer once turned her eyes towards heauen vntill such time as she sawe her magnificence cleane vnder foote the whole world laughing at her shame making a scorne of her Sabboths and translating and altering of her sacrifices wherein she had so great confidence which could in very deeâ— serue her to no purpose because they were done with such polluted hands Heth. For to say truly Ierusalem waâ— nothing else but a sinke of sinne and filthinesse for from the highest vnto the lowest they were all most abhominable for she began to forget her God that was so fauourable vnto her and thereupon as one that was blinde she stumbled fell into all maner of wickednesse And after that she had groped about here and there at all aduentures she fell into this strange calamitie and then as many as heretofore were wont to reuerence honor her began forthwith to disdaine and looke sourely vpoÌ„ her For her shame lay opeÌ„ vnto the eyes of al the world was seâ— before euery man as a laughing stocke some asking her what was become of all her wealth some what was become of all her honor and there was neuer an honest womaÌ„s child which had not a gird at her In so much that she could do nothing else but weepe and being all ashamed and comfortlesse she was driuen to goe hide her selfe Thet. And wheÌ„ she saw her self alone and in what estate she stood she found her self from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foot to be most filthie and her garmeÌ„ts to be most beastly beâ—rayed with bloud and mire And as the Peacock when he hath spread abroad his tayle in looking at his feet letteth it fall downe agayne abating thereby his pride euen so hath she plucked downe her heart sorrowed within her selfe and cared no whit for death by reason that all things misliked her but chiefly and aboue all her poore and miserable life She was giuen to be altogether sad without hauing any bodie to comfort her For her friends had forsaken her or if they were neere about her it was to none other end but to afflict her Wherefore when as she found no help here vpon earth she lamentably lifted to her head vnto heauen with deep fighâ—s froÌ„ the bottome of her hart addressed her selfe vnto God and sayd O Lord hast thou not compassion vpon me in this my great affliction Seest thou not mine extreame misetie Surely there is none can saue me so well as thy selfe Come therefore if thou be the God of mercy and forsake not thine humble and old seruant for mine enemy setteth his foote vpon my throate and causeth me most shamefully to belch Come therefore ô Lord for my continuall iniury is thy shame and the outrage that is done vnto a seruant redoundeth to the mayster And therefore come ô Lord for mine enemy outrageth me beyond all measure and without all pitie Iod. He hath layd his bloudy hand vpon that which I accompted most deere and spared no whit of that which I made reckning off to be most
tenderly loued And I will also abandon both the day and the light and confine and limit my selfe within the most darke places that I can finde out euen as a shritch owle dooth that commeth not out of his hole all the while it is day light 8 I am continually kept waking still dreaming of my miserie and seeking to hide my selfe before such time as the in felicitie which runneth vpon me enforceth me And being altogether mated and out of heart I seeke after some corner to hide my selfe in euen as the wilde sparrow that flieth out of the raine and winde seeketh after some couert or sunne shine place to bathe and drie her selfe in 9 Mine enemies seeing me in this case and with such a countenance stand mocking of me therewith and cast my miserie in my teeth and they which were wont to make a great accompt of me in stead of sorrowing with me in mine afflictiō haue coniured against me What reckoning then should any man make of the wealth of this world and if he were able to get as great richesse and as many friends as were possible and then to haue his friends so traiterous and so double as to make little or no accompt of breaking their faith and promise 10 And surely my strength is decayed the flower beauty of my well coloured and smooth ruddy cheekes is quite cleane gone for I haue sowne my bread vpon the ashes and moisted my drinke with my teares And shall I for all this become a laughing stock vnto this infidelous generation 11 It is very true that I haue bene met withall before thy face in the day of thy wrath thou hast laid againe vpon me the arme of thy vengeance and am become therewith frushed in peeces Men haue had me in great estimation and honour and loe how I am now drest and dealt withall O vaine presumption vnto what steepe break-neck hast thou lifted me vp to make me leape such a leape Alas what did I finde in my selfe why I should conceiue in mine heart such an opinion of my selfe 12 As we see the shadow of the body by little and little decrease when as the sunne is risen aboue the same and reduceth it as it were vnto a small point euen so all so soone O Lord as thine anger is vpon me my life my goods and my greatnesse is by little and little dispersed and come to nothing in such sort as that loe I am like vnto the grasse that is tedded abroade without grace and colour which men cock vp to giue vnto the cattle to feed on and like vnto a great many goodly sweete smelling flowers bound vp in a bottle amongst a sort of thistles 13 But do I for all this lose my hope No no my God for thy power is infinite and lasteth for euer and thy mercie immeasurable which will spred it selfe ouer all such as shall trust in thee One age shall passe after another but the remembrance of thy goodnesse shall neuer haue end one generation shall succeed another but it shall be alwaies for the setting forth of thy praise and good dealing 14 Thou wilt one day my God awaken to haue mercie vpon Sion for the time of mercie draweth neare And loe I see it euen at hand The flouds and riuers powre not out so much clears water into the deepe sea as thy goodnesse will spred abroad thy fauour and grace vpon the face of this earth Open your hearts yee people open your hearts I say for the liberall hand of my God will fill them with an holy zeale which will make thee farre purer and cleaner then the gold in the fining pot 15 Now the house of Sion O Lord is the refuge which all thy seruants looke for it is it which they so greatly loue and which they so earnestly desire it is it where they looke to finde mercy it is the temple O Lord which thou wilt destroy in three daies and raise it vp againe mother three that it may be the house of euerlasting life the seat of saluation the treasure of grace and temple of eternitie 16 Then shall all the nations my God be afraide and all the kings of the earth tremble at the brightnesse of thy glorie What corner of the world shall be so secret where the noise of thy blessed comming shall not sound and be heard where shall that people be so farre from the sunne so confined and limitted in darknesse as will not vnseele their eyes to behold the cleare burning brightnesse of saluation which will shine vpon them Yea heauen it selfe shall encrease his flames to giue light vnto this thine entrance into the world and the kings shall run from all places to do homage vnto the king of kings vnto the gouernor both of heauen and earth 17 For he hath set vp and aduanced his kingly throne vpon Sion in great costly array there shall he be seene wholy encompassed with glory darkning the Sunne and Moone with the brightnesse of his face 18 But why hast thou O Lord so highly exalted the throne of thy glory hast thou done it because thou wouldest not vouchsafe to heare the praiers of thy faithfull seruants And because thou wouldest make no reckoning of the whole world which in deed is nothing in respect of thy greatnesse Alas no my God Thou hast lifted vp thy self vpon an eminent place that all the inhabitants of the earth might see acknowledge thee and so run vnto thy grace and mercy for thou shouldest be alwaies ready to come at the humble summons of thy seruants neuer disdaine their pittifull petitions And behold them also standing as miserable offenders condemned vnto bolts shackles looking for the comming of some king that should set them free at the entrance into his kingdome Euen so ô Lord deliuer thou them who haue giuen themselues vp into the bondage of sinne and with the onely twinke of thine eye the mainacles shall fall from their wristes 19 Then shall they be all heard to sing a glorious song vnto the victorious king their voices shall be heard throughout al the corners of the earth and the remembrance of thy singular bountie and infinite mercy shall be engraued within the memory of men and so passe from age to age euen vnto the last posteritie The earth shall then be consumed all the waters dryed vp the ayre vanished and the heauens haue an end which shall as yet sing the glory of the eternall God 20 The eternall God who hath vouchsafed merely and ioyfully to cast downe his eyes from the highest hauens into the very deepest place of the bowels of the earth for the acknowledging of the torments of the miserable detained captiues in hell heard their groanes is himselfe suddenly runne thither to vnbinde and set at libertie his poore captiue prisoners and all their posteritie where death with the weapons of sinne had ouercome them and confined them in his most darke prisons But the God of