Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
death_n cross_n die_v sin_n 4,523 5 4.7646 4 false
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A07778 Three meditations vpon these three places of scripture, 1 Cor. 2.2 ..., Psal. 6.1 ..., Prov. 3.11,12 ... by Iohn Bulteel. Mornay, Philippe de, seigneur du Plessis-Marly, 1549-1623.; Bulteel, John, fl. 1683. 1627 (1627) STC 18156A; ESTC S916 33,704 172

There are 5 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

THREE MEDITATIONS Vpon these three places of Scripture 1 COR. 2.2 For I determined not to know any thing among you saue Iesus Christ and him crucified PSAL. 6.1 O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger c. PROV 3.11 12. My sonne despise not the chastisement of the Lord c. By IOHN BVLTEEL LONDON Printed by I. H. for Nathanael Newbery and are to be sold in Popes-head Alley at the signe of the Starre 1627. TO THE RIGHT Honorable the right vertuous and most truly Religious Lord Robert Earle of Warwicke Baron of Leeze c. Right Honourable IT is not without cause that the Apostle S. Paul did desire to know nothing but Christ crucified nor to glory in any thing but in his crosse because the knowledge of this is the substance and marrow of true knowledge for if we know Christ it is no matter though wee know nothing else but we know nothing if we know not Christ though we vnderstand all mysteries all knowledge which knowledge consisteth not in going on pilgrimage to the mount of Caluarie and beholding the place where Christ was crucified in Golgotha or to behold him in a wooden crucifix or in an image as the Papists do but as the Apostle saith to goe vnto him out of the campe not with bodily feet or with corporall eyes he is in heauen but with the feet of faith which represents things past as if they were present with spirituall eyes to behold his passion with compassion himselfe bearing his crosse and his crosse beares him he carrying the wood as Isaac wheron he was to be sacrificed as Noah carried on the Arke yea carrying the Arke to saue vs from the Floud of Gods wrath as Iacob bearing on his shoulder the ladder whereby we mount vp into heauen as Moses with the rod of his crosse ouercomming his enemies in the red sea of his bloud and sauing his people to behold the God of glory crucified betweene two theeues as the greatest sinner of all that hee might glorifie vs with Angels that diuine head at whose presence the very powers of heauen were wont to tremble that had heretofore a crowne of glory all to be crowned and pricked with a crowne of thornes That Angellike face defiled with the spittle of the Iewes bowing it his head to kisse vs. Those chrystall eyes once clearer than the Sunne beames bloudshed and cast ouer with the darknesse of death thirsting that he might shew his desire of our saluation his mouth so sweet full of Gall and Vinegar that he might satisfie for that deadly iuice which Adam sucked out of the forbidden fruit his hands and armes that framed and fashioned the heauens all bespred and distrained on the crosse on the left on the right side that hee might call all vnto him ready to embrace both Iew and Gentile naked but cloathed with charitie because of Adams nakednesse that we may bee cloathed with grace and glory his bloud gushing from him as the foure riuers of Paradise to water Gods Eden wash his Church with his bloud crying with feare that wee might cry in faith crying in the anguish of his soule in his feeling as if hee were left not of Angels or men that was but little but of God his Father crying My God my God why hast thou forsaken me At this voyce the earth trembled because it could not beare so great a burthen as the Crosse The Crosse trembled because it bare Christ Christ trembled and was in a bloudy sweat because he had so great so heauy and so insupportable a weight for first he bare our persons secondly hee bare our sinnes a great burden thirdly hee bare the floud of Gods anger and iustice powred on him for our sinnes At this most dreadfull cry which at once mooued all the powers of heauen and earth the Sun was eclipsed and that contrary to its course and custome which made a Heathen Philosopher to cry that either nature suffered or the world was at an end and mooued the Centurion to say Verily this was a iust man this was the Sonne of God the Sunne was eclipsed because it could not behold the Sonne of Righteousnesse not onely eclipsed with the interposition of the body of the earth of his humane nature but also eclipsed with the veile of his Passion yea the very stones were rent asunder and the graues were opened Euery creature saith S. Hierome suffereth with Christ at his suffering the Sunne is darkned the earth mooued the rockes cleaue asunder the veile of the Temple diuided the graues opened only miserable mansuffereth not with Christ for whom alone Christ suffered Lest therefore we shew our selues vnsensible vnthankfull and vnfaithfull let vs consider his passion with compassion with faith with admiration and as Saint Austin saith behold the wounds of patient Christ the bloud of him dying the price of our redemption consider what they are weigh them in the ballance of thy heart that hee may be wholly fixed in thy heart that was for thee wholly fastned on the crosse And in it consider the loue of God the Father the charity the humility the patience of God the Sonne who loued vs his enemies more than himselfe consider our sinnes and wounds which were healed by the precious balme of his bloud Consider Oman saith Bernard how great are those wounds for the curing of which the Lord Christ must needs bee wounded If these wounds had not beene deadly yea and to eternall death the Sonne of God would neuer haue died that he might cure them Besides we must crucifie our sinnes our members as Christ was crucified be crucified to the world the world crucified to vs he alone saith S. Hierom can glory in the crosse who takes it vp and followeth Christ who crucifieth his flesh his concupiscence So then we must crucifie our heart that it may die to wicked cogitations crucifie our hands so that they may haue no life to commit euill actions crucifie our eyes that they take no delight to gaze on worldly vanities crucifie our eares that they listen not to fruitlesse and friuolous words crucifie our tongue yea crucifie the old man that hath been a tenant so long and hath had his habitation in our bosome that he being dead hee may be carried to his graue that our soule may be infected no longer with his carnall impiety and that wee may no longer loue but loathe and for euer leaue his damnable company Besides the crucifying of the old man we must suffer and beare afflictions as pouerty crosses sicknesse temptations for what meruaile If God did afflict his Son for our sinnes if he afflict vs for our own and God had in the arke of the Couenant both Manna and the rod of Aaron shewing that as a Father hee nourisheth vs and as a Father hee chastiseth vs as his Sonnes and these afflictions are ensignes markes of his loue So saith Christ I reproue chastise those whom I loue So Iacob
haue carried skars of their villanies of gluttony whoredome and riot and borne their owne crosse which as bad Carpenters wicked men they haue he wen vnto themselues for it is not the marke nor the death but the cause that maketh the Martyr they as bearing the marke of the world the deuill and the flesh shall be cast into vtter darknesse but the faithfull bearing the markes and skarres of Christ shall triumph for euer For as the people of Rome would haue hindered Paulus Aemilius after his victory to triumph there was one that stood vp and made an oratiō in his behalfe in the midst whereof he cast open his gowne shewed before them the infinite skarres and cuts hee had receiued vpon his breast the sight whereof preuailed with the people that they all agreed in one granted Aemilius his triumph which he did in the sight of all the Romans and went to the Capitoll So God the Angels also beholding the reproaches banishments wounds yea death which wee haue endured for his sake being marked vpon our foreheads by the Angel and hauing the seale of the liuing God maugre the Deuill the flesh the world we shall triumph in the view of all the world in the high Capitoll of Heauen there liue eternally But lest I draw my lines beyond the limits of due measure and exceed an Epistle especially to such a small booke or shape Hercules shooe for a childes foot or make the gates walls too big for the Citty I here breake off These three soundly written by that reuerend Authour of blessed memory that worthy learned religious and noble Gentleman Mr. du Plessis I haue translated them and as Orphans and posthumes after their Fathers decease I haue cloathed them in a strange habit making them that spake French before to speake English which I presume to present to your Honor and publish thē in your name to the world that by your countenance vnder the wings of your Honourable protection it may safely walke abroad to the view and benefit of others and that it may be profitable to Gods Church it being no new fashion for those that publish any bookes whether of greater or lesser worth whether their owne or others vnlesse especially such workes wherein they haue beene translators to present them to great and worthy personages It were infinite to instance this point Now there are some reasons that haue moued me to dedicate this Posthume vnto your Honour First because great men are content and desire to reade great mens workes So the Eunuch of Candace did reade the Prophet Esaias of the Royall bloud and Kings and Princes doe reade the bookes of Kings and Princes Secondly because as this Noble man had his Motto Arte Marte So your Honour as Alexander may bee represented with a Horse and a Booke the one to signifie your desire to martiall indeuours the other your diligence and desire in letters Alexander had no sooner off his Helmet but he took in hand Homers Iliads So you delight not onely in Martiall actiuitie but fauour the study of good letters Thirdly because they are Orphans and haue need of a good and powerfull Patron in a forreine land and deserue to be beloued and protected for their Fathers sake as Mephibosheth for Ionathans Besides to whom doth a Treatise of godlinesse more fitly agree than to him that professeth godlinesse and hath the power of it dwelling in his heart or to whom should I commend the patronage of truth better than to him that is a fauourer and a louer of the truth and of such as loue the truth your true zeale and desire of the knowledge of Iesus Christ crucified your care to maintaine the honour of God your constant profession practise and defence of the same Truth and Religion which you haue beene borne and bred in to this may be added mine own desire to giue some testimony of my dutie to your Lordship which could not suffer me elsewhere to seeke the shelter of this Orphane volume not doubting but your Honour will accept it in good part Apelles drawing the counterfeit of Honour pourtrayed her holding in the one hand a starre in the other a stone teaching that although Noble mindes should reach as high as the skie yet they should not disdaine to looke as low as the earth The widdow in the Gospell offered a little mony the woman a little oyle to her Sauiour Artaxerxes accepted of a few drops from the hands of a poore Cynetas Mercurie vouchsafed to drinke of Philemons earthen pot Sigismond tooke a Pomegranate and Philip of Macedon accepted a bunch of grapes presented by a simple countreyman and his sonne Alexander did parua libenter accipere all of them did rather consider the mind of the giuer than the gift I know your Honour will kindly accept my small Mite if you ballance it with the willingnesse of my minde If you iudge them worthy vouchsafe your Patronage if not your pardon at least your gracious and fauourable acceptance Thus crauing pardon for my boldnesse I cease to trouble your Honour not to pray for you the Lord establish your Honour in euery good word and make you rich in name and fame by your good works to his glory to the good of his Church to your euerlasting Honour in this life and eternall happinesse in the life to come Your Honours in all duty to be commanded in the Lord Iesus IOHN BVLTEEL A MEDITATION vpon the first of the Corinthians 1 COR. 2.2 For I determined not to know any thing among you saue Iesus Christ and him crucified THe Apostle S. Paul who had so much knowledge both acquired and infused brought vp at the feet of Gamaliel and most exquisitly instructed in the Law of God and since enriched as much as any other with spirituall gifts as of prophecie and of tongues 2 Cor. 12.4 yea a caught vp into Paradise where he heard vnspeakeable words which it is not lawfull for a man to vtter doth not propose to himselfe notwithstanding to know any thing or to propound any thing to the faithfull Corinthians saue Iesus Christ and him crucified Is it that he despised those great gifts of God powerfull instruments of his calling those vnspeakable mysteries that were reuealed vnto him vnto him onely of all the Apostles vnto him alone in all ages rauished vp so farre lifted vp so high and returned from thence to vs No God forbid On the contrary he knowes both the price and the poise thereof he can giue to God both thankes and glory and that elsewhere very often But hee knowes also how to counterpoise the mystery and the ministerie of the holy Gospell the word of the Crosse which hee so tearmes so eminent aboue all other that euen they doe seeme nothing to it 1 Cor. 1.18 All of them without this word vnprofitable and vaine profitable onely and solide as long and as much as they attend on it and serue it that
away our sins And comprehends himselfe Hereby perceiue we the loue of God because hee hath laid downe his life for vs. And S. Paul saith k 1 Tim. 1.15 16. This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners feareth not to adde with the same certainty of whom I am chiefe for this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Iesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a patterne to them which should hereafter beleeue on him to life euerlasting The which he saith elsewhere l 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I haue beleeued and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I haue committed vnto him against that day And it is that therefore properly which this great Apostle who did practise this knowledge in himselfe nameth to know Christ and himselfe crucified To know a thing is to know what it is it is to know it say the Schoolemen by its causes To know Christ crucified is to know that the eternall word the second person of the holy Trinity was made flesh in the fulnesse of time hath vndergone mans infirmities sinne excepted the reproach of the world in fine the death of the crosse But that sufficeth not hath vndergone I say all this by the eternall counsell of the Father with a voluntary obedience to redeeme mankinde sold vnder sinne lost in himselfe by himselfe to release the beleeuers those who imbrace him by a true faith from the paines of hell and make thē heires of life euerlasting Cerces this is a profound knowledge which comprehends all so that it is no meruaile that the Apostle will haue no other it is knowledge the knowledge of man yea the knowledge of God himselfe Hee that first among the Heathen said Know thy selfe was iudged the wisest most learned of all men And from thence the Philosophers haue propounded thousands of precepts Did they for all that goe further than to the skinne and the flesh did they teach them more than the cutting of the haire or paring of the nailes No truely therefore study thou me Christ crucified the eternall Sonne of God for man for his sinnes for thine owne sighing vnder the burden of sinne and of the curse and anger than followed it and crying to his Father in this agony Thou canst not chuse but enter from the contemplation of the horror of that death yea of his death into the consideration of the horror of sin yea of thy selfe so vile so enormous hainous that it could not ought not to be washed to be abolished but in and by the precious bloud of the Son of God A price infinite a crime therefore infinite man all crime And thence gathering thy spirits thou wilt descend into thy selfe consider thy selfe from top to toe from the body to the soule from the flesh to the spirit from sence to reason and consider the more nobler the parts the deeper the more mortall the wounds so that from this anatomy thou wilt be brought to acknowledge to protest with S. Paul that the whole vnderstanding the whole wisedome of the flesh of man considered in his nature is nought but death for m Rom. 8.7 the minding of the flesh that which in it seemeth to retaine most either of wholsomnesse or holinesse is enmity against God for it is not subiect to the law of God neither indeed can be consequently thou wilt detest thy peruerse nature contest against it In this contention thou wilt torment thy selfe and be discouraged yea and cry out n Rom. 7.24 Who shall deliuer me from the body of this death In a word thou wilt cast thy selfe groueling on the ground before the iustice of God to ery vnto him earnestly for mercy to vse violence to force him to it and then thanke him but I thanke God o Rom. 7.25 through Iesus Christ our Lord. And for what That p Rom. 8.1 there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus A necessary Science which thou couldest not haue learned in any booke but this not in the booke of nature the knowledge thereof puffeth vp but doth not fill as little in the booke of Ethicke morality that doth but palliate thy euill and so giues remedies which eate for a while but heale nor But by this Art which thou learnest thou comprehendest all thou apprehendest in one sole Christ crucified before thine eyes In his wounds learning yea feeling thine owne in his wounds both taking and applying the remedy of thine According to that of the Prophet q Isa 53.4 5. We did esteeme him brutish world stricken smitten of God and afflicted but he was wounded for our iniquities he was brused for our transgressions the chastisement of our peace was vpon him who makes atonement betweene God and vs giues peace to our consciences and with his stripes we are healed And therefore as hee giues vs here the root the bulke and body of this knowledge so elsewhere he shewes vs the branches r Rom. 7.18 20 23 I know that in mee that is in my body dwelleth no good thing euill present with me it dwelleth in me bringing me into captiuity to the law of sin which is in my members A knowledge deriued from the meditation of Christ crucified taken from the necessity whereby it forceth man to informe against himselfe from thence consequently to know and seeke the remedy thereof ſ Rom. 6.6 11. Wee know we that haue imbraced the crosse of Christ that our elde man is crucified with him that the body of sinne might be destroyed that henceforth wee should not serue sinne that we should be displeased with it renounce it and our selues And therefore he saith Reckon yee also your selues to be dead indeed vnto sinne but aliue vnto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. Corollaries and dependances of this first knowledge of Christ crucified for why was the Sonne of God crucified but for the sonnes of men Men sinners confected in sinne they themselues sinne Why such a remedy but for such a wound why descending from the highest heauens but to hale vs out of the bottomlesse pit Againe wee learne to know God better in Christ crucified than in all books than in whole nature Search narrowly and peruse diligently nature as Salomon did from the Cedar vnto the Hysope thou knowst nought r Rom. 1.20 but Gods greatnesse but his power yea examine fully all the parts of Philosophy thou knowest scarce his shadow On the contrary in this meditation thou entrest into his closet yea into his own nature There thou doest take notice to the full both of his infinite iustice and infinite mercy That in that he hates so much the euill sinne which is the true euill is so contrary to him that hee burnes it as the fire the stubble and because of it his creatures he cannot spare thē doth not abstaine from doing it But in as much as hee
saith he shall giue to drinke vnto one of these little ones a cup of cold water onely in the name of a Disciple verily I say vnto you he shall in no wise lose his reward Wilt thou now therfore see if in good earnest thou hast learned Christ crucified repeat thy lesson examine thy selfe what wouldst thou iudge of a neighbour who being nothing beholding to thee should take thee out of prison preserue thee frō danger of death and that by the death of his onely Sonne how wouldest thou thinke thy selfe beholding to him or what wouldest thou not doe for him wouldest thou spare thy selfe God therefore to whom already thou owest what thou art by creation infinitely offended with thy rebellions since thou wert to redeeme thee from hell from eternall death giues his eternall Sonne to the ignominie of the Crosse for thee And behold how this comparison is without comparison betweene God and man the Creatour and the creature betweene him that is offended and him to whom nothing is owing between hell and prison eternall death and temporall the eternall Sonne of God and the sonne of an ordinary man what proportion betweene good and euill the infinite and the finite the eternall and the feeble all and nothing Notwithstanding art thou called to suffer for the Name of God for Christs quarrell thou refusest him the life which thou holdest of him which thou retainest by none but by him this life miserable man that thou art in exchange whereof he imparts vnto thee life euerlasting Naythou repinest to hazaro I know not what goods to lose the least of thy plesures cōmoduies which shouldst and euery day thou dost it for a friend seeke all occasions by them if thou couldst to testifie thy gratitude with the price of thy bloud redeemed with his bloud And dost thou know then that Christ hath been crucified for thee this knowledge hath it made no impression in thy soule no not in thy skinne that thou darest not auow it whereof thou hast either feare or shame And if thou knowest it art thou not the worse for it or to interpret it more mildly is it not true thou dost not know it that it is but a heare-say to thee But it may be this lesson is too high for thee Some man therefore hath redeemed thee from prison by his Sonne hath saued thee both frō the guilt and punishment If thou hast not the heart and courage to die for him at least surely thou shouldst haue the hart and desire to liue to doe him good Yea what is there that thou wouldest not doe euen for those that belong to him for the least of them if thou didst meet them And thou seest the brethren of Christ his owne members freeze with cold faint with hunger at thy doore And dost thou withdraw thy selfe from thy flesh and from his wilt not know them Art thou thy selfe then a member of Christ insensible of his paines and dost thou know Iesus crucified his loue towards thee that hast none towards his owne and canst thou number thy selfe amongst those of whom the Apostle speaketh ſ 2 Cor. 8.9 Yee know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ that though hee was rich yet for your sakes he became poore that ye through his pouerty might be rich who in thy riches sufferest his poore members to die therefore remember that which Saint Iohn saith t 1 Ioh. 3.14 He that loueth not his brother abideth in death And beleeue that thou dost not yet beleeue aright for how canst thou be passed from death to life or how canst thou say that u 1 Ioh. 4.20 thou louest God whō thou hast not seene that louest not thy brother whom thou hast seene And how canst thou know or rather haue studied Christ crucified without knowing there his infinite charitie towards thee without being inflamed towards him to be so towards him and yet cold towards his brethren It may be thou hast better practised this knowledge in thy selfe hast in Christ crucified considered the horrour of thy sinne hereafter to walke not after the flesh but after the spirit to put on daily the new man and to put off the old man to conclude to liue to Christ who is dead for thee no more to the world no more to thy selfe Yea but whilst thou disputest and talkest Christ crucified thou dost abandon prostitute thy selfe more and more to thy vnsatiable lusts thou dost pollute this thy holy confessiō w th disordered profused words coūtenance and actions yesterday in sin to day in scandal to day out of the termes of modesty and to morrow into those of impudencie So that the night that should adde knowledge vnto the night addes blasphemie and insolencie Know thou that thou art farre from knowing Christ crucified though thou beest learned And if thou hast knowne him thou hast forgot him looke to it lest he forget thee for the master of this knowledge saith Yee are x Rom. 7.4 become dead my brethren to the Law by the body of Christ that yee should bee married to another euen to him that is raised from the dead And wherefore that we should bring forth fruit vnto God that heretofore did bring forth fruit vnto death Neither is it enough to know y 1 Tim. 3.9 the mystery of faith wee must hold it in a pure conscience For z Luk. 11.28 blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it And therefore let vs boast neuer so much of this knowledge a Rom. 8.11 If the spirit of him that raised Iesus from the dead saith the Apostle dwell in you hee that raised vp Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you He will be but a bad earnest though he dwell there though hee haue chose his mansion if we take pleasure to grieue him by our disorders And againe b Rom. 8.13 If you liue after the flesh yee shall die but if ye through the spirit doe mortifie the deeds of the body yee shall liue If on the other side we quench the spirit or drowne it in our pollutions the Apostle tels vs as he did the Ephesians c Ephes 4.20 21 22. Yee haue not so learned Christ if so be that yee haue heard him and haue beene taught by him as the truth is in Iesus that ye put off concerning the former conuersation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts But you are of the number of those d Ibi. v. 19. who being past feeling of paine of sinne giue themselues ouer vnto lasciuiousnesse to worke all vncleannesse with greedinesse To know therefore Christ in this manner yea crucified will it not turne to our condemnation who take pleasure to crucifie him Therefore let vs not think that the Apostle said little when hee determined not to know any thing among the faithfull saue Iesus Christ and him crucified To know
the curing of the soule But O Lord our paine continueth and notwithstanding when thou doest afflict vs is it not to rowze in vs the sense of sinne Well but now I feele it Is it not to breake our hearts Behold my heart is broken softned soaked in teares before thee Is it not to bow vs to repentance Why O Lord I am displeased in my selfe and with my selfe hereafter will I doe nought but please thee will not please my selfe but in thee And therefore my God why doest thou continue thy blowes thy blowes that doe no more visit but trouble my soule thy blowes which seeme to hold no more of thy mercy but of thine anger thy blowes which cast mee into despaire O Lord how long thus this flesh speaketh O Lord pardon it and it seemeth vnto it that it hath well spoken and thereupon the Deuill displayes his arguments Seest thou not that hee hateth thee and will destroy thee That he is a hard and strict Creditour And vnto whom doest thou crie Who is too much diuerted to heare thee too farre to hearken vnto thee vnto whom cry how long who is aboue yeares ages and times with whom a thousand yeares is as one day thy longings and languishings are lesse to him than a moment Certainly O Lord for all that how high soeuer thou art the most lowliest and humblest doe attaine vnto thee how much retired soeuer thou seemest to bee thou art neuer farre from the hearts of the afflicted So is it also O Lord that thy eternity makes thee not ignorant of the time and though thou art voyd of passion thou art not exempted from compassion towards thine Thou hast measured the time vnto thy great and small creatures thou canst therefore succour euery one of them in due time Thou shuttest vp our teares in the bottles our bloud in thy saucers thou knowest therefore when the phlebotomie is sufficient thou knowest when the repentance is come to its full period and issue Yea O Lord thy Apostle saith that to haue compassion on men thou becamest man to saue vs in time thou hast subiected thy selfe O eternall God vnto time It is therefore O Lord this flesh that flattereth it selfe that nameth her cries of griefe cries of repentance her conuulsions conuersions the tossings and vnquiet stirrings the anguish and impatient turnings of the body a turning of the body and soule to thee Certes O Lord my flesh abuseth it selfe it is in vaine it is in vaine that it thinketh it can turne to thee without thee 4. Returne O Lord deliuer my soule O saue mee for thy mercies sake Behold me O Lord and I will behold thee Turne vnto me O God and I will turne to thee for certainly if thou doest not conuert me I cannot bee conuerted and then wilt thou conuert mee when thou turnest thine eie the eie of thy mercies towards me a miserable sinner My God it is said that thou seest what is done that thou maist iudge the world I demand not that seeing it is the sight of thy prouidence which seeth alike all things and all men when thou punishest man-kinde it is said that thou dost behold them thou commest down to see what it hath done I demand not O God this viewing it is the aspect of thy iustice On the contrary enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for hee knoweth that no man liuing shall be iustified before this sight And notwithstanding O my God I haue need that thou behold me and if thou beholdest me not I finde my selfe lost both in body and soule I finde my selfe ouerwhelmed with griefe and sinne with griefe by reason of sinne O Lord let it be that looke wherewith thou beholdest thine owne thine owne for whom how few soeuer they be thou preseruest this world whereby also thou absoluest and iustifiest thy children thy children whom thou hast withdrawne from the condition and condemnation of this peruerse generation And this is that aspect of thy mercie thy good eye of thy good grace when thou doest behold vs in the iustice of thy Welbeloued who is made vnto vs righteousnesse and iustice iustice which makes thy mercie iust who will not nor cannot shew mercie but in iustice O Lord with that eye of thy mercie thou wilt deliuer my soule and wilt saue me for then my soule shall dislike it selfe and shall returne wholly towards thee to finde there its good But againe certes not for any thing that this aspect of thy mercie findes in me worthy thereof but because of thy mercie because of thine owne selfe for what is thy mercie but thine owne selfe O Lord saue me by thy mercie that is to say I know that with what good eye soeuer thou mayest behold mee thou canst see nought in me that may inuite thee to pittie nothing on the contrarie that causeth thee not to withdraw thine eye from me or to inflame thee with anger and furie against me I know it O Lord and I feele it I feele it and grant mee by thy Spirit that I may bee more and more sensible thereof But O Lord our goodnesse did not moue thee to make vs it was thine neither since to make vs anew by thy Christ it was thy goodnesse it selfe Saue vs therefore in thy Christ euen by that bountie and that by vs and in vs this goodnesse may be acknowledged and thou glorified who hast begotten vs and renewed vs created and regenerated vs for thy glorie to render thy goodnesse glorious and famous on earth Saue vs for that selfe same glorie 5. For in death there is no remembrance of thee in the graue who shall giue thee thankes O Lord the sinnes wee confesse it which are in the soule are causes of the euils which we endure here on earth And therefore said I Deliuer my soule deliuer my soule that is to say Forgiue me my sinne for it is the slauerie of sinne that bindes it For if the Son makes vs not free if he bindes not the strong enemie who hath vs in hold how shall wee euer see our selues set free and when he shall haue made me free I am assured that euen this bodie of mine shall finde some ease For what meant he when as he healing one sicke of the palsie said to him Sonne thy sinnes bee forgiuen thee but this namely that for the obtaining of this remission I must approach neere vnto thee with the conuersion of life and this conuersion cannot I bring vnlesse thou giuest it mee neither draw neere vnto thee if thou doest not draw me Therefore haue I said with the Prophet Turne thou to me and deliuer my soule and saue me that is to say Turne thou to mee and I will turne to thee and when I shall returne to thee thou shalt forgiue me my sinnes and shalt deliuer mee from all my euils So Lord finding my selfe wholly lost in my selfe I seeke for all in thee I aske of thee the knowledge of my sinne contrition conuersion remission