pleasing accepted of gratefull to God is a spirit a soule contribulated a troubled and afflicted heart not vnlike to a beast brought to be sacrificed vvhich is killed on the Altar vvhich bleateth belovveth and kicketh strugleth in his fall vvhich is vvrought by the sharpe violent instrument of knife and fire suffering in the same manner as vvill thy most blessed Sonne and hence is it that the lamentions the heauy teares of an heart contribulated much greiued ruminating seriouslie on it's offences in meane while praising our good Lord demandeth craueth his grace is accepted by him in place in lievv of a beast victimed offered vp in sacrifice The simple pure cleane sincere and sanctlie minde is alwaies readie through it's loue to suffer martyrdom death and that sacrifice vvhich God vvilleth such a readines of a sincere minde and purelie taken fullie enamored vvith true repentance not farther ouervvhelmed in vvickednes is that host that sacrifice vvhich doth reconcile man vvith God from a contrite and an humble heart God will neuer looke of or despiset but vvill not reguard oxen sheepe and lambes offered vnto him vvithout zeale and vvithout the teares and sorrovv of the heart And assure as anie thing can be true foretold infalliblie it vvill come to passe that the Messias to come shall say vvith a loud voice shall giue notice to the vniuerse to all the vvorld Bulls and beasts I haue at times receiued as sacrifices to me offered but the hearts and minds their pure and sincere meanings not alvvaies then my Lord since that I sacrifice my heart and my minde enritch me vvith thy mercie Through thy infinite goodnes be bountifull gratious and mercifull to Sion vvhich such name haue I giuen to the contemplation and speculation of them vvho though their desire of trueth will obtaine will arriue to the knovvledg of thy Sonne Alas my Lord let it be so I humblie craue at thy mercifull hands that the walls of Hierusalem may be built vvhich I conceiue as a shevv of peace and vnion which ought to be with human kind in human kinde to the praising honoring and adoring thee onelie Stay not delaie not to performe this thy benignitie heretofore within thy selfe resolued of fullie decreed and send thy Sonne by vvhom on vvhom this our new Church must be instructed taught built and grounded and in such manner building raising the vvalls of Hierusalem there vvill be built raised in their soules the excellencie the vertue of thy sapience thy wisedome which will improue them so much enl◅ghtē them will so build and frame in themselues that such vnderstāding which giueth the perceiuance the cleare light and euen the verie vision of eternall peace vvithout vvhich their soules would perish together with their bodyes aswell through the generall ingratitude as also by reason of the sinne of the first father vvhose faults would haue proued Hell damnation to all human kinde vvere it that with thee thy bounteous decree mercifull benignitie had not otherwise stated a supplie a redresse to this inexpressably wofull misery through the hands of that thy selfe-same clemencie and of thy proper bountie who art more inclinable to shevv benignity to Sion then that of the raising of the walls of Hierusalem which I craue not vvho am all teares all penicencie and all scourge of repentance to confirme and assure my selfe in the grace of my Lord and God who when he shall haue sent his Sonne to the vvorld vvill verifie vvith his trueth my wordes When so thy sonne shall descend into the world thou vvilt accept the sacrifice of iustice for it vvill be iustly expedient and it shal be offered vp vnto thee in memorie of his passion and of his death I say that thou vvilt accept holocausts sacrifices laid on the Altar and oblations guifts by which meanes God is acknowledged rendring him glorie apparantlie most euidentlie not without the singular and inexpressible ioy of heares comfort vvhich oftentimes made all cheerefull doth visiblie appeare in the sight of it's sacrifice Lord then vvorthilie calues shal be laid on thine Altar for that they vvho then shall sacrifice to thee may become illuminated by thy trueth hence thou shalt receiue from them not onelie victimes beasts killed for sacrifice oblations and holocausts but likewise the sacrifice of a sincere heart the entire loue of a pure soule and the holocaust that the light yea fire of charitie and true zeale of faith together with the other perfect and holie vertues vvill offer vp to thee and all those externall demonstrations those outward workes wil be receiued frō thy goodnes in signe of those inte◅nall and true ones of the minde and heart These wil be the sacrifices and presents wherevvith thou shalt be honored vvhere with thy Majest◅e shal be glorified and appeased here I end for that thy sprit doth not dictate or prompt me with more which hitherto hath caused me to speake The end of the fourth Psalme THE FIFTH PROLOGVE AFTER that the Prophet had earnesily importuned yea e◅en conjured the great mercy of God to take compassion of him to haue ◅ercy on his trespasses hee was yet on his knees moued not place and fearing that he ◅ght yet againe see the image of his sinne whi◅h gaue signe of punishment euen poin◅ed at the place thereof Hell hee durst not ◅ift vp his head his countena◅ce to heauen ◅hich hee contemplated more with hidden ◅hen hee did vvith open eyes and standing without any motion h◅e recited recorded with his heart to God his lips mouing not ◅t all the forevvritten fore deliuered Psalme and who liuing had seen him and obserued his posture in that venerable gesture vvould not onely haue beheld a sinner truely penitent but he might likewise haue learned how one ought sincerely to repent being burthened vvith sinne and for that it seemed to him that he was vnworthy of pardon in such sort his thoughts on his trespasses did greeueously oppresse him that hee bewailed piteously groned sighed and sobbed deeply Imagin the inexpressible greife for no otherwise was it then as if hee had heard a c◅rtaine voice deliuer vnto him that God almighty had ranged him among the reprobate that hee had altogether abandoned him and had vtterly forsaken him in so much as that hee was for all eternity depriued of his grace and vvhilst thus hee vvas astonished confounded yea meruailously abstracted from himselfe hee measured with the arme of his phātasy of his deepe thoughts the largenes the extent of the body of his trespasses his diligent inquisition finding them immesurable insomuch as hee could not by any meanes giue accounte of the immensity thereof at once hee shooke and trembled all ouer and in that shaking and trembling hee seemed to be a si◅kman now being taken with quiuering shakings and the rigorous pangs of death and much fearing that his scattered and weake prayers through want of words and manner of their deliuery had no audience from God preparing his sorrovvfull and
not foode to thy hunger nor vvater to thy thirst nor cloathes to thy vncloathed nakednes nor visited thee sick nor lodged thee a stranger thee a Pilgrim nor releiued thee a prisoner nor gaue any comfort to thee comfortles and afflicted But let all thine anger conuert it selfe into thy mercy what say I I firmely ackowledg that thou vvert alvvaies that thou novv art and euer wilt be mercifull and that which they giue to thee as attributes of anger is no other then a punctuall and an exact iustice in all respects prescribed fore-determined so destined by the infinity of thy goodnes for their punishments who first dye and then repent My Lord I ought to haue satisfied thy seruants hunger vvith foode vvith drinke their thirst I should haue supplyed their wants releiued their sufferaÌ„ces asvvell in cold in vveakenesses in want of repose in imprisonings as also in all their aduersities and tribulations and reflecting that I haue not donne herein my duty I finde my selfe euen to the quieâ—… vvonnded by the compunction of my penitency and by the feare that I haue deeply conceiued to be swallowed vp into the whirle poole of the bottomelesse pitt of Hell and since such is my hearts greife for my transgressions accept me a penitent let my complaints and my distressed lamentable moane makings make me worthy of pardon let it neuer come to passe that I feele what is that anger which our sinnes in offending thee operate in thee Hence thou punishest vs with thy scourges for that vve doe not chastise our selues vvith our owne inflictions in such sort as I correct my selfe euen now who am not vnlike to such a bondmon to such a slaue whose trangressions haue disquieted his maisters minde yea farre aversed it from him who being in such state in such disgrace redoubling aswell with humble sorrow as also his solicitously attentiue seruice vvith all earnestnes commandeth yea euen forcibly compelleth himselfe to vvorke in such sort that he may procure to himselfe a selfe forgetfulnes of his passed offences through the goodnes of his euen theÌ„ painfull solicitous and faithfull seruice by which hee striueth to winne in him hope of himselfe to proue a singular good seruant in time ensueing For that thy darts for that thy disdeignes and thy affrights which terrifie vvhich amate one as lightning for these haue the rayes the sprightly beames of fire of sword of sicknes of dearth of hearts-greife of death haue deeply struck me I haue raised my selfe through their scourges from the miserable sinck of sinne euen as a horse plunged in a durty heauy bogge is by the sharpe incitements of spurres released fully acquited thereof And knowing that the calamities thou inflictest on man kinde is for that thou vvouldst it should learne to forsake sinne to returne to better to liue vvell I am fully resolued that the seeming shadovved beautie of pleasure vvhich dureth much lesse is more momentary then is the continuance of a gentle and spetious flower a rose it selfe shall not depâ—…iue me the winning the possession of that eternall blessing that eternall reall good which he enjoyeth euerlastingly who taketh the course and hence well apprehendeth the vvay yea feareth and loueth God whose mercie is of so great extent as euen the sinner could wish it to be Hence the hope that reuiueth me deepely meditating on thee my Lord doth take vigour and hopeth though I am burthened with sinne to acquire through meanes of contrition eternall beatitude vvhich all those soules attaine to vvhich feruentlie desire to be invested therevvith and I confesse thy darts thy thunderbolts sensible warnings to me haue been the meanes to stirre me vp to contrition and that thou hast pleased to lay thy hands on me as the good Surgeon doth on the sick I am beyond measure comforted for I haue the same need vvhich hath a body vvhose vvounds haue not been for three dayes continuance opened the emplaisters of the first day as yet there remayning Alas in what state am I there is not the least portion of health in my bodie and for that it remaines onely in thee to cure me I am bold to haue recourse to thy goodnes and from thee doe I onelie expect my health which will so consolate me as day is made happie by the Sun and to declare my selfe yet farther my infirmities are not to be enstyled nauseousnes or loathing of foode they are not feuers are not paine of spleene but in summe there is not in me any health I am all ouer distempered yea sick to the death How so Ah! sinne vvhich euen breketh my heart hath euen thus depriued me brought me vnto this state and through the feare vvhich my considerations of thine anger draweth on me I laÌ„guish no otherwise then a maÌ„ whom human remedies cannot availe and for that my bones are 〈◊〉 vvhich are sustentacles to my body euen as are the mightie columnes the great pillers to Theaters ah poore wretch that I am so farre is it that I am at quiet that euen as yet y feare that I am not reconciled to thee I am afraid to fall into the pit of Hell through my transgressions the vnspeakable monstruslie-he adlong peruersenes of vvhich doeth euen call on themselues thy justice thine anger thine implacâ—…ble wrath For that all mine iniquities and all the occurrents the causes vvhich haue induced me to transgresse thy lavves are on my head alvvaies threatning to hurt it and vtterly to spoile it I am reduced to such an exigent as that I cannot lift vp my deiected face to Heauen and by hovv much the more I endeauour to lift it vp by so much more doth it incline downeward and those things are wrought by my sinnes vvhich euenly heauy on my head as if thy vvere an immoueable lumpy vveight in so much as I yeild and bovv vnder the burthen euen as a bovv drawne by a strong arme and for that there is no vveight vvhich equalizeth the heauines of sinne to vvhich gold and lead must in vveight giue place in me there is left no health nor strength for vnder the heape of my heauy sinnes my faculties and my strength is euen spent vvith vveary somnes euen as a Pilgrim through the long vvay and roughnes of his iourney is enfeebled vvorne out and in such sorte vveake through the tediousnes of his trauaile The scarres which on my liuing body are found testimonies of the vvoundes vvhich sinne inflicted on me reliques of my foule offences are putrified a new euen as vlcers to soone skinned and hence it comes for that my contrition my truely hearts deepe sorrow vvhich I make my buckler against it's blowes hath not bin able so to defend me as that I doe not feare that my vvounds wil be opened againe vvhich through voluptuousnes I drew vpon me and that vvhich doth greiue me more and whiâ—…h vvith more inwaâ—…d sorrovv doth contristate me is that their corruption is so putrified so extremely rotten that none but good
raine and onelie for that the power of sense weakeneth the minde the power comming f◅om the minde represseth the sense and subdueth the body hence is it that vertue ouercome by vice of sense can onelie be sustained can onelie and solely be releiued through the helpe of thy grace which no sooner commeth to anie body but that the soule maistereth the body in all his reasons auersions and fullest powers so that pronūce aswell ioy to me as also sprightly and fully possessing comfort and exceeding gladnes by the tongue of that thy grace thy mercie vvithout vvhich each repentance is of no effect is altogether in vain vvere it not for that litle comfort vvhich the teares of my penitencie affordeth me vvhich vvere it turned into despaire vvill be to my vtter losse yea both death and Hell to me Looke not on my sinnes hide not thy face from me for my humbled bones are rejovced haue taken comfort and since that hysope hauing been vsed in my behalfe hath had the effect of a wholesome medicine to me and that I am vvashed yea cleansed vvith the vvaters of thy grace grant I humbly beseech thee my Lord that so it be For thy presence vvhilst it looketh on a sinner iudgeth his sinnes his greiuous trāsgressions and adiudging them likevvise inflicteth on them condigne punishmēt Hēce be it that thou take no farther notice of them for if thou dost not marke them thou vvilt neuer call them to thy memorie nor record at all their iniquities which are so greiuous vvhensoeuer they are laid open and displaied before thy sight that though thy mercie haue forgiuē thē thy iustice might punish them O yeild my Lord so much vnto me though a miserablie distressed wretch that thou not onelie not looke on my transgressions but looke not at all on them turne aside thy eyes frō my peruerse vvill doeing me such like fauour such indulgence my trespasses all vvhich are registred before thee may become cancelled Hence they vvill be no more seene hence not adiudged hence not punished and I haue not a wauering but a confident hope that thou wilt entirelie and most compleatlie fulfill these my ardent desires for that I haue chāged my selfe I am transformed for that I now am become a new man another man nor am more hee vvho hath so much sinned alas no! farre othervvise is it now vvith me my being other then formerly I vvas my being better is through the ptiuiledge the prerogatiue of thy grace vvhich hath so inexpressible a qualitie and force that no sooner hath it inclined it selfe euen sprinckled it selfe on any vvho craue it humblie but that it so rectifieth him yea in such vvaies in such inclinations as that hee hence becommeth a man of good vvill a man vvho desireth nothing more then to take vp thy commands to obserue them to honour and loue thee yea for thy goodnes as a contrite doth Lord now yea euen now newlie create me make vnto me euen now a cleane heart and propitiouslie grant that I may make my selfe such an one that I may become through the meanes of sorrow for my transgressions such an one that standing by thee I may seeme like to a litle boy by his father side vvho laughing and vveping is full of deuises in his mi◅nardizing tricks daliances which puritie and innocentie moueth in him And for so much as thou knowest my heart vvhich cannot be said to be cleane respect had to the old sinne notwithstanding through thy grace do thou please to let it be so that it be enobled made worthy to be the place of abiding yea euen the lodge of thy grace and the organ or instrument of thy profound secrets and roote of those branches from vvhence must spring the fruite of vniuersall redemption of mankinde Forme shape make in me a nevv heart such an one as is cleane most candide in manner of such of theirs vvho neuer transgressed against thee for I am now another manner of man then earst I vvas for so much as concernes my particular hee vvho is a sinner hee vvho is loaden with sinne is no cōpanion for me I desire to haue no conversation with him hee is not fit for me to conuerse with Ah! since so it is most expedient it is that the hand of thy mercie alone doe not onelie create in me a nevv and cleane heart but that also with the selfe-same act thou do newlie make in me a spirit a soule iust vpright and clearlie purelie good vvhich voide and free from the enthralments the miserable subiection slauerie of sense may be enabled become hence fully and compleatly endovved with guifts with vndoubted abilities to preach to teach forth to the people of the world vvhat and of vvhat condition of vvhat rare nature is thy grace thy bountie and thy mercie Oh! alas my Lord euen as thou art pleased to digne me through thy singular fauour to hide thy face from my transgressions disdeigne not also yea voutchsafe gratiouslie not to chase me from thy aspect from the glorious sight of thee let thy animaduersion thy taking notice fall more attentiuelie on my good will my good-meanings my zealous desires then on my vvicked transgressions and for the fault of my sinne bereaue me not depriue me not of that thy blessed presence thy blessed aspect from the lights of vvhose irradiations euen showers of inexpressible consolation are powred on the lust thy saints let me not be a cast of an abandoned of God let not thy holie spirit be taken from me which through thy goodnes thou hast enlarged me with hast freelie giuen me vvhich is that remorse of conscience which maketh me lament and bitterly vveepe for my sinnes and that perce◅uance I haue knowing how to confesse them interceding for my selfe through thy great mercie But be it so thou doe not giue me leaue to see thy countenance shutting thy eares in so much as that thou heare not my voice I shal be reduced into such an estate that I shall proue to haue no remorse of conscience nor ought of knowledg which hath made me haue recourse to thee hence should I become the miserablest of men alas a prey of desperation the case altred changing holie spirit into a peruerse wicked and reprobate spirit So that my Lord take tender care of me for my case is full of danger Turne thy gratious benignitie tovvards me my Lord grant vnto me that I may affixe myne eyes on those thine eyes rare lāpes euen as the Eagle looketh on the Sunne and let me contemplate in thee that thy countenance thy blessed vision my safetie Giue vnto me againe the ioy of my being saued which through sinne I had lost Be it so that thou doe not gratiouslie giue it me againe I am more then assured that I shall neuer recouer it When thou shall through thy bountie haue giuen it me make good make safe confirme in me that principall spirit that is that spirit which is novv full entertainer