my God destroy The scorners of his word O that my heart coulde hit vpon a straine Would strike the musick of my soules desire Or that my soule could find that sacred vaine That sets the consort of the Angels quire Or that that spirit or especiall grace That cannot stoupe beneath the state of heaueÌ„ Within my soule wold take his settled place With Angels ens to make his glory euen Then should the name of my most gratious king And glorious god in higher tunes be sounded Of heauenlie praise then earth hath power to sing Where earth and heauen and Aungels are confouÌ„ded And soules may sing while al hearts strings are broken His praise is more theÌ„ can in praise be spokeÌ„ IF I could set downe twenty thousand waies And twentie thousand thousand thousand moe To penne his highest heauenly comforts praise That will not see my spirits ouerthowe If I could thinke of nothing els but glory And in the highest highest highest height To shewe the state of that celestiall story Where Aungels wonders in their honours waite If all the powers of heauen earth would meete And all acknowledge all their powers too little To shew the smallest of his smallest sweete Yet to his title All were but a title Then since no thoughts can to his praise be raised Aboue all praises Let my God be praised While the Aungels all are singing All of glory euer springing In the grounde of high heauens graces Where all vertues haue their places Oh that my poore heart were neare them With an humble soule to heare them Then should faith in loues submission Ioying but in mercie blessing Where that sinnes are in remission Sing the ioyfull soules confessing Of her comforts high commending All in glory neuer ending But ah wretched sinfull creature How should the corrupted nature Of this wicked heart of mine Thinke vpon that loue diuine That doth tune the Aungels voice While the hoastes of heauen reioyce No the songe of deadly sorrowe In the night that hath no morrowe And their paines not eas'd not ended That haue heauenly powers offended Are more fitting to the merit Of my foule infected spirit Yet while mercie is remoouing All the sorrowes of the louing How can faith be full of blindenesse To despaire of mercies kindnesse While the hande of heauen is giuing Comfort from the euerliuing No my soule be no more sory Looke vnto that life of glory Which the grace of faith regardeth And the teares of loue rewardeth Where the soule the comfort getteth That the Aungels musicke setteth There when thou art well conducted And by heauenly grace instructed How the faithfull thoughts to fashion Of a rauisht louers passion Sing with Saints to Aungels nighest Halleluiah in the highest OH that my heart could neuer cease to sing The holy praises of my heauenly king And that my minde could think vpon no blisse But of the grace wherein his glory is And that my tongue could talke of nothing else But of the wonders of his worthinesse And that mine eye could see but where hee dwels Who is the height of vertues holinesse And that my tongue could like no other taste But of his flesh that is the spirits foode And that my soule might sweare a solemne fast For one pure droppe of his deare pretious blood That at my song the Aungels might reioyce To heare the musicke of a sinners voice HElpe cryes my hearte not froÌ„ the hellish place This wretched world nor all the wealth therein But from the God of that high heauenly grace Whose only mercie doth all glory winne Hee hee alone that sees the sinners teares Distilling from a true repentant heart And will not let him perish in those feares That make the waie to an infernall smart That onely Lord of onely life and loue Who doth forbeare forgiue and quite forget All those misdeeds that his displeasure moue While sorrowes faith is fast by mercy set Hee hee alone in spight of death and hel Blesse my poore wounded soule and all is well Emmanuell COme liue with mee and be my loue My loue my life my King my God And let mee now thy mercy prooue That long haue felt thy heauie rodde Thy heauie rodde ah woe is me A rodde of rushes t is no more Who highly for offending thee Might haue beene shutte from mercies dore But thou art hee whose glorious eye Beholdes the sorrow not the sinne Of him who doth for mercie cry While teares of faith doe fauour winne Thou dost not wish a sinners death To liue and loue is thy delight While in the blessing of thy breath Is euer day and neuer night Oh thou more faire then fairenesse is More sweete then sweetenesse can be thought More kinde then louers when they kisse That with thy death thy loue hast bought Oh truth of trueth and yet more true Then time can try or tongue can tell Whose grace and glorie still renewe In heauenly praise in spight of hell Oh power of powers aboue all power Oh constant faith for euer fast Oh onely sweete without all sower Oh endlesse ioyes that eueâ—last In thee my loue and but in thee Doe euer spring that euer were And at thine only pleasure bee To bee disposed euery where Oh thou that werte before what was In essence of all excellence And in thy wisdome dost surpasse The reach of knowledge quintessence Who all of nothing didst create But by thy worde and to thy will And so didst order euery state As shewes thy high supernall skill Who hauing all thinges set in frame Didst shewe what loue to man thou hadst To giue him power each thing to name And make him Lord of all thou mad'st And more then that to shewe thy loue Thou mad'st him like vnto thy selfe Till Iack an Apes of hell did prooue To make a Monkie breede an elf Oh God had that sweete grace of thine In Adam neuer beene abused Our nature then in him diuine The diuels apple had refused But ease begat such idlenesse And idle ease such wantonnesse And wantonnesse such wickednesse As wrought in him our wretchednesse Hee did forget thy goodnesse first Wee follow him and fly from thee Hee for his folly was accurst And so in iustice Lord are wee But hee with shame beheld his sinne And flewe to mercie for reliefe Whose woefull state all wee are in That to thy mercie shewe our griefe Hee stucke vnto rocke of strength That after labour gaue him ease And wee in loue doe hope at length That sorrowes teares will wrath appease Oh God thou knowest that only knowest What knowledge is and what to knowe And by thy mercie onely showest What only pleaseth the to showe That as of dust wee came at furst Vnto the dust we shall againe The belly of the world shall burst When sinne and sorrow shall be slaine A time will be when that all time Shall see his longest thread will breake When gratious loue in praises prime Shall only of thy glory speake When graues
seeme not deafe to me who hearest all that cry vnto thee but open the gates of thy mercie and let in the soule of thy vnworthy seruant that being rauished with the ioy of thy presēcc I may sing aloude to thy glory Amen O Most mercifull God the fountaine of all goodnesse and glorie of mercie who seest y e ioyes of the soule that is touched w t the finger of thy loue and knowest the sorrowes of the heart that languisheth in the griefe of thy displeasure I humbly beseech thee haue mercy vpon the afflicted spirite of thy poore vnworthy creature who sometime is rauished with the admiration of thy goodnesse but no sooner falleth from the hande of thy mercie but is readie through the illusion of sinne to drowne in the sea of iniquitie where how deepe are the sorrowes of the repentant let thy seruant Peter be a witnesse But what is a plant that hath no earth to growe in What is a fish that hath no water to swimme in what is the heart that hath no loue to liue in and what is the soule that hath not thy spirite to ioy in Oh when thy seruant Peter was rauished in the sweetenesse of his ioy he forgat y e greatnesse of thy goodnesse when presuming of his owne power he remembred not the gift of thy grace who then saide hee would die for thy loue but shortly after denyed thee thy loue in the feeling time of thy loue death was sweete to his imagination but in y e withdrawing time of thy mercy life was sweet to his corruption in y e ioyfull time of thy loue hee was like a plant y t florished by the river side who in the groūd of thy grace did prosper w t the deaw of thy mercy but no sooner fell from the blessing of thy holy spirit but he was like a blasted stock y t loosing his sap was ready to be cut down cast into y e ster but sweete Lord thou didst tel him his folly correct him for his fault thou shewedst him his weak nesse and thou gauest him strēgth he loued thee thou knewst it yet he forgot thee and thou sawest it but how sweetly didst thou deale w t him Thou didst loue him euer didst leaue him but for a while Thou keptst sap in y e roote that made the tree to flourish and to bringe forth much fruite yea to him who had thrust himselfe out of Paradise thou gauest the keies of heauen gates Howe greate then is thy goodnesse that forgiuing offences wilt ioy the hearte with such gladnesse Sweete Christ thou sawest his sorrow with his sinne and setting the one against the other diddest cure him of both his words were heinous in denying of thee but his teares were bitter that hee shedde for thee when thy hande of mercie wiping away y t one would not let thee looke on the other Such was thy regarde of his loue as put his sinnes out of thy remembrance O sweete Iesu is thy mercie closed vp into so narrowe a compasse that only Peter hath the benefit of thy blessing No my dear loue I know thou art almighty all good all glo rious thy mercie is ouer all thy workes and I am one of them whom thou hast made thou camest to call sinners to repentance and with confession of mine vnrighteousnesse I cry vnto thee for mercy thine eares are open vnto all and therefore I know thou wilt heare me thine eyes beholde all things therefore I know with my sins my sorrowes are not hid from thee thou art good to all that trust in thee and therefore my hope is onely in thee but where Peter denied thee once I haue denyed thee too often where he repēted in tears I haue continued in sins he therfore obtained mercy I haue deserued punishmēt but yet at what time soeuer a sinner repēteth him of his from the bottom of his hart thou hast promised sweete Lord that thou wilt put all his wickednesse out of thy remembrance thy promise is trueth thy truthe can not faile and therefore in the faith of thy trueth w t the teares of sorrowe I fly to the comfort of thy mercy I dare not boast of my loue my soule hath beene so blotted with iniquitie but cry in the sorrowe of my sinne O lord thinke vpon mee in thy mercie and though I be not Peter yet be thou Christ. I come not to him to be let in at thy gates but cry vnto thee for the comfort of thy mercie most humbly beseeching thee to forgiue me my wickednesse and to inspire mee with thy goodnesse that if I slide yet I may not greatly fall but in the feeling of thy mercie I may lay downe my life in thy loue and in the comfort of such grace giue thee wholly y e glory let no cocke crowe at my deniall of thee but the Angels reioyce at my confession of thee yea let my soule be so rauished with the loue of thee that I may ioy in nothinge but thee and in the ioyfull ioy of my soule sing to thee the onely true due and eternall Halleluiah Amen BLessed Lord and Lord of al blessednesse father of all mercy and God of all goodnesse who out of the aboundance of thy heauenly store dost enrich the soules of thy belooued seruantes and sufferest none to perish that put their trust in thy mercie looke I humbly beseech thee vpon the miserable neede of my distressed soule which pining thoroughe the wante of thy grace cryeth vnto the glorie of thy pitty Merciful Lord be mercifull vnto me the sorrowes of my hart are enlarged oh bring thou me out of my troubles many are the sorrowes that I endure but most in the cold feeling of thy comfort for when I faine would seeke after thee the cares of this worlde the corruption of the flesh and the illusions of the diuell are readie to drawe mee from thee in thy word I haue beene vnfaithfull for thy blessings vnthankefull and if thy seruice vndutifull if thou correct me I am vnpatient if thou forbeare me I am vngratious and in thou entreate mee I am vnkinde Thus euery way wo is me I am so full of iniqnitie that goodnesse hath almost no place in me sinne hath taken such holde vpon mee that despaire hath almost possest mee but yet sweete Lord if thou but touch y e heart al the bodie wil haue health and if it please thee to comfort the soule how can the heart be agrieued O deare God at thy rebuke the windes were downe the waues were calme the ship was safe and thy disciples were ioyfull at the touch of thy finger the blinde receiued their sight and at the sounde of thy voice a legion of diuels ranne away O Lord all power is in thy will and all glorie is in thy mercie in thy glorious mercie therefore I humbly beseech thee looke vpon me deliuer me from y e troubles that in the depth of sorrow
enemies thou tookest Ionas out of the Whales belly oh take mee out of the whale of this hellish world thou sauest all that trust in thee oh saue mee that trust onely but in thee in thee sweete Lord the onely life of my loue whole ioy of my heart heare me therfore I beseech thee and in thy mercie helpe me among the number of thy elected let mee be one of thy belooued that in the traine of thine Aungels though y e least in thy kingdome yet in the ioy of my soule I may sing to thy glorie Amen ETernall power of eternall peace holy and almightie glorie of incomprehensible Maiesty most mercifull and only good God who hast made all thinges by thy power by thy mercie preseruest them and by thy wisdome dost gouern them sweete Lord deare life liuing loue who hast created all thinges for man and man only for thy seruice who lettest nothing be idle that may worke to thy glory and art thyselfe euer in working to the only glorie of thy goodnesse who causest the windes to blowe the clowdes to raine and y e earth to giue her increase and all for the seruice of man and him only aboue all creatures thou hast blessed with reason to iudge betwixt good and euill and hauing gouernment ouer all things on earth to be gouerned only by thy most gratious goodnesse sweete Lord that seest the very senselesse creatures all in their natures holde the due of their obedience in their seruice to thy glorie onely man to whom the mercie of thy holie Maiystie hath giuen a spirit of higher blessing wherwith to glorify thy holy goodnesse and for that thou hast done for him askest nothing but to acknowledge thy bounty and to giue thankes to thy glory yet seest how this creature of thy loue framed nearest to thine owne image in forgetfulnesse of thy grace is become vnthankfull to thy glorie giues ear to illusiōs breaks thy commaundement and runnes headlong to destruction without the greater holde of thy mercie yet in that thou hatest nothing y t thou hast made delightest not in the death of a sinner but art glorious in thy mercy sweete Iesu suffer not Sathan nor any wicked spirit so to gouerne in the worlde as to drawe thy people from thee but blesse them with thy holy spirite that they may knowe thee for and all the creatures therein power to giue their encrease yea and themselues to the seruice of man giue him power in the humilitie of his soule and thankfulnesse of heart to giue thy gratious Maiesty some fruits of thy blessing yea w t all that he hath to giue himselfe wholly to thy ser who was made only by thee and for thee Let him not liue in corruption that was framed in perfection thou art his GOD and hee is thy creature thou art his father make him thy childe thou art his Lord keepe him thy seruant thou art his euer life oh let him not die for euer no creature on earth that liueth only to it selfe but all to thy glorie and shall onely man liue onely to himselfe and so be vnthankfull to thy goodnesse sweete Lord forbid hatefull be that nature of iniquitie that draweth man out of Paradise and throweth him headlōg into hell fie on that accursed fiend that so be witcheth the soule with the delight of sin and wo be to vnhappy man that so forgetteth y e godnes of his God but yet sweete Iesu my Lord my master my father my king and my God looke I humbly beseech thee vpon thy wretched creature thy vnworthy seruant thy vngodlie childe and thy rebellious subiect in thy mercy looke vpon mee looke vpon myrepentance not my rebellions my sorrowes not my sinnes my teares not mine iniquities heale my woūds for they are corrupted and wash me cleane for I am fowly infected keeps mee from the in chaunting charmes of all wicked spirites and in the wisdome of thy holy spirite deliuer mee from the illusions of the wicked fiende make sinne hatefull vnto my soule and in the wisdome of thy grace make the whole ioy of my life oh let mee loue thee aboue my selfe aud hate my selfe but in thy loue let mee not see the labour of all thinges and thy labour in all thinges and my selfe idlely doe nothing that may glorifie thy goodnesse the earth giues mee of her fruite and shall I giue thee no fruite thou hast in heauen a place for mee and shall I not seeke the way to thee O my deare GOD haue mercie vvpon mee better had I neuer beene borne then to liue to be borne away frō thee What is the whole world to mee if I loose mine owne soule in what case is my soule if I want the blessing of thy grace haue mercy therefore vpon mee I beseech thee and preserue my soule for I am thy seruant make mee to labour in the vertuous vineyard of thy holy will◠and by the inspiration of thy holy spirit bring forth of my heart the humble fruites of thy holy loue that in profiting my neighbour in the blessing of thy grace I may glorifie thy holy Maiesty and in the ioy of my soule in the peace of thy mercie I may sing to thy glory Amen O Glorious God of all power and pittie to whose onely mercie belongeth the title of eternal Maiesty who by the wisdome of thine owne will hast framed all things to thy seruice and workest in them all to the glorie of thine only worthinesse O deare GOD that art the true substance of comfort to the humble soules of thy beloued and seest the sorrowes of thy humble seruautes when thou withdrawest thy hande of thy mercie in the glorious goodnesse of thy grace I beseech thee thinke on the number of thy afflicted creatures amonge whome most needefull though most vnworthie thy mercie let this poore wretched wounded and afflicted soule of mine begge one beame of thy blessed pittie to reuiue this dolefull and halfe deade heart of my almost despairing spirite oh strengthen my faith in thy holie worde washe mee cleane from my sinnes and make mee to feele the ioye of thy mercie let thy worde bee a Lanthorne to my feete and a lighte vnto my pathes and teach mee the way that I shall walke in for I betake my selfe wholly vnto thee let mee say with thy seruant Dauid O thar my waies were made so direct that I might not offend my God O deare Lord great was his happinesse in thy grace that had such a feeling of thy blessing to haue such a loathing to the worlde for thy loue blessed and ten times blessed were my soule had it such a feeling of thy grace but I may rather cry woe is mee that euer I was borne to liue so long in the sinke of so much sinne that looking on the filth of my soule I am ashamed to looke vp toward thy mercy yet when againe I remember the Leapers that thou hast cleansed the sins that thou hast pardoned