succeedeth praise and to Gods glorie the conuersion of Nations and to Hierusalem and Sion peace and the speculation the contemplation shall bring ioy singular hearts-comfort true faith obtained the true most perspicuous light of trueth by meanes of the seruants and friends of Christ then shall the world triumphe in it's perfect ioy for that God shal be accorded God shall haue made attonement vvith man in testimonie whereof hee shall forget the disobediēce of him that vvas expelled banished from terrestriall Paradice for hauing valued an aple at an higher rate then God's commandement But vvhen so the name of our Lord shal be preached through all the world congregating and gathering together contemplation speculation and peace in one both kings people to the end they may serue God the Christ ā Church into which shall be collected assembled the people as also Kings Maketh this ansvvere to God who in the vvay of his goodnes his vertue called it his spouse it pleased him to see it held in reuerēce much honored by the selected number of the good Shew me the length of my dayes sincel perceiue I clearlie see my accrease aduancement and glorie Kings and people coming to me for no other end but to serue thee And so much doth it say alvvaies beholding it's greatnes as if it had before it all Hereticks all Antichristians all false Apostles vvho vvill come to molest it to displease it to vvrong it to trespasse against it vvith the malitious peruersnes of their deuillish doctrines vvith the power and might of their abominablie vvretched vvorckes and vvith the deceipt of a fained goodnes And thus earnestly encited prouoked vvith a sensible feare conuerting it selfe to thee vvith all it's feruour possiblie yet againe thus proceedeth Let not thy goodnes call me away in the midst of my dayes Lord thy dayes thy yeares thy time shall out last all generations and shall transcend all ages but I vvho perceiue dangers to be hāging ouer me which tongues ill example and wretched mindes of wicked Christians will attempt to make me headlonglie fall into am in great feare lest I become les◅ened and faile in the midst of my dayes as doe the lambs of a flocke decrease in nūber trhough the rott For it seemeth to me alreadie to be gouerned by the rod of some pastors much more greedie desirous of my blood of the blood of my flocke then vvill they be of my firmenes my strength my constancie and their safetie their saluation hence trembling not vvithout reason not vvithout great cause I humblie craue that thou let not me become lesse faile in the fairest bloome yea flovver of my youth and remember reflect hereō that I am thine handmaid and thy spouse hence is there no reason that I faile to flourish Grāt vnto me that I may liue euer joyned to thee vvho shalt euer be alwaies liue at least as long as the vvorld and human generation lasteth and that shall so be if so thou from age to age from nation to natiō mainteine me in the hearts in the vnion of kings and people Thou Lord in the beginning didst make the Earth and the Heauens are workes of thy hands and in the labours of such operations of such vvorkes thou shevvedst thy povver thy glory thy eternitie so didst thou to the end that vvee might liue here below vntill that our workes might deserue there aboue their revvard so boundles is the loue that thou vvho art the maket of all things dost beare to vs who setting aside the priuiledge which wee haue of being of thy making wee are euē as things of nothing Thou my Lord God madst the Sunne the Moone the Starres vvith other Heauenly vvorkes of thy euerlasting hands and all for vs for our soules to speculate on to looke on to contemplate vvhose soules free in their election in their choise are able if vvilling to be accepted of admitted and to be receiued in the Colledge in the fellowship of Angels in the order in the state and ranke of Archāgels in the number of Cherubins in the quire of Seraphins and in the societie of all the military troopes of Heauen treading vnder our feete the Celestiall signes Planets vvhich shall haue an end if so it shall please thee They shall perish but thou shalt alvvaies be thou shalt alvvaies remaine and they shal be consumed come to nothing like garments It is true Lord that what participateth not in condition in qualitie and substance of thy eternitie shall become fume shall resolue it selfe into smoke shall come euē to nothing but those things vvhich haue measure haue quantitie and substance from thee shall remaine entire for that thou onelie art eternall and the Heauens participaters of thy vertue shall remaine together with all other things that thy omnipotēcie please remaine as our soules vvhich thou createdst for if that they through themselues be not deficient they eternally dwell with thee But each other thing shall decline be vvorse and vvorse euen as daylie worne cloathes are become at length through cōtinuall wearing nought vvorth altogether vvorne out consuming as doe all terrestriall things And in this secōd death wherevvith time armed vvith yeares beateth dovvne and maketh an end of all things thy power and eternity is demonstrated is clearly shevven vvhich can doe vvhat it vvill hence if it please thee thou vvilt likevvise change the Heauens So that it please thee if thou vvilt thou shalt remoue the heauens out of such their now place and thou shalt change them as a garment for the same power thou hast on the world thou hast on the Heauēs thou hast made them and thou canst destroy them thou canst pull them all to pieces vnioynt them remoue them from their proper spheres and in a moment thou canst make other axeltrees new Poles and other lights other Sunn 's other Starres other Moones and the Heauens vvith it's lights shal be subiect to change and increase of number if it so be thy will But thou art alwaies the same vvithout being vnder any other power but thine owne selfe-same and thy yeares vvill not faile for time hath nothing to doe vvith them they are not subjects to time hence they shall alvvaies haue being they shall neuer haue end nor though there pa◅e it importeth not hovv many lusters hovv many ages hovv many hūdred yeares to thee the accompte is euen of one day is not diminished is not vvanting for thou art hee vvho is author of the selfe same Eternitie vvhich ought necessarilie must be vvith thee alwaies in it's proper state in it's proper povver And for that thy pitty commiseration thy mercie is infinite answerable to the affection to the great loue thou bearest vnto vs the ofsprings the sonnes of thy seruant shall liue and inhabite vvith this thy eternity and the generation of them shall euer remaine be conserued for euer and from hence thy graces occasion that thy mercie dilate extend
the other Truelie there is not any who through his ovvne deserts and through his innocencie being in such state of sinne could sustaâ—…ne vndergoe thy judgment if so that on such an one thou hadst put in practise in execution thy iustice onelie But because thou knowest Lord vvhat and of vvhat qualitie what condition is human frailty of thou hast maâ—…e vs know thy mercie hence are vve confident hence are vve appeased hence rest vve sure in it thankes be to it through thee For with thee is mercie for thy lavv haue I sustained thee I say in demonstration hovv much yea and vvhat is the mercie of thy gratious commiserating goodnes thou shalt send downe thy SoÌ„ne into the world vvhence I vvho through thy grace and vertue know this new lavv and this nevv order this new disposition of things vvhereby each one vvho vvill may be saued in thy decreed mercie haue in sustaining supporting placed my hopes in thee and I am not coÌ„founded I am not in despaire but if thou so vvert not pleased that I knovv to recount the goodnes of thy grace vvhich thou hast giuen me as also that thou vvilt not pardon euerie one but yet vvilt send thy Sonne to dye for the saluation of sinners I should not haue been this present day to be confounded and to despaire of my selfe onelie thincking on the demerit of my most greiuious transgressions My soule hath sustained it selfe in thy vvorde my minde hath hoped in our Lord through the stable hope vvhich I haue had in God my soule is held vp lifted vp mainteined in thy vvord vvhich hath dictated vvhich hath spoken that vvhich thou hast vvilled I should speake of and concerning Christ vvho vvill not onelie come to preach his mercie to them vvho hope in it but hee vvill likevvise teach it to him vvho after him hath Commission command and is bound to make it knovvn in his name as I deliuer it cleare vvho am all consolated in the hope vvhich I haue alwayes had in thy mercy and it seemeth to me that I haue donne much hauing sustained on my selfe the burthen of these my such so great transgressions but I should not haue been able to vndergoe so much had not my soule hoped in it's Lord and had it been bent employed working in so feruent a penitencie which with thee is of some merit which thou so prisest thanks be to thy goodnes thy grace vvhich enlargest it vvith to the end it deserue but I hence forward will yet further bring forth fruite worthy of penitencie not onely repent me to haue been a trespasser to haue been vvreched From the morning watch vntill night let Israël hope in our Lord for that God is fullie mercifull and for that he loueth vs so much from the beginning to the end of our life let the elected people that is those who seeke for their health their safetie their saluation in God hope in our Lord vvho from the instant that a man is borne vntill the instant of his death is alwaies mercifull nor supporteth hee that the sinner shee l in vaine any of the teares proceeding from his repentance nor anie of the vvordes of his prayers no no for they are safelie laid vp in the Eschequer vvhere are carefullie conserued surelie kept the treasures heaped vp laid vp in store in Heauen to adorne with sempiternall vvith euerlasting magnificence and glorie the soules of the elected And let not the good onelie hope and sinners in God alwaies and at all times of their liues but let them hope watching euermore on their safetie their saluation euen as a seruant doth in the vvatch vvhich his maister hath appointed him to vvho not for that he began to execute his charge but for the hauing fullie discharged what hee was appointed to doe to the very time that hee called him from it atcheiueth winneth the revvard prepared appointed for him For that in our Lord is mercy and most copious most fully abundant redemption I haue alwaies hoped in him I haue euermore coÌ„fided put my sure and most vndoubted trust in my castigation in my reclaime in my amendment and in the health in the saluation which the coming of his Sonne shall bring to vs. And for that I without all vncertaintie know that I shall make attonement vvith him notvvithstanding I vvas masked vnder the disguise the vveed of sinne vvhich had so estranged me that I vndervvent imminent danger to haue neuer reassumed my selfe neuer reacknovvledged my selfe I will reioyce in the height in the depth of my pensivenesie of my greiuous heavines and vvhilst that I shall endeauour heartilie labour to praise my Lord and to render thanks to my Lord alwaies imploring pardon peace and tranquilitie thy ordinances ô God thy decrees will hasten to giue happie dispatch to the safetie of Israël which trustethin thee our Lord fulfilling accomplishing thy trueth as I by my voice haue deliuered Let the elect confide in our Lord and this our mercifull and gratious Lord vvill redeeme Israël vvill free Israël from all it's transgressions and sending into the vvorld his onelie begotten Sonne all the trespasses all the hainous sinnes of mankinde shal be bought out be redeemed by his most pretious blood and through the merit of it vvee shall not onelie reape the fruite the great benefit of hauing our old sinnes forgiueÌ„ vs but in like manner all our offences which by vs hauue been possibly able to be trespassed in in his sight vvho vvill alvvaies be indulgent fauourable cleare in aspect to any one who shall endeauour to behold vvith a pure minde and a feruent vvill of a contrite heart the peaceable mild and rarely fauorable cast of his admired and dreadfull countenance from vvhose eyebries raies beames are cast are sent forth of that glorie vvhich his mercy dispenseth to anie vvho desireth to glorifie himselâ—…e in him The end of the sixth Psalme THE SEAVENTH PROLOGVE IF so be that at any time the petitions the humble supplications the most feruent importuning prayers of his seruants vvere acceptable pleasing gratefull to God then vvere these of Dauid vvho pulled vp them by the rootes from the bottome of his heart no othervvise then doth the winde roote out grubbe vp from the Earth's deepes the roots of tâ—…es vvhich it by the great force the viâ—…ce of it 's tepestuous motion throweth downe And vvell made he shevv of it in him it vvas eâ—…idently seene that his prayers had fauour able hearing and were pleasing to God for hauing opened his benigne mercisull and most commiâ—…erating eares to his heartiest vvishes hee struck him with such an inexpressible joy in an instant sprâ—…g and framed in his heart hee being in a kind of an extaâ—…ie not knowing how so that hee seemed a man whose minde hath apprehended some vvhat such as hee cannot expresse giue a denomination to declare vvhat it is which not with â—…anding proceedeth so farre that it marvailously taketh him extreamely possessed by â—…ght of hearts-ioy yea
my flesh that I seeme to be a bodie hunger-starued cōsumeth for want of foode in vvhich is shutt vp a spirit so weake so ouertyred vvith faintnesse that vvith much difficultie can it send forth so much vitall breath that may shevv that it liueth and to this state am I reduced to this passe am I come for that I haue not nourished my soule vvith thy foode hence is it that my bones are destroyed my strength gonne and the forces the vertue of my soule each day more and more consuming through my faults my trespasses I am reduced to such an estate that I am as it were a man who lying on the earth can hardlie be thought either to be aliue or dead and through thus such like vveaknes I haue so litle breath so litle strēgth in me that I fere I cannot open my mouth to comfort me vvith the bread of health vvhich the hope giueth me vvhich my teares haue in thee I say those teares vvhich my heart powreth forth to make thee fo◅get my transgressions I am become like a Pellican saist thou by my tongue I apprehēd it I vnderstand it right well for that in enlightning me and giuing me grace that I may conceiue it thou dost througlie purifie my spirit dost giue light force to such a tenor to such being to such an height that I returne reassume to speake in thy name in thy person and hence thus doe I speake I am like a Pellican I vvill open my breast with the bill of my mercifull vvill and in the sollitude of the vvorld vvhich vvell may be so termed for that in it respect had to thee relation to thee vveighed each one is dead vvith my bloud will I resuscitate raise againe Nations the Gentiles as doth the Pelcan his young ones vvho dead reassume life in the blood of the bird which hath brought them forth but euen as the Ovvle in his place of abiding in his perching place seeth nothing but darknes so I in the vvorld shall see no other but obscuritie heauy gloomy darkenes of sinne fogḡs mists of pride and smokes of vanity Yea yet and againe thou speakest my Lord saying I avvaked watched and am become like a sollitarie sparovv vpon the roofe of an house thy vvord meaning that when others shall esteeme thee dead thou wilt vvatch thou wilt avvake vvhich is asmuch to say that to our seeming resuscitating rising againe the third day thou shalt haue seemed to haue slept but in the dayes that thou shalt sleepe imposing end making completion of thy miraculous workes vvhich thy vvill hath decreed to expedite to finish compleatile vvith thy vvorkes thou shalt euen sweat take heauie paines for the common good the common safetie of all the Vniuerse of all the vvorld and breaking rending a sunder and in peices the gates of Hell vvith the force of thy pitty thy tender mercie binding banishing and to euerlasting fire condemning our old aduersary thou shalt demonstrate in this such like slumber in this such like sleepe that thou vvert attentiue that thou wert alvvaies watchfull that thou didst fully vvatch for the publique benefit of thy creatures And in so doing thou vv◅lt resemble a louelie retired solitarie sparrow who after his flight from el◅vvhere strangerlike alone one onelie pitcheth himselfe allighteth and remayneth as in a place of rest in a house vvherein are manie people allodged I say that thou hauing disposed consummated those affaires vvhich thou hast to doe on the earth thou shalt aduance thy selfe and moūte to Heauen remayning euer after in Paradice with the Angels and among the soules as one onelie God and one onely Sauiour of the vvorld But thou procedest further in my vvordes At all times euen they vvho most especially should remember themselues of the benefits they haue receiued from my larges from my greate bounty calumniated me laid to my charge falslly malitiously crimes in such sort as if my good workes were vvicked and those vvho praised me in my presence speaking ill of me behinde my backe yea tearing me to pieces with their spightfull malitious tongues conspired against me as if I vvere not a Sauiour but a Tyrant of their vvell-being their safetie their saluation and it shal be true Lord that the vnfaithfull and they vvhose hearts are perfidious and blinde at the light of thy miracles taking in ill part thy vvonders which they cannot infringe cannot denie height of the vvorst of damnable vvretches then whom none exceede will come vvill arise against thee as vvol◅es doe against a simple most innocent lambe hauing no vvill to take notice to remēber themselues to haue knovvn the trueth of those thy misteryes in thy presence which they praised they extolled and farre othervvise farre from that trueth they made a head they made a congregation and sect against thy most just thy most precious blood yet shed for them so that they confesse and penitentlie acknovvledge that they vvrongfullie iniured thy innocencie vvith their enuie their malitious heart burning vvhich vvas invented against thee vpon those their false grounds vvhich one day thou vvilt deliuer and expresse thy selfe For I most humbly did eate ashes as bread I mingled my drinke with teares thanking them heartilie yea further enriching them vvith my fauours whosoeuer made me hott with the fire of charitie and sprinkled and dropped on me these ashes and these teares giuing me them to dinner to supper The enuie and vvickednes of the vnjust disquieted me molested me vvith the iniuries of reprehension rebuke controll it displeasing them that I should re ceiue into my grace sinners by reason of the vertue of their repentance And not onelie vvill they seeke in such manner by such ill offices to calumniate me to detract from me and to forge crimes against me but they vvill machinate vvorke prepare death to me innocent for my innocencie And as sure as ought can haue infallibilitie this shall follovv shall happen for that thou sayst it and for the falsenes the perfidiousnes and heighth of disloyaltie of the mindes of Princes of this people in their knovving that the preaching letting be divulged and declaring thy trueth is the end of destroying vvicked custome vvhich they vvill bring in practise to thy Church to depriue the poore ef their meanes vnder pretext of great deuotion greate zeale to sacrifice their guifts to thee by charge vvhereof their purses emptied they shabe open enimies of thy iustice and of thy trueth And for that that vvill be that thou vvillest be I speake in the person of human kinde vvho speaketh vvith the tongue of the first father Through thine anger and thy disdeigne thy wrath moued in thee through my sinne vvhich I Adam transcending the bounds of obedience committed I was depriued be◅eft of the principallest state of happines of felicitie and beatitude of the blessed yision of all goodnes of God and I was through mine error my fault my sinne cast dovvne into ruines from a precipice I vvas
he loueth vs each one eqnally and if so that yet not withstanding the desert of our vvicked wretched trespasses transgressions greiuous sinnes shall condemne vs to the pitt of Hell yea euen that is agreable conformable to his glory for herein shall his power be demonstrated cleerlie shewen to all and each one of those who would that so farre as concerne them his blood should be lost be of no worth spi◅t in vaine and remaining alwayes in perfidiousnes in peruersnes in wretchednes are neuer consoled comforted vvith liuelie hope of sauing themselues hence is it that God doth neuer turne the such eye of his mercie vvith which he looketh on them who are humble Hee hath respected the prayers of the humble and so hath hee donne for that the irrecouerable cause of losse is not the burthen the weight the greiuousnes nor the number of sinnes but the danger is placed hath his being and seate in the hardnes of minde hardnes of heart in that iniquitie that wretchednes of not being of good will to be conuerted and to remaine in such pride as not to haue recourse to God from hence ariseth it that they who liue in such like obstinacie are necessarilie damned for they lying dovvne wallowing in the dreggs the mire of sinne without euer turning themselues either with heart eyes or vvorkes to God it is all to nothing it is impossible to be otherwise thē that they dye in Gods disgrace as perfidious wretches and enimies of their ovvne safety and of their soules But they who looke not on the vveight the burthen nor on the number of their trespasses but rather rectifie and turne aright their mindes to his immense and inexhaustible mercie imploring humbly crauing pardon of their transgressiōs cōmitted against him procure vnto thēselues through teares through penitēt hearts-griefe that God neither will nor can refuse them deny them the grace of his mercie and be their sinnes as heauy burthesome greate as imagination can cōceiue as much as fully as farre as can be passibly he hath not onely not despi◅ed their prayers though coming from sinners voices but not hiding his face from them hath giuen full hearing full audience to them and fauorably hee heareth them he inclineth his gratious attentiue eare as hee doth to the benedictions and prayses vvhich those vvho are perfect in heart and spirit giue to his blessed name And such bounty of God shal be known to such an one vvho shal be vvorthy to know it These deliuered shall be written in another generation hereafter for the Ievves through their most vvicked and perfidious pertinacie obstinacie shall know them as the day is discouered by the Moles and the Sun by the ovvles and the wilfullie blind not seeing the lights of the new Testament shall not receiue the trueth preached by the word the Sonne to the justice of the first shall God's mercie assist nor hence can it be otherwise but that by the lewes hee suffer death whence the knowledg of this new law is taken away from them But the Gentiles which shall be certainlie thine faithfully thine on vvhom shall be transferred translated turned ouer this thy trueth vvill praise thee their Lord receiuing each part each parcell of it obseruing it as the lawes of diuine mercie ought to be obserued vvhich vvill neuer despise the prayers of what sinner soeuer who is contrite humbled euen as a people so farre as concernes the light of trueth new he created vvho heretofore were possessed altogether in beliefe of false Gods hence they vvill giue praise and thanks to thee Lord for that thou hast been to them boūtifull of those thy graces through which thy bounty man is made secure from death and from Hell and all this vvill come to passe wil be in it's time for that God hath vouchsafed to looke on them For our Lord hath looked downeward from on high for that he hath looked from Heauen on Earth ou◅ soules are made inhabitāts Citizens of his kingdome and this guift hath his goodnes bestowed on vs vvh◅ looking on the world foreseeth th◅ eternall danger on vs the woorkes o◅ his hands for that hee reguardet◅ those his workes loueth them with that affectiō vvith which God loueth him who alwaies loued him moued tenderlie to pitty commiseration of human kinde made his Sonne man and dying as man taking man out of the deepes hath receiued him in the bosome of his great mercie But I feare I tremble to thinke on vvhat vvill become of vs if God did not looke on vs from his residence on high if hee did not seriously affixe his eyes on the necessities of human kinde or if hee looked on vs vvith lesse affection then hee hath heretofore donne wo yea wo indeed to our soules nothing but los◅e vtter perdition for that vvould haue been another greife and torment another inexpressible-lamentable calamitie vvhich Hell vvould haue made for them then is that vvhich time vvorketh and the bringing to nothing these tresses this flesh and bones But in considering what thou hast donne from Heauen on Earth thou compleatlie finishedst gauest full effect to that vvhich thou thoughtest on decreedst on the day in vvhich thou createdst the vvorld and the miserable lamentations of human kinde vvho seemed with loud voices to call out vpon thy Sonne to their helpe as it vvere enforced thee The hearing of the pittifull moanes of bondmen occasioned in thee caused in thee bred in thee the effect the issue of thy most sublime and most profound care hence thou vouch◅afedst to send thy sonne for our Redemption O my good and gratious Lord it being that all things that euer shal be are present to thee thou didst heare the vvaylings the moanes the compassionable outcryes and teares of Limbus vvhich shovvred like a tempest from their eyes vvho confined in darkenes vvere fauoured assisted by the goodnes of their workes vvhich they had donne in their liues time and deseruing pardon for the trespasses made by Eve's husband by Adam thou determinest thou decreest that they should taste of the fruite of ◅hy mercie as the sonnes of them vvho vvere dead likewise haue tasted I meane Christians whose ancestors dyed before that attonement v◅as made fully established betweene God and man vvho liued in thy disfauour in thy disgrace through the sinne of him vvho vvas the first who disobeyed thee and were it not that thou did'st humble thy selfe to incarnate thy diuinitie with thy humanitie neither from Limbus nor from Hell vvere they to be vntyed nor euer vvere they to be freed discharged no not thy friendes nor the sonnes of them that haue not known Christ. Thou shalt illuminate vvith thy grace the sonnes of them vvho are dead vvithout thy light to the end that they declare in Sion the name of thee our Lord and thy praises in Hierusalem vndoubtedlie these selfe same vvill preach thy name to the bene◅it to the safetie of soules for that from fruite of preaching