life hath ouercome death and hath freed and cleared them quite from thence 21 To the end O Lord that they might set foorth thy praise in Sion and preach thy louing kindnesse in Ierusalem And although euery one of them had an hundreth mouthes and their voices as lowd as thy thunder yet should they neuer be able to attaine and reach vnto the greatnesse of thy glory All the parts of the world conspire not nor ioyne not themselues together saue onely to represent in their motions a part of thine infinite power and goodnesse howbeit they neuer looke to come neere thereunto for they are more then bottomlesse depths which haue neither bottom nor yet brinke and therfore they must onely behold them a farre of 22 And therefore I most humbly beseech thee my God to be contented that thy people assemble and reunite themselues both in bodies and minds deuoutly to offer vp vnto thee that holy will which they haue to honour thee for the effect can in no wise other wise be able to come neare that which thou deseruest Accept therefore O Lord the humble submission of the kings of the earth which come before thee to yeeld vnto thee their homage and seruice due vnto thee as vnto their soueraigne chiefe Lord. They shall cast their scepters vnto the earth and their crownes at their feete and present for a sacrifice vnto thy maiesty their humble praiers and innocent consciences And I will be the first my God which will cast downe my selfe before thee to worship and serue thee with all mine heart to thee alone will I consecrate my spirit Quicken it therefore O Lord that being purified by the holy zeale of thy loue it may receiue in it selfe as it were in a cleare looking Glasse the image of thine incomprehensible excellency perfections feele in it self the reflexion of thy sincere amitie aswel as thine infinite goodnesse accompanied with the number of thine elect to be an inheritor with them in euerlasting life 23 Now I haue already felt my good God that thou hast enlightened my soule with thy grace and haue presented the fauour which thou wouldest shew vnto all the children of the earth Heretofore hath my spirit a far of takeÌ„ a note how thou proceedest for the deliuerance of the world but it hath beene afraid to die before such time as thou wert come and that is because thou hast heard it call vpon thee saying Tell me Lard how long the course of mine age shall be and when thou wilt end my dayes 24 Go not about O Lord to cut of the thred of my life the first or second winding vp of the spindle neither stay it ouer short in the middest of the course Attend my God vntill the time be come when thou must set open the treasure of thy graces to make an entrance for men vnto the largenesse of saluation or if thou hast at least appointed mine end and that my life cannot stretch so farre yet remember my posteritie and let him be borne of my race that must sanctifie the world by his comming 25 I right well know O Lord that at the first thou madest heauen and earth and whatsoeuer excellent thing we see here in this world to be the worke of thine owne hands 26 But all this shall come to an end euen as an old worne garment a man shall enquire what is become of it and there shal be no mention made thereof at all It was made and it shall be vnmade it had a beginnings it must haue an end But thou alone O Lord which hast beene from all eternitie shalt be alwaies one and the same For age time which consume all things serue for none other purpose but to confirme thine euerlastingnesse and to set foorth thy Deitie men see me to remaine heere vpon the earth for none other cause but to behold round about them thine incomprehenâ—…ble greatnesse on the one side and their infirmitie on the other side 27 A man changeth not his shire so often but the earth oftner changeth her inhabitants one putteth forth another and all is renued euen in a moment But thou my God art euen the same at this day that thou wast at the beginning Euery prouince of the earth hath a great catalogue of kings who haue there commaunded one successiuely after another but the heauens and the earth continually sing vnto vs that thou hast alwaies beene alone euer like vnto thy selfe and that neither the time past ne yet the time to come can any wayes alter nor change thee 28 Now my Lord although we must depart from hence yet do I not doubt but that I shall one day taste of that sweet fruite which shall heale this contagious disease of ours which our fathers transferred ouer vnto vs hauing eaten the fruite of death and of sinne For our children shall come after vs and therefore O Lord shew vs this fauour as to continue our posteritie from age to age vntill such time as we altogether shall appeare before thy face not to receiue sharpe and seuere iudgement but to enter by the merite and intercession of thy deare beloued sonne into the enheritance of the eternall blessednesse which shall be purchased for all thy faithfull by the adoption of thy sonne in the house of thy seruant Dauid From the depth of depths Psalm 129. FRom the depth of depths haue I cryed vnto thee my God being lost and buried in the most fearefull caues of the earth I â—aue called vpon thy name hearken â—nto my voice and heare my praier For all hope of succour is taken from â—e and I see nothing about me but â—orror and trembling and yet haue I â—ot beene discouraged and do waite â—or at thy hands that which thou hast â—romised to all such as shall liue in the â—eare of thy name and in the obediâ—nce of thy commaundements 2 Giue thou therefore O Lord a fauourable eare vnto mine heartiâ— praier If my sinne stand betweene thee and me to whet thee againâ—… mine iniquitie and to make thee contrarie vnto the praiers which I maâ—… vnto thee beate back the same wiâ—… the looke of thy mercifull eye or 〈◊〉 O Lord shut vp for a time the eyes 〈◊〉 thy iustice vntill such time as the eaâ—… of thy louing kindnesse hath receiueâ— my confession and the humble requeâ—… which I make vnto thee for grace Foâ— I come not before thee to braggeâ— mine owne iustification but of 〈◊〉 great louing kindnesse and benigniâ—… 3 If thou shouldest keepe a registâ—… of our sinnes and we come to an â—…dite before thee who were able 〈◊〉 God to abide thy seuere iudgementâ— For what day of life is there that haâ— not deserued a world of tormentâ—… Thou mightest draw out O Lord 〈◊〉 the paines of hell and yet the greateâ— part of my sins should go vnpunished 4 But although we haue mightâ— offended yet for all that thou ceasâ— not to receiue any sinner that commeâ— vnto
ouerthrowe mee They will hang vp a cloake of righteousnesse before theyr theeuish purposes and vnder pretence of lawe vndoe and defame mee But ô thou diuine Iustice who with an all-seeing eye scatterest the clowdes of sclaunders abroad and grauntest day vnto the innocent shine vpoÌ„ me a little make them vnderstand that truth pierceth through and beholdeth all their crafty iugling and maketh way to appeare before thee ô thou seueare and vncorrupt Iudge the only comfort of the afflicted 2 Thou art my strength and my defence and vppon thee alone resteth mine innocencie I made readie my selfe to fight against the craftie deuises of these deceiuers which assayle me and haue dreamed of a thousand arguments to conuince them withall and do make an accompt rightly to deduct my reasons But when as I had throughly considered that thou keepest in minde the knowledge of my cause as my God my gardian and protector I haue sayd alone to my selfe for what purpose serue all these goodâ— syllogismes for my Iudge knoweth the truth of the fact and vnderstandeth the equitie of my cause What can be hid from him who is present at all things and what can any man declare and shew vnto him that is righteousnesse him-selfe who hath established lawes and vnto whome it belongeth to interpret them I therefore put my selfe into thy armes my God my strength and refuge Iudge my cause and rid me from the sclaunders of the wicked But why reiectest thou me my God I haue a long while called vppon thee and yet thou hast not come vnto me In the meane while mine enemies oppresse me and I am no more able to abide But now thou my sweet yea my most sweet soule why art thou so heauie and sad and God be some-what slacke in comming to help thee all the while the wicked are afflicting of thee why losest thou thy courage thus and geuest thy selfe ouer vnto sorrow and griefe That that is deferred is not altogether lost for he will come seeing he hath promised it 3 Come therefore my Lord my God and spread out the beames of thy diuine light vppon me and seeing thou art the father of truth leaue not this thy poore captiued daughter in the wicked and vniust hands of her acâ—…sers If thou louest innocencie deliuer her then from the bonds of these false accusations For now O Lord malâ—ce lieth hidden in the darke and if thou let her haue day light she is ouercome and if she be acknowledged she is vndone I beseech thee therefore O my God let thy light and truth assist my righteousnesse for I haue loued them all my life long and from my youth haue I made much of them They haue bene they my Lord which first led and guided me before thee and presented me vnto thee vppon thine holie mountaine set me in the middest of thy Tabernacle brought me into thy Church and gaue me an honorable place in thine house 4 There it is ô Lord where I haue chosen my mansion and mine aboad is with thee My rest ô Lord is onely in thee and all my glory is to serue thee Assuring my selfe then vpon thy support stay and trusting in thy grace I will present my selfe vnto thee who knowest my conscience and in knowing it iudgest it in iudging it esteemest it and in esteeming of it thou confoundest the common enemies of mine honor and of thy seruice I will goe vnto thine Aulter which I haue seâ— vp to blesse sanctifie thy name and call vppon thee my God which fillest my youth with gladnesse and inspiring in minde heart the holie flame of thine holie loue doest heape vpon me pleasure delight and ioy 5 And therefore will I sound out vpon mine harp in mine hand the confessing of thy magnificence and tune with my voyce the sweet notes of thy prayse one while I wil sing thy immeasurable power one while thy exceeding goodnesse and another while thy infinite clemency and in the end I wil fâ—nish with this wonderful iustice which hath saued me froÌ„ the oppressioÌ„ of the vngodly and made the shame of their wicked purposes rebound leape vpoÌ„ their owne faces Why wilt thou then be sad my soule why vexest thou mee thus and takest in ill part the opprobries and sclanders of the wicked as if their venemous tongs could any way hurt an innocent conscience No no a burning torch thrust into the water can no sooner be extinquished then the sclanderous reports of a man that leadeth an innocent life 6 Trust therfore in God ô my soule reioyce in his fauour for I right well knowe that he is well pleased with his prayses by my lips All my life long â—ill I prayse him and declare and confesse him to be the God of truth the God of iustice God the tutor of the innocent God the father of saluation and God mine only defence I will haue mine eye alwayes fixed on him and my face continually turned towards him for I haue found no saluation but in him O my God who from the beginning of the world reachest out thine armes vnto the afflicted which hast alwayes receyued into thy protection the oppressed and comfortest the iust vniustly tormented graunt me O Lord both comfort and courage to the end that I taking my spirits vnto me againe which were halfe in a dead sleepe through affliction may glorifie thee with all my force and strangle by the strength of my voyce the blasphemies of the wicked which goe about to defame thine honor and not being able to reach thee rush and runne vppon the good and godly men thaâ— faithfully serue thee All people harken and geue c. Psalme 46. 1 COme vnto mee all yee stronge nations dâ—awe neere yee people that are farthest off come yeâ— from all coasts to heare that which ye shall neuer heare else-where Passe ye the seas mountaines and let not any hardnesse of tho way stop ye for the prize of your nauigation shall be greater then he â—hat sayleth from the East to the West lâ—den with pearles and diamonds And the reward of your sweatings shall be more pretious then the Trophees of those that conquer the nations of the earth Shore vp your eares therefore harken attentiuely vnto that which I shall now say vnto you O I would to God that ye were all eares and that all the rest of your benummed senses might strengthen your hearing to conceiue that which I will deliuer vnto you 2 Come come all ye that call your selues the children of the earth which thinke to attribute your originall being vnto nothing but vnto the earth and your being borne vnto none but vnto your fathers and suppose nothing to be more auncient here in this world then they and nothing greater then your selues In very deed yee are the right children of the earth for ye are as insensible as it is and of no more vnderstanding then images made of clay and annealed in the fornace Come
an ineuitable mischiefe I had none other recourse but vnto mine eyes My teares haue trickled downe aboundantly and haue bitterly bewayled my mishap and the misery of my fellow citizens and of thee my best beloued Ierusalem Ain And as our miseries neuer ceased no more also did mine eyes so as a man would haue verely sayd that through affliction mine heart was in the presse to squeeze teares out of it as men squeeze water out of a spunge Thus did I leade my life continually vntill such time as I had enforced thee ô Lord to haue pitie on me and had with my teares quenched the heat of thine anger What other thing should I haue done when as I sawe before mine eyes so many Cities destroyed so many houses burnt so many Templs cast downe so many men slayne and so many mayds forced and defloured And surely I had had a very steely hart if I could haue held my self from weeping and although it had bene of steele yet had my dolor bene strong and able inough to haue molten it into weeping Sade Ha what a thing is this they draue vs before them as men driue cattle We fled from our enemies and yet they pursued vs we yelded our selues vnto them and yet they massacred vs and all this they did not geuing them any occasion of offence They led me into the bottome of the arse of a ditch and tyed a stone about my necke as they do about a dogs necke when they meane to drowne him And verely I had like to haue bene drowned for mine afflictions had aboundantly runne ouer the very crowne of mine head and had almost choked me and all the help that I had was to cry out and say O Lord I dye haue mercy vpon me Coph I was as it were in a bottomlesse depth in the hole of a prison I knew not but by my memorie whether there had bene eyther Stye or Sunne in the world so monstrous darke was the place wherein I was And yet ceased I not to call vpon thee my Lord my God and sent vp my faith whither my senses could by no meanes reach And thou neuer reiectedst me but receiuedst my prayer for my sobs in the end moued thee and made thee turne againe vnto thy first resolution I felt thee forthwith to assist and help me yea euen at the very first instant I say that I began to pray vnto thee And still me thought I heard thee say vnto my soule be of good courage feare not Resch And so ô Lord thou canst tell that as great a sinner as I am that thou wilt help and succour me euen for thy Christ his sake and for thy mercy promise and truth sake For thou that vnderstandest the very bottoms of our harts canst truly iudge that my soule hath bene carryed away vnto sinne by her senses and concupiscence but as soone as she felt thy rods she conuerted vnto thee her creator and redeemer from whom alone as she hath had life so also aduoweth she the restauration thereof after sinne For the question ô Lord is of the iudging betweene mine enemies and me whether it be reasonable that my misery should serue them for a sport or whether it be hye time that they should beare part of the punishmēt Iudge it ô Lord thou that knowest the righteousnes of my cause For thou knowest their thoughts their cruell purposes the plagues which they haue prepared for me I haue mine health by reason of their inhabilitie for if they had as great power as they haue will I had abidden as much as they had bene able to haue layd vpon me Syn. Thou hast sufficiently seene ô Lord that they haue dealt with me as farre as they might and thou knowest also that there is no iniury which they haue not committed and spoken against me And I do be short thou hast very well knowne their counsels and thoughts And I do verely thinke that there was neuer word came out of their lips wherwith they purposed not to hurt me and beleeue me their minds were neuer vnoccupied in finding out some cunning deuise or other to hurt me And cōsider I beseech thee whether euer they arose or lay downe that their talke was not on me neyther had they euer any other matter to sing on but to speake euil of me Tau Go to then ô Lord seeing they haue ouer come thy patience wilt thou not daunt their malice and sith nothing can driue them to repentance wilt thou not punish them And seeing they take so great pleasure in ill doing shall they not feele and abide thy displeasure by course For once I am sure that thou art iust and sith thou art so thou must needs pay them home according to the works of their owne hands And seeing that through their pride and arrogancie they haue forsaken thee to follow their own presumption thou must needs leaue them in their error and they must needs perseuere in their sinne and this hard scale of impenitencie must of force couer ouer their whole hearts and a greater curse canst thou not lay vpon them then this then to blinde their minds and take away from them their senses For when thou shalt come at once in the day of vengeance with a rod of iron in thine hand and breake them all in shards like a potters vessell there shall be nothing vnder the heauens by many thousands of degrees so miserable as they for they shall find no mercy at all because they themselues were mercylesse they shall be poore and there shall be none to helpe them and they shall be afflicted and none shall comfort them In the meane while ô Lord haue thou an eye vnto vs and second our patience with thine holy mercy to the end that as long as thou shalt please to exercise vs with the iniuries and opprobries of the wicked our hearts fayle vs not and that our soules may alwayes be able to lift them selues vp vnto thee and looke for thine ayde taking the miseries which it pleaseth thee to send vs for a tryall of our faith hoping that after our long patiēce thou wilt crowne vs as victorious wrastlers and cause vs triumphantly leade the wicked against whome we continually wrastle here in this life CHAPTER IIII. Aleph I Knowe O Lord right well that we must yeeld vnto thy will and that we do but kicke against the pricke in complayning of thee Neuerthelesse I can not keepe in my griefes much lesse my sighs when as I behold this strange desolation And although my soule biddeth me hold my peace yet can not mine heart keepe it selfe from sighing For who ô Lord would not haue pitie of this to see all the beawtifull golden walls of thy temple bescrabled and scraped all the goodly golden vessels so finely wought now melted and clipt in pieces all the ritch Iasper Porphirie of thy sanctuary brokē layd in gobbets cast about all the corners of the Citie in so
they wil euer haue a watchfull eye to surprise good men and to take part against them they will gnash their teeth at them and grin like roring Lions for their hatred is so extreame against the good and godly as that when they behold them they cast downe their countenance and are more like beasts then men 14 But the Almightie God who hath ordeyned that which hath bene shall be and must be and whose ordinances are vnchangeable laugheth to scorne these their deuises and smileth at the vaine deuises of these miserable false wretches which rush into the ayre and flourish with their swords against the winde he seeth their end draw neere by degrees which will carrie them away as a great whirle winde 15 For when as they shall thinke them-selues to be maisters and make a reckning to haue all in their owne then shall they be in greatest danger Ye shall see these miserable sinners with their naked swords in their hands bending their bowes and taking their ayme to ouerthrow the innocent They will make their part strong dispose of their people lay their ambushes haue their watch-word and in a iollitie and meriment will say in their harts Tush wee haue him now in hold he shall neuer escape 16 They will massacre the poore the needy and innocent and take vppon them to roote out all such as are of an vpright soule and heart For it is they with whom they meane to deale it is they whome they bid warre vnto because they stop the execution of their purposes and whose innocencie is a perpetuall reproch vnto them 17 They haue already put their kniues to the throats of the poore innocents their blowes were numbred they had shot their arrowes and the traine had already takē fire and loe by a wonderfull accident the points of their swords are turned vppon theyr owne breasts their owne arrowes stab in them their bullets rebounded and lighted vpon them-selues their bowes brake all to shiuers in their hands and in the end they were slayne with their owne weapons Thou hast sayd ô Lord alwayes right well that wicked counsels light vpon the authors of them to their owne destruction Thou hast rightly foretold that the wicked are takē in their own snares and thou hast rightly fore-iudged that the wicked in the end abide the same punishment which they had prepared for others 18 It is not therefore ô Lord the worldly power greatnesse authority which make men happy neither yet the troupes nor the armies which do assure them make thē conquerors For that little that the iust man hath who by his sinceritie hath obtained thy grace standeth him in better stead then the aboundance of all sorts of goods which the wicked do any way get stand them in stead The litle that a iust man hath swelleth riseth as a peece of dough his force redoubleth against the charge euen as the arme of a Palme tree doth for his strength taketh roote in thee who art the foundation of all force and power 19 But as for the arme of the sinner how stiffe and stout soeuer it be yet shall it be shiuered in peeces and his strength shall be troad vnder feet for it is but a vaine outward shewe which swelleth and puffeth it selfe vp as a glasse in the furnace for it is puffed vp by the blowing of the workeman groweth and looketh very cleare but the more it groweth and waxeth bright the tenderer and britler it is so as it breaketh in peeces with the first knocke it hath and after the noyse of the breaking and fall there is no more seene of it but the small peeces But as for the iust man he is compared vnto a Diamond for the more it is rubbed the cleerer it is And that which affliction taketh away from an innocent man is nothing else but his beastlinesse his ordure and his excrements for the nakedder that he is the more beautifull he is 20 Lastly whatsoeuer it is that God layeth vpon the godly it is altogether for their saluation For he knoweth both the dayes the life of those that are pure and cleane and geueth vnto them that which is needfull for them Their blessednes is prepared for them from all eternitie and shall possesse it vnto all eternitie Not as an earthly inheritance but as an heauenly inheritance whose ritches are infinite and eternal and inheritance which being deuided amongst all his children will continue sound and whole for euer and euer whose parts shall be as great as the very whole enheritāce For this is that glorious enheritance which enriching so many people filleth all with eternall blessednes and remayneth alwayes one and alwayes infinite 21 Now although the hope of the seruāts of God be not tied to the earth yet neuerthelesse so long as they shall be here in this world yet will not God let them want that which is necessarie for their liues For whensoeuer the ill time shall come and that vengeance shall rise vp against men and that the waters ouer flow stormes reigne and heauen poure downe fire like rayne yet shall the righteous be then at rest and peace in the middest of the tempests dry amongst the shipwracks and safe and sound in the hotest of the flames And againe whensoeuer any hideous famine shall come to deuoure the people yet shall they haue Manna rayne downe from heauen to satisfie them For the wrath of God is but against the wicked and his anger is not kindled but against them But as for the godly the neerer that they thinke them-selues vnto danger the neerer are they vnto saluation and health 22 It fareth not with them as it doth with the enemies of God who are mightely exalted and honored on hye that their fall might be the greater and the more shamefull because no man can leape a great leape but such a one as standeth very hye The falls of hye Towres shutter all to pieces and are brought as it were vnto dust Howbeit it is farre worse with the wicked for when they haue once had their blow they fall not only vnto dust but vanish into smoke nay they become nothing at all Behold how the cloudes come foorth as if it were the thunder out of the mouth of a great Cannon they grow into heapes increase and lye out so broad and thick as that a man would say they would fill the emptinesse of the ayre and roll vp the Sunne But after they haue by little and little gotten higher vp ye see them by and by to waxe thin and in the end scatter and consume so as a man shall not see so much as any signe or token that euer they had bin And such is the mightinesse of the wicked whose substance is nothing else but sinne and whose mouing is nothing but vanitie it groweth suddainly and it is gone as suddainly and what soeuer they are able to do for to think to conserue the same they can by no meanes any way
not able to comprehend the reason For thy counsels are maruellous high and thy wisedome terrible profound But in the end ô Lord whatsoeuer thou disposest off here in this world is finished by Iustice 26 For as many as withdraw them selues from thy obedience and estraunge them selues from thy grace shall perish most miserably and all they which breake the faith of the couenant which they haue sworne to serue theyr concupiscences and filthie lustes and goe an whoring â—ith the earth and with their carnall â—ffectioÌ„s all they that defile their consciences and prostitute their soules â—nto wicked and impioâ—s cogirations hall be rooted out and passe through the fury of thy reuenging hands 27 But as for me ô Lord I will neuer depart from thee neither hope for any other felicitie but so to cleare stick fast to thy sides as that I will neuer depart thence I will so stedfastly looke â—pon thee as that I may obserue the twinklings of thine eyes and so confirme my selfe vnto whatsoeuer thou desirest of me follow ranke by ranke whatsoeuer thou commandest me I intend to put my whole trust in thee and seeing I know thee to be altogether good and almightie and as I assuredly beleeue that thou louest me so also will I constantly beleeue that thou wilt assist me and geue me all things that are necessary for me O how excelleÌ„t most assured is that hope that is built vpon the promise of the most good almighty God who hath geuen me such a number of earnest pence of his beneficence so many pawnes of his liberalitie that he might make me beleeue that I shall be assured of the reward which he hath promised me if I serue him faithfully Why doest thou my God most liberally bestow vpon me so many benefits why doest thou promise me such infinitenesse seeing there is in me nothing but sinne and infirmitie 28 I right well see ô Lord that it is to the end that I may be the man to declare abroad euery where thine immensurable mercy and vnspeakeable goodnes and publish thy prayse throughout all the gates places of resort and secret corners of Syon thine holy Citie To the end that I going vp into thine holy hill amongst those whome thou hast assembled in thy Chuâ—ch for the receyuing of thy blessings and seruing of thy glory might make them vnderstand the secrets of thy wisedome which thou hast vouchsafed to reueale vnto me And that in addressing my voyce with that stile which thine holy spirit hath framed in the same I might vnfold the holy mystreries of thine incompreheÌ„sible wisedome to the end that euery one hearing me discourse of the knowledge wherein thou hast instructed mee might be had in admiration not of me who am but an hoarse instrument of thy glory but of the maruellous effects of thy quickning spirit who shall embolden me vnto this glocious hâ—…y and solemne worke But ô Lord after thou hast for a while entertained vs here in this estate vpoÌ„ this terrestriall Syon lift vp our eyes vnto that heauenly Syon embolden and encourage vs vnto the attayning of that blessed aboad and teach vs which are they vnto whome thou hast promised the same And teach vs also how we must carry our selues to be made worthy of so excellent holy and glorious a dwelling place O Lord who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle c. Psalme 15. 1 THE world ô Lorâ— sith it hath so pleased thee is vnto vs a tedious pilgrimage wee dayly walke therein and cannot finde any nights rest for our wearyed members For if we thinke to lay downe our heads vpon the pillow or bolster to geue our eyes sleepe our afflictions importune vs like flyes yea and the very passions which are bred within our flesh do swell puffe vs vp and venome vs like dangerous scorpions and kill vs if we presently kill not them What are we like to hope after seeing that as we lack strength so must the miseries also needs grow vpon vs seeing that which way so euer wee turne or are any way able to turne vs we shall finde our selues altogether in the middest of the world and this world find it how and where we will is onely full of misery Where then shall we finde rest we shall neuer find it in this miserable life where-into we are put as chief wrestlers to striue against all manner of aduersities but rather ô Lord in thy Tabernacle in the holy dwelling place of thy Godhead where our labors shal be crowned O blessed yea thrise blessed is he for whom thou hast prepared this so goodly and pleasant a withdrawing place for the mitigating and comforting of his paines and griefes past within the bosome of thy grace and resteth himselfe betweene the armes of thy mercy But who are they that shall one day dwell with the companions of thy blessednes glory for to heare that which is said of it this is not a place for all the world to come vnto for this is a place of a monstrous height and of an infinite largenesse and compassed adorned with incredible magnificence I know not what else to say vnto thee but that this is a very high hill vppon the top whereof is a maruellous beautifull Garden beset and furnished with all sorts of delicat fine flowres wherein also are plaÌ„ted many rowes of trees of infinit sorts of fruites and moystned bedeawed with most liuely and cleare running waters Certainly this is a veâ—y hye hil in deed for who soeuer commeth there must on euery side runne through grieuous and hard tribulations yea an hundreth times harder then either the flint or rocky stone And he that will come there must be alwayes farre from the center of the earth that is to say hee must no be too too farre in loue with himselfe but must tread vnder his feet all sensuall and earthly affections This is in truth like a most flourishing Garden for in it are resident the seeds and causes of all things which dayly bring forth most infinit goodly effects and most noble and excellent works for the partitions and deuisions thereof there is a goodly disposing of the parâ—… of the world so iustly and euenly measured as possibly can be deuised The frutes thereof are the pleasant and sweet sauouring contemplations of wisedome wherewith it nourisheth and satisfieth the soules there dwelling The running waters thereof are the spring heads issuing from the eternall bountie which spreadeth it selfe from an high ouer all the parts of the world and coÌ„tinually batheth and refresheth them O most beautifull holy hill who shal ascend vnto thy top and who shal rest in the bosome of this so glorious and delightfull an abiding place 2 Euen he that is purified within the sacred flames of an holy and deuout zeale that hath so eased his soule of the dregs of the world that there is nothing left to hinder his course from going that way For when the desire of our
holy Thou hast seene him enter into thy Sanctuary and into that place which ought to haue receyued none but sanctified persons no none but pure and cleane soules and such as are worthie to be partakers of the beholding of thy diuine maiestie hath seene receyued and touched euen pollution and impietie it selfe and seene his sacrilegious hands steale away the ornaments of thy Temple destroyed the habitation of thy deitie and the abiding place of thy grace as if thy lawes and prohibitions forbidding them not to abide and tarry in that place no nor once to enter thereinto had bene but as it were a very song Where wert thou then ô Lord and although thou carest not for the iniuries which we haue receyued why art thou not yet reuenged of the wrongs done vnto thy selfe Caph. Thou hast bene ô Lord very angry against poore Ierusalem and hast sayd that thou haddest no will to come to help it by reason of the great and manifold offences thereof It is now time ô Lord or else neuer for all her miserable inhabitants goe shamefully a begging for their liuing and haue geuen what so euer good thing they haue for a mouth full of bread and bought full dearely the water which they haue dronke Forsake not ô Lord this our earnest prayer and turne alittle thine eyes of mercy vpon vs for if our pride hath heretofore estranged vs fom thee our humilitie shall now reconcile vs vnto thee There can be now nothing ô Lord to be seene so humble vile and abiect as we are nor there is nothing that hath more need of thee then we haue neyther can there be any thing found to be more pitifull then thy selfe Lamed Tell me I beseech ye you that passe by and see my ruines and do consider the remayne of my greatnesse and then tell me if there be any thing in the whole world so miserable as it is and that euer sithence you haue had eyes that euer you sawe any dolor like vnto mine Tell me I pray you if euer ye were able to keepe your eyes from shedding of teares whensoeuer ye beheld my desolation I speake vnto you I say which haue heretofore seene this Citie so wonderfully furnished with welth ritches her greatnes magnificēce do now behold her mōstrous spoile do ye not thinke that you see a vineyard laid wide open where into all sorts of beasts are entred who haue not only spoiled the vintage of the grape but haue also broken downe the hedges pluckt in sunder the very armes of the vines And this ye see is the pleasure of God he is iustly angry with me hath determined to visit me in his fury Mem. His vengeance is come downe from heauen like lightning it is come to thunder and lighten vpon me and is entred into the very marrow of my bones nothing can be seene to be done more suddainely more earnestly or more powerfully For in a moment it is come ouerthrowne all in a moment and all in a minute shaken into fitters pieces For my Temples and my Castles which reached vnto the clowdes lye now euen with the groūd Our Cities are like vnto plaine heathes wheron you may driue Carts God hath made me right well know to my cost his power and might He hath made me heare an horrible lesson We thought by our wisedomes to haue bene able to withstand the blow of his iustice howbeit there is neither wisedome nor councell against God We haue bene entrapped on euery side For whē we thought to come out and to be in safetie we were fast intangled in his nets and the more haste we made to get out the faster were we masshed in the end were cast downe headlong into that punishment which he had prepared for vs like vnto the mariner who thinking to escape a shelf or flat falleth into a gulfe which swalloweth him vp For our misery is in deed a very gulfe where our sight is taken away and we brought back into an inaccessible wildernes where there is none to comfort vs in so much as that our eyes neuer geuing ouer weeping are able inough to drowne vs in our owne teares Nun. I neuer ô Lord looked to escape it for thou hast too too long had an eye vnto my sinnes and hast determined of the punishment which I should suffer it is ouer long ago since thou didst couple my sinnes together and holdest them fast linked within the hand of thy iustice In the end I found my selfe all at once oppressed and felt my sinnes as an hard and insupportable yoke tye me fast to be tormented I yelded my neck vnto the punishment as an oxe vnto the yoke vnder the hand of an vnmercifull master My misery gaue me no rest nor intermission so long as there was any strength in me I might haue sayd that I was with my last master and that God had put me into the hands of an enemy of whome I could neuer haue bene rid but by departing out of this life Samech What reliefe or comfort ô Lord may I haue in my miseries In what place may I lodge the rest of my hope Thou hast vtterly extirped and rooted out the race of I ehuda the very stalke of Kings Prophets And as if by laying open mine entrayles thou mightest pluck out mine heart euen so hast thou taken from me my braue and valiant children by rooting out some and sending captiue othersome Thou hast chosen out a very good time for thy selfe to ruyne and sack me and to geue me for a pray vnto my greatest enemies and thou hast taken a very good order in all things for the ouerthrowing of that which I hold most deare which I haue made chiefe choyse of to loue and wherein I haue setled all mine whole affection But alasse with what crueltie if I may dare say so hath Ierusalem seene all her streetes paued with the torne members of the bodies of her poore children They haue bene layd vpon the rack their bones haue bene broken in pieces and their bloud hath run downe the chanels like streames There might you see the poore Virgins vtterly discomforted there is no more maydenly shamefastnesse left to coulor their faces withall that is to say no more of their fathers bloud to leape vp into their visages to mixe with their teares Ain Alasse what is there left for me to do in such a strange an affliction as this but incessantly to weepe And therefore I will weepe and weepe my fill I will conuert mine eyes into fountaynes and fill mine heart with sorrow and griefe Ha is it not possible to kill my selfe with weeping Ha when shall I sigh so much as that I may sigh my soule out of my body For seeing I haue none other consolation and that God alone who is able to ease my misery is farre away from me I can hope of none other end vnto my dolor but to suffer it consume it selfe to the end that as
geuen them all power and â—…thoritie ouer thee Sade But God in the end began to waxe weary of their insolency because they carryed theÌ„selues too too proudly of their conquest for after they had troden vnder feet the greatnes of Ierusalem they meant againe to deale with his maiestie and blaspheme his name and hauing ouerthrowne the walles of this holy Citie they bragged that they would make warre against God him selfe and triumph ouer the spoyles of his Temple Let their example ô Ierusalem serue thy turne and take occasion to appease God by thy repentance that he may turne the punishment which he hath prepared for thee vpon thine enemies Let thine eyes forthwith burst into bloudy teares and weepe continually day and night geue no rest to thy sighes let thy pitifull eyes speake for thee and looking vp still vnto heauen attend thou thine ayde from thence Coniure by thine humble lookes this diuine mercy that it may ease thy weakenes and conuert his iustice vnto the chastising of the insolency of thine enemies Coph Lift vp lift vp I say both thy body and soule all at once and before it be day so soone as thou shalt awake put thy selfe in a readinesse to pray into God to prayse and thanke him for that he by the torments which he hath caused vs to abide hath brought thee back into the right way as men do oxen with the goade vnto the knowledge of his name and the acknowledging of thine iniquities And before his face that is to say when thou hast obtayned fauour at his hand to looke vpon thee and seest him to haue compassion on thee distill thine heart through thine eyes and melt it all into teares by thine earnest repentance euen as the Sunne would melt the snow newly fallen into water But if so that thy teares will not touch him and bring him to haue compassion of thy miserie lift vp thy hands yet at the least vnto him and beseech him to be contented with thy miseries and not extend them vnto thy poore innocent childreÌ„ who are there dispersed dying of hunger and weakenesse in corners saying vnto him Resch O Lord if thou haue any eyes behold this pitifull spectacle and if thou haue any eares harken vnto out prayers and consider how great our miserie is Behold how thou hast bene auenged of vs and see what a spoyle thou hast made of vs. And in very deed I must needs confesse that we haue deserued it and I do protest that we are vnworthie of thy mercy and do also vow that we our selues are the causes of our owne miserie But what haue these poore and wayling children done whom thou seest screaking out them selues faintly drawing their breath Why should the child whom hunger torment had drawne out before the time of the mothers womb was ready to deliuer it which is not as it were so great as a mans hand be rent in pieces by her which should bring it forth and so be eaten by her and the same to go downe by peece-meale into the body out of which it came whole and sound Surely happy and twise happy are the Tygres and Lyons whelps in comparison of these whose dammes will aduenture their own liues against whatsoeuer violence shall be offred their yong ones rather then they would suffer them to take any hurt at all O Lord how canst thou abide this horrible dealing Is it possible that thou which are altogether good gratious wouldest abide such great impietie to be wrought that thou which art so wise wouldest allow of such a cruell acte and that thou which art Almightie wouldest suffer such a strange outrage Shew thy selfe ô Lord shew thy selfe as thou art and although for a time thou art determined to exercise thy seueritie and iustice yet thinke vpon this also that thy mercy must reigne haue her course Content thy selfe that so much bloud is spilt for the appeasing of thine heauie wrath Thou hast not bene pleased with the bloud of our sheepe and oxen alone but wilt needs also haue thine Aulters couered with the bloud of thine owne Priests for they haue sacrificed their owne liues and thy Prophets likewise haue bene offred vp in oblation and yet thou art no whit appeased Syn. What more wouldest thou haue at our hands Thou hast scene abroad in the fields the gray haired and â—ecreped old men and women lye vpon the ground crying out groaning and â—eeping thou hast seene lying with 〈◊〉 our walles the slaughter of our youths our streetes strawed all ouer with legs and ames our riuers running ouer with bloud and neyther sexe or yet age spared Thou hast seene amongst the dead the yong and tender maydens with their haires sheueled about their heads hauing their breasts lying open with great wounds out of which gushed streames of bloud and thou hast seene them lying on their backs with their eyes vp vnto heauen beseeching thine ayde And thou ô Lord hast notwithstanding all this turned away thine eyes from them and as if thou haddest bene a God not to be intreated hast without either pitie or mercy run through them all with the sword of thy fury Tau Thou hast inuited all my neighbour nations round about me to come to my discomfiture as it were vnto a mariage and to take part of my spoiles Thou hast brought them in such great multitudes to take possession of me and to compasse me as that I can not deuise which way to escape theÌ„ Thou thy selfe hast sounded to the assault animated them to my destruction and stopped vp the passages for feare that any of vs should be saued And truly thy will hath bene done vpon all the children which I haue brought vp nay there is not one of them saued mine enemies haue made a shambles of theÌ„ they haue murdered and massacred them till they cryed hoe withall and lo seest thou them weary with killing yet carest thou not to see them do it to let them to do it and to cause them do it Hath the remembrance of our sins made thee forget the remembraÌ„ce of thy clemency Hast thou created vs in thy mercy to destroy vs in thy fury Be thou then no more Almightie if thou wilt not become both all curteous all kind To be short be thou no more God without thou wilt be likewise pitifull Ha ô Lord why hast thou called vs thy people if thou wilt be no more our protector Why hast thou called vs thy childreÌ„ if thou wilt not deale with vs as a father Haue therefore ô Lord compassion vpon vs and feeing thy mercy is infinite euer since before the world was cause that thine ire which was neuer vntill our sins were may take end and dye with them and that as our repeÌ„tance hath set vs againe into the especiall way of obedience godlinesse so also it may bring vs againe into thy fauour CHAPTER III. Aleph IT is I euen I my selfe that hath so many times foreseene and
a one as thou hast shewed thy self to be in visiting poore Syon euen vnto the cōsuming the very foundatiōs thereof Lamed O most strange and most incredible thing these newes haue bene told vnto other Kings and Princes of the earth to all other strange people but they could neuer beleeue any iote of it For thus they haue sayd What is it possible that this holy City which God hath chosen for his dwelling place where he hath set vp his throne on the earth where he will be worshipped whither all nations haue carried their offrings where he hath appeared and answered vnto the cryes of those that haue prayed vnto him the same onely to be taken and to fall into the hands of her enemies Surely we will neuer beleeue it nay we do not beleeue that if they found the gates therof stand wide open that they durst once enter into it Mem. And yet for all this ô Lord it is euen so the poore cittie is vtterly vndone and razed but after what sort and wherfore Forsooth for the sinnes ô Lord of our prophets and for the sinnes of our priests who haue shed the bloud of the righteous euen in the middest of Ierusalem Nun. They haue run vp and downe in the streats like mad men and reeled too and fro as men drunken with the bloud of innocents They are so polluted and defiled as that all the world is a feard to touch them for feare of being imbrued with them Yea and they themselues are ashamed to go into the temple for feare of violating it with the bloud which commeth frō their cloths Samech I do assure ye that the very heathen themselues haue bene afeard of them I say euen they that know not God but by the light of nature and haue cried out against them saying O ye wicked and cruell caitiues hence and away and defile not the place which is dedicated vnto your God and they with great indignity despitefully againe haue said no no. Beleeue verily that God dwelleth not amongst such kinde of people Phe. For a man may easily see that their God hath forsaken them hath dabd them in the necks and set them at diuision and discord They haue tasted of nothing so little as of godlines and therfore they must looke no more for any helpe from heauen What the very ancient seruants of God appointed to serue at his aulter haue not so much as once blushed in committing most horrible and great wickednesses the elder sort which should haue bin the most modest haue bin most mad and had no compassion of their equals neither could the age of their afflicted companions driue them to any compassion And seeing that all humanitie is rooted out of their harts how is it possible for God to dwell in them Beleeue me these are no men but counterfet Tygres And therfore God will deale with them as he dealeth with brute beasts and make one of them praye vpon another Ain Ha ô Lord these people haue sayd rightly Thou hast made vs to feele it in deed for after all these our furious pranks the time of punishment came vpon vs for our enemies enuironed vs on euery side and whilst we were gaping and looking for ayd from men and looked so wishlie for them as that we were weery of looking could see none at all come wee were very foolish in looking for helpe from men to defend vs from thee ô Lorde which makest warre against vs. Alasse what are mens forces able to do against thee What rampart in all the whole world is able to defend vs against thy wrath Sade We haue bene taken as Partriges in the cod of a net thou hast driuen vs together on a Couie and afterward coueredst vs wee thought to haue escaped and our feete slid we are fallen and are snared in the net we haue assaied to fleet from one place to another and we haue bene alwaies staied And why so forsooth because the day was come We haue hastened the punishment by our perseuering in euill doing and haue in the end enforced God to pronounce the ineuitable iudgement of our condemnation against vs. Coph When God hath resolued to do a thing all things both in heauen and earth are ready to execute his will euery thing maketh it selfe ready to serue his purpose our enemies are more swift to pursue vs then are the Eagles the Stock doues For they haue followed vs euen to the tops of the mountaines and met with vs in the deserts I do verely beleeue that if we were in the deepest dungeons that euer were that they would there finde vs out Resch And what shall I say where found they out our good Iosias euen him whom thou haddest annointed to raigne ouer vs and whom we esteemed and made more of then of our owne liues who was alwaies in our hearts and euer in our mouthes him they tooke led captiue aswell as the rest Nothing could keepe him from their hands I do verily beleeue that our sinnes are the cause of his taking and for our sinnes did he suffer and abide the same and therefore we haue said thus vnto him for his comfort We beseech thee ô King patiently to beare the affliction which the Lorde thy God hath sent thee which is the shadowe and figure of the passion of him who by his death shall establish againe our former felicity make vs raigne ouer the Gentiles and subiect all the nations of the world vnto our law Sin But in the meane while he is bound and shackled ô most heauy and lamentable aduenture Laugh thou yea laugh thou thereat ô thou daughter of Edome which dwellest in the plaines of Arabia there is enough thereof left for thee yea thou shalt drinke of the cuppe when thy turne commeth about and be made drunke with the bitter wine aswell as wee They shall make thee hazarde thy throate and thou shalt beleeue it make a good reckoning of our spoiles There is small ioy and comfort in beholding anothers misery and that ioy and comfort shall we haue for we shall see them lament and be sory for their owne punishment euen to see themselues to be sory for their owne that laughed at ours Tau And therefore I beseech thee ô poore desolate Syon begin to take heart vnto thee for God hath eftsoones made an end of that which he had ordained for thy punishment he will adde no more affliction vnto thy dolours past for he hath done that which he had a desire and minde to do He will now suffer thee by little and little to restore thy selfe to build againe thine houses to rere vp againe thine aulters and to reedifie thy temples Feare now no more any new banishment For he will come vnto thee himselfe to reassure thee comfort and strengthen thee And as for thee ô thou daughter of Edome he will now come and visit thy turne and teach thee that hee right well knoweth thy life and conuersation that he