distressed soule Wash mee wash mee againe and againe or wash me throughly from mine iniquity and cleanse mee from my sinne As my sinnes being in nature of debts are registred in thy book and set vpon thy score so like spots and staynes they blemish and deface the Image of thy diuine nature ingrauen in my soule at the Creation of it in such sort as thou canst hardly discerne it to be thy workemanship and therefore I intreate thee to wash me often and throughly that I may appeare cleane and holy in thy pure and piercing eyes There is nothing so pure O Lord as thou art in thy diuine nature nothing so foule as I am by naturall and actuall corruption Wherefore I thinke nothing too much to bring the most defiled thing on earth to the 〈◊〉 Essence in heauen and that makes me to beg againe and againe that thou wilt wash me againe and againe Sinne is filthy to thinke of more filthy to speake and heare of most filthy to act and commit there is nothing in it or any part or passage of it but vilenesse basenesse and filthinesse All the washings in thy Leuiticall Law were types and figures of this Spirituall washing in the blood of the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world Wash me O Lord with the water of thy grace with that water whereof whoso drinketh shall neuer thirst wash mee with the water of mine owne teares with the water of thy Word with the water of thy Sacraments I know O Lord that vnlesse thou wash mee I can haue no part or portion in the. e Wherefore I beseech thee to wash not my feete onely but my head also and all the parts and members of my body yea to rince and scowre my soule and all the powers and faculties thereof that I may present both soule and body an holy and acceptable sacrifice vnto thee It is thy blessed busines O Christ to 〈◊〉 me in this worlde that thou maist render me spotlesse to thy Father in another world I sinne daily and therefore had neede of daily washing I sinne continually and therfore had 〈◊〉 of continuall washing for the word including a multiplication of washing doth imply a multiplication of sinning For if my soule lothing the filth and mire wherewith shee hath soiled her selfe euen to vglinesse take a course by the teares of contrition for the cleane washing of her face how soone doth the old dirt of sinne spurt into her visage againe So that the businesse of the soule in this life if it be a life of repentance is neuer at an end being indeed nothing else but the washing of that which is foule and the fouling of that which was washed There be as it is reported in the story of nature certain flying fishes whose wings by flying waxe dry and being dry lose their flying so as they must euer and anon returne to the Sea by the moisture thereof to enable their flight againe Euen so my soule washed in the lauer of regeneration and mounting vp towards heauen through this wicked world her wings euen her best purposes cogitations and conceptions easily grow dry by the contagion of earthly conuersation vnlesse they bee often bathed and moistened in the waters of repentance to carry her thorow to her iournies end So then my case and condition is such as in regard of many sports howerly falling and deepely staining my ill fauoured and disfigured Soule 〈◊〉 haue iust cause to pray earnestly that I may bee both often and throughly washed and by thee who canst alone make me cleane and clense me from my sinnes As I haue a great debt to be discharged much filthinesse to bee washed so haue I a loathsome Leprosie of sinne to be clensed wherefore I pray thee O Lord to clense mee from from my sinnes This Leprosie and the cure of it were shadowed out and figured also by sundry purgations clensings in thy Leuiticall law all poynting to that blood of the Lambe whereby my sinnes are purged The Leprosie as Physiicans tell vs is an hereditary disease descending from the Father to the Child An ignominious and odious disease banishing the Leper from all company a contagious disease spreading from man to man 〈◊〉 then the Plague a dull and stupid disease that makes him insensible altogether and a dangerous or rather desperate disease 〈◊〉 or not at all to be cured In all which 〈◊〉 sinne may fitly bee resembled to a 〈◊〉 for sinne comes by propagation from our first Parents to all their posterity It separates vs from thy presence from the company of thy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Angels and all good men It infecteth others and poyloneth not onely with the breath but with the sight of it too It benums vs so as wee feele not thy fearefull iudgements It is vtterly incurable otherwise then by the blood of the Lambe It hath been obserued that the teares of a Vine when it bleedes are a very good medicine for curing of the bodily Leprosie 〈◊〉 so the teares of the heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and lies lowe as doth 〈◊〉 Vine that 〈◊〉 and mournes in humility for sinne auaile much to 〈◊〉 clensing of this Leprosie of the soule My sinne as a Leprosie doth ouerspread both my soule and body from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foote from the highest faculty of my vnderstanding to the lowest affection of my will there is no sound part in mee my disease is growne to the height to full ripenesse or rather foule rottennesse it hath put out the scabbe as they say by enormious and scandalous actions Wherefore I beseech thee who art the prime and soueraigne Physician to looke vpon me with the eye of pitty and to clense and cure mee of my Leprous sinne and sinfull Leprosie 2. I know mine owne wickednesse and my sinne is euer before me or my sinne is euer against me BEfore the Prophet Nathan was sent as a speciall Bailife to summon me by a writ ad meliùs inquirendum I cast mine eye carelesly I did not fixe it fully I looked slightly and superficially as in passage not sadly and mournefully vpon my grieuous sins I did not behold them so seriously as I ought to haue done I saw but the Epitome or grosse summe of them I did not viewe them in the large volume written at length or rathere painted out as now they are in their true shapes and colours Euery man by the light of nature must needs see somewhat of this kinde in the glasse of his owne conscience but through the corruption of nature no man is willing to take a perfect suruay and make a full portraiture of his own transgressions There is in man an affected ignorance and blindnesse in this behalfe and who so blinde as he that will not see who so ignorant as hee that will not know As wee put off the euill day so long as we can so we put by the euill obiect so farre as wee may
thine hand bee on mee and my Fathers house but not on thy people that they should bee plagued Let not the contagion of my corruption spread vnto them let not the punishments which I their head haue deserued fall vpon their heads be fauourable to them howsoeuer thou be displeased with me I doe acknowledge that looke how farre Kings do exceed other men in place and dignity so farre doe their sinnes surpasse other mens sinnes in quality Their sinnes though lesse in their owne nature are greater by reason of their persons they are crying capitall and sinning sinnes Wherfore it behooues me to repent more deepely to pray more earnestly not onely for my selfe but for my people also whom I haue scandalized by my ill example and exposed as much as in mee lay to thy heauiest vengeance For thy good pleasure in thy good pleasure according to thy good pleasure I can propound no other motiue to induce thee I can name no Saint nor Angell in heauen for whose 〈◊〉 I should intreate thee Therefore for thy good pleasure be fauourable to Sion No sacrifice either without or within mee is sacred enough no sincerity in my thoughts no holinesse in my words no vprightnesse in my actions is of power to merit the least grace from thee I for my selfe and as Procurator for thy Church doe renounce all right disclaime all desert by meanes of any 〈◊〉 all of these It is thine own louing kindnesse that must ouer come thee There is no reason of thy loue but thy loue no reason of thy good will but thy good pleasure Stat pro ratione voluntas Thy will is perfect iustice stands for a law Thou art not only louing but loue it selfe for thou didst loue thy Church and chosen first thou didst not chuse them worthy but by chusing didst make them worthy to inherit thy Kingdome thou didst loue them gratis freely Grace is not grace any way vnlesse it be free and gracious euery way without any precedent merit or so much as loue on our parts Build thou the walls of Ierusalem I pray as for thy Church so for thy Common-wealth Sion thy Chuch Ierasalem thy Citty Sion thy holy habitation Ierusalem the mother City of the Kingdome of Israel I haue done wrong to both and therefore desire to make reparation to both That I can in no wise make but by thy gracious fauour vpon mine humble and earnest supplication Ierusalem though a City of peace as the word Salem imports yet must bee prepared and fortified for warre It must haue Castles Towers and walles to defend them against the encounters of their enemies which are many and mighty There be walls of this City which the world sees not for thou O Lord art a wall of brasse about her and a wall of fire to consume her foes thine Angels pitch their tents about her Inhabitants Shee hath also visible walles framed of a number of liuely stones which being first rough are hewne by affliction in the quarry of this world squared by repentance and cemented by loue and so pollished and made fit for the heauenly Ierusalem that truly glorious City But I will not pray onely for the defence and safety but also for the peace and prosperity of the earthly Ierusalem O pray for the peace of Ierusalem they shall prosper that loue her peace bee within her walles and plenty within her pallaces because of my brethren neighbours and companions for the loue I beare them out of naturall affection and ciuill respect I pray for Ierusalem but chiefely and mainely for thy House sake O Iehouah This house is the heart of this body it puts life into all the outward parts and members thereof and in a 〈◊〉 relation though not in like proportion those outward parts doe guard and defend and cherish his heart Thine Israel must needes be in much affliction and reproch whiles the walles are vnbuilded Thou hast forbidden thy people to offer in euery place There thou art well pleased to haue thy name called vpon I haue much battered these walles I haue made large breaches in them by my haynous offences O Lord I beseech thee who art the Arch-builder to re-repaire these breaches to build vp these walles that Ierusalem may continue in safety and 〈◊〉 in prosperity not 〈◊〉 a few moneths or 〈◊〉 but euen till the comming of thy Christ. Sion is the ioy of the the whole earth not only all the creatures but all other men also are created 〈◊〉 and disposed for her good For thy loue of them I must loue them for I cannot loue thee vnlesse I loue thy spowse in whome thou delightest which is mystically yet really one flesh with thee I pray for fauour to Sion in the first place for building the walles of Ierusalem in the second place for good to the Kingdome in regard of the good that will thereby accrew to thy Church the prosperity whereof is the the prime obiect and last complement of my desires Then when thou art become fauourable to Sion thy Church and chosen when the place is builded which thou hast singled out for thy seate and seruice then wilt thou accept and the people offer their sacrifices inward and outward vnto thee This correspondency and restipulation as it were betweene thee and thy people that they shall offer cheerefully and thou graciously entertaine their seruices is the foundation and height of true felicity But they must be right sacrifices or the sacrifices of righteousnesse such as are required by thee and in faith tendred vnto thee else will they not hit the marke whereat they ayme For it is not the deede done alone that will auaile or worke any good effect it is not enough that the thing that is done bee good but it must bee well done also Bonum benè the Noune without the Aducrbe is of no value or vertue at all The burnt offerings of beasts and birds and other things wholy giuen vp in fire by the Priests and consumed to Ashes the other oblations of peace and thankesgiuing made by the Laity according to thy prescription though thou do not esteeme them at all when they are disioyned from an humble and penitent heart yet being happily conioyned consorted together will be most gratefull and highly pleasing vnto thee They shall offer Bullocks vpon thine Altar and there slay them which is the signe figure they shall withall tender the calues of their lips in praises and prayers which is the substance and body thereby repesented Thy Christ as their high Priest shall offer himselfe the sasacrifice and vpon him as their Altar they shall put their Incense of heartie deuotion by that meane to become sweet smelling in thy nostrils Hee shall be the Priest the Sacrifice Altar all in all himself To him be all honor and glory c. A SVMMARY PRAYER FRAMED OVT OF the Psalme and Meditation together O Most powerfull wise and mercifull God who hast created all
and then I shall not faile to heare of this redoubled ioy and gladnesse which my sorrowfull perplexed soule doth so much hunger and thirst after I doe the more earnestly desire and affectionately long to heare of this ioy because it is an assay and foretaste of that ioy which I hope fully to enioy in heauen it is not the pawne or pledge that must bee returned againe but the earnest or Godspenny which continues still with the receiuer of a farre greater ioy heereafter and where thou giuest earnest thou neuer failest to performe the bargaine This ioy is great in the present exhibition far greater in the future expectation no meane ioy in the meane time while I liue in this valley of teares the life of grace but glorious and vnspeakable ioy hereafter in the life of glorie such ioy in the end as shall be without end in the heauenly 〈◊〉 where there shall be peace without trouble plenty without want light without darkenesse health without sickenesse melody without discord security without feare felicity without misery ioy without interruption or intermission ioy vpon ioy ioy exceeding all ioy without or beyond which there is no ioy at all If I heare this word of comfort in this life which giueth mee title and interest Thy sinne is forgiuen thee I shall be sure then to heare the warrant for possession and fruition Enter good seruant into thy Masters ioy Without this ioy there is nothing but disquiet and discomfort nothing but 〈◊〉 and horror nothing but apprehension of wrath and vengeance The wicked who heareth nothing of this ioy feeleth no serenitie or tranquillity of minde but as holy Iob saith is like a woman that is alwayes in trauaile like the raging sea still foaming and casting vp dirt and myre on the other part the penitent sinner who in anguish of soule harkeneth after these tydings deriueth ioy from the wel-head where there is Gods plenty as they say fulnesse of most sweet and delightfull comforts euen a torrent or strong running streame of pleasures flowing perpetually He shall haue incomparably more ioy than the worldling whose corne and wine and oyle are increased and therefore may lay him downe in peace and rest in security because thou makest him to dwell in safetie Such as the matter is whereof ioy ariseth and consisteth such is the ioy it selfe If the matter bee slight flitting and momentary as the world and the flesh are how can the ioy be constant solid and durable On the other side the ioy that is grounded vpon so precious a foundation as remission of sinne and reconciliation with thee how can it bee but vnchangeable and inexplicable This ioy will eate vp all false ioyes and flitting delights which men fansie to take in the pleasures of sinne as the Rod of Aaron did deuoure the rods of the Aegyptian Sorcerers This ioy like water will quench and extinguish all the hot desires and fiery lusts of the world and the flesh whatsoeuer That the bones which thou hast broken may reioyce I made my moane heeretofore that my bones were sore vexed that there was no peace or rest in them by reason of my sinne I now professe that they were not only crushed and bruized but euen disioynted and broken that is the most strong able powers and faculties of my soule and body which I describe by the name of bones haue been oppressed battered as it were with the terrible pangs and restles tortures which I haue suffered by the hammer of thine indignation conceiued against my grieuous and enormous transgressions But if thou Lord wilt now be pleased after my vnfained repentance to make me heare of this ioy and gladnesse all these bones 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the 〈◊〉 and marrow of thy 〈◊〉 shall in iust 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cry out Lord who is 〈◊〉 vnto thee It is thy 〈◊〉 and manner of proceeding O Lord with thy dearest children Thou makest the wound and bindest it vpagaine thou smitest and healest againe thou killest and quickenest againe thou castest downe to the nethermost hell and thou raisest vp againe to the heauen of heauens shewing and declaring thereby thine irresistable power to worke mine humble obedience 〈◊〉 vnspeakable wisedome to breed my reuerent admiration thy seuere Iustice to beget mine awefull feare thy supereminent tender mercy to purchase mine affectionate loue towards thee The deeper mine humiliation is the greater will bee mine exaltation the sowrer the sorrow is the sweeter will the succeeding gladnesse prooue when thou shalt please to affoord it vnto me for not my spirit onely but all the parts of my soule and body will exceedingly reioyce when after these tempestuous stormes I shal safely arriue at the hauen of rest and contentment For as water is more grateful to the way-faring man after a long drought and a calme more 〈◊〉 to a sea-faring man after a terrible tempest so will my deliuerance bee after my tribulation O how beautifull will thy mercy appeare after the depth of my miserable affliction How shall I reioyce 〈◊〉 euer I was sorrowfull How shall my bones bee glad that euer they were broken I shall gratefully acknowledge that thy 〈◊〉 and thy staffe haue 〈◊〉 mee that is I shall take comfort that euer I was chastized with them and that according to the multitude of my griefes thy consolations haue made my minde ioyfull that is for euery sorrow that I receiued in time of my tribulation I shall receiue a consolation after my deliuerance O then what a madnesse is it to buy a little vaine idle frothie and momentany pleasure at so deare a rate as the vexation and anguish the terrors and tortures both of soule and body which none can conceiue by imagination but he that feeleth and he that feeleth is not able by any representation to expresse Hide thy face from my sinnes and blot 〈◊〉 all my transgressions Because my sinne is the source of my sorrow and the bane of my blisse I make this the burthen of my song and doe reiterate my Prayer for pardon I beseech thee once againe O Lord either to remooue thy sense from the obiect or the obiect from thy sense hide thine eyes from such an vgly sight looke another way behold any thing rather then it or if being all Eye thou canst not but see all things that are and so all my sinnes if they be at all O Lord blot them out let not them be to be seene blot them out all and at once vna litura with one dash of thy pen efface all my transgressions Hide thy face not from me but from my sinnes Thou hast charged me louingly Seeke my face and I haue answered resolutely Thy face Lord will I seeke If thou withdraw thy face from me woe is me I shall bee like those that goe downe into the bottomlesse pit wherefore still shew me the light of thy countenance looke vpon thy
quickly slips from good Meditations and Actions slides from honest purposes and proceedings vnlesse it bee sustained by thy Spirit But being quickned and enlyued by thy Spirit though otherwise dead I shal liue in thee by thee for thee all my thoughts words and workes shall breathe continually thy praise and glory Thy Spirit O Lord is the life of my soule as my spirit is the life of my body if my spirit faile my body perisheth if thy Spirit desert my soule my soule cannot but fall irrecouerably Wherefore vphold mee with thy Spirit Thy Spirit is free in it selfe As the winde bloweth so the Spirit breatheth where it listeth As it is a free so it is a freeing Spirit a Spirit of liberty which deliuereth me from the bondage of Sinne a Spirit of Adoption whereby I cry Abba Father As the Spirit is free so are those that are led by the Spirit free ingenuous bold and couragious it infranchizeth and naturalizeth me in the heauenly Hierusalem This Spirit hath power to helpe all my infirmities it hath skill and will to frame my Supplications within me to be expressed if not by tongue voyce yet by sighes and grones vnutterable but still intelligible to thee it can preserue mee from falling it can raise mee after I haue falne and then so establish mee that I shall neuer come againe into danger of relapse or recidiuation My spirit thus vpheld and established by thy free Spirit what is it else but a cheerefull alacrity and forward disposition to imbrace any thing that is good for it owne sake and for thy sake without any by or secondary respect whatsoeuer banisheth all drowzy dulnesse and vntoward listlesnesse in thy seruice that putteth wings to my obedience and maketh it not to walke slowly but to flye nimbly in the accomplishment of thy errands and directions that causeth me to doe ingenuously what becommeth me for loue of vertue and not for feare of the whip basely When thou hadst appointed that the first 〈◊〉 of euery beast should bee set apart to thee thou diddest specially ordaine that if it were the Foale of an Asse it should be redeemed with a Lambe if it were not the necke of it should bee broken thou wouldest not haue it sacrificed vnto thee at any hand Surely it may well seeme that this is alterius rei 〈◊〉 a kinde of riddle and that by this shaddow thou wouldest shew thy 〈◊〉 of slothfulnesse and 〈◊〉 want of life and cheerefulnesse in thy seruice that an Asse being one of thy dullest creatures Sloth is wont to bee pictured riding on an Asse thou wouldest not bee honoured by the sacrifice of such a beast Thou O Lord louest a swift hearer a cheerefull giuer a zealous Petitioner a voluntary Souldier and a diligent 〈◊〉 for all which purposes thy free and firme Spirit will strongly enable and support mee continually Wherefore establish mee with thy free Spirit O Lord. 13 Then will I teach transgressors thy wayes and sinners or impious persons shall be conuerted vnto thee WHen thou hast vouchsafed graciously to bestow vpon mee those graces whereof I haue gracelesly 〈◊〉 my selfe then will I 〈◊〉 my selfe gratefull vnto thee I will 〈◊〉 that dutie of thankefulnesse so sutable to humanity so agreeable to piety it being a thing good and commendable 〈◊〉 and profitable pleasant and dilectable 〈◊〉 gracefull to returne praises and thankes to thee for thy mercies duly to acknowledge and truly to 〈◊〉 thy singular fauours in such manner as I can and by such meanes as are within the reach of my weake and worthlesse ability I will not follow the common fashion of worldly men who like barrels sound when they are empty but are still when they are full who craue earnestly when they feele want but are dumbe and silent when their turne is serued I solemnely vow and will really performe thankfull acknowledgement for so great benefits when I haue receiued them Thou O God by difburthening man of his sin doest impose a burthen of gratitude vpon him A benefit is a burthen to an ingenuous minde that cannot rest quietly but lyeth shut vp as it were in prison straightly till it haue procured liberty by venting some kinde of retribution Although there can be no proportion betweene thy infinite goodnesse and my not onely finite but infinitely weake meanes of requitall yet inasmuch as for a more bountifull fauour a larger returne of 〈◊〉 is of congruence required and the greatest blessing that can bee bestowed vpon a mortall man in this life is peace of conscience intended by the ioy of thy saluation and implyed in the firme support of thy free Spirit I will indeauour in way of 〈◊〉 to doe thee the best seruice that any man can performe vpon earth that is I will teach thy wayes to Transgressors and cause as much as in me lyeth sinners to bee conuerted vnto thee I will teach such as wander and goe aftray how to come into the way Againe those that goe by-wayes I will teach thy wayes that is the wayes of thy directions which leade vs by a right line as it were through the maze of this miserable world to the land of Canaan that happy country which we should so loue and long for Conuerted sinners are the fittest conuerters of sinners The sickly Physician who hath not onely read in his Booke but felt in his body the maladies whereupon hee is consulted is the likeliest man to worke a cure vpon his patient Goodnesse of it owne nature is apt to spread and inlarge it selfe It is the most naturall and kindly worke of each liuing creature to engender a like vnto it selfe As in nature so is it in nurture also An honest well-disposed man will striue as much as hee can to make others good and godly A chast and sober man will endeauour to restrayne and reclayme others from wantonnesse and drunkennesse the like may bee said of all other vertues and vices The rule of Charity requires that he who hath beene raysed out of the dyrt and reskued out of the myre should lift vp others who lye wallowing therein If we be once inflamed with the loue of God and godlinesse wee shall labour to kindle the zeale of others set them on fire also Bad men are and why should not good men much more become Incendiaries This is the matter and effect of my gratitude which though it may seeme to be no great matter For my goodnesse extendeth not to thee neither art thou any whit the better for my being better any way the grace is thine the good is mine alone yet I know it to bee very aceptable and highly pleasing vnto thee being so louing and gracious so couetous of mans saluation as thou dost euen hunger and thirst after his conuersion Thou dost euen long for our returne home from out of those farre remote countries wherein wee haue wandred and spent our patrimony of thy gifts in wickednesse to
more to abhor the bloud of man wherein his life consisteth Deliuer mee O God from the guilt of that bloud which I haue spilt by the 〈◊〉 of Captaine 〈◊〉 and so many Souldiers vnder his commaund from the punishment of that sinne threatned by Nathan that bloud should not depart from my house and finally from future bloud that I may neuer embrew my hands in bloud hereafter The teares of those widdowes whose husbands were slaine in that disastrous assault made at Rabbah the cryes of those children whose Fathers then lost their liues haue mounted vp to 〈◊〉 do frame my Enditement and make my Processe against me before thy Tribunall and doe call instantly for iudgement according to the iust law of Retaliation He that sheddeth mans bloud his bloud shall be shed Wherefore that I may the sooner obtaine my pardon in such latitude as I desire it I doe re-enforce my prayer with all manner of zeale and earnestnesse Deliuer me O God thou that art the God of my saluation I double thy Name when I tender this single supplication hoping by my affectionate insinuation and vehement compellation to draw thy gracious compassion towards me I take hold of thee as it were with both my hands I cry incessantly for pardon of this sin which cries so eagerly in thine eares for vengeance against me Thou God of my saluation I said elsewhere that saluation is the Lords because it can flow from no other fountaine but here I desire to apply it particularly to draw the water to mine owne Mill and to appropriate it as it were wholly to my selfe Thou art of that gracious nature as wee cannot better please thee then by challenging a speciall interest in thy loue by assuring our selues that thou art ours so that howsoeuer our premisses be generall for remission of sins our conclusion must be speciall proper and peculiar Thou art my God and the God of my saluation I will sing ioyfully or aloud of thy Righteousnesse The satisfaction should be answerable to the trespasse done and the retribution to the benefit receiued in some proportion As to a greater sinne a deeper repentance is due so for a more bountiful fauor a larger returne of thankefulnesse is of congruence required I haue grieued beyond measure for my bloody sinne for the inestimable benefit of my free pardon I know not what to render againe In briefe I can returne nothing but praises and thankes a poore requitall for so rich a mercy But sithence I can yeeld no better no other it is meete I should improoue this and set it forth to the vtmost aduantage Wherefore I will sing ioyfully with a liuely spirit with a cheerefull heart I will sing vocalissimè Alleluia My tongue shall become a Trumpet of thy praises which shall sound them out lustily and loudly I will bestow all my breath and strength in proclayming thine honour I will become a chiefe Chanter I will eleuate the note in the highest straine I will so chant out thy praises as thou shalt take notice of it abundantly and so as the noyse may be heard not only in my priuate Chappell or Oratory but in the chiefe Cathedrall Churches in the greatest congregations on Earth yea euen in the blessed Synode of Angels and Saints in heauen Nay I will not onely sing my selfe but I will call in others also to make vp a full Quire O come 〈◊〉 vs sing loudely let vs 〈◊〉 reioyce c. Thy righteousnesse that is Thy faithfulnes and truth in accomplishment of thy gracious promises to such as truly and sincerely repent and humbly hopefully craue pardon for their sinnes for true iustice doth much consist in the due performance of promises Thou thy selfe hast made thy selfe our debtor not by receiuing from vs. but by promising to vs. No man can say vnto thee Render Lord what thou hast receiued but euery man may and must say Performe O Lord what thou hast promised All thy waies are mercy and truth Mercy whereby thou forgiuest sinners and Truth whereby thou makest good thy promises O then how happy are the people whose God is the Lord who by his 〈◊〉 promise is become their faithfull debtor and whose iustice giues assurance of his mercy whose mercy and truth are met together and whose righteousnesse and peace haue kissed each other So as by a reuerent confidence and a holy kinde of boldnesse I may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thee in this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the worth of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of thy promise not to lay my sinnes to my charge bee they neuer so many neuer so great I may pleade my interest in the death of my Sauiour and in thy faithfull promise and free pardon to this effect O my God thou that art the God of my saluation it is agreeable to diuine and humane iustice to keepe promise to performe couenant In the new and sacred couenant it is the Article of Inprimis as they say that thou wilt forgiue the sinnes of thy people remember their iniquities no more Make good then thy word and full agreement really and effectually It stands not with thy iustice to exact twice one and the same debt of mee My suerty and elder Brother Christ Iesus hath paied the debt which I owed hath suffered the punishment which I deserued wherefore enter not into iudgement with thy vnworthy seruant O Lord but for the 〈◊〉 of his death and passion accepted by thee with free consent for full satisfaction let me be acquited and discharged of all my transgressions whatsoeuer I will rely and repose my selfe securely vpon thy word and promise because thou hast ratified and confirmed it with an oath with a solemne oath Thou hast sworne by thy selfe because there is no greater to sweare by by thy 〈◊〉 the Lord Iehouah sware vnto Dauid Truth that is a true oath a faithful promise or Truth that is God sware vnto Dauid He will not turne away the face of his Anoynted his seed shall indure for euer thou hast sworne by thy life I will not the death of a sinner if he repent he shall liue Oh happy people for whose cause thou vouchsafest to sweare Oh most miserable wretches if we beleeue thee not when thou swearest Thy word O Lord is an 〈◊〉 in it selfe and of it selfe so faithfull thou art but to giue vs full 〈◊〉 thou dost condescend to our capacity and infirmity thou makest assurance to men after the manner of men with whom a promise clothed with an oath seemes of greater strength and validity then a bare and naked word and therefore out of abundance of thy loue dost vse a protestation or adiuration otherwise needlesse to remooue out of our incredulous hearts all distrust and colour of dubitation 15 Open thou my lips O Lord and c. BVt I haue beene too forward now I thinke of it to engage my selfe so deepely to sing ioyfully and sound loudly thy righteousnesse I confesse I haue promised more
thē I can performe I haue assumed and presumed to doe that 〈◊〉 is out of my power vnlesse thou O Lord bee pleased by thy gracious fauour to enable me for accomplishment thereof It is gracefull to me to shew my sefe gratefull to thee yea it is iust that for the singular benefit of thy Iustice in performing promised and vndeserued mercies I 〈◊〉 render all possible thanks and returne all manner of prayses vnto thee but this I am not able to make good without thy goodnesse As I could not repent nor beleeue so neither can I yeeld thankes or prayses but by thy gifts grace alone I am blinde and cannot see deafe cannot heare dumbe and cannot speake thy wonders thy words thy praises vnlesse thou open mine eyes eares and lips It is thou alone that must speake in mee that must worke in mee both to will and to do nay thou must do in me and for me what thou requirest to be done by me else it will be vnsaid and vndone thou must be all in all to 〈◊〉 else all will be nothing Who is hee among the sonnes of Adam that cannot sing and say any thing that is euill by his owne power and will by Satans instigation howbeit not without God his permission that cannot speak vaine and wicked words that cannot sing wanton and ribald songs scandalous and scurrilous libels that cannot blaspheme thee slander his neighbours that cannot flatter his superiours basely lye to his equals cunningly reproach his inferiours scornefully that cannot say and vnsay sweare and forsweare and what not But it is a good thing to sing prayses to thee That he cannot do nor say ought else that is good vnlesse thou put the thoghts into his heart and the words into his mouth Wherefore open thou my lips O Lord circumcise them vnty the strings of my tongue and 〈◊〉 not before my mouth shall shew forth thy prayse My lips shall speake thy praise when thou hast taught me thy statutes It is possible for a man that is stirred vp and preuented by thy grace to thinke and conceiue well what is to be said but to vtter deliuer that well is a further blessing and requires a new supply and helpe of grace for guiding and gouerning the tongue in that behalfe Nay there is yet a further and subsequent grace required to take a fit occasion and opportunity seasonably to vtter what is well conceiued and digested both in regard of the speaker and hearers that all interuenient impediments may bee remoued and taken away And in our case this is the more requisite because our prayers and prayses commonly goe together as is meete so as at one and the same time we are both to encounter Satan who is then most busie to distract and disturbe vs and God himselfe to whome by the feruent importunity of our prayers we must offer a kinde of violence as Iacob did when he was said to haue wrastled with thee Wherefore there is required a long Chayne fastened by many seuerall linckes of grace to binde together this blessed worke of setting forth thy iust and due prayses My mouth shall shew forth thy praise not onely in Psalmes and Hymnes with all manner of Iubilation but in the instruction admonition and correction of wicked and impious ones and the reduction of them to thy law and lore Nay I will play the Aduocate open my mouth for widdowes orphanes and other miserable creatures such as are tongue-tyed and cannot as are ouer-awed and dare not speake for themselues I will in earnest and effectuall manner recommend the care and protection of them also to all my subordinate Magistrates and Ministers He that speakes for such Clients may bee said to be thine owne mouth because thou 〈◊〉 the Patrone of all those that are oppressed for want of assistance and defence and men vndertake their causes by thy speciall assignement and deputation which redounds to thy prayse and glory in an extraordinary manner True it is that the thankfulnesse of the heart is the heart of thankefulnesse there is the well-spring The heart as a King commands this duty to bee done the tongue like an Herald sounds the Trumpet As the heart is the hart the tongue the trumpet so the life is the life of thankfulnes it must be acted indeede as well as proclaimed with the mouth Then will the tune be perfect when there is a true consort betweene the heart and the tongue and the deede The thankes and prayses must bee cordiall vocall and reall all together I doe sometimes in contemplation and admiration of thy wonderfull blessings bountiful fauours wherewith thou hast laden my soule as it were breake out into this exclamation and interrogation Quid retribuam What shall I render to thee Lord for all thy mercies In an amazed astonishment when I can giue my selfe no satisfactory answere knowing that all I can doe is lesse then nothing in comparison of what thou hast done to me or I should and would doe to thee yet thinking that I finde as it were something I resolue to make some shew of returne at least and to take the Cup of saluation or of health and call vpon the name of 〈◊〉 according to the custome of our Church and people who for benefits receiued vse to offer peace or thanke-offerings whereof they eate and reioyce before the Lord and at their banquets take vp the Cup of wine in their hands and blesse God called thereupon The Cup of Blessing When I seeke seriously what I might render vnto thee I finde nothing but what is thine already and therfore I must desire thee to giue mee to giue thee when all is done I must giue thee of thine own els I can giue thee nothing For who hath preuented thee or beene aforehand with thee Who hath giuen thee first Wherefore when the question is pursued and pressed yet further who hath giuen me this Cup of saluation I must ingeniously confesse that euen thou hast furnished mee with this kinde of retribution I cannot make this good without thy goodnesse I cannot praise thee vnlesse 〈◊〉 open my lips with the key of thy grace and tune my tongue and voyce to sing Praise thou the Lord c. O my soule I haue nothing of mine own to giue but my sin and that may not be presented vnto thee My sin is mine indeed and not thine I haue the full interest and ownership therof Whatsoeuer I haue else is thine and not mine thou art the sole Author and proprietary thereof Mine is only the fruition and vse by thy permission and as a Tenant at will I am but instrumentum animatum a meere instrument liuing by thy breath Thou must open my lips else my mouth cannot vtter thy praises The very sound and voyce in me is thine I am but the Eccho to resound and returne it againe As the Riuers flow from the the sea and reflow backe into it
things in heauen earth for the seruice of man and man for thy seruice who hast disposed all things in number 〈◊〉 and measure who hast caused all things contained in holy Writ to be recorded for the instruction and direction of thy Church and chosen giue me grace so to behold this mirror of humane frailety and diuine mercy with the eye of true iudgement that I may not with the Spider draw poyson to the destruction but with the Bee sucke such honey as may bee gathered out of it to the solace of my sinfull soule Thou diddest permit Dauid being an holy Prophet as well as a mighty King aduanced anoynted specially for the gouernement of thy people to fall fouly into the heynous and grieuous sinnes of Adultery and Murder that no man might presume of thy fauor or confide in his owne strength but euermore serue thee in feare and reioyce in thee with reuerence Thou didst also endue him with grace after his fall by humiliation and repentance to rise againe and recouer his former estate notwithstanding his long security and carelesse continuance vpon the dregs of his wickednesse as it were in contempt of thy Iustice that no man might dispaire of thy rich and tender mercy Thou didst propound his fall for caution that all men might shun that dangerous racke whereon he suffered shipwracke his repentance for imitation that euery man plunged into the sea of sinne might catch hould of the planke of repentance to saue himselfe from drowning As thou didst bring light out of darkenesse and life out of death so dost thou in an incomprehensible manner draw good out of euill turne the very sinnes of thy seruants to thy glory and their good Farre be it from mee to vouch this example by way of excuse or defence much lesse warrant to offend as hee did howbeit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hope confidently with Dauid when and after I haue offended through thy gracious goodnesse and free promise by the teares of mine eyes the contrition of my heart and prayer of my spirit to obtaine a full and gracious pardon of all my offences whatsoeuer Thou canst not O Lord but be highly displesed when wormes of the earth dust and ashes rottennesse and corruption hauing without any desert at all beene adorned with thy gifts and enlightened with thy graces shall presume of thy fauour so farre as vngraciously and vngratefully instead of thankes and prayses to returne contempts and dishonours to thy diuine Maiesty But on the other side thou canst in no wise endure that the most wretched caitiffe the most shamefull and wilfull sinner that Satan can furnish out of hell should despaire of thine endlesse and bottomelesse mercy wherein aboue all other things thou dost so much delight and glory which doth so farre surmount thy iustice as thou dost continually wooe inuite thy greatest enemies to the participation thereof O Lord being a sinner as Dauid was I cannot but pray for mercy as he did and because I haue grieuosly sinned pray for great mercy and because I haue many times and many waies multiplied my sins so as they are growne to a number numberlesses pray for a multitude of thy tender mercies that the whole debt-booke wherein my sinnes are registred may be quite crossed and defaced I must begge againe and againe that thou wilt wash me againe againe wash mee thorowly from the pollution and filth of my sinne Giue me grace O Lord to see my sinnes fully to confesse them freely intirely to giue thee the glory to take the shame to my selfe deseruedly Giue me leaue to lay open my festred wounds and lothsome sores to thy viewe in abasement and humiliation to stirre thy bowels of tender commiseration Make me to loue in my selfe what thou louest inme to wit truth and sincerity of heart accept O Lord my honest study and faithfull indeuour for true and full performance Let me solace my soule in the conscience of my vnfained sorrow for my sins past and my true though weake desires to serue thee better in time to come for which purpose enable me with wisedome teach me the art of godlinesse and the mysteries thereof in my hidden parts And because the Leprosie of sin hath infected mee from top to toe temper and prepare for mee a powerfull purgation with those ingredients which are of strongest operation that is without shadowes or figures the bloud of that Immaculate Lambe slayne from the beginning of the world applied by a liuely faith to my diseased soule Be pleased to bathe my vgly soule in thy Lauer of Iustification till I become white and bright in thy pure and piercing eyes Let mee when I am confounded in my selfe and cast downe into the Dungeon of Sorrow through the sight of my sinnes yet hopefully and zealously seeke ioy and comfort in thee and thy saluation Let mee so place my sinnes before mine owne sorrowfull face that thou mayest hide thy face at least thine angry face from them or rather so quite deface them that they may 〈◊〉 be to be seene hereafter that they may 〈◊〉 rise vp in iudgement either to shame me in this or condemne me in the next world And because my iustification which consists in thy free remission of my sinnes cannot subsist without sanctification and holinesse of conuersation as the light of that Lampe and heate of that fire And because it is impossible to draw a cleane out of an vncleane thing I beseech thee Lord to worke a wonder on me that is to create a cleane heart within mee Purge the fountain and then the streames which 〈◊〉 from it in my thoughts words and actions will be clearer and purer Giue mee a 〈◊〉 spirit that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 carry my selfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thee and for 〈◊〉 this spirit 〈◊〉 becomes decayed and distorted by the peruersnesse of my nature and obliquity of my transgressions vouchsafe to renew it in me from time to time by a continuall supply of thy heauenly grace Although I haue many wayes and times deserued thy iust indignatiō yet for thy mercies sake abandon me not from thy presence banish mee not from thy Courts let me behold thy face though ouerclouded with a storme of displeasure Although I haue grieued yea and despighted thy good spirit when it endeauoured my reformation direction and consolation yet I beseech thee not to take it vtterly from me let not that holy fire though raked vp vnder the ashes of my sins bee quite extinguished When thou doest for my sinnes bereaue mee of the comfortable confidence I found in the assurance of thy saluation giue mee leaue to claime still mine interest in it euen when I tremble and quake at thy iudgements and thereby to craue a restitution of that tranquility of minde and peace of conscience which I formerly enioyed with contentment make mee by the want rightly to value the worth of so great a fauour then which