world Wherin then shall I receiue comfort O my God In my selfe Alas there is no health in any part of my body the marrowe is consumed in my bones there is no rest in my bodie euerie part reproacheth mee with my sinne and suffereth the paine thereof I pine away with griefe and heauinesse and no man comforteth me my eyes serue me onely to see my misery and my soule hath no vnderstanding or knowledge but only of my wretchednes I cast mine eyes on euerie side and I see my sinnes begirt me round about and I am ready to faint and sink down vnder the burden of mine iniquities they are mounted aloft vpon my head and are heauier then I can beare How shall I resist them What strength haue I to defend my selfe seeing all my bones are out of ioint The filth of my sores runneth the stench and corruption of my wounds and vlcers is grieuous and if my body be ill is my soule any better Is not shee also full of confusion fearfulnes and trembling Maladie hath worn away my body and brought it to the doore of death and heauiness hath oppressed my soule and disrobed her of her Vertue And as the young and tender budde of the Vine is congealed into sheer-wool by the sharpe cold and fadeth away so the finger of the Lord which hath touched my soule maketh her to languish faint and lose her courage But alas O my God what courage can I expect to haue when I see my self so full of sores and no part of my bodie is exempt from paine and which is farre beyond this miserie the memorie of my deceitfull Pleasures representeth it selfe vnto me and casteth mee in the teeth with my vices and mocketh me for my vanitie I say vnto my selfe did I therfore prolong my dayes in the honny of so many delights that I might after wash away all with the gall of bitter anguish Where art thou now O deceitful pleasure which hast made my soule drunke with the sweet liquor of thy delights how hast thou now forsaken me Haue I not yet suffered inough O Lord hath not my humilitie yet sufficiently chastened mine arrogance I haue sinned through sottish corruption alas since that I haue cast my selfe downe vpon the earth I haue couered my head with ashes I haue clouen my heart with cryes I haue dimmd my eyes with teares and yet thine anger ceaseth not Is it possible O Lord that thou hast not seene my teares Thou who with the very turne of thine eye doest trauerse heauen and earth Thou whose sight pierceth the very bottom of our hearts Thou Lord knowest my thoughts and vnderstandest my cogitations What is it that I desire but thy mercie In what doe I hope but in thy bountie Wherefore haue I mourned and made open profession of my repentance but to condemne my selfe And if my tongue hath not sufficiently expressed my minde and is not able to vtter what I desire Thou O Lord knowest what wee would before we can think it It is inough that we lift vp our heart vnto thee and thou wilt presently grant what we desire But wherefore delayest thou O Lord to giue thy blessed consolation which thou hast promised mee Alas I am not able to hold out any longer my heart faileth mee my senses are troubled my sight is waxed dimme my flitting soule is euen readie to leaue my bodie All my friends about me do bewaile my death they haue giuen ouer all hope of my health all their care is for my exequies and say amongst themselues where is the help that he expected from his God where is that fauour whereof hee made himself so sure They that priuily haue laide wait for my life are come about me they haue thought of parting my spoile among them so hatefull am I become to the world since thou hast deiected mee They whispered among themselues and haue imagined a thousand wayes to doe mee mischiefe they haue daily laide snares to entrappe me Hee is said they vpon his death-bed he shall neuer rise vp again wherefore should we feare him who is now but as the shadowe of a man As for me I was as deafe as a man that heareth not and as one that is dumbe I answered them not my patience was my buckler and constancie my bulwarke Euery one that saw my patience in aduersity said that I was dumb because when they reproached I answered not he hath said they put vp all indignities if there remained in him any sense of honour how could he shew such little courage wee may well iudge him to be guiltie for innocencie is alwaies hardy and resolute in her owne defence but notwithstanding all this I held my peace For why my hope is in God and I am verely perswaded that hee will assist me Though all the world band themselues against mee though heauen and earth conspire my ruine yet through the help of my God I shall still be the vanquisher With the breath of his mouth hath he created all things and with the same breath he can destroy whatsoeuer it pleaseth him I will fight vnder his banner and so I shall be certain of victorie I haue oft said vnto them Reioyce not at my harme and insult not ouer mee when I am afflicted tormented for the hand of the Lord is not so short but it may stretch vnto you also and presume not too much vpon his long suffering for as his feete are of wool so his arme is of iron if hee once stretch it ouer your heads O ye impenitent soules hee vvill breake you in peeces like a potters vessell and the very remembraunce of you shall be rooted out As for me I haue taken the rodde in mine hand and haue made the print of my condemnation for my sinne on my shoulders I haue appeared in thy presence O Lord with teares in mine eyes repentance in my mouth and warre in my heart I haue beaten downe my selfe for feare least mine enemie shoulde triumph ouer me I haue openly confessed my fault I haue acknowledged my sin in an acceptable time I haue bin carefull to runne vnto thee for mercie whilst thou wast to be found But the more I humble my selfe before thee to taste of the liuing water of this fountaine of grace which distilleth from thy bountie the more mine enemies encrease and they that would deuoure mee guiltlesse are mighty They gather themselues on euerie side little foreseeing the tempest that will scatter and disperse them They kindle through their pride the coales of thine ire they despite thy power which they shall too too soone proue to their vtter ruine and destruction In a word caring for nothing in heauen or earth they wallow in their filthy pleasures and as much as in them lyeth deface that stampe of divinitie which thou hast imprinted printed in their soul shut their eyes against the hope of
sunne riseth higher and higher ouer it vntill it appeare but as a point so as soone as thine anger was risen ouer me O Lord my life my goods and my greatnesse did by little vanish turne to nought so that now behold I am but as the haye spread vpon the ground without grace and without colour they bind it vp in bottles to feede their sheep and al those glorious flowers which before were so sweet fragrant are now bound vp togither with the thistle and hemlocke But what shal I therfore giue ouer all hope Not so my God for thy might is immense and shall neuer decay Thy mercy is infinite shall extend ouer all those that trust in thee One age succeedeth another but the memorial of thy louing kindness shall endure for euer One generation goeth and another generation succeedeth and all shall recount thy praise and magnifie thy goodnes Thou shalt at length arise O Lord and be mercifull vnto Sion for the time approacheth Behold I see it at hand The Riuers doe not sēd so much water into the wide bosome of the Ocean as thy bountie will showre bounty and graces vpon the face of this land Open your hearts O yee people open your hearts wide for the liberall hand of my God will fill you with a holy zeale vvhich shall purifie you and make you as faire beaten gold For the edifice of Sion O Lord is the refuge for thy seruants this is it they loue so well this is it they desire so ardently this is it where they waite for thy mercie this is the temple O Lord which thou wilt destroy in three daies and in three daies build againe to be the mansion of life eternall the seate of saluation the store-house of grace the temple of eternitie Then my God shall the nations stand amazed and the kings of the earth shall tremble at the brightnes of thy glorie What corner of the earth shall bee so secret but that thither also shall spread the fruit of thy blessed comming What people shall there bee so remote from the sunne so confined in darknes which shall not open their eyes to behold the glorious lustre of saluation which shall shine vnto them The heauen shall encrease the number of his lampes to giue light at thy glorious entrance into the world and kings shall come from far to doe homage to the King of Kings and Lord of heauen and earth For hee hath exalted his throane in Sion with great and magnificent preparation there shall men see him enuironed with glory and obscuring the Sun Moon with the brightness of his countenance But wherfore hast thou O Lord so highly exalted the throne of thy glory Is it to this end that thou mightest contemne the humble prayers of thy faith full seruants and to neglect all the world which is nothing in comparison to thy greatness Ah nay my Lord. Thou hast therefore set thy self in a place so eminent to the end that all the inhabitants of the earth might see acknowledge thee to bee their God and to run to thee for grace and mercy for thou art euer ready prest to incline to the humble call of thy seruants and neuer disdainest their pitifull request Look now vpon them al arraignd like poore prisoners condemned to the chaine who attend the view of some King to bee by him deliuered at the day of his coronation Euen so deliuer these O Lord who are sold vnder the slauery of sinne and at the turne of thine eye all their irons shall fall from them Then shall they be heard to chaunt out the song of glory to the victorious king their voice shall bee heard throughout all the parts of the earth and the memoriall of thy singular bounty and infinite mercy shall bee engrauen in mens harts to remain from generation to generation to all posteritie The Earth shall melt away the waters shall be dried vp the aire shal vanish the heauens shall passe away and be no more but the memoriall of thine aboundant kindnes O eternall God shall endure for euer Thou art the euerlasting God who hast daind to cast down thine eyes from heauen to behold the neathermost parts of the Earth to take notice of their torments who lye fast bound in the depth who hast heard their groanings and immediately runne to their succour to vnbinde and set at liberty these poore prisoners and their whole posteritie Death hath vanquished them by the strength of sin and had shutte them vp in darke dungeons but the Lord of life hath conquered death and hath giuen full deliuerance That so they might declare thy praise O Lord in Sion and proclaim thy clemencie in Hierusalem But though euery one of them had an hundred tongues though their voice were as strong as thunder yet would they not bee able to reach vnto the greatness of thy glory though all the parts of the world conspire in one to represent in their motions some part of thy might and infinite bounty yet can they reach no further for these are depths and the depths of depths which haue no bottom nor bound and which wee are not able to see but a far off Let it then suffice O my God that thy people assembled revnited both in body and minde doe vvith humble deuotion offer vp vnto thee the wil they haue to honour thee for the effect is not able to approach to that which to thee is due Let it be acceptable in thy sight O Lord that the kings of the earth doe prostrate themselues at thy feet and do tender that homage and seruice which is due to thee as to their soueraigne Lord. They shall lay down their scepters on the earth and their crownes at their feet and shall present an innocent conscience as a sacrifice of an humble deuotion I will bee the first O my God that wil prostrate my self before thee to worship and serue thee with my whole heart On thee onely will I fixe my thoughts to thee will I consecrate my spirit Quicken it O Lord that beeing purified with the sacred ardour of thy loue it may as a most pure mirrour receiue in it the image of thy incomprehensible beauty and perfection and may feele in it selfe the reflexion of thy sincere amitie vntill thy infinite beautie shall associate it vnto the number of thine elect to be with them coheir of euerlasting life Now my God doe I feele that thou hast enlightened my soule with thy grace and haue first felt the fauor which thou wilt bestowe vpon the sons of men My spirit hath already seen a far off how thou wilt come to redeeme the world but it feareth it shall dye before thy comming and this is the cause why it hath cried vnto thee saying Tell me O Lord what shall be thee course of mine age when thou wilt ende my dayes Cut not off the thread of my life O
Lord at the first or second turne of the spindle and take mee not away in the middle of my course Let me liue O my God vntill the time come wherein thou shalt open the treasures of thy graces to bestowe among men the largesse of saluation or at least if thou hast so determined of mine ende that my life may not continue till then remember my posteritie and let him spring of my race that by his comming shall redeeme and sanctifie the earth I know O Lord that thou hast from the beginning fashioned the heauen and the earth and whatsoeuer is good and excellent in the world is the worke of thine hands But all the vniuersal shall wax old as doth a garment they vanish away and shall be no more to be found it hath been created and it shall bee dissolued it hath had a beginning and must haue an ende But thou O Lord art from euerlasting and thou shalt continue the same for euer Time and continuance which consume all things doe onely serue to confirme thy being and to publish thy diuinitie and men do liue vpon the earth that they may contemplate on the one side thine incomprehensible greatnesse and on the other side their owne infirmitie Man goeth from place to place the same land doth change her inhabitants one driueth out another and all is renewed in a moment but thou my GOD art yesterday and to day and the same for euer Euery province of the earth can reckon vp great numbers of Kings which haue raigned one after another but the the heauen and the earth doe continually sing that thou hast euer been God alone alwaies admirable alone and that thy goings out and thy commings in haue euer beene vvithout change Now O Lord when I shall depart hence I doe verely beleeue that I shal taste of that sweet fruit which shall heale vs of this contagious maladie which hath been deriued from our first Parents for eating the forbidden fruit of death and sinne For our children shal come after vs and thou O Lord shalt continue our posteritie vntill wee shall come to appeare togither before thy face not to receiue a rigorous doome but by the merit and intercession of thy beloued Son to enter into that inheritance of euerlasting blessednesse which shall be giuen to all thy faithfull by the adoption of the sonnes in the family of thy seruant Dauid Psalme 130. De profundis OVt of the deepe bottome of the depth I cryed vnto thee my God lost couered in the fearefull cauernes of the earth I called vppon thy name Hearken vnto my voice giue eare vnto my prayer For all hope of succour was gone I looked about mee and behold nothing but horrour and fearfulness yet haue I not lost courage but waited for that which thou hast promised to all those who liue in feare of thy name and are obedient to thy commandements Bow down then O Lord a fauourable eare to my complaint If sinne haue interposed it selfe betweene thee and me to exasperate thee against mine offences and to mooue thee against my prayer which I make vnto thee driue it out of the sight of thine eye of mercie or rather O Lord close for a while thine eye of iustice vntil the eare of thy clemencie haue receiued my confession the humble request which I make vnto thee For I come not to stand vppon mine owne iustification but vpon thy gentleness and bounty If thou shouldst keepe a register of our faults and cal vs to a strict account for them who could endure O Lord the rigour of thy iudgement What day is there of my whole life that deserueth not a whole age of torments Thou mightest bring vpon mee all the punishments of hell and yet the greater part of my sinnes remain vnpunished But thou art ready to receiue to mercie the sinner that commeth to thee with confession in the mouth and contrition in the heart No sooner hath he looked toward thy mercie but he feeleth it work in him breaking and dissoluing sinne which had frozen his heart with feare and amazement The punishment vvhich hangeth ouer his head departeth farre from him carying away with it this miserable carefulnes which is a hel to the coÌ„sciences contaminated with iniquitie For this cause O Lord would I neuer vtterly forsake thy lawe but haue alwaies attended when it would please thee to bee gracious vnto me For hee that is ill aduised and desperate in his sin and abandoneth his soule as past recouerie doth like to the abhominable vsurer who because he hath suffered some losse of goods goes and hangs himselfe My soule hath not done so for euen then when she felt thine hand heauie vpon me exacting part of the punishment which my faults had merited yet did shee still hold fast the hope in thy promises When the stripes vvere multiplyed vpon my back I cryed vnto thee O Lord Thy wil be done only giue me as much strength as affliction Measure my paine according to my vigour and if thou encrease my â—orment augment my couâ—age and so hast thou dealt with me O Lord. Let all true Israelites therfore both day night but their coÌ„fidence in God â—ook vpon him and to him â—lone for all their succour â—or his succour is readie â—nd neuer faileth those that with integritie of conscience and puritie of wil call vpon him Though their trouble be great terrible as soone as the Lord doth incline his eare to their cry so soone shall they finde themselues deliuered For he aboundeth with mercie and neuer faileth to succor those who make their recourse to him Insomuch that his bountie taketh away all the sorrow that we had for beeing sinners and makes vs as it were reioice that we had fallen as at the cause for which wee haue had such trial of his mercy for if our faults surmount measure his grace exceedeth all imagination Wee haue deserued a long and hard captiuitie but loe he hath deliuered vs and set vs at most sweet libertie wee haue blinded the eyes of our vnderstanding and lo â—ee commeth to illighten â—s O Israel ye haue sinned against the Lord yee haue made a mocke at his lawe and sported your selues in â—he breach of his commandements and forgotten his â—ounty so plentifully powâ—ed vpon you He hath freed thee from miserable bondage he hath â—ed thee with bread from â—eauen hee hath made â—â—reames to gush out of the â—ard rocke to giue thee drinke he hath giuen thee the most delicious garden of the earth for thine habitation he hath made a couenant with thee made thee know his will But ye haue conspired against his honour gone a whoring after strange Gods and troden his lawe vnder your feet in a word ye haue merited all the punishments of hell and yet still doth he offer himselfe most graciously vnto thee he will redeeme thee with the price of his
thee 10 My heart panteth my strength faileth me and the sight of my eies is gone from me 11 My louers and my neighbors did stand looking vpon my trouble and my kinsmen stood a far off 12 They also that sought after my life laide snares for me they that went about to do me euill talked of wickednes and imagiced deceit all the day long 13 As for mee I was like a deafe man and heard not and as one that is dumb that doth not open his mouth 14 And I am as a man that heareth not and in whose mouthe are found no reproofs 15 For in thee O Lord haue I put my trust Thou shalt answere for for me O Lord my God 16 I haue required that they euen mine enemies shuld not triumph ouer me for when my feet slipt they reioiced greatly against me 17 And surely I am set in the plague and my heauinesse is euer in my sight 18 For I will confesse my wickednesse and be sorry for my sinne 19 But my enemies liue and are mighty they that hate mee wrongfully are many in number 20 They also that reward euill for good are against me because I follow the thing that is good 21 Forsake me not O Lord my God be not thou far froÌ„ me 22 Hast thee to help me O Lord God of my saluation 1 Haue mercie vpon mee O Lord after thy great goodnes according to the multitude of thy mercie doe away my offences 2 Wash me thorowly from my wickednes and cleanse me from my sinne 3 For I acknowledge my fault and my sin is euer before me 4 Against thee onely haue I sinned and done this euill in thy sight that thou mightest be iustified in thy saying and cleare when thou art iudged 5 Behold I was shapen in wickednes and in sinne my mother coÌ„ceiued me 6 But loe thou requirest truth in the inward parts and shalt make mee vnderstand wisedome secretly 7 Thou shalt purge me with hysop and I shall be cleane thou shalt wash me and I shall be whiter then snow 8 Thou shalt make me heare of ioy and gladnes that the bones which thou hast broken may reioice 9 Turne thy face from my sinnes and blotte out all my misdeedes 10 Make me a cleane hart O God and renew a right spirit within me 11 Cast mee not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from me 12 O giue me the comfort of thy help again and establish mee with thy free spirit 13 Then shall I teach thy wayes vnto the wicked and sinners shall bee conuerted vnto thee 14 Deliuer me froÌ„ bloud-thirstiness O God thou that art the God of my health and my tongue shall sing of thy righteousnes 15 Thou shalt open my lippes O Lord and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise 16 For thou desirest no sacrifice else would I giue it thee but thou delightest not in burnt offerings 17 The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit and a contrite heart O Lord shalt thou not despise 18 O be fauourable and gracious vnto Sion build thou the wals of Ierusalem 19 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifice of righteousnes with the burnt offerings and oblations then shall they offer yong bullockes vpon thy aultar 1 Heare my prayer O Lord and let my crying come vnto thee 2 Hide not thy face from me in the time of trouble Incline thine eares vnto mee when I call O hear me and that right soone 3 For my dayes are consumed away like a smoake my bones are burnt vp as it were with a firebrand 4 My heart is smitten downe and withered like grasse so that I forget to eate my bread 5 For the voice of my groaning my bones will scarce cleaue to my flesh 6 I am becom like a Pellicane in the wilderness and like an Owle that is in the desert 7 I haue watched and am euen as it were a sparrow that sitteth alone vpon the house toppe 8 Mine enemies reuile me all the day long and they that are mad vpon me are sworne togither against me 9 For I haue eaten ashes as it were bread and mingled my drinke with weeping 10 And that because of thine indignation and wrath for thou hast taken me vp and cast mee downe 11 My dayes are gone like a shadow and I am withered like grasse 12 But thou O Lord shalt endure for euer and thy remembrance throughout all generations 13 Thou shalt arise and haue pitie vpon Sion for it is time that thou haue mercy vpon her yea the time is come 14 And why thy seruaÌ„ts think vpon her stones and it pitieth them to see her in the dust 15 The Heathen shall feare thy name O Lord and al the kings of the earth thy maiestie 16 When the Lord shall build vp Sion and when his glory shall appeare 18 This shall be written for them that come after and the people which shall bee borne shall praise the Lord. 19 For hee hath looked down from his sancturie out of the heauen did the Lord behold the earth 20 That he might hear the mournings of such as be in captiuitie and deliuer the children appointed vnto death 21 That they may declare the name of the Lord in Sion and his worship at Ierusalem 22 When the people are gathered togither the kingdomes also to serue the Lord. 23 He broght downe my strength in my iourney and shortened my dayes 24 But I said O my God take me not away in the midst of my age as for thy yeeres they endure throughout all generations 25 Thou Lord in the beginning hast laide the foundation of the earth and the heauens are the workes of thy hands 26 They shall perish but thou shalt endure they shal all waxe olde as doth a garment And as a vesture shalt thou change them and they shal be changed 27 But thou art the same and thy yeares shall not faile 28 The children of thy seruants shall continue and their seed shall stand fast in thy sight 1 Out of the deepe haue I called vnto thee O Lord Lord heare my voice 2 O let thine eares consider well the voice of my complaint 3 If thou Lord wilt be extreme to marke what is don amisse Oh Lord who may abide it 4 For theâ—â— mercy wiâ—â— thee therfore shalt thou be feared 5 I looke for the Lord my soule doth waite for him in his word is my trust 6 My soule flyeth vnto the Lord before the morning watch I say before the morning watch 7 O Israel trust in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy and with him there is plentious redeÌ„ption 8 And he shal redeeme Israel from all his sins 1 Heare my prayer O Lord and consider my desire hearken vnto me for thy truth and righteousnes sake 2 And enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall no man liuing bee iustified 3 For the enemie hath persecuted my soule hee hath smitten my life down to the grouÌ„d he hath laid me in the darknes as one that had been long dead 4 Therefore is my spirit vexed within mee and my heart within mee is desolate 5 Yet doe I remember the time past I muse vpon al thy workes yea I exercise my selfe in the workes of thy hands 6 I stretch forth my hand vnto thee my soule gaspeth vnto thee as a thirsty land 7 Heare me O Lord and that soone for my spirit waxeth faint hide not thy face from mee least I be like them that goe downe into the pit 8 O let me heare of thy louing kindnes betimes in the morning for in thee is my trust shew me then the way that I should walk in for I lift vp my soule vnto thee 9 Deliuer me O Lord from my enemies for I flye vnto thee to hide me 10 Teach mee to doe the thing that pleaseth thee for thou art my God let thy louing spirit leade me forth into the land of righteousnes 11 Quicken me O Lord for thy name sake and for thy righteousnes sake bring my soule out of trouble 12 And of thy goodnes slay mine enemies and destroy all them that vexe my soule for I am thy seruant
all time and occasion of repentance For those that runne vnto sinne and doe voluntarily neglect to repent when they know their fault and haue time to repent deferring to cry for mercy or to make a deluge flow from their eyes vntil the end of their liues it is greatly to bee feared that they deceiue themselues and that true repentance will hardly after so long time enter into their hardened hearts that their teares and weeping will be but the wayling of men in desperation and that thy mercie will lend but a deaf eare to their too late repentance But as for mee I come vnto thee in an acceptable time as to my refuge and the marke whereat my hope aimed and my onely comfort in my tribulation which had enuironed me euen as the feare seiseth vpon him who is condemned to a shameful end O then let mee taste of that ioy which hee hath in his heart who is freed from his chaines enlarged out of prison and healed of his paine wherein his enemy had long time held him captiue And on the contrarie let the enemie of my soule bee confounded with shame when hee shall see me so deuoutly calling vpon my God for aide who in the very turning of his eye can free me from that voluntarie seruitude which I had vowed vnto wicked pleasure When I was on me He hath not onely exalted mee aboue other creatures giuing me the vse of diuine reason but also amongst men hath hee exalted me into the throne of honour and magnificence so that nothing was remaining for the accomplishing of my felicitie but onely to know my owne felicitie and after I had forgotten mine owne estate hee did enlighten mee by his holy light and gaue mee both time and will to lament my life passed and to amend it for the time to come Be warned then by mee O my friends and whilst it is time runne vnto him for grace for hee himselfe doth call you into the way of saluation and bee not like the selfe-wilde Mule which hath no vnderstanding or iudgement but kicketh against him that pricketh her to make her go right whose mouth must bee held with bit and bridle whose sides must feele the sharpe remembrance of the spurre And so if at the first summons which the Lord shall send to cause you returne into his wayes you will not be obedient to his will hee shall raine vpon you such a haile of miseries as shall make you more miserable then miserie it selfe You see the starres that glitter in the heauens and the sand stretched vpon the shoare but neither hath the heauens so many starres nor the sea so much sand as are the plagues and punishments which remaine for the obstinate sinners Their owne wickednes hangeth ouer their heads mischiefe attends at their heeles vntill they fall headlong into that gulf the very remembrance whereof is full of horrour the sweetest retraites whereof are but plaints cries shreekes and sorrowfull sobbes where is paine without end griefe without remedie repentāce without mercy where they are alwaies dying and neuer dead where the bodie liueth onely to die and the soule only to suffer torments where the soule feeleth nothing but sinne and the bodie nothing but paine On the contrarie they who flye vnto the Lord and the couert of his grace who shielde themselues vnder his mercy and put their trust in his bountie who follow his cōmandement and are zealous to doe his will vnto what height of happinesse doe they aspire What thing is there so precious in heauen that shal be hid from them they shall sit by their God and all enuironed with glorie shall bee inuested with greater happinesse then the spirit of man is able to conceiue the least part therof much lesse my faultring tongue able to expresse I will bee glad therefore and reioice O my God to think how great good thou hast laide vp in the heauens wherewith to crown the iust And I inuite you all to reioice with me who haue sworn vnto the words of our Sauiour and loue the straight path of his iustice Here must you attend the recompence of your trauell here shall you bee placed in honour and glory here shall you chaunge your rude thornes of the world for the beautifull flowre-delice of heauen O how gracious and sweet repose shall you then find after the sweat of your afflictions The golde is not more pure and glorious after it hath beene refined in the furnace and made readie to receiue the stampe and image of a great Prince or serue for an ornament to some rich cabinet then the heart of him who loueth his God when it commeth pure out of the furnace of the worlds miseries to bee decked with splendor and glorie What is there that can content mee in this world What shall stay or hinder me from entring into the house of the Lord to liue for his seruice How shal I forget to deplore all the dayes of my life my sinnes which had put his grace so farre from mee Reconcile then in mee O my God these two Passions of repentance and consolation that as the wandring Pilgrim hauing lost his waye in the wilderderness reioyceth when he seeth the day to dawne and yet forgetteth not the obscure darknes whence hee is yet scarce freed and can not as yet wholy cast off the feare which he had of so tedious a night so I may euer retaine some horrour of my faults passed and yet haue a certaine and ioyfull hope of eternall happiness which thou hast purchased for mee with the precious price of the bloud of thy most deare sonne Oh how great is this loue when the Mr. spareth not the life of his onely Son to redeeme his slaue And now since I haue been formed and fashioned by thy hands purchased and redeemed with thy bloud and purified and clensed by thy mercy I will offer vp my selfe before thee as a sacrifice of obedience cast mee not away O my God Domine ne in furore Psalme 38. IT is high time for me O Lord to turne again vnto thee and againe as an humble suppliant to implore thy mercy For I feele thine anger to waxe hote against mee Alas my God wilt thou chastise mee in thine anger and make mee to feele the violence of thy iust indignation which my sinnes haue prouoked against mee The flame hath euen consumed mee and the fire of thy fury hath eaten me vp and I am ready to vanish away into smoake For I feele O my God the arrowes of thy vengeance sticke fast in me and and I am pressed down vnder thy heauy hand The remorse terrours of my conscience do astonish me and bruise mee like flashes of lightning and thunderbolts euill commeth vpon mee as a snare and one mischiefe ouer-taketh another No sooner is warre ended but Pestilence assaults mee and in the ende Death hath taken from me my dearest pledge which I haue in this
saluation which shineth vnto them out of thy word I cease not my God to warne them but they render mee euill for good and make a mocke of whatsoeuer I doe to please thee and bee an example to them they traduce and slander mee in the open streets and impose vpon mee a thousand wrongful imputations I confesse O Lord I now beginne to lose patitience But O my God repaire mine infirmitie and forsake me not for else I shall stumble as a little child at the first precipice that shall lye in my way Increase in mee O Lord strēgth courage to ouercom my affliction and keep mee vnder the shadow of thy wings giuing me euermore constancie and perseuerance and bee vnto mee as a tender-hearted mother which can not but tender him her dugges as oft as her babe cries for it Nourish mee then O Lord vvith the milke of thy sacred loue that so encreasing from strength to strength I may bee able to walke night and day in thy pathes which leade vnto that saluation the hope whereof shineth in thy promises that if my sinne present it selfe to stoppe mee in my way I may open the floudgates of mine eyes and neuer shutte them vntill I haue drowned and sunke it with my teares Psalme 51. Miserere mei Deus HAue mercy vpon me my God according to thy great clemencie and for thy boundless mercies sake forgiue me the punishment which I haue iustly deserued For if thou expect vntill my fastings watchings and prayers shal satisfie for my sinne alas Lord when can this bee My trespasse reacheth frō earth vnto heauen and surpasseth in immensitie of greatnes Who then is able to compasse it or bring it down saue only thy sacred mercie which as far surpasseth the measure of our sinnes as the greatness of thy iustice is beyond ours It is thy mercie O Lord which compasseth this vniuerse which holdeth togither the whole frame of this world which otherwise is readie to dissolue and fall vpon our heads to burie through his ruine the memory of our sinnes to destroy from before thy face our ingrate disloyall and felonious race which disclaimeth her birth creation and preseruation all which it holdeth of thy bountie O then let this mercifull bounty which shineth in thy Diuinitie now extend it selfe vnto me not sparingly or niggardly but fully and plentifully As thou didst once cause the waters to passe their bounds and couer the toppes of the highest mountaines to extirpate and sweepe away the wicked inhabitans of the earth so now cast out the torrent of thy mercie vpon mee O Lord not to swallow mee vp but to bathe mee and clense mee from my wickednesse But let it not content thee O Lord once to haue made mee cleane and to say how thou hast regenerated and washed me in the bloud of thy chaste and innocent lamb for thou diddest not make me so white and pure but thou maiest now finde mee as foule and vncleane I haue plunged my selfe into the depth of filth I am so besmeared and so disfigured that thou wilt not acknowledge mee for thine Yea it maketh me demaund sometimes of my selfe vvhether I be hee whom thy hands haue created and my heart is so ful of shame and confusion that it dareth not resolue me O my God thou hast created me of durt clay and behold I am become such as I was before thou spreddest thine hand ouer me I haue despoyled me of my strength and my beauty to reuest my selfe in mire and filth But wherefore O Lord dost thou not forme and fashion mee anew Is thy hand shortned is thy willingness to shewe mercie to thy creature fallen away Oh thou that art Almightie Oh thou that art euen goodnes it selfe wherfore art thou so slack O Lord thine own worke is become obstinate against thee and taketh pleasure in disfiguring and disforming it selfe be thou as obstinate against thy worke to make it faire and perfect in despight of it But O my God I will no longer stand out in mine owne conceit against thee hold and take mee to thee turne me as thou wilt put a new print vpon this clay renew it put a new stampe vpon it for loe it is prest to follow thy will But when thou hast fashioned me anew do not then leaue me to my self O Lord Put thy bridle within my mouth that it may through abstinence allay that gourmandizing which fouleth it through chastitie it may coole the shamelesse heates of lustes which enflame it through humilitie it may beate downe that pride and arrogance which biting enuie hath bred in it that cōpassionate charitie may driue from it hatefull and greedy couetize that a care to serue and worship thee my bee as a spurre alwaies in the sides of lazie and fetarde negligence For otherwise O my God too much haue I proued how I shall bee handled by these troopes of vices which enuiron mee They will deface and throwe downe in such sort thy handie work that when thou shalt come thou shalt finde onely the shells and shiuers all broken and bruised I haue known them too well these are they that haue brought me to that state wherin I now stand and loe they stand in aray round about me reproaching mee and vpbrayding mee with these blottes wherewith they themselues haue defiled mee and making me guilty of those iniuries which they haue done me I haue sinned I confesse O my God I haue sinned loe I offer vnto thee the bottome of my heart take a view of my whole life I haue sinned in the fight of heauen and earth and all the world is witness of my fault But if I had not sinned how could thy mercy be shewed how wouldest thou acquite thee of thy promises of grace which thou hast so long before proclaimed by the mouth of thy holie Prophets When thou shalt come to sit vpon thy eternall throne of iustice who would feare thee if we were all iust But that men may know and acknowledge thy greatness it is meete that when we shal appear before thee wee cast downe our selues humbly vpon our face and cry O sweet Lord we will not stand in our owne defence before thee our fault is too manifest but behold our pardon is in our hand thou thy selfe hast giuen it vs loe it is signed with thy bloud sealed with thy image which for our redemption hath been printed in the infirmitie of our flesh Thinkest thou my GOD that when I shall appear before thee I will put any confidence in mine owne innocencie or dare to iustifie my selfe in thy presence Alas I know Lord I was no sooner borne but I sinned my mother looked to bee deliuered of a childe and loe a lumpe of sinne How much better had it beene if such fruite had prov'd abortiue which shameth the tree that bare it the earth that nourished it and the ayre that breathed vppon it I did nourish my selfe with