Haue freed my soule from all her foule attaints Humbling my selfe may in Gods fauour raise me Weeping for sinne may him to mercy moue Beating my brest most sorrowfull displaies me Sighing and sobbing my hearts griefe approue Playning and praying may procure Gods loue His loue is life which causeth me to craue it And stedfast faith doth tell me I shall haue it Great wonder-worker worthiest worthie one By whose assistance Henocke walkt with God Thou that wert Abrahams righteousnes alone Thou that mak'st men moue mountaines like a clod Euen hâ—apes of sinne from of their old abode Thou pretious one proceeding from aboue Soule-sauing faith our euidence of Gods loue By which we doe his promises imbrace By which we apprehend Christs righteousnes By which we doe sinne death and hell deface By which we are assured of redresse If we repent and waile our wickednes By which our prayers are to God conuaid And without which all suppliants are gain-said Oh blessed faith my fortresse and my shield My onely comfort in calamitie Which dost resolue me I shall win the field And orecome Sathan my arch-enemie I le thanke my God for thee continually Cause t is his grace and goodnes that I haue thee Which art a signe he will in mercy saue mee Thou that art God of gods and King of kings Thou whom the Sun the Moone and Stars obay That fill'st the poore and hungry with good things And dost the rich ones emptie send away My soule shall magnifie thee day by day And all the powers that doe remaine in mee Shall onely praise and euer pray to thee For thou hast vow'd and that most solemnely As thou dost liue which art the life of all Thou dost not will those that doe wickedly And into many grieuous sinnes doe fall Should die the death but rather will'st they shall Returne and liue oh sweet and gracious Lord Which to thy foes saluation dost accord With Salomon I now see all is vaine Youth beautie strength health wealth and honor too Long life and all that doth on earth remaine And all that man with all of them can doo Onely thy word which worldly wights doth woe From earthly toyes to seeke for heauenly treasure Is to be lik'd and loued without measure Thou hast ordain'd a time to gather stones And eke a time wherein to cast away A time likewise thou giu'st vs wretched ones To laugh and sing a time to mourne and pray Most finde the bad few doe the best assay But oh teach me that long in sinne haue ioy'd To mourne and pray sinne may be now destroy'd Euen as a poppie that doth hang the head Or like a Bull-rush beaten downe with winde So I sur-chargd with sinne more sad then lead Looke carefully but can no comfort finde Yet faith and hope doe both perswade my minde That thou oh Lord wilt mercy haue on mee If I repent and rightly call to thee Thy holy prophets bid vs seeke thy face And that I take it is thy fauour Lord Thy louing kindnes mercy and thy grace Which are reuealed to vs in thy word Oh them seeke I to me do thou accord And let me finde them for in them doth rest All that I want to make me euer blest Lord I no presents no oblations bring Onely my selfe I offer vnto thee A broken heart is all my offering The which although it far vnworthy bee Yet Lord accept it for behold and see In true deuotion and in perfit zeale It prostrate here for mercy doth appeale I know right well thy Angels will reioyce And be full glad before thy maiestie To see thee heare a sinfull creatures voyce And in thy mercy cure my maladie Oh heare me then and daine to purifie My impure soule with thy pure spirit of grace For that 's the mercy that I would imbrace Like Naaman I am a Leaper Lord My soule and body both infected bee With filthy sinne yet if thou speake the word There will a wonder straight appeare in mee From all corruption I shall soone be free Yea and be cleaner then the Christall glasse And far more white then snow on Salmon was Abanah cannot nor yet Pharper cure me Nor all the waters in the world beside Onely true faith doth by thy grace assure me That if I take thy spirit for my guide And follow it I shall be purifide For by the same men are regenerate And from a bad borne to a blessed state As Dauid counsels Lord I come to tast How sweet thou art and how beyond compare Thy louing kindnes which for aye shall last And more theÌ„ mirh-sweet-smelling mercies are Oh pardon me although thus much I dare It is no proud nor yet presumptuous thought But t' is thy grace which this good worke hath wrought Which grace were it not super-aboundant Lord My all-abounding sinne would still keepe backe Me from obeying of thy blessed word And in this action it would make me slacke But thy good spirit supplieth what I lacke And at this instant doth inable mee To come to croutch to crie and call to thee For mercy Lord for mercy Lord I pray thee For mercy Lord I humbly do intreat thee I am a sinner oh do not denay mee Nor yet in anger either chide or threat mee Although I know thou hast iust cause to beat mee Yet mightie Lord for thy great mercies sake Send mercy downe and some compassion take On me vilde wretch and most vnworthy man The very worst that euer was created A sillie soule a sinfull Publican In whom no grace nor goodnes is innated Nor euer yet was truely imitated Vntill this houre in which thy spirit hath Taught me to pray thus to appease thy wrath Thou that dost ride vpon the Cherubins Thou at whose presence all the mountaines shake And hills doe melt oh pardon thou my sinnes And in thy vinyard me a labourer make Do so sweet Lord and for thy Christ his sake Oh let me haue the hire thou giu'st to all Though it be euening ere to worke I fall With the lost sheepe though I haue gone astray And wandered through the wildernes of sinne Lord let me not become a cast-away But by repentance let me pardon win And once againe good father take me in And from henceforth I le so obedient bee That thou thy selfe shalt take delight in mee Looke soueraigne Lord from thy celestiall throne Ah looke I say and with thy sacred eye See how my soule doth sorrow sigh and mone And what cumpunction there is inwardly In my poore heart which of thy maiestie Doth hourely beg that thou wouldst pardon mee Which oft haue sinned gain'st sweet heauen and thee Which oft haue sinned gain'st sweet heauen and thee And therefore hence-forth am vnworthy far Thy sonne oh Lord intituled to bee Or once bespoke of where thy seruants are Gain'st mercies gate my sinnes are such a bar That they keepe backe all heauenly benediction And yeeld me nought but shame and sad affliction Lo as a
more worthie and more worth then golde Then gold of Ophyr or the Onix stone Thou whom the Lord delighteth to behold Thou that like to Eliahs fierie Throne Conuey'st to heauen Thou blest and powerfull one Plead thou my cause and oh my sute nere cease Vntill from GOD thou getst me full release Of all my sinnes and of the punishment Which for the same I ought to vndergoe And for m' assurance and my soules content Oh get me thou his Seale of grace to show That for what 's past I doe him nothing owe But loue and thanks which till my dying day My hart and soule shall neuer cease to pay As from the hand Diomedes did wound A dulcid humor daintilie distilled So from the heart where sinne did once abound Prickt by Repentance wherewith sinne is killed Sweet motions issue by Gods grace instilled Which like as Arons oyntment did descend Vnto each member straight-wayes do extend Teaching the tongue what words it ought to vse Teaching the eies what things they ought to viewe Teaching the eares what sounds they should refuse Teaching the hands what things they should eschewe Teaching the feete the perfit pathes and true That leade to life Thus like a King the hart Doth rule direct and order euery part Blessed are those that walke not sinners way Nor take delight to sit in scorners chaire But cursed I not once but euerie day Vnto those odious places did repaire For oh to me they seem'd exceeding faire Gainefull and good But now I see right well Hee that retires not shall arriue in hell Didst thou not loue vs Lord exceedinglie Thou wouldest not haue giuen thy lawes vnto vs Nor bid thy Prophets in our eares to crie What mightie fauours thou didst meane to doe vs Much lesse haue sent thy blessed Sonne to wooe vs. Which breake thy lawes thy Prophets doe mis vse And Christ thy Sonne each day and houre abuse Yet doth hee pray for vs his enemies And at thy right hand Intercession make That thou wouldst pardon our iniquities Euen for his death and painfull Passions sake Oh blest be hee that did such pittie take On sinfull soules that hee himselfe would giue To die for vs that wee with him might liue Great was that loue great was that mercie Lord And farre more great then euer man expected Vntill thy selfe did blaze that blessed word That though thou hadst mankinde for sinne reiected Yet thou in mercie hadst a meanes selected Whereby againe we should restored bee And be adopted sonnes and heires to thee Mine eyes haue seene that sweete saluation Though fully yet I haue not him imbraced But now that Christ that consolation Shall in my heart for euermore be placed That so my sinnes like cloudes by Phoebus chased May vanish hence And I with Simeon say Lord now in peace let mee depart away Thou that art more then most delitious Thou that for sweetnes doest all sweets exceed Thou whom the Angells hold most precious Thou vpon whom the soules of men doe feed Thou that most pure and perfit art indeed Thou word of Truth by which all things were made Thou which shalt stand when heauen and earth shall fade Be thou to mee a Lanthorne and a Light Be thou my Rocke and Castle of defence Be thou my sword against foule sinne to fight That I may put the diuell from his pretence And by thy power expell him quite from hence That so my selfe poore Byrd insnarde may say The Net is broke and I escap'd away Ti 's mercy Lord for which I thus implore thee Ti 's onely mercy that I humbly craue Because thy lawe saith if I come before thee Except thy goodnes which no end can haue Send mercy forth my sin-sicke soule to saue I shall by iustice be condemned to die A liuing death that lasts eternally Like to a mastlesse shippe vpon the Sea Tost too and fro by force of forward windes That euery houre lookes to be cast away Yet lo at length she happie harbour findes Such is my soule when sin so beats and blindes So toyles and turmoyles that hell seemes to haue her Yet faith steps forth and saith Gods grace will saue her And by that grace I boldned am to beg And in submissiue manner Lord to pray thee Thy grace may breake that Cockatrices egge Which serpent breeding sin that would betray mee Hath in my pathes on purpose laid to slay mee If I come neer 't as by defect of nature I cannot shun that soule-consuming creature Vnles thy grace which all-sufficient is Vouchsafe to lead me in the waies of truth Which hitherto haue alwaies gone amis Led by my folly and fantasticke youth Of which repentance onely now ensuthe For that 's the fruit of 't if we looke into it And happie's he that hath the grace to do it For looke how spices when th' are pounded small Doe in our nostrills smell more excellent Then those that neuer broken were at all Euen so a sinner when his heart is rent With the remembrance of his life fore-spent His prayers are more pleasing vnto God Then their 's that ne're were beaten with his rod. For whom he loueth them he doth correct And thereby brings them to obey his will But as for them whom he doth not respect He lets them follow their owne fancie still And headlong runne into all kinde of ill As I did Lord till thou did'st ope mine eyes And let my soule see her infirmities Great is thy goodnes I must needs confesse To giue me grace that grace-lesse euer was To see and waile my sin and wickednes Which blessed deed hadst thou not brought to passe My soule and body both of them alas Should haue bin damned in the pit of hell Which by thy grace now hope in heauen to dwell For now I le breake off sin by righteousnes I l'e o'recome lust by vsing chastitie By abstinence I 'le punish greedines And foule intemperance by sobrietie Euict iniustice by integritie Euill affections and vngodly motions I 'le purge by prayer and hearts pure deuotions I 'le banish plasphemie by blessed words By patience I my anger will o'rethrowe Boundlesse desire by what content affords Base Auarice by bountie I 'le bring lowe By zeale I will hypocrisie o'reflowe Fraude and deceit good dealing shall expell And where vice did there now shall vertue dwell By following truth my errors I 'le subdue By deeds of mercy I 'le kill crueltie I 'le plant sweet pittie where oppression grewe I 'le put out pride and place humilitie By doing right I 'le beat downe iniurie Distrust by confidence harted by loue And thus by good I will my euills remoue Each night with Dauid I will wash my bed With trickly teares distilling from mine eyes Each day with Daniell by Gods spirit led I 'le kneele and pray in spight of enemies Both day and night with Iob in humble wise My soule shall fast that teares fasts prayers may Appease Gods wrath and wash my sins away I
like the spouse when she her deare doth greet Opening vnto him in a loue-sicke feare To see his deaw'd head and his dropping heare From whose faire hands mirh falls vpon the bar So sweet sounds mercy such her sauours are Kinde spouse to ope the doore of thy owne hart In darkesome night to let in Christ thy loue But blessed mercy acts a better part Opening to men the gates of heauen aboue Through which who enters kings for euer proue Kinde spouse kinde Christ that to his spouse doth go And most blest mercy that sau'ft sinners so King Hezekiab turn'd him to the wall And wept full sore when he heard death drewe neere And mourning so he did for mercy call Vnto whose daies thou addedst fifteene yeare Lord now againe let the like grace appeare And vnto me that dying am to sin Adde a new life to laud and praise thee in For in the pit ther 's none doth giue thee praise None thanke thee there nor speake good of thy name They onely curse and ban and cry alwaies Woe to those sins wherewith they wrought their shame And brought their soules into that burning flame From whence sweet Lord for aye deliuer mee That mong'st thy saints I may sing praise to thee Eliah being hungry he did pray And lo both Rauens and Angels brought him food Daniell when in the Lions den he lay He praide and lo those cruell creatures stood Like lambes by him and would not sucke his blood But rather sought by dalliance to delight him Then with grim lookes sharpe teeth or clawes to fright him As was Eliah I am hungry Lord My soule is almost staru'd for want of food Oh send me succour by thy sacred word And for thy mercies sake be thou so good And beat downe sin that monsterous man of blood Which would into the clawes of Sathan throw mee From whom sweet Lord a safe deliuerance show mee Good Sydrach Mysach and Abednego When they into the fierie Ouen were throwne Thy praid to thee and thou preseru'dst them so As on the earth the like was neuer knowne For not a haire or garment they did owne Was either burnt or scorched in the flame Such was thy might and mercy in the same They to the golden Idol would not kneele Because they lou'd and onely honor'd thee But I am worthy hells hot fire to feele Cause I haue yeelded to all euills that bee Yet mightie Lord be not aueng'd on mee Nor let my sinnes induce thee vnto Ire But for Christs sake defend me from that fire When Ionas in the belly of the whale And in the mid'st of the maine Ocean To thee did from that depth of danger call Miserie makes men full of true deuotion For mercy Lord for mercy made he motion And gracious thou which hast all grace in store Did'st make that whale to set himselfe on shoare Like Ionas I haue often gone astray And troad those pathes wherewith thou art displeased The world the flesh and Sathan shew'd the way Ah woe is me they all at once haue ceazed Vpon my sicke soule which is sore diseased And with sins poyson so much putrifide That nought can cure it but Christ crucifide Of whose deare blood sweet Lord let me partake And then though sin which long hath raign'd in mee Labour to throw me downe into the lake Whereas the diuell that dreadfull whale shall bee Gaping to get me yet I shall goe free For spight of all powre sin and Sathan haue One drop thereof my sinfull soule will saue I 'le now put on the Armour of my God The helmet of saluation I 'le take My feet shall be with preparation shod Of righteousnes I will my brest-plate make Sword of the spirit which mak'st sin to shake I le gird thee on and most couragiously Vse thee against my spirituall enemie Thou many-headed-monsterous Hydra sin That canst not be by mortall man subdu'd Vnles Gods spirit do vs aid therein For why thy strength is sundry wales renew'd And to thy power ther 's such supplies accru'd That if Gods mercy were not great vnto vs Thou wouldst for euer vtterly vndo vs. Oh thou more cruell then was murthering Caine That slew his brother Abell in the field For whom thou killest them thou kill'st againe And plai'st the tyrant ouer them that yeeld Labouring and laughing to see hell fire filde With soules and bodies of those sillie wretches Which thou dost conquer with thy cunning fetches Thou that dost vse those that yeeld to thee so And them likewise whom thou dost ouercome Making no difference twixt friend and foe But bring'st them all to vndergoe one doome And putst them all into one tortering roome Who would not hare thee with his hart and soule And vse all meanes thy mallice to controule Who would not shunne thee more then anie snake Who vould not flie from thee with all his might To eschue thee whoo 'd anie paines forsake Who would not pray to God both day and night That his good spirit would aide vs in the fight Against so foule a monster as thou art Which seek'st the soules of all men to subuart And thou deceitfull and bewitching world Thou most false-harted flattering Crokadile About whose bosome there is nothing hurlde But that which doth our purest parts defile Euen vaine delights which Sathan doth compile And on thy face the mart of all delusion Doth set to worke our shame and sadde confusion Thou common couz'ner of thy kindest friends That Iudas-like doest with a kisse betray For vnto whom thy fauours most extends Hee is the man whose soule thou seek'st to slay With heaps of gold thou hinder'st graces way And with a faire showe of soone-fading pleasure Thou doest depriue men of heauens peerlesse Treasure Thou tempting whore which doest intice to sinne With faigned smiles and with thy flattering lookes Thou painted Idole putrifide within Though with sweet hunnie thou doest bayte thy hookes Most blest are they that keepe out of thy crookes And vse thee so as if they vs'de thee not Least by thy meanes damnation be their lot And thou fraile flesh fraught with infirmities Though thou art subiect to a sort of woes Yet to thy selfe thou coyn'st calamities And on thy soule sadde burthens do'st impose By filthie lusts from foule-desire that flowes By which alas both bodie soule and all For euermore thou to the Diuell mak'st thrall Who like a roaring Lyon runs about Subtillie seeking whom hee may deuoure And of saluation would make all men doubt By telling them euen in their liues last houre Vnles Faith stifly then withstand his power That GOD is so iust and so bent gainst sinne Prayer and repentance can no pardon winne Heare heauen and earth and all yee powers in both Heare mee I say and helpe mee instantly For to subdue this Serpent olde that go'th Vpon his bellie creeping cunningly And eates the dust of our iniquitie Which is to him more pleasant food by farre Then all the dainties that on earth there